Chapter 8-Meeting Lord Inuyasha
The now massive group walked for some time till it became dusk and the pack leader who eventually told them that his name was Fang said they could all sleep and rest for the night. Kagome being the naïve and 'kind' girl that she was tried to befriend several of the members in the dog pack only to get very noticeable growls and at least one attempt on her right hand she was going using to pet one of them. After that it was clear that none of the pack wanted anything to do with the girl from the future. They were however, much nicer to Kikyo, Sango, Kilala, Shippo, and to a slightly lesser extent Sesshomorru who only got one growl from one of the dogs, but only because Sesshomorru gave a cold stare at them. With Miroku and Koga they were very hostile and the fact that one was a wolf demon and the other was a monk only made it worse. Eventually everyone save a few members of the dog pack and Sango were awake as the demon was in deep thought. Deciding that it would be best to get answers from the leader she gently put down a sleeping Kilala next to Shippo and walked over to the pack leader, who rested by the campfire they had made. "You wish to ask me something don't you?" said Fang in low voice as not to awaken the others.
Sango could only nod and sit down next to him staring at the fire as she thought of the questions she wanted to ask Fang. "What do you now of Inuyasha? Did you encounter him? And who is this master you all keep referring to?" said Sango in her own little voice trying to do the same as Fang and not awaken anyone else.
"My master wishes to remain nameless till you see him. As to why he's doing that way I don't know. I never ask pointless questions when I know I'll get a pointless answer. As for this Inuyasha you speak of it sounds like he is a dog demon, but the way your words speak he must also be part human. Correct?" said Fang not wanting to give his master away as per orders from Voodoo to him and his pack.
"Yes. Inuyasha is a half-demon, but I don't see him as that like Kagome, Koga, and that stupid lecher Miroku do. I see him as a comrade who knows what it means to feel pain and suffering at the hands of an enemy. Though he is considered a demon and me being a demon slayer feel professionally devoted to my way of life I can't and possibly never will try to slay Inuyasha for what he is," said Sango as she couldn't help, but smile at the mere thought of Inuyasha being kind to her through his own brash, but right and straight to the point kind of way.
"If I do encounter Inuyasha and he is alive I'll be sure to tell him you said that," said Fang as he mentally smirked to himself at Sango's words as she wouldn't realize who she would soon be meeting soon.
"Thank you Fang, but I have one question that is slightly bothering me. How is it that you have Rin's Kimono, but not anything of Inuyasha's?" said Sango who couldn't help, but finding it strange and that something was missing in all this, but she just couldn't figure it out.
"I didn't find anything of Inuyasha where my master found the clothing when he was walking. When he found Rin's clothing and found several familiar scents that belonged to this group he told us to find and deliver this back to you. This was done as a show of good faith and to gain your trust just enough that you would allow us to take you to him," said Fang calmly though he was mentally nervous that the ruse would be discovered by the demon slayer.
"I guess that explains something's, but it doesn't explain why you didn't find anything of Inuyasha's or his or Rin's body for that matter," said Sango who felt that Fang was no doubt hiding something from her.
"I can't help you with that one my dear, but when we get to our location you can ask him yourself. He will tell you what you need to know. I cannot," said Fang and with that he went into a light sleep.
By now Sango felt slightly frustrated at this point as she still wanted answers and though she got some she still needed more. 'This master they keep speaking of must know more then he lets his subordinates know,' thought Sango as she went back to her spot to sleep unaware that they were all being watched by a certain Naraku Wind Sorceress who was downwind from the dog pack against a tall tree.
'This could prove MOST interesting. If this being is powerful maybe he can free me from the clutches of Naraku,' thought Kagura as she started to drift into a light sleep so in case she was discovered she would be alert and active to fight.
