Chapter 21: Kagura's Dance and Kanna's Mirror / The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul
The cuts on Daitan's arms and legs had healed considerably in the last couple of days, and the scabs were already starting to peel off. The wound in the middle of Inuyasha's chest and his broken arm, however — that was a different story. He was able to move freely, but his wounds still aggravated him quite a bit, as shown when he made the tiniest winces as Kagome changed his bandages.
"So you think that Kagura woman might have been born from Naraku?" Kagome asked, glancing back at Miroku.
"I'm saying that we have to consider it a possibility." he replied. Kagome gave him an unconvinced look, lightly smacking Daitan's wrist when she caught her scratching at her scabs.
Daitan folded her hands together, pursing her lips.
"She did smell almost identical to him, but it shouldn't be possible that she could be his sibling… He was created out of a myriad of youkai, not born."
From his seat next to Sango, Shippo tilted his head, his fluffy tail twitching.
"But Kagura couldn't have been born of Naraku, Naraku is a man! How could a man give birth to a woman?"
"Perhaps one of the youkai he was created from was torn from him and grew from there." proposed Miroku. Daitan started to pick thoughtfully at one of the scabs on her elbow.
"What, like a plant cutting?" she asked. Miroku nodded.
"Hm, that's a good theory," added Kagome. "And she couldn't have been Naraku in disguise, since she knew so little about us."
Miroku crossed his arms and leaned back, nose in the air.
"In any case, if she's part of Naraku, then I have no interest in her."
Everyone's faces sagged as they all gave Miroku identical exasperated looks.
"Well it's not like you're gonna go out with her." said Kagome dryly.
"It concerns me that you didn't give any other reasons," Daitan's lips drew into a grimace. "Those wind blades really hurt, you know."
"Yeah, could you try to stay at least a little focused, Miroku?" piped up Shippo.
Daitan glanced over at Sango. She was usually the first one to call out Miroku's more perverted tendencies… though the faint redness in her cheeks and the tightness around her eyes said all that Daitan needed to know. Poor girl.
"It's odd…" Inuyasha finally spoke as he slipped his kimono back over his shoulders. "For a woman, this Kagura possessed unusual strength," he paused when he spotted Daitan's deadpan stare. "What?"
"'For a woman'? And here I thought we were starting to get along. Do I need to give you a beating when we're good and healed up?" she threatened. Inuyasha just waved her off.
"Feh, you said it yourself, you're… What was it? A 'late bloomer'?" he rolled his eyes. "And you're barely a woman anyway, so— Gah!"
Everyone winced when Daitan's sheathed sword met the top of his head with a hard whack. Inuyasha rubbed his sore head and Daitan brought her sword back into her lap, arms crossed. Kagome shook her head exasperatedly.
"You just never learn, do you?" she tutted. Inuyasha grumbled under his breath, but he dropped the matter when he spoke again, shooting Daitan a furtive glance.
"What I was saying was if Naraku could create someone like Kagura…"
"…Then why hasn't he done so before?" finished Sango. Miroku hummed.
"But that's just it. It's not that he didn't choose to do it, but perhaps he wasn't able to before."
"So Naraku has recently gained some new powers?" asked Kagome. A sour feeling curled in Daitan's stomach.
"It's not too far out of reach to suggest that Naraku himself has gathered more jewel shards somehow," she said. "But to make this kind of leap in power in so little time, and especially considering that he's created a powerful servant… it's unsettling."
Everyone fell silent. It looked like the situation was more dire than they thought.
—-
The quest for jewel shards took them to a wetland after an uneasy night's sleep. Under the overcast sky, the air was thick and warm, and a fog lingered over the water. They travelled on what little dry land there was, but the occasional foray into the reeds was unavoidable. Daitan swiped several more small insects away from her face, scowling. Sango had needed to fill her canteen in the clearer water away from the faint path they followed, and now that they had all stopped moving, it seemed that everything that buzzed through the air wanted to fly directly into her eyes, nose, and mouth. What I wouldn't give for some open fields, or a nice forest right about now. Maybe a flowing river… or the coastline…
Daitan was suddenly snapped out of her daydreams of anything other than the bog they had wandered into by the sound of Sango's voice several feet away. And she wasn't alone. Unfamiliar voices carried through the mist, and they didn't sound friendly. Inuyasha's ears pricked up to attention as they got louder. While Daitan had the confidence that Sango could take on a few regular villagers… Well, she wouldn't just leave her friend to deal with hostile men all by herself.
