The sun peeked over the horizon, rousing the foreigners from their restless sleep outside. Throughout the night, there had been no signs of any disturbance. Miroku and Sango had taken turns keeping watch, and thankfully, no threat came to the family inside the house. The barrier Miroku had put up yesterday seemed weakened and he was sure he had depleted some of his spiritual energy during the night. For now, he would concentrate less on his powers only to ensure he didn't overdo it.
Hesitantly, Nathaniel stepped onto his porch and delighted that there were no Gibdos around, he invited the group inside for something to eat. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, hinting that he hadn't had much sleep; he'd been up half the night watching his little girl slumber because he knew today would be the last time he would see her for a while.
While they ate their meal in silence, Pamela had refused to leave her room; it was obvious she was upset and distrustful of the group and no one could really blame her, not even her father.
As soon as they were finished, Nathaniel met with them outside the house, and he dared not step any further away for fear of endangering himself. "So I take it you are planning on investigating the ruins? I'm sure what you're searching for lies deep within the castle," he explained. Sadly, he was unable to penetrate the castle, only because it was infested with numerous redead and Gibdo. The researcher truly envied the youngsters.
Kagome nodded. "As soon as we're done, we'll be back."
"For the time being, it would be safe to stay inside," Sango warned him.
Miroku also agreed. "My sutras still contain some spiritual powers, strong enough to keep out any demonic presences. So you'll be safe while we're away."
At the mentioning of this, Link remembered his and Inuyasha's visit to the Spring Cave the other day and approached Miroku. "There's something I think you should all see." It mostly concerned the priestess and monk.
"Sango can you stay behind and watch the house?" Inuyasha asked, earning a puzzled glance from everyone but Link.
"Sure."
Inuyasha knew exactly what the boy was saying and, although the two seemed baffled, he led them up the high incline above the house until they stood before the cliff above. "We found out what was the cause for the river's state."
"Really?" Kagome found this surprising. She wondered what it could be. As she walked along the flow of the river, she grimaced when she realized Link and Inuyasha wanted her and Miroku to walk through the waterway.
Hesitant of stepping into the running stream, Kagome removed her shoes and socks, setting them aside and placed one dainty foot into the stream. A shudder swept through her, and she couldn't help but make a face. "Ew!"
All eyes turned to stare the priestess.
Grimacing, Kagome felt the ooze travel against her thighs, and she couldn't help but squeal. She felt the soft mud beneath her feet mixed in with the gore. "It's all squishy between my toes!" In the process of trying to turn, a rock from underneath caused her to stumble. Frantic of not wanting to fall into the bloody stream, Kagome yet again squealed and reached out for something to balance herself. "I'm falling!" She flailed. Thankfully, Link was the closest person in her reach, and she grasped his shoulders to steady herself.
Link blushed but he couldn't help but sweat drop at the girl.
Even Shippo, who was perched upon his shoulder couldn't help but notice Link's reaction when his surrogate mother touched him. Last time, he remembered when Link rejected any feelings of love for his mother, but he knew there was something there. Shippo actually thought Link might be beginning to fall for her, and from Kagome's blush, he had a feeling something was developing between them. For now he would keep to himself, but sooner or later one of them had to confess. Or maybe it wasn't love yet, but something was surely taking place. From the looks of it, no one in the group was even aware of this difference.
Seeing this, Serena giggled. Kagome sure was an interesting and somewhat funny girl; she could see why Link liked her so much, but still, the girl tended to get herself into trouble, kidnap or not.
Hitching up his robes, Miroku too stepped into the running stream pouring out from the cave directly in front of them. His sandals were abandoned just like Kagome's and unlike the priestess, his demeanor was placid. "Lady Kagome is right…this mud is quite squishy between the toes…"
Inuyasha crossed his arms while he observed his three companions before walking past them into the cave ahead. The blood didn't bother him at all. "You better hope that's all you're feeling between your toes…"
When he disappeared into the cave, Kagome made a face. "Ugh…" She hoped what they were walking through was mud. Grimacing, she followed behind the monk who trailed behind the half demon.
Link on the other hand, remained at her side, offering her assistance when she tended to stumble over small rocks or dips.
OOO
As soon as the group stood before the small pool inside the cavern, Kagome and Miroku looked upon the small orb settled at the very bottom of the Spring. The pool was too deep for Kagome to stand in, and it was doubtful she'd jump either.
"So you say there is a barrier around it?" Miroku questioned the half demon. "How interesting…"
"So, you think you can dispel it?" Inuyasha asked.
There was no absolute guarantee that the barrier would break, and they weren't exactly sure how strong it was either. From where they stood, they noticed the depth of the pool seemed quite large and they were unsure of how to go about trying to break the force field around the orb.
An idea came to Kagome and she looked at Link who stood beside her. Since they each had light arrows, maybe they could use the two combined? "Link, want to try hitting it with our light arrows?" It couldn't hurt to try, could it?
Grasping an arrow from his quiver strapped to his back, Link notched his bow and aimed, while Kagome stood on the opposite side of the pool. As soon as he nodded, both he and Kagome's arrow hit the surface of the barrier, but the result was futile; the barrier merely sparked at the impact before disintegrating the arrows completely. Of course Link knew from the start that the idea seemed a little hopeless, but it couldn't hurt, after all, light arrows were his most powerful weapons.
"It didn't work…" Kagome wasn't going to give up. She notched one of her regular arrows and aimed once again. Closing her eyes, she fused her priestess powers into the arrowhead and as soon as she felt the flow of her spiritual powers coursing through her, she released. Unfortunately, it hadn't come close to even leaving a mark.
Considering that it had been Link's idea in the first place to ask for his and Kagome's assistance in this matter, since they did possess spiritual powers, it was only natural that he and the priestess work together and form some solution to this dilemma. Miroku scratched his head and looked at the priestess beside him. "So, how should we go about this?" Should he and Kagome work together to solve this problem or go about it separately first? Even though Kagome had attempted to use her sacred arrow by itself, he thought it'd be in their best interest to work together.
She had a sneaking suspicion one of them would have to jump in, and she really didn't want to be the one to do it. Although she did have an extra pair of clothes in her backpack, the idea of getting drenched in oozy blood did not set well with her. Weakly, she offered a smile. "All we have to do is try to break it, right?" As much as she didn't want to, she decided to make the sacrifice for her friends. "Miroku, I'll go in, besides, you don't have an extra pair of clothes, right?"
Miroku blinked at this. "Kagome…are you certain? You'll be drenched," he warned.
It was no big deal to her, besides, even if the stains didn't come out, she still had more clothing in her backpack to change in to. The only thought that bothered her was that there was no fresh water around to remove the blood, and she hoped that by breaking this barrier would return the river to its original state. "I'll be fine. Could you hand me your staff?" Even if her uniform were permanently stained, she could always buy a new one and it wasn't like she would be going to school any time soon.
Before handing her the rod, he tied one of his sutras around the length of it and after muttering a small prayer, he handed it to the young girl. He hoped this would work.
Slowly, she stepped in to the pool, still grasping the ledge of solid land, and as she felt around with her foot, she realized that she couldn't feel the bottom. That wasn't good. Gulping, she lowered herself until just the tops of her shoulders was beneath the ooze. After stepping lightly forward, she raised the staff over the small object. Hoping it would work, she brought it down hard. Sparks filled the pool around her, and as she applied more pressure, she couldn't seem to penetrate it. However, there was a reaction. Just beneath the stream, she felt the staff pulse within her grasp and after a moment it stopped.
Nothing happened, and the priestess sighed. Even Inuyasha was at a loss of what to do. If they were unable to break it, then how would the river return to normal?
Kagome frowned. Another failed attempt. "It didn't work…" Returning the staff back to the monk, Kagome pulled herself up and pouted at her unsightly appearance. Thankfully her hair, which was pulled up in to a high ponytail had been spared.
Because there didn't seem to be anything they could do, the group decided to leave the Spring Cave and head down to the ruins for the pendant they hoped to locate. If the River refused to return to its natural state, then they might come back and try again, but if not, they weren't sure what to do and it would be in Nathaniel's best interest to possibly tag along with them on their way to Clock Town. Since the family was running low on water, how would they survive?
