AN: Okay folks, this chapter has things you'd never thought you'd see (or, um, read, I guess) !
Chapter Five: Naraku vs. Naraku
Naraku sat in his palace, waiting. "Kohaku," he called, "What have you learned. The enslaved younger brother of the demon slayer, Songo, came in to him, and bowed.
"An army has messed against you, my lord. The call to arms has gone out to every village and presect in the land. Warlords are sending fresh troops to join Inu-yasha. They claim as lord over the lands of Musashi and Edo. Even demons who call Inu-yasha 'enemy' have joined him against you."
"So it has come to this," Naraku said. "All my incarnations have left me. I have only my own strength and the Jewel to protect me."
"Then perhaps I can be of assistance." came a voice. Naraku turned around, and a tall middle aged man stood before him, accompanied by twin boys with white hair.
"Who are," Naraku demanded. "How did you break my barrier? Only I or my servants may pass through it."
"Look closely and you will see that I am you,' the older man said.
"Impossible," Naraku said.
" Oh, I beg to differ," the older creature said. "I came here through the Bone Eater's Well. From the distant future; a time when sorcery is a dead art, and science abounds. The age that the miko Kagome comes from."
"I see," Naraku said. "Then why you come here? Do you seek the Jewel of Four Souls while it is still in pieces?"
"I come," the older Naraku said, "To seek you." Suddenly, his two minions vanished, and reappeared grabbing hold of the young Naraku's arms. Then, the older Naraku said, "Together you and I will lay waste to the land. This country shall be ours. I will have all my youth and vitality restored to me; you will have my wisdom and knowledge. All we need do is absorb one another." Tenticles sprang from the older Naraku's back, and shot forward to seize the younger version of himself. But the young Naraku feared this being as he had feared nothing and no one else. He did not want to be absorbed, for he knew it meant his certain death! He evaporated from his own clothes, and reappeared outside of the castle. As he began to fly away, he looked to his right, and there was his older self, following closely in pursuit.
"Such foolishness and arrogance. I am ashamed to have once been you. Do you not see that this is the only way to defeat Inu-yasha and his army. Without each other we will die."
"You may die," the young Naraku countered, "But I am young and strong , whereas you are old and feeble."
"Wake up, you young fool," the older said, "Inu-yasha comes with enough troops to decimate your strong holds. He has the power of the Millennium Items on his side. Surely you have not forgotten them?"
"I care not about these Items," the younger lied, "I have most of the Jewel completed, and that is enough to give me strength."
"You are blind," the older shouted. "Even if you had the Jewel completed, it is nothing compared to the power of the Millennium Items. If you should face them alone, and even kill Inu-yasha in battle, you will lose the Jewel, and slowly lose your life. I know. I lived it. I know the pains of age and slow decay. Before I came here, I was o more powerful than I was as Onigumo. Do you want that fate?"
"No," the younger said. That is why I will not join you. Even if it means I live, I do not wish for the knowledge of growing old. I do not wish to now what powerlessness feels like. If I join you, I will surely die!" He stretched forth his hands, and called up his miasma around them. Nothing could survive the poisonous gasses for long.
"Fool!" the older shouted, "Do you know nothing?! I am you. I know your tricks and your weaknesses!" the older Naraku flew out of the miasma, and grabbed his younger self by the throat, and began to strangle him. "I will absorb you…one way or another." he said as his tentacles and roots wrapped around his younger self. The young one screamed and thrashed about, trying to get away. Then, a Kama flew through the air, and struck the older Naraku in the shoulder, making him release the younger.
Kohaku stood below on a ledge, and pulled back is weapon. The mindless boy stared up at the two you-kai, and prepared to attack again, but his arms were bound by lightening ropes. The twin boys had bound him.
"Aren't they splendid?" the older Naraku asked his young counterpart. "My loyal servants, Li Zhous and Ryou."
"What are they?" the younger Naraku asked, for now both boys tared at him with malicious smiles on their young faces.
