InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sight Unseen ❯ Broken Wings ( Chapter 8 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: SylverAngel 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.02.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 1.8K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.02.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 1.8K | Status: Completed
Sight Unseen
Chapter 8: Broken Wings
"Kagome! Kagome, come on, we have to help!" Shippo frantically patted the girl's arm, looking back and forth between her and the fight. "Kagome, please!"
"Shippo, I can't do anything! I can't even see!" she choked out finally, shaking her head at him.
"You have to try! Here, here's your bow..." The kitsune grabbed the weapon and pressed it into her hand insistently.
Kagome clenched her hand around the smooth wood, wanting to put it back on the ground at her side, but unable to release it. "Shippo, there's nothing I can do. I can't see the Shikon shards."
Shippo's eyes widened as he again turned towards Inuyasha and the demon. The hanyou was again only able to defend against the constant attacks from the winged female. The youkai remained on the ground, but it appeared she would soon take to the air again. "I'll help you, Kagome. Please, you have to try!"
"Shippo..." she protested. The kitsune climbed up her shoulder and grabbed an arrow from the quiver that rested on her back. He then placed it in her free hand and wrapped her fingers around the shaft.
"Now, hold the bow up."
When the girl continued to only sit and shake her head in denial, Shippo grabbed the bow and tilted it upright himself. He bit his lip, wondering how he was going to assist Kagome in aiming-- the demoness continued to move around quickly, and they would risk hitting Inuyasha. This was definitely going to be more difficult than he originally thought.
"Kagome, please try... Please," the kitsune pleaded, not giving up hope yet.
No longer resisting, the girl finally lifted her arms, and held the weapon straight in line with her body. "Tell me when to shoot, then," she told him resignedly. "And just pray I won't miss and hit Inuyasha."
"Kagome what are you doing?" Sango called over the sounds of the fight, finally noticing what the other girl was doing. The demon exterminator had been watching for another way to help Inuyasha, but with the youkai as fast as she was, throwing Hiraikotsu again was not going to do any good.
Kagome just shook her head in response, muscles beginning to shake as she held the bow ready to shoot.
Sango and Miroku both jogged towards the girl, standing on either side of her. "Kagome, how do you expect to--"
"I don't, Sango," she sighed defeatedly. "This was Shippo's idea."
"Kagome, get ready!" the kitsune excitedly cried into her ear. "They're moving this way!"
"Shippo, it is too dangerous. She could hit Inuyasha," Miroku objected, laying a hand on the top of the bow to stop Kagome from firing.
"Move your hand, Miroku! She can hit that demon! Kagome--"
"Shiori! I thought I told you that if you ever entered our territory again you were as good as dead!"
The winged youkai suddenly stopped her charge at her opponent and spun around, red eyes narrowing. Everyone else turned at the same time, not having noticed the newcomer until he spoke.
"Another one?" Inuyasha asked incredulously, trying to catch his breath at the sudden break.
This windwalker had black hair and black wings, and his robe was a deep green, as if to blend in with the surrounding trees. In his hands, he held a bow with an arrow notched and aimed straight at the female youkai.
"I think you may have just broken the record for windwalkers seen, Sango," Miroku quipped.
The demon exterminator sent him a glare before renewing her grip on Hiraikotsu and turning back to the confrontation going on in front of them.
"You don't scare me, Maruku. I can take you any day," the demoness taunted.
"Oh really? The last time I saw you, you were running for your life from me and the other hunters."
"Things have changed."
"The shards you've found, then? Always were greedy, weren't you?" Maruku's stance never faltered as he continued to call down to the other youkai.
The demoness seemed to preen as she answered. "I just want to be the best. Meitarou understood that."
"I advise you to watch what you say, Shiori." The windwalker's voice turned menacing. "Unless you want me to ignore the law and avenge my brother here and now."
"You'd never have the guts to disobey orders, Maruku." The youkai missed the tightening of the other demon's fingers on his bow as she looked down and inspected the dirt on her hands. "Meitaru did. Of course that did get him in rather a lot of trouble. So gullible, your brother," Shiori sighed lamentably. "But he was expendable."
Before she could react, Maruku jumped from the branch he'd been standing on to the ground, his eyes narrowing. His voice was quiet, but icy with contempt. "You don't deserve your wings, Shiori."
"M-Maruku?" The demoness suddenly backed away from the advancing windwalker. "M-Maruku, please--" she pleaded, her back running up against a rather large tree.
"You had your chance," he murmured, seconds before releasing the arrow.
