This is a crossover of Ranma ½ and Inu-Yasha.
Anyways, it is supposed to continue after Ranma, manga volume 38 and Inu-Yasha, manga volume 6, after they defeat Kikyo and before they meet Miroku. Just a little warning though, I don't know the exact details of what happens at the end of Ranma ½, I'm only going on hearsay on that series, and I'm going to take liberties with the ending. (Please don't hurt me.)
And people, THANK-YOU for reading this! But as to why I took so long to get this chapter out . . . well, I'm an extremely slow and lazy writer. Plus the fact that my sister just took our computer with her to college. AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! So I can only access a computer outside of my home. For right now anyways. But I'm also extremely busy with my courses at the university, so if I do ever post any chapters, they will be few and far between. I'M SORRY! WAAAHHHHHH! (Bow, bow.)
Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and Inu-Yasha belong to Takahashi Rumiko, so don't sue me, please. I need to go to college.
Martial Arts and Demon Powers
Kagome looked at the tense Inu-Yasha. He had just announced the arrival of a new demon, and more disturbingly, the fact that two humans had obviously just come out of the well. But then, she supposed, this was good. Something to take Inu-Yasha's mind off their recent adventure. He'd been acting weird ever since they had returned from the ogress Urasue's place . . . and had to kill Kikyo. She glanced at Inu-Yasha again, then firmly pushed all thoughts of Inu-Yasha and Kikyo out of her head to concentrate on this new threat, if indeed it was a threat.
They were rushing through the forest at top speed, for Kagome that is, and Inu-Yasha was busy focusing all his senses on this strange new demon. The two human scents were still there, going in a straight course towards the village. So they were either travelers who had seen the smoke or they were something else; maybe specifically looking for the village, but for what reason? What was more disturbing to the ghost-haired boy, was the fact that the demon kept shifting and drifting behind the two humans, like it didn't want to be seen. And then, he had a hard time keeping track of the scent as it seemed to disappear in places and the trail was becoming even more faint now.
Inu-Yasha stopped suddenly.
KA-POW!
Kagome stopped her bike with a screech and looked back at the flattened half-demon.
"Oops. Uhhh . . . sorry about that?"
Inu-Yasha twitched once, twice, than sprang up suddenly. His aura swirled around him dangerously as he glared at the nervous girl sitting on the bike.
"H-Hey! C'mon!" Kagome waved her hand at him, screwing her face up into one of cheerfulness. "I didn't do it on purpose. Honest!"
"Yeah," Shippo popped up from behind Kagome's shoulder, "What's goin' on in that empty head of yours anyways?"
"None of your business!" He gave Shippo a hard whack on the head and stalked off.
Kogome looked down sympathetically at the kitsune, "Are you alright, Shippo?"
Shippo only humphed and glared at the back of the stomping white-haired boy, promising dire vengeance later on.
"So . . . um . . . Inu-Yasha . . . um . . ."
"So just what?! You stupid girl! Spit it out!"
"Hey!" Kagome pedaled faster and papped him on the head as she went by, "I just wanted to ask you a question, you didn't have to go all postal on me!"
Rubbing his head, Inu-Yasha growled, "So what is it?"
"What happened back there? Why did you suddenly stop?"
He looked at the dark-haired girl seriously, "Kagome, I've been following the scent of that demon, but it seems like the trail is already disappearing. I don't know what to make of it." He scratched his nose. "It seems like the demon is following those two humans. His path follows too closely for it to be coincidence."
"Do you think they may be just travelers that happened upon the well?"
"No. They definitely came from the well."
Inu-Yasha hopped onto the back of Kagome's bike.
"Let's just go back to the village."
Kagome shot the dog-eared boy a confused glance, but resumed pedaling.
"Hey Inu-Yasha?"
"Hmm?"
"You mentioned that the scent was disappearing. Are you saying you can't track the scent anymore?"
"No, I can't," he paused, "But if it was following the humans, wherever they are, the demon has to be there."
Ranma looked up at the three men with pitchforks and grim expressions.
"Well . . . They didn't have to tie me up."
Ranma's hands had been tied behind him, with the rope connecting to the knots also holding his ankles together, forcing him to kneel . . . or lie down in a very stupid position. So he opted to kneel instead and just grumbled while glaring at the three villagers. They ignored him.
