Hey minna~! Tessen here~ I have a quick little note before you head into chapter 37.
Recently I noticed discrepancies in the timeline of my story and if nothing else, that is my biggest pet peeve. You see, I originally set the storyline of 2bwu in volume 30 of the manga, between Miroku's proposal to Sango and the release of Entei (Hakudoushi never really showed up in my world~) However I was making reference to events that happened after this, the main one being Kagome healing Kikyou in the pool. As much as I want to include that, it takes place in volume 31, long after where I said I'd begun at.
So I took a week-long vacation and revised the entire first 36 chapters of 2bwu. So that you don't all have to go through and re-read, I'll break it down: the thing between Kikyou and Kagome at the pool never happened. I've guessed (key word GUESS) that approximately five months passed before the part I began to write at, and including the part I've written myself, it is currently early December in the story. Okie? All other changes are just spelling errors and such. The only main overhaul is in the first 6 or 7 chapters. ^-^
Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V
____________________________
To Be With You Tomorrow
Part Nine :: Revenge
Chapter Thirty-seven :: Preparation
The sky was a soft grey, filtered with dark clouds following far into the distance. A light breeze blew over the waterfalls and the lake, causing slight ripples in the still surface. A single bird chirped overhead, and Tama looked up at it as she sipped the frigid water.
A little bird, she wasn't sure if he was young or just small. Innocent and free. He had no idea the turmoil she was in. His entire world was that branch, that song. She smiled, remembering fondly the days when she had been that way.
She stood, brushing her hands over her dress and took a deep breath. She was close; the stench of wolves grew with every step further into the south.
As she walked, Tama caught wind of a familiar scent and knelt, scraping together some of the dirt. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. Confusion swamped her as she recognized this smell. *Kagome-chan's scent is with this wolf's…*
She dropped the pile of dirt and crawled on her hands and knees, sniffing the other areas surrounding the forest pathway. Neither Inuyasha's scent, nor any of the others', was present. Tama felt a stab of concern. Had something happened to Kagome??
She jumped to her feet and rushed in the direction Kagome's scent led. *Kagome-chan…*
A pinprick of cold alighted on her nose and Tama slowed to a stop, crossing her eyes and trying to look at the end of her nose. Feeling stupid she gave up and pulled it off.
On one finger, a small white flake began to melt from the warmth of her body. Tama looked up into the clouded skies as the flurry of white continued to flutter down on the wind. She blinked at it.
"Snow…?"
~*~
Kagura looked over the large shrine, her eyes tracing over the outline of the wooden structure. The plants that lined the walkways, the trees and bushes that balanced out the large courtyard. The roof was packed with light snow, and the green grass was flecked with white. She snapped back to the present to notice Kanna already halfway up the stairs, and she followed her sister quickly.
A very old woman met them at the top, smiling. She was an elegant old bag, Kagura thought, her hair pulled back neatly, her face wizened gracefully. She wore clean, pressed robes of black silk and a rosary of blood red.
"If it isn't my master's incarnations, Kagura and Kanna."
Kanna said nothing in response, as she was prone to do, but Kagura was suspicious of this person whom she'd never met. "Witch, who are you?"
She frowned and looked at Kanna. "She does not remember our previous encounters?" At this, Kanna shook her head. The old woman sighed deeply. "Tis a shame. So much was laid upon your shoulders by our master, only for you to forget."
"Look, you old bitch, I don't have a master," Kagura pointed out tartly, tapping the end of her fan against her shoulder. "Kanna says we're supposed to resurrect our father. You're supposed to know how to do that."
The old woman nodded and turned into the shrine. "Come with me, dears. By the way, I am not witch, old bitch, babaa or anything of the sort. My name is Uramiko."
Kagura shrugged silently, not caring what the hell the old woman was called. She followed Uramiko and Kanna into the shrine regardless. As she led them through the breezeways and the halls, Uramiko spoke of the method that would resurrect Kagura and Kanna's 'father.'
"Your father was a great youkai, Kagura," she began, "He was doggedly pursued by youkai taijiya. You yourself came into contact with them often. Do you know of Inuyasha?"
"Can't say that I do," Kagura droned, sounding bored. Uramiko nodded and turned back the way she was walking. "This Inuyasha is the man who killed your dear father. Your father was a clever man and had discarded his heart, protecting it elsewhere."
Uramiko's eyes darkened. She looked angry. "But something went wrong and in a battle with this Inuyasha his heart was brought forward. Inuyasha struck it down and killed your father in a single blow after a lengthy battle."
