Author's Note: hello again, this chapter as I said before is the chapter were we meet a well known villain, can you guess his name? enjoy this please, I think this is one of the hardest chapters to write you'll see why, and maybe some of you may like it and yell at me later but, I do believe that I've let this progress along nicely, time to put allies to the test, end of day two and day 3 of the week's count down for Sara to complete the Hōgyoku.
I DO NOT OWN BLEACH OR INUYASHA
CHAPTER TEN
Sara's P.O.V
I looked up as the medicine woman walked in; she took one look at me and sighed.
"This is not going to be pretty. You have broken ribs, how did you do that?" she asked, she was a small elderly woman; she was holding a basket on her hip.
"You didn't even check me, how do you know that I have broken ribs?" I asked. I knew they were broken. I just wanted to know how she knew that they were broken.
"Well it was either that or I'd say that you were lying on rocks," she said sitting crossed legged next to me; she slowly began to take out her things. She had a good eye, judging by how quickly she had decided what was wrong with me I would say that she had been doing this for a while.
"That bad?" I asked her, she nodded her head.
"But don't worry I can fix you right up that's why the master keeps me around," she said, that reminded me.
"Oh, yes, can you tell me why he was looking for people to help him out?" I asked she looked at me eye wide.
"You took the job without even knowing what it was?" she demanded, I cringed back at her words.
"My friend took the job I know that we're going against a demon I just don't know why," I explained.
"I see, well it happened a long time ago before the young master was born," she said. "Master made a deal with a demon that if he helped him the Master would give him whatever he wanted, only that the Master didn't know what high a price he would have to pay for his wealth."
"What was the price?" I asked, this didn't sound like it was going in a pretty direction; she looked like she was at the verge of tears.
"The demon demanded that the Master give him the younger Master for his services he came back and told us that he would come get him tomorrow," she said, I felt a tug at my side and I hissed propping myself up on my elbow.
"Lay down, I'm not done yet," she scolded me, I looked down she was almost done and I hadn't even noticed when she started. I obeyed, she was good but I wasn't going to need it for long, just a few minutes alone and I would be back to normal, but first.
"Don't worry," I began. "We'll make him safe."
"We'll you make it sound as if you're fighting as well," she said getting up. "That is impossible."
"Who knows? The world is full of surprises," I said, sitting up.
"Thank you," she said.
"No, thank you," I told her she smiled and walked away. I had a few options I could go to sleep or I could go for a walk, a walk sounded good so I took the comb in my hands and held it over my waist, like last time a sea green light spread over my body and the pain left as quickly as it came, I stopped half way so that I could fight and walk but it would still look like I got hurt, I didn't want the questions. I would need to be able to fight for tomorrow. Slowly I got to my feet and walked out the doors in the room. I made my way to the back houses of the manor, I walked slower then usual trying to conserve my strength, and I was almost to the back gate when I saw them. Momo and Toshiro; I ducked behind the wall of the small house I was next to, their voices carrying easily.
Momo's P.O.V
We all received kimonos the pants of mine was brown and the top a light green, we were sitting in a room when Toshiro stepped out. I waited patiently until everyone else was distracted to slip out as well, it was almost to easy to find him he was leaning against one of the back houses his eyes were looking at the sky, I felt my heart beat strongly at the his words. The sky reminds me of you.
"Hello Toshiro, it's been awhile," I said as I lend against the wall next to him.
"You just saw me a few minutes ago," he said he still hadn't turned to look at me.
"I know, but I haven't gotten the chance to talk to you since, well you remember don't you?" I asked, this time his eyes flickered to me, probable because of the way my voice sounded then they went back to looking at the sky, I wondered why if I was here.
"I remember," he said.
"So do I," I answered. "Would you like a reminder?"
"No need for reminders if I remember," he said, Shiro-chan looked distracted, I wondered why, I was here wasn't I?
"Hey, Shiro-chan, what's wrong?" I asked.
