Something in the forest waited...and it hungered. It knew its assignment, it wanted to get it over with, but the signal hadn't arrived. As the creature watched, Zack and Kikyo were doing target practice, shooting arrows in its direction without knowlege it lurked in the shadows. One arrow flew and hit the creature between the eyes accidently. To the demon, it was as damaging as a mosquito bite, small itch and annoying. It made the creature all the more impatient, wanting to finish the job.
"No, try holding it like this. It's easier to aim that way." Kikyo did a demonstration shot. Her arrow hit the target directly.
Zack just shrugged. "Might be able to shoot better if I had some food."
Kikyo chuckled a little, and spoke in an uncharacteristic, sarcastic manner. "Right, you just might be able to aim with a full stomach. Do you really think someone trying to attack you is going to wait until you've finished a good sized meal?"
"Come on, anyone'd be a little off if the last meal they had that stayed in their stomach was a DAY BEFORE!!"
"I've shot better after going FOUR days without food. Sometimes even better without food in my gut."
Then, the demon looked up. Nothing much was in the sky. To someone who wasn't paying close attention there were just four or five flies or bees.
That was it, though. The signal.
It charged into the clearing, and leaped at an
unsuspecting Zack and Kikyo...
In the hidden castle, Kagura, Kanna, and Kohaku walked into a chamber, where a long black-haired man with dark robes was smiling, like he'd just the secret that would make him...invincable. Waiting, the three stared at him with anitcipation, and fear. For this was Naraku. This was a creature that prided himself on his sadistic imagination, and his abitlity to create servants of great power from his own flesh.
Looking at the three, he seemed to radiate pleasure. "A shade of mine, Hirata, has found one who is rather...important to me. Bring this one to me alive, and quickly...quick enough so that I don't have enough time to think of an appropriate punishment if you don't bring him quick enough."
Kagura was the one to ask, "Who is this guy? Or is it a girl?"
Naraku near started laughing, "You shall know. I have sent a detachment of Saimyoushou to mark the location. Hirata is there right now." His look then changed. It changed into something that practically screamed, 'ask any more, and pain shall be your answer.'
Though Kagura wanted to know more, like why Naraku wasn't giving any details about this...target, or why it was of great interest to him, she did not want to test his patience; she knew the consequences of such a mistake -- he had literally held her heart in his hand, squeezing and crushing, without killing -- more times than she could remember, for she did not want to remember. Despite her rebellious dreams of freedom, she would do absolutely anything to avoid a repeat of that experience...
As they left, Naraku smiled again, and
reviewed his plan. Once that individual was in his grasp, he
would have all he needed to make creatures that none could
defeat. Demon, hanyou, or human. Though he couldn't say he'd
done this alone. No, he'd had his share of allies. And Naraku
had the perfect reward for those allies. Yes, they would be the
last to die.
Kagome was wondering where Zack could have gone. She, Sango, and Inuyasha were deep in the forest, with Inuyasha sniffing Zack's scent. Kagome wasn't worried, though. Zack had left less than three hours ago. He couldn't have gotten far. Especially if he'd gotten hungry.
Inuyasha suddenly stopped, an unreadable expression on his face.
Sango noticed immediately and asked, "What is it, what do you smell?"
Inuyasha seemed to be internally fighting himself on what to say. After a few seconds pause, that mental battle ended. "I lost his scent, damn it! He got in the water here and his scent stopped."
Kagome looked shocked for a second, then she came up and screamed in his face, "WHAT!! THERE'S GOT...TO...BE... SOMETHING YOU CAN DO!!"
He snorted, "The only thing we can do is search the surrounding area, and hope that either his scent appears again, or that he left some trail on the other side of the water. If not, it's your fault for not getting them on the other side of the well again."
That knocked all the wind out of Kagome, and she stared at the ground. If Inuyasha noticed this, or cared, he didn't say. He walked in a random direction, sniffing the air. It was her fault this had happened anyway. Those two new people were like dead-weight, at a time like this. Naraku was on the move and was getting bolder than usual. A direct attack on Keade's village was normally something Naraku avoided, even with his expendable shades. Not to mention the fact that the shade had changed forms when Inuyasha thought he'd killed it.
He grudgingly admitted that without that new girl, they wouldn't have survived, but more because of pure, dumb luck as opposed to skill. There'd be no guarantee that any training would make her an honest-to-god help.
Suddenly, Inuyasha paused again. Smelling the
air to be sure, he internally cursed. A shade of Naraku had been
here recently. That fool might be in more immediate danger then
they thought.
Kyone was in a daze. Not from the earlier blow to the back of the head. Oh no. What she was in a daze about was a sheathed weapon. It was too big to be a dagger, but not large enough to be a wakizashi (japanese short sword). She pulled the weapon out of the scabbard, staring at it with a drool. She didn't notice what the Keade woman was saying. All she noticed was that this was a sharp blade, looked cool, and would severely damage whoever got on the other side of it. Kyone thought for a moment that she should thank the old hag. It was certainly better than anything her family had given her.
Her ogling of it was cut short, however. A quick smack to the back of her head caught her attention. Quickly turning around, she screamed, "ALL RIGHT!! WHO'S THE WISE ASS!!" What she saw was a little boy, not even tall enough to reach her waist...with a tail. Kyone was momentarily at a loss. Oookaaay. A red-haired kid...with a tail.
The kid quickly jumped up and screamed at her, shocking her out of her...shock. "I'M NOT A DONKEY, I'M A KITSUNE, DAMN IT!!"
It took a few seconds for that to sink in. Then a few more to actually understand what 'kitsune' meant. If Kyone's understanding of Japan was right, a kitsune was a Japanese fox demon of old folk tales and legends. All legends pointed to one thing, however. The kitsune could change forms at will, and make many very beleivable illusions, hence giving it the reputation of a trickster. When Kyone finally put all that together in her head, she smirked at the kid.
Seeing the smirk, the kid faultered a little. He'd seen from a distance what this girl could do to a tough unarmed fighter. The fear dissipated after she said, "Right. You look more like an over-grown mutant racoon. If you are a kitsune, prove it."
That pissed the boy off. He jumped up, and swiped at Kyone's face, as though to try scratching her. Though impressed at how high he jumped, she easily stopped the blow with her right hand. The force of the blow was almost non existent. She would have laughed at a kid that small trying to hurt her...if a sudden burning sensation hadn't begun on her arm. She jumped backwards, yelping in pain.
In just one instant while jumping back, she saw something blue fly just over her head. Quickly looking behind, she saw Keade trying to smother blue flames...wait. That kid threw fire at her. That. Kid. Threw. Fire. At. HER!!
Now, most people would run screaming. Some few others would try to mutilate the kid in retaliation. Kyone did neither. Just after staring at the small burn on her arm, she asked him a simple question. "What's your name, kid?"
He said in all seriousness, "The great and powerful Shippo."
Kyone paused for the third time in less than three minutes. Then she started to chuckle, "'Great and powerful?' I'd say you're about ten years too young to call yourself 'great and powerful'."
Before Shippo could yell, she continued, "Have to say, next time call yourself Shippo, A.K.A.: the Scorcher."
He said the most intelligent thing he could think of after that, "Huh? A.K.A.?"
Laughing a little harder, she said, "Means: also known as."
While Shippo was staring at the laughing girl
like she was crazy (which she at least partially was), Keade
stared at the heavens and wondered what did she do in a previous
life to deserve trying to train someone who, in every way she
looked, was not right in the head?
This site is published by Samizdat Express, Orange, CT
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