Chapter Sixteen: Destruction
Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands
In one of the many gardens that Lord Sesshoumaru's castle possessed, a young human girl was running around in a field of flowers, trying to pick all of them at once. Every once in awhile, she would make a delighted sound, and pick up another brightly coloured blossom, smelling it and turning it around in her tiny little hands.
She stopped running and narrowed her eyes as she looked over a particularly large red flower at the toad-like creature standing a few feet away from her. The stout youkai's arms were crossed in front of his chest, and scowl was positioned on his face. The girl pouted slightly. "Don't you like flowers, Jaken-sama?" she queried in her sing-song voice.
He only grumped a bit, but as she started to walk towards him, he took a step back and raised his staff. "Don't be ridiculous, human! I am the loyal servant of Lord Sesshoumaru and I should be treated with respect! I…arrrgggg!"
He let out a yelp as she bombarded him with all the flowers she had been holding at the moment. Looking extremely angry, he pointed his staff at her, trying to look intimidating, but it wasn't really working with all the flowers on his head and clothes. "Only because my Lord has been so foolish enough to let you around doesn't mean I will show mercy on you!" he bit out.
Rin only giggled at the ridiculous toad, as she picked up another flower and thrust it in his face. "Here, Rin thinks this one smells really good!" she stated. Despite his rude behaviour towards her, she somehow liked this youkai. He may snap at her, but he didn't really mean everything he said. And he was just so funny when he was angry like that!
Of course, the person she was really fond of was totally different from this youkai. Rin smiled as she pictured 'her Sesshoumaru-sama', seeing in her mind's eye his long silver hair, beautiful face and graceful appearance.
She had been extremely scared when they had brought her here. She was only an orphan. Her parents had died long ago, and she had been so young that it was hard for her to remember them now. Since then, the people in her village had allowed her to stay, but she had had to manage on her own, finding food for herself and taking care of everything that she needed. The only things she sometimes got were a few spare, dirty and outgrown clothes.
Then, the village was attacked by these youkai soldiers. Everything had burned down, almost everyone was killed, and only a few survived, including her, but they were captured and brought to this castle. She was terrified, but she wasn't stupid, so she figured out a plan to escape. Only, her plan went didn't go along as well as she had hoped, and she could not find her way out of the castle, so she hid up in one of the towers.
And that was when he came. He hadn't looked that friendly, but somehow, she had trusted him, and he had saved her from those 'bad men' as she used to call them. Now, he had allowed her to stay, given her a room of her own, food, and… lots of flowers to pick. It was more than she could ever ask for. Little Rin was as happy as ever, and not even an annoyed and irritating toad could change that.
But, Rin was also a bit hyper at times, and so she decided it was time for a new game. Forgetting about the flowers, she began to run away and giggled as Jaken protested. "Come on Jaken-sama, you have to try and catch Rin!" she squealed.
She kept running and running, followed by an angry Jaken, who couldn't keep up with her and already dreaded the moment he had to explain to his master that he had lost the girl…again.
Servants walking down the halls close to Sesshoumaru's study quickly scurried out of the way as a blur of red and silver stormed through the halls, knocking every one off of their feet, smashing not so cheap vases on the ground and in general creating an enormous mess and producing an extremely loud noise.
The door to Sesshoumaru's study was kicked open, and Inuyasha strode in, plopped down on one of the chairs, crossing his arms for his chest, fixing an angry expression on his face.
His ever-composed brother didn't even look up from his work, opting instead to keep signing documents in his neat handwriting. "A good day to you too, my dear brother," he spoke, eyes still lingering on the papers in front of him. "I trust you had a good morning?" No answer. "Tell me, which part of 'do not enter my study ever again for I will kill you' did you not understand? I had thought it was quite clear enough, as even Jaken seems to understand it."
"A good morning indeed," Inuyasha growled at his brother. "I get up, and the first thing I hear is that you are going to war again with that asshole that calls himself Naraku. Did you go insane or something?"
Taking his eyes from his documents for the first time, Sesshoumaru gave his brother a blank look. "Apparently, I did, for it seems like I have given you consent to take a seat. Then again, I have not become insane, for I actually did not give you such permission."
Inuyasha jumped to his feet and slammed his fist on Sesshoumaru's desk, causing a particularly large pile of papers to topple. "Keh, stop avoiding the subject Sesshoumaru! I want to know why the hell you agreed to join him! We owe him nothing, let him deal with his own business!"
The look he received from his brother had become a bit more annoyed. "The last time I checked, it was still I, Sesshoumaru, who was Lord of the Western Lands, and therefore, you should stop questioning my decisions and merely go along with them. It is not as if you have a choice."
"But -" Inuyasha began.
"Perhaps," his brother sneered. "You should remind yourself of the fact that Naraku is still our ally. Are you so mundane that you have forgotten it already?"
"I don't care if he's an ally or not, and I know you don't like him either. So what is this? Some 'act of revenge' because these elves managed to kick your holy ass!"
Inuyasha was yelling now, and for a moment, the brothers stared each other down, each one of them angry in his own way. Inuyasha with a scowl on his face, furious and growling, Sesshoumaru the ever collected person, an image of total gracefulness, but with a more deadly glare in his golden eyes.
Of course, Sesshoumaru was the one with the most self control, and he only spared his brother a slight glance before he set his pen to paper again. "No one in this world has managed to 'kick my holy ass' as you so eloquently put it. Now leave my study, but I warn you, the next time you come in like this, I will kill you for certain."
Inuyasha remained where he was, staring thoughtfully at his brother. "They did something to you, didn't they?" he failed to notice how the form of his brother stiffened just a little. "You're… different somehow, more thoughtful than you used to be. And there's that human girl who's around you every day now. Why didn't you kill her? It's what you would've done a few months ago. Remember your rule? 'Humans and elves are filth and therefore should be treated as such'? Whatever happened to that? Are you breaking your own rules now?"
A silence fell, and tension hung thick in the air, but it soon disappeared as Inuyasha found himself lifted off the ground with one of his brothers deadly clawed hands wrapped around his neck, squeezing the life out of him.
"Leave the girl out of this," Sesshoumaru hissed, baring his fangs. "You know nothing, you imbecile. We go to war with Naraku, and that is it, end of story. Now leave, if you value your life."
