The Sacred Wishing Jewel Ch. 16

[mrs-koki.livejournal.com]

Title: The Sacred Wishing Jewel
Author: Mrs_Koki ( me)
Pairing: KoKi Tanaka/ Inu-Kame
Disclaimer: Owning people is illegal...common though, historically
Genre: AU, fantasy, demons, fantasy violence, human and half demon sex
Rating: PG ( NC-17 for later chapters as Koki and Inu-Kame get closer)
Length: Multi-chapter.
Summary: Koki is a 22 year old human guy, living a normal but unsatisfied and restless life, gets pulled into Japan's feudal past by an otherworldly creature, where he crosses paths with a dog like half-demon named Inu-Kame. There he discovers his past and future and that not all legends are the work of the imagination. Can ancient history give Koki the answers he's looking for and settle his restless heart? Will price be too high to pay for such answers and will he be able to bare the cost?
A/N: Later chapters Koki and only Koki, will start calling "Inu-Kame" just Kame, everyone else will still refer to him as 'Inu-Kame'






“*Groan!*” an injured man wakes.

“ Oh, he’s come to! I thought for sure he was a goner, but....”

“ Master Ren, his breath has returned!”

“ Really...” Ren stops what he was doing and goes over to the injured man he helped.

“ He will be able to return to the village alive. Thanks to your tender care, Master Ren.”

“ Ahh...I’ll be able to see my children again..” the injured man says a weakly, his full strength hasn’t fully returned yet.

Ren’s looking at the man and sees a small imp laying a top the injured man’s head, ‘ An Imp..still hungering for this man’s soul.’ he thinks as flicks the imp and kills it right there...using just his fingers.

“...?”

“ Master Ren?”

“ Its nothing..he’s all right now.” Ren assures them.

“ Is this the temple where the Priest known as Ren lives?” Everyone looks at the new comers.

“ Are you him? The one who treats those who have been wounded in battle, be they friend or foe? I hear that your wondrous spells have plucked countless souls from death’s doorway.”

“ There are no wondrous spells. I just have a bit of medical knowledge.” Ren corrects.

“ We’ll hear your tale at the castle. Come along!”

So Ren goes to the castle where this bunch came from to find out what, if any thing, is going on. No sooner does Ren leave than it starts to rain, only its not real rain that’s falling...its blood. The village men that were in the fields look up in time to see chunks of demon corpses fall from the sky. They’re terrified. InuKame and company reach the village and speak with the villagers, or rather, the villagers speak to them first.

“ The shredded corpses of demons rained from the sky?”

“ It was horrible!”

“ And how is everyone’s health?” the monk inquires.

“ Its...the elderly and the children...they’re collapsing, one after another!”

“ As I suspected. There is a source of very powerful evil in this vicinity.”

InuKame and company continue walking after speaking to the villagers about the sky raining demon corpses.

“ Which means we’re helping again, aren’t we?!” InuKame asks annoyed more so than usual. Ever since him and Koki started doing ‘stuff’ and when he doesn’t get any for a while, he gets annoyed faster than usual. Unfortunately, Koki and InuKame haven’t been able to be alone in InuKame’s time long enough, nor has Koki been able to go back to his time so they can have alone time there.

“ InuKame, are you busy?” Sango asks.

“ We have to find Naraku, remember?!” The half demon reminds Sango, giving Koki a very pointed look.

“ We’ll find time...soon, I promise.” Koki says quietly so only InuKame can hear him.

“ Naraku will probably not be able to make another stand for a while, after he suffered such a grievous injury from Master Koki’s arrow. In any case...I’ve already excepted their payment, now we’re obligated.” Miroku says.

“ When in the....”

“ Don’t do things like that!”

Koki notices that something’s wrong with Sango, she’s been rather quiet since the villagers told of what happened.

“ Sango...what’s wrong?” Koki asks.

“ I was wondering...if there were any demons other than Naraku who could emit such terrible waves of evil.” She answers.

The other three have no idea how to respond to that. They continue to the cave where the evil was coming from. Ren continues to where the sick Lord was waiting for him.

“ Our Hitomi clan leader Lord Kagewaki was born with a weak constitution. Yesterday, our previous Lord passed away and he succeeded to the title...and though his body has been failing him quickly, he won’t let us, his retainers, near him..much less doctors.” the leader tells Ren just as they get to where the clan leader lives.

While the guy fights with guards to get Ren through, he notices something’s not right about this place and he senses something’s off with the clan leader as well.  Ren pushes past everyone and into the next room.

