I don't own Inuyasha, if I did Carolina would be a regular character on the show. Isn't she just the bestest?
Carolina carried Rin as the pack made their way down a steep trail. She didn't want the child to trip or twist her ankle. But this was the quickest way to the village. She had lost track of time and they'd be just in time for Friday as it was.
The reached the bottom of the hill. Then she heard some familiar voices ahead on the trail. Kagome arguing with Inu about going home. She wanted to and he didn't want her to, of course.
They caught up with Inu's pack just as Inuyasha was pushing himself up off the ground. The girls spent a few minutes chattering while the guys stood off to the side. The girls were about to say good bye when Sesshomaru heard buzzing.
"Saimiyoshou." He growled looking toward the sound of the noise and seeing three of the youkai wasps flying by appearing not to notice them. He started after them. Out of the very corner of his eye he noticed his brother hesitate before he and his pack followed after them as well.
It was not long before a figure in a white baboon pelt came into view. the figure turned to the bees then noticed the group following them and turn to flee. It ducked into a nearby cave. Everyone followed in after it, though Carolina hesitated a bit at entrance of the cave.
The figure turned to confront them, tentacles shooting out from under the pelt. The battle was absolutely fierce and with so many fighters in such tight quarters it was a particularly bad situation.
Fearing for the children's safety Carolina gathered Shippo and Rin up in her arms while the others fought Naraku off and made for the cave opening. But then the sun was blocked by the form of a massive stone youkai which raised it's giant fist and brought it down on the entrance, caving it in. Carolina jumped back out of the way with the kids just in time to avoid the falling boulders.
Shippo turned white as a sheet and Rin screamed and buried her face into Carolina's chest. The scream of the child distracted Sesshomaru for just a fraction of a second but that was long enough for one of the tentacles to cause a sever wound to his side.
As rubble closed off the mouth of the cave they were plunged into darkness. They fumbled to sense and avoid attacks they could not see. Kagome immediately fished out her flash lights. She turned one on and tossed it to Sango and used the other to find and light her new camping lantern so that Sango and the boys could see to fight.
Inuyasha saw an opening and leaped forward. One of the tentacles gouged a deep gash in his arm as he brought Tetsuiega down through the pelt. Instantly the figure vanished as splinters of wood rained down to the floor of the cavern.
Everyone took a moment to realize it was over. Inuyasha sheathed his sword as Kagome ran up to look at his arm and assess the damage. Sango and Miroku checked on one another each making sure the other was in one piece. Kirara shifted back to kitten form and mewed as she jumped up on Sango's shoulder
In the dim light Sesshomaru spotted the children, whom Carolina had finally set down, first and knelt to look at Rin. She had only a few scrapes and scratches from the falling rocks. Then he glanced over at Shippo, the fox had a bruise on his check but appeared unharmed.
Then he looked up at Carolina. She was staring at the wall of rock and rubble where the entrance had been. Even from where he knelt he could see she was trembling. He stood to go to her, hissing at the tear in side and clamping his hand over it as he stood but walking over to her none the less.
"Carolina? You are unharmed?" He asked softly from behind.
"We're trapped." She replied. He voice sounded small and lost. "We can't get out." She turned to him with a look of panic in her eyes. Her eyes were drawn to the oozing gash in his side and panic turned to hysterics and she broke down sobbing.
"Your hurt! Your hurt and we can't get out, we cant get help. Oh my god! We can't get help we can't get out!" She cried with her face in her hands.
Sesshomaru stared down at the hysterical female feeling as helpless as she did, how could he possible calm her. Sango and Miroku had both come to try and console her but she pulled away from their attempts comfort her and pawed at the ground.
Sesshomaru did the only thing he could think of. "Silence!" He yelled over the noise as he grabbed her arm and shook her hard. She stopped sobbing and looked up at him in shock.
"We are not trapped Carolina." He told her firmly. "Listen, do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" she asked straining her ears at the perceived quiet.
Inuyasha's ear twitched and he and Shippo both looked into the depths of the cave. "I hear it something." The hanyou replied.
"So do I." Shippo confirmed. "It kinda sounds like a whistling sound."
"There must be another opening at the end of the cave. The wind is blowing across it and the sound is echoing down the tunnel. We are not trapped. It is a few miles, it'll take a couple of hours to get there."
"What if your wrong? What if we are trapped?"
