The rest of the day went by rather smoothly, though I was still in great pain by morning. Climbing atop Kirara, we all headed out to wait by the well for our friends' return. In my paranoia I decided to keep my daily and rescue inhalers on my person, just in case things went wrong and I did wind up getting kidnapped. Considering our last few adventures, I wasn't going to take any chances. I was going to keep them with me from now on.
I can't… die here. Not before I figure things out, not before I find Maria.
I curled up against the large cat demon, burying my face in her fur as we waited. While Shippō played a card game by himself and Miroku sat down with a book in his hands, his staff draped over his shoulder, I napped. I was always so darn tired; I hated it. I was starting to fear that if I kept sleeping like this then… one day I might not open my eyes.
Waking up sometime later, I found myself watching out of the corner of my vision as Sango fiddled with the mask she had completed; the girl observing it and making sure there was nothing else that had to be done. She was dressed in full armor, having left her kimono back at the hut. More than anyone else, Sango was prepared to battle. Even now she looked so determined.
It… helped ease my worries somewhat, although…
If I wasn't here she wouldn't be so stressed over protecting me.
My mind flashed back to the castle with the samurai, recalling all the villagers and soldiers that were killed and forced to walk as undead. There was no doubt that Otoki's burned face was a message from Naraku. If things escalated any further, if the war with that half-demon grew any worse, then all these kind people… my wonderful friends… could die.
I don't want that.
I don't want them to get hurt. I can heal their injuries, but if they got wounded protecting me…
A voice caught my attention and I broke out of my thoughts, head shooting up to see Inuyasha hop out of the well. He sat down on the edge and held a hand out to the inside, clearly intending for Kagome to grab on. "Up we go! Here." The girl snatching his hand as expected, Inuyasha helped pull her up. "You doin' okay?"
"Yeah," She breathed, grunting as she pulled herself over the ledge with his help. The female teenager blinked, staring at us in surprise. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Oh, thanks." I moved closer to Kirara, resting an arm lazily over her back and yawning. "We love you, too, Kagome…"
Miroku almost laughed at that and flipped to the next page of his book, shaking his head. He had a hard time changing the amusement in his voice into something more morose. "You know, it really is too bad that you've come back so soon." He said. Hachi yawned loudly, stretching onto his back from his spot on the grass. "Why the rush?"
"It's such a shame you didn't stay away longer." Sango agreed, cleaning the new mask she was carrying. "Honestly, don't you miss your family?"
Inuyasha sent them a glare as he pulled the girl out of the well, tossing Kagome's backpack onto the grassy ground. Standing up, the boy turned and glowered down at Miroku and Sango, pointing a clawed finger at them accusingly. "You guys pickin' a fight!? What the hell was with that greeting!?"
Throwing her legs over the wooden rim, Kagome sat up. Concern was written all over her face. "Did something happen? Wait- Irene, your hands are…!" Her eyes zeroed in on the bandages wrapped around my palms, alarmed. I blinked, sitting up halfway and glancing at my newest injuries. I gave a small shrug, nonchalant about the whole thing. The burns didn't sting as bad as they should and I could still draw, so it didn't bother me any.
"Technically speaking," Miroku began slowly, glancing at me and then at the two by the well, "something is about to start."
The half-demon ground his teeth together and stood up, amber eyes filled with frustration. "Stop with the mumbo jumbo and just tell us what's goin' on already, damn it! You're ticking me off!"
…
Deep in the mountain, a little girl was moving around in a low river stream. Her brown eyes sparkled as she cheered, encouraging an imp demon as he struggled to catch a fish with his bare hands. "That's the way, Master Jaken!" She exclaimed, looking pleased to be helping him in such a fashion. Her dark was messy, part of her bangs on the right tied up with a small orange ribbon. She wasn't more than eight years of age, standing at a height of four-foot-two, yet she towered over the imp. "You can do it; I know you can! Left, no right! Aww, you almost had 'em!"
Jaken moved around frantically in an attempt to catch the amphibious creature, determined to get enough for their dinner. His master would surely cause him grief if he were to let the small human die from starvation; he was certain of it. The imp's eyes flickered to the tree next to the stream where his master was resting, the demon lord sitting leisurely against it and watching them play in the water with a calm, almost blank expression on his face.
It was the most relaxed his lord Sesshōmaru has appeared in days, the imp noted. If playing with this foolish mortal created such a wonderful expression on his master's face… then he would continue to do so. "Hyah! Gah! There! Oooh, so close!" The demon splashed his hands in the water, no longer caring if his kimono got soaked.
The girl giggled at him, pointing and stepping to the side to avoid him. "In front of you, Master Jaken! To the right now! Behind you!"
"Which way!?"
"On the side- over there!"
"Where!?"
"There!"
"Which side!?"
"Left!"
"Whoa!" Jaken fell forward, tripping over his own feet, and collapsed into the water. "Damn it all! I will get a fish! Stay still you- aha! I got one!" The imp held it proudly in the air, admiring his hard work, digging his claws into the squirming creature. "L-Look! Look, Rin, I did it! I caught it with my bare hands!"
The girl clapped her hands, practically jumping up-and-down in her excitement. "You're so amazing, Master Jaken! You're the greatest!"
"I am, aren't I!? I'm incredible!"
Sesshōmaru watched in silence as they fussed about, keeping guard of any threats. They were on their way to Ayame Village, following the direction of the Saimyōshō. It had been five days since the castle and their failure to locate Naraku, and still there was no sign of him. His scent was completely gone, most likely hidden behind that barrier of his.
He would have to find a way to break that barrier if he ever dared to try and get close. If that corpse was immune to his attacks, then no doubt the one that will be protecting the wretched half-demon would be powerful as well. Perhaps more so.
His eyes focused on the human child, watching her laugh loudly and giggle at something that happened to Jaken when they tried to tie the fish to a long stalk of grass. He was a powerful demon; there was no need for him to keep a mortal by his side, nonetheless one so young that was incapable of defending herself. She was merely a distraction, one he should have never picked up.
"Lord Sesshōmaru!" Rin called out, gesturing with her arms towards Jaken and his fish. "Look at how fat it is! It's going to be so tasty, don't you think!?"
And yet he found himself raising this child since they met that fateful day in the woods, allowing her to become one of his wards. She was terrified of him at first, someone she knew who could have easily killed her, but still found herself trying to save him. Rin poured water in his face without hesitation even though he was growling at her, trying to scare her into running away by using some of his demonic aura. The foolish girl went so far as to bring him mushrooms and reeds, and even fish, despite knowing full well that he did not care for such cuisine.
This orphan child that was abused by the village people who took her in…
Rin didn't speak a word when they first met; he doubted she could even if she wanted to. After he revived her using the tenseiga, however, she never stopped talking. She asked questions about himself and Jaken, rambled on about useless things that held no interest to either of them, and spoke of herself and her likes. Rin was a bubbly child, far more sweet and gentle than that wretched village of humans ever deserved.
And when his servant would act out of hand and insult her, the demon lord would punish him by crushing the imp with his boot. As the result of this happening one too many times, Rin had obtained a sharp tongue, speaking words bluntly without realizing the implications saying such things could bring. Due to this Sesshōmaru did not even have to act, instead leaving Rin to shut down the imp's insults by giving an innocent retort that would cut into his ego just right. It reminded Jaken of his place in the world, while showing Rin's growth from her time travelling with them.
