Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Shura's Quest ❯ Scene 33 ( Chapter 33 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
Scene 33 ------------------------------------------- The Black Forest

* A couple of feasting bat demons look up from their fresh kill as a green sphere shoots overhead. It zigzags, staying just above the trees, as it follows an invisible trail that grows stronger. Suddenly, it pulls to a stop to hover over a wide, dark river. The sphere dissolves into the form of Durga. Her filmy, shimmering green gown whips around her in the stiff breeze as she looks around. By the aura she had been trailing she knows that her target is nearby, but her scanning eyes can't find him. This can only mean one thing: He's submerged. Durga looks down at the dark flowing waters beneath her.


Durga-
Mahisasura! Come forth!


* For a few moments nothing happens, then the waters stir downstream a short distance away.


Durga-
Show yourself, Mahisasura!


* Calmly, the huge water buffalo demon raises his head, shakes it, then looks up at her.


Mahisasura-
Mother Durga, why do you disturb me?

Durga- I'm not here to play games with you or exchange pleasantries!


* She zips down to face him, unafraid in her anger. The large demon just looks back at her, chewing his cud lazily.


Durga-
I just came from the hidden Kitsune Valley.. I seen what you did to that clan..


* The great beast snorts sending a spray of water toward the goddess. She blinks away a moment so the shower misses her.


Durga-
Do not anger me further, Bull!

Mahisasura- Go back to your posh castle, Mother.. I'm going back to my nap.


* Mahisasura yawns widely and begins to submerge again. Durga's eyes flare at his disrespect. She looks down at the river and directs a wide beam of the sun toward it to superheat the water. When it begins to boil the Water Buffalo demon roars as he leaps up out of the river.


Mahisasura-
What is your problem?!


* Durga glares at him.


Durga-
You murdered innocent creatures!


* The Buffalo bellows angrily.


Mahisasura-
Innocent?!


* Mahisasura stomps over to look her in the eyes. Durga crosses her arms, but doesn't flinch.


Mahisasura-
Do you think I live in this river because I enjoy it?! - I was once a very rich demon in this region! Look at that dismal forest,.. Mother!


* He waves his hand out over the dark, ugly knarled trees that line the river as he sneers her title.


Mahisasura-
My territory.. this forest.. was once beautiful and lush! Do you not remember?!

Durga- Yes.. I do remember.. I also remember when this river ran as clear as crystal..

Mahisasura- Yeah.. And then they passed through.. That rogue band of thieving kitsunes! - They stole all of my riches, burnt my home to the ground,.. and used their cursed plant manipulations to turn my forest.. into that!


* Durga looks over the forest again.


Durga-
How are you sure that it was the clan that you destroyed?

Mahisasura- Lord Shura's wizard showed me everything..


* Durga looks back at the lumbering demon again.


Durga-
He lied to you!

Mahisasura- Can you prove otherwise?!


* Mahisasura stares back at her puffing angrily.


Durga-
It would take research.. I'd have to go back nearly five hundred years.. I don't have time to do that right now. But if you'll co-operate..

Mahisasura- Co-operate?


* The Buffalo snorts his annoyance in her face.


Mahisasura-
I.. owe.. you.. nothing! - You never showed up to intervene five hundred years ago..

Durga- Innocent lives of children were not in danger five hundred years ago! You were of age to settle your own problems..!


* Mahisasura nods.


Mahisasura-
Yeah.. And I did.. Now leave me alone!


* He turns and starts to lumber back down toward the cooling river.


Durga-
Tell me where they are, Mahisasura!


* The demon pauses then shakes his large head.


Mahisasura-
Stay out of this, Princess.

Durga- You will tell me!


* Durga holds her hand out and an ornate wooden trident appears in her grasp.


Durga-
Or you will suffer my wrath!


* Mahisasura turns to bellow angrily at her again.


Mahisasura-
I don't fear you, Durga! Leave me alone!


* The Water Buffalo gulps in some of the river and blows it toward the goddess. Durga blurs up out of the way of the blast. Mahisasura waves his hooved hand toward her as she dodges and a second wave from the river slaps her away toward the trees.


