Chapter Forty-Six
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Mayumi's POV
It's early morning when Naraku's shadow darkens my doorway once more. This time, however, I'm shocked to see a woman I had never met before with him. Her blood red eyes pierce right through me, setting and coldness right into my bones that I just couldn't shake. She seemed entirely unimpressed to be there, and I wasn't sure if it was due to the man standing next to her or myself.
"Good morning, Mayumi," Naraku greets smoothly, stepping into my rooms with confidence, the woman following a step behind. "May I introduce you to one of my favored servants, Kagura," Kagura's eyes narrow and snap towards Naraku at this, whilst she flips her fan out to flutter at her chest in clear irritation. Just her reaction alone told me much.
This woman was too headstrong to be anyone's servant.
"I see," I murmur, standing and bowing to them both out of respect. "My name is Mayumi."
"I know who you are," Kagura snaps, her tone biting. I blink in surprise, not missing the look of warning that Naraku sends her way.
"Kagura is a great help when it comes to ensuring my business runs smoothly," Naraku explains, and I can't help furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.
"What business, if I may ask, warrants the attention of a Lord such as yourself?" I had learned over my short time here that Naraku was an egotistical soul that enjoyed being flattered, no matter how falsely. I also realized that this would keep me in his good graces, because even though he apparently saved my life, I still couldn't shake the sense that I can't trust him.
"A collection of sorts, of which one item has been lost to me," Naraku answers, his tone evasive. "A jewel, that unfortunately has been broken and spread all over the land by one of my enemies."
"A jewel?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "There must be something special about said jewel to go to such trouble as to try and gather it's fragments. I would assume such a venture to be almost impossible."
"Indeed, and it would be, if it weren't for the fact that this jewel possesses a power to rival any in all of Japan," Naraku explains further, my senses suddenly going on high alert.
"I see," I murmur in response. "Is there something you want to ask of me?" I ask, figuring that this all had to be leading somewhere.
"Before you lost your memories you worked for me, procuring these shards. You have a talent I doubt that you have lost, that being the ability to sense when one of the shards are near," Naraku gets to the point finally, and I can tell where this was going.
"You wish for me to resume these duties? How come you've never told me of employment to you before?" I ask, still feeling on edge. It was difficult, however, to dispute his claims. I truly had no memory of the time before I woke, and it made sense that he might care for me if I was valuable to him. Being an employee under his wing I would no doubt still be of use to him, and Naraku certainly did not seem the type to waste his time on ventures that would not benefit him.
"I didn't wish to overwhelm you till I felt you were healed enough to return to work," Naraku responds smoothly, and again I can't deny his logic no matter how on edge I felt about his story.
"And you feel now is that time? That I am well enough to return to your service?" I question lightly, Naraku giving me a cold smile.
"Precisely. You and Kagura will leave within the hour," With that, Naraku turns from me, heading from my rooms, leaving Kagura and I standing in an tense silence. Suddenly she snaps her fan close, pointing it threateningly at me.
"Just so we're clear, if you end up weighing me down, I'll drop you like a stone. I don't care if Naraku favors you or not," Kagura states evenly, and I can't help lifting an eyebrow, smirking slightly as I raise my hand to show her the glowing limb.
"My memories may be gone, but this," I allow my energy to build in the palm of my hand, creating an orb, "this instinct with my powers has returned for weeks now. It won't be me holding you back, I can assure you," Kagura simply sneers at me before turning and leaving as well, and I allow my aura to dispel harmlessly. Once she is gone, I finally allow the frown to overtake my features, hands shaking slightly.
Why did this all feel so wrong?
Yua's POV
In light of everything that had transpired, we agreed that it would be a good course of action to return to the most recent location we know of for Naraku's castle. Hachi was kind enough to give us a lift there, though at first he had been reluctant. Couldn't say I blamed him much for that.
Now, as we stand in the clearing with only the scar of his castle remaining, I could still smell the acrid scent of miasma in the air. We all could.
"It doesn't make any sense, though," Inuyasha states as he approaches where Miroku was surveying the ground nearby. "There is hardly any sign of the ruins," glancing around I frown in agreement. Inuyasha wasn't wrong, but the aura still surrounding this area was undeniably Naraku's. It sent shivers down my spine, and caused tingles at the base of my skull. "Are you sure Naraku's castle was really here?"