Exiting the cave, Inuyasha, Shippo and Miroku trailed ahead of both Kagome and Link. Kagome was currently making a face at her attire and she felt dirty. What she wouldn't give for a bath right now. "Oh gosh…" Grabbing her shoes and socks, she followed after Link, careful of not stepping on anything jagged.
Hearing her discomfort, Link couldn't help but frown at her unsightly appearance. If she were to walk into the ruins like that, then she would undoubtedly lure strange phantoms toward her. He couldn't let that happen to her. "Kagome…if you would like, there is a spring just below that ledge over there."
Kagome's interest perked at this information. "A spring?" Clean water? And he was just now telling her this?
"The spring belongs to the Great Fairy of Kindness," Link replied. He saw her suspicious and baffled look. "Not many know of this cave. If you would like, you could cleanse yourself there since it's unoccupied."
Kagome blinked, but she followed beside Link as he led her in the direction of the cave. Even though the others were walking ahead of them in the opposite direction, she didn't feel like shouting out to them. "Unoccupied? Wait…the Great Fairy isn't…"
"She's gone…"
Gone? How could that be? "What do you mean? What happened?"
Jumping off the ledge, Link offered her help to get down. After that, they continued on their way to the cave a short walk from them, which was across the river from the house. "Magic seems to be depleting greatly from this world, and without magic, it's impossible for most fairies to survive…the Great Fairy from Great Bay perished soon after our arrival and it might already be too late for her sister in Snowhead."
How awful. Kagome couldn't believe any of this. Magic was being sucked away, but from what? What was the cause of this? "Then…if that's the case, we better get to Clock Town and fast…the Great Fairy could be in trouble," she replied horrifically. Without her, how would they be able to save the land from perishing? All she had told them to do was gather the four pendants from the four regions, but she hadn't told them what to do after. Wait…if that was the case, if all fairies were in trouble that meant… Kagome frowned deeply. That meant poor Serena would be doomed…unless something could be done.
"Here it is," Link said, bringing her out of her thoughts.
Stepping into the cave, Kagome found the darkness quite unsettling. There was no music inside and the lights that normally filled the fountain were gone. Everything was dark. "I can't see a thing…"
Guiding her through the darkness, Link retrieved from his satchel a small item. As soon as he felt the marble step in front of him, he gave Kagome a small item bluish in color that illuminated brightly in her palm.
"What is this?" She asked.
Placing his hand upon the small object, Link infused some of his energy into it. "This is called Nayru's Love. It is said that it possesses the power of one of the Goddesses that created the universe." In moments, Link removed his hand from the object and as soon as the light enveloped Kagome's entire body, protecting her, Link held his own object, Din's Fire in his open hand. With this, he would be able to light all the torches surrounded the small spring without getting kagome hurt in the process. Focusing, he crouched down and slammed his right fist upon the ground. Ember enveloped his entire hand and in the process, a massive dome of fire dispersed in waves around the circumference of the spring, easily lighting the once barren torches.
Kagome gasped at the sight.
Eventually, the fire faded away and so too did the magic surrounding young Kagome. Now the two stood in the light of the fountain, where the shadows of the flames danced off the bare walls. The sparkling crystal clear water tempted the fair priestess, and she couldn't help but smile happily.
"That was amazing! Link, how did you do that?" She was surprised she hadn't been burnt to a crisp from the heat, but it was thanks to Link's strange little object that shielded her. She handed it back, but Link refused to take it.
"Keep it. You might need it when the need arrives." Upon her puzzled stare, he continued. "Since you are without a shield and can only depend upon Miroku's spiritual abilities, to conjure up a barrier for you and your friends, this might help in case he isn't around. However, the magic will wear off in a short time and you must be sure not to use up too much energy."
Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Link." She placed the Nayru's Love into her back pack and searched through its contents. As soon as she found what she was looking for, she grinned. One by one, she started to fill the empty water bottles up with fresh water. There were a total of five containers, one for each of her teammates. As soon as she was done filling them up, she returned them to her bag and sorted through her garments folded neatly inside. There was quite an assortment of clothes inside, along with a few personal items. From time to time, she peered back at Link, whose eyes were elsewhere, examining the walls of the cavern.
Noticing her look, he blushed. "If you need anything, I'll be outside." Before he could exit the cave, Kagome stopped him.
"You can stay…besides I don't mind. It's better to stick together and you never know when a zombie might show up, right?" She asked. But she did expect privacy so for now, he could just sit with his back turned to her.
What? Did he hear her right? Kagome had invited him to stay with her while she bathed? Link didn't understand, but from her explanation, it seemed as if she was a little worried about being by herself since an attack could possibly happen. Should he stay? Or…
The sound of garments being removed caught his attention, and red in the face, Link placed his shield against the wall and sat with his back turned to the priestess. Such a situation had never happened to the boy, and he wasn't really sure how to react. Was it really alright to stay?
After removing the last of her clothes, which were soaked, Kagome stepped into the spring and as soon as submerged, she looked back to make sure Link hadn't peeked, and to her relief, he hadn't. Link didn't seem like the type to peek on girls, unlike Miroku.
Satisfied, she rubbed at the blood coated to her legs, scrubbing hard to remove it. As soon as it fell away, she turned around and reached for her soap and her vanilla scented shampoo. Since she was taking a bath, she might as well take care of her hair too. She did feel a little bad that Sango wasn't with her.
OOO
By this point, when Inuyasha, along with Miroku, Shippo and Serena had arrived to the house, they noticed they were two short of their companions. Looking around, there was not one sign of either of them, and this bothered them, mainly Inuyasha.
"Where did those two run off?" Inuyasha asked.
Shippo searched the area curiously. "I don't know…" He wanted to go back and look for his friends, but he didn't want to go off by himself.
Hearing voices outside, Sango stepped out onto the porch and greeted her friends. "You're back already? How did it go?" Because of their frowns, she guessed it hadn't gone well. "Where did Link and Kagome go?"
"They've disappeared on us," replied the monk.
Nathaniel stepped out from behind the slayer and glanced at the group below his steps. The blood covering both Miroku and Inuyasha didn't go unnoticed and he invited them in to clean off some before leaving the house. "Just down those stairs is a basin you can use to clean yourself." Nathaniel took a seat at the table with his daughter Pamela and Sango.
"I don't need to wash up. I'm fine just the way I am," Muttered a certain half demon.
Of course hearing this, Nathaniel protested. "But if you go out like you are, you are bound to attract more trouble than is worth," he warned.
Miroku also agreed with the young man. As he was half way down the stairs, he turned around. "He is right, Inuyasha. Let's clean ourselves up before looking for Kagome and Link."
With a grunt, Inuyasha followed after. "Fine."
OOO
Soap suds filled the spring around her, and she sighed in contentment. Instead of feeling icky and sweaty, Kagome felt much cleaner and fresher, especially with her pomegranate, spring blossom body-wash filling the air around her with a sweet scent.
Curious of the aroma, Link couldn't help but turn his head ever so gently over his shoulder. He figured she was already submerged in the pool and if that was the case, he wouldn't see anything, but he did see something. With widened eyes, Link looked upon kagome, who sat with her bare, sudsy back turned to him. It wasn't just her flawless and unblemished skin that caught his attention, but it was the tentative way she lifted her slender leg above the water while she scrubbed it with her bare hands. Although it was wrong of him to stare, he found that he couldn't look away. He was transfixed upon the way she slid her hands up and down her silky skin and over her shoulders delicately and the action itself caused him to blush profusely.
Link looked away, mentally scolding himself for watching her in such a manner. What was he thinking? Kagome deserved respect and privacy.
"You know…"Came Kagome's voice suddenly. "I know we talked about it before, but I've been wondering…your homeland, Hyrule…did…something happen to it?" Why was she asking such a personal question? The reason for this was because during their last conversation about Hyrule, the following day of her rescue, he had ironically mentioned that his home land had been 'saved.' Kagome didn't think that was the case.
