The day brought on some interesting surprises. First off, the sun had yet to rise, and it seemed very peculiar. Burgundy red still filled the sky, just as last night, with the stars hanging just above. Of course, this night wouldn't be complete without the massive red moon, and if anyone had noticed, which they had, the alignment of the two moons was fine, but there was a difference in the phase. Although the evening had yet to end, the foreigners could not help look up warily. During the night, the smaller moon must have altered its appearance. During their sleep, it had flipped, thus resembling a frown. Why was this so startling? It had something to do with Inuyasha.
"This is weird," Shippo commented. He sat on Miroku's shoulder, staring at the half demon with bewilderment.
Sango nodded. "I'll say. I wonder why this happened," she replied.
For the first time in Link's life, he'd never seen such magic, yet he knew he should have been used to it by now. Why, it happened instantly and right before his eyes. One minute he stood before the half demon, listening to him lecture his companions to hurry, and the next there was silence.
What stood before him was Inuyasha, only he seemed slightly changed. Strange enough, Inuyasha resembled more of a human. Long ebony tresses fell to his lower back and his furry white ears, which were usually atop his head, were now on either side of his face, resembling that of the others. Not only that, but his eyes were no longer the color of gold; they were brown like both Kagome's and Sango's. The last change was between his fangs and his claws, and for just a moment, Link found the sight quite intriguing and less threatening. But it wasn't like Inuyasha was the least bit intimidating to him.
Stupefied, Link's stare did not falter, and yet how could it? This was questionable and worth asking a few questions. All the while, he ignored the glare sent his way by the said cause of his distraction. "He is different," he commented. Now Link wasn't the type to just point and gape, no, he handled this situation maturely, much to everyone's astonishment.
Kagome tore her eyes away from the man and leaned closer to Link. Although she was startled to hear his comment, she was also amazed that he was taking the whole situation well. "Since Inuyasha is a half demon, he loses his powers on certain nights and becomes human," she explained. It was only a matter of time before this happened.
Link nodded. "So, why now? You all seem stunned. Is this not the time he changes?" His eyes fell on each individual, and he knew by their stunned expressions he was right.
"Very perceptive," The monk commented. Miroku had to give the boy credit for his sharp intellect. He looked at his rather annoyed friend before regarding Link, who stood quietly next to him. "Inuyasha's change comes on the night of the new moon, however…"
Link knew enough to know where this was going. "There is no new moon, but perhaps it's different in this world." That seemed like a reasonable explanation. Or maybe someone was responsible. The words spoken by the Great Fairy bothered him. She said in her brief explanation that all magic would cease to exist because it was slowly being consumed by the evil; was this also connected to Inuyasha losing his demon powers? Would one call demon power magic?
"I guess that could be it," Kagome pondered. She didn't seem the least bit bothered by the transformation, but it was baffling to her.
"Well, now you know! So stop with the staring!" Inuyasha growled before crossing his arms. "It won't last long." Nothing made sense in this world, and he wanted nothing better than to just move on so they could get back to their own world and finally destroy Naraku.
Having observed the situation quietly, Serena fluttered over toward the human Inuyasha. The change baffled her, and she had to see for herself if it wasn't just her eyes playing tricks on her. Circling the human, she scrutinized his appearance closely, hoping to pinpoint the use of this strange magic. She was well aware of Shippo's transformations, but was Inuyasha also capable of such feat?
When she reached his right ear, she pulled on the flesh with little strength, before dodging the man's hand that swiped at her. "It's true? What about the rest of you? Is there anything else you're hiding?" The fairy gave the individual another once over before returning to her faithful companion.
In response to her question, Kagome shook her head. "No. Since Inuyasha is half demon, it only applies to him," she explained. "Don't worry. When morning comes, he will be back to normal," she reassured.
"But how long until morning?" Sango asked, earning everyone's ears.
"I've been meaning to question that as well, Sango," Miroku stepped in. For some unknown reason, the night was lengthened, and it was unknown to him and the others why that may be the cause. The monk's eyes glanced up at the crescent moon. 'Perhaps Inuyasha's change into a human will only result in this moon phase, rather than a new moon.' Sighing, he glanced at his comrades. "We will have to wait and see where this takes us."
