Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respected owners….
(A/n: Gah… long chappie…. I KNOW I'm losing people for THIS one… well… to those who read… ENJOY! ^^'))
Rae could feel rage rushing over her body, her hands became cold, but she took no notice. "Let her go scumbag!" not even realizing that she had no weapons, she did what came first to her mind. She sunk her fist into the thick skinned arm and waited for something to happen. The chill in her finger tips spread all across the arm's skin and sunk into its pores. For only one hit, Rae's ice had spread halfway up the arm, coming to a halt at the wrist. This was good; Rae didn't want Rin to freeze.
Rae smiled to herself at her 'work of art', but then realized something. The monster had yet to react or even cripple at the ice cold blow.
"What the heck…" Rae cursed under her breath.
At that moment, a white flash flew past Rae's view of her opponent. The human could only catch a glimpse of Sesshoumaru's blade as it cut easily through the giant's arm. It immediately released its grip on Rin as it fell apart into two pieces.
"Rin-chan!" Rae snapped to attention as she ran under the child's direction. Rin fell into Rae's arms as she crashed into a huge yet stable bush.
Poking her head out from the bush Rin watched as Sesshoumaru landed gently on his feet with his knees bent.
Jaken waddled out from the bushes next to Rin, "That was as wonderful as expected, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Rin grinned adding, "Sesshoumaru-sama is amazing!" she then began to look around the bush she had landed in, "Rae-Rae? Where is Rae-Rae?" she asked as she began to pick through the branches.
Rae coughed as she sat up; Rin had been sitting on her back. It seemed that Rae only BROKE her fall instead of preventing it. She still looked up to Rin and asked quickly, "Are you okay Rin-chan? Did it wound you in anyway?"
Rin smiled, "Rin is okay, Rin not hurt in anyway. Look, Sesshoumaru-sama saved Rin again!" she pointed out as Rae rose to her feet.
"So he did…"Rae nodded, slightly disappointed that she couldn't handle the situation herself.
"That youkai's presence…it feels so familiar, but from where?" Rae asked herself.
Sesshoumaru let out a small grunt of frustration.
The giant hand had morphed into a swarm of insects. It was Naraku's Saimyoushou, poisonous bee-like demons that served the hanyou.
"T...That's the poisonous insects, Saimyoushou!" stuttered Jaken.
"So that hand, was only a swarm of those bugs?" Rae whispered to herself.
Sesshoumaru rose back to his feet, holding his sword out to his side, "Step back." He ordered as his gaze fell upon the insect swarm, "Naraku left behind these boring things?" the youkai asked himself. The insects buzzed around for a moment before flying back together, forming a new giant hand.
Rae could feel her own frustration rising, "They can regenerate? Insects that never die?" she took a hold of Rin's hand and led her out of the bush.
Sesshoumaru held his blade at ready in front of him as the bees had finished their morphing, "Jaken, the Saimyoushou depend on you being near them."
Jaken nodded, "Yes, getting back." He shot a look to Rae and Rin, "Humans, follow me this instant!"
Rae let a low growl escape her lips, but decided to hurry as quickly as possible. Rin followed the imp closely, Rae ran beside her. She looked over her shoulder, watching the giant hand lunge at Sesshoumaru.
"He'll be fine, that demon is nothing." Rae reassured herself. "But still…" she shook that thought out of her head and focused on running.
The hand quickly took a jab at Sesshoumaru head on, a common attack for a barbaric youkai. The dog demon easily deflected it with the flat side of Toukijin. He then decided to end things quickly. Catapulting himself from the ground, Sesshoumaru pushed off the thick trunk of a nearby tree. Rotating swiftly through the air and with one swipe of his blade, the hand was again bisected.
Looking up to the hive of insects that had reappeared, he watched as they flew off toward the northeast.
Glancing over his shoulder, he realized that his companions had indeed left very quickly.
"I think we are far enough away Jaken, don't look so stressed." Said Rae as she watched the toad-like demon look around frantically.
"Ah, Jaken-sama!" Rin shouted as she pointed up high "The poison bugs' nest!"
Rae followed the girl's finger; sure enough there was the insect's hive. It seemed more like ten or twelve regular bee hives glued together.
"Those Saimyoushou have hives this far out? That cannot be good." Rae crossed her arms, nodding to herself.
"Ah…" Jaken squawked in acknowledgment to Rin's discovery. Then something caught his eye. The swarm was traveling back to their nest from the group's left. "You two, get down!" Jaken commanded.
"Ye…Yes!" Rin obeyed, covering her head as she knelt to the ground.
Rae, who had yet to notice the bugs, glared at Jaken, "Okay it's bad enough I have one demon bossing me around I don't need ECK!" She had ducked just in time to avoid Jaken's flame. "What the…."
Rin tugged on Rae's sleeve tightly, "The bugs were right above you Rae-Rae."
Rae lowered her body further as Jaken fried even more of the bug carcasses.
"You can't be serious….now I have to be thankful for the toad?" Rae gripped her head in anger.
"Don't lift you're heads up…" snapped Jaken as his Nintoujyou continued to burn freely.
Rae could feel her ears quiver. The steady batting of wings was coming in the other direction. More of the Saimyoushou were coming from the hive!