It seemed that Inuyasha had the same idea, and they both raced forward toward the threatening voices and leapt in between Sango and the men in front of her. It only took a moment for them to subdue the three men standing in the water. They only had bamboo poles for weapons, and looked like regular villagers instead of warriors. Only one of them sat on a horse, his face half covered with a large bandage over one eye and his right arm in a sling. But his obvious injuries didn't stop Inuyasha from planting his fist squarely in the middle of his face, making him topple backward off of his horse to land with a splash in the ankle-deep water. The horse reared and galloped away without its master, and the three men that Inuyasha and Daitan had knocked down splashed to their feet to scramble over to the bandaged man.
"Are you hurt?"
"Forgive us, sire!"
They retreated into the mist with their master over their shoulders, and Inuyasha lifted an eyebrow.
"What was their problem…?" he muttered. Daitan turned to Sango, who still had her Hiraikotsu hefted over one shoulder.
"Are you alright?" she asked. Sango didn't look at all shaken and she simply waved Daitan off, cool as a cucumber. But before she could say anything, the sound of another set of splashing footsteps made them all turn back to see a young girl making her way towards them, a relieved smile on her face. She looked to be around Kagome's age, or perhaps a little younger. When she had gotten close enough, she bowed deeply.
"Oh, thank you so much for your help!"
"Was it you they were after?" asked Sango, her voice soft. The girl nodded.
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
The sound of footsteps announced Miroku, Kagome, and Shippo emerging from the fog, and the girl's eyes suddenly widened. He didn't seem to notice, however, as his gaze immediately found Sango. Daitan hid a little smirk behind her hand.
"Is everything okay?" he asked. The girl gasped at the sound of his voice.
"Miroku…?" she asked tentatively. Miroku paused, confused, but he didn't get much of a chance to respond as the girl suddenly threw herself into his arms. "It is you, Master Miroku! You have returned! I've missed you so much!"
She knows him? Since when? Thought Daitan. Miroku looked just as lost as Daitan felt.
"Uh… I take it we met in the past?"
The girl looked up at him with sparkling lovestruck eyes, and Daitan felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Oh no…
"I am Koharu!" the girl said plainly, beaming up at him with a smile, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Daitan could see a little panic enter Miroku's eyes then.
"Uh… Koharu! Ah, you don't say?"
"For three long years I have waited!" chirped Koharu. As Miroku stumbled through his conversation with the girl he clearly did not remember, Inuyasha leaned in to whisper to Kagome.
"That young girl is a friend of Miroku's?"
"More than just a friend, it looks like." she replied. Shippo nodded from Kagome's arms.
"Oh yeah, she's totally in love with him."
Daitan leaned in to join the conversation.
"I'm far from an expert on how many years old a human looks. She looks close to your age, Kagome, but seeing as how I'm not exactly an expert, how old would you say she is?" she muttered, eyes narrowed suspiciously at Miroku and Koharu. It was true — Daitan wasn't too well versed in human development, much less gauging how many years old one was. Telling children and adults apart was easy, but adolescents? The only baseline Daitan had was Kagome, who she knew had just turned fifteen, and herself. According to Kagome, Daitan looked about sixteen years old.
Kagome pursed her lips as she examined Koharu.
"I'd say fourteen? A little younger, maybe?" she said. Daitan hummed, her eyes narrowed.
"Suspicious…" she muttered. Maybe he was just a childhood crush of hers? Daitan then spoke up, addressing Koharu. "So, how do you know Miroku, anyway?"
Koharu clasped her hands together with a sad smile.
"I had lost my parents and siblings in the war," she said, her dark eyes turning downcast. "The Keeper of the Oil took me in, but worked me day and night. I was weary from my duties, and I wept each night. Then, a wondrous day came," Koharu looked back up at Miroku with stars in her eyes. "A kind gesture from you, when you happened upon our village to perform an exorcism. You gave me food, and we sat and talked all day. I was eleven then, but when you asked me to bear your children, there was no way I would refuse!"
Everyone suddenly balked in revulsion and aimed identical glares at Miroku. He just blinked.
"...Is something the matter?"
Daitan's sheathed sword was already out of her belt and in her hand when she, Sango, and Kagome marched up to get in his face.
