The cool, crisp wind suddenly turned violent. The
white-and-red-checkered blanket flew away, and the basket
tipped over, spilling all its contents onto the wet dirt.
Branches began to sway with such force that some eventually
broke right off the tree. Kouga and Kagura were obviously
not dealing with two ordinary assassins.
"Where did they go?" Kagura shouted, trying to beat the volume of the wind. "Have they left?"
"No," Kouga said. "No, I can still smell them."
Then, without warning, the wind stopped. The branches lay still. The blanket sat in a bundle, motionless. Silence filled the forest.
"What's going on?" Kagura demanded. Kouga did not give her a reply. The assassins were playing with them, and they both knew it. Their eyes darted around, searching for a clue as to where their enemies may be hiding. But they could see only the blackness between the trees. Kouga sheathed his sword.
"What are you doing?" Kagura whispered. "Those creeps are still out there."
"No they're not," he said. "I can't smell them anymore. They must have left." He laughed. "I guess they realized that they're no match for us after all."
"You're way too overconfident," she smiled. Then her expression became that of concernment.
(Kouga can no longer smell them, but does that mean they've really left?)
She shifted her weight from one foot to the next. After a few minutes, nothing had happened, so they decided that maybe the assassins really had left after all. She walked over to the blanket and picked it up. Then she walked over to the basket to salvage whatever she could from it. "Let's go home," she said. "I'm way too tired." Kouga nodded in agreement, and the two of them left the forest to go to his cave.
When they were gone, the assassins rematerialized from out of nowhere.
"This was almost too easy, Harimogura," the blue haired man chuckled.
"Much easier, all-mighty Harinezumi," the red haired man said, "than attacking the real threat: The Autobot's moon base!" He stopped, shook his head, and then said, "I mean their house!"
"You're an idiot Harimogura," the blue haired man said. "But enough referencing some old 80s sci-fi movie. We've got a job to do!" The two men dematerialized once again.
Meanwhile, Kouga and Kagura had arrived back at the cave, and were shocked to see it empty. They looked inside, and around the outside of the cave and could find no trace of the wolves at all. "This is insane," Kouga muttered to himself.
"Maybe they knew we would want some time alone and left," Kagura proposed.
Kouga shook his head. "That was a last minute decision, remember?" He stopped suddenly and looked around. "I can smell 'em again," he whispered. Kagura brandished her fan. They both looked around and saw nothing. Then a loud crash came from within the cave, and they went to investigate.
When they were at the back of the cave, they noticed a sweet smell coming from all around. "Smells like nectar," Kagura said. "Have you been making honey?"
"Ha ha," Kouga said flatly. "This is too weird." Kagura nodded in agreement.
From a small crack in the wall, a bee flew out. They followed it to the entrance to the cave and saw that the sun had finally come up. It was dawn. "Wow," Kagura smiled. "Were we really up all night?"
Kouga was just about to answer, but the bee landed on his nose. He was just about to flick it off, when a long red whip lashed out of nowhere and struck the bee. But it wasn't a whip. It was a long red tongue. Kouga and Kagura looked up to see that they were standing underneath a giant echidna, and the light that they thought was the sun was actually coming from its belly. It lashed its claws at them, but they jumped out of the way. It turned around and fired a few of its spines at them, but to no avail.
"Shit," Kouga said. "It smells just like the guy you were fighting."
"An echidna demon?" Kagura asked. "Didn't see that one coming."
The echidna lashed its tongue out at them, but struck dirt instead. Kagura blew a gust of razor sharp wind at the tongue and cut off its tip. The echidna screamed in pain and lashed frantically at her with its claws. She just jumped out of the way and let out a volley of more razor sharp wind, cutting the creature up into little bits.
"That was fun," she smirked as the light from the echidna disappeared.
"It ain't over yet," Kouga said. "I can smell the other one coming."
"I'll let you take care of it," she smiled. "Have fun."
"Gee," he said, rolling his eyes. "Thanks."
The trees in front of them blew away as several spines thrashed their way through. Standing in the new clearing was a giant hedgehog demon. It took one look at the mutilated body of its partner and let out an enormous growl of anger. It rolled itself into a ball and hurdled itself towards Kouga with much speed. He just barely managed to get out of the way.
The hedgehog doubled back on him and fired out a few spines in all directions. "Fool," it growled in a deep, demonic voice. "Even you cannot outrun me!"
"Would you take that bet?" Kouga smiled.
The hedgehog glowered at him. "Gladly," it snarled.
"Great!" the young wolf demon shouted excitedly. "Then I challenge you to a race around the world!" Kagura sweatdropped.
