(Inuyasha and Co do not belong to me. I just like to write about them. Whew! I didn't expect this to happen! Hang on to your hats folks! This one is definitely an R rating for gore, violence and swear words.)
Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Nineteen
Kanna'na Soteh - Eyes of Mirrored Stolen Souls!
It was Miroku who saw the eyes first and his own eyes widened. They were like mirrors that reflected the night sky and the stars all around them. Quite deliberately, the youkai stared at Sango and Miroku for a moment and both of them could feel something pulling at them from within.
It was Miroku who realized it first.
"Sango! Get away! He's a soul-stealer! Don't look into his eyes!!" Miroku had to fight to turn his face away and shut his eyes tightly.
"K - kirara, Go!" She raced away from the white youkai, but it grabbed Kirara's tail with one hand and dangled the demon-pet by her tail. Kirara writhed in the youkai's grip as Sango and Shippo hung on for dear life to her fur, shutting their eyes tightly. Kirara yowled, but fortunately for her, she was not directly in the youkai's sights.
"You've learned my secret, priest.." The youkai said softly as he stretched his arms away from himself, still holding them all.
"Watch, shard hunters!" The youkai's voice boomed. He shook Kirara and Miroku's staff to where everyone had opened their eyes in shocked reflex. They all looked down at the village at the people huddled together in fear.
"W - why don't they run?" Shippo shivered. He had never been this scared before.
"They can't.." The youkai chuckled with little emotion. "And now.." The youkai looked down at the villagers and their eyes widened as they stared into the mirror eyes of the youkai.
"Don't look into his eyes!" Sango shouted.
"It's too late, exterminator.." The youkai said, already sensing the pulling inside the humans below. Then they saw -
"Souls.." Sango whispered hoarsely.
"Kanna.." Miroku spat. "I should have known it was Naraku.."
"Kukuku.." The youkai chided. "Naraku and not, priest. Ah..here they come.."
The souls of the villagers started to depart their bodies, and one by one they slumped to the ground as lifeless husks. The souls were iridescent and beautiful as they floated up to the youkai and entered it's eyes. Countless souls drifted upwards, unresisting of the youkai's pull upon them.
And then the village was silent at last, for it was a village of souless. lifeless husks.
"Ssssss.." Sango hissed in anger and dispair. She knew these people could be controlled by the youkai if he did have Kanna's power over souls.
"What is the matter, exterminator? Ah, I see..yes you are used to blood aren't you? It is too - neat isn't it?"
It stared at the lifeless villagers and they rose, their eyes blank and unseeing as they proceeded to attack each other.
"No!" Miroku exclaimed in horror. They were methodically ripping each other to shreds!
Shippos shuddered at the sounds of tearing flesh, but he had no choice but to hear it even if he shut his eyes to avoid seeing it. Sango and Miroku stared at the carnage below until the green grass was dark stained with spilled blood. When everyone was sufficiently gored and maimed, the youkai let go of his control and the bodies landed with a collective thump.
Suddenly, Miroku let out a strangled cry as the youkai abruptly swung the hand that was holding Miroku and his staff down into the blood that was collecting into dark pools on the grass. When he lifted Miroku back up, the monk and his staff was covered in blood, and the dark shard which was tied to his staff suddenly blazed with a dark light that lit up the night sky around the village.
"I - think I'm going to be - sick.." Shippos felt a wave of nausea come over him which was not helped by the swaying of Kirara's body.
Mumbling an incoherent language that Sango, Miroku and Shippo could only believe had been Naruku's, the youkai murmured an incantation.
"He's summoning youkai..using me.." Miroku said. Sango and Shippo could hear his every word since the village was so quiet now.
"Come to me..come....." The youkai intoned as if he were in a trance, his mirrored eyes looking up to the sky.
And then the hapless shard hunters heard them, the youkai. They came in all shapes and forms but all held one thing in common.
A shard of the Shikon no Tama and a lust and hunger for spilled blood and human flesh.
