As they passed by the sparkling walls, Miroku read aloud to them the story held withn the ancient markings.
"Long ago, after the perfect islands of Japan were formed, Amateratsu gave birth to a son, one she loved dearly. When he reached the age of manhood, he was wounded in battle, and the Goddess, to save him, dipped her hands in pure gold and fed him water from her gilded hands. He was healed, and the casings of her hands were refordged into a chalice, and the sword that created the lands was bestowed on him, whilst the sacred chalice kept here, that none but the pure and true can touch or drink of."
"Does it say which room?" Kagome asked. "All are filled with cups and chalices!"
"There's only one room that could have the chalice," Miroku said, "The in the tomb of the first Emperor of Japan."
"Great, where's that?" Inu-yasha asked.
"We'll never find it in time," Joey said, leaning against a torch sconce on the wall. It moved suddenly, and the entire wall swung inward. In the room was a single window, where the sun shone through the mountain. And down on a couch of silver, in perfect condition, untouched by time, lay an Emperor… The Emperor. And in his hands was a golden cup, whose bowl was in the shape of two delicate cupped hands.
The company stood in awe of the sight for minutes. Inu-yasha, Miroku, Sango, and Kagome knelt to the still form in reverence. Then, Kagome stood up, and slowly, carefully put her hands on the cup and said, "Please, the life of someone we love is in danger. She will die tomorrow if we don't help her. If you deem our quest worthy, please let us have the Chalice, Amateratsu… Please." and with that… She lifted it from the Emperor's hands.
The sighs of relief they let out were echoing.
"Well, let's get out of here and get this baby to Kaede," Joey said.
"Just a minute," Inu-yasha said. He took the scabbard that hung at the Emperor's side, and removed from his belt.
"Inu-yasha! What are you doing!" Miroku exclaimed.
"That was made by a Goddess!" Sango yelled.
"It's not yours, put it back!" Yugi/Yami added.
"Oh, come on," Inu-yasha said, trying it out, "I have total respect for the Emperor and Amateratsu, but he ain't using it! And we need all the help we can get against those Nine Riders." Still, as they were leaving the tomb, a cup from the other rooms fell to the floor with a clang. They all turned their heads to the rolling cup, but then, more started to fall, and then they registered that the floor was starting to move.
"Oh great, now you did it," Mai said. "She's mad at us!"
"Why did you take that Sword?" Bakura asked as bits of rock started to fall from the ceiling and the walls started to crack.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know!" Inu-yasha snarled.
"We have to get out of here!" Kagome yelled, slipping the Chalice into her backpack.
"This way!" Miroku ordered. They raced through caverns, along the forgotten city and its now cracking and rumbling pillars. It was not long before whole boulders crashed in front of them, almost as if they were being thrown down deliberately in the old celestial being's wrath. They dodged each one until they found the series of archways they'd entered through before, and followed each one, covering their heads as the city behind them was covered and sealed away by the falling bits of the mountain.
"Look!" Miorku cried as they saw light up ahead.
"We made it!" Serenity said happily.
When they came out of the cave entrance, they looked around, and Joey said, "Better rephrase that sis." They were surrounded by snarling wolves and wolf demons! And standing in front of them all was… "Kouga!" Inu-yasha growled. "What they heck are you doing?"
"I've come to kill that witch," Kouga replied.
"What witch?" Serenity asked.
"That one right there!" Kouga replied, pointing at Kagome.
"What? I'm not a witch!" Kagome said.
"I thought you were in love with Kagome," Yugi/Yami said.
"I am, but that's not Kagome," Kouga answered. "And don't try to pretend you are, you witch. I know who you are Kikyo!"
"Okay, you've gone nuts," Kagome said, "I'm not Kikyo!"
"You're tricks won't work on me, Kikyo, I know you put a spell on Kagome's friends so you could take her place, and then you tried to kill her! The real Kagome told me so herself!"
"What are you talking about?" Inu-yasha demanded. "This IS Kagome! Can't you smell her?"