"You're disgusting, how could you lead an innocent girl on like that?!" scolded Kagome, and Sango gritted her teeth.
"You lech!"
Meanwhile, Daitan's face had gone stone cold, and she smacked her sheathed sword threateningly into her left palm.
"Eleven years old? I may not be an expert in the human lifespan, but even I know that's way too young." Miroku's face went very pale, his eyes following Daitan's sword as it went up and down, each time smacking hard into her palm. Koharu didn't seem to notice as she beamed up at the sky, lost in thought. At this point, Daitan wouldn't be surprised if her eyes suddenly turned into hearts.
"It was the happiest day of my life." sighed Koharu. Kagome let out a growl to rival even Inuyasha's.
"You better take responsibility for this!" she shouted in Miroku's face, looking as if steam would start coming out of her ears. Miroku took a step back, but that only made Daitan advance on him more.
"...Would it make it better if I said I haven't laid a hand on the girl…?" he asked, hands up in surrender. Miroku didn't have time to react when Daitan's sheathed sword found the top of his head. She didn't use as much force as she would on Inuyasha, since Miroku was only human, but he still stumbled backwards and landed on his backside. Meanwhile, Koharu was still caught up in her memories, oblivious as ever.
"Miroku then had to take leave of our village shortly afterward. I knew that one day, he would return for me. I believed it with all my heart," Koharu's face then fell again and she wrung her hands together. "...As of late, I noticed the Keeper of the Oil's young lord leering at me… My fears were realized last night when he tried to force himself on me!"
The anger that smoldered in Daitan's chest at Miroku's… misbehavior… cooled off a little when Koharu started to tremble. Koharu sank to her knees, and Daitan crouched next to her, eyebrows drawn together with concern.
"Is that why you ran away?" asked Kagome in a soft voice. Koharu nodded, staring down at her hands, clasped in her lap.
"Yes, I struck him with some firewood until he lay motionless."
While Kagome hesitated, unsure of how to process that new information, Daitan crossed her arms, a little cruel smirk finding its way across her face. So that's where the young lord's injuries came from. This girl might be lovestruck over an idiot perv, but she's got guts. The smirk then turned to a frown. However, there's no escaping the fact that she's only a human with no training other than hard labor. Those men from earlier would definitely kill her for that kind of transgression.
Koharu turned to Miroku with pleading eyes.
"Please Miroku, won't you take me with you? I have nowhere else to go! And besides," Koharu took Miroku's hands in hers. "I am an adult now, I am able to bear your children!"
Everyone cringed again. As far as I understand for humans, fourteen is still pretty young, even for this time!
—-
Since it was clearly unsafe for Koharu to return to her village, everyone had ultimately decided to take her back with them to where they had taken shelter the previous night. Koharu and Kagome had gone down to the river, and Daitan lay on her back in the soft grass, enjoying the sun warming her skin. Being out of that bog did wonders for her mood, although the whole situation with Miroku still itched at her. Behind her, she heard Inuyasha sit down heavily on the wooden steps behind Miroku.
"You know we can't take her along with us." he stated plainly. Miroku just sighed. He had been sulking for a while now.
"I know…" he muttered.
"Still, we cannot simply abandon the poor child." said Sango.
"True enough," agreed Miroku. "Perhaps we'll be able to find a household that will take her in."
"At the least, seeing as how it was you who asked her to 'bear your children'." Sango spat. Daitan opened her eyes and sat up, raising a skeptical brow at Miroku.
"Why do you do that, anyway? It makes you even more of a creep than you already are." she said. Miroku rolled his eyes.
"Oh, I ask that same question to every girl I meet, it's not that serious."
"But an eleven-year-old girl? Sure, it is three years later, but she's still a child, Miroku. Not to mention that even if they were empty words, they're still real to Koharu — she's in love with you." Daitan narrowed her eyes at him, and Miroku looked down and sighed.
"...I know. And they were empty, I can assure you of that, it's just… I think I wanted to give her some hope. So she would live to see adulthood, despite her hardships."
Sango's eyebrow twitched.
"Seriously? There are much better ways to do that than asking a girl to bear your children, you lech. And you ask all the girls you meet, huh? All of them except one, maybe…"
The silence stretched on for a few moments until Miroku stood and clasped Sango's hands tightly in his own.
"Sango, would you consider bearing my—"
Sango's face went bright red.
"Spare me, would ya?!"
