Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Holidays, friends over, my sister's birthday, these things tend to add up.
To Jou-chan: Sorry, I don't give out personal information on the Internet. It seems trivial, but if I say anything, they will find me. And...you know what they do.
(Note to conspiracy theorists and overly sensitive people: This is a joke. But I still refuse to tell anyone my personal info.)
To the story!
Chapter 19: A Whole Lotta Things Happen In This Here Chapter...Again!
Naraku and the General walked through the forest. Naraku led, while the General maintained a subservient stride a few steps behind.
"May I ask where we are going, my liege?" the General said.
Naraku came to a dead stop and slowly turned to face him. "Are you deaf?" he hissed. "Did I not explain to you about how we must find the shards of the Shikon no Tama?"
"Yes, indeed you did, my liege. I was simply not aware that this excursion was for that purpose." (A/N: This guy is so calm, cool, and collected; he makes Sesshomaru look like a screaming lunatic.)
Naraku looked sideways at him. "So calm," he muttered. "How can you be so calm at all times? I have tried all manner of things. I have threatened you with death, with torture, with being cast out. I have offered you power, money, women. And yet you always remain very calm. Why? More importantly, how?"
The General took his time to answer. "I have learned control over my emotions. Emotions are useless, my liege. They only lead to one's downfall. I prefer to let my words and actions speak for who I am, rather than some ill-recognized outburst of anger or fear. Perhaps some time, I may show you how to attune yourself to have the same level of control that I have." Under his breath, he whispered, "Although I doubt it."
Naraku stiffened. "What did you just say?"
"I was merely taking a breath, my liege." Naraku gave him the evil eye.
"It had better have been that." They resumed walking.
"How do you presume to find these elusive shards, my liege? Surely with the amount that you and the miko have, there can be no more left in the wild."
"There may not be...at random," said Naraku. "But I have information of a certain wolf demon who has three shards in his body. We shall find him and take these shards. Then Inuyasha and the others will be forced to come to me to complete the jewel."
"And we shall be there waiting for them. An excellent plan, my liege." The General was silent for a few minutes. "But the same question presents itself. How will we find this wolf demon? It seems unlikely that we shall simply run across him in this vast forest."
"I know where his den is," snarled Naraku. "And I shall find him there."
"Indeed, my liege. But what if he is not? How would you locate him if he, say, is out hunting at the moment?" Naraku did not answer. The General lapsed into silence once more.
They had been walking for about half an hour when an earthshaking roar came from in front of them. Naraku flinched, but the General was as impassive as ever.
"Ignore it, my liege," he intoned. "It is merely one of our golems on the hunt." He was soon proven wrong on at least one count. The golem crashed in front of them, fists shaking with rage. Naraku stopped dead at the sight of it. Its beady black eyes were glittering with fury.
"What is wrong with this one?" he hissed. Before the General could respond, the beast spoke.
"thy control over me has lapsed. thou no longer hast dominion over mine will. i shall pay thee in spades for what thou hast done to mine kin."
"What is going ON?" growled Naraku. "I thought these things were totally under control!"
The General did not seem to be perturbed. "Unfortunately, my liege, it seems this one has been given a little too much free will. It broke our control over it and seems to be going for us." He had barely finished his sentence when the golem smashed a fist down where Naraku had been standing. Naraku leaped clear and hung from a tree branch.
"Would you like me to destroy it, or shall you?" called the General. Naraku gave him the blackest of black looks.
"You do it!" he roared. "This is your monster, you get rid of it!" The General gave a slight nod, then drew his sword. He leaped up high in the air, level with the golem's face. The golem seemed about to swat him like an insect, when the General buried his sword deep into its head. It howled with rage and pain, but did not get much of a chance to do anything.
A tendril of ice crept outward from the point where the General's sword was embedded in the golem's flesh. It soon developed into a spiderweb of ice crystals, spreading and freezing everything, until the golem was like a statue of ice. The General hung in the air, grasping his sword, apparently using it for support. Quite expressionless, he yanked his sword from the ice. It shattered into thousands of pieces.
The General landed lightly. The pieces of the titan swirled, raged, like a mighty blizzard. They coalesced into a semisolid beam and flowed into the General's sword. There, they were absorbed and vanished. The beast was no more. The General sheathed his sword.
Naraku dropped to the ground in utter incredulity. "I thought...I thought these things could regenerate from everything!"
"Nearly everything, my liege." The General showed no outward sign of the feat he had just performed. "But being shattered into a thousand pieces and absorbed into my sword would tend to negate most regenerative abilities." He beckoned slightly. "Do you wish to continue?"
Naraku hurriedly collected his composure. "Yes...let us go." They walked away.
At the camp, Kagome was setting up dinner while Inuyasha gathered firewood. Tobias stumbled into camp, bleeding profusely. He gazed blearily at his two companions.