‘ This castle..the retainers, all mere mortals, but..the evil aura that permeates the castle emanates from this man?!’ he thinks as he sees the guy he was brought to help, ‘ What is this man? I cannot feel any life force from within his body at all. Its as if he’s dead from the neck down.’

“ You...what is your name?” The lord asks Ren. ‘ Ren?!’

“ My name is Ren.” The Priest answers.

Naraku just looks at Ren while thinking ‘ Ren is alive?! The man who was supposed to have died clutching the Wishing Jewel fifty years ago...is here, looking just as he did then?!’ Who is this man?’

Ren excuses himself and goes back to talk to the man who brought him here in the first place. After telling him that there’s nothing he can do for their leader, he’s held at spear point and thrown into jail, his bow and arrows taken from him as they lock the door and post a guard outside Ren’s cell.

‘ I need to leave this place. Whether he’s truly Lord Kagewaki or not....there’s a more powerful evil roiling about somewhere in the mountains not too far from here.’ Ren thinks as he uses his soul catcher demons to possess the guard into letting him free and giving back his weapon. He heads to the mountains as InuKame and company beat him to the cave opening.

“ A hole in the cave?!” Koki asks confused. ‘ The evil is coming from here.’ Koki goes to walk inside but InuKame stops him.

“ Koki, you wait here.” the half demon says.

“ But InuKame...” Koki starts.

“ Its just an ordinary demon hunt...there’s no need for everyone to crowd inside.” he cracks his knuckles.

“ Indeed. I’ll stay here and protect Master Koki.” Miroku says snaking his hand down Koki’s back.

“ I’m fine.” Koki says pushing the monk away. Sango gives Miroku a dirty look.

“ YOU...are coming with me!” The half demon says, irritated. He grabs Koki’s flash light and the monk and heads inside the cave.

Sango, Kirara, Koki and Shippo sit and wait for InuKame and Miroku to come back. Koki checks his watch and sighs when he sees that InuKame’s been gone for over two hours now, he’s starting to get anxious.

“ Are you okay, Sango? The evil’s too much,huh?” Koki asks, seeing Sango put on her breathing mask.

“ How are you not affected by the evil, Koki?”

“ Just be glad I’m not.” Koki answers.

“ I’m fine and so is Kirara.” Shippo tells Sango.

Koki watches the cave opening and hopes the others are alright. InuKame and Miroku head deeper into the cave, midway through Miroku’s over come by the wave of evil and throws up.

“ Do you have to do that, Miroku? Its embarrassing.” InuKame dead pans.

“ Sh-shut up. Only my years of training make it possible for me to keep going in the face of such an evil miasma. A normal man would be dead by now. Besides, not all of us are reincarnated priests with the power to be unaffected by such evil as Master Koki seems to be.” Miroku says.

They hear a loud BOOM coming from deeper inside the cave, InuKame looks in the direction of the source of the noise, he grabs Miroku and says, “ We’re going in!”

They see a light at the end of the tunnel and when they get to the opening, they see what looks like an arena. InuKame puts the monk down and they peer over the edge to see two demons fighting against each other, to see who’s the strongest.

“ What is that?” Miroku asks.

‘That’s..an army of corpses!’ InuKame thinks seeing the remains of multiple demons at the feet of the two that are still fighting.

“ It seems...there were hundreds of demons here at one time..”

“ Yeah. Those are the corpses of the losers.”

“ Then it was pieces of these corpses that rained down on the village we passed.”

“ Most likely expelled from that hole up there.”

They watch as the taller of the two demons over powers the two head one. The two headed demon loses and merges with the victor’s body.

“ What?!”

“ The bodies became one?” InuKame asks.

‘ Inside a cavern, hundreds of demons gather, battling each other over and over. And the defeated are incorporated into the victors..why?’ Miroku wonders to himself.

“ Why...why can’t I escape? The last one standing was supposed to be able to leave this place alive...” the winning demon looks around and spots InuKame and the monk watching from above, “ THERE’S STILL ONE DEMON LEFT.....OVER THERE!!” he shouts staring directly at InuKame.

“ You mean me?!” InuKame asks and jumps down.

“ W-wait, InuKame!” Miroku shouts.

“ He...is the source of the evil aura!” The half demon shouts, pulling his sword.

“ Don’t fight him!” The monk shouts.

Its nightfall and Koki’s still waiting for the half demon to come back, he’s getting restless...He knows InuKame should’ve come back to him now.

“ Its been too long...I’m going to take a look.” Sango says trying to stand.

