Title: The Jomon Bow
Author: The Painted Lady
Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha. I will return the characters to Rumiko Takahashi, washed and pressed, when I am finished.
Chapter Three: Silence is Deafening
The sun was shining brightly as Kagome and Inu Yasha exited the well, causing them to squint, letting their eyes adjust from the gloom of the portal to the brightness of the outside world. The half demon breathed deeply, inhaling the familiar scents of his world., loving the fact that he didn't choke on noxious fumes. 'Its so good to be back,' he thought to himself, feeling some of the stress that he always carried when he went across time to Kagome's home leave him.
Kagome picked up her monstrous book bag, and the two headed for the village, silent but comfortable with each other. Both enjoyed the quiet of the Feudal Era, and both were loath to disrupt it.
As they entered the small town, the two looked eagerly towards Kaede's hut expectantly, as their friends didn't meet them at the well. What they saw was, however, uncharacteristic of the hamlet. Before Kaede's home was a crowd of people, and Kirara in her large demon form. The half demon and the miko glanced at each other, sharing a concerned look, then sprinted the rest of the way.
"What's going on?" Kagome asked, pushing her way through the crowd.
"I'm glad you're back," she heard a familiar voice answer. Sango stood before her, in her slayer uniform. She was having trouble navigating the crowd, but remained in front of the young woman. "We've received reports from the neighboring village that a volcano demon is active, and although he hasn't attacked yet, it's reputation is fierce. It could destroy the entire country!"
As the throng jostled Kagome, she grabbed hold of Sango's arm and they pushed their way into Kaede's hut. Inu Yasha had already made his way in, and Miroku was there, packing a few things in a small knapsack.
"Sango's told you what's going on, then?" the monk queried, seeing her frightened expression. Kagome nodded and he continued, "I've just filled Inu Yasha in on the details. The villagers are in a panic as this volcano demon could affect the entire surrounding country. I've told them to flee into the hills, but they insist that we fight this demon." Shaking his head, Miroku did seem a little relieved, "I'm glad you are back, Kagome and Inu Yasha, because without the Tetsuiga, Sango and I couldn't have handled this demon alone."
Nodding, the hanyou conceded the point, but didn't say anything. He was concerned, for he had heard of the destructive powers of volcano demons, but didn't say anything to the group. Instead, he asked, "Where's Shippou?"
"He went with Kaede to a village in the South," Sango answered, tightening a strap on her outfit, making sure it was snug. "I told him he needed to protect her so he would go. I don't know it he could've helped in the battle, but I didn't want to see him hurt."
"You did the right thing," Kagome comforted when she saw the concern in the slayer's eyes. She put a hand on Sango's shoulder and smiled, "He would've been in great danger if left with us for this fight."
"Right then," Miroku stood up and faced the group, "Shall we go then?"
All agreed and they set off, the mass of people behind them cheering as they left the hamlet.
As they arrived in the neighboring town, they first thing they noticed was the silence. It appeared that the citizens had fled, making the place seem like a ghost town. The group walked down the main street, not hearing even the bark of a stray dog. Everything had run away.
A lone mountain shot up from the ground about a half mile from the village's edge. It was a dark and forbidding sort of place, with jagged edges and it blotted out the sun, making them cold.
"This mountain is an evil place," commented Miroku as he looked up on it. "It seems to suck all the happiness out of me."
Kagome agreed, although she didn't say anything. Brining her arms up, she tried to rub some warmth into them as she stepped just a little closer to Inu Yasha. As the band of companions gazed on the peak, a huge billow of smoke erupted from the very top, and the ground began to shake.
"What's going on?" Sango cried, using Hirikoustu to balance herself.
"An earthquake!" Kagome yelled, losing all sense of propriety and flinging her arms around Inu Yasha's waist, and burying her face into his hayori.
"No, this isn't an earthquake," Miroku shouted, barely heard over the rumbling of the ground, "This is an eruption."
As he said that, the troop saw red hot splashes of lava erupt from the mountain.
"Stay here!" Inu Yasha yelled, pushing Kagome towards the monk and the tayia. "I'm gonna take care of this demon!" He paused a moment to give the young miko his fire rat hayori. "Use this if it starts getting bad down here."
Before she could protest, the half demon leapt up the mountain, using his demon reflexes to dodge the flying debris. Finding footholds on the rocky terrain of the peak, Inu Yasha was at the top in a matter of moments. What he saw there would haunt his dreams for many years to come. In the center of the crater were the lava and rocks were shooting out, was the biggest demon he had ever seen. Its skin was molten fire, its hands were tipped with what seemed like spears, and it had black wings made out of sooty smoke and ash. The demon turned to view the half demon, and Inu Yasha visibly gulped. Its eyes were the black of coal, but in their depths swam a red so fiery that is seemed this demon's soul was made entirely of flame.
