FicWad

Japanese Volcabulary:

Ja-ne: See ya

-sama: Lord or Lady

Junsei no kon: Pure Soul

Yuryoku no zako: Powerful Treasure

Kurenzama: Cleanser

inuyoukai: dog demon

Hai: Yes

ne: sort of like if you add "eh" to the end of a sentence. Example: "So I guess you're okay then, eh?"

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Episode 25: Stange Sight

As promised, Kohaku returned with food and herbs to help heal her. Kikyou wasn't sure how but the human boy had managed to put the herbs on her wounds without her realizing it.

'Those cats must have wounded me worse than I thought,' the demoness thought, after the boy had gone with the promise to return tomorrow, eyeing the mixture on her wounds. She furrowed her brows. 'I don't even remember him doing it.' She closed her eyes. 'How did he do that?' Then, she growled. 'Why am I even thinking about this at all? Who cares. I'll heal soon anyways. I didn't need the herbs.'

She opened her eyes and let her gaze drift to where he had set some food for her to eat. She curled her lip in disgust. 'Ugh. Human food. How disgusting.' She turned away from it, wrinkling her nose. 'Does he really expect me to eat it? I don't need to eat it. I barely eat anyways.'

She paused at that thought. 'Come to think of it... My last meal was about...' She paused again. 'Hm... I can't remember...'

She suddenly shook those thoughts away. 'What am I doing?! Why am I thinking about my last meal that was probably decades ago?!' She sighed. 'All the blood loss must be making me delusional. Maybe that's how the human managed to get these herbs on me.....'

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Kohaku smiled as he walked through the forest, away from the woman he had just helped. Lady Kikyou was different, a little cold towards him and a little wary, but she really didn't seem all that bad. She didn't kill him and, despite her appearance, she did have an air about her that seemed to prove that she was most likely much more powerful than she was in her current state. She may have not been able to kill him but she could have tried to. Plus, there was just something about her that really didn't seem bad or evil and she did let him put the herbs on her. She may not have liked him but that didn't make her evil.

He eventually reached the clearing he had slept in that morning and realized that the sky had grown dark. It seemed that helping Lady Kikyou had taken much longer than he thought. His stomach grumbled in sudden hunger and he ate some more of the berries he had found earlier that day. Having his fill, he took a drink from the river, and went to settle down against his tree. As usual, he brushed his fingers across the metal of his only possession, and seeing that it was still in its place, he closed his eyes for sleep.

He lay against the tree for a while, as his breaths became even in sleep, face peaceful. Then his brows furrowed slightly and he turned his head to the side. He shifted a little, a moan escaping his lips. He shifted again, brows furowing further as he gritted his teeth. His eyebrows twitched as he seemed to fight an inner struggle, his jaw clenching further. Then his features cleared, growing blank and his jaw relaxed its grip. He lay still for a few moments, his breathing even once more, seeming to have gotten over whatever inner battle he had been fighting.

But then, he sat up, lifting his hand to his hip where his possession lay. He grasped his fingers around the cool metal of the handle as he pulled himself to his feet. He stood for a few moments, eyes still closed, when they finally opened.

In place of the former brown eyes, was a pair of dull red orbs, almost mahogany, glinting dangerously.

He pulled his possession from its place at his hip and held it in his grasp. He walked forwards and removed himself from the clearing, heading in the direction of the village, opposite from where Lady Kikyou lay.

As Kohaku walked, a smirk stretched across his face, eyes glowing to become a bright red. 'Good... I will surely enjoy this, as always... the fresh scent of blood... the human's screams... watching the life die from their eyes...' His eyes narrowed as the smirk grew wider. 'This is going to be fun...'

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Kikyou lay on the ground, her body slowly healing. It wouldn't be too much longer until she was fully healed now and it was not because of the human's herb mixture. She never needed it.

'Hm,' she thought,' The human has not arrived, yet. He said he'd arrive in the morning...' She growled in frustration as she shook the silly thoughts from her mind. 'It's no concern of mine what that human does or does not do.' She turned her head away, the thoughts driven from her mind for the moment.

Then, she caught the scent of the human. Kohaku he had called himself. Didn't that mean Amber? Interesting...

She prepared herself to ignore him when she caught a familiar scent around him. She turned her head, suddenly filled with curiousity, but masking it.