He frowned and fisted his hand at her question. So…she had a suspicion? "Yes…"
Pausing, Kagome glanced over her shoulder, and stared at the boy with his back still turned toward her. She noticed how tense and alert he always seemed to be when around danger or in the company of others. "That's why you couldn't return…right?" The priestess didn't mean to pry, but she couldn't help but wonder.
Link nodded. "Yes."
So that was why he couldn't go back. Something awful must have happened then if he couldn't return, and whatever it was that happened, it clearly affected him deeply. If he was unable to return home, then it would be impossible for him to see those he loved. Was that the reason he always kept to himself? Even from their first encounter, he hadn't seemed so trusting, and for a week or so, he finally came out of his shell a little. Now he was talking to them, and for that, she was thankful. "I see. Sorry, I don't me to pry."
Silently, Link took a moment to reflect on her words, and it didn't bother him really. Besides, she was curious, as were her friends. "It's alright...it's all in the past."
Kagome frowned. If she were unable to see her family again, whether because she might end up stranded in this world or the Feudal Era, she knew it would cause her a lot of grief. She could only imagine how Link must feel. Not being able to return to the place you were born, not being able to see your friends or never to have known your own mother or father, it must hurt. To be constantly reminded that you are own your own, it must be very lonely.
Finishing, Kagome reached for one of her towels and after reemerging from the pool, she wrapped it around her small form before rummaging through her backpack yet again. After finally finding the outfit fitted for such weather, she glanced back at Link and satisfied that he wasn't looking, she quickly changed behind one of the immense columns surrounding the spring.
She supposed, in a way, she and Link were sort of alike. Kagome never knew her father, and she grew up only knowing her mother and grandfather, along with her little brother Sota.
After changing Kagome revealed herself. "Ok. I'm done."
Standing up, Link turned around and regarded Kagome, but he couldn't help but find her attire more revealing than the last. What on earth was she wearing? He spotted her bloodied uniform upon the ground beside her backpack and wondered if he would ever see her dressed in the fabric again, but the new look Kagome sported was very different and he wouldn't say he disliked it, but he found it just a tad too revealing.
Dressed in a regular blue t-shirt, the words "Adventure Time," was displayed upon the bust area of her outfit. The shirt fell upon her curves nicely, showing off her hour glass figure. Hip hugging jean shorts exposed a lot more leg than her casual skirt and it felt so much nicer to move around freely without the fear of anyone seeing her underwear. Upon Link's stare, Kagome blushed. "What is it?"
Shaking the image of her from his mind, he turned away. "N-nothing…we return."
After exiting the cave, the two came upon none other than Inuyasha, Sango, Serena and Shippo staring at them quite intently, but mainly Kagome.
"And just what the heck were you two doing?" Came Inuyasha's question. The half demon couldn't help but eye his friend up from head to toe, and even he couldn't stop himself from blushing. "Kagome…what are you wearing? And you smell clean…"
Brushing a strand of wet hair behind her ear, kagome tugged at her t-shirt embarrassingly. "Link showed me the cave of the Great Fairy of Kindness."
Sango looked at the cave and saw a distant light inside. "Really? What did she say about the pendant's location?"
Serena agreed. "Yeah, did she say anything?"
"Well…" Kagome began. "Nothing because she's not there anymore."
Inuyasha found this hard to believe. "Not there? Why not?"
Link nodded. "She has passed on," he explained, and it sure came as a surprise to everyone. "Even the Great Fairy from Great Bay has left this world."
"She's gone? As in dead?" Shippo asked stupefied. Not again. The tyke remembered going with Link to the cave located off the coast of Great Bay and he remembered the last enchantress's final moments. "Oh yeah…that's right…I forgot about that."
Sango canted her head. "Forgot about what, Shippo?"
"Well," he decided he might as well tell them what happened. "Me and Link went to see her, the Great Fairy at Great Bay, and she was already in bad shape. She said her magic was being taken away because of something evil. She told us that this evil person wasn't upon them yet but would soon be, and that anyone born with magic would cease to exist."
"And you're now just telling us this?!" Inuyasha growled. "Why didn't you tell us this sooner?"
Shippo cowered behind Link. In all honesty, he had forgotten all about it, but he didn't want to tell Inuyasha that.
Upset with the half demon, Serena fluttered in front of the child defensively. "Take it easy! There's no reason to get angry!"
Inuyasha glared. "Buzz off!"
"Wait…then would that mean that the magic the Great Fairy gave all of us would cease to exist?" If that was the case, that would mean Kagome's healing powers would be no more, and Miroku's wind tunnel might return and everyone's weapons would be gone.
Link shook his head. "Not necessarily."
Inuyasha crossed his arms. Now that he and his teammates were conscious of such news, he knew it would be better to not waste any more time. "Alright, so what you're saying is, this person is gathering this magic, even though he or she isn't here yet…"
"Perhaps they're gaining power as we speak since the land is nearing its end," Sango inquired thoughtfully. It would make sense. Perhaps whoever it was they were up against was quietly in hiding, waiting for the moment they gained extreme powers before surfacing among them. Maybe, right now, they weren't ready to fight them? And perhaps the reason for their search for these pendants, and the strange phenomenon in each region was a motive to delay their efforts and allow that person more time to grow in power. That seemed like a likely plan. The slayer was sure that everyone had caught on to this by now.
Still, Inuyasha scrutinized Kagome. "Did you take a bath or something or what?"
She nodded. Why did that bother him?
The half demon's eye twitched. She took a bath…in the spring? Doesn't that defile the fountain? Well, it couldn't be helped now; she was clean after all and he was thankful for that, but he couldn't help but let his eyes fall upon her bare legs. Kagome was definitely showing too much skin.
"Inuyasha, my eyes are up here," Kagome crossed her arms. What was the deal with him looking at her body? It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her legs before.
Inuyasha blushed. "It's even shorter than that skimpy outfit of yours," he remarked. On account of her glare, he stuttered. "I-I mean…your uniform…"
"Yeah. What of it?" She questioned. Sheesh, it was normal for girls to wear short shorts and a t-shirt. Heck, he'd seem the people in her time wear more or less clothing there, and he chose now of all times to complain. She and her friends really didn't have time for this. He could just get over it. "There's no way I'm wearing jeans so just forget it. It's too hot here."
From her annoyed tone, the half demon backed off. There was no reason for her to get upset. He was just saying. "Are we going or what? The sooner we get the pendant, the sooner we can leave." Besides, he wanted to leave here quickly and see the Great Fairy before it was too late.
Forgetting her annoyance with the half demon, Kagome looked around the group. "Wait, what about Miroku?" Kagome asked. She noticed he wasn't with them.
"He used up a lot of his spiritual power last night and thinks he should stay behind and watch the family," Sango explained. She remembered that Kirara had decided to stay also and it seemed she took a liking to Nathaniel and his daughter Pamela.
That was understandable.
Now that that had been cleared up, Link led the group down another ledge until they stood before the giant gate blocking their path to the castle just on the other side. The sign had read that nothing could possibly penetrate the stone wall, but that didn't matter. Link knew of another way in, and it was the small hole he had left years ago just a few steps away from the gate.
"This leads to the palace," he explained, and from their curious stares, they followed him through the giant hole left in the wall, which was only possible by one of his bombs.
Thick oppressive hedges towered before them and as they walked forward they entered into the ominous shadows of the courtyard. The sky, which once was red, was now an eerily depressing gray, and no breeze blew causing the air to remain stagnant. From a distance, their eyes caught sight of massively tall pillars circling the decrepit castle ahead. Heavily designed iron fences enclosed the courtyard and an unsettling silence filled the air around them. Leading into the shrubbery maze, a cobble stone path greeted the travelers, and they approached the gated entry way with caution.
First off, in Link's opinion, this was not right. There had never been such a place during his last visit to the ruins and yes it did appear as if some sort of spell had been cast upon their arrival. Perhaps, it was an illusion? That seemed very likely.
Not the least bit amused, Inuyasha calmly stepped forward, toward the towering hedges. No matter the difference, he walked on ahead of his companions.
