InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yokai No Kokoro (Heart of A Demon) ❯ With You ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8: With You

{I woke up from a dream today-to the cold and the static; put my cold feet on the floor. Forgot about yesterday, remembering; I'm pretending to be where I'm not anymore. A little taste of hypocrisy and I'm left in the wake of the mistake, slow to react. Even though you're so close to me, you're still so distant, and I can't bring you back… It's true, the way I feel, was promised by your face; the sound of your voice, painted on my memories. Even if you're not with me, I'm with you.} Linkin Park, With You

Kyoko entered the village at the base of the mountain, looking for someone, anyone. The people of the village scattered when they saw her. Their children trembled in fear, the women whispered amongst each other, 'It's a demon… like the one from last night!'

Kyoko rushed about until finally she came to an elderly gentleman at the front of a mansion. She bothered not to wait for him to quell his fear for her; she had not the time. "Sir, what has happened here? What happened to kill all life on this mountain?"

The man cleared his throat, still confused by Kyoko's presence. "There was a fight here last night. It was a grand battle between two yokai. Well… actually, a yokai and a hanyou…"

"The yokai, what was he like?"

"Well, he had similar features to what you've got there, 'cept he had a moon on his forehead and his stripes were in a different spot. His hair was silver, too."

[Sesshoumaru… you were here…] "What happened to him? Where has he gone?"

"Well, I think he fled, but I know that the hanyou and all of his bunch went east of here."

"Arigato." Kyoko turned towards the east, knowing that the hanyou had to have some answers. She left and soon caught a lightly made trail from the scent of blood. She ran on, following the trail, knowing that if she slowed too much that she would lose track of her prey.

-Three days later-

Kyoko looked at the surrounding area from the top of the mountain. She saw a village in the distance; the scent that was made by the blood seemed to be more frequent in this area. She slowed her pace; her body was heavily fatigued, she had not slept nor eaten since she began travel. She plucked a few fruits from a tree and stopped to eat them. She knew that she had to recover some of her strength in the event that the hanyou would be dangerous.

She dropped her food though, when she felt a tremendous evil energy, approaching herself. [What's that?] Kyoko leapt into one of the trees around herself. She held still, not moving, barely breathing. She watched as she saw a yokai come from behind where she had been. Something about the creature seemed terribly familiar, but what it was she could not place. Its true form was hidden beneath the pelt of a white ape. [This energy… it seems as though it is purely evil…Something about this creature…]

"Come down from there, woman. I know you're there."

[It knows I'm here!] Kyoko cautiously dropped out of the tree. She drew her sword, ready to attack if necessary. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The creature chuckled. "I am a mere man; my name is of no consequence."

Kyoko tensed. She had heard those words before. "What do you want?"

"Tell me your name."

"And if I don't?"

"Why is it that you are so defensive? Is it because of the disguise I wear?"

Kyoko said nothing, but took a step backwards, still holding the sword in front of herself.

The creature took pulled the animal hide away, then he slowly took the mask away from his face. Kyoko gasped when she saw that the creature seemed to be a man. He had long, slightly wavy brown hair and piercing eyes.

"Wh-What are you?" Kyoko demanded, fear taking her thoughts as she remembered the nightmare she had a little over a week before.

"Why is it you fear me so?"

"I never said that I feared you, whatever you are. I merely feel that you are not here of my best interests."

The man chuckled. His eyes narrowed. "What is your name?"

Kyoko gritted her teeth. "Kyoko. And yours?"

[Kyoko, huh? I know that name…] "Call me… Naraku."

Kyoko's entire body tensed at the sound of the name. It meant 'hell'. [Naraku… an incarnation of hell… somehow… this is the creature that was in my nightmare…]

"Does my name alarm you that much?"

Kyoko shook her head. [Bother me… it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up…] "With a name such as that… would it not indicate that you are a creature borne from the depths of hell?"

"How acute of you, Kyoko-san."

Kyoko growled. [He has no right to speak to me so informally…] "Let's get to the bottom of this. What do you want of me?"

"Nothing for now, Kyoko-san." Naraku chuckled as he turned away from Kyoko, facing the direction he had been heading previously.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"As I said, nothing for now; I have other affairs to attend." he answered as he walked away, disappearing into the forest.