"Why do I hang around you two again?" he groused. He took a seat next to Kagome. He did not notice, however, the iron pot concealed behind her back.
*WHANG!*
"What was that for?" Tobias groaned from on his back.
"That was for peeking on me when I wasn't wearing anything!" snapped Kagome. Inuyasha dropped his load of firewood.
"You. Did. WHAT?!" Tobias took one look at Inuyasha and scampered away into the woods, Inuyasha yelling and shouting curses as he chased him.
A minute or so later, a large *BONK* was heard to echo through the woods. In a little bit, Inuyasha came striding back to the camp with a confident grin. Tobias came tottering back to the camp with a busted lip.
Tobias sat down heavily. He reached one hand slowly inside one of his pockets; and after checking to see that Kagome wasn't watching, he pulled out a flask. He uncorked it, took a sip, coughed and spluttered, replaced the cork, and pocketed it just as Kagome turned around.
"Tobias? Are you okay? He didn't hurt you that badly, did he?" Tobias looked a bit flushed.
"It's all right, Kagome," he said. "I must have gotten a bug in my throat or something." Inuyasha glanced at Kagome and walked over, sitting next to Tobias.
"I saw you drink that. What is that stuff?" Inuyasha asked. Tobias grinned.
"And after you and her pummeled me, I should share this with you?" Inuyasha looked at him piteously. "Oh, all right. Don't give me that puppy dog face."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, when you look all pitiful like a dog that just lost its bone. We're still friends. I wouldn't let something like that get between us." Inuyasha nodded. "Oh, and Inuyasha?"
*POW!*
"I feel much better now," remarked Tobias as Inuyasha got up off the floor, holding his hand over his eye. "But now I can show you this." He made a quick check and saw Kagome was busy setting up camp. Tobias pulled out his flask.
"It's almost pure alcohol. One sip will put the color back into your cheeks. It sure revitalized me, just now. Wanna try some?" Inuyasha shrugged and took the bottle. He was about to drink it when Tobias grabbed his arm.
"I'm not kidding. Just take a sip. This stuff is powerful." Inuyasha brushed him off. He took a draft.
A powerful burning sensation filled his mouth and nose as he swallowed. Inuyasha dropped the flask (which Tobias just barely caught) and coughed up a storm. Kagome looked up from the fire she was attempting to start, worried.
"Inuyasha! Are you okay? What happened?" she said anxiously.
"Nothing..." he choked. "I'm okay." Inuyasha took some deep breaths and recovered. Tobias was looking at him with an expression that clearly said I told you so.
"I told you to take only a sip. But did you listen?" He corked the flask and stowed it in his pocket. "So, now that we're all feeling better, how about some training?" Inuyasha nodded. He had to admit, that stuff did make him feel better.
"Hey, Kagome," called Tobias. "We're going to go spar in the clearing. We'll be back in a few."
"Okay," Kagome responded. "But could you help me light this stupid fire first?"
(A/N: In case you're wondering how Tobias is now fine after that ferocious beating, A: that drink revived him, and B: it's just cartoon violence! It goes away in the next scene. Does Miroku ever keep any of his Sango-inflicted injuries for more than a few seconds?)
Kagome had left the now slightly dented pot over the fire to boil. While it heats up, I'll go see how the two guys are doing. She walked over to the clearing, where she saw the two of them battling.
Inuyasha was using his traditional approach, kill everything that moves; but Tobias clearly had some ancient fighting style memorized. He seemed to be focusing more on evasion than attack. Inuyasha swiped at him, Tobias performed a backflip and passed right over Tetsusaiga. He landed on his hands and did a handspring, sailing over Inuyasha's head and landing behind him. Inuyasha whirled to face him just in time to cancel a ferocious thrust from Tobias's sword.
Inuyasha attacked with all his might. Tobias leaped away and landed on a high tree branch. He jumped off the branch, sword extended and spinning through the air as he fell. The two of them locked swords and struggled for an advantage.
"Inuyasha, you need style," hissed Tobias, trying to overcome Inuyasha's strength. "Just waltzing in and breaking heads isn't enough."
*SCHINGG!*
*WHAM!*
Tobias lay flat on his back, with Tetsusaiga pressed against his throat.
"Of course," he croaked, "there are advantages to the head-breaking style." Inuyasha released him, and both of them got to their feet. They both seemed to notice Kagome at the same time.
"Hi."
"Hey, Kagome."
"Hi, guys. The water's boiling now, and the ramen will be ready anytime now." Tobias grimaced.
"Ramen AGAIN?! Are you sure you don't have anything else with you?" Kagome shook her head. "Shoot. Well, I have some freeze-dried stuff I was saving...but..." Tobias put away his sword. Inuyasha did the same.
"By the way," Kagome continued, "you two were really good." She blushed a little.
"Thanks." Tobias strode past her to the camp. Inuyasha followed him, but stopped by Kagome.
