Chapter Text
The air was warm with spring, the dappled afternoon light filtering down through the forest canopy. For the first time in a while, Miroku was hopeful. He may have finally found the village where the Shikon Jewel disappeared, the first known sighting of Naraku. It had been too long since he had even heard mention of the demon, and he was anxious to find some new information. Surely, the people here would have to know something – at least more than the sparse sightings and rumours from other villages. Then again, he wondered if anyone would even remember Naraku. It had been fifty years, after all.
He cast the doubt from his mind and focused on the beautiful forest path before him. It dipped between patches of trees and open grassy spaces, all lush from the spring rain. Despite the ache in his muscles that told of too long on the road, Miroku couldn’t help but enjoy the walk. With the absence of other humans around, he was able to let his mind wander. It was a beautiful day, too. The sun was shining, birds were chirping in the glen…and the bones of a humungous demon lay scattered across the ground. Interesting.
Miroku knelt down beside them, running a finger along a vertebra. This demon must have been formidable. The size of it alone would have equalled several humans, and the weaker worm demons of similar size wouldn’t have left a skeleton behind. Not his problem, at least. Miroku cast his mind outward, scanning the area for any more youkai that might be nearby. No youkai, but…something. Something not too far away.
He hummed, straightening. He didn’t particularly want to battle anything today, but if he rid the nearby village of a demon pestering them, they might be more willing to give him what he wanted. There was probably no harm in just looking. He reached into his robes, checking to make sure his sutras were close at hand, and started towards that strange presence.
Deeper into the forest, a tree stood towering over the others around it, branches reaching high into the sky. The strange aura he’d sensed came from that direction, drawing him in with its uniqueness. As he approached, Miroku could make out a patch of red amongst the green. A young man was pinned against the trunk of the large tree, an arrow sticking from his shoulder and broad, ancient vines tangled around him, encasing his chest. They grew over his left shoulder and seemingly around the arrow. He must have been sealed there for years, if not longer. His red robes were crusted in dust and mud, looking weathered but not worn. But it was the man’s white hair that caught Miroku’s eye. It certainly didn’t look like a human colour. That, combined with the dog ears sticking up through the top of his head, told Miroku that he was dealing with something unfamiliar. He’d never seen a demon that looked like this one.
Miroku crept forward, keeping his senses open to any threat. He pressed the base of his ornate staff into the ground until it stuck fast in the forest floor, freeing both his hands. He stepped carefully along the old vines, nervously brushing his hand over the mala beads laced around his other forearm. He peered at the face of the young man – demon? – who appeared to be asleep. Very cautiously, Miroku reached out and poked the man’s shoulder. No response. He peered closer. The fuzzy dog ears were the same colour as the hair, and no human ears were anywhere to be found. But he lacked the facial markings usually found in youkai, be they dog or wolf or whatever this creature was. His nails were half-way between claws and human nails. Maybe his nose was a little more pointed than a regular mortal’s, his bone structure finer overall, but honestly, this demon looked alarmingly human.
Could this be a hanyou? He’d never seen one before. The little he'd heard tended to paint them as much closer to their demon halves, and certainly there was an ethereal beauty to his features that was usually only found in more powerful youkai. And yet, any youkai that could take a human form would be incredibly strong and dangerous. Capturing one was no easy task.
Turning his attention to the arrow sticking from the man’s shoulder, Miroku was almost overwhelmed by the undeniable pull of spiritual energy. Whoever had sealed this hanyou here must have been very powerful. It took far more energy to place a purifying force around something like an arrow – just the thought of it made him feel vaguely nauseous – and to have it remain there for days, let alone years, was incredibly rare. Helpfully rare, in fact. Thinking back to all he knew about the nearby village, Miroku suspected he could place a name to this creature, but he wasn’t sure.
“You there! What’re you up to?”
Miroku spun around at the angry voice. He’d let his guard slip. A handful of men surrounded him, aiming at him with arrows and spears. They didn't appear to be thrilled with his presence in this forest.
“Get away from there!” one of the men shouted, pulling back the string of his bow.
