Okaaay… So, since I was so cruel and left you guys/girls with a cliffy on the last chapter, I decided to be nice and give you guys/girls a present for being such AWESOME readers and reviewers by giving you the next chapter after only TWO days! How cool is that, huh? *coughs* Anyways, first off, I'd like to thank the nine AWESOME people who reviewed my last chapter! So, brownies to reviewers: DragonClanMaster, karlachan18, Forevermore21, Lady Inuyuki, shika93, LadyEllesmere, Jetafray Angel, Xerxes'Girl, and kappa-chan! I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH! *hugs* Also, another HUGE thanks (and hugs) to all the totally AWESOME people who have already favorited and/or followed this story! Hope everyone enjoys chapter twenty-five! :D
BEFORE YOU READ: Be warned, everybody! This version of the panther demon arc will have SIGNIFICANT differences in it from the anime. No, they are NOT accidental, they were SPECIFICALLY changed so that the plan I have in mind will fold out correctly. Hope you enjoy!
Terms to know…
Daiyoukai – Great Demon
Youkai – Demon
Miko – Priestess
Taijiya – Demon Slayer
Inu – Dog
Youki – Demon Energy
Reiki – Sacred Spiritual Energy
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha, the Inuyasha plot, NOR the Inuyasha characters. I only own my own OC Kaze Hijikata, any other OCs created along the way, and any part of the plot NOT a part of the Inuyasha anime or manga. This fanfic, however, is MINE and I'd like to keep it that way.
Chapter 25-Into the Fray
With Sesshomaru and Kaze/In the Village…
"Toran," the Western Lord growled in a threatening tone as drew his Tokijin.
"Indeed," the female panther smirked, her eyes flashing dangerously. "I'm glad to see you've made it this far. Your little friend, however," icy blue eyes turned upon the spiritualist, "is not welcome."
Golden eyes widened a fraction as Sesshomaru saw a moment to late the horde of panther Youkai that leapt from the rooftops and ambushed the raven-haired mortal that had been standing behind him. Instantly moving to protect his intended, the Daiyoukai was prevented from doing so as he was forced to whirl back around and block the wave of ice that was sent his way.
Fortunately for Kaze, she had already been paying close attention and was handling her little ambush without too much difficulty. She was a whirl of movement as she dodged multiple attacks while simultaneously twisting about to fire shots of spiritual energy at her opponents. Vaguely the girl caught words here and there of the insults and taunts that this Toran seemed to be throwing Sesshomaru's way. Managing to throw most of her assailants off for a moment, the spiritualist was able to get a glimpse of her Inu friend's sword locked fiercely against the female panther's ice spear before being dragged back into the fray.
"You seem a little distracted, Sesshomaru," Toran taunted as she attempted to push the Daiyoukai back, for she had caught the glimpse the Daiyoukai shot the strange human female's way. "I did not think you were the kind to keep the company of such a lowly race. How low you have fallen…"
"Silence yourself!" Sesshomaru hissed, feeling his beast snarl in anger as with a fierce shove he forced the panther back, simultaneously raising his Tokijin and sending off a wave of Youki.
Smirking as she dodged his attack, the blue-haired female landed languidly on the ground a little ways away. "It won't be like last time, Sesshomaru," she stated with a leering smile. "For this time… we will have our master."
The Western Lord's eyes narrowed dangerously as he sensed the incoming ambush of lesser panther Youkai behind him, and whirled on heal to deal with the pests when a blast of black energy finished the job for him.
"Like hell you will!" Kaze's voice was dark and murderous as she approached, her smoking hand laying at her side. Having finished off the rest of her attackers, young woman now came to stand at her friend's side. "Now, where the hell is Kagome?" she snarled, red eyes flashing.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Toran growled, more than irritated that this worthless outsider had not yet been eliminated. "Like I said before," the female panther hissed, raising her hand and firing off a round of ice daggers, "you don't belong here!"
Sesshomaru raised his Tokijin instantly in order to block the incoming attack, but instead found himself leaping away from his own intended as a vicious black flame suddenly surrounded the girl, successfully incinerating the ice daggers sent her way. The Daiyoukai could instantly sense the pain the girl felt following this act, and watched with a well masked but unfamiliar feeling of concern as the spiritualist's own raw energy crackled against her skin.
"If she continues coating herself in her own energy like that, it won't only be our intended's hands that are scarred!" the Inu's beast growled urgently.
The Western Lord knew that this statement was frighteningly true and was about to demand that his intended step back and let him handle this, when she once again began to speak in a voice so venomous that, had he been anyone else, it would have caused his skin to crawl.
"I don't have time for this shit. Now," Kaze's voice was terrifyingly soft as the black energy protecting her slowly receded. "Where the hell is Kagome?"
At that moment, she couldn't even feel the pain as her pupils constricted and the rest of her eyes lightened to a viscous blood red. The girl could feel the farthest restraints holding back her true level of spiritual energy loosen as her mind slowly blanked into a cold rage.
"This girl…" the Daiyoukai's beast trailed off in shock.
