The sound of a heavy tank crashing through the forest
made its way throughout the countryside. Villagers could
hear it a great distance away, and it was very annoying. The
tank was, of course, Ginkotsu and his passengers: Suikotsu,
Kyoukotsu and the newly acquired Hamaya.
"Ginkotsu," Suikotsu started, "When do you expect that we'll arrive back home?"
"Not long now," Ginkotsu growled.
"Good," Suikotsu whispered. He looked around at the beautiful countryside that was all around them. It made him think of the times that he and Kikyou would go out into a field and have picnics. He sighed.
Hamaya looked up at him. "What's wrong Mr. Suikotsu?"
He looked down that the boy, who was looking much better now. He had almost fully recovered from his wounds. They had even got him some new clothes so he wouldn't have to wear those tattered old rags all the way home. "I guess I'm just homesick."
"What's your place like?"
"You'll love it," Suikotsu smiled.
"If you can stand our friends that is," Kyoukotsu chuckled. Suikotsu and Ginkotsu joined in.
Meanwhile, Kohaku and Kanna were wasting no time informing their friends and family about what the mirror had shown them. Within only a few hours, a plan to rescue InuYasha and Jakotsu from the ice demons was formed. They knew this would require a group effort, so they gathered together all able-bodied people from the three rivaling bands to join together to make the rescue party.
Kagome and Kikyou were too badly injured to partake, so they had to stay behind. Sango volunteered to stay behind to watch over Kagome to make sure she was all right. Mukotsu stayed with Kikyou for the same reason. Shippou was also asked to stay behind, but he didn't want to. He wanted to join the others in the fight. But that old excuse that he was 'too young to fight' came up yet again.
The rescue force was gathered together in record time. It was made up of Miroku, Nobunaga, Sesshoumaru, Juuroumaru, Kouga, Kagura, Kohaku, Kanna, Hakudoushi, Bankotsu, Renkotsu, Kirara, Jaken, Ginta, Hakkaku and a good portion of Kouga's wolves. But even with all these people, would they be able to penetrate the ice fortress' defenses? There was only one way to find out. And that time was coming soon; the first true fight between the two opposing giants: InuYasha and company versus KooriKisaki and her army of ice.
As Miroku and Nobunaga were getting ready to leave, Shippou, who wanted to go even though he was 'too young,' asked one more time if he could help.
"Sorry, Shippou," was Miroku's calm response, "You should stay here and help Sango look after Kagome. Ok?"
Shippou crossed his arms in front of his chest and began to pout. "But I wanna come with you guys," he exclaimed. Miroku shook his head. "Ok then, do you even know where you're going?"
Miroku and Nobunaga stopped in their tracks. The little fox demon had brought up a very good point. They had absolutely no idea where the ice fortress was. Back when La Saia had asked them to go find it, they weren't able to. What chance did they have now?
However, one person was a step ahead of them. Unbeknownst to anyone, a Hyoukoumori ice bat was fluttering just outside the door. Naraku had sent it as bait to lure them into his web. It crashed into the window to get their attention. When it had it, they knew instantly that this was a trap devised by the ice army. It was obvious, but they had no choice. In all the confusion, Miroku had not noticed the change of weight of his supply bag. But by the time that they had gotten outside, the ice bat had already flown away. It wanted them to be in suspense for a little while longer before the future events were to occur.
As InuYasha's friends were getting their act together, KooriKisaki and her army were doing the same thing. Yes, they were planning a trap for them. Yes, they knew that InuYasha's friends would know that it was a trap... but they definitely would not expect what was in store for them.
Sekka was appointed leader of Icykal and the Toukaibutsu. This would be their first official fight, and she wanted them to be ready for it. Fuyuka and his ice wolves were also preparing for this big fight. Icehaken, however, still thought it was all child's play
(Friends to the end, eh Andy?)
and didn't pay much heed to Fuyuka's instructions for preparing.
With Shimoka's passing, the army was now short a general. KooriKisaki appointed Frostbyte as a temporary replacement until someone else was found. That's when Naraku stepped forward.
"Why don't you make me a general?" he asked, a little miffed that she hadn't asked him in the first place.
"Sorry," the ice queen said flatly, "but my words are final. Perhaps if you do good in this fight, I might consider it." And that was that.
This made Naraku insanely pissed off. He was good enough! He knew it! Goshinki, Musou and Kageroumaru would all agree with him.
"You?" Kageroumaru said, stunned, "A general?" He paused, and then burst out in gales of laughter. Musou and Goshinki joined in. It was really amusing, after all.
