Chapter Twenty: Fire Fighter
"Oh, this is just perfect!" Nanami screamed irritably, voice echoing out across the gap and fading away in the distance. "Are you serious?!"
They had just started traveling again that morning when they'd finally come out of the woods and had come to this large canyon.
"Where in the world do these things just pop up from?" Rue wondered aloud, feeling a little annoyed herself. Across the gap the woods appeared to continue going, but to get there the group first had to get across the annoying piece of crap gaping in front of them like an open mouth. "Saelind, do you think you can carry Nana and head down this thing with her? I want you to see if you can spot Koga and the others... for some reason, I don't think he would have wasted his time trying to jump this."
"Sure thing, Miharu!" Saelind replied, abruptly transforming into a dragon and lowered himself towards the ground so Nana could hop onto his back.
"Miharu-chan, you'd better be careful!" the blonde woman called, shaking her fist and shooting a green-eyed glare her way once they began to ascend into the sky. "If you're careless and you get hurt, I'll whip your backside right off once it heals!"
"Don't worry, Nana!" Rue shouted back, waving at them until they were out of sight. "All I have to do is get across!"
Shaking her head and hefting her backpack, the girl spun on her heel and trotted along the gap in the opposite direction to see if the chasm had any relatively narrow spaces where she could just jump across. To her dismay, she found that it didn't—but she did find an old bridge that was barely managing to hang on by the single rope that connected it to both ends. Once she was standing at the edge, Rue calculated what she'd need to do to keep from falling into the pit.
Then, lowering her head, the girl took a terrified breath and finally leapt forward, darting across the bridge—keeping her footsteps light and feathery by sprinting across it top speed. The rotting rope snapped just before she made it across, however, so she sprung her legs as hard as she could—leaping so high into the air that she gave herself vertigo. However, Rue landed lightly on the other side just as the whole contraption crashed to the bottom of the chasm.
She instantly dusted her skirt off, feeling a bit frazzled.
"Damn…" the girl murmured, looking over her shoulder with shiver. "I really hope nobody decides to cross that chasm anytime soon."
With that, she ran until she hit the edge of a forest: once she was in the trees, she sprang into the air and landed on a branch.
Rue began leaping effortlessly from branch to branch through the trees until she came across a very familiar scent; she immediately halted, twisting around and sniffing the air before leaping to the previous branch. After a few seconds of smelling, she realized that it belonged to the fat man with the poison that she'd seen because the scent was completely laced with it. Rue shook her head and leapt to the ground before sliding into a run without breaking her stride.
Her training had come in handy.
Gymnastics, as a normal girl, might have taken her years to learn and even longer to master.
But as something... more... than human, she had been stunned to realize that all of her physical abilities had been enhanced beyond her comprehension.
After finding the courage to push her limits, she'd been able to do back flips and other incredible things after only a week.
By the end of two months, she had ended up surpassing the level of a gymnastics professional.
She tried not to let the scent get too far into her nose as she ran, but it only became stronger as she neared the place he was residing in. However, Rue came skidding to a halt when she saw a small house through the trees, and she frowned when the poison master's voice laughed from inside. Keeping to the shadows, the girl glanced up at the branches hovering nine feet above her and cocked her head to the side with a glint in her eyes.
After drawing her body into a crouch, Rue stopped for a moment before springing her legs outward with all of her strength and extending both of her hands.
When her palms clamped down on the haphazard pillar of wood, she let herself hang in the tree for a moment.
Then, taking a deep breath and flexing her stomach and shoulder muscles, Rue pulled her slender body into a handstand on the tree branch and swung herself like a gymnast. She let her body swing around the branch multiple times, gaining more and more momentum until she let go and flipped in the air like an acrobat. At the last second, Rue snapped her right hand out and clamped down on another branch, continuing to swing with one hand until she could get her left hand on the wood.
Her shoulder screamed in agony, but she ignored it.
Yikes... she thought silently, eyes widening as she flipped. I'm still not used to it, but I have to admit, this does give me a thrill.
Rue swung herself around again until she let go, flipping onto another branch—only this time landing on her feet and sinking into a crouch with the balance and flexibility of a cat. However, from her hiding spot in the trees, Rue could now see through the open door inside. Her face went even whiter than it already was when she saw that Kagome, Sango, and Miroku lying motionless on the floor. Only Kagome was awake, but for some reason, she was wearing wedding garb.
What the heck? Rue silently whispered, covering her mouth in horrified shock. Why is Kagome dressed up as a bride, and what happened to Sango and Miroku?
Just as she was wondering this, a fat man sidled into view.
"You shall make a beautiful bride, my dear," the fat man giggled uncontrollably. "A beautiful bride indeed."
Kagome's eyes widened in terror and tears streamed down her cheeks, making Rue's heart nearly stop.
She had never seen the girl cry, and she personally knew that Kagome was the kind of person who would never show her tears.
"Hang on, Higurashi-san... I'm coming," Rue fearfully whispered, drawing water out of the air and freezing it into a hovering blade. "I won't let him lay a finger on you, even if it means I... h-have to injure him..."
