Friday, June 3, 2005

The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 16*

Some time later, when the melting is complete; Inuyasha pulls himself and the two women ashore. They are standing by the side of a newly formed lake, and they aren’t alone. Near by is Miroku, who does not appear to be drawing breath. Kagome states the obvious, “Someone’s got to give him mouth to mouth.” Sango and Kagome both turn to Inuyasha. “What are you looking at me for?!?” he asks. Kagome says, “You’re both guys.” Inuyasha says, “Which is exactly why I shouldn’t be the one!” He turns to Sango and asks, “You got a thing for him, don’t you? You should do it.” Sango’s face turns bright red. Kagome says, “Look, there’s only one way to settle this, on three…one…two…three!” Kagome and Inuyasha both sigh with relief when the see Sango’s open hand against each of their two fingers. Sango turns even redder, but she goes to the monk and kneels by him. As she bends to his face, she stops in shock. Inuyasha and Kagome groan when they see Miroku’s had firmly grasping Sango’s butt. The stillness is shattered by a resounding smack. Not feeling that to be enough, the demon slayer grabs the monk by his robes and throws him back into the water. She turns around with her nose in the air and stomps away.
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Thursday, June 2, 2005

The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 14*

Sesshomaru and Kagura walk through an ice passage side by side. Both of their prides refuse to let the other one take the position of lord, walking in front. Also, neither one is willing to trust the other to walk behind them. So they are walking through a tunnel not wide enough for their bodies and certainly too narrow for their egos, trying to not touch each other. The tunnel itself appeared several minutes ago. A burst of spiritual energy passed right by the cave in which they were trapped, leaving a thin sheet of ice between the chambers. After Sesshomaru proved unable to break through on his own, Kagura raised the air pressure on their side as high as their demon bodies would tolerate, while lowering it on the other side until it was nearly a vacuum. Then, Sesshomaru was able, with some difficulty, to shatter the thin ice. They walk in silence, there discussion having been concluded earlier. Suddenly, two strange bumps form in the ice before them. They grow until they take on the shape of a pair of feet. The ice builds upwards, forming slender female legs, a thin torso, arms which cross upon her chest in a gesture of modesty or frigidness, and finally a head. As the ice sculpture frosts over, taking on the appropriate colors to imitate the transformed Kanna, a disembodied voice whispers down the corridor, “Sister…I’m cold.” Kagura says, “Kanna, where are you? Where is your body?” The voice replies, “It doesn’t matter. That shell never mattered. This is all that I have ever been.” As she speaks, Kanna’s mirror emerges from the ice maiden’s stomach. It still glows blue, and there is a jewel shard embedded in, and fracturing the mirror. Kanna’s voice says, “Sister…please, destroy the mirror. Let me be free.” Sesshomaru says, “If I am not mistaken, and I very, very rarely am, that will not free you, it will kill you.” Kagura says, “No sister. You can be free of Naraku by other means.” “You don’t understand.” Kanna pleads. “I am no longer void. My nothingness has been corrupted by this terrible cold. There is no way to go back, and if there was, I would not want to.” Kagura asks, “Why not? Wait a minute; I thought you said you had no desires.” Kanna replies, “That was before. Now I am something and I wish to once again be nothing. But now that I can want, I realize that I want more than that. An incarnation of void is a meaningless phrase. I wish to be void, and that means no longer existing in this world. Please sister, this is what I need.” A look of great sorrow descends on Kagura’s face. She raises her fan and places it against the looking glass. “Wait.” Sesshomaru commands. He draws the Tenseiga. As he does, he sees the sword and the mirror emitting a strange pulse, beating in time with each other. He gestures Kagura to step back, then he cuts through the border between the two energies. A ribbon of white light shoots from the sword’s tip, into the mirror. The jewel shard falls to the floor as the crack in the mirror dissolves into a vertical, shimmering pool of water. Gradually, the surface of this pool calms to the point where it could easily still be liquid, or it could have returned to solid. In the glass, the fushichou appears and spreads its wings. As the bird calls, it is replaced by the image of child Kanna. The blue light emanating from the cavern walls begins to flicker. It may be a trick of this illumination, but it seems to Kagura that the corners of her sister’s lips form a brief smile as she fades from the mirror, which from that point on never reflects anything again.
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Wednesday, June 1, 2005

