Scene:4- The Darkness and the Blue Light
(Scene takes place 7 ½ months later, in the woods, not too far from Kaede's village, around noon. Miroku, Sango, Ai & Aine, Shippo and family, Kirara and kittens, a very pregnant Kagome, and InuYasha are sitting on a blanket having a picnic in the sunshine. They haven't changed too much since the last scene, except Kagome is now in a sky-blue maternity sundress with a yellow hat, and Shippo's children appear a bit older. They each have personalities and clothes now, more resembling their demon father than their fox mother. A&A are chasing the kittens while the fox children are hopping about, having mini foxfire duels, vexing their parents very much. Miroku is hitting on Sango, who's for once not trying to hard to resist, and Kagome is asleep on InuYasha's shoulder. He's munching thoughtfully on some 'warrior food', yet not thinking much of anything, when the sky suddenly darkens.)
I: What the-?! (Kagome awakens with a start as InuYasha goes to stand.)
M: Girls!
S: Girls! Where are you?
A&A: Mommy! Daddy! (they run to Sango. Miroku takes them from her and she whips out Hirakotsu from where it rested against a nearby tree. Kirara explodes into her battle-form, lighting the darkness like a living campfire. Her kittens and Shippo's family cower beneath her. Tetsusaiga is yanked from her sheath with a shriek of steel.)
I: (more cross than curious) Who's there? …(silence)… SHOW YOURSELF!
(there's a cold tinkling of laughter in the distance, and suddenly InuYasha looks like all of his blood's just been drained out through his feet. Kagome's eyes widen as she is struck with the same cold fear. Sango looks slightly disturbed, but still ready to roll. Miroku is merely confused. He didn't recognize the voice, but clutches his girls wearily all the same.)
K: (Thinking, sounding not entirely unlike InuYasha in her panic: No… NO! There's NO WAY IN HELL- It just CAN'T be-)
(The ground begins to tremble. There is an animal shriek from the skies, and InuYasha gets hold of himself just in time to cut the demon in two. He dodges a long claw as it clatters down to earth. Kagome struggles as best an expectant mother can to get out of the way and dodge behind the tree. Shippo and Miroku follow with all the children. Two more snake-like demons follow, but they're weak, so Sango dispatches them easily.)
K: (suddenly struck with an awful realization) I SENSE THE SHIKON NO TAMA!!
M: No- What?! The whole thing?! (Kagome nods) Are you- ABSOLUTELY INSANE??
K: Yes! Y- I mean No, NO, I'm not!
M: Are you absolutely sure you sense it??
K: Miroku, I've never been so sure of anything- It's coming!- It's coming at us fast, (peeks her head around the tree and points out into the dead of darkness) -from there! Oh no… INUYASHA! INUYASHA! LOOK OUT- THE JEWEL IS COMING! INU- (gasps in horror) INUYASHAA!!
In the middle of her yelling, InuYasha dropped Tetsusaiga as if in surrender. A few heartbeats later, he flew backwards as if hit by lightning. A metaphor annoyingly close to the truth, protruding from his chest where he lay was a long silver arrow… with the ENTIRE Shikon no Tama, turned totally black, fastened decoratively to the nock. (P.S. 'nock' archery term for the butt of the arrow, in case you were curious ) Anywho, beside him are Sango and Kirara, both clearly unconscious, but still breathing and arrow-less. As the arrow seeped its poison into him, his body began to pulsate with a sickening, dark aura. Kagome, being the silly but well-meaning sweetheart she is, runs out to help them; she is, like always, somehow ignorant of the fact that she is completely unarmed.
M: Kagome, don't-
K: No- INUYAAASHAA!!!
(She tries frantically to pull out the arrow to no avail. It shocks her and puts a black barrier around itself and InuYasha. The laughter resumes. It's very feminine and very faint, but is steadily growing louder.)
K: Who's there? What do you want?
KI: Hello Kagome. (KIKYOU eases her way in from the shadows of the woods) It's been far too long, darling.
K: (her face becomes contorted with disgust and fear- she was expecting this, but now that the moment's come she just can't accept the reality of it.) No… way… Kikyou!
KI: No? Hmm… (eyes Kagome's stomach) ha! Oh, I see. So you haven't been sitting around missing me then? Good for you, darling! And let me be the first to offer you both my sincerest (draws an arrow) congratulations-
K: (Thinking: What- hey! That dark aura, the one from the jewel- it's coming from her body!) No! Wait- Kikyou! Kikyou, please! L-Let's just talk about this for a second-
KI: (several large, serpentine demons like the ones Sango killed hover over Kikyou's shoulders, hissing and screeching. She smiles darkly.) Rest well, dearest reincarnate.