"You really are a fool," the hedgehog demon said. "In fact, I don't even think you're worth my time anymore."
"Pity," Kouga whispered. "'Cause you're time is now officially up." And with that, he leapt up with his sword in hand and brought it right down into the demon's forehead. It shouted in pain and fell to the ground. And as its flesh rotted away into the earth, the surrounding area began to shatter, and the real world was revealed to them.
"Just as I thought," Kagura said. "They must have teleported us into some parallel universe or something."
"Do we even know about parallel universes yet?" Kouga pondered.
Kagura laughed. "Let's just go home." Kouga nodded and they both went back to the wolf cave.
(The ice fortress...)
Frostbyte bashed open the doors to Fuyuka's room. He jumped out of his bed and demanded to know what the hell she was doing. "Your assassins are dead," she yelled.
"What?" he exclaimed. "Kouga and Kagura beat them?"
"It would seem so," Frostbyte sighed. "But don't worry. Naraku and KooriKisaki have just made yet another plan to totally fuck our enemies over."
"Oh?" Fuyuka said, raising an eyebrow. "Do tell." Frostbyte smiled wickedly and began to tell him of the new plan.
(The Exterminator's village...)
A robed being walked up to the village gates and asked for the gateman to let him in. "I'm sorry, sir," the gateman said, "But I cannot just let anyone in here, you understand."
"I do," the robed man said, "And I'm sorry, too." He unleashed a wave of energy to the gateman, and he melted into a puddle of red goo. "No human tells me what to do." He entered the village and walked into the first home that he saw. A family had just sit down to eat dinner when he burst in on them.
"Now see here," the man of the house said with rage, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The robed man reached out and grabbed the other man by the throat. "Where is the cave of the Shikon jewel?" The man was silent. "Tell me, fool, or I will destroy you!"
"It's just up north of here," the man said in between gasps.
"Thank you," the robed man said, releasing his grip. "Good day." And with that, he left the village. He shortly arrived at the cave where the infamous Shikon jewel was created. He saw the lifeless remains of the maiden and the demons that it originated from. "How interesting. This is all that created the jewel?" He laughed. "Was expecting more. But Kuronigori will be quite please nonetheless."
Footsteps were approaching from behind him. "You're late," he said. Two figures appeared behind him. One handed him his battle gear and the other walked over to the remains of the maiden. "Help me take this back to the tower," the robed man said. "The Shikon jewel will soon be ours."
"Where did they go?" Kagura shouted, trying to beat the volume of the wind. "Have they left?"
"No," Kouga said. "No, I can still smell them."
Then, without warning, the wind stopped. The branches lay still. The blanket sat in a bundle, motionless. Silence filled the forest.
"What's going on?" Kagura demanded. Kouga did not give her a reply. The assassins were playing with them, and they both knew it. Their eyes darted around, searching for a clue as to where their enemies may be hiding. But they could see only the blackness between the trees. Kouga sheathed his sword.
"What are you doing?" Kagura whispered. "Those creeps are still out there."
"No they're not," he said. "I can't smell them anymore. They must have left." He laughed. "I guess they realized that they're no match for us after all."
"You're way too overconfident," she smiled. Then her expression became that of concernment.
(Kouga can no longer smell them, but does that mean they've really left?)
She shifted her weight from one foot to the next. After a few minutes, nothing had happened, so they decided that maybe the assassins really had left after all. She walked over to the blanket and picked it up. Then she walked over to the basket to salvage whatever she could from it. "Let's go home," she said. "I'm way too tired." Kouga nodded in agreement, and the two of them left the forest to go to his cave.
When they were gone, the assassins rematerialized from out of nowhere.
"This was almost too easy, Harimogura," the blue haired man chuckled.
"Much easier, all-mighty Harinezumi," the red haired man said, "than attacking the real threat: The Autobot's moon base!" He stopped, shook his head, and then said, "I mean their house!"
"You're an idiot Harimogura," the blue haired man said. "But enough referencing some old 80s sci-fi movie. We've got a job to do!" The two men dematerialized once again.
Meanwhile, Kouga and Kagura had arrived back at the cave, and were shocked to see it empty. They looked inside, and around the outside of the cave and could find no trace of the wolves at all. "This is insane," Kouga muttered to himself.
"Maybe they knew we would want some time alone and left," Kagura proposed.
Kouga shook his head. "That was a last minute decision, remember?" He stopped suddenly and looked around. "I can smell 'em again," he whispered. Kagura brandished her fan. They both looked around and saw nothing. Then a loud crash came from within the cave, and they went to investigate.
