'Lady Kikyou?' Ken was saying in a shocked tone as he ran through the motionless marketplace, shovel in hand, where three people were standing at an impasse. 'An earthquake, and nobody's getting up!'

'I know, Ken.' Kikyou said, not lowering her weapon at the strangers.

'Who are yer friends?' He took a defensive stance, shovel at the ready.

'Some aquaintences of mine.' Kikyou replied carefully.

'So what's going on?'

'Another "aquaintence" is hard at work at the moment.' The unknown woman said, 'and it'll be quite a spectical when he's finished.'

'Well, miss, I'm gonna have to say that that sounds like a spectical I'd rather not see.'

The woman smirked at him, but he did not back down. 'It might be a little hard to miss.' She allowed, flinging an attack not unlike curved blades at him with a wave of her fans, of which he dodged, leaping out of the way.

'So Lady Kikyou, where're the monk and Miss Sango? I hope they're not here amongst these sleepin' folks.'

'They left, they were required elsewhere.' Kikyou responded, before addressing the girl. 'What are you doing here?'

'Supervising.' The woman said, raising her fan slightly, and the people around them that littered the ground began to stand, not unlike puppets being raised by their master.

'What's goin' on?' Ken said sharply, looking around.

'Run, puny human, lest your own villagers hunt you down.' She said in a deadly tone.

He drew himself up, and moved sideways, to stand a little closer to Kikyou. 'I hates to break it to you, miss, but most'a these here lot are tourists, and I haven't taken no fancy to the ones from inside the barrier. They's far too noisy about how better they are then the rest of us folks.'

'Oh?' She replied coyly, then gestured suddenly at him, and the people around him began their slow and zombie-like attack.

Kikyou however raised her bow high, and shot once into the air, just as the ground shook beneath them once more, groaning and shrieking in complaint.

'It sounds like there's one heck of a commotion goin' on.' Ken said, dropping his shovel and raising his bare fists against the village men.

'It would seem our "aquaintance" is getting the party started.' The woman said, not pausing in her slight and flowing movements as she controlled the limp bodies.

Kikyou frowned. 'He's planning on releasing Izanami-no-Mikoto onto this world once more?'

'Izanami-no-Mikoto? The god?' Ken exclaimed. 'Now that's a really bad idea.'

Dark thunderclouds billowed from one horizon, and the air seemed to resonate with it, shimmering slightly, giving everything a surreal effect.

'She doesn't seem to be so happy about it either.' Ken said, before halting his swinging fist. 'Mi?'

The blank face of his own sister gazed at him levelly, raising the short blade she had aquired.

'Mi, what'cha doin'?' He said, dodging as she swung.

The arrow that Kikyou had shot suddenly came blazing down, aiming directly at the white child and the infant that she carried.

The girl merely looked up.

However, a single foot before the arrow could pierce the baby, the three strangers exploded, the infant moreso than the other two, in identical flashes of black light, and the people being manipulated dropped like their strings had been cut.

They seemed to combust in their respective balls of black light, vanishing in a puff of dust.

And just as suddenly, it was over, the clouds continuing to expand around them, as it started to rain, misty at first, then steadily increasing into a heavy shower.

'They're gone.' Ken said, straightening, as a gentle breeze wrapped around them.

Kikyou said nothing, however she looked around.

'Who were those girls?' Ken said incrediously, picking up his shovel once more.

'It would appear that he got in a little over his head.' Kikyou said cryptically, but did not elaborate.

Suddenly the ground seemed to be singing, shaking so badly that buildings were collapsing around them, and Ken hurried over to Kikyou, only pausing to gather up his sister.

Then, just as suddenly, the resonating faded, then resumed a few moments later, something was ringing like a bell deep beneath their feet that was never meant to be rung, with a sound that enveloped any and all chances of being heard over.

More buildings fell, shaking from the ground up, many of the stone structures collapsing upon themselves.

This doesn't look good, Ken's voice was lost in the noise, as he turned to look at the priestess. An unearthly wail could be heard above the din, and a noise discerned itself from the rest of the confusion not unlike an explosion; a giant, grey mushroom-shaped cloud arching into the sky, clearly seen through a break in the still raining clouds, then everything was silent.

The ringing, the wail, the explosion, and in the following silence, Ken found himself holding his breath.

This almost unnatural quiet permeated the rain for a long moment, before a noise came from the girl in his arms.

'Ken?' She muttered, passing a hand over her face.

Around them, those who were dead only a moment ago returned to their senses, stirrings were passing through the square like a ghost.

'Mi? I don't think I need to go nowhere anymore, everyone's comin' here!' He said a little excitedly, and she smiled.

'You're a magnet for trouble, Ken.' She responded, smiling.

''I don't mean no harm.' He grinned back, setting her down. 'But you missed a spectacle alright.'

'I think I'll manage.' Mi said as she looked around, and her eyes widened. 'What happened to the village?' She said, staring at the rubble that was once buildings, where only a handful remained standing.

'Earthquakes!' Ken threw his hands around, emphasizing his words. 'Brimstone! The end of the world!'

'Fine, fine, can we get in out of the rain?'

'Sure, Mi, but where were you planning on goin'?' He gestured around at the town that seemed suddenly flatter than any of the nearby fields.

Ken looked around to see Kikyou was moving amongst the last of the still awakening villagers, she was assisting two small boys to their feet.

'Ka-kun?' One of them said to the other. 'I think I'm gonna go tell Yuu-chan how great she is.'

The other boy nodded vigorously, and together they hurried off.

'Lady Kikyou?' Ken said to her. 'You keep some interestin' company. Can I ask you 'bout 'em?'

She paused, and looked around at him slowly, gazing at him for a long moment, then smiled. 'Sure, Ken.'


So I'm running around madly trying to get everything sorted in my life at the moment, I've just started a new job and it means I'm run off my feet. Sorry about the gaps between updates at the minute. I'm trying to keep everything under control, but you know how it is.

Anyway, I hope you liked this one!