((Aloha you guys! Phew, I just woke up and luckily I felt in the mood to start writing again. I am starting to get into the drift of things more so maybe I might actually add a story or two later on depending on how my creativity goes. I hope you all are doing well. Thanks again to WhiteWinterStar for reviewing, your reviews always make me smile and intrigue me. Anyways, I won't hold ya'll off any longer. Here I go!))
Protect Me, Please
By:UnForgottenMemories
Chapter Twenty Six
Determination to Extermination
Gary could feel the cold hands of the spirit on his shoulders, holding him in place as he stared at Kohaku. He wanted to move, to do something but the boy knew he was being controlled by the dark force.
The hand felt like ice, literally making him they were burning him as he heard the spirit begin whispering in his ear. Despite everything that was happening around him, only the voice of the evil spirit was what the wolf demon heard.
His hand suddenly tightened its grip on the sword before he brought it up, pointing the tip at Kohaku and then allowing a small smile onto his lips. The spirit had more influence over Gary because of his history using dark magics.
'No, No, No' Was all he could think, a moment of hesitation before he felt his body lunge forward. He brought the sword up to strike the demon slayer but luckily the man dodged at the last minute, spining to the side and drawing his blades.
'Don't hurt me' He thought suddenly, feeling his hand move up then let loose a blast of power that sent Kohaku flying against the wall. He landed in a sitting position as Gary felt his body move forward to strike.
'No!' The boy shouted, his words only heard inside his head as he felt a pulse of energy move through him. The sword barely missed hitting Kohaku, the blade thrusting into the wall next to his head causing the stone to crumble from the blow. He was much stronger in this form.
The two shared a look. The demon slayer staring deeply into the wolf demon's blank eyes before suddenly bringing his feet underneath him and pushing himself off of the ground, using his hands to push Gary away from the sword.
Another blast of power was let loose from Gary, him being unable to control it, but this time Kohaku was ready and simply side-stepped the explosion which actually took apart a few undead that had been approaching him from behind.
It seemed that their brief battle had drawn the attention of Sango and Bankotsu because the two quickly appeared behind Kohaku, they spoke for just a moment though the wolf demon could not understand what they were saying.
He saw Sango glance at him, Bankotsu seeming to be a mixture of annoyance and hesitance before two left Kohaku alone once more. Instead they stood on the outline of the battle, making sure none of the undead made it close to the two men.
"I know you can fight this, now do it!" Kohaku shouted, standing about ten feet in front of the other boy with his blades drawn. He had no intention of harming him, his weapons were just for self defense.
'If you couldn't fight it then how the hell am I supposed to?' Gary wanted to ask, feeling his body react as he began charging up another blast of power. This spirit was feeding off his negative emotions, why had he not sensed this before!
A sense of weakness, fear, worry or pain seemed to be what helped the evil spirit control its prey. That must have been why Yuka targeted Kaede and why he was targeting Kohaku.
Yuka, despised Kaede and went after her instead of trying to manipulate Kagome or going after the weak Shippo. He was going after Kohaku because he didn't want to harm the man, the spirit could sense every emotion he had and was controlling him that way.
Suddenly Gary realized (lost in his own world as he was) that he had actually begun to fight Kohaku and that the spirit's words were growing louder. The boy was bringing his sword around swiftly in a round house attempt to slice the demon slayer in half.
The sword met with the harsh steal of Kohaku's blade as the wolf demon attempted to hit him, the man using both his weapons to lock the sword in place before he drew Gary closer, their eyes meeting once more.
"I won't let you do this!" It was unclear who the man was speaking to for a moment before Gary listened to the spirit whispering angrilly in his ear. Of course, Kohaku knew just how strong the spirit could be.
The sword was taken from Gary's hands, Kohaku elbowing him painfully in the chest which gave him room to throw the weapon away from the other. However, the annoyance from the pain caused the boy to react.
The wolf demon grabbed his prey's arm, ducking underneath his grasp and twisting him, using the demon slayer's weight against him before suddenly throwing him into the wall of a building close by.
But, before he could go after his sword Gary felt the breath in his chest slow. It was becoming harder for him to focus suddenly as he tried panting for air only to glance over his shoulder to see what was happening.
Sango had actually caught the sword (This being the plan the three had quickly made) and she was preparing to strike it with her bone weapon. But, that was not was causing the boy to feel this pain.
Just on the horizon the first glimpses of the sun were begining to show, the rays that coming showed a field that was quickly becoming devoid of the undead that had filled into it just hours ago.
He could feel himself fading, the spirit's grip tightening as his breathing began to become harder to accomplish. Then, as suddenly as the sensation had happened it ended and Gary found himself falling back onto the ground.
The boy brought in a deep breath, gasping for air as he quickly looked back at Sango and saw her bringing her weapon up from the broken jewel that lay in the sword's hilt. She had struck it just in time.
