Heart thundering in her chest Andy keeps her arms wrapped around Kagome so that she doesn't slip through the dark cloud swirling around their feet and plummet to her death. While it may seem pretty solid, Andy knows that a second is all it would take for the cloud to dissipate at Manten's command. He's an idiot and a brute but she's forced to admit that at the moment he's the only thing keeping her and Kagome from dying. Though, she supposes he's better than Hiten. Andy's not convinced the older brother wouldn't outright kill them just for the sure delight of it. They'd been ushered out of the Thunder Brother's home moments ago with the threat that any funny business would be met with sever consequences before Manten had taken them to the sky. Andy knows better than to try anything stupid with Kagome so close and vulnerable as she knows that the Thunder Brothers won't hesitate to fry her to a crisp if they have reason to.
Light flashes around them as Hiten sends a series of lightning bolts down from the clouds currently hiding them from anyone who might be looking. From the sorrowful moaning and the angry shouts of how unpretty she and Kagome are that seem to echo through the sky, that someone looking is Inuyasha and Shippo, both of whom glare at Hiten as he descends from the clouds so that he can be seen by them.
"Very impressive maneuver, dodging my lightning bolt, especially in light of your dull and uninspired conversation just now." Hiten greets, "You must be the reputed Inuyasha himself."
Surprisingly enough it's Myoga whose voice rises up to meet Hiten, "Lord Inuyasha, that is Hiten, the elder of the Thunder Brothers."
It's honestly really sweet of him to have lingered. Andy doubts he's doing it out of some misplaced sense of heroism, it probably has more to do with the fact that he's making sure she and Kagome are safe. Even Shippo demands to know where they are, his voice quivering but strong. Hiten's response is, of course, cryptic and vaguely malicious but he does summon Manten, who smiles gleefully as he lowers them from their spot hidden in the clouds so that their friends can see them.
"Behold!" Manten cries as he grabs onto Kagome and Andy so he can haul them up enough for Inuyasha and the group to see them over the charcoal fluff supporting them in the sky.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cries, her delight obvious.
And without even realizing it Inuyasha confirms the story Kagome had told the two brothers earlier with no more than a concerned shout of, "Kagome!"
"Judging by your expression it seems the girl spoke the truth." Hiten's back is to them but Andy thinks he may be smirking. "Now hand over the fragments of the Shikon jewel to me or you'll never see your lover alive again!"
Lightning shoots from his body, the crackle of energy ringing in Andy's ears after the threat has been given. Fortunately for him, Inuyasha seems too dumbfounded by Hiten's comment to even recognize the threat display for what it is.
"See my lover?" He asks with wide, unbelieving eyes as Andy and Kagome share a look in which the younger of the two blanches before turning away to silently regret her life choices. "Uh, there must be some misunderstanding. Let me get this straight, you and I are supposed to be lovers?"
"This is no time to get all shy!" Kagome shrieks, voice pitched to make her appear as any other love-struck maiden who might have misinterpreted her lover's words.
Manten seems particularly amused by this as he ruffles Kagome's hair with his first and says, "You little vixen! I knew you were fibbing!"
Kagome goes for a truly adorable, wide-eyes stare. It seems to amuse Manten all the more but Inuyasha? Well, it seems to enrage him. Or maybe it's Manten's deep rumble of a laugh that does it.
"You actually think I'd hand over the jewel shards as a ransom to get you back?" Inuyasha asks, fingers curling dangerous in front of him.
"Of course you would, 'cause that's what a lover would do!" Kagome yells.
"But we ain't lovers! And without love, the whole argument kind of falls apart!"
Thoroughly entertained, perhaps more than she has any right to be, Andy settles back to watch the two hash it out in front of the Thunder Brothers. Hopefully her amused appearance will be enough for Manten to take his eye off of her long enough for Andy to try and rip the jewel shards out of his forehead. With a few careful shifts Andy has her feet under her and her body curled in preparation to spring at Manten's head. She only keeps herself from attacking because Kagome's angry yelling continues and drags Hiten's attention to them. She'll need stealth if she wants to get those shards from him without too much of a fight, stealth and the advantage of a sneak attack.
"So now those little gems are more important than me? How dare you say that after all we've been through together! In the meantime, you'd better admit to yourself how much you really love me!" Kagome screams, flailing wildly and thrusting a finger in Inuyasha's direction.