"One is my incarnation," the older said, "Made to take the Millennium Items from the Pharaoh's tomb in this time. The other is his prisoner, a boy from the future who housed Li Zhou's spirit until he was strong enough to escape his prison. Now both are my minions, and they will help me take you and destroy Inu-yasha."
The young Naraku didn't wait. He threw another gust of his miasma, and used the cover to make his escape. He knew of refuge. One place where he could hide from this living nightmare… Mount Fuji.
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The older Naraku watched hios younger self flee. He would let him think he had escaped, for now. But he knew exactly where he would be. And he knew that Inu-yasha was on his way to that spot as well. He remembered everything. In the meantime, he flew down to where the mindless, memory deprived Kohaku stood, wrapped in the lightening ropes.
"Your master has abandoned you, my boy. But I will take you as my servant again." He put his hand on Kohaku's head, and transferred a piece of his dark energy to the boy's mind. Kohaku screamed in pain and grief at the images he saw. After some time of this, he quieted down, and stood there with a deeper darkness within him.
"Most excellent," the older Naraku said. He turned to Bakura and Li Zhou. "Bakura, I bid you to summon all who gather to my aide, and seek out the army of Inu-yasha and King Yami."
"It shall be done," Bakura said cheerfully.
"Take young Kohakub with you," the old Naraku added. "Li Zhou, I have another task for you."
"Whatever you bid, I shall do," Li Zhou replied.
"I ask you to perform the task you were created to do. Go to Egypt and retrieve for me the Millennium Items."
Li Zhou shook with old fear rising within him. "I… Y-yes, master." Li Zhou said as he rose to the air, and traveled east. When Li Zhou was out of his sight, he bid Bakura and Kohaku to go and seek their prey.
-------------------------------------------
Elsewhere, Inu-yasha led the still growing army on South East towards Mount Fuji. The men were weary from the long, hard days or marching, and they were half way to their destination. Two days… two days seemed a short time to find their prey but they had time. Serenity and Mai assured them that both Narakus were on their way to the valley just beyond the hills. It would take them two days at least to cut a way through the dense foliage and make their final camp on the ridge. For now though, they would make camp in flat lands and rest their mounts. Food was plentiful, appetites were strong, and spirits were high. They now numbered nearly 6,000 strong, a large enough force to take on any great foe.
"I don't get it." Kaiba said to Sheshomaru as his wing of the army made camp that evening. "If you hate your brother so much then why ride with us?" The situation didn't make any sense to him. Neither did the strained relationship between the two brothers.
"I have my reasons. Inu-yasha is still my enemy but Naraku is a threat to us both. He's used me in the past, hoping to kill my brother, and I have been a willing participant only to be double-crossed. I don't take treachery lightly and I don't like being asked a lot of questions." Sheshomaru said.
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Inu-yasha came riding into the camp after having scouted the area. No sign of any danger. That was good. His army was far from ready to encounter any of Naraku's forces. As he rode by a group of the men, his sensitive ears heard their hushed whispers.
"It's lord Inu-yasha," one of them said, "I've heard that his mother was a quite prominent princess and a great beauty."
"His father was a demon anong demons, and very powerful," remarked a second man.
"You can defiantly tell where he gets his strong presence from." said a third.
"He is over 60 years old," said forth, "But he looks so young. I would not have believed it if my grandfather had not told me stories of Inu-yasha." Men bowed before him and women rushed to attend him as he climbed down off of his horse. To Inu-yasha, this was a strange feeling. He'd never had someone make so much of a fuss over him before.
"Isn't this wonderful, Inu-yasha?" Kagome asked him later when they sat together in his tent. "You're finally getting the respect you deserve."
"Only because Songo gave me this armor and they Yugi's a king," Inu-yasha grumbled. "Take all this fancy stuff away and they'd all still be calling me half-breed, retch, and dog-boy."
