Unfortunately, they hadn't made it in time, and they watched as the Princess fell towards the floor in the hallway, with a dagger plunged through her chest.
The moment the priestess was at the fallen Princess's side, Inuyasha struck the Garo with his sword, easily putting an end to Cathleen's attacker, despite his injury to his chest. "Damn it!" He cursed as he turned his attention to the blonde haired girl.
His friends had immediately knelt beside her, and with a pang of sadness hitting him, Inuyasha lowered himself beside the girl, carefully lifting her somewhat to lie in his arms. The sight of her was enough to shift his sadness into pure rage.
Blood had fallen from Cathleen's lip and her once pristine white dressed was stained scarlet and ripped. Tears fell from her eyes, and she was still alive, just barely. Yet as she saw her friends gather around her, and Kagome grasping her hand tearfully, she smiled. "I'm…glad you're all safe," She replied achingly.
Kagome felt the tears stream down her face. It was just like her dream foretold. Cathleen had been struck by the enemy. "Please, don't talk. Everything will be fine," She soothed her before placing both her hands upon the girl's chest where the dagger remained plunged.
But Link stopped her. "Kagome her wound would only heal around the blade. Unless we pull the dagger out and hope it doesn't inflict more harm onto her, then there's nothing we can do…"
The priestess didn't want to believe it was impossible. Kagome shook her head furiously. "No, we can save her…She doesn't deserve this!" She cried, and Inuyasha felt his eyes water slightly.
"Pries…tess Kagom—" Cathleen coughed up blood, and Kagome immediately grasped her hand. "I'll…be fine. I'll be…with father," She replied, but she found it increasingly difficult to breathe.
With shaken hands, she reached up to grasp a chain around her neck, a necklace her friends saw that was hidden under her dress. When Cathleen revealed it to them, having a difficult time taking it off, the three saw that it was the pendant they had been searching for all throughout the Palace.
"T-take it…please…give it…to Rosh—" Cathleen coughed again and her body frighteningly lurched in Inuyasha's arms. Blood continued to spill from the dying Princess's mouth and the wound to her bosom brought about more blood.
Inuyasha raised her body some so as to help her from choking and it seemed to somewhat ease Cathleen, who smiled at him. Even if he didn't know the girl that well, seeing someone as innocent and naïve like this die angered him so much. How many of his friends had died in this world already?
How many more would succumb to such a fate?
"Please…take it…to her…" She voiced. "She's…in…the n-next room…"
With his teeth clenched and while still supporting the girl in his arms, Inuyasha undid the chain around Cathleen's neck before placing it upon the floor.
Kagome cried. Not only had they lost Serena but now they were going to lose another loved one. "Cathleen…" What could she say to someone who was dying besides 'It's going to be alright or don't talk?'
Cathleen felt the priestess grasp her hand tightly, and she smiled as she turned her head to look at her. "Since yesterday…back at…the cave…when you and swordsman…L-Link saved Inuyasha," She began in small breaths. "I have…always admired you…Priest—priestess Kagome," She suddenly replied and it shocked Kagome who looked up to meet her softened gaze.
As her hands continued to squeeze Cathleen's own, Kagome felt the warmth of her skin become colder. "Cathleen…I'm sorry…I wish…we could have gotten here sooner…" She wept.
"I-if…I had a sister…" Tears spilled from the Princess's eyes. "I wish she could have been…like you…" Cathleen replied.
If there was one thing she regretted it, it was the limited time she had spent with the Priestess. If time hadn't been against her Kingdom, she would have wanted to spend an ordeal time with her and to learn more about her and her home land. She would have wanted to have Kagome learn about the good in her Kingdom that she saw despite the protests that had urged her Kingdom to ruin.
"Even though…it's been a short time…I thank y-you. From the bottom of my heart…thank you for saving me…" Cathleen cried. "Fate had other plans…in store for me…I suppose," She coughed, her eyes fluttering close all of a sudden.
Link fisted his hands as he watched the young woman heavily breathe before him and his friends. Long ago he swore never to shed a tear in moments like this, but it proved difficult considering the situation they were all in. Cathleen was going to die just like his friends had, just like Serena, Saria, Malon and especially Zelda. However, he kept his expression strained.
After a short moment of silence had passed, Cathleen opened her eyes but they felt heavy and she was tired. Darkness was clouding her vision and she could barely make out Priestess Kagome's voice from beside her. Everything around her felt muffled. Was this what it was like to die? If only she could have lived longer. There was much of her Kingdom she hadn't seen, and now she knew she never would.
