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.
Author's note: Sorry this one took a bit longer than usual. I had an offer accepted on a house a couple of weeks ago, so I've been busy applying for a mortgage, etc. I don't expect to move until November at the earliest but I'll let you know if I need to take a brief hiatus from writing while I move home.
Chapter 20
Their fall broke in a burst of flame. Her eyes snapped open. One glance at the waves below was enough to make her squeeze them shut. She wasn't even going to ask if he'd thought this through.
Inuyasha unleashed another burst. Her stomach skipped as they shot upwards. Her eyes stayed shut. She held her breath and prayed for a soft landing.
A screech tore through the air. He answered it with more flames. That only fanned the spirits' anger. Heswept them aside with a yell. It did little to slow their descent. Her stomach leapt like a salmon. Even his legs couldn't take this fall.
The ocean's spray whipped at her face. She cracked an eye open. They were almost clear of the water. They were still much too close for comfort. The spirits were even closer. Inuyasha blasted them away with a kick. It carried them just clear of the tide.
He hit the ground running. The spirits sped after him. Two of the larger ones pulled ahead of the pack. They reared up and dove in for the kill.
Inuyasha swiped them away with a gust of flame. He hurtled onwards without looking back.
More spirits wheeled above them. He carried on running. His eyes were set on the wall of trees before them. Moon knew where he was taking her. Not that asking would get her anywhere faster. Keeping her dinner down was already quite the battle.
The spirits were just as relentless. They dogged them like shadows at every twist and turn. Inuyasha's flames barely kept them at bay. His gaze never faltered.
A sand dune rose before them. He cleared it in a single bound. The spirits surged onwards. Some of them even passed straight through it. They closed on them with outstretched talons.
Inuyasha leapt up in a burst of flame. The heat was so fierce it made her wince. When she opened her eyes they were clear of the dunes.
He landed without missing a stride. The spirits were still at their backs. He sped towards the forest in another burst. How he hoped to lose them in there was beyond her. Still, even a small hope was better than none.
Inuyasha reached the trees an arm's span ahead of the spirits. He took off again. There were no flames this time. At least he had that much sense. He landed atop a branch and sprang straight off. They hopped from tree to tree, barely pausing for breath.
Their path brightened as they neared a broad clearing. Inuyasha leapt back down to the ground. He broke into another run. He was halfway across when a shadow fell across their path. He skidded to a halt.
The shadow shivered. A tide of darkness rose before them. Tangled limbs and talons sprouted from the gloom. The dusk lit up with a score of lurid eyes.
"Damn it!"
Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder. Too late. Their pursuers were already encircling them. He cursed and threw out an arc of flame. The spirits shied away. That bought him a moment to toss the bundle aside. He swung her down from his shoulder in the same breath.
She stared up at him in disbelief. "What're you-"
"Don't move!"
Honestly. As if that was even an option right now. She squirmed onto her side. The spirits loomed above. A lump rose in her throat. She swallowed it down.
"Don't tell me you're-"
"Shut it!" He flared up his fists. The spirits circled closer. His fists tightened. "Damn it... " he muttered.
One of them reared up in challenge. He blasted it away with a punch. Crap. He was serious. She wriggled back against a rock. For now, all she could do was survive.
The spirit circled back towards him. Two others trailed after it. Their eyes lit up with a feral glow. Strange, they were almost wary of him. Not that he was any less so. His jaw clenched as they loomed overhead. His fists flared brighter. She swore she glimpsed sweat trickling down his brow.
The spirits dove towards him. He lashed out with blazing scattered like smoke on the wind.
Two more rushed at him from behind. He whirled on them with a yell. Their talons slashed at his shadow. Another leapt at him before he found his feet. Its claws grazed his cheek. He swatted it away with a burning palm.
More spirits piled in. She sheltered as best she could. Her jaw tightened as they pressed closer. What was he thinking?
"There's too many of them!"
"Try telling me something I don't already know?" He blasted another spirit away.
"I can-"
"You can stay right there!" He dodged another swipe.
Her fingers began to curl. Of course he wouldn't even think of it. "You can't-"
"You want to help? Then don't fucking move!" He hissed as a claw grazed his leg. "Shit!"
The spirits seized their chance. They leapt at him from all sides. He lashed out with both fists. Too slow. One cleared the flames and caught him by the throat. His voice cut off in a choke. It slammed him to the ground before he could move.
"Inuyasha!"
The spirit bore down on him with a snarl. Two more piled in after it. He lashed out with his legs, beating them back with bursts of flame. She struggled against the ropes without success.
"Shit... "
Inuyasha clawed at the spirit's hands. It was like trying to grasp a shadow. His flames sputtered as its grip tightened on his throat.
"Inuyasha!"
She wrenched herself towards him. Her feet scrabbled for a foothold. More spirits dove in for the kill. They weren't even bothering with her. Not that they needed to. Her struggles were pathetic. She bit back her tears and glanced around for something she could use. Anything. There had to be-
Kagome.
Her breath caught. A shudder ran through her. A faint memory rose in her mind's eye.
She forced it down with a swallow. No. Not now. She sought another means of escape. Her eyes settled on a nearby puddle. It wasn't enough. It was all she had. There had to be a way.
Kagome. Listen.
The voice was sharp as flint. The memory grew clearer. It nagged at her like a splinter. She could get out of this. They could-
She shook her head. It would take a lot more than nagging to make her give in. Not when her life wasn't the only one on the line. She redoubled her struggles.
Kagome.
She carried on struggling. The ground shuddered beneath her. That made her start. There was another shudder. Her breath caught. That wasn't an earthquake. The tree towered in her mind's eye. Bile rose in her throat.
"No!"