"Thanks...love." He gave her a quick kiss, then they headed back to camp.
But there was no dinner when they got back to camp. There was instead, a very angry wolf demon, who was apparently searching for them.
"Koga!" shouted Inuyasha. He drew Tetsusaiga. Koga struck a fighting pose.
"So..." he hissed. "The dog-boy is back. I was wondering where you were..." His eyes flicked to Tobias, who was surprised at this new arrival. "Who's that?"
"I'm Tobias, and I'm traveling with them. What's it to you?" Tobias's tone was calm, but he put his hand on his sword hilt. But Koga had already lost interest in him.
"She's MY woman! She's coming with me!"
"Shut up! She is not your woman!"
"Get out of the way, dog-face!" Koga punched Inuyasha and rushed to Kagome. He never got there. Inuyasha caught him in a flying tackle.
"You bastard, you're dead meat!" Inuyasha bellowed. The two of them began fighting viciously. Koga was evading Inuyasha's attacks and sending a few retaliatory swipes Inuyasha's way. Inuyasha smirked and raised Tetsusaiga high.
"Kaze no-" He was abruptly cut off by Koga, who slammed into him with a flying kick and knocked Tetsusaiga away. Inuyasha roared into battle, sending attacks with his claws and fangs with a primal ferocity to match Koga's.
Through all this, Tobias and Kagome were severely sweatdropping as they watched.
"Why are they..." Tobias gestured towards the two fighting demons.
"They do that every time they meet. Like I said before, Koga thinks I'm his woman and keeps trying to kidnap me and take me to his den." Kagome was glaring daggers at both of the demons. Neither noticed. "You want to stop this?"
"How?"
"Well, I can subdue Inuyasha with my –it spell." Tobias smiled. "But you'll have to take care of Koga. Just hold him or something so he stops fighting."
"All right. On three, then. One...two..." Tobias tensed up.
"THREE!"
"SIT!"
Thud.
"BITCH!"
"GET OFF ME!"
The end result of all this was that Inuyasha was magically pinned to the ground and Tobias had Koga pinioned. Koga raged and struggled against Tobias's grip, but Tobias strained a little and grinned.
"Would you two cut it out for once?" Kagome demanded as she walked between them. "I mean, all you ever do is fight!"
"Yeah..." Koga strained against Tobias's hold. "That's because he's too stupid to admit that you're my woman."
"I am NOT your woman! What makes you keep saying that?"
"Shut up already!" shouted Tobias. He used one hand to punch Koga. Koga, taking advantage of the momentary loosening of his captor's hold, broke free. He slashed Tobias's face and arms several times before whirling to face Inuyasha. Inuyasha, coincidentally, had just been freed of the spell and leaped up to fight Koga again.
Tobias was bleeding from his claw marks; but he was recovering, and fast. "So that's the way it's gonna be, is it?" he shouted. "I'll show you!" He leaped into the fray, lashing out at all sides.
What followed next was not a simple fight. There was too little organization to allow for such things as claws or fangs or swords. It was simply a brawl. Fists and feet flew everywhere. Tobias, having armor, had a bit of an advantage; but Koga had speed, and Inuyasha had power, and they were all viciously attacking one another.
Kagome was most put out. "Stop it!" she yelled. "Cut it out! Stop fighting!" In frustration, she flung her arms out in front of her.
"STOP!!"
And they did. Tobias, Inuyasha, and Koga were all unmoving, apparently frozen where they stood. They all had a faint white aura which was streaming from a glowing ball of energy in Kagome's hands.
"What the hell happened?" demanded Koga, frozen in mid-punch. None of them could move a muscle.
"I can't move," growled Tobias. "Can anyone else?"
"If-I-could-I-would-be-doing-it-right-now-don't-you-think???" said Inuyasha in a voice strangled with rage.
Kagome was shocked. Am...am I doing this?
"Well, Kagome, I guess your miko powers are finally blooming..." Tobias halfheartedly tried to break the grip Kagome had on him. He failed. "So now that we know that...how's about letting go of us?" Kagome blinked, then withdrew her hands. All three of them collapsed to the floor.
Koga was the first to rise, but Tobias and Inuyasha were not far behind. They both leaped in front of Koga, blocking his path to Kagome.
"I won't forget what you've done," said Tobias quietly. He was still bleeding.
"Get out," snarled Inuyasha. Koga took one faltering step forward, then broke and ran, shouting curses and insults as he went. Inuyasha retrieved Tetsusaiga.
"Well, there goes another enemy," remarked Tobias. He sat down. "I certainly seem to be making a lot of them around here. But, I've always had a lot of enemies, so I'm not surprised. Is dinner ready yet?"
Rather long chapter. I don't have much left to say here...except...what do you think will happen when the General and Tobias finally meet? Dun dun dun!!
Inuyasha: You don't have to say 'Dun dun dun', it's implied.
I know, but it sounds so right somehow. REVIEW!