Chapter 7: Slaying a Mountain
Neyoko had lapsed back into her silent mode, deep in contemplation. She was leading and miraculously, hadn't run into anything or gotten lost.
Sango and Kagome worried something might have happened to her, and chattered quietly about what it could have been. Amidst Inu Yasha's complaints about going so slow, Miroku overheard the girls' conversation and decided it was a 'touchy' situation.
The houshi caught up to Neyoko, walking silently. She glanced over momentarily, and then went back to her thoughts.
Miroku swallowed tickly before he made his move, passing his hand over her ass.
Neyoko shrieked in surprise before smacking Miroku. "Baka houshi. Keep your hands where they belong, hentai," she fumed.
Miroku fell back, rubbing his cheek.
Neyoko stormed off, muttering about hentai being worse than yokai.
"Good grief, Miroku. Got over your fear fast enough?" Inu Yasha chuckled.
"Was you soul attempt to harass her, or something else?" Kagome asked.
Miroku was about to answer, but Sango interrupted. "Next time she's like that, I say we let Miroku handle it."
The houshi sweat-dropped. "Uh, no that's ok."
"Hey guys! Are you coming or what? Inu Yasha, I think there might be a yokai up ahead. You wanna try and kill it?" Neyoko snorted as she called from beyond a bend in the path.
"A yokai? Let me at him," Inu Yasha ran towards Neyoko's voice. Neyoko was in sight, but the hanyou stopped short. He looked around. "Where's the yokai?" he asked, ears dropping with disappointment.
Neyoko was leaning against the cliff face. She began laughing when she saw Inu Yasha's expression. "I can't believe you fell for that," she said shortly.
Inu Yasha's ears returned to a normal position. A stress mark appeared on his forehead. The hanyou's hands balled into fists. "You damn thief! How dare you pull a trick like that on me?"
"Because I could. And, if you tried to attack me, I know I could lay you flat in an instant," Neyoko had regained her cool and replied in a dangerous tone. She stepped away from the mountain and slipped into a fighting stance.
"Why you..." Inu Yasha drew the Tetsuaiga. But that was as far as he got, because a ball of hair zipped past him. "What the?" Inu Yasha followed the blob with his eyes.
"Look out mutt!" Neyoko shouted warning as another one flew towards the hanyou from behind.
Inu Yasha turned to look, receiving a fist-sized ball of hair in his face. He ripped it off, reviving his vision. "You know, that didn't really hurt. Even if them little buggers have teeth."
Then, there were a ton of the little hairballs. Allot came at Neyoko, who dodged out of the way. She grabbed a few stray strands as one went by.
Neyoko examined the creature, still dodging from the rest of them. Her chosen one latched itself to her finger.
"They aren't yokai, merely something like an extension of one. It probably just does the stuff its master wants. I'd say it was nothing more than its master hair and a bone full of teeth. The absence of eyes indicates that it senses vibrations, and that's it."
Upon the end of her explanation, Neyoko flicked the hairball to the ground. It landed in a puddle of black hair, a bone protruding from the center.
Inu Yasha was fighting off the little things with one hand. Neyoko smirked thinking, against nothing, Inu Yasha is pretty good.
"Hey, mutt. Get over here. I'm sick of these things, and it'd be shameful if you got caught in the blast without a fair warning," Neyoko called. She pressed her back against the mountain.
By this time, the rest of the group had arrived as well, just coming from around the bend. They were well out of the line of fire.
Inu Yasha mover to Neyoko's side. The redhead's fist glowed before little mini energy balls shot out. As they came in contact, the hairballs became oblivion.
Neyoko smiled with innocence instead of thrill. "Shall we be going now?"
"That was really neat. Seems to me like it'd come in handy allot." Sango smiled as she caught up to the young girl.
"Feh. My Kaze no Kizu would have done better," Inu Yasha snapped. "Miroku could have done better too, back then."
"Watch yourself Inu Yasha. I knew I had a feeling a yokai was around. It's masked pretty well. Either that, or it's barely on my spiritual level."