Aggravated by the long pause afterward, Inuyasha marched himself past the fisherman's hut. "Why are we still standing here? Let's go!" If it was one thing, it was his teammates always slowing him down. Really, this could wait until later.
As everyone ambled after Inuyasha, Kagome fell behind, lost in thought. By this point, she was haunted by the dream she had earlier that night. The feeling of sadness filled her heart as she recalled the voices of her family that had lingered in her sleep; it felt as if they were calling out for her, yet she could not reach nor see them.
"Kagome?" A feminine voice called to her, easily bringing her out of her musings. For a while now, Sango had been worried about her female companion, whom she considered a sister. After her kidnap, the two had hardly conversed with each other, and she wanted everything to return to normal, but she knew it was not as simple as she would like it. She wondered if Kagome was truly okay. "Is something wrong?"
Kagome smiled. "No, not at all," she replied. Everyone else was standing directly in front of her, staring. She hadn't meant to slow them down. "I was just thinking." Kagome wondered briefly why they were not moving, but to answer that, she found the reason; they were already on the other side of the coast. When had that happened? Well, whatever the case, they were there.
Still unconvinced, Sango nodded. She would let it slide until later. 'Kagome is bothered about something. Could it be what happened before?' That had to be it. What else could it have been? There was no telling what her friend must have experienced, but it must have been dreadful. If they ever found the man that caused her so much grief, she would deal with him personally. No one messes with her friends and gets away with it unscathed. No one.
Lightening lit the sky overhead, and not a moment after rain fell, effectively drenching the travelers, who looked up with dismay, especially a certain priestess. To make matter worse, it was a cold dreary rain, with a mighty wind to go along with it.
In a weak attempt to cover her head with her arms, Kagome gave a sound of protest. Sometimes she hated when there'd be a torrential downpour.
"That sure was quick," Sango commented. The rain didn't concern her much; in fact, she was used to it, what with her being a demon slayer. All her life, she'd gone through rigorous training back home with her father. This was nothing. "We'd best hurry."
Nodding, Kirara leaped from her shoulder and transformed. Before either Kagome or Sango could manage one step in the feline's direction, multiple balls of light sailed in their direction. The sudden attack came out of nowhere, and they leaped away in fear of getting hit.
"Ah!" Kagome fell to the ground as one flew past her. The sight had scared her to death, and she had not seen it coming. As she picked herself off the ground, she looked around for the source. "What was that?" she asked, but everyone else seemed equally confused as they regained their footing.
Sango looked off toward the ocean. There was something there, but from where she stood, she had to squint in order to see. After a brief pause, she found who or what was responsible. "There!"
Looking past her outstretched hand, Inuyasha and the gang readied their weapons. Through the darkness of the night and the storm, it was still somewhat difficult to tell what it was they were up against, but from what they could perceive, there was just enough light from the moon above to aid them through the night. Something was out there. From their place near the shore, they spotted silhouettes in the dark water ahead. Their faces were concealed by the night, and the rest of their body was submerged, yet there was a faint silver glow emanating from these beings. Whatever they were that could swim through acidic acid, it was beyond them.
Orbs of light formed above the surface of the water, once again lighting up the evening. They resembled fireflies from so far a distance. All at once, several of these lighted orbs soared in their direction and within seconds, everyone dodged the attack, but it proved challenging. One sailed past Miroku's head, the other past poor little Shippo who was currently running out of harm's way every second. Another went flying inches from Inuyasha, and poor Kagome was on the ground again. But despite that, they picked themselves up from the ground again. Just as they had eliminated their old attackers back in the Feudal Era, these creatures would be no different.
Serena, though frightened by the surrounding chaos, tapped her partner on the head, while hiding most of her body inside his hat. "That was fire! Be careful everyone!" In her opinion, she suspected those silhouettes shooting the fire balls at them. They were probably the ones responsible for such heinous acts here in Great Bay.
'One hit from those and we're done for,' Inuyasha thought warily. Inwardly, he cursed his abrupt transformation. At that moment, he felt completely useless, and he hated his friends had to do all the work. Just what was he supposed to do, stand there and look pretty? No. A thought hit him, and he glanced down at his sheathed sword tied to his waist.
