A\N: Hey Hey everyone!
Guess what?
There are now 195 reviews!
Anybody else believe that?
one hundred and ninty-fucking-five!
o.o
Insane, isn't it?
Anyway, this chapter is a fair sized chapter I think. Things are starting to get interesting again. Sess should be in the next chapter (I think) and then I'll probably go back to Inuyasha for a bit. What I have in store for him might surprise more than a few of you though, so be ready for it!
-Almandine-Azaleea - Well it should be suspenseful, after all that's only like three of the characters in this story so far. It's interesting-- I've gotten Amaya so wrapped up and given her so much personality that people are becoming fond of her and don't want me to kill her. That could make it more difficult before the end... Lol. -- Thanks for reviewing Farwell, my beloved Sango! I'm glad you enjoyed that fic so much!
-Lost Soul 4 Rizzle - Lol, WPP - Witness Protection Program. I have a habit of shortening things down like that and then nobody knows what the hell I'm talking about. It's kind of funny actually. Yeah, if and when they kill Naraku in that thing, Kagura and Sess will probably end up together. And rin and Kohaku may very well end up together as well (though only when they get older). The only ones who don't really stand a chance are Inuyasha and Kagome. Unless, of course, Inuyasha became human (to get rid of the jewel) and then went to live in Kagome's time (if the well allowed it that is). Yeesh. What a nightmare that'd be.
-Black Betty - Lol, actually you can say whatever the hell you damn well want. The question is whether or not it will effect how I write my story. Which, no offence, but it probably won't. If I want to write something a certian way and have something happen a certain way then that's the way it's gonna be. End of story. As my family so often tells me-- I am nothing if not stubborn.
-sourapple10000 - Oh that was a great chapter in your story! Inuyasha kidnapping Kagome! HA! Face it Kagome, you're going back to the feudal era one way or another-- whether you like it or not!
-xolovexinuyasha - Well, I actually don't think there's a story on the web that's made me cry yet. I'm just not that emotional like that. Didn't cry at the end of Titanic, LotR, Romeo and Juliet. I was more like: Well, that was a fairly decent ending-- lots of emotion in there. Okay, what's for dinner? Lol. Still, I do like writing dark fics (and when I say dark I mean dark dark) and if you were to take a look at some of my work (which is not appropriate for this site) you would understand exactly how fucked up my little mind is. Also-- maybe we do have the same taste in music, but I don't know. I rarely actually like a particular band or singer-- I just like songs. So long as it's not country (which is just bad) and Rap (which is not music) I'll usually listen to it. I may not always like it, but I'll usually listen to it. What can I say-- I don't march to the beat of a different drum-- I march to the beat of a different instrument altogether!
-MewMewFireHeart - Now why does everyone insist on calling her claypot? Wouldn't something like undead bitch be more fitting? Lol, in case you haven't noticed, I really don't like Kikyo. The only thing I like about her is her voice (which gives her one up on Kagome-- the only thing I like about her is her ability to "sit" Inuyasha-- which she totally abuses and overdoes anyway!).
-lunerfox - Sure I'll look at it, just give me a minute... Goes off to read story...Haha! Now this seems interesting! What's happening to poor little Kagome? You might want to add a bit of detail to the talking so we can tell whose saying what a bit more easily (I get really annoyed when someone says something in a story and then I don't know who said it and then I sit there for fifteen minutes trying to figure out who did. I'm not saying that you did this, but...) but other than that it's really well written and a certainly interesting plot! I can't wait to read more of it! How come it's only got seven reviews? Ugh! Stupid people! fumes and glares angrily at non-reviewers Stupid baka people! It's not like it's hard to review-- you just click a button and type and then click the button again. Wow. Actually, you know what, on second thought that does seem a little too strenuous. It's not like we're superman you know?
-Box Queen - Soon enough for ya?
