InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Genuine Desires : Unity ❯ Renaissance ( Chapter 24 )

Renaissance

 

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“ . . . Where's your little puppy?”

 

 

 

Kagome didn't bother to turn around. The rain had suddenly stopped, and even though it was still damp outside, she told Kumi she needed to go for a walk. She had recognized the presence that was following her when she first stepped foot out of the hut, and it followed her to the top of the hill, where it over looked the vast land that she was beginning to call home. “What do you want from me?”

 

 

 

Sachiko's wings folded on her back neatly and she stopped next to Kagome, clasping her hands behind her back and allowing her narrow eyes to scan the view. “It's a shameful thing, isn't it? How we are asked to give up everything for the sake of a man? And they call us their everything?”

 

 

 

Kagome could feel her irritation rising, but the painful truth behind Sachiko's words stung deep in her heart. “It isn't fair, but some women are willing to sacrifice that, aren't they.”

 

 

 

Sachiko leaned forward and regarded Kagome with narrow eyes, but Kagome saw it. A flicker of sympathy flashed through her red eyes. ` . . . Is Kimiko in there, somewhere?'

 

 

 

“The puppy has exiled you of the place where you protected together. He has prevented you from going back to your own era, and yet, you still care for him?”

 

 

 

“What me and InuYasha shared might be over, but it's still special to me. I'll always love him, if I'm alive or dead---“ She said pointedly, “---And I'll challenge anyone, human, hanyou or youkai that wants to test that.”

 

 

 

Sachiko laughed and shook her head, her black hair flowing about her like a cape. Her wings spread out, and then she folded them again. “Such power, such arrogance . . . and yet deep inside, you are nothing but a fool. He has been using you---using your love to forget about the woman he had slaughtered.”

 

 

 

“He didn't kill Kikyou.”

 

 

 

“He might not have done the act, but it was because of him that Kikyou was killed, was it not? It's the same thing, isn't it? Just like it's because of you that the hanyou is dead.”

 

 

 

Kagome felt her heart stop. She staggered forward, and Sachiko grabbed her arm and yanked her back, making Kagome fall on her rear. Kagome didn't move immediately. A flash of pain and of absolute fear ran through her, and her body went numb---the tears wouldn't come. “He's . . . he's. . .”

 

 

 

“Because you left him with the bitter memory of your betrayal, the hanyou has died. I would take your life now, but you must suffer. You must suffer, and in your final breath, the Shikon No Tama will be reborn. Didn't you know? The Shikon No Tama will never vanish now.”

 

 

 

“The . . . No, I purified it . . .”

 

 

 

“You might have purified it, but the moment a miko's spiritual energy is thrown out of her body by force, the Shikon No Tama will emerge. It will be mine . . .”

 

 

Kagome sighed when her energy left her body in a rush of breath. It was painful, and relieving at the same time. The last thing she remembered seeing was Sachiko laughed and staring down at her with the same sympathetic glint in her eyes, trying to mask it---in vain.

 

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`The barrier lowers?'

 

 

 

Sesshomaru stood in the crest of a hill, overlooking the vast plains, and ultimately the castle with the powerful youki emitting from it. The barrier had been lowered, but he could hardly see through the dark clouds covering the large area around it. The scent of death was faint on his brother, but it was strong enough to worry him, and Sesshomaru knew if they didn't find Kagome quickly, that there would be some trouble.

 

 

 

InuYasha had awoken, but was too weak to move. He still had his sanity. But that was using all his strength, and the hanyou knew Sesshomaru was aware of this. He had a couple of times where he had lost control---but it had never been as serious as this. Sesshomaru reached into his shirt and fingered the small stone that had been hand-smoothed by Rin herself. She did it painstakingly with everything she had, and told him coldly that if he lost it he would be in a lot of trouble.

 

 

 

Excitement was evident, and yet her cheeks were rosy with nervousness and the excitement of the day. Her chest was heaving, and her hands were clasped behind her back. She was rocking back and forth on her toes, but she was trying not to look him into his eyes, which, to his amusement, was getting harder for her with each and every passing minute. “Is this for Sesshomaru?”