"Inuyasha, wait," Link called out, but the half demon merely stopped and cocked an eyebrow.
"What for?" From Link's expression, it seemed as if the youth was doubtful of stepping further inside. "Don't tell me you're scared…" He smirked and continued until he disappeared around the corner.
"Scared? As if!" Serena tugged on Link's sleeve. "Come on Link! You show him!"
Link silently protested the small fairy's energetic enthusiasm. There was no reason for Link to try and out better Inuyasha when it wasn't even his intention in the first place. Still, Serena could get too sensitive, especially when it concerned his well-being, more than her own.
Realizing Inuyasha was acting rash, Kagome ran after him. "Hold up, Inuyasha!" Just as she too disappeared from view around the hedge, a loud piercing scream followed after, and it was so surprising that it caught everyone off guard.
"Kagome!" Shippo cried out.
Serena wanted to sigh. Not again.
After rounding the corner with his sword drawn, Link stumbled into a surprising turn of events. While he had thought the priestess had been attacked, he found her to be unharmed, standing irately before a…laughing half demon?
Even Sango was taken aback by the scene and sweat dropped.
Overwhelmed by the fact that he had scared the priestess brought tears to his eyes. Honestly, she should have expected him to pull a stunt like that. "Y-you hahaha the look on your face!" Inuyasha couldn't help it, he couldn't stop laughing. Her face had been so priceless, and the fact that Link and the others came running to the rescue, expecting monsters, made it all the more hilarious.
Angry, Kagome fisted her hands and it only took one word to stop the half demon's amusement. "Sit!" As soon as he slammed into the hard cemented pavement, Kagome unleashed her fury. "What is wrong with you?! We're in the middle of a quest and here you are pulling stunts like this?! Grow up!"
Shippo was flabbergasted. "That idiot…" Well, he got what he deserved.
Serena sweat dropped. Now was seriously not the time for fun and games. "He's so immature." He was nothing like her companion, Link.
Terribly infuriated, the priestess huffed and crossed her arms. Really, he nearly gave her a heart attack. You don't just do stuff like that, especially when you're about to explore hunted ruins that could be crawling with monsters.
Managing to pull himself up to his feet, Inuyasha grumbled and wiped the dirt from his clothes. "Sheesh, it was just a joke…no need to get upset." Serious now, he led the group ahead, since it was obvious that no one had any idea where they were going.
Deciding it would be best to stick close to Kagome, Link kept his eyes and ears alert for anything out of the ordinary. Out of the ordinary? Everything was out of the ordinary here.
Step after step and turn after turn, it seemed as if the gang was wandering aimlessly around the maze. A few times, Inuyasha had unsuccessfully led them to a dead end, in which they had to turn around and take another path which would hopefully lead them closer to the exit.
"This is so…creepy," Kagome voiced suddenly, and Sango, Link and Serena couldn't help but agree with her. Well, there was nothing in this courtyard but the maze and the thick silence. Whatever it was that bothered her, she had a feeling it might suddenly jump in front of them the closer they got, but still it was quite calm as they made their way closer to the entrance.
An archway greeted the travelers just ahead, leading the group through another area of the maze, seemingly the final maze leading up to the entrance which sat innocently ahead. As they stepped through, butterflies gracefully fluttered from one flower to another.
"Hey Link, I was wondering. How do you have so much money?" Shippo suddenly asked. He'd been meaning to ask for a while now, but of course he was caught up in everything that was happening around him. When they had first started their journey, the child remembered when Link had shown them his entire rupee bag, filled with many different colored gems and he also remembered last night when he offered to pay for Pamela's lodging in Clock Town.
Link's eyes glanced at the tyke situated upon Kagome's shoulders. "I took up small jobs during my travels," he explained.
"Where did you work?" he asked.
Link pondered. In the past, he had taken up quite many different jobs, such as helping an older lady locate her missing dog, whom he still remembered the name today, Richard. How could he forget…she berated him about his lack of knowledge when it concerned canines, but he had only just started learning about the world around him and its many mysteries. Then there was the time he offered his assistance as a ranch hand on Lon Lon Ranch and also on Romani's Ranch.
In town, when he took a break from his quest in Hyrule, he helped a traveling merchant sell masks all over the land, and after his job had been completed, he did receive a little cash and also access to many masks. If Link remembered correctly, he still had a few masks from his time in Termina. Then he remembered giving assistance to Dampe in the cemetery a while back also.
Looking ahead, Link answered the little boy, whose curious gaze did not falter the slightest. "I was a ranch hand a couple of times, and I used to sell masks to get by on. Whatever job was available for a traveler, I took them up."
"You sold masks?" Shippo's interest was piqued.
The youth nodded. "If you like, I can show you some when we get to town."
Excited Shippo grinned from ear to ear. "Really? Alright!"
Unfortunately, another dead end greeted the travelers, and thus, they were forced to turn around and find another path.
Continuing on, this time, it was Sango's turn to ask questions. Her brown orbs eyed the priestess beside her curiously. "Kagome…I've been meaning to ask…but what are you wearing exactly?" The slayer hoped this question wouldn't offend her as it had with Inuyasha, but she was baffled by the style. She openly wondered why no one in her time wore kimonos and if the future was really so different from their own Era. Of course after witnessing some of the strange devices Kagome sometimes brought with her, she knew much had changed. After 500 years, had the world truly advanced past the age of Samurai?
"Hm?" Kagome glanced at her clothes and blushed yet again. "Oh, this is called a t-shirt and these," she pointed to her blue jean shorts. "Are my hip-hugging shorts; many people in my time wear them on hot days. I would have worn my tang top, but I didn't pack it…" From Sango's confused stare, she smiled. "A tang top is a shirt without sleeves," she explained. Pondering to herself, Kagome tried to picture what Sango might look like in some of her modern day clothes. She knew Sango would be too embarrassed to wear some of her clothes.
"I see…"
In front of them, Inuyasha grunted in annoyance. "I still think you're showing too much skin. You could get into a lot of trouble wearing little to nothi—"
"I know already!" Kagome replied angrily. Sheesh, what was with Inuyasha making such a big deal out of her clothing? When they first met, he hadn't said much to anything about her uniform until now. "I'll wear what I want to. You're not the boss of me," she huffed.
"I was just saying!" He growled back.
"Well drop it!"
Link and Sango sweat dropped at the scene. Another fight was about to begin, and it wasn't surprising whose fault it was.
"I think Kagome looks pretty!" Shippo exclaimed, much to Inuyasha's displeasure.
Serena, who noticed the half demon's hands fist suddenly, smirked. No matter what it was, she knew that Inuyasha hated it when others took the sides of his friends over him. "I agree. Kagome looks very cute."
From the fox child and the little fairy Serena's kind words, Kagome's sour mood turned into a joyous one. "Thanks you two! That's sweet!" 'Unlike someone…'
Suddenly, the half demon stopped, thus equally hindering everyone's progress. He looked one way and the next another and he frowned. "Wait…I think we came this way already."
"Huh?" Both Serena and Kagome voiced.
Inuyasha raised his nose to the air and sniffed. Something smelled…and he knew it wasn't flowers. What was it?
"Hey, Inuyasha…Inuyasha…" Failing to acknowledge her, Kagome walked around him and waved her hands in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Inuyas—" Before she could finish her sentence, Kagome found herself pushed backwards, and surprised, her eyes grew wide with fright when a giant canine jumped from the hedges beside them and sunk its fangs into Inuyasha's shoulders.
Serena shrieked before taking cover in Link's satchel.
As Inuyasha fought to remove the brown furred dog, two more leapt through the shrubbery and attacked the travelers. Soon after they arrived, another immerged, this one baring its fangs to the priestess hungrily.
Shippo, who stood beside his frightened mother, hid behind her leg. What were they going to do? "Watch out!"
Eventually, Inuyasha threw the wolf off his shoulder until it landed a few feet away from his person. Pained, he grasped his wound before turning toward the one closing in his two friends. "Kagome!" Baring his claws, he slashed at the wolf. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"
Howling in pain, the wolf barely acknowledged Inuyasha and with a warning snarl, it turned its eyes back to the girl and child, continuing its advancement.
