Chapter Twenty-Nine: Nighttime Assail

I was sitting along the outer wall, watching the sun setting and calmly singing to Ji, when Rin quietly snuck up on me. I hadn't realized she was there for awhile. Ji was crawling around, attempting to stand, but not quite getting there as I sang the only song I knew. The very same that had caused the deer to come near me as I struck it down. It was a funny memory really as it happened so long ago. There had actually been a time when I hadn't known Naraku. That was almost impossible to believe, but I was safe now. I had even pushed away the horrible image of the black shard away as it pulsated against my skin. It was securely locked away in our quarters, not to be disturbed unless someone wanted to deal with me. I had a sword and I could get violent if provoked.

"Lin!" she called all of a sudden as I jumped from my seat, bashing my back against the wall.

"What the?!" I bellowed, looking around me like a lunatic until I found Rin, crouched down beside me with a huge smile plastered on her face. "Rin! Why did you sneak up on me like that?"

"Why don't you sing like that all the time, Lin?" she answered my question with her own. I sighed slowly, picking through the excuses I had lined up for most of the question I did not wish to divulge within Rin.

"I just never thought to..." I muttered, wanting to end the conversation without diving into the whole explanation of Naraku.

"Oh... I didn't mean to make you sad, Lin," she said, but I held out my arms for her to come closer. She seemed glad that I had and inched into my arms, snuggling against my collarbone before settling her gaze to Ji. He looked so free and happy among the leaves, dressed in a simple kimono that I had borrowed for the time being. I leaned my head in her hair, letting my voice repeat the song I had just finished. It was a silent winter day, no wind blew through the bare limbs nor was there a chorus of birds as there would be in the spring. The only noise was that of Ji's enthusiastic squeals and my voice, singing all of our concerns to rest as if there would be nothing to trouble us ever again.

I finished for the second time as Kiyoshi approached, attempting to bow to me until I gave him a glare that meant that he better not. He recovered by dragging his fingers through his hair and stood up straight, waiting to address me as I clung to Rin. There was something playing on his face that worried me. What had happened? I could feel it in the air now, electrifying the sky as if a storm were quick to come.

"Yes, Kiyoshi. Is something the matter?"

"Lady Lin, the villagers are all in a panic!" he cried, pointing at the wall with a look of utter fear on his face. "There have been rumors going around that the priestesses have detected a massive amount of negative energy around the precinct of the village!"

I laid my hand across Rin's hair; a sharp amount of terror arose from deep within my abdomen.

"We have to go back to the village," I voiced, setting Rin aside and standing urgently to pick up Ji. He lifted his arms up to be received and once he was safely in my arms, I took hold of Rin's hand and ushered all four of us to the safety of the village. This has to be Naraku! But how could he ever enter the village? I thought as the gates came into view. There was mass chaos inside, villagers were desperately asking the passing priestesses of the impending danger in hysteria ridden voices as the poor women tried there best to calm them down. They were ordering the men from the village to meet along the great wall to keep watch and defend the village if the predicted intruder were to show.

"Lin! What do we do?" Rin asked as I was literally dragging her to the shack. I wasn't entirely sure myself. I was almost positive that the only demon on this earth that could produce this much panic due to aura would be Naraku, but I was still skeptical about his mode of entering the village. He, after all, was malevolent and the clash between good and evil would sure take up most of his time, giving my friends and me plenty of time to escape. Something was going to happen that night; I was sure, but what exactly his plan was: that was to be answered and perhaps a little too late.

I made my group of followers enter the shack, leaving every possible escape ready to be used if needed. Rin was alarmed as she clung to Kumiko who had been just as frightened by the news. Even little Ji was squirming restlessly against my grasp as I tried my hardest to console him. "It's okay, Ji. Nothing will happen to you. I won't let anything happen to any of you," I directed the last sentence to everyone around me.

Come on, Naraku. I'm ready for you.