"I was warned about that too!" Kouga said. "I'm not surprised that she could fool you so easily. But I promised my Kagome that I wouldn't kill you. The only one I'm after is the witch. So look in your hearts and minds and see who she really is, and hand her over, or I'll have no choice."
"This guy gets dumber and dumber," Mai said.
"Kouga, you've obviously been tricked," Miroku said.
"He's right, Kouga. I'm me!" Kagome said.
"I've heard enough!" Kouga yelled. "Attack, my wolves!" His small army charged, and Yugi/Yami threw up his Mind Crush barrier to confuse them wolves long enough for them to make a run for the woods.
"I'm not runnin," Inu-yasha declared, turning back around, his hand on his scabbard.
"I'm not running either," Bakura said, as he turned into Li Zhou, and slapped on his duel disk. "My Shadow powers will handle this." He took out a card and said, "I summon Whiptail Crow!" From the disk erupted a light, and with that light came the humanoid shaped bird, and at it's master's command, it attacked the wolves.
Meanwhile Inu-yasha had drawn his sword, but with the first swipe, he realized, "Dang!" he yelled, looking at the sword in his hand. "I drew the wrong one. This is the one from the cave."
"Inu-yasha! Give me the witch!" Kouga cried as he came rushing at him, his own sword drawn. Inu-yasha had no time to get out Tetsusaiga, he raised the Sun Goddess's sword to block the blow, and as the two blades clashed, with a BANG, Kouga was five feet away on the ground, dazed.
"What the?" Inu-yasha said, "What just happened?" he looked at the sword in his hand again…
"What was that?" Kouga demanded, getting up on unsteady legs, "Some witch sword that Kikyo gave you?"
"For the last time, Kikyo's not involved in this!" Inu-yasha answered. "AdnI don't know what happened."
"Inu-yasha!" Miroku cried from above them, on Kirara's back, "Hurry! We need to get back to the village!"
"I ain't leavin till I skin this wolf once and for all," Inu-yasha answered.
"But Inu-yasha-!" Yugi/Yami started to protest.
"Yami," Kagome said, "Take the Chalice with you."
"Kagome what are you saying?" the Pharaoh asked as the she took the sacred relic from her back pack.
"He can't fight them alone. You guys will have to save Kaede. We're staying with Inu-yasha." When she handed him the Chalice, Kagome leaped down from Kirara, along with Sango and Miroku, all ready for battle.
"Kirara, take them home," Sango ordered the cat. With a roar, Kirara obeyed, grabbed Bakura/Li Zhou, and took to the sky.
"Now," Miroku said, unwrapping his hand, "With four of us fighting, let's see how long you can stand."
"We're gonna knock some sense into you before were done," Inu-yasha boasted.
"I promised not to hurt anybody Kagome cared about," Kouga growled, his vision finally clearing. "But if you stand in my way I won't make any guarantees."
"For the last time, I AM Kagome!" Kagome yelled at him. "Do I have to knock your block off before you get that?"
"No more lies!" Kouga growled. The wolves pounced on them as they charged in wave after wave of whipping, howling, biting and scratching. The four warriors were outnumbered. And just as Kouga had made his way through, something whizzed from the sky, and struck him in the back. He staggered, and fell to his knees as hus tribesmen halted in fear.
"Look at the sky!" one cried.
"A flight of dragons!" yelled another.
Inu-yasha and his comrades looked up, and on the back of a Blue Eyes white dragon was ayoung woman in priestess robes, her brown black hair tied back, and a patch over her right eye. In her hands her ashen bow was drawn, and aimed at the wolves' leader.
"Kouga, thou shalt leave them be." she said as the winged creature landed and let her dismount. The other dragons followed suit, and their riders also dismounted: Kaiba, Tristan, Ayumi, Duke, Shippo, Mokuba, and Souta.
"And who theh- are you?" Kouga demanded.
