A/N: Hm, Hm, Hm. Lots of birthdays this time of year, ain't there?
-Punk Rock Miko2 - Lol, yep, at least he's starting to realize it...
-Clouds of the Sky - Oh, well then I'm sorry I made you late. I'm not sure what else I can do about that... But thanks for the passing grade! Probably the best mark I've gotten in a while!
-Almandine-Azaleea - No, you're right. He tends to be a very quiet person (I think anyway) though that may be an effect of being so cold all the time. Still, quiet people tend to think. A lot. And it gives them a lot of time to develop ideas and theories that are more complex that a person who talks a lot might. That's not to say that they're smarter, they're just not as distracted. And that's probably where the saying "It's always the quiet ones" comes from. So I guess we'd better watch out for Sesshomaru, he could be dangerous! But then again, I suppose that goes without saying! -- OH, and thanks for your review on Subjection, Subjugation by the way! I don't know when I'm gonna get around to updating it again, so I figured I'd better thank you here!
-Black Betty - Lol, well I personally think that he always knew he had to protect them, he was just too damn headstrong to admit it cause it's a weakness, and he is the "killing perfection". -- And thanks for reviewing Subjection, Subjugation! I'm glad you're enjoying it! It's always nice to have twisted readers... gives me someone to relate to!
-lunerfox - Is it really? Well then, by all means, I'll give you a couple of updates today, hows that sound? This chapter, and we'll see if I can't manage another one! Really, that's just about the best b-day gift I can manage virtually! So otanjoubiomedetougozaimasu to you! -- That word that is nearly a sentence by itself is supposed to be Japanese for Happy birthday, but I don't actually know if that's accurate...
-Wings Of Fayth - Lol, well maybe not nice, he's still gonna be cold like he was, he's just starting to see things in a different light. That's all.
-Ania24 - Well I'm glad you liked him! And thanks for reviewing my new story! Don't know when I'm gonna update, but I figured that, since I know you're probably gonna read this, I might as well thank you early!
-xolovexinuyasha - Oh no, by all means, curse away! Hell knows I do it enough! -- Sorry about you having to play volleyball though. I mean, seriously, that is a sport that I have always and will always hate and to see a fellow hater suffer like that... Still, I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter... maybe these next couple will help cheer you up a little, neh?
-Lord Makura - Lol, now is that cutie Inu-Yasha, or just cutie Inu in general?
-ladyx12 - Oh, well I'm from Canada (or Canadia, whichever you prefer), more specifically Alberta. People down here listen to that sort of stuff as well... just not as much I don't think. Not me. I, personally, have a very low tolerance for rap and things like that. I, personally think a lot of us Canadians might just listen to rock/pop because most of our bands are like that. Not me though. i just listen to it because I like it. I don't give a crap where the people are from. -- Lol, well I always try and keep everybody's ideas in mind, but still, yours is definitely one of the more interesting ones. Lol, and I'm glad you told me your changing it. A couple people changed it once, and I had no idea, and I started talking to them like they were different people... it got really confusing!
-woflygirl13 - Eep! Lol, sounds like you could use some powers of your own to help deal with that mess! Yeesh! Poor Inu! I suppose you did warn him though! Still, it was just make-up... now he's in Rin's surgery! Woosh! I suggest you keep an eye on that, just in case... unless, of course, you have a weak stomach, then... well I don't really know what you'd do, but still, don't want a dead Inu now do you? And maybe Naraku isn't as good as he's pretending to be down there, neh? Poor Sesshomaru though! I mean, I'm no guy, but that still... had to... hurt... Then again, if Naraku hadn't done that he might have killed Inuyasha. Woosh! Somehow I don't think HAZMAT is going to be enough! I hope you get Miroku and Sango and Kirara down before they hurt themselves! Seems like the rest are already a lost cause... EW! Brittany Spears! I can understand why Sesshomaru went berserk! Woosh! Seems like the only sane chibi's there are Shippo and Rin, and there kids who are acting as doctor and secretary! Talk about out of control! Lol!
-Kuroi - Lol, thanks! Huzzah! -- And I don't know if Ania24 is her penname, it's just a guess, so...
