Sorry for not having updated in so long. I will try as hard as I can to write as fast as I can and publish as soon as I can and finish as soon as I can and then take a nice, long break and I'm going to stop babbling now so you can read the story…
Disclaimer: For the sake of the 4.19 in my pocket, no, I do not own Inuyasha. Satisfied?
Raori spent the rest of that night packing up things that they'd need on their way – food, blankets, some extra weapons, the usual. She wasn't used to packing so much, but this time there were humans to look out for. When she'd finished packing she set everything by the front gates and made sure she'd tucked the map away in her own pack. She then prepared a quick breakfast for the humans, knowing that they would be hungry. Humans were always hungry.
When they had eaten and gathered up their things, they set off, the dim rays of sunlight from the east barely lighting their path enough to see. It was a beautiful sunrise, and they enjoyed it in silence as they walked along.
As they neared the edge of his lands, Sesshomaru became wary. Once they crossed the border into foreign territories, there was no ensuring their safety. They'd have to keep both eyes on the lookout for danger. In his own realm, the demon lord had nothing to fear – all there were under his command and would never start a fight against their own ruler. But in other lands he held no power over the occupants, and disaster could descend upon them before they even realized anything was wrong.
At Miroku's suggestion, they decided to walk rather than rush, for if danger did come upon them they would have to be ready for it. Why waste energy in running and then perish in a fight for lack of energy? So they walked on, moving through the forested lands near the border of the Western Lands. They didn't bother to stop for lunch – the humans ate as they walked.
All things considered, it was actually a very boring day.
However, in the late afternoon, they were interrupted. A wind-blade smashed its way through the forest and shot towards the little group. Raori dodged it easily, watching with a hint of curiosity as the strange attack slashed through the trees behind her, sending them tumbling to the ground. She spun around to face their attacker, her eyes narrowed, crouched in a fighting stance.
Kagura rose to meet her, smirking at them haughtily. The demoness's fan was raised and ready, waiting for them to make a move.
Raori blurred in movement and attacked her, knocking the fan from her fingers. It fell to the ground. Before Shippo could scamper over and snatch it up, Kanna appeared standing over it, staring at him out of lifeless white eyes. The small fox-demon backed away from the little girl, swallowing nervously as she scooped up her sister's fan, never taking her eyes off him.
Inuyasha moved to stand in front of Kagome, Miroku doing the same for Sango. Kagura managed to throw Raori back, and the taiyoukai moved to stand beside Sesshomaru, her eyes evaluating their two enemies. As Kanna went to stand beside her sister, handing Kagura her fan, a third figure emerged from behind them. Kohaku. The boy's eyes were glassy with the power of the shard in his back, and he stared vacantly at the group, weapon in hand. Sango drew in a sharp breath, her grip tightening around her own weapon at the sight of her brother.
Kagura's eyes were on Raori, the only one in the group she couldn't recognize. Whoever the new demon was, she obviously knew how to fight. This was going to be a long, hard battle. The wind-demoness grimaced, cursing Naraku silently as she sent out another attack, striving to hit the group's newest member. Raori simply dodged the attack, her eyes on Kagura's, the force of her glare sending Kagura back a step. A long, hard battle indeed.
Kanna faced off Kagome, who gritted her teeth nervously. The pale girl's only weapon was her mirror, but it was far more powerful than it looked.
A moment later, Raori appeared beside the teenager, having dodged another of Kagura's wind attacks. "What does it do?" she asked quietly, nodding at the mirror.
"It sucks out your soul," Kagome answered quietly. "Don't let her get ahold of yours. I've already had mine taken once before, it's not something you want to happen to you—"
Suddenly Kanna turned and flashed the mirror straight at Inuyasha, who had snuck up behind her, Tetsusaiga in hand. He froze in an instant and dropped the sword with a clatter. His eyes went vacant and a moan escaped his throat. Kagome screamed as his eyes began to glass over. Sesshomaru glanced up, his eyes seeking out his half-brother. He narrowed his eyes, exchanging a glance with Raori. Silently communicating a plan to each other, they blurred into action, working as quickly as they could.
