InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Death, Trust Me, as You Didn't in Life ❯ A Gathering of Crows ( Chapter 62 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: kanna37 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 01.22.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 563 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 01.22.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 563 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 62: A Gathering of Crows
Sugimi stared out across the site of the coming battle, and nodded to himself, pleased. It was a very good place to fight - if you happened to get there first. For the enemy, however, it wasn't quite so good. And even more so because of what Nyoko had informed him of what she'd done to the area - it was going to get ugly out there, very fast.
He tilted his head to look at the sky, then over at the distant trees, grimacing when he caught sight of the dark cloud low on the horizon. As unpleasant as it was... every warrior knew that the carrion eaters almost sensed a battle, and gathered oftentimes before it had even started, waiting for it to be over. It crossed every man's mind in those moments preceding the battle...
Will I be one of those feeding the crows and vultures at the end of this dark day?
Of course, he himself was already dead, and so wouldn't be feeding anything - but nonetheless, the thought was still there... and a great deal of the fear it engendered was centered on his youngest son.
He'd spent a great deal of the last evening in Inuyasha's company, and found that he was mostly proud of his pup. Sure, the boy had some issues to deal with, and some not-so-great habits, not the least of which were his attitude, and his manners, but overall, he was proud to claim the whelp as his own.
That was where the fear for his son's life came in. He didn't want to see the pup on the other side yet - he had all his life before him, and finally, a chance at happiness. That wasn't to be taken lightly, and he knew that he would do all he could to see that his son made it through this battle alive.
It had been bad enough to see Sesshoumaru on the other side, and he'd honestly been surprised for a long moment when he had. His eldest was a tactician - he would not take himself into danger without a backup plan, and then a backup plan for the backup plan. Under normal circumstances, there was very little that could harm his firstborn son.
Of course, when one was protecting something important, the unexpected could, and often did, happen. When something else was more important to you than your own life, sometimes that life was called forth as payment - as was evidenced by his own death. He had been saddened to see his son so soon in the other realms - but proud when he'd realized why he was there.
He had finally learned the lesson that Tenseiga had been meant to teach, and, as with everything that Sesshoumaru did, when he learned something, he learned it well. Finally, he was a worthy Lord for his lands - and a worthy mate for a goddess.
With a sigh, he shook his head, turning his gaze from the masses of carrion eaters hovering so close to the battlefield, and brought his thoughts back to his younger son. Sesshoumaru was already settled, his destiny assured. Inuyasha, though... he still wasn't quite there. And with this battle looming before them, his fate would have to be postponed, because until this thing was finished, none of the living even had a fate.
It was all up in the air.
Focusing his gaze on a much closer vista, he watched with interest as Nyoko moved around the area, studying certain places carefully, and marking them on the map that had been drawn up of the battlefield under his orders. She was intent on her work, paying no attention to anything else, and Sugimi was pleased with her determination and devotion to their cause.
He was also pleased with Inuyasha's care of his future mate; he was protective, standing near and watching her, yet letting her do what she needed without interference, and it was obvious that Nyoko appreciated his care of her.
With Kagome, she had had such a need to prove herself when she was younger - due to Inuyasha's constant comparison of her to Kikyou, no doubt - that she had not liked the native protective and possessive tendencies of the inu hanyou. Nyoko, however, was a woman in her prime, well aware of her power and her place in the world, and she did not feel threatened by her betrothed's need to watch over her so closely.
It was a good thing Kagome had also outgrown that independent streak; while she was more than powerful enough to not need a male overseer, she was also aware that it was Sesshoumaru's nature, and with him, she seemed pleased to give herself into his hands, knowing he would watch over her without smothering her, and all the while respecting her, understanding that she could stand on her own.
She was a good match for his oldest son, and he couldn't be more pleased that her presence would assure Sesshoumaru's happiness. After all, care for his son's mother or not, he loved his son, and wanted him happy. Wanted both of them happy.
Shaking himself out of his introspective mood, which was normal for him before a battle, he sighed once more, and looking out over the field, took note of the positions of every element of the army, and nodded to himself, satisfied.
Whenever Ungai decided to show, they would be ready.
With that last thought, he swept the area with a careful gaze once more, then moved off to join his son.
