Okay, so they're all lost on the mountain… what to write about now… hm…
Well, first of all, thanks to all of you guys for reading. You're what keeps me writing, even when I type so much my hand falls off (which, luckily, doesn't happen all that often). I do this for you guys, you know. All for you, so you can have something to do when you get bored at home. I'm so selfless.
And I don't even own Inuyasha. See? If I owned Inuyasha, I'd be rich and keep away from all you guys, and I'd just read that instead of writing fanfiction for you guys. That would be selfish. But no – I don't own it, so I write, so I'm selfless. Get how it works? Me neither. Anyway, I don't own Inu or any of the characters – except Raori and Takinoshi. That's not being selfish, because I share them with you by writing about them. So ha.
Before I forget, thanks to SesshiesKamatotoGirl and Lorana-the-Somoner for reviewing. You rock!
Okay, so on with the story…
Sesshomaru woke a while later to see that he was sprawled on the rocks, not far from the path of the landslide itself. It had deposited him beside it and kept on going. He saw that Raori lay nearby, still unconscious, but he didn't see anyone else.
He moaned softly in pain. He could taste blood in his mouth, and his entire body ached, but he knew it could be worse. Most of his wounds had already healed over; he healed quickly, being a demon, a fact he was eternally thankful for. He glanced at Raori and noted that she'd mostly healed, too. It wouldn't be long before she woke.
The taiyoukai managed to get to his feet and stagger over to Raori. They couldn't stay out here – if Taknoshi woke and was fully healed before them, he'd come looking for them. Now, when they were weak, was the perfect time for him to attack. They had to get out of the open and find some shelter where they could defend themselves if necessary, and hide until they were back in shape.
He found a cave – actually, more of a crevice in the side of the volcano than a cave – and managed to drag Raori inside. When he'd settled her down inside, he moved to sit at the mouth of the cave to watch out for any of the others.
As he sat and stared out into the daylight, he found his thoughts wandering to Raori. The way she had fought - gracefully and intently, her lithe body nearly invisible when she used her demonic speed – awed him. More and more as time wore on, he'd found himself wondering about her. He knew that she had been a friend of his father, but beyond that, she was a mystery, and one he wanted to solve.
Normally, Sesshomaru scorned love, friendship, even fondness – weaknesses, he called them. He needed no friends, nor allies; he was a demon lord, and could fight for himself. He'd seen many a foolish demon fall out of grief for lost friends, and had absolutely no intention of going that way himself.
Now he was starting to see differently.
He observed how close Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were – and how they had accepted Kohaku and befriended him, too. Their friendship made them fight harder to protect one another, and he'd seen them accomplish things together that one of them could never have dreamed of. Alone, they would fall instantly, but as a group they were strong. He could see that, and as much as he hated to admit it, it seemed wise.
Kagura, usually a loner, seemed to fit in with them, as well. She spent time speaking with Kagome and Sango, being three of the few girls in the group, and they accepted her, though she'd been their enemy not long ago.
He sighed, closing his eyes and resting them for a moment. Then there was Raori. She was amazing in a fight – and from what he'd seen of her, she had a good heart, too, though she was often quiet.
Sesshomaru found himself thinking of her as a friend more and more. The two of them had much in common – they kept to themselves, mostly. They fought alone, at least before Inuyasha came along. They were true demons in humanoid form. They were of noble blood, taiyoukai who knew both war and peace.
Sesshomaru was starting to like her. As crazy as the statement sounded when it rang inside his mind, as crazy as it probably sounds to you, he couldn't deny it. He'd never met anyone like her before. His icy heart was probably not capable – yet – of love, but sure enough, there was something there for her.
He glanced at her over his shoulder. She was still unconscious. He watched her, for how long he didn't know, and there was the slightest hint of soft admiration and fondness in his look. Finally he looked away, not having realized he was staring, and shook himself. He decided to follow her example and sleep – he hadn't done so in a long time, and he could probably use the rest.
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Miroku groaned as he awoke. He opened his eyes to see Kohaku kneeling over him. The boy had a worried look on his face, along with a few cuts and bruises. When Miroku sat up, wincing as he felt scrapes along his own body, the boy relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I found Sango and Kirara. Kagura's with them. She asked me to search for others. Besides you, I couldn't find anyone else," he said apologetically. "Are you all right?"
Miroku nodded, getting to his feet. "I'm fine."
