Warnings for this chapter: discussions of potential death and loss, blame and guilt, feelings of isolation, mild injury
Kagura watched Tsubaki stumble through the forest, her last remaining demons long dead from Inuyasha's final blow. She could see the woman seething, muttering to herself and occasionally kicking at snow-covered ferns or small rocks which came upon her path. Kagura rolled her eyes and kept her distance. She was only there to supervise, anyway. Based on Tsubaki's temper, it was likely that Naraku had been correct in guessing that she would seek some kind of revenge on Inuyasha and his group of weaklings. So long as she was acting in Naraku's best interests, she could keep the Jewel – and her life.
Not that her life would last much longer, judging by the curse which radiated from her body. She must have been sustaining herself from the last curse on a potent mixture of spiritual power and youki taken from her shikigami. Now that the latter was gone and the former mostly spent, Kagura guessed that she had weeks, if not days. The Jewel might save her, if she actually used it. So far she had kept it hidden in her robes. Kagura didn't know what she had planned.
xXx
Inuyasha watched unblinkingly the even rise and fall of Miroku's chest. He was vaguely aware of Sango beside him, of the others moving in and out of the hut from time to time, but he wouldn't allow anything to break his focus. Kaede had assured him that Miroku was merely exhausted from the venture, and that he would awake in his own time. But as morning had bled into afternoon, and was now approaching evening, he couldn't stop the worry thrumming through him. Most of the pain had faded from Miroku's scent, and his sleep was deep and undisturbed. Inuyasha was determined to keep it that way.
"You can't blame yourself for what happened," Sango said quietly, startling him. He glanced at her then around the hut, unsurprised to find it empty save for them, and turned his gaze back to Miroku.
"It's my fault," he said softly.
Sango sighed. "You can't control what happens on the battlefield. There will always be things outside your control. You can't be self-centered enough to think that everything that happens is because of you."
He grimaced, his ears flicking back. "Sango, I'm the strongest and fastest one here. You're my pack. It's my job to protect you, especially if no one else can. Whenever any of you get hurt, it's my fault."
"Hey," Sango said sternly, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to look at her. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to take the weight of Tsubaki's actions. You don't get to take the weight for all of us, as well. Sometimes things go wrong and no one can stop them. You did everything you could – everything that could be expected of you, or anyone else. Trying to take the blame for all of this will only cause more problems."
He huffed and turned away. "You wouldn't understand."
"I'm a slayer," she said, unyielding. "Every mission I went on had the potential for any of my team to be injured or killed. Sometimes that happened. Sometimes it was because someone made a mistake. Sometimes it simply happened. Do you think that we never blamed ourselves? It's natural for you to try to take responsibility for those you care about, but you need to learn to let that go. Do what you can in the moment, but what's done is done."
Inuyasha swallowed hard, looking up at the rafters, his jaw clenched. "You know that I wanted to use the Jewel, right?" She nodded silently. "I always wonder what would be different if I did – if I would be strong enough to keep you all safe. I know that he doesn't want me to, but that doesn't really matter, does it? If I can keep this kind of thing from happening?"
"Naraku would kill you all the quicker if you used the shards," Sango said. "And besides, how much do you really think would change? You've stood against your brother in battle several times now. Do you think that if you had Sesshomaru's power, things would be different? You still beat him."
"That's 'cause he's a pompous ass who doesn't even know how to fight," Inuyasha grumbled, and then he sighed. "I don't know. I just can't stand to see you all get hurt."
Sango wrapped an arm around his shoulders, seeing that she wouldn't be able to make him accept what she was trying to say just yet. "That's the price of loving someone. It's the price we all pay in facing Naraku. We just have to look out for each other and make sure that bastard doesn't tear us apart." She smiled softly. "Right?"
He huffed, shot her a glance, and offered her a small smile in return.
xXx
Kagura scowled at the Saimyosho which flew past her – one of several over the past two days. Naraku had yet to punish her for her disobedience, but it was clear that he no longer trusted her to complete his orders. It did not bode well for her future. She was determined to give him no further reason for anger and retribution, and watched Tsubaki day and night. Her charge was still walking through a forest, though she was fast approaching an ancient shrine with a pagoda which towered above the surrounding trees. Tsubaki stopped in front of the gates to the shrine, and placed her hand almost tenderly on the characters carved on the pillars of the torii, and looked upon the taijitu symbol placed on the top of the structure.
"Who's there?" a voice called out from inside the shrine, causing both Tsubaki and Kagura to startle. Kagura moved further away as two young priestesses emerged, each holding a bo staff. She didn't want anyone to sense her presence.
"How dare you trespass here?" one of the priestesses, who was dressed in a strange blend of miko and red warrior's clothing, asked haughtily.
Her counterpart, who wore blue instead of red, raised her staff while eyeing Tsubaki with barely-hidden confusion. "If you are human, be gone! If you are a demon, we will slay you."
Kagura scoffed quietly. It seemed like she wasn't the only one baffled by the youki in Tsubaki's presence.
"Stand down!" Tsubaki snapped, pulling a sutra inscribed with yin and yang from her robes. "I am Priestess Tsubaki. I once trained at this shrine."