Realizing he was being ignored, Inuyasha unsheathed his sword. "Damn it! Kagome get out of the way!" When she failed to move, petrified by the canine, he brought the tip of his blade down into the skull of the wolf. As soon as it fell, he was quick to react to another charging at him.
With his sword drawn, Link fought one of the beasts, but they were too quick to fight in such a narrow space. If only there were more room, then his attacks wouldn't seem hindered. Upon Sango's struggle with the other dog, the Link hurriedly slashed at the canine's face until it backed down in pain before running his sword through its neck. Immediately after, he ran to Sango's side.
Struggling, Sango found her efforts to kick the wolf off her person impossible. Blood poured from her leg in which the beast had inflicted upon her, and all she could do to keep it from biting her throat was to hold up her boomerang in self-defense. There was no way she could make a run for it.
Blood was the color of its eyes as it attempted to bite her with its sharp fangs. It was twice the size of any normal wolf she'd ever seen. The canine's coat was quite rough and dark, and its paws abnormally huge, so huge, it crushed her leg.
Sango winced and scooted away as best as she could, still keeping hold of her weapon. "Get off!" Using her upper body strength, she punched the feral creature straight in its neck, and as it stepped back, she took that moment to reach for her blade. Unfortunately, it retaliated with a much stronger force and once again, she found herself on her back, struggling to hold it off, but just as it had, a sickening crack stopped the creature's advancement, and bewildered, she looked up into the eyes of Link, whose blade pierced through the dog's head.
After pushing the lifeless body off the girl, Link helped her to her feet and she winced at the wound on her leg. Looking back at the half demon, he saw that he had easily dispatched the final dog. Thankful that no one was hurt, he searched through his bag and pulled out a red potion before handing it to her. "Here. Drink this." He knew that blood could easily draw in unexpected encounters.
Almost hesitant, she took the bottle, but before drinking it, she realized it was the red potion Link had taken when he was injured on the mountains some days back. The slayer remembered how his wounds had healed magically and she thanked him. "This is called Red Potion," she muttered, and at his nod, she drank some of the liquid. After a few gulps, her wound sealed and the blood vanished. "This stuff really is amazing," she commented.
Link agreed. Taking the capped potion back, he returned it to his satchel before turning to Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippo. "Are you three alright?"
"We're ok," replied Inuyasha. "Just what kind of wolves were those? I never saw them that big, before."
No one was sure, not even Link.
"They're aren't Kouga's, that's for sure!" Inuyasha commented. They were much too big to be his, and they certainly didn't have the same scent as him either.
Serena peeked out of her hiding place and fluttered around Inuyasha. "Wow…you better get that looked at," she commented while observing the wound on his shoulder.
Worriedly, Kagome walked around him and inspected the wound. "Are you alright?" She asked. "Here, I can heal i—" Kagome found herself pushed away by the said half demon. "Inuyasha?"
"I'm ok. This is nothing. My wounds will heal on their own, so don't waste your magic on me," he stubbornly replied with crossed arms.
The priestess's eyes narrowed. "At least let me see if it's infected."
"I said I'm alright."
From the bushes around them, a growl ceased their conversation, startling the group yet again. This time Inuyasha was prepared, along with Kagome with her arrow strung and ready to fire. Link took a stance near Sango, and he waited for the attack and as for Serena, she kept herself close to Link.
As assumed, four wolves leapt from their hiding places, and attacked. The first charged at Link, the other for Inuyasha, who was prepared to block its attack, and then Sango landed a fatal blow to one of the canines.
Looking around the narrow space, Kagome aimed for one of the dogs stalking close to Sango, and with clear accuracy, her arrow hit the mark and a blast of spiritual energy filled the space. "I did it!"
From the bright blast, the eyes of the feral creatures turned to look at the priestess, and with blood lust in their eyes, they turned their sights to her. For some reason, the light had earned their curiosity, and the sight of Kagome's exposed flesh, they found their appetizer.
Standing protectively in front of Kagome, Inuyasha turned around. "Not good, you two, get out of here!" He wasn't stupid, those creatures were now after her, but they'd have to get through him first.
"But…"
"Go!"
Seeing this, Link followed after the fleeing priestess. The moment he ran past Inuyasha, his eyes met amber. There was something within those amber eyes of his that caught the boy off guard. A sense of acceptance burned from his gaze, and yet there was something else quite hidden there, something that baffled the young warrior; what was it? With that, he disappeared around the corner, leaving both Sango and Inuyasha to deal with the wolves.
Because Link had acted so rashly, Serena found herself alone with both Sango and Inuyasha. Her efforts to follow after him were in vain. One of the wolves snapped its hungry teeth at her and she squeaked in surprise before fluttering to Inuyasha's side. They were surrounded.
OOO
Immediately after fleeing, a dead end greeted Link, Kagome and Shippo, and turning, with his blade at the ready, Link's eyes met with one wolf that had separated itself from its pack; that was a foolish decision. As soon as the canine jumped, Link easily dispelled of it, and it dropped at his feet easily.
"What about the others?" Kagome worriedly asked. "We should go back."
Hearing this, Link shook his head. "We should get to the end of this maze first," he explained.
Thinking, Shippo looked around. So far, they managed to get this far through, and yet they had no idea how much longer it would take to get to the exit. "Wait, I can fly us there!" he exclaimed.
Link blinked. Surely using that method would seem too easy. He wondered if it would work.
"That's right!" Kagome cheerily replied. "Why didn't we think of that before?"
Delighted that he had figured out a way out of this mess, the tyke transformed and lifted himself into the air, but when he did, a crackling sound stopped him and pushed him back to the ground painfully. Shippo transformed back. "It…didn't work! What happened?"
Link should have figured as much. "Let's hurry."
Once again, the three ran down another path, and thankfully, this one didn't lead to a dead end. Turn after turn, their eyes saw nothing but the hedges on opposite sides of them. The cobblestone path straight ahead diverged in different directions. One path led back toward Sango and Inuyasha and the other paths toward the entrance of the ancient castle ahead of them.
Stopping, the three looked around.
"Shouldn't we go back and help Sango and Inuyasha?" Inquired the little boy next to Kagome.
At this, Kagome frowned. "I'm worried too…" However, they had to press on.
Noticing the frowns between the priestess and fox, Link pondered to himself. Should he go back and aid the slayer and half demon? He knew that they were capable of handling the situation on their own, yet he didn't especially like that this whole ordeal saddened his two friends. If he were to leave Shippo and Kagome, then he'd be risking putting their lives in danger. Link understood that the two could take care of themselves, but he didn't want any harm to befall either of them if something should happen and he wasn't around.
With his mind made up, Link turned to Kagome. "I'll head back then," At this, she perked up. "However, while I'm gone, be sure to use the item I gave you. All you have to do is touch it, and it will protect you and Shippo."
Kagome nodded. "Alright. Be careful."
After that was said, Link took off down the one of the paths leading back to his other companions, and Kagome and Shippo turned their sights ahead of them.
"Use what?" Shippo asked.
Pulling the item out of her pocket, she showed Shippo. In her palm rested a see-through, blue-hued diamond shaped crystal with a dark orb in the center. A mystical spell was wrapped around this item, and Shippo awed in fascination. "It's called Nayru's Love."
"It puts a barrier around you?" he asked skeptically. It didn't look like a sutra to him, yet he'd seen weirder things in this world that took him by surprise. Half the time, the stuff in Kagome's bag was quite amazing.
Holding the crystal in her palm, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her spiritual powers. Slowly, the light inside the item sparkled, and enveloped around her body. "See? Pretty amazing, huh?"
"Neat!" Grinning, the child jumped upon her shoulder and he too was wrapped by the mystical light. "Ok, let's hurry to the exit!"
"Right."
