Chapter 37

It never rains but it pours




"Shit." Mai whispered, as she saw Sesshomaru approaching with a malicious grin on his face. She felt all color leaving her face – what an irony: she just avoided a danger only to face a bigger one. The girls quickly jumped on their feet. Kagome looked at Mai's terrified face and moved in front of her friend, shielding her with her body.

"Don't come closer, Sesshomaru!" Kagome called to the demon. Sesshomaru didn't stop. He glared at the black-haired girl.

"Do not stand in my way." He said calmly. Hearing his words, Mai grabbed Kagome by a hem of her blouse and shoved her aside. She didn't want to get killed, but she wouldn't be happy with her best friend sacrificing her life either. Surprised Kagome tried to shield Mai once more, but the girl stopped her.

"Don't. He'll kill you." Mai hissed to her friend. Sesshomaru's attention turned from Kagome to Mai. Terrified girl observed, as the demon hid Tokijin and flexed his fingers, ready to end what he started two months ago. She gulped, sure, that the end was near.

"KAGOME!" a male voice yelled. Both girls and Sesshomaru turned towards the source of the sound. Inuyasha with transformed Tessaiga on his shoulder darted to them and leaped into the air, landing between the girls and his brother. He looked at Kagome over his shoulder, ensuring she was all right. She nodded and smiled at him, grateful, that the hanyou got here just in time. Mai let out a breath, she was holding, feeling relieved.

However, Sesshomaru was not so pleased – the demon glared at the hanyou, irritated, that he dared to interrupt. Neither of the brothers made a move. They were just standing still and observing each other, ready for counterattack – Inuyasha gripping Tessaiga and Sesshomaru with the hand on Tokijin's hilt.

Suddenly, the both brothers and Kagome sensed something, that Mai couldn't. Her friend turned her head upwards. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha forgot completely about their stare contest and concentrated on the same spot as the black-haired girl. Mai looked at their focused faces and glanced in that direction. She saw a dark cloud forming out of nowhere.

"Oh, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, it seems like you managed to save your women. How impressive." The cloud said the word in a deep, male voice. Inuyasha furrowed his brows, tightening the grip on Tessaiga's hilt and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. As Mai looked at the demon's face, she could tell, he was extremely pissed. He barely managed to refrain himself from transforming – his demons markings began to get jagged and golden eyes gleamed with wrath.

"Naraku, do not assume, that this Sesshomaru would be bothered by the death of those humans!" the demon hissed to the cloud. Mai gasped. Naraku! So that was him!

The dark cloud laughed maliciously and started to dissolve.

"He's escaping!" Kagome shouted, pointing Naraku with her finger.

"I will not let him." Sesshomaru growled, as his eyes become red and his powerful demonic aura flared up around him.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled to his brother, but Sesshomaru paid no attention to the hanyou. Mai covered her eyes with her arm, when she was blinded by a purple light. When she lowered her arm, she saw the demon, transformed into his true form of a huge dog, leaping into the air and chasing the cloud.

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's sleeve.

"Inuyasha! Can't we follow him?" she asked, looking after Naraku and Sesshomaru disappearing in the clouds. The half-demon gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He shook his head.

"I can't smell his scent anymore. Sesshomaru has a better nose than me." Inuyasha admitted. "If anyone can follow Naraku, it can be only him."

The three of them fell silent, Kagome and Inuyasha regretting, that Naraku managed to get away again. Mai felt, that she was getting a terrible headache. She was only a couple of hours in the feudal era and she got herself kidnapped again, some demon tried to kill her, then she ran into Sesshomaru – why the hell did she have that idiotic idea of jumping into the well? In her time she lead a miserable life, but at least was safe.

"So…" she spoke up. "that was Naraku?"

"Yeah." Answered Inuyasha, folding his arms. The hanyou shot a quick look at Mai and examined Kagome, worry in his eyes. "Kagome, are you really all right?" he asked. Kagome nodded and opened her mouth, about to reply – but Mai was faster. Fed up by being ignored, she shoved Kagome aside and glared at the hanyou.

"Yes, more or less, we are fine. We just got kidnapped by some Kagura and a bunch of youkai, then a demon tried to murder us and we were running away from more youkai, who wanted to kill us. Oh, and Sesshomaru was about to murder me too." She recited with anger in her voice. Inuyasha was a bit taken aback by her tirade. Kagome patted Mai's shoulder to calm the friend and smiled.

"We're okay, Inuyasha. Let's go back." She said. Inuyasha sent a glare at Mai and nodded. Kagome climbed on his back.

"Come on, Mai! Don't stand there!" she called. Mai furrowed her brows. Kagome didn't mean, that she should also…

"Mai, get on my back!" Inuyasha said impatiently, rolling his eyes. Hesitantly, Mai climbed next to Kagome, trying to get the silver mane of Inuyasha's hair out of her eyes. She yelped, as the hanyou jumped forward and rushed at his full speed. She clutched his red kimono, not to fall off.

"Inuyasha, where's Sango and Miroku?" Kagome asked casually.

"They went after Kohaku. We're meeting in the village." The hanyou answered. Mai cursed, as she felt, that she was slipping of his back and gripped his hair to pull herself up.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" yelled Inuyasha.

"Shut up and run!" Mai screamed back, satisfied, that she managed not to fall off.

"You shut up!" the hanyou yelled back. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. Mai was about to argue more, but Kagome stopped her.

"Calm down, both of you! Geez, why you have to behave like kids?" the black-haired girl scolded them and earned a poisonous glare from Mai along with "Feh!" from Inuyasha.
Sometime later Inuyasha managed to carry the two girls to Kaede's village, where the old miko, Shippo, Sango with Kirara and lecherous monk Miroku were already waiting for them. Mai got of the hanyou's back as soon as possible. The greeting took some time, while everyone exchanged information about the confrontation with Naraku and his minions. Apparently, Sango and Miroku were attacked by Kohaku, the demon-slayer's little brother, who was now working for Naraku. Bored Mai coaxed Kaede into making her some tea.