Sesshomaru attacked Kanna from one side, drawing her attention as she used her mirror to reflect his attacks and protect herself. While the mirror's power was directed elsewhere, Raori quickly knelt and quickly picked up Tetsusaiga, ignoring the sizzling burn it gave off as it rejected her.
Because Kanna's mirror was pointing elsewhere, she couldn't use it to protect her this time. She stood with her back to Raori, completely exposed to attack, trying to fend off Sesshomaru and capture Inuyasha's soul at the same time. Leaving her back open like that would cost her her life.
Before the little girl even knew what was happening, the long sword had slashed straight through her. Her little mirror remained untouched. As the young girl's body softly disintegrated, the looking glass fell to the ground and broke into thousands of pieces, shattering from life forever.
Inuyasha woke abruptly from his stupor, turning to stare at Raori and his brother, realizing that they had saved his life. Raori quickly threw the Tetsusaiga away from her, wincing slightly at the burns on her hand from where she had held it. The sword sank into the ground at Inuyasha's feet. He picked it up resolutely, turning to face their other two enemies with a fierce determination.
Kagura was frozen in place, staring at the shattered pieces of the mirror. Her little sister… defeated? How did that happen?
She lowered her fan, turning her eyes on Raori again. Her red eyes glittered thoughtfully as she considered the newcomer. Just who exactly was this girl?
Meanwhile, Sango was busy facing off her brother. It obviously wasn't easy, for her face was streaked slightly with tears and her fingers were white from gripping her sword too hard. She attacked with all her might, though, and seemed determined to defeat Kohaku.
Raori moved to stand beside Sesshomaru, the only other true demon in their group. "What does the boy have to do with Sango?" she asked, nodding to the two exterminators.
"I believe he is her brother," Sesshomaru replied quietly. "There is a shard embedded in his back. It gives Naraku full control over the boy. The only way to set him free is to remove the shard. As a result, the boy will then die." He glanced back at the fight, shaking his heads. "Humans let emotions get in their way too often. This is a perfect example."
Raori watched the fight thoughtfully. Soon Sango got the upper hold, managing to hold Kohaku down for long enough to get the shard out of his back.
The boy immediately went limp in her arms.
Sango let out a cry of pain and collapsed over his body, tears streaming down her face. Miroku was kneeling beside her, as was Kagome, and both tried to console her the best they could. Inuyasha's fists were clenched at the injustice of it all. Kagura even got a slightly sad look in her eyes as she watched the two exterminators.
Raori and Sesshomaru were the only ones who seemed unaffected by the death of the boy – Sesshomaru was a stoic as ever, uncaring and cold. Kagome noticed this and gave him a teary glare, one that plainly said 'don't you care at all?'
He ignored her, glancing at Raori. The demoness was silent, watching the exterminators with thoughtful eyes. Noticing Sesshomaru's gaze on her, she glanced back up at him, quietly speaking over the sobs that now echoed through the clearing.
"Lord Sesshomaru," she said to him quietly, "I seem to recall having heard in some tale or another of a certain sword you possess. It is said to have the power of healing. Do you carry that sword with you?"
Sesshomaru nodded, knowing immediately what she wanted him to do.
"He is human," the demon lord said coldly. "Humans die. It happens every day. I need not concern myself in these matters."
Raori sighed. "I understand," she said, her eyes on Sango. "But we are now allied to these humans, however inconvenient that may be. We have offered them our assistance. We may as well give it now, while they need it most." She nodded at the two grief-stricken girls. Shippo had come out from hiding and was beside Kagome, small tears on his face, as well. Kirara was mewing mournfully, nudging Kohaku as if trying to get him to wake up.
"The human is not essential to them," Sesshomaru shot back, ever adamant.