Shippo hid his face in his hands when he heard a shriek of pain. He dared to peek through his fingers only when he heard whimpering.
Not one, but two arrows, pinned the female youkai's wings to the tree behind her, just before the joint. The bones were most likely shattered, rendering her unable to fly.
Maruku notched another arrow, again taking aim at Shiori. "This is for Meitarou. Mercy, in return for the mercy you failed to show him." He let the arrow fly, this time hitting on the opposite side of the joint on her left wing. "And this," he continued coldly, "this is for me and my family. Pain, in return for the pain you caused us by my brother's death." The arrow soon mirrored the previous one, this time in the right wing.
Shiori continued to whimper as the windwalker lowered his bow. He stood staring at the demoness for a few moments, then turned to Inuyasha. "Take the shards. I leave Shiori to you."
"N-no Maruku, I--" the demoness cried, reaching a hand out to him imploringly.
The windwalker turned away. "Next time I find you, I won't just aim for your wings, Shiori."
All but Kagome watched him walk away from them down the path.
Inuyasha broke the silence when he sheathed Tetsusaiga. Miroku cleared his throat.
Shippo gently hopped down and took the arrow from Kagome's shaking hand. "I guess you don't need this now," he stated before pulling the bow out of her other hand as well.
Kagome let out a slightly hysterical giggle, her nerves still stretched taut. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly, laying a hand on her shoulder to indicate where he stood. "Let's get those shards."
The girl nodded, holding out her hands for the hanyou to help her to her feet. Her legs refused to keep her upright at first and she stumbled into him. He slid his arm around her waist and walked with her towards the still-pinned youkai.
The demoness remained silent as Kagome ran her hands lightly over the now-broken wings, waiting for the feel of the Shikon no Tama to grow stronger. One shard lay fused to each of the joints. Inuyasha pried the two pieces off with his claws, then handed them to Kagome.
Though the girl knew this youkai had attacked them, she still hated for anyone to be in pain. As gently as she could, she reached up and removed all four arrows, freeing Shiori from the tree.
"Thank you," the female youkai murmured, looking up at Kagome, who turned away and waited for Inuyasha to guide her back to the others.
The hanyou glanced back at the demoness before placing a hand beneath Kagome's elbow. Shiori's eyes were no longer youkai red. They were deep brown, and as empty of life as they would have been if Maruku had aimed for her heart.
Chapter 8: Broken Wings
"Kagome! Kagome, come on, we have to help!" Shippo frantically patted the girl's arm, looking back and forth between her and the fight. "Kagome, please!"
"Shippo, I can't do anything! I can't even see!" she choked out finally, shaking her head at him.
"You have to try! Here, here's your bow..." The kitsune grabbed the weapon and pressed it into her hand insistently.
Kagome clenched her hand around the smooth wood, wanting to put it back on the ground at her side, but unable to release it. "Shippo, there's nothing I can do. I can't see the Shikon shards."
Shippo's eyes widened as he again turned towards Inuyasha and the demon. The hanyou was again only able to defend against the constant attacks from the winged female. The youkai remained on the ground, but it appeared she would soon take to the air again. "I'll help you, Kagome. Please, you have to try!"
"Shippo..." she protested. The kitsune climbed up her shoulder and grabbed an arrow from the quiver that rested on her back. He then placed it in her free hand and wrapped her fingers around the shaft.
"Now, hold the bow up."
When the girl continued to only sit and shake her head in denial, Shippo grabbed the bow and tilted it upright himself. He bit his lip, wondering how he was going to assist Kagome in aiming-- the demoness continued to move around quickly, and they would risk hitting Inuyasha. This was definitely going to be more difficult than he originally thought.
"Kagome, please try... Please," the kitsune pleaded, not giving up hope yet.
No longer resisting, the girl finally lifted her arms, and held the weapon straight in line with her body. "Tell me when to shoot, then," she told him resignedly. "And just pray I won't miss and hit Inuyasha."
"Kagome what are you doing?" Sango called over the sounds of the fight, finally noticing what the other girl was doing. The demon exterminator had been watching for another way to help Inuyasha, but with the youkai as fast as she was, throwing Hiraikotsu again was not going to do any good.
Kagome just shook her head in response, muscles beginning to shake as she held the bow ready to shoot.
Sango and Miroku both jogged towards the girl, standing on either side of her. "Kagome, how do you expect to--"
"I don't, Sango," she sighed defeatedly. "This was Shippo's idea."
"Kagome, get ready!" the kitsune excitedly cried into her ear. "They're moving this way!"
