InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Single Wish ❯ Scroll Seven ( Chapter 7 )

A Single Wish

 

By: OtakuSailorV

 

*~* Scroll Seven - Miko and Leviathan *~*

 

“The seal has been broken,” Naraku uttered in a cold tone as he narrowed his crimson eyes on the well house.

 

“What?!” Kagome cried, shocked by his words, and turned just in time to hear several screams and growls punctuate the air. They were the ghastly roars of mindless youkai; she knew those cries all too well from her travels in the Sengoku Jidaii.

 

Why now, though? Why was the seal coming undone now? Was her world falling apart? This was an absolute nightmare!

 

Thunder rumbled overhead and touched down in the trees behind the well house. There were more moans and howls; and suddenly the roof of the well house was blown away entirely. A cascade of demons fell forward, crashing into each other as they frantically worked to escape into the night air.

 

Naraku watched them stream into the sky and scuttle into the darkness dully, while Kagome gasped; she was about to run in for her bow when she stopped.

 

“We have to stop them,” she cried, knowing full well that he would find no reason to kill the creatures that were continually pushing out of the well.

 

Naraku looked over at her and looked as if he might roll his eyes in disgust at how righteous she was about everything. She would have had more luck getting Sesshoumaru to smile than getting Naraku to lift a finger for someone besides himself. Kagome gave up when he did not reply and disappeared into her house, making sure to lock the doors behind her.

 

Her family was surprised by her sudden intrusion and her mother met her with a barrage of questions that Kagome didn't hear as she raced to her room. Souta was huddled under a blanket in his room, and as much as she wanted to comfort him, she knew that time was of the essence.

 

Racing to her room, she yelled over her shoulder: “No time to explain, mom; don't go outside!”

 

Clumsily, she rushed to grab her bow and quiver, nearly dumping the arrows out and stumbling over her own feet in her rush. Her panicked mind let out a flurry of fearful yelps as she made it to her still-open window and launched herself outside again. Forcing the window shut from the outside, she ran along the tiles - nearly slipping several times - and finally jumped to the ground below.

 

Her knees buckled, ankles grinding and bones popping painfully. Wincing, she ran back to the Goshinboku with a trembling limp.

 

In the back of her mind, she knew that her family was watching her; watching for the first time as she went to battle, shaky and pained. She'd never been so frightened since her first days in the Sengoku Jidaii; and she knew beyond a doubt that her anxiety was not for herself, but for the unsuspecting people that would encounter the escaping demons. What repercussions would this create? What was her family thinking right now, as they watched her fire arrows at beasts out of legend? Surely they must have guessed that her time-traveling involved some form of danger beyond their comprehension, but how much of this were they prepared for really?

 

Releasing another arrow, she turned her thoughts elsewhere. She really wasn't sure what she planned on doing; she only had so many arrows and there were literally hundreds of demons scurrying about. Even more had already escaped…

 

Her arrows cut through the air, surrounded by a bright pink aura, striking down monstrous blue oni, rat demons with three vicious red eyes, and other various monsters too evil and foul for description.

 

At the thought of `evil,' she turned, momentarily distracted by the absence of one being: Naraku. Eyes widening, she realized that he no longer was standing where he had before. In fact, he wasn't anywhere that she could see at all. Not able to believe her own stupidity in overlooking the dark hanyou's absence, she raced to another position, scouting for him while also firing more arrows at random into the hoard of demons.

 

“Do you really think you can stop them all?”

 

Kagome nearly ran into him as she swung her head back in front of her after shooting off yet another arrow. Surprised, she stumbled back a few paces, not wanting to make any form of contact with him at all, even if it was on accident.

 

She scowled, “I will,” she replied tersely, though she knew that it was a lie. The odds were against her, and even if by some miracle Naraku ended up helping her at this point, it would still be hard to find every last youkai that had escaped. Not only that, but she couldn't even fight anymore, once she was out of arrows…But she wouldn't think about that now, she'd deal with that when the time came.