"That's not true," Kagome said. "Anyone with eyes can see how much they really respect you."
"Feh," Inu-yaha huffed.
"Well then" Kagome said, "I guess it's not a matter of their respect for you, but your own respect for yourself." She stood up and went to the door of the tent.
"Hey Kagome," Inu-yasha said, getting up.
"What?" she demanded, turning to him impatiently.
"Come here," he said. He got hold of her arm, and pulled her close. Before she had time to react, he was holding her in his arms, her head against his chest. He'd held her like this a few times in the past, but now it was different. He wasn't injured, or on the brink of sorrow. He was just hugging her. She blushed as she listened to his heart beat in his chest.
"Uh… Inu-yasha?" she asked.
"Hey, just," he said, "Just let me hold you like this for a while…"
"Oh…okay," she said. As they stood there together, she slipped her own arms up around him. She knew that the fighting was a long time off…so why did this still feel like a goodbye?
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The wolves sensed it first. Scattered around the perimeter of the camp, the wolves and wolf demons sniffed the air. Something was wrong. Something was coming. The wolves lifted their heads and began to howl, while the wolf demons ran to Kouga.
"Kouga!" one of them said, "There something's come-!" he was stopped dead by a kama in the back. As their comrade fell, the others ran to the tents, giving out the warning.
"Inu-yasha!" Kouga cried. He ran on his Jewel powered legs to Inu-yasha's tent. He barged in, to see Kagome looking down, her face red. Inu-yasha stood and looked at him coldly. "What?" Inu-yasha demanded.
"Ambush!" Kouga said, letting the matter of what he did and didn't see drop. Inu-yasha unsheathed his sword, anmd ran out with him, to see the boy, Kohaku, leading a charge of undead warriors towards the camp.
"Any who can fight, get up!" Inu-yasha ordered. He hurtled forward, and cut down five zombies. Men around him looked up, and cried, "Someone comes on the clouds!" Inu-yasha looked up, and -what he thought was- Li Zhou, the Millennium Ring around his neck, flew down at them, shooting lightening bolt daggers.
"Don't run!" Inu-yasha rallied his men. "We can beat them!"
"We are with, lord Inu-yash!" they said, lifting their swords and bows. They fired, but the undead warriors kept coming. And Li Zhou was above them.
"You are no match for me, half breed!" Li Zhou said.
"But we are," Yugi/Yami cried. "Forward!" the left wing of the army came in on the undead warriors, and brought them down. Ayumi, who rode with Yugi/Yami gave a twist of her fan, and ordered, "Dance of the Dead! Turn and fight your own!" Many zombie creatures stopped, turned, and began to cut and slice up other corpses. As this happened, the right wing charged in. Kaiba lifted his rd, and hurled Black Lightening at Li Zhou. As the bolts made contact, Li Zhou screamed, and suddenly mist raised up out of him. His eyes went from red to brown. It was then that Kaiba, and Yugi/Yami realized their horrible mistake.
"That's not Li Zhou!" Yugi/Yami shouted. "That's Bakura!" Balura fell…and landed in the midst of the undead samurai who were hacking away at each other. Bakura looked up, and a rusted samurai sword came down in his shoulder. He screamed in anguish .
"Ayumi!" Yugi/Yami ordered, "Stop them!"
"I'm trying!" she cried, flustered and panicked, "I'm not sure how!"
Yugi/Yami leaped off of his horse, and ran for the fray. "Bakura! Bakura!"
Bakura did not heed his friend's cry. Instead, he stared at the blade that now sped towards his neck. He closed his eyes, and awaited the end.
"Hiraikotsu!" Songo's voice rang amidst the clanging and ringing of metal on metal, and the sounds of flesh being slashed. Her hiraikotsu flew through the zombie samurai, and decapitated the warrior that was attacking Bakura. Songo rode on Kirara to where Bakura stood, gaping at the hideous scene around him.
"Where…" Bakura stammered, "Oh, Songo… where am I?"
