"Pretty little mix breed aren't you? I can hardly wait to taste your blood!" The snake demon hissed at Izou. She dogged his strikes with ease and drew the tetsuiga from its sheath. With a smirk and a flick of her wrist the demon was dead. "Pesky little creature", her only after thought. She ran with inhuman speed through the forest of Inuyasha to the tree where he was once bound for 50 years… Two gravestones lied underneath the shade of the ancient tree, so old and decrepit the engravings on the stones could no longer be read. Izou paused and wiped her eyes that had started to well. She clasped her hands together and said a short prayer. Izou kneeled to the grave on the right. "Mother…. Forgive me", she uttered, striking the gravestone. It crumbled to dust. Lying in the gray powder there was a pure white jewel that glimmered in the sunlight. Izou picked up the jewel and slowly clasped her fingers around it. "Shikon No Tama"
Late in the hours of darkness, the night sky hid a black miasma that seeped out of this clearing. It was an odd clearing at that, for it was deep in the forest where it was too thick for any man to pass through. There was no path that lead to the clearing just a blank spot where nothing grew. The clearing was stained black to give way to what evil had once been here. Now miasma was circling this clearing, strange…. there was no wind this night. The miasma pulsed and turned a purple hue. Vile insects of a sinister nature appeared out of nowhere, seeming to come from the purple miasma. They too started circling this clearing. An eerie black light appeared to be in the eye of miasma staying perfectly still. Then a whirlwind spouted from the clear night sky. The miasma feverently circled the light, like a tornado from a nightmare. Then the light began to pulse, moving the entire forest with every beat. It pulsed slowly at first, like a heart, then more quickly and violently until it exploded in the night sky. For a split second, it looked like day, and it blinded everyone who was foolish enough to be out this late in the nearby villages.
When the light faded, a silhouette appeared. The silhouette of a man with long black hair, then the miasma dissipated, revealing a spider tattoo on this man's back
and eyes that were as black as the miasma that once circled him. He had a smile on his face that was as wicked as the demon he was. The light was gone, as was the mist and only the sound of evil laughter remained.
"Nayu, I'm here, Nayu!", Izou called for her brother. Normally he would run out to her, scolding her for leaving him there so long, but this time he did not come. She stood at the entrance of the shrine and wondered why he did not come; she was unable to enter the shrine for it did not allow for her kind to pass. The head priestess of the shrine came to the opening with a solemn look about her. "Priestess I have brought the jewel as you requested, I have it right here" Izou said in desperation shoving the Jewel at the priestess. The priestess shook her head," Demoness, your brother has no need for the jewel now". Izou froze unable to quite comprehend what the priestess was saying. Then it slowly sank into her, spreading like a burning poison…."He's…Gone…" Izou dropped to her knees unable to hold back her violent sobs, she pounded the ground with her fists. "I was too late…. I was just too late …It's all my fault…. Please…. kind priestess the Shikon no tama… can heal any ailment!" Izou cried, in between bursts of tears. "I'm sorry, not even the jewel of four souls can help him now," The priestess uttered carelessly, disgusted by her outburst. Izou's eyes turned a scarlet color, "You are lying, Nayu is not dead!" She ran to the entrance of the shrine, blue light bursted from the sacred mantras on the red threshold and stopped her like a wall of rock. "Noooo!... I must see him… I must…. He can't be… He can't be gone… He can't…."She moaned. The priestess walked back into the shrine, unhindered. Izou held herself and swung back and forth. She felt so cold, then she stilled herself. How could she ever live on without him? "Nayu," She called out to him. "Little brother….."
Zukane was a demon slayer, he had been all of his life, but never before had he encountered an aura this powerful, this evil. It made him wince; he was sensitive to demonic presence as his mother had been. "Kirara, come", he called. The small neko transformed and came to him. He loosened the Hiraikotsu from its bindings and pursued the source of the aura.
