Shippo watched as Ueda bounded to the back of the cave, which was out of sight for the fox, too deeply nestled into the shadows. Sumi stood by, a hand over her nose. He wasn't sure how strong her sense of smell was, but he suspected even humans could smell this. It wasn't just Ueda's youkai senses that were diminishing, Shippo realized. It was even stunting him beyond average human ability. The young kit now understood why Ueda left when he did. Perhaps, had the male panther stayed longer under such conditions, he would have lost everything.
Then the cry from the back of the cave—Shippo felt his ribs tighten at the sound. He felt his ears try to lay back, even in his humanoid form. It was not a cry from a babe, but from an adult panther youkai.
His feet were running before he could tell them too, and he felt Sumi following just behind him into the shadows. It was cool in this back section of the cave, Shippo felt his skin prickle. The smells of blood and other body fluids were much stronger from back here, and it took just a moment for Shippo's eyes to adjust.
Sumi saw it first. He heard her gasp from beside him, and his body turned rigid. She rushed ahead of the fox, ensnaring a dark figure in her arms. She managed to pull Ueda back somehow—Shippo figured the older male must have been in shock to be manhandled by a weak Sumi.
"No…" Ueda seemed to struggle with his voice, the one word he managed was harsh and forced.
Shippo took a tentative step forward, the scent again assaulting his nose. As he crept closer he could make out a humanoid form slumped against the cave's back wall and floor. It looked like a horribly uncomfortable angle, but the young fox youkai feared the person may no longer care.
He heard a disturbing growl from behind him as Ueda broke free of Sumi's hold. The black panther seemed to melt into the darkness as he approached next to Shippo, and the teen felt a distinct shoulder bump from the big man. It clearly said get away.
He scurried back from Ueda's territory and watched as the shadow of the tall youkai stretched along the wall until it made contact with the other figure's. Sumi stepped up to his side and clasped his hand in hers, seemingly forfeiting her earlier no touching stance. He heard her murmur under her breath, but he was certain it was in her own language and not his.
Ueda's voice broke from several yards away. "Morita…" A low sob drowned out of him. "Morita, no."
Shippo felt his ears perk at the pitch of the panther's voice, and his heart drop in his chest at the implications. "Is she—"
"Shhhh," he felt Sumi disconnect herself from him and step into the darkness where the smell of birth, and heavy blood wafted from. He didn't know what she intended, but we was at a total loss as he heard Ueda's soft words roll into a mournful yowling. The sound began to physically hurt his head, echoing off the walls, and he had to take a few steps back.
There was a small grunt from Sumi and a soft shuffling sound. "Shhh…shhhh," he could hear from the darkness. Instinctively, Shippo reached into his belt pack, but remembered it was filled with stones—until he brushed his fingers over a tiny flashlight. His pack. Ueda must have restored it when he retrieved his clothes, and he hadn't even noticed it. He grasped the small torch, and pulled it from the sack. It grew in size as it was removed, much like Inuyasha's sword.
When he clicked it on he wished he hadn't.
There was blood everywhere. Not just small splatters, but large splashes across the walls and rivers pooling lazily on the floor. He trailed his beam of light to the figure slumped against the far wall, and saw why Ueda was crying. Shippo could see who he assumed was the panther's beloved mate, legs splayed wide, afterbirth discarded nearby, and large slashes across her chest and neck, but no sign of an infant. Her head was cocked at an odd angle, and he could see one particularly deep gash on her neck was still sluggishly pulsing her life blood. He didn't know if Ueda recognized this, but his mate was still living.
"Ueda, she—she's still alive." He felt he needed to press the issue in case her mate could help her.
The male youkai's voice dropped off suddenly into a croak, and he dropped to one knee to turn Morita's face to his. Her eyes seemed to flutter open lazily, and she seemed to hold some recognition but did not speak. He mouth moved up and down slowly, but there was no sound. Shippo was not surprised at the damage to her throat.
"Morita, Morita stay please." Ueda pleaded with his mate as he held her head to his chest and wept openly in front of them.
"Shhh shhh." Sumi once again stepped up, but the kitsune was surprised to see her take the female youkai's hand in hers, then bow her head. Was she praying over her?
A small light emanated from the skin to skin contact between the two women, and Shippo saw Ueda step back when the glow became a moderate spark. The man didn't let go of his mate's head, which he still cradled at a more comfortable angle, but his feet shuffled away none-the-less. In the split second after the spark, while the panther reacted, Sumi collapsed to the floor of the cave.
"S-Sumi?" Shippo rushed in then, not carrying at that moment that he may trample Ueda's dying mate—
The beam of light from Kagome's era cast over the female feline and Shippo stopped dead. Her neck. Her dark skin was flawless. Covered in blood—yes. But, the was no deep slash across her throat. The redhead directed his light to her chest and saw the same. Flawless. The garments she'd been wearing we shredded and stained so heavily with her blood that Shippo could not decipher the original color or pattern. But she was whole.
