Miroku: have you seen our beloved authoress anywhere?
Sango: "beloved"? –glares at Miroku-
Miroku: that's not what I meant!
Sango: Miroku…
Miroku: really, Sango, you're the only beloved in my life!!!
Sango: -blushes- really…? I mean…I mean…until the author returns, I'm doing the disclaimer! The author-wherever she may be-does not own the show or the characters…
Chapter Twenty-two: Little Star and Wounded Wolf
XoXoXo
Rin woke up to the brightness of the rising sun. She had become accustomed to waking up early due to her travels with Sesshoumaru. The little girl sat up, yawned and stretched. She smiled to herself. She wondered what kind of breakfast Helen was going to give her this time. Her favorite was the one that required milk. What was that? Cereal?
Rin stood up just as Sesshoumaru walked into camp with-Rin's eyes widened-Kagura. She silently approached her lord and looked tentatively up at Kagura. "Lord Sesshoumaru…?" Rin said hesitantly.
Sesshoumaru looked down at her. "You needn't be afraid of her, Rin, she is traveling with us now," he said. Kagura stepped in front of Rin and smiled at her but the little girl quickly hid behind Sesshoumaru. She was still frightened of Kagura.
"Rin…where are your manners?" Sesshoumaru asked.
The little girl hesitantly stepped in front of Kagura with slight hesitation and said, "Good morning…Lady Kagura…" her voice trailed off and Kagura tilted her head in reply. Rin turned her attention to Sesshoumaru and asked, "Where is…Lady Helen, Lord Sesshoumaru?"
"She will no longer be traveling with us, I'm afraid…" he replied as he walked off.
Rin looked at his retreating back. "But…why?" she asked.
Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to her. Rin looked at his eyes. Did she imagine it or was there a flicker of regret in them?
"She has…left," he said softly as he turned away.
Rin looked down at the ground. Kagura knelt in front of her and said. "It's alright…we can be friends instead." Her tone suggested that she didn't mean it.
Rin sighed and nodded her head.
"What are you doing here?!" Jaken bellowed as he entered the camp and saw Kagura with Rin. "Get away from Rin!" Jaken waved the Staff of Heads threateningly at her. A kick from Sesshoumaru sent him flying into the trees.
"Guess she's traveling with us now," Jaken whispered to Rin as soon as they had moved on. The two had hung back so that they could talk. "I wonder where Lady Helen went."
Rin sighed. "I want her to come back, Jaken-sama," she admitted.
Jaken sighed. "Me too…Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't kick me as much when she's around."
Rin turned her gaze back to the daiyoukai. "Jaken-sama…is just me or…is Lord Sesshoumaru a bit…regretful that he sent Lady Helen away?"
"It isn't just you," the toad said softly.
XoXoXo
Sango looked at her sleeping brother. Kohaku hadn't woken up ever since Inuyasha had brought him back and the group had decided that they not move on until Kohaku had gotten enough sleep so as to restore his energy.
"You do realize," Miroku said as he sat down next to Sango, "that Naraku will probably come after him to get him back…and that he hasn't remembered anything yet."
Sango nodded her head sadly. "I'm aware of it, Miroku."
Kagome approached them, a plate of eggs and rice in her hands. "Have something to eat, Sango," the priestess said as she handed Sango the plate.
"No thanks," Sango said pushing the plate back and looking at Kohaku with a sad look in her eyes. Kagome sighed and knelt down in front of her.
"Sango," she began. "I know how you feel…and we promise that we'll protect and help Kohaku as best as we can."
Sango gave her a small smile. "Thank you…" she said. "I know you want to go and search for Helen now…and I'm sorry if Kohaku is delaying us."
Kagome sighed and stared at Kohaku who was sleeping peacefully on the grass. "It's alright…besides…I think…Helen's…" Kagome voice trailed off.
"She's going to be fine," Inuyasha said as he entered their camp. "After all, if she can stand up to Sesshoumaru then standing up to Naraku will be a peace of cake."
