Ch. 5: Heaven's a Lie
Inuyasha ran along the darkened forest floor, the moon masking his approach to the Ebon Stronghold. He gritted his teeth as he approached his destination. He hid behind a rock, and awaited the signal.
***
Sango looked over at the white-clad demon in front of her. "Are you sure about this?" she asked skeptically.
Sesshoumaru returned her glare. "If Inuyasha is going to secure the Mirari, he's going to need a distraction. I intend to make one."
"Why are you helping us?" she asked.
"Because Eric poses as big a threat to me as he does you. I won't let that stand." He looked up. "Inuyasha will have reached the point by now. Sesshoumaru raised his arm, and then threw it down. Out of the forest thousands of humans and demons emerged ready to fight.
***
Inuyasha looked over the rock as soon as he heard the roar. Two guards who had been standing there heard it too, and quickly ran to the front of the Stronghold. Inuyasha chuckled, and ran inside.
***
Sesshoumaru's soldiers approached the Stronghold, where a legion of slivers awaited them. Sango and Miroku joined the fray, while Sesshoumaru stood back. As his soldiers fell, we used the Tenseiga to heal them, effectively countering the slivers superior power and numbers.
Inuyasha snuck around, stealthfully avoiding guards and other minions, making his way to the top of the Stronghold. He smirked as he opened a large door, and spotted an orb in its center. It had to be the Mirari.
"I didn't think it would be that easy," he chuckled as he approached it. He reached out to touch it, but the shattering of glass stopped him. A black- clad, white skinned woman dropped from the skies. Inuyasha managed to jump out of the way.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Don't you recognize me? No, of course not. I've changed, haven't I?"
"It doesn't matter," a woman said as she emerged from the shadows. She held a bow and arrow to the creature. "It was a simple matter to follow Inuyasha to the Mirari. I'll kill you, then use the Mirari to drag his soul back into Hell!"
Kikyo shot an arrow, but the creature easily leapt out of the way. It rushed Kikyo, and swatted at her. She managed to dodge, and only received a glancing blow. But that was all that was needed.
Kikyo raised her hand to where she was struck, and felt rotting flesh and decaying bone. She screamed as it spread to her hand, and all across her face.
"What did you do to her?" Inuyasha yelled.
"Her touch is lethal, like a woman I knew on Dominia." Eric said as he took the Mirari. "Her name was Phage, a pit fighter who was feared all over Dominaria. It was a simple matter to take a weakling like, say, Kagura, and twist her into this!"
Kagura jumped Inuyasha, plunging her hand into his face, he gasped, and fell back, and vanished. A small Kitsune replaced his visage.
***
Sesshoumaru looked out as the legions of slivers began to dwindle. "If we can fight these things off, we'll be able to ensure Eric's destruction" His thoughts were interrupted, as a flying sliver began to descend to his position. He gasped, but a giant boomerang intercepted the sliver.
"You just keep healing us, Sesshoumaru, and keep your eyes open!" Sango shouted. Sesshoumaru didn't like being ordered around by a human, but she was right. He waved his sword again, healing his troops and letting them fight on.
***
"Inuyasha has gained nothing by this deception! He has only ensured your death!" Kagura yelled. Suddenly, Inuyasha busted through the ceiling, bringing Tetsusaiga down mere inches from Kagura.
"Now we play by my rules," Inuyasha taunted.
"Inuyasha, wait! Don't let her touch you!" Shippou warned.
"I know, I saw what happened to Kikyo." Inuyasha looked down Kagura. "You are going to pay for that!"
He lunged, nearly missing Kagura. She thrust her palm at him, but he managed to shift his momentum and rebounded off a nearby wall. He landed behind her, and swiped his blade. Kagura screamed as blood poured down her back. She slowly turned around, and cried as she looked at Inuyasha.
"Do it. Kill me, please." She pleaded.
"Kagura..."
"Eric has taken me and made me into an aberration of life. This is no way to live, never being able to touch another living thing. He violated me in ways that a man cannot possible imagine. Now please, end my wretched life and make sure he doesn't do the same to Kagome! Do it, before he regains control!"
