~Freak Attraction~
Chapter 8: Transformations
*This chapter does contain some semi-graphic violence and the usual Inuyasha tv-level language. Still within the 'T' rating.
"Lord Takemaru, Lord Takemaru! The demon emissary has arrived. He wishes to speak with you."
Takemaru glanced up from his tea, the ceramic cup warming his fingers against the chill of the empty mansion. The candles lighting the room were powerless against the frigid air – winter would come quickly and the village was ill-equipped to meet it. It was only a matter of days before snow fell.
Locking eyes with the guard in shabby armor before him, Takemaru said distantly "See him in then" and with a quick bow the man exited the room.
He had barely been gone a moment before an airy voice broke the silence, saying with amusement "My my, I do believe it's colder inside than out! It seems even the winter wind is no match for the bitter moods of the great Lord Takemaru of Setsuna."
Takemaru's lip quirked in the ghost of a smile as he responded tersely "I see your respectful nature has not changed since your last visit, Byakuya."
The moth demon's red lips stretched wide with mirth as he said "Respect is given where it is deserved! You may have caught the half-breed for us, but it should be noted that he did most of the work himself. How considerate of him to walk back into the spider's web when he is at his weakest."
Eyes narrowing, Takemaru said in vicious tones "I trust you demons know how to handle such filth. I would have killed him myself, were it not for our agreement."
"And believe me, no one appreciates your self-control more than Ringmaster Naraku." Byakuya gushed, his expression turning intrigued as he continued in a thoughtful tone "Though really, I wonder that a human such as you could be so cruel as to kill the only offspring of the woman he once professed to love! Of course, it was you who killed that very woman… and her demon lover for that matter. A shame things turned out as they did, really."
Takemaru grit his teeth, his hand reaching for the hilt of the katana at his waist as he said darkly "Do not test me, demon. If you know all that, then you should also know that I despise all your kind, and my cooperation ends with our deal. Your employer would do well to keep such personal information to himself, unless he wants his messengers to be sent back in pieces."
Byakuya's amusement only seemed to increase at the threat as he responded jovially "Ah, but the messenger must know all necessary information if he is to be making any deals. I can assure you though, Lord Takemaru, that your secrets will not leave this room."
Hesitant fingers hovered over the unconscious dark-haired man on Kagome's lap as she struggled to come to terms with what had happened. Inuyasha had just… changed. No warning, no explanations, one minute his hair was dirty white, the next a rusty black. And his ears! Kagome's fingers grazed the shell of one new human ear, finding that they were indeed real, and she almost cringed at the fleshy feel of them. They were supposed to be soft and warm and flickering.
At first glance, he seemed like a completely different person, and Kagome had briefly fought the urge to dump the almost-stranger off her lap. This wasn't her half-demon! But as the minutes ticked by and she looked closer, she began to see him beneath the black hair. His thick, dark eyebrows hadn't changed, and were still scrunched together in his perpetual irritated expression. The structure of his face was a little different now, or maybe it just seemed more crowded by the ears blocking in his features, but his pronounced jaw was just as set and his mouth grimacing as it tended to do.
He was still the same… still Inuyasha… but he seemed to be a different side of Inuyasha – an Inuyasha Kagome had never met. The thought that he hadn't bothered to share this side with her before hurt. Did he still not trust her?
A soft groan broke Kagome from her thoughts, and she jumped as Inuyasha began to stir, his head burrowing softly against her legs, seeking comfort. She held her breath as his eyes fluttered open, blinking against the light of the lantern in the corner. He lay for a moment in silence, brows furrowed, trying to piece his memories together and figure out where he was.
As his memories began to return his eyes widened and then narrowed, and he growled in frustration, the sound very different from his usual canine-like noises. He turned his head slightly then, and his cheeks reddened and eyes shot open as he realized his position. Inuyasha sat up abruptly with a most embarrassed look, but quickly doubled over, clutching his head as a wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him at the action. Kagome reached out instinctively to steady him, forgetting about her previous discomfort with his new form in her eagerness to help.
As her hands settled on his shoulders, he looked up, meeting her eyes with a very sheepish expression.
Well, at least he was feeling guilty about his little 'surprise'.
"So," Kagome began in a tense voice, sounding very much like an impatient mother, "mind explaining this?" She grabbed a forelock of his black hair for emphasis, and he flinched.
"I… uh…." His eyes fell from hers as he fumbled over his words, and she leaned back with folded arms, waiting with raised eyebrows for him to gather his thoughts.
Her impatience sparked his own, and he bit out "Well isn't it obvious? I'm human!"
Kagome's brow creased, and she responded angrily "I can see that Inuyasha, but how? And why? And when were you planning on telling me?"
He turned away with a huff, not keen on telling her anything, and Kagome sighed in defeat, trying a different tactic. "Inuyasha, I was worried about you! I mean… I can't help you if I don't know what's going on!"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes childishly, snapping "Yeah well, you weren't supposed to know. You weren't even supposed to be here."
Kagome bristled, lashing out to grip one of his shoulders and turn him to face her as she all but shouted "Don't start that again! Didn't I say I was going to stay with you? What if I hadn't come, hm? You would probably still be on the ground getting beaten by villagers, or you'd be covered in another man's blood and feeling ten times more miserable than you were before."
"Yeah, about that;" Inuyasha began in an irritated voice, "Wasn't it your little 'act of mercy' that got us tied up and locked in a shed? Still think I shouldn't have killed him?"
