Yoshimi: Thanks again to sesshomaru_luver for her review, but it helps if
you don't repeat the some phrase from your first one......... o.0
Maki: So......... What you all think of Kikyou dying? I thought is was a nice touch.........
Yoshimi: Can we please get on with the story? It's a good chapter this time......... And don't worry waff lovers.........Soon my pretties, soon
Other Voice: Now, don't spoil it for them. You- *mouth is covered by Maki*
Maki: *still holding hand on Other Voice's mouth* Here ya go!
Chapter 6 "An Akumu, prejudice villages, busted and a new friend" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Recap:
They were away from the battle ground, but not far enough away that two pointed dog ears didn't hear every word of their conversation, 'She thinks I'm gonna blame her? How could I? I killed Kikyou, not her.'
He didn't, however, get the full concept of the conversation. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kagome wiped her eyes and sniffed, "I'm okay Sango. We really have to keep going. Naraku is close, I can sense the jewel shards. Enough time has been spent here, on with the battle!"
She and Sango returned to the battle ground where Miroku was checking to make sure that no one was injured. Nokamis had a nasty wound on his cheek from a demon's claw, but other than that, the only other one injured was Inuyasha.
"About time you got back!" Inuyasha growled, still trying to figure out why Kagome thought that he would blame her.
"Sorry Inuyasha. Lets go everyone," Kagome said timidly.
"Kagom-"Shippo started.
"No Shippo, we must keep going now. Naraku is close."
"Can you sense him?" Miroku asked, quickly dabbing the disinfectant from Kagome's bag on Nokamis's cheek.
"Yes, there's no time for anything else, lets go," she finished quietly.
"No," Sesshomaru said, "I will not bring Rin into battle."
"Shippo can't come either," Sango stated.
"I can so!" Shippo cried, grasping tightly onto Kagome.
"NO! You and Rin can wait Jaken away from the battle grounds," Kagome said.
"That's it! Good enough. We don't have time to fucking wait around all day and let the bastard get away!" Inuyasha snapped, clearly anxious.
"I agree with dog-tur- I mean Inuyasha here," Kouga said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Let me see your mirror Kanna," Naraku asked in his cold voice.
A white hand passed a mirror that showed a scene of dead youkai, and fourteen companions, "Good, I see Kagura found them, well, no worry then Kanna. She shall destroy them for me. That new neko*-youkai* is there as well. No doubt that the ookami* prince, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha shall destroy each other," he handed back her mirror, unaware that not being able to hear them was a bad sign indeed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They had been traveling for days. Still no sign of Naraku. Kagome had felt the shards grow further and further away, and yet she knew they were headed in the right direction. This was no longer a challenge; it was a chase.
"Feh, the coward, he's just running away."
"That's just the problem Inuyasha!" Sango cried, "It has been nearly a month and a half since Houshi-sama's dream!"
"Why Lady Sango! I had no idea that you cared for me that much!" Miroku said, grinning from ear to ear and letting his hands roam.
"Ak! DIE! DIE! DIE!" Miroku fell to the ground unconscious as he was hit over the head with Hirokatsu.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kagome wake up!"
"Huh?" Kagome opened her eyes and groggily answered, "whas a mutter Sango?"
"It's Houshi-sama. He's having a nightmare and I can't wake him up!"
Kagome got up and went over to Inuyasha's tree," Inuyasha?" she whispered, "Miroku's having a nightmare, we can't wake him up.......... we might need some help."
Inuyasha jumped down from a tree, but not the tree Kagome had been talking to, but the tree behind her, then he spoke, "I'm over here."
"Oh, sorry, but if your there? Who's up there?"
Sesshomaru came from the tree she had been talking to, Kouga from the one behind it, and Kagura from one on Inuyasha's right side. (A/N: Demons and tree......... o.0 creepy)
"You said the monk was having nightmares and couldn't be awoken?" Kagura questioned, and then went over to the houshi when Kagome nodded.
The monk was tossing from side to side, sweating and crying out. He suddenly lay still and whimpered, then grabbed his right hand and started to scream.
It was no regular scream, but one of a person who was being tortured on the rack, or in this case, one who thought they were being pulled into an air void.
Sango buried her head in Kouga's chest and cried. Kouga, quite shocked, patted her awkwardly on the head.
Shippo and Rin, who had been woken by the scream, had come over and started to shake their friend and try to get him to awake, to no avail.
