The waves crashed onto the sand over and over. Off the coast, the burning ship had sunk in the early morning, but the other ship remained, waiting close to the shore. Men dressed in tight black clothes stood on the beach, looking towards the tree line. One had crouched, looking for footprints.
Finding none, he rose and moved to the tree line. The rain had removed the footprints but her smell still lingered, better preserved in the woods. The man motioned over his shoulder for the men to follow him. He could smell his prey and nothing on this Earth was going to save her from him.
Trees flew past and branches shook under his feet. The bike rattled along the train and Kirara flew overhead. Her comment had concerned them. They weren't sure where they were going, but for the time being, it would be best to get as far away as possible. The problem was for all they knew, they could be running right into the arms of the girl's pursuers.
Takara was leaning against something solid and warm. She nuzzled against it, taking in the oddly comforting smell. Her eyes cracked open and white blurred her vision. The whit shape seemed to flow around her like a cloud. Slowly waking more, her eyes took in the white hair and the trees zipping past them. Startled, she sat up and looked down. She was flying through the air on a stranger's back. Takara gasped and clung tighter to the person tighter, terrified of falling.
"Good, you're awake." Inuyasha said to her as he continued jumping through the trees. She might not have liked him, but she clung tight anyway. Why does she feel safe with this stranger? "Where are you from?"
"I'm not telling you." She told him stubbornly. Takara felt his growl of frustration.
"Look kid, some one's following you, but we can't help you unless you tell us what the hell is going on." He told her sternly.
"Then don't help me!" She shouted at him.
"What the hell is your problem?" He shouted back, "We're trying to help you!"
"I don't need your help!" Takara told him, knowing she was wrong. She knew it, but she didn't need to tell him that. Inuyasha jumped down to the forest floor, making Takara yelp in surprise. He set her down and the group joined them.
"What's wrong?" Miroku asked, jumping off Kirara's back.
"Kid says she doesn't need us." Inuyasha mocked. Sango crouched down in front of Takara, getting eyelevel with her.
"Takara, you can trust us." Sango told her. "We want to help you, but you need to tell us what you are running from."
"I'm looking for someone." She told them after a pause. "My mother told me to find him. He can save us! He's going to help us!" Takara told them stubbornly. Sango smiled.
"Do you know who he is?" Kagome asked from her spot with her bike. "Where is he? We can take you to him." Takara looked down and moved the dirt with her toe.
"I don't know." She mumbled. An awkward silence filled the air around the group.
"You don't know who you're looking for?" Kagome asked, breaking the silence.
"How the hell are you supposed to find someone you've never met before?" Inuyasha asked loudly, crossing his arms. "What the hell do you need saving from anyway?" Takara glared at him and turned to face Kagome.
"My mother told me what he looked like." She shouted, frustrated. "I'll know him when I see him! I will know who he is!" She stomped her foot, emphasizing her last point.
"Can you at least tell us who you're running from?" Kagome asked her. Takara looked her up and down. All of them looked weird, but she was the weirdest. But she was nice enough.
"The lord's hunters." She admitted. "Sometimes people try to escape from the village. They hunt them down and bring them back before killing them. The farthest anyone has made it was the shore." She spoke quietly, almost in a whisper as though talking about them might summon them.
"What kind of village do you live in?" Miroku asked in astonishment. "I've never heard of a place like that."
"Yeah it sounds more like a prison." Kagome chimed in. Takara shook her head.
"A hundred years ago, a neighboring lord overthrew our leader." She paused here, reflecting on what few memories she had from before the war. "There was a war for years, we fought back. We almost got rid of them but…" Takara looked down, loss and pain clear on her face. She was there for this, she watched it happen.
"What happened, Takara?" Kagome asked gently. Takara's head was bowed and she couldn't see the tears forming.
"Who cares?" Inuyasha announced gruffly. "Obviously the other guy won. She wouldn't be running around out here otherwise." He looked at Takara. "Look kid, I don't know who you think can help you, but I say let the grown ups handle it."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded him as she stood. "How can you be so rude! She's brave for escaping and looking for help! Obviously she wouldn't have risked her life if other people were doing something about the problem!"
