The Lightning Master
The day was dreary and muggy, the cloud's setting low above our travelers. Though the sun was clouded, the humidity was a killer. Kagome sighed deeply, wiping sweat off of her brow with her forearm. Suddenly, a hopeful shout from Inuyasha came from up ahead. Geez, the heat must really be getting to him... Kagome thought as Inuyasha bounded up to them.
" There's a town up ahead, maybe we can catch a break in there!" Yup, definitely heat stroke... Kagome confirmed with herself. Kirara mewled in agreement, transforming for Sango. Sango jumped on, Miroku behind her. Kagome got on her bike with Shippo in the basket, and they followed Inuyasha to a small village. They slowed down when they entered, and looked around. People were staring through their windows, whispering something. Inuyasha suddenly stopped.
" Sango, have you ever been here before?" Inuyasha asked. Sango stared straight ahead at Inuyasha, not moving at all.
" Not that I remember... We're surrounded." Sango stated, tucking her hands in her yukata folds.. The group slowly turned to face the outside of their circle, and all met with Yari to their necks. Inuyasha reached his hand to Tetsuiga. The guard pushed the Yari closer, and they all saw a spark of electricity leap from the side.
" You dare return to our village, Blooded Tajiya? You shall not leave here alive!" One guard stated forcefully, pushing his Yari closer to Sango's body. Sango raised her eyebrow, attempting to ignore the zapping near her face.
" What are you talking about? I've never been here in my life!" The guard tightened his grip on the shaft of the Yari.
" You lie! You will duel Master Akina once again, Blooded Tajiya! This time, no cheap tricks will befoul our master!" The guards then began herding the group towards the center manor house.
" You fools, her hands! Trap her hands!" A voice boomed from above, but it was much too late. From the folds of her yukata, Sango drew a Jutte, and a Tonfa. With a swift movement, she knocked away the guards surrounding her. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and Miroku, and leapt out of the circle, knocking down more guards. Sango trapped the Yari of the snarling guard in the Jutte, and knocked him out with the Tonfa. She began spinning around, clubbing the guards as she dodged their lightning Yari.
The final guard charged forward, using his Yari like a pike. Sango trapped the Yari, and tore it out of his grip. She touched him lightly on the side of the stomach, and he collapsed in a heap of twitching limbs.
" You know, these could be very dangerous..." She mumbled, and tossed the Yari at the manor house. It stuck into a support beam.
" You still have all the perfect moves, don't you, Blooded Tajiya? Hm, but you will not defeat me again... I am Akina, master of the Lightning!" Called the voice. The figure leapt onto the ground, only meters away from one confused slayer. Kagome gasped.
" Sango, she's got 4 jewel shards!" This, was very true. The figure was a blonde female dressed in samurai garb. Her blue eyes were electrifying, as was the Naginata she held in her hands. Her arms and legs resonated with the pink aura of the jewel. Sango stood her ground, although she was still visibly confused.
" Akina... Sorry, never heard of it, because I've NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE! Can't you people get that through your heads? Whoever killed your people, wasn't me. Perhaps it was similar, but it wasn't me!" Sango continued to argue adamantly. Akina just let out a low laugh.
" Good attempt, really. But I can see deep inside you... You remember. You're just trying to look valiant and just in front of your fellow travelers, especially young Shippo and Kagome, the innocent ones. Am I correct?" The clouds began to thicken, lightning strokes blasting away at he homes. Sango narrowed her eyes. What is she getting at? I've never been here before, I know that for sure, I'm not crazy... And she certainly doesn't seem like a Lighting master... Sango thought, putting her hands back in her yukata folds. Akina smirked.
" What is she getting at? I've never been here before, I know that for sure, I'm not crazy. And she certainly doesn't seem like a Lightning master! Ahahah, well, I am, and I am also you're exterminator. Hmm... I see you're going to pull out the Jutte again..." Sango gasped, eyes wide.
" How... How did you know?" Akina shook her head, and smiled lightly. Then she lunged forward, slicing at Sango with the Naginata's curved, deadly end. Sango just barely dodged, using the Tonfa instead. But this was no ordinary battle. Every swipe that Sango dodged, she could hear the electricity popping near her head. And every time she took a swipe or tried to attack, Akina would simply dodge or block it. Finally, Sango was thrown back by the end of the Naginata, skidding to a halt in a mud puddle. The rain began to pour down even heavier then before. Sango slowly stood up, trying to think things over. Akina was slowly advancing towards her, lightning sparking dangerously around them all.