Daitan met Inuyasha's eye and jerked her head subtly at them. You seeing this? She thought. He rolled his eyes as if to reply. Yeah, she was totally fishing.
—-
The next village was about a day and a half away, and while Daitan appreciated Koharu pulling her own weight and preparing meals in the evening, the girl's lovesick sighs were starting to grate on her. Not to mention that Sango had been particularly snippy lately. However, things were looking up when Miroku met with the village elder to find a place for Koharu to stay. Koharu herself, however, was less optimistic about the idea.
"Please let me come with you! I promise not to be a burden!" she pleaded. Inuyasha scoffed.
"Not a chance."
"It would be dangerous if you were to come with us." Kagome explained, her voice soft. Daitan nodded in agreement.
"There's no guarantee that we'll be able to keep you safe, Koharu, we have some pretty powerful enemies. And you deserve more than a life on the road." she said. Although with strength like she has and a bit of training, I'll bet she could eventually handle herself just fine in a fight… But I digress.
"It is in your best interest." Agreed Sango. Despite her annoyance at Miroku, she didn't seem to take it out on Koharu.
With everyone nodding their agreement, Koharu hung her head low with disappointment. A few moments later, Miroku descended from the top of the hill.
"I've spoken with the village elder," he announced. "Come with me, Koharu." Miroku smiled softly, clearly about to tell her exactly what she didn't want to hear. They descended down the hill to sit in the grass together, and Daitan, Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippo didn't hesitate to peek over the edge of the path to spy on them. Sango merely stood in place, her arms crossed. Miroku held her in his arms and spoke softly to her, his voice just barely carrying over the breeze.
"Does it look like he's setting her straight?" asked Inuyasha, leaning over to get a look for himself. Kagome sighed.
"From up here, it looks like he's seducing her. Do you hear anything, Daitan?"
Daitan, who had closed her eyes to better concentrate on trying to hear what he was saying, hummed.
"I can't be sure… I think he mentioned something about Naraku… and the Wind Tunnel…"
Sango rolled her eyes.
"Ugh, the lecher, he's all over the girl. A parting like that will only make her fall deeper in love," she said in a sharp voice. Inuyasha and Daitan looked back at her, both of their eyes narrowed. "Why are you staring?"
Inuyasha scratched his chin with a claw.
"...I might be imagining it, but is there a little jealousy thing going on here?"
"Yeah, you've been really prickly the last few—" Sango cut Daitan off with a glare so hot that for a split second Daitan thought that both she and Inuyasha would burst into flames.
"It's your imagination."
Daitan snapped her mouth shut, and Inuyasha cowered in fear from Sango's stare.
"If you say so…" sing-songed Kagome.
—-
Evening had come, and it was time for them to say goodbye to Kaharu. She stood in the doorway of the village elder's home, tears in her eyes.
"Miroku, I'm begging you, won't you stay with me one last night?" her voice trembled, but Daitan couldn't bring herself to feel too bad for the girl. The last few days had been a nice break from hunting for jewel shards, but now she was itching to get back to it. She could tell that Inuyasha felt the same, from the way he shifted in place every few moments. The village elder gave them all a kind smile, the crow's feet around his eyes deepening.
"You heard Koharu — wouldn't you please stay the night with us?"
Miroku gave the elder an apologetic smile.
"No, I fear that postponing our departure would only make it that much harder for her."
Daitan could smell the faint scent of salt as Koharu's tears finally dropped down her freckled cheeks. Koharu fled back into the house, sobbing, and Daitan sighed in defeat. If she knew anything about Miroku, it was that it was nearly impossible for him to resist a crying girl. But surprisingly, it was Sango who turned out to be the tipping point.
"...Stay for her sake. One last night won't make that much of a difference." Her tone was still pointed, but seeing Koharu's tears had clearly softened her heart.
"It would probably help, seeing as we're the only people here she knows." added Kagome, but Miroku shook his head.
"I must decline. If reason gave way to passion and Koharu became pregnant, she would be burdened for the rest of her life with my likeness."
Everyone reared back in disgust, and Daitan's palm met her forehead. Though Shippo looked more confused than anything else.
"...Reason gave way to passion? So what does that mean, Miroku?"
Miroku's whole affect changed before their very eyes as a grin spread across his face.
"Delighted you asked—"
"I'm delighted you won't answer!" interrupted Kagome. "Shippo's still young, remember?!"