Kagura looked very distressed by the scene and turned to Kagome.
"This is bad," she said quietly, "I've seen this before. It's nightmares controlled by a demon called an Akumu. It takes a person's worst fears, and constantly gives them nightmares about it. If you cannot wake the houshi, then this Akumu must be very powerful, or have a jewel shard."
"But it couldn't have a jewel shard......... unless......... Naraku!" Inuyasha growled.
"Let him be. We need to sleep, we can't think without sleep. We can't figure out what to do," Kouga said, prying Sango off him, "You stay by him. Make sure he doesn't strangle himself in the night or something."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"We can't carry him anymore!" Sango said as she pulled the unconscious houshi back up on Kirara, where she had been holding him to make sure he didn't fall.
"We'll stop at a village or something," Kagome said, "We can't go after Naraku until we defeat this Akumu anyway. Do you know how to defeat an Akumu Kagura?"
Kagura just shook her head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Excuse me? Is there anyone there?" Kagome called up to a look out on the wall surroundings the village.
"What do you want?" the soldier called down.
"Our friend is.........sick........." Kagome called, "we need somewhere to stay.
"No bloody way!" the soldier called down, "you travel with demons! You must be crazy to think we'd let you in!"
"Lets just keep going Kagome," Sango muttered.
"No way are we giving up so easily. Who are you and where's the Sango I know?" Kagome asked, shocked that her friend would give up so easily, "I have an idea."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So what's your plan?" Nokamis asked.
"You all know I'm a miko right?"
Everyone but Nokamis nodded, he hadn't known, but was not overly shocked.
"Well Kaede taught me a difficult spell, but with enough concentration I can do a guise spell."
There were a few scattered gasps. Sango, Kagura and Kouga knew what she was talking about.
"But......... only very powerful mikos can perform a guise spell," Kagura said, "Naraku underestimated you."
"What's a geyes spell?" Shippo asked
"It's a spell put on you to make you look like something else, like making a demon look human," Nokamis stated
"So, who's first?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hello?" a young man with black hair and ice blue eyes called up to a soldier on the wall surrounding.
"Hello neighbor!" the soldier called down.
"Can you let us in?" the man called, "my companions and I need a place to stay for a while. As you can see, my brother is injured." he pointed a man being carried by two men with long hair on a make-shift stretcher, "there are eight of us, not including my brother, and three children and their pet cat."
"No problem friend, our home is your home. Just let me get the leader, he will find you somewhere to stay until your brother is healed," the soldier called down as he disappeared.
"Good job Nokamis!" Kagome whispered
Just then, the great gate swung open, "Welcome," said the voice of an older women, "welcome to Hekiron."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Arigato*! Rin likes miso soup. Rin thanks you for miso soup," Rin babbled on as the family who they were staying with served out miso soup to the gumi.
Sango had found out that the woman who had greeted them was the leader of the village, Hekiron. Her name was Kaizoe. The village was made up of people who had lost loved ones to youkai attacks. They were vicious fighters and disliked youkai intensely.
"So, tell me, are all of you related?" Kaizoe asked the gumi over dinner.
"Well, you see," Sango began nervously.
"No," Kagura provided an excuse, "you see, Nokamis and Miroku are brothers. Sango here is Miroku's wife and young Rin and Shippo are their children. Now Inuyasha," she pointed to Inuyasha, who looked like he was in his human form, "and Sesshomaru," she pointed to Sesshomaru, who was quite a sight. His hair appeared black, his facial markings gone and eyes turned violet. He had discarded his puff to be used a pillow for Miroku, "are brothers. The boy with the blonde hair, Jaken, is Sesshomaru's child. His wife died about a year ago. Kagome is Inuyasha's fiance. We are all demon exterminators."
Kagome put a hand of Inuyasha's arm as a sign to cool off. He had gotten really heated at Kagura's excuse. If he got too angry, the spell would wear off.
"I see," Kaizoe said, turning to Kouga, "and is yourself with young Kagura?" she asked, facing back to the young woman with blue eyes.
"NO!" Kouga and Kagura yelled at the same time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"And you shall be in here, Kagome and Inuyasha. I hope the room is satisfactory." Kagome nodded gratefully. The room had two futons pulled together to form one bed, it was covered with a gorgeous hand-embroidered quilt. There was a closet that had many fine kimonos and haoris.
