InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Journey of the soul: The panther devas' plot ❯ One step ahead ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

 

Special acknowledgment: Many thanks to Neko Kiki for correcting this chapter :).

 

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Chapter 12: One step ahead

 

At first, there was fog. A fog so thick that it blanketed everything and even seemed to muffle the sounds around her. She did hear something in the distance, but it was so faint that she couldn't make out what it was. As the minutes ticked by, the mist seemed to lift slightly and the sounds became more precise, allowing her to pick out voices, though the words were too muffled to make out just yet.

 

It took a long time for her to be able to pick out what was being said and by then, the rest of her surroundings had already started registering. She knew she was lying on the ground and, judging by the smell, she was in a cave. There were two women talking. Somehow, she had the distinct feeling she knew them, but her clogged mind was still unable to identify them.

 

"... and according to Kaede, when I saw my reflection in the mirror, that's when I stopped struggling and began to wake up. However, the first thing I remember clearly is seeing Inuyasha's face, that's what caused me to snap awake."

 

"I see. Good for you, grampa had to knock some sense back into me in order for me to snap out of my primitive daze, if you see what I mean."

 

That last retort was followed by a pair of girlish giggles. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Shunran turned her head and couldn't suppress a moan as her body violently protested this simple motion. However, the noise did attract the two women's attention and in seconds, she was surrounded by two familiar shapes.

 

"So you're back, how do you feel?" questioned the one wearing a white and red uniform.

 

Opening her mouth, Shunran tried to speak, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a raspy and indistinct sound. That was when she realized just how dry her mouth was and apparently, the two women seemed to realize this as well for one produced a small bottle and showed it to her.

 

"Are you thirsty?"

 

Knowing it would be futile to try and utter a word, the youkai merely nodded, careful not to move too fast. With an understanding smile, the miko took the bottle and carefully lowered it to her mouth and allowed a small amount of liquid to stream down her throat.

 

Shunran couldn't remember ever tasting something so good in her entire life. Avidly, she gulped down the mouthful of water she had been offered and raised her head reflexively, trying to coax more out of the unyielding bottle.

 

"Calm down. Your body is completely dehydrated. If you drink too fast, it will hurt you," admonished the miko gently but firmly.

 

Not having much choice in the matter, Shunran lied back down and resigned herself to drink slowly, one sip at a time. When she had finished the first bottle, she started to feel her strength returning, though she still felt incredibly thirsty. Another gourd full of water was handed to her and this time, she was given permission to drink as she saw fit.

 

And drink she did. She gulped down every single drop of liquid in the bag, stopping only when she had to catch her breath. When she was finally through, she felt a whole lot better and what's more, the fog that had clogged her mind was gone. Her memories thus returning, she was able to identify the two women as none other than Karura and Kikyo. The latter was sporting a rather spectacular bruise on her left cheek that caused her to mark a pause.

 

"What happened to you?" she asked and was pleased when she realized her voice was back to normal.

 

"Oh, you mean this?" asked the miko while patting her cheek. "Let's just say you pack a mean right."

 

"I did that?"

 

"You don't remember anything about last night do you?" questioned the miko.

 

Frowning, Shunran searched her brain for any clue as to what could have happened the night before, but all she could recall were blurry images and...

 

"I remember... pain," she admitted lamely.

 

"Well, considering how far gone you were, I can't say I really blame you. You were poisoned yesterday."

 

At this, Shunran's eyes lit up in remembrance. She instinctively shot a look at her arm and was surprised to see it all wrapped in white bandages. Experimentally, she tried to flex her fingers and was rewarded with a twinge of pain. "So you didn't have to cut it in the end. I'm sort of glad to see it still attached to my body."

 

"Yes well, the damage was pretty extensive and I'm afraid it will be some time until you are able to use it again... but all things due considered, I think this outcome is more than satisfactory."

 

"No argument here. At least I'll get to keep my arm... which is far better than having it cut off," brushed off the youkai with shrug. "But that still doesn't answer my earlier question, how on earth did I give you that bruise."

 

"Well, to make a long story short, to save your arm, I had to purify the poison within your arm with my powers. Your reaction was, as expected, rather violent and in the midst of it all, you happened to punch me in the face."

 

"Sorry about that," apologized Shunran, though the wry grin on her face sort of spoiled her effect somewhat. "Though it does explain why I feel so weak, your purification must have drained me something bad."

 

"True, but I believe it was a small price to pay for saving your arm."

 

"Well, since I managed to get a free punch out of the whole thing, I'd say it was definitively worth it," joked Shunran, making everyone chuckle.

 

"When a patient recovers his sense of humor, I always consider it a good sign of recovery."

 

"Oh I'm feeling better all right. Weak still, but a lot better. In fact, I wouldn't mind going out for some fresh air right now."

 

"Go right ahead, it will do you good. Just don't go and get yourself stung again."

 

Shunran made a face at this. "I value my life you know. Next time I see a bee, I'll make sure to steer clear of it."