A flash of Reiji's bandaged face and enraged expression flashed behind her eyes, but she shook her head free of the fear remembering him caused. However, just as she prepared to jump down, a new scent suddenly hit her nose and she nearly fell out of the tree from the shock of it. Rue's eyes immediately darted to her right and she sank lower into the branch, attempting to melt into the shadows.
Her heart nearly stopped a second time when Sesshomaru himself entered the clearing.
She watched with large eyes when he walked right up to the hut where the fat man was laughing.
The specter turned around and cut his laughter off as he saw the demon lord.
"Huh? W-who are you?" he demanded, glaring at the silver-haired man. "No one shall disturb my wedding!"
"Naraku isn't here, either," Sesshomaru stated calmly. "I thought I'd caught his scent, but here I find you instead of him."
"Not good…" Rue whispered, not even daring herself to move. "If he sees me, I'll be in some serious trouble."
"Get back, demon!" the fat man snarled, taking a step backwards as he readied to throw something at him. "I am Mukotsu, a member of the Band of Seven! Should you move, I shall kill you where you stand!"
"The Band of Seven you say?" Sesshomaru inquired casually, ignoring the threat. "Are you the ones working for Naraku?"
"We work for no one!" Mukotsu shouted. "He was kind enough to resurrect us, but our allegiance lies with Bankotsu only!"
Rue's eyes instantly widened and her face went blank, eyes losing their sheen.
"That name..." Rue whispered, staring out at nothing. "Isn't he the one who attacked my home?!"
Inhuman rage heated up under her skin, burning away all of the current emotions that were coursing through her heart.
Her eyes sharpened and glazed over with fury, and for a moment in time, she lost control of herself.
Landing nimbly on a slender branch, the girl twisted her hands and drew more water out of the air before freezing it solid, creating three more hovering blades to go with the first. Then, easily keeping her balance by twisting her legs like a ballet dancer, Rue let the ice fall into her hand before whirling around and flinging the frozen daggers at the specter with all of her strength. The four blades sliced through the air with remarkable speed, flying just past Sesshomaru's head before burying themselves into both of the fat man's shoulders, his neck, and his stomach.
Blood was instantly sent flying in a spray, and the ice shards dissolved into sparkles.
"AGH!" the fat man screeched, clutching at the ice shards in his suddenly spurting throat. "No... why...?"
Sesshomaru whirled around to see where the frozen darts had come from, but Rue was already gone and swinging herself through the trees like a professional gymnastics acrobat, flipping her body around to the back side of the house. However, only a second later Mukotsu let go of his gushing throat and tried to run away, but Sesshomaru knocked him back with his sword—sending him flying through the rear wall. Mukotsu hastily clambered to his hands and knees, gripping the frozen blades still protruding from his body, but he stopped cold when he glanced up. There, in the shadows of the trees, was a pair of rippling fiery yellow eyes that seemed to swirl and shift in color as they burned into his face—filled with an inhuman anger and hate that was directed at him.
Yellow soon lit up with bright pink.
And the pupils contracted into slits.
"N-no!" he cried in a gurgling voice before coughing and choking slightly on his own blood.
Still hacking and clawing at the blade in his throat, the fat man spun back around and jerked to a halt.
Sesshomaru was approaching him from the other direction.
He was trapped.
"A useless being such as yourself has no purpose trying to escape me," Sesshomaru sneered, swinging his sword. "Dragon Strike!"
Almost immediately, lightning went ripping across the ground: the electricity engulfed the poison master and he screeched in agony as his body was ripped down to nothing. Rue's eyes widened when the electrical bolt ripped toward her and she instantly leapt into the trees, rapidly leaping from branch to branch in order to escape the shredding attack destroying everything below her.
"Sesshomaru!" a familiar voice roared, and Rue glanced down as Inuyasha came into the scene. "What are you doing here?!"
Her blue eyes became worried when she saw him run over to the house and stand before Kagome and the others.
Then her gaze turned to Shippo—who was nudging Kagome weakly with his tiny paws as worry strained his face.
"You should worry less about me and more about those humans of yours," Sesshomaru retorted, starting to turning away from him. "My work is done here."
A sudden movement from high above caught his attention, but by the time he glanced up, whatever it had been was long gone.
Rue flexibly slipped around the thick trunk of the tree she was resting on and leapt down to the lower levels of the branches before he could see her.
Her heart hammered hard inside her chest as she sprang down, both with the reality of what she'd done, as well as her fear of being caught.
"That was close," she groaned in relief, closing her eyes. "Dear God, that was too close. I need to be more careful."
"Inu… yasha?" Kagome's called in a weak tone. "Inu...?"
Both Rue and the mentioned boy turned to look at her: eyeing the ground below her, the small girl hopped across the branches until she could drop down to the ground below. Dusting off her dusty school skirt, the girl hefted her pack and scurried over to the bushes, watching as the demon returned to her side. She watched with apprehension, wondering what was wrong with her friends.
"Shippo, we have to get them someplace safe," he stated, deep voice sounding dead serious and heavy. "Something's not right with them."
Rue brushed her silver bangs out of her eyes so she could look at him, having never heard that tone in his voice before.
Honestly, the sound of it both shocked and surprised her since Inuyasha rarely ever let things bother him.
Just as she thought it, Kagome's head turned and her deadening brown eyes shifted in her direction.
They immediately flickered and widened, slowly filling with tears.
