Chapter 10
Kagome
"There's a village up ahead. We should talk to them and see if they know anything about Naraku." I stated while pointing to the village that was forming in the distance.
"Kagome, you, Miroku, and Sango will go on ahead. The rest of us will wait here." Mattaki said, making me look at him with confusion. It was weird that he was letting me leave his side, and I wasn't sure why.
"We'll take care of her." Sango added, getting a nod from Mattaki. He looked down at me and gave me one of his warm smiles.
"Go on, Little One. I will be here when you return." He said, running his thumb along my lip. I gave a small nod, ignoring the angry noises from InuYasha. I turned and made my way to Sango and Miroku so we could go to the village.
"Why did he want us to separate?" I asked, more to myself than anyone else.
"Because he is a demon, and a very powerful one at that. He stayed back to give the village the respect of us telling them about him and letting the people decide if it's okay for them to join us." Sango answered, making me look at her.
"I see. I guess he does think about things like that." I replied, a small smile forming on my face. He thinks about others quite often, and I couldn't help but let that warm my heart.
It was hard to admit, but I really couldn't lie to myself anymore. I was falling for the big inu, and I was falling hard. I was also terrified. It had been a week since our talk, and I still sometimes find myself thinking that he could do so much better than me.
Anytime I begin to feel like this, however, he somehow knows and is there to stop me. The first time I began to think like that, he had stopped, pulled me to him, and bared his neck to me, right in front of everyone. I had been so shocked that I just about started to cry. It was unbelievable to me how I could have a man like Mattaki chasing me, but I did.
"If you continue to think of saddening things, Lady Kagome, I fear I will have to tell Mattaki." Miroku stated, giving me a smirk.
"I wasn't thinking of completely sad thoughts." I defended, giving my old friend a glare. "It's just, I still don't see why I'm so special. Mattaki says I am, and I'll take his word for it, but I don't see it."
"You are more special than you think Kagome. Look at the group we're traveling in. Before, it was just us and InuYasha. Now we have the Ice Prince and Rin. Then there's also Mattaki, the dead father of the two. Only you could bring together such a group." Sango laughed before we reached the outskirts of the village. Instantly, we were greeted with smiles, and I couldn't help but smile back. It seems that this village was very friendly to newcomers.
"Hello, young ones." An elderly miko said, walking up to greet us. "I am Lady Yuka. Welcome to our village."
"Thank-you, Lady Yuka, for your kind welcome. I am a monk called Miroku. This is my wife, Sango. Beside her is Lady Kagome." Miroku said, giving out introductions as we all gave a small bow.
"It is very pleasant to meet you. May I ask what it is you require of us?" Lady Yuka asked. Before we had a chance to answer, a man came running up to us, panic on his face.
"Lady Yuka, there is a group of demons on the outskirts of the village!" He exclaimed, panting.
"Do they look as if they are going to harm us?" She asked, making me cringe slightly. Of course they wouldn't harm you. I hated how some people just assumed that, because they were demons, they were going to kill any humans they came across.
"Well, no. They just seem to be waiting for something. The older-looking of the three was harming the small one wearing red." The man said, making Sango and I giggle while Miroku rolled his eyes.
"I believe you know these demons?" Lady Yuka asked as Sango and I laughed.
"Yes. They are our travel companions. They didn't want to force themselves on your village if they were not welcome so they decided to stay back." I answered, giving the woman a warm smile.
"If they do not wish us harm, they are welcome." She replied with a small nod. I gave her my own nod before flaring out my aura, calling them to us.
"They will be here soon." I stated.
"Lady Yuka, we are here to ask some questions. You see, we are traveling around looking for an evil half-demon. We wish to put a stop to his ways." Miroku informed. I watched as the older woman in front of us seemed to go deep in thought.
"Little One." Came the baritone voice of Mattaki. I turned around and gave him a smile as he made his way to stand behind me.
"I see your companions have arrived." Lady Yuka said, coming out of her thoughts.
"Yes, this is Mattaki. The one in red is InuYasha. He's brash but harmless." I stated before I was interrupted.
"I'll show you harmless, Wench." InuYasha growled, stalking towards me.
"Sit, Boy!" I said, not even looking as he slammed to the ground. Snickers from the villagers could be heard and I smiled. "Ignore him. The other demon with silver hair is Lord Sesshomaru. His companion is Rin. The dragon is Ah-Un and the neko is Kirara."