-cCc-
A single crow broke away from the mass and soared on heated thermals towards the lone figure leaving a hilltop above a hive of human activity, and cawed loudly.
It was only a matter of time before the feast would come...
-cCc-
"We will call a halt here for the night."
Ungai's second raised a hand, and the command to halt rippled through the army that was gathered like an evil storm on the threshold of the small valley that stood before them. It was a beautiful place, and the only reason it would remain so, was that there were no inhabitants to kill, and nothing to steal or destroy.
Unfortunately, this army carried a great evil within it, and that would leave a taint on the lands it crossed for some time to come, even if the evil itself was destroyed. As the elements that made up that army made to enter the outermost portions of the valley and set up a camp, the animals living within became panicked, and soon were running in a great swell for the other end of the valley - and freedom from the fear riding their backs.
And still Ungai did not see; did not see that even the very lands he crossed shivered beneath his footsteps, and turned from him and the hellish spirit he harbored within. No... he was too blinded by thoughts of righteousness and glory - so blinded that even the words of the kami did not penetrate the evil fog that laced his brain.
Even Sou'unga, in all his twisted brilliance, did not note the gods that were gathering against him, nor see the resistance within his own camp.
He was too blinded by the same greed that had taken Ungai's eyes.
Behind them came another wave of blackness, as his army led their own flesh-eaters with them.
None noted the single dark caw from high up in the sky save the worn visage of a disguised goddess.
Death is waiting in the wings...
-cCc-
Kagome frowned as she once again used fingers of energy to poke and prod at the deep well of gravity she had found herself at the bottom of, and sighed, annoyed. She'd never paid much attention to physics, and because of that, time, and the effects of gravity on matter and energy, weren't exactly her strong points.
Figures the kami would have to do something to me that was in the one class I didn't pay attention in, she sighed again, morose. But who knew the final test on it would be something like this?
She had already thought about the possibility of collapsing the trap around her, but wasn't sure she wanted to try that one - at least, not while she was inside it. It probably wouldn't do anything to her, now that she was a kami, but there was no point in taking chances unless she couldn't find any other way.
But she was getting really frustrated, here, and unless something came to mind soon...
Maybe I should look at this a different way. A black hole is what? She frowned deeper in concentration as her mind began feeding her information.
A black hole is a point in space/time where the force of gravity is stronger than the speed of light. So basically, it's an imbalance, she thought, surprised at the thought. And I'm the goddess of balance... now all I have to figure out is how to balance the gravity and the fabric of reality.
Something occurred to her, then, though only in the back of her mind in this moment, it would eventually come out to the forefront, and when it did...
Maybe being the goddess of balance isn't such a bad thing - everything has a proper balance, and if I'm in charge of such things... that makes me a lot more powerful than I had thought at first. That might just come in handy...
Her mind had just pulled the answer she needed from the ether... now all that was left was to acknowledge that answer.
When she did... all of creation would be before her, and lay in the palm of her hand.
Sosa's fate was now sealed, though he didn't know it yet.
-cCc-
Sugimi met his son and his friends as they were finishing whatever task it was that Nyoko had been so absorbed in, and was pleased to see Sango and Miroku had joined the two.
He'd been accosted on his way to them by scouts - it seemed that Ungai had sent out more spies. It would be best to get rid of them before they caught sight of the battleground and started back to report.
With that thought in mind, he addressed his son.
"Inuyasha, I have need of you and your friends. There are spies approaching the area, and I'd like to get rid of them before they catch sight of anything. If you four could gather a few others, I will have the scouts go with you to their location."
The hanyou looked at his father with a raised brow, then glanced at his friends, before looking back to his sire. "Keh. Figured the old bastard would have gotten around to that sooner, since we took out the last group. Not too bright, is he?"
"No. Although the term 'old bastard' might not be so appropriate anymore, from what I've been told. Apparently, Sou'unga wasn't too happy with an old man's body and is changing things," Sugimi said slowly.
"What you've been told?" Miroku asked, intrigued.
Sugimi shot the monk a look. "Yes, what I've been told. Our turncoat spies have gotten word out to us about that."
