21/09/2010: Hey guys! Hasn't it been just forever since I actually updated? I just got so inspired to after I looked the story traffic, and this story has 8,531 hits and (I did the math) 1,862 visitors as of today. Now I know these are not 100% accurate, and maybe not the best numbers but it's pleased me sooo much! Now if only all those visitors had left a review :P Ahh well, I was stumped for a long time with this chapter, and I HOPE to GOD I hadn't lost any of you faithful readers D:

Anyways enjoy!

Isn't it cool to think I started this story in June of 08? Wait not even cause this is actually the first revised edition.. I think.. ^^; BUT IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER 2 YEARS MAN :L

(¯`v´¯)

¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.• ´*

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

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Don't Own Inuyasha

"Talking"

57. Goshinki

We were lead back to the castle, walking hand in hand, ignoring the red thick liquid seeping from wounded areas. Miroku, Shippo, Sango, and Kirara walked behind us, and the youkai court walked around us, keeping us caged inside. Shoji walked in front, Ninko and her large friend prowling behind. As we neared the palace I noticed the position we were at. We were by the sea. I could smell the salt in the air and hear the sound of the crashing waves. I didn't know why I hadn't noticed it sooner, but the sound some how settled my soul and I let go of my anxiety.

My feet were cold from the snow despite the boots and I could only have imagined Inuyasha's pain as he walked bare foot through the banks; even more so at the pain from the wound on his stomach. He hadn't healed yet from the battle with Kanna. I turned my gaze to him, but he was staring straight ahead, burning holes into the exposed back of Shoji. I looked away and squeezed his hand, trying to be as reassuring as possible. Nothing we couldn't handle would happen, I was sure.

As we arrived the samurai and youkai fell back and we were lead silently inside. The two figures from last night sat in their thrones before us and I heard Sango's sharp intake of breath indicating she recognized them.

"Mika.." She whispered. The brunette queen smiled and Shoji, Ninko, and the large man stepped in front of us. They bowed their heads in silence then -with a smirk- positioned themselves near the door.

I inspected my "parents" once more. Mika was sitting on the right her hands folded neatly in their places. She wore a long extravagant kimono of reds, purples, yellows, oranges and blues. Three gold beads hung from a lock of hair before her ear and you couldn't see her feet. Her hair was let out and her face was still kind and delighted. Takaharu on the other hand wore an outfit similar to something Sesshoumaru wouldn't probably wear. He had on a warrior's kimono, yet much, much more extravagant with dark armour covering the torso and shoulder areas. His hair was tied back and braided. The ears on top of his head were pointed to the sides in irritation and I realized that as a full demon he had noticeably dark tufts. A golden sash was tied around his waist and his feet were bare.

"Welcome my children." Mika beamed, getting up from her seat. "What brings you here to grace us with your presence which seem to have angered the court?"

"They have come to take Kaori, Mika-sama." said Shoji.

Mika's eyes grazed over each of us, finally landing on Inuyasha, then to his hand holding mine. Her eyes flickered to Takaharu who's gaze never left the walls, then back to us. "Inuyasha."

My breath escaped me for a moment as she slowly made her way toward us. How did she know his name?

"Inuyasha.." Mika stopped only an arm's reach away and started into Inuyasha's eyes. He growled. "Why are you trying to take my daughter away from me?"

"Daughter!" I snorted. "Again with the 'daughter' thing! You're not my mother! I don't have any parents!"

Mika sighed. "Takaharu. Kaori still has yet to accept us."

Takaharu didn't move an inch.

"Why should I accept you, what have you ever done for me! You abandon me in the village, my own mother!" I shouted.

"Silence, Kaori." Mika hushed, "All will be revealed in due time."

I felt an invisible ribbon tie itself around my lips and I could no longer find my voice.

She smiled at me, then turned back to the boy. "Inuyasha why have you come to take my daughter?"

He growled, baring his sharp white fangs, "Look, lady, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I won't just stand around and let Kaori get taken away!"

"And yet you thought you could successfully retrieve her with a kitsune, a neko yokai, two humans, one of them mortal injured, as well as yourself?"

Inuyasha scowled.

I heard staggering behind me and suddenly, the sound of a body hit the ground. I whipped around, and gasped in horror. Sango laying there, her body trembling. She clutched her stomach in pain, as little beads of sweat rolled down her face.

"Sango!" Miroku dropped to his knees beside her, lifting her onto his lap.

I spun back to my mother, "Mika!' I shouted, the invisible ribbon around my lips failing to keep my voice back, "Please! I'll come quietly and follow anything you need me to do, for whatever reason but.. please! Help her!"

Mika smiled, and the guards fell back, "Glad we could make a deal."

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I sat on my hands trying to squeeze out the anxiety. My eyes followed Mika as she floated about the room supervising the youkai healers as they carefully worked on the injuries of many.. including Sango and Miroku, still not healed from Koharu's weak attack. Most of them were human in this little hospital.. most of them suffering from life threatening injuries and unaware of their surroundings. The more I watched the more it seemed like this small city of youkai weren't so bad, that this so called mother had really raised and ruled over a good batch of youkai.. until I remembered that one person was being refused treatment. Inuyasha.

