Hey all, new chapter at last!
So sorry for the longer than usual delay. I've been under some stress lately, and then of course the weather's been rather bitchy in regards to the temperature, making me want to lay down and do as little as possible.
But, I'm feeling better, and I'm gonna get back on track with the writing as best as I can.
Glad to see that the story is still popular; cracked into the 5000 mark in views! (Applause)
Keep it up, and enjoy the latest in this adventure!
Chapter 28: History of the Shikon-no-Tama Unearthed
(Scrub, scrub...)
It's been a couple days since the battle with Naraku (or rather, his demon puppet form), and our group was still hanging around in the shambled demon slayer village.
Right now, Coraline was washing two of her tank-tops and a shirt, using some special biodegradable soap she brought in her satchel, and an old washtub she found in the village undamaged from the attack. Today, she was wearing green cargo pants, a white tank-top, her black combat boots, and had her hair in two long ponytails.
She wipes the sweat from her forehead, and quirks mentally,
I'm almost wishing I brought fabric spray...
Meanwhile, Shippo was exploring the huts that were still in fair condition, marveling at the items he found:
"Woo-hoo! There's every weapon out of the sun here! All made from the hides and bones of demons!"
As he grabbed a bone sickle to examine, Myoga - who was also in the hut - replies,
"The people of this village used these arms to slay demons."
"They must've been pretty strong for humans!"
"Yes. That's why the demons had so much anger towards this place." Shippo forms a glare and says,
"Naraku took advantage of their hatred." Myoga also glares hard and adds,
"He used the demons to do his dirty work."
Back outside, Coraline rings and flaps out the last of her clothes, before laying them alongside Sango's clothing, to which the redhead kindly offered to wash:
"...Sango..."
Coraline felt her eyes dilate with sadness, as she laments over the current events that brought she and the others this far in their adventure, including the single living demon slayer's newly grim reality:
To think, this place once stood proud as a village of strong demon slayers...
Now, thanks to Naraku's treacherous schemes, the entire population, save Sango, has been massacred.
...I feel so sorry for her...
All of this, because of the damned Shikon-no-Tama. Not only was this place harbouring a few fragments, but it also carries the history of the jewel...
I just hope that coming here was not all for not...aside from seeing more death...
The redhead sighs, and begins walking over to another hut where Sango was currently resting, muttering bitterly,
"I'm starting to believe that damn jewel is nothing but an omen of death..."
At the same time Coraline made her way to see the resting demon slayer with her clothes, Miroku was sitting in front of a blazing fire, and sending prayers to the fallen...
But his work would soon be interrupted by Inuyasha (carrying more wood for the fire), who was getting increasingly impatient with all of this waiting around:
"Damn it, what's goin' on here, anyway? Hey, Miroku, is that Sango girl still in bed healing her wounds or what?"
Miroku sighs exasperatedly and replies,
"Yes, I believe she is."
"Well she can't sleep all day. Get her out of bed! She's the only one who knows where Naraku's hiding!"
Inuyasha tosses the logs into the blaze and adds,
"She said that she can't remember how to get back to the castle where Naraku's staying. But if we keep lookin' around, somethin's bound to jog her memory sooner or later."
"Must've been a spell. And now that it's worn off, she's forgotten everything about Naraku and his whereabouts."
"Who cares about a stupid spell or wounds?! We've been here ten days! I would've been up in three!"
Miroku smiles sadly and says,
"Not me. I would've been bed-ridden for at least a month. (Shifts to frown) Besides, Sango's not just suffering physically: She's lost her entire family and village. Her heart's been deeply wounded."
Inuyasha retorts with a slab of sarcasm,
"Ooo, a wounded heart? Well, the best cure for that is vengeance! And in order to get revenge, we have to find Naraku's castle! I'm gonna see if she remembers anything!"
(Toss, bonk)
"Agh!"
Miroku throws a log of wood at Inuyasha's head, and the latter snaps,
"Why'd you do that?!"
Miroku gets up and says with a calm smile,
"Leave her alone and let her rest for a while. I guarantee that will be the best medicine."
He then sees Coraline heading towards the hut where Sango was resting, and adds in an afterthought,
"Besides, I have a feeling that Coraline may be able to speak to her better than the two of us can...since she understands the feeling of losing a family member to murder before her very eyes..."
