Disclaimer: Lalalalalala…. I can't hear you…..
Hello everybody! Is everyone well this week? Good! You know, I only have to work three days this week, so there's a good chance that next week's chapter will be on time! Wouldn't that rock?! It would, wouldn't it? Considering I have a lot of crap to do anyway! Like go see Pirates of the Caribbean and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and in a few weeks I have to go up north to see my family for a week, and then go to Wonderland…. Maybe I should do like, three chapters this week, just in case. -_- Your loyalty's going to be the death of me.
And now! The shoutouts!
Anonymous: Uh…. Well…. *is stuck* There were three kids, and two bloods to mix. So there was a half and half hanyou, like there should be, and then for some reason instead of three half and halfs, all the youkai blood went into one kid, leaving the other human. Because youkai blood is magic, and that's why we have our pretty Sesshy-sama. Ok? Well, as long as it's a good story I suppose the technicalities don't have to make sense. And like I said, scientifically, there should be no angels, demons or ghosts anyway.
Sweetdaeth: Okay, so I see your point. But all the pretty reviews make me feel special, that look, I have nearly 700 reviews! I'm loved! Squee! If you don't want to review them all, you can always buy me a Sesshoumaru plushie and I'll still feel loved. *grin* And yes, I have a list. I have this whole thing planned out. And how would you like it if I just kille dhtem all and left Naraku to rampage, eh? Or we'll just have to wait and see. And as long as she doesn't kill Lupin, I'm fine.
Silver Magiccraft: *sniff* I would love to sleep all day. Oh, wait, I did that yesterday. Ah well! I can't sleep today, oh no, no, I have to update this! *eye twtiches* I'm not crazy, I'm no crazy, I'm not crazy…
bigwooshin: Yeah, well my kitty has razor sharp claws and sharp pointy teeth! Besides, she fights with my schnauzer everyday and wins and she's about as big as my hand. She's a tough little kitty ^_^. And I'm working on the battle scenes of blood and death. There's one today, wrote it at work on my break! And I updated on Monday! Working at a Walmart Macdonald's that's never too busy gives one great benefits. I think it out all in my head, and then scribble it down on paper when I have my half and twenty. Then type it up on the computer it the three hours space I have left and woohoo! Done! *dies*
Simply Turquoise: No Mizuki stripping? Now Mizuki cries.
Kagomesjewel: Fanart? Squee! Editing? Squee! Sesshoumaru plushie? Squee! (okay, it was worth a shot)
Vold: I am so strange. And Mizuki's so loveable! My loveable little Micky! *kugs the kappa* Yeah, Kouga's a blockhead and now he's dead. It sucks that way, donnit? Loose ends intrigue the reader to keep reading. And ask questions, just in case I wrote down a quirk that I forgot about as I kept writing but you noticed and then you'd be all 'what?' and I'd be all 'oh crap' and yeah. No, Mizuki's not in Hell. He's in my closet. *bows* Thank you for more readers! Quick! Get more! Entice the minions! (fantabulous is –my- word)
ChocolateEclar: Are there any Kouga fans, except my friend who doesn't read this story and it's a pretty good thing she doesn't because I'd be so dead otherwise? But he's just the first. Others, who have more fans, will die too. Maybe I'll even dare to kill Sesshoumaru! But I won't be able to live with myself afterwards…. *sniff*
Begin Chapter
Chapter 44:
Captives
The cold atmosphere was starting to really get on Mizuki's nerves. The kappa growled as he carried the unconscious Kagome through to the eighth gate, shooting glares at the content trespasser beside him, the blood having vanished form them both.
"You didn't have to kill him." Mizuki muttered for an unnumbered time. "You could have just broken his legs or something so he couldn't follow us. Killing him was a fuckin' much, eh?"
The trespasser didn't answer, knowing the kappa's questions were more rhetorical self mutterings rather then directed at him. The two demons continued to walk through the desert of Hell in silence, interrupted solely by the kappa glaring over at the trespasser, muttered curses every once in a while.
The trespasser saw the near-silence close to a blessing.
"Ah…" a third voice broke the silence suddenly as Kagome groaned, slowly coming around. Both Mizuki and the trespasser stopped as the blue-haired demon carefully lowered the girl to the ground, leaning her against a rock. The girl slumped forward and put a hand to her head weakly.