"He is," she corrected. "You said it yourself – humans let emotions get in their way too often. If the exterminator Sango is so wracked with grief, she will be distracted when she fights and will most likely be killed in battle. The loss of her brother will affect all of the humans, and the fox-demon as well. In a way, he is essential to them." She turned her eyes back on Sesshomaru. "Besides, another addition to our group couldn't hurt, could it?"
Sesshomaru sighed. He hated the thought of helping a human, but he had to admit, Raori was right. And so it was that the stony, uncaring Lord of the Western Lands came to stand above Kohaku's body across from Sango, Tenseiga unsheathed.
Sango looked up, confused, tears still flowing from her eyes. Before she could ask what he was doing, he had swiped the air three times above the boy's body. To their amazement, Kohaku gasped and jerked upright, eyes shooting open to stare around him in shock. He glanced around, confused, and his eyes fell on Sango. She stared at him for a full minute before realizing what had happened.
Sesshomaru backed away again, sheathing the grand sword, as Sango wept over Kohaku, this time shedding tears of joy. The boy smiled, slowly remembering what had happened to him, and hugged her back. Then he got to his feet, facing Sesshomaru. "Thank you for helping me," he said respectfully.
Sango glanced up at Sesshomaru, her eyes still teary. "Thank you, Sesshomaru," she said gratefully, getting to her feet beside Kohaku and putting her hand on her brother's shoulder.
The demon lord merely inclined his head to them slightly, remaining silent. Raori smiled to herself from behind him, knowing that he had done the right thing. As Sango introduced her brother to the rest of the group, she turned to glance at Kagura, who was smiling slightly, her fan lowered, not even moving to attack.
"Well?" Raori asked calmly. "What about you? Aren't you going to attack us?"
Kagura shook her head. "No. Actually… I would ask something of you."
Immediately suspicious, Raori narrowed her eyes. "What? Are you not on the side of the enemy? What makes you think I would do something for you?"
"If you would help me, I would assist whatever cause you may have. I will do as you command, and be as your ally, a member of the group that follows you. All I ask is that you do this one thing for me. Would you hear my request?" she asked.
Raori nodded.
"Kill Naraku."
Everyone blinked at that – they hadn't expected that answer. Kagura explained, clenching her fists. "I am a slave to that sick half-demon. He holds my heart in his hands, and against him I have no power. I wish nothing more than to be away from him, to have my heart and free will back in my possession. I merely ask you for my freedom."
They glanced at each other. Kagome was nodding encouragingly. Raori considered Kagura for a moment, her eyes thoughtful. "We already strive to do such, if I understand the miko correctly," she said, nodding at Kagome. "But if you wish to accompany us and lend your help, I would gladly accept."
Kagura nodded. "I thank you," she said gratefully. "I will do all I can to help."
"We aren't going directly afer Naraku," Kagome said, glad that the wind-demoness was on their side now. "We are going after the last shard first. It's held by this guy named Takinoshi. Have you ever heard of him?"
"No," Kagura replied, shaking her head. "But it is a good plan. If anything could draw Naraku out of hiding, it would be you getting hold of the last shard. I will come with you, if you wish, and help you obtain this shard. I can tell Naraku that I am going out after it to try and find it before you do. Now that Kanna's mirror is gone, he cannot spy on me – he will not know that I am with you."
Raori smiled slightly, more comfortable with another demon on the team. She turned from Kagura to look at Kohaku, her eyes softening slightly. She knelt before him so that her eyes were level with his and put a hand on his shoulder. "I would have you come as well, young exterminator," she said softly. "Are you up to the job?"
Kohaku nodded, standing straight. "I will come," he said firmly. Sango stood beside him, smiling at Raori.
Kagome grinned. "Awesome!" she exclaimed. "We should leave as soon as we can. Are you guys ready to go now?" She glanced at Kagura. "You don't have to report to Nararku or anything, do you?"
"Yes, I do," Kagura said, her face clouding with hatred. "Do not worry, I will be sure he suspects nothing. I will go tonight, when it gets dark."