"Maybe if you stopped calling me that I would tell you," he hissed, always the same Shiro-chan, getting angry for no reason.
"Don't take it like that, I was jus thinking," I mumbled.
"And what were you thinking about?" he asked, finally he looked like he was paying attention.
"About a promise," I answered looking away as he turned to look at me.
"Which one?" he asked I began to play with my hands.
"The one you made me before you left for the World of the Living," I told him, I was getting a little annoyed didn't he want me to remind him?
"Oh,"
"Oh?" that was all he could say oh.
"Well don't say it like that," he mumbled.
"Well how do you want me to say it? I'm here trying to tell you something important and considering what you told me before you left I think that you should be at least paying attention," I hissed.
"So now I'm not paying attention?" he asked, I folded my arms.
"No, no you're not," I said.
"Momo, I'm listening aren't I? If I wasn't I would have long ago told you not to bother me with such things," he told me. "Now quite acting stupid," I sighed this was getting complicated I had expected a completely different reaction to me bringing it up.
"You didn't forget did you?" I asked in a small voice not so sure if he really did know what I was getting at.
"Didn't I tell you already? I know what I said," he told me, but he wasn't looking at me anymore, his eyes were on the sky.
"But, you just sound so uninterested, I'm not even sure you know what we're talking about," I said again looking down.
"We are talking about a certain promise I made you, when you were still recovering, aren't we?" he asked.
"I know you know that, I just don't know if you remember what that promise was," I mumbled he didn't say anything which wasn't a good sign. "So you don't remember,"
"I never said that,"
"Well you didn't say anything," I told him, he really was pushing his luck.
"You can never win with you Momo," he grumbled. I chose to ignore the comment and instead decided to give him the reminder he said he didn't need.
"You know, I was still recovering, and then you came by and told me that I needed to make it out, that I needed to pull through, and if I did then you would help me, that you would take care of me, you promised me that you would be there for me, and you said that you needed me and always would," I hadn't realized until then how much the words meant to me. He didn't answer he just looked at the sky but his posture became stiff. "It's her isn't it?"
"It's who?" he asked but his voice told me he wasn't listing.
"You still mean what you said?" I demanded, this time he turned to look at me, and it was him, it was the Toshiro that I had always known the same eyes the ones that I knew.
"I mean what I meant," and that was enough that was enough for me to smile and not question the strange answer he had given me. And with that I walked back to the house and continued the night's conversation as if nothing had changed.
Toshiro's P.O.V
She wasn't going to let me be, even if she said she wouldn't press for anything until I was ready, and yet. And yet here I was, looking at the stars.
"It's her isn't it?" Momo's voice snapped me out of my train of thought, I felt myself posture stiffen.
"It's who?" I asked I didn't want to touch on that subject.
"You mean what you said?" she demanded, I looked over at her, naïve Momo sometimes you needed to answer her in a way that you were neither wrong nor right.
"I mean what I meant," and that was it she was smiling away like she always was when she was happy, and she left me alone, finally, alone.
Sara's P.O.V
"You know, I was still recovering, and then you came by and told me that I needed to make it out, that I needed to pull through, and if I did then you would help me, that you would take care of me, you promised me that you would be there for me, and you said that you needed me and always would," Momo, said, Rangiku had left out a few details. "It's her isn't it?"
"It's who?" he asked, he was playing stupid I could see that, the thing was if she could see it.
"Do you still mean what you said?" her voice was demanding he wasn't getting away without answering.
My heart was beating rapidly, everything that I had wanted rested on this moment, everything.
"I mean what I meant," his eyes were cold; they weren't the eyes I loved. That was it. That was all, it was all worth nothing. He had changed again; he changed for me and now he changed for her, because the moment he said it she smiled. I watched as she walked away, happy and I watched as he turned to look at the sky again, I should have expected it. I had said it before, he was a Shinigami and I was me, a human, his home was Soul Society, and mine, mine was gone, I could never be with him, not like this. I looked up at the moon and as I tried to find my voice it failed, and I felt the wind blow and my cheeks felt cold like when you're wet and a gentle breeze happens to blow.
