Ch 4: My Immortal
Miroku found himself face-first in the dirt. He rose, and looked over at Eric. He was throwing Inuyasha off of him, and laughing all the while. Sango hopped on Kirara, and made a b-line straight for Eric. A vortex of wind formed in front of him, sending Sango and Kirara sprawling into a nearby tree. Miroku unwrapped his wind tunnel and aimed it at Eric. He smiled, and looked straight into Miroku's eyes, which widened with the realization that his wind tunnel had no effect. He wrapped it back up.
"What are we to do? He's immune to my wind tunnel, he swats away Sango's attacks, and he throws around Inuyasha like a rag doll. I doubt even Kagome would make a difference, if she wasn't under his spells," he thought
Eric laughed as Inuyasha dragged himself up. "Is this all you have? I'm disappointed."
Inuyasha ran up, slashing at Eric. The blade once again found itself in Eric's hand. He threw him, into a charging Sango. They landed on Miroku, knocking him off his feet.
"I could do this all day, but I'm afraid I cannot. It ends now!" Eric flung his arm out at the group, causing the earth itself to heave, covered in flames. While they were unbalanced, Eric spread his arms out and summoned a giant fireball, which crashed with a magnificent explosion. Nothing moved for several seconds. Eric laughed. "All to easy.
He searched around, spotting Kagome in the same spot she had been sitting for the last several minutes. "You have a decision to make, Kagome," he said holding out his hand. "Stay with them, and live the rest of your life in Kikyo's shadow, or come with me and forge your place in history, at the forefront of evolution!"
Inuyasha crawled forward. He tried to call out Kagome's name, but he lacked the strength. He could only reach out across the impossible distance to her.
Kagome stood, looking at the pile that her friends had landed in, then at Eric. She took a step towards him.
"Good choice. Like Akroma was to Ixdor, you shall be my Angel of Wrath."
Inuyasha struggled to keep his arm outstretched. Through a haze of weakness, he saw her walk towards Eric, and a portal behind him. She went through, followed by him. As his consciousness faded, Inuyasha forced one word from his lips.
"Ka...go...me..." He fell.
***
Kagome...Kagome....Kagome.....
Images of Kagome swirled around Inuyasha. Her face, her voice, her smile, her scent, everything about her was recalled with such vividness. Her betrayal stung Inuyasha like a sword through his heart. "Kagome...Kagome...."
"KAGOME!" he screamed as he snapped back to consciousness. A cold sweat dripped down his face. He looked to his right, and spotted Sango with her arm in a sling and Miroku with his ribs bandaged.
"Amazing. You took the brunt of that fireball and you're the least injured," Miroku commented.
Inuyasha looked away. He didn't want anyone to see the tears in his eyes.
Sango placed her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "I know what you saw, but Kagome..."
"...was under a spell. I know that, but even Eric can't control her completely." Inuyasha rose, with his back still turned. "The seed of betrayal was always there, and I nurtured it. I can't be surprised she chose him, with the way I treated her in the past."
"Inuyasha..." Sango started.
"But now it's too late!" Inuyasha spun around, with tears of anger and sadness flowing from his eyes, "She's gone with him, and there's nothing I can do about it!" He dropped to his knees, sobbing. "I should have paid more attention...I shouldn't have treated her like nothing..."
Miroku walked over and punched Inuyasha. "You can't think like that! Sure the seed might always have been there, but why didn't she act on it before?"
"A good point," a familiar voice said. He walked in, revealing himself to be Sesshoumaru.
"What news is there?" Sango asked.
"Nothing good. He's making his way across Japan with little sign of stopping. What's worse is that there are reports of armies just setting down their weapons, citing some sort of 'angel' at the front of his forces. Those that are fighting though, are said to be cut down by an unarmed woman, whose very touch is lethal." Sesshoumaru said with a sigh.
Miroku sighed. "At this rate all of Japan will be under his control in a matter of days."
"How are we going to stop him? Last time we fought, he easily cast us aside like insects!" Sango exclaimed Myoga leapt up on the bed. "I have an idea. There is an artifact chronicled in the Books of Odyssey, Torment, Judgment, Onslaught, Legions, and Scourge called the Mirari. Its said to grant the desires of whomever claims it. I think Eric may have brought it to our realm."