XoXoXo
It may have been morning outside but within Naraku's castle, it was as if the sun never rose. It was even darker within Naraku's chamber where the said hanyou was sitting against the wall, staring at Kanna's mirror. He was staring at Kouga's group. A nasty smile crept up his lips as he stared at the two shards on the wolf demon's legs.
The door slid open and Helen walked in. She had discarded her modern clothing and was dressed in a white kimono with a black obi. Two slits in her kimono ran up to her knees and she was wearing boots. She had tied her hair back into a ponytail above her head. She still wore her necklace.
Naraku smirked again as she entered. His heart had made her aura dark. "Helen," he said, "perfect timing."
"What do you want?" she asked in a cold voice.
Kanna turned to her so that she saw Kouga in the mirror. "I want you to bring back the Shards in that wolf's legs," Naraku said as he stood up. "Whether you let him live or die is up to you." He extended a tentacle in front of him. It hardened until it became bone. The bone slowly shaped itself into a sword. Naraku smirked as he handed it to her.
Helen took it and glared at him. "What about-"
"You won't kill him yet," Naraku said softly, turning his back to her. "You'll have your chance…your chance to rid yourself of your heartache…in the meantime…get me those shards."
Helen didn't say anything as she left the room.
XoXoXo
"Kouga! Wait for us!" Hakaku and Ginta screamed as they tried in vain to run after Kouga who, as usual, was just too fast for them.
"Do you think Naraku is as slow as you?" Kouga bellowed behind him. "His pathetic incarnates are faster than you both!"
"But Kouga…we don't have Jewel Shards!" Ginta called out, panting. "I swear," he went on under his breath. "I've lost a lot of weight since I started joining Kouga…I was chubby when I was a kid."
"Kouga!" Hakaku shouted, dropping to the ground in a mock faint. "I can't run another step!"
"Me too!" Ginta said as he collapsed on Hakaku.
"Hey! Watch it!" Hakaku snapped. "Find your own ground to faint on!"
"Why do I travel with idiots?" Kouga muttered to himself as he ran back to them. "Five minutes! Then we're going to run back!"
"You're a saint, Kouga," Ginta said with relief he breathed in liberal amounts of air into his deflated lungs.
Hakaku chuckled. "I don't think 'saint' would be appropriate."
"Whatever." Kouga sat down cross legged behind them so that he could sit against a tree.
He stared up at the sky and thought of Kagome. He sighed. When was she going to finally become his woman? Why couldn't she see that he was a thousand times better than the mutt? He sighed again.
"I know that sigh," said Ginta, taking a golden opportunity to tease Kouga. "It means he's thinking about Kagome."
"Duh," said Hakaku. "Too bad Kagome's in love with Inuyasha."
"Shut up!" Kouga snapped as he stood up and hit them on the head. "Don't talk like that in front of me."
"Sorry Kouga," they both said in unison as they held the lumps on their heads.
Kouga stopped and sniffed the air. "This scent," he said as he sniffed again. "I don't know to whom this scent belongs to…but it's headed this way."
Kouga spun around and stared into the trees. A woman was headed toward them. "Get up you idiots!" Kouga said. "It seems that we got company."
The two other demons quickly stood up and stared at the newcomer. She was different. There was an aura about her that Kouga did not like; he narrowed his eyes at her. "Who are you?"
The girl's icy blue eyes pierced his own. "You are Kouga of the Wolf Demon tribe…correct?" she asked as she slowly unsheathed a sword from her waist.
"I dunno what kinda business you got with me," Kouga said as he cracked his knuckles. "But it seems to me that you're looking for trouble…and you're just a human."
The girl gave him an amused look. "Human huh?" she said dangerously as she pointed her sword at him. "You think that I am human?"
"You smell like one."
The girl smirked at him and without warning, she charged towards him, sword aimed dangerously at him. Kouga jumped out of the way with ease and landed in front of Hakaku and Ginta. He looked at the girl. She was fast, he'll give her that and there was something about her that did not seem quite right. The girl lunged toward him once more and he stopped the sword with his hands. "Give up," Kouga said as he gave the girl a smirk. "You can't win against me."