Picking a path, the two ran forward. The spell would only last so long and Kagome was bound not to waste it. Eventually the two slowed down. Nothing was out of the ordinary and for now, things were quite quiet. Directly ahead of them was an iron fence, and without a second thought, Kagome pushed it open and stepped through. There were two paths she could take, but she knew only one would lead her to the castle ahead, because the other one led straight back to where Sango and the others were. So, it had to be this one to her right.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Shippo asked skeptically. This was the first fence they had walked through and he didn't like the eerie silence around them.
"Maybe…" Hesitantly, she looked at the cobblestone path. A long walk straight ahead greeted them. Gripping the item in her hand, she ran forward. There was no time to waste.
Startled, Shippo scampered after. "Wait!" A howl from behind caught his ears and looking over his shoulder mid-run, he grew frightened. Ahead of him, watched as his mother continue on, as if she hadn't heard anything. For some reason, it seemed as if she was getting farther and farther away and he couldn't seem to catch up. "Kagome! Wait for me!" He yelled, but for some reason, she hadn't heard him, and she disappeared from his line of vision.
They were chasing him, and he had to get away. Tears brimmed his eyes and he didn't have time to wipe away the blurriness. Instead, he chased after Kagome, in a direction he hoped she had taken.
OOO
Rounding a corner, Link found his path blocked by a troublesome Re-Dead lurking about. Sneaking up behind the creature, Link took his sword and slashed at its open back, until it fell unmoving. Without a moment to spare, he continued on. Yet once again, his path was blocked by another bothersome Re-Dead.
Before Link could step forward and attack, a small boomerang sailed by and in one fell swoop, the head fell from the body and the threat was eliminated. Noticing the boomerang sticking out of the hedge, he took hold of it, recognizing that it was the one given to Sango by the Great Fairy.
As soon as the body fell, Sango's form came into view. Blinking, she was shocked to see Link himself. "Are you alright?" she asked, and at his nod, she approached him. There was no sign of Kagome and Shippo, and this worried her. "Where are Kagome and Shippo?"
"Making their way to the exit now," he explained. Judging by her dumbstruck expression, it seemed as if he had some explaining to do. With a sigh, he explained his reasons for leaving and that there was no need to worry either. "Where's Inuyasha?" And seeing as how Serena was not with Sango, he guessed she was with the half demon.
"I lost track of him during the fight," she explained. While they had been fighting off the wolves, some of them tried to escape, but Inuyasha being himself, wouldn't allow them to get away so easily. So here she was out searching for him, but she unexpectedly came across Link in the process.
Deciding to search for Inuyasha, whom they figured would probably meet them at the exit, and possibly stumbling upon Kagome and Shippo, the two walked together.
"I never got to thank you," Sango began suddenly.
Caught off guard, Link couldn't help but look at her with a baffled expression. Thank him? "What?"
"You saved Kagome. Instead of thanking you, you were scolded by Inuyasha." Sango apologized for that. Even Miroku had taken part in the interrogation, but he was more lenient than Inuyasha.
Link understood. "It's all in the past, so no need to worry about it," he replied. Now that he thought about it, this was his first time alone with the slayer.
Sango frowned and gripped her boomerang tightly. For days now, she knew Kagome was holding back the pain of what had happened to her, but Sango didn't know what to do. Kagome kept avoiding the subject whenever Sango thought it best to bring it up, if only to heal her wounds emotionally, but the priestess kept silent. "She won't talk to me about it…I love her as if she were my sister."
Of course Kagome wouldn't want to talk about it, but it had been a while since it happened, her kidnapping he meant. "I'm sure she'll come around soon."
Regarding the silent boy beside her, Sango decided to press upon him. "What really happened that night when you and Shippo went to save her?"
Blue eyes narrowed slightly in remembrance. "What do you mean? Her condition?" At her nod, he continued on. "From my knowledge, when I examined her…it did not appear as if he had touched her, as far as I could tell she had bumps and bruises."
"But…she was without clothes."
Link shook his head. "I've been meaning to bring this up, but considering the situation, I thought best to wait. Last night, I had an encounter with the man responsible for her kidnap, Sakon," Link began. Noticing the slayer's undivided attention, he continued. "Unfortunately he got away, but he revealed some information, I thought would be best for everyone to hear, especially Kagome."
"What was it?"
"He claimed to have had unfinished business with her, since Shippo and I had interrupted him before he could assault her any further, if you understand what I'm saying..." Because he had the Sacred Jewel in his grasp, and because Kagome was rescued before anything could take place, it was only natural he would want to finish what he started.
"So, she was never raped?" Her eyes grew wide and a hopeful look crossed her expression. Could it really be true?
He nodded. "She wasn't. Besides, he was still clothed when we came upon him."
Realization passed over Sango suddenly. After bringing Kagome back to the Inn, she took the liberty of dressing her during the time she was unconscious, and at the time, she had not noticed any blood, meaning Kagome was still a virgin.
Overcome with joy, the slayer couldn't help but throw her arms around Link, who reacted with surprise and stumbled back, yet he did not push her away. Why hadn't she noticed before? "Thank you!" Noticing his rigidness, she released him from her embrace. "I apologize, but we must tell her." That way, Kagome wouldn't be burdened by such thoughts any longer.
"I'll tell her when we get to town," he replied, and Sango nodded, quite elated by the good news. For now, they needed to concentrate on their task, and that was to retrieve the pendant buried inside the palace of the Royal Family.
OOO
With his heart caught in his throat, Shippo hurriedly scampered away from the feral creatures closing in behind him. Every turn he made, he could not locate Kagome, and he didn't think he could outrun the wolves forever.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him vanished and in an instant, he found himself falling, swallowed by darkness. He landed with a thud at the bottom of someplace quite dirty, and picking himself up, he glanced above him, seeing an opening where he had fallen. Had he fallen into a hole? When the wolves crossed over, unaware that Shippo had fallen underground, Shippo released his sigh. Unfortunately, before he could act and transform to escape, the hole in which he fell through suddenly sealed itself, and the sky above vanished, leaving Shippo trapped in the dark.
Panicked, he cried out. "Kagome!" His voice echoed off the cavern walls around him, and curious, he squinted through the darkness.
OOO
Gasping in surprise, Kagome yet again made another wrong turn in the labyrinth, and this one was bombarded by Re-Dead. The moment she stumbled upon the horde, she quickly withdrew and ran back in the opposite direction. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed her and continued roaming about the area.
Already the magic that shielded her was starting to diminish, and with one touch, she decided to drop the crystal barrier until needed for another time. Somehow, she had lost sight of Shippo and now she had a feeling she was lost.
Blocking the narrow winding path ahead of her stood a hunched over figure, similar in appearance to the lurking Re-Dead in which she kept running into on her way to the palace. Its deteriorating skin let off a foul odor, as strong as any walking corpse however; this deathly figure seemed quite off in her opinion. With its shoulders hunched and its body bent forward, it groaned quite depressingly.
Frightened, she quickly turned to flee, but thought better of it. If she were the head back the same way, she'd more than likely run into the horde of Re-Dead again. Kagome knew she had to move forward, no matter what lied ahead of her, and since there was only one 'walker' blocking her path, she decided to fight her way past. With her bow and arrow in hand, she faced her foe, but before she could notch an arrow, she realized that there was indeed something off about this creature.
The moment it realized there was a human being within its sight, it moaned. "Uggghhhhh"
Decomposed hands reached out for the priestess, and slowly, it approached her. Unfortunately, it hardly moved from its spot, earnestly attempting to raise its foot, but at the sound of a sickening crack, it faulted in advancement.
Realizing the paralysis unaffected her, she carefully examined the Re-Dead, whose head was lowered in a dejected manner, its eyes, which were hollow pits, stared at the path.
For a few minutes, she realized that the creature wasn't moving at all, and baffled, she decided to take a step toward it. When she did, it remained still, though it continued to moan. Unlike her previous encounters with the Re-Dead, this one did not frighten her. This one seemed gloomier than the earlier ones and less menacing.
"Ugghhhhh"
Not only was it not making an effort to attack her, it was simply standing there, moaning as if afflicted with misery. In an effort to approach her again, the zombie's knees cracked and it fell upon its face.