“ You can’t Sango..If you go inside, you’ll collapse.” Koki reasons as Ren walks up behind them, Koki looks behind him.

“ R-ren?”

“ InuKame...is inside, isn’t he?” he asks, Koki’s too surprised to answer.

‘ This Priest...he looks so much like Koki’ Sango thinks as she sees Ren for the first time.

Ren just moves past Koki and heads inside the cave. Koki grabs his bow and arrows and goes after Ren and InuKame.

“ KOKI!”

“ You’re gonna go after him?!”

“ Sango, don’t follow me! The aura will finish you! Shippo, stay with her!” Koki instructs before disappearing, Sango sends Kirara to help Koki.

“ That Priest...”

“ Is Ren. The man InuKame used to love...a long time ago.”

Ren heads further into the cave and feels the souls trying to escape his body. He heads towards the InuKame’s and Miroku’s location.

“ You’re the last one!” the poison imp shouts as InuKame dodges another attack.

“ InuKame, sheathe your blade! You must not fight this demon!” Miroku tries to reason.

“ You’ve got to be kidding me! If I don’t, we’re going to be slaughtered!”

“ Listen to me, InuKame! That demon fought and defeated scores of other demons and has absorbed those he defeated! This just like a dark priest’s spell. Its the same magic that makes a poison imp!”

“ Huh?”  InuKame was confused.

“ Inside a single vessel, you place venomous insects, lizards, frogs, or other animals..and let them kill each other! With the proper spell, the last one left alive becomes a poison imp! This cave...is a huge poison imp vessel! If you should defeat that demon..his body will be absorbed into yours, whether you like it or not! So as long as you fight in this arena, no matter who wins, your bodies will become one!” The monk explains as InuKame dodges the second head’s fire attack.

“ Then no matter how you look at it...the only choice is to fight! There’s nowhere to hide!” InuKame shouts attacking the second head, as Ren walks up behind Miroku.

“ InuKame...”

InuKame looks back, hearing his name, expecting to see Koki. Instead of Koki he sees...Ren, as the dead souls rush out from Ren’s body and get swallowed up by the poison imp. He shuts his eyes and passes out, only to fall down to where InuKame was standing.

“REN!” InuKame shouts and goes to catch Ren’s body, only to be cut off by the imp he was fighting.

Koki’s running towards Ren’s last location. ‘ I don’t know why Ren is here...but there’s someone else here too! Someone who carries a wishing shard...is nearby. Don’t tell me..NARAKU!!’ he thinks.

Naraku watches from the nearby and waits for the imp to finish off InuKame. ‘ Any moment now, it shall emerge..of the countless demons I sealed therein with my dark spells. Only one among them...the last one standing, after they have all killed one another..that terrible one shall become my new body!’ he thinks as InuKame stands in front of Ren’s unconscious body.

‘Why would Ren be here?’ Koki thinks as he sees a light at the end of a tunnel, getting closer he sees man’s figure slumped in the opening.

“ Lord Miroku! Are you alright?” Koki asks next to him.

“ Master Koki? How is it...that you’re so unaffected by the miasma of evil?” The monk asks.

Worried about InuKame, Koki looks down and sees him fighting a demon. He also sees Ren’s body lying on a small ledge next to InuKame and the imp.

“Ren?!” Koki asks surprised that he’s unconscious.

“ Heh heh heh...the man...he ain’t human, eh? Then I’ll make him part of me...” the imp laughs and reaches for Ren’s body.

“ DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH REN!” InuKame’s pissed and slices off the imp’s hand.

InuKame runs to Ren’s body to make sure he’s alright. But the imp creates a new arm and cuts the half demon off, keeping him away from Ren. He charges the imp again.

“ Don’t lose your temper, InuKame! If you defeat him, your body will be taken be taken over by the poison imp!” The monk reminds InuKame.

“ Shut up, Miroku!” InuKame shouts looking up, instead of his gaze resting on the monk...he sees ‘Koki...dammit my only choice is to fight!’ he thinks as he dodges another attack from the poison imp.

“ What happens if he loses, Miroku?” Koki asks.

“ If he fights within this arena...whether he wins or loses, his body will fuse with that of the demon’s” Miroku answers.

“ Well...that won’t do.”  Koki says, jumping down to where Ren’s body lay, surprising the monk.

“ Master Koki, what are you doing?!” the monk shouts.

‘I have to get Ren’s body to a safer place!” Koki shouts back. ‘ If I dont..InuKame will keep fighting that demon in order to protect him. He’ll never abandon Ren! I hate it but...’ Koki thinks. Just he reaches Ren, the Priest wakes up.

