12-16-09: Woooohooooooo Christmas in nine dayyss!!!! Soo excitedd!! x3

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You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.

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I Don't Own Inuyasha

"Talking"

41. The Fate Of The Taijiya's Village

I was told everything I already knew. The words Kaede spoke were of the same context as Kikyou's, but said with less anger and malice. My mother abandoned me. I was a true born hanyou. The shikon no tama belonged to me. A priestess Midoriko was my ancestor, creator of the jewel. Everything I already heard before. Well except for one thing..

"What about my father?" I asked.

Kaede looked at me for a moment, and I sensed Inuyasha's eyes burning holes into my back. I didn't know why.. but the sensation was killing me. It made me feel anxious yet exhilarated at the same time.

"I do not know anything of ye's father, Kaori." Kaede admitted. I felt my last strand of hope disappear. Not even my real father wanted me. "But I do know of a place where you can find out more of Midoriko."

My ears perked up at these words.

"There is a village of taijiya to the north. That village is where the shikon no tama originated and where the body of Midoriko rests. Also.." She gazed at me appraisingly. "They may be able to help ye control ye's demonic instincts and teach ye better swordsmanship."

"Are you sure about that, Kaede-sama?" Miroku challenged. "They are youkai taijiya, I've heard of them as well. But since they make a living out of killing youkais how can we be so sure that they will be willing to help us?"

"I'm sure they will have no problem with dealing with the long lost great granddaughter of Midoriko. Also, rumour has it that they might have a few shikon fragments as well."

The following day we set off. But today was different. There wasn't much, but a soft dust of snow covered everything. It was like faeries had come to play sprinkling all their dust over the village. I let out a small childish laugh as Shippo and I spun with the small spirals of fluff the wind produced. It was beautiful and to make everything better I wasn't even cold!

But the snow did not last long. Of course once the sun had made it's way higher into the sky the white fluff had disappeared to water. I sighed. I wished it had snowed more. Now I was at the back of the group, watching at the ground trying to collect my thoughts.

I knew who I was.. or wasn't. I knew that I was Midoriko's great granddaughter or something, maybe even more far back then just one great. I knew that neither my father nor my mother had come back for me. I grimaced. I wasn't that young when she had left.. It seems.. So why didn't I remember her? I closed my eyes and tried to think of a older brunette woman with sparking green eyes. Maybe an older version of me.. but no maternal face appeared.

I sighed again and turned my gaze to the boy at the head of the group. I knew more now. I already knew that supposedly Kikyou and Inuyasha had deceived each other. They were fooled. However if they were misled.. that would mean he can now let go of all the bitterness towards her. right? "There hasn't been one since day where I've forgotten you!" Ugh, who am I kidding? He doesn't hate her ever.

I shook my head. Why was I thinking about this again? That day in the meadow should be enough. I knew that I wasn't just Kikyou's little sister to him anymore.. or was ever just that. But then what exactly? I stared at him again, as if the back of his head would give me the answer. Of course it didn't. But just before I could look away, Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder. Our eyes met and instantly he was at my side. The monk and kitsune payed no concern to this abrupt movement. I guess they were used to it by now.

"Why were you staring at me?" Inuyasha inquired.

"Er.. no reason I was just thinking." I admitted.

He gazed at me suspiciously, and my face grew red. Damnit! Why do I have to blush?! "About?"

"Huh?"

"What were you thinking about?" He repeated, slightly aggravated.

"Why do you care?" I challenged.

"Just tell me, damnit!"

"Fine! I was just thinking about who I am and where exactly we stand."

He was silent for a moment and I looked away. He must think it was pitiful of me to always have my mind on that subject. I let my head hang and shut my eyes. I didn't wanna have to talk about this again. "Nevermind. Sorry for always bothering you with this."

He didn't reply. I exhaled and peeked up at him from under my lashes. He wasn't looking at me either. I scowled and quickened my pace, leaving him behind at the back of the group.

"Kaori..." Shippo whined.

"Hm?" I took him in my arms and let him crawl to my shoulder.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"I might have to agree with Shippo." Miroku looked at me with a strange expression. I wondered if he heard our conversation. "Everyone we've passed by and asked for directions have said they didn't know."

"Yes they did!" I protested. "They said 'somewhere in the mountains' so that's where we're going! Somewhere in the mountains."

"Inuyasha, do you intend to steal the shikon fragments from the taijiya's village?" Shippo asked. I hadn't realized he had caught up with me.

"Of course I do." Inuyasha scoffed, brushing past us. I shivered.. but in the good way.

"Hopefully he wont be exterminated in the process." Miroku muttered.

"He better not." I replied. "Or else I'll miss my chance to learn about my family." But just to learn about my family wasn't all of it. I also wanted to know why the jewel was created.. I'm sure Inuyasha wanted to know too.

We continued on for a moment but then a feeling of something evil rushing towards us made me stop in my tracks. Was was this? It felt horrible.. like something bad was about to happen.

"What's this?" Miroku watched the sky. "This wind feels bad.."

I heard a rumbling in the distance. It felt like something was coming.. and a lot of them. All of a sudden a dark black cloud appeared, spreading youki as it flew past.

"A swarm of youkai!?" Inuyasha gasped as he noticed it too. I looked closer focusing more on the large dark mass. My eyes picked out many different kinds of youkai, most of them were low class, but some of them were more powerful.

