Chapter 9: The Ritual
Trinity's body crumpled to the floor when Kagura unlocked her shackles, her legs broken and the pain intensifying, the young girl couldn't take much more. Kagome looked down at Trinity with tears still streaking down her cheeks, her youngest child was so beat up and weak, she couldn't stand this either…
Trinity propped herself up on her arms, her legs behind her motionless. Naraku smirked down at her and nodded. "Now…tell me, how does this wish thing work?" asked Naraku. Kagome knew that Trinity was just trying to keep them alive long enough for someone to rescue them but she still wished Trinity wouldn't tell Naraku.
Trinity glanced at Sachi who seemed to be very confused as to what was going on. "You…have to go threw a ritual, it involves a transmutation circle and spiritual entities…" Trinity said softly, her young five year old voice sounding weird when saying such grown up words. Naraku got a pensive look.
"So you need chalk?" he inquired having some knowledge about transmutation circles. Trinity's face fell a little and she shook her head slowly.
"You…have to use blood…" Trinity whispered her arms giving out on her a little making her lay flat on the stone floor. Naraku smirked darkly and walked to the twins who looked petrified.
"Well it is good that I have these two now isn't it? How about it boys? Want to donate to the ritual?" Naraku chuckled but his sadistic nature was put out a little by Trinity's sharp yell.
"You cant use them! They and Sachi are the spiritual entities!" Trinity yelled from the floor. "And you CAN NOT kill whatever it is you use to take the blood from, if so then the blood wont work, it is supposed to represent life…" Trinity said weakly.
Naraku looked at the girl skeptically then walked to Kagome who stared up at him defiantly. "Then I guess I'll have to use you…" Naraku lifted the dagger preparing to slice into Kagome, Kagome was determined to not show any fear. Trinity whimpered as the blade sliced into Kagome's arm, she wanted to tell Naraku to stop but she couldn't think of how Kagome could be part of the ritual. What Naraku didn't know was that the twins didn't have to be in the ritual unless you wanted to purify the jewel, she prayed that Sachi would try to purify the jewel rather than grant Naraku's wish.
Naraku came back with the blood soaked dagger and shoved it into Trinity's hand. "Make the circle!" he yelled at her. Trinity looked at the blade covered in her mother's blood and felt tears build behind her eyes. None the less, Trinity crawled on her knees, dragging her legs behind her while she began to make the circle, being careful not to smear the blood when she moved.
When the blood wasn't coming off the dagger enough Naraku would take it and slice into Kagome again and then give it to Trinity. Sachi smelled the thick coppery smell of blood and began to struggle again. "What's going on!" she shouted out.
The twins refused to look as Trinity made a transmutation circle with their mother's blood but they did answer her. "Trinity is making the transmutation circle for the ritual with Okaa-san's blood!" the twins yelled out to Sachi who gasped.
By the time the huge transmutation circle was complete Kagome's body was all sliced up on her arms legs and stomach she looked weak and her wounds continued to pour out blood.
The ominous transmutation circle covered almost the entire floor and many intricate markings in it and the lines of blood were drawn with precision and purpose. Trinity's elbows and forearms were scratched up and bleeding from all of the crawling, her robes were dirty from the muddy dirt on the stone floor and her hands covered in her mother's blood. She panted from the exertion of crawling around and the pain pounded in her head. Her black tresses were just as dirty as her clothes and she looked like she was about to pass out from the pain.
Trinity looked at her Okaa-san and her brows furrowed, she then looked to Sachi who was still confused and was becoming tired from fighting the chains, those damn enchanted chains were even impossible for hanyous to break. Trinity looked up at Naraku with her golden orbs. "Unlock Sachi and give her the jewel…" Trinity ordered. Naraku glared at Trinity and stomped over to her; he grabbed her by the back of her robes and lifted her off the ground.
Trinity gasped when Naraku pressed the blade of the dagger to her throat and held her securely against him. Naraku then threw the jewel to Kagura awkwardly. "Unlock Sachi and hand her the jewel…" Kagura nodded slowly and went to Sachi, she unlocked her chains and forced the jewel into her clawed hands. Sachi's eyes came into focus and the first thing she saw was Naraku with her sister hostage. "Any funny business and I kill her, you hear me? Now, what is the next part of the ritual?" Naraku demanded down to Trinity.
