InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Exchanged ❯ Rescue ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: All I possibly own is the storyline…Takahashi-sama owns the characters!

 

A/N: In response to a query from Anon E. Mus…the Japanese dog demon etiquette that Rin tripped over is cobbled together from interviewing my girlfriend who lived in Japan for two years, books like Memoirs of a Geisha, observing canine hierarchies at the off-leash park … and a large dose of imagination.

 

There is an attempted rape in the first few paragraphs of this chapter; if that kind of situation really bothers you, skip `em… keep in mind I said `attempted'…some gory bits, too.

 

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Exchanged: Part Six

Hostage

 

Moto finished removing the clothes on the lower half of his body, then turned to me with a very predatory smirk. I glared right back, going into a crouch. I was going to fight back. To hell with the `don't struggle' approach advocated by the self-defence instruction we'd received on campus. Kagura said he couldn't kill me, and I obviously couldn't escape the room, so my only choice was to try for the miracle shot. He was a demon…at least a hundred times faster and stronger than me, so I had nothing to lose.

 

My chances? Slim to nil, and Slim was out of town…and took his lucky rabbit's foot with him.

 

A pure, icy anger slid through my body, and I cracked my knuckles, shooting him a look that had sent more than a few opponents on the playground back a step. Unfortunately for me, Moto wasn't a human.

 

He was so damn fast he wasn't even a blur. Shi….

 

He slammed me up against the wall, and used his claws to slice off my jeans and panties, tearing them away and leaving long, stinging shallow cuts down my thighs. The tough denim got hung up on his fingers and distracted him for a split second; I kneed him in the jaw, and then shoved him hard in the chest. It was just enough to knock him slightly away from me; I dove for the opposite corner. The bastard started laughing at me, a hard, mocking sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. He was pinching the dagger that had been inside my pants between his claw tips and laughing fit to bust.

 

He was still laughing when I hacked the razor-sharp sword through his neck.

 

Time stopped, then restarted. The blade stuck in something, there was a horrible grinding sound, and then sliced through.

 

It was messy.

 

Moto's head, mouth gaping and black eyes staring, bounced and rolled. His body hung in the air for a moment, then crashed to the floor, blood spurting everywhere. I staggered backward, horrified, until I crashed up against the wall, dropping the bloodied sword nearly on my foot. I stayed there, staring at the blood, my brain in lock-down. The icy fury melted and my stomach turned over. Then I collapsed to my knees and retched violently, colourfully and repeatedly.

 

I wondered, vaguely, if I'd ever get the chance to tell General Tsume that I'd got in my one lucky shot, and that it had really counted.

 

I'd killed…killed Moto. It felt like a million years later, but Josh was avenged.

 

I was a killer. Part of my brain got up and ran away from me, screaming.

 

After more than a few minutes of bile-tinged dry heaves, the metallic taste of blood in my nostrils and mouth, I crawled away from the gore spreading across the cement and into the corner, wiping tears and saliva from my face with a shaking hand. When my chest stopped hurting, I tried to think rationally.

 

Summary of current situation. Half-naked and bleeding. In a locked room with a very dead body. Someone was bound to not be happy with me. In possession of an extremely sharp sword. Could kill myself and deny Kagura the pleasure. Could try my luck again with the next raven in line. Probably not a good idea, as I felt I'd stretched it by taking that desperate swing at Moto, but committing suicide was not appealing either.

 

I was not going to die in this place. I was getting out, somehow.

 

My attention was drawn to the pile of Moto's clothes in the corner. I know, I know, dressing in the dead's clothing is probably inviting some kind of karmic retaliation, but he wasn't going to be asking for them back any time soon, and I sure as hell wasn't going to face whatever was coming next with my private bits on view. Fortunately for me, hakama are pretty much one-size-fits-all, and Moto had been a tall bastard.

 

Getting dressed was first priority. I picked up the sword very gingerly, and wiped most of the blood off it with Moto's underwear, dropping them over his dead face when I was done. I pulled off my two remaining layers, and used the sword to cut strips off the t-shirt and tied them snugly around my legs, more to keep the cuts closed than anything, as they had pretty much stopped bleeding already. I put what was left of my t-shirt back on, then Sesshomaru's dress shirt, and tucked everything into the hakama and tied up the strings tightly, double-knotting them despite severely shaking hands. Then, I stepped over the blood and vomit, and took up a position against the rear wall, sitting cross-legged, the sword balanced across my thighs, and waited. I didn't know how to use the thing, but its solid weight made me feel better, and reminded me of Sesshomaru. The dagger was somewhere under Moto's body; I decided against trying to retrieve it. It had done its job to protect me, just not exactly in the way I'm sure Inuyasha had hoped.