I walked back to the manor, I didn't care if I had to be hurt I walked back into the room and laid down, no one else was in there, and I was glad at least I didn't have unnecessary conversations, I didn't need them, all I needed was to forget.
Rangiku's P.O.V
The Captain hadn't come in yet and I was starting to get worried so I did what I would have always done and I went to go get him.
"Captain!" I called to him when he was in hearing distance; he was leaning against one of the smaller houses of the manor.
"What do you want, Rangiku," he asked.
"I just got worried because you've been out so long," I said, he wasn't paying much attention. "What'ch looking at?"
"The stars," that was unexpected, he usually ignored me when he was distracted. I think he realized my shock. "Whatever Rangiku," he walked away towards the main manor. That sounded more like the Captain I knew. I caught up with him.
"How was Sara?" I asked him.
"Didn't you ask her?" he asked.
"No, I couldn't the doctor went to go see her," I said.
"And you didn't ask her afterward did you?"
"I don't know the doctor didn't go tell us what was wrong so I think he's still with her," I said, now that I thought about it, it had been a long time.
"Idiot," he muttered. We reached the main manor and I walked to the back.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To check on Sara," I said, I didn't even bother asking him, I grabbed his arm and pulled him with me.
"Matsumoto, what to think you're doing?" he hissed as I opened the door that opened to our room. She was lying down and it looked like she was asleep, but that didn't make any sense why hadn't the doctor come to get us?
"Leave it, Rangiku, she needs the rest," this time I let him walk away, the door opened and the other girls walked in all looking rather sleepy.
"There you are Rangiku, I was looking for you," Momo said.
"What's up?" I asked, she looked around and I figured that she didn't want to tell me with so many people around. Everyone was getting ready to go to sleep making their beds. "Want to go outside?" she nodded and we went outside, I said down on the ground and she did as well.
"I talked to Shiro-chan," oh lord I wonder exactly what he said.
"Oh? And what did you talk about?" I asked.
"He said that he would keep his promise that he would stay with me," she said her voice was far off, I felt my heart skip a beat, no way that had happened, it couldn't have, the Captain loved Sara.
"Isn't it great Rangiku?" she asked , I was still in shock all I could manage was a smile and a nod, I was lost after that some how I managed to give her answers that made her happy and in the end I ended up lying down to sleep. I had no idea what was going to happen now.
(Day three)
Kagome's P.O.V
It was morning already as I got up, everyone else was still asleep, we still had to settle a few things like if we were on the same page and all. Slowly as I got up the rest of them shot up, I yelped.
"Sorry," Rukia said. "Force of habit,"
"You have a habit of scaring people half to death?" I demanded, they laughed.
"No, we just all have to get up with the slightest of movements," Momo admitted I liked her she was always so happy. I noticed that Sara was also up.
"How are you feeling?" I asked her, she turned to me, something was off about her; I didn't know what it was.
"I'm fine," she said, she always said that even when it wasn't true.
"What was wrong with you?" Rangiku asked.
"Nothing too serious, I just have to take it easy for a while," she answered, I highly doubted that it she couldn't even walk here on her own.
"Why do we not believe you?" Rurichiyo asked her, speaking for us or just herself that weird habit of hers.
"I have no idea, maybe you're just being paranoid," Sara said, Rurichiyo chose to ignore it because she didn't say anything.
"When did you decide to show up?" Yachiru asked.
"It's a long story how about we talk about with the others?" I asked.
"It would make more sense," Sango said.
"Alright," they said, except for Sara she stayed quite. The mornings events were over quickly we all had our breakfast and we sat down outside to talk.
"You can tell us why you decided to come," Sara said she was sitting a little farther away from the rest.
"Shouldn't you be lying down?" Inuyasha asked.
"And shouldn't you be in a cage?" she shot back; ouch that was a little mean.
