(Inuyasha and Co do not belong to me. I just like to write about them. I apologize for the wait - between replacing the motherboard on my new computer and coming down with a cold, it's dampened a bit of the writing muse..)
Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Nine
Spider-Youkai Attack/Shippo's Deception!
"Kik-you!!" The creature outside thundered as it flailed at everything and everyone. This youkai was a spider-like creature, but instead of a spider's head, it had the torso of a male human - and a faint but familar scar upon it's back.
~Naraku...Onigumo...~
It's eyes were a ruby red - the color of spilled blood. The villagers scrambled, the men readying their weapons, for the youkai had been attacking more often since the Shikon no Tama had been shattered anew.
Kaede, Miroku, Sango and Shippo acted quickly, grabbing their weapons, but it was Kaede who was at the forefront, since she was the miko of the village.
"Youkai! You have no business here!" Kaede's voice was strong and clear. She held her bow taut as she aimed the arrow at the youkai's chest.
The youkai looked at Kaede and frowned.
"Old woman.. your blood - it is like Kikyou, but you are a fat bloated thing. I seek Kikyou!"
Kaede spat. "Kikyou is dead, part-of-Naraku! This you know - now leave!"
"Not dead! Not dead! Her soul is here! I feel it in the air itself!"
"Kagome?" Miroku's eyes were wide.
"She couldn't be back - could she?" Sango gripped her Hiraikotsu tightly. Kiara growled and changed into her larger form.
"Aieee!" Shippo squeaked as the spider-youkai snagged him by the tail.
"Pah, what an insignifigant little - "
"HIRAIKOTSU!!" Sango flung the oversized boomerang at the spider-youkai, even as Miroku and Kaede attacked with their weapons. The spider-youkai was hit but not severly enough to pain him too badly. It was enough to drop Shippo, however and the little kitsume got out of it's way temporarily.
It was Kaede's arrow that did do damage, hitting it near it's shoulder. The youkai roared in anger and lashed out at Kaede's legs, causing her to fall heavily with a grunt.
"Tsk, what is it, old hag? Cannot remain steady on your feet?" The thing chuckled.
"Aaaaaahhh!!" Miroku's eyes blazed as he attacked, using his staff to sever the leg that was trying to drag Kaede to the youkai.
"Agh.." Kaede groaned. "My legs..cannot feel them!"
Sango rushed to Kaede's side and quickly dragged her away. She saw that the spider-youkai's leg still wrapped around Kaede's had spouted barbs on them - poisonous ones by the way Kaede was in pain.
"I will send you to hell, youkai!" Miroku growled lowly in his throat, not sure at all if he would succeed, but he would not allow this thing to kill his friends!
"Then I will take you with me, priest!" The youkai skittered away at blinding speed.
Shippou yelled, "Coward!"
"Not so, stupid brat!" The spider-youkai abruptly turned and webbing shot out from all sides of Miroku and Shippo. The monk tried fighting his way out, but the more he did, the tighter and stickier the webbing became. The monk crashed to the ground, tightly bound in the webbing, which continued to cover his entire body from head to toe. Within seconds, Miroku was bound in a tight coccoon.
"There!" The spider-youkai grinned. "Teach you fools to keep me from my Kikyou!" So confident was the youkai that he did not notice that Shippou had not been caught by it's web.
"Kirara! Help Miroku!" Sango called for her pet-demon cat, and Kirara transformed, growing into her larger form. Kirara flew upwards, intending to attack the thing from above, but the spider-youkai had anticipated that, catching the demon pet in it's webbing. She too, was soon in a tightly wrapped coccoon.
Sango blanched, but she rose, her eyes angry.
"Kaede, I will take care of this thing!" She aimed her weapon with a sharp cry, but the youkai acted as if it were simply a toy, he aimed it's webbing at the weapon and yanked it's from it's intended trajectory, flinging it beyond Sango's reach. Sango's eyes were wide with disbelief.
"Girl, you think you're such a big youkai exterminator, do you?" The spider-youkai laughed.
Sango's eyes narrowed. She, her family and the people of her village had exterminated countless youkai. She would not shame them now by giving up! Her eyes sought a weapon, any weapon, and she spied a sword. That would do.
"Kaede, I will not fail you or the others.." Sango said determinedly.
"No.." Kaede said weakly. "Don't! I - think - don't do this, Sango. It is goading you..I need - you need to help me up..help me aim my arrows to - kill it.."
"But Kaede.." Sango felt helpless.
Shippo ground his teeth as he hid in the brush. Dammit, he should DO something! He was supposed to protect his friends wasn't he? He crept over to where Sango and Kaede were and he heard Kaede mumble something about her arrows. Kaede had the purifying arrows like Kagome die. She could probably kill it - if that thing wasn't just standing there, watching their every move.
Hey, Kagome..Kagome looked like Kikyou..and that thing was looking for Kikyou! Why not? Maybe he could fool that thing into thinking Kikyou was here just so Kaede could get a shot in.
