Sanosuke, Miroku, Yahiko and Shippo jumped from where they had been sitting
around the fire. They had barely
heard a scream, but Kenshin and Inuyasha's voices were clear. They
scrambled to the door of the hut and looked
out. All they saw were two blurs. One was red and white, the other white,
orange, and pink. The small group of men
began to run after them. Something was seriously wrong. Upon catching up
with the two blurs, they stood and stared
outward, horrified. There were corpses everywhere. Men of all ages were
lying dead on the ground. Their blood
stained everything around the peaceful hot springs that kept steaming,
oblivious to the carnage. The men were
horribly mauled. Alone in the center of it all was a girl. Her hair was
still wet from her bath, and she was shaking.
She wore a hastily put on kimono, and the weapon that usually never left
her side was propped up against a tree. She
was on her knees with her head hanging down.
"Sango!" Sanosuke reached her side first. He didn't know why but he was very worried about this girl. She was the strongest woman he had ever seen, but now as he gently touched her shoulder to comfort her crying, she seemed so helpless.
"I couldn't stop her. She used the men to distract me. There were too many of them." Her words were barely understandable between her sobs. She had let her best friend down. She should have been able to protect her, and she wasn't. Yet another person to add to the list of people she had failed.
"It's okay, Miss Sango. I'm sure you tried your best. Are you alright?" Kenshin couldn't help but notice the wounds on her body. The blood that seeped from them seemed so out of place on her soft pink kimono. Inuyasha was busy sniffing the air.
"Shit! It was Kagura wasn't it? Damn that Naraku!" Inuyasha stepped carelessly over the bodies to Sango's side.
"It was her."
"All this death is horrible. How could they have all come here only to be slain? I don't understand it." Kenshin couldn't stand the sight of death. He had always been surrounded with it and became immune for a while, but now, he couldn't go back to it.
"These men were dead long before they got here. Kagura has the power to control the dead. She brought these men here to distract Sango so she could take Kagome. Naraku must have plans of some sort. Kaoru was probably only taken because she was so like Kagome. It's the shards Naraku wants. The shards and Inuyasha's life." Miroku bowed his head after his explanation.
"That is just too horrible for words. Why would any one do this to Miss Kagome and Miss Kaoru?"
"Keh! He wants the shards, and he wants me to come rescue them so he can kill me. I will rescue them, but I won't be the one dying." Inuyasha snapped his head. He hated the sound coming from the monk's direction. Behind him, Yahiko was on his knees. He gagged and heaved. The sight of this much death had gotten the better of him, and he couldn't handle it. Then another sound came to his ears. It was a buzzing.
"Naraku's poison bees!" Shippo was ducking for cover. A few bees flew straight at them. A swooshing sound was made as a sword ripped through the air.
"Sankontessou!" Claws swiped by and destroyed the bugs the sword hadn't knocked out. Inuyasha stood then looked at Kenshin. He had his eyes on the man's weapon.
"What the hell is that?"
"My sword."
"Someone cheated you because the blade is not facing the right way."
"The blade is intended to be reversed, Mr. Inuyasha."
"Why? You won't be able to kill anything with that."
"That's exactly why. I made a vow a long time ago to never take another person's life, that I did." Inuyasha stared hard at the man. Didn't he understand anything?
"Keh! We are not facing people, wimpy. These are demons. And Naraku is the worst one. He's more evil than your puny brain can imagine. If you want Kaoru back, you must kill. He will send hoards of demons to try and kill us. They don't get knocked out! They will fight until they die!" Inuyasha stamped his foot and moved closer to Kenshin to emphasize his last statement. He was interrupted by a grunt. Sanosuke stood with Sango's arm draped around his neck. She was calmer, but still upset.
"I think we should get this little Missy away from all of this." He gestured to the massacre around them. Everyone else nodded in agreement and followed Sanosuke and Sango out of the forest. Upon reaching Kaede's hut Kenshin and Inuyasha stayed outside.
"I need to ask you something, Mr. Inuyasha."
"What?"
"Well, you criticize my sword because it is a reverse blade. But I have seen yours as well. How can you do anything with that?" To Kenshin's amazement, Inuyasha started laughing. He looked at the shocked samurai.
"Come with me, wimpy." Kenshin followed despite the insult. Of all the nicknames to have, Kenshin thought it was one of the worst. They reached the clearing that held the Bone Eater's Well. Inuyasha withdrew his sword from its sheath. He held up the battered weapon for Kenshin to examine more closely.
"This is Tetsusaiga. It was made from my father's fang. It is the most feared and coveted sword among the demons. This is why." Inuyasha took a step away from Kenshin and tightened his grip on the sword. Instantly it had grown into a huge fang shaped weapon. It was intensely sharp and looked overwhelming. Inuyasha turned toward a vacant part of the forest. He raised the sword behind him and Kenshin watched as it created a small slow tornado around itself. The hanyou jumped in the air and brought the sword down hard.
"Kaze no Kizu!" Three strips of yellow light burst from the sword, knocking down everything in their path. When the smoke cleared, there were no more trees in that area, only three large grooves in the earth.