"Guh I…. Where am… what's go… what…" She rubbed at her temples, before opening her eyes and looking at them, blinking dumbly. She shook her head slightly, gripping it tightly. "Who… you… the demons…. You…"
"Hey woman, I got a name!" Mizuki and then sniffed. "It's Mizuki."
"Mizu…. Kagome muttered before grabbing her head in her hands and curling as if she was punched strongly in the gut. "Inu-Yasha…." She shook her head, still in her hands, and curled up into a tight little ball, her fingers twitching in her hair.
Mizuki looked at her and then at his partner, his look having changed from anger to confusion. "Ne, has she gone insane?"
"No…" The trespasser looked at Kagome curiously. "not crazy…" It crashed out a clawed hand and the curled up girl shrank even tighter into her ball with a small noise, trembling slightly. The trespasser's eyes lit up with an unnatural, hungry light as it pulled it's hand back. "I don't believe it…!" It hissed, grinning. "This is… this is excellent!"
Mizuki eyed the trespasser, Kagome, and then trespasser again, wondering if both of his company had lost their marbles. "Eh, listen Broody, all this scheming thing has either gotta come into the light or else. Now what the hell are you talking about this time?"
The trespasser looked at Mizuki calmly. "Yet something else beyond your power of intelligence to understand, kappa." It said silkily, "but to be put bluntly, the Reborn has managed to establish a connection with the threeblood, which indicates that he was at least managed to reinstate his consciousness. Also, there is this matter that you may find interesting…" Raising it's hand again, it brought it near Kagome to shrank up again. But this time the demon brought it's hand close enough to touch her and Mizuki was astonished to see sparks cackle around the trespasser's claws.
"Wha-what is that?" Miuzki sword silently. The trespasser brought it's hand to towards it's body, rubbing it's afflicted appendage as if burnt.
"That, Mizuki, is a sign that already the three existences are crumbling. No doubt Naraku's minions have killed a large amount of angels and quite possible destroyed all but one of the mortal's Keys."
"Fuck, you're joking." Mizuki swore, glancing over at the girl. "You mean…"
"The three existences are melding into one. Because of this, demons, angels and mortals alike can use their powers in all three planes. It will also be extremely dangerous because it means that Naraku's powerful minions, many of which carry the shards of the Keyjewel, will have their power increased tenfold. That was what you were going to say, right shin'nyu?"
Both demons turned around to see an oddly dressed man standing behind him, a sword hanging loosely over his shoulder, a strange smile on his painted face. Mizuki heared a growling noise and glanced at the trespasser, who seemed a bit peeved at the mortal's appearance. The shadow demon caught Mizuki's curious look and stopped growling, coughing in his throat.
"Okay, who are you?" Mizuki asked plain and simply. The man straightened himself up and grinned disarmingly. "I'm Jakotsu, of the Seven!"
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Mizuki asked in disbelief. "Or off chasing after some guy's ass? What are you doing here?"
Jakotsu glared at Mizuki before swinging his sword around dramatically and pointing at Kagome. "That." He said, wrinkling his nose. "I need the woman to get Inu-kun. So please be a good hottie and hand her over."
"Now waitaminute, I'm not handing any girl over to- hottie? Inu-kun?" Mizuki blinked a bit, his poor brain working fast at trying to decipher all this information at once. Jakotsu frowned.
"Well, not really a hottie I guess since you're green… I don't really like green… but you have a braid that looks a lot like Ani-ki's… Oh I can't tell!" The gay man stomped a foot on the ground, whining like a six-year-old. Mizuki's head hurt.
"Dammit, what are you doing here? You can't have the Reborn!" The trespasser interrupted the odd conversation that was beginning with a hiss. Jakotsu looked at him curiously.
"So why are you here? Aren't you not supposed to kill her?" the asked accusingly.
"Okay, okay, just a sec…" Mizuki held up his hands before the other demon could say anything. "You know this freak?"
Jakotsu glared at him and crosse dhis arms, huffing. "I am not a freak, green-skin. I mean, look at you! You're like a frog! Definetly not a hottie."
"Hey, was I talking to you?" Mizuki growled. "I don't want your opinions as to whether I'm sexy or not1 I got enough ladies telling me that. Now bugger off, freak!"
"You work for Sesshoumaru, right?" Jakotsu said bluntly.. "Well, the shin'nyu works for Naraku! I know because he used to keep us locked up and he'd talk to Ani'ki! He's name's Kuro-michi, I think."