The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 13*

[Flashback]
Rin approaches a great beast skeleton; being careful to avoid the perilous lava which surrounds it. She enters the mouth and sees an old man sleeping. She clears her throat. The old man looks up, upon seeing her; he turns back over ignoring her. The child gives a speech, clearly memorized. “Forgive me for disturbing you master Totosai. My lord wishes to speak with you on a matter of great importance.” The old man says, “I don’t work for humans. Go tell your lord to find someone else.” She says, “But master Totosai, my lord is a demon. One with whom you have a history.” It is clear that the girl is well coached; the old man sits up and looks at her. “Does this demon have a name?” “Yes master Totosai;” she says, smiling, “lord Sesshomaru.” “AHH!!!” the old man shouts. He gets to his feet and grabs his hammer. He begins looking about in terrified anticipation. The child says, “My lord is not with us, master Totosai. He did not wish to startle you into flight.” The old man lets out a huge sigh of relief. He says, “Go tell your master that I still won’t make him a new sword. He’s welcome to that abomination, what was it called again? Oh! the Tokigin. He can use that if he isn’t willing to use the sword his father gave him. But I won’t make him a new one.” The girl says, “My lord does not wish to discuss a new sword. He has a question concerning the sword you made; the Tenseiga.” This peaks Totosai’s curiosity. He asks, “What’s your name kid?” She says, “My name is Rin; Master Totosai.” He says, “Well Rin, if he really wants to talk to me about the Tenseiga; I guess I’ll meet with him. But I’m going to have to pick the right place; plenty of escape routes…” “How about right here?” says a voice from outside. Totosai jumps out of his skin. Sesshomaru walks into the cave; he turns to the girl. “Well done Rin. Jaken is outside; join him.” The lord sits down and regards the smith. He says, “I meant what I said; I do not intend to harm you and I do have a question concerning the Tenseiga.” Totosai settles back down; still suspicious. Sesshomaru asks, “Does the Tenseiga have a secret equivalent to the Tetsusaiga’s windscar? An ability triggered by an unusual human soul: perhaps something to do with a large bird.” Totosai says, “Don’t tell me you’ve unlocked the fushichou! You couldn’t possibly have found it. You won’t even use the Tenseiga.” Sesshomaru says, “That child; shortly after I met her she was killed. I used the Tenseiga to revive her. Since then, I have used it on several occasions. You must know of the swords growing power over me.” The smith looks thoughtful. “I didn’t realize it had progressed so far. Your father meant for the sword to change you. But to have made so much progress in so little time; and more then that, to unlock the fushichou…” Sesshomaru says, “Fushichou…phoenix? That is the name of the technique which restores life?” Totosai says, “Don’t be a dolt. The fushichou doesn’t restore life.” Answering the demons questioning stare, he continues, “Haven’t you thought about what the sword is? It’s the counterpart of the Tetsusaiga; the fang of destruction. What’s the opposite of destruction?” Annoyed at this guessing game, the demon says, “Healing.” The smith goes to strike Sesshomaru with his mallet. The lord grabs the hammer and embeds it into the rock floor. “What then?!?” he asks. “What is the Tenseiga?” Totosai says, “It’s the sword of creation. It embodies your father’s power to make or remake the world around him as he saw fit. Your brother’s sword is designed to subdue evil; yours is to create good. Healing is just a fringe benefit.” Sesshomaru says, “So it actually created a soul?” Not realizing that the question is not meant for him, Totosai says, “If there was need. That really depends on the supplicant.” Sesshomaru commands, “Explain.” “The supplicant?” The smith says. “That’s the human. The sword calls to the souls in the area around it. The souls call back; that’s why you can see spiritual beings when you hold the Tenseiga. A soul calls to the sword; begging for what it truly needs. If the sword accepts the request, the soul will pulse. Then you can choose to wield the fushichou. The most basic need of a soul is a living body; the sword will do that for any soul. But it will do much more if it deems the soul to be worthy. In theory, the fushichou’s power is unlimited. If the need is great enough and the soul is pure; anything can happen.” Sesshomaru says, “Fascinating.” From his voice, Totosai concludes that the demon thinks it to be anything but. “And how can this help me? Can it do anything but grant the wishes of petty mortals?” Totosai says, “It doesn’t just work on humans. It would also work on demons who it judged fit. In time, it might even accept your black soul. But Sesshomaru; I have a warning. Be careful before calling the fushichou; especially on yourself. It does not give you what you want; it gives you what you need. That is not always what you think it is.” The lord sits in thought for several seconds. Finally he asks, “Is there anything else I should know?” “Yes,” the smith says, “you should know better then to send a mortal girl into an active lava vent.” Leaving Totosai with a lump for lecturing him; Sesshomaru departs. As the demon goes, Totosai thinks, “Sesshomaru, you know everything you’re suppose to know; for the moment anyway.”
[End Flashback]
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Tuesday, May 31, 2005

