Chapter 54: Into the Heart
Izayoi's POV
We carried Papa back to Kaede's village, where we laid him down on the floor of the hut I lived in. He was still unconscious and in his demon form. As he breathed heavily, I couldn't help but worry about Papa. "Arrosa, you said that there is a way to free Inuyasha from Naraku's control?" Ayuma asked the priestess.
Arrosa nodded. "Yes," she said. "But first I must do something." Without any questions, Arrosa placed her hand on Papa's chest and closed her eyes. It was as if she was searching for something inside of Papa's body. After a few silent moments, Arrosa opened her eyes and put her hand back in her lap. "Just as I thought; there is miasma surrounding Inuyasha's heart."
"There's miasma surrounding his heart?" I gasped. "Is it going to kill him?"
"Calm yourself Izayoi," Arrosa insisted. "Inuyasha's life is not in danger, for now anyway."
"I'm confused," Shippo admitted. "If there's miasma surrounding Inuyasha's heart, why isn't it killing him?"
"Allow me to explain; you see, there are different forms of miasma. The one you are all familiar with is a poisonous one that could kill in an instant. However the one surrounding Inuyasha's heart is somewhat different. While it has the capability of killing him the miasma also has a factor in it that allows Naraku to keep control of him. Since he is in his demon form though the miasma can only linger around the heart, waiting for it to become half-human again."
"Why does it have to wait?" Kayuma questioned.
"Because once his heart is half-human again the miasma can corrupt Inuyasha's heart once more and allow Naraku to gain back control of Inuyasha."
"That's why Inuyasha was able to regain control," Mochigo pieced together. "Because he was in his demon form."
"Precisely. This will give us the opportunity we need to free Inuyasha."
"How can you free him?" I asked.
"The only way to break the control that Naraku has on Inuyasha is to purify the miasma that surrounds his heart. However, I will not be the one to purify it, you will Izayoi."
"Me?" I blinked in confusion. "Why me?"
"If I were to do it, I would purify Inuyasha as well since he is in his demon form. Since you are half-human though Izayoi, you will be able to purify the miasma without purifying him as well."
So I have to do this? I gulped. No pressure or anything. But if it was what needed to be done to save Papa, then so be it. "Okay," I nodded. "What do I have to do?"
"You must journey towards Inuyasha's heart and sever the bond of control that Naraku has on him."
"How do I do that?"
Arrosa didn't answer as she muttered something to herself. Then she placed a finger to my head and I suddenly fell backwards into darkness with the others calling out my name as I fell.
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I felt like I had been falling forever before I finally landed on what I believed was the ground. When I looked around, I found that I was in what appeared to be a forest with a dark mist surrounding it. "Am I really inside Papa's heart?" As I walked around, I found that it was getting harder to breathe. "The miasma is making it hard for me to the breathe." I then reached for my bow and some arrows and fired them, purifying the air so I could breathe easier.
Walking about, I found the forest eerily quiet. That's when I saw some figures not too far from where I was. I hide behind one of the trees as I listened to them talk. "So Inuyasha, you have temporarily escaped my control," Naraku said. I gasped when I realized it was Naraku talking to Papa.
All I heard from Papa was a beast-like snarl.
Papa must be in his demon form, I realized. I looked from behind the tree and saw Naraku approaching Papa, who was chained to a makeshift wall. He held something in his hand that was producing miasma and was getting ready to put it into Papa's head. Thinking quickly, I grabbed my another arrow and fired it at Naraku's hand, making it disintegrate in a matter of seconds before it got close to Papa.
Naraku then turned to look at me, his shock no longer on his face. "Well, well. I didn't expect you to be able to get here Izayoi. Is this Arrosa's doing?"
"You better believe it is," I replied as I got another arrow ready to fire. "Now release my Father before I really get angry."
Naraku only cackled at me. "If that is what you wish Izayoi." With that being said, the chains that were holding Papa disappeared and Papa was free. I was confused. Why had Naraku released Papa? I soon understood why Naraku did what he did because I soon was face to face with a snarling Papa. He looked ready to kill me.
"Papa, it's me Izayoi," I told him. "Do you remember me?"
Papa continued to snarl and growl at me. "He cannot tell who you are Izayoi," Naraku explained. "As long as my miasma is present in his heart, he will not be able to tell who's friend and who's foe. He will just attack like the beast that he is. Once he kills you, his heart will be mine permanently. I shall leave you to your fate child."
As soon as Naraku disappeared, Papa charged right at me, trying to slice at me with his claws. I jumped back and kept my distance though. He still came at me, trying to rip me to shreds. This wasn't like all the other times I had fought Papa. Before, I knew he was under Naraku's control but now, in a way, he was trying to kill me.
After a while, I was bloody and panting. I soon collapsed to my knees as Papa approached me. I honestly thought I was going to die so I began to cry. "Papa, I know that you're in there, so please come back!" I begged. "I miss you so much! I know you can break away from Naraku's control. You're strong, you're the strongest person I know and I love you!"
I waited for the death blow to come but it never did. I looked up and saw Papa frozen. He didn't move, he just stared. That's when he started to approach me again. He bent down and then hugged me. I felt warm in his hold. Before long, he began rubbing my hair. I could only stay still in shock. "Izayoi," he muttered in his normal voice.
I knew right away that it was Papa. He was back.
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I opened my eyes and found that I was back in the hut. "Izayoi, are you okay?" Mochigo asked as I sat up.
"Yeah, I think so," I said as I sat up.
That's when I heard someone groaning in pain. I looked back to see Papa waking up. He wasn't in his demon form and he wasn't under Naraku's control; he was just my Papa.
"Papa," I ran and wrapped my arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. The others left the hut, wanting me to have some alone time with my Father. "Papa, I missed you so much."
"I missed you too Izayoi," Papa replied as he wrapped his arms around me. "But it's all right. I'm back now."
Yes! Inuyasha is back guys! Now things are bound to get interesting. I wonder how Inuyasha will react when he finds out about Tsuyo? Well, until next time folks!
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