A/N: Sorry! My computer kept crashing on me so I gave it to my step mom to fix. Everything's better now so here are the next chapter… and a new one-shot plus the next chapter to What You Need. Oh, and IMPORTANT! I'm planning on changing Inu's human night for the plot… Hee hee hee, I'm sure you can guess why. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Alright, I don't own Inuyasha, and if I did… well, I wouldn't be making fan fiction about it, now would I?
CHAPTER 7
I treaded carefully, crouched low to the ground, hidden behind some brush as I stalked my prey. He was too distracted to notice me. I loaded my crossbow as quietly as possible and raised it to my target. I could already smell the blood in the air as I put my finger on the trigger and it got me excited. I just about pulled it when he jumped and pounced on something. I cursed under my breath and moved to get a better look.
"Inuyasha, you're getting slobber all over our dinner!" I heard a women shout at the beast.
"You were going to miss, I could tell." He said when he spit the deer he'd killed out. I could see a red cloak draped over a woman with black raven hair standing before the beast I'd been wanting to kill.
"Well maybe I wouldn't have if you'd just let me get it!" She retaliated. I would recognize that cloak anywhere.
Red Riding Hood the Hound Dog. She was good enough at hunting down bounty's she'd earned a name with the other bounty hunters. I knew she'd earned one with the hunted too. The blood butcher and I'm sure there are others too.
Though none of them knew her real name. The name I more commonly called her. I smirked and remained hidden.
There was no way they could detect me at this point. I was so deep in thought, however, I hadn't noticed them cease their bickering and lower their voices to inaudible whispers.
Kagome's P.O.V.
"Are you sure?" I whispered. His golden gaze was peering over my shoulder at something I couldn't see.
"I'm positive, there's no mistaking it." He glowered.
"…Act like you haven't noticed anything." I said and his eyes snapped to mine.
"What?!" He exclaimed, managing to keep his voice just above a whisper.
"Knowing her, if she hasn't attacked yet, it because she suspects we don't know anything and she's waiting for the right moment. We can use this to our advantage." I whispered. He looked at me as if I'd sprung a second head.
"What are you saying, she could-
"She's not going to get the drop on us. For once we have the upper hand." I muttered.
"And what do you suppose we do?" He growled lowly.
"We act normal, like we don't suspect anything and calmly walk back to camp with the game. I'll tell Sango, we have a strategy in case something like this happens." I explained. He growled in annoyance but shifted back to his normal form and heaved the deer over his shoulder.
"Whatever you say, Bounty Hunter." He spat the last bit and began walking in the direction of our camp. I followed soon after, glancing over my shoulder. If she was smart, she'd stay far enough away to not be detected by my senses, but then again, she is insane. When we arrived at camp Sango smiled at me.
"Hey, how'd the hunting go?" She asked.
"Oh, this idiot had to kill the deer before I put my finger on the trigger." I grumbled. He sent a glare over his shoulder and I stuck my tongue out.
"Pass any orchids on the way?" She asked, upholding the smile.
"No, but I did see a cluster of Monkshood." I replied. Her smile faltered for a moment. That flower meant just what I couldn't say. 'Beware, a deadly foe is near.' or so my mother had told me.
"Did you bring any with you?" She asked.
"Unfortunately, no, but they aren't far. Just a little ways east." I replied. "You could find them easily."
"I see, shame I missed them." And she stood up, walking over to the monk who was watching with confused interest. "Miroku, would like to come with me to go and find them?" She asked, a light smile on her face. Miroku was in a haze of confusion and stupidly nodded his head. They left, walking side by side, Sango making sure she had Hiraikostu with her.
"What the hell was that?" Inuyasha hissed quietly.
"She's moving to get her from behind. Don't ask questions but I need you to jump to your right when I say so." I hissed back.
"Why?" He asked. I didn't reply and just waited. Suddenly there was a shout from behind.
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango shouted.
"Now!" I shouted and Inuyasha leapt to the right as I ducked to the left. Sango's massive boomerang came from the brush behind us, chasing a blur of red and white. The blur narrowly avoided Sango's boomerang, which crashed into a tree as the figure landed on the ground directly across from where I now stood. The long flowing waves of black hair were long enough they rested on the ground as the woman they were attached to panted, crouched low and staring at the large bone weapon with her storm grey eyes.
"Kikyo." I growled and her head whipped around, her gaze meeting mine.
"Hello, little cousin. What a pleasant surprise." She smiled evilly.
"Don't play games with me, you bitch. Where's Kohaku and Kiara?" I spat at her. She stood straight, wobbling back and forth almost drunkenly, but it only showed how mentally ill she really was. Yes, I knew now that Kikyo had become insane. How, I have no idea.