You can't win this alone.
She choked back her bile. Inuyasha gave a strangled gasp. Her eyes shot straight back to him. He was barely visible beneath the writhing spirits. They clung to him like leeches. A few more moments and they'd have him. Damn them. Damn him. If only she could...
We can.
The next shudder went straight through her. She clenched her fists. She couldn't force her. She couldn't-
Kagome!
Energy pulsed through her like a heartbeat. Her entire body shuddered. The wind picked up. The spirits turned towards her as the ropes began to creak. They skittered as they grew taut. She flexed her shoulders and tore the ropes to shreds.
The spirits scattered. The wind swirled around her, lending her its spread her arms and gathered the puddle into the air. The spirits backed away.
She severed her ankles' bonds with a jet of water. The spirits flinched. She stayed her hand. She needed more. She scanned the clearing and settled her eyes on the bundle.
Leave this place.
Kikyou's voice rose unbidden from her throat. The spirits tensed. The gourds shivered beneath the cloth. Her fingers clenched against her will. The gourds burst like overripe sea prunes.
The spirits wheeled away. They circled overhead, seeking an angle of attack. Their cries rang through her bones.
Kikyou was undaunted. Her hands wove an intricate dance, gathering the water into twin rings. She swirled them around herself, forming a deadly barrier. She couldn't even follow her own movements. There was no holding her back.
The rings sped to a blur. The spirits drew ever closer. Inuyasha was still caught in their path. Kikyou didn't falter. He was a firebender. She narrowed her eyes and took aim. Kagome's heart froze in her mouth.
"No!"
The word burst from her throat. The wind stilled. The rings gave way. The spirits darted away like a shoal of fish.
Kagome scrambled to her feet and made a dash for Inuyasha. She stumbled to a halt beside him. She knelt down and laid her hand on his shoulder. He hardly stirred. She shook him as much as she dared.
"Inuyasha... "
He let out a soft groan. " ...Ka... gome?"
A spirit shot towards them. She ducked across his body. Its claws grazed over her head. There was no time to had to get him out of here.
She reached out and made a grab for the water. It leapt towards her hand, scattering the spirits. She steadied her breath and drew the water towards her. She could do this.
She gathered the water around her. She raised her hand and drew it into a thin stream. It wavered before her like a mirage. The spirits tensed. She held the whip steady as sweat trickled down her back.
"Leave him alone!"
She raised the whip. The spirits shied away. She brandished it with all the ferocity she could muster.
"Now!"
She unleashed the whip with a crash. The spirits fled aside. That bought her a couple of seconds. That was enough. She slung Inuyasha's arm over her shoulder and hauled him to his feet.
"Hang on!"
He hung off her like a wet blanket. He had no choice but to follow. She dragged him onwards with a grunt.
"This way!"
He staggered after her with a groan. She barely kept her feet. The spirits circled back towards them. She flung out her free arm and spattered them with mud. They hardly flinched. She'd best act fast.
Her eyes sought an exit. They were only a few feet from the clearing's edge. The ground dropped sharply into a steep slope. Whatever was at the bottom, it couldn't be much worse than this. She'd take her chances.
She flung out another spray of mud and took off at a stumbling run. Inuyasha staggered alongside her. They half jumped half tripped over the edge. She clung to him for dear life as they skidded down the slope.
A tree loomed in their path. She let out a curse and another burst of mud. They missed it by a finger. They sped onwards, gathering speed and bruises. A rock rose before them. The rush of water drew near. She set her teeth and readied another burst.
"Damn it!"
Inuyasha hurled a punch at the ground. They leapt clean over the rock. He kicked out before they crashed back to earth. Another kick carried them clear of the river. They hit the ground in a heap.
She lay half-winded, fighting to regain her breath. They'd be on them any second now. She had to move. Her body refused to listen. She set her jaw and ducked as low as she could.
A heartbeat passed. Another came and went. She shot the spirits a cautious glance. They weren't coming after them. They hovered on the river bank, forming a thick fog. None of them made a move towards the water.
She cast a look in the opposite direction. The forest was just as dull and dense on this side. The only object of interest was a large wooden gate. The paint was cracked and faded but it still stood tall. There must be some kind of shrine nearby. Perhaps they could shelter there.
She stumbled to one knee. The spirits still waited. She had no clue what was holding them back but she sure wasn't going to sit around to find out. She pulled Inuyasha to his feet.
"Come on!"
He slumped against her like an unstrung puppet. She half-carried, half-dragged him to the shrine's gate. The spirits watched them with unblinking eyes. They stayed poised on the far bank, like a wave held back by a dam.
She wasn't going to wait for it to break. She hauled him onwards until they were clear of the gate. Her legs gave way to exhaustion. She sank down beside the gate with a gasp. Inuyasha joined her with a groan.
"Shit... "
She gave him a nod. That sure summed things up. She lay back against the gate and tried to regain her breath. He gave a choked cough. She raised her hand to pat his back. He shrugged it away.
"I'll live. Just need to-"
Leave.
Inuyasha's head shot straight up. She scrambled upright, her aches and pains forgotten. They scanned their surroundings for any signs of life.
"Who's there?"
Leave this place. Now.
The voice rang through her skull. It was deep enough to make her teeth shudder. That was no human voice. It sure wasn't Kikyou's either. She gathered her breath and raised her chin.
"We mean you no harm, Spirit."
I will be the judge of that.
Inuyasha bristled. Heat stirred the held up her hands.
"Please. We just need a place to rest."
The spirit gave a moment's pause. The air stilled. When it spoke again, its voice was leaden with certainty.
This is no place for the likes of him. Avatar.
Constructive criticism is very welcome!
I update once a month.
