InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Heaven ❯ The Revolution ( Chapter 22 )

 

Dark Heaven

 

Chapter 22

 

The Revolution

 

Naraku turned and faced the podium before him as Myoga stepped back. He looked out over the sea of cameras and took a breath. He had waited his entire life for this moment, and he was not going to screw up.

 

“Ladies of gentlemen of the press, viewers at home. Make no mistake that no one can ever replace Councilor Shikon. I am proud to call her a personal friend, a savior to us, and an incredible leader. Her legacy will not be soon forgotten. And I myself plan to never forget who ended that legacy.” Naraku's face turned dark on the TV, and Kagome swore she felt a chill go down her spine.

 

“I'm sure it is no secret, there have been more Renegade attacks than in the three years prior. I have been investigating these attacks on my own time, and I fear that what is on the surface just another crime wave is the work of a youkai underground. We have seen first-hand the rise of the Renegades, their pointed, deliberate attacks on historical landmarks, the sudden appearance of Angel and Silver, not to mention the two youkai attacks that have ended our dear Councilor Shikon's life, one of which was identified as Sesshomaru Taisho.” Naraku took a breath and let his words sink in for a moment.

 

“As horrible and as ghastly as it may seem, there is a higher order designating these atrocities, and we cannot be blinded any longer. As of right now, Angel and Silver, both Renegades in our fair city, are official outlaws. Myoga, I want you to assemble an elite force to hunt the two down and bring them in,” Naraku glanced over his shoulder at the Chief of Police, who nodded nervously. “Once they have been brought to justice, we must turn our attention not to the Renegades, but to the youkai community as a whole. All registered youkai in Haven will be brought in for questioning immediately, and following this, will either be jailed or escorted out of the Haven city limits. The strike force that captured Silver and Angel will round up all remaining Renegades. We shall unearth this youkai underground, and stop them before they destroy us. The House of Taisho has stood silent for months, with no comment. Well, I have a comment: we will not be made fearful and helpless within our own city! This is Haven, our city, not theirs, and it is time we teach them that! Let the word go out to all youkai who would dare do a human harm that we will stand united, and fight back.”

 

Naraku spun around and marched out of the room as a press erupted into a flurry of commotion. Myoga wiped his brow as the remaining eleven Councilors looked among themselves. One stood up and followed Naraku into the hall.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Naraku!” The new Head of Council stopped and chuckled as Kikyo furiously walked up to him.

 

“Councilor Tama, what troubles you?” He asked, turning around. Kikyo narrowed her eyes.

 

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” She hissed. “Naraku, you're pushing youkai-human relations back to post-war times, do you have any idea what this will do?”

 

“It will show our youkai `brothers' that we will not be terrorized,” Naraku said coldly. “They persecute our criminals and our renegades that sneak into their borders, yet they will not help us do the same to the renegades of Haven. Under my tutelage we shall cast off this cloak of fear and submission the youkai have covertly thrown over us. I will not let my city be held under a youkai thumb any longer.”

 

“You're Head of Council for five minutes and you've already stuck your head up your ass,” Kikyo snorted. “The youkai will treat this witch hunt as they should, with hostility and violence, and what of the humans? Do you honestly believe that suspicion and conspiracy won't spring up? You might as well have gone and declared war on Horai for God's sake!” Kikyo shook her head and turned. “I'll have no part of this.” She stepped forward, and Naraku grabbed her arm.

 

“Don't you dare walk away from me!” He snarled, grabbing her other shoulder and spinning her around. “I am acting in the name of this city for the good of its people, Kikyo, and I don't have to take your dissidence any longer. You will learn to fall in line, or you can consider yourself off the Council.” Kikyo's eyes widened, and Naraku smiled, pleased his threat had the desired effect. “That's better, now, I want the Councilors to-.”

 

Naraku was cut off as Kikyo's fist slammed into his jaw, and the Head of Council stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and collapsing onto the floor. Naraku felt his lips and licked the blood away from where Kikyo's blow had cracked the skin. He growled and climbed to his feet as Kikyo vanished through the doors at the end of the hall.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

The Cryer offices looked like a war zone as Kagome trudged inside. The streets were already becoming home to small mobs, and it wouldn't take long for the masses to organize. Several police cruisers with youkai passengers had passed her as she headed for work, keeping her head low in case someone, somehow, recognized her. Naraku had ordered the capture of all youkai, but he had made it blatantly clear she and Inuyasha were on the top of his list.