"I believe I've heard my fill." Hiten says, "It's clear you do have some jewels for us, Inuyasha. Jewels that will be mine!"
Hiten's attention is directed at Inuyasha and it stays there as the half-demon offers more of a fight than the demon clearly thought it would have. With his attention so completely on her friend, Andy is able to spring at Manten's face. Their cries are drowned out by the lightning and thunder produced by Hiten's attacks but that works just fine for Andy. With her finger burning Andy slashes at Manten's face, nails grazing pink jewels as he shoves himself away from her and Kagome, it's an opportunity t get away that Andy won't pass up and so she wraps her arms around Kagome's waist before propelling them over the edge of the cloud. She can always go after Manten's jewels later, but this might be the only chance Andy has to get her friend to safety.
Kagome muffles a scream against Andy's shoulder, fingers digging into the fabric covering her back, and her legs wrapping desperately around Andy's hips. Her terror is reasonable but doesn't help the situation any. Andy grits her teeth as she pushes thoughts of Kagome's fear to the back of her mind and thinks instead of getting them both safely to the ground. The thought becomes a mantra that seems to drag Andy's powers to the surface and in a burst of light, heat, and color Andy finds herself carefully lowers Kagome to the ground as she pants for breath.
"Are you alright?" Kagome asks frantically, running her hand up and down Andy's back.
"'M fine." Andy says around a gag.
"Well," Kagome's trembling hand brushes back her hair, "at least the fall didn't kill us!"
"No, but I might."
They both whip around to find a furious looking Manten charging toward them. He's no longer riding his thunder cloud, somehow the simple fact that he's decided to go after them on foot is much more daunting as it hints at a sort of personal reasoning. Kagome cries out before she turns and runs, Andy only a few steps behind her. They make it about three feet before Kagome slips on a rock and ends up sprawled on the ground. Andy attempts to help Kagome by dragging her to her feet while keeping an eye out for Manten, who approaches them steadily and with a dark laugh. That wretched, twisted laughter turns to shrieks of pain as a spinning top lands on his head, enlarged to truly epic sizes, and forces Manten to the ground under it's weight.
"Get away while you can!" Shippo yells to them, eyes wide and full of terror.
Neither of them linger near the screaming Manten and quickly make their way over to where Shippo is standing near an outcropping of rocks. Once a safe distance away Andy turns to look at Manten and finds him still pinned beneath the spinning top Shippo had thrown at him.
"Wow! Nice move back there!" She hears Kagome say and looks over to nod at Shippo.
"Aw, it was nothing." Shippo says, oddly demure for someone who just saved the lives of two grown woman.
"It's far too early for celebration." Myoga interupts to which Shippo replies with a tense, "You and your big mouth."
Myoga ignores him, eyes on the screaming Thunder Brother pinned to the ground several yards away.
"Shippo's so-called fox magic is all about illusion." Myoga explains, which makes sense.
Andy frowns as the spinning top grows smaller and smaller before it slows and tumbles off of Manten's head. No longer pinned beneath Shippo's magic, Manten snatches the object of is torment off of the ground as he rises, face twisting in a snarl that tuns horrified before contorting with rage. Andy doesn't know what's got his panties all in a bunch but it's not good. Like, really, really not good.
"Gone! They're all gone! Every last one of my hairs has fallen!" Manten's scream is more than loud enough for Andy to make out but even if it hadn't been the terrifying ball of lightning appearing in his mouth is enough to make Andy's heart hammer against her ribs.
Without thought she grabs onto both Kagome and Shippo before she drags them along behind her as she runs from Manten's attack. The expanding orb of lightning eats at the ground behind them and wayward beams sets random trees and shrubs ablaze, exploding rocks and boulders, and generally just causing more chaos than any of them need at the moment. Thinking quickly, Andy pulls Kagome and Shippo behind a grouping of rocks big enough to hide the three of them.
"Looks like we added fuel to the proverbial fire" Kagome says as she tries to peak around Andy, who presses her firmly against the rock with a sharp look.
"You said it." Shippo whispers back as he presses against Kagome's side.
They all go silent to make it easier on them as they search for audible indications of Manten's approach. Everything seems so much sharper to Andy as she focuses on what's going on around her and she places both hands on the rocks in front of her to steady herself as the pounding of Kagome and Shippo's hearts cause pressure to build behind her eyes. It doesn't take long for the sound of growling and angry footsteps to reach her ears.