"Okay," Kagura looked up at Uramiko. "So how do we bring him back?"
Uramiko led the two girls up a flight of stairs, taking each step solidly. Kagura narrowed her red eyes. *She's a steady old bag… If I ever need to fight her, she looks like she'd be a tough opponent… Better stay on her good side…*
Uramiko, either uncaring or unaware of Kagura's thoughts, continued telling her story. "Inuyasha has four companions. These four people were with him when he murdered your father. Kagome, a young miko who protects the Shikon no Tama. Shippou, a fox-child. Miroku, a houshi who was once cursed by your father. And Sango, the only survivor of a youkai taijiya village."
Uramiko stopped in front of a large wooden door, protected by a ribbon of red fabric tied between the door handles. She turned to face Kagura and Kanna. "To bring back your father Naraku, we require his bones, his soul, the sacrifices of those who were with him when he died, and the blood of he who killed him. Inuyasha of course killed him. Slashing his throat and reviving Naraku with his blood will be simple. And when Naraku wakes he will be hungry for blood. Inuyasha's four companions will be his first meal."
"That's great, but I'm assuming you have his bones and his soul?" Kagura asked, looking skeptical. Uramiko turned without anything more than a twitch of her eyebrow, and untied the cord around the doors. She led them in and with a soft chant to the air, the candles burned brighter. The dim room brightened to a hazy orange.
On a table, laid out reverently, were the bones of a human, presumably male. Kagura stared. She looked at Uramiko, eyes wide in horror, as she approached the almost-worshipful display. The old demon-miko smirked.
"His soul has been contained in a safe place."
Kagura hardly heard her as she circled the table. After a moment she hmphed, mostly to herself, and then crossed her arms. "So. What's the plan?"
~*~
Kagome peeked her head out slowly, glancing down the hallway. She checked the other side again and then glanced at Mika, darting out towards one of the doors. The wolf-youkai followed quietly, also looking around cautiously.
Kagome, after calming the other young woman down, had begun asking questions like where Genrou's room was, where all the exits were, and how many people would see them at a particular exit.
It was quickly obvious the miko's intentions were escape.
Mika was terrified. She had attempted escape before. She was beaten severely for it. She had tried to persuade Kagome to wait for her comrades. "Kagome-san, we mustn't. If Genrou catches us…"
The girl had only smiled at her. "I'm a miko," she replied, "I'll purify him."
She had said it with so much confidence and trust that Mika's fears were assuaged. And thus they now snuck around Genrou's palace, heading for the back entrance to the courtyard. The walls were fairly high, but Mika could jump them and very easily take Kagome along. The only problem would be getting there.
Between the western wing that was Mika's room and the southernmost courtyard were the rooms of the rest of the southern wolf tribe. Up to 125 wolves stood between them and freedom.
But there was also the weapons room, Mika had explained and the plan, as laid out by Kagome, was this: get to the weapons room, restock on arrows, and charge through the wolves' den towards the courtyard. Jump the wall and head back into the north forest.
The miko held her bow tight to her body, fingers cramping from the readiness of her arrow. Her eyes searched the corridors ahead of her as she clung like a shadow to the wall. Mika stood close behind her. The wolf-girl had changed out of her formal kimono and back into the feral light brown fur garb of her tribe, which was easier to run in. She also wore armor like Kouga's, and it hung on her small frame.
One of the southern wolves walked past the door and both girls froze. Kagome's arm tensed. The lucky fool continued walking, never noticing them, and Kagome mentally let out a breath of relief.
In this slow, careful manner the girls found their way out of the west wing and downwards to the lower levels of the castle. Mika, leading the way now, peeked into a room marked by black paper in the shoji.
"It's empty," she reported and she and Kagome entered quietly. Once inside, Mika lit one of the candles and Kagome gasped when she was able to see.
On one side of the room were numerous boxes and bags, some hanging open just enough so that you could see the glitter of gold and the shine of blues, reds and greens. Jewels of every cut and size sparkled from their boxes, and in several others there seems to be other materialistic things: valuable fabrics, paper, furs and statues and objects of both precious woods and stone.
In the closer part of the room, where there was the easiest access, there were enough jugs and barrels to feed an army, and the liquid inside smelled much like alcohol. Fresh vegetables and sacks of rice also stood off the side where it was easily attainable on an everyday routine.
Kagome stared. "They're bandits..?"
Mika nodded. "Food, sake, horses… women-- anything they can sell, they take."