 

 

 

Rin wrinkled her nose and nodded shyly, her cheeks blossoming when he smiled softly and turned it in her fingers. “You can't lose it, okay?”

 

 

 

“Really.”

 

 

 

“Really, or I'll get Kagome to purify you, okay? And Rin knows you don't like being purified.”

 

 

 

Sesshomaru had almost laughed, if the threat wasn't enough to make all emotion fall from his face. Rin had been dead serious, and even with the red cheeks, he also knew how violent Rin could get if she was angry with him. It almost felt he raised her himself, but he knew that he was missing something vitally important.

 

 

 

“I'm. . . I'm going to find my brother,” He said slowly. “I want you to stay here, and listen to Kaede.”

 

 

 

Rin's face twisted up into disapproval but she nodded her head stubbornly. “Inu---InuYasha's not going to be okay, will he? Is it true what Jaken said, that when one loses the other, it dies?”

 

 

 

Sesshomaru winced, and nodded.

 

 

 

“So if you die---I'll die too?”

 

 

 

He felt a blush rising on his cheeks. “I . . . uh . . .”

 

 

 

“So you have to promise to come back, okay? And when you come back, we'll get married, right?”

 

 

 

His face was crimson, he just knew it. “This Sesshomaru---“

 

 

 

“Do you promise?” He could see the moisture building behind her eyes, and her bottom lip was quivering. He jerked his head once, too embarrassed to say anything. She choked back a sob and threw her arms around Sesshomaru.

 

 

 

Rin hated when he went away---and he knew she did. He always left her with Jaken, or told one of the maidens of his territory to watch her until he returned. His time with her was becoming fewer and fewer, and even though he'd hate to admit it, he was beginning to miss the young girl.

 

 

 

`Two days since I've found this baka,' Sesshomaru thought with a sneer. `Two days, and he still can't move.'

 

 

 

He was really considering carrying him. But how would he feel, trying to find his mate, being carried on the back of his brother? No, he wouldn't like that, not at all . . .

 

 

 

But Rin kept intruding into his thoughts, and he couldn't help wondering if she was okay.

 

 

The barrier arose again with a soft hum of a surge of power, and Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the youki intensified. `That place . . . bothers me.'

 

 

 

The whispers of the wind brought his scent to him, and Sesshomaru grinned as the hanyou beside him forced a chuckle. “Let's get going.”

 

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“What are you doing?”

 

 

 

“Brushing my hair.”

 

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

 

“Because I haven't had the strength to do it for two whole days, silly.”

 

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

 

“Because I've been sick.”

 

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

 

“Because I left my home . . . with . . . with no where to go.”

 

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

 

“Because I . . . wait a minute . . . why do you keep saying why?”

 

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

 

“Kumi?”

 

 

 

“Yes?”

 

 

 

“Can you stop saying why?”

 

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

 

Kagome sighed and dropped the brush on the ground with a loud clatter, trying not to lose her patients with the young kistune-hanyou. “Please, Kumi, I need to get this done.”

 

 

 

The hanyou sat beside her with a bored little sigh. “Sorry.”

 

 

 

The young one had been pestering her ever since Kagome explained to her that she couldn't play with her because her arm was broken. Kumi was adorable, but she asked questions about everything. She asked about Kagome's clothes, and she even asked why Kagome was called `the strongest miko alive', and even how people were `reincarnated'.

 

 

 

Sure, Kagome answered them all to the best of her ability, but . . .

 

 

 

`I guess being away from Souta for so long has made my patience with children a little rusty.'

 

 

 

She smiled to herself as Kumi eyed the brush curiously, but was afraid to touch it. Kagome picked it up and turned Kumi sideways, pulling it through her long white hair.

 

 

 

Kumi began trembling, but giggled when Kagome repeated the action. The young girl's hair was smooth and silky, and even though Kagome envied it, she didn't think she'd ever get enough of brushing it. She took off Kumi's ribbon to get a little more of her hair, stopping abruptly when she discovered a scar behind the young one's ears. She rubbed them softly with her finger, and Kumi hissed, standing up and slapping her hands across her ear, going to the other side of Kagome and cowering away in the corner.

