Update (June 2020): Chapter edited and lengthened!
Chapter 22: Foreshadowing of the Iniquitous Kind
"Hah!"
(Swing)
"Hrah!"
(Whap)
"Good. You are both making progress, but remember to keep true when you deliver a blow, Tamaki."
"Hai, Sensei."
"And Mokoto, make sure that your stance is even as you block."
"Hai, Sensei Yoshi."
It's been about an hour since their arrival, and Coraline, Freeman and Besa were now sitting up against the wall of the dojo watching their fellow students take their turns in learning the fundamentals of self-defense...
"Wow, Master Yoshi is a good teacher."
"Yeah, he really knows how to engage with the students, right Cor?...Cor?"
The redhead would've engaged in conversation with her brothers, but her thoughts were being directed elsewhere...or rather, towards another male she has come to hold as important in her life.
...Inuyasha...I wonder wha' you and the others are doin' right now.
You better be keepin' that shard safe, is all I can say.
Quickly realizing where her train of thought was going to end, Coraline immediately shakes her head loose to reality.
N-No! I have to focus on class...
I can't worry abou' someone who obviously doesn't wanna be bothered with worrying about me.
"Croft, Brownlee! It is time to spar!"
"Hai, Sensei!"
"Which one of us do you mean?"
As she and Freeman - once indicated by their instructor - stand up to begin, Coraline says to herself in nothing less than a mantra,
I have to move on. Focus on other things...like getting stronger...
Meanwhile, back in Sengoku Edo, the situation remains as perilous as ever, particularly for our little fox demon friend still being hunted by Rōyakan's wolves for the gem prize in his hand...After a few more minutes, Shippō will have brought the chase back to his starting point, namely, the Bone Eater's Well, and turns around to face the wolf pack with a determined look.
Alright, enough playing wolf bait.
"It's showtime! (Leap) Multiply!"
Using his illusionary magic, the young ginger creates decoys of himself to distract the wolves long enough for him to disappear into the tree trunk.
"Perfect..."
He slides down the large slab of bark until he reaches the bottom of the well, jeering mischievously,
"Happy hunting...oof!"
Unfortunately, he misses a branch sticking out from the middle of the trunk, and hits it on the way down, causing him to tumble the rest of the way and land on his head...
(Ping...)
Unbeknownst to the dizzy fox demon, the Shikon-no-Tama shard slipped out of his pocket, and onto the ground of the well.
(...Sheen...)
Coraline's POV
About over an hour has passed since my bros and I entered the dojo for our second - and sort'a official first - class, and I'm finally feeling the last of that anger that first festered within my heart leave me. Discovering Master Yoshi and settling ourselves into this little circle of newfound allies is easily becoming the best therapy for that damned tension.
An' let's pray it keeps that way.
...But perhaps I shouldn't have gotten so comfortable. Perhaps I should have retained some sort of guard to the unexpected...for as Freeman and I finish sparring against one another...
(Ba-bump)
"Huh?"
I feel a very faint beat of energy...too familiar energy...I barely get through the rest of the spar without tripping over myself in shock, and then turn to look out the window of the dojo blankly.
...No way. Was tha'...the Shikon-no-Tama...?
I then shake my head in disbelief while whispering to myself,
"C'mon, Cora...pull yourself together...There's no way that w's the jewel. Not by a long shot."
I then feel a hand clap my shoulder, and turn to see noneother than Master Yoshi glancing down at me with a trace of confusion and concern.
"Is everything alright, Croft-san? You seem distracted..."
I obviously couldn't tell him what was bothering me, especially since I'm not certain if this feeling is legit, so I reply simply,
"...I'm fine, sensei. My mind was just wanderin' a bit."
He nods with a hum that told me he both believed yet didn't believe me, before directing to the rest of the class.
"Alright everyone: line up and follow my directions in this next drill."
"Hai, sensei!"
As everyone gets ready, I move to join beside my brothers while pushing my thoughts of Edo away.
I need to keep m' head away from the past...Let's hope these next drills can do that.
Sengoku Edo, No POV
(Slash, slash)
"Rrraaah!"
Leaving the young Croft and Brownlees to their affairs in modern Tokyo, the battle in the older Edo rages on. Inuyasha swipes another round of trio-eyed wolves dead, while Miroku focuses on keeping the Saimyōshō at bay without using his Wind Tunnel.
