Hey, umm. I just realized I never put the quote in last chapter, and I've eaten all my pocky by now anyway, so just forget it. (Pocky is a Japanese candy that tastes really good, for all those who asked.)
Anywho, here ya go!
**
Sango's eyes widened in horror as the great whirling vortex was unleashed. Miroku braced himself as best he could, while Atma stood right by him, the air and ground around her warping with all the sheer force she was sending at the opposing dragon.
Morkleb hovered in the center of the whirl, attempting desperately to resist the now incredibly strong pull of the wind tunnel, and Atma's magic. Sango's eyes widened as the dragon was slowly pulled downwards, screaming in rage, pain, and fury.
Atma grinned at him through the swirling vortex, and waved cheerfully. With one last blast, Morkleb doubled over, and was swept away by the current.
Atma smiled grimly, and turned to Miroku. He suddenly fell back to one knee, bracing himself against the force. Already he could feel the wind tunnel cracking open even wider. Pain was already stretching down his arm and into his shoulder. Slowly, he turned to Atma. "Hey…" He murmured an accepting smile on his face. With his left hand, he slowly reached into his robe, and procured a small piece of parchment. "Make sure Sango gets this." He gritted his teeth, and put all his effort into bracing himself.
Atma took in a sharp breath, and nodded, smiling at him.
With one mighty flap of his her wings, Atma sailed backwards, and landed lightly next to Sango. The youkai exterminator had one arm extended, reaching towards Miroku. The dragon fastened a hard hand on the girl's arm, and held her firm.
The monk slowly managed to guide his hand strait upwards, but the stream of air was continually getting wider every second.
With a cry of dismay, Sango watched in horror as he dropped suddenly to the ground, the wind driving him into the hard cracked earth, creating a massive crater around him.
Tears stung Sango's eyes, and her teeth gritted. This wasn't happening! It couldn't be happening!
With one smooth motion, Atma pulled her back, and shoved a piece of parchment into her hands. She looked at it, and then looked up at Atma in confusion. On the paper was two names. One was Miroku's, and the other was Sango's. Under each name was a series of tallies. Miroku had two, and Sango had about seven. What the hell was it?
"Miroku wanted me to give it to you." Atma said, her grip loosening ever so slightly.
Sango looked back at the paper, confused. Then, in realization, her eyes widened.
~~
"It's a game!" Tiamet explained. "He tries to do something perverted, and you catch him." She winked at her, and smiled. "It's sometimes a way of showing affection. I guarantee he has a score card somewhere."
~~
Syldra chuckled at her. "Well, guy's have many ways of telling you they love you. It can range from unreasonable shyness, all the way to incredible boldness." The serpent gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Or even excessive groping."
~~
Miroku smiled at her, a bit of blood on his lips. "Kohaku was you're gift, but you were mine. Thank you, Sango-chan."
~~
Sango's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, God." She said, softly.
Atma turned to her, then back to the two prone fighters. "I'll take care of them." She said, letting go of Sango's arm. "Do what you will."
With that she turned her back, and walked away.
Sango turned again, looking back at the swirling vortex that drilled mercilessly into the dry earth. Her eyes narrowed, and then closed.
"I'm sorry, Kohaku." She said, and then sprinted, toting the hiraikotsu over her back, towards the wind tunnel. With a single, gigantic leap, she disappeared into the wind tunnel, and was sucked from sight.
~~
The forest was beautiful! The forest floor was lush with giant tropical bush, and towering giants rose, towering hundreds of feet over Kagome's head, their huge leaves fanning out and forming a complete canopy over her head. The trees were huge. They dwarfed even the God Tree! Her entire extended family could have wrapped their arms around it, and no-ones fingers would be touching!
And they all intertwined! One trunk grew up, then split apart, and went back into the ground, then did it again! You would be standing in-between twenty different trunks, and not realize that really, they were all one tree!
And the forest canopy was just heavy enough that only greenish light filtered through, casting everything in an unearthly, beautiful aura. Kagome had always dreamed of seeing a tropical rain forest. This was like a dream come true for her!
The sheer beauty of it! It was enough to make her forget the ever incessant pain in her head, and her aching body. She could stay here forever!
