Chapter 13 – What Naraku Left Behind

Hey, everybody. Sorry it's taking so long to update. I just haven't exactly been 100 lately, for various reasons. High school sucks one day and then I love it the next, so ya know…I'm channeling my emotions into Kaza. Our brave heroine's going to go through some tough times soon. Every fifteen year old does. :)

Come on, people! I am not such an evil authoress as to actually end it at that last chapter! Just because they found Miroku doesn't mean the stories over! I am expecting some very, VERY surprising plot twists, so don't fear! I think Daughter of the Wind might even break 20 chapters, and I'm almost to 60 reviews! I love you guys! Anyway, I don't own Inuyasha, but I own Kaza…just read.

When I finally woke up, my head pounding like a gong, I was still lying where my mom had left me. I blinked slowly. It didn't seem like anyone was here.

Great, I thought. Thanks, guys. Just leave me alone. Injured. Unable to move. And unguarded. I feel the love, Mama.

Then Kirara bounded up, mewing, rubbing her little nose into my neck and licking my face. I smiled and stroked her. "You're still here, huh, girl? I love you too."

She purred and curled up into a ball in the hollow of my shoulder – the uninjured one, of course. Someone yelled, "You awake, Kaza?"

Inuyasha walked into the clearing, carrying some berries. He looked very…well, stupid, and I almost laughed.

"Your mom sent me down to give these to you." He said, dropping down beside me. "Can you eat?"

I nodded and tried to sit up, but he pushed me back down. "Damn, girl, sit down. I'll give you the berries."

I pushed back my embarrassment and shame at having to be hand-fed, like a baby, and opened my mouth as Inuyasha popped a berry in. I can only say it was very humbling for both of us.

"Where is everyone?" I asked between bites.

"In the forest. Miroku's explaining what happened in the sky, and your mom's talking to him about what's happened down here."

As if I didn't feel crappy enough, my heart dropped like a rock and tears bubbled in the corners of my eyes. They'd went off into the forest to talk without me? When I was the one who'd rescued Miroku in the first freaking place?

Inuyasha wasn't stupid, though, however he may appear. He noticed how quiet I'd gotten and said,

"What's wrong, Kaza? It's not like we've forgotten you, we just didn't think you should have been moved."

"Then why'd you go into the forest?" I replied bitterly. "You could've stayed right here beside me and talked."

I thought he was going to give me some crap about it being too open, but he was silent. I clenched my fists.

"Grown-up stuff, huh?" I snarled. "Stuff I wouldn't understand. Kaza's too young. Kaza's injured. Kaza doesn't know what it's like. Welcome to reality, Inuyasha – Kaza didn't even know what her father looked like. Kaza knows what it's like to lose someone. Kaza understands a hell of a lot more than you guys think she does."

I was getting ahead of myself, but I didn't care. I thought I'd been happy, but suddenly it was like they all brought it crashing down on me by freaking abandoning me in this field. And yes, by them I mean my mom and dad. Had they forgotten they had a daughter?

Inuyasha picked up a berry and put it in my mouth. "It's more than that." He murmured.

That's when suddenly a woman's voice shot across the clearing – "Inuyasha!"

I recognized it as the demon woman we'd seen in the forest when we were traveling here, before my mom came – what was her name…oh, yeah –

"Kagura!" Inuyasha gasped, jumping up and grabbing Tetsusaiga. "Stay down, Kaza."

I HATED this! Everyone was telling me to stay back and step down! I could fight too, you know, Inuyasha! I was the one who killed Naraku, remember!

But while I silently fumed, Inuyasha got ready for battle, and Kagome, Shippou and my parents streamed into the clearing. When I saw my parents my heart skipped, and I wasn't sure if it was good or bad. It was all too confusing. So I focused on Kagura. Killing demons. That was something I could do.

She was flying in on a giant feather, her robes billowing. I noticed that this time she had a little girl with her. She was wearing a snow white yukata, with thick white hair and black eyes. She was holding a mirror and was definitely the creepiest little girl I'd ever seen. Ever. And I've seen plenty of creepy little girls.

The feather disappeared as Kagura touched ground, and she came forward, flicking open the fan. "If you didn't kill Naraku, Inuyasha, I will personally chop off every one of your appendages, feed them to you, and then carve out your innards and throw them to demons, do you understand me?"

"Well then it's a very good thing he's dead." Inuyasha said smugly.

Kagura narrowed her eyes. "Where's the proof?"

"Hello, Kagura." My father said cheerily. "My, it's been a while, hasn't it?" I couldn't help but grin. God, he was good.

"Well I guess they couldn't have killed you off in the battle as well." She said nonchalantly. "You can't win 'em all. But Inuyasha…you have my respect." She smiled. It was the first time I'd ever seen a demon smile. A real smile, not an I already killed off your father and now I'm going to kill you and you better believe I'm going to enjoy it smile. Cough cough Naraku cough

"I have my life back now. My heart beats within my chest again. You have my gratitude, Inuyasha."

"Um, I was the one that killed him?" Hello? Why was everyone pretending like I didn't exist?

Kagura turned to me. "You killed him?"

"Yes." I growled. This was really helping my self-consciousness.

Kagura looked surprised, and opened her mouth to say something when the little girl stepped in front of her. Her black eyes met mine until the mirror reflected me. I heard Kagome suck in a breath and whisper, "Kanna. Oh, Kaza, be careful."

In a second, I saw myself in the mirror. I knew I must look like crap – I was still wearing my bloody yukata, my hair loose and tangled, and from the throbbing in my eye, I knew I had a really bad black eye. But that wasn't the image I saw in the mirror.

In the mirror, there was me. I looked just like I did now – with a black eye, a bloody yukata, and a bandaged and bleeding shoulder wound. But I was wearing a deep purple kimono that offset how pale my skin was, and my hair looked…wow. Thicker, and darker. And all around me, there was a hurricane, a twisting vortex of winds. I was standing in the eye of the storm, my hair whipping around my head, and my very own, purple-blue eyes staring straight at me.

I'd never been more freaked out in my life.

"Kaza." The little girl whispered. "The Daughter of the Wind."

Everyone stared at me, and I couldn't take my eyes off that girl's black eyes. Beneath her, I still saw that other image of me, looking so beautiful, so mysterious, so…wild. It scared the shit out of me. My heart was drumming so loud I could hear it and my palms were shaking like leaves.

"Kagura. Do not underestimate her." She whispered. "This girl. The Daughter of the Wind."

"What are you saying?" I whispered. "What do you mean?"

"It is all irrelevant now." Kanna said, stepping behind Kagura. The wind demon looked at me and said, "If Kanna says so, it's true. I suppose I owe you my gratitude, girl. But I hope our paths never cross again."

And from then, she pulled a feather from her hair, and in a cloud of smoke, it grew exponentially, big enough for her and Kanna to both sit on. As they sat down and it began to rise, my mom raced forward and yelled out,

"Kagura! Where is Kohaku!"

She only smiled as she flew off into the wind. And I just stared up at them, my entire body trembling, and one thing kept going through my mind – Kanna's creepy, whispered voice saying,

The Daughter of the Wind.

Oh, my God, what was happening to me?

I know that Kanna probably seems a little OOC, but I actually haven't watched too many episodes with her in them, so u can't blame me. And actually, I didn't plan on this story being called 'Daughter of the Wind' around this chapter, but it does seem to fit, ne? Please review – let's see if we can break 60! I'd really appreciate it! Arigatou!