But then there was that sickly mortal woman from the castle…
"You're the one thing keeping me alive, so I'm sticking with you. Sorry, not sorry."
She was fearful of him as well, having been intimidated by the man the very moment they met. The foreigner was terrified, in fact, and nervous, and often spoke aloud her worries. She was ill and would not last much longer in this world, and he nearly left her to rot in the area they found her in. He would have, too, had she been unable to guide him to the tower. That woman led him through the castle, showing him to the room where Naraku's stench lingered.
He had heard her screaming before- calling out the name of the female demon slayer that traveled with his wretched younger brother. The smell of her blood had reached his nose even before he and Jaken entered the castle. Had he not needed to enter that room he would have left her to die from the undead… and she knew this.
The woman was not so foolish as she appeared.
Foolish enough perhaps to mention his half-brother, but not enough to not know Sesshōmaru was a threat. Yet still foolish enough to defend him when he could very easily end her life.
"He isn't the bad guy, I promise!"
"He's ruthless! Get away from him while you can!"
"I… I don't…"
Foolish to try and show a sense of loyalty to him when he only protected her out of consideration towards the bargain they made. She had known who he was from the start, just as he did her. The only difference was that she is not of this era. A ridiculous claim, but one he knew sang true. Her clothes and medicine resembled what that reincarnation owned too much for it to be a coincidence.
What a nuisance.
And speaking of a nuisance… a cold breeze drifted through the air and the scent of felines reached his nose. Sesshōmaru turned his gaze downriver towards where it was coming from and stood, not bothering to warn either Rin or Jaken as he gradually disappeared into the distance. They were both distracted by the fish in the river, determined to catch more, and as Sesshōmaru walked alongside the stream his eyes narrowed as he noticed the water start to freeze over. Before long it became coated with a thick layer of ice.
"Tōran." It wasn't a greeting, nor a question. It was a statement. Sesshōmaru's expression hardened as a woman stepped out from the white mist, her long blue hair flowing behind her. She brushed a few strands out of her face and slicked it back, sending the older demon a sly grin.
"It's been a long time, Sesshōmaru. Did you miss me?"
"I thought you were dead."
The woman huffed at that, placing a hand on her hip as her smirk broadened. "Now that's not a very fine way to greet someone… Aren't we old friends?"
He stared her down, golden eyes harsh. "What are you doing here? The war is over."
"For you, maybe." She responded, all the playfulness gone from her voice as she spoke. Her blue eyes glimmered with hatred for the man in front of her. "I've come here to settle things… once and for all."
Sesshōmaru closed his eyes, opening them only after a moment to fix her with a glare as cold as the ice she controlled. "We settled things a long time ago," He told her calmly, unimpressed by her declaration, "but if you insist… you won't be as lucky as you were fifty years ago."
Tōran laughed at his words. "You're still as boorish as ever, I see. I'm almost disappointed. I do agree that things will be different from last time, but you won't be the victor; I can assure you that. Our master will be waiting for you."
"Master?" He questioned, the corners of his lips tilting down ever so slightly. "Your master is dead."
"And so is your dear father," She told him, grinning broadly at the demon, rubbing salt in the wound she knew that was there, "but unlike him our master is going to be revived."
"For what purpose?"
"Oh, I thought that would be obvious to you, Sesshōmaru." Tōran sneered, resting a hand against her chest. "We'll be able to attack the lands in the east again and finally reclaim the western territory your wretched father forced us from. But more importantly… we'll be getting our revenge- on all your kind."
"Hn. I will personally see to it that he will never breathe again." Ah, there it was. The threat she was waiting for. She succeeded in angering him.
Tōran laughed loudly and held her arms out in a grand gesture, smile so wide her fangs could be seen. "I'm glad to see that you've accepted my challenge! A shame for you though; we've already located the one we need to revive our master." She watched him carefully for a moment before continuing, quite proud of her tribe's accomplishments. "You can try all you want to stop it from happening, but with the souls of the human priestess and all the spirits she uses, he will awaken with strength even greater than before. You won't stand a chance against him!"
Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed and he grasped the handle of his tōkijin, ready to slay her and stop whatever plans she had laid out. "Spirits?" He questioned, voice low in what almost sounded like a growl. "Explain yourself, Tōran."
The woman grinned and raised a hand up in the air, waving an index finger at him scoldingly. "Now, now, don't be so hasty! Surely you would rather see it all in action?"
When he gave no reaction the panther demon stepped back and extended her hands outwards, waving them through the air and causing a great burst of wind to breeze through the air. Sesshōmaru's long silver hair and dog-furred boa whipped in the wind, his expression as cold as the ice that was cracking from atop the river stream.
"Come to our castle!" Tōran told him, fading away alongside the mist, the water breaking free and flowing naturally without restraint. "There you can bring all the reinforcements you require… and watch as our master is revived!"
And just like that the panther demon was gone, leaving Sesshōmaru to stare at the spot where she left. His expression shifted back into its neutral state, though his brows furrowed from thought. "A mortal priestess that uses spirits…"
He was well aware that the foreigner's soul was coveted by Naraku. This was enough to pique his curiosity towards the mortal female as she was hardly a threat to the wretched half-demon spider, but her ability to break his barrier was questionable. If taking her soul also meant taking the spirits she communicated with… then perhaps he was hoping to absorb them somehow.
Hmph. That was even if the mortal priestess Tōran spoke about was the same as the one he met in the castle.
"If… If anyone can defeat Naraku it's you! You're amazing!"
Her smile flashed through his mind and he turned upon hearing the voice of Rin. The girl was running over with Ah-Uh, a two-headed dragon Sesshōmaru often used as a steed. She was holding a long string of fish above her head, giggling happily and looking quite out-of-breath as she caught up with him. Jaken wailed about being left behind by the child. "Lord Sesshōmaru! Lord Sesshōmaru, look! The fish Master Jaken and I caught! We're going to have a feast!"
"Y-You didn't have to save them, but you did. You freed them and stopped the voices. So... thank you."
The demon lord stared down at her for a moment before turning his attention to the imp, speaking sharply to catch his attention. "Jaken," He said, causing the imp to jolt and look up at him, "The panther demon tribe is back."
The green-skinned demon stumbled at that, letting out a breathless shriek.
"Wh-Whaaat!?" Jaken gasped, falling directly into a terrible coughing fit. Rin blinked and looked at him worriedly, lowering the fish she was carrying. "W-Why are they here!?"
Sesshōmaru turned to the human girl once more, meeting her brown gaze with calm golden eyes. "Rin, listen. You are to wait here with Ah-Uh."
"You're going somewhere again?" She asked, sadness momentarily making itself known into her voice, before she quickly smiled and nodded her head, holding the fish with both hands. "Alright, I won't move from here. Don't forget to come back and get us!"
He turned away, walking off with Jaken hurriedly chasing after. The imp cried out, "W-Wait for me, M'lord!"
Rin waved a hand in the air, smiling at them as the two-headed dragon moved up beside the girl. "We'll be waiting for you!"
...
"Cat demons?" Inuyasha echoed, making a face. "Seriously?"
