"So, what's our plan?" Yusuke asked Kigeko as he threw himself into a rickety, wooden chair.
"Well, that's really up to you, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
Kigeko sighed. This boy was pretty dumb when it came to...most things.
"Well, it's your party, right?" she went on.
"I guess." Yusuke nodded.
"So, it's your choice on how you want to crash it."
"Why are we even worried about it now?" The spirit detective blinked, as though he had just now taken the full leap into reality. "We've gotten what we came for. Why interfere with anything else?"
"Because, Kagome is in there!" growled a very angry Inuyasha from the furthermost corner of the room.
"And that's our problem how, exactly?" muttered Yusuke under his breath, with an expression pasted across his face that clearly showed how little he cared. The hanyou on the other hand, heard it vividly enough, and did not hesitate to harass Yusuke. Again.
"Listen, punk!" he warned, pressing his face very closely to Yusuke's own. "I don't know who you think you are, but we're not leaving my friends back there in the hands of that maniac!"
"This Kagome of yours," entered Kigeko with a questioning gaze. "is she a demon?"
"What does that have to do with it?" the half dog demon snapped.
Kigeko narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"It may have everything to do with it!" she snarled. Her teeth began to bare themselves as the canines lengthened. Inuyasha blinked to make sure this was not an illusion cast over his mind. An uncanny scent erupted from her that mingled and crossed between animal and element, for she was both and yet seemingly neither. For a fleeting moment, Inuyasha was afraid because he could not detect exactly what she was, or what thread she might pose for him. But the feeling soon passed, dying with her demonic appearance as the rage of her being questioned waned. "Is she human?" the girl repeated. "Because Imashirou enjoys playing with human women."
"What do you mean, play?" this time it was Inuyasha's turn to snarl.
"I mean just what I said, simpleton." Kigeko stated very matter-of-factly. "He'll take her and all that he wants from her. He's love hungry and ruthless to boot. Imashirou will show no mercy to your woman as he tries to seduce her into being his own. Not a play toy, Inuyasha. A love toy."
The golden eyes flickered with something between malice and fear. This man would do things to Kagome that Inuyasha could not fathom. How could he live with himself knowing that he had ever allowed this to happen to her? How stupid of him to leave her while he escaped. Sitting here now in safe company while she was at the mercy of that...that monster!
"When do we get started?" he asked, slightly numb as this realization engulfed him.
"As soon as we have a game plan." replied Kigeko. Her gaze then turned to the others. "Anyone got any ideas?"
There were a few questioning glances from the humans to the rest of the party. No one spoke a word, and that seemed to settle the fact that there were no immediate plans to rescue those who were still at the mercy of the demon overlord. Kigeko let out a long sigh and took rest in another chair nearby.
"Do we have a map of the castle in which Imashirou dwells?" asked the calm voice of Kurama, cracking the silence sharply.
"No, we do not." replied Kigeko, rubbing her fingers over her eyes. "No one who has gotten close enough to get any sort of details has ever come back."
"Well, that sucks." Yusuke retorted. It was all Inuyasha could do to keep himself from slashing through the arrogant bastard's throat.
"You could say that," Kigeko added. She got up and disappeared into a corridor that had been concealed behind her whilst she stood before the group.
The entrance room, where they now waited, was nothing more then a single, dimly lit, earth-made chamber. Tree roots lined the walls with thin bits of moss hanging from the ceiling. Hard padded dirt was their floor and walls, and the only thing that cast light here was the innumerable electric torches that were strategically positioned throughout the room.
"Why not candles?" asked Kuwabara as they each sat rotting in their own awkward silence.
"Yes, that's a brilliant idea," commented Hiei sarcastically. "And in the process burn up all of their breathable oxygen."
"Stupid little runt." grumbled Kuwabara as he crossed his arms and leaned against a large root embedded in the wall behind him.
Kigeko entered a few minutes later bearing small rations of food. Taking some for herself, she sat down and began eating.
"Some host," commented Yusuke playfully as he went to reach for some crackers and dry meat that was lying open on the tray. "Eating before your guests?"
"Just in case you guys thought I was trying to poison you." she shot back sarcastically. "I'm afraid we never kept much food here as this is more of a meeting hall for us then a set of living quarters."
"It's fine, I'm sure." stated Kurama gently, and taking a piece he too began to eat from the small portions given to them. Kuwabara, after suspiciously inspecting his own scraps, devoured his in one swallow, then began poking around for another.
"Hey Hiei, you going to eat that?" he asked, hovering over the fire demon's shoulder. Hiei, glaring, swallowed his portions at once, then grinned evilly at Kuwabara. The young man frowned, and with slumped shoulders drifted back to his corner where he once again grumbled about the cruelty of his teammate.
"Well, now that we've got something in us, have we any ideas in our slow little heads?" Kigeko stood before them again, using the table she had placed their food on as a sort of podium.
"We will have to better know the grounds on which we will be fighting on." stated Kurama with a regretful sigh. "I can search out the castlequickly and accurately."
