Changing Wyrds
Chapter 12: Let's Get Together
They were coming close. Somehow, it had only taken them half the time to travel the distance. Urgency, perhaps, and anger, had driven them to their limits. They were silent this time, saving their energy for travel and battle. It was now a full week since their last encounter with Hashiaku, and worry was iching in the back of every mind. Their nerves weren't being soothed by the arrival of sunlight.
"There," whispered Inuyasha. The others turned to him. "It's the bastard's stench. And Kureru's scent too." Kagome eased her bow forwards, silently pulling an arrow from her quiver.
"How close?" she asked. The deadliness in her voice shocked her friends.
"Don't worry. Only a few minutes now," he replied. She nodded.
"Then let's get us a youkai," she said with conviction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm okay," he answered. She hugged him.
"Good. And they will come for you, I know."
"Do you really think so?" he asked.
"Well, yes," replied Moto. "They don't sound the type to give up a battle." Kureru shrugged.
"It's not as though I've done anything to deserve their help," he pointed out.
"No...but sometimes all you need to be is kin," she said. "Whatever have you done for me that I should help you?"
"Now, that's not fair, Moto-chan."
"Oh?" He grinned at her.
"Hey, I know you don't want me to die. You could never find someone as sweet and sensitive as me."
"Hah!" she snorted. "All I'd have to do for that is pick the first beggar to walk through the door."
"Very sly," he said, taking her hand. "If only I didn't know that no one ever comes through this door except for us."
"Yes, well..." she said elusively. "What we really have to worry about is if Hashiaku gets an iching for massacre and sends you out again before they get here."
"What we really have to worry about is him killing them," Kureru corrected. He glanced out the small window, at the slowly rising sun. His ears pricked suddenly.
"They're out there," he said.
"But it's daylight!"
"I know. The idiots. And if I can smell them..." Moto bit her lip.
"You're right," she said. "What we have to worry about is their death."
"Quite the contrary, dear girl. The death you have to worry about is your own," Hashiaku said from behind them. Moto cursed silently. Damned if she would let those years of deception go to waste. Damned if he would steal it from her in a single moment.
"What, Hashiaku-sama?" she tried to stall. "Why would I have to worry? Oh, that! I was talking about-"
"Don't try to fool me now, Moto. You've given yourself away at last. I always wondered about the two of you. Now I just have to ask myself...which of you would scream more watching the other die?" Both Kureru and Moto paled, but kept guarded faces.
"I have a better idea, Hashiaku. You die."
"Inuyasha?" gasped Kureru. "I thought you were still in the garden!"
"Sometimes you've gotta be quick," the elder replied.
"Already you come?" said Hashiaku. "What an annoyance. Still, it's rather amusing to think that you pushed yourself enough to get here, hanyou, for the sake of this wretch."
"I don't have to push myself to walk here. Your poison isn't strong enough to take me," Inuyasha snarled.
"Do you think so? I must say, that's quite an optimistic viewpoint on your part," Hashiaku remarked. "You know, you probably shouldn't make assumptions."
"Shut UP already!" cried Kagome. "Do you know how much you talk?! It's all 'things aren't what you think' and 'let us consider' with you! Do you ever just chill out and have a decent fight?!" Hashiaku considered.
"Point taken," he said.
He always did have speed, Moto reminded herself. Still, it wasn't often that he felt he needed to go to his limits. She quickly saw why: No sooner had the lord's claw swept down towards the girl (who had to be Kagome) than the recently identified Inuyasha was between them, blocking Hashiaku with the largest sword she had ever seen. That wasn't something the average youkai could do with Hashiaku as their opponant. She, more than anyone, knew the merits of hanyou, but that one match speed with her master was still unexpected.
"You obviously missed the point after all, bastard. I'M the one you fight," Inuyasha growled. Hashiaku smiled.
"Then fight. Don't just block." Inuyasha willingly took the bait, swinging at the youkai's stomach. He missed his opponant by a foot.
"What?" he gasped.
"This shall be our last fight, boy," Hashiaku declared. "At the end, either I will be dead or you all will be. So I suggest you fight truly."
"I'll show you truly!" Kagome shouted. An arrow hissed through the air, piercing Hashiaku's arm. The first damage they had ever dealt him. The youkai shook it off, rolling away from Inuyasha's falling sword. Inuyasha swept up Tetsusaiga once again and grazed his enemy's side deeply enough that it bled. But even as he scored, Hashiaku fought back, grabbing his wrists.
"I told you, my poison runs deeper than you think!" Hashiaku's aura flared as he spoke and Inuyasha choked.