"Yes..yes..youkai..come and be one with me, Kanna'na-Soteh! The youkai had found it's name at that moment as if a door had been opened in it's mind. It focused it's eyes on the thundering youkai, who were oblivious to the power of Kanna'na's eyes. They were only focusing on the carnage below.
However, their path to the grisly feast was interrupted as the mirrored eyes focused on them. Captured by Kanna'na's gaze, they could not escape. The souls of the youkai were drawn into Kanna'na's eyes with ease, their protests feeble despite the individual strength that they had possessed when each had a body and a shard of the Shikon no Tama. As each youkai's soul was drawn into Kanna'na, their bodies fell lifeless to the ground below and the shards that had been in their bodies fell like a dark rain.
Miroku stared below him, seeing the shards fall and then come together, almost in the shape of the original jewel, save for a few missing shards. When it was fused together, the Shikon no Tama rested on a spot of unsoiled grass, shining darkly.
And then Kanna'na released his captives. They screamed as they fell from the great height, but Kiara had recovered quickly and with her demon-cat reflexes, she caught Miroku before he could fall to his death. Landing on the ground, the two humans and the kitsume panted as the adrenaline rush made them shake.
"Aaaahhhhh!!" Miroku cried out in a pain as he fell off Kirara, gripping his hand.
Sango's eyes widened. The Air Void!
"Sango, Shippo! Take Kirara and go behind me!!!!" The monk cried out even as his friends complied. Miroku aimed his Air Void at the Kanna'na, intending to take this horrible creature who had done so much destruction in so little time, down with his Air Void.
But unfortunately, Miroku forgot about the creature's eyes. Out of reflex, as he aimed his Air Void at him, Miroku looked at Kanna'na. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.
"Stupid human!" Kanna'na snorted. Miroku's eyes widened as he was trapped by the gaze of the mirrored eyes.
"No, Miroku!" Sango tackled the monk, trying to forestall what she feared would happen.
"Sango!! No!!!" Shippo jumped on Sango, fearful that she would come in contact with the Air Void.
"It is too late, bitch." Kanna'na said. "Even now, he is mine..."
"No! NO!!!!!" Sango screamed, her hands reaching out for Miroku's soul, which was slipping out of him. She could see the light surrounding it and she dispaired, even as Kirara went to attack the youkai, unmindful of her danger, only seeking to protect her friends. The youkai flung Kirara to the ground below, and the exhausted demon-pet changed to her smaller self, a wound in her side.
Sango felt the hot tears on her cheeks as she saw Miroku's soul slip away toward the youkai. As it left him, the Air Void closed and the wild winds ceased, although the Void was still in his hand.
And then she spotted the Shikon no Tama! Her eyes narrowed as she sprinted towards it.
Kanna'na watched impassively and for the moment, drew his eyes away from Miroku's soul. He saw the girl grab the Shikon, exhultation in her cry of triumph even as Miroku's soul floated back into his body. Shippo then saw the scrap of fabric and beads that Miroku used to cover his hand. Bounding to it, he brought it back, and placed it on the monk's hand. Instantly it wrapped around the hand, blocking the Air Void.
"Uhhh.." Miroku groaned and Shippou ran to him, relieved.
"Miroku! Sango's got the Shikon no Tama!"
"What?" His eyes caught Sango's triumphant ones. "Sango, NO!!!" The monk leaped up, knocking Shippo over as he broke into a stumbling run.
But he was too late.The Shikon no Tama picked Sango up into the air, but still she would not release her grip on it.
"Sango, let GO!!!": Miroku cried out.
Sango shut her eyes tightly as she floated at the youkai's eye level, the Shikon burning in her hand. She could feel the evil within it, trying to get out, trying to be free and she felt the despair rise in her. Perhaps that was the Shikon's plan. Kann'na looked at the floating Sango and for the first time, smiled.
"Look at me, girl."
Sango would not.
~Open your eyes, Sango-chan..it's me, Kohaku!~ A child's voice sang out to her in her mind and she could suddenly 'see' him as he used to be in her memories.