 

“Inside sources say that Councilor Three Kikyo Tama was seen leaving the scene before Council was called, and no Councilors have been reached for comment. It appears now that the Council of Thirteen is, for the moment, the Council of Eleven.”

 

Kagome stopped for a moment at the low sound of a radio coming from the broom closet, and pulled it open. Shippo sat on the floor, listening to a small headset. He looked up and let out a breath.

 

“I didn't want them to find me,” He muttered, standing up. Kagome turned and looked out the window. Another mod was barely being held at bay by the cops.

 

“They won't be here for a while. Come on.” Shippo followed her down the rows of cubicles, only half of which were full - the Cryer staff seemed strangely absent. The door to Sango's office creaked open, and the two entered. Kagome closed the door and jumped.

 

“What's he doing here?” She asked, pointing at Inuyasha. This time her ex had dropped the human guise and sat in his true hanyou form by the window.

 

“I brought him. We were waiting for you,” Miroku replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

 

“You knew his was a hanyou?” Kagome asked.

 

“Of course he knew, he was covering for me,” Inuyasha replied. “Sango said you saw the news,” Kagome cast a glance at her employer, who was on the phone.

 

“Yeah. This isn't good, there's already mobs, riots aren't far away. It's going to be panic in the streets, and I doubt Silver and Angel will be enough to hold it back.”

 

“Kagome,” Sango spoke up. “You're coming with me later this afternoon, we've got an interview with Naraku.” She turned back to the phone. “Yeah, Sango Taijiya, and Kagome Kirei, about 4PM…”

 

“Higurashi,” Kagome corrected. Sango looked up. “I found out what my name is. It's Higurashi.” Sango smiled and nodded.

 

“Right, sorry, Taijiya and Higurashi…thanks.” Sango hung up. “If it weren't for the fact three of my friends were facing the slammer, I'd be damn cheerful right about now.” Miroku pursed his lip.

 

“Inuyasha, you said you have an ear in the House,” He said. “What do you know about this youkai underground Naraku claims to be weeding out?” Inuyasha folded his arms, and Kagome turned away from Sango to stare at her ex. She knew they still had a lot of talking to do, but unfortunately, the impending end of the world needed their attention first.

 

“We've known for a while there's a youkai underground, we're still trying to dig up more information. All we know is they have their eyes set on the Council,” The hanyou supplied. “We didn't want to tell anyone here because we were worried we'd raise suspicion and cause a panic.” He looked out the window and snorted. “Keh, seems a little redundant now.”

 

“Any idea of who might be involved?” Kagome asked. Inuyasha shook his head.

 

“We figure they've probably got a spy or two in both governments, but that's just common sense. They've been very secretive so far, all covert operations. It doesn't help that there's no real sense to their attacks,” He replied. “Museums, old mines outside of the cities, the sewers, libraries. You'd think if they wanted to take over they'd hit the military or something.”

 

“That is odd,” Miroku agreed. “Why on earth would they be attacking places like that?”

 

“Maybe it has something to do with the Great War,” Kagome supplied. “Virtually all records of the world before that time are lost, we know nothing of what society was like before youkai and human turned on each other.”

 

“My dad told me a few stories,” Inuyasha muttered. “Youkai ruled for the most part, with humans more or less being lesser citizens. They were little more than slaves. The war lasted more than a decade, a lot of the older youkai were killed. Most of the youkai around now aren't old enough to remember the war.”

 

“So whoever is in charge of this underground must desire to claim something from the pre-war era, if they are seeking something in libraries and museums,” Shippo said. “Any idea what they might be looking for?”

 

“I have an idea.”

 

The five looked up as the door to Sango's office clicked close. Kikyo set her briefcases down and stared at Sango.

 

“If you want a story listen up. I think I know what the youkai are after.”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“The press have got you booked up for the next three days with interviews,” Naraku's secretary said, following him down the hall. “Gerome Harvey from the Star is going to be here at three, Sango Taijiya and Kagome Higurashi at scheduled for four, then you have someone who didn't give their name at five from the Telegram.” The secretary was cut off as she bumped into Naraku's back. Naraku cleared his throat.

 

“Who…who was coming at four?” He asked. The secretary looked over the clipboard in her hands.

 

“Sango Taijiya and Kagome Higurashi, from the Haven Cryer,” She said.

 

“Taijiya…and Higurashi?” Naraku confirmed.

 

“Yes…sir, is something wrong?” His secretary asked. Naraku shook his head and grinned.

 

“Excuse me. I have to make a phonecall.”