*I've altered a few Japanese myths to suit the story *
Ch. 4: Matsuo Strikes, the Mystery of Amatsu Mikaboshi
Sesshoumaru stared with a disappointed look at his brother. Inuyasha noisily slurped his food and dribbled his drink. Sesshoumaru grunted.
"The first thing I'll have to teach you is table manners," he grunted.
"Huh? Why? Who's gonna watch me eat?" Inuyasha asked.
Sesshoumaru groaned. "As a Lord, there will be many occasions in which you will have to host feasts for various reasons."
"Heh, okay then. How am I supposed to eat?"
"First off all, sit straight up, and elbows off the table!"
Inuyasha complied with a grunt. Sesshoumaru walked over, and behind Inuyasha. "Now, keep the bowl on the table, and if you must lift it only do so to chest level."
Kagome giggled at Sesshoumaru's instructions. "If you will excuse me," She said.
"Why can't you take after her more?" she heard Sesshoumaru say as she exited the room. She went upstairs and into her room. She sat on the windowsill and over looked the emerald forest below.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice said.
"Huh?" she uttered in surprise. "Who's there?"
The shadowy figure belonging to Moritsune appeared in the open doorway. "Beautiful, but deadly. That is the Forest of the Jikininki."
"The what?" Kagome asked.
"The Jikininki are the spirits of people whose greed will not allow them to pass on to a more peaceful existence in the next world. They linger here, devouring corpses. Over time, they grow more and more powerful, until they are able to prey upon the living. Plus, there's the hydras that call the forest home as well."
"Sounds like a nice place," Kagome said sarcastically. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine, and she sensed a familiar presence. Moritsune rushed in front of her. "Naraku," she muttered.
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru ran outside, headed towards the Jikininki Forest. "Naraku here? In my own lands? This close to my palace?!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed, "I will not stand for this!"
***
Naraku sat among the trees, admiring the view. "So many demons, and the Jikininki as well. They will be so easy to use." Naraku turned suddenly, as something snapped his attention. He looked deep into the blackest parts of the forest.
***
Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, and his eyes widened. Inuyasha stopped, and looked back.
"What's the matter with you?" he asked in annoyance.
"Can't you feel that?" he asked, "Such power, so evil, even more so than Naraku himself!"
Inuyasha felt it, and turned around. "What the hell is that?" A scream interrupted his question. He tuned around to see Sesshoumaru spit up blood and vomit. He groaned and tried to stand, but sunk back down.
"You in no condition to fight, my Lord," Moritsune said. He picked Sesshoumaru off the ground, and looked at Inuyasha. "I'll take Lord Sesshoumaru to the castle. I'll rejoin you as soon as I can." Inuyasha nodded and ran into the forest.
***
Naraku looked at the pair of crimson eyes staring at him. They seemed to pierce the void where his soul should have been. For the first time ever, Naraku was afraid.
"Show yourself!" he yelled. The sound of rattling chains filled his ears as the eyes grew closer. Naraku's breath quickened, and his muscles tensed. Finally, the unseen man came into view. He was tall, with black hair, and apparent cat demon. But Naraku sensed that he was much, MUCH more than a mere demon.
"Greetings, Naraku," he said in a voice that froze Naraku cold.
"You....you are Amatsu Mikaboshi!"
"I go by the name Matsuo in this world, but call me what you will. It doesn't matter anyway, you'll be dead soon. I cannot allow you to interfere in my plans here."
Naraku ran as he summoned his miasma to cover his escape. He felt something cold a metallic wrap around his ankle, and he fell to the ground. "What?!"
"It's called a dual kusari-gama, I'd thought you'd know that," Matsuo said with a smirk. Matsuo swung the chain, throwing Naraku into a tree. He whipped the chain, and it spun around, pinning Naraku to the tree. With a final flick of his wrist, the blade of the kusari-gama dug into the tree, while Matsuo held firmly to the other side. Naraku squirmed and struggled, but he was held tight.
"I'm sorely disappointed in you. I expected more of a fight. Ah well, any last words?"
Naraku said nothing. Matsuo flicked his wrist, and a spark traveled down the chain of his weapon. It reached Naraku, and he exploded along with the tree. Matsuo grinned as a violet clad monk showed up.
"Eh? Who are you? Where's Naraku?" he asked.
"Ah, Miroku, the Priest with a cursed hand. But I guess that no longer hold true with Naraku dead."
"He's dead?" Miroku asked as Inuyasha arrived.
"Yes, but I find things much more interesting with that particular factor in play," He grinned, and Naraku's charred remains rose and regenerated. He looked on in shock at Matsuo, and then made a hasty retreat.
"I apologize, but this is hardly the time or place for introductions." Matsuo said. "But we will meet again Inuyasha." Matsuo threw one end of his Kusari-gama into the air, and pulled up, launching himself into the air. Miroku and Inuyasha stared at each other for a moment as a high-pitched squeal echoed in the woods.
