Lying across thousands of feet of the ocean's shelf stood the crystal blue castle in all its glory, four large legs spread along the sand supporting the immense tower. Ice swirled around it like spirals along each leg as it ended at the top with large piercing spikes reaching for the sky. Though they were far from the sharp needles themselves Rin had no doubt that even if she brushed up against one of them it could take off her arm.
She gulped down the small fear that had risen in her throat she threw back a strand of hair from her shoulder in determination. This was it, she thought to herself, the last stone stood only another few hundred feet ahead of them. "Rin," Sesshomaru whispered when he sensed her discomfort, she turned in surprise and glanced over to him. "Yes?" she asked in return, "If you wish to stay ba-" he started but Rin shook her head slightly a small smile placed on her lips. "I've stayed back from fights for much too long Milord," she replied as Sesshomaru nodded back. "As you wish," he stated but kept his amber eyes on her back.
Rin turned back to face the castle, and taking one last breath to calm herself, she urged Uka onward, Sesshomaru followed close behind. Uka shook his body slightly as they grew closer Rin felt his body getting smaller. Thinking it was nothing but her imagination she tightened her hold on the saddle hoping to calm him. Before long again his body shook and he felt even smaller under her, was this some new kind of power he possessed? She patted his side trying to get him to look at her through his right eye but he seemed too concentrated on looking a head.
A sudden pain on her cheek pulled Rin upright on the saddle as her hand immediately went to her face. When she pulled back her hand a small amount of blood was found there. Something had cut her! Or someone she thought as she took a quick look around her. Still seeing nothing she looked back at the castle before feeling Uka fidget harder under her, he was in some sort of pain, she was sure of it now. She moved slowly down his right side making sure to keep a hold of the saddle as she narrowed her eyes trying to pinpoint their attacker.
Her eyes widened as she saw small shards of ice falling toward them as if some force was pushing them forward. "Uka?" she whimpered to the fish but he did not respond to her he kept swimming on as if hearing nothing. Rin turned to see if Sesshomaru was alright, when she spotted him he shook his large white head as if bothered by something. She gasped when something traced along her cheek once more, she whirled around and spotted dozens more small shards flying forth. So this is the cause she thought as she hid her body against Uka's back feeling guilt flood through her that she was so helpless.
"Hold tight…Rin," he stated in a voice that reassured her instantly, she bit her lip to keep the whimper of worry inside her. Uka swam forth a few more moments before his body dipped low on a sharp angle throwing Rin almost completely off him. She grasped the saddle-like thing on his back as she held for dear life. "Almost…there," Uka whispered his light irises setting off a bright glow as he switched from a dipped position to shooting himself straight up. Rin looked from above the saddle to see a bright white light a few feet a head of Uka, but as he ventured forward the shards grew in number and in size.
"Uka!" Rin cried as the fish picked up the pace slashing his tail back and forth to propel them faster. Rin flinched as she heard the sound of Uka's groans of pain from the falling shards; she silently prayed that Uka would make it alive as he continued to shoot upward. She nearly cried out when his body disintegrated under her, she thought the worst that he had fallen under the pain but his body changed in the water into a bubble that she figured was a shield.
Worried that he was weakening Rin prayed harder that he would make it not for her sake but for his. Rin heard a roar erupt from him as he shot his last amount of power to make it through. Flying back against a wall of the bubble Rin watched for dear life as they shot straight and true like one of Kagome's purified arrows.
And just like that they arrives shooting into air as Uka fell forward onto a large floor made completely of ice. The bubble popped as Rin fell on the ice with a small thud, forgetting about her butt pains she crawled over to the small puddle of water. "Uka? Please be alright," she whispered putting her finger in the puddle poking it hoping he would respond like the first time they had met. But when he did not she felt fresh tears coat the rim of her eyelids, "Uka please not now, please not now don't be dead," she whimpered her lower lip trembling as she removed her hand one tear escaped as it traveled down her cheek. It stung the spot were one icicle had scratched her but she ignored it with a small flinch.
The tear traveled down from her cheek to fall into the puddle of what once was Uka, the puddle rippled slightly but no other signs of life followed. She grasped both her hands together and bowed her head onto the ice floor waiting for him to give any sign that he was a live. She sat there for what felt like ages but could've been about five minutes with nothing so much as a ripple.
She covered her face with her hands holding in the other tears as her body shook with the immense sadness that over took her. Wiping her cheeks until they grew red Rin kept looking down at the puddle praying that it was only a false alarm that there was some way he was still a live. After a few moments of silence she gave up covering her eyes again letting her sobs escape from her. After the sobs stopped and she began to hiccup from all the stress she heard a soft grumble and groan. Holding in the happiness that he was a live just in case he wasn't she spread her index and middle fingers to peek through. And just as she focused on the puddle two bright circles popped up blinking slightly.