Mizuki's eyes hardened. "Naraku?" He spun around. "You work for Naraku? You fucking liar, you work for that prick?! Have you been feeding him information, is that why he keeps avoiding us?! EH?!" He grabbed the trespasser by the throat and threw him against the ground.
"Mizuki, wait! How do you know he's even telling the truth?" The demon stood up, holding a hand out. Jakotsu smirked.
"Because, Kuro-michi, even if I'm lying I know one important thing: trespassers can't lie. So go on Mizuki-kun, ask him." The mortal said with a self-satisfying smirk.
"Call me that again and I'll rip out your throat." Mizuki muttered before turning back to the trespasser. "Well? Do you work for Naraku? Have you worked for Naraku? Have you ever even spoken to him? Answer!" He brought the spear dangerously close to the trespasser's neck. Kuro-michi backed up.
"Yes, I have worked for him and yes, I have spoken with him." The demon hissed. "But no, I no longer work for him, although he may think otherwise. And no, before you ask it, I have no contact with anyone that works with him, nor have I recently."
"How do I know that?" Mizuki said, pressing the steel blade of his trident against the trespasser's throat, backing into another one of the large boulders. "That you're not mentally having conversations with other guys that work for Naraku, eh? Answer me that?!"
"Because trespassers can only communicate telepathically with other trespassers!" Kuro-michi hissed, grabbing the trident's prongs and pushing them away. "And before you ask, my sister is the only I have spoken to, the only I can speak to. We are the last, she and I. There are no other trespassers, so get over it!"
Mizuki blinked before he registered exactly what the trespasser had said. Seeing the kappa's realization, the trespasser shoved the trident into the dirt. "And if your finished with your childish and predictable tirades, Jakotsu has just taken off with the Reborn."
"What?!" Mizuki spun around to see the empty spot where he had rested the girl. "Aw shit…"
"Shit is right Mizuki, and if you weren't so easy to manipulate then we wouldn't be have this problem here. And now our Reborn is as good as gone to us, for Jakotsu will surely kill her the moment he gets."
"No." A voice made them both turn, warily, to start at what was behind them. Inu-Yasha stood there, blood, others and his own, spattered across his face, bare chest, torn pants, frazzled hair. Scratches, slashes and scars decorated his body, along with stripes along his arms and two on either side of his face. His claws were long, curved and deadly and his ears were sharper-looking too, except for that one was half-torn. His eyes were hard and he looked off into the distance, as if seeing something they couldn't see. He growled, glaring his frightening clear red eyes into the bleak desert.
"Not any more."
The group walked through the desert in silence, no one really feeling like talking. The wolf soldiers were humbled by the sight of their dead leader and Shippo and Sango were shaking from what had happened. Kirrara and Netsuna were the only ones who seemed unaffected, walking steadily and glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes.
One of the wolf soldiers suddenly started sniffing suddenly before pointing ahead, at a prone form that could be seen. "Hey, over there, it's the threeblood!"
Everyone looked at each other before breaking into a run towards the lump. As they got closers it could obviously be identified as the red garb the threeblood wore, the red covering almost all of the body.
"Kami…" Sango whispered as they got closer.
Inu-Yasha's body was pratically in pieces, it was cut up so bad. He seemed to have returned to his normal self, both his ears intact and droopy, all markings gone, his claws smaller and duller. But he was lying was seemed to be a pool an inch deep of his own blood and in some of the deeper cuts his bones and tendons were visible. Many of the wolves wrinkled their nose at the heavy smell of the blood, Sango buried her head in Miroku's chest and Shippo just plain fainted.
"Inu-Yasha?" Miroku stepped down from Kirrara, handing the shaken Sango to the large cat and going up to his friend. Examining his wounds, and taking a swift intake of breath, his felt for a pluse, a breath, anything, then tried shaking his friend awake.
No avail.
"Inu-Yasha!" Miroku all but slapped the threeblood across the face. Not sure whether to be thankful he was normal again or to worry to death about the fact that the guardian angel didn't seem to be breathing, the monk just started to panic.
"You hang around Shippo too much." Netsuna said, as Kirrara came up between the demon and the threeblood, Sango leaning against her. Netsuna looked suspiciously at the angel, who ignored her and prodded Inu-Yasha with one flaming paw, making small growling noises.
"That really doesn't look good." One of the wolf soldiers said. "Hey bouzo, think you can fix him?" He looked at Miroku expectantly. The monk clenched his beaded, clothed fist.