"Huh?"
Inuyasha turns to watch Coraline enter inside, before his eyes widen as he realizes,
...He's right. Coraline knows exactly how Sango feels.
For her, Bishop is what Naraku is to Sango...
Coraline's POV
I walk into the entrance of the hut with Sango's clothes, as well as the first aid kit to do some more treatment of her wounds, but when I get inside...
"What? Sango?"
...She's gone. Where is she?
I peek back outside, and turn my head left and right, trying to spot her:
"Hm...(Soft gasp)"
I found Sango, clad in a simple kimono, kneeling in front of the graves of the villagers:
...Oh dear. I had a feeling that she would end up there eventually...
I put her clothes and the first aid kit down, before making my way over there...I could see that she was holding one of the flowers I placed on the graves, and Kilala was snuggling up to her side, trying to comfort her.
Smiling sadly, I reach Sango and Kilala, before kneeling on the right side of the former:
"Hey...Are you sure you should be up right now, Sango? Your injuries haven't fully healed yet."
"...The graves."
"Hm?"
"You buried all of the villagers, and you marked their graves."
"...Well, of course. It wouldn't have been right not to."
Sango goes back to staring at the flower, and I feel my heart clench at the sorrow radiating off her:
...There's no way I can tell her to cheer up. This is all still too raw for her; one day and night, she became an orphan...
Much like I did, that night five years ago...
I shiver from the unpleasant memories, before taking a deep breath, and turn to Sango:
"Listen, Sango...I'm not going to be one of those type of people to say that the pain will go away in time, because the truth is, it doesn't."
She turns to me confused, and I continue:
"I understand the anguish and sorrow you must be feeling, for I too lost a loved one, my father, thanks to a despicable man, and almost died the same day. It's been five years since that day, and I still feel pain and hatred. But, what I learned a long time ago, is that you can either let yourself wallow in self-pity and anger, or, you can take the pain, and reshape it into something you can use to help you keep going in life."
I place a gentle hand on her shoulder and add,
"Do not allow yourself to be swallowed by the darkness of your suffering, Sango. Mourn for as long as you have to, but remember that you have the power to take your pain, and make into a strength to carry on...I'm, sure that your loved ones would want that for you..."
Sango looks at me with wide eyes, and the next thing I knew, she was hugging me!
"Uh!"
I then feel her body shake, and she whispers tearfully,
"Th-Thank you...I, hope you're right..."
I feel myself smile sadly, before hugging back and whispering soothingly,
"You're welcome, Sango..."
After a couple minutes, she stops crying, and we separate, turning back to the graves...I then say to her,
"Perhaps, when your wounds are healed, maybe you could join up with us. Inuyasha and Miroku are good guys, once you get past their quirks, and Shippo's a real sweetheart...You don't have to answer right away, but, what do you think?"
She doesn't answer my question, instead replying,
"That's a Shikon-no-Tama shard around your neck, isn't it?"
"Hm? Oh, yes..."
I grab out the said shard, and say in a neutral tone,
"The Shikon-no-Tama shards...They really have a bad habit of fueling power to the likes of darkness. There's still a good number of shards out there, that I need to collect to restore the jewel."
"...Naraku will come after it, I'm positive. That's why I want to join you and your friends." I nod understandingly:
"To avenge your family and fellow villagers, correct?"
Sango rises gingerly to a stand and replies,
"Mm, I guess so. Besides, the Shikon-no-Tama-"
"Was born here, yes. That's what I've learned recently. The others and I originally came here in hopes of learning more of the jewel's history, including its origins."
...All who come in contact with the jewel seem to be granted with nothing but despair...
What is it, and what is the original purpose for its existence?
"(Mew)"
"Hm?"
I look down and see Kilala sitting in front of me. I smile a bit and pet her:
"Hey. You doin' alright there, Kilala?"
"...Alright. Call your friends."
"Huh?"
I turn confusingly to Sango, and she says,
"You helped bury the dead...and your words were blunt but comforting."
As she begins to walk slowly from the graves, she adds,
"So I will tell you, how the Shikon-no-Tama came to be."
Small Time Skip, No POV
Soon enough, everyone was back at the mysterious limestone cave from before, with Inuyasha carrying Sango on his back so that she didn't strain herself. Miroku then says,
"At long last, we will be able to enter the limestone cave, the birthplace of the Jewel of the Four Souls."
