Here's another chapter for y'all. I really had fun writing this one. Want to know why?
One word: LIGHT SHOW!
…Well, okay, that was two…Sue me! I'm half asleep right now! Hahaaa.
Anyway:
Read and enjoy. (And yes, reviews are welcomed.)
(DISCLAIMER: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)
:D
-KB
Tears Left Uncried
(Part 2)
Chapter 35-
Stepping through the darkness that caresses his skin, Naraku enters his room where Kanna waits patiently and quietly for him on the floor with her trusty mirror in hand.
"What waits for me, Kanna?" He asks, sitting down in front of her.
She turns the mirror ever so slightly, a shining glare obstructing the shiny surface from view for only a second, and a scene appears inside it. "Moryomaru is moving quickly into the territory of the two demons Ginka and Kinko. Although, why, I am not sure."
Naraku rubs his chin, watching the scene of Moryomaru flying through the air towards a stormy sky intently. It baffles him, Moryomaru's actions. Why would he enter the territory of those ever warring demons?
"Hmm…Byakuya."
The door to the room slides open and his new servant kneels on the floor at the doorway. "Yes, sir."
"I want you to follow after Moryomaru. Watch him closely and report back to me."
"As you wish."
"I want to know what he's up to." Naraku narrows his gaze at the mirror.
"La-la-la-lala! La-la-la-lala!"
"Rin, would you stop that horrendous singing!" Jaken complains, covering his ears again.
The young girl laughs softly. "Sorry, master Jaken."
The imp glances back at the girl. She hasn't been the same since she was hit by that figure who, he has to admit, resembled their former comrade to a tee. Rin has forced herself to act normal, but Jaken can tell that she's slowly losing her voice to the sadness inside her, caving in on herself.
"Don't apologize." He crosses his arms, keeping a firm grip on his staff. "Just keep it down and don't get too noisy anymore."
Rin pulls her eyes up off the ground in front of her and stares at master Jaken. A small smile touches her lips. She runs up behind him and wraps her arms around his short neck. "Thank you, master Jaken. I will try hard not to be too loud."
Jaken struggles to get out of her grip, but not as urgently as he normally does.
"I will hum instead." Rin presses her lips together and settles on humming the unknown song to herself rather than sing it out loud. Jaken can only grunt in response.
Ahead of them, Sesshomaru pauses, his nose picking up a familiar scent.
'This is Naraku's scent.' He thinks. Leaping off the ground quickly, he flies into the air and leaves his followers behind.
"AH! Lord Sesshomaru, please don't go flying off and…leaving us…here…again…" Jaken falls to his knees sighing in defeat.
Rin pats him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, master Jaken. He must have found a clue to where Naraku is."
Jaken's head bolts up, a bright smile gleaming on his face and tears in his eyes. "Rin, you're right! How wonderful Lord Sesshomaru is!" His laughter echoes into the trees like that of a crazy person.
Rin watches him worriedly. "Um…master Jaken? …Are you okay?"
Above them in the sky, Sesshomaru's eyes scan through the stormy sky and fall on a faint outline of a hulking figure far ahead of his, heading for the cliffs that jut out of a low lying valley of trees. He picks up speed and zeros in on the figure as it lands on a cliff in the valley, staring up at the flashing lightning that crashes across the sky. Sesshomaru lands in the trees to conceal himself from the figure.
He has long black hair and pointed ears; obviously a demon. His voice sounds too cold to be normal. "Moryomaru, what are you up to?"
The words shock Sesshomaru and he follows the man's gaze up into the clouds.
There high in the sky are two snake-like demons with the upper bodies look like that of a man battling it out for who knows what. Not far off is Moryomaru, soaring at high speed towards them and firing shards of that impenetrable armor at the demons, entangled by their tails.
"Who dares intrude on our battle?" One snaps.
And the battle swamps Moryomaru as well. Sesshomaru watches as Moryomaru catches them both in those vine like arms of his, but they attack back with fire and lightning, tossing him onto the surface of a cliff down below as if he's nothing at all to them.
"Hmm…" The dark haired man not far in front of him ponders out loud. "I wonder if Naraku's heart will be affected by that attack."
Sesshomaru attacks him, but the man dodges.
"Ho, ho, ho! You must be Sesshomaru. I've heard a lot about you. What is your purpose here?" The man asks with a perky little grin.
"You reek of Naraku." Sesshomaru answers. "What is your purpose here?"
The man laughs. "Touché. I was just ordered to follow Moryomaru here to find out what his plan was. AS of right this moment, I'm not too sure."
Sesshomaru glances up a the cliff higher up and much farther away where Moryomaru is still fighting the two demons.
Those vine arms around the two loosen and as if ordered too by some unknown voice, they start to attack each other once more.
It all happens quicker than Sesshomaru expected, but one demon stabs the other and then Moryomaru kills the remaining one, drawing them both into his body.