"May I speak to you privately?" Kagome asked Kaizoe, she had been meaning to question her all day about the strange thing she had been experiencing.
"You may."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What is it you wish to know, miko Kagome?" Kaizoe asked
"Oh its just – hang on! How can you tell I'm a miko?"
"I am a miko also." Kaizoe stated.
"So that's why I've been sensing a strange aura around you, your more than what you seem," Kagome said, more to herself than Kaizoe.
"As are you, young Kagome, if you are able to produce a guise spell."
"How.........what......... h-how can you tell?" Kagome choked, frightened that their secret was out.
"You friends' aura's tell all. Are you the same group of humans and demons that came by earlier?"
Kagome just nodded.
"Okay then, well good-night."
"Wait! You're not going to kick us out?"
Kaizoe looked surprised, "No my dear, the other villagers do not know, it is them, not I, who have a strong dislike for demons. Just answer me one question, is the story true? The one your wind-demon friend told me?"
"No, it's quite confusing really, you see........."
Kagome launched into their tale, starting at the beginning, not realizing that she was.
"So, are you really from the future?" Kaizoe asked, "And are Inuyasha and Sesshomaru really the sons of Inutaisho? Does Miroku really have a curse? What's Rin's story? Do you know a lot about Nokamis? Do you really think that Naraku is that strong? Is Kikyou really dead? Does Sango like Miroku? Is Miroku really in the grasp of an Akumu?"
"Yes. Yes, Yes. Don't know. No. Yes. Yes. Ask her. And we think so. "
"Whoa......... It's late Kagome, you should really get back to your 'fiance'," Kaizoe walked off chuckling at her joke.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maki: Yeah! Over 2000 words this time!
Yoshimi: Yup, and we managed to add another twist.........
Maki: I like twists......... there like pretzels.........
Yoshimi: No like cinnamon sticks!
Maki: Pretzels
Yoshimi: Cinnamon Sticks!
Other Voice: Here are the new words:
neko- cat
youkai- demon
ookami- wolf
arigato- thank you
That's all for now people. Maki and Yoshimi are firmly resolved to not update until they get 5 reveiws.
Yoshimi: Cinnamon Sticks! Ja Ne!
Maki: Pretzels! Feh!
Maki: So......... What you all think of Kikyou dying? I thought is was a nice touch.........
Yoshimi: Can we please get on with the story? It's a good chapter this time......... And don't worry waff lovers.........Soon my pretties, soon
Other Voice: Now, don't spoil it for them. You- *mouth is covered by Maki*
Maki: *still holding hand on Other Voice's mouth* Here ya go!
Chapter 6 "An Akumu, prejudice villages, busted and a new friend" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Recap:
They were away from the battle ground, but not far enough away that two pointed dog ears didn't hear every word of their conversation, 'She thinks I'm gonna blame her? How could I? I killed Kikyou, not her.'
He didn't, however, get the full concept of the conversation. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kagome wiped her eyes and sniffed, "I'm okay Sango. We really have to keep going. Naraku is close, I can sense the jewel shards. Enough time has been spent here, on with the battle!"
She and Sango returned to the battle ground where Miroku was checking to make sure that no one was injured. Nokamis had a nasty wound on his cheek from a demon's claw, but other than that, the only other one injured was Inuyasha.
"About time you got back!" Inuyasha growled, still trying to figure out why Kagome thought that he would blame her.
"Sorry Inuyasha. Lets go everyone," Kagome said timidly.
"Kagom-"Shippo started.
"No Shippo, we must keep going now. Naraku is close."
"Can you sense him?" Miroku asked, quickly dabbing the disinfectant from Kagome's bag on Nokamis's cheek.
"Yes, there's no time for anything else, lets go," she finished quietly.
"No," Sesshomaru said, "I will not bring Rin into battle."
"Shippo can't come either," Sango stated.
"I can so!" Shippo cried, grasping tightly onto Kagome.
"NO! You and Rin can wait Jaken away from the battle grounds," Kagome said.
"That's it! Good enough. We don't have time to fucking wait around all day and let the bastard get away!" Inuyasha snapped, clearly anxious.
"I agree with dog-tur- I mean Inuyasha here," Kouga said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Let me see your mirror Kanna," Naraku asked in his cold voice.