Tired of dodging, Sango sprinted forward, her battle expression in place. "Kirara!" She yelled, and it was enough for her feline friend to know it was time for some action. The minute the two tailed transformed, she jumped into Sango's path, and after seating herself on her back, they ascended into the air.
No sooner had they taken flight, Sango peered down, keeping firm hold of her boomerang strapped to her back. From her vantage point, she could see much better, and the sight below was appalling and grotesque. 'What are those?' Not wasting another second, she threw her boomerang to the closest target. But to her despair, the disgusting vermin swam out of harm's way.
While Sango was busy attacking from above, the group put their skills into action. Almost immediately, Kagome readied an arrow and aimed for the waters, all the while concentrating on her sacred powers and infusing them into her arrow. Link, who was next to her, did the same; only he did not use magic.
One after another, arrows flew in one direction, and balls of fire in the other. Now, mind you, this was not like any battle the group had faced on their adventure. No, it didn't compare with Naraku, nor was it like that of the millions and millions of demons from hell they battled a while back. This was something entirely on its own, almost supernatural. But like any battle, it was against the good and the bad.
"What are those!" Shippo asked in a high-pitched voice while cowering at the priestess's feet. Though he could not see the enemy, he was still frightened.
"I don't know," Kagome replied. Wary of another attack, Kagome hurriedly drew another arrow and aimed. Because they were too far from the enemy, she knew her arrows were likely to miss their intended path, but she had to try. If only she'd gone with Sango.
Bound and determined to put his sword to the test, Inuyasha unsheathed it. Withdrawing it from his scabbard, he watched as the letters which were inscribed in the blade suddenly brightened, and to his fascination, the sword pulsed. Before, he'd been doubtful that with his transformed state that it wouldn't work, but apparently he was mistaken. For the first time since he was granted this new sword, he was actually going to get the chance to use it.
Lowering his bow, Link glanced over his shoulder, having witnessed something from the corner of his eye flash. Looking back curiously, his eyes widened. The sight that met him was quite interesting.
Also distracted, Kagome turned her body halfway to see what was happening behind her, but she stopped halfway. From what she saw, her companion was cloaked in a bluish light which emanated from his sword. Although the sight was quite captivating, Kagome shielded her eyes from the intensity. 'What's happening?'
"Damn. What is this?" Inuyasha asked himself. The blade felt lighter, and his strength seemed to heighten. Inuyasha couldn't help but grin at the sight. For the first time, he knew he would get to use the mysterious power his sword possessed. An unseen force seemed to take control of his arms, and he raised the blade above his head. And as he did this, the sword pulsed again, stronger this time, and he felt the warmth radiating off the hilt, tingling his fingers. Inuyasha closed his eyes in deep concentration. 'Don't let me down.'
The surrounding area shook; everyone in the vicinity fell back from the brute force. Yet they kept their gaze locked on Inuyasha, their eyes widening at the very scene. Even Sango held back off her attack and glanced at the shore where her companions were. A blue light greeted her vision, and she could not help but stare at the beautiful sight. The entire scene was unexpected, and she forgot she was in a battle.
"Look at that!" Shippo pointed. His mouth flew open in sheer surprise.
The light which came from the blade wrapped around the user's arm, and the air around Inuyasha slowed. Before the group knew what to expect, Inuyasha brought his arm down and when he did, a blast of white light hurdled across the ocean in a straight line. The waters seemed to separate from the power exerted by the sword. Upon impact, the light exploded a distance away on the intended path.
Having been so enthralled by the scene, Kagome regained her senses. "He did it!" she cheered.
Surprised by the show of power, Link stood and readied his arrows before staring ahead where the attack had gone. The sword, granted to Inuyasha, was powerful. Looking off into the distance, Link saw no movement in the water, nor any signs of the foe. It was quiet, almost too quiet. Had the attack been so strong that it wiped out the enemy completely? Whatever the case might be, he kept his eyes focused and his ears open.
The light faded from the half demon, and Inuyasha stared at the blade with wide eyes. "Such power." This sword was so powerful that it might actually rival his father's fang. On their next trip back to Clock Town, he would be sure to thank the Great Fairy. 'I didn't think I'd be able to use it in this state.' So, what else could it do?