"oh boy." Miroku huffed quietly to Sango before turning to Takara. "Is there anything else you can tell us to help you find this person?" Takara pursed her lips thinking, trying to remember what her mother had told her.
Go west,
"West." She answered. "We have to go West." Miroku and Sango smiled at her together and nodded.
"Then we will go west." Miroku told her and straightened up, looking at the arguing couple. "Well, once they are done fighting."
"It is so our business!" Kagome shouted. "People are being oppressed by some jerk and we promised we would help her!" Takara turned and listened to them.
"Hey, I never promised anything." Inuyasha argued as he crossed his arms and Takara scowled at him and her temper began to flare up. He said he was going to help. "Besides, it's not our fault some Lord was too weak to protect his own village." In the next second, Takara head butted him in the stomach, catching him and everyone else off guard and sending the two of them to the ground. She sat on top of him beating at his chest hard enough to risk bruising. She struck anywhere she could.
"Ow! Hey! Cut it out!" Inuyasha protested as he tried to sit up and grab her hands. "What's your problem?"
"She wasn't weak!" She shouted at him, tears streaming down her face. "It wasn't her fault! My mother gave up everything to protect me! She wasn't weak!" She sobbed, still struggling against him. He had sat up and grabbed her hands. She sat in his lap, head bowed. Her head rested against his chest. He looked extremely uncomfortable. "It's all my fault." She sobbed. All of her tears from the past few month came out. She had been so afraid, so unsure of herself, so alone. She missed her mother.
"What on earth happened?" Sango asked her. This time, instead of avoiding the question, Takara answered.
A tall woman stood over the long wooden table, her closest advisors next to her, pouring over the map, speaking in hushed but urgent voices. Takara stood in the doorway, watching as they charted out where the enemy was, tracking the victories and planning on fixing their losses.
"We need to send more to the village in the East." One man spoke up. "They won't be expecting it, taking too much time to enjoy the spoils of war."
"But where would that leave us?" A woman answered him. "If we send even a small portion of our troops, we leave ourselves open for attack."
"We may not have a choice." The tall woman spoke with a tone of finality. She was the Queen of this small nation, a task foisted upon her at her father's death. "The village in the South was built to withstand a siege without troops. Is it possible to send word to the village in the South? Ask them to send no more than half of their troops? ." Her dark eyes scanned the map. "If the troops from the south and from the West meet with the small portion of troops we send, we may have just enough to force them back."
"If it is a success," a man spoke, "we risk pushing them here to the North, with us cut off from most of our army." This man stood beside the Queen, closer than any other advisor, arms brushing slightly against each other. They had known one another since childhood, growing up as siblings. He was her closest friend and advisor, helping even to raise her child. Takara's attention moved the footsteps behind her.
"I will remain here then," The Queen answered. "I will stay and defend this village. Nobuo," She spoke to her brother, "you will lead our troops in my stead." She looked him dead in the face, her black eyes looking right through him. "I trust you. Do not fail this. If you fail this, we might not be able to recover."
"My lady, I do not understand." The woman across the table from her spoke gently. "We have multiple reports of victories all along our nation's land. The majority of the enemy's forces are being pulled back. We are winning this war. Why are we making such a risky move?" The woman looked sincerely confused. "Would this not just anger them further?" The Queen straightened and looked at the woman, ready to answer her. Takara saw the man pass her. He was out o f breath, a panic in his eyes.
"Lady Noa, forgive the intrusion!" He announced, not bothering to wait for permission to speak. Everyone turned to him, startled. "It's an attack, the enemy is at the village wall. They're-" a blast shook the palace walls. It sounded like thunder and everyone froze before erupting into an urgent frenzy. Noa whipped her head to the door while her council began grabbing the maps and notes, not wanting to betray their plans in case the palace was taken. Noa headed to the main doors of the room thy stood in but motioned for Takara to come to her. The little white haired girl ran over to her mother who took her hand. Noa's council followed swiftly behind her. Another blast shook the palace, this time much louder and debris fell from the ceiling. They continued down the long hall. Screaming and fighting could be heard and Takara clung to her mother.
"Lady Noa, we must get you and your daughter to safety." The woman from before spoke.
"I am sending one of you with my daughter." Noa announced as they neared one of the grand rooms in the palace. "One of you will take her through the tunnels under the palace and village and into the mountains."
