AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks to all those that reviewed the last one. Hope you like this installment...things get a little darker in this one. But as they say, it's always darkest before the dawn...
I also apologize for my lack of knowledge of medicine or of the terrain around Kaede's village. All I have to go on are snippets of the anime and Vol.5 of the Viz manga. I don't apologize for using "Moonlight Shadow" lyrics; I've seen it used in a lot of fanfics that I feel like it's almost become an Inu-Yasha theme song. Note to purists that I did rearrange the lyrical order, which makes more sense since no one is getting shot. Not yet, anyway.
Naturally, I don't own "Inu-Yasha" or any of its characters or situations. I'm merely leasing them.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT: Again, you can't go wrong with "Lord of the Rings," especially any of the battle music from "The Two Towers."
CHAPTER TWO: LAST STAND
The trees that whisper in the evening
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Sing a song of sorrow and grieving
Carried away by a moonlight shadow.
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day.
–Missing Heart (Mike Oldfield), "Moonlight Shadow"
Kagome thought that the wounded village girl–Ayane was her name–would have trouble keeping up with her, but it was Kagome who was nearly out of breath. Luckily, they were almost to the village.
She stole a glance behind them, at the forest. Naraku's insects had stopped over the forest; Kagome had the sinking feeling that their sole purpose was to dog Miroku, render her little group's most potent weapon useless. She then looked behind her to where the ronin were, and to her surprise, they were not even to the stream yet. They were in some sort of battle formation, looking like something out of the old Akira Kurosawa films Grandpa Higurashi enjoyed.
Kagome turned around and the ground erupted from beneath her. She flew backwards and landed hard on her bottom. At first, she thought she had been caught by Inuyasha's Wind Scar, but then she looked upwards.
It was a youkai, no question about that, something that had the head and arms of a praying mantis, but the body of a centipede. It towered easily twenty feet over her, its eyes glowing with an unholy light, its steel-colored mandibles clacking together. As Kagome struggled to her feet, she saw that the centipede had not noticed her, but had fixed its attention on the nearest target: Ayane.
"Run, Ayane!" Kagome yelled, fumbling for her bow. Instead of fleeing, the girl stood transfixed, her eyes huge, staring up at the centipede youkai as it shuffled towards her, distending a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Then Kagome remembered the old tales Sango had told her one night around a campfire, and how these kinds of demons hypnotized their prey before devouring them.
Kagome was glad her bow was already strung. She snatched up an arrow, nocked it, drew back the bowstring, and concentrated. She felt a curious, almost buzzing feeling run through her body as she drew on her own powers, the powers of a miko. Then she let the arrow fly. It whined through the air like an artillery shell and buried itself deep in the youkai's neck. The chitinous armor that would have rendered the centipede virtually impervious to normal arrows barely even slowed her arrow, and its head sunk into the youkai's flesh. The thing let out an utterly inhuman screech, rearing back and breaking eye contact with Ayane, who blinked and came out of her trance just in time to barely get out of the falling youkai's way. The centipede crashed to the ground, shaking the earth, and thrashed around in agony.
I know didn't kill it that quickly, Kagome thought. She was getting better with learning how to use her powers, but she wondered if she'd ever be able to simply obliterate any enemy as Kikyo apparently could. Sure enough, the youkai was getting back up, though still keening. Kagome grabbed another arrow and aimed for the back of its skull to finish it off.
To her surprise, its head twisted completely around as if mounted on a swievel and screeched in pain and hatred. Its eyes flashed like a strobe. Kagome quickly looked away, but even that moment's glance made the ground spin sickeningly. She tried to aim without looking, her arms feeling like they were immersed in mud. She was dimly aware that the centipede had turned itself around so quickly its movements were a blur, and in what seemed to take forever, her hand let go of the bowstring.
At the same moment, something hit her incredibly hard from the side. Kagome felt herself flying through the air, ground and sky crazily changing position as she spun. The green grass whirled up to meet her, there was a moment of pain bad enough to make her gasp, and then everything went black.