"Mi... ha...ru..." Kagome mewled desperately, hand weakly twitching toward the direction that the small girl was standing. "D... don't... go..."
Jerking in alarm, Rue froze with an expression of horrified shock on her face.
Kagome's eyes rolled and slid closed the moment after she said it: almost immediately, the girl went limp.
Rue backed away into the darkness, feeling a painful mixture of emotions, before sprinting towards the barrier of Mount Hakurei. She ran for what felt like an eternity, but just when she was least expecting it, the girl crashed clean into Nanami's back and they both went tumbling. The blonde fox demon immediately squealed in alarm and hastily scrabbled back to her feet, lifting her arms with a clearly defensive stance.
However, she relaxed when she saw Rue slowly standing back up and parting her silver hair like a curtain.
"You idiot! Why can't you be more careful?!" Nanami roared, repeatedly stomping her foot and hissing at her in a rage. "I almost attacked you! I thought you were an enemy for a few seconds!"
Rue didn't answer: she had been shaken to her core by the expression on Kagome's face.
Nana paused when she noticed how scared the girl looked.
"I found one of the people working with Bankotsu," Rue stammered, shakily squatting down and hugging her knees. "He... he did something to my friends. And since Sesshomaru arrived before I could really do something, I ended up not being able to help them. Inuyasha is there, though, so hopefully everything will be fine. This is just a bit overwhelming. Anyway, is there anything new about the barrier?"
"Calm down," Saelind grunted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Things just aren't adding up... I don't understand this barrier."
"What's not to understand?" Nanami bluntly demanded, turning to stare at him with raised eyebrows. "The Band of Seven are obviously working for Naraku, and they're following the orders of their leader, Bankotsu—plain and simple. This place is their burial, too."
"Yeah, but Bankotsu is the one who destroyed our home!" Saelind snapped, dusting himself off. "So, let's go get him already!"
"We can't just go running off after him," Rue pointed out, staring at the ground and rubbing her throbbing shoulder. "If we barrel in there, we could end up walking right into a trap... and if I'm not mistaken, that's the last thing we need."
"We've gotten out of worse before!" Nana snapped, scowling at her. "We can do it if we work together!"
"No, Miharu is right: we've got to think this through," Saelind agreed, gazing at the barrier in front of them. "We're having trouble getting through this barrier, aren't we? Honestly, I think we should try crossing only after we find out what's causing it."
"We know what's causing it!" Nanami retorted, glaring at him from the ground. "It's Naraku!"
"If we're going to go searching, then we'll need some help," Rue sighed, ignoring Nana and looking at Saelind. "I truly believe that we can't do this alone."
"But—!" Nana tried to interject.
"Are you going to your friends, then?" the man interrupted, running a large hand through his long black hair.
"Yes," Rue replied, averting her eyes. "They know more about things like this than I do. I've only been here for a few months."
"Hey—!" Nanami tried again.
"Do you want us to come?" Saelind inquired, once again cutting the woman off. "We will if you want us there."
"No," Rue replied, shaking her head, "I think it would be better for you to stay here and keep an eye on things. Especially since they don't know you."
"Gods above!" Nanami finally shrieked, jerking on her braided pigtails and stomping her foot in frustration. "You two don't listen at all!"
Saelind and Rue both looked at Nanami, who was growling like an angry dog.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Rue apologized, giving the woman a sweet smile. "Did you say something?"
"AGH!" Nanami roared before leaping at the tiny girl. "Time for a spanking, Missy!"
"Too slow!" Rue laughed, whirling up and out of the way and twisting her body like a ballet dancer; she moved so swiftly that the woman actually flipped past her with a startled shriek and tumbled down the hill, where she came to a halt in a clumsy heap. Her eyes widened and she twitched, though. "Nana, are you okay?! Seriously, I didn't mean to upset you that much! I was only kidding!"
"Nice," Saelind chuckled, tossing the girl a small bag filled with coins. "You need to leave right now, Miharu: they could be anywhere."
"Alright," Rue replied, sighing as she shook her head and tied her hair back into a ponytail with her chiming violet ribbons. "You be careful, and keep Nanami out of trouble."
"I will," Saelind laughed, hugging the girl before pushing her forward with a gentle tap. "Get moving."
Rue was just starting to break into a sprint when Nanami came running back up the hill and tackled the girl in a bear hug.
"You be careful!" the woman snapped, spinning the tiny teenager around in a dizzying circle as she squeezed her to the point of asphyxiation. "If you get yourself killed, I'll never forgive myself! So stay alert!"
"I will," Rue wheezed, gently patting the woman on the back, "that is... if you don't manage to crush me to death first!"
"Oh, sorry," the woman murmured, setting her back on her feet. "But do as I say! I care about what happens to you!"
"No problem," Rue replied, nodding twice before turning around taking off into the woods. "Be back as soon as I can! Promise!"
She sprinted through the forest with the presumption that she'd have to search for a long time to find a familiar scent trail, but she was thoroughly surprised when she caught her friends' scents almost right away. Inuyasha smelled like wild mint and sweat, Sango smelled like cat fur and peach blossoms, Miroku smelled like a strange brand of soap, Shippo smelled bizarrely like a mixture of dirt and green apples, and Kagome smelled like a unique blend of bleach, potato chips, and floral shampoo.