"You think not?" She focused her will at Kouga and his eyes widened. He couldn't move.
What the hell? Kouga thought. I can't move!
The girl pulled her sword from Kouga's grip and pointed it at him. "What's Kouga doing?" Ginta said. "He's not fighting back!"
The girl raised her sword above Kouga. "He can't move!" Hakaku said. "Come on, Ginta!" He and Ginta charged at the girl with all their wolf demon strength. The girl was not expecting them to attack. Her sword flew out of her hands as Hakaku kicked it from her hands and Ginta gave the girl a kick in the stomach that sent her flying back. She landed gracefully on her feet, a hand on her stomach. A moment later-due to the girl's being kicked-Kouga broke the spell over him and was able to move.
"Alright, who are you?" Kouga demanded, taking the girl seriously now that she proved to be a threat. "And how do you know me?"
The girl stood up and regained her composure. Her eyes strayed to the sword lying at Ginta's feet. "Well?" Kouga demanded impatiently. "Do you work for Naraku?"
The girl gave him a wicked smile. "More or less."
"Then in that case, I'm killing you!" Kouga, Hakaku and Ginta charged at the girl. She was not to be caught off guard this time. She held both her hands in front of her and in a flash, the three demons found themselves stopped in their tracks as if they had been frozen in time.
What is this girl? Kouga thought as he struggled to move. It seemed as if some invisible force was holding the three of them.
The girl smirked at them. She waved her hand once and her sword came rushing to her. She caught it by its hilt and looked at them with a nasty smirk. "Poor, poor, wolf demon," she cooed as she walked up to Kouga. She waved her hand again and the three demons were slammed into the ground, on their backs. "You think that I am a pathetic human?"
Kouga felt a piercing pain in both his legs as the girl slashed at them and picked up the two Jewel Shards which were still wet with his blood. The girl looked down at him. "Naraku did say that it was up to me whether I let you live or die," she said. She raised the sword above Kouga and stabbed his stomach once with it.
Kouga could not move as he felt the pain take hold of him. Nor could he move as the girl left, taking the shards with her. Darkness seemed to close in around him and he thought of Kagome as he was totally consumed by it.
XoXoXo
Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks. "This scent," he said more to himself than to his companions.
"What is it?" Kagura asked. Without bothering to answer her, he ran off in pursuit of it. Kagura looked exasperated. She took out her feather and followed him. "Where is he headed?" Kagura said to herself as she watched Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru continued following the scent until he came to a clearing and in that clearing he saw…
"Helen?" he said as he stepped into the clearing. The girl spun around to face him. She was holding two bloody shards in her hand and held a blood stained sword in the other. Sesshoumaru took in her appearance. She was different. He took in her clothing and her appearance and noticed-quite grudgingly-that she was quite…attractive.
"You," she said venomously as Kagura landed beside Sesshoumaru. "Surprised to see me?"
"What…has happened to her?" Kagura asked. Sesshoumaru didn't answer. He walked towards Helen who continued to regard him with all the hate in the world.
He smelled the blood on her sword. Wolf's blood. "Why are you here?" he asked. "Has Naraku set you free?"
She laughed at him. It was a cold and cruel laugh. "Set me free?" she said mockingly. "Him? Ha! Lord Sesshoumaru…you traded me for her, didn't you?" She pointed her sword at Kagura. Seeing her do so made Sesshoumaru try to pull out Ryuko but he found-he wasn't surprised when he did-that the sword wouldn't come out of its sheath.
"He never traded you!" Kagura defended. "You came to that bastard Naraku of your own free will!"
Helen glared at her. She raised her hands and an invisible force slammed Kagura against the trees. "Silence, witch," she said dangerously. Sesshoumaru stepped in front of Kagura to protect her. He narrowed his eyes at Helen. How did she manage to get that part of her power? He knew it was part of her power since he had seen Lady Shinsuke move things around with her mind to the annoyance and delight of some of the nobles.