A white hand passed a mirror that showed a scene of dead youkai, and fourteen companions, "Good, I see Kagura found them, well, no worry then Kanna. She shall destroy them for me. That new neko*-youkai* is there as well. No doubt that the ookami* prince, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha shall destroy each other," he handed back her mirror, unaware that not being able to hear them was a bad sign indeed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They had been traveling for days. Still no sign of Naraku. Kagome had felt the shards grow further and further away, and yet she knew they were headed in the right direction. This was no longer a challenge; it was a chase.
"Feh, the coward, he's just running away."
"That's just the problem Inuyasha!" Sango cried, "It has been nearly a month and a half since Houshi-sama's dream!"
"Why Lady Sango! I had no idea that you cared for me that much!" Miroku said, grinning from ear to ear and letting his hands roam.
"Ak! DIE! DIE! DIE!" Miroku fell to the ground unconscious as he was hit over the head with Hirokatsu.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kagome wake up!"
"Huh?" Kagome opened her eyes and groggily answered, "whas a mutter Sango?"
"It's Houshi-sama. He's having a nightmare and I can't wake him up!"
Kagome got up and went over to Inuyasha's tree," Inuyasha?" she whispered, "Miroku's having a nightmare, we can't wake him up.......... we might need some help."
Inuyasha jumped down from a tree, but not the tree Kagome had been talking to, but the tree behind her, then he spoke, "I'm over here."
"Oh, sorry, but if your there? Who's up there?"
Sesshomaru came from the tree she had been talking to, Kouga from the one behind it, and Kagura from one on Inuyasha's right side. (A/N: Demons and tree......... o.0 creepy)
"You said the monk was having nightmares and couldn't be awoken?" Kagura questioned, and then went over to the houshi when Kagome nodded.
The monk was tossing from side to side, sweating and crying out. He suddenly lay still and whimpered, then grabbed his right hand and started to scream.
It was no regular scream, but one of a person who was being tortured on the rack, or in this case, one who thought they were being pulled into an air void.
Sango buried her head in Kouga's chest and cried. Kouga, quite shocked, patted her awkwardly on the head.
Shippo and Rin, who had been woken by the scream, had come over and started to shake their friend and try to get him to awake, to no avail.
Kagura looked very distressed by the scene and turned to Kagome.
"This is bad," she said quietly, "I've seen this before. It's nightmares controlled by a demon called an Akumu. It takes a person's worst fears, and constantly gives them nightmares about it. If you cannot wake the houshi, then this Akumu must be very powerful, or have a jewel shard."
"But it couldn't have a jewel shard......... unless......... Naraku!" Inuyasha growled.
"Let him be. We need to sleep, we can't think without sleep. We can't figure out what to do," Kouga said, prying Sango off him, "You stay by him. Make sure he doesn't strangle himself in the night or something."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"We can't carry him anymore!" Sango said as she pulled the unconscious houshi back up on Kirara, where she had been holding him to make sure he didn't fall.
"We'll stop at a village or something," Kagome said, "We can't go after Naraku until we defeat this Akumu anyway. Do you know how to defeat an Akumu Kagura?"
Kagura just shook her head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Excuse me? Is there anyone there?" Kagome called up to a look out on the wall surroundings the village.
"What do you want?" the soldier called down.
"Our friend is.........sick........." Kagome called, "we need somewhere to stay.
"No bloody way!" the soldier called down, "you travel with demons! You must be crazy to think we'd let you in!"
"Lets just keep going Kagome," Sango muttered.
"No way are we giving up so easily. Who are you and where's the Sango I know?" Kagome asked, shocked that her friend would give up so easily, "I have an idea."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So what's your plan?" Nokamis asked.
"You all know I'm a miko right?"
Everyone but Nokamis nodded, he hadn't known, but was not overly shocked.
"Well Kaede taught me a difficult spell, but with enough concentration I can do a guise spell."
There were a few scattered gasps. Sango, Kagura and Kouga knew what she was talking about.
"But......... only very powerful mikos can perform a guise spell," Kagura said, "Naraku underestimated you."
"What's a geyes spell?" Shippo asked
"It's a spell put on you to make you look like something else, like making a demon look human," Nokamis stated
"So, who's first?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hello?" a young man with black hair and ice blue eyes called up to a soldier on the wall surrounding.
"Hello neighbor!" the soldier called down.