(Elsewhere)
Kanna and Rin tossed in their beds as they decided they didn't want to be alone and since they were now sisters slept in the same room. The room in itself could quite possibly fit to accommodate over 50 people if need be, but that wasn't the case here as it was now a space for a fraction of that size so they didn't have to worry about space. No. The one thing or rather person they were worried about was their loving father. Inuyasha had been in a specific room during the remainder of the day. Thus leaving Voodoo in charge of the natural fortress that was this castle in the earth while he went someplace that was even able to block Kanna's mirror from seeing in and he had not come out since he entered it. "Kanna! Are you awake?" said Rin though she knew Kanna was she wanted to be sure of the words she spoke to her new sister.
Kanna had stopped struggling with her covers as sat up as did shortly by Rin who saw her sister nod that she was indeed awake. "Yes. I am too worried to sleep," said Kanna as she glanced at the mirror that she once thought had the power to see anything she desired to see only to find that the one person she cared about more then her own life was unable to be seen by it.
"Maybe we can try to sneak into the room Inuyasha is in to see if he is still there or in his room?" said Rin who after a long day with the Head Maid Serenity no longer used spoke her name when referring to herself though she had a lot to learn according to Serenity.
"He's not in his room my mirror can show me that much. Inuyasha must be in that room that made Voodoo nervous," said Kanna seeing as she was now getting interference in her mirror from trying to look into the room Inuyasha went to.
"Then let's see if he's that room. Maybe it's a place to sleep and you can't see because he wants privacy?" said Rin as she had walked over to Kanna in her new clothes that (were all around black, blue, and yellow) one of the maids procured her when she went to bathe in the hot springs earlier.
Kanna wasn't so sure they should as the room had made Voodoo nervous and Voodoo was a powerful druid that much she knew considering he was the Head of Druids. If whatever was in that room frightened him must have been very powerful. However, that meant that what was in there could be a threat to her father and could mean..."We must hurry," said Kanna as she grabbed Rin with her one hand while holding her mirror with the other and left the room to where Inuyasha was seen going into last.
Some quiet shuffling though the maze of pathways mere moments later they had arrived at the room that made Voodoo shake in his own druid robes. "We have to be quiet not to awaken father," said Rin in a whisper as she saw the key to the lock on the door and with a single solid jump she got the keys off the wall they had been dangling on by a nail.
When Rin undid the lock she kept the key in place as not to lose it from its spot should it need to be shut and locked immediately. 'We better not try to awaken what's down their,' thought Kanna who could feel something full of dread down in the steps before that were past the now opened half-way door and squeezed her finger tightly around her mirror as her eyes looked at the growing darkness of the stairs as they sunk deeper as her eyes followed each step.
"Let's go!" said Rin as she gently grabbed Kanna's arm and walked down the steps into the darkness hoping everything would be all right if they saw Inuyasha.
(Elsewhere inside the Castle of the Earth-less then 5 minutes later)
Voodoo was making his nightly patrol with the other druids to make sure no one entered the cave unwelcome since there was no door to the cave entrance. It would be rather bad for everyone including himself as he didn't want an intruder to just walk around messing up the place. At that moment he walked over to where Rin and Kanna were sleeping to ensure they were all right and that his Lord's adoptive children were resting well. As he approached he became unnerved when he saw their room door slightly open by several inches. He hastened his pace and looked inside to find to empty beds making his heart (that is if he actually had one) stop and realized that the two girls might have gone to see Inuyasha as he had not seen him when he went into..."THAT room!" said Voodoo who immediately floated at great speed towards his master's training room knowing what was down there was very dangerous for children even as one as powerful in defense as Kanna.
(In that room-Descending the Steps)
Rin was holding onto Kanna's arm as she found herself frightened by the darkness they were heading towards feeling it getting chillier by the second. Kanna was feeling it too though due to her being technically a demon through the ways of incarnation she felt it on a much more powerful scale. "Kanna maybe we should go back?" said Rin as she stopped and grabbed Kanna's arm gently, but firmly causing Kanna to stop as well.