Hachi nodded fervently, tears in his eyes as he recalled what happened with us in the village. The half-demon looked quite irritated when he heard I was almost kidnapped. Kagome had me unwrap my bandages so she could observe the damage done by the one panther demon, Karan, and put on some fresh burn paste. Once she was done I scooted closer to Sango and watched as she tweaked with the mask, trying to ignore the fear that had long since welled up inside of me.
It was already scary living in this place full of those who wanted me dead, but now I was actually being hunted by not just one or two people, but by an entire tribe that wanted my soul. I never once imagined that the Shikigami would make me a target. It wasn't as if I asked to have this connection to them or even the ability to summon them, I hardly had control of the spirits. I simply asked for their help and they obliged, and when my emotions ran wild so did they.
I was grateful to them for giving me a way to help the others, to heal and support them, but it wasn't like I desired to have my life taken because of it. "Y-Yeah, they… showed up looking for Kagome and the jewel shards. They thought I was her at first a-and then… asked for me. When they found out I was the Shikigami user they grabbed me and ran."
"I took Kirara, Shippō, and Miroku, and we chased after." Sango explained, holding the mask up to my face with concentrated eyes. "We were almost too late. Here- try this on."
"O-Okay. Uh, thank you." I awkwardly tied it around my head, closing my eyes and breathing through the filters. It felt amazing. Before I could even say anything Sango took the mask off me and began to mess with it again. "Hah?"
"It's not quite right. Give me a bit longer."
"O-Okie dokie…"
"You know," Hachi suddenly said, scratching behind his ear thoughtfully, "I distinctly remember something like this happening around… oh, when was it? Fifty years ago?"
"What?" Inuyasha snapped his head up, alarmed. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "A tribe of cats swarmed in and attacked from the west!"
My eyebrows knitted together upon hearing that, trying to understand what he meant by that. Did he mean west as in… like… from Western Asia? Did that exist yet? I'm so lost. Karan did look more Chinese, so… was that it? Was China west from here? I wish I was better at geography.
Inuyasha scowled at Hachi's words, leaning over and propping his chin up with his palm, elbow resting against his thigh. "This sounds like another one of your fake stories."
"It's not!" The raccoon dog defended, appalled by the assumption. "I'm telling the truth!"
Miroku sat up upon hearing that, frowning. "Hold on a minute, Inuyasha. Don't you think this could have happened while you were sealed to that sacred tree?"
"I…" The half-demon paused. "I guess, yeah, but if it did then I wouldn't know anything about it. I was asleep the whole time. I only know stuff from before and after."
"I don't remember hearing anything like this either and I wasn't under any spell!" Shippō said, thinking hard with crossed arms. "How strange."
Inuyasha grinned upon hearing that and turned, staring down at Shippō mischievously. "Maybe it's because you're just a little brat?"
"Now try it." Sango said again, having me put the mask on while the fox demon charged angrily at Inuyasha. The half-demon grabbed him by the head, snickering as he watched Shippō flail his arms wildly through the air. Sango beamed, looking proud of her work. "Much better!"
"Stop treating me like a kid, you jerk!"
I ignored Shippō's cries and felt the mask, finding it much more comfortable than before. A part me felt excited, never having such a comfortable mask like this before. It filtered the air so well it was ridiculous. "I think it fits!"
"So, wait a minute," Kagome began, confused, "what exactly happened, Hachi?"
The raccoon dog brought his hands up to his and hunched over, squeezing his eyes shut as the terrible memories rushed through. "I-I escaped before the cat demons arrived, so I don't know! I'm so sorry!"
Miroku stared at him for a moment and then turned away, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Now it's believable…"
"I returned after they had all left," The raccoon dog continued, "and sure enough there wasn't a single cat demon in sight!"
"Where did they go?" I asked, momentarily distracted by the freshly filtered air reaching deep into my lungs. It felt so heavenly, helping to alleviate some of the pain in my chest. "Back to the west?"
"I-I'm afraid that's all I can remember!" He exclaimed, ears drooping in shame. "I-I'm so sorry."
That was when a hauntingly familiar voice rang out, catching everyone's attention and causing the raccoon dog to jump. "So the stories are true; the clothes you wear are strange indeed." Shippō yelped and Sango stood up, not hesitating as she grabbed her hiraikotsu. "Are you truly a priestess?"
"Th-The cat demons!" Hachi wailed, diving to hide behind Miroku as he stood.
"Stop calling us cats, you mangy mutt." Karan growled. "Do you want to make us angry?"
I scrambled onto my feet, taking several steps back closer to the well near Kagome, arms held out semi-protectively. As bitter as I could be towards her sometimes, I really didn't care to see her kidnapped. She was a dear friend. "Th-They're panther demons, remember?" My voice sounded muffled due to the mask, but they could still hear me. What a relief. "Frick…"
A lump formed in my throat when I saw there were more with Karan this time. Two more humanoid panther demons stood on either side of her- one a large man and another a young girl around sixteen years of age in appearance.
The man was built very stockily and wore mostly green, a vest being the only thing to hide his bare chest. His hair was dark and his tail was thick with fur and very brown in color, swaying back-and-forth irritably. The girl beside him was so small in comparison, yet stood around my height. Her kimono was lighter in color with several flowers embroidered on it, her red hair falling over her shoulders neatly. Unlike the others she bore no tail, but her eyes and ears were just as sharp as the rest. She unnerved me the most.
The only comfort I had was that Kirara, Miroku, and Sango were in front of us two protectively, ready to lash out at the panther demons if necessary. Inuyasha unsheathed his sword, eyebrow twitching angrily when he saw them approach. "Who the hell do you think you are comin' after Irene and Kagome, huh!? Do you have a death wish?"
"Hmph. Back off, half-demon." Karan growled. "Our business is not with you. We only want the priestesses. Surrender the foreigner and the jewel shards now!"
"Like hell you're getting them! You want the girls, you're gonna have to get through me!"
I looked at Inuyasha with wide eyes. Grabbing Kagome's arm I began to push her towards the well, attempting to get her to leave. She looked at me in alarm, not understanding what I was doing. "Hey, what's the big idea!?"
Is she seriously asking me that? I had to remind myself that she was still a teenager, otherwise I would be tempted to whack her upside the head. This was really not the time to argue. "They want your jewel shards! If you're gone they can't get them!"
"I'm not just gonna leave you again!" She argued, protesting against my attempt to help her. Kagome pushed back, easily overwhelming me with her arm strength. "I'm staying!"
"Just go through the well!"
"I said no!"
Due to our arguing I was unable to hear the demons talking to Inuyasha, too focused on trying to convince Kagome to leave. "This right here? This is you being stupid. I love you, Kagome, okay? You're amazing. But don't you dare try and get yourself captured! If something happens to you Inuyasha will freak out like-"
My sentence was cut off by a large explosion, Karan having leapt into the air and shot a big ball of fire at Inuyasha. Kirara let out a growl and charged over towards us, keeping us hidden behind her while Miroku and Sango dealt with the large man. The younger demoness, however, moved out of the way and- wait, where'd she go? Oh, frick-!
"Kagome!"
I watched in horror as she fell, fearing the worst as little cherry blossom petals drifted around us in the wind. Though the mask blocked the majority of the smell, I could make out a faintly sweet scent- something of which I bet was the reason why Kagome collapsed. It only surrounded us time travelers and Kirara, the others completely unaffected. Kirara roared, trying to fight the urge to sleep, but it became too much and she stumbled, the cat demon falling onto her side. Ignoring the dizziness I felt, something I was sure was brought on more by the scent than my lung issues, I hurried on over to them and panicked.
