Kyoko held her breath as she watched the yokai woman and Kohaku. [That woman smells like Naraku… and Sango said that Naraku had gained control of Kohaku-kun's mind… I can't let Naraku find me here—not while I'm sick like this… But then again… If I could, I'd like to free Kohaku-kun from Naraku…] Kyoko shivered as she felt the cold late winter winds blow over herself. Before she was able to stop herself, she sneezed, revealing her position to the two she had been watching.
The yokai woman approached Kyoko, a smug expression on her face. [This woman seems familiar… she's Sesshoumaru's woman… but I thought her hair was longer… She hasn't been around lately… Naraku wants her dead…]
Kyoko drew her sword as she backed away and growled at the yokai before her. "Naraku…"
The yokai laughed heartily, waving a fan in front of her own face slowly. "Not quite… I might smell the same to you, but I'm not Naraku by any means."
Kyoko shivered again, giving the appearance that she was shaking in fear. "Wh-who are you?"
"I am Kagura—sorceress of the wind. I suppose that you could say that I am made from or by Naraku, but that does not signify that I am as loyal to him as he would like… Tell me, are you as strong as Sesshoumaru?"
Kyoko coughed a few times and shrugged, the sound of Sesshoumaru's name reminding her of where she had been headed. "It matters not…"
"Perhaps I should find out then… Fuujin no Mai *!" Kagura raised her fan into the air and swung it powerfully in Kyoko's direction, making a wind blade fly towards Kyoko.
(*Dance of wind blades)
Kyoko saw the wind blade coming towards herself and was barely able to dodge it. The edge of the wind blade nicked her cheek as she fell to her knees. Kyoko scrambled upright, holding her sword between herself and Kagura, then turned away and began running as quickly as her tired legs would carry her.
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Sesshoumaru turned his head to catch the scents that the shift in the wind carried. He finally caught a familiar scent—though it seemed to be several miles away. He slowly began heading toward the direction from which the scent came as his mind confirmed what he had been thinking—it was the scent of Kyoko's blood.
Rin pulled herself onto the back of the two-headed dragon and slowly followed behind Sesshoumaru, though they soon lost sight of him as he ran ahead.
[Kyoko is back… and so close… but… why is it that I smell her blood?] Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth as he ran until he reached the edge of the forest, with a small plain between that forest and the next one. He watched quietly as he saw Kyoko fighting Kagura. [Kyoko… her hair is short…]
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Kyoko held her sword in front of herself in a defensive position. Her movements had been slowed because of her recent illness and she had already taken several slight hits. She dodged a few more attacks before she realized that she was also being held back because she still had her satchel over her shoulder. Without looking behind, she threw the satchel into the forest behind herself. She turned around, however, when she did not hear it land. She smiled widely as she saw Sesshoumaru at the edge of the forest, with her satchel in his hand. She turned completely away from her opponent and began running to Sesshoumaru.
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Kagura smiled lightly to herself. She took in a deep breath as she gathered her energy to perform her most powerful attack—the Ruujin no Mai *. She forced her small fan through the air, unleashing the deadly attack.
(*Dragon Twister/Dance of Dragon Winds)
~~~
Kyoko ignored the sound behind her as she continued toward Sesshoumaru. She was only a few feet away from him when her body was lifted into the air. She screamed out in pain as she was whipped about in Kagura's tornado—her body was being thrown about like a rag doll. Every few seconds another tree branch or twig or even a rock would fly into Kyoko, causing her to bruise in many places—and even to break a few bones.
~~~
Sesshoumaru stood frozen and watched as Kyoko was tossed about by Kagura's winds. Anger coursed through his veins as he charged Kagura. "Kagura!"
~~~
Kagura dully glanced at Sesshoumaru and saw as he raged towards her. She snapped her fan shut, stopping the tornadoes. She pulled a feather from her hair and motioned for Kohaku to come along. She sneered at Sesshoumaru as she flew away on the now enlarged feather. "You'd better catch her, else she may die from the fall." Kagura chuckled in victory as she disappeared in the night sky.