"You're with me," she said. She gave him her hand, and pulled up on Kirara's back. When he sat behind her, she tored the Millennium Ring from his neck, and put it in a bag on her belt. "I'll take you to get your soulder looked at," she said. Kirara turned around, and headed for the medicine tents.
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"Hold your ground," Sesshomaru ordered his men. The archers fired, and the spearmen thrust their spears into the on coming undead. As they cut down the last of the undead warriors, Inu-yasha rode up to his brother.
"Any causlties from your wing?" Inu-yasha asked. Sesshomaru drew his sword, the Tenseiga, and swiped at the air. With that, all the wounded and dead soldiers from the right wing stood up, and looked at themselves and each other in disbelief.
"No." He replied.
"Then follow me," Inu-yasha said, "We got plenty opf people who need that sword of yours over here on the center."
As they rode to the epicenter of the battle, the rest of Inu-yasha's captains joined them. From the smithy tent, Totosai came and looked around. He whistled. "My, my. A lot of decent swords here that I could melt down. So, has your brother been using the Tenseiga on the casualties?"
"Why would someone use a sword on people who are already dead?" Joey asked, appalled.
"The Tenseiga is the sword of healing," Miroku said. "It can bring back the dead, if we act quickly enough."
"These people are beyond my help," Sesshomaru said coldly. "There is no help for them now. Too much time has passed since their deaths."
"There's got to be something?" Mai asked.
"Sorry, young lady," Totosai said, walking ast her, "They're goners." Then, the old smith looked at Inu-yasha's belt, and made a ghastly face. "YAHHHHH!!! Where did you get that!?!?!"
"What? This?" Inu-yasha asked. He looked at the dagger that hung on his belt. "Just some old dagger Shippo gave me."
"That is not just some old dagger!!!" Totosai exclaimed, pulling at the dew hairs that gre from his head. "That is the Dagger of the Dead! It brings back the dead from even beyond the spirit world!"
"What?" Inu-yasha, and several others gasped.
"Yes!" Totsai said. "I made it as a compnaion for the Tenseiga, but it was stolen, and thrown into the ocean by a bitter rival! I thought I'd never see it again."
"So this belongs to Sesshomaru?" Inu-yasha sasked.
"NO!" Totosai bellowed. "You foolish boy! The dagger can only be given as a gift. If it is stolen or taken from someone without their consent, then it's worthless. I say that if that fox child gave it to you, then use it now!"
"How?" Inu-yasha asked. "Like this?" He unsheathed the dagger, and swiped at the air. Noting happened though .
"No," Totosai said, takling his hands, "Like this," the old smith crew the blade of the dagger across Inu-yasha's palm, making it bleed.
"OW!!" Inu-yasha whined. "What'd you do that for!?"
"Because it requires a blood sacrifice to work. Now, make to slashes in front of you."
"Fine, whatever," Inu-yash said. He made to slashes at the air in front of him. The blood on the blade splattered on the bodies of their fallen comrades, and the drops glowed as they sank into each person. Then, just as with the Tenseiga, people began to get up, and look around in amazment.
One old soldier got up, looked at the group of leaders, and asked, "What happened? I saw darkness before me, and knew nothing. Now, I am awake."
Kagome bandaged up Inu-yahsa's hand, and said to the soldier, "Inu-yasha used the dagger of the Dead to bring you back."
"Inu-yasha saved our lives," the soldier exclaimed. The men around them cheered.
"Oh, man," Inu-yasha said. "Not more of this. Then, suddenly Seshomaru laid a hand on Inu-yasha's shoulder. Inu-yasha looked at his older brother, confused.
"You must learn to accept praise more graciously, little brother." Sesshomaru said. Then, he walked away back to his own tent.
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Kohaku hid in the trees, watching the people rejoice over their victory in this small battle. He then turned away to the dark shadows of the woods, to find his master, and report.
AN: Uh oh! What will happen next?! Please review if you want to find out!