"No, no- please be okay!" I pressed a couple fingers to Kagome's neck, trying to feel for a pulse, and relaxed only slightly when I felt a heart beat. She was still alive- just unconscious. Hearing someone giggle, I turned my head to see the auburn haired panther demoness standing and smiling at me viciously. "You…"
They were here for several reasons; my soul and the Shikigami who are connected to it, and the jewel shards that Kagome had on her person. Not only that, they wanted her eyesight so they could collect more shards. Jerks… they won't get what they want.
I won't let them take her. Nothing can be done about my well-being, but Kagome at least had a chance to be safe. I wasn't going to let her miss out on that.
In the background Sango could be heard shouting at the demons, demanding answers for what was done to Kagome and Kirara, but I ignored her. I was too focused on trying to lift the middle schooler up. She weighed even less than I did, which was interesting considering we were around the same size, but I was still quite weak. My arms were thin and frail, lacking the muscle Kagome bore from her many long months of archery.
I huffed and dragged her over to the well, struggling to keep my breathing even so as to not inhale too much of that weird scent. This mask was doing wonders for my breathing, going so far as to filter the air and keep the majority of the poison away from my lungs. The panther demon frowned at me, ceasing her laughter when she saw I was unaffected.
"How dare you not fall to my spell!" She growled. "It's that mask, isn't it? I simply must get rid of it then!"
What? No!
I grabbed Kagome and, hoisting her up to the best of my ability, I found myself falling back as the demon dashed over and slashed at my face with her claws. A scream fell from my lips as the mask came off, the demoness slicing the dark blue strings, and I ended up tumbling below into the well. During the fall I found my arms wrapping around the middle schooler's waist, twisting our bodies so that I would take the brunt of the blow should things go south, and in the process something fell out of her pockets.
What it was I wasn't exactly sure, and I wasn't able to find out as there was a flash of blue light and the girl's body started to dematerialize mid-fall.
The world around us slowed down in the process, leaving me to stare in shock at the starlit sky surrounding the area. It reminded me of when I was first brought here to this time- reminding me that travel between space and time was truly possible. And then, alongside Kagome, the majestic view disappeared and my descent picked up pace once more. My back crashed hard onto the ground and things went black as my head hit dirt.
When I finally came to again I could hear screaming, thunder crackling in the distance.
I groaned and pulled myself up onto my knees, blinking until my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the Bone-Eater's well. "K… Kagome?"
Was she gone? Did she actually- yes! Holy frick. My plan worked.
Now they can't use her to find the jewel shards! I'm a genius! I stumbled onto my feet and was about to start climbing out of the well, pausing only when I caught sight of something glimmering in the corner. Turning, heart sinking deep into the pit of my stomach, I knelt down to pick up a small glass bottle.
Three sharp little shards sat inside, making my attempt at saving Kagome almost pointless. She wouldn't be in any danger since they wouldn't have her eyes to use, but they would still end up getting the jewel shards if our friends couldn't beat the demons. Damn it. Inhaling shakily and stuffing the jar into my pocket with the rest of my inhalers, I tentatively grabbed the vines and began to try climbing back up.
I was halfway up when I caught scent of the flowers again and I tried to hold my breath, climbing the rest of the way, pausing to gasp into my sleeve every so often.
It lasted all the way up until I reached the top.
I was so out of breath, too tired from everything…
...and the freaking female flower demon jump-scared me. Before I knew what had even happened I was asleep, an arm wrapping around my lower back.
...
Inuyasha had seen both girls fall into the well. He knew fully well that Irene couldn't travel through it like Kagome, so he knew that she was most likely crumpled on the bottom. He also knew that the older girl was stubborn as all hell and would most likely try to climb her way back up give the opportunity. The half-demon growled and attempted to make his way over to the well, but he was so distracted that he was unable to dodge the demons and got struck with a powerful lightning attack. Inuyasha could only watch in alarm as Irene got snatched by the auburn-haired demon, a flower spell having sent her right to sleep.
"Well, what do you know?" The female demon mused, twirling a small glass bottle in her hands. "She had the sacred jewel shards after all. A little liar, isn't she? Hmph."
"Give those back!" The half-demon growled, struggling to push himself onto his feet. Inuyasha's entire body ached from the larger demon's attack. "Give Irene and the shards back, you bastards!"
"Oh?" Karan hummed, lips twitching upwards into a grin as her ally returned to where she and the thunder demon were standing. "This priestess must mean a lot to you, Inuyasha."
"She's my friend!" He snapped, glaring darkly at them. Inuyasha wrapped his fingers around the handle of his tetsusaiga, unsheathing it with a swing. "If you know what's good for you, you'll let her go!"
The demon smirked at that. "You'll just have to come to the castle if you want her back. If you can even manage it, that is. We'll be waiting for you."
She and the other demons turned away, dashing through the trees and carrying the unconscious Irene with them. The half-demon grit his teeth and lunged, attempting to follow after them, but he only got so far before his plans were thwarted by several other panther demons that appeared to slow him down. In a fit of rage, Inuyasha swung his sword and let out an aggressive battle cry, voice daring to reach through the forest itself. "Get outta my way! Hraaah!"
The demons jumped into the air and to the side, avoiding his attacks, and he slashed at a few that got too close.
"I'll kill you!"
Path now cleared, he started to run again, bounding through the area and going as fast as he could. Before long he felt a small weight on his shoulder, Shippō's voice next to his ear. "I'm goin' with you! We have to save her!"
Meanwhile, back by the well, Sango groaned and groggily opened her eyes. Shaking Kirara and pushing her up onto her side, the slayer saw that the cat demon was fast asleep. Sango looked around, catching sight of Miroku, and called out to him tiredly. "Miroku, wake up…! We need to hurry."
The adult flinched at the loudness of her voice and blinked, slowly standing up while using his staff for balance. "H… How's Kirara?"
"She's fine." Sango answered, frowning worriedly as she faced her sleeping companion. It was taking all she had not to run after the demons, a flurry of emotions boiling inside of her at her best friend being taken from her again. They had to get Irene back- she was too sick to survive such an ordeal. She had her medicine with her, but if they tried to hurt her… she might not make it. "Kirara will wake up in a minute. Where's Kagome?"
"I saw her and Irene fall into the well." Miroku responded, slowly making his way over to them. "Since Kagome wasn't with her when she climbed back up, I can only assume that she went home. She might still be under that demon's spell."
"I see… oh, Kirara!" The demon began to stir, letting out a small noise as she opened her eyes. Sango rested a hand against her back, concerned. "How are you feeling? Doing alright?"
The cat demon nodded slowly, ears perking up as she glanced around. Her lips curled back as she bared her fangs, just as angry as the demon slayer herself. Hachi hurried over to Miroku, bowing to him nervously. "I'll be leaving now, M'lord! Please, forgive me!"
"Ooooh, no!" Miroku snapped, grabbing onto the raccoon dog before he could run away, "You're coming with us!"
