Hey all. Sorry for the sporadic updates, I just kinda work on it when I
have free time. Reviews are always an inspiration as well. ~_^ Hope you
enjoy the next chapter!
Gatogirl: Thanks! And I forgot about the snake thing while I was writing the story, but I know you're right. Maybe when I'm bored I'll go fix it. Hehe! Thanks for reading!
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Kagome awoke to the feel of the early morning sun on her face. Her eyelids fluttered open and she blinked the sleep from her eyes. A sudden feeling of disorientation passed over her, and panic welled up within her. Then she remembered; or rather, didn't. She knew that her name was Kagome, but that was all. She couldn't remember the parents who had given her the name. She didn't know where she had been born, or where she had lived her life.
It was scary, not knowing who she was... But Washi had been there for her. He had told her about himself, and all about his life. He had been born of the eagle tribe, and became a warrior as his father had been before him. Washi had been fighting to preserve the home of his people, which had recently come to danger. He explained to her what the Shikon no Tama was, and how it had somehow been shattered. A tribe of snake demons had managed to acquire several shards and had become too strong to fight. They enjoyed hunting Washi's people, and were close to discovering where the village was hidden. If that were to happen, the innocent families within would stand no chance. Washi had to stop them, or he would see his people destroyed.
Kagome had been touched by this story, and by the conviction behind Washi's words. He told her that before his people had healed her, he had discovered she had the ability to see the shards of the Shikon no Tama. He wanted her to help him defeat the snake demons by telling him where they had shards. Then, he said, he would take her back to his village and help her regain her memory. At this point his jaw had clenched and what seemed like anger had passed over his features. Kagome had been eager to agree; she wanted to help Washi's people. Afterward, they had left the village and journeyed by night until they found a comfortable campsite.
Kagome yawned and stretched before rising to a sitting position. She glanced about the cave she had spent the night in with Washi. Their camp was in the foothills of the mountains, beneath a massive shelf of rock. Outside was a marshy forest, from which Kagome picked up the sound of bugs chirping a welcome to the new day.
She peered out from under the rock, wondering where Washi had gotten off to. All she found to greet her were towering trees and the canopy they formed above. Moss hung down like scraggly hair, and birds flitted among the branches. The forest was bustling with the business of morning.
"Good morning, Kagome," a voice from above said. Kagome paused at the near familiarity of the situation while Washi landed in front of her and folded his large wings. The beams of light that made their way through the thick forest canopy reflected brightly off his golden hair and wings. He offered her a smile and a satchel full of fresh berries.
The odd feeling passed as quickly as it had come. "Those look good," Kagome said, returning his smile.
"I thought so too," Washi said, and they sat down to enjoy their breakfast.
When they were comfortably full, they packed their supplies and hefted their packs over their shoulders. Kagome watched Washi, wondering at how he managed to position the heavy bag without interfering with his wings. She stifled a laugh when caught the strap on a few feathers. She helped him adjust it onto the center of his back.
"See? You're a big help already," Washi said, a lopsided grin in place.
"So I'm the pack adjuster? What an honorable title," Kagome said, laughing. "Hey, you dropped something!" She picked up a long golden feather and took a moment to admire the shine and softness of it before offering it to him. Washi shrugged.
"Can I... keep it?" Kagome asked, blushing slightly. "It's just so pretty, I don't want to leave it on the muck of the forest floor," she added.
Washi blinked in surprise. "Sure, I don't mind," he replied, watching as she carefully placed it in her pack.
"Okay, I'm ready. Where to, boss?" Kagome asked.
"Still heading east. We'll arrive at our destination in about three days, if we keep up a good pace and the winds are favorable," Washi said, trying to see the sky through the tree branches above.
Kagome's brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "Winds?"
"Well, yes. The better the winds, the easier it is to fly," Washi said, as if stating the obvious.
"Um, Washi, in case you hadn't noticed, I don't have any wings," Kagome said, pointing to her back with a raised eyebrow.
Washi laughed. "As a matter of fact, I had indeed noticed. I was going to carry you on my back, unless you have an objection to it," he explained, eyes glittering with mischief.
Kagome just stared at him.
"I mean it, Kagome! I am a demon, you know. I could carry three of you," Washi said, bemused by her reaction.
"Well, if you think you're strong enough," Kagome said in a serious tone. Washi was about to get flustered when he saw the slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"I'll show you then," Washi announced, and swept her off her feet. Before she could so much as protest they were flying up toward the canopy.
Kagome squirmed in Washi's arms and looked up. Her eyes widened. "Washi, there's not enough room for you to fly up there!," she cried with alarm. "You'll crash into the trees!"