Daitan just scoffed, arms crossed and eyes closed.
"Honestly, I've never understood how someone's rationality could be swayed so easily just by thinking that someone else, especially a stranger, is good-looking. I'm starting to think that it's all made up — I've seen plenty of good-looking people and I've never lost my mind over them."
Only silence greeted her statement, and she opened her eyes to see everyone staring at her with a strange look.
"Really? Not even once?" asked Kagome. Daitan narrowed her eyes in suspicion. What's going on? Is this weird? Is this just a daiyoukai thing?
"...Whatever, let's go inside."
—-
Koharu was overjoyed at the news that they would be staying an extra night. Daitan could now hear her humming contentedly outside, where she added more firewood to the fire under the bath. Sitting back against the wall of the common area, Daitan yawned as she absentmindedly itched at another of the scabs on her arm. It wasn't so bad, deciding to stay in the village.
However, as soon as the thought crossed Daitan's mind, a sudden chill ran down her spine. She straightened up where she sat, straining her ears and inhaling deeply to catch a sign of anything wrong. Kagome looked over at her with a worried expression.
"Hm? What's wrong, Daitan?"
Daitan's eyes narrowed as she glanced around. She could neither smell nor hear any danger coming their way, but the feeling of wrongness persisted. Something felt… out of place, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"...It's nothing." she finally said, though her uncertain tone made Sango raise an eyebrow.
"Are you sure? You looked kind of spooked."
Daitan rubbed her chin. The feeling had faded some since it first appeared, but it hadn't disappeared. It was more as if it had… distanced itself from her somehow. It's probably nothing. Thought Daitan. She shook her head, leaning back against the wall again.
"I'm alright. My nerves must still be tense from that whole disaster at Naraku's castle. It's not often we battle an opponent who can prevent a technique such as the Wind Scar, after all."
Inuyasha crossed his arms.
"What are you prattling on about nerves for? We got her in the end, didn't we?" he huffed.
"Yeah," piped up Shippo. "But didn't Kagura get away anyway—? Ah!"
Inuyasha lunged forward to hit Shippo on the head, but he missed by a hair when Shippo scampered behind Daitan for protection. It was at that moment that Miroku reentered the room, having finished his bath.
"Hm? What's all this?" he asked. Inuyasha scowled at Daitan, clearly wondering if it was worth risking her hitting him with her sword. In the end, he just sat back down to pout.
"Daitan's still worried about Kagura." he grumbled. Miroku nodded as he took a seat next to Sango.
"I would say that's rational. She was quite a formidable opponent, and we don't know how long it will take for her to recover from getting hit by the Wind Scar."
"And it's not just that," Daitan picked up Shippo to place him in her lap, combing her clawed fingers through his ginger hair and untangling knots as she went. "Kagura's clever. She comes by it honestly, if she was created from Naraku. I get the feeling that it'll be a lot harder to land any hits on her in the future. She's not going to let us pull the same stunts we did a few days ago."
Everyone went silent for several moments, only broken by the sound of footsteps outside. Koharu appeared in the doorway, her bright smile ever present. However, her announcement that their dinner was ready fell on deaf ears as Daitan suddenly went rigid. The wrong feeling had intensified tenfold. It sat like a hole in her gut, and Koharu seemed to be the source. From his seat in her lap, Shippo looked up at Daitan with wide eyes. She immediately relaxed her body when she caught his gaze, gathering him up securely in her arms.
Koharu acted like her perfectly normal sweet self as she set out their meals and chopsticks. She giggled when she passed by Miroku, and blushed when he thanked her. She clasped her hands demurely in front of her and she bowed politely when she was done. She acted exactly as she had before.
But all the while, the hollow feeling in Daitan's stomach remained as she watched every move Koharu made. Ever since the girl had returned from tending to Miroku's bath, something had changed. Koharu's body was there, flesh and bone, but it felt to Daitan like something had been completely drained from her, only leaving behind an empty husk. And some other power had taken its place instead.
Shippo squirmed in Daitan's arms, eager to enjoy the meal in front of him, and Daitan reluctantly let him go, picking up her own chopsticks. She ate slowly, the hollow feeling in her stomach ever-present as everyone dug in with gusto. It was a shame, because the food really was delicious, but Daitan was too caught up in her own thoughts to actually taste much of it. What was that? She thought as she chewed on a bite of rice. Nobody else seemed to sense it, and Koharu seemed normal enough… Am I just imagining it?