Kohaku led the way up the hill to where Kagura sat under an outcrop of rocks, guarding Sango and Kirara. She nodded to Miroku as he worked his way up the slope wearily. Her eyes took in the state of him and Kohaku, seeing their multiple wounds. She, being a demon, was already partly healed, for which she was grateful.
"Go ahead and sleep," she told the two humans. "You probably need it, certainly more than I do. I'll wake all of you in the morning and we'll decide what to do."
They nodded gratefully, moving to lie beside the others. Kirara was in miniature form, and Kohaku lay next to her, falling asleep almost instantly. Miroku lay down beside Sango, glancing her over worriedly and hoping she was all right before drifting off himself.
Still in a deep sleep, Sango inched slightly closer to the monk, much to Kagura's amusement.
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Inuyasha felt a splitting headache come on as he opened his eyes to the blaring sunlight, but ignored it and sat up anyway. He spotted Kagome and Shippo both lying nearby. He immediately got to his feet, staggering over, using Tetsusaiga as a crutch. He checked Shippo, but the kit's only real wound was a giant bruise on his forehead – he got lucky. The hanyou then knelt anxiously beside Kagome. She was not as well off. She had cuts on her legs and arms, and a nasty one on her head that had obviously knocked her out.
Inuyasha gently lifted her in his arms, picking up the kitsune and bringing him, too. He trekked out of the sun and into the shade of a wide crack in the wall, laying them down inside before settling next to Kagome, watching over her as the sun slowly crept through the sky.
He could see what injuries she had on the outside, and they didn't look fatal, but he didn't know what was wrong underneath the skin. Until she woke up, he wouldn't rest, he decided. He loved her too much to lose her, and he'd stay awake and watch over her until she woke up. If he had to battle Takinoshi himself single-handedly, he would, if it was to protect her. Of course, he didn't want to, feeling downright miserable himself, but he would, if he had to.
He wondered where the others were, and whether they were all right, but found that however much he tried to feel worried, his thoughts kept darting back to Kagome.
He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, touching her cheek gently and willing her to wake. Of course, she didn't, and he felt his heart sink slightly. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, sighing miserably and glancing at Shippo, who was snoring softly, obviously fine.
The half-demon glanced back at Kagome to see that she was shivering. He felt it, too – as the sun lowered in the sky, the mountains became chilly, and he was starting to feel uncomfortably cold himself. He got up, going to the giant pack Kagome always wore, and dug out blankets. He draped one over Shippo, carefully tucking the other over Kagome and settling down to share it with her, putting his arm around her to give her his heat. He held her against him, resting his chin atop her head, biting his lip worriedly.
Please wake up, Kagome, he thought anxiously. Please…
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Takinoshi shook himself angrily, ignoring the pain from his quickly healing wounds. Right in the middle of a good fight, one of the best he'd seen in ages, this had to happen. Now they were all scattered, and the fight would probably not be the same. They were seperated, weak, and none of them – not even him – were in the condition for a fight.
But if he approached them while they were divided… then he'd have the advantage. Ten to one were difficult odds, but if you lowered it two three or four at a time…
Takinoshi began moving, seeing that he was at the end of the landslide. Since none of them were nearby, he knew that they were up the mountain – all he had to do was follow the path of the rocks to where they came from, and undoubtedly, sooner or later, he'd find them.
Smirking, he started up the hill, his mind already forming a plan. If, indeed, he found them separated, he could probably take most of them captive. When he had a few of them, he could use them as bait, threatening to kill them in order to draw the others out – for, undoubtedly, some would escape. Then he could destroy them all, or perhaps use them towards other means.
Either way, he would take the plan step by step. He would travel, and fight, and capture… he wouldn't rest until he had them in his grasp. It was just a matter of who he reached first.
The youkai smirked. They'd never know what hit them.
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Inuyasha was about to drift off, he was so weary, when Kagome finally groaned and woke up. He almost laughed aloud for joy. She opened her eyes blearily and smiled slightly when she saw him. He smiled back at her, so relieved he thought he would burst.
Kagome stretched a little, wincing and putting a hand to her head. "What happened? Where are the others?"
"There was a landslide," Inuyasha reminded her. "Shippo's here. I dunno where the others are."
Kagome immediately turned towards Shippo. "Is he all right?"
"He'll be fine. He's been snoring this whole time."
