Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

The Fall into Our Darkness	By : Kuronohime Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > InuYasha/Kagome Views: 12042 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters nor the the franchise of Inuyasha which is (c) Rumiko Takahashi. I make no monetary profit by publishing this piece of fiction.

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A village healer had been called to visit Inuyasha and she did just as so - bearing a batch of fresh bandages and herbs along with her. As the young half-demon had finally awoken and Kaede had been able to persuade Kagome to leave his side for some direly deeded sleep. The elder miko had assured her that Inuyasha was being taken care of while she rested. The girl had become almost as withered as the man she guarded. Resignedly Kagome complied.
The healer laid down her supplies and hummed a jolly tune while she cleaned around the hut. Cleanliness and fresh air were important for any patient, human or otherwise. Most people in the village were wary of the half-demon, half-man, but the healer had known a many hanyoos and demons in her days. Not all of them were bad. And what an honor it was to be called upon to take care of the hero of their village – the man who had rid them of the scourge of Naraku. Happier days laid ahead, she thought. Finally the people would be at rest, not having to fear bewildered demons running amok. No evil lurked in the shadows of the twilight anymore. The light-hearted crooning continued as the woman in her mid-40's pottered around.
The demon was stirred from its shallow sleep by an annoying sound coming from the room. It cracked open one eyelid and soon caught the source of the noise. Its claws instinctively grew in length and it slowly closed its eye again. Once that old hag would be within his reach, it would snap her neck like a twig.
The healer set aside a battered broom and turned around to observe the patient that lay on the futon. He looked so peaceful in his slumber. The older woman smiled and tentatively bent closer to brush off a curl of hair that had stuck to his clammy cheek. Her fingertips were mere inches off his face when she felt a twinge on her throat. Two murderous red orbs glared from below at the woman and the front of her dress was getting soaked by blood that was gushing out of her throat. The healer gurgled and stepped back. She was trampled by the broom and reeled down on the floor. The demon swiftly leaped off the futon and approached her slowly. The terrified woman pressed down on the wound on the throat and her bewildered eyes darted back and forth between the door and the demon.
The bloodthirsty beast took another crawling step towards its prey, but suddenly its eyes turned hazy. Intuitively, its hand searched to its side. The gaping wound there had reopened and blood was leaking out in abundance. The edges of the world were disappearing. In one last attempt, its blurry eyes tried to seek out the woman. She had frozen in fear, her hand clawing along the floor for the door. Unable to do anything but stare at her predator with the looming knowledge that she had nowhere to go. She could not outrun a demon. But suddenly the bloody orbs lost their focus on their surroundings and the demon collapsed on the floor with a hard thud. The healer heard nothing, but her own frantic panting. Blood dribbled between the fingers pressed against her thoat. When she was sure the demon would not rise anymore, she dashed out screaming as loud as her maimed throat allowed.

***

Kaede could not dare to disturb the slumber of her exhausted protegee even though the news of the demon attacking the village healer were grave. The elder miko wanted to believe that it all had been a horrible misunderstanding, but upon inspecting the wounds on the healer, she feared the worst. But maybe it just had been the half-demon's stupor where he thought he was still fighting Naraku and attacked the healer in ill-witted self-protection.

All attempts to see the situation as a misfortunate accident were, however, crushed when Kaede herself visited the perpetrator.

It was no man anymore. Whatever that creature was that calmly rested, still greatly wounded, in the dark corner in its temporary dwelling, it had no remnants of human in it. Kaede was quickly repelled by the violent dark aura that surrounded that thing; she left - taking the basin of water with her she had intended to give to Inuyasha. The death and ruin in that room was too much for her to withstand.

***

Kagome had slept the day away, waking only when the cicadas had already begun to serenade, indicating the end of summer. She drowsed from her deep dreamless sleep, stretching her aching muscles, in the makeshift bed Kaede had made for her in the comfort of the elder miko's own lodging.

The young woman had barely roused when the aforementioned older woman entered the small room.

Kagome immediately remembered the events of the past day, shaking off quickly her tired daze.

“How is he doing?” She rushed to know and stood up from the futon.

Kaede kept quiet for a while, walking over to her hearth to kindle a smolder on the stone-lined fireplace. She glanced at Kagome, who was positively brimming with elation, trying to muster the will to crush the expectations of the waiting young woman.

“Dear...” The old woman sighed and poked around the coals. “I fret things are not well.”

Dread settled in the pit of Kagome's stomach. Had something happened to Inuyasha? Had his condition taken a turn for worse just as she thought he was finally pulling through all of this.

“Is he okay?” She hastily demanded, trepidation unmasked in her voice.

Kaede hung her head low. Searching for words, her throat feeling tight.

“The lad is...” She looked at Kagome with her only eye, reaching for the girls hand, squeezing it in her own wrinkled one. “Inuyasha did not wake up.”

Confusion twirled in the panicked mind of the young miko.

“Wha-- What do you mean? I saw him. I saw him wake up!” She almost screamed in renewed despair of the past neverending days of praying for his recovery.

Kaede shook her head.

“Whatever roused from the sleep 'is body was in, it is not Inuyasha.”

Kagome pulled her hand away and stepped back.

“I don't understand.” The corners of her mouth curved downwards, like a child pouting, juddering lips compressed into a tight line.

Kaede placed a tea pot above the warmed hearth, looping the handle of it in a hook that was stringing from the creaky ceiling.

“Something else awoke in 'is place. Something that has nothing human in it. It attacked the village healer. The poor woman managed to escape with 'er life hanging just by a thread.”

“No!” Kagome proclaimed. “It's a mistake... He'd never...” She trailed off, having wanted to protect his honor as the defender of the village and sustain the idea that he'd never purposefully hurt anyone. But, there had been a time in Inuyasha's life when he hadn't been as trusting towards humans as he now was. An outcast that shared a mutual hate towards the humans who shunned him. Getting into battles. He ever had tried to attack Kagome herself when they first met. When he had just woken from the 50 year sleep he'd been cursed into. But that was before. That was in a life where he hadn't had any friends, betrayed by love, denied of companionship. He had changed. He had people who cared for him now, who he cared about. If he truly had attacked someone innocent, it must've been because he was still disoriented and didn't know where he was. Inuyasha probably didn't even understand that Naraku had been defeated. His last memory must have been from the battleground with his fight against the evil demon lord.

Kagome steeled her eyes and held her chin up in defiance. “I know him. He'd never hurt anyone.” She continued a bit more softly. “If he has, it must be because he's still very hurt. He doesn't know what has happened. If I had been there when he woke up, this would never have happened. He must be terrified.”

Kaede knew Kagome held on to every shred of hope of getting her loved one back. The older woman had initially shared her sentiment. It was almost pointless trying to convince her of Inuyasha's current state.

“I know Inuyasha would not hurt anyone, Kagome. But it's not Inuyasha, that... thing that has woken.”

“If that is something the healer told you, then she's either lying or grossly mistook Inuyasha's actions.”

Kaede tried to manage a word into the torrent of Kagome's speech, but failed. The young woman fervently continued.

“If she did something to startle him, and he acted upon instinct, surely she should have understood he didn't mean any harm.” Her voice got louder as anger began to simmer within her chest. “Humans are still just prejudiced against him, just because he's a hanyoo. Despite everything he has given to protect them. Despite everyhing he has sacrificed to enable the secure lives of the people here.”

“Kagome---”

“NO!” She trembled. “I will hear none of this! Not from you!”

Kagome slipped her pair of geta sandals on and scurried out of the house.

Tea would have to wait, Kaede mused.

'Poor girl.'
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The Fall into Our Darkness