Still a long wait, but much less than last time right? Yeah, yeah... I know... I need to be better about this stuff... *sigh* sorry guys... Life is just too busy... but y'all don't wanna hear me talk. You wanna find out what happens next. Answer...
ONWARD TO FIND OUT!
Chapter 49
The warmth of the morning sun washed over the land. Umi looked out over the field from her perch at the entrance to a wolf demon cave. Bones still littered the area. Ayame and Koga had ordered their cleanup, but the removal of the bones and armament of two thousand demons was not exactly an easy task. Umi could still picture the battle as though it were happening all over again. She didn't think she'd ever get the image of her best friend nearly being blown to pieces by an insane sorceress out of her head. Of course, she also didn't think she'd ever be able to get rid of the image of her brother ending the life of that sorceress along with the lives of an entire demon army. It bothered her how powerless she had been throughout the battle. Nami and Akage probably felt the same way, though they had avoided talking about it.
The first breeze of the morning graced her face. Her long hair caught the wind and, as it blew in the wind, her thoughts were blown away along with it. With her thoughts clear, she could finally take a deep breath and relax. She hadn't been sleeping well the past few days. Sai and Kaze were taking longer than they should have. Umi didn't like that. It had been risky enough to let them travel alone. The fact that Sai was so injured only made that risk exponentially worse. Umi feared the worst had caused their delay. She really didn't want to think about the implications of that, but she couldn't help the terrible images of what could have happened that flowed through her dreams when she attempted to find rest. For now, though, things were peaceful. Umi could relax and soak up the first rays of sunlight. The sunrise really was beautiful. It's slow, persistent rise each morning was calming and, in a way, reassuring. As long as it rose, it brought with it the hope of a new day.
"You seem relaxed." A long familiar voice said from behind her. The sound made her smile.
"It's a beautiful morning, Nami. Might as well enjoy it." Umi pointed out. Nami chuckled and shrugged before sitting down next to her sister.
"I guess you're right." She conceded.
"I'm always right sis." Umi chided jokingly. Nami rolled her eyes and shrugged off the comment. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's company. It was something they hadn't done in a long time. There just wasn't the time for it. This was a welcome change of pace. Of course, there was another reason they hadn't been able to be alone together in a while.
"So where's Akage?" Umi asked, noticing his prolonged absence.
"Not sure." Nami told her, much to Umi's surprise, "Koga wanted to see him for something." Umi cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
"Any idea what?" She asked, curious as to what the two would need to do alone.
"Not in the slightest." Nami sighed, "Akage seemed to get something I didn't, but didn't elaborate. I didn't ask either." Umi nodded. She could see the fatigue on her sister's face. The same look was probably on her own as well. Nami obviously was losing out on sleep too.
"When do think Sai and Kaze will be coming back? They're taking longer than I thought they would." Umi asked, finally voicing the thoughts she'd been having for awhile. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nami visibly flinch from the question.
"Hopefully soon." Nami answered weakly, "We're useless here without them."
"I don't think we're useless, but we definitely can't purify the embodiment without them." Umi corrected, "I mean, it's not like we can't fight. That's what we were raised to do." Nami smiled halfheartedly.
"True enough." She agreed, "As for when they'll be back, I don't know. Akage and I have sensed some very strange things recently. Not sure if it's them, but we do know that the war between Konton and Sesshomaru's realm is heating up. Ayame and Koga confirmed that one for us yesterday." Umi nodded. She'd sensed the same disturbances. They were coming from the direction that Sai and Kaze had gone, but there was no guarantee that it was them. The escalation in war Nami had mentioned hadn't escaped her either. Umi could sense some monumental border clashes. Most of the battles seemed indecisive at best, though.
"It's strange." Umi pointed out, "Konton is throwing so much at Sesshomaru, yet, since Haruka's attack, has left the wolf and panther coalition alone. From what I know, he used to attack them fairly equally. It's almost like he has a grudge against Sesshomaru."
"Or is trying to draw him out." Nami countered, "My guess is that Sesshomaru isn't inside his realm right now. Konton might be trying to take advantage of his absence to devastate his forces and make Sesshomaru himself make an appearance in battle, drawing him away from whatever it is that he's doing now."
"That's a very specific guess sis." Umi said, impressed. Nami shrugged.
"I overheard Koga and Ayame talking. Sesshomaru came up and I based my theory off of that. Koga seems to think that Sesshomaru is hiding inside his realm like a coward. That doesn't sound like the dog general I know. If he's not fighting, then he's probably up to something outside of his realm, something important." She explained.
