Chapter 9:
During the night, Inuyasha has a fire going. Everyone else is asleep, while Inuyasha's the only one awake. "Kagome." Inuyasha thinks to himself. As he looks around, Heiri is sleeping all to herself. Inuyasha gets up and walks over to Heiri, crouches down next to her and watches her as she sleeps. "Even when she's asleep, she still looks so lonely. She has her friends, but is she truly happy all the time?" Inuyasha thinks to himself. He then leans down closer to Heiri. "Hm? Something about her, only I can't tell what. But, she's lovely and she looks so peaceful." Inuyasha thinks to himself. He looks around again, everyone's still asleep.
Shippo is sleeping next to Ani, while Kirara is curled up with Sango.
Miroku's sleeping to himself.
Ashuri's sleeping to herself, as well, using her mokomoko as a pillow and sort of a blanket.
Koga is asleep, with Allie wrapped within his arms, as she sleeps.
"I guess Koga's falling for Allie. Maybe he'll start leaving Kagome alone. But if that happens, will Allie leave with him. Leaving Heiri, Ashuri and Ani to be with him." Inuyasha thinks to himself. Heiri begins to stir in her sleep, catching his attention. "Don't you worry, I'll make sure you're never lonely again." Inuyasha thinks to himself. He then walks away and finds a place to sleep.
Early the next morning, just as the sun has begun to rise. Everyone is awakened by a loud thud.
As the dust clears, Entei is revealed.
Inuyasha stands up to confront this horse demon. "Entei." Inuyasha says.
Kohaku soon climbs off of Entei's back. "Don't draw your sword, Inuyasha. Entei isn't here to attack you." Says Kohaku.
"Kohaku." Sango says.
"Hello, sister." Says Kohaku.
"What brings you here, Kohaku? Did Naraku send you to spy on us?" Miroku asks.
"Not quite and Naraku didn't send me, my mistress did. She sent me to tell you something." Says Kohaku.
"Well, then lets here it." Koga says.
"It's Kagome, she's not doing very well. If she continues to stay at Naraku's castle much longer, she won't be able to survive. It's his miasma, you know very well humans don't stand a chance against it. It's the same for Rin, too. But since she's in a place where Naraku's miasma can't reach her, she has more of a chance than Kagome does." Says Kohaku.
"She told you all this? How? Last I knew she hasn't been speaking to anyone. Yet you were speaking to her as if she was having a conversation with you." Inuyasha says.
"Well, um. That's sort of complicated to explain, but she gave me the ability to hear her thoughts. So, she communicates to me through her thoughts. That's why she hasn't been saying anything to any of you. She's become a mute now and I can't explain it anymore, it's too much for me to bear it." Says Kohaku.
Heiri walks up to him and places one of her hands on his shoulder. Kohaku looks up at Heiri. "It's alright, Kohaku. You don't have to say anything else. It seems to me that she looks at you as if you were her own." Heiri says. "Huh?" Asks Kohaku.
"I think what Heiri's trying to say is that, she treats you like you were her son, her child." Allie says. "That actually makes sense. Like how she protected Rin from that fall and how she was when she saw Kohaku walk out of the woods. She has a strong mothering instinct." Says Ashuri.
"One thing I don't get though. Why did she send you to tell us this, instead of her coming here herself?" Koga asks.
"Um, I shouldn't tell you that." Says Kohaku.
"Why not?" Koga asks.
"Because it would hurt Allie and I don't want to risk that." Says Kohaku.
Allie walks up to him. "It's alright, Kohaku. You can tell me." Allie says. "She told me not to." Says Kohaku. "Kohaku, please. I must know." Allie says. Kohaku sighs. "She's having a difficult time right now. The wounds that she received from Koga, they haven't healed yet for some reason. They're affecting her very badly and she's basically suffering at this point. She's still alive, but for how much longer I'm not exactly sure. I may just be a simple servant, messenger and protector to her, but I can't help but feel deeply concerned for her." Says Kohaku. A single tear falls down his cheek. "I have to go. It's best if I stay with my mistress from now on." Kohaku says. He climbs back onto Entei's back. "Don't worry, Allie. Entei and I'll do our very best to make sure she's protected from Naraku. If he tries to do anything, it can make her injuries worse than they already are. Let's go, Entei." Says Kohaku. He and Entei soon take off, leaving them behind.