Chapter Five: Naraku vs. Naraku
Naraku sat in his palace, waiting. "Kohaku," he called, "What have you learned. The enslaved younger brother of the demon slayer, Songo, came in to him, and bowed.
"An army has messed against you, my lord. The call to arms has gone out to every village and presect in the land. Warlords are sending fresh troops to join Inu-yasha. They claim as lord over the lands of Musashi and Edo. Even demons who call Inu-yasha 'enemy' have joined him against you."
"So it has come to this," Naraku said. "All my incarnations have left me. I have only my own strength and the Jewel to protect me."
"Then perhaps I can be of assistance." came a voice. Naraku turned around, and a tall middle aged man stood before him, accompanied by twin boys with white hair.
"Who are," Naraku demanded. "How did you break my barrier? Only I or my servants may pass through it."
"Look closely and you will see that I am you,' the older man said.
"Impossible," Naraku said.
" Oh, I beg to differ," the older creature said. "I came here through the Bone Eater's Well. From the distant future; a time when sorcery is a dead art, and science abounds. The age that the miko Kagome comes from."
"I see," Naraku said. "Then why you come here? Do you seek the Jewel of Four Souls while it is still in pieces?"
"I come," the older Naraku said, "To seek you." Suddenly, his two minions vanished, and reappeared grabbing hold of the young Naraku's arms. Then, the older Naraku said, "Together you and I will lay waste to the land. This country shall be ours. I will have all my youth and vitality restored to me; you will have my wisdom and knowledge. All we need do is absorb one another." Tenticles sprang from the older Naraku's back, and shot forward to seize the younger version of himself. But the young Naraku feared this being as he had feared nothing and no one else. He did not want to be absorbed, for he knew it meant his certain death! He evaporated from his own clothes, and reappeared outside of the castle. As he began to fly away, he looked to his right, and there was his older self, following closely in pursuit.
"Such foolishness and arrogance. I am ashamed to have once been you. Do you not see that this is the only way to defeat Inu-yasha and his army. Without each other we will die."
"You may die," the young Naraku countered, "But I am young and strong , whereas you are old and feeble."
"Wake up, you young fool," the older said, "Inu-yasha comes with enough troops to decimate your strong holds. He has the power of the Millennium Items on his side. Surely you have not forgotten them?"
"I care not about these Items," the younger lied, "I have most of the Jewel completed, and that is enough to give me strength."
"You are blind," the older shouted. "Even if you had the Jewel completed, it is nothing compared to the power of the Millennium Items. If you should face them alone, and even kill Inu-yasha in battle, you will lose the Jewel, and slowly lose your life. I know. I lived it. I know the pains of age and slow decay. Before I came here, I was o more powerful than I was as Onigumo. Do you want that fate?"
"No," the younger said. That is why I will not join you. Even if it means I live, I do not wish for the knowledge of growing old. I do not wish to now what powerlessness feels like. If I join you, I will surely die!" He stretched forth his hands, and called up his miasma around them. Nothing could survive the poisonous gasses for long.
"Fool!" the older shouted, "Do you know nothing?! I am you. I know your tricks and your weaknesses!" the older Naraku flew out of the miasma, and grabbed his younger self by the throat, and began to strangle him. "I will absorb you…one way or another." he said as his tentacles and roots wrapped around his younger self. The young one screamed and thrashed about, trying to get away. Then, a Kama flew through the air, and struck the older Naraku in the shoulder, making him release the younger.
Kohaku stood below on a ledge, and pulled back is weapon. The mindless boy stared up at the two you-kai, and prepared to attack again, but his arms were bound by lightening ropes. The twin boys had bound him.
"Aren't they splendid?" the older Naraku asked his young counterpart. "My loyal servants, Li Zhous and Ryou."
"What are they?" the younger Naraku asked, for now both boys tared at him with malicious smiles on their young faces.