Stepping up to the half demon, Miroku patted his shoulder. "Well done, Inuyasha." To him, it looked like all was well again, but the storm continued and the waves picked up. The power which lived in the blade was so incredible that the monk had to take another look to be sure he wasn't seeing anything. Though it appeared like a lovely piece of craftsmanship, it was actually quite ancient, but its luster would easily fool the eye.
Elated, Kagome ran up to her friend, her arrows forgotten at her side. "Are you all right?" she asked. In her opinion, the attack was breathtakingly beautiful, and just the sight of seeing Inuyasha's form enwrapped in the blue light excited her more. 'I wonder what he'll name his new attack.'
Inuyasha nodded. "I feel great," he replied, also feeling a smile pull at his lips. The light which surrounded him was warm and comforting. He wondered why he hadn't been able to use it before. Somehow, he guessed he must have unlocked the power in town when he was training under that weird old man. "Heck, those things were easy!" he bragged before resting the blade over his shoulder, his smile never wavering.
"It's not over yet," Link remarked suddenly. He stood in his spot, his arrow clenched in his left hand. Yes, it was quiet, but somehow Link doubted that the attack was enough to eliminate the foe. The fight wasn't over yet; Link knew this from experience. Nothing was ever that easy.
Annoyed, Inuyasha's eyes searched the waters. "What are you talking about?"
Taking her eyes off Inuyasha, Kagome turned to Link, her smile faltering. "Link?" Noticing his posture and his fixed gaze, she turned and resumed her previous stance. 'He could be right. That was easy.'
Narrowing his eyes, Link stepped forward. "They were merely testing us," he explained with his back turned to them. Wasn't it obvious? The enemy was attacking from a distance, and from what he was informed, those creatures could walk on land. From their vantage point, they showed their power, testing everyone's abilities. "They must have known we were coming." Or it could have been a coincidence.
Inuyasha cursed. He knew Link was right. Heck, even back home in the Feudal Era, they never got off so easily. Most of the time, their enemies were feeble, and they were sometimes lucky to go on half a day with no strange encounter. But there were many times they were evaded the most extreme of forces. While he stood there looking about, he questioned if they weren't just hiding. There weren't any lights off in the distance or dark silhouettes.
While Kagome readied her arrow, Miroku stepped beside Link, admiring how prepared the lad appeared. For his age, he seemed to possess the attributes of a knowledgeable warrior. From afar, Miroku witnessed his capabilities, and he was astounded. Miroku knew there was more to Link than what he first thought. In his eyes, Link was not a child, but a young man who braved danger with no hint of trepidation. Before, it had been wrong of him to judge him by his appearance, and he was deceived at first.
Hovering overhead, Sango tore her eyes away from the shore and looked about the ocean. Had Inuyasha's attack easily overwhelmed their enemy? That blast had been so intense that there was no way anyone could escape its path. So far, everything seemed calm, except for the thunder and the moaning wind. 'Amazing'
Seeing as how nothing was about to jump out and get them, Kagome lowered her bow and stepped forward. "I think we did it," she muttered. And here she thought they were up against something terrible.
Leaving his hiding place, which was at Link's feet, Shippo felt his fear slipping away. "So it's over?" he asked.
"Seems so," replied the monk.
"That had to be the easiest battle we've had since we got here!" Inuyasha sheathed his sword. He moved toward the water until his feet were inches from the waves. "And it looks like the storm cleared up," he commented.
"That's a relief!" Kagome sighed before removing a strand of hair out of her face. At the moment, she was soaked. "I wonder what those were. Do you think those were the monsters that were causing trouble?"
"Does it matter?" Inuyasha asked. "They're dead. And now we can tell those Zoras that we kicked their ass!"
Relived, Shippo remembered he had a job to do. If the enemy was defeated, then that had to be marked off in the book. He searched his shirt pocket and pulled out a red tome and began turning the pages. When he found he had no pen, he ran up to Kagome, who was busy fixing her clothes. "Kagome!"
"Yes?" She turned to the child at her feet. "What is it?"
"Do you have a crayon I can use real quick?"
Blinking, Kagome began sorting through her yellow bag. "Let's see… What color?"