Kagome relaxed slightly, snuggling against Inuyasha. "I guess we just wait for the others to find us, then," she sighed. Inuyasha nodded, knowing that none of them were well enough yet to travel.
They sat together and slept, neither of them strong enough to stay awake any longer.
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When Miroku finally woke again, it was to see that Sango was already awake. She was sitting beside Kagura, and both were silently watching the sunset. He lay still, watching them, admiring the soft glow of the sun's last rays as they framed Sango's face. She was beautiful, and he found himself unable to move, his eyes taking in this vision of perfection as he lay silently.
After a moment, when the sun was beyond the horizon and night had fallen, Sango turned to Kagura. "I slept all day," she said quietly. "Get some rest. I'll watch for a while."
Kagura nodded gratefully, moving to lie down. When he thought she was asleep, Miroku picked himself up off the ground and walked over to Sango, seating himself next to her.
She glanced at him sadly. "Do you think they're all right, Miroku?"
Miroku glanced out at the sky as the stars began to emerge from the darkness. "I think so," he said with a nod. "They can handle themselves. Kagome's got Inuyasha to watch over her, and the demons will be fine. We'll find them, Sango. It's only a matter of time."
Sango sighed, accepting his words and hoping he was right. They sat for a while in the dark, watching the night sky become alive, neither of them speaking. They didn't know how much time passed – the heart measures time differently than the mind, after all. It could have been hours, it could have been minutes. All they knew was that they were content with each other, and the silence was not uncomfortable, but peaceful and calm.
Finally Sango yawned, stretching slightly and glancing over at Kohaku. The boy was curled around Kirara, his body heat warming her as the air grew chillier. She smiled slightly, still incredibly thankful that he was alive – the last of her family.
Miroku followed her gaze, recognizing the happiness in her eyes. With a soft smile, he put an arm around her, feeling her stiffen under his touch.
Sango swallowed nervously, expecting to feel his hands where they shouldn't be – but, to her surprise, the monk simply sat in silence with his arm around her, behaving himself. She realized that he knew this wasn't the time for such things, and was respecting her. Slowly, she relaxed, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes to rest for a moment.
Miroku smiled to himself, glancing up at the sky once more. The stars seemed to twinkle slightly, as though the sky itself were smiling back down at him.
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Raori woke painfully, lifting her head to see that she'd been using a rock as a pillow. It hadn't helped the major headache she felt coming on. She put a hand to her head and sat up, opening her eyes to see that night was on its way and the sun was already halfway gone from the sky.
They were in some sort of cave, she noticed, and Sesshomaru was seated by the entrance, deep in sleep. As she glanced over him, she realized that they couldn't have been swept inside here by the landslide. The stoic demon lord had carried her in here. She paused, considering that for a moment – it was gracious of him, which was saying something, really. She gently slid past him and walked out onto the mountainside, gazing up at the sky as the stars began to shine. It was beautiful, but the pounding inside her head ruined it a bit.
She wondered who else was gazing up at the same sky, and whether or not they were all right. Kagura she wasn't worried about, and she knew that Inuyasha could look after himself, but the humans she wasn't so sure about. They were fragile beings, and their bodies were much more easily damaged than a demon's. She sighed, turning back to the cave to sit down, and saw that Sesshomaru was awake.
Raori moved to sit beside him, thankful that he was all right. Sesshomaru was silent, but his eyes met hers and acknowledged her, telling her without words that he was thankful she was all right, too.
They sat in silence as the night wore on, staring into the darkness and allowing their bodies to heal and gather strength. As time passed, they slowly became aware of how cold it was becoming, and both moved further inside the cave, seating themselves against the back wall and resting where the cold couldn't fully reach them, trying to ignore it.
I'd like to say that Sesshomaru noticed Raori shivering and put an arm around her, but I like to speak of things as they are, and that would be completely out of character. I can safely say, however, that the thought did cross his mind. Even through their tough demon skin, the two began to feel the cold, and he did indeed notice Raori start to shiver. However, because he still scorned the idea of being close to anyone – literally or figuratively, in body or heart – he didn't move to comfort her, but turned all thought inwards, towards himself.
He soon found that was impossible, and became increasingly annoyed at the fact that he couldn't keep his thoughts anywhere but on Raori.
The two eventually slept, still side by side, lulled to sleep by the calm peace of the night. In their sleep, the two inched unconsciously closer to one another, something they would never have done, were they awake – and, as they had with Miroku, the stars seemed to smile down upon them, and the cold wind seemed to soften a bit, as if it could feel the warmth the two held for one another in their hearts and had decided to allow them to rest in peace.
