White Blossoms in the Desert
Chapter One: The Defeat of Naraku
I was injured and I knew it. I was exhausted and I knew this battle was not even close to the end and everyone was beginning to feel the strain. I kept shooting arrows trying to help my comrades and was beginning to run out of arrows.
I pulled out my last arrow out of my quiver and heard a yell from the direction of the bone-eater's well. I turned, holding the arrow and bow in relaxed positions, and saw the most heart breaking thing. Sango was bending over a slain Miroku, several tentacles where racing toward her turned back.
"SANGO, look out!" I yelled turning Sango's attention from Miroku to the immediate danger. She tore through them racing toward Naraku. She passed by Sesshoumaru, who was engaged in battle with the said man and Kohaku, with tears falling down her now emotion hardened face intent on killing Naraku even if it killed her.
Being too far away I could not try to gain her attention a second time to try to dissuade her from her now set path. I began glancing around to try and find someone who could stop her but found no one close enough. I could see Sesshoumaru and Shippo but not anyone else.
I glanced back toward and noticed that Shippo was hiding in the old well and fighting a single enemy. I knew her would be safer there than next to Sesshoumaru. While I was thinking of how to keep him there Shippo defeated the enemy and made to climb out when I stopped him.
"Shippo stay there!" I shouted over the sounds of battle. He nodded climbing back into the well. I smiled and knew my adoptive son would be safe. I turned back to the battle in front of me and gasped. Sango was lying not far from Naraku on her side and was not getting up. "SANGO!" I cried toward the only person like a sister to me here. Tears began forming in my eyes, my mind turned toward all of the comrades I have now lost. Miroku and now Sango, I would not handle the sorrow of losing the last two people in my so called family away from home. So I turned to Sesshoumaru and called out.
"Sesshoumaru, Get into the well! It will protect you from my powers!" I began raising my bow with my last arrow cocked and ready. The only acknowledgment I gained was him jumping into the old well. I then stepped between the well and Naraku. He had turned toward me when he had lost his fighting partner. A smirk alighted upon his lips when he saw I was now his only opponent.
"Oh the little miko is going to challenge me?" came Naraku's berating voice. The only response he got was the slight pick glow that was beginning to form around the arrow.
"Naraku, this will be the end to you! I will get revenge for you killing my friends and comrades!" I called Gathering more power into the arrow but kept the glow at a reduced level so that Naraku will not know what hit him until it purifies him. When I could no longer channel anything more into the arrow I prayed for true aim and success. With that I released the arrow and felt the immediate drain on me from the overuse of power. I kept conscious just long enough to see that the arrow indeed flew true and see Naraku purified forever. I felt my self falling and a slightly familiar rush of falling trough the well before the world turned black.
"Any word on Bakura? There has been no word of the Grave robber," I asked the royal court. There was an exchange of looks and Shimon stepped forward, bowing as he did so.
"Not yet Pharaoh, but I have some other news that your court needs to bring to your attention. There have been some strange things going on with all of our Millennium Items and Isis can no longer harness some of the Millennium Necklace's power." At that point I felt a disturbance from my Millennium Puzzle that seemed to originate from the South eastern region of my kingdom. This seemed to run true with what Shimon was telling me. I stood up cutting off what Shimon was saying and called Mahado into my presence.
"I am here my pharaoh." Mahado's voice came from drifting through my thoughts and I brought my attention to the master magician in front of me.
"Mahado I need you to search out the disturbance that Shimon was just telling me about." He nodded. "The disturbance came from the south eastern region of the kingdom. I am instructing up to search and bring back what is causing the disturbance at once! But be warned that there is a powerful force at work there." I then dismissed Mahado letting him get ready for his mission.
With that I returned to my thoughts about what might be causing the disturbance.
*Elsewhere in the Palace*
"Mahado, you must let me come!" Came a female voice and a pair of sandals from behind me, and I instantaneously knew that the voice belonged to my only student Mana. Turning toward her I began quickly thinking of a solution to her question that would not cause trouble for me later.
"Mana, if I remember correctly you still have to practice your magic. So no you cannot." I replied calmly waiting for the usual ranting that followed a no. There was none.
"Fine…," came Mana's reply of defeat. I was surprised, she normally doesn't relent when told no but I guess today was a little strange, first the disturbance with all of the Millennium items and then Mana going with not getting her way. She turned and left in the direction of the training room. I sighed with relief.
~A little later~
When I reached the inner sanctum I walked over to one of the summoning tablets and called forth my Ka. (Ka is the inner spirit given shape.)
"Dark Magician I summon thee!" I called. Dark Magician's form took shape on the tablet and then began to take ethereal form in front of me. When the form was full I stepped close and merged with Dark Magician. (In this process Mahado becomes Dark Magician.) I flew up and threw the top of the temple and headed toward the south east to fill my mission.
End of Chapter_