"Noa," Nobuo spoke up, moving to stand next to her sister. "I will take her. She will be safe with me."
"What of the attack plan?" One of the men asked. They all burst into one of the large halls and slammed the heavy doors shut. Noa looked her brother up and down and nodded.
"Any chance of those plans coming to fruition disappeared the moment they attacked." Noa explained and turned to her brother. "I will give her to you, let me speak with her." Nobuo nodded and stepped away, pulling the group with him to discuss ways to push the attacking army out. Noa pulled Takara off to the side and knelt infront of her. The little white haired girl looked at her mother. Tears fell from her gold eyes. Noa smiled softly at her, the stern exterior of the queen fell and revealed the gentle loving mother. She gently whipped away Takara's tears.
"My beautiful girl," She told her softly. "Don't be scared. Uncle Nobuo will keep you safe. Go with him into the mountains and wait for me, darling." Takara gripped at her mother, tears continuing to fall.
"What about you?" She asked, voice pleading. "Why can't you come with us, Mama?" Noa smiled softly and rubbed her daughter's arms.
"My darling girl," She told her. "I have a duty to you and to this country. I must stay and protect our home."
"But the soldiers can do it without you, Mama! Please don't leave me!" She cried and clung to Noa. Noa rubbed her back. Takara's cries broke her heart.
"Takara, I love you so much." She began and gently pulled the girl away from her. "You must remember that. Remember my love and my next words. You must listen carefully." Takara rubbed her eyes and sniffled before nodding. Noa brushed Takara's bangs to the side, revealing a crescent moon on her forehead. "If something should happen, leave the island." Takara froze. She had never left the island. Why would she? Her home was here. "If I do not come for you, go to the mainland. Go west and find your father."
"My father?" Takara asked. "What does he look like?" Noa smiled.
"He is tall with long white hair and gold eyes." Noa explained. "On his forehead is the same crescent moon that you have. You find him, and you tell him "I am the daughter of the Lord of the West and the Daughter of the Queen of Bonin Island. You will help me." You must be strong, Takara. He will be cold, but he will help you." Noa explained this all in a quick rush. "Do you know what to say? Tell me." Takara repeated it quickly and her mother smiled and kissed her forehead before looking at her daughter one last time.
"Mama?" Takara asked and Nobuo walked over.
"We must hurry." He told them gently and picked up Takara. Noa released her daughter to her brother's care and Takara's begging for her mother almost brought the queen to tears. Once the two were out of sight, she cleared her throat.
"Follow me." She ordered. The small group made their way down another hallway to the palace armory. Each member grabbed their weapon of choice. "The enemy is going to make its way to the palace. We will meet them in the main hall." She instructed. "There we can kill the head and the enemy will fall into chaos." Another blast shook the room and Noa's thoughts went to her daughter. Surely she would be fine with Nobuo. The group grabbed what they needed and burned the plans in the fireplace, leaving no evidence behind just in case they are killed.
The queen lead her council down the halls to the entrance. Her back was ramrod straight. Her bare feet thudded on the wood. Her brown curly mane flew behind her wildly. Her breastplate clanked with her arm guards as she carried her Naginata. Her breastplate was relatively flat and close to her figure. It was not bulky and kept out of her way. Her harem pants were a dark green and matched the cloth on her breast plate. The dark green was more than just her favorite color. It was to symbolize the wealth, success, and harmony of her nation. It was the color of the royal family. Her black eyes blazed with fury and she let the power begin to seep from her in small waves. She was the queen of this nation, and she did not take kindly to her people being slaughtered.
Her small group entered the hall and fanned out. The stretched, each arms length away, with Noa front and center. There they waited for the enemy. Her aura radiated from her as she waited. By the time the enemy burst through the doors, they staggered at the sheer power coming from her. She rushed them, followed by her council. They took out many but were force backwards in the hall, but they did not falter. The fight lasted for almost an hour. They each were panting heavily, most of them wounded. The queen was covered in cuts, some deep, others superficial, but she let her rage flow through her until a loud voice echoed.
