Enchanted Orbs

Chapter 11A The Gravesite Skirmish
They fell through the air after passing through the portal, only to land (none too softly) on skeletal birds. Inuyasha, Shippou, and Kagome are on one, and Sango, Miroku, and Kirara on another. The birds taxied the gang towards the huge skeleton in the distance.

Miroku and Sango were both a little unsettled because of the brief free fall and abrupt landing on flying skeletons, but Inuyasha and Kagome act as if nothing was wrong, so they hold their silence.

Kagome turns towards the bird slightly behind her. "The big skeleton ahead of us is Inutaisho's. The birds are taking us there."

(A/N: the manga doesn't give Sess and Inu's father a name, it only refers to him as "Inu no Taisho" or leader of the dogs. I'm going to use this as his name for my own comfort)

As Kagome's back is turned, bluish spears that look like large shards of the Shikon, start to fly through the air. Their aim is obviously at the intruders.

Inuyasha grabs Kagome around the waist and jumps off the bird, as a spear rips through the bird.

Kirara jumps off Sango and transforms into her battle form in midair. Sango and Miroku quickly jump onto the firecat as the blue crystals whiz past them.

Inuyasha lands on another bird with Kagome. They are close to Inutaisho, but high in the air. The ground is not visible to them because of a thick mist, but it is obvious that the ground is very far away.

The spears are still aimed at them. Inuyasha pulls the Tetsusaiga and blocks one of the spears. With a clang the spear is stopped and clatters down into the mist.

Kagome tries to erect a barrier around everyone to prevent more spears from reaching them, but she can't concentrate well enough to create multiple portable barriers. The birds' mobility prevent her from doing so.

Myouga emerges from Inuyasha's hair and hops onto his shoulder. Taking one look at the offending spears, he exclaims, "Th-This is diamond!!"

"Diamond?" Kagome asks

"The hardest jewel in the world, these spears are made out of diamond!" Myouga reaffirms.

"I don't like this, they are coming from dad's grave." 'Dammit, what's going on?' Inuyasha thinks.

"Inuyasha, I can sense a fragment in your father's grave."

The birds fly closer to the remains of Inutaisho.
With Sesshoumaru

Sesshoumaru and Jaken approach the cave that holds the entrance to the boundary world. Kagura is following them in the shadows. Although she is trying to remain hidden, the demon lord is well aware of her presence.

At the end of the cave is a huge gate with a chain draped across it. Two stone statues are standing beside the gates, for the most part, they are humanoid in form. Both statues have very large weapons.

Sesshoumaru looks up at the gateway, then to the stone guardians.

A ghostly voice echoes through the cavern, "Do you want to pass?"

Sesshoumaru doesn't answer as his eyes study the stone sentinels.

"Only the dead can pass this gateway." One of the guards says.

"Those who wish to pass will become dead by our hands." Spoken by the other.

Sesshoumaru smiles slightly. "Heh, interesting."

The guards move forward to strike. Sesshoumaru easily dodges, and their weapons hit only ground.

Toukijin is drawn, and it strikes the guardians. The statues fall to the ground.

Jaken is clinging to Sesshoumaru's tail, as he speaks. "Got them, just what you'd expect from Sesshoumaru-sama."

(A/N: yes I know this sounds WAY OOC, but this is straight from the manga...also: YEA! It really is a tail not a pelt...well, according to my translator, that is!!)

Jaken looks up in shock as the guards stand. "No, no way."

"Futile...we cannot be slain by a sword of this world, the world of the living." A sentinel speaks up.

A pulse of energy is released by the Tenseiga. Sesshoumaru looks down to his side. 'Tenseiga'

"Humph, so that's it." Sesshoumaru says with a slight smirk. He stabs Toukijin into the ground and draws Tenseiga. 'The Tenseiga can cut them.'

The guards see the newly drawn sword, a shocked expression appears on both. The taiyoukai can hear them audibly swallow.

The gateway begins to open. Sesshoumaru looks on with a bored expression. The guards begin to kneel to him.

"You may pass, the one who carries a sword from the next world."

The other guard continues, "That sword can cut those not of this world. Naturally we can be cut by it as well."

Sesshoumaru sheathes Tenseiga. "You won't struggle futilely... huh. How wise." With that, he turns and enters the open gateway.
Inside the Graveyard

Inuyasha and the others reach Inutaisho's remains. Many skeletal birds fly through the air surrounding Inutaisho's remains.

A voice echoes around them, "You lot...aren't dead, are you..."

The gang look to where the voice cam from; there appears to be a patch on the breastplate above them.

The bluish patch has a skull in the middle, with many long sharp pieces radiating out from it that look just like the spears that have been thrown.

The youkai speaks, "After the Shikon fragment... Grave robbers huh...?"

Kagome gets a surprised look on her face, "What?"

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demands angrily; he squints at the youkai in front of them. "What the heck's with you, sticking yourself to my dad's belly just as you please?"

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku stay silent as Inuyasha challenges the youkai with his gaze.

