Chapter Twenty-One: Creator of the Sacred Jewel
Amane fell to his knees before both Shutaro and Shinobu as they all still stood in the prison tower of the Mendou Palace. "Please, Prince Shutaro, forgive me; I did only what I could do - you would have died anyway, at the hands of Yuichi and Saori, and have suffered a much crueler death. And you know now that I love you - that I've always loved you, Prince Shutaro. I didn't mean to cause you any harm; you weren't ever supposed to know - to remember." Amane shook his head before lowering it further, a look of self-contempt in his countenance, and then desperately continued to beg, "Please, Prince Shutaro, please forgive me for what I have done to you."
"No."
Both Amane and Shinobu gasped at this cold response. Amane looked up to see Shutaro glaring mercilessly down at him. Meanwhile, Shinobu placed a hand on Shutaro's shoulder and began warily, "But Prince Shutaro…"
"No," Shutaro, however, repeated, eyes narrowing with disdain. "I won't forgive you. You betrayed me. I would have rather died by their hands than know that you're the one who killed me. You have no excuses."
"Please, Prince Shutaro," Amane began to plead again, dropping his head down one again.
"Prince Shutaro," Shinobu stepped in, taking some pity on the fallen Amane. "Maybe you should - "
"Would you have done the same?" Shutaro cut her off, heatedly turning his glare to her. "Would you have killed me just so that I could be spared a crueler death by the hands of somebody else?"
Shinobu looked down with a solemn frown. "No, Prince Shutaro; I wouldn't."
"I know you wouldn't, Miss Shinobu - you fought for me even though I was already dead; you stabbed me with the Tenseiga knowing that it might have destroyed me because there was a chance that I could have been saved."
"But…Prince Shutaro…" Shinobu trailed off helplessly as she stared down at Amane in pity.
"Besides, you didn't kill me to protect me," Shutaro said, coldly returning his glare back to the broken and fallen Amane. "You killed me because you hated Miss Lum. You were my Guardian of the Prince - it was your duty to protect me, no matter what happened. To fight for me, even if it was hopeless - even if you knew I was going to die - or that you were going to die." Shutaro then lowered his glare away from Amane. "And you promised you would always take care of me from whatever was making me sad or afraid - not because you were my Guardian of the Prince, but because we were friends. Instead, you killed me and I was trapped in that horrible dark place where I've never been more sad or afraid before until Miss Shinobu got me out."
"Prince Shutaro, please - " Amane pleaded once more, but it was in vain.
"You lied to me," Shutaro interrupted, returning his angry eyes back to Amane, now stinging with a deep sadness as well. "And I hate you for it. I hate you. More than anyone in this world, I hate you."
As the words dug deep into Amane, Amane's eyes filled with rage as he pulled out his sword and drove it towards Shutaro with a furious scream. Shinobu gasped and hastily stepped in front of Shutaro, slamming the palm of her hand into Amane's face, sending him flying backwards against the doors of the room.
Amane scoffed, spitting out a bit of blood as he stared with contempt at Shutaro and Shinobu, who stood defensively in front of him. "I see - so that's how it is, is it?" he began resentfully, standing up and pulling himself off the floor. "Seeing as your goddess failed, you've found someone else to protect you. Well, I hope your new Guardian of the Prince makes you happy, Prince Shutaro. After all, that's what I always wanted for you." Then suddenly, a reddish, purplish crystal appeared floating above his hand.
"What's that?" Shinobu asked in confusion to Shutaro.
Shutaro's eyes widened. "The Sacred Jewel!" he whispered fearfully and Shinobu gasped, turning back to Amane to see him smirk cruelly and the Sacred Jewel turned black.
"Farewell, Prince Shutaro," he said before disappearing.
"No, wait!" Shutaro exclaimed, reaching a hand out to stop him, but it was too late. He hastily and urgently turned to Shinobu. "We have to hurry and warn Miss Lum and the others, Miss Shinobu!"
"Right!" Shinobu exclaimed and ran over to the door, but as soon as her fist touched it, a surge of dark electricity burst out of the door and threw her across the room, slamming into the opposite wall.
"Miss Shinobu!" he cried out, rushing over to her side.
"I'm all right, Prince Shutaro…" she said, trailing off as she sat up. Then, a loud rumble shook the Mendou Palace.
