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 33
Inuyasha didn't move. Sango stared him down. The spirit stared with her. Faint light flickered in his palms. The air was taut with silence.
"I see you still don't do hints."
Kohaku swallowed. His eyes shot to Sango. She gave him the briefest of raised his fists without question.
Inuyasha scoffed in reply. He staggered back into a fighting stance. Mayu and Shippou crouched beside him, their fists wreathed in trembling flames. All Kagome had was the sweat on her would hardly be enough to take on Kohaku, let alone this pair. She shot Inuyasha a warning glance.
"Inuyasha... "
"Keh. Just stay close and don't-"
The ground bucked like a salmon. Sango leapt from her perch. The spirit broke her fall with its back. She swung herself into a more comfortable seat.
There were no breaks for the rest of them. Shippou was hurled straight into the air. Kohaku had to lasso the nearest rock to keep his feet. Mayu went sprawling into Kagome.
Inuyasha grabbed the back of Kagome's tunic before they hit the deck. Mayu grabbed her sleeve. Kagome clung to his arm as her stomach lurched to a halt.
"Wha-"
The shuddering ceased. Inuyasha steadied them with a curse. Kagome squinted through the dust. A ragged figure stood opposite them in a neatly hewn doorway. Six more stood behind last was only a child. He stumbled into the light coughing.
Mayu squinted at him suspiciously. "Satoru?"
"Mayu!" He broke into another cough. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Uh, sorry I-"
"I'll take it from here, boy."
The first figure stepped to the front. What he lacked in height he more than made up for in sheer nerve. His beard may have been grey as granite but his muscles were near as hard. She'd never set eyes on this man but there was no mistaking that scowl.
"Katashi?"
"Avatar." He dipped his head towards her. His face stayed stony. His eyes hardened as he took in the battlefield. "My apologies."
"How-"
"You can thank young Satoru." He gave the boy a grudging nod."Boy hadn't the heart to leave his sister with the likes of them."
"Keh. You weren't exactly shedding any tears, old man," Inuyasha retorted.
"Enough." Sango's voice was a thunderclap. The spirit's flames flared higher as she stared down at them. "Stand down."
Katashi answered her with a sneer. "Well, aren't you all high and mighty? Care to say that to my face, Missy?"
Inuyasha's jaw tightened. "You haven't got a fucking clue-"
"Oh, I know what I'm dealing with, all right," Katashi spat. "A mongrel and a traitor to boot."
"Traitor?" Sango's voice was as bitter as bile."The White Lotus was always rotten to the core."
"Oh?" Interest sparked in Katashi's eyes. "Now there's a name I haven't heard in a good while."
"You'd have done better not to hear it at all." Sango replied.
"Heh."Katashi's laugh was as dry as dust."Can't say I'm not flattered, Missy, but you've got the wrong end of the stick. I'm just a humble groundskeeper."
"Humble," Inuyasha muttered.
Kagome dug him with her elbow. "Save it for later," she whispered.
Katashi paid them no mind. He flexed his shoulders as he weighed up his opponent. "Well. Don't say I didn't warn you, girl."
"Keh." Inuyasha kept his hands by his sides. They were still balled into fists. "This ain't your fight, old man."
"That so?"Katashi replied. He beckoned the other earthbenders forwards. Two of them stepped up. Neither's face was half as cocky as his.
More sweat trickled down Kagome's back. Kohaku alone would be worth at least four of them. Not that this was the time to point that out. Or the fact that he'd counted Inuyasha as a Spider. All she needed was to get them out of there in one piece. She sure wasn't putting her faith in that pillar.
Katashi lifted his chin to appraise Sango. His sneer was as plain as ever. "I wouldn't wager on ten to four if I were you."
Sango shook her head. "You're wasting our time."
Katashi returned the gesture. He raised his hands in a mockery of surrender.
"Leave her, girl. You don't-"
The spirit dove towards him in a rush of flame. His companions scrambled to cover him. They hurled a volley of rocks towards Sango. The spirit answered them with a roar. The flames flared into a shield. The rocks bounced off it like pebbles.
Shippou and Satoru scurried for cover. Kagome ducked as shrapnel rained down on them. She clutched Mayu to her chest. Inuyasha sheltered them both with his free arm. No flames sprang to his on his feet was more than enough of a challenge.
"Oh for-"
Another volley of rocks shot over their heads. They met with the same result. This time the spirit replied with a gust of flame. The earthbenders ducked behind whatever cover they could muster.
"This ain't the-"
Katashi paid no mind to Inuyasha's warnings. He glared up at Sango from behind his makeshift shield. He signalled to his companions to launch another salvo. Inuyasha's only reply was a muttered "keh".
The spirit's flames shattered the rocks like eggs. Katashi was undaunted. He kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling until the flames cleared. He sheared a huge fang of rock loose with a single chop. It plummeted straight towards Sango.
Kohaku yelled a warning. Sango swerved out of the stalactite's path. The spirit backed her up with another burst. Katashi clawed back the debris with a scowl.
"Come down and fight, girl!"
He thrust his arms forwards and sent the rocks flying. One thudded straight into the spirit's chest. It shied away with a lost her eyes shot to the metalbender as she plummeted to the ground.
"Kohaku!"
The boy flung out a wire. He snatched her from the air before she hit the rocks. He drew her back to the ledge. She landed beside him, already poised to strike.
Katashi crumbled the ledge with a curse. The spirit swept in to break their fall. It turned on Katashi with a roar. Flames gushed from its open jaws.
Shippou shielded Satoru with a wall of flame. Katashi didn't even try. He skidded aside on a wave of earth. The spirit charged after him.