Inuyasha shrugged. "Feh - not like it matters what that bastard is like. Young or old, he's still goin' down." With a twitch of Tessaiga's hilt, he turned and looked at Sango, then Miroku and Nyoko, who'd been watching silently. "Guess we should get goin' then, if we're gonna go get in a fight. What do you say, a couple slayers, and a few half-demons?"
The rest of the group nodded, and Inuyasha began to move off, knowing they would follow. "Fine. We'll head out now, and let you know how things went when we get back," he said over his shoulder to his father.
With a curt nod, Sugimi also turned and headed back to the command tent that had been set up well behind what the battle lines would be. Irreverent as his son could be, he knew the boy would definitely take care of the problem, and so put it all out of his mind. With the battle finally looming so close, there was plenty of other things to worry about...
Not the least of which was Satori. They hadn't even been here a day, and she was already pissing people off.
I hate dealing with that wench, he thought with a scowl. That's one thing I don't mind letting Sesshoumaru handle.
-cCc-
"Inuyasha-sama," came a low whisper, "the first group of spies is close, now. There are two monks, and the rest are samurai. We counted ten altogether."
Inuyasha nodded slowly, before hopping silently into the forest canopy overhead and heading towards the noises he could hear. He wanted a good look himself.
The scout had been right - there were ten of them, and even trying to be silent, they were noisy as hell. At least, for demons. For humans, they were probably quiet enough.
Too bad the army they were up against was more demon then anything.
Heading back to the rest of his group, and then dropping back down from the trees, he beckoned to them, and headed back towards a small clearing that they had passed on their way in. It would do well for an ambush.
Once they got there, everyone gathered round, and he quickly whispered out his instructions.
Sango nodded as she listened, a tight smile crossing her face.
The clearing itself was perfect. There were plenty of bushes for the slayers to hide in, and trees for the rest to await their prey in. There was only one way into the clearing, and only one way out - and because of the makeup of the forest in this area, it was a natural funnel. The surrounding terrain was so difficult to navigate that the group heading towards them would be drawn right into their trap, unless they wanted to go miles out of their way and end up in the open for an entire army to spot.
She cast her eyes around the area, and then her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Inuyasha, where are the monks walking? In front, or in back?"
He frowned. "In back... why?"
"Well, I was thinking. We could take the monks out first so that our allies here don't get purified."
Nyoko chuckled almost silently, exchanging amused glances with the few half-demons with them. When the rest of the group looked at her, confused, she elaborated on her amusement. "Don't worry about that - I already took care of that problem. They're protected from purification unless the monk happens to be immensely powerful."
Inuyasha glared at her while the others looked surprised, but pleased. "Oi! Why didn't you do that for me, then? What - I'm not important enough for ya to bother?" he hissed.
"Oh, be quiet, Inuyasha. I did it when you went off to fight those hunting parties, so you weren't around. I've just finished setting the spells for those half-demons that were with you guys... so when we get back to camp I'll do yours, okay?"
He hmphed at her, eyeing he belligerently, and then looked away. "Fine. Let's all get into position now, so we can get this over with. Those spies are getting close."
Within seconds, the clearing once more appeared deserted, and even he, knowing they were there, couldn't find them - even their aura's were hidden. With one last approving glance, he leaped into a tree and folded into the branches, also disappearing from sight, despite his bright crimson clothing.
The wind blew lazily through the silent clearing, giving nothing away, even as the first couple of samurai stepped cautiously into it.
Just a few more moments...
Gold eyes bled slightly red.
-cCc-
Kanna watched the activity around herself with her usual blank stare, though a stirring of curiosity was actually beginning to move her from the deadened state she had always been held under while Naraku had held her fate in his hands.
No one noticed as the white child rose from the spot she'd been in since they'd all arrived, and moved off, heading for the army's command tent.
When she arrived, she eyed the hustle and bustle of the immediate surroundings, then silently entered the tent, knowing she would find the youkai she was seeking within.
She had information for him - information he would appreciate.
Coming to a halt to stand quietly before the Inu no Taisho, Kanna calmly met his gaze, and waited for his acknowledgment as though she had centuries to waste, even though she did not.
When he nodded at her, she spoke, her normal, hard to hear monotone rendering everyone in the vicinity silent. "There is something you must see."
"Very well, child, show me what you will." Sugimi had to admit, he found the girl rather fascinating - though odd. Nonetheless, she was an invaluable resource, and he could only be glad that his son had had the foresight to accept her service.
