Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.
Notice: The readers just keeping coming, and as such I grow ever happier as Wings of the Phoenix reaches 11,000 views! Thank you all, my wonderful readers, thank you so much! And so, I shall reply to those readers who have reviewed!
PrincessAnime08: It is, and there's been many a time I laughed when I saw that part.
Elfen Children: Yes, I did have that little bit in my mind for a long time. Glad to see you enjoyed it.
And The Queen of Water: Thank you for your kind words.
So, here is the next chapter!
Ch.26 Hell-Painter
Later that night while Inuyasha, me, Kagome and Shippo still searching, Miroku had arrived at the mansion the Hell-Painter had been thrown out of. "An exorcism?" the first guard asked. Miroku nodded. "Yes, I sense an evil shadow is plaguing your mansion. If you'd like, I could exorcise the demons in a single night," he offered. The guard sneered. "Don't make us laugh. Every year a priest of much greater standing than you comes by to bless this ground," he said. "Be gone! The only thing we're being plagued by is rogues like you!" the second guard yelled. The both turned and walked back inside, muttering "Evil shadow. Huh!"
Miroku sighed. "Too bad. I guess I'll have to sleep in the woods tonight," he said. Then suddenly he sensed something, and turned to see a dark cloud with two balls of light fly towards the mansion. He whirled back around, saying "Run! The evil shadow I spoke of approaches!" "Listen to him. His arrogance goes unbridled," the first guard said, looking back. When he saw that Miroku was telling the truth he yelled out and the second guard said "What is it?" Then he looked as well, and they both began running. The balls of light grew and took shape, before resolving into a pair of giant demons. "The bull demon and dragon demon! I've only seen them in paintings of Hell!" Miroku said. Then he heard a voice call "Someone! Save the princess!" At that he smiled, and called "Coming!" before running into the mansion.
A door slid open inside, and the voice of the painter muttered "Princess. Princess." But he really was inside a hut, lying on a bed while his painting surrounded him. He stirred, gripping the sheets and muttering "Princess…" In his dream he saw the princess sitting before him, and he slowly walked forward. But when she turned, her eyes were orbs of crimson. The artist stumbled back. "Princess, what has happened to you? Your eyes glow red!" he said. The princess stood, and said "I want your blood. Give me your blood." She seized his hand and he struggled, but his hand began to slowly emaciate as his blood was drained. "Stop this madness! Release me!" he called.
In the real world the two demons burst through the door to the princess's room, but Miroku ran in front of them, staff raised. Just as he was about to attack a voice called "Stop this!" The demons froze, and disintegrated into ink that flew out the mansion. At that same moment the artist woke up, gasping. Slowly his breathing returned to normal, and he stood. "A dream…" he muttered. Outside the hut the ink began raining down, and he looked outside in surprise. "The skies rain black ink?" he asked. Quickly the downpour ended, and the ink surged from the ground and inside the hut, entering the artist's ink pot before settling.
He stared at it. "The ink must have sprung into action of its own accord while I lay sleeping" he noted. He continued staring at the container. Back at the mansion Miroku was now seated in dining room, the princess at his side and a feast spread out before him. "Monk, please forgive the rudeness of my men. Thank you for protecting my daughter," the lord said. Miroku nodded. "No need to thank me. However, I am most certain the demons will make an attempt to strike again. I think it would be best if the princess stayed with me, perhaps in the same room, in the same bed," he said, never once losing his composure as a monk.
"He's at it again! I suppose you need to search her robs as well, you sleazy pervert!" a voice called. Another added "Ugh! Why in the name of heavens above did this guy get put in this earth?" Miroku looked in the direction of their voice, and saw me and the others arrive. "If it isn't my dear friends, Inuyasha and Kagome!" he said, smiling. "And don't forget about me," I said, landing down and folding my wings against my back. His smile faltered at my appearance, and he instinctively crossed his legs tighter. "Ah, how could I forget? Good to see you as well, Yume," he said. Inuyasha looked around. "Damn, we just missed them!" he said. "Miroku, did the ink demons come through here?" Kagome asked.