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Meanwhile, the same winds seemed to swirl around Takinoshi as he continued up the mountainside, but the strong demon ignored them and continued onwards. He'd lived in this range for many years, and had developed a power over his environment, one that allowed him to walk unhindered by the winds. Obviously, he still had a slight problem with the angry landslides that happened often, but usually he was someplace where they couldn't harm him, or was forewarned. It just so happened that this one, one of the worst he'd seen, happened just when he was in the middle of a fight, and too preoccupied to notice at first.
It wasn't until late into the night that he found anyone. He couldn't use his nose to search for them, even as strong as it was – the avalanche had distributed their scents all over the mountains. His headache had slightly dulled his senses, and where he might have been able to find where the scents were the strongest, now it was too painful to try and sort them out, and he resorted to traveling in a straight line and hoping he found someone.
Finally he found the spot where Inuyasha and Kagome rested – he could hear the little fox-demon snoring, and set his course towards the sound.
Luckily for him, they were both asleep, but as he approached, the half-demon's ears pricked up. He woke in a second, his hand already on Tetsusaiga, but Takinoshi was too fast for him – in an instant, he had Kagome, and Inuyasha was unable to strike for fear of hitting her.
Kagome woke up instantly, feeling Takinoshi's sharp claws at her throat. Her eyes were full of fear when she looked to Inuyasha, and she saw the same fear for her life in his own eyes as he lowered his sword.
Takinoshi smirked. "You aren't as stupid as you look, hanyou," he hissed, and suddenly he attacked.
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as the demon leapt towards Inuyasha. The half-demon was still wounded, and he wasn't nearly fast enough to face the demon alone. Takinoshi was on him in an instant, striking the hanyou in the back of the head and rendering him unconscious. Kagome bit her lip and forced back tears as Takinoshi slung the limp hanyou over his shoulder, giving her a glare that dared her to scream. He reached over and picked up Shippo by the scruff of his neck, handing him to Kagome and yanking her along by the wrist, his grasp so tight she was unable to free herself.
As she stumbled to keep up with him, Kagome found herself despairing – she knew that she would probably be wishing for death before the end, with what this horrible demon most likely had in store for her.
Takinoshi made his way to a vast underground castle, his home in these mountains. The dungeons were far underground, so far that not even the most acute hearing of any demon could hear the pounding of prisoners against the stone walls. He tossed Kagome unceremoniously into one of the cells and dumped Inuyasha in with her, locking the steel barred door behind him and emerging into the starry night again.
He had three of them – the hanyou, the miko, and the kitsune. Three down, seven to go. This was easier than he'd expected.
An hour later he found the next group – Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, Kirara, and Kagura. The monk was awake, keeping watch, he noted. The boy was asleep next to the untransformed cat demon. The boy's older sister was asleep against the monk's shoulder, and the wind-demon was dozing a little way away.
Takinoshi crept up behind Miroku, remembering his attack with the Wind Tunnel and determining to pay him back for it. Miroku sensed him immediately and rose to his feet, whirling, his staff raised. Sango, at the sudden movement, opened her eyes just in time to see Takinoshi strike Miroku in the stomach. She rose to her feet as the monk sank to the ground and fell unconscious, but before she could even reached her boomerang, the same had been done to her.
Takinoshi shook his head at them as he threw the two over his shoulder. The foolish monk should have been paying more attention.
He left quickly, only carrying Miroku and Sango – powerful as he was, he couldn't carry them all at once. When he returned, the others were still asleep. He slung Kohaku over his shoulder – the boy was so tired that he didn't even wake. Kirara he picked up carefully, trying not to wake her – the last thing he needed was for her to transform and attack him in her larger form. He approached Kagura, who woke the moment he set foot within ten feet of her, her acute senses going off like a warning sign inside her head.
She jolted upright, eyes blazing as she took in the scene with a glance. Takinoshi immediately attacked her, his claws raking across her arm and forcing her to drop her fan. She stumbled backwards, cursing, and he darted around her, slamming his fist into the back of her head as he'd done to Inuyasha. What with the headache he knew she already had, the wind-mistress toppled to the ground, unable to remain awake. Takinoshi laughed to himself. This was too easy. It almost wasn't any fun at all.