I shuddered. "This doesn't feel like ordinary youki either.."

"It certainly feels like something awful is about to happen." Miroku stated.

Inuyasha sniffed the air and I followed, catching and feeling the same scents he did. "They're out to kill."

"Let's go!" We pursued the mass deeper and deeper inside the forest. Branches scratched at my face as Inuyasha and I took the lead, Miroku not following too far behind. He was able to run fast, faster than any ordinary human. I guess his monkish powers helped him to do so. I don't know how long we ran for, tracking the dark mass as it flew across the sky but it was dark before we finally reached a break in the trees. We stumbled onto a large wooden wall, having lost the youkai hours ago, but the youki still lingered and the scent of fresh blood coated the area.

"A fortress?" Shippo questioned, as we stepped closer. The wall was made of tall logs pointing upright to the moon. A few sentry towers stood out along it, but I could see no archers within.

I glanced toward Inuyasha. He for sure smelt the fresh blood just as I, the look on his face made it clear. "This was the location of the attack." I informed the others as we advanced to a neatly broken part in the wall -which could only been seen as a door.

Inuyasha nodded. "The scent of blood is everywhere, fresh at that."

We leaped ahead, rushing into the fortress at the same moment. It was gruesome. Blood soaked into the earth making it black. Arrows and spears stuck out from every surface. The place was full of dead corpses. I felt like crying.

"They fought.. with the youkai.. huh?" Miroku mumbled. I didn't look at him to read his expression.. My eyes lingered on the lifeless bodies of countless people.

"Most of them died fighting their enemies." Said Inuyasha, keeping a hand on Tetsusaiga. "There's no mistake this fortress is.."

"The taijiya's village." I finished. I felt everyone's gaze on me, but I kept my eyes on the village. I didn't know how I felt.. I just, I don't know, felt empty.. like all the life had just been sucked right out of me. I felt like I had nothing to live for.

A twig snapped. My katanas and Tetsusaiga flew out before Miroku even had registered that there was someone there.

A large cat stood before us, a youkai carcass clutched within her large fanged mouth. She was bigger than a horse, with two tails and cream coloured fur. Her bright scarlet eyes glared at us from where she stood and she let out a low growl.

"A surviving youkai, huh!?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"That voice is.. Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga-jii-chan's voice came from the neko's fur. "Calm down, Kirara. These people aren't the enemy."

The neko youkai closed her eyes. All of a sudden she was engulfed in flame. The flames dwindled then dissolved, only to reveal a small cat, slightly larger than your average neko. My heart thudded against my chest. She was so adorable..

"Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga leaped from the kitten's back and straight towards Inuyasha's face. "Long time no see!" The flea latched onto his nose and Inuyasha growled, slapping his own face to swish him.

"Meoga-jijii.." He muttered as Meoga dropped to his palm.

"Where have you been?" I probed. When was the last time I'd seen him? He seemed to just magically disappear, I hadn't even noticed up till now.

"An acquaintance?" Miroku questioned.

"He's Inuyasha's retainer.. sort of." Shippo explained.

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"That's right. This is the hidden village of the youkai taijiya." Meoga explained as we slowly cleaned up the village. Miroku dug graves, Inuyasha gathered the corpses and Shippo and I would gather flowers and take arrows out of the surrounding area. It was tiring. "The people of this village have been here for many generations, and the youkai taijiya came to make a living."

"I can see why the youkai would resent them.." Inuyasha replied as he and Miroku covered dirt over another villager.

"However.." Meoga scratched his head. "It's surprising that they happen to attack now.."

"Hn?"

"Several of the fighters were called to Saru castle, so the village was left vulnerable when it was attacked. I have a bad feeling about this. I wonder if the people over at the castle are alright." He then sighed and we lasped into an uncomfortable silence.

"It's a tragedy." Miroku finally said after a few moments of praying for the buried villagers. I silently placed a bunch of yellow flowers on top of the graves as he spoke. "There was so much I wanted to ask these people."

I felt more looks of sympathy on my back.

"Meoga-Jijii.." Inuyasha said after a moment. "You know something, don't you?"

My tail twitched and my ears turned themselves back to catch this conversation more easily. Damn animal parts giving away my interest..

"About the Shikon no tama?" Meoga asked.

"Well you did come here to investigate the jewel, right?" Shippo said.

"That's right." Meoga admitted. "I've been wondering for a long time. Just what are the origins of the Shikon No Tama..? At any rate, all who are influenced by the jewel meet a tragic fate in the end. I have been worrying about what would happen to Inuyasha-sama.."

"What the.." I heard Inuyasha say. "I always thought you'd run away, because of all the danger we were getting into."

"I.. Inuyasha-sama!!" Meoga gasped. "How can you say that, when we've finally been so fatefully reunited!?"

"Sorry about that. So.. Why didn't you ever come back on your own?"

"You didn't think about looking for us?" Shippo asked. "Couldn't be bothered to?"

The flea was silent.

"That hit the mark, huh?"

I couldn't help but laugh, and I lay down my last flower to join the rest. Inuyasha gave me a mischievous little grin as I placed myself beside him and I beamed up at him in return. What would I do without them?

End Of Chapter 41

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