 

The next arrow was released at random into the air, clipping the wings of one youkai which fell with a horrid scream into the forest. The arrow continued climbing until it struck another youkai full-on and burst into a burst of light; the pure and impure energies unable to tolerate each other.

 

The surrounding demons hissed and screamed as their comrade's fell, hurrying away from the explosion of energy; lest they be touched by the remnants of the ancient powers and be overcome. Several already had thus fallen prey, and writhed painfully before fading to dust.

 

Sweat formed on Kagome's brow, and her cheeks ignited pink as she gasped for breath, not used to shooting her arrows with such vigor and rapid succession; much less so after her run to and from her house, and the creeping anxiety that threatened to cripple her completely. Sure, she had been in situations where she'd had to fire rapidly before, but in those times she'd had her friends with her also. And she'd been horribly out of practice since the well had sealed up; she hadn't seen any reason to continue practicing when this ability was of no use to anyone anymore.

 

It wasn't like she'd ever been the one doing the protecting before either, though. She'd always shoot an arrow at the opportune moment, or fire at demons at random, but she'd never really been the one fighting. It was always Inuyasha and the others fighting while she stayed behind with Shippo, cheering them on and feeling guilty for her own helplessness. She just wasn't strong like they were; she wasn't even half as strong as Kikyou, who she was supposed to be the reincarnation of. Of what real use was she? Always dragging them down…

 

The whole time, Naraku watched her, sensing all of her negative emotions and delighting in them. Yes, it was right that she should suffer; and this self-doubt that threatened to eat away at her from the inside could prove a potent weapon for him as well. Smirking to himself, he continued to watch her desperate attempt to fight.

 

The haunting face of the deceased miko passed before Kagome's eyes, and she blinked stubbornly to blot it out again. No, she wouldn't think about that now. There was something more at stake; she was being counted on this time to stop the evil before it spread. She had to keep going, she couldn't waste her time dwelling on the past like that.

 

Even as these thoughts crossed her mind, her fingers fumbled at the rim of her quiver, fingers plucking heatedly at what was no longer there. She'd run out of arrows!

 

With a jolt she realized that she had already finished off her two-dozen or so arrows that she'd had left from the feudal era. Her mouth hung open, and she swiftly snapped it shut again, her eyes searching swiftly for any arrows that might not have been destroyed already amongst the demon remains. Catching sight of an arrow that was still lodged in the eye of a rather large insect-demon, she raced forward and pulled it out, ignoring the smell and oozes that followed.

 

A demon swung low, and without thinking, she stabbed at it with the arrow and then proceeded to notch it and fire at random. It struck home somewhere, for she heard the dying scream of the demon nearby.

 

Her muscles quivered, her limbs shook, and adrenaline pumped through her like mad as she searched for more of her arrows. She was surprised by the fact that the demons avoided her completely, not even bothering to look at her as she pushed through their midst. It was almost as if they were attempting to get away from something…

 

Kagome came to an abrupt halt as she came close to the half-ruined well house; her attention fixated on something that suddenly struck her as odd. The demons were in a complete frenzy as they pushed to escape the well house, completely mad with fear. They scrambled and crawled, crying out in ecstasy before trampling others of their kind to get away from the well. Her previous thought of their odd avoidance of her struck her again and this time she began to piece things together somewhat. These lesser demons were not the ones that had broken the seal on the well; they were only being herded before the giant power that was attempting to come from the other side. Even as this dawned on her, she could feel the inklings of a huge demonic power creeping closer and closer.

 

What little remained of the well house was torn asunder, and the demons fought against every last beam and post to create a bigger hole for them to escape from. Kagome stared, dumbfounded by what she was watching, her mind fumbling to comprehend the spontaneous madness that had so suddenly taken over her life. The demons jostled with renewed vigor, bumping, pushing and shoving past her now as a renewed fear ran through the air.

 

“Idiotic girl.”