Morita swallowed; her throat seemingly functional.
The young teen glanced to the older male who looked just as shocked as him, but worlds more grateful as he held his living mate in his arms. Shippo bent to where Sumi lay and ran a light hand over her forehead. She was slightly warm, but her breathing was steady and strong. It looked as though she had simply fainted. The boy looked between the young woman and the feline and knew Sumi was so much more than they'd previously expected.
"I can explain."
"Just shut up for now."
"But I truly need to—"
"Shut up, Sango."
The white-haired hanyou stood in front of the microwave, waiting for his noodle cup to finish cooking. He needed carbs if he was gonna be able to handle this bullshit. His nose was very nearly pressed to the glass as he considered what he knew about the situation.
Which was nothing. Fucking nothing.
The American—no, the new Sango, seemed to give up for now, sat at the kitchen table, and began to drum her fingers along the dark wood. She was still dressed in her thin hospital gown and nothing else. Inuyasha noted that she had goosebumps along her pale arms and snorted to himself as he turned back to his food. Served her right. Confusing the fuck out of him. She could just be cold for a while.
When the ding came from the microwave, Inuyasha quickly opened the door and swiped the cup out in one smooth motion. With another quick movement, he closed the door and grabbed something he'd newly discovered and loved—the spork.
He sat at the table with a humph, took a large bite of his steaming meal, then locked eyes with the woman across from him. She patiently nodded.
"Okay. Go."
The woman threaded her fingers together, took a breath, then began: "I had to use her body because I needed to talk to you, and I had no way to in our time because I am being held captive."
Inuyasha stopped eating. "Wait but, we just saw you."
Sango shook her head, and honey brown hair dipped in front of her eyes. "No, that wasn't me. It was fox youkai." She sighed. "My brother is…troublesome."
Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. "Kohaku is alive?"
She nodded, then stopped herself. "Sort of."
The hanyou looked away for a moment and scratched his head. "And you? Where are you now? Does your brother have you?"
She nodded again. "I haven't been awake for nearly a week, Inuyasha—at least not solidly. I recall waking for short periods when I am moved."
"Where are they moving you."
The woman shrugged and clasped her hands together once more. "This I do not know. I do not even know why he holds me against my will, except that I was about to reveal him to you." She looked up suddenly, the green eyes flashing. "Inuyasha. They are collecting youkai."
The inu growled and his head lowered into a more menacing position. "Slavers?"
She shook her head. "No—at least I don't think so. He seems to want specific types. Youkai for specific function."
"Why would he—an army?" It dawned on him as his eyebrows flew into his bangs.
"Perhaps," she thought on this before continuing. "Or a spell."
"A spell?" His food, nearly forgotten had become cool. He shoved a mouthful into his pie hole before he spoke. "Why would anyone collect youkai for a spell?"
Sango simply looked at him for a moment as he gulped down more noodles and broth.
"Components, Inuyasha."
The young man dropped his spork into the noodle cup before swallowing what remained in his mouth. "You mean kill 'em?"
"Quite likely," her green eyes looked mournful.
"Hmm." He looked out the kitchen window and caught sight of Kagome and his tree. Everything looked so peaceful outside. He supposed he must have been an idiot to think anything like that could last for long. They'd been too long without someone nipping at their heels after all.
His eyes slid back to his friend in the borrowed body. "So, what kind of spell would need components like this?"
"I have no idea."
"The how do you know it is even a spell, Sango?"
She looked at him solemnly. "I don't, but I expect it to be the case."
"Why?" He arched an eyebrow.
"Because my brother went to so much trouble to find a living nagual. And brought her to Japan—probably from across the world."
Inuyasha poured the last of his noodle cup—which was mostly broth—down his throat and licked his lips. "What's that?"
Sango looked at him as if he'd grown two heads. "I'm surprised you don't know. Naguals are basically a species bestial witches. Powerful ones. Legend has it that they began as regular humans, and managed to completely negate the rules of nature to become like—well kind of like youkai."
He might have been a bit shocked. "Uh…yeah. Might be casting a spell then."
"Right." She nodded. "Only naguals are pretty independent. I'm surprised one would work for my brother."
"You brother is the ring leader?" Inuyasha felt like he might need a nap.
"I am…unsure." She focused her attention on her fingernails. "But, I know he is the one gathering all the youkai. I know he is the one who sailed across the largest sea just to get her."
"Awesome."
There was a pause in the conversation that seemed to go on forever. Inuyasha toyed with his cup, twirling it idly on the table, then chewed on his plastic spork before he decided to break the silence.
"So Shippo might have a girlfriend."