He was watching her with expectant eyes, daring her to challenge him.
Meeting his gaze, her shoulders fell with a sigh. "Inuyasha… if I hadn't been there… you would have killed him, wouldn't you?"
"Yes." His response was quick, but she could see something in his gaze change at the admission. It could have been her imagination, but he looked… ashamed. "I wanted to kill him. I still do… kind of."
Kagome sat back, folding her hands in her lap and watching him carefully, but she didn't dare say a word. It usually took him a while to share his thoughts, so she'd give him his time.
"I… Kagome, it's all I've thought about for years. I mean… I always figured if I did ever break out of that hell-hole of a circus, that I'd get revenge or die trying." He paused, brushing a hand through his bangs, resting his elbow on his knee and leaning against his hand, his body sagging with weariness. "I guess I'm… I'm glad I didn't, after all, but… geez Kagome, what am I supposed to do now?"
The pleading gaze he turned to her wasn't the only thing surprising her; she couldn't believe that her tight-lipped Inuyasha was being so… open. So emotional! Kagome felt her heart flutter at the depth of the thoughts he was entrusting her with, but she had to wonder if he was really aware of what he was saying, or if his injury was worse than she thought.
"Inuyasha, are you feeling alright? Is your head still bothering you?"
He stared at her incredulously and shouted "I'm barin' my soul here woman, and you're asking if I've got a head injury?"
She tried not to respond in kind, tempering her frustration and saying calmly "Well do you? I can't think of any other reason why you'd be so willing to share. You haven't exactly been eager to talk about… sensitive topics before, so… what changed?"
"What changed? What the hell didn't?!" He grabbed a lock of hair to emphasize his point, then folded his arms with a huff saying "It's not as if I want to talk about these things, it's just… whenever I turn human, it's like… I've got so much on my mind, and… usually I don't have anyone to share it with."
Kagome paused, recognizing that he was having a rough time, but she couldn't help asking "So do you mean… this has happened before?"
Inuyasha peered at her with a guarded expression, but at her curious gaze his eyes softened, and he sighed in resignation, saying "Yeah, it's a regular thing. Every New Moon my powers disappear and I become human until sunrise. I… think it's a 'half-demon thing', but I'm not sure… never met any others."
Kagome nodded, keeping quiet as she thought over what he had told her. So he lost his supernatural powers for a night each month; that meant he didn't have his strength, or his heightened senses… he probably felt very vulnerable. Thinking about him so weakened, a terrible image struck her of this black-haired human trapped in that old, smelly cage with rusty shackles, and she asked worriedly "but… how did you survive like that in the circus?"
He smiled wryly, and after a moment of thought said softly "Those were my nights off. I was usually half dead from previous fights anyways, and they couldn't risk their prize attraction actually dying. Everyone knew though… and… they had other ways to torment me aside from beating me up."
There was a haunted look in his eyes as they gazed away from her to the wall, and for the first time Kagome realized that it wasn't just his body and his pride that had been hurt during those years he'd been trapped… his spirit had taken the most damage, and she was amazed it hadn't broken. Her eyes stung, and she had to look away for a moment as amazement and sympathy and compassion overwhelmed her.
Inuyasha turned back to look at Kagome, concerned over her silence, and his heart clenched as he saw exactly what he had feared: shaking shoulders and watery eyes.
Not even thinking in his emotionally impulsive state, he closed the short distance between them and pulled her into his arms, leaning her against his chest and resting his head atop hers as he said with a bit of panic "Hey, c'mon, don't cry over me! It's okay… all that stuff is in the past! I'm never going back there, and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you either."
Sniffling noisily, Kagome nodded softly against him, snuggling into his warmth and ignoring her heated blush. She was a little surprised that even after how close they'd already gotten, she was still so easily flustered by his actions.
He smiled as he felt her calm down and her tears subside, and added reassuringly "Don't worry, tomorrow morning when I have my strength back, this place is gonna be a cinch to break out of! Then we can get back on the road again."
Kagome couldn't help but smile as well at his confident tone, but his words reminded her of something she had forgotten: her home. She hadn't seen her family in so long, and she missed them dearly… but….
"Then what?"
Inuyasha was caught off guard, his arms slackening around her as he said "Whaddaya mean?"
Shifting against him to meet his eyes, Kagome continued in a melancholy tone "When we make it back to my home… what will you do? Where will you go?"
His own eyes fell at that, and he looked away, unable to stand her sad expression and unwilling to let her see how painful the thought was to him. "I guess… I guess I'll go back to Kaede's village. I could probably hide out with her for a while… until I figure out what to do with my life."
"I hope…."
Inuyasha looked expectantly at the sound of Kagome's timid voice, and saw that her cheeks were a rosy pink, her eyes peering at him through downturned lashes. Her voice was hesitant, but she seemed determined to see her thought through as she said "I hope that you stay there long enough… for me to come visit you."
Inuyasha's eyes were wide at her admission, and he didn't respond for a moment. She wanted to… visit him? Him? Even after returning to her family, after finally escaping the danger that came with following him… she would actually willingly seek him out again?
Lost for a response, he said in a tone not nearly as harsh as he wanted "S-stupid! Tokyo is hundreds of miles away from the village! H-how would you make a trip like that?"
"I'd find a way."