"You've got a point," Miroku states as he stands, looking around with calculation. "Considering it's Naraku it wouldn't be the first time we have been lured to a false castle."
"This is true," I sigh softly, coming up to stand beside Shippo, crossing my arms. "He's a master of illusions after all. Perhaps that's what this castle had been?"
"No, definitely not," Sango speaks up from our right, and I look around both Shippo and Inuyasha to see that the demon slayer had something in her hands. My eyes widen as I recognize the same type of armour plate that she herself wore. Her brown eyes soften with grief. "This was my Father's armour, I'm sure if it. Naraku's castle had to have been here."
"Sango?" I ask gently, stepping around Shippo and Inuyasha and walking over to her. She was trembling, barely containing tears of sadness or rage, I couldn't tell.
"On the day that my Father was murdered, we had all been summoned to Naraku's castle. My Father and all the others were slaughtered," her gaze turns downward. "The assassin was my brother, Kohaku."
"What?" I can't help asking in shock, Sango looking back up to me then, her brown eyes showing a mixture of sadness and anger.
"His mind was being controlled by Naraku. He was the one who gave me that injury on my back you healed when we first met," Sango's grip on the armour tightened, her head turning to look back at the area behind her. My gaze follows, and I can see more items laying strewn half buried in the ground. "They were laid to rest in the corner of the courtyard. Right where we're standing now."
"Sango…" I reach out, gently placing my hand on her shoulder and squeezing it softly. "I'm so sorry," Sango looks at me sadly, before both of us look towards Miroku in surprise as he unties his purple sash, laying it flat on the ground.
"We cannot leave them here in this tainted land. We will gather what we can and bury them elsewhere and offer our prayers," he murmurs, setting to work grabbing the articles that remained and placing them on the sash. Sango is watching him as if she is in a trance, falling to her knees beside the monk as he continues to work. The movement catches Miroku's attention, his deep brown eyes turning towards Sango and looking deeply into her own. "Is that alright, Sango?" He asks gently, waiting patiently for her response.
"Of course. Miroku I-" Sango gets choked up, her emotions getting the best of her for a rare moment. "Thank you," she finally settles on, sounding genuinely thankful for his thoughtful gesture. Miroku nods solemnly, before turning back to his task of gathering what he could find. I knelt down to help, and soon we had managed to gather all we could find of their remains. Inuyasha and Miroku worked together to help carry everything to a cliff overlooking the area, and whilst Sango, Miroku, and I worked on digging another hole, Inuyasha and Shippo went in search of a large boulder to use to mark and cover the grave site.
"Well, at least the wild dogs won't dig it up now," Inuyasha murmurs quietly as Sango kneels before the new grave site in prayer, Miroku standing next to her and praying with the demon slayer. I watch the two tenderly, smiling softly to myself.
Miroku really was a good guy. Beneath all that playful perverseness was a heart of gold.
'Sango is a lucky woman,' I muse to myself, reaching over and gently taking Inuyasha's hand in my own. He squeezes it softly, lacing our fingers together.
"Let this be your resting place for the time being," Miroku prays, Sango laying some wildflowers on the ground before the grave marker. We don't stay too long after that, the sun setting by the time we make it back down off of the cliff side and closer to where we believed the castle may have been. Sango was predictably quiet for the remainder of the afternoon, even through dinner. It was only when she and I were alone by the small stream cleaning our dishes that she finally broke the silence.
"I-I can't believe I forgot about them being buried here," Sango leans back against the heels of her feet, looking up towards the sky. "Until I saw my Father's armor sticking up from the ground, I never really thought…I…how could I have forgotten?" I chew on my lower lip, leaning back from my position hunched over the stream as well, setting the now clean bowl down with the rest of them. I wasn't even sure of what to say, what I could say, to make any of this better.
But then again, maybe this was something that shouldn't be made better. She just dug up the graves of her kin, her own Father. Nothing about today was remotely easy for her.
"I don't think they would judge you harshly for today, Sango," I finally reply, reaching over and placing my hand soothingly on her upper back. She still wore her demon slayer uniform, the leather material still warm from the day. "You've been through so much since their deaths. Have you really even had time to properly grieve?"