"You fell for my trap. The second I loosened my grip, you began to fight each other like rabid dogs, giving me the perfect distraction to end you. Now you will become a part of me."
Sesshomaru leaps into the air and cuts open the air to suck in the dark haired man, but he flies back into the air to avoid it, landing on an origami bird that lifts him high out of his reach. Giving up on him, Sesshomaru goes after Moryomaru, but he's stopped by dozens of smaller origami's that block his path from attacking the beast.
"Sorry, Sesshomaru, but my orders were also to keep anyone from harming Moryomaru as well. It was very nice to meet you though." His perky laughter vanishes along with him and Moryomaru is already gone from his sight as the hole to the Underworld that he cut open with his blade closes and sucks in the last remaining origami birds.
'They evaded me.' He scolds himself. The wind blows strong from behind him and a familiar scent hits his nose, forcing him to spin around quickly. Atop another cliff farther away, he glimpses the dark figure that resembles Lee, but only long enough to find her staring off into the sky after Moryomaru with those blank eyes and then disappearing into a black vortex.
He releases the breath he doesn't know he's been holding, and he shakes his head a little.
Who was that woman?
It couldn't be her…
She steps out of the swirling portal, the dark power ruffling through her hair as it vanishes behind her slowly. She remains in the trees so the shadows will hide her. The dirt road leads down the river away from a very small hut that is hidden away under a bridge. The straw door flows in the breeze but reveals nothing but empty darkness beyond.
She wonders what it is about that darkness that calls to her; like a soft whisper in her heart.
The door brushes to the side and she ducks farther behind the trees. Out of it, steps a group of young people-one clad in a red kimono with dog ears, another wearing strange clothes and carrying a bow, one more wielding a long staff, and yet another dressed for demon slaying with a small fox-demon child clinging to her shoulder.
Her heart thunders in her chest and she clutches the cloth of her kimono over it. The sound thunders in her ears, blocking out all noise. It gets louder and stronger until it's painful.
It takes all her strength not to cry out.
That's when the darkness returns to her, brushing across her skin, beckoning her.
"Return. It is too dangerous for you to be this close." Calls her masters voice from out of the vortex. She nods and struggles to her feet, glancing back once more at the group who waves goodbye to an old geezer of a man and continues of their way.
Her eyes lock with the old geezer and his eyes narrow at her suspiciously.
"Come!" Master calls louder.
She enters the swirls and returns to the room he had sent her from. She instantly falls to her knees before him, fearing the glare his eyes stab at her. Her forehead touches the floor.
"What have you to report?" He asks, but she can tell the question is directed elsewhere.
The newest follower, Byakuya master calls him, bows at the doorway and answers. "Moryomaru succeeded in absorbing the two demons known as Ginka and Kinka. His armor seems to have grown stronger."
Naraku chuckles. "As I expected."
Byakuya glances up, surprised. "Sir?"
"I knew of Moryomaru's plan, but I didn't think he'd succeed this soon." His red gaze shifts to her. "And you?"
She keeps her forehead to the floor. "The sword you spoke of has indeed gotten stronger. The white-haired half demon you spoke of has been training."
Her voice again sounds rough and unused, but she ignores it; only feeling the need to please him more.
"Perfect. Go and return to your room until I have further need of you." Naraku waves his hand regally and she leaves, passing by Byakuya who narrows his eyes suspiciously at her.
"Sir, who is that girl you keep so close to you? What purpose does she have?"
She can hear Naraku's laughter as she recedes down the hall. "Her purpose is more important than you can imagine. Just watch me turn this world to ash."
Sesshomaru hadn't moved since they had left. He still stares down into the forest far below him from his perch on a tall rock that juts out of the treetops and reaches for the sky. The warm breeze blows his hair softly while a few birds tweet in the air around him. This late in the afternoon, they are remarkably loud.
He tries to ignore them so he can think, but their constant chatter is getting bothersome. How is he supposed to make sense off all he's seen with all this racket?
Closing his eyes, he decides to rely on memory.
From the time Lee had left them, he had felt and held their bond closely and sheltered it. The words he spoke before her were true. He, the Great Ruler to the Western Lands, had humbled himself to a human and given her his oath of protection. If anyone, especially that sorry excuse for a half-brother, Inuyasha, would laugh at him for stooping so low. Surprisingly, though, he didn't care. All of his thoughts were centered around Lee at the moment.
He had felt the exact moment when their bond broke under the pressure of another, and he hadn't fought it. He let it happen.
He can swear that he heard Lee's faint cry pierce through his mind from very far away. And then…all went silent. He felt nothing, no trace, of their bond anywhere.
He blinks open his eyes and turns them to the sky above. The storm clouds have vanished, revealing the azure world above. It's beyond amazing; like it's been reborn.
Sesshomaru watches as the last remaining dark cloud leaves the area and suddenly all the birds hush and go still. His senses raise to high alert.
Something is happening.