"One is my incarnation," the older said, "Made to take the Millennium Items from the Pharaoh's tomb in this time. The other is his prisoner, a boy from the future who housed Li Zhou's spirit until he was strong enough to escape his prison. Now both are my minions, and they will help me take you and destroy Inu-yasha."
The young Naraku didn't wait. He threw another gust of his miasma, and used the cover to make his escape. He knew of refuge. One place where he could hide from this living nightmare… Mount Fuji.
-------------------------------------------
The older Naraku watched hios younger self flee. He would let him think he had escaped, for now. But he knew exactly where he would be. And he knew that Inu-yasha was on his way to that spot as well. He remembered everything. In the meantime, he flew down to where the mindless, memory deprived Kohaku stood, wrapped in the lightening ropes.
"Your master has abandoned you, my boy. But I will take you as my servant again." He put his hand on Kohaku's head, and transferred a piece of his dark energy to the boy's mind. Kohaku screamed in pain and grief at the images he saw. After some time of this, he quieted down, and stood there with a deeper darkness within him.
"Most excellent," the older Naraku said. He turned to Bakura and Li Zhou. "Bakura, I bid you to summon all who gather to my aide, and seek out the army of Inu-yasha and King Yami."
"It shall be done," Bakura said cheerfully.
"Take young Kohakub with you," the old Naraku added. "Li Zhou, I have another task for you."
"Whatever you bid, I shall do," Li Zhou replied.
"I ask you to perform the task you were created to do. Go to Egypt and retrieve for me the Millennium Items."
Li Zhou shook with old fear rising within him. "I… Y-yes, master." Li Zhou said as he rose to the air, and traveled east. When Li Zhou was out of his sight, he bid Bakura and Kohaku to go and seek their prey.
-------------------------------------------
Elsewhere, Inu-yasha led the still growing army on South East towards Mount Fuji. The men were weary from the long, hard days or marching, and they were half way to their destination. Two days… two days seemed a short time to find their prey but they had time. Serenity and Mai assured them that both Narakus were on their way to the valley just beyond the hills. It would take them two days at least to cut a way through the dense foliage and make their final camp on the ridge. For now though, they would make camp in flat lands and rest their mounts. Food was plentiful, appetites were strong, and spirits were high. They now numbered nearly 6,000 strong, a large enough force to take on any great foe.
"I don't get it." Kaiba said to Sheshomaru as his wing of the army made camp that evening. "If you hate your brother so much then why ride with us?" The situation didn't make any sense to him. Neither did the strained relationship between the two brothers.
"I have my reasons. Inu-yasha is still my enemy but Naraku is a threat to us both. He's used me in the past, hoping to kill my brother, and I have been a willing participant only to be double-crossed. I don't take treachery lightly and I don't like being asked a lot of questions." Sheshomaru said.
----------------------------------------
Inu-yasha came riding into the camp after having scouted the area. No sign of any danger. That was good. His army was far from ready to encounter any of Naraku's forces. As he rode by a group of the men, his sensitive ears heard their hushed whispers.
"It's lord Inu-yasha," one of them said, "I've heard that his mother was a quite prominent princess and a great beauty."
"His father was a demon anong demons, and very powerful," remarked a second man.
"You can defiantly tell where he gets his strong presence from." said a third.
"He is over 60 years old," said forth, "But he looks so young. I would not have believed it if my grandfather had not told me stories of Inu-yasha." Men bowed before him and women rushed to attend him as he climbed down off of his horse. To Inu-yasha, this was a strange feeling. He'd never had someone make so much of a fuss over him before.
"Isn't this wonderful, Inu-yasha?" Kagome asked him later when they sat together in his tent. "You're finally getting the respect you deserve."
"Only because Songo gave me this armor and they Yugi's a king," Inu-yasha grumbled. "Take all this fancy stuff away and they'd all still be calling me half-breed, retch, and dog-boy."
"That's not true," Kagome said. "Anyone with eyes can see how much they really respect you."