-Darking Queen - Hey, that's okay! I only know what I'm talking about maybe 40 of the time, and I'm usually just talking in my sleep when that happens! Lol, you're right, we are probably only about halfway through. To be honest, I think this story may very well get up to fifty chapters before I'm done with it. It's just the way things have to be-- I haven't even gotten all the people into one place yet! Let alone introduced all the characters I'm gonna need...
-MustluvKits101 - I know... it's freaky...
-Sexy Kat - You're welcome, Sexy Kat! lol, that's weird, I think that's the first time someone's said my penname.
Okay, well, I have to get up real early tomorrow to do some shit for school, so I'm gonna be going now! Ciao!
Baka Youkai
'Amaya?' The voice was soft and tentative, but Amaya's eyes immediately snapped over to the source of the voice. Kagome was staring up at her, pure concern etched on her face, and Amaya frowned and glared at the girl.
'What?' She demanded, more snappish then she had meant to, but Kagome didn't seem to mind. The girl was seriously beginning to get on the sorceress' nerves with her silent unrequited concern and worry and her constant questions and foolish fears-- it made Amaya wonder exactly what the hell happened to the ningen race to make them so weak in the girl's time.
'You were falling asleep.' Kagome said after a moment, and Amaya blinked, then narrowed her eyes again.
'What would make you think that?' She said, her voice low and menacing, daring the girl to say the wrong thing. Kagome, of course, was unaffected. She was used to the woman's strange and sudden mood swings and bouts of anger, her ability to sometimes trail off in the middle of a sentence, looking lost deep in thought, and then turning suddenly and leaving before Kagome could even question what had preoccupied her in the first place.
'Your eyes were closed and you weren't paying attention to what I was saying.' Kagome said, and Amaya raised an eyebrow.
'You assume much, Kagome, to think that I would simply fall asleep. If you are going to make assumptions, at least make reasonable ones. Perhaps what you were telling me was simply too bland and boring for me to want to listen.'
Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. 'Alright.' She said exasperatedly, earning her a glare from the sorceress, who then abruptly turned and left, storming up the stairs with enough wrath to make the guards cringe slightly as she walked past.
How dare that stupid ningen girl accuse her of falling asleep!
But, then again, she was pretty tired. Amaya slowed slightly as this thought occurred to her.
It was true, she was tired. She had not slept and had barely eaten since she had retrieved Mushin, and it was beginning to take it's toll on her. Silently, she cursed her weak human body as she stormed toward one of the other dungeons-- this one lacking any guards for security reasons.
If anyone came and attempted a rescue, they would automatically go into the dungeons with the guards first, and only later, if they got the chance, explore the ones that had no one guarding them.
Naraku had taken this into account, and had placed some of the more important prisoners who were too weak to escape even without guards into prisons and left them unguarded. This particular one was supposed to hold the boy, Kohaku, that the half-breed had once used so much.
Now he was nothing more than a prisoner, a means of leverage should the slayer ever manage to acquire something he wanted. Amaya snorted slightly at the thought, and touched the keyhole with her finger, sending a small jolt of fiery red light that crackled like electricity into the lock and effectively opened the door for her.
She made a small scoffing sound at the demon-lords cheap attempts at security-- an apprentice sorcerer could have gotten through that!
She went down and stared at the figure kneeling in the cell, his head lowered in a bow, and his eyes devoid of any emotion. She could tell just the stiff way his body held itself that, not only was this creature no longer truly alive, but it had been in this position of eternal kneeling for a very long time.
She frowned and approached slowly. The boy did not move.
She used the charm again and opened the cell door, cautiously kneeling down next to him. Still he remained motionless.
Her hands ran slowly down his back, over the dark slayer uniform, until she could feel the aura of the jewel emanating at it's strongest. Her hand moved itself under his clothing and she used her nails to gently tear open the poorly healed flesh there, and then close around the jewel.
The boy tensed, and she knew that it was instinct to protect, not his own life, but the jewel from falling into another grasp that was driving him now, and he would attack her.
