Sorry for the wait. But school, work, and just plain having so many ideas in my head but not knowing how to write them all down just got in the way, plus life. It will take me a while again to write the next chapter. Please review. It might help me update sooner ;)
I don't own InuYasha
'Thoughts'
'InuYasha's human forms thoughts'
The Greatest Power
Chapter 6
InuYasha walked through the forest, not really caring where he was going. His mind wasn't concentrating on looking out for danger or for his breakfast. Instead it was on that strange princess Kagome that helped him, talked with him, and treated him not as a half-breed but as a person.
'Why did she do that? Why didn't she just let the villagers kill me or at least try? Why was she crying yet smiling this morning when the sun rose. Why Do I Care?'
InuYasha was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the scent of a pig demon hiding amongst the trees. The pig demon watched as the unsuspecting half-demon walked past him. He grabbed a log hat was at his feet and threw it directly at InuYasha.
InuYasha was abruptly taken out of his thoughts when the log knocked him flat on his face, and into the cold snow. He growled as he jumped up. Pissed off that woman had plagued his mind causing him to let down his guard. He scanned the trees around him searching for whoever threw that log at him.
"Oh, did I make the little half-breed mad?" The demon asked with sarcasm dripping from his words, as he walked out from his hiding place.
InuYasha just growled as he starred that the ugly pig demon. The demon was tall and had an ugly green skin that if you had a weak stomach you would lose your lunch. "What the hell do you want you ugly piece of shit!"
InuYasha knew what the demon wanted. He wanted to have a little fun with him and kill him; to rid the world of another useless half-breed. 'She didn't think that you were a useless half-breed. She thought that you were a kind person and interesting '
The demon was enraged for being called ugly by a worthless half-breed. He charged at InuYasha. But InuYasha was prepared for the attack and jumped up into the air. Before he landed behind the demon he whipped around and yelled, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" His claws then glowed a bright yellow and ripped the demon to shreds.
Before InuYasha had time to gloat over how weak that demon was a clawed hand came swinging right for him. He jumped out of the way but wasn't fast enough. He landed clutching his right arm. He removed his hand to find it covered in his blood. He looked up to see two more pig demons coming out the trees.
'Of course he would have friends.' He thought as he readied himself for battle.
Treading in the ankle deep snow, through the ever winding path of trees. A young monk wearing purple and indigo robes, hair black placed in a small rats tail, and his deep indigo eyes searching for the path. On his right hand and forearm there is a purple sleeve wrapped with blue prayer beads, within his left hand he holds his monk staff.
"That demon sure did lure me far from the path." He said as he remembered why he was searching for the path.
FLASHBACK
The monk was traveling down the path heading towards the next village where it was rumored to have a beautiful princess with an ill brother, to see if he would be able to assist in curing the young prince. Perhaps he would gain a little something in return.
He is taken out of his thoughts of how the beautiful princess may reward him when he heard someone sobbing. He looked ahead to see a woman kneeling on the ground sobbing. He quickened his pace, after all he was a monk and he could not dismiss a woman in distress.
"Are you alright Miss?" He asked in the most caring and sincere voice he had.
The woman slowly stopped her sobbing while lifting her eyes toward the monk. "Oh monk, I am so scared! A demon had attacked my sister and me. He took her far into the forest!" She wailed as tears began to reform in her eyes and she clutched onto him.
A small mischievous grin had appeared upon his face as he in a 'comforting' gesture wrapped his arms around the woman. One hand on her back, while the other upon the woman's bottom.
The woman did not protest about his hand traveling so far south, she just pulled herself back and looked up into the monk's eyes, showing him pleading eyes. "Please save my sister kind monk." She said.
"Of course I will save her. Which way did the demon take off with her?" He asked.
The women pointed towards the thickest part of the forest. "The demon took her through there." She answered while turning back towards the monk.
He stood up and looked to where the woman was pointing. He then turned back towards the women. "Stay here until I return with your sister." He told her.
The woman leapt up and wrapped her arms around his waist. "No please don't leave me here alone!" She pleaded.
He turned around so that he could face her. "I will not be able to insure your safety if you were to come with me. You would be much safer here." He told her.
