Alright! A new update! However now I have my computer fixed and my new laptop, from the 5th to the 12th I will not be able to update. I'll be on vacation. I'll try to handwrite them again but no updates till I get back. Bear with me and know that if you read multiple stories, I'm aiming to update each at least once before I go on vacation.
And now...enjoy!
Sesshomaru tightened his hand on Urahara's throat and growled. "Your games are done old man." His eyes were almost completely red with rage as he stared at the bruised and bleeding man. The rage was almost blinding in its intensity. Urahara had endangered not only his sister-in-law but the unborn child of his brother and two innocents. The demon part of him wanted to rip him to shreds slowly but a few hundred years of friendship was trying to keep him alive.
Urahara gasped around the pressure on his throat. "No, the games are just beginning." He closed his eyes as he was launched across the clearing a smile on his face. (don't you just want to smack the crap out of him too?)
Sango could feel the small woman following behind her as she headed further into the back gardens trying to get to an area she could fight in without damaging Sesshomaru's plants. He seemed like a much kinder person but she knew the garden had cost a fortune and during ne of Miroku and Inuyasha's fights weeks ago he'd thrashed them both for trampling one of his hydrangea bushes. When she hit the edge of the hedge that marked the border of the garden she had to dodge a surge of heat that flew towards her. She watched the red ball of energy hit a tree a few feet in front of her and was impressed. Not bad Rukia. Sango thought peering backwards towards where Rukia was hiding.
Rukia raced forward bringing out her sword in a downward sweep at Sango. Sango leapt backwards then stepped on Rukias blade then swiped her own forward to cause Rukia to have to let go of her sword. "Never sweep down to the ground on a swing." Sango informed her kicking Rukia's Zanpakuto into the air and catching it by the hilt. She crouched ready to charge at Rukia and knock her out so that she could 'escape'. She liked this game of Kagome's, they had played a more innocent version of it a few times while they were in the Feudal Era but Kagome had simply called it 'hide and seek' but the concept was the same. It had the potential for great benefits as Sango was quickly beginning to see.
Rukia scowled and held out her hands. "Disintegrate, black dog of Rondaniini. Look upon your burning soul and sever your throat. Bakudou #9 – Geki." She shouted shooting a red haze towards Sango.
Sango felt her arms stiffen and cursed trying to back out of the haze but it was too late. She was immobile.
"Aizen is a master of the Demon Arts. I don't know if his power will have increased or decreased with the combining of him and the other two," Rukia explained moving forward and plucking the blades from Sango's stiff hands, "but I'll need to teach you all how to avoid and break these holds." She turned to set the blades down but froze when a sense of paralysis hit her as well. Before she was completely frozen she looked back at Sango whose eyes were sparkling with mischief. "You are good."
Sango smiled as much as the Geki spell would allow and winked. "You're pretty good yourself."
"How'd you do it?" Rukia asked letting herself fall gently to the ground.
"Potion on the handle of my sword. I'm immune to it myself." Sango responded thoughtfully then worked on trying to burst open the barrier on herself.
"Simple and effective." Rukia commented thoughtfully. "No soul reaper will think of something that simple."
"But Naraku might." Sango interrupted, "We will need to combine all of our powers to destroy them."
Rukia nodded as much as she could then closed her eyes as she tried to move past the paralysis. "So until one of us is free…how did you meet Miroku?"
"Alright Tohru what special skills do you have?" Kimi asked as she and Tohru walked down the forest paths following Akina's aura.
"Umm, I'm good at housekeeping." Tohru replied smiling up at Kimi.
Kimi laughed and ruffled Tohru's hair. "That wasn't what I meant. I mean battle and fighting wise. What can you do?" Kimi knew Kagome had been training her in the priestess way but from what Kagome said they hadn't progressed very far. But that didn't mean there wasn't something before she'd come to the house.
Tohru looked down. It was in this field that she felt useless and hated herself. Her mother had been leader of a suicide squad, Uo used to be a gangster, and Hana had wave powers, but she, little precious, sunshine Tohru, was useless. "I can't do anything."
