03. Memories of Old, Remembered Anew
It was close to evening when he felt it.
The sun was close to setting when it hit him. Surrounded by miasma, hidden away in a dense forest far from prying eyes, Naraku stilled. The sudden, all too familiar, feeling raced down his spine and the demon turned to eye the corridor he had traversed down. Crimson eyes narrowed as he twisted, yet instead of venturing back to the room which he had come from, Naraku turned to make his way to a different room. Within the smaller room of his castle, a large ornate mirror stood. It was nearly his height, and still in perfect condition. Even after all the years he has held onto the fragile piece, he had kept it in perfect condition despite the fights that destroyed parts of his castle. It sat in its place: unmoved, untouched, and alone.
A growl escaped him as he stormed into the room, crimson hues scanning over it thoroughly. Not a single thing was out of place and he felt his blood go cold. Not a damned thing had come through the mirror, and the demon pivoted to glare at the accursed thing. He had felt it. The beat of power that he had been missing all this time had surfaced after a couple of decades, yet his search yielded nothing. No lingering scents, no demon energy to detect; it was as if nothing had happened. It had been fleeting but, deep in his bones, Naraku knew that what he had waited for had happened. Somehow, some way, he had received his wish without the Shikon Jewel, and a devilish smirk graced his lips as he turned from the mirror and stepped out of the room, locking it behind him.
His wish… while he had indeed wanted to get his revenge on Kikyo, the accursed priestess that just would not stay dead, Naraku had another wish in mind for the jewel. However, the longer he considered his wish being fulfilled, the more he wondered. Had it truly happened? Or had he simply imagined it because he was so close to achieving the completion of the jewel that his mind had created the sensation? No… No, he had felt it. It had reached him, and he was determined to find out where it had gone.
"Kagura." The mention of her name as he made his way down the corridor was enough to bring the wind sorceress to him. She bowed to him and he kept walking. The incarnation fell into step behind him as he contemplated what to do. A smirk crossed his features as he reached out with his energy, calling two of his notorious Saimyōshō to him. The bee colored insects flew to him and he stopped.
"Yes, Naraku?" Kagura asked as he turned to face her.
"I want you to go out and search the surrounding forest. There was a disturbance nearby," he said. His crimson eyes narrowed as he considered her. "And, of course, if you manage to find Inuyasha's group, feel free to kill them. Report back to me should you find something." Kagura nodded and bowed once more before disappearing from his sight, his two Saimyōshō right behind her. He glanced down to his left arm, flexing the tense fingers on his new hand. The last confrontation with Inuyasha had proved deadly. The half-demon had almost killed him, but now that he was almost fully recovered, Naraku was sure to destroy the little group of misfits once and for all. But first, he had to know what had cause the flare of energy to pulse from the mirror.