"I don't want to grieve, Yua," Sango bites out, her fierce brown eyes turning towards me. "I want to avenge their deaths," the cold, deadly truth behind her words is evident in her expression, and the only thing I could do is nod, a little shocked by her uncharacteristic behavior.
Then again, what would I be like if my whole life as I knew it was unearthed and buried all in one day?
"Alright," I murmur simply, Sango's lips parting as she blinks in surprise. "Don't look so surprised, I'm not about to lecture you on the virtues of being merciful, not to that asshole," I quip lightly, giving her a soft smile. "If vengeance is going to be what brings you peace, Sango, if you truly feel that in your very bones, then I'll be right there beside you helping you to get there. I just want you to be okay," I whisper the last part softly, genuinely. Sango's eyes shine with tears then that she refuses stubbornly to let go, simply nodding in thanks before sniffling and then helping to gather up the washed dishes.
Neither of us spoke another word for the remainder of the evening.
As the sun set we all gathered around the fire, Kirara transforming into her larger form as she usually did at night these days. None of us were sure what it was about, other than possibly protection, both for herself and for us. Shippo was currently in his usual place against her belly, enjoying both the warmth from Kirara and the fire, when suddenly the cat demon snarls softly. Shippo jumps away, startled, as Kirara stands, taking a clear defensive stance and looking eastward. Sango looks towards her companion sharply, her brown eyes narrowed.
"What is it Kirara? Are there demons nearby?" Sango asks rhetorically, before suddenly I'm struck with the familiar feeling of a jewel shard being nearby.
"There's a jewel shard near, it must be with the demon that Kirara is sensing," I frown, standing from my spot where I was sitting near Inuyasha. In an instant our entire group is on the move. I use my aura to quickly douse the fire, and Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all jump onto Kirara's back whilst I take my place on Inuyasha's. The night air closes in around us, causing a chill to work it's way down my spine as the wind whips by, goosebumps pickling at any parts of my skin that were exposed.
"Yua, are we heading in the right direction?" Inuyasha asks over the wind, his grip unconsciously tightening around my upper thighs.
"Definitely. I think it might be just beyond this forest," I reply, sensing the aura of the jewel getting stronger and stronger, rather than weaker. The sound of buzzing wings fills the air above us suddenly, and I groan, not even having to look up to know what it was.
"Naraku's poisonous insects!" Miroku exclaims in alarm.
"Clearly we're on to something then," I mutter disdainfully, tilting my head back to glare up at the demonic looking bees hovering just above the canopy of the trees around us.
"They're after the Scared Jewel shard too," Inuyasha frowns, picking up speed then alongside Kirara.
"Not if I can help it," I mutter lowly, leaning up more on Inuyasha's back and grabbing my bow from where I had it over my right shoulder. I grab an arrow from the quiver on my back as well, twisting my upper body around as far as I could and taking aim. Letting the arrow fly, it hits in the center of the group of insects, a bright purple light bursting in the sky, followed by the bodies of multiple of Naraku's insects falling from the sky.
"Good shot, Yua!" Shippo cheers on from where he was watching behind Miroku on Kirara's haunches. The sky was clear now, but I knew it was far from over.
'He probably has more of those things hidden away somewhere,' I think sourly, tucking my bow back into place and leaning forward on Inuyasha's back once more, facing forward. We can hear the demon before we see him, the sounds of a battle already underway echoing through the trees. As we break into the clearing I'm shocked at what I see.
It's Kohaku, and he's going up against a monstrous spider demon.
"Kohaku!" Sango shouts out desperately, seeing her brother laying defenceless on the ground under the sixty foot giant. Her hand is already clasping her boomerang and ready to strike, brown eyes filled with fierce protectiveness. I can see the glow of the shard in Kohaku's back, quickly piecing things together.