The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 12*

Kohaku and Kirara have been following the jagged corridor through the ice for some time now. Kirara’s flames have kept the boy alive, and they have continued onward, uninterrupted. At length, they enter a large chamber with a level floor. In the center of the cavern, there is a great pillar of ice. Imbedded in the column, is a sight that makes Kohaku’s blood run colder. If he lives to be a hundred, he will never forget the face of the figure, half-frozen into the icicle. It is his tormenter and his protector; his savior and his murderer; his god and his worst enemy. In the room ahead of him, Kohaku sees Naraku, restrained but not subdued. Much worse then that, Naraku sees him and the demons eyes cut through him, leaving him paralyzed with fear. Not so green by several centuries and not possessing the worst of his memories, Kirara moves into a defensive stance in front of Kohaku. Although unable to move most of his body, Naraku can still strike out with his tentacles to a considerable range. The flame-cat blocks the first blow and the second. But she will not budge from her post before Kohaku and she alone is no match for Naraku, even in his weaken state. As the boy watches helplessly, Kirara is seized by several of Naraku’s arms and pinned against a wall. With her contained, the dark one turns his gaze back upon Kohaku. He says, “So Kohaku, have you come to beg me to take back your memory? Or perhaps you wish me to end your suffering in a more permanent fashion. Well, which is it? Maybe you should run away. I cannot move, so you might be able to escape my reach. Decide quickly, little boy, or I will decide for you.” With that, Naraku strikes out at Kohaku. With inches to spare, the boy dodges the blow and turns to run. Then he hesitates. His fingers move over the handle of his weapon as he searches his soul. He draws his blade and turns to face the embodiment of his fears. Naraku laughs maliciously. He says, “You should have run when you had the chance.” He begins to attack the boy with increasing speed as he continues, “You cannot stand against me. Others may defeat me, but you cannot. I own too much of your soul. You are weak, and you shall be swept asi…” The demon’s speech is brought to an abrupt halt, when Kohaku’s scythe slices through his throat. The blow causes no real damage, but the mere shock of being attacked by this one silences Naraku. As his neck heals, the demon pulls back the tentacles not holding Kirara. He looks at the boy, granting him a level of contempt which he had previously considered Kohaku to not be worth. He asks, “Which fire burns so brightly within you? Is it from when I wiped out your people? The villages I had you destroy? Your father and sister? Kagura?” Something in the boy’s eyes flashes; Naraku snickers. “So is that it? You wish to punish me for that week of ecstasy I had, grinding Kagura into submission. Tell me boy, do you hope to make her your woman? Would you like to hold her once again, only this time without thoughts of pain? Do you honestly think she would consider such a thing? She is a demon. More then that, she is of my flesh. If he will have her, she will mate with Sesshomaru as soon as possible. If not, she will seek out another demon, with power nearly as great, and give herself to him. She would never be so desperate that she would choose a mortal, and even if she did, she would choose one mightier then you. Your pity and your love are wasted on her, as she can neither receive nor return them. Do not squander what little time you have left, in which to hate me, hating me for her sake.” Naraku lashes out at Kohaku, but the demon slayer rolls out of the path of the attack and at the same time, sends his weapon flying away from Naraku. Only when he feels his limbs being severed does Naraku realize that the boy has freed his companion. As Kirara gets to her feet, and moves to stand next to him, Kohaku readies his blade and prepares to attack again.
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The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 13*

