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Pushed over the edge

Shattered Innocence

Innocence can be thought of as a state of mind.

A child like trait that we one day leave behind.

Something that's grown out of in time.

The legendary red sky is usually thought of as a child's story. It says that when a battle has erupted that hundreds die every minute. When their souls are taken to heaven by the angels their life giving fluid leaks upon the night sky as they are carried upward. It's a sign of misery, pain, suffering, and most of all death. For when one or two people die it is not enough to challenge the original color of the sky, but when many die it dominates the original color of the sky spreading the message into entire world.

Tonight the sky was red. Battle cries, and dying screams echoed into the distance. Innocent children were slain their bodies scattered across the village laying in a pool of their own blood. Demons against humans. An ultimate battle of control.

Men fought bravely trying to protect their loved ones, woman too tried to help the battle. The elder people tried to heal the wounded, but most were killed before ever accomplishing their goal. The humans fought with all that they could, but in the end all hopes were in vain.

Everyone was slaughter that night. The enemy had retreated from the city leaving it to burn. Silence echoed far, and wide into the lands. All, but a muffled scream.

Fist pounded into the barrier as it began to weaken. Ebony hair cascaded down the young woman's figure as she slammed her fist in a futile attempt of freedom. Cinnamon eyes began to water as her attacks weakened.

"Mom, Dad I know Souta's dead, but let me help you revenge his death. Please let me help you," the fifteen year old screamed into the barrier. Unable to see, or hear outside of her cage her panic only grew. The barrier continued to weaken a small crack appeared, and began to stretch across the barrier.

She released a choke sob as a picture of her brother flashed into her mind. His pale skin, and wide eyes stared into the distance. His dark brown hair matted in blood. His throat tore open as blood continued to gush out from the wound.

The young woman held onto the small circular pink object hanging from her necklace as though a link to the world of sanity. Pictures of the other children floated continually into her mind. Some had there necks twisted, others were beheaded, some even gutted. It was so horrible. A sign of what was to come. Why though would anyone kill such innocent lives?

With one final effort she slammed her body into the barrier. The crack grew until finally it shattered around her.

She froze as her eyes grew wide. Blood was smeared across the burning huts. The ground was flooded with it. "No," she whispered as she ran forward the red liquid splashed around her sinking into her clothing.

'Everyone couldn't be dead,' her mind screamed as she raced forward. "Mom? Dad?"

Her feet propelled her forward as tears slashed to the ground mixing with blood which now clung to her entire bottom half of her emerald kimono. There she found her mother. Face down on the streets. The only identifications of the woman was her light purple clothing. Her father was next to her his body slung over hers in what seemed to be an attempt to save her. 'A lot of help that did them,' she thought bitterly.

Pulling her father onto his back, and turning her mother over she gasped. Standing up she backed away from the mutilated body of her once beautiful mother, and father. It was to much for any person to see. People that she cared for were in piles of burning bodies. It was a disgrace! They need...no they deserved better then that.

She wondered if anyone were alive if they could hear the shattering of her heart. How loud would it be? Yet, it didn't seem like she would be able to ask anyone around her, or at least get an answer from the ones she asked. For the dead could not speak.

Her entire life laid before her in their own blood. Houses burned sending ashes surrounding her. What was left for her? Her entire family was dead, her friends, her neighbors, her life they were gone.

They were all gone, everyone was dead. She looked down at her fathers body, and pulled from his cold dead hands. It seemed it was of no use to her father, maybe it could help her?

Holding it out she positioned it to her own heart. Everyone was gone. No one was left. All her family, and friends gone. Her village destroyed what else was there to live for? The skies rattled with anger as rain broke through washing away everything. It was almost as if it was a sign, a disagreement to her decision.

"What? What do you want me to do," she screamed into the sky only causing lightening to crash down beside her.

That's when she heard it. She heard a feeble mumble her eyes searched quickly. Her body was rigid. Could someone actually be alive? She begged the heavens to let it be true. Discarding the weapon carelessly as she ran deep within the village there she saw him. Stumbling to stand up as he leaned against one of the houses. She stood completely frozen was it one of them?

His wounds were great blood coated his body. One major one was a complete hole through his chest showing right through him. The only colors other then red was his silver hair, and golden eyes. He turned to her slowly at first. They stared at each other for what seemed like eternity until his finally turned, and began to stumble away.

How could he move? She could see each ripple of his muscles through his soaked red shirt as he stumbled proving her thoughts correct. He looked unstoppable. He looked like an angel. He used all his strength to walk away with his head held high in pride. Right then and there it didn't matter if he was the enemy or not.

This was it, this was her sign. His bravery gave her hope. His pain forgotten as her tragedies were pushed back. He blindly gave her courage to move on. Her sign, her angel, Kagome's unknown hero.