"Can you let us in?" the man called, "my companions and I need a place to stay for a while. As you can see, my brother is injured." he pointed a man being carried by two men with long hair on a make-shift stretcher, "there are eight of us, not including my brother, and three children and their pet cat."
"No problem friend, our home is your home. Just let me get the leader, he will find you somewhere to stay until your brother is healed," the soldier called down as he disappeared.
"Good job Nokamis!" Kagome whispered
Just then, the great gate swung open, "Welcome," said the voice of an older women, "welcome to Hekiron."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Arigato*! Rin likes miso soup. Rin thanks you for miso soup," Rin babbled on as the family who they were staying with served out miso soup to the gumi.
Sango had found out that the woman who had greeted them was the leader of the village, Hekiron. Her name was Kaizoe. The village was made up of people who had lost loved ones to youkai attacks. They were vicious fighters and disliked youkai intensely.
"So, tell me, are all of you related?" Kaizoe asked the gumi over dinner.
"Well, you see," Sango began nervously.
"No," Kagura provided an excuse, "you see, Nokamis and Miroku are brothers. Sango here is Miroku's wife and young Rin and Shippo are their children. Now Inuyasha," she pointed to Inuyasha, who looked like he was in his human form, "and Sesshomaru," she pointed to Sesshomaru, who was quite a sight. His hair appeared black, his facial markings gone and eyes turned violet. He had discarded his puff to be used a pillow for Miroku, "are brothers. The boy with the blonde hair, Jaken, is Sesshomaru's child. His wife died about a year ago. Kagome is Inuyasha's fiance. We are all demon exterminators."
Kagome put a hand of Inuyasha's arm as a sign to cool off. He had gotten really heated at Kagura's excuse. If he got too angry, the spell would wear off.
"I see," Kaizoe said, turning to Kouga, "and is yourself with young Kagura?" she asked, facing back to the young woman with blue eyes.
"NO!" Kouga and Kagura yelled at the same time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"And you shall be in here, Kagome and Inuyasha. I hope the room is satisfactory." Kagome nodded gratefully. The room had two futons pulled together to form one bed, it was covered with a gorgeous hand-embroidered quilt. There was a closet that had many fine kimonos and haoris.
"May I speak to you privately?" Kagome asked Kaizoe, she had been meaning to question her all day about the strange thing she had been experiencing.
"You may."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What is it you wish to know, miko Kagome?" Kaizoe asked
"Oh its just – hang on! How can you tell I'm a miko?"
"I am a miko also." Kaizoe stated.
"So that's why I've been sensing a strange aura around you, your more than what you seem," Kagome said, more to herself than Kaizoe.
"As are you, young Kagome, if you are able to produce a guise spell."
"How.........what......... h-how can you tell?" Kagome choked, frightened that their secret was out.
"You friends' aura's tell all. Are you the same group of humans and demons that came by earlier?"
Kagome just nodded.
"Okay then, well good-night."
"Wait! You're not going to kick us out?"
Kaizoe looked surprised, "No my dear, the other villagers do not know, it is them, not I, who have a strong dislike for demons. Just answer me one question, is the story true? The one your wind-demon friend told me?"
"No, it's quite confusing really, you see........."
Kagome launched into their tale, starting at the beginning, not realizing that she was.
"So, are you really from the future?" Kaizoe asked, "And are Inuyasha and Sesshomaru really the sons of Inutaisho? Does Miroku really have a curse? What's Rin's story? Do you know a lot about Nokamis? Do you really think that Naraku is that strong? Is Kikyou really dead? Does Sango like Miroku? Is Miroku really in the grasp of an Akumu?"
"Yes. Yes, Yes. Don't know. No. Yes. Yes. Ask her. And we think so. "
"Whoa......... It's late Kagome, you should really get back to your 'fiance'," Kaizoe walked off chuckling at her joke.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maki: Yeah! Over 2000 words this time!
Yoshimi: Yup, and we managed to add another twist.........
Maki: I like twists......... there like pretzels.........
Yoshimi: No like cinnamon sticks!
Maki: Pretzels
Yoshimi: Cinnamon Sticks!
Other Voice: Here are the new words:
neko- cat
youkai- demon
ookami- wolf
arigato- thank you
That's all for now people. Maki and Yoshimi are firmly resolved to not update until they get 5 reveiws.
Yoshimi: Cinnamon Sticks! Ja Ne!
Maki: Pretzels! Feh!