The two young priestesses exchanged a startled look. They seemed unsure, but still stepped aside as Tsubaki walked past.
"My name is Momiji," the one in red finally said.
"And I am Botan," the other added, bowing.
Tsubaki eyed them skeptically. "Only you two protect this shrine now?"
"Yes," the red one nodded. "We were the last of our master's disciples before his death." She frowned slightly. "You must have completed your training before we came here, though we did so several years ago. Please pardon my rudeness, but may I ask your age?"
"You look so young," the blue one said softly.
Tsubaki smirked. "I am much older than you, of course. My youthfulness is a result of my training."
Kagura rolled her eyes as the girls gasped. So, this was how it was going to be, then.
"Is there a skill to keep one young?" the blue one asked, enraptured.
"Of a sort," Tsubaki smiled. "And you too can reap such benefits with training. Though I warn you – it's not easy."
"Priestess Tsubaki," the blue one said respectfully. "Why did you return to this shrine?"
Tsubaki's expression tightened. "I am being pursued by a demon and his followers."
The girls exclaimed in indignation, and Kagura rested her chin on her hand. As the young priestesses rushed to offer their assistance, she continued to watch, eager to see how this would all turn out.
xXx
Consciousness bled back slowly into his mind, beginning with a whole-body ache which only got worse the further he moved to wakefulness. He couldn't remember what happened, but he knew that it wasn't a particularly good sign. Everything hurt. His mind was filled with tar. He was vaguely aware of arms around his chest, and even in his dazed state, he didn't have to wonder who they belonged to. He tried hard to move, even to open his eyes, but his body was uncooperative. And he was so tired. Sleep beckoned him again, and he was tempted to follow it.
"Miroku?" Inuyasha's voice sounded softly behind him, and then a nose pressed against his neck. And who was he to resist?
He tried for words, but what ended up coming from his throat was a vague groaning sound. Inuyasha's arms shifted around him, bringing him more upright, and he forced his eyes open. The hut was dark, with only the light of a dying fire to cast dancing shadows over the sleeping forms of the others. Miroku blinked a few times before he pushed himself up a little, just enough so that he could tip his head back to rest on Inuyasha's shoulder. Liquid amber eyes looked down at him with tender concern.
"Hey," Miroku whispered, his voice raspy and low.
Inuyasha sighed with relief and pressed first his nose then his lips against Miroku's cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," Miroku said. "A little sore. Not too bad, all things considered."
Inuyasha winced and a frown flashed across his face. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Mhmm," he said, blinking heavily. The particulars of the event were still fuzzy, but he could recall the broad strokes. "Are you alright? You were injured as well…"
"I'm fine," Inuyasha said dismissively, though not roughly. "Everything's mostly healed. Everyone else is fine, too."
Miroku nodded slowly, most of the pieces slowly sliding into place. "Tsubaki got away?"
Inuyasha growled low in his throat. "I should've gone after her."
Miroku closed his eyes and leaned his brow more against Inuyasha's neck. "None of us were in any state to fight. We'll go after her when we can."
"Yeah," Inuyasha said, holding him closer. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Miroku said softly, already drifting back to sleep.
xXx
Kaede filled several bowls with soup and passed them out to the others. "After seeing both her and my sister's reaction to her, I have to assume that this Tsubaki is the same one I encountered more than fifty years ago."
"No, thank you," Miroku said when she waved a bowl at him. "I'm not really hungry at the moment."
"I couldn't care less!" Kaede snapped. "You need to recover your strength."
Sango hid her laugh in a cough, and even Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk a little. He was pressed against Miroku's side, having only just been convinced to let go of him long enough to eat.
"If you knew her fifty years ago," Sango said thoughtfully. "How is it that she's still so young? Is she using that youki?"
"I have to assume as much," Kaede sighed. "She was a priestess who completed her training around the same time as Kikyo, and was her equal in status if not power. She was one of many considered to safeguard the Shikon Jewel, and from what I understand, she harboured some resentment that she was not selected. She had been chosen for a different path, to guard the seal of an ancient and powerful demon. She, Kikyo, and I travelled the countryside as you young ones do now, slaying demons and protecting the local villages. However, she was discontented with this task, and tried to take the Jewel from my sister with a shikigami. Kikyo deflected her curse back at her, and thus infused her permanently with some of that demon's youki."
"Is that how she was able to hold so many demons within herself?" Sango asked. "I had never encountered anyone outside of Naraku who was able to do such a thing."
"Nor had I," Kaede shook her head. "I had known that she was powerful and ruthless, but I never imagined that she would turn to such methods."
"Onmyōdō," Miroku said quietly. "I never met anyone who had so thoroughly mastered it, or used such protective magic for such selfish gain."
"But she's weaker now, right?" Inuyasha asked. "Now that all her demons are dead?"
"She is well-versed in many practices," Kaede said warningly. "There is no telling what she may accomplish now that she has the Jewel."
"I know a little about onmyōji divination," Miroku said. "Do you think that she will be able to see us coming?"
"Who knows?" Kaede said helpfully. "Especially if she can muster more youki within herself. She may inherit their demonic abilities as well."