"The brat and the large rat? I have no idea." She giggled. My eyes widened, but before I could react a blur of something mainly black flashed passed me and nocked Kikyo to the ground.
"Where is Kohaku, you son of a-
"Sango! Calm down, we have her now don't we?!" I cried. She was aiming a blade at the ex-priestess's face. The woman below was just smiling as if it was fun and games to her. Tears were streaming down the demon slayers face.
"How can you ask me to calm down?! She took Kohaku from me, Kagome! Don't ask me to calm down when-!
"Sango!" Miroku shouted from behind me and ran forward behind me. Sango wasn't going to kill her. We needed answers and I knew Inuyasha must have been thinking the same thing, seeing as he was ten feet away, scowling, ready to pounce if she made a threatening move. Kikyo rested her cheek on the snow covered ground, smiling at him, her eyes wide and betraying her smile. This girl used to have such a beautiful face, but now it was soiled with permanent laugh lines and empty eyes that still seemed to stare holes through your soul.
I touched Sango's shoulder gently.
"We're not going to find Kohaku if you act brashly." I said softly. She sniffled but dropped her sword to the ground, allowing Miroku to pull her away. Kikyo didn't move and just turned her head to stare at Kagome.
"Why thank you little Kagome. I thought she'd never-" I roughly yanked her to her feet, camping my hand around her throat and shoving her against a tree. She was smiling the whole time and just laughed as her back cracked the bark on the tree.
"Let me get some things straight here. One, you do not call me by my name, only as Red. Not even cousin anymore, got it? Two, you will answer any and all questions we have for you. You will not speak unless asked a question and you will answer truthfully. Do I make myself clear?" I was seething. This woman had killed my mother, tried to kill Granny and kidnapped my friend's family. She completely ruined a boy's faith in others and it just pissed me off that she was laughing and smiling it all away. I have had it up to here with her mind games and insane banters. I glared daggers at her as she smiled a little brighter.
"I understand… Red." She said and giggled like a little school girl.
"Sango, get the rope from my bag and come help me tie her up." I said as I checked for any weapons. She, of course, had knives hidden in her boots and one between her cleavage. She had a mini crossbow strapped to her hip as well as a sword and quiver of arrows.
Once I was sure I'd gotten everything me and Sango bound her to the tree. She was eerily still and quiet throughout the whole endeavor. It was really creeping me out.
We tied and secured it tightly, sticking a knife horizontally through the rope and deep in the trunk for good measure.
"Now talk, where is Kohaku?" I asked bitterly.
"I don't know, I sold the brat off to a slave trade. He's likely halfway across the ocean by now." Kikyo giggled. Sango growled beside me and Miroku came up beside her, gently grasping her elbow and holding her back. I smiled mentally at this. Over the past couple weeks since I was poisoned it's true that the five of us have grown closer. Inuyasha still hasn't told us what this secret problem is though. Shippo has grown to be clingy to me and cuddles against my side when ever I sleep. Miroku has only groped me once when we first met, but Sango... she smacks him at least ten times a day. Though, he does have his moments with her.
Inyasha has grown slightly closer to me. I'm not sure he trusts me yet, but it's only a matter of time before I find out whether or not he's in control of the actions I've heard of. I shook my head and turned back to Kikyo, my mind back to the whereabouts of Kohaku.
"Who, when, and where did you sell him to?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring sharply at her.
"I sold him to some lord called Naraku from the eastern sea about a week ago at Nelgenia." She replied. Nelgenia was a small village just on the other side of the eastern mountains. And Naraku owned the kingdom over there. Sango had a look of complete horror on her face. I could understand why. She was probably thinking the same thing I was.
How were we supposed to buy him back from a king?
"And Kiara? What happened to her?" I asked, my tone becoming more venomous. I was slightly surprised Inuyasha hadn't decided to pounce yet. He was glaring daggers at her from a nearby branch high in a nearby tree. I could feel it from there and I'm sure that if looks could kill, Kikyo wouldn't even be a pile of ashes by this point.
"The oversized rat? She ran off sometime in the night. I haven't seen her in a whole two months." Kikyo said, shrugging awkwardly in her binds. I looked to Sango and she looked at me. Her look told me that she wanted to kill this girl, but he was satisfied with the answers. Without a single word I turned and started walking to the fire Sango had built up before any of this. "That's it? No questions about poor dead auntie?" She teased. I shot her a look and she just smiled brighter.
"What's there to ask? You killed her in cold blood, that's all I need to know." I grumbled. She simply started laughing. "Something funny?" I asked coldly.
"Little Red riding hood, there's so much you don't know. Do you even know the story behind that cloak?" Kikyo giggled. I pulled the hood closer to my face a little. What was she talking about?