"Please monk I believe that you will not let any harm come to e. I don't wish to be alone out here. What if another demon comes or a group of bandits? Please." She begged as her grip tightened onto the monk, and she looked up at him with pleading eyes.
"Very well, but once I tell you to hide you must do so." He said enjoying the trust and closeness that the woman was giving him. He then turned around and with the woman holding tightly onto his arm, went through the dark, thick forest that the demon had taken her sister. He never noticed the evil grin upon the woman's face nor the flash of red within her eyes.
The monk and woman had been traveling through the dense trees for quite a while until they came to a small clearing. The monk looked around for any sign of the demon, and actually he found it odd that he never saw any signs of a demon even going through that thicket.
"Are you sure that the demon had brought your sister this way?" He asked as he turned to look at the woman only to find himself face to face with a cat demon. He sighed a heavily. 'I should have known it to be too good to be true.' He thought as he then jumped back from the demon and prepared for the battle.
END FLASHBACK
The monk had stopped. "That cat demon proved to be a formidable opponent, and quite a beauty." He said as he looked at his surroundings once again and sighed. He was completely lost.
Suddenly, the monk felt three different demonic auras coming his way. When he looked at the direction they were coming from eh saw nothing but red and then fell to the ground with whatever knocked him over on top of him.
InuYasha landed on something that felt like a person. His suspicions were confirmed when he got up to see a young monk lying on the ground. 'Oh great! Now I am going to have to fight this monk as well as those damn pig demons. This just isn't my day.' He thought as he watched the monk and listened for the pig demons.
The monk looked up to see who it was that had landed on top of him to see a half-demon in a red kimono, standing in a battle stance, and watching him very closely. He also noticed that the half-demon had a cut on his right arm. The monk slowly rose from the ground and got himself in a fighting stance, but he wasn't facing the half-demon.
InuYasha watched the monk and was stunned when he saw that the monk didn't turn at him and begin to attack him. "Why the hell aren't you attacking me monk?" He asked.
The monk said nothing but he suddenly reached his hand within his robes and pulled out some sutras and threw them towards the trees. He then followed them with his staff and struck at one of the pig demons that were coming to attack them.
InuYasha snapped out of his shock when he heard a twig snap behind him. He quickly dodged the attack that the demon had attempted. He then ran at the demon while sharpening his claws and then yelled, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Succeeding in tearing the demon into shreds.
The monk watched as the half-demon killed the other demon. Then the half-demon turned to face hi ready to dodge or to attack if need be. "Relax my friend I am not going to attack you." He said.
InuYasha froze. 'Did he just say that he wasn't going to attack me? Did he also just call me his friend?' He thought as he starred at the monk. "I am not your friend monk. And what do you mean you aren't going to attack me? You are a holy man right? You should want to get rid of me because of what I am." He said to the monk.
The monk just looked back at him with a smile on his face. "What have you ever done to me that would make me want to attack you?" He asked.
InuYasha was again stunned. 'What is with this guy? He is acting like Kagome. Ever since yesterday, every human that I run into treat me like a person rather than a half-breed.' He thought before he replied back to the monk.
"Oh I don't know, maybe because I landed on you and am a half-breed." He said with plenty of sarcasm.
"It does not matter to me what you are, and you landing on me wasn't your fault. You never did anything to harm me that I know of therefore I will not harm you." replied the monk.
InuYasha couldn't believe it, there were people out in this world that didn't blame him for anything that he hadn't done.
"By the way, my name is Miroku." said the monk.
"Huh? Oh my name is InuYasha." He said then realizing that he just gave out his name just like what he did with Kagome. 'Damn what did that girl do to me?' He thought. 'Kagome, she has a strange power.'
"Well, InuYasha it is nice to meet you." said the monk now known as Miroku.
"Keh." Was all InuYasha said.
"Uh…InuYasha do you think that maybe you could help me out with something? asked Miroku.
"Like what?" InuYasha asked now feeling that this was the only reason why he was left alive.
"Well, um…you see I was lured off of the path by a cat demon and I can't seem to find y way back. Could you maybe help me find my way back to the path?" Miroku asked the now very suspicious InuYasha.
"Is that why you didn't attack me? To use me, by gaining my trust and then killing me the moment I get you where you want to go?" He yelled. He didn't live as long as he has because he trusted. It was because he never trusted that he has survived all these years.
