Hello! To my subscribers, thank you so much! I really appreciate that you like my fanfic! Sorry for the long wait, it took a while for me to get a groove going for this chapter. As always, I do not own Inuyasha or Fairy Tail, just my OC's and random plot twists! Commentary is welcome, as are reviews, but please not flaming! I will be introducing Ryo this chapter, along with another OC- there will also be more of a focus on Earthland this chapter. Now, without further ado, Chapter 6!
Crunch. Crunch.
Jade's teeth grind up the rocks forming the walls of the cave as her body shakes feverishly.
She can't remember how long it's been since she fought Sir Fluffy. A couple of days? Her memory is so fuzzy right now.
Pain. Painpainpainpainpai-!
She tears another rock off the wall and chews it. The pain abates a little as her magic pushes back against the poison inside of her. Soren snorts at her and goes back to munching on his oats. Jade leans her head back and closes her eyes, listening to the sound of the underground spring.
How much longer will this last?
Elsewhere…
Kagome, Inuyasha and the rest are at Kaede's village, worried and healing from another encounter with Naraku's incarnations.
"Ye have seen nor heard nary a sign of her?" Kaede demands. Miroku shakes his head painfully, recovering from the wasp poison.
"No, priestess. Admittedly, we were not looking very hard, but I doubt one as strong as Jade-san would be killed or captured easily." He reasons.
"Feh. That witch can die for all I care." Inuyasha grumbles, irritated by the mere mention of Jade.
"Inuyasha, Jade-san helped us immensely with avoiding Kanna's spying- it's our fault we forgot Naraku has more mundane methods to spy on us." Sango scolds him, trying to control her own worry. Inuyasha huffs in annoyance and stalks out of the hut to sulk. Kaede shakes her head and says to Sango and Miroku,
"Ye need to find her- wait until Kagome returns from her 'exams', but find Jade. Me thinks something ill has be fallen her."
Back in Jade's Cave…
Something was- different. At first Jade hardly noticed, the pain was too intense- not to mention the fever wasn't helping. But the poison… it's no longer attacking her body. It hadn't faded away and neither had the pain, but it no longer is eating away at her organs and muscles. It's almost like Jade had adjusted to it.
Why is it different? And why now?
Jade gazes dully at the caves walls, tired and idly categorizes the rocks and minerals she sees.
Basalt, sulfur, pyrite, quartz, random chunks of serpentine, cinnabar, mica… what was it Ryo said about cinnabar? I can't remember…
…
"Jade-nee! Pay attention!" Her eyes blearily open and she groans.
"Ryo, can we take a break, please~?" Jade whines, barely lifting her face off the table. "We've been doing this for hours!"
"No! You asked for lessons on different rocks and minerals, plus their individual properties- I didn't have to make time in my schedule to help you. And how to you repay me? You fell asleep! While I was lecturing you!"
Jade groans as she looks at her younger sister. Ryo bound her coppery hair back in a braid, coiled and pinned it at the crown of her head. Her handmade hair pins glint as Ryo moves, drawing attention to her face. The rest of her appearance is not nearly as neat or tidy. Ryo is wearing her work clothes, jeans with multiple burn holes and a similarly damaged tank top, all of which is covered by a leather apron. Soot is smeared on her skin and clothes, similar to the color of Ryo's eyes.
Though a midnight blue, in the right light they do appear pitch black, almost burning in her angular face. Looking at the two of them, you would never think they are related. Jade towered over Ryo by half a foot and is leanly muscular. Ryo is more compact, wiry and a bundle of furious energy. Fitting that Ryo's tattoo is of flames and smoke- it suits her personality of a firecracker. Jade snaps out of her musings and meets Ryo's gaze, sighing internally.
"Okay, okay, you made your point, I should be more appreciative- but we have been at this for five hours. Can we please take a tiny break?" Jade pleads, making puppy eyes at Ryo. She snorts, not impressed.
"If you can tell me what the last three substances are called and their major characteristics." Jade winces and scratches her head.
"Um… Obsidian? Er… Sulfur and… ugh, cinny?" Ryo karate chops Jade's head.
"Ow!"
"Cinnabar. Say it with me! Sin- Ah- Bar." Ryo snaps off each syllable precisely.
"Sin-Ah-Bar." Jade dutifully repeats, rubbing her head. Ryo nods.
"Now, what are they know for?"
