InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Allies: Chosen, The Tosusaiga's True Master ❯ With Kikyou's Help, Anything's Possible ( Chapter 9 )

{Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha. I don't even own this computer. It's a rental. What do you expect from a poor college student?}

Unexpected Allies Trilogy

Part Two

Chosen, the Tosusaiga's True Master

Chapter Eight:

With Kikyou's Help, Anything's Possible

The cat youkai dragged Kagome back into hers and Rin's cell. Kagome was too tired and weak to try to stand, but that didn't stop her from struggling. She knew she couldn't really get away, but it helped her pride.

Naraku's dinner arrangements were the same tonight as they were a week and a half ago. Naraku would try to seduce her, knock her around a little when seduction didn't work, then get angry and toss her out of the room. The same cat youkai brought her back to her cell, reattached the chains to the wall and left without a word. Today was no different. Kagome struggled weakly as the youkai locked the anklets to the chains attached to the wall, the bracelets snapping in place as well. The youkai sighed.

"Why won't you give in?" she asked as she sat down in front of her. Kagome dropped to her knees, her head lowered, ignoring her. The cat sighed again.

"I don't understand. He beats you, degrades you, yet you still hold such strength. I admire you, human."

Kagome's head jerked to look at her, shock written plainly on her face. "You…admire me?"

The youkai nodded. "I do. Naraku is using every dirty trick in the book to break you, yet you still fight back. I only wish I were as strong as you." She reached in her pocket and fished out a small wooden container. She opened it, revealing a black ointment. Kagome started to gag as soon as the smell of it reached her nose.

The youkai looked at her, concerned. "What is it?"

"What's that made of?" Kagome gasped. The youkai shrugged. "Just some local herbs. Naraku made it himself to heal your wounds."

"Do you smell Naraku in it?" she asked. The youkai nodded.

"That's what I though. Don't put that crap on me."

The youkai blinked in astonishment. "You can smell Naraku in the ointment?"

"Uh-huh. It's the worst thing ever."

The youkai nodded in agreement. "I have to put this on you. Naraku won't be pleased if you're not healed by tomorrow night."

Kagome was confused. "Healed? What's wrong with me?"

The youkai held up a mirror. Kagome stared into it, and saw her bottom lip was split on both sides. The youkai pointed to her wrists. Blood trickled down her arm from beneath the bracelets. Kagome gasped.

"Naraku doesn't want you to loose too much blood," the youkai said as she dipped her fingers into the foul-smelling ointment.

Kagome grimaced. "Look, if you put that on me, it'll only make it worse. You haven't put that stuff on me before, right?"

"Yes."

"Yet when you come to get me, do I look injured to you?"

"No."

"Then I don't need it," Kagome said, backing against the wall.

The cat youkai shook her head. "Naraku won't like it if I disobey."

"I have an idea," Kagome said. She lowered her head again, exposing the wall behind her. "Put some on the wall. That way if he comes in, he'll think it's on me." She looked up at the cat imploringly.

"Please?"

The youkai sighed, then nodded her head. Holding her hair to the side, Kagome watched as the youkai wiped a little of the foul-smelling stuff on the stones behind her. It hissed on contact, smoking against the clay.

"See, I told you it would only make things worse," Kagome said to the shocked youkai.

The youkai nodded. "I'm sorry, miko. I didn't know."

"It's o.k., really," Kagome said, giving him a bright smile in spite of her hurting lip. "You only wanted to help."

"Not for just the ointment, but for your entire stay. I'm sorry for the way I've treated you."

Kagome's smile widened. "Don't worry about it. I totally understand. I forgave you long time ago."

"You did?"

"Yeah!"

The cat youkai smiled, showing long, sharp fangs. "You are purer than Naraku realizes. You have made a friend today." She stood up and reached into a nearby wall.

"That's why I'm not going to tell Naraku about this."

She yanked her hand out suddenly, holding a fistful of black hair. She tugged fist over fist until the owner of the hair was in the room. She released her and Kikyou stood up, glaring at her.

"Are you going to run to Naraku now?" Kikyou asked as she stood up and dusted herself off. The cat youkai shook her head, midnight strands of hair cascading over her muzzled face.

"No. I know what you're planning to do. I'll keep him away."

The youkai walked toward the door and opened it. Kagome recovered from the shock of seeing Kikyou come out of a wall to call to her.

"Hey!"

The youkai turned around. "Yes, miko?"

"What's your name?"

She smiled. "Katsumi."

Kagome smiled back. "I'm Kagome."

"Then I hope you will do as your name means." She closed the door behind her, leaving Kagome and Kikyou alone. Kagome glared at Kikyou, waiting as she reached back in the wall. She pulled out a black canvas sack.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked sardonically. "To tell me how weak I am?"

"You're not weak," Kikyou said simply.

Kagome blinked. "I thought you said-"

"If you were weak, your wounds wouldn't be healed so easily."

Kagome glanced up at her wrists. As Kikyou said, they were no longer bleeding and she couldn't feel the slight ping of pain from her split lip.

"Woah."

Kikyou shook her head in disgust. "Hurry up and get out of those chains."

Kagome glared at her. "Are you serious? I can't break solid metal!"

"You don't have to break them. Just imagine yourself out of them. You really didn't have any training, did you?"

Kagome scowled, but did as she was told, imagining that her right arm was free. Suddenly her hand disappeared, then became transparent in the bonds. She moved her arm and her transparent appendage came free. Kagome did this with her other arm and legs until she could stand free of the chains. Kikyou pulled a flask of water and a scrap of cloth out of the sack and, wetting the cloth with the water, began to clean the dried blood off Kagome's arms.