Tilting her mirror up to face him, she watched his face with an odd intensity as he watched what the mirror would show, wondering what his reaction would be.
A being that could never be mistaken for anyone other than Sosa no Wo himself was front and center in the mirror - as he hovered over a recognizably unaware Ungai. It appeared that he was giving instructions to Sou'unga without either he or Ungai knowing he was doing it.
And then a flare of power lit the mirror. When it faded, it was more than apparent that Sosa had given the controlled monk more power - though not as much as Kagome had been given by Amaterasu.
Sugimi scowled angrily, then. What the hell do we do now? he thought, uncertain. Sou'unga had already been powerful - less powerful than he, himself, true - but now he would be the equal of any of them...
Save Kagome, and maybe Sesshoumaru.
It put a new spin on things, though. The fight with Ungai was now going to be much tougher.
He sighed. "Thank you, Kanna. This information is appreciated, though this one is curious. How did you know what was happening?"
"Amaterasu is a General, much like you, Sugimi no Taisho. But one with infinitely more experience. She suspected that her brother would try to cheat long ago, and put in place measures to counter him, as well as warn us."
Such a strange child, he mused. "I see. Well, be that as it may, this one is grateful for the information - however you came by it."
Kanna bowed, then turned on silent heels and left the tent without another word.
-cCc-
Ungai woke before dawn, and yawned, stretching. As he did, he marveled at the feeling of power that ran through his body, wondering where it had come from. As much as he'd regained the strength of his youth, this went even beyond that - he'd never held this much power.
Standing from his mat, he left the tent he was in, and strode to the central cookfire, leaving behind many of his followers with visibly shocked expressions.
The monk they'd all signed on with no longer existed - the man before them now was someone completely different...
Someone dangerously powerful.
No matter how many of those followers were now beginning to wonder whether they should have joined him, they were trapped - it wouldn't do to anger someone with such power.
Not at all.
-cCc-
A/N: Looks like Sosa's decided that if Amaterasu can do it, then he can, too. But being who he is, he's not willing to give up too much of his power – that may be what saves Kagome and the others in the end. Only time will tell!
Amber
Converting /tmp/phpkELSai to /dev/stdout
Sugimi stared out across the site of the coming battle, and nodded to himself, pleased. It was a very good place to fight - if you happened to get there first. For the enemy, however, it wasn't quite so good. And even more so because of what Nyoko had informed him of what she'd done to the area - it was going to get ugly out there, very fast.
He tilted his head to look at the sky, then over at the distant trees, grimacing when he caught sight of the dark cloud low on the horizon. As unpleasant as it was... every warrior knew that the carrion eaters almost sensed a battle, and gathered oftentimes before it had even started, waiting for it to be over. It crossed every man's mind in those moments preceding the battle...
Will I be one of those feeding the crows and vultures at the end of this dark day?
Of course, he himself was already dead, and so wouldn't be feeding anything - but nonetheless, the thought was still there... and a great deal of the fear it engendered was centered on his youngest son.
He'd spent a great deal of the last evening in Inuyasha's company, and found that he was mostly proud of his pup. Sure, the boy had some issues to deal with, and some not-so-great habits, not the least of which were his attitude, and his manners, but overall, he was proud to claim the whelp as his own.
That was where the fear for his son's life came in. He didn't want to see the pup on the other side yet - he had all his life before him, and finally, a chance at happiness. That wasn't to be taken lightly, and he knew that he would do all he could to see that his son made it through this battle alive.
It had been bad enough to see Sesshoumaru on the other side, and he'd honestly been surprised for a long moment when he had. His eldest was a tactician - he would not take himself into danger without a backup plan, and then a backup plan for the backup plan. Under normal circumstances, there was very little that could harm his firstborn son.
Of course, when one was protecting something important, the unexpected could, and often did, happen. When something else was more important to you than your own life, sometimes that life was called forth as payment - as was evidenced by his own death. He had been saddened to see his son so soon in the other realms - but proud when he'd realized why he was there.
He had finally learned the lesson that Tenseiga had been meant to teach, and, as with everything that Sesshoumaru did, when he learned something, he learned it well. Finally, he was a worthy Lord for his lands - and a worthy mate for a goddess.