"Oh Shit," he muttered, before dodging an inferno of heat, "This thing can breath fire, too." As he flipped in mid air, he unsheathed his fang and skidded to a halt on the crater's edge, not wanting to get too close. As the mountain shuddered under the demon's steps, Inu Yasha unleashed the Wind Scar, its powerful energy carving yet more marks into the peak.
Suddenly, everything went quiet. The ground stopped trembling, and the lava ceased to flow. 'A hit!' he thought gleefully. His joy was short-lived, however, when the quiet was torn apart by an ear shattering roar. The smoke cleared enough for him to see that the demon still stood, bereft of a wing, and very, very angry. It turned its massive head towards Inu Yasha and began a charge. It was fast. Very Fast. Breathing fire and bellowing the cry of an injured animal, it unleashed its fury upon the half demon.
Inu Yasha's eyes widened as he realized that he wouldn't be able to dodge. His attacker was bearing down upon him, and there wasn't any room to maneuver. Settling Tetsuiga in a defense stance, he waited for his opponent to approach him.
"Hirikoustu!" he heard, and he groaned in disbelief. The half demon saw the boomerang hit its intended target, but it soared right through and embedded itself into the side of the crater. Looking up, he saw Sango and Miroku on the back of the Fire cat, they were close enough that he could see the horrified expression on the slayer's face.
"Get out of here!" Inu Yasha screamed. He saw Miroku release the beads around his hand, fully intent to suck this demon up into his void. "No!" Inu Yasha shouted, "You'll be consumed with fire before you can get rid of it!"
"There's only one way to defeat this enemy," he thought grimly as his companions watched helplessly. The volcano demon was almost upon him, and he knew what he had to do. The Backlash Wave was the only way, even though that meant that he would probably be consumed in the flames of the beast.
Abruptly, the demon screamed in pain. Its tail writhed and its fiery black eyes closed in agony. The flames that made up its body began to blacken, its remaining wing dissolved and floated away on the wind. As it struggled against the hurt it felt, Inu Yasha's keen eyes saw the tell tale glow of a sacred arrow embedded in the demon's back.
"Damn wench," he thought, glancing around the top of the peak for the miko. He saw her standing across the crater from him, her bow held in front of her and a determined look on her face.
"Jewel Shard!" she screamed over the howls of the fire creature, "In its forehead!"
"Right," he yelled back, and leapt in for an attack. The Tetsuiga, combined with the purifying powers of the sacred arrow, were too much for the fiend to tolerate, and it became ash under the half demon's feet upon impact of the Wind Scar.
Kirara landed near Inu Yasha, allowing Sango and Miroku to dismount, and Kagome stumbled towards the hanyou, obviously exhausted. She searched through the dust, found the shard, and put it with her others.
"That demon was incredible," Sango whispered, pulling her boomerang out of the crater's wall. "I've never seen one so strong before, excluding Naraku."
Everyone else nodded silently, too tired or stressed to speak. The peace after the fight was deafening, they could still hear the demon's roars thundering in their ears.
"Oh thank you!" a voice broke the hush that had settled, and the warriors immediately turned towards it, weapons brandished. A young man was standing in a hole in the crater's wall, covered in ash and soot. "I thought that the demon would kill me for sure."
"Who are you?" Inu Yasha snarled, not lowering his sword. The young man approached them with a bright smile on his face. Not even looking at the half demon, he turned to Kagome, "I knew you would come! I've been waiting for you!"
"What do you mean?" the miko asked, her friends astonished. She looked closely at the man, trying to determine if she had ever met him before. His black hair was cut close, and his smile was warm and friendly. His pale blue eyes sparkled with a vitality, but there was something steely about them, a determination that wouldn't go unnoticed.
"You're the one! The one who can break the spell!" he continued. He thrust something into her hands. She looked down, and about fell over. Sitting in her hands was the Jomon Bow.
A/N: Wow, that was fun to write! And convenient, huh? All shall be explained in the next chapter, as in my mind, there are no coincidences. And my thanks to my Beta, GoldenFoxFyre, you rock! Also, this chapter was written with the inspiration of Evanescence, first album. If not for music, I couldn't write. Thanks for all of you who've reviewed in the past, it means a great deal to me. Well, until next week, see ya later!