It was easy to pick them out as individual smells, but she was more surprised that the guys didn't really smell as bad as she figured she would.
However, despite the fact that she could now follow their path, the run was still very long and confusing for her.
She took several sharp turns and kept her ears open for any movement as she followed her friend's scent farther out, but before long the girl found herself staring up at a flight of stairs leading to a shrine that was hidden behind a copse of trees.
What the heck is he doing in a place like this? she wondered silently, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Here's hoping I can make them recognize me.
Shaking her head in confusion, Rue took the stairs three at a time.
However, the moment she skipped to the top, the sight that met her eyes stopped her cold.
The temple was in ruins.
Smoke was spiraling up from destroyed buildings, and piles of burning debris were everywhere.
"Inuyasha?!" Rue shrieked, clutching at her school shirt in horror; her shout echoed into the clearing with a frantic tinge. "Inuyasha, where are you?!"
No one answered her cry for a very long moment, and she felt a sense of icy dread creeping up inside her chest.
However, the girl nearly fainted from relief when he slowly came out from behind the only building that had been left standing. His white hair gleamed like snow as he stepped forward and halted a good distance away, red Kimono billowing in the wind. He stared at her for a long time, looking her over from a distance.
A man in monk's robes followed him outside.
"Who is this?" the monk inquired, making Rue look at him in confusion. "A friend of yours?"
"Inuyasha! Hey! It's me!" Rue called with a wave, yellow eyes gleaming. "Miharu Tachibana! It's been a while!"
"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded threateningly, planting a hand on his sword. "I don't know you."
"Yes, you do! The reason why you think you don't is because someone cast a memory spell on me!" Rue called, tilting her head to the side and brushing the side of her pleated knee-length green skirt. "You really don't recognize me? I mean, I'm still wearing my school uniform, so it should be a giveaway!"
"Tch!" he scoffed, leering at her; however, when he leaned forward and took a few cautious sniffs, his eyes widened. "M-Miharu?!"
"Duh... who else would be so friendly in this kind of situation?!" the girl quietly called, giving him a small wave. "Anyway, how have you been?"
"How are you alive?" he demanded, frowning at her suspiciously. "More importantly... why... can't I seem to remember what you used to look like?"
"I didn't die, you loser," Rue stated with a frown, hand freezing in the air as a glare lit her expression on fire. "And like I said, someone cast a spell on me. Right now, I'm under an enchantment that affects the memories of people who knew me prior to three months ago."
She instantly folded her arms and scowled when he ran over, staring at his familiar face until he was directly in front of her. She sighed and simply put up with his curiosity when he began poking her shoulders, pulling at her long hair, and sniffing her clothes and backpack.
"Wow, it is you!" he exclaimed, instantly clamping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her into a fierce bear hug. "Man, am I glad to see you!"
"It's good to see you, too," Rue murmured, returning the embrace and breathing in his familiar scent with relief. "I missed everyone while I was gone."
"Hang on, though," Inuyasha muttered, pulling away and looking down at her with a frown. "You smell…"
"Different?" Rue offered, instantly averting her eyes. "Yeah, I know... it's a long story, but back when my soul shattered... I discovered that I was the reincarnation of Priestess Midoriko."
"What?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, stiffening in surprise. "How in the hell did that happen, and when were you...?"
"It's a long story, so I'll tell you later... and anyway, would you stop poking me now?" Rue asked, daintily swatting his hands away from her injured shoulder and folding her arms. "Man, I can see that you haven't changed a bit. You're still annoying as ever."
"Shut up!" he snapped, crossing his own arms and glaring at her. "Stupid fox girl."
"Ahem," someone coughed, gently clearing their throat in order to get their attention.
"Oh, right—Miharu, this monk is the last survivor of the temple," Inuyasha explained, glancing at the man. "I'm going to search for the enemies hunting us while he looks over everyone."
"What's wrong with them?" Rue asked, instantly becoming worried. "Are they okay?"
"Go see for yourself," Inuyasha replied, face becoming grim as he nodded toward the remaining building. "They're in there."
Without another word, Rue darted past him and sprinted toward the entrance to the building. However, when the moment she bounded into the room and looked around, she froze in shock: Kagome, Sango, and Miroku were all lying motionless on the floor—barely breathing and skin ashen.
"What… what's wrong with them?" she whispered, muscles quivering when Inuyasha caught up to her. "What's happening to our friends?!"
"They were poisoned by a man named Mukotsu," the half demon replied grimly. "They're not doing too well."
"That bastard did this?!" Rue cried, rushing forward and kneeling down between Sango and Kagome. "No!"
"So, you really were there?" Inuyasha snapped, folding his arms. "Kagome wasn't hallucinating then... why didn't you stop him?"
"Um, hello?" Rue retorted, craning her neck back so she could glare at him. "I only got there about a minute before Sesshomaru did, and they were already passed out on the floor by the time I arrived. Plus, with this memory spell on me, he probably would have tried to attack me. What was I supposed to do?"
"Good point," Inuyasha muttered, shaking his head. "Miharu, will you watch over them while I'm gone?"
