Author's Note:
I know many of you have been disappointed at my delay, something totally understandable. Seems that I lost a gamble with writer's block. Gomen. You do not know how much I also hate to be late with something I like, but I couldn't find the exact way to write this chapter, though I knew what was coming. I am really sorry, but I could do nothing to get over it. For me, writer's block is as big an obstacle as nothing else. Sometimes I need huge ammounts of time, as I have already demonstrated. I don't believe, though, that another writer's block will come to me now, since I have found the way I want this story to get on. TO compensate for the three-week delay as much as I can, her is a long for my standards chapter. I hope you like it, even though this is not enough.

Chapter 20
Reaching forth.

Shippo was not very happy about everyone staring at him; even if you do have a big ego, curious looks that have been strengthened with worry are not something you like to receive. "Nani?"

"What was it that you meant, Shippo-chan?" Kagome asked in a "I do not understand what you mean by that!" sort of look on her face, eyebrow quirked, eyes wide and set mouth. He had repeated a good portion of Sesshoumarou's phrase after all, which really didn't help a lot in making his point clear to his companions and friends.

The little kitsune fidgeted a little. "I... I meant that something seems fishy to me. Like, why would he kidnap the least powerful of each of the two groups if it really was Ryuukotsusei? He could have kidnapped Sango or Miroku or Kagome or..." Shippo's self-control failed at the looks they were giving him. "Heck! Everyone but Rin-kun and Keade-sama would have been better targets, if not perfect!" Kagome and the rest were too preoccupied being shocked at what Shippo had just made so clear to scold him for swearing.

Inuyasha rubbed the top of the kid fox's head, ruffling his hair. "You got us there, Shippo." Then he grinned evilly at him. "It seems it is good to have our master of trickery back in-line!"

"Hoi!" Shippo souted from the ground.

Inuyasha winced and his ears fell flat on his hair. "You don't have to squeal, you know! I was just kidding."

"Keh!" Shippo shut his mouth closed when he realised what had he just said. Everyone in the glade laughed half-heartedly because of worry. That is, everyone but Sesshoumarou, who looked at them with longing. 'Rin... She used to laugh so brightly... I wish you were here!'

Turning his expression in the usual calm fachade, he spoke up. "What do you think has happened then, kitsune? Is it some other of your kind trying to lure in some sort of trap?"

"I don't know, but if it really is another kitsune, we could have some advantage over it, since I might be able to disbelieve most of its illusions; except if this is a very powerful one, of course!"

Jaken, being silent throughout the whole conversation, chose the moment to make known his own speculations. "I suppose I should send some spies forward, Sesshoumarou-sama..."

"That is right, Jaken... Deploy some of those Black Ravens of yours."

Jaken gapped at his master but only for a second before straightening his face. "Hai, Sesshoumarou-sama!"

Kagome looked at Jaken who pulled a small vial holding some sort of inky black liquid out of his robes. 'Black Ravens?' A moment later, the small youkai pulled the lid off the vial and a wisp of thick smoke emerged. It made a few circles, then a black, raven-like silhouette appeared in mid-air, flapping its phasmatic wings. Jaken laid the note he and his master had received, then nodded at Inuyasha to give him the other one as well. When he got the second scrol as well, he said something none of the others heard. As he did so, the figure lowered and looked deeply at the message, which began to glow fiercely.

"What magic is this?" the youkai-exterminator questioned.

"It seems that it is going to find who wrote the message and the place he lives within." Miroku answered confidently.

Not a minute longer, the Black Raven flapped its wings mightier, then made one, two, three good thrusts and up it went! The higher it got, though, the more they got to be. A whole swarm of these Black Ravens flew up in the sky...

Then they scattered.

Inuyasha could only stare at the sight before him, a cloud of winged, black phantoms in the shape of a raven flying due west in a frantic yet controlled manner. "Where have you gotten this thing? I've never seen anything like that!" It would be an understatement to say he was smitten with awe.

Jaken smiled at what he saw in the eyes of his master's half-brother; he was humiliated (from Jaken's point of view, that is) and that was good. "It was a recent discovery that my master found worthy of keeping. After Naraku's defeat, few things could pose any serious theat, so we didn't use it till now..."

"And why is that?" Miroku pointed out.

Suddenly the hanyou felt a stung on his left cheek and slapped, albeit softly. Lowering his hand, he looked at a pretty well smashed Myouga. "And where were you hiding all this time, Myouga-jiji? Hidden somewhere again, ne?"

Myouga popped full of air (literaly or not, what's the difference?) and bowed before his master. "I am sorry for being delayed, Inuyasha-sama, but I had a serious research to make... As for the monk's question-"

"Hngh!" A very distressed look came over Jaken's face...

Myouga continued though. "This is a magic that can be used only once per vial, and since the spells behind the creation of the incantations wraught on these items are mostly unknown, few use them if there is no need to." Jaken's shaking was out of control at that moment: he wanted to squash Myouga more times than Inuyasha had ever in his entire life!

"I think we should await our spies to reach us before we rush on, but we should still move across the land; the phantom birds have already flown quite a distance!" Sesshoumarou announced and then set forward in a slow, deliberate stride of controlled motion; his figure always had something regal about it, and it was quite natural that most people would be enthralled if he would not attack. Jaken broke the silence quite effectively though, shouting things like "Wait for this humble servant, Sesshoumarou-sama!" or "Don't leave me behind!"

