Somewhere To Belong: A Heated Battle

"So now what do we do?" asked Sango when they were all back at Kaede's hut.

"What do you mean, 'what do we do?'" snapped Inuyasha, "we do the same thing we've been doing... hunting down Naraku and finding the Jewel Shards. And, who knows? Maybe we'll find some answers for Suko along the way as well."



It was late afternoon by the time the group left from Kaede's village.

"So, Kagome, sense any Jewel Shards yet?" asked Inuyasha.

"Nuh-uh, not yet," she answered.

Suko looked all around her. The layout of the land was so beautiful. In her time, she had never seen such lush fields of green or trees as strong as the ones here. Nor breathed air as fresh as this.

They stopped at the bank of a narrow river.

"My feet are killing me," groaned Sango as she sat down on a nearby rock. She quickly removed one of her sandals and began rubbing her swollen, aching foot.

"I think this would be a good time to stop and rest," agreed Miroku, "we've been walking for hours."

"What are you guys talking about?" growled Inuyasha, "man, you guys are weak."

"I'll make us all something to eat," offered Kagome, digging into her backpack for supplies.

After a nice dinner of Ramen and Cheese Curls, the group decided they had best be on their way. They still had to find a safe place to set up camp before nightfall.

They walked a few hours more until they came to a vast meadow surrounded by rows upon rows of trees. By this time, it was nightfall. The sky was a beautiful midnight-blue color dotted with bright stars as far as the eye could see.

Suko was completely awestruck by the overwhelming beauty of everything around her from this time period. There was a certain majesty to this place that could be found in every rock, tree, and mountain. Suko just stood there for a moment, eyes closed, absorbing her surroundings. Breathing in every detail as if she might never get to experience it again.

"I guess you never really get to experience this side of nature where you're from, huh?" Miroku asked her, ashamed that he had disturbed her.

Suko smiled and said, "No, the air is not as clean and pure as this back home. I never really realized how beautiful nature could be."

Miroku said nothing, but smiled at her kindly. All too soon, though, his smile turned into a look of despair... "Something's coming," he said.

The wind picked up, but only for a moment, before a tall, slender woman with red, glowing eyes appeared before them, a fan clutched in her hand.

"Kagura!" said Inuyasha, releasing his Tetsusaiga from its sheath, "This just keeps getting better and better."

"Inuyasha, still as heroic as ever," she replied in a calm, soothing voice.

"What do you want, Kagura?" asked Inuyasha.

"My freedom," she replied, matter-of-factly. "Naraku promised me my freedom if I brought him the girl... now hand her over!"

"Not on your life!" swore Inuyasha.

"Then, I'll take her by force!" she yelled as she opened her fan with a flick of her wrist, "Dance of Dragons!" she commanded as a giant whirlwind appeared, kicking up soil and debris all around them.

"I don't think so!" Inuyasha declared, raising his Tetsusaiga high above his head. "Wind Scar!" he roared as he brought his sword crashing down to the earth in front of him. As he did so, 3 giant, yellow streaks of light erupted from Tetsusaiga causing Kagura's whirlwind to dissipate.

"We have to help him!" Suko screamed, frantically. "He's going to be killed!" she yelled as she ran to Inuyasha's side to help him in whatever way she could.

"Suko, NO!" Kagome and the others yelled out after her, but their cries were in vain.

"Inuyasha!" called Suko.

"What in the hell are you doing out here? Get back there with Kagome and the others!" Inuyasha snapped, " Can't you see that I'm trying to protect you?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Inuyasha," Suko protested.

"You IDIOT!" Inuyasha yelled, "I don't have time for this!"

Across from them, Kagura smiled a wicked smile. "Thank you for joining us. You have made this all too easy for me... Dance of Blades!!!" Kagura cried as half a dozen sharp blades (of air?) flew at Inuyasha and Suko.

Inuyasha jumped in front of Suko to block her from being hit, when they heard a cry of, "Hiraikotsu!" as a giant boomerang destroyed the on-coming blades.

"Good work, Sango!" Inuyasha called to the Demon Slayer hovering above their heads on the back of Kirara, her cat demon.

"Dance of Dragons!" Kagura commanded again, the sound of annoyance in her voice. This time the spiral wind was directed at Sango and Kirara. They tried to move away from the tornado, but were struck down, despite all of their efforts.

"Sango!" Kagome screamed as she watched her friend falling, helplessly, to the ground.

"Transform!" cried Shippo with all of his might as he turned into a giant pink bubble that Sango landed, safely on.

"Thanks, Shippo," Sango said, gratefully.

"I've had enough!" yelled Inuyasha as he ran at Kagura with his sword held high, ready to cut her to pieces.

"Dance of Blades!" Kagura yelled again, releasing, yet, another wave of blades.

"Ugnh!" Suko cried as she sank to her knees. But no one heard her cries over their own deafening roars of, "Be careful, Inuyasha," and, "Kill her, Inuyasha!" Nor did they notice her as she sank weakly to the ground.

Suko looked down at her stomach where she had caught the blade. She was bleeding rather profusely, now, her shirt soaked with blood. She could feel herself losing consciousness as the world around her swirled at an alarming rate. She closed her eyes and let the darkness overtake her as she was, once again, filled with the warmth of her necklace. "This is the end for me," she thought, unaware that she was being lifted up and carried away from this heated battle.

"No! Get back here with her!" shrieked Kagura with desperation. She watched in horror as the great Youkai Lord of the Western Lands flew off with her ticket to freedom.

"Inuyasha!" yelled Kagome, "Sesshomaru took Suko!"

'That bastard!" Inuyasha fumed, "We'll find her as soon as I finish off Kagura."

Kagura turned from the direction that Sesshomaru had flown off in back toward Inuyasha, who was holding his Tetsusaiga, rather firmly, aimed at her.

"Are you ready to die, Kagura?" he asked, menacingly.

"No, thanks," she replied as she plucked a feather from her hair. They all watched as the feather grew large enough to hold Kagura's body and flew away with her on the back of the wind.