Trinity seemed to want to object to the traitorous deed but she had already known Naraku would kill them when he was done with them, regardless of his promise. Trinity's eyes strayed to Sachi's who was looking at her pleadingly, wanting to know what to do to help her. Trinity got a forced smile and winked at her sister. "Next you have to balance the forces in the jewel to open the gates into it for Sachi, once she is in the jewel she can make the wish. The jewel is a dark object that is most beautiful when surrounded by darkness, like the moon, and it manipulates great power that flows like the ocean. To open the gate to the jewel you must have the twin souls, yin and yang, combined with the spirits of these two things…that is where Hikaru and Toru come in, they are the twin souls; the moon and the ocean." Trinity finished looking to her brothers.
When Trinity had read the scrolls depicting the ritual from making a wish she found out that Sachi alone could make a wish but if the intent of the wish was to purify the jewel then you needed the twin souls born in the Chosen One's family line, luckily the twins seemed to fit this, their silver hair representing the moon and their deep blue eyes representing the ocean, the twin souls. Trinity prayed to God that Midoriko's writings on the purification of the jewel were true because it's never been purified of course so Trinity hoped that the creator the jewel would know the correct way to purify it. Now all she had to do was pretend the twins were part of the ritual even though they weren't really needed to make Naraku's wish.
Kagura unlocked the twin's on Naraku orders but when they were about to attack Kagura Naraku pressed the blade more firmly to Trinity's throat drawing a sliver of blood, the twins halted and looked up at Trinity fearfully.
Sachi stared at Trinity intensely, she seemed to know something that no one in the room did, and that wink, was she not really following Naraku's orders but trying to save them all? Sachi could smell the fear rolling off of Trinity, the stress of being so close to death was obviously hurting the young girl psychologically. Sachi never understood why priests and priestesses had to go through these sacrifices, live such miserable lives because of the soul transfer process, hasn't the price for giving demon's souls been paid by now?
Sachi looked at her mother, all beat up and barely conscious, then at her brothers who were waiting for their orders from Trinity. "Stand in the middle of the circle Sachi…" Sachi didn't move, just stared at the circle. Trinity's voice got more urgent. "Do. the. right. thing." Trinity said every word with stress in her voice, trying to get Sachi to understand. "What happens to me doesn't matter but you must get in the circle!" Trinity yelled panicky. Sachi's eyes snapped to Trinity who was nodding towards the circle subtly. Sachi still didn't understand but went to stand in the middle of the circle.
Trinity sighed in relief and wondered if Sachi understood that they had to pretend to grant Naraku's wish but really they had to purify the jewel to save to world, some times the lives of the few aren't as important as the lives of many…sacrifices have to be made. Trinity then looked at her brothers. "Crouch on opposite sides of the circle Hikaru, Toru and then feed it power like you do normally…it is time for this to end." Trinity whispered the last part so only the twin's dog ears could hear.
The twin's dog ears flipped back and they looked over at their mother, almost dead from blood loss. They slowly got on opposite sides of the circle and crouched down in unison. Sachi stared straight ahead, the jewel clutched in one hand and tears rolling down her face. She felt like she was dying on the inside, she was so scared for her family she didn't know what to do. The twins looked at each other from around Sachi's legs and nodded in understanding.
"Do the right thing…" they whispered so only their sister could hear and then in perfect synchronization they placed their hands on the edge of the circle of blood, the circle began to glow brightly but it didn't seem to have enough power. The twins brought their heads down and touched their foreheads to the lines of the circle. The light was blinding and as Sachi was disappearing slowly in the light Naraku shouted out.
"If you don't grant my wish I kill your family!" he yelled sinisterly.
Sachi found herself in an endless expanse of white, empty space. Power seemed to fill her by just being in this place…she opened her eyes and rubbed the tears from her face.
Suddenly before her four people in white cloaks appeared, their faces shadowed out of view. "The four souls…?" Sachi whispered curiously. The four cloaked figures nodded. "I-I'm…here to make a wish!" said Sachi. One of the figures stepped forward and seemed to look down at Sachi.
"Okay…what is your wish Chosen One?" asked the figure, a woman with a beautiful voice.
"I…don't know?" Sachi whispered sadly, the other three figures seemed to deteriorate out of sight and Sachi was left looking up at a woman, the figure having removed the hood, her long grayish black hair in a single braid and her bright blue eyes twinkled with childish youth, the moon shaped tattoo on the woman's cheek gave her identity away. "Are- you my great aunt Trin?" she asked.