"Black."
Puzzled, Inuyasha strode over. "What are you doing now?"
Removing the Crayola box from her bag, Kagome pulled out a new black crayon and handed it to Shippo. "Getting a crayon," she replied. Looking away from Inuyasha, she canted her head as Shippo began scribbling away on a page of his red book with fixed consternation. "I've been meaning to ask. Shippo, where did you get that book from?"
A smile broke out on his face, and he glanced at the woman kneeling before him. "I'm a member of the Bombers!" he declared. "The leader gave me this, and I have to keep track of all the people we help." Link had once been a member, and he was ranked at the top of the secret group. It was now Shippo's turn to give it a shot.
Link couldn't help but smile at the child, whose tail was happily swaying from side to side. And as he watched him, Link could not help but curiously examine the strange object in his grasp. The letters written on it were like Kagome's unusual necessities, which she carried in her rather large bag.
"A Bomber?" she questioned. Did that mean that Shippo had made some more friends? She practically beamed at the thought.
Having heard enough, Inuyasha brushed past them. "Just as long as you don't get in the way, I don't care."
Shippo ignored him, and when he was done, he handed the crayon back to Kagome and placed the book back in his shirt. He had just recorded his very first task. That was one to go, and who knew how many citizens had problems in Termina. In an instant, his emerald eyes widened, and his smile fell away. Fear clouded his expression, and he fell back with a startled gasp. "Oh no!"
Snapping their heads away from the tyke, everyone found the source of his unexpected behavior. One by one, many dark-skinned, robust creatures crawled their way out of the acidic water and onto the shore. Their scarlet eyes watched them hungrily as they made to stand and resume their intimidating pace. The sight was grotesque and appalling.
These creatures were not at all similar to the Zoras. While they had had an air of cleanliness about them, these monsters had muck and seaweed stuck to their rough scaly green skin. It wasn't just that, but also their wide mouths, where if anyone looked closer would see sharp fangs. As they ambled closer, everyone fell back with sudden trepidation, everyone except Inuyasha and Link. They were hunched over, with their heads extended away from their boney bodies. Their height exceeded that of their own, and they appeared quite menacing.
Frightened by the approaching fiends, Shippo cried. "They're alive!" He latched himself onto Kagome's leg yet again. And here he thought Inuyasha had done away with them. Apparently, he'd been wrong to think so. His eyes fell on Link, who had moved to stand protectively in front of Kagome.
"Shit! What the heck are those things?" Inuyasha exclaimed with disgust.
"River Zoras," Link explained. Yet, they were unlike any he'd ever seen before. There was something odd about these fish. Especially considering that they could swim through flesh dissolving acid. Not to mention the impossibility that they could survive in ocean water.
Serena took the time to peek out from underneath Link's cap. "Eek! They're hideous!" Noticing that everyone wasn't doing a thing, her light darkened. "Don't just stand there! Do something!"
Miroku stepped back and readied his staff. "Not good."
Stepping to her left, so that Link wouldn't get injured, Kagome aimed her arrow at the nearest target before releasing. Her aim was true, and she eliminated one of them. "They just keep coming!"
All at once, the monstrous beasts charged at them. If what the fisherman said was true, then they were carnivorous. Close combat was risky, and one wrong move could prove fatal.
Alarmed, Kagome hurriedly aimed her arrow, but when she released it, she missed. Noticing the fast approaching mutants, she grasped Shippo and ran back, hoping to find a place where she could attack from a fair distance, but she didn't get very far. One of the offending creatures had stepped into her line of vision, blocking the path from her. Looking behind her, she realized they were surrounded.
Noticing that her friends were in danger, Sango motioned for Kirara to hurry back to the shore. Without her knowing, the monsters had traveled under water toward the shore, using that to their advantage. As soon as she reached a fair distance, she pulled out her small version of her boomerang, and within seconds, it grew. This new weapon was red, with green vines nicely decorated the surface. Sango threw it, and with careful precision, her weapon split through seven of the vile creatures, easily dismembering many.
Before her weapon could return to her, she was suddenly surprised when a fire ball sailed directly for her and Kirara. Unable to dodge fast enough, Sango was knocked off with extreme force. She gasped as a sudden pain shot up her arm and upper torso. The attack had literally knocked the air out from her.