Jaken and Miroku are following a tunnel through the ice. Several minutes ago, Jaken burned his way into a strange, perfectly round corridor, and they have been moving through it ever since. Periodically, the imp launches a burst of fire from his staff; for the mortal’s benefit. He doesn’t like it, but his master is, for the moment, allied with the monk and, as such, Sesshomaru’s honor would be tainted if the imp did nothing when he had the power to save Miroku’s life. They have passed a number of chambers, but none of them seem to have had any exits except the tunnel itself. Finally, they come to a room with something worth stopping for. Miroku says to the imp, “You know, I’d give anything to be him right now.” “Miroku…” says Sango. “…shut up.” Kagome says, finishing her friend’s sentence. The monk says, “I don’t suppose there’s any way I could join you.” Kagome says, “No, there isn’t.” Sango says, “Cuddle Jaken.” Kagome starts giggling. Inuyasha is ignoring the new comers, hoping that they will respond in kind. Jaken says, “Abed with a pair of mortals. Your brother has more dignity.” Kagome says, “He also has no one to snuggle when it’s cold.” Jaken shouts, “M’lord can have any female he desires, when he desires her.” Sango says, “Tell that to Kagura.” The imp is furious. Before he can explode, Miroku cuts him off, “Inuyasha, shouldn’t we be looking for Naraku? Kagome, Sango, what about Shippo and Kohaku?” Sango sighs. “He’s right.” she says. Kagome says, reluctantly, “Ya, he is.” Inuyasha gets to his feet. He turns to the monk and asks, “How come you ain’t dead? This cold should have frozen you to your bones.” Jaken stands up to his whole height, (all 47cm) and taps on the floor with the staff of heads. The half-demon says, “Oh. Fine then, toad, you look after the humans. I’ll lead.” Jaken is not pleased to be taking orders from Inuyasha, but his duty comes first. In a few minutes, Kagome’s bag is packed, and the five set out, continuing the path Jaken and Miroku had been following.
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Monday, May 30, 2005

The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 10*

Sango and Inuyasha are, for lack of a better word, cuddling. As they lie there, the far chamber wall turns from blue to purple. When the light dims, Inuyasha looks up and says, “Sango, I think we may have a way out.” She is very comfortable and says, “We can check it out in a few minutes. But now, let me rest for a little longer.” He nods and settles back down; holding her. Suddenly, their reprieve is broken by an angry shout, “Inuyasha! Sango!” It is Kagome, and frankly, she’s pissed. Inuyasha says, “Uh…Kagome…it’s not what it looks like!” Kagome shouts “MINE!!! Mine, mine, mine!” Sango says, “I know! I know he’s yours and I would never…” Kagome cuts her off, “NO!!!” That said, she jumps on them and, like a child with her parents, forces her way between them. Then she pulls the blanket back up over her and settles in with a contented sigh. Sango and Inuyasha are still in shock. Sango is the first to recover; she takes her own advice. She snuggles up to Kagome’s back and goes back to bed. Inuyasha continues to sit there; he has the most pathetically perplexed look on his face. Finally, he gives a shrug which says, “Oh well.” He lies down, puts his arm around both of them, and goes to sleep.
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The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 11*

