Chapter XXI: Ensnaring Symphonies: The Melody Charmer Iselia

Nightshroud: I like the title I came up with. Awesome, no? I actually got another picture done, this one of Rolan. Mina, Iselia, and Vesper are partially done. Sorry I haven't updated as fast as I would have liked, but things have been a little hectic around my house. On a good note, I already have evertyhing in this world planned out, so there won't be any cases of writers block. 8D Anyway, enjoy!

"Damn Heartless," Inuyasha growled as he sliced through one with his claws.

"They do seem to be troublesome, don't they?" Miroku said as he knocked a Shadow to the side with his staff. Kagome kept firing off arrows as fast as she could manage.

"A little help here!" she called. Sango responded to her call and jumped in front of her, slicing through the Heartless with her Hiraikotsu. Shippo rode on Kilala, who leaped at a Carrion and dragged it out of the sky with her fangs in it. Shippo jumped off her back and attacked a group of Shadows that came at Kilala.

"Fox Fire!"

He unleashed small blue flames that hit the Shadows and destroyed them.

"Good job, Shippo," Kagome said with a smile. Shippo smiled bashfully.

"Aww, it was nothing," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, we know," Inuyasha said, looking down at him with superiority. Shippo glared at him as they moved forward again.

"What do you think's happening back there?" Inuyasha wondered aloud as they ran ahead. Miroku placed a hand on his chin as he thought.

"Well, that stranger did seem a bit...imposing. Perhaps we should go back and help."

"Nah, that kid seemed pretty determined to do it himself," Inuyasha said with a shake of his head.

"Since when do you consider other people's wishes?" Kagome asked from on his back. Inuyasha frowned.

"You hardly have room to talk," he retorted. Kagome gasped, then turned her head and pouted. Shippo sighed from behind Miroku.

"There they go again."

"Hey, guys," Sango cut in. They all stopped and looked at her.

"What is it, Sango?" Miroku asked, leaning forward on Kilala's back to see over Sango's shoulder while Shippo hopped on his shoulder.

"It's starting to get foggy," she replied.

"That's weird. I didn't see it a minute ago," Kagome said, looking about. Kilala descended, and the three on her disembarked.

"It's probably safer to go on foot from now on. The fog is pretty thick," Miroku said, peering ahead.

"We should probably hold hands or something," Kagome suggested. Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his nose up in the air.

"There's no way in hell I'm holding hands with everyone."

"Fine!" Kagome yelled. With a huff of exasperation she stomped into the fog.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, running in after her. Miroku and Sango looked at each other and sighed. Miroku offered his arm to Sango, who accepted with a blush. With Shippo on Miroku's shoulder and Kilala, now in her shrunken form, in Sango's arms, the two followed into the fog after Inuyasha and Kagome.

Iselia smirked as she watched from her place at the top of the cliff. Her plan was working out better than she hoped.

"The loud-mouthed half demon made it easier than it should have been," Iselia laughed to herself.

"I wouldn't talk about loud mouths," a voice said from behind her. Iselia inwardly cringed.

"Not this creep..."

She turned and saw Naraku smirking at her. She stood up and crossed her arms.

"Who invited you here? I told you I'd get the princess myself."

Naraku chuckled and grabbed her by the chin.

"Careful. That firey spirit will get you in trouble."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, pushing his hand away.

"I'm just making sure that Diana's end of the bargain is upheld. I want what's mine."

"Believe me, you'll get what's yours," she said. Naraku didn't seem to catch her hidden meaning, and was content to return to his own business. Iselia sat down again and forced herself to concentrate as she lifted her weapon to her lips.

Kagome stamped her foot in frustration.

"If only he hadn't been so stubborn!" she fumed. Now she was totally lost. She looked about and sighed.

"Maybe it's my fault too..."

Seeing no other option, she continued forward. As she felt the terrain climbing higher, the fog seemed to lift. She finally found herself standing high on the mountain, everything clear and fresh. She looked back and saw that the fog just seemed to linger in a patch between where she stood and where she had come from.

"That's weird..."

A sound suddenly broke through the silence on the mountain. It was a soothing, yet somehow sad sound that drifted through the air around her.

"Music?"

Kagome put her hand to her head as she felt a sudden dizziness. Was it her imagination, or were the leaves blowing around her? Her eye lids drooped slowly, and her eyes grew cloudy. The air seemed to grow thick with the sound. Everything was swimming in front of her.

"Enchanting Melody: Mesmeric Control!"

Iselia watched with a smile as Kagome fell under her control.

"That's right. Now, walk through the portal."

A corridor of darkness appeared in front of Kagome. As Iselia'd tune continued to float about her, Kagome slowly walked toward the portal.

"Good. Just a little closer."

"Kagome!"

"What?!"

Iselia watched from her place on the cliff as Inuyasha bounded out of the fog and grabbed Kagome by the shoulders.

"Kagome, what's wrong with you?" he demanded, shaking her.

"Hmm? Wha..." she mumbled, beginning to come about. Iselia stood and glared down at the half demon.

"You! What the hell do you think your doing, dog sh-"

Iselia stopped suddenly as she heard the sound of something flying through the air. She turned and saw Sango's Hiraikotsu flying through the air at her. She quickly jumped off the cliff as the boomerang broke the edge off. Iselia lifted her weapon to her lips as she fell.