Moving her head ever so slightly, Cathleen's eyes met with Link's from across her. Link reminded her of someone once dear to her whom she had lost, but perhaps it was merely the color of his hair and eyes that urged such thoughts. Maybe she would see her brother again in Heaven…
And it was at that moment that the hand Kagome had been holding suddenly fell limp. Though her eyes were still open and unseeing, she did not move nor did she breathe.
Unable to hold back any longer, Kagome wept and she found comfort in Link who had wrapped his arms around her as Inuyasha hugged the Princess closer to his chest, his own shoulders slightly trembling.
As much as it hurt him to do so, Link reached out a hand to grasp the chain of the pendant, the one in which Cathleen had entrusted to return to her protector. 'Forgive me…Once our journey comes to an end, I'll return it to Ikana.' With that, he placed the pendant into his satchel and rubbed the priestess's back consolingly.
It wasn't but a few seconds after that they heard someone run towards them out of the nearest room and immediately after the clatter of a sword hitting the floor. They saw Roshan standing there with blood splattered upon her clothing, breathing heavily. She wasn't looking at them, rather her attention was focused upon Cathleen, and she must have realized the circumstances when she saw the damage inflicted upon the Princess.
Without a word, she approached them. Why hadn't her highness escaped when she told her to? With her arms outstretched, Inuyasha handed the girl to her protector. Refusing to shed a tear, she stood up and ushered the three into the dining hall which was littered with two bodies. It was there that Roshan led them through a hidden door under an elaborate red rug.
After escaping through the tunnels, where some of the prisons had caved in on account of the earthquake earlier, they found themselves outside the well once more, above the hill away from the Palace a distance away. From there, Kagome, Inuyasha and Link looked upon the Kingdom; the sight was horrific.
They saw the Palace burning as well as the village, yet as they looked into the sky, they saw three golden lights envelop the Kingdom intensely. It took Inuyasha and Kagome a moment to figure out what was transpiring and when Link explained, they realized it was the Goddesses. It was exactly as the Great Fairy had explained in the legend.
As of now, the three deities would curse the land and it would become known as Termina. At the sound of soft murmurings from behind them, they turned and saw that Roshan had fallen to her knees with the Princess held tightly in her arms, and the three stood back silently, their forms slowly fading right behind the woman.
"Forgive me…I could not save you your highness," Roshan voiced, her voice cracking as the tears cascaded down her cheeks. Brushing back a strand of Cathleen's blonde hair, she ran her hand over the girl's eyes, closing them before hugging Princess's limp form close.
Roshan couldn't help but think back on her past. Back then, she had lived outside the lands of Ikana as a hunter like all of those of her village; it was during a time before she had lived within the Palace alongside Cathleen…
Flash Back
It was like any other day when Roshan ventured through the heavily dense forest, pushing through the shrubbery with her Naginata held tightly in her hand and her bow and quiver of arrows positioned over her left shoulder. Today marked her sixteenth birthday, a highly regarded time for all Gerudo who reached womanhood as well as successfully gaining passage as a full fledge warrior; it was an honor for all the women, especially the daughter of a renowned queen that ruled their tribe.
As the hot sun burned its warm rays into her caramel skin, Roshan knelt beside the river bank, her hands scooping up the fresh and cold water to quench her thirst. Three hours had passed since she set out, and yet the abundance of animals was becoming rather limited as the days progressed into weeks and months. The cause was unknown and it brought great disturbance and fear upon her people. If there was no food, then they would have to leave their home in search of another with plentiful vegetation and meat. Yet for now, should that time ever occur, it would wait.
A noise from one of the shrubberies behind her caught her ear, and glancing over her shoulder, Roshan saw a rather large deer, its beady black eyes staring back at her from behind one of the trees a short distance away.
That late afternoon, after much chasing and stalking, Roshan returned back to her humble village nestled deep within the woods of Nimtera. Upon her shoulder she carried the large deer she had killed hours ago, the arrow still pierced through its head; it had died with one shot. Yet not only had she killed a prize winning buck, but she had also carried a rather paunchy medium sized bear cub, its fur black. Much like the deer, it had also died the same way. The blood that had spilled from their still bodies was painted upon her face and her arms; it was the markings of a warrior.
Her people rejoiced at the sight of her quick return, welcoming her back with open arms and congratulations. And after laying her kills upon the shrine alter before their small temple, its torches still burning, the queen of her tribe approached her with a delighted smile.