 

While I sat there, trying to compose myself, my eyes were drawn to the darkening pool of blood that crept sluggishly about, forming little puddles and rivulets as it eddied around the floor. Was I proud of what I'd done? No. …Yes. This bastard was out to dishonour and humiliate me, simply because he could. How many times have women around the world been subjected to this sort of shit? His blood was my badge of survival. Bastard. I wondered how long he had been planning this…probably the first moment he learned that Sesshomaru believed that I was Rin's reincarnation.

 

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened. Kagura whisked in. “Moto, aren't you done yet? ...oh, my…this was unexpected.” She paused, taking in the blood and the detached body parts, and then turned her attention to me. I curled my lip at her, not moving from my seated position, but gripping the sword hilt tightly. She seemed…amused? Great. Always happy to provide free entertainment.

 

Kagura smiled widely, and bent down to dabble a slim finger in the puddle of blood closest to her feet. She popped the bloody digit into her mouth, sucked, and then pulled a face. “As sour on the inside as he was on the outside…to be expected, really. Well, my lady, you've definitely earned the right to remain unmolested while in our company…so long as you leave the sword here.”

 

I slid up the wall to standing, never taking my eyes off her. I balanced the sword on its tip for a moment, before tossing it away from both of us. She nodded approvingly, her eyes appraising.

 

“I underestimated you, Sesshomaru's bitch. I will not make that mistake twice, but I will also not torment you further. You do have some echoes of the Rin I killed at Nagasaki… despite being a mongrel.” As Kagura spoke, four large armoured men came into the room and stood silently, their beady eyes darting from Moto's body to me and back again. “Take the Lady Rin to another holding cell…do not offer her any insult. Clean this garbage up.”

 

I debated, briefly, considering making them come for me, but then decided to go out with my head held high. I found myself down the hall, in another identical room. The guards left me, and the door locked with finality. I walked across to the far wall, collapsed and rolled myself up in a ball. I was exhausted, trembling, and hoped I could trust Kagura to keep her word about not letting anyone else bother me. I quickly fell asleep, and fortunately, I did not dream.

 

Snapping awake, I had a moment of total disorientation when I heard the door slide open. I twisted to my feet, and crouched while trying to clear my foggy brain. A tray was deposited, and a bucket with a box of tissues was shoved into the room before the door closed again. I waited a few minutes, then stealthily approached. The tray held a number of bowls and plates, and from the smell of disinfectant, I guessed the bucket was my elegant porta-potty. I took the tray back across the room with me, and inspected the offerings of Kagura's kitchen. Fairly basic; miso soup, rice, fish, pickles, and a jug of water on the side. It must be morning, if this was any indication. For a moment, I hesitated, wondering if the food was drugged or poisoned, then reasoned that Kagura would want me conscious and screaming for whatever torment she had planned for me.

 

I ate everything, and wouldn't have minded a bit more, since I hadn't really eaten anything since the previous morning, during the raven attack on the apartment. I twirled the empty soup bowl across the floor like a top while I contemplated the events of the last twenty-four hours. It was now Tuesday. I wondered how Tai was, and imagined the scene when he was reunited with his mother and sister. That gave me a few warm fuzzies, and then I depressed myself wondering if I'd ever see them again. Then I really bummed myself out thinking about my family. Who would let them know if I died? Wouldn't that be a phone call…would Sesshomaru make it? I wondered how he would introduce himself to my parents.

 

Hello, this is your demon-in-law, and I have some unfortunate news…

 

I couldn't help but giggle at that macabre thought. My mom would be thunderstruck by the `in-law' reference, never mind the really bad part of the news; I hoped dad wouldn't have a heart attack. And to think my biggest concern yesterday was telling them they were maybe, possibly going to be grandparents…

 

I finished eating, visited the little-girl's bucket, used some water from the jug and a couple of tissues to wipe my face and neck, and then sat up against the wall to await developments. I napped a bit, paced a bit, and then attempted some Pilates moves. Ooooh, man, had I stiffened up since my last class!

 

After a rather nice sushi lunch, I sat cross-legged against the wall, and tried a little meditation. My mind readily cleared, probably because I was tired of being scared out of my wits, and your brain can only do so much of the screaming and gibbering thing before it has to have a lie-down. I wondered if I could find any more of the other Rin's memories. The last couple of times, she had come, unbidden, to me. This time, I wanted to go to her…I think.

