Disclaimer- I own nothing from the Inuyasha series…I only torture them and put them in unlikely situations. Poor, poor Fluffy…
Summary- The human empire has fallen. Once proud cities that stood tall with pride have crumbled. Presidents are peasants, Royal Families reduced to slaves. …O, how the mighty have fallen… Kagome is captured as an unlikely prisoner and falls in love with the most unlikely person. D
Pairings- Sess/Kag Inu/San Mir/Kagura
Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen Chapter OneAnd May We Fall In Glory
………………
The more rapidly a civilization progresses, the sooner it dies for another to rise in its place.
Havelock Ellis (the dance of life)
Death is the enemy. I spent 10 years of my life single-mindedly studying, practicing, fighting hand to hand in close quarters to defeat the enemy, to send him back bloodied and humble and I am not going to roll over and surrender.
Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider
……………………
A torn Japanese flag fluttered in the wind, it's burnt remains desperately flapping, attempting to be loosed from the brick that had its heavy grip on it. Somewhere in the distance the sound of metal boots clanked against the soot-filled crumbled streets.
In the ruins of a once great skyscraper, a young woman-child hid. Her arms were wrapped about herself, her head buried in her knees. A pool of blood had formed around the child. Various wounds showed on her.
She knew they'd smell every one's blood…hear they're hearts still beating. They'd know they were alive. Then they'd hunt them down and tear them limb for limb. She refused to let that happen. She glanced beside her at the sixteen other people huddled together.
They knew what they had to do.
It'd be hard, but they'd be able to pull it off.
A gruff man made a signal with his hand. Old and young grabbed sharp metal poles. A young six year old whimpered, but stood tall. They all stood tall. The sound of boots was right outside their small area.
The same gruff man, along with the young six-year-old child, screamed, "MAY WE FALL IN GLORY!"
The people rammed the metal poles through their stomachs. The young woman-child gurgled and gagged falling to the rubble filled ground. The sound of the man's cry echoed across the fallen lands of the humans, reaching out to all who heard. Several other screams were heard throughout the decimated city.
The youkai stood in the center of it all, smelling death all around, the humans' words turning over in their minds.
"MAY WE FALL IN GLORY!" came the last scream.
The chain of suicides went on until the city street ended. Small bands of youkai walked into the remains where they had heard the cries.
Children, women, men, old, sick, young, healthy all laid dead, some with poles rammed through their stomach, some with concrete rocks smashed in their head. It was gruesome even to the demons.
All youkai paused and stared. Regret filled some of their eyes at the sight of the dead children. A particularly soft demon took off his helmet and ceremoniously bowed to the dead bodies.
His whisper floated out into the crisp air, lost in the wind
"And…may you fall in glory…"
………………………
Kagome sighed brokenly. The chain of suicides known as the Glory March had reached out to all humans. The throng of humans living in the burned down remains of Hiroshima remained resolute in not dying.
The sixty-seven of the Hiroshima Ruins thought that the people in the Glory March were weak. They all took the coward's way out. Ever since the year that the youkai came out in mass armies and began on their killing spree, talk of suicide had been circulating around the remaining humans.
The youkai had sprouted everywhere. Scotland, America, Canada, even Bangladesh. Your closest friends, whom you would have considered humans, turned on you and slaughtered you mercilessly.
Kagome remembered Taki, one of her closest friends. They had known each other since they had been five. Kagome closed her eyes and remembered memories she didn't want to remember.
Flash BackBlood smeared the walls. A broken picture of Kagome, Taki, and Eri lay broken on the floor. Eri was already dead. Kagome knew not of Taki. Kagome remembered seeing Eri's broken body lying in her kitchen where she had tried to seek refuge.
Kagome rocked back and forth, closing her eyes as tears began leaking down her smeared cheeks.
The door burst open. Kagome looked up, startled at first, and then relieved.
"Taki!"