Inuyasha sighed, and swung his blade, decapitating Kagura.
***
Sesshoumaru's army finally overtook the slivers, and ran to the gate. With a thunderous roar, the gates fell, and the army fell silent. A strong glow emerged from within, washing over his soldiers like a torrent of serenity. To Sesshoumaru's horror, his soldiers began kneeling, setting their weapon to the ground and touching their heads to it. Even Sango and Miroku fell under this spell. He jumped up, making his way through the ranks until he, too beheld the source of the light. He fell to his knees, placing Tokijin at its feel, and set his head on the ground.
***
Inuyasha ran down the stairs, with Shippou close behind. He had to find the Mirari, and now Eric had it. "Are you sure he went this way?" he shouted.
"Where else is there to go?" Shippou asked.
He jumped down the rest of the stairs, and beheld a black throne on which Eric sat. He looked at Inuyasha with a grin, as he held the Mirari.
"You think this will help you?" he asked. "Then here, take it." He threw the Mirari at Inuyasha. He caught it, and it took the form of a blade. He could feel its corrupting influence, the darkness inside of it. He threw it away, out a stained glass window behind the throne. "Not like this. I'll beat you myself!"
Eric laughed. "I'd like to see you try. But first, allow me to introduce you to someone." He laughed, and waved his arm. The wall behind Inuyasha disintegrated, revealing Sesshoumaru and his soldiers kneeling behind a winged figure. She turned to lock eyes with Inuyasha.
She was hovering just above the ground, suggesting her angelic wings were more for show than function. Her skin was pale white, and her eyes golden. She wore ivory armor and wielded a white sword. The only color on her was her black hair. Her lips raised in a smile. Not one of joy, but a twisted one of hatred. Despite this, Inuyasha knew without hesitation that it was she.
"...Kagome..."
...........To be continued!
Next: Inuyasha and Kagome in a battle neither can truly win. Hearts are broken and forged anew, as swords clash on a battlefield of sorrow. Will Inuyasha save her, or will she suffer the fate of Kagura?
Inuyasha ran along the darkened forest floor, the moon masking his approach to the Ebon Stronghold. He gritted his teeth as he approached his destination. He hid behind a rock, and awaited the signal.
***
Sango looked over at the white-clad demon in front of her. "Are you sure about this?" she asked skeptically.
Sesshoumaru returned her glare. "If Inuyasha is going to secure the Mirari, he's going to need a distraction. I intend to make one."
"Why are you helping us?" she asked.
"Because Eric poses as big a threat to me as he does you. I won't let that stand." He looked up. "Inuyasha will have reached the point by now. Sesshoumaru raised his arm, and then threw it down. Out of the forest thousands of humans and demons emerged ready to fight.
***
Inuyasha looked over the rock as soon as he heard the roar. Two guards who had been standing there heard it too, and quickly ran to the front of the Stronghold. Inuyasha chuckled, and ran inside.
***
Sesshoumaru's soldiers approached the Stronghold, where a legion of slivers awaited them. Sango and Miroku joined the fray, while Sesshoumaru stood back. As his soldiers fell, we used the Tenseiga to heal them, effectively countering the slivers superior power and numbers.
Inuyasha snuck around, stealthfully avoiding guards and other minions, making his way to the top of the Stronghold. He smirked as he opened a large door, and spotted an orb in its center. It had to be the Mirari.
"I didn't think it would be that easy," he chuckled as he approached it. He reached out to touch it, but the shattering of glass stopped him. A black- clad, white skinned woman dropped from the skies. Inuyasha managed to jump out of the way.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Don't you recognize me? No, of course not. I've changed, haven't I?"
"It doesn't matter," a woman said as she emerged from the shadows. She held a bow and arrow to the creature. "It was a simple matter to follow Inuyasha to the Mirari. I'll kill you, then use the Mirari to drag his soul back into Hell!"
Kikyo shot an arrow, but the creature easily leapt out of the way. It rushed Kikyo, and swatted at her. She managed to dodge, and only received a glancing blow. But that was all that was needed.