 

Slowly, I searched the mental corners and closets of my mind, sneezing at the dust and cobwebs in some spots, like where my high school physics was stashed. I avoided the locked broom closet where I'd stuffed my misgivings over telling my mother I'd gone off and mated a dog demon that I barely knew, and went deeper into the darker corridors where I wasn't sure if I really wanted to go.

 

When I found what I was looking for, would I still be myself, or would I be someone else, who knew how to handle all the etiquette at court, who to bow to, who not to pour tea for, and where Sesshomaru was ticklish?

 

I hoped the other Rin would be willing to share, if she had any insights that might save my life…but in exchange, I didn't really want to become her.

 

Just like in a cheap novel, a wisp of vapour caught my internal eye; I followed it down a dusty side hallway. My brain needed a thorough spring cleaning. Did I really need to keep my philosophy prof's phone number for homework help?… the vapour became brighter, and warmer, finally glowing like a flame, hovering before a door that showed some signs of recently being opened after a very long time. Was this it? My mental self took a deep breath (lots of wasabi in the sushi at lunch keeps your sinuses clear), pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

 

Like a former president claimed, I've never inhaled anything in my life, but that was one hell of a trip.

 

Sensations curled around me, and emotions coiled in over them to cocoon me completely in a multicoloured whirl, but I wasn't afraid. Joy, happiness, love anchored into my soul, and then I knew. She was me, but only a part of who I now was. She was wrapping around and opening my heart and mind to what she knew and had experienced for the five hundred years she had been with Sesshomaru.

 

The few disjointed images that had hit me on Sunday night were back, but now as a part of the complete script of her life, uncoiling like a strip of film out of the background. She showed me who she had been before she met him, a little girl whose life had been destroyed once by bandits and again by wolves. I experienced the icy slash of the Tenseiga that had restored her to life, and brought her to Sesshomaru's side. As she grew and matured, I felt love replace the awe, until one fateful day he shattered the iron fetters of his resolve and took her as his mate. Their lives together were eventful, solemn in public and deeply loving in private. The darkness that washed over me evoked her despair when the pup she carried died in the womb, and I felt her pain and sadness as she recovered from the depression that followed. I now knew why the news of Tai's kidnapping had affected me so deeply yesterday morning.

 

The love she felt for Sesshomaru was so intense, it seared my soul.

 

Between glimpses of court life, and private moments, I saw battle scenes of indescribable destruction, seeming acres of devastation, but what really caught my attention was the fact that she was carrying a spear and standing at Sesshomaru's side in the thick of it, taking part in the defence of their lands, their clan.

 

Her hand had guided me when I killed Moto, I was suddenly sure of it. I've never swung anything more lethal than a baseball bat, and I certainly wasn't trying to kill anybody at home plate when I did it. Okay, I've taken out a couple of pitchers with a line drive, but I didn't mean to. Well, except for that asshole Sanderson kid in ninth grade…

 

Now, if only she was like Yoda and could turn me into a light-sabre equipped female version of Luke Skywalker, complete with the Force. That would improve my chances…

 

The internal movie-cum-head-trip ended with the same brilliant flash of light and wave of intense heat I experienced just before Sesshomaru rocked my world… and then from the following blackness I saw a thin line of images coil up… images of my grandmother's life. The mental refrigerator light bulb flickered on. I got it.

 

My grandmother had been the reincarnation. She was absolutely identical to the original Rin. No wonder she'd been attracted to Grandpa, what with his white-blond hair, pale skin and height.

 

Another ribbon wound up to coil alongside my grandmother's. It was my life, but the early memories were light, like over-exposed film. There was my first bike…and first bike riding accident. Our black Lab puppy. My best friend Caitlyn and I playing dress-up. My first paper route. Protecting my little brother from a bully in the vacant lot after school. Familiar people, things and events slid by in palest hues. Abruptly, the colours became as deep as my grandmother's memories; the two strands melded at the point where the colours intensified.

 

My memories took over. I was thirteen.

 

My grandmother had died at age fifty, of a nasty form of cancer. We kept her at home, instead of putting her in palliative care, and my mother and I looked after her. She became thinner and her smooth skin more papery every day, until the afternoon that she passed. Dad was at work and Mom was out picking up Kai from soccer; I was downstairs, cutting vegetables for dinner. I was humming along with Alanis Morissette on the radio when I felt something warm twine around me, a breeze-like but somehow solid embrace. Instantly, I knew something had happened. I had dropped the carrot and raced upstairs, shouting, bruising myself on her doorframe before tumbling to a stop. The same warm presence wrapped around me, held me and seemed to burrow inside me; I knew Grandma was gone, but I wasn't alone. I wasn't afraid. I closed her eyes, arranged her hands over the blanket, and sat with her in the gathering darkness until my family came home.