"Then we will come back here and dig ourselves out."
She stared into his eyes for a moment and nodded but he could still smell fear rolling off of her. He felt useless being unable to calm her phobia. He took her hand and tried to ignore the pain in his side as he led her down the tunnel.
"Hold up." Kagome called. "Let me take care of that wound." She ordered having just finished with Inuyasha's bandage.
"Unnecessary."
"Yeah? I doubt Carolina wants you bleeding to death." Kagome argued.
He started to argue but then Rin pulled on his hand. "Chichiue, I don't want you to be hurt. Please let Kagome-sama help. I don't want you to die like my real Chichiue."
"They're right Sesshomaru. You need to get that taken care of." Carolina said. Then she took the gauze and bandages from Kagome's hand. "Sit down, I'll do it."
He hesitated. Then his brother spoke up. "You ain't gonna win Sesshomaru. women are stubborn. Just let them tend to you so that you can get Carolina out of this cave."
Finally Sesshomaru gave up and sat down so that Carolina could wrap a bandage around him staunching the bleeding of his wound. Once she was done he got to his feet and took her hand. After a few yards he noticed his brother had made no move to get up.
"You are not leaving the cave yet?"
"We'll leave when we're damn good and ready. Get out of here!"
"I do not take orders from a hanyou!" He replied, his eyes narrowing.
"I said get lost you bastard." Inuyasha replied getting to his feet.
"And if I refuse?"
Then Inuyasha groaned and Sesshomaru's eyes widened just slightly as his brother's scent and appearance changed. His claws and ears faded and his hair turned black.
"Well. There you go, you know when to kill me. You want me dead? Go ahead, I'm defenseless." His brother replied. His mortal brother.
"I will not kill you now." Sesshomaru stated matter of factly.
"You mean while I'm human?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru did not answer. Let his brother interpret that as he wished. He knew what he meant.
"I forgot it was your human night." Carolina said feeling torn. She was terrified of being trapped in the cavern. But how could she just leave Inuyasha and her friends helpless. What if Naraku lurked nearby. What if he was even inside this cave, hidden in a side tunnel? She took a deep breath then sat down with her trembling hands in her lap.
"What are you doing?" Sango asked looking up from the youkai in her lap.
"Naraku knows where we are. Might even be near. And even if Inuyasha wasn't injured he is human tonight. I can't just leave you guys alone tonight."
Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment. Then he sat down beside her. Rin sat on her other side and held out the doll.
"If your scared you can hold Suzu." She stated helpfully.
Carolina smiled and pulled the child into her lap. "I'd rather hold you baby."
The hours ticked by slowly. No one spoke much as they all sat around staring at one another in the dim light of Kagome's lantern.
"Chichiue, where is Jaken-sama?" Rin asked after a while, realizing it was to quiet for him to be hiding in the shadows.
"He was leading Ah 'Un on foot. We obviously out ran him. He is still out side the cave."
"You mean out side with the rock youkai? You don't think it'll hurt him do you?" She asked with wide eyes.
"Jaken is a coward Rin. I am sure he has hidden himself and Ah 'Un."
"He doesn't seem so cowardly to me. He protects me when you aren't here."
"That is because his loyalty is stronger than his fear. He would protect you to his death." Sesshomaru told the child.
"Feh, I wish I could say that about Myoga." Inuyasha replied over hearing the statement.
"Your flea is not loyal?"
"You notice he isn't here bugging us. Coward. Probably half way back home by now. Of course he'll claim he ran off to find help or that he fell off while I was running."
"Why do you keep him?"
"He is smart. He knows a lot of things about youkai that I don't. So when he is around he's useful." Inuyasha leaned back against the wall of the cave and stared up into the darkness. "And he knew the old man."
Sesshomaru nodded and watched his younger brother. "Father would have liked you."
"You really think so?" Inuyasha asked his older brother.
"Yes." Sesshomaru replied shifting slightly to a more comfortable position against his wall. He smirked just slightly as he said, "After all he was quite fond of those who are weaker than we."
Inuyasha jumped to his feet. "Why you son of a ..."
"Keep your voice down little brother. You'll wake the children."
Inuyasha stopped and looked from Rin to Shippo. Each had indeed fallen asleep. Rin in Carolina's arms and Shippo in Kagome's. He sat down beside Kagome once again and scowled at his big brother.