Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.
Recap; Last time in The Jade Fox...
Hi. Kagome here! We were still on our journey in search of Naraku's whereabouts when I sensed a sacred jewel shard. In our pursuit of the shard, we came up on a poor village with an expensive temple, and if that wasn't strange enough, the statue inside attacked Inuyasha and Miroku. We can only guess that something is manipulating the statue to get the sacred jewel shard! Could it be Naraku?! Find out in this chapter of The Jade Fox.
Kagome hit the grassy hillside with such force that the breath flew from her lungs. Her pupils dilated as her chest heaved, burning with the ache to draw in oxygen. She shuddered violently, her head tipping sideways, and small beads of perspiration slithered from her hairline across her face. Her breath came in even shudders now, and her pools had disappeared behind her lids in unconsciousness. Somewhere, in the distance, she could hear a voice calling her name - screaming it, but she was just so tired, she wanted to sleep. She wasn't afraid. Inuyasha would watch over her. As she slipped deeper and deeper into her unconscious state, the jade bracelet that was twisted on her wrist gave a noticeable pulse of energy. Through the stone, if one happened to be looking, they would percieve the sight of flames leaping through the blue-green hue.
Mist hovered upon the grassy plain; sweeping across the dense foliage that was only partially bathed by moonlight. Kagome's feet felt far too heavy for her to be on this plain, and yet, she pressed through the darkness at least a couple of steps. "Hello?" She called, surveying the area around her with the utmost concern. A chilling wind coursed all around her, whipping through her hair and stinging her face. She cried out, collapsing on her knees to gasp once again for air. In the silence, she could almost make out the sound of voices; people were talking, and she could hear her name being mentioned on their lips. "Hello, is someone there?" She beckoned again, feeling Inuyasha's name forming on her lips. A sharp yipping sound made all the hair on the back of Kagome's neck prickle, and she twisted around curtly, scanning the brush for any sign of what made the noise. Her legs weakly climbed underneath as she rose to her shaking feet. She reached for her bow and felt nothing but air, which is what provoked her whimpering once more. The same eyes that peered at her in the temple garden now seemed to be leering at her through the brush in this strange place. "Inuyasha.." She mewled, stepping backwards away from the sight of those eyes. "I don't know what you want. I don't have anything." While she was almost certain that the jewel shards were still with her; she wasn't keen on the idea of presenting them so freely. One paw stepped from the shadowy grasses; ears perked high on a slender crown with whiskers twitching lightly on the sleek muzzle. A multitude of tails arched away from the slope of its haunches, elevated above the ground in an honored posture. Steam plumed from the beast's jaws, enveloping its face as it began to take slow, precise steps towards the girl. Kagome spun on her toes, running as fast as her body would allow her to, and all the while she felt the building of his name on her lips. "Inuyasha!" As she ran through the grass, she began to take notice of how familiar it looked. Up ahead then, she saw the sight of the temple erected in its original splendor but there was no sign of a village. Somehow she knew that Inuyasha wasn't there, and though her heart screamed for his help, she realized she'd have to find another way out. Behind her the beast scrambled, racing at its maddening pace that was somehow incapable of exactly catching her in this world they were in.
Inside the temple, a slender figure peered out from the opening in the doorway. Tresses dark as lacquer cascaded beautifully across her bare shoulders, concealing her ample breasts from view with their veil. Her blue-green eyes watched intently, studying the way Kagome sprinted across the field towards the temple as though she knew the place. "How did a mortal get here?" The question wasn't asked for any specific person. It was something simply rolled off her tongue in curiosity, and who could blame her for being that way? All the years spent on this plain and never once has a mortal soul been able to make it there, let alone move around in it. Then, Kamiko received the answer to her question in the form of a sharp pulse from the bangle on her wrist. Her gaze descended the length of her own arm, focusing on the way the jade bracelet illuminated with every decisive pulse. She pursed her lips with intent to speak again, but the words never left because she heard the sound of Kagome crying out. The priestess had fallen in the loose soil; clods of grass clinging to her legs and feet with the stickiness of glue. She cried out, covering her head as she prepared to accept the beast's jaws upon her but they never came. Turning her head back, her eyes widened at the sight before her. The shadowy manifestation had stopped in its tracks, and it was infuriated by the sight of something above it. Kagome looked up, her eyes widening further at the strange creature that descended from the heavens. Four paws illustrated something of an animal's design, but it was the many tails on its body that made the difference. Plush, silvery white fur covered the body of this lean creature, and its slim crown was held in pride, chest taunt with warning breaths. The blue-green eyes that stared at the shadow fox glittered in brilliance, and what looked to be a smug grin was held on its muzzle lips. The shadow fox made to approach, his paws sinking in the muck same as Kagome's had done. The silver vixen took a slow stride forward, and steam rolled from beneath her paws as the grass was dissolved into ash. Kagome stared at this lovely creature, counting the tails that flowed and arched from the contours of its shape. "Kitsune." She whispered, obviously recognizing the beasts for what they were in that moment and that moment alone.
She's mine, Kamiko. I saw her first. He spat, snatching his head in an attempt for a dominant display. Kamiko lifted her muzzle towards the sky and plunged forth without warning, her tails bristling as she came down on top of him.
