Stone

~Last Chapter~

"You have one as well, so that make's four."
Azuka frowned and crossed her arms.
"Is this why you searched me out?"

"Nay, I searched you out because I need to talk to you, where prying ear's cannot hear."
Azuka nodded and set up a sound barrier. Kagora was impressed, not many could summon a sound barrier so effectively.

~Chapter Two~

"What do you want?"
Azuka asked the wind demoness passively, crossing her arms.
"I am entrapped by Naraku. I want to help you destroy him."
Azuka arched a brow at this.

"Is that so? Hmm, what makes you think I can trust you?"
Kagora opened her hand to reveal three sacred jewel shards.

Azuka frowned.

"I will give these to you. I found them, I did not take them from Naraku, he would know if I had."
Azuka snatched up the shards.

"This only mean's you have my attention wind youkia."
Kagora nodded.

"I understand, I would do the same. But I assure you, fox, I want Naraku dead just as much as Inuyasha."
Azuka glanced off to the side.

"You must prove your self to me."
Kagora frowned, but nodded.
"How? Naraku knows everything that I do."
Azuka smirked.

"This will be simple."
Kagora blinked at the cunning smile on the fox's face.

~

Kagome looked up at the sky and sighed.
"You've been spaced out allot today Kagome, are you ok?"
Sango asked, coming up next to the younger girl. Kagome blinked.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine."

Inuyasha snorted.

"Yeah right, worrying about them test's again are ya Kagome?"
Kagome sighed.
"No, actually, I don't have another test till next week."

Inuyasha snorted again, but chose not to comment. Miroku sighed and looked back at the girl's from his position next to Inuyasha. Running a hand down the back of his neck, he looked forward again.

Sango stared at his back, before sighing herself and looking of to the side. Kagome noticed this and smiled sadly.
"So make a move."

Sango blinked.

"Huh?"
Kagome nudged her with her elbow.
"Go make a move! Show him that you’re the only girl for him."

Sango gave her a skeptical look.
"Yeah, use your own advice."

Kagome stopped.
"Eh?!"
Sango giggled and covered her mouth. Kagome blushed cherry red.
"Hey! No fair! You can't use my own word's against me!"

She smiled, jogging back up to Sango's side. Sango smiled and looked at the sky.
"Think I just did."
She glanced at the schoolgirl who was still red in the face.

"Ok, ok, ok, ok!"
Kagome said, holding up her hand's, she stopped and watched as the guy's moved further away, then whispered into Sango's ear.
"If you get Miroku to admit he like's you too, I'll do the same with Inuyasha."

Sango jerked.

"What?! That's not fair!"
Kagome sighed.

"Ok, how about we do it at the same time?"
Sango frowned and bit her lip, contemplating it.

"I guess it couldn't hurt."
"Yeah! The worst he could say is no."
"That's about as bad as it gets, though."

Both girls sighed, letting their shoulder's sag.
"Yeah, I know what'cha mean."
Kagome said, glaring at Inuyasha's back. Inuyasha frowned and looked over his shoulder.
"Oi! You two coming or what?!"
Kagome and Sango jogged back up to them, giggling.

~

"Bloody hell!"

Kagora cursed as she looked down at herself. She was covered, head to toe in mud, she looked up at the tree and sighed.
In the tree was a bird's nest, in the nest was a mother crow demon. Kagora had to retrieve one of the feather's, without hurting the crow, or getting hurt herself. While covered in mud... What fun.

"Damnit... The shit I do for.. Grr!"

She gave up and started climbing the trees.

"Remember, no using your youkia ability's...."

Azuka's laughing words echoed in her head. Once she was done, she then had to drink two corks of sake, bring the feather to Naraku and tell him that she wanted the head of Inuyasha on a platter.
She didn't understand why Azuka told her to tell him that, but she trusted the fox. She was crafty and she knew somehow, it would all fit in.

She popped her head up behind the crow and held her breath. The creature squawked and shifted. She rolled her eyes and tugged at one of the tail feathers. It came loose easily.

She ducked just as the creature turned, squawking and tended to it's tail.

She climbed back down and sighed. She made her way to the nearest village, ignoring the human's and bought two corks or sake. Azuka said it was essential for her to buy them then guzzle them before returning to Naraku to give him the black feather.

The villager was frightened, but was glad she simply bought the sake and left without a word.
She downed them quickly and got on her large feather, heading towards Naraku's castle.

About half way, she started giggling at her predicament. Soon the giggle's turned into out right laughter.
Stumbling into the mansion, she clutched the feather to her chest and roared with laughter, stumbling down the hall's.
Naraku met her in the hall, looking furious.

"Kagora!"

Kagora sobered up quickly and gasped.
"What's 'wrong' with you?"

That's when he smelt the sake.

"Why are you covered in mud?"
Kagora's lip's moved as she tried to remember what she was supposed to say.
"I.... Nar... Naraku!"

She gasped as if remembering his name, pointing at him.
"Inuyasha! Yeah Inuyasha! I want... I want his HEAD on.... A... A cup? No, no, no, it was... Oh yea!! A platter! I want his arm-his HEAD on a platter!"
Naraku sneered at her, disgusted.
"Oh, and this is for you."

She held out the black feather, swaying slightly, trying to look serious, her eyes wide.
Naraku snatched the feather from her, earning a giggle. He snarled and stormed off. Kagora leaned against the wall and covered her muddy forehead, she was sweating.