They set off, Kohaku walking with Sango as she told him everything that had happened since he was pulled into Naraku's grasp. He listened silently, glad to be free and with his sister again, stroking Kirara as he walked. Inuyasha walked with Kagome, thinking over everything that had happened. Miroku walked with Shippo, talking quietly to the little kitsune.
The three demons walked together in silence, leading the way. Each had their own thoughts, and none spoke aloud. They kept to themselves, walking alone, half alert for danger but not expecting any more that day. The sun was already close to setting, and the forest was settling down as its creatures prepared for nightfall.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
They stopped when it became too dark for the humans to navigate. Kagura disappeared into the darkness to seek out Naraku, promising to be back by morning.
They settled down in a clearing for the night. Shippo slept in the corner of Kagome's sleeping bag, which she fell asleep in almost immediately. Sango settled down beside Kirara and her brother. Miroku leaned contentedly against a tree and drifted off. Inuyasha leapt up into a tree and watched over them, soon falling asleep himself, leaving the two remaining demons to themselves.
They didn't speak, but maintained the silence that had gone between them ever since they'd started walking. Raori leaned back against a tree and sighed, shutting her eyes. Sesshomaru did the same, closng his eyes and immersing himself in his own thoughts.
Finally Raori spoke. "So, do you think we can do it?" she asked skeptically.
Sesshomaru glanced up. "Defeat Naraku, you mean?"
She nodded, cracking an eye open to glance at him.
"I believe it is possible," he said after a moment. "Not probable, but possible."
She nodded. "That's what I thought you'd say."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
When Kagura returned the next morning, she explained to them that she was free to do as she wished, having Naraku's permission to stay out as long as she had to. He didn't suspect that she would betray him, although he did mourn the loss of Kanna and Kohaku, both gone in the same day.
Once the humans had eaten, they gathered everything up and prepared for their departure. Today they chose to move faster, wanting to get to the shard as soon as possible. Kirara transformed, carrying Sango, Kohaku, and Miroku on her back. Kagura pulled out her feather, settling down upon it and letting Shippo join her atop it. He was obviously fascinated by the contraption.
Sesshomaru and Raori simply leapt into the air. Inuyasha followed with Kagome, following the two demons as Kirara and Kagura soared above him. They made pretty good time like that, traveling north as fast as they could. When Inuyasha and Kirara grew too tired to go any further, they stopped for the night.
The humans rested quietly, but the three demons needed no sleep, so they sat awake and spoke amongst themselves for a while.
"The odds are against us, I believe," Kagura sighed. "Naraku is incredibly powerful, and cunning beyond all means. It takes a lot of effort to get anything past him. He probably suspects that we are after the shard, and he will probably intervene at some point."
"And we have more to worry about than just him," Raori reminded them. "What about Takinoshi himself, the one with the shard? He is not one to give up power readily. My guess is that we will have to fight him for it. The problem is, we don't know anything about him."
"Which means we must prepare for anything," Sesshomaru said quietly.
"Exactly."
Kagura sighed. "There is so much that could go wrong," she said, shaking her head. "But I do not see that we have any other choice."
"No, I don't think we do," Raori agreed. "We have to do this. Get the shard from Takinoshi – a task in itself – and lure Naraku out. Then we have to defeat him and put the jewel together."
There was silence for a second.
"Do you really think we can do it?" Kagura asked uncertainly.
"It would be easier to slay Naraku if we could coordinate our attacks," Sesshomaru commented. "Become as a single group, rather than a bunch of individuals alongside one another."
"Meaning we'd have to train with each other," Kagura finished. "It makes sense to me."
"We may as well start now," Raori said, rising to her feet. "Come, let us see what we can all do."
They worked with each other until morning, learning everything there was to know about the others' attacks. It would've been easier with a live target, but they had to make do with a large dead tree sitting in their path. Kagura and Raori spent the better part of the morning discussing tactics. Sesshomaru sat quietly and listened, having never been the social type, but threw in the occasional suggestion or piece of advice.