"No one will harm them here, I will make sure of it," the monk instantly assured, moving forward and nudging the girl aside before she could reply. "This... demon child should go with you in case you need some assistance."
The hurried way the man responded tripped a warning bell inside Rue's mind, and she glanced at him with a confused look.
"I can take care of myself!" Inuyasha growled, planting a clawed hand on her tiny shoulder. "She stays here: I have a feeling that you'll need her help."
He can be so clueless sometimes, Rue noted silently, glancing up at him in dismay, but I have to admit it makes me happy to know he relies on me.
"I won't let anything happen to them," the girl said gently, giving him a firm look. "Higurashi-san... all of you... you're my friends."
"I'll be counting on you, so just shut up and keep an eye on them," the half-demon snapped, turning around and leaving the room. "Oh, and Shippo—you keep an eye on things, too!"
"What? But I'm—!" Shippo tried to protest; before he could answer the command, the half-demon left the room; the small fox child scampered up Rue's slender leg and hopped up onto her shoulders before hugging her silver head tightly. "I can't do it! I'm too small!"
"Don't sell yourself short, Shippo, especially over something like that," Rue sighed, pulling the child off of her shoulders and hugging him gently. "Seriously, kiddo—I'm living proof that the size of your body doesn't mean you're weak. What gives you strength is the determination resting in your heart—and I, personally, believe that you're stronger than anyone since your heart is so big."
"Really?" he asked in a small voice.
"Really," Rue replied, taking a seat next to Kagome's head and letting Shippo crawl into her lap. "I mean it."
Rue closed her eyes as silence took hold of the room, especially since the monk was gone for the time being.
She was sort of glad that he'd left since his eyes were too shady for her taste.
They reminded her of Tsuruuki's eyes.
"Um… Miharu?" Shippo suddenly asked, making the girl's eyes shoot open. "Are you okay?"
"How did you know it was me?" Rue quipped, glancing down at him in amazement. "I haven't said anything about who I was yet, have I?"
"No, but I heard Inuyasha talking outside," Shippo mumbled. "He can be really loud sometimes."
"Yeah, he can," Rue agreed with a smirk.
"Anyway, why did you leave?" he continued, looking up at her. "Why didn't you tell us in person?"
"It's really a long story and right now isn't the best time to tell it," Rue sighed, ruffling his hair. "I'll explain everything to you when I can get the chance, okay?"
"Okay," Shippo mumbled, nodding his head. "I'm glad you're back... everyone worried about you a lot after you disappeared."
"I'll bet," Rue mumbled, letting out a guilty sigh. "I'll be sure to apologize to them once they wake up."
"Are you two well?" the monk suddenly asked, appearing in the doorway without warning. "You seem to be getting along."
Rue's eyes went blank and she stared at him in alarm, feeling seriously disturbed since she hadn't sensed his return. She watched him with hesitant eyes as he set the supplies down next to Kagome, but she stiffened when the poisoned girl suddenly shifted and murmured something.
"Kagome-san?" Rue whispered under her breath, eyes widening slightly. "Are you awake?"
She didn't respond.
"I will prepare something for you both to eat, but you should really rest," the monk sighed, setting down a burning candle before turning to look at Rue. "My dear, will you go and retrieve some water from the well outside?"
"Eh? Sure," Rue replied slowly, giving him a confused blink. "Shippo, stay here while I go get it, okay?"
"Okay," the little boy replied, nodding in an almost sleepy manner. "I'll be waiting for you."
"Good boy," Rue murmured, ruffling his hair as she stood up and headed for the entrance. "Be back in a second, kay?"
Something was telling the girl to stay put... some strange feeling that said leaving wouldn't be smart... but there was obviously nothing wrong, so she reasoned that a few seconds outside wouldn't hurt her. Trotting down the steps, Rue headed to the well that was resting about ten feet from the building before leaning over and staring down into the darkness.
"Ugh, how can Kagome jump down a height like that without even being afraid?" Rue wondered with a shiver, then grabbed the bucket resting by the edge of the well and deftly tied it onto the string. "Just looking at a well like this makes my skin crawl. It was less scary when I jumped into the Bone Eater's well because at least there I could see the bottom."
Sighing, the girl let the pail fall down the opening, but frowned in confusion when it didn't splash.
Blinking a few times, Rue cocked her head before leaning over the side again and peering down over the edge.
She frowned when she realized that there was no light reflecting off water of any sort.
A dry well?
Rue suddenly stiffened and shivered when a strange swishing sound echoed behind her.
Springing into action, the small girl immediately grabbed onto the edge of the well and propelled herself into a handstand before she let her body flip limply over the edge, where she hung awkwardly above the gaping darkness by her fingertips. The second after she flipped into the well, an explosion rattled the spot she'd previously standing. Awkwardly letting go of the stone with her right hand, Rue expertly flipped her wrists into a normal grip and faced the wall.
Then, springing her legs outward, the girl back-flipped out of the well.
She landed nimbly on the ground, opposite the side she'd previously been standing on.
"What the heck?!" she cried, panting slightly as she stared through the smoke and dust. "Hey! Who just tried to attack me?! Where are you?!"
However, when the dust finally cleared, she saw that the monk was standing on the other side of the well... but he was no longer wearing a monk's clothing.
