DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and all of the canon characters featured in this fanfic are the property of Takahashi Rumiko, Sunrise, Viz and all other respective copyright owners. I do not lay claim to these characters in any way, shape or form.
Chapter 15
The steps reached as far as Inuyasha's eyesight. Which wasn't all that much further than his fingertips. His shoulders slumped. He cast a quick glance over the pit. A few more hours of this and he'd be tempted to take the easy way out.
Kagura wasn't about to give him the chance. She hadn't given them so much as a breathing space once they'd taken care of the guards. Focus on the mission: that was her answer to everything. As if he had any other choice. At least he wouldn't be leaving empty-handed this time.
He turned back to Kagura. "Don't tell me-"
"We're not." She held up her hand before he could get another word in. "Less talk. More light."
He followed her gaze up the wall. Not that there was much of a view. She cleared her throat.
"Keh. Fine."
He raised his hand and flared up the flame. More ice came into view. Now there was a surprise. He glanced back at Kagura.
Her eyes were still on the wall. They narrowed as she strained to focus in the dim light.
"There."
"There?" He squinted upwards and made out a narrow ledge. A closer look revealed a doorway set into the wall. There wasn't so much as a ladder. "And how-"
"I'll take the short cut." She unfurled her fan.
"Great. And the rest of us?"
She'd already turned her back on him. "Come on, Kanna." She beckoned the girl with her fan.
Kanna took her arm with a nod. Kagura flicked out the fan and swept them upwards. He ducked the spray with a curse.
When the mist cleared they already had the door open. He summoned another flame, raised his hand and craned his neck to judge the distance. That had to be at least two hundred feet of sheer ice. He'd have a fat chance on a good day, let alone this one.
He shot Kagura a scowl. She shot back one of her own before she followed Kanna through the doorway.
"Like I'd ask you," he muttered.
"No need." Byakuya tapped his staff on the ground.
His scowl sharpened into a glare. "Didn't ask you either."
"Do you see any other options?" He tapped the ground again. The glider popped open.
Well, the stairs were looking better by the moment. Not that they'd get him anywhere fast. He resigned himself with a sigh. He wasn't doing this for them.
Byakuya's lips quirked upwards. "Well, that was quicker than-"
"Keh. Get on with it." He braced himself for the jump.
Byakuya swept them both off the ground in a single leap. He shut his eyes to stop his hair whipping into them. They landed with barely a thump. At least it was quick.
He peered into the darkness. Kagura and Kanna were already well out of eyeshot. Good job they had his took a sniff and paused. No way.
Byakuya drew up beside him. "More guards?"
"No." He took another sniff: damp earth and fresh water. His ears pricked up as they caught a trickle. There was no mistaking it.
"The Oasis?"
Byakuya nodded. "Where else?"
"You said we were-"
"Hey, I said we were thinking big, right?"
"So that's the plan? We're taking the Oasis."
"Well-"
"And the Avatar-"
"Yes-"
"With four benders." He stared him down before he could answer back.
Byakuya held a straight face for all of three seconds. "Well, there's a little more to it than that."
He bit back a scream. How did he manage to make every damn smirk more irritating than the last? Best just get to the point.
"How much?"
"Oh, this one's more than enough."
"One?" Fucking great. He really would have him screaming in a minute.
"Well, she does have a few... accomplices."
"A few?" He fixed him with a scowl. "Just how many-"
"Oh, you'll see soon enough."
"Really." His scowl narrowed. Would it kill him to give a straight answer for once?
Byakuya turned away with a smile.
His shoulders slumped. No need to ask. "Keh, let's just get out of here."
Byakuya was mercifully silent for once. It was the least he could do after the amount of shit he'd dragged him through. Taking risks was fair enough but he hadn't said a word about taking the fall. He clenched his jaw. He'd have plenty of words for him soon enough.
They had a few minutes' peace until they reached a fork in the tunnel. A soft crunch drew his gaze towards the left corridor. His ears strained forwards. There was another crunch. He drew in a breath. Byakuya shot him a questioning look.
He held up his hand. His ears twitched. Two sets of footsteps approached from the darkness. His nose wrinkled at the familiar scent.