"Trust me!," Washi said. He slowed his ascent in order to help her get onto his back and then continued upward. The very solid looking branches and sharp vines came ever closer. Kagome wanted to close her eyes, sure she was about to end up covered in bruises after crashing into the branches and landing on the forest floor, which was now far below them. But for some reason, she found herself trusting him. She gripped him firmly with her arms and legs, eyes above... Then they were through the branches and above the forest.
Kagome gasped. "How did you do that?" she demanded, her heart still pounding. She heard the grin in his voice.
"Magic." Washi turned east and was relieved the winds agreed with his choice.
Kagome groaned at him. "Right. Magic," she muttered as they began their journey, with mountains beside them and seemingly endless forest below. Kagome wondered at the fact that she was astride a person, flying through the air. Who would have thought? But somehow she felt as if she had done this before. Her head hurt when she thought too hard on it, so she let it go. Besides, that was silly. When would she have ridden on someone's back?
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Inuyasha and company left the way they had come in, the south side of the mountainous region. The trail into the village disappeared behind them and smooth rock replaced it.
Inuyasha was trying desperately to pick up Kagome's scent, but to no avail. All he found was a trace bit from when he had carried her in the day before. He hadn't believed the old hag's story of where Kagome was. She was a good liar, but something about her made Inuyasha want to stay far away, and to not trust her for a second. He was filled with worry, constantly wondering what they could have done with her.
"I don't smell anything fresh, Inuyasha! How are we going to find her?," Shippou wailed.
"Shut up brat, I'm trying to think," Inuyasha growled, still sniffing about the area. Nothing.
"They must have another exit from their village," Miroku said, looking up at the mountains. Sango nodded agreement.
"This area is huge! By the time we find where they left from, they could be miles away," Inuyasha said, jaw clenched.
"Why don't we split up and search? Kirara could smell out Kagome as well," Sango said. Inuyasha considered, then nodded.
"I'll start going around the mountain. to the east side. You guys check the west. Keep heading in a northerly direction. There has to be another entrance, and with all this forest around they must have left tracks. Hey, Shippou," Inuyasha said.
"What?" Shippou muttered, not really interested in what Inuyasha had to say. He sniffled.
Inuyasha placed a hand on the kitsune's shoulder. "We'll find her, and we'll help her get her memories back. Right?"
Shippou's teary face broke into a wide grin. "Yeah!"
The group split up and hurried to begin their search. They knew that with each hour that went by, Kagome was being taken farther away.
Gatogirl: Thanks! And I forgot about the snake thing while I was writing the story, but I know you're right. Maybe when I'm bored I'll go fix it. Hehe! Thanks for reading!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kagome awoke to the feel of the early morning sun on her face. Her eyelids fluttered open and she blinked the sleep from her eyes. A sudden feeling of disorientation passed over her, and panic welled up within her. Then she remembered; or rather, didn't. She knew that her name was Kagome, but that was all. She couldn't remember the parents who had given her the name. She didn't know where she had been born, or where she had lived her life.
It was scary, not knowing who she was... But Washi had been there for her. He had told her about himself, and all about his life. He had been born of the eagle tribe, and became a warrior as his father had been before him. Washi had been fighting to preserve the home of his people, which had recently come to danger. He explained to her what the Shikon no Tama was, and how it had somehow been shattered. A tribe of snake demons had managed to acquire several shards and had become too strong to fight. They enjoyed hunting Washi's people, and were close to discovering where the village was hidden. If that were to happen, the innocent families within would stand no chance. Washi had to stop them, or he would see his people destroyed.
Kagome had been touched by this story, and by the conviction behind Washi's words. He told her that before his people had healed her, he had discovered she had the ability to see the shards of the Shikon no Tama. He wanted her to help him defeat the snake demons by telling him where they had shards. Then, he said, he would take her back to his village and help her regain her memory. At this point his jaw had clenched and what seemed like anger had passed over his features. Kagome had been eager to agree; she wanted to help Washi's people. Afterward, they had left the village and journeyed by night until they found a comfortable campsite.
Kagome yawned and stretched before rising to a sitting position. She glanced about the cave she had spent the night in with Washi. Their camp was in the foothills of the mountains, beneath a massive shelf of rock. Outside was a marshy forest, from which Kagome picked up the sound of bugs chirping a welcome to the new day.
She peered out from under the rock, wondering where Washi had gotten off to. All she found to greet her were towering trees and the canopy they formed above. Moss hung down like scraggly hair, and birds flitted among the branches. The forest was bustling with the business of morning.
"Good morning, Kagome," a voice from above said. Kagome paused at the near familiarity of the situation while Washi landed in front of her and folded his large wings. The beams of light that made their way through the thick forest canopy reflected brightly off his golden hair and wings. He offered her a smile and a satchel full of fresh berries.
