*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however,
the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and
Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted,
unless with my consent. Thank you.
Chapter 11
Strong Awakening
Inuyasha found himself on plains of shining, however, bizarre beauty. The grass was swaying in the wind, with tiny drops of dew atop each strand. A stream nearby was serenely flowing and passing over smooth stones and pebbles. At the brink, where the water hit the land, large ice crystals stood like marvelous edifices, reflecting the sun's valiant rays. The scenery seemed chimerical.
"Where am I?" Inuyasha asked himself. "What happened?"
He began walking toward the stream, where he decided to dip his hands in and take a drink of the pure water. When he put his palms in, he immediately took them back out, for the water was scorching hot.
"Ah!"
He rubbed his burnt hands.
"What is this place?"
Inuyasha eventually started walking again, contemplating about what had happened.
"I don't get it. How did I end up here anyway?"
He kept walking, on the lush and peculiar plains.
Meanwhile, Mayumi was diligently mixing her empowering potion for the jewel shards.
"The time will be soon enough. Once the potion is done mixing and brewing, I will be able to avenge mother. At long last."
The jewel shards were now in the concoction, swirling around powerfully, like the zealous vengeance in Mayumi's eyes.
Kagome was still wandering through the forest, fatigued and aching. Her panic led her blindly from the trees of fog, and kept leading her until she dropped from exhaustion.
"Inuyasha...I got a shard. All by myself..."
She closed her eyes for a while and rested.
Inuyasha was still sauntering on the endless plains. He didn't realize what was happening. He tried to make sense of it.
"Where am I? One second I was in chains, Kagome was too, and that witch, Mayumi was the one that was behind all of it, and that Momoko killed Lady Kaede, and...but what happened?"
Suddenly, the vast plains ended, and Inuyasha came to a cliff. He looked out on the horizon, but only saw blue sky. He peered down, and saw that the drop from the cliff seemed to be perpetual. But before he even noticed, the lush plains and grass strands of dew faded beneath his feet, and he fell down into the unending abyss below.
Kagome roused herself and began to walk again. She didn't know what to do. She was lost, and didn't even know how she got there to begin with. Her body was too tired to panic anymore; she now endured the feeling of internal despair.
"Inuyasha..."
She sluggishly hit her ankle on another tree root. Her aching body did not feel the pain, only the sudden pressure. She noticed it, and looked up at the tree from which it protruded. It was the sacred tree. The tree that Inuyasha was sealed to by Kikyo 50 years ago. She recognized it immediately, even in her enfeebled state.
"The tree?"
Kagome then heard an abrupt rustling sound. It came from the bushes.
"What?"
A shadowy figure glanced out, and then, revealed himself. It was Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha!"
But before Kagome could get closer, Inuyasha armed himself. He had a full quiver of arrows, and a gallant bow. It resembled Kikyo's. He pulled the bow taut, and pointed the arrow's tip, directly at Kagome's heart.
"Inuyasha?"
Kagome looked at Inuyasha. His eyes were uncanny and unwavering. He wore a facial expression not familiar to her.
"Inuyasha?"
The arrow was shot through the air. It caught her right in the chest, and nailed her to the sacred tree. She was immobilized.
"Inuyasha? Why did you do this?" Kagome cried.
She looked into his eyes.
"Why? Inuyasha? How come you did this to me?" she thought to herself. "I don't understand. Inuyasha...how come?"
Kagome again noticed the strange look in Inuyasha's eyes.
"Inuyasha...you would never do this. You wouldn't...you wouldn't kill me. You always protected me, with your own life. Is that you, Inuyasha?"
She now didn't recognize him at all.
"This can't be. Inuyasha, you would never do this to me..."
Mayumi's spell was broken. Kagome had finally awakened from the deep slumber.
Mayumi was finishing mixing the potion, the jewel shards now gleaming with power. She noticed the disoriented Kagome.
"You're awake?!? But how?"
Kagome was still in a very muddled state, and was not totally conscious of her surroundings.
"No matter," Mayumi said. "It is no longer important. The jewel shards will soon be complete."
Kagome was slowly coming to. She became aware of the shackles holding her down.
"Where...where am I?"
She looked around. She saw Inuyasha in chains as well.
"Inuyasha?"
Kagome turned her head and noticed the bloody body of Momoko, and the conniving Mayumi, watching the potion meticulously.
"Huh?!? Who are you?"
Mayumi reluctantly turned her attention to Kagome.