Kyoko felt a chill run down her spine. [That creature… whatever it is, human, yokai, hanyou… It is not a creature to be toyed with.] Kyoko, forgetting her original purpose, turned away and headed back up the mountain. She found a small cave and chose it for her shelter for that night. [I know not what the being's purpose is, but it seems to want something from me… He shall not get whatever it is. There is something about him… I don't trust any of his actions…]

Kyoko leaned against the rock wall and looked out at the wilderness. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she thought back to the days past, since Sesshoumaru had left. [But… why did he not tell me? He could at least have woken me to tell me that we were going somewhere… It seemed that he was actually starting to like me… but…. What about that argument we had? He couldn't have left because of something like that… could he?] Kyoko lay back and closed her eyes, but just for a moment. Her body soon remembered her days without rest and took her into a deep slumber.

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It was not until sunset that Kyoko awoke. She quickly remembered the task she had set before herself three days before. She stretched and headed down to the village.

When Kyoko reached the village, she noticed that the scent of the hanyou's blood was rather strong there, fresh too. She looked around until finally her eyes rested upon an old miko. Kyoko rushed to the miko. "Miko-san, have you seen a hanyou anywhere around here?"

"What business have you with him?"

Kyoko grabbed the woman by the collar of her kimono, lifting her from the ground. "Where is he? I must speak with him!" Kyoko demanded, anger tinged in her every word. Kyoko's tired muscles could barely hold the woman, causing Kyoko's arms to shake.

The woman cried out, fear in her old eyes. "Help!"

Kyoko paid no mind to the woman's cry. However, the woman's cry was answered by a smooth, firm male voice. "Release her at once."

Kyoko's eyes glazed over with the near insanity. She wanted more than anything to be answered. She wanted the old woman to tell her about what she had been searching for the last several days. "Not until she answers me."

"Kazaana!!!"

Kyoko released the woman as she felt her own body lifted by the high force of winds. She turned around to see the person controlling these winds. "Miroku-sama?"

The man quickly closed his fist, the source of the wind and pulled a string of beads over his hand, sealing the kazaana. "Kyoko-onésan?"

Kyoko, still in mid-air, continued as she had through the air, finally landing and knocking the man over. She quickly stood, however, as she knew the consequences of not doing so. "Miroku-san? What are you doing here?"

Miroku stood, dusting himself off. "Should I not ask you the same?"

Kyoko smiled, but soon her smile turned to dead seriousness. "I am looking for a hanyou. You see, he fought a friend of mine and I wished to find out if he knew what became of my friend."

"You're looking for Inu Yasha? So you can find out about Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes. Could you tell me, what happened? Where is this Inu Yasha?"

"He is in one of the huts, resting. He has been terribly injured twice over the last few days. First was from his fight with Sesshoumaru, second, he was just involved in a fight with Naraku."

"Naraku? He came here?"

"You are acquainted with Naraku?"

"I know what he is, but I know not what his purpose is. I feel reason to fear him."

"What reason is that?"

"I had a dream about a week ago. Then I saw him earlier today; his actions were very similar to the way he acted in the dream I had… Except…"

"Except what?"

"In the dream he absorbed me… or something like that… and… Satoru was there."

Miroku rested chin on the palm of his hand, thinking. "You know, that could be a really bad sign… By the way, where is Satoru?"

Kyoko sighed; she knew that he was going to ask that question. "Shortly after you left, about six months, Satoru disappeared. I don't know where to or anything, but he didn't say anything…" Kyoko's voice trailed off, but she continued, thinking aloud rather than speaking, "…just like Sesshoumaru just did…"

Miroku smirked. "What is there between you and Sesshoumaru? You didn't… with him, did you?"

"NO! I'm not like you are, Miroku-sama."

"Like I am? You make it sound as though I'd go for anything…"

Kyoko tensed as she heard a small creature approaching her from behind.

"Who's this, Miroku-sama?" inquired a cheery, young voice.

Kyoko turned around to see a small kitsune cub, standing only about a foot tall. The little yokai had bright green eyes and reddish-orange hair, pulled back in a bow. "Kawaii!"

The small fox backed away, convinced by prior experience that he was about to be picked up and hugged.

"Shippo, this is Kyoko. Kyoko, this is Shippo."

Shippo bowed lightly to Kyoko, and then jumped onto her shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

Kyoko smiled, but was slightly nervous at having the small yokai on her shoulder. "I am looking for a friend of mine. His name is Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru? You're friends with him? I would not have thought that a cold-blooded killer like that could have friends…"

"Cold-blooded killer? What did he do?" [He couldn't have… He told me that he'd never actually killed in cold blood…]

"Well, it wasn't so much that he actually did that, but he had the temperament to be that type. He was trying to kill Inu Yasha just 'cause Inu Yasha got some sword he wanted…"

"But, he didn't kill anyone?"

"No."

Kyoko nodded, not wanting to take the conversation further.