His head was spining and hurting but before he could think of anything else the wolf demon found himself getting to his feet. "Kohaku!" He shouted, rushing towards the other man who was sitting against the wall and holding his head.
The demon slayer hesitated for a moment, bringing his hand up as if to deflect the boy before his eyes widened and he moved to stand. He had not expected for Gary to have so much strength and the counter had caught him off guard.
"Don't you ever do that again!" Kohaku shouted at him, reaching out and taking his shoulder before pulling them close together. He felt Gary go stiff but did not care as he wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist.
"Dammit, I told you not to do stupid stuff like that" He told him, his mouth close to the others ear as he felt him relax somewhat. What he didn't expect was to feel the wolf demon's hands being placed on his hips.
"The last fucking thing I was going to do was loose you" Gary stated simply, his breathing returning to normal before he suddenly remembered that the two of them were not alone. Then he felt a cold chill rush up his spine.
He quickly glanced over his shoulder to see Bankotsu and Sango standing there, both giving the two a curious look. He could tell what assumptions they were coming to.
"Let go" Gary ordered, pulling himself away from the other man and quickly brushing himself off before looking up at the others and raising an eyebrow. "What? Never seen two friends hugging or something?" He asked before Bankotsu scoffed and then shook his head.
"They don't do that" The older demon stated simply while the boy quickly glanced between his three allies and then cast a glare at Bankotsu, crossing his arms.
"It is called relief" Gary told him, simply walking past the three and towards the Inn where Kagome and the others were sitting and watching quietly.
"How is Yuka?" He asked in an annoyed tone while Kagome glanced back at the girl who was sitting against a wall behind her, she had fallen asleep again because she had given into the spirit earlier than the others. It would be a while until she had the energy to move.
"Oka-" She was cut off by Gary "That is good, we should get moving soon because this place is fucked up" The boy ordered, walking around her and moving into the Inn before anyone could stop him.
::P.O.V. Change::
Kagome had watched everything that had happened, her nerves shooting through the roof and her need to help causing her to almost step out of the barrier. But, luckily Kaede had stopped her.
"Ye' don't know what will happen, the barrier might not remain if ye' step out of it!" The elderly woman told her, holding her arm while she watched Sango and Bankotsu fighting off the undead horde.
With Yuka unconsious inside the Inn and Kaede and Shippo needing protection she knew that was a risk they could not take. As long as the barrier was up her friends had somewhere to return to should the undead become too much.
But then her attention had been drawn to the fight going on between Gary and Kohaku, her worries taking over once more as she sensed the dark aura that now surrounded the wolf demon instead of the demon slayer.
Somehow, she could see the spirit standing behind Gary, not what it looked like but more the outline of who it had used to be. It was strong but she felt that with her help she could make it release her friend.
So, during the entire battle she put most of her focus on watching Gary, willing the boy to have more control of himself. It was hard to tell if by the end she had helped any but inwardly she felt that was the case.
The sun rising was probably one of the most beautiful she had ever seen, watching as the undead simply faded away into the shadows of the town. They had won the battle, it almost surprised her.
"A win isn't what I would call it, more of the fact that we put up a good enough defense to hold them off" She explained as Kaede and Shippo celebrated for a moment before everyone seemed to zoom in on what was happening between Gary and Kohaku.
"Oka-" Kagome had attempted to answer him before being cut off, simply stepping back as the boy walked around her and into the Inn. "Do you really want to go off alone?" She called after him, hearing his foot step stop then a moment later he appeared in the doorway.
"Uh Uh, no, the sun is up and those spirits can't move around now... Right?" He asked, moving out of the dark Inn and feeling a shiver move up his spine. Possession was no fun and he didn't want to go through it again.
"It is hard to say, all spirits abide by different rules child" Kaede stated, bringing up her hand to shut the doors of the Inn before looking up at him and nodding her head. "My suggestion is that we simply leave this place, stay together until we get out onto the road and away from here" She spoke wisely while stepping down off of the porch.
"All these people died? But, they seemed okay earlier" Sango wondered allowed, standing next to Bankotsu who seemed to be cleaning his blades of the blood from the undead. She was thinking back in an attempt to discover a flaw in their disguise.
"They probably don't know they are dead, they go along with their daily lives while the sun is up and then when it goes down they turn into those things" Shippo explained, drawing everyone's attention by the logical conclusion. He seemed to smile happily while standing to his full height, feeling pride in being right about something.
"Who cares? We need to get our weapon washed in holy water or something now, they have been tainted" Bankotsu said under his breath, using a piece of cloth in a vain attempt to get the stains out of his sword.
Kagome had not thought of this and focused on their weapons before realizing an almost invisible aura of darkness hung around them. It was nothing threatening but it would be good for them to get cleaned then blessed.