Inuyasha burst from the forest that bore his name and let his leap carry him high on an arc that would terminate on a rise just before Kaede's village. He saw the ronin samurai to his left, and was surprised to see how well-disciplined they were. Movement to his right drew his attention, and his mouth dropped open when he saw the centipede and smelled its acrid scent and blood. Kagome stood before it, aiming an arrow.
He saw the clawlike arm slice towards her even as there was a flash of light that Inuyasha recognized as Kagome's miko magic. Yet the youkai struck her a fraction of a second after she fired. Inuyasha watched in horror as Kagome was sent flying to one side, her bow spinning madly away in midair even as the arrow found its mark. The centipede reared back and screamed.
"You BASTARD!" Inuyasha shouted. Without conscious thought, Tetsusaiga was in his hands and over his head as he landed hard on the rise. The centipede was scratching at its neck, where Kagome's arrow was lodged, but it still lived. Inuyasha jumped forward and swung his sword with every ounce of rage he had. The youkai never had a chance: Tetsusaiga tore through armor, flesh, and muscle. Its foul-smelling ichor exploded from the wound as its head flew into the air to land some distance away. The body of the centipede collapsed to the ground, its arms opening and closing spasmodically until its heart finally stopped pumping blood. Inuyasha spit at its corpse, sheathed his sword, and rushed over to Kagome. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw Kilala land, and Miroku and Sango dismount.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha knelt next to her. Her face was bruised and streaked with green from the grass, but that was the least of the problem: Inuyasha saw blood staining her blouse, and her breathing was fast, in ragged gasps. He hesitated, not wanting to pull up her shirt and check for wounds, then noticed blood on her mouth. He peered closer and felt unfamiliar fear grip his heart as pinkish bubbles formed on Kagome's lips. He was familiar enough with wounds to know that one of Kagome's lungs had been punctured. He also knew that those wounds were usually fatal.
Sango did not hesitate, unsheathing her wakizashi and cutting Kagome's blouse vertically. Kagome's left side from the cup of her bra downwards was a mass of bruises, with a small laceration that leaked blood. "Oh, no," she breathed, also recognizing the wound.
"They're on the move!" Miroku pointed. The ronin were across the stream now at a brisk walk, and now they could see a man on horseback, behind them, in full armor. Other horsemen splashed across the stream, heading south, even as the formation of ronin split, with some men curving towards the north. They were obviously going to box in the village. One of the horsemen pointed at the group crowded around Kagome, and the horsemen turned to gallop in their direction. "We have to move!"
"We can't move Kagome like this–" Sango protested.
"We have to or we all die!" Inuyasha cut her off. With a gentleness none of them would have guessed at, the hanyou gently lifted Kagome in his arms and ran towards the village at a speed a horse would be hard pressed to match. Sango and Miroku jumped onto Kilala, who carried them not far behind.
Shippo had watched from the roof of Kaede's hut in fascination at the ronin army. He had seen armies on the move before, but like the young male he was–kitsune or not–such sights never failed to impress him. It worried him a little, because armies were not always good to the villages they passed through. Kaede's village was off the beaten path, so he wondered why they were there. From his vantage point, he had failed to see the centipede.
He did see Inuyasha running towards him, so he jumped down, eager to tell him about the army. His cheerful greeting died on his lips when he saw Kagome cradled limply in his arms. "Inuyasha, what–"
"Kaede!" Inuyasha shouted. "Get out here, old hag! Kagome's hurt!"
The aged woman came around the side of the hut, having also been watching the approach of the samurai. "What is it, ye loudmouth–" Her eyes widened. "Kagome!" She ran as fast as her legs would take her to the young girl. Her eyes traveled over Kagome, expertly taking in her injuries. "Bring her inside my hut, Inuyasha."
"Is Kagome gonna die?" Shippo cried.
