Chapter 15

After telling his friends all that he knew about Kimi, they and the old lady set out for Kimi's palace. A part of his brain was screaming for him to turn back, but his innate stubbornness kept him going. He was not going to appear weak a second time, and he had a score to settle with that witch! Imprisoning him, turning him into a child, a dozen other things, oh, she'd pay all right! When he was done with her, she'd be lucky if she could charm away warts, let alone cast a magic spell.

"What's the matter?" Kagome asked as they flew back. Kirara was giving them all a ride since Kioko was anxious to see her son.

"Just thinking about that witch."

"Oh," she said thoughtfully. "Did she ever tell you what she wanted you for?"

Inuyasha went to answer, but found that he couldn't. He didn't know exactly what she had wanted him or any demonother for since she had never really explained.

"Oh, I can tell you," Kioko said, turning her head back to regard them both.

"What do you mean? You know why she's been kidnapping demons?" Kagome asked.

"What other reason would she have?" Kioko said. "She's been kidnapping demons for the power they emanate. Their very proximity to her would allow her to harvest it for her own use. The only reason you haven't noticed it is because she hasn't taken very much from you since she has so many demons around her. She could use a pinch from each a day, and they wouldn't notice for a good long time. By the time the demons did notice, they would have been too weak to really hurt her. As long as they continue living, demons give off energy that sorcerers can harvest."

Kagome felt Inuyasha shudder. Full demons could kill sorcerers easily, but for him it would be a challenge. They were mortal, but they dealt with magic. That was never a good combination since mortals didn't always know when to quit and often made mistakes, sometimes trapping others in those mistakes with them. He hoped that Kimi would be a pushover once they learned her weakness.

"So any ideas?" he asked, glaring at the older woman. "How are we gonna defeat her? I don't even know if she's vulnerable."

Kioko cackled. "My, listen to the lad!" she said. "Whose face was I washing just this afternoon, hmm? So grown up all of a sudden! Ha, ha, ha!"

"Come on, this is serious!" he almost snapped. Couldn't he get her to tell him anything he could use against Kimi? "We need to know all we can about her so we can stop her!"

"Ah, not to worry, lad, not to worry," Kioko said, fighting off laughter. "Her weakness is her power-remove her from the source of it, get her far enough away, battle her, and she will be helpless!"

"That simple, huh?" Inuyasha muttered, looking to his friends for their opinions.

"It seems as if it might work," Sango admitted, watching the terrain below.

"I agree," Miroku said thoughtfully.

"Don't you think that's a little too simple?" Inuyasha demanded before Kagome could give her thoughts on the matter. "She's probably thought of that and done something to protect herself!"

"Somehow I doubt that," Kioko said. "Kimi is very proud-if no one has attacked her so far, then she thinks no one will. If one demon rebels, that doesn't mean he'll rebel with friends at his side! No, the strategy I told you about will most likely work."

"But how will we get her to leave the castle?" Sango asked.

"And how do we make sure Tala doesn't try to help her?" Kagome put in.

"Simple," Miroku said, grinning. "We use bait."

Space

NO, came Shippo's voice over the walkie-talkie. Have you seen that guy's teeth? There's no way I'm distracting him for you! He'll bite me in two!

"Come on, Shippo," Kagome pleaded to the little kitsune. "We need a diversion so we can trap Kimi."

Then use a net to trap her and hang her from a tree! Wolves can't jump too high!

"Tala can," Kioko said, supplying Kagome with needed ammunition.

Kagome smiled her thanks and kept pleading with Shippo.

"Okay, so we've got Tala taken care of, at least we do once that little runt agrees," Inuyasha said, scratching one ear. "How are we going to lure Kimi away?"

Oh, ALL RIGHT! Shippo snapped. BUT YOU OWE ME BIG!

"Thank you, Shippo," Kagome said sweetly. "I'll call you back once we finish hashing out the plans."

Shippo muttered something noncommittal and cut off contact. Kagome smiled. "You just have to know what to promise him, that's all," she said happily.

"So what did you use to bribe him?" Sango asked, interested.

Kagome grinned. "Candy. What else?"

Inuyasha almost rolled his eyes. "Okay, so we've taken care of Tala. What about Kimi? How are we going to. . ." he trailed off, wondering why everyone was staring at him. It hit a moment later. "ME?"

"Who else?" Kagome asked. "You're the first one to get away and break her spell, of course she'll want you back! She sees you, you run, she follows. Simple, see?"

Inuyasha kept staring. "That could go seriously wrong," he said, beginning to head out of the cave they were camped in.

"SIT, BOY!"

Wham.

"What'd you do that for?" he demanded.

"Weren't you running away?" Kagome asked, surprised.

"NO! I was going out to see how much darkness we have left!"

"Oh. Whoops. Sorry!"

Inuyasha just glared at her.