Operation Justice Warriors (Part I)
"So let me get this straight," Rin said, squatting over the snow beside Jaken. The ensemble had gathered outside Kaede's hut, preparing themselves for the next step in their rescue mission, code-named Operation Justice Warriors. Shippo had argued earlier on that it wasn't really Justice Warriors without Inuyasha, but Miroku smoothly countered that Inuyasha wouldn't really want to be labeled with such a righteous tag—with him they would be called, "Inuyasha and the Justice Warriors."
"Sounds apt to me," Shippo had said, before resuming on to flex his karate chops. "Haiiii-yaa! Hoo-boy, do I feel useful or what!"
Sango was bended over in her demon-hunter gear, polishing her Hiraikotsu. Thank God it had crashed at a nearby lake when Okuni whisked it away. Kirara had used her good nose, and discovered it stuck among the rocky banks of the lake. It was not so easy with Tesseiga however; it was as though the sword had mysteriously disappeared from the face of Earth.
A trickle of snow fell down the back of her neck and she instantly squirmed like a dancing worm. It was Miroku, acting on a playful whim, and she removed the debauched smile off the priest's face with a jab of her elbow.
Rin grabbed the Demon-Hand Staff from Jaken's webbed grip and drew large circles on the snow with its end. "So let me get this straight. The aliens have Inuyasha in their motherbase. But his magic sword is flung out somewhere in the far galaxy. Only Kagome the time-traveller can trace them with her psycho-telepathic powers. We'll then infiltrate the mothership with some sort of decoy we'll think of later. Lord Sesshoumaru will then help to kick butt with everyone else."
"And how do we fit in all of this?" Jaken shivered miserably. He hated winter, hated the snow and with everything it brought. The cold never agreed with his thin amphibious skin, crusting with frost. This was a period meant for hibernation, not for striving for some half-blooded mongrel who never did anything good for them.
A snowflake gently patted on Rin's button nose. She watched as it melted into a drop. The girl rose on her haunches and squinted determinedly.
"We can help to brew tea...when it gets really cold."
"Sounds like a good idea," Kagome said weakly with a smile, as she lumbered out from Kaede's house. Her voice was hoarse, without her usual spiritedness.
"Kagome-chan! You're up!" Shippo bounded on his feet, rushing towards her as everyone's heads perked up.
"My head still feels heavy, like it's encased in concrete." She rubbed on her temples, a pained frown on her face.
"Don't exert yourself, Kagome-sama," Miroku chided gently. "You're still suffering from mental fatigue. If you wish to know, you were actually asleep for two days straight after the misogi purification. "
"What? That long?" Kagome was surprised—that was the longest she'd slept in her life. Gee, I must be even shagged than I thought. "Anyway why is your mouth bleeding, Miroku?"
"Stand aside," came a cold, assertive voice. Her concerned friends shifted to make room for the tall figure who had suddenly appeared behind them. It was Sesshoumaru, and he blended so well with the white, wintry landscape that almost no one noticed he had actually been sitting under a tree nearby, listening to Rin's amusing take on their plans.
"And where did he come from?" Sango said, tensing as the daiyoukai's large pelt brushed hard against her as he moved forward, frost spattering on her clothes. Again she did that squirm and there was a flash of a perverted smile, and Kagome abruptly learned the secret behind the priest's injury.
"Miko," Sesshoumaru said, his solemn, mirthless voice cutting the good cheer in everyone's hearts. "If you are well enough to be engaging in idle chatter, I assume you as ready to embark on Tesseiga's search."
"Come on, Kagome-chan just woke up. Give her a break, will you?" Shippo defended angrily. Sesshoumaru merely narrowed his eyes in response, but the kitsune was already squeaking as he hid behind Kagome.
"It's okay, guys," Kagome said, trying to muster a smile. "I don't want to impede on this anymore than Sesshoumaru does. The more we delay, the more Inuyasha's life is in danger."
"But we are worried about you too, Kagome-chan," Sango insisted, holding on to her arm. "What happens to Inuyasha is beyond our control. You're here with us now. We can't let anything happen to you."
Sesshoumaru gave a sardonic smirk as he removed himself from the group. The outpour of concern for the miko was highly unnecessary. She was stronger than that. This was, after all, the same woman to whom he owed a life-debt, incurred twice in a row. Nothing was as bitter as the fact that he owed a human something.