"Shippo, it is too dangerous. She could hit Inuyasha," Miroku objected, laying a hand on the top of the bow to stop Kagome from firing.
"Move your hand, Miroku! She can hit that demon! Kagome--"
"Shiori! I thought I told you that if you ever entered our territory again you were as good as dead!"
The winged youkai suddenly stopped her charge at her opponent and spun around, red eyes narrowing. Everyone else turned at the same time, not having noticed the newcomer until he spoke.
"Another one?" Inuyasha asked incredulously, trying to catch his breath at the sudden break.
This windwalker had black hair and black wings, and his robe was a deep green, as if to blend in with the surrounding trees. In his hands, he held a bow with an arrow notched and aimed straight at the female youkai.
"I think you may have just broken the record for windwalkers seen, Sango," Miroku quipped.
The demon exterminator sent him a glare before renewing her grip on Hiraikotsu and turning back to the confrontation going on in front of them.
"You don't scare me, Maruku. I can take you any day," the demoness taunted.
"Oh really? The last time I saw you, you were running for your life from me and the other hunters."
"Things have changed."
"The shards you've found, then? Always were greedy, weren't you?" Maruku's stance never faltered as he continued to call down to the other youkai.
The demoness seemed to preen as she answered. "I just want to be the best. Meitarou understood that."
"I advise you to watch what you say, Shiori." The windwalker's voice turned menacing. "Unless you want me to ignore the law and avenge my brother here and now."
"You'd never have the guts to disobey orders, Maruku." The youkai missed the tightening of the other demon's fingers on his bow as she looked down and inspected the dirt on her hands. "Meitaru did. Of course that did get him in rather a lot of trouble. So gullible, your brother," Shiori sighed lamentably. "But he was expendable."
Before she could react, Maruku jumped from the branch he'd been standing on to the ground, his eyes narrowing. His voice was quiet, but icy with contempt. "You don't deserve your wings, Shiori."
"M-Maruku?" The demoness suddenly backed away from the advancing windwalker. "M-Maruku, please--" she pleaded, her back running up against a rather large tree.
"You had your chance," he murmured, seconds before releasing the arrow.
Shippo hid his face in his hands when he heard a shriek of pain. He dared to peek through his fingers only when he heard whimpering.
Not one, but two arrows, pinned the female youkai's wings to the tree behind her, just before the joint. The bones were most likely shattered, rendering her unable to fly.
Maruku notched another arrow, again taking aim at Shiori. "This is for Meitarou. Mercy, in return for the mercy you failed to show him." He let the arrow fly, this time hitting on the opposite side of the joint on her left wing. "And this," he continued coldly, "this is for me and my family. Pain, in return for the pain you caused us by my brother's death." The arrow soon mirrored the previous one, this time in the right wing.
Shiori continued to whimper as the windwalker lowered his bow. He stood staring at the demoness for a few moments, then turned to Inuyasha. "Take the shards. I leave Shiori to you."
"N-no Maruku, I--" the demoness cried, reaching a hand out to him imploringly.
The windwalker turned away. "Next time I find you, I won't just aim for your wings, Shiori."
All but Kagome watched him walk away from them down the path.
Inuyasha broke the silence when he sheathed Tetsusaiga. Miroku cleared his throat.
Shippo gently hopped down and took the arrow from Kagome's shaking hand. "I guess you don't need this now," he stated before pulling the bow out of her other hand as well.
Kagome let out a slightly hysterical giggle, her nerves still stretched taut. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly, laying a hand on her shoulder to indicate where he stood. "Let's get those shards."
The girl nodded, holding out her hands for the hanyou to help her to her feet. Her legs refused to keep her upright at first and she stumbled into him. He slid his arm around her waist and walked with her towards the still-pinned youkai.
The demoness remained silent as Kagome ran her hands lightly over the now-broken wings, waiting for the feel of the Shikon no Tama to grow stronger. One shard lay fused to each of the joints. Inuyasha pried the two pieces off with his claws, then handed them to Kagome.
Though the girl knew this youkai had attacked them, she still hated for anyone to be in pain. As gently as she could, she reached up and removed all four arrows, freeing Shiori from the tree.
"Thank you," the female youkai murmured, looking up at Kagome, who turned away and waited for Inuyasha to guide her back to the others.
The hanyou glanced back at the demoness before placing a hand beneath Kagome's elbow. Shiori's eyes were no longer youkai red. They were deep brown, and as empty of life as they would have been if Maruku had aimed for her heart.