"Think it has anything to do with Sai and Kaze?" Umi asked. Nami smirked.
"Knowing our friends," she began, "more than likely."
Trees whizzed by, while the morning sun warmed the air around him. Akage hadn't had the opportunity to run like this in a while. It felt good to do again. Well, it had at first anyway. The pace Koga was laying down through the woods, however, was insane. Akage was having quite a bit of trouble even keeping him in sight, let alone keeping up with him. Now he knew why this wolf demon was known for his speed. Even without the jewel shards that he had used so famously almost twenty years ago, Koga was still quicker than anyone he'd ever met.
"Can you please tell me why we're rushing through the forest like madmen so early in the morning!" Akage yelled at Koga from his spot far behind him.
"Because," he yelled back, "two very powerful demons waltzed into my territory this morning. They don't seem evil, but I'm not taking any chances. You're coming with me to check out the situation." Akage sighed. He wished he'd been told that he might be fighting at the end of this mad dash through the woods.
"Any idea what type of demons they are?" He asked, curious as to what he would be fighting if it did come to blows.
"No idea." Koga admitted, "I've never felt this kind of aura before. It's… strange… to say the least."
"Great…" Akage mumbled, "Not only am I gonna be fighting exhausted, but it's gonna be against something that a wolf demon chief has never even seen before. Glorious start to the morning."
Suddenly Koga slid to a stop, digging his feet into the ground to slow down quicker. Akage followed suit, doing his best to avoid running into Koga's back. He barely missed him, but Koga didn't seem to notice. Instead, he was sniffing the air intently.
"What is it?" Akage questioned, keeping his voice to a whisper.
"The aura dispersed." He answered. Akage couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You mean they're just gone?" Koga shook his head.
"I said it dispersed." He reminded him, "The aura is all over the place. So is the scent. I know your nose isn't the best and this isn't your territory, but your eyes are a lot better than mine. Keep them peeled for anything unusual." Akage nodded, but was cut off before he could respond.
"I don't think that will be necessary Akage." A voice called out from amongst the trees. He'd heard the voice before, but couldn't place it. It was almost like it was from a different time.
"What the hell?" Koga demanded, claws and fangs bared for battle, "This thing knows your name?"
"Looks like it." Akage confirmed apprehensively, drawing fire to his palms.
"There's no need to prepare to fight. We are not going to hurt you." A different, but equally familiar voice assured them, "We simply wish to speak with you."
"Then why the hell are we all the way out here?" Koga growled out, "Why the hell haven't you showed yourself?"
"Look at yourselves." The first voice said plainly, "You came here looking for a fight, not a meeting.
"Hmph." Was Koga's only reply, but he lowered his claws. Akage allowed his flames to die, still confused by the familiarity of the voices.
A breeze disturbed the leaves of the trees. Koga had no doubt that the wind wasn't natural. This deep inside the forest, wind was extremely uncommon. That and the fact that it wreaked of a strong demonic aura. As the leaves moved, the disguise of the two demons was broken. Both jumped down from their perches and landed gracefully. Akage recognized them immediately. He had no idea why their identities had eluded him before.
"What are you two doing here?" Akage questioned, completely confused by their presence, "I haven't seen you in a while." The brother time demons smiled.
"It has been a while hasn't it?" Mageru admitted, "Sorry about that."
"We've been a little busy." Kiretsu added, "Though, if I'm right, you'll be seeing more of us in the coming days." Akage nodded.
"Why couldn't I recognize your voices?" He asked, still trying to figure that out, "I realized who you were as soon as you showed yourselves, but had no clue before then." Mageru laughed at this.
"That's a little side effect of us being who we are. As demons of time, others cannot remember who we are until we allow them to see us." He explained.
"This is all very interesting," Koga interrupted rudely, "but would someone mind telling me what in the hell is going on?!"
"My apologies." Kiretsu responded calmly, "I am Kiretsu. My brother Mageru and I are the ones that set this epic quest that Akage and his friends are on in motion." Koga cocked an eyebrow.
"Really now?" He said skeptically, "What are you doing here then?"
"Simply put," Mageru began, "we're here to talk to you about the next step in this journey."
"You see, our plans have undergone some slight changes." Kiretsu added. Akage didn't like the sound of that. These two were supposed to have been able to anticipate any and all situations. If their plans had changed, that meant that something had gone wrong. That meant that something had happened to Sai and Kaze.
