Bearing the brunt of the attack, Entei smashed hard into the side of the mountain, Kagome continuing to fall past him with increasing speed. A scream trailed from her lips as she plummeted helplessly toward the ground far, far below–when, suddenly, her free-fall ended, the air leaving her lungs in a winded oomph.

Sitting up breathlessly, Kagome rubbed at her stinging back, her eyes wide with wonder. “…Jakken?” As the imp cast her a withering glance over his shoulder, she lunged for him across Ah-Un’s scaly spine, seizing him in a smothering hug. “You saved me!”

The imp choked and struggled in her hold, his cheeks flaring puce as he finally managed to wriggle free. “Unhand me, wench! It was merely a repayment–this Jakken refuses to be indebted to a human!”

Kagome smiled obligingly. “Okay, okay–I get it. We’re even.”

As the imp huffed and righted his skewed cap, she scanned anxiously around for Entei, her tense features relaxing as his familiar orange-and-white form glided toward them. Shaking dust and bits of slate from his luxurious mane, the horse youkai alighted wearily on the dragon’s back as well.

“Oh, Entei-san!” Kagome exclaimed, throwing her arms around his blazing neck. “I was so worried…” Peering up at the dark cloud of demons bearing down on them, she gulped. “Scratch that—I’m still worried. Jakken! We need to get back to the fortress.”

Quailing at the sight of the youkai horde as well, the imp hopped back into the saddle and scrabbled for Ah-Un’s reins. This time, the two-headed dragon didn’t need much coercing. Caught off guard, Kagome lurched forward as the normally unhurried beast plunged down toward the plateau at breakneck speed. They hit the ground like a ton of bricks, the passengers tumbling off on impact.

“Kagome-san!” Ayame called out in concern, her arms tightening around Kouga’s unconscious form.

Woozy, Kagome picked herself up as the other wolves rushed over, more than a few worried muzzles lifting toward the darkened sky. “We’ve got company,” she rasped out, pointing toward the encroaching demon horde.

The Elder wolf nodded gravely, turning to the fortress. “Let us take cover at once.”

As the wolves pushed open the towering stone gates, Ginta and Hakkaku lifted Kouga between them. After carefully passing off her fiancé, Ayame approached Kagome. Frowning, the miko shook her head.

“Kagura escaped with the Jewel shard.” Her troubled gaze rose toward the mountain summit—beyond which the wind witch had fled, and where Sesshoumaru was fighting still. “I’m sorry, Ayame-san.”

“You’ve done more than enough for us,” the wolf girl said sincerely, taking Kagome by the wrist as she turned. “Now, let’s go—we need to get inside with the others.”

As she and Kagome raced ahead of the impending youkai storm, the miko forced herself to stay focused. While she wanted nothing more than to rejoin Sesshoumaru, she was unarmed and running on empty. The best thing she could do for both of them was to hunker down with the others and wait.

“Where did all those demons come from, anyway?” the wolf demoness asked.

“Naraku,” Kagome replied, remembering Kagura’s agonized expression. “I’m sure it was him…”

As they swept through the gates with the demon swarm on their heels, the wolves leapt to action, closing and barring the gigantic doors behind them. For a moment, Kagome stared in awe at the space before her—an expansive, glittering cavern at least five times as large as Kouga’s den. Standing bronze sconces lit the dwelling, illuminating the mounted arms and ornate engravings, the rich hides and the shimmering, reflective pool at the cavern’s center.

On a striped hide near the entrance, Kouga lay, his loyal packmates hovering around him. Ayame went to him at once, the wolf prince’s eyes sliding open toward her as she took up his claws in her own.

Kagome slipped down from Entei with a tired smile. Turning away, she led her horse companion over to Jakken and Ah-Un, the pair of them both collapsing against the dragon’s warm belly. Outside, she could hear the vast array of demons raining against the front wall of the fortress like some sort of vicious, malignant hail. Her brow creased with worry as she caught the white wolf’s eye.

“The gates will hold, won’t they?” she asked Ayame’s grandfather.

“Our ritual wards were dispelled during the invasion. It will take time to reinstate them,” the Elder answered. Judging by the weight of his look, he seemed to share her concern.

Together, they watched the stone doors creak and grind. The collective force of such a swarm was immense, but these were base, mindless youkai—disorganized and undirected, driven only by their own mad, selfish desires to possess the Shikon fragment in Kouga’s left leg.

…Or so she thought.

All of a sudden, the pressure against the gates abated—only to return with many times the strength as the demons struck as one. A crack formed in the stone beam barring the doors, Kagome and the Elder both leaping to their feet as the others backed away in trepidation.

“The wards!” Ayame’s grandfather barked toward the center of the cavern, where a group of wolves knelt before a fang-shaped altar. “We must raise them now.”

“We are trying, Elder-sama,” the beta wolf panted in reply, his gaze slanting dubiously toward Jakken. “Perhaps a sacrifice would accelerate the process…”

The imp squeaked, taking cover behind Kagome. Striding past her, the Elder approached the altar himself.

“That one’s blood is not sufficient to the task.” Jakken made an indignant sound, Kagome tensing as the Elder bowed his head. “We shall use mine.”

“Grandfather, no!” Ayame cried.

“There is no other way,” the white wolf replied somberly. “The gates must be sealed.”

Kagome’s breath lodged in her throat. Sealed…

“Wait!” she shouted, running forward. “Don’t kill anyone—I have an idea!”

Barreling past a couple of baffled wolves, Kagome made for the straining stone doors. The central cross-beam had nearly buckled. As the tide of demons outside surged back once more, Kagome drew in a breath, her mind clearing as she braced her hands one on each door.

Lock the gate, she thought, channeling her dwindling reserves of reiki to her palms. Doesn’t get much more straightforward than that…

Her power spread out in a muted glow, coating the cracked gates in a dappled sheen of pink. As the battering ram of youkai struck again, her seal held fast, the rectangle of light shivering faintly as it absorbed the enemy attack.

“Gramps, look—Kagome-san’s sealed the gates!” Ayame called back in relief.

“Miko, how long will your spell hold?” the wolf Elder asked as he returned to her side.

“I-I’m not sure—but I’ll keep it in place for as long as I can!”

Gritting her teeth, Kagome leaned forward, reinforcing the seal as the enemy horde charged the gates again. Her palms and brow sweated from exertion, her weary soul aching as its essence continued to bleed out through her scalding fingertips.

Sesshoumaru… she thought desperately as she paused to catch her breath. …Sesshoumaru, please be safe.

---

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

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