"You're relentless."
"I know. Get on with it."
"…" Jade grimaces and screws up her face as she thinks hard.
"Um, obsidian is volcanic glass that forms naturally… and it can cut really well but its' brittle?" She looks at Ryo for confirmation, who nods.
"Next."
"Uh, sulfur is a mineral and is found in areas of volcanic activity. It's yellow and smells bad. Um… it's in gunpowder and some medicines."
"Better. Next."
"Cinnabar is… a rock?" Ryo glares at Jade.
"And?" Jade scratches her head, thinking.
"… It makes red?" Ryo face palms.
"It does make vermillion, an ancient dye, as well as being-!"
Jade closes her eyes and tunes out, drifting back to sleep as Ryo natters at her.
…
Jade jerks awake in the present, sweating and absently eats another hand full of crystals.
"… I guess I shouldn't have fallen asleep back then."
Soren lifts his head and walks over to her, bumping her gently. She pats him absently, thinking hard then shakes her head in defeat.
"I can't remember squat."
Meanwhile…
Northwest of Magnolia, Country of Fiore, World: Earthland
"Yasmine! Yasmine!" Ryo yells from the kitchen table, glaring at the newspaper in her hands. She doesn't bother to glance up when the older woman wanders in, eating an apple.
"What's the matter, Ryo-chan?" Yasmine asks, relaxed.
Ryo glares at her. Yasmine could be widely considered a beauty- deeply tanned skin, lush figure, eerie green eyes- eyes like Jade's, Ryo can't help thinking, and straight black hair with red highlights pulled back in a ponytail. Yasmine wears her typical sari, deep purple today, with her jangling bracelets and anklets.
"How current is this newspaper?" Ryo demands, smacking it on the table. Yasmine wanders over to look at it.
"It's from yesterday- did you work through the night again? Ryo-chan, you know you are supposed to use your bed- it is not a decoration."
Ryo's face turns a little pink.
"That's not-! No! I'm not talking about this right now! The newspaper! Are you sure it is from yesterday?"
Yasmine smiles at Ryo's antics.
"Yes, I am sure it is from yesterday."
"Are you sure?! Absolutely, positively sure it's not from another time period like the far past or the future-!"
Yasmine interrupts Ryo by holding up her hand in a 'stop' motion.
"I asked the mail carrier what the date was when he dropped off the mail- it concurred with the date on the newspaper."
Ryo's expression shutters.
"Oh."
Yasmine quirks an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Oh." She snaps the newspaper sharply and holds it up before her face.
Yasmine's eyes narrow and she wanders over to look at it.
"Why are you so concerned about the date, Ryo-chan?"
Ryo quickly closes the paper and stands.
"I don't wish to miss an appointment with Porlyusica-san. She requested more enchanted beakers and bottles."
"Ryo-chan." Yasmine is clearly not buying it.
"Porlyusica-san is very particular and I do not wish to disappoint her." Ryo states, trying to walk past Yasmine.
Yasmine refuses to budge, studying the mage.
"Ryo-chan."
"I need to get back to work- I have a lot to do." She refuses to meet Yasmine's gaze and insistently pushes against her, trying to escape to her workshop.
Yasmine reaches out and gently grips her upper arm. Ryo stiffens and tries to yank free- no such luck.
"Ryo-chan, what is it?" She asks, her voice soft and coaxing.
Ryo says nothing, her body language rigid. The newspaper is crushed in her fist as she squeezes it. Yasmine's gaze flicks to it and she gently tries to remove it from Ryo's grip. Ryo refuses to release it. Yasmine sighs.
"Mageling, let me see." She demands softly, using her pet name for Ryo. Ryo stubbornly shakes her head.
"It's nothing. Absolutely nothing." Yasmine cocks her head.
"If it is nothing, there is no reason to hide it." She reasons.
Ryo remains silent, refusing to answer her. But when Yasmine tugs on the newspaper, she lets it go and turns away to look out the kitchen window. Smoothing the paper, Yasmine starts to read then pauses; she rereads the article again. Still not believing it, her eyes flicker over the words, horror growing.
Fairy Tail.
Gone.
December 16th, Year 784.
Tenrou Island destroyed by the Black Dragon, Acnologia.
Yasmine closes her eyes as the familiar pain of grief washes through her.