"Can you travel in what you have on?"

Kagome looked at herself. Today she was in a rose petal pink kimono with white folds, a bottle green obi around her waist. Kagome shook her head.

"Then we need to take this off."

Kikyou helped Kagome out of the many parts of the kimono until she was standing in her bra and panties. Kagome blushed as Kikyou tossed the clothes out the window. "I can't go out like this."

"I know that!" Kikyou hissed. She opened the sack again and fished out a black pair of hakamas and a black inner haori. Kagome put them on, grimacing. She had become used to the gentle silks of Naraku's kimonos, so the rough sackcloth the hakamas and haori were made of scratched her skin. Kagome grimaced again, but didn't complain. She moved to take the green slippers off.

"Keep them on."

Kagome did so as Kikyou motioned her to kneel. "We'll strap the little one to your back."

They ripped the sack into strips, and used the strips to tie Rin securely to Kagome's chest. Kikyou handed Kagome the flask of water and moved to the left wall.

"When you go through this wall, go straight for two days. At the beginning of the third day, you will find a black volcano. Keep going straight, then climb straight up the volcano until you come to a cave. Stay in that cave until the next day. The next day, leave the cave and move around the volcano until you see a field of lilies below you. Climb down, then cross the field of lilies to the forest. Keep going straight until you come to a village. Tell them you're a miko from Kaede and they will take you back to her. Hurry." Kikyou touched the wall, creating a glowing pink hole. Kagome stuck one leg through, then looked back at Kikyou.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked.

"Because you don't deserve the fate Naraku has for you."

"But won't Naraku hurt you Kikyou?" Kagome asked. Kikyou smiled. "Are you worried about me, even though I've tried to kill you so many times?"

Kagome nodded. Kikyou shook her head. "You really are purer than me. I'm jealous." She smiled again, her brown eyes shining. "You'd better get out of here before Naraku comes looking for you."

Kagome smiled and stepped through the hole. Just as Kikyou was sealing it, Kagome's head popped back in.

"I won't forget this, Kikyou," Kagome said.

"You should, because as soon as you get back to your taiyoukai we will be enemies again."

Kagome nodded and disappeared through the hole. Kikyou sighed as she mended the wall. Walking through the left wall and picking up Kagome's clothes, she walked down the hill with a smile on her face. 'That girl,' she mused, humming. 'Who better to protect the Shikon no Tama.'

++++++

Kagome stood still, watching the hole in the wall disappear. When it was completely gone, she masked hers and Rin's scents and ran into the dark forest. She kept Rin asleep as she ran, weaving past trees and jumping over logs and bushes. Kagome stopped at a berry bush at daybreak.

"Rin," she whispered. Rin opened her eyes, smiling.

"Where are we oneechan?"

"We're going to see Sesshoumaru-sama," she told her, returning the smile.

"REALLY?!"

"Shhh," she whispered. "You have to be quiet until we leave the forest, ok?"

Rin nodded.

"Good. Here, eat these." She handed Rin the berries and ate a few herself. Kagome passed Rin the flask, waiting patiently for her to drink her fill, then put her to sleep and set out again.

++++++

"What the hell?" Inuyasha stammered. He, along with Sesshoumaru and the others, were looking at what could only be Naraku's castle. They stumbled upon it in the early morning sunlight in the middle of the forest, and not a single youkai in sight. Inuyasha opened a door.

"Hello?"

Nothing but his voice echoed through the halls. He scowled. "The kitty lied, Fluffy."

Sesshoumaru growled, but turned to Keni'Chi. "Explain."

Keni'Chi moved closer to the castle, sniffing. "They were here, but now they're not."

"We can see that," Shippou said from his usual perch. Sesshoumaru nodded, turning to Keni'Chi again. "Where is everyone?"

"I honestly don't know."

Sango stepped closer to the door, glancing inside. "The torches are still lit. Someone was here recently, but why would they just leave like this?"

Sesshoumaru motioned for Sango to move aside as he crossed the castle threshold. He sniffed, following various youkai trails with the others behind him. He moved through the halls swiftly but quietly, his white robes flapping silently with every footstep. Shippou twitched on his shoulder, the many scents making him nervous. Sesshoumaru stopped at what looked like a dining room. The table was set with food, but no one was there. Sesshoumaru sniffed again, growling. Sango and Miroku stood on either side of him, glancing at the room before them.

"What is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Miroku asked. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as Shippou's widened.

"It's Kagome's blood," Shippou told them as Sesshoumaru moved them forward. Sesshoumaru sniffed around the table, stopping at two chairs. One was at the head of the table, the other on the right of the first one. Sango and Miroku watched in amazement as Sesshoumaru walked past them and down the hallway they were just standing in.

"What's he doing?" Miroku asked.

"He's tracking," Sango replied. Miroku and Sango lagged behind the others as Sango explained.

"Inu youkai have excellent senses. They're sight, hearing and sense of smell is eight times that of mortal dogs and twenty times that of humans. Inuyasha's is only ten times stronger, since he's half human."

"Hey, I'm standing right here!" Inuyasha yelled from somewhere further down the hall. "Man, I wonder what you say about me behind my back!"

"Quiet!" Sesshoumaru commanded. His hand jerked up suddenly, and everyone behind him stopped.

"What is it, my lord?" Shorin asked. Sesshoumaru paused in front of a door, then said

"We are not alone."