&&&&&&&
The spider-youkai did its best to remain silent, sensing the powerful energies of the hanyou, the miko and the taiyiji, but the cocoon it had made around Miroku's body slipped slightly from its web, and it had to move to secure it once again, or it would have fallen to the ground.
That slight movement was all Inu-Yasha needed to locate it among the high branches of the trees overhead. As he flew upward, he noticed numerous cocoons the demon had collected in its "pantry". It was a large youkai, about the size of an elephant, and as the hanyou's leap brought him closer to it, he realized that one strike might not be enough to kill it.
He was right.
The spider was large, but it was quick. It also was prepared to fight to protect its domain. Inu-Yasha's first strike missed completely, and he had to turn his body in mid air to locate a branch to land on. The spider didn't wait for that. It turned and fired wave after wave of its sticky silken material at its enemy. One blast hit Inu-Yasha square in the chest, propelling him backwards and sticking him in a cluster of branches. As the hanyou struggled, the spider sensed its chance and charged across its web, its mandibles ready to crush the bound half-demon.
Using his claws, Inu-Yasha freed one arm, but the demon was upon him before he could free the other. If he could just strike at one of its mandibles...
"Hiraikotsu!"
Sango had coaxed Kilala from her sleep and the huntress' weapon struck the beast's abdomen, shearing off a portion, but leaving it still alive. Enraged, it sought to destroy at least one of it's enemies before its demise. As it couldn't reach Sango, it turned back to Inu-Yasha, who had by now freed his other arm and was slashing away at the remaining substance that bound him. Hiraikotsu had returned to Sango, and she was about to hurl it once more, when an arrow charged with miko energy struck the beast from below, going right into its thorax. A certain priestess from the future was more than a bit miffed that her friend was taken from her and someone(thing) had to pay. As it struggled in its death throes, it spat once more at the now freed hanyou, who put it out of its misery with one swipe from Tetsusaiga. Kagome, looking up from below, had to jump out of the way of the falling pieces of giant spider.
The canopy was not wide enough to allow Kilala to get to a branch to rest on. It was all Sango could do to watch her friend slash through the web from cocoon to cocoon looking for Miroku. The hanyou relied on his senses of smell, trying to zero in on the monk's scent, and hearing, listening for evidence of a heartbeat from within the cocoons. The spider had prepared about two dozen victims, probably as food for its spawn.
"Dead. Dead. Dead."
The huntress' heart was in her throat as Inu-Yasha went from one to the next.
"This one's still alive!"
He used his claws to penetrate the husk and sure enough, Miroku was inside. He was pale, and it didn't look like he was breathing at all. Inu-Yasha shredded the remainder of the cocoon and hoisted the monk onto his shoulder before jumping down to the ground.
&&&&&&&
Kilala hadn't set four paws on the ground and Sango was already off her back and running over to where Inu-Yasha had set Miroku down on the ground. Kagome was already kneeling over him, using whatever healing powers she had learned to try to bring him back from the abyss. Inu-Yasha intercepted the taijiya before she could get to them, using his body as a barricade to prevent her from seeing the monk.
"Sango. Listen. It's probably better if you don't see him in this condition." Inu-Yasha could be dense at times, but he still had deep feelings for his friends. He didn't want to bring any more pain to Sango than she already felt.
"Inu-Yasha, let me pass." In her condition, Sango couldn't understand why her friend wouldn't let her see him. She HAD to see him.
"Sango, please." Inu-Yasha gripped her shoulders but she tore herself away from him.
"Inu-Yasha, get out of my way!"
Kagome heard the skirmish and looked up from her ministrations. Sango was going out of her mind. She took a step back and aimed Hiraikotsu at Inu- Yasha, who winced at the anguish in her face.
"Sango..."
"Move!" She flung her weapon at him. He dodged it easily. Kilala growled in her uncertainty. Her two friends were fighting and she couldn't understand it. She did sense that Sango was hurting. Sango again ran toward the fallen monk only to be stopped once more. She threw a left hook that landed square on Inu-Yasha's jaw. She threw a right that he caught.
She finally broke down.
"You bastard! Why wont you..."
She struck him with balled up fists against his chest. Her strength left her, and she started to collapse. Inu-Yasha grabbed her and hugged her close as she bawled out her sorrow. He had no other words. Gently, he knelt to the ground and helped her to sit before he called Kilala over. The big cat sat next to her mistress, allowing her to grab on to her fur as she continued sobbing. Inu-Yasha stood and walked back over to Kagome.
"Will he make it?"
"I don't know. I've given him the most powerful healing spells I know. His breathing is very shallow. I think he might have been poisoned. We have to get him to Kaede as soon as we can. She'll know what to do next."
Inu-Yasha took off the top of his haori and wrapped it around his friend to keep him as warm as possible, then picked him up and onto his back. Trying to be as gentle as possible, he started to run toward Kaede's hut. Kagome reached Sango and hugged her before they both got astride Kilala for the trip.
&&&&&&&
CriscoKittie: Here ya go. Thanks for hanging in.
Torina Archelda: I was only joking about the quotes. If I'm not mistaken, the flashback you refer to was for our (the viewer's information). I didn't think the others (Kagome) would know that it couldn't happen without the "big bang". Thanks for keeping an eye on things.
