The Herald of Heaven and Earth

Chapter 16: The Beginning of the End

A menacing demonic aura settled over a once beautiful temple, that was now dark with evil. Bodies of human servants and soldiers lay strewn about and the land seemed to mourn the loss of innocent blood that soaked into the ground.

Inside a demon woman and girl child that held a mirror watched as their master paced around the room angrily. It been a week since he had returned from his plight against Sesshoumaru and he was livid.

“They think they’ve won, but they won’t keep her from me. She is mine, she was promised to me,” he said softly to himself.

Kagura was puzzled as she watched him work himself into a fury and she tapped the fan she held against her leg in thought. She had never known much about the evil half-demon that had created her except that he had greatly desired the Shikon Jewel and had enjoyed causing other demons and humans strife. However, lately he seemed to be focused on the young woman that traveled with Inuyasha.

“Have we abandoned the jewel for other endeavors?” She asked bravely.

Naraku turned his sight upon her and narrowed his red eyes. “There are more important things to worry about than the jewel at this point.” He turned his gaze to the child and beckoned her to him. “Kanna, show me Kagome.”

Kanna nodded as she raised her silver mirror to Naraku’s sight. He watched as the mirror grew cloudy and after a few moments the object of his desire came into view. He could see her embracing a large demon with long blue hair and when she pulled away he could see the demon’s face clearly. He growled as he recognized him and turned away from the mirror in a rage.

“She’s found him,” he hissed angrily.

Kagura watched as the images in the mirror disappeared and she looked at Naraku with curiosity. “Who is he.”

Naraku ignored her and continued to pace. “This will complicate things a bit.” He said to himself.

Kagura finally let out a sigh of frustration and Naraku stopped his maddening trail around the room and stared at her. She gasped and quickly took a few steps backward as he stalked up to her and cornered her against the wall.

“You seem to want to know what’s going on Kagura.”

She jumped when he violently slammed his hand against the wall above her head and she stared at him in silence.

“Well do you,” he yelled, making her cringe with fear.

Dumbly she nodded her head, trying to appease his anger and gasped when he brought his hands to the temples of her head. Instantly her mind was bombarded by images of the past.

*Vision*

In her mind’s eye she saw a beautiful winged being. He was dressed in a pure white kimono and had a powerful looking sword at his waist. His curly black hair was secured in a long ponytail with tendrils framing the sides of his lovely face which was perfect and pleasing to look upon.

She saw that the being was in a heated argument with another. A great and powerful essence that she couldn’t identify. It was a being of pure white radiance and she knew without hearing the dialog that the essence was the Supreme One.

She watched as the angelic being grew more enraged and his purity began to disappear. His wings and clothing turned as black as his hair and he began to shake a fist at the Supreme One. Suddenly a wave of other pure angelic beings rushed in from all sides and subdued him.

After a few moments of struggle the dark angel opened his wings and threw his captors away from him. He again began to approach the Supreme One when a strikingly tall angel blocked him from his pursuit. After studying the being momentarily Kagura realized that this beautiful warrior angel with clear blue eyes and blue hair resembled the demon in Kanna’s mirror.

The warrior angel spoke to the rebellious dark angel warningly, but the dark one ignored the words with a condescending smirk and unsheathed the sword at his waist. With a roar he flew at the Supreme One but, was intercepted by the warrior angel who had shielded the blow with the two huge silver battle axes that were attached to his waist. An smile of insanity crossed the evil one’s face as he gave a strong beat of his wings and rose into the air. The warrior angel hurled one of his axes at the dark being who had soared high above and sent a yellow ball of energy from his sword. Seeing the huge axe flying toward him, the evil one’s smile grew broader as he dodged and dove back towards the ground. The warrior gave a smirk of his own and he deflected the destructive energy. Spreading his great wings he rose into the air just as the dark angel reached him, and began blocking the deadly strokes of his enemy’s sword with his lone weapon. Feeling himself being pushed back he made a snap like gesture with his hand and a blue streamer attached itself to his wrist.

In surprise the dark angel watched as the axe that had been boomeranging around dangerously came to a abrupt stop and with a slight tug on the streamer he saw it fly back to its wielder. The warrior gave a mocking grin as he held up both axes. Furious at the taunting, the dark angel crashed into the warrior mid-flight and their weapons clashed, sending sparks of flame to the ground. They slashed and cut at each other, neither refusing to yield and it seemed to infuriate the angel even more that they were evenly matched. As the rush of fury and adrenaline spread in his body, he felt a sudden burst of speed and in a quick maneuver the dark one swung his sword and slashed the warrior angel’s face, leaving a deep gash across his eye.

The dark angel smiled evilly as he watched his opponent plummet to the ground in pain and he flew toward him, sword brandished. Triumphant at his victory he placed hand on the warrior’s shoulder and stared hatefully into blue eyes as he ran the sword through the injured one’s chest. He watched as dark crimson blood coated the great angel’s lips and with a smirk of satisfaction he roughly pushed the good angel off of his blade. Then he turned his attention back to the radiant essence and began to take a few steps forward.

Kagura saw him continue on to the Supreme One but before he could reach his destination another being blocked his path. She gasped as she saw a ethereal woman stand before him. She noticed that when the dark angel saw the woman his expression of hate melted away.

He stared at her longingly, taking in her beauty. He could remember once when her crystal blue eyes had looked upon him with love and adoration but, now they were filled with nothing but contempt. Her wings were fluttering angrily making her long hair dance around in agitation. He tried to plead with her, trying in vain to make her see his reason but, she refused to listen and pointed at the angel that lay bloody on the ground. She turned her eyes back to the dark being and said something that seemed to snap him out of his reverie of her and he turned his eyes back to the Supreme One. Shaking with fury he screamed something at the radiance and he sprinted toward the woman.