He brought his new finds back to the castle and locked them up, Miroku with Sango, Kohaku with Kirara, and Kagura in her own separate cell. He locked them all in, knowing that not even Sesshomaru could break out of a prison as fortified as his. The bars were so strong that not even the strongest of claws could tear through them. Tetsusaiga might have had a chance, but he'd taken the hanyou's sword away, along with all the weapons they carried. They were helpless now.
And they were his, to do with what he wished…
He only hoped the last two, Raori and Sesshomaru, were to be as easily captured as the others.
It took him a while to find them. It turned out he'd overlooked them the first time he'd passed by, and he had to retrace his steps to find them. They, too, were asleep when he approached, but not for long. The instant he was within forty feet of where they hid, both of them jerked awake, instantly alert.
They stood at the mouth of the cave, face to face with Takinoshi, who stood some thirty feet away. He looked them over in silence for a moment. They looked almost as healthy as he felt, and he knew that this would be a harder capture than before – nonetheless, he'd come this far, and he wasn't about to give up.
He darted forwards, using his speed to his advantage, and Sesshomaru moved to meet him. The two collided in a flurry of snarls and swipes, each trying to wound the either, neither managing to inflict much damage. Raori watched for a moment, and only a moment, before stepping in to assist Sesshomaru.
She attacked Takinoshi from behind, her claws laced with fire, and managed to strike him. He darted away and spun to face the two of them, his eyes glittering dangerously.
Sesshomaru inched in front of Raori, tensing, ready to protect her. She never took her eyes from Takinoshi, but noticed his protective attitude and was thankful all the same. Takinoshi began to prowl around them in a circle, calculating the best way to attack.
He finally leapt forward and engaged Sesshomaru in battle, using as much strength as he could spare. After a few minutes, Sesshomaru started to tire, even with Raori helping. He threw Takinoshi back with one last burst of energy and turned to her.
"Run," he breathed quietly, his voice so soft that only she could hear. "He isn't here to kill us, or he'd be trying harder. He wants to capture us. I'll keep him occupied. Run."
Raori turned to him in shock, wondering how he could ever suggest such a thing, but he met her eyes and gave her a glare that told her to accept what he'd said and not fight him about it. She hesitated a moment, but the angry Takinoshi attacked once more, swiping out and catching Sesshomaru's shoulder armor.
Sesshomaru fought back, glancing back once at Raori, his eyes flashing at her.
Raori hated leaving him, but knew that he was right – if she remained to stay, Takinoshi would only capture them both. He was already going to capture Sesshomaru, and who knew how many others he already had? If they wanted to escape, they'd need someone on the outside – and that would just have to be her.
With one last glance at Sesshomaru, her eyes telling him how sorry she was, she turned and was gone. She vaguely heard Takinoshi curse darkly from behind as she fled, but didn't look back.
When all fell quiet, she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd hide for a little while, and when the time was right, she would go looking for wherever Takinoshi had jailed them. She'd set them free and, together, they would defeat the dark demon Takinoshi and repay him for what he'd done to them.
Takinoshi stood in the prison and glanced around. He almost had a full collection. Only Raori left.. And it was only a matter of time before she, too, was his.
He looked them over. Miroku and Sango in one cell, Kohaku and Kirara in another, Kagura in one, Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippo in one, and Sesshomaru by himself in the last. He had one cell left, and he fully intended to fill it. He would have his prize. Then, when he had them all, he could do whatever he pleased with them.
Suddenly he stopped short, halfway up the steps out of the dungeon. Or, maybe…
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When Sesshomaru finally woke from the unconsciousness Takinoshi had bestowed upon him, the first thing he saw was cage bars. He groaned, sitting up and glancing around. All around him sat the other members of their group. They were all awake, watching him – obviously, they'd been waiting for him to wake up.
"Finally," Inuyasha muttered, though he couldn't deny that he felt a strange sort of relief that Sesshomaru was all right. Not that he cared about him or anything, but at least now they had a good fighter with them.
"Where's Raori?" Kagura asked, ignoring Inuyasha.
Sesshomaru got to his feet, putting a hand to his head. "She was with me. When Takinoshi attacked, I fought him alone to distract him and she escaped. She is free."
"I guess we'll just have to depend on her to get us out of this," Miroku sighed. "At least she's dependable and strong. If it was you, Inuyasha, I'd give up all hope."
"You're lucky I'm in a cell, houshi," Inuyasha growled angrily.