"Shut up!" Inuyasha exploded at the kitsune. "She's not gonna die!" He followed Kaede into her hut, Sango helpfully pulling back the rush covering over the doorway. Seeing that Shippo needed something to get his mind off Kagome, Sango ordered him to fetch some water. Still sniffling, Shippo grabbed a bucket and ran off.
Miroku closed his eyes and said a brief prayer for Kagome, then opened them when Inuyasha stalked out of the hut. "They threw me out," the hanyou groused. "Not like I'm gonna look at Kagome's chest when she's all busted up..."
The righteous indignation in Inuyasha's voice actually caused Miroku to smile briefly. He looked up and saw Naraku's insects on the move again, splitting into two wings on either side of the village. "Inuyasha. Let's go up to the shrine and see what those ronin are up to."
Inuyasha shrugged and followed the monk up the long staircase to the shrine, where Kikyo had once defended the Shikon no Tama. It was the most elevated ground for several miles. Once they reached the top, Miroku puffing with exertion, the two of them looked out over the plain, rice paddies, and forest surrounding Kaede's village. "Shit," Inuyasha said, and Miroku had to agree with the hanyou's assessment.
The ronin army had split into two wings as well, enveloping the village in a horseshoe from west, north, and east. They turned and looked south, where the shrine's hill gently fell away to level ground and more forest. There, they saw horsemen, watering their mounts in a stream. Miroku nodded, seeing the simple, lethal tactics in the situation: the samurai infantry–ashigaru–would slowly push the horseshoe inward on the village, which would squeeze out any fugitives or defenders south, onto the hill and open ground, where they would be ridden down and massacred by the horsemen. There were archers scattered among them, to be sure, men whose sole job would be shoot down Kilala if they took to the sky. Miroku was not yet twenty, but he had seen enough battles to know that whoever was leading the ronin–Naraku or someone else–knew what he was doing. The army was still getting into position, but it would not be long before the net was drawn shut.
He heard Sango yelling for them, and so he and Inuyasha rushed back down the staircase. Sango was pale, her eyes shining with tears. "That bad, neh?" Inuyasha asked, his jaw set in a mask of calm.
Sango nodded. "Kaede said that Kagome's ribs are all broken on her left side. She's not breathing very well and Kaede thinks she might have lost a lung. She's bleeding inside too, and she's still unconscious–" Suddenly, Sango's reserve broke and she covered her face with her hands. Miroku put an arm around Sango. He saw one of the village elders rush up to Kaede's hut and stick his head inside. Gently, he guided Sango in that direction, while Inuyasha fumed in frustration.
Kaede came out of her hut, her face pale. She looked at the young people before her and sighed. "I can't save her life," she stated simply, sadly. "It's beyond my abilities--"
The elder interrupted her. "I understand that you're concerned about yon miko," he said sadly, "but we must look to the village. The samurai have us surrounded."
"Then we'd better get ready to fight," Inuyasha snarled. His fingers were twitching, and it was obvious he wanted to take out his frustrations on the ronin.
"Aye, but with what?" the elder argued. "You are all fighters, but you are but four–and that's counting the kitsune lad. Even with your abilities, you cannot hope to stop an army!"
"You watch me. And the first son of a bitch is going to die for Kagome." Inuyasha snapped, and took a step to leave, only to have Miroku's covered hand come down on his shoulder.
"Inuyasha, think," Miroku said evenly. "He's right. The villagers can't hope to hold these men. These are not bandits, but skilled warriors. At best, we could hold an hour, maybe two. Then they would all be slaughtered. You've seen it happen." Inuyasha pulled his shoulder away angrily, but did not move any further. "What are we supposed to do then, just wait for them to come take us prisoner for Naraku?" Inuyasha said angrily. "No thanks. I'd rather die."
"We have nowhere to run?" Sango asked Miroku. The monk shook his head. Sango took a deep breath. "Then let me get dressed. I'll stand with you, Inuyasha." She turned to Kaede. "It's us Naraku wants. The village doesn't have to get involved." She smiled ruefully at Miroku. "I guess I won't be able to keep my promise to bear your children after all, houshi-sama."