The night set in like any other day except that this particular night brought the dread of tomorrow and what would be left if a demon did show up. Later and later it became and there was no interference. No disturbance whatsoever, with the exception of my tired friends wishing to fall asleep. I had to admit it was getting way too late for most of them to stay up and I bade them all goodnight so that they could get some rest as I watched over our shack, sword at the ready by my side. Nothing's going to happen. Nothing's going to happen I repeated these words in my mind over and over again, until I eventually believed them. Unfortunately, as the first ray of sun was peaking over the treetops, there came a loud crash and the roof of our home was torn completely off.

I was the first one up, grabbing Ji from his basinet before walking out of the newly formed hole that had once been our door. I carefully crawled from the rubble and saw, through the heavy morning haze, a large centipede demon attacking the village. The priestesses were in full action, attacking the monster with as many arrows as they had, but something was wrong. The centipede was healing itself, no matter how many legs it lost; it would regain them and continue to bear down on the nestled town. I was frozen in utter shock at the massacre before me. How could this have happened? Ji was wailing against my chest, but I couldn't find words to calm him. This was pure carnage as the villagers were being slaughtered one by one and my mind slipped into the memories of my own village. The many faces I had grown up to were gone, due to bandits, yet I couldn't help but think that the episode looked something like this.

"Lady Lin! What will we do?" Kumiko screamed from the rubble of our former home, holding Rin's head against her kimono to keep the sights from being viewed by Rin's innocent eyes. I don't know.

"Yes Lin, or should I say Lady Lin. What will you do?"

I hadn't noticed the deadly drawl or the deep, unforgettable voice, but once I turned to see those hollowed out eyes, I knew he had everything to do with it.

"My apologies that it had to come to this, but I warned you that there would be consequences for defying me, Lin," the man dressed as a baboon said from the shadows, stepping more in the light of the fire that had started in the village, mere yards from where I stood.

"Naraku! Damn you for killing these innocent people!" I cried, wondering how I was going to get out of this predicament.

Naraku merely set his vacant, eyed mask upon me and laughed throatily as he lifted his hand, producing an ebony jewel right before my eyes. "I should show my appreciation for the work you've done in tainting this shard for me. It would have taken me much longer to accomplish. I truly commend you for the work you have achieved for me."

"I would never do something so vile as to help you!" I spat, letting all the hate in the world seep into my being. Feeling nothing by fiery loathing for the man set in front of me.

"It's time I take back what is rightfully mine," he said, lifting the hood of his cloak to show his lips, curling into that of a smirk I knew all too well. "Come with me, Lin, and the village will remain intact as is."

This drove me over the edge with fury. I removed Ji from my arms, placing him with Kiyoshi as I watched Naraku out of the corner of my eye. As soon as that was done, I slowly unsheathed my sword, holding it at the ready as I called out to Naraku. "Do not test me, Naraku! Give me one reason I shouldn't slit your throat!"

"You would do well to listen to me as Sesshomaru's life may rest with your decision at this very moment," he informed me, chuckling sinisterly to himself as if he had already done the deed. That, of course, would be impossible! Sesshomaru was way stronger than Naraku and would never get him stuck in a position he couldn't get himself out of. Yet, I distinctly remembered the battle at Naraku's castle that had ended up in a draw. I remembered Naraku's increased power then. Could it be possible that he achieved even greater strength in his absence?

"What have you done to Lord Sesshomaru?!" The warring village against the demon was deafening in the background as my rage increased more, sending waves of energy up my spine. Was I to become that monster again?

Naraku did not answer my question, but let one last laugh escape his lips before darting across the grounds, into the lightening blackness that was the forest. I wasn't far behind him as my increasing fury at his smile, his mocking words, compelled me to kill him. I wanted him dead! I wanted nothing more than to see him struck down so I could live amidst my family without interference. I HATED HIM! I left the compound and my friends behind, propelled with my sheer disgust of Naraku. He would appear to me and draw back faster than I could attack, calling derisive words at me.