'Blood?' the demoness thought. 'Well, isn't that interesting? What kind of blood?' She took a quick sniff and her eyes widened very slightly. 'Human blood? But it's not his own...' Her brows furrowed a little as she realized something else. 'There's another scent too. I've smelled it somewhere before but I can't place my finger on it...'

Her thoughts were cut off as said human stepped into the clearing with his food and herbs. She narrowed her eyes at him and put on her usual 'superior youkai' mask.

Despite that he greeted her with a smile as he kneeled beside her. "Hello, Lady Kikyou. Are you feeling any better today?"

She lifted her chin a bit to look down at him. "You need not have bothered coming back, human. I will heal just fine on my own and I will not eat your human food."

He just smiled. "That's okay. I still wish to check up on you, all the same."

"Hmph," Kikyou turned her head away," You're a fool."

"Maybe," he replied," But at least, I feel good knowing that you're doing okay."

Kikyou paused at that. 'What is wrong with this human? Why would he care?' She furrowed her brows in confusion, and seeing as she was turned away from him, he couldn't see the emotion. 'And on top of that, why do I care?' She mentally shook her head. 'What am I saying? I don't care. I am a great and powerful inuyoukai, Lady of the Northern Lands who does not care for others.' She closed her eyes. 'Hmph. Caring is a human emotion. Caring makes you weak. Look how mother ended up because she did....'

"There we go," Kohaku said, interrupting her thoughts once again. "You heal pretty fast. At this rate, it may be only a few more days."

Kikyou mentally widened her eyes while keeping her mask on. "Don't state the obvious, human. It only annoys me." She had spoken calmly but inside was a different story. 'He did it again! He put those herbs on my wounds without my notice... How does he do that?!'

He nodded. "Alright. I'll remember that for future reference. It wouldn't do good for you to get angry at me because I annoyed you. It could put unnecessary stress on your wounds although they are healing." Kohaku stood up. "I've left some food for you, in case you ever want something to eat it. I promise to come back tomorrow, alright?"

He turned to leave with a smile and a wave. "Ja ne, Kikyou-sama!" And with that he was gone off into the underbrush, leaving a severely confused demoness in his wake.

'He is most definitely one of the strangest humans I've ever had the misfortune of meeting,' she thought to herself.

Then, her mind was brought back to the scent she had caught on him earlier. 'Human blood and blood not his own to top it off...' She turned her head to stare at where he had disappeared, curiously. 'Why would he have the scent of human blood if it's not his own? He obviously washed it off but by the strength of the scent despite this, he must have been coated in it...' She shook her head.

'He is an odd one... So very strange... Yet intriguing... Yes. Very intriguing......'

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It had been two more days and Kikyou was finally healed. It was a good thing too because she was getting restless. Kohaku had returned once again as promised and had managed to put the herbs on her and left food. That was yesterday. Now, it was morning and he had not arrived. Kikyou had just realized that she was fully healed and was surprised to find that the human hadn't arrived yet. He was usually there by now and for reasons unknown to herself, she was still standing in the clearing although she could leave now that she was healed.

'Why am I still waiting here?' the demoness thought, annoyed at her own actions. 'I should be traveling right now with Tolkein following my lead, though it would be pretty nice if he ended up lost in the forest so I could live without that voice of his for a while...' She mentally sighed. 'It's like two rocks grating endlessly in my ears...'

She mentally shook her head. 'But I still shouldn't be standing here and that's the point. Why am I still standing here?' She narrowed her eyes. 'That's it. I'm leaving right now, whether the human has arrived or not.' She lifted her chin, closing her eyes. 'I do not care what happens to the human. It does not matter to me.' She gave a short nod and turned on her heel, exiting the clearing.

She had only been walking through the forest for a short while when the sharp, coppery scent of blood caught her attention. She paused, taking another quick sniff, and her brows lifted slightly when she also caught the scent of the human, that Kohaku boy, that had "helped" her. She turned her head towards the scent.

'There it is again... That human boy mixed with the scent of human blood not his own,' She thought, staring in that direction, curiously. 'Again I wonder, why is he with that scent?'

She paused, furrowing her brows in thought, as if trying to come to a decision on something. Then, she gave a brief nod and headed towards the scent.

'This human boy and this mysterious blood scent he carries has attracted my curiousity,' she thought, continuing her trek. 'I will do nothing but observe but I must know....' Kikyou narrowed her eyes. 'What is the truth behind this boy and this scent of blood? And what is with that other faint familiar scent?' The demoness mentally shook her head in confusion before lifting her head in determination. 'I will find out and nothing the boy says or does will keep me from doing so.'

