InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Intertwined ❯ Grounded ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: All characters are products of Rumiko Takahashi, and Togashi Yoshihiro's minds, not mine.

 

 

 

A/N: Wow, this one took me nearly a month! I have valid excuses, but I'm sure I would bore you… *sigh* When I finally sat down to complete this chapter, it still took a while because this is the meaty turning point of the story, and we'll be going back to where the story started soon. I don't want to trap myself because I didn't allow myself time to proofread, so please bear with me. Have no fear; I'm a Stay At Home Mom, so this story will be completed since I'm always returning to the computer between bouts of cleaning and refereeing. ^_^ Not sure how long it will be, but you can be sure that I won't leave it hanging.

 

…I just hope this chapter doesn't confuse to bad, as I feel that I wrote it that way… just let me know, cool?

 

--Edit:-- And in apology for taking so long, I went ahead and linked my Kag/Youko fanart to this story! I hope you enjoy it. ^_^

 

 

 

 

 

The Intertwined

 

 

 

Chapter 9

 

 

 

Patting her back awkwardly, Rin did her best to comfort the distraught wolf demoness that had broken down where she stood, cursing herself for what had happened moments ago, “They'll be okay; they are strong and can be very scary when they are mad,” she said innocently, fighting her own tears since she knew her lord did not like it when she cried.

 

Ayame moved her hands from her forehead and slid the little human girl a look full of fondness for her concern, squeezing her hand in thanks. Sniffling, she turned to look in front of her where her mate of one year had squatted to her level with a serious look on his face.

 

“It wasn't your fault, Ayame,” Kouga assured her, “I'm sure that the same thing would have happened one way or another, whether or not you had joined them. That bastard probably had everything planned out. The dog and his fox friend will find them, okay?” An impish grin crept its way into the line of his lips, “Besides, those two girls do have one hell of a temper when they're fired up, and you know it,” he said, grasping her about the shoulders and squeezing lightly to comfort her.

 

“Yeah, and I've got the rosary to prove it,” Inuyasha added to lighten the mood, though he sorely wished he'd been in the search party instead of being appointed to find a place for everyone to stay until their return with Kagome and Sango.

 

Ayame smiled weakly at Inuyasha's self-deprecating joke, and she stood resolutely with Kouga while still holding Rin's hand.

 

Nodding sharply when the wolf demoness stood, Inuyasha surveyed all that was left temporarily from their group. Despite the fact that he'd rather be out looking for the girls, he knew they'd need shelter, and it was a necessity to find it soon. He figured that they would need to find something indoors for warmth since the girls had been soaked through from their bath when they were taken, and they had to be freezing. An abandoned hut might be cramped, though it would help with temperature, but a cave or natural enclosure of some kind would be better…especially with his solid humanity only hours away. There were ten of them presently, and would have four more joining them when the girls were found, so it would need to be at least that large. Yet more people that knew of his one weakness…they just kept growing…

 

Turning to begin his search, he addressed the others, “Come on; we have to find somewhere warm and dry to camp while we wait. And we gotta do it fast,” he walked on with a glance to the darkening horizon as Shippo leapt to his shoulder for comfort and Miroku fell into step beside him, the others quickly following suit.

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

Kneeling gracefully between the two comatose women, Naraku began to feel their life forces responding to the prescribed combination of the enchanted scriptures from the golem, and the altered Henbane Powder he'd thrown at them. The plant from which the powder was made originated from the mainland, but with his fingers in literally countless resources he'd been able to secure some of the sedative with little problem.

 

Thankfully too, or this would have been far harder than it needed to be. His miasma would not have done the trick as this plant would; the hallucinations that it caused were an integral part of this procedure. Well…not the hallucinations, per se, but the element that caused them; aiding to create a window in their minds for what he was about to do. To create such a window with his miasma, it would have surely have been enough to kill them.

 

Generally this Henbane was a very dangerous plant to humans; causing nearly deadly effects in one exposed. But considering the modifications he's put on it to allow the method of administration he'd used, they hadn't gotten enough of it to cause undue damage since that would have been counterproductive to what he wanted. They were both required to be alive for this, but it would cause them to lose clarity of what had happened to them when they woke; always important.

 

Placing his hands on both scantily clad chests, right hand on Sango and left on Kagome, he lingered for a bit; unable to resist closing his shaded eyes in pleasure once his skin came in contact with their warmth. He didn't touch others very often, but these bodies just begged for it.

