A\N: Well, I'm a little iffy about the end of this chapter, but I had to have it this way cause it's probably gonna prove essential to my plot later on in the story.
Well this morning I woke up to what sounded like a cat trying to tear a hole in my door with it's claws. Turns out it wasn't that, just a saw running through some kind of strange material for a window or something I think (construction's not my strong point...) that now sounds a bit closer to someone either painting really raggedly and heavily or else nails running down a chalkboard (not to mention the hammering)
Needless to say I am not in a very good mood with it as it has made working nearly impossible.
Anyway, I got some really awesome reviews for the last chapter, so I'm gonna hurry up to answer them:
-Black Betty - Well did you expect them not to try and save our favourite lecher? Lol, yeah, slowly but surely Amaya seems to be coming around to the realisation that she does, indeed, have a heart.
-Almandine-Azaleea - Hm. That's a good question. The only answer I can give you to that is that I don't plan to make it any length. In fact, I don't really plan anything at all. For all I know the well that is my imagination could run dry and I could just give up on this story tomorrow... oo... Okay, that's a scary thought, cause I'm really enjoying writing this story and I actually can't wait to see how it's gonna end either. And I plan to have more Inuyasha and Kagome in soon enough, but it took me, what, 23 chapters to get Miroku and Sango in there? I figure I owe them at least this much on-page time. as to school... Bleargh. Don't get me started on it. -.-
-xolovexinuyasha - Well actually that idea is mostly centred around the fact that Inuyasha is a dog-demon I guess. I don't know, maybe I am more than a little messed up in the head (though the medication is helping ) but the idea appealed to me, and I seem to have carried it on to a level where everyone's liking it so far. As to the end, like I said I'm just as puzzled as you are as to where this is going. And don't worry, I'm certain that after some angst, torture, blood and guts and maybe a little character death everything will turn out okay. But then again, maybe it won't...
-MustluvKits101 - Oh that really sucks. I don't get sick very often but when I do it can be pretty bad. Anyway, consider this next chapter a sort of "Get-well" gift (unless you don't like this chapter, then you can just pick one of the other chapters as a replacement ) and I hope you get better soon!
-RamblingPhilosopher - Yeah, he's in there with Sango and Kirara. I don't know why I decided those three needed to be in the same cell while Miroku was separated, but there you have it. And don't worry-- I was in a fairly foul mood this morning but I didn't feel like killing Miroku. I can put that off for a little while longer I think. -- And Sesshomaru... yeah, he may turn up in one of these chapters. Can't say when, where, how or why, but he may be there. After all, I can hardly leave out our fav full-blooded inuyoukai now can I?
Sexy Kat - Lol, I'll try to stop making wait, but I can only write these chapters so fast ya know!
-Darking Queen - Well I'm sorry about that. But hey, shorter chapters means I can drag this story on for a helluva lot longer! But now I'm wondering... is this story funsize snickers, or is it something else entirely?
-sourapple10000 - Well it's only there cause it's true. I don't like to give free broadcasting (or really any broadcasting) unless I actually truly think a story deserves it. When I first went to read it I was a little uncertain about your story because I've seen a lot of different versions of similar plots, but yours is definitely unique and really captivating-- never know what's coming next really! And... aw shit. This has happened to me three times in the past two days! I can't remember what the hell I was gonna say. Hang on a sec... and... nope, it's gone. Well, it doesn't really matter cause I was ranting anyway, but I'm fairly certain it was something along the lines of Your story is really great and I can't wait to read more! Sounds really fake and rehearsed or something when put in those terms, but I swear to you it's authentic! I really am enjoying it and I really can't wait to read more. Now I better stop talking before I forget to put the damn disclaimer and people come running after me with torches and pitchforks (which, now that I think about it, may have nothing to do with the disclaimer).
DISCLAIMER - I do not own nor do I make any money and\or other profit off of the Inuyasha characters. I own any and all OC in this fic, as well as the story itself, but I make nothing off of them either.
