When Night Falls
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha 'cause I'm poor.
Here it is! Chapter 2 of When Night Falls! I loves you alls who've given me such kind reviews!
Veglma: Yeah! You were right about the headache thing! Have a cookie!
Moonyme: Really? That sucks, did you ever get the other part to upload?
Silver Mirror: Cliff hangers are evil! Mwahahahahaha! You'll love this chapter then...
PurrJaede: Yeah, those pairings are disgusting, ain't they? Oh, and don't worry about Ayame being in this story, she doesn't play too big of a part.
Medlii: Ominous? Aw no, that is SO not what I was going for! Haha, just kidding.
xxxroxyxxx: Yep, you boosted my confidence all right. Thanks much!
I loves yous alls!
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...
Chapter 2: The Necklace, The Prophecy
Koga stood alone in the middle of the field, scanning its dark expanse carefully for any sign of movement. Because of this damn darkness all the animals had been fleeing south, leaving next to nothing for him and his pack to eat. After a little while he found what he was looking for. He watched carefully as the grass parted itself in the path of some sort of animal. It wasn't a smooth part, it came more in pulses. One area of grass would part, there would be a pause, and then the area in front of it would part as the space behind it closed up. Judging also by the size of the part, Koga came to the conclusion that it was probably a large rabbit. He was right. It wasn't long before his target came across a small clearing in the grass and Koga got a good look at it. Not enough for a meal, but certainly it would make a tasty snack. And he was hungry. Crouching down below the grass level, he slowly made his way towards the unsuspecting animal. As he got closer he noticed the rabbit freeze in its grazing.
Don't worry, he mentally said, there's nothing here, it was just the wind…
Never the less, as he came closer the rabbit's eyes locked with his. They simply remained like that for a long time… just staring, waiting for the other to make the first move. Then the rabbit darted.
"Shit!" swore Koga, jumping to his feet.
Tearing off through the tall grass, Koga chased the rabbit down. Closing in, he got ready to pounce on the helpless creature. At the last minute, however, the rabbit shot to the right. Koga shifted his feet, but at his accelerated speed his legs slipped out from under him. As he fell forward, he franticly tried to get a hand on the terrified animal. At the last moment he managed to just barely dig his claws into the rabbit's hindquarters. Under the impact the animal's powerful hind legs instantly gave out and Koga managed to reel it in. Holding his struggling prey in two hands, Koga brought its neck to his mouth and bit down, crushing its vertebrae, killing it instantly. Koga took a moment to savor the feel of the warm blood pooling around his teeth before hungrily tearing at the delicate flesh of the rabbit.
Back at Kaede's, Inuyasha and Co. nervously debated what they would do next.
"Dammit Kagome, I thought you said we had at least a day," spat Inuyasha, "It hasn't even been half that."
"That was based of what information I had," Kagome argued back, "I have no idea how fast this thing is growing, for all I know it could even be growing faster as time passes."
"Feh," Inuyasha sighed, "So what do we do now?"
"We can't keep running from this thing," spoke up Sango.
"Hai," Kagome nodded, "Besides, we can't leave Kaede alone not knowing what will happen."
"Perhaps," muttered Miroku, who had begun to feel the effects of another headache, "we can visit Mushin. When he's not too drunk, he's actually quite knowledgeable. He might know something about this. Perhaps he can stop this headache of mine too…"
"So it's settled, eh?" asked Inuyasha, "To Mushin's?"
Sango shook her head. "No. It would probably be best if you, Kagome, and Shippo stayed back here and protected the village. I'll escort Houshi-sama to Mushin-sama on Kirara."
"That's probably for the best…" said Kagome, "What do you say Inuyasha?"
"Whatever," he grumbled, "makes my life easier."
"Well, that settles it," Sango stood up. "Let's go Houshi-sama."
"You're leaving already?" asked Kagome.
"Every moment that passes, the aura of the world gets more evil out there," Miroku said sternly, feeling more energy coursing through him by the second. "The sooner we leave the better. And it doesn't help much that Mushin's temple is to the north."
"Right," agreed Sango. Grabbing her Hiraikotsu, she called to Kirara who ran outside and transformed into her large demon form. She and Miroku climbed onto the Neko-youkai's back and, with one last wave back to Kagome, took off.
"I hope they'll be okay," said Kagome.
"They'll be fine, they're strong," yawned Inuyasha. "For humans, that is."
A cold breeze blew by, causing Kagome to shiver.
"I really hope so…"
Mushin's temple was dark. Not quite as dark as a moonless night, but dark enough that you could walk face-first into a tree if you didn't pay too much attention. (I'm writing this from personal experience.)