 

Unfortunately though, he couldn't stay this way; those two interfering allies of these women were nearing the entrance to their location. Even though it had been veiled for his purposes, foxes were known for their expertise in illusions. Youko would no doubt see right through it, but actually breaking it to pass would be a bit harder; even for him. He'd get the women back at a later time for more of this leisure, anyway…

 

Opening his eyes, he visually soaked in the flushed skin under his palms, courtesy of the Henbane, before slowly moving his hands simultaneously to the wounds he'd created in their shoulders. Dipping his thumbs deeply into each of them to coat them with the women's warm blood, he felt a booming fascination with the sting on his left hand that Kagome's miko blood gave him. Withdrawing his fingers from the addiction of her power to beckon his golem nearer, he then parted each tunic to gain full access to the blushing chests.

 

Obeying compliantly with its eyes still glowing, the replica Naraku stepped closer to stand over the trio on the floor while Naraku drew markings over the women's sternums using their own blood, then cleaned his thumbs in a line up their slender necks to end at the chin.

 

Repeating his first action of piercing their wounds with his thumbs to reload his chosen ink, he then stood and spun in place to reverse his hands over the women. Kneeling back down with his plentiful robes draped behind him on the cavern floor, he hovered the blood-bathed appendages over the markings on each girl. He dropped his thumb to trace the previous markings with the other's blood, combining them to end once again at the tip of the chin.

 

Completing the Bodymind markings over the necessary areas, he looked to his subservient double, willing it to recite the remainder of the chant that would ground the spell within the women. Generally his essence was tied to such spells, giving him full control over the person inflicted--one such example being the monk's cursed void. But since doing such a thing would prevent the creation of the very thing he was after; he would no longer be an influence in this particular spell once the grounding was complete. A gamble, but worth it when he sowed the results in the end.

 

The final passage of the mantra finally left the life-like lips of his clay doll, so he let it crumble from around the nearly completed jewel he'd placed within it. Poor Kagome had had no idea that it was even inside the duplicate as it was standing in front of her, proving to himself that his barriers against her had gotten much better. Catching the jewel from its drop before it hit the floor, Naraku smiled wildly, letting his blanket barrier at the entrance of the cave fall. The canines were here.

 

The final ingredient for this spell would undoubtedly be used by the fox to counteract the effects of the Henbane on the women since it was the only treatment for the tranquilizer. Though he had expected for the miko sister of Kikyo's or the monk Miroku to do the administering of the sealant to the spell, unknowingly of course, it didn't matter so long as they received it. And apparently, according to Gau, the fox had specialties with any and all kinds of plants; thus making him the most likely candidate. Then once the effects of the plant's foundation wore off of the two involved, the spell would be tightly sealed. That was when all of his preparations would bear fruit; much like the Lord Sesshomaru said they wouldn't.

 

Bonus that the fox might blame himself when he later realizes that the treatment caused the spell to be irreversible. Naraku closed his fist over the jewel and absorbed it as he closed his eyes. Youko's sweet torment…though Gau would undoubtedly pout over it.

 

Standing and turning slowly, he called Gau over to him as the extra males to Inuyasha's little party entered the room.

 

“It took you long enough,” he goaded to them with a wicked grin before he and Gau disappeared, both Sesshomaru's and Youko's whips landing only moments too late mid-air where his head had been.

 

 

 

The glowing green and thorny green whips receded to their masters when their target ran away as was his normal fashion. Youko took no time in putting away his rose as Sesshomaru glided in smoothly to examine what Naraku had left behind of the women. Most obvious about them were the finger-sized holes at the junction of shoulder and collarbone, presently bleeding profusely to mix with the dampness of the cavern floor.

 

Sesshomaru's low, lava-smooth voice echoed through the cave as he spoke lowly, “Whatever it is the vermin has done to them, it is evident that he utilized the injuries he inflicted upon them for it. See the markings here,” he indicated the skin between the torn edges of the tunics, though Youko had deduced the same; the two demons always had thought along similar patterns during their ongoing alliance in the past. They didn't see each other often; so far only when Sesshomaru called in extra muscle for wars such as the one with the panther demons about a mere half century ago. Now faced with parallel enemies, Youko knelt in front of his comrade and he smelled the dog's toxins surfacing to his claws.

 

He knew what that meant. It was fortunate that the women were unconscious, because when Sesshomaru summoned the necessary amount of acidic poison to his claws to seal their wounds, they most assuredly would have screamed in torturous pain. Of course it wasn't enough to melt their skin profusely, but certainly enough to stop the bleeding from their shoulders. Kagome received her treatment first, to which Youko had collected her off of the cold floor while Sesshomaru repeated his mend on Sango. Somehow, Youko couldn't shake the feeling that this retrieval was to easy; planned. This was not a comfortable feeling, but there was nothing for it…their only other choice at the moment was to leave the women there, and that obviously wasn't going to happen.

