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bloodsong1Kunzite stormed out of the shrine, Lady Sarah whimpering softly in his arms. He was furious with the dead monk. Atoning for killing an evil creature should NOT have been burning one's hands to the bone! Kunzite looked around for assistance and stopped. The plaza in front of the shrine was empty save for a man. A man in a General's uniform, currently running towards them. A man with...fox tails?
"By the Fifth Hell! Looks like the fire went too far," The kitsune said when he joined them, peering into Lady Sarah's tear-streaked face. "Come on, we can lay her out on that wall." Kunzite turned, holding his charge closer.
"I will have none of your tricks, kitsune!" He snarled. The kitsune put his hands on his hips. Kunzite counted three tails swishing in annoyance.
"Do YOU know how to treat a mortal in shock?" He asked. Kunzite frowned, blinked. Shock? "Look, General, Reiki-sama could DIE from the shock her body's been through. We need to warm her up gently and make sure she doesn't lapse into a coma. Come on, that low wall ought to do," The kitsune tugged on his sleeve. Kunzite's frown remained firm as he followed the trickster demon, watching carefully as the uniform flowed into a gi and hakama of blue and tan, with a green happi. The fox reached into its sleeve and pulled out a handkerchief, which he snapped into a thick blanket. Spreading it out on the wall, he created another handkerchief-blanket and waved it at Kunzite.
"Lay her down on the wall and keep her feet on your lap. It will help her circulation," He instructed. Kunzite followed the directions, very carefully laying Lady Sarah on the sun-warmed stone and sitting beside her, her dusty tennis shoes on his lap. It was a small price to pay for her health.
"What are you called, kitsune?" He asked as the creature tucked the second blanket around his charge.
"My name's Shippo. You're...Kunzite, right?"
"Yes."
"So how come you're real?" Kunzite gave Shippo a cold glare. Shippo grinned, showing off fangs. "You'll have to do better then that. I've stared down the Lord of the West!" Kunzite blinked again.
"There is no Lord of the West."
"There is for us demons. You've been out of circulation a long time, Kunzite. Demons and spirits came to power over five hundred years ago. We've been losing ground ever since the Tokugawa unified the humans."
"Then how are you still here?" Shippo shrugged, leaned in and sniffed Lady Sarah's neck. His eyes widened and he stared at the semi-concious woman.
"How are you still here?" Kunzite repeated. Shippo shook himself and fished under the blanket.
"Those that could used illusions and disguise spells to hide in plain sight. Others, like the House of the West, worked the political side and learned how to keep up with the humans and their technologies. Any who couldn't align themselves with a powerful house or blend in retreated into the untouched areas," Shippo explained, pulling out Lady Sarah's hand. Kunzite startled. He had been expecting a blackened claw with white bone showing. Instead her hand was intact, no trace of burning.
"As I expected," Shippo said, shaking his head. He tucked her hand back under the blanket and patted it. "The Fire was selective."
"How?" Kunzite asked, feeling very out of depth and not liking it one bit.
"Damned if I know. The nerve endings would be my guess. There are ways to stimulate nervous responses without damaging the tissue. We need to wake her up."
"She needs rest. We should take her back to the onsen immediately."
"No, she has to wake up first. She's not physically hurt, but she THINKS she is. She could easily slip into a coma."
"Fine. Lady Sarah! Wake up!" Kunzite shook one foot by the ankle, manfully NOT cringing at the trail dust wafting onto his trousers. "Wake up!"
"Wow, you ARE clueless!" Shippo laughed. Kunzite glared and got another fangy smile. "Ever hear of being gentle?" Kunzite continued to glare. Shippo shrugged and crouched beside Lady Sarah's head. He began gently stroking her hair with his claws and whispering in her ear. Kunzite shook her foot.
"Lemme 'lone," Lady Sarah grumbled, just loud enough to be heard. Kunzite shook her foot again and got kicked by the free one.
"Ow. That was unkind, my lady," He growled. Shippo snickered.
"Let me try," Kunzite's eyes bugged out when the kitsune leaned over and licked Lady Sarah's cheek. She grumbled and swatted. Shippo caught the hand and licked her wrist.
"Come back, Reiki, before Wakamiya-san tries to drown us!" He singsonged. Lady Sarah scrunched up her nose and slowly blinked her eyes open.
"Shippo?" She asked softly. The fox demon smiled.
