Ch. 27

As you probably guessed, this is the part where everything started going straight to hell.
~

"Enough! Listen!"

Silence fell over the peach and Rin took the opportunity to straighten her thoroughly rubbed ears.

"I heard it too." Earthworm lifted his upper body off the surface of the fuzzy fruit. "It sounded like a low horn."

"Was it a foghorn?" James asked.

"Sounded like it." Rin carefully made her way to the edge of the peach, her ears cocked forward. "There! I heard it again. And it's getting closer."

"I don't see anything yet."

"Nor would you. Seems we've run into a bit of cloud covering."

"It's shifting, though. We should see something shortly."

"Rin?" James had joined his sister and was tugging lightly at her hand. "Do you think...?"

"Hai, I think so. I can hear quite a few cars and unless I'm mistaken- which I'm not- we're close to a large city."

"Guess we'll find out in a sec." Centipede said, leaning over Rin's shoulder. "The clouds are clearin'."

"Now hold on." Earthworm stiffened as fear once again took over. "Are we certain we're close? And just how close? Does New York City even have a lighthouse to give off a sound like that? What if it's-"

"Look! We made it!" James's awed voice cut through Earthworm's rant.

"We did?"

"We did," Miss Spider confirmed. "New York City."

And indeed, the city was below them.

Underneath the parting clouds, glittering proudly against the night sky, the whole of Manhattan Island lay below the peach like a most exquisite jewel. Buildings stretched upwards like silver trees, their windows awash with golden light. Neon signs flashed in bright reds, greens, and blues, making the whole city seem to sparkle. The island city was circled by various harbors, many of which held boats of all sizes and some were even sailing the New York waters like guards patrolling a castle. Stretching out to the far right was a massive bridge, bedecked with lights, that stretched over the dark waters to connect with Long Island. Despite the lateness of the hour, there were still cars rushing over the bridge, both entering and exiting the fabled city where dreams come true.

"Oh, it's breathtaking."

"Marvelous!"

"Stunning!"

"Look at the park!"

"Hai, James-chan. I see it!"

"And I can almost smell the lovely dirt!" Earthworm said with a sniff, flinging his tail around Glowworm in delight.

"We have made it!" Miss Spider and Mrs. Ladybug embraced, their eyes shining with tears.

"What a wonderful sight it is!" Mrs. Ladybug's lip quivered as she smiled. "I never thought I'd see anything so grand!"

James clutched Rin's hand tighter as his eyes beheld the tallest building of all. "The Empire State Building," he marveled, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Hai."

So, they had at last reached New York City. And yet, as her family celebrated around her, Rin felt her own heart twist slightly in her chest. This was what everyone had waited for, what her mother and stepfather had died without seeing. And now here she was, staring down the city, and all she felt was... resignation.

The half-demon bit her lip, hoping that no one could see her face. Oh sure, the city looked splendid from this high up, but all the twinkling lights and massive buildings couldn't fool Rin Kurosaki! Even from the peach, Rin could hear the beeping of agitated car horns, the shouts and yells of people staggering up and down the streets looking for various forms of satisfaction, and the scent of gas, metal, and above all, humans was already hitting her nose like a miasma.

This was were she was expected to live now? This was supposed to be home?

Well...

Centipede's delighted laugh cut through the half-demon's thoughts as the many-armed bug nearly tackled her and James. His arms pulled both of them close, eliciting an equally delighted laugh from James and an irritated growl from Rin.

"Haha! See those lights! And we never woulda made it without you two!"

"Quite so!" Mr. Grasshopper agreed, putting his own arm around James and nodding at Rin. "Well done to you both, my dear boy and girl. We are so proud of you!"

"We all helped!" James piped up from between the two bugs as the others came to join them. "We did it together."

"But it was you and your sister who did the most, my James," Miss Spider said, pulling James away from Centipede and into her own embrace. "And, Centipede, best release Rin before she takes several of your fingers."

"Ahhh, c'mon, Rin-girl! You know we love ya, right?"

