InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yokai No Kokoro (Heart of A Demon) ❯ Together Again ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Together Again

[Please somebody… save me!]

Kyoko fell backwards, her strength failing her. She saw a blur of white fly over herself. She heard Shibata cry out in pain. She felt the warmth of his blood splash onto her face. She closed her eyes, but managed to utter one word before losing herself momentarily. "Sesshoumaru…"

Sesshoumaru growled at the piles of flesh that had been the human attacking Kyoko. [That bastard… what did he do to her?] He knelt next to her and placed his hand over her open mouth; she was breathing. Sesshoumaru let out a small sigh of relief.

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The taijiya cautiously stepped out of the dining room and into the courtyard. He knew that this yokai was not the same, kind, innocent type as Kyoko was. This man before him was a hardened killer. "Is she okay?"

Sesshoumaru growled at the man. He did not need to look at him to tell what he was-a taijiya. "Taijiya, did you arrange this? Are you the one who is responsible? ANSWER!"

Kyoko's eyes opened, she had not heard Sesshoumaru yell before. It did not seem that he was capable of such, he was always calm and collected with his every action. She was thankful, however, that he had come at the time that he had. He came to save her life.

The taijiya looked straight into Sesshoumaru's piercing glare. "No. What has happened to her was done wholly by a madman, the dead piles of flesh before you. His parents were brutally murdered when he was a boy by a yokai. Ever since, he has had a grudge against all of you. He would lure every yokai to come into the town into this inn. He would then drug them and brutally murder them, as his parents had been. It may have been some sort of revenge to start, but it soon became a crazed obsession. The inn's employees here, former geishas, were appalled by his actions. They tried to leave, but he threatened to kill them as well. He was a madman, living only to kill."

"How did you come by this information?"

"The girls that work here told me of the tale when they saw me leaving the dining room. They knew that this time he had made an error in attacking this woman here, she caught onto the trap, but it was too late when she did. It was to her great luck that you happened by, I suppose."

Sesshoumaru rushed at the taijiya and lifted him by his neck. Hatred and anger were interwoven in his tone. "If you had all of that time to talk, why did you not kill that pathetic excuse for a man yourself? You wanted her to die, didn't you?"

Kyoko struggled to find her voice. "Sesshoumaru… don't… I told him… to go."

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the man's neck. "Still... he is a taijiya. He is living proof of human insolence and disrespect to yokai."

"Sesshoumaru! I beg of you! He had spared my life, please, spare his!"

Sesshoumaru glared back at Kyoko but his angry expression softened when he saw her, weak as she was, pleading for that worthless human's life. He released the man's neck and turned to Kyoko. "Are you ready to leave?"

[He wants me to go with him?]

"You should stay with me for a while, at least. You are too naïve to stay long for this world."

The taijiya rubbed his neck. "She should probably receive some type of treatment for that wound she's got."

Sesshoumaru glared at the man. He glanced back and saw the injury from when the crazed man had forced his sword through Kyoko. "I suppose you would be knowledged in repairing wounds of this sort, taijiya?"

The taijiya nodded. "I can take care of her. It should only take a few minutes." The taijiya went back into the inn and returned with his son. The boy rummaged through a bag he held and set aside several strips of cloth to be used for bandages. The man picked Kyoko up to carry her towards the dining room, so that he could better see the nature of the wound. He stopped when he heard Sesshoumaru growl at him again. "I suppose I should have you to carry her?"

Sesshoumaru turned away and snorted. "I didn't say anything."

The taijiya chuckled. [That man seems to like this woman, it is no wonder he was so angered by what had happened to her. But still, for her to have broken through to such a hardened killer… She must have a heart of gold…] The taijiya set Kyoko down and pulled the top part of her kimono the rest of the way off.

Sesshoumaru glared back at the man in disgust. [He didn't ask her anything… Who does he think he is, undressing her in the open like that?]

Kyoko pointed to the shuriken that Shibata had thrown at her; it was still firmly into her shoulder. "I can't pull it out."

The taijiya nodded. "Hold tight, this will probably hurt." He placed his left hand on her shoulder and firmly grasped the shuriken with his right hand. Kyoko let out a moan of pain when he ripped the shuriken out of her shoulder. The taijiya grinned when he saw Sesshoumaru tense again. The boy handed his father a few of the strips of cloth. The taijiya smiled as he wrapped the cloth over the wound in Kyoko's shoulder. "It's lucky that you are a yokai, rather than a human. You'll recover from this in a day or so. All I need to do is to get you wrapped up so that you don't bleed all over the place."

"Arigato." Kyoko slowly flexed her claws, one by one, still having to concentrate to move them. "How long do you think that I won't be able to move about like this?"

"The concoction he gave you will probably wear off in a few hours."