The crystals surrounding the skull align facing forwards, and the skull moves closer to them, emerging out of the breastplate. The group can now tell how huge the skull is. It is about one meter across.

"Your... father...? You're saying...you are the son of the leader of the dogs huh?"

A dull glowing light appears in each eye socket as if trying to see into Inuyasha's soul to demand the truth.

Myouga begins jumping up and down on Inuyasha's shoulder as he recognizes the youkai in front of them. "Housenki! You're Housenki aren't you!? It's me, Myouga."

"Housenki..." Sango whispers, shocked.

"He's the one that first created the Black Pearl for Inuyasha..." Miroku continues quietly.

"Myouga... huh. So then this is his son, Inuyasha." Housenki continues to gaze at Inuyasha.

"That's right. Master Inuyasha isn't your enemy." Myouga tries to soothe the dangerous youaki.

"It certainly is the case that I created the Black Pearl for Inuyasha at his father's request... However Inuyasha, you must have already used the Black Pearl to come to this world, so the Black Pearl's purpose is over, and it's vanished. There is no reason why you can be allowed to come to this place of the dead again...No matter who you are!!"

'The Shikon fragment...I can see it.' Kagome begins to looks at Housenki. "Why did you bring the Shikon fragment here?"

"So you do have one after all. Hand it over before you get hurt!" Inuyasha demands angrily.

"I won't hand it over. The reason I brought it to this place of the dead was because of the intent of the Shikon fragment."

Everyone gets a surprised look on their faces. 'The fragment's intent?'

"While I was still in the world of the living, around the time when I felt my life was going to run out, I got my hands on a Shikon fragment. The fragment spoke, telling me not let the Shikon no Tama be complete again. Most of the Shikon fragments were in the hands on an evil being, and were corrupted. If it became combined with the others, the one I have would be corrupted as well."

Everyone looks with bewildered expressions, as Housenki continues.

"Which is exactly why, the Shikon fragment's wish was to come with me to a place where the evil being couldn't reach, namely the youkai graveyard."

Inuyasha no longer looks angry, and everyone appears a bit more subdued.

"Master Inuyasha, it's best to give up on this." Myouga begins, and Inuyasha turns his head to face him. "Leave the fragment to Housenki."

"Huh? What are you driveling on about, Myouga?"

Housenki raises his voice as he emerges more from Inutaisho's breastplate. The shards surrounding him have grown much, much larger, to the point that it appears like he almost has arms.

"Whoever tries to come, I won't hand it over. Against you lot, I'll show no mercy." The shards move to strike Inuyasha, but he jumps to safety.

"W-wait, Housenki! We can talk this over..." Myouga pleads.

"Kagome don't move from there!" Inuyasha yells as he draws the Tetsusaiga

He blocks the approaching shards with his blade as he yells, "You bastard! Get a fucking clue as to who your friends and enemies are!"

Inuyasha lunges forward and strikes Housenki's crystal 'arms' with the Tetsusaiga. He looks shocked when there is no impression that the blade struck its target. Housenki is completely unharmed.

"That won't work, Inuyasha." Myouga calls out to the hanyou. "Housenki's arm is a cluster of hard diamond."

"Myouga, when did you get here?" Kagome asks the flea who is now occupying her shoulder.

As Inuyasha continues his useless attempts at inflicting damage upon the diamond youkai, crystal shards appear in Housenki's mouth.

The shards blast out of his mouth and fly through the air towards his assaulter.

Inuyasha is caught offguard with the attack, but manages to dodge last minute.

"How violent... No chance to reason with him" Miroku addresses Sango and Kagome next to him.

A pulse of energy attracts Kagome's attention to the Shikon fragment. "What?" She squints her eyes to get a better perception, then her eyes widen in a mixture of surprise and fear.

"Be careful Inuyasha. Housenki's Shikon fragment has gone black." She calls out to him when she can see that the fragment has become corrupted.

Inuyasha looks up in surprise.

"What's going on!?" Sango demands. Miroku begins to think out loud. "The Shikon fragment should be good or bad depending upon the owner's heart, but...based on the earlier conversation with Housenki, I don't think he brought the Shikon fragment here for his own sake. Which means..."

Kagome looks around as the graveyard becomes dark and menacing.

"I can feel corrupted Shikon fragments. With that size...It's Naraku's." Kagome says quietly.

Miroku looks over at Kagome, while Sango is looking at Housenki.

"It's the influence of Naraku's Shikon fragments, huh? Naraku can taint Housenki's fragment with his own piece of the jewel and his own evil presence." Sango offers as an explanation.

"Lady Kagome, where is Naraku!?"

Kagome looks around. "I can't tell. It's like it's everywhere...I can't tell what direction.

"Did you hear that, eh Housenki? If you keep carrying the fragment like that your soul will be eaten by the corrupted fragment. Let go of it right now." Inuyasha shouts at his opponent.

Housenki furrows his brow and glares at Inuyasha, getting even more menacing.

"Nonsense. This measly amount of corruption is not enough to make me lose myself." It is obvious that Housenki is starting to struggle with something when his voice becomes strangled "I won't... hand it... to... anyone..."