"Oh, shut up," Kagome sighed. "Stop fighting. Sesshomaru, can you break through the bars?"
Sesshomaru shook his head. "No. I can already tell they are too strong." He struck out, swiping at them, but they held stubbornly, not even bearing a scratch as a trophy of his attempt.
"Well, we'll just have to wait for Raori, then," Kagura said, sitting back. "I don't doubt that she'll find some way to set us free, no matter what it takes."
They remained silent, hoping beyond hope that the wind-mistress was right.
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As she stumbled over the mountain, Raori cursed Takinoshi furiously in her mind. She trekked onward until she was sure she was safe. Finally, she came to a stop, settling down to rest for a short while. She stayed half alert, in case she needed to rise and fight quickly, but welcomed the sleep.
She did so for only a few hours before rising again. She was too restless, wondering where Takinoshi was and whether he was on her trail, to really get any sleep.
She got back on the move, keeping all of her senses alert for anything. She knew that she was close to the border of the mountains by now, but she didn't turn back – Takinoshi had to truly believe she had left before she came back to search for the others.
She used her nose, concentrating on smell for a moment. The smell of sulfur, from the many volcanoes, was still in the air. A bit of the dust from the recent landslide was noticeable, too. She could smell a few small rodents and birds that had made their homes in the mountains. Finally she caught Takinoshi's smell, though it was faint – but not the sort of faint that meant he was far away. It was the faint smell of a scent that had aged. Takinoshi was not there now, but he'd been there before – and that smell probably led to his lair, wherever that was – which also probably led to wherever he was keeping the others.
She immediately turned in that direction, keeping her nose and ears out for any sign of where he was now, but for a while she traveled in silence and peace. She began to sort out a plan while she went, knowing that she would rescue the others or die trying. To leave them in the hands of such a terrible demon as Takinoshi was unthinkable. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he would do to them.
She trekked across the land for hours, not bothering to keep track of time. She slowly began to tire, but chose to ignore her weariness. She could always rest when they were free, but until then, releasing them was her top priority.
After a while, she stopped beside a small pond to have a drink – she'd been walking for what felt like forever with no water, and it helped clear her throat a bit. It was while she was there that the trouble started.
Her ears alerted her at the same time her nose did. Takinoshi's smell was approaching, and she could hear him behind her. She quickly darted away from the pond, dashing into the forests across from it and getting a safe distance away before turning back to watch.
Takinoshi had knelt beside the pond and had taken a drink from it. She crept closer, seeing him mutter under his breath to himself. She could hardly make out what he was saying, but he sounded angry. She crept a tiny bit closer and managed to catch some of his last sentences.
"Yes, no other way… send her… do the job for me… that blasted, lying, thieving hanyou… I swear, I'd love to rip his guts out…"
Raori narrowed her eyes. A hanyou? Didn't Kagome say Naraku was a half-demon?
Suddenly Takinoshi stiffened. "Raori," he said calmly. "Come out. I know you're there, and if you don't it'll only be harder on your friends. Don't be a fool. Get out here and show yourself."
Raori stepped out into the open, her eyes coldly considering him. He turned and looked her up and down. It seemed like he was sizing her up. After a moment, he spoke, his voice as cold as it always was – but it had some sort of pleading, deep down in its tones, and she was confused for a moment.
"Listen to me," he said quietly. "You're powerful. I've heard of you, and met you before – now, I've fought you for myself, and I can see how strong you are. I believe you are strong enough to do something about a problem that's been bothering me."
"What makes you think I would help you in anything?" she hissed, ignoring his compliments.
"Your friends. It's simple. If you help me, I will set them free. I give you my word as a taiyoukai of these lands. I may not be well known, or have a good reputation, but I do have my own code of honor. It will hold me to my word. Will you hear me out?"
Raori sighed, but nodded. "Go on."
"There is a certain hanyou that has been giving me trouble. He goes by the name of Naraku. You haven't heard of him, by any chance?"
"Yes, I know a bit about him. Apparently, he has most of the shikon shards. He is a greedy hanyou that seeks only more power. The group I am with is pitted against him, and seeks to destroy him. Kagura, the wind mistress that fought alongside me, was created by him. She hates him with a malice unrivaled. Kohaku, the younger exterminator, was taken over by him and forced to destroy his own family. What did he do to you?"