~Sango-chan!~ Kohaku giggled. ~Come on! Look at me!~ Kohaku giggled.
"No..no..Kohaku is dead..I won't look..I won't look!" Sango had her eyes shut so tightly she was getting a headache.
And then the pictures formed in her mind of the last time her family had fought youkai - how they died, how Kohaku had killed them and then at the last had became himself again.
"Nooooo!" Sango screamed, her eyes flying open to get rid of the vivid pictures that tormented her.
"Kukuku.." I knew that would do it.." Kanna'na stared at Sango as she stared back, caught in his gaze.
"No, Sango..no.." Miroku's voice came out in a croak. He saw her soul float abover her lifeless body that hung there suspended.
"Oh - no..." Shippo whispered, feeling helpless.
Kanna'na smiled slightly and as if directed, Sango's soul went towards him and her body followed, the Shikon no Tama blazed darkly in her cupped hands. But instead of being drawn into Kanna'na's eyes, Sango and the Shikon were sucked into the Shikon shard tied to Miroku's staff. The nearly round Shikon merged with the dark shard inside and they gasped as the Shikon merged into the center of the staff, fitting into it snuggly.
"She's - in the Shikon.." Miroku gasped.
"She won't be alone, monk.." Kanna'na growled, growing tired of the game. They had expended too much time here and he did not wish to be around when other weaker youkai went sniffing about for the Shikon. He focused Miroku's staff at the monk, who pushed Shippou away at the last moment.
"Find - Kagome.." Miroku panted as he started to run.
"But - but - how?" Shippou squeaked in fear.
But Miroku was busy trying to fend off the youkai and Shippou sensed that what the monk was doing was buying him time. Scooping up the injured Kirara, the little kitsume ran as fast as he could, shuddering as he heard Miroku's scream.
Kanna'na did not notice the little kitsume's departure. He caught Miroku in the Shikon light that rained down from his staff, and Miroku was sucked into the Shikon, his scream of anger reverberating through the silent night.
His work done, Kanna'na shut his eyes and headed West, the call of Onigumo flowing through his mind..
Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Nineteen
Kanna'na Soteh - Eyes of Mirrored Stolen Souls!
It was Miroku who saw the eyes first and his own eyes widened. They were like mirrors that reflected the night sky and the stars all around them. Quite deliberately, the youkai stared at Sango and Miroku for a moment and both of them could feel something pulling at them from within.
It was Miroku who realized it first.
"Sango! Get away! He's a soul-stealer! Don't look into his eyes!!" Miroku had to fight to turn his face away and shut his eyes tightly.
"K - kirara, Go!" She raced away from the white youkai, but it grabbed Kirara's tail with one hand and dangled the demon-pet by her tail. Kirara writhed in the youkai's grip as Sango and Shippo hung on for dear life to her fur, shutting their eyes tightly. Kirara yowled, but fortunately for her, she was not directly in the youkai's sights.
"You've learned my secret, priest.." The youkai said softly as he stretched his arms away from himself, still holding them all.
"Watch, shard hunters!" The youkai's voice boomed. He shook Kirara and Miroku's staff to where everyone had opened their eyes in shocked reflex. They all looked down at the village at the people huddled together in fear.
"W - why don't they run?" Shippo shivered. He had never been this scared before.
"They can't.." The youkai chuckled with little emotion. "And now.." The youkai looked down at the villagers and their eyes widened as they stared into the mirror eyes of the youkai.
"Don't look into his eyes!" Sango shouted.
"It's too late, exterminator.." The youkai said, already sensing the pulling inside the humans below. Then they saw -
"Souls.." Sango whispered hoarsely.
"Kanna.." Miroku spat. "I should have known it was Naraku.."
"Kukuku.." The youkai chided. "Naraku and not, priest. Ah..here they come.."
The souls of the villagers started to depart their bodies, and one by one they slumped to the ground as lifeless husks. The souls were iridescent and beautiful as they floated up to the youkai and entered it's eyes. Countless souls drifted upwards, unresisting of the youkai's pull upon them.