Kirara, easily missing more attacks, caught her owner in midair and once again ascended into the air. The boomerang which she had thrown swiftly glided in her direction, as if controlled by an outside force. She caught it, and once again, she led Kirara back into the line of fire.
Kagome shrieked as one of the nasty vermin made to swipe at her, but to her surprise, Link stepped on its intended path and easily sliced its arm off. The creature howled in pain, but Link didn't seem the least bit fazed. Before it could move to attack again, Link disposed of it entirely before another stepped in its path.
"Damn it! Back off!" Inuyasha swung his sword, careful of those around him that were not his enemy. Few were brought down by his mad swinging, and he moved on to his next victim, and then the next. 'There's too many!' If he could, he would have used the power in his sword, but he couldn't with his friends fighting so close around him. "Damn it!"
Terrified beyond any means, Shippo scampered around what little space he and the others had. Right at the very moment, he felt useless. Stopping, he looked at each of his companions. He saw Miroku holding back a few, and eliminating a few with his staff, while Inuyasha kept on swinging. Link had stepped in the way to shield Kagome, and she stood behind, holding her bow tightly, trying to find a point where he could shoot.
Taking a deep breath, he removed the firecrackers from his pocket and threw them at an approaching monster. "Take that!" To his astonishment, his attack didn't miss, and he defeated two easily. "Alright!" Debris scattered in multiple directions. But his victory wasn't over.
No matter how hard Miroku tried, he could not dispel the bothersome creatures. Fixated on pushing back the water imps, Miroku used his staff, easily injuring a few at a time. "It's no use. They just keep coming!" They were stronger than he first thought.
A red boomerang sailed past, easily getting rid of quite a few. Sango urged Kirara down, and as soon as she was in proximity, she gave a cry of warning to her friends. "Watch out!"
Hearing Sango, everyone ducked, and as they did, a mighty wind blew around them. The sound of broken bones caused most of them to shudder, and when they looked up, they found that a good majority had been eliminated.
"Sango!" Miroku called.
While many bodies lay at their feet, more and more of the disgusting creatures swam out of the water. Apparently, they weren't finished with them yet. They began charging at them, their eyes yearning for food, and their mouths dripping with saliva.
Shippo transformed. "Get on!"
Seeing this, Kagome climbed onto the newly transformed Shippo. As soon as she was seated, she reached out her hand. "Link!" As she pulled him aboard, Shippo ascended into the air, sighing in relief.
"Miroku! Inuyasha!" Sango called. As soon as the two tailed landed, Miroku climbed behind the slayer while Inuyasha held on to Kirara from the back, seeing as how there was hardly any room for all of them to fit. As soon as everyone was on, Kirara took to the skies, everyone glanced down at the inert forms below, watching them.
Placing a hand on her chest, Kagome sighed. "Those were not Zoras." No, they were savage and they spat fire balls at them. 'There were so many of them.' Looking away from the danger below, Kagome glanced at Link. Her eyes fell to his bandaged hands. "What happened to your hands?"
Noticing her stare, he glanced at his right hand, not bothering to look at the other one. Yesterday, he burned it while testing the water. Link remembered to put medicine on it, but it still bothered him slightly. "Nothing."
Unconvinced, Kagome took his hand in hers, and seeing him flinch, she unwrapped the bandages. "Like I'm going to believe that," she sternly replied. "You've hurt yourself," she commented the moment she saw the nasty blisters on his hand, and the redness around the edges.
Because it was nothing terrible, Link pulled his hand back, but Kagome held on strongly. "I said it was nothing," he said. What was she so worried about? It was just a minor injury, nothing more. "It's only a flesh wound."
"What? Only a flesh wound?" Yeah right! For a moment, she remembered how her brother Souta had hurt himself at soccer practice, and he too had acted the same. "Hold still." With her eyes closed, she focused on the injury. Warmth flooded through her veins, traveling down the length of her arms to her hands, until she felt the tingling sensation just at her fingertips.
Link didn't bother pulling away, instead, he allowed the girl to do as she wished. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, aside from the ones they discussed back at the Laundry Pool in Clock Town. More importantly… what was her relationship with Inuyasha?