(Whak)
"Hyaaah!"
"...Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!"
(Slash, slash, SLASH)
As he lands back onto the ground, the half-demon barely dodges another attack from Rōyakan, glaring up at the beast. He then jumps from another side-sweep, only to get back-handed a few seconds afterwards, sliding against the dirt below...
"Inuyasha!"
The monk mutters with an undertone of worry,
"He's struggling much more than usual..."
Kaede poses a theory as to why.
"Inuaysha's wounds hinder him indeed, but the true problem lies with Coraline. Without her, it seems that Inuyasha is unable to realize his full power, and stave off the demon."
Watching the silverette in red leaps back to where Kaede and Miroku stand, the monk then calls out,
"The demon draws on the power of a jewel shard! I can sense it!"
"What?"
"Strike the jewel; it's your only chance!"
The priestess then implores Inuyasha,
"We must have Coraline's aid. She can find out where the fragment is hidden."
But the half-demon's mind was thinking the opposite.
Forget about her; we're on our own. Coraline's gone for good.
The tree will ensure that the well connecting our worlds will remain sealed. She'll never return here again.
"I won't stand for it any longer...Coraline will never see these dangerous battles again!"
"Bwaaah!"
Rōyakan sends another round of three-eyed wolves from his jaws, and we zoom away from the battle for now as Inuyasha sends his claws at them.
"Iron Reaver...!"
...
...
"Alright everyone, good work. We'll have a break for lunch before continuing the lesson."
"Hai, sensei!"
Returning to the dojo of Master Yoshi, the teen students crowd into their own little groups to have lunch...Coraline, Freeman, Besa and Mokoto are seen eating together while chatting about current events...
"So, whaddo you guys think of the class so far?"
"It's been great!...Rgh, but it really pushes your muscles after a while..."
"Yeah. I'm glad I remembered to tell Master Yoshi that my wrist is still acting up. Other than that, I feel like we can all benefit from this as time goes on."
"I'm glad to hear it. I had this feeling that we'd meet up again, but I didn't think we'd be doing that to fight, again!"
As the three young men laugh, Coraline was occupying a half-smile, feeling a bit exhausted from the exercise.
It's only the first class, and I'm already sweatin' good. I even had to shuck m' shirt off; thank god I rememb'red my tank top...
But, I'm feelin' more in the zone.
This is definitely what I need to channel ou' my frustrations...and not get 'em riled up courtesy of a certain half-demon...
"Cora?...Cora?"
"Huh?"
"I asked if you needed more water. You look like you just got back from the Sahara."
"Oh...yeah sure. Thank you."
The redhead takes the offered water bottle and swallows a good mouthful, thinking frantically to herself,
Dammit girl, I thought we went through this!
Block Inuyasha and Edo ou', and bring the martial arts class in.
Besa frowns when he sees the conflicted look on his sister's face.
"...You sure you're okay, Coraline? You look like your mind keeps jumpin' back and forth with something."
"Yeah, I'm sure. I think my bruises are just actin' up a bit again. But hey, nothin' I can't endure, right? Heh-heh..."
Freeman wasn't buying the smile on her face either, and even Mokoto felt a bit suspicious.
"...Coraline...are you, still thinking about him? Inuyasha, I mean?"
"Oh? Who's he?"
"Um, a friend from out of town. Like, waaay out of town, so he can't visit much here in Tokyo. Long story short, he got into an accident, and he's currently healing from some bad injuries."
"Oh, bummer..."
"...Haauh, okay, yes, I guess I am thinkin' a little bit about 'im."
Damn, I suck at hiding my emotions from my brothers, and even Mokoto could tell somethin' was wrong.
...Inuyasha...his injuries hadn't fully healed when I was forced back here.
...Wait. What if, that pulse from the jewel...
Could it mean he's...?!
About ten minutes later, Coraline is seen heading out the door, slipping on her gray sleeveless jacket as she finally gives up trying to ignore her thoughts about that certain half-demon.
"I'm sorry guys, bu' I can't stay. I...I have to go and see him!"
"We get it, Cor; do what you gotta."
"Please let sensei know I had to leave early."