While flying with Kirara he began to notice strange insects flying about, the closer he came to the aura the more of them there were. Kirara growled at something. "What's wrong, girl?" Zukane asked, she must sense some sort of danger. They came to a dense forest and flew high above the trees scanning the ground for the demon. The aura grew stronger with each passing second. What was this incredible power? Finally, they flew over a clearing. Strange, in the middle of a forest? Zukane told Kirara to land in the clearing, she growled and would not land. "Kirara", Zukane threatened and physically pushed her to the clearing. In the middle of the clearing a man with long black hair was standing. "Who are you?" Zukane asked the man as he walked closer to him. The man smiled and said," I am Naraku, and if I am not mistaken you are the son of Miroku, is that right?". Zukane took a step back and gripped his weapon, "How do you know that?" Naraku laughed, "So you no longer bear my gift to your great grandfather, what a shame, I'll have to fix that" Naraku kept walking towards Zukane. "What are you talking about, what gift?" Zukane asked. Naraku's arms turned into scaley tentacles and jolted towards Zukane. He dodged; "Hiraikotsu" Zukane said and hurled the boomerang at Naraku. What sort of demon was this? His throw was of perfect aim, but a strong burst of wind came out of the still night and shot his Hiraikotsu into the forest. "So you've come back too, Kagura?" Naraku asked this question, to the wind it seemed. Then out of nowhere, a woman appeared on a giant white feather. She had crimson eyes and raven locks tied up in a bun and held up with a single feather. She wore green beaded earrings and a red and white kimono. "Yes, I have returned from the dead, as I see you have as well", said Kagura although she looked like she resented it. "And where is Kanna?" Naraku asked. Kagura scanned the clearing and walked to the place where Kanna was slayed. "Kanna, come", Kagura called to her elder sister. A little girl walked out from behind a tree. Her eyes were dull and emotionless and she was covered in white from head to toe. She seemed to be holding a mirror as well. Naraku smiled and directed his attention back to Zukane. Zukane took a step back, "I'm outnumbered", he thought to himself. "Kanna make him lie still" Naraku commanded. Zukane looked at the little girl, unsure of what to do, surely, this child could not cause much harm, demon or not. The little girl held her mirror up, and Zukane found that he could not look away from it. Naraku walked up to Zukane, he tried to run away but he couldn't move, he couldn't even look up from the mirror. Naraku took Zukane's hand and smirked. Zukane used every bit of strength he had to pull away, but it was of no use. Then, suddenly, Naraku stabbed through the middle of Zukane's hand with his spear-like tentacle. Zukane cried out in pain but no sound escaped his throat. Kanna put down her mirror slowly and Zukane could move again. Zukane drew a small dagger from his belt and tried to slay Naraku but a barrier appeared blocking the knife and throwing Zukane into a tree. His back cracked against the hard trunk of the ancient tree. He moaned in pain but got up immediately after impact and ran after Naraku again. Naraku gave him a look that told him he was merely toying with him and could end his life at any time he wanted to. Still, Zukane ran at him again but Naraku disappeared into a purple miasma with Kanna, and Kagura before Zukane could reach him. Zukane couldn't even contemplate his next move and all of a sudden he felt like his hand had been struck by lightning. He dropped to his knees, his hand wouldn't stop bleeding. Then it started to pulsate and before his eyes a black hole replaced the bloody one. Then a cyclone started up, so strong it sucked all loose objects into it. And the horror Zukane felt when he realized that this whirlwind was coming from his own hand! The pain was immeasurable and soon Zukane realized that he too would be sucked into the black hole. His father had been a monk and had taught him when things look their worse repent. He reached into his jacket and retrieved his father's rosary. "Watch over my spirit as I depart this world and leave for the next", Zukane started and he clutched the rosary with his cursed hand and closed his eyes tightly. Then the whirlwind stopped. "I must be dead" Zukane thought and slowly he opened his eyes to find that he was still on earth. "What?" Zukane looked at his cursed hand and there was his father's rosary wrapped around it as though nothing had happened.