At that, Inuyasha was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, his brother already on his way back towards his desk, face blank once more, as if nothing had happened. However, there was a short knock on the door, and Inuyasha watched with amusement how a moment later, a very uncomfortable looking Jaken came in, squirming under his master's cold glare.
"M-my Lord… I… I m-must…"
"Jaken," the toad gulped as a pair of murderous golden eyes bore into his. "Stop stuttering and say what you have to say. You are wasting my time otherwise, and you know very well what that means."
"It's the girl my Lord," he mumbled, cowering under his Lord's gaze. "The stupid hu-… I mean, she, the girl, she… she escaped."
Golden eyes were narrowed, and the toad ducked reflexively as his master approached him, but instead of getting beaten up, his master just walked straight past him and out of the door, leaving a slightly stunned brother and a relieved toad behind.
'Yes,' Inuyasha thought, 'different indeed…'
He moved with long, elegant strides through the halls of his castle, his face as cold as ever but his golden eyes aflame. How dare his brother, that worthless being, analyse him like that? So he was different, huh? He looked a passing servant right in the eye and watched with satisfaction how the boy froze in terror. No, he had not changed, he was still as frightening as ever.
But as he thought of why he was now walking through his castle, sniffing at the air in the hope of catching the scent of a small human girl, he realised that he had broken his rules, and that maybe, he had changed after all, if only around a few people. A few people; meaning a human girl and an elven princess. With a low growl, he shook his head as he tried to remove the mental image of a smiling young elf with black hair and dark brown eyes. He didn't succeed until he suddenly caught the scent of the young human and followed it to the courtyard. So this was where she had run off to this time…
Unbeknownst to him, his eyes softened somewhat as he thought of Rin. Somehow, in the past few days, the little girl had found a way in his heart. He couldn't deny her anything, especially as she looked up at him with those big puppy eyes of hers. That he was so worried now only proved what she meant to him, even while he was still denying it.
As he strode into the courtyard, his eyes travelled over the multitude of soldiers walking around, trying to catch sight of a small girl in a vibrantly coloured kimono. He would leave that evening to join Naraku, so his army was already gathering, and he knew for sure that this was no place for little Rin to stay. Only it was nearly impossible to explain that to the energetic girl.
Following his nose, he finally found her talking to a general whom he knew hated humans with a passion. However, that same general stood now slightly smiling down at the girl, and Sesshoumaru marvelled at the girl's ability to capture everyone's heart. Still, he didn't trust it one bit, so he walked up to them and quickly pulled the girl behind him, levelling the general with a cold glare.
The youkai took a step back and bowed. "My apologies my Lord, I found her walking around and decided to bring her back, I ensure you that…"
He inclined his head slightly. "You are dismissed," he informed the other bluntly, before he turned and walked away.
They walked for a few minutes, he with his long strides, Rin pattering after him with her tiny little feet, until she suddenly came level with him and tugged at his sleeve. He stopped and looked down at her, noting how her face looked a bit troubled. "What is it Rin?" he asked, almost softly.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, why is everyone scared of you? Do they hate you?"
He blinked at the girl and raised his brow. "Of course they are scared." 'And they should be, or else something would be wrong' he added mentally. "But what makes you think they would hate me?"
"I heard them talk. They said that 'at times you were a cold hearted bastard'." Suddenly, she brightened and looked up at him with a smile. "But don't worry, Rin likes you!"
He frowned, but somewhat reluctantly patted her head, earning a squeal from the excitable child. He watched as she began to skip along again and followed her, listening to her joyful humming. So they called him 'a cold hearted bastard'? An evil smirk appeared on his beautiful face. Well, let them think that, it would not harm him. And if it got any worse, he would just dispose of them. He needed loyal soldiers, especially if he was to attack together with Naraku. He didn't look forward to it at all, but Kagura's words had haunted him every day since he had seen her… He was seriously worried about that one girl that he just couldn't forget. As long as she didn't think of him as 'a cold hearted bastard'… The others could think what the wanted for all he cared.
As long as they feared him, that is.
Elven castle, Southern Lands
"I see that you have succeeded."
Sango turned, groaning as Miroku came walking towards her with a bright, lecherous smile on his face. Instinctively, she took a step away from him as he came to stand next to her. She glanced warily at him before following his gaze into the direction of a large part of the garden with beautiful flowers and a lot of spare room, where Kagome was laughing and playing with Shippou, the past days of crying and depression seemingly forgotten.
"Perhaps," she murmured, eyeing her friend with satisfaction, as she was obviously enjoying herself for once.
The monk standing by her side, however, raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean by 'perhaps'? She looks a lot better to me…"
Sango sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Miroku. "I bet you everything that part of it is still fake. You were right in your assumption that something was going on between them. She loves him you know…" she saw his eyes widen, even though he had already expected it in a way. "But he left, and the pain that that caused won't go away so easily."
"Yes, yes, I know what you mean… He hasn't said anything to her?"
Sango frowned at him. "Not all men are as forward as you are with women, Houshi-sama. If he, as you seem to think, does feel something for her, he hasn't said anything about it. But something did happen." At Miroku's curious look, she shook her head. "No, I'm not going to tell you. I've already told you too much. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone she loves him, but I thought you should know as you realised it anyway, but further I will keep my mouth shut."
Miroku shrugged. "It's okay, really… this way, I've still got something on which I can set my imagination loose…" He smiled nervously at the glare he received from Sango, but fortunately, Kagome choose that exact moment to succumb to a laughing fit as Shippou stumbled and fell flat on his nose.
"But she does look better, that's for sure…" Sango mumbled as she watched her friend again.
"Hn," was Miroku's not so interesting reply as his hand slowly began to drift downwards.
"I really hope she stays like this."
"Hn."
"But I doubt we could do much for her."
"Hn."
"I doubt she will ever even see him again…"
"Hn."
"AND YOU ARE THE WORST PERVERT I'VE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!"
"Hn… wh-what?"
BAM!