Inuyasha asks Sango,
"So, tell us, Sango: How do we get rid of this stupid cave barrier, anyway?" Myoga adds,
"We need to know what age old chant your villagers used to break the barrier and pass through safely."
"There isn't any incantation."
"Doh! Agh, of course there is! How else would you do it?!" Inuyasha glares at the flea demon:
"Myoga."
He then blows him off Sango's kimono sleeve, before she says,
"This place is a graveyard."
"Graveyard?"
"It's useless to just try and look for a way in. At first, my villagers had thought the demons had placed a curse to keep anyone from entering. But we eventually realized that it was she, who keeps intruders out."
"And who is she?" Sango replies to Miroku,
"The person whom the Shikon-no-Tama was born. Her spirit is full of sadness and regret, and it prevents others from entering...That's what I sense. It will be easier to understand once we go in. Go on, step through the barrier."
"Uh..."
Inuyasha was a bit uncertain, but nonetheless stepped forward...
"Are you sure about this?"
"Countless people have been killed because of the Shikon-no-Tama's dark power. And it is the sympathy that you show for the victims that leads me to believe she will allow you to enter the cave."
Everyone then begins to slowly make their way in...
(Glow)
"Huh?" "Hm?"
The energy of the barrier surrounds their bodies for a minute, before fading away. Shippo comments,
"Hey, she's right. We got through."
As the group makes their way down the rocky path, Myoga says to himself excitedly,
"They did it! Now we can meet the person who gave birth to the Shikon-no-Tama! Enter, Myoga!"
(Hop)
(Bzzzzt)
"Gah!"
Unfortunately, Myoga was not granted passage, much to his confusion:
"Now why did that happen?"
Anyway, as our group moved downward, they could see that the floor of the cave carried hundreds of bones from passed demons...At the heart of the cave, stood a tall statue of sorts, with a monstrous demon grasping onto another figure...Inuyasha asks,
"Wh-What the heck is this?"
Sango explains, as she moves to stand on her own two feet (Coraline holding her steady):
"There was a time when ogres, dragons and other demons merged their bodies together to wage in battle. They fought against one powerful human."
As they knelt downward, Coraline narrowed her eyes a bit, examining the stone:
"...I see, a person, a woman, carved into the stalagmite."
Zooming in on said statue, we see the figure as a young woman with long hair, wearing battle armor of sorts, and a hole in her torso...Inuyasha points out,
"The demon has her in its jaws," followed my Miroku remarking,
"Ancient armor...Is that an ancient warrior?" Sango replies,
"It's a woman. A priestess that lived many centuries ago." Inuaysha comments,
"Look at all of the demons surrounding her...This priestess must have had immense spiritual power."
"The court nobles controlled the country at the time. Wars and famines dragged on and on, with countless perished. Demons devoured the dead, and the near-dead, and were able to grow in great numbers. Many priests and warriors set out to slay them, but only one priestess, known as Midoriko, was able to purify demon souls, and render them harmless...She was considered, the most powerful human of her time."
Coraline's eyes sparkled in curiousity:
"Fascinating...Midoriko was really so powerful?"
"Mhm. In her world, humans, demons, trees and even stones were all created through the Four Souls."
"The Four Souls..." That's what Shikon translates to...
Miroku explains further:
"I've come across that philosophy in my readings. The Four Souls were called, Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama, and Sakimitama. When they're combined, they create the Soul of one person, housed inside the heart. Aramitama is Courage, Nigimitama is Friendship, Kushimitama is Wisdom, and Sakimitama is Love..."
Miroku walks forward to look at the statue more closely and finishes his thoughts:
"When the Four Souls or Spirits work together in harmony, it is called Naohi, and the human heart is filled with goodness. Are you keeping up with me, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha's face gains a small blush of embarrassment and he replies,
"Eh, um, not really..."
Shippo wasn't fully understanding the philosophy either:
"(Dizzy) This is way too deep for me..."
Coraline helps Sango to sit down on a nearby boulder, and the latter says,
"When somebody does a bad deed, the Four Souls energizer evil, and the human loses their way. In other words..."
Miroku finishes for Sango:
"In other words, a Soul can turn good or bad, and this transformation can happen within a Human Soul, or a Demon Soul."