Helen returned her gaze to Sesshoumaru. "Ah," she said. "I don't have time for you, I'm afraid." A cloud of miasma erupted from her sword and she was gone.
Sesshoumaru stared at the spot where she had been and began helping Kagura to her feet. "How did that tramp get to be that powerful?" she asked bitterly.
Sesshoumaru stared at the spot where Helen had been. "I do not know," he said softly. Lady Shinsuke would know but if he told her what had happened to Helen, his mother would be enraged.
XoXoXo
Helen threw the bloody shards at Naraku who caught them without much effort. "Excellent," he said softly as he pocketed the shards. "I take it that you met Sesshoumaru?"
Helen scowled at him. "The only reason why I did not kill him yet was because you said that I shouldn't."
"Not yet, at least," Naraku said softly.
XoXoXo
Kohaku slowly opened his eyes and as soon as he did he started to bolt away from Sango. "Kohaku!" she shouted as he ran away. Inuyasha quickly caught up to him and held him round the arms.
Sango and the others ran up to them. Kohaku struggled to free himself of Inuyasha. "Kohaku," Sango said. At the sound of Sango's voice, Kohaku spun around and faced her.
That girl, thought Kohaku. Why is she…bothering me?
"Let me go!" Kohaku bellowed, struggling against Inuyasha.
The others gaped at him in shock. "He…can talk," Kagome said. It was more of a question than a statement.
"Kohaku," Sango whispered softly. She pulled Kohaku from Inuyasha's grasp and embraced him. "It's me! Sango! Your sister!" Kohaku continued to struggle against Sango.
"Let me go!" the boy shouted as if he were possessed.
A tear rolled down Sango's cheek. I can't endanger her, Kohaku thought. Naraku is sure to come after me…I don't want to put this girl's life in danger!
Kohaku tore himself away from Sango and ran into the forest. Sango rushed after Kohaku and the others were about to do the same when Kagome stopped them. "Let Sango bring him back," she said.
"What if she gets hurt?" Miroku asked, knowing what Kohaku was quite capable of.
Kagome shook her head. "I have this feeling that…Kohaku is slowly starting to remember some things…I have a feeling that-even he doesn't know who Sango is-he recognizes his sister"-she thought of Souta-"and the bond between siblings is quite hard to break."
"Yeah right," Inuyasha scoffed as he thought of his half-brother.
XoXoXo
Sango ran after Kohaku. As a demon exterminator, he was almost as fast a runner as she. "Kohaku, please stop!" Sango shouted desperately.
As he ran, Kohaku looked back at her. "No! Leave me! Go back to the others!" the boy hollered over his shoulder.
"Please, listen to me!" his sister screamed. "Kohaku! Come back! I-" Sango was cut short when two thick roots wrapped themselves around her ankles, causing her to trip. Two man eating plants discarded their camouflage and towered over her, their smelling like medicinal herbs.
When he heard her fall, Kohaku spun around to see what had happened to her. He didn't have time to think as he pulled out his scythe and lunged towards the two demons, neatly slicing them in half-just as he did to the other exterminators at the castle.
"Kohaku…you…" Sango said as she gingerly stood up and looked at her brother. He had saved her. Did that mean that he remembered who she was? "You saved me…"
Kohaku turned to run back Sango caught him by the wrist. Seeing no way out, Kohaku tried to slash her with his scythe. "Gah!" Sango cried out as she felt the blade tear her sleeve. She looked at him as he swung his scythe in his hand. He could have taken my arm off…Sango thought. But he…only cut my sleeve as a warning…
"Kohaku…do you…remember who I am?" Sango asked as she looked at Kohaku. The boy was still struggling to free himself but Sango's grip was like iron.
The boy glared at her, hoping that being nasty would discourage Sango. "No! I don't know who you are!" the boy shouted. "Release me before Naraku comes!"
Sango looked sadly at him. Tears welled up in her eyes as so many memories of her brother came into her mind…
"You're not scared of the dark, are you Kohaku?"
"Of course not, Ane."