"I'm a monk, not a healer!" He said, looking at the disturbingly large amount of blood around the half-angel. "I can't do anything about this!"
The wolf demon shrugged and started whistling 'It's the end of the world as we know it' without even trying to be discreet. One of his companions elbowed him hard in the ribs to silence him when everyone else started glaring.
"So we can't fix him?" Shippo asked, poking one of the wounds on Inu-Yasha's arm. Miroku shook his head.
"Not unless but some miracle of fate a doctor suddenly shows up." He said despairingly.
"Well, you're in luck then." A quiet voice said suddenly, turning them all around. "I just happen to be a doctor."
Everyone turned around to see a mild-mannered, middle-aged man dressed in simple and ancient clothes that held and extremely suspicious air about him. Kirrara stepped protectively in front of everyone and growled. The self-proclaimed doctor looked alarmed.
"Oh, no, please don't see me as a threat." He said, holding his hands up. "I'm not sure how I would come about as suspicious but I was walking around here wondering where I was and I saw your group and went to talk to you about where I was and then I overhead that oyu needed a doctor and, well, I am a doctor so I =though you might need my help."
Netsuna and Miroku both raised eyebrows and looked at each other. Shippo, who had woken up and was clinging to the monk's shoulder like a lifeline, glared at the stranger, bristling.
"It's quite possibly a trap." Netsuna whispered, not taking her eyes off of the nervous strange, who looked as though he realized he had just walked into a snake pit. "You guys should be the only mortals here, but with the balance screwed up, who knows? It's a 50/50 chance either way and we," she glanced at Inu-Yasha's body for a second," "can't afford to take any chances."
Before Miroku could answer, a familiar jangling caused his head to turn. Sango, who was leaning on his staff he had lent her, was moving forward, leaning on the staff heavily. The three rings in the loop at the top were clinking together, making the musical noise. She began to move forward, ignoring Kirrara's warning, watching the stranger carefully as she walked towards him.
Everyone had gone silent, watching all this save for Kirrara's light growls and Shippo's trembling, watching as Sango made her way to the stranger. She paused beside him, watching him like a child watches a man at a train station.
"Are you really a doctor?" Sango asked. The man nodded fearfully. "Can you really help him?" She indicated Inu-Yasha's prone form. The doctor looked at the threeblood's body and cringed.
"Well, I'm not really sure, seeing that he's a demon and his wounds are pretty severe and I never said I was a good doctor, just that I am and I'm not a surgeon or anyth-"
"Can you?"
The doctor cringed and looked at the girl who watched him blankly. "I can try."
Sango seemed to relax and smiled a bit. "Thank you. I'm Taichisa Sango." She held out her hand in greeting.
"Suikotsu." The man smiled handsomely and took her hand. Just as they shook and shriek periced the air.
"Kyyaaaaa!!!! Miroku! Quick! Kill him! Air Rip, stab him, use those cursey-things, I don't care just kill him fast!" Shippo squealed, hiding behind his task.
"Shippo, what are you talking about?" Miroku asked, trying to pry the frantic kit off of him.
"That's a Shichinin-tai!" Shippo pointed an accusing finger at the shocked doctor. "Him! He's gonna kill us! This is a trap!"
"…kotsu…. Of course that why the name sounded familier!" Netsuna realized. "Dammit Sango, get away from there!"
Sango's face paled as she realized what was going on, but before she could move the hand holding hers tightened it's grip and pulled her sharply, causing her to lose her balance. Another hand grabbed her other arm in a strong grip, holding her there helplessly.
"Sango!" Miroku shouted, looking in fear. The calm, handsome doctor seemed to have just transformed into his huge, hideous, giant of a man, with one arm around Sango's neck and the other hand holding her arm in a death grip. The evil Suikotsu grinned.
"Of course, no one thinks the doctor is evil." He grinned, chuckling. "And everyone would feel compassion for their friend lying on the ground. The same should be happening to the threeblood in reality soon, once he meets Jakotsu."
Everyone looked back to see the 'body' of Inu-Yasha vanish, nothing more than an illusion. "Oh, don't worry, Jakotsu will probably kill him cleaner than that. You guys, I'm afraid, are going to die messy and slowly." He tightened his grip on Sango's arm and she winced.
"You bastard, let her go!" Miroku said, stepping forward. The man squeezed even harder, causing Sango to cry out in pain. "I wouldn't take another step closer, if I were you." he warned. "Or the girl dies messily. If you want her to die quickly and painlessly, then don't move."
