Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the anime Inuyasha so don't sue
A/N Fourth chapter… ORDER UP!
Naien's back was against the tree as he wistfully thought about the angel on the other side. He was thinking this moment that even her soft snoring was a gift from God. The sun was rising on the horizon and he had not slept a minute of the night. His eyes were bloodshot and they stung terribly. As soon as he decided to close his eyes for a little bit, he heard that voice again. The one that set his heart pumping and gave him life.
"Good morning sleepyhead," she said flirtatiously.
He groaned.
"Didn't sleep well?"
He looked over at her brightly smiling face and he didn't have the strength to tell her anything negative. "No I slept wonderfully," Naien said, not all too convincingly.
"You're a bad liar," she laughed.
"That I am. I didn't go to sleep, I have been sitting here… thinking."
"About?"
"…Would you be freaked out if I said you?"
"What does… 'Freaked out' mean?"
"Would it scare you?"
She smiled one of those rare life giving smiles, A smile never before seen on the face of a human being on the face of the earth. Then again, to Naien, every smile of hers was a life giving smile. She scooted up beside him and they watched the sun rise over the trees and the hills on the horizon. While they watched, her hand somehow found its way into his. He looked over at her and was surprised to see that she was staring at him. His thoughts raced, why is she looking at my like that… is there something hanging out of my nose?
She looked down and her hair fell over her eyes. A lone tear rolled down her cheek and fell into her lap.
Naien felt an uncontrollable desire to touch her face and his hand moved seemingly of its own accord. His hand pushed the hair away from her face and pulled her head up as he gazed, bewilderingly into her eyes.
Her eyes searched his and she leaned in close.
"Hey what's up," a head poked out from behind a tree. The voice startled them both out of their reverie and they looked away from each other.
Naien looked away but wouldn't let go of Sango's hand. She glanced over at him and clasped his hand, as did he. Kagome looked back in forth between the two before squealing in obvious delight at the new couple.
A crunch in the dirt signaled the coming of a new companion. Miroku stood in full garb with a touch of jealousy glinting from his eye. His eyebrow rose at the three of them sitting around suspiciously. He let out a haughty, "Hmph" before walking away. No angry words were exchanged… not even a glare in Naien's direction.
Sango's resolve strengthened then as she realized that Miroku's love was in fact more shallow than… something else shallow.
"What's his problem?" Naien ventured.
"He's jealous," Kagome giggled.
"HE IS NOT," Sango snapped at Kagome as she stood. She ripped her hand from Naien's and stomped off in the opposite direction Miroku had left from.
The ground trembled under their feet and Sango stopped and looked around. A fissure opened up between Sango's legs and she hopped to one side. It widened as they all heard blood curdling screams from below. Snakes pored from the fissure onto both sides. Naien was awestruck and dumb at the events that took face so fast around him. More inhuman screams emitted from the growing crack in the earth.
A red light shown from seemingly nowhere as disembodied skulls flew from the depths. The balled themselves at the top and as more demons joined the others they grew into the shape of a giant snake. It slammed down into the ground with a sickening thud.
Naien still stared mindlessly at the abomination. As Sango sized the jump across the enormous crack. The snake's tongue flicked in and out as its golden eyes locked onto Sango and she returned the gaze. Her legs froze to the ground and she couldn't move. She was paralyzed; even her eyes were locked onto the snake.
"It has a Shikon Jewel Shard," Kagome informed him enthusiastically.
Naien's legs were propelled into action. He ran with the speed of a jaguar, headlong, into the demon. His body burned a hole through the demon's midsection as his body ignited. Black fire licked over his body as he propelled himself across the fissure. He stood protectively in front of the frozen form of Sango.
His eyes burned in hatred at the demon that had ensnared his angel. He dove once more at the snake. His body pierced the form of the snake several times before he came to stand in his original position in front of Sango.
The snake examined its wounds, as they grew shut. Its eyes locked onto his and he looked away.
"His head! It's in his head, hit his head."