Kagome drooped visibly at the allocation Mika had made, and glanced at the other side of the room, her mouth dropping open.
For on the other side were shelves and shelves of swords, maces, battleaxes, spears and quarterstaffs of all sizes. There were several sturdy -looking bows and Kagome could count on all her fingers and toes the quivers of arrows.
She glanced at her own quiver, which held at most 30 arrows. Fairly small. She walked over to the weapons cabinet and picked up a large one that held approximately 100 arrows and tried it on.
It fit badly, hanging lower than she was used to, and it was rather heavy. But considering the enemy --125+ wolves-- she would need at least one-hundred arrows. Even if she hit every target she fired at, they were still outnumbered.
*Inuyasha…* she thought longingly, *I'm scared…*
~*~
Genrou smirked, sipping the sake Oharu poured him as they walked down the hallways. The girl chattered on about her nails and her hair and other such nonsense, and Genrou listened to her babble as he headed towards the west wing.
"Muffin," he called mockingly through the shoji, "Dinner's ready, I assume you want food for that growing bundle of love?"
There was no reply. Unusual, he thought, Mika always has a retort for me.
He swung open the door and his mouth dropped open at the sight of the empty room. Mika's lavendar kimono was on the floor. The girls, neither Mika nor that bratty little miko, were nowhere to be seen. He spun, throwing his sake cup to the ground. It shattered unceremoniously as he stormed down the hall, and Oharu let out a squeak of fright as he raged past her.
"MIKA!!" he roared, "You bitch, you KNOW what happens when you try to escape!! Do you want me to KILL YOU THIS TIME?!"
From the basement weapons room Mika and Kagome both froze. They had hardly understood the words, but just hearing the angry wolf-demon's roar was enough to frighten them. Mika looked panicked as she tightly gripped a large mace in her hands. "Kagome, he's coming! He knows!"
She gasped as the young miko tossed her a katana, a little rusty from underuse. Kagome also strapped one to her waist. The huge quiver drug down one corner of her uniform, and she looked like nothing more than a child playing pretend with his father's weapons. But she looked determined.
"We're ready. C'mon!!"
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: I'm sorry it took so long, jeez, I just couldn't get it written. I'm losing inspiration~! Waaah! No!! I wanna finish this!! I need to buy myself another Inuyasha manga, it'll help v^-^ Please review!
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen
Recently I noticed discrepancies in the timeline of my story and if nothing else, that is my biggest pet peeve. You see, I originally set the storyline of 2bwu in volume 30 of the manga, between Miroku's proposal to Sango and the release of Entei (Hakudoushi never really showed up in my world~) However I was making reference to events that happened after this, the main one being Kagome healing Kikyou in the pool. As much as I want to include that, it takes place in volume 31, long after where I said I'd begun at.
So I took a week-long vacation and revised the entire first 36 chapters of 2bwu. So that you don't all have to go through and re-read, I'll break it down: the thing between Kikyou and Kagome at the pool never happened. I've guessed (key word GUESS) that approximately five months passed before the part I began to write at, and including the part I've written myself, it is currently early December in the story. Okie? All other changes are just spelling errors and such. The only main overhaul is in the first 6 or 7 chapters. ^-^
Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V
____________________________
To Be With You Tomorrow
Part Nine :: Revenge
Chapter Thirty-seven :: Preparation
The sky was a soft grey, filtered with dark clouds following far into the distance. A light breeze blew over the waterfalls and the lake, causing slight ripples in the still surface. A single bird chirped overhead, and Tama looked up at it as she sipped the frigid water.
A little bird, she wasn't sure if he was young or just small. Innocent and free. He had no idea the turmoil she was in. His entire world was that branch, that song. She smiled, remembering fondly the days when she had been that way.
She stood, brushing her hands over her dress and took a deep breath. She was close; the stench of wolves grew with every step further into the south.
As she walked, Tama caught wind of a familiar scent and knelt, scraping together some of the dirt. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. Confusion swamped her as she recognized this smell. *Kagome-chan's scent is with this wolf's…*
She dropped the pile of dirt and crawled on her hands and knees, sniffing the other areas surrounding the forest pathway. Neither Inuyasha's scent, nor any of the others', was present. Tama felt a stab of concern. Had something happened to Kagome??
She jumped to her feet and rushed in the direction Kagome's scent led. *Kagome-chan…*
A pinprick of cold alighted on her nose and Tama slowed to a stop, crossing her eyes and trying to look at the end of her nose. Feeling stupid she gave up and pulled it off.