"No, of course not. What I told you earlier was the truth." Said Miroku, now a bit worried that his life would be cut short.
InuYasha still wasn't sure whether to trust this Miroku fella or not, but for some odd reason agreed. "Fine I will help you find the trail." He said reluctantly.
"Thank you InuYasha. Which way?" Said Miroku now a little more relaxed.
InuYasha lifted his right hand and pointed in the direction of the trail and Kagome's village. "This way." He said. 'I guess that I will end up back at that village a lot sooner than I thought. Considering I thought that I would never return in the first place.' He thought as he led Miroku through the forest.
After some time InuYasha and Miroku had made it out of the forest and could see Kagome's village below.
'I wonder if Kagome is okay. When I saw her this morning she seemed upset about something.' InuYasha thought
"Well thank you my friend for showing me the way out of there. I am indebted to you." Said Miroku.
"Keh. You don't owe me a thing." Said InuYasha.
The two of them started on their own separate ways. InuYasha had turned to return to the forest while Miroku headed on to the village.
InuYasha had only walked for about five minutes when he felt an ominous aura and noticed oddly looking clouds above. His ears then picked up the sounds of people screaming. He turned around and ran back towards the village. He stopped at the edge of the forest and what he saw were hundreds of demons attacking the village. Huts were being burned, and people were running for their lives. 'Kagome!' He thought as he ran as fast as he could towards the village.
Miroku was halfway to the village when he felt an ominous demonic aura. He looked up at the sky to see strange clouds, as he watched the clouds he saw hundreds of demons burst through them, and began to attack the village.
Miroku took a deep sigh. 'This just isn't my day.' He thought as his face had taken a serious face and he ran towards the village to help.
InuYasha reached the part of the village that was closest to the palace. Fighting off all the demons that were in his way to get there.
"Damn it. Get out of my way!" He yelled as he sliced a few more into pieces. He then made his hand into a fist, digging his claws into the palm of his hand, causing it to bleed. Once his claws had his blood on them he swung his hand towards the demons and yelled, "Blade of Blood."
Red blades soared through the sky hitting the demons and killing them. He then ran on through the path created from the attack.
Finally, he made it into the palace, he searched for Kagome. He headed to where her scent was the strongest only to be stopped when he heard someone scream for help.
Souta was hiding in his room with the guard that Kagome had told to stay with him. 'I hope that sis is alright.' He thought when a demon suddenly smashed through the doors leading to the gardens.
The guard quickly took his position in front of Souta and charged at the demon. However, the demon only needed to move ever so slightly to dodge and then quickly tore into the guard killing him.
Souta looked at the bloody guard and at the demon with fear in his eyes. He backed away slowly as he watched the demon move towards him slowly. Then the demon attacked Souta, but he jumped out of the way. Once he landed he turned quickly to see the demon repositioning itself for another attack.
"Somebody, please help me!" He screamed as the demon prepared for another attack. The demon then lunged forward. Souta watched the demon coming towards him. 'Sister help me!' He thought
Just then someone jumped through his door, sending pieces of the shattered wood in front of him causing him to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes he looked up to see the half-demon Kagome had invited to the palace to stay. "InuYasha."
InuYasha turned around when he heard his name. "Are you alright kid? Where is Kagome?" He asked.
Souta nodded his head letting InuYasha know that he was fine. But before he had a chance to tell him where Kagome was an arrow flew in between the two. Both looked for the source of who shot the arrow, they saw Lady Kaede at the door way bow in hand while the other reached for another arrow.
"Souta, get ye away from thy demon." She yelled as she readied the arrow.
Souta got in front of InuYasha. "Stop Lady Kaede. InuYasha is a friend and he just saved my life." He yelled back.
Kaede looked a bit stunned. 'This half-demon saved a human, and Souta knows his name.' "Why did ye come here?" She asked InuYasha.
InuYasha gave her a serious look before yelling, "I am here to help Kagome. Where is she?"
"Could ye be the half-demon I heard about from the villagers? The one that was here yesterday?" Kaede asked.
InuYasha let out a slight growl. He didn't have time to play twenty questions with this old hag. He needed to find Kagome. Souta knew what was causing his anger so he spoke up.