Kagome watched how Shippou struggled to stand, still laughing at the comical scene of him tripping and falling flat on his face. Deciding it was enough torture for him, she approached him and helped him up. She was just about to say something to him, as they heard a loud noise, and turning, they saw an unconscious monk on the ground and an angry taiji stomping off into the direction of the castle. The corners of her mouth began to lift a bit, and she and Shippou looked at each other before they burst out laughing once again.
"They…they are just so funny," the boy sniggered, and Kagome nodded in agreement.
"Hai, they are. I've seen this so many times but it's still funny. Poor Miroku, he never learns…," she looked from the monk to the kitsune again and gave him a bright smile, as she noticed he was staring at her, looking slightly troubled. She raised her eyebrow a bit but continued smiling at him. "What is it, Shippou-chan?"
"It's just, I'm so happy here! But… but there's just something I wanted to ask you…" he shifted timidly, but appeared to be encouraged by her smile. "Do you like me?"
Kagome's smiled broadened and she patted him on his head. "Like you, Shippou-chan? Of course I do!"
The boy's face lit up, but he was still fidgeting as he asked his next question. "I… I just wanted to ask, if you… if you would want to be my mother?"
Kagome's eyes widened as she looked at the sweet little kitsune in front of her. His eyes were downcast, and he was still fumbling with his clothes, as if he was afraid she would say no. But Kagome knew that she had grown fond of him, and that she couldn't deny him anything. So what she said next, made him grin ecstatically and run around in joy before jumping into her arms.
"Yes … Of course."
Two days later
A valley, close to the Elven Castle
It was always the same. How many times hadn't he seen the effects war had on everything; people dying, whole castles burnt down to ashes, entire lands destroyed? How many times hadn't he participated in it himself, killing people with his own claws? And how many times hadn't he watched the same scene that was now unfolding in front of him?
He watched with his indifferent mask firmly in place as his army and those of the other Lords marched south, thousands of soldiers steadily walking in the direction of a castle full of humans and elves, who were still oblivious to the danger that was fast approaching, one that would very likely bring their end.
For this time, he could swear their armies were bigger, a lot larger than they had been all those years prior. It was as if Naraku had merely been toying with them all until this day, and that now he was really coming to business. He watched the Northern Lord, who was riding next to him, as he sat on his horse, a wicked smile on his face that had been there all day and would surely stay for quite a while.
He looked for him again as the face of a certain person came floating before his eyes. Kagome… they were steadily getting closer to her… and he didn't like it one bit. With every minute passing, he began to believe that wind sorceress more and more: that this time, Naraku would get the castle. So his worry mounted as they approached the elven stronghold.
He closed his eyes for a moment and immediately, her image came fluttering before his eyes again. Her long, black hair, brown eyes, that smooth skin… With every second that passed, more memories of her came floating towards him. Her laughing with pure joy in her eyes, her disoriented and scared look when she had a vision, her soft voice when she was singing… he could almost swear he could smell her scent… but with every second, the memories became darker, and she was no longer walking in a garden full of flowers, but walking along the corridors off a destroyed castle, screams and loud noises everywhere…
"Well, well Lord Sesshoumaru, I didn't know you could sleep even while sitting on the back of a horse…"
His eyes snapped open again to send an annoyed glare in the direction of Naraku before he replied. "This Sesshoumaru does not sleep."
"Hmmmm… then perhaps you were already going through your battle tactics?" a low chuckle was heard and he didn't need to look beside him to know that the Northern Lord had a particular nasty expression on his face. "Deciding on which points to attack, starting with the weakest parts of course, and…"
"I am not aware of any weakness that this castle possesses," Sesshoumaru interrupted him rudely. Of course he did know some, but he would be damned if he told Naraku about even the slightest crack in the walls.
However, Naraku continued as if the other lord hadn't said a thing. "Oh come Sesshoumaru, you've been there for so long now… and any warrior would have taken that opportunity to get to know a bit more."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the other. "What makes you think that I had the ability to do so? After all, if you are locked away there isn't much to explore."
"Yes, yes, I am aware of that, but you might've seen something … you never know…"
The Western Lord's glare would have killed anyone who looked at him, but the only thing he saw of Naraku was his back as the Northern Lord rode away from him, towards the head of the army. Did he know that Sesshoumaru hadn't been locked up? He was sure now, that spy was indeed Naraku's… that only left the question, how much did that bastard know of her?
Was she in more danger now?
Elven castle, Southern lands
"NO!"
Kagome shot up, her feet tangled in the blankets on her bed, her hair messy, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. Shippou looked afraid, but she just stared at the wall, her heart pounding like mad. She had had such a horrible dream… their castle in ruins, everyone running along the halls, panicked faces and screams everywhere… And even now that she was awake, she still felt weird, and still had this heavy, foreboding feeling, that left her breathless and scared.
"Okaa-san? What is it? Are you alright?" Shippou was bouncing around her, looking her all over, but she ignored him as she suddenly heard noises from outside.
The guards… shouting…
Quickly, she stood up, ran past an obviously confused Shippou, opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside, her eyes scanning the area around the castle. She heard a gasp to her side, and her jaw dropped as she forgot to breathe all together.
True, it was a familiar sight, all those soldiers approaching, the sound of their feet moving, the screams from within the castle, soldiers and guards running around, panic everywhere. Oh, it had happened so often … for years, but this time, she felt her legs become weak at the sight of such a large army, and she took a step back, leaning against the wall.
She wanted to scream 'no, not again, why does this have to happen?' but she knew that it wouldn't help, knew that the only thing that they could do now was fight and hope that they would survive. It had happened so many times, and every time it was okay, so why would worse anything happen now? They would just win again, the armies of the other Lords would disappear, and she would look after the injured soldiers. But why was she feeling so scared this time? Why did she have this strange feeling resting in her stomach?
And wait a minute… 'the armies of the other Lords'… was… was he here? Would he attack them? Abruptly, she turned and rushed into the room again, dressed quickly, grabbed Shippou's hand and ran down the stairs.
She smiled reassuringly at him as he looked up at her. "It's going to be alright Shippou, don't worry, this has happened before. Now, I want you to stay inside, and wait for me, okay? And if… if something happens, hide, do you understand me?"
As he nodded, she ran further, intending to find her mother and sister, so they could decide what to do. But as they were running along the halls, failed to notice something.