"What the hell?!" He pulled out of the demon's grasp. Tetsusaiga was back in his hands in an instant. There was no way he could lose.
"Don't give up, little hanyou! You can do it! You know you can!" encouraged Hashiaku sarcastically. Inuyasha growled and lifted the sword above his head. He wouldn't lose. He-
The youkai flung his weight at Inuyasha's gut, throwing him against the wall. Inuyasha looked amazed.
"How did you...get...?" he realized suddenly that he was short of breath. Was Hashiaku not bluffing, then? Was it true that his enemy's venom dug deeper than he had thought?
"I told you, did I not? I told you, and you didn't listen. I can't rightly be blamed, so that means you must pay the penalty."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was one other thing that worried Moto and Kureru, that same thing which was keeping them out of the fray: Hashiaku could still switch bodies. If that happened, there was a small chance that the others would kill Kureru's body (and thus Kureru) to kill Hashiaku, and if they didn't it still would buy the youkai time and strength.
"We have to make certain he can't use you to win," Moto whispered.
"You found it, then?" he said. She nodded, and while the others fought tooth and claw, they edged out of the room towards their quarters near the master's dungeons. They weren't filled now; Hashiaku went through cycles of crammed cells and empty ones, and this was an off-season. Their steps echoed though they moved as quietly as they could. When they reached the room, they stopped. Moto dug around in the corner of the cell-like room, and withdrew a small pouch.
"Meiyoko's Saviour." A plant that would stave off foreign demonic power when eaten. Moto had been looking for it for some time. When she had found the fey-bane, she had been lucky enough to see the other's leaves too.
"Hand it over," he said. She did, along with a bottle of water.
"You'll need it. Trust me."
____________________________________________________________________________ __
Author's Notes: Today's background music was Solas: The Words That Remain. Nearing the end. Nearing, nearing, nearing. I'm trying to finish the story this weekend. One day to go, three chapters written so far. I am hopeful; I think there are probably only going to be about two more. With my muses' recent behaviour, I think it's possible that I'll finish.
Rika: You have faith in us?! @_@
Kye: yes, Ri-chan, I have faith in you.
Marc: Fool.
Kye:...sometimes.
Kat: You should never trust something all the time.
Kye: How reassuring. Hey! Inspiration! I'll do a writeup on my muses next. But first...must...finish...story...
Chapter 12: Let's Get Together
They were coming close. Somehow, it had only taken them half the time to travel the distance. Urgency, perhaps, and anger, had driven them to their limits. They were silent this time, saving their energy for travel and battle. It was now a full week since their last encounter with Hashiaku, and worry was iching in the back of every mind. Their nerves weren't being soothed by the arrival of sunlight.
"There," whispered Inuyasha. The others turned to him. "It's the bastard's stench. And Kureru's scent too." Kagome eased her bow forwards, silently pulling an arrow from her quiver.
"How close?" she asked. The deadliness in her voice shocked her friends.
"Don't worry. Only a few minutes now," he replied. She nodded.
"Then let's get us a youkai," she said with conviction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm okay," he answered. She hugged him.
"Good. And they will come for you, I know."
"Do you really think so?" he asked.
"Well, yes," replied Moto. "They don't sound the type to give up a battle." Kureru shrugged.
"It's not as though I've done anything to deserve their help," he pointed out.
"No...but sometimes all you need to be is kin," she said. "Whatever have you done for me that I should help you?"
"Now, that's not fair, Moto-chan."
"Oh?" He grinned at her.
"Hey, I know you don't want me to die. You could never find someone as sweet and sensitive as me."
"Hah!" she snorted. "All I'd have to do for that is pick the first beggar to walk through the door."
"Very sly," he said, taking her hand. "If only I didn't know that no one ever comes through this door except for us."
"Yes, well..." she said elusively. "What we really have to worry about is if Hashiaku gets an iching for massacre and sends you out again before they get here."
"What we really have to worry about is him killing them," Kureru corrected. He glanced out the small window, at the slowly rising sun. His ears pricked suddenly.
"They're out there," he said.
"But it's daylight!"
"I know. The idiots. And if I can smell them..." Moto bit her lip.
"You're right," she said. "What we have to worry about is their death."
"Quite the contrary, dear girl. The death you have to worry about is your own," Hashiaku said from behind them. Moto cursed silently. Damned if she would let those years of deception go to waste. Damned if he would steal it from her in a single moment.
"What, Hashiaku-sama?" she tried to stall. "Why would I have to worry? Oh, that! I was talking about-"
"Don't try to fool me now, Moto. You've given yourself away at last. I always wondered about the two of you. Now I just have to ask myself...which of you would scream more watching the other die?" Both Kureru and Moto paled, but kept guarded faces.