"Yes, but coming back is the hard part." stated the young girl. "I already told you, everyone who-"
Kurama raised a hand to silence her.
"Yes, I have taken into consideration your warnings, but when I was a full demon I stole from castles much larger and surely with greater systems of security. I can find the basics of what we will need and make it back here unscathed."
Kigeko sighed, then turned her gaze to the others.
"Anyone have any better ideas?"
"Someone go with him." stated Inuyasha with a cold glare.
"That will not be necessary." Kurama assured the half demon.
"The hell it won't be," he growled. "My friends are out there!"
"We're not executing the rescue plan yet you fool!" Hiei snarled. "Kurama is merely staking out where we will most likely be able to attack."
"And I'm going with him!" demanded Inuyasha.
Kurama shook his head. "I will make much more progress on my own."
"Then what the hell are the rest of us supposed to do? Just sit here and wait?"
"That seems to be our only option." Kigeko sighed. Inuyasha did as well, then crossing his arms and leaning against the wall behind him, decided that he should best ignore the rest of their planning tactics as they would most likely not suit him any better.
They're MY friends. The hanyou thought bitterly. I don't see why I can't go with. They don't even know who or what to look for! Idiots. They'll all end up getting themselves captured, and I'll have to be the one rescuing all of their sorry asses.
"Then it's agreed." Kigeko stated when Inuyasha had come back to the conversation. "Tomorrow, then, we begin our first phase of the plan. I suggest we all sleep here tonight."
There were a few nods, and one involuntary sigh. Within minutes, the lights had gone out, and all were asleep with hopes for tomorrow.
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Kouga kept his arms wrapped protectively around Kagome. Though he sat still enough so that she may rest easily, within his heart shook with rage. This man, this demon catcher, had taken Kagome and beaten her. A smart bruise was forming across her cheek, as well as around her wrists where the chains were still attached. Many times Kouga had debated an attempt at picking the locks so that she may be free of their terrible metal chill, but the wolf demon feared waking her more. She needed rest. Her body was weak from trembling and enduring abuse at this man's hand.
But no matter what, Kouga would not let it happen again. He would protect her from the harmful hand of this man. Sighing inwardly, Kouga wrapped his arms just a little tighter about Kagome's thin form, and resting his cheek upon her hair, closed his eyes. Night had just recently fallen. It was time to sleep. The wolf protected it's mate as shadows made their return to the world.
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Sango awoke to find herself in a very cold room. Her body had been shivering long before she was conscious, and upon waking she was only made more aware of the seemingly unearthly chill that seeped into her bones.
"Miroku?" she called into the surrounding shadows. "Kagome? Shippou? Inuyasha?" For all her yelling and hoping, there were no answers. "Am I...dead?"
"No my dear, not at all." came a sleek voice form the shadows. Sango jumped from her position to her feet and readied her weapon, only to be mortified by the realization that it wasn't there! Also, she found that there were chains around her arms and ankles that held her fast.
"Who are you?" she demanded angrily. "What have you done with my friends?"
"They're safe." came the answer.
"I don't believe you!"
"Well," the man seemed disappointed. "There's not much more proof I can give you."
A hand reached out and caressed her skin. In shock, the young woman pulled back.
"Don't touch me you filth!" she warned. "I have no desire to kill you, but you aren't giving me a good reason to leave you alive!"
"My, my, my," commented the man. "Such a fiery temper. Not at all like your young friend Kagome."
"Where is she!?" Sango demanded. "What have you done with her? If you've hurt her I will-"
"She's not hurt, I assure you." Sango could sense this man's eerie smile in the darkness, and it made her skin crawl. "Just learning her place." Again the hand reached out. Sango backed up, and hit the wall behind her. There was no running from this man. She was his, no matter what she did or said. The wall kept her from retreating further into her prison, and the chains kept her from fleeing all together.
Silently, he moved closer. Sango could not begin to prepare herself for what would happen.
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When Shippou opened his eyes, he found himself in a very small and uncomfortable cage. The room was terribly cold, and Kagome was nowhere nearby. Biting his lip, the fox child curled up as tightly as he could and tried to fend off the chill, but it didn't work.
Now feeling helpless, and knowing quite well that he was alone, Shippou began to whimper. Hungry, cold, and abandoned was not the way he liked to find himself upon waking, yet he was right now all three and feeling it terribly.
"Kagome?" he called out into the darkness beyond his prison. "Kagome, where are you?"
"QUIET!" Something yelled from outside, and began to shake his cage. Shippou scampered away from the opening that exposed him to the outside and retreated to the safest place he could find. Beneath the lining of his small cell.
"Kagome...where are you?" he whimpered tearfully.
Author's Note: It's 1:10am as I write this. My vision is blurred, hands are tired, I'm bleeding from a cut on my head while itching my first sunburn of the summer. Please forgive all spelling and grammar errors, but I'm too tired and too lazy to beta read this and correct anything.
Sorry this took so long Kat, but I didn't know what to do with it. A little filler, sort of speak, for the moment to make up for all the time I've wasted.
Ela