"Jaken!" Rae moved her head sideways, "Look for the…."
"Quiet girl! I said not to lift your head!" Jaken shouted at her, but then gave out a loud yell, "What? They're still coming!?" Rae then could hear his staff, now being used as a makeshift sword to beat off the insects.
Then Jaken fell next to Rae covering his own head, Rae looked to him and asked, "Jaken, what's wrong?"
A loud explosion irrupted as a gust of wind blew past them all.
Squinting her eyes to keep the dust out of her eyes, Rae's nose was soon filled with the smell of burnt youkai and wood as well.
There was a moment's pause.
Lifting her head from the ground she watched as the tree that once held the Saimyoushou hive toppled over to the ground. The girl was slightly shaken by such power that could destroy a colony of poisonous insects and break a tree in two. She turned her head to look over her shoulder. She watched the Demon Lord of the Western Land sheath Toukijin.
"What a show off…" Rae couldn't help but smile, she was glad Sesshoumaru was on their side. She then knelt next to Rin shaking her softly, "Rin its okay now, they're gone."
Rin peeked from under her palms and lifted her head slowly, then climbed to her feet. She twirled around happily with a smile, she then caught sight of the Dog demon.
"You saved us, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken waved to him in gratitude.
"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin called out as well.
"Yeah, thanks for not taking our heads off…"Rae scoffed as she pulled a Saimyoushou leg from her hair, though she was still just as grateful as the other two.
That moment of peace was broken as Jaken let out a shriek of pain. A few remaining Saimyoushou decided to take their anger out on the imp. Two had successfully planted their poisonous stingers into his right arm. They then flew off, again northeast.
Sesshoumaru watched as they floated off, "If I follow them that way…" he began. Without finishing his sentence he quickly ran after them, leaving everyone behind in a single leap.
"Eh? Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin shouted. Maybe Sesshoumaru did not notice his lackey was in indefinite pain.
Jaken cried in agony as he ripped of his sleeve, revealing that the stingers still squirmed in his skin but were quickly sinking into his blood stream.
"Can someone please…. P...p…pull these out?" Jaken stammered, cringing.
Rin immediately looked to Rae. Rae was now technically the 'leader' at the moment, only due to the fact that Sesshoumaru was gone and Jaken was in such a state.
"Rae-Rae?" she cocked her head noticing the older girl, her back was turned toward them.
Rae was trying to hold back from barfing, her low tolerance for blood was NOW kicking in, "Sure I can handle a battlefield of dead youkai carcasses. They are only a few stingers, right?" Rae asked herself. Taking a deep breath she looked back at Jaken's open wound.
"No...No…Rin just do it now!" Jaken hissed.
Rin took a hold of his arm carefully. The red stingers began to wiggle violently, causing the child to be a little more hesitant. Then, it was too late.
"Did you take them out!?" Jaken asked, his voice shaking.
"Sorry Jaken-sama…" Rin replied quietly.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jaken began to run around in circles.
Rae could actually feel a stab of guilt. It was horrible to watch ANYTHING cry out in pain.
"The poison will quickly spread throughout my body." Jaken sobbed as he began to beat his head against a tree trunk, "At this rate I'll probably die!"
Rae let out a sigh, "Jaken…"
Rin looked at Jaken pathetically, "I'm sorry Jaken, for our sake…"
"Fools! I didn't do it for you two!" he growled throwing what was left of his sleeve onto the ground. "I did it for Sesshoumaru-sama!" he paused; his pupils began to grow smaller. With a faint gasp he fell backwards.
Rae knelt next to the youkai, peeking over him, "Is there anything we can do to heal you?"
"Jaken-sama, can't we make the poison disappear!?" Rin quickly asked running to his other side.
Jaken swallowed slowly opening his eyes, "It's alright this way Rin." His eyes peered up to Rae, "I was always happy traveling with Sesshoumaru-sama…"
"Oh boy, here we go…what a suck up!" Rae couldn't help but say to herself. On the other hand she still couldn't help but feel bad for the poor imp, his life was slowly passing.
"…Even if I rot here, and my life is eaten…" Jaken continued.
Rae could hear Rin's stifled sobs.
"Jaken-sama…"
"…I, Jaken, will pray for Sesshoumaru-sama's safety from under the ground."
Rae could see the tears trickling down his face; she never knew that demons could cry…this really hit her.
"Can you tell him that for me…" his eyes looked upon Rae this time, "please girl…"
"Wha? Me? You must be hallucinating; I am only a human…" Rae replied, but soon after that she realized that it may not have been the most appropriate thing to say.
"He will listen to you…" Jaken's emotional pain only got worse as he turned his head to let more of his tears to run freely.
Rin began shaking her head, "Jaken-sama! I don't want to see you die!" she shouted, her tears flowed as well. Rae glanced at her, she hated when others cried, and it made her cry as well.
Jaken sat up and look and Rin with watery eyes.
"Because I'll do anything!" she sobbed, "Anything you ask!"
Rae reached out to Rin and stroke her shoulder softly, "Rin-chan."
"Is that so?" Jaken asked above a whisper catching both girl's attention, "May I ask a favor from you two?" his eyes seemed to have gotten ten times bigger