"Feh," Inu-yaha huffed.
"Well then" Kagome said, "I guess it's not a matter of their respect for you, but your own respect for yourself." She stood up and went to the door of the tent.
"Hey Kagome," Inu-yasha said, getting up.
"What?" she demanded, turning to him impatiently.
"Come here," he said. He got hold of her arm, and pulled her close. Before she had time to react, he was holding her in his arms, her head against his chest. He'd held her like this a few times in the past, but now it was different. He wasn't injured, or on the brink of sorrow. He was just hugging her. She blushed as she listened to his heart beat in his chest.
"Uh… Inu-yasha?" she asked.
"Hey, just," he said, "Just let me hold you like this for a while…"
"Oh…okay," she said. As they stood there together, she slipped her own arms up around him. She knew that the fighting was a long time off…so why did this still feel like a goodbye?
--------------------------------------------
The wolves sensed it first. Scattered around the perimeter of the camp, the wolves and wolf demons sniffed the air. Something was wrong. Something was coming. The wolves lifted their heads and began to howl, while the wolf demons ran to Kouga.
"Kouga!" one of them said, "There something's come-!" he was stopped dead by a kama in the back. As their comrade fell, the others ran to the tents, giving out the warning.
"Inu-yasha!" Kouga cried. He ran on his Jewel powered legs to Inu-yasha's tent. He barged in, to see Kagome looking down, her face red. Inu-yasha stood and looked at him coldly. "What?" Inu-yasha demanded.
"Ambush!" Kouga said, letting the matter of what he did and didn't see drop. Inu-yasha unsheathed his sword, anmd ran out with him, to see the boy, Kohaku, leading a charge of undead warriors towards the camp.
"Any who can fight, get up!" Inu-yasha ordered. He hurtled forward, and cut down five zombies. Men around him looked up, and cried, "Someone comes on the clouds!" Inu-yasha looked up, and -what he thought was- Li Zhou, the Millennium Ring around his neck, flew down at them, shooting lightening bolt daggers.
"Don't run!" Inu-yasha rallied his men. "We can beat them!"
"We are with, lord Inu-yash!" they said, lifting their swords and bows. They fired, but the undead warriors kept coming. And Li Zhou was above them.
"You are no match for me, half breed!" Li Zhou said.
"But we are," Yugi/Yami cried. "Forward!" the left wing of the army came in on the undead warriors, and brought them down. Ayumi, who rode with Yugi/Yami gave a twist of her fan, and ordered, "Dance of the Dead! Turn and fight your own!" Many zombie creatures stopped, turned, and began to cut and slice up other corpses. As this happened, the right wing charged in. Kaiba lifted his rd, and hurled Black Lightening at Li Zhou. As the bolts made contact, Li Zhou screamed, and suddenly mist raised up out of him. His eyes went from red to brown. It was then that Kaiba, and Yugi/Yami realized their horrible mistake.
"That's not Li Zhou!" Yugi/Yami shouted. "That's Bakura!" Balura fell…and landed in the midst of the undead samurai who were hacking away at each other. Bakura looked up, and a rusted samurai sword came down in his shoulder. He screamed in anguish .
"Ayumi!" Yugi/Yami ordered, "Stop them!"
"I'm trying!" she cried, flustered and panicked, "I'm not sure how!"
Yugi/Yami leaped off of his horse, and ran for the fray. "Bakura! Bakura!"
Bakura did not heed his friend's cry. Instead, he stared at the blade that now sped towards his neck. He closed his eyes, and awaited the end.
"Hiraikotsu!" Songo's voice rang amidst the clanging and ringing of metal on metal, and the sounds of flesh being slashed. Her hiraikotsu flew through the zombie samurai, and decapitated the warrior that was attacking Bakura. Songo rode on Kirara to where Bakura stood, gaping at the hideous scene around him.
"Where…" Bakura stammered, "Oh, Songo… where am I?"
