CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

Mikage

The sky rumbled ominously like an earthquake. My eyes tightened themselves shut, a bit of a stinging sensation seeping into them from both the lack of sleep I had had, and the amount of pressure I used to force them shut.

"So much time to recuperate..." I grumbled, cheerless. Every ounce of happiness seemed to be slipping from my inside like a slimy tadpole. I straightened my back against the tree, unsurprised to hear it utter a audible crack. This world...is a cruel place. Just one glance at my bleeding limb and I figured that out.

"Still hurts, huh?" a pitying voice asked.

"Mm? Yuuhi? You're back, so I see..."

I only opened one quizzical eye to see Yuuhi peering at me from behind a thick trunk of a tree. Her purple eyes were glazed with a sullen expression at my pallid condition. I closed my eyelid yet again to shelter it from the coursing rain.

"Hey, hun... Question."

I scrunched my fingers through the grass, feeling its stickily wet texture cling to my skin. I pushed my lips against one another, only to stop when a burning heat raged through their raw exterior.

"Yes, what it it?" I replied, trying to sound as compliant as possible. Though, I wanted nothing more than to rest, it seemed it wouldn't be possible with the weather. All that kept going through my mind was that day. That particular day in which all that echoed through the air were the roars and snarls of none other than Lord Sesshomaru. His wet fur against my throbbing, bleeding skin. My pleads. It was all so vivid- and the fact that it had indeed been raining that day did nothing to help that memory subside.

"Well it's just..." she mulled over her words for a moment, seeming to take hesitation before speaking them. "That area we were just at... Sesshomaru's there now. You knew that, right?"

My teeth pressed, the singular sardonic face of a specter coming to mind. Jakotsu, I believed his name was, and the main reason why I had to flee the last area I was in. My newly cleansed body was soaked through the skin with the petulant rain, as I thought horribly bitter thoughts. Though, closely after thinking them, I regretted it. Even though the man, yes, seemed to attempt to kill me, I couldn't help but see the slight playful manner in which he went about it. It seemed perhaps he didn't intend to cause me death. And as I sighed, the thought of Sesshomaru-sama facing off with the man brought a condolent expression to my face. Of course. Of course he would kill him. So long as Jakotsu got in the way, Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't fail to kill him.

"What in the name of?!"

"MILADY!"

My eyes shot open as the loud, raspy tone of Jaken exploded through my thoughts.

"L-Lord Jaken? What are you-" I stammered, trying to grasp hold of the situation. The green imp fell before me, just grazing my leg. I watched as he scrambled for my arm, oversized yellow eyes imploring. His tiny claw-like nails pierced the fabric of my kimono, allowing me to feel, sense the frantic nature of his aura. It jittered horribly just as his appendages were currently doing. What on earth was the matter with him? I had never seen him this terrified before.

"Rin has been abducted! You must assist me in retrieving her! Because if you don't, then... Milord'll have my head! Please! I beg of you, Milady!"

The sudden image of the young preteen girl flashed within my mind, her smiling face a sight for sore eyes. I remembered her just as she was- flippy brown hair framing her round face, small ponytail curving in a slight way around the left side of her head. The thought of her being hurt rattled me. In the short time that we introduced one another had given such an impression. And if Lord Sesshomaru allowed her his trust, than that must mean that there was so much more to her than just the vibe I had received.

"O-okay Lord Jaken. Stay calm. I know this is troubling, but I need specific details, all right?"

Yuuhi shook her head before she trotted behind Jaken. Her eyes blazed with fury as she stamped a firm paw upon Jaken's back. Jaken's shrill cry sounded directly after, paining my ears immensely. The noise loitered in my skull for a few moments, before I could recollect my thoughts.

"Y-Yuuhi! Stop!"

Ignoring my demand, her eyes blazed like a wildfire. She glowered down at the green man beneath her toes, claws beginning to surface.

"Don't you see how hurt she is, idiot?!" she barked brusquely, upper lip curling back. "Don't you go sending her on some mission she can't complete!"

"Heinous cat...!" Jaken sneered, voice sputtering with the weight of the paw upon him.

"Yuuhi!" I asserted, using my one uninjured hand to force her off of him. I flinched upon feeling how tense her muscles were, feeling like rocks beneath my fingertips. I felt my jaw tighten, uneasy panic beginning to use its cold hand to grip my guts. With all this rampant bickering, Rin could be losing time. "Be quiet, and let him speak..." Yuuhi's eyes hardened, a reluctant agreement keeping her mouth shut. I reverted my insistent gaze back upon the imp. "As you were saying, Lord Jaken."

"Ah, yes... As I was saying, an odious specter has resurfaced upon the land of the living! A horrible man known by the name of Suikotsu of the Band of Seven! Though, I had sworn Inuyasha and Lord Sesshomaru had wiped them all out, it seems they have come back. Rin had a rather frightening encounter with Suikotsu in the past, but it is only now that he has returned; I suspect for revenge upon his inability to slay her earlier."

"And you say he has taken her again?"

"Yes!"

"That's all I need to know. I'll save her. I promise." The unfamiliar feeling of my sleeping legs and arms coming awake again filled my body. Beneath my skin, my body tingled. It felt as though thousands, no millions of tiny balls were falling down, rolling against my muscles. I straightened my legs, watching as beneath me, Jaken and Yuuhi became short again. And upon sight of my bleeding arm, a fresh memory reminded me of the caution I should take in battling the Band of Seven.

"Hey there. Looks like you've got quite an injury, huh? I don't get what he sees in you. From the looks of it, Brother Ginkotsu got ya pretty good. So just one blow, and you'll be done. Just one blow from my sword."

I remember seeing that feminine face, lips tinged with red. He had the palest of skin, with sky blue, somewhat lavender markings coming down from his eyes. He had unruly black hair, in which was ruffled, tied loosely in a ring in the back. Stuck straight through the black locks was a blue spherical butterfly pin. Nothing about his appearance gave me even the slightest impression that he was out for me. But as soon as the words had been spoken, a cold sweat had formed upon my forehead. Yet another member of the Band of Seven.

"W-who... Who are you? I don't sense a human or demon aura radiating from you."

All he did was laugh, small lips forming into a smile, possibly at my ignorance.

"Why, I'm Jakotsu. Of the Band of Seven. And I have orders to fill. Unfortunately for you though, those orders contain killing you."

"You're kidding, right? Mikage! As your current guardian, I forbid that you charge into this so recklessly! You're gonna get yourself killed!" Yuuhi roared, stepping before me. She thrust her face in mine, hot breath blasting against my skin. But her words hurt all the same as I stepped back. I felt my head hang for just a moment, eyes closing.

"Don't you have any faith in me?

It was then, that the soles of my led-filled feet beat against the ground, launching me into the air. For a fraction of a second, the wind around me became turbulent, resisting my flight departure. But I persisted, pushing through the wall of tight air before me. And I had taken flight. Fearsome cramps twisted my fragile stomach, reminding me just how bad the man of metal had injured me.

And through the beating rain, I flew. The sharp blades of water rampaged against me, striking the reminder back into my head of how diluted my senses were. But little Rin had a memorable scent. The watery yet sweet scent of watermelon, and the freshening, pungent aroma of parsley. If I could keep that smell sharp within my mind, than perhaps I could find my way to her.

This was my only hope to save her in this maze of a depleted forest.