InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chained ❯ Mind Control ( Chapter 20 )

A\N: A while ago I saw the Butterfly effect, both the theatrical and the directors cut (which, I only noticed three alterations in-- one being the alternate ending) and I gotta say, the theatrical is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better. Plus, they screwed up in the directors cut (for those of you who haven’t seen the movie and are planning on it DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS CAUSE IT’LL SPOIL IT FOR YA!) When Evan and his mom had just seen the fortune teller, his mom said that she had been pregnant twice before him and they had both been stillbirths. When Evan’s strangling himself, however, and he hear’s those different people’s voices, his mom’s says “I was pregnant three times before you and they were all stillbirths”. Not only that, but don’t you think another stillbirth would have had an ever-so-slightly traumitizing effect of Evan’s mother? Yeesh.

Anyway, other than the alternate ending, I loved the movie, and it’s well worth seeing (if anyone here values my opinion on movies ^_^) plus I found a great new song on it-- Stop crying your heart out - by Oasis. That makes three of their songs that I’ve heard and liked ^_^.

So, what was I ranting on about?

... Well, doesn’t matter anyway, I’m done now I guess, so it on for the chapter.

THIS IS THE 5TH AND LAST CHAPTER FOR 2DAY!

*Phew*   ~*~   Mind Control

Inuyasha’s eyes snapped wide open the moment consciousness returned to his body, and he slightly regretted the action immediately afterward because, even though the pale glint of the moon was the only thing lighting the room, it seemed incredibly harsh and violent to his eyes after so long in the darkness, a brilliant flash in the murky depths of his mind as it fumbled around with the new pieces of memory it had suddenly been given access to.

‘You’re awake.’ A soft voice said next to him, and Inuyasha tensed slightly, then relaxed again as he realised it was not Kikyo.

Slowly, ignoring the pounding in his head, he sat up and turned to face the sorceress.

She was sitting in the chair still, as though she had not moved at all in the time he had been asleep, only there was something different... in her lap was a thick metal band, it’s edges blackened and cracked-- like the trees he had seen after a particularly violent thunder youkai had set a storm upon the village he had lived in when he had still been very young.

Inuyasha froze as he realised that this was a memory-- and not one he had seen while under the spell. Did this mean they were returning on their own?

‘How do you feel?’ The woman asked, her voice low, as though she could sense the pounding in his mind, the way it protested even this low murmur, and he blinked. ’I... remember.’ He said slowly, and she nodded.

‘That was the purpose of the spell, you know. And you did say you wanted it.’

He nodded, and then scrunched up his face in pain as his head throbbed violently in protest. ’My head hurts.’ He said quietly, more a statement in general than a complaint.

The sorceress nodded, then leaned forward and lightly touched two fingers to his temple. Inuyasha tensed, expecting to be put to sleep the way Kikyo did. However, after a moment the pain began to dull down to a faint, distant throb and it became slightly clearer to think. He relaxed slightly, and she sat back, apparently satisfied.

‘How long was I asleep?’ He asked after a minute.

She looked at him consideringly, then said ‘three hours.’ Inuyasha blinked in surprise. He knew he had slept long, but he had not thought it to be that long. What if Kikyo had come...?

‘You’re priestess did come to check on you. Luckily enough I had enough sense to disguise myself as her servant, so she suspected nothing.’

‘Holy fuck, since when was she a mind reader?’ Part of Inuyasha’s newly restored mind wondered.

‘I am not reading your mind.’ She said. ‘I have cast a spell to temporarily connect our minds-- to ease your pain, and to aide you in figuring out the memories you are experiencing.’

He frowned. ‘Well why the fuck can’t I see your thoughts then?’ He demanded angrily, a fire he knew was linked to his former self roaring to life within him, and, though tiny voice inside him that was the new-old him screamed at him to shut up before she tore his fucking throat open, the other part, the newer part, didn‘t care. It was a strange feeling to not give a damn that this witch might threaten him in some way for insolence against her, and he was shocked by the feeling. After so long of following orders, demands, always showing submissive respect... a strange, angry pride was rising to life, and it would not let itself be subdued. The woman looked at him and cocked an eyebrow.

‘Because, even if your mind were not in it’s current weakened condition, you’re powers do not extend to that of such sorcery as this-- the very attempt to return this spell upon me would break your mind entirely, more than Naraku or Kikyo ever did.’

He frowned, opened his mouth to say something, then stopped as something-- a memory-- flashed violently through is mind, cutting off his thoughts and distracting him, vanishing before he had the ability to see what it was.

He scrunched up his face again in confusion and irritation.

‘You will find your memories to be very complicated and hard to sort for a while. That is why I connected us-- so I could help you learn to control your mind again, and to block out Kikyo and Naraku’s spells. Of course,’ She said, raising the metal collar ‘once I removed this article, I found something of interest that should certainly aide in the process of you regaining control.’

She held up a small shard of a jewel that shimmered black and silver in the moonlight. Inuyasha’s hackles raised instinctually, because he now knew what that was, and he knew why he had hated it and feared it so much.

‘The Shikon no Tama.’ He snarled angrily, as memories of his abuse, of his quest to collect the jewel shard rose up, and he growled without realising it.

‘Yes... your former master Naraku inserted a few shards into you. The fool-- for now he may never see them again, and he will not be able to complete the jewel.’

Inuyasha frowned. ‘You mean he didn’t complete it?’ He asked, and she stared at him in something akin to amusement or maybe irritation, and then said ‘He completed it. And once he did the jewel immediately became the tainted colour of black and the soul of the Miko inside of it was almost entirely defeated.’