Back with Inuyasha, Shippō was trying his best to calm the half-demon down. But Inuyasha wasn't listening, too focused on hunting down the demons and rescuing the sickly human he called a friend. "Where are they!? Damn it…!" He wasn't always the best person to be around, nor was he the greatest friend, but he wasn't just going to let that stupid foreigner be sacrificed. They had their arguments and their rough days, but they were friends. Time and again this was proven. "I'll get her back- so help me I'll kill every last one of them!"
Irene gave up her own safety to get Kagome out of harm's way. She threw them both into the well at the last minute, saving the middle schooler, knowing full well that she herself wouldn't be transported. Inuyasha couldn't very well let Irene die after that, no way. No one would ever let him hear the end of it- not even himself. He wasn't going to lose her. Her or anyone else.
Not if he could help it. There had been too many close calls already.
That moron had to be both the luckiest and unluckiest person alive, being tossed into terrible situations and barely getting away with her life. He prayed she survived this encounter, too. No- Inuyasha would make sure of it. Irene doesn't have a choice. She will make it through this.
"This place reeks of cat!" Shippō said, clinging to the half-demon and snapping him out of his thoughts. His green eyes were frantic, his little claws digging into the older boy's shoulder. He was trying to encourage Inuyasha, but it did little for his own fear. "Don't panic! We need to find their scent, Inuyasha!"
The half-demon came to a halt, sniffing the air. There was so much cat it was hard to identify the main three, nonetheless locate Irene's own scent in this mess. "Y-Yeah, you're right. Where…?" Inuyasha snapped his head up, picking up the trace of human after a moment's silence. "This way!"
"Inuyasha!" Miroku called out, stopping the boy before he could take off, the others finally having caught up. Miroku and Sango were riding atop Kirara's back, the cat demon looking quite exhausted despite the determination in her gaze. Hachi, on the other hand, was moving by foot. "Where's Irene!?"
"I'll find her- don't worry!" Inuyasha exclaimed, breaking out into another run. His golden eyes were intense, glowing with fury and hate, his voice full of conviction and assurance. "She's this way!"
Taking to the sky the raccoon dog transformed, flying after the others when they picked up speed. It had barely taken them five minutes to get out of the forest, entering the rocky terrain of the mountains. Inuyasha was in the lead, using his senses to sniff out Irene's scent among all the panther demons. It was then that he caught scent of wolf and… something else; a scent quite similar to the one he was following. What was it though?
It was human… that much he could tell. Yet why was it bothering him so much?
"Isn't that Kōga up ahead!?" Shippō asked, squinting his eyes at the cyclone heading their way. Inuyasha came to a halt, scowling in both frustration and confusion, trying to pin-point why that one scent was so familiar. It wasn't Irene, that was for sure, but… someone who smelled a lot like her. "What's he doing here!? We don't have Kagome with us."
At that exact moment the cyclone came to a halt, stopping at the top of the hill. Blue eyes narrowed in rage, his dark hair waving in the wind from the sudden breeze. "Hey, mutt," Kōga growled, "where's the girl!? I've been picking up the foul stench of cat demons in this area a lot lately, so tell me why Irene's scent is mixed up with them! Now!"
Inuyasha was taken aback, rather alarmed by the anger in the wolf demon's voice. The only person he ever seemed to care about was Kagome, so why…? He narrowed his eyes and snapped back, voice cracking a little as he growled, "It's none of your business, mangy wolf! Just go back to your cave!"
Kōga's hands flexed, his fingers balling into fists, and the wolf demon stepped forward. "I better not find out that she's been kidnapped by those cats! Otherwise I'll have to kill you!" When Inuyasha didn't respond, merely looking away uncomfortably as he tried to think up a retort, Kōga's eyes widened and his face contorted into one of fury. "You moron! She was actually captured!? What the hell is wrong with you!?"
"Sh-Shut up! It wasn't as if I handed her over on a fucking platter! What does it matter to you, anyway!? Since when did you care about her!?"
"Ever since I found out that she was Maria's little sister!" He bit out. Everyone stared at him in shock, startled by this news. "I knew there was something about her I recognized, but I didn't realize it at first because of how different she looked! With her dark hair and brown eyes- the only similarity were their scents! I came here looking for Irene, but now she's been kidnapped because of your incompetence!? Damn you, Inuyasha!"
"W-Wait a minute." Shippō looked befuddled. "You… know Maria? Maria is with you!?"
Miroku's eyes widened. "All this time we've been searching for her… Kōga, do you mean to tell us you know where Irene's sister is at?"
"Explain yourself!" Sango demanded. The wolf demon huffed and turned his head, pausing when he heard familiar voices shouting at him from behind. Hakkaku and Ginta were running up, followed by several wolves, and a young woman dressed in armor riding atop what appeared to be the biggest wolf of the pack. "I-Is that…?"
"I don't have time for this." Kōga growled. "I promised I'd find her!"
He took off in a cyclone, running off into the distance with incredible speed. Hakkaku and Ginta stumbled to a stop, worn out from all the exercise. "K-Kōga, wait!"
"Here we go again…"
The woman's face scrunched up in irritation as she paused, having caught up with them, and she huffed. Sango stared at her in shock, unable to believe that after all they've been through that this is how they found the older sister. The resemblance was uncanny, so it must be true. "It can't be…"
It looked like the stranger was about to run off after Kōga when she heard Sango speak, the woman turning around to look at the demon slayer. Her eye color was unlike anything they've ever seen, even for demons. Green with a starburst of brown, almost seeming to change color with her emotions. The woman stood tall and proud, auburn hair short and cut in a style almost identical to that of Irene's; it was a lot neater and well kempt, and so much lighter, but the face...
She made the same expressions as Irene. Rather, it would be Irene who made the same expressions as her. There was no doubt about it. Kōga was so wrong about their resemblance; the two could almost be twins.
"You're Maria?"
"Yes…?" The woman's accent was so thick as she spoke, her head tilting to the side curiously. She was so much taller, so much more slender compared to their short and curvy friend. But the nose, the shape of the eyes, and even the chin were the same. She was the one they were looking for. Irene's older sister. "My name is that... You are who?"
"We're Irene's friends." Sango said quickly, urging Kirara to move closer. "We've come to rescue her!"
Maria narrowed her eyes at them. She took in their appearances, judging them, calculating what to say or do, before giving a firm nod. Something in her expression rang fierce and passionate, voice strong and authoritative despite the choppy words she spoke. "Good. Follow if you must; sister is this way! Saun, onwards!"
The wolf howled and took off, chasing after Hakkaku and Ginta, leaving everyone stunned. She had named her wolf. Shippō blinked, questioning what just happened, and settled on saying, "She doesn't speak Japanese very well, does she...?"
"Whatever!" Inuyasha growled. "Let's just go! Forget about Kōga; we can deal with Maria later! All we need to do now is rescue Irene!"
…
Kagome was furious. She understood Irene's intentions to a point; she was only trying to protect her, after all, but it wasn't as if Kagome was the only one the demons were after! There was no need to push her down the well! Irene couldn't travel down it like she could, so what if she tumbled down with her? She could get seriously hurt!
Actually, what… even happened? It hurt her head trying to remember; the most she could recall was arguing with Irene and becoming very sleepy.
Those demons- did one of them place a spell on her? The middle schooler clicked her tongue in annoyance, marching over to the ladder attached to the wall. It was safe to say Irene got what she wanted. Muttering to herself about stubborn Americans, Kagome had half the mind to jump back down and give the girl a piece of her mind.
I appreciate the concern, but…
There was no way she can just sit back and let them fight alone. She was part of the group! They were a team! As their friend it was her responsibility to help them out.
"Alright," She grunted, pulling herself over the ledge until her abdomen was resting against the wooden ledge, "let's do this."
Kagome was just about to turn around and jump back down when she realized she wasn't the only one in the shrine. Turning her head upon hearing the sound of a broom dropping against concrete, she blinked and stared completely dumbfounded as a boy gaped at her from the staircase. He looked around seventeen years of age, with big brown eyes and long lashes, black hair pulled back in a small rat's tail with messy bangs.
"Y-You just…" He raised a shaky hand up, pretty face paling as he tried to comprehend what happened. "...from the well…"
He saw her. This person saw her climb up from the well.
She had no idea how she was going to explain that. Kagome opened and closed her mouth, words failing her, and she debated just jumping back down to avoid this awkward conversation. Her eyes trailed over his form one more time, taking note of his strange attire. He was dressed almost identical to Anastasia, but where his outfit should be red it was shaded in blues and purples instead. Was he from a family of priests?
No, that didn't make sense. This was way too coincidental, wasn't it?
Kagome's grip on the wood tightened, eyes narrowing as she stared him down. Something wasn't right here. She watched as the stranger ran his fingers through his bangs, glancing around and blinking rapidly, the boy questioning aloud if he was dreaming. "This is so weird… okay. Calm down; just breathe."
He brought his hands together in front of his face, palms pressed together, soft brown gaze panicking. This person was speaking perfect Japanese, yet something about his appearance told her that… shouldn't be possible. "Wh-Who are you?"
She summoned her courage and spoke up. He jumped, almost stumbling back to the doors. "I-I, uh, well-"
"Who let you in here? This shrine is private property; you can't just-!"
Suddenly her little brother's voice came ringing out, Sōta sliding the shrine doors open. "Hey, Ren! Mom just finished making dinner, so you can come in for a quick break if you want; oh, hi, sis."
Sōta slid the doors shut and walked off, only to come running back and slamming them back open. His eyes were wide.
"S-Sis!? What are you doing back so soon!?"
"I-" She was absolutely flabbergasted. Kagome climbed out of the well the rest of the way, sitting on the ledge. "Can't I come home every now-and-then? Who is this kid?"
"Kid?" Sōta blinked. "Ren is older than you. You know that."
"Um, no, I don't."
Her brother was going crazy. He shook his head at her, frowning, and reached over to tug on the stranger's sleeve. Something about him was incredibly familiar and it was bothering her greatly. This felt like some kind of trap. "Yeah, you do; Ren Saito! You know, the guy who's been helping out Gramps with the shrine for about a year now?"
Kagome had no idea what he was talking about. The last time she visited he was complaining about having no one to help Gramps sweep the shrine, yet now they apparently had someone this entire time? She wasn't gone for that long, was she? Did something change? Had they somehow messed with the past to change the future?
"Anyway, food's gonna get cold!" Sōta said, trying to distract his befuddled friend Ren. "Mom's gonna need to get another plate ready since you're back, so, uh…" He glanced up at the pretty-faced boy, grinning nervously. "Do you think you can forget whatever you saw in here? It's really nothing to worry about, so…"
"Nothing to- what even happened? She climbed out of an empty well!"
Sōta nodded as if understanding his plight, tugging on his sleeve and guiding him out of the shrine slowly. "Yes, yes, it's very weird; I think you overworked yourself today, Ren! Why don't you go home after you eat? Kagome had to have been inside the well in order to climb out of it, wouldn't she? No one can just appear inside a dusty old well! R-Right, sis?"
"Uh, yeah…"
Something really wasn't right about this. Worried for her friends, yet completely lost by this new development, the girl found herself wandering out of the shrine after the two males. This person wasn't a demon, right?
She couldn't sense anything from him, so… who was he?
And how come Sōta was acting like she was supposed to know about him?
...
Jaken followed behind his master loyally, claws clutching the staff tightly to his chest. He watched as his lord Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed, the breeze flowing by causing his silver hair to drift elegantly in the air. Sesshōmaru stepped forward, increasing the pace in which he walked as the strong scent of panther demons reached his nose. Their wretched smell was all over the mountain terrain and, in the distance, in the direction of the castle that he was heading towards… he caught wind of a human scent.
It was a strange scent- the same as all humans yet not quite. There was something distinct about it, like the forest after it rains, and of something that shouldn't quite… be there. That woman- the one he encountered back in the castle- she was indeed the one that the panther demons were talking about.
If his pathetic half-human brother comes scampering into the castle…
Jaken almost squeaked in fright when he saw his lord's demonic aura become darker. Sesshōmaru was not pleased. "Um, p-pardon me, m'lord. Don't you think we should gather some reinforcements? It'll be dangerous heading there on our own… even with how powerful you are!"
Sesshōmaru was going to have to share a few words with those vile panther demons. His brother held no part in this war; it was between them alone. The fool had gotten himself pinned to a tree by a mortal priestess and lost his chance at redemption as a result; he should sit out like the disgrace that he is. Walking even faster now, Jaken swallowed down the lump in his throat and followed. Sweat started to bead down the side of the imp's face when his beady yellow eyes caught sight of someone kneeling down on the side of the mountain trail.
Jaken gasped, recognizing the fellow. "I know him! That's Rōyakan!"
The large wolf demon bowed to Sesshōmaru as he passed by, speaking loudly and offering his services. "Lord Sesshōmaru!" He greeted. "I, Rōyakan, would be honored to serve under you once again!"
"Not necessary."
The demon lord didn't even miss a beat, not hesitating at all to shut down his offer. Rōyakan's big blue eyes widened and he shot up into a sitting position, staring after Sesshōmaru in alarm. Desperation seeped into his voice as he cried out, "Please, m'lord! I beg of you to reconsider!"
"D-Don't leave without me, sire!" Jaken yelped, chasing after his master and leaping over Rōyakan's large beefy arm.
Sesshōmaru suddenly came to a halt, nearly causing Jaken to crash into his leg. The man didn't honor the wolf demon with so much as a glance as he spoke. "Rōyakan…"
"Y-Yes!?" The demon perked up, a big toothy smile spreading across his face, joyous that he was being acknowledge and hoping to be accepted into the lord's army. "What is it?"
"Leave before I lop off your head."
Rōyakan almost burst into tears, fear and heartbreak mixing together inside of him. Jaken jolted at the rejection and held his staff up in the air, trying to catch his master's gaze. "P-Perhaps you should reconsider, M'lord? We could use his assistance! I know you don't think so, but… we need help!"
Sesshōmaru kept walking, leaving the forest guardian wolf alone to weep. "We do not require his strength."
"Then perhaps we can get Inuyasha's assistance this time?"
"Jaken…" The imp could almost feel the stress draining away at his life force, his hands tightening on his staff anxiously.
"Y-Yes?"
"Only you need accompany me."
The terror faded away into immense warmth and happiness, tears welling up in his eyes at the indirect praise the demon lord had given to him. Choking back a sob, he stood there in shock for a few seconds before chasing after, wailing about how he was going to serve his lord Sesshōmaru for the rest of his life.
...
When I awoke we were somewhere in the middle of the mountains, in a valley of some sort. The large man was carrying me, keeping me tucked against his side and making it rather difficult to breathe. I thrashed my legs and hit my fists against his stomach, going as far as to dig my nails into his flesh, but it did nothing. He had so much freaking beef and muscle on him I doubted he could even feel the pain I was trying to inflict upon him.
"I-I'm not gonna… be some human sacrifice, you got that!?" I wheezed, knowing my attempts were futile. "N-Neither are… the Shikigami! They're not… tools!"
"Hmph. Keep squirming." The man, Shūran, growled. "See what good it'll do ya."
"Hey, sis!" Karan called out as we neared the end of the valley. Glancing up I could see a figure in the distance, a beautiful young woman with icy eyes and long blue hair. Her skin was as pale as snow. "I've got the priestess that controls the spirits! The other one vanished on us, but this one has hold of the jewel shards we need."
"Oh?" The woman asked, focusing her gaze on me. I tensed, fearful my end was going to come rather quickly. "This is the girl? Hmm. She looks so weak and pathetic; are you certain this is the one we need?"
"Yup!" Karan grinned and waved a hand in the air. "The brat even used her powers on me."
Shūran moved his arm and I yelped, gasping for air when he suddenly began to crush me against his side. I could feel my insides screaming at me, bones threatening to snap. "I don't like the looks of her." He said, narrowing his eyes. "Her face bothers me."
"I think it's cute!" Shunran giggled, the flower-user skipping forward and lacing her fingers behind her back as she knelt down, watching as my face contorted into pain. My ribs felt like they were being crushed. "Her blood smells really tasty, too! If she wasn't for our master I would gobble her up myself!"
Oh gods. I choked, tears welling up in my eyes upon hearing that. "P-Please don't. Y-You don't… want to eat me."
The blue-haired demon's lips curled up upon hearing that, amusement flickering in her eyes. She appeared to be the leader out of the four, maybe even the eldest, and clearly was held in great respect. From what I gathered they were all siblings and, hauntingly enough, three girls and one boy. Just like my family.
"And why's that?" The woman asked with an almost teasing tone. "Because you don't want to die?"
Shūran loosened his grip and I wheezed, coughing roughly and becoming rather light-headed. "O-Obviously, b-but… I… I'm also a sickly human, so not… very good for one's health. Y-You know? Would probably… g-give you indigestion or… something."
The stranger watched me for a moment, her icy blue eyes widening before laughter spilled out from her lips. "How interesting! A sense of humor even in the face of death. No, it is not your body we desire; it is your soul and the souls of the spirits attached to you. Do not fret; it will be mostly painless."
"That's… not comforting."
Her grin broadened. She must appreciate my jokes.
"Anyway," Karan continued, "we'll want to keep her alive for just a while longer. As it turns out Inuyasha is alive and he seemed quite worried for the priestesses. The other escaped, but this one will work as good bait to bring him here."
The woman blinked. "You don't mean the younger son of the old mutt is actually alive? Wasn't he sealed to a tree or something a long time ago?"
"Yup!" Shunran held her arms out, standing up straight with a smile. "Isn't that a surprise!? We were so shocked!"
"Why… bait?" I demanded, breathless. "Wh… What do you want with Inuyasha?"
The younger girl giggled. "Isn't that obvious? We're going to kill him."
Karan focused her attention back to her sister, holding up the bottle of shards for her to see. "What do you think, Tōran? Is it a good plan?"
"Yes, it is." She said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Why don't you all escort our guest-of-honor to the castle with the other prisoners? Master is sure to be impatient, but our revenge will soon be fulfilled. This pathetic girl is proof of that."
Wow. Okay. Rude.
I scowled at Tōran's words, kicking my legs again and trying to hit the man in the back of his knees. I wouldn't stand a chance against any of these people, but if there was the slightest hope that I could delay them sacrificing me in time to be saved then I would take it. At least they won't kill me right away considering I'm a hostage. "You guys are jerks."
"Ha!" Tōran raised a hand to her chin at that. "Please, save me the dramatics."
"Mmm, no. No, I think I want to be… dramatic right now."
Shūran tightened his hold on me again and I cried out, fingers digging into his arm as I tried to get him to let go. It hurt so bad; if he keeps it up he's going to break all the bones in my abdomen. Frick. I coughed and dangled my limbs when he loosened his hold, exhausted and pained. I could actually taste iron, which only proved that something inside me must have snapped. Red trickled down my chin and I spat, partially dazed. This demon was torturing me for his own entertainment, the bastard. My pained expression darkened when I heard his laughter. "That's right; stop screaming, fool. You can cry when you die."
"What about the other brother, sister?" Karan asked. "Is he going to come?"
Huh?
Focusing, I heard Tōran's answer loud and clear, though she refused to say a name. "I don't need bait for him; he'll come here without question. That pathetic dog is so easy to rile up." I knew at once who she was talking about. Ignoring the excruciating pain flooding through me a shaky grin spread across my lips, brown eyes meeting the cold blue of the panther demon in front of me. Tōran frowned when she saw my smile. "What is it, human?"
"Y… You are so dead." I hated how amused I was at this. Yet, somehow, in the depths of my heart, there was a strong sense of relief. "If that… b-brother is who I think it is… he's gonna murder you so hard you won't even see it coming. Y-You're totally screwed."
"Oh?" She stepped forward, standing in front of me as I started to cough again. Tōran leaned down, crossing her arms over her chest, an eyebrow raised. "I'm afraid you must be misunderstanding something; the demon I'm speaking of doesn't really associate with humans."
"Sesshōmaru? All powerful demon lord?" She blinked. A twisted, tired grin spread across my face, recalling the elegant yet efficient way that man had slain his opponents. "Silver hair? Cre… Crescent moon on his forehead? H-He's gonna… kill you. Just like he's… killed others."
I had faith of survival now. If the others didn't make in time, he surely would. One way or another I was going to be saved. Tōran stood up, hands on her waist, understanding dawning on her face.
"I see… you're in love with him, aren't you? How pitiful."
Wait, what? No! Everyone is so obsessed with that- even the villains! My gods. Tōran watched the way my expression changed and hummed, tapping her finger against her chin.
"No? Well, either way it doesn't matter. He'll arrive in time to watch your soul be sacrificed and our master revive; after that…" The demon smiled sadistically. "...Sesshōmaru will be joining you in the afterlife."
"...You've got issues." She looked ready to laugh at that, but Tōran wasn't given a chance.
A voice rang out in that moment, loud and clear, and it took me a second to recognize it. "Heeeey, Irene! Up here!" My eyes widened and I glanced up, stunned to see a certain wolf demon standing atop the cliffs. Kōga grinned down at me. "I've come to rescue you!"
I was… dreaming, right?
What was he doing here? We barely even spoke to each other. I don't understand; did he just say he came to save me? Was this because of me saving his life before during the battle with Kagura when she stole his jewel shards, or-? Wait, who are those people beside him? I recognized two of the figures as Hakkaku and Ginta, but the third was…?
It was so hard to tell without my glasses. I squinted my eyes, watching as the mysterious figure stepped forward. The light from the setting sun hit the person's body just right and illuminated them and their surroundings, allowing for me to catch sight of the red-and-gold kimono the stranger was wearing. The armor, that hair color…
There was no way. It couldn't be her.