Takaharu refused it, though I hadn't actually seen him refuse. But Mika said, as did Shoji. I wondered if the man ever spoke or if he sent everyone telepathic messages. I stood from my seat, and grabbed my bag, knowing Mika's eyes would suddenly been on me. I walked toward the door and opened it, noticing that same girl, Orie standing outside. I nodded toward her as I stepped out, closing the door behind me.

"I'm going to Inuyasha." I told her. She nodded in response and lead me the way. I felt pangs of guilt hit me as I took each step away from my friends. Sango was half conscious but Miroku was fully, and though I hated to leave them, I knew Miroku would do a well enough job of watching over her and Shippo. Kirara would do well, too.

Eventually we came to the other part of the castle, the part where prisoners were kept. Orie left me at the entrance and I carefully made my way through the dark halls. I came to a large wooden door and bangs on it with my fist.

"Shoji!" I shouted, "Open the door!"

The lock on the other side clicked and the door cracked. I pushed through it, and past the redheaded bastard. I placed myself beside Inuyasha who was sitting in the corner. This room had no windows, and dim lanterns were the only source of light. I scowled. Those stupid.. stupid people, parents of mine, punishing him and only him, for trying to take me away.

Inuyasha watched me silently, but I could hear his laboured breathing. He was still hurt, too hurt to be in this kind of situation. I looked at Shoji, and hissed, "Leave."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that." He replied, his eyes sparkling in the darkness. "I'm on strict orders to keep watch, so you don't try to escape."

I pulled the bag off my back and set it on the floor beside me. "Fine, but can't you at least pretend not to be there?"

"That depends on what you're going to say."

I sighed and pulled out bandages and two bottles of water. I handed one to Inuyasha, "Here, drink it."

"Baka, what are you even doing here?" He growled.

"What does it look like?" I asked, wetting a cloth with the other bottle. "You're hurt and I don't care about what orders Mika or her stupid mute husband gave, they don't apply to me, just the servants. I'm going to take care of you."

I heard Shoji give an amused chuckle from somewhere in the darkness but I ignored him, slowly and carefully constructing an invisible barrier around Inuyasha and I. I moved to sit on my knees in front of him, so Shoji wouldn't see our lips moving, though no voice would reach his ears. It would seem suspicious and I needed to avoid that..

I helped Inuyasha take of the shirt of his kimono in true silence, never bothering to look at his face. I knew that he probably had found Kikyou's arrows or scent, Kagura's as well. He would probably ask me something about her.. I carefully untied the bloody bandages and bit the inside of my cheeks.

"Well.." I murmured, my heart racing, "At least you're healing."

"Idiot, what did you expect? For me to be unhealing?" He snapped.

I rolled my eyes and placed the cloth against the wounds, my hands trembling. This was, I was sure, the closest I had ever gotten to skin on skin contact with him.. Miroku had done the bandages the last time, as I had been weak from getting my soul sucked out and then replaced..

He hissed a bit as the fabric touched his skin, "That water is freaking cold!"

"Well yeah.." I said, my voice shaking a little, "It's snowing outside and I don't exactly see a fire around.."

"What's your problem?" He asked, his voice low. I looked up for a split second and my cheeks set aflame.. I hated this lighting.. it made him look so.. horribly wonderful..

"N.. Nothing." I replied, rising off the cloth and laying it out on the floor to hopefully dry. I grabbed the bandages, and worked with those now. I felt like I was suffocating, and I knew he could hear my heart racing. I was really an idiot. He knew everything, he KNEW my problem, unless he was oblivious..

As I reached around him to grab the other end of the gauze , I heard something else.. there was another heart racing as loud as my own.. I froze for a moment, trying to recover. Was.. That was Inuyasha. But.. why? I snapped out of it and pulled away, tightly cutting, then knotting the two ends together. I ran my hand over the bandages, trying to smooth the knot down.

"Th.. There.." I stammered, "All better.."

Under my hands I felt his temperate rise and an explosion of butterflies attacked my insides. Wh.. what was happening..?

"Kaori.."

My heart skipped as he said my name so quietly no human would have been able to hear. I swallowed a lump in my throat, as he took my hands.

"Well, I'm sorry to break up this touching scene." Shoji coughed, bringing me out of it. I pulled my hands from Inuyasha's and leaned away, my face burning more than ever.. Stupid Shoji.. Inuyasha.. was gonna say something important.. I could feel it.. "But it seems you have a visitor."

"Eh?"

Inuyasha and I turned toward the door, expecting and waiting for some figure to walk through it.. but instead, at that moment the room exploded, and the walls fell. A loud roar echoed through out the castle and I leaped to my feet. Inuyasha pulled out Tetsusaiga, throwing his kimono shirt back on and we braced ourselves for the worst.