"It's Kohaku's shard! The demon is trying to get it out of his back!" I shout out, panic settling in my stomach as well as I see the look of realization on Sango's face. If the demon got that shard, Kohaku would die. It was his lifeline. Without any hesitation Sango leaps off of Kirara's back even as she still ran, and with a great yell throws her Hiraikotsu directly for the demon's long neck. I throw my hand forward, concentrating my aura to surround her boomerang, increasing the impact tenfold and helping to sever the demon's neck from it's body. It falls in pieces on the ground, Sango landing near her brother and catching her Hiraikotsu almost as if she were on autopilot, her brown eyes filled with shock as she stares down at her brother. We all skid to a stop behind her, and I slid off of Inuyasha's back, coming to stand beside him instead. Tense moments pass, before Kohaku is the one to break the silence.
"Who are you? Do you know me?" He asks, sounding genuinely confused as he looks at our group. I hide my shock as best possible, eyes widening.
He wasn't under Naraku's control any longer.
But he also obviously had no memory of Sango, of his life from before.
Sango is eerily silent, clearly in shock from this as well. It's Miroku that thankfully breaks the silence with a soft suggestion we find somewhere sheltered and safe to recoup. We find an abandoned hut not far from the clearing to use, and Sango instantly sets to fussing over the injury on Kohaku's arm.
"Let me see it," she gently demands, looking at what was honestly luckily enough just a scratch on his arm. I knelt close by, however, just in case my healing abilities were wanted.
And I was still inwardly contemplating a way I could get the jewel shard out of Kohaku without killing him.
"Excuse me?" Kohaku speaks up, confusion clear in his voice as he looks from where Sango was currently wrapping a bandage around his upper arm, to the demon slayer herself. "Have we, you know, met before?" Sango is once again speechless at the question, only able to nod in response.
"You don't remember anything at all? Do you?" I ask gently, frowning. "Do you even remember the castle?"
"I remember escaping a castle, and have been running from a man who wants me dead ever since," Kohaku replies, his eyes downcast now.
"Do you remember the name Naraku?" I ask gently, Kohaku's brown eyes snapping up to meet my green ones, eyebrows furrowed in thought. I sigh softly then, looking towards Sango. "I'm going to give you two some time alone. If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to call for me, okay?"
"Thanks, Yua," Sango nods, offering me a weak, small smile. I offer her one of the same in return, gently squeezing her shoulder before standing and walking out, sliding the door shut firmly behind me. I can see Inuyasha and Miroku on the grass only feet from the stairs, Inuyasha sitting down with Tessaiga leaning against his shoulder and Miroku standing next to him.
"I don't know," I can hear Inuyasha begin speaking, "I think the kid is just putting on an act for us." I inwardly sigh at that, shaking my head. I couldn't necessarily blame Inuyasha for distrusting anything connected to Naraku, even Sango's brother, but it didn't mean that I liked hearing his doubts in cases like this.
"It doesn't appear that way to me," Miroku argues.
"Me either," I add, coming to stand beside Miroku. "He's genuinely scared and confused. You can see it in his eyes when he's asked about his memories. It's not something you can fake," Miroku looks to me as I look to him, and nods his agreement.
"You mean you both trust him?" Inuyasha asks dubiously, and I move my gaze towards him.
"It's not about not trusting Kohaku…it's about not trusting Naraku," I reply evenly, sighing heavily as I look up towards the slowly brightening sky. I couldn't believe it was already morning.
"Do you think you can remove the jewel shard without hurting Kohaku?" Miroku asks then, and I look to him, frowning.
"Kohaku was much closer to death at the time Naraku planted his shard than Sango was. I don't think it will be as simple. Mayumi once told me that I couldn't heal someone who was too close to death, or the tying of our aura's would drag my soul down with their's," I cross my arms thoughtfully. "But I wonder if there is a way I could sever the link between that shard and Naraku's control. Purify it without potentially killing Kohaku and I both in the process?"
"The last time we saw Kohaku he was virtually a puppet, like a human without a soul. Perhaps there is no soul there to save? What if Kohaku had been so close to death is soul had already departed?" Miroku questions thoughtfully, and quietly now so Sango wouldn't overhear.
"No," I shake my head. "It wouldn't work like that. The Sacred Jewel isn't powerful enough to bring back the dead," I pause for a moment, suddenly feeling unsure. "Is it?"
"I have no knowledge of it ever being used for such a purpose, no," Miroku agrees, and I look towards Inuyasha in question. He simply shrugs his shoulders.