With a sigh, he shook his head, turning his gaze from the masses of carrion eaters hovering so close to the battlefield, and brought his thoughts back to his younger son. Sesshoumaru was already settled, his destiny assured. Inuyasha, though... he still wasn't quite there. And with this battle looming before them, his fate would have to be postponed, because until this thing was finished, none of the living even had a fate.
It was all up in the air.
Focusing his gaze on a much closer vista, he watched with interest as Nyoko moved around the area, studying certain places carefully, and marking them on the map that had been drawn up of the battlefield under his orders. She was intent on her work, paying no attention to anything else, and Sugimi was pleased with her determination and devotion to their cause.
He was also pleased with Inuyasha's care of his future mate; he was protective, standing near and watching her, yet letting her do what she needed without interference, and it was obvious that Nyoko appreciated his care of her.
With Kagome, she had had such a need to prove herself when she was younger - due to Inuyasha's constant comparison of her to Kikyou, no doubt - that she had not liked the native protective and possessive tendencies of the inu hanyou. Nyoko, however, was a woman in her prime, well aware of her power and her place in the world, and she did not feel threatened by her betrothed's need to watch over her so closely.
It was a good thing Kagome had also outgrown that independent streak; while she was more than powerful enough to not need a male overseer, she was also aware that it was Sesshoumaru's nature, and with him, she seemed pleased to give herself into his hands, knowing he would watch over her without smothering her, and all the while respecting her, understanding that she could stand on her own.
She was a good match for his oldest son, and he couldn't be more pleased that her presence would assure Sesshoumaru's happiness. After all, care for his son's mother or not, he loved his son, and wanted him happy. Wanted both of them happy.
Shaking himself out of his introspective mood, which was normal for him before a battle, he sighed once more, and looking out over the field, took note of the positions of every element of the army, and nodded to himself, satisfied.
Whenever Ungai decided to show, they would be ready.
With that last thought, he swept the area with a careful gaze once more, then moved off to join his son.
-cCc-
A single crow broke away from the mass and soared on heated thermals towards the lone figure leaving a hilltop above a hive of human activity, and cawed loudly.
It was only a matter of time before the feast would come...
-cCc-
"We will call a halt here for the night."
Ungai's second raised a hand, and the command to halt rippled through the army that was gathered like an evil storm on the threshold of the small valley that stood before them. It was a beautiful place, and the only reason it would remain so, was that there were no inhabitants to kill, and nothing to steal or destroy.
Unfortunately, this army carried a great evil within it, and that would leave a taint on the lands it crossed for some time to come, even if the evil itself was destroyed. As the elements that made up that army made to enter the outermost portions of the valley and set up a camp, the animals living within became panicked, and soon were running in a great swell for the other end of the valley - and freedom from the fear riding their backs.
And still Ungai did not see; did not see that even the very lands he crossed shivered beneath his footsteps, and turned from him and the hellish spirit he harbored within. No... he was too blinded by thoughts of righteousness and glory - so blinded that even the words of the kami did not penetrate the evil fog that laced his brain.
Even Sou'unga, in all his twisted brilliance, did not note the gods that were gathering against him, nor see the resistance within his own camp.
He was too blinded by the same greed that had taken Ungai's eyes.
Behind them came another wave of blackness, as his army led their own flesh-eaters with them.
None noted the single dark caw from high up in the sky save the worn visage of a disguised goddess.
Death is waiting in the wings...
-cCc-
Kagome frowned as she once again used fingers of energy to poke and prod at the deep well of gravity she had found herself at the bottom of, and sighed, annoyed. She'd never paid much attention to physics, and because of that, time, and the effects of gravity on matter and energy, weren't exactly her strong points.
Figures the kami would have to do something to me that was in the one class I didn't pay attention in, she sighed again, morose. But who knew the final test on it would be something like this?
She had already thought about the possibility of collapsing the trap around her, but wasn't sure she wanted to try that one - at least, not while she was inside it. It probably wouldn't do anything to her, now that she was a kami, but there was no point in taking chances unless she couldn't find any other way.
But she was getting really frustrated, here, and unless something came to mind soon...
Maybe I should look at this a different way. A black hole is what? She frowned deeper in concentration as her mind began feeding her information.