As the dust settled, a giant of a creature emerged. It stood on two legs, but it's flesh was a sickly purple, like a dark bruise. It's eyes were a crimson red, it's teeth a sickly yellow. It stood with a hunch, and upon this hunch grew a patch of pale blue/grey hair. Two tall horns protruded from the yokai's head and it grinned.

"Kaori, Inuyasha," said Shoji, "Meet Goshinki.. Naraku's third youkai."

I gasped, and pulled the katanas from their sheaths. "You're with Naraku!"

Shoji chucked. The sky grew dark, and the castle was no longer as grand as it was a moment ago. The vision morphed into a dark ominous place, full of evil.. "No, he just lent us his creature for a little test... have fun." A puff of black smoke engulfed him and he was gone.

Inuyasha growled, clutching Tetsusaiga tightly in his fists, "Go find the others."

"Baka!" I snapped, "You're the one already injured, why don't you go find the others!"

He didn't respond, instead he leaped forward, swinging the Tetsusaiga toward the creature. He dodged it.

"Damn!" Inuyasha cursed. I was frustrated from the sidelines, stupid hanyo, always trying to be the hero.. always taking over every battle no matter what his condition! "So you're the third one, huh?"

Goshinki laughed, "You thought that, to have dodged Tetsusaiga, despite of my large body, I'm a nimble monster, didn't you.."

Inuyasha was silent, and I twitched in my place. What the hell? He can read minds?

Goshinki laughed again, this time glancing toward me, "That's right, Kaori, I can read minds."

He turned his back on me and I eyed the giant black spider mark on his back.. So he really was the third yokai..

"Right again, Kaori," he said, "compared to I, Goshikini, my elder sisters.. Kanna and Kagura are like minor characters, now that I'm born."

"Bah!" Inuyasha shouted rushing forward, "You're a real talkative monster. Let's just see how much power you really have!"

He lunged for his attack again, but it was dodged and Goshinki appeared behind him, "Like I said. As I can read minds.." He swung up a giant clawed hand, wounding Inuyasha severely, "Your pathetic sword-form, is as plain as day!"

A snarl rippled out of my throat and while he was distracted with Inuyasha I hoped he wouldn't notice me. With katanas at the ready I leaped to the attack.

But he dodged me as well. He snatched me up in his fist, crushing my body cutting off my airways. I wanted to scream, the pain was so intense..

"Thinking I can be distracted is useless!" He growled, "My mind is far more superior than yours. I know your weaknesses, Kaori, your very soul, memories are as plain as day. A hanyo who had been abandoned and transformed with a simple curse by her pathetic mother, to make her daughter never have to suffer the pain of being a hanyo."

My mind was swimming as black dots appeared before my eyes. Mika.. Mika was the one who suppressed my soul..? It wasn't I stealing Kikyo's..?

"Then, you grew up idolizing that pathetic creature dying on the ground before you. Is he not, your main weakness. Give up your pathetic attempts, just accept your death, and I won't make him suffer.."

"B..Baka!" I screamed. Katana's pulsed and a ripple of red energy shot through them. Goshinki hissed in pain and dropped me. I felt his blood drip down upon my body and I groaned as I hit the floor.. I couldn't tell if that was a smart move or not..

"Foolish girl!" Pain suddenly pierced my soul, cutting off all airways, all lights, all my will to live. I couldn't think..

"Gehe, Inuyasha, your girlfriend is dead, her mind is white, completely blank.. You're next."

"Why you.. You bastard!" I heard Inuyasha scream. My mind shut off all noises then, and the sounds of their battle died away..

Then all of a sudden that same chaos erupted inside me, that same panic struck feeling tore apart my insides, causing my blood to boil.. but this time it was hot, it was dark.. bloodlust..

My eyes snapped open, and a red haze scorched my vision.. I pounced to my feet, searching the area, my senses begging pleading.. kill..

My nose caught the scent of blood, another yokai, an oni. I spun around, cracking my knuckles, smiling in devilish delight. He will die..

A moment later I was in the air my claws flexed and ready, from the corner of my eye I noticed something red and silver flash past but ignored it for my main objective. In a splatter of blood my claws ripped through the oni's skin and he was no more.

I landed on my feet and spun around, watching as the once great Goshinki fell to the ground, in several pieces. I smirked and tossed my hair over my shoulder, "It was nice knowing you, Goshinki."

My blood was boiling within me and I stared at my bloody hands. What was this feeling..?

A stir of power changed the wind and I snapped my head toward the change. Inuyasha stood across the snowy landscape, his hands dripping in blood as mine. His eyes were a blood red, the iris blue, without the hint of a pupil. Dark purple bolts scarred his cheeks, and he growled at me from where he stood.

I smirked, and dropped into a crouch. I tasted the blood on my fingers, enjoying every bit of it.

"So the puppy wants to play?"

End Of Chapter 57

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

R&R Please

Thanks 4 Reading

(¯`v´¯)

¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.• ´*

~Who needs the shikon jewel? Goshinki has the power to turn both our hanyo buddies into yokai.. too bad he's dead.

But yeah okay if YOU ARE CONFUSED? review or message me and i'll be sure to clear it alll upp.