"All I know is that it can grant wishes, and is powerful enough to make me a full demon if I ask it to," Inuyasha states, my stomach knotting once again at the all too familiar topic.
I still didn't understand his need to become a full demon, not when he knew I love him as he is.
As time wore on, the three of us sat down together, Shippo soon joining as well at Sango's request for some privacy. He walked straight over to Miroku and placed himself in the monk's lap.
"If he is lying, I'm sure I could punch the truth out of him," Inuyasha suddenly proclaims, and I can't help rolling my eyes.
"You can't always beat something out of someone, and besides, I thought we had established that he isn't lying," I lift an eyebrow at the silver haired half demon. "Or do you think me, or Sango, easily tricked?" Inuyasha grumbles lowly under his breath, too low for me to actually catch what he is saying.
"Yua is right, we should trust Sango's judgement if nothing else. It is her brother after all. She knows him better than any of us do," Miroku speaks up calmly. "Indeed, we cannot know if this is truly some sort of trap set by Naraku, but Sango has been reunited with her younger brother," I nod in agreement, before frowning.
"If it does end up being a trap, she'll be heartbroken," I add, Miroku's blue eyes taking on a mixture of concern and sadness, before he closes them for a moment and bows his head.
"We have to keep in mind that Naraku enjoys tormenting people, and playing with their emotions," his eyes snap up suddenly though as he makes a surprised noise, looking up towards the hut behind us. I turn my head to see Sango and Kirara stepping outside, closing the sliding door very quietly behind her. Before I can stop him, Inuyasha stands with a determined grunt, making his way over to the demon slayer.
"Where do you think you're going?" I ask sharply, frowning at his back.
"If you two aren't going to tell her, I will," he insists, keeping his back to us as he closes the gap between himself and Sango. I stand, alongside with Miroku and Shippo, the three of us watching the interaction intently.
I won't lie; the command 'Down Boy' was on the tip of my tongue.
"What? What's the matter?" Sango asks as Inuyasha comes to a stop in front of her, crossing his arms.
"Listen, Sango, it's about Kohaku," Inuyasha begins, a surprisingly gentleness to his tone. I relax a little, hoping I can trust him to remember that this was our friend, and that she had been through too much already to lose her brother too. "It's obviously one of Naraku's traps."
I groan, tilting my head forward and hiding my face in the palms of my hands. Miroku reaches over, patting my back in mock condolence. Sango's argument has me raising my face up once more to watch the exchange.
"You're wrong!" She insists firmly. "I trust Kohaku!"
"That's what Naraku wants," Inuyasha insists, Sango's lips twisting into an ugly scowl as she glares at him.
"What choice do I have except to trust my younger brother?" She demands angrily then, and I make to step forward and stop Inuyasha's nonsense, only to have Miroku grab onto my shoulder. When I look up to him he as a solemn expression on his face, and shakes his head.
It wasn't my place to intervene.
"This whole thing reeks of Naraku," Inuyasha calmly states, though Sango clearly is starting to get rightfully pissed off.
"If we hadn't have come to his aid the Sacred Jewel shard would have been removed, and my brother really would have died!" She argues passionately, fear crossing her features as she really comes to terms with what had almost happened.
"That's the trap! That's what he wants you to think!" Inuyasha argues in return, his own tone growing more impatient now.
"It's not a trap!"
"You're being blinded by love for your kid brother!"
"Enough! You don't know how I feel!"
"Open your eyes!" Inuyasha insists, his stance widening to mimic Sango's, almost as if they were both ready to physically fight now too. I swallow thickly, before noticing movement out of the corner of my eye. Holding in a small gasp, I can see Kohaku peaking out from around the back of the small hut, his face riddled with guilt. My stomach sinks.
He's heard the whole argument.
'And now he's clearly trying to sneak away for Sango's sake,' I think sadly to myself, glancing towards Miroku. "I'll be right back," I murmur softly, the monk nodding in reply, his eyes not once leaving Sango's form as his eyebrows furrow in worry while the fight escalates. With Inuyasha so involved in his fight with Sango, he doesn't even notice me leaving, and so I sneak around the building, seeing Kohaku's figure in the distance and rush to catch up.
