Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ From Wishes to Eternity ❯ Seekers of the sacred jewel ( Chapter 2 )

And the plot begins! It enters along with everyone's favorite kitsune, I suppose. Corrections, suggestions and, mainly, reviews? Send them my way!

 

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Seekers of the sacred jewel

 

X X X X X

 

 

It was hardly the first time he had heard mention of the Shikon no Tama, but it certainly wasn't the last.

 

The Jewel of Four Souls, along with its protector, were now somewhat of a legend in both Makai and Reikai - the only world that didn't have any idea that the myth of the jewel continued in another realm, along with its priestess, was Ningenkai, and that was a good thing, in his not-so-humble opinion. Humans had no business wanting the jewel that they wouldn't be able to control either way. It was far too powerful and therefore useless to them. Ningen were doomed to remain ningen. Seeking such things should be rightfully left to youkai.

 

It was ironic, then, that he himself was somewhat against the idea of owning the jewel itself, at least for a long-term period of time. After all, the jewel was rumored to be able to attract other demons, which alone was an undesirable factor. Aside from that, what good was an amplifier of his power that could be separated from him? No, better to have it briefly and barter it for something that would last a shorter time, perhaps, but was more versatile when it came to value and usage. Namely, money. Or anything else that counted as gain, which meant that it had to have an equivalent in gold or something more useful or valuable to the general masses.

 

Which was precisely why he was listening to the plan suggestion one of his subordinates was laying out carefully with only half an ear.

 

Hierarchy among thieves was a dreadfully fragile thing, especially as they were all demons, but if there was anything all of them agreed upon, it was the matter of leadership. If a contest of power or skill was held, there would be only one winner; him. That was all that was required to elect him as their leader, even if the alliances between the rest of them could turn out to be shaky at times. Should ever the moment arrive when he would abandon the lower class goons to their fate, it was only logical that they would likely be at each other's throats within the minute. He was the link that united all the chains binding them together. And rightly so, he could think without vanity.

 

After all, Youko Kurama was hardly known throughout Makai as the King of Thieves for nothing.

 

Curiously, it had been boredom that had led him to the path he now walked proudly and fearlessly. A high-class demon, gifted with a lifespan that could very well be infinite, if he so chose, had a wide range of activities to indulge himself in, but after some time, even the greatest amusements could turn to be trivial, useless. Not that he needed a higher purpose in his life, no. Though he was more honorable than most he worked with, he didn't need such beliefs to cling to. What he needed was a challenge. Something to hone and perfect his skills on. And what was more of a challenge than cracking a code, solving a puzzle or, say, the application of these skills on reality? And as situations that required such talents could prove to be scarce, what better amusement was there than making a living out of outsmarting others?

 

There were moments of greed, of course, but his mind was too controlled to allow them to take over. He was a paradox in that, as his main priority was overcoming obstacles along the way to a goal, not the goal itself, be it an item or a stash of money. That, however, didn't mean that such distractions were unwelcome.

 

It had been hundreds of years ever since this little journey had begun, thousands of jobs had been done ever since and failure was still far away. And even after centuries, if there was anything Youko dreaded, it was that there would come a moment when the challenges would run out and he would have to find something else to focus his attention on. At the current moment, that was mercifully just a distant, blurry vision of the future.

 

“Well, what do you say, oyadama-sama?” The furry white ear alerted him to being addressed at long last by a slight twitch as it picked up the change of the speaker's tone. The rest mostly deferred to him, either because they hoped to gain his favor or simply because they had a natural fear of him. Which was just as well, because while he was a patient demon, mercy was not a word that would be found in his active vocabulary. He knew the concept of it and the meaning of it; he simply chose not to use it.

 

He was a bit annoyed that he had to shift from his comfortable position on the branch he was using as a substitute for a divan. They had come up with this plan on their own, which alone was praiseworthy, but somehow, it seemed slightly far-fetched to him, the master planner. For half an hour they had attempted to convince him to join them in their attempt to seize the sacred jewel from its protector, who was, rumor had it, a ningen who had died and was then promoted to reigen because of that jewel. Aside from that, it turned out that it was a woman, thus some of the thieves thought that it couldn't be easier.