[Damn that woman…] Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth as he leapt into the air and caught Kyoko. She fell limp in his grasp, unconscious. He whistled for the two-headed dragon, whom immediately flew beneath Sesshoumaru, so that its master not be injured by the fall. Sesshoumaru looked over the area to find Rin, who was standing at the edge of the forest, holding Kyoko's satchel.
Rin cried out in excitement when she saw that it was Kyoko in Sesshoumaru's grasp. "Kyoko-san!"
"Shh…" Sesshoumaru propped Kyoko against his shoulder as he pulled Rin onto *Aun's back. "She's been hurt, we'll have to take her somewhere safe…"
(*The two-headed dragon)
Ignoring Jaken as he barely was able to grab hold of Aun's tail, the young girl smiled brightly, as she looked back at Kyoko. "We can take her to that one girl that wears the funny clothes… the one that's friends with your brother!"
Sesshoumaru, at first appalled by the idea, turned the thought over in his head as he directed Aun to head to the southeast. [Perhaps that won't be such a bad idea after all… Kyoko is … friends… with them and it is over two days travel to reach either my home or Kyoko's home…]
"Sesshoumaru-sama? Why is Kyoko-san's hair so short?"
Sesshoumaru glanced once again at the shortness of Kyoko's hair. "I don't know, Rin. Be quiet now." [But… she does look more mature…]
~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~
Kyoko opened her eyes slowly as she felt Sesshoumaru carrying her. She quickly took in the familiar scents and surroundings of the village that he had brought her to—Inu Yasha's village. She glanced up at Sesshoumaru, confused. "Sesshoumaru-sama… I missed you so… but… what happened?"
Sesshoumaru gave Kyoko a brief smile, but no more. It was nearly sunset when he grimaced as his shadow crossed the hut belonging to the old miko that led the village. He entered without a word, and placed Kyoko on an empty cot in the corner of the room. He slowly approached the sleeping old miko to wake her. He had no desire whatsoever to touch this vile being and the fact that she had not seemed to have had a bath in recent weeks (as judged by her smell) did not improve matters much. He scowled as he nudged her with the side of his foot. "Old woman, wake up."
The elderly woman rubbed her eyes as she saw the yokai's silhouette at the door, staring directly at her. She instinctively reached for her bow and arrows, but Sesshoumaru moved them out of her reach. "Inu Yasha!!! Help!!!"
"You old fool, I have not come to kill you—I request that you aid Kyoko."
Kyoko coughed a few times as she tried to move her left arm, but it had been terribly twisted (a spiral fracture, for those of you who have had the joy of studying anatomy) and she could not move it without her entire body, it seemed. "Sesshoumaru… come nearer…"
Sesshoumaru began heading towards Kyoko, but stopped as Inu Yasha burst into the room. Inu Yasha held his Tetsusaiga in front of himself and growled at Sesshoumaru, "Why are you here?"
Before Sesshoumaru was able to supply answer, Kyoko coughed a few more times and whimpered in pain as she tried to sit upright. "Inu Yasha… don't bother Sesshoumaru-sama…"
Inu Yasha spun around when he heard Kyoko's voice. He saw her laying on the cot, badly bruised and bleeding. He was speechless for a few moments as the realization dawned on him that Sesshoumaru had come there for help. "Se—Sesshoumaru, what happened to her?"
Sesshoumaru was once again interrupted as Sango, Miroku, and Kagome run into the room.
Miroku did not even notice Sesshoumaru as he ran to Kyoko's side, kneeling next to her. "Kyoko, Kyoko, are you okay?"
"I—I'm fine, Miroku-sama… Where's Sesshoumaru?"
Sesshoumaru felt his face redden slightly as he stepped forward. "I'm here, Kyoko…"
Kyoko smiled faintly as she reached up and held Sesshoumaru's hand in hers. "I—I'm glad… I thought that you had left me already… but… I suppose that it means you are going to stay for me?"
Sesshoumaru looked around the room—filled with humans (and Inu Yasha)—and scowled. He released Kyoko's hand and turned away. "Save your strength to recover." He did not even look back to Kyoko as he walked out of the hut.
"Sesshoumaru, where are you going?" Kyoko tried to sit upright as she called out to Sesshoumaru, but her words had fallen on deaf ears.