When the Darkness Takes Over
ForestSprite
Chapter 24
They finally reached the village and Kagome was prepared for all the weapons that came their way as she quickly erected a barrier watching calmly as they all bounced off the shield and fell soundlessly to the ground. Gracefully she slid off her horse to the ground where Hiei appeared right away standing at her back. Souta looked down at her curiously but she just motioned for him to stay where he was as several men and women dressed in the slayers outfit came out with weapons in hand all looking threatening at them.
"What is the reason for this uncalled for attack?" she asked calmly hands at her side in an unthreatening manner so as to show that she didn't mean to do any harm unless otherwise provoked. Many of them lowered their weapons for the moment watching her carefully.
"Demon why do you come to these lands?" one of the women growled dangerously as she glared at the extremely calm looking Kagome who just quirked an eyebrow in amusement which seemed to only infuriate her as she raised her weapon, a weapon well known to Kagome.
"Hiraikotsu?" Souta said surprised. The women seemed quite ataken a back when he knew what the weapon was and she narrowed her eyes on him. "What do you know of hiraikotsu?" she demanded angrily.
"I've been recently learning how to master that weapon." he said annoyed. "What do you know of it? Evidently not much because you don't even hold it right." he growled.
"Hush." Kagome said stopping them before anymore fights could break out. She turned back to see if Koji or Ryu had caught up with her yet. The two had stopped in a village a bit further back and Kagome not wanting to waste time had continued on without waiting for them. Now she wished she hadn't but she couldn't change that and had to work with what she had. "I wish to speak to the village leader Kohaku and Kanna"
"How do you know Kohaku? Or even Kanna?" one of the men asked as weapons were raised again. She just remained calm with a hint of amusement in her face. "Damn it Kagome." Souta hissed angrily at her. "Just bloody tell them already so we can do what we came to do. Whatever that was"
She sighed. "Fine if that is what you want brother." she made a motion in front of her with her right hand, like a magician's trick there was nothing there and suddenly there was a silver medallion held in her hand. She held it in front of her revealing an odd crest etched into it as she flashed it to the onlookers. "Bring me to see Kohaku." she demanded no longer kind and friendly getting down to business.
"Th-that's the crest of"
"Of my family." a warm male voice said. The crowd parted as a boy a bit older then Souta came through, he was a couple inches taller then Kagome, black hair that was in a dissaray and moss green eyes, dressed in the slayers outfit with a sword attached at his hip. A girl dressed in pure white that went along with her milk white skin and hair stood at his side her eyes an endless void.
Kagome grinned wickedly and bowed mockingly to the two, Kohaku's lips twitched in amusement while several glared at her seemingly insolence. "Now see here, you will show proper respect to the village leader." the girl from earlier said angrily. Kohaku held his hands out in a calming sense as well as a signal for her to be quiet. "She doesn't need to do anything." he said eyes glowing warmly. "If anything I should be bowing to her and showing her proper respect"
"She never allows that though." the girl beside him said in a quiet voice.
"Ah and she hasn't changed a bit." Souta grumbled good naturedly as he glared down at her.
"My dear Kohaku and Lady Kanna." Kagome said smiling.
"Lady Kagome." Kohaku said as he bowed in turn and Kanna curtsied. Finally not able to help themselves the three burst into laughter and they fell into a small group hug. Kagome stepped back from the two looking them over carefully. "You know in history no one knows about what happens to you after I left." she said. "I never would have thought this could have been what happened to you. How could you possibly keep it quiet for almost five hundred years? Especially from Kagura and Sesshomaru? They didn't even know you two were still alive"
Kohaku smiled warmly at Kanna who blushed slightly her white skin turning a light pink. "I guess it does work." he turned back to Kagome. "Kanna cast a spell on this place that makes it undetectable to demons and the people outside of here that do know about it aren't allowed to speak about it to outsiders"
"So then how come people were able to tell Souta, Hiei and me"
"Souta? Your brother Souta?" he asked curiously as he looked up at him. Souta nodded his head. "Has your sister been training you how to fight as well?" he asked noticing the weapons behind him.
"You have no idea what kind of hell training she puts me through." he grumped. Kohaku laughed at him. "I think I have an idea if she's anything like my sister"
"You know them?" the girl asked her eyes still on the three glaring at them. "Yes and no. I know Kagome, she used to travel with my sister, she is the miko. I've heard of her brother and the other... I have no idea. Kagome"
"Ah yes Kohaku meet my stalker Hiei." she said motioning to the silent demon standing next to her. At Kohaku's raised eyes she spoke again. "He has appointed himself as my protector or something of the like but he's also really good at getting me angry." Kohaku laughed once again. "I think I might like him then." he teased her.
"Watch it boy. I'm older, more trained and a hell lot better fighter then you." she said standing straight holding her head up loftily.
Souta snorted. "You're full of hot air"
She spun around quickly and had him off his horse and on the ground pinned before anyone registered what happened. "Watch it, I'm also better then you." she got off him allowing him to get up watching in amusement as he dusted himself off grumbling the whole time. Those in the audience whispered among themselves about her skill, eyes holding appreciation for her talent and being who she was. The miko who helped in the downfall of the demon Naraku.
in Kohaku's home
"I take it you didn't come to see us for giggles." Kohaku said after they were settled down. Kohaku sat across from Kagome, Souta to his left and Kanna to his right. Hiei sat on Kanna's right with Kagome between him and Souta.