"Wait!" Nobuo shouted, his voice echoing through the palace. Another loud blast from outside shook the palace. Everyone paused, including the enemy, and turned to look at him. Noa froze, lowering her naginata just slightly. The leader of the attack turned to her brother but Noa's eyes were on her daughter who was sobbing and being dragged by her hair, a bruise on her cheek and her lip bloody. The leader of the attack moved to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, congratulating him. Noa straightened.
"Mama," Takara whimpered, trying to ease the tension from being dragged by her hair.
"Nobuo," Noa spoke lowly, "What are you doing?" her throat wanted to close, but she spoke anyway.
"Something I should have done long ago." He answered her calmly as though talking about the weather. "I belong on the throne, sister. Not you, not someone who neglected her duties to run off like a whore. Not some bastard child who doesn't even know her own father." He yanked on Takara's hair for emphasis, eliciting a yelp. "No, sister. The throne belongs to me."
"So you think by helping them, they will give you what you want?" Noa asked. "Are you really so stupid?" Her rage was seeping through her teeth. "Thinking they will actually let you live long enough to sit on the throne?" She growled and lunged, naginata raised. Nobuo stepped back with a grin, and fast as lightening, a knife was at her daughter's throat deep enough to start drawing blood. Noa froze and stepped back.
"Yeah, actually." He told her with a small smirk. "The king is too busy ruling over his nation. I'm going to be his right hand man and rule here in his stead. He get's this island, and I get the throne and respect I deserve. It's simple really." No growled at her brother.
"You are my brother." She hissed, her voice raising with each sentence. "We grew up together. You were my closest friend. You helped raise my daughter! Your niece! Are you really so cruel as to offer her life for your quest for power?" She shouted at him.
"Do you want me to prove it to you?" He asked, tapping Takara's throat with the knife. "Surrender to your new leader, and I'll let the little shit live." Noa looked from her brother to her daughter. Takara's eyes were red and terrified. If she surrendered, she surrendered her daughter to a life time of suffering. If she refused, she would be doomed to watch her daughter bleed out infront of her, and her nation would crumble with her. Enough of her people would eventually smuggle Takara out. There was hope for her and for her people, even though she herself would die.
Noa stood straight, her face like stone, and dropped her naginata. She would not allowe Takara's life to end here. Her and her council were seized.
"Execute them all in the public square tomorrow." Nobuo announced and pointed to Noa. "Expect for her. Chain her to the wall of the deepest cell in the palace. Let the bitch rot in darkness." Noa glared at her brother as she was dragged away. Takara screamed after her mother.
"As for you, you little shit." He snarled and tossed her to the ground. "I'll make sure you learn your place very quickly."
"My unlce used me to force my mother to give up her throne, and give up the nation." Takara explained, sitting on the ground, picking at the grass. Kagome sat next to her while the rest stood. Shippo looked at her sadly, tears starting to form in his own eyes. "I was whipped and forced into servitude in the palace. Eventually, a small group of people loyal to my mother found me and helped me escape. They were all killed getting me out. We were hunted and the lord's hunters killed them." Silence fell over the small group before Inuyasha stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. He then turned on heel and began walking.
"Where are you going, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. He paused and looked over his shoulder.
"West." He answered and Takara looked up, startled. Were they actually going to help her? "We'll help you find the man who is supposed to help you. And if that doesn't work, we'll kick their asses ourselves."
"Yeah!" Shippo shouted and jumped. "There's no way we could let this go on! We have to save your mom!" Takara looked around. These strangers were going to help her. For the first time in years, she smiled.
"Let's get going." Sango suggested. "We need to stay ahead of the hunters it sounds like. The sooner we can find the man you re looking for, the sooner we can get you home." Kirara flared into her large form, startling Takara. Sango climbed onto her back. Miroku smiled at her.
"Would you like to ride with us?" He asked her quietly. She shook her head. Takara wasn't afraid of much anymore, but she refused to fly.
"I'll take her." Inuyasha spoke up, startling her. "Kagome, you ok with your bike?" Kagome smiled and nodded while mounting her bike. Next thing Takara knew, she was placed on Inuyasha's back, and he took off running.
I'm coming mama. She thought to herself. I'm coming home with father.
sorry if this chapter is rushed im exhausted but trying to post something to keep yall interested.