The other earthbenders rushed to his aid. They stamped down and sent stalagmites careening towards the spirit. Kohaku met their onslaught head on with a wall of stone. Their spears shattered on impact.
The spirit cleared the wall in a single burst. Sango leapt from its back. She sailed over the earthbenders' heads and landed right between two of them.
"Behind-"
She struck like a bolt. Her fist slammed into the nearest earthbender's kidney. He sank to his knees. She whirled on his companion and felled him with a few swift strikes to the back. They both hit the ground unconscious.
"Damn you!"
Katashi stamped down. The ground split beneath Sango. She leapt aside. Kohaku swung himself to safety. He let the wall crumble. The other benders shored themselves up with banks of swept Kagome and Mayu out of the battle's path.
Sango caught her balance without so much as a stumble. Katashi threw up another bank. Sango sprang straight over it. He snatched up a shard of stalagmite and drew back his arm.
"Sister!"
Kohaku shot out a wire and snared Katashi's forearm. The shard dropped to the ground. Katashi's defence crumbled.
"Shit!"
He hurled a desperate punch at Sango's incoming face. She blocked it with ease and delivered a couple of swift chops to his arm. It fell limp at his side.
"Idiot!" Inuyasha gritted.
Katashi caught his balance and stamped down. A shard of rock pierced Sango's shadow. She was at his side before he could blink. She took out his right arm with another flurry. He staggered back with a curse.
"Katashi!"
Another earthbender rushed towards her. He hurled a boulder at Sango without breaking his charge. She ducked it without breaking her step.
"Just take the bitch out already!"
Sango met the earthbender with a punch to the stomach. He dropped like one of his rocks. She kicked him aside and turned on Katashi.
The old groundskeeper recovered his stance. His feet were perilously close to the creaking strained to clench his arms hung useless at his side. He couldn't move so much as a pebble.
"Wha-"
Sango felled him with a chop to the back of the neck. He crumpled to the ground. The other earthbenders could only stare. Their missiles thudded back to the ground.
"Damn it!" Inuyasha hissed.
Kagome gaped in dismay. No amount of training could have prepared her for were little better than sitting had to get out while they still had a chance.
The ground rumbled beneath her. She staggered into Inuyasha. He didn't even flinch. His attention was fixed on the pillar. It was already starting to 's pride had cost them dear.
The three remaining earthbenders rushed to stabilise it. Sango let them go. They stamped down as one and focused all their strength on the pillar. Their heels dug into the earth as they strained to hold their ground.
Kohaku shot a nervous look in their direction. Sango gave him a nod. He scrambled to join them.
Kagome glanced up at Inuyasha. He hadn't budged an inch. Then again, neither had Shippou or Satoru. There was no question of leaving anyone behind. She wouldn't wish those spirits on anyone.
Of course, wishing wouldn't do anything to fix the pillar. Even the earthbenders' efforts would buy them little more than seconds. Kohaku was already having to shore them up with rocks for support. The walls shuddered with the strain. Debris rained down from the ceiling. A crack streaked across the pillar's 'd be lucky if it held for another minute.
"Oh for-" Inuyasha's voice broke into a groan.
Another crack snaked across the tendrils spilled from the breach. Kohaku leapt away. The other earthbenders weren't so quick. One of them screamed as a strand snared his leg. He was yanked straight off his feet.
Kohaku sent him a wire. Another tendril sheared it in half mid-flight. The spirit rushed towards it and let loose a burst of flame. The tendril shrank back and released its grip. The spirit caught the man before he slammed into the pillar.
Shippou scampered forwards to add his flames to the fight. The spirit thanked him with a soft growl. Mayu tugged at Kagome's arm.
"Let me-"
A tendril shot towards her. Inuyasha swatted it away with a flaming punch.
"Just get the fuck out of here already!"
"But-"
Another stream of tendrils broke through. Inuyasha snatched Kagome and Mayu away. He landed atop the highest ledge he could reach. He released them before Kagome could regain her breath and prepared himself to spring.
She caught his arm before he could jump. "Wait."
He shook her off without a glance. "Stay."
"You can't-"
"Keh." He kept his eyes on the chaos below. His legs were still tensed to spring. "Not like you can-"
"No."
That made him look. "What?"
"I can help." There was only a slight tremble in her voice. She stilled it with a swallow. "I think."
He followed her gaze towards the ceiling. Their eyes settled on the nearest root. A thin tendril dangled just above their heads. Just close enough to reach.
His brow settled into a frown. "Wait..."
No time for that. She gathered her breathand reached for the root.
"Kagome!"
Inuyasha's warning reached her ears just as her fingers brushed the bark. Shock seared through her. A terrible sickness seized her very darkness reached for her with questing talons. She whipped back her hand before it could take hold.
"Idiot!"
The ground gave another heave. They staggered straight into the wall. Inuyasha snatched her back before she toppled off the ledge.
"Damn it, Kagome!" He gritted. "This ain't-"
"Wait." She gasped for another breath. He allowed her a finger's more breathing room. "Maybe... "
She slid her hand down to her 's waterskin was still at her side. The contents gave a satisfying had more than enough.
She nudged his shoulder. He released them with a muted "keh". Mayu pressed herself against the wall. She kept her eyes on the battle below while Kagome gathered her released the stopper and drew out the last of her water.
"Again?" Inuyasha's frown held more than a tinge of worry. "That's-"
"It's okay, Inuyasha." The water coiled around her arm as she spoke. She held it steady with her trembling hand. A shaky smile found its way to her face. "I've got this."
Her smile straightened as she took released her grip with her breath. She shot out her whip and reached for the tree.
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