 

They had bored him with a lengthy account of how powerful the jewel could make one and that they would be invincible with it. Now, really, these low-class demons could exaggerate. They were capable in their own way, true, but even with any strange powers courtesy of that gemstone, they would likely be easily overcome if their opponent was smart enough.

 

But he couldn't openly shoot down the idea, because they were too eager and the last thing he wanted on his hands now was a split in his forces. Not that they didn't thrive, no, but he didn't fancy some petty attempt to overthrow him or something more drastic, like murdering him in his sleep. He just hated to lose men that way.

 

Aside from that, there was another benefit. He would see just how powerful that fabled protector of the jewel was. If this proved to be more of a challenge than the usual burglary, he might actually have some amusement after the last few tiresomely easy jobs. After all, the gem was said to be a great treasure of Reikai and it was likely that ransoming it back to Koenma would earn him - and the others as well - a great amount of money. Parting with the pretty jewel required some nice trinkets in exchange to remember it by, after all.

 

Somehow, he bit back a sigh before speaking. No one was bothered when he didn't look at them at once - everyone knew that Kurama was nothing if not a deep thinker. Men have been killed for less than breaking his train of thought.

 

“While I have certain reservations against some particular specifics of your plan of action, I find the suggestion mostly agreeable.” He said finally, earning himself a few fleeting seconds of silence without really trying. Leaning against the trunk of the nearest tree, the shadowy figure of Kuronue smirked to himself. It never ceased to amuse him how Youko´s habit of not using monosyllabic words when there was a preferably more intelligent alternative was available managed to confuse those poor souls who weren't on the same level of knowledge as he was. Be it a brief confusion or a lasting effect, it was always entertaining. Usually, the victims contained at least ninety eight percent of the people forced to lead a more lengthy conversation with Youko, which could be translated as listening to about half a sentence he uttered.

 

The speaker of the assembled group of youkai, about a dozen men, give or take a few, was a boar youkai who, while utterly lacking any subtlety, was an excellent brawler. That was likely the reason why his suggested approach was that which suited him best - assaulting the woman with the jewel, separating her from her companions and getting the jewel during or after the battle. Preferably after, naturally, and from the woman's corpse. This kind of warriors believed that by overcoming a famed and likely strong enemy, they would gain more renown. It wasn't a very thief-like way of doing things, but some were in it for the glory, it seemed.

 

Youko Kurama needed to make no effort to raise his fame and glory and it had never been his intention to do so. However, he felt he understood the group's way of thinking, though he didn't necessarily approve it. Be as it may, he gave his word of permission - though everyone was waiting to see what kind of corrections or doubts he had. When he made no move to inform the demons of them, the boar youkai finally posed the question.

 

A pair of golden eyes swept the group, as if to size them up. Youko knew each of their strengths and weaknesses and thus was able to assess their situation with surprising accuracy. However, he didn't view them as up to the task of completing this job. Their primary mistake was that they believed they could slay the woman and he told them just that. “If she was appointed to the task of guarding the jewel and still roams Makai without any fear, she is likely well prepared for encounters with would-be thieves.” He explained calmly, speaking as plainly and as frankly as he could. “I will not stop you, but do not throw your lives needlessly, should there be another way. You are of no use to me dead.”

 

There was a murmur of general agreement and even the boar youkai seemed to share that opinion. It was decided that they would leave at once. They had prepared whatever supplies they would need for the journey and, as luck would have it, it seemed that the jewel and its guardian weren't that far away. Apparently, there was some sort of annual council to be held in one of the major estates in Makai, which was a wonder in its own way, and the guardian, as a representative of Reikai, would need to be present. But that was only the first part of it.

 

“The best part is that there have been reports of renegade elemental youkai in the area and the woman and her companions will be forced to investigate it some time before the whole meeting.” The boar youkai reported somewhat smugly. “They should be arriving any day now.”

 

To this Youko only nodded and dismissed them all with his blessings. Otherwise, he remained sitting on his branch, until all were gone and only Kuronue remained. The bat youkai had decided to stay behind and have a bit of a chat with his comrade, as he seemed to be contemplating something. Or plotting, perhaps - with kitsune, there was no telling. Especially with this particular one.