"Then why are you shaking?"
"I'm cold!"
"Liar."
"Liar," Sango said in a low voice as she remembered the time when she and her brother had found themselves lost in the dark woods. "You're lying, Kohaku! You know who I am! You know…you remember…my little star…"
Kohaku's eyes widened in shock. Little star…that name…so long ago…but somehow, he remembered…
"Ane, it's too dark!"
"Don't be afraid…I'm sure there are no demons here…"
"It's the new moon! Everything's so dark! Why did we leave the village when father told us not to?"
"Kohaku…You know…at this moment…I'm scared myself…"
"You…don't look scared…"
"It's because…you're here…you're like a little star…a star that can guide my way…"
"I can't guide your way…I can barely guide my own…"
"Still…stars bring me comfort, Kohaku…and you…you're like my own little star…you comfort me during this time…"
"Sis…"
"Yes…my little star?"
"Can I be a 'big' star?"
Kohaku's eyes welled up with tears. "Kohaku…" Sango said softly. "You know who I am…don't you…little star?"
"Leave me alone, Ane!" Sango's eyes widened when she heard what he had called her.
"You…you do remember!" Sango pulled her brother into a hug. The tears fell from her eyes when she realized that he wasn't struggling but allowed her to hold him.
"Let me go…I…Naraku will…come after me! He'll harm you!" Kohaku cried out as he jumped away from her. Sango looked at him, tears staining her cheeks. He remembered. He wanted to go away so that she and the others wouldn't get into trouble…
"Kohaku…I-" Sango was cut off when they suddenly heard a slight rustling noise in the bushes next to them. Both siblings turned to the rustling and prepared themselves for whatever might come out to attack them.
"You two!" Sango said in surprise as she saw that it was Ginta and Hakaku who had come out. Both demons were supporting Kouga who was bleeding rather badly.
"What happened to him?!" Sango asked. Kohaku stared at them. Now was his chance to escape but…he didn't want to…he wanted to be with his sister…
"There was…a girl…" Ginta said. Sango noticed that he too had cuts and bruises but none of them were as serious as Kouga's. "Miss Sango…where is Lady Kagome? We think she can help Kouga."
Sango nodded. She glanced at Kohaku and he looked at her. "Ane…I…"
"Come with me," Sango said. There was such force in her voice that Kohaku could do nothing but gulp and nod.
XoXoXo
"Sango…you're back and you've got Kohaku with you!" Kagome said as soon as the figures of Kohaku and Sango emerged from the forest. Soon, they were followed by none other than Hakaku and Ginta, supporting Kouga as they walked. "What…what happened?" she continued as soon as she saw who had come with Sango.
Inuyasha was suddenly beside her. "Who'd the wimpy wolf try to take on this time?" Inuyasha asked but Kagome could sense the worry in his voice though it was quite subtle.
With Sango's help, Kagome laid Kouga gently on the ground and looked at the deep wound on his stomach. "Who could have done this?" Kagome said quietly as she surveyed the bruises and other minor cuts on the wolf demon's body.
"We don't know who she was," Ginta said as Sango cleaned out his wounds.
"She? A girl?" Sango asked as she moved on to Hakaku.
The two wolves nodded. "We don't know where she came from…She just appeared outta nowhere…OW!" Hakaku shouted as Sango applied disinfectant to his wounds. Miroku and Inuyasha looked apprehensively at the two girls. Kohaku was squatting in front of Inuyasha so that the hanyou could keep an eye on him.
"Inuyasha," Kagome called. "Could you please help me remove Kouga's armor?"
Inuyasha and the others looked at her with wide startled eyes as if she had gone mad. "WHAT?!" the hanyou practically screamed. "WHADDYA MEAN?!"
"Inuyasha…"
"LEAVE HIM, KAGOME! THAT KINDA WOUND COULDN'T KILL A YOUKAI LIKE KOUGA!" the hanyou said. His screaming had awoken Kouga.