"Why I out'a," he didn't finish the threat.
"Mutual feeling," she replied.
"How about we move on to the explaining," Rangiku said, and I couldn't agree more.
"Well, it started when I told them about the little incident we had before," I said brushing over the part were me and Sara got together to trick them.
"We realized that we couldn't just take the jewel shards from you, and at one point if we deicide to go on looking for them we would bump into each other," Sango said.
"So we decide to do the logical thing and come here and make a truce," Miroku said, that was more or less true some of us weren't so eager to go along with that plan.
"So what do you say?" Shippo asked. "We're sorry about the past two day,"
"But get one thing straight, you aren't keeping the jewel shards," Inuyasha said, he really didn't know when to give up.
"Inuyasha, sit," I completely ignored him; it was not the time or place.
"About the request, you know very well that we won't say yes," Toshiro said.
"We can't say that we will let you keep the jewel in the end but for now you can keep it as long as you don't leave," I said. Toshiro looked back to the others; somehow it looked like he was the one calling the shots.
"It's because he's a Captain if anything goes wrong he gets the blame, thus he makes the choices," Sara said, but no one else seemed to react to the comment.
"I believe that's alright, but also know that you we won't let you keep it in the end," he said.
"Alright, friends?" I asked.
"Friends," Sara answered and no one objected. "Oh, by the way Miroku when were you planning to tell us what we were doing here?"
"You found out didn't you?" he asked.
"Yeah, the lady who healed me told me a little bit about what's going on," she admitted, now that I thought about it Miroku hadn't told us what we were doing.
"Well I didn't tell them either so lets start at the beginning, I asked the Master of the house what seemed to be the problem and he said a demon was after his son, that's all he said and he was more then willing to accept our help," Miroku explained.
"And why is the demon after his son?" Inuyasha asked.
"Umm, well I'm not sure," he admitted.
"The demon helped the Master of the house get wealthy and the son is so to say the Master paying the demon back," Sara said. "That's what the doctor told me."
"Who is the demon?" I asked she shrugged her shoulders; we never did get full answers.
"When do you think that the demon will show up?" Rukia asked, she however liked having all the answers to her questions.
"Most likely at night," Sango answered. "The typical demon behavior,"
"So we basically have the rest of the day to ourselves, you should go get some rest, Sara," Miroku said, she nodded and got up.
"Don't get too confident," she warned as she walked away, confident in what but she didn't seem to be talking to us.
Rangiku's P.O.V
I made my way to our room where Sara was suppose to be taking it easy, I was right as soon as I stepped through the door I saw her with her sword in a fighting stance.
"I thought you were taking it easy," I said closing the door.
"You know," she said, I stared at her.
"Know what?" I asked playing dumb.
"I know what Momo and Toshiro talked about, Fate isn't kind," she mumbled the last part.
"But, I don't think that Momo really understood what the Captain meant," I said trying to get in a good word for the Captain I didn't want things to end like this.
"Don't try to give him a good word, Rangiku, I heard the conversation they had together," she said but she spat the words at me.
"Sara," I mumbled.
"No, Rangiku, I get it, I'm not a Shinigami, I'm human we don't belong together, I've always known that the only one really suffering here is going to be Soul Society," she said, this was one of the rare moments when Sara was being overly truthful. So much so that it was shocking that she actually thought these things. I didn't say anything I just walked over and wrapped my arms around her and even though she was shaking no tears escaped her eyes.
"Ever thing will be fine," I promised.
"You don't know that," she mumbled so low I wasn't sure if she was talking for me to hear, and it was true I didn't know, and I wouldn't only one person could give me the answer.
We were standing outside, night time had come sooner then we thought. I, the Captain, Rukia, Sango, and Miroku were watching the back part of the Manor while the others were at the front. Except for Ichigo and Tanya they were at the back door of our room making sure no demon tried to go for the Hōgyoku or Sara.
