Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha. I do, however, own Yokoshima, Kenshiki, and whatever other nasty little minions (unrelated to the aforementioned shows) that happen to get thrown into the mix.
Chapter Five
Naraku gave an exasperated snort as he dropped his hand from Kohaku's brow. The images were muddled and convoluted, but they were enough to confirm his suspicions. The miko had cast a spell, one that she apparently did not possess the strength to support. It was no easy task to draw the power out of the Shikon jewel, even in its broken state; the gem was treacherous and above all self-preserving. As its guardian she should have known it, and she should have realized the potential consequences of such an unbalanced energy exchange. One could not take away without first having something to give. It was simply the way of things. Her power hadn't been enough, and so it turned on her, taking all of theirs as well, life and spirit energy included—body and soul. It devoured wholly, without prejudice or mercy, anyone and anything within its immediate reach.
Except for one.
"Damn that foolish girl," he growled. She had been a thorn in his side from the minute he laid eyes on her. His victory had been imminent, but she had snatched it from him in a fit of desperation and brought him here, to a strange land and back to square one. He snarled; she would no doubt be the first to feel his wrath.
He supposed he should consider himself lucky, though. He wasn't sure how the odd miko had managed to escape the retribution of the jewel, but he was quite certain that if she hadn't he would still be trapped inside. Or dead. Worse still, he could have been alone in this place. He did, at least, still have Kohaku, and for that he was grateful.
Once again he silently thanked the neko for interfering in his attempt to kill the child at their last encounter. The boy had proven quite useful in the last few days, leading him to a suitable place for his recovery and providing him with information from the images trapped in his mind. It would have been a waste to deprive himself of such a valuable resource.
He took a moment to regard the exterminator carefully. Though he was still very much a child, the scars and calluses and stone set to his features said otherwise. The years weighed heavily on him, and Naraku wondered just how long he'd been stuck inside the Shikon no Tama. Obviously long enough for him to be able to notice the subtle changes in his minion. He was different now, emptier than ever before, and Naraku felt a sense of smug satisfaction and pride knowing that he'd been the cause of such utter despair.
It was intoxicating, really, to be the bane of someone's existence.
"I see you've received my gift." Naraku nearly jumped as the intruder's ominous voice permeated the shadows and ricocheted off the rocky cavern walls that housed him. He tensed, alarmed that he hadn't even noticed the presence of another. "I trust the boy has been of some use?"
"Who are you?" Naraku asked cautiously and scanned the area in vain for his visitor. He didn't like being taken by surprise, especially when he was in no shape to defend himself; he found it increasingly difficult to keep his cool. "Show yourself, I have no time for games."
"Now, is that any way to greet your benefactor?"
"Benefactor?"
"In a manner of speaking. Surely you don't think you've been freed strictly by chance, do you?"
"Perhaps not," Naraku said, his tone somewhat cautious and skeptical. "Though I fail to see how I may thank you properly when we seem to be on terms such as these. Come, venture into the light so that I may know my savior." He had just enough strength for one good blast of miasma; if he could only see his opponent, he might stand a chance.
A slow chuckle, low and menacing filled the room as the figure breached the shadows and let the light sweep over his ghostly pale features. The youkai approached slowly, a preternatural grace evident in his step. He was strikingly handsome, tall and lean, yet muscular, with an almost luminescent glow to his ivory skin, and a river of long, pale, blue hair held back in a topknot. A prominent scar of faint blue lightning ran the entire length of his slender face, beginning above his left eyebrow and piercing through the center of his startling opalescent eye. His eyes — a frightening and unnatural combination of pearl and sky — fixed the injured hanyou in an intimidating stare as he spoke admonishingly.
"Don't be a fool, Naraku." He smirked. "You and I both know you don't have the energy to hold me off, and that miasma of yours will have no effect on me."
Naraku clenched his teeth and set the intruder in a heated crimson glare. The demon wasn't lying, and Naraku suspected that it wouldn't have mattered if he were injured or not. The power of his white hot aura alone served as a silent testimony to his skill, and Naraku knew then, beyond any doubt, that he was no match for this youkai.
"Come to kill me, have you?"
The youkai waved his remark off carelessly in response. "Do you really think I'd trouble myself with setting you free just to kill you at the first given opportunity?"
"True enough," he grumbled, though still not entirely convinced. "Who are you? What is it you want from me?"