Kagome turned, sensing the aura of a Shikon shard. "Inu Yasha… There's another jewel shard here…no… two… three… there are three."

Inu Yasha winced as he sat upright; his wounds still hurt. [Damn that Sesshoumaru… It was three days ago that I fought him… That damned claw of his with the poison in it… I wish that I would have had the chance to cut that hand off too.] Inu Yasha reached for his sword. "It's not Naraku, is it, Kagome?"

Kagome shook her head. "There's not nearly as many shards as what Naraku had earlier. I don't think he's going to be coming back for a while anyway."

Inu Yasha stood at the door of the hut and sampled the air with his canine senses. "No, it's a yokai though…" Inu Yasha crept out of the hut, following his senses until he saw Miroku and Shippo, with a female yokai. Her presence bothered him; she reminded him of his brother. [Why is she so… wait… She's an inu yokai! But… what is she doing here?]

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Kyoko did not wait for introductions; when she heard the sound of a sword somewhere behind herself, she jumped up, her sword drawn. "Who are you?"

"Maybe I should ask you the same." The hanyou answered as he held his sword in front of himself.

"Are you the hanyou Inu Yasha?"

Inu Yasha grinned, but was neutral in his answer, "Maybe I am; Maybe I ain't."

Kyoko sheathed her sword-a sign of peace for Inu Yasha. "My name is Kyoko."

"Feh. Why should I care?"

"You just inquired of my name."

Inu Yasha glared at Kyoko, not confident in how she should be regarded.

Miroku stepped between the two. "Inu Yasha, put that thing up. This is Kyoko, my adoptive sister. We were raised together-she means us no harm."

"Okay then, why is she here?"

Kyoko cleared her throat, as though to remind them of her presence. "I am here to ask you a question, Inu Yasha."

"Feh, and what would that be?"

"I would like to know if you have any knowledge of where Sesshoumaru may be."

"Why should I know where that S.O.B. is?"

Kyoko turned away from Inu Yasha, not willing to reply. "Why do the two of you hate each other so much?"

"Huh?"

"You and Sesshoumaru… you both hate each other so much that it is nearly sickening. I cannot understand why it is that two siblings would hate one another so."

Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow. [Why is it that she wants to know about Sesshoumaru, anyway? She doesn't seem to be one of his servants… And, how is it that she would even know him? That cold bastard would never be able to converse with someone such as what this woman seems to be…] "Why is it that you are so concerned about Sesshoumaru anyway? It's not like he's the type to go about with some yokai that could stand being in this village for more than five minutes in the presence of humans…"

"You don't know that."

"Feh, perhaps it's because I don't care. He has come after me twice with the intent to kill me, insulting me and my parentage the whole time. He even tried to kill Kagome, because she was a human, standing in the way of what he wanted. However, I handed him his ass both times."

Miroku cleared his throat in order to stop Inu Yasha before he crossed any lines and insulted Kyoko as well. "Inu Yasha, perhaps you should mind your manners."

"Feh, whatever. I'll just leave you and Sesshoumaru's wench alone then." Inu Yasha turned back towards the hut from which he had come. "Come on, Kagome. Let's go."

Kagome shook her head, watching Kyoko. Kyoko's broken expression seemed to tell volumes of why she was there. "I'll go in a few minutes, Inu Yasha. But, do you realize how inconsiderate you have just been?"

"Huh?"

"Look at her. She's trying to find Sesshoumaru for a reason aside from just being a friend."

"What do you mean?"

"She is trying to find him, just as I came back to you this afternoon."

Inu Yasha crossed his arms. [Feh, just women's gibberish…]

Kagome stepped nearer to Kyoko. She placed her hand on Kyoko's shoulder, to comfort her. "You look as though you may be hungry, you want something to eat?"

"Sure."

"Tell you what, I'll get you something to eat, and we'll go inside without Inu Yasha and Miroku; just us girls, okay?"

Kyoko nodded, glad that this human woman was showing her much more kindness than Inu Yasha had.

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Sesshoumaru stood atop the plateau, where he had been several days before, with Kyoko. He had seen that Kyoko had left; judging by the faintness of her scent in the area, most likely as soon as he had. [Did she wish to be away from me so much that she left as soon as I was out of sight? … Or, rather, was she looking for me?] Sesshoumaru looked down upon where they had slept, wistfully, thinking back upon how he had much preferred Kyoko's company over that of one of his servants, such as Jaken. She was someone who had made him think; someone he could not always force into submission. He shifted his gaze to the moon, as though it held the answers he needed. He sat atop that very plateau until shortly after dawn, contemplating his next action. [Should I seek out Kyoko or be glad that I have regained my solitude?]