InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silver Fox ❯ Wanderlust ( Chapter 26 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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Kagome had what she wanted. A home in a place of safety. A family in her little Ryoko, although she vaugly remembered that there were others at one time. The animal didn't dwell on the past. It didn't dwell on anything except the feelings that went with a place, a smell. And this place, by the tree, felt and smelled like home. In truth, was it really a home she was looking for? Some part of her deep inside wanted to wander, just wanted to blaze across the country side leaving everything else behind her. There was Ryoko though. A pup, kit, child, or whatever you called them, needed stability. The fox knew this, and the instinct to raise Ryoko was far stronger then her desire to roam. Maybe in time.

She looked over to the sleeping Ryoko, bearly seeing her in the little light that came from the waxing moon that hung in the sky. Kagome sighed and lay her head down, there was just something missing from her life. Some vital part that used to be there was gone, but the fox didn't have a name for it, it just wasn't there. She let her eyes slide closed even though sleep wouldn't come this night. No one could sleep with the call of the wild beckoning them.

Ryoko woke to see Kagome pacing just outside the tree. She watched her walk, sit, become restless, and start over. "Mother? What is wrong?" She asked. It hadn't talked long for Kagome to love hearing Ryoko call her mother. "I'm just restless." Kagome started pacing faster. "Why do you not take a run?" The young fox questioned. "I have been on several." She mumbled, tail flicking in agitation. "Mother, take a long run, until your restlessness is gone." Kagome shook her head. "There may be no end to my restlessness."

Ryoko snorted playfully. "There is an end to everything mother." She came out of the burrow and sat on the large pile of roots just above the den entrance. "Yes, I guess there is." Kagome stopped moving. "We can go to the next territory, they will be sure to give us entertainment." The kit gave a fox smile. The elder fox cocked her head to the side. "I guess we could.." It should satisfy me for a time, she thought. Ryoko followed behind Kagome as she lead them to the territory bodering theirs on the north side.

The lizards that guarded the area were no where to be seen as they came to the edge. As long as they didn't cross they were safe, mostly. Demons were strange like that, most making a formal challenge to fight. "Lizards!" Kagome bellowed, a loud snarl like sound ripped out of her throat. The beast came out on hind legs, hissing and tonge flicking. "What do you want fox?" The lizards jaw snapped with each syllable. "I come to call a formal challenge between us." The lizard gave a hissing laugh. "You, challenge me? You and your kit will surely fall before me and mine." Another roar of laughter errupted from him.

"You missunderstand. Not between me and mine and you and yours, but between us. Only us. Not for territory or food, just a fight." The lizard stared at her with slitted yellow eyes. "I've never know a fox who would waste energy so needlessly. Unless you feel the pull..." The lizard trail off. "Pull?" She questioned. "As of late the forests of this place have been in movement. Once secure places are left and abandoned. Something is happenning. Everyone is on the move. Some don't feel it, yet others do." His tonge flicked again.

"Do you lizard?" Ryoko asked. "Yes, but I have the clan to worry about. I am bound to them." Kagome nodded. "Do you still wish to fight, fox?" The lizard bore his teeth. "Yes." They lunged at eachother. The lizards clawed hand took Kagome in the side, slinging her through the air and into a tree. Gaining her footing in the soft earth she was back at him, jaws gaping. His scaly green tail came flying at her, but she dodged. Teeth sunk into the tender flesh at the back of the knee. The leg collapsed throwing the lizard off balance. Kagome let go and let him stand.

Another lunge left Kagome with a tear down her shoulder to mid foreleg and the lizard with one arm in near tatters. She lunged again. The lizard caught her by the throat, squeezing, with his good arm. Hind legs pushed at the arm, claws digging in and tearing. The lizard lifted and threw her to the ground. She barely escaped the foot that came crashing down a moment later. Finally the calm coolness that was her came flooding back. Gone was the itchy, fidgety self that had to go. "What caused this restlessness?" Kagome asked.

"Rumor has it that far north of here a great power burns drawing in demons like a moth to the flame. Most lower onis go and a few of the higher demons allow themselves to be swayed. I know that any power that can draw our kind like this is nothing worth fighting for or against. I'd leave it be if I were you." He hissed. "I thank you for the fight, but I can not head you words. I must go. There is nothing else but the lust to wander the lands towards it. This fight will only sate me for so long and then I will go." The lizard nodded in agreement. "I won't be to long after you, duty binds one only so long."

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Two days was all it took for Kaomge to begin pacing again, and it was giving Ryoko a nervous tick in her jaw. Everytime Kaogme went for another round around the tree, the muscle in her jaw would jump. It was getting old. "Mother, I do not feel this pull, but ifyou wish to go then let us follow it." Kagome shook her head. "The reason we are still here is that I wish for you to have a stable home." She made yet another round about the tree. "What would you have done if I wasn't here?" She asked, lavender eyes downcast. Kagome hesitated in her answer. "I... would have been gone already." Kagome couldn't meet her daughter's gaze.

"Then we will do what you would have done."Ryoko nodded at her own suggestion. Kagome was about to protest when Ryoko cut her off. "We will go, if nothing else than to stop this compulsion." Kagome sighed and nodded. She wondered when Ryoko had become so demanding. "I guess we could leave..." Kagome trailed off. In some deep part of her she knew that there was something off about the whole situation. Shaking herself and stretching she proceeded towards the area of the compulsion.

Sunset was when they stopped. The thick high weeds of the once rice field hid them from the view of any passing person or demon. The grass was sharp and found ways underneath the thick silver coat of both foxes. Ryoko grunted in an effort to find a comfortable way to lay. Kagome stared up at the sky and it's wonderful hues of reds, oranges, pinks, and purples. Such a beautiful mix, but the fox didn't take note of the beauty. Her mind was to far gone on the subject of the power.