"I am Mayumi, the witch. And you, mere mortal girl, are soon to witness the destruction of all humanity."
Kagome looked at the helpless Inuyasha. Her mind was then immediately unclouded and focused. Inuyasha's danger had dispelled her ephemeral blurriness.
"What have you done to Inuyasha?"
"He is under a sleeping spell. I locked your other purposeless friends away so that they wouldn't interrupt."
"Interrupt what?"
"Interrupt my potion. I had to mix this potion to enhance the jewel shards' power. I thank you, girl, for them, for they will finally aid me in my life's goal. To destroy the entire rancid race of humans."
Kagome gasped. She saw the jewel shards' familiar glow shining from the mixing urn.
"The shards! Give them back!"
"You present a unique valor, mortal Kagome," Mayumi said. "An unusual valor that I have not once associated with normal humans."
"Where am I? How did you bring me here anyway?!?" Kagome screamed. "Let me go!"
"Now, relax, mortal girl, or I will have to put you under another spell."
"What?!?"
"You were asleep. As is with Inuyasha. You were simply in a deep dreaming state before. All that happened was a mere illusion that your mind conjured itself."
"You mean...all that happened in the forest? And when Inuyasha...pinned me to the tree...I knew it couldn't be real. I knew it couldn't happen. Inuyasha..."
She glanced over at the bound Inuyasha.
"You did all this to us?"
"No, Kagome. I knew my initial goal required assistance. Thus, I got an assistant."
Mayumi pointed at the mangled Momoko. Kagome let out a slight shriek. She had noticed Momoko before, but didn't draw her attention to the unmoving body due to her once temporary befuddled state.
"I used the clever Momoko as a puppet in order to capture you and your friends. Although before, a very kind and compassionate woman, she later was transformed into a homicidal, shrewd shadow that followed my every order. My order being: capturing you and the shards. And I told her to be stealthy, and she was stealthy. I told her to steal the shards by any stealthy means necessary, and thus, she was forced to assassinate the intervening Lady Kaede. This proved to me how very gullible, primal, and horrific humans can be. They can be swayed and tainted so easily. Kindhearted Momoko: contorted into a terror of the night. I had to kill her afterward. She was human. And thus, being human, I could not trust her no longer," Mayumi told Kagome.
"You cruel witch," Kagome cried.
She looked over at Inuyasha again. He was still asleep.
Inuyasha found himself drifting slowly down the pit below. A shining light engulfed him as he fell like a feather.
"Where am I?"
The rays of light around him pierced his eyes like millions of sharp needles.
"Ah! How did I get here? Is this hell?"
He immediately realized what was happening.
"That Mayumi witch! She did this! She did everything!"
The sleeping spell was immediately dispelled. He woke up.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.
"Huh?"
Inuyasha was in an addled state.
"Inuyasha!"
Kagome's voice shook him out of bewilderment.
"Kagome?"
"Inuyasha!"
"You're awake also, Inuyasha?!?" Mayumi wondered. "You both seem to have an incredible will, or just incredible fortune to unwrap yourselves from the grasp of my magic."
"Damn you, Mayumi!" Inuyasha screamed. "You did all of this! You killed Kaede. You kidnapped Kagome, and you..."
Inuyasha noticed the maimed Momoko.
"Yes, I did all of that," Mayumi admitted. "But only to get to my goal. My life's purpose. To destroy all this world's humans!"
A faint voice intervened.
"And you killed your best friend..."
It was Momoko. She only had a short thread of life left.
"Momoko?"
Mayumi turned around and looked at her. Momoko's eyes were enervated. Her soul was slowly slipping away.
"I wanted to repay you, Lady Mayumi. For saving me. But I thought you would eventually let me start a friendship with you. Not be your servant. I always had that hope that you would. But you didn't. You never did. You were always my hero, Lady Mayumi. But now, that I know...the truth...I can rest..."
Momoko closed her eyes.
"Damn you, witch! Killing your own allies! You're ruthless!" Inuyasha screamed. "I'll rip you!"
Inuyasha pulled at the chains binding him.
"My goal in life is to destroy humans. All humans. They are all the same," Mayumi said with an unwavering voice.
Suddenly, the jewel shards' glow gave off some sparks from the urn.
"The shards are nearly complete," Mayumi said. "And I will finally have vengeance."
Inuyasha kept pulling with all his might. His eyes of determination and will didn't affect Mayumi. She knew he could never break her enchanted chains.
Abruptly however, a crumbling and snapping noise threatened her assurance. Inuyasha had broken free.