 

That must have been when Rin's soul sub-let herself some space within me. Can't say I exactly remember anything X-Files-ish to indicate my `possession' by her, but the fact was, she hadn't bunked off to find another newborn host. I wasn't exactly a reincarnation, but I guess I was the next best thing. My memories and body became hers. Puberty was particularly rough for me…maybe it was our souls melding that had caused so much angst. I mean, she'd already been there, done that…

 

The ribbons hovered in front of me, the now-single strand of mine and my grandmother's joined by Rin's. Slowly, they curved together and twined around each other, winding together into a shimmering cord that coiled off into the darkness. I understood. Our combined strengths would protect us - me - in the future. She and I were one; that was why I'd fallen so hard and fast for Sesshomaru, why he felt so familiar.

 

Not familiar enough, obviously. She was horrified when I blew Sesshomaru off that first time in Asakusa.

 

I had called Sesshomaru `my love' before I left his side, but now I really understood that I loved him as intensely as she had. I wasn't sure how much of that emotion was originally hers, but I accepted it completely as being now all mine. Hopefully I'd get the chance to tell him that again, and soon…

 

I was definitely still me, but now I had a greater depth of memory than any twenty-three year old had a right to. I could call on centuries of experiences. The key to my survival was there, as I had escaped Kagura before, and I doubted that the wind witch would be able to swing a hydrogen bomb right now.

 

I was going to survive. It would be my little private joke on Kagura, a few times over. And I didn't have to worry about becoming one of those possessed humans on `Stargate', who had the creature inside come out and do the talking at pertinent moments.

 

I became aware of something hard and cold pressing against the side of my head. Blinking intently, I realized I'd toppled over, as my cheek was on the concrete floor. I sat up slowly, checking myself over carefully, making sure that everything was still where it belonged.

 

Dinner arrived shortly thereafter with several side dishes, including a bit of tempura. I got the feeling that this last was for the benefit of the condemned. The garnishes were rather artistic for an ordinary meal. Why else would anyone bother to carve a delicately realistic radish rose for a prisoner?

 

There was another wait of a few hours, but I didn't mind so much. I had quite a bit to think about. Then came the unmistakeable tread of heavily-shod feet sounding outside the walls of my room. The door clicked open, and six soldiers came in, followed by Kagura. Her red eyes sparkled with malice; I could tell she was particularly pleased with herself over something.

 

“Well, Lady Rin, the final moves are ready to be played. How was your meal?”

 

“Good, although the prawns were a little tough…”

 

“I'll mention it to the cook…your danna has accepted the terms of engagement for tonight…I can hardly wait to watch.”

 

One of the men stepped forward, holding out a bundle of white cloth. I eyed him, and he tossed it to me. I shook it out. It was a long white kimono. “Put that on, Lady Rin. I want your mate to be able to see you clearly.” After shooting her a look, I obeyed reluctantly. Four of the soldiers quickly surrounded me, and while two pinned my arms to my sides with the thick cloth, the other two began winding a thin cord around me, starting at my ankles. No matter how much I struggled and cursed, I was bound up neatly like a giant white grub. Kagura was plainly amused. “Cease fussing, Lady Rin…I'd hate to have you faint from lack of circulation because we had to tie your bonds too tight to hold you still.”

 

My glare should have scorched her porcelain complexion; she just smiled sweetly. I was braced upright. Kagura cocked her head on one side, and then stepped rapidly towards me. Using her long fingers, she quickly undid the bun and then untangled the braid holding my hair, almost caressing the brown, red and gold curls around my face and over my shoulders. “Very nice…Sesshomaru will undoubtedly appreciate my display efforts.”

 

I was trying to think up a suitable reply, when a loud and violent commotion in the corridor erupted. Kagura jerked her head; the six soldiers protectively surrounded me, drawing their weapons.

 

“Damn it! Where are you, Kagura! I want an explanation, bitch!” A tall, dark and powerfully handsome man erupted through the door, his intense blue eyes blazing, anger practically pouring off him in visible waves. He was dressed in armour and furs…and was that a tail swishing behind him?

 

Kagura kept herself between me and the new arrival. I noticed that her fan was slightly unfurled, and she was not looking quite so pleased, although her voice was as mocking as ever. “Did you have a question, Koga?”