And then the village was silent at last, for it was a village of souless. lifeless husks.
"Ssssss.." Sango hissed in anger and dispair. She knew these people could be controlled by the youkai if he did have Kanna's power over souls.
"What is the matter, exterminator? Ah, I see..yes you are used to blood aren't you? It is too - neat isn't it?"
It stared at the lifeless villagers and they rose, their eyes blank and unseeing as they proceeded to attack each other.
"No!" Miroku exclaimed in horror. They were methodically ripping each other to shreds!
Shippos shuddered at the sounds of tearing flesh, but he had no choice but to hear it even if he shut his eyes to avoid seeing it. Sango and Miroku stared at the carnage below until the green grass was dark stained with spilled blood. When everyone was sufficiently gored and maimed, the youkai let go of his control and the bodies landed with a collective thump.
Suddenly, Miroku let out a strangled cry as the youkai abruptly swung the hand that was holding Miroku and his staff down into the blood that was collecting into dark pools on the grass. When he lifted Miroku back up, the monk and his staff was covered in blood, and the dark shard which was tied to his staff suddenly blazed with a dark light that lit up the night sky around the village.
"I - think I'm going to be - sick.." Shippos felt a wave of nausea come over him which was not helped by the swaying of Kirara's body.
Mumbling an incoherent language that Sango, Miroku and Shippo could only believe had been Naruku's, the youkai murmured an incantation.
"He's summoning youkai..using me.." Miroku said. Sango and Shippo could hear his every word since the village was so quiet now.
"Come to me..come....." The youkai intoned as if he were in a trance, his mirrored eyes looking up to the sky.
And then the hapless shard hunters heard them, the youkai. They came in all shapes and forms but all held one thing in common.
A shard of the Shikon no Tama and a lust and hunger for spilled blood and human flesh.
"Yes..yes..youkai..come and be one with me, Kanna'na-Soteh! The youkai had found it's name at that moment as if a door had been opened in it's mind. It focused it's eyes on the thundering youkai, who were oblivious to the power of Kanna'na's eyes. They were only focusing on the carnage below.
However, their path to the grisly feast was interrupted as the mirrored eyes focused on them. Captured by Kanna'na's gaze, they could not escape. The souls of the youkai were drawn into Kanna'na's eyes with ease, their protests feeble despite the individual strength that they had possessed when each had a body and a shard of the Shikon no Tama. As each youkai's soul was drawn into Kanna'na, their bodies fell lifeless to the ground below and the shards that had been in their bodies fell like a dark rain.
Miroku stared below him, seeing the shards fall and then come together, almost in the shape of the original jewel, save for a few missing shards. When it was fused together, the Shikon no Tama rested on a spot of unsoiled grass, shining darkly.
And then Kanna'na released his captives. They screamed as they fell from the great height, but Kiara had recovered quickly and with her demon-cat reflexes, she caught Miroku before he could fall to his death. Landing on the ground, the two humans and the kitsume panted as the adrenaline rush made them shake.
"Aaaahhhhh!!" Miroku cried out in a pain as he fell off Kirara, gripping his hand.
Sango's eyes widened. The Air Void!
"Sango, Shippo! Take Kirara and go behind me!!!!" The monk cried out even as his friends complied. Miroku aimed his Air Void at the Kanna'na, intending to take this horrible creature who had done so much destruction in so little time, down with his Air Void.
But unfortunately, Miroku forgot about the creature's eyes. Out of reflex, as he aimed his Air Void at him, Miroku looked at Kanna'na. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.
"Stupid human!" Kanna'na snorted. Miroku's eyes widened as he was trapped by the gaze of the mirrored eyes.
"No, Miroku!" Sango tackled the monk, trying to forestall what she feared would happen.
"Sango!! No!!!" Shippo jumped on Sango, fearful that she would come in contact with the Air Void.
"It is too late, bitch." Kanna'na said. "Even now, he is mine..."
