Ice and Snow, Mind and Heart

Chapter 19: Naraku

"Arctic Storm!" Yuki shouted, attacking first.

Her most powerful attack, it built up a storm around her before flinging sharpened ice blades in the direction of her attack. Demons screamed as they were impaled and shredded apart by the ice, while Yuki's eyes flashed light-blue as her white hair swirled around her powerfully.

The attack took out at least fifty demons, and Shippo gasped in admiration while Miroku called: "Good work, Yuki!"

As the attack died off and another wave of demons charged at them, Sango sprang into action.

"Hiraikotsu!" She shouted, throwing her weapon and slicing through another dozen or demons.

Miroku ran forward as well, swinging his staff to take out more demons himself as Yuki leapt over them, swinging her knives and shouting: "Winter Blaze!"

Another thirty demons fell, lacerated to pieces, while Miroku glanced at the hut the demons surrounded almost protectively.

"Oh, now I understand." He murmured. "They don't want us to get near that house."

"And I know why!" Yuki snarled as she swung her knives and cut down more demons.

Miroku glanced at her briefly, while Kagome's eyes widened as she saw movement from behind the hut. She gasped as she saw Kohaku, with a familiar little girl beside him, started to take off into the air on a long, dragon-like demon.

Kagome wasn't the only one who'd noticed.

"Kohaku!" Sango cried as she started to try and get closer to the boy, only to be cut off by the many demons, but Kagome's head turned sharply as Yuki's voice rang out sharply: "RIN!"

The little girl turned her head, eyes wide and lighting up with recognition as she spotted the white-haired half-demoness fighting the demons.

"Yuki!" The girl cried, when suddenly Kohaku took off quickly, taking Rin with him as the girl squealed in surprise.

"Rin!" Yuki shouted, before her view was blocked by more demons.

"Move!" She snarled at them, not in the mood to play nice. "Arctic Storm!"

Instantly, the demons were cut down and Yuki shot off through the small opening she had. Trusting the others to be able to take care of themselves, she raced after Kohaku and Rin, fearing for the girl's life as she had seen the chilling blank look in the boy's eyes.

Kagome tried to follow, only to cry out as demons came right at her, having spotted her and Shippo. But before they could reach her, a familiar voice shouted: "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

Kagome looked up in relief as Inuyasha came leaping in, taking out the demons and saving her.

Her relief was short as she began urgently: "Inuyash-"

"Kagome." He interrupted just as urgently. "Kohaku was here, wasn't he?"

"You just missed him – and Yuki." Kagome confirmed quickly.

Inuyasha growled, but Kagome added: "You could probably catch up to him. I can still sense his Sacred Jewel shard close by."

"And I smell Yuki." He growled, turning to go, when Sango spotted him and called from where she'd been fighting more demons: "Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha had already pulled Kagome up onto his back, piggybacking her, and he called back: "I'm going ahead! We don't have any time to lose!"

He raced off, wild with worry about what Naraku had said about Kohaku, about a girl named Rin... and about Yuki.