Part One: Osorezan-Mountain of Fear
Looking blankly over a small body, Miroku kneeled and put his hands in a praying position.
"The poor things…" Kagome whispered softly while Shippo sat squeamishly on her shoulder to the sight of blood.
"No doubt by Naraku," Miroku stated as he went to a shed and grabbed a shovel. "Let's give them a proper burial."
Nodding the girl walked forward and took the utensil from him while Shippo plopped down onto the ground and turned his head hurriedly away to stop the tears, when he landed to close to the body of a man covering his son's decapitated corpse.
The three worked efficiently through the whole ceremony, none of them saying a word till Shippo gave a shrill cry, running on his hands and feet to hop into Kagome's surprised embrace.
"What's wrong Shippo?" the monk asked as he scanned the foliage from where Shippo had come bounding forth.
"There's something over there!" he whimpered as he clung to Kagome's shirt tighter.
Squinting a bit to try and make out a shape, Miroku was about to assure him that there was nothing in the woods, when a shadow slid ghostly along the floor, whisking itself away deeper into the brush.
Taking action, the monk ran after the silhouette that glanced over their shoulder and picked up the pace. Cursing them for their speed, Miroku picked up his own and was about to reach for a sutra but abruptly halted as the figure stopped after one last step and turned around to face him.
Miroku readied himself for an attack, gripping his shakujo tighter as he and the figure merely held each other's gaze. "You work for Naraku do you not?"
Standing still, the figure made no move, and simply stood rooted to the spot.
Raising his hand to touch the prayer beads on his hand, the monk tugged lightly them, feeling a mere whisper of the wind in his palm circulate underneath the glove. He was then surprised when the cloaked figure deviously smirked, a fang gleaming beneath the hood, and at the same time Shippo's anxious cries and Kagome's footsteps reached his ears, so he whirled to face them and give them a warning.
"Kagome, Shippo! Don't get clos—"
It never reached them, for a screech that sounded bird-like rang in his ears, the cloak being ripped to shreds as the body beneath the clothing grew larger in its size. White eyes gleamed as a head appeared, its long limbs ending in deadly talons as it stood wobbly on two large feet, a tail twirling behind it.
Though it seemed to not be very agile, it proved otherwise when it made a lightning strike towards Kagome who had stood in fear. Miroku sprinted over to her, dodging the open hand and picked her up to take her out of harm's way. Placing her gently down, he glared upwards and watched uneasily as it opened its mouth, and had began to talk which he couldn't tell since there were no lips to show sign of movement.
"Naraku wishes you all a pleasant death," it said slowly, its deep voice vibrating around the silent brush. "He hopes that this will end your suffering."
Taking his protection stance in front of the others, the monk swept his eyes around furtively for an escape route that his companions could take, but no such thing could be discerned and started formulating questions to stall their death; even for only a moment.
"Tell us then, since you're going to kill us: What's Naraku planning?"
The gargantuan simply let out a roar of laughter. "Surely you do not believe that I am such a fool as to tell you his plans."
Kagome slid her eyes over to meet Miroku's gaze, and figured that he was trying to stall the inevitable. Nodding, she too inquired.
"We're going to die anyway, so why not just tell us?"
It looked down at the young girl, his pale eyes shining with spite. "Why would I do that? It's because of Naraku that the others and I are free,"
"You mean there are more of you?!" Shippo cried out hysterically as he turned his head in all directions to find the other demons it had spoken of.
"Foolish kitsune," it continued, narrowing their eyes its mouth twisted upwards into a crooked smirk, where its lips should show the devilish grin. "There are thousands of us, and it's all because Naraku took it upon himself to bring my comrades and me back from the land of the dead."
Kagome let a small gasp, while Miroku kept his blue eyes focused solely on the tall youkai. Speaking in a calm and deadly tone, the monk asked. "So he brought you back to allow you to wreak havoc back on earth?"
Its grin expanded even wider. "Yes; we are indebted to him and his help for now… After all, once he has the Sacred Jewel as a whole, we'll kill him and use it for ourselves. A perfect idea if I say so myself."
"You won't be able to kill him," the monk informed the beast.
Skeptically narrowing their gaze, it bended downwards till its face was a high over his. "Why can't we?"
Letting out a smirk himself, the monk seemed casually spoke, each word carefully thought out. "If he brought you back, do you not think that he can easily kill you again? After, all he does have most of the jewel in his possession and has the power to control life and death,"
"You have a point monk," said the youkai thoughtfully. "But… there are ways to kill a God."
This brought Miroku's head upwards, and all three craned their necks to hear what it had to say.
"There's a way to kill a God?" Shippo asked in a quivering voice.
Giving them half a nod, it slid its gaze downwards to meet them and once again, allowed the upturned smile plaster itself on its face. "Of course… But I'm not going to say anything."
Lifting a hand, the monk took a step backward and wrapped his arm around the girl's and lifted her up as to avoid the open palm. Running as fast as Miroku could, he put Kagome onto the floor, only to push her away when the hand raised itself again and tried to grip the houshi in its clutches.
"Miroku!" Kagome shouted.