"Okay, then we find this Mirari. Sounds simple enough," Inuyasha said.
"Maybe not. It's also said that the Mirari fills its claimer's mind with visions of power and conquest, and corrupts his or her heart."
Inuyasha stood to his feet. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'll find the Mirari and end all of this." Jaken ran in screaming.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, you need to see this!" he screamed. He led them all out to the nearest balcony. "Look at the sky!"
Everyone looked up. Red clouds swirled from around an Ebon Stronghold. Dragons and Manticores, Phoenixes and Griffons filled the skies alongside Winged Slivers. Giant beasts roamed the forests, Orcs trampled through the mountains, and serpents swam the seas. Above the Stronghold, the Shikon no Tama glowed, complete and unrestrained, responding to the wishes of its new master.
Inuyasha looked at Myoga. "Where can I find the Mirari?" he asked.
"It would be inside that Stronghold." Myoga responded. "But..."
"No 'buts' Myoga. I'm going after it. I don't care what I have to do."
"Not without us, you're not." Sango said.
"I knew you'd say that." Sesshoumaru followed close behind. Inuyasha opened the door to the castle, and looked out over an army standing in wait. Sesshoumar stepped foreward.
"These are the ones still left that are not under Eric's control, humans, demons, and other creatures. They're ready to follow you," he whispered.
Inuyasha looked out over the crowd, and raised Tetsusaiga in defiance. The crowd responded with a deafening roar as they raised katanas, pitchforks, and other weapons.
"I won't let anything stand in my way! I'll claim the Mirari, and put an end to Eric once and for all. Even if, so help me, I have to go through Kagome to do it!"
.............To be continued!
Next: Even with an army at their side, things don't look good for the Inu- gang! Can the Mirari help them, and not damn Inuyasha in the process? Will Inuyasha be forced to fight the one he loves for the sake of all existence? Or have they finally met a foe that is unbeatable?
Miroku found himself face-first in the dirt. He rose, and looked over at Eric. He was throwing Inuyasha off of him, and laughing all the while. Sango hopped on Kirara, and made a b-line straight for Eric. A vortex of wind formed in front of him, sending Sango and Kirara sprawling into a nearby tree. Miroku unwrapped his wind tunnel and aimed it at Eric. He smiled, and looked straight into Miroku's eyes, which widened with the realization that his wind tunnel had no effect. He wrapped it back up.
"What are we to do? He's immune to my wind tunnel, he swats away Sango's attacks, and he throws around Inuyasha like a rag doll. I doubt even Kagome would make a difference, if she wasn't under his spells," he thought
Eric laughed as Inuyasha dragged himself up. "Is this all you have? I'm disappointed."
Inuyasha ran up, slashing at Eric. The blade once again found itself in Eric's hand. He threw him, into a charging Sango. They landed on Miroku, knocking him off his feet.
"I could do this all day, but I'm afraid I cannot. It ends now!" Eric flung his arm out at the group, causing the earth itself to heave, covered in flames. While they were unbalanced, Eric spread his arms out and summoned a giant fireball, which crashed with a magnificent explosion. Nothing moved for several seconds. Eric laughed. "All to easy.
He searched around, spotting Kagome in the same spot she had been sitting for the last several minutes. "You have a decision to make, Kagome," he said holding out his hand. "Stay with them, and live the rest of your life in Kikyo's shadow, or come with me and forge your place in history, at the forefront of evolution!"
Inuyasha crawled forward. He tried to call out Kagome's name, but he lacked the strength. He could only reach out across the impossible distance to her.
Kagome stood, looking at the pile that her friends had landed in, then at Eric. She took a step towards him.
"Good choice. Like Akroma was to Ixdor, you shall be my Angel of Wrath."
Inuyasha struggled to keep his arm outstretched. Through a haze of weakness, he saw her walk towards Eric, and a portal behind him. She went through, followed by him. As his consciousness faded, Inuyasha forced one word from his lips.