“ Ren! Are you awake? Can you stand?!” Koki asks.

They look over in time to see InuKame and the demon fight again. Koki grabs Ren and moves just the demon’s tail comes at them...hitting the spot they were in just a second before.

“ Fool! Now that you’ve shown up...InuKame has lost his reason...”

“ Me?! It’s not me he’s fighting for right now...its you Ren. Its you who InuKame protects now...not me.” Koki says to the Priest.

InuKame sees the demon almost hit Ren and Koki, his temper rises at that.

“ You monster!!” he shouts, hitting the creature’s back.

Only Ren’s arrow hits the Tetsusaiga and aims the sword and arrow up towards the opening at the stop of the mountain, dispelling the barrier that kept the poison air in and freeing the imp in the process. To say that InuKame wasn’t surprised would be an understatement. No sooner is the barrier gone than the demon and everyone else is sucked out the top. Koki and Ren fall in with the mass of demon parts and the imp. InuKame gets dragged along as well.

“ InuKame!” Koki shouts.

“ Koki...Here!” InuKame says and reaches his hand out towards Koki. Koki grabs it and InuKame pulls him flush against his body, “ Are you alright?!” he asks, Koki nods as buries his face in the half demon's neck briefly before looking for Ren.

“ Wait...where’s...InuKame...there’s Ren!” Koki says pointing at Ren’s again unconscious body as he rides the mass up and out.

“ Naraku?!” InuKame and Koki say in unison, seeing the one behind the poison vessel.

“ You..you’re the one who spelled us..! I’ll tear you apart!” The imp growls at Naraku, attacking him and knocking the cloth away that surrounded Naraku’s upper half as poison imp slams into Naraku. Merging to become Naraku’s new body.

InuKame and Koki land on the ground not far from Naraku.

“ The demon is being sucked into Naraku’s body?!” Koki asks surprised.

“ Not if I can help it!” InuKame growls and attacks Naraku. Only to be blocked by the shield Naraku erected around himself.

“ Feh...you two. You were drawn to the mountain’s evil aura and found yourselves caught up in my little cave, eh?” Naraku says, it wasn’t a question. Then taunts, " A bond once broken, now renewed...shall be broken once again."

‘ That demon..the poison imp...was created to become Naraku’s new body?!’ InuKame and Koki think at the same time. Then all three notice Ren laying motionless on the ground a few feet away.

“ REN!!” InuKame shouts.

“ This man sundered the spell from within, hm? Thanks to him I have this body..he was a loyal servant indeed.” Naraku says.

“ What!” InuKame growls.

“ That’s a lie! If Ren hadn’t shot his arrow then InuKame would’ve killed the demon...and his body would have become fused with the demon’s! Ren had to be protecting InuKame!” Koki shouts back.

Naraku picks Ren’s unconscious body up in his newly formed arms, “ Then it would seem that this man truly is the Ren who 50 years ago followed you to his death, eh...InuKame?”

“ You..keep your filthy hands off him!”  InuKame shouts as a cloud of poison surrounds both Naraku and Ren.

InuKame...move! That’s poison!” Koki shouts.

“ Heh heh heh...Ren’s mystic powers are too precious to hand over to you.” Naraku says as they disappear.

“ REN!!” InuKame yells.

‘ I do not understand..if Ren had truly wanted to save InuKame...rather than breaking the spell to let the imp escape, wouldn’t he have done something more...final? He did...choose to give me my new body, but why?’ Naraku thinks as they escape and Ren wakes up unable to move.

Back at Naraku’s castle, he lays Ren down on the pallet on the floor. He knows without Ren’s souls he can’t move his body.

“ It seems that you are paralyzed without your dead souls. I’ve raised a shield, Those vermin won’t be able to enter.” He sits down next to Ren, “ This time you won’t be able to escape..Ren. What is it? What are you plotting? Your arrow pierced and shattered my spell easily, If you had truly wanted to save InuKame from fusing with that demon’s body...you would have shot at the demon. Had you done so, it would have been dispelled without a trace.”

“ I had to know..what would be waiting at the demon’s destination, and there was you. You’ve become quite a monster, eh Onigumo?” Ren says.


“ Onigumo...heh. What memories that brings. 50 years ago his life was saved by you, Ren. A wounded bandit hiding in a cave...who offered his damaged body willingly to the demons to be devoured. Using Onigumo’s tainted soul as a crucible, the gathered demons became one and a new demon was born.”

“ And it was he...who led to my death 50 years ago...Naraku.”