 

“I do not share their belief in their own success.” Youko said when the others had gone away. He seemed to be paying little attention even to Kuronue and began to play a bit with some of the plant seeds he had with them. It was his area of expertise, plants and their usage, as well as everything that went along with it. It was something of a symbiosis between the flora and the fauna, to allow one's energy to course through the other and create a sublime weapon of many forms. Nature was a powerful ally when properly handled. Though one could say that it was merely for show, Youko handled his plants with gentleness and a degree of respect he didn't seem to have for other most creatures, despite their rather serving purpose.

 

Kuronue seemed to have been thinking the same thing, although he didn't mention that. One of the reasons they had lasted together as partners for so long was that they both knew each other's mindset relatively well. Even if they were at times as different as black and white - literally, from a certain point of view - they usually respected the opinions of one another, even though Kuronue could admit, grudgingly or not, in this case, that his friend was a tad higher on the food chain than he was himself. It made little difference to the two of them and most others as well.

 

“I don't think they have any real concept of what they will be up against.” Kuronue noted, though his tone was almost matter-of-factly, as if he didn't really need to differ it from the one he would use when speaking of the weather. “They underestimate the guardian because of her origin and sex. You could have done more than just give them that nonchalant warning not to get killed. But then again, I suppose they wouldn't have listened.”

 

“What do you know about this woman?” the kitsune asked, for the first time averting his gaze from the beautiful but deadly flowers blossoming in his palm, where mere seeds had laid motionlessly moments previously.

 

Fortunately, Kuronue had expected that question and was well prepared. Gathering such information usually took much bribery and good connections, but fortunately for them, this woman was so famous in Makai now that there was very little that could be gained that wasn't common knowledge already. Thus the price on the information market was almost ridiculously low. “Aside from what you've heard from the others, I understand that she is very gifted in terms of spiritual power and, worse for us, holy power.”

”As in like human priests and the like?” Youko asked with a mild frown. What good would sending a priestess to Makai, let alone deliberately, do Koenma? For a moment, he tried to see things from the Reikai ruler's point of view, absurd as it might seem. Who knew that he would have to lower himself to that position… “That would be too much of a coincidence. Koenma sent her here on purpose.” He said with absolute certainty, which was backed up by a nod from Kuronue.

 

“Sharp as ever. It seems ridiculous to send the jewel all youkai would want into the heart of Makai. I managed to dig out that it was Koenma´s idea from the beginning. The toddler wanted to use it as bait and lure all the weak youkai still residing in Ningenkai here to better separate the worlds. Apparently, the discovery that youkai and ningen can hardly coexist in what he imagines as harmony has finally sunk in.”

 

Youko gave a wry half-smile. For the toddler lord, that was some quite deep thinking and good planning. Of course all demons would fall for such a trap, especially when a seemingly weak human woman was the only obstacle in their way. Oh, how wrong the first attackers must have been. That meant that the powers of the woman likely amounted to those of a very strong holy human, which meant that the mere touch of her would likely purify a youkai of the average strength. Interesting.

 

Kuronue knew his partner long enough to see that the kitsune was already starting to form some sort of plan, but refrained from questioning him just yet. It was better to supply him with whatever information that could be provided. Then, it would be very difficult for the plan to fail, whatever it would be. “Aside from abilities of her own, the priestess has two companions that may prove somewhat troublesome. Koenma initially assigned them to her for her own protection, as bodyguards, but currently, they are somewhat of a team.”

”Tell me about both of them.” Youko said. He could already see the priestess with the jewel in a mind's eye, though she had no face yet in his vision, and wanted to finish the mental image accurately.

 

“Both used to be humans like the priestess - they had died in Ningenkai, but didn't pass on to the next world. Instead, they were chosen as her companions because of their talents. They are quite specific, but seem to function well together - a houshi known as Miroku and a youkai taiji-ya called Sango. You can see why they were chosen from their professions in Ningenkai. They will protect the priestess with their lives.”