Becoming a woman had been something Roshan had dreamt about for so long, and now that she had finally reached the age, she realized it was also time to create new life. Though forbidden to ever settle down with any man, as her tribe was solitary warriors, it did not bother her; but having children however was the last thing on her mind.
There was a feast and much laughter that night as her people gathered around the bon fire outside their small huts. The skins from the bear and deer had been made into clothing while the fur had been fashioned into a blanket, both gifts to her mother. Though it wasn't much of a feast, it served its purpose, sustaining them with enough sustenance to continue on in life.
Off into the distance, a cry of alarm had resounded suddenly from the high mountains. The sound of a wolf's cry was carried by the winds followed after by a large herd and with it, brought about a halt in the celebration entirely. Her people scattered in a frenzy to fetch their weapons, shielding their daughters into the safety of their huts.
Too fast had it happened for Roshan. Men, dressed in the furs and skin of wolves had infiltrated their humble and small village and with them a frightening pack of trained wolves with their teeth bared; their eyes were menacing and they were not a friendly sort. Yet Roshan remembered them appearing before her tribe once before when she was just a small child. She knew exactly why they were here now; they sought revenge against her mother who had killed the previous leader's son of the wolf clan in protest years ago.
After all this time, a new leader had arisen among them, one more fierce and frightening than the last. Raven black hair and amethyst eyes glowed in the moon light as his men preyed upon her people, their swords drawn with malicious intent in their vicious stares.
Because their strength had maximized over the years, the queen realized her own people were outmatched against the wolf clan. A small number of her tribe lay scattered upon the encampment of her village dead and some injured, and hesitant to back down, the queen retreated as many of her people out of the village.
They fled and hid deep within the forest and out of sight from the barbaric men that wished cruel death upon them. Unfortunately only a few of their tribe had not escaped and were likely either slain or held hostage.
Her mother, who was very strong-willed, refused to accept defeat. Vibrant burgundy locks tumbled over her shoulder as she turned her back to her people. She'd told her daughter to remain with the others and she'd return with those left behind and wounded, but her people protested; it was suicidal.
Yet just like that, even though she knew she should have called out for her mother to stop, Roshan only watched silently as she assisted the others wounded around her in the brush. If her mother were to return, they were to meet up a distance away near the grove that separated their territory from the large expanse of land of Nimtera; a territory entirely unknown to them.
An hour had gone by and as they waited near the designated place, there were neither signs of their queen nor that of their sisters. If anything were to happen to their queen mother, then it was her child that would lead them; it was the way of their people of course, and Roshan saw that their faithful and pleading eyes had looked upon her.
Though they did not say it, they knew the worst must have befallen their people as well as their leader. Though they were very much outmatched by the wolf clan, Roshan decided that it was she who would retrieve her people, but the others protested.
"You want me to abandon mother and the others?!" Roshan exclaimed angrily.
"Please, you mustn't! If you go now, you will surely fall into their trap!"
"If you leave us and do not return, who will lead us? Our queen is already gone. You're our only hope. Please do not abandon your duty!" They cried.
It was a decision Roshan had not been pleased with, and yet she simply could not forsake the woman who had raised her and protected her through life. Nor could she simply pretend that none of this had happened when her mother as well as the others could still be alive.
Her decision was made, and she asked that her people wait for her return, but if she did not return before sunrise, to abandon her and find among them one who was surely capable of leading them instead. It had come as a shock to them and as her order was announced, they simply nodded, standing there in defeated silence.
After quickly gathering her Nagitata, Roshan dashed through the thick foliage, hoping that her people would not abandon her for giving such an order; she wasn't like her mother at all, and there was much to learn about leadership; Roshan felt more like a follower among her tribe; having others look up to her in such a way had frightened her somewhat, but there was no other choice but to accept it.
As the howls of the wolves grew louder on her quick return back to the village, Roshan couldn't help but stop near the edge the cliff that overlooked her encampment. The sight was more horrifying then she had ever imagined.
The women who were left behind had been unceremoniously thrown into the large bon fire of their previous feast. Many had been charred entirely, others unidentifiable. And there she saw her mother, tied at a post, watching expressionlessly as the corpses that were once her living and breathing tribeswomen burned in the fire.