She lay in his bed, where Nayu once slept. They had once lived here with their parents, Inuyasha and Kagome. They would spend the days hunting with their father and when they returned home Mother would always have a big meal waiting for them. Those were the golden years, the best years of Izou's life. Then mother died. She died peacefully in her sleep lying next to father. She was human; she wasn't immortal like they were. Mother had tried to explain it to us countless times, how she wouldn't be here forever, but they never really thought she would die. It came as a shock. Father never got over it. Never. He said he couldn't spend a day without her, much less an eternity. But he overlooked his own pain so he could stay with us, to watch over us. Ten years after mother died he was fatally wounded protecting us from a pack of full bred dog demons who were trying to eliminate us 'impurities' from their race. We could have saved him, the wound could have been treated but he didn't want to us treat his wound. He missed mother so much, we begged him but he said he could not live a day without her, much less an eternity. Back then I didn't know about the Shikon Jewel or Naraku or Miroku and Sango or anything else. They left the whole story in there will. I'm the only one left who knows about how they slayed Naraku and Kanna in the middle of the forest of Inuyasha. I've even seen the clearing where it happened. Izou threw the Jewel up in the air and caught it. They told me where the jewel was hidden, they told me never to retrieve it or it would bring back all of the evil demons who once sought after it. But I failed them. I disobeyed their dying wish and I freed the jewel from its hiding place. I did it all to save him. To save Nayu. They told me to always protect him. I failed them there too. Tears stained her face once again. She had become accustom to it, to the numbing pain. She took the pillow on the bed and held it to her face, she smiled a sad smile, it still smelled of him. "Nayu, Nayu, Nayu, I would fight all the evil in the world just to see your face again" She told him. She knew what evil was to come when she took the jewel from its eternal resting place, she just didn't know if she could face it without Nayu by her side.
In the forest of Inuyasha, evil lurked. Naraku walked up to the ancient tree where Inuyasha was once bound. He smiled; such pleasing memories were tied to this very sight. When he had set Kikiyo and Inuyasha against each other, making them think that they had been betrayed by one another. How easy it had been. How fragile human emotions are. Kikiyo bound Inuyasha to a tree for 50 years. He laughed. He walked up to the grave of Kagome, that wretched girl, all which stood as her marker was a pile of grey dust. Looks like someone was here before me. It disconcerted him for a moment but then he thought, they are all gone. It should be easy to obtain the jewel without all those pests in the way. They're all dead. He laughed again.
Izou took one last look at Nayu's bed, she glided over the woven cotton blanket with her hand. Nayu had it since birth. She turned her head away from it, she needed no more tears. She walked around the room a bit reminiscing over the toys of her childhood. Izou came to a spinning top painted many colors. "I almost forgot about this"….
" Sister, look, see what I've made?" A younger Nayu asked. He couldn't have been more than 5 at the time. Izou smiled at her little brother, and looked at what he held. It was an old top, but Nayu had painted it blue, red, green, yellow, and orange.
"That's great, Nayu", she told him. He smiled from ear to ear, but then it faded and he got a troubled look on his face.
"Izou"
"Hmm?"
"I was wondering"
"Wondering what?"
"Do you think the village boys will play with me, now that I've got a new top and all?" Izou frowned. Remembering the first time he had asked the other children to play, he had come home with a bloody nose.
"Why don't you play with me Nayu?" Nayu looked down, clearly disappointed. "Could you teach me how to play with the top; you're so good at it!"
"Sure", he said beaming. They played together all afternoon.
She had always been doing that. Trying to protect him, trying to cover his eyes to all of the cruelty, always assuring him that everything would be alright. Even when he got sick with an unheard of ailment she told him that it would be alright. Izou had scoured near and far for a remedy; nothing had worked. Nayu only got worse and was soon bedridden. The priestess had told her that he had 24 hours to live. It was then when she thought of the jewel, the priestess said it would cure him completely. "I was too late, I told him I would help him and I…. failed him, for the first… and last time" She walked out of her childhood home. The door closed behind her.
"How cold it was, death I mean. And then came the light. The warmth of life coursed through my body bringing me to live again. Why? Why did I defend him when he killed me? Perhaps I forgot for a moment. No, I will never forget those cruel words. "Kagura, it seems you are with child, you are of no more use to me" The stinging pain when he inflicted his last blow. And then I saved him. I should have just let the monk's child kill him. "
Kagura looked on into the night sky. "Now I have to live as his slave again. I lost my child, and now I've lost my own life" Kagura glanced at the ground below her, such a long dive it would be. "I believe I would prefer death, but not until I see him again, I wonder if he has thought of me, if he has grieved over me" She sighed. "Kagura, where are we going?", her elder sister Kanna asked. "I do not know for certain, but I believe we are looking for the heir of Inuyasha, certainly his heir would have the jewel", Kagura answered. Kanna's expression turned to its usual blank state and she stared ahead.