"Herein I will have the highest authority in this group, therefore I will be the one to have a final say. If you so desperately seek this Sesshoumaru's assistance, then so be prepared to bear my orders." He glared at Shippo who was sticking out his tongue, and the fox kit quickly yelped behind Kagome again. "Does anyone have any other concerns?"
"Yeah," Rin suddenly piped up, raising her hand. "Is nobody here going to ask what in the world is "concrete?""
Meanwhile, somewhere far, far away, hidden east towards the bleakness of the icy caves and of bottomless gorges, was a secret lodge sidled among the jagged rocks. Its interiors were lit and warmed with a large, cackling fire-hearth at a corner, its floors lined with the furry pelts of beasts.
Inuyasha laid in a wooden bath-tub, displaying a tongue-curling yawn. The candles flickering in the bathroom lent more shadows than light, making him woozy. That, plus the camphor. It made him high and sleepy, he swore.
The marination process had begun. It involved the initial phase of ensuring the liver in a healthy and sufficiently nourished state. Not just the liver, but the whole vessel that housed the organ as well. Inuyasha was simmering in warm herb-water that made the bathroom smell like an apothecary—he smelled like an apothecary, for god's sake.
Okuni was kneeling beside the tub, as she worked to massage his arms. She leaned forward her petite face to coo in his ear. "Does it feel good when I massage you like this, Inuyasha? This is a special concoction I brewed for just for you. It diffuses into your skin, and will detoxify all impurities from your system." Her long fingernails scratched against his bare chest ticklishly, and Inuyasha bit his lip to stop the giggle bursting from within.
"You have good hands, Okuni," Inuyasha remarked, putting on a boyish grin. "Maybe...slightly lower?"
"Here?" Okuni enquired, elbows-deep in the water.
"Even lower, lower...yes! My knee! That's where I'm talking about. Just keep that pace, woman. You're a master in this craft!"
Okuni blushed and gave a gravelly chortle. "Oh Inuyasha, you just make me want to mother you." She rose slightly and her large bosom nearly smothered him in the face. Inuyasha squealed—he couldn't move, not when his hands and legs were shackled in the water. At that moment Seiran entered with a sack of garlic and other herbs, only to see the mistress' chest in the hanyou's face.
Seiran smacked the sack of herbs on Inuyasha's head while quickly apologizing. "Oops! Didn't mean to hit you!"
"Seiran, be careful next time," Okuni glared. "We don't want to damage our merchandise any further. You already battered him enough as it is."
Anytime now, Inuyasha grinned back, the taste of blood in his mouth. I'm just waiting for the right moment to strike.
Everyone watched with bated breaths as the compass needle spun freely on its axis, clockwise-wise, then counter-clockwise. Aided by Kagome's warm, swirling reiki, it would hence act as the designated instrument for her dowsing, and point towards the direction of Tesseiga's whereabouts. It was ironic, how she had never used her compass throughout her journeys with Inuyasha—after all she travelled with supernatural creatures who didn't need such contraptions to know from where the sun rose, or if they were heading the right way to the Bone-eater's Well. Today, her once unnecessary compass would finally prove itself to good use.
At last Jaken couldn't take it any longer and threw up a fit, walking off. "The thing is broken, I tell you! The blind leading the blind! Ha! What a joke!"
Behind him, Sesshoumaru glared with glowering eyes. "I'll show you who's blind."
Awhile later Jaken returned to his former position beside Rin and Ah-Un, his eyes so swollen he almost could see nothing.
"Ah!" Kagome's eyes flew open, awakened from her meditative trance. Sango placed a kind hand on her shoulder as Kagome wiped the light sheen of perspiration on her forehead. The needle had rested towards the northeast.
"I saw...an image of a vast field of grass in my mind," Kagome said.
Sesshoumaru looked up towards the direction. Up ahead were winding forest trails, with a network of rivers cutting through. They led towards the white, oppressive mountains looming up close.
"Mount Midoriyama," he said. "While the kanji for midori can interpret the colour green, its definition also encompasses the embodiment of nature by itself."
"You just had to use to use the word "encompass" didn't you?" Sesshoumaru lifted a nifty eyebrow at her and Kagome coughed softly. "Now that you mentioned it, the field was very green."