"I come seeking an alliance of sorts," the demon suggested, pacing about the room with his hands tucked neatly behind his back. "You possess certain skills that are quite uncommon in youkai these days, skills that would prove quite useful in my endeavors. Likewise, I'm willing to help you in your own. I've done a great deal of study on you, my friend, enough to know an allegiance would benefit us both."
"If you know me so well, then you should know my partners seldom fare well."
"Perhaps," he said with a smile, amused. "Though I am confident I'll manage. Can you say the same?"
Naraku bristled, and the demon chuckled. "Come now, Naraku. Let's not be brash. You're above such displays. You're smart, smarter than you appear right now. I know you aren't so foolish as to pass an opportunity that serves your purposes. Especially when it involves the Shikon no Tama."
Naraku raised a suspicious eyebrow and eyed the demon warily. He'd never seen a youkai like this one. Unlike those of his own time, he was neither beast nor element. It set his teeth on edge, not knowing what his opponent was capable of. It didn't help matters that he was really in no position to negotiate much. He didn't trust the foreign menace, not in the slightest. Yet, despite his mistrust, he had to confess a bit of curiosity. Whatever the demon had up his sleeve, he'd certainly put in a great deal of effort to bring Naraku in on it. And if it meant getting his hands on the Shikon Jewel, he could certainly bide his time as an ally, at least until he put the gem back together again.
"Go on."
The demon flashed a fanged grin. "I thought you'd see things my way. However, now is not the time. I fear you've been followed. It would be wise to return to Makai for the time being, until you've regained your strength."
"Makai?"
"Yes, it seems even the living world is not without its spies. My assistant is outside disposing of the current intrusion, however it is only a matter of time before the Reikai finds you here. Come," he said, extending his hand to offer assistance in helping Naraku stand. "It will be easier to conceal you in the Demon World."
"Who are you?" Naraku asked suspiciously, eyeing the demon's hand though he made no move to take it.
"My name is Yokoshima," he replied, reaching forward to take the demon's arm and pull him to his feet regardless of whether he wanted him to do so. "And we have much to discuss."
Miroku sat on the rough stone floor of their makeshift hospital room, back against the wall, feet drawn in, as the muffled sounds of a heated argument infiltrated the room from outside its protective walls. No doubt Yusuke and Inuyasha were getting further acquainted. He sighed heavily. The two had been at odds from the minute Inuyasha had revived, and Miroku was once again grateful that Kagome had awoken first. She was always best at keeping Inuyasha, well ... manageable.
This was thankfully a trait that hadn't changed about his friend, maybe the only thing that hadn't changed. She was different somehow, not entirely, but different nonetheless. She was quieter, slightly older than he'd remembered, perhaps a little less naïve than before. One might have passed it off as maturity. She was, in fact, two years older in this life cycle than she had been when he'd met her in the previous.
Miroku didn't buy it for a second.
Something else, something distant and lonely lingered in her eyes that Miroku could only speculate about. Whatever the cause of her detachment, he suspected it involved more than the trauma of having her soul restored. He'd never say it out loud, and it troubled him to admit it, even to himself, but the chill about her unnerved him. It reminded him entirely too much of another lonely priestess they'd known.
He wondered if Inuyasha had realized as much.
Kikyou. Even after 500 years she lingered about them. Still, in a way, he should be thanking her. It hadn't taken long for he and Kurama to theorize why Kagome had been spared, what had kept her physical form anchored to the living realm when the incomplete Shikon jewel had ensnared the rest of them. If not for the fact that Kikyou had been reanimated using a tiny fraction of Kagome's soul, then Kagome would have been essentially complete and as such susceptible to the same fate as they. How ironic, he thought, that Kikyou, whose sole objective was to see Inuyasha in Hell, had inadvertently been the one to keep him from descending into it.
A heavy thud echoed throughout the hall that shook him from his thoughts, and Miroku winced sympathetically. Well, at least some things never change.
"That's got to be the third time in the last half-hour," Kurama began, slightly amused. He paused as a roar of laughter reached his ears and the angry voices began again. "Perhaps we should get one of those rosaries for Yusuke as well."