Gasping she removed her hands as she took in an exaggerated breath, "Oh Uka! You're a live! Ooh I would hug you if I could!" she cried out in utter joy as Otaku continued to blink at her before turning into his human shaped form. "Just a little…exhausted…is all my dear," he whispered as he turned into the puddle once more moving off to fall into the small pond that had been opened before. How Uka knew an opening was here was beyond Rin but she was glad he was a live and well.
Soon after Uka's departure Sesshomaru broke through creating a large crack in the ice that, unfortunately, had to be right under where Rin was sitting. Holding in the need to try and push him back down she got up on her feet and broke into a run. Reaching a safe distance from the new pond created by Sesshomaru she waited as the large demon pulled his body up and out of the crack. He shook his fur to rid himself of the water and then proceeded to sit down and lick a front paw. She came slowly to his large form, her eyes widened slightly when she found thousands of scratches and cuts along his frame. Though he seemed fine she didn't want to take any chances. It was stained with his blood; she placed her hand on one of the cuts letting her palm run across it gently. "Does it hurt?" she asked quietly before looking up at Sesshomaru, his large red eyes were fastened on her. He said nothing but turned a head of her, his eyes narrowed before he moved to push himself up to a standing position. With one paw he pushed her away to stand behind him. Once he found his ground Rin noted that the scratches were closing up, he was starting the process of healing himself.
Sesshomaru stood tall spreading out Rain's wings feeling so strangely like his own, and then he could smell her. The stench of darkness and loneliness wasn't a new scent to his nose, but the need to kill was so strong in this monster's he didn't think talking with her would help them this time.
The next monster was close but he could not pin point where, all the ice seemed to mix with her scent as if she was the ice. He bared his fangs, a loud growl erupted from his lips; he could feel Rain fidgeting his wings. "…behind you," Sesshomaru heard the feint whisper within his mind his red eyes widened as he bent down and grasped Rin gently in his mouth before he jumped forward. He placed Rin down carefully near one of the ice walls before he turned swiftly on his hind legs to face the opponent.
"Swift aren't you?" a voice called that caused Sesshomaru's head to turn as something began to form from the ice, much like Uka's transformation it molded upward before taking shape. Sesshomaru felt his paws fidget under him the thing was as big as him if larger. Like watching water move upward the ice moved with the smoothness as if it weren't ice at all.
Once she was her size she opened her mouth baring her enormous fangs at him. They were not a set of fangs but four large ones poking out of her mouth, two on top and two on bottom. He caught the animal as the ice took its set form and she pulled off her tail cracking a small hole in the floor. He realized then what she was supposed to resemble, standing before him was the large outline of an anaconda. Her entire body made of ice slithered with an eerie screech against the ice floor. Sesshomaru took a step forward growling louder as he tried to intimidate the beast.
She merely bared her fangs more hissing in answer; Sesshomaru almost couldn't keep track of her movements as she passed along the floor. Her body camouflaged with the floor, "Can you find me before its too late?" she teased Sesshomaru felt his body tense at that was she toying with him or sending a forewarning? He spotted her then on the left side closing in on his left hind leg he jumped up and fell a top her cracking her body in two with his immense weight. He heard her hiss in agony before she melted into the floor.
"Sesshomaru get up! One of her powers is to regenerate herself by the ice!" Otaku cried out as Sesshomaru bounced back up to move back. And like Otaku predicted the anaconda stuck her head out from the spot Sesshomaru fell. She made somewhat of a snake-like smile his way before thrusting herself out of the floor fully regenerated. Not a scratch pierced her skin. Sesshomaru howled in anger as he ran forth grasping her body in his fangs biting down. She hissed and fought but he again broke her in two. And then again she disappeared under the ice. "Sesshomaru you don't get it, she won't run out of the power to regenerate. As long as she has the ice there she will never be destroyed," Otaku called out but Sesshomaru kept taking her in his fangs or trampling her with his weight. Before long the snake predicted his movements and disappeared in the ice to appear behind him. She grasped his hind leg in her mouth sinking her fangs into his flesh, he merely growled before he whirled his head to glare back at the anaconda.
She brought her snake lips upward in a smile before pulling down on his leg his foot disappearing in the ice. She let his let go and propelled herself up through the ice slithering before him. "Now I have you, dogs are as absent minded as rumored to be, I see that now," she stated as Sesshomaru bared his fangs at her sending her a warning glance pulling at his foot. It did not budge but stayed nestled in the icy floor like a large shackle, "And snakes never play fair," a voice stated as the snake looked past Sesshomaru's body to see the small outline of a deer standing on top of the ice patch where his leg was trapped. Turning her body into a deep fiery red she melted down on the ice falling through the hole she was creating. Before long Sesshomaru felt feeling come back to his limb as he tugged and broke the ice. Looking back at the snake he felt his dog form pull a smirk before he jumped up and was on top of her.
She hissed and broke again but the smile never left her face, "Like I said dogs are so absent-minded," she stated as she melted into the ice to regenerate. "I got it," Tya called out as she jumped to the spot the snake disappeared and smothered it with flames. The entire section was melted away but nothing appeared or no sound of agony was projected. "She must be on the move again," Otaku snarled, Rin grasped the scabbard and pulled it close to her just in case the anaconda wanted to pull something.