His face was painted, just like the other two Band of Seven members, and his clothes were just as flashy.
"The half-breed really messed up my plans by leaving a wench like you here to guard them, but it doesn't matter now," he chuckled, lifting an urn to his mouth and taking a deep gulp of the liquid resting inside of it. "I have the woman's jewel shards and they will aid me in your defeat!"
Rue's eyes widened in fright and she instantly skipped back a few steps, raising her arms in a defensive posture: she knew exactly what he was going to do since she'd witnessed the very same technique back at the cavern school multiple times thanks to Saelind's regular sparring partner. But she didn't know if she was ready to face it head on: her mouth trembled when he pulled the urn away and fire—hot and bright—exploded from his mouth toward her.
"Sorry," Rue whispered, eyes saddening when violet light immediately engulfed her entire body; eyes glowing brilliantly, she gracefully twisted her arms and let her own powers loose, forcefully gaining control over the flames. The girl twirled her body once she had them and danced like a ballet star, sending the flames roaring around her form by twisting in a circle before throwing them right back at the imposter. "I won't be holding back against you."
"What the hell?!" he cried, leaping to the side and barely evading his own flames. "What is this?!"
The small girl's eyes saddened when the violet glow around her body grew brighter and seemed to snap like electricity.
Rue silently lifted her hands and clutched them against her chest before doubling over and arching her back.
Letting out a strained shriek, the girl flexed her back muscles and allowed her wings to explode from their harness, shredding the back of her school shirt.
"I won't let you hurt anymore of my friends," the girl stated coldly, majestically spreading her wings and stretching them twelve feet exactly from tip to tip. "You never should have picked a fight with me. Now I have no choice."
So saying, Rue began heating and charging the air around her body with light and static electricity: hovering balls of hissing flame and electricity ignited around her palms. Once the fire and lightning balls were hovering in the air, she withdrew a tremendous spray of moisture and froze it to the back of her wrists, creating two solid blades of ice that stretched three feet in length. Taking a deep breath, Rue flapped her wings until she was hovering in the air, then threw a deafening bolt of lightning and a roaring fireball at him. He leapt to the side with a shout before the ground erupted with a violet flash of light.
The battle was on.
The assassin dodged the winged girl's attacks.
However, her fire, lightning, and ice rained down on him with a fury never before witnessed by anyone who'd known her. Finally, Rue decided to try something new and flapped her wings with strong, powerful motions—flying nearly twenty meters into the air before she stopped and let gravity pull herself back down. After flipping upside down, she twirled her body and spread her wings—flinging her arms out to the sides with a cry of rage as she dove toward her opponent.
A ball of lighting crackling lightning exploded into the world as the girl sped toward the ground, gathering in speed as she herself did.
When she was less than twenty feet off the ground, Rue shifted the angle of her wings and swooped above the man in a graceful arc, throwing the crackling lightning ball straight at him. This time the elemental attack was moving much too fast for him to dodge and he was struck dead center in the chest.
With a cry, he was thrown seven yards away, where he landed flat on the ground.
"Just stop fighting already," Rue stated grimly, landing smoothly on the ground and gracefully folding her wings. "If you surrender, I won't hurt you. I promise."
"Shut up," the man hissed as he climbed to his feet, slanted black eyes narrowing before he started glancing around nervously. "Don't look down on me!"
Suddenly he spun around, quickly lifting his urn and letting loose his fire breath again.
Only this time, it wasn't aimed at her—it was aimed at the building that her friends were resting inside. Rue instantly let out a shriek of horror and flung her hands out, letting her power flow in a rush. The girl's pure energy clawed at the fire blasting in the opposite direction, but it was no use: there was too much of it, and whatever didn't fall into her power hit the house dead on—engulfing it in flames. After throwing the flames she had control of into the ground, Rue darted forward and leapt into the air, springing herself off of the man's head to gain momentum. Heedless of the danger she was putting herself in, the girl dove through window beneath the weakening roof and leapt into the flames that had engulfed the structure.
Embers singed the feathers on her wings as she did so.
"There's no getting out of that, child," the monk-imposter laughed maniacally with a dark grin, but his attention was quickly claimed by another commotion coming from the stairs. "You and your friends will die..."
Inside the burning building, Rue struggled to pull Kagome and Miroku closer to Sango before grabbing Shippo's sleeping form and cradling him in her arms.
Frantically glancing around at the raging inferno surrounding them, Rue focused her mind on keeping her friends safe and forced the fire back with her powers.
They were trapped and the heat was extraordinary, but she knew that couldn't let it get in the way of her focus or she and her friends would burn to death. Every time the flames came too close, Rue thrust out the hand not holding Shippo and pushed them back with her mind... forcing the embers to retreat into the flames they were spreading from. However, despite the fact that she was constantly killing the smaller fires, soon after they came right back.
Lord, what do I do now? Rue wondered desperately, panting heavily and gasping in exhaustion as sweat started streaming down her ashen face. I trained with stuff like this all the time back at the cavern, but there's too much here for me to deal with! The fires I fought against back then were nothing in comparison!
"Miharu-chan?" a small voice asked.
"Shippo!" Rue panted, looking down at the small fox child in her arms. "Are you alright?!"