Rin is in the twenty-third verse of her ode to ice. Shippo hasn’t gotten bored and he has even joined in from time to time. Suddenly, the fox’s ears twitch. He throws himself at the girl and shouts, “Get down!” Fortunately, seeing that the fox doesn’t have the weight he would need to topple the girl, she is good at following instructions quickly. She and Shippo just barely manage to dodge a huge beam of purple energy which spans the chamber. When the beam fades, the two getup. They see that a huge cylindrical tunnel now bisects the cave. Without words, the two get to their feet. Rin takes Shippo’s hand and asks, “Which way should we go?” Before he can answer, a strong wind floods the tunnel and sweeps into the room. Koga pops out and says, “Hey you! Where’s Kagome?” Shippo is about to say that he has no idea, when Rin screams. This is an honest shriek of terror. It is the call of a child faced with the utter horror of mortality. She tries desperately to hide behind Shippo; it’s a futile exercise. Koga shouts over her cries, “SHUT UP!!!” Rin stops screaming, but she continues to cry, sobbing into the fox’s tail. Koga tells Shippo, “If you don’t shut her up; I will!” Shippo turns to her and says, “It’s ok. Don’t worry; it’s just Koga. He can be kind of jerk, but he won’t hurt you. What’s the matter?” She fights the tears and says, “…w…wol…wolf.” Shippo says, “Ya, he’s a wolf demon. So what?” Rin’s attempts to stop her crying fail and she begins to howl again. Koga stretches his claws and says, “I said, shut up!” He pulls his claws into a fist and strikes at her. Shippo blocks the punch; taking it to his face. Koga says, “Don’t get in my way!” Shippo says defiantly, “Kill me and Kagome will never talk to you again; and if you don’t leave now, I’ll make sure she hates you. I can do it. You’ve seen how much she cares for me. If I tell her about this, you’ll lose any chance of her being your mate. So go! Get out of here!” Koga turns and leaves, clearly not liking the circumstances which have led to him taking orders from a fox-child. With the threat gone, the young hero turns back to the damsel. He wipes her tears and says, “He’s gone. It’s ok; I won’t let anything hurt you. Please, tell me why you were so scared of Koga.” She tries to get her tears under control; she can’t. With a fresh round of sobs, she throws herself on him; crushing him in an embrace. As she holds him in her arms, she feels the presence of his foxfire, encircling her, protecting her. Gradually, she calms down and loosens her death-grip. He asks, “Can you tell me about it?” She nods. “I was…there were wolves and…I had just met lord Sesshomaru …it hurt so bad…I was near a village …they were chasing me …I felt their teeth…I couldn’t escape …ripping into my flesh…I was so afraid…and then I died. I died, but lord Sesshomaru saved me. I had thought that he had left; that he didn’t care about me. But, he did. He came back for me and he saved me.” Her tears have not stopped, but she is smiling now. Shippo says, “He isn’t here now, but I’m sure he’s looking for you and I’ll protect you until he finds you; ok?” She nods. She sets him down. He takes her hand and leads her into the tunnel in the opposite direction from the one Koga took. As they travel, they see skid marks on the wall from Koga’s passage. They come to a fork in the tunnel, Koga had come from the left; they go right.
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Sunday, May 29, 2005