Chapter 11
Strong Awakening
Inuyasha found himself on plains of shining, however, bizarre beauty. The grass was swaying in the wind, with tiny drops of dew atop each strand. A stream nearby was serenely flowing and passing over smooth stones and pebbles. At the brink, where the water hit the land, large ice crystals stood like marvelous edifices, reflecting the sun's valiant rays. The scenery seemed chimerical.
"Where am I?" Inuyasha asked himself. "What happened?"
He began walking toward the stream, where he decided to dip his hands in and take a drink of the pure water. When he put his palms in, he immediately took them back out, for the water was scorching hot.
"Ah!"
He rubbed his burnt hands.
"What is this place?"
Inuyasha eventually started walking again, contemplating about what had happened.
"I don't get it. How did I end up here anyway?"
He kept walking, on the lush and peculiar plains.
Meanwhile, Mayumi was diligently mixing her empowering potion for the jewel shards.
"The time will be soon enough. Once the potion is done mixing and brewing, I will be able to avenge mother. At long last."
The jewel shards were now in the concoction, swirling around powerfully, like the zealous vengeance in Mayumi's eyes.
Kagome was still wandering through the forest, fatigued and aching. Her panic led her blindly from the trees of fog, and kept leading her until she dropped from exhaustion.
"Inuyasha...I got a shard. All by myself..."
She closed her eyes for a while and rested.
Inuyasha was still sauntering on the endless plains. He didn't realize what was happening. He tried to make sense of it.
"Where am I? One second I was in chains, Kagome was too, and that witch, Mayumi was the one that was behind all of it, and that Momoko killed Lady Kaede, and...but what happened?"
Suddenly, the vast plains ended, and Inuyasha came to a cliff. He looked out on the horizon, but only saw blue sky. He peered down, and saw that the drop from the cliff seemed to be perpetual. But before he even noticed, the lush plains and grass strands of dew faded beneath his feet, and he fell down into the unending abyss below.
Kagome roused herself and began to walk again. She didn't know what to do. She was lost, and didn't even know how she got there to begin with. Her body was too tired to panic anymore; she now endured the feeling of internal despair.
"Inuyasha..."
She sluggishly hit her ankle on another tree root. Her aching body did not feel the pain, only the sudden pressure. She noticed it, and looked up at the tree from which it protruded. It was the sacred tree. The tree that Inuyasha was sealed to by Kikyo 50 years ago. She recognized it immediately, even in her enfeebled state.
"The tree?"
Kagome then heard an abrupt rustling sound. It came from the bushes.
"What?"
A shadowy figure glanced out, and then, revealed himself. It was Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha!"
But before Kagome could get closer, Inuyasha armed himself. He had a full quiver of arrows, and a gallant bow. It resembled Kikyo's. He pulled the bow taut, and pointed the arrow's tip, directly at Kagome's heart.
"Inuyasha?"
Kagome looked at Inuyasha. His eyes were uncanny and unwavering. He wore a facial expression not familiar to her.
"Inuyasha?"
The arrow was shot through the air. It caught her right in the chest, and nailed her to the sacred tree. She was immobilized.
"Inuyasha? Why did you do this?" Kagome cried.
She looked into his eyes.
"Why? Inuyasha? How come you did this to me?" she thought to herself. "I don't understand. Inuyasha...how come?"
Kagome again noticed the strange look in Inuyasha's eyes.
"Inuyasha...you would never do this. You wouldn't...you wouldn't kill me. You always protected me, with your own life. Is that you, Inuyasha?"
She now didn't recognize him at all.
"This can't be. Inuyasha, you would never do this to me..."
Mayumi's spell was broken. Kagome had finally awakened from the deep slumber.
Mayumi was finishing mixing the potion, the jewel shards now gleaming with power. She noticed the disoriented Kagome.
"You're awake?!? But how?"
Kagome was still in a very muddled state, and was not totally conscious of her surroundings.
"No matter," Mayumi said. "It is no longer important. The jewel shards will soon be complete."
Kagome was slowly coming to. She became aware of the shackles holding her down.
"Where...where am I?"
She looked around. She saw Inuyasha in chains as well.
"Inuyasha?"
Kagome turned her head and noticed the bloody body of Momoko, and the conniving Mayumi, watching the potion meticulously.
"Huh?!? Who are you?"
Mayumi reluctantly turned her attention to Kagome.
"I am Mayumi, the witch. And you, mere mortal girl, are soon to witness the destruction of all humanity."
