Veron: ((Claps))
Luna: Now then, on with the story! Oh yes, Alien Vs. Predator is a KICKASS MOVIE!
Veron: The action was better then the plot wasn't it?
Luna: MUCH. That and the Predators rock. The Aliens are scary….
Veron: YOU JUMPED WHEN THE BUCKET FELL!
Luna: ((Eye twitch))
Disclaimer: Inuyasha-Gumi belongs to the almighty Rumiko Takahashi. But this plot line is MINE ALL MINE! Cause I slave away writing it for you! NYEH!
Chapter 6: Demolished
Kagome stared at the target as she ate some onigiri. The leaves started to fall around them, swirling in a secret dance, toying with her raven locks. Turning, she raised a brow at the immobile priestess. Her own pair of rice balls lay untouched in her lap.
" Are you not hungry Miko-Sama?"
Kikyo seemed to fall from her trance and regarded her lunch. A leaf fell upon her head, a golden mark upon the dark waves of hair that framed Kikyo's pale face.
" No." Gently, she tied the kerchief back around her meal, setting it to the ground beside her.
Kagome swallowed and smiled at the guarded woman.
" I guess I was lucky. I hit the bulls eye on the first try."
Kikyo sternly faced her, gray eyes filled with some sort of emotion that Kagome couldn't identify.
" It was not luck."
…?
" W-w-hat do you mean? I've never touched any weapon of any kind in my li-" The princess stopped abruptly, wondering if perhaps she had before she lost her memory. She gripped the grass at her sides, suddenly overcome with the gravity of her situation.
She remembered nothing. Nothing of her family. Her friends. A sense of loss fell over her heart, making her fill with sadness. Had she any loves? The princess bit her lip to keep the tears at bay, the glittering drops of water that made the world around her swirl unpredictably.
A hand was placed on her shoulder, cold and merciless.
Turning, she stared up at Kikyo, who was emotionless as ever, her line of sight directed at the target.
" Do not linger on what you no longer have."
The princess contemplated those words for the rest of the night. She sat on a stone bench, its legs solid with intricate designs of dragons entwined through out it. She was dressed in a simple white yukata, her hair loose and flowing. Not an ounce of make up adorning her features but the persistent glowing of her stomach was beginning to annoy her.
Kagome gazed down; her eyes set in an aggravated fashion as she regarded the pink glow that grew brighter by the day. Placing a hand over the glow, she marveled at the way it made her hand turn a warm red.
" Odd…"
Why was it resonating even brighter? Was something going to happen? Her heart started beating wildly in her chest. There was a sick feeling in her stomach; foreboding flooded her senses. She gagged, feeling slightly nauseous as the negative twinges intensified. As she stood, she felt herself wobble as pain began to churn in her belly.
" Something's wrong…" She gasped, light flickering in her eyes as Kagome fell to her knees. Her eyes fell closed.
A rumble made the earth quake beneath her.
And she screamed.
Kikyo let a tiny smile play at her lips as the shikigami swirled around her, dropping the glowing orbs into her clay form. Her hands were outstretched towards her demonic servants, brushing her fingertips against their cold scaled skin; The reptilian flesh that was as cold as her own.
Her gray eyes opened slowly as she felt the aura of approaching demons. They widened as she felt the pulse of the Shikon jewel through her false body. Turning in surprise, she watched as a large centipede demon towered over the slumbering province, none the wiser of their incoming peril. Cursing lightly beneath her breath, she ordered her soul stealers to try and keep the monster at bay.
The one night that she believed to be safe enough to be without weapons.
Was the night that her reincarnation would be in the most danger.
Kagome stared in horror as a giant being with millions of pointed legs began to run full speed at the castle, she could see the moon shine off of its shelled back over the stone wall that hid her from the public's eye.
I must warn Father.
Determined now, she kicked off her sandals and began to run through the cool grass to the sliding door. Screaming for the servants to awaken, begging with all her might for someone to notify her Father. Tell someone, anyone that they were being attacked.
Revealing her position was the one thing she should not have done.
Kikyo ran inside her home, commanding the remaining shikigami to ram into the warning bell. Seeing tiny flames begin to flicker in the homes, shadows playing across the earth as the men armed themselves with whatever sharp object they could grasp.
As her pale fingers touched the smooth wood of her bow, a trickle of sweat fell from her brow as she heard the demons gravelly voice echo through the night.
"SHIKON NO TAMA!"
If she had been untrained she would have dropped her weapon in surprise. But instead, she hastily shouldered her quiver and ran out into the night. Notching an arrow, she quickly let it loose, no satisfaction coming from hitting it.
Instead, shock set in as her purified arrow fell from its body and the demon was unharmed. Now alarmed, she turned to where her soul stealers were, only to find that they had all been destroyed. And her body was craving the comfort of women's souls. Her power was leaving her body as fast as her souls were dying.
" Save the princess!" Kikyo commanded coldly to one broad shouldered man. He stared at her, hesitating as he noticed the expression upon the priestess's face. " Do not hesitate. Go!" Stumbling in panic, he ran down the path, screaming at his fellow villager's to follow his lead into the palace.
It was then that Kikyo heard a scream and part of the palace collapsed before her eyes.
Kagome ducked out of the way as a green tail slammed down into a corner of the building that she called home. She scrambled onto the polished wood of the paths that surrounded the palace and opened the door, running inside.
"SHIKON NO TAMA! IT IS HERE!"