Kagome sipped her hot tea for a bit head hanging down. Setting it down she finally looked up at them and it was for once just how obvious how hard all the past events had been on her as well as the recent ones. She seemed to be over five hundred years sitting there across from Kohaku, like an old lady ready to find a place and bury herself. Someone who had seen to much and was sick of it all. "You're right. I'm not here just for giggles"
She sighed tiredly, her index fingers rubbing her temples. "I didn't just come back to the past for the heck of it you know. When I left the last time I had no plans of ever returning but recent events have forced me back." she paused for awhile her eyes connecting with Kohaku's before he turned away from the sheer intensity of it. There was so much pain and loss in them.
"What could possibly force you to come back?" he asked in the following silence.
She spoke one word but it was enough to cause the reactions she got. "Naraku." Kohaku clenched his fist tightly, eyes burning a great fury as he wrapped his arms around Kanna in a protective fashion as she seemed to shrink in herself at those words. Souta fidgeted in his seat a bit. He may not have been there but he knew plenty about what he had done and what he could do.
"You killed him." Kohaku protested weakly.
"Evidently not good enough. Sesshomaru was just recently taken from us in the future from the past. Here and now. He's alive and has found a way to travel through time and plans to take out everyone I know and care about one at a time." Kagome replied with no feeling in her voice, her face hiding all previous emotion she had shown. "Besides it was never just Naraku was it Kanna?" she turned to the scared demoness who cowered behind Kohaku.
"What does she have to do with this?" Kohaku growled angrily at her. "Just because she used to work for Naraku doesn't mean she knows anything about what's going on now"
"That's just it though Kohaku. She used to work with him and she knows what I'm talking about. Don't you Kanna? You know exactly what it is I'm talking about." Kagome said as calmly as if she was stating the weather.
Kohaku looked down surprised as the tiny girl nodded her head smally. "I thought he died when Naraku died. He put so much of his power in him." she protested.
"Who is he?" Kagome demanded.
"When Onigumo wanted to be made into a demon he was the one who allowed it to happen. The spider was his mark of his control over him, over the new creature Naraku." Kanna continued desperately evidently not hearing Kagome. "He gave orders to Naraku somehow before I was created and that was the reason behind Kikyo and Inuyasha. He had a huge grudge against the Inu family that he never stated. Naraku would contact him through my mirror and they'd talk, he'd tell Naraku what he was to do and give him specific orders. Sometimes he wouldn't listen though and things would go wrong and it caused a lot of problems"
"WHO IS HE?" Kagome cut in.
Kanna's head drooped, "I don't know"
"Damn it what is his name?" Kagome shouted angrily, eyes narrowed, hands clenched tightly together. Kanna gave a small whimper and hugged herself as she shrunk back in fear as Kagome's anger radiated her being. "I don't know. I don't know. I... don't know." she cried softly. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise and fear at her own actions. What had gotten into her? She looked to the corners of her eyes to find Souta looking at her in horror and fear. Her own brother was scared of her? Oh god what was wrong with her?
What was wrong with her?
"That is enough." Kohaku interrupted. "If she says she doesn't know she doesn't know. You can't get information out of her if she doesn't know anything"
Kagome suddenly stood up her expression once again absolutely blank not showing any hint that she was angry just seconds ago or close to go on a murdering rampage. Without a word she walked out of the hut leaving them to themselves.
Souta made to get up to follow him when Kohaku gently grabbed his arm holding him down. "She needs some time to herself"
"She needs me." the boy insisted urgently, he had never seen her like that. She was so angry over something Kanna couldn't help, it had actually... It had scared him.
His own sister had scared him.
"She suffers through very much right now." Kohaku said holding his gaze when he would have looked away. "She won't admit it but her own actions scare herself. It probably scares her even more knowing that she's scaring those around her"
"She doesn't scare me." he muttered, eyes darting away from the other boys face as he lied.
"Not usually, but she did just now didn't she?" when Souta didn't answer he nodded knowingly and let him go knowing he'd stay. "Just give her some time to herself"
"ARGH!" she yelled frustrated looking skywards as she vented her anger and frustration. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? I YELLED AT HER AND I SCARED MY OWN BROTHER. MY OWN BROTHER. DAMN IT!" she spun around and slammed her fist into a tree watching dispationately as it dented the tree and blood came from her knuckles. She cocked her head to the side as she watched the blood stream together on her hand, it began to tremble violently. "Why don't I feel anything? Am I becoming like him"
She plopped on the ground hugging her knees tightly to herself. "What's wrong with me?" she whispered softly. "I...I yelled at Kanna and I scared Souta. How could I do something like that? They are only trying to help me yet I yelled at them." she rested her head on her knees. "Inuyasha I'm not so sure I can be as strong as you want me to be." she whimpered softly. "It's getting so hard. I was only able to be strong because you were here with me to help me bare all the weight and even after that I held you in my heart knowing you wouldn't betray me, that you couldn't betray me. Everyone thought I was in denial and I was but after talking to you... I know that you didn't. I can't do this without you. Why aren't you here to help me? INUYASHA!" her shout rang through the still morning, the anguish in her voice bound to give those who heard it nightmares for a time to come.
End Chappy
Hey all. I'm seriously sorry about the long wait for an update. As much as I'd love to give you a good reason for it I can't beyond the fact that I've been very busy, I haven't been very motivated, and just didn't really feel like finishing this story. I will though begin to work on this again and I'm absolutely sorry about the long wait.
ForestSprite