 

 

 

Kagome frowned and dropped the brush, scooting to Kumi very slowly. “Kumi?”

 

 

 

The kitsune-hanyou whimpered. She tried again. “Little Ribbon . . . C'mon, what's the matter? I can't help you unless you talk to me.”

 

 

 

Kagome was nearly whispering, the sound so soft that Kumi almost missed it. The kitsune-hanyou squeezed her eyes closed and whimpered again, trying to scoot farther away from Kagome. “Don't . . . don't touch it.”

 

 

 

“Don't touch what?” Kagome said when she finally reached her, holding her hand out slowly. “What's wrong?”

 

 

 

“Don't touch my ears . . . nobody touches my ears, okay?”

 

 

 

Kagome sighed and nodded. She had touched the girl's ears a lot of times, but maybe Kumi bit back her fear and allowed Kagome to do it? No, Kagome would have sensed it. Kumi trusted her, and something was the matter. Something was really wrong.

 

 

 

“Kumi . . . what's the matter? Talk to me, okay?”

 

 

 

Kumi's hands fell from her ears, but they were still pressed tightly to her head and her fear was radiating off of her in waves. The little girl had begun to cry now, her small body trembling as Kagome took her arm and pulled her into her chest. She began hiccupping, trying to wipe her face, talk, and cry at the same time.

 

 

 

“What happened? Why are you crying?” Kagome whispered, placing a soft kiss on each of the young girl's ears.

 

 

 

“They . . . they . . .”

 

 

 

“Who did this to you?” Kagome said. The little girl was trying to push away from her. This situation, it was oddly familiar, and for some reason, Kagome had the feeling this was her second chance to comfort a soul that needed someone's love, someone's sympathy . . . someone's trust.

 

 

 

“The . . . the youkai. . . They cursed my father, and. . . .”

 

 

 

“Your father was human?”

 

 

 

Kumi nodded and sniffled loudly, laying her head in the crook of Kagome's neck and twirling a lock of hair around her fingers. “My father was youkai, but my mother was hanyou. She. . . She was a different hanyou, you know? All Northeastern kitsunes possess the power of snow.”

 

 

 

“Do you possess it?”

 

 

 

“Yeah, but . . .”

 

 

 

“But what?”

 

 

 

“But you see . . . when I use my powers . . .”

 

 

 

“Is that the only power you possess?”

 

 

 

“No . . . but I can't control it.”

 

 

 

“Oh, I understand.”

 

 

 

Kumi paused a minute, gathering her breath. Kagome could feel the young girl's tears on her neck and face, but she didn't stop her. Things were easier when they were just said . . . she knew that a little too well. “But . . . the humans said that I . . . they said I couldn't stay, because Mama died when I was born.”

 

 

 

“She died right after?”

 

 

 

“During.”

 

 

 

Kagome felt a knot growing in her throat. But she couldn't find the words to tell Kumi that she didn't have to . . . “The humans . . . they exiled father, you know? They kicked him out, and then found him, beat him, and then they killed him. I had to sit there and watched, and they made me drink his blood. All because . . . all because I had `filthy blood' and they wanted to `reveal the monster that lived inside of me'. I was beaten and starved, and they did all kinds of things to me, from making me clean the whole territory without sleeping, until being flogged until I passed out. I finally . . . snapped. I . . . I killed the head priest, who was trying to hang me, and I was then chased out of the territory---why are you crying?”

 

 

 

 

Kagome tried to choke back a sob and it turned into a ragged shriek. She dug her face into Kumi's neck and sobbed. “I'm so . . . I'm so sorry.”

 

 

 

“Kagome---“

 

 

 

“I . . . I couldn't help you . . . and I couldn't help him either. All he ever wanted was someone to embrace him . . . to try and make him forget all of the painful memories, and I was too busy worrying about if he would run back to Kikyou. And like now, I'm supposed to be helping you, and now I can't stop thinking about how I failed to be a friend to him. I'm . . . I'm sorry, to both of you.”

 

 

 

 

“Kagome . . .”

