...waves nervously... Hey peoples. What's up? ...barely manages to avoid random flying objects... Okay. Okay. So I haven't updated anything at all for a really long time, so sue me. ...is suddenly bombarded by a bunch of lawyers... SARCASM, PEOPLE! SARCASM! ...avoids more objects...
Alright, alright. I'll tell ya why I haven't updated. Truth is, I've been depressed as hell. Makes it really hard to write. I just moved to El Paso and am now spending my free time trying to help find a house. -.-' So yeah. I'll stop talking now.
Disclaimer: Heck, if I owned Inuyasha, why the hell would I write a fanfiction about it? I could put it in the real deal for crying out loud!
Inuyasha, as usual, was leading the group across the vast meadow in pursuit of a lead on Naraku. This time, however, he was silent, lost in thought, completely opposite of the Inuyasha that usually yelled at the others for being too slow.
'I wonder what's his problem,' Kagome thought, walking her bike near the back of the group. 'I don't even remember the last time he was so lost in thought.'
She quickened her pace slightly until she was walking beside him, gazing into his faraway face. "Inuyasha?"
He blinked slowly, then looked down at her. "Yeah? What's your problem?"
"Oh, nothing." She smiled innocently, knowing that he had not appreciated her interruption on his thoughts.
"Then stop staring at me," he said in his usual tone, looking back up at the sky again with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he stopped, his nose slightly twitching.
"Something wrong?" Kagome asked, watching as he turned in a few different directions and sniffed some more. "You smell something?"
Miroku and Sango walked up next to them, also giving the hanyou a look of interest. Shippo also came up, riding on Kirara, but as soon as they got close, both got the same look and started sniffing the air as well.
"What's the matter? Is it Naraku?" Sango gave them slightly worried looks, as Kirara rarely acted so strangely.
"No . . ." Inuyasha growled, giving up his sniffing. "I can't . . . smell anything at all . . ."
"You can't?" Kagome squeaked, giving him a worried look. "But . . . But . . . why not?"
"Hell if I know, wench!" he snapped, trying yet again to sift out any scents at all.
"I can't either." Shippo hopped off Kirara and onto the hanyou's shoulder, hoping that the height might help his nose.
"This area . . ." Miroku looked around, noting the vast field in every direction and the forest off to their right. "It seems . . . rather ominous . . ."
"What do you mean 'ominous'?" Kagome asked, looking over at him.
"I feel it too." Sango stepped forward and looked at the forest. "This place has the feeling of a vengeful spirit."
"Vengeful spirit? What the hell would a spirit want to be avenged for? And why would that have to do with not being able to smell?" Inuyasha growled.
Miroku looked back at the others with a solid look on his face. "Whatever the situation may be, I suggest we get out of this area as soon as possible."
"I agree." Sango got up and mounted Kirara. "The sooner we get out of here the better."
"So where are you going?" The monk gave her a curious look as she and the fire neko took off into the air.
"I'm going to see if there are any humans around here. This could spell disaster for them." Sango said, as if it were obvious.
"Good idea, Sango!" Kagome took a few steps forward while looking up at her. Suddenly, a very familiar feeling hit her, causing her to look in the direction of the forest. "I . . . There's . . . a shikon jewel shard in there . . ."
"Well then." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. "That explains a lot. I think it's time we got rid of this so called vengeful spirit."
Lahara tapped her claws on the solid ground beneath her impatiently, staring out overtop the trees and out into the forest. The familiar grumblings of her brothers rumbled in the cave beneath her, griping about their hunger. It almost made her want to grab each by their throat and choke the life out of them. When would they ever understand that if she did something so drastic as to stop them from their routine hunt, there was a perfectly good reason?
The sound of claws scratching on rock came from behind her, signaling the return of her most faithful companion. She turned her head slightly, letting out a strange growl. Another echoed back to her in return, and a giant golden bitch stepped forward, sitting next to her.
"I see . . . so the dogs are in position . . ." She stood, staring off into the distance before letting out another growl. Shrieka stood again, ground out an affirmative, then left as quickly as she had come. Lahara closed her eyes, taking a few sniffs of the air for any sign of the people she was expecting. The slightest of slight scents tickled her nose, and she smirked. "Finally . . . it took them long enough to get here."
She leapt off the cliff face, landing gracefully in front of a cave and immediately being greeted by a hateful growl.