Through a crack in the sliding door, he could make out crowds of men and women as they passed the hut, pointing and whispering behind their hands. He thought it was strange how the people were dressed so . . . the only word he could find was old-fashioned. It was like a scene straight out of one of those history books he almost never opened. The people, the streets, even the houses. They couldn't be actors of any kind.
Ranma looked at the pitchforks again. Those looked a little too real. Plus the arrows, Shojinya and that old lady had been carrying, they had real arrowheads! None of those blunted ones used in the dojos for archery. The arrows had been meant for killing. No, this had to be real.
Again he tested the strength of the bonds and had to hide a small smirk. These people had really underestimated him! Then he frowned. That woman had acted too calm when he'd flashed his aura. Just what the heck was she?! And Akane. Who knew where that uncute tomboy had run off too. It figured she'd be the one falling into trouble. Like the Orochi at Ryugenzawa, and the time Pantyhose Taro had kidnapped her, or the time she'd eaten the super soba and had grown whiskers. He chuckled mentally at the memory of her face as she had cried almost comically on top of that pine tree.
Although, he reflected wryly, there were just as many times she had rescued him. Jumping into the danger he was saving her from to get him out of the mess. What a stupid tomboy. . . .
"MAYA!"
The shrill voice broke through his musings and he glanced up to see one of his guards had opened the sliding door, revealing what was happening outside.
"Maya! My daughter, Maya! She's disappeared! With that blue-haired hussy of a woman! Hajime-chan saw them leave the village together!"
The villagers nearest the woman gasped.
"No. . . ."
"You can't mean. . . ."
"Yes!" the woman continued. Her wild brown eyes had dilated to the point of looking almost crazy, and her kimono opened loosely at the throat, indicating haste or hysteria. "She's kidnapped her. Oh Maya! My Maya!"
The woman started to sob openly. Another village woman put her arms consolingly on the sobbing woman's shoulders, "Shh, Sayuko, it be alright. It be alright. We be just sending one o'the men after them. That blue-haired witch will pay!"
"What?!" Before the woman could pull in another breath, Ranma's blue eyes were inches from her own. "What's happened? Where's Akane?!"
The rest of the villagers gasped. The three guards blinked. Blinked again and looked back at the spot where their prisoner was supposed to have been, and seeing only frayed rope, they went back to staring at the spectacle before them open-mouthed. The villagers had given the incredibly speedy boy and the two women a wide berth, and were now muttering among themselves.
"I knew it . . ."
". . . demon . . ."
". . . kitsune? . . ."
". . . Kaede-sama . . ."
"What could she . . ."
". . . trick, like a kitsune. . . ."
". . . has to be . . ."
Ranma frowned, and glanced around at faces quickly becoming hostile. Unfortunately the woman he'd been questioning also heard the gist of the conversations going around, and she opened and closed her mouth several times like a fish out of the water.
Until, finally, "DEMON!"
"DEMON!"
Inu-Yasha's ears twitched, picking up the distant echo of a village woman's cry. He jumped from his perch on the back of Kagome's bike and started towards the village at a faster pace.
"Huh? Hey! Inu-Yasha?! Waaaiiiitttt!"
Kagome's cry went unanswered as Inu-Yasha touched on the ground briefly and then flew off again in a large leap. In a few moments, he'd reached the village and saw a large group of men. Most of them carried pitchforks, or spears, and even some clubs and were all apparently attacking something.
Then a blur leapt out of the crowd and onto the roof of a nearby building. At this, the mob grew even uglier and began chasing the target as it leapt from one roof to another.
Inu-Yasha frowned. If this was a demon, it sure wasn't acting like most demons he'd met. I.e. it wasn't attacking and destroying the village.
But then the thing got close enough that Inu-Yasha got a whiff of it's scent. It was human. Definitely human, but, there was also the stench of that demon earlier hanging all over the human. So adding two and two together, Inu-Yasha came to the conclusion that the human must be working with the demon and was somehow going to lead the villagers into a trap.
Inu-Yasha stood up straight on the branch he'd been crouching on and leaned against the trunk. He'd let the demon show itself first, before he announced his own presence.
