Author's rantings: Ok, finally after like a month or two, I've done the next chapter. This chapter was particularly difficult to write as it parallels the actual anime episodes very closely – hopefully that won't make it boring. Oh yeah, and I think I should tell readers that while I've watched much of the anime of both Ranma and Inuyasha, I have only read the Ranma manga, not the Inuyasha one, therefore, my story on the Inuyasha side will be based more on the anime. I've made the chapters longer, as there have been so many people who wanted that, so I felt guilty about ignoring that comment for a long time, sorry! Lastly, questions – none were asked for the last chapter, but I realized some weren't for chapter 6, so… What happened to Kagome? Well, you're not actually supposed to know :P. Bankotsu needed to kill Ranma to gain power? His blade uses the power of youkai and humans, I'm not sure if it matters what humans, but Ranma was the closest one. Well, anyway, reviews very welcome, and thanks to all who did!
Monk, demon exterminator and martial artist walked warily through the dark, damp cave with little event. Ranma wondered whether the people back on the other side of the well knew what had happened. Perhaps Souta had told them where he went? If so he wondered if they could follow him. Then again, they probably wouldn't even try.
Ranma had been in the Feudal Era for around a week now, firstly in search of Inuyasha, and then Kagome. Consequently, he really had no idea what was happening on the other side of the well.
However he decided that it was more important to find Kagome before returning, both for Souta and Inuyasha. He knew what it was like to have
"Hey, what is that?" Miroku spoke up suddenly. Ranma up looked at where he had indicated, but saw nothing.
"What are you talking about?"
Sango on the other hand, had apparently seen whatever it was, "I think it wants us to follow." she commented.
"Well might as well, go in that direction since we haven't got any other leads." Miroku said as he turned towards what he and Sango had seen.
Shrugging, Ranma decided to follow the others. A few moments later, he too, had a glimpse of the disturbance. It gave off a greenish glow, but was too far away to make out what it actually was.
The party walked for hours, moving in the direction of the glowing object whenever it appeared in its periodic fashion. Finally, after some time of blind following, they arrived at a cave opening.
They came out just in time to view the morning sun as is peeked above the horizon. From the ledge that they had ended up on, it was a breathtaking view.
"Darn it! There's nothing here, just what was that thing that we followed?" despite the scenery however, Ranma was quite annoyed.
"Hey Sango, look at this!" Miroku pointed at something on the floor.
Sango walked over to pick it up. Ranma watched as her face became sad and he wondered what it was that she was thinking.
"There is nothing here." Sango said shortly, "Let's go, I think that we may find something on the summit."
Ranma looked at what Sango was holding, and saw a cloak that seemed to glow in the dark. "So we've been led around by someone wearing that cloak the whole night?" Ranma complained, indicating the morning sunrise that had appeared, "man, I'm going to tear whoever it was to pieces." Turning towards the peak, he missed the way Sango flinched, "oh well, might as well head off then."
It was not until a few hours of walking later that Miroku had quietly walked up next to Ranma to talk to him."
"You know that cloak that Sango was holding?"
"Ummm… yeah?"
"It belonged to her brother."
"So?"
Miroku's eyebrow twitched as he tried to get his point across, "remember what you said earlier?"
"Uh… no?"
"Never mind then." With a sigh, Miroku slowed down to walk next to Sango.
***
By noon, the party had arrived at a wide ledge. On the other side was another cave opening.
"Maybe there'll be something in the cave this time." Ranma said as bounded to the other side and peered in, "Come on, let's go!"
As Ranma walked in, Miroku and Sango looked at each other, having seen Ranma jump a distance they had thought impossible for humans.
"Do you think he's really human? I don't sense any youkai from him." Miroku muttered to Sango.
"I think he is…" Sango trailed off, not really being sure, "anyway, let's go…" again she trailed off, realizing that while Ranma was on the other side, they weren't. Using her grappling hook however, she quickly got herself and Miroku to the other side.
The cave led inwards into the mountain. Ranma felt a prickle run across his skin that gave him the sense that he was about to encounter something evil, no, worse than evil. In fact, it reminded him of Happosai.
"Naraku." Miroku whispered, causing Ranma to turn around. "With jyaki this powerful, it has to be Naraku.