 

Youko nodded in a bit absent-minded matter, finally filling in the image of the three together, though the dominant figure was still the priestess. Of her and her powers, they knew the least, he discovered, as Kuronue finish his account of their basic powers from what eye-witnesses of their “exterminations” had accounted. It was likely that she didn't sully her hands when the two others could take care of the basic work, which was not so unlikely.

 

“The fools. Even if they somehow manage to obtain the jewel, if the priestess is working her holy magic on it, it will likely be infused with her own spiritual purity and goodness. It will destroy them on the spot.” The kitsune noted somewhat dispassionately.

 

His partner got to that conclusion a bit slower, but when Youko voiced it, he understood the implications immediately. It was like sending them to their deaths without reason. “Will you call them back?” he asked, though he didn't believe Youko would do it. After all, he had already given them their blessing as the leader and to withdraw it for a mere supposition would be viewed as either unfair or unreasonable.

 

“No.” Youko said without even thinking about the answer. But it didn't seem to be because of lack of concern. “They will serve their purpose, though they need not know about it.”

With a curt nod, Kuronue also held back a slight smirk. Evidently, the plan was ready. “Then the direct assault will serve as a distraction?”

 

“Yes. You will follow them on your own. Take care not to be seen by anyone, not even our men and keep your distance until absolutely necessary. Their combined youki will likely be enough to mask the presence of your own or at least distract the priestess and her companions, but you must be quick after the fight. Avoid the priestess.” That surprised Kuronue, but there was no room for questioning. “And leave the direct battle to them, as they wish it. I want you to focus on the taiji-ya. She is the only of the three who doesn't possess any exceptional spiritual or holy power, correct?”

 

At last, Kuronue caught up with the plan and proceeded to broaden his now barely concealed smirk. As usual, it was nothing short of brilliance and yet another proof as to why there was only one thief legend in Makai. Within the hour, the “den” was quiet again and Youko was left to his contemplations. In the end, the stupidity of others would serve him well, though of course they would never know of it. Somehow, he was actually looking forward to bargaining with the priestess, though she would likely respond badly at first. But if she was even the slightest bit human still, she would likely respond to his kind of bargaining. Aggressive negotiations would hardly help her, holy power or not.

 

And, of course, it would be a very fitting way of introducing himself to her.

 

X X X X X

 

In the meantime, miles away, with only a rudimentary knowledge of who the demon that had suddenly taken an interest in her person was, the miko known as Kagome was observing a field in Makai. She appeared as she had been centuries ago, a young woman in her mid to late teens, willowy in figure and somewhat childish in face. No one could have been able to tell that she had already passed beyond the point of death once and had no intention of returning there.

 

The jewel, the treasure she still protected, was still fastened around her neck, glowing faintly, pure to the very core. Of course, the same couldn't be claimed with complete honesty when speaking of one of her current companions.

 

The war cry of “HENTAI!” was heard behind her for the umpteenth time only that day, accompanied by a loud slap and a resolute silence as a young woman of about her age marched to her side and folded her arms, forcibly looking away from the object of her slapping, a young and somewhat unfortunately lecherous monk whose otherwise immaculate visage was currently marred by a large red imprint on his cheek, vaguely resembling a palm. Such things were a regular occurrence among the three of them, though fortunately, after the first few times, Kagome had been excluded from those proceedings, primarily because even the slightest physical contact made with an impure intent on the monk's part seemed to burn him, a protection courtesy of the jewel. Unfortunately for Sango, she carried no such purifying gem herself, though she at times wished she did.

 

For as long as she remembered, the two of them had been Kagome´s companions in the eternal quest to keep the Shikon no Tama safe from demons. Sango didn't entirely understand the point of bringing it to the demon world while they were at it, but then again, she was always spoiling for a good fight to stretch her muscles. She had died in battle against youkai to save her younger brother, which she did; though what good it had done she didn't know. Koenma, when she had met him, had assured her that Kohaku had lived a fulfilled and strong life and had died without regrets. She had been given the opportunity to speak with his spirit before he left for heaven and if only for that, she felt she had to be grateful. It was her duty to help Kagome - and she was as strong and dedicated to it now as she had been to her job in life.