Unlike the mortal weapons, her jaws were able to clip him with the daggers that rested within. Her tails swung around, flames erupting from their ends and the scent of scorched fur flowing from her opponent. She dropped her head low, prowling around him with the presence of a predator. He flattened his ears, stepping back away from her in slow, uneven strides. Did you forget your place? She snarled, lunging again on him like a serpent. The difference from before to now was that the instant her teeth made contact, a bright light flooded from her many tails and they bound around him. He hissed, throwing his head back as his flesh began to shrivel, breaking away from the solid pearl of bone with the meat falling. He crumbled beneath her; death having taken him through spiritual power alone. Kamiko stood proud over him, directing her haunting gaze back on Kagome. How did you get here? She asked, stepping easily over the girl to touch a paw against her chest. The touch of the Kitsune made Kagome feel lighter than air, and she was able to breathe without any difficulty now. "I don't know. I woke up here." She explained. It was now time for the bracelet on Kagome's wrist to pulse excitedly, and the sight of fire bloomed in its stone facade. The true form of her being faded in sweet, sakura scent smoke, and Kamiko was left to face the girl in her human illusion. Her eyes retained that blue-green hue; her skin as flawless as a porcelain doll's, and her dark hair flowing freely fell just barely beyond her waist in length. Though it wasn't as many as before, Kagome could make out the plush fur of a silvery white tail draped across the back of Kamiko's legs. The Kitsune woman was bent down on her knees in front of the girl, but that didn't resolve the conflict in Kagome's mind over the fact that Kamiko was naked. She'd bathed with Sango many times and they'd seen one another, but there had always been a sense of modesty about it. In relief of the moment, tears filled Kagome's brown eyes and she sniffled, inclining her head towards her chest. Now all the weight of reality pressed in on her, and she worried deeply that she may never see Inuyasha or the others again. Kamiko canted her head, furrowing her brow as she reached out to caress Kagome's cheek. "It's okay.. Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you." Her blue-green eyes struck a cord deep in Kagome's soul, and she felt a warmth in her heart. "Inuyasha." Kamiko touched their foreheads together as again she breathed warmth into the priestess's soul. "Don't cry. You have to wake up now. He's worried about you." It hadn't taken long for the Kitsune to figure out that Kagome had been connected to her world through the bracelet. The spiritual energy that resided in it had requested help from the same person that had supplied the force to the stone. It had called for her. Kamiko drew Kagome into her arms, stroking the back of Kagome's head as she rested her chin upon its top. "I'll protect you."
Kagome shot upright in the grass, nearly cracking her forehead against Inuyasha's in the process. She gasped for breath, touching the tips of her fingers against her throat as she coughed hard for several minutes. "Kagome, are you alright?" He asked, retaining the close proximity of their bodies. She glanced up at him and emit a faint whimper, leaping forward to hug his neck tightly. "Inuyasha, I was so scared!" His expression fell, warmth immediately flooding his cheeks as he scratched the side of his head. "Thank you for saving me." She whispered. He shook his head roughly then, "I didn't do anything. After the demon hit you, Kagome, it just burned up." She pulled away, furrowing her brow in obvious confusion for what he meant. "Yeah, Kagome. Don't you remember? When the demon hit you, it was like it couldn't stand touching you. It started smoking and burst into flames." Shippo explained, readjusting his perch on Miroku's shoulder in the process. Kagome touched the tips of her fingers against her cheek as suddenly images flooded back into her mind. "Burst into flames?" She murmured. Kamiko's tails enveloped the shadow fox, smoke ascending between them in thick, boiling rolls, and he fell apart. Kagome gasped, nearly falling over backwards into the grass again. It really happened. She thought. "What is it, Kagome?" Sango inquired, crouching down alongside the priestess to get a better examination of her. "Hey Miroku." She said, raising her gaze to his face. "What can you tell me about the spirit world?" He closed his eyes, crossing his arms with his staff pressed against his chest. "Well, it's believed that there is the other world, but something tells me that's not what you mean. Legend has it that when demons of a powerful nature die, their spirits go somewhere different than their bodies. If rebirth is possible for them, then they will be pulled from the spirit world that you mentioned to be planted in a new body. However, if they do something like that, their powers will be modified in the sense that they won't be the same demon. The only demons that seemed immune to this particular alteration are Kitsune, and it's believed that they are immune to it simply because their power lies in the state of spirit and illusion. Now, I haven't heard anything recently about that sort of thing, but there were many stories in my childhood about Kitsune bewitching men to devour their souls."
"Hey!" Shippo protested, thrusting his tiny fist outward in pure indication that he didn't like what Miroku was insinuating about his kind. "Not all Kitsune are like that. No, that's not what I was trying to say, Shippo." The monk said, rubbing the back of his neck in a rather sheepish display. "Why did you want to know about the spirit world, Kagome?" Sango asked in an attempt to redirect the conversation from Miroku's unnatural lack of thought. Kagome made a soft hmming sound, twiddling her fingers together as she contemplated the best way for her to explain it. "Well, I think I was there." The look of shock on the other's faces served as more than enough incentive for her to proceed in her explanation. "Well, all I know is that I woke up in this place that was covered in mist, but it was starting to get cold so I don't think the mist was a normal thing. Then I heard this noise from behind me, and when I looked the demon was there. It was angry about something I did, and so I ran from it as fast as I could. But the ground.. I, I seemed so heavy. My feet didn't even want to move. I tripped in the mud and I thought, someone please help me. Someone has to help me, right? I felt him coming, I knew he would be on top of me in an instant, but... it never came. When I finally looked back, he was standing far away from me, and there was a silver fox in between us. Though he didn't seem to want to admit it, he looked scared. He looked terrified of it."