Invisible Wounds

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action/Angst

Character: Kagome

Summary: She danced through the carnage taking only worthy prey. And then, her strange eyes stared at him despite the cloaking device.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Inuyasha or the Predator universe!

...I...

1593

The weather was dreary today. The skies were darkening gray as if trying to shield the sun from some event. The irony was not lost upon those gathered in this field today. They waited with patience in the field of green before the sound of rumbling caused the clouds to darken more and the land to quiver in fear. The air became frosty as it howled across the field and a lone set of eyes didn't miss the streak of white separating the gray clouds.

She had known that Sengoku Jidai was not the safest place to be. Yet, she had chosen to the leave the safety of her future to live with her beloved hanyou. It was a burden to live in this era, but she would make the same choice to return to this time if given the chance.

"Are you prepared, Miko-sama?"

Here she stood at an age considered old, twenty-four, surrounded by a few farmers and one close friend. She turned her sapphire eyes to the man beside her, regarding him. It wasn't lost on her that he was wearing the same outfit as always. The rings upon his staff clanked together as he rested against it warning life that he was near with a comforting melody.

"You know better Miroku," Kagome grumbled as she blushed at the title.

His violet eyes brightened with amusement as he chuckle and nodded. It was widely known that this woman, despite being a Miko, hated the title. She earned her fame across Japan for banishing the Shikon no Tama from the world, and for defying social standards and loving a hanyou. She was as famous as she was infamous. Despite this, she was still very bashful in her ways.

Kagome had always preferred to sit in the shadows instead of gaining attention. The shadows had become her friend when the Regional Lords began to take an interest in her. She had always had Inuyasha to hide behind, but the moment he had been kill, the Lords had been upon her. There hadn't been much time for mourning in the past four years. If it wasn't rogue youkai, it was most definitely Human Lords seeking to claim another treasure. Their precious Miko.

"I should just hand myself over," Kagome mumbled with soft tones.

Her words were not lost on the wind. Miroku had heard the low words and scowled at her saddened tone. He moved a few steps up the hill she was standing upon and placed an arm around her shoulder. They both knew that the feudal lords would not settle over her. They would always be demanding more despite whatever actions she chose.

"We would never hand you over," Miroku assured her as he gave her a tight squeeze.

"I wish for this violence to end," Kagome admitted. There was a softness to her words that most would mistake for kindness, but Miroku knew she was tired.

Miroku sighed, the violence wouldn't end for a while. She had already told him that from what she had learned in her history classes. Regardless, if Inuyasha was alive, then the feudal lords would come and if she surrendered they would still come. These Lords would not be satisfied.

"Sango and Shippo have evacuated the village," Miroku told her, wishing to focus her upon something else. "They have settled deep within Inuyasha's forest."

Kagome relaxed in his grip and he knew that her nerves were calmed by the news. At least, she wouldn't be worried uselessly. He trusted Sango and Shippo to watch over the villagers, the ones that made the village their home.

"Have you seen the white in the sky?" Kagome questioned. "The sky has been cracking."

Miroku smirked as he asked, "Do you fear the sky is falling?"

Kagome couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her. She turned her eyes back to the sky and narrowed them. It was an odd sensation, but she couldn't get over the feeling that something was watching them. The sound of hooves beating against the ground caused her heart to fall into her stomach. She watched as crimson colored armor overtook the field like running blood. Warriors upon their horses proudly carried the flags that displayed the Feudal Lord's symbol.

She counted a hundred men and knew that her inexperienced villagers of twenty would not stand a chance. Miroku went still at her side and she knew that his thoughts were in the same line as her own.

"They will be slaughtered," Kagome whimpered. Her sorrow filled her eyes and she felt as if she were failing her village, failing Inuyasha.

Miroku grasped her chin so she would have no choice but to stare up at him as he stated, "They will die with honor."

Kagome licked her lips wondering if this would be happening if she wasn't present. She shut her eyes and determined that it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was here now and she had certain duties to fill. One of those was protecting her village from those like this Feudal Lord. She gave a firm nod with new resolve filling her veins.

