A/N: Enjoy and commet as you please.
Beta: Cstorm86
The Girl Who Charges
"Inuyasha!" she called, both aloud and in her mind.
Tears blinded her as she took a step in the direction of the ash-colored webs that separated her from the one she so desperately wanted to be free and well. She heard Hojo screaming behind her back, Myouga begging her to follow him, so she could purify the area as she had been told, but she couldn't go that way.
Inuyasha wasn't that way.
She couldn't hear the sounds of struggling from behind the webs that were too tightly wound to let her see, to let her through. How could she leave him behind when he was hurt and unable to fend off multiple attackers?
"You idiot!" she screamed. It had all happened so fast, their panicked dash towards the passage, the youkai that Hojo had purified with her talisman,, she hadn't had a chance to see if that stubborn moron was running after them.
"My lady!" Myouga pinched her ear to get her attention. "Please, don't make master Inuyasha's sacrifice go to waste!"
Kagome glared at him and growled, effectively scaring the flea enough that he fled. Then she looked where the idiot dog was, hidden from sight by the webs. 'I bet the whole Kagura thing was a lie, too!' she fumed.
At least ten creatures were running to cut her off from the Tree and Hojo, who safely made it there. A small voice yelled at her from his shoulder, along with him. The beings hissed, probably to intimidate her.
None of them expected her to run towards the wall of sticky webs and the pair of creatures, along with some friends, standing there, adding finishing touches to their work.
And that was exactly what Kagome wanted to do.
After all, behind that wall - one she didn't know how to dissolve yet - was a person she cared for.
She took a few shaky steps towards the forest line and stopped, her hand reaching that way. She wanted to go to him, but how was she supposed to go past the creatures and the tightly wound netting? What would any of her predecessors do?
The hesitation in her heart grew as she saw the last gap in the webbing disappear - now the youkai were free to join their friends. Dread filled her heart - was he even alive? She shook her head, clenching her fists and jaw. She had to do something, and fast, before she was trapped between two groups of youkai. Inuyasha, that idiotic moron, had tried to buy them time to get to that damn Tree.
"Inuyasha, you better be alive when I get to you and tug your ears for this!" she called out, hoping against all odds he could hear her. 'What did he say? They paralyze their victims and then wait until they can't move anymore... So maybe there's still time to...' The only thing she could think of was the initial plan he told her, even if it had been just a lie to make her go ahead.
Her train of thought was stopped when the beings in front of her turned to face her. They made a clicking noise to which the other ones replied. There was amusement and hunger in their voices.
She realized that her moment of hesitation, albeit short, could cost her dearly and a new wave of fright washed over her.
"Kagome, watch out!" Hojo called and she looked back over her shoulder. The ones between her and the Tree stood in a line, wicked amusement etched on their inhuman faces. One wiggled his long thin fingers.
"Two tasty morsels," he cooed. "We can afford letting that third live until lunch if we get you and that other as a breakfast," he pointed a hand behind her. "Don't struggle, little lamb, it won't hurt, promise."
"Fuck off!" she yelled at the being and instinctively jumped to the side when she felt a surge of youki. A mass of white substance landed on the spot where she had been standing, spat out by one of the youkai that were moving to complete the circle around her.
There was no time to form a strategy, because other youkai started targeting her with that white goo that solidified in familiar ropes - it took all of her focus to keep dodging them and stay out of reach of those long thin arms. A few times the substance brushed her, but it seemed it couldn't stick to Inuyasha's kimono she wore. She managed to throw two ofudas on the youkai and one actually hit the target, purifying it. The other managed to dodge and almost grabbed her.
Adrenaline kept her up, her heart pounding in her chest, cries of Hojo and Myouga mixed with the noises made by the youkai, who were slowly tightening their circle around her. She cursed, because as she dodged the last youkai trying to grab her, she stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. She rolled away from at least three threads shot at her back, panting as she tried to get to her feet in time to move again or to charge one of her three last talismans.
Inside, she berated herself for hesitating, now she was not only going to be unable to save Inuyasha, but also unable to save herself. It was just a matter of time before there was nowhere to run and no ofudas to use - and the cackling youkai knew it as well as she did.
Suddenly something glimmered golden and automatically Kagome lifted her head to see what it was. From the east came a yell and a huge object, spinning and seemingly radiating light as it went, headed towards the youkai. It cut two of them right in half and knocked several others aside, opening the path towards the Tree for her.
For a second, speechless and stunned, Kagome could just follow the giant boomerang as it traveled at high speed, completing the circle of destruction and returning to be plucked from the sky by a deft, steady hand.
"Go to the divine tree!" yelled the woman riding a huge saber tooth cat soaring through the skies. Kagome gasped and followed her order, leaping over one of the youkai climbing to its feet. The others were brought out of their staring and tried to catch Kagome, but the boomerang came again to claim their lives or make them rear back.
"Goodness, Kagome!" Hojo gasped as he grabbed Kagome's wrists and helped her when she stumbled on the edge of the Tree's shadow.
"My lady, it's so fortunate that you wear master Inuyasha's robe of fire rat fur!" Myouga sighed from his shoulder. She was panting heavily, blood rushing in her ears as she lowered her head. Relief that she somehow was spared washed over her, but it didn't last long.
Kagome looked back towards the youkai, congregated in the field, more of them coming over the webs spread between the trees. There, behind them, was Inuyasha.