"Of course I know the story, it is our family we're talking about." I said darkly.
"You only know half the story. Gran gran told me the whole of it. The truth behind hat cloak." Kikyo giggled, her voice changing between low and high octaves.
"What are you talking about, there is no more truth to this cloak tan that which is already known. You know the story as well as I." I said. Kikyo just started giggling.
"Little Red riding Hood went prancing through the forest. ~" She began to sing. "She met a boy and played all day in the fields of grassy plains. ~" Her voice sent a cold shiver down my spine. Why was this so familiar? "Then one day she met a beast and was caught in teeth. All the village tried to save her, but the girl was too far gone. Her lovely cloak was stained in roses for all to see. The boy was shunned and fled to the forest, to live alone again. ~" That was it, Kikyo was gone. She sang the rest of the lyrics in an eerily chipper tone. She was making no sense at all. I didn't even want to listen to it any more.
I swiftly turned and marched into the forest, grabbing Sango's sword along the way.
I didn't know where I was going, all I knew was that I had to get away from the haunting song. It was making my head hurt and horrible images flash through my head.
"The beast was slain and had no head, black as starry night. The girl one day then cursed the boy to turn to the roaring beast. He turned all the world to lovely rose and held the hearts of men. His own heartbreak filled his eyes and wished luck to all after. ~" She sang the ending, just barely loud enough for me to hear. I was running now. I didn't care if anyone followed, I didn't care if I wouldn't find my way back. I just ran. Why that stupid song would invoke such a reaction, I have no idea.
I found myself in front of a tree. It was a tall, thick oak that was likely there for centuries. It was now that I felt the tears on my cheeks. Why was I crying? Was it because seeing that crazy woman brought back painful memories?
Why did she kill my mother? What possible reason could she have? I remembered the sword in my hand as my blood began to boil. I ran forward took a slice at the oak.
Not deep enough. I did it again, and again, until I lost count of how many scratches were on the tree after about thirty. All I knew was that I needed to vent. That infuriating woman, that god damned witch. She killed family without batting an eyelash and she dare say she knows more of our heritage than I do?! Than what mother knew?!
"She didn't deserve a fate like that!" I shouted, attacking the tree once more. "She was a simple village woman! Why did she have to be killed like that?!" I shouted furiously, visciosly attacking the tree until I could no more.
I was exhausted and halfheartedly hitting the tree with the now dulled blade. I hit the tip of it against the trunk and summoned the last of my anger and energy to drive it clear through the tree.
I leant on the hilt for a moment before I felt my knees crunch against the fallen snow, sending shivers up my torso. Not that I could care. I just hung my head low and sat there, not feeling anything anymore. Just empty, my energy sapped.
I didn't know just how much my mother's death had affected me. Just how much emotion I had kept bottled up. Just how close I was to blowing up. My world was suddenly gone from my grasp as I remembered the gruesome scene.
Kikyo digging the axe into my mothers shoulder. Blood spilling over the white fabric as she fell to her knees. Mothers head suddenly rolling around on the ground as Kikyo stood there, watching the headless body fall limp to the ground.
The crunching of snow caught my attention. I didn't move. The person was right beside me and still, I didn't bother moving. They crouched down and just sat there beside me, neither of us saying a word saying a word.
"…What story was she talking about?" A baritone voice asked. I slowly lifted my gaze to be met by golden orbs starring back at me, a tenderness I'd never seen in that suddenly beautiful gaze.
"…My grandmother always told us of a story about our great, great grandmother who killed herself because she killed her husband. She didn't know it was him though, until it was too late." I whispered. Inuyasha just stared at me tenderly, as if he wanted to say something. I tore my gaze from his and stared at the base of the tree. There was a small flower I recognized as a pine, a flower that meant hope. I smiled lightly and stood up, walking back to camp silently. Inuyasha following close behind.
I was thinking over everything that had happened since my mothers death. Now I had the culprit and she could finally face judgment for her crimes.
But my stride was soon halted when I heard as strangled cry from the silver haired boy. I whipped around to see his head of hair turning black and he was growing larger, fur sprouting all around him and his claws growing larger and is shirt stretched and tore around him. I was confused as to what was wrong, he looked up at me with pain filled eyes, his fangs growing larger as well as his whole physic, pupils filling his eyes with darkness as they expanded.
"R-run." He gritted out. My eyes widened in realization as my head whipped up to the darkened sky.
The large silver sphere in the sky was completely filled into a perfect circle.
In other words, the moon was full.
A/N:Again, so sorry! I ran into a lot of other stuff and problems like writers block! I hope this chapter mad up for it! I'll update soon! REVIEW!