"I would love to use you to sharpen my claws right now, so you'd better-"

"Alright, dear, you've made your point." Mrs. Ladybug insisted as Rin pulled free from Centipede. "Come now, let's not spoil the happy moment. We've finally reached our destination and what's more, we've reached it together."

"Indeed. The city awaits us." Mr. Grasshopper nodded down at the sight below them. "Now, we just need to decide the best way to go about this. Rin, my dear, you said something about your uncle being aware of our arrival?"

"Hai, he should be if..." Rin's voice trailed off as the half-demon felt a soft breeze brush over her skin. Turning away from the city, Rin glanced behind the peach at the night sky. The clouds, which had been little more than a fine mist, were starting to gather together into much thicker clusters. The half-demon froze, feeling the hair on the back of her neck prickle and her ears stiffen.

"Rin?"

"Hey, what's up, Rin-girl?"

"Rin?" James reached over to take his sister's hand again. "What's wrong?"

"Do you feel that?"

"You mean the breeze?" Earthworm asked.

"Not just the breeze. It's... wait!"

Rin stood still, her golden eyes narrowing as the clouds turned from ashy grey to black. The light of the moon above and the lure of the city dimmed as the clouds rushed forward to encircle the peach in a sinister embrace.

"Rin?" James was looking back at the clouds as well. The little boy's eyes were wide in his face as the world around the peach quickly turned into something Rin knew James had seen all too often in his nightmares.

"I know James-chan."

The wind began to pick up and Rin growled as she felt something hot and oily brush over her skin. The half-demon bared her fangs at the clouds, feeling her vision start to go red as her own demon power began to rise in response to the threat. A rumble of thunder boomed out over the dark sky, causing the seagulls to squawk with fear as they strained against their silk tethers, trying as hard as they could to get away from whatever was chasing the peach.

"A storm?" Mrs. Ladybug asked. "Oh dear, is it-"

"This isn't a storm." Everyone turned to look at Rin as she spoke, her voice deadly serious. "This is something far worse."

"Worse? Worse? What d'you mean worse?" Earthworm shrieked, his tail still gripping Glowworm's shoulders.

"You mean like a demon?" Centipede stared at the clouds. "Is that what that is?"

"No, I don't sense that. But there's something in those clouds that shouldn't be. And whatever it is knows we're here and it's coming for us."

"What?"

A flash of lightning cracked like a whip in the sky, illuminating the darkness. Rain began to stream down on the group, causing another round of fresh squawks from the seagulls.

"This isn't safe!" Mr. Grasshopper called, holding up his arms to block the onslaught of wind and rain. "We need to get inside!"

"How'll we know where we are?" Earthworm managed to wrap himself around the peach stem, Glowworm clinging to his tail.

"We can't worry about that now! This weather is bad enough, but if what Rin said is true, we're in danger!"

Another crack of lightning ripped through the air. But instead of a rumble of thunder, what followed the flash was a trumpeting roar that sounded as though it came from the blackest pit of the underworld. The clouds swirled and writhed as a dark form began to take the shape of a bulky, four-legged body. The head of the creature hunkered low on a stubby neck, but a long pointed horn sprouted from its nose, rising to pierce the sky as its small yellow eyes narrowed. Opening its mouth to display jagged teeth, the creature gave another roar that seemed to shake the Heavens as it focused its glowing gaze on the peach.

"Could it... could that be?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.

"No." Centipede shook his head even as he stared back at the monster. "No, it can't be! It can't!"

"It is," James said in a small, but resigned voice. He swallowed, visibly shaking. "It's the Rhino. Just like in the book."

"How?" Centipede asked. "Rin told us about that thing! It's just some twisted fairytale! It can't be here!"

"And somehow it is," Rin growled. "But that's the first and last mistake it's made." Rin jerked her arms, unfurling her wings with a snap. "Now it deals with me!"

"Rin!"

"It's alright, James-chan," Rin assured him. "Just stay here and all of you, hold onto the silk strings! Whatever you do, don't draw attention to yourselves!"