A heavy thud alerted Kagome to a new arrival. The miko looked to the side, where the huge cat landed. It was cream colored, with black paws and ears, with stripes adorning its twin tails. The woman wore an odd outfit completed with pieces of armor. Her eyes were hard and focused as she looked at Kagome. She didn't look much older, but there was an air of confidence and experience about her. She hefted the huge boomerang as if it didn't weigh more than a few kilo and Kagome noticed a short sword on her hip.
"You are unharmed?" she asked.
"N-no..." Hojo uttered, stunned. His eyes were wide and somewhat adoring as he gazed upon the stranger. Kagome took a shaky breath to steady herself. She looked back to the field, where at least a couple dozens of the spider youkai were glaring at her from a safe distance to the Tree. Their shadows were long and dark against the lush grass.
"Good. Then jump on Kirara, I'm taking you to safety," the woman said, patting the cat's flank, causing it to purr pleasantly. Hojo stepped towards them, but Kagome shook her head.
"I can't go. I must help a friend. He's there," she said, pointing a shaking finger at the forest. How was she supposed to purify all those youkai without Inuyasha? Maybe she could use a branch of the Sacred Tree to ward them off and go to him, but what then?
"There?" the woman turned her head, her ponytail swaying behind her back as she did so. She bit her bottom lip and frowned, probably thinking how to help them.
Before any of them came with a plan, a sound tore through the air,
It was a howl as similar to a 'damn you, you fucked up bastards!' as it was canine-ly possible
Something pulsed in the forest, waves of youki that caused goosebumps to cover her skin as they hit her.
"Kaze no Kizu!"
Kagome gasped when she heard something crashing in the forest. Then a blast of yellow light tore through the ground, eradicating a huge part of the treeline, taking down with it the cursed web.
The youkai cried out in outrage, but the yell came back, angry and familiar. The light burst out of the cloud of dust and leaves left behind the first one, the blindingly bright youki tearing deep ditches in the field and practically vaporizing the youkai, ending their existence in clouds of ash and echoes of screams full of outrage and shock.
Myouga screeched in utter delight and leaped from Hojo's shoulder before the man dashed to hide behind the Sacred Tree's trunk. The strange woman tensed, her cat on alert again. Kagome was able to just stare when she noticed a dark figure making its way through the wreckage, yelling, cursing and slamming the huge fang shaped sword at the remaining youkai, sending blasts of youki at them and destroying the field.
In the rain of torn dirt, trees and grass, illuminated by the rays of the rising sun a new youkai made his entrance.
He walked with a strong limp, his left arm hanging at his side. His white shirt was stained with blood and there were threads of the spider web flying about him as he made his way towards the center of the field.
The spider youkai had no chance, they tried to fight back, scattering to avoid being taken in bigger numbers by the giant katana. It was no use, Inuyasha was in no mood to let some youkai flee his wrath.
"Inuyasha..." Kagome sobbed at the sight of silver hair, dog ears and fierce scowl. The curses he yelled were echoed by the waves of rage coming to her via their mental link.
'You dumb wench!'
He was alive, his left leg not bending, his left hand hanging stiffly at his side, but he was alive and... well, royally pissed.
She didn't realize when she started walking towards him. Kagome suspected he was going to scold her for not following his instructions and stupidly getting herself surrounded. She had panicked and hesitated, wanting to save him while she wasn't able to handle the situation.
"Hey!" the other woman grabbed her shoulder before Kagome could approach the edge of the Sacred Tree's protection.
"You idiot! You're in no shape to deal with those fuckers after a whole night of running!" Inuyasha barked as he stalked towards them, sword pointed to the side. The woman with the boomerang pulled Kagome back towards where Hojo was.
"Don't approach the divine tree, youkai," she warned. "You helped us, so I don't want to fight-"
"Fuck off, wench!" he growled at her, following them in the shade of the Sacred Tree. The woman gasped and pushed Kagome back, despite her trying to stop her. Kagome knew she had to soothe Inuyasha's ire somehow, but before she could come up with an answer, the woman charged.
And as Inuyasha leaped awkwardly back to avoid the deadly boomerang, Kagome realized that she could deal with the scolding later. Now she had to make sure her friend and the strange rescuer who had aided them didn't kill each other.
.
The chamber was big and had been a beautiful one, with touches of Chinese influence in the otherwise traditional setup. But now it looked as if a tornado had went through it - tatami mats upturned and torn, a pile of broken pieces where a lacquered table once had stood. A futon, bearing scarred marks from acid and cut in multiple spots by claws, lay in one corner. Broken shoji opened to show a magnificent view of a garden and mountains in the distance, basking in the first rays of the sunlight. Yet, despite the surge of fresh, sweet air, the room smelled of acidic smoke, distress and pain. And barely controlled ire.
Among it all sat a man. Cross legged, his kimono pristine white and his armor spotless in contrast to the destroyed chamber. He had two swords at his hip and kept his eyes closed, his youki on an iron leash as he inhaled.
In his long, elegant fingers he held an opened fan.
In his mind he still could hear the voice of the messenger: 'You will never be whole again. And when our king comes to claim your land and put you down you will wag your tail at him like the stupid dog you are.' The body of the messenger was now scattered across the throne room, unless some of the servants were brave enough to go there and clean it.
As he sat there, meditating and trying to focus on the upcoming battle and controlling his anger, he suddenly flinched and opened his eyes to look down, at one of his swords.
It pulsed, as if in greeting. His eyes snapped to the opened shoji and the distant mountains.