“Wait!” Miroku pleaded, putting up his hands in surrender, but it was too late. A volley of arrows flew at him. Miroku ripped his staff from where it stood and used it to bat away one of the arrows which came dangerously close to hitting him or the hanyou. Apparently, this was a suspicious move. The men’s eyes widened before they ran towards him, some notching fresh arrows.
“I’m not an enemy!” he tried again, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture. “Please, listen to me. I’m a monk and I mean you no harm!”
The men slowed, eyeing him warily. “What is your business here?” one of them called out. "Don't you know that this area is forbidden?"
“I am trying to find the village where the Shikon Jewel disappeared,” he said slowly, calmly. “I only want to talk to some of the elders there, to try and understand what happened fifty years ago.”
The men exchanged uneasy glances but thankfully lowered their weapons. Miroku climbed down from the vines, keeping his eyes fixed on them. There was the usual mistrust on their faces, mingled with some of the disdain he tended to earn when he'd been too long without a proper bath. They were right to be suspicious, with all the bandits and thieves wandering around these days, and he didn’t exactly have a stellar reputation. But as far as these men were concerned, he was a simple monk looking for mutual gain, and they seemed to sense it.
“You’ll follow to the village, monk.”
And he did, casting a final look over his shoulder at the hanyou trapped there. Not his problem.
The men kept in close formation around him as he followed them through the forest, their weapons continually at the ready. He wondered at their response to seeing him, if they treated all newcomers this way, or if he was just lucky. It suggested that something was going on, and that could be a good sign, so long as it didn’t make them extra crotchety. Then again, it could be regular fear of strangers. Miroku knew all too well how dangerous times could be. The sparse rice paddies they walked through to get to the village confirmed at least one of his suspicions. These people were no more than destitute farmers. Their poor aim with their arrows had been testament to their lack of any real training, and the sorry state of their fields showed that they had barely enough to get by. All useful information.
As they cleared the fields to the first row of small huts, Miroku could hear suspicious murmurs from the villagers appearing around him. Was he a token of war? A demon? A spy? It was the middle of rice-planting season – they couldn’t afford a battle. One of the women thought he was handsome. Her husband apparently wasn’t fond of that assessment. Miroku kept his chin up against the dozens of eyes boring into him. He had never been to this village before, so they had no reason to distrust or revile him.
A voice broke through the gathering crowd. “Make way for the High Priestess Kaede!”
Miroku came to a stop as the men around him parted, revealing an old woman. She was heavily stooped with age, but built thick and strong without any signs of aged frailty. She held herself like a warrior, someone who commanded respect with their mere presence. The large, powerful bow slung over her shoulder helped with that, as did the long scar clearly visible around the eye-patch where her right eye used to be. Her robes clearly indicated that she was a miko, not actually a high priestess and certainly no one that would regularly hold immense sway. But her sour expression and the way the men reverently stepped aside spoke volumes of her power in this tiny village. Miroku bowed politely and waited for her to make the first move. She walked up to him and looked him over, obviously suspicious.
“What brings you here, monk?” she asked in a low, clipped voice. “What were you doing in the Forest of Inuyasha?”
Ah, so he was right about the hanyou.
“My name is Miroku,” he replied evenly. “I sought out your village to learn more about the history of the Shikon no Tama.”
This created a ripple in the crowd, and the priestess’s glare intensified. “And what business do you have with the Jewel?”
“I can explain everything, but it’s rather a long story.” He smiled pleasantly. “Perhaps we could sit down to discuss it?”
He didn’t want the entire village listening in, and the idea of sitting down in front of a warm fire was awfully appealing. It had been five days since he’d last been indoors, and the nights were still too cool to be comfortable. So long as there was the promise of information, then this was a good a place as any to try and scrounge up some food. And these people obviously knew something. The priestess had yet to stop glaring at him. The man who had questioned him earlier leaned down to whisper something in her ear.
“Who would invade such a poor village as ours?” she snapped back at him. “We can barely feed ourselves and have nothing of value.”
As she turned her gaze to him once again, Miroku put on his most winning smile, with just a hint of desperation. The miko’s face softened a tad and she grumbled something under her breath before waving him over. “Come with me, monk. We might as well be comfortable.”