"Be careful!" Mrs. Ladybug called as she and the others retreated to the stem. Rin nodded, meeting James' frightened eyes once more as the little boy held tightly to one of the seagull strings, leaning against Miss Spider as he did so. Turning away, Rin felt the breeze pushing against her wings, but the half-demon ran forward and jumped off the peach regardless. The force of the wind nearly drove her back, but Rin pushed forward, flapping her wings as hard as she could to meet the Rhino head on.

"Face me!"

The Rhino roared furiously, swinging its massive head and trying to spear the half-demon with its shadowy horn. Rin dodged the rather clumsy attack, spiraling away as she felt the wind currents change and almost push her closer to the shadowy beast. The Rhino gnashed its teeth as Rin swiped at its face with her claws.

"What?"

Rather than striking flesh and bone, the half-demon's claws passed harmlessly through the Rhino's face.

Cloud! This thing is made of cloud!

Cloud or not, the Rhino must have felt some pain because it roared with fury and swung its head at Rin again. The tip of its shadowy horn brushed against the half-demon's shoulder and the half-demon gritted her teeth at the feeling. Unlike the cool caress of a misty cloud, the Rhino's touch felt like a hot flash of static electricity brushing over her skin. Twisting about in midair, Rin flared her wings and let the wind drive her back toward the peach.

"That thing isn't solid!" Rin landed on the fuzzy surface of the peach, keeping her eyes on the shadowy creature as it continued to glare at her. "My claws won't do a thing!"

"Then we're lost!" Earthworm wailed. "This is the end!"

"Do you think I'm giving up?" Rin snarled. "Stay well behind me; I'm turning this thing to mist!"

Rin turned back to the Rhino, who was tossing its head in fury as it galloped toward the peach. Taking a deep breath, Rin waited until the creature was only a few feet away before unleashing the same screech attack she had used on the oni only the day before. Even with the combined noise of wind, rain, and Rhino, the half-demon's horrific screech cut through the air with enough force to put the rest of the sounds to shame. The Rhino halted in its tracks as the demonic attack hit it full on. It threw back its head and thrashed as the sound waves tore through its body, pieces of clouds flying off its body as though it were being flayed. With a final roar of pain, the Rhino seemed to vanish into the clouds. Halting the attack, Rin slumped forward to her knees.

"Rin!"

"I'm... I'm okay." Rin struggled to her feet. "Like I said, that takes a lot out of you!" Rin felt a few arms around her as she shook her head, trying to banish the sudden dizziness the attack had left her with. Once again, James had reached his sister first and Rin managed to give her younger brother what she hoped was a reassuring smile as she brushed her damp hair off her face.

Damn, I feel like a wrung-out washcloth. Well, at least the Rhino was gone now-

A roar cut through the air, accompanied by another flash of lightning.

"What?" Rin looked up as the rest of her family gasped in shock. The clouds were taking shape again, quickly knitting themselves back into the all-too-familiar shape. The head of the Rhino was already fully restored and its trumpeting roar sounded almost like a cruel laugh as it glared daggers at the peach and the travelers.

"Impossible!" Rin stared back at the Rhino. "No way should that thing have been able to withstand my attack!"

"Well, it clearly did!" Centipede swiped rain from his eyes. "But I'm with ya, Rin. I don't see how it could've survived that!"

"It's not real!"

Rin glanced down at James. The little boy was clearly still shaking, but his brown eyes were fixed on the Rhino and the expression on his face was not one of fear, but of realization.

"The Rhino, Rin. It's not real. It's not really there! Like your bag."

"Like my..." Rin glanced down at the kitsune bag still tied to her shorts as she realized what James was saying. "It's an illusion! Now I understand! That's why my attacks couldn't hurt it! There's nothing to hurt!"

"Perhaps not, but that lightning can still do damage to us!" Mr. Grasshopper pointed out. "And unless we have a way to dispel the illusion, we need to get as far away from it as possible."

"Can something be done?" Mrs. Ladybug asked, clutching her hat and purse against the wind.

"I... I don't know," Rin admitted. By now, the Rhino had finished reforming itself and it was pawing at the clouds at its feet. "I don't even know where the illusion is coming from!"

"I think I know."

"James?"

"What is it, dear?"

"Rin, I think I have to fly with you to meet it," James said.

"What?"

"No, James! It's too dangerous!"