Roshan fell to her knees, fear evident on her face. None of this was supposed to happen. The sound of laughter urged her attention fully on the haughty expressions of the wolf clan surrounding the queen of her tribe. She didn't hear what they were saying, but she watched in silent terror as the leader of the group raised a large dagger as he stood behind her mother. Her chin was grasped firmly and he raised her head up to meet the stares of the men, but Roshan saw her mother's stare pierce her own.
Roshan fell back upon her posterior, her mother was silently warning her to stay back and to flee, yet she could do nothing more than watch as he pulled his arm back to dealt the blow to her neck.
She guessed her mother had not wished to look at her daughter during the moment she breathed her last breath and so, she closed her eyes. The dagger was plunged into the side of her neck, its blade jutting out from the other side. And though Roshan had been too far to hear anything, she was sure the sound was just as horrifying as the sight of it. He pierced her neck again and again, so much so that Roshan watched in tears as her mother's head fell upon the ground only to be raised by the leader of the wolf pack.
Their laugher rang loudly in her ears.
There was blood, much of it that night and the pain she had felt was the more terrible than any injury inflicted upon her.
The next day, Roshan found herself walking down a dirt path in a large forest with lofty and thick trees. An abundant of animals scampered from the brush and across the streams at the sight of her. She had decided against returning to her people and she was sure they had believed her dead like the others and she didn't mind. All that had mattered to her was revenge and she had sought it last night and was victorious.
She had been dragging a large sack crafted from deer skin since last night and inside the bag was the head of the man who had murdered her mother and those of her tribe. Roshan was sure her sisters were thriving well without her and had chosen one more suitable to lead them.
After many hours of endless walking, she stopped to inspect her surroundings. She had never ventured so far from her own territory and the land of Nimtera was very abundant of many fruits, meats and vegetation.
As she allowed herself to rest near a small stream, her bag lying beside her as she scooped up the water in her palm, an urgent childish cry shifted her attention away from her thirst and towards a thicket of trees in the distance. The cry sounded like it belonged to a child.
Roshan brought the water from the palm of her hand to her lips before wiping her mouth to stand up. The scream really didn't concern her at all, but she felt there was nothing better to do. Picking up the bag once more, she ventured further into the woods until she came across large canyons ahead of her. The sight was amazing.
"Help! Father!" A child's voice cried out, followed after by masculine voices just ahead.
Stepping further up the canyon side with her back to one of the trees, Roshan peered around the bark. She saw a group of rogue bandits aggressively carrying a struggling child upon horseback through the woods. From a distance away, she saw that the child could not have been one of them, and she notched an arrow and readied her bow.
In an instant, the arrow pierced the one whom she presumed was in charge right through the head and he fell off the horse. It wasn't surprisingly the others reacted frightfully before unsheathing their swords, and tired of hiding behind the trees, Roshan darted towards them with her Naginata prepared to strike.
The child upon the horse's back with he hands tied behind her back gasped at the sight of Roshan's presence, and when Roshan saw that the child was frightened, the amazon chose not to kill the bandits; instead, she managed to easily knock them out with the back of her weapon.
Of course she could have simply ignored the child and continued on her way, wherever her path led her, but Roshan found that the child's smile had urged her to look after her only until returning her safely back to her family.
Yet it wasn't until a few short moments later that men on horseback had arrived upon them, and when Roshan had suspected them a danger to the child, she was relieved when Cathleen called out to her father. From the sight of him, he looked like an ordinary man, minus the golden jewels and elaborate red wardrobe.
It was at that moment that she had learned the child whom she had saved was of nobility and because her father had been pleased and impressed to learn she had saved his daughter, had offered her a position within his Palace. Though she declined at first, she realized there was no other place she could go besides wandering for the rest of her life.
"Please? Won't you come home with us?" The seven year old Princess asked as she tugged upon the older woman's clothing.
End Flash Back
That was the day she had decided to live within the Palace and as the days progressed into years, she watched as the Princess grew into beautiful young woman. Her decision hadn't been poor, but rich, even if she had known the girl for eight years. Just having known such a kindhearted child was enough for Roshan.
"Forgive me..." She turned to look over her shoulder at the three who had accompanied her, but to her surprise, they were no longer standing there. The sword which she had seen Inuyasha carrying with them out of the castle was lying upon the ground. It was as if they had vanished completely into thin air. When she saw the skies above the Kingdom intensify, Roshan stared at the golden lights hovering in the sky.