“ Heh heh heh...indeed..a satisfying revenge. You may come in handy again, Ren. For surely, the sentimental InuKame would never allow himself to abandon you.” Naraku says as Ren’s soul skimmers try to break through the barrier.

“ Is it me or are those two acting strangely?” Sango asks Miroku.

“ They are.” The monk answers.

“ InuKame...Hey.” Koki says trying to get the half demon’s attention.

“.....” InuKame remains silent.

“ Let’s go,Kame, we have to rescue Ren.” Koki says, sitting down and placing his hand on InuKame’s shoulder, InuKame just shrugs Koki’s hand off.

“ You guys stay behind. I’ll go alone..”

“ What...?”

“ Don’t be a fool...you fool!” Miroku gives the half demon a boot to the head.

“ Ren was kidnapped by Naraku!!” Sango says.

“ Indeed. This is not your problem alone, InuKame.” the monk tells him.

“ Kame, if you’re trying to spare my feelings....don’t. Whether Ren saved you or had another motive all together, I don’t know. But after dispelling that barrier...his strength was drained and Naraku kidnapped him. We’re all in this together, you’re not alone anymore. We’re a team and we have to save him with no sneaking around!” Koki explains getting slightly annoyed with the half demon.

“ Who do you think is ‘sneaking’ around?!” InuKame asks indignantly.

“ Stop it...both of you! We have company.” Miroku warns and they all turn to see Naraku’s venom wasps heading their direction.

“ Blast it!” InuKame growls as they give chase.

Shippo rides on Miroku’s back and Koki with Sango on Kirara, InuKame’s alone.

“ Koki...shouldn’t you ride with InuKame as usual?” Sango asks.

“ Its better if I don’t right now.” Koki replies. ‘ Because right now all his thoughts are on Ren. Despite my earlier words...the truth is I'm fucking jealous as hell.’ he thinks and leans against Sango.

‘ Ren died because of Naraku! I can’t let him take him again! These are Ren’s soul skimmers!’ he thinks as they follow the wasps.

“ He must be nearby!” Koki shouts as the soul skimmers disappear.

“ Mist?!”

“ Naraku may have a trap ahead! Don’t let your guard down, InuKame!” Miroku says next to the half demon.

“ I know!” InuKame replies as he disappears into the mist first, “ Be careful, all of you...they’re gone?!” He stops dead in his tracks and some how landed in the past, in Ren’s village....its on fire as if someone or something was attacking it.

“ There he is! Its InuKame!”

“ He’s after the Wishing Jewel!”

“ He attacked us!” three villagers shout behind InuKame.

InuKame looks and in his hand, is the Wishing Jewel. He landed back 50 years ago...on the very day he was tricked into attacking Ren and taking the jewel.

‘ The Wishing Jewel?! But how...?’ he asks himself as a familiar voice calls his name, he turns around.

“ INUKAME!” Ren shouts and sends his arrow flying in InuKame’s direction.

‘ Ren?! This is that day...50 yrs ago when I was killed by Ren!! Have I gone back to that day? That terrible day...when my Ren shot me dead..?’ he asks himself as he’s again pinned to the very tree Koki found him stuck too.

“ Oh...it stuck.” InuKame mumbles as Ren walks over.

“ InuKame..the Wishing Jewel. For such a thing...you betrayed me.” Ren says.

‘ No! You’re wrong, Ren! We were both caught in Naraku’s trap...I didn’t betray you!!’ His voice no longer works as the spell takes affect.

“ I was naive. For a moment, I envisioned I could live my life with you. InuKame, I won’t..let you die alone.” he says laying his head on the half demon’s shoulder.

‘ Yes..he followed me...followed me in death. I understand Ren...should we go together.’

Miroku is walking around trying to figure out where the others have gone to, when he gets a funny sensation in his hand. He hears and sees the wind breaking free of the enchanted beads that bind his hellhole. He grabs his wrist and starts freaking out.

‘ No....I’m going to be swallowed up!’ he thinks in horror.

Comments

[laksmianindita.livejournal.com]

what a cliffhanger... and you put this on hold... why?
i hope you will continue this though...
anyway... thanks for writing :-)

[mrs-koki.livejournal.com]

Thanks XD.


Yes, I'm getting my fundraiser requests out of the way first. Mainly so I don't get over loaded and start mixing up my plot lines and prompts. I just have two more requests to finish and I'll go back to this one and " The Meaning of Being Human" that I offered to write for Redina.



You're welcome. XD


Thanks for reading and enjoying it so far.