Mahisasura-
You're no match for me, little Princess!


* Durga streaks up just before slamming into the trees. She points her trident at Mahisasura.


Durga-
This is your last chance, Mahisasura! Let me take the two kits and I'll leave you alone to wallow in your self-pity.


* Mahisasura laughs deeply, causing the dark forest to rumble with its echo.


Mahisasura-
Kill me and you'll never find them.

Durga- I don't want to hurt you.. but I will.. Now turn over those kits!


* Mahisasura's eyes begin to glow.


Mahisasura-
No!! They will bring me the last two members of that clan.. Then my revenge will be complete.. Now be gone!

Durga- You leave me no choice, my son..


* When the trident begins to glow Mahisasura transforms into his true, even larger demon form. He swipes his massive front hooves in the air as he readies to charge. He avoids the first blast from her trident as he begins roaring toward her. Durga just manages to avoid his trampling hooves as she blurs aside. The Buffalo bellows again and turns to charge at her once more. Again she eludes him.


Durga-
Stop this madness, Mahisasura!!


* She levels the trident again. This time her blast grazes the charging demon's shoulder. He rages and smacks her with his tree-like tail as she attempts to dodge again. The hit is hard enough to send her reeling into the dark river below. Being the goddess of nature, though, it doesn't bother her to stay submerged. While she is down under the murky water she begins to look around. Just as she spots the demon's underwater cave she hears the great splash as Mahisasura crashes into the river after her. Durga decides to head for the cave. Mahisasura's roar makes the river churn.


Mahisasura-
No!!


* Durga smirks, knowing now that the kits must be hidden somewhere in his monstrous cave. She notices two entrances as she swims closer and ducks into the smaller one. Mahisasura is too angry to notice that she's led him into the more narrow passage, he just gives chase blindly. Durga suddenly finds herself in a deadend branch of the tunnel system and turns to look around frantically, hearing her pursuer growing closer as he barely manages to squeeze through the tunnel after her. Durga looks up to find a couple holes in the ceiling of the cavern, takes a chance and swims up into one of them just as Mahisasura crashes in. Durga swims as quickly as she can along the higher tunnel until she comes back out of the second hole behind the demon. She smirks as she finds the Buffalo blindly butting his head against the smaller hole.


Durga-
Into oblivion for your crimes, Mahisasura!


* By the time the demon turns around to find her the blast from her trident is already upon him. There is no where in this cavern for him to dodge the explosion. Durga escapes quickly as that section of the cave system collapses in on Mahisasura's disintegrating remains. Durga narrowly escapes the avalanching tunnel as she darts into another larger side tunnel. When everything is once more dark and quiet, the goddess sends out her senses to look for any other energy signatures nearby. She locates two very small, weak auras and makes her way through the myriad of tunnels until she finally swims upward into a large, air-filled cavern. Moonlight filters in through the large airhole in the ceiling to light the cavern.


Durga-
This must have been Mahisasura's main living chamber..


* As soon as she speaks she hears a weak whimpering sound. She follows it over to the darkest corner of the cavern and finds a metal slatted box.


Durga-
Hiedo? Jonelle?


* Another whimper and some weak scratching answers her.


Durga-
It's me, children. Mother Durga.. I'm going to dispell this box now.. Please close your eyes.. Whimper when you're ready.


* A brief moment of silence, then she hears the whimper again.


Durga-
Okay.. Here we go.


* Durga touches her trident to the box and watches it shimmer to dust leaving two very small, huddled fox kits unharmed. The boy kit tries to transform back into his humanoid shape, but he is too weak. Instead he sobs and tries to nudge his unmoving sister. Durga kneels and gently lays her hands on both of them to give them a small burst of energy.


Durga-
There we go.. That will sustain you two until we can find your Father..


* Hiedo yips weakly as she gathers them both up into her arms. Durga envelopes herself in the green sphere again and shoots up out of the cavern through the large airhole.


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Wow, this was a long scene to type out, but I just couldn't trim it down from the paper version. How was this for an action scene? I'm anxious for your feedback. If you google either Durga or Mahisasura you'll come across the legend that I based this fight on.