"What do you think, Hachi?",Zukane asked anxiously. Hachi shifted his eyes suspiciously, "I do not know a thing about your hand, nor have I ever seen such a case". Zukane tossed a rock at his father's old friend. "Your lying, I know it", Zukane accused. Hachi ran in small circles, "What should I do, what should I do", the small transformer asked himself. Zukane's expression softened,"Hachi please tell me what you know, my life is at stake here". Hachi sighed, knowing Zukane was right. "Your father told me to never tell you this, he said that he never want any heir of his to know of the burden he once bore", Hachi started. He sighed again even deeper,"If I tell you about the wind tunnel I will have to tell you the entire story from beginning to end." Zukane's ears perked up at attention. "Well it started some years ago when a man named Naraku cursed your Great Grandfather…….
Izou clutched the jewel that was hidden within her kimono, quite a nerve racking task; carrying the fate of the world in your hands. She had no idea where to begin her search, but she had a feeling that the ones she sought would come to her. She was traveling in a very rural area, in a dense forest. Izou walked on the crudely cut path. The path was obviously made by demons. What sane human would pass through such dangerous terrain? Where demons were lurking behind every corner. Even Izou, a quarter demon, would not usually travel so hazardously but ever since Nayu died, what did she have to lose? Then suddenly she sensed a very powerful demon was close. She judged it to be a taiyoukai. Putting her hand on the tetsuiga she continued on the path. On the horizon she could barely make out the figure of a man, no not a man a demon. The one she was sensing, and oddly enough beside him there was a female. Inhaling deep the air around her, with her sharp sense of smell she could instantly tell the female was human. Hmm… she looked at the path that she had already crossed. It would be stupid to turn back now, she hoped for the best and met the powerful demon head on. He had silvery white hair and a crescent marking on his forehead. Two delicately laid strips covered each cheekbone. His eyes were a golden amber and instantly remind Izou of her father. He wore a white kimono that had a red pattern on the shoulder. The demon was clad in heavy armor. A spiked arm guard on his left shoulder. A gold and blue sash flowed in the wind, it was tied around his waist. Izou was in awe of him. The woman with him was about twenty or twenty two. She was very beautiful; she had rich chocolate eyes, a slender frame, and short dark brown hair. She wore a floor-length orange kimono with yellow stripes. Behind them was an old frog demon who's persona could be guessed as irritable. It was as if the great demon could not see her until she was barely a foot from him. He stopped and studied her curiously. The frog demon behind him told Izou gruffly, " Get out of Lord Sesshomaru's way lesser demon". The maiden beside him shuffled her weight from foot to foot, waiting to see what her master would do. "What is your name?", the one that the frog called 'Lord Sesshomaru' asked her. His voice was calming to her. "Izou", she answered almost immediately. Sesshomaru's expression showed a slight hint of displeasure. " How fitting that my whelp of a brother should name you after Izayoi. Tell me Izou why are you walking this trail? It is much to rugid for a fragile human to partake on", Sesshomaru's words were elegantly pronounced and it took a moment for Izou to understand that he had just insulted her. "Who are you?"Izou demanded,"How do you know my father?" Sesshomaru looked bored,"Perhaps you weren't paying attention when I said that he is my brother, my half brother. It is not something I am proud of I would rather not have to repeat myself again. You did not answer my question either, I consider that quite rude". Izou could faintly remember her parents telling her of him. "If you really must know why I'm on this trail I guess I'll tell you. I'm looking for Naraku, Kanna, and Kagura so I can send them to their graves."Izou said in determinedly, what harm could telling him do? Sesshomaru scoffed,"Foolish human, I believe someone has beaten you to it". Izou shook her head," They're all back ". An emotion like a lightning bolt shot through Sesshomaru, even his face showed his reaction. He composed himself quickly,"Kagura is back from the grave as well?", he asked pretending this question did not mean everything to him. "Yes, I suppose"Izou responded curiously. "And you know where they are?", Sesshomaru asked, hopefully, although it could not be detected. "Well, not really ", she responded. That was all Sesshomaru needed to know. He rushed off down the trail. "Come Rin", he said. The woman followed him obediantly as did the frog. "Bye Izou", The woman called Rin waved to her innocently. I better get going too Izou thought and headed down the trail once again.