Inuyasha stared at her, confusion evident on his face. ‘So what happened? Did Naraku become a full demon?’

The sorceress had a thoughtful look on her face, and slowly shook her head. ‘No he did not.’ She said, and looked thoughtfully at the jewel shard clutched between her fingers. ‘A strange thing, this jewel. It’s made up of the souls of demons and a ningen priestess, and it promises those who can claim it power beyond their wildest dreams. Yet it brings those with evil intent-- the very ones it’s promise sings the loudest to, nothing but pain and misery.’ Her eyes flickered and she looked up at Inuyasha’s face again. ‘The jewel, once complete, though tainted and nearly completely overthrown with evil, would not accept Naraku as it’s master and would not grant his wish for power.’

Inuyasha blinked in surprise as he stared at the woman. ‘Why not? It already allowed him to manipulate the shards to his will, why wouldn’t it turn him into full-youkai?’

The sorceress inclined her head gently. ‘That is true-- the shards alone were able to be manipulated. The reason behind that, I believe, is that, when the jewel was broken, so were the souls inside it-- though they continued to battle. The souls, being in pieces, were weak and easily corrupted, and they longed for any source of power that would aide them in their quest to destroy the other, accepting the fact that they would be manipulated to the will of whoever’s aura they absorbed-- good or bad.’ She turned the jewel shard in her fingers and it glittered wickedly back, a malevolent glow surrounding it and growing stronger with each word she spoke.

‘However, when the shards were combined fully, the souls too were brought back together, and their battle resumed-- only this time, fully restored, the soul of demon was able to absorb in much of Naraku’s evil and power for it’s own, and it broke Midoriko, for she refused to absorb the demon’s evil aura. Only after did the demon realise that she could not be killed, that neither of them could be killed by the other, only suppressed. And so Midoriko lives on in the depths of the jewel, though she is a prisoner of the youkai, who, in his full power, refuses to relent his hold or his power to any-- not even Naraku. Midoriko must realise now that she cannot kill the demon, only fight him to gain control of the power of the jewel and restore those who have been tainted by it. The jewel cannot be destroyed by the souls of the dead who reside inside of them-- only by the hands of the living who reside outside the jewels depths.’

She looked and Inuyasha thoughtfully. ‘She is much like you were-- trapped in walls of evil that forever were bent to suppress her... only she has no escape.’

Inuyasha stared at her, his brow knitted together as he thought this all over, and then he frowned. ‘Wait a minute, back up... so all in all what you’re saying is that... this damn jewel is utterly useless?’

The sorceress raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. ‘It is only useless in the terms that were originally set for it. However, the purified jewel shards could sustain life-- though that person would ever be in danger of having their shard corrupted. It can give power as well, though not the kind most wish or think it would. Like the shards that were in the legs of your friend.’

Inuyasha blanched as he suddenly remember the wolf-youkai who he had fought with repeatedly over Kagome. What had happened to him?

‘He is still alive.’ The woman said. ‘Naraku took his shards but, after realising that he could not use the full jewel for his intent, he placed the tainted shards back in his legs and now the ookami serves him as one of his mightiest warriors.’

‘Stupid baka wolf. I always knew he’d go running to whatever side was strongest.’ Inuyasha muttered, rage filling him at the thought of the wolf’s betrayal.

The woman frowned. ‘You misunderstand, hanyou. He serves him because the shards control him-- not because he has the will to do so. He fought Naraku with all of his being. Unfortunately, that is not enough to withstand the power of the corrupted soul in the jewel.’ She said matter-of-factly, before standing up.

‘Now then, as interesting as all this is, I really must go-- Naraku will be expecting me soon, as will your little miko and ningen friends-- and yes, they are still alive as well, though I do not know for how much longer. I will take this’ she held up the fragment ‘for safekeeping.’

‘Keep it.’ Inuyasha snarled in disgust. ‘And, if you try to use it, may it bring you as much happiness as it did me.’

‘Do you really think the jewel to be so evil, puppy?’ She asked, cocking an eyebrow. ‘After all, it brought you Kagome.’

Inuyasha had no reply to that, and could do nothing but stare at her, his eyes comically wide with surprise at her words.

She offered him a small smirk, and turned toward the window again, pausing on the ledge and turning back to him. ‘If you need me, simply call for Amaya in your mind. I will bring you whatever aide I may at the time.’ She added, almost as though in an afterthought. Inuyasha blinked, surprised by this act of kindness.

‘Thank-you.’ He said quietly, and she snorted. ‘I don’t do it for you, baka hanyou. I do it for the miko friend of yours who is locked away in her prison, waiting for news of you-- which she expects me to bring. Another reason why I must leave immediately.’ She turned away, and then looked back over her shoulder. ‘And please, do try not to reveal too much to Kikyo-- it would be a shame for her to find out so soon into the process and have to start all over. I may even have to kill the miko if it comes to that, and I don’t think you want that.’ She said quickly, before turning and disappearing into the night, leaving a stunned Inuyasha behind her, staring out the window at her transformed self as, with a cry that filled the empty night-sky, she soared away into the distance, leaving Inuyasha alone again. At least for the time being.

END ~*~  

A\N: For those of you who don’t know, ookami means wolf. If I start using more foreign words maybe I’ll just open up a glossary at the bottom of chapters so people know what the hell I’m talking about (though that only extends to foreign words... ^_^)