He followed her through the village, where more and more people had gathered to watch him. Miroku got the distinct impression that they didn’t get many visitors around here. Which, considering the aforementioned poverty and hostility, wasn’t exactly surprising. There were to many gaunt faces and thin limbs, to many clothes that had been patched too many times. It was an unfortunately common sight these days, and Miroku knew he wouldn’t be able to help.
A cliff cradled the far side of the village like a wall. A small hut was nestled against its base, within sight of what appeared to be a shrine which rested on the plateau above them. The hut was patched in several places, and had a strip of cloth in the doorway instead of a door. Kaede waved Miroku inside and shooed away the rest of the villagers. The inside of the hut was as unassuming as the outside, nowhere near the usual residence of a High Priestess, but Miroku suspected the other houses looked worse. A large black cauldron filled with bone broth bubbled from the heat of a low fire in the irori. A pile of radishes, yams, and other root vegetables sat on the ground beside it. Miroku placed himself as close to the cauldron as he could, both to absorb some of its heat and loudly hint that he would like to be fed. To his surprise, Kaede sat down opposite him and held out a small knife. She seemed unimpressed at his confused expression.
“You can chop vegetables, can you not, monk? Or are you completely useless?”
Miroku smiled despite himself and took the knife. “I like to think not.”
“So,” she said conversationally, peeling a yam with veracious speed. “Why don’t you begin by explaining why a demonic curse emanates from your body?”
He startled and almost sliced off the end of his thumb. “Huh?”
“I assume that your tekkou and mala are not simply decorative.” She gestured at the sheath of purple cloth on his right forearm and the indigo prayer beads wrapped around it. “And there is a hint of youki surrounding you. Tell me now, or be gone from this village.”
Miroku swallowed the unease that rose at this intrusion. He had hoped to at least postpone this part of the conversation. But he matched her steady gaze regardless. “You are correct in that I have been cursed by a demon. Almost fifty years ago, he cursed my grandfather and all of his descendants. I am seeking to destroy him, but I know little about him. That is why I came to your village. I believe this demon may have once sought the Shikon Jewel, and I want to know what he had planned.”
The old miko hummed as she chopped some spring onions. “That may very well be the case. Many a demon attempted to steal the power of the Shikon Jewel when my sister Kikyo was its guardian.” She glanced at Miroku, suspicion still lurking in her eye. “What was this demon’s name?”
“Naraku.”
Despite his efforts, the hatred bled into Miroku’s voice, and Kaede nodded in acceptance. “Forgive me my intrusion, and the mistrust that you have received from the people here. I see you mean us no harm. In these troubled times of war, no stranger may be welcomed amongst us without deep distrust. Our young ones have become rash, and though I tell them we’ve no business with wars, they refuse to listen and only give me more to worry about.” She took the pile of sliced vegetables and dropped them into the stew, along with a few handfuls of rice. “What do you know of the Shikon Jewel?”
“Not much,” he admitted. “Only rumours of its power. I heard that it disappeared around fifty years ago, right after the death of the priestess who protected it.”
“Yes, you would have heard that.” Kaede paused for a moment, then nodded to herself and stood stiffly. “Follow me.”
She moved swiftly for such an old woman. Miroku followed her along the base of the cliff, past several houses until they reached a winding set of stone steps etched into the cliff face. A torii at the top indicated the path to a small, unassuming shrine beyond. A grave marker stood just off to the side, and though there was no name engraved on it, Miroku paused at the slight aura of spiritual power he could feel leaching from the earth around it. He slowed down a little, frowning, but Kaede was already inside the shrine and shot him a mildly annoyed look. He hurried after her.
To his surprise, an opening like that of a cellar had been cut in the middle of the shrine's floor. Simple wooden steps led downwards to what appeared to be a storeroom below. At Kaede’s gesture, Miroku began down the steps, pausing to help her as she followed. The two walls on either side were simply packed dirt, while before them a wooden door sat in the middle of a stone wall absolutely covered with dozens of different sutras. The faint glow of a spiritual barrier shone around the door, visible even to the naked eye.
“My sister Kikyo guarded the Sacred Jewel for several years, until she was slain by one who sought the Jewel’s power,” Kaede explained in a hushed, reverential tone. “As her dying act, she sealed the Jewel away, so that no one, demon or human, may ever use its power again.”