Byakuya broke the silence with a whisper. "Don't tell me. More-"
"She's here."
He didn't have to ask. Byakuya gave him a nod and sank back into the shadows.
The path to the Oasis was far from easy. The night was dark, chaotic and bitterly cold. Battle raged below them. The wind raged around them. The moon stared down from above. Kagome was near faint from cold by the time they reached the tunnel's entrance.
That brought them little relief. The tunnel didn't have so much as a torch to fight the gloom. Miroku's lantern was their only light. At least he'd grabbed a bag of warm clothes before hurling her out of the room. She couldn't put them on fast enough. If their flight had been a few minutes longer she'd have frozen solid.
They carried on as soon as she was ready. The path's spiral tightened as they pressed into the depths. The glider was soon packed away. The ice pressed ever closer. The mere thought of its weight was suffocating. She kept her eyes on the path.
"Almost there, Avatar." Miroku's voice was a bare whisper. In this silence it was clear as ice.
She gave him a nod. Not that it was much use in this darkness. "Thanks."
He glanced down at her. "My apologies for the haste. If you need a break-"
"I'm fine." She waved his frown away. "I can even feel my toes again." She suppressed a wince. Maybe that wasn't such a good thing. It was a miracle they hadn't dropped off.
"Very well." He knew better than to argue by now. "A few more flights and things should start to warm-"
The tunnel burst into light.
Her shout was drowned in a roar of flame. Miroku whisked her away from the blast. The lantern clattered to the ground.
"Miroku!"
"Stay behind me!"
A firebolt shot from the darkness. He blocked it with a whirl of his staff. The shadows scattered. She caught a flicker of snowy hair. It disappeared in a blaze of flames.
"No way!"
Miroku yanked her away from another blast. She clung to his arm with a gasp.
"How'd he-"
The thief wasn't about to give her any answers. He sent an arc of flames surging towards them. Miroku spun them both away.
"Stay close!"
Easier said than done. She blinked away her confusion and caught another flash of white. She stamped down and shot out an ice creeper. The thief leapt aside with a scoff. He retorted with a swipe. Miroku swept the flames away.
She snatched up the lantern. The shadows danced around them. A flicker of cloth crossed her vision.
"Behind you!"
A blast of wind swept her off her feet. Miroku spun to catch her. She knocked him straight into the wall.
"Miroku!"
He yanked her away from another blast. A firebolt shot past his face and thudded into the wall. He hooked one arm around her and whirled his staff at their opponents. They dodged the gust with ease.
"Another airbender?"
He didn't answer her question. It was all he could do to keep them out of the line of fire. His eyes shot from foe to foe as he weighed his options. They were growing smaller by the second. He resigned himself with a sigh.
"Damn it... "
He swept her off her feet and leapt into the air.
The glider sprang open with a click. They shot through the tunnel like a dart. Her stomach leapt into her throat. She forced it back down with a swallow. They caught an updraft and soared over the chasm.
There was a roar of wind and flame. Miroku swerved to avoid a firebolt. The firebender yelled out a curse.
The airbender was harder to shake. He was hot on their trail in an instant. Miroku urged the glider onwards, fighting to keep them on course. All she could do was hold tight.
A sudden blast knocked them astray. The sails tore with a rip. The glider dropped like a stone.
Her scream was cut off by a water whip. They were slammed back to the ground. Miroku's weight forced the breath from her body. The lantern rolled from her grasp.
She lay dazed and gasping as her vision swam back into focus. A shadow fell across the path. She raised her head with a wince. A lone figure approached from the darkness with a lantern in hand. She blinked. Was that... a child?
"Miroku-"
"I... can't-"
The child raised her hands. His voice cut off in a choke.
Kagome gave a gasp. Her limbs froze solid. She could only stare in horror. The child drew closer. A chill seized her heart. Memories of the marketplace came rushing back to her. A scream lodged in her throat.
A surge of water knocked the child off her feet.
The child hit the wall without so much as a yelp. The water froze around her in a gulf of ice. She was pinned in the work of a moment.
"Kallick!"
Tapeesa's voice echoed through the cavern. She rushed into the light with twin water whips in hand. Kallick emerged beside her, wild-eyed and breathless.
"Kallick, stop! She's just a kid!"
