A\N: Lol, I hope everyone finds this chapter at least slightly up to standards. I have no idea-- I was half-dead when I wrote it.
Oh yeah, and for anyone who likes AMV's, I found a kind of interesting one (I like it anyway) with Inuyasha at this link (http/video. so you can check it out there if you want.
To everyone else-- sorry, it's taken me a long time to update, I know. I'm afraid you'll probably have to get used to it though-- I've been neglecting some of my other stories and my other reviewers are really anxious for me to get the next chapters up. Since I don't have the energy to work on both (and since I've been giving this one so much time lately) I'm afraid I have to switch over to that one for a little while. Gomen, but that's the way it has to be.
-Wish-full Thinker - Lol, I try not to make Sess out of character cause it annoys the hell out of me in other people's stories, but I can never tell if I succeed. For every genre of F-fiction I write there's always one character who it drives me insane when people get him wrong. For Inuyasha it's Sesshomaru (don't ask me why, cause he's not exactly my favourite character although I do like him a lot). Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah. I'll try and keep him in character, but I have no idea in all of hell if I'll succeed. My deepest apologies if I don't. Anyway, to the rest of your review: Naw, it's never too late! Lol, I'm glad you enjoy her so much. I'm not entirely sure where she came from, but one of my friends suggested (and I'm sure I've said this before) that she's some sort of messed up cross between Tsubaki(?) and Kagura. I'm not sure how or when she decided to get herself so involved in the story, since I had never planned on having her in it, but she did and got quite comfortable in fact, and it's a little late to get rid of her now, so she'll probably be around for a few chapters more at least. -- Actually, it may be something closer to 30(o.o) but I don't know. Yeah, I'll definitely continue writing fiction, but I don't know when I'll take on another fic of this sort. I prefer to write challenge fics actually, but only really unique ones and I don't always take them up. Right now I'm backlogged since I've got four stories with multiple chapters (though one is only one chapter away from finishing and another hasn't really been posted yet but was requested by someone a while ago so I need to work on that) and I need to work on all of them while trying not to neglect any of the others. It's a little difficult. looks over reply Hm. Well, this has turned into one big long rant. And just when I was getting so good with avoiding that too...
-sourapple10000 - Yeah, I know, movies and stories can be fairly predictable. In fact, I'm not sure why anybody bother's with them. We should just do away with them for good! Lol, nooooooooo, don't listen to me! I didn't mean it! -- I really like movies and stories. Lol, but you're right-- they are predictable. Cause, as soon as you know who the hero is (the main one anyway) you also know that he can't die. At least not for a very long time. That's why I like to write stories that leave possibilities like that open. Even though I seriously doubt I'll be killing Inuyasha for a while yet (if ever) but I could always go off and kill, I don't know, Sesshomaru or Amaya just to see how everyone else would react, and nobody could tell me to do otherwise.
-xolovexinuyasha - Hm. He'll be killed for sure? That's making this scenario into even a bigger challenge than I first anticipated... I love it! We'll just have to see what I can do with this now won't we? -- And it wasn't that surprising?... darn... Guess I'll just have to work harder to impress or surprise you next time now won't I? It's no fun when everything's predictable and the readers are allowed to relax back from the edge of their seats.
-Black Betty - Lol, I have to assume whatever "Thing" I was talking about was the barrier that Kikyo has set up around her little temple to keep Naraku out and Inuyasha in. Like St. Hakushien's(sp?) barrier only different.
-wolfgirl13 - aww, I don't want to kill you! Can you go to jail for something like that? "Killing someone with suspense". Hm. I wonder what the maximum sentence would be.
-Almandine-Azaleea - Lol, I'm glad you like them!
-ashliehn -
-Box Queen - oh no! Oh, yeesh, I probably was really starting to worry you there, huh? Crazy psycho-hyper author hopped up on anti-depressants.