She wasn't carrying a certain pink Jewel around her neck…
He didn't have to wait long. Not long at all. It was only a matter of a few hours, before his surroundings became more familiar and he recognised the hills and forests that surrounded the elven castle. He looked indifferent, but as suddenly the castle came into view, he felt something.
For the first time in years, he felt different, almost hesitant to fight. That castle, no matter how beautiful it was, had never brought any reaction out of him other than disgust. It was filled with humans and elves, foolish creatures, either weak, or stupid enough to keep a dangerous object like the Shikon no Tama, and so they were hardly worth his time, and he would never hesitate to kill, for there was nothing but animosity inside him. But now… now, after he had spent so much time there… Oh, he still loathed humans, thought of them as weak, and felt those elves were rather stupid, but somehow, as he thought of the upcoming battle, killing didn't seem so easy today, because he knew, no matter how unimportant a dead human or elf would be to him, there was at least one person that would be upset with their death.
And again, every second that passed brought them closer to this castle, and closer to yet another fight. He noticed his brother beginning to shift uncomfortably on his horse, muttering under his breath. It appeared that he too didn't really like the concept of fighting again. He almost snorted as he observed his brother. Yes, he really did have a weak spot somewhere for humans and elves, only where he got that, the elder sibling would probably never understand.
But maybe he did understand him… He growled a bit as yet another memory came to the front of his mind, and instead he focused on the situation at hand. Finally, after marching quit a long way, they had reached the castle. Quickly, he made sure his soldiers were all standing in line and ready for battle.
He discarded his horse and turned to walk towards Naraku as he saw a lone figure of a woman with brown hair standing on the walls. For a moment his heart stopped, but it was only a matter of seconds before he began to growl. It was just her sister, that stupid woman who had dared defy him. No matter, she would eventually get her punishment.
He walked with long elegant strides to the place where he had spotted Naraku earlier. The other Lord, Kouga, had already joined the Northern Lord and was yelling at him. He winced slightly at the sound and let out a low growl. Sometimes he couldn't decide who was worse, his brother or this one.
"What do you mean, you are not going to attack! What's the purpose of coming here if you don't want to fight!" the wolf demon shouted while making angry gestures with his hands. "Shit, if I'd known this, I never would've come!"
Golden eyes narrowed at the evil demon that was listening to the Eastern Lord's rant with a smug expression on his face. He didn't want to attack? His gaze shifted to a certain wind sorceress, pinning her to the spot with his gaze, but she ignored him. What was going on here? However, before he could ask, Naraku himself decided to enlighten them a bit.
"Calm down my friend," Sesshoumaru almost shuddered at the sweet tone the Northern Lord used. "Who said I wasn't going to attack at all? We just wait a little bit longer. There's no need to rush into things, don't you say, Lord Sesshoumaru?"
Said Lord only snorted and looked arrogantly at the other. "And how long are you planning to wait? Hours, days?"
Naraku chuckled evilly. "Now, now, calm down, all of you. It won't be hours, and certainly not days. No, you won't have to wait THAT long…"
Kouga 'humpfed' and walked away, seemingly satisfied with the answer, but Sesshoumaru was not a fool. Looking at Naraku and catching the meaningful look Kagura now sent him, he knew one thing for sure.
That bastard was planning something.
On top of the castle's wall stood the lone figure of a tall and slender woman, calmly regarding the large army in front of her, her brown eyes taking in everything. Kikyou knew that it was dangerous to stand here like this, but she paid no heed to it. However calm she might have looked on the outside, inside she was slowly starting to get worried.
She knew she was neither stupid nor inexperienced, and she had confidence in herself, but she also knew that an army as vast this one had never been seen before. Her eyes travelled along the rows and rows of soldiers, and it was with some bitterness that she noted that the Western Lord was also present with his army. She recognised the huge white dogs on their attire. It worried her, because the Western Lord had been free to explore the castle as much as he wanted, and that could only mean one thing: trouble. She had no idea what weakness he may have found, but she realised that she didn't even want to think about it.
She narrowed her eyes as she suddenly caught some red and silver moving about. Down there, on the ground, in the midst of his army, stood the oh so mighty Sesshoumaru, but she looked right past him to the figure clad in red. There was a lot of distance between them, but she easily recognised Inuyasha as he sat on his horse. Somehow, she felt even more bitterness at the fact that he too would be fighting against them. The way he helped her not so long ago made her doubt the fact that he was evil, but now she'd forgotten entirely about that. It seemed like he was just another stupid youkai, another evil being, bent on destruction.
She turned and quickly walked away, down the stairs and into the courtyard. Soldiers ran past her to take their position at the walls, and the courtyard was full of women and children moving towards the castle.
"Kikyou!"
She turned around and saw her sister running up to her. Following closely were the taiji and the monk. Kagome seemed to be rather panicked. Her hair was in a mess, and it looked as if she had dressed herself rather hurriedly.
"Kikyou, what is happening out there? Are they attacking!" Kagome asked with large eyes and Kikyou's heart ached. Again, there would be an attack, and again, her sister was scared of it. It was not fair, and it was not what she wished for Kagome. Her sister hardly knew what peace was, just like she herself could barely imagine how it would be without all these fights.
"No, Kagome, they are not attacking us… at least, not yet."
Kagome seemed to be a bit relieved, but Sango narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, not yet?"
Kikyou looked at the walls that were now blocking the army from view, though the noise they were making was quite audible. "They are planning something. I can feel it."
"So you feel it too… did you also see it?"
They all turned around to look at Kagome, who had bent her head and seemed to be staring at the ground. "What do you mean, Kagome?" Miroku whispered quietly.
Kagome looked up at them, and Kikyou frowned as she saw the frightened look her sister gave them. "They are going to take it." A single tear ran down her cheek. "They are going to take the castle. Kikyou, you have to send everyone that is not needed away. You have to!"
Kikyou stiffened as she saw how panicked her sister was. Could it be true? Had she seen something again? However, before she could answer, the guards shouted something once more.
Quickly, the four of them climbed the stairs in order to stand at the walls. A guard came running towards them and bowed. Kikyou nodded at him, and he began to speak.
"Kikyou-sama, we have spotted some movement among the enemy." He pointed somewhere towards the back of the army. "We believe that they may attack soon."
