Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or Inuyasha. Promise.
Hi Everybody! It's me again! Thank you so much for all of the kind reviews, I love them all. Here are your responses:
New York Vanilla: Why thank you!
i love athrun: Uh, OK, I'll do a new chapter.
Kitsune Klepto: Don't worry, Inuyasha will be in this. I am trying to work all of our little friends into this story, its just, Sesshy needs to get out first so we can find them!
JJ: Hey, ME TOO! Glad you like the story, thanks!
Nikkler: the ending was OK, really? I'm glad you liked it. Like I said, I'll try to keep them all kind of long from now on. I did my best to get Inuyasha in there as smoothly and as accurately as I could. Now lets just see if I can keep it up! And to think, I considered not making this a crossover!
This was going to be the really exciting chapter, but I ran out of time so the next one will be the action-packed story with lots of fighting and maybe a jailbreak or three! For all of you people worried about this, yes, Inuyasha and the others will make it into the story. It's just that right now the only one who knows the whole story (and the whole truth behind the stories, hint, hint) is Sesshomaru and he is a little indisposed at the moment. Believe it or not, this story is not even close to being over. I plan on trying to get the wolves to paradise and eventually back off on the Inuyasha stuff a little, its just that these early chapters are setting up for the rest of the story. Speaking of which, here it is!
Chapter 6: The Castle in the Surf
Silence filled the dungeon as Toboe, Luna, and Sesshomaru all feigned sleep, each knowing better than to believe any of the others were asleep. Finally, Toboe cut the act short, unused to the silence and not liking it one bit.
"I know! Lets talk about how we wound up down here!" he said with his usual enthusiasm.
"Well, if that is not a cheerful subject," Sesshomaru teased. Toboe's smile vanished and he cast his eyes to the ground.
"Guess you're right," he whimpered. Silence filled the room once more.
"The Lunar flower," Luna whispered.
"What?" asked Toboe.
"The Lunar flower, the one my sister has. That is why the Nobles took me. I don't know why, but that flower is special. Aurora, my sister, always says it is our duty to protect that flower, no matter what. One day the Noble's forces cornered me in an alley, demanding I tell them where my sister and the flower were. I refused to tell them, so they took me away. I've been here ever since, praying for my sister to come find me, but half afraid that I am the bait in some horrible trap." No one spoke for a moment as Luna's words sank in.
"Wait, did you say you have a lunar flower!" Toboe gasped. Luna giggled.
"Yes. It is old and pressed in a book. That is all I know about it." Again, silence.
"I don't remember actually getting caught. I just remember my friends and I were passing through this city. You see, we're on a quest to find Paradise..."
"Paradise?" Sesshomaru interrupted.
"Yes, Paradise. All wolves look for it at some point, and the lunar flowers guide the way to Paradise. Anyway, my friends and I were just passing through when the Noble's forces started chasing us down, we hadn't done anything! We just stole a little food to get us by. Anyway, they started shooting at us. One of their shots grazed my leg and I fell, making it worse. I've never been in pain like that before in my life, it hurt so bad. I couldn't run anymore and I fell. My friend, Tsume, carried me until we reached a hiding place. That is when things start getting fuzzy. In the end, I remember Tsume throwing me over his shoulder and running out of the hiding place, but then I guess I passed out."
"Poor thing," Luna cooed.
"What about you, Sesshomaru? How did you get here?" Toboe asked.
"That is a very long story a-"
"That's OK, it's not like we're leaving anytime soon!" Toboe interrupted.
"And one I would rather not tell," Sesshomaru finished.
"Please, Sesshomaru, tell us your story. It will take our minds off the fact that we are down here for a little while," Luna begged.
"Very well, I will tell you how this Sesshomaru became a prisoner in his own castle..."