They moved on again that morning, the demons moving in silence as they usually did. However, this morning their minds were whirring busily, thinking up strategies and plans for how their attacks could be used to their advantage. It made the going seem to take less time and made it feel less tiresome.
That night, however, they found that they had an audience.
"Aren't you gonna sleep?" Inuyasha barked at them, obviously annoyed that they were keeping him awake.
"No," Sesshomaru said flatly.
Inuyasha threw him a silent glare.
Raori intervened, slightly annoyed at the ever-present hostility between the two. "Being true demons, we have no need for sleep," she said quietly, "so we decided to do something useful while the humans rested. We are working to coordinate our attacks so as to be more powerful in battle. You are free to join us." She ignored the glare Sesshomaru sent her way and nodded to the half-demon. "It would do you good to learn to fight with us. We have already agreed to fight alongside you against this Naraku – the least we can do is be prepared."
Grudgingly, Inuyasha leapt down, drawing Tetsusaiga. They took turns displaying their various attacks. As they watched each other, they strove to think up strategies that could be used in battle.
To everyone's surprise, Inuyasha was the first one to think of an idea. He pointed out that although Tetsusaiga had a great attack – Cutting Wind – someone like Naraku always seemed to be fast enough to move away before it could hit. He suggested that Kagura use her wind to kick up dust so that whoever they were fighting wouldn't be able to see his attack coming.
At first, they thought that her disruptance of the wind would mess up his own attack, Cutting Wind, but if she directed her gusts just so, pointed away from him, he was able to perform the attack and strike straight through the dust to hit his target – a thick tree – straight on.
When the dust cleared, that tree was reduced to a pile of branches and charred leaves.
Inuyasha merely nodded in satisfaction, a smug look on his face.
"So," he said after a second, "what can you do?" The question was directed at Raori.
"I can do what any demon can do," she replied simply. "I rely on my fangs and claws and speed to fight."
"I know that," he said impatiently. "Sesshomaru can use poison in his claws. Can you do anything like that?"
"I do not use poison, no," she said. "Although I can see how it would be useful. No, when I use my claws, it is not poison I use, but fire."
"Show us," Kagura suggested, nodding at another tree beside the one Inuyasha had already destroyed.
Raori obligingly approached the tree, baring her claws and slashing out fiercely. The tree lit up at once, fire searing through it to burn a gaping patch of charred bark where she had struck it.The flamewent out as quickly as it had come, but that blow completely crippled the tree. It creaked and groaned painfully before toppling over on one side and smashing to a halt against another tree.
They worked out a plan to blend Raori's fire with Kagura's wind blades, creating flashing blades of flame that seared through the air and burned whatever they touched. Sesshomaru could do the same, lending his poison to the blades so that they poisoned whatever they touched, as well.
They thought up every scenario in the book – if an enemy was best attacked from all sides, they worked out who was to come from each side so that there would be no confusion. Inuyasha would attack from their enemy's front, Sesshomaru from the back, and Kagura and Raori from the sides.
They worked out ways to coordinate their attacks so that the enemy became weary from dodging them all.
They worked out which way they would fight in close quarters, and which way to fight from far away.
They worked until they all – even the demons – were utterly exhausted.
And by the time morning came, the trees around the clearing were all completely destroyed.
Again, sorry for taking so long. I'm so sorry! Not only did I have a ton of stuff going on, but I had major writer's block. It took me two days just to get this chapter ready to be put up. It's almost one in the morning right now! Man, the things I do to keep you guys amused…
Anyway, rr please, I'll post as fast as I can!
Oh, and by the way, thanks to judi and Vishia for reviewing me… sorry for the short chapters, Vishia, I'm trying to make them longer! I love to write but I've seriously been having writer's block lately. Hopefully they'll be longer in the future… thanx guys, love you!
-meangenius-