The scent of blood grew stronger as she grew closer, causing her to wrinkle her nose in distaste. 'The stench of human blood is revolting.' It was then that she finally reached her destination and faced the scene before her.

The scent had led the demoness to a human village but it wasn't like most human villages. This one was not filled with bustiling villagers or humans who would have been screaming and running for their lives at the mere sight of her. No... it was far from that...

Dead bodies littered the ground. Glazed lifeless eyes of men, women, children, and elderly alike watched nothing. Scarlet blood was everywhere. Splattered on the sides of huts, coating the corpses of the dead, staining the earthen ground, everything. All was consumed with the dark blanket of death... all except one....

The figure stood, his back to the demoness, blood splatters on every inch of his body. Dark brown hair pulled up high and tanned skin stained red. At his side, held in his hand, lay the weapon of choice; a metal scythe, the handle in its owners grasp, chain dangling down as rivlets of blood dripped from its blade. Then, without a sound, the figure turned his head to gaze over his shoulder with dull red orbs at the inuyoukai woman behind him, revealing a starkingly familiar face.

A silence stretched between the two as Kikyou narrowed her eyes. Finally, she spoke. "So, this explains the blood scent. Well, isn't that interesting from you, human."

Slowly, a smirk crossed the boy's face as his eyes glowed and became a bright red. "Ah... Lady Kikyou of the Northern Lands." He turned around, smirk firmly in place. "So you grew curious, did you? Wondering about this human?" His eyes narrowed. "It couldn't be that you care about this human boy, could it?"

Kikyou narrowed her eyes. The human boy's voice was slightly different, like another voice was interlaced into it... She smirked slightly in sudden realization.

"Ah," the demoness said," Now I understand what that other scent was. You have possessed the human's body." She observed him for a few moments. "And seeing how much control you have over him and that his eyes have already reached such a scarlet state, he has been possessed by you for quite a few months now."

Kohaku, or the demon, smirked again. "My, my. You are a sharp one, aren't you?" He nodded. "You are correct. I have had this human's body for a long while." His eyes narrowed in glee. "It was so easy. The foolish boy had wandered alone in the forest and all I had to do was take him. He has no idea that he's possessed. Right now, he's locked away inside himself somewhere while I'm in control." Kohaku laughed. "I had him kill women, children, entire villages, even his own parents, and he has no idea! He'll wake up in a forest blood splattered and he still doesn't know! He never questions the blood or the black outs!" Kohaku grinned, evilly. "But then again, that may be some of my own doing."

Kikyou's eyes narrowed again. "So, the human has no idea of your possession... You live unnoticed in his body, taking control, killing entire villages to satisfy your lust for blood and lust for the taint each slaughter brings his soul, and he goes along, unknowing, as you continue to darken and taint his soul until you can consume it and leave him as nothing more than an empty shell in a fate worse than death."

Kohaku cocked his head with a smirk, red eyes glowing. "You know quite a lot about my kind, don't you? How knowlegable you are. Yes, that was my plan..." Kohaku got in a battle stance, scythe ready. "... but it wouldn't hurt to have a little battle. Think of what people would say when I defeat the Lady of the Northern Lands and in a human body, no less."

Kikyou stared coldly at the demon possessed boy. "You truly dare to challenge me? You truly dare to think you could deafeat me?"

Kohaku grinned, eyes squinting. "In a manner of speaking, yes, and I will win." With that, he charged at her.

The demoness narrowed her eyes. "And your cockiness will be your undoing."

Quickly, Kikyou reached over to her left hip and grasped the hilt of a sword, usually hidden behind her large sleeve. She narrowed her eyes at her actions almost changing her mind, but was stopped by a soft whisper in her mind.

'Do it. It is the only way.'

Then, as the demon leapt in the air before her, she swiftly unsheathed it and slashed at the human. With a flash of white light, the boy's eyes widened, the light seeming to wash away scarlet to reveal dark brown. A dark cloud escaped from his lips, only to dissapate when it came into contact with the light. Then, the boy was blown backwards to crash to the ground and fall into unconsciousness.

Kikyou stared down at the boy before turning her gaze to the sword held in her hand, eyes running over its white silken hilt and the creamy white gem carved into the shape of a tear drop, embedded at the top, with a soft white tassel hanging above that. It had been so long since this sword had been from its sheath. She had almost forgotten she possessed it.