"Perhaps," Miroku chuckled. His amusement bled back over to apprehension as Kurama knelt beside Sango and prepared to reapply yet another set of bandages. "How is she?" The concern was evident in his voice. He knew quite well she and Inuyasha had taken the brunt of Naraku's assault, and though both Yukina and Kurama had assured him she wouldn't die, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Kurama offered a reassuring smile, though he was beginning to get a little concerned as well. It had been nearly a full day since the others had woken, and the demon slayer had yet to stir in the slightest. "I'm sure she's fine. Her body just needs rest."
Miroku nodded and tried unsuccessfully to appear relaxed. Though he wanted more than anything for Sango to wake up and say something, he felt nothing but cold dread settle in the pit of his stomach for the moment she did. He would have to tell her the truth then, and it was something Miroku wasn't at all looking forward to. He didn't want to be the one to tell her about Kohaku.
It was decidedly worse than the anxiety he'd felt when he believed that Naraku had taken Shippou. True, he'd been horrified for what the little kit would surely endure at the malicious claws of their enemy, but the feeling was short lived. It hadn't taken long for Kagome to wake and shed some light on the situation. It seemed Shippou hadn't shared in their misfortune, and though Kagome either could not or would not elaborate much, he'd been relieved. He rather thought it for the best; at least Shippou had had the possibility of a peaceful existence without them, without the threat of Naraku and the jewel looming over him. Miroku hoped this had been the case, but found his optimism provided little consolation.
It would give none to Sango.
The sound of a scuffle breached the silence and Kurama groaned. "Not again." He sighed, "Perhaps it would be best if you intervened. I'm sure your miko friend could use some assistance."
Miroku stood and nodded. His eyes drifted regretfully to Sango. "You'll call me if she wakes?"
"Of course," Kurama replied and watched Miroku head into battle before turning back to his ministrations. He might have gone himself if he hadn't thought the monk would be more effective. Somehow, he didn't think the presence of another demon would do much to ease the nerves of the mistrustful hanyou.
Kurama shook his head, lost in his thoughts as he unwound the gauze and began redressing the slayer's wounds. With the exception of Hiei, he didn't think he'd ever come across a more distrustful creature in all his life. From the minute he'd regained consciousness, Inuyasha had questioned their every move, desperately searching for some ulterior motive on their part. The hanyou was suspicious almost to the point of paranoia, and though Kurama couldn't help but be slightly irritated, he honestly couldn't blame him, either. It wasn't easy to take a complete stranger's word as indisputable truth, even if they had healed you. After all, being ripped away from time and space, only to be thrust back into it 500 years later with a vicious demon (who happens to be hell bent on your destruction) on the loose, didn't really seem like ideal circumstances in which to breed trust.
Then, of course, there was also the matter of the newly broken Shikon no Tama. Kurama still couldn't believe it. He'd often heard the stories about it; it was, after all, nearly an icon among thieves. Yet in all his years he had never imagined it to be real, that the legend could indeed come to life. And now it had, only to be scattered like ash on the wind in a hasty moment of fear and bad temper. The hanyou had definitely not been pleased.
Kirara shifted slightly from her position at the foot of Sango's bed and drew his attention. He smiled affectionately at the seemingly harmless kitten. It had been eons since he'd seen a nekomata, and Kurama couldn't help but wonder on the nature of her relationship with the exterminator. Most neko had a tendency to shy away from other species, to find one so fiercely attached to a human was rare indeed. Even as her other companions had regained consciousness and moved on, she had remained a diligent sentinel at her mistress' side, refusing to budge from that one spot.
Either this youkai was very unusual, or this was no ordinary human girl. Kurama thought it likely to be a little of both.
Then again, none of their unusual guests could really be classified as ordinary. They'd seen their share of battles; that much was clear. He cast a sideways glance to the slayer, examining the various wounds on her body — some old, some new — and silently, he wished he could do more. Kurama ran a curious finger across the particularly long scar on Sango's back. If their scars hadn't been an indication of past adversity, their weaponry most certainly had.
And what a colorful array it was. The slayer had been packing enough blades and poison bombs to supply a whole town, and the hanyou's own sword, while considerably worn, had nonetheless been threatening. He sighed as he turned toward his supplies, his thoughts on the hanyou making him suddenly very glad they'd had the foresight to disarm their guests before treating them.
Or so he thought.
Suddenly, Kirara mewled his only warning. Kurama froze as the familiar cool of steel pressed firmly up against his throat from behind. "If you move, I will kill you," she said. Her voice was steady as stone, and Kurama cursed himself for not realizing she was awake sooner. Had he been paying attention at all, such would not have been the case. As it was, he hadn't been, and even though he was certain he could overpower her at any given time, he acquiesced, recognizing her need to gain control of what was surely a frightening situation for the girl. "Where am I, demon?"
