Praying For A Feather by clawsandteeth

Praying For A Feather

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In a room void of any kind of light a demon sat.

Sesshomaru quietly sat in his study as he does always, and he silently wallows in hatred for the world around him.

Sesshomaru was once a great demon full of life and power and people who feared him. Now he was just a lonely bitter demon who hated the world outside his walls. He felt as if the world had given him a bad hand giving him so much power than taking it away with only a silly curse made by a silly witch over five hundred years ago.

He remained in his castle, as the world changed around him. He sat and watched as humans advanced and demons went into hiding much like him. Sesshomaru was afraid to venture out into the world even though he wouldn’t tell anyone of such things. The witch did not only take his power from him but also she disfigured him. A long hideous scare ran down his face that made even him turn away from his own reflection. That’s when he closed himself from the world and didn’t allow anyone to see him not even the one maid he allowed to deliver him food.

Sesshomaru moved to his only enjoyment in life his hands came in contact with the smooth surface of his piano. Silly and human he was aware, but it was the only thing that calmed him anymore. He let his fingers fly over the keys playing the same tune he has played over a thousand times.

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Kagome ran a frustrated hand through her hair staring at the error screen on her computer.

It has been over five years since the defeat of Naraku and three and a half since the closing of the well. She had taken it hard and her grades had already been affected because of her battles, but when the well closed she completely gave up. Giving up on high school had been a great disappointment for her mother and a greater disappointment for herself.  With her lack of education and lack of drive of finding anything that could be as exciting as fighting demons, at the age of 21 she had already went through thirty five failed jobs.

Eri had set her up on this particular job at her father’s business as his assistant and everything had been going well into she ran into this little computer problem.

“Please tell me Kagome that you backed up all the files for today?” Eri’s father asked as worriedly watched the girl.

Kagome stammers and tries to remember had she backed up the files. She smiled sheepishly at her boss when she realized she hadn’t.

Kagome sighs in frustration as she leaves Eri’s father’s office her cardboard box under her arm. She had had this job for a total of three days. That was even a new record for her. Disappointed Kagome dialed Eri’s number to tell her the news before her father had a chance.

“How’s the job Kagome?” The overly excited voice of her friend made Kagome feel even worse.

“I got fired.” Kagome says.

“What!” Eri shouted through the phone. “Are you serious Kagome? My dad didn’t even want to hire you, but I made him.” Eri says in frustration. “I’m not going to hear the end of this, ever!”

Kagome rolls her eyes and waits for the sign to turn green before making her way across the street.

“I mean it Eri, I’m sorry.” Kagome says. “It’s just that nothing is able to keep my attention anymore.”

“Kagome, work does not suppose to be fun.” She says quickly. “Look Kagome I understand that after chasing demons around will not measure up to being some lawyers assistant but those days are over.”

Kagome shrugged making her card board box tumble to the ground its items with it. “Sorry, Eri I have to go, but I will talk to you later.” Kagome quickly hung up the phone and started to gather her things. She was amazed at how no one stopped to help and instead walked over her.

When a scream caught her attention from the alley beside her, she stood and peered down it. She couldn’t see much, but it looked like a man was doing something to a young women’s neck down the alley. Kagome would have just moved on embarrassed if the women wasn’t screaming bloody Mary and if blood was painting the women’s white blouse. Without thinking Kagome dashed down the alley intent on helping only to stop a few feet away.

This wasn’t a man, but a demon. The demon turned on her blood from its mouth its eyes glowed red and it growled at her.

Kagome so stunned by the sight of a demon in her own world after not seeing, not even a trace of one in the eight years she had been back.  When the demon sprang from the women and moved towards her, she barely escaped his claws.

Kagome backed away from the demon now searching for something to protect herself with when a pipe caught her attention in the back of the alley. Kagome turned quickly making a fast dash towards the pipe taking it in her hands she swung it as soon as her hands made contact with it.

The pipe hit home and the demon burst into dust, and Kagome was left their breathing heavily. Practicing her miko skills had finally come in handy her.  She dropped her pipe and quickly made her way over to the women but it was too late.

Kagome slid to the ground shaken by the encounter. A scream from the street had Kagome up again and picking up her pipe. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t felt it before, but something about the air was different. It was denser in a way that reminded her of the feudal era, and she could feel the presence of so many demons.