 

The only trouble was the monk. And while he was an irreplaceable addition to their team and - though the slayer would never admit it - rather charming when he wanted to be, he was also an incurable lecher and missed no opportunity to show his appreciation to certain parts of her anatomy that were not to be touched by any man who didn't have the matrimonial right to do so and even then, it was plausible only with her own permission. Certainly not in public and upon a perverse whim.

 

As for the “houshi-sama”, as Sango always politely addressed him, despite his repeated transgressions against morality, he was slowly but surely becoming certain that afterlife was far from bad when he had the company of a beautiful woman and her many charms. As for Kagome-sama, who was the only one of the two he addressed with a title, respectable or not, she was to be admired from afar. He had learned that the hard way. But with Sango, his intentions were somewhat different. Perhaps it was only the many years he had spent mostly with the two of them (though admittedly, when in Reikai, there were beautiful women to behold) but somehow, she and that deliciously form-fitting uniform she always wore when destroying demons had become very important to him. Even her slaps were less of a punishment than they had been previously.

 

“Did they say what type of elementals we will be facing?” Kagome asked, if only to divert the attention from the monk that was slowly attempting to catch up with their rather swift pace, set by the slayer, though he took care to remain out of the reach of her limbs and the massive boomerang swung over her shoulder. Of course, were she to throw it at him…

 

“Being close to forests, I would limit it to earth and wind youkai.” Sango noted, the frown vanishing from her face bit by bit. Kagome had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't as offended by the monk's attentions as she wanted the world to believe. She simply wished that they would take a slightly less perverse form, which the priestess could wholeheartedly support. She herself had had enough experience with overeager males for the rest of eternity.

 

But her thoughts strayed back to the task at hand. She also had certain doubts about the whole mission. They had been exterminating hazardous youkai for centuries, killing the strong ones and the weak ones alike, though truly powerful demons usually realized when they were at a disadvantage and retreated. The vague nature of their instructions this time made her slightly uncertain. Throughout the years, they had also been faced with various attempts at traps, so that youkai could obtain the jewel. Most were easy enough to evade and escape, but one never truly knew.

 

Miroku seemed to be thinking along the same lines and jogged to their side, keeping Kagome between him and Sango while the mark of her hand slowly vanished from his cheek. “With the meeting of the Makai Lords coming soon, it might be possible that a demon will want to take advantage of the attention being diverted elsewhere. I suppose they sent us here to make certain that the area will be secured by the time the conclave will take place. As long as the demons don't have enough time to prepare any such thing, it should be easier for us to deal with any potential surprises along the way.”

 

But, contrary to what all of them were thinking, the plains of Makai around them seemed somewhat too peaceful. They usually traveled on foot, the three of them, but in recent decades, they had been fortunate enough to befriend several good youkai, including one which had aided Sango and her clan of demon slayers back in Ningenkai, Kirara, and though it was hard for the nekomata to carry three people, when in need, Miroku would surprisingly play the gentleman and attempt to be the one to keep up on his own feet. Today, they were walking, with the kitten-like demon resting on the shoulder of Sango for the moment. They had already crossed quite a distance with her help and even a strong friend like her was far from completely tireless.

 

After an hour or so of peaceful stride and no more groping, Miroku was the first to slow down and eventually stop. In the demon realm, it was difficult to pinpoint hostile energy, but it was clear that they were currently surrounded by semi-powerful demons, whether they knew it or not. Kagome, whose awareness was slightly lesser than his, felt it mostly thanks to the jewel around her neck. It always reacted to youki within its wide radius and she herself felt something out of the ordinary. Only Sango didn't feel the energy as it was, but she saw her comrades stop and thought she heard a movement, subtle and quiet, somewhere not far ahead.

 

The moment they stopped and reached for their weapons, the assault began.

 

It was remarkable, in a way, because demons usually spouted nonsense at them, something along the lines of “Hand over the jewel!” or “I will be invincible!” and “I can feel it, give it to me! And your deaths will be quick!” Needless to say, none of those statements were overly inventive and had a certain repetitive pattern to them. Apparently, every demon saw itself as the fittest candidate to possess the jewel. But that was only natural. After all, there were times when the demon souls within the jewel itself were closer to the surface than they needed to be, and then they did the only thing they could - call out to others of their kind.