"That's great!" Ranma exclaimed, "So we beat this guy up, rescue Kagome and leave huh?" He noticed the others looking at him strangely, "what?"
"If only it was that easy." Sango sighed.
"The jyaki's getting stronger," Miroku said, "the holy barrier outside must have been hiding the incredibly evil aura in here."
Sango put on what looked like a gas mask to Ranma.
"What's that?"
"It's a mask to shield me from the jyaki around here. Sorry, I've only got one, you should stay here while we go forward."
Ranma snorted, "I'm following you - I don't need some gas mask."
"Look out!" The warning was issued by Miroku, and looking forward, Ranma could see why.
What looked like hundreds of youkai were flying strait at them. Ranma had seen some youkai along his journey though the Feudal era, but rarely had he seen multiple youkai at one time, and certainly not in the scale that he was seeing now.
Next to Ranma, Miroku was about to take off the cloth wrapped around his hand, before narrowing his eyes and pulling his staff and some scrolls out instead. The action puzzled Ranma, was he about to do something?
Sango had taken the massive boomerang from her back and was flinging it at the incoming youkai.
"Hiraikotsu!"
Ranma watched in admiration as the boomerang expertly sliced through multiple youkai before returning to Sango's hand.
"Seiba!"
Miroku had also used his scrolls to disintegrate other youkai. Ranma decided that the two made a very efficient team.
The martial artist was so caught up with watching the others that he nearly missed one of the youkai that had been rushing strait at him. His reflexes once again saved him as a hard punch drove his fist through its snakelike head and killing it instantly. More aware of the battle now, Ranma leapt into the fray.
"I didn't expect you to get so far."
The three humans looked up to see a woman standing on a ledge above them.
"Kagura!" Miroku exclaimed.
"Oh well, it's about time that I get to have some fun." The woman smiled as she snapped open a fan and waved it at them.
Ranma had just destroyed several youkai, finding it reminiscent of his speed training with his father when Genma had thrown bee hives at him. It was another close call as Ranma dodged sideways as the blades of wind that Kagura had created sliced into the ground next to him.
"She's an enemy right?" Ranma called out to the others before getting attacked by another youkai, "Out of my way." He muttered to it before slicing it in half with a roundabout.
"Yes, be careful, she's stronger than the others." Miroku replied, "This way!" Miroku led the others up a flight of stairs. However, more air blades succeeded in destroying the stairs, separating Ranma and Miroku from Sango, who was behind them.
"Hiraikotsu!" Ranma watched as the large boomerang was repelled backwards by more of Kagura's wind before smashing into Sango.
"Kohaku…" Sango murmured before losing consciousness.
"Sango!" Miroku jumped back over and rushed to the demon exterminator's side.
Meanwhile, Ranma looked up at Kagura, "Stop trying to kill people!" he called out to her, "Mouko Takabashi!"
Kagura swept her fan at the ball of energy hurtling towards her to no effect. She managed to jump to the side before it impacted however. "Petty human, I'll kill him, she muttered.
"That's what I just told you not to do." It was all that Kagura heard before she found herself hurtling towards the ceiling, courtesy of a vicious kick from Ranma. Pulling out a feather, Kagura quickly embarked upon her favorite mode of transport before floating away to a safer position.
Having leapt onto the ledge behind his chi blast Ranma looked up to see the woman riding a giant feather and flying away.
Below, Miroku was defending Sango's prone body from the hordes of youkai, staff spinning as he sliced the creatures to pieces. Ranma could see that Miroku was tiring and so leapt downwards to help.
Miroku was getting very tired. "I'll have to use my Kazaana," he thought, "it's the only way. Once again, his hand started to undo his binding cloth. "For Sango." he thought.
"Mouko Takabashi!" The youkai closest to Miroku disintegrated as two balls of chi went through them. Behind him was Ranma, both arms extended.
"Thanks!" Miroku shouted to him before taking out his staff and continuing to hack at the youkai, invigorated from the knowledge that he wasn't fighting by himself.
***
The trio walked towards the bright light at the end of the tunnel. The previous battle had been quite tiring, but with Kagura gone, they had come through in the end - especially after Sango had woken up and helped as well.
Ranma shielded his eyes as he stepped out into the momentarily blinding light. When he recovered, he was greeted by the sight of a temple.