"We got ya covered, sis! Go, and tell him we said hey!"
...The young Croft is soon running down the streets after riding the subway away from those greener roads, hell-bent on getting back to the Bone Eater's Well.
Inuyasha...I'm coming, whether you wan' me to or not!
...Unfortunately, she would receive an unexpected and rather unpleasant delay come the next turn around a corner.
"There she is! The bitch!"
"Huh?"
(PUNCH)
"Argh!"
Coraline is suddenly sucker-punched in the gut, and is sent tumbling backwards onto the pavement!...As she struggles to sit up with a cringe from the impact, a familiar voice cuts out in front of her.
"Ha, finally found you. It took a while to find the right time to ambush you, but now...you're gonna pay for costing me and my boys that payroll a few days ago!"
Looking forward, the redhead's blue irises widen at meeting the eyes of the gangster leader from the warehouse fight, along with four of his cronies.
Oh shit...Not this guy again!
...Ggrh, looks like my trip down the well will have t' wait a bit. First, I gotta get past these creeps.
Rising from the ground entirely, Coraline replies with a glare,
"You think so? Tuh, didn't you learn from the night before I'm not'a girl you should fight?"
The ice green-eyed male growls at her hatefully, and the girl smirks bitterly while adding,
"I guess I need t' give you a reminder...You wanna fight? Bring it on!"
With that, he and his quartet backup - two of them carrying crowbars - charge with their fists raised...but Coraline was ready for them.
(Block, shove, kick)
"Agh!"
One goes down as the redhead then ducks from a swing, before going to grab a piece of broken wood to use as a makeshift club...
(Whak)
Ahh, my arm!"
One of the gangsters with a crowbar drops his weapon after getting hit with the plank, and Coraline ceases it to block the other one.
(Clang)
"Rrrr...!"
"Grrr...!"
(Kick)
"Gggh!"
She's then taken off-guard by a kick to the side, and falls onto the pavement hard enough to scrape the bottom of her palms.
"Mph! D-Damn..."
"Heh, now I got ya, you bitch!"
She then barely rolls away from an incoming boot, leaving it to connect with the blacktop instead of her rib cage...Jumping up to a stand, Coraline uses the stolen crowbar to knock the other out of reach.
(CLANG)
"Ah! Shit..."
With that done, the crony is left vulnerable to the following combo.
(Punch, punch, KICK)
"Aaaaaah, Rrrh!"
"W-Why you...!"
His buddy tries to avenge him, but Coraline wasn't about to be caught unawares again. She whirls around and lands a knuckle sandwich to the area between her opponent's twelfth ribs and gut, sending them back hard enough to roll backwards into the nearby metal fence lining one side of the sidewalk...A few more punches and kicks later, only two would be left standing, namely, the young Croft and the gangster leader.
"Hah, hah...how th' hell are you doing this? Who are you?! Some secret assassin or somethin'?"
"Tch, not even close. I'm just another teenag'a, who happens to know a thing or two abou' street-fighting."
At that, the two begin to try and beat the other senseless, Coraline receiving a few more blows but dealing a good number in return...
"Hiiiiiyah!"
(KICK)
"Aaaagh!"
Five minutes later, the girl delivers the final blow, sending the gangster brother to crash against the metal fencing with enough impact to bend the material...And speaking of material, a sleeve bomber jacket the shaved brunette was wearing over his previous outfit snags...and as it rips, Coraline spots something that made her blood turn to ice.
Hh-h!...No way...That, symbol...It can't be...!
While the five defeated young males groan incoherently from their injuries, their opponent slowly steps forward to the leader of the bunch, her eyes fixated on the now visual arm band. The symbol decorating it - coloured black with light yellow lining and surrounding a deep red border that also had yellow lining - is shaped like a pointed Y with a small upside-down triangle in the upper dip, and several small parallelograms sticking out from the left and right lines.
To any other civilian, it would just be an unknown military organization patch...
But to Coraline, the insignia stirred up something she had hoped to keep buried in her being for longer than this.
...It is...It's, their symbol.
...They mus' have a base somewhere in Tokyo. Damn it...!
...Which means I won' be safe from detection for much long'a.
