Chapter One: The Final Battle
The Battle had been tough and gruesome, Kagome was lucky to survive. Shakily walking over towards the prize of this gruesome war, Kagome barely noticed her blood oozing wounds, she barely noticed the dead bodies littered around the battlefield, and she barely noticed the hole in the ground where, she sent both Inuyasha and Kikyo to hell. After the defeat of Naraku, Kikyo and Inuyasha turned on everyone and killed them, leaving Kagome last, this was their fatal mistake. While toying with the grieve-stricken girl, she seemed to snap, and in a fit of outrage and betrayal, blasted the two villains with every bit of power she could muster.
Now alone, wounded, grieving, and drained, Kagome held the completed jewel in her hand. "And to think something as insignificant looking as this, could cause so much horror." she said to herself, laughing a humorless laugh. But that was soon cut short as the jewel began to dissolve into her skin.
Too shocked to move or speak, she watched as the jewel disappeared and a pink residue began to crawl up her body. As it covered her from her toes to her hair, she felt a new awareness. She felt as if all her pores had opened, and was vaguely aware of her bodily changes. Her hair grew down to her knees, she became taller, her ears turned pointy, and her eyes faded back and forth between her warm chocolate brown to a cold, icy, light blue.
Eyes opened wide and gazing blankly at nothing, Kagome stood frozen in place, as if she was in a daze. Not noticing that she had grown claws, or a tail, or that her wounds were completely healed. She only knew...that she was the key.
Unbeknownst to the frozen, glowing maiden, a dark and sinister mass of evil was swiftly making its way towards her. It had no shape, moved at the blink of an eye, and left destruction in its path. Shortly the mass of evil was upon her, and covered her from sight. And as quick as lightening the evil was off again, across fields, through forests, and down a well, where it was then engulfed by a blue light.
On the other side of the well, the evil swept across the land, killing everything and everyone in its vicinity. In the dead of the night, the evil crept swiftly, across and out of town, into forests, over mountains, and into a vast frozen plain, melting all snow, it did and didn't touch, then it finally stopped. For it now rested at the foot of a homely, forgotten castle. Creeping inside, it went up countless stairs, searching, seeking, looking for the perfect place to deposit its prize. Finally entering the master bedroom, the evil engulfed the old, dusty, king-sized bed that occupied the room. Sliding back off the bed, Kagome could be seen, no longer glowing but still dazed, laying on the bed.
"Sleep tight jewel maiden. For I shall return and claim what is rightfully mine." As the voice, that seemed to come from the blob, said this, Kagome's widen, dazed like eyes closed.
And without further warning, the mass of evil left the castle, leaving some of it's mass behind to guard, protect, and possibly taint its prize. As it went off to hide, and regain its strength and form a new body. For that mass of evil, was Naraku.
So, here is where Kagome lie, for years. In a self-aware coma, constantly fighting the miasma always trying to taint her, and controlling her new powers. Approximately 997 years. Enough time for the world to change, enough time for the frozen terrain to melt and grow a forest of trees around her castle.
997 years. Aware of it all. It was time to wake up.
Four boys and one girl walked through an old forest. None talking, all were silent. All lost within their own thoughts. So it was kind of easy that no one noticed that the female of the group had stopped walking until they were a few feet away.
"What is it Cheza?" A dark, mussed haired boy asked.
"She's calling." Cheza said in her quiet like voice.
"What?" the mussed haired boy said confusedly.
"This way, Kiba!" The girl said excitedly pointing in the direction of Kagome's castle, as she started to run.
"Cheza! Let's go" Kiba yelled after her, as he ran to follow.
"Come on runt hurry up!" Yell a slightly chubby, curly haired boy as he too began to run.
"I'm hurrying Hige!" The 'runt' as they call him yelled. He had straight red hair and seemed the youngest of them all.
Soon they came up to an aged looking castle covered in moss and vines.
"Toboy, don't slow down we are almost there." One said, with white hair and an x shaped scar on his chest.
"I'm not slowing down Tsume!" Toboy yelled indignantly. "It's just that this castle doesn't feel right." He said the last part quietly to himself.
"We're coming." Cheza said as she opened the door and ran inside, soon followed by the rest.
They ran up countless stairs and down endless hallways.
"Are we...almost there...I don't...think...I can keep...can keep up...like...this." Hige said breathlessly as they ran down a particular long hallway.
"That's because you're fat and out of shape." Tsume said as he passed him up.
"I'm...not...fa...Hey I smell a she-wolf!" Hige announced as he began to speed up.
"No dip wise guy we smelt it!" Tsume said hitting Hige on the back of the head, as Cheza stopped in front of a pair of grand looking doors.
Forcing the ancient doors open, Hige was the first one in, and what he saw took his breath away. For on a bed laid the most gorgeous girl they ever seen. She wore a black velvet dress, that matched her curves and she wore no shoes. Her long hair lay spilled out around her body, and her face held no makeup. A natural beauty.
"Pretty." Toboy whispered to himself, although everyone heard.
"She is the Key." Cheza said, in her quiet like voice.
"What do you mean, Cheza?" Kiba asked, tearing his eyes off the sleeping figure. "I thought you were the Key."
"No, I only know how to get there, but I cannot open the gates. She must." Cheza said, indicating towards Kagome.
"This reminds me of one of those old stories the humans used to tell their kids. About a beautiful girl, laid sleeping for years on a bed and the only way to wake her was by a kiss. Sleeping Pretty I think it was called or something like that. And since I'm the most informed. I think I should be the one to do it." Hige said never taking his eyes away from the girl.
"Go ahead." Tsume said.
"Really?" he asked in surprise, looking at Kiba for confirming, he was rewarded with a yes.
Smiling form ear to ear, Hige walked up to Kagome and started to bend over to kiss her, but the sudden body heat and sense of danger alerted her powers to awaken her. And as Kagome's eyes opened and she saw Hige a complete stranger with the aura of a wolf, trying to kiss her...she screamed and bolted up in bed. Headed butting her unknown molester, sending him crashing to the floor.
Unbeknownst to them, with the awakening of Kagome, the castle seemed to shift and change as it became renewed. Windows were mended, the moss and vines on the outsides fell away, and every dust particle, cobweb, and infestation vanished. Fires began to spring to life on lanterns and in fireplaces. Food appeared in the kitchens. Furnishings repaired themselves and appeared in all the rooms. Utensils, tools, and supplies replenished themselves. Clothing, soaps, brushes, combs, etc.
"PERVERT! WHO ARE YOU?" She demanded.
"Hige. My name's Hige." he moaned in pain as he clutched his head.
"What do you think you were doing?" she asked in a low evil voice.
"What...nothing...I...I was just...try...trying to wake you up." he stuttered backing away from her.
"By kissing me?" she growled swinging her legs out over the bed. "Why didn't you just try shaking me or somAHH!" trying to stand seemed unsuccessful as she seemingly fell flat ground.
"Ehhehe. Maybe we got off on the wrong foot?" Kagome said embarrassed.
"More like you didn't get off on any." Tsume said smugly.
"Damn legs, feels like I haven't used them in years. What's the date?"
"April 25..." Kiba said.
"Well that's not so..."
"3002." He finished.
Kagome was silent a moment. "Okay, maybe it is bad. That's almost 1000 years! I'm surprised I'm not..."
She was cut off mid sentence as the most horrific sound echoed throughout the chamber, sending the birds outside the castle flying off.
"Speak of the devil...I'm starving! My name's Kagome and if you have any kindness in your heart, please, for the love of God, get me something to eat!" Kagome said giving the best pair of puppy dog eyes she could muster, oblivious to the sweat drops everyone acquired.