"But, until then, I won't be able to move very well…"

The taijiya took longer strips of the cloth and began wrapping it tightly around Kyoko's abdomen. "You're lucky that you didn't drink all of it. You could have been completely paralyzed for a few days." Kyoko nodded. The taijiya tied the bandages so that they wouldn't come off and pulled her kimono back onto her for her. "Don't take those off until tomorrow night. Other than that drug he gave you, you're just fine."

"Sesshoumaru-sama, it will take some time until this potion has worn off. Do you want to stay here? Or, if not, would you like to help me to walk?"

"I'll carry you."

"How?"

"On my back."

"But, how am I to get there?"

Sesshoumaru frowned. As much as he did not want to, he had to ask for help. "Taijiya, your assistance may be required. After we go, you may then leave."

The taijiya nodded and lifted Kyoko up so that she could lean forward and hold to Sesshoumaru's back. Kyoko smiled at the man in a silent thanks. "Goodbye."

The taijiya waved and turned around, facing his son. "Come now, Kohaku, we must go home as well."

Sesshoumaru leapt over the small fence and dashed into the forest. "You were going to sleep in a human village?"

"And why not? I was raised by humans."

"Feh. You're worse than my brother is. At least he has the excuse for being half-human."

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"True yokai shouldn't associate with humans; as you have learned, that's how they get killed."

"I had not suspected that I would have been attacked. Normally, I don't eat of a human's food. It was a mistake that shall not be repeated."

"Yes, but you would still sleep in their villages, wouldn't you? Can you not understand that not all humans are the same as the ones that raised you?"

Kyoko grinned at the idea of all humans being exactly like her family. [Thankfully… I'd hate to see what this world would look like if they were…] "Tell me, aside from that taijiya, have you ever spared a human's life before?"

"I have never killed in cold blood. If I must interact with those things, so be it. However, I rarely receive such cooperation as you seem to."

"Why is it that you bear such hatred towards humans? It can't just be that you are yokai."

Sesshoumaru ignored Kyoko, concentrating more on the path he was taking through the forest.

Kyoko looked upon Sesshoumaru, gently now, speaking to him out of concern rather than anger. "Why do you not answer?"

"Insolent woman! I need no reason."

"Sesshoumaru…"

Sesshoumaru continued through the forest until he reached a small clearing near the edge of a plateau. He stopped and set Kyoko down. "My father died because of humans. He was great enough; he could have had dominion over all of Japan. Rather, he fell in love with a human woman and died protecting her. And then I- never mind, you wouldn't understand."

"What happened? There's more, you started to tell me, what happened?"

"That is a personal matter which I do not wish to discuss with you. All you are is a lost child in this world. You wouldn't understand."

Kyoko looked down, her bangs shadowing her face. "Don't presume to know me just yet. Don't tell me what I am. I am not so naïve as you believe me to be."

"Feh. What is there to know?" Sesshoumaru glared down at Kyoko, waiting for her to tell all, like most women would, he thought.

Kyoko's lip trembled and tears ran down her cheeks. [Why now? Why does this still hurt? That was years ago… but, I still feel that he took a part of my heart when he disappeared… that emptiness… will it ever be filled?] She looked into the sky, as though the night stars held the answers. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She brought her hand up to her face, as though to remind herself of reality. She felt rather sheepish, crying in front of Sesshoumaru as she had. [He must really think of me as being child-like and immature now… If he asks, I could not dare to tell him about the relationship I had with Satoru… he wouldn't understand, Satoru was/is human. Feh, instead, he would probably ridicule me for loving a human. I wish that I could make him understand…]

"Does something trouble you?"

"No, it's nothing."

Sesshoumaru's eyes softened. [Is it because of what I said to her? Is that why she is so sad now? Did I truly offend her to that extent?] "If it was nothing, than you wouldn't cry about it, right? Was it-was it something I said?"

Kyoko chuckled and shook her head. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama, it has nothing to do with you. This is none of you fault. Perhaps I will tell you later."

"Might I ask how soon this later shall be?"

"I am not quite sure, I'll know when the time comes. Or, was that not the answer to which you were looking?"

"No, it matters not, Kyoko, if the issue is not pressing, then it is not up to me to pry." [I wish she would tell me more… She seems so sensible-quite unlike many of the other female yokai I have met-she isn't some hyped-up slut trying everything within her power to sleep with me. What is it that makes her so different? It couldn't be that she was raised by humans, could it? It does seem as though she is nearly perfect, with an exception of that foolish love towards humans that reminds me so much of my wretched brother. But, perhaps she will grow out of that foolishness… I did…] Several minutes passed as silence overtook them. Then, as though to break the unwanted silence, Sesshoumaru stepped nearer to Kyoko. "You seem weary, perhaps we should find a suitable place for you to sleep."

Kyoko nodded as she looked around for a close place to sleep. "Perhaps at the edge of the forest would be best."

Sesshoumaru nodded and bent over by Kyoko. "I won't be able to easily carry you, but I can help you walk."