"We cannot put you in danger, James."

"Are you sure, James?" Rin asked, ignoring the others.

James met his sister's golden eyes. "I think so. I think... I think it's after me."

"James-"

"No, really! Look, it's waiting!"

Everyone turned to look back at the Rhino. Sure enough, the shadowy beast hadn't moved closer, but remained hovering in midair. It snorted and growled, its eyes never leaving the peach as it swung its head in an obvious challenge.

James looked up at the rest of his family. "No one else was scared of the Rhino, only me! I know you said you don't know how it got here, Rin, but I think it only fought you so it could try and get me! Like... like how it got Mum and Dad."

Rin stared at her brother, clenching her fists hard enough to dig her claws into her palms. Every instinct in her body was fighting against James's idea; she would rather cut the silk tethers herself and send the peach along with her brother and family back toward the sea while she stayed to battle the Rhino until she dropped! But maybe... if what James said was true... maybe...

"Are you certain about this, James-chan?"

"Rin, you cannot be serious!"

"I wish I wasn't!" the half-demon snapped back. "But the fact is I don't have the energy to attempt another screech attack and even if I did, we know it won't work."

"Then we should be doing something!" Mr. Grasshopper insisted. "It's our job to protect you and James, not the other way around!"

Rin shook her head, glad the rain disguised any helpless tears that flew from her eyes. "Not this time. There's nothing you can do here. I think James is right; the only way to get rid of this thing is for him to face it."

An eager roar punctuated the half-demon's words. The Rhino's eyes gleamed with what could only be obvious glee.

"It's practically begging for you to run to it!" Earthworm protested. "You'd be mad to do it!"

"Earthworm, Rin and I have to! I know it!"

"James!" Miss Spider pulled James to her in a tight hug. "If you are certain..."

"I am."

"Then... be careful."

In an instant, the little boy and the half-demon were swarmed by the six adults, all of them clutching the siblings tightly in sheer desperation. Despite the gravity of the situation, Rin took a moment to return the embrace of those holding her.

"You have my word I won't let anything happen to James."

"Don't let anything happen to either of you!" Mrs. Ladybug insisted. "Oh, there must be something we can-"

The Rhino roared impatiently. With a loud crack, a stream of lightning burst from its horn and shot toward the peach. The crackling missile barely missed the peach, but the fruit rocked wildly from the shock waves, nearly sending the travelers tumbling off their feet.

"I think that thing just made it clear there ain't." Centipede clenched his own fists. "Looks like we gotta let the kids handle this."

"Then let's end this." Rin crouched down. "Ready, James?"

"Yes." James held tightly to his family members for one last moment before disentangling himself from their arms and climbing onto his sister's back. "Let's go, Rin."

"Alright." Rin paused, then turned to look at her family one last time. "It might be better if you climbed the ropes a bit. They're swaying enough and moving targets are harder to hit. The last thing you want it to be on or in the peach if it aims another lightning strike at you."

"Just come back to us!" Miss Spider insisted as she and the others began to climb the seagull strings.

"We will! I promise!" James called back. The little boy held tightly to his sister's shoulders as the half-demon once more took flight, speeding right for the waiting Rhino.

"Right, James-chan, what do you need me to do?"

"Fly right toward it!" James pointed at the Rhino's face. "Look, I don't think it's as strong as it was!"

Squinting against the driving rain, Rin could see what James meant. The Rhino's formally jet black body and face were now streaked with ashy grey. The beast snorted and raised its horn again, but this time pieces of cloud broke off its body and vanished. True, it wasn't enough to take away from the Rhino's imposing stature, but it was something!

"Maybe your attack did do something, Rin!"

"Maybe. Or maybe the fact that you're willing to face it is already weakening the illusion! C'mon, James-chan, let's finish it!"

"Yeah!"

The Rhino snorted again, but for the first time, Rin saw the creature hesitate. Its eyes were still narrowed and as the siblings approached, it raised its horn high, sparks flickering from the tip. Still, it didn't move.

"Well? You wanted us and here we are!" Rin snarled, flapping her wings hard against the wind.

