When Night Falls
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha... well, let's just say Inuyasha wouldn't be to happy about that. (Evil laughter, whip cracks)
Hi everybody! I'm back with another chapter, and relatively, it's a long one! I figure this story will continue on for about... 6-7 more chapters or so... but I want to hurry up, 'cause I have a whole 'nother story ready to go, but I don't want to dedicate too much time to it yet. I'm already behind on the time I wanted to finish this story... but don't worry, I won't make it feel rushed. Anyway, onto my lovely reviewers!
Sashi: Well, at this point, giving up on the story isn't really an option. Of course I'll keep writing!
Veglma: Yah, I mean... everybody's got a bit of a pervert in them, it's just a matter of controlling it. And I think Sango's done a pretty good job of that so far, but, hey, she's gotta slip sometime!
Ninalee-chan: Well, technically her hair is down. :-P Miroku isn't always gonna be the one to save the day, you know.
moonyme: As I said to Veglma, everyone's a pervert. Some just do a better job at controlling it. Hell, if it weren't for the pervert in me, I never would have written that chapter!
medlii: He didn't see hear, and he probably figured the noises were just a monkey or something.
Miroku's Pet Vixen: Yeah, I love those too. As long as they don't put her too far out of character. She needs to loosen up... she's constantly denying that she denies she's in denial.
xXSpoiled SangoXx: If you tell yourself you have no creativity you never will, 'cause you'll think to hard about being creative. Everybody can be creative once you realize that. You were covering your eyes in embarassment, even though you were reading, eh? Well, now I don't know what to think. (See! What you said was creative! It comes naturally, don't think to hard!)
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! Heh, anyway, here's the chapter!
Chapter 13: The Palace of Fire
The gang stared at the old woman for what seemed like an hour, as if still trying to process what she had just said. Miroku was the first to speak, swallowing a lump in his throat.
"What do mean by that?" he asked sternly.
"Do I need to spell it out for ya?" sighed the woman, "You come in, you don't leave. If there's a simpler way to put it, please inform me, because I can't think of one."
"Yes, we understand! But why?" Miroku grabbed the woman's shoulders and shook her quite violently, showing an impatience he rarely did.
"Careful sonny, or you'll snap these bones. I ain't young you know…" her voice held so much power Miroku let go immediately as if she had been heated iron.
"Please… tell us why we can't leave," Miroku said, his voice subdued.
"That's better," grinned the lady, "but first things first, one does not share information with strangers. I, am Aki. Now if you would be so kind as to tell me your names…"
I," Miroku said, thrusting a thumb at his chest," am Miroku. That is Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and the ugly one there is Inuyasha."
Inuyasha growled.
"I see," replied Aki, looking around his body.
"Listen lady," snarled Inuyasha, pushing past Miroku, "just tell us why we can't leave."
Aki sighed, "You are quite the ugly one aren't you?"
"No he isn't!" spouted Kagome, who, realizing what she said, brought to hands to her mouth, blushing a deep crimson. The Inu-taichi stared at her for a few moments before shaking off that surprise and turning back to Aki.
"The reason you cannot leave," she began raising a finger, "is not by my own doing, nor by that of any of the villagers trapped here, rather by…"
But she was interrupted once more by a loud knock at the door.
"Shit," she swore, "he's here. Listen the for of you need to hide. That wall there is a fake… slide it open and stay there. Make no noise or he'll hear you."
"Who'll hear us?" Inuyasha demanded
"Hush you brute! There's no time to explain! Now hide!".
"Listen, lady, I ain't goin' nowhere 'til I get some answers!"
And so it was destined that Inuyasha was to receive a quick round of "osuwari"'s before being dragged back into the room, moaning in agony.
Inside the cramped space, each member of the gang struggled to find a good place to press their ear up against the thin wall in an attempt to hear what was going on.
They heard the slight shuffling of Aki's feet, and then the slight swoosh as the door was pushed open.
"What do you want?" came the old woman's sharp voice.
"Heh, good to see you old hag, still as feisty as ever I see?" The voice was light and joking, but there was no mistaking the undertone of pure malevolence. "Just checking in, so, any knew visitors today?"
A slight creek of floorboards suggested the other's entrance.
"No, thanks to you. Who would come up here in these times? Yer driving away all me business I tell you?"
"That is not my problem. Now listen hag, I would kill you right now if I had the choice, but you are critical to my plans. For that reason I'm letting you off easy today. But, if you are hiding anyone from my, trust me, I will find out, and your purpose will be over. Now, I trust you have a good night, sleep well." More floorboards creaking, the sound of a door sliding closed.
The sudden change in the tone of his voice seemed to surprise all of the Inu-taichi, who were now glancing at each other in confusion. Then, suddenly, they were all falling forward as the door slid out from in front of them. As they lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, Aki's voice rang out.
"Couldn't help listening in, I see?"
They all quickly shot to their feet and bowed their heads in apology…
All them, except Inuyasha of course, who merely grunted, "What was that all about?"
"That," said Aki, "is the reason you cannot leave. His name is Hi."
"Fire…" mouthed Kagome with a shocked expression.
Aki nodded. "He showed up shortly after the skies darkened. He told us we must not leave, he wouldn't let us. Of course there were those who refused… of them nothing remains but charred bones… anyway, he told us there would be a group of travelers who would pass through here at some time and that they would not be able to resist stopping at an occupied town…"
"Oh my!" said Kagome, "That's why Kaze sent us in this direction! He knew he was doomed and wanted to push us towards someone else who could defeat us! Mizu too… when she took Miroku!"