The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 8*

Jaken stands up and looks around. He is in a cave of luminous blue ice and he is not alone. Miroku is sitting against the far wall; alternately softly sighing and softly laughing. The imp begins looking around. The monk says, “Don’t bother. I already checked. There are no exits and the ice will not shatter.” The imp looks at him: the monk still seems amused. “Why do you laugh?” the imp asks. “You will die in this cold.” Miroku lets out another sigh. He says, “Yes, I will die. With us there are three beautiful women; four if you count what Kanna became. I am going to die, and I get stuck with you; the least attractive person among us.” Jaken turn his staff toward the monk and shoots flames. Miroku dodges the blast, being only partially singed. The monk quickly says, “Of course your lack of conventional beauty is more then compensated for by your charming personality. Could you do that again, only this time point it slightly away from me.” The imp repeats his attack on the same spot. “What are you doing?” Miroku asks. Jaken says “You may have accepted dieing here; but I intend to leave.” The monk turns to the wall and sees a deep and widening chasm. He turns to Jaken and says, “You know, I think this has the potential to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
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The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 9*
Kagome is struggling through an ice cave. The ice is giving off a strange blue light. She is alone and she is freezing. As she stagers along, her mind wanders…
[Flashback]
It is the morning after Kagome was kidnapped by Kohaku. She is sitting by Inuyasha’s favorite tree. The half-demon comes to her and sits down. He says, “Kagome look, last night we got into a fight and I didn’t get to ask you some questions. As for my brother kissing you; if you tell me that he didn’t hurt you, I’ll accept it and let it be. But I got’a know, what did he want from you? He didn’t go through all that so he could kiss you. Seems, he didn’t do it so he could kill you either. So what happened; other then that?” She says, “He asked me questions. Mostly about you; some about me.” Inuyasha asks, “Why would he ask you about me? He knows everything he needs to know about me. Well, ‘cept how to beat me. But you wouldn’t tell him that. Would you?” She says, “That’s not what he wanted to know. He asked about us, and about our relationship. After I mentioned her, he asked a lot of questions about Kikyo.” Inuyasha comes alert. Before he can say anything, Kagome says, “Not her. I didn’t tell him about her. I mean the one 50 years ago. He knew that you had been trapped by a priestess you loved, but he didn’t know anything about her.” He asks, “Why would he care about the two of you, unless he was trying to hurt me?” Kagome says, “I think he wanted to get to know you better. He couldn’t talk to you, so he talked to me.” “You must be joking!” Inuyasha says. “He must have had another reason.” Kagome says, “Well, he did say something about your father having planned all of this. That you were doing what the Tetsusaiga told you to, and he was doing what the Tenseiga told him to do.” “What?!?” Inuyasha asks. “I don’t know!” Kagome says. “That’s what he said.” There is a long silence. Finally Kagome says, “That wasn’t all you wanted to talk about.” The half-demon shakes his head. She says, “Kohaku.” He says, “Even though you weren’t hurt; we gotta make sure this doesn’t happen again. I got an idea; it would settle everything. But I’m gonna need you to not try and stop me.” Kagome nods. “I’m sure you’ll do the right thing. But Inuyasha, make sure you don’t hurt Sango too much.” He says, “I know. Help me round everybody up.”
[End Flashback]
In part because she isn’t paying attention; Kagome loses her footing and falls into a ravine. She doesn’t think she’s broken anything, but there is no way she’s going to climb out. Her mind is going numb, but she knows she’s in trouble. “Cold!” she says. “So cold. Cold…cold…cold. Cold…ice? Ice…Kanna…ice…magic…ice magic! Ice magic…magic…spell! That’s it!” She pulls her bow off her shoulder. She draws an arrow. Her hands are shaking; she can barely pull the bow taut. She says, only half joking, “Hit the mark.” The shot is pathetic; if she wasn’t surrounded by her target she would almost certainly have missed. The sacred arrow thuds against the ice; the arrow half falls to the ground. However, the sacred spell nullifier enters the wall. Kagome can’t see it, but her spell spreads throughout the block of ice in great veins of energy. It isn’t strong enough to break the entire ice spell; but it leaves a network of tunnels connecting the honeycomb of ice caves. Kagome presses onward, drawing warmth from her movement.
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Saturday, May 28, 2005