/#/#/ Another Time of Another Day /#/#/

Kagome stared at the graves she had made for the villagers. All the dirt had already covered there bodies, and five flowers were on each grave : Helenium, Canterbury Bell, Ashphode, Asclepias, and Heliotrope. Each had a specific meaning to her. She smacked her hands together creating dust flowing over her. She had not mourned over them since the day it had happened. She had kept herself busy with cleaning the village, and burying the dead. She kept telling herself that there was no time to mourn, no time for a tear to fall.

The young woman way trying to be strong just like he was, like her angel, but she could never be that strong. She let out a sigh knowing what a hopeless cause it would be to try, and seek revenge. She held the small pink object hanging from her necklace feeling warmth embrace her, she smiled. The small article of jewelry had gave her the hope she needed while burying her parents. She couldn't even come close to them, but when she held the necklace she seemed almost...at peace.

Closing her eyes she remembered what her grandfather had said about the Shikon no Tama. The old legends told of how it would grant any wish. Kagome knew it was just a story told to children. She knew it was not real, but still she could only hope. Hope had gotten her this far!

Holding it close to her heart she whispered, "I wish...I wish I could be strong just like he was. I want to be just like my hero!" Opening one eye then the other she sighed. Still the same weak human. "I knew it was pointless," she muttered to herself as she walked down the village center grabbing the cloths that were not burned or soaked she knelt down, and began to remove the blood stains from the ground. She looked up to see the sky darkening. Hopefully mother nature would help her with the job.

/#/#/ Another Time of the Same Day /#/#/

Lightening flashed across the almost completely abandoned town. A scream was lost within the thunder. Kagome stumbled through the village her hand clutched to her chest as she tried to slow down its pace. The other hand was in front of her blindly leading her to an unknown location. The young woman's entire body burned. Muscles reshaped in an agonizingly long pace. Bones cracked and reshaped. Pain absorbed her as she stumbled forward. Her body convulsed as she threw up, blood splattered on the ground. Falling to her knees as her body shook violently. Kagome opened her mouth in a silent scream as her teeth lengthened into fangs. She gripped the ground in a desperate actions to crawl forward. Her finger nails grew, and sharpened into talons shredding the ground beneath her. Unnoticeably, Her necklace glowed brightly as rain washed over the woman. Regurgitating once again, blood pooled onto the ground. She looked down at her necklace as she grabbed it, and ripped it away from her throwing it into the blood. "Why?"She screamed as the pain raged through even her veins. Kagome crashed forward into the wet ground beneath her as pain consumed her sending her into a spiral of darkness.

/#/#/ Another Time of Another Day of Another Year /#/#/

The katana slammed into the tree the words written on the blade were in the language of an almost completely lost village. It stated, 'The pain of one brings pain to everyone.'

Clawed hands held the hilt of the well made weapon. Each move was practiced to perfection. Each step was a fluid movement. Pulling the katana from the tree's bark she flipped it around quickly pushing it into its sheath.

Running her talons through her slightly tangled ebony hair. The sun shined down upon her showing off the silver streaks within them. Steel colored eyes trained upon the mark left on the tree as her hands smoothed it instantly healing the old tree.

Her head rose as two silver ears on top of her head twitched. Leaping into the air the only sight that could be seen was a black blur.

Bandaged feet slide to a stop onto an old, crumbling buildings. Eyes were trained upon the figure below. An eyebrow quirked up at the purpled clad form. Jumping to another building she knelt down below looking over the edge curiously at the man that stood beneath her.

She watched in amazement at the golden staff chimed softly. The aura around it was warm, and kind, with a touch of mystery. Once her curiosity got the best of her, she reached out to grab a strange golden staff, but the man began to walk again. Growling silently in frustration she pulled back her hand following the man in silence. Her feet never made a single sound the only true sound was from the staff. Once again he stopped pulling a piece of paper with writing on it. He stuck it to the frame of the building. As he walked away turning a corner she jumped down taking the piece of paper from the building sniffing it cautiously.

She shredded the piece of paper tossing it in the air, and was about to turn around before an object slammed into the top of her head. Yelping she leapt back holding her head as she glared at the man holding the staff in the same position it was when it had attacked. "What was that for,"she mumbled. Her eyes widened slightly. Was that her voice? It had been so long since she had heard it.

She leapt up just as the young man attacked again. Her enter demeanor changed as she snarled at him, "Why are you attacking me?" She asked as she leapt onto a house's roof. He followed behind as she stood there in all of her glory. The wind rushed past them making her black hakama, and kimono. Her ebony hair whipped around behind her as the silver streaks shined brightly. Steel eyes stared at him emotionlessly.