Facing those that had come with her she stared down at them. Their eyes focused upon her, not fully trusting, but understanding what was to come. Kagome reached behind her back, her slender and calloused fingers gripping the leather wrapped shaft of her weapon. The metal sang as she freed it from its sheath. Adjusting her grip on her weapon, she placed the end of the shaft at her feet: four feet of wood and then another three feet of steel stood above her, making it taller than her.

She watched as the villagers unsheathed their weapons and raised them in the air with a joyous cry. They were not warriors. They were not fighters on any level Kagome more than realized. Yet, here they stood ready to fight for their way of life and ready to give up their lives for what they viewed as right. Kagome lifted her weapon above her head with both hands.

"We take a stand today!" Kagome declared. "We fight for those we love, cherish, and honor!"

A horn consumed their cheers and Kagome felt the dread renew.

They were attacking.

The humans were still under evolved.

He had been upon this continent watching the humans for the past four years. Nothing stood out to him as worthy, because their weapons were weak and their bodies frail from the way their society worked. He supposed this is what happened when there was no honor. There was really nothing to salvage and he couldn't deem this land worthy hunting grounds for the unblooded. Unlike those the warmer hemisphere, there was dishonor and weakness tainting this land.

He had studied the warriors of the society and found them interesting, but not enough. And so, he took note of the data he collected. The land was not stable enough to produce worthy prey. With a grunt, he wondered how long it would take the soft meats to develop. He was far from being a scientist, but was the only one with a high enough rank to come to Earth and gather data.

He paused behind his mask; the last time the scientists had been allowed to come to this planet it resulted in the death of three.

'That is what you get when you have brains with no common sense or strength,' he thought with a huff.

There was nothing of interest until he happened upon a small village. He had been ready to pass the village without a second thought, but the strangest event had occurred. A soft meat child had fallen off one of their living quarters. His helmet amplified the sound of the child's legs breaking. He already knew the outcome of this event. The child would be deemed worthless and killed because there was no other way in this realm. Yet, a woman of all things had approached the child.

'She will be beaten into submission,' he thought with a shudder of disgust.

The males of the world had a way of treating those that gave life worse than dirt. It was an odd concept, much like how they treated the children. It was as if they meant nothing.

Yet this woman, dressed in crimson pants and wearing a white shirt had kneeled by the crying child. The weapon upon her back interested him because there were few females that carried weapons in this time. A gentle hand cradled the child's head as she lowered her face to the injured. Her long black hair shielded the youngling as she whispered something that his mask couldn't detect. She gently set the child down and moved her gaze to the broken legs. She exhaled with a soft hum as she scooted down and held her hands above the legs.

'What a crazy female,' he thought.

The villagers were gathering around her; patiently watching. He switched his vision mode to that of the Neuro vision. He felt something still in him as he regarded the female. She was utterly calm, every system in her body silent in an almost dead harmony. He switched his gaze to thermal and noticed that her body was heating highly above average than that of a Soft Meat's. Switching to the Soft Meat's vision he witnessed as pink consumed her hands and flowed into the boy's legs. The sweat beaded at her forehead, but she remained utterly calm as this strange energy continued to leave her and flow into the boy.

The energy flow stopped and he witnessed sapphire eyes snap open. She stumbled as she got to her feet, but steadied her stance. Her gaze remained on the boy as she offered him a hand and a smile. The child should have been useless, but his tears were fresh upon his face as he took the female's hand and got to his feet.

"Pyode H'chak," he found himself muttering as the child embraced the female.

The villager's cheered this female on as she offered them all smiles and blushes. He had never witnessed something like this before and he wasn't sure how to react. Did the energy she carry, was it harmful? Would it be right to hunt something like she? He took note of the female and made the decision to observe her more before he sent any data on her to his clan's ship.

Tyr had followed the rules set forth by his clan for his existence. If he didn't alert them to this female's existence, there would be no punishment, because she didn't exist to them. He would keep her to himself until he could decide something.

Tyr had witnessed many things, but he had never witnessed a female human in battle. The females were always submissive and hid themselves away. The horn that broke the silence caused the female to tense.

Pyode H'chak had taken the lead of her hunting party. She proudly displayed her weapon despite the fear he was picking up. Her sapphire eyes glared angrily at the approaching men and her fear gave way to rage as they laughed at her. She still stood proud amongst them.