Ranma leapt out of the crowd and onto the nearest roof. His senses caught a hint of a powerful aura, and for a moment he thought the old lady or Akane was back, but when he tried sense it further, the crowd turned ugly, and he had to leap to another roof. He just hoped it wasn't Akane, the crowd looked ready to kill.
His mind racing as fast as his legs, Ranma couldn't help but give a little frown. The situation he was in was so unfamiliar he didn't question how he'd gotten there in the first place. But what bothered him was the fact that this felt like it was more than just another unknown place. The people here were too suspicious. Not like they were paranoid, but more like they knew there was something scary outside the village and knew they should fear it, but also knew they had to defend themselves. These people weren't crazy like most he'd already met. They seemed too real. Almost normal, if it weren't for the fact that they seemed to live in the middle of nowhere and were stuck in the feudal ages.
The pig-tailed youth let out an exasperated breath and put some extra strength into his legs. At the end of the roof he was currently running upon, he gave a slight bend of his knees and jumped up higher than any human had a right to. His target was a tree branch connected to an extremely tall tree. But just as he landed, he felt a tingle on the back of his neck as the fine hairs rose.
He quickly changed his landing so that he would spring off the branch instead. Flipping to a higher branch, he felt the wind as something sharp brushed by his cheek. He felt a sting on his cheek. When he brought his hand up instinctively, he could feel the sticky blood smear his fingers.
As soon as he had landed, the teenaged martial artist was in a defensive position and searching for his attacker. He saw the flash of ghost-white hair and eerie golden-eyes as he felt something lacerate the skin of his forearms, which he'd brought up to block an anticipated attack. Ranma sucked in a pained gasp and leapt onto an adjacent tree. He paused when he didn't feel his attacker pursue, so he looked up and finally saw a boy.
The pig-tailed martial artist blinked in surprise. The boy looked a couple of years younger than him, but the long, snow-white hair, the golden eyes, and the strange furry ears atop his head, told Ranma this was no ordinary human child. Ranma shook his head and blinked. Yep. The strange boy in a bright red kimono, which yelled "Rich!", was still there. He was also smirking too. Ranma knew he was going hate that smirk.
Then the white-haired boy spoke, "If you'll tell me the name of your master and where he is, I'll go easy on you." He finished by cracking his knuckles.
Ranma stood up straight from his defensive position and returned a smirk of his own, "Huh. I'd watch my mouth if I were you, kid."
His smile growing wider, Inu-Yasha drew his claws back ready to strike, and the blue-eyed human dropped back into his defensive position. Inu-Yasha looked his target over. The boy wore a shirt of a strange design, but it was just as bright red as his own kimono and looked like it was silk. So Inu-Yasha assumed this human was of a noble house. Probably an enemy of Musashi. He might have joined forces with that demon earlier to defeat the lord of domain. Inu-Yasha didn't mind the politics of the humans, but he didn't want a military over-running the village either, seeing as this was where the well was and Kagome would be blasted foolish enough to try to go through the samurais just to get home and back to those "tests" of hers. No, better to take care of this threat now.
He sniffed again just to make sure the young human was really a human being. Feeling the auras of other creatures was Kagome's specialty, but even Inu-Yasha could feel the waves of energy the human was giving off, and strangely he couldn't find a hint of demonic powers. But the stench of a demon was clearly being given off by the boy. Inu-Yasha frowned. Now that he was closer, he was sure. The scent wasn't just hanging all over the boy like a person wore clothes, but the boy was giving off the scent. Like it was woven into his skin.
Now the ghost-haired boy was confused. The pig-tailed boy smelled like a human, but he was giving off a distinctly demonic scent. He had an abnormally large aura for any normal human, but Inu-Yasha couldn't feel any hint of demonic powers. Who was this boy???
The half-demon shook his head once, dispelling all thoughts and jumped towards the human, claws extended.
Ranma almost snickered. This looked too easy. The other boy had his guard wide open, leaving Ranma any number of options. He waited a moment, then when the golden-eyed boy had gotten close enough, Ranma took one leap. He used the dog-eared boy's head as a springboard to leap to another branch, grinding down a little bit as he did so.