The Rhino snorted, but turned its attention toward James. Shaking its head, it gnashed its teeth at the little boy, eagerly pawing at the clouds scattered around its feet.

"That's what happened in the book!" James sat up a bit straighter on Rin's back, his eyes wide as he watched the cloudy beast. "But..." James stared at the Rhino for a moment before asking,

"Can you get a little closer, Rin?"

"Hai, a bit. What're you going to do?"

"I think... I think I need to get as close to its eyes as I can."

"Alright. Hold on!"

With an extra hard flap, Rin sent her and her brother soaring past the Rhino's horn and directly toward its left eye. The Rhino gnashed its teeth again, but to Rin's surprise, it actually seemed to take a step back as it stared at the siblings. The wind and rain lashed down on Rin and James, but the half-demon fought against the gale to hold them steady as the little boy stared down at the massive creature.

"You're not real!"

The Rhino snarled at the sound of James's voice, but the little boy didn't break eye contact.

"I know you're not real!" James insisted. "The Rhino from the book wasn't real and neither are you! I know Mum and Dad died in a storm, but it wasn't your storm! You can't hurt my family and you can't hurt me!"

The Rhino trumpeted again, but its body started to flicker as more of the thick black clouds were replaced by grey mist. The Rhino shook its head as parts of its body flickered in and out of sight.

"You've got it, James-chan! The illusion's breaking!" Rin bared her fangs in a triumphant grin at the rapidly retreating Rhino. "Not so tough now, are you?"

"You're not tough at all!" James declared and Rin could've sworn she heard a hint of laughter in her brother's voice. "You're not even scary anymore! I'm not afraid of you!"

This time, the Rhino gave vent to what sounded like a cross between a roar and a shriek. Its head shook wildly from side to side as though it was in pain. The last of the black body vanished, leaving only the head and horn behind. But the glowing eyes and gnashing teeth remained and this time, Rin felt a surge of power coming from the creature as lightning started to crackle along its horn once more.

"Chikushou! It's going to attack again! Probably using the last of its power to try and strike us down!"

Fighting against the wind, Rin turned and sped back toward the peach. The wind leant her speed, but she could hear the gathering lightning behind her. A loud crack off to her left was all the warning she received and the half-demon managed to dodge to the right as a stream of pure electricity shot past her close enough so that Rin felt the heat of strike graze her wing. James gasped and ducked down, clinging to Rin as tightly as he could. The six bugs, meanwhile, began calling out to the half-demon from their positions in the silk strings.

"Rin, you have to get back here!"

"Hurry! It's still after you!"

"Fly faster! You can get away!"

"It's nearly gone! You're almost there! Come on!"

By now, Rin was close enough so that she could see her family waving frantically at her and James. The wind and rain were still doing their best to slow the half-demon down, but Rin clenched her teeth tight in a defiant snarl against the elements as she sped back to the peach with James. Another ominous crackle caused Rin to look over her shoulder and what she saw made her heart nearly stop in her chest.

The Rhino's head had nearly vanished completely; only the vaguest outline of its horn was still visible. But the lightning gathering at the tip of the horn was bright enough to put even the lights of New York to shame. Even from a distance, Rin could feel the power in the coming strike. But what worried her was the simple fact that the lightning was not being aimed at her, but rather it was clearly meant for the little boy riding on her back. Rin had just made it to the peach and was hovering over the tunnel entrance when the attack came.

With a final roar, the Rhino vanished and the lightning sped toward Rin and James. The speeding mass of crackling light needed only a few seconds to find its mark, but that was all the time Rin needed.

She knew what she had to do.

With a furious twist, Rin jerked James off her back. The little boy gave a shout of dismay as he lost his grip on Rin's shoulders, but in the same instant, Rin caught her brother and folded him safely in her wings. Time seemed to slow to a halt around the half-demon; she didn't feel the wind or rain, she didn't hear her family's horrified cries, she barely even registered James's beating heart. Instead, her world was engulfed in a flash of white light and a hot agony that raced through her body like a thousand suns.

And then, nothing but darkness.
~

Don't worry, I didn't die! Though I guess I can't blame my family for thinking otherwise at the moment.