"I can smell your fear." Manten's voice was never kind but now it seems nothing but cruel, Andy swallows. "I'll hunt you down and use one for my hair potion, one for a new pelt, and one for a bed warmer."
Manten approaches, hesitates on the other side of their hiding spot, and then continues on. None of them say anything until they're certain he's far enough away and then Kagome glances between Andy and Shippo.
"Got any bright ideas? Something tells me we're in trouble." Kagome whispers before peering around their hiding place. "Wait a minute. That arrow. Maybe I could use it again."
Andy knows she's talking about the one shot through Manten's nose, the one she likely shot him with earlier, but isn't quite sure how they're going to get it out of his body without him killing or maiming one of them. After a few moments it's Kagome who comes up with a plan that might work and Andy quickly helps her sneak away when Manten's back is turned. They haven't gotten very far when Manten whips around, screaming, and sends a blast of lightning at their previous hiding spot that sends dust and fire shooting into the sky. Andy shields Kagome with her body and watches through the haze as Manten makes his way over to Shippo's prone form.
"There's the little wench." Manten growls, closing in on Kagome's image with and tangling his fingers in her hair with an angry snarl, "Did you honestly think you could elude a Thunder Brother?"
Kagome's eyes open and a cruel smile plays over her mouth as she says, "Yeah, actually, you slimy mudskipper!"
Andy waits until Shippo has Manten pinned before sprinting over to them. She grabs hold of the thin braid growing out the back of Manten's head, yanks back until he's forced to display his beck, and slings her arm around so she can get him in a sloppily executed headlock while Kagome goes for the arrow.
"What trickery is this?" Manten demands as he struggles against their holds.
Kagome doesn't even bother being nice as she rips out the arrow with a blunt, "I'll be taking that arrow back, if you don't mind."
Manten's furry grows as it's revealed that Shippo tricked him but Andy's much, much stronger than he is and hardly as unbalanced. She manages to keep him stationary as he struggles against them, gritting her teeth against that strain and wondering what's taking Kagome so long. Just as Kagome is about to bring down the arrowhead on Manten's forehead where the jewel shards are when the brother manages to rip an arm out of Shippo's hold and use it to strike Kagome, who goes flying a few feet through the air before landing in a groaning heap. Within seconds Andy is at her side, checking the younger girl for injury while Manten rages and spits like an angry cat. Andy misses when he kicks Shippo but she doesn't miss it when he turns on Kagome and her, fully intent on killing them.
Meaty firsts curl around her throat and squeeze so tightly that Andy thinks her trachea fractures under the pressure. Behind her Kagome is screaming, beating at Manten with her fists and feet, and Andy claws at his arms as the lack of air makes dark spots appear in her eyes.
Are you really going to let yourself die like this?
Vague disappointment and resignation fills Andy before something else does. That primal feeling from the first time she attacked Yura at the well fills Andy with such intensity that it makes her brain fuzzy... or maybe that's the lack of oxygen, either way, it's staggering. Do not fight, and then it feels like something is slipping into the hollow spaces between her bones, filling the empty parts of her near to bursting, and like a puppet Andy curls her fingers around Manten's wrists and squeezes with the same ferocity he squeezes her throat. She keeps squeezing until the stench of melting flesh permeates the air seconds before Manten begins screaming. It's an ear splitting sound, the kind a hog makes when it's grabbed by the back feet. He tries to pull away from her but he only succeeds in dragging her a few feet across the rocky ground before she manages to get her feet under her, once that's happened Andy finds herself driving her knee up into his stomach with enough force to force him to his knees.
Wheezing, and in a last ditch attempt to get her off of him, Manten opens his mouth to blast her in the face with lightning. Andy retaliates by releasing one of his ruined limbs and using the now free hand to reach up, sink flaming fingers into his forehead where his two jewel shards gleam so very prettily in the light offered by her fire. His agonized wailing is followed by a squelch as Andy rips the shards out of Manten's head.
"Hiten!" Manten cries, unheard over the sound of clanging metal and fighting, "Hiten!"
Cowardly boy, hiding behind his brother when faced with a true opponent but more than willing to attack a mourning child and a defenseless woman. Weak boy, pathetic boy, sniveling boy. Andy doesn't think he deserves the life he was given. With an air of indifference passes off the bloody jewels to Kagome, who takes them with a few broken words and a shaking hand, and then makes her way to Manten. The demon has the good sense to try and get as far away from her as possible, scuttling backward like a terrified bug attempting to escape the boot about to step on it. Andy smiles as she reaches out, grabs him by the ankle, drags him toward her, and hauls him up by the strips of silk crisscrossed over the thick, boiled demon leather protecting his chest.