Miroku hummed thoughtfully, staring into his soup bowl. "Does that make her hanyou?" he asked suddenly.
The rest of the hut fell silent. Everyone shared an uneasy glance.
"I suppose…" Kaede said slowly. "That there is no other word to describe what she is, as one who holds both a human spirit and youki within."
"Fuck that," Inuyasha muttered quietly. "She's no hanyou. She wasn't born like that. She chose to do that to herself."
"The problem is, she can use spiritual power," Sango sighed. "We can only fight her with more deadly force."
"Not a problem," Inuyasha growled. "She's too much of a threat to be left alive."
Everyone stared gloomily into their food, not willing to contradict him, but still feeling like they should. Because they had encountered this problem before. And they still had no answer.
xXx
"I think I'll grab some more paper for sutras," Miroku said, pushing himself to his feet. Inuyasha immediately scrambled up after him. Miroku paused and frowned, looking at the half-eaten meal that he had abandoned. "You don't have to come with me."
Inuyasha looked away, his ears flicking back and his eyes hard as he stared into the floor. Miroku's frown deepened, and he grabbed his arm, pulling gently to draw him outside after him. Once they were a safe distance away from the others, he looked over his partner with a critical eye. He looked exhausted. His expression was tight and pinched, his ears almost always pointing back, and there was a hint of dark shadows below his eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
Inuyasha huffed and shrugged, grudgingly admitted "The usual."
Miroku brushed the hair from his eyes and placed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I'm alright. I feel fine now. There was no real harm done."
"This was different," Inuyasha admitted quietly. "It's not like it was with the poison before, because this time I knew that there was still a way to help you, but I couldn't get to Tsubaki, even though she could get to you. I just hate feeling so useless."
"I saw how hard you fought," Miroku said firmly. "You kept her from killing anyone. You drove her off. Yash, you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty for."
"Yeah, I do," Inuyasha sighed. "You heard what Tsubaki said. She was after me and Kikyo, and went after you because of me."
"She was after the Jewel," Miroku said. "Just like so many others."
"You keep on getting hurt because of me."
Miroku took his hand firmly, cupping his cheek with his other hand. "None of this is your fault. Do you understand me? We're hunting Naraku and the Jewel shards. We're going to get hurt – that is expected and inescapable. We've kept each other from dying against terrible odds. We've all done everything we can. Would you say that Sango and Kirara and I have failed?"
Inuyasha huffed. "It's not the-"
"It is the same," Miroku insisted, and his tone softened. "I know that you feel responsible, but so do the rest of us. All of us and none of us are to blame. You can't keep carrying all of this alone. It will destroy you."
Inuyasha looked away, blinking hard, and Miroku drew him into a strong embrace. Inuyasha clung to him for just a moment, letting the terror and frustration and helplessness run through him. Miroku was safe. He was alive and healing and safe with him. Until the next time.
It had never been like this before, when he was one his own against the world. He fought for his very survival practically every day, and yet it had never affected him like this. It should be easier, having a pack to watch his back, but it just meant that he had so much more to lose. He dreaded what each day would bring – whether something would slip past his defenses and tear apart those he loved. He knew that Sango could never really understand – she had grown up surrounded by other slayers, had always known how to put her trust in others. She knew how to deal with it. He didn't. He supposed that Miroku might understand a little more. He had been alone for much of his life, as well. But the monk always seemed so calm, so sure of what to do. Inuyasha had learned to trust that confidence, just as he had Sango's skill and Kirara's unwavering loyalty. But he didn't know if any of them would every really know what it felt like. He hoped that they didn't.
After a long while, Miroku tensed a little in his arms and pulled back slightly, his brow furrowing. He turned his gaze out over the snow-covered fields, through the forest and into what lay beyond.
"Can you feel that?" he asked softly. "The Jewel… It's faint, and it feels like it's far away, but it must be Tsubaki's shard. It's extremely powerful."
Inuyasha frowned, his arms tightening slightly where he held onto Miroku.
Kirara immediately padded out of Kaede's hut and started towards them, Sango and Kaede following behind. "What's going on?" the slayer asked.
"Tsubaki's using the Jewel," Miroku said when it was obvious that Inuyasha wasn't going to speak. "We can find her."
"I guess we'd better get going," Sango said, hauling Hiraikotsu over her shoulder.
"I shall ready my horse," Kaede nodded.
"You're coming too?" Inuyasha asked.
"We must not squander this chance to reclaim such a large portion of the Jewel," Kaede said simply. "You cannot pretend that my help might not be needed."
"Fine," Inuyasha sighed. "But you're staying back. You saw what Tsubaki's capable of, and I'm not having anyone getting cursed again."
"I can protect her!" Shippo said, scampering onto her shoulder. "I can make sure that nothing sneaks up on her!"
"You are not coming along!" Sango said immediately, while Miroku simultaneously said "You're staying here."
"But you need all the help you can get!" Shippo said insistently. "You just said so!"
"It's too dangerous for you," Inuyasha snapped.
"Besides, you're still grounded from the stunt you pulled back at my village," Sango added. "You know that you can't come after us if we tell you not to. That was the agreement you made to keep travelling with us."