"That is not even Tetsusaiga's ultimate attack. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat Naraku and get Kagome back. Killing heartless things like youkai is easy. I don't know how badly you want Kaoru back, but you should figure it out." Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and began to walk away. Kenshin continued to stare at the grooves in the ground.
"Hey wimpy, I'm going to check on Sango and then we're going. Hurry up." Kenshin turned and watched his form move out of the clearing. Then looked back at the grooves. Kagome had that man to protect her, but how could he protect Kaoru from power like that?
"Sango!" Sanosuke reached her side first. He didn't know why but he was very worried about this girl. She was the strongest woman he had ever seen, but now as he gently touched her shoulder to comfort her crying, she seemed so helpless.
"I couldn't stop her. She used the men to distract me. There were too many of them." Her words were barely understandable between her sobs. She had let her best friend down. She should have been able to protect her, and she wasn't. Yet another person to add to the list of people she had failed.
"It's okay, Miss Sango. I'm sure you tried your best. Are you alright?" Kenshin couldn't help but notice the wounds on her body. The blood that seeped from them seemed so out of place on her soft pink kimono. Inuyasha was busy sniffing the air.
"Shit! It was Kagura wasn't it? Damn that Naraku!" Inuyasha stepped carelessly over the bodies to Sango's side.
"It was her."
"All this death is horrible. How could they have all come here only to be slain? I don't understand it." Kenshin couldn't stand the sight of death. He had always been surrounded with it and became immune for a while, but now, he couldn't go back to it.
"These men were dead long before they got here. Kagura has the power to control the dead. She brought these men here to distract Sango so she could take Kagome. Naraku must have plans of some sort. Kaoru was probably only taken because she was so like Kagome. It's the shards Naraku wants. The shards and Inuyasha's life." Miroku bowed his head after his explanation.
"That is just too horrible for words. Why would any one do this to Miss Kagome and Miss Kaoru?"
"Keh! He wants the shards, and he wants me to come rescue them so he can kill me. I will rescue them, but I won't be the one dying." Inuyasha snapped his head. He hated the sound coming from the monk's direction. Behind him, Yahiko was on his knees. He gagged and heaved. The sight of this much death had gotten the better of him, and he couldn't handle it. Then another sound came to his ears. It was a buzzing.
"Naraku's poison bees!" Shippo was ducking for cover. A few bees flew straight at them. A swooshing sound was made as a sword ripped through the air.
"Sankontessou!" Claws swiped by and destroyed the bugs the sword hadn't knocked out. Inuyasha stood then looked at Kenshin. He had his eyes on the man's weapon.
"What the hell is that?"
"My sword."
"Someone cheated you because the blade is not facing the right way."
"The blade is intended to be reversed, Mr. Inuyasha."
"Why? You won't be able to kill anything with that."
"That's exactly why. I made a vow a long time ago to never take another person's life, that I did." Inuyasha stared hard at the man. Didn't he understand anything?
"Keh! We are not facing people, wimpy. These are demons. And Naraku is the worst one. He's more evil than your puny brain can imagine. If you want Kaoru back, you must kill. He will send hoards of demons to try and kill us. They don't get knocked out! They will fight until they die!" Inuyasha stamped his foot and moved closer to Kenshin to emphasize his last statement. He was interrupted by a grunt. Sanosuke stood with Sango's arm draped around his neck. She was calmer, but still upset.
"I think we should get this little Missy away from all of this." He gestured to the massacre around them. Everyone else nodded in agreement and followed Sanosuke and Sango out of the forest. Upon reaching Kaede's hut Kenshin and Inuyasha stayed outside.
"I need to ask you something, Mr. Inuyasha."
"What?"
"Well, you criticize my sword because it is a reverse blade. But I have seen yours as well. How can you do anything with that?" To Kenshin's amazement, Inuyasha started laughing. He looked at the shocked samurai.
"Come with me, wimpy." Kenshin followed despite the insult. Of all the nicknames to have, Kenshin thought it was one of the worst. They reached the clearing that held the Bone Eater's Well. Inuyasha withdrew his sword from its sheath. He held up the battered weapon for Kenshin to examine more closely.
"This is Tetsusaiga. It was made from my father's fang. It is the most feared and coveted sword among the demons. This is why." Inuyasha took a step away from Kenshin and tightened his grip on the sword. Instantly it had grown into a huge fang shaped weapon. It was intensely sharp and looked overwhelming. Inuyasha turned toward a vacant part of the forest. He raised the sword behind him and Kenshin watched as it created a small slow tornado around itself. The hanyou jumped in the air and brought the sword down hard.
"Kaze no Kizu!" Three strips of yellow light burst from the sword, knocking down everything in their path. When the smoke cleared, there were no more trees in that area, only three large grooves in the earth.
"That is not even Tetsusaiga's ultimate attack. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat Naraku and get Kagome back. Killing heartless things like youkai is easy. I don't know how badly you want Kaoru back, but you should figure it out." Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and began to walk away. Kenshin continued to stare at the grooves in the ground.
"Hey wimpy, I'm going to check on Sango and then we're going. Hurry up." Kenshin turned and watched his form move out of the clearing. Then looked back at the grooves. Kagome had that man to protect her, but how could he protect Kaoru from power like that?