When he'd reached his landing spot, Ranma flipped his braid over his shoulder and looked back.
"Heh."
Inu-Yasha landed face first into the trunk of another tree with a loud smack. There was a momentary pause and then he peeled his face from the bark and turned to glare at the still smirking human. He hadn't expected the human to be that fast.
Without warning Inu-Yasha pushed off from the tree and rebounded off another branch. He saw the human lose his smile and dodged the faster than lightning strike.
"Ha-ha! Didn't expect that did you, human?" Inu-Yasha gloated. He quickly rebounded off the trunk of the tree, the pig-tailed boy had just vacated and followed, swiping the boy again and again.
Ranma dodged the strikes, barely moving out of the way fast enough. He could feel little welts and rips in his shirt where the air pressure alone was doing damage. But he managed to reply, "I wouldn't start celebrating so soon if I were you, kid."
"STOP CALLING ME 'KID'!" Inu-Yasha overthrew one of his swipes and Ranma swiftly grabbed the opportunity. He caught the hand and flipped over the half-demon, intending to drive his legs into the other's back and force him onto the ground.
"I'LL CALL YOU WHATEVER I WANT!"
But Inu-Yasha's faster than lightning reflexes proved just slightly faster than Ranma's own. The ghost-haired boy brought his elbow back and caught the side of Ranma's head.
The martial artist flew into the side of another tree with a loud crack, and he slid bonelessly down to the ground. Inu-Yasha landed softly on the leaf strewn forest floor and approached the boy cautiously. Hearing only the deep and even breathing of an unconscious person, Inu-Yasha bent down to look at the boy.
There was a sudden shooting pain in his jaw, and he could feel a punch delivered expertly to his solar plexus. Inu-Yasha staggered back slightly, blinking in surprise at the blue-eyed boy with his fist still outstretched. Then he smirked, "Feh. Is that all you've got? A fly wouldn't even feel that!"
Breathing hard Ranma still managed to give a smug grin, "Are you so sure you've won?"
"Wha—" Inu-Yasha doubled over in sudden pain. He sucked in breath and glared at the human.
"That, is something I like to call the 'Katsu Tenshin Amaguriken'. Still feeling confident, kid? If you stop now, I'll walk away and pretend this didn't happen."
"Ha! When swines soar!"
"I thought that would be your answer."
With a load kiah, Ranma launched himself at the ghost-haired boy. Inu-Yasha quickly judged the shortening distance, and then launched his own attack.
"SANKON TESSOU!"
Feeling the something sharp speed towards him, Ranma jumped to the side and touched upon a tree, then he leapt over the dog-eared boy and rebouned off another trunk. He flew at Inu-Yasha with legs extended.
"What?! No way!" Inu-Yasha turned just in time to counter Ranma's charge.
Ranma threw a snap kick to Inu-Yasha's head, followed by an uppercut when Inu-Yasha had retreated. Ranma continued barraging the ghost-haired boy, knowing he would lose if he let his opponent go on the offensive. The affects of that head blow was still throbbing.
Inu-Yasha was now repeating what Ranma had been doing earlier. He was barely dodging the attacks of the martial artist, and worst he could feel his body slowing down. So taking a chance, he let one of Ranma's punch hit home onto the side of his head. But gritting his teeth and punching blindly, he managed to connect where he'd elbowed Ranma before.
Ranma flew again like weightless doll and landed on the ground a few meters away, skidding several more before he finally stopped. Panting heavily now, Ranma pushed himself up with his elbows as he fought the darkness edging his sight.
Finally managing to sit up and clutch his head, Ranma glared at the equally winded Inu-Yasha.
"Give up yet?" Inu-Yasha held his stomach, still wondering how Ranma had managed to damage him so badly.
"When swines (pant, pant) soar. . . ."
"Thought you'd say that. I'll make this short and sweet. Then I'll find your master," the half-human youth pulled a rusty blade out. But when he swung it into the ground, the blade transformed dramatically and sliced up portions of the ground as a howling force raced towards Ranma.
