I am back. evil laugh I read the entire story, couldn't bear to extinguish its flame, and had an idea. In that order. So in short I'm back in this story. Hopefully my writing's improved. ¡Fàntastico! I'm learning Spanish! Wait . . . Is anyone still reading this? Anything incased in these alone is in Gallic.
Back at the Mountains
Author P. O. V.
Celeste suddenly collapsed to her knees, clenching her teeth in pain. She reminisced back to the time of her first pains like this. When were they again? She imagined that this was what labor felt like and nearly giggled at the notion. 'I'm obviously hysteric,' she added as a wry afterthought. 'Giddy with pain.' Her companions all rushed over to her, asking if she was all right
'No, I'm perfectly fine. That's why I'm on my knees in agony,' a snide part of her mind said, spurred forth from the bitterness of her pain. "Yeah," she choked out to her friends. "Just cramps." The girls gave her a knowing look. Too bad, full demons don't get a fertility cycle in line with the moon; it was long ago lost to prevent over-population before the race of Elementals was slaughtered.
Her thoughts were frantic and erratic, though. 'I can't be going through another Change; it's only been a century!' She recoiled from all thoughts as another wave of pain hit her. You see, a "Change" was an elemental demon's becoming into power. They normally happens every century and a half, but when a lot of power is released or gathered within a close proximity to the demon's planet, a Change or Becoming comes early.
She cursed it to Hell. She didn't need this! She'd be week until the waxing crescent filled to the first quarter, five days at most. Celeste prayed that it'd only last three or four days. She was also glad that Sango and Kagome weren't old enough to go through their Becoming.
Luckily, there was a small amount of satisfaction that came with the knowledge of her Change: Her energy would double after her Becoming. It had been so for as long as she could remember. Her energy would rise slowly, there would be immeasurable pain, and her energy level was doubled. Another fear sprang to her mind, screaming and shouting like a child in a tantrum. 'I'll be vulnerable, to the Spirit Detectives and the enemy.' Her body spasmed again and she gasped in pain.
Celeste rose slowly taking shaky breaths. She masked her emotions, silently repeating her mantra. 'I am stone, I am stone . . .' and so it repeated. She smiled at her friends and proclaimed in a voice that contained the high quiver of pain, "Let's go back and get to sleep. I'm pooped." Everyone nodded their agreement and Shippou held back a yawn.
They trod slowly down the mountain discussing small matters as Shippou lay asleep in Kagome's arms and the twin fire-youkai followed wearily behind. When they reached the tent they all fell asleep in their beds, except Celeste. She waited silently, occasionally hissing in pain, until the breathing surrounding her was slow and even, then quietly snuck out of the tent, eyes glowing vivid amber laced with solitary strands of crimson that grew as her pain did.
When she reached the outside side of the tent, she leaned against the wooden frame and put her head against the cool canvas. Her breathing came in steady pants, and she strained to make it return to normal. At last, it did. So she wiped her sweaty brow and kept walking until she reached a small grove of trees which carried ancient strength and determination deep within their cores. She positioned herself in the center of them and sat down, drawing her legs into a full-lotus position.
Beginning her meditation, Celeste began by calming her raging thoughts and emotions. She then calmed her ragged breath and sank in tune with the nature around her. Once she was sure she felt capable, Celeste began to chant. Ancient Gallic flowed from her mouth as she began a steady chant.
Uruz, I ask for your wisdom. Eihwaz, I ask for your strength. Parz, I ask for your concealment of mystery . . . And so it went on. She finished praying to the runes and began to the elements. She finished by praying to the Gods and Goddesses, ending with the most sacred Goddesses, the Almighty Three: Nehima of the powerful elements and magic, Selene of the courageous light, and Hekate of the wise darkness. She prayed and prayed and prayed until the grotto of trees was as powerful as one part of the Divine Realms where the true immortals resided.
She knew little that she was being watched by the very ones she prayed to be protected against. As she ended her prayers and summoning, two pairs of eyes, green and red, faded into the darkness. She stood up and stretched feeling refreshed as her pain lowered into a dull ache that would return full force later. She rubbed her temples and set off back to the camp, stopping to fondly rub her finger over a yew tree's trunk as one might greet an old friend. She then decided not to go back to camp and instead watched the darkness lighten into pastel roses, purples, and azures.
In the boys tent
Hiei and Kurama told the others what they saw in full detail. By the end of the recollection, Botan and the others were in a state of shock. "No one could raise that much energy." Botan whispered. "Not even the Spirit Realm could come close to summoning the energy of the Divine Realms."
Kurama looked at her, clearly confused. "Aren't the Divine Realms just a ningen myth?"
Botan shook her head, still awed. "The Divine Realms are where the actual immortals live. They're Gods and Goddesses. To show that much power . . ." Her sentence trailed off, leaving the others to realize the significance of what she had just said. "No wonder she escaped Spirit Realm."