Kagura gasped as she saw a white light surround the dark angel and he began to scream in terror. She saw black feathers float to the ground as his wings were ripped apart. His clothes had been torn and they hung from his frame as he knelt painfully on the ground. His hair had come loose from its ponytail and flowed wildly around his face as he slowly raised his head and stared defiantly at the Supreme Being when another beam of light shot toward him. He covered his eyes with his arms when the light hit him and began to scream when his back began to burn.

Kagura could see that where his back had been exposed and flawless, there was now a mark that was spreading in the middle, and it began to form into the shape of a spider. She gasped as she realized that the being was none other than her master, Naraku.

The visions in her mind began to fade when the woman ran to the warrior angel and cradled him in her arms. The angel Naraku stared at the woman who looked back at him with disdain and he was oblivious to the swarm of angels that had secured his arms.

*End Vision*

Kagura’s body was cold as she was jolted back into reality. She looked up at Naraku in fear and wonder as she thought back to the vision she had witnessed.

“What are you?” She whispered.

Naraku smirked and released her from the wall. She watched as he walked up to the throne that seated the body of the dead Lord of the temple. He unceremoniously knocked the body to the floor and took its place as he regarded his unholy offspring.

“I was once a great prince of the heavens.” He said as he looked up to the ceiling mockingly. “I was beloved above all, and had been promised the hand of the woman you saw.”

Kagura scoffed as she studied him. “So you lost all you had due to a woman?”

Naraku glared at the wind sorceress and she took another frightened step back. “She was no mere woman. She was at the time a Goddess who would attain the powers of heaven and earth when she reached the age when she would take a mate, and she was promised to me.”

Kagura thoughtfully nodded her head but raised a curious eye to Naraku. “Why were you denied her if you were favored?”

Naraku laughed hollowly as he pondered her question. “The “Supreme One” believed that I was becoming too powerful, so he feared me and cast me out. Stripped me of my status and purged me to the earth to be a lowly mortal.”

Kagura thought back to the vision and remembered the familiar demon that was reflected in Kanna’s mirror. “That blue eyed angel, was he the one the Supreme One chose to mate the Goddess?”

“If only it were that simple, he was no threat then, nor is he now.” He said as he shook his head angrily. He thought back to when he had struck down the infuriating angel and growled. He had tried to plead with her to understand why he had not spared his opponent.

“Do not place the blame of his demise on me if he dies. If you must fault anyone, it should be the Supreme One. He is the one who brainwashed your father into serving him.”

Naraku shook the memory from his mind and looked back to Kagura. Who was watching him curiously. “The Goddess has come to this earth and when I join with her I will return to my former glory. The Shikon Jewel means nothing now when I can have her, but I will need some assistance in getting her away from her so called protectors.”

Kagura and Kanna watched as he strode through the doors and into the courtyard. Anxiously they followed him and saw him drawing a large circle in the ground with his foot.

When he completed his task the almost complete jewel absorbed into him and Naraku raised his hands as he began to chant in a strange dialect.

"Evinco animus of obscurum... EGO to order vos ut orior oriri ortus quod operor meus mos."

Suddenly the ground in the circle fell away and flames and heat began to emit from the great crevice. Naraku’s hair whipped around wildly and he looked very much like the vengeful angel in the vision.

Kagura and Kanna watched in silence as a multitude skeletons arose from the depths of hell and settled themselves around them. Naraku began to grin insanely when the spirit of a frightening dog demon materialized from amid the flames.

“Why do you summon me half-breed,” It said in a horrifying voice.

Naraku’s hand shot out and grasped the demon by its throat. “You will speak to your Lord and Master with respect.”

The demon choked in surprise and quickly lowered its eyes in submission. “Forgive me my Lord, I did not recognize you in your present form. What do you require of me?”

Naraku chuckled at the demon and released him. “You know what I want, now return to my side.”

Obediently the demon spirit bowed and was enveloped in the searing flames. With a smile Naraku opened his hand and from the cavernous opening flew a sword. It soared to him and he grasped its hilt tightly. “Sounga I have you once more, and so shall I have my mate.”

He was about to close up the hot opening when his eyes glittered with amusement. “Perhaps, there is one more to help me…”

Kagura watched as he waved a hand and one more corpse flew from the opening and hovered above the flames. She heard Naraku addressing the skeleton and her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

“My dear Kikyo, I know you have been wronged. You and I are very much alike. In that we both were struck down by the Supreme One when he thought we were too powerful.” He smiled as the white skull turned its sightless eyes upon him. However, now I will give you a chance to thwart him. Will you aid me or should I cast you back into the fire of hell once more, without your beloved?”

The corpse crackled as it craned it’s neck at Naraku and nodded its head. “I will help you if only to escape the fire,” it said in a raspy voice.

Naraku threw back his head and laughed triumphantly. In that moment all the skeletons began to knit together tissue, muscle, and skin. Then the corpse that was Kikyo returned to her former beauty. With her restored eyes she looked around the clearing at the menagerie of dead demons and damned humans and at the evil one who resurrected her a second time.

“Welcome to the beginning of the end, my dear.”

Authors Note: Evinco animus of obscurum. EGO to order vos ut orior oriri ortus quod operor meus mos. Is a Latin translation for "Defeated souls of darkness... I command you to rise and do my will."