"But I can help!" Shippo shouted, his face colouring. "You know I can! I promise I'll stay with Kaede the whole time. I can protect her so the rest of you can focus on the fight!" They all shared a wary look and, sensing his opportunity, he pushed forwards. "I'll just follow you if you don't let me come!"
"We're wasting time!" Inuyasha snapped. "Shippo, you're going to stay with Kaede, and if you're in danger, Kirara's taking you away. You have to live with the consequences if that happens."
Shippo nodded resolutely. He dutifully sat on Kaede's shoulder as she readied her horse, and Inuyasha helped her mount. He caught Miroku's arm as they moved towards Kirara.
"Is there any way I can convince you to stay behind?" he asked quietly, not meeting his eyes.
Miroku smiled softly. "I'm afraid not. I need to find where she's taken the Jewel, and you might need my powers to combat hers. Besides, truly, I'm alright."
Inuyasha sighed, knowing that it was useless. He and the others climbed onto Kirara's back and she took off, following Miroku's directions. He wrapped his arms tightly around Miroku's middle and buried his nose against the back of his neck, letting the cold winter air wash over him.
xXx
Kagura crept into the shrine, wrinkling her nose at the smell of incense. The two young fools were too busy preparing for battle with Inuyasha to notice that anything was amiss, and Tsubaki's own youki would also help to mask her presence. Tsubaki had enough training to sense her either way, but that wasn't a problem. She wasn't the one that Kagura needed to hide from. She found Tsubaki kneeling in front of an altar, though she wasn't in prayer. She was examining the various sutras and spells with an almost fond expression. But then she froze and spun around, looking vexed but unsurprised to see Kagura standing at the other end of the shrine.
"Naraku sent me to take the Jewel back," she said casually. "Since you obviously don't know how to use it."
"Impudent fool!" Tsubaki snapped. "Can't you see that I'm about to use it? It has a greater purpose than you could ever imagine. Besides, it's mine now."
Kagura examined her nails, utterly unperturbed. "Didn't he promise to give it to you on the condition that you actually complete your task?"
"I will complete it!" Tsubaki hissed angrily. "I will kill all of them! But I require the Jewel to-"
She cut herself off, her eyes darting to the shrine entrance behind Kagura, where the voices of the two young priestesses were sounding out. Tsubaki immediately strode out to meet them, pushing Kagura aside as she did so and summoning a barrier which blocked any trace of either of their youki.
"Sister Tsubaki!" one of the girls chirped, though Kagura couldn't see which one. "We have gathered all the supplies you asked for."
"We haven't even learned about some of these charms yet," the other said a little wistfully. "Will they really do as you said?"
"My old master had much left to teach you," Tsubaki said softly. "But if you use the spells as I instructed, you should be fine. After these demons are vanquished, I will be able to teach you all that I know."
"We promise to do all we can!" one said enthusiastically.
"Even if we cannot slay them, we can at least prevent them from entering the shrine," the other agreed.
"Are you certain?" Tsubaki asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"We have trained long and hard for this day!" the first said with firm confidence.
"We don't let you down," added the other.
"Very well," Tsubaki said. "Keep them at bay for as long as you both are able. It will allow me to complete the secret spell to defend this place forever."
"We'll get ready now!"
As the girls left, Kagura stepped out from her hiding place and gave Tsubaki a skeptical look. "You're really going to throw those girls at Inuyasha? They won't be able to stand against him."
"What do I care?" Tsubaki shrugged. "They can buy me time."
"So what's your masterful plan, then?" Kagura asked in a bored tone. "You were defeated by Inuyasha and his tagalongs once already."
"Do not underestimate me! I killed two of them before," Tsubaki said, looking past the shrine to the pagoda and missing Kagura's eye roll. "I know of the power sealed inside – power that I can harvest with the Jewel. With it, I can destroy them."
"You're just going to control another demon?" Kagura sighed. "Doesn't sound like much of a plan to me – not if that's how you're planning on using the Jewel."
"Well then what would you suggest?" Tsubaki snapped.
Kagura smirked. She was so easy. "Do you want to know the ultimate power of the Shikon Jewel?"
xXx
"Over there," Miroku directed, and Kirara adjusted her path accordingly. Sango flung out an arm in that direction, and Kaede's horse followed after them. They were moving through a large field, and in the forest beyond, a large pagoda rose above the trees. As they neared the edge of the forest, Kirara growled and immediately dropped to the ground.
"What's the matter?" Sango asked, already reaching for Hiraikotsu as Kirara transformed down.
"Look at that," Miroku said, pointing at the line of shimenawa roped around tall sakaki branches, creating a long barrier which seemed to extent around the entirety of the forest.
"This barrier will prevent any youkai from entering," Kaede said, dismounting from her horse. "Though this is a simple spell for one such as Tsubaki."
"The Jewel is beyond the barrier," Miroku reported, and the others nodded – they could sense it as well from this distance. "Kaede and I can dismantle the barrier. The rest of you watch out for traps – this is far too easy."
"You smell that?" Inuyasha asked, a low growl in his voice. "That's Naraku's scent. He or one of his incarnations is here."
Miroku frowned. "You smelled one of them with Tsubaki before, didn't you? I wonder why they disappeared."