Remembering her present goal, Coraline readies to restart her journey back to Higurashi Shrine...but not before tearing off the arm band first...Come another twenty minutes, she finally makes it home, dashing past the house and to the well house holding the enchanted structure. She practically slams the door open, and jogs downward the small staircase while scooping up her combat knife, before jumping over the lip of the well...
(Thud)
"Ggh...!"
She cringes from the pain of injuries old and new, but pushes past the aches as she crouches down on the dirt floor, trying to zero in on where the echo of power came from earlier.
...It's here. I know the Shikon-no-Tama is here.
(Narrows eyes) Where though? Where is the shard of the Shikon-no-Tama?
(...Sheen...)
Flipping over like a coin to the other side of the well, as the fragment chunk of the fabled gem continues to glow, Shippō begins to stir awake from his rough tumble down the tree trunk.
"U-Uh...uhh...?"
Unfortunately, as he opens his eyes, he'd meet the many sets of eyes belonging to the three-eyed wolves, the pack having finally zeroed in on his locale!
"Aaah! The wolves; they found me!"
...
...
Back in modern Tokyo, Coraline begins to pull back some of the dirt of the well floor with her bare hands, becoming all the more desperate over the condition of her companions...one companion in particular.
I have to ge' back to you. Are you okay?
...Inuyasha...
(Sheen)
"Huh?"
Suddenly, there came that familiar shade of amaranth pink...and the girl would begin falling through that temporal portal!
"Uh!...Did I, make it...?"
...Coraline then feels something materialize into her hand, and when she opens it, she finds,
The Shikon-no-Tama...!
A few seconds more is needed before she completes her travel through time and space, landing gently on the floor of the Edo-old Bone Eater's Well, much to Shippō's shock.
"Uh...! U-U-Uh...!"
"Hm?...Hh! Shippō!"
...Tears of joy begin to fill the fox demon's eyes, before he charges lightly into Coraline's upper torso for a hug.
"Coraline!"
She hugs back just as happily:
"Shippō!"
"I thought we would never meet again!"
"Heh, the jewel finally does somethin' right for once..."
(Growl...)
"Uah!" "Huh?"
But Coraline's arrival wasn't during a peaceful time, as confirmed by the three-eyed wolves coming in close on the tree trunk, killer looks abound...Meanwhile, Inuyasha, Miroku and Kaede were standing back-to-back as more of the canines, poison demon wasps and Rōyakan all surround them...
It was in that instant the half-demon picks up a familiar scent.
"(Jolt) Huh?!...Coraline's scent!"
The monk and priestess look towards him with confusion, and Inuyasha bursts into a new-found energy away from the area.
"It's Coraline! I know her scent anywhere!"
"You will not escape!"
"Care to wager on that?!"
(PUNCH)
Rōyakan then has the wind knocked out of him, courtesy of the silverette's fist!
"Time to put an end to this..."
Inuyasha unsheathes Tessaiga:
"Hrrraaah!"
(SLASH)
"Aaaaargh!"
As the monster wolf falls back from the sword blade, Miroku comments with surprise,
"Inuyasha's strength has returned...!"
...He then calls somewhat incredulously to Inuyasha's form as it passes quickly for Bone Eater's Well,
"Gh-Come back! Finish him off before you go to her!"
He's then forced to duck out of the way as Rōyakan begins his pursuit...Back at the Bone Eater's Well, as the wolves begin surrounding the outside, Coraline asks Shippo with uncertainty,
"Uh, mind fillin' me in on what's happening, Shippō?"
"Inuyasha's injuries haven't had time to heal. The demon's determined to take advantage of his weakness."
Coraline cringes internally:
Damn, so my instincts were righ'. Inuyasha really was in trouble...
Focusing back in the wolves, the gingers cloister to one another as the taller one rises to a stand.
"Here they come..."
Her left hand reaches for her combat knife...
(Grip)
"Hrrrrr..."
But then Inuyasha arrives on scene, grabbing onto the tree trunk before using all of his upper body strength to yank it out of the well!
(RUSTLE)
"HRRRAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The wolves that were atop the slap of wood fall off from the shift of gravity, just as Rōyakan comes charging into the area.
"Rrrraaaaahhhhh!"
"You could use more, fiber!"
(TOSS)
"Raaaahhhh!"