"Oh no." Kagome gasps at she realizes Housenki is losing to the corrupted jewel fragment.

Inuyasha is still facing off against Housenki. "Hey, Housenki, before your soul is entirely eaten by the Shikon fragment, I'll cut it out."

The diamond shards around Housenki are darkening. "You just try to take it."

Sango looks apprehensive as she states, "His whole body is blackening."

"The corruption from the fragment must be spreading." Mikoku answers her.

"Master Inuyasha, please hold back! Housenki is a friend of your father. He's not a bad youkai." Myouga calls from Kagome's shoulder.

"If he was an opponent I could beat by holding back, then I would." Inuyasha calls back in answer.

He jumps into the air above Housenki, lands on a nearby skeletal birds flying around Inutaisho, and swings down the Tetsusaiga.

"Kaze no Kizu!" (Cutting Wind)

The blast from Inuyasha's attack wraps around Housenki, who covers head head in defense.

Inuyasha looks down at where Housenki is from above, some crystal shards can just be seen, but the area is covered with dust.

'Did I get him?'

There's a flash of light from where the shards are, but everything is still mostly hidden by the dust.

Housenki tries to strike Inuyasha, and rips apart the skeletal bird he was on, but Inuyasha jumps away in time. Housenki doesn't seem to be harmed at all.

Kagome looks worried. "Inuyasha."

"The Cutting Wind had no effect!?" Sango declares in shock.

Inuyasha lands on part of Housenki's arm.

Housenki tries to trap Inuyasha with his other arm, but he jumps inwards.

Inuyasha begins running along the arm towards Housenki's head.

'I've got to get near the fragment!'

A bunch of crystals appear in Housenki's mouth, ready to fire. Inuyasha blocks the volley with the help of Tetsusaiga.

Sango begins to help Inuyasha and throws her boomerang. "Hiraikotsu!"

The boomerang knocks many of the shards to side, helping Inuyasha.

'We gotta stop Housenki's attacks.' Kagome sees the dark glow of the corrupted fragment coming from near his head, inside his crystal body. She urges her bird towards the dark fragment.

'That's right, if I can purify that fragment...' Kagome draws an arrow and aims at the fragment. 'With my arrows I can probably...'

Kagome fires an arrow which is surrounded by a glowing trail.

The arrow strikes Housenki behind the neck, where the fragment is located.

Inuyasha looks up in time to see Kagomes glowing arrow strike the shard.

"I, I hit it."

Everyone watches Housenki; some small fragments of the crystal shards surrounding him start to fall down off him.

"A futile... effort..." He struggles to talk.

"Eh...!?" Kagome asks with a surprised look.

She can see that the fragment in Housenki's neck is still glowing darkly.

"It wasn't... purified!?"

"The arrow couldn't reach the fragment." Sango states a bit worried.

"That body... is like armour." Miroku continues.

"It's not only that! Housenki is a Greater Youkai who lived to a great age. The spiritual power in Kagome's arrows is losing to his energy." Myouga explains.

Kagome starts to take an arrow out from the quiver on her back.

Meanwhile, Housenki is preparing another mouth blast of shards.

Inuyasha dodges under the volley of the deadly spears. "Ugh."

Housenki raises a group of shards over his body near his head where the fragment is located.

'He's covering over... the place where Kagome's arrow struck!?' Inuyasha muses.

"Kagome, do another... Fire one of your arrows." Inuyasha shouts to her.

"Eh? But..."

"Just do it!" He exclaims impatiently

Kagome readies another arrow. "O-okay."

'Kagome's arrow... didn't reach the fragment itself, but, it's not like it had no effect.' Inuyasha plots as he dashes towards the protected jewel shard.

Kagome's arrow strikes Housenki's "roof" of shards. The diamond shards begin to sizzle; Inuyasha jumps above them.

'If I strike here!!' Inuyasha thinks as he swings the Tetsusaiga down powerfully. "Kaze no Kizu!" (Cutting Wind)

The blast strikes the roof of shards, ripping them apart.

Kagome, Sango and Miroku look on, with wind blowing around them.

"They broke!" Kagome exclaims.

"All-right!" 'Now I can get the fragment...' but before Inuyasha could make good on his claim...

"You... bunch of... fools..." Housenki strikes Inuyasha powerfully with an arm.

Inuyasha flies back in pain as blood trails down his face; he begins to fall back towards. The mist engulfs him, and he disappears from sight.

"Inuyasha!" Screeches Kagome.

"In the end, both I... and you lot...are just being manipulated... by the black jewel..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome says quietly, looking longingly into the mist below her.

"So, Inuyasha's dead, huh? I saw everything." A sinister voice states as dark energy waves appear in the sky above them.

A dark ball of swirling energy forms, and Naraku appears in the darkness.
(A/N: Don't Kill me, the cliffy won't last long. This is just the first part of Chapter eleven. The second part will be posted either this evening or tomorrow morning. Sorry, but this is getting way too long.) Til then, Syrinx.