Inuyasha growled and took a few steps closer to the barrier. Instead he cried out in pain and leapt back, holding one foot in the air. Miroku immediately parted the long snow-crusted grass where he'd been standing and saw a sutra pinned to the ground with a small twig.
"These are probably littered all around the field," he advised the others as he crumpled it up and stuffed it into his robes. "Watch where you step."
"I'll get rid of them while you focus on the barrier," Sango said.
Inuyasha's gaze snapped up to the barrier, where two young women were emerging from the trees. They climbed onto a large, flat rock just inside the barrier and surveyed them coolly. Both held bo staffs and wore white miko's clothing, though each had a brightly-coloured yukata overtop – one red, one light blue. They also both wore black leather boots commonly found on samurai or slayers. Each had a large necklace with a pendant split in two halves – one had the two halves of the sun, the other, two crescent moons back-to-back.
"We have been waiting for you!" the women in blue called out to them.
"Are you Inuyasha?" the one in red asked. "The demon who seeks to destroy Priestess Tsubaki?"
"You're Tsubaki's lackeys?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.
"Priestess Tsubaki is a sister disciple!" the red one said haughtily.
"Of course we're her allies!" the blue one said, looking affronted.
"Look at their clothes," Miroku said quietly beside Inuyasha. "Fire and ice, sun and moon – they're practicing Taiji. They must have at least some of the same onmyōdō training as Tsubaki."
"So what, you're going around cursing people, too?" Inuyasha snarled at them. "I won't spare you either, then."
"How dare you insult us!" the blue priestess shouted indignantly.
"We would never stoop so low!" the other agreed ardently.
"It seems as though you've been deceived," Miroku said, holding out his staff so that it was plainly visible. "We mean you no harm. My name is Miroku, and I'm a monk. Will you allow us to share our side of the story?"
"I am Momiji," the red priestess said.
"And I am Botan," said the blue.
"And we are the guardians of this forest," Momiji continued. "We can see that you have some humans in your party, as well as some demons. Why have you sold your souls to the likes of them?"
Inuyasha scowled at the irony of that statement and rolled his eyes. "You really don't know anything about us, do you?"
"We haven't done any harm to you or anyone else!" Shippo said from his perch on Kaede's shoulder.
The two priestesses exchanged a startled look. They pressed closer together and began furiously discussing amongst themselves.
"So what do we do now?" Sango asked, turning her back to the pair. "They don't seem harmful, but we don't have a lot of time – especially if Tsubaki really already expecting us."
Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms, one ear flicked back to listen in on their conversation.
"We have to at least try to convince them," Miroku shrugged. He turned back to face them and took a step closer.
"Stop right there!" Momiji shouted, raising her staff.
"We've figured out your simple disguise!" Botan continued, pulling two sutras from her robes. "Demons, we will reveal your true forms and release these humans from your spell!"
She threw the sutras, which travelled with a surprising amount of spiritual power. More surprisingly, they were headed towards Shippo and Kirara. Miroku immediately stepped in front of them and formed a quick barrier, which dissolved as the sutras struck it with a crackle of energy.
"What do you mean by this?" he asked the priestesses. "Neither of them are hiding their forms, nor are we under any spell. I promise, if you just let me explain-"
"If you do not leave at once, we will be forced to fight," Botan said warningly.
"And we will not show leniency," Momiji said, levelling her bo staff.
"Can I just knock 'em out?" Inuyasha asked quietly, flexing his knuckles.
"Do you know that Tsubaki possesses the Shikon Jewel?" Miroku called out to the priestesses instead. Based on the shocked disbelief that crossed their faces, he guessed not. "Tsubaki was given the Jewel by a demon who seeks to destroy us and countless others. She attacked us before, under his bidding!"
"You lie!" Botan shouted, raising her staff. "Sister Tsubaki would never do such a thing!"
"This isn't getting us anywhere," Sango said. "We're going to have to draw them away from the barrier so that we can dismantle it."
"Indeed," Miroku sighed. "Though I don't see how."
Sango grimaced and simply started walking forwards. Inuyasha, more than ready to quit stalling, immediately joined her side.
"Halt right there!" Botan ordered, a slight tremble in her voice at such a brazen show of defiance.
"We warned you!" Momiji said, lifting her staff. She leapt off the rock and landed in front of Sango and Inuyasha, physically barring their way. Inuyasha growled and resisted pulling out Tessaiga.
"Listen, kid-" he started.
"Now, Botan!" she called back to the other priestess.
Botan quickly pulled two handfuls of paper dolls from her robes and threw them into the air. Each was a flat figure with a small round head, two simple arms reaching straight out, and a pointed tail. As they flew towards the group in an organize formation, Miroku's eyes widened.
"They're shikigami!" he warned, raising his staff.
Inuyasha swore and grabbed Sango by the waist before leaping back towards the others. Sango immediately threw Hiraikotsu, cutting through the majority of the shikigami, but Botan was only animated more and more. Miroku sliced through some with his staff, dispelling them with his spiritual power, but it wasn't enough. The dolls began diving at Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara, slicing thin lines across their skin. Inuyasha tore at them with his claws, while Kirara batted them away with her paws. Shippo fared the best, surrounding both Kaede and himself with foxfire. Unlike Tsubaki's shikigami, the dolls didn't reform once destroyed, and despite the second wave sent at them by Botan, they were soon almost all destroyed. Inuyasha and Kirara both hissed slightly at the stinging cuts along their bodies, but neither were too badly injured.