"I have a better idea, Hashiaku. You die."
"Inuyasha?" gasped Kureru. "I thought you were still in the garden!"
"Sometimes you've gotta be quick," the elder replied.
"Already you come?" said Hashiaku. "What an annoyance. Still, it's rather amusing to think that you pushed yourself enough to get here, hanyou, for the sake of this wretch."
"I don't have to push myself to walk here. Your poison isn't strong enough to take me," Inuyasha snarled.
"Do you think so? I must say, that's quite an optimistic viewpoint on your part," Hashiaku remarked. "You know, you probably shouldn't make assumptions."
"Shut UP already!" cried Kagome. "Do you know how much you talk?! It's all 'things aren't what you think' and 'let us consider' with you! Do you ever just chill out and have a decent fight?!" Hashiaku considered.
"Point taken," he said.
He always did have speed, Moto reminded herself. Still, it wasn't often that he felt he needed to go to his limits. She quickly saw why: No sooner had the lord's claw swept down towards the girl (who had to be Kagome) than the recently identified Inuyasha was between them, blocking Hashiaku with the largest sword she had ever seen. That wasn't something the average youkai could do with Hashiaku as their opponant. She, more than anyone, knew the merits of hanyou, but that one match speed with her master was still unexpected.
"You obviously missed the point after all, bastard. I'M the one you fight," Inuyasha growled. Hashiaku smiled.
"Then fight. Don't just block." Inuyasha willingly took the bait, swinging at the youkai's stomach. He missed his opponant by a foot.
"What?" he gasped.
"This shall be our last fight, boy," Hashiaku declared. "At the end, either I will be dead or you all will be. So I suggest you fight truly."
"I'll show you truly!" Kagome shouted. An arrow hissed through the air, piercing Hashiaku's arm. The first damage they had ever dealt him. The youkai shook it off, rolling away from Inuyasha's falling sword. Inuyasha swept up Tetsusaiga once again and grazed his enemy's side deeply enough that it bled. But even as he scored, Hashiaku fought back, grabbing his wrists.
"I told you, my poison runs deeper than you think!" Hashiaku's aura flared as he spoke and Inuyasha choked.
"What the hell?!" He pulled out of the demon's grasp. Tetsusaiga was back in his hands in an instant. There was no way he could lose.
"Don't give up, little hanyou! You can do it! You know you can!" encouraged Hashiaku sarcastically. Inuyasha growled and lifted the sword above his head. He wouldn't lose. He-
The youkai flung his weight at Inuyasha's gut, throwing him against the wall. Inuyasha looked amazed.
"How did you...get...?" he realized suddenly that he was short of breath. Was Hashiaku not bluffing, then? Was it true that his enemy's venom dug deeper than he had thought?
"I told you, did I not? I told you, and you didn't listen. I can't rightly be blamed, so that means you must pay the penalty."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was one other thing that worried Moto and Kureru, that same thing which was keeping them out of the fray: Hashiaku could still switch bodies. If that happened, there was a small chance that the others would kill Kureru's body (and thus Kureru) to kill Hashiaku, and if they didn't it still would buy the youkai time and strength.
"We have to make certain he can't use you to win," Moto whispered.
"You found it, then?" he said. She nodded, and while the others fought tooth and claw, they edged out of the room towards their quarters near the master's dungeons. They weren't filled now; Hashiaku went through cycles of crammed cells and empty ones, and this was an off-season. Their steps echoed though they moved as quietly as they could. When they reached the room, they stopped. Moto dug around in the corner of the cell-like room, and withdrew a small pouch.
"Meiyoko's Saviour." A plant that would stave off foreign demonic power when eaten. Moto had been looking for it for some time. When she had found the fey-bane, she had been lucky enough to see the other's leaves too.
"Hand it over," he said. She did, along with a bottle of water.
"You'll need it. Trust me."
____________________________________________________________________________ __
Author's Notes: Today's background music was Solas: The Words That Remain. Nearing the end. Nearing, nearing, nearing. I'm trying to finish the story this weekend. One day to go, three chapters written so far. I am hopeful; I think there are probably only going to be about two more. With my muses' recent behaviour, I think it's possible that I'll finish.
Rika: You have faith in us?! @_@
Kye: yes, Ri-chan, I have faith in you.
Marc: Fool.
Kye:...sometimes.
Kat: You should never trust something all the time.
Kye: How reassuring. Hey! Inspiration! I'll do a writeup on my muses next. But first...must...finish...story...