Purple Haze:
Definitive Edition
By: Ruuruu-chan
Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters associated with it. I'm only borrowing the characters to amuse myself and hopefully others. ^__^
Ch. 3 Ground Zero
“Wear it Kagome,” Souta insisted as he shoved a talisman at his sister.
Kagome blanched as it got close to her face, “I don’t wanna wear it! It’s made from some kind of animal and it reeks, besides, grandpa’s talismans never worked.”
Souta puffed out his cheeks in agitation, “Granted, it was made by him, but it’s supposed to offer you protection against evil forces.” Kagome put her hands up, insisting she didn’t want it.
“Fine, I won’t make you wear it,” Souta mumbled with defeat. He put the talisman back in its old box and laid it to rest in its original place on the dusty shelf. “I just wanted you to be protected since we’re going to ground zero tonight.”
Kagome gave her brother a solemn look, “I appreciate that, but I can protect myself.”
Several weeks had passed since their mother’s death and the world was still spinning into utter chaos. More people were being diagnosed with this new plague and it was going global, considering the world was completely connected in all ways. There were still those who were in complete denial and breaking quarantine regulations, while others kept talking about government conspiracies. There was a deep seeded unrest that fell on the people of Japan, considering they had the most cases of Purple Haze. Riots, theft, and vandalism became rampant in the city, creating anarchy among the citizens. If it wasn’t for the military stepping in, the whole situation would get out of hand to where someone could get seriously hurt, or even killed.
The whistleblower mentioned in the news called this disease, Purpuraetmortis Humi Virus, which meant the purple disease that came from the ground. How would that person know that? No one mentioned the disease coming from the ground, in fact, no one knew where it came from at all. Who was this whistleblower? What did he know?
“You know how we talked about the whistleblower recently?” Kagome asked as she got her backpack ready for the night.
Souta nodded, “Yeah, we concluded that the whistleblower is probably a demon. How else would he know?”
Kagome agreed, “Exactly. How would he know about this virus coming from the ground? Why would he give out such a blatant hint in the name?”
“Most people think that the reason for the name was because of the construction workers meddling on holy ground where the temple stood before. There was never an excavation that took place, as far as we know,” Souta explained as he assisted his sister with the preparations. “The only way he would know is if he was the one that planted it, or he knew of its existence beforehand.”
“That’s what I thought too. The only way to know is to go check it out ourselves. We can’t keep standing around and do nothing,” Kagome felt her heart beat faster from the adrenaline she was feeling.
It was the exact same feeling she got whenever she knew she would go back to the Feudal Era and continue her adventure. She didn’t want to admit it out loud, but she was excited with the prospect of another adventure unfolding. Kagome was happy that she could do this with her brother and granted, she didn’t want anything to happen to him, she was still glad to have the company. Souta recently turned seventeen and although he was still considered a minor, he was far more grown up than when she was at his age. He matured far beyond his years in not just wisdom, but looks as well. He easily towered over her and he was no longer the boy she knew, but a man. She was proud to have him as a sibling.
Souta handed his sister the bow and arrows she used during her time in the past. Kagome clutched them with quivering hands. She kept them in the shed so that it would be forgotten until it would eventually be found with dust and cobwebs. Her brother cleaned it up for her and fixed any damages, but even with such care, Kagome could see the scars on the wood from battles long gone.
“T-thank you Souta,” Kagome whispered with trembling lips. She was getting emotional, “Are you sure I can still do this?” Her confidence had been drained from her ages ago and she didn’t know if she could even remember how to use the weapon.
Souta bobbed his head with determination, “Of course you can. If I didn’t think you could I would have left it in the shed.”
Kagome grabbed her brother and forced a hug on him. Her chest felt heavy and her eyes felt weak as she allowed a few tears to escape. “This means so much to me,” Kagome gave a whimper of a sound.
She released her brother and wiped her cheeks of the salty tears. Kagome took in a deep breath and got her thoughts together, “It’s almost time. We should get going.”
The two were dressed in black as they left their residence. They got into the car and drove most of the way to their destination. Kagome parked in the dark corner of a closed restaurant and just down the street was the location of ground zero. The miko had to wonder why a demon would start this plague in the first place, what was the purpose of it? Demons needed humans to survive because they were not just food for them, but they also bore the fruit of the world with profit and luxury. Demons kept themselves hidden to protect their very existence, so secrecy was crucial. A few missing humans meant nothing when their population reached into the billions. So why would one take this chance? It just didn’t make any sense.
Kagome was correct in her assumption as guards were seen patrolling the area. During the day she scanned ground zero so that they would know their bearings at night. She was grateful that she planned ahead, because behind the construction site was a forest with part of the temple still erected. The contract stated that the entirety of the temple would be demolished, but it never came to fruition since the virus manifested.
The site was still in the beginning stages of preparing the land to begin building the condos, but the equipment and supplies were still there. It would provide a sense of cover as the two would inch closer to their goal, which was to gain a multitude of samples from the soil to determine if the virus came from that general area. Souta already had a mini lab setup at home where he could test the sample. He borrowed the equipment from the college since the doors were permanently closed until further notice. With Kagome’s keys to the school, it was easy to access the materials he needed.
The miko kept a lookout as Souta put on a pair of latex gloves so that he would not contaminate the sample. Numerous test tubes were filled with dirt from different regions of the construction site. They were taking a huge risk by being there. Either one of them could catch Purple Haze and become another victim of its death grip. Kagome peeked around the corner and her eyes widened with what she saw. A purple mist was seeping from the ground as Souta was gathering his specimens. She recognized that color, the way it moved and above all, the smell. Naraku immediately came to mind as she sat frozen in her lookout spot.