Kyoko nodded as she hooked her left arm over Sesshoumaru's shoulder. She stood slowly with Sesshoumaru. As she slowly took steps toward the edge of the forest with him, she felt more and more glad that he was there. Her eyes watered yet again, but this time, her tears were borne of happiness. [I-I'm not alone now… He's… helping me. It must mean… no, I am merely jumping to conclusions… He has said nothing… For that matter… he has done nothing to really indicate that… {mental sigh} I must be too tired… my mind is jumping to too many conclusions…]

Sesshoumaru glanced over to her, confused. Kyoko said nothing; rather, she spoke volumes in her smile. Sesshoumaru's confusion gone, he grinned back at her. He looked forward, still smiling. [Is this really happening? Am I… … again? No… It must just be the late hour, I haven't had much sleep, and my body is tired from our activities earlier in the day. All that is wrong is that I need rest… isn't it?]

Sesshoumaru set Kyoko down next to a tree, at the edge of the forest, as he had been directed. Kyoko slowly moved herself into a more comfortable position to sleep. She shivered as the night wind chilled her body. Sesshoumaru sat next to her, using himself as a wind block. Kyoko smiled and managed a weak 'Arigato'. Her tired body could no longer take the stress of consciousness and healing her injuries; no sooner than she had closed her eyes, she slipped into a deep sleep. Sesshoumaru watched over her for a short while, but he soon was overcome by his own fatigue.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-Dream Sequence-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Kyoko looked over her home, taking in the familiar scents. Her hair was carried behind her by the wind. She traipsed into the house and through the halls, looking for someone/something. She was not quite sure what it was she searched for. Finally, her eyes rested upon the bamboo curtain to her own bedroom, she sensed that someone was within, she wanted to know whom dared enter her own home, her own room without first asking her. Kyoko pushed aside the curtain that led into her room. Before her she saw a man with long, slightly wavy brown hair and piercing eyes.

"I've been expecting you, my darling Kyoko-san."

"W-Who are you?"

The man chuckled as he slowly drew nearer to Kyoko. "I am a mere man; my name is of no consequence. I've come to give you a present, dear Kyoko-san."

"How do you know my name?!"

"Are you scared of me? You shouldn't be, Kyoko-san. You see, I once gave to an ancestor of your so-called brother a gift. He did not thank me, rather, he convinced his grandson to destroy me… Rather rude, don't you think?"

Kyoko smirked as she flexed her claws, ready to defend herself. "And just what was the nature of this 'gift'?"

"Oh, it wasn't much really…"

"And what is it that you plan to 'present' to me?"

"The head of that rude grandson, he did not quite succeed in his mission." The man threw a head to Kyoko.

Kyoko caught the head out of reflex. She looked down to see her now dead brother's face, twisted in fear. As shock took over her thoughts, she dropped the head. "Y-you bastard!"

"Perhaps that is what I am, but that should not make one dislike me for such… In fact, you should like to join me, wouldn't you?"

"Join you?"

"Yes… just as Sesshoumaru-sama has."

Terror gripped Kyoko as she saw this man's body change into some monstrous form. This thing, Kyoko was not sure if he really was a yokai or just some frightening part of her imagination. Kyoko watched on in complete terror as one of its tentacles was thrust directly in front of her face. From it, a face began to emerge-it was Sesshoumaru's. Kyoko let out a terrified yelp as she quickly backed away.

"His strength, his powers, all mine! And you, you are to be next, my child!"

Kyoko turned to run out of the room, but she was blocked by the figure of another man. She knew who this man was; he was her long-lost love, Satoru. "Satoru, move, we must leave!"

Satoru smiled at Kyoko. "No, we should stay here, it would be too rude to leave our guest all alone."

Kyoko shook her head violently. "Satoru-san, please! This thing wishes to kill me!"

The creature chuckled maniacally. "I don't wish to kill you; I merely wish to absorb your body and devour your soul."

Kyoko's natural sarcasm took the best of her. "Oh, is that all?"

Several of the creature's tentacles flew towards Kyoko. Before she had the chance to react, Kyoko's arms and legs were bound by the tentacles. They slowly drew her nearer to the creature. She struggled to escape, but in vain as finally she was brought directly to the creature's face, still resembling that of a man. She screamed back to Satoru, "Please Satoru-san! Use the blade I have given to you!"

Satoru smiled yet again. "You don't understand, do you?"

The beast, which held Kyoko, nodded. "Yes, Satoru, are you going to help her? She

doesn't understand, does she?"

Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"How about now, Satoru-san? Let's take this fool in now!"

Kyoko struggled in the same manner as a caged animal, trying to free herself. "Wh-Who are you?"

"I am the incarnation of hell. My name matters not to you, because you are now going to be a part of me!" The creature exclaimed as it pulled Kyoko into its body.

[No, I won't go like this! I can't!]

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-End Sequence-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Kyoko sprang upright, panting, her forehead beaded with sweat. [It was… just a dream…]