"Now you know why Midoriko was a formidable foe for the demons. Because she was able to purify their souls and make them powerless."
Inuyasha scoffs a bit and retorts,
"So what? She fought off an army of demons by turning them into a bunch of weaklings."
He then smirks a bit grimly and adds,
"Well her power didn't last very long, did it? I'd say she's a pretty useless priestess now."
"She hasn't lost the battle yet."
Coraline looks at Sango confusingly as she stated that remark:
...Hasn't lost yet? What does Sango mean?
She turns back to the statue, and notices something else about the statue:
...Hang on: The priestess Midoriko...she has a hole in her chest, going all the way through her!
"After battling for seven days and seven nights, a demon got its fangs into Midoriko. With her last ounce of energy, she reached deep within her own body for strength, and ceased the demon's soul. But in doing so, she forced out her own soul..."
Staring at the monument for a minute, Miroku then asks,
"Tell me, is the hole in her chest the spot where she forced out her own soul?"
"...What flew out of her, was in fact the Shikon-no-Tama. She wasn't able to purify the demon's soul; all she could do was cease and imprison it, along with herself."
Coraline reaches to the shard around her neck, as Sango adds,
"Although the flesh is gone, inside the Shikon-no-Tama, a battle still wages between Midoriko and the demons...That is why the fight is not over yet."
Coraline widens her eyes:
"A war between Souls inside of a jewel...incredible..." Inuaysha then says,
"Keh, it's not like this story complicates things. We just have to worry about Naraku hunting after the jewel shards."
He turns from the statue and adds with a smug smile,
"I'm gonna take the jewel, and use it to become a full-fledged demon, and then Midoriko can rest in peace...Uh?"
Inuyasha then notices that his body was beginning so glow a strange silvery white, and before he could react fully:
(Float, Shoot)
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"
(Pow)
He was flying out of the cave, passed through the barrier, and shot a good distance to the ground away from the entrance!
(Crash...)
...Back inside the cave, Miroku comments,
"Looks like those who talk about the Shikon-no-Tama and selfish gain get thrown from the cave."
Shippo adds nervously from the monk's shoulder,
"That must be Midoriko's version of 'Sit'."
Time Skip
"Good, the clothes and blanket are dry now..."
As the sun began setting, casting a beautiful orange glow in the sky, Coraline took down the small amount of laundry she had hanging on a clothesline, while Myoga was being relayed by Shippo of the new information they had learned:
"A priestess inside of a stalagmite?! Oh my, tell me all of the juicy details, Shippo!"
"The priestess thrust the Shikon-no-Tama out of her body while the demon had her in its jaws, and the image of them is set in stone."
"Hmm...They were covered in the stalagmite. So then several centuries must have passed since the battle just as Sango said."
Later that night, as Inuyasha sat on the roof of the hut, everyone else was inside, listening to Sango speak more about her village:
"My villagers have worked as slayers for generation upon generations. That likely has something to do with Midoriko's influence. For centuries, the Shikon-no-Tama has passed to several humans and demons, and eventually returned here during my grandfather's time. The Shikon-no-Tama had come out of the demon he had slain. But my grandfather's life, along with many others, were sacrificed in the battle. The Shikon-no-Tama was removed from the demon, but it was horribly defiled, and the slayers did not possess the ability to handle it."
Miroku jumps in:
"So they put it in Kikyō's care..."
"Kikyō? Was she the priestess who had the ability to purify the Shikon-no-Tama?"
"Yes. But Naraku found out about her and killed her."
Sango goes into thought, before saying,
"When demons and evil humans possess it, the jewel becomes defiled. When a pure-hearted soul possesses it, the jewel transforms, and becomes pure."
As Coraline soothingly rubs a sleeping Shippo who's laying against her left leg, Miroku says,
"It's all very complicated: It's a jewel that possesses the power for good or evil, but I've never heard of an instance when it's been used for good. And as long as Naraku is after it, there will be more and more bloodshed. So we must, put an end to the Shikon-no-Tama's bad karma."
Miroku turns his head to the ceiling, and calls to Inuyasha:
"Inuyasha, you must relinquish all thoughts of using the Shikon-no-Tama to become a full demon."
Outside, Inuyasha just 'Fehs', and says in his mind,
First things first: I have to focus on destroying Naraku...