 

With both girls gathered in their respective demons' arms, they made their way back up the lengthy trail to the surface in moments, “Now we find out if little brother has the ability to provide adequate shelter when the need arises,” Sesshomaru stated with a leap into the air, carrying the injured slayer efficiently cradled in the crook of his one arm and anchored by his Mokomoko. Youko followed with Kagome draped in his hold, but soon slowed his pace when he caught an odd shift in her aura.

 

As a miko, her aura was understandably dominated by the brightness of the “Divine” or white layer, and the “Monadic” or purple layer, followed closely by her moderately bright blue layer. He became aware of the shift as the green layer of her aura associated with intuition started to brighten alongside the blue layer of strong will. Truthfully, he observed that every one of the seven layers had gradually brightened to some extent since they'd begun tracking toward the point Inuyasha had headed in. Returning his attention to following Sesshomaru toward shelter, he noted approvingly that they seemed to be heading near the den he'd considered the use of roughly two days ago.

 

 

As Sesshomaru found that he was slowly beginning to pull ahead of the fox, he too caught a variation in the air and gracefully took root on the tree branch where he'd last landed. Looking down contemplatively at the onna he carried, he pulled in a breath of her on the air; tasting raspberries next to her natural cinnamon scent. An odd combination; one he knew wasn't in her usual scent.

 

One's natural scent doesn't simply shift in this manner. He wasn't often or easily confused, but felt the uncomfortable emotion surface as he began to pick up some unmistakably metallic undercurrents in her scent as well. It was hard to discern exactly what was happening to Sango while he had to sift through Naraku's veneer still hanging on her skin. That alone was enough to annoy him more than was surely healthy. Aware of the fox joining him shortly on the very branch across from him, he shifted his eyes to see Youko's reaction to the huntress's changes. When he did, he was answered with a look of that uncomfortable confusion over his features, confirming that he could indeed scent it too.

 

Youko considered Sesshomaru with his ears twitching, “Judging by your sojourn, I'd guess that something strange is happening to Sango as well,” he stated, sending Sesshomaru's eyes to scrutinize the miko in his hold.

 

Studying the girl briefly, his eyes jotted back up, “This turn of events is undeniably that foul Waste of matter's doing. We find my half-brother and rid them of Naraku's reek. This will give us a better view of their condition.”

 

Youko nodded gravely, and gathered Kagome closer as they continued traveling nearer to his den, where Inuyasha seemed to have gone. He didn't much care at the moment that he hadn't had time to clear it of his effects if that's where they'd gone; the girls would need the warmth of his furs furnished there when he ridded them of the clothes they wore which were still holding Gau's magic and Naraku's stench.

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

The skies had finally dropped their remaining purple hues while Inuyasha leaned his human body against the solid rock wall of the hollowed out hill. Shippo had long ago crawled up to him and curled up at his side, obviously frightened at the prospect of loosing some of his fragile family. `Again'

 

Inuyasha closed his brown eyes. The instance was one he couldn't bear thinking of.

 

Though he had been asleep for some time now, Shippo still emitted whines that kept Inuyasha's hand on his back to try comforting him. Unusual for him, he knew, but he blamed that on the humanity that dominated him this night, and the subconscious knowledge of what Shippo's whines spoke of in the canine tongue. It was all he could do to wait for his brother and the fox to find the women and bring them back safely. Stealing a look for his brother of the human persuasion, he spotted the purple figure crossing their little enclosure with an armful of logs toward the rough fireplace built into one wall. One couldn't outwardly tell what the houshi was thinking, but Inuyasha could read his worry as though it were printed on him. As he sat to begin situating a fire, Inuyasha returned his attention back to the cold night air with another mindless pat to the kit grasping his pant leg in his little claws.

 

He considered himself exceedingly lucky to have found the deserted dwelling complete with furs and lanterns for their use. It had been supremely hidden among the flora, but he had somehow stumbled on the entrance with little trouble. He'd yet to transform when they had arrived hours ago, so he knew of the lack of any lingering scents indicative of current inhabitants. Never mind that he could faintly smell old roses when he'd buried his hanyou nose into the pallets lining the cavern walls. It was barely there though, so he resolutely decided that he'd only imagined it. As it was now, everything only smelled musky and dry to his human nose. Rolling his eyes again from what he could see of the dark night beyond their little hideout, he focused on everyone else that his group had amassed.