"Do ye not know me?" She looked at the flabbergasted Inu-yasha, who'd been struck speechless. Then to Kagome. "Do ye know me, child?"
"Kaede?" Kagome whispered, afraid and overjoyed all at once.
"Aye," she said. "I was once called 'old' and 'granny', and ye yourself oft called me witch, Kouga. But I am now reborn, until my mission is completed."
"What's going on here?" Inu-yasha suddenly shouted. "How the heck did get young? And who told Kouga that Kagome was Kikyo?"
"Naraku," said Souta/Loki.
"Souta?" Kagome gasped, reaching for her brother. "what's wrong with your voice?"
"Step back," Kaede warned her, pulling her away form the boy. "He is no longer the Souta you knew."
"I am Loki, The Lord of Chaos," the boy said. "And I will show you the truth, Kouga." he stepped up to the wolf, pointed his finger and Kouga was shocked stark still as he received a vision of what was going on in the cave.
A person in Kagome's school uniform was walking around the corridors, stabbing wolves with tentacle like appendages that shot from her body, her eyes glowing red. Until she came to a central cavern, that housed Kouga newest Jewel Shard, and many pilfered weapons.-
At the end of the vision Kouga fell on his hands, his eyes wide with disbelief, and his bdy trembling with anger and grief and self loathing.
"You see how he can manipulate?" Souta/Loki asked. Then, the boy turned to the rest who stood there, and said, "I see I must explain. Very well then…I will start at the beginning. I am the one who transformed Kaede into her youthful state. I did it because I am tired of Naraku meddling in my plans. I am tired of having to fight my rival in Chaos time and time again."
"Souta, what are you talking about?" Kagome said.
"Kagome," he said, starting to cry, but holding back, "I'm not Souta. At least not the Souta you thought I was.
"It began 50 years ago. I encountered a half breed named Inu-yasha. I was an old man, then, hooded and cloaked…"
Flashback-
"So, you're looking for a way to become a full demon?" asked the hooded old man.
"That's right? What of it?" Inu-yasha answered.
"I know of a way." the old man said. "In a village north and east of here is a Jewel. The Sacred Shikon no Tama, which can fulfill anyone's great desire."
"Anyone's desire…" Inu-yasha repeated, entranced.
Flashback end-
"So I sent Inu-yasha to the village, and to a certain lonely priestess there. I knew her heart, and she was truly alone. I meant to send her a companion, one who would lessen her loneliness, and help protect the Shikon Jewel. I delighted in myself in thinking what perfect chaos I had wrought in pairing a priestess and a half demon as lovers. The tales that would be spread would spawn magnificent legends, and all would be my doing.
"But then Onigumo made a deal with the devil. He gave up his body and soul so he could possess the Jewel and the Priestess. He interfered with my plans, and I watched helplessly as all I had worked so hard to create was destroyed. A great love shattered by mistrust and hate. And many lives ruined."
"I wandered through the history of the world, spreading chaos as I had once before. Until the day… When Kikyo was reborn as Kagome. I saw the opportunity as revenge, and took it! I waited until her mother was with child again, and I entered that body, merging with it's human soul."
"So then it was you who led Kagome to the well that day," Miroku said.
"With a little help from Boyou, yes," Souta/Loki admitted. "I arranged it all: the well, the missing cat, the loosened covering…"
"Stop it Souta! Stop it!" Kagome cried, running to her brother, gripping his shoulders. "You can't mean any of this."
"It's all true, Kagome," Souta/Loki said. "And I also orchestrated other things. Didn't you find it odd that only weeks after I developed an interest in Duel Monsters that yours and Yugi'a two worlds merged?"
"And I met Joey… But wait a minute! If you wanted me and Inu-yasha to be together again, then why did you throw Joey into the mix?" Kagome asked.
"I wanted to test your love," Souta said. "Naraku had interfered, and I wanted to make sure your love was stronger now…And it turned out to be just as frail as before. Never the less, you are soul mates, and meant to be together. I have orchestrated everything up to this point, and now it's time for me to have my revenge against him."