"The girl knows what she does," a voice laughed as she jumped out of the wall behind Rin as the woman turned in surprise placing Otaku in front of her as a shield. His body reacted as a large pink bubble appeared throwing her off guard sending her against the wall. She hissed in anger before attacking the bubble once more. "Its no use Mika, give it up," Otaku advised, the snake spat down on the ground in front of Rin. "Give it up Otaku like I did to Mizu? You weren't right then and you won't be right now," she seethed her tone iced over like her body.
"Mika if you don't cooperate with us I'll melt you down!" Tya threatened as she jumped forward so she stood in front of Sesshomaru. "Go a head and try Tya," Mika replied igniting Tya's anger, without thinking about tactics she sprang forth opening her mouth sending flames this way and that. Mika skillfully dodged the attacks allowing Tya to attack widely at her, Rin watched from behind Otaku's barrier at the battle. After a few of Tya's fire attacks on Mika she noted that Mika hadn't moved much from that spot that she had regenerated. Before long Rin noted her plan, she was using Tya's flames and anger to melt down the floor. But what would that help with defeating us? She asked herself but as she stood saying nothing Tya had stopped thoroughly exhausted standing at Sesshomaru's front paw. Mika lay in the water now coming up from the large hole created from Tya, "I should thank you Tya but it seems you are just as stupid as the dog," she said before dipping down below and swimming away.
Tya blinked in surprise before she growled in anger turning back to her human form throwing her fists in the air. "I forgot! Shoot!" she screeched as Rin's shoulders tensed. "What is it Tya?" she asked as the fire woman turned over to her guilt eminent in her eyes. "Mika was always the rebel of the pack, more so then me, so Mizu always kept barriers up so she couldn't escape. When she sent us all out on her dieing spell she set up this castle for Mika. And with that she was trapped in here where she could not escape, so even though the ice is her element it is also her prison," Rin adverted her gaze to the hole where Mika had escaped. Looking up she caught Sesshomaru's gaze before softly nodding in anticipation. Sesshomaru moved back towards Rin bending down his head as Rin grasped his fur climbing a top his head. Gently standing back he pressed Rain's wings back onto both sides of him.
"Hold on," he ordered as Rin nodded and he jumped upward to make a dive into the water and its dark contents. He dove until he was a safe distance from the bottom of the castle before paddling outward and up, while doing so Uka wrapped his power around Rin giving her somewhat of an air bubble for her as Sesshomaru climbed up.
It was time to really concentrate Rin thought; this stone element was the hardest so far to get the stone from. The stone seemed too angry to sit down and chat about what was needed to be done. In fact she seemed to rather like the idea that the world might end because of her. Either way, they had to catch up to her and find the last stone. She just hoped it was possible. Rin grasped a little tighter to Sesshomaru's fur feeling somewhat less confident in her group, what if they didn't get the stone into Otaku in time?
Sesshomaru could sense her unease; lately Rin hadn't been as confident in him as she had these past eighteen years. It unnerved him greatly, thought her confidence in him didn't really matter all that much to him. It was her feeling of sadness that mattered most to him, without her positive attitude Sesshomaru felt a little saddened himself.
Without stopping Sesshomaru turned his head slightly to get a closer look at Rin. She stopped staring into space and returned his gaze, then as if realizing how he felt she put on one of her many smiles. He could tell she was still uneasy, but was starting to relax, and in turn relaxed him as well.
Before the group could make it half way up to the surface the ice castle began to morph from underneath. A strange spear like thing appeared under the castle before it shot forth, aiming for Sesshomaru. Otaku sensed it first as he directed his defenses to the rear, sending the ice spear backwards with a chilling screech. The spear seemed harmless but it took a toll on Otaku, the air bubble was opened, water was slowly creeping inside.
"Sesshomaru, you have to continue on! My defenses have been punctured, most like Mika left a little bit of her power left in the castle for when we would escape. Rin won't have enough time to get to the top with you and survive," Sesshomaru peeked around to the side at the sound of Otaku's cries. He turned his head to look above and did notice there was still a ways left for them to swim.
"I'll take her back to the castle…. both Otaku and I can protect her…. Take Tya and Rain with you to defeat Mika," Uka stated in his soft voice before transforming into a sleek fish, a new form. Jumping off Sesshomaru, Rin slowly swam her way over to Uka before grabbing onto to him as he swiftly swam back towards the ice castle.
Sesshomaru paddled upward to reach the surface trusting the other two to take good care of Rin. "We don't have much time….if Mika reaches any sort of land she will freeze it over, not to mention this sea when she reaches it," Rain whispered into his thoughts. Breaking out of the water and receiving a quick breath of fresh air Sesshomaru pushed his body up so he was able to float on his stomach. Taking a look around him he spotted Mika's icy form gleaming in the sun North West of his position. He spread out Rain's wings and began to flap slowly until he was above the water, then he used all his strength and propelled himself upward.
Now the chase would begin.