Takinoshi sighed and began to walk. Raori walked alongside him, listening as he told his tale. "The shard I have in my possession now is not the first one I have had. I used to have another. I protected them both, for I had no wish for any lesser demon to get ahold of them – but I didn't use them for myself. I didn't want to risk their power taking over me.
"Of course, Naraku, being drawn to power, came after me as soon as he heard I possessed the shards. He stole one of those shards and is using it to boost his own power."
Takinoshi glanced at Raori. "I want you to go after him, take my shard back, and return it to me."
"The shards he has are fused with his body. To retrieve them, I'd have to destroy him, or at least wound him enough to get ahold of them. Fighting you was difficult enough, and our numbers were ten. Alone, I could no sooner face this Naraku than stop the sun from setting every night."
"You will have to try, if you want your friends to get out of this alive," Takinoshi replied.
Raori sighed. "I know. There is one problem. If I did this for you, and died in the fight against Naraku, what would you do with my friends?"
Takinoshi considered that for a moment. "What would you have me do?"
"Set them free. Forget them."
The demon sighed. "Fine. I would do this, if it was your last wish."
Raori hesitated. "You swear to set them free if I succeed?"
"I swear it," he promised.
"Then I will do as you ask."
Takinoshi sighed in relief. "I thank you, Raori."
She nodded. "But before I go," she said, "you must do something for me. I will need weaponry. My claws and fangs have never failed me, but this is no normal enemy. I also must see my friends, only for the shortest moment, to be sure you are not bluffing. For all I know, you have already killed them and are simply lying to force me to do this. Would you do these things?"
Takinoshi bowed his head thankfully to her. "Yes, I would. You have my gratitude. This affair may still turn out nicely, and we may not have to finish that battle after all."
Raori smiled slightly. "Perhaps not. Lead the way."
And they were off.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Everyone looked up as Takinoshi descended into their prison. Inuyasha was about to growl out some smart comment at the sight of him when Raori appeared behind him.
The hanyou bit back his former remark and stared. "He got you, too?"
She didn't answer, but looked over them all, noting their stunned expressions at seeing her and smiling at them slightly. Her eyes caught Sesshomaru's, and the two gazed at each other for a moment – only a moment. Yet in that moment, a hundred things were said. Sesshomaru was relieved that she was alive, and she was relieved that he was, too. She was sorry she had abandoned him and run; he reassured her that it had been the right thing. She mourned the fact that she was right there, right in front of him, and could do nothing – he understood, and was just as frustrated that he was locked away from her.
"All right," she said at last, turning to Takinoshi. "Show me to the weaponry and I will go."
Takinoshi nodded, turning back to the door. Immediately Kagura broke the silence, speaking for the rest of them and saying what was on all their minds. "Raori? What's going on?"
Raori held up a hand for silence, glancing back at the wind mistress. "Takinoshi will explain," she said quietly. "Simply understand that I have no other choice." With that, she was gone.
They watched as the two left. A few minutes later Takinoshi returned to the prison, knowing that he owed them an explanation, one that Raori wanted him to give them. They looked to him when he entered, their gazes both angry and curious.
"She is going at my request," he said. "She is gong to destroy the hanyou known as Naraku."
"NARAKU?"
The shout tore from every throat except Sesshomaru's. He winced slightly as his sensitive ears throbbed, but watched Takinoshi for a response, his heart thumping wildly. Raori couldn't fight Naraku. He'd done so before, and he knew for a fact she wouldn't be able to escape such a fight without fatal wounds. And the worst part was that it would be their fault if she died – partially his fault. She was risking her life, possibly even giving it away, all for them. This wasn't at all turning out to be the rescue he'd envisioned – it was horrible. He'd rather stay here, in prison, than have her destroy herself in trying to get him out.
Finally Sango voiced the question that was on all their minds. "How do you know Naraku?"
"A while ago, he stole a shikon shard from me," Takinoshi explained. "One of two that I had. Raori agreed to go and retrieve it from him in return for your freedom. If she does not succeed, you will still be released – such was her wish."
Everyone remained silent, saddened by what they had learned. They had been fighting Naraku for as long as they could remember, and now Raori was being forced to face him alone. It wasn't fair.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Raori walked until she thought she would collapse before lying down to rest.
When she woke, she decided to transform into her wolf self – her true form. She could travel faster that way, and conserve energy, and in that form, her scent was less easily detected. She began trotting through the lands, moving as quickly as she could towards the outer boundaries of Takinoshi's lands. She still didn't know how she'd find Naraku, but she knew she'd find some way.