Kanna nodded though had they paid attention and if they weren't so nervous they would have discovered that they were now one step away from entering the base of the room. "Looks like we have additional company," said an eerie voice from the shadows of the room as it filled with inhuman sounds with drool being the most distinct of them all.
"Run Kanna!" said Rin as she long with Kanna turn and ran only for both of them to trip on the third step up making the sounds even louder as figures behind the sounds came ever so closer.
"Feeding time!" said one of the dark voices as demonic creatures sprang at their helpless prey knowing they couldn't see or defend themselves in their current condition.
"What are they?" said Rin who found this experience more frightening then her death at the hands of Koga's wolves.
"WE ARE THE ONE'S WHO DWELL WITH IN!" said the monstrous demon forms all at once as they were now mere moments from killing the two girls.
(Above at the top of the steps)
Voodoo along with a small handful of druids that went on tonight's patrol with him came to the entrance and found that the Head Druids fears had been realized as the two girls had opened and entered the room that only Lord Inuyasha cold enter much less survive. 'I hope were not too late' thought Voodoo though such hope was shattered when he heard the screams of two girls and the sound of flesh being ripped off.
"Lord Inuyasha daughters!" said one of the druids as he along with the others now feared the worst for their master's adopted children.
"Let's go. We have to see if we can at least save them. I will not have my one of Lord Inuyasha's children killed so soon after his rebirth into this world. Not while I'm Head of the Druids," said Voodoo who summoned all his courage and hurried down to save the children followed by the others while two stayed to watch the door praying they were not too late.
(Back at the bottom)
The sound of pierced flesh echoed in the room as the spraying of blood followed soon after covering all who were left standing that had no been hit. Kanna and Rin had both eyes shut not daring to look at their attackers before they were killed as the spray of blood covered their bodies. Kanna had originally tried to shield both here and Rin from the monsters that dwelled with. Only to find this room not only negated her power to see into the room with her mirror, but also to defend herself and others with her. 'Forgive me Inuyasha...father,' thought Kanna as he had failed her father and master in the short time she had been with him and betrayed his trust while Rin thought along those lines with nearly the exact same words.
A minute or two after the sounds of pierced flesh and spraying of blood passed both Rin and Kanna opened their eyes that became filled with surprise. The found that they were not the one's who had died, but rather the demonic beasts that tried to kill them. The said demonic beasts had been killed by that of a single and very large sword. It had cut down all the monsters right through the middle covering it, them, and the wielder of the sword in multicolored blood as the figure turned to them with a look that said he was far from happy. "Why are you down here?" said the dark voice as he let out a growl that said 'now speak the truth or else'.
"Inuyasha...we...we missed you and..." said Rin trying to make sure Rin wasn't entirely to blame on them being here only to have several presences behind her and Kanna.
"My Lord I came as fast as I could when I discovered they were not in bed and I hurried even more when I heard their screams. Forgive me as I did not check on them sooner," said Voodoo as he bowed his head in shame.
Inuyasha though was in no mood for excuses as he had been filled with rage the moment he saw his two adopted daughters in front of him here. This room was no place for either of them and now they unfortunately learned why...the hard way...through a near death experience. "Take both of them upstairs and get them cleaned up and put them to bed. I want two druids by the doors of their room at ALL times from now on. I will speak them later when I am done here. GO," said Inuyasha who was clearly serious from the way his left hand was balled and his right hand holding Tetsuigia was shaking from squeezing the hilt so hard.
"Yes my Lord," said Voodoo quickly as he scooped up the two girls and hurried off up the steps with the other druids in tow who did not want to incur the wrath of their master as they had caught the seriousness of his voice echo on those step near the base of that room.