 

Miroku had just finished creating the fire they would need in the prepared alcove of the den, and now sat by the newly birthed flames with Ginta and Hakkaku joining him. All three were quiet Kouga, with little Rin's company, still sat with Ayame. Kohaku sat by himself across from him with his eye also trained on the dark night that grew starless with gathering clouds.

 

`Great. Can't even smell if it's going to rain now…' Narrowing his eyes on the misbehaving sky, Inuyasha grumbled at this thought, as he didn't have his hanyou ability to growl effectively. He wanted to growl. Any other day he would have been able to smell rain hours before it arrived…if it were going to, that is…

 

Another whimper sounded from his left hip where Shippo still curled in on himself in sleep. Sighing and absentmindedly patting the little kit, Inuyasha returned his eyes to ground level where he could catch fleeting glimpses of AhUn as he grazed beyond their hill. It was still so unbelievably weird; having Sesshomaru's little pack among them again. Oddly welcoming, but he had yet to explore those feelings with the worry for Kagome and Sango in the forefront of his mind.

 

Inuyasha slanted a look to the slayer-boy across from him. The boy had to be worried for his sister, but he held in his emotions well; probably a side effect of his forced servitude under Naraku for that first year and a half, not to mention traveling around Sesshomaru for the last two. At times, he could damn near swear on his life that the kid was trying to appeal the taiyoukai to his sister…

 

Why his brother even bothered with the current searching he didn't wonder on; whether his arrogant piss of a brother admitted it or not, he had his pretty self wrapped around three human female's fingers now instead of just the one. Time did that kind of change to people, be they ningen or youkai. And they hadn't really been enemies for some time now, so it was no wonder that the little sirens had Sesshomaru wrapped up just like they had everyone else; they had that way about them. Won't catch him saying that to Sesshomaru, though; his poison hurts. In truth though, Inuyasha doubted that he was even aware it had happened. He suspected it had begun sometime in the second year of their quest when he lent them a few straightforward lessons and inquiries toward his ward. The unstable alliance had most assuredly grown stable from there. Somehow, he and his brother could now manage to be around one another for more extended periods of time without resorting to insults. Sometimes.

 

Still caught up in his wandering thoughts, Inuyasha was startled when Shippo shot to his feet in an instant and ran into the light falling sprinkles of icy rain, perking his elfin ears. The wolves joined them at the entrance to the den, also listening intently to whatever had woken the kit. Inuyasha got the message when Shippo's demeanor quickly drifted from despondent to anxious, hopping excitedly from foot to foot.

 

Kouga whipped around, confirming Inuyasha's suspicions, “Lord Sesshomaru and that fox are here; they got `em,” he said firmly, no need to clarify who he spoke of. His aqua eyes swung over to his mate, “Ayame!” he communicated briefly, pointing to the various colored furs lining the walls. Ayame knew exactly what he was getting at; already on it to prepare pallets for the arrivals. She laid two layers for each, a couple of paces apart from each other…Kami, she hoped they were okay…

 

 

 

The rain stayed light as the four missing members finally ducked under the brush that concealed the den from any that weren't allowed in. Youko had made certain that his hideout was always well hidden with his power, and he wondered briefly if his lingering signatures on Inuyasha had allowed him passage through his influenced botanicals surrounding the area.

 

Spotting the prepared bedding, he gently laid his cargo on her bed of fur, and then turned to see Sango also being deposited for further inspection and treatment. Youko could smell Henbane plant all over the women as it flushed their skin pink, but he didn't like the way it felt. As though it had been tampered with somehow… Regardless, he had to get them out of their faint and bring down their temperature; they felt near to burning. Their bathing of Naraku and Gau would have to wait until their condition was a little more predictable.

 

As he summoned forward the remedy to the girls' condition from his stash, he called over the other person in the room that would be able to read auras easily, “Miroku, come here. I need a second opinion from you,” turning, he spotted the wolf Alpha nearby, “Kouga, I need the mortar and pestle that are stored in the cubby over there,” Miroku frowned at Youko's uncharacteristically disadvantaged tone and neared. Once he was standing over them, Youko shot his golden eyes to the dark purple ones of the monk, “Do you see the same thing I do in their essence, or am I hallucinating as well?”

 

Miroku's features read comprehension at the question. The first thing he had noticed on the air with their arrival moments ago had been the change in aura. As Kouga returned to hand over the needed materials to Youko, Miroku knelt down and unfocused his eyes over both girls to get a closer look.