When midafternoon came around, she began searching for food. She hadn't eaten in many, many days. She sniffed the air, still in her true form, and caught the scent of a pack of wolves – led by a demon, if her nose was correct. She set off towards them, ready to fight or flee if they decided to attack, too curious to pass up the chance that they might be able to help her.
She made her way into the thick forest and found the pack. They were following a tall demon, in humanoid form, who strode along at the front. He was looking back at the wolves, making sure they were all still behind him and accounted for.
Raori trotted out of the woods, still in wolf form, and decided to take her chances. The demon looked at her in surprise. "You're not one of mine," he said, cocking his head at her. "Where'd you come from?"
In response, Raori transformed into her human form again, her eyes the only part of her that remained the same. His eyes widened at the sight of her and he fell into a fighting stance, ready to defend himself.
Raori held up a hand to show that she meant no harm. He relaxed slightly, still watching her, slightly wary.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything of the hanyou Naraku?" she asked halfheartedly. She didn't expect him to, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
The wolf-demon's eyes hardened. "Yeah," he said hostily. "Why?"
Raori brightened slightly. "I am searching for him."
"What for?" he asked warily.
"To kill him."
He relaxed with a sigh. "Good," he said in relief, nodding to her with renewed respect. "I'm his enemy, too. What made you decide to kill the guy?"
"I was sent to destroy him by someone who holds a grudge. Personally, I know next to nothing about him."
"I know a bunch."
"Why are you out after him?"
"One of his people – a wind-demon, Kagura – killed my kin. I'm out to kill both of them now."
Raori raised an eyebrow. "Kagura killed your comrades? That's a shame. I suppose you ought to know, then – she's turned on Naraku and is fighting him now, along with a child exterminator called Kohaku that he controlled. The two of them are being held by a demon named Takinoshi, along with a few others. Takinoshi sent me to kill Naraku in return for their lives. Naraku apparently stole a shikon shard from Takinoshi."
The wolf-demon nodded, taking all this in. "You said there were a few others. Who were they?"
"A hanyou, Inuyasha…"
"What! Dog-turd?" the wolf-demon yipped. "You know him? What's he have to do with this Takinoshi guy? Man, I'm gonna have fun laughing at dog-turd for getting captured…"
"I guess there's no love lost between you guys," she said with a slight laugh.
"Nah, we pretty much hate each other." The wolf-demon sighed. "Whatever. Who's this Takinoshi guy?"
"He's a strong demon who has the last shikon shard," she explained. "Inuyasha and his group, with Kagura and Sesshomaru, went out to find him, using me as their guide."
The wolf nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I'll help you track down Naraku and kill him, if you want, but it's not out of pity for dog-turd. You mind if I tag along?"
"I'd greatly appreciate it,' she said gratefully. "I could certainly use the help."
"Awesome. By the way, the name's Kouga."
"Raori."
Kouga nodded. "Come on, let's go – I can lead you to Naraku, I think. I know his scent – if you've been around Kagura, sodo you. It's the same as hers, since she came from him. Anyway, here's what you need to know – he usually doesn't fight, he sends a fake copy of himself – a puppet, to do the dirty work for him. We have to sniff out the real him, which takes a while. Also, if you see a wasp demon, it's one of his insect spies – keep out of its way. Oh, and he loves to use miasma – poison, when he fights…"
And so it went on as they traveled, Raori listening and learning as they went. Neither wanted to take a break to rest, for time was of the essence, and it would help to sneak up on Naraku when he was least expecting them – the sooner, the better. So they walked through the night, speaking quietly to one another, Kouga teaching, Raori listening. Kouga's wolves left as night fell – they couldn't travel as quickly as he and Raori could, and tired easier. When they had gone, the remaining two sped up, moving as quickly as their strenth would allow.
They weren't that close to Naraku, as Kouga could hardly smell him, but he had some idea in which direction the hanyou was, so they set off where his instincts told him, heading for one of the biggest fights of their lives.
So, how'd you like it? Kinda long. Well, now I'm in the mood for writing, so why not start the next chappie? I'll try to update as soon as I can. Review, please! You do your part, I'll do mine. Anyway, if anybody wants to review with ideas for titles of chapters, that'd be awesome! I'll accept anything you wanna send, though I can't promise I'll use it, but I need ideas here, people! Like one for the chapter where they face Naraku, or something.
See you!