"I'm waiting, girl! Come, attack me! Then I will eat the old lady!" It taunted.
Sango tensed and then felt a tug at her sleeve. She looked down and saw Shippo.
"I can turn into Kikyou. You just get Kaede to fire her arrows!" Shippo disappeared into the brush as quickly as he came. Sango looked over at Kaede, who nodded.
"Bah! I will waste no more time! Where is Kikyou? Tell me now or I will feed upon your village!!" The spider youkai's eyes narrowed.
Suddenly there was a rustling sound in the brush behind the creature, and it turned.
"Kikyou!" A smile crossed the human features.
And sure enough, there was Kikyou, standing just beyond the spider-youkai, a mysterious smile on her face, her miko robes fluttering in the wind, her long black hair loose and flowing.
"You've come back to me - your Onigumo...your Narakuuuuu.." The spider-youkai crept towards Kikyou, who stepped back.
Sango quickly helped Kaede stand upon her numb legs.
"Just - hold me - up. I can still fire an arrow.." Kaede squinted her one good eye, and prepared her arrow. The creature wasn't even looking their way.
"Kikyou..you're so quiet! Please speak as you once did..your voice was the only thing that subtained me..that and the beauty of your face.." The spider-youkai's eyes filled with an inhuman lust.
Shippo gulped and strived to maintain his illusion. He wouldn't be able to hold this very long!
"Kaede.." Sango whispered.
"I know..hush." Kaede aimed..
"Kikyou!" The spider-youkai was impatient. "You will come to me - NOW!" It reached out one of it's legs and grabbed Kikyou by the waist, the end of it's leg touching -
A tail?
"Trickery!!!!!!!!!!!" It roared. "I will destroy EVERYTHING!!" Shippo had quickly changed back, scampering from it's grasp. The creature turned towards Kaede and Sango, but before it could attack once more -
THWACK!!!
Kaede's arrow had hit it's mark. The purifying arrow had hit deep into the spider-youkai's chest, spearing out the other side. It screeched in anger and as it started to die, it attempted to attack again.
THWACK!! THWACK!!
More arrows. The spider-youkai fell, it's body already distingating beneath the onslaught of the arrows.
Finally it disappeared entirely but not before leaving something behind.
"Look!" Shippo bounded over to where he saw a shard. A Shikon shard!
"You look..." Sango gently placed Kaede back down. "I'll be right back. Going to free Miroku and Kirara." Kaede simply nodded patiently.
Moments later, Miroku and Kirara were freed.
Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Nine
Spider-Youkai Attack/Shippo's Deception!
"Kik-you!!" The creature outside thundered as it flailed at everything and everyone. This youkai was a spider-like creature, but instead of a spider's head, it had the torso of a male human - and a faint but familar scar upon it's back.
~Naraku...Onigumo...~
It's eyes were a ruby red - the color of spilled blood. The villagers scrambled, the men readying their weapons, for the youkai had been attacking more often since the Shikon no Tama had been shattered anew.
Kaede, Miroku, Sango and Shippo acted quickly, grabbing their weapons, but it was Kaede who was at the forefront, since she was the miko of the village.
"Youkai! You have no business here!" Kaede's voice was strong and clear. She held her bow taut as she aimed the arrow at the youkai's chest.
The youkai looked at Kaede and frowned.
"Old woman.. your blood - it is like Kikyou, but you are a fat bloated thing. I seek Kikyou!"
Kaede spat. "Kikyou is dead, part-of-Naraku! This you know - now leave!"
"Not dead! Not dead! Her soul is here! I feel it in the air itself!"
"Kagome?" Miroku's eyes were wide.
"She couldn't be back - could she?" Sango gripped her Hiraikotsu tightly. Kiara growled and changed into her larger form.
"Aieee!" Shippo squeaked as the spider-youkai snagged him by the tail.
"Pah, what an insignifigant little - "
"HIRAIKOTSU!!" Sango flung the oversized boomerang at the spider-youkai, even as Miroku and Kaede attacked with their weapons. The spider-youkai was hit but not severly enough to pain him too badly. It was enough to drop Shippo, however and the little kitsume got out of it's way temporarily.
It was Kaede's arrow that did do damage, hitting it near it's shoulder. The youkai roared in anger and lashed out at Kaede's legs, causing her to fall heavily with a grunt.
"Tsk, what is it, old hag? Cannot remain steady on your feet?" The thing chuckled.
"Aaaaaahhh!!" Miroku's eyes blazed as he attacked, using his staff to sever the leg that was trying to drag Kaede to the youkai.
"Agh.." Kaede groaned. "My legs..cannot feel them!"
Sango rushed to Kaede's side and quickly dragged her away. She saw that the spider-youkai's leg still wrapped around Kaede's had spouted barbs on them - poisonous ones by the way Kaede was in pain.
