Chapter 3...finally it took me long enough but I'm now well enough to start, and a very BIG sorry for the delay, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3: Oh Tenyo Divine and the Corrupt Hagoromo

I finally came back to reality , the world was hazy...I expected to see the busy streets I remembered, not a thick forest. I could barely remember what had happened to me, then I remembered committing suicide and my wounds re-opening at the shrine. I also remembered being held by the man in the white baboon skins and struggling, ripping away his mask and seeing the person for whom he was. They say that eyes are the window to ones soul...then he must have a soul so deranged, dark and disturbed that it puts me and my morbid thoughts to shame, what he sought to do to humanity was much...much more unsettling to me.

I tried to push myself up, but winced in pain as I fell back to the ground. The centre of my hand burned, but the pain died as quickly as I realized it was there. I looked at my hand and saw the pink shard stillsinking into my hand then finally disappearing. I shook my head slightly, with the haziness gone I looked around the forest and saw a well in a clearing, a well just like the one a the local shrine.

"Where am I?" I murmured to myself.

I tried to stand again, this time with success. I looked around myself there was nothing but forests and that small clearing. I felt this urge to just start walking, not in any particular direction though, it was like something was calling me, and I had no choice but to answer.

I walked on for what seemed like minutes but with each step I took my body felt like I've been going for hours. The rips in my pants were allowing thorny branches to catch my bare skin, I was to busy following the voices in my head to notice. I laughed silently to myself as I thought about following unknown voices, and thinking I'm dead. But now I'm starting to think I'm crazy.

I smiled to myself as a branch caught my face and I felt the warn bloodseep from my cheek. I touched it lightly with my fingers, tracing along the cut to determine the length...it was only a few centimetres long...nothing to worry about. I finally came to a small clearing with a pond in the centre, and in the middle of that was a statue of a nearly naked woman. She held an elegant pose with her face down looking into the clear water, she had a sad expression and around her body she was wrapped in a thin, transparent black cloth.

I slowly approached the edge of the pond, this was were the voice led me to, I was positive. I breathed in deeply as a cool wind blew past. Somehow I felt renewed here, like a great burden was lifted. All the pain I had from the walk was dissipating, and my cuts and scratches no longer hurt, I touched the scratch on my face and found my skin smooth as if it had never been maimed.

I looked around nervously, I had this feeling like I was being watched.

I knelt down to look into the pond and I saw the statues reflection, I thought I saw her eyes move to look at me, but I couldn't be sure. I looked at the expression on her face, I was so sad and I couldn't help but wonder if this were once a real person. Her reflection looked deep into the water as if she saw into the unknown. Something then caught my eye, I reached down into the clear water and pulled out from the muddy bottom, a gold chain with a black pearl hanging from it. As I looked at it I saw something else, I saw the statue smile. I looked up from the water to see the statues face, not looking down into the water but looking down at me. I began to hear the voices again, but this time they were coming out as words..."Naraku loved."

"What's that suppose to mean?" I felt like I was talking to myself.

"The mark of the spider, Tenyo!"

"Tenyo?...Spider?...What the hell are you talking about?" I was becoming more confused each word she spoke.

"I see past, present and future, I the great Tenyo...Celestial Maiden Huragashin was trapped here by the fool Onigumo, better know as Naraku." Her stone image was looking straight at me, the look of anger, rage and hatred. I felt as if I saw raw emotion.

"You hold the mark of that demon! Ha...demon...he's just a half-breed, but I see it now with your presence, I see my salvation and your corruption." she sneered at me, I felt myself grow weak and I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Tenyo, with your death you were reborn to fulfill a destiny, your path is clear, as is mine. I know I will never return to the heavens, but with your evolution I will be free! I will be reborn and live a mortal life, and when I die I will be brought back into the cycle. No...there will never be rest for me, but as long as I have my freedom it wont matter!"

I felt myself clutching the chain, it was hair thin and looked delicate but it wouldn't break, I was frozen and could do nothing but watch and listen.

"60 years ago Onigumo stole my precious Hagoromo; the fabled feathered robe. He was such an evil man that he tainted my purity through that of the Hagoromo, turning it's white silk black with his evil. I made him pay, but my actions just turned him into the monstrosity he is today. I cursed him with blood and fire and I made him suffer the way he made me suffer! I burned his body with the flame of my rage. But in the end my sorrow, and the hate that turned my heart to stone also turned my body into stone. I am no more than a living statue, only able to watch all of time, as I'm punished for my evil." I slowly stood up as if someone else controlled my body, I put the black pearl necklace on and reached out towards the statue.

"All that's left for you, my dear Tenyo, is to pass on the sacred Hagoromo. I will let go of my anger now that I'm free, and possibly even forgive the world of it's evil. But know this, Tenyo, the power you will gain can either control or be controlled. Your future I can not see, whether it's the path of corruption or salvation is determined whom is stronger. The evil that's been feeding the Hagoromo, or the light that exists in your dark soul. In time you will learn to unlock your power, and the black pearl is the key to your future. Farewell Tenyo, may your Naraku's wickedness die and your soul be at peace."

The statue closed her eyes and look of peace over came her as I pulled away the black silk from her body. The statue crumbled before me becoming dust and blowing away in the breeze.

I began to choke as I could no longer breathe, the thin chain felt heavy against my neck. I tried to scream but all that came was silence, the world began to fade into nothing and the colours began to melt into darkness. The Hagoromo began to wrap around my body as if it were alive and I felt it's vile power immerse itself within me. I cried out silently as tears ran down my face, I felt what it was like to truly hate something, to hate ones self, to hate existence. I learned that my death wish was petty selfishness brought on by my want for attention. But this was the will of the Hagoromo. I had to fight for control, but I was weak and it was fed by 60 years of Naraku's hatred towards life, and I, according to Huragashin was marked by him. Never in my life had I felt so desolate, I felt so...empty. It no longer mattered to me if I was an empty shell, I stoped trying to scream and just stood still. The less I struggled, the less it hurt. All I wanted now was to drown in my darkness and revel in the anguish that surrounded me. One thing now plagued my mind; that I must find Naraku and end his life. I knew now who he was, he was the man in the baboon pelt, the man that looked at me with lust in his eyes. A malevolent smile came to my face as I walked from clearing, I knew what I must do.

I walked with otherworldly grace, the Hagoromo floated around my body as I went on my way. Everything felt different to me, I felt powerful, I felt the Godly energy flowing through my veins. I was intoxicated by it, I craved more and I knew I had to go through Naraku to get it. I stopped suddenly and looked at my hand, the hand that the jewel shard sunk into, I saw a small area the shape of the shard turn black and my power intensified. I smiled at first then the smile became laughter, I laughed wickedly as I walked, for the time I was unstoppable. I was a God...and I knew it.

WOOT! Chapter 3 is up and done, thank you so much for the support of everyone, especially Mr. BunnyButtons my editor(soon to have stories of his own on FictionPress under Vercengitorix) and yet again another sorry for the delay, I've had time to think on this chapter and I would love input, your likes/dislikes and generally some idea's. Please tell others to Read and review, also check out my other story- Teach me to fly! Thanks! .