Finally, after much planning, the trap was set. Sekka, Fuyuka, Gyouka and Naraku, with the help of Frostbyte and her Yukikyuu, Icehaken and the Kooriookami, Icykal and the Toukaibutsu, the Hyoukoumori and Naraku's detachments, would wait for their prey, and annihilate them.
Even though the conditions were extremely horrible, InuYasha and Jakotsu still managed to find this whole plan of the ice army very funny. Idiots, they called them. They knew their friends wouldn't just walk into a trap like this. But they were wrong. That's exactly what was going to happen.
Now, finally with all the plotting and planning finished, it was time to set everything in motion. The Hyoukoumori bait was sent and did its duty. It caught the enemy's attention. It was leading them straight into a well thought out trap that would, hopefully for the bad guys, annihilate the threat of InuYasha and his friends.
Miroku and company chased the ice bats through a giant frozen wasteland. There were few demons to give them trouble, and all the ones that got in their way were dealt with efficiently and quickly. Then there it was, standing tall right in front of them: the ice fortress.
It was a giant castle of ice and snow, inhabited by several frozen bats, giant ice monsters and so on. What puzzled them though, was how come they couldn't find it before? This was more or less around the area that they had searched...
There they stood, the whole lot of them, ready to enter the fortress, fight the demons and survive, hopefully, to be able to rescue their friends. What they didn't notice was, peering from the highest window of the massive overlooking tower, KooriKisaki herself. She smiled wickedly at her prey. With them out of the picture, she would then be free to search for the rest of the Shikon Jewel fragments in peace, with little to no disturbances...
From out of the tiny window in the cell wall, InuYasha could see the ice army preparing for their assault. "They're here," he whispered.
"Do you think they know it's a trap?" Jakotsu asked. InuYasha nodded. "Then, why are they-"
"They can handle it." He sat down on the cold floor to try to gather his thoughts. "I know what they're thinking. They will try to penetrate KooriKisaki's defenses and send some to rescue us, and let the others fight."
"But will it work?" Jakotsu was having serious doubts about this whole plan. It wasn't well thought out and it was a very rash thing to do.
(I bet Bankotsu thought this up...)
InuYasha smiled. "You have to believe more in your friends."
Jakotsu rolled his eyes. "I believe in them. I just think this whole idea is stupid. It's not going to work."
"Feh. You can tell me why you think it won't work when we're back home."
The next few seconds moved by like years as they waited for something to happen.
"Ginkotsu," Suikotsu started, "When do you expect that we'll arrive back home?"
"Not long now," Ginkotsu growled.
"Good," Suikotsu whispered. He looked around at the beautiful countryside that was all around them. It made him think of the times that he and Kikyou would go out into a field and have picnics. He sighed.
Hamaya looked up at him. "What's wrong Mr. Suikotsu?"
He looked down that the boy, who was looking much better now. He had almost fully recovered from his wounds. They had even got him some new clothes so he wouldn't have to wear those tattered old rags all the way home. "I guess I'm just homesick."
"What's your place like?"
"You'll love it," Suikotsu smiled.
"If you can stand our friends that is," Kyoukotsu chuckled. Suikotsu and Ginkotsu joined in.
Meanwhile, Kohaku and Kanna were wasting no time informing their friends and family about what the mirror had shown them. Within only a few hours, a plan to rescue InuYasha and Jakotsu from the ice demons was formed. They knew this would require a group effort, so they gathered together all able-bodied people from the three rivaling bands to join together to make the rescue party.
Kagome and Kikyou were too badly injured to partake, so they had to stay behind. Sango volunteered to stay behind to watch over Kagome to make sure she was all right. Mukotsu stayed with Kikyou for the same reason. Shippou was also asked to stay behind, but he didn't want to. He wanted to join the others in the fight. But that old excuse that he was 'too young to fight' came up yet again.
The rescue force was gathered together in record time. It was made up of Miroku, Nobunaga, Sesshoumaru, Juuroumaru, Kouga, Kagura, Kohaku, Kanna, Hakudoushi, Bankotsu, Renkotsu, Kirara, Jaken, Ginta, Hakkaku and a good portion of Kouga's wolves. But even with all these people, would they be able to penetrate the ice fortress' defenses? There was only one way to find out. And that time was coming soon; the first true fight between the two opposing giants: InuYasha and company versus KooriKisaki and her army of ice.
As Miroku and Nobunaga were getting ready to leave, Shippou, who wanted to go even though he was 'too young,' asked one more time if he could help.
"Sorry, Shippou," was Miroku's calm response, "You should stay here and help Sango look after Kagome. Ok?"