"Did you think I was lying when I said I would kill you if you touched her?" Andy asks, low and dangerous. "Did you think that I wouldn't defend myself as well? Or is that why you tried to kill me first? Because you knew that if you went for Kagome bI would rain hellfire down upon you?"
Manten trembles, unable to find his voice as he tugs desperately at her forearms and shoves at her shoulders. Andy hums softly as she reaches up to stroke a flame threaded hand across Manten's scalp, marveling a bit at the smoothness of his skin. The touch causes him to tremble and Andy does not enjoy his terror but she is pleased to know that he understands what fear is. Did he taunt his victims this way? All of them? Did the women he take before die bloody and broken under his fist? How else had he hurt them? Was Shippo's father tormented and skinned before his death? Perhaps not, but there is certainty in the assumption that Manten enjoys killing his victims.
"I am going to kill you," Andy tells the demon, her voice the gravely rumble of her own voice and something much older and much more powerful, "because you deserve it."
"Please! Please! You have the shards! You can have them all! Hiten! Hiten, brother, please!" Manten cries, but no one comes to his rescue and Andy cannot help but pity him for that.
While Andy doesn't have blood siblings but she has Kagome, and Inuyasha, and Phoebe. Family, not by blood but her family none the less. Andy would kill for them, die for them, and wouldn't think twice about helping them in any other way she might be able to. What must it be like to have a relationship such as Manten and Hiten have? There is love, yes, but it is not a pure love for if it were Hiten would have dropped everything to rush to his brother's aid... But perhaps there is more, perhaps over the sounds of clattering metal and the crack of lightning in the air Hiten is unable to hear the desperate cries of his brother. Manten states at her through wide eyes, his burnt hands curled around her wrist, and something softens in Andy for the briefest of seconds before she is reminded of his transgressions.
He cannot live.
She cannot afford him to live.
Steeling herself for what's to come Andy thrusts her hand through Manten's armor, the boiled demon flesh resisting a great deal before it gives beneath the force of Andy's power. After that it is a simple matter of curling her fist around his hammering heart as he screams and thrashes desperately in her grasp and driving her fire through him. A quick death. Quicker than he deserved, perhaps. Andy pulls her hand from Manten's chest and lets it drop to her side, blood and shards of bone clinging to her flesh. Somehow, it is the sound of his body hitting the ground- or perhaps it was his last, rattling breath- that draws Hiten's attention away from the battle he's winning against Inuyasha.
"Manten? Are you alright?" Hiten screams across the battlefield, unable to take his eyes off of Inuyasha should the half-demon decide to take his distraction as an opportunity to end their fight.
His brother does not answer.
Burt-orange fur catches Andy's attention as she turns away from the dead body she has created. Shippo's father, or his remains anyway, have yet to be sullied by Manten's blood. As respectfully as she can manage Andy wipes her hands off on her jeans before she goes to pull the fur away from Manten's body, draping it carefully over her arm, and casting one last heated look at Manten's look of frozen terror before making her way over to Kagome's side as Hiten breaks away from Inuyasha to go to his brother's.
Shippo trembles as she hands him his father's remains, eyes full of sorrow and pain flashing briefly in her direction before his face is buried in cool fur. That raging thing in Andy mourns for the kit, for the innocence stolen from him so soon, and for the family he lost as well. A horrible fate. One Andy has bestowed on another.
"Manten? Manten!" Hiten shakes his brother's body as if in the hopes that his death is an illusion and he will wake up and help defeat his brother's enemies.
With his focus no longer on the battle between him and Inuyasha, the half-demon races over to them, eyes looking first over Kagome then Andy, and stops with his body firmly between theirs and Hiten's. It is a mistake to take their eyes off of Hiten, but with his desperate wails and begging Andy thinks he's too busy coming to the realization that Hiten is dead. She casts them a glance and is forced to look away as Hiten sinks his teeth into Manten's flesh.
"Are you alright?" Inuyasha demands of them.
"We're fine," Kagome says though that's not entirely true, "I have his shards."
"I'm not worried about those shards, you need to run, now!" Inuyasha says, hands pushing at Andy and Kagome to get them to run in the direction opposite of Hiten.