"I will not be defeated, Lin. Yet I see you've acquired quite a bit of malice yourself. Tell me, how does it feel?" he chortled, sending a jolt of energy, greater than that before. "You'll have no choice but to return to me. Nothing, but I could harness that spite!"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, swinging my sword across his body as my energy dropped suddenly as his body was thrown across, cut into shreds by my blade. I sank down to my knees, looking over the mess that was scattered around me until I saw the glinting side of the tainted shard he had taken. I reached over to take it back to the village when a large wasp came out of the trees and attached itself to the shard before I could grasp it. A Saimyosho! What did that mean? As my mind worked to resurface out of its disoriented state, I saw it. Among the bits and pieces of fur was what looked like a doll with hair wrapped around it.

"A puppet," I whispered in disbelief. I should have known it was too easy "I better get back...to..." No! I couldn't believe that I had left them alone. I kicked the broken puppet aside, sliding about in the gravel as I raced back to the village. How could I be so blind? Naraku had deceived me yet again and I had to get to the village before he could complete his insidious plot. "Almost there! Almost there!" I panted once the broken remnants of the wall came into view. The centipede was no where to be seen, but neither was Rin, Kiyoshi, Kumiko, or Ji! I searched around the shack, throwing pieces of wood around, desperately scanning the grounds for any sign of my family.

"Rin! Kiyoshi! Kumiko! Where are you?!" I cupped my hands over my mouth, holding back the frenzied tears pleading to drop. "Please! Answer me!"

"Lady Lin!" came a voice as a little demon girl came traveling towards me at full speed. "Kiyoshi! Lin! Kiyoshi is hurt!" she called as she finally reached me in the middle of the rubble.

"Kiyoshi? Where is he?"

"We had to move him somewhere safe. That sorceress wouldn't give up and that white demon stole Ji!" Kumiko began to cry as she clung to my kimono bottom, looking up at my dirt encrusted face. "He tried everything he could to keep Ji safe! He swore he would always look after him and he feels like he has failed you!" I began shaking as Kumiko continued to soak my kimono with her tears.

"Kumiko," I choked out. "Kiyoshi did everything he could. How is he? And where is Rin?"

She rubbed her nose against the fabric around my waist, pointing over to the few remaining houses left in the village. "Rin is just fine and Kiyoshi has but minor blows to his body. I believe he is more upset with himself than anything else, but Ji is gone, milady! The white demon took him," she repeated, but I couldn't place a face with the descriptions she was giving me. The sorceress remark did, however, remind me of the young woman I had met within Naraku's castle. She was his detachment, I remember Sesshomaru saying, and I could only assume that this 'white demon' was just another one of those. "She had no presence, my Lady. We didn't notice her while fighting the wind sorceress!"

I placed my hand against Kumiko's hair, stroking it lightly until she looked up at me again. "I have to find Ji, Kumiko. I don't want you to follow me."

"But, MY LADY!" she squealed, holding onto my hand as I sheathed my sword. "That could be horrendously dangerous for you!"

"It is a mother's duty to protect her children and I won't lose Ji to that bastard!" Tears stung at my eyes as I wiped them away. I had not time to be ashamed for what I had done. I made the choice to pursue Naraku instead of protecting my loved ones like I should have. I had put every one of them in harms way for my selfish wishes to have Naraku slain once and for all. I had to live with the consequences of my choice and now I had to do my damnedest to retrieve Ji. There would be no time to second guess myself this time. I had promised to give Ji a life and he would have that no matter what.

I moved over, looking around the compound when Kumiko piped in again. "But I don't know where they went," she said as I scanned my surroundings closer. Analyzing everything, trying not to miss a thing. My sights finally landed on a wide opening in the forest, barely seen by the few rays of sunlight that was emerging. The trees at this particular patch were sliced severely in their sides as if multiple razors had cut them through. This is a path I thought. Naraku would be waiting for me somewhere on the other side and this time I would be prepared to fight to the death. Alone, as it seemed no one would be able to help me right my mistake.

I started to steadily move towards the path, ignoring the cries of Kumiko from behind. Then, from the deep crypt of my mind, a voice broke through, oddly familiar. Do you want to kill him she asked. I knew the Siren was awake yet again, wanting nothing more to be free and for the first time, I was allowing her to do as she pleased.

"Yes," I replied and entered the woods, ready to fight once again.

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