"I'm going. If I follow Kohaku and Entei's trail, they'll lead me to her. You may think it's a suicidal thing to do, but I don't care. Koga, I don't blame you for this, I just know this is something I need to do. She should be with someone she knows." Allie says. "Allie, she knows me and Ashuri, too. She's our friend, as well." Says Heiri. "I know, but she knew me longer. I mean, my parents adopted her. She had no where else to go, we never found her parents. They basically abandoned her, left her when she was so young and helpless. I became her sister and my parents became her parents." Allie says. "We know this, Allie. But you seem to forget, she's my family, as well. When your parents adopted her, my parents became her aunt and uncle. So, she became my cousin. The thing is, Allie. You're not the only family that she has, I'm her family, as well." Says Ashuri. "I never thought you saw her that way." Allie says. "Like it or not, Allie. I'm coming with you. I care for her wellbeing, as well." Says Ashuri. "I'm coming with you, too." Heiri says. "Very well. So then, what are we waiting for?" Asks Allie. "Would you like us to accompany you?" Koga asks. "Um, not this time, Koga. I appreciate it, but she doesn't exactly know you. It's the same with Inuyasha, too." Says Allie.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but you heard what Kohaku said. Naraku has Kagome. So I'm going to go and save her. You three deal with what you have to do and I'll deal with mine." Inuyasha says.
"Fine, do what you have to." Says Allie. She glances over at Koga. "Come with if you wish, Koga. But I'm warning you now. If she loses her life from this, I'll personally end yours." Allie says, threateningly. "Ani, are you coming with us?" Asks Heiri.
"Um, I think I'll stay here with Shippo and the others. Besides, I think this is something you guys have to do for yourselves." Ani says.
"Alright then, we'll try not to be away for too long." Says Heiri. Allie then takes off first, forming a tornado as she runs.
Koga runs to catch up with Allie, forming a tornado, too.
"You coming Inuyasha or what?" Heiri asks. She soon takes off running.
"What's that supposed to mean?! Hey, wait for me!" Says Inuyasha. He then takes off to catch up with Heiri.
"Stay safe you guys. We'll see you when we get back." Ashuri says. Only before she takes off into the air, she finds herself covered by a big shadow.
When Ashuri looks it's a big, enormous, giant-sized, white dog demon. He has the same markings on his face as Sesshomaru does.
"Oh, so that's how you want to play it, huh? Well, I can play that game, as well." Says Ashuri. She flies herself into the air. As she does, her face begins to transform into that of a dogs and her eyes turn red. Flames soon surround Ashuri, hiding her from view as the flames increase in size.
When the flames disperse, Ashuri has turned into her true demoness form, a giant red dog, with markings similar to the ones she has in her human form. Her eyes have become red, with blue irises. The marks on her body have widened and become more apparent, the stripes on her cheeks, which are usually smooth, have become jagged and changed into a somewhat fiercer color, and her mokomoko wraps around her body and extends into her tail, giving her a black, fluffy tail and a large patch of black fluff around her body.
Ashuri flies up to Sesshomaru, flying around him. Ashuri's basically playing around with Sesshomaru, teasing him. Sesshomaru notices this, only to snap at Ashuri a little bit and only a couple times. Ashuri does it right back at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's getting serious now, he's not finding this very amusing. With her front legs, Ashuri pounces on Sesshomaru's back, causing him to lose his balance and crash to the ground.
Feeling sorry for what she did, Ashuri flies down to the ground where Sesshomaru landed, landing on all four legs perfectly fine.
Sesshomaru then stands up, showing that he only has three legs to stand on.
Ashuri didn't notice this before.
They then both lose their dog forms and resemble their human forms.
Ashuri just walks past Sesshomaru and takes off into the air.
Sesshomaru follows after, waiting for a few minutes.
"So, your following me now, are you?" Ashuri asks.
"Well, you were following me first. So, I can assume that we are both heading in the same direction. Naraku has Rin and I'm going to get her back." Says Sesshomaru.
"I guess, we're in the same position then. Although, I'm sure Rin is fine. I'm pretty sure she's under the protection of my cousin." Ashuri says.
"You mean the wolf demoness?" Asks Sesshomaru.
"No, not her. I have more than one cousin you know. I'm talking about the bat demoness." Ashuri says.
"I didn't realize she was your cousin, as well." Says Sesshomaru.
"We're not exactly blood related. But I guess, since we're heading to the same place. We could keep each other company until we have to go our separate ways again." Ashuri says.
"As you wish. Only, I have a question for you first." Says Sesshomaru.
"What is it?" Ashuri asks.
"Are you royalty by any chance?" Asks Sesshomaru.
"I am the Princess of Arashi, a kingdom that resides in the West. Why do you ask, Lord Sesshomaru? My parents are both still alive and rule over Arashi. I have two siblings, as well." Ashuri says.
"I see, I guess we are kind of the same. Only, I lost my father two-hundred years ago, the night Inuyasha was born. When he died, I became the Lord of the Western Lands. My mother is still alive though." Says Sesshomaru.
"I see. I'm sorry about your father." Ashuri says.
"It happened a long time ago. He lost his life to save that human wench who birthed that half-breed." Says Sesshomaru.