The sound came from far off a rumbling like waves crashing against the shore. That was the sound that the man's aura made as he walked towards us. He was tall and his sick was a sickly pale, his hair long and dark, his eyes the same color, and his body was human with pieces of demon.
"Naraku," Sango hissed, so they knew this man, it didn't matter all we had to do was get rid of him, the others came around the front to join us.
"Well, well if it isn't Inuyasha, what a surprise to see you here," he said.
"Not really, I should have guessed that you would be behind something like this," Inuyasha said, it was easy enough to see the anger on his face.
"Sara, were do you think you're going!" it was Tanya's voice and I turned just to see a blur and then Naraku was a couple of yards away a wound right across his chest area, only that part and up was attached to his body. I looked to the side and sure enough there was Sara her Zanpaktō dripping blood and the Hōgyoku in her other hand, my eyes widened it looked complete.
"Who are you?" he demanded his voice not so much angry as it was curious.
"That doesn't really concern you," Sara answered, he looked at her and the way he did gave me a sick feeling in my chest.
"Well it might concern you considering that you're missing part of that, I have the other part, and what do you say to a little bartering?" He asked her, I looked over at her so, it wasn't complete.
"And what do you want?" she asked.
"How about you come with me later and we can discus it?" he asked. "But I should take my leave now considering that things could get bloodier," and just as quickly as he came he was gone. Everyone was quite for the next heart beat.
"What were you thinking?" the Captain asked, his voice was controlled but I could hear the anger buried underneath.
"I did what I'm here for, that's all," she answered.
"You took the jewel shards from Naraku," Kagome said, she looked shocked, I really didn't know why the guys, correction demon wasn't that strong.
"Not all of them, he moved away just as I attacked him, he still has one, I think," she said.
"How did you do that?" Sango demanded.
"I don't know it involves a lot of the concepts from physics and then you have the whole using Spiritual Pressure, and so one," I stared at her she was being sarcastically, mean again.
"We don't mean that, we've been trying to get the jewel shards from Naraku as long time, it just shocked me that you did it in one sward sweep," Kagome confessed.
"That's the power of a Shinigami," Yachiru said standing next to Kagome.
"Yeah," she breathed.
The master of the house came out to thank us, we were going to stay a last night, and then we would go on our way we had decided to go looking for this Naraku and getting the rest of the Hōgyoku, we still had a while until Sara wanted us to leave.
"You should stay in bed, got it," I told Sara as she lay down.
"Yeah, yeah," she said.
"Good I'm going to go to the front room unless you want me to stay?" I asked.
"Naw, Rangiku go have fun," she said and I smiled as I walked away, Sara would always be Sara.
Sara's P.O.V
I gave it a while laying down and slowing down my breathing and speeding it back up again, then when I saw the moon shining brightly in the sky I got up and walked out and away from the Manor. I continued to walk until I came to a small pound it was a perfect reflection of the moon and in front of me I saw Naraku appear.
"So you decided to show up," he said.
"Yes, you have something I want," I told him, "And what could that be?" he asked, I chose to ignore it I had other matters I was worried about.
"If I go with you, will you leave the people at the Manor alone?" I asked him, he looked at me for a long time his expression split between humor and seriousness.
"You will come with me?"
"Yes," I promised.
"Then, yes," he promised, Serena showed me a quick vision, he would hold true to his words.
His eyes flickered to the bushes behind me and one of those strange tentacles that he hand on his back snapped past me and pulled someone out from behind me, Momo.
"Idiot, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked her, she was fighting against him but I knew she wouldn't get away. Her hands were trapped at her sides.
"I thought that our little private deal was that no one else came," he said.
"I swear that I didn't know that she followed me I don't even know what she's doing here," I admitted, her above everyone else.
"Why didn't you tell us that you were going to go with him?" Momo demanded.
"Oh, so she didn't know," he said.
"Let her go I'll do what ever you want," I promised.