The snake's mouth opened and all around heard a sharp intake of breath. A spark flared inside as a fountain of fire gushed forth with godspeed at Naien. The fire engulfed Naien and his form became invisible inside the pillar of fire. Slowly a black flame flicked inside the pillar. It became stronger and stronger until it began pushing the red fire back.
The snake struck… the black fire disappeared inside. The snake raised his head high in triumph. Its triumph was short lived. The demon snake convulsed. Small bumps appeared in its head. Its mouth opened slightly, showing Kagome a struggle between Naien and the demon. A roar emitted from inside the demon's mouth and smoke billowed from its nostrils and its mouth. Another roar blasted out as the snakes head exploded into bits. As the head deteriorated so did the rest of the long, scaly body. Dust and debris flew in all directions.
As the dust settled a black form of a man became visible. Naien was in the center of a large circle of fire, chest heaving, clothes torn and singed. A red glow emitted from just above his head. He dropped to his knees with fatigue. Smoke rose from his skin. A blood red shard hover in front of him and he stared with unbridled fascination. A power that was unmatched emanated from the relic and Naien longed for that power.
Miroku and Inuyasha ran along, Inuyasha with his Tetsaiga drawn and ready. Miroku quietly asked Kagome what had happened and she told him that the Shikon Jewel Shard that was inside the snake demon was not, in fact, a Shikon Jewel Shard, but the shard of some other jewel. Shippo and Kilala came along, Shippo was out of breath and indignant at being left behind the previous two that had arrived.
Naien staggered to his feet. The shard rose with him. Kilala skipped over to him, through the ring of fire. She raised her head to the shard and an identical glow came from the black diamond on her forehead. The shard leveled with Naien's forehead and embedded itself there. Naien screamed in agony. His skin sizzled and turned black. A diamond appeared there.
The ring of fire dissipated and Sango collapsed. She raised her head for a moment and then her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out. Naien held his hands over his head while the pain subsided looked around dazedly until he caught sight of Sango on the ground. Both he and Miroku met there. They turned her over and Miroku lifted her. He found a grassy spot and laid her down. Kagome helped the exhausted Naien Homura over to the same spot while Kilala skipped delightfully beside him.
Inuyasha and Shippo trailed behind, still quite confused and not quite sure what has just happened.
Naien's breath came hard to him and his chest still heaved from the exertion. His brain hurt, as did everything else on his body. He felt his thoughts being sorted though, as if someone was searching through his brain. His eyes opened slowly and he looked around but only found Kilala's eyes on him. He closed his eyes again and a voice echoed from across the worlds. The voice sounded distant but something in it comforted him.
"Welcome my son," the voice faded there. But it echoed through Naien's mind long after it had come.
"You did pretty good back there," Inuyasha said, breaking Naien from his daydream, "for an amateur."
"Can't you ever just leave it at the compliment Inuyasha," Kagome fumed.
"So… what's with the red shard," Inuyasha queried.
Naien shrugged absently.
"So no one knows what this thing is…" nobody answered, "Damn."
"I think I do," Miroku drew everyone's attention to himself with that one simple statement (save Sango who is still unconscious). "I think it can wait though," he glanced up at the gathering storm clouds. The troop made their way to a small two-room hut.
Once candles were lit and Sango well tended to Miroku sat cross-legged against one wall while the others sat across from him and to his left and right. Naien gazed contentedly at him from the opposite wall, eager to hear the coming tale.
Miroku sighed and began, "Long ago, when the ancient gods still roamed the land Chaos, the father of all the gods and Shikon, mother of all gods had five sons. Unfortunately two of the five were born half mortal. Chaos hated these two and promptly banned them from the heavens and stripped them of their extraordinary powers. Chaos placed their powers on pedestals in the highest heavens. Shikon one day went into the high heavens and retrieved their powers, the powers of wind and flame and created two jewels and imbued them with those powers. Queen Shikon then sent the two jewels hurdling to the earth. The jewels found both the fire and wind god and imbedded themselves in the bodies of the two men. When King Chaos saw this he was furious. He promptly stripped her of her rank and powers. During her fall from the high heavens she created another jewel and hid it inside the highest heaven so that one day another of her sons might find it and she might one day reclaim her place as Queen.