 

He stormed closer to her. “I was told that you had the brat in your custody, and I want to know why he wasn't handed over to me!”

 

Kagura waved her fan at him, making sure he noticed that it was open. “Your petty desire for reproducing yourself did not fit into my wider scheme. I used the boy to bargain for a greater prize that meant more to my plans. Allow me to introduce you to Lord Sesshomaru's mate, the reincarnated Lady Rin.” She moved aside, letting him get a good look at me.

 

Koga…wasn't he the wolf-demon that had been in love with Kagome a few centuries ago?

 

He stopped, and stared at me intently. I sneered back; he arched an eyebrow, and a smirk began creeping across his face. The soldiers in front of me didn't let him get too close as he stalked forward. He stuck his head over their shoulders, and sniffed deeply a few times. Then he threw back his head and laughed, a nasty, dark sound.

 

“I've got to hand it to you, Kagura. The bitch is carrying his pup. That will really finish the arrogant dog-bastard off…” and Koga began laughing again. I didn't like the look on Kagura's face; it was a mixture of pure delight and speculative evil. If my hands hadn't been tied so tightly, I would have wrapped them protectively over my belly. I had a very bad feeling about this.

 

“You're absolutely sure, Koga? Oh my, that will make it especially entertaining this evening…now I truly can't wait to meet dear Lord Sesshomaru. How could I let him know about her, ahem, delicate condition, without letting him get close enough to rescue her?”

 

“Spill a little of her blood, and fan it towards him; his nose will pick it up.”

 

Kagura could only be described as gleeful; I wouldn't have been surprised to see her break out into a little dance. Koga sobered and looked incredibly dangerous. “Don't you dare interfere in my part of this little party tonight, wind bitch.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “If you manage to get close enough to even spit at Inuyasha, I'll congratulate you, Koga. I rather doubt you'll be able to kill him. You just haven't been as fast since you lost all access to Jewel shards…”

 

“If I'd killed his boy in front of his eyes, what do you think that would have done to his will to fight?”

 

“I'd say it would increase your chances of being delivered by `wind scar' straight into the seventh hell, wolf…and Kagome is still not going to change her mind.”

 

Koga's grin was evil and twisted. “If I kill off her mate and cubs, then she won't have any choice in who mates her next.”

 

I shivered at the dark lust in his voice. This guy made Kagura look appealing by comparison… Koga strode out the door, pausing to call over his shoulder. “We'll be in position to strike at three hours past moonrise, Kagura…make sure you follow through in your side of the plans, or else.”

 

Kagura did not look noticeably impressed by the wolf-demon's threat. She flicked her fan closed and it disappeared up into her sleeve. She caught my eye. “Damned wolf…thick as a plank, but I admire his persistence… it is time to go.”

 

I was slung across the shoulders of two of the men like a rolled-up carpet, and carried up out of the bunker complex and into the parking courtyard. I caught my breath. Dozens and dozens of ravens, in various stages of transformation, were clustered in the space. A brilliant sunset streaked the sky with colour, and gave the dark iridescent feathers a warmer tinge. I was propped upright and a harness made of thick leather straps attached to a sort of rigid triangular hang-gliding frame was strapped firmly around me from chest to knee. Kagura made sure that my hair could fly free around me, then gestured.

 

With a great surging lurch that left my stomach somewhere on the ground, I was swung up into the air. The parking courtyard rapidly dwindled to the size of a postage stamp as powerful wings beat upwards. I could see a black spiral that could only be Kagura's troops rising after us. Then I closed my eyes and tried not to vomit up my dinner as the ground rushed past us. The prawns had been very good, actually, and it would be a shame to waste them…

 

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Bait

 

We seemed to be airborne for a very long time, as the massive raven youkai carrying me winged powerfully away from the setting sun. When we seemed to start circling a particular spot, I looked carefully around.

 

We were far out over the ocean, the dark sea surging far below us, the white caps gilded by the last rays of light. I had a very definite jolt of panic. Ravens were usually only able to fly by day…wouldn't we crash when they became disoriented in the dark? I had my answer very quickly, when an enormous full moon began to slide up over the eastern horizon. It would be bright enough to fly by.

 

Kagura twirled to a stop in front of me, riding on a large white feather, her red eyes glowing in the dusk. “Lovely night for a battle, don't you think, Lady Rin? Full moonlight, so that Lord Sesshomaru doesn't miss a thing…ah, here he comes now…”

 

I suppressed a scream of joy at the distant sight of a glowing ball of light approaching us very rapidly, faster than even the demonic raven carrying me had been able to move. Sesshomaru… the glow resolved itself into my Big Dog, wearing his impeccable white armoured outfit, his silver hair swirling around him. From across the wide gap between us, filling rapidly with ravens, our eyes met. He raised a gleaming sword in salute; I bowed my head in acknowledgement.