There was a light thud behind her, and she turned around. InuYasha dropped out of his landing crouch, and stood up, crossing his arms arrogantly. "I checked around, but I didn't pick up anything." He said. "I guess we'll just have to just search around for a little while longer."
Kagome nodded, smiling lightly. "Well, then, let's go!" She said happily. This place seemed to give her a sense of peace. It was cool, tranquil, away from all the trouble that was in the rest of the world. If she died here, she would die happy.
InuYasha smiled back. "You want I should carry ya?" He asked.
Kagome shook her head. "No, I'll walk."
InuYasha nodded, and then they proceeded, side by side, deeper into the forest.
~~
"Well, well!" An easy sensual feminine voice said out of the canopy. "You're finally here."
InuYasha and Kagome both whipped their heads up to the canopy.
Like a rivulet of liquid fur, a large cat dropped out of the canopy.
Both InuYasha's and Kagome's eyes widened in shock. "Kirara?" They gasped in unison.
The firecat's shoulders moved up and down in a silent chuckle. "It took you long enough." She said haughtily. "Vadise really rather hopes that you'll make it in time."
InuYasha's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" She asked, "Where is she?"
"You can't see her?" Another voice asked reasonably? Joining Kirara, dropping out of the canopy, came a girl of about Kagome's age.
She was an odd girl, InuYasha could tell. She was dressed in thin gauzy, all white baggy clothes. Her hair was wild and unruly, hanging almost to her min neck, but poofing out like a lion's mane. It was completely white at the roots, but was died a light sky blue at the tips. Her eyes were the deepest emerald green, and her skin was dusky, and exotic. Sprouting out of the top of her crown of hair were two, beautiful white cat-ears, and a tiger striped tail protruded from the loose pants. Her face, arms, legs, and feet were all tiger striped in a darker brownish color. Her grin was wide, and exposed two sharp little fangs.
"You really and truly cannot see her?" The girl asked, putting her hands on the back of her head. "How very odd!"
InuYasha growled slightly. "Who the hell are you?"
The girl grinned at him. "No one of consequence." She said happily. "It must be just as well that you cannot see her." Changing subjects entirely, "You must show you're determination to save the girl anyway, so maybe you will see her afterward."
InuYasha cocked his head. "Are you insane?" He demanded. "We've traveled halfway across the known world! I'm not gonna be put of now! Where the hell is she?" He could already feel his youkai blood rising in his veins, and his human blood was getting agitated as well.
The girl smiled. "You will be tested." She said firmly. "You have experienced pain and hardship for each other, but now, you must experience more."
Kagome looked at this girl oddly. She was weird, and knew way too much about them.
"InuYasha." She said. "You once said you wouldn't let anything happen to Kagome. Do you mean that? Would you defend her with you're life." The girl turned towards Kagome. "And you, you said you would never leave him. Is this true? Would you stay by him through thick and thin?"
Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Of course!" She said. "I would never leave InuYasha when he needs me!"
The girl nodded slightly. "Yes… we shall see."
Kirara cocked her head to the side. "Explanations are in the making." She said. "You shall understand soon."
With that, the girl's eyes flashed, and InuYasha and Kagome were suddenly surrounded in darkness.
~~
InuYasha awoke slowly, putting his had to his head. "Kagome?" He called out, struggling to get up.
He opened his eyes slightly. He was in the forest, but in a different place. The light was almost gone, the trees were so thick.
…and Kagome was nowhere to be seen.
"Kagome?" He called again. "Kagome?"
There was a blood-chilling shriek that echoed throughout the forest. His eyes widened in panic. That was Kagome!
~~
Kagome stood up uneasily. She was alone, in pitch darkness.
Her eyes traced around, trying to get a bearing of where she was. Slowly, walked forward, her arms reached out in front of her. There had to be somewhere she could go!
Her fingers brushed up against a piece of a tree. Well, it was something. Slowly, she began to feel her way along the length of the tree.
That was when she saw the eyes. They were burning and red, and curved down in hate.
"Kagome…" A low voice rasped.
Kagome gasped in horror. It was InuYasha.