Blatantly, she stared, and lowering her bow, she decided to evaluate her situation; however, she couldn't help but frown at the sight. "I kind of feel…" She watched as the miserable corpse attempted to drag itself toward her but was unsuccessful. So it settled for lying there motionless, still moaning. "sorry for it…"
Feeling brave, and deciding that it wasn't a threat, she slowly stepped past the unmoving body. In the process of walking around it, she kept her back against the hedge, keeping some distance between herself and the corpse. So far, it was working out well.
"Ughhh"
Luckily, she managed to bypass it completely unharmed, and delighted, she nearly skipped away with a bright smile. Instead of running on, she stopped. Whatever it was that made her look behind her, she didn't know. Maybe it was the pity she felt for the poor creature; it seemed quite older than the others, and the fact that it collapsed right in front of her, verified its inability to maintain its own weight.
"Yeah, I feel sorry for it," Kagome couldn't just walk away, especially with it just lying there despondently; it reminded her of the days she once spent years back in her room depressed, but that was another story. Even if she didn't know this Re-Dead personally, she had a feeling it had to be grieving or lamenting something, or perhaps it was just too old. Obviously it was in no condition to eat travelers, so what else could it do? Lay there? Also, the fact that it might be in serious pain somewhat bothered her, and she didn't feel up to healing the creature, but she had another method that would surely put it to rest.
Grasping an arrow from her quiver, she stepped closer to the unmoving being and knelt beside it. Bringing the tip of the arrow above the noggin of the zombie, she muttered a soft apology before lightly poking it. From the light touch, the body was enveloped in a bright light from the Light Arrow and slowly crumbled before her. Fading from sight, Kagome stepped away. As much as she hated killing monsters, she felt kind of bad for this one, even though it hadn't actually harmed her, but you could never be certain and besides, it was the best thing for it either way.
Moving from the spot the body had originally laid, Kagome was just about to take off once again in the direction of the palace, but before she could lift one leg, a voice whispered in the wind.
"Thank you."
Startled by the voice of gratitude, Kagome spun around and gasped; she hadn't expected to see anyone standing behind her, but there it was.
Behind her stood a young man, possibly in his twenties with shaggy brown hair that fell to his shoulders messily, and he was dressed in a simple yet fine tunic and weathered knee length boots. He regarded her fondly. His body was completely transparent and his eyes gentle and warm. "How can I ever repay you for your kindness?"
Somewhat unsure, she stepped back and waved her hands in front of her embarrassedly. She never thought she'd actually see a ghost and that it'd thank her, but there it was. "No no…there's nothing…" A thought came to mind. "Oh wait…could you tell me which way the exit is so I can get to the palace?"
Interest piqued at this, and the ghost regarded the young woman quizzically. "At the end of this path, you'll reach the steps to the palace…but why on earth would you want to go there?"
Kagome stared at the ghostly man. Why? To find the pendant of course. "Well…"
"If you'd rather not say, I will not press on, however, be wary of the dangers that lurk inside."
Kagome had a feeling there'd likely be more foes inside as there were outside, but she was ready. "May I ask you something?"
"Of course, but my time is short I'm afraid…"
"Who are you?" She asked. "You were just a Re-Dead a moment ago, so I'm guessing you were once human?"
He nodded. "Correct. My name is Kai, and as you can see, all those creatures of darkness were once human. I served as the Royal Family's gardener, back when times were quite ominous," He explained.
So that was it! All of the Re-Dead they encountered had once been human beings, but somehow they retreated into darkness. The priestess wasn't sure how it happened, but all that mattered was that they weren't completely evil. She was sure that each monster in Ikana wanted set free, but why were they wandering? "How did you become one, a Re-Dead?"
"My country was plagued by war, and I remember the day the palace garden's caught fire…I can't remember much after that, but I remember I had been wounded terribly. Perhaps I died then, during the chaos…" Kai remembered much had happened back then. There had never been peace among his people, only hatred and jealously. Some of his people were power hungry and the other half, innocent of wrong doing, suffered from their misdoings.
"I see…" A country plagued by war; it was just as the Great Fairy spoke of. During those hard times, a clan of evil worshippers had risen up and revered their own deities instead of the true creators and as punishment; the three Goddesses punished the land. Did she also punish their freedom in this land?
Noticing a white light illuminate the young man, Kagome smiled and bowed in gratitude. "Thank you."
As his body slowly faded from view, he flashed the girl a boyish grin. "No, thank you, and be careful."
After he vanished, Kagome followed the path ahead, which likely led to the exit. Who'd have thought she'd save a monster that turned out to be the ghost of a human from the ancient past? There were others just like him in Ikana, she was sure, and she felt bad that their spirits were trapped inside such unsightly and horrifying creatures, and she didn't think she'd have the time or the arrows needed to save them all. It was kind of sad.
As soon as she came to the end of the cobblestone path, her eyes fell onto a tall iron fence, covered with thickly vines. Grasping the bars, she pushed against the cool surface until it opened. After closing it behind her, her eyes caught sight of the entrance to the tall structure before her, quite menacing and yet alluring. Up close, she felt so small. Columns supported the weight of the massive structure, circling it.
A bundle of red suddenly jumped into her arms, and with a surprised gasp, Kagome hugged the child to her chest. "Shippo!"
Shippo cried with relief. "Kagome! You're safe!"
"What happened to you? You disappeared back there." At least he was safe, that's what really mattered.
"I fell down a hole when I was chased by those wolves," He explained. "I found myself in an underground tunnel and when I followed it, I found myself here." He pointed to a small well off to the side, stationed beneath a small tree. "That's where I came out of."
Odd.
"I guess we should wait for the others…but is it safe here?" She asked. The moment she stumbled to the exit and secured the gateway behind her, she hadn't noticed any danger.
Shippo nodded. "I've been waiting here for a while now," he explained. "So maybe the danger is only in the maze."
"Maybe…"
Enthusiastically, Shippo pointed excited behind her. "Look!"
"Huh?" Turning around, she found Sango and Link beyond the fence stop mid-walk, and curiously stare at both her and Shippo. "Sango! Link! Thank goodness you're both alright." Kagome opened the gate for them. Before she could say anymore, Kagome found herself enveloped in an embrace by the slayer, but she returned it nonetheless. "Sango?"
Pulling away, Sango simply smiled. She supposed she was overjoyed by the fact that Kagome was alright and that there was nothing to worry about. She'd been spared of losing her virginity, and still Kagome had no idea. Right now, she wanted so badly to tell her, but perhaps Link was right; they should wait until they return to town to stock up in supplies. "It's nothing."
"Where are Inuyasha and Serena?" Shippo questioned looking back from Sango to Link.
They shrugged.
OOO
Through the chaos, Serena realized her partner, Link, had left her behind, alone with the flee bitten mutt whom she despised. How could Link just leave her like that? Did he not realize his mistake? Slowly, she turned to face the half demon. "Great…of all people to be stuck with, it had to be you…"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" He glared.
What did that mean, he asked? Well it was simple and she had a list of reasons. "Well for one thing, you're arrogant, you always charge ahead without even thinking…" She thought for a moment. "I bet you don't even think the first time! And now I'm stuck with your useless butt…" She sighed dramatically.
Growing irritated, he refrained from hitting her. "Excuse me? You're not exactly helping matters! I've never once seen you do anything during battle but hide, so don't give me that crap!" The fact that he did sometimes blindly charge into danger was none of her business. He'd gotten the job done either way, so there was no reason to protest.
Infuriated, the little fairy bobbed in front of his face. "I'm helpful! I can't exactly wield a weapon and fight the enemy, you know! I'm a fairy, and the least I can do is help my friends, when they need it, even if that means giving warning them of danger or aiding them in locating something!" So what if she hid sometimes? She was a fairy for crying out loud! Serena wasn't exactly a knight in shining armor, ready to slay the dragon with a sword and shield.
Stepping back from her irate rant, Inuyasha grew annoyed. So badly did he want to just swat her out of his face, but he realized she was right. Fairies couldn't wield weapons, so that clearly offended her, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to take it back.
