As the fox stranger hopelessly hacked away at the invisible barrier, wailing to the departed friend to return, Inuyasha himself began to feel the desperation of the situation, and even though he knew Kikyo was now gone and out of their reach for now, the loss of Kagome, Sango, and Miroku began to wash over him and he could feel the fox kid's desperateness. Gritting his teeth, brows lowering, he stepped forward slowly and placed a clawed hand on the kid's dusty green sleeve, "Save it, kid . . . She's gone. First thing's first."
The violently swinging sword slowed it's motions as the twinkle shimmering across the blade faded leaving it a plain, dull white surface, and the foxkid's ears peeled back. Silver brows pressed together as tightly as they could, watery yellow eyes lifted slowly up to the red robed warrior as the foreign fox let that bushy tail lower to the ground in behind. With a bit of a squeak and the hint of a whine, the kid asked up to him, "We're gonna get her . . . right?"
The half-demon blinked at first, almost surprised at the kid's sudden change of tone and then realized that it was just a kid after all, despite the thirst for sword-swinging, then nodded, " . . . But first, let's make sure Kagome and the others have bodies to come back to, all right?" And just on cue, the singing voice of the little kitsune was heard coming up from behind them, "Inuyasha!"
The two fighters turned, the stranger replacing the sword back to it's place behind the big buckled belt. They saw a teary-eyed Shippou riding on the head of Kirara while four soulless bodies were carefully placed across the demon cat's back as the feline placed it's flaming paws carefully upon the underbrush, walking slowly to not loose it's cargo, "Are . . . Kagome and everybody gonna be all right?" Shippou asked between sniffles.
Just great, Inuyasha thought, now he was going to have to babysit two crying baby foxes--that is, until he was interrupted from responding by a loud blast of squeaky voice.
"You betcha, lil guy! Don't worry, Inuyasha'n me are gonna take care of that ol' witch and get everybody back to normal--maybe better! Just wait'n see! We're pros--Right, Mister Inuyasha, sir?" the stranger danced forward, looking suddenly rather chipper with both ears perked forward, tail curled and swaying with the kid's bouncing movements. A gloved hand met Shippou's bangs and ruffled them playfully around as the stranger neared, then looked back to Inuyasha throwing an enthusiastic thumb into the air and emphasizing it with a big toothy grin of needle-sharp teeth. Inuyasha blinked a couple of times, then answered with a long stride and a, "Let's just get everybody to the nearest village where they'll be safe."
"That's the spirit! Business first--I like it! C'mon, my fellow foxling and feline friend!" the kid hoisted Shippou up onto one shoulder and let the kitsune's little fuzzy feet dangle around the kid's neck carrying him piggyback style to spare the cat any more weight to carry, and danced off letting Inuyasha keep the lead.
Shippou rubbed his nose and rode on the stranger's shoulders, feeling slightly more relieved with the other fox's reassuring tone, and so he grabbed onto each big fuzzy ear and leaned forward to look down at the stranger's face as well as he could, "My name's Shippou, and this is Kirara--You already know Inuyasha. So what's your name and where do you come from?"
"I am known as Fox Dodgers, professional pirate, awesome adventurer, hero for hire and great swashbuckler! Pleazz'd ta meetcha, Shippou and Kirara!" Dodgers bounced with each step, making the little foxling's ride a bit more interesting and fun all the while swishing that big silvery tail this way and that.
Shippou began to laugh a little bit at the excitement in Fox Dodgers' voice and the bouncy ride and he tightened his little fists around those big ears a little and hopped slightly with each bounce, especially when Dodgers broke into a speedy run around Inuyasha and Kirara once they came to the road to the village.
Inuyasha watched in annoyed silence, yet thought to himself that perhaps the stranger Dodgers wasn't so bad, at least he kept Shippou's spirits up so the little kitsune wouldn't be left to cry all over Inuyasha--he just didn't need that right now.
Then all of the sudden, the two pairs of canine ears perked, bare feet and bulky boots stilling their movements on the road to listen.