OOO
After having fled from the Palace to escape the malevolent forces that had stirred him into killing his brother and that of the King, Sharp hid himself within a Spring Cave just above the waterfall in the village. Overcome with guilt and grief, he sobbed within the dark cavern, his cries desolate and constant. His tears spilled into the pond before him, and as he stared at his reflection, he only saw himself as a monster.
He killed his brother! His own flesh and blood!
Filled with grief beyond repair with haunting images of his brother tormenting him, the composer threw himself into the pond. Perhaps his sins would be forgiven in the afterlife.
OOO
Two hours after their unexpected encounter with Armaros, a man whom they had learned was the cause behind Termina's inevitable doom, or so they thought, Sango, Miroku and Shippo had lost their friends Kagome, Link and Inuyasha to an explosion. Since that time, they had not been sure what to expect in regards to their lives or if they had been forfeited entirely.
Though they grieved, they found themselves caught up in another unexpected event. After awakening from their previous battle within the comfort of the Stock Pot Inn, Kafei had rushed in and exclaimed horrific news.
Shortly after this, they came to understand that the entire town had been engulfed by an ominous fog and with it drew an even greater concern. A rather large, black vortex had somehow ripped through the reddened sky and from it, a strange, shadowy substance spewed. Whether or not it was the work of the sorcerer, Armaros who had disappeared after the battle, Sango and the others weren't sure. For now, their only cause for worry was to evacuate everyone from town.
To the elderly, to the adults and to the children of the town, all who had not evacuated earlier had begun frantically searching through the settlement for an exit, but the thick fog obscured their vision and many had become lost from one another.
With Miroku still grasping her hand tightly to keep from becoming separated, Sango couldn't help but pull the monk back towards the lighted archway of the Stock Pot Inn. "We have to do something, Miroku!"
"I agree…" He began as he held his back against the door of the Inn, his eyes searching the fog thoughtfully. "To think so much would happen in such a short amount of time."
The Demon Slayer clenched her teeth. The images of losing her friends due to that sorcerer's magic had worried her to no end. "Kagome, Inuyasha and Link…"
Miroku, sensing the distressed emotions pouring from the woman beside him, immediately pulled her into his embrace to which she cried silently. In a comforting motion, he ran his hand down her back repeatedly. "We must not lose focus, Sango. Though it is a tragic occurrence to befall our group, we must do all that we can to bring this world peace…Perhaps they are still with us, somewhere…After all, Lady Kagome's backpack fared well after the attack."
With tears still falling from the Slayer's eyes, she nodded before wiping them clean. Her sadness was still there but agreeing to her friend's words, what was more important right was to help all the citizens of Termina and somehow stop this tragic event from spiraling to its inevitable conclusion.
"Sango?" Miroku asked, still caressing her hair softly.
"I'm fine. We need to get everyone away from town and find that bastard!" Sango exclaimed with renewed vengeance.
"Yes, but the question is, how? This fog is so thick one might become lost inside it," Miroku mused.
An idea came to Sango suddenly, and after opening the door to the Inn, she pulled Miroku behind her, much to his confusion. From inside, they saw the frantic inn keepers rushing around to gather their belongings and suitcases with Granny positioned in her wheel chair just in front of the desk half asleep.
Shippo who was seated in her lap, with Noah leaning against the desk frightfully, looked at his friends with confusion. "What's going on? Why is everyone running around?" He asked.
As Sango ran back to Granny's room, Miroku bent down before patting the fox child on the head. "A strange fog has overtaken the town, Shippo. And there seems to be a strange rip through the sky leaking some strange substance into the air, it seems," Miroku explained.
Shippo didn't understand. "Is…Termina done for now? Did we not make it in time?" After all, since that strange man had destroyed the final pendant needed to summon the Goddesses, there was no hope now to save the land from its inevitable doom.
Miroku couldn't answer. He was not sure. From what he and Sango saw just moments ago, it seemed that it was indeed, too late. How could a person fix such a tear within the atmosphere? There were no signs of Armaros either and left behind were the constant cries and screams of the citizens of Clock Town.
After a few minutes, Sango returned from down the hall with two familiar gray, cylindrical objects within her hands. While keeping one grasped firmly in her hand, she handed the other to Miroku, who took it with shocked surprise. "I had almost forgotten Kagome had these in her backpack," Sango replied as she tried to catch her breath.
"Oh! Lady Kagome's flashlights!" Miroku exclaimed thankfully. "These will certainly aid us."
Sango nodded. With the intense beam of light trapped within these objects from Kagome's world, they were sure to find their way through the fog and guide everyone out of town.