"Come on, Lum! Have you found them yet?" Ataru asked anxiously as he and the others still sat in the throne room, Lum's eyes tightly shut in meditation.
"No, not yet, Darling," she told him when they felt the room shake and a loud, ominous groan come from the walls. Lum's eyes shot open as she gasped, "Oh, no!" She hastily turned to Kagome. "We have to seal off the Reverse World! Now!"
"I can't!" Kagome exclaimed, shaking her head. "Mr. Godai's still trapped inside there!"
"You have to!" Lum ordered desperately. "Otherwise - " She was interrupted by another shake of the palace and the candles in the room blew out.
"I sense the presence of something very dark and evil," Miroku said gravely as the sky outside grew darker.
It was then that Amane appeared before them, holding a fist up in the air with a wicked smirk. "Amane!" Lum cried as she and the others stood up fearfully. He then opened his hands to reveal a glowing, black Sacred Jewel in his palm. "No, Amane, don't!" Lum pleaded desperately.
"You are no longer my goddess, Lum," he told her flatly. "My alliance is for Yuriko and the Reverse Prince."
It was then that Saori and Yusaku appeared beside him, Saori grinning wildly. "I knew you would never betray your goddess, Amane." she said deviously.
Meanwhile, Kyoko cried out, "Godai!"
"We have to stop them from using the Sacred Jewel to break the barrier between Rumi and Imur!" Lum ordered to the others.
Inuyasha, however, was already drawing his Tetsusaiga as he eyed the Sacred Jewel in Amane's hand. "That belongs to Kikyo," he said fiercely. He then charged toward Amane with a angry scream.
Amane growled furiously and a dark pulse of energy blasted from the jewel, causing Inuyasha to go skidding into the ground. "Inuyasha!" Kagome cried and ran over to him as he groaned and began to sit up.
"Kikyo?" Amane asked in surprise and disbelief as he looked down at her.
Kagome's eyes narrowed as she sharply shifted her glare to him. Pulling an arrow out, she placed it to her bow, aimed it toward Amane, and demanded, "I don't know who you are, but I want you to let Mr. Godai go!"
"Mr. Godai?" Amane asked, even more puzzled than before. He then narrowed his own eyes and questioned fiercely, "Who are you?"
"My name is Kagome Higurashi. Mr. Godai's my teacher and I won't let you hurt him!" With this, she shot her arrow at him, the tip glowing brightly.
Amane growled and held the Sacred Jewel out to form a magical force field. However, the arrow's shining tip clashed with it, causing a huge burst of energy as the arrow struggled to break through the dark field. "A Sacred Arrow!" he exclaimed in horror. Meanwhile, Kagome had shifted her arrow toward the lifeless Yusaku. His eyes widened and he shouted to Saori, "Stop her!"
However, as Kagome released the arrow, Yusaku disappeared. Kagome gasped, "Where'd he go?!" Suddenly, Yusaku appeared behind her and Inuyasha. Kagome let out a startled cry as she looked up to see him glaring down at her with cold, hollow eyes, and his palm raised at her, a ball of dark energy forming in it. "Mr. Godai, don't!" she cried just as he shot the blast toward her.
"Watch out!" Inuyasha shouted, grabbing onto her and jumping up to dodge the fatal blow.
"Thanks!" Kagome told him as they flew in the air and Inuyasha's cheeks turned a bit pink. "But what about poor Mr. Godai?"
Meanwhile, Kagome's Sacred Arrow had finally broken through Amane's shield and sent him careening backwards. He groaned, but clutched tightly onto the black Sacred Jewel still, grimacing bitterly. It was then that Lum rose, electricity wildly sparking around her as her eyes turned white with vengeance as she flew toward Amane. However, Saori hastily flew up to block Lum's path, dark energy spiraling out of the walls of the room into her. She then sent a blast of dark lightning toward Lum in which Lum countered with a blast of her own white lightning.
"Come on, Lum!" Ataru cheered as she began to break through Saori's attack.
Amane's eyes narrowed, rising to his feet. "That's how we'll distract her," he said with a few chuckles. "Prince Yusaku!"
Yusaku nodded and disappeared again before appearing before Ataru, much to Ataru's surprise and fright. He gulped and fell backwards as Yusaku glared down at him, his eyes darkening. Then, he screamed out, "Lum!"