"Impressive. You must be very good at your trade to have taken me by surprise," Kurama replied calmly, clearly not intimidated in the slightest.
"That's not what I asked you," she said as she applied just enough pressure to draw a thin line of blood from below his left ear. "Is it?"
"No. However, I don't believe I am the one to answer your questions," Kurama replied, still in a casual tone. "Your friends are here. I can take you to them, if you like."
Sango's eyes narrowed as she considered his offer. Could he be telling the truth? She wasn't sure if her friends were even alive at this point, much less here with her. He hadn't seemed to be a danger to her, but what else was she supposed to think? It wasn't exactly the most comfortable set of circumstances: waking up in a strange place in nothing but her breast bindings and what looked like a pair of Kagome's pajama pants, in the company of an unfamiliar demon who was way too close for comfort. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time Sango had been subjected to demon trickery.
Still, she didn't really have many other options. She had no idea where she was, let alone the location of her clothes and weaponry. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"You don't," Kurama answered. "Though if I'd wanted to hurt you, I could have done so by now."
"Maybe," Sango began, still not completely convinced. A soft purr suddenly caught her attention and Sango chanced a glance to her side. "K-Kirara?" She inquired hopefully. The kitten mewled excitedly and jumped onto the slayer's shoulder, wrapping herself affectionately around Sango's neck.
"She's hardly left your side," Kurama said, hoping the firecat would provide enough consolation for the exterminator to quell her panic and release him from his rather uncomfortable position at the end of her blade.
Although she did feel slightly relieved, Sango couldn't afford to take any chances. Carefully, she eased her feet onto the floor, never removing her knife from Kurama's neck. With her free hand she grabbed a fistful of long red hair and tugged.
"On your feet," she demanded as she stood. "I want you to take me to them."
Inuyasha crossed his arms in a huff and leaned against the wall, grumbling heatedly as the cocky spirit detective smirked triumphantly from his place on the other side of the room. Man what he wouldn't give to wipe that stupid expression right off Yusuke's face. Inuyasha flexed his claws unconsciously, just waiting for the spirit detective to run his mouth.
"Don't you even think about it, Inuyasha," Kagome said warningly as she stepped in front of the irritable hanyou. "Or so help me God, I'll say it!"
"What!" he snapped. "I didn't do nothin' wrong and you know it, Kagome!"
"Don't start in on me now, Inuyasha!" Kagome gave an exasperated snort and crossed her arms. "You could at least attempt to be civil."
"Me? Damn it, I'm not the bad guy here, ya know!"
"And neither are they," Miroku said, clearly radiating frustration as he regarded the temperamental hanyou. Both he and Kagome had taken up residence directly in front of Inuyasha, just as Botan had with Yusuke, all of them hoping to, at the very least, stall any further assaults.
They were the only ones who cared to try at this point. Both Yukina and Kuwabara were carefully avoiding the potential path of destruction after failing miserably to occupy Yusuke's attention. Kuwabara had the bruises to prove it. Now they sat by passively, waiting for the battle of egos to end. Genkai hadn't even bothered to interfere, knowing Yusuke would only push that much harder if she did. Although, to be brutally honest, she was hoping to see them fight. She knew that Yusuke probably wouldn't lose, but that didn't mean he wouldn't get that rather large chip knocked off his shoulder. It would certainly do him a world of good. So, she too took up space in the audience, fervently hoping that, if nothing else, one dimwit might knock the other cold and give an old woman some peace and quiet.
"You don't know that, Miroku!" Inuyasha exclaimed heatedly, not bothering to keep his voice down. "Don't you all get it? You people can be so stupid sometimes! Who's to say they aren't working for Naraku? How do we know this isn't some big illusion just to trap us, trick us into giving away something about the jewel?"
"Honestly, Inuyasha," Kagome began wearily and brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. She could feel the beginnings of a massive headache coming on, and it went by the name of Inuyasha. "We've been through this before. If they were working for Naraku, if they wanted to hurt us, then why bother to heal us?"