“She must have been very powerful,” Miroku said, eyeing the barrier with awe. “To have a seal this strong so many years later.”
“Aye,” Kaede nodded gravely. “Her spiritual powers were without equal. That is why the Jewel must be kept from those who would abuse it.” She turned to him, her eye boring into his. “This Naraku you seek was only one of dozens, perhaps hundreds. I cannot say what he may have planned, but the Jewel grants the heart’s most sinister desires. Your demon could have used its power for any number of evil deeds.”
With that, she turned and started climbing the stairs back to the shrine. Miroku followed her, a plan forming in his mind. “Could you tell me more about the Shikon Jewel? Where did it come from? How was it created?”
“That, I cannot say,” Kaede said thoughtfully. “It was given to my sister by warriors who had killed a demon and found the Jewel inside its belly. I have no knowledge of its journey before then.”
Miroku nodded. That was unfortunate in the long run, but helpful for his plan. “Would you happen to have records of the Jewel? Anything that I could learn?”
Kaede seemed pleasantly surprised at that. “I suppose there might be something. Allow me to check.”
She led him back through the village to another hut, where a few measly scrolls lay in a basket. Miroku settled down to read nonetheless, and a villager called for Kaede outside. She eyed Miroku analytically, and seemed to come to a decision.
“I trust you can find your way back to my hut when you are finished?”
Miroku nodded absently, glancing up from the scrolls to meet her gaze. “Indeed. Thank you for your help, Kaede-sama.”
He added just the right amount of honey in his voice, and the old miko left with a smile. Miroku turned back to the scroll, eyes flowing over the village records and reading none of it. As Kaede’s footsteps faded away, he carefully tucked the scrolls back into place and crept out the door. After making sure the coast was clear, he walked swiftly through the huts, just slow enough to avoid suspicion. Once out of sight of most of the houses, he ran for the shrine, using the cover of the darkening evening light.
The lower level of the shrine held deep spiritual energy swirling within it, more than he would be able to counteract in normal circumstances, but he had a few more tricks up his sleeve. The sealed door had several distinct wards put in place. He started with the sutras he was most familiar with, the ones that blocked the Jewel’s presence from being detected. They were easy to remove, requiring only a tinge of spiritual power to peel them from the door. He worked through the collection of sutras methodically, breaking some with his staff and, when that didn’t work, held the discarded paper scraps up to the oil lamp in the shrine and used them to burn the others. Soon, only a few of the strongest and most intricate sutras remained. These were the real challenge.
He assumed that not many had attempted to break into the room before. The rumour of the Jewel’s disappearance and the sutras blocking anyone from sensing it had likely done more to secure it than the protective barrier. Those more powerful than himself would have been able to break through the toughest of the seals directly. Instead, Miroku pulled the string of mala beads off his wrist and braced himself. Almost immediately, the air began to swirl around him as the wind picked up. Dirt from the walls lifted up and flew into the gaping hole in the palm of his hand. As the swirling vortex of wind grew in strength, creaking and groaning of wood filled the space as the floor began to break apart. Miroku watched carefully as the powerful void grew, cautious of letting anyone hear. The destruction grew more and more intense until a deep crack split through the door. The barrier was broken.
Miroku wound the mala beads back around his arm, covering the abyss hidden in his right hand. He curled his fingers around the prayer beads for just a moment to ensure the void was properly sealed. He then tore apart the last of the sutras and stepped inside the dark room.
The Shikon Jewel glowed brightly on its stand, the pull of its power like nothing Miroku had ever experienced before. It was even greater than he had ever imagined, a seemingly endless source of pulsating energy. It wasn’t spiritual power, not exactly, but it wasn’t quite youki, either. No one he’d spoken to knew the source of its energy. Now he knew why.
He didn’t dare linger, but quickly plucked the innocuous pink sphere from its stand and stuffed it into his robes. In a heartbeat, he was back up the stairs and walking nonchalantly back to Kaede’s hut. He summoned the slightest barrier around himself, hopefully enough to keep the old miko from sensing the Jewel. He planned to thank her for her help and get out of there as soon as possible. But he slowed as he considered. Maybe he could avoid her altogether and act as though he was leaving with her permission. If he was careful, he could escape entirely undetected. It was a good plan. He told himself that it was a good plan.