On one finger, a small white flake began to melt from the warmth of her body. Tama looked up into the clouded skies as the flurry of white continued to flutter down on the wind. She blinked at it.
"Snow…?"
~*~
Kagura looked over the large shrine, her eyes tracing over the outline of the wooden structure. The plants that lined the walkways, the trees and bushes that balanced out the large courtyard. The roof was packed with light snow, and the green grass was flecked with white. She snapped back to the present to notice Kanna already halfway up the stairs, and she followed her sister quickly.
A very old woman met them at the top, smiling. She was an elegant old bag, Kagura thought, her hair pulled back neatly, her face wizened gracefully. She wore clean, pressed robes of black silk and a rosary of blood red.
"If it isn't my master's incarnations, Kagura and Kanna."
Kanna said nothing in response, as she was prone to do, but Kagura was suspicious of this person whom she'd never met. "Witch, who are you?"
She frowned and looked at Kanna. "She does not remember our previous encounters?" At this, Kanna shook her head. The old woman sighed deeply. "Tis a shame. So much was laid upon your shoulders by our master, only for you to forget."
"Look, you old bitch, I don't have a master," Kagura pointed out tartly, tapping the end of her fan against her shoulder. "Kanna says we're supposed to resurrect our father. You're supposed to know how to do that."
The old woman nodded and turned into the shrine. "Come with me, dears. By the way, I am not witch, old bitch, babaa or anything of the sort. My name is Uramiko."
Kagura shrugged silently, not caring what the hell the old woman was called. She followed Uramiko and Kanna into the shrine regardless. As she led them through the breezeways and the halls, Uramiko spoke of the method that would resurrect Kagura and Kanna's 'father.'
"Your father was a great youkai, Kagura," she began, "He was doggedly pursued by youkai taijiya. You yourself came into contact with them often. Do you know of Inuyasha?"
"Can't say that I do," Kagura droned, sounding bored. Uramiko nodded and turned back the way she was walking. "This Inuyasha is the man who killed your dear father. Your father was a clever man and had discarded his heart, protecting it elsewhere."
Uramiko's eyes darkened. She looked angry. "But something went wrong and in a battle with this Inuyasha his heart was brought forward. Inuyasha struck it down and killed your father in a single blow after a lengthy battle."
"Okay," Kagura looked up at Uramiko. "So how do we bring him back?"
Uramiko led the two girls up a flight of stairs, taking each step solidly. Kagura narrowed her red eyes. *She's a steady old bag… If I ever need to fight her, she looks like she'd be a tough opponent… Better stay on her good side…*
Uramiko, either uncaring or unaware of Kagura's thoughts, continued telling her story. "Inuyasha has four companions. These four people were with him when he murdered your father. Kagome, a young miko who protects the Shikon no Tama. Shippou, a fox-child. Miroku, a houshi who was once cursed by your father. And Sango, the only survivor of a youkai taijiya village."
Uramiko stopped in front of a large wooden door, protected by a ribbon of red fabric tied between the door handles. She turned to face Kagura and Kanna. "To bring back your father Naraku, we require his bones, his soul, the sacrifices of those who were with him when he died, and the blood of he who killed him. Inuyasha of course killed him. Slashing his throat and reviving Naraku with his blood will be simple. And when Naraku wakes he will be hungry for blood. Inuyasha's four companions will be his first meal."
"That's great, but I'm assuming you have his bones and his soul?" Kagura asked, looking skeptical. Uramiko turned without anything more than a twitch of her eyebrow, and untied the cord around the doors. She led them in and with a soft chant to the air, the candles burned brighter. The dim room brightened to a hazy orange.
On a table, laid out reverently, were the bones of a human, presumably male. Kagura stared. She looked at Uramiko, eyes wide in horror, as she approached the almost-worshipful display. The old demon-miko smirked.
"His soul has been contained in a safe place."
Kagura hardly heard her as she circled the table. After a moment she hmphed, mostly to herself, and then crossed her arms. "So. What's the plan?"
~*~
Kagome peeked her head out slowly, glancing down the hallway. She checked the other side again and then glanced at Mika, darting out towards one of the doors. The wolf-youkai followed quietly, also looking around cautiously.
Kagome, after calming the other young woman down, had begun asking questions like where Genrou's room was, where all the exits were, and how many people would see them at a particular exit.
It was quickly obvious the miko's intentions were escape.
Mika was terrified. She had attempted escape before. She was beaten severely for it. She had tried to persuade Kagome to wait for her comrades. "Kagome-san, we mustn't. If Genrou catches us…"
The girl had only smiled at her. "I'm a miko," she replied, "I'll purify him."