 

The three of them all readied their respective weapons and the first demon that dared fling itself at them was slashed to pieces by Sango´s boomerang before she even managed to finish her war cry of “Hiraikotsu!” which was the trusty weapon's name. Though it didn't contain holy power as the other's weapons did, it had been infused with various demon-harming poisons throughout the years and now was cared for much more often than when she had been alive. As it was made from the bones of demons, it should last very long - and it had to. It was her primary weapon and she never considered that thought that there might come a day she would go to battle without it. Another demon that got closer discovered that it was equally effective in close range as a blunt weapon, because his skull was bashed before he managed to land and kind of hit.

 

Miroku , being an equally seasoned fighter of youkai, managed to pinpoint the boar youkai as the ringleader of the group and went for him, though the first sutra that landed a hit seemed to only burn him tremendously and cause little to mild damage. He surprised the monk with a large mace-like weapon that was swung in his general direction, almost landing a hit and causing Miroku to trip. Before he could scramble to hit feet or be mashed into a pulp, however, a bright pink light engulfed the mace and the demon let it go with a loud yell. The arrow that hit the weapon bounced off it, now useless, but the mace also tumbled to the ground and gave the not-so-defenseless monk ample opportunity to give the boar an ample daily dose of sutras that, if not killing him, clearly at least paralyzed him into unconsciousness.

 

The monk gave Kagome a nod of thanks as she readied her bow to launch another holy arrow upon Sango´s shout of “Incoming!” The taiji-ya was meanwhile dealing with several demons at once, and when one of them, a large bear youkai, finally managed to knock the Hiraikotsu from its trajectory, she whipped out the short sword that had remained unused at her side only to slice the offending youkai to distract him while she retrieved her weapon. Two youkai that saw that this was a lost battle turned away to flee, but Miroku caught up with them and knocked both down with a swift spin of his staff. The smaller was knocked out, but the one that was still conscious managed to find out just how uncomfortable it could be to have a foot pressed to your throat, hard.

 

“Who sent you?” the monk demanded, giving more pressure and then lessening it, so that the demon could speak. Thus far, however, all the creature did was splutter and cough, which was a natural, if dissatisfying reaction. But this group of demons, while quite strong, could hardly have thought of this on their own. These were henchmen, clearly. “Tell me now; who sent you to steal the sacred jewel?”

 

But before the youkai got to speaking, the demon lying next to made a move to stab Miroku with the dagger he still held in his hand. When he only grazed the monk's hand with a small scratch, he used the moment when Miroku jumped away to avoid the blade and stabbed his comrade, dying himself soon enough. The monk swore slightly under his breath. Loyalty was hardly the thing he had counted on when dealing with thieves.

 

Kagome returned to his side, her bow losing its otherworldly shine as she relaxed her holy energy and examined the demons. She didn't really even have to say that they were dead. “This is bad.” Miroku noted, glancing at the priestess. “If they chose death rather than revealing even the slightest secret, we might have a full-scale conspiracy on our hands. And I suspect that these youkai were sent only to assess our general strength, not to truly steal the jewel from you, Kagome-sama.”

 

“Let's hope that you're wrong on that account, Miroku-sama.” Kagome said ruefully, because she could very well imagine just what that meant. They would have to be extra careful at the conclave and report to Koenma as soon as possible. Perhaps, if they gathered more clues, they would come to some conclusion.

 

And while the two of them believed everything was over now, Sango remained scouting around, weapon still at the ready. She might not possess the same level of spiritual awareness as the two others, but she was reasonably certain that they were still being watched by someone or something. The search drew her a bit further from the others, though she was still within earshot and saw them quite clearly, just in case she would need to intervene with an attack.

 

Never did she suspect anything else than the jewel being the target of the attack.