He blinked. "Ink demons?" he repeated. I rolled my eyes and walked in, sitting. Shippo grabbed a bowl of rice and some chopsticks, sat in my lap and started eating. Kagome did the same a few feet away, and Inuyasha crossed his arms and sat outside. The lord left to let us be to ourselves, and Kagome began explaining. Once she was done he asked "An artist who brings paintings to life?" I began to pick up my own bowl of rice. "Yeah, except that he's not a demon himself. His aura's human," I said. Miroku placed his hand on his chin, thinking. "For a mere mortal to possess that level of power he must have a Jewel Shard," he said. "That's what I thought," Kagome said, and I nodded.
"Demon drawings coming to life? The power of the Sacred Jewel is amazing," Shippo commented. I looked at him. That was the plan. Hopefully it would be able to turn me back into a human, I thought. Then Shippo called "Hey, Inuyasha! Why don't you come in and eat?" "Hmph!" Inuyasha said, and he looked away with his nose high in the air. "How long are you going to keep sulking?" I asked, crossing my arms. "What's the matter?" Miroku asked, to which he yelled "Shut up!" "Can't you just work with Miroku a little bit? You're so jealous!" Kagome said. That made him whip back around. "Jealous?!" he demanded. "I see…" Miroku said, placing his hands on Kagome's shoulders. "Kagome, do you accept me?" he asked.
My jaw unhinged; did this guy have no morals? Kagome took his hands and pulled them off, saying "That and you have some Jewel Shards with you." "Huh?" he said, and she stared at his chest. "There are two… no, there are three," she said. Miroku smiled, moving back and placing his hand where they were. "You have the power to see the Shards, I see," he said. Immediately Inuyasha stood and ran at Miroku, but he only made it halfway before Kagome said "Sit!" He crashed to the ground, and said "Kagome…!" "I accumulated these Shards myself. Taking them would make you a thief," Miroku said. He pulled his face out of the floor. "You should talk! Who was it that took our Jewel Shards when we first met?" he yelled. "Oh. Your memory skills are sharper than I thought," Miroku replies, eyebrows raised.
Unbeknownst to us the two guards were eavesdropping, and they reported what they had heard to the lord. "What? That artist is the one who manipulated the demons?" he asked. "Yes, sire. It seems he possesses a shard of the Shikon Jewel," the first guard said. "The Sacred Jewel? I've have heard that a single shard can increase one's natural powers a hundredfold," the lord said. "We shall take from the artist then," the guard said. "My lord, it also seems that the monk is in possession of several shards," the second guard said. "He possesses a Shard as well?" the lord repeated, before smiling. Quickly, he told his servants what he wanted them to do.
Later that night we had all gone to bed, and the guards crept into the room where Miroku was sleeping. They slid open the door and saw him sleeping, and they immediately ran up and stabbed their swords into the bed. But then Miroku faded, and the side door of the room slid open to reveal the real him standing there. "You tricked us!" the guard said. "Explain yourselves! I have done nothing to warrant these violent attacks!" Miroku said. Rather than respond the guards charged at him, swords held high as they yelled "Give us the Sacred jewel shard!" Miroku blocked both of their attacks and pushed them to the ground. Just then, the rest of us ran in.
"What in the world is going on?!" I demanded. "Aren't these guys part of the castle guard?" Kagome asked. Miroku held his staff against their throats. "You said something about a Sacred jewel Shard. Now, talk," Miroku said. "We were just following our master's orders to take the Jewel shard from you!" the first guard sad. The other added "The master has already gone to take the shard from the artist!" At that my eyes widened. "He what?" I said. "So, you know where the artist is then. Where is he?" Miroku asked. They told him, and he let them go before grabbing Kagome's bike. "Kagome, I need to borrow your contraption!" he said, before getting on it and riding off.