The group started moving.
"So, uh...what kind of yokai do you think that is?" Neyoko asked.
"Rumor had it of a yokai that could squash a whole town in a second. It also had the ability to create little monsters out of hair. However, I heard that it disappeared some time ago," Miroku replied.
"Yes. Some say it went into hiding, finding itself too weak to continue in the world where weakness is death. A more reliable one stated that it got too fat and lazy to do much so it disappeared," Sango continued.
"How dare you talk that way about Master?!" a voice shouted from behind them. The bushes rustled, then a blurry form streaked over their heads.
Before the group stood a young woman who was in her early twenties or so. Small hides were sewn roughly together, and were strung tight around her curving form. Her fluffy brown hair puffed into immature pigtails. Adding to her 'cute' appearance, she was just reaching 4 feet. A tail curved and swished behind her neck. Accusing red eyes glared at the group.
"I'll deal with the two of you later. How could anyone kill all of master's pets? He worked so hard to make them so no one could disturb his naps. And you killed them all," the risu (squirrel. The girl's more like a chipmunk, but...) hung her head in thought. She brightened, apparently coming to a conclusion. "I know. You're one of those evil women Master told me stories about. The evil miko women. You have to be one of them."
"Why the hell does everyone always call me a miko right off the bat? I...am...not a miko. Anyone who thinks otherwise is down right stupid!" Neyoko's anger rose. Who was this yokai, any way, to accuse her of any thing? She looked twenty, but acted like she was six!
"How dare you mock me? I'll kill you for Master!" the girl ran forward.
Neyoko smiled wickedly. "You won't be able to lay a finger on me."
Neyoko's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the risu's attack. The yokai was faster than she had estimated.
Neyoko jumped, barely avoiding the attack. The yokai was moving as soon as she realized her attack had missed, then attacked some more.
Neyoko decided to taunt the yokai a bit, and dodged again. The red head was a notch or two lower in terms of speed, but she was able to read the risu easily and avoid.
Neyoko jumped around, the risu right on her tail, until she started getting bored. She backed against a tree.
The risu smirked. Her opponent was cornered against a tree, her chance had come.
She attacked once more, but her fist connected with the rough tree bark. The risu turned, and was slammed into the tree. Neyoko pinned both of the yokai's arms with her left arm, elbow on one side, hand gripping the other. She leaned a knee across the risu's lower legs.
Neyoko smiled wickedly. "Not so fast now, are we?" she asked in a whisper.
The risu struggled and Neyoko's grip tightened. "Let me go," the yokai demanded.
"Your life is hanging in the balance, right in my hand. You have no right to be tellin me what you want, specially if it goes against what I want," Neyoko replied.
A mountain further up rumbled, then, to everyone's surprise but the risu, it began to move. It revealed that the grass-like stuff on it was really hair.
Inu Yasha unsheathed Tetsuaiga and positioned it in front of Kagome. Miroku's hand tightened around his staff while Sango reached for her weapon.
"Why have you come here?" the deep voice rumbled and echoing slightly off of the surrounding mountains.
"We're here for the Shikon fragment. Hand it over and you might be able to live," Inu Yasha spoke up.
The group sighed. Now they had to fight and, as usual, Inu Yasha had started it.
"Gutsy little hanyou. One I get up, I'll squash you." the form began shaking rapidly, swaying from side to side.
"Master!" the risu cried. The yokai slipped from Neyoko's grasp, causing the ex-thief to fall against the tree. The red head swore, examining the scratch up and down her lower left arm.
The risu stood in front of the shaking mountain, which now had a fairly piggish snout poking out of it. "Master, you don't have to fight. I can handle it."
"You have already failed me once against that female hanyou. Do not worry. I shall show them all their mortal blood."
"But, Master, at least let me help."
"Wakikoodo, I do not want you in my way," the voice softened in a way that reminded Inu Yasha of Sesshomaru towards Rin. "Do you have so little faith in me?"