There was one thing that the lizard said that stuck. Anything with that much power could not be a good thing. It would be a rival for survival, and if there was one concept the fox understood it was survival. With one last glance at the sun falling below the horizen she turned around and fell to sleep.

Morning caught them loping across more rice fields. Ryoko was a few passes further behind Kagome today than the day before. Her heavy pants alerted Kagome to her tiring form. "Ryoko if you need to stop you must tell me. I don't read minds." Kagome looked back over her shoulder at the smaller fox. "If you can do it so can I." She forced herself to stop panting. "I am used to running at this rate. You didn't even get much rest last night anyway." Kagome slowed thier lope to a brisk walk. "I'm sorry mother." Ryoko looked down. "Ryoko, I'm proud that you've done this well. Your body isn't used to the demands that I'm making of you." They kept the brisk walk until noon when they stopped to eat.

"How far are we?" Ryoko nibbled at her fish. Kagome sat up, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "At the pace we move now, almost a full moon cycle." Kagome leaned back down and finished her lunch. "If we run?" Kagome glanced at her. "A little over half that." Kagome said, a piece of fish hanging from her jowls. "Then we shall run." Kagome shook her head. "No." Her voice was stern and left no room for argument. Ryoko gave her a look that said she was being unreasonable. Kagome snorted. No matter how much Ryoko argued it was a good thing that she had slowed them. With the power that was luring her she would have run head long into it. When she made it she would have been to tired to fight back if it came to that.

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And so it went for almost a month. Ryoko had admitted to missing home and wishing she could go back. When Kagome told her to "go then" she just snorted indignantly and kept walking. There had been a few tense time when Kagome stopped for a break and Ryoko had wanted to move on. Ryoko had tried to leave only to be dragged back by the scruff of her neck to Kagome's chosen spot. The power was stonger here, signalling to Kagome that they were close. A day, maybe two away.

They moved cautiously now, stalking through the wood. ears high and alert. The forest was quiet. No birds or other animals. An ominous sign. Kagome sniffed lightly and looked to Ryoko. Ryoko took the hint and sniffed as well. Any scents in the forest were old, almost stale like. Ryoko looked back. She knew that they were close, but where were the demons that were supposedly being pulled to this power. There was no sense of anything besides the power that echoed off of and seemed to make the trees vibrate. A soft hum came from the leaves.

Their steps froze as the humming seemed to grow. A streak of fire burned its was to them, engulfing anything that got in the way. "Ryoko stay here!" Kagome barked and lept away. The fire followed. She dashed ahead of the flame, back to where it was coming from. Ryoko took a step foreward. "Ryoko don't you move from that spot!" Kagome called back. She disappeared into the trees. Ryoko sat looking forlorn.

Kagome dodged another sweep of fire. The heat singed her fur. It followed closely like some kind of snake. The scent of water hit her nose. Darting to the left she came to the cool water and jumped in. The fire followed and went out with a loud hiss. Steam rolled off the surface and blew away. She stared and sighed in relief. It was close. Just as she was paddling back to shore a giant stream of water rose up. The funnle barrled at her, pulling her into the depths. Kagome flailed helplessly under the heavy water. The air seemed to be ripped from her lungs as she fought the invisible torrents the tore at her.

The water took a visible form again and seemed to roar at her. It charged, going in for the final blow. Kagome watched it come, her limbs to cramped to move. "Kagome, you have dominion over ice." A voice whispered to her. The voice was soft and slightly repremanding. Her powers flowed out of her in gentle waves. The water creature slowed. With a final cry it's body crystalized and sank. Paws working slowly she surfaced close to the edge. "Who was that?" She looked around. A tender chuckle echoed in the trees and faded away.

Kagome shook off some of the water her fur was dripping with. The sun would dry her with time. The forest was still eerily quiet, and everything looked as if nothing had happenned. As she drew closer the vegitation of the forest grew wilder. Exotic plant flourished and intertwined. Various flowers tained the forest with vibrant colors. She tentatively walked through the plants. Kagome jumped at even the slightest movement, most of which were caused by her tail flicking the bush.

Suddenly a thorned vine wrapped around her middle. She cried out as the thick thorns squeezed tighter, burrowing into her sides. The Plant threw her into a tree. Another vine wrapped around her, pinning her to the thick trunk. She flet a rib snap and howled at the pain. She clawed deep furrows into the vines. The plant let go and withdrew. Another vine launched from the side, catching her in the head. She stumbled off her feet and fell onto her side. Starbursts swirled into her vision as the colors blurred together.

The plant stuck again flinging her into the air, showing no mercy to her fallen form. Another rib broke and she noticed how hard it was to breath now. Her pants caused sharp bolts of pain to race up and down her body. The vine came at her again. She bit into it, jaw locking. The plant thrashed about, hurling her into more trees as it tried to escape the teeth that dug into it. Slowly the plants thashing slowed. The plant withered withing her mouth and died.

Kagome stood, and it was hard. The pain was enormous and throbbed inside her skull. The pull of the power was to strong to let her stop though. She hobbled onward. There was a rise at the edge of the vegetation. Over that hill was the power she'd been seeking. She could feel it pulsing and whirling. Slowly she went up the incline to the top and looked down. There, down in the very center of what seemed like a large crater, sat an orb. It was glowing and shifting in a mass of colors. Transfixed she walked on, down the hill, to it.

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I know, bad place to stop but I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon. R&R!