Kagome shook her head and looked up in time to see Iselia drifting down through the air slowly, as though falling with a parachute, while she played a soft, cotinuous note. When her feet touched the ground, she immediately ran toward the path leading up the cliff, but Inuyasha jumped in the way, blocking her escape.

"Get the hell out of my way!" she barked at him.

"Not a chance. You better start talking. Who are you? And what were you doing with Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded. Iselia smirked.

"You'll find that out soon enough. But I don't have time to waste here."

Iselia lifted her weapon to her lips, and Miroku's eyes widened in surprise.

"What is it, Miroku?" Sango asked.

"Her weapon...it's an ocarina," Miroku said.

"That's right," said Iselia with a nod. "And you will be priviledged enough to hear one of my special tunes."

Iselia began playing a loud, deep note. Everyone noticed that the ground began to shake.

"What's going on?" Shippo asked, jumping on Kagome shoulder. Suddenly the ground began splitting, cracking, and splintering violently outward from Iselia. Inuyasha quickly grabbed Kagome and shielded her as the ground exploded upward.

Sota, Mina, and Jax stopped short as they saw an explosion further up the mountain.

"That must be Inuyasha and the others," Mina said with a look of concern.

"We'd better hurry. Come on!" Sota said, sprinting up the path.

Kagome opened her eyes to see Inuyasha on top of her. They both blushed before Kagome shoved him off of her. She saw Miroku and Sango together.

"Where's Shippo?" she wondered aloud. She looked behind to see Shippo, dazed and flattened.

"Oh, Shippo! I'm so sorry!" she said, picking him up.

"Where did the-" Miroku stopped short when he saw Sango look at him. "strangely dressed lady go?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he looked about.

"She got away! Damn it!" he cursed.

"She couldn't have gotten to far away," Sango reasoned. "If we hurry, we should be able to catch up."

Inuyasha nodded.

"Let's go."

Kagome hopped on his back, and the others climbed on Kilala, and they took off toward the shrine.

"Dirty dog bastard almost had me," Iselia panted as she walked into the shrine.

"So, you didn't get the princess?" she head a voice ask. She knew it was Naraku, but she couldn't see him. She peered ahead. He must be in the shadows at the back of the shrine.

"No. Inuyasha and the others showed up just in time. I couldn't face all of them at once, so you'd better have a good idea."

She walked forward as he replied.

"Actually I do. Inuyasha's group and the keyblade group might be a little too much. So I'm going to need a little extra power."

By the time he had finished, Iselia was standing in the shadows.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, looking about. She suddenly felt something thick and slimy wrap around her leg. She looked down and was instantly repulsed.

"What the hell is this?" she yelled, tryinbg to shake it off, but it only continued to worm it way up her leg. Another strange tentacle shot out of the dark and wrapped around her torso and arm opposite her entangled leg. Naraku emerged from the shadows, only a head on a blob of sickening tentacles and other slimy parts.

"Once I absorb you, I should have enough energy to defeat Inuyasha and the keyblader," he said with a sickening smirk as he pulled her closer to him. She cursed and squirmed, but she couldn't get free.

"I always imagined I'd die taking down hundreds of bastards with me, not being this effed-up pyscho's meal," she lamented.

"Naraku!" they both heard. Iselia turned her head and saw Inuyasha and his group standing at the entrance to the shrine.

"Inuyasha, what a pleasant surprise," Naraku said with mock politeness. He shot a tentacle at Inuyasha, but Inuyasha used Tessaiga to hack it off.

"And where is the keyblade boy?" he asked, as he directed a series of tentacles at them.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha yelled, sending a powerful shockwave of wind at Naraku. Naraku smirked and put up a barrier as Inuyasha's attack got close. The barrier reflected the attack back, causing Inuyasha and the others to scatter as it ripped apart the entrance to the shrine. Naraku laughed, but his eyes widned when Inuyasha landed in front of him, Tessaiga glowing red.

"The Red Tessaiga?" Naraku growled. Inuyasha smirked and sliced through Naraku's barrier. Naraku quickly swatted him aside with a tentacle. He suddenly flet tremendous spiritual force and looked to see Kagome fire a scared arrow at him. He had just enough time to push Iselia and the right side of his body aside as the arrow riped through him.

"Meddling wench..."

"And here's Jax!"

Naraku looked up to see Jax slice through Naraku's tentacles and grab Iselia, both falling to the ground. Jax quickly rolled to the side as Naraku's tentacles shot upward through the floorboards. As soon as they were safe, Iselia shoved Jax off of her. Jax rubbed his head and glared.

"What, no thank you?" he mumbled.

"So now the party's all here," Inuyasha said, brandishing Tessaiga. Naraku smirked as he morphed into a more human form (like the one he used after Mount Hakurei).

"Then let us begin."

Nightshroud: A pretty good amount of action for a filler chapter. Next is Naraku's fight. I'm going on vacation Friday and won't be back until Sunday, so I won't have a chapter for a few days, but I'll try to get one up when I get back. So leave a nice review and I'll get back faster. 8D

Next chapter: I'll have to think of one, hehe.