The female hung her head in shame.
But that was as far as she got in showing what she thought. Neyoko tackled the risu and the two tumbled, scratching and biting.
The struggle ended quickly, with the risu being pinned face down to the ground by Neyoko. The redhead had the yokai's arms pinned behind her back and she was sitting on the risu's knees.
"I'd knock those antics out now if I were you," Neyoko threatened. She wasn't used to anything having to do with captives, but she didn't like being the one in charge of captivity.
The blob of fur connected to the buta (pig) nose swayed from side to side. "What's going on? Waki-chan?"
"Master," the woman complained.
Neyoko's eyes widened as she realized what was wrong. "He's blind," she whispered.
"He may not be able to see like you and I, but he has greater strength in other senses," the risu glared back at the neko.
"Release Wakikodoo," the blob of hair demanded. It started moving in the direction of the two.
"You want her? Come get her," Neyoko shouted. She still wanted a fight, despite already picking one several times already with several different people.
"You dare mock me?"
"You can't expect the whole world to treat you like some sort of God. You are not that different from any other low ranked yokai."
"Your insolence will be your end! I shall squash you and show to you the color of your impure blood."
"Keh," Inu Yasha spat. He stood now in front of Neyoko, katana at the ready. "We'll let that risu go, if you can beat me. There's no way that can happen, though."
"Inu Yasha, butt out. This is my fight," Neyoko demanded.
"When you're in a group, you're supposed to let them help. You just keep that risu under watch, I'll handle the fluff ball."
"Fine, then. You just don't get cocky and loose."
"Keh, look who's talkin."
Then the hanyou charged the oncoming mountain of fur. He jumped, Tetsuaiga coming down right where the yokai's backbone was.
The giant yokai stopped moving, laughing. "All of my fur protects me. Did you not know that, little hanyou? No matter how sharp the blade, it doesn't matter if it cannot make contact," now was the time the yokai saw to mock them.
"Keh," Inu Yasha jumped down, landing solidly on his feet. "You must be senile if that's all you think I can do."
The hanyou swung his katana back and then released the Kaze no Kizu.
"Master!" Again the risu managed to escape Neyoko's grasp. She ran right into the path of Inu Yasha's attack, in front of the monstrous yokai in seconds.
The Kaze no Kizu incinerated the young risu yokai and slammed into the buta. At first, the attack seemed like it would fail, that, too unable to by pass the fur. Then, the hair began to disintegrate, taking the yokai with it. "
"Wakikoodo, I'm coming!" the yokai squealed. Then, there wasn't a trace of either risu or the gigantic buta.
The group stared in silence for a few moments, before Kagome went to go find the Shikon fragment. After a few more moments search, she straightened with a smile.
"I think I can finish that tale Sango, Miroku," Neyoko looked back at the two, and remained situated on the ground. "The yokai was blinded some way or another, and fled to the mountains where it could blend in. The risu found him, cared for him, and a bond was formed. And, after meeting us, they died together," the girl seemed sad for a moment before she snorted. "What a crappy romance."
"Neyoko, that's not very nice," Kagome reprimanded.
"But it's true. I know a love story and that one counts as lame," Inu Yasha added in.
"Inu Yasha!"
"I'll see you guys later." Inu Yasha didn't wait for a reply before dashing into the mountains off the path.
Little did he know, he had perked a neko's curiosity.
"That was tactless," Neyoko stated as she walked into the clearing.
Inu Yasha jumped slightly, and tuned to face the neko with an angry golden glare. "What, you gonna lecture me on that girly 'mood' crap too? Kagome only does it every time Sango and Miroku are together."
"If you want me to, I'll do that later. I'm no expert, but I obviously know more than you. That was tactless."
"What in the seven hells was I doing that was so damn tactless?" Inu Yasha snapped.
Neyoko stayed unusually calm. "You look like an ant with an oversized twig when you wield your katana," Neyoko stated bluntly, smirking as it sunk in.
"Oh, as if you can do better." Inu Yasha rolled his eyes.