"Wait up!" Kagome called, but then Inuyasha caught her and leaped into the air, while Shippo jumped onto my shoulder and I took flight. I was worried thought; and I knew that Inuyasha and Miroku were thinking the same thing. The demons were created using the power of a Jewel shard; regular mortals didn't stand a chance at defeating them.
A short distance away from the painter's hut the lord sat on his horse, and he waved his hand. "Go," he said quietly. His men charged forward and cried out in battle. Inside the painter smiled, looking down at all of his paintings. "I possesses an endless number of demon soldiers just waiting at my command," he said, before picking up a pair of scrolls and flinging them. "Come forth, my demons of Hell!" he called. Countless orbs of light rose of the scrolls and burst out of the hut, resolving themselves into demons. At the sight of them the soldier's instantly lost their confidence, screaming and running away. The lord's horse neighed and bucked, and the lord struggled to keep it under control.
"There they are!" I called, and we all reached the field. Inuyasha put his hand on the Tetsuaiga, but Shippo said "Inuyasha, don't! The small of ink will overcome you again!" "Shut up!" he said, and he leaped forward. A demon flew at the lord but Inuyasha slashed, cutting in half as it fell to the ground. "You saved me, young man. You shall be compensated," the lord said, before the other half of the demon landed in front of him. He cried out in fear and whirred his horse around, riding away. I snorted; what a freaking coward. More demons came and I threw a lightning orb, the raw electricity exploding and frying three of them.
Inuyasha continued cutting down more of them, but eventually he stiffened before falling back. "The smell got to him again, the idiot!" Shippo said, dropping down next to him to get a look. Like before his eyes were filled with swirls, and I grunted as I looked back before throwing another Pyro Bomb into the heart of the demons. One made it past me though, and made for the unconscious Inuyasha. Kagome was too far away and gasped, calling "Inuyasha!" But just as the demon swung Miroku got in front of it and destroyed it with his staff. "Thanks Miroku," Kagome said. He nodded, before calling "Yume! Fall back and get behind me!" I looked back at him, and I saw him raise his right hand.
I nodded and stopped, running behind him. "Now… Wind Tunnel!" he called, pulling the prayer beads off of his hand. The abyssal void in his palm glowed bright before the wind began sucking the demons in, and they cried out in surprise and horror as they were consumed. The artist looked out, shocked. "He's sucking in all my demons!" he said. After about a minute they were all gone, and Miroku fell to his knees. "Miroku!" Kagome said. He gritted his teeth. "I've never sucked in so many demons at once. I'm exhausted," he said. Inuyasha stirred, thinking "Damn. To think I got rescued by him!" With the Wind Tunnel gone I conjured a fireball in each hand, but before I could run ahead the ground rumbled.
"Now what?" Kagome asked. Suddenly the hut exploded and pieces of wood were sent flying, while out of the rubble a giant three-headed snake rose. And on its back was the artist. "I won't let you get away!" Inuyasha said. "Neither will I!" I said, and we both chased after him. The snake demon rushed at us and we both dodged to the side, but it kept going and moved for Kagome, Shippo and Miroku. "Not on my watch!" I said, and I channeled the powers I had used to control those blocks of wood when we had fist fought Miroku. The broken pieces of the hut around me rose into the air, and I sent them hurtling for the snake demon. The sharp points pierced its flesh and left several giant splinters. The demon shrieked and stopped, looking back at me.
I smiled; controlling objects like this was becoming easier the more I did it. I wonder what I would be able to levitate as I grew stronger. "Kagome! Where's the Jewel shard?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome stared at the artist, before pointing. "There! In the bamboo ink pot on his waist!" "Got it!" both Inuyasha and I said, and while I took flight he jumped onto the snake demon's back. The artist looked back. "Persistent wretches!" he called, before pulling out another scroll. "Go, the demons of death!" he called, and the paintings came to life and flew at both of us. Four came for me and I destroyed one with a fireball, before grabbing a second by the arm and throwing it into the third hard enough to crack bones. The last one I slashed across the chest with my claws, and Inuyasha dispatched the ones attacking him just as easily. "More of these, huh?" he said, literally punching them out of the way.