'Basically all mother left to me...' she thought, narrowing her eyes, '... the Junsei no kon...'

The Junsei no kon, the weapon passed down from her mother to her. One of her Mother's two treasured weapons, the other being the Yuryoku no zako. The Junsei no kon was much different from the Yuryoku no zako. The Junsei no kon was very different from any other weapon known. Though, the Yuryoku no zako was a weapon of protection, used for those the wielder held dear, the Junsei no kon was a spiritual sword. Rather than working on the physical body of a person, it worked on their spiritual body, or their soul.

The sword could be used two ways. One was to harm. Since the sword worked on the soul rather than the body, it was far more dangerous. If used to harm, the sword can literally shread someone's soul, or even destroy it completely, leaving someone an empty shell, alive yet not, in a fate worse than death. But it can only be used this way on people of the sword's choosing.

Its other use was to cleanse. This was one of the true beauties of the sword. If someone had gone through a truly traumatic experience, that effected them so much the it reached their soul, then their soul can be cleansed. In doing this, their soul is completely cleansed of anything and everything that tainted it. When complete, the soul is left purer than snow. Purer than the soul of a newborn child's. The person that houses the soul will be left feeling lighter and more at peace than they've ever felt before because their soul has no more taint.

This is precisely the use the demoness objected on the human boy who still lay unconscious a few feet before her. It had been the only way to destroy the demon that had possessed him. She could have killed the boy but that wouldn't have rid of the demon. It would have only moved on to another body.

That's what Kikyou told herself.

The demoness sheathed the sword and stared down at the boy for a few moments, silently. After a long while, she lifted her head to the bodies and wrinkled her nose. "How I despise this stench."

She lifted her right hand, closing her eyes and concentrated. Slowly, the hand glowed a soft pink and she opened her eyes again.

"Kurenzama," she said, softly, waving her hand slowly through the air before her.

A pink vapor trailed after her hand, spreading before the demoness. It washed over everything. The human boy, the ground, the huts, the villagers, the entire village. It seemed to still before settling to the ground and absorbing into everything, glowing a soft pink. The bodies slowly started to dissapate as the blood faded from the huts, the ground, and Kohaku, almost as if cleansing everything. Then, the glow died down, leaving no evidence that a slaughter had ever occurred.

Kikyou lowered her hand, satisfied that the stench was gone and she could breath easier. She mentally smirked and thought,' This always has been my favorite power. To be able to rid myself of such filth when it bothers my delicate inuyoukai senses.'

Then, the Lady of the Northern Lands once again turned her gaze to the human before her. She was silent for a long while and blinked in surprise when she found herself sitting down nearby. She was silent for a few moments longer, puzzled. 'Why am I sitting here? I have no more business here. I found out what the blood scent was and I destroyed the demon who dared to challenge me... so why?'

"Lady Kikyou!"

The demoness mentally groaned as she turned her head to see Tolkein running towards her. He stopped beside her and bent over, panting.

"Lady, Lady Kikyou," he panted out," I, I finally, caught, caught up with, you."

"I can see that, Tolkein," she replied, turning her gaze forewards.

"Ah!" he said, nodding. "Of course! Of course! Hm?"

It was then that Tolkein spotted Kohaku on the ground.

"What is this?" he said, walking towards the human boy and staring down at him, curiously. "A human?" Tolkein grasped his snake staff and reached out with it to poke the boy in the side. "Is he alive?"

Kohaku then chose that moment to wake up with a shift and a moan.

"Lady Kikyou, he's waking up!" the lizard demon cried.

Kikyou had to force back a roll of the eyes as she stood up and stared down at the boy, slipping on her original "superior youkai" mask.

Kohaku slowly cracked open his eyes, blinking quickly. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "What happened?" he murmered.

"Do you remember nothing, human?"

Kohaku eyes widened as he looked up to see the inuyoukai he had helped. "Lady Kikyou?"

"How do you know, Lady Kikyou?" Tolkein demanded, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Kohaku blinked and looked down at Tolkein. "Who are you?"

Tolkein looked offended and drew himself up. "I, am Tolkein, the most trusted leige of Lady Kikyou, Lady of the Northern Lands. I have been serving her longer than you have been born and you best show respect!"

"Ah," said Kohaku, smiling. "So, would that be Master Tolkein?"