Kagome dashed to the street and watched as an army of wolf demons marched down the street attacking anyone in sight. People had jumped out of their cars trying to help the ones being attacked only to be attacked themselves.

With a heavy coconscious Kagome turned in the opposite direction of the attack and quickly dashed down the street. She had to get home and make sure her family was alright. A loud squeal echoed through the sky making Kagome look up along with everyone else running from the wolf demons. A flock of bird demons wasted no time swooping down on the escaping crowd.

Kagome raised her pipe swinging at the demons that came close to her. She tried to help as many people as she could being attacked by the demons, but it was just to many of them for her to handle on her own, so she had to continue on her way home.

Kagome climbed the many steps of her home, and relief filled her as she noticed that whatever was going on in the middle of the city hadn’t reached here yet. She burst through the door of her home scaring her mother so much she dropped a glass bowel.

“Kagome,” She shouted.

“Turn on the TV,” Kagome said at the same time she dashed into the living room turning on the television her mother close behind.

“Oh dear,” her mother said quietly. “Dad, come in here quick!”

“Creatures seem to be attacking downtown area,” the anchor reported as Grandpa entered. “We have no confirms of what kinds of animals these may be, but some believe they are maybe wolves from the local zoo that have escaped.”

Kagome shook her head she hadn’t seen a wolf that big before at any zoo in her time. “Mom, those are demons for sure.”

“Demons,” Her mother gasped. “That can’t be right there aren’t any demons here.”

Kagome shook her head she couldn’t understand it either, and why were they attacking everyone like this.

“The army is being called in,” the anchor said watching someone behind the camera. “What the,” and the screen went to a multicolour warning screen that read we will be back soon.

“Souta’s still at school!” Her mother shouted.

Kagome’s heart dropped she had totally forgot about that, “I totally forgot I should have went their first!”

“You have to go get him Kagome!”  Her mother said her eyes wide in fear.

Kagome nodded and was halfway out the door before she stopped to look back at her mom and Grand pa.

“Will you guys be alright?” Kagome asked.

“Yes dear, just go get Souta.” Her grandpa answered waving her own out the door.

Kagome nodded and with one last look at her Grandpa and mother she dashed out the door picking up the pipe she had dropped by the door.

Kagome slowed down once she reached the schools gate to find a large crowd of people waiting in front of it. They all had come to get their children and take them home, but the school had closed and locked the gate.

“You’re children are much safer inside here then out there. Please return homes and come back for your children when this is all over.” The principle shouted from behind the gate which caused a lot of shouting and protest from parents.

Kagome sighed in frustration looking towards the now darkened sky and at the flying demons descending on them.

“Here they come!” Someone shouted and everyone made attempts to get away.

Kagome backed into the unoccupied guard station and watched helplessly as the demons swooped down on. Kagome searched around for a button to open the gate and finally found it opening the gate. She quickly got rid of the demons blocking her way, and the others took notice of her easily getting rid of the demons and began to fallow her. Kagome paid them no mind as she quickly caught up with the principle before he could lock the school doors.

“No,” The principle tried to close the door but Kagome pushed him inside before he could. The ten trailing people quickly tried to catch up.

“Come on!” Kagome shouted holding the door open for the last remaining people could enter.

She quickly closed the door just as a large bird demon slammed into the glass door cracking it.

“That won’t hold long.” She mumbled looking around for the principle. “Are the students still in their classrooms?”

The horrified principle shook his head, “We moved them all to the gym, well the ones that didn’t leave before we could lock the gate. Some of your children might not even be here.” He breathed.

Kagome nodded, “Which way is the gym?”

The principle pointed and Kagome began running in that direction closely fallowed by a group of silent parents. Opening the door of the gym Kagome discovered there were only about fifty students in the gym, but all ten of the parents found their children.

Kagome searched around franticly for Souta until she spotted him running towards her. Kagome wasted no time hugging her bother.

“Are you alright?” She asked the boy who seemed a little stunned.

Souta nodded, “What’s going on Kagome?”

“Demons,” Kagome whispered. “We have to get out of her though.” Kagome started pulling him towards the door.

“Wait,” Souta stopped and waved for a girl around his age over. “Can we take Yuka home? She lives really close to our house.”

Kagome hesitated for a second, but one look at her bothers face told her he wasn’t going any place without Yuka.

“Alright, but we have to move fast.” Kagome said.