Why must humans have the briefest of lives and also the most intriguing? It's a curse that they do not live as long as other species. Then again, they would be more boring if they were not so short-lived.
Dropping the newspaper on the floor, she walks over and hugs Ryo from behind. Her body is stiff as a board, but Yasmine can sense the emotions boiling under the surface.
"Oh, Mageling," Yasmine whispers softly, offering her comfort.
"Jade said she would come home. The last letter she sent mentioned she had finished her job with the Wyverns- that was three months ago. She said she would come home to see me." Ryo's voice breaks, but she keeps talking as tears start to fall down her face. Yasmine doesn't release Ryo, but listens as she continues to deny the obvious.
"… There is the possibility that Jade has not made it back to Fiore yet," Yasmine reasons. Ryo blinks and her mind almost audibly snicks into gear as she calculates the possibilities.
"We need to go to the Guild." Ryo decides.
Yasmine smiles slightly.
"I never thought I would see the day you would willingly visit Fairy Tail," She teases as Ryo throws on her coat and preps her Magical Vehicle.
"Shut up. This is an emergency. And you are staying outside." Ryo growls. Yasmine pouts.
"No fair," she complains as they leave.
Magnolia, Country of Fiore, World: Earthland
Ryo shudders at the change in atmosphere of Fairy Tail: normally cheerful and boisterous, the entire guild is gloomy and depressed. Several of the surviving members are crying at tables or the bar. She clenches her teeth and stalks in, trying to remember names desperately. Eventually she spots Macao and his friend Wakaba huddled over a map and arguing.
"Macao!" Her voice roars, startling him and Wakaba.
Heads snap up as other members take an interest in the stranger marching over to Macao.
"She's pretty!"
"Is she one of Macao's ex's?"
"I feel like I've seen her before…"
"For a second I thought Erza had come back!" One of the members cries.
Ryo does her best to ignore them.
Ugh, I HATE being here- so much pointless gossip and arguing! Ugh.
She slams a hand down in front of Macao, making him jump.
"Who is in charge?"
He looks about wildly for someone to save him from Ryo's intense attitude. Everyone else keeps their eyes averted, figuratively hanging him out to dry. Wakaba smacks Macao's shoulder.
"Macao is the 'Master' for now, if only because of experience rather than talent." Macao's jaw drops at the insult but Wakaba plows on.
"What do you need, Miss-?"
"Aquilo."
Wakaba's expression freezes.
"Wh-what was that, Miss? Could you repeat that, please?" He asks, his voice trembling.
Ryo's eyes narrow menacingly.
"Aquilo. Do not make me repeat myself again."
"Hey, isn't that-"
"But she doesn't look anything like-"
"She's just as scary-"
"So that's Jade's sister!"
"Which one, though?"
The rest of the guild murmur, appraising her with new eyes.
She glares around the guild.
"Is there a problem?"
As a group they collectively gulp and say
"No, Miss Aquilo!"
She nods dismissively at them and glances back at Wakaba and Macao.
"I have a question I hope you are able to answer."
They side glance each other and then at her.
"We will answer your question as best as we are able, Miss Aquilo. But, if you don't mind my asking- are you Masa or Ryo Aquilo?" Macao stumbles over his question as she narrows her eyes at him.
"I am Ryo Aquilo- Masa-onee is somewhere on the other side of the ocean in Alakitasia at present. But I am not asking after Masa-onee. I wish to know if Jade-nee made it to the S-Class exams at Tenroujima. Or if she has even checked into the Guild within the last 3 months."
Ryo demands, her expression intent.
Wakaba and Macao blink in unison.
"Jade? We haven't heard from her in almost a year, much less seen her. If you have gotten messages from her, you are better informed than us at present. But if you can get a message to her, please tell her to get here as fast as she can! We really need her- all our other core members are gone, Miss Ryo. She would be the only one left."
Macao stands and bows low. Ryo pauses, considering his request, then nods once.
"I will mention it to her when she is found. In the meanwhile, stabilize Guild finances as best as you are able. Are any of your members skilled with transporting goods safely? Or going on quests to retrieve items?"
Macao nods eagerly.
"That we do Miss Ryo!"
"Fine. I will establish a short-term contract with Fairy Tail for retrieving supplies I need for my workshop, since neither of my sisters are available to do so. If I am satisfied with the results, I will seriously consider a long-term contract. Details will arrive in the next week."