"I will send you to hell, youkai!" Miroku growled lowly in his throat, not sure at all if he would succeed, but he would not allow this thing to kill his friends!
"Then I will take you with me, priest!" The youkai skittered away at blinding speed.
Shippou yelled, "Coward!"
"Not so, stupid brat!" The spider-youkai abruptly turned and webbing shot out from all sides of Miroku and Shippo. The monk tried fighting his way out, but the more he did, the tighter and stickier the webbing became. The monk crashed to the ground, tightly bound in the webbing, which continued to cover his entire body from head to toe. Within seconds, Miroku was bound in a tight coccoon.
"There!" The spider-youkai grinned. "Teach you fools to keep me from my Kikyou!" So confident was the youkai that he did not notice that Shippou had not been caught by it's web.
"Kirara! Help Miroku!" Sango called for her pet-demon cat, and Kirara transformed, growing into her larger form. Kirara flew upwards, intending to attack the thing from above, but the spider-youkai had anticipated that, catching the demon pet in it's webbing. She too, was soon in a tightly wrapped coccoon.
Sango blanched, but she rose, her eyes angry.
"Kaede, I will take care of this thing!" She aimed her weapon with a sharp cry, but the youkai acted as if it were simply a toy, he aimed it's webbing at the weapon and yanked it's from it's intended trajectory, flinging it beyond Sango's reach. Sango's eyes were wide with disbelief.
"Girl, you think you're such a big youkai exterminator, do you?" The spider-youkai laughed.
Sango's eyes narrowed. She, her family and the people of her village had exterminated countless youkai. She would not shame them now by giving up! Her eyes sought a weapon, any weapon, and she spied a sword. That would do.
"Kaede, I will not fail you or the others.." Sango said determinedly.
"No.." Kaede said weakly. "Don't! I - think - don't do this, Sango. It is goading you..I need - you need to help me up..help me aim my arrows to - kill it.."
"But Kaede.." Sango felt helpless.
Shippo ground his teeth as he hid in the brush. Dammit, he should DO something! He was supposed to protect his friends wasn't he? He crept over to where Sango and Kaede were and he heard Kaede mumble something about her arrows. Kaede had the purifying arrows like Kagome die. She could probably kill it - if that thing wasn't just standing there, watching their every move.
Hey, Kagome..Kagome looked like Kikyou..and that thing was looking for Kikyou! Why not? Maybe he could fool that thing into thinking Kikyou was here just so Kaede could get a shot in.
"I'm waiting, girl! Come, attack me! Then I will eat the old lady!" It taunted.
Sango tensed and then felt a tug at her sleeve. She looked down and saw Shippo.
"I can turn into Kikyou. You just get Kaede to fire her arrows!" Shippo disappeared into the brush as quickly as he came. Sango looked over at Kaede, who nodded.
"Bah! I will waste no more time! Where is Kikyou? Tell me now or I will feed upon your village!!" The spider youkai's eyes narrowed.
Suddenly there was a rustling sound in the brush behind the creature, and it turned.
"Kikyou!" A smile crossed the human features.
And sure enough, there was Kikyou, standing just beyond the spider-youkai, a mysterious smile on her face, her miko robes fluttering in the wind, her long black hair loose and flowing.
"You've come back to me - your Onigumo...your Narakuuuuu.." The spider-youkai crept towards Kikyou, who stepped back.
Sango quickly helped Kaede stand upon her numb legs.
"Just - hold me - up. I can still fire an arrow.." Kaede squinted her one good eye, and prepared her arrow. The creature wasn't even looking their way.
"Kikyou..you're so quiet! Please speak as you once did..your voice was the only thing that subtained me..that and the beauty of your face.." The spider-youkai's eyes filled with an inhuman lust.
Shippo gulped and strived to maintain his illusion. He wouldn't be able to hold this very long!
"Kaede.." Sango whispered.
"I know..hush." Kaede aimed..
"Kikyou!" The spider-youkai was impatient. "You will come to me - NOW!" It reached out one of it's legs and grabbed Kikyou by the waist, the end of it's leg touching -
A tail?
"Trickery!!!!!!!!!!!" It roared. "I will destroy EVERYTHING!!" Shippo had quickly changed back, scampering from it's grasp. The creature turned towards Kaede and Sango, but before it could attack once more -
THWACK!!!
Kaede's arrow had hit it's mark. The purifying arrow had hit deep into the spider-youkai's chest, spearing out the other side. It screeched in anger and as it started to die, it attempted to attack again.
THWACK!! THWACK!!
More arrows. The spider-youkai fell, it's body already distingating beneath the onslaught of the arrows.
Finally it disappeared entirely but not before leaving something behind.
"Look!" Shippo bounded over to where he saw a shard. A Shikon shard!
"You look..." Sango gently placed Kaede back down. "I'll be right back. Going to free Miroku and Kirara." Kaede simply nodded patiently.
Moments later, Miroku and Kirara were freed.