The old priestess passed a cup to the girl and gave her a small pouch, filled with some smelly plants. Mai examined it carefully.

"What is it?" she asked finally. The old woman cleared her throat.

"The herbs inside the pouch will hide your scent from demons. You must always carry this pouch with you, even in bath." Kaede said with a serious look in her eyes. Mai nodded slowly.

"You mean hide from Sesshomaru?" she made sure.

"Aye."

The girl hanged it immediately on her neck, thinking, that now, when the demon knew she was here again, she would really need it.



Soon Kagome said goodbye, finally leaving to see her family and write some tests and Inuyasha flew on Kirara to visit Totosai, leaving Mai under the protection of Miroku and Sango.

Sango and Mai were chatting about what they would like Kagome to bring along with her from the present time, while Miroku and Shippo were just laying on the grass by the river, after the girls dressed the minor wounds, the monk had.

"Last time Kagome-chan brought something called strawberry shampoo, the hair after washing with it was very silky." Sango said and Mai nodded vigorously.

"Yes, but I like also the one that smells of grapefruit." The girl answered, stretching her arms. Sango furrowed her brows, trying to remember something.

"I think I've tried it once, but cherry scent is the best." Sango replied and turned her head in the other direction. "I wonder if something did happen."

Mai also turned her head and Miroku stood up. A man, from his looks a plain villager, was running in towards the shouting something. When he caught up, he panted heavily, fighting to catch breath.

"The village… under attack… a youkai" he managed to utter. Miroku picked up his staff and Sango placed hiraikotsu on her back. Sango turned to Mai.

"Stay here with Shippo." The demon-slayer told Mai. "We'll come back for you, when we'll kill this youkai."

"Okay. We'll wait. It's not like I'll be kidnapped the second time today." Said Mai, watching as her two protectors and the villager ran towards the village, leaving her with the little fox-demon.



"What an eventful day." Shippo commented. Mai nodded.

"Umm. I would prefer it to be boring, though." The girl said, snorting at the thought, that before the adventure with the cursed mirror she wished for her life to be more interesting. And when it was, somehow she couldn't enjoy it.

"I wonder how when Sango and Miroku will be back." Shippo said, but Mai didn't listen to him, as she spotted a dark shape in the sky, getting bigger and bigger, as though it was approaching. It was quite a familiar sight.

"Shippo…" she began, pointing at the shape. The little fox demon squinted his eyes and yelped.

"It's a demon!" the fox-youkai screamed and started running away, grabbing the hem of Mai's dress. The girl gripped the kid's collar, almost effortlessly lifting him of the ground and darted towards the village. She didn't manage to run far, as the bluish energy ball hit the path before her as a warning and she heard a loud thud behind her back, indicating, that something really heavy just landed. Mai whirled around, ushering Shippo out of the danger's way.

She gasped, when she saw the demon.

"Ah-Un? What are you doing here?" she asked. In front of her was indeed standing Sesshomaru's dragon and was waving his tail in a friendly way. He came closer to Mai and sniffed her cautiously, tilting its heads in confusion, as the herbs in the pouch masked the girl's scent. Shippo yelped and hid himself behind her and Mai patted each head.

"Mai, maybe it's Sesshomaru's trap." Shippo said, but she rolled her eyes.

"If he wanted to get me, he would come himself. I doubt, that he is even capable of grasping the idea of setting a trap." Mai answered. But something was strange. She was wondering, what the beast was doing here alone – without Jaken and Rin or the silver-haired demon. Maybe something happened? Mai suddenly felt a stab of pain in her heart, when she thought of the worst. "Ah-Un, did something happen?" she asked nervously. The dragon roared and nodded its heads vigorously. Mai paled slightly.

"Is someone in danger? Under attack?" she asked, but Ah-Un didn't give much of response. "Hurt?"
The dragon nodded vigorously again.

"Is it Rin?" Mai asked, fearing for the child. Ah-Un stayed still, as if considering something, but after a moment he started nodding fervently.

Mai cursed loudly. That idiot Sesshomaru Rin left chasing Naraku and now the child must be wounded, scared and helpless. How could he be so irresponsible! She knew, that helping Rin could mean huge trouble, but the kid's life was more important. She grabbed the first-aid kit, that Kagome left behind and approached the dragon. She was about to mount it, when Shippo grabbed her ankle with both his arms.

"What are you doing?!" the fox youkai screamed.

"Let go, Shippo! I have to help Rin!" Mai shouted at him, freeing herself from the grasp of little arms. She climbed on the dragon and took the reins.

"I'll be back as soon as possible." She said to Shippo and turned to the beast. "Go, Ah-Un!"



The dragon leapt into the air and Mai clutched the saddle stronger, careful not to lose the first-aid kit. She shut her eyes tightly, cursing her fear of heights. The flight was quite long - when Ah-Un finally landed and Mai managed to gather the courage to open her eyes, she saw, that the sun was already setting. She slipped of the beast's back. The dragon pointed at something with one of his heads and took off, leaving the girl alone on the ground.

"Ah-Un, you bastard! Come down!" Mai screamed after the creature, but it already disappeared in the clouds. What the hell was wrong with it? The girl glanced in the direction, Ah-Un was pointing before, and saw something like an entrance to the cave. Rin must be there! She ran quickly to it and peeked inside. It took a while for her eyes to accustom to the dim light.

There, inside the cave, she saw a figure lying, but it wasn't Rin. It was Sesshomaru.