 

"A wise decision," added Karura with a mocking grin.

 

"Make that 'next time I see a bee found by Karura'," snorted the youkai while pushing herself to her feet.

 

For a split seconds, her equilibrium wavered slightly, telling her how weak she actually was, but things quickly stabilized and she was thus able to stretch her sore muscles, earning herself a couple of very satisfying popping sounds from her stiff back. When she was thoroughly unwound, she turned to the miko, her expression suddenly very serious.

 

"I'm indebted to you Kikyo. If it hadn't been for your skill I would have lost my arm. On my honor, I swear I will pay you back one day."

 

"Healing is my profession Shunran, do not think anything more of this. I'm just glad you managed to pull through."

 

"The last I remember, miko do not heal youkai. You went against your beliefs to treat me... and believe me, this is not something I take lightly."

 

With that said, she bowed respectfully to Kikyo and walked out of the cave, leaving the woman with the very question she had pushed out of her mind the night before.

 

"Shunran's making a bigger deal out of this than it really is," commented Karura nonchalantly.

 

"You might think so, but she's right. By saving her arm, I went against every rules I've ever been taught."

 

"So?"

 

Kikyo looked at Karura as if she had just sprouted a second head. "I have strayed from my path as a miko! That's hardly a matter to be taken lightly!"

 

"Indeed it isn't. In fact, it's one of the best things you did since I met you."

 

"W... What!?" stuttered the astonished woman.

 

"For once in your life, you actually followed your heart instead of a stupid list of rules others have set for you. So what if you did something that made you stray from the path of a miko? It simply means this path wasn't meant for you to follow!"

 

How do you explain what goes on in your head when your universe is suddenly crumbling away around you? How do you put into words what it feels like to see your world explode, to see the very foundations of your life dissolve away into nothingness? There is just no way to describe the disarray, the helplessness, the powerlessness that such a thing can trigger. All of this, Kikyo felt... and even more as the full meaning of Karura's words slammed mercilessly into the boundaries of her universe. Desperately seeking some sort of stability in the raging chaos of her mind, the miko frantically tried to grasp at something, anything that might stop this cyclone from engulfing her.

 

"What... is my path then?" she asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.

 

Unfortunately, the answer Karura did provide was not the one she so desperately wanted. "That Kikyo... is for you to decide, no one else."

 

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When Shunran exited the cave, the first thing she did was take a deep breath, filling her lungs with the invigorating early-afternoon air. Immediately the forest's scents filled her nose, chasing away the mossy stench of the cave. She also picked out the unmistakable fragrance of rain heading their way as well as another odor she simply couldn't forget.

 

"Finally feeling better I see," said Inuyasha nonchalantly.

 

"It takes more than a bee to get rid of me."

 

"Last I heard, that 'bee' left quite a mark on you," shot back the hanyou with a satisfied smirk.

 

Not finding anything to answer to that, the youkai decided to change the subject in order to hide her defeat. "And what are you doing out here anyway? I thought you would have been at least a little worried about me."

 

"I'm no doctor. Even if I wanted to treat your injuries, I wouldn't have been able to."

 

"So you're saying you were actually worried? My, I'm touched," teased the girl.

 

"Don't be an idiot!" snapped back the hanyou, his cheeks turning slightly red with embarrassment. "You're our only lead to Naraku right now. If you go down, we're back to square one."

 

"Right, dog boy. Whatever you say," replied Shunran mockingly.

 

"Keh! Believe whatever the hell you want, I don't give a damn," muttered Inuyasha contritely.

 

There was a moment of awkward silence that was broken when the hanyou noticed Shunran looking at him rather expectantly. "What?"

 

"You didn't answer my question."

 

"What question?"

 

Sighing in irritation, the youkai girl rolled her eyes. "The one about you being out here... or have you already forgotten?"

 

"Keh! I'm on guard duty if you must know," snorted back the hanyou. "Someone has to keep watch while everyone else is either busy or unconscious!"

 

"Hey, it's not as if I got stung on purpose you know!" shot back Shunran indignantly before her expression turned curious. "Busy? What do you mean?"

 

"Don't know, don't care. All I know is that Kikyo asked me to leave her and Karura alone for a while."

 

That wasn't entirely true. While Inuyasha didn't know exactly what the two women would be talking about, he knew this would be one of the miko's long-awaited lessons and that she simply didn't want anyone to witness it. While such a decision made him feel a bit left out, he could easily understand why Kikyo wished this to be a private matter. The subjects they would be discussing were extremely sensitive to the woman and as such, she didn't want the entire world to know about them.

 

"That's funny, I thought you of all people would want to know what Kikyo and Karura are doing in there."

 

"Butting in would be more trouble than it's worth. Beside, I trust Kikyo and I know she has good reasons to make such a request."

 

That last retort was spoken on a slightly sour tone as the hanyou remembered that it was their lack of trust in each other that had allowed Naraku to play with them in the first place.