"Kohaku! Kokahu, please wait!" I shout to him, the boy stilling in confusion and turning to face me. His delay makes it easy to catch up, and when I do, his head tilts down in shame. "No, no, none of that," I murmur, reaching forward and gently tilting his head up to face me. "It's not you that's the problem, trust me," I add, frowning. "Don't leave, not like this, not when we can help you."
"But they're arguing because of me. I'm only causing my sister more trouble, more than I'm worth," Kohaku argues, his eyes shining with sadness. My heart breaks hearing him.
"No, they're not arguing because of you. Don't let Naraku take more from either of you than he already has. Inuyasha is stubborn, and has a hard time trusting new people. He didn't like me when we first met either," I sigh softly, dropping my hand from his chin. "It's not you," I repeat, emphasizing that fact once more. "And as for being more trouble than you're worth, why don't you let Sango make that choice? Hm? Because I know for a fact that she'd move mountains for you, and without a single complaint," Kohaku's eyes widen slightly at this, the surprise clear on his face. "You two are all you have left, Kohaku, you're all she has left. She wants you here, needs you here. Even if you can't trust us yet, trust in her. She won't let you down," Kohaku's face softens at that, and a tense moment passes before he finally nods. I let out a sigh of relief. "Good, okay, let's head back so I can knock some sense into-"
I don't finish that thought, I can't.
My breath catches in my throat as I grab at my bow, only to find I had left it back at the hut.
Fuck.
"What is it?" Kohaku asks, worry etched in his voice as he holds his modified scythe a bit tighter in his hand.
"Demons, hundreds of them," I murmur, able to sense the tidal wave of demon energy, the skies going unnaturally dark. "We have to get back to the group, now!" I reach over the grab his hand, about to run us back towards the hut before out path is suddenly blocked by dozens of Naraku's insects. I frown, creating a bow and arrow out of my energy, letting the arrow fly directly into the hoard, my powers vaporizing the entire group, leaving no remains this time.
But more slide in to take their place.
Sango's boomerang suddenly slices through the clearing just as we were being surrounded, relief flooding through me to know we weren't alone. She lands soon after, astride Kirara, her face filled with concern.
"Are you both alright?" Sango asks, Kohaku's mouth opening and closing in shock before he finally blurts out a response.
"I don't understand? Why did you come?" Kohaku exclaims in disbelief. "It was me that they were after!" Sango approaches him slowly, and so I back away from the boy to give them room.
"Kohaku," Sango begins, her voice tender. "Stay here. Don't leave me anymore," she pleas, my heart aching for her as she does.
"Why? Why are you doing this for me?!" Kohaku demands, still obviously in shock from Sango's actions.
"You're my brother. That's why," Sango replies, as if that were the simplest and truest explanation she could give. "Kohaku, you are my one and only little brother," silence takes over, before being interrupted by a eerie howling. Looking up we all see them, dozens of demons defending from the skies. Sango tenses as she looks over towards me. "Protect Kohaku for me, and I'll go stop those demons!"
"No," I argue, shaking my head firmly. "We'll do this together," I look towards Kohaku. "Right?" Kohaku and Sango both look at me in surprise, before Kohaku's face hardens in resolve and he nods.
"No more running," he murmurs, and I smile at him.
"No more running," I agree, before looking towards Sango. "Kohaku and I will handle the demons down here that get past you," I give her a look to let her know that I'd still look out for him, have his back, even as we fought with her rather than abandoning her to deal with the demons on her own.
"Kohaku must live," Sango insists firmly, still looking unsure about the situation. I nod in agreement, giving her a confident smile.
"He will," I firmly agree, before Sango nods and jumps onto Kirara's back, soaring up to meet the hoard as it descended onto us. I look over to Kohaku, recreating my bow and arrow once more. "You ready?" His eyes never leave the group of demons above us, even as Sango begins her attack.
"Ready," he states, raising his weapon up and taking a widened stance.
The first wave of demons that evade Sango hits us, and Kohaku's training, though he can't remember it, shines though. I keep an eye on him even as I loose arrow after arrow, but he's flawless in his precision, and anticipates the moves of each of his opponents with the practiced ease of a veteran warrior three times his age. Releasing yet another arrow, I'm shocked when by how bright the light explodes before us, both Kohaku and I having to shadow our eyes against it.