The lizard demon blinked and stared down at the boy. "Um... well... I suppose so."

Kohaku nodded, standing up with a grin. "Alright then! So there's Lady Kikyou and Master Tolkein. Right!"

Kikyou observed Kohaku as he interacted with Tolkein. He seemed different... almost as if a burden was gone from him, like he was lighter... happier...

'Well, he should be,' she thought. 'That's exactly what the sword did to him. It cleansed his soul completely of all taint so he should seem lighter.' She narrowed her eyes. 'Though I can't say I can ever think of a human as pure whether their soul has been completely cleansed or not.'

With that thought, she turned away and started walking.

"Ah?!" Tolkein cried, running after," Lady Kikyou! I'm coming!"

"Ah," said Kohaku, in surprise as he stared after.

He hesitated for a moment before running and shouting after her. "Lady Kikyou! Wait! Please! Wait up!"

Kikyou suddenly stiffened, freezing in her tracks. Her eyes were wide as she stared unseeing ahead.

"Lady Kikyou?" Tolkein questioned, uncertain.

But Kikyou didn't hear him because she recalled another child speaking the same words as Kohaku so long ago...

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"Wait! Please! Wait up!"

The thirteen year old inuyoukai narrowed her eyes as she continued walking ignoring the cries.

"Please! I'm sorry! Don't leave me!"

The last words came out as a whimper and the demoness stopped as she sighed in annoyance, before whirling around.

"Keep up, half breed!" she barked," Or I'll really leave you behind!"

A young black haired girl of no more than five ran up with teary brown orbs. She emitted a whimper as she nodded. "Hai, Hai!"

The teenage demoness rolled her eyes and spun on her heel to head back in the direction they were going. The young girl followed behind, stumbling on the long sleeves of her green kimono. It was still a bit long on her because she still needed to grow into it. Good thing it could be fitted to any height or stature.

The young girl ran forwards to catch up with the inuyoukai as she got ahead. She reached the young demoness' side where they both walked in silence. The young girl stared down at her bare feet, dirty from walking, quietly. Finally, with furry black ears drooping, she whispered, a tear trailing down her round cheek," I'm sorry you hate me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~*

"...ikyou? Lady Kikyou? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

The female inuyouaki blinked, brought back from her distant reverie. 'That was so long ago. Why am I thinking of it now?' She simply shrugged it off, thinking nothing more of it and instead, turning her attention to the lizard demon looking up at her.

"What is the matter, Lady Kikyou? Are you alright?" Tolkein repeated.

She trained her eyes foreward and continued her walk with a simple," I'm fine."

"I'm glad you're okay."

Kikyou's brows lifted in surprise, as she turned her head to the side opposite Tolkein and was met with a pair of shining dark brown orbs and a toothy grin.

"You had me a little worried when I first saw you," he continued. "You were so badly wounded..." He trailed off, his grin fading, but then he brightened up again, smilng up at her. "But I guess I shouldn't have been so worried, ne?" He tilted his head to the side, beaming. "But I'm just glad you're okay."

The demoness stared down at him, disbelieving. Why was this human boy following her? Her brows furrowed, slightly, still watching Kohaku walk contently beside her. He reminded her of someone else who looked at her that way once...

She mentally shook her head and lifted her chin, looking ahead. That was in the past. It no longer mattered and besides... she let her eyes drift to the human boy who walked silently but smiling... he seemed like he could be quiet enough (or at least quieter than Tolkein could be sometimes) so maybe it wouldn't be so bad having him along after all....

"Lady Kikyou," said Tolkein," Why is that human following us?"

CRACK!

And so they continued on, a lizard demon(with a fast growing lump), a human, and a powerful inuyoukai, Lady of the Northern Lands. Certainly, a strange sight to behold. Yes. A strange sight, indeed...

A/N: There you go! No more Kikyou and Kohaku! Or at least, for the moment.... starts brainstorming Anyways, if anyone's curious, I mentioned Kikyou's sword in Chapter 5! In the description of her, you'll see just the barest of mentions! n.n I never expected anyone to catch it so don't feel bad or anything!

Check out my deviantart account, please! I have added a LOT of pics! There's also a pic that was inspired by Nessya! It's titled, Flipped: Inu vs. Sess-Chibis. It's pretty cute and I like it! I'm also planning on adding new pics soon so keep a lookout!

Go to kiotsukatanna(dot)deviantart(dot)com, Okay?