When they were at the back of the cave, they noticed a sweet smell coming from all around. "Smells like nectar," Kagura said. "Have you been making honey?"
"Ha ha," Kouga said flatly. "This is too weird." Kagura nodded in agreement.
From a small crack in the wall, a bee flew out. They followed it to the entrance to the cave and saw that the sun had finally come up. It was dawn. "Wow," Kagura smiled. "Were we really up all night?"
Kouga was just about to answer, but the bee landed on his nose. He was just about to flick it off, when a long red whip lashed out of nowhere and struck the bee. But it wasn't a whip. It was a long red tongue. Kouga and Kagura looked up to see that they were standing underneath a giant echidna, and the light that they thought was the sun was actually coming from its belly. It lashed its claws at them, but they jumped out of the way. It turned around and fired a few of its spines at them, but to no avail.
"Shit," Kouga said. "It smells just like the guy you were fighting."
"An echidna demon?" Kagura asked. "Didn't see that one coming."
The echidna lashed its tongue out at them, but struck dirt instead. Kagura blew a gust of razor sharp wind at the tongue and cut off its tip. The echidna screamed in pain and lashed frantically at her with its claws. She just jumped out of the way and let out a volley of more razor sharp wind, cutting the creature up into little bits.
"That was fun," she smirked as the light from the echidna disappeared.
"It ain't over yet," Kouga said. "I can smell the other one coming."
"I'll let you take care of it," she smiled. "Have fun."
"Gee," he said, rolling his eyes. "Thanks."
The trees in front of them blew away as several spines thrashed their way through. Standing in the new clearing was a giant hedgehog demon. It took one look at the mutilated body of its partner and let out an enormous growl of anger. It rolled itself into a ball and hurdled itself towards Kouga with much speed. He just barely managed to get out of the way.
The hedgehog doubled back on him and fired out a few spines in all directions. "Fool," it growled in a deep, demonic voice. "Even you cannot outrun me!"
"Would you take that bet?" Kouga smiled.
The hedgehog glowered at him. "Gladly," it snarled.
"Great!" the young wolf demon shouted excitedly. "Then I challenge you to a race around the world!" Kagura sweatdropped.
"You really are a fool," the hedgehog demon said. "In fact, I don't even think you're worth my time anymore."
"Pity," Kouga whispered. "'Cause you're time is now officially up." And with that, he leapt up with his sword in hand and brought it right down into the demon's forehead. It shouted in pain and fell to the ground. And as its flesh rotted away into the earth, the surrounding area began to shatter, and the real world was revealed to them.
"Just as I thought," Kagura said. "They must have teleported us into some parallel universe or something."
"Do we even know about parallel universes yet?" Kouga pondered.
Kagura laughed. "Let's just go home." Kouga nodded and they both went back to the wolf cave.
(The ice fortress...)
Frostbyte bashed open the doors to Fuyuka's room. He jumped out of his bed and demanded to know what the hell she was doing. "Your assassins are dead," she yelled.
"What?" he exclaimed. "Kouga and Kagura beat them?"
"It would seem so," Frostbyte sighed. "But don't worry. Naraku and KooriKisaki have just made yet another plan to totally fuck our enemies over."
"Oh?" Fuyuka said, raising an eyebrow. "Do tell." Frostbyte smiled wickedly and began to tell him of the new plan.
(The Exterminator's village...)
A robed being walked up to the village gates and asked for the gateman to let him in. "I'm sorry, sir," the gateman said, "But I cannot just let anyone in here, you understand."
"I do," the robed man said, "And I'm sorry, too." He unleashed a wave of energy to the gateman, and he melted into a puddle of red goo. "No human tells me what to do." He entered the village and walked into the first home that he saw. A family had just sit down to eat dinner when he burst in on them.
"Now see here," the man of the house said with rage, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The robed man reached out and grabbed the other man by the throat. "Where is the cave of the Shikon jewel?" The man was silent. "Tell me, fool, or I will destroy you!"
"It's just up north of here," the man said in between gasps.
"Thank you," the robed man said, releasing his grip. "Good day." And with that, he left the village. He shortly arrived at the cave where the infamous Shikon jewel was created. He saw the lifeless remains of the maiden and the demons that it originated from. "How interesting. This is all that created the jewel?" He laughed. "Was expecting more. But Kuronigori will be quite please nonetheless."
Footsteps were approaching from behind him. "You're late," he said. Two figures appeared behind him. One handed him his battle gear and the other walked over to the remains of the maiden. "Help me take this back to the tower," the robed man said. "The Shikon jewel will soon be ours."