Shippou blinked and looked down at Dodgers, then all around at Inuyasha's still sillouhette in the starlit night, and back at Kirara cumbersomely padding forward with a load of people, "Hey, what's going--" but was hushed by Inuyasha unsheathing the Tetsusaiga and Dodgers' gloved hand reaching back to hold up a finger in front of Shippou's face. A large drop of sweat fell down the side of his face with this sudden reaction, and Shippou stared wide-eyed and bristle-tailed at the finger as each of Dodgers' ears perked and swiveled around to listen. "Shippou, you and Kirara take Kagome and the others to the village; we'll catch up to you . . . "
Just as Inuyasha gave order, Dodgers picked up the kitsune by the scruff of his shirt and set him on Kirara's back before pulling the slender blade from it's hiding place behind the kid's big buckled belt.
Quivering with fear, Shippou stared at the two warriors as Dodgers faced their rear, sword held up high, and Inuyasha stared up ahead to the side of the road intently with the Tetsusaiga's blade shimmering in the moonlight. Then Kirara carefully stepped up into the air, and flew off carring the frightened kitsune and the soulless crowd towards town just as directed.
"Brother . . . " a cold, melodic voice came from a line of darkness which formed and began to open up with more darkness until a figure apeared in it, wreathed in twinkling stars as black robes trimmed in red flowed with the stirring of an unearthly wind before Inuyasha.
"Brother . . . " a cold, emotionless voice came from a burst of light as a figure in light native clothing appeared, long silver hair flowing, a thoughtful stare of golden eyes framed by violet stripes along sharp cheekbones as a man floated with toes barely above the ground before Dodgers.
"Huh??" Inuyasha and Dodgers simultaneous reactions were loudly voiced.
Inuyasha stared with brow raised at the frail body before him, hidden by dark foreign robes, flowing violet-tinted red hair with dark stripes cascading in a starry breeze which began to part around him, one pale and slender hand grasping a dark staff which was crowned with sharp curved points to surround a clear orb, and the pair of violet red eyes which had fallen upon him.
And Dodgers blinked at the fair, masculine character before him in a frilly white and pink outfit, a puff of white fur draped over his shoulder, long long gurly white hair, and pink eye-shadow . . .
An awkward silence followed as the would-be opponents stared with just as much confusion at the canine-eared heroes before them and unanimous drops of sweat formed upon all four foreheads. Then at last, they each turned their attentions to their appropriate targets.
Each pair of yellow eyes turned over their own shoulders, and brows lifted in recognition as both Inuyasha and Dodgers seemed to recognize their opponents now, "Oh . . . "
"Sesshoumaru, I don't have time for you now!" Inuyasha yelled, growling and holding Tetsusaiga aggressively as if to intimidate his opponent out of combat.
"What's the matter, my fox-tailed brother, have you lost your pet?" thin darkly painted lips curved into a wicked grin as the cat-eared sorcerer looked to Dodgers, letting a black speckled feline tail sway gracefully to one side as the base of the staff was placed forward, red-trimmed robes falling upon the ground as it's owner landed.
Tail suddenly bristling, bulky boots slapped the ground in a quick rhythm as Dodgers charged past Inuyasha, teeth grit with a growl, eyes narrowed and flaming yellow, "What do YOU know of it, Amarin???" A gleam of morning blue and sky gold swooshed through the air at the smirky sorcerer until a glitter of red clouded the clear orb of the staff at first and a burst of flame flew forth at the attacker and Amarin cackled with satisfaction.
"Hm, with your friend occupied in his own struggle, it seems you have no one left to help you, Inuyasha. Do you still wish to claim you deserve the Tetsusaiga more then I?" Sesshoumaru looked with amusement in his eyes upon the situation as the half-demon's red robes puffed up with Inuyasha's sudden anger.
"It's My Sword!" Inuyasha roared as he rushed forward as well, muscles tensed as he forcefully sliced the huge blade through the air at his brother in blind rage.
Darting to the side with all the casualness in the world, Sesshoumaru closed his clawed fingers around Inuyasha's wrist with all too much ease, holding his brother in place long enough to speak in a soft tone, "So the battle begins."