"Yes, Reiki, it's me. Lady Kagome has told me much about you. I'm glad I was able to help.
"My...my hands..." Shippo held hers up in front of her nose.
"Perfectly intact and fully functional!" A sudden gust of wind raised stinging dirt. Shippo flung himself over Lady Sarah while Kunzite jumped to his feet, knocking hers out in the process.
"THIS is the upstart trying to steal my powers!?!" A new voice shrieked. Kunzite looked up. Riding atop a giant white feather was a coldly beautiful woman with black hair, red eyes and a large fan half open.
"Kagura!"
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Sarah blinked a few times over Shippo's warm, solid shoulder. Kunzite was standing in front of them, glaring up at a woman standing on a large white feather. Kagura? The Wind Witch? What on earth was she doing here?
"Stand aside, mortal, else I'll kill you and use your body myself!" Kagura snarled. Kunzite's hands started glowing with black energy.
"I will do no such thing, demon! Kitsune! Get the lady out of here!"
"You can't stand against Kagura, Kunzite! YOU take Reiki!"
"Kitsune?" The feather dropped to the ground and disappeared. Kagura opened her fan a bit more and peered around Kunzite. "Is that...little Shippo? The bratty kit so desperate for a family he joined the half-breed's pack?"
"That half-breed is the Lord of the West's brother and equal, witch," Shippo snarled, turning and rising to face the offshoot. Sarah continued to blink bemusedly, trying to reconcile the brewing battle in front of her with the lingering memory of pain. She looked at her hand, freed the other from the blanket, and held them up to her face. Flexing the fingers, she winced, but the pain was only a slight ache. Turning them back and forth, she visually confirmed the utter lack of damage while Kagura and Shippo traded insults.
"Pain by nerve induction. Can't go around harming potential humans," She whispered and shuddered at the implications. She was no Bene Gesserit!
"Enough!" Kagura shrieked. "Out of my way, nuisances. I have a mongrel challenger to dispose of." Sarah sat up and gaped at Kagura.
"Mongrel!" Kunzite snarled and fired off a bolt of black energy. Kagura waved it away with a slight flick of her fan.
"Pathetic," She sneered.
"Will you just take the lady and run?" Shippo groaned, blue foxfire enveloping his hands.
"No. This ends here," Kunzite said firmly. Sarah gaped at Kunzite.
"By all the hells, are all the generals this stupid?" Shippo asked over his shoulder. Sarah blinked a few times, shook her head. Kagura first. She stood up and wobbled over to her protectors.
"Kagura of the Winds, I would parley with you," Sarah said formally, inclining her head and keeping a death-grip on the back of Shippo's coat.
"Parley?" Kagura frowned. "What are you talking about, gaijin?"
"Negotiate. Settle this peacefully."
"Hah! You round eyes and your pretty words. Liars, the lot of you. I will not debase myself with negotiations! Your death is all I will accept!"
"WHY?!" Sarah blurted out. "What in the hell have I done to you?! And for that matter, how did you get out of that lake?"
"DO NOT SPEAK OF THAT!" Kagura's pale face mottled with rage. "You came here to seize control of the winds, of MY domain! Ever since your filthy feet set foot on our soil, the very air currents themselves have changed their song! Now the wind fights me, disobeys me, and constantly tries to push me to you!"
"You sure it's not Haruka? Tall, blonde, dresses like a guy?" Sarah asked, nettled. The constant racist comments were getting on her nerves.
"No, impudent child. It is your name it whispers. Reiki. Reiki. I will be driven MAD if it continues. You will die by my hands and the wind will return to its proper mistress."
"You will not harm her," Kunzite growled. He shifted, standing shoulder to shoulder with Shippo, pushing Sarah back a few inches.
"Fool! See how I pluck your precious Reiki from your hands!" The fan snapped and Sarah yelped as she was pulled upward by a small tornado. Shippo aimed a blast of foxfire into Kagura's eyes. She blocked the attack and Kunzite jumped, grabbing Sarah's legs. The additional weight worked and they sank back to earth. Shippo grabbed Sarah's waist when Kunzite's feet touched down. Kagura laughed.
"Did you really think that it would be that easy?" She snarled. Sarah, hanging from her protectors' arms, looked up into the sky.
"Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East! Spirits of Air and Intellect! Please tell your sister that I am not a threat!"