The attack made Miroku wary, however. While nowhere near as powerful as Tsubaki, to be able to control so many shikigami still required a higher level of training than he had expected from these young priestesses. He watched as a handful of the dolls make their way back to Botan, a few falling from the air on their journey. Botan caught them in her hands and began to chant, the paper beginning to glow softly.
"This isn't working," Miroku said. "They're just going to start a new spell. We need to break down the barrier however we can, and hopefully these two will follow us to Tsubaki."
"We'll draw them away," Sango said, gesturing at Inuyasha. "You focus on that."
She and Inuyasha ran towards the priestesses once more, Sango taking the lead in case there were any more sutras hidden around. Botan looked up nervously but didn't stop her incantation. Instead, Momiji raised her staff and rushed to meet her. Sango swung Hiraikotsu forward, where Momiji blocked the weapon with her staff. She pushed along the edge of Hiraikotsu, trying to throw Sango off balance. It was a risky move, and would have worked on an untrained opponent. Instead, Sango followed the movement that Momiji was pushing her and spun out of the way, causing the priestess to stumble instead. As she righted herself, Inuyasha simply grabbed her arms from behind.
"Momiji!" Botan screamed, cutting off anything that Inuyasha was about to say. "Let her go!"
A burst of light came from behind him, and he released her and spun around, only to come face-to-face with…himself. A figure stood before him that looked identical to him except that it was devoid of any colour. It was solid like Tsubaki's first shikigami had been, rather than the flat paper of Botan's earlier works, and smirked at him with a predatory expression that he knew he used to have. The paper double didn't wait, simply unsheathed its own Tessaiga and leapt at Inuyasha. He scrambled back to avoid the blow, drew his sword and shot a bewildered look over his shoulder at Sango. She had grabbed Momiji from where he'd released her, but she was glancing between him and Botan.
The blue priestess was clutching a paper doll in each hand, each of which had a black hair wrapped around it – one long, one medium in length. As Inuyasha watched, the doll with the longer hair began to glow, and as Botan tossed it gently forward, grew and shifted into a black-and-white Sango figure.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Sango said.
She didn't bother restraining Momiji as she struggled free, but instead lifted Hiraikotsu to block the attack from her double. Inuyasha's copy also continued its attack, swinging Tessaiga with ferocious strength and speed, forcing him back. Miroku was running at them, trying to get to Botan and break the spell, but it was too late. His own double burst forward, almost taking his head off with its staff. All three of them were pushed back, away from the barrier and the priestesses.
Inuyasha wasn't able to keep an eye on the others – all his attention was on blocking every blow thrown at him from his double. He could keep any of them from landing, and was able to go on the offensive a few times, but he also couldn't land a hit. He jabbed at his double's belly and saw it jump back, twisting its Tessaiga around to try and catch his arm in a move that he distinctly remembered Sango teaching him. That had to be it. These weren't just copies of their bodies – they had the same mind! They were all evenly matched! He attacked as hard as he could, pulling on his youki to lend strength to his blows, and he managed to send the double flying back. He spared at glance at the others and then at the priestesses, both of whom were now chanting, pouring their spiritual power into keeping the shikigami alive.
Sango did not like this one bit. She'd trained against other slayers her whole life, but it has always been with the solid goal of not killing each other. All that was gone, and she was left fighting a ruthless opponent. She quickly tucked Hiraikotsu into place across her back and pulled out her sword in one hand and a knife in the other, unsurprised as her double did the same. She threw herself at the copy's legs, but it jumped over her and tried to stab her as she did so. She blocked the blow and rolled, sprang to her feet and tried to kick the double in the head. The copy dropped its sword and snatched her foot in the air, used her momentum to throw her further away. The double jumped after her, aiming for her exposed back as she landed, and she once again rolled out of the way. She shot out a hand, tangled it in her double's hair, and pulled.
Miroku parried each blow from his copy's staff, easily giving ground, letting the other go on the offensive. He saw the staff fly from his double's right hand to its left and instinctively ducked to avoid the punch thrown with its free hand. He went for the legs – in training, he'd always had trouble defending against that move, so he figured that the same would apply to the double. Sure enough, he knocked the copy to the ground and immediately pulled his dagger from his robes, intent on finishing this as quickly as possible. The double grabbed his wrist with one hand and caught his throat with the other, rolling them both so that it loomed over him. He slammed his staff into the side of its face, cutting deep, revealing layers upon layers of paper as the shell was broken. The double released him and leapt away, snatching up its staff once more. Miroku scrambled back to his feet and fell back at its next attack. He knew that Momiji and Botan wouldn't be able to keep up this level of control forever. Sooner or later, they would tire. He just hoped that he would be able to hold out until then.