 

 

She awoke with a pitiful sob, a ragged breath as she sat up. She couldn't sense anything, and her sight wasn't clear. Everything was blurry, and the darkness of the cold dungeon she was in didn't help at all. She missed the sun, she missed the rain, she missed Shippou, and most of all, and she missed InuYasha.

 

 

 

It had taken her too long to figure out what she was missing. She always felt as if she had forgotten to do anything, and when she finally figured it out, she had hated herself. She told Kumi that she wanted to go for a walk, but by the time she got herself together, Kumi had cried herself to sleep. She doubted that was the first time that had ever happened, either.

 

 

 

She wrapped her arms around her tiny formed, wincing when she could feel her ribs through her skin. She rocked back and forth until the door opened with a terrible creak and a ray of light filtered in, lighting practically everything but her. The sudden rush of light was painful for her eyes, and she looked away when someone stepped in, allowing the door to close hardly and with such force the ground and the walls trembled when it closed.

 

 

She felt a hand grip her face. Someone was studying her closely, and by the ragged palms, she could tell it was a man. Youkai, no doubt, but someone was strange. She could sense the youkai within the man, but for some strange reason, something told her this man wasn't always youkai. She quickly stored the thought away in her mind as she snatched her chin away from the hand and tried to quickly stand.

 

 

 

She was struck across the face, and she gave a startled yelp, shuddering when she tasted the coppery taste of her blood in her mouth and felt it trickling down her chin. “What do you want with me?”

 

 

 

“We've been asked to keep you alive,” Someone growled coldly. “But I don't see much use in a wench like you. Miko or not, I do not sense the Shikon No Tama in you.”

 

 

 

“That's because it's gone, you baka,” She muttered, loud enough for him to hear. “And it won't come back. So tell your precious queen to shove off!”

 

 

 

She was struck again, and this time she hit the ground with such force her head began ringing.

 

 

 

“Enough!”

 

 

 

The voice was cold and clipped and sliced through the tension like a knife. The man grumbled and she felt him take a step back. She sat up, still unable to see anything as someone walked over to her and dropped a tray of food at her lap. She walked somewhere, the soft pads of her feet echoing in the room and opened a window. Kagome hissed as the rays of light stung her skin, and she really began to see how bad the area actually was.

 

 

 

It had a futon in the far corner, and everywhere else was nothing but piles of dirt. She could see her legs, hands and feet smeared with dirt, and her clothes had been replaced with rags. Her heart was aching terribly, and she looked at the food on the tray with a look of disgust on her face. “If you don't eat, you won't last very long.”

 

 

 

“Is that supposed to be a bad thing?” Kagome said, kicking the away from her with a snort. She tried to summon something, anything, but as soon as she focused energy, a lash of fire ran through her veins, and she screamed as the pain didn't immediately leave her body. It felt as if it was being destroyed from the inside out, and she fell to the side, curling into a ball and trying to bite back a scream.

 

 

 

“Foolish girl,” The blue haired girl said. Her face was pale white, and even though her face was covered terribly with bruises, she looked as if she had certain evilness about her. Kagome cringed when the pain intensified, and she felt something appear on her forehead. “You fight it?”

 

 

 

“Are you . . . are you the girl that has been killing the young women from different villages.”

 

 

 

The girl nodded and laughed. “I'm Ayaka . . . your future master. Until you choose to obey me, you'll be tortured down here.”

 

 

 

“To the point of death? If so, make it quick.”

 

 

 

Ayaka scowled down at Kagome and grabbed the young woman's face. “Watch your

Pretty little mouth. Human or not, I can have some things done to you that'll haunt you in the afterlife.” She smiled. “So quick to throw away their lives after they've betrayed the people that loved them and ran off, humans are. Don't you agree?”

 

 

 

“Tough talk for somebody who doesn't exist unless they have a leash around their neck.”

 

 

 

“I can't wait until you are destroyed,” The young woman said with a sneer. “You and your precious hanyou.”

 

 

 

“Too late, oni, he's already dead.”

 

 

 

“Too bad, huh? You'll be joining him soon enough, so don't worry.”

 

 

 

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A/N

 

Read and Review! Enjoy!

 

Oni:Demon; Ogre (Insult in this chapter)