"Kagome went to go fight the demons. She left in that direction." He said pointing in the direction Kagome had gone.
InuYasha looked down at Souta and nodded. He then jumped over Kaede and ran in the direction Souta had indicated. 'I am coming Kagome.' He thought.
After InuYasha left Souta explained everything he knew to Kaede about InuYasha.
Miroku had reached the village and immediately started throwing sutras and swinging his staff at the demons. He dodged around the demons when they attacked and attacked them before they had a chance to reposition themselves. However, not even his best skills were enough to fight all of these demons.
"I guess I have no choice. Wind Tunnel!" He yelled as he removed the sacred beads from his right hand. He pointed it towards the hoards of demons in from of him. The demons began to be sucked in by a powerful wind coming from his hand. The demons could not escape from the winds grasp therefore they all perished. He then continued on to a different part of the village.
When he arrived to the new location of demons he saw a woman rolling on the ground dodging the several attacks. Finally, the woman found her opening to stand however, she didn't notice the demon attacking from behind her.
Miroku quickly ran forward and killed the demon with his staff. Then without any hesitation placed his staff in the ground and turned to the other demons and once again yelled, "Wind Tunnel!" Thus, resulting in sucking all of the remaining demons into his hand.
He then sealed up his wind tunnel and turned towards the woman. "Are you alright Miss?" He asked.
She replied, "Yes I am fine. Thank you. Kirara."
Upon speaking the name he saw a two tailed cat demon emerge from the forest with a group of small children hiding behind it. He stood there as he watched the woman speak with the children. Taking this chance to look her over. He found that this had a stunning body, with lovely long brown hair up in a high ponytail. When she turned her attention back to him, he noticed that she had beautiful brown eyes.
"Come with me." She said in a sweet yet commanding voice.
"Alright." He said. 'I will gladly follow you anywhere my beauty.' He thought as he followed her onto the back of the two tail. He sat behind the woman to which he could not stop looking at her beauty. His hand kept moving towards her bottom. Finally his hand made it to its target.
The next thing he felt was the woman's open hand hit his cheek with so much force that he almost lost his balance, let alone consciousness. He then sat there with his hands at his side with an innocent grin on his face as well as a bright red hand print.
The two made it to the palace and Miroku fought using his sutras and staff. He turned to see the beautiful demon slayer fighting with much force in her actions. He watched as she turned towards another woman to whom was shooting purity arrows at the demons.
He noticed a demon was about to attack the young priestess and went to help her. When he heard a guard yell, "Princess behind you!"
He watched as the young woman turned around and shot yet another purity arrow at the demon. 'So that priestess is also the princess of this village.' He thought as he continued to fight the demons.
Later he turned to see how everyone else was fairing in the battle of what seemed to be endless demons. He saw that the lovely demon slayer was fairing quite well. He then turned his attention to the princess and saw her get attacked by a demon and wounded terribly in her side. He did his hardest to get to her aide, but then he saw the half-demon InuYasha slice through the demon like it was made of paper.
He watched as InuYasha continued to protect the now unconscious princess. 'Why is he risking his life by coming here to protect her?' He thought as the remaining demons began to retreat back into the clouds from which they came.
InuYasha ran though the palace following the scent of French Lilacs. He came out into the court yard to come upon the scene of dead bodies of both humans and demons. The smell of blood was everywhere, as well as over the ground. 'Damn there are so many dead bodies here. Kagome had better not be one of them.' He thought as he continued to follow her scent.
Finally, he came upon the area to which Kagome, that monk Miroku, what looked like a demon slayer, and the guards of the palace were fighting, only to see Kagome get attacked and hurt by a demon. This enraged InuYasha, he ran faster than he ever had in his life. He sharpened his claws and slashed through the demon.
After which he continued to kill any demon that dared try and come near her. Suddenly all the remaining demons returned into the ominous clouds which disappeared shortly after. 'What the hell? Why did they leave? The cowards.' He turned around and kneeled next to Kagome. 'Kagome. I am sorry I didn't get here sooner.' He thought as some of the guards came and took her away to Lady Kaede.
Sango looked at the young man in the red kimono, she noticed his white hair, golden eyed, and dog ears. 'This must be the half-demon Kagome talked about.' She thought as she looked him over some more. She noticed that in his eyes there was a small hint of worry as he watched Kagome being carried away.