-Sexy Kat - Oh, lol! Yep, he's starting to feel... or at least acknowledge that he can feel. And who knows, maybe one of these days he'll actually start to show it too!
-Inume-Blue - Lol, yep! Yay for the two Daiyoukai! And so what if you're weird. Do you know anybody who isn't? "Everybody is somebody else's weirdo." Besides, if you weren't weird you probably would have gotten scared off from this story a long time ago. -- Oh, yeah, school can be a real pain. And I don't know about the spelling. Illegal is one of the words I've always had trouble remembering the spelling of. -- Lol, well I'm glad I could help some! Let me know how it goes! -- And you were close. It's Izayoi.
Don't feel like talking anymore at the moment -- I've got to go work on the next chapter!
Flight to Kashikari
Amaya mentally narrowed her eyes as she soared along next to Gouka, glancing over at the old priestess riding on his back, before looking at the lands soaring by beneath her.
They were fairly high up now-- high enough that they barely had to swerve to avoid some of the lower mountains, her wingtips brushing against the crowns of clouds that they donned.
The landscape was not entirely entertaining to her, and seemed to be getting slightly more desolate and barren the further into the mountains they went, the trees crumbling and fading away until nothing but the most decayed and twisted of them could be seen to be growing.
Yet it was clear that they were making some progress-- they had left Naraku's miasma several leagues behind them already, which meant they were in a domain he had yet to reach.
A domain where a very powerful creature lurked, holding him back from entering it's territory.
And this both pleased and worried her.
Because she knew that, if the plan to rise against Naraku failed, then, if she could convince Kashikari, they would at least have somewhere to flee to and regroup for a while.
However, the further and further she got from Naraku, the weaker her hold over Kana's mirror and his mind her grasp became.
So far she had been using her strongest and subtlest mind spells to stop him from considering to bother checking on Kagome and the others-- or her for that matter. She had been placing similar spells on Kikyo, though, since the woman was a priestess they had minimal effects, but it had kept the priestess's train of thoughts going pretty much in circles-- constantly wondering where Inuyasha was, but never actually having enough focus to figure it out.
Yet now that she was so far away, either of them could break free from her grasp easily enough, and then she could only dare to imagine the chaos that would ensue.
Still, it was necessary to go on this trip.
Kashikari was old and wise and incredibly powerful.
He also had very low tolerance for others who disturbed him, and would not hesitate to destroy any he thought to be intruders.
Even sending mind messages to him wouldn't work, since his mind was so carefully blocked, and sending another with her own mind messages would be suicide for that other, since Kashikari would likely not care who sent them.
In his mind, if it was not important enough for them to come to him themselves, then it wasn't important enough to be bothered with.
Still, she hoped that he would listen to reason.
It had been many years since she had met with him, and since he had come up with many ways to hide himself from detection.
Which is why she needed Kaede-- only a priestess would be able to detect the barriers whereabouts, let alone break some of them.
And, once broken through, Kashikari's barriers almost automatically sealed up again, which meant that, while they would be safe from detection within his barriers, it would be quite a fight to make it through.
After that she would need to convince the ancient beast to help them.
She didn't expect him to join in the battle, but hopefully he would allow them to harbour here if things went amiss in the battle with Naraku, and Sesshomaru's lands were no longer safe.
That is, assuming she could reason with him.
And, when it came to a creature like Kashikari, there was simply never any guarantee of that.
SPECIAL THANKS AND LOTS OF POCKY FOR: Punk Rock Miko2, Clouds of the Sky, Almandine-Azaleea, Black Betty, lunerfox (otanjoubiomedetougozaimasu!), Wings Of Fayth, Ania24, xolovexinuyasha, Lord Makura, ladyx12, wolfygirl13, Kuroi, Sexy Kat, Inume-Blue!
CMoC - Brother, My Brother - Blessid Union of Souls, Good Riddance (Time of your Life) - Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day, We are One Tonight - Switchfoot, Everywhere - Michelle Branch, Fly - Hillary Duff, Bring me to Life - Evanescence