"I see," mumbled Aki. "Where was I? Oh, yes. He told us that if they shall ever pass through to report directly to him, and that he would deal with them, then we would be free. May I assume you are these travelers?"
"Most likely," said Miroku.
"But, why didn't you turn us in?" asked Sango.
"I am not fool enough to know that when freedom is granted, it will not last for long. And I figure, if you wants you so bad, he obviously fears you… and that means you can defeat him."
"You are truly wise beyond your years," Miroku said in awe.
"And that's saying something," muttered Inuyasha, eyeing the decrepit woman. Little did he know that said decrepit woman could throw a mean knuckle punch. Or that Kagome would sit him. Or that Miroku would give him a good whack on the upside of that head. Or that the author would feel such joy in subjecting him to these things.
"Ughhh…" he groaned from his own personal 3-foot deep hole in the floor.
"Oh, dear, sorry about the floor," apologized Kagome.
"Think naught of it. It was quite fun."
(Do you enjoy putting Inuyasha through various forms of pain, torture, and/or humiliation? Tired of getting flamed by rabid Inuyasha-lovers? Then the Inu-basher 3000 is for you! Guaranteed to stop more flames than the robe of the Fire Rat! Simply strap it on and watch the flames repel from your indestructible shield as you laugh at the flamer's furious faces!)
After a brief period of laughter at the hanyou's expense, it was unanimously decided that it was once more time to act like adults and get down to business.
"So… what do we do?" asked Miroku.
"Okay… now listen close, Hi is currently holed up in the lord's palace. Little does he know, however, there is a secret passage leading there from this very inn. The lord made it in case he should ever need to escape quickly from the palace. I suggest you take this passage and sneak up on him right under his very nose."
"Yes… that seems like a plan," said Sango, "where is the tunnel?"
"I shall lead you through it. There are many fake paths. Only I and the Lord know the true way. One false turn will lead to certain doom."
"Okay."
"Well, then, let's stop talking and get going!" said Inuyasha, pulling himself out of his hole.
"Right," nodded Aki.
She led them to the very back of the inn, grabbing and lighting a torch along the way. Once there, she began tapping at floor boards.
"Let's see… four from the back… thirty six from the left… Ah! Here it is!" Sticking her bony fingers into a small crack between to boards, she lifted it up, and with it, many more floorboards rose, leaving a considerable hole in the floor. Without so much as a pause she nimbly lowered herself with flexibility uncommon of such and old woman. As the others stared shocked at the hole, her strong voice rang out, "Are you coming or not?" Shaken out of their stupor, they followed Aki into the tunnel.
They came face to face with her, the light of the torch flickering idly over every line of her face, making her look even older. "Follow me."
And so they did, winding through the many tunnels, stopping occasionally as Taki muttered to herself, before finally deciding on a path and setting off in that direction. Every now and then they would turn into a path leading the opposite direction. Miroku only assumed it was this way so that the tunnel system would be effective both ways, to and from the castle.
At one point they came across a pile of fire-burnt bones lying against the wall.
"Wha-what is that?" Shippo exclaimed.
"That… would be the lord," said Aki grimly. "Well, at least we know we are going the right way." They continued forward, each casting nervous glances back at the blackened bones that were once a person as they passed.
Finally they came to a wall of what seemed to be solid wood, but with a touch by Aki it slid to the side,
"There, we are in the basement of the palace. Come, he's most likely in the throne room."
"No," said Miroku, "it's dangerous, you must go back."
'That I cannot do."
"Why not?"
"This is my town boy, and that was my lord. It is not only my duty, but my right, to protect it. Now, come, every second we stand here is another second he has to discover our arrival."
She set off in front of them, her steps strong, her face determined. Miroku turned to Sango, who shrugged her shoulders, and they followed. On the way through one of the halls Miroku stopped them.
"Wait a minute…" he trailed to the side and threw open one of the doors.
"Oh, my lord!" gasped Sango.
The room was packed ceiling high with weaponry. Swords, axes, spears, every size and shape of weapon was present.
"So what?" asked Inuyasha. "They guy collects weapons."
But Miroku was already rummaging through the mass, only slowing down when he cut himself lightly on the blade of a sword.
"It's around here somewhere," said Miroku, "I can just feel it!"
Finally he came up with something clutched tightly in his hands, a victorious smirk across his face.
"It's his shakujou!" gasped Kagome in surprise.
"You don't think…" started Sango, but was cut off in mid-sentence. The Hiraikotsu's humongous form was impossible to mistake among the mountain of weapons. With a gasp of shock she hurried forward to collect it. She was also able to scrounge up a rather un-weathered bow and half-full quiver of arrows for Kagome.
"Here, Aki-sama, take this, it might come in handy," said Miroku, handing the woman a shield nearly as large as her entire miniscule body.
"Thank you," she said, taking it. Miroku was surprised to see that she barely struggled under the weight of the gargantuan form.
"You are quite strong," he commented.
"A woman of my stature must protect herself, ne?" she asked, cracking a grin which revealed she was missing quite a few teeth.
Miroku nodded.
They were off again, this time at a slightly quickened pace, filled with much more confidence with the return of their weapons. Cautiously, they turned into the throne room. A single candle lit it, causing the other edges of the room to be black.
"What the," said Inuyasha, "there's no one here!"
"It would seem…" Miroku started, lowering his staff from it's defensive postion.
"Let's go then, he must be somewhere else."
Turning to leave, they walked towards the door. But just as they were about to step out, the door slammed shut in front of them.
With a gasp, Miroku spun around to see the candles flame shoot towards the ceiling…
End Chapter 13
So concludes chapter 13! Next chapter will be up in a week (I hope!)
Please Review!