The human male at her side raised his staff and slammed it down upon the ground, the rings violently clanking together. He wondered if this was some sign of war.

"My people do not need your protection," Pyode H'chak declared. "And I will not bow to your Lord who cowardly hides away."

So that's what this battle was about. He had witnessed these soft meats dressed in red come to Pyode H'chak's village and demand things. There was even a moment he had witnessed the men come to take her and she had struck them down with injuries that would not kill them. Any female Yautja would have slaughtered the males without a second thought.

'Yet, she heals with a touch and not kills,' Tyr thought.

"Kill them and we will burn the village!"

A growl escaped him as he heard the human's words. Such dishonorable actions, they were willing to kill the weak. The first human rode forward on his horse and he watched Pyode H'chak take a firmer hold on her pole like weapon. Her right hand gripped just below the blade and her left hand rested an even distance apart. She kneeled forward and thrust her weapon forth.

"Forgive me," Tyr heard her mutter.

The blade entered the chest of the horse stopping its advancement. The crimson liquid gushed at her, but she held her ground as it coated her body and warmed her hands. She quickly pulled the blade out and stepped back and with a roar, she swung the blade around and removed the male's head with a swipe. She raised her bloodied weapon and turned a fiery glare to the other men.

"We will not bow!"

Her people echoed her war cry and the battle began.

Kagome was disgusted with the blood upon her body. She wanted to bathe, but knew it was impossible. Now was not the time for luxuries. There were lives that were depending upon her and she wasn't going to let them down, she couldn't.

She carefully stepped over the fallen bodies, not wanting to lose her footing and took a firm stance before she swung the blade around her. The widened eyes of the warriors told her that such an attack wasn't practiced with this type of weapon and that they knew they were going to meet death. Kagome stilled her attack and listened to the bodies hit the Earth, before she reminded herself that this was war and the survival of her village was more important than her internal conflicts.

'Thank you Inuyasha,' Kagome thought as she shifted her grip upon weapon.

If it wasn't for her deceased love teaching her how to hold a weapon then she wouldn't be here in this battle. He'd taken Sango's suggestion of teaching her how to wield a blade with a positive attitude. They all realized that arrows would eventually run out and that she would be left with only wood and string. A blade brought her closer to danger, but it would give her a chance for survival.

"Miroku!" Kagome screamed.

The blade was raised above his head as he fended off two attackers in front. Kagome lifted her weapon with a tired arm and knew that this was a stupid move. She would be left defenseless, but she couldn't watch a friend slaughtered. Kagome took aim and prayed as she launched her weapon. The sword was released from the attacker's hands as her weapon plunged into his spine. He stumbled before he fell to the ground dead. She heard the snapping of necks and knew that Miroku had taken care of the other attackers. His violet eyes focused upon the dead man with a weapon in his back before looking up.

Violet and sapphire met before his face paled. Kagome felt the blade slide into her body from the back and saw the blade as she looked down at her abdomen. The metal gleamed silver with random splatters of crimson. The blade withdrew with a quick pull and she gasped as she fell to her knees, her hands coming up to grip at the exit wound. She briefly registered her weapon sailing past her body and the sound of a scream. Kagome wondered why her blood felt so warm and yet her hands were becoming cold. A shadow fell over her and she expected to see death.

"Kagome!" Miroku cried out as he gripped her shoulders.

'Am I dying?' Kagome wondered as she focused on the wound.

Pyode H'chak had fallen, but so had her attacker. His claws dug into the bark of the tree he was watching in as the human male held her. The battle raged on around them and he saw that not many of her few villagers had fallen. It seemed the enemy was taking on a greater death toll.

He switched visions and saw that nothing vital had been punctured, but with them being in the middle of a battle, she would die. Her sapphire eyes were already glazing over and he heard her whispering a single name.

"Inuyasha."

"Please, Kagome!" The human male begged.

Tyr deemed that the female was dying an honorable death. She had saved a comrade and taken down many in the fight. Despite her life ending, she had battled greatly. The Soft Mercy showed that she could also have mercy.

"I'm sorry," Pyode H'chak muttered.

