Chapter Three
Happy New year everybody! This is my small gift to all of you who have been faithfully reading. Hope you enjoy this next chapter, and enjoy the new year of 2006!
LadieSesshy: Thank you for your review, I kept going, so here you are.
Jessica Lyn: Lol, I'm glad that you love it, I hope I did as well on this chapter, let me know!
EternalAffliction: First, I'd like to thank you for reviewing all of my previous chapters, that means a lot to me. Wow, thank you also for the complement on Kagome, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to type her like that…. Anywho, I talk about her going home a little later… in chapter four I believe actually… I'd like to thank again for your review, and hope to hear from you again!
Tippy-chan: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad to hear that I did a good thing by breaking Tetsusaiga, lol.
TakaiWolf: You like my writing style! OMG! You would not believe how happy that makes me to hear that! Such a complement from you! Thank you:Cough: Anywho, here is more, I hope I did ok again. Let me know, pwetty pwease (I'll throw in a cookie :wink:) Ok, gotta get back to work, thank you for the review.
lil-kag0m3: Kagome doesn't treat Mayoka that bad does she? I meant for her to be cold, after all, she has learned to live that way with everything going on, but not truly cold, like a Sessho-maru cold. The chapters aren't too short are they? I mean, I just know I hate it when I wait for what seems forever, and then there is no real chapter updated anyway. Let me know, thanks. Ok, I'll stop talking now, thank you for the review, and hope to hear from you again!
Disclaimer: I own none of the Inu-Yasha characters. My two characters are Mayoka and Hokori, k's? No suing poor me…
Kagome was in a silent rage as she pulled her cloth armor on over her under kimono. Her faithful companion watched quietly, out of the way. The Miko stopped, buttoning the last smooth button on her armor, turning to the Neko youkai. "Don't give me that look, Hokori, I did what she asked." The woman stated, sitting down again, staring into the slowly dying embers of the fire. The youkai moved to her side, purring lightly and rubbing his large head against her shoulder. She subconsciously rubbed at his triangle ears atop his head.
They sat quietly for an hour before Kagome broke the stillness on her own. "Dawn, we'll leave at dawn tomorrow. Get some rest while you can, Hokori, we need to make up for today. We can't let him get too far ahead of us again." She smiled ever so slightly as she hugged the Neko around the neck. He licked her cheek in response. She pulled away. "Good night then." She lay down so she was still facing the fire, using her arm as a pillow tonight instead of the Neko. She forced her eyes to close, and her mind to release to sleep.
Dawn would come too soon for the woman.
((Across A Land))
The horizon slowly began to lighten, turning the sapphire sky different shades of read and blue. Deep brown eyes opened as the light registered in her mind. It also registered a weight over her stomach, with extra warmth on her back. Her head slowly turned to look over her shoulder at the man sleeping behind her. A smile danced across her face as his warm breath blew across her cheeks. His fingers traced circles on her stomach through her clothes, sending shivers down her spine.
"Miroku…" The Taijiya moaned lightly as she relaxed her head, closing her eyes again.
"Yes my dear Sango?" The Houshi nibbled on her visible ear, sending waves of pleasure into the woman's blood.
"Stop." Sango had to get away. Now was not the time. She pulled out of her companion's arms, and sat up. He looked hurt as he also sat up. "We—we're almost back to the village." The Taijiya looked uncomfortable as she spoke, playing with her long hair and glancing at Kirara. "The quicker we get there, the quicker we can…" Her already hesitant voice trailed off as a blush painted her beautiful tan face.
Miroku's eyes lightened as he realized what she was implying. "Well then, let us not delay to get a move on." He replied, starting the fire again to cook the leftover fish from the night before.
((Across A Land))
Kagome retied her sword on her waist and slung her bow and quiver of arrows over one shoulder in the predawn light. Hokori finished his breakfast as he watched his master. "Alright, let's go then." The Miko said, standing up straight. The Neko rose to his feet at her side.
The woman looked across the fire for what felt like the millionth time since she had woken up. That damn child's voice wouldn't leave her head. You can't just leave her here. The old Kagome fought its way into her mind. She's just a little girl. The younger spirit pressed.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." The Miko grumbled as she moved toward the girl. Hokori followed closely, understanding his master's muttering. She silently knelt down at Mayoka's side. The girl's chest rose and fell steadily; she was healing quickly. The woman carefully leaned down, sliding her arms under the child's upper back and knees, before standing up, cradling the younger female tenderly. Kagome tried to smile at the Neko as she sat on his back. He growled lightly before jumping into the air.
((Across A Land))
"A youkai is coming, run for your lives!" The village scout shouted as he ran toward the village. The head elder ran to meet him.
"What are you saying! No youkai has attacked us since Lord Houshi Miroku blessed the lands!"