She turns and walks out, leaving a different type of silence in her wake. Eventually, Bisca speaks.
"She is seriously different from Jade."
The others nod in agreement.
Country of Japan, World: Earth
Jade leans heavily against Soren, breathing hard. Maybe moving around this soon is a bad idea, but desperate time's means desperate measures. With no food left in the cave (aside from rocks), they would starve if they didn't move on.
Soren nudges her and huffs in her face. She gives him a pat and mounts.
"You ready, partner?" Soren tosses his head and dances in place, eager to leave. Jade focuses on the magic device that hid their presence and deactivates it.
"Go!"
Soren explodes into motion, charging into the clearing and racing into the woods. Jade lays low on his neck, hanging on grimly as he weaves past obstacles.
"To Granny's, Soren. Get to Granny's boy." She mutters and turns his head in the right direction.
Elsewhere…
"Master…"
Naraku turns and looks at Kanna.
"What is it, Kanna?"
She holds up her mirror, showing him Jade riding Soren. His eyes narrow in glee.
"So she did survive Sesshomaru's poison claws- but not without cost it seems," he notes, taking in her sweaty features.
"… Perfect. Send for Kagura- she is to kill Jade while she is weak."
Back with Jade
Everything was fine for most of the first day's ride- no demons, no humans. Day two was when trouble arrived- Jade smelled Naraku-but-not-Naraku and heard a bunch of insects. She pulled up the reins, stopping Soren as she tries to locate the enemy.
Above- and to my left for the most part. Should we run?
…
No, they are too close. We'll have to fight.
Decided, she lifts her head and glares in the general direction of the enemy.
"Come on out."
Laughter answers and dozens of wasp things fly out. Jade is unimpressed.
"Get 'em Soren."
The Wapiti leaps forward and crushes two beneath his hooves before kicking out behind him, striking another. Jade concentrates and lays both of her hands on his neck.
"Earth Dragon's Boon: Armor."
Where her hands touch his fur, magic sparks and spreads- fur turns to crystal. Soren shakes his head, his fur chiming as the mini crystals strike each other. She grits her teeth- the pain spiked when she used her magic.
No matter, I can handle it. Her eyes narrow.
"Earth Dragon's Boon: Stamina!"
More magic pours from her hands and soaks into Soren. His muscles bunch and he tucks his head down and stabs a few wasps with his horns. He tosses them off and leaps forward as Jade nudges him into a run. Soren deftly darts between trees, forcing the wasps to break formation. Jade focuses on her arm and lets her magic build there.
"Earth Dragon's Wing Strike!"
The forest in front of her is blasted to smithereens. She grimaces.
Great, my control's absolute shit. Fantastic.
The wasps try to sting her, but she deftly slices or crushes them, the fight clearing her mind and allowing her to focus. Several get a sting in, but her quick call up of armor foils the attackers. Eventually, none of the wasps are alive. Soren prances in place, eager for more. She pats his neck, soothing him.
"Are you going to keep hiding? Or do I have to drag you out by the hair, you Pervert Baboon?" Jade demands, annoyed with the coward.
"How crass- are you a barbarian?!" A woman's voice responds.
The trees bend in a sudden wind as a woman in red and white kimono appears from the sky. Her red eyes glare into Jade's green ones. Jade shrugs in response.
"It got you to come out, didn't it?"
The woman blinks in surprise. Jade gives her a look over and shakes her head with a sigh.
"Not him, but like him. This country is annoying! I guess I'll call you Breezy Lady."
Kagura is taken aback by the turn in conversation. Her finger clench around her fan.
"My name is Kagura, one of Naraku's incarnations!" She declares, determined to not be known as Breezy Lady.
Jade tilts her head.
"Naraku? I feel like I heard that name before- gimme a minute. Hmm… Oh! Pervert Baboon! No wonder you smell alike."
Kagura clearly doesn't know how to handle Jade's constantly off-color remarks.
Why is she so strange?! Ugh, I need to deal with her fast- she was strong enough to fight to a draw with Sesshomaru after all!
"Enough! Dance of Blades!" Kagura sends her wind blades flying at Jade and Soren. Soren withstands the first volley easily, the wind only scratching his crystalline fur. Jade's eyes focus on Kagura's power and mentally analyzes it.
Wind based- multiple blades coming in a staggered times at various angles. Sufficient to slice a regular person to pieces. Does it require using the fan? It seems to originate from there- in that case, destroy the fan and pummel her into submission!