-Sexy Kat - Lol, well we'll see who kicks whose ass soon enough, won't we? But remember-- Inuyasha's still not in any kind of condition to fight Naraku. He's got control of his mind, but how long do you think it's been since he's been in a battle?
-RamblingPhilosopher - Aw, I'm sorry-- all you have to do is ask and I might just answer (unless it gives away the plot or I don't know the answer). I'm sorry to hear you had a bad day-- I know exactly what you mean about all those things wearing down on your nerves. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not an entire patient person, and I have had my nerves worn down on so many times, I've only got one frazzled nerve left to wear on. Anyway, I think the point of that was that I know how you feel. And I'm glad I could add a small silver lining to your cloud! -- "I'm optimistic, I just don't want to get my hopes up."
-ultimateromantic - Well You're going to have to take a bit more at least. Either that, or stop reading. -- (No, no, please don't!)
Breaking the Barrier
Amaya glared at the barrier as she sent another tendril of dark magic toward it.
It was a simple spell that would disguise someone in demonic aura, and so far the barrier was stubbornly resisting it with all it's heart. She sighed. It was clearly a very spiritually strong person who had erected this.
Which would mean that it would take a powerful burst of magic to even tear through it for a very short amount of time.
Mentally growling in frustration at the damn thing's stubbornness, she opened her mouth and shot a beam of blue light into the air, visible only to the eyes of a youkai.
After a moment of it hovering there, it faded away, and she waited on her perch just outside the blizzard filled barrier, until the sound of thunder reached her ears and two orange streaks came soaring through the air toward her.
The two fire youkai-- the stallion and a different, younger male she hadn't encountered before-- landed on the rocky outcrop of a cliff nearby her perch and turned their fiery eyes toward her.
'I need you to wait here for me, and be ready to move as soon as I tell you.' She mentally told the beasts. The Stallion gave a slight shake of his fire-mane, and she took that as a yes, before turning back toward the barrier.
She knew that she would never be able to make it to Inuyasha and back in the short amount of time her rip in the barrier would allow. She would have to retrieve him with some kind of magic-- it should be simple enough, considering spells of retrieval were one of the simplest to perform. However, she was worried that, once she burst the barrier, she would be too drained to perform it.
Gripping the branch tightly with her talons, she quickly began concentrating, focusing all her energy, all her power on the barrier, ignoring the strange looks she received from the two youkai in response as she blocked out the entire world, her eyes seeing nothing but the shimmering blue wall before her.
She opened her mouth again with a violent shriek as more light shot from her mouth, hitting and crackling violently against the shield, causing the horse youkai to shriek in surprise.
A dark wind began to swirl, and the branch cracked threateningly under her, but slowly her spell was breaking through the shield.
When she felt the hole was large enough, she snapped her beak shut, but realised she was too drained to retrieve the hanyou. So she spoke to the youkai instead. 'Quickly, whichever of you is swiftest, go and retrieve the silver-haired hanyou and return before the barrier is closed!' She shouted in her mind.
The stallion immediately burst into action, jumping up and through the frayed hole in the spirit shield as it's edged crackled angrily around him.
She watched him speed toward the temple now visible properly through the shield, even as it's edges began to weave together and repair themselves.
She started as blue began to creep down at an alarming rate and she realised that it was closing itself much faster than she had anticipated. If the stallion did not find Inuyasha now, he would not make it back in time before the shield closed.
'You underestimate the speed of the horse-youkai!' A voice thundered in her head, and she was puzzled a moment, not entirely sure who it was.
A blaze of light shot past them suddenly, and Amaya was momentarily stunned as she looked around to find Inuyasha clinging desperately to the back of the horse youkai even as the barrier closed gently behind her with a loud "snick".
She frowned at the stallion in confusion. 'You talk?' She asked, and he shook his mane.
'Only through our minds. We had yet to meet a ningen who could do the same, and never bothered attempting with you.' He said, and she stared in amazement for a moment, before collecting herself, flying over and landing on the cliff, transforming as the visibly shaken hanyou dismounted from the stallions back.