Inuyasha was beyond frustrated now. Why did they always have to gang up on him like that?! Gods, why couldn't he just make them understand how much danger they could be in? They were outnumbered, and truthfully he was in no shape to protect them right now. He understood the circumstances, well…mostly, and he knew that Kagome and Miroku were probably right. It would, after all, take a serious amount of magic to pull off an illusion as extensive as this would have to be, more magic than any of them had ever seen most likely. But damn it, they were just so trusting. Too trusting in Inuyasha's opinion. It could get them hurt, and although he would rather die than admit it, Inuyasha didn't think he could live with himself if he let that happen.
Inuyasha sighed audibly, a sign that he was close to giving in. "Are you forgetting that dumbass broke the jewel," he said, much more quietly than he'd been. "We're going to have to start all over again."
"Believe it or not, Inuyasha," Miroku chimed in, "he probably did us a favor. From what Kagome has told us, the jewel was very nearly complete. And we all know what would have happened had Naraku gotten his hands on it. If nothing else, Yusuke bought us some time."
The hanyou grumbled, but his irritable muttering lacked the malicious undertone it possessed only moments before. Damn that monk, always making sense of things! "Feh. Whatever. I can make nice until Sango wakes up, if that's what you want Kagome, but as soon as she's on her feet we're outta here. You got that!" He pointed his finger into her chest with his last words, effectively making his point.
She might have responded with a sharp-tongued retort or even a 'sit' had she been given the chance. He knew full well that they weren't going to be able to leave as soon as Sango woke up, and he knew why. Anything she might have said died in her throat at Yukina's surprised cry, however.
"Please, don't hurt him!"
The room froze as everyone looked up to see Kurama standing in the doorway, hunched over backward with a knife to his throat and a very edgy demon slayer poised behind him.
For a moment no one spoke out of sheer shock. It was the first time Yusuke had ever seen someone get the jump on Kurama, and he nearly rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Inuyasha, on the other hand, smiled openly — glad to see that at least one of his friends still had some sense.
"Sango," Kagome ventured to speak, hoping to calm her friend. Mahogany eyes darted toward them and Kagome could see the relief flash in them. However, she was reluctant to just let go of her leverage. Despite her gut feeling that these were in fact her friends, she was also very aware that many demons were capable of shape-shifting and mind games. It was a lesson Naraku had taught her well.
"Sango … please," Kagome began again, bringing her hand up quickly to cut off the retort Inuyasha was sure to give. "They're friends."
She looked as if she might have listened to Kagome in that brief moment, but Yusuke broke the uncomfortable silence that followed and, startled, Sango only tightened her grip.
"Damn it, Botan!" He shouted. "I thought you said you took their weapons!"
Botan cringed. "Well excuse me, but I thought that I had!"
"Her bindings," Miroku muttered, mostly to himself.
"Pardon?" Botan asked, a little confused as to whom he was talking.
"Her breast bindings," he replied a little louder. "Forgive me, I should have thought to mention it sooner. She keeps a small blade hidden in her breast bindings."
Sango flushed angrily, shoving Kurama to the side as she clenched her fists and leveled the monk with her most vicious glare. "And just how would you know that, houshi-sama!"
Miroku grinned sheepishly and brought a hand to rest on the back of his head, knowing that it would indeed be quite some time before he'd be able to get away with peeping at the hot springs again. He cowered at the onslaught that was to come from the indignant exterminator but was surprised when a swift and steady hand smacked him across the back of the head before Sango even had a chance to reach him.
"You pervert!" Botan shrieked as she pummeled him. "Is there nothing sacred to you?"
"Why, Lady Botan you wound me," he said, feigning hurt as he dramatically brought his delinquent hand to rest on his chest. "I can assure you, Lady Sango's breasts are, indeed, very sacred to me."
Botan didn't get the chance to reprimand the monk before Sango slapped him hard enough to drop him on his backside. "Pig of a monk!" She snapped.
Miroku did his best to ignore Kuwabara and Yusuke's snickering while he willed away the gray spots in his vision. Gingerly, he sat up from his place on the floor and cast Sango an apologetic expression. He hadn't really wanted to embarrass her, and he was definitely worse for the wear, but he was successful just the same. Mission accomplished, situation defused.
Whatever doubts Sango may have had about her friends crumbled under the weight of his gaze. No demon trick could ever replicate the intensity of his eyes or the color of his character, and she suddenly felt guilty for decking him so hard.
"Oh, get up," she said as she reached out a hand to help him stand. "You know, you really should know better by now."
