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The rain came swift and
heavy from the steely sky, drenching her to the bone, it seemed. She sighed and buried her face in Inuyasha's back, clinging
to him as he raced along. She laid her cheek between his shoulder blades, feeling his heartbeat against her face. Inuyasha
was eager to return to Kaede's village. Though he would never admit it, she knew he missed Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. They
were his family, forged by blood and friendship.
Inuyasha leapt up into a tall tree, and perched, Kagome on his back, on one of the highest limb.
"Look, Kagome." He commanded gently, golden eyes taking in the landscape beyond them.
Kagome peered over his shoulder curiously. It was a strange world, that was for sure. The silvery
sky had hardened to intense steel, gleaming fiercely like a warrior's sword. It was unnerving the way the brilliant emerald
treetops seemed to reach up to the sky's anger. The hills seemed to stretch on forever, smooth jade knoll after knoll. A loud
snap of thunder in the distance made her jump. Inuyasha laughed softly, and laid his hand over hers on his shoulder.
Despite being
startled, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene below. It was beautiful, if a bit scary, and in a way almost sad,
though she couldn't place her finger on the reason why. "Wow. . ."
"When I was a little kid, I used hide in the trees in the thunderstorms. It was dangerous, and
my mother didn't like it, but I did it anyway." Inuyasha told her softly. Kagome smiled. Inuyasha rarely told her anything
about his childhood, but when he did, she took it to heart, imagining a tiny Inuyasha hiding in the trees, or chasing after
grasshoppers, or whatever he might be telling her.
Kagome carefully slipped off his back, balancing precariously on the slippery limb. "It's funny."
She remarked, "I've never liked thunderstorms. They always make me nervous, but today, I'm not scared, not even a little nervous."
She told him, and felt perfectly safe with her here next to him.
"Heh." Inuyasha laughed. "We should move on. I just wanted you to see it from up here." He said
simply, and turned for her to climb on.
She did so carefully, latching her hands onto his shoulders and hiding her face behind his head.
He leapt out of the tree, small branches snapping. Leaves brushed on them, adding more water to their already drenched clothing.
Then he was running again. She sighed in contentment, though she was wet and cold, suddenly things didn't seem to be able
to get any better. The jewel was complete, all the pieces safely tucked into her backpack, Naraku was dead, Sango, Miroku,
and Shippo were safe in the village, Kikyo was gone, but most importantly, Inuyasha was hers.
Inuyasha skidded to an
abrupt halt; something was wrong here, he could sense it. There was a heavy smell in the air, a dark smell. He moved along
cautiously, waiting, expecting an attack at any moment. He wasn't disappointed, for in a flash he was surrounded. Shadowy,
misty figures with softly shimmering blue eyes stood around him silently, waiting, watching.
Kagome shifted anxiously,
"Inuyasha. . ."
"Shh!"
he hissed, and launched into an attack, slashing one of the figures in two. It did not seem to be hurt, for the mist simply
swirled around, repairing it as though it had never happened. The creatures did not attack, but simply stood around him, following
however he moved. "Damn it!" He swore in frustration. He had never faced an enemy that did not attack, and could not be attacked.
"Calm yourself,
Lord Inuyasha." A low, husky voice said softly. Inuyasha whirled around, nearly losing Kagome. A woman leaned idly on a tree
branch just above the trail.
"Who are you?" Inuyasha demanded, slashing through another of the creatures, which only reformed
itself.
"Me?
I am called Mariko." She said simply, as though that were a sufficient explanation.
"Mind telling me why your shadow puppets are following me?" He snapped.
She tilted her head,
wild black curls framing her face. She idly examined long amethyst fingernails, before returning her black eyes to Inuyasha.
"I told them to."
Inuyasha
stared at her for a moment, as if expecting her to say more. When she didn't, he nearly snarled at her, asking, "What for?"
"You have
the Jewel of Four Souls, the sacred Shikon no Tama. I want it. I waited patiently after that little fool on your back destroyed
it." Mariko frowned in boredom. "I knew she'd collect the pieces, but you were an unexpected factor in the plan." She told
him, "A human is predictable, a youkai is predictable, but a hanyou, well, that's another story entirely. You're not quite
human, and you're not quite youkai. It's been hard keeping an eye on you, let me tell you."
"You expect me to give
you the jewel?" Inuyasha snorted, "Then you're a fool."
Mariko glared at him fiercely, "I am no fool. If you're refusing my request, then you will die."
"If you only
knew how many times I've heard that." Inuyasha laughed, "You shouldn't bother wasting your breath." He lowered Kagome to the
ground. "Kagome, stay out of the way. I don't know what to expect here."
Kagome nodded reluctantly, and slid off his back, holding her pack tightly to her chest. Hopefully
the youkai woman would not know the jewel shards were in it. Kagome slipped between the shadow demons, they didn't even seem
to notice her. "Give me the bag, girl, or I will destroy him."
Kagome met her gaze defiantly, "What do you want my bag for?"
Mariko smirked, "Do not
think me a game, girl. That bag has the jewel in it, and unless you want to see your lover ripped to shreds, you'll give it
to me."
"Don't
you dare, Kagome. I destroyed worse than these." Inuyasha shouted.
Kagome met the youkai's gaze steadily. "You would take the jewel then destroy us both." She remarked,
her calm brown eyes never wavering. "I have nothing to fear, however. You'll be a memory by sundown." Kagome dropped her bag
to the ground and pulled her bow and arrows out of it. The black haired woman watched disinterestedly as she pulled the arrow
back, and let it fly.
Brilliant
pink sparkles rippled from the arrow, but Mariko deftly caught it between her fingers, turning it idly. "A miko, eh? Lord
Inuyasha, you have many surprises for me." With a flick of her wrist, the arrow lodged itself in a nearby tree, quivering
from the impact.
Kagome
swallowed. Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered. It was rare she ever hit anyone with the arrows. "Okay then." She
murmured nervously.
"Why
do you bother calling me that, when you're planning to try to kill me?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at her through her shadowy
henchman.
"Shall
we not have any of the niceties of civilized people then?" she questioned sadly. "Very well. It is time. But first. . ." she
said, snapping her fingers out toward Kagome, a swirling black cloud emanating from her fingertips. It swirled around Kagome,
forming a dome over her. "Annoying little wretch."
"What are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded furiously.
"It's a game. See, how long do you think she can survive in there without any air? An hour, maybe
two? Either way, it's not long. Make her give me the jewel, or I'll wait until she's dead then take them from her corpse."
Mariko told him sharply. Kagome pounded her fists on the shadowy barrier, screaming at the top of her lungs, though no sound
escaped the sealed dome.
"You're sick." Inuyasha snarled.
"Are you ready? Here it comes." Mariko smirked sadistically. The battle began.
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