"Done!" Kagome marveled at her work. She turned his hand over to look at his palm and back again. "Look! Good as new!"
Pulled from his thoughts, he stared at his hand. 'Gone, just like that.' There was something mysterious about Kagome, and he intended to find out just what it was. A second later, Link hurriedly pulled his hand from her grasp and crossed his arms in a manner that puzzled the priestess.
Noticing his sudden strange reaction, Kagome went to grab his other hand. "Now let me see the other." As she went to reach for it, Link hid it from reach. "What's wrong? Come on, I'll heal it," she explained, but Link wasn't making it easy for her.
"It's something that cannot be healed."
"What?"
Something bright and also hot flew past Shippo's vision, and frightened for his life, he shifted in the air. "Oh no!"
Holding on, Kagome and Link watched as dozens of fire balls sailed straight for them and the others. They realized that at this speed; they would get nowhere.
Taking the initiative, Kagome got on her knees and readied her arrow. "Knock it off!" she warned. Concentrating, she put all of her power into the arrow before releasing. A golden light wrapped itself around the shaft's head, much to her surprise and everyone else's, and as it made impact, a bright light enveloped her arrow.
Shippo, who had missed the scene, jerked away from another attack which had been closing in on him. As he moved, he heard a shriek from above. "Oh no!"
Losing her balance, Kagome fell backwards, her arms flailing to grab onto something. While she did so, her bow fell from her grasp and into the waters below. Well… there went her magical bow, her gift from the Great Fairy…
Before she could utter a scream, a hand reached out and grasped her arm. Looking up, she watched as Link pulled her up with all his strength. With one powerful tug, he easily brought her back safely next to him. With her heart still pounding, she smiled at the boy next to her, throwing her arms around him. "Thank you."
Link flinched from the contact of her body mingling with his. He felt his face grow hot, and he not expected such an action from her. While he had been thanked long before for his kind words and actions, no one had ever hugged him. Well, wait. Now that he thought about it, that wasn't true. The first was Anju, and the other was Cremia.
Kagome pulled away and stared at the spot her bow had fallen. She frowned. "Oh, great… just my luck… And those River Zoras won't give it a rest!" She said, oblivious to Link's blush.
"Transform!"
Startled, Kagome and Link fell unexpectedly, but just as they did, they found themselves seated atop Shippo's new-transformed state. They felt soft feathers under their skin and saw the expanded wings pushing against the wind.
"Oh, Shippo, you make a great Hawk!" Kagome complimented him while fixing the bow in his hair. Something around her waist moved, and when she looked down, she blushed. 'Why am I blushing?'
Because Link had not been aware of Shippo's sudden transformation, he had reached out to grab Kagome, and now that he was behind her, he found his arms wrapped around her middle. Although she appeared not to notice, he pulled away, his face darkening to a red hue once again.
Now that Shippo had taken on a new form, with his agility, he could get away from the danger zone and catch up with the others. "I thought we'd never get away!"
"Well, it looks like we'll have to let the Zoras know about this," Kagome sighed. After all, they weren't sure if they wanted the group to fight against the enemy, which was strange to Kagome. Perhaps they were simply modest?
Nearing the small island ahead, Inuyasha looked back. Their sinister eyes followed them, yet they made not a move to chase after. Instead, they submerged themselves under the dark water, until they disappeared from sight. "Hmpt. Just what were those?"
The monk looked back. "Well, whatever they were, they're gone now." A sigh escaped his lips, and he leaned forward, resting his head on Sango's shoulder, while breathing in her sweet scent. Slowly, he rubbed the soft flesh of her thigh in a circular motion. "Oh Sango, won't this night ever end?"
A tick developed, and beyond irritated, Sango reach back and smacked the monk. "Lecherous monk!"
Inuyasha sighed. "We should have left him behind."
Disappointed by his actions, Kagome shook her head. "He won't ever learn." Was there a day where Miroku ever stopped his perverse actions?
"Oh brother!" Shippo nearly rolled his eyes.
Seeing the display, Link merely blinked. Taking his attention away from Miroku and his perverse actions, he let his eyes fall upon the cavern just ahead.