"Such a lively group." The old woman said, poking InuYasha with her foot. Just then, tiny little squeals could be heard.
I looked up to see about five little children running in our direction. They all pounced on the fallen InuYasha, causing him to grunt. The first thing they went for was his ears. All of us laughed at the poor hanyou who was being tortured by the children.
"As I said, he's harmless. He has a big heart, even if he hides it." I stated, watching as the youngest girl crawled off of InuYasha and walked over to Mattaki. She stood in front of him and looked up at him while he looked down at her.
I was surprised when she reached out and grabbed his very large hand in her tiny ones. She held it up to her face, looking over his deadly claws. I couldn't help but smile warmly at the sight. The child released Mattaki's hand after thoroughly inspecting it and held up her arms to him.
With ease, he placed his hands under her arms and picked her up, holding her to his side, being careful of his armor. She reached out and ran her fingers over the markings on his cheeks before messing with the points of his ears.
"She is a very curious one." Mattaki stated, smiling down at the little girl. As he spoke, the girl caught sight of his fangs, grabbed his chin, and forced it down so she could get a better look.
"Yes, she is. She doesn't speak so she talks through her actions. I believe she is very curious about you." Lady Yuka said, making me look at her.
"Why doesn't she speak?" I asked, turning back to Mattaki and loving the sight of him holding the little girl.
"That demon you spoke of. He attacked her village. No one survived except her." The woman explained. "After that, she just stopped speaking."
"Can someone get these brats off of me?" InuYasha yelled.
"Go, children. You have played with the man enough." Lady Yuka softly ordered. The children climbed off of him, then looked to the one still in Mattaki's arms. The girl gave him a sudden hug, surprising even Mattaki, before pointing to the ground. He set her down gently and she ran off with the rest of the group.
"Come. We will go to my hut and speak more of this demon." The woman said, gesturing for us to follow. Mattaki fell into step next to me and grabbed my hand in his. He laced his fingers through mine and squeezed. I couldn't help but smile at the man beside me.
We reached a large hut and filed in as the woman held open the mat for us. We sat in a circle on the floor, waiting as the woman made tea. Mattaki pulled me as close to him as possible and nuzzled into my hair.
"Now, what is it you wish to know about?" The woman asked after passing out the tea and sitting down.
"We're trying to find him so we can stop him from doing any more damage." Sango answered.
"Well, the last I heard of him was when he destroyed that girl's village. I arrived just as he finished and was horrified by what I saw. He was with a demon that rode on a feather and a small girl that was completely white. When I arrived, I immediately put up a barrier, pushing him and the demon away. I sent them towards the east." Lady Yuka stated, looking saddened.
"I am sorry for the loss of that village, Miko. We will find this demon and destroy him for his actions." Mattaki declared, making the elder nod.
"There is something you may want to see." She said before calling in a young man. She gave him instructions and I watched as he looked a little frightened before running out of the room.
"The little white demon–" The woman started before I softly interrupted.
"Her name is Kanna. She is a void demon." I said sadly.
"Why do you sound upset at the mention of her?" Mattaki asked.
"The bitch tried to steal Kagome's soul." InuYasha growled. I could feel Mattaki's hand tighten on my back and I sighed.
"InuYasha, she had no choice and you know it. Both she and Kagura are being controlled by Naraku. He holds Kagura's heart and he took Kanna's will." I replied, glaring at InuYasha.
"Her will?" Lady Yuka asked.
"Yes. She obeys Naraku because she has no reason not to. She has no will to want to escape or be free. She just is." I answered, looking down at the floor. "I wish I could help her, but I can never get close enough. There is nothing I can do for Kagura because Naraku holds her heart, but for Kanna, I can bring her will back and block Naraku from taking it again."
"We have Kanna. She has been our prisoner." Lady Yuka stated, looking sad herself. "Although, if I had known of her circumstances, I would not have done such a thing."
"How did you manage to capture her?" I asked, shocked.
"When I threw up my barrier, the other two demons jumped out of the way, leaving her on her own. They left her, never even looking back. She didn't even fight me as I brought her here." She replied, looking at the mat as it was moved to the side.
The man from earlier entered with Kanna in his grasp. She had chains wrapped around her arms and legs and her face held no emotion. My heart went out to her. I know how it feels to have your will taken away. When I had attacked InuYasha because of the moth demon, Menomaru, I had wanted to die. I hated the harm I had caused my friend. With that thought, I wondered what the real Kanna was like.