 

Kagura spun close to me, her fan out. “Lord Sesshomaru! I must offer you congratulations!” She paused for dramatic effect; I could see him narrow his reddened eyes. “Your lovely mate is carrying your heir…I offer you proof.” She drove the sharp tip of her fan between the bindings, through the layers of fabric, and into my upper arm until my blood stained the white fabric. I bit my lip and whimpered; my stomach flipped over and I began to shiver. Kagura didn't seem to notice my reaction; she opened her fan and sent a gust in Sesshomaru's direction.

 

He shuddered, and then I saw a peculiar glow halo around him. Beside me, Kagura laughed. “Excellent…his battle-rage will drive him to make mistakes…” She spun away and disappeared among her troops. I fastened my eyes on Sesshomaru. I could dimly see bird-like shapes winging their way across the sky to surround him, and then the battle was joined.

 

I suddenly realized why we were so far out to sea. This was a battle of no quarter; any birds that fell injured were dead and not recoverable. If we were away from land, then Inuyasha couldn't participate, as he couldn't fly; therefore, the dog demon's side was split in half. Divide and conquer… Koga could then strike. Kagura's spies would probably tell him where our land defences were weak. I hoped that Tai and Tsuki were safe, and Koga couldn't get at them.

 

The raven carrying me circled away from the edge of the battle, not so close that I could see any of it, which was probably a very good thing. I looked way, way down to the oily black waves. We were up so high that the water looked like crinkled blackened foil, the moonlight silvering the wave tops.

 

The little refrigerator light bulb went off again in my brain. I figured out why we were so high, and nearly lost my dinner anyways. If I was dropped from this height, the water's surface would be like solid cement. I would die on impact, and the weight of the tightly-bundled robe and hanging framework would pull me under so quickly that Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to reach me in time to use the Tenseiga. Kagura intended for my beloved to see the whole spectacle, try to reach me, and fail miserably in the attempt. Bitch. Inventive, nasty, definitely evil, and totally a bitch. Hope I'd have a chance to repay her.

 

We were completing another leisurely circle when, from the far side of the swirling melee, I saw a bolt of light arc up over the aerial battlefield like a signal flare, and come straight for us. It was Sesshomaru.

 

The raven let me go, and I plummeted down towards the sea.

 

Apparently at some point of a fall from a great height, your body ceases to accelerate. That bit of wisdom popped into my head from somewhere. I was waiting for my life to pass before my eyes, but apparently, my personal video was stuck on `pause'.

 

So close to the water's surface that salt spray struck my face, the hanging frame was snagged by a passing winged body. My guts protested the sudden direction change again, but it was only slightly more jarring than Saturday night when Inuyasha fielded me from the Asakusa bridge. We were skimming along, barely cresting the waves, when I risked a look upwards to see who was now hauling my ass around.

 

Enormous leathery scalloped wings stretched between thin bones flapped rapidly and silently, but the flight wasn't smooth. A dark brown furry body. Very large cabbage-leaf ears and a leaf-shaped nose. While I was gaping, the head twisted down to regard me with bright beady eyes, and a mouth full of sharp, needle-like teeth opened in a ghastly caricature of a smile. It was a giant bat. It probably thought it had scored the jackpot, catching the giant white worm for dinner.

 

I was mentally debating the merits of either screaming hysterically or fainting dead away, when a voice, tortured by non-human vocal cords straining to create human speech, came down to me.

 

“Do not fear, Lady Rin, we will take you to safety.”

 

Dropped by a raven youkai and rescued by a bat youkai. Could it get any better? Well, if the bat turned out to be a vampire, things could get very messy…for me, that is. Did Japan have any vampire bats?

 

Sooner than I thought likely, we passed over the shore and headed inland. The sea-scent was replaced by green smells. After a few more minutes of hugging the rolling sea-coast terrain, the bat carrying me abruptly banked and swooped both of us into the large black mouth of a cavern. He or she backed wing, and dropped me very gently onto a rocky surface. I landed on my side, and couldn't move anyways. I laid my cheek against the cold rock and hoped it would be over soon.

 

“Lady Rin! Hold on…we'll cut you free…” Hands went to work on the straps holding the frame and a great weight was gone when it was tossed aside with a clatter. I was gently rolled up to sitting, and braced against a broad chest. I cautiously peered up at the face, but it was too dark for me to see. The person holding me wasn't having any trouble, and neither was the other person cutting the binding cord from my legs.