Shikon no Tama? What does he mean?
Opening another set of rice paper doors, she watched as armored soldiers ran past her. Rumbling made her scream, notifying an archer that she was present.
" Kori-Hime-Sama! You must flee! His highness dema-"
The roof that was above his head caved in upon him. In his last moments of his life, he could not let his death be in vain. He knew very well that only a few of his arrows would survive, but as long as the beloved hime was safe… As the wooden beams began to descend upon his back, he shoved his quiver and bow into her arms before surrendering to darkness.
Kagome fell backwards with the force of his thrust, her hands clutching the weapons with white knuckles as shaking began to take over the palace once more. Staring with horror at the fallen man, the cries of the villagers reached her ears. They were calling her name, begging with all their heart for her to be alive and safe.
She wanted to answer.
But that was before she heard their screams, smelled the blood, breathed in the dust that clouded the room. Stumbling onto her feet, she ran out into the garden once more, running down the hallway, praying with as much force as the villagers that she would survive. But most of all, she wanted her family to survive. Regardless of whether or not that he was her flesh and blood.
He's all I have…It was then that the hallway a few steps in front of her vanished as did the walls before her. And were replaced with wicked red eyes, that gleamed with lust.
" SHIKON NO TAMA! YOU HAVE IT!"
Kikyo was blurry eyed as she tried to move, maneuvering through the panicked women and children of the province. Her face was weary and sweat beaded on her brow, her gray eyes were frantic with movement, trying in vain to reach the palace.
It was then that she heard the demons voice. And collapsed from exhaustion.
Kagome pulled out an arrow and shoved it into the demon's left eye, causing it to screech and move back, black blood falling down like rain upon her body. The girl wrinkled her nose in disgust as the liquid splattered upon her kimono and her face. Giving her the impression of raven tears as she glared up at the centipede, her stormy eyes flashing with hatred.
" YOU HAVE IT…THE SHIKON NO TAMA!"
Notching an arrow, she pointed it at the screaming being and glared. Unknowingly causing the steel tip of the projectile to glow with a pink light.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"
With that said, she released the bowstring the arrow flying through the air with a bright glow as it seared through the green flesh of her opponent. Without a moment's hesitation, she shot at the youkai again, causing it to cry out in pain as the arrow became embedded in its flesh.
" YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME!"
The princess glared, about to shoot at him again when her face paled.
The quiver was empty.
Kikyo raised her eyes to where she heard the voice of the demon and a small smirk covered her face as two women supported her.
A bright light seared through the sky, the being screeched as black blood fell from its wounds. Another light pierced its flesh.
The village was silenced by this display, wondering where on earth the glowing streaks were coming from.
It was then that Kikyo could no longer keep her eyelids open and fell unconscious.
Kagome fell onto her back as the repercussions of the centipede's tail caused the rest of the palace to collapse in on itself. Tears sprung to her eyes as she watched the magnificent building fall unhindered to the ground.
" GIVE IT TO ME!"
Tears fell unbidden down her dirtied face as she glared up at the demon. Her heart thudded in her chest as the monster reared up running straight towards her.
She jumped to the side, gripping the arrow that was still embedded in his skin and holding on. Praying that the shaft would hold her weight for a moment longer. But what was it going to wait for? She didn't know where to go from here…
Panic flooded her veins as she noticed the pink glow of the jewel grow increasingly brighter. Her eyes darted wildly until she heard the monstrosity start to speak.
" GIVE IT TO ME! YOU CAN JOIN YOUR FATHER IN HELL!"
Kagome's heart stopped.
One shikigami had survived and was working as fast as it could to bring its mistress souls for her body to feed from. Kikyo felt the burning sensation fall away and she let out a breath. The village women had hastily brought her inside and left, too busy protecting their kin.
It was then that a bright pink flash made her eyes squint.
The centipede demon screeched as Kagome's miko energy bombarded through its flesh, forcing it to disappear into nothingness. It launched the princess into the air, making her see the wreckage from above.
Then she began to fall.
Flashes of fuzzy memories began to swirl through her tired mind. She had been in a position similar to this once. Something had fallen out of her and she had been hurt. A flash of red. Gold eyes. Silver…Her eyes snapped open.
Gold…worried gold eyes. She could see them. But that made no sense…
A warm feeling engulfed her heart. Kagome smiled as she remembered that gaze, regardless of who held them. She felt content.
It was then that she looked down and her stomach flew to her throat, forcing her to remember exactly where she was.
Kikyo used the commotion to her advantage, letting her power create more shikigami to do her bidding. Each one flew out and gathered the fallen souls of the dead soldiers. The glowing orbs falling into her form and she let out a sigh of relief.
" THE PRINCESS IS FALLING!"
Kikyo's eyes grew wide.
"SOMEONE CATCH HER!"
Her hand flicked towards the demolished palace commanding them to catch Kagome while being invisible.
" KORI-HIME-SAMAAAAA!"
Kagome felt a callused hand grasp her own. Feeling this, she let out a sigh and felt darkness encompass her vision. Before hearing a panicked female voice fill her ears before she surrendered to the comforting embrace of unconsciousness.
"KAGOME-CHAN!"
Luna: END OF 6!
Veron: FWEE!
Luna: Now then…who was it?
Veron: Gee I wonder…((Rolls eyes))
Luna: STOP TRYING TO RUIN IT!
Veron: Fiiiine. Geesh.
Luna: REVIEW!