 

Then she was up, the plaintive cries of the dying demons and the horrible, overwhelming stench of blood following her as she was dragged higher and higher into the sky. With a loud `crash,' he landed on the roof of her house, crushing the blue tiles with the force of his landing. He looked pained and he roughly shoved her aside, unable to keep touching her for more than a moment.

 

He would have liked to see her crushed to death beneath that wreckage and hoard of demons, but if he was guessing correctly, then he would need her quite soon, and he was not about to let a tool die so easily. Besides, if she were going to die, he would be the one doing the killing.

 

Carelessly, Naraku flicked the demon blood from his claws, reveling in the sight of the devastation below him.

 

Ah, it seemed like forever, since he had last seen such carnage, and some distant bloodlust stirred, urging him to loose himself and join in the killing if only for the pleasure of it. Naraku withheld, though, knowing that the frenzy with which the demons fled was not because of his presence. There was something bigger coming, something which he wanted to see with his own eyes.

 

Kagome glared at him sidelong; for a moment she had been about to thank him for helping her before she checked herself. A mental barrage of anger and resentment flew about; why should she thank him?! This was probably his fault in the first place!

 

“What did you do?!” she demanded angrily, gesturing at her ruined home and shrine. In the back of her mind, she knew that she was acting irrational, but with everything that was going on, she didn't care.

 

He smirked, a cold, vicious snarl that chilled her to the bone. His crimson eyes glowed brilliantly in the mounting darkness. “I wish I could lay claim to such a splendid moment, but no, this is not my doing. If anything, you have only to blame yourself,” and he smiled ever more wickedly as a shock rippled through her.

 

Shocked, a cold ripple moved through her that froze her in place. This was her doing? Immediately, her wish on the Shikon no Tama flashed into her mind, and dread filled her.

 

“No, something else is coming, little miko,” he continued. “Sit still and you shall see.”

 

Almost as if his words had summoned it, a huge tremor rocked the eart, causing Kagome to stumble on the broken roof tiles. Tripping, she fell on the sharp fragments, skinning her palms and receiving a nasty cut on her knee. She cursed under her breath as she tried to nurse the bleeding wounds; the earthquake sirens sounded throughout the city immediately, followed by the wail of ambulance and police cars. How confused they would all be when they discovered that this was no earthquake at all…

 

The demons - all of them - were suddenly gone, vanishing in their tracks with horrid shrieks that rent the air. They all dissolved into dust and were blown away by a powerful, blasting wind that issued from the cracks created by the previous tremor. Thick, strenuous strands of miasma leaked from the well and the cracks in the earth, grasping at any and all life that surrounded it. It sucked the very essence from the neighboring trees, bushes, bugs, and other plants; forest animals scattered in its wake, birds took to the air only to be overrun and die in mid-flight.

 

With a mighty crack, the earth split and a giant splash of demonic light burst from the ruined well house, intermixed with the faintest highlight of a purer energy as well. There was a hideous cry that rebounded all around them, filling their ears with its mournful wail that drowned out all other thoughts and sounds. The universe itself seemed to hold still in the wake of that cry; an uneasy, strained silence followed, only to be punctuated again by another ear-splitting roar.

 

Kagome covered her ears, unable to bear listening to the noise without great tears welling into her eyes. Despite her efforts, though, the sound pierced through and steeped her thoughts in nothing but sorrow and regret. She let out a cry; trickles of blood running from underneath her cupped hands as her eardrums were permeated by the noise.

 

Another mighty crack and the earth heaved upward, a great evil viciously pushing against it, writhing as it strained to break into the darkness.

 

Naraku grabbed Kagome's arm roughly, dragging her back to her feet with a jerk and forcing her to watch everything that was happening. The appearance of the miasma had strengthened him, and a brilliant smirk dawned his lips, willing him to resist the spiritual power of the miko. She trembled against him, still too distracted by her own pain and confusion to fully grasp what was going on.