Sesshomaru himself saw it clearly too, for not even when he had threatened the spiritualist's life had she gone this far, nor had he ever seen her enter such a dark and bloodthirsty state. Never in his life had the Western Lord felt such a power from a human, and the frightening part of it he quickly realized was that if Kaze continued using this amount of power at her body's current level of state…
She would die.
Upon this realization, the white-haired male's action was instant. Zipping forward, he immediately grabbed the girl's arm securely in a steel grip and whirled her around so that he was looking directly down into those blood-colored orbs. "Kaze, enough!" he growled fiercely, blanketing his Youki around her in order to better subjugate the spiritualist's quickly awaking mass of power that was enough to rival even his own.
And miraculously enough, it worked.
As if snapping out of a trance, blood red slits blinked once to re-reveal the normal dark red orbs that Sesshomaru was used to. Upon feeling her bloodthirsty aura retreat, the Inu could feel his own relief from both his normal self and his beast bubble to the surface. It seemed there were still some things about his little spiritualist that he was not yet aware of.
Toran, who had been temporarily frozen to the spot (no pun intended), quickly saw this as her chance the make her exit. It was about time for the resurrection ceremony to begin, and due to this irritating and surprisingly powerful interference, the panther no longer found she had the time to finish off Sesshomaru. "No matter," she thought maliciously as she vanished from sight, for once their master was resurrected he would make quick work of finishing off all of their enemies.
Kaze sensed the panther leave, and could feel her own sense of urgency return, for the fact remained that the girl still had no idea where her idiot cousin was. However, the moment the spiritualist turned to head off after the blue-haired female, the grip on her arm tightened ten-fold.
"You will remain with this Sesshomaru," the Western Lord stated matter-of-factly, having no intention of letting his intended go after what he'd just witnessed.
Dark red eyes snapped up to meet still golden pools. The raven-haired female's mouth opened to put up one hell of an argument when she briefly caught the concern flickering back and forth within his gaze. Needless to say, most of her rising temper flickered out as a soothing calm washed over upon being so close to the Inu. "I'm fine, Sesshomaru," she said softly.
"Hn," the Daiyoukai hummed in a slightly disbelieving tone as he gave the spiritualist a careful look, finally releasing her arm as he sensed the calm come over her.
"Listen," Kaze sighed, feeling slightly exasperated and perhaps even a tad embarrassed underneath her companion's scrutinizing gaze. However, such a feeling was short lived as a faint but unmistakable remnant of Reiki brushed against her senses, instantly snapping the young woman to attention.
Sesshomaru watched as his intended's eyes widened slightly before the girl stalked off several feet, her posture alert. His beast growling at the thought of her leaving his side, the Inu spoke up in a warning tone, "Kaze-"
"Just hear me out, alright?" the girl cut him off, a small smirk forming on her face as she felt her usual calm, level-headed, and more easy going self come back. "I have a plan."
With Kagome/In the Cell…
Sitting quietly in the cell, the miko let out a breath of relief as she saw Sango a Miroku finally begin to stir from their motionless state, for just a little while ago the two had apparently been captured and thrown into the jail unconscious.
"Thank goodness you guys are okay," Kagome sighed happily as her two friends sat up.
"Same goes for you, Kagome!" Sango stated with relief as she pulled the midnight-haired girl into a hug.
"I agree," Miroku smiled a bit before looking around at their surroundings. "I see we've been put in some sort of prison."
"Yeah," the miko admitted before turning forlornly to the many villagers that were sharing their cage, "and we're not the only ones."
"Are those the villagers?" Sango inquired with a horrorstruck look.
"Yes," an elderly man replied before his expression turned distraught. "At least we were until those damned panther Youkai raided our village! Now we're all to be killed!"
"Don't worry!" Kagome attempted to console the people as they murmured frightened agreements with their elder. "Everything will be fine! I promise that help will be here before you know it!"
"Impossible!" another villager cried out. "There's no one stronger than those panther Youkai!"
"Inuyasha and Koga are," the midnight-haired girl reassured the man with a smile, "and they're definitely on their way."
"Not to mention that Sesshomaru is here as well," the Taijiya informed her friend before adding. "Although, I don't think it's out of anything else but a personal matter."
The modern day teenager gave the dark-haired girl a surprised look, "Sesshomaru is here?"
"Yes, and don't forget that Kaze is with him," Miroku reminded Sango but was also quick to catch a certain miko's attention as well.
"Kaze's here too!" Kagome's eyes widened. Her first reaction to hearing such news was relief, but nervousness soon replaced it. It her cousin was aware that she'd been kidnapped, who knew what the spiritualist would end up doing.
"Kagome?" Sango inquired worriedly, seeing the girl's suddenly pale features.
"Umm…" the miko began hesitantly, scratching the back of her head as she asked. "Was she… mad when she found out I'd been kidnapped?"
"Yes, I was mad, you little shit," a female voice hissed from out of nowhere, making the little trio nearly jump out of their skin. "And just for the record," the spiritualist continued as she stalked out of the darkness and stood by the prison door, "I'm still mad… right pissed, in fact."
"Kaze!" Kagome squealed softly with joy as she leapt up and grabbed the cell bars.
"Yo," the young woman hummed, a small smirk gracing her features. "Ya miss me?"