Kimi stared thoughtfully at her new friend and could see the sadness and regret swirling around her. She touched her gently and made her stop to look up at her. "Tohru stop that right now." She shook her head when Tohru tried to ask what she was doing. "You aren't useless, you aren't a burden. You see Tohru…" She held up a hand with three fingers straight up. "There are three types of strength." She put down one finger, "Strength of arms, being able to wield weapons and be able to fight." She relaxed another one, "Strength of powers, being able to wield magic or demon blood lines." And finally she set down the third finger. "And strength of the heart. This is the one that is the most difficult to truly have. You can train yourself to fight, you can learn to use magic, but you are born with a pure and strong heart. Those with strength of the heart are like Kagome." Kimi trailed a finger down Tohru's cheek in a mimic of a scar that was on Kagome's face. "Throughout all the battles, the killing, the blood, and the healing, the pain and the hope, there is nothing but a steady belief in people, a love of everyone else and a determination that keeps them moving forward."
Tohru was quiet as she thought about Kimi's words. "I don't know I have any of those." She finally whispered tears filling her eyes.
"Of course you do." Kimi replied laughing and turning to keep following Akina. "You have managed to get all of the Sohma's to love and protect you from the person they fear the most. From the tales I've heard from Yuki, you have two dear friends who were alone and outcasts until you took them into your heart. What is that if not strength of heart?"
Tohru was quiet for a long time. She wore her customary soft smile but she wasn't feeling happy. She was confused. She felt a tingle on the edges of her mind and stopped abruptly. Kimi looked at her as she took that one extra step forward and was flung into the air with a rope around her ankle.
"Welcome to my trap." Akina's voice flowed down to them from the tree tops.
Inuyasha watched as Kyo leaped backwards and slung his katana upwards to keep Ichigo from taking advantage of his lack of balance. A second later he was on his hands the sword flying through the air behind him as he tried to back hand spring far enough to catch the blade.
Ichigo had caught the hilt of the katana with an upsweep and sent it flying. He waited for Kyo to reach up to catch the sword then flew in and pressed the edge of his own Zanpakuto to Kyo's throat.
"Very good." Inuyasha clapped moving forward. "Definite improvement. Ichigo, you stay strong but you need to think a bit further in your movements." Inuyasha felt a giggle in his chest at the thought of telling someone else to think ahead. "Kyo you're quick on your feet but you fear the blade. You try to dodge it so completely it throws you off balance."
"Doesn't everyone?" Kyo asked panting and resting on the balls of his feet.
Ichigo smiled in an almost sadistic fashion. "Those of us who use Zanpakuto have an ultimate form called Bankai. Do you want to see how I activate mine?" He asked. Kyo, Shippo, Inuyasha, and the recently joined Yuki nodded slowly, most of them confused as to how this was an answer to Kyo's question. Ichigo moved into a large clearing and settled into a fighting stance before bringing up his power around him and holding his blade straight out in front of him. "Bankai." He said sharply and drove the pointed edge of his hilt into his chest.
Orihime stopped gasping as she set her inner sights on the woman stalking her. Kagome was being careful to stay out of sight and hearing but a part of Orihime knew that she was still back there.
She had done a good job, she thought, in getting away from Kagome but she knew that the fear that had helped her escape had also almost crippled her completely. For a brief second she had been completely frozen, unable to fight against the pull of helplessness she felt at being tied up. A chuckle built in the back of her throat. Tatsuki had once given Orihime 'the Talk' since she had been alone for many years and told her that all sexual urges were natural and proceeded to describe all of the different types of sex, one of which was enjoying being tied up.
Orihime was definitely not one of those.
She blinked as a errant thought raced through her mind. If Tatsuki knew about that 'bondage' thing…maybe she enjoyed it! She shook her head as she felt Kagome approaching faster and faster. Now is definitely not the time! She looked around for anything that could help her and thought about how Kagome was stalking her. Spiritual pressure right? How do I hide that pressure?
Alright so we know what almost everyone is doing right now. Next chapter will focus on Tohru and Kimi in Akina's trap and Inuyasha and Ichigo training Yuki and Kyo. I don't like switching so much in one chapter so from now on longer sections with fewer characters. And I am sorry about the bondage joke with Orihime, I could not resist! SORRY! Anyway review!