She wasn't teasing, she wasn't joking, she wasn't just being obstinate; she meant it. Hundreds of miles, alone, with no demonic senses or even a sense of direction, she'd find a way to see him again.
'Stupid human girl… stupid human emotions!' he thought to himself as he gathered her against his chest again, squeezing her harder than he should have but not hard enough to hurt. He thought he could feel, even without his demonic powers, her heartbeat pick up drastically. Or maybe that was just his.
"Kagome… I'm sorry."
Kagome stiffened, not at all expecting an apology. What had he supposedly done?
Before she could ask, she heard him saying softly above her "I… have a confession to make. I didn't… didn't know how to tell you earlier…. I wouldn't have told you at all, but…."
She forgot how to breathe as he blundered on though his 'confession', and Kagome prayed that he would get to the end of it before she passed out or before someone interrupted or before he came to his senses and shut up.
"I never intended to take you home."
Kagome froze again, but this time for an entirely different reason. Her brow twitched involuntarily, and she had to force herself to stay calm and listen to the rest of whatever the hell he had to say.
Sensing her change in mood, Inuyasha rushed on "At the beginning! I mean, I would have if I had to… if you really wanted me to, but… even after just a day… I didn't want to. I didn't want you to go home, because… I knew I would never see you again. And I needed a reason to see you. I… I know I tried to leave you, but I just didn't want you getting hurt because of me… and I figured if I didn't make it away from this place alive, at least you would. But Kagome… if I could have, if I hadn't been so absorbed by revenge, and if you hadn't had a home to return to… Kagome, I would have been happy to wander with you forever."
Kagome released a shaky breath and a whisper of "I-Inuyasha" unable to think of any other response. She couldn't blame him for wanting to be a little selfish – hadn't she been thinking the same things, not wanting to go back to her home if it meant they had to say goodbye? But she'd had no idea he felt the same way, and knowing he did sent her mind reeling.
If he did feel the same… did they really have to say goodbye after all?
Gathering her courage and fighting down the butterflies in her stomach, Kagome ventured "Inuyasha, you… you don't have to leave. Even if you take me home, I don't… I don't want you to leave."
His breath hitched and eyes widened, and he felt that with every word she said, he could feel his courage growing. Maybe he'd feel differently in the morning, when his thoughts were more clouded by pride and self-loathing, but in that moment he wanted nothing more than to reassure this girl that if she would allow it, he wouldn't be going anywhere without her ever again.
"Kagome, I –"
A wooden thud and the abrupt sliding of the door to the shed broke off all thoughts as several guards rushed in, grabbing the two captives and literally tearing them away from each other.
"Inuyasha! INUYASH-MMF!" Kagome struggled against the guards, fighting the grubby hand that was clamped over her mouth.
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha struggled as well, but his injury left him even weaker than she – there was nothing he could do to help her. They were dragged out into the open and led to face a very irritated Lord Takemaru. "You should have died Half-breed." he called out mockingly as they approached, "Where you're going, you'll wish you had."
Inuyasha mustered the strength to lift his aching head and glare daggers at Takemaru, who paled at the sight of him. For a moment Inuyasha wondered at the man's sudden change in attitude, but a single word from the lord cleared his confusion: "Izayoi…."
Inuyasha barely had the energy to smirk, but he managed. So, his human looks reminded this wretched man of his mother, huh? The woman he had killed in cold blood? Good. Maybe the bastard would feel some of the pain Inuyasha had felt every day since.
But Takemaru's face wasn't shocked for long before it morphed into pure rage.
"DEMON! You dare to disguise yourself in the image of that disgraceful woman?!"
"I'm not like this by choice Idi- Ahh!" Inuyasha reeled as a fist collided with the injured side of his head, his guard yelling "Oi! Don't talk back to m'lord, scum!"
Inuyasha didn't respond – he couldn't – as stars swam in his vision. It took him a moment to regain his bearings, and by the time he did, he almost missed Takemaru's next words.
"That was a dangerous move boy – one that will cost you your life. I disposed of your miserable mother and wretched father; now for the rest of the tainted family!" With a yell he unsheathed the Katana at his side and rushed forward.
Inuyasha heard Kagome cry out, but his own moment of fear was cut short as Takemaru suddenly stopped with a tremor, shock registering on his face as he looked down to see a bloody hand sticking out of his chest. No one dared move or speak, until a playful voice cut through the silence saying "Now now Lord Takemaru, what did I tell you about trying to kill my runaway act?"
Takemaru could do little more than gurgle as he turned blank eyes over his shoulder to meet the smiling face of Byakuya. "Let me assure you, human lord," the demon crooned, his grin never fading "this is nothing compared to what the Ringmaster would have done to you." And without another word he pulled his hand from the gaping wound, and with a groan Takemaru fell to the ground, convulsing as blood pooled around him.
"Now then!" Byakuya said jovially, wiping his gore-covered hand on a trembling guard beside him, "Let's get going, shall we?"
His question was met with silence though as one prisoner could not speak and the other stood staring at the dying man. Try as he might, Inuyasha couldn't look away from the bloody mess that was Takemaru of Setsuna, a hole in his chest just as there had been a hole in his mother's. He hadn't known that this man had also killed his father, and as he watched the human bleed out, he couldn't help but feel satisfied. He was glad he hadn't done it himself, but he wasn't sorry to see the bastard go.