She smiled sadly at Kagome, whispering so quietly Kagome could barely hear her, " Forgive me…my friend…"
Kagome's eyes widened fractionally.
"You wouldn't have accepted me as youkai anyway, would you?" Taki asked, pain flickering in her eyes for a moment.
"Taki…I'd accept you if you were lesbian, transsexual, demon, elf, or alien…it doesn't matter…I'd still consider you a friend." Kagome half laughed half sobbed.
Tears fell freely down Kagome's cheeks now.
"I'm doing you a favor…Kagome," Taki said in a strangled voice, "You'll die anyway!"
"But you deny me the right to live my remaining time?"
Taki choked on a sob then, charging her.
Her claws tore apart Kagome's soft stomach flesh, new wounds sprouting from her stomach.
Taki and her stood like that for a while, the demon's nails digging into Kagome's flesh and Kagome only standing because Taki was in front of her.
Kagome's vision blurred.
"Our friendship was good…"- she coked on blood now-" while it lasted."
Taki backed away, retracting her claws and dropping her sealing spell.
Kagome fell to her knees and dropped face forward to the ground.
End Flash Back
She was supposed to be dead. Kagome understood that. But miko powers ran strong in the family bloodline and she had healed quickly. Kagome, determined more than ever to live, had marched to Hiroshima, sneaking her way past the demon armies.
Kagome sighed again. She stood gracelessly from the cold stone floor. She walked out into the sunlight. Guns were rendered useless against demons, so the people of the Hiroshima Ruins began training like they used to.
Well, except women got to fight also.
Kagome was excellent with the bow and arrow, also, miko energy always focused at the tip of any arrow she shot, producing a deadly blow. Well…to demons.
They had gathered metal from the crumbling buildings to melt and make swords and arrows. Everybody pitched in. Lucky for them an old sensei that taught kendo had sought refuge here, also. The only thing he did different was that he used actual swords and not bamboo sticks.
The people of Hiroshima Ruins were slowly rebuilding. They would protect this place with all their might, instead if fleeing like so many others. They would fight.
Kagome looked over the young men and women learning how to sword fight. They stood in ranks. The best fighters were in the front, the not so good in the back.
Their tiny army amounted to about forty people. It wasn't a lot, but it would help. The other twenty-seven people were mostly children and elderly. Two women were pregnant.
There was another miko in Hiroshima, also. Kagome had begun receiving training from her. Her name was Kaede. Kaede was fairly old, but had much skill.
Kagome had been learning how to heal and purify, the two most important skills needed at the time. To heal the wounded and purify the demons was the two miko's ulterior goal.
Kagome did not hate demons as other humans did. Humans would have done the exact same thing in their position.
She didn't hate them, but she also did not like them. They had killed her whole family, all her friends, and her potential boyfriend.
…But then again, Kagome had to admit how cute demons were. Their complexion was absolutely perfect. While traveling to the Hiroshima Ruins, Kagome had sneaked by a rather large demon army.
Their leader and what looked like their leaders son stood on a large wooden platform. The leader just flicked his eyes across the army and nodded.
His son was…beautiful. He had long silver tresses and markings on his face and wrists. He was…perfect. Kagome had to admire him. Then, his and his supposed fathers eyes flicked over to where she was hiding.
Kagome had been struck dumb. She could still recall their beautiful eyes.
She knew they had spotted her, so she had scampered off quickly.
Kagome wondered if she would ever see the beautiful youkai again.
She didn't know she'd be seeing him sooner than she expected.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Sesshoumaru tapped his long talons on the oak table. His father glared heatedly at the cowering humans.
Inutaisho's eyebrow twitched. He slammed his palms on the table, standing up angrily.
"Tell me where the hell this 'small group of human fighters' are?!" he yelled, snarling at them.
The humans nearly screamed, making small whimpering noises and scooting further back into the seat they were tied to.