 

“Look what your wish has done, little miko,” he snarled in her ear, delighting in the shiver that ran up her spine. She fought briefly to pull away, but he held her tight, his dark eyes dancing with a perverse amusement as he too watched the earth peel back.

 

Noticing that she had turned her face aside defiantly, he grasped her chin and forced her to face forward again. This halted her struggling entirely, her muscles growing weak as she saw the wretched creature that had broken the seal on the well.

 

Kagome froze in fear and utter shock, her eyes wide, pupils dilated. Her entire body felt like it had been drenched in cold water, and her limbs shuddered and turned to liquid, unable to support her in the face of this horrid leviathan.

 

She knew no better name for it than that, for it was neither one thing, nor the other, but a towering conglomeration of demons, plants, and animals so foul that it was by far the most hideous thing to look upon. Never before had she seen anything so ugly, with its grotesque body and pudgy limbs that barely supported it. It reeked of death and despair; its discolored eyes roving about at different angles as its jowls parted to release a steaming, acidic breath which melted the stones scattered about it.

 

Its neck was fat and worm-like, with thin tufts of wiry hair interspersed all over its body, the skin of which looked as if it were melting off of its frame. It was bloated around the middle, with its bones showing in several patches that heaved with every breath it took. A long, snake-like tail dragged on the ground behind it.

 

Terror and fear gripped her and clung at her throat. She wanted to scream, to run from this massive beast which stood so close by; taking up a good two-thirds of what had been the main grounds of her family's shrine. It watched her with a sort of morbid fascination, and slowly began to incline its head forward, as if it wished to get a better look at her.

 

`NO!' Her mind screamed in denial, suddenly jolted awake by the demon's movement. This was not what she had wanted! No, no, not this; she didn't want this! She'd just wanted to see them again, not to face this creature as Naraku held her.

 

Large tears of fear and anxiety swelled at the corners of her eyes as the beast's sausage-like lips peeled back to let loose a blast of its foul, hot breath that smelled of disease. She whimpered pitifully, her voice failing her completely as fear overtook her.

 

Kagome fought to step back, her feet scrambling on the broken roof tiles, but Naraku was like a solid wall. He allowed not even a fraction of an inch be gained by her struggles.

 

No, no, don't let it touch her! She had to get away, to maybe draw its attention away from her family as well. Did it even care for her family, or was she the focus of its attention? The pale, lifeless eyes seemed to stare right through her as it shifted closer and closer. She couldn't keep her thoughts straight for even a second now, a frenzy of sights and sounds barraging her eyes as Naraku forced her to face the beast. Was this what it was like to see her life flashing before her eyes, perhaps? If so, then she must be facing Death right now; it seemed fitting that Naraku be nearby during such a time…

 

Coming back out of the resigned state, she blinked at the specter, feeling her voice come back to life as adrenaline pumped through her veins with a renewed vigor.

 

Finally, she let out a cry that rivaled the giant beasts in volume and pitch. She closed her eyes, feeling the white-hot surge of purifying energy course through her as her anger, fear and sorrow fed into the scream she uttered. Naraku released her with a growl as her world went black…

 

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Woo, sorry it's been SOOOO long again, everyone! I actually had this typed up on my old computer, but the stupid thing refused to send the document to this one or even simply print it for the longest time, so I had to re-write it by hand and then re-type it on this computer. Very sorry!!

 

I hope to work on the rest of my fanfics this week and update them all soon, since now that the holidays are over, I have a lot less to do. (I'm a procrastinator at heart and went and put off a lot of big school projects until the last minute; not to mention SEVERAL I wasn't even AWARE of until 2 weeks before they were due, but that's a long story.)

 

I'm so excited! I STARTED A NARAKU/KAGOME CLUB ON DEVIANTART! Hee, sorry, I'm not usually a caps lock person, but after being on the site for a while and not seeing a single club dedicated to them, I just HAD to create one. I'd be so glad if you'd have a look-see; the link is in my profile!!

 

Well, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll be back soon. Ja'ne!

 

Review Please.