Seeing his audience distracted, Byakuya waved a hand saying dismissively "Oh you needn't worry about him. He was long over-due for an execution. Master Naraku intended to kill him way back when he ordered the attack on your village but –"
"WHAT?"
Byakuya's startled face quickly turned into a delighted grin as he explained to the angry and confused young man "Oh you didn't know? It wasn't just by chance that Takemaru's men found your village that day – Master Naraku needed some kind of distraction to get to the ancient priestess's grave after all."
Despite his lack of Demonic powers, Inuyasha swore he saw red as rage simmered behind his eyes. "That bastard" he ground out, almost unable to speak through his rage "planned the attack? He led those men to the village… let my mother die… tricked me and locked me in a cage for ten years … ALL FOR SOME DAMN BONES?"
Byakuya seemed to be pondering his words for a moment, his finger to his chin in a mockery of thought, and then responded lightly "Why yes! Yes he did."
Inuyasha yelled and charged forward, his guards barely able to restrain him as he fought to get to the smirking moth demon.
"Woah now, I'm only the messenger! I wasn't even there, believe me!" the demon said, his hands raised in a placating gesture before him, but it made no difference to the half-demon-turned-human.
Unable to handle the struggling man much longer, one of the guards again punched the side of his head, and Inuyasha's world burst with white at the impact, before it all went black and he slumped in unconsciousness.
"I suppose that's enough fun. Bring them here please if you want to live."
The guards didn't even hesitate as they carried the prisoners after Byakuya, who was approaching a large black carriage pulled by ghostly horses with red eyes.
The hand over Kagome's mouth retreated as her guard moved to get a better hold on her arm, and she wasted no time in shouting "Leave him alone! He hasn't done anything! And what are you up to anyways? Where are you taking him?"
The demon sent her an annoyed grimace over his shoulder as he whined "Must you yell? Honestly, I wonder that you ever find time to take a breath with all those questions!"
Kagome growled in a fair imitation of her dog-like friend, yelling even louder "JUST ANSWER ME! What are you going to do with him!?"
Byakuya turned back nonchalantly, but responded calmly "It's really none of your concern, though I don't see why you're so worried; you're going with him after all."
Fear suddenly clouded Kagome's mind, but she had to ask, despite what she knew the answer to her question would be. "And… where is it we're going?"
Opening the back of the carriage, Byakuya stepped aside with a flourish, and to Kagome's horror she saw the iron bars of a cage inside. "Why, back to the circus, of course!"
The night air was full of excited shouts and exuberant laughs as the demon audience took in the last moments of the show, a lifeless human skeleton jumping this way and that, through hoops and over walls, spinning and crouching at the whims of its hidden puppeteer.
Shippo watched horrified at the edge of the tent, itching to leave but unable to look away as the assemblage of bones danced and leapt seemingly of its own accord. Truly Ringmaster Naraku had no rival with such manipulation. Any excitement Shippo had once found at the prospect of a circus and its grandiose entertainment had been squashed the first night when he witnessed the Ringmaster in action.
As the old skeleton made a final dramatic somersault to land in a dead heap in the dirt floor, Shippo found the strength to turn away and slip under the tent rim, wanting to be gone before he was caught up in the rush of circus-goers leaving the grounds. Ducking around stalls and empty tents, the little fox eventually found his way back to the tent of his new friends, slipping through the hanging flap with a relieved sigh. Kirara bounded forward to meet him with a friendly squeak, and Shippo patted her head affectionately before hopping over to leap onto Miroku's shoulder. The monk looked up from inspecting his Shakujou, the staff long out of use but still well cared for, and turned expectant eyes on the fox-demon.
"What did you find, Shippo?"
Shippo waited until Sango had set down her own weapon and come to sit beside them, listening intently as Shippo said in hushed tones "Kagura's back. She didn't perform tonight though, and I haven't seen her since yesterday."
"That's not surprising" Sango said grimly, "the Ringmaster's not bound to be happy with her after she failed to retrieve the half-demon."
"Inuyasha" Shippo corrected, and Sango smiled and nodded in apology. "Right, Inuyasha."
"Well," the fox continued, "I know for sure she's not around Kohaku anymore. Byakuya's been keeping a close eye on him. He might have caught me spying once or twice, but he didn't say anything. Guess he doesn't understand what kind of threat I really am!" Shippo puffed out his chest in pride, but he deflated as Miroku said with soft concern "Don't underestimate him Shippo; he's more clever than you think. We don't want anything to happen to you, so please, don't let your guard down."
Smiling softly at his new friend's worry over him, Shippo said in more humble tones "I won't! I wouldn't do anything to get you or Sango in trouble either!"
"Shippo," Sango said quickly, her eagerness apparent, "what exactly have Byakuya and Kohaku been up to? I haven't seen either of them in days."
With a quick hop Shippo was on the woman's shoulder and patting her head consolingly. "Don't worry, Kohaku's doing alright. He's still being controlled though, but nothing's happened to him. It's weird though… all he and Byakuya have been doing for days is putting together cages."
All sets of eyes widened in confusion, Miroku asking for all of them "What kind of cages?"
"Well, there's one that's kind of small and all metal, with really, really thick bars" Shippo said, bringing a hand to his chin and scrunching his eyes in his attempt to picture it, "and then there's this big one that's like… well, it looks like a bird cage."
The humans shared glances, unsure of what such a construct could be for but knowing it couldn't be good.