Taking out a sutra, he threw it at the giant demon whose flesh burned at the touch of the sacred paper but was still not enough. It chuckled mercilessly, and swiped downwards but the hand ceased in the air, and as Miroku tilted his head, blood spurted from an open wound in the neck, and dropped heavily onto the earth.
Another form dressed in black was seen in the far off distance, red liquid dripping from the end of his chain sickle as his blank dark eyes swept them in a frozen manner.
"Kohaku?" said Miroku as he took in his fiancée's little brother, wondering how the boy had gotten there. Kohaku spun on his heel and began to run in another direction, and the houshi sprinted immediately after him.
"Wait, stop Kohaku!"
The monk's eyes lightened up when the boy turned his head to incline that he had heard the pleading command, but kept running to show he had no intention of stopping. Noticing that a cliff had showed out of nowhere, Miroku slid to a halt, jogging over to the edge and peered down to try and catch a glimpse of the boy if he had fallen but his body was not there. Circling around, he kept furtively glancing back and forth for Kohaku, and as a slight breeze blew his bangs, Miroku realized with a sad defeat that he had managed to leave them.
Landing down beside the mouth of the cave, Inuyasha slid Kikyo off his back. Sizing up the entrance, he and the miko stepped forth, and both glowed a translucent blue as the barrier dissipated from the remorse and sympathy they felt for all who suffered the same as they had.
Walking alongside her, Inuyasha scrunched up his nose when he caught a slight whiff of his half-brother's stench. He already had to smell him everyday when Sesshomaru was with them, now even in his absence his scent lingers. But the question he asked himself was: how did he out of all people, get in here?
Kikyo wound up a small little path and stopped in front of the stalagmite, eyeing the mark upon her forehead that presented the caliber of a high priestess and she wondered for a brief, and yet interminable second if the woman in the stone had ever fallen so low as to feel love. Dismissing the thought away, the young miko knew that could not be possible, for the symbol proved she would never stoop from her position.
Noticing a gleam of light, Kikyo found a sword embedded deep into the jagged areas. Tracing a slim finger along the hilt, she grasped the weapon and pulled it up. The hanyou watched her proudly as she wielded the sword that had killed as many demons as Tetsusaiga and crossed over to her.
"What do you plan on using it for?"
Kikyo quirked her head and said, "I'm going to use it against Naraku. It's should be of some use as it did belong to Midoriko."
Responding to her with a curt nod, the hanyou craned his neck to stare at the hole in the woman's chest before he and Kikyo bowed their respects and exited from the cave and leapt into the air.
The taijiya read the scrolls again, bewildered at what she found as she spoke to Eiko.
"But is this truly how you can kill a God?"
The elderly woman raised her head from the flames that crackled in the hearth, and stirred the dinner she had prepared for them.
"Yes, in order to kill a God, you can kill them on earth on the top of the mountain called 'Osorezan'."
"Osorezan ka?" questioned the slayer and gained a simple nod.
Eiko watched the food simmer and stirred in long neat strokes as she continued her information. "Yes, Osorezan is also known as the 'mountain of fear' for many believe that it's the place where lost souls go to before being hurled into the pits of hell. A shaman lives up there in the mountain and though no one as seen their face, many of the village folk have sensed some sort of demonic aura coming from the top of the mountain."
The young woman began to pull at the end of her sleeve, her eyebrows furrowing together as she concentrated hard on what this mountain could possibly have to do with Naraku; though the answer remained was clear, how he intended to use the mountain to his advantage was uncertain for he could do numerous schemes and plots involving the mountain.
"Eiko-san," Sango asked quietly, her voice filled with doubt. "You don't suppose you can tell me the direction I can head in order to find Mt. Osorezan's location?"
Kirara mewed and cocked her head to the side as she peered surreptitiously at the slayer.
Heaving a very heavy sigh, Eiko turned her head and stared hard at Sango, both pairs of dark eyes clashing with strong-willed determination.
"I know you wish to help your friends young Sango, but in order for you to go to that place, would be as much as committing 'hara-kiri'."
Her eyes never wavered from the older woman's, knowing that the journey would be a dangerous mission but her stubbornness was as great as her courage so she softly reassured Eiko.
"I understand what you are telling me Eiko-san, but in order for me and friends to kill Naraku, one will have to make the sacrifices in order to achieve the goal."
Another sigh escaped her lips, and the woman seemed to have aged incredibly as she heard the words but she was not one to stop Sango from making her choices. Though she could try, there was no doubt that the taijiya will recklessly disobey and so left the matter alone.
"Very well, Sango-san. I will not stop you from going off and most of your wounds have healed as well, except for your arm."
"It will most likely heal in a few days, and then I shall leave," Sango replied hastily.
Nodding her head in acknowledgment, Eiko considered the options again before grabbing a bowl and pouring the stew into the container.
A/N: Osorenzan is an actual mountain and I think it's located in the northen provinces so, Sango is gonna have to head in a different direction ne? And 'Hara-kiri' is the way that the japanese (the common folk) would commit suicide while those who were damiyos and soldiers under the court would perform a 'Seppuku'. Look at that, you guys learned something, you must hate me for that. -