Chapter 45:Gray

The midday sun appears adorning the deep blue sky that is completely clear. Under this beautiful sky, you can see a vast green meadow crossed by a flat river and in the distance a range of high mountains. 

Under a solitary tree in all this grassy expanse you can make out the figures of three people, a boy and a cat. One of them is Asahiko who remains seated on a branch with his eyes closed, a single tail rests above his knees and his face seems to have returned to its usual color. 

"I had considered that you would be a bigger problem than Inuyasha, though you seem to be coping completely fine with Kikyo's abduction."

Finishing his words that do not carry any sort of judgment, but rather clear doubt. Miroku looks up at the branch Asahiko rests on and then looks down at the river in the distance where Inuyasha sits with Kagome at his side.

"I recognize Kikyo's strength and if what Naraku said is true...then he must recognize it too. What I mean is that he will most likely decide to use her quickly to achieve a goal."

"How can you say that? She's your partner and you talk as if. ahdh, let go Sango!"

Asahiko's words were slow, logical and without the enthusiasm that has always characterized him during this adventure. But little does that matter to Shippo and he strikes right where it would normally hurt someone the most with his words, though Sango quickly stops him before pulling him to the side. 

"I see, if we boil it down to profit and loss, certainly the smartest thing to do would be to use Kikyo quickly... We have the shards, Naraku wants them and Inuyasha wants Kikyo. So that's why you're here with us."

"Your assumption is correct, Miroku. If Naraku wants the shards you hold, he must lure them to him and what better way than to use Kikyo quickly before they leave or she recharges her powers?"

All the lines of thoughts Miroku and Asahiko were going for were logical and even highly possible, considering the situation, though they don't seem to convince Inuyasha at all, who descends from the sky with a rather angry face. 

"Stop talking about Kikyo as if she were an object. If not I. Miroku!"

"Calm down Inuyasha, everyone here knows how important the priestess Kikyo is to you... but also how calculating and poisonous Naraku is. We have to think with a cool head so we don't fall into any of his traps."

Striking Inuyasha with his metal staff with a circular gold amulet on its tip, Miroku slowly explains the reasoning of the two of them to Inuyasha who deflates at the sight of Kagome arriving. 

"Look what those things are!"

With Sango's voice seeming to snap everyone out of their stupor, with the exception of Asahiko, who is already looking in that direction. Over the sky in the distance some eel-like creatures can be seen, or more accurately Kikyo's shikigami. 

"Let 's go."

"You're not going alone Inuyasha, we're going to help save Kikyo too, right guys?"

It only took one look for Asahiko and Inuyasha to jump in agreement, though before they can run off after the shikigamis, without the so-called cool mind. Inuyasha is grabbed by Kagome, who says a few words as the rest of the group gets ready. 

"Guys... this is between."

"Enough of this idiocy Inuyasha. Naraku has done us all wrong too."

Hitting him again with his staff and making it clear that there is no other choice to Inuyasha, Miroku waits until he is accepting and then the whole group of six, plus a kirara who has become giant, starts running after the shikigami. 

Advancing through the meadow until they reach a forest and running into the depths without resting, they are surrounded by a strange force causing them at some point to begin to lose sight of each other. 

Christopher/Asahiko pov. 

"Obviously, this is an illusion, although I can't believe I fell for it... you could have made it more colorful and less abstract to hide it better".

"It wasn't me who created this situation, I merely tried to enter deep into your subconscious and before I knew it, I was already in this deserted place."

Without turning my head to observe who is behind, I focus all my attention on the empty sight in front of my eyes. It was black, all absolutely black to be more exact. There is no up or down and no left or right either, everything is completely empty with the exception of my person. 

"Hey, I don't want to be forward, but I should be looking into your mind and bringing up your worst fears. So can you take out this barrier? 

"Oh my goodness, my worst nightmare... An ignoramus. So what's this about a barrier?"

"Well, my first thought is that it's because of your race. He said, you're a fox, an expert on the mind and the mysteries it hides. On the other hand I can assure you that it's strange to talk face to face, it seems to me that it's from having entered through one of your tails. 

*¡Booooom!*

Turning around quickly, I slash my fan diagonally downward and a long trail of orange flames stretches as far as the eye can see into this dark space. 

"Wow! I thought we were getting along!"

"You messed with one of my tails, that's not done!"

Shouting at a smaller version of myself hovering calmly in the air, I retracted my fan before opening it all the way and launched towards him a wave of orange flames that covered my entire field of vision. 

"They're fake and in any case you should be on top of Inuyasha not me. Wow stop attacking me, I've only told the truth."

 "Ha-ha-ha. There are times when you don't want the truth!"

Gathering the flames I had thrown earlier, I make them mold into a sphere and then start shooting fire projectiles from it. 

*Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom*.

"Sure you do and you're an expert at denying stuff. Oh, look just in time."

At the end of his words and as if on cue, from the cracks created by my attacks a strange light begins to emerge and then occupies the entire space.