The hooded demon girl (Inuyasha fanfic)

Chapter 12 - Homesickness and tears

Where are they? They should be around here!

Kaede said she hadn't seen the others since they left to slay that demon. And that was four days ago.

What was more puzzling was; I couldn't track down any of their scents. It's like they vanished in thin air.

"W-who are you?..." the boy asked with a quiet voice.

I looked down to see him looking at me with blank, brown eyes. He looked pained again.

"Um...I'm Myou. Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Kohaku."

Kohaku? Now where have I heard this name being said before?

"Are you by any chance Sango's brother?," I asked. I was half scared to know the answer, but I pushed the feeling away.

Kohaku nodded.

"Right...I don't know what to say...I've been trying to track down her and her friends, but theres no trace of them anywhere. Do you have an idea of where they'd be?" I asked.

Something about his expression changed. He suddenly looked fierce and for the first time, I noticed he held a weapon. Perhaps a chain scythe.

He held it out and gave a small smile. The aura around him had now changed.

Eh?...

Before I could say anything else Kohaku slashed out with his scythe and cut me deep in the shoulder.

Pain burned in the deep cut as Kohaku hacked at my shoulder with great force.

"Ack, Kohaku what are you doing-"

"KOHAKU!" A woman's voice shouted from below us.

As quick as it had appeared the blankness in Kohaku's eyes disapeared.

"Sister?"

I could feel my shoulder start to hurt again because of Kohaku's weight. We had to get to low ground. Fast.

I swooped down to where Sango stood and let Kohaku run to his sister.

My shoulder was bleeding really badly, but the cut had started to heal a little. The pinky-red flesh gaped open showing more flesh and a bit of bone.

Sango cast a hopeful look in my direction. I nodded and walked to the far end of the green field we were in.

"Myou!"

The others stood near the field's wooden fence. They all looked grim as well as reliefed.

Shippo ran to my side and hugged my leg. Tears began to run down his face.

"I'm so glad your back!" he sniffled.

"What's wrong Shippo? Why are you crying?"

"We were worried about you. Naraku had attacked some village and caused trouble so we had to help out. We noticed you weren't back at the village so we had to leave without you!"

"Oh..." was all I could say.

My father was the only one that had worried about me. It felt weird hearing it from someone other than him.

"Which reminds me! You left this at Kaede's." I handed him back his yo-yo.

To tell the truth, that was the only thing I had to comfort me when I was homesick. I had played with the yo-yo until it got to the point that I couldn't sleep.

I must've really missed them then... I thought.

"Who's that guy anyway?" I turned to the others with a curious look.

None of them spoke, they just stood there staring at the floor.

What's up with them?

"You all ok?"

"Myou..," Kagome began. "I don't think you should be worrying about Kohaku right now."

"Why not? I was just wondering who he was."

Inuyasha, looking grumpy as always, tapped his foot on the ground impatiently. "Kagome can you please just get on with it already?"

"Get on with what?" I asked Kagome with interest.

Whatever they wanted to tell me couldn't be good news. By the looks on their faces, it seems like they came across something important that had to do with me.

Kagome sighed and backed away.

"I can't do it! Inuyasha, you tell her!"

"Tell me what?" I asked again.

"Well...while we were fighting Naraku again, we came across a strong demon..." He scratched the back of his neck akwardly and fixed his gaze on the floor.

"What he's trying to say is," Miroku explained in Inuyasha's place. "We came across your father when we were fighting Naraku. It seems Naraku found a way to bring the dead back to life and now he's got you father serving him..."

At that moment it felt like time had stopped ticking. Like my heart had stopped beating and a hollow emptiness had taken place in the pit of my stomach.

If my father had come back from the dead, why couldn't I feel his energy and pressence?

Us demons could tell if anyone related to our blood was still alive. Even a small part of them gave us a sign.

Tears began to fall as I turned away to hide them.

"Myou..." Shippo came to comfort me.

"I-I'm fine! I'm not crying. I just have hay fever..." I had heard Kagome explain hay fever to Shippo before and I decided that would be my excuse if I needed to cry.

"Maybe we should give her some space..." I heard Kagome get something out of her bag.

"Here." She handed me a soft, white cloth. Whatever it was, I found it comforting.

"It's ok Myou, you can always hug me if you feel sad." Shippo said with a small smile.

"Thanks Shippo." I said and got to my feet.

"I think I'll go and take a walk. I'll come back to Kaede's hut soon. Here you go Kagome," I handed her the cloth and started to run back up the path that lead to the wolf territory.

                              * * *

Wolves can smell your fear as well as your sadness and other moods. That's why you need to be careful around them.

The moment I had returned to the cave I had buried my face into the soft wolf fur and cried myself to sleep.

The atmosphere had instantly changed.

I was falling. I felt so lonely in the darkness. I couldn't bear it!

I felt my back hit a cold, wet surface of something.

It was water!

I couldn't swim and I couldn't get back out of the water.

The weight of everything was dragging me down. I was drowning!

What was that Naraku up to? Why did he go to such great lengths to bring my father back from the dead?

Was he after me like Sesshomaru had told before?

What is happening here?! I demanded.

What am I going to do?! What should I do?

Someone grabbed my shoulder from behind and was pulling me out of the dark water.

The grip of the hand was as familiar as the hazy face above the water's surface.

He smiled as he said my name.

Ginta?

It was Ginta. What was he doing...here?