Kagome looked at the helpless Inuyasha. Her mind was then immediately unclouded and focused. Inuyasha's danger had dispelled her ephemeral blurriness.
"What have you done to Inuyasha?"
"He is under a sleeping spell. I locked your other purposeless friends away so that they wouldn't interrupt."
"Interrupt what?"
"Interrupt my potion. I had to mix this potion to enhance the jewel shards' power. I thank you, girl, for them, for they will finally aid me in my life's goal. To destroy the entire rancid race of humans."
Kagome gasped. She saw the jewel shards' familiar glow shining from the mixing urn.
"The shards! Give them back!"
"You present a unique valor, mortal Kagome," Mayumi said. "An unusual valor that I have not once associated with normal humans."
"Where am I? How did you bring me here anyway?!?" Kagome screamed. "Let me go!"
"Now, relax, mortal girl, or I will have to put you under another spell."
"What?!?"
"You were asleep. As is with Inuyasha. You were simply in a deep dreaming state before. All that happened was a mere illusion that your mind conjured itself."
"You mean...all that happened in the forest? And when Inuyasha...pinned me to the tree...I knew it couldn't be real. I knew it couldn't happen. Inuyasha..."
She glanced over at the bound Inuyasha.
"You did all this to us?"
"No, Kagome. I knew my initial goal required assistance. Thus, I got an assistant."
Mayumi pointed at the mangled Momoko. Kagome let out a slight shriek. She had noticed Momoko before, but didn't draw her attention to the unmoving body due to her once temporary befuddled state.
"I used the clever Momoko as a puppet in order to capture you and your friends. Although before, a very kind and compassionate woman, she later was transformed into a homicidal, shrewd shadow that followed my every order. My order being: capturing you and the shards. And I told her to be stealthy, and she was stealthy. I told her to steal the shards by any stealthy means necessary, and thus, she was forced to assassinate the intervening Lady Kaede. This proved to me how very gullible, primal, and horrific humans can be. They can be swayed and tainted so easily. Kindhearted Momoko: contorted into a terror of the night. I had to kill her afterward. She was human. And thus, being human, I could not trust her no longer," Mayumi told Kagome.
"You cruel witch," Kagome cried.
She looked over at Inuyasha again. He was still asleep.
Inuyasha found himself drifting slowly down the pit below. A shining light engulfed him as he fell like a feather.
"Where am I?"
The rays of light around him pierced his eyes like millions of sharp needles.
"Ah! How did I get here? Is this hell?"
He immediately realized what was happening.
"That Mayumi witch! She did this! She did everything!"
The sleeping spell was immediately dispelled. He woke up.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.
"Huh?"
Inuyasha was in an addled state.
"Inuyasha!"
Kagome's voice shook him out of bewilderment.
"Kagome?"
"Inuyasha!"
"You're awake also, Inuyasha?!?" Mayumi wondered. "You both seem to have an incredible will, or just incredible fortune to unwrap yourselves from the grasp of my magic."
"Damn you, Mayumi!" Inuyasha screamed. "You did all of this! You killed Kaede. You kidnapped Kagome, and you..."
Inuyasha noticed the maimed Momoko.
"Yes, I did all of that," Mayumi admitted. "But only to get to my goal. My life's purpose. To destroy all this world's humans!"
A faint voice intervened.
"And you killed your best friend..."
It was Momoko. She only had a short thread of life left.
"Momoko?"
Mayumi turned around and looked at her. Momoko's eyes were enervated. Her soul was slowly slipping away.
"I wanted to repay you, Lady Mayumi. For saving me. But I thought you would eventually let me start a friendship with you. Not be your servant. I always had that hope that you would. But you didn't. You never did. You were always my hero, Lady Mayumi. But now, that I know...the truth...I can rest..."
Momoko closed her eyes.
"Damn you, witch! Killing your own allies! You're ruthless!" Inuyasha screamed. "I'll rip you!"
Inuyasha pulled at the chains binding him.
"My goal in life is to destroy humans. All humans. They are all the same," Mayumi said with an unwavering voice.
Suddenly, the jewel shards' glow gave off some sparks from the urn.
"The shards are nearly complete," Mayumi said. "And I will finally have vengeance."
Inuyasha kept pulling with all his might. His eyes of determination and will didn't affect Mayumi. She knew he could never break her enchanted chains.
Abruptly however, a crumbling and snapping noise threatened her assurance. Inuyasha had broken free.