She let out an annoyed sigh before turning to face her eldest little brother who was sitting on a rock near the entrance. "Shikaki . . . might I remind you that I would not call off our hunt if I didn't have a good enough reason."
"Then tell me the reason." He stood, his long braid of silky, golden hair slipping onto his back. "Tell me your pathetic reason so that I might loathe you all the more."
She growled at him, eyes slitted with hatred. "I am the authority here. You will listen to my orders whether you like them or not." Lahara slowly made her way over to him, gripping him by the collar to bring his nose an inch from hers. "Got it?"
"Get your hands off me." Shikaki attempted to pull her hands off but to no avail.
"If you weren't my little brother . . ." she hissed. "I'd've killed you long ago . . ."
A howl suddenly burst through the deafening quiet, causing her to release her brother. He stumbled backwards slightly, then brushed himself off with a look of disgust.
"That's the first signal. Good. Everything's in place." Lahara narrowed her eyes at Shikaki. "Go. Assemble everyone. It's time you learned what I've been up to."
Kagome quickly gripped onto Inuyasha's haori as a second howl pierced through the usual forest sounds, unnerving her. "Inuyasha . . . I don't like this . . ."
"Quit your whining," he snapped, pulling her off of him. "It's probably just some stray dogs goin' out for a hunt."
"Do you think they eat foxes?" Shippo asked, shivering slightly on top of the hanyou's head.
"Why would they eat a shrimp like you?" Inuyasha pried him off his head by his tail. "I'm tellin' ya. It's nothin' to worry about."
"Then again, there's no way of really knowing, is there? You can't smell where they are," Miroku added quickly, making everyone all the more nervous as they looked into the trees around them.
"Ah! Something moved!" Shippo jumped right onto Inuyasha's face, causing him to growl as he pulled him off yet again.
"It's a forest. Of course things are gonna move, stupid," Inuyasha snickered.
"Not things with red eyes, there aren't!" Sango yelled, holding her Hiraikotsu over her head before releasing it into the trees, the sounds of things scampering out of the way echoing from all over.
"We're surrounded! I knew it! They do wanna eat me!" Shippo jumped into Kagome's protective arms.
Sango caught her weapon again and threw it in a circle around them, cutting down all the trees and causing the creatures around them to flee deeper into the forest.
"I don't think their leader's with them," Inuyasha mumbled, thoroughly annoyed that he couldn't assess the situation in a single sniff. "They were probably just lookouts."
"Lookouts? For what?" Kagome asked, hugging the kit in her arms tighter. "None of them are heading in the direction of the shikon jewel shard."
Several howls suddenly sounded from around them, making shivers run down almost everyone's spines.
Kagome gasped. "The jewel shard . . . it's coming this way and fast!"
"Feh." Inuyasha drew his sword. "That'll just make it all the easier to kill 'em."
A deep growl suddenly sounded from directly in front of them, huge, glowing red eyes appearing before them. Kagome backed behind Inuyasha, shaking slightly as an enormous dog immerged from the trees, saber-like teeth bared and golden fur bristled.
Much to everyone's surprise, Inuyasha slightly lowered his sword, eyes wide. "Th-That's . . ."
Flashback
A much younger Inuyasha cowered in some bushes, watching a battle take place between two women, one with golden hair and the other with silver.
'Come on, Kyouki. You gotta win this.'
Kyouki, however, was losing incredibly badly, already bleeding from several wounds.
"Damn you, Lahara," she hissed, clutching the freshest wound on her chest.
Lahara merely laughed. "You've been quite the entertainment, but I'm afraid that your little diversion has gone on long enough." She motioned for the dog behind her, who gladly stepped forward. "Shrieka, I'll allow you to finish off this wench."
"You may kill me, but Inuyasha will live."
'Kyouki . . .' The hanyou almost leapt out to try and save her, but remembered what she had told him and pressed himself closer to the ground. 'Please don't die . . .'
"Whatever," Lahara sighed, waving to her companion who instantly leapt forward, pushing the silver haired woman to the ground as she sunk her fangs into her neck.
Inuyasha snapped his eyes closed, pressing his ears to his skull. 'Kyouki . . .'
"Now where the hell did the little one get to?" Lahara's voice made him slit open his eyes again. She sniffed the air, then growled. "Damn. There's too much blood in this air."
The dog looked up at her, blood dripping off its muzzle.
The woman sighed, crossing her arms. "Oh well. We'll just get 'im later, Shrieka. Father's expecting me home soon anyway."
The bitch made an odd growl, then brought its mouth down to the corpse at its feet.