Inuyasha then throws the tree trunk straight at the evil-controlled canine demon, which lands right in his mouth and shoots him backwards to slide into the grass hard...With the trunk blocking Rōyakan's main attack, any three-eyed wolves that were still out and about would fade away into smoke...
Now that the dangers have been eradicated, Coraline and Shippō start to emerge out of the well. Settling against the lip of the structure, the female redhead watches the silverette gently float down to the ground a few feet away from her, an expression of awe on her face.
...Inuyasha...
Ignoring the throbbing from any bruises on her legs, Coraline sets herself on the grass and begins to slowly approach her friend, softly whispering his name aloud...He in turn remains silent for a short moment, too shocked by just seeing the human girl had returned...before finally replying,
"W-What are you doing here? I told you to stay away!...Huh?"
The redheaded teen rushes over to him, arms stretching out with a relief emerging on her face, before enveloping the young man in a much-needed hug.
"Inuyasha!"
"Uh!"
"I...I was so scared you were dead...I ha'n't heard a damn thing from ya in days...!"
"...You should've listened...I told you never to return!"
Coraline releases her hold on Inuyasha, pulling back to look at him anxiously and reply,
"I know, but...I had t' come back. I needed to see you again!"
She, needed to see me?...Coraline...
The girl notices the confusion on his face, and becomes disheartened.
"...I see. So my worry is one-sided, isn' it?...You didn't care I was gone."
Coraline then pulls back entirely to wrap her arms around herself, stepping away from the half-demon with a disappointed expression and small tears running down her cheeks. Inuyasha tries to protest against this shift.
"Hey, c'mon, Coraline, stop the tears! Don't be sad over me!"
She glares at him and says coldly,
"These are not tears o' sadness, but tears of unwanted stress!"
Shippō watches the interactions between the two teens with mild disbelief written on his face.
"Thirty seconds and they're already at it. (Exasperated) I suppose I should just simply count my blessings that everything's returned to normal..."
By this time, Miroku and Kaede had finally caught up with everyone, the monk also happy to see the prodigal teen is back.
"Coraline has returned from her era...Lady Kaede, Coraline is back! (Turn) Did you hear me?"
"Miroku...do ye not think it peculiar?"
"What?"
"The drones of venomous insects vanished without warning."
"...You're right..."
...Deep within the shadows of the nearby treeline, Naraku observes the scene from afar, his focus fixating on Coraline.
"(Narrows eyes) That young woman...It's, Kikyō...Nay, Kikyō perished fifty years ago, and the young woman bears no physical resemblance..."
The young lady in question then assists the fox demon out of the well...just as she detects a sinister presence.
(Ba-bump)
"Uh...!"
What is...I've never sensed a dark aura like d'is before. Makes that old crone Beldam look rather weak.
She moves away from the well, and takes a few steps forward as her eyes narrow in suspicion.
"...Someone is near, and they have several shards of th' jewel."
Everyone stiffens on alert at her words, and Coraline uses her Aura Sight to help fixate on the specific location.
"(Point) That way."
Inuyasha and Miroku immediately take off where the girl pointed to, prompting Naraku to head backwards just as quickly...The half-demon hops from a tree branch to tree branch, and eventually lands a few feet away from where the baboon-furred demon is now standing, staring at the other hard.
"...I sensed that you weren't far away. You're Naraku, aren't you?"
Naraku smiles menacingly as a response, just as Miroku came through the bushes...
"At last, I found you," followed by the monk's low calling of the demon's name.
It's him...
Coraline, Kaede and Shippō arrive on scene just behind the human male, staring at the demon with looks of matching wariness...Inuyasha then asks with a serious look,
"Answer me one thing before I avenge Kikyō's death: Naraku, why do you bare such a grudge against me?"
"...Good question. Humph, I suppose you wish an answer to that question, else eternal rest shall elude you in death."
The priestess then feels her stare harden, realizing something.
"It is him..."
Coraline asks,
"Him?"
Naraku then addresses the woman who hails from this time period.
"Kaede. Age has not been kind to you."
"Do ye know me? Aye, Onigumo...is that not your name?"
"Onigumo...Haha, that name brings me such fond memories...Nay, I am Naraku, not Onigumo...though it cannot be denied that I was born of Onigumo fifty years ago."