"Wow, this is really tasty!" commented Shippo with his mouth full. Kagome smiled over at Miroku.
"Koharu really is a sweetie! It looks like she really went out of her way to please you with her cooking, Miroku."
Just as Daitan was beginning to settle back down, the night breeze that came in from the door blew the scent of several unfamiliar humans surrounding the house. She tensed again, just picking up on the sounds of dozens of footsteps steadily getting closer. Inuyasha and Miroku seemed to have sensed them as well, reaching for their weapons and looking through the open door to the dark landscape beyond.
"Hm? What's wrong?" asked Kagome, oblivious to the danger. Miroku's previously jovial expression turned guarded.
"We're surrounded," he said in a low voice. "I fear the meal Koharu took so much trouble to prepare will go cold."
"Yeah… strange, though, that there's no scent of youkai in the air." added Inuyasha.
Daitan gripped her sword a little tighter. Perhaps she wasn't imagining things after all.
"I only smell humans outside, but…" the hollow sensation in her stomach had returned once more. "There's something very wrong here."
"I don't like this either," agreed Miroku. "Let's go survey the area."
Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kirara headed outside to investigate, weapons at the ready. To the surprise of the others, Daitan stayed put where she was when Miroku closed the sliding doors behind him. Kagome raised an eyebrow as she glanced between Daitan's face and the sword in her hand.
"Daitan? Aren't you going with them?"
Daitan still stared out the door after Miroku and Inuyasha, but she didn't move a muscle. Koharu was still in the house, and if what Daitan was sensing was real, then there was no way she was going to leave her friends alone with her. Daitan gripped her sword a little tighter.
"No, they can handle themselves. There are only humans out there." she said. There was no need to worry them just yet. Kagome narrowed her eyes, clearly not believing her. But before she could start to press the truth out of Daitan, the sound of fighting made everyone's attention snap to the door. Through a crack in the sliding doors, they saw dozens of villagers standing outside, brandishing torches and weapons. But the way they swayed in place, their blank eyes, the odd stuttering and moaning of threats… and the very same sensation in Daitan's stomach told her that something was missing from inside each and every one of them.
Kagome, Shippo and Sango peered through the crack in the door at the battle and Daitan sat back, keeping her ears trained for any odd movement inside the house.
"What's going on out there?" squeaked Shippo.
"Their numbers are great," said Sango. Her lips had pulled into a frown. "I shall assist them—"
Quick footsteps suddenly started to thump toward their room, and Koharu threw open the sliding door to the hall, the cloth over her hair slightly askew. The minute she appeared in the doorway, Daitan's sword was out of its sheath. Koharu let out a short scream when Daitan rested the blade against her throat, and Kagome, Shippo and Sango gasped with shock.
"Daitan, what are you doing?!"
Kagome's shrill voice did nothing to dissuade Daitan, who only leaned in closer to Koharu.
"What are you?" Daitan's eyes were sharp as she stared straight into Koharu's. Koharu trembled violently, her shaking hands pressed close to her chest.
"P—Please don't— don't kill me—" she went silent when Daitan pressed her sword ever so slightly against her throat. This wasn't Koharu. It couldn't be. Not with every part of Daitan screaming that something was wrong, something was missing.
"Why is it," hissed Daitan in a low growl. "That when I look into your eyes now, I see nothing reflected in them?"
"Daitan, that's enough!" Sango barked. Tears ran thick and fast down Koharu's cheeks, and the girl's hands were clasped together so hard that her knuckles had gone white. Despite her instincts, Daitan reluctantly removed her sword, and Koharu collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Sango put a hand on Daitan's shoulder, her frown having deepened considerably.
"We're talking about this later." she said. Daitan grit her teeth and huffed, looking away as Kagome rushed to comfort Koharu.
"Are you alright, Koharu?" asked Kagome in a gentle tone. Koharu whimpered and sniffed, rubbing her eyes.
"I… I think so…"
Sango crouched down next to Koharu, rubbing her back.
"It's alright, our friend is a bit… protective. What was it you were trying to tell us?"
Koharu sniffed and wiped her eyes. Her hands still trembled as she placed them in her lap.
