"So, what was it like? Being dead, I mean." Asked Sango. She wanted to know what she'd condemned her dear little brother, Kohaku to. Kagome seemed to think for a moment.
"Everything is expressed in thoughts… Unless you actually pay attention there are no words that you need, there's just an impression of the things around you, and the things people say." She shuddered. "There's also a eerie pull to nowhere… When you're alive there's a pull that you don't feel, cause you've always felt it… I think that pull it to the next part of time. But when I was dead I just felt a pull that was me. I was pulling everything around me, and I had to work to go through time…" She closed her eyes and sighed, then splashed some of the hot water over her face. "I don't even know… I'm not making much sense, am I?"
"More than you think." Said Sango reassuringly.
"It's nice to know that I'm going to live to die again." Said Kagome dreamily. Sango sweat-dropped.
…
InuYasha was half asleep. He realized how badly he'd slept these past few nights were going to get him. His eyes drooped, and he felt that heaviness that made his body slowly snake to the floor. He yawned, forcing air around himself, and he felt that itchy feeling up mock-wakefulness fill his muscles. He opened his eyes to see the Monk starting to stand.
"Get back here." Said InuYasha. Miroku did so, but not because he was afraid of InuYasha… Because he was afraid of what InuYasha might do to him since he didn't have the reason center of his brain awake. So Miroku stayed put.
…
Sango had washed her hair with some of Kagome's Smelly-Glop-That-Didn't-Taste-Good, and it made her hair smell like strawberries. InuYasha had long since fallen asleep in her bedroll, because he'd been acting like a child and pretending he wasn't sleepy. Sango kissed him on the forehead, and smiled.
"Kagome, do you have a spare bedroll?" She asked in a whisper. Kagome shook her head.
"Just this sleeping bag." She said. Sango shrugged, and went to sleep the usual way. By lighting a fire and sleeping near that, on the cold, hard ground. She went out a little to find kindling, and firewood, but it was so dark that she found very little. When she came back to the group – They were all asleep – She unloaded her findings, and started to go back.
"No…" She heard. She turned a look at InuYasha, who had said it. She came closer, wondering what he was dreaming about, but she found his eyes entirely open.
"InuYasha?" She asked.
"We don't want a fire. They'll be able to find us easier." He said. Sango was a little surprised at the amount of foresight InuYasha was had compared to his usual. She smiled. He was right, though.
"Well, then you need to give me back my bedroll. It's like an ice cube out here…" She said with a shiver. InuYasha closed his eyes and smiled. For a moment she was sure she heard him chuckle, but it wasn't loud enough for her to be sure. His eyes opened again. Those rich, golden amber eyes, the ones she was hopelessly drawn to. Well, she was drawn to them because InuYasha had hooked her waist with his arm and yanked her to him, stealing a kiss, then just holding her.
Well, She thought a while later when she couldn't sleep. I suppose sharing a bedroll works, but now I'm too hot…
…
InuYasha was first up. He glared all around, knowing that they were getting closer to the 'Tree-Fort-Of-Doom' as Kagome had labeled it. He roused everyone else, eager to get a move on. He didn't want to stay in any one place for too long. They set off again. Kagome was explaining some strategy tips to Miroku for 'Chisu'. InuYasha watched Sango chatter at the invisible Kikyo, but they didn't seem to really be talking about much. It was intolerably mundane.
…
Slowly in the darkness of his own castle—Er, tree fort, Naraku looked around, meaningfully. "Blah… gah gah…" He said to himself. No one was around, so he need not waste energy on controlling the blubbering body. He watched the corners of the ceiling, seeing the spiders had moved away from his evil presence. He gave a toothless grin. Then gurgled.
…
There it was, in sight again. Naraku's… Tree fort. They approached. They weren't expecting the defense that Naraku had planned…
A rustle in the trees, as if the wind warning them to go back. They stood there, unaware of the creatures that would attack them. Unaware of…
"Kagura? I thought I killed you already!" Yelled InuYasha. Kagura didn't look happy at all. She was missing an arm, and it appeared that she was also missing a leg and a half.
"InuYasha, I hope I am given the privilege of digging your grave…" She said. "…Since I'm not permitted to kill you."
…The dangers that lurk within the tree… forts…
From the shards of the jewel, collectively there was all of it here, there was an oozing red light flowing out to the center of the soon-to-be combat. Demons formed, of every sort. They looked oddly familiar. Nearly all Oni look like other Oni, though, so InuYasha drew his sword.
"Tetsusaiga!" He said, taking a swipe at one of the demons. The blade barely pierced the outer skin of the demon, and the wound healed anyway.
"Chikusou!" Yelled InuYasha, attempting another slash. Miroku was performing exorcism after exorcism, but none of them were having the desired effect. It was just making him tired. Kagome was getting practically nowhere as well. Her arrows would miss, miss, and miss, then one would hit and a demon would loose an arm for a few seconds.
From her hiding spot Sango thought over what she knew of the Shikon No Tama. If these were the demons that raged within, then at this moment there was just…
Sango jumped out, before she could let herself think of anything even a little scary. She dashed out to Kagome, snatching the shards then running away, realizing the danger at last. Kagome didn't have time to get mad, or even yell. The only way she could have saved herself was to let loose another arrow.
Sango looked at the shards from her new hiding place. She gripped them tightly.
"Oh lady of Green… Please come save us…" She said.
The jewel shards floated out of her hands, and so did Kagura's. The shards conjoined with a greenish flash. Then there was blinding, pure green light that paralyzed the demons. The light took on a tighter form, and slowly found the ground, setting onto it. The form slowly shaped its self into that of a woman's body.
Midoriko opened her eyes and raised her hand.
InuYasha dropped to his knees. "M…Mom?"
End Chapter Twenty-ThreeI did it again! I accidentally did Twenty-one twice!