"Why would there be a mountain temple here?" Miroku wondered out loud, "I thought that Naraku would be here instead."
They followed the path to the center of the temple and found themselves at a shrine. On top of it, was what looked like a dried out mummy.
"What's this doing here?" Ranma walked up to the shrine and was about to poke the mummy.
"Don't touch it!" Miroku warned Ranma, who instantly froze. "It must be the living Buddha that the villagers were talking about, touching it might not be safe – I feel a lot of power being generated from it.
The mummy's eyes opened angrily.
"Ahhhh!" Ranma, who had been studying the Buddha's face reflexively jumped away from the Buddha, his body in the traditional Japanese "shocked" position.
"Yes, monk, you are right. I am the living Buddha." The mummy told the startled people.
Miroku took a few seconds to recover before asking the living Buddha, "You were a pious man when you were living weren't you? So why are you helping Naraku? Do you even know that he is a demon?"
"I am aware of what Naraku is." The living Buddha replied, "But now, I am finally doing what I want to be doing."
"What you want to be doing?" Ranma had also gotten over his shock, "hey, you antique, do you know that what you're doing is going to harm some other people?"
The mummy laughed bitterly, "An antique I am, a dead antique. But I was once a priest who would help many people - yet I had nothing in return. Naraku, however, told me the truth. Hate them, he told me, its ok to hate them. I realized the truth of his words in my despair and now I am doing whatever I want."
Miroku looked at the mummy strait in the eyes, "I do not claim to be a saint, and I cannot pass judgment on you."
The living Buddha did not reply.
"However, I cannot let the barrier stay as long as it is protecting Naraku!" With a shout he struck his staff towards the mummy."
"I thought he said not to touch that thing." Ranma muttered, annoyed, but was surprised when a barrier around the mummy formed and repelled Miroku. "Huh?"
"Hiraikotsu!" Ranma kept watching as the large boomerang bounced futilely against the barrier as well.
"Heh," he said confidently, "I can do better than that, Mouko Takabashi!"
The large chi blast struck hurled towards the barrier until it stopped upon contact, energy crackling against energy for a few seconds before finally dissipating.
"Your weak powers are no match against mine." The living Buddha told them.
"Heh, I was going easy on you," Ranma thought as he charged up his next chi blast.
Before Ranma could do anything however, Miroku stepped in front of him, "my apologies, but you'll have to disappear!" Ranma heard Miroku say before sensing a change in air pressure.
"What's happening?" Ranma asked Sango, who had walked up next to him, also behind Miroku.
"This is Miroku's Kazaana, an air void in his hand that can suck anything in."
Ranma watched in awe as the particles in front of Miroku were sucked into his hand. The living Buddha was growling as he tried to resist the air void. Around them, the temple was starting break.
Finally, the barrier failed and the mummy was lifted into the air.
"Yes!" Ranma shouted.
The great priest, however, began to glow and suddenly bees appeared around him.
Ranma was confused when Miroku stopped using his Kazaana, "what's wrong?" he asked.
Sango answered him, "see those bees? They're Naraku's poisonous bees and if Miroku sucks them in, he'll be poisoned."
The party looked up in frustration as the great priest escaped. Around them, the cracks that had already formed in the pillars started to pull apart.
***
The temple was collapsing rapidly, and the ominous shaking quickly convinced the three to continue running through the mountain, dodging the various falling debris that threatened to crush them.
"At least the barrier has completely collapsed." Miroku called over his shoulder to the other two, "the bad news is that I feel Naraku's aura, and its quickly escalating."
They were running through another tunnel before arriving at a cavern - it was the same circular one that they had come from before. Looking down into the hole in the middle, they were greeted with the sight of a man's face that slowly faded into darkness.
"What's with all the creepy stuff around here?" Ranma exclaimed, "and who was that?"
"To answer your first question, we're dealing with youkai." Sango told him, "and the face you just saw belongs to Naraku."
"So that's the creep that kidnapped Kagome?" Ranma asked.
"That is what we suspect." Miroku replied.
"Well, let's follow them!" Ranma decided as he leapt down into the precipice.
The other two stared at the retreating figure, "you don't know how deep that is!" Miroku called after him in worry.
"I thought only Inuyasha was that stupid." Sango muttered.
