Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.
Fight Eternal
Within their world, bound by invisible walls, they fought without ending.
Once, they had been human and youkai. They had been miko and powerful merge of youkai and a single, deeply-corrupted man. Fighting a battle that neither side had been willing or able to concede, reaching beyond normal limits of reiki and youki, miko and youkai died, and found themselves locked within their battle-forever.
The sword swung with blazing fire, shredding its opponents. And the opponents reformed.
Claws tore the single enemy apart. She came together, picked up her sword, and continued.
There was no death.
There was no life.
They were eternal enemies, and yet, they were the same. Bound to battle, bereft of memory, of self-knowledge, and of hope. They could not stop, and they could not change.
The only thing that changed came from outside.
When the possession of the Shikon no Tama changed, so did their world. If the soul of the possessor yearned for good, then did her sword swing hotter, devastate her foes more thoroughly. When the possessor lusted for the power in that sphere, when the soul was dark with hate or depravity, then the horde bore her down and tore at her ever-healing flesh.
But no earthly soul, be it youkai or human, can reach perfection either white or black. And so, too, the Shikon no Tama. There could be no victory, because neither side could ever be fully, completely vanquished.
There could only be an ending. The walls could be breached by only one wish. All other wishes, made while possessing the jewel, must go awry. For at a level below thought, below memory, below hope, the souls within the jewel were united. Only a wish for ending the jewel itself could be truly granted.
All other wishes were twisted, as the souls within where twisted, no longer able to say why they fought.
Yet, that truth could not be grasped, and the one wish was never spoken. The power of the jewel was legendary, lusted for, fought for.
Until it came into the possession of a miko, with the spiritual power born once a generation, or less. A miko of powerful will, and desire for good. A miko with a purity that scorched the darkness.
Was it then that the world realized the second possibility? The world, born of the strife between the souls, could not exist without that conflict, whatever the souls-had awareness still existed-might prefer.
But, the conflict did not have to reside only within those souls currently trapped within the Shikon no Tama. If battle raged high enough in the world outside; if souls of sufficient strength were bound into struggle against each other, then their wishes could be twisted and used for the Shikon no Tama's desire.
Replacement.
New souls, for the endless fight.
The Shikon no Tama waited.
The souls fought, unknowing.
Author's Note: This was written for the Inuyasha Fanfiction LiveJournal community for the prompt "Possessed." It was originally posted on December 4, 2011. It won the contest.