'That' he announced loudly 'was the worst thing I have ever ridden, and I will never fucking do that again! He's worse that Toutousai's damn cow!' The stallion snorted angrily, and Amaya raised an eyebrow.
'Well you'll have to get used to it, Inuyasha. He has just gifted you your freedom, you should be thanking him, not complaining. And you have no real choice in the matter: you either ride one of the youkai, or we leave you here to die on the cliff. Make your decision with haste, we do not have all night!'
Inuyasha stared at her dumbfounded, and glared at the two youkai, the younger of which eyed him, half angrily, half mischievously, and Amaya did not really want to know what was going through the creature's mind.
'Come, Inuyasha, and mount. We have a fair distanced journey ahead of us and no time to loose. If you want to go to your brother, we have only a short time to depart before Kikyo realises you are missing and she sets Naraku on a manhunt.' That said, she swiftly mounted the back of the stallion, and waited while Inuyasha, grumbling angrily, did the same with the younger of the two youkai.
It grunted and snorted angrily, taking a snap at his foot, though the stallion quickly stayed it by biting it's flank roughly. The two stared each other down a moment, before the younger youkai looked away, flattening his ears submissively.
'All done your little argument?' She asked the two youkai and the oblivious and indignant Inuyasha. When three sets of eyes turned toward her, she smiled and nodded. 'Good. Then let us be on our way--'
'And where exactly may our way be?' The stallion's voice rang in her mind. She paused. 'I do not know exactly I have only a name and a general are. We are trying to find a demon by the name of Sesshomaru-- he is an inuyoukai, like Inuyasha--'
'I thought he was a hanyou.'
'He is! Now pay attention. He is an inuyoukai like Inuyasha, and their scents are similar I imagine because they are brothers. This youkai rules over the western lands, but I do not know his exact location, however, I am hoping you may be able to find him by scent alone.'
The horse snorted. 'Scent is not our strongest point, but I shall try.' He said, before moving toward Inuyasha and taking a might sniff. The hanyou pulled away, glaring at the youkai angrily. 'What the hell is he doing?' He demanded, and Amaya glared.
'He is trying to pick up your scent so that he may use it as a comparison to help locate your brother. Now either hold your tongue and cooperate or at least use it to show some respect, because I do not want to have to gag you for this trip!' She said, and Inuyasha growled lowly, but remained silent, fuming as the horse continued to sniff him, but not pulling away.
After a moment, the youkai moved away.
'Ready?' She asked, and he shook his mane again. 'Good.' She said 'then lets go--' the rest of her sentence was cut off as the youkai suddenly swept into the air, causing both hanyou and ningen to cling to their necks to avoid falling to the cliffs below as the two youkai sped toward the western lands, tasting the air for the scent of the one called Sesshomaru.
END
Glossary
Gomen - (This is in my "little" rant, not the story) sorry
Youkai - Demon
Hanyou - Half-demon
Ningen - Human
Toutousai - The swordsmith who forged both Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga.
Inuyoukai - Dog-Demon
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE OH-SO-PATIENT-REVIEWERS OF LAST CHAPTER: Wish-full Thinker, sourapple10000, xolovexinuyasha, Black Betty, wolfygirl13, Almandine-Azaleea, ashliehn, Box Queen, Sexy Kat, RamblingPhilosopher (Hope today was a better day ), and ultimateromantic
As well as Everyone who read and reviewed "Farwell, My Beloved Sango" -- It's a little late for this (and I'm not entirely sure how many people who read that are reading this) but I figured I'd better put this up anyway!
CMoC - Lies (aka - Inuyasha's unofficial theme song ) - Evanescence, Here without you - 3 doors down, Broken - Seether, Ugly - The Exies, Breathing - Yellowcard, Angels with Dirty Faces - Sum41, Brand New World - V6 and Crazy - Simple Plan