The odd feeling passed as quickly as it had come. "Those look good," Kagome said, returning his smile.
"I thought so too," Washi said, and they sat down to enjoy their breakfast.
When they were comfortably full, they packed their supplies and hefted their packs over their shoulders. Kagome watched Washi, wondering at how he managed to position the heavy bag without interfering with his wings. She stifled a laugh when caught the strap on a few feathers. She helped him adjust it onto the center of his back.
"See? You're a big help already," Washi said, a lopsided grin in place.
"So I'm the pack adjuster? What an honorable title," Kagome said, laughing. "Hey, you dropped something!" She picked up a long golden feather and took a moment to admire the shine and softness of it before offering it to him. Washi shrugged.
"Can I... keep it?" Kagome asked, blushing slightly. "It's just so pretty, I don't want to leave it on the muck of the forest floor," she added.
Washi blinked in surprise. "Sure, I don't mind," he replied, watching as she carefully placed it in her pack.
"Okay, I'm ready. Where to, boss?" Kagome asked.
"Still heading east. We'll arrive at our destination in about three days, if we keep up a good pace and the winds are favorable," Washi said, trying to see the sky through the tree branches above.
Kagome's brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "Winds?"
"Well, yes. The better the winds, the easier it is to fly," Washi said, as if stating the obvious.
"Um, Washi, in case you hadn't noticed, I don't have any wings," Kagome said, pointing to her back with a raised eyebrow.
Washi laughed. "As a matter of fact, I had indeed noticed. I was going to carry you on my back, unless you have an objection to it," he explained, eyes glittering with mischief.
Kagome just stared at him.
"I mean it, Kagome! I am a demon, you know. I could carry three of you," Washi said, bemused by her reaction.
"Well, if you think you're strong enough," Kagome said in a serious tone. Washi was about to get flustered when he saw the slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"I'll show you then," Washi announced, and swept her off her feet. Before she could so much as protest they were flying up toward the canopy.
Kagome squirmed in Washi's arms and looked up. Her eyes widened. "Washi, there's not enough room for you to fly up there!," she cried with alarm. "You'll crash into the trees!"
"Trust me!," Washi said. He slowed his ascent in order to help her get onto his back and then continued upward. The very solid looking branches and sharp vines came ever closer. Kagome wanted to close her eyes, sure she was about to end up covered in bruises after crashing into the branches and landing on the forest floor, which was now far below them. But for some reason, she found herself trusting him. She gripped him firmly with her arms and legs, eyes above... Then they were through the branches and above the forest.
Kagome gasped. "How did you do that?" she demanded, her heart still pounding. She heard the grin in his voice.
"Magic." Washi turned east and was relieved the winds agreed with his choice.
Kagome groaned at him. "Right. Magic," she muttered as they began their journey, with mountains beside them and seemingly endless forest below. Kagome wondered at the fact that she was astride a person, flying through the air. Who would have thought? But somehow she felt as if she had done this before. Her head hurt when she thought too hard on it, so she let it go. Besides, that was silly. When would she have ridden on someone's back?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inuyasha and company left the way they had come in, the south side of the mountainous region. The trail into the village disappeared behind them and smooth rock replaced it.
Inuyasha was trying desperately to pick up Kagome's scent, but to no avail. All he found was a trace bit from when he had carried her in the day before. He hadn't believed the old hag's story of where Kagome was. She was a good liar, but something about her made Inuyasha want to stay far away, and to not trust her for a second. He was filled with worry, constantly wondering what they could have done with her.
"I don't smell anything fresh, Inuyasha! How are we going to find her?," Shippou wailed.
"Shut up brat, I'm trying to think," Inuyasha growled, still sniffing about the area. Nothing.
"They must have another exit from their village," Miroku said, looking up at the mountains. Sango nodded agreement.
"This area is huge! By the time we find where they left from, they could be miles away," Inuyasha said, jaw clenched.
"Why don't we split up and search? Kirara could smell out Kagome as well," Sango said. Inuyasha considered, then nodded.
"I'll start going around the mountain. to the east side. You guys check the west. Keep heading in a northerly direction. There has to be another entrance, and with all this forest around they must have left tracks. Hey, Shippou," Inuyasha said.
"What?" Shippou muttered, not really interested in what Inuyasha had to say. He sniffled.
Inuyasha placed a hand on the kitsune's shoulder. "We'll find her, and we'll help her get her memories back. Right?"
Shippou's teary face broke into a wide grin. "Yeah!"
The group split up and hurried to begin their search. They knew that with each hour that went by, Kagome was being taken farther away.