The goddess ice saw this and she worked furiously to regain her place. She was not a daughter of either Chaos or Shikon but of one of Shikon's many maidens. The goddess sneaked into the highest heaven but was caught inside. She foresaw this and captured her essence inside another hidden jewel and threw it to the earth along with the Shikon Jewel.
Chaos sent the remaining sons to the earth to find all of the Jewels and destroy the gods on earth, whom he named demons. King Chaos lost all of his sons in the turmoil of the mortals on earth and he found another Queen in time.
On earth the three of Chaos's beloved sons roamed about the earth searching for one another and the jewels. One of those three beloved got thoughts of ruling over the mortals. The god of darkness built his fortress and the god of earth joined him. Sky fought against him as he did Fire and Wind. Fire and Wind fought against darkness and Sky. Their mother Queen Shikon was caught in this battle and ruthless darkness placed her inside her own jewel as she professed that she would not raise a finger against any of her sons. All of the sons were pitted against each other and all weaved the magic of their godhood around each other. Their powers were sucked from each of them by another of them along with the souls of each were captured inside the jewels. A man happened to be walking by, his name was Kanshisha." Lightning struck and all eyes turned outward… even Sango lifter her head and sat up slowly. The thunder rolled close behind. Miroku began again, "Kanshisha lost them one by one and eventually all were forgotten… save one… the Shikon Jewel… that was remembered as the most powerful but some obscure monks passed down the story so that one day the world would remember the tale. My father passed the legend down to me and now I, to you."
They all sat still in stunned silence. Naien was the first to break the silence. "So me… and him (he points at Inuyasha) are gods?""
"Demons," Miroku corrected.
"Semantics," Naien spat back.
"It doesn't say anywhere that I'm stronger than him?" Inuyasha chortled.
"Inuysha… Sit Boy!" Kagome sang.
"Shit," Inuyasha muttered as he went down.
The whole room busted into laughter… even Kilala rolled on the ground in obvious delight.
"Yea, real funny," he said as he walked outside, the candlelight flickered and died and the rest of them decided to go to sleep… Naien had trouble so he joined Inuyasha outside. Inuyasha sat on the ground, cross-legged with Tetsaiga across his lap. Kilala purred and the voice from before entered both their minds.
"Be at ease my sons," the voice said, "The jewels will be found by you and order will be restored where Chaos once stepped. My son, Flame Wielder, I give you this." A high-pitched whistle could be heard over the thunder and rain. Naien walked into the rain and raised his eyes upward. A star shown read in the distance and it grew bigger with each passing moment. "Call it." Naien's hand steamed under the rain and a great fire shot toward the star. The star fell into his hand and the rain dissipated around him. A sword materialized in his hand. It was long and smooth… it glowed red as if just forged and even Naien felt the heat searing into his flesh. Three shards glowed on the sword. One at the pommel, one at the hilt and one at the base of the blade. Naien felt a weight on his waist and he looked and found a belt with a sheath for the katana. He wondered at the lightness of the blade and the balance the tempered his movements with it. He slowly sheathed the sword and glanced back in Inuyasha's direction to find him staring with unashamed astonishment.
Naien moved toward Inuyasha and sat beside him. They both stared off into the dense forest that surrounded them (except for the bit that Naien charred earlier). "So… we gotta' find all the jewels now don't we?" Naien asked tentatively.
"To hell if I know," he replied gruffly.
"I think we have to find all the jewels."
"Yea, me too."
"Yea."
A/N- Ok, it took forever but I have been REALLY busy right now I am watchin FLCL so any mistakes you can find you can blame on the weird alien chick on there. I'm leavin for texas on Wednesday so I doubt any more chapters will be forethcoming for another month at least… but mybe I'll find some time down there… CYA plz review