The woman shook her head "no." "No, souls in the after life are shapeless, I can chose who I wish to turn into, I am fond of your great aunt, when she passes on I wish that she would join us here in the jewel but if you purify the jewel I could join her in heaven."
This new information hit Sachi hard. "You know my great aunt? SHE'S ALIVE! And I'M supposed to purify the jewel!" Sachi demanded in shock. The woman nodded.
"Yes I know your aunt, I speak to her on occasion giving her insight into what should be done in the outside world, I was the one who told her to kill herself against Naraku but she didn't follow what I said. She is still alive. In regards to purifying the jewel, I would think you would know about that seeing as you are doing the purifying ritual, now all you have to do is make a pure wish…" said the soul.
Sachi's mind was reeling; she would have to deal with the news that her aunt was alive later. She needed to make a wish. She wanted to save her family, more than anything. 'I could wish for Naraku to be dead…' Sachi thought.
The woman's face was emotionless as she stared down at Sachi critically. "You could wish for that evil demon to die…that would be a pure wish…" the woman said. Sachi looked up at the woman sharply; something wasn't right, the soul of this woman had just turned unbelievably dark and wicked. Suddenly the woman transformed her face, suddenly quite evil looking.
Sachi looked up at the woman in alarm. "That wouldn't be a pure wish would it? As part of the jewel you are balanced by evil and good. You don't want me to make a pure wish to purify the jewel!" Sachi accused.
The woman's soul, in the shape of her aunt, sneered. "Your very smart aren't you? Yes, that is true. The Chosen Ones are always pure in soul but the reason the jewel has yet to be purified is because it is my job as the evilest of the four souls to screw up the purifying wish, but then again sometimes Im telling the truth, your job is to come up with a pure wish and my job is to make you doubt the purity, am I telling the truth? Am I lying? Who knows? Make your wish." The woman said harshly.
Sachi frowned and looked down at the ground in thought. 'I cant wish for Naraku to die, that isn't pure, he is still human on the inside even if he sold his soul to evil demons. I cant wish for my family to be safe, forsaking the rest of the world to Naraku's wrath. Why can I only think of selfish wishes! What is wrong with me? This is just like when I was happy that Trinity was scared of death…why do priests and priestesses have to go through this sacrifice? Not like I wouldn't understand…I don't go through it…I don't have a mental disorder…but I still know this isn't right' Sachi's eyes widened as she thought of the wish. 'I have to do the right thing…' she thought.
Sachi looked up at the woman with a smile much like her mother's. "I've made up my mind. I wish that priests and priestesses didn't have to sacrifice their happiness for the souls of others but that demons are born with souls naturally. The demon-soul process must end."
The woman didn't seem perturbed by the wish but more contemplative. "But this wish doesn't really affect you…or your family, they are still going to die at Naraku's hand you know this right?" the woman questioned. Sachi nodded slowly. "Naraku could still take over the world, your family and yourself are going to die and you are okay with that as long as a bunch of snobby priests and priestesses don't have to sacrifice themselves for a bunch of evil demons…" the woman sneered.
Sachi didn't let her resolve falter. "I've made my wish, now grant it."
The woman closed her eyes. "A pure wish…granted." Light blinded Sachi and she felt the power the jewel gave her suck out of her sharply. When her eyes opened Naraku still had Trinity in his hold but Trinity's eyes were pupil less.
Naraku look confused. "I don't feel any stronger! And what is wrong with them!" demanded Naraku looking at Kagome and the twins who were also pupil less.
Sachi looked down at the stone in her palm that no longer glowed with power, it suddenly shattered and her family's pupils came back and they seemed stronger. When Trinity came out of her daze she gasped and a grin spread on her face.
"NOMOCHECK LEVI!" Trinity shouted and power burst from her suddenly throwing Naraku away from her, she was no longer scared of death and could fight. But the second Naraku was gone she fell on the floor.
While Naraku regained himself the twins attacked Kagura, stealing the key to the shackles they freed their mother. Kagome smirked and began to make an orb and just as she threw it at Naraku with a huge explosion the door to the dungeon slammed open and in ran the lo techs covered in blood, but it wasn't their own.
At the head of the lo tech gang were Inuyasha and Aunt Trin who grinned down at the five people and then sent Naraku a smug smirk. "I'm Baaaaack!" she laughed.
A/N: Wow that was an exciting chapter in my opinion! lol Hoped you all liked it! The series is drawing to an end everyone! REVIEW! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!