She had said it with so much confidence and trust that Mika's fears were assuaged. And thus they now snuck around Genrou's palace, heading for the back entrance to the courtyard. The walls were fairly high, but Mika could jump them and very easily take Kagome along. The only problem would be getting there.
Between the western wing that was Mika's room and the southernmost courtyard were the rooms of the rest of the southern wolf tribe. Up to 125 wolves stood between them and freedom.
But there was also the weapons room, Mika had explained and the plan, as laid out by Kagome, was this: get to the weapons room, restock on arrows, and charge through the wolves' den towards the courtyard. Jump the wall and head back into the north forest.
The miko held her bow tight to her body, fingers cramping from the readiness of her arrow. Her eyes searched the corridors ahead of her as she clung like a shadow to the wall. Mika stood close behind her. The wolf-girl had changed out of her formal kimono and back into the feral light brown fur garb of her tribe, which was easier to run in. She also wore armor like Kouga's, and it hung on her small frame.
One of the southern wolves walked past the door and both girls froze. Kagome's arm tensed. The lucky fool continued walking, never noticing them, and Kagome mentally let out a breath of relief.
In this slow, careful manner the girls found their way out of the west wing and downwards to the lower levels of the castle. Mika, leading the way now, peeked into a room marked by black paper in the shoji.
"It's empty," she reported and she and Kagome entered quietly. Once inside, Mika lit one of the candles and Kagome gasped when she was able to see.
On one side of the room were numerous boxes and bags, some hanging open just enough so that you could see the glitter of gold and the shine of blues, reds and greens. Jewels of every cut and size sparkled from their boxes, and in several others there seems to be other materialistic things: valuable fabrics, paper, furs and statues and objects of both precious woods and stone.
In the closer part of the room, where there was the easiest access, there were enough jugs and barrels to feed an army, and the liquid inside smelled much like alcohol. Fresh vegetables and sacks of rice also stood off the side where it was easily attainable on an everyday routine.
Kagome stared. "They're bandits..?"
Mika nodded. "Food, sake, horses… women-- anything they can sell, they take."
Kagome drooped visibly at the allocation Mika had made, and glanced at the other side of the room, her mouth dropping open.
For on the other side were shelves and shelves of swords, maces, battleaxes, spears and quarterstaffs of all sizes. There were several sturdy -looking bows and Kagome could count on all her fingers and toes the quivers of arrows.
She glanced at her own quiver, which held at most 30 arrows. Fairly small. She walked over to the weapons cabinet and picked up a large one that held approximately 100 arrows and tried it on.
It fit badly, hanging lower than she was used to, and it was rather heavy. But considering the enemy --125+ wolves-- she would need at least one-hundred arrows. Even if she hit every target she fired at, they were still outnumbered.
*Inuyasha…* she thought longingly, *I'm scared…*
~*~
Genrou smirked, sipping the sake Oharu poured him as they walked down the hallways. The girl chattered on about her nails and her hair and other such nonsense, and Genrou listened to her babble as he headed towards the west wing.
"Muffin," he called mockingly through the shoji, "Dinner's ready, I assume you want food for that growing bundle of love?"
There was no reply. Unusual, he thought, Mika always has a retort for me.
He swung open the door and his mouth dropped open at the sight of the empty room. Mika's lavendar kimono was on the floor. The girls, neither Mika nor that bratty little miko, were nowhere to be seen. He spun, throwing his sake cup to the ground. It shattered unceremoniously as he stormed down the hall, and Oharu let out a squeak of fright as he raged past her.
"MIKA!!" he roared, "You bitch, you KNOW what happens when you try to escape!! Do you want me to KILL YOU THIS TIME?!"
From the basement weapons room Mika and Kagome both froze. They had hardly understood the words, but just hearing the angry wolf-demon's roar was enough to frighten them. Mika looked panicked as she tightly gripped a large mace in her hands. "Kagome, he's coming! He knows!"
She gasped as the young miko tossed her a katana, a little rusty from underuse. Kagome also strapped one to her waist. The huge quiver drug down one corner of her uniform, and she looked like nothing more than a child playing pretend with his father's weapons. But she looked determined.
"We're ready. C'mon!!"
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: I'm sorry it took so long, jeez, I just couldn't get it written. I'm losing inspiration~! Waaah! No!! I wanna finish this!! I need to buy myself another Inuyasha manga, it'll help v^-^ Please review!
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen