Writhing from the soreness on her back, Kagome struggled to sit up. The throbbing went straight to her head the moment she moved. It felt as if something hit her, but she didn't know what. She didn't have to look twice to find her hands bound out in front of her and her legs tied by a strong rope. Searching her surroundings, she realized she was sitting in a dark room.
Scattered along the rock floor were pieces of gold coins and what appeared like rupees in many colors. A giant chest filled with such treasure sat against the farthest wall near a wooden door. With so much money lying around, she wondered who gathered it all.
"Where am I?" She wondered while attempting to break free of her ropes.
The door creaked opened, alarming the young girl. A dark figure walked in, their footsteps loud with every step. The moment this person stood before her, the door slammed shut. "I see you're awake, my dear," a deep husky said, causing her to scoot back.
"Who are you? And where am I?" Kagome refused to show fear. The man in front of her was tall. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt with a dark buckle around the waist and blue pants. This man had no hair, and he wore a mask that revealed his creepy grin. He looked to be in his late twenties.
Laughing, the man sauntered toward her, his grin broadening when her back hit the wall behind her. "Just a man in search of riches," he explained. Reaching his hand to his face, he removed his mask. "My name is Sakon. I'm a well-known thief around Clock Town, my dear." Smirking at her helplessness, he approached her as he took from his belt a dagger. "And who might you be? I'm sure I've not had the privilege of meeting a lovely maiden."
Narrowing her eyes, Kagome frowned deeper. "A thief? Why did you kidnap me?"
Sakon kneeled before the girl, who stared him dead in the eye. "I was told to," he explained as he reached his hand to remove a lock of her hair out of her face. Softly, he caressed her smooth and flawless skin, causing her to shudder. "You have something… and I want it," he explained before inching toward her intimidatingly.
She turned her head. "Stop it!"
Hearing this, he laughed before cutting the ropes to her legs. After that, he stood up. "You are indeed beautiful, but are you more beautiful than my treasure?" he asked as he held his hands out. "What do you think of my collection? I'm the richest man in all of Termina, you know?"
Almost breathing a sigh of relief, Kagome merely glared at his arrogance. This man claimed that he kidnapped her because someone wanted him to. Not only that, but he wanted something from her. In her mind, she could only guess what that something was. 'There's no way he knows about the jewel of four souls.' Just what were his intentions?
"Yes. I also get paid handsomely for my job," he explained as he bent down near a chest lying a few feet from her before opening the lid to reveal an endless amount of gold and jewelry. "Would you like a fine necklace? Sorry, I don't believe I caught your name?" He held in his hand a fine jeweled necklace with pearls decorating it.
"That's none of your business! Now let me go! You'll never get away with this!"
Canting his head, Sakon merely chuckled at her remark. "Oh? Sorry to disappoint you, honey, but my hideout is well hidden and well protected. No one can penetrate solid rock."
"Where am I?"
Pulling out a chair, he took a seat in front of the girl and stared at her. "My hideout is hidden within Ikana. Currently, you and I are well hidden inside a mountain cave." He explained, watching as her mouth fell open. "You are miles away from the town, my dear sweet Kagome."
'How does he know my name?' She watched as he silently dangled the necklace in his hands. 'I have to get out of here, but how? I'm tied up, and the door is all the way over there.'
"Planning your escape, aren't you? How cute," he chuckled. "Kagome, who travels with a monk, a demon slayer, a fox demon, half demon and a two tailed cat. An interesting group."
After hearing this, she narrowed her eyes. "How do you know?"
"I've been watching from the shadows, my dear. Too bad you don't have your bow and arrows, huh? What will you do now? Do you honestly think anyone will save you?" A sadistic laugh escaped the man. He pushed himself from the chair and towered over her still form.
A scream vociferated from the small fox. To his worst fear, a hand had suddenly grabbed his foot, but not just any hand, a boney hand. "Help! It's got me!" he cried. Shippo's bravery diminished at the frightful sight.
A head emerged from the ground, its red eyes landing upon Shippo, whose leg was yet free from its bony grip. Raising itself from the ground, Shippo, along with the others, got a full look at the creature. This creature stood a few heads taller than Shippo and was nothing but bones. It was a walking, terrifying skeleton.
"Shippo!" Serena called with worry.
As Shippo dangled in the air by the creature's firm grip, he gave a cry. "What is it?!"
"That's a Stalchild!" Serena explained while her companion readied his bow, his arrow targeted. "What are you doing? Attack it!"
The creature referred to as a Stalchild, or a zombie in Shippo's opinion, released the youth, causing him to tumble on the ground. All at once, the Stalchild turned its sight toward its attacker, Link, while pulling out the arrow lodged in its left eye.
"Well, you can take care of that," Serena explained before hiding in his hat. She never did well with strange creatures popping out of the ground on late nights, especially where there was an eclipse involved.
Watching as it held its arms out like a zombie while it slowly sauntered in his direction, Link calmly unsheathed his sword. The moment it was within arm's reach, the creature fell at his blade, unmoving at his feet. 'They are restless. Stalchildren never leave the graveyard and attack wary travelers.'
To say Shippo was surprised was an understatement. Link had calmly cut the Stalchild down as if it were nothing. "You did it! And you weren't scared?" he asked Link, who merely shook his head.
Looking around the desolated area, Link could sense a disturbance in the air. Once again, it appeared as if the spirits were not at rest. Not only that, but he could feel something on the back of his neck, and he held back a shudder. Ikana was not the best place to go at night, and today it was the worst.
Link kneeled on the ground and gently brushed his fingers upon the red earth. 'Strange. Even though we came this far, there are no footprints leading this way.' Somewhat doubtful that Sakon even went this way, Link pondered on whether he took a secret route to his hideout. 'Surely he wouldn't have gone this way, especially with such monsters lurking about. He must have gone another way.'
A hand shot up from underneath him, much to his surprise. The emaciated hand felt around in the air for a second, slowly stretching upward toward Link's face. As it appeared to withdraw, the hand seized the boy's neck, squeezing it. More hands shot up around him, and Shippo screamed.
"They're everywhere!"
With one hand around his neck, another grabbed his leg, scratching at it until it bled. They pulled themselves from the ground and circled Link, laughing.
Panicking, Shippo knew he had to do something. He could use his foxfire, but Link would get caught up in the flames. Obviously he would not use his firebombs, so one idea came to him, one that wouldn't jeopardize Link's life.
Reaching in to his shirt, he pulled out a strange red mushroom with crazy eyes. When he did, he aimed and threw the mushroom in to the air, letting it sail right at the walking skeletons. "Take that!"
The Stalchildren took their eyes away from Link and toward the strange mushroom lying behind him. An odd sound resonated from the item that sounded like either laughter or that of someone crying, maybe both. Suddenly, they multiplied, and before the Stalchildren knew what to think, they were suddenly covered with the strange mushrooms. They multiplied more and more until not one Stalchild was seen standing.
Shippo cheered from a distance. "That'll teach them!"
Emerging from the pile of weeping and laughing mushrooms, Link stood up and yanked the skeletal hand from his neck before throwing it away with disdain. When he stood within a couple feet of Shippo, he arched a brow. 'This little guy is full of surprises.'
While the Stalchildren were preoccupied with Shippo's magic, the two, including Serena, who bunked it out in Link's hat for the night, set their sights on their surroundings. They knew that any minute something would pop out of nowhere, thus hindering their mission.
"Tee hee hee hee!" a strange laughed sounded from behind them. "Up here!" The voice was recognized to be a hooded figure seated above a cliff high above them. This hooded person sat there in strange worn brown garments, holding onto a line.
Not suspecting someone else to be out there, Shippo took a step back. "Is that a ghost?"
"If you're looking for the running man, he went that way!" the cloaked figure explained as he or she pointed behind their form.
"Up there?" Shippo asked with awe. He wondered briefly how the man could have possibly climbed such a steep cliff, while also in possession of Kagome; it wasn't possible.
"Best hurry! Tee hee hee hee!"
Before Shippo knew what to believe, yet he should be used to it by now, the strange person suddenly vanished in the chilly night. "What the?"
The sound of something clinking met his ears, and he turned toward Link beside him. Just as he was about to ask what it was, Link suddenly grabbed Shippo and aimed his hook shot toward the small dead tree above.
A cry of alarm met Link ears, but it soon passed the moment he felt the ground below him. Placing the surprised child on the ground, Link ran up the steep hill, with Shippo following closely behind.
The sudden disturbance awakened Serena. "What the heck is going o—oh, you're done?" Yawning, she settled atop his hat. "Are we almost there?" she asked Link, who merely rolled his eyes.
"Get away from me!" She kicked at the man, who only laughed in response. "I'm serious! Don't touch me!"
Grabbing her by the neck, he used his strength and pushed her against the wall. Sakon's fingers wrapped around her fragile and nearly bruised neck, and he inhaled her scent. "I can give you all the money in the world, Kagome. Just submit peacefully, and I won't have to hurt you," he explained softly while undoing the ribbon in her hair. She smelled heavenly, and he couldn't help but breathe her scent in deeper.
Struggling, Kagome pushed against him, but he wouldn't budge. When that failed, she attempted to kick at him, but with him so near, she found it difficult, especially when his body was pushed up on her so. "No thanks! I don't need your money!" she spat, feeling him pull away.
Arching a brow at her bravery, he once again chuckled. This woman was indeed a rare beauty with spunk too. Sakon preferred the submissive type, and with a girl like Kagome, he had a feeling it would prove quite challenging. Smirking at her every present glare, he stood up and held his hands up in front of him in surrender. "Alright, alright. See? I won't hurt you, so you can relax," he replied.
With his back turned to the girl, he went about sorting through some of his fine jewelry and coins, but he glanced back at her. "Are you certain you wouldn't want a delicate necklace, or even a broach? I have more than enough," he explained. What was the harm, anyway? He was already rich, so he could spare a few.
Kagome glowered at the thief. "No…"
He sighed and shook his head. "Alright then, suit yourself."
Afraid, Kagome silently struggled to free herself from her ropes. What was she going to do? What did he want with her? Could he be after the Sacred Jewel? If so, he could have taken it by now. If he didn't want the jewel… then what? Kagome gulped. 'I have to get away from here…'
The path leading to Sakon's hideout was long and steep. Rolling boulders sailed past them, falling from the high mountains around them. They were easy to dodge, but sometimes they collided with the sides of the mountains, causing them to turn in diagonal directions, in which case proved annoying as they ran and dodged repeatedly.
Along the way, Shippo suddenly smelled something familiar. His nose tuned in to something lurking around him. "Strange. Why do I smell gunpowder?" he asked Link beside him. To be honest, he was surprised to smell many things in this world. Inuyasha was always the one to sniff out anything, but now it seemed like Shippo's sense of smell heightened. "Link, there aren't any explosives around here, are there?" He asked as he and Shippo jumped away from another boulder.
Before Link could reply, five giant round rocks sprung from the ground, some of which startled Shippo, who leaped on Link's shoulder.
"What are those!?"
Even though they stood stationary, it was revealed that they had narrowed eyes that watched them. Their feet were small, but they somehow held their giant bodies up. These odd, living, light brown rocks held their small crossed arms in front of them. They resembled Gorons, but only without the giant lips, long legs and big beady eyes.
"Those are Nejirons," Serena explained. "Don't get too close to them! They smell like gunpowder!" she warned. "They hide underground and they can only be destroyed by a hook shot or a bomb. Arrows are useless against them."
The minute they heard the warning, the Nejirons scrunched themselves in to a ball and rolled in their direction at a fast like pace.
"Has it gone down yet?" Miroku asked Anju, who was replacing a cold cloth on their friend's head. He stood near the bed, watching Inuyasha sleep peacefully, while occasionally moaning in what he assumed was pain.
Nodding, the young innkeeper took a seat near both Sango and Miroku by the bed. Her expression was soft and kind. At first, she thought the situation was serious, but it appeared as if the young man would be just fine. "Yes. He'll be just fine. He just needs to rest."
Hearing the good news, Sango felt pleased. "Thank goodness." For a moment, she thought Inuyasha would be bedridden for a while. At least now they'd be able to proceed first thing in the morning. But something was nagging the slayer, causing her to bite her lip with worry. Her three companions had yet to return, and the night wasn't getting any younger. 'I wonder if they're okay. Why haven't they returned?'
Noticing the uneasiness in the demon slayer's eyes, Miroku couldn't help but lean toward her. "Is something wrong?"
She nodded. "I think I'm going to go out and find the others. I'm getting worried."
Understanding, Miroku suddenly stood. "I'll go with you. It'll be faster if we search separately."
Agreeing, the two both waved their goodbyes to both Anju and Kafei, before setting out in to the dark night among them.
Stepping back from the Nejirons, Shippo and Link found themselves surrounded. The path leading for Ikana was blocked off by the rocks, and both Link and Shippo were staring in to angry eyes.
"You know, instead of just standing around, why don't we just fly over them? Really! How much time do you guys think we have, huh?" Serena was getting fed up with the boys. Kagome was in serious trouble, and here her partner was just standing around.
Shippo suddenly felt embarrassed and offered to transform, but Link stopped him. "What is it?" Turning to his line of vision, Shippo realized that if he were to transform, and with the enemies so close, there would be no doubt that they would detonate. Usually Shippo could escape these kinds of situations, but this was different. There was hardly any room to move; they were surrounded. "What do we do?"
As they stepped closer, Link came up with a solution, but it would be risky on his part. 'There's no other way.' Grasping the young fox kit and his fairy friend, Link threw them both in to the air, much to their surprise. He knew they would only get in the way if he didn't do something about it before it was too late.
"What are you doing!?" Shippo cried from in the air.
Noticing the look in her partner's eyes, Serena understood before turning her sights to Shippo in midair. "Transform! Don't worry, Link has it covered!"
Doing just that, Shippo transformed in to his pink ball, with Serene perched atop him. "But he'll get…"
"Don't worry, he'll be fine, now hurry on ahead. He'll catch up!" Serena ordered.
Doubting her words, Shippo took one last look below him, watching as one of the Nejirons detonated, before floating off over a grassy path leading toward their destination.
"Can't you go any faster?" She complained.
"This is as fast as it gets in this transformation," he explained. Still, he worried about his new companion. Unlike Inuyasha, who would have hit him in such a situation because he was in the way, Link let him and Serena escape. Even though he never showed it sometimes, Link cared. "I hate running away!" For a moment, Shippo admired Link's courage. 'He's not afraid of anything.'
"What's that?" she asked. "It's not running away. Listen, if we stayed back there, all three of us would have been blasted to smithereens." Well, Serena knew she could have flown out of danger, but there was no way she'd let her friends die without her.
"So it's okay for Link to die, and let us go ahead?" Somehow, that did not sound right.
"What?" Shaking her head at the boy, Serena hit him. "Shippo, Link is okay. Stop worrying so much. I've been with the boy for a while and nothing like that is going to hurt him."
A ravine came in to view, and in the distance, on top of a cliff, were old dilapidated buildings overlooking the gorge directly below them. Black birds circled the area, and an eerie wind blew. The two found the sight unsettling and unnerving, especially during the night of an eclipse. To them, the structures looked like remains of a lost civilization.
"I wonder what's over there," the fairy muttered as she looked at the village in the distance before turning her sights below her. "Drop us down there Shippo."
Sinking down in to the open area, Shippo noticed how small he was compared to all the canyons surrounding him. Off to the side, he spotted a flowing river where an abandoned dock sat weathered with age. "I wonder if we're close." He transformed back in to his normal self.
Glancing around, Serena looked around the grassy area. The place was empty, yet it felt as if they weren't alone. Something else was there, something unseen. A whisper met her ears, and she suddenly flew closer to Shippo. "Something is out here!"
Jumping from her remark, Shippo hurriedly glanced each way with renewed fear. "What? Where?" He gulped when he too heard the whisperings, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. "Where's it coming from?"
Gulping, the pink fairy moved to sit on the child's shoulder. "I can't see it, but I sense there's a thirst for blood looming all around us." Serena suddenly felt a dreadful feeling overwhelm her. "I feel sick, do you feel sick too?"
"Sort of," he replied. A scent assaulted his nose, and he abruptly felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. "I smell something strange mixed in the surrounding air. It smells like blood." Shippo gulped. Not only did it reek of blood, but it felt like sadness was rolling off in waves from the canyons. 'It feels like everything around us is sad,' But how could that be? It wasn't possible for a land to be filled with such lament, was it? Shippo only thought humans and animals, even demons, possessed those feelings.
Shaking with trepidation, Serena snuggled closer to the youth, but she could still hear the soft whisperings in the surrounding air. "I can't understand what they're saying." In her position, it sounded like the voices were talking in an unfamiliar language.
A growl from above was heard, causing both Serena and Shippo to fall back. They didn't have to guess what was behind them. The large shadow overhead was enough to send waves of adrenalin through their veins. Shippo didn't hesitate as he took off running, and Serena was not far behind. How many more monsters were going to show up out of nowhere and harass them?
The town was vacant of any souls; it seemed as if the townspeople turned in early for the night, but no one could blame them. After all, with the sudden random eclipse and the turn of the weather, it was no wonder the streets were empty. Today was supposed to be a day of joy.
"Where on earth could they have gone?" Miroku pondered. Usually his friends were never missing like this, unless something happened, but nothing, except for the lack of people, looked out of the ordinary. While continuing his search, Miroku ended up chatting with a few of the guards around the town, asking if they saw their friends, but all he received was the same reply; 'Sorry, but I haven't.'
The shops were all closed for the festival, except for the Bar which was loudly populated by most of the men. Music from inside was heard faintly, but he refused to walk inside. Why? Well, he knew his friends well enough to know they would never go in to such a place.
Anju and Kafei locked up for the night shortly after his and Sango's departure, but they gave Miroku a spare key if they ended up returning sometime later on in the night. If Inuyasha hadn't gotten ill, then he could track their scents.
Scratching his cheek, the monk worriedly glanced around. "Now what? I've searched all over town, but they're nowhere to be seen. They wouldn't have left town, would they?" If they left, what would be the reason? As he stood there in front of the bar, he found himself in deep thought. 'I'm sure the Great Fairy would know. Since she watches over the land, she's bound to know of their whereabouts.'
"Miroku!" A female voice called, causing him to turn around. Sango rushed toward him with concern plastered on her lovely face. She searched relentlessly for hours, but she found no trace of her friends. "Anything?" she asked.
"No. I have a feeling they're not in town. I hope I'm wrong."
Catching her breath, she looked the monk in the eye. "Did you check 'every' shop?"
"Yes," he explained. "I even went to check the Inn again, but nothing."
Sango pondered. "Every house?"
"Yes…"
Noticing the faint silence after his reply, Sango knew he was lying. "Miroku… you checked every building, didn't you?" She scrutinized the man, whose eyes began shifting. "Miroku!" Now was not the time for one of her comrades to be silent, especially in a situation like this.
He placed his hand up in defense with a troubled laugh. "Well, I didn't check one shop."
"Which one?"
"That one," he pointed toward the giant shop across from the Stock Pot Inn, which resembled a treasure chest. The only reason he avoided the shop was because of the woman inside, the one who spread the rumor about him and Inuyasha. He knew if he even attempted to knock on the door, he would no doubt get attacked.
With a huff, Sango ran for the shop with Miroku hesitantly following. The moment she stood before the building, she rapped harshly on the door. "Open up! Please, it's an emergency!"
After a few seconds, the sound of a switch inside was heard before the door opened. A young woman with short blue hair stood in the doorway, with confusion on her powdered face. "Yes? Sorry, but we're closed for the night." She eyed Sango up and down until her eyes landed on the person behind her. Her eyes suddenly brightened. "Oh, but you can come inside whenever you want, Miroku!"
Sango recognized the girl before her immediately. This woman was the one who was all over Miroku. She immediately felt her eye twitch, but she decided against using any kind of violence. There were more important things to worry about. Blocking Miroku from view, Sango began explaining the situation to the young girl, who listened intently. "Are you certain you haven't seen them?"
"Sorry, but I haven't. The moment that strange eclipse appeared, I hightailed it back to the shop," The young girl's expression fell. "I wonder what's happening. We have these strange earthquakes and storms, and now this!" She turned her eyes away until a thought hit her. "Wait, you said there was a female friend of yours missing too?"
"Yes," Miroku explained, watching as her face saddened.
"You should all know that it is not safe for young women to be walking around at night. There have been reports of kidnaps and rapes recently," she explained. "Just to give you all a heads up, there have been four reports of missing women, and…"
Immediately worried, both Sango and Miroku had a feeling they would not like the rest of her sentence. While it wasn't the first time their friends got themselves in to trouble, they didn't expect it not to happen here. No one was after the sacred jewel here, so what was the reason?
"They never show up again. I'm sure she and the others are okay, just as long as they didn't wander too far from…" she paused when she realized both the monk and slayer were gone. Blinking, she gave an annoyed grumble and slammed her door shut.
Shippo, who was running ahead of Serena, cried out. "What is it?" He was too terrified to look behind him. Just standing in that canyon was enough to scare anyone, especially with the strange whispers and the thirst for blood that Serena had been kind enough to point out.
"It's huge! It's as big as any human that I've ever seen!" she cried from behind. The moment she saw those long fangs and piercing red eyes, she knew what genuine fear was. "It's got large fangs and red eyes!"
Realizing they were running in complete circles in the gorge, Shippo dashed down the path where he abandoned Link, but he only collided with something bigger than him, thus causing the child to fall back on his butt.
There Link sat on the ground, covered with dirt and blood. He took care of the creatures, but he couldn't help but get wounded. Of course, he expected to have Shippo and Serena waiting patiently or occupying their time, but he didn't imagine Shippo to run right in to him. 'Now what's happening?'
Looking up at the boy clad in green, Shippo nearly fainted from surprise. "You're alive!" His eyes landed on the minor cuts on his face and the blood stains seeping from his side, though he showed no sign of pain, rather his blue eyes were staring with much bewilderment at him.
Overlooking the strange remark, Link stood up and before he could take one step, Serena suddenly collided in to his face, surprising him. Link flicked her away, somewhat bemused by their strange behavior. What was wrong with his companions? Had they gone insane?
"Ow, that hurt!" Serena muttered. Upon noticing Link, circled him with great trepidation. "Link, we're under attack!" Before she could explain fast enough, the sound of something touching ground caught their attention. The fairy hid behind her partner and eyed the terrifying creature.
Just a few feet from where they stood was what appeared to be a giant saber tooth with white and red fur, twin tails, and red eyes. This cat-like creature watched the three, canting its head as if puzzled.
Realizing they were not under attack, Shippo ran right up to the cat. "Kirara, it's you! You scared us!"
"Shippo?" Serena called hesitantly. "Did you say, Kirara? The kitten, Kirara?" Hearing the boy say that this creature was one of their companions only furthered her confusion.
He nodded. "Yup! She's a demon like me. She can transform in to her big self when there's danger, but she's mostly in her kitten form." Noticing the fairy peering from behind Link's shoulder, Shippo smiled. "She's harmless." Turning his emerald eyes back to his dear friend, Shippo suddenly noticed the red stains on her white fur. "Kirara, what happened? There's blood all over your fur!" He pointed out. Kirara didn't appear hurt, but if it wasn't her blood, then whose?
In response to his question, Kirara growled and turned her head toward the river behind her. She turned from the group and led Shippo over to the body of running water that led to an archway leading deep in to the canyon.
"What's wrong with the river, Kirara?" Shippo asked as he stepped along the deck and peered in to the water. When he did, he gave a start. "Blood?" The river was nothing but blood, and it appeared as if something was lurking at the bottom. "Something is down there." As he peered closer, an emaciated hand shot out only a few inches from his face and suddenly swiped at him. Shippo fell back with a gasp before turning to find both Link and Serena leaving him and Kirara behind.
The reason Kirara was soaked with blood was because of a careless act on her part. She'd been following the running man, who ended up noticing her presence. When she flew closer, he took something from his pocket and threw some strange dirt in her eyes, temporarily blinding her as he made off to escape.
Because she couldn't see, she fell in the river, where hands suddenly shot out and grabbed her. For a while, she'd been trying to escape the river. After a few seconds, she regained her eyesight and broke free from the river. Kirara resumed her search for the kidnapper and Kagome, but she couldn't pinpoint their whereabouts; it was like they disappeared.
A small dark tunnel formed by rocks led the four toward a winding path around the canyon surrounding them. Along the way, they walked along a narrow route where the ground below them proved to shift because of the erosion on the earth. Pebbles fell off the side of the trail as they walked along. The red river flowed down a giant opening to their left, where a waterfall fell almost endlessly.
Looking down the cliff they were traveling across, Shippo took notice of the fast river leading to who knew where. "Why is this place so creepy?"
Link couldn't argue with that. There were a few times in the past where he traveled to Ikana; the land was haunted. Of course, he lifted the curse on the dreadful kingdom by destroying the evil that lived there. Now the land was infested with multitudes of beasts. The spirits haunting the region were not at rest, and he couldn't help but listen in to the soft whisperings around him. Of course, hearing the strange voices was a first for him. His attention shifted to the bloody river. This canyon's river flowed all the way to the Southern Swamp near Woodfall. If that were the case, then the inhabitants of the area were probably in turmoil.
Finally, what seemed like forever in Shippo's case, the winding path they followed led to a small dead end. On the side they occupied was half grass and half rock, on the other side, there was a giant gap leading down in to the river below. Two giant overlapping slabs of stones lay ahead of them; they just seemed out of place.
Coming to a halt, the four stared at giant boulder blocking what appeared like an entrance way in to part of the canyon. A sign was sticking out of the dirt beside it.
"Is this it? There's nothing here," Serena complained. "All I see are dumb rocks!"
Holding his hand up to silence her, Link lazily pointed to the sign, in which Shippo ran over to inspect.
"It says Sakon's hideout," Shippo muttered. A thought came to him. "Is that the name of the guy who took Kagome?"
Link nodded and signaled for them all to follow him behind the two slabs of rocks, in which they followed. The rocks effectively hid them from view.
Outraged, Serena once again complained. "Who the heck leaves a sign outside their own hideout, saying this is their lair? It makes no sense!" She loudly exclaimed, her words earning a nod from the others. Of course, it made little sense. Any villain would be stupid to have such a sign sitting outside for anyone to see. It's pretty much asking for someone to break in. Was it intentional, or was the guy a complete idiot?
Changing the topic, she continued on. "How do we get in?" Serena asked. She was almost expecting to see a sign that explained how to get in, but there weren't any. "Looks like an ordinary bomb won't work, and I doubt either of you can lift it." She stared at her companion for a moment, watching as he held his back to the stone while closely monitoring the entrance. "I think we're going to need reinforcements for this one. Kirara!" she called, gaining the two tails attention. "Do you remember how to get back to the town?" Upon seeing her nod, she continued. "Okay, go back and bring the others, okay?"
Nodding, Kirara suddenly took off in to the air and soon she was out of sight, leaving the three to wait.
"What now? How do we get in? Don't forget Inuyasha is sick, and not even Miroku and Sango can open something like that!" Shippo explained, growing even more impatient. Not only that, but he wondered how the thief got inside his hideout. In order to do that, he'd have to be very strong.
Serena nodded. The real reason she sent Kirara back to the village to get the others was because they may end up needing help if something goes wrong. "Shippo, since you can transform, our problem might be solved. In fact, we may have a way of getting in."
"Huh? What? You want me to transform? In to what?"
"A woman," she calmly explained, earning a look from both boys. "What? Apparently Sakon has a thing for girls. So if Shippo transforms, maybe he can get Sakon to open his door. When he does, we will invade and take Kagome back!" The idea sounded fool proof to her.
Shippo eyed the fluttering fairy in front of him warily. "You want me to transform in to a woman?" The child incredulously asked. "Do you really think he'll fall for it?"
"Of course, if you're convincing enough!" she explained. She suddenly began tittering away, though the guys didn't know why. To be honest, she was hoping to see just what Shippo was capable of in his transformations. Now she was going to put him to the test. "Okay, transform!"
Sighing, he did just that. A blast of pink smoke filled the air around them and a tiny figure stood in the place Shippo was previously. Auburn hair was held up in a neat bun. Flowery pink petals decorated his jade traditional kimono. A faint blush gathered over his face, and a bright red rouse adorned his small lips. A touch of teal eye shadow was evenly applied, which brought out his emerald eyes wonderfully.
But, of course, this transformation was not what Serena was hoping for. "No, no! What's with the getup?" Her eyes scanned his foreign outfit. "First, the hair should be down, not up. Second, you look better without the makeup," She explained while Shippo stood there not knowing what to think. "Well?" Serena was growing impatient.
"I'm not a girl. I know little about them," he explained, receiving a sympathetic look from Link who was casually leaning cross armed against the rock.
Serena sighed before yanking at the bun he wore, letting it fall down in long waves. "Okay, the hair color is okay, I guess, but red heads are kind of boring, Shippo. Why not try chestnut hair, okay?"
Sighing, he transformed again, only this time his hair was light brown and fell in luscious, soft curls about his shoulders. There was no makeup on his face, and he decided upon wearing something similar to Anju's dress. "This better?"
Eyeing him up, Serena beamed upon the hair and the lack of makeup. "Very nice, I'm not really feeling the hair color… it's not quite right yet," she muttered as she circled the boy. "You need to be curvier." Secretly, she was enjoying this.
"Curvier?" he asked. Why did she want him to be curvy?
She nodded. "Yes, and you need bigger breasts!" she clarified, in which Shippo scratched his head in bewilderment. "Small breasts aren't attractive, trust me, I know!" The fairy explained as if she too had gone through the same predicament in her life. "I know what boys like."
Shaking his head at the fairy, Shippo readied himself to transform again. In all honesty, what did it matter how a girl dressed or appeared? Did men really have such views on women? Heck, he'd seen his share of women in his life, and it didn't really matter how big their… chest was or what color their hair seemed. Girls were pretty in his eyes.
"Bigger? Okay, I'll try." Another blast filled the area and this time, a small shriek resonated through the area, causing Link to jump in alarm.
"Not too big! Shippo, no!" Serena's voice shouted, hinted with surprise and fear. "They have to be smaller! I've never seen them that big before," she muttered the last to herself.
Even Link, who had been calmly leaning against the rocks, found himself on the ground with a deep scarlet covering his face. His mouth was parted slightly, and he stared at the newly transformed Shippo. Catching himself staring, Link turned his head rather quickly and attempted to recollect himself.
One after another, Serena did not find what she was looking for. Shippo had the right idea, but he just seemed naïve to what older men were looking for. She turned back to Link, noticing his stare was elsewhere. "You could help!" she exasperated.
Link looked back and nearly rolled his eyes. He didn't have all day. Besides, Shippo seemed good enough.
"What color should his hair be? Brown is kind of dull, and redheads are definitely a bore…"
Shippo scowled at the last remark. "It's fine! Now let's save Kagome!"
"Blonde…" Link muttered suddenly, and Serena had to lean in closer. "Blonde is fine."
Serena eyed the small woman in front of her. Although Shippo's mind was far too innocent, he had a good idea of what a girl's figure should be like. "Blonde…" she muttered to herself. That was a rare color, and she'd only known one of the Great Fairies to have such hair color. "Well, try blonde hair."
Shippo stumbled over the word. "What's blonde?"
Serena flew over to Link and tugged on his hair. "This is blonde." After a few more transformations to achieve the right color, Shippo had successfully transformed into the perfect woman. "That's what I'm talking about!"
A young petite woman stood amongst them with long golden hair that curled ever so slightly near the ends of her lower back. An added accessory was added to her wardrobe, a giant green bow. Her tiny waist complimented her ample breasts, which were faintly bigger than either Sango's or Kagome's. Patterned green leaves decorated the tight fitting brown lace dress. Last, there was light brown eyeshadow applied to his eyelids.
"Not bad, not bad at all, but," Serena faltered, irritating the fox child greatly.
Shippo fisted his hands and pursed his lips, only making him look even cuter. "Now what's wrong?"
Retraining herself from hugging the guy, Serene fluttered around him. "First off, lose the tail. Sorry, but it's just not natural. Second, your voice needs to be more girly."
Blinking from her words, Shippo tuned to look over his shoulder. Swishing from side to side, he immediately located his tail. Like his previous transformations, Shippo was never good at concealing it. "Sorry," He apologized before closing his eyes in deep concentration. "Transform!"
After yet another blast of smoke filled the clearing, the new Shippo stood impatiently before the two, only this time he was without a tail. "How is this?" he asked in his best female voice. Slowly, he turned in small circles. "Do I look and sound like a girl to you now?"
Overjoyed, Serena circled the child, laughing. "Yes! You look beautiful!" Words could not describe just how amazing the young kit appeared as a woman. In her mind, she knew he could rival even the Great Fairy, but only if he was the very enigma standing before her. Sadly, Shippo had been cursed to be the very opposite of said woman. "I just can't get over how you look! Why, you put all the women on this planet to shame." Serena turned her bright eyes to her partner. "Link! Doesn't he look… Link?" she muttered with an arched brow.
Link had moved away from the rocks in order to access the boy… or that is a woman before him more clearly. As his eyes trailed the youth's body slowly, he couldn't help but blush at the sight. It seemed wrong to be staring at Shippo, but he made a beautiful girl, but it hardly compared to Kagome. Besides, Shippo wasn't even a woman, so it didn't count as genuine beauty there. When he noticed his companions watching him, he averted his eyes, his face darkening. Shippo did his transformations too well, in his opinion. The strange imaginings conjured up in his mind were enough to further his blush.
Seeing her flustering partner, she tittered away. Not everybody knew, but Link wasn't as innocent as he seemed. Actually, Link was pretty good at hiding his feelings, but now was not one of those times. At that very moment, she knew what was running through his mind. But he couldn't help it. All boys were like that.
Shippo felt his pride sink as he stood awkwardly before his newest companions. Sure, he transformed in to Kagome a couple times, but he never thought he would have to make himself look like too much of a girl. For the first time in his life, Shippo was deeply embarrassed, especially with the fairy and Link looking him over. Growing more irritable and impatient, he whined. "Are we going to get this over with?"
Of course, she nodded. "Yes! Shippo, go stand over there and scream the best girl scream you've got!" she explained, motioning him to a spot a few feet away. "When he opens his boulder… uh… whatever, you tell him you got lost and you were attacked by a ghost. When he leads you inside, we'll follow from behind! Just try not to transform until we're inside, got it?"
Shippo nodded and stood a good five feet from the giant boulder. He hoped it was not too late for Kagome. He took a large inhale of breath and thought of the perfect scream he would use to capture Sakon's attention. 'I hope this works.'
Sakon absentmindedly stared at the enchanting woman. Although she seemed frightened and upset about her predicament, he couldn't help but smirk. There was nothing she could do to get away, and besides, he found her quite interesting. What was the harm in keeping such a cute mouse around?
Upon hearing his dark chuckle, Kagome scooted back against the wall. She didn't trust him. Ever since she woke up, his eyes had been glued to her, watching her. "You won't get away with this!"
He laughed. "But my dear, I already have. See?" He explained. "Why so frightened? I won't bite."
Kagome glared. "What are you scheming? What are you after?"
"Indeed… what am I after?" He questioned, and upon her surprise, he frowned. "I have enough riches to satisfy me for a lifetime, but that just doesn't seem to be enough. Foreign girls wage a hefty price. I could sell you…"
Kagome stiffened. 'Sell?'
He mused longer and stroked his chin. "How about this? Kagome. I have a proposition for you. Become my wife, and you can have anything your heart desires. What do you say?"
"How about… no?"
He smirked. "You're a feisty one, aren't you? No matter… If I say you'll be my wife, you'll be my wife. I've already decided. I like you."
Oh, please. Not another Kouga… Then again, I'd rather be stuck with Kouga than this creep!
"I'm sure you'll find my presence to your satisfaction in due time. So, for now, why don't you make yourself at home? There's no use waiting for someone to save you. This place is well hidden, far away from town."
"What are you really after? Why don't you tell me that? You're up to something!" She said, finding confidence in her voice.
Sakon chuckled. "My wife is so curious…"
"I'm not your wife!"
He laughed once more. "Not yet, you aren't… You look nice in that dress. It's beautiful on you, Kagome."
The way this creep stared at her made her sick. There was no way she'd marry him or even let him come anywhere close to touching her! What was this guy's problem? Did he really kidnap her just for that? Or would he sell her? Kagome wasn't sure if she should pretend to cooperate with him or what. Would her friends even know where to find her? 'I'm sure Kirara can track me…'
Sakon unexpectedly stood up from his chair and sauntered toward her, and before she knew what he was doing, he suddenly pressed her onto her back and pulled her hands above her head. From there, he leaned into her and breathed in her scent. "You smell nice…"
Kagome shrieked. "No! Don't touch me!"
Before his hand could slide down toward her breast, a loud feminine scream bellowed from outside. It surprised him and Kagome, and he glanced toward the door. Someone was outside. A female. He scoffed at the interruption. Retrieving a vial from his pocket, he uncorked the lid and forced the contents down Kagome's throat. Despite her struggling, she eventually stilled and fell into unconsciousness. "There… sleep for now. We'll play some more when you wake up," He said before moving away from her.
Sakon unlocked the door leading to the exit and stared out a peephole to see who the person was. To his surprise and confusion, it was a young woman. A pretty woman. All alone and frightened. She was crying. Smirking to himself, he opened the door and stepped out into the chilly air. How did this woman find his hideout? "Excuse me, miss… Why are you out so late?"
Shippo slowly stood up and acted the part of a damsel in distress, no matter how ridiculous it was. "I lost my way, sir… I was supposed to meet someone, and a ghost attacked me. I'm… so scared."
Taking a closer inspection of the woman standing before him, Sakon nearly fell over in astonishment. The woman standing before him had to be the most dazzling and radiant he'd ever seen in his entire life. Her breasts were the right size, large, but he liked them the same. Even her face was beautiful, and her figure petite. What caught his eye more was her hair; the golden locks were shimmering in the moonlight, and he was tempted to reach out and touch it.
Realizing that he'd been ogling at her for a long minute, he cleared his throat. "My apologies, miss. Why don't you come inside and get warm," he offered, causing her to fidget. "You'll be safer inside than out here, I assure you," he explained. She's not as pretty as Kagome, but she'll fetch an outrageous price.
Hesitantly, Shippo sauntered toward the man. With his heart pounding loudly in his chest, Shippo nodded. "T-thank you, kind sir," he murmured softly as the door behind him began lowering upon his entrance.
Removing himself from their hiding place, Link darted inside before the door fell behind them. From there, he noticed a door at the far side of the room, presumably the only door Sakon and Shippo disappeared in. Link knew Kagome was on the other side waiting for rescue.
"That didn't turn out bad. Now let's go kick some butt!"
The sight that greeted Shippo startled him. He found Kagome. Unconscious on the floor, the beginning four buttons of her dress undone, surrounded by a mess of coins and jewelry. Thankfully, she was still clothed, but why wasn't she moving?
"Don't mind her. My wife is exceptionally tired this evening."
Wife? Wife?! Shippo grew angry. "What did you do to her?"
Sakon blinked. "Pardon? I… guess she had too much to drink," He said, laughing. "Look, I'm not a bad man. Sometimes I get carried away…" He said and withdrew a vial from his pocket filled with an unknown substance. "But if you're so interested in finding out, then I don't mind showing you."
Unexpectedly, a bright pink light blurred his vision, and he moved away, swatting the offending creature away. "What the hell?!" Before he could understand fully what had happened, someone tackled him from behind, and his chin collided with the hard stone floor.
"You dirty, lecherous, distrusting thief! What did you do to Kagome!?" Serena screeched.
Link didn't hesitate as he grasped the thief's neck roughly, forcing him to turn, and the second he saw his smirk, he punched him. Not just once or twice, but several times, with Serena cheering for him. Just seeing this man again was enough to make his blood boil.
Shippo scurried to Kagome's side and called out her name, but there was no response. He shook her shoulders, but nothing. "Kagome! Kagome?! Can you hear me? Wake up!"
Kicking the boy off him, Sakon moved to stand, wiping the blood from his mouth and nose. His irritation only heightened when he recognized the boy standing feet apart in front of him. "You'll pay dearly for that!" Spitting, he grabbed Link by his tunic and pushed him against the opposite wall, intent on teaching him a lesson.
Knowing her partner could handle himself, Serena fluttered over to Shippo and Kagome, watching as the young kit attempted to help the female to her feet. "Is she okay?" When she saw the tears in the kit's eyes, she frowned. "Don't worry. I think she was knocked out, that's all. Link!"
Just as he was about to unsheathe his sword and kill Sakon, his gaze shifted toward Serena and Shippo, and when he noticed Kagome lying in front of them, he barely noticed Sakon run out of the cavern in a mad dash. "Damn it!" Link cursed. But it wasn't like he wouldn't see the last of him again. "Is she okay?" He asked, running to her side and kneeling beside her.
"I think so. Looks like he might have drugged her," Serena said, pointing to a spot of liquid slipping past Kagome's mouth. "Either way, it's not safe here."
"Is she going to be okay?" Shippo asked, tears streaking his face.
Link nodded. "She still has a pulse," He said, slipping his hand under her knees and adjusting her weight so she laid perfectly in his arms. After exiting the cave, he realized the thief had vanished into the night. There was no sign of Kirara still, and probably wouldn't be for a while. After crossing through the winding canyon and down the hill into the gorge, he settled themselves under a lone tree, Kagome Kagome leaning against him.
Shippo collapsed and transformed back into his fox form beside Link. "I'm so tired!
"I swear… if he touched her…" Serena said, her pink light turning red.
"I hope Inuyasha and the others hurry…" Shippo said.
Author Note: 2021
Okay, everyone. I finally fixed this chapter! For those of you who are new and just now reading this story, please ignore anything to do with Kagome believing she's been raped by Sakon. I'm slowly making edits to the story, especially to Inuyasha's "ancient sword", which I've also removed since it's now just an enhancement spell.