Breaking her free of Naraku's chains was a risk. She is his incarnation after all. She could be just as vile and disgusting as he is. On the other hand, she could be like Kagura who just wants her freedom. She could easily become an asset to us. Not only does her mirror resemble Miroku's wind tunnel, but she could also watch others in it.
I looked up at Mattaki whose gaze met mine. His hand tightened on my back, and I knew he knew what I wanted to do. I could see his thoughts in his eyes as he went over every possible outcome as to what could happen. After a moment, he gave a slight nod and removed his hand from my back, almost reluctantly.
I crawled over to the void demon, who watched my movements with indifference. When I was in front of her, I kneeled on my knees and looked her over. I wondered if she would always be a child or if she would grow. There was no telling what could happen if I succeeded in what I was doing.
I reached out hesitantly and placed my hand on her forehead. I was surprised by how cold her skin felt. It was akin to the temperature of someone who has met death. Closing my eyes, I concentrated. I pushed my reiki into her, searching for the part of her that was missing. While her will was no longer present, there would still be a hole where it should be.
It didn't take long before I found that hole, and I just about passed out from the sheer darkness that resided there. It was easy to see that Naraku made sure to make this as difficult as possible. I searched a little deeper and relaxed when I noticed a tiny bit of light being pushed back. Forcing myself to grab a hold of that light, I was suddenly filled with an immense pain.
The darkness that had been pushing back Kanna's light was now attacking me. It was attempting to push me back, to take me over. I could feel the beginning of that darkness searching me, looking for any taint I had. This thought scared me because I knew I carried quite a bit. Even my reiki was tainted. Not enough so that I couldn't use it for good, but enough for the darkness to grab a hold and not let go.
My eyes snapped open with a gasp as I felt the darkness enter my body. In an instant, I realized that this was a trap. Naraku had planned for Kanna to be captured. He planned for my heart to want to heal this girl. He planned to use me against my friends and family.
Out the corner of my eyes, I could see Mattaki, Sesshomaru, and InuYasha fighting against a barrier that had somehow been placed. Even InuYasha's Red Tessaiga wasn't budging the dark barrier surrounding the child and myself. Sango and Miroku stood guard in front of Rin and the elderly miko.
My eyes met Mattaki's as I felt them begin to darken over. There was fear in his eyes as he tried to break through even fiercer. His voice called out to me as his beast fought to save me. Yes, I was tainted by the hurt that InuYasha caused, but I could be healed by the male who wants me for all of eternity. Mattaki is my reason to live. He's my reason to fight.
I tore my eyes from his golden ones and pushed myself back into Kanna's mind. I snatched a hold of that light once again and poured my reiki out around myself. I could feel the screaming pain that struck the darkness, and as it purified away, the light I was holding on to continued to grow, helping me push the darkness away.
I could feel the emotions of the light as it began to take control once again. I could feel the happiness and appreciation rolling off of it in waves. When all of the darkness was destroyed, I snapped my reiki back, causing us both to fall to the floor.
In the blink of an eye, I was in Mattaki's arms. One hand rested on my face as he called to me, trying to get a response. It took a few moments but my mind finally began to clear of the darkness that had invaded it. I groaned as a large hand tapped my cheek gently, still begging for me to speak.
"Mattaki." I whispered, receiving a relieved sigh.
"Kagome, what happened?" He demanded, looking me over to make sure I was okay.
"It was a trap." A small voice said, causing me to look up. I placed my hands on Mattaki's shoulders, using him as support so I could look at the white void demon.
What I saw surprised me. She was no longer the white we were so used to. Her skin now held a tan glow to it. Her eyes, which had been black and dark, were now a bright vibrant green, much like Shippo's. They held so much expression that it was almost overwhelming.
"Thank-you, Lady Kagome. I had forgotten what it feels like to feel. I will forever be in your debt." Kanna stated, making me smile.
"I'm just glad I could help." I said, leaning onto Mattaki as exhaustion began to take me over. His arms wrapped around me tightly and I sighed, happy to be in his embrace.
"Can someone please explain what just happened?" Sango asked, still standing at the ready.
"I will explain, Lady Kagome. I imagine you are tired." Kanna said, making me nod. "You see, Naraku took away my will which is why I followed every order he gave me. I had no reason not to. He left me in that village that day, knowing that you were looking him. He placed his miasma inside of me in the hopes that Lady Kagome would try to save me. His goal was to use any taint present within her to take control. He's already failed once so I don't know why he tried again."