(The next morning)
Rin and Kanna awoke from their sleep nervous and scared as they rose from their beds with some wrinkles under their eyes. The reason behind that? Inuyasha had not entered their room last night to speak with them when they thought he would. They waited as long as they could before they couldn't stay awake anymore and fell asleep. They both knew they had betrayed as well as violated Inuyasha's trust and what made it worse was that Inuyasha had declared them his daughters. The thoughts of the two girls about that were interrupted as the door slid open and Inuyasha entered the room in clean clothes of similar design and color with his sword by his side. He approached them slowly with a stone face mask as they stood fully as he neared them. Inuyasha almost looked like death with the lack of lighting in the room and the way he moved making both Rin and Kanna nervous. "I don't have to tell you how disappointed I am in both of you right now for disobeying me and betraying the trust I had in you two," said Inuyasha in serious yet calm voice that broke the silence that encompassed the room.
"We are really sorry father. We just missed you so much that we got worried when you didn't return from that room," said Rin bowing her head in shame as did Kanna who felt the same way as Rin.
"That room is a room where demons grow and multiply for one such as my self to fight against to sharpen my skills. In fact those demons rivaled the power of the druids and that includes Voodoo, which you saw was quite afraid of that room. I know you care for me, but you need to learn that in some cases I can' be with you for long periods of times even when I want to be," said Inuyasha who saw that both Rin's and Kanna's heads were both still down in shame.
"We felt that since we were your daughters that we should love you like daughter would their father," said Kanna who looked up into Inuyasha's eye so he knew she spoke the Buddha's honest truth.
Inuyasha let out a heavy sigh knowing that it wasn't all there fault as he had been away from them for sometime. "Well seeing as I don't have to go down to that room till later in the day I'll spend all my time till then with you two," said Inuyasha who finally smiled after seeing Rin's and Kanna's faces light and hugged him with all their strength.
"Thank you Inuyasha," said both girls in unison as both had tears in their eyes as they knew they had been given a second chance.
"Rin...Kanna. You both are most welcome. Now why don't we go eat some breakfast like a real family would. All right?" said Inuyasha who saw the girls nod their heads with lots of energy in each nod.
(1 day later-Mourning-Outside)
"Come one you maggots were almost there. A little more won't kill you," said Fang as he had been a slave driver in getting them to their destination.
"If this walk doesn't kill now it will," said Shippo in mumble as he had been forced to walk without being on anyone's back as no one wanted to carry the little fox and have extra weight on them even though he was extremely light.
"I heard that fox!" said Fang reminding them that their escort was on high alert with good senses and that meant hearing as well.
Shippo squeaked and ran to Kilala's side as if she would shield him from the fierce dog in front of them. "Are we there yet?" said Kagome who was ready to drop to her knees from exhaustion.
"Actually...yes we are. Here it is," said Fang who had quite enough of the annoying girls whining for the past two days.
The entire group entered a clearing to see the entrance to what appeared to be a cave with a large number of dogs sitting or standing in a scattered, but easy to defend formation. As the group got closer the other dogs looked at the group that Fang's pack brought back as per the assignment by Inuyasha. "So these are the stupid fools that our master wants to meet with?" said a dark haired dog with a red marked scar on his left eye.
"Hey! Who are you calling a stupid fool you lousy mutt?" said Shippo shaking his little fox of a fist at the dog.
"Why you insolent little brat! I'll rip out your guts for that!" said the dog as ready to attack only to be stopped by Fang who shook his head at him.
"No Ace! Now is not the time. The master wishes to see ALL of them. Preferably to your dismay both alive and unspoiled," said Fang growling slightly to show his ever commanding authority.
"Yeah!" said Shippo sticking out his tongue much to Ace's ever growing rage.
"Shut up brat or maybe I'll gut you with my claws myself. Now come one and follow me inside we have a Lord and Master host to see," said Fang motioning them all to follow them.
They were about to enter the dark cave when as druid appeared and nodded to Fang who in turn nodded back. "Greeting to you all I am Voodoo Head of the Druids. I am here to tell and inform all of you that my master will meet with you in the throne room ever so shortly with his two daughters. Fang will you please escort them their since you know the way?" said Voodoo in a kind manner befitting a greeter to that of guests.