Down below Miroku watched, and asked "What kind of technique is that?" "It's called 'wailing on them'," Shippo told him. With them one we both made for the artist, but them two of the snake's head turned back and spewed fire at us. The painter chuckled. "My hellfire shall burn you to the bones!" he said confidently. I smiled back, and said "Oh?" This guy had yet to realize that I was a Phoenix Demon; I was immune to flame. And Inuyasha was protected with the Robe of the Firerat. Inuyasha held the Tetsuaiga and charged. "As if I'd let a human kill me!" he called. I could see real fear start to appear in the artist's eyes. "I'll never give up the Jewel! It's my only chance at happiness!" he said, standing and jumping off of the snake.
I grunted and sent the thinnest ribbon of flame at the artist, hitting the string tying the ink pot to this belt and burning it off. Inuyasha swung down and sliced it in two, the ink bursting out. The snake behind us disintegrated, and the artist feel through the air, landing harshly on the ground. He stood, looking up in horror. "My ink. My ink has all been spilt!" he cried. But then he saw a sword sticking out of the ground and grabbed it. He stabbed his arm and tossed the sword away, raising his arm. "Hear me, ink! I give my blood. Drink well, and live again. Feast on my lifeblood!" he said. The ink rushed towards him at that, and I said "Oh no!" "The fool!" Inuyasha said.
Surrounded by his ink, the painter laughed. "You are mine. No one shall ever have, you!" he said. Then he gasped, his smile fading as he saw that his hand was becoming skin and bone as the blood was drained. And the ink still kept drawing more. "The ink was not satisfied with my blood. The ink devoured it!" he called, screaming in pain. I looked, realizing that there was nothing I could do. The ink consumed the Hell-Painter, and what was left his corpse fell to the ground, surrounded by the ink as it did the same. I landed on the ground, and Kagome and the others walked up. "The fool. He was devoured by his own ink," Inuyasha said. "What a horrible way to die," Kagome said.
"You're telling me. He'd rather have his blood sucked dry than to part with the Jewel," he said. The Jewel rose to the surface of the ink, glowing with evil radiance. "Damn. The Jewel Shard I worked so hard to get has become tainted with evil! I dare not even touch it," Miroku thought. Then Kagome bent down and simply picked it up, the evil in it disappearing. He gaped in shock, and Kagome said "So wants it?" Inuyasha scoffed. "Do you even have to ask?" he said. "Well, Miroku did save us," Kagome pointed out. I shrugged, showing that I didn't really care. Miroku smiled. "Why don't you keep it, Kagome?" he suggested.
"You think so?" Kagome asked, surprised. Shippo jumped back onto my shoulder. "At least someone besides Mom's being mature," he commented. "Heh!" Inuyasha said, looking away. Miroku looked at Kagome. "She purified the Shard just by picking it up," he noted. Perhaps she was a lot strong than he had anticipated. The next day we were all walking along a path, and Kagome said "Really, Miroku? You're staying with us?" "Of course! It's much more preferable traveling in the company of such a pretty girl," he said. "I don't have much of a problem with it…" I said, before glaring at the monk. "…As long as he doesn't make a grab for my butt again," I finished. Quickly Miroku shook his head. "Don't worry, Yume. I learned my lesson on that," he promised.
Inuyasha grunted and sulked, continuing his walk. "And despite the way he acts, Inuyasha does have a good side to him," Miroku added. "Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled, not even looking back. I thought about, before deciding that he was right. Inuyasha could have killed the artist right when I sliced off the ink pot. But instead he spared his life, and destroyed the pot instead. I smiled, looking at the silver-haired half-demon as he walked ahead. Yeah, really deep down Inuyasha was actually a good person.
Miroku has now joined the party officially, and come next chapter is the part we've all been waiting for: Naraku and Sesshomaru joining forces! Stay tuned for that!
Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. ) I'm just kidding… or am I?)