"The monk lit a candle and I got really tired…" Shippo mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on the job."
"The candle must have been doused with a sleeping herb, so it's not your fault," Rue panted, shaking her head. "Don't fret, I can handle this!"
However, she twitched when a flame ripped over again and—with a squeaking wheeze that shook her entire body from the intensity of her strain—pushed the flames back with her mind before hunching over and gasping for air. The moment Shippo looked up at her pale, sweat-soaked face he fully woke up and jerked upright in her arms, ears shooting straight up in alarm.
"What's going on?" he cried hysterically, taking in the roaring flames that had surrounded them. "Miharu-chan?!"
"That monk was one of the Band of Seven members in disguise," Rue groaned weakly, pushing back yet another set of flames and stomping out the few remaining cinders near her feet with her sandals. "He attacked me outside and set the house on fire before I could stop him!"
Shippo instantly hopped out of her arms, started screaming "Fox Fire," and threw his small blue flames at the inferno that had encircled them.
Even with his help, however, Rue knew they weren't getting anywhere.
"It's still coming!" he cried, turning to look at her with huge blue eyes. "What do we do?!"
"Shippo, get back!" Rue angrily cried, hastily producing her own fire and throwing it past him as a wall of flame much too big for him to handle nearly engulfed his body. "Seriously, get the hell over here, Shippo!"
The small fox boy instantly raced over and grabbed onto Kagome's arm, trembling as he stared at her with round eyes.
Rue looked right into those terrified blue irises for a long moment before she knelt down in the style of Japanese student.
Placing her palms on her knees and resting the majority of her weight on her heels, she closed her glowing violet eyes and focused all of her innate energy—sending it straight into the center of her body. The girl let it gather until it was concentrated, then let it loose with an intense gasp at the rush of power she felt searing through her. In a blinding flash of light, the energy surrounded her kneeling form and a wall of white fire swirled around them, forming a blinding white shield.
"How long will it last?" Shippo whispered fearfully. "Do you know?"
"With this fire burning so hot, I'm not sure," Rue croaked, wearily opening an eye and glancing at the little boy. "If I can manage to hold it up until the fire dies down, I might be able to get us out of here. If not, I'll collapse from the strain being put on my body."
"This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't fallen asleep," Shippo sniffled, rubbing his eyes. "It's my fault we're trapped."
"Don't talk like that, Shippo!" Rue whispered weakly, slowly shaking her head. "It's not your fault! Not in the least!"
"Yes, it is!" he bawled, finally bursting into tears. "I was the one who found this place, and I brought us here!"
"Ugh, whatever! I don't care who's fault it is! I just want Inuyasha to hurry back," Rue mewled, shoulders starting to tremble with the strain of keeping the barrier up. The flames were somehow starting to get even hotter as they began crawling over her shield, licking up the sides until the fire had engulfed it completely. Rue's face began contorting in pain as the strain of keeping the fire back attacked her nervous system. "Ow, ow, ow! Keeping this thing up is really starting to hurt! Owww!"
"Ugh! Inuyasha!" Shippo wailed angrily, beating the ground with his tiny paws. "Get your brainless butt back here and save us!"
"OOOWWW! IT HURTS! I CAN'T KEEP THIS UP!" Rue finally wailed, throwing her head back in agony and involuntarily digging her nails into her knees until they bled when her body began convulsing. "S-someone he-elp us! Please!"
"—me?! Ka… ome…?!" a distant voice answered. "Miharu?! SHIPPO?!"
"Inu-yasha, h-help us!" Rue wailed, flinging her head forward and letting out a strangled scream. "P-please! It hurts! I can't hold it back any longer!"
"Inuyasha, help!" Shippo cried, bawling hysterically. "We can't get out!"
"Kagome!" a familiar voice roared, and out of nowhere something broke through the roof—landing right next to the shield. In hurried desperation, Rue extended the shield until it included her friend and protected him from the fires. "What happened here?! Are they all right?!"
"I-I-Inuyasha!" Shippo sobbed in relief.
"Kagome!" the boy shouted, reaching down and pulling the limp Japanese girl into his arms. "What did he do to you?! What happened?!"
"It was the monk," Rue wheezed, speaking through the painful convulsions and barely managing to keep up her concentration. "The monk attacked me and set the house on fire... he was disguised... he's really one of the Band of Seven."
"Yeah, I know—his name is Renkotsu," Inuyasha replied, voice sounding low and strangled. "I took care of him a little while ago."
"Inuyasha, I-I…. I don't think I can hold out much longer," Rue whimpered jerkily, letting out small involuntary cries of pain as her body jerked and convulsed; little shooting pains kept surging through her nerves. "Ow! O-ow! God, t-this really h-hurts!"
"Hang in there, Miharu," the half demon stated sympathetically. "The fire will die down soon."
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry!" Shippo wailed. "The poison is killing them and it's my fault! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"It's not your fault, Shippo," Inuyasha replied, not even looking up. "It's theirs."
"The pain is l-lessening a little bit," Rue whimpered shakily as her convulsions slowly began to ease. "It's getting easier to hold up the shield. I-I think I can hold it until the fire dies away."
"I'm glad to see that you're alive," Inuyasha said quietly, sitting down and resting his back against Rue's. "When I saw the fire and heard you screaming, I thought you guys were burning to death."
