Chapter 9: Mount Fuji Tales: two groups, two goals.
As the group of three headed towards mount Fuji, Inuyasha and his group were headed towards the same direction because of a rumour of a shard being there, as well as rumours of a boy who rides a white horse with an orange mane.
Aoimoi looked up at the sky as she walked, keeping an eye open for danger as she listened to her son tell Someiryu of their past adventures, her mind wondered back to when she was at the castle and a faint blush came to her mind as she remembered what had happened with Sesshomaru.
It was a beautiful spring day and summer was getting close, which also meant autumn and then winter, 'winter... during the feudal era this season is deadly, lack of food and illness everywhere...' the futuristic girl thought worriedly.
Before coming to thsi era she had never realised how easy life was for her in the future, having a test was one of the things that worried her most in the future while here she worried that she might get killed, 'kill or be killed... i guess' she thinks with a slight huff.
In this time period being killed or killing was normal, in her time period a girl her age should have never seen this much death or kill as much as she has, all because a small cursed jewel and a stupid mistake.
'a stupid mistake that has killed hundreds...' Aoimoi thought bitterly looking at the sky. "-ther, mother!" snapping out of her daze Aoimoi turns to her son. "yes?" she asks, "we're nearly there!" Yorokobi exclaims pointing ahead, she turns and sees that mount Fuji and it's lake were only an hours walk away, and that she could feel a jewel shard there.
"there is a jewel shard on the mountain." she states, slightly shocked she had been so engrossed into her thoughts she hadn't noticed. "that's great! Mount fuji here we come!" Yorokobi exclaims before dragging Aoimoi and Someiryu forwards.
Meanwhile Inuyasha and his group weren't to far from where the group of three was, but unlike the group of three they weren't aware that a shard was really there, since Kikyo's ability of seeing shards weakening.
And like the group of three they weren't aware they would be crossing paths soon either, the two groups would meet each other at the mountains base if not sooner.
And as predicted, an hour later, the group bumped into each other at the base. "what are you doing here?!" both Inuyasha and Aoimoi exclaim at the same time, while the other members of their groups just look surprised. "who are they?" Someiryu asks, "oh, that's Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Kikyo, their part of the alliance." Yorokobi informs their new group memeber. "I see." the dragon replies. "it seems you have a dragon travelling with you." Kikyo states, "yes, and how does that concern you? Dead miko?" Aoimoi replies, the two mikos soon glaring at one another.
"it matters not, what are you doing here?" Aoimoi adds before Kikyo can reply. "there are rumours of a jewel shard and one of Naraku's incarnations being here." Miroku informs her. "i see... while I have not felt the presence of one of his I have noticed the presence of a power similar to the jewel coming from this mountain, but I can't tell of it's exact location or if it's pure or not." Aoimoi says, in a way to to make them suspicious of her identity.
There is a short silence before Kikyo speaks. "i have heard your brother and his daughter have met their end by Naraku." the dead miko says and Aoimoi and Yorokobi flinch and nod solemnly. "sadly yes, I had seen a premonition of their death, but the only details I have seen were the circumstances of how they died, so they fell into the trap in the end." Aoimoi told them, bending the truth ever so slightly.
"what is your name dragon?" Kikyo asks turning to Someiryu. "his name is Someiryu. We should leave mother." Yorokobi says, turning to his mother as he finished speaking. Looking at her son Aoimoi nods and leaves up the mountain, her son and Someiryu behind her, them being followed by the Inutachi.
As they walked up the path, Aoimoi, her son and Someiryu silently conversed, the group behind them doing the same.
"the mark on that dragon's face is one of possession, something must be inhabiting his body, but normally dragons are killed if something like this happens." Sango informed the group while sending suspicious glances at the group in front of them. "I don't care about that dragon but the wench shouldn't talk to Kikyo like that." Inuyasha growls out silently.
Meanwhile Aoimoi was listening to Someiryu and Yorokobi relay what was being told behind them. "it seems the sooner we get that water the better." she says bitterly, sighing in exasperation, Yorokobi chuckling at her expression.
"there is a sinister presence up ahead." Someiryu announces suddenly, alerting Aoimoi to the presence as well. "I see... this aura it is similar to Naraku's, I believe the rumours were true." Aoimoi states, grabbing the naginata wrapped in bandages from her back.
"we must be prepared." she declares swiftly, the inutachi following her example all draw their weapons, Yorokobi draws the sword given to him by Kagome's mother while Someiryu draws a long black sword, which had been hidden, from his back. With their weapons drawn the group continues walking cautiously.
The groups carefully navigated their way up the mountain, towards where the jewel shard and Naraku's incarnation, Hakudoshi, should be. The groups were led by Kikyo and Inuyasha at the front, Sango and Miroku in the centre with Kirara and Aoimoi, Yorokobi and Someiryu in the back.
"it seems that you have arrived, as planned." they hear a voice say. "oh? And what's this? You brought backup." the voice repeats and the two groups look at the sky to see Hakudoshi on Entei, his spear pointed at Inuyasha's group.
"Hakudoshi! Where's that bastard Naraku and where have you hidden the jewel shard?!" Inuyasha roars as he jumps up, slashing with his tesseiga randomly, all slashed being avoided. "is that all you can do? Pathetic." the incarnation says sneering.
Eyes flashing Aoimoi holds out the wrapped naginata and send some of her mikoki into it, before slashing it towards Hakudoshi, creating a small wave of purity, which is avoided by him but distracts him enough for Sango to throw her boomerang at him, injuring him.
Crying out in pain Hakudoshi dashes towards Aoimoi on Entei and slashes down onto the wrapped naginata, tearing off the bandage to reveal it's blade and shaft.
The shaft was black and wrapped with cerulean and midnight blue cloths, the tips of the cloths looked like they were tipped into red blood, the blade of the naginata was jagged and silver in colour, carved into the blade were the kanji of 'protector' and 'purity' and there were two golden rings in the blade just above where it connects with the shaft.
Snapping out of the shock caused by the weapon, Hakudoshi gets away before being slashed by the blade, only to have to avoid an arrow from Kikyo. "continue ahead and look for the jewel shard, we can take care of him." Yorokobi tells the inutachi, who nod before continuing along, being shielded from Hakudoshi.
The group of three now alone with Hakudoshi fight more freely, Someiryu starts throwing flames at Entei, Yorokobi helping him with his fox fire while Aoimoi and Hakudoshi face of one on one.
"tch, the original target isn't here anyway." Hakudoshi mutters before Naraku's insects swarm his opponents and he runs away. One the insects were gone, the group of three ran after the Inutachi.