"And another thing! You're always giving people problems, especially Link! He's done nothing but help you on this quest, but what do you do to show some appreciation? You interrogate him and treat him as if he's bothersome!"
"I never asked for his help!" Inuyasha retorted. "And besides, he still hasn't shown me any gratitude either!" He was referring to the time he rescued Link on their first encounter and how Link had turned and left them stranded in the forest without a word.
Serena scrutinized the half demon. Inuyasha wanted gratitude from Link? What did Link have to thank him for? "I don't know what you're talking about."
Seething and clenching his hands, Inuyasha growled. "Not once during our journey did that brat ever thank me for saving his ass!"
"Since when did you save him?" She questioned.
"When we first met him in the forest from that monster," he explained with annoyance.
Back then, her partner hardly said anything, let alone spoke to anyone but herself. The fact that Link needed saving completely left her speechless. It couldn't be true, could it? Had Link really been in such trouble or was Inuyasha making up lies? Not that it really mattered. "Well, I'm sure he has his reasons…and it's probably because you've been a jerk. Maybe that's why!"
"Hmpt!" Inuyasha didn't have time for this. Turning his nose in the air, he walked around the corner, but little fairy Serena wasn't going to drop the subject.
"The next time there's trouble, I'll tell Link you can handle it!"
Inuyasha stopped and turned around. "What?" he glowered. What was she talking about?
"When you almost got bit by that Re-Dead yesterday when we tried to save Pamela. Link stepped in to save you!" Why did he save Inuyasha? That was easy; it was because Inuyasha was stupid enough to not look behind him.
Again, he turned his back to her and continued down the path. "Whatever!" Yeah, Link had saved him, but he hadn't asked for his help. Still he couldn't help but remember the feeling of paralysis; he had felt so useless then and could literally feel that freakin corpse breath down his neck and the stench from it was putrid.
Seriously, why did she have to get stuck with this dimwit?
In the process of trying to ignore the fairy, Inuyasha noticed a disturbance around them, and grasping his sword, his ears picked up on the distinct sounds of growling.
Glancing over his shoulder, he took notice of one stray wolf with its tongue hanging from its mouth and its eyes narrowed slightly. Ahead of him was another canine.
"Damn it!" How many lousy wolves were there?
Squeaking in surprise, Serena fluttered around the half demon. "Now what?"
Unfazed, Inuyasha charged at the mangy wolf sneaking up behind him and with his sword, slashed at it, however, it surprised him by dodging with incredible agility. Taken back by this turn of events, Inuyasha quickly turned and shielded himself with his sword from the feral creature.
"What are you doing?! Kill it already!" Serena complained haughtily while nervously fluttering behind the half demon.
Kicking it off his person, he barely acknowledged the fairy's complaints. "Mind your own business!"
Regrettably, Inuyasha failed to notice the surprise attack from behind, and unable to turn around in time to block its advancements, Inuyasha suffered another painful blow to his shoulder. The creature's fangs were quite large and punctured his skin and the seepage of blood trailed down his arm.
Deciding to take action into her own hands, Serena angrily flew right into the canine's face and with her glowing red light; she proceeded to blind the wolf. "Get off him!" She flung herself at its head and nose, hoping it would release its grip on Inuyasha, but it wasn't so likely.
The wolf merely growled at her futile efforts and sunk its teeth further into Inuyasha's flesh, earning a cry of pain from the half demon. Though the attack might seem harmless to him because he was a half demon, it still hurt him greatly, considering he had been bitten in the same exact spot not long ago.
Realizing the fairy was trying to help him, Inuyasha tried to swat her away. "Get out of here…"
"What?" She inquired. "I'm not leaving you here! Come on, you're stronger than this! Fight back!"
Inuyasha closed his eyes from his throbbing shoulder. It hurt more than Kouga's pack of wolves, and that was saying something. Whatever these canines were, there were no ordinary dogs that was for sure. Opening his eyes, he was ready to tell the fairy to take cover, but before he could, his eyes widened when he saw one of the wolves jump at them. "Watch out!"
Failing to realize too late, Serena found herself in a life-threatening situation. In the few seconds that she had left, she saw the wolf lung at her, baring its sharp fangs and its enormous, watering mouth. With the thought of Link racing through her thoughts, everything went dark and she heard the wolf clamp its jaws tightly around her.
"Serena!" Overcome by rage, Inuyasha punched the wolf latched onto his shoulder straight in the head and as soon as it released its grip, he nimbly charged for the canine that dared to consume the small fairy. Before it could swallow, he completely decapitated its head from its shoulders, not bothering to care about his aching shoulder as he was filled with rage.
Even if the fairy was an annoyance, she didn't deserve to be eaten by a stupid wolf. Glaring at the wolf responsible for his wound, he readied his sword and growled menacingly, baring his own fangs to the beast.
Thankfully, since its friend had been taken down so easily, the wolf fled from the scene, and worried, Inuyasha knelt down and pried open the wolf's mouth to reveal the little fairy Serena.
Pulling her out its mouth, he carefully examined her in his palms. From what he saw, she wasn't moving. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright?" When he failed to receive a response, he grew concerned. "Wake up! Don't die on me!" As much as he didn't like her, he couldn't bear the thought of someone dying when he could have done something to intervene. "Serena?"
Her wings twitched, and slowly, she raised herself. For some reason, Inuyasha had saved her. What? Baffled, she quizzically stared at him. "Why did you do that?"
Thankful she was alright, Inuyasha released the breath he'd been holding. "Why wouldn't I?" He might be a jerk sometimes, but he wasn't cold hearted.
"I don't know…maybe it's because you're selfish…and…"
A twitch developed underneath his eye and he resumed walking down the path with Serena following after. "I heard you the first time!" He replied with crossed arms.
Although she found this whole ordeal quite odd, she couldn't help but think the perhaps maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all…but he was still arrogant. Serena seated herself upon his unharmed shoulder. "Thank you…"
"You're welcome…"
Silences filled the air around them, and as stifling as it felt, neither one felt the urge to make conversation, much less start an argument. For the time being, as they turned around each corner, they refrained from making eye contact and for the most part, it was quite odd.
'Awkward…' Serena thought. This was indeed strange, very strange.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Serena and Inuyasha found themselves standing before an ironed fence and the sight of their friends greeted them from the other side.
"Inuyasha! There you are!" Kagome exclaimed joyously. She was beginning to wonder if he'd ever show up or if they'd have to go out and search for him.
Pushing his way inside, Inuyasha frowned. "How long have you guys been here?"
"Not long," Came Sango's reply.
"Link!" Serena cried. After seeing her partner safe and sound, she fluttered around him. "You'll never believe what happened!"
Link arched a brow at her, and as she told him what had transpired between her and Inuyasha, he sweat dropped. At least she was okay. As for Inuyasha, he wasn't sure. Upon closer scrutiny, he saw that the half demon's shoulder was bleeding quite badly.
Kagome also noticed the blood splattered on his neck and clothing. "You're hurt! Let me see that."
"I told you it's nothing," he replied.
Serena wanted to roll her eyes. "Yeah, well it didn't look like nothing back there."
Placing her hand upon his shoulder, she delicately pulled back his sleeve to reveal the terrible wound. "Doesn't look good…I can't tell if it's infected…"
Inuyasha pulled away and proceeded to act as if the wound didn't bother him. "It's alright, now let's get this over with," he replied.
Hesitant, Kagome complied.
As they took to the steps ahead of them, the scenery around them altered, and baffled, they each turned around. To their astonishment, the courtyard, along with the maze had completely vanished into thin air, and the once grey sky overhead returned to its normal shade of red, with the eclipse overhead. Scattered upon the ground were remnants of old stones and weathered pillars surrounding the ancient grounds. The lush greens were replaced by old stumps and broken tree limbs lying about.
"So it was all just an illusion," Kagome commented. Had the ghost been an illusion? No, he was real, of that she was certain.
Turning back to the darkened entry way, the group ventured inside, unsure of what mysteries and dangers awaited them. How long would it take until they finally came into possession of the pendant? How long until they found the last one?