"Am I…dead…?" Kouga asked as he groggily opened his eyes. They landed on Kagome and the wolf demon smiled. He sat up and suddenly pulled Kagome to him. "Kagome! I am dead! And I'm in heaven!"
Kagome had a comedic look on her face as Inuyasha stormed over to them and knocked Kouga on the head. "What the…it's you! No…I'm hell!" Kouga said.
"Shuddup, ya wolf," Inuyasha spat. "You're not dead…at least not yet!"
Kouga shook his head and took in his surroundings. "Now I remember…that girl who…CRAP!" Kouga suddenly drew his knees to him and his face suddenly changed to a look of sheer panic.
"What is it?" Kagome asked.
"The shards…that girl took 'em," Kouga said as he fell back onto his back.
At the mention of stolen shards, Inuyasha's erupted with rage. "WHADDYA MEAN SOME GIRL TOOK 'EM?! YOU STUPID WOLF!" the hanyou shrieked.
"Inuyasha sit," Kagome said flatly and the hanyou was sent plummeting to the ground.
"Thank you, Kagome," Sango said as she finished wrapping up Hakaku's wounds. "Inuyasha's screaming was giving me a headache."
"Kouga…what happened?" Kagome asked as she gently applied disinfectant to the wolf demon's wounds. The stomach wound had now closed and the skin was raw red from healing but Kagome didn't take any chances with infections.
Kouga winced painfully as the disinfectant stung him. "It was some girl," Kouga said softly. Inuyasha sat up from his hole-a foot deep-and glared at Kouga. "Is that all?" Inuyasha asked scornfully. "The only thing you noticed that it was a girl?"
Kouga narrowed his eyes at him and Kagome and the others sighed. "No it isn't all," Kouga snapped. He calmed down when Kagome gently bandaged the closed wound in his stomach. "There was something else about the wench…she…she said she wasn't human and yet…she was human. When I fought her, I thought it would be easy…but…I dunno. She kinda moves things with her mind. Guess I underestimated her. She kinda stopped me with a wave of her hand. Then she stopped those two"-he gestured to Hakaku and Ginta-"then…she took the shards and stabbed me."
"How awful," Sango said as she sat down next to Kohaku.
"Can you describe her?" Inuyasha asked. He had an uneasy feeling about Kouga's attacker who said she wasn't human when she really was.
"Describe her? Physically?" Kouga asked to which Inuyasha nodded, forgetting his anger toward Kouga. "Well…" Kouga went on. "Dark hair…slightly curly…blue eyes…that's all…" Kouga said.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Did she wear a necklace?"
"Now that you mention it…a crystal half circle…why?"
Kagome and everyone else's eyes widened. "Helen…" the priestess said.
XoXoXo
Helen glanced at Naraku who was preoccupied with watching Kanna's mirror. There seemed to be a certain kind of hunger in them as he watched the mirror. Helen wondered who he was looking what. She wondered who could evoke such a ravenous look in his eyes. Naraku scowled and waved his hand. Kanna bowed and left the room.
"Helen…you wish to kill Sesshoumaru, correct?" he asked, glancing at the girl.
Helen narrowed her eyes at him and didn't answer. She thought, for a moment, of the demon lord and found, to her surprise and chagrin, that a certain ache seemed to take hold of her.
"Before I let you do so," Naraku went on, without bothering to hear a reply. "There is a certain priestess I want you to kill."
Helen's eyes widened. "Kagome?" she asked. She couldn't and wouldn't kill Kagome no matter what Naraku would do or say. Her anger was for Sesshoumaru, not her cousin.
"No, no," Naraku said silkily. "The priestess I want you to kill is much more powerful…"
"Who?"
"You do not know her."
"I will kill her all the same…as long as it is not Kagome. Who is this priestess?"
"Kikyou."
XoXoXo
Sango: that's the end of the chapter.
Miroku: where is that authoress? She's suppose to be here!
Sango: maybe she…
Miroku: she what?
Sango: never mind, she'd kill me. Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed and please review or-
Miroku: -gets ready to open Wind Tunnel-I get a chance to finally use this!