Leaving the school was easy because it seemed as if the demons had moved on, but Kagome decided that it would be wise for her to venture ahead of Souta and Yuka to make sure everything was safe.

This was all surreal to Kagome and she was a lot more afraid then she had ever been in the feudal era. She guessed that was because of three reasons and the first being there was no Inuyasha here to protect her. The second reason would be she was people she cared about were in danger, and they weren’t the same as Miroku, Sango, and the others because these loved ones cannot fight demons. The third reason was she couldn’t understand what was going on and she was aware she did not have the power to stop all these demons.

“She lives over there.” Souta pointed to a house about ten yards away from their shrine steps.

“You guys wait here.” Kagome ordered as she entered the house the door was left wide open.

Kagome first searched the first level then the top level, but found no signs of anyone. Kagome then ventured onto the back deck were she found a large puddle of blood but nothing else.

“That doesn’t mean anything dose it?” The girl asked as she entered the back. Her eyes were wide and red from unshed tears. “I Mean, there aren’t any bodies.”

Kagome decided to not tell Yuka that if it were wolf demons that attacked it was possible that the whole body was eaten.

“Who was supposed to be here?” Kagome asked.

“Just my mom,” she said. “It’s just me and my mom.”  Tears were already falling from the girl’s eyes.

Kagome watched as Souta hugged the girl and whispered things to her calming her down. Once the girl seemed calmer Kagome stepped forward to ask a question.

“Would you like to come with us?” Kagome asked just as what sounded like a bomb exploded a couple blocks away making the house shake and all three of them fall down.

Kagome stood back up and waited for the girl’s reply as Souta helped her stand.

“Yuka if you want to stay I’ll stay with you.” Souta said making Kagome look at him.

“No you won’t,” Kagome said no room for argument in her voice.

Souta went to interject, but was interrupted by Yuka, “I’ll go.”

The teenagers hugged again and Kagome lead them out of the house and up the shrine stairs back to their house.

Kagome was horrified to find the door of their home wide open and even more horrified when she entered the home.

“Mom, Grandpa,” Souta shouted as he entered after her. He ran to them pushing past a stunned Kagome ignoring the blood that coated him he bent beside the mess that was once his Grandfather and Mother.

Kagome felt numb completely numb. She could still hear the squeals of the bird demon outside the door and the sounds of bombs exploding someplace. She could hear Souta’s cries and Yuka’s comforting words. Her mind was blaming her and so was her heart she shouldn’t have ever left them alone.

The sound of glass shattering up stairs brought Kagome back to the present, as she dashed up the stairs closing the door to the room the demon had entered from. She then quickly dashed down stairs handing Souta her pipe.

“Take it I’ll be right back.” Kagome said.

“What?” Souta looked. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go get my bow and arrow from the well house, and you need to get things ready we need to leave.” Kagome said.

Souta nodded in understanding, and Kagome went to the door opening it and dashing out and into the well house.

Taking her bow and quiver from the place it was mounted on the wall the slung them over her shoulder.  She ran a hand over the boarded up well she prayed for a miracle, she prayed for Inuyasha.

As Kagome stepped out of the well house she pointed an arrow at the circling demons and let it fly. It hit its mark making the dark sky fill with sparkle.

Entering the house she found Souta had already packed up a three bags and now he and Yuka helped each other pack the fourth. They were deeper into the house far away from the bodies and they talked softly with one another.

“Are we leaving now?” Souta asked once he saw Kagome enter.

Kagome shook her head sitting, “I think we’ll be alright for a little longer.” She reached out for the television turning it on. A man replaced the warning sign and it didn’t take long for Kagome to realize this wasn’t really a man.

Long black wavy hair and red eyes a deep purple tattoo took up most of his face. The demon looked so much like Naraku that it took Kagome’s breath away.

“Hello humans,” He spoke. “I have temporarily called my attack to rest. I am sure most of you are wondering what is going on.” He smiled into the Camera. “We are the demons that were once exiled to hide away in our shitty little dark corners while you ungrateful humans walked the earth. Now we are back and stronger than ever and plan on taking back what is rightfully ours. I will be meeting with your silly human leaders to discuss our plans, but until then my demons are very hungry and I will let them fest.  Happy hunting,” He said then the screen went back to its multicolour warning screen.

“Kagome what does this mean?” Souta asked from behind her.

Kagome continued to stare at the screen, “It means were in trouble.”

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