He smiled warmly, a mischievous gleam in his cerulean eyes. "What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment."
"I — oomph," Sango started, only to have the breath squeezed out of her when Kagome trapped her in a fierce hug. "Oh Sango," she cried and pulled back to look at the slayer. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine, really. What's going on here? What happened with Naraku?"
Kagome stiffened, and Sango realized just how quiet the room had suddenly gotten. Her heart dropped like a ball of lead into her stomach, and she turned to look at Inuyasha, and then Miroku, both of whom were pointedly avoiding catching her eye.
Kagome fought the lump that had formed in her throat and looked the exterminator square in the eye. "Maybe you should sit down."
"Do you think we can trust them?" Sango asked quietly as she stared out into the distance from her place at the top of the temple stairs.
Kagome blinked and set the exterminator in an incredulous stare. That wasn't exactly the reaction she'd been expecting from the slayer. It had taken awhile, but after a few more awkward moments in which Kuwabara not-so-subtly pointed out Sango's lack of clothing, followed by Botan's speedy effort to rectify the situation (much to Miroku's dismay), their hosts had graciously afforded them a little privacy to inform Sango of their rather grievous plight.
And now, after a lengthy and daunting explanation which Kagome and Miroku had done their best to put delicately and an extremely long moment of silence, this was her initial response?
"Huh?" Kagome questioned, more than a little confused at Sango's apparent lack of interest in her brother's involvement.
Sango sighed heavily but did not turn to face them. She simply couldn't, not if she wanted to keep her composure in tact. Sango didn't want to meet the look that she inevitably would when she caught their gaze. It was a look she had, unfortunately, grown accustomed to since the destruction of her village.
Pity.
She hated the look almost as much as she hated the reason it was there. She could feel it on them now, even as they tried to hide it, and she deliberately avoided seeing it. She could feel it in tangible waves of flame, burning through her back and into her veins, washing her in the shame of it. The expression served as just another painful reminder of the truth of the matter: If she had been strong enough, there would be no cause for pity. But she wasn't, and now ...
Sango nearly choked on her own breath as she followed the thought to its conclusion. She had failed him. Again.
"Sango?"
Sango shook her head, pushing back the guilt that threatened to spill from her eyes and mouth, though she still didn't turn around. Thankfully there were other things to focus on.
"Do you think we can trust them?" She repeated, a little more loudly.
"Well, I'm not sure we have a choice right now," Kagome said, ignoring the derisive snort from Inuyasha. She was still a little unsure of her friend, but Sango obviously didn't want to discuss her brother, and Kagome wasn't going to push her. "Besides, they haven't done anything wrong."
"Yeah, well, it's not like we need these guys," Inuyasha chimed in. He'd held his tongue just as long as he could stand it. Sango was up and moving now, and he didn't see any reason why they couldn't just be on their way. "We've gotten along just fine without them so far. I say we get the hell outta here. Naraku's hurt. This may be our best chance to destroy him, and I don't wanna blow it 'cause we're stuck here waitin' around on those jerks."
"Just where is it you think we're going to go? Huh?" Kagome snapped, finally reaching her wits' end with the hanyou. "This isn't Feudal Japan! We can't just go traipsing around the city asking about jewel shards and demons. It doesn't work that way anymore." Kagome sighed heavily and brought her hands up to rub her temples.
"And home certainly isn't an option," she added much more quietly.
Not that Kagome didn't want to go home — in fact she wanted nothing more. But, if Naraku discovered her family, he'd no doubt use them to get to her, and Kagome wasn't about to compromise their safety. No, going home was simply out of the question.
"Look," Miroku stepped in to ease the rising confrontation. "We're all a little on edge here, but sniping at each other isn't going to solve anything. Let's just calm down and wait to see what this Koenma has to say before we make any decisions. If we don't like what we hear, we can go from there. Alright?"
Inuyasha gave a curt 'feh' but made no protest, and Kagome merely nodded quietly, while Sango only continued to look away, seemingly captivated by the impending dusk. Miroku strode up next to her and quirked an eyebrow. "And what do you think, Sango?" He asked softly, genuinely wanting her opinion on the matter.
She was silent for a time, and Miroku was beginning to wonder if she'd even heard him, when she finally turned pensive eyes toward him and spoke. "Do you think they'll return my weapons?"