(Flash)
We go back fifty or so years prior to now, back a few days before the events that would drive apart a certain half-dog demon and priestess...back a few hours before the fire that would 'destroy' the incapacitated thief the latter had cared for...
"Onigumo was a foolish man indeed. He began to harbor desires for the kindhearted priestess who nursed him...Eventually, he succumbed to his weakness and called forth the demons."
Many malicious spirits had felt the call and fester above Onigumo...But he merely says to them with no fear,
"My soul is retched to the core, yet it still holds value. Feast upon my flesh. I must possess my former mobility, then the jewel will be mine, not to mention the lovely maiden Kikyō. Feast on me, demons...Devour me! And in exchange, bestow upon me your mobility and strength!"
They don't hesitate to heed the hellish demand, and dive down to consume the human's body...granting his wish of rebirth into something deeply sinister...
"And that, is how all the demons, became one. A demon named, Naraku, myself. It required countless demons to create my body."
...The new monster born from greed and desperate desires will then spend some time observing his new targets, paying special attention to the woman guarding the object of great power.
"Because the priestess Kikyō was so powerless, the region teemed with demons. Her power had diminished because she had fallen in love with a worthless half-demon...She submitted to her childish desires, and attempted to use the Shikon-no-Tama for her own purposes. For that, she was punished, and Inuyasha, you suffered the punishment as well."
The scene shifts to when the half-demon is nearly shot down by priestess come the dawn of their promised meeting, now confirmed as Naraku disguised as her.
"Die, Inuyasha!"
Then came the surprise attack on Kikyō, also confirmed to have been Naraku disguised as Inuyasha.
"Fool. I have no desire whatsoever to become human. But I shall take the jewel nonetheless. Thanks."
(Flash)
The source of life still truly alive after the deceitful events those years ago glares hatefully at their tormentor.
"You, bastard!...You are to blame for everything that happened! You deceived Kikyō and I. You tricked us into trying to kill one another!"
Naraku doesn't deny it, but merely asks,
"Then tell me: how is it that the trust you held in one another was so easily destroyed?"
"What are you saying?!"
"It was anger, a bitter anger that set you against one another. That, Inuyasha, is the true legacy in the trust you held in one another...Even Kikyō could not comprehend it. She should have chosen to live and use the Sacred Jewel to save her...Instead, she chose death. Had she pleaded for her life, her pathetic, retched wish would've easily been granted. Then she would understood the ultimate truth of darkness...Foolish woman; it is claimed that the Shikon-no-Tama grows more beautiful when it is tainted with malice."
With that all in the wind, Inuyasha's anger was all the more ready to boil over. His knuckles crack as he calls,
"Coraline, look inside him! How many fragments do you see in him?"
She does so, using her Aura Sight for a better search.
"...I see, ten...no twenty. Son of a-There's more shards in 'im than I can count!"
A very dangerous smirk curves onto the half-demon's face as he then says to the fiendish object of his negativity,
"Hey, Naraku, wanna see something really scary? (Gritted frown) I'll slit you from head to toe to show you what malice means!"
He then barrels at the cloaked entity, forcing the appending battle to the air...Claws then come sweeping down.
"Iron Reaver...!"
(SLASH)
"...Huh?"
But when Inuyasha rips away the baboon fur, he is momentarily surprised by the sight before him: a male figure in dark-coloured robes, with long black hair and his right sleeve raised to cover most of his face, save one of his red irises...Naraku then smirks, before unleashing a dark mist-like barrier of poisonous energy, causing a major spout of death and decay for the surrounding environment!
"A cloud of destruction! Run!"
"Inuyasha!"
Coraline, Miroku, Kaede and Shippō are forced to flee from the area, and Naraku lightly lands on the ground while staring at the distant spot where his 'short-lived' opponent crashed hard...
"Farewell, Inuyasha. It seems you've succumbed to my cloud of destruction."
(...Grip)
"Rgh...Think again!"
However, contrary to Naraku's belief, Inuyasha had survived the impact of the destruction, and is now holding a transformed Tessaiga at the ready! The former cringes back slightly from the wave of power blowing his way.
"Huh?...Impossible...! How could he have broken through?!"