It was happening again. Her body was aglow with that strange energy. It consumed her entire form. The male held onto her, and he noticed that it didn't harm him, but healed the gashes and bruises upon his flesh. Pyode H'chak's head was thrown back as the pink entirely consumed her until everyone upon the battlefield froze. Fear and awe overtook every human as they watched what was happening. The glow died down and she was there. Her sapphire eyes renewed with determination as she pushed to her feet. She gripped the hilt of her weapon and pulled it free from the man's face.

The whispers of ghost and spirit traveled to him. Yet, his mask told him that she was more than alive. The proof of the injury was no longer there. She was alive and smirking when some of the enemy turned around and began to retreat. The ones that stayed and fought, she killed them. Her feet danced over the carnage and her eyes fierce as she took out the enemy. To his surprise, some dropped their weapons and bowed to her. She touched their heads with the point of her blade and showed them mercy by letting them win.

When the battle was over, she held up her weapon and tried her best to roar. Victory, anger, pain, and sorrow were pushed out of her body as her throat became hoarse and she coughed. She hugged the male beside her and that's when he heard it.

Pyode H'chak was openly sobbing. Her fingers gripped onto the male's bloodied robes as she released her anguish. The sky opened up and water fell freely hiding her tears from those around her. She had fought bravely, yet that energy was amazing. He wondered what would give a human enough strength to pull their soul from death's grasp.

Despite the cheers of her people, she turned her gaze. He thought she was looking to the sky like normal, but found that her gaze directed at him. The dark sapphire orbs were somehow seeing him despite the cloaking device. The thought of her being a spirit crossed his mind, but then he realized that was wrong. She was alive. Still, she continued to stare until the male beside her began to guide her toward the crowd. The surrendered enemies were released.

"We have no use for slaves or anything else," Pyode H'chak declared.

The villagers watched as the males scattered into the forest before they all released a sigh of relief. They began their march back to the village to announce victory to those that remained behind.

Tyr found another oddity among the humans. Some humans displayed traits of the creatures that lived in the forest, such as the child with fox feet and a bushy tail. He stood up to Pyode H'chak's hips, but was obviously not completely human. He made a note of this for his data collection and for the scientist.

Pyode H'chak had made her way to the temple. Despite her dirty and tired appearance, she had walked up many steps to reach what he realized was a place of something religious. She fell to her knees and touched her forehead to the floor as she released a dry sob.

"Forgive me," she cried out. "I couldn't leave this world and join you yet."

She was speaking of her mate. The one that had been killed on the night he changed from silver to black. It was such an odd death, but one that grieved the woman to no end.

"They still need me."

She deeply missed her mate, but realized where her duties were. The dead needed no one and she was wise to realize that the living needed guidance. Despite the grieving, she was strong to pull herself from where her heart truly wanted to go.

"Why are you watching me?"

Tyr hadn't expected to hear her voice take on such a firm tone. He understood her words easily. Her eyes focused, narrowed upon the tree he was taking refuge in. The weapon she usually carried was not with her. Yet, she still held her ground with a presence that demanded respect.

"I know you are there."

There was nothing in his mission log about not interacting with the people of the planet. Only in the warmer hemispheres did the Yautja and humans interact. He remained silent as she continued to glare at his cloaked form. She softly snorted and crossed her arms in a manner that displayed that she was not pleased. She took a step forward and he wondered how close to the window she would come. Humans were not very brave, but she kept moving closer until her fingers clenched the ledge and she was only a few inches from the tree.

"If you are here to cause trouble," Kagome firmly stated. "I will destroy you."

His mandibles tightened in reaction to her remark as a low rumble sounded in his chest. He knew that she was serious, but couldn't help but wanting to laugh. He wondered how brave she would be if saw his true form. It wouldn't sabotage his mission if he responded to her. There was nothing in the village he cared about for the moment. The woman was the only thing that had caught his curiosity.

'Prey that can heal itself,' Tyr thought.

The possibilities were endless. As he gazed at her stern features, he knew that he had to observe her more.

Author's Note:

I began this story back in 7/14/2010. Despite me leaving the Kagome fandom , I promised her I would finish one of my stories, and this is it. This is the first part of a four part story!

And thanks for reading!

Yautja Terminology:

Pyode H'chak: Soft Mercy
Yautja: a name for the 'Predators'