"How does a place like this just vanish and no one realize?" Gary asked curiously, sighing and scratching the back of his neck while looking up at the sun while it slowly rose higher into the sky. It was a sight he never thought could be so beautiful.
"There are more towns than there used to be and with the increase of demonic activity fewer people travel the roads, it is not as far fetched as it sounds" Sango replied, her body showing that she was somewhat fatigued from their long night.
Kagome could tell that everyone in their group was suffering from the lack of sleep and overall exertion they had been forced to put out. Hopefully they could find a safe place to rest far from Dipero, the last thing she wanted to deal with was more undead.
"The horses are dead, spirits must have decided it was a good way to keep us from escaping" Bankotsu stated, his arms crossed as he stared at the group. It was the first time he had referred to them all working together. He wondered how long it would stick...
"You are not involved" Sango entered instantly, moving to stand in front of the man with her bone weapon still in her hands. "Just because you got caught up in all of this mess does not mean any of us trust you" She informed him, her harsh look actually making the demon not want to reply.
"I trust him" Those three words seemed to make the demon slayers (both of them) jerk to look at Gary while he stood looking off into the sunset. "He helped us when he could have ran off and left us here, he was only trapped because he chose to help us" The wolf demon told them, too tired to pick a fight but clearly giving his opinion.
"Is that true, Bankotsu? Did you really stay to help?" Kagome asked, knowing she would not get a truthful reply by the way the man bluntly ignored her and looked away. It was hard to tell what his true intentions had been.
'Without Inuyasha around it could pay to have someone who is a good swordsman, I can't always expect the three of us to do everything' Kagome thought logically while glancing at the two demon slayers before nodding her head.
"I think he should come along for a while, keep your friends close and your enemies closer" Kagome explained, receiving a look from Sango that clearly showed the woman was not pleased. But, if she was going to be their leader than she would have to stand her ground.
"Just be careful not to have him close enough to strike" Kohaku stated, turning and starting to gather what the group had left while Gary approached to help. It seemed the male demon slayer was willing to give it a try if she said so.
Sango simply remained quiet, clearly not liking the decision but just glancing between Bankotsu and Kagome before turning and walking over to where her bag was. "Let's go" She ordered, her voice strict while she avoided Kagome's gaze.
The priestess could only hope she had made the right decision.
::Four hours later::
At first the party had hit a steady pace, desiring nothing more than to put plenty of distance between them and Dipero. They would have been further had it not been for Kagome and Gary stopping the group.
With what energy they had everyone hung up small make-shift signs that Kaede and Kagome prepared which stated the danger of the town. It was only their hopes that the undead would not tear them down when night came.
Sango had been ahead of the group for some time, studying the area around them in an attempt to find a way to the closest village so they could all rest safely for the night. Everyone was much to afraid to lie down because they didn't not know how soundly they would sleep.
It was a dreary and slow pace with only Bankotsu and Sango being the ones that seemed to have any energy, most of which was them arguing. It seemed that the demon had an idea about a small human village that was nestled close to the mountains. The demon slayer however was sure that after a half a day's walk they could reach Loch Sai, a swamp town.
Kagome had attempted to gauge the reactions of her party from the choices they had been given and the results only worried her. It seemed they mostly stood divided for personal reasons instead of plausible ones.
Gary had instantly jumped in behind Bankotsu, stating that the demon's idea was a good one because it would mean they would not have to travel as far. It was clear he was readily becoming an ally of the man and that was something Kagome could not say she wanted.
Kohaku, in return, had moved to back his sister stating that her directions had not failed them yet. But, when the wolf demon stated that her directions had led them to a village full of demons and a town full of spirits the man had hit a sour note. They fought for nearly ten minutes before Gary simply chose to bluntly ignore him. Since then Kohaku had been trying his best to get the boy's forgiveness.
Yuka was truly unwilling to side with Sango, having recovered her senses and choosing to side with the demons. She was clearly unwilling to work with the demon slayer because of the jealousy she suffered concerning her and Kagome's strong friendship.
Kaede was with the humans, which caused another fight involving her and Yuka that finished with the younger girl getting hit over the head and shouting "I wish I had the chance to kill you, you old bat!". But, luckily now they were just being quiet and staying far apart from each other.
Shippo (bless his little soul) had done the wise thing and stayed out of it. Knowing that with whoever he chose he would make an enemy out of the others. Whenever he was asked what he thought the boy simply shrugged and then walked away from the person asking.
It was a truly disrupting and bothersome situation that Kagome found herself in the middle of. It was getting harder to stave of the questions of where they should go because this was a trail she had never traveled.
Sure, she did not like Bankotsu and did not trust him. But, who is to say he is actually lying? Something was vaguely familiar about a village being nestled near the mountain, she had heard of it while in Omnicoro. But was it worth the risk?