Back inside, a quiet sigh emanates from Coraline and she says to the monk,
"There's no point in trying to persuade him, Miroku. Inuyasha is set in his ways, and we just have to accept his decision when it comes."
Miroku looks at her with surprise:
"...You actually support the idea of him becoming a full-fledged demon?" Coraline smiles calmly and replies,
"To be a good friend, means supporting that friend's decisions in life, no matter how reckless or irrational it may be to others...It's something my brothers Freeman and Besa taught me..."
"Your, brothers?"
Coraline turns to Sango and says with a small laugh,
"Well, we're not related by blood, of course, but that's how I see them, and they see me as their sister. We're, just that close, is all. I was born an only child, and after traveling here to Japan (in my time) when my father was murdered years ago, I was adopted by the Higurashi family."
"(Nod) I see..."
Coraline then lets out another breath of air, and shifts to a look of minor frustration:
"...But back to the topic at hand: The whole concept of the jewel defiled versus purified, and evil humans...I dunno if I can agree with the terms."
"What do you mean?"
Coraline looks to Miroku and answers,
"I mean that the idea of pure humans and evil humans sounds ludicrous to me. I've never once believed that anyone can be fully pure of heart. And labeling the jewel with terms like defiled and pure, makes it sound like a virgin before they're, 'deflowered' if you'll pardon my phrasing."
Sango's eyes widen a bit at Coraline's nonchalant tone in her language, and Miroku almost laughs at her word choice:
"Oh dear. I did not think you would take the terms so seriously."
"You say that like you don't."
"Huh?"
Coraline then gently moves Shippo off of her leg, before rising to a stand, and begins to walk towards the door, a rather grim look on her face:
"Everyone speaks of the jewel as something that can be saved from 'evil', but I think the Shikon-no-Tama is nothing more than an omen for death, and there's nothing that can be done to change its path of 'bad karma'."
The monk and slayer gasp, and Coraline huffs a bit before walking away...
Inuyasha's POV
I heard every word from Coraline, and watch her leave the hut with wide eyes, shocked at what she said:
...An omen for death? Has her opinion really gotten that grim?
And, what she said about me...She supports me...
I see her heading out to the entrance, before getting up to follow her:
(Leap)
I land a couple feet away, and look from behind the broken entrance, seeing that she was sitting on the edge of the cliff path, looking up at the sky...
"...I know you're there, Inuyasha."
"Uh!" Damn, how'd she know?
She turns her head to me, a small smile on her face:
"I can sense you with my Aura Reader powers, remember?"
"...Right."
"Heh, it's okay. You can come sit beside me if you want..."
I hesitate for a moment, before deciding to accept her invitation...I plop down on her left, with one arm propped on my knee, and neither one of us says anything for a while...I then ask her,
"...Do you really support my decision?"
"...Why wouldn't I? It is what you want most in life, is it not? Achieving a strength that's been denied to you for a long time, and become someone you can be proud of being."
I look at her with surprise, before asking in a strangely timid tone,
"But, what if, I'm not the same afterwords? What if, when I become a full-fledged demon, I'm, not the person I am now?"
Wait, I'm actually worried about that?
...(Sigh) I guess saying out loud makes it true...
I then feel her turn towards me, and I see her looking at me with a mix of worry and curiousity:
"...Inuyasha...are you really worried about that? (Small smile) Because you shouldn't be."
"Huh?"
"I have faith in you, faith that you will be who you are, not matter if you're half-demon or otherwise."
"...You, have faith in me?"
She nods, and I feel my heart warm up a bit:
...No one, has ever said they had faith in me before...
I couldn't help it; I had to crack a small smile back at this strange girl:
"...Thank you. I, appreciate that you support me."
"Heh, no problem."
We turn to look at the stars again, and after a few minutes, I turn to Coraline and open my mouth to ask another question:
"...I heard you talkin' about the jewel pretty bitterly earlier, and, something about humans never being truly pure of heart...Is that really what you believe in?"
I see her face shift to a frown:
"...Yes. The idea of being completely pure just seems impossible to me. We all do good and bad deeds here and there, even if they're minor. To be void of any darkness, does not sound right to me. If one is completely pure and innocent, how can they be prepared for the harshness that is life?"