"Master Miroku! Master Miroku!"
The group was shaken from their thoughts as Hachi came running into the tent, doubling over to catch his breath as the group rose to gather around him.
"What news Hachi?" Miroku said brusquely; Shippo's findings had already unsettled the monk, and he had a sinking feeling that the night was only going to get worse.
Taking a deep breath, Hachi looked up at the group and said in a rush "Byakuya returned, and he's brought the half-demon and the human girl with him!"
Gasps and shocked faces met those words, and Shippo was the first to speak as he all but shouted "Where are they now?"
Hachi turned sad eyes to the fox, and his pointy ears drooped as he said hesitantly "You won't like it…."
Kagome awoke with a groan, hesitant to open her eyes until memories of the previous night flooded her mind and her eyes snapped open as she sat up quickly. Her head swam at the sudden movement, but she steadied herself and swept her gaze over her surroundings; and stopped breathing.
She was in a cage. A bird cage.
Wrought-iron bars surrounded her in a circle, too close together for any hope of slipping through, and the top of the cage was high above her and out of reach, the bars coalescing into an imprisoning dome. Kagome took a gasping breath, her body going cold with fear as the walls of her confine seemed to close in around her.
"Kagome?"
At the sound of an earnest, squeaky voice, Kagome whirled, searching the grounds outside the enclosure until she saw the little creature she had never thought she'd see again.
"Oh Shippo!" Dropping to her knees, Kagome reached through the bars towards him. He rushed forward but stopped just short of her reach with a pained expression. "Shippo? What's wrong?"
The little fox looked away, wringing his hands, and with a gasp Kagome saw that the small hands were red and burned. "The-there's a barrier." He said sadly, and understanding shot through Kagome like an arrow. "I can't get close."
Kagome grasped the bars before her, leaning heavily against them, knowing the barrier would not affect her but aching for her little friend who couldn't come near. Her heart broke to see the extent of his burns, and she knew he must have tried more than once to get to her before the pain became too much.
At the thought of such pain, Kagome's thoughts were suddenly turned to Inuyasha, and with a gasp she whipped around searching desperately for her injured friend. Looking behind her she saw another cage, and although the early morning light was still weak, she was able to make out a mass of black hair and limbs sprawled on its floor.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome rushed to the edge of her birdcage, but was much too far to reach him. "Inuyasha! INUYASHA!"
"He's been out for hours, ever since you got here." Shippo said sadly, his hands rubbing distractedly again, and Kagome's heart lurched at the realization that not all of the burns were from her cage. "W-what happened to him Kagome? Where are his powers? His aura?"
Kagome longed to reach out and hug the bushy-tailed child, but could only say reassuringly "Oh Shippo, he'll be alright. He's only like this until the sun comes up, and then he'll be back to normal. E-everything will be fine, you'll see."
As if on cue, a white lining lit up the edge of the far mountains, and Kagome sighed heavily in relief as the sun crested the horizon and Inuyasha's hair began to lighten. She could feel his aura returning in pulses, until suddenly she felt it in all of her senses, as welcome as any friend she'd ever known.
Inuyasha twitched as feeling came back to him, but he stayed prone on the ground for a moment, basking in the sensation of his demonic powers returning. There was no feeling quite like the morning after a new moon.
But with his returning senses came awareness of his surroundings, and the smells and sounds that met his mind filled him with deeper dread than he'd felt in a very, very long time.
He didn't need to look to confirm what his senses were telling him - that he was back in hell, and she was here too. His heart ached to think of what condition she'd be in, but he had to see – he had to keep her safe. With a groan he lifted his head towards where her scent emanated, and as his vision focused on the dark haired girl, his blood froze.
"Kagome…."
She was trapped just like a 'bird in a cage', the words of the song she'd been trying to escape for weeks ringing in his head at the sight. These demons knew… somehow they must have known about her nightmares. Had they been the cause? Had… had the two of them been followed all along? Inuyasha seethed at the thought. Those demons would pay for this, and pay dearly. When he got out of here….
Finding himself free of shackles, he shot to his feet and lunged at the bars – only to be repelled with a yelp by a stronger barrier than he'd ever encountered. With a growl he reached for the hilt of his sword… and cursed as his hands found only air. A quick inspection revealed not only had they taken his sword, but his mother's coat and leather shirt as well. 'Damn bastards took Kagome's ribbon too….'
At the thought of his human friend, Inuyasha looked up to meet her worried gaze, and both were silent for a moment as they searched the other for injuries.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome called softly, her voice wavering, "are you alright?"
"M'fine. The wound healed up with the sun." He gazed steadily into her eyes, unable to look anywhere else. The sight of her in a cage was almost too much for him to take, but he didn't dare take his eyes off her for fear of what the demented circus demons would do to her if he did.
As he stared at her though, he became aware of another scent he recognized, coming from her direction. His mind had barely registered the smell of fox before the red head of Shippo peaked around the bird cage and into his line of sight.
"H-hi Inuyasha… long time no see."
Inuyasha was speechless, overcome at the sight of the innocent kit in the middle of the circus grounds. The black worker's coat on Shippo's back made the half-demon's stomach sink, memories of his own tortured childhood here racing through his mind. Shippo didn't deserve such a life – no one did. How… how could this have happened? With an angry growl Inuyasha slammed a fist into the hard metal bottom of his cage, leaving a sizable dent in the material. He should have known… it seemed that everyone who ever had the misfortune of getting close to him either wound up dead or imprisoned. It would have been better for all of them if they'd never crossed his path. Hell, it probably would have been better if he'd never even been born.