"Dance of Blades!" Kagura's fan slashed the air. Shippo dropped to his knees, curling around Sarah to shield her. Kunzite threw up an energy barrier. The arcs of compressed air shredded the barrier, knocked Kunzite aside and then abruptly softened to a gentle breeze swirling around Shippo and Sarah. Kagura shrieked and hopped in place.
"YOU SEE! EVEN NOW IT DEFIES ME!"
"Okay, let's go higher," Sarah muttered. Shippo raised his head. She blinked at the frightened green eyes staring into hers.
"Please, Reiki, don't stand against her. She will kill you!"
"Not if I go over her head." Sarah winked, then looked to the sky again and raised her hands in supplication.
"Fujin-sama! God of gentle breezes and stiff gales! I evoke you and call on you! Please! Help me show your daughter, birthed of Naraku, that I do not covet her power nor wish to take anything from her! Lord of the Wind, please hear my call!" Another, stronger gale roared into existence.
"KUNZITE!" Shippo called, holding one hand out while clutching Sarah closer to him. She wrapped both arms around his shoulders and held tight, keeping her face turned towards Kunzite. When the General managed to catch Shippo's hand, she reached out too. Together they pulled their comrade close. Shippo's foxfire flared up around them and Kunzite added his own shield underneath the blue flame. The wind continued to roar, loud as any tornado. Sarah, peering through the shields, screamed softly when a large black demon appeared, wearing a leopard skin and carrying a giant balloon-shaped bag. Kagura screamed much louder when the demon picked her up in one giant hand.
"Lower the shields!" Sarah hissed as the wind vanished. The males dropped the defensive barriers and Sarah pushed out of Shippo's arms. She stood and approached the god, her boys right behind her.
"Hmmm," Fujin-sama said, looking Kagura over carefully. Her head, shoulders and feet were the only things visible around the thick black fingers. "Yes, you will do quite nicely."
"You are NOT going to eat me!" She snarled. Fujin-sama laughed and shook his head, red locks swirling around him.
"No, pretty one. I have much bigger plans for you." He turned and peered down at Sarah. She promptly bowed deeply.
"I thank you for coming, Fujin-sama."
"Long have I watched this one, Reiki-san," Fujin-sama boomed, gently waving Kagura. "I am most grateful you gave me the opportunity to catch her. She will make an excellent wife."
"WIFE!?" Kagura screamed, eyes huge. She started twisting against his grip. "I will NEVER marry you!"
"You don't have a choice, pretty one," Fujin-sama kissed the top of her head and laughed at her horrified expression. "You were born to be mine and mine alone. Have no fear, I will teach you everything you need to know."
"Um, Fujin-sama?" Sarah asked, feeling a little worried. Kagura looked like she was close to fainting. "You will allow her to ride the winds, won't you?"
"I am not cruel, though many call me so," Fujin-sama said solemnly. "If she cooperates and accepts she must always return to me, she may have her precious freedom. Now, Reiki-san. What would you have as a token of my appreciation?"
"I only ask for your blessings on the bracelets I'm making for the Guardians and the Prince and Princess," Sarah said, holding the bag out. Fujin-sama smiled, showing very sharp teeth. Kagura fainted.
"May more in your world and mine be so honorable and selfless, Reiki-san. You have my blessing." With his free hand, he flicked the giant bag open a tiny amount. A gust of wind whistled out of the bag and swirled around Sarah, sending her hair dancing and the bag waving wildly. She gasped as the energy flowed into the bracelet bag and swirled around Fire and Water.
"Fujin-sama, Lord of the Wind, I thank you for your blessing. Go if you must, stay if you will. Be well and blessed be," Sarah said, bowing deeply.
"I must go, I have a wife to train!" Fujin-sama laughed heartily as he disappeared into another localized tornado, the unconscious Kagura firmly held in one fist. Sarah blinked a few times, glanced at Shippo.
"Can I go back to sleep now?" He smiled gently and held out his arms.
"I'll wake you up when we get to the ryokan," He said. Sarah nodded and waved at Kunzite.
"See you later," A soft sigh and Sarah passed out, falling into the kitsune's gentle embrace.
Okay, I know in canon Kagura dies. I have a bit of a soft spot for one of the movies, where she and Kanna are used by a moon demon to free her. Inuyasha thinks it's great because it's a full moon all the time. Once the moon demon breaks free of her trap, she sends Kagura, caught in a stasis spell, to the bottom of a lake. Not exactly the freedom Kagura was looking for.