"Ka...go...me..." He fell.
***
Kagome...Kagome....Kagome.....
Images of Kagome swirled around Inuyasha. Her face, her voice, her smile, her scent, everything about her was recalled with such vividness. Her betrayal stung Inuyasha like a sword through his heart. "Kagome...Kagome...."
"KAGOME!" he screamed as he snapped back to consciousness. A cold sweat dripped down his face. He looked to his right, and spotted Sango with her arm in a sling and Miroku with his ribs bandaged.
"Amazing. You took the brunt of that fireball and you're the least injured," Miroku commented.
Inuyasha looked away. He didn't want anyone to see the tears in his eyes.
Sango placed her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "I know what you saw, but Kagome..."
"...was under a spell. I know that, but even Eric can't control her completely." Inuyasha rose, with his back still turned. "The seed of betrayal was always there, and I nurtured it. I can't be surprised she chose him, with the way I treated her in the past."
"Inuyasha..." Sango started.
"But now it's too late!" Inuyasha spun around, with tears of anger and sadness flowing from his eyes, "She's gone with him, and there's nothing I can do about it!" He dropped to his knees, sobbing. "I should have paid more attention...I shouldn't have treated her like nothing..."
Miroku walked over and punched Inuyasha. "You can't think like that! Sure the seed might always have been there, but why didn't she act on it before?"
"A good point," a familiar voice said. He walked in, revealing himself to be Sesshoumaru.
"What news is there?" Sango asked.
"Nothing good. He's making his way across Japan with little sign of stopping. What's worse is that there are reports of armies just setting down their weapons, citing some sort of 'angel' at the front of his forces. Those that are fighting though, are said to be cut down by an unarmed woman, whose very touch is lethal." Sesshoumaru said with a sigh.
Miroku sighed. "At this rate all of Japan will be under his control in a matter of days."
"How are we going to stop him? Last time we fought, he easily cast us aside like insects!" Sango exclaimed Myoga leapt up on the bed. "I have an idea. There is an artifact chronicled in the Books of Odyssey, Torment, Judgment, Onslaught, Legions, and Scourge called the Mirari. Its said to grant the desires of whomever claims it. I think Eric may have brought it to our realm."
"Okay, then we find this Mirari. Sounds simple enough," Inuyasha said.
"Maybe not. It's also said that the Mirari fills its claimer's mind with visions of power and conquest, and corrupts his or her heart."
Inuyasha stood to his feet. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'll find the Mirari and end all of this." Jaken ran in screaming.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, you need to see this!" he screamed. He led them all out to the nearest balcony. "Look at the sky!"
Everyone looked up. Red clouds swirled from around an Ebon Stronghold. Dragons and Manticores, Phoenixes and Griffons filled the skies alongside Winged Slivers. Giant beasts roamed the forests, Orcs trampled through the mountains, and serpents swam the seas. Above the Stronghold, the Shikon no Tama glowed, complete and unrestrained, responding to the wishes of its new master.
Inuyasha looked at Myoga. "Where can I find the Mirari?" he asked.
"It would be inside that Stronghold." Myoga responded. "But..."
"No 'buts' Myoga. I'm going after it. I don't care what I have to do."
"Not without us, you're not." Sango said.
"I knew you'd say that." Sesshoumaru followed close behind. Inuyasha opened the door to the castle, and looked out over an army standing in wait. Sesshoumar stepped foreward.
"These are the ones still left that are not under Eric's control, humans, demons, and other creatures. They're ready to follow you," he whispered.
Inuyasha looked out over the crowd, and raised Tetsusaiga in defiance. The crowd responded with a deafening roar as they raised katanas, pitchforks, and other weapons.
"I won't let anything stand in my way! I'll claim the Mirari, and put an end to Eric once and for all. Even if, so help me, I have to go through Kagome to do it!"
.............To be continued!
Next: Even with an army at their side, things don't look good for the Inu- gang! Can the Mirari help them, and not damn Inuyasha in the process? Will Inuyasha be forced to fight the one he loves for the sake of all existence? Or have they finally met a foe that is unbeatable?