Miroku returned the smile with the same emotion. Inside he was seething. It wasn't fair. They had come so far, defeated so many of Naraku's supernatural minions, and now they were going to die at the hands of hired mercenaries, normal men. Naraku had bided his time carefully, and with spidery genius, had chosen the perfect moment to strike. And by the worst luck of all, Kagome–sweet and gentle Kagome, who was the soul of their little group–lay dying on an earth floor ten steps away. Her unmarked grave would lie far away from her home in the future–
Miroku slapped his forehead at his own stupidity. "Kami, of course!" he exclaimed. "We can still save Kagome, at least!"
"How?" Sango and Inuyasha said at the same time.
"She is always telling us what wonders there are in her own time," Miroku explained quickly. "Kaede may not be able to heal her wounds, but perhaps the healers in her time can!" He turned to Inuyasha for confirmation. "Can they?"
"How the hell should I know?" Inuyasha shot back, still angry, but then his brain started working again. He had seen so many things in Kagome's time that impressed him, disgusted him, and frankly scared him. Even after Kagome explained that the loud metal carriages were safe, and the great dragons that flew overhead were some sort of flying machines, and that the great city that would grow up where Kaede's little village now stood still had a soul, Inuyasha was still frightened by her land. But if they can do all that...they would have to be able to cure Kagome! Of course! "Wait," he said, calming down. "Yeah, they could probably do it. We just have to get her to the well." He grinned genuinely this time. "I can do it. I'll run her over there, jump through, and get her to her time's healers! That'll be easy!"
"I think it's a great idea, houshi-sama," Sango said hopefully. "But there are the ronin."
"Feh." Inuyasha waved her statement away like a pesky fly. "I'll cut through them like rice paper."
"You'll need both hands to carry Kagome."
"You got a better idea?" Inuyasha yelled at Sango. "The longer we stand here yappin', the more time we waste. And Kagome doesn't have a lot of it." He looked around at Miroku, waiting for the monk to come up with some plan, and then his eyes fell on Kagome's bow. "Hey, old hag," he said to Kaede. "You still any good with a bow with only one eye?" It was a rhetorical question: he had seen Kaede shoot. Though the loss of her right eye had to have thrown off her depth perception, the old woman was still deadly enough. "You can cover me."
Miroku was nodding. "It might work. The ronin can't be strong everywhere–and they expect us to run south, not east towards the well."
"I can do it, but it would be better if we had more than one archer." Kaede looked to Sango, who shrugged. "I'll try," the demon hunter replied to her unasked question, "but I'm not very good with a bow."
"I will do it, Kaede-sama." They turned to see Ayane, the village girl. The arrow had been removed from her shoulder, which was bandaged. She was still in pain. "I'm good with a bow–my father taught me. Yes, I'm still in pain, but I shoot with my right hand." Kaede hesitated, then nodded. Ayane was a good shot: she had been considering taking Kaede's place as the village miko when the old woman passed on.
"We will help you, Inuyasha," Sango said. "We may not make it, but we can at least clear the way. And it's better than dying in one of Naraku's dungeons." Or becoming like my brother, she shuddered. No, it would be better to die here. I don't want to die, but at least if it's for Kagome-chan, then it will mean something...
"No," Kaede said firmly. "This Naraku doesn't know all. When he comes–if he comes–I shall tell him that ye already escaped. When Inuyasha gets away, it will only make the story better. Ye can hide in the shrine; I know of places."
"He might kill you," Miroku said.
Kaede shrugged again. "I am an old woman. My time to join my ancestors will come soon enough as it is."
"And the village?"
The elder squared his shoulders. "We are not without honor or knowledge, houshi-sama. Ye quest for the Shikon no Tama, and from what I have heard, yon Naraku seeks it. You young ones stand between him and that goal. It was powerful enough that many a miko of this village died to protect it–Kikyo-sama was only the most recent. If it is this village's time to make the sacrifice, then so be it."
"We're wasting time," Ayane added.
"Then you should be going, Inuyasha," Miroku said.