Lum gasped, the white glow leaving her eyes, as she turned her head to see Yusaku hovering over Ataru. "Darling!" she cried, her powerful attack against Saori diminishing and disappearing completely, racing down to Ataru's aid with Saori's attack barely missing her and crashing into the opposite wall.
"Darling!" Lum cried again, darting in front of Ataru just as the blast went toward him. She let out a scream of pain as the powerful attack hit him and fell to her knees.
"Lum!" Ataru shouted, crawling over to her.
"Are you all right…Darling…?" she asked weakly. Then she turned her gaze to see Yusaku advancing. She hastily raised her hand, electricity forming in her palm.
"No, please don't hurt Godai!" Kyoko called out to her and Lum's power vanished as the words stabbed into her. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, crystal tears flinging from them, and took hold of Ataru. The two then went soaring upward just as a second blast went flying toward them. Then, a hollow and cold Yusaku went following up after them, hurling dark energy blasts at them as they tried to outrun him.
"We have to do something to help Mr. Godai!" Kagome urgently exclaimed to Inuyasha. "Lum said I had to shoot my arrows into him and then - "
"There isn't any time for that!" Inuyasha interrupted looking over at Amane. "We have to stop him before he opens the barrier to Imur and releases Yuriko."
"But - " Kagome went to protest, looking over to Yusaku, when Saori appeared in front of them.
"You're not going anywhere," she said.
"You," Inuyasha said fiercely. "You'll pay for what you did to Kikyo!" He then went to attack her, shouting to Kagome, "Go and stop Amane! You're the only one who can seal up the worlds!"
"Okay!" she shouted back as confidently as she could, giving one last glance toward Yusaku before running toward Amane.
Sango, meanwhile, had mounted Kirara with Miroku and were also heading toward Amane, who had aimed the Sacred Jewel toward the wall. She hurled her boomerang at him, but it crashed into the shield and went shooting back at her. "Damn it," she grumbled fiercely before turning to Miroku. "Miroku, use your Wind Tunnel!"
"I can't," he said. "That jewel contains part of Kikyo's soul; if I suck it into my Wind Tunnel, her soul will be eternally doomed to wander."
"But if you don't then all of Rumi will be - "
However, she was cut off by Amane, who had hurled a blast of energy at them. They both gasped and barely dodged it, the blast grazing Kirara and sending crashing down to the floor. Kagome, in the meantime, pulled out one of her arrows and aimed it at Amane. She closed her eyes tightly and shot it toward him. The arrow glowed brightly as it flew toward Amane. Amane glowered and sharply spun about, aiming the Sacred Jewel at the arrow. The arrow hastily disintegrated in a burst of dark light. Amane scoffed. "The power of your Sacred Arrows are nothing compared to that of the Sacred Jewel."
He then grinned wickedly as an enormous blast went hurling toward her and her eyes widened in fear. However, her gaze become stubborn again as she tried her best to swallow her fear. "I'm not going to be afraid of some stupid stone, especially if I'm the one who's supposed to be using it!" Kagome retorted, instinctively pulling out another brightly shining arrow and shooting it at the blast that came flying toward her. Her Sacred Arrow cut through the blast and went flying toward the Sacred Jewel. Just as the tip went to touch the jewel, however, it disintegrated once more. Amane glowered furiously and sent an even larger blast of energy toward her, but Sango hastily scooped her up, riding on Kirara and the blast thankfully missed.
Meanwhile, Lum and Ataru crashed into the wall, one of Yusaku's blasts finally hitting them. They groaned sliding down to the marble floor and Yusaku soon appeared on the floor before them, only a few yards away.
Kyoko gasped and quickly ran in front of Yusaku, grabbing onto his arm. "Godai, please, stop!" she begged, but Yusaku merely pushed her off him with a jerk of his arm. She moaned as she hit the marble. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched him near Ataru and Lum, but she got up once more and stepped in front of him. "Godai, you have to stop! I know you're in there somewhere! Please!"
Yusaku, however, remained emotionless and cold as he grabbed her arm and squeezed it tightly. She let out a cry of pain as she felt it begin to bruise and break under the pressure and soon fell to her knees. "Godai…please…stop…" she repeated weakly, closing her eyes tightly as more tears fell onto the marble. But Yusaku was reaching out his free hand, another energy blast forming to annihilate both Lum and Ataru completely, Kyoko desperately reached her other hand out to grab it and cried with all her might, "Yusaku, no!"