"Mount Midoriyama, is it?" Miroku said gravely with a frown. The freezing, snow-capped mountains were anything but green, rather they forebode a quiet sense of calamity. "Even from here, I can see a blizzard brewing at its peaks. It's going to be extremely dangerous."
Sesshoumaru turned. "Rin, Jaken. The two of you will stay put in the old miko's house."
"What?! But we've been appointed the official tea-makers in the group!" Rin protested.
"No one appointed us, Rin," Jaken sighed.
"So what's the plan now?" Shippo asked, perched on the priest's shoulder.
"Let's go," Sesshoumaru announced briskly. He dashed off towards the dark woods before anyone could say another word.
"What! Hey, wait for me!" Kagome shouted in surprise as she ran after him, just barely catching the end of his pelt as he descended up into the air.
Sesshoumaru stared over his shoulder at the young woman dangling off him, screaming as he shot up for the skies. With a click of his tongue, he whipped his pelt, the motion causing her to hurl up, and she caught onto his shoulder just in time.
"Nice save," Kagome said in English, with a broken grin. She flashed him a thumbs-up sign. Sesshoumaru snorted.
They did not say anything more, but it seemed to be an unspoken mutual agreement between them—that they would be partners in this quest. She would guide him towards Tesseiga and retrieve it; and he would protect her life in any way that he could, for as long as she needed him. All to get that debt of his back, of course.
Some distance away in the air, Sango, Miroku and Shippo were mounted on Kirara, racing towards Mount Midoriyama as well. "I told you they were together!" she said to the paling priest, who was watching the unlikely couple up ahead.
"Giddy-up, giddy-up!" came Rin's shrill voice, as Ah-Un flew to catch up beside them.
"Hey!" Shippo went. "Aren't you guys supposed to..."
"Sesshoumaru-sama is going to be mad if he knows," Jaken grumbled behind her.
"Nah, I think he has more important things to think about," Rin countered with confidence. "Besides, we're the official—"
"Shut up, Rin."
"Sesshoumaru, up ahead!" Kagome pointed somewhere along the slopes of the mountain.
It was so cold that her watch had stopped working, and Kagome had long forgotten exactly how many hours had passed to reach Mount Midoriyama. What she was certain however, was that it was one of her worse journeys yet, because of the incredible, awkward silence suffocating them. She was clutched tightly against the daiyoukai, his body encased in hard armour. She sighed, daring to peer up his face, impassive as usual even though they were storming through freezing clouds of ice that made her wince. It didn't matter what he was doing. Sesshoumaru was always so serious.
She smiled a little as she tried to remembered his silly antics throughout the whole frustrating game they were stuck in, who was going to save who and whatnot. How it was always, funnily enough, ended up with her helping him and not the other way round as he so much intended.
His pride must be so bruised, Kagome thought empathetically. So bruised that he's willing to put it aside to help us. Oh Sesshoumaru. You must really want to kill me, given the choice. But why haven't you, I wonder? Is it true that somewhere in your heart you hold compassion even for little, old me?
Suddenly Sesshoumaru jerked his shoulder, and Kagome stiffened. "Cease your staring, lass. A good miko should learn to lower her eyes, especially in the presence of an honourable lord."
Take back my words, he's really nothing but a pompous ass.
And then she felt a spark in her senses, as something within the deep enclaves of Mount Midoriyama called to her. Kagome cried out as she pointed it to him. Sesshoumaru picked up his speed, centering towards the area, skimming past the powder-white slopes. There was a thundering explosion of sound as the mountain seemed to shake, as they managed to evade a huge splatter of snow.
"There's an avalanche coming down!" she shouted when she looked back.
Kagome watched in horror as the enormous cascade of snow rumbled down ominously close to Kirara and the others, too close in fact, and suddenly it swallowed them and they disappeared. The avalanche hissed to a stop, the trees all trampled and submerged in its wake.
Kagome screamed, a hand reaching towards the empty air. My friends! My friends are all buried—they're going to die!
Kagome wasn't thinking as she pulled herself off Sesshoumaru, resulting in an almost fatal drop into the thick blanket of snow. It was too cold to feel anything. Her teeth were chattering wildly against the whipping wind, and the snow reached to her chest, but still she struggled to move forward, towards where her friends had fallen.
I can do this, just a step forward...
"Miko!" she heard him shout in the distance. "It is far too dangerous to go any further!"
