Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Alden, Cora, Setsuko, and Fiamma. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.

Chapter 13

Fiamma, She-Devil from Hell

The figure halted its flight. It stood still in the velvet atmosphere, high above the village. It no longer appeared shadowy and hidden in the darkness. Its body seemed to radiate with a supernatural intensity.

As everyone beheld it, its true appearance was finally revealed. It seemed to be a woman-like demon, with long, black tresses and enormous, ebony wings. Its body was indeed only the mere size of a human, perhaps near Kagome's height. It adorned tattered black shreds of clothing, and its skin seemed to be severely burnt.

The demon opened her red eyes at last.

"I am finally free again," she said, with a loud voice that could be heard across the plains. "Free at last from the wretched confines of the depths."

Soon, villagers were stepping outside their homes to see the great demon in the sky. All the onlookers watched in complete awe.

The demon seemed to not notice anything or anyone below her. She merely gazed ahead with her blazing eyes.

"I am Fiamma, the she-devil," she thundered, seemingly addressing no one in particular. "And I have finally returned to destroy this disgusting world."

An abrupt silence ensued, as the powerful and threatening figure of Fiamma remained afloat in the sky.

"It cannot be!" Kaede cried. "Fiamma?"

"Who?" Inuyasha asked, without adverting his eyes away from the demon.

"I thought it was just a myth. Fiamma. A supposed incarnation of the devil. A terrible entity of evil."

All of the others listened to Kaede, as they continued to watch the foreboding demon in the sky.

"This can't be!" Alden cried. "This was the same demon from my dreams. Fiamma."

"Aye," Kaede said. "Ye have powers of the prophet."

"So my nightmares were actually visions."

"This is a very powerful demon indeed," Miroku interjected. "Her aura is immensely ominous."

"Feh. I'll cut her down," Inuyasha said.

Fiamma finally noticed the land below and all the faces looking up, scrutinizing her.

"Nothing can keep me from succeeding with complete obliteration," she said. "This world will be destroyed and all the souls of the universe shall be mine."

With those words, Fiamma's eyes flared and embers began to dance around her. In the distance, there was an eruption. The ground shook and fire began to spring up, burning homes and searing the earth. Channels of flame burst from the land like disastrous geysers. Chaos and destruction became imminent.

"Oh my God!" Kagome cried. "She's destroying everything!"

"We have to get away!" Miroku yelled. "This is far too dangerous!"

"Not for me," Inuyasha said.

He unsheathed Tetsusaiga and it grew to its maximum length. Its radiance caught Fiamma's eye. She looked down below at Inuyasha, while fires burned all around.

"Pathetic demon," she laughed.

Without a warning, Fiamma quickly conjured a fireball and hurled it at Inuyasha. Inuyasha did not have time to dodge it and got caught in the burning blast.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed.

"What is happening?" Cora yelled to Alden, who was running beside her.

"It's the demon from my dreams," he answered her. "We must get away quickly!"

All of the villagers began to flee. There were fires burning all across the horizon, as husbands, wives, children, and friends ran for their lives. The world seemed to be screaming with terror.

Kagome knelt beside the injured Inuyasha, who had just regained his composure.

"Damn," he mumbled.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said. "We have to get away. You cannot fight her. She's too powerful."

As Kagome was saying this, Fiamma caused another volcanic eruption. Inuyasha acted quickly and carried Kagome away in his arms before the explosion could hit them.

The village was completely ablaze now. There was not one abode that was spared. The once lush hills also seethed with flame and the wind carried clouds of dust and ash.

"It cannot be," Kaede thought to herself, while hastily riding on horseback. "Fiamma."

Sango, Alden, and Cora were all riding atop Kilala. Miroku and Shippo rode on horseback next to Kaede. Inuyasha was catching up with them with Kagome in his arms.

"Is everyone alright?" Inuyasha asked, running with the shreds of energy he had left.

"Yes," Miroku said. "We're all here. Although I don't know how many villagers survived. You could hardly distinguish what was really going on."

"That is the terrible demon from my nightmares!" Alden repeated to everyone.

"What could this mean?" Kaede said to herself. "But it is just legend."

The ground continued to shake sporadically from the large explosions and fiery eruptions. The land seemed like one huge blaze around them.

As they continued to flee, Cora's shard began to shine forth from her arm. It pulsated with strong vibrations. Cora had to hold it with her other hand.

"My shard," she said. "Look."

Sango and Alden noticed her light. It grew in intensity.

"Whoa," Alden said. "I wonder why it's shining now?"

"I don't know, but it's strong," Cora said. "Stronger than ever."

Soon, the shard radiated with the strongest radiance Cora ever felt yet. She gripped her arm tightly.

"Is something wrong?" Alden asked her.

"It's too strong," she groaned.

Both of her palms began to glow mysteriously. It had always been a single hand before when she was attempting to heal someone, but now, both hands radiated with purity.

"I feel strange," Cora said.

The three lights from Cora's body intensified and released an explosion of blinding luminance. Cora lay unconscious, slumped on Alden's shoulder.

"What just happened?" Miroku asked.

"Cora?" Alden said, shaking her. "Cora, are you alright?"

"What happened to her?" Sango wondered.

"She fainted," Alden told her. "Cora?"

"Something seems strange with the child's powers," Kaede said. "That light must have been too strong for her."

"That light was so powerful," Kagome said. "But why did her powers do that now?"

Alden suddenly felt lighter. As he turned around to check on Cora, he noticed that she was no longer there.

"What happened?" he asked. "Where did she go?"

Sango noticed her disappearance and became concerned.

"We didn't drop her, did we?"

"No," Alden said. "Look!"

Alden pointed up in the sky. The others followed the path of his finger with their eyes. There, suspended frozen in midair, was Cora. She still lay unconscious, with the three lights pulsating from within her. Their illumination continued to grow, as everyone turned around to behold the sight.

Cora lay as if on an invisible, floating table. Her lights shone a beautiful brilliance that made her look ethereal.

"What's happening?" Kagome said.

"Her powers are being unleashed at their utmost power," Kaede said. "But why?"

Cora's entire body now seemed to be completely engulfed in pure light. Shining orbs of luminance ascended into the sky like fireflies. Then, with one final blast of power, Cora illuminated a channel of light that seemed to touch the heavens. Purity erupted from her body and ascended as high as any mortal eye could see.

From a distance, Fiamma observed this light. Her red eyes widened, as her fire continued to burn the land below.

"That light."

The channel of light soon faded. The hidden shard within ceased its shining. Cora's body fell to the ground, limp and unmoving.

"Cora!" Alden cried.