Rescue

AN: I know it's been a while since I updated this, but for a while I lost all inspiration. This chapter just hit me and I'm hoping this will stay. Please read and enjoy.

As usual, all the characters are mine. Do not use without permission.

Finally, this chapter is dedicated to Yugi Mutou who has stood by me in this fic and been asking for me to update for some time. Thank you so much.

~*~*~*~

Katia woke the next morning still in the same place she had been the previous night. 'Crap,' she thought, 'Niroku and Kamen must be worried about me. I'd better get back double quick.'

She ran all the way back to the place where they'd planned to camp the previous night and was shocked at the scene that greeted her eyes.

The area around the river was a total mess. It looked as though someone had come and used blasts of some sort and totally messed up the land. She was really worried about this because, even though he was strong either way, Niroku had been human the previous night and Kamen was always human. What if something had happened? What if something like a demon had attacked the camp while she was gone or passed out?

It was then that she caught the faint scent of blood in the air. It was weak enough that most demons and no humans would be able to smell it, but her senses were better than both those. She quickly pinpointed the source of the smell and headed over to a small pile of rubbish. On top was a piece of parchment with writing on it and a piece of cloth with a bloodstain. It was now that she recognized the scent of the blood. It was Niroku's and Kamen's both. Picking up the note, she almost growled as realization dawned on her.

'Dear Sister,

By now I'm sure you've noticed your camp and guessed at what happened. And with this note you should know for sure. I've taken your precious half-demon and the priest. If you ever want to see them again I suggest you come to the coordinates indicated on the map on the back of this letter by the time the sun sets tonight. If you refuse or are unable to carry out this command they will both be executed.

~Adial

PS: Maybe next time you should pay more attention to your friends than the animals.'

'Oh shit. This is not good,' Katia thought, turning the letter over to take a look at the map. Thankfully the meeting place wasn't too far from here and it shouldn't take more than a couple minutes. To get there from where she was standing now.

'Fincara, do you have any ideas on what to do?' Katia said, contacting her constant companion.

'~I'm not sure what all you could do in the present situation.~' Fincara said, appearing before Katia in her spectral form.

Katia looked at her near double and sighed. She'd been afraid that Fincara would say that. 'Well, I know one thing. There is no way I can not go and see what I can do.'

'~You truly do love Niroku and you're beginning to care for the priest Kamen slightly, even if you prefer you didn't.~' Fincara said with a knowing smile on her face. Katia scowled when Fincara had revealed her hidden thoughts with such ease. It really irked her how well Fincara could read her sometimes, but then again, it had helped a lot in quite a few deadly situations.

'Well, I suggest that we get ready. Especially you because, by the tone and wording of this note, I have a feeling that you're the one Adial wants to talk to,' Katia said, smirking slightly when a scowl crossed Fincara's features at the mention of her sister. She felt the same way, but it was still fun to watch Fincara get irritated.

Several hours later Katia headed over to the field just outside the canyon where she was supposed to meet Adial.

"Adial," Fincara said, after having switched with Katia, "I'm here. What do you want?"

"Why dear sister, do I have to want something to come and see you?" came the all too innocent tone of Adial.

"For you, yes. And even if you didn't, you didn't just come and visit. Where are Niroku and Kamen?" Fincara said, knowing that would be the first concern on her counterpart's mind.

"Oh, they're here. Just look up. I had to use some magic and trap them against the wall as they just seemed to refuse to cooperate with me," Adial said, gesturing up the valley wall to where Niroku and Kamen were hanging, supported by stone shackle-like things coming directly from the wall. Fincara could tell that, while slightly roughed up, they were both fine, just unconscious.

"What do you want Adial?" Fincara repeated. She really didn't want to be in her sister's presence more than what was absolutely necessary.

"Well, first off I want the same thing that all of us want. I want you to give up your engagement to Hakura," Adial said, repeating the same thing every single one of Fincara's other sisters had demanded. This was getting really irritating for both Fincara and Katia.

"How many times do I have to say that I never agreed to marry that stupid bastard," Fincara snapped, "if you want the engagement cancelled, like I do, then talk to father. Convince him to let me out of this thing."

Adial scowled and continued, "Second, I want the pretty sword your host is carrying along with whatever she's managed to collect of the Silver Life Jewel."

Fincara inwardly blanched at that. "And if I refuse?"

"Now, now," Adial said in a patronizing tone, "do I really have to answer that question?"

"No," Fincara said, glaring at her sister.

"I've got an idea. I'll give you a couple of minutes to think it over. If you haven't decided by then, then I'll just kill them anyway. Aren't I just so generous?" Adial said, a sadistic smile marring her otherwise pretty features.

'Well, at least that gives us a little time to come up with something,' Katia 'said' to Fincara.

'~And do you have any brilliant ideas on how to get them free without either one of them ending up dead or us giving the sword or the Jewel over?~' Fincara said, a tad sarcastic at the moment because of how worried she was.

'Actually, I think I might,' Katia said and relayed her plan to Fincara who smirked mentally.

'~That might just work. It'll be difficult to pull off for sure, especially for all the ways it could go wrong, but it's definitely better than nothing.~'

'Well then, let's get to it,' Katia said.

"Time's up. What's your decision?" Adial said, smirking at Fincara.

"I'll give you the sword and the jewel," Fincara said.

"Good, good, take them off. The sword first," Adial said, feeling very smug at the moment.

As Fincara took the sword out of the sheath and laid it on the ground she thought, 'Katia, you're plan had better work.'

AN: So what did you think? I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger, ne? Well anyway, please review. I appreciate all comments and criticisms.