The monk could barely contain himself as she walked up towards her. First as though for a precaution he smacked a sutra on her forehead. She took a step back pulling of the piece of paper from her head. "Ow...why did you do that?" She asked her eyes once again filled with naivete. It seemed as though she had a completely different side.

"It seems you are not evil my fair lady,"he stated as he took her hand, and pressed it to his lips. She pulled back shacking her hand slightly.

"I could have told you that,"she muttered rubbing her forehead with the heel of her hand.

"Yet you didn't,"he stated smiling down at her. She only shook her head as she sat at the edge of the roof looking down at the town beneath her.

"Why have you come here? Its never very smart to enter what everyone says to be a haunted land,"she said with a tinge of darkness in her voice.

"My grandfather had told me of the war that had happened here. He said that every human had died. They had come back to this land almost a month after the incident, but a beautiful ghost had told them that they were not allowed to step foot upon the ground. They said they could still see blood that tainted the ground. Yet, they came back what he had said as a year later, and found the land completely clean, and the buildings in repair. The story goes that it was the work of the ghost. They never told to much of the battle, because no survivors were there to speak of it,"he said as he sat next to her his elbow on his knee as he placed his head on the palm of his hand.

"It was a horrible battle,"she stated coldly as she looked away.

"If you do not mind me asking...how would you know?" The monk asked casually as he side glanced to her.

"I was there!"

"That's impossible it was almost seventy years ago,"

"I know in four more cycles of the moon it will be seventy years."

"How could you have lived then? You seem younger then me!"

She looked upon the sky itself her eyes almost as cold almost dead look. "I am a hanyou,"she stated as she pulled her hair back revealing her ears that were hidden beneath her hair.

She watched in amusement as the monks hand twitched towards her head. "They are real...why do you have prayer beads on your right hand?" She asked as she pulled on them as though showing them to him.

"A curse,"he stated simply his face growing serious as he yanked his arm back as though her touch burned.

She merely nodded as they both stared at the village in an awkward silence. Finally the monk had broken the silence as he took her hand. "Introductions! I am Miroku, and you my lady would be?"

"Kagome,"she stated gently, but froze as she felt his free hand pat her back, and began to lower. She was naive true, but not that naive.

"Pervert!" She yelled out smacking the back of his head. He tumbled off the roof falling flat on his back onto the ground below. Kagome concealed her laughter as she leaned forward grabbing the edge of the roof watching the man below her get the wind knocked out of him.

/#/#/ Another Time of the Same Day /#/#/

"That is how the battle of this village began? Rather disgraceful," Miroku stated shacking his head as he looked beyond the fire at the woman in front of him. He could tell the sorrow in her aura hidden behind her gentle smile. It was easy task for a monk to read emotions, but she seemed to be his first challenge. Her eyes sparkled happily, but if he went farther he could almost feel the pain that overwhelmed her eyes.

Kagome merely nodded as she looked away from the mans probing eyes.

"If you don't mind me asking...were you once a human? Because if you say your parents died in the battle that means that there is almost an eighty percent chance that they were human,"he stated as he looked up to her. Noticing her freeze slightly before finally nodding he scooted closer to her to be able to hear her better. The sizzling of the fire made it almost impossible to hear her quiet words.

"It's true I was a human, but foolishly made a wish on this,"she muttered pulling out a small circular object from her kimono, and handing to him. He inspected the object with fascination before his eyes widened. He waved the object in front of her as she just watched in amusement at his actions.

"Do you know what this is?" He practically yelled making her ears flatten against her head.

Snatching the necklace from him she flicked the pink ornament. "Yeah, my grandfather always told me stories of the shikon no tama. I never believed it, until it proved its true powers,"she muttered as she glared at the fire before thrusting the item back into her kimono.

"It had been lost for years. Every demon had been trying to get there hands on it, and even humans have been hunting it down. A perfect hiding place if I do say so myself!"

"If they want it they can have it,'she stated bitterly either not noticing or just not caring at the look of shock on his face.

"You really don't mean that...do you?" He asked trying to gain his composure back.

"Yes, yes I do. If you want you can have it,"she said as she grabbed it from her kimono again before throwing it to him. "Keep it!"

"Really, its better if you keep it. You have been protecting it this long it would be wrong to give it up now,"he stated throwing it back.

"I don't want it anymore. I don't want to be the protector, I don't want anything to do with it,"she yelled throwing it back at him with force making him almost tumble back.

"If you were truly younger when this started, do you know the true reason of this war that had tainted the lands?" Miroku asked as he held the jewel out towards her, but kept it hidden in a fist.

"No...I don't,"she whispered as she looked up to him with questioning eyes.

"They fought for the Shikon no Tama,"he stated as he opened his hand revealing the jewel to her.

"Why...why would they fight for this?" She whispered as she took it from his hands slowly bringing it in front of her face

"The greedy beast want to become more powerful. Domination of the world is most of their goals." Miroku explained. Kagome nodded as she held the jewel tighter.

