InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Innocence ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Innocence

by Sarah G. (a.k.a. firesstar a.k.a. SarahBarah)

*Author's note:

OMG! I'm soo bad! *whacks self* I haven't updated in a loooong time! -.-; I'm so sorry to have kept you all waiting! I'm sure by now you have probably lost interest by now.... :( Maybe I can spark it though with this new chapter! *wink* Tee hee....

~Etsuko: *sighs* Simply hopeless.... u.u;~

~Chumoru: Indeed... u.u;

GUYS! *glares* >I Anyways....

I was in the hospital (the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN) and it was very nice. The people were very nice, and so was my doctor.

By the way, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my faithful friends, who have always stuck by me thorough the hard times, and my lovely doctor, Dr. Elyuseff (I don't think I spelled it right though... *sighs*), who helped me greatly in the hospital (even though he made me take all that awful medicine and have 2 colonoscopies... ).

Now the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Inuyasha or in this story other than Etsuko, and Chumoru.

Well, not much more to say, so, on to the story! ^_^ Hope ya enjoy! Thank you to my readers! Bye!

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Etsuko woke up in a strange bed, its comfort unlike any she felt before (for she was only used to sleeping outside). Her hair had come loose, and it now cascaded around her shoulders, spilling onto her pillow like a river of silver silk. She winced when she felt the bandage on her cheek, the wound still burning with pain. She then wondered, who could have done this for her? She looked about the room, and finally saw 4 pairs of eyes looking back at her. She felt her head grow dizzy, and so she fell back onto the pillow, her body telling her to rest. "Don't move," it said, "your injury is pretty severe, you need to rest."

Wait, she thought, that's.....

She felt a hand touch her forehead softly and flinched.

"Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you. We're your friends!"

A small kitsune cub grinned warmly above her. Beside him sat a women, a monk, and a small cat-like creature.

"W-Who are you? Why are you helping me?"

A chuckle came from the woman, "Don't worry, we'll explain everything, but until then, you must rest."

She herded the others away, leaving Etsuko alone to rest. When they had gone, she laid there still for a moment, before trying to get to her feet. But she soon found that this was impossible and lay back down in defeat.

"They are right, you must rest. The injury you received from that mutt seems serious," a strong male voice said from the shadows.

"You needn't worry about me, brother, I will live," Etsuko replied, turning on her side to face the one who had spoken. It was Chumoru. He sat in the shadows, the only thing visible was his bright green orbs.

"And I suppose you could have killed him if you wanted to, but, you didn't want to, did you?"

He looked at her hard, searching her face for the answer. He found it when she looked away from him, a frown on her lips.

"Oh, so that's it eh? Your in love with him, aren't you," he said accusingly. She did not answer right away, but looked out at the moon through the window beside her bed.

"What if I did love him? What would be so wrong with that?"

He stared at her in disbelief.

"Sister, truly you have lost your mind! Do you not realize that that mutt almost killed you?! He doesn't care for his own kind!"

Etsuko kept her gaze out the window as he spoke, not wanting to look at him for fear that he would see the tears that stung at her eyes.

It doesn't matter if I love him. He could never love me. Especially after I kill... her.

She thought back to fifty years ago, when she had first fallen in love with a young inu-hanyou. She was sure when she saw him lying there on his tree branch, that he wouldn't remember her. She smiled to herself at the thought of him, looking the same as he had fifty years ago.

Oh Inuyasha... why did I give my heart to you? Why was I such a fool?

She remembered with anger and pain in her heart, the day she had watched, as he and Kikyo, embraced one at the dock. She had hid in the shadows of the trees...

Oh Inuyasha, why must I hold this burden? Why must I hate you so? Feelings I never thought I'd ever feel when you were around...

A single tear, rolled down her cheek.

May you burn for making me feel this way for fifty long years! MAY YOU BURN IN HELL!

She found new strength in this hatred. It felt so easy, so free. She would find the strength in this kill the one, who had stolen fifty years of her life, of her love...

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Inuyasha stopped in front of the hut, setting Kagome down. He looked over towards where Miroku and Sango sat on the porch.

"Where is she? Is she inside?"

Miroku nodded.

"If you mean the girl, then hai, that she is."

Kagome looked at them all in utter confusion.

"Who are you talking about? Is it that girl you found, Inuyasha?"

He just looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Who do you think I was talking about, there's only one other girl here you know."

Kagome clenched her teeth and glared at him.

"IT WAS JUST A SIMPLE QUESTION! YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACT LIKE SUCH A JERK!"