Zukane laid on his pallet in the temple. His father took him there often when he was a little boy. I cant believe he didn't tell me all that. Hachi said Miroku and Sango just wanted a 'fresh start for their son', they did not want to bog me down with the past. He sighed and looked at his cursed hand, so much for that. What Zukane didn't undstand was, why had Naraku come back? Even Hachi didn't know. It doesn't matter, I'll just hunt that Naraku down like all of the other demons, and slash him to pieces. He will pay for this. I wont rest until I've found him. Ironicly that is when Zukane drifted into a deep sleep.
She is alive. That was the only thing on Sesshomaru's mind. Kagura my love you are alive, I wont let you go away from me ever again. He quickened his pace. Nothing was fast enough, he wanted, no he needed to get to her, and soon. "Stand back, Rin" He said. His eyes turned a scarlet color and his delicate humanlike features morphed into those of a dog's face. He grew and grew, until he was fully there. He became a giant white dog with crimson eyes and the same stripes that brandished his cheeks now were on each side of his nose. This was his true form. He lower his enormous frame to the ground to allow for Rin and Jaken to climb onto him. He went as fast as he could run and jumped into the air, flying. In the breeze he could catch the scent of Kagura. He ran towards it, although it was many, many miles away. She's alive though and that's all that matters. The memories tied with her scent flowed through him.
"Sesshomaru I can only be here for a short time, Naraku will be looking for me if I stay long" Kagura said worriedly. Her dissonant expression displeased. "Remind me again why I should not kill him", Sesshomaru said cruelly. Kagura looked down, "You know why Sesshomaru, if he willed it I would be dead right now". Kagura looked at him hopefully, he averted his glance feeling utterly defeated, which was not something he was used to. Then he turned towards her, his clawed hand gently caressed her face. He kissed her lovingly, wrapping his arms around her. "Sesshomaru", Kagura whispered in his ear. "Yes, my love?", he answered gently much different from his usual cold tone. "I'm pregnant"
It was the happiest moment of his life and it also caused the most tragedy in his life. Naraku found out that Kagura held Sesshomaru's child, he was furious. Kagura had betrayed him. He killed her instantly. Sesshomaru filled with rage at the thought of it. If Inuyasha had not killed Naraku he would have.The scent grew nearer with every minute, leading him to his beloved.
The sun had risen, illuminating the sky with an array of beautiful colors. As Kagura admired the sun rising she wondered if he was watching it too. Through the quiet sounds of morning; a faint rumble could be heard. Kagura saw Naraku smirk as they saw a legion of human soldiers on the horizon coming their way. "Probably coming back from some battle", Kagura pondered. Within minutes they were face to face with the human warriors. "Give up your valuables and get out of our way", Ordered who seemed to be the General of the army. Naraku laughed and without hesitation he said," Kagura kill them all". The soldiers laughed at the thought of a woman slaying them; male soldiers. Kagura did not take the laughter very well, in spite of that she still hesitated to kill them. If she obeyed Naraku she would be admitting to herself that she was his slave, when she was under his control she was forced to kill hordes of innocent people. Their corpses still haunted her nightmares. She still felt the bond Naraku had on her, but it had weakened immensely since her revival. If she could get away from him, she might be able to escape with her life. "Kagura, give me your feather", Naraku commanded. Kagura handed him her feather, the one she had been traveling on. "What is he doing?", she thought. Naraku kept walking down the path as if it was empty; one of the soldiers blocked him. Naraku killed him instantly, the other soldiers moved out of his way quickly after that. He motioned for Kanna to follow him, "Come Kanna, Kagura can handle these weaklings on her own". Naraku left her. "What is he doing?" Then she realized Naraku not only left her but he left her with a legion of angry soldiers without any means of getting away. "You will pay for what your friend has done demon, you will pay with your life", The Leader threatened. Kagura took a step back, there were a lot of them. Thousands. She realized what Naraku had done; he had left her to die again. A war raged in Kagura's mind. "I can't die, I haven't even seen him again". Kagura ran for her life, literally, in the opposite direction of the soldiers. "Charge", The general chanted. The entire legion ran towards her. "I'm going to die", Kagura realized. Still she ran with all he she had in her. Wind wasn't going to help her now. The army was 3 feet away from her now. Then she tripped. " No!", She thought.