"Why me though? Why do I have to protect it? Another question is...my grandfather told me it would grant one wish, and once it was fulfilled it would vanish into dust. Why didn't it?" She asked as she looked up to him fully expecting an answer.

" The jewel has chosen you! And it will not except any but you. Its almost like it had taken a liking to you. Because if you did wish to become a hanyou, it would have been dust. The only possible answer is that you did not make the wish because this is what you wanted. You made this wish for someone else, or something else." Miroku scratched his chin in thought of his words as Kagome just scowled.

"It wants a greedy wish I got one for it! I wish..."Miroku jumped up tackling her to the ground as he covered her mouth with his clothed hand.

"No...no no! You must not waste the wish!" The monk yelled sitting on her efficiently stilling her movements as he released his hand from her mouth.

Kagome sighed as she released the jewel allowing it to tumble upon the floor. She looked up still noticing the weight that was on her. "Get off of me!"

"No I think I like it right here," the man stated as he grinned playfully down at her. Yet, his grin seemed to disappear as he watched her click her claws together menacingly. He scrambled up hands held high in a sign of peace. Growing serious once again he looked the girl straight in the eye.

"Why did you wish to become as you are?"

"I didn't! I wanted to get revenge for my village, but I am just a human against hundreds even thousands of demons. It would be impossible. Then I remembered my hero...he was so strong, and brave. I knew if I could be like him I could battle, and win against anything. So that is what I wished for. To be just like him, and this is what I became,"she stated as she stood up her hands out on either side of her.

Miroku merely nodded as he thought to himself. "What have you done through all of that time?"

"Practicing,"she answered simply as she sat back down next to the fire.

"Practicing what?"

"Practicing my skills, perfecting them so when I go into battle I am ready,"Kagome said as she patted the spot next to her which he eagerly took.

"Pardon me for being blunt, but you don't seem like the kind of person that could actually...kill someone. Have you ever killed before?" He asked as he looked to the girl next to him. Her entire aura practically screamed innocence so he knew the answer already.

"Not exactly,"she said laughing sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head.

"Have you ever killed anything? Killed anything for food like fish, or deer? Or just killed an animal at all?" Miroku asked as he watched the girls face tint with pink.

She only laughed nervously. "Um...yes!" She had once stepped on a baby bird that fell from his nest on accident. She cried for two days after she buried it, and still to this day she had put a flower on its grave every week.

"On purpose?" He asked as her laugh ended.

"Ye...no,"she stated as she looked away.

"And you expect to kill an entire demon army?" He said as he chuckled shacking his head. "You will need a lot help if you want to accomplish such a feat!"

"I don't need any help,"she muttered as she turned away from him.

"You will to need help! You won't be able to do this alone no matter how long you have trained,"he said as he grabbed her shoulders turning her towards him.

"I was sent here for a reason, but I have just now realized what it truly was. You need my help, let me help you on this,"he stated as she only looked away.

"You would surely die,"she mumbled as she stood up. Walking out of the room into the chilly night air. "If you do not cherish you life you can come,"she stated before disappearing into the nights air.

Her footsteps were almost silent as she walked across the lands she had called her own. "Four more cycles of the moon, and I shall get my revenge,"she whispered as she entered the graves she had built. Sitting next to her families grave she dusted off the rock that she had carved the names of each person. Once the word 'Higurashi was seen she looked down to the hills of dirt that personalized each body that was there.

"Soon I will get your revenge. On the date of the seventy year anniversary of the war your revenge will be fulfilled. If not then I will join you all,"she promised as she looked to the moon above as the clouds roamed the sky covering it momentarily. "I give you my word!"

((Hey everyone. I got on a writing block with my story caged. I still want to write though..obsessed with writing...so I started this until I can get back on track with the other one. So I am hoping to finish both of them...I can stand when I leaving things uncompleted so you can trust me that I will finish them. I am so proud of myself I wrote a lot for this story, and I hope everyone enjoys this! I got this idea from listening to kingdom hearts sound track...love that sound track...and kept writing. The poem was just something that really isn't nice. I just wanted to make on...it may not be the best poem...or anything close to it, but oh well I am no a poet I am a writer. Just thought I give it a try. So don't flame my poem or I shall flame you!!! Also each of the flowers on the graves had there own little meanings.

Heliotrope - devotions

Asclepias - sorrowful remembrance

Asphode - my regrets follow you to the grave

Canterbury - gratitude

Helenium - tears

Yes I went around the web studying on their meanings. Was it due to boredom? Yes...yes it was, but that is not the point. Well anyway hope you all liked my newest story. Don't forget to review, because I want to know how everyone likes it. That is usually why there are review options))

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Darkend Halo

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