Groaning heavily, Ranma forced his body to move. Forced the darkness back as it began to crowd his sight. He forced strength into his legs and leapt high above to grab an overhanging tree branch. Swinging around it like he was a gymnast and the branch was the uneven bars, the force of the swing flew harmlessly underneath. Then before he went into the second swing, he let go and stretched his leg out to kick the golden-eyed boy.
"How 'bout I make this short and sweet for you!"
Inu-Yasha managed to dodge the kick, but was totally unprepared for the body slam. And the attack that followed.
"KATSU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
Ranma dragged his body up and looked down at the unconscious boy. His clothes was dirtied, but still whole and his white mane of hair was wildly disarranged. But looking down at himself, Ranma realized he looked far worse. His whole body was covered in lacerations, and his shirt was completely shredded. But still . . .
"Heh. Looks like I win, kid."
His danger sense suddenly went off. He heard a whistle and his tired body barely managed to catch the arrow before it plunged into his body.
"Don't move, or the next one's going through your heart!"
Kaede picked her way carefully along the dirt path, substituting her bow for a walking stick. Shojinya followed behind just as quietly and kept himself at a respectful distance from the honored Kaede-sama. Their destination was the guards a little ways down the road.
"Kaede-sama, I am sorry."
"Eh? For what are you sorry, Shojinya?"
"Back there . . . I-I failed to check this Saotome and his wife. What if they be demons? I have loosed this threat on the village, Kaede-sama. What if . . ."
Kaede looked back at the young man. Her gaze was more questioning than anything else. "And what of it? If Saotome-san had been a demon, he had a good disguise. Even I could not detect a hint of demon powers from that boy."
"Then truly, be he just human?" Shojinya looked hopeful, but Kaede couldn't give him that reassurance. She had to be blunt so the boy wouldn't get careless.
"Nay. I merely said, if Saotome-san is a demon, he has a good disguise. Of course that doesn't rule out completely that he can be human."
"But . . . what of his aura? Be ye sure it was completely human?"
"Aye. Although," Kaede's face turned pensive, "his spirit is large. Almost as large as Kagome-chan's, but he can wield it much more expertly than our own priestess can. . . ."
Shojinya stopped walking and stared at Kaede's back as she continued to walk. "Kaede-sama?"
"Yes?" Kaede stopped and looked back when she realized he'd stopped following.
"Even if Saotome-san be not demon, it is possible he still be a threat, aye?"
The older priestess turned and continued walking, "Yes."
Shojinya paused and mulled that bit of information over. He thought of the men he'd left behind to guard the pig-tailed youth, and finally reassured himself that they would be alright. Those men were more clear-headed than the rest of the villagers.
"Halt! Who goes—urk!"
There was the sound of a head being whapped and a whispered conversation.
"Idiot! That be Kaede-sama!"
"What? That be her?"
WHAP! "Ignorant fool! Do ye not recognize yer own priestess protecter?!"
Kaede gave a silent sigh. She stood silently as two nondescriptive men emerged from the bushes and approached her.
"Kaede-sama, what be ye doing here? Is something amiss?"
"Hmm. . . ." Kaede regarded the trees lining the road. The underbrush was thick and almost impossible to walk through without making sound. Even a demon would have a hard time getting past the special forestry in silence without a bit of struggle, for it had been carefully grown for almost two generations to keep intruders out. The path on which they stood was the only way connecting the small village with the outside world. If the young lady had been trying to come back this way, then the guards would surely have seen something. When she looked back to the nervously shifting guards, her gaze was almost sharp. "Have you let any strangers by?"
"No, milady. It only be Hiroshi and I all day," the first man flicked a gaze at Shojinya, "'cepttin' those two who be with Shojinya-kun earlier."
"Are you absolutely sure, no one has passed through here?"
The two men thought for a moment and then the first spoke again, "Aye, I be sure, Kaede-sama."
"Hmm. Well you two be careful now."
"Aye, Kaede-sama!"
Kaede turned and walked back down the path towards the village. The silent Shojinya followed her, but not before glancing back sharply as the two men disappeared easily into the bushes along the road. He nodded approvingly then went to catch up with the aging priestess.