He’d barely made his way into the village when a rumbling came from the distance. Something had stirred in the direction he’d come from earlier that day. A cloud of dust and smoke rose into the air from the far side of the village, accompanied by the sounds of splintering wood and breaking rafters. People shot out of their houses to see what was going on. The toll of warning bells sounded around the village and mixed with the growing shouts of alarm. Kaede stepped outside her hut just a few paces away, gaze darting from him to the bits of debris flying into the air.
“What is going on?” the old miko asked in a dangerously controlled voice.
“It’s a monster!” The answering cry came from deep within the village, just as the body of a demon slid into view. As they watched, the gigantic centipede crushed another hut with her long body then swung around, a horse clasped in her jaws. Villagers fired at her with flaming arrows but it had little effect. Her hide was too thick, even along her upper body with its human-like torso.
“Get the children to safety!” Kaede shouted at a passing man. “Evacuate the village!”
The demon swung towards them, dropping the horse at their feet. Her jaw distended unnaturally in her human-like face, exposing a row of razer-sharp teeth. Miroku stepped closer to Kaede, ready to protect her if the demon decided to strike.
“Give me the Sacred Jewel!” the demon demanded, her eyes falling squarely on the two of them.
Kaede’s head snapped around to Miroku, eye widening in disbelief. Well, so much for that plan. He didn’t have time to say anything as the demon lunged for them with unnatural speed. Miroku pushed Kaede to the side, swinging his staff at the demon as he did so. The head of his staff connected with one of the demon’s six human-like arms, severing it from her body. Miroku landed with a thud and rolled to his feet, only to see the demon swinging back around. He dove on top of Kaede and raised his staff, summoning a quick barrier. The spiritual force glowed much brighter than usual, and the demon bounced off it like a fly. The villagers quickly shot spears and harpoons at her, trying to keep her tied down. Miroku, meanwhile, was staring at the aura of ethereal light surrounding the head of his staff. He hadn’t even used the Shikon Jewel yet, but its mere presence had strengthened his spiritual powers.
However, it offered no protection from the seething glare of Kaede. “She said Sacred Jewel, monk. What-”
Miroku was saved from having to answer by the demon spinning, casting off the spears from her body as though they were no more than irritations. She twisted towards the men, bowling them over with ease with her long, armoured body. Miroku watched one man being flung straight through the air and his heart sank. He had to do something! Two of the men ran to Kaede's side, fear in their voices. “Spears, arrows – nothing works!”
“I can help!” Miroku said, silently praying that they would listen. He raised his right hand at Kaede and pointed at it, vaguely indicating the mala beads and cloth covering his palm. “I can fight this demon.”
Kaede opened her mouth but Miroku didn’t wait for her response. He took off through the rows of huts, calling over his shoulder “Don’t come after me! I’m going to suck in the demon, but none of you can be nearby!”
Miroku ran, out of the village and back in the direction he’d come earlier that day. The centipede shot after him, stampeding along the ground and only occasionally slowed down by the spears still being launched at her. She was faster than Miroku out in the open, and ate up the distance between them as they left the houses behind. He crossed into the flooded rice fields, along the raised dirt path between the paddies, feeling the youkai gaining on him with every step. He spun around, drawing on his newfound strength from the Jewel and blasted her back with a wave of spiritual power, buying himself a little more time. Beyond her, though, Kaede and the villagers were riding towards him on horseback. They were drawing close much too quickly.
“Stay back!” he shouted, though they didn’t appear to be listening. “Your lives are in danger if you come too close!”
They didn’t stop. He supposed that he couldn’t exactly blame them – all trust between them was gone – but it certainly complicated matters. He ran towards the forest, knowing the horses couldn’t follow him as easily through the dense trees. Once he was through, he would find the open glen from before and use the wind tunnel against the demon there. He had no desire to suck in a couple of trees into the void along with the centipede. And maybe, just maybe, he’d be far enough away that he could avoid getting torn to shreds by the angry villagers afterwards. He just had to keep on running.