 

He couldn't recall it ever being as bright on either woman as to force every layer to fight for dominance, “If you are speaking of their enhanced layers, then I'm afraid I see what you do. Never have I seen such a drastic brightening in anyone's make in only one evening,” he answered thoughtfully, tilting his dark head with a curious glance to the matching blood markings on their chests, `Those can't be good…they are positioned over significant chakra points…'

 

“What do you make of those?” Youko broke in when he noticed Miroku's line of interest, “We can tell that the blood is a mixture of both Kagome and Sango's. He pierced their shoulders in identical locations for it,” he informed, unable to keep dark promise out of his tone as he gestured briefly to the angry red pocks in their shoulders, which looked oddly brown thanks to Sesshomaru's impromptu treatment of green acid.

 

Miroku gave him a concerned glance, “Considering where they originate and the trail they take up the neck column over the Vishuudi chakra, I'd say that whatever the purpose of the markings, they use the ki chakras located at the heart and the throat; those associated with communication and deep feeling,” Miroku softly mused aloud to answer, “If he used blood from both, and over those ki locations, I'd at least partly assume he's trying to tie their life forces together somehow,” he deduced with wonder, “Why doing that would draw Naraku's attention I've not any idea, but it is sure to be troublesome.”

 

Youko nodded morosely, and then shared a look with his long-time ally who still stood tall over Sango and sighed at the information. He looked from Sesshomaru to the crushed root in his hand that he needed to finish preparing into a paste, “Nothing to be done about what has already taken place until we know for certain, I suppose. Until then, we need to cleanse them of that filth and this paste needs to be forced into their systems quickly. Our best option is to feed it directly and wait it out,” he shifted his sight to look at Kagome, who still lay in a cold sweat, “The problem I have with giving them the root in this concentrate is that it will worsen any hallucinations they may have if they are to awaken before it fully runs its course,” he said, though he knew it had to be done since unless he did give them the root they would have no chance of waking for several days in the least. He wasn't sure how much of it they were exposed to, but at worst the Powder sedative will have killed them by then.

 

Dropping the pestle and leaning forward, he spooned a generous portion of the gritty paste from his hand onto the roof of Kagome's mouth with his index finger as Sesshomaru bent down and clawed Sango's tunic away from her, careful not to scratch her. Crossing the room with the tattered cloth, he tossed it into the fire before returning to rid the miko of the same remains.

 

While Youko moved over and applied paste into Sango's mouth, Ayame began shooing some males out of the den. Ultimately, she was only able to clear out the wolves, including Kouga, and the young slayer-boy before making her way over to Kagome's side, now also devoid of her stained tunic, to begin cleansing the blood away. When she had nearly gotten all of the coppery-red color off the girls after a short time, she startled when a familiar scrap of fabric was thrust into her face.

 

Looking up to the very human Inuyasha who held the cloth, she frowned. She recognized the fire-rat material, and sought out the little girl who she remembered had been wearing it, `Did he strip the poor little thing naked?' she questioned dubiously in her mind. Lord Sesshomaru sent her an amused look from across the way when she saw the child by his side close to the fire in an odd white yukata with a little pink animal on the front of it, quickly falling into slumber.

 

Inuyasha huffed, bringing her attention from the more regal brother to the rough one, “I put her in something of Kagome's,” he said in explanation for the lady wolf's confusion. With a small “oh”, she took the red haori and Inuyasha squatted to his haunches and gingerly lifted Kagome's torso off the ground so that Ayame could wrap her in the garment.

 

Standing up once Kagome was covered, Inuyasha held up his hand to take the outer robes that Miroku held, standing to the side with an unreadable look on his face. They repeated the same process of dressing Sango, and finally both women were treated, bathed, dressed, and resting. All that was left now was for everyone to wait around in bewilderment over the strange occurrences until they woke up.

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

madmiko—My goodness, that's such a huge encouragement coming from you! Hey, Youko can't abide by letting just anyone see flesh that he's beginning to feel possessive over. Besides, he knows when to be turned on and when to be pissed, right? ^_~ Kouga/Kag will probably be coming first, by the way. (But we'll see what my hands do when they wrap themselves around a pencil again.) *shrug*

smilingkitsune—Thank you! I try so hard to stay away from cop-outs and such that the plot just keeps growing, you know? I'm tickled that you're liking it.

Yue no Rei--*tickled pink* (I'm very ticklish…) Thank you so much!

adara205—Oh, goodness! No TV?! I'm sorry this took so long! I hope you enjoy this one, too, and I'll try to hurry with the next one. ^_^