Nocturne - An Inuyasha Fanfic

Chapter Fifty-Four: Outlier

Nocturne - Chapter Fifty-Four: Outlier

Rated - M (for extremely suggestive adult themes, references to harsh violence, and coarse language)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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Setsuna shrugged at her mother's question. "Rin had her baby, so she didn't need me anymore." Then, she eyed Kagome in a critical manner, "But I felt you did."

Kagome scrunched her brow and sucked in a breath, trying to gain her bearings, "She had her baby?"

The girl's eyes got big and reverted to the child she was. "Oh, yeah, it was really gross!" She made a disgusted face.

"You shouldn't have come alone," she berated. Anything could have happened, Kagome knew.

"I'm not alone," Setsuna insisted with her childlike sincerity and a shrug. A small nekomata appeared from behind a shrub with an inquisitive mew. "Rei accompanied me."

Summoned by the mention of its name, the nekomata trodded over and rubbed his body against Kagome as if trying to placate her. The little shit had been missing in action since the battle began, but his bloodsoaked fur insinuated he might have been otherwise occupied.

"It's a small comfort," Kagome admitted. Other chastisements ran through her mind, but there would be another time for that. Hopefully. "We must return to the village," she said with a shake of her head. "I need a weapon and to get you somewhere safe!" Sesshomaru could take care of Fan Tsenpo, but Kagome could not run around defenseless in the midst of this massacre.

The girl reached down to her side, loosened the ties, and brought up her small sword. "I have my claws, mother. You can use my blade." It was small

wakizashi that Sesshomaru had given her for practice. A real sword would have been much too large.

Kagome smiled softly, a mother's pride bloomed within, but she could not take her child's weapon. "I've no gift for swordplay, Setsuna. Though I appreciate the gesture." She'd never learned to use a sword-had no reason to. The bow had always been her go-to weapon and had never failed her in the past. Nevertheless, hindsight was begging to nag at her.

Setsuna seemed to catch wind of a foul smell and scrunched her nose. Her dark eyes looked Kagome up and down, noticing her mother's garb, among other things. Kagome bit her lip and fidgeted, adjusting the elaborate hankimono in an attempt to pull it down. The child could probably smell her shame but was still too young to understand what she was sensing.

She stood on wobbly legs, but the pain - the physical pain - had dissipated. They couldn't be too far from the village, and Rei was here now to aid with speed. He, at least, was useful for that.

The nekomata gave a mew, bobbing its head. He was engulfed in blue flames as he transformed into a snarling beast. Kneeling on his front legs, he allowed Kagome onto his back. Setsuna needed no such assistance, jumping on behind her mother with a graceful leap.

"To the village, Rei!" Kagome held on while Rei roared and bounded through the air, dodging trees and the like.

They had avoided the top of the forest tree canopy. That would have left them open to attack from any of their keen-eyed enemies. Coming in through the forest was the best way to avoid any surprises.

Reid stopped just inside the forest line, looking about for trouble. The clearing before the village was quiet except for the caw of carrion birds that circled lazily in the sky, awaiting their turn to feast upon the bodies that lay as they had died out in that field.