Chapter Three: Kagome Kidnapped!
After the battle in the village, Sora sat with his new friends, eating the food Kagome had brought with her from her own time. He sat between Kaede and Miroku, slurping one of many bowls of Ramen noodles.
"Kagome," he said with his mouth full, "Are you sure your well can't go to other worlds besides your own?"
"Pretty sure," Kagome said as she popped open a soda can.
"You'll have to fix that thing you came in," Inu-yasha said, gulping his food.
"Aww," Sora whined in disgrace, "There are so many pieces missing!"
"We could help you fix it," Sango offered.
"That'd be cool," Sora said.
"There are a few new inventions that may prove useful to your craft," Kaede said.
"Or," Kagome said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, "We could go to my time and buy you new stuff! We could get you a new ship!"
"With what, my good looks?" Sora said, "You don't have any munny here."
"If you mean gold, then yes we do," Miroku said, then he got a sheepish look on his face and added, "But we don't have any on us."
"We could do as my village once did," Sango said, "and slay demons."
"How about we just find the pieces and just fix it ourselves," Inu-yasha suggested, "That would be easier."
"Yeah, it would," Sora agreed, "Besides, I was supposed, to… um…"
"Find the Keyhole and seal this world?" Kaede said.
"Yeah! How'd you know?"
"Being a old woman, and often overlooked, I hear of such things. I know more about this world, and others, than ye think. Especially ye, Inu-yasha." she added.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Inu-yasha demanded. "It's not my fault you're an old hag!"
"Do you happen to know where it is?" Sora asked her, hoping this might actually be easy.
"Aye, I do," she said, "But as a protector of this world, I cannot tell directly."
"New it was too easy," Sora pouted.
"I think Naraku's behind this," Inu-yasha said. "He's been hiding since these things came. And his stench is all over those little demons."
"Whose Naraku?" Sora asked.
"That would take a while to explain," Kagome said, "let's just say that he's our mortal enemy."
"And I'm gonna kill him if it's the last thing I do," Inu-yasha said, standing up and lifting his fist.
"Well, let's start looking for the Gummi pieces," Sora said, also getting up, "If Naraku is controlling the Heartless here, then wherever there are Heartless, that's where he'll be."
"Alright," chimed little Shippo, "I need to walk off all this candy." And so the little troop set off to find the other Gummi Ship pieces. Their first stop was the original crash sight, where Kagome had first found Sora. After pushing back the thick foliage, they came to the circular area that had been charred to a crisp my the ship's explosions.
"I'm pretty sure I got all the pieces before," Kagome said, "But I could have overlooked something."
"Well, better get started," Sora, said. He laid the majority of the previously collected pieces in the middle of the burned circle, then they each split off into the woods. Kagome and Shippo to the right, Sora and Inu-yasha to the left, and Sango and Miroku straight ahead.
-Transition-
"Alright," Inu-yasha said as he scratched his head, looking under various bushes "so what do Dummies-"
"Gummies" Sora corrected him.
"Whatever!" the half demon yelled. "What do they look like?"
"Well," Sora said, scratching his own head, "They're kind of… squishy… and colorful."
"AAAH!" Inu-yasha screamed as he took a step, bounced, and landed on his head.
"Inu-yasha, you found one!" Sora cheered as he bent down and picked up the block.
"Terrific," the dog boy muttered.
"AAAHHHH!" a voice screamed.
"What was that?" Sora asked. Then they heard a loud SMACK, followed by THUD. They hurried back to the circle, carrying their Gummi, and found Sango with a Gummi, and Miroku on his butt, rubbing his head.
"Not again!" Inu-yasha said, crossing his arms.
"Uh… did I miss something?" Sora asked.
"No, Miroku's just a lecherous pervert!" Sango yelled.
"I merely searching for Sora's items when my hand just happen to pass by," Miroku said.
"His blocks aren't on my butt!" Sango raged, and hit him again. At that time, Kagome and Shippo came back with their own Gummies, with Shippo bouncing on his.
"We found some," Kagome cheered.
"These are fun!" Shippo exclaimed as he continued to bounce on the big green Gummi block.