~*~
Light pierced the pervasive darkness of Inuyasha’s mind. A power, an oh-so-familiar aura was drawing closer. His hand twitched, claws at the ready. Long-dormant muscles shifted and groaned as he woke. A deep breath filled his lungs, saturated with the scent of promise and prey. He drew his hand up, his fingers curling at the thought of what they would catch. The Sacred Jewel, coming his way at last. He tried to move, to tear free from the thick vines draped over him, but the rest of his body was still frozen by the seal’s spell. He reached for the arrow embedded in his chest. He gasped at the pulse of spiritual energy that came from it as his hand connected, sending a pulse of pain up his arm. Damn!
~*~
“The Jewel – give it to me!” the demon’s hissing voice called from right behind him.
The centipede was too close, not giving him time to stop and open the wind tunnel. Miroku could hear the shouts from the villagers behind him, still a ways away but gaining quickly. He turned and stumbled up a grassy ledge to a higher path, knowing at least the horses couldn’t follow. Just as he reached the top, the demon struck, sending him flying into the forest. He could hear her rising up above him so he let himself drop so that she overshot. He rolled to a stop, jumping to his feet with his staff at the ready, but the demon was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey, you!”
He spun around. The piercing amber eyes of the hanyou were staring at him, a barely concealed hunger in their depths. Miroku sighed. This was not what he needed right now. He had no idea how the hanyou had miraculously woken, but the arrow was still in place, the vines still curled around the suspended body, so Miroku decided that this threat was low on the list. He turned back to where the demon was still suspiciously absent.
“What’s a priest like you doing with the Sacred Jewel?” the hanyou asked snarkily from behind him.
Miroku ground his teeth. “I’m a little busy at the moment. I’d appreciate it if you could let me concentrate.”
“Why? You can’t stick up to a little demon?” the voice taunted.
Frustrated, Mioku turned to the hanyou again. “Look, I’ve got a lot going on right now. Can you please-”
The hanyou tensed, eyes darting up. “She’s here.”
The oppressive mass of the demon dropped down from the branches above. Miroku ducked and swung at her with his staff, but she wasn’t deterred. She reached for him, grabbing at his robes with four of her human hands. Miroku reached inside himself in turn, grasping at the intangible power emanating from the Jewel. He concentrated all of it into the head of his staff, which he brought down hard on her face. She shrieked and drew back, her demonic aura flaring in response to the opposing force, only for a harpoon to lodge itself in her flank, followed by another and another.
“Good!” one of the village men shouted, holding fast to one of the ropes tied to the harpoons. “Now, pull!”
More and more villagers poured into the forest around them and grabbed onto the ropes. Miroku stepped back as the men began to drag the centipede from the tree. The long, insect portion of her body had wound its way deep into the branches, but she seemed stunned by the blast of spiritual power and was barely resisting. Miroku glanced between her and the preoccupied villagers. He turned to leave, but one of them shouted out “Stop, thief!”
“Hah!” the hanyou spat. “Figures.”
Miroku sighed and turned back to the villagers to try and talk his way out of this. The snapping of ropes caught him off guard. He barely took a step away before the demon dove for him. Her arms grasped his body, trying to lift him into the air, so Miroku reached for the closest thing to him and held on tight. His hand snagged onto the hanyou’s red robes, and he hoped that whatever seal that dead priestess had put in place would be strong enough to keep all three of them stuck to the tree.
“Let go of me, you filthy human!” the hanyou snarled viciously.
Miroku glared back at him, his other hand clutching his staff. “I don’t exactly have a lot of options, here!”
“Priestess Kaede!” one of the men called out as more horses rode up to the group. Ooh, no. “Inuyasha has revived!”
Miroku’s grasp was slipping, the hanyou was yelling at him, and the demon was demanding the Sacred Jewel. The demon’s human-like head seemed to split in two as her mouth gaped, revealing two rows of ridiculously large teeth, aiming for his neck. Miroku pulled on the power from the Jewel once again and swung at her with his staff. Something connected, though he couldn’t tell what. She shrieked again and released him. He fell to the ground, followed by her remaining five arms, ripped from her body by spiritual power. Eugh. The demon swung around again, apparently unfazed by the loss of limb. Dropping his staff, Miroku ripped the beads from around his hand. She careened backwards with a shriek, barely avoiding the first pull of the spiralling void as she circled around the tree.