Kagome hugged Shippo tightly, still getting quite soaked. Inuyasha blinked.
" Well, this is different. I wonder if she can still handle it..." He mumbled, watching the advancement with crossed arms.
Sango on the other hand, was still standing in the mud puddle. It must be the jewel shards that gives her all this power. The question is, how can I shield my thoughts... Wait, the lightning! She's not picking up on my thoughts because she's too focused on making the lightning bolts. Okay, now I can think... I just have to slowly back up...
If most warriors plan ahead in their tactics, then she could see those and exploit them. But if the warrior isn't thinking at all... That's it, I just have to act on instinct! How can I do that though... Wait, what had Miroku said way back when?
FLASHBACK
" You know Sango, you've been very down lately. Is anything troubling you?" Miroku asked, sitting down beside Sango at a riverbank. Sango nodded.
" I keep thinking about what would happen if we really did lose Kohaku..." Sango sighed, chucking a rock into the river. Miroku closed his eyes.
" You'd go mad, most likely."
END FLASHBACK
Mad... Insane... WITHOUT THOUGHT! So... I just have to... Believe he's dead... Sango thought, her eyes going dark. She stopped backing up, dropping onto her knees in the mud. She closed her fingers around fistfuls of mud, her eyes still closed tightly. Akina stood about a meter away, extremely confused.
" What are you doing, sitting in the mud? Are you giving up? Hm, fine by me..." Akina raised the Naginata above her head for the final strike. Sango's eyes popped open, though they looked a fine shade of black.
" I'd put that sparkle stick down if I were you. Cause in about 2 seconds I'm going to shove it up your lily ass..." Akina blinked, and looked down at Sango, who in an instant was standing up. And she had a very large smile on her face.
" What... You're not thinking of anything, what's going on? How..." Sango let out a little chuckle, her eyes clouded over with a seemingly deep hatred.
" You're wrong about me ever being here before. You've lied to them, it wasn't me at all. You created a puppet, didn't you? Something that you'd seen before. I remember you know, I saved your sorry hide from a pig demon years ago, and you didn't even thank me! Well, we'll just have to fix you..." Sango lunged forward, her fist connecting squarely with Akina's nose, creating a nice crack. She continued to strike her down with her fists and feet, not stopping until Akina's back was in the mud. Akina tried to swipe with the Naginata. Sango caught the blade in her palm, holding it there.
" Die!" Akina screamed, sending electricity running through the Naginata into Sango's body. Sango let out a laugh of pain, and dropped down, grabbing Akina's face with her other hand. The electricity looped through them many times before Akina collapsed, the electricity faulting. The skies cleared, but the rain continued to pour from the sky. Guards ran towards Sango, their Yari no longer supercharged with lightning. Kagome shielded Shippo's eyes as the bloodshed continued. The guards all met their respective fate to a gleaming katana, held by the hands of Sango. And the world seemed to stop. Sango's eyes returned to normal, and she collapsed in a heap, lying in the mud. And the rain washed away blood, though it stained deep among them all.
Sango's eyes fluttered open, to see the top of a forest. She was cozy warm in her sleeping bag, though she had binds on her hands. She sat up slowly, holding her head in her hands.
" Ugn... What happened? Where are we?" Sango asked, turning to Kagome, who was cooking some sort of stew.
" We're in the forest, just pass the village. Do you remember anything at all?" Sango shook her head.
" No, not really. I remember something about it raining, but that's it. What happened?" Kagome sighed, her eyes drooping. She turned to Sango and smiled a fake little smile.
" Nothing, nothing at all."
Sometimes a little happy lie is better then the darkest of truths.
Yari: A Japanese Spear
Jutte: A small stick with a handle on the side, used by the Feudal era police. It was used to trap weapons and break fingers.
Tonfa: The early version of the nightstick, with the handle on the side.
Naginata: A long pole with a 2 foot blade on one side, used in long sweeping motions.