She giggled again and slid down the wall into a sitting position and passed out.

~

Azuka snickered as she watched the wind demoness through her mind eye.
'Good, the first pawn on my chess bored has been moved, now Naraku, it's your turn to make a move.'

~

Naraku sat down next to his table of puppets, poison, scroll's and powder's.
He twirled the black feather in his fingers. An image of a girl, with white hair and gold eye's flashed in his head, a black feather woven into her hair.

A small flicker of foxfire lit up before him, and took the shape of a chessboard. The last pawn to the right moved forward two spaces.

He snarled and held the feather over a candle, watching it burn before turning his molten eyes on the chessboard.

"So Azuka, you wish to play game's? Fine, I will play by your rule's."
Suddenly, Azuka appeared on the other side of the chess.
"Astral projection, your getting stronger my dear."
Azuka sat down and smirked.
"It's your move Naraku. Dare to play against the queen of game's?"
Naraku smirked and leaned forward.

"I am always up for a game, after all, trick's and trap's are my forte."
"That make's two of us, who will win? The two best trickster's on this side of Japan, head to head on an all out war for the world."

She said, laughing, opening her arms. Naraku's smirk widened.
"Oh yes, I agree, it will be very interesting."

Naraku took his knight and moved it forward, two spaces and one over to the left. Azuka nodded.
"Gather your forces, pick five champion's. Ten all together will enter a world, that both you and I will create. They must answer question's, test their will, strength, speed and endurance."
Naraku smirked.

"Very well. Now that you have lain out your rule's, I will set down mine."
Naraku went to move a piece on the chessbord when Azuka's fingers curled around his wrist. His eyes shot up to meet hers.
"Oh no, those weren't the rule's love, those were the guide line's."
She said, winking at him. He frowned.

"Oh, then by all mean's, proceed."
He retorted, removing hsi wrist and gesturing for her to continue. Azuka smirked wolfishly at him.

"Each failure will result in a loss of one ability, we choose. For example, if Inuyasha fails, you decide which ability he looses. If Kagora fails, I decide which ability is lost."
Naraku nodded.

"Agreed."

Azuka continued.

"With each victory, they earn their ability's back, which ever was lost in that order. If they are victorious or have yet to loose or gained all their ability's back, we can grant them an ability that they don't have, or could never possibly use outside of our game."

Naraku nodded.
"What's the catch?"

Azuka smiled a wicked smile.
"You know me all to well, mate."
Naraku's eye's twinkled as he moved to brace his left arm on his upraised left knee.
"We cannot grant them an ability that will ensure them victory on all level's. Simply an ability to boost their chances at victory."
"Very well, anything else?"

"One more."

Azuka said, narrowing her eyes.
"If their are equal amount of player's at the end of the game, a sudden death match is at hand."
Naraku nodded, lacing his finger's together, his mind already twisting and turning around the game.
"One task will be set out, for each team. Whom ever fails, is doomed to the game forever."

Naraku smiled evilly.

"I like the stake's."
Azuka chuckled.
"I knew you would, but the winner's are freed and the Shikon no Tama goes to the winning team, along with the game. Meaning, the winner could choose to keep the losers locked forever in the twisted mind of the game, or be freed."

"Now, my rule's. Pain and wound's inflicted on a player in the game, will appear on the player outside of the game."
Azuka frowned, Naraku continued without skipping a beat.
"If a player die's in the game, they stay in the game, no matter if their team win's or not."
"That goes against my rule."
"No, you stated that if they loose they are trapped unless free'd. I am saying that if they die in the game and are not revived before the end of the game, their soul will be trapped within the game for all eternity."
Azuka sighed, then dropped her head and nodded.
"Agreed."
"Good. Unless."

Naraku said, holding up his finger.
"If a player wishes to sacrifice themselves, to revive another player who has died, it is possible."

Azuka nodded.

"Agreed."
"But in order to do this, they must past a test."
Azuka nodded again, waiting to hear what he had to say.
"Depending on what team the player is on, determines which of us will set the test. Kagome, for example, wishes to sacrifice herself for say, Inuyasha. I would pick the test."
Azuka knew she was taking a risk with brining her idea up to Naraku, but if he kept going, their wouldn't be much left to make the game fair.

"Also, in the game, will be little doll's. In using the doll's, the player may either ask another player who is in another part of the game for help, or one of us. If asked to one of us, it must be in the form of a riddle."
Azuka nodded, she was good with riddles, but most of hers were complex and not many could understand them.

"If asked by another player, and the original player who asked, fails, both loose life point's and are inflicted with pain."
Azuka nodded.

"Very well."
"Well, shall we begin with this 'world' then?"
Naraku asked, wiping his hand over the foxfire, which easily gave way to a ball of curling blue and red fire.
"By all mean's."

Azuka said, her eyes glowing. Naraku nodded his own eyes glowing black. Both began to glow, Azuka baby blue, and Naraku black. Power exploded and gave way to a world, young and innocent, captivated in the twisted mind's of evil and good.
Darkness plunged into the innocence of the world, corrupting it, and morphing it's features.
While baby blue hope caressed its harsh scars with riddles and surprises.

~
Azuka: R/R please!!! Oh and thankx Green Knight!!