Inuyasha’s eyes widened. This was no ordinary mortal.
“What the hell is that thing?” he shouted at the strange man before him. “I thought you were supposed to be a human!”
Miroku ignored the hanyou, hurriedly closing his wind tunnel. He couldn’t risk drawing in the villagers, not in these cramped conditions. The demon swung around as he wound the mala beads over his hand and, before Miroku could move, snatched him in her jaws. He felt himself lifted off the ground as her teeth clamped down on him, breaking through cloth and skin. He barely managed to snatch his staff as she dragged him upwards and flung him into the air. She caught him again quickly, this time by the front of his robes. He realized what she was aiming for just as her teeth ripped through his koromo, leaving the Sacred Jewel in her jaws. Miroku shot out a hand as he fell, catching the stub of one of her arms. He swung with his staff once more, hitting her square across the face, and the Jewel flew from her mouth. She jerked away and he lost his grip, slamming into her body a few times on the way to the ground. He landed in front of the hanyou, and a heartbeat later the Jewel bounced down between them.
“Give me the Jewel, quick!” The hanyou’s voice was insistent.
Miroku ignored him and reached for the Jewel, but a bitten off cry from his companion gave warning to the demon crashing down around them. She swept up Miroku in her coils and slammed him into the hanyou, crushing them both against the tree.
“I heard some half-demon spawn was after the Jewel,” she taunted the hanyou. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
Inuyasha growled. They always went for his parentage. “Half’s all I need to kick your scaly butt! Anything more than that’d be a waste of my time!”
Miroku struggled against the coil of the demon as it wound ever tighter, crushing him against the hanyou. He supposed he was lucky, as a half-demon was a lot more comfortable than a full tree, but his back was to the centipede, his right arm pinned, and he was helpless. Overwhelming pressure stole the air from his lungs and he couldn’t draw breath to replace it. It was getting hard to stay awake, harder still to think. The hanyou was boasting in his ear, saying something to get the centipede riled up and goading her into striking.
“Hey!” Miroku hissed at the hanyou, surprised when he actually broke off mid-taunt. “Can you really fight, or all you all bark and no bite?”
“Huh?” The hanyou looked almost insulted, his large dog ears flicking back in disgust.
“Would you fight this demon if you were free?” Miroku asked, a little more insistently. Black spots were swirling in his vision.
The centipede cackled behind them. “What can he do, pinned there like that? Or you, for that matter! You’re powerless to stop me.”
Inuyasha snarled at the demon, baring his teeth and exposing fang-like canines.
Miroku saw the anger in the hanyou’s expression. Just maybe…
“Helpless,” the centipede chuckled as she leaned down to the Jewel.
“Don’t you dare!” Inuyasha shouted, straining against the arrow’s spell.
Miroku twisted around as much as he could just in time to see the Jewel disappear down the demon’s throat. Not good. Her arms glowed red and floated back to her body, where they reattached. He distantly heard the villagers shouting, but all his attention was on the demon rearming before him, the demonic aura thickening in the air. With the Sacred Jewel, she could be unstoppable. He had no idea of the limits of the Jewel’s power. A shudder ran along her entire body and suddenly she burst from her skin, her vaguely-human torso being replaced with her new demonic form.
“At last, my power is complete!” she cackled wildly, blood red eyes pulsing with light. Energy crackled along her new, thick hide. “I am restored!”
Definitely not good! The demon’s body tightened around the tree and Miroku gasped in pain. His ribs ached, he couldn’t breathe-
“Hey, can you pull out this arrow?”
Miroku stared up at the hanyou, whose voice was oddly subdued. His amber eyes were locked onto his with startling intensity.
Inuyasha groaned. Stupid humans with those dumb expression on their faces. “Look, can you pull out this arrow or not?” he snapped.
The irritation focused Miroku’s attention and shocked him back into action. He looked at the arrow, at the spiritual power it contained. “I don’t know.”
“Miroku, no!” Kaede’s voice barely broke through the blood rushing in his ears. “That arrow is all that is keeping Inuyasha from destroying us all!”