"Yeah, well get in line," Inu-yasha said. "We wanna get him too."
"I can help you all get your revenge, Inu-yasha," Souta/Loki said. "Chaos will triumph. But there are loose ends that must be cleaned up."
"Loose ends?" Sango asked.
"You're brother, Kohaku, for one," Souta/Loki answered. "Kaede's curse, for another. And the wandering remains of Kikyo. These tings must each be dealt with if we are to prevail."
"What about me?" Kouga asked, getting up, "Am I a loose end too?"
"No, just an unforeseen pest," Souta/Loki said. "You were never supposed to meet Kagome, or challenge Inu-yasha for her love. I had other plans for Kouga, the Wolf King."
"The Wolf King?" Kouga asked.
"Yes. Ah, the things that might have been…Return to your wolve's lair, Kouga. Save as many as you can. For though Naraku has penetrated your defenses, it is only a demon puppet. It can be easily destroyed."
Kouga nodded, and with a grunt and gesture he started to lead his army back tot heir mountains. As the wolves dissipated, Souta/Loki said, "I'm sorry, Kagome. I was wrong to deceive you and mother, and Grandpa. I've come to love you all so much, and yet once my revenge is carried out, I must leave this body."
"But… what will happen to Souta when you do?" Kagome asked weepily.
"Death comes to us all, eventually." he answered. "Even us 'gods' are not immortal."
"But… But you can't die!" Kagome cried, taking the boy in a tight hug.
"Aw sis…" he said, sounding almost like the child he had been.
"Is there no way to prolong your life?" Sango asked. "I know the pain of watching a brother die, I refuse to let Kagome know that pain!"
"I'm already growing weaker," Souta/Loki said. "I used what strength I ha reserved to give Kaede her strength and youth back. But the curse has not been lifted. She must still kill the one whom she is bound to before sundown."
"But Xung Ho is dead," Miroku said.
"He lives in a half living-half dead state, as the leader of the Riders Narkau sent."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Inu-yasha said. "We'll head back to the village and rally my army. We'll ride after Naraku just like before."
"Yugi can handle that," Kaiba said. "I rode to war with you once, Inu-yasha. And you didn't finish the job when you had the chance. I won't ride again."
"Then ye will follow me to break my curse," Kaede said to him sternly. "I will need many with ethereal powers to help me lure the demon to where he first placed this curse on me."
"You mean?" Inu-yasha asked.
"The top of the mountain," Kaede said pointing to the steaming Mt. Fuji.
"Awww great!" Inu-yasha grumbled. "Now we gotta climb it."
"Stop barking, Inu-yasha," Kaede said. You must go to the village and rally your forces. I and the Sorcerer shall climb."
"It'd be easier to take a dragon." Kaiba said.
"We are bait, Sorcerer. We are allowed to many liberties." she said, walking towards the volcano.
"Maybe riding to war isn't such a bad idea," Kaiba said as he followed the priestess.
Transition-
From the woods, under the shadow of the trees, two familiar beings were conversing when they happen to overhear what had transpired.
"It would seem your brother needs you, Sesshomaru,"
The dog demon looked to the woman with a cold, indifferent stare. "How is my brother to learn to stand on his own if I am always there to get him out of trouble? Then he will be strong enough to fight me, when I choose to destroy him."
"Sesshomaru, if you wanted Inu-yasha dead, you would have killed him a long time ago." said the woman.
"The same could be said of you. Kikyo." he pointed out.
"I am a loose end," Kikyo said to herself, pondering what she had seen.
Transition-
Naraku cried out in anger as he sensed the wolf demon's fangs on his doll. His ruse had been discovered. As he felt the puppet's life energy evaporate, he threw aside his baboon cloak.
"I have had enough games with these wretches," Naraku declared. "I will no longer hide behind puppets and facades. If I want that Half-breed dead, I will have to kill him myself!"
Authors' Note-
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