Kikyou nodded at them. "Very well, make sure that…"
She fell silent, and everyone followed her gaze to find a lone figure up in the air. "Is that…?" Miroku narrowed his eyes as he looked on.
"Yes," Kikyou whispered. "That is Naraku…"
Kagome's heart began to speed up as she saw the demon up in the air. What was he doing? What was he planning? Suddenly, the air around him seemed to darken, and that foreboding feeling began to grow. She watched, along with the others, as a dark purple cloud seemed to form around him.
"What is he doing?" she heard Sango whisper next to her.
There was absolute silence as everyone looked on. Kagome clenched her fists at her side. This was not good, she could just feel it. This was dangerous. This… Her eyes suddenly widened as waves of that same purple were sent them.
"This is not good!" she yelled as she clutched her sister's arm. "Kikyou, I told you this was different!"
There was a tense pause before Sango voiced all their thoughts out loud. "But, what is it?"
Kikyou quickly erected a barrier, but it had no effect whatsoever. Kagome gulped and slowly took a step back. "Kikyou… I really think you should listen to me… send everyone away…"
"Get down to the courtyard!" Kikyou screamed. They all ran away but turned as they heard a scream. The purple cloud had reached the walls and… they just seemed to melt away. A guard was too slow and was soon surrounded by it. All they heard was his fearful shout as he was blocked from their view.
They all held their hands in front of their faces as breathing suddenly became difficult. Kagome shivered but took a step forward, ignoring the others as they cried out her name. "It's poison… miasma…" she whispered. Her hands began to glow blue and suddenly she threw them out in front of her and sent a huge wave of her power at the miasma. Kikyou joined her and together they tried to purify it.
Slowly, the purple mess began to lessen, but it did not disappear. Elves and humans were forced to flee inside the castle, and Kagome noticed her sister becoming very apprehensive. "Kikyou?" she glanced nervously at her sister. "It is too much… we won't make it!"
Kikyou gritted her teeth. "I don't know. I'm afraid they will attack after this, as we are either all dead, or inside the castle. This is not working. Go inside, gather everyone that is not able or necessary to fight and make sure they leave the castle. You are right, this might go very, very wrong."
"B-but… I have to help you!" Kagome looked with wide eyes at the miasma that was still coming towards them.
"No, Kagome! You leave the castle, together with Mother and the others. I promise you, if it gets too dangerous, I will pull back. Just go, and be safe!"
Tears swam in her eyes, but Kagome forced herself to turn and run into the castle. She had known, just after she woke up, that this would be different than other times. And as usual, she was right. How she hated it. Couldn't she be wrong at least once in her life!
Just before she entered the castle, she glanced over her shoulder once more and watched Kikyou continue to purify the miasma, as Sango and Miroku began to gather their army and prepared themselves to fight, saw every soldier looking rather frightened, standing at their positions, becoming a bit more visible through the purple mess, while they stared at the wall, the only solid thing that now stood between them and their enemies.
The question was, how much longer would they stand?
High up in the air was not only Naraku, but also another person, sitting on a large feather, observing it all. Kagura shuddered as she remembered how Lord Sesshoumaru had reacted earlier, that murderous look he wore, as Naraku suddenly rose up in the air and started to use his miasma. Oh, she knew about this attack, but the evil Northern Lord had not shown it in public before. He had his secrets, and he played with them all, at least, that was the way she had seen it.
For example, the thing she was supposed to do now. Why he hadn't used this tactic before was a mystery, even to her, who knew his ways better than others ever would. Although… now that she thought of it, they had used it before, decades ago, but the elves had been quick to see through it. It was indeed rather simple, but if unnoticed, could be deadly. And now, their chances of succeeding were higher than ever, considering the huge purple cloud of miasma that sufficiently blocked the sight of even elven eyes.
With a rueful smile, she brought up her fan. To her, she was truly cursed. Cursed to always bring misfortune upon people who she didn't even know, who she didn't hate at all. Cursed to always follow her so called 'father's' orders, and in doing so turning herself into quite the mass murderer. How many people had she slain? She didn't know anymore, but it was a large number, that she was sure of.
Getting as close as she could to that huge cloud of miasma, she could just distinguish a few dead bodies, both elf and human, who were not as fortunate the others and hadn't been able to evacuate the walls quickly enough. Of course they were, as one could say, rather 'damaged' by the poison, but to her they could still be very useful. With a flick of her wrist, dead bodies began to move again, slowly walking to the direction of the gates.
With worried eyes, she looked at the elves, still a good distance away, the elder princess still purifying the miasma while the others tried to gather themselves again in a more arranged line. The miasma began to clear a bit more, and as she let the dead bodies walk rather slowly, she prayed to every god that might exist that the elves would be able to see what was going on right under their noses.
There were just a few feet left before they reached the gate, and nothing had happened. The elves still saw nothing, nor could they get any closer because of the miasma. She noticed that their armies had begun to approach, and soon started to attack, diverting the attention of the elves to other parts of the castle than just the gates. Not that they could attack there, since the miasma was still very strong at that point, and youkai too were affected by it.
Kagura's lips set in a thin line as she could do nothing but carry out the order that a certain bastard had given her earlier on. Slowly, the dead bodies, fully under her command, moving only as she wished them to, began to open the gates. At last, as the miasma was almost gone and one could finally see what was happening, an alert guard began to raise alarm as he saw what was going on.
But Kagura realised that the gods didn't seem to like to listen to her…
Arrows began flying towards the dead soldiers, others, still alive, began to run towards them, the elders among them now perhaps remembering the same trick from long ago. But they were too late…
They altered in their steps as the gates swung open, horror on their faces. Their commander and princess carried a rather murderous look on her face, and Kagura could only hope that such a look would be once be directed once upon Naraku, and have an effect too. She watched the princess begin to order everyone to pull back and, and saw the soldiers running back to the castle. Arrows had already been sent after them by their own soldiers, and a few elves were not lucky enough to reach the castle. They died on that very courtyard, only a few feet away from the castle's doors.
Kagura clicked her fan shut and dropped her hand, the dead bodies falling to the ground again. She had done her job…
… and she would always regret it…
"Be careful, you could fall! Come on, I know you're tired but we have to hurry!"
