Sunday, May 1, 2005

Winds of Change: For a Friend
*episode 3*

Kagura and Kohaku are still sitting in the cell in Naraku’s castle. Suddenly, the door turns to splinters. Naraku has smashed through the doorway and he approaches the two. “YOU!” he shouts. “Inuyasha and his friends will be here any minute and you are the only one who could have brought them.” “Did you think to trap the wind with walls of stone?” Kagura asks him. With a shout, he seizes her by the neck, raising her off the floor. The young demon slayer grabs Naraku’s arm and tries in vain to break the demon’s hold. Naraku throws Kohaku across the cell with his free hand. “No!” Kagura cries. Naraku turns back to her; his eyes blazing. Then a wicked smile forms on the monster’s face. “Kohaku.” he says. The boy gets to his feet. “Yes master Naraku.” he says. “I think I’ll have him kill you!” Naraku says. Naraku pulls a knife from his belt and hands it to the boy. As a look of despair forms on Kagura’s face; Kohaku raises the blade, and prepares to strike…then he hesitates. Nothing shows on the boy’s face, but it is clear that a battle of wills is in progress. As the boy stands, undecided, Naraku asks, “Kohaku, do you defy me? You know what I can do to you, think carefully before you reject the shelter I give you.” “You aren’t going to do anything to him!” Kagura says, “Not now. You know that you’re going to have to leave this place, but you’re not willing to lose him. He could be in agony if I were here to take him. But without me, you’ll have to have him get out on his own. Every second he stays makes it more likely that Inuyasha will rescue him.” “Clever Bitch!” says Naraku. “Kohaku, take Kanna and run. Get as far from here as you can and don’t get caught. If I die, Kanna will know. If that happens, I want you to kill yourself. Do it somewhere where Inuyasha and his friends will find you. Do you understand?” “Yes master Naraku.” he says. As the puppet turns to leave, the puppeteer turns back to Kagura. He grabs a nearby manacle and secures her arm. “If I win this battle I will kill you. And if I die,” he says pulling her heart from his robe, “I will take you with me to hell.” He turns from her, leaving her alone in a, suddenly cold and empty, dungeon.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo approach Naraku’s lair. A few minutes ago, the wind that had been leading them died. However, by then the group could simply follow the ominous demonic aura leading to the castle. When they first see the fortress, they are stopped by the site. In front of the castle are thousands of demons. In addition to the hoards of simple demons, there are several hundred of a new kind: nine feet tall, rippling muscles, long horns aching back over there heads and small tufts of red fur. These are clearly not to be taken lightly. Suddenly, the six become seven. Sesshomaru arrives and goes unnoticed until he clears his throat. “I see she summoned you as well.” he says. The six turn shocked faces to him. He produces a feather, identical to the one Kirara found. Inuyasha is clearly about to explode. Sesshomaru cuts him off, “Brother, I’m asking for your help.” Shocked does not begin to describe the look on Inuyasha’s face. “This will not be an easy battle, even for me. I would much rather have our father beside me, but you will have to do. Well little brother, are you going to stand there looking confused or are you going to join me?” There is a stunned silence. Kagome breaks it, “Wow! This is new.” Sango adds, “I’m not use to seeing Sesshomaru act so mature.” Inuyasha replies, “Well, I guess so. But we aren’t friends and we still have a score to settle after this.” “Agreed.” says Sesshomaru. Into the valley of death rode…walked the seven. It is agreed that Kagome and the brothers will handle the new breed of monsters, while Miroku, Shippo, Sango and Kirara will handle the lesser demons. The monk attempts to open his windtunnel, only to find himself confronted by Naraku’s bugs. Rather then using it as a ranged weapon, Sango rushes into the demons and wields her Hiraikotsan at close range. Her great leaps and mighty spins seem to defy the laws of physics; not that they have been written yet. Shippo hits Miroku on the head and says, “Focus! Keep your attention on the demons, not Sango.” The monk composes himself and follows her into the fray. Both brothers let loose huge energy blasts from their swords, which break uselessly on the demons. Kagome fires a sacred arrow, expecting it to plow a path through the foe. Her arrow connects with a demon in the front line. It lodges itself in the demon’s chest; the beast collapses, dead. The brothers find that the demons can be slain, by several powerful blows. So they begin a slow battle against overwhelming odds. As the monk and the demon slayer takeout hundreds of demons, they gradually lose site of each other. Both coming out of hard spinning attacks, they find themselves pressed against each other face to face. In an instant, they each see that the other is drenched in demon-blood and their own sweat; and neither one has ever seen anything so attractive. Then they notice that their free hands have been taking action on their own. Miroku’s hand went where it always goes, however, what surprises them both, is that Sango’s left hand is on the small of Miroku’s back, pressing him to her. Being on a battlefield, they both break away and continue fighting. As Sango fights off her embarrassment; Miroku fights off his joy. Kagome is down to one arrow when suddenly Naraku arrives, floating above his army. Everyone else is to busy too attack him so she takes her last arrow and looks for a mark. She finds it in his shoulder: she sees the sacred jewel. She lets it fly. It misses the jewel, but tears his entire arm, shoulder and all, from his body. As his arm falls to the ground, he lets out a terrible cry. Suddenly, the hoards of weak demons head away from the fight, fleeing in every direction. The new breed simply fall over, every last one of them dead as a doornail. As pieces of his body begin to fall away, the dark one speeds off into the distance. As the others are focused on Naraku, Sesshomaru approaches the severed arm. After a quick conference, it is decided that Miroku will take Kirara and, with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, pursue Naraku; while Sango and Kagome search the castle to try to find Kohaku.
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