Aurora lead the way into the center of the city to the lake positioned there. Kiba walked beside her as they quietly discussed their next plan of action. Mizu was shamelessly flirting with Cheza a few steps behind them. Kiba kept looking back every once in a while to make sure Mizu was not taking it too far. Mizu obviously thought he was being charming, Cheza obviously just found him confusing. Behind them Hige and Manch were chatting away like they were old friends while Blue just listened and occasionally shook her head. Tsume brought up the rear by himself, assuming no one knew just how much pain he was in and that he was using the walls to keep himself standing. Every once in a while Kiba would look back there to make sure Tsume was still there and preferably moving, then gave the gray wolf his desired privacy.
"There, you can see it through the break in the buildings," Aurora announced. It was beautiful. The sun and moon warred for dominance over the lake, the sun rising in the East and the moon setting in the West. Dark and light met in the center of the lake, creating a marbled effect.
"Whoa," Hige breathed. Everyone was quiet for a moment, looking at the lake.
"Um, how are we supposed to find it?" asked Blue.
"Supposing it's here, that is," Mizu pointed out.
"Well, we know it's not on the bank," said Aurora.
"How do we know that?" Hige asked.
"Well, the city is built all the way to the very edge of the lake and all of the buildings are fairly modern," Aurora explained.
"Then where is it?" Tsume asked.
"In the middle of the lake," said Kiba as though this was the most obvious answer ever.
"How do we get there, swim?" Blue asked.
"No, we rent a boat," Manch answered.
"Where do we get a boat from?" asked Tsume.
"Dunno, lets start looking!" was Aurora's reply.
(Sesshomaru's Tale)
"I did not see the immediate danger until it was too late. Something was horribly wrong in the castle. I could feel an extraordinary power emitting from the lowest dungeons. I went down to check on my prisoner there. It was not until I reached the sealed door that I realized my mistake. Someone, or something, was invading my home and the lower dungeons were by no means the best place to be. I returned to the main floor, only to find everything just as I had left it, but something was still wrong.
"I ran upstairs to check on the miko and found her unharmed. As I descended the stairs an explosion shook the castle. Everything was in mass chaos, walls collapsing, people running and screaming, and gunshots fired by intruders. The castle's defenses had fallen, all that was left was a handful of demon soldiers and myself. We all gathered together at the foot of the grand stairs. No commands were spoken, none were needed. We kill or be killed, the castle would not be taken. We stood, awaiting the attack, not moving until they were in firing range. The fury of at least fifty demons was unleashed upon these invaders, but they were ready for us, they were ready! I watched as my men gave their all and were killed for it. We still had the stairs, they had not won until they took the stairs.
"I was shot with something, I could not move. That was when it ended. Enemy forces overran my castle and I was brought before the Noble. She had set up my dinning hall as her throne room. She asked for the miko and the monster, I refused to give her either. She said I could sit here until I decided to tell her what she wanted. I have been here ever since. I do not know if al of my soldiers were killed, if my servant survived or the fate of my human ward.
"This I don know, that thing upstairs has awoken the ghosts in the closet..."
"Well, you don't get much more in the middle of a lake then this," said Hige.
"Yeah, now what?" asked Tsume.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Manch yelled at Aurora. She had stood up in the front of the boat and seemed to be glowing. Her pupils had vanished as the irises of her eyes consumed them, giving appearance of two full moons. Aurora's mouth moved slightly and a low song like Cheza's seemed to fill the air. Great waves began to form on the lake, rocking the poor little boat, but Aurora did not even seem to sway. The boat was pushed back as the waters began to boil. A glow emitted from the bottom of the lake and an object seemed to appear on the surface.
Before they knew it, the wolves were looking at a grand castle, complete with towers, great windows, walls, gates, and guard towers.
"Welcome to the stronghold of the Western Lands," said Aurora grimly.
'Don't worry, Toboe. You'll be out of there in no time. I promise,' thought Tsume.
"Lets go," Kiba ordered. The wolves left the boat and vanished into the mist encompassing the castle.
Well, I hope you liked it, but I'll never know if you don't review! And believe me, I want to know!