Neyoko slipped off her shoes. "Part of my training included using various weapons. A sword fight was always second best. But, as you can tell, I don't have one. Ningen stuff is so expensive."
Inu Yasha got the hint. "Tetsuaiga gets really picky sometimes. Won't ever let full yokai touch it." Despite that, Inu Yasha held out the sheathed katana.
Neyoko reached out, touching the hilt. A shock ran up her arm as if its soul intention was to read her mind. Neyoko realized it didn't hurt, so she pulled the katana out of the sheath.
"I'm not really full yokai any more, Inu Yasha. Remember that." Neyoko smiled and the hanyou rolled his eyes again.
Neyoko didn't appreciate that. "Watch closely mutt, you might learn something."
The ex-thief walked into the center of the clearing. She stood still, the katana poised straight up. Neyoko muttered a few words to Tetsuaiga.
Then, suddenly, she slipped into a fighting pose, katana over her head, angled downward. She turned around slashing. After that, she was constantly moving with fluid grace, imitating a fight. Her hair streamed out behind her, mirroring her moves.
Inu Yasha watched with a lot of attention, entranced by the beauty of the movement. There wasn't a single move that looked unnecessary, not a moment's hesitation. It was more like a dance than an imaginary fight.
Neyoko stopped after several minutes, breathing heavily. She stood in the same position she had been in before she started, this time thanking the katana.
Neyoko sighed, her posture slackening slightly. She walked over to where Inu Yasha was standing, watching her with awe.
"It's been a while since I've done that," Neyoko said lightly.
The hanyou held out the sheath and Neyoko slid the katana in.
For a while, Inu Yasha was speechless, but it didn't take long for the floodgate to open. "Wow, you're amazing! If it came to a sword fight between you and Sesshomaru, I bet you'd kick his ass! That was...so magnificent and..." Inu Yasha finally caught himself and abruptly stopped.
Neyoko smiled like a kitsune. "Can't stand to compliment me that much. Here's a tip, go find yourself a master and apprentice yourself. Or at least stop swinging Tetsuaiga around like a sledgehammer. Great katana. Keep it that way."
Inu Yasha sputtered a little in protest before recovering again. He shifted his gaze away as if trying to regain his dignity. "Look, I think Kagome's had enough time to cool down. I'm going back."
Neyoko smiled happily. "Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea. If we don't, she'll be pissy for another reason."
She let Inu Yasha lead, following a step behind. It was silent for a few seconds before Inu Yasha spoke quietly. "So, what is mood?"
"Honestly, Inu Yasha, haven't you heard of a dictionary?"
"A what?"
"Never mind." Neyoko waited for a short while. "Did you learn something today, mutt?"
"Yeah," Inu Yasha smirked. "I learned I could beat you any time." With that, the hanyou took off running.
"Oh really? Then why are you running?" Neyoko shouted as she gave chase.
Inu Yasha ran until he found the group again. The hanyou stopped, smiling in a cheesy fashion at Kagome. "Heya, Kagome."
"Don't you 'heya' me Inu Yasha," Kagome replied. "What were you up to any way?"
Neyoko trotted onto the path, panting slightly. She walked up to Inu Yasha and socked him in the arm.
"Ow, hey. What was that for?" Inu Yasha asked, rubbing the spot.
"You wouldn't be able to beat me, baka," after replying, Neyoko walked to the edge of the path and watched the rest of the group. After a couple minutes, she recovered her breath.
The red head leaned back, falling intentionally onto her back. Her arms cushioned the back of her neck. "Man, two yokai attacks in one day. If you ask me, I'd say someone really didn't want us to do something."
"Well, we are getting more Shikon shards, so the yokai are being drawn to the increasing power," Kagome said.
Neyoko hesitated, smiling slightly. "You know, I'm in a pretty good mood after all those fights. I think I'm ready to tell you what happened to me. The full story."
A/N: Haha. I did a cliffy! Sorry for taking so long. I needed motivation...