Thunder rolls around them as lightning fills the sky, a product of Hiten's grief and rage. Andy turns to look over Inuyasha's shoulder and the remaining Thunder Brother begins screaming.
"You wretches! You slaughtered my brother!"
Inuyasha whips around to face them, eyes wide and full of fear. For them, for himself, Andy isn't sure but the emotion stirs fierce emotions that are perhaps better left buried under cool inference and detachment.
"Run, now!" He snarls at them, amber eyes flashing in the light provided by the lightning raining down around them.
"What about you? We're not leaving you!" Kagome yells.
"If you think I'm gonna let Hiten get the better of me, you're mistaken." Inuyasha glances back at the now approaching demon before turning to Andy, "Get her out of here."
Not needing to be told a second time Andy wraps her arm around Kagome's waist and leaps into the sky, careful not to lose Shippo, who's still curled in Kagome's arms with his father's remains. They dart through the sky, avoiding lightning and trees as they flee to a large outcropping of rocks where they should be a safe enough distance away to watch Inuyasha fight without running the risk of being caught in the cross hairs of his battle with Hiten.
Andy watches as Hiten raises his pike into the air, a large ball of lightning forms at the end of his pike at his enrage cry of, "I shall avenge my brother! Prepare to die!"
Rock flies as the glowing pale blue orb races toward Inuyasha, who uses the sheath of his father's sword to shield himself from the bolt of lightning. It's a display of power Andy hadn't been expecting from the sheath and the sentiment seems to be shared with the last remaining Thunder Brother for he stares at Inuyasha with wide, hateful eyes as the half-demon barks and gnashes his teeth at Myoga. Andy narrows her eyes as Inuyasha charges Hiten and defends against yet another attack from the dark haired demon. It's aggravating that he is rushing into battles without any sort of true plan, charging Hiten and allowing his opponent the opportunity to slip behind him and drive a blade into his back.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome calls as she watches the half-demon fall to the ground in a heap.
The dark haired girl is thankfully distracted by Shippo's tired groan and the hushed sound of his voice. She turns to tend to the kit while Andy remains standing near the small wall of rock that is protecting them from wayward debris and lightning strikes. Andy watches as Hiten attacks Inuyasha in a wild flurry of steel and rage that the half-demon manages to defend himself from with his father's sword.
"What happened to Manten?" Shippo asks and Andy can feel blue eyes digging into the side of her face.
"Andy took him down... But now there's Hiten to deal with." Kagome says.
Shippo and Kagome come to stand beside her in order to watch the proceedings of the fight with worried eyes. It's clear to them all that Inuyasha won't last much longer. He's exhausted, injured, and outmatched by Hiten's enhanced power. Thankfully, the demon only has three of the five shards the Thunder Brothers had been able to collect.
"Inuyasha's getting tired." Kagome anxiously says.
"Hiten's hard to match with those flying wheels of his." Shippo agrees.
"Hiten uses wheels to fly." Kagome's murmur catches Andy's attention and prompts her to look over at the girl as she cries, "That's it!"
"What are you thinking, Kagome?" Andy asks, eyeing her friend as she waves her retrieved arrow through the air.
"A bow!" She cries, "I need a bow!"
"Coming right up!" when Kagome opens her mouth Shippo interrupts her, "Don't ask questions. Just let me take care of this."
Andy tenses as Shippo disappears in a puff of smoke, the space where his body had once been occupied by a curled structure that makes Kagome deflate a bit.
"I need a bow, not a snail." She says.
"... I am a bow..."
Inuyasha's pained cry has Andy thrusting Shippo into Kagome's hands before she grabs the girl and whips her around to face Hiten and Inuyasha, who has lost the Tetsusaiga at some point between Hiten's latest attack and Inuyasha's tumble through the sky. She positions Kagome's arms and kicks her legs father apart, acting on a strange instinct that is-and-isn't her own. Kagome sucks in a startled breath as Andy does all this, body trembling beneath Andy's touch. The other girl pulls away quickly, makes her way over to the wall, and fights against the urge to attack Hiten in a wave of fire and glory. The presence in her head scoffs at her, silently mocks her for her insistence that the brother-and-sister-of-their-soul needs to handle things from here, but does not push her when Andy refuses to move against Hiten. A test, that's what it feels like. Andy doesn't know if it is in reality or if she's loosing her mind but the rage, vague disappointment, and resignation settles into something a bit warmer, softer, as Andy holds firm in her decisions to let Kagome figure this out. Should it fail Andy will take responsibility for Hiten, but until then she will watch from her perch.