"How about you follow him?" Monk and demon exterminator looked up to see once again Kagura, this time with Kanna behind her.
"Kagura! Has Naraku finished his body yet?" Miroku asked her.
The youkai woman snorted, "Naraku doesn't trust me, so I don't know anything, why don't you ask him yourself? Here, I'll help you on your journey." She finished her speech with a swipe of her fan. The air blades crashed into the ledge under the two humans, until it broke, causing them to lose their balance and fall into the precipice as well.
Monk, demon exterminator and martial artist walked warily through the dark, damp cave with little event. Ranma wondered whether the people back on the other side of the well knew what had happened. Perhaps Souta had told them where he went? If so he wondered if they could follow him. Then again, they probably wouldn't even try.
Ranma had been in the Feudal Era for around a week now, firstly in search of Inuyasha, and then Kagome. Consequently, he really had no idea what was happening on the other side of the well.
However he decided that it was more important to find Kagome before returning, both for Souta and Inuyasha. He knew what it was like to have
"Hey, what is that?" Miroku spoke up suddenly. Ranma up looked at where he had indicated, but saw nothing.
"What are you talking about?"
Sango on the other hand, had apparently seen whatever it was, "I think it wants us to follow." she commented.
"Well might as well, go in that direction since we haven't got any other leads." Miroku said as he turned towards what he and Sango had seen.
Shrugging, Ranma decided to follow the others. A few moments later, he too, had a glimpse of the disturbance. It gave off a greenish glow, but was too far away to make out what it actually was.
The party walked for hours, moving in the direction of the glowing object whenever it appeared in its periodic fashion. Finally, after some time of blind following, they arrived at a cave opening.
They came out just in time to view the morning sun as is peeked above the horizon. From the ledge that they had ended up on, it was a breathtaking view.
"Darn it! There's nothing here, just what was that thing that we followed?" despite the scenery however, Ranma was quite annoyed.
"Hey Sango, look at this!" Miroku pointed at something on the floor.
Sango walked over to pick it up. Ranma watched as her face became sad and he wondered what it was that she was thinking.
"There is nothing here." Sango said shortly, "Let's go, I think that we may find something on the summit."
Ranma looked at what Sango was holding, and saw a cloak that seemed to glow in the dark. "So we've been led around by someone wearing that cloak the whole night?" Ranma complained, indicating the morning sunrise that had appeared, "man, I'm going to tear whoever it was to pieces." Turning towards the peak, he missed the way Sango flinched, "oh well, might as well head off then."
It was not until a few hours of walking later that Miroku had quietly walked up next to Ranma to talk to him."
"You know that cloak that Sango was holding?"
"Ummm… yeah?"
"It belonged to her brother."
"So?"
Miroku's eyebrow twitched as he tried to get his point across, "remember what you said earlier?"
"Uh… no?"
"Never mind then." With a sigh, Miroku slowed down to walk next to Sango.
***
By noon, the party had arrived at a wide ledge. On the other side was another cave opening.
"Maybe there'll be something in the cave this time." Ranma said as bounded to the other side and peered in, "Come on, let's go!"
As Ranma walked in, Miroku and Sango looked at each other, having seen Ranma jump a distance they had thought impossible for humans.
"Do you think he's really human? I don't sense any youkai from him." Miroku muttered to Sango.
"I think he is…" Sango trailed off, not really being sure, "anyway, let's go…" again she trailed off, realizing that while Ranma was on the other side, they weren't. Using her grappling hook however, she quickly got herself and Miroku to the other side.
The cave led inwards into the mountain. Ranma felt a prickle run across his skin that gave him the sense that he was about to encounter something evil, no, worse than evil. In fact, it reminded him of Happosai.
"Naraku." Miroku whispered, causing Ranma to turn around. "With jyaki this powerful, it has to be Naraku.
"That's great!" Ranma exclaimed, "So we beat this guy up, rescue Kagome and leave huh?" He noticed the others looking at him strangely, "what?"
"If only it was that easy." Sango sighed.
"The jyaki's getting stronger," Miroku said, "the holy barrier outside must have been hiding the incredibly evil aura in here."
Sango put on what looked like a gas mask to Ranma.
"What's that?"
"It's a mask to shield me from the jyaki around here. Sorry, I've only got one, you should stay here while we go forward."