At the sound of his first name, Yusaku dropped her hand, a bit of life flashing in his eyes before letting out a scream and falling to his knees in pain. "Yusaku!" Kyoko cried, placing her hands on his shoulders.
Hunched over and clutching onto his stomach, he said in a strained voice, "Kyoko…please…help me…"
Lum, meanwhile, saw this as her opportunity and hastily grabbed on to Ataru, flying off with him toward Kagome. Kyoko, on the other hand, sobbed, "Please, Yusaku! You have to keep fighting! Don't let that evil woman control you!"
"I'm…sorry…Kyoko…" At that moment, his eyes turned hollow again as a burst of black energy surrounded him and he shot up straight again, sending Kyoko flying back into the wall.
Lum dropped onto the ground a safe distance from Yusaku and hurriedly flew over to Sango and Kagome, reaching out her hand and shouting, "Kagome! We have to make a new Sacred Jewel! Before Amane breaks Yuriko free!" Kagome nodded and took Lum's hand, Lum pulling her up from Kirara and into the air. Turning to Sango, she said, "Keep Godai distracted, but don't hurt him!"
"Right!" Sango exclaimed and raced over to where Yusaku was, fighting Miroku who was attempting to defend Ataru.
Miroku threw three of his spell scrolls at Yusaku, but they quickly burned up in his shield of black energy.
"Use your Wind Tunnel!" Ataru exclaimed fearfully as he sat on the ground behind him, tugging on Miroku's robes.
"I can't do that; I'll kill him!" Miroku exclaimed and then gasped as Yusaku sent a blast of energy toward him. However, Sango's boomerang soon came speeding toward them and Yusaku sharply jolted toward it, hurling the blast at it instead. Both Miroku and Ataru took this opportunity to run.
Meanwhile, as soon as Kagome and Lum were above Amane, who was slowly but surely using the black Sacred Jewel to crack open the barrier, a light surrounded the two of them and Lum released Kagome. Kagome blinked in surprise to see she was till floating, however. "I'm…I'm flying."
Lum quickly placed her hands over Kagome's and held them out for her. "Hurry and seal up the barrier before Amane breaks it open!" A light then shone in Lum's hands and began to flow into Kagome's.
"What…what is that…?" Kagome wondered, feeling the calm spirit of Lum flowing into her and filling her eyes with a golden light. However, the wall was darkening and Amane's power was strengthening. Kagome narrowed her eyes, concentrating as hard as she could. "I have to do this," she thought. "I have to help Mr. Godai and Shinobu and Inuyasha and everyone. I can't let them down!"
Suddenly, Yuriko's face pulled itself out of the wall, the image transparent. She drew near to Kagome with a menacing, murderous glare and Kagome let out a frightened cry, closing her eyes tightly.
"Don't be afraid," she suddenly heard Lum's voice echo in her mind. "Be strong."
"But…I…" Kagome thought, feeling herself begin to tremble, but she slowly opened her eyes and turned her head back to face the frightening, menacing demon woman. She let a groan, feeling a strain as the darkness from Yuriko began to try and consume both her and Lum. "It…hurts…so much…" she thought, gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes.
"You will not succeed; it's already too late," Yuriko spoke to her coldly, the faded image becoming slowly more solid.
"No…I have to help Shinobu…and Mr. Godai…" she thought, wincing as the pain increased and she let out a cry as a tear dropped from her eye. Suddenly, her forehead began to glow with the mark Lum had given her and the tear glowed. Kagome gasped and her eyes widened as she watched the glowing tear float in between the palms of her hands. Lum's light passed through Kagome's hand and into the tear, the tear expanding and growing brighter. Kagome laughed and exclaimed, "I'm…I'm doing it! I'm really doing it!"
It was then that Yuriko's hand suddenly jolted out and grabbed Kagome by the throat. There was an explosion of light and Lum went soaring backwards and the new Sacred Jewel dropped to the ground, the light around it diminishing. Kagome reached her hands up toward the black hand strangling her, struggling to breath as Yuriko grinned and said, "You're too late, priestess. The barrier has already been broken."