 

Sensing movement, she threw Hiraikotsu with all her might, allowing it to cut through the foliage. But she didn't see what she was aiming at and before she realized she had missed her invisible target, she felt a strange scent, flowery and at the same time quite the opposite, reach her and it knocked her out, gasmask or not, more effectively than a fist to her head ever could. The last thing she heard was Hiraikotsu swishing above her head, passing her when she couldn't summon the strength to catch it; the last impulse she felt were distinctly male arms wrapping themselves safely around her waist and lifting her from the ground. Then, she knew no more.

 

It was both the youki that suddenly surfaced and the impact of Hiraikotsu nearby that startled both Miroku and Kagome from their reverie. They both scrambled to their feet, but had no time to even ready their weapons. Kagome managed to fire one arrow, but by then, the creature she now perceived as a bird or bat youkai - the later being more probable - carrying the strangely limp body of Sango was too high and far for the holy energy to make direct contact. Both of them cried Sango´s name, but received no response.

 

Miroku was gripping his staff so hard it seemed to be a miracle that it didn't crack. Despite her own anguish, Kagome couldn't remember ever seeing the normally cheerful monk so agitated and enraged. Of course, she had long since suspected that Sango might mean more to him than he let her and the world know, but this was the final clue. This was despair, anguish, and fury. “Damn them.” He hissed, almost making Kagome back away. “This was their plan. Sango was the target, not you or the jewel.”

 

That was a possibility neither of them had considered and, finally, Kagome caught up with the idea Miroku was suggesting. “Because she doesn't have holy powers…”

 

“Indeed.” The monk nodded grimly. “Sango is an excellent fighter, but if captured by youkai, she has no such effective means of repelling them. I fear whoever has captured her will use her as bait for a trap.”

 

Kagome almost swore herself, but she was too saddened to even think of a fitting invective. That, of course, meant that whoever had arranged this little trap for them knew more about them than was fitting for a demon and had assessed them more accurately without even meeting them than most opponents had after many battles. The captors that held Sango knew that she and Miroku would never allow them to take their comrade without a fight.

 

A small noise was heard, accompanied by a much louder groan. The monk and the priestess sharply turned towards its source. It seemed that the boar youkai, while in great pain, had awakened from his paralysis. “S-s-so… this was… your plan… clever fox… bastard…”

 

He didn't even panic when approached by two people of high holy energy, because he was too injured and tired. Kagome crouched next to him, but Miroku remained standing, ready to slap on another sutra or two, should the demon get any ideas. The priestess perceived that he was too weak now and decided that he might respond better to kindness than to threats, as he would likely die no matter what they threatened him with.

 

“What fox?” she asked with a hint of gentleness. The boar youkai´s eyes wanted to snap to her fearfully, but almost howled in pain again in the attempt. “It's all right, don't be afraid. Tell me about him. You didn't know about this trick?”

 

While the boar clearly wasn't certain whether or not to trust her, he decided that if nothing else, he would at least help the kitsune´s enemies with his last words. “K-kurama…” he spluttered, hissing in pain just the same, as if it were a curse. “Youko K-kurama… s-sent… us…” but he didn't elaborate, as several things happened at once. The boar attempted to reach for the Shikon no Tama, which shone from around Kagome´s neck for all to see, retracted in pain and died due to the swift stab of Miroku´s staff, an automatic motion to protect Kagome from harm.

 

The priestess sighed and rose to her feet. “That was not yet necessary, Miroku-sama. The purity would have stopped him on its own accord.”

But the monk was thinking ahead and didn't really think about what had just happened. He seemed to be far too focused on avenging Sango´s capture. “He likely didn't know much anyway. This Youko Kurama, I've heard tales about him. He's said to be the most ruthless and successful thief here in Makai.”

”Rather fitting for a kitsune.” Kagome said, though it was devoid of her usual brightness. She had heard of the thief as well and was hardly pleased to have him on their tail. Especially since the stories seemed to hardly do him justice. “So what do we do now? If he has Sango…”

”I suppose it is only a matter of time before we are contacted.” The monk interjected, his face unnaturally grim. The mere mental image of Sango in a den of thieves, unconscious and at their mercy, was enough to enrage him. “Now that we know who the have the honor of dealing with, I doubt that we will have to wait for long.”