Knowing
The group stayed up long into the night watching as Mushin worked upon Miroku's hand.
Near midnight, Amaya became worried about (and slightly irritated at) the two present demons, and so put an enchantment upon them to help them sleep. She was going to do the same to Sango, but the girl had refused her without giving the idea a moments consideration, all her thoughts bent on making sure Miroku was alright.
So Amaya left her be until nearly an hour later, the girl was practically trembling and leaning against the bars for support, Amaya, ignoring her protests, sent the girl into a peaceful sleep, devoid of all dreams. Sango wanted to see Miroku when he woke, Amaya knew, but she knew the girl was near collapse, and it would be better for both the slayer and the monk if the girl was at least slightly rested when he awoke.
After much time had passed, and Amaya could feel her jewel's light wavering slightly, signalling that the sun was beginning to rise, Mushin stood up, shaking and sweating slightly, and placed Miroku's hand down on the bed-- a special wrap with a seal to help control the curse until it healed firmly set in place-- and turned toward her.
'How does he fare?' She asked, even though she had been standing over the monk nearly the entire time, she had no real idea how Miroku was doing-- though it couldn't have been too terrible, considering the fact that none of them were currently in whatever lay on the other side of the monk's wind tunnel.
'I managed to draw the tunnel out, but I think it has spread again.' The drunkard said slowly, shaking his head. 'I do not know how long Miroku will survive like this.'
Amaya nodded. 'Arigato, monk. You have done us a great service.' The monk's brow furrowed.
'I did it for Miroku's sake, not yours.' He said, peering at her. 'Tell me, why do you care so much?' He asked, and Amaya blinked, finding she had no answer.
Swiftly she turned away, and moved toward the stairs. 'Come then, monk. I will return you to your "temple" and your sake.'
Mushin made a slight grumbling noise, but said nothing, because he clearly wanted to return home.
Amaya led him out of the dungeon, again holding the door and effectively baffling and amusing the guards, while her mind muttered "baka's" repeatedly, before taking him outside and down the many winding paths to the places where the two fire-horses were still waiting for her (a fact that slightly surprised her, since she had not given any command for them to do so, but had more left them with the open ability to leave, daring them to take it).
But they hadn't, and so Amaya gracefully mounted, while the monk, even after using a rock to boost himself up slightly higher, had many failed attempts at getting on (mostly because the horse kept moving around at the last minute, unsettling him and making him loose his grip). When he finally did mount, it was really more a job of him standing on the rock, gripping the horse's shoulder (because the mane was made of real fire) and flinging himself across the creature's back, which made the horse snort in annoyance and anger, and Amaya shake her head in exasperation, amusement, and warning, telling the horse not to even attempt hurting the man.
The creature snorted, then put her amber eyes forward, glaring angrily at the offending black rocks that made up their little hideaway. Amaya patted it on the neck as her own horse pulled up along side it, and the creature jerked away.
Amaya glared, but decided it wasn't worth the effort to reprimand the horse, and so simply egged both creatures into movement, ignoring the shout of surprise that escaped the monks lips as the creatures tore off suddenly into the sky, leaving trails of fire blazing behind them.
The horses travelled fast, grateful to get away from the poisonous miasma, and they arrived in half the time it took to arrive at Naraku's castle in the first place.
Her own landed smoothly, having been severely reprimanded by her before for nearly unseating her in the last attempt, Mushin's, however, felt no such need for his rider, and landed roughly on the ground, bucking slightly to thoroughly make certain the man would be unseated.
The monk tumbled the ground and glared angrily, muttering about incompetent demon's as he pulled himself to his feet.
'I thank you again, for what you did for Miroku.' She said again, bowing slightly before the monk.
'He's a good boy.' Mushin said. 'He deserves all the happiness that life can give him.' The monk cast her a slightly concerned glance. 'You will get him out of there won't you? The boy should have his last years on earth in freedom, not spent in the dungeons of that monster.'
Amaya raised an eyebrow. 'The way I hear it, he's quite a force to be reckoned with. Especially when it comes to matters of the female variety. Kagome tells me he's quite the lecher.'