 

Sensing her companion's discomfort, Shunran raised a questioning eyebrow, but wisely decided not to pursue the matter. Again an awkward silence descended on the pair as both searched for something to say to break the tension. It was finally Inuyasha who spoke, with a totally unrelated question.

 

"Do you have any form of special powers?"

 

The youkai girl blinked, taken aback by the abrupt change of topic before answering. "What do you mean?"

 

"When we met you and I fought against those panthers, they kept overwhelming you, as if they wanted to prevent you from doing something. So I'm asking you... what was it they were trying to keep you from using?"

 

"You're getting nosy dog boy," replied Shunran with a playful smirk. "It's not nice to ask for a woman's secret like that."

 

Snorting in derision, the hanyou crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at his companion. "You'll reveal it sooner or later so I just thought I'd make it sooner instead of later."

 

"My my, you know you can say something half intelligent when you want to Inuyasha," replied the girl with a falsely impressed voice that made the hanyou sigh in irritation. "But if you really must know, I'm rather gifted with perfumes."

 

"Perfumes? What sort of stupid ability is that anyway?"

 

"The kind of 'stupid' ability that makes you completely helpless right now," replied the youkai smugly.

 

Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise as he realized that his entire body was suddenly as stiff as a statue. "What the heck!? The hell did you do!?"

 

"I don't really appreciate it when someone looks down on my ability," she replied with an evil smirk. "So I decided to give you a little demonstration."

 

"All right, you made your point dammit! Now release me!"

 

Shunran didn't answer, she merely giggled before turning around and walking away. "Hey, where are you going!? Get back here!" snapped the hanyou angrily.

 

As she reached the edge of the surrounding forest, the youkai glance back at the paralyzed form of Inuyasha, unable to suppress her laughter.

 

"The effects should wear off in about an hour. Until then, have fun 'standing' guard dog boy," she mocked and blew her helpless companion a kiss before disappearing through the trees.

 

"Shunran you bitch! Get back here!" growled the hanyou menacingly, but his anger was met with complete silence.

 

"Shunran I'm warning you!"

 

Again no answer.

 

"Shunran, this isn't funny! Shunran!? SHUNRAAAAANNNNN!!!!!!"

 

And the hanyou thought he heard the faint sound of laughter echo distantly through the trees.

 

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"As you can see Toran-sama, the excavation is practically over. All that's left for us to do is haul the remains to the site of the ritual," explained a nameless youkai respectfully.

 

"How soon can you start on this?"

 

"By the end of the day, we will have cleared what remains of the rubble. We can start the moving process as early as tonight if you so desire."

 

Toran appeared to be considering this prospect for a few minutes before coming to a decision. "I'll leave this to your discretion. Just remember that our master needs to be in place for the next full moon."

 

"He will be Toran-sama, no need to concern yourself."

 

"Good. Now get back to work," dismissed the woman.

 

Turning around, she started walking away from the excavation site when suddenly a voice called out to her. "Toran-sama! Toran-sama!"

 

Shifting her gaze, she saw one of her soldiers running toward her, appearing almost frantic. Frowning, she stopped and faced the out-of-breath newcomer, immediately noting that it was the twin that linked her with Shunran's support team.

 

"What is it?"

 

"It's... Shunran-sama... I've just... received her report!"

 

"Finally! What does she say?"

 

"Apparently, she was stung by an unknown insect and was badly poisoned, which is why she didn't report on time."

 

"What sort of insect?"

 

"She wasn't certain herself, but she described it as some sort of bee that was about as big as a fist. While this creature is relatively harmless in itself, she says it carries an extremely potent poison that almost caused her to lose her arm. She assumes Naraku uses them as spy because they have no noticeable presence and are small enough to hide virtually anywhere."

 

"And what about their traveling? Will they make it on time?"

 

"She says this incident will not ruin the plan. She will make it here by the next full moon."

 

"Excellent, is there anything else?"

 

"The last thing she mentioned was that the miko and the woman named Karura are not completely human. They exhibit distinct youkai behaviors and abilities, though she has no idea of how this came to be."

 

"I see. You did well. You may leave now."

 

Toran watched her subordinate bow and walk away with a pensive frown on her face. "Hmmm... the miko and that other woman being part youkai doesn't change much to the whole situation. However, those bees might pose a bit of a problem. If Naraku knows everything that's going on, he'll easily manage to stay one step ahead of us."

 

Out of pure reflex, she scanned the area around her, but she was on a completely bare piece of land, the nearest hiding place being more than fifty feet away. Since Shunran's discovery was fairly recent and that it was close to impossible for anyone to have overheard her conversation, it was likely Naraku wasn't yet aware that his spies had been identified, meaning that, for once, they had the advantage.

 

"So we'd better act swiftly if we are to actually keep it. First things first however. To win, you have to know your enemy... and that means I need to find out what these bees are exactly."

 

With that thought in mind, Toran of the ice resolutely took off toward the castle's library, determined to find the answers she was looking for.

 

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Author's note: Well, another chapter. Not much of anything to say on this one. I hope you enjoy it.