Tightening her grip on the shard, she twisted and yanked back, wrenching it from the boy's spine.
His body spasmed slightly, then fell to the ground, limp.
Amaya stared at him for a moment, then, tucking the jewel away in a small pouch in her kimono, she reached down and wrapped her arms around the boy's limp form, shuddering slightly as the feel of cold dread that surrounded only the dead enveloped her.
Pushing it aside, she wrapped the boy in her cloak, making him appear to be nothing more than a corpse being taken to feed Naraku's army.
She carried him up the stairs and outside into the large courtyard without much interference.
Naraku had sent most of the demon army off to try and overthrow the entire Neko clan that still thrived in the east. She had serious doubts he would succeed.
The cats were cunning and patient and brutal, not unlike Sesshomaru, and you would not even know that the rolls of the game "cat and mouse" had been reversed until they had their claws imbedded in your neck.
A few demons, however, still remained.
Amaya wrinkled her nose slightly in disgust as she passed a particularly large brown demon with large horns running down his incredibly large nose. There was some sort of smell-- like corpses and rotting garbage-- emanating from the beast, and it was enough to make her gag.
The demon looked over at her, and a low, but incredibly loud, rumbling growl came from him that shook the entire courtyard as he began to move toward her, eyes fixed on Kohaku, clearly mistaking him for food.
Amaya lashed out at the demon, a long black streak of a spell whipping through the air and lashing the demon firmly and violently on the cheek, causing a good deal of dark blood to flow to the ground and nearly severing one of his horns.
The demon shrieked in pain and rage as it reared away from her, doubling it's already incredibly height as it thrashed it's claws around. Amaya stood her ground and glared. She was not going to be intimidated by some overgrown whelp of a demon who seemed to win his fights based on pure fear of size alone, judging by the way he reacted to the minor cut he had received.
'Keep your oversized teeth to yourself, baka youkai. This boy is not for eating.' She snarled at the demon, and he glared at her menacingly, saliva dripping from his lips and falling to the ground in drops large enough to effectively soak most of the courtyard and her as they exploded on the stone.
However, the demon seemed to decide it was best not to attack, and, after a moment more of glaring, turned and went back to whatever vulgar activity he had been engrossed in before.
Amaya shook her head, and then made her way swiftly out of the courtyard and off up into the cliffs where the two-headed youkai Ah-Un had agreed to wait for her.
She wasn't entirely sure how Sesshomaru had known she would want to meet today, but it didn't really matter anymore -- his promptness would serve only to aide her. Plus, it proved that she was working with at least one person of competence who might actually be useful before the end.
She set Kohaku on the beast before mounting behind it, using the reins more as a means of preventing Kohaku from tumbling to his...whatever.
'You know the way.' She said to the creature, gently prodding it's sides, and one head turned to look back at her, while the other was sniffing at the air, before both returned forward and, without warning, the creature took off into the air with such surprising agility that Amaya was momentarily thrown off guard and was forced to clutch to it's shoulders to stop from plummeting to her own "whatever".
Glaring at the creature's back, she pulled Kohaku's body more tightly against her, and pressed them both close against the youkai's back to allow it freer movement and less struggle against the winds currently whipping her flesh and stinging her skin.
Talking to the creature was useless since it obviously couldn't respond, and it probably wouldn't be able to hear her anyway, so she simply clung to it's back and angrily waited for the ride to be over.
END
SPECIAL THANX TO - Almandine-Azaleea, Lost Soul 4 Rizzle, Black Betty, sourapple10000, xolovexinuyasha, MewMewFireHeart, lunerfox, Box Queen, Darking Queen (pay attention, we have two royals in our presence!), MustluvKits101 and Sexy Kat -- They are the completely amazing reviewers for the last chapter! ROCK ON YOU GUYS!
CMoC - Smells like Teen Spirit - Nervana, Bad Day - Daniel Powter, Scars - Papa Roach, and Fukai Mori (Deep Forest) again by Do as Infinity