The ground begins to shake and tremble with a great power and out of nowhere, another large rock spike tears out of the forest bellow and thunders towards the sky like a spear. This rock appears different. He can feel an amazing power emanating from it, like the clear sky above spill light onto the ground it shelters.
His eyes observe the statue in wonder and find the top. A large round boulder sits on top.
'Now what can that be?' Her leaps off his rock and takes to the sky, flying to the tower's top and lands before the boulder in question. The glowing lights that flow over the tower are originating from this boulder, streaming away from it like waves of sunlight. The sight baffles him. What could cause such a phenomenon?
The boulder cracks, a simple split that spreads into many others across the surface and then all the way around it like spirals. As they split and crackle, the rock shifts and moves away as if it's a blooming flower.
And it reveals a hidden wonder even more breathtaking inside. A rose, made of nothing but those fluorescent rainbow colors, trembles and blows in the same manner the stone had, but much more graceful and elegant, exposing it's inner secret.
A woman, curled up in a ball of light that clings to her like cloth. She lifts her amazing azure hair, glittering with a dazzling array of lights, and slowly opens her beautiful golden eyes that shine like the sun. Her eyes lids look heavy as if she's been asleep for a very long time. Ever so carefully, she unfolds herself, the lights forming wispy clothes like wind around her. The lights fade into a kimono top that leaves her torso bare and flares out around her arms and a willowing skirt that barely reaches her knees. Golden bands encircle her legs and twirl across her feet and ring around her middle toes. She doesn't touch the ground; just floats there like a mystical being.
Sesshomaru knows better though. This woman is nothing like he's ever seen. She's no mortal-demon or human-and her power is not from this earth.
Her golden eyes stare at him intently for a long observing moment and then sleepily sweep across the valley of rocks. Gradually, sadness and worry like non he's ever seen stricken her fairy features.
She turns back to him.
"What has happened here, young demon? Why do I sense such evil?" Her voice is like musical wind chimes. Sesshomaru swallows.
"I have no idea what you speak of. Why were you inside the ground here?" He shoots back.
The woman's worry lessens just a little, replaced by a shining smile. "I do apologize. It seems it has been awhile since I have fallen asleep."
"Fallen asleep?"
She nods. "Yes, I was of no more use in the world so I shut myself up in my temple and fell to sleep until I was needed again, but something had aroused me not long back. It has not been until now that I have fully awaken."
"What awakened you?" Sesshomaru pursued.
"Something has changed. Time itself has altered. The Guardian who was long lost has returned and is slowly awakening too."
"Guardian?"
"Yes, young demon. There are three Guardians who were assigned to protect this world, but we had to give up half of our immortality to set foot on this earth. Each Guardian has a domain. Mine is the skies above and I protect them with my very soul." She explains, placing a small hand against her chest. Gold bands, like the ones around her legs, circle her forearms and twist around her middle fingers, creating intricate swirls and patterns across her skin.
Again, Sesshomaru takes a deep breathe, smelling the sweet scent that dances through the air around her, like fresh spring rain. He's never smelt anything so pure. "Who imprisoned you in this task?"
Her expression brightens with amusement. "Oh, no! We were not imprisoned at all. We were deeply moved by a desperate prayer from a very gifted Priestess and we answered her call. And now here we are." Once more, her eyes survey the valley and become troubled. "How ugly this place has become. My temple is gone, my air is tainted by an evil I have never before faced. Tell me, young one, please, what has happened?"
"You must be sensing Naraku." He shifts his gaze off to the horizon. "You say there are three of you."
"Yes," She nods again, "The Guardians of the Sky, Earth, and Sea. The three domains that make up your world, and each one holds the doorway to the Otherworlds; the skies to the Heavens, the Seas to the Spirit World, and the Earth to the Underworld of Hell. With this evil crawling, it will only be a matter of time before we have to step in. The others must be awakened with me."
"Where are the others?" He asks.
"Will take it upon you to find the rest of us? Will you awaken the other Guardians?" She smiles hopefully like a newborn child, but he can see the unlimited wisdom in her eyes.
"I only wish for the end of Naraku." Sesshomaru answers defiantly.
The woman's smile is overpowering. "I see." She sweeps her hand over to her left, pointing off to the east. "In the east, there is a lake as clear as diamonds themselves. A temple is submerged deep at the bottom of the hardest coral that cannot be broken. Inside you will find sleeping the second Guardian, the keeper of the Seas. Speak the name Serine and you will be lead through the waters unharmed."
Sesshomaru returns to look at her, but already her form is fading as it raises to the skies above. "And your name?"
She laughs, a musical chorus of chimes and bells. "Aura."
Arise of the first Guardian! WOOT!
What did I tell ya? LIGHT SHOW!
And I can't wait to introduce the Guardian of the Seas.
Now, if you don't mind…*yawn*…I'm goin' to bed. Goodnight…
Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know.
Please read and review! (Please, they are welcomed!)