"But . . ." Sesshoumaru spoke in a low voice but everyone heard his words. "If she had enough energy to summon them, why did she need their added energy? Why would she even take the risk? Also, she should have noticed you two," he gestured to Hiei and Kurama, "if she were that powerful. Something doesn't fit." Everyone nodded in response to his reasoning.
Botan suddenly leapt up as though she had been struck. "I know what it is," they looked at her expectantly. "We have to get her before Koenma in the Spirit Realm. Now. I don't care how it's done." They gaped openly at her now; even Hiei seemed slightly surprised, not that he showed it. Botan had never been so frightened. Ever.
Okay, this was going to be a different chapter, but since I left y'all hanging. I'm making it longer. Just pause for a few seconds to let the last paragraph sink in. . . . . . Okay, read on.
The day after once all the farming is done.
Celeste stayed with Kagome and Sango, Shippou in tow, laughing and talking. Celeste's pains came crashing down on her all at once, more extreme since she had bound them back. She winced and apologized to Kagome and Sango. "I'm sorry but I have to go to the bathroom. I'll see you back at the tent." She waved to them as she walked towards the bathrooms.
Sango and Kagome frowned thoughtfully at each other. Celeste had been acting strangely. . . They giggled at each other's over reactions and brushed it off as too much time outdoors. It's a shame they didn't follow their intuitions.
Celeste walked coolly into the bathrooms and inside one of the stalls. She sat on one of the closed lids and dropped her shoulders, leaning back against the cool wall and sobbing quietly in pain. She leaned forward and put her head in between her legs, moaning between sobs at the agony that grabbed at her body. White hot pain seared every inch of her and her bones felt as though they were being crushed. Biting the insides of her cheeks and piercing her palms with her nails until they bled, Celeste's eyes rolled back and her entire body shuddered and shivered with pain and heat and cold, all at the same time.
At last, the wave stopped and she was left trembling and shaking. Celeste gathered her composure once more and left the stall, splashing some cold water on her face. She felt more alive, though every muscle throbbed with the memory of pain. She left through the opposite entrance, meaning to go to her "forest sanctuary" when she felt a sharp pain crack her skull. She gasped as she stumbled forward, now noticing that she was surrounding by a ring of spirit detectives.
She growled low in her throat at Hiei who landed gracefully between Sesshoumaru and Kurama now bearing their weapons. She spun around: they all had weapons! Kurama was the first to openly attack, his rose whip striking out. 'Don't you dare attack her!' Youko's voice rang in Kurama's head like a bell. They were the only truly felt words Kurama had heard from him in months; it distracted Kurama from his aim. Also unfortunately for him, Celeste remembered Youko's rose whip from when she had been a small girl under his care. She rolled underneath it as tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision to Sesshoumaru's energy whip. It crackled as it approached her and sizzled as it singed her flesh, making Celeste yelp in pain. It continued like that for minutes Yusuke, Kurama, and Sesshoumaru attacked her from afar while Kuwabara, Inuyasha, and Hiei punched, clawed, and scratched at her.
Finally she summoned her energy through the pain of her Change and of the battle she fought, "Wind!" Her howling spell knocked Inuyasha and Kuwabara to the ground clearly unconscious as Hiei made another pass at her.
She then turned to Kurama remembering his connection to plants she screamed her next word as she ducked from Hiei's attack and aimed. "Fire!" Kurama dropped to the ground, teeth clenched in pain.
Quickly, Celeste spun to face Yusuke and paused a moment. 'What's he attacking me with?' Yusuke shot his spirit gun as she dodged right, his blast caught her in the left shoulder blade. She spoke the word of power before she even realized the bone around her shoulder had shattered, "Dark!"
Hiei knocked her down this time and she looked at him as she jumped up. Despite her pain-fogged mind, she vaguely remembered him as being a fire apparition. Then she saw the eyes and changed her intention of a simple frost spell. "Ice spears!" The fragments cut him like thousands of tiny needles, leaving him nowhere to escape. She panted slightly as she did a mental count. 'Who's still standing?'
A sharp pain enveloped her legs as they were swept out from underneath her. 'Sesshoumaru,' came the grim reply of her thoughts. She sat up, trying to attack, when she felt a number of pinpricks of pain just below her shattered collarbone. She twisted in the hopes of escaping the pain, only to realize that the pain came from Sesshoumaru's claws as a great sluggishness began to flow through her veins and her vision began to go black.
She suddenly remembered the first time she had met Kurama, when he had been Youko. She also remembered Sesshoumaru and others, others she had loved. 'Life flashing before my eyes. Hmmm,' Celeste had always doubted that. 'Maybe I am going to die. I never had visions before, or it could just be the poison.'
Celeste's last thought before she passed out was, 'So this is how it feels to fall your doom, knowing of your failure.'
What do you think? Good? Bad? Long enough? Please review if you haven't already lost faith in me.