"Something terrible happened! A youkai got inside and attacked the elder and his wife! I rushed here as fast as I could to tell you but—" Koharu didn't finish as spared a glance up at Daitan, who just crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. Her sweet demeanor did nothing to soothe the chill in Daitan's belly when she looked at her. Koharu's eyes, they moved, but they held nothing within them. Not even when Daitan had gotten up close to her had she seen the reflection of her blade as it pressed against Koharu's throat, nor her own snarl staring back at her in the girl's pupils. But no one else had seemed to notice.
Sango hefted her Hiraikotsu onto her shoulder, and Kagome gathered her bow. Koharu was too frightened to walk by herself, so Kagome took her by the hand. Daitan followed close behind, her eyes fixed on the back of Koharu's neck. Just in case. Shippo padded along beside her, jumping at every shadow. Even though he was scared, he didn't make any moves to scurry up onto Daitan's shoulder, as he usually did.
They reached the only other room still lit with a lamp, and they entered to find the village elder and his wife lying prone on the floor. A cup of tea on the low table still had steam rising from it, but the other lay on the floor next to the elder's wife, its contents soaking into the tatami mat. Daitan pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth. The emptiness… she felt it in them, too.
"A—Are they dead?" whimpered Shippo. Daitan shook her head and crouched down next to the old man.
"No, I don't think so. They're still breathing."
"The poor elder…" Koharu still held tight to Kagome, her eyes turning sad.
"Do you remember what the youkai looked like?" asked Kagome. Koharu hesitated.
"...Not exactly. I only caught a glimpse of it."
Daitan's frown deepened more, if that was even possible. If there was a youkai, I would have sensed it right away.
"How do we know it wasn't her?" Daitan aimed an accusing look at Koharu. "I've been sensing something off about you almost all evening, and none of us have sensed any youkai at all."
Koharu yelped and hid her face in Kagome's shirt, while Kagome herself looked absolutely furious.
"How could you say that?! Koharu's been nothing but kind and sweet to us! Sure, no one else sensed any youkai, but it's also the case that no one else sensed anything wrong with Koharu, just you!"
"I'm not lying!" The rising volume of Daitan's voice reflected the hot bloom of frustration welling in her chest. "There is something wrong with her, the same thing that's wrong with—"
"There it is!" The sound of Sango's shout from the next room cut Daitan off, and she whirled around to spot a small girl vanish from the doorway. Sango hesitated, still holding her Hiraikotsu at the ready. Daitan looked back toward Kagome, and spotted the little girl now standing right behind her.
Her skin was so pale that it almost matched her long, paper-white hair. Two white flowers were tucked on either side of her head, and her kimono was a matching stark white. Her eyes, however, were the darkest that Daitan had ever seen. They reflected nothing, just like Koharu's, and were such a deep shade of black that they seemed to draw in the light around her. In small pale hands, she held a round, silver mirror. She suddenly vanished again, and Daitan shivered.
"What is this youkai? She's got no presence at all, not even a scent…" she muttered. Sango made to stand with her back against Daitan, her eyes scanning the room.
"What do you mean she doesn't have a scent?" asked Kagome, still holding Koharu tightly to her. Daitan huffed.
"It means what it means — I can't sense her at all."
Sango tensed against Daitan's back.
"There you are!" Sango was ready this time as she flung her Hiraikotsu straight toward the little girl with deadly accuracy. The girl did nothing to dodge, and they all found out why a few moments too late.
The Hiraikotsu smashed against a barrier around the little girl. It hadn't even gotten to within a foot of her. But instead of falling to the ground, the Hiraikotsu just spun in place in the air… before it was flung back at them with just as much force as when Sango had first thrown it. Daitan leapt forward to try and shove Sango out of the way, but she moved too late. The Hiraikotsu slammed into both her and Sango, hitting Daitan hard in her solar plexus. She fell backwards and hit the floor, all of the wind rushing out of her on impact. Over her own coughing and gasping, she could vaguely hear Kagome's voice. Come on… get up! There's still danger here!
Kagome suddenly went silent, and when Daitan lifted her head, she spotted her slumped on the floor in front of the pale, ghostly girl. Koharu was nowhere to be seen, and the little girl's mirror glowed an eerie blue, drawing a rich, vaporous substance from Kagome's limp body into unseen depths. The vapor pulsed, bright and warm and blazing with life, and Daitan's eyes widened with horror.
She's taking Kagome's soul!
A/N: Not much to say here, other than I look forward to certain developments in the future :)