"Of course Voodoo. All right you maggots follow me and if you get lost it won't be my fault you all perish. I don't go back for stranglers," said Fang as he, his pack, and the group they were escorting went past the Head of the Druids.
When they were past him and out of sight and hearing range Voodoo looked up into the sky...directly at Kagura who was more then surprised she had been seen. "Kagura you can come down now. You will not be harmed unless you attack first," said Voodoo in a calm, yet serious voice meaning he spoke the truth of what he meant.
Kagura was a little hesitant, but felt the druid's words were sincere and she floated down on her giant feather. "I'll hold you to it...Voodoo was it?" said Kagura as she had heard him speak his name to the others.
"Yes. I assume you are for reasons different from that of the others?" said Voodoo who found that Ace and the other dogs surrounded the Wind Sorceress.
"Yes I am. But I would rather explain my reasons to him in person with the others in the throne room if you or rather if he doesn't mind?" said Kagura who did her best to ignore the growls and snarls of the other dogs.
"Forget her Voodoo! I say we tear her apart and feast on her flesh," said Ace as he along with some of the other dogs licked their jaws as more drool left their mouths.
"No Ace! Kagura if you swear to me in the name of the one thing you wish for not to betray my Lord then you may pass. However, the moment you try to betray us you will be place at the mercy of my master and he is not as kind as me or Ace is," said Voodoo making the threat as clear as crystal.
"I swear on the one thing I wish for not to betray your Lord and Master," said Kagura closing her fan entirely as she bowed before Voodoo in a graceful manner.
"Then you may pass and I will personally escort you to the throne room as to ensure you don't get lost. If you did then not even your fan would be left in the maze of this castle hidden in the earth," said Voodoo as he let Kagura walk beside him as he escorted her to the throne room.
(In the Throne Room)
Kagome felt uneasy as did everyone as a long line of druids were around the pillars that lead to the throne within the room. "Nice for a hole in the ground," said Koga who nearly got his leg bitten off after speaking those words by one of the dogs from the pack.
Shortly after Voodoo appeared with Kagura everyone went on instinct and ready their weapons and themselves for battle. Voodoo however, went in front of Kagura and held out a hand to command them to stop. "Wait! Kagura came here for sanctuary against Naraku. She has sworn to me in the name of what she hold dear that she will not attack and as long as she holds up to that she shall no be harmed," said Voodoo his red eyes glowing slightly making everyone in front of him not a druid step back as he and Kagura stepped further into the room with the tension so thick it would take Tetsuigia or Tokijin to cut it.
"Really Voodoo is it really necessary to make such threats in my own home?" said a calm voice whose face and body were masked by the shadows from behind Kagura that were at the entrance of the door with two little girls.
"Rin!" said Sesshomorru looking at the one on the figure left (his right) as he saw her face full of life and cheer as he remembered her.
"Kanna?" Kagura who was quite surprised to see her fellow incarnation here in this very castle with the other girl.
However, the most surprising thing that happened next blew everyone's surprise clear out of the water as the figure in the shadows of the room stepped forward allowing the light from the torches in the room to show his face and features to everyone. "Inuyasha!" said Sango whose heart went all a flutter when she saw his face even though she gasped when she saw the tattoos on his face.
"Hello Sango as well as everyone else here. Surprised to see me I take?" said Inuyasha as he proceeded to walk further past them with Rin and Kanna beside him as he gracefully sat on his throne with both girls standing on either side of the throne.
"Allow me to introduce our Master and Lord...Inuyasha the long lined descendant and reincarnation of Inuyasha: The Legendary Silver Fanged Phenom," said Voodoo who bowed as did the other druids, and Fang's dog pack.
(A/N: Hey everyone real quick thing I have to say or write...WHATEVER! For this week coming up I'm going to be tied up for a little while so this chapter will have to hold you for a week. I know it sucks, but I have exams and projects to take care of so please bear with me. The moment there over BOOM next chapter will be up before you know it so this chapter is going to be even LONGER then the last. I made sure. Thanks by the way for all the reviews.)