His self-loathing thoughts were interrupted by another scent on the air, and in a voice that left no room for argument he said under his breath "Shippo, get out of here. Now."
For a moment the fox-demon looked about to protest, but his own nose twitched at the scent and his eyes flew wide. With a heavy nod of his little head he was off, and Inuyasha would have sighed in relief were it not for a deep and disconcerting chuckle which quickly erased all else from his mind.
"So, you've finally awoken."
Inuyasha growled low and menacingly, that arrogant tone all too familiar to him. Kagome glanced around in puzzlement at the new voice, her eyes eventually landing on the figure of a man, a coat of white fur over his western-styled clothes and a baboon mask covering his eyes. The half of his face not hidden by the ghastly pelt was lit up in a smirk, and the sight had Kagome shivering uncomfortably.
"Inuyasha, so nice of you to join our troupe again."
"Go to hell Naraku." he snarled, crouching low into a defensive stance, ready to pounce at a moment's notice despite the metal bars.
"Such ingratitude. I've saved you from your own family twice now, and that's how you show your appreciation?"
"Come over here and say that, ya lousy coward! I'll tear your damn head off, mask and all!"
Despite the colorful threats, Naraku only laughed, walking resolutely past the snarling half-demon to stand before the bird-cage. "I must say, you did a fine job protecting my new star attraction."
The empty eyes of the baboon-mask were staring straight at her, and Kagome couldn't be sure to which 'attraction' he was referring. A chill ran up her spine as his smirk widened and in a tuneless voice he recited "Kagome, Kagome, you are no more than a bird in a cage."
Her eyes widened in fear and her whole body shook as she shrunk back against the opposite metal wall, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from this man as possible. His words brought the ghostly singing back to the forefront of her mind, and the chanting was insistent, urgent as it cried to her "Kagome, Kagome."
Seeing the girl so overcome with terror, Inuyasha kicked the bars of his cage, ignoring the painful jolt it gave him as he shouted out "Naraku! Leave her alone! She's just a human."
"Oh but that's where you're wrong, halfbreed." Naraku sneered, not bothering to turn his attention away from the cowering woman "I believe we all witnessed what power she really possesses. Although, it's not really her power: just a fortunate side-effect of reincarnation."
Hearing this spiteful man talk as if he knew her, Kagome's fear began to fade and she sputtered an angry "What are you talking about?"
"You really don't know?" Naraku responded in amusement, smiling widely under his baboon-covering, "That spiritual power of yours is tied to your soul, but that soul is not yours to begin with. It belonged, and still does belong, to the Priestess Kikyo."
'Kikyo… the priestess whose spirit protected Kaede's village… the shrine where the bones went missing!'
"What do you know of Kikyo?"
Both Kagome and Naraku turned in surprise to Inuyasha at the dangerous tone in his voice. Naraku recovered quickly however, and his tone was dark as he responded "More than you, halfbreed. You see… I've met her. We have a rather… intimate connection."
With a flick of his wrist, Naraku waved his hand toward Kagome, and she suddenly cried out as she felt herself being pulled across the cage towards him.
"BASTARD! LEAVE HER ALONE!"
His cries fell on deaf ears, and Kagome was helpless against the pull of the invisible strings tugging at her body. With a startled yell she was slammed against the bars with enough force to bruise, and her eyes which had been shut tight in pain shot open again at the feel of cold fingers grasping her chin. The blue-gray baboon mask was inches from her face, and she could hear Inuyasha yelling and swearing in the background, but she was unable to look away.
The hand not holding her face rose to pull up the mask, and Kagome recoiled at the blood-red eyes staring back at her. Naraku grinned, his face a twisted mockery of pleasure as he said softly "You look just like her you know… just as I remember. She no longer has physical form, but such things are easily remedied. You're nothing but a borrowed soul in a counterfeit body." He smirked, delighting in the cold shivers wracking the young girl's frame as he studied her face. "Just like Kikyo." One of the fingers against Kagome's chin flexed, stroking her skin, and a wave of nausea swept over her.
Inuyasha was beyond livid.
"Get your filthy hands OFF HER you DAMN APE! I'LL TEAR YOUR ARMS OUT; I'LL RIP OFF EVERY LAST FINGER IF YOU DARE TOUCH HER AGAIN!"
Naraku spared the half-demon a cold glance, saying contemptuously "You think you are a match for me? You're nothing but a mongrel. I've had you in my power for ten years, and yet you still seek to challenge me?" He stepped away from the bird-cage, and Inuyasha had to hide his sigh of relief as Kagome fell back to the floor, backing herself against the bars farthest from the dark-haired man.
Seeing Kagome temporarily out of harm's way, Inuyasha let his cocky attitude seep in as he said "You should be afraid of me. I've still got some tricks up my sleeve that you ain't seen."
"Tricks? You wouldn't be referring to this, now would you?" With a shrill scrape the rusty blade of Tetsusaiga was pulled from beneath the Ringmaster's fur robe, and Inuyasha paled.
'Why that… how did he… of course he would… dammit all!' The sight of his father's fang in the hands of the demented demon set Inuyasha's blood boiling, but he knew better than to react; there was still a chance Naraku didn't know of its hidden powers….