He backed up a little, startled by her outburst. She ignored him and walked towards the front door, opening it slowly. She peeked inside and saw the silver mane of the girl, and looked at her closely. Noticing the bandage on her cheek, she asked Miroku, "What happened to her cheek?"

"It seems that it was sliced with some kind of large blade, possibly a sword."

Inuyasha's ear twitched at the part about the sword, but he said nothing.

"Inuyasha?"

Gulp, he thought.

"Yeah?"

"Where did you say you found her?"

Double gulp.

"I don't remember..." he said, sitting down in the grass and folding his arms over his chest.

Maybe I can get out of this one...

"Nani, Inuyasha?! You don't remember," Kagome said, stomping over to him and backhanding him in the face.

As he lay on his side, rubbing his face, he thought, Wow, that felt vaguely familiar...

"Maybe that will jog your memory," Kagome said, wiping her hands together. He looked up at her suspiciously.

Scary... its like she can read my mind...

He stared at her until she glanced down at him and he turned his head away, sticking his nose in the air.

"Hmph."

Miroku was chuckling softly at the two, but quickly looked away when they both glared at him. Sango just shook her head, Shippo sighed, and Kirara cocked her head.

"Mew?"

Shippo looked at Kirara, "I don't understand it either, Kirara. I just don't see why they can't just get along..."

Sango turned to them and smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, you'll understand someday. Until then, just ignore them, they'll grow out of it..." she looked in the direction of Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha was making faces behind Kagome's back. Kagome turned around and yelled, "SIT BOY!" In the next second, he was face down in the dirt.

"At least I hope they do..." Sango said, sighing heavily as a sweat drop, fell down her forehead.

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Etsuko slept for two days before she awoke to find a girl, with long, dark hair, and a face that had a striking resemblance to Kikyo's, staring down at her.

"Kagome, I presume?"

The girl smiled.

"Hai. How are you feeling," she asked kindly.

Etsuko just smiled back, not sure how to answer. Pain still numbed her cheek, but it was much better than before.

"I am better, arigatou," she answered finally.

Too bad she is so nice, we might have been friends... in another time...

"I brought you some medicine. It should help the pain," she said, reaching into her backpack. Etsuko excepted it gratefully, drinking the unpleasant tasting mixture, grimacing when she had finished it. Kagome smiled understandably, giving her a sip of water to wash it down.

How nice of her. But why does she do this for me? What's in it for her? Even Chumoru, my own dear brother, doesn't treat me so kindly.

She pondered this, while Kagome changed the bandage on her cheek. She didn't cry out, even when Kagome moved too close to her wound. Though, as Kagome knew, the pain was searing.

"Alright, all done. You should feel better soon, just rest now, ok?"

Etsuko nodded, watching as she left, still amazed at the treatment she was given.

"You should have killed her while you had the chance! If you don't... I will," Chumoru's familiar voice reached her.

"Why should I kill her now? There is no hurry, brother. Let me remind you, that we were given a full seven days to complete our mission."

He approached her slowly, sitting at the edge of her bed.

"I don't care how long we were given, we must destroy her, and bring the jewel to our pack! That is our soul mission," he said his emerald orbs cast on Etsuko.

She knew the real reason for his haste. He wished to present the jewel to their father, and therefore, gain the right to be the next in line for the pack leader. As far as she was concerned, he could have that right! She wasn't going to hurry up just so he could be leader.

"I know what our mission is, Chu. But I will not be forced to move faster! I work at my own pace, and if you don't like it, then do the job yourself!"

She glared at him, but immediately wished she hadn't said what she had.

"Gladly..." he replied, grinning evilly, his bright emerald orbs gleaming in the near pitch black darkness.

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Ooh.... scary... isn't it? The end of another chapter... what's going to happen when Chu tries to kill Kagome? Will he succeed? Will this be the end of her? Will Etsuko end up killing Inuyasha? Or will it be the other way around? All these questions and more will be answered in the next chapter! So stay tuned!

~Chumoru: Yeah, and you better, or else I'll come and get you! MWAHAHAHA! >)~

~Etsuko: *raises eyebrow* Whatever... *glomps Chu* *mutters* Dumb Baka... ~

~Chumoru: Owwie..... ;.; *rubs head* What'd you do that for sis? ~

~Etsuko: ...... u.u; Never mind Chu, never mind.... ~

~Chumoru: *ish confuzzled* o.O; ~

Sarah: *coughs* Um, yes, well... that's all for now... see you soon! ^.~