Slightly taken aback, Kagome looked at her cousin in bewilderment, "You don't… look all that mad."
"Hmm… Yeah, well, Sesshy managed to calm me down a bit so I suppose you'll just have to owe him your thanks," Kaze shrugged as she drew out some talisman from her coat and stuck them on the prison bars surrounding the door. Like she had suspected, there was a barrier around the cell. So, the spiritualist was going to need to make a temporary hole in it in the area surrounding the door so that the prisoners could escape.
"Sesshomaru, did?" the miko questioned, surprised that he had managed to pull Kaze out of one of her anger fits. However, the surprise quickly vanished off the midnight-haired girl's face as a sly grin slowly flooded her features. "I see," she hummed in a suggestive manner.
Catching to what her cousin was insinuating, Kaze shot her an irritable glare. "Shut it, brat," she grumbled as she finished making a temporary opening in the barrier. Leaving the talisman in place, the girl quickly pulled out the cell keys from her coat and unlocked the door.
"Where did those come from!?" Sango asked in astonishment, earning an amused chuckle from their raven-haired comrade.
"Borrowed em' from the jail-keeper keeping guard outside. Although, he's no longer in business." the spiritualist flashed a brief smirk before quickly donning a serious expression. "Now, all of you get out of here."
"Right," Miroku nodded, grabbing Sango's hand and dragging the slightly blushing Taijiya out of their cell.
"Alright, everybody," Kagome whispered urgently, ushering the villagers out. "Let's go." Seeing everyone else had exited the prison, the miko herself came out last and was about to go after them when a firm, gloved hand grabbed her by the arm.
"Get them all to safety, and don't you dare come back," Kaze ordered in a commanding tone.
"But what about you!?" dark brown eyes widened as the girl realized what her cousin was saying.
"I'll be doing my job, Kags," the spiritualist stated calmly, shutting herself inside the cell before reaching through and removing her talisman, successfully closing the hole in the barrier. "Trust me. Now, go."
With Sesshomaru/Just Outside the Ceremonial Grounds…
Golden eyes watched from the shadows, concealed from detection as the Western Lord observed the finishing preparations to revive the panther king. The reason he wasn't attacking right that moment was simple. His intended has specifically asked him to wait until she got her cousin out of harm's way.
Slowly, the Daiyoukai's gaze drew over to glowing blue half sphere barrier on the ground. According to Kaze, underneath that barrier is where her cousin was. Therefore, the girl's plan was to get her cousin out and then enter the cell herself so that when the supposed sacrifices were brought up to the surface, they'd get a battle ready spiritualist instead.
And that is when Sesshomaru would make his entrance.
Said Inu barely suppressed an irritated growl. The plan his intended had was admittedly very good. However, even now, the Daiyoukai did not like the fact that she had separated herself from his side and gone in alone, even if it was undercover.
"Our intended is too reckless," his beast growled lowly.
"Hn…" Sesshomaru's mental tone was thoughtful as he attempted to suppress the uneasy feeling growing in his gut.
"Fool!" the Inu's inner-self snapped angrily. "You should not have let her leave your side!"
"Enough!" this time the Daiyoukai answered with a growl. "She said she will be able to seal the panther king's spirit so that he may never again return to this world."
"Cheh!" his beast snapped, and the Western Lord could feel it rise furiously from within him. "Let me out, and I shall make sure she does not come to harm!"
"Silence!" Sesshomaru mentally snarled, stubbornly refusing to let his inner-self gain control. No, he would wait and trust in Kaze's plan, and abide by her request to allow her to get her cousin out of harm's way.
And that's when things started taking a turn for the worse.
The Inu's eyes widened as he spotted the panther Youkai begin to raise another barrier around the entire ceremonial area. Drawing his Tokijin, the Western Lord's action was instant as he leapt out of his hiding place. With another barrier being raised, Kaze's planned had just been voided. For if the barrier was successful in being raised, then when the spiritualist surfaced, she'd be trapped in there with the panther Youkai leaving Sesshomaru no way to get to her.
Unfortunately, that seemed to be just what fate had in mind as the Daiyoukai was indeed too late. His sword struck to newly resurrected barrier with a crackle, forcing its wielder back with an angry growl. The Inu could feel his beast let out an enraged snarl as golden eyes snapped up to glare hatefully at the panthers that were now beyond his reach.
"You're too late, Sesshomaru," Toran smirked triumphantly as the moon reached its peak overhead. "Our master shall now return to this world. Prepare to meet your end."
Weeell... I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter (even if I did leave you all with yet ANOTHER cliffy. XD). Don't worry, there's gonna be some REALLY cute Sesshy/Kaze fluff coming up REAAALLY soon! :3 So, please, PLEAAAASE review and tell me what ya thought of this chapter! I honestly pulled an all nighter to whip this one out so fast for ya'all. But that's because you reviewers are SO AWESOME! So, keep up the AWESOME work in dropping me reviews and I'll get the next chapter out to you all before you know it! It's already about halfway done as we speak. ;) Also, please follow and favorite this story as well. See you all in the next chapter! :D
Rock Out!
Kira