The spider-youkai did its best to remain silent, sensing the powerful energies of the hanyou, the miko and the taiyiji, but the cocoon it had made around Miroku's body slipped slightly from its web, and it had to move to secure it once again, or it would have fallen to the ground.
That slight movement was all Inu-Yasha needed to locate it among the high branches of the trees overhead. As he flew upward, he noticed numerous cocoons the demon had collected in its "pantry". It was a large youkai, about the size of an elephant, and as the hanyou's leap brought him closer to it, he realized that one strike might not be enough to kill it.
He was right.
The spider was large, but it was quick. It also was prepared to fight to protect its domain. Inu-Yasha's first strike missed completely, and he had to turn his body in mid air to locate a branch to land on. The spider didn't wait for that. It turned and fired wave after wave of its sticky silken material at its enemy. One blast hit Inu-Yasha square in the chest, propelling him backwards and sticking him in a cluster of branches. As the hanyou struggled, the spider sensed its chance and charged across its web, its mandibles ready to crush the bound half-demon.
Using his claws, Inu-Yasha freed one arm, but the demon was upon him before he could free the other. If he could just strike at one of its mandibles...
"Hiraikotsu!"
Sango had coaxed Kilala from her sleep and the huntress' weapon struck the beast's abdomen, shearing off a portion, but leaving it still alive. Enraged, it sought to destroy at least one of it's enemies before its demise. As it couldn't reach Sango, it turned back to Inu-Yasha, who had by now freed his other arm and was slashing away at the remaining substance that bound him. Hiraikotsu had returned to Sango, and she was about to hurl it once more, when an arrow charged with miko energy struck the beast from below, going right into its thorax. A certain priestess from the future was more than a bit miffed that her friend was taken from her and someone(thing) had to pay. As it struggled in its death throes, it spat once more at the now freed hanyou, who put it out of its misery with one swipe from Tetsusaiga. Kagome, looking up from below, had to jump out of the way of the falling pieces of giant spider.
The canopy was not wide enough to allow Kilala to get to a branch to rest on. It was all Sango could do to watch her friend slash through the web from cocoon to cocoon looking for Miroku. The hanyou relied on his senses of smell, trying to zero in on the monk's scent, and hearing, listening for evidence of a heartbeat from within the cocoons. The spider had prepared about two dozen victims, probably as food for its spawn.
"Dead. Dead. Dead."
The huntress' heart was in her throat as Inu-Yasha went from one to the next.
"This one's still alive!"
He used his claws to penetrate the husk and sure enough, Miroku was inside. He was pale, and it didn't look like he was breathing at all. Inu-Yasha shredded the remainder of the cocoon and hoisted the monk onto his shoulder before jumping down to the ground.
&&&&&&&
Kilala hadn't set four paws on the ground and Sango was already off her back and running over to where Inu-Yasha had set Miroku down on the ground. Kagome was already kneeling over him, using whatever healing powers she had learned to try to bring him back from the abyss. Inu-Yasha intercepted the taijiya before she could get to them, using his body as a barricade to prevent her from seeing the monk.
"Sango. Listen. It's probably better if you don't see him in this condition." Inu-Yasha could be dense at times, but he still had deep feelings for his friends. He didn't want to bring any more pain to Sango than she already felt.
"Inu-Yasha, let me pass." In her condition, Sango couldn't understand why her friend wouldn't let her see him. She HAD to see him.
"Sango, please." Inu-Yasha gripped her shoulders but she tore herself away from him.
"Inu-Yasha, get out of my way!"
Kagome heard the skirmish and looked up from her ministrations. Sango was going out of her mind. She took a step back and aimed Hiraikotsu at Inu- Yasha, who winced at the anguish in her face.
"Sango..."
"Move!" She flung her weapon at him. He dodged it easily. Kilala growled in her uncertainty. Her two friends were fighting and she couldn't understand it. She did sense that Sango was hurting. Sango again ran toward the fallen monk only to be stopped once more. She threw a left hook that landed square on Inu-Yasha's jaw. She threw a right that he caught.
She finally broke down.
"You bastard! Why wont you..."
She struck him with balled up fists against his chest. Her strength left her, and she started to collapse. Inu-Yasha grabbed her and hugged her close as she bawled out her sorrow. He had no other words. Gently, he knelt to the ground and helped her to sit before he called Kilala over. The big cat sat next to her mistress, allowing her to grab on to her fur as she continued sobbing. Inu-Yasha stood and walked back over to Kagome.
"Will he make it?"
"I don't know. I've given him the most powerful healing spells I know. His breathing is very shallow. I think he might have been poisoned. We have to get him to Kaede as soon as we can. She'll know what to do next."
Inu-Yasha took off the top of his haori and wrapped it around his friend to keep him as warm as possible, then picked him up and onto his back. Trying to be as gentle as possible, he started to run toward Kaede's hut. Kagome reached Sango and hugged her before they both got astride Kilala for the trip.
&&&&&&&
CriscoKittie: Here ya go. Thanks for hanging in.
Torina Archelda: I was only joking about the quotes. If I'm not mistaken, the flashback you refer to was for our (the viewer's information). I didn't think the others (Kagome) would know that it couldn't happen without the "big bang". Thanks for keeping an eye on things.