Kikyo raised her hand to where she was struck, and felt rotting flesh and decaying bone. She screamed as it spread to her hand, and all across her face.
"What did you do to her?" Inuyasha yelled.
"Her touch is lethal, like a woman I knew on Dominia." Eric said as he took the Mirari. "Her name was Phage, a pit fighter who was feared all over Dominaria. It was a simple matter to take a weakling like, say, Kagura, and twist her into this!"
Kagura jumped Inuyasha, plunging her hand into his face, he gasped, and fell back, and vanished. A small Kitsune replaced his visage.
***
Sesshoumaru looked out as the legions of slivers began to dwindle. "If we can fight these things off, we'll be able to ensure Eric's destruction" His thoughts were interrupted, as a flying sliver began to descend to his position. He gasped, but a giant boomerang intercepted the sliver.
"You just keep healing us, Sesshoumaru, and keep your eyes open!" Sango shouted. Sesshoumaru didn't like being ordered around by a human, but she was right. He waved his sword again, healing his troops and letting them fight on.
***
"Inuyasha has gained nothing by this deception! He has only ensured your death!" Kagura yelled. Suddenly, Inuyasha busted through the ceiling, bringing Tetsusaiga down mere inches from Kagura.
"Now we play by my rules," Inuyasha taunted.
"Inuyasha, wait! Don't let her touch you!" Shippou warned.
"I know, I saw what happened to Kikyo." Inuyasha looked down Kagura. "You are going to pay for that!"
He lunged, nearly missing Kagura. She thrust her palm at him, but he managed to shift his momentum and rebounded off a nearby wall. He landed behind her, and swiped his blade. Kagura screamed as blood poured down her back. She slowly turned around, and cried as she looked at Inuyasha.
"Do it. Kill me, please." She pleaded.
"Kagura..."
"Eric has taken me and made me into an aberration of life. This is no way to live, never being able to touch another living thing. He violated me in ways that a man cannot possible imagine. Now please, end my wretched life and make sure he doesn't do the same to Kagome! Do it, before he regains control!"
Inuyasha sighed, and swung his blade, decapitating Kagura.
***
Sesshoumaru's army finally overtook the slivers, and ran to the gate. With a thunderous roar, the gates fell, and the army fell silent. A strong glow emerged from within, washing over his soldiers like a torrent of serenity. To Sesshoumaru's horror, his soldiers began kneeling, setting their weapon to the ground and touching their heads to it. Even Sango and Miroku fell under this spell. He jumped up, making his way through the ranks until he, too beheld the source of the light. He fell to his knees, placing Tokijin at its feel, and set his head on the ground.
***
Inuyasha ran down the stairs, with Shippou close behind. He had to find the Mirari, and now Eric had it. "Are you sure he went this way?" he shouted.
"Where else is there to go?" Shippou asked.
He jumped down the rest of the stairs, and beheld a black throne on which Eric sat. He looked at Inuyasha with a grin, as he held the Mirari.
"You think this will help you?" he asked. "Then here, take it." He threw the Mirari at Inuyasha. He caught it, and it took the form of a blade. He could feel its corrupting influence, the darkness inside of it. He threw it away, out a stained glass window behind the throne. "Not like this. I'll beat you myself!"
Eric laughed. "I'd like to see you try. But first, allow me to introduce you to someone." He laughed, and waved his arm. The wall behind Inuyasha disintegrated, revealing Sesshoumaru and his soldiers kneeling behind a winged figure. She turned to lock eyes with Inuyasha.
She was hovering just above the ground, suggesting her angelic wings were more for show than function. Her skin was pale white, and her eyes golden. She wore ivory armor and wielded a white sword. The only color on her was her black hair. Her lips raised in a smile. Not one of joy, but a twisted one of hatred. Despite this, Inuyasha knew without hesitation that it was she.
"...Kagome..."
...........To be continued!
Next: Inuyasha and Kagome in a battle neither can truly win. Hearts are broken and forged anew, as swords clash on a battlefield of sorrow. Will Inuyasha save her, or will she suffer the fate of Kagura?