That purple mist had to be miasma, which is commonly described as a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor. Naraku’s miasma was poisonous to anyone who entered its murky depths, and for a normal human it would paralyze its victim within a few short minutes before eventually killing the host. This was not the case because Souta was lingering in the thick of it without any effects. Her brother didn’t even seem to notice the mist. Could he not see it? Above all, how was he still alive in it?
Souta finished gathering his specimens and shoved them in his backpack. Kagome was still there at the ready with her bow and arrow in hand. As Souta approached he could tell that something was wrong with his sister, but he would have to ask her when they were in a safe spot.
Kagome whispered, “Did you get everything you need?” Souta nodded in affirmation. “Good. Let’s get out of here,” Kagome murmured as they left the area the same way they entered.
When they got to the car Kagome heaved a sigh of relief as she leaned back in her chair. The moment of relaxation didn’t last long as someone knocked on their window. Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin as the flashlight blared into the car. Souta gave a guarded look. Kagome rolled down the window just far enough to talk out of. She noticed that the man wore a police badge on his shirt.
“What seems to be the problem officer?” Kagome asked innocently. She heard Souta lock the doors and so did the officer.
He looked gruff as he said, “You’re not supposed to be here. What are you two doing out here when there is a state of emergency?”
Kagome could see his nostrils flare. He smelled the air and something caught his interest as he abruptly stopped and a smile inched across his face. Kagome could feel a shudder go up her spine.
“Miko, get out of the car,” the officer ordered.
“Why? We didn’t do anything wrong,” Souta barked out.
Kagome grabbed her brother’s hand and he could feel her shaking. She immediately turned the key and started the car. The officer grabbed the handle of the car and pulled on it, ripping it from the metal door. Kagome screamed as she put the car in reverse and slammed on the gas pedal. Once she got out of the parking spot she put the vehicle in drive. The headlights burned brightly on the policeman and what she saw was not a man, but a demon. His jaws extended as sharp teeth protruded from his mouth. Claws extended from his hands and muscles bunched on his back and forearms.
“Go Kagome! Go!” Souta yelled out as he saw the transformation take place.
Souta took his foot and put it on top of his sister’s, forcing her to go forward with a jolt. Kagome gripped the wheel until her knuckles turned white and braced for impact. The vehicle ran into the demon, causing him to roll over the hood, break the windshield and landing on the pavement behind them. She turned out of the parking lot, almost losing control of the car. Souta took his foot off the gas pedal and allowed Kagome to have full control once more.
She sped down the road, barely able to see out the front of the vehicle. “Slow down Kagome, we lost him,” Souta assured her in a calm tone.
Kagome let her foot off the gas, even though she was still shaken up. “Did you hear what that demon said?” Kagome asked with a high pitch. Her body was going into overdrive and it felt like her heart was about ready to burst from her chest.
Souta looked confused, “He told us to get out of the car?”
“No, he told ‘me’ to get out of the car. That demon called me a miko because he knew what I was. I could see him smelling the air before he said it,” Kagome specified.
“Is that why you were shaking when you grabbed me? You knew?” Souta inquired.
Kagome gave a weak nod and looked at her brother briefly, “There was something else I saw at ground zero.”
Souta gave Kagome his full attention, “Something did seem off with you when we were there.”
“You didn’t see it, did you?” Kagome questioned.
Souta was confused, “What are you talking about? I didn’t see anything.”
“I saw a miasma and it reminded me of Naraku. This miasma was different though, it still had the same look, the same color and the same smell, but it felt dissimilar from the past. It felt more dangerous. Another thing that was off is that Naraku’s miasma is poisonous, yet it didn’t affect you,” Kagome described with an edge to her voice.
“What color was this miasma?” Souta inquired.
Kagome gave a weak smile and stated, “Purple.”
It was as if she gave a sigh of finality to the miasma, that this was the answer they were looking for. With this answer came more questions. How did this miasma turn into a virus? Who released it and why?
Souta grabbed the talisman around his neck and looked down at it, “I think the talisman protected me from the mist, but if this protected me, then what protected you?” The sister did not have an answer to the question and the rest of the car ride was met with silence.
The house greeted the Higurashi siblings with silence as they entered the dark dwelling. Kagome flipped on a light and she felt exhausted from the night’s events. She had to wonder how much longer they would be safe from everything, the virus and the demons. The deeper they dove into this mystery the more of a mess they had to push through.
“I’m going to bed,” Kagome said as she made her way upstairs.
“Don’t you want to know what the samples reveal?” Souta asked. He thought his sister would like to know more than everyone else.
Kagome shook her head, “It’s not like I don’t want to know, but it will take you some time to go over them and get an analysis. Until then, I need to rest.”
Kagome went to her room and although it had changed over the years, it was still the same in many ways. She sat on her bed, which was always near the window. The window sill held the scratch marks where InuYasha used to perch at. Kagome gave a faint smile at the memories of him and how he used to “drag” her back to the Feudal Era. She would refuse to go back because she wanted InuYasha to touch her, to yell at her, to pay attention to her. It was her way of flirting when she was a teenager. Now that she had grown up, she realized how silly it all was. She shut the curtains to cover the marks of the past. With deep regret and longing in her heart she lay on her bed and drifted off into a fitful sleep.