A black hole is a point in space/time where the force of gravity is stronger than the speed of light. So basically, it's an imbalance, she thought, surprised at the thought. And I'm the goddess of balance... now all I have to figure out is how to balance the gravity and the fabric of reality.
Something occurred to her, then, though only in the back of her mind in this moment, it would eventually come out to the forefront, and when it did...
Maybe being the goddess of balance isn't such a bad thing - everything has a proper balance, and if I'm in charge of such things... that makes me a lot more powerful than I had thought at first. That might just come in handy...
Her mind had just pulled the answer she needed from the ether... now all that was left was to acknowledge that answer.
When she did... all of creation would be before her, and lay in the palm of her hand.
Sosa's fate was now sealed, though he didn't know it yet.
-cCc-
Sugimi met his son and his friends as they were finishing whatever task it was that Nyoko had been so absorbed in, and was pleased to see Sango and Miroku had joined the two.
He'd been accosted on his way to them by scouts - it seemed that Ungai had sent out more spies. It would be best to get rid of them before they caught sight of the battleground and started back to report.
With that thought in mind, he addressed his son.
"Inuyasha, I have need of you and your friends. There are spies approaching the area, and I'd like to get rid of them before they catch sight of anything. If you four could gather a few others, I will have the scouts go with you to their location."
The hanyou looked at his father with a raised brow, then glanced at his friends, before looking back to his sire. "Keh. Figured the old bastard would have gotten around to that sooner, since we took out the last group. Not too bright, is he?"
"No. Although the term 'old bastard' might not be so appropriate anymore, from what I've been told. Apparently, Sou'unga wasn't too happy with an old man's body and is changing things," Sugimi said slowly.
"What you've been told?" Miroku asked, intrigued.
Sugimi shot the monk a look. "Yes, what I've been told. Our turncoat spies have gotten word out to us about that."
Inuyasha shrugged. "Feh - not like it matters what that bastard is like. Young or old, he's still goin' down." With a twitch of Tessaiga's hilt, he turned and looked at Sango, then Miroku and Nyoko, who'd been watching silently. "Guess we should get goin' then, if we're gonna go get in a fight. What do you say, a couple slayers, and a few half-demons?"
The rest of the group nodded, and Inuyasha began to move off, knowing they would follow. "Fine. We'll head out now, and let you know how things went when we get back," he said over his shoulder to his father.
With a curt nod, Sugimi also turned and headed back to the command tent that had been set up well behind what the battle lines would be. Irreverent as his son could be, he knew the boy would definitely take care of the problem, and so put it all out of his mind. With the battle finally looming so close, there was plenty of other things to worry about...
Not the least of which was Satori. They hadn't even been here a day, and she was already pissing people off.
I hate dealing with that wench, he thought with a scowl. That's one thing I don't mind letting Sesshoumaru handle.
-cCc-
"Inuyasha-sama," came a low whisper, "the first group of spies is close, now. There are two monks, and the rest are samurai. We counted ten altogether."
Inuyasha nodded slowly, before hopping silently into the forest canopy overhead and heading towards the noises he could hear. He wanted a good look himself.
The scout had been right - there were ten of them, and even trying to be silent, they were noisy as hell. At least, for demons. For humans, they were probably quiet enough.
Too bad the army they were up against was more demon then anything.
Heading back to the rest of his group, and then dropping back down from the trees, he beckoned to them, and headed back towards a small clearing that they had passed on their way in. It would do well for an ambush.
Once they got there, everyone gathered round, and he quickly whispered out his instructions.
Sango nodded as she listened, a tight smile crossing her face.
The clearing itself was perfect. There were plenty of bushes for the slayers to hide in, and trees for the rest to await their prey in. There was only one way into the clearing, and only one way out - and because of the makeup of the forest in this area, it was a natural funnel. The surrounding terrain was so difficult to navigate that the group heading towards them would be drawn right into their trap, unless they wanted to go miles out of their way and end up in the open for an entire army to spot.
She cast her eyes around the area, and then her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Inuyasha, where are the monks walking? In front, or in back?"
He frowned. "In back... why?"
"Well, I was thinking. We could take the monks out first so that our allies here don't get purified."