Jade grins widely.
"Earth Dragon's Quartz Spear!"
Her left arm transforms into clear crystal and extends forward, aiming for Kagura's chest. Startled, Kagura barely stumbles out of the way. Jade kicks free of the saddle and jumps onto the ground, concealing a wince as the wound in her stomach protested.
"Ya know, I never understood the mentality that if you attack from far away, other people can't hit back,"
Jade comments, using her arm to slash at Kagura's feet and uses the recoil to spray dirt in her eyes. As Kagura frantically tries to protect her eyes, Jade lunges forward and kicks her hard in the gut flinging her back. Kagura flips onto her feet, holding her gut and coughing up some blood. Jade stays where she is and shakes her head sadly.
"Now that's just sad; I barely hit you and you're already coughing up blood. Now it makes sense why you prefer long distance attacks- you can't take a hard hit worth shit."
"Dance of the Dragon!"
Kagura yells, unleashing her strongest attack. Jade quirks her eyebrows as several cyclones manifested and torn up the ground around her. Soren leaps out of the way, ears against his skull as the winds howl- Jade stays where she is, mostly unconcerned. Kagura desperately puts more power into the attack and the cyclones slam viciously into Jade.
"Yeesh, desperate much?"
Jade keeps a disappointed expression on her face- inwardly she is fighting hard to control the pain from her wound, which just got aggravated, thank you so much Breezy Lady. With the pain growing every second, she knows she needs to finish the fight fast.
Definitely resting at Granny's when I get back there, she decides.
"Let's put you out of your misery, shall we?"
Kagura's eyes widen when she feels a surge of energy building in the air around her, emanating from her opponent.
"Earth Dragon's Crushing Fang!"
Kagura manages to twist out of the way, horrified by the crater left behind where she had been standing.
I need to get away!
"Dance of Blades!" She fires off the spell quickly and runs, pulling out a feather as she goes.
"Again-?" Jade sighs.
"Seriously, this is annoy-"
CRACK
Jade goes still and Kagura seizes her chance.
I don't know what that was, but thank the gods she stopped!
Kagura starts to fly away on her feather, clutching her gut. Jade pulls out of her pocket a glass drowsing pendent- or what used to be one. She stares at it and starts to shake violently.
"You…" Kagura feels a chill run down her spine and glances back to see Jade running flat out beneath her, gaining on her!
"Do you have any goddamn idea what you've DONE?!" She roars.
Kagura desperately flies faster- no such luck.
"Earth Dragon's Roar!"
The blast rips through her feather and sends her tumbling to the ground- Kagura gets on her feet, fear driving her to flee this threat. Jade snarls viciously, covering the distance swiftly.
"Dance of Blades!"
Kagura screams, fending her off. Jade retaliates by slamming through and stabbing Kagura in the shoulder, pinning her against a tree. Kagura struggles and only stops when she feels claws crush her throat. Terrified, she has no choice but to meet the gaze of the enraged Dragon Slayer.
"You just broke one of my SISTER'S devices! She'll hunt us BOTH down for that! You for BREAKING IT- me for LETTING YOU!"
Kagura gasps for breath, barely registering Jade's words. Jade's vision goes red- she rarely lets herself get angry since it's mostly unproductive. But this- this was too much. She was aching, not in her home world, hungry and had been poisoned and wounded a few days ago. Now one of Ryo's devices was broken by this idiot!
Enough. Just- ENOUGH!
Sesshomaru's poison inside of her reacts- not with pain this time. Just power. Instinctively, she allows it to surge through her arms, no longer caring the consequences.
It's not as if it can do worse than Ryo will when she finds out. She reasons idly.
Kagura screams as she feels something burning into her skin, eating it away. Frenzied, she slams her fan at Jade, coincidently striking her wound. Jade instinctively releases Kagura with a snarl and Kagura takes the moment to strike her back.
"Dance of the Dragon!"
Jade blocks the worst of the wind with her arms, but is successfully blown off of Kagura, who makes good on her get-away. Howls rend the air when Jade realizes her prey had escaped and she punches the tree, furious.
It melts.
Jade blinks in confusion. Soren looks on, worried. She looks at her fingers- they are glowing a green-silver color she had never seen before.
"What the hell?" She asks the world.
The world chooses not to reply.