"What's taking you, Kagome? Hurry up and fire!" Shippo says, his bow-like form shaking.
"I only have one arrow left and I'm not exactly a marksman, you know?"
"You will be with me as your guide! "
Andy looks over to Kagome to find a hesitant smile spreading over the girl's face just before she says, "Huh? Thanks, Shippo! Let's get that sucker!"
The bowstring is then released and Kagome's arrow shoots toward Hiten, splitting through the wheel supporting his left foot and causing the demon enough distraction for Inuyasha to rush forward, grab hold of his weapon, and pull him closer. Lightning flashes around them, produced by Hiten's weapon, and Myoga calls out for Inuyasha to let go of the pike only for the half-demon to toss away Tetsusaiga's sheath. Andy takes a faltering half-step as she readies herself to defend Inuyahsha only to stop when the brother-of-her-soul strikes Hiten across the face as hard as he is able, which sends the dark haired demon flying into a rock formation.
Impressive, for one so young as he.
"Not bad for a half-breed, huh, Hiten?" Inuyasha calls as he bares his first at the prone demon.
"Well, that's one way of defeating him." Kagome breathes, her shock obvious.
"Whatever works for you, I say." Shippo says in reply.
Even Myoga gets in on the celebrating. But it's too soon to celebrate, too soon for them to congratulate Inuyasha on his defeating of the Thunder Brother Hiten. He still has three of the jewel shards, after all, and a mere strike will not be the thing that defeats him, as is proven when an irate Hiten rises from his prone state on the ground and wipes blood from his lip with a malicious grin.
"I've never been struck in the face before," he says, "and I refuse to allow it again!"
Hazy blue light surrounds him, the rush of power not his own making Andy bare her teeth. The Shikon no Tama is powerful, yes, but its power is a tainted kind. Conditional power is perhaps the best way to describe it as the jewels loyalty is not ensured nor is its reliability. It is a power that can be taken and given at the will of others and Andy has no time to waste with such paltry tricks, nor has she any use for a jewel such as the Shikon no Tama. Clearly Hiten and Manten are not of the same mindset and are more than willing to piggyback off the power of the jewel. Still, power is power and while Andy has no need of the jewel's that doesn't make its owner any less of a problem. Hiten roars as he drives his pike against the sheath of Inuyasha's sword, the polished wood splintering beneath the pressure.
"Lord Inuyasha is powerful, but if the Tetsusaiga sheath should shatter..." Myoga moans, voice fading as Kagome begins speaking over him, "Then he'll lose."
Hands curl around Andy's wrist, forcing her to look away from the battle and to Kagome who stares at her with wide, panicked eyes.
"Take me to the Tetsusaiga!" She demands.
"Where is it?" Andy asks and follows Kagome's pointed directional to the transformed sword.
Knowing there's not much they can do but get Inuyasha his sword if they want their half-demon friend to live, Andy grabs onto Kagome and launches them into the sky. With Hiten's attention on Inuyasha it's an easy thing for the two of them to slip by undetected, even easier for Kagome to grab onto the battered looking sword as Andy whips by it. Unfortunately, they hadn't counted on Shippo chasing after them and ultimately drawing Hiten's attention to them. He growls as he locks eyes with Andy, lightning sparking behind his teeth.
Andy has a split second, perhaps less time than that, to throw up as powerful a shield as she can manage before the enhanced burst of lightning is shot at them. It is a powerful attack, more so than Manten's had been, but Andy is surprised to find that it is not the attack itself that sends her flying but rather the violent shifting of rocks and soil beneath her feet that unsteadiest her so much that she is forced to stumble backward, away from the attack. With no solid ground to find purchase on Andy soon finds herself falling as the foreign presence in her body forces her to take a position that will cause the least amount of damage. Rolling, Andy manages to put herself between Shippo and Kagome as fire, her own and that resulting in Hiten's attack, burns around them. Numb limbs move to drags her family close, close, closer until they are tucked on either side of her where her fire can protect them.