"What happened?" Akage demanded immediately, "Are they alright?" Kiretsu held up his hands to stop Akage.
"Sai and Kaze are fine. They made it to their home and are healthy and safe." He assured him.
"I'd say they're a little better than fine, brother." Mageru corrected chuckling.
"Better than fine?" Koga repeated questioningly, "I'm glad they're safe, but explain that." Akage had the same question. The looks of the two demons' faces were hard to read, but they definitely weren't scared or concerned.
"Let's just say Sai might be a little different next time you see her." Mageru told them, intentionally vague so as to not steal the surprise.
"What do you mean different?" Akage asked, confused.
"This is not a bad change." Kiretsu assured him, "It is one that has increased your chances of success exponentially."
"And by that, we mean you actually have a chance now." Mageru added, only to receive a dirty look from his brother.
"Wait, what?" Akage was taken aback. What did he mean by that?
"Did we not have a chance before?" Akage could tell from his tone that Koga was feeling the same apprehension he was.
"Mageru is correct." Kiretsu conceded, "Before this latest turn of events, your chances of defeating Konton in battle were… minimal at best."
"You have to understand." Mageru added, "Konton's armies are extensive. We've seen how much trouble you have defeating just one. He also has no shortage of lieutenants. Haruka was only one of many. He's cultivated a great deal to lead his forces, some even more powerful than the Red Sorceress and many that won't fall to Jinsei like she did." Akage gulped. That didn't sound good. He hadn't realized the extent of the demon emperor's power. Why he'd ever payed their motley little band any mind was beyond him. However, Mageru wasn't done.
"Konton himself outclasses even them, though. His power is immense. If he wasn't so paranoid about defeat and cautious in his approach to power, he could easily dominate everything. Even if you had purified the embodiment, he would still have had enough power to destroy you. Konton is not short of other artifacts either. Many of which, if used together, could achieve much, though not all, of what the embodiment does. In short, Konton has always been too powerful for you to overcome. Purifying the embodiment would have cut his power by a significant portion, but not enough to make him beatable."
"I… I don't… I don't understand." Akage stammered, "I watched Sai take on Konton one on one. She wiped the floor with him. Konton had to flee for his life. Sai was damn near bathed in his blood!" Kiretsu sighed.
"Like we said, Konton is paranoid beyond belief." Kiretsu repeated, "On that occasion, he only sent a portion of himself to fight. He would never risk his entire being. Sai claimed victory over an insignificant portion of Konton's power."
"Well then what the hell have we been fighting for?!" Koga screamed, the frustration boiling over. Akage could relate. The impotence he felt was immense. It could only have been worse for one so prideful as Koga.
"For a chance like the one we've just been given." Mageru told him plainly.
"And what chance is that?" Koga demanded, "From where I'm standing, if what you say is true, then we have no chance. My alliance with the panthers is meaningless and my comrades have died in battles that mean nothing."
"You're wrong." Kiretsu responded, his voice strong and authoritative, "Your men died for the hope of victory. Now we have one. As far as I'm concerned, the sacrifices that your comrades have made are the reason that we've lasted long enough to be able to succeed."
"I'll be the judge of that." Koga told the demon defiantly, "What is our big chance?"
"Saiai has done something that no one has been able to do since the three worlds split." Kiretsu explained, only adding to the confusion of the two standing before him. Mageru saw the confusion on their faces.
"She has unified the three sources of power. Divinity, humanity, and the demonic have rejoined within her to create a power that has not existed in a very long time. In essence, she holds in her hands the same power that formed the three worlds and eventually split them." He clarified for his brother. This ruined the surprise, but at least they wouldn't know about the armor. They could gawk over that. Akage and Koga, however, were busy trying to process the information that they had just received.
"So, let me get this straight," Koga began, attempting to piece it all together, "Sai now wields the greatest source of power our world has ever known?"
"In short, yes." Kiretsu told him plainly.
"So Sai is more powerful than Konton?" Akage guessed, still reeling from the information.
"Not even close." Mageru was straight forward in his answer. He did not waver or hesitate. Sai was still very much outclassed, "Purifying the embodiment will help even out the playing field, but Sai will still need help. She can't do it on her own. I wish it weren't so, but that's how it's going to work. Otherwise, she'll be decimated in battle."
"She won't be alone." Koga piped up confidently, "She'll have her friends. She'll have the entirety of the wolf and panther armies behind her. She'll have Sesshomaru and all of his forces. Sai won't be fighting alone."