He stopped a few feet behind her and followed her sedate pace. From time to time, he would glance sharply about the shadows under the trees, his hands straying to the quiver on his back, then he would relax and went back to just scanning the forest. Kaede, meanwhile, walked calmly not sparing a look to the left nor right. Her strides were slow but purposeful. From time to time, the corner of her lips would tip up almost as if she would break out with a large smile, but it would go no further than the small curl. As Shojinya tensed once more, she turned her head a bit and asked mildly, "Really, child, you must learn to relax. You'll make yourself an old man and skip all life as it runs by you."
Shojinya looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he stared off into the dark woods. Then deciding the danger, if there was any, was past, he turned to look at the priestess respectfully, "Kaede-sama, if I be lax for e'en one moment, it can be doom for us all. 'Tis not possible to be having fun for one such as I for the safety of the village must always be first. That is why we must find that woman before we all be killed!"
Kaede went back to staring down the path and clucked her tongue, "Shojinya-chan, be not blinded by duty so much so that you have already cast Saotome-san's soul to the demons. And it is a noble cause to be defending the village, but do not let your sight be so narrowed to that one act that you miss the obvious."
"Wh-what be ye meaning, Kaede-sama?"
She gave a sigh, "You twitch at the slightest sound, boy! What dangers be there in the forest, except birds and squirrels? If there be wolves roaming the forest, let them roam, they've certainly done us no harm. Saotome-kun and Saotome-san have done us no harm, we can not judge them for what we believe they might be."
"But Kaede-sama, if they be spies—"
"Pish-posh. If they were spies, they wouldn't show themselves so obviously."
"What if it be a trick?!"
"Then why let us capture one of them so easily?" Kaede stopped and gave Shojinya the full force of her stare. "Boy, sometimes the truth is as easy as it really seems."
Shojinya searched her eyes a long while. Then he spoke again, hesitatingly, "But Kaede-sama . . . earlier, you said . . . it be possible for Saotome-kun to be a threat."
Kaede turned and resumed walking, "Possible, Shojinya-kun, possible."
Shojinya stood there staring at the spot Kaede had just vacated, "Then . . . you believe Saotome-kun be not a threat."
Kaede didn't miss a step, "I didn't say that either."
"THEN WHAT BE YE SAYING?!" Shojinya immediately took a step back, a look of horror crossing his face. He quickly bowed and spoke rapidly, "I apologize, milady. I did nae mean to yell."
"Quite alright," she stopped a moment to look back at him, "if you'll keep following me, I'll explain it to you."
Shojinya nodded once, straightened and hurried up the path to join the elder priestess. They resumed their quick but leisurely pace.
"Why don't you tell me why you think they are spies, Shojinya-kun?"
"Huh? But I be thinking ye would to tell me why Saotome-san be not spies, Kaede-sama."
Kaede gave a soft sigh, "It is good that you ask questions, but only if they are the right ones. Just do as I say for now."
"Aye." Shojinya scrunched his face up as he thought his answer over carefully, "Well, I be suspectin' them from the start. They be strangers from nowhere and having tho' look o'warriors. Even Saotome-san looked like she be able to fight. Then Saotome-san disappeared and Saotome-kun threatened to hurt us." Shojinya looked at Kaede with an innocent look, "Saotome-kun may be a diversion, and Saotome-san be spying on us as we be dealing wit'im."
Kaede turned off the path and into the woods, deftly dodging brush and low hanging branches alike. "Ah, but they have lost their advantage, have they not?"
Shojinya spent a few minutes in silence as he nimbly moved through the thick undergrowth. Moving as silently as he could as the foliage brushed his body with their leafy emerald shroud, realization suddenly dawned on him. "I-I see, Kaede-sama."
"Mm-hmm," she gave a perfunctory nod, "And if they wanted to kill us, Saotome-kun would not have to wait before attacking. I doubt any of us in the village would be able to stop him if he truly wanted to hurt us." She cast a sharp glance at Shojinya, "But we can't be too lenient. He can still be a threat."
Chastened, but wiser, Shojinya gave a nod to convey his understanding and retreated into silence to mull his actions over.
Kaede gave a small, proud smile.
It quickly disappeared when she heard the sound of a battle nearby. . . .
"Don't move!"