“Don’t be stupid, you old hag,” Inuyasha shouted back, over the sound of the centipede cackling. “At least with me you’ve got a chance, whereas that thing’s going to eat you! Once it absorbs the Jewel, it’ll be unstoppable!” Inuyasha’s glare switched from the old woman to the human being crushed against him. “And what about you? Are you ready to die, yet?”
No. Even as the world was going fuzzy around the edges, Miroku knew that he didn’t want to die. Not here. Not yet. He couldn’t see the hanyou – Inuyasha – joining forces with the demon. Even if he was just another bloodthirsty opponent, the two of them fighting each other would at least buy him some time. He reached up with his left hand, stopping just for a moment to stare into the fierce amber gaze of Inuyasha. Miroku grabbed the arrow and pulled. It burst with a burning hot light and instantly dissolved in his hand. The light enveloped Inuyasha’s body, the seal dissolving. Inuyasha shuddered as the light disappeared.
Then a heartbeat, a pulse of youki, and Miroku thought that maybe he’d made a mistake. The demonic energy flowing from the hanyou only increased, washing over Miroku in amber waves. A shudder turned into a laugh, as Inuyasha cackled with his head thrown back. His elongated canines flashed in the light of the villager’s torches. Miroku took in the poised claws and crazed look in the hanyou’s eyes. Yes, mistakes were made.
The demon shrieked a protest and wrapped her body completely around Miroku and the hanyou, only to be pushed off by a blast of amber light. Miroku fell to the ground, thrown backwards along with various chunks of centipede flesh as the hanyou’s claws sliced easily through her body, concentrating his youki in each strike. Only the more powerful demons were able to control their auras like that. Miroku felt vaguely ill.
Inuyasha pushed himself off the tree, grinning wildly at the feeling of his power returning. He was free! He was on the hunt. He landed on the other side of the demon, muscles straining after so long asleep, claws at the ready.
“Wicked child!” the centipede hissed at him, as the severed half of her body flopped to the ground.
“Nasty old hag!” he retorted easily. She was lunging towards him. He jumped right back at her. “Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!”
His glowing claws ripped off her lower jaw and he carried the swing through the rest of her body, shredding muscle and ripping flesh from bone, laughing as he did so. He was alive again! He landed easily as the still-twitching legs of the centipede fell around him. At last!
Miroku dragged himself to his feet, reaching for his fallen staff. Kaede and the other villagers were a flurry of movement behind him.
“Find the glowing flesh, quickly!” Kaede was saying. “That is where the Jewel will be. It must be removed at once, lest this demon revive once more.”
It took Miroku a moment to realize that she was talking to him. Wary of angering her further, he hurried to obey. Amidst the dozens of differently sized centipede chunks, he could just make out a faint pink glow coming from one of them. He was tempted to reach for it himself, but he had a feeling that the villagers wouldn’t let him live if he tried to escape again. Instead, he stepped back and pointed. Better to try to make amends than further enemies.
Kaede walked over to the designated hunk of twitching flesh and knelt down, rummaging around the centipede’s insides until she found it. Miroku tried not to gag. The flesh of the demon instantly evaporated into dust, leaving only bones behind. Huh, they looked exactly like the bones that he’d seen in the glen earlier, just a little ways away. Could this be the same demon?
Kaede turned to face him and Miroku braced himself for what was to come. To his utter astonishment, she held out the Jewel to him. He stared at her incredulously. “You can’t be serious.”
“You were the only one able to break my sister’s seals,” she replied tersely. “I believe you may be the only one who can protect the Jewel now. You will keep it safe until we can discover a way to destroy it.”
“Destroy it?” Miroku tried to keep his voice level. “For goodness’ sake, why?”
“Exactly!” Inuyasha growled, and both humans whipped around to faced him. He crushed one of the centipede’s bones with his foot demonstratively. “Now, I get what you’re thinking – humans can’t control it, so why bother to keep it? But you don’t want to destroy it. No one knows how! It's better off with someone who knows how to use it. Like me.” He turned his predatory gaze onto the monk. “If you hand the Jewel over right now, I won’t have to start sharpening my claws on you.”
Yes, this was definitely not good.
~*~