Mushin nodded. 'Miroku's whole bloodline was like that-- it was that reason that his grandfather was possessed by the curse in the first place, and that reason that caused his wind tunnel to spread again.'
Amaya nodded slowly. 'I'm afraid I don't much care to know the rest of either of these stories.' She said solemnly, then added 'and I shall do whatever I can to get him out of there. But it may take me a while yet.'
Mushin's brow furrowed again. 'Just don't take too long. He does not have much time left to live-- if he survives healing the curse at all.'
Amaya stared at him coldly. 'He will survive.' She said determinedly. 'Otherwise I know where I can find you, do I not?' She added, as she turned and remounted the stallion, who jerked his head slightly in anger, but did not attempt to unseat her.
'Sayounara, monk. And for your sake, I hope the monk pulls through.' She said, and then the two youkai had taken off into the air, allowing themselves to be led with her mind as they headed, not toward the castle, but toward the circle of mountains that were topped, not with ice and forests, but with meadows and rivers. It was here that she had first caught the beasts.
They landed and she dismounted, turning to face the two youkai who looked like they just wanted to bolt right then and there.
'I thank you as well for your services.' She said, movement at the edge of the meadow by the encircling forest caught her eye, and she gestured with her head. 'Go now, your herd awaits you. If I should ever need your aid again, I shall call for you. I hope you will do me the honour of responding.'
The two youkai looked at her, and the mare shook her mane in excitement as she turned and began to trot back toward her herd.
The stallion looked at her hard for a moment, then bent slightly at the knees and lowered his neck in what was clearly his form of a bow.
She returned the gesture, knowing she had just gained an important alliance with the beasts, and then watched as the creature reared, before turning and racing toward his herd, sparks kicking up at his heels, to the naked eye appearing as nothing more than a blaze of fire.
Amaya smiled slightly and the turned away, she stood and waited for a moment, just breathing, before she transformed into her falcon form and took off into the air.
She soared low, circling over the horses, letting out a shriek just to make sure, and they paused, looking up at her, and then the stallion reared and whinnied in response.
She let out another shriek and then soared off, knowing for certain that they would answer her if she called, understanding that she had not captured them out of want, but out of sheer need, and then she had set them free when she could have maintained them as her slaves. No youkai, not even the one's who lived in animal form, took things like that lightly.
They knew that they were indebted to her.
And she knew that, if she called, then would come.
Because they all knew that, in these times, there was nothing more important than the alliances they formed with one another.
And that was all they needed to know.
Because that was all that mattered.
Glossary
Mushin - The monk who, seemingly, raised and taught Miroku after his father and grandfather had been sucked into their own wind tunnels. He was possessed by a demon worm charmer and nearly killed Miroku and Inuyasha on the episode "Miroku falls into a dangerous trap". That's about all I know about him other than the fact that he's a drunk
Sango - It's an actual japanese word in itself that seems to mean coral, or post-mortem\after childbirth
Shippo - It means tail(animal). However, Shippou means something else entirely (the 7 treasures (gold, silver, pearls, agate, etc)
Baka - Idiot, fool, moron, incompetent, etc
Sake - A japenese rice "wine". It's brewed like beer.
Sayounara - Goodbye -- It's usually only used when you're not going to be seeing someone in a long time.
Youkai - Demon\monster\etc
(Also, anyone know what Miroku means? I'm having a bit of trouble finding this one out)
SPECIAL THANX 2: Black Betty, Almandine-Azaleea, xolovexinuyasha, Mustluvkits101 (Hope you feel better soon!), RamblingPhilsopher, Sexy Kat, Darking Queen and sourapple10000.
The people are the reviewers from the last chapter. They are the ones who are willing to spend time feeding my ego in hopes to get me to update again. And, unsurprisingly enough, it works! This chapter is up because of them, so if you enjoyed it you've got them to thank. I wonder how many more times I can say They or them before it really starts to get on my nerves.