Inuyasha looked away, feeling about ready to puke. 'Ane-ue . . .'
End Flashback
"Inuyasha?" Kagome almost whispered, looking at him with concern written all over her face.
The hanyou shook his head, bringing his sword back up to the ready. "One stupid dog won't stop me," he said, his words bitter.
As if mocking him, many more dogs suddenly immerged from all around them, growling in tune with their leader.
"Inuyasha, the jewel shard . . . it's almost here . . ." Kagome clutched onto his haori again, trying to back away from the dogs that were slowly closing in.
Inuyasha's eyes widened yet again. 'If this is the same dog, then that means that . . .' He looked over at Kagome, feeling his heart almost stop. He couldn't allow her to be in danger. "Kagome, I'll clear a path for you, and I want you to run."
"Huh?" She blinked at him, wondering why his voice held traces of panic.
"Don't ask questions. I just want you to run." He raised his voice so that Miroku and Sango could hear as well. "Miroku. Sango. Can you protect Kagome?"
"Of course," they said in unison.
"Good." He quickly turned around, blasting a kaze no kizu into the trees to force the dogs away. "Then go!"
Kagome instantly took off, Miroku and Sango following her, the dog underlings chasing all three. The golden bitch, however, remained to deal with Inuyasha, slowly stepping forward, her humongous paws padding surprisingly softly on the ground.
'It's time to avenge Kyouki,' Inuyasha thought, raising his sword.
Suddenly, something rustled through the trees beside the two, causing the dog to stop growling and perk its ears up. Its nose twitched, sniffing, before bounding forward, catching the hanyou completely off guard.
She leapt at him, catching him in the chest, forcing the Tetsusaiga out of his hands as she growled in his face.
"Oh no, you don't!" He kicked the dog in the stomach, forcing her off him and above his head. Quickly, he stood, picking up the Tetsusaiga and turning, only to see the dog's retreating back. "What the . . ."
Another howl broke through the silence, followed by many others.
"Oh no! Kagome!" Inuyasha hurriedly ran forward, trying to catch up as his mind raced. 'This can only mean one thing. That dog's master is up ahead. Kagome . . . please be alright . . .'
Kagome, however, was not doing alright. She and the others were surrounded by dogs, all nipping at their heels. Kirara had transformed, hissing at them to stay away, but there were too many, even for her.
"I'll get 'em," Sango said, releasing her Hiraikotsu in yet another circle. The dogs all leapt backwards, but before the weapon could return to its owner, the giant bitch had jumped out of nowhere and managed to snag the thing in her jaws before spitting it out to the side.
"My turn." Miroku gripped his rosary tightly. "Stand behind me so I don't suck you in."
"Right." Kagome nodded, standing behind him with the others, making sure Kirara was between her and the dogs.
Laughter coming from behind them all made them all turn before the monk could open his kazaana, staring at a figure that was still somewhat hidden in the trees.
"Whadaya know." A small bit of silky golden hair floated in and out of view. "The demon was right about that hand of yours."
"The jewel shard . . ." Kagome whispered, trying to see the person. "They have it . . ."
Miroku stepped in front of his friends again, holding out his hand. "Then you know that unless you call off your dogs, you'll get sucked in and never come out alive."
"Surely you're not that much of a fool." The person smirked in the shadows. "You suck me in, you suck the jewel shard in as well."
Miroku narrowed his eyes as he pulled his hand back.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha suddenly burst through the trees, leaping right into the center of the fray. "You aren't hurt, are you?"
"No, I'm just fine, but . . ." She gazed around the dogs, the giant leader slowly making its way back to its own master.
Inuyasha growled, eyes narrowed as he looked into the shadows. "I know you're there . . . Lahara . . ."
"Oh, how clever." The figure immerged, hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. "Nice to see you again, Inuyasha."
And there you have it. Hope you enjoyed.
Shout Outs:
GREENpandas (first reviewer! You're number 1, baby!): Hopefully, you're more interested than ever cause ...gasp... Lahara killed Inu-baby's sister!
brigurl: Sorry it wasn't soon, but I at least it wasn't forever!
sweet-girl8270: Freaked out? Well . . . you're probably even more freaked out now aren't you?
animedorkette: Yes, yay for updates! I'll try to update more often, but no promises what with the move and all.
AngelWing1138: ...laughs nervously... Sorry that I restarted it, but I hope you think it's much better this time through . . . ... continues nervous laughter...