When it clears I nearly fall to the ground with what I see.
There, across the clearing stood a woman dressed in purple and white priestess robes, her red hair pulled back from her face and her brown eyes set with fierce determination. I knew who she was the instant I saw her, even though the logical part of me tried to deny it. White noise fills my head, and I'm unable to focus on anything else other than her.
It was Mayumi.
And given that she was currently loading another arrow and aiming it straight at me, she wasn't here to help us.
She…was the enemy?
"Mayumi…" I whisper softly, so quietly that I'm unsure she would even hear me. However, despite the distance between us, and the sounds of the battle above, I see her stiffen in response. Her brown eyes are sharp as they narrow in a mixture of defense and curiosity.
She truly had no idea who I was?
"Kohaku what are you doing?!" Sango's desperate cry from above snaps me out of my daze, but not soon enough. When I turn to look all I can see is the blade of Kohaku's scythe bearing down on me, the sharp edge catching along my right arm, from shoulder to elbow. I expect it to hurt, I figured I would feel something as I stared up in shock into Kohaku's own eerily emotionless eyes.
But I felt numb.
I don't remember hitting the ground, feeling the impact of my body against the dirt and grass. I barely remember the sight of Kohaku above me, raising his blade over his head to finish the job. Sango's shouts are dulled, almost as if I were underwater. Everything comes to a horrifying, grinding halt.
Until Mayumi's suddenly in front of me, grabbing Kohaku's hand that is currently wrapped around the handle of his scythe, stopping what would have been a fatal blow. I can tell she's speaking harshly to the boy, though I can't hear what she's saying over the ringing in my ears. Her expression is stern, but other than that not letting on anything as she stares down at me for a moment, strands of her red hair that had escaped her low ponytail fluttering around her face.
It was like looking into a mirror, and it was unsettling.
Her mouth opens and closes twice, as if she is wanting to ask me something, before a frown sets on her features and she instead turns back to Kohaku. A second later there is a bright flash of familiar purple light.
And they're both gone.
Mayumi's POV
My mind was racing as I climbed the small knoll to the top, stepping easily over the large roots that surrounded the tree at the crest. Who was that woman? The one that looked almost exactly like me?
'She even has a similar power signature as my own,' I frown even more at that thought, hands clenching tightly into fists as the object of my impending interrogation sits calmly below the very tree I am heading for. He's calm, eerily so, a stark contrast to the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling in that moment. Though I had never met my apparent doppelgänger before, she felt so familiar.
"Who was that?" I demand as I climb up the the tree that Naraku was currently leaning against. He has a bored expression on his face, though I see a flash of recognition that lets me know he understands who I'm asking about.
"I see you've met Yua," Naraku murmurs dryly.
"Yua?" I test the name on my tongue, a name that sends a jolt through my system that I can't quite place. I frown all the more, irritation now clear in my voice. "Her signature is extremely strong, and feels identical to my own, let alone she even looks like me. Mind telling me why?" I demand, my voice clipped.
Something about this whole situation made me feel like I was being played.
"Oh, Mayumi," Naraku sighs as he stands, the bored expression turning into a cruel smirk. "You bring me such entertainment," he chuckles coldly, causing my back to straighten. I take an unsure step back.
"What is the meaning of this?" I ask, voice shaking with rage at clearly being mocked. Naraku stops when he's an arm length away, his hand going to settle on my cheek in mock affection.
The look in his eyes was anything but affectionate.
"You see, you made a fool of me all those years ago. Now, it's my turn to make a fool out of you," Naraku comments easily. I snarl in anger, still not remotely sure what he was even talking about. I try to jerk my face away from his hand, but his other comes up to hold my face in place with a gentle but firm grip. "I will especially treasure the moments where I wipe your memory clean, over, and over, and over again," my eyes widen in shock at that, mouth dropping open in horror.
Naraku was the reason my memories were gone?
"See you on the other side, Mayumi."
Everything goes black.
Sooooo what do you think? :P Really looking forward to hearing some reactions from you guys! Until next time!
T.O.T.