Inuyasha snarled and swung at his double's arm, only catching the edge of its shoulder as it aimed its Tessaiga at his neck. He leapt into the air and shot back down, kicking it in the chest, forcing it to stumble back. Just as he was about to attack again, an arrow glowing with spiritual power shot through the double's head, splitting it in two. He whipped around to see Kaede holding her bow, reaching into her quiver for another shot. But the copy was already reforming itself, surrounded by the priestesses' power. Well that was inconvenient. He rushed forward and pulled at the Wind Scar in his mind, sending it tearing towards the double – who leapt into the air to avoid it.
Sango dragged her double off its feet by a fist in its hair, plunged her sword into its chest with her other hand. It didn't so much as falter, merely picked up its own weapon from the ground and made a line straight for her throat. She could see Kirara running for her out of the corner of her eye, but then Momiji threw a sutra at her, drove her back. She sprang the hidden blade in her arm and sliced deep along her double's leg, bringing it to the ground. She grabbed her sword, knowing that an obvious attack wouldn't work, and so instead snatched one of the double's hands and pierced through it with the blade, pinning it to the ground. Once again the copy made no sound, just remained eerily quiet as it dug its own dagger deep into her arm.
Miroku jumped back to avoid another blow and batted his double's staff away. He was so close, almost there… His double's eyes widened as it figured out his plan. He turned and dove for the nearest sakaki branch which rose from the ground, swung out wildly at the rope with the shimenawa, trying to cut through it with his staff and break the barrier. His double tackled him to the ground, swung its staff around in front of him and yanked back, pressing the length of it against his throat. Well, so much for that plan. He shifted forwards, gaining enough room to snap his head back against the copy's face. He then pushed against the staff, grabbed a hold and twisted, forcing the double to break its grip. He flung the paper staff away and sliced at the copy with his own. But it was becoming increasingly obvious that neither he nor his companions were getting anywhere, and with Momiji and Botan using their sutras to keep Kirara away, they weren't likely to get the upper hand anytime soon.
"Inuyasha!" he called out, breathlessly. His partner immediately flung himself around, his eyes falling on him for a scarce heartbeat before he bounded over to him, leaving his opponent completely abandoned. He grasped Miroku's double and flung him away carelessly before he braced his hands against Miroku's arms. It only served to confirm his suspicions.
"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked nervously. Miroku was already dripping sweat, his heart pounding and the smallest of tremors in his muscles. He knew it was too soon for Miroku to be fighting again.
"We're not going to win against ourselves," Miroku said earnestly. "How could we? We have to fight each other."
Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull as he glanced at Miroku's double, which was picking itself up off the ground. That was a good point. That was a very, very good point – and he hated it. He didn't give a damn if he was fighting against himself. Fighting against his pack was a different thing entirely. But as he saw his own double starting towards them, saw Sango's double catch a lucky strike at her arm, he knew that they didn't have a choice. He leapt over his double, kicking it down as he did so, and dug his claws into the back of Sango's double, ripping it off her. He jumped back, pleased to see it following him.
Sango nodded and rolled to her feet, snatching her various discarded weapons off the ground and stumbling towards Miroku. The monk threw a handful of sutras at the Inuyasha copy before it could reach them, looked over her worriedly as she skidded to a stop by his side. She glanced over at where his double had just picked up its discarded staff.
"Keep that one busy!" she instructed Miroku, gesturing vaguely at the Inuyasha copy as she took off towards his double. She just had to take out the Miroku double as quickly as possible. She could tell by the pallor of the real Miroku's skin that he was tiring. They needed this to be over soon.
Miroku grimaced as he stared at the Inuyasha double staggering around. This was…less than ideal. He knew that it would be almost impossible for him to stand against Inuyasha at the best of times, but it wasn't just the double's strength or his own exhaustion holding him back. He had fought Inuyasha less than two days ago, and the reality of what he'd done was still fresh in his mind. Inuyasha had repeatedly brushed it off, told him that it wasn't his fault – which was true, he supposed – but it didn't erase the fact that he'd hurt his partner. He pulled another sutra from his robes, sent it at the double and watched it crumple a little. It raised Tessaiga and he lifted his staff in turn. So be it.
Inuyasha was very quickly reminded of how much he disliked fighting Sango. The only other time it had happened, she'd been dying from a fatal wound to her back, and she'd still been damn near impossible to stop. But he knew from their training what her weaknesses were. He leapt into the air, out of reach, forcing the double to pull Hiraikotsu from its back and hurl it after him. He immediately cut through it with Tessaiga – maybe these doubles didn't share their minds after all. There was no way that Sango would have fallen for a stunt like that. He landed behind the double, caught its arm as it spun around, and dug his claws in deep. Swallowing the roll of nausea and wrong that came from the movement, he tore the arm from its body. He was not expecting the double to swing around with its sword in its other hand, aiming for his exposed side with a blow that he barely avoided. Remembering what Sango had said about adapting to his opponent – and about fighting dirty when need be – he threw the severed arm at its face, knocking it back.