Ranma snorted, "I'm following you - I don't need some gas mask."
"Look out!" The warning was issued by Miroku, and looking forward, Ranma could see why.
What looked like hundreds of youkai were flying strait at them. Ranma had seen some youkai along his journey though the Feudal era, but rarely had he seen multiple youkai at one time, and certainly not in the scale that he was seeing now.
Next to Ranma, Miroku was about to take off the cloth wrapped around his hand, before narrowing his eyes and pulling his staff and some scrolls out instead. The action puzzled Ranma, was he about to do something?
Sango had taken the massive boomerang from her back and was flinging it at the incoming youkai.
"Hiraikotsu!"
Ranma watched in admiration as the boomerang expertly sliced through multiple youkai before returning to Sango's hand.
"Seiba!"
Miroku had also used his scrolls to disintegrate other youkai. Ranma decided that the two made a very efficient team.
The martial artist was so caught up with watching the others that he nearly missed one of the youkai that had been rushing strait at him. His reflexes once again saved him as a hard punch drove his fist through its snakelike head and killing it instantly. More aware of the battle now, Ranma leapt into the fray.
"I didn't expect you to get so far."
The three humans looked up to see a woman standing on a ledge above them.
"Kagura!" Miroku exclaimed.
"Oh well, it's about time that I get to have some fun." The woman smiled as she snapped open a fan and waved it at them.
Ranma had just destroyed several youkai, finding it reminiscent of his speed training with his father when Genma had thrown bee hives at him. It was another close call as Ranma dodged sideways as the blades of wind that Kagura had created sliced into the ground next to him.
"She's an enemy right?" Ranma called out to the others before getting attacked by another youkai, "Out of my way." He muttered to it before slicing it in half with a roundabout.
"Yes, be careful, she's stronger than the others." Miroku replied, "This way!" Miroku led the others up a flight of stairs. However, more air blades succeeded in destroying the stairs, separating Ranma and Miroku from Sango, who was behind them.
"Hiraikotsu!" Ranma watched as the large boomerang was repelled backwards by more of Kagura's wind before smashing into Sango.
"Kohaku…" Sango murmured before losing consciousness.
"Sango!" Miroku jumped back over and rushed to the demon exterminator's side.
Meanwhile, Ranma looked up at Kagura, "Stop trying to kill people!" he called out to her, "Mouko Takabashi!"
Kagura swept her fan at the ball of energy hurtling towards her to no effect. She managed to jump to the side before it impacted however. "Petty human, I'll kill him, she muttered.
"That's what I just told you not to do." It was all that Kagura heard before she found herself hurtling towards the ceiling, courtesy of a vicious kick from Ranma. Pulling out a feather, Kagura quickly embarked upon her favorite mode of transport before floating away to a safer position.
Having leapt onto the ledge behind his chi blast Ranma looked up to see the woman riding a giant feather and flying away.
Below, Miroku was defending Sango's prone body from the hordes of youkai, staff spinning as he sliced the creatures to pieces. Ranma could see that Miroku was tiring and so leapt downwards to help.
Miroku was getting very tired. "I'll have to use my Kazaana," he thought, "it's the only way. Once again, his hand started to undo his binding cloth. "For Sango." he thought.
"Mouko Takabashi!" The youkai closest to Miroku disintegrated as two balls of chi went through them. Behind him was Ranma, both arms extended.
"Thanks!" Miroku shouted to him before taking out his staff and continuing to hack at the youkai, invigorated from the knowledge that he wasn't fighting by himself.
***
The trio walked towards the bright light at the end of the tunnel. The previous battle had been quite tiring, but with Kagura gone, they had come through in the end - especially after Sango had woken up and helped as well.
Ranma shielded his eyes as he stepped out into the momentarily blinding light. When he recovered, he was greeted by the sight of a temple.
"Why would there be a mountain temple here?" Miroku wondered out loud, "I thought that Naraku would be here instead."
They followed the path to the center of the temple and found themselves at a shrine. On top of it, was what looked like a dried out mummy.
"What's this doing here?" Ranma walked up to the shrine and was about to poke the mummy.
"Don't touch it!" Miroku warned Ranma, who instantly froze. "It must be the living Buddha that the villagers were talking about, touching it might not be safe – I feel a lot of power being generated from it.