Miroku froze, undecided as to what to do.
"Miroku, get out of here!" Sango shouted. "Go save Kagome-chan and Inu-Yasha! Hurry! Don't worry about me!"
"Shut up girl!" Suikotsu growled, tightening his grip around her neck and arm. Sango winced, but didn't stop.
"Go! Now! We can't do anything if we're all dead!" She shouted and Suikotsu glared at her.
"That's it." Suikotsu said, raising Sango up by her one arm, dangling her in the air. "You're shutting up now." He said, twisting his hand violently. A sharp crack was heard and Sango let out a small cry, but nothing more as the Shichinin-tai member dropped her to the ground.
"Sango!" Miroku said, taking a step forward but Suikotsu grabbed her neck, grinning maliciously. "Don't move monk, or I won't break her arm next time…."
"…I'll break her neck." Jakotsu said threateningly, holding Kagome hostage, one hard around her neck. Inu-Yasha growled, knowing that the Keyjewel was making the gay man stronger. Jakotsu smiled as he held Kagome as far away from him as possible.
"You see Inu-kun? It's hopeless. Now why don't you give up the girl and come with me, I can promise you a much better time and…" he trailed off, noting that Inu-Yasha didn't even seem to be listening to him. "ne?"
"Let her go." Inu-Yasha growled. "Let her go and I might let you live."
"Oh?" Suikotsu sneered. "I don't think you're one to make idle threats, little man."
"I'm not making idle threats." Miroku said, his eyes having darkened. "I'm making real ones."
"really?" Jakotsu raised an eyebrow.
"Really." Inu-Yasha snarled. "Now…"
"I'm only going to say this once more…" Miroku said, taking a step forward.
"Let her go."
End Chapter 44
Whee! I'm dancing like a monkey! I've been working too hard, watched too much of Monster Inc and Jungle Book 2 thanks to work, got sick, have realized that I read twenty-five freakin' webcomics and I can't even remember them all and have a headache as big as Tetsusaiga. But….
I got to watch a bunch of new episodes of Inu-Yasha! Ye gods, it was wonderful and confusing all at the same time. But I got to see Japanese Jakotsu! Squee-hee!
*ahem* Anyway, on with the shoutouts! And then I'll die. X_X
diamondtigress: You thought is was gonna be Kagome? Really? Nope, I killed a minor little character nobody cares about. Ha!
Litwolf689: You're sad and then happy again? Now I'm scared…
Megu-chan: What if I kill Kagome AND Inu-Yasha? Would that be any better? And isn't the 'dying-while-=saving-the-world-and-killing-badguy' thing kinda overdone? I mean, sure that's what I'm hinting at, but are you sure that's what I'm really doing?
Stephi: You frighten me to no end. ^_^
Chanin: Yep, Kouga dies. Poor Kouga. Poor, poor… okay, I'm not saying poor Kouga any more! I killed him and thought it was kinda funy! Because I can't stand him! Especially since I can't figure out if it's actually his tail or just part of his outfit! DAMN YOU KOUGA! You make me think too hard! *cries*
Kumokuro: Well nya! Silly American. I'm a proud Canuk! Even though I live near Toronto, which is just a bunch of yankee wannabes.
link no miko: well, Mizuki's a manly kappa! *said Mizuki puffs out his chest* Yeah, I can't believe Miroku didn't try that either. But eh, surprises. And yes, I wrote the S/M moment and thought of you. That scares me. Stop that. And actually it was Shippo that used his powers. Remember how he set that soldier's foot on fire? Shippo's an angel, remember. A Mizuki fanclub? Really? *jumps up and down excitedly* A character I created has a fanclub! Squee! And the whistling part I originally wasn't planning to put in, and I really shouldn't have because now it's not as funny, But if I hadn't I would have forgotten it. So meh. And your lemon quote ruled too. I made mine up on the spot. Laughing is fun. And yes, Mizuki stripping! Maybe I'll actually draw a picture of that… Anyone who wants a picture of Mizuki stripping, shout! I'm out!
So, no real need for preview, it's just a two-way fighting scene, Miroku vs Suikotsu and Inu vs. Jakotsu. Yay, fighting!
~Ama
Quotey: "Everyone likes men." "Not lesbians." "Lesbians like men. Just really pretty men. Look at anime." – overhead somewhere (let's say an elevator, even though it wasn't)
Also: "Little do they know that –I– control them."