 

“W-who are you?” My voice sounded high-pitched, even to me. I detected a flinch.

 

“Allies of Lord Sesshomaru, my lady…here, we'll set a light” A low-power flashlight was turned on and shielded from the cave mouth. The man working on the bindings around my legs smiled quickly at me before returning to his job. My jaw hit my collarbone, and I quickly swivelled my head around to look up at the owner of the chest I was leaning against.

 

“D-Dai-kun? J-Jin-kun! Wha…how…where…” My former officemates, and Dragon Ball Z anime boys, chuckled at my expression.

 

“We thought you might be a little surprised to see us, Lady Rin…but that's why we were entrusted with your rescue, because you do know us.” Dai shifted my head to his other shoulder, so he could begin cutting the cording around my upper body.

 

“I didn't know you could turn into giant bats!” I spluttered.

 

Jin looked rather offended. “Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I'm not a lowly flying mouse.”

 

Dai snorted gently. “You'll have to excuse him, my lady…these uncouth owls really don't have any manners to speak of; what do you expect of a demon that eats vermin like mice and rats? You are what you eat…”

 

“At least I don't eat bugs!” I had the feeling that this was an on-going byplay between these two. The last cord was cut and Jin was offering me some water from a canteen when an enormous presence swooped silently into the cavern and onto our ledge. If I wasn't so stiff that I couldn't move, I would have shrieked and dove for the floor. I settled for the shriek. The newcomer flinched, blinking its huge yellow eyes.

 

Before my eyes, the giant silhouette shimmered, shrank, and became…General Tsume. He was an owl youkai. A freaking huge owl youkai. I'm not an orthinologist, so don't ask me what kind of owl he was. Extremely large and brown, with big honkin' talons and a nasty beak. He dropped to one knee in front of me and bowed his head.

 

“Well met by moonlight, Lady Rin.” Two other, smaller owls slipped into the cavern and waited. General Tsume took my hand and kissed it. “You have no idea how happy I am that you live, my lady. Lord Sesshomaru was not… himself… for this past day…we now have a real chance of victory.” He turned to the two newly arrived owls, who had not assumed their humanoid forms. “Get word immediately to Lord Sesshomaru that his lady is safe, and she will wait for him with Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome.” The two bowed their heads and were gone. He turned back to me.

 

“We must remove you from this shroud and dress your wound, Lady Rin…time is of the essence. I must return to Lord Sesshomaru's side to aid him in this battle.” He helped me to my feet, and peeled off the bloodstained white kimono. I undid Sesshomaru's shirt and pulled it off my shoulder. The sleeve of my t-shirt was already short, so he just shoved it up and secured a gauze pad with a few wraps of bandage over the cut from Kagura's fan. I was re-doing up the shirt buttons when the general peered intently at me. I could see his nostrils flaring. “My lady…there is a distinct blood-scent on you…to whom does it belong?”

 

“Thanks for the advice yesterday, General. It belongs to Moto…I - I killed him.”

 

There was new respect in his yellow eyes as he assessed me in the weak light, nodding his head thoughtfully. “Excellent work, Lady Rin. That evil creature was responsible for the deaths of many fine youkai…you shall be honoured.”

 

I ducked my head. “It was either kill him or be dishonoured, General.” His thick eyebrows arched, but he said nothing else.

 

Jin rummaged briefly outside the pale light of the flashlight, and handed me a thick black leather jacket and something that resembled a SWAT team vest, or at least its close cousin. Dai helped me into the jacket, and then squeezed me into the vest, doing up the buckles for me. Jin then passed over a pair of heavy leather boots. I was amazed that these actually fit, more or less. Straps snugged them around my ankles and calves, so they couldn't fall off.

 

Then I turned again to the owl youkai. “General Tsume, Kagura told me that she has spies living among us in the apartment building…”

 

His face became very grim. “We captured them, my lady, but not before they had done their damage.”

 

My voice was very small and quiet. “Who was it?”

 

“Lady Kagetsu and her maid.” Well, I wasn't really surprised. I remembered how Lady Kagetsu had pulled her skirts away when Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi had arrived on Monday, and how she had been sent out of the room when Inuyasha told of the attack on the shrine. “They have been executed. My lady wife carried out the sentence.”

 

That got my attention, but I chose not to inquire further. Obviously youkai don't mess around with Death Row appeals. “Are you also aware that the wolf-demon Koga is planning an attack on the land forces tonight?” His eyes grew very large and round; owl-eyed, in fact.