He smiled slightly as he lifted his reprobate hand to scratch affectionately behind the ears of the firecat in residence on her shoulder, amused with her response even if he wasn't sure he should be. "Only if you promise not to take any more hostages."
Shippou stalked through the thick foliage of the forest surrounding Genkai's shrine, quietly contemplating the strange turn of events that brought him to travel with his relatively silent demon acquaintance. Neither had spoken since the meeting with Koenma; not that Shippou minded. In fact, he rather enjoyed the tranquility and didn't object to the length of the trip to the human world as he might have otherwise. He was perfectly aware that Spirit World had much faster means of travel, and Shippou hadn't missed the fact that Hiei had deliberately avoided such means. Either he was testing Shippou's endurance, or he was dreading what would inevitably come at the end of their trek as much as Shippou was.
Shippou groaned inwardly as his thoughts again turned to the upcoming task. How? How had he managed to let himself get dragged into this mess? Why was it that the better part of his life revolved solely around so small a thing as the Shikon Jewel? Was it too much to ask for a peaceful existence? Hadn't he lost enough? He clenched the bottle around his neck tightly, as though holding it would provide the answers he sought.
He had to admit being a bit surprised that Koenma would allow him to leave with the shard. However, it was but a silent understanding between them; a sort of payment for services rendered. When he found Kohaku, Koenma got the shard, it was that simple. Perhaps it was a little callous of him to treat the situation so casually, as though he hadn't just traded a human life like it were of little more importance than a sleazy business deal. But Shippou held no illusions about what he was. He was a youkai, and therefore as inherently ruthless as any other youkai; any feelings of loyalty and honor his actions might elicit were beside the point. He did what he must to fulfill his obligations, and his personal motivations were inconsequential. The outcome would remain the same, regardless of his emotional investment.
At least, that's what he liked to tell himself.
Just then, something strangely familiar invaded his senses, breaking Shippou from his train of thought. He stopped abruptly and sniffed, not entirely certain his nose wasn't deceiving him. That smell, he knew that smell. It was like earth and rain, tempered steel and spice, leather and the subtle sweetness that only a woman could possess. But more importantly, it was like coming home. In his entire life, only four women had ever inspired such a feeling in him, and to his knowledge all four were dead. It couldn't be ... could it?
Shippou felt the blood turn to ice water in his veins and the breath turn to ash in his mouth. For a moment he couldn't move, couldn't tear his eyes away from the direction of the presence he felt just a short distance away. He had to know. He needed to know.
Without a word, Shippou changed course, letting his feet carry him to where they instinctively wanted to go.
Hiei had long since vanished.
At first, it was only to satisfy a passing curiosity, though typically he had no interest in the affairs of humans and couldn't have cared less. However, in spite of himself, when Hiei had sensed her energy just a slight distance from the shrine, he just couldn't help but wonder what she could possibly be doing way out here. After all, with the exception of Genkai, human females didn't exactly frequent the area; these woods were hardly the ideal location for a Sunday afternoon picnic. So, without so much as a word to the fox, he'd taken a quick detour. Why not? If he knew that fool Koenma, it could very well be a week before he showed up with the information they needed, and he was in absolutely no rush to keep company with Kuwabara.
What had begun as mild curiosity bled over into outright intrigue when he found the girl in question, though. Much to his surprise, she appeared to be working some sword forms, though it was a style he'd never seen. He observed her intently and had to admit, not only was he shocked to find her there, but she also appeared to possess some skill. Her motions were fluid and well practiced — a dance of finesse and precision — and it occurred to him, then, that even though she lacked his level of talent, she had the potential to be just as lethal.
He'd been watching for some time when he realized that she was aware of his presence. He should have noticed it sooner; the minute tension in her stance, the way she managed to manipulate the direction of her forms to gradually put the distance between them. And all the while the dance never faltered. She moved with a grace and ease nearly as deadly as his own, revealing the tell-tale signs of one accustomed to filling the role of both predator and prey. Clever, that one ... for a human.
As it was pointless to continue his ruse, Hiei decided to have a bit of fun with the situation. Swiftly, he dropped from his position in the treetops and landed gracefully behind her. Sango spun, bringing her katana down in a wide arc and locking steel with steel. Wide, chocolate eyes clashed with crimson spheres glinted in hard challenge as the two faced off, neither willing to break the connection they held. Finally, when the pressure became too great, Sango's arms buckled and she stumbled backward. He lunged then, but she managed to roll away and gather her footing once more, taking a defensive crouch and panting heavily as she brought her katana up in anticipation of the next attack.