Ranma sighed and put his hands up slowly in the universal gesture of surrender. He saw a younger girl with a bow and an arrow pointed directly at him. Her sailor outfit brightened his mood a bit as he thought that there was finally someone who had caught up with the times. But then he looked into her eyes, and he gulped as those blue orbs glared daggers into his, and a shudder ran down his back as he thought of another girl with short blue-black hair and her blasted mallet.
"Wahhhh! INU-YASHA! What did you do to him?!"
CHOMP!
"Aggghhhhhhhhh!" The pig-tailed martial artist ripped the small, brown, sharp-toothed parasite from his leg. It looked up at him with large, tear-filled eyes and tried to claw his face. "WOAH!" Ranma threw the offending creature away. Only when it had hit a nearby tree with a soft thump, did Ranma realize it had been a child.
"Shippo! Alright, that's it! Ya!" Kagome loosed the arrow she had nocked. She gasped in surprise when the pig-tailed youth before her dodged the arrow, then suddenly appeared right in front of her! "Uh . . ."
"Don't you know someone could get hurt, little girl! Stop playing around and gimme that!"
Kagome only stared in surprise as her bow was easily swiped from her hand and thrown off into the darkness of the forest. Then the pig-tailed youth went in the direction where Shippo had fallen.
He had been so fast! Like Inu-Yasha. Kagome stared at his retreating back for a moment before his words finally registered.
'Little girl?! Playing around?!'
Her irritation made her words sharp, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" She ran past him and stood in front of Shippo, spreading her arms wide. When the youth stopped and just stared at her for a moment, her irritation melted away like an ice cube sitting out on the asphalt on a hot summer day, and fear crept in as she demanded much quieter, "Wh-what did you do to Inu-Yasha?" Her eyes flicked to the half-human youkai's prone form. She held a small breath until she saw his chest rise imperceptibly.
Ranma just stared at her a moment longer. Then he held his hands up, "Just trust me. I'm not going to hurt you or that kid. I was just gonna check on the little guy," he indicated Inu-Yasha's unconscious body with a toss of his head, "That other guy, Inu-Yasha, was it? Well, he and I kinda got into a fight, but I don't think he's too bad off."
As if answering his summons, Inu-Yasha twitched with a groan and fluttered golden eyes open. He stilled quickly and searched his surrounding area carefully. His eyes widened when he saw the unconscious form of Shippo and Kagome standing in front of him with her arms outstretched, and that damn arrogant human boy just in front of Kagome.
Inu-Yasha pushed himself up painfully and tried to rush to Kagome's side. He fell to one knee and shouted a warning instead, "Kagome! Watch out! He's not entirely human!"
"What?" Kagome backed up and grabbed Shippo. Cradling him gently, she ran to Inu-Yasha's side and stared fearfully at the pig-tailed boy in front of her.
"WHAT?!" Ranma waved his arms frantically, "Woah, woah, woah, wait. Back up, time out!" He raised a finger to his nose, "Me? Not human? Kid, I think you should take a look at a mirror sometime, cause I sure ain't the one who looks like his father was a mutt!"
"SHUT UP! My father wasn't a mutt! He was a dog! A dog!"
Ranma scratched his chin, looking at Inu-Yasha like he'd just announced that the world was flat, "Right. Oo-kay. . . If you want to put it that way, instead."
"Aaarrrrggghhhh! I didn't mean it like that!!" Inu-Yasha fisted one hand ready to spring at the nonchalant human.
"Look," Ranma's demeanor became serious again, "why don't you just stay down? You're not strong enough right now to go for another round and I don't feel like fighting."
"HA!" Inu-Yasha smirked triumphantly, "You're just afraid you'll—"
"Inu-Yasha!" PAP!
"Erk!" The ghost-haired boy keeled over with an expression of pain and surprise. Kagome stood over him, glaring slightly, and again Ranma had to suppress a shiver as he imagined that same warning frown on the face of a certain uncute girl.
"He doesn't want to fight, idiot!" She then turned to Ranma and bowed, "I'm sorry about what I did earlier." She straightened and smiled at the pig-tailed youth. 'I guess he's not all that bad if he doesn't want to truly kill Inu-Yasha. He was even worried about Shippo. Although, if what Inu-Yasha said is true about him not being entirely human, I can't let my guard down either!'