"Hm...I see what you mean about that. Too much innocence can lead to ignorance...But what about that death omen bit?"
...I hear no answer come out of her...
"Coraline?"
"(Sigh) Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh of me to say. But it seems that whomever possesses the jewel will eventually meet their untimely end, and in a horrible way. Not only that, but battles are being waged because of the jewel, adding to this newly growing casualty list...The Shikon-no-Tama, to me, does not represent good or evil...Instead, it represents the grim reaper, just waiting to swing his scythe at his next victim..."
...Coraline...
I feel my eyes soften a bit at the morbid redhead, and before I knew it, I placed an arm around her shoulders:
"H-Huh?"
She looks at me in surprise at my gesture, and asks with a soft stutter,
"I-Inuyasha, wh-what..."
I smirk a tad at her sudden timidness, and say a bit teasingly,
"Keh, didn't think I'd ever see you act shy..." I see her blush a bit in embarrassment before she says halfheartedly,
"...Shut up..."
I chuckle a bit, and say a bit more gently,
"I'm not saying it's a bad thing...It's cute..."
Whoa whoa whoa, what?! Did I seriously just say that?!
"...You, think I'm cute?"
Crap, I did say that...
"U-Um...yeah...I mean, why not?"
Her blush grows a bit more, and she smiles before saying softly,
"...Thanks. I've, never really been called cute before..."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I, don't really give beauty much thought. Just doesn't seem like an necessity; only makes you vain."
"Hm..."
We both go quiet after that, nothing else to really talk about. Instead, we just enjoy this moment of peace, and I pull her a bit closer to me, she cuddling back...
Wow...I haven't felt this content in a long time.
And, having Coraline here with me, just the two of us...it feels right.
But the quiet wouldn't last for too much longer, when I suddenly feel Coraline's muscles stiffen:
"Hm? What is it?"
"...I sense something...something off."
She turns her head back to the village, and I see her eyes glow for a second, before she widens them and says,
"The cave...the demon spirits...they're coming back!"
"What?!"
"We need to get over there, now!"
No POV, Half an Hour Earlier...
At the same time Inuyasha and Coraline were having a midnight chat, the others had fallen asleep in the hut...
Suddenly, Kilala stirs awake, sensing something amiss. She exits the hut, and turns towards the direction of the limestone cave...
Moving to the said cave, there was an odd ping sound, belonging to the shard of the Shikon-no-Tama that was once around Coraline's neck (She gave it to Miroku before she left the hut as she didn't want to look at it at the time)!
Turns out, the carrier was Kilala, who is now sitting in front of the statue depicting Midoriko and the demon she fought in her last battle.
(Scratch, scratch...)
(Hop)
Myoga then jumps out of Kilala's fur:
"Ah, good. Thank you, Kilala. We made good time coming here." He turns his attention to the priestess of stone:
"Midoriko, I too feel compassion towards humans. However, when one lives as long as I have and sees a great deal of death, and becomes hardened by it...Please forgive me. This afternoon, I was too eager in my pursuit for the truth. But since you've allowed me to pass through the barrier, I take it you understand?"
"(Mew)"
"Oh, sorry, sorry, Kilala. I'll be finished here soon."
Myoga then proceeds to drag the jewel shard he brought with him in a blue cloth, up to the statue itself...
(Hop)
"(Murmur) Damn arthritis...So many huge demons. A single priestess took on this many demons at once? Unbelievable; simply unbelievable. Numerous smaller demons merged together to form huge ones!...Hm? What's that in her armor? Ooh, I bet that's the hole where the Shikon-no-Tama was forced out. Yep, it must be, judging from the size..."
...Suddenly:
(Rumble...)
"Wh-What's going on?! Gah!"
The shaking causes Myoga to lose his grip on the cloth, and the jewel shard tumbles to the ground below...!
Kilala growls, knowing something is about to erupt...Myoga says to himself worriedly,
"Ooooh, I have a bad feeling about this!"
The rumbling pauses, before:
(POW)
A red-orange glow splits from the ground below, along with several orange orbs!
"Damn, it's the power of the Shikon-no-Tama! The demons who were completely subdued are trying to revive!"
The strange orbs then shoot straight into the statue, and the impact causes Myoga to fly into the air, before Kilala catches him!