Miroku rose with a groan. Kagome gave a grateful wheeze. She attempted to get to her knees and collapsed in a fit of coughs. Miroku laid a hand on her back.
"Don't." He gave her a gentle pat as he took in the newcomers. "Thanks."
Tapeesa shook her head. She gave the child a guilty glance. Her eyes were closed fast. She couldn't be more than twelve.
"I told you-"
"You can't hold back against a bloodbender!" Kallick retorted.
"Bloodbender?" Kagome frowned. Why was that word so familiar? "Wha-"
A gust of wind swept towards her. She threw herself flat. She shrieked as she skidded across the path. Tapeesa grabbed her arm and pulled her close. Kallick sheltered beside her.
"Stay down!" Miroku stumbled to his feet, clutching his staff. He levelled it at their opponent.
Another gust whipped across the chasm. Tapeesa reached out and threw up a barrier. Kallick leant her a hand. The impact still turned half of it to powder.
"Down!"
Miroku's warning was followed by another blast of air. Tapeesa had no time to block. Kagome grabbed her parka and clung on for dear life. They huddled together until the air stilled.
Kallick was the first to raise his head. He spat out a mouthful of snow. "Shit! We're sitting turtleducks here."
"Don't-"
"He can't fight them both!"
Both? Kagome glanced up and caught a whirlwind of blue. Was that a Master's parka? Her question was answered by another blast of wind. She yanked Kallick back down to safety.
"Hey!"
"Kall-"
"He needs help!"
It was hard to argue with that. Miroku was barely keeping his feet against the onslaught. His opponents were little more than blurs. Just keeping track of them had to be exhausting. She set her jaw. She had to do something.
A roar echoed through the cavern. It was followed by a burst of light. Miroku didn't have time to dodge. He stumbled back with a yell.
"Miroku!"
Kallick spun out of Tapeesa's grip. He swept up some ice and extinguished Miroku's parka. The other airbenders dove in for the kill. The thief charged in with hands aflame. Tapeesa threw up a wall before them. It wouldn't be enough.
Kagome flung out her arms. The wall collapsed into water. She unleashed it as a wave of fury.
Two of them were caught in the deluge. The third dodged it by a breath. She swept past Miroku before he could react. She flipped over his head and made a grab for Kagome's parka.
A jet of water knocked her out of the air. She hit the ground with a cry. The water froze around her before she regained her bearings.
"Wha-"
Kagome gaped at her rescuer. A tall shadow rose behind a squat figure. Her face was hidden by a deep hood. Somehow, she didn't have to guess.
"Master Kaede?"
Kaede gave her a brief nod. The woman gave her a glare. Miroku attempted a bow.
The thief and his comrade were still on their knees, coughing and spluttering. Kaede didn't take her eyes off them. The thief raised his head with a low growl.
"You... "
"Enough." Kaede held up her hand.
He met her eyes with a venomous glare. He had the sense not to get up.
"This is as far as you'll go." Her voice was firm as the ice.
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that."
The newcomer's voice stilled the air. Kaede made no reply. The thief could only gape. Nobody moved so much as a finger. Kagome's eyes shot desperately towards the darkness.
A cold chuckle filled the air. She couldn't even shiver. She stood frozen as the newcomer hobbled into view.
She wasn't much taller than Master Kaede. Her parka was a dull blue. Her furs were torn and ragged. She was as ordinary as dust. Just another old street sweeper.
A chill seized Kagome's spine.
"Well, well... This is quite the gathering." Her voice was dry as bone.
The airbenders' eyes widened. The woman bowed her head. Her comrade did likewise. The thief stayed still.
The newcomer paid him no mind. She surveyed her captives with satisfaction. Her gaze settled on Kagome. She looked her up and down before she gave a slow nod. She reached up and cast back her hood with a flourish.
The years had taken a heavy toll on her. Her hair was white. Her back was crooked. Her face was worn as a boot. Yet was no mistaking those glacial eyes. There was no hiding from that stare.
"...Tsubaki?"
Her wrinkles deepened into a smile. Her eyes were merciless. She turned them on her with a glint. "It's been a long fifty years, Avatar."
Constructive criticism is very welcome!
I update once a month.