Sango swept at the Miroku double's legs, sending it crashing to the ground, but it rolled out of the way before she could get a clean strike. It swung at her with its staff, higher than she'd been expecting, and it almost caught her as she leapt to avoid it. But the jump had made her lose balance, and the double sprang to its feet and pushed after her. She spun around and blocked a blow from its staff with Hiraikotsu instinctively before she realized that there was no need – the spiritual power which usually hung around the head of Miroku's staff as he fought was nowhere to be found. She kicked the double back and flung her sword through its chest before taking a moment to watch the others. She could see Inuyasha tearing at her copy, Tessaiga glowing amber, and something struck her mind. His double hadn't used any of Tessaiga's power thus far, on him or Miroku, and Miroku's double wasn't using either spiritual power or any of the poisons she had given him. She supposed that it was impossible for the priestesses to have recreated any of their possessions completely. And Miroku's double had made no move for the wind tunnel – she was fairly certain that most of them would be dead if it had that power. It changed everything. These things were only paper, after all. Before the Miroku double could charge at her again, she pulled a small box of red powder from her robes and hurled it at it. The box connected and exploded upon impact, and the highly acidic powder instantly began eating through the paper of the shikigami.
Miroku blocked blow after blow from the fake Tessaiga, making his way back towards Kirara and Kaede. He felt a sutra crumple on the ground under his feet and led the shikigami over that spot, watching in grim satisfaction as the Inuyasha double shuddered and split apart before reforming. He darted forwards and twisted his staff around Tessaiga, wrenching it from the double's hands.
"Now!" he shouted.
Kaede's arrow struck straight through the double. The paper burned and curled at the edges, a pulse of power coming from it as it began to reform. Miroku tore off his mala and opened the wind tunnel. Above the double's head, he could see Momiji and Botan freeze in shock and fear as their creation was pulled into the void.
He leaned heavily against his staff, breathing hard as he looked over at the others. Sango had his double on the ground and was systematically hacking it to pieces. Inuyasha was still deeply entangled with her double, a few small spots of blood having appeared over his robes, while the ground around them was littered with torn pieces of paper.
"Sango!" he called out, starting towards her, reaching for his mala once more. "Stand back."
"Wait!" she said fiercely, startling him. To his surprise, she pulled a small box of white powder from her robes and dumped it over the pieces of his double. "Right. Now it's safe."
"Safe how?" he asked, sucking up the copy regardless.
"Well, I had to neutralize the acid, didn't I?" she said as though it was obvious. "We're trying to keep you from getting poisoned again, remember?"
"I am so glad that you're on my side," he grinned tiredly as they started towards Inuyasha together.
"Enough of this!" Botan suddenly cried, as she and Momiji pulled a new charm from each of their robes. They held them in the air and they pulsed with spiritual power. Shippo and Kirara cried out in pain from across the field. Inuyasha immediately slammed into the ground from midair, gasping at the impact. He tried desperately to push back upright, but he couldn't move!
"That should hold you long enough!" Momiji said triumphantly, while Botan closed her eyes, and the Sango double began to glow.
"Sango!" Miroku shouted, running at the double.
Hiraikotsu smashed into the barrier in front of the priestesses, causing them to lose their concentration right as Miroku tackled the double from where it stood over Inuyasha, sword poised over his back. Miroku knew better than to try to fight Sango at any given time, so he pinned the copy's wrists to the ground with his hands and rammed his knees into its stomach so that it couldn't kick him off. He heard Inuyasha scramble to his feet behind him.
"Miroku, get back," he warned, one hand grasping his shoulder gently. Miroku nodded and moved behind him, so that Inuyasha could send the Wind Scar ripping through the final double. Miroku was pretty sure that even a shikigami couldn't revive from that, but he sucked in the paper scraps regardless.
"You okay?" Inuyasha asked, eyeing him carefully.
"I'm fine," Miroku promised, running his hand over a small nick on Inuyasha's arm which was already sealing itself shut. They turned back to the priestesses, who were currently being pinned under the full heat of Sango's glare.
"Are you three alright?" she called over her shoulder to the others.
"I am unharmed," Kaede reported. "Though the paralyzing spell was not kind to Shippo and Kirara." She already had the kit cradled in her arms, and was stooping down to pick up Kirara, who was curled in a ball on the ground.
"Those cute little ones are hurt," Botan said, eyes wide and maybe a little remorseful.
"It can't be helped," Momiji snapped, still staring down Sango. "They're demons, too."
"You two are finished," Sango said, grabbing the nearest sakaki branch and tearing it from the ground. "We don't have time for this."
"You cannot pass into this forest!" Botan said, immediately raising her staff. "We will fight you until the end, if need be!"
"There is no need for more violence!" Miroku said in a strict voice. "We wish you no harm, and bear you no ill will, even after you attacked us. You must see by now that we are not possessed by any demons. If you will let us explain, then you will see that we are not in the wrong."
"Sister Tsubaki told us-" Momiji started haughtily.
"She lied," Sango snapped. "And we can prove it."
The priestesses exchanged a worried look, but first Botan and then Momiji lowered their weapons.
"We will hear what you have to say," Momiki said firmly.
Anyone else here a fan of Teen Titans?
I'm also looking for any excuse to avoid my schoolwork, so treat this chapter like a Q&A! Feel free to ask me anything you'd like about this work, my plans for the future, who I am as a person, all that jazz