"Koga's right." Akage agreed, "We'll make sure she never has to fight alone." Kiretsu and Mageru exchanged meaningful looks, but didn't say anything.
"Good." Kiretsu said simply, "We'll be in touch."
"Where are you going now?" Akage questioned. This elicited a laugh from the both of them.
"To prepare friend." Was Mageru's answer. And with that, they left as they came. They disappeared with the breeze. Strangely enough, neither Akage nor Koga could remember their faces.
"Kaze! Stop it!" Sai chided her mate while trying not to laugh, "I can do this myself!" Kaze held up his hands and backed off.
"Whatever you say love." He conceded with a warm smile. Sai shook her head in amusement. He'd only been making the process more difficult, though she had the sneaking suspicion that it had been on purpose. The more time it took for her to put this new armor on, the more time he got to admire the view. If she wasn't completely flattered and in love with the man, she would have slapped him. Then again, this wasn't anything he hadn't seen or enjoyed before. It was nice to know that he could still get a thrill from something so simple as this. She hadn't lost her allure to say the least.
A few minutes later, she finally fitted the last piece of her armor onto her body. In all honesty, she surprised. Sesshomaru hadn't been lying. The armor was weightless for her. Sai reached for one of her swords crossed on her back. She drew it and tested the freedom of her limbs. It was almost as if she wasn't wearing armor. There was a slight reduction in mobility on the periphery of her reach, but it was almost unnoticeable. It was probably something that she would overcome as she got used to the armor.
"It suits you." Kaze commented as Sai sheathed her sword, "You look the part of a warrior."
"Do I now?" Sai asked, turning to face him, "I look intimidating, fearsome, and deadly?"
"All while still managing to look beautiful. It's really quite impressive." Kaze told her with a smirk on his face.
"Keep going lover boy. Might need to dull my claws soon." Sai joked as she tied her hair back in a high ponytail, completing the look of dog demon general.
"Can't even compliment my mate anymore without a death threat. Oh the days in which we live." Kaze lamented, making Sai burst into laughter.
"Who said I'd be dulling them on you? Maybe I'd be digging them into our headboard, but I guess we'll never know now…" Sai told him with a wink as she left the room, her voice too inviting to be comfortable. A stunned Kaze was left in her wake.
"Wait," Kaze shook his head to reorient himself before chasing after his mate, "We should find out! Come on!" Sai didn't wait or even answer. She only laughed and kept walking. Kaze sighed and cursed under his breath. He hated when she did this. Now he'd have to run after her and, given his current state, running wouldn't be the most comfortable thing in the world. His only solace is that he knew Sai would feel bad about this later. He'd just have to be patient for the moment and for her, he could wait forever.
Kaze joined his mate as she exited their home and walked out into the village. Her parents were waiting with Kirara to see them off. Their eyes visibly widened as they caught sight of their daughter. It was obvious that they hadn't expected such a drastic change. Even Kirara seemed a bit perplexed. Sai wished she could capture their faces forever. They were priceless.
"You look… different." Her father said, exhibiting his world class vocabulary. Sai rolled her eyes.
"Thanks dad." She said sarcastically, making her mother laugh.
"What he means to say is that you look beautiful. The armor brings out your strength, but you wear it well." She clarified.
"What she said." Inuyasha agreed. Sai chuckled.
"Thanks guys. The armor is probably gonna come in handy." She admitted.
"Just make sure that the armor isn't doing too much work alright." Her father told her. He was clearly worried. Sai took that as a good thing. The fact that he was even letting her go out again said he had confidence in their success.
"Will do. Don't worry." Sai assured them.
"No promises." Kagome joked to her daughter as she took her into a tight hug. It lasted for a few moments before she released her and turned to Kaze, "Hey, you're family too. Come here." Kaze laughed and went over to hug his mother-in-law. He felt a clawed hand grip his shoulder. It was Inuyasha's. Kaze guessed that was the only affection that he was going to get from the man. He took it for what it was worth. The family said their last goodbyes. Kaze had bid farewell to his own family the night before, so all that he had to do now was wait for Kagome to let her daughter go. Once that was done, they'd finally be able to restart their journey.
Yup, they bout to start up again y'all. Everybody good and down to go. Sai and her friends with a fifty/fifty shot of success. Thems would be great odds in Vegas... not so much here... Guess we'll have to see how it goes... Cuz I know what's gonna happen... but you guys dont... Will they win? I'll let you guys figure that one out for yourselves :) til next time!