"Four down, six to go," Sora remarked. They split up again, this time Sango and Shippo trading search partners.
"Is he always like that?" Sora asked.
"Who? The Monk or the Rat?" Inu-yasha said as they went deeper into the woods.
"Never mind," Sora said. Then, he peered off into the distance, and said, "I think I see one over there." and off they went.
-Transition-
"Here's another one," Sango said as she picked a block out of a tree.
"I kinda wish Sora wouldn't go," Kagome said. " I know he has a job to do, but he's made things a little more interesting around here." she was bending down to get another Gummi block, when she suddenly stiffened, and gasped. "I sense the Jewel Shards!"
"Get down!" Sango cried as she threw her hiraikotsu, knocking down a Heartless that had snuck up on them. But this one didn't vanish. It jumped back up and stared them down. It looked like a little dark Ninja. And in seconds a whole legion of Ninja Heartless converged, followed by a mob of Heartless dressed in Samurai armor.
"Run, Kagome! Get Inu-yasha," Sango yelled as tiny Kirara transformed and became a huge demon cat.
"I'm not leaving you behind. These things are stronger than before," Kagome replied, then immediately fired an arrow at the Heartless.
"Kirara," Sango ordered, "Get Inu-yasha!"
Kirara roared and took off into the air, flying over the trees, following Inu-yasha and Sora's scents. When she found them, however, they were also fighting Heartless.
"Dammit!" Inu-yasha said as he mowed down three Ninjas. "Where'd they come from?"
"I don't know," Sora said, fighting back two. Then, he looked up and saw Kirara flying towards them. The demon cat swooped down, batting away Heartless so Sora and Inu-yasha could grab on to her and fly out of the throng.
"Kirara?" Sora said, looking at the massive feline. "What happened? Where's Sango and Kagome?"
"They're in trouble," Inu-yasha said. Then, they heard the girls' loud screams in the distance.
"Go Kirara!" Sora told her, and with a roar, she flew off.
-Transition-
"NO! Kagome!" Sango cried as the Ninjas and Samurai swarmed around her. Minutes after having been attacked, Kagome had been knocked out by a Sumo Heartless, which was now carrying her away. Sango tried to fight threw the waves of enemies, but her strength was already giving out.
"Get out of my way!" she heard Inu-yasha yell from above. "Wind Scar!" he cried, swinging his sword. Sango planted her own weapon into the ground and let it shield her as the Wind Scar destroyed the Heartless around her.
"Sango, are you okay?" Sora asked, jumping down from Kirara's back.
"Where's Kagome?" Inu-yasha demanded.
"The Heartless carried her away," Sango said, "There was nothing I could do."
"Dammit!" Inu-yasha snarled. "Naraku's gonna pay!"
"Inu-yasha!" called Shippo as he and Miroku finally came from the woods. "What happened?"
"The Heartless took Kagome," Sora said.
"We'll fix your what-cha-ma-call-it later," Inu-yasha said. "We have to find Kagome."
"You won't have to look far," said a deep voice from all around.
"Show yourself Naraku!" Inu-yasha called out.
Sora looked down, suddenly overcome by fear, dread, and a strange sense of pain. "What is this? What's this feeling?"
"It's Naraku's demonic aura." Miroku said with contempt.
"Dammit, Naraku, what did you do with Kagome?" Inu-yasha yelled again.
All they got was a laugh, as a wooden doll fell from the trees above them.
"Only a demon puppet," Sango remarked.
"How could let Kagome get captured, Inu-yasha?" Shippo whined.
"I wasn't the one with her!" Inu-yasha shouted, smacking the fox cub in the noggin.
"We're wasting time," Sora said, "Let's go after him now. I think I feel his presence going that way," he said, pointing southward.
Inu-yasha sniffed the air, "That where his scent is coming from too. Let's go!" he ordered. He took off running faster than lightening.
"Whoa!" Sora remarked.
"Get on Kirara, it's the only way we'll catch up" Sango said as the rest of them climbed on, and off they went to get Kagome.