"No! NO!!!!!" Sango screamed, her hands reaching out for Miroku's soul, which was slipping out of him. She could see the light surrounding it and she dispaired, even as Kirara went to attack the youkai, unmindful of her danger, only seeking to protect her friends. The youkai flung Kirara to the ground below, and the exhausted demon-pet changed to her smaller self, a wound in her side.
Sango felt the hot tears on her cheeks as she saw Miroku's soul slip away toward the youkai. As it left him, the Air Void closed and the wild winds ceased, although the Void was still in his hand.
And then she spotted the Shikon no Tama! Her eyes narrowed as she sprinted towards it.
Kanna'na watched impassively and for the moment, drew his eyes away from Miroku's soul. He saw the girl grab the Shikon, exhultation in her cry of triumph even as Miroku's soul floated back into his body. Shippo then saw the scrap of fabric and beads that Miroku used to cover his hand. Bounding to it, he brought it back, and placed it on the monk's hand. Instantly it wrapped around the hand, blocking the Air Void.
"Uhhh.." Miroku groaned and Shippou ran to him, relieved.
"Miroku! Sango's got the Shikon no Tama!"
"What?" His eyes caught Sango's triumphant ones. "Sango, NO!!!" The monk leaped up, knocking Shippo over as he broke into a stumbling run.
But he was too late.The Shikon no Tama picked Sango up into the air, but still she would not release her grip on it.
"Sango, let GO!!!": Miroku cried out.
Sango shut her eyes tightly as she floated at the youkai's eye level, the Shikon burning in her hand. She could feel the evil within it, trying to get out, trying to be free and she felt the despair rise in her. Perhaps that was the Shikon's plan. Kann'na looked at the floating Sango and for the first time, smiled.
"Look at me, girl."
Sango would not.
~Open your eyes, Sango-chan..it's me, Kohaku!~ A child's voice sang out to her in her mind and she could suddenly 'see' him as he used to be in her memories.
~Sango-chan!~ Kohaku giggled. ~Come on! Look at me!~ Kohaku giggled.
"No..no..Kohaku is dead..I won't look..I won't look!" Sango had her eyes shut so tightly she was getting a headache.
And then the pictures formed in her mind of the last time her family had fought youkai - how they died, how Kohaku had killed them and then at the last had became himself again.
"Nooooo!" Sango screamed, her eyes flying open to get rid of the vivid pictures that tormented her.
"Kukuku.." I knew that would do it.." Kanna'na stared at Sango as she stared back, caught in his gaze.
"No, Sango..no.." Miroku's voice came out in a croak. He saw her soul float abover her lifeless body that hung there suspended.
"Oh - no..." Shippo whispered, feeling helpless.
Kanna'na smiled slightly and as if directed, Sango's soul went towards him and her body followed, the Shikon no Tama blazed darkly in her cupped hands. But instead of being drawn into Kanna'na's eyes, Sango and the Shikon were sucked into the Shikon shard tied to Miroku's staff. The nearly round Shikon merged with the dark shard inside and they gasped as the Shikon merged into the center of the staff, fitting into it snuggly.
"She's - in the Shikon.." Miroku gasped.
"She won't be alone, monk.." Kanna'na growled, growing tired of the game. They had expended too much time here and he did not wish to be around when other weaker youkai went sniffing about for the Shikon. He focused Miroku's staff at the monk, who pushed Shippou away at the last moment.
"Find - Kagome.." Miroku panted as he started to run.
"But - but - how?" Shippou squeaked in fear.
But Miroku was busy trying to fend off the youkai and Shippou sensed that what the monk was doing was buying him time. Scooping up the injured Kirara, the little kitsume ran as fast as he could, shuddering as he heard Miroku's scream.
Kanna'na did not notice the little kitsume's departure. He caught Miroku in the Shikon light that rained down from his staff, and Miroku was sucked into the Shikon, his scream of anger reverberating through the silent night.
His work done, Kanna'na shut his eyes and headed West, the call of Onigumo flowing through his mind..