Shippou crossed his arms in front of his chest and began to pout. "But I wanna come with you guys," he exclaimed. Miroku shook his head. "Ok then, do you even know where you're going?"
Miroku and Nobunaga stopped in their tracks. The little fox demon had brought up a very good point. They had absolutely no idea where the ice fortress was. Back when La Saia had asked them to go find it, they weren't able to. What chance did they have now?
However, one person was a step ahead of them. Unbeknownst to anyone, a Hyoukoumori ice bat was fluttering just outside the door. Naraku had sent it as bait to lure them into his web. It crashed into the window to get their attention. When it had it, they knew instantly that this was a trap devised by the ice army. It was obvious, but they had no choice. In all the confusion, Miroku had not noticed the change of weight of his supply bag. But by the time that they had gotten outside, the ice bat had already flown away. It wanted them to be in suspense for a little while longer before the future events were to occur.
As InuYasha's friends were getting their act together, KooriKisaki and her army were doing the same thing. Yes, they were planning a trap for them. Yes, they knew that InuYasha's friends would know that it was a trap... but they definitely would not expect what was in store for them.
Sekka was appointed leader of Icykal and the Toukaibutsu. This would be their first official fight, and she wanted them to be ready for it. Fuyuka and his ice wolves were also preparing for this big fight. Icehaken, however, still thought it was all child's play
(Friends to the end, eh Andy?)
and didn't pay much heed to Fuyuka's instructions for preparing.
With Shimoka's passing, the army was now short a general. KooriKisaki appointed Frostbyte as a temporary replacement until someone else was found. That's when Naraku stepped forward.
"Why don't you make me a general?" he asked, a little miffed that she hadn't asked him in the first place.
"Sorry," the ice queen said flatly, "but my words are final. Perhaps if you do good in this fight, I might consider it." And that was that.
This made Naraku insanely pissed off. He was good enough! He knew it! Goshinki, Musou and Kageroumaru would all agree with him.
"You?" Kageroumaru said, stunned, "A general?" He paused, and then burst out in gales of laughter. Musou and Goshinki joined in. It was really amusing, after all.
Finally, after much planning, the trap was set. Sekka, Fuyuka, Gyouka and Naraku, with the help of Frostbyte and her Yukikyuu, Icehaken and the Kooriookami, Icykal and the Toukaibutsu, the Hyoukoumori and Naraku's detachments, would wait for their prey, and annihilate them.
Even though the conditions were extremely horrible, InuYasha and Jakotsu still managed to find this whole plan of the ice army very funny. Idiots, they called them. They knew their friends wouldn't just walk into a trap like this. But they were wrong. That's exactly what was going to happen.
Now, finally with all the plotting and planning finished, it was time to set everything in motion. The Hyoukoumori bait was sent and did its duty. It caught the enemy's attention. It was leading them straight into a well thought out trap that would, hopefully for the bad guys, annihilate the threat of InuYasha and his friends.
Miroku and company chased the ice bats through a giant frozen wasteland. There were few demons to give them trouble, and all the ones that got in their way were dealt with efficiently and quickly. Then there it was, standing tall right in front of them: the ice fortress.
It was a giant castle of ice and snow, inhabited by several frozen bats, giant ice monsters and so on. What puzzled them though, was how come they couldn't find it before? This was more or less around the area that they had searched...
There they stood, the whole lot of them, ready to enter the fortress, fight the demons and survive, hopefully, to be able to rescue their friends. What they didn't notice was, peering from the highest window of the massive overlooking tower, KooriKisaki herself. She smiled wickedly at her prey. With them out of the picture, she would then be free to search for the rest of the Shikon Jewel fragments in peace, with little to no disturbances...
From out of the tiny window in the cell wall, InuYasha could see the ice army preparing for their assault. "They're here," he whispered.
"Do you think they know it's a trap?" Jakotsu asked. InuYasha nodded. "Then, why are they-"
"They can handle it." He sat down on the cold floor to try to gather his thoughts. "I know what they're thinking. They will try to penetrate KooriKisaki's defenses and send some to rescue us, and let the others fight."
"But will it work?" Jakotsu was having serious doubts about this whole plan. It wasn't well thought out and it was a very rash thing to do.
(I bet Bankotsu thought this up...)
InuYasha smiled. "You have to believe more in your friends."
Jakotsu rolled his eyes. "I believe in them. I just think this whole idea is stupid. It's not going to work."
"Feh. You can tell me why you think it won't work when we're back home."
The next few seconds moved by like years as they waited for something to happen.