"Well this one broke through that!" The scout ran on, continuing to yell for the others to run as well. The elder turned back to look in the direction from which the younger man had come. He stared intently forward, all of the sounds fading around him. His deep black pooled eyes narrowed as he noticed the sky growing dark in the distance, with lightening strikes, but no thunder. Suddenly his eyes widened to rival the size of saucers as a red clad figure appeared from the darkness.
"Ru—!" The elder's "n" was cut off as blood filled his throat and mouth from the hole in his chest. So…fast… The thoughts flitted across his mind as the world went black, his body crumpling to the ground.
((Across A Land))
The Miko held the child closer to her chest as Hokori stopped in the air. "What is it?" Kagome whispered. Her mind instantly began to work on how to protect both herself and Mayoka if attack should arise.
The Neko turned ever so slightly and the sight of smoke filled the woman's view. "Shit…" She muttered. "Let's hurry that way, Hokori, maybe he's close by." The youkai roared at his master's words, doing as he was told. He's backtracking? This village is further South than the one Mayoka used to live in. I don't get it…doesn't he know I'm following so close behind this time? Or maybe it's a trap? The woman's breath caught in her throat as realization dawned on her. He wants her dead… Her thoughts were cut short as the Neko landed on the ground once again.
Destroyed. That was the only word that came to mind as her hard brown eyes landed on the scene. There was no point in even looking for survivors; the huts were flattened to the ground, with deep red liquid leaking in rivers from under the wood. The woman set her jaw, fighting back her emotions as she slid off Hokori's back. She carefully put one of Mayoka's legs over the Neko's back, resting the child's chest and face against the youkai's soft neck fur.
"I'll be right—" She stopped, in a flash drawing her bow, spinning around to take aim at a youkai trying to sneak up behind her. There was a small scream as the blue Miko power clad arrow destroyed the youkai's body. Another arrow was instantly fitted to the string, giving and audible twang as it was released to fly. Kagome dropped her bow to her left hand as her right slid her sword out of iis sheath, cutting two youkai in half as she did so.
"Get Mayoka out of here!" The woman called as she crouched to the ground, avoiding another clawed hand. Hokori wasted no time in doing what his master commanded, jumping into the air just as a youkai jumped at him. The Miko got back up, using her steel to block another attack. She cried out slightly as five claws snuck up behind her, digging their way into her right shoulder. The woman pushed the youkai in front of her away before whirling around to cut of the head of the youkai with her blood on its hands.
"Damn all of you!" She screamed, blue Miko energy burning the air around her. Her eyes flashed to a crystal blue as she focused her power. The youkai assault stopped suddenly. They stared in shock as the human's power grew. "You're wasting my time!" Her words sent sparks flying, forcing the youkai to retreat.
Another voice stopped them.
"Where are you going? Running from a human, you are despicable." The voice was like ice, freezing the woman's blood in her veins. She slowly released her power, allowing it to settle back into hiding in her body. "Long time, Kagome." One fang glistened in the sunlight as an endangered grin crossed his features. Her eyes never left him as she swallowed carefully.
"It has been…Sessho-maru."
((Across A Land))
Her eyes slowly began to open. She felt like she was flying. Her eyes completely appeared. She was flying!
Mayoka sat up like a spring, teetering slightly before lying back down again. What was going on! The last thing the girl remembered was getting into a fight with Kagome-san. "Wait a second…" She sat up again, this time careful not to fall. "You're Hokori; you were with Kagome-san!" She said excitedly, a smile on her face. The Neko nodded slightly at her words. Her smile faded slowly as she remembered her harsh words to the older female.
"Is she still angry with me?" Mayoka whispered. The youkai stared intently at her for a second before shaking his large head. The smile just as slowly returned to the child's lips. "Where is she! Where is Kagome-san!" She bounced up and down happily, wanting to find the woman who had saved her life.
"Hey, Hokori, come down!" A male voice caught both youkai and human's attention. The Neko again did as asked, swooping to land softly on the ground, far away from his master's battle. "Yo, Kag—" The wolf ouji stopped his greeting as he realized the female on the Neko's back was not his Kagome. He growled, dropping into a fighting stance. "Where's Kagome?" He snarled, flexing his claws.
"Ka—Kagome-san is—I don't know wh—where she—is." The human stuttered, clutching Hokori's fur tightly. The ouji's nose worked, and he recognized both the scent of Kagome and old blood on the girl. The wolf hesitantly relaxed. He stared at the human another second before speaking.
"Who are you?"
((Across A Land))
He ran blindly, his nose was filled with so many scents. Blood… fire…blood… wood… blood… KAGOME'S BLOOD! He stopped instantly, skidding sideways.
That bitch is nothing…
He fought to regain control. The amethyst streaks on the sides of his face faded in and out as he fought the blackness.
My… Kagome…
He took off again, unable to stand still. He was running back toward the village he had been at that morning. He would finder her, and end this forever.