The one thing she was starting to realize was that her body was slowing down, her muscles aching and demanding rest though she did not want to give in. That was when she knew what to choose despite what the others might say.
"We should go to the village in the mountain, we don't have the strength for the longer journey to Loch Sai" Kagome finally said, keeping her eyes on the ground while she felt the harsh looks she received from Sango and Kohaku.
But, something inside of her caused her to look up and return the stare with a hard look of her own that made both demon slayers falter. "We are going to the village in the mountain" She ordered, the fatigue turning to irritation while she hurried her pace.
"I can lead us there, won't take long at all and we will be resting in two hours" Bankotsu said in an almost happy tone while he pushed forward and lead the group on a trail that began slowly moving downhill.
Kagome's eyes followed after him before she noticed that both Gary and Yuka were speaking to him. They were soaking up the information he would give them and she did not like the way they seemed to be bonding.
"Keep an eye on him Kagome, just because he saved us once doesn't mean he won't doom us with his own hands" Kaede whispered, walking close to her before Kagome felt something being moved into her hand.
It was a small silver triangle with letters written on it which glowed lightly, clearly a charm meant for purifying rituals. "Just in case" The elderly woman told her before pushing forward and then calling out to Shippo, actually leaning on the boy as they made their way down.
"Inuyasha... I hope I am doing the right thing" Kagome whispered into the air before placing the charm in the belt of her clothing and slowly making her way down behind the group.
Hopefully, she would never have to use it on a friend.
::P.O.V Change::
The man was crying out as he lie on the ground, three needles protruding from his flesh as the green lady stood in front of him with her arms crossed. Before he could react another needle went flying through the air, impaling his hand and sticking it to the ground.
"I said you would be punished if they were not dealt with" She spoke calmly as the man in blue cried out and attempted to pull at his hand only to howl in pain more, she had him trapped.
"It is not that difficult really, sure the barrier was in the way but there are plenty of ways to remedy that" Her tone showed the pleasure she drew from his pain while a needle formed in her hand once more, the metal gleaming in the light of the sun.
"H-How was I supposed to know they could figure out my jewels were controlling them?" The man in blue shouted up to her while she shrugged and then heard someone behind them clear his throat.
"Because mind control through trinkets is a weak and idiotic, not to mention desperate act" Another man stated, this one clothed in draping grey robes while he slowly approached them and looked down at the other man. "You deserve all the punishment she wishes to give you" He informed the man.
"Master Daisuke, I did not think you would be gracing us with your presence so soon" The green lady said, bowing her head and quickly moving back while the man simply shrugged and looked over at her.
"Our master only allows one failure before he sends someone more competent in to do the job" Daisuke told her, staring down at the man in blue before slowly shaking his head and then walking over to the lady.
Before she could react the man back handed her, causing her to cry out and nearly fall down before regaining herself and keeping her gaze to the ground.
"You punish him so quickly but the blame lies on you both, after all, it was a mission for the both of you" He explained before turning and looking down at the man in blue once more.
"Kigotaka is planing another attack on our master and he wishes to call us back for now, leave this one here for the undead to eat" Daisuke ordered while turning and suddenly vanishing as if he had never been there.
"Wh- What!" The man in blue shouted while the green lady stood before him and slowly raised her gaze, watching the man as he began to struggle to get himself free. But she knew her orders and slowly turned before starting to walk away.
"N-No! NO! Kinomi, don't leave me here!" He shouted desperately causing her to glance back, her emotions hidden behind the veil she wore while the man lie on the ground near tears.
"We have served together for years, please, give me one more chance!" The man in blue begged while she steeled herself and began walking away once more. "Don't leave me here to be eaten by them... Sister!" He shouted while she turned and held up her needle.
"I am sorry, Souji, this is your fate" She whispered, sending the needle flying into his chest before the man seemed to falter. Blood instantly forming in his mouth and trailing down his cheek while she watched him.
After just a moment he fell back, limp on the ground while she sighed and then walked over to him.
The Lady in green removed her glove before closing her brothers open eyes and running her fingers through his hair. "Your spirit is now free of the binds we are forced to wear" She whispered softly before suddenly looking up.
Without hesitation the woman vanished just moments before a large shadowy figure came running out of the woods. A large dagger had been sent flying at her but it had missed when she faded away.
The demon simply looked around quickly, taking a deep breath of the air around him while ignoring the freshly dead man next to his feet. "Kinomi" The demon said softly, glancing at the town before looking off into the direction that Kagome and the others had went.
"I plan on making this hard for your master to accomplish" The man stated before turning and darting off in the direction he sensed Kagome had gone to. He was behind thanks to Daisuke but now there was nothing holding him back in his mission.
He was running out of time.
End Chapter.
((There we go! I hope you guys like this chapter. It is time for me to eat something so I will leave you with my traditional goodbye. Have a great day and please review if you feel like it! 3))