I spent so long looking for her, risking my life in battle-after-battle trying to hunt down Naraku and Anastasia to find out the truth of what happened, and for her to just appear like this…
I don't…
What?
So many emotions were swirling around inside of me, I was only snapped out of my thoughts by Karan running over and glaring up at Kōga, shouting, "You're not invited to the castle, wolf!"
The panther demon opened her mouth wide and after taking in a deep breath, hot red fire blasted out, raging towards the demons. When the flames dispersed and Karan closed her mouth, Kōga and the others were gone. I was about to panic when the demon holding me suddenly moved, causing more pain to spread throughout my ribcage.
"Let's go!" Karan ordered, trying to get the others to hurry. "We have to bring the girl to the castle before the full moon!"
"N-No…!" My vision was starting to get blurry from the pain, my hands becoming numb and body not moving the way I wanted it to. Where did the others go? The taste of blood was strong, almost leaving me to choke as it bubbled in the back of my throat. "K-Kōga, M… Maria!"
Come back! Don't leave me here! It hurts…
"S-Stop… Stop it…"
I can feel the bones starting to crack from inside me. I couldn't breathe at all. Dark spots were dancing in my vision, threatening to take over completely. Voices had faded into sirens that were ringing in my ears. My internal organs were screeching as even more bones snapped. Something in my chest was aching. It hurt so much.
"Don't… die…"
Please. Don't be dead.
I'm so scared.
I don't want to be left alone. I don't want to be sacrificed.
Sesshōmaru…!
Help me.
…
It was official; Kagome's family had gone insane. She had never met or heard of a Ren Saito in her entire life, yet apparently she goes to school with his younger sister? Her brain felt like it was going to explode from all this mind boggling news. There was no way any of this was actually true. She's been going in-and-out of the Bone-Eater's well for how long now?
Surely if he had been working for Gramps as long as they've been claiming, she would have bumped into him way before now!?
"I don't… understand all of this," The boy muttered, still looking dazed, "but she was inspecting the well? I cleaned inside the well earlier; I swear! I didn't see her in there at all!"
"I'm sure you just missed her, kiddo," Gramps dismissed, reading through a newspaper as Ms. Higurashi set the dinner table, "it's quite dark down there! Now, stop chatting about it and get eating. You're so thin it's a wonder you're able to carry those boxes about!"
"I'm part of the kendo club," Ren responded numbly, scrunching up his nose as he processed his words, "and I help my sister with her ritual dance. I'm stronger than I look."
"Oh, really?" Ms. Higurashi smiled warmly, sitting down at the table next to her daughter. "Kagome is quite skilled with a bow; when she's feeling well enough to actually practice it, of course."
"That's what confuses me." The black-haired boy said, eyebrows knitting together. "If she's so sick all the time, how come she was inside a super dusty well? That's just asking to catch a disease!"
"Well, that's…"
Gramps interrupted Ms. Higurashi, his words only making Kagome want to bang her head off the table. They were such terrible liars. The elder slammed his newspaper on the table, raising his voice. "That's because she never listens to us! Kagome is such a good girl, always wanting to help out her dear old grandfather, that she often forgets to look after her own health!" He sniffled, bringing a hand up to wipe away at the faux tears that started to form in his eyes. "I worry so much about her…"
Ren blinked, still not convinced but unwilling to push any more on the subject. "O-Okay… um, anyway, oddly enough," He faced Kagome, giving her an awkward grin, "I don't think we've been properly introduced. Been here almost a year and it's the first time we've actually met, haha! I'm Ren Saito; I live a bit aways from this place. I have to take the station to get to here and school. It's nice to meet you!"
He bowed his head in greeting.
"You're… not Japanese, are you?" The boy paused, sitting back up. Sōta face-palmed.
"Siiiis, you're not supposed to ask things like that!"
"Wait, what?" She was started. "I-I mean, it's an honest question!"
Ren laughed, seeming used to this, and waved them off. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't figure it out. He was so darn familiar. "It's fine, it's fine~ she isn't the first. The truth is I'm only half Japanese. On my mom's side, that is. It's a bit of a long story, but mom had me out of wed-lock. Then she married some weird guy and changed our last name to Saito, and shortly after that my little sister was born. She's in your class, I think; her name is Hinami."
"...Your last name?
For some reason Kagome's brain focused on that one aspect of his story. She was certain if he told her what it was her dilemma would be solved. She just knew it. And yet…
Ren laced his fingers together on the table, smiling politely, even though it was obvious from the way he spoke he didn't care much for his step-father. His earrings and hairstyle actually made him look a bit like a delinquent. "Yup. My real last name is Kururugi. We live at the Kururugi Shrine."
...what she was told was not what she had been expecting. Not at all.
"What?"
Ren's lips tilted upwards in a goofy smile seeing her expression. "Are you always this adorable?"
"Hey now," Gramps warned, narrowing his eyes, "you're here for being a troublemaker at home, so don't you go getting any funny ideas about my granddaughter."
"Funny ideas?" Ren asked, genuinely confused, the most innocent of expressions on his face. "I was just stating the truth. Oh!" Realization dawned on him and he looked at Kagome with wide eyes. "Did I say something weird again? Hinami is always telling me that I say things without really thinking about them and it ends up making people uncomfortable! Did I do that just now? I'm so sorry!"
The middle schooler raised her hands up nervously and forced a smile when she saw him bow his head. "N-No, it's… okay. I appreciate the compliment. I, um, better get back to inspecting that well so…"
"Already?" Ms. Higurashi almost looked upset. "On an empty stomach?"
Her friends were in danger. Although that food sure looked tempting… crap. "Y-Yeah, I'm sorry, Mom. I wasn't planning on coming back so soon, stuff just happened and I really need to get back to inspecting that well. You know, before anything bad occurs to it?"
Ren was staring at her oddly, as if trying to pick up the hints on what she was saying. Everyone was looking at her. Ms. Higurashi placed a hand to her cheek, letting out a small sigh, before smiling encouragingly. "Okay, just be safe, sweetheart. You know we love you."
"Yeah… thanks, Mom. I love you, too!"
And with that Kagome stood, rushing out of the kitchen. Sliding the shrine doors open, she ran to the well and climbed onto the wooden ledge, staring down at the dark abyss. Her eyes narrowed, determination coursing through her. She could come back some other time to figure out what was going on with these strangers, but for now she had to help save her friends. So, with that in mind, Kagome jumped into the well and traveled back to the Feudal Era.
Read and review! :3 Lord Sessho is here! WOO! I promised to deliver him to you guys, haha. Even the Villains are giving Irene crap about him now, poor thing. XD
Also, HMMMM WHO IS THIS REN AND HINAMI!? QUESTION MARK QUESTION MARK?
Hopefully I'm doing the panther demons justice. I love Toran so much. Also- I think in the Japanese Dub the panther demons were actually based on Chinese leopards, which is why they don't actually look like panthers? But for anime English dub continuity sake I'm keeping them as "panthers". Really, sometimes, I'm tempted to make Sessho say "This Sesshomaru" because that's how he does in the sub and manga, but I'm refraining super hard from doing so. Haha. And to those of you who played Secret of the Cursed Mask- you might have an idea as to what's up. Granted I'm not too subtle at stuff so even if you didn't play that game you'll probably figure it out. I dunno. ANYWAY
The fun is just beginning! Woop woop!