Inuyasha nodded his agreement to his half-brother's idea. "All right, we are moving on. Set everything you have up and let's get going! We'd better catch up ti them so that we can set out as fast as we can!"

In five minutes only the smashed grass blades proved someone had stopped here.

Kaede was not very happy at the predicament of the situation at hand: she could have been kidnapped, even though she wandered how could this ever happen under the hanyou's vigilance, but to take Rin away from Sesshoumarou and his servant Jaken (not that he was very observant, mind you!) was not quite the same! Their captor has also made no further appearance, probably aware of the fact that sooner or later they would adapt to the low-lit chamber and would be able to see him or something like that.

As Kaede was thinking of all the parameters that could turn the scales to the favour of one side or the other, Rin's still small, yet more womanly form shaked a little. The elder miko turned around to have a better look and she noticed that the poor youth was trembling, as if something had affected her more than Kaede. She sighed. 'Guess I have been readier of being detached from those I know; for Rin to lose her family twice, that is another thing. Even if it is only her point of view...' Her thoughts were cut short when she heard soft rumbling come from Rin's throat. She leaned closer to hear what might have troubled the child-turned-teen. As the distance between the two became shorter and shorter, she could make more with each one of her "steps". "Iie... iie, Rin will not shout for Sesshoumarou, kitsune hanyou! Iie!"

'So that's it! A hanyou with the powers of the kitsune... Could he have other powers as a ningen too?'

"But of course, miko of Inuyasha's Forest!" Kaede heard from behind her. "Did you think I would merely rely on the powers of my spirit heritage? Keh! You are worce than I thought..." Saying this words she turned around. Sure there was a man with red eyes and hair, dressed in long ponytail and wearing damson robes that would feat an oshu better than a warrior. "Now that you know my secret, you should realise what I plan to do, right?"

Kaede tried to block her thoughts from being read; it was obvious he had read them before. 'Is he an oshu then? Anyway, he means to draw them all here and take both Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, then run for the Shikon no Tama! Or will he make it to the Shikon no Tama first, then come for the two brothers?'

The hanyou cackled evilly for a moment. "It was a nice try of yours to keep your thoughts inside your mind, but it won't work here..." He cackled once again, this time leaving the room. As he did, Kaede managed to see the door leading out of the room. It seems that it was hidden behind the shadows, but the light was not as dim as it used to be, or so her eyes told her.

Kaede what he meant. "It won't work here!" she heard his laughing voice repeat over and over again... Casting aside a matter she could not take care of, she came a bit closer to her, as much as the chains would allow.The distance was not very much, it was not before too, but in a closed room with so little noice, it seemed like a lot to close in a few inches! As she got as close to Rin as she could, she whispered: "Rin-kun! Hoi!" With a few attempts from Kaede's part, Rin's eyelids flattered open after a few moments. "Where is that sound coming from? Who are you?"

Kaede realised what the problem was. "Your eyes have not yet gotten accustomed to the dimness of the light of the room. As for me, I am Kaede, an elder miko... Not as powerful as Kagome, whom you know. Am I right?"

Rin turned around and tried to see Kaede. Though she was looking at the right direction, it was obvious that she could not realise where Kaede was. "Forget it my child, only by spending some time in this awful darkness will you be able to see me... Now, shall we have a chat till you are able to see me?" And thus they left the day pass, speakin gabout their lives, and current events and some nonsense, all of this making them feel more comfortable in the confines of the chamber in which they were held prisoners, or captives, to be more precise.

As the party of eight moved ever forward, following the billow of mist that always came from the west, the had to make camps every now and then, making sure they could search for evidence around the place. It seemd useless, though, for there was no track, no sign that someone had come that way. The only advantage they had was their knowledge that the captor of both their companions must have been a kitsune, as the foxes are masters of illusions.

One night, as they had camped and everyone but Jaken and Myouga had left to help in their search, a black curtain filled the western part of the sky, as a cloud heavy with thunderstorm. But it moved against the wind currents and with great speed.

"What can this be?" asked Shippo? "Can you smell it, Inuyasha?" Then they heard Jaken cry out.

"It's the Raivens! Quick! They have come!"

They came nearer and nearer, until you could reach out with your hand and sink it in the deep phantasmal mass of black birds. As they came nearer, they all noticed Jaken mumble something, then one of the birds coming done on his stuff, all of the other birds desolvinginto nothingness. Then the one bird whisoered to him for some time, and again it turned into a thin wisp of smoke and evaporated...

"So, what did they say?" Sesshoumarou questioned.

"It said that there is a castle on the peaks of a near mountain, two days from now... The also said that we should be careful, as there is an illusion covering the castle all over so that people cannot see it if they do not look for it closely!"

Inuyasha piped in, cracking his knuckles. "Well, now that we know what we are looking for, let's go!" He knelt, letting Kagome ride his back, then jumped up to the air, and so did Sesshoumarou; the rest got on Kirara's back and off they flew.

"It's nice for a change, looking at the two brothers 'ride' to battle once again, ne?"

"Hai, Miroku-chan... Hai..." Sango said and hugged him closer.

'Who knows what are we going to battle with?'

I hope you like this chapter... The next one will be soon up, I swear! -_- Gomen...