The blonde haired woman spoke up, squeaking, "Th-they a-are at the Hiro-hiroshima Ru-ruins!"
The black haired man turned to her, mouth agape.
"You stupid idiot! Now they'll find the only humans that won't back down and kill them! YOU BITCH!" the black haired man screamed. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to cover his ears.
"Well, at least WE won't die! Better them than us!" she yelled back.
Sesshoumaru noticed his father had left.
He sighed inwardly, turning his amber gaze to the bickering two.
"Who said you'd live?" he asked in icy tones.
The woman's eyes widened, her frightful eyes turning to him.
"You-you mean you're gonna kill us? Why! I told you the information, kill him! Keep me alive!"
'At least the man has a sense of dignity and honor.'
The man said nothing, but lifted his chin a little, saying to Sesshoumaru, "I am prepared to die my death."
Sesshoumaru's stoic gaze was directed at the man.
"Good."
Sesshoumaru's energy whip sliced through the duo. Blood arced from the wound and their torso's fell to the ground heedlessly.
This time, he actually sighed out loud.
He walked towards the flap of the tent, glancing back only once at the dead bodies.
Once he arrived at the old castle the army his father commanded occupied, he sought out Inutaisho.
He was in the dining hall, with a large map in front of him.
"Sesshoumaru, I want you to take one-hundred of our men to the Hiroshima Ruins and annihilate the humans living there. Leave tomorrow." With that he walked out of the room, grumbling about something.
'No hello dear son?' Sesshoumaru thought sarcastically.
………………………….
The next day Kagome spotted something in the distance. It was a huge black blob; slowly making it's way towards Hiroshima.
Kaede stood next to her.
"Do you feel the powerful youki in the air? There is a powerful demon coming. And his army."
"There must be at least a hundred of them…do you think we'll survive, Kaede?"
Kaede 'hmmmed' and said rather bluntly, "Probably not. But we will try and stand proud."
Kagome nodded and turned to tell the others. Kagome was not afraid of death, but she would fight it. She would not die until she had some horrendous wound and half of the youkai army was dead.
……………………………………
The very unskilled, but courageous people lined up with their swords. They had no armor, nothing to protect them except their swords.
Youkai could not be killed with guns, but they also didn't use them. It was supposedly 'fighting without honor.' So, the youkai also used swords and spears, but theirs were much better crafted.
Plus they were all more skilled than the humans and had ten times a humans' strength. Basically, if Kagome's calculations were right, the humans would be defeated, but not before some of the youkai fell with them.
Kagome prepared her bow and arrows.
The youkai were getting awfully close. Kagome stood at the front, being the miko leader in the army. She notched an arrow in the bow and aimed for the youkai's leader.
Kagome's mouth hung open. It was the gorgeous youkai guy! She sighed inwardly, oh well, we're enemies so I should start acting like an enemy.
She let fire the arrow towards the beautiful youkai. His amber gaze turned towards her, his stoic eyes sizing her up.
The spirit arrow had already turned the purifying purple color and was coming towards him fast. Right when it was about to hit its target, the youkai caught it between his two fingers.
'Oh…shit.'
All youkai eyes were now on her, looking at her as if she were insane.
She pulled out the sword she had been practicing with. Her cheeks were red.
'Snap out of it Kagome! It's only one-hundred and one youkai looking at you like a nutcase…no biggie!'
Her blush faded.
She called out, her voice echoing about, "Are you going to stand there and look at me all day, or are we gonna fight? I'm getting restless."
Across the field, Sesshoumaru raised a brow.
'This is what worried father to no end?' He gave a regal snort.
It was the youkai tradition to ask before a battle if the other side would surrender, so he began walking to the middle of the field to await the young woman who was supposedly leading the puny army.
Kagome thought he was coming in alone, and a confused expression came upon her face.
Someone whispered in her ear, "It is tradition to ask for the other side to surrender, now go."