"Would you leave the sword," my hand instinctively landed on the hilt of my Zanpaktō, shit I hadn't wanted to do that, my eyes flickered to Hinamori again, I sighed. No matter what happened I knew what I would do no matter how much it hurt.
"Yes," I placed my Zanpaktō, my soul, on the ground the same time he placed Momo on the ground and then I was lifted up and away. She ran to were I was, I pressed my hands against the shield that was lifting me up.
"Hinamori, take my Zanpaktō with you," I called to her.
"I will," she promised, good she owed me that; I closed my eyes and shut out the world for now.
Momo's P.O.V
I was running as fast as I could. My feet pounding against the ground and I was holding her Zanpaktō in my hand. I shouldn't have followed her, well I should have and I shouldn't have. She was weaponless against that man, but we could have not known were she was, at least we knew that. I almost ran into Ichigo as I went through the door, he steadied.
"Where's the fire?" he asked.
"This is no time for games, where are the others?" I demanded.
"Outside, hey what's wrong?" he asked me as I walked past him, I knew that he would follow without me telling him to, they were all sitting under a tree all happy, for a split second I thought about not telling them, I didn't want to ruin the mood, but Ichigo knew something was up so I did what I came to do.
"Sara went with him," I said holding up her Zanpaktō, Toshiro and the others were up in a flash.
"What?" he demanded he was already at my side.
"I was outside and I saw her walk into the forest and I followed her to make sure that she was okay, and then Naraku appeared out of no where, they were talking but I couldn't hear what, and then he heard me and Sara got him to let go of me and he took her," I said, I really wanted him to hold me but he was looking at the sword in my hand.
"Was she okay?" he asked me, what a strange question to ask me.
"Yeah she was," I said.
"Momo, did you see which way they went?" Ichigo asked.
"No, they disappeared after I picked up her Zanpaktō," I admitted, I really hadn't paid attention either.
"Maybe they didn't get far we should split up and look," Kagome suggested, we nodded in agreement; Toshiro took her Zanpaktō from me.
"If you want I could hold it," I offered I didn't want him to worry more then necessary, and the sword would just be a constant reminder.
"No, I got it," he said, I was about to say something else when Rangiku grabbed my hand.
"Lets Momo," she said pulling me along.
"Sure," I mumbled following her, I turned around but Toshiro was no longer there.
Toshiro's P.O.V
I was so stupid; I should have known she would have done something like that. Damn it, and I had no I idea were to look, it didn't matter that her Zanpaktō was in my hand, I still couldn't feel her Spiritual Pressure.
And worst of all, worst then the fact that she was taken, worst still was that it had taken this, this abduction for me to snap out of it. I had to find her, I just had to.
I sat down, there was no point if I hadn't found her, no matter how hard I looked, and I would find her now. They were probable far away enough that I wouldn't find them anytime soon. I put my head in my hands, my head snapped up as a hand was on my shoulder, Kagome.
"We'll find her," she promised, she was so familiar, those features her hair, I looked deeper into her eyes, so deep that it was like drowning. I looked away.
"Yeah," I answered, it was like drowning, it wasn't drowning. She removed her hand.
"We should go back, they're probable waiting, I didn't say anything I just followed her.
Kagome's P.O.V
I walked into a small clearing, Toshiro was sitting down with his head in his hands, he must be real worried, I walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, he looked up.
"We'll find her," I promised, I looked at him, his silver hair so, so very familiar and then my eyes fell on his, he looked away.
"Yeah," his tone was emotionless, or at least trying to be. Silver hair, but not the same striking eyes.
The gate opens and they leave, we stay, she holds in her hand what they wanted, we know and she knows that we know. Standing tall she closes the way and we let her, she's giving us the chance to say good bye, we'll never see them after this one time, we chose it this way, we'll all make our own new home.
Author's Note: well, what can I say, I thought the story needed something, I actually have no idea if you guys hate what I write or if you love it, not that I would change the story, I just want to see how you guys feel about how I work, so please review, please. Any ways, next time revelations and the next three chapters are basically also about revelations.