Hundreds of people, both elves and humans, were hurrying through a tunnel, not quite running but still walking at a quick pace. Some torches were lit as the humans in this group couldn't see that well in the dark. They created rather scary shadows on the walls that only darkened the mood.
Kagome was walking somewhere in the middle. Her mother had been with her but not so long ago left to walk at the front, leading their people away from the castle. It was all women, children, and elderly people, only those who fought in their army had stayed behind.
Shippou was with her and looked up at her in awe as she kept pointing out rather dangerous spots on the ground, which one could trip over, and urging them to go on. These secret passageways had been made hundreds of years ago, when the castle was first built. Although the elves didn't compete in war that often, as they were rather peaceful people, they still thought a lot about their safety, and they weren't foolish. Someone clearly came upon the idea that maybe, in the future, they would need a way to escape, and Kagome was grateful to that person.
Still, she was worried. She had hurried back into the castle, searched for her mother and together they started to gather everyone that was not needed to stay, and leaving almost everything behind, they fled through this tunnel. But it hadn't been used in a long, long time, and the ground was so uneven, and their group so large, and they must still have been very close to the castle. That was the first thing that had her in such a restless state.
The second was that her sister, friends and others were still at the castle. She had no doubt that this time, things would go wrong and she rather would have had her sister and the others with them now. But she also knew that they shouldn't give up the castle without a fight…
She again began to think about the reason why they were in danger like this, why there was a war in the first place. As usual, her hand came up to touch the pink Jewel that hung around her neck, and normally she would have totally spaced out now and be lost in her thoughts about how unfair this all was.
However, that was not the case this time around.
A small gasp left her throat as instead of feeling a chain around her neck with the pink Jewel on it, her hand met nothing but her skin. Quickly, she thrust the torch in her other hand to some servant who just passed, ignoring said servant's curious look. Frantically, she began to feel around her neck, to check her clothes, but no… nothing…
Another gasp escaped her, and she took a step back and leaned against the wall. She ignored the hard stone pressing into her back, her eyes wide as she realised what this meant.
She had somehow lost the Shikon no Tama. She hadn't noticed it. Naraku was probably going to take the castle. And the Shikon no Tama was somewhere in there. Unprotected.
She clenched her fists at her sides, her eyes darkening as her panic morphed into anger. Anger, directed solely on herself. How could she loose it? How? So many battles were fought over this Jewel, and here she was, a stupid, clumsy elf, and she lost it!
She began to look around, eyeing everyone around her. Should she raise an alarm? Should she let some of these people go back, and risk their lives to get the Jewel?
No, she wouldn't do that. This was her own fault. She had lost it, so she had to find it again. She wouldn't risk another life because of her stupidity. That decided, she smiled down at the little kitsune by her side. There was no way that she would allow him to come with her.
"Shippou, I want to know how my mother is doing, but I can't leave here. I have to help these people. Would you be so kind as to see how she's doing? Maybe you should even stay there, at the front."
The child's innocent eyes widened. "No okaa-san, I'm not leaving you!"
She smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "You're not leaving me! You'll just be walking at the front. I'll see you again when we arrive!"
The small child nodded, and began to run to the front of their group, his youkai eyes guiding him through the dark in which humans would be nothing but blind.
She stayed close to the wall, trying to remain calm, waiting for everyone to pass. The people walking by didn't notice her, and once they were gone, she wasted no time, turning around and running straight back towards the castle.
It had been quite awhile before her ears picked up the sound of feet moving and silent talking. She frowned, but then her eyes widened. Of course, her sister and the others! But that would mean… was their castle taken!
As she spotted a niche not so far from her, she quickly hid in it, and with tears in her eyes watched her sister, Sango, Miroku and others pass. She did not call out to them, and she did not follow them, no… The fact that their castle was probably taken made her only stronger in her belief that she, and ONLY she, should be the one to risk her life and get the Jewel. After all, it was she who had lost it in the first place.
She had always been quite the person to sacrifice herself.
Not long after that, she reached the end of the tunnel, and quietly, she opened the entrance, slipping into the study and closing the door behind her. Immediately, she sensed a lot of youkai around, and panicked that they would discover her, she erected a barrier around the entrance, so that their scents and other things were covered. It was the least she could do.
After that, everything seemed pretty much vague to her, like a long forgotten childhood memory, where a lot of details had disappeared.
Closing her eyes for a moment and letting her senses spread to feel the Jewel's presence, she began running through the castle, and up the stairs. She didn't see a single person. She entered her room, and there, on the ground was the Shikon no Tama. The chain was broken. Picking up the Jewel, taking a look around, and grabbing her bow and arrows, she turned and began and running down the stairs again.
Running all the way back, still seeing no one. Entering the study again… and then…stop running, jaw dropping, heartbeat quickening, starting to panic…
… there was a youkai in the room. A youkai… blocking the only way out of this castle.
Somehow, sound, smell, everything seemed to return again. The youkai appeared to be just as surprised. Wide, cerulean eyes stared back at her. And then… then it started to grin and it moved.
As if this was a sign, her mind began to scream at her 'RUN!' and run she did. Out of the room, through the corridor, into another one, only to face …
… even more youkai. All with murderous looks, evil grins, just plain … scary. With a scream, she threw her hands out in front of her and sent a huge wave of her purification power at them. She clasped a hand over her mouth as she heard them scream. Did she just…did she just… kill someone?
There was no time to think about it as others came after her, and she turned and ran the other way. It went on like this, until, finally, she came to a set of huge doors. She was surrounded by youkai, and the only way out now was…
…the courtyard… which was probably full of even more youkai anyway…
Clenching her jaw, she just threw the doors open and ran outside. The sight that met her was enough to make her faint, but she just closed her eyes for a moment and decided to be strong. Her hands had a death grip on both the Jewel and her bow. Slowly, her eyes travelled over the rows and rows of youkai, now gathered in the courtyard or still entering it through the gates that were wide open, as if the elves had invited them in there. Sounds of others going through the castle, windows breaking, orders flying around, small fires starting bombarded her ears. It was all just as she saw it. Only this, she standing here, all on her own, with the Jewel, that had not been a part of it.