The cat demon then faces the statue, and surrounds herself with fire, before transforming into her full demon form:
"(Roar)"
Meanwhile, back at the Hut
Miroku comes out, hearing and feeling the rumble:
"What was-"
"Miroku!"
"Huh?"
He then sees Inuyasha and Coraline come running towards him:
"Did you feel that too?"
"Yes. Something's wro-Oh, damn!" Miroku feels around his neck, and realizes something is missing:
"The jewel shard is gone!" Coraline's eyes narrow:
"I bet whatever's going on in Midoriko's cave has something to do with that."
"We have no time to lose!"
The three nod, but just as the men spring off, Coraline stops when Shippo comes out the hut and says to her,
"(Pant) Myoga is missing, Coraline. Do you know where he went?"
"No...I would've assumed he went with Inuyasha, but..." Shippo shakes his head:
"Not a chance! That little coward never sticks his nose into danger. He always hides when there's trouble. Myoga, where are you?!"
Back inside, Sango notices her companion was missing too:
"Where's Kilala?"
Coraline hms, before her eyes widen, and she curses loudly when she realizes,
"Shit! Myoga, he-"
Back to the Cave
(Crash, crash...)
Kilala was dodging the orbs as they tried to charge at her, while Myoga was trying to urge her to retreat:
"Kilala, run! Call Inuyasha and Miroku!"
But she ignored him, choosing to charge forward instead:
(Dash)
"What's the matter, Kilala? Oh, right! We have to get the jewel shard back!"
But just as Kilala leaped towards the fabled shard:
(Grip)
The spirit image of the monstrous demon suddenly sprang from the stone, and ensnared Kilala in a vice grip!
"(Rowl)"
"Kilala!"
The head of the demon would then come out, readying itself to attack...Myoga then realizes what's going on:
"Demon spirits! They're transforming into something foul!"
The demon spirit brings Kilala closer, and the cat demon lets out another frustrated howl...
"Hang on, Kilala! Please! Oooh, this isn't looking too good!"
And just when things were about to take a turn for the worst:
(Sheen...)
"Huh? That's...What?!"
The statue of Midoriko glows that familiar fushia pink, before her own spirit comes forth!
The demon focuses its attention on Midoriko, and the said priestess takes her sword, before bringing an energy wave attack down on the demon:
(POW)
"The priestess, Midoriko..."
But as the image fades, we see that 'Midoriko', was actually Inuyasha! Kilala lands on the ground safely, followed by Inuyasha, and the latter shouts,
"Hurry, Miroku!"
Said monk rushes over to where the Shikon-no-Tama shard fell, and takes it back:
"There! I shouldn't linger here with the jewel shard. I have to leave the cave!"
"Go!"
As Miroku rushes to exit the cave, Inuyasha puts his Tessaiga away and says to himself,
"Keh, now that's over with..."
He then walks over to Kilala, and begins searching her fur:
"I only know one creature on the face of this whole earth who would pull a stunt as stupid as this one..."
He then finds the cowering flea demon, who springs to a stand and says,
"Oh, Master Inuaysha! Ah, thank goodness nothing too serious has happened..."
Inuyasha does not buy the tone:
"Oh, cut the crap, will ya? Why'd ya drag the jewel shard to a place like this in the middle of the night?"
"I-I was asleep on Kilala's back, and before I knew it, she had taken me here!"
Kilala growls, not appreciative of Myoga's fib...
"You liar!"
"I-It's true! A-And when we got here, the demon spirits that still had some evil energy in them reacted and revived with the light from the Shikon-no-Tama!"
"I could'a told ya that would happen, ya idiot! Tryin' to smooth over the fact that you were nearly killed? Keh, I should'a never bothered in savin' you..."
"Uh, excuse me, Master Inuyasha, but I don't recall you actually saving me..."
"Use your little brain! Don't be so dumb!"
Inuyasha then snatches up Myoga, and proceeds to shake him while beginning his journey out of the cave, while the latter says,
"I'm not, being dumb! The priestess Midoriko saved me, not you!"
"Save your dreamin' for sleep!"
(Whack)
Myoga is then thrown into a stalactite, and floats to the ground...
As this went on, Kilala slowly moves towards the statue, and stares at the depicted Midoriko for a moment, before moving to curl up and rest below...
Almost as if, old companions had reunited for a moment of peace...