-Transition-
"Well done, Naraku," said the red haired stranger as he stood above Kagome's unconscious body.
"It was simple. I only needed to wait for the opportunity." the demon replied.
Then, the stranger waved his hand over Kagome, and her clothes were replaced with the garb of a holy priestess.
"You knew her true form then," Naraku said.
"Of course. The woman she was before had been one of a very select few who were pure enough to open the door to all hearts. It takes only seven to break the barrier, but I hit a few blocks. This girl is the perfect substitute for one I cannot gain access to. Here. Take these," he said, giving Kagome's school outfit to Naraku. "Fashion one of your puppets into the her form and put these on it to lure the others here."
"Already done," Narkau said, taking the clothes and throwing into a nearby wood pile. With a snap of his fingers, the collection changed, and looked exactly like Kagome, but with dull, lifeless eyes.
"Excellent. Farewell, Naraku. Do not forget your promise." the stranger said as he took Kagome and vanished.
"Ha! I keep no promises," Naraku said, watching the heros from Kana's mirror. "When that boy comes with Inu-yasha, I will kill them all. If they get past my barriers of course.
But as he was gloating, he was being watched. His own incarnation, Kagura, heard everything her creator had said, and devised a plan of her own.
-Transition-
The five continued to hurry, using their senses, mostly smell in Inu-yasha's case, to search out Naraku.
"He could be anywhere," young Shippo said.
"He's this way," Sora ascertained, "I can feel it."
"And I can smell it," Inu-yasha called from the ground, "It's getting stronger by the second-" then he suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" Sora asked. Then he looked, and in front of them was a woman with empty red eyes, pointed ears, and a feather in her hair.
"Kagura," Miroku said, "Has Naraku sent you to stop us now?"
"Actually, no," Kagura said, "I have information beneficial to you. But you must swear to kill Naraku first."
"No problem with that," Inu-yasha said, "But why should we trust you?"
"Fine then, don't take my information," she said.
"Wait a minute," Sora said, "We have no choice. She might be right. Think of Kagome."
Inu-yasha, huffed and said, "Fine, what is this 'information'?"
"Naraku has put up a very strong barrier," Kagura said. "In fact, your sword alone cannot break it."
"What? Just try me!" Inu-yasha challenged her.
"Go on then. Try to break. In fact it's right here." she said, stepping aside as they saw the transparent red wall suddenly become visible.
"Alright," Inu-yasha said, drawing his sword again. This time, however, and turned a bright, glowing red. Then, he lifted it over his head, and swung with all his strength at the barrier. As the blade made contact with the wall, sparks and fire flew, then the wall itself pulsed, sending Inu-yasha flying back into Sora, knocking them both down.
Then, Kagura looked over at Inu-yasha with a grin and said, "And the inner barrier is twice as strong as this." she said. "That's all I can offer. If you get past these barriers, then you might save you precious woman." then, the wind rose up around her, and she pulled the feather out of her hair, enlarging it, and flying away on the wind.
Inu-yasha got to his feet and smacked at the transparent wall. "Dammit all! How are we gonna get through this thing?"
"Maybe Sora's Keyblade can help," Sango said.
"Are you kidding," Sora asked her, "My Keyblade's not nearly strong enough to break through that."
"Then perhaps you need to make it stronger," said a tiny old voice.
"Who said that?" Sora said, looking around. Then he felt a tiny prick on his neck. "Ow!" he said as he smacked his neck. He looked at his hand and saw a tiny little flea.
"Such is the fate… of a flea," it said as it popped back into shape.
"Myoga, it's been a while since you've been around you old coward," Inu-yasha said.
"I've only just heard about the fantastic Keybearer coming to our world, Lord Inu-yasha." Myoga said.
Sora looked at the flea and asked, "You really know how to make the Key stronger?"
"Of course," Myoga said. "Totosai, the great demon sword smith can make it unbeatable. He is the one who forged Lord Inu-yasha's Tetsusaiga."
"Then let's hurry and get to that old fart before we waste any more time," Inu-yasha said, taking off again.
"Here we go again," said Miroku as they got back on Kirara and headed off to the west.