A gentle push made her start walking towards the center where the beautiful youkai stood.
'Holy lord, I am really not skilled in this…'
She met him with a nervous expression. He glared at her emotionlessly.
She coughed and he began.
"You will not win, you know this? Surrender or get crushed, human."
'Nice voice…if he'd just have a little emotion in it…'
"Uh..." she thought a moment for something she could say, "We may be small, and we may be human, and we probably will get crushed and die, but we will never surrender. We will fight until the death."
'Good, everything went smoothly.' She thought, relieved.
She bowed ceremoniously and began turning.
"Why waste your life on something so utterly useless, ningen? I'll give you one more chance, surrender or be killed."
"It's a good way to die," she shrugged, "It may be pointless, but at least we can say before we die, 'At least I killed one.' It is the way of humans, haven't you ever noticed? We never give up."
This time she turned fully and left.
Sesshoumaru turned also and left, going over her words.
'We never give up…'
The people in the Glory March had given up, or had they? No, they hadn't given up, they had taught the youkai that they would either kill themselves or fight back.
He snorted mentally, 'An honorable death.'
………Two Hours Later…………….
Around twenty humans survived and still fought. Around seventy-three youkai remained. Most of the humans had terrible wounds and could barely hold a sword.
Sesshoumaru had to admit, these ningens were tough. He himself had not even lifted a finger. He just watched, he wanted to see how the youkai actually did in battle, without help.
His eyes scanned over the dying humans.
……….
Kagome, like she wished, had a horrendous wound and almost half the youkai were dead.
She shot another arrow, killing two or three weak and injured youkai. Her face was streaked with blood and dirt, a long laceration sprouting from her stomach.
The old and young…even the two pregnant women had tried fighting the youkai, and had died.
The human numbers were rapidly decreasing. Now, she turned and counted, sixteen people were alive.
Thank Kami Kaede was among them; she had stayed back helping when she could.
Kagome was vaguely aware when an energy whip sliced through almost all the humans left.
Kaede had moved quickly and was now waddling as fast as she could towards her. Well…now two people survived.
Herself and Kaede. Kaede made it to her, smiling.
"Well, Kagome child, at least we tried, eh?"
Kagome smiled painfully, "Yeah, at least we tried."
Kagome took Kaede's hand.
"So, Kaede, you never did tell me your favorite kind of tea."
"Well, personally, green tea is absolutely delicious."
"Really? I always thought it was nasty. Mom always thought I was insane when I told her that."
Kagome smiled again.
"Let us die together, Kaede…"
She didn't answer.
Kagome looked over at Kaede and saw a sword protruding from her belly.
A tear slid down her cheek.
"Goodbye, Kaede…"
A ghost of a smile appeared on Kaede's face as she fell to the rough earth.
Her teary eyes went to the wielder of the sword who was looking at her maliciously. She raised her brows.
"You know I won't die without a fight, right?"
The youkai retracted his sword from Kaede's stomach and brought its blade down on Kagome.
She quickly made a miko shield around her. The blade ricocheted off the barrier and hit the youkai.
He gagged and fell on top of Kaede, dead.
Kagome turned to face the large amount of youkai glaring at her with red eyes.
…………………………………
Sesshoumaru quietly assessed the situation. The girl could be of some military use. He silently walked up to her from behind, preparing to knock her out.
………………………………..
Kagome noticed when the youkai's eyes had shifted to some spot behind her. She was beginning to turn and see who it was when the world suddenly went black. She felt herself falling and then two strong arms catching her.
Last thing she remembered was being thrown over someone's shoulder.
'I somehow just cannot die, can I?' was her last thought.
A.N.- Fairly crappy, yes. But it's a start! D It's not my first fic, and I enjoy criticism. That's not an invitation to flame me, okay?! Please review, or I'll probably take this story down and eat it for a midnight snack.
P.S. Press that blue little button down there at the bottom of the screen and…review…
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