"I tire of the slayer-boy's disobedience, but I admit, he does come in handy at times. Were it not for his failure and Kagura's meddling, I wouldn't have found out about your little 'trick'. Perhaps I would even have let you keep the rusty thing. But after what the boy shared, I'm afraid I can't let you have this back."
Inuyasha swallowed hard. So… the kid had seen the sword transform? It figured… that was just the way his luck went. "That sword ain't gonna work for you", he called out boldly, hoping to at least get the other man to put it down. If in the off chance his luck changed, perhaps Shippo could track down the discarded sword later and get it back to him… and then he'd tear this place apart.
Naraku glanced up from examining the sword to meet Inuyasha's hard gaze, and suddenly his expression turned smug. "Well, I suppose then if I can't use it… no one else should have it either."
Raising the sword across himself, he grabbed the dull metal in one hand and the hilt in the other, his aura wafting about him in swirls of deep indigo as his captive audience looked on in silence. His gaze never wavered from the half-demon's, and Inuyasha couldn't look away as the red-eyed man's demonic power overcame his father's sword.
For a moment it seemed that nothing would happen; Naraku was struggling, and the sword was unchanged. Inuyasha smirked at seeing the haughty man's plan fail, but with a sudden burst of power Naraku's smirk became wild, and then the air was filled with the sharp snap of metal as Tetsusaiga broke in half.
The silence that followed the crack was deafening, both Kagome and Inuyasha petrified at the sight of their last hope, shattered. As the broken scraps of metal hit the hard dirt at Naraku's feet, Inuyasha felt something inside him snap as well, and rage like he had never known boiled in his veins. That bastard… that smug, smirking bastard! He dare think himself stronger than his father's fang? Stronger than himself? The demon would die – Inuyasha didn't even need his sword to do it. He'd take pleasure in gutting the man and ripping out his shriveled heart. His claws flexed, and he could almost smell the blood in the air
He was breathing hard, eager to tear into something, uncaring about the world around him, wanting only to kill.
And then he heard Kagome scream.
She was up against the bars again, held fast by the demonic spider webs of the Ringmaster, and Inuyasha's blood burned hotter than before.
"Your feeble power doesn't interest me in the least, half-demon. But this woman…" he reached a hand through the bars to grasp her neck, and her breath came out in a hiss as he squeezed, "she has powers that trace all the way back to the legendary Midoriko. Those powers were reincarnated into Kikyo, and now…" he paused, squeezing Kagome's neck until her eyes opened in a glare, "they've been reborn in you."
At the intensity in his gaze, Kagome shut her watery eyes tight, tears leaking at the edges as she fought for breath. Even with her own eyes closed, she could still see the unearthly red of his. An animalistic snarling met her ears, and she recognized the sound as Inuyasha. His earlier yells had been full of rage and hate, but the noises he made now… if death had a sound, she was surely hearing it.
With a scoff Naraku's grip loosened and he removed his hand, though he did not free Kagome from his webs. "So weak… I would have thought a reincarnation of Kikyo would be stronger, but it seems I was mistaken. All in good time though. Once I have trained you… broken you… then Kikyo's powers will be free for me to do with as I will."
Gasping for air, Kagome glared at the black-haired man, wanting to give him a piece of her mind but knowing she couldn't even speak.
"What do you say, Inuyasha?" Naraku called tauntingly to the still growling man, waving his hands again and pulling at the near-invisible strings attached to the girl, "Shall I break her body first?" He flicked his wrist and Kagome choked out a cry as her foot was snapped far in the wrong direction, her ankle breaking and pain searing up her leg. She could hear the half-demon's growls increase in intensity.
"Or should I start with her spirit?" Kagome was little more than a helpless bystander as her arms lifted of their own accord and reached out through the bars – reaching for Naraku. She shook violently as her body pulled one way and her mind pulled desperately in the other direction, but no matter how hard she fought she just kept reaching further. Naraku didn't even have to move as her arms began to wrap around his neck.
The Ringmaster's concentration fell and so did his controlling webs as a roar broke the morning stillness, a flash of light almost blinding Kagome as she stumbled away from the dark puppeteer, unexpectedly freed. Another flash and a throaty roar drew her attention to Inuyasha's cage, and her eyes watered at the sight of his maddened expression as he threw himself against his barrier. Welts were appearing on his tanned skin with each contact, and Kagome could smell the burning flesh as he continued to heedlessly throw himself at the confines of his cage.
She tried to call out to him, but her voice came as little more than a whisper, her mind begging him to stop but her body unable to move.
He was bleeding now – she could see it, smell it cauterizing, and she found her voice, strained and hoarse though it was.
"Inuyasha, STOP! Please!" But it was no use, and though she could see his strength faltering, he didn't stop, until with one last burst of strength he swiped his claws at the bars and was repelled onto the floor, where he lay motionless.
Kagome wanted to scream, cry, do anything, but she could only stare at the smoking heap of charred skin and white hair stained with blood.
"Hmph. What a parasite."
Her emotions already a whirl around her, those hateful words from that horrible man were her boiling point, and as she turned to face him she could feel power pulsing within her. For a moment he met her gaze with mild confusion, but he had little time to react as she lifted her hands and willed her spiritual powers against him. A burst of bright pink light sped toward him, knocking the Ringmaster off his feet and sending him several feet back to land prone in the dirt.