Kirara landed smoothly on the grass and, as soon as Miroku and Sango had gotten off of her, transformed back into her more compact form. Sango scolded herself as a blush crept across her cheeks when she wrapped Miroku's arm around her neck and one of her own around his waist in order to escort the disoriented monk into the temple.
"Mushin-sama!" yelled Sango as she entered the main room of the temple.
An old (and apparently drunk, judging by his expression) monk stumbled into the room.
"Ah… you're that ah… Taijiya that travels with Miroku! Now what is your name again?"
"Sango."
"No, I don't think that's it… ah well. What is it you have come to see me about?"
"Well it's about Miroku here…"
"Oh, you got married," said the drunken Monk.
"Huh?" Sango blushed deeply, "No! What makes you think that!"
"Simply the way you are holding him my dear…" he was cut off as somebody hitting him over the head.
It took Sango a minute to notice she was no longer holding up Miroku, and that he was standing wearily over the old monk, fist raised.
"No listen to me you drunken bastard," he growled, "I have a headache and I need it to go away, so come to your damn senses!"
Much to Sango's surprise, Mushin began laughing (despite the large bump on his head).
Moments later, Mushin came out from a back room, carrying what appeared to be a necklace in his hands.
"Here," he mumbled, "put this on."
Miroku did so and immediately color returned to is cheeks. "It's… it's gone!" he said, with a surprised tone.
"Of course it is!" said Mushin, "You're headache was caused by an overload of spiritual power. Because you are trained as a monk, your spiritual sense is much more powerful than most people's. This darkness, whatever it is, has so much power your mind simply could not handle it. That necklace is weakening its effect on you."
"But that doesn't make sense!" spoke up Sango, "If it's so powerful, why doesn't it have that effect on you? It doesn't even have any effect on Kagome-chan, and she has all the spiritual powers of Kikyo!"
"That confuses me also…" mumbled Mushin, "Of course there's not much that doesn't… but either way, it's likely that Miroku has some strong connection to this event somehow. What that connection is, however, I do not know."
"Can you at least tell us what this event is?" asked Miroku.
"Oh, this? The end of the world as we know it," Mushin said casually.
"THE END OF THE WORLD?" Miroku and Sango exclaimed together.
"Yep."
"And… and how do you know this?"
"There is a wolf tribe legend of a beast that blocked out the sun with clouds. The Lord of the Northern Lands fought it. Here's where there are to versions of the story. The wolves will tell you that the beast was killed by the Lord. But this is because the wolves worship the Northern Lord. If you were to ask anyone else who knows the story they will tell you the Lord of the Northern lands lost the battle, but managed to seal the beast in the great northern mountains before fading to dust. However, it is written that 'when the world is covered in clouds once more, and great dragons dance across the sky, the beast of lore will awaken and bring destruction to the world'."
Sango shuddered, remembering the night at the inn.
"So you're saying that this is what's happening?" asked Miroku.
"I can think of no other explanation."
"And just what, exactly, does this have to do with me?" Miroku questioned.
"I already said that I do not know, I would suppose that is for you to find out by yourself," he answered.
The room was silent for a long time. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Sango spoke up.
"Is there anything we can do to stop this?"
"The only thing I can think of," answered Miroku, "Is to travel to the northern land and kill this thing ourselves."
"Are you insane? The Lord of the Northern Lands himself could defeat the beast, never mind you and your little friends," Mushin retorted.
Miroku stood up and turned his back to leave. "We have to try. I mean what have we got to lose?" He gestured to Sango, who stood up to follow him. They walked outside and climbed onto Kirara's back."
"A word of warning, Miroku," said Mushin as he followed them outside, "that necklace I gave you, it works by severely dropping your spiritual awareness! As long as it's on you your sixth sense will not be nearly as strong!"
From Kirara's back Miroku nodded. "Thanks."
With that Kirara took off into the sky and shot southward.
"Stupid boy doesn't know what he's getting himself into," Mushin muttered as he went inside to light some candles.
Inuyasha waited impatiently for the return of Miroku and Sango. Outside, the clouds were now as dark as in the worst storm he'd ever seen, and he knew it would only continue to get darker. Tapping his foot in the air, he leaned back against the tree he sat on sighed. Then, something made him sit up again suddenly. Fear sparkled in his golden eyes before he pushed it back into the depths of his mind.
"Kagome! Get out here!" he yelled, jumping down from his tree branch.
Kagome ran out of Kaede's hut. "Inuyasha! What is it?"
"Demons, lots of 'em." He pointed towards the forest as over the horizon rose thousands of black forms, dotting the cloudy sky.
End Chapter 2
Ooo... I am evil, ain't I?
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