The sound of metal clashing filled the twilight air as the duel intensified. Hiei continued his assault, raining blow after deadly blow down on the slayer, which she blocked to the best of her ability. He struck, she parried. He lunged, she dodged. But always, Sango was on the defensive. It was a battle for dominance, she realized, and she was losing. It was clear that his skill with a blade was far greater than hers.
Swords locked again, and again Sango was driven back. However, Hiei didn't pursue immediately this time. Instead, he withdrew slightly, regarding her intently, and burning her through with fierce intimidation of his scrutiny. She nearly shuddered; the power of his stare had her summoning every ounce of her will to keep from looking away. Finally, her patience had grown thin. Abandoning her stance, she stood upright, and the two began to circle each other predatorily.
"Don't toy with me, demon," she said with as much ferocity as she could muster. "I know you're capable of more."
Hiei smirked. It was true, he hadn't used the extent of his strength or speed against her, but truthfully, he was enjoying their game. To a youkai, few things were as pleasurable as the thrill of the hunt, the scent of panic. He savored such things, fed on them as the beast within him demanded. And although he could not kill her, he could most certainly make her feel that dread, because right now, this was his game. He was the hunter, and she was the hunted. He couldn't wait to smell her fear when she realized it.
"Those are foolish words for someone in your position," he said with some amusement. "Are you so eager to die, human?"
She regarded him coolly, annoyed with his condescension. "I'm not afraid of you," Sango stated defiantly.
Hiei growled in annoyance. "Then you're a fool," he retorted as he shot forward, taking the offensive once again.
Sango was running out of options; it was almost completely dark now, making it difficult for her to see, and the day's events were beginning to weigh her down. She continued to block as she scanned her surroundings for any possible means of escape. Finally, in a last ditch effort she changed the angle of her blade and thrust the greater weight of it upward as he swung down, catching him slightly off guard and giving her the moment needed to put space between them. She flipped backwards then, coming to a halt at the edge of a winding stream that separated the clearing from the forest.
Hiei, however, was undeterred. He advanced on her mercilessly and in one swift motion removed Sango of her weapon.
Sango went rigid as the tip of his blade stopped short of her throat and hovered there, menacingly. Once again, their eyes locked, and Sango suppressed a shiver at the intensity of his stare. "You lose," he stated matter-of-factly.
Her breath came in ragged pants, and a bead of sweat trickled from her forehead to the ground. For a time, neither moved, and the silence stretched between them.
Finally, she sighed and lifted her chin slightly to further expose her neck, though she never took her eyes away from his. "Well, get on with it," she said with a certain grim finality in her voice.
Hiei stepped back, then, more than a little surprised at her actions. Where was her fear? Where was the begging he had been sure he'd hear? He scowled. "Hn. Don't presume to order me, girl," he snapped.
His irritation did not faze her, though, and despite the foolishness of such a decision, she continued to goad him. "What's wrong, demon? Lost your nerve?"
That did it. He rushed her, intent on knocking her cold right where she stood. It was a poor substitute for his preferred method of dealing with those who dared to question his mettle, but one that would effectively keep him from spending time in Reikai prison.
However, just as he was about to bring the hilt of his sword down upon her head, she neatly sidestepped and sent a painful blow into the center of his back with her elbow, using the momentum of his attack to send him tumbling head first into the stream below.
Hiei came up sputtering and furious beyond all rational thought. He was thoroughly soaked; his normally spiky black hair was saturated, flattened to his head, and sticking to his face. She doused him. The bitch had actually doused him!
He stood and rounded on her, scarlet eyes blazing and malice oozing from him in palpable waves. Sango scrambled for her blade, but he was on her before she could blink. She stiffened as she felt the heat of his unnaturally warm hand enclose around her neck and hoist her up from the ground. She kicked and squirmed in a futile attempt to dislodge him, but his fury had completely overshadowed his judgment. No, there was no turning back for either of them, now.
Desperation crept in as the air turned stale in her lungs. 'Not like this,' she thought. 'Please, Kami. Not like this.' But between her distress and his rage, neither noticed the frenzied cry echo around them until the attack was already launched.
"Shockwave," was the only thing heard before a blinding light engulfed them both.