She ignored him, gritting her teeth. She couldn't feel her legs anymore nor the tears running down her cheeks. If Sango and the rest were to die, could she live with it?
Suddenly there was a roar up above. Kagome stood, petrified as another wave of avalanche came crashing down, rolling towards her. She felt the first bits of ice splattering on her face, the gust of wind robbing her of her voice. It was her turn now, wasn't it? She wondered if Inuyasha would be mad at her for dying like this...
The snowstorm embraced her like a white angel of death. Kagome closed her eyes and felt as her body flung back. In the split-second she waited for the oppressive weight to suffocate her and shatter her ribs. But it never quite came.
The roaring died, the air deathly quiet for some reason. She was deep in the snow, and yet strangely she was not covered in it. She wasn't dead either, because she could feel her heartbeat thundering wildly in her chest. Kagome creaked open her eyes.
Sesshoumaru was braced above her body, the spoils of the avalanche crushing against his back. His usually deadpan face was marred with a heavy frown, dishevelled, his hair spilling towards her. A resounding crack came from his armour plate, and he gritted his fangs.
Kagome gasped, and clasped her hands against his chest. "Sesshoumaru! Please don't push yourself—you don't have to do this!"
"You fool," he quietly seethed. "This Sesshoumaru will not be defeated by a mere heap of snow."
"But—" Kagome stiffened as he seemed to lose strength in his arms, his body lowering towards her. Sesshoumaru bit back a curse. The weight was too heavy for him to bear—he was faltering before her eyes. Another slip of his strength. He was so close to her now, her quivering lips a hair's breadth from his. She could feel his icy breath against her skin.
She squeezed his shoulders, feeling helpless. "Sesshoumaru..." she whispered. Suddenly his eyes flew open and she felt a horrible chill down her spine. Instead of the sharp, golden glare she was used to, his eyes had now turned red and feral, belonging to an untamed demon.
Oh...crap. His body's kicked into survival beast mode.
"Distract me!" Sesshoumaru snarled, beckoning from the utmost thin shred of self-control he was left with.
"H-how?!" Kagome blabbered, suddenly thrusted with the power to appease his beast.
"Say something—anything!"
Kagome panicked. What? What was she supposed to say? It was never like this when Inuyasha transformed! What if she blabbered the wrong thing? Would she end up as minced meat?
"Hurry!"
"Long flowering branches of beautifully coloured wisteria entwined about a pine tree!" she finally blurted, tears springing.
She saw as his delicate eyebrows knitted themselves. Her words had gone through his head somehow. Although his eyes remained frighteningly dangerous upon her face. She turned away slightly.
"Chinese...brocade?" he ventured slowly, his breath on her neck.
Kagome gasped. Oh god, he knows! He knows what I'm talking about! I can deter his transformation like this!
"A sword with a decorated scabbard!" Kagome exclaimed with renewed vigour.
"The grain of the wood...in a Buddhist statue."
Sesshoumaru shut his eyes, gathering all his wills to regain his composure. He shivered as he did so, and Kagome felt a pang of guilt. Why would he go through such lengths just to dissolve a stupid debt? Wasn't his life worth more than everything?
Then he blinked, and his eyes were of sharp gold once more.
"Lass," he said, his voice hoarse and weary, but somehow there was a crooked smile on his lips. "I am going to break through the ice. So hold on to me."
"I have been clutching onto your shoulders in terror, in case you haven't noticed."
"Good."
She allowed herself to hug him tighter for a secured grip, then ducked her head as he summoned all of his strength to crash out from the snow with lightning speed. They hovered into the air for a while as he scouted for somewhere to settle. At last his eyes caught sight of a hidden shack among the trees, untouched by the avalanche.
"I have discovered somewhere we can stay, whilst waiting for the storm to die down," he said, bringing them towards the shack. "I know you are worried about your friends, but they will survive."
However Kagome wasn't listening. A stray, ridiculous thought had teased her, and now she couldn't stop thinking about it.
The way he exploded through that ice. For a moment it was like...he was Superman and I was Lois Lane. Too cool...
To be continued!
A/N: Took me awhile to produce the chapter cos I had written it halfway and didn't save it somehow. Ughhhh! Okay, finally the romance is starting to start! Sesshoumaru and Kagome in a shack. Hmmmm... *starts to rub hands together*