Nyoko chuckled almost silently, exchanging amused glances with the few half-demons with them. When the rest of the group looked at her, confused, she elaborated on her amusement. "Don't worry about that - I already took care of that problem. They're protected from purification unless the monk happens to be immensely powerful."
Inuyasha glared at her while the others looked surprised, but pleased. "Oi! Why didn't you do that for me, then? What - I'm not important enough for ya to bother?" he hissed.
"Oh, be quiet, Inuyasha. I did it when you went off to fight those hunting parties, so you weren't around. I've just finished setting the spells for those half-demons that were with you guys... so when we get back to camp I'll do yours, okay?"
He hmphed at her, eyeing he belligerently, and then looked away. "Fine. Let's all get into position now, so we can get this over with. Those spies are getting close."
Within seconds, the clearing once more appeared deserted, and even he, knowing they were there, couldn't find them - even their aura's were hidden. With one last approving glance, he leaped into a tree and folded into the branches, also disappearing from sight, despite his bright crimson clothing.
The wind blew lazily through the silent clearing, giving nothing away, even as the first couple of samurai stepped cautiously into it.
Just a few more moments...
Gold eyes bled slightly red.
-cCc-
Kanna watched the activity around herself with her usual blank stare, though a stirring of curiosity was actually beginning to move her from the deadened state she had always been held under while Naraku had held her fate in his hands.
No one noticed as the white child rose from the spot she'd been in since they'd all arrived, and moved off, heading for the army's command tent.
When she arrived, she eyed the hustle and bustle of the immediate surroundings, then silently entered the tent, knowing she would find the youkai she was seeking within.
She had information for him - information he would appreciate.
Coming to a halt to stand quietly before the Inu no Taisho, Kanna calmly met his gaze, and waited for his acknowledgment as though she had centuries to waste, even though she did not.
When he nodded at her, she spoke, her normal, hard to hear monotone rendering everyone in the vicinity silent. "There is something you must see."
"Very well, child, show me what you will." Sugimi had to admit, he found the girl rather fascinating - though odd. Nonetheless, she was an invaluable resource, and he could only be glad that his son had had the foresight to accept her service.
Tilting her mirror up to face him, she watched his face with an odd intensity as he watched what the mirror would show, wondering what his reaction would be.
A being that could never be mistaken for anyone other than Sosa no Wo himself was front and center in the mirror - as he hovered over a recognizably unaware Ungai. It appeared that he was giving instructions to Sou'unga without either he or Ungai knowing he was doing it.
And then a flare of power lit the mirror. When it faded, it was more than apparent that Sosa had given the controlled monk more power - though not as much as Kagome had been given by Amaterasu.
Sugimi scowled angrily, then. What the hell do we do now? he thought, uncertain. Sou'unga had already been powerful - less powerful than he, himself, true - but now he would be the equal of any of them...
Save Kagome, and maybe Sesshoumaru.
It put a new spin on things, though. The fight with Ungai was now going to be much tougher.
He sighed. "Thank you, Kanna. This information is appreciated, though this one is curious. How did you know what was happening?"
"Amaterasu is a General, much like you, Sugimi no Taisho. But one with infinitely more experience. She suspected that her brother would try to cheat long ago, and put in place measures to counter him, as well as warn us."
Such a strange child, he mused. "I see. Well, be that as it may, this one is grateful for the information - however you came by it."
Kanna bowed, then turned on silent heels and left the tent without another word.
-cCc-
Ungai woke before dawn, and yawned, stretching. As he did, he marveled at the feeling of power that ran through his body, wondering where it had come from. As much as he'd regained the strength of his youth, this went even beyond that - he'd never held this much power.
Standing from his mat, he left the tent he was in, and strode to the central cookfire, leaving behind many of his followers with visibly shocked expressions.
The monk they'd all signed on with no longer existed - the man before them now was someone completely different...
Someone dangerously powerful.
No matter how many of those followers were now beginning to wonder whether they should have joined him, they were trapped - it wouldn't do to anger someone with such power.
Not at all.
-cCc-
A/N: Looks like Sosa's decided that if Amaterasu can do it, then he can, too. But being who he is, he's not willing to give up too much of his power – that may be what saves Kagome and the others in the end. Only time will tell!
Amber
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