"I knew…" Shippo sniffled from next to them, stumbling to get the words out. "I knew… I knew…"
"I know," Inuyasha murmured gently, stopping the crying child in his tracks. "You were very brave, Shippo. You made the pain easier for Rue by helping her to protect everyone from the heat with your Fox Fire."
"They've all stopped breathing, Inuyasha!" the small fox child cried, bursting into tears again. "They're not alive anymore!"
"What?!" Inuyasha roared. "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!"
Rue's eyes went blank and her pupils contracted into slits: slowly turning her head, she could hear her heartbeat thudding in her ears.
Sure enough, none of her friends were breathing any longer.
"No..." Rue whispered, golden eyes becoming huge despite the convulsions in her body. "No... not again... NO!"
"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried, rushing over to the Japanese girl's side and gently lifting her into his arms. "This can't be happening! Come on, Kagome! Open your eyes! Say something, Kagome!"
"Master Inuyasha, please!" a small, barely audible voice squeaked. "What on earth are you doing?"
Huh? Who said that? Rue wondered, jerkily glancing around for the source of the sound until she spotted a small insect bouncing up and down on her friend's shoulder; the girl instantly twitched and recoiled in horrified disgust. Ew! What the heck is that?!
"You were here, too, Myoga?" Inuyasha whispered, voice getting more desperate by the second. "It's about time!"
"You, Shippo, and that girl right there will all end up burning to death unless you get out of here now!" the small insect ranted, ignoring his question as he began to bounce on his shoulder again. "We've got to get everyone someplace safer!"
Inuyasha set Kagome's unmoving body back onto the ground and slowly stood up, drawing his sword.
Instinct told Rue to drop her shield, but instead of letting it dissipate instantly, she lowered it slowly and uncertainly—once again letting in the fire's heat in until it beat against their bodies. With a loud cry, Inuyasha used his wind scar and watched emotionlessly as it ripped through the flames, tearing the house apart and blasting it into pieces. Rue sighed in relief and fell forward, smashing face-first into the ground. She lay limply on her stomach where she'd fallen without even caring that her face was buried in a pile of smoldering soot. Inuyasha fell to his knees, thrusting the tip of his sword into the burned wood so he could lean on it.
"Damn!" he snarled angrily, but silence soon took over again—feeling much heavier now that the roaring flames had been destroyed. "DAMN IT!"
Rue continued to lie limply with her face buried in the pile of ashes while she attempted to muster up some strength.
After a moment, she weakly turned her blackened face and looked at Shippo—who was still crying hard and clinging to his friends.
Rue instantly swallowed and bit back a fit of tears when she remembered her friends back at the cavern village.
They had all been slaughtered like animals.
"Shippo, don't cry," Rue whispered hoarsely, but stopped when a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Wait..."
Are these three even dead? Just because they're not breathing doesn't mean that they aren't still alive! Rue silently exclaimed as the shock of hope surged through her. Their hearts could still be beating even though they aren't breathing anymore!
She was just about to use her remaining strength to grab Kagome's wrist and check for a pulse when Inuyasha spoke.
"Don't cry, Shippo," he murmured. "You did everything you could."
"But… it wasn't enough, and they died!" the little boy wailed, burying his muzzle in his paws. "I'll never be able to forgive myself! It's my fault! If I hadn't brought them to this temple, they'd still be alive right now!"
"It's not your fault," Rue whispered weakly, but the kid still bawled despite her attempt to soothe him. "It's really not your fault."
"Just quit it!" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at the ground. "You're not to blame for anything! It's my fault!"
"You're just saying that!" the little fox boy retorted through his tears. "It's all my fault, and you know it!"
Rue took the opportunity to check Kagome's pulse: she nearly fainted in relief when she felt a faint throb against her fingers.
"Okay, would you two stop it already?" Rue whined, closing her eyes. "I don't even have the energy to cover my ears right now! And there's no need for this, since Kagome and the others are still alive!"
"What?!" Inuyasha hissed, looking at them in shock. "They are?!"
"Yes, they still have a pulse," Rue retorted, struggling to get up and failing miserably, "but they're not breathing, and they won't last long unless we do something."
"Yes, enough already!" Myoga-the-unknown-insect finally cried, jumping onto a board resting near Shippo. "Crying isn't going to solve anything! We've got to get these four away from here and to an open area! And yes, I say four because that silver-haired maiden right there looks like she can barely move."
"Finally, someone with their head on straight," Rue sighed wearily, closing her tired eyes in exhaustion. When Inuyasha turned around and froze, Rue opened her eyes and saw that Shippo was weakly pulling at their bodies—trying to move them as tears spilled into the red fur below his eyes. "Shippo..."
"Stop... I'll do it," Inuyasha said gently, voice completely calm as he bent down and slid his arms under her body. "Don't worry."
The girl's round eyes snapped open wide when she unexpectedly found herself being lifted into the air.
"Inuyasha…" Shippo whined, looking up at the two with tears still rimming his eyes. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it, kid," he muttered, grabbing their other three friends with firm eyes. "Get on my back."
So saying, the fox demon climbed up on his leg and scurried up to his shoulders.
Then, Inuyasha leapt into the air.