InuYasha turned towards Sango and saw that she was staring at him. Which both pissed him off and made him nervous because she was a demon slayer.
"What the hell are you looking at?" He asked.
"Is your name InuYasha?" Sango asked.
"So what if it is? You got a problem with that?"
"No, I don't have a problem with that. Its just that Kagome was wondering your reasoning for leaving is all. She told me that about yesterday, and early this morning when I was in the village earlier." Sango said.
"She was wondering about me?" He then looked back towards where Kagome was taken.
Miroku came up to the two after finishing his prayers for the dead. "What do you think would be the cause for the demons leaving so suddenly?" He asked.
Sango looked at the perverted monk and answered, "I don't know." She looked back at the sky and said, "My name is Sango, and this is Kirara." She said in general for both boys to hear.
Miroku grind, 'Sango, so that is this angels name.' He thought before he replied, "It is very nice to meet you Miss Sango. My name is Miroku."
InuYasha could really care less about either one of them. All that was on his mind was if Kagome was alright or not.
Lady Kaede had taken Souta to Kagome's room. There is where they waited until a group of guards came in carrying the unconscious and bleeding princess. Souta became very worried and yelled, "What happened to Kagome?!"
"She was attacked by a demon while she was looking after a child." Answered one of the guards. "The demon was about to attack her again, but that half-demon had come and killed it as well as many others that followed." He continued.
Lady Kaede quickly got to work on healing Kagome as she listened to what the guard was saying about a monk and demon slayer also coming and helping kill the demons.
Souta had heard the entire story. He looked to one of the guards that was standing closest to the door. "Go and bring the monk, demon slayer, and InuYasha here. I wish to thank them, and I am sure that Kagome will to once she wakes up." He ordered.
The guard said, "Yes sir." before heading out of the room to find them. The guard had found them still standing around the blood stained court yard, he approached them.
"The young prince Souta wishes to see all of you. Please follow me." He said.
Sango and Miroku went first, however InuYasha was hesitant at first. He soon followed after the guard had led them to Kagome's room and had announced them to Souta and Lady Kaede who were the remaining people within the room.
Souta turned to face them. Once he saw InuYasha he ran up to him and hugged him. "Thank you for saving my sister." He said.
InuYasha was stunned at this show of affection, let alone someone thanking him for anything. "Um…your welcome kid." He said feeling a bit out of place.
Souta then turned to Sango and Miroku. "Thank you as well, monk and demon slayer for helping." He said.
"Your welcome. My name is Sango and I had met Kagome earlier today, and this is Kirara." She said as Kirara 'meowed' and Souta.
Souta smiled. "Nice to meet you Sango, Kirara." He said.
Miroku then spoke up. "Although I have not met the Princess, my name is Miroku. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Same here." Souta said with a smile remaining on his face.
InuYasha was beginning to get annoyed with all this formality. "Enough of this crap. How is Kagome?" The annoyance obvious in his tone of voice.
"Kagome will be fine." said Kaede. "Just so all ye are aware. I am Lady Kaede, priestess of this here village."
Souta then addressed the three in front of him. "You may stay if you wish. I am sure that Kagome will want to thank you when she wakes up. She will also be very happy to see you again InuYasha." He said before he told the guard that was still standing there to give them rooms for the night and to make sure that they were well feed.
InuYasha followed the guard to his room that was to be given to him. 'She will be happy to see me again? But why? Was she really that worried about me?' He thought before he entered his room.
Miroku looked around the room that he was given. 'So InuYasha has met the princess before. I wonder what his feelings are for her? Also I wonder what Sango is doing right this moment? She is such a beauty.' He thought before he had fallen asleep.
Sango made herself comfortable in her room. 'That perverted monk had better not try to come into my room.' She thought as she kept her hiraikotsu nearby just in case.
I know I have a lot of battles in this story. But it was the only way I could think of for them all to meet. I know I didn't go into full detail of how Miroku fought against that cat demon but I really couldn't think of anything good to use in the battle. Please review. There are couple of other stories that are really good written by my friend Koori Youkai Hime. One is a Hellsing fic called Down the Rabbit Hole, while the other is a InuYasha and other anime crossover called When Light Meets Dark. Check them out.