Growling reverberated around her, and she spun on her feet, just to discover that she really, like in her worst nightmare, was surrounded by youkai, and youkai only. Dangerous, very dangerous youkai who wouldn't hesitate to kill her.
"S-Stay away!" It was like she was listening to a stranger; her voice sounded so incredibly weak. Her whole body began to glow blue, and at least that seemed to scare the youkai a bit off.
But that didn't meant that she would get out of there.
"Well, well, it seems as if finally, there is at least someone here to welcome us…" She stiffened as she heard a cold and evil voice. Slowly, she turned to her left, where she now felt a powerful, but extremely evil and malicious aura.
Rows upon rows of soldiers parted to reveal a rather tall and handsome youkai coming her way. Waves of pitch black hair cascaded down his back, reaching at least to his knees. A few stray bangs framed a pale, handsome face, with regal features and crimson eyes. A smug grin was on his face, and he walked with the confidence and arrogance of a leader.
He stopped just a few feet away from her and took a moment to look her all over. And somehow, she felt as if she would rather put up with thousands of youkai just to get rid of this one. No matter how beautiful he was, everything about him looked dark and sinister.
"You must be the mysterious second daughter, the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. The similarities with your sister are remarkable, I must admit." His low voice held something malicious, and she could not help but shiver. "Allow me to introduce myself. You have probably heard of me; Naraku, the Northern Lord." He gave a small bow with his head, and only one word came to her mind; 'bastard'.
Another movement caught her eyes, and as she felt a powerful aura she witnessed as another, maybe even more beautiful youkai approached. Silver hair, golden eyes, markings which always intrigued her…
Sesshoumaru.
Her throat went dry and she quickly averted her eyes. The knowledge that he was HERE, that he had ATTACKED them made her become angry again. Add the fact that your father's murderer is standing before you and you have enough reasons to freak out.
She averted her gaze and directed her attention solely towards the other dark haired youkai. It was too painful to look him in the eyes. How different the circumstances were when she last saw him…
Shaking her head, she tried to calm her raging heart and the slight shaking of her hands. Throwing her head back, she boldly glared at Naraku. There was no way she would survive this, so why not use the time to give him a piece of her mind! Where she found the courage, she didn't know, but people do strange things when facing death.
"Oh, I have heard of you…" she gritted her teeth, her body beginning to glow with a blue light again. "… you were the one that killed my father, the one who hurt so many of my friends. And I assure you, one day you will pay for that!"
He chuckled lowly, as if he were having the time of his life. "Feisty one, aren't we? Yes, the death of your father… I assure you, I regret that it had to be that way, but… that is what happens in a war…"
"Nonsense! You killed him deliberately and you even took pleasure in it!"
He shrugged his shoulders. "See it the way you want to. But on to a more important manner. You couldn't, by any chance explain to me why this castle is empty? Where did everyone go so suddenly? And I was so eager to meet them…"
Laughter was heard, but she looked arrogantly at him, very similar to the way a certain silver haired youkai would look. "You think I would tell you? You think I'm that stupid?"
"No, no, I have no doubt that you are fairly intelligent. The sudden disappearance of so many people quite proves it. However, everyone has his faults, and I believe you and your sister just showed yours today. And look at what I got." He made a wide gesture with his arms and pointed all around him. "… an entire castle! There's only one thing missing here… Am I right to guess that this will be given to me by the second daughter?"
"I don't know what you are speaking of."
"Now, why is it that I don't believe you? For decades I have been after this, and now you don't know what I mean? Now girl, I would hate to take something from such a beautiful creature like you. Delicate flowers are so easy to bend. So why don't you just give it to me? I know you have it, I can sense it, and so there is no need to lie. I promise you I will do nothing to you. Who would want to harm an unarmed and innocent girl like you?"
Her eyes narrowed at him. So she was weak, huh? Her aura flared; blue flames now literally slashing out of her. "I am not unarmed," she whispered. "I could purify you all… starting with YOU."
She heard gasps around her and saw a few youkai close to her take a step back, sensing her purification powers. To her frustration however, Naraku's expression didn't waver at all. He still looked rather confident of himself.
"Yes, you are quite powerful, I have to admit. But tell me, after you blasted half of this army away, what are you going to do with the remaining half? I can sense that you are tired…" he chuckled again at her furious expression. "…yes, my miasma and all that running around has quite drained you, hasn't it? Face it, you are outnumbered, and there's no one to save you… All you need to do to guarantee your safety is to hand over a small object which I have laid my eyes on. Why do you even want to keep it? Haven't there been enough fights over it? Isn't it a heavy burden? You can end all this. We could live in peace, together…"
His voice almost sounded friendly, offering her something that she had wanted for so long now… peace… it was the only thing she had ever wished for.
She held her hand in front of her and looked at the small pink Jewel, lying ever so innocently in the palm of her hand. But the Shikon no Tama was anything but innocent. It brought death, betrayal and misery to all who came across it.
A low and soft voice reached her ears. "That's it… just hand it over, and everything that happened will be nothing but a memory. No fights, no wars… only peace… no suffering anymore…"
Unconsciously, her hand slowly began to go forward. But suddenly, she stopped, her hand still in midair. Her eyes glazed over as a memory hit her.
Golden eyes, staring into her dark ones, boring into her very soul. A hand with dangerous talons resting gently just below her collarbone, touching a certain Jewel. A low and soft whisper, carried to her ears like a soft breeze of the wind…
"Whatever you do, don't ever let him get it…"
Focusing once more, she abruptly closed her fist and retreated her hand. She ignored the now dangerous expression on Naraku's face, instead only concentrating on the problem at hand. How could she prevent him from getting the Jewel?
She could not escape, she could not hide it with the thousands and thousands of eyes watching her….and then it hit her. She didn't know it if would work, but if it did, it would solve so many things… To her, it seemed the only solution.
She looked Naraku straight in the eyes. "Stop nagging me. I would NEVER give you the Jewel! There would be even more suffering if you got it!"
The sound of his voice had changed drastically; it was now low and deadly. "Fine with me, girl. Then I'll just have to kill you…"
A small smile appeared on her face. "Do that, if you want to. But first, I'm going to make sure that you will NEVER get the Shikon no Tama."