"Jikininki..." Miroku muttered.
Ch. 4: Matsuo Strikes, the Mystery of Amatsu Mikaboshi
Sesshoumaru stared with a disappointed look at his brother. Inuyasha noisily slurped his food and dribbled his drink. Sesshoumaru grunted.
"The first thing I'll have to teach you is table manners," he grunted.
"Huh? Why? Who's gonna watch me eat?" Inuyasha asked.
Sesshoumaru groaned. "As a Lord, there will be many occasions in which you will have to host feasts for various reasons."
"Heh, okay then. How am I supposed to eat?"
"First off all, sit straight up, and elbows off the table!"
Inuyasha complied with a grunt. Sesshoumaru walked over, and behind Inuyasha. "Now, keep the bowl on the table, and if you must lift it only do so to chest level."
Kagome giggled at Sesshoumaru's instructions. "If you will excuse me," She said.
"Why can't you take after her more?" she heard Sesshoumaru say as she exited the room. She went upstairs and into her room. She sat on the windowsill and over looked the emerald forest below.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice said.
"Huh?" she uttered in surprise. "Who's there?"
The shadowy figure belonging to Moritsune appeared in the open doorway. "Beautiful, but deadly. That is the Forest of the Jikininki."
"The what?" Kagome asked.
"The Jikininki are the spirits of people whose greed will not allow them to pass on to a more peaceful existence in the next world. They linger here, devouring corpses. Over time, they grow more and more powerful, until they are able to prey upon the living. Plus, there's the hydras that call the forest home as well."
"Sounds like a nice place," Kagome said sarcastically. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine, and she sensed a familiar presence. Moritsune rushed in front of her. "Naraku," she muttered.
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru ran outside, headed towards the Jikininki Forest. "Naraku here? In my own lands? This close to my palace?!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed, "I will not stand for this!"
***
Naraku sat among the trees, admiring the view. "So many demons, and the Jikininki as well. They will be so easy to use." Naraku turned suddenly, as something snapped his attention. He looked deep into the blackest parts of the forest.
***
Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, and his eyes widened. Inuyasha stopped, and looked back.
"What's the matter with you?" he asked in annoyance.
"Can't you feel that?" he asked, "Such power, so evil, even more so than Naraku himself!"
Inuyasha felt it, and turned around. "What the hell is that?" A scream interrupted his question. He tuned around to see Sesshoumaru spit up blood and vomit. He groaned and tried to stand, but sunk back down.
"You in no condition to fight, my Lord," Moritsune said. He picked Sesshoumaru off the ground, and looked at Inuyasha. "I'll take Lord Sesshoumaru to the castle. I'll rejoin you as soon as I can." Inuyasha nodded and ran into the forest.
***
Naraku looked at the pair of crimson eyes staring at him. They seemed to pierce the void where his soul should have been. For the first time ever, Naraku was afraid.
"Show yourself!" he yelled. The sound of rattling chains filled his ears as the eyes grew closer. Naraku's breath quickened, and his muscles tensed. Finally, the unseen man came into view. He was tall, with black hair, and apparent cat demon. But Naraku sensed that he was much, MUCH more than a mere demon.
"Greetings, Naraku," he said in a voice that froze Naraku cold.
"You....you are Amatsu Mikaboshi!"
"I go by the name Matsuo in this world, but call me what you will. It doesn't matter anyway, you'll be dead soon. I cannot allow you to interfere in my plans here."
Naraku ran as he summoned his miasma to cover his escape. He felt something cold a metallic wrap around his ankle, and he fell to the ground. "What?!"
"It's called a dual kusari-gama, I'd thought you'd know that," Matsuo said with a smirk. Matsuo swung the chain, throwing Naraku into a tree. He whipped the chain, and it spun around, pinning Naraku to the tree. With a final flick of his wrist, the blade of the kusari-gama dug into the tree, while Matsuo held firmly to the other side. Naraku squirmed and struggled, but he was held tight.
"I'm sorely disappointed in you. I expected more of a fight. Ah well, any last words?"
Naraku said nothing. Matsuo flicked his wrist, and a spark traveled down the chain of his weapon. It reached Naraku, and he exploded along with the tree. Matsuo grinned as a violet clad monk showed up.
"Eh? Who are you? Where's Naraku?" he asked.
"Ah, Miroku, the Priest with a cursed hand. But I guess that no longer hold true with Naraku dead."
"He's dead?" Miroku asked as Inuyasha arrived.
"Yes, but I find things much more interesting with that particular factor in play," He grinned, and Naraku's charred remains rose and regenerated. He looked on in shock at Matsuo, and then made a hasty retreat.
"I apologize, but this is hardly the time or place for introductions." Matsuo said. "But we will meet again Inuyasha." Matsuo threw one end of his Kusari-gama into the air, and pulled up, launching himself into the air. Miroku and Inuyasha stared at each other for a moment as a high-pitched squeal echoed in the woods.
"Jikininki..." Miroku muttered.