"He was going to use her to kill us. Damn bastard, always wanting others to fight for him." InuYasha said, deep in thought.
"Yes. After he learned of the supposed death of the Lady and realized that she was indeed alive, he also learned of what happened between InuYasha and her." Kanna added, making me look at her.
"How did he know? We didn't even realize he was alive until a couple weeks ago." I asked, suddenly very confused.
"Lady Kikyou informed us of the circumstances." Kanna said, causing a gasp to be heard from InuYasha.
"You lie!" InuYasha yelled. "She would have never done such a thing."
"I am sorry, Master InuYasha, but I do not lie. Kikyou told us of how you tried to mate her and failed. But she did not tell you that there were two reasons why your mark would not take. First being that she is of the world of the dead. You cannot mate one who is not alive without the use of dark magic." Kanna explained, trying to get comfortable with the chains still wrapped around her.
"The second reason?" Mattaki asked. I could tell from his voice that he suspected something, and I could also tell that he didn't like what he was thinking.
"Kikyou had been coming to Naraku since the very beginning, even before her death. I am sorry to say this, InuYasha, but she never once loved you. She has always loved Naraku, even when he was Onigumo. The moment she was brought back to life by that witch, she went to him, and using dark magic, they mated. That is why you could not mate her, she was already claimed." Kanna stated, remorse on her face.
My heart broke for InuYasha as he fell to his knees. His eyes looked so distant and pained that I couldn't fight the tears that suddenly formed in my eyes. I pushed myself from Mattaki and wrapped my arms around InuYasha's neck. At first he didn't respond, but soon enough, his arms wrapped around me and held me as close to him as possible. I could feel his arms trembling as he processed this new information.
"I assume this means the abomination is with Naraku now?" Sesshomaru asked, ignoring my glare towards him for insulting her at the moment.
"Yes. She has been since the moment he awoke." Kanna answered.
"Explain that, if you would. Why did it seem as if he was dead for five years, then all of a sudden he returns as if nothing happened?" Miroku asked.
"The last blow Lady Kagome gave very nearly killed him. It took him going into a deep sleep for five years to heal. His sleep was so deep that every curse and spell he cast was recalled. The moment he awoke was when they returned." Kanna answered, shifting her arms and making the chains clink.
"I need to be alone." InuYasha said, gently pushing me away from him before standing and leaving the hut. His shoulders slumped and it seemed as if the fight had been taken right out of him.
"Can you remove her chains please?" I asked the man who had originally brought her in. I was beginning to get my strength back so I made my way back over to Mattaki who was only too happy to pull me into his lap.
"Yes, my lady." The man said before doing as I asked. Kanna rubbed her wrists the moment she was free and looked up at me.
"I am forever in your debt. I will do anything you ask of me." She said, making me smile.
"Kanna, I just freed you from being a slave to Naraku. Why would I make you my own servant? You are free to do as you like." I replied.
"If you would allow it…I mean…I know you have no reason to trust me, but I would like to join your group." She said softly, her hands twisting in her lap with her nervousness. "I want to see Naraku fall as well."
"I will allow this, but you will go nowhere alone. You must earn our trust." Mattaki said, his voice indicating that he would not give her another chance. Her eyes lit up and she gave us a smile that had us gasping. It was beautiful.
"It is growing late. There is a hut on the outskirts of the village. You are all welcome to stay there if you wish." Lady Yuka said, pointing in the direction she indicated.
"Thank-you for your hospitality. We will accept your offer for the night." Mattaki stated, standing up to his full glory while still holding me in his arms.
"I can walk." I stated, but just received a glare from the male. I just smiled at him before relaxing into his hold. I'm going to get an earful later for what I pulled but that's okay. At least I still have him to yell at me.
A few hours later, we all sat around a fire just outside of the hut. A few of us would be sleeping outside, just because of the sheer amount of people now in our group. InuYasha still hadn't returned but I knew he didn't go far.
Mattaki hadn't said much and never really took his eyes from the forest. He was still mad at me, but I assumed he was also worried for his son. We all were. What we had learned today about Kikyou most likely destroyed InuYasha. He had been betrayed.
I looked up at Mattaki who still refused to let me go. Reaching up, I placed my hand on his cheek, running my thumb over his markings. He sighed before turning his golden eyes to me, which still held his anger. I smiled at him, making him narrow his eyes.
"Do not smile at me, Kagome." He ordered, only making my smile grow.