For a moment he didn't move, eyes unseeing, but all too soon he stirred and sat up grimacing and clenching his head. Pulling his hand away, he stared in surprise at the warm wet blood on his fingers, and as his eyes rose to meet Kagome's glare, he smirked in satisfaction.
'Just what I wanted' his expression seemed to say, but Kagome wouldn't let him say it out loud. She wouldn't let him have the satisfaction of having his way with her powers. She'd put an end to this man, she'd get out of here, and she'd save Inuyasha once again… 'oh Inuyasha!'
She couldn't bring herself to look at him yet, too afraid of seeing a lifeless corpse, but a welcome shiver ran through her as suddenly she could feel his aura pulsing back to life. A smile lit up her face, and she couldn't keep from gasping his name as she looked to see him lifting himself into a crouch, the black and red marks across his skin already fading.
He was okay! He was alive!
He was staring at her with blood-red eyes.
She couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even think.
Seeing her attention so drawn, Naraku followed her gaze to the halfbreed's cage; and what he saw put a smirk right back on his face.
"Hm. How interesting."
Kagome tuned out the Ringmaster as she struggled to understand the change that had come over her half-demon. The glowing red of his eyes was offset by pupils of coldest blue, and the jagged lavender stripes on his cheeks reminded her of his demon brother. But Sesshomaru was full-demon, Inuyasha only half. He couldn't… he couldn't become more demon, could he?
But he had changed just the night before, hadn't he? The physical differences brought by the new moon were physically more jarring than this, but even as a human he was still Inuyasha. This new transformation though… it wasn't just his face that looked different. He felt different. Just what had happened to him?
Inuyasha was still watching her, but there was no recognition in his altered features; just a calculating, predatory stare.
"Quite a change, isn't it human girl? It's his demon blood. Poor wretch, it seems to have completely taken over his human heart."
Kagome turned sharply at the almost giddy way in which Naraku imparted the information.
"What did you do to him?" She rasped, hating to waste words with this man she had quickly come to despise, but desperate to know what was going on with Inuyasha.
"Truly young woman, this was not my intention… though I must say, I quite like this turn of events." He smiled broadly and said in amusement "His human heart couldn't take the strain of his injured body, so his demonic blood took over. Too bad for you, his human heart has likely died." He looked at her with steady eyes, and his smile became a sneer. "Hmm, all those tears over someone who wouldn't know you from dog-meat. How tragic."
Kagome hadn't realized she was crying, but it didn't matter. She needed to save him. His human heart couldn't be dead. He had turned into a human and been back to himself by morning; he would return from this too. And she would do whatever it took to get him back.
Staring once more into the red and blue eyes of her friend who was watching her every move with unnerving intensity, Kagome spoke up despite her aching throat. "Release him now."
"And if I don't?"
She didn't bother to respond with words, the light of her spiritual energy swirling about her and doing the talking instead.
Naraku was unfazed. He laughed scornfully, biting out "You're a fool. You don't even know how to use that power you're throwing around so blindly, and still you try to threaten me! So you want me to let him go? To let you both go? The moment I set him free, he'll kill you on sight. You're nothing more than a meal to him now."
'It can't be…' she thought, but the look in Inuyasha's demonic gaze did nothing to negate the Ringmaster's words. "Inuyasha… "she called out softly, and though it was clear that the dog-demon heard her, he made no sign of recognizing her voice, or even his name. "Inuyasha, please… say something." He stayed silent, his posture antsy as he alternately crouched and stood, flicking the barrier with his claws as if testing it for weaknesses.
"What's more, if you use such power around the halfbreed, who knows what could happen! Untrained as you are, you'll most likely kill him. Spiritual powers and demons don't tend to mix. What a fitting end that would make though." He laughed, and Kagome found she had never hated a sound more.
"However…" Naraku continued in a calm yet pleased tone, "if you'll cooperate, little bird" she sent him a fiery glare at the name, and he smirked in reply "I may just let him live. Defy me, and I'll grant your request and let him go so he can tear you apart with his own hands."
'So, that's how it's going to be…' Kagome thought, looking back at her dear Inuyasha, now stalking back and forth in his prison, claws flexing and eyes void of emotion. 'I could fight my way out if I wanted to, but he'd kill Inuyasha. And if I try to free Inuyasha, he'll kill me. It's just another cage, and this time I've trapped myself.'
It didn't matter though – she wouldn't leave him here like this, in this lost state, not knowing who he was or who she was. She'd come too far to abandon him now. Whether he was human or demon or half of each didn't change things. She'd meant it when she said she'd stay by his side.
Her voice was steady and her eyes free of tears as she said resolutely, never breaking eye contact with the fire and ice of the dog-man's stare "What do you want me to do?"
*Author's Note:
This (very difficult and time-consuming) chapter of FA is dedicated to all of the amazing people who have reviewed or favorited or followed or even simply read this far, and to the wonderful people on tumblr who keep encouraging me and supporting me and leaving such nice comments on my art and writing. I love this little story of mine and am still amazed that others love it too, but it's definitely not easy to write, and every bit of encouragement from you lovely people gives me the boost I need to keep writing and keep drawing and keep planning! So thank you all for being so sweet and amazing!
And also... this chapter marks the end of Act I. We're entering Act II now, which means the home stretch, which means the drama and torment and crap-fest only gets worse. Well I mean before it gets better. :3