She stared a second longer into his eyes, pouring all her anger into that look, before she gripped the Jewel firmly and then, with all her might and a bit of help from her powers, threw the Jewel high into the air. With movements almost too quick for the eye, at least that of a human, she notched an arrow on her bow and released it. The arrow flew through the air, glowing a bright blue, before it hit the Jewel, right above their heads.
For a moment, nothing happened… then a loud cracking sound was heard and a huge amount of purple light burst forward, lighting the sky, blinding them, as a huge wave of power was felt throughout the lands.
Kagome dropped her bow and turned, a single tear leaving a shining trail down her cheek. A shiver ran through her, and the last thing she saw before everything turned black, was a set of intent golden eyes, staring at her.
It had worked.
The Shikon no Tama had been… destroyed…
And finally, after a lot of reviews and emails, I updated! Believe me, I was not lazy, in fact I was just too busy! I am so frustrated about it, I know exactly what I want to write but I just have no time to put it on paper! But, after a busy time and a lot of bad luck (see my profile), the new chapter is finally here. It is very long, but I guess that is alright after the long wait.
Also, in case you haven't notice yet, this story has been nominated on A Single Spark for
Best Alternate Universe Fanfic
Best Romance/Fluff/WAFF fanfic
Best Action/Adventure Fanfic
Best Kagome Portrayal
Best Overall Fanfic
If you want to know more about it, check my profile!
It is very late and I'm tired, so I'll just make this short. I already responded to most reviews, but I still have a feeling like I forgot the answer a few emails, so, if you didn't have any answer from me, I am very sorry! I want to thank everyone for their support, reviews and emails! You are the best!
Row: yes… homework… I hate it…
AnimeAngelz: I'm afraid I would a very lousy servant…hehe… but I did notice the 'please'!
ElvenYoukai: Well there's always a first, isn't it? Yes, about my friends dad. We are alright, but she still has a difficult time. She is very good at dealing with it, but it happens that she breaks down and cries. It's very sad, but I really hope she will be alright in the end.
Robin's Hope: Wow… that was a long review! But…big surprise… I really love long reviews:P Yes, Rin is cute isn't it? Yes she could kick his ass… and she's going to do it. Only, as you noticed, not yet in this chapter… hehehe… I needed her to be captured. Mmm… you as a reader, knowing the whole manga/anime could know it, yes, but the characters in this story can't. Well, you'll understand later…
DemonWicca: mmm… What would you say: are there just as many events in this chapter as in the last:P
Lady Lydia: Sorry but a battle usually means that at least someone is going to die… unfortunately….
White Plum: hehe… pretty good guess... hint hint… and… Miroku is a real pervert in here!
Llamachick: slow and painful death… suits him I think… yes, I agree…
Duzzie: Kagome did fight a bit in this one… only I couldn't let her win… she had to be captured… sorry…
Tsuki Yume: hehe… the story's going to be longer… as you probably guessed after reading this chapter… the Jewel is broken again… so… hehe…
Rosie: Yes, Rin and Shippou are so kawaii… I like them!
Avan: I'm glad it's not getting boring… but warn me if it happens in the future! Yes, the chapters are long… as I already predicted in the first chapter… I know myself…hehehe…this chapter is by far the worst…
Foxdemon113: Huge spoiler… (just joking)… yes, Naraku is going to die… And you are good at guessing… hint hint… and I'm really touched by all your pleas… maybe that's why this chapter is so incredibly long…
Okibi Usagi: Mmm… maybe by now you discovered I hardly ever listen to anyone… but no, I'm sorry you had to whine for so long… and thank you for the compliment!
Elle: Yes, why is it blue? Someone asked it before… and I know it should be pink, but somehow I made it blue… I'm weird… but well, I don't know yet if it has a purpose or if I was just bored with all the pink (it's not exactly my favourite colour)… sometimes I just make up something for my own…
Loki: Yes, Sess/Kag stories can be fun… if they are written correctly. I just can't stand these stories where they meet the first chapter, have sex in the second and that all in the span of one day or something grumble grumble not to offend anyone, but it is not logical… even I have the constant feeling that I'm making Sesshoumaru too soft… he is an interesting character, you have to give him that…
Fay-sheik-kikyou-chan: If that is the case, than I'm honoured that you reviewed my story…
Assassin loki: Wow… walking on hot coal? Please don't torture yourself… What else you could do to make me update… well… do all my homework? Hehe… just joking… if anything is torture, it's that… you'd be sitting there for hours…
NekoNoodles: About Kagome, I agree… Yes Sesshoumaru is interesting, isn't he?
Kagomie-san: Mmm yes I can get pretty detailed… sometimes even too much… thanks for the compliment!
Ringo: Yes I am going to finish this… and I know I'm terribly slow right now, but I warned everyone beforehand that this year I would have a hell of a lot to do for school… and there's no way I can change that, so… I'm afraid you'll have to bear with me… believe me I'm just as frustrated about it…
Devlzcut: Thanks! And I believe you will particularly like this chapter… it is incredibly long…
Jean jelly bean: Hehehe… am I scared… but here's your update!
Electricdragon: Yes, Sess/Kag can be rather fun you know… there are others out there who have even better stories than I have! For instance, Nostawen Allesiel or Chrystal Echoes… just to name a few… But I have to admit, if they meet in one chapter, fall in love in the next and Inuyasha is completely forgotten I disagree with it too… that's just not realistic… but anyway, this update came probably sooner than you expected. Mmm yes, there's going to be an Inuyasha/Kikyou pairing… I dropped a few hints already, and later on in the story I'll write more about it…
ChibiSango: Now I can tell you like it!
Kagome21: About Naraku, yes, you're right. And soon, they will discover it too. Personally, I'm not really a Kikyou-hater, but I don't really like her either…
Psycobookcollector: Thanks for the compliments!
Heiri: mmm yes I agree, I can't see Sesshoumaru as a family man either… how I can write so much? Honestly, I have no idea myself. A lot of imagination I guess… who knows. But I'm glad you like it!
Sesshoumaru 4 EVER: Yes, I know, it's a bit weird for him to be too weak…but I wanted them to capture him for once, and not Kagome or something… that is getting a bit boring, don't you think?
Cherry: I know, I know, I did hurry up! Here is the new chapter!