"I am surprised. You would normally make me smile at you." I teased, receiving a deeper glare.
"I am still angry with what you did. You could have been hurt." He growled. I snuggled into his chest and felt him relax a little.
I knew that if I was affectionate with him, he would calm down and in return, be affectionate with me. It's just his nature. As I suspected, the moment I cuddled into his chest, he leaned down and began to rub his cheek against mine. He nuzzled into my hair, all the while rumbling deep within.
"I had to try. I knew there was a risk, but I couldn't leave her like that, knowing there was a chance that she was an innocent who wanted to be freed." I whispered as his lips met my neck. I could feel him breathing deeply, taking in my scent.
"You scared me, Little One. Do not attempt something like that again." He said, making me chuckle.
"You know I can't make that promise. It's in my nature to help all those I can. While you wish for me to be safe, you would never change who I am." I replied, watching as he pulled away from me slightly so that he could look into my eyes.
"You are right. I will just have to make sure you do not pull any more foolish stunts." He stated. I leaned up slightly and pushed my lips against his. I had intended for a small gentle kiss, but the moment my lips touched his, he turned it into something filled with need. Just as he licked my lip, asking for entrance, the sound of someone clearing their throat could be heard.
"I do not wish to watch you two mate." Sesshomaru cut in, making me blush as Mattaki pulled away.
"Son, I will kill you." He retorted with a growl.
"You will try." Sesshomaru stated, looking as if he was bored.
"The moment you mate your female, I will interrupt in the middle, ruining it." Mattaki said, receiving a low, feral growl from Sesshomaru that caused chuckles to be heard around the group. I pushed myself up and stood from Mattaki's grasp. Just as I was about to walk away, his hand reached out and snatched mine.
"Where are you going?" He asked, his voice filled with worry.
"I'll be fine. I just have to relieve myself." I replied, my face blushing even more. He looked at me for a second longer before releasing my hand.
"Do not go far." He ordered.
I turned from the group and made my way into the woods. I walked a good distance in, making sure no one could see me. As I began to make my way back, I was stopped by an arrow flying past me and landing in a tree. If I had been a few inches further, I would have died.
I looked at the direction the arrow came from and gasped as I caught sight of Kikyou. She had another arrow drawn and I cursed myself for not bringing my own. I glared at her as she looked me over as if I was beneath her.
"They will feel your presence. You will not escape." I said, crossing my arms.
"Do you think Naraku cannot hide my aura? None of your friends know that I am here. You are alone." She replied, a smirk forming on her face. Just then, she released her hold, sending the arrow towards me. At the last second, I jumped to avoid the thing but didn't get out of the way in time. I took it straight in the side of my stomach, the force of it hitting me sending me to the ground.
"Why?" I asked, gasping through the pain that was now flowing through my entire body. I reached for the arrow and yanked it out of my side, letting out a little yell as I did. The pain was unbearable, and I had to fight to stay conscious.
"The jewel belongs to my mate." Kikyou replied, walking up to me. When she reached my side, she looked at me as if I was pathetic before bending down and tearing the pouch that held the Shikon no Tama from me.
I reached out to try and grab it, but my hand was slapped away with the bow, leaving a stinging sensation on my skin. I attempted to summon my reiki but couldn't concentrate enough to do so. I looked up at Kikyou and met her icy gaze.
I guess after all this time, she was finally going to kill me. My vision began to go fuzzy as I watched her grab another arrow from her quiver. She quickly placed it and pulled back, taking aim. My thoughts flew to the male I was falling for. I would never see his beautiful face again, but I was thankful for the time we had shared. As my eyes closed, the last thing I saw was a blur of red and white.
-sSs-
Cliffyyy! Please don't hate me. I actually hadn't intended for this chapter to go this way, but I like it better. I hope you enjoyed the read. Please leave your review so I can read your lovely thoughts.
Shout-outs:
Kaiyatethesilverwolfdemon: I'm glad you like my story enough to both follow and favorite it. Thank-you.
Junia Grey: Thank-you for following my story.
Slvrphoenx: It's going to be a hard road for Mattaki before he is finally able to get Kagome to see her worth. So you will get plenty of chances to see him helping her. I'm glad you liked their make out session. Lol.
RedDrake323: She will eventually begin to understand how much he cares, but for now, she's working her way up to it.
Teaser: Chapter 11: How does Mattaki react to seeing Kagome seriously injured? Can he keep his control or will he kill everyone around him? Continue reading to find out.
I do not own InuYasha.