 

“How do you know this, my lady?”

 

“Koga showed up at Kagura's compound just before we took off, and reminded her that he would strike three hours after moonrise, and his targets are the children and Inuyasha.”

 

General Tsume sighed. “That idiot wolf never gives up… it is now two hours past…you must go and warn Lord Inuyasha. We knew something was going to happen on land as well, but we didn't know the particulars. Jin, you will carry Lady Rin, and Dai, please supply air cover. Go now, and stop for nothing.” He transformed, and disappeared into the night sky.

 

I was about to ask if I should be strapped back into the hanging frame, when Jin turned his back to me and re-transformed into a large owl. He crouched, and looked over his wing at me, and clacked his beak. I stepped up to him, hesitated a moment, then gripped the point where the wing joined his body, and lay against his back. Dai secured me with a criss-cross strap passing around Jin's body and clipping to loops on my vest. Then Jin paused for a moment, gathering himself, and we sprang into the air, his huge wings beating strongly but nearly soundlessly for take-off.

 

I much preferred flying on Jin's back to being carried trussed up by a raven or a bat, no offence to present company intended. Our flight was silent; Dai's shadow danced across us as he watched the sky above and somehow managed to keep up with Jin's powerful wing beats. By the light of the full moon, I watched the terrain change as we sped inland. Small cities, ribbons of highway, silvered lakes and rivers all looked a tad unreal. It was cold; I buried my hands in his warm feathers to keep them from going numb.

 

We came to a place that resembled the exchange point where I'd handed myself over for Tai; a desolate rocky plain with a slight rise in the middle. I could see hundreds of dark shapes scattered over the near side, dark shapes that were moving. I thought Jin would do a fly-over, but instead he landed on the edge of the crowd. Wondering, I stuck tight to him, and waited.

 

We had landed close to an enormous pack of dogs. Black dogs, brown dogs, blond dogs, white dogs, red dogs, spotted dogs, brindled dogs…all large, and all of an unrecognizable breed. Sort of like really huge, shaggy Akitas for the most part. Really huge, as in minimum ten feet tall at the shoulder. Jin barely looked over their backs. Dai landed behind me, and helped unclip me from the strap. Once Jin had transformed, they stood at attention on either side of me.

 

A large black shaggy dog separated itself from the rest of the pack and came towards us, going down on its front paws in front of me. It resolved itself into a woman on bended knee. I yelped and ran forward to grab her hand.

 

“Kazu-chan?!”

 

My Halo-playing, beer-drinking buddy grinned sheepishly at me from under her unruly dark bangs as she stood up. “Evenin', Lady Rin. May I escort you to Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome?”

 

Instead of complying, I fisted my hands on my hips. “All right, is there anybody else I already know who has a youkai alter-ego?”

 

“Just me, ma'am.” A rough voice spoke up from the edge of the crowd; there was a rapid rearrangement of silhouette, and Seiji ambled over.

 

I looked them all over. “I take it that Hiromi, Naoko and Mariko are not youkai, then?” They shook their heads. “Well, take us to your leader, Kazu-chan.” The four of them acquired weaponry as we walked through the dog army, up the incline towards the top, where I thought I could discern something that was already silver, as opposed to silvered by the moonlight.

 

We weren't half way there, when I stumbled over my feet. I was abruptly light-headed and felt nauseous. Dai caught me; Kazu peered up at my white face. “My lady, let me carry you. You should not have so much excitement in your condition.”

 

My condition? Oh, right…as in heir-of-the-dog… “Is the scent that obvious?” I asked quietly. She and Seiji nodded vigorously. “No offence, Kazu-chan, but surely you don't intend to piggyback me? I'm still larger than you.” She chuckled, and stepped away from me, then transformed back into her large canine form. She crouched down, and woofed softly at me. I put my hand on her massive shoulder and looked her in the eye. “Are you sure, Kazu-chan? I mean, I really appreciate the gesture, but I'm not your master or anything.”

 

“It is an honour to carry the Lady of the Western Lands, I assure you.” Seiji was beside me and bent with cupped hands to boost me up onto Kazu's back. I grabbed a couple of handfuls of fur on her shoulders to steady myself as she carefully rose to her feet, the three boys fell into position on either side and in front, and we headed for the top of the hill, where I hoped Inuyasha and Kagome were waiting.

 

I'd been abducted, tormented, assaulted, trussed, rescued and then dropped smack into the middle of a demonic war zone. Lara Croft, eat your heart out.