"You're with me," she said. She gave him her hand, and pulled up on Kirara's back. When he sat behind her, she tored the Millennium Ring from his neck, and put it in a bag on her belt. "I'll take you to get your soulder looked at," she said. Kirara turned around, and headed for the medicine tents.
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"Hold your ground," Sesshomaru ordered his men. The archers fired, and the spearmen thrust their spears into the on coming undead. As they cut down the last of the undead warriors, Inu-yasha rode up to his brother.
"Any causlties from your wing?" Inu-yasha asked. Sesshomaru drew his sword, the Tenseiga, and swiped at the air. With that, all the wounded and dead soldiers from the right wing stood up, and looked at themselves and each other in disbelief.
"No." He replied.
"Then follow me," Inu-yasha said, "We got plenty opf people who need that sword of yours over here on the center."
As they rode to the epicenter of the battle, the rest of Inu-yasha's captains joined them. From the smithy tent, Totosai came and looked around. He whistled. "My, my. A lot of decent swords here that I could melt down. So, has your brother been using the Tenseiga on the casualties?"
"Why would someone use a sword on people who are already dead?" Joey asked, appalled.
"The Tenseiga is the sword of healing," Miroku said. "It can bring back the dead, if we act quickly enough."
"These people are beyond my help," Sesshomaru said coldly. "There is no help for them now. Too much time has passed since their deaths."
"There's got to be something?" Mai asked.
"Sorry, young lady," Totosai said, walking ast her, "They're goners." Then, the old smith looked at Inu-yasha's belt, and made a ghastly face. "YAHHHHH!!! Where did you get that!?!?!"
"What? This?" Inu-yasha asked. He looked at the dagger that hung on his belt. "Just some old dagger Shippo gave me."
"That is not just some old dagger!!!" Totosai exclaimed, pulling at the dew hairs that gre from his head. "That is the Dagger of the Dead! It brings back the dead from even beyond the spirit world!"
"What?" Inu-yasha, and several others gasped.
"Yes!" Totsai said. "I made it as a compnaion for the Tenseiga, but it was stolen, and thrown into the ocean by a bitter rival! I thought I'd never see it again."
"So this belongs to Sesshomaru?" Inu-yasha sasked.
"NO!" Totosai bellowed. "You foolish boy! The dagger can only be given as a gift. If it is stolen or taken from someone without their consent, then it's worthless. I say that if that fox child gave it to you, then use it now!"
"How?" Inu-yasha asked. "Like this?" He unsheathed the dagger, and swiped at the air. Noting happened though .
"No," Totosai said, takling his hands, "Like this," the old smith crew the blade of the dagger across Inu-yasha's palm, making it bleed.
"OW!!" Inu-yasha whined. "What'd you do that for!?"
"Because it requires a blood sacrifice to work. Now, make to slashes in front of you."
"Fine, whatever," Inu-yash said. He made to slashes at the air in front of him. The blood on the blade splattered on the bodies of their fallen comrades, and the drops glowed as they sank into each person. Then, just as with the Tenseiga, people began to get up, and look around in amazment.
One old soldier got up, looked at the group of leaders, and asked, "What happened? I saw darkness before me, and knew nothing. Now, I am awake."
Kagome bandaged up Inu-yahsa's hand, and said to the soldier, "Inu-yasha used the dagger of the Dead to bring you back."
"Inu-yasha saved our lives," the soldier exclaimed. The men around them cheered.
"Oh, man," Inu-yasha said. "Not more of this. Then, suddenly Seshomaru laid a hand on Inu-yasha's shoulder. Inu-yasha looked at his older brother, confused.
"You must learn to accept praise more graciously, little brother." Sesshomaru said. Then, he walked away back to his own tent.
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Kohaku hid in the trees, watching the people rejoice over their victory in this small battle. He then turned away to the dark shadows of the woods, to find his master, and report.
AN: Uh oh! What will happen next?! Please review if you want to find out!