InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ I Won't Trust Myself With You ❯ Plans ( Chapter 18 )

18 - Plans

 

Shitenshi woke with a groan and a pounding headache. She felt bruised all over and her right shoulder felt twisted out of place. She could tell that she had a black eye, split lip, and a tear in one wing, aside from the bruises on her cheeks, arms, and stomach. She finally dared to open her eyes and found herself laying on a hardwood floor in a small room. Cracks of light outlined a closed door and one window. The darkness in the room indicated that it was still night and a light pattering on the roof told her it was raining.

 

Shi's ears picked up a conversation outside the door. “Think she's awake yet?” a voice from the night before asked.

 

“Nah, Mitch knocked her a good one.” The second voice was also familiar.

 

“But I thought I heard a noise.”

 

“So check if you want.”

 

“Come with me.”

 

“No. If you wanna check, then do it. I ain't movin'.”

 

“Fine.” Shi heard a chair scraping and shut her eyes, slowing her breathing and forcing her muscles to relax into limpness. The door creaked open and a light was flicked on as heavy feet shuffled into the room. Rough hands lifted her chin and then tugged on the ropes that bound her arms, hands, legs, and feet.

 

“So, is she awake?” The voice in the other room called.

 

“Nope, still out like a light.” The man next to her grunted.

 

“Wouldn't wanna be her when she does wake.” The man walked to the door as both broke into coarse laughter. She cracked her eyes open as the door closed and saw the man she had kicked earlier sitting by a small space heater with his back to the door. The one who had checked on her was one of the men who had grabbed her legs. They appeared to be in one of the many small run down and abandoned houses that filled the lower part of town.

 

Shi tugged against the ropes that bound her, but they were well tied and she was too sore to fight them. She tried to think of a plan, but her mind was still slightly groggy and she slipped into sleep again while staring at the ceiling, listening to the rain.

 

~*~

 

Mujinku had stayed up most of the night arguing with his parents and Sesshoumaru. At ten Shiori had called, asking if Shi had for some reason gone to visit Mujinku instead of coming strait home from the library. Kagome had disappeared into the other room with the phone to explain what had happened while the two men had again tried to talk Mujinku out of his plan.

 

Shortly after emerging, over an hour later, Kagome had forced Shippo and the twins to go to bed. At three the adults had finally given in and agreed to let Mujinku go after Shitenshi in his own way, though he had no doubts that there would be a fresh attempt to stop him in the morning. He spent the rest of the night pacing in his room, thinking back over all the time he had spent with Shitenshi and making plans for his rescue that day.

 

They said alone, but they never said unarmed. He thought with a smirk, crawling under his bed to drag out a polished wooden box. He gently pulled off the lid and placed it on his bed before carefully plucking his weapon from the cloth lining. The staff came in two parts which each fit behind one shoulder in a special holster. They easily attached at the middle, forming a flawless seam that was barely visible. He had a selection of caps for the ends, from standard wood to blades of varying lengths.

 

Mujinku selected one of the foot-long bladed caps and one with a pointed metal spike. The spike was made from one of his uncle's claws and contained the same poison that Sesshoumaru used in his claw and whip attacks. One nick from that end of the staff and Mujinku's opponent would be dead within minutes. He had yet to use that piece, afraid of hurting one of his relatives in practice, but for this fight he had no qualms about using it.

 

Mujinku paced and planned as the others slept. Finally he sat in his window and watched the cloudy sky lighten as the rainy day dawned. He heard the others eating downstairs, but refused to join. He watched the rain fall and thought about Shitenshi. “I'll protect you Shitenshi.” His heart was flooded with a sense of relief and he almost believed that his words, no more than a whisper, might actually have reached the girl in danger.

 

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Thanks to Zoderella and Sar on FFnet. And thanks to Zelix on AFF (I loved your story!!!)

~Chokolatte ;)

 

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha *pouts* or any of the other characters. I want to thank Rumiko Takahashi and company for creating such awesome characters for me to write about as I drool with envy at her skillz. ;)