"My name is Kagome. Higuraishi Kagome. And this is Shippo. You've obviously met Inu-Yasha."
"I'm Ranma. Saotome Ranma," Ranma hesitated and looked at Shippo with concern, "Hey, is he alright? I didn't mean to hit him that hard. I didn't even know he was a kid."
"Um. . . ." Kagome looked down at the unconscious kitsune in her arms, "I don't know. Let's get back to the village. We'll see if Kaede-sama can help him. And Inu-Yasha, too."
"Okay," Ranma walked up to Inu-Yasha and crouched down, "So, are you gonna walk, or am I gonna have to pound you unconscious again to carry you?"
Inu-Yasha glared at obnoxious human, then struggled to his feet and began following Kagome. "Feh. Don't think I'll go easy on you, human, once I've recovered."
"I'll be waiting." Ranma smirked.
"Kaede-sama!" Up ahead, Kagome ran to meet up with a person coming from the village.
"Eh? Kagome-chan? What are you doing here?" Behind the elder priestess, Shojinya gasped and unslung his bow, nocking it faster than a heartbeat.
"I knew it! Saotome-san be a spy!"
Ranma groaned, "Not this again."
"Um, Maya . . . Are you sure you know where we're going."
The little girl turned with a huge grin, "Yup! We're going to the well!"
"Aren't we . . . Aren't we kind of far from the village?" Akane glanced back the way they'd come with uneasiness as a feeling of being watched washed over her.
"Uh-huh! But Kagome-sama come here all the time!" Maya zipped through a patch of thick brambles with childish enthusiasm. Akane stopped at the edges looked to the left and right, searching for another route. Maya stopped and turned around. "C'mon!" With that she took off into the gloom of the forest.
"Hey, wait!" Akane sighed, then leapt to an overhanging treebranch, then jumped down to the other side from there.
"Wow!" Maya's sudden appearance made Akane gasp and leap back in surprise. "Can you do that again?!"
Laughing shyly, Akane shook her head, "No. We should get going."
"Awww," disappointed, but still full of enthusiasm, Maya continued leading the way to the old well.
"Maya?"
"Yeah?"
"Who's Kagome?"
"She's our priestess. I like her lots!"
"Your priestess?"
"Yeah! We have two priestess! Kagome-sama and Kaede-sama!" Maya's happy chatter dimmed slightly, "But, now she's looking for Shikon Jewel, so Okaasan says I have to try no't'be a bother to her," she brightened again, "But that's okay, 'cause we still have fun!"
"Heh-heh-heh-heh. S-s-s-shikon Jewel? Tell me, child, where isss it?"
Akane gasped as the disembodied voice floated all around them. She gathered Maya behind her and backed up against a tree, her eyes constantly searching surrounding area.
"Who are you?"
"Tell me where your priesssstesssss isssss."
"Come out and show yourself first!" Akane bent her knees in a defensive posture and let her senses spread out. She felt the small terrified form of Maya behind her. The soft shifting of the wind brushed her cheek slightly and brought the smell of damp leaves and moldy undergrowth. She listened as Maya tried to stay as quiet as possible, but unable to control her small trembles. Akane wanted to gather her up and soothe her, but the danger did not allow that small luxury. Then a soft rustle to her right. Something not quite right in this forest of small, furry or feathered animals. Something like scales brushing against dead leaves.
Akane tensed, "Come out! I know where you are!"
The soft, barely perceptible rustle stopped, then the brush shivered and a form emerged.
Akane gasped. She gathered Maya close to her side and backed away. Her knees quivered slightly in fear, but that was nothing compared to Maya's terror. The little girl gave a soft cry before stifling it with folds of Akane's dress. Her heart beat a wild staccato and the breath stopped in her throat, forcing a strange lump to lodge there. But still she couldn't tear her eyes red stare of the huge serpentine demon before her.
"Heh-heh-heh. I am Jussssenkyo and I am your death."
Weeeeeeeellllllllll! Whaddya think? Good? Bad? So-so? Constructive criticism much needed. Editor needed even more, but I'll settle for good, good, criticism. Flames are understandable as there are juveniles out there and they can't express themselves any other way, but nice, nice, as in constructive criticisms are very welcome! Thank-You!