The mummy's eyes opened angrily.
"Ahhhh!" Ranma, who had been studying the Buddha's face reflexively jumped away from the Buddha, his body in the traditional Japanese "shocked" position.
"Yes, monk, you are right. I am the living Buddha." The mummy told the startled people.
Miroku took a few seconds to recover before asking the living Buddha, "You were a pious man when you were living weren't you? So why are you helping Naraku? Do you even know that he is a demon?"
"I am aware of what Naraku is." The living Buddha replied, "But now, I am finally doing what I want to be doing."
"What you want to be doing?" Ranma had also gotten over his shock, "hey, you antique, do you know that what you're doing is going to harm some other people?"
The mummy laughed bitterly, "An antique I am, a dead antique. But I was once a priest who would help many people - yet I had nothing in return. Naraku, however, told me the truth. Hate them, he told me, its ok to hate them. I realized the truth of his words in my despair and now I am doing whatever I want."
Miroku looked at the mummy strait in the eyes, "I do not claim to be a saint, and I cannot pass judgment on you."
The living Buddha did not reply.
"However, I cannot let the barrier stay as long as it is protecting Naraku!" With a shout he struck his staff towards the mummy."
"I thought he said not to touch that thing." Ranma muttered, annoyed, but was surprised when a barrier around the mummy formed and repelled Miroku. "Huh?"
"Hiraikotsu!" Ranma kept watching as the large boomerang bounced futilely against the barrier as well.
"Heh," he said confidently, "I can do better than that, Mouko Takabashi!"
The large chi blast struck hurled towards the barrier until it stopped upon contact, energy crackling against energy for a few seconds before finally dissipating.
"Your weak powers are no match against mine." The living Buddha told them.
"Heh, I was going easy on you," Ranma thought as he charged up his next chi blast.
Before Ranma could do anything however, Miroku stepped in front of him, "my apologies, but you'll have to disappear!" Ranma heard Miroku say before sensing a change in air pressure.
"What's happening?" Ranma asked Sango, who had walked up next to him, also behind Miroku.
"This is Miroku's Kazaana, an air void in his hand that can suck anything in."
Ranma watched in awe as the particles in front of Miroku were sucked into his hand. The living Buddha was growling as he tried to resist the air void. Around them, the temple was starting break.
Finally, the barrier failed and the mummy was lifted into the air.
"Yes!" Ranma shouted.
The great priest, however, began to glow and suddenly bees appeared around him.
Ranma was confused when Miroku stopped using his Kazaana, "what's wrong?" he asked.
Sango answered him, "see those bees? They're Naraku's poisonous bees and if Miroku sucks them in, he'll be poisoned."
The party looked up in frustration as the great priest escaped. Around them, the cracks that had already formed in the pillars started to pull apart.
***
The temple was collapsing rapidly, and the ominous shaking quickly convinced the three to continue running through the mountain, dodging the various falling debris that threatened to crush them.
"At least the barrier has completely collapsed." Miroku called over his shoulder to the other two, "the bad news is that I feel Naraku's aura, and its quickly escalating."
They were running through another tunnel before arriving at a cavern - it was the same circular one that they had come from before. Looking down into the hole in the middle, they were greeted with the sight of a man's face that slowly faded into darkness.
"What's with all the creepy stuff around here?" Ranma exclaimed, "and who was that?"
"To answer your first question, we're dealing with youkai." Sango told him, "and the face you just saw belongs to Naraku."
"So that's the creep that kidnapped Kagome?" Ranma asked.
"That is what we suspect." Miroku replied.
"Well, let's follow them!" Ranma decided as he leapt down into the precipice.
The other two stared at the retreating figure, "you don't know how deep that is!" Miroku called after him in worry.
"I thought only Inuyasha was that stupid." Sango muttered.
"How about you follow him?" Monk and demon exterminator looked up to see once again Kagura, this time with Kanna behind her.
"Kagura! Has Naraku finished his body yet?" Miroku asked her.
The youkai woman snorted, "Naraku doesn't trust me, so I don't know anything, why don't you ask him yourself? Here, I'll help you on your journey." She finished her speech with a swipe of her fan. The air blades crashed into the ledge under the two humans, until it broke, causing them to lose their balance and fall into the precipice as well.