It had become a competition between Inuyasha and Rosaline, to see who caught Naraku's scent first. So far, Rosaline was winning, and she was rubbing his nose in in. She dipped and bobbed in and out of the trees gracefully with the others following close behind and Inuyasha muttering incoherent curses under his breath. Rosaline had known that whatever concern and warmth he had felt for her would be short lived.
Rosaline's tail began to move faster as she leaped easily over a bush, clearing five feet easy. "Show off," Inuyasha muttered as he jumped it as well.
"Look who's talking," her bark clearly said. Kagome giggled.
"Will you hush?" he snapped. Rosaline gave Kagome a meaningful look that she quickly understood.
"Sit!" she commanded and Inuyasha hit the ground with a curse. He looked up to see Rosaline's yellow eyes smiling at him, her tail wagging. She licked his cheek and barked playfully. Inuyasha shoved her away.
"Will you get back on the trail you glorified cocker spaniel?" Her bark was laugh-like and it calmed Kagome's nerves. She realized that whatever seriousness she had held earlier were caused by grief. This was the real Rosaline, this playful creature that circled around behind her as she ran from Inuyasha, her wagging tail brushing her leg. Kagome giggled as Kylala and Shippo joined in the game. She bowled Inuyasha over and tugged playfully at his ear. He threw her off. "Could you be serious for five seconds?" She tilted her head curiously, her tail ceasing it's oscillation for exactly five seconds before she pounced on Shippo, licking his face. He was giggling.
Suddenly, she ceased her movements as a light breeze hit them, and growled at Shippo to be quiet. Her ears tilted forward and her nose twitched. Inuyasha had gone ridged as well. "You smell that too?" he asked.
"He's close." The playful mood of the group was replaced immediately with tense alertness at the sound of her words. Rosaline suddenly hated herself for allowing them to get distracted. She realized that the fur on her back was bristling and she was snarling. She felt Kagome's nervous hand on her head and she gave a few tentative wags of her tail to comfort her.
She heard a twig snap next to her and she jerked to the sound. Inuyasha had already drawn his Tetsusaiga and she stood next to him, ready to strike. Before she could react she saw Naraku materialize out of the trees. Inuyasha and Miroku unconsciously moved to protect the females of the pack. Rosaline pressed insistently between them, refusing to cower behind the males like some weak little pup, as did Sango. Kagome seemed perfectly content to be protected.
Naraku's cold eyes swept over each of them, lingering on Rosaline. "I remember you, little one."
"He still smells of my sister's blood," her growl clearly stated. Inuyasha took in the smell of the blood that smelled faintly like Rosaline's. He realized that he smelled her blood on him as well.
"Let's hope you are not as weak as your twin, or you definitely will not survive this fight." Rosaline waited for no signal from her new friends before she lunged, her teeth locking solidly on Naraku's throat. She vaguely heard Inuyasha shout "You idiot!" but she didn't care. Her teeth punctured his life vein and she was further encouraged as his cold blood entered her mouth. Naraku was caught momentarily off guard by the recklessness and sheer ferocity of the attack, but he recovered quickly. He drew his sword and struck her painfully in the head, causing her to let go. She hit the ground with a yelp and he advanced on her.
"Leave her alone!" Inuyasha commanded, striking Naraku with Tetsusaiga. Rosaline felt Sango's gentle hands on her back and she growled her away. She did not want to be comforted. She drug herself back on her feet and lunged again, locking her teeth into his calf, causing him to lose his balance. The hilt of his sword connected with her head and she hit the ground once more, fighting to stay conscious. Kagome's arrow slammed into the ground inches in front of her and Kagome gave her a warning look. Rosaline ignored her and lunged again.
"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Naraku asked as his blade made contact with the soft flesh of her side, breaking the skin and cracking several ribs. Rosaline howled in rage and tried to stand again, but her legs were to weak to support her. She growled and felt once again that sheer determination to give him hell before he finished her off.
Her brain felt foggy and her vision was blurred. She knew she was going to die, but, like her sister, she was going to go down fighting tooth and nail. As he reached her, she caught Rachel's scent. She was trying to reason out weather or not he still bore her scent or if it was just her imagination when she heard a crash in the bushes and the scent was all around her. She looked up to see a furry black avenging angel positioning it's body in between her and Naraku. Rosaline was half convinced that she was dreaming or dead already when the wolf threw back her head and howled. Rosaline forced herself to her feet only to fall again. She felt Miroku's warm hands on her shoulders, trying to hold her still as Kagome's landed on her pain filled side. As Kagome touched her wound, Rosaline used every ounce of restraint she had not to tear Kagome's hand to ribbons. Inuyasha stood in front of them and the black wolf touched her nose to Rosaline's forehead. She shifted to human form, flipping her coal black hair out of her eyes.
"She's running a fever. Do you have any ice?" Kagome shook her head. The young girl placed her hand once again to Rosaline's forehead. "She's going to die if we don't do something to bring that fever down." Inuyasha turned to face them briefly.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm her twin," she snapped haughtily.
Rosaline fainted.
"Rosaline," Kagome said gently, trying to rouse the unconscious girl.
"She's lost to much blood," The ebony-haired female said. Rosaline's yellow eyes fluttered open and locked on her twin's.
"Rachel?" The girl nodded with a smile.
"What a touching reunion, but, if you don't mind ladies, I would very much like to kill you now, ladies."
"Over my dead body," Rosaline growled, forcing herself to her feet.
"Ironic choice of words," Kagome said through gritted teeth. "Are you crazy? You'll be killed."
"I'd rather die fighting then to live with my tail between my legs," Rosaline replied as she and her sister shifted forms. Inuyasha raised his sword, Sango pulled her weapon off of her back, Shippo conjured his fox fire, Kagome raised her bow, and Miroku raised his staff. The twins were snarling, The smaller white one being supported by the bigger one.
Like a unit, the twins struck Naraku on both his sides, but, unlike last time, Inuyasha was ready with Tetsusaiga when they were forced to let go, keeping Naraku from striking them down. Sango's weapon struck him in the head and he took a look around again. He knew he was out numbered. Miroku pushed the girls back as he conjured his miasma and retreated. Rachel, now inhuman form, sighed as Rosaline collapsed in her arms.
"She needs help!" Rachel cried and Kagome didn't hesitate to crouch by her side, her first aid kit ready.