K: Kikyou, please- (she backs up against the tree and wraps one arm around her belly and one over her eyes as the arrow flies in her direction. Miroku jumps out in a last minute attempt to save her. The children behind the tree are huddling and crying.)
M: No!
K: (her eyes widen in shock, then anger) Wha-how?!
(When the expected 'thudd' and burst of pain do not come, Kagome, shaking all over, peeks through one eye in time to see Kikyou's silver arrow stop inches from her belly, hover a moment, then drop harmlessly at her feet. Miroku, standing a few feet away, drops to his knees.)
M: Kagome! Look at yourself! (She does, then gasps loudly.)
K: Ah! What's happening to me?! (her whole body is glowing with a mystical blue aura)
M: (Thinking: Where'd that blue aura come from? It's all over her!)
(Now furious, Kikyou fires another arrow, this too falls harmless beside the first. Refusing to be beaten, the dark Kikyou walks quickly to InuYasha's side and violently rips the jeweled arrow from his chest. The dark aura leaves him with the arrow, and he murmurs in pain, but still appears unconscious. Now only a foot or two from Kagome, she fires again.)
KI: Cursed woman! (The arrow is again stopped, but this time instead of dropping lifelessly, it hovers an extra second, then it does the unthinkable. The arrow turns a full 180°, and flies back at Kikyou! She moves enough to save her life, but the arrow slams itself into her right arm and sends her sprawling. Kagome cries out in pain, and slides down on her bottom.)
M: Kagome, Kagome! What did you do? That was amazing! Kagome? What's wrong? Are you okay?
K: I-It's time!
M: Can't you hold it in there?? Timing's a little off- (to the baby) Can't you see we're not ready for you yet?!
I: (his eyes open weakly and he moans) K-Kagom…
K: InuYasha! You're awake!
M: (happy at his friend's consciousness) InuYasha! You're just in time Pops, the kid's coming! (He rushes over and grabs InuYasha by the underarms and drags him to the tree.)
I: …my Tetsusaiga-
M: I'll get it later.
I: -Miroku, Kagome, I thought I heard… Kikyou…!
KI: -and you weren't mistaken, my love. (she stands up, and with only a slight effort manages to remove the arrow.) I'm back for what's mine.
I: K-Kikyou… no, I- we- put you to rest. You… you gave me your blessings!
KI: How odd, I can't seem to recall. Tell you what though, I'm not feeling too vengeful today. How awful it would be to waste fifty-five years of hatred on one half-assed moment of revenge! It just wouldn't be right, don't you think? Things like this can't be rushed, (she pops the completely blackened sacred jewel from the arrow's nock and tucks it in her robe) they require time, planning, hired help, hehe, among other things. Besides, what kind of lover would I be to deny you your brave and tragic finale? (little tinkling laugh) No, no, fear not, my love, your demise won't come so easily. I will destroy you, hair by hair, blow by blow, and you, and everyone who's ever known you, and everything that's ever touched you, will feel my hatred. It will be absolutely perfect, a true fairy tale ending!
(She laughs loudly, but she doesn't quite cackle, her voice sounds bell-like and enchanting. The giant snake-demons pour out of the woods at an alarming rate and scoop up the still-smiling Kikyou. A black aura pulses around her and suddenly she is head to toe in a beautiful, regal purple-and-silver kimono with little red flowers in her hair, now ornately woven atop her head. She looks like a dark goddess, recognizable only by Kikyou's pale face. All three stare after her for a moment till she disappears into the dark cloud. The clouds evaporate and the sun returns, Kirara and Sango begin to stir, and the children emerge from behind the tree. Kagome grunts in pain. InuYasha pulls himself into a sitting position, and puts his arm around Kagome.)
I: (trying desperately to distract everyone from the disturbing incident that just took place, he turns his attention to Kagome's labor) You can do it, Kagome! C'mon, breathe easy now, there, that's it.
M: Sango! Ai! Aine! (rushes over to Sango and props her up on his arm. She smiles.)
S: I'm okay, really. I dunno what happened- did I black out?
M: Don't make me worry like that!
S: Okay. Oh my girls… (hugs A&A)
SH: Kirara's okay too! Whoa- hey! Look everybody, Kagome's having kittens!
K: (pained groan.)
I: Are you still well enough to stand? (Kagome nods) Good. Help me out Miroku, let's get her inside.
M: Sure. Will you be alright snugglypuff?
S: Of course, go help Kagome and InuYasha. Shippo will help Kirara and me.
SH: (cheerily and childish as always, despite his grown-up body) Absolutely! Sango can count on us, right Kirara? (Kirara pops into her kitten form and purrs affectionately. Her kittens gather round.)
I: Alright. Let's do this.