Fighting , screaming, desperate men vying to avenge their lost loved ones can be heard from somewhere beyond her fire but Andy doesn't listen because if she looses focus then Kagome and Shippo may very well die. Pulling them closer, Andy buries her face in Kagome's hair and breathes in the sharp scent of apples so as to gain an anchor. Kagome has always smelled like apples and cinnamon, a sweetly spiced mix that has always been the trademark scent that is her own. Andy shakes as she breathes in another lungful. Gotta keep her safe, keep them safe, that's what she needs to focus on. Keep her people safe. It isn't until the fire that isn't hers is smothered beneath Andy's power and she's sure that there's no longer a threat to protect them from that the girl drops her own shields and pulls away from Kagome and Shippo so that she can crawl off to the side and gain some much needed fresh air.
Behind her someone is screaming but it's cut off abruptly as a wave of soothing, nurturing power rushes up into the sky. Andy forces herself to rise up off of her hands and knees, turn, and stumble over to where Inuyasha is yelling at Kagome. She makes it all of five feet when the presence in her body leaves her in a rush that causes Andy to stumble and fall, hand splitting open where it lands on a particularly nasty rock.
"Andy?" Inuyasha and Kagome call in unison, "Andy!"
Hands are on her in an instant, one set soft and slender while the other is rougher and tipped with dangerous claws. Andy weakly bats their hands away as she pushes herself onto her knees so she can look at them better. Despite being a bit hazy Kagome and Inuyasha seem to be in good health, unharmed, that's good.
"Are you alright?" Kagome asks, hands pressing gently against Andy's cheeks.
"No." Andy manages to say in response before gagging.
Inuyasha rips away but Kagome is quick to move behind Andy so she can hold red hair out of the way should Andy begin loosing her lunch. She doesn't, because there's nothing to loose, but she does gag a few more times before nodding to indicate that she's alright. Still, Kagome is hesitant to pull away from her and Andy appreciates the sentiment but also needs her to step back so they can go.
"Kagome, take Shippo and get that bike of yours, I've got Andy." Inuyasha says before slipping his arms under her knees and around her back so that he can lift her up to hold her against his chest.
"... Thanks..." She says, pressing her forehead into the soft fabric of Inuyasha's firerat robe.
"Get some sleep. We'll make camp someone soon." Inuyasha says.
Andy's out before they even leave the battlefield, dreaming of fiery eyes and massive wings and a promise spoken in a gravelly tone that is half her own and half something more.
~X~
A/N:
Hi everyone, I have a few things to address so please, please, please read this note because I do actually need your help.
So I've got all of my reviews set up so that they show up in my emails and in the comments section so that I can tell when I get a new review, and I've been getting email versions of reviews from a guest that haven't been showing up in the comments for this story. I don't know if it's because there's some sort of site error or something wrong on my end but I'm asking that a few people drop a review so that I can see if it's a one time/one person kind of a situation or something I need to get into contact with tech support about. I want comments to be available for everyone because I think they're really cool to read as they add insight to stories that other people might not have or bring up questions that others might want to think about as they read. If it's something I need to get fixed I'd like to know as soon as possible.
That being said; this is the guest review.
:Ooh so is Andy gonna be regaining a new (old?) memory in a dream every time she comes across something that reminds her of her past? Also, I'm pretty curious to see how you're gonna handle her past self, the Andy of this time period, and if they'll actually meet or something... or if she'll just be explained away as dead and in the process of rebirth or something lol. I really like the way you've inserted her into canon thus bar, because while she does help a bit, she's not overtaking Inuyasha's roll and only does what she's currently capable of (as someone still figuring out what the heck her powers even are). Also, I never finished the manga/anime so I'm wondering if the period they go to when they go through the well is the actual past or an alternate universe, because I can't imagine Sesshomaru dying and therefore not existing in the future and seeking her out if they're the endgame couple? Sorry for this super long review haha but I'm really invested in this story :D
You know when I started I laid out my basic plot, characters, ideas, and where I wanted this to go and I don't want to say anything that might spoil the story. I will say that they are in the past, I have plans for explaining demons in the futures, I have plans for Andy- so many plans, and as for her memories? Yeah, she will regain certain ones as different situations are brought up and as Andy gets more familiar with herself. I want Andy to get better at using her powers as the story progresses and not make it is boom! Power! kind of a thing and I have this really cool idea that i'm going to toy with over the next few chapters. It's not exactly an answer but I felt like this comment really needed some recognition because a) it's not viewable to the public and b) it makes me really happy that my story if touching people this way.
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