The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 7*

[Flashback]
Inuyasha has gathered everyone in Kaede’s home. Kagome, Sango, and Kagura are sitting to his right. Kaede, Shippo, and Miroku are to his left. He is standing above them all, with his arms folded, looking menacing. Kohaku is sitting in front of him; not quite surrounded, but isolated. Kirara is curled up by the fire, ignoring the entire proceedings. Inuyasha says, “Kohaku, you said that kidnapping Kagome was your crime, that you were responsible. You are absolutely right. What do you think that means?” Kohaku is surprised by the question. He says, “I did something wrong, now you’re going to punish me; and I’m going to accept it. But only if I’m the one who gets punished. You can hurt me, but not by hurting my sister or Kagura.” Inuyasha says, “Oh, you’ll be the one who pays; don’t question that. Here’s how. We are going after Naraku; it’s what we do. You, you’re coming with us.” There is shock on every face. Sango says, “Inuyasha! He isn’t ready. You can’t ask him to join us. He’s only a child.” Inuyasha says, “No he ain’t; not anymore. When he took responsibility for saving Kagura by risking Kagome’s life, he lost any right to hide behind his age. A kid would’ve come to us; told us what had happened. When he chose to act on his own, he stopped being a kid. Now he’s a grownup, and that means he can’t keep running from Naraku.” Inuyasha turns to Kohaku and says, “He slaughtered your family, your people. Worse then that; he used you to do it. He manipulated you; put that blood you were whining about on you hands. If you were a kid, you could leave it all up to Sango. But now you’re an adult. You have an obligation to stand beside your sister. If you meant what you said, then you have to do this. If you can’t see that, you’re still just a kid; and you ain’t responsible for nothing.” Inuyasha turns his back. After a moment, Kagura adds, “And I’m still dead.” Sango says, “Kagura!” The demoness says, “Sango, I was wrong! I can’t protect him. He’ll be safest with you. Besides, if he isn’t with you, then you are vulnerable; all of you. He has to go with you, and that means that he has to face this. He is ready.” The two women hold each other’s eyes for some time. Kohaku says, “I’ll go.” Sango is about to say something, but he cuts her off, “I have to do this, for all those reason and others. If you’ll let me, I’ll come with you and do my best to help.” Inuyasha nods. He turns around and says, “Good! That takes care of your responsibility; now, as for your punishment.” He begins to slug Kohaku. He is clearly holding back his demonic strength, but the boy is going to walk away with a respectable set of brusies. After the first four blows, Kagome says, “Inuyasha…Inuyasha…that’s enough Inuyasha! Inuyasha, si…” Sango grabs Kagome’s wrist. Kagome stares into her friend’s serious eyes. After three more hits, Sango says, “Enough Inuyasha!” “Ahh…alright.” the half-demon says, helping the boy to his feet. Inuyasha kneels so that he is at eye level. He says, “We don’t trade people. Other stuff can be bartered with, because it can be replaced. If you ever deliberately put Kagome in danger again, I’ll make you wish you were still serving Naraku.” Kohaku nods. Kagura gets up and walks out of the house; Kohaku follows. She is preparing to fly away when he grabs her arm. “Don’t.” he says. “I’ve out stayed my welcome.” she tells him. “There’s no possible way for your sister to forgive me for what I just did.” He says, “She will. She’ll do it because I need her to.” Kagura turns to face him. She says, “Aside from that. I got us into this whole mess with Sesshomaru; I’ll probably end up causing more trouble. I have to go.” He says, “Then before you go; I want to tell you something. All of those reasons are important. But there is another one; another reason why I have to go after Naraku. Aside from everything else, there’s still what he did to you. I also have to go after him because he hurt you. I know that compared to all the people he killed; the suffering he inflicted on you may not seem important. But it’s important to me.” He looks down, turns and walks away. Kagura stands there in shock. As she stands there, Kohaku sees Kagome come out of the house and approach Kagura. Kagome says, “Kagura, I wanted to talk to you about something. It’s an idea I had for finding Naraku.”
[End Flashback]
Kohaku awakens to consciousness trapped between warm and cold. As he opens his eyes he sees Kirara, full-size, lying next to him. Behind him is a sheet of blue ice which has a strange gleam. Kirara sees that he is awake and gets up. As her warmth departs, the biting cold brings him fully awake. He looks around and sees that they are alone and that they are in some kind of corridor. He stands and looks both ways. The path is at a slight incline; he must choose between up and down. He turns to Kirara. “What do you think?” he asks. She looks up the slope. “Alright.” he says. He heads upward, staying close to Kirara’s flame.
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