Naraku turns to try and escape the area, but the silverette in red comes leaping at him with his dog fang katana.
"Hrrrrrraaaaah!"
(SLASH)
His hit is true...but only cuts away the robes, revealing a strange arachnid-shaped burn mark on Naraku's back...
Before he could try and attack again, Inuyasha is pushed back by oncoming winds while the smog and dust surrounds Naraku, making his body no longer visible to anyone's vision.
(Whoosh...shoom)
And just like that, the cloud was gone, as was the demon within...!
"He got away...That wicked demon managed to escape me...!"
Inuyasha feels a wave of emotions shiver through his body, before turning his head to the sky to bellow,
"NOOO! COME BACK AND FIGHT ME!"
...
...
A short while later after the area settles, Kaede and Miroku discuss what Inuyasha had informed them about regarding Naraku, looking over where the aftermath of the cloud of destruction once was.
"A spider on his back?"
"Yes. Inuyasha said that he saw a spider-shaped burn mark on the middle of Naraku's back."
"If Onigumo suffered from terrible burns, perhaps that proves Naraku is Onigumo."
The young monk looks down at his cursed hand.
"A spider on his back...That shall serve as Naraku's own sign..."
Coraline glances at the crater over yonder, before taking out the arm band she stole from that street punk, feeling a stir in forces yet to come.
Speaking of signs...Naraku's no' the only threat starting to make themselves known.
Soon...soon, they will rear their heads.
"God-dammi' all..."
Shippō hears her curse, and turns to look more intently at the young woman's physical condition.
"Hh! Coraline...you have, bruises and cuts on your body! I didn't see them before during the action, but...What happened? Did you get hurt on the way back here?"
That caught everyone's attention, Inuyasha's especially.
"Huh?"
He leaps down from the tree branch he was sitting in, pushing his thoughts about Kikyō to the back of his mind for the time being as he focuses his vision on Coraline's form...Sensing the need for an explanation, the redhead sighs under her breath before facing the four with a reluctant expression.
"...I was on my way out'a mixed martial arts class I started taking with m' brothers, and I got ambushed by some stree' punks, my world's equivalent to wha' you'd know as bandits."
The listeners gasp a bit, but the speaker reassures them,
"It's not as bad as i' looks. (Grim smirk) For every blow they did deliver, I payed 'em back double."
"...You got attacked on your way back, but you still came anyway?"
Coraline turns to Inuyasha with a stern glare.
"Of course. No damn bruises are going to stop me from reachin' you all. I'd run through Hell of I had to."
She then walks up to the shocked half-demon, and states outright,
"You thought sendin' back to my era would protect me, but you were livin' in a fantasy world! Ge' this through your skull, Inuyasha: human beings are constantly in danger day by day, big or small! No matter wha' you or anyone else may do...I will never truly be safe in any era!"
"Gh!...Coraline..."
The redhead then sighs bitterly before adding,
"And based on how y' handled things a few days ago, I'm starting to wonder if I can trust you with my well-being, especially if you barely trus' me with your problems, including your vendetta against Naraku..."
To say the silverette was shocked stupid by Coraline's accusations and declarations, not to mention her casual attitude regarding her injuries, would be a grand understatement.
...In constant danger, no matter what?
Coraline...just what the hell kind of world do you live in?
And the way she's playing off her injuries...She almost sounds like me...
His eyes then lock onto the black material fisted within her left hand.
"Huh? Hey, what's that?"
"Hm?"
Coraline looks where he's looking, and curses under her breath before quickly shoving the arm band into her pocket.
"It's, nothing. Nothin' you need to worry about..."
Inuyasha narrows his eyes suspiciously, not buying that offhanded reply.
"...There's more than just these bandits, isn't there? Something else is rattling you, Coraline."
"I told you, it's nothing for you t' be concerned about. I can deal with it myself."
(Grab)
"Uh-Hey!"
The half-demon swipes the material from Coraline's pocket, shifting his focus onto the mysterious insignia.
"Huh? What's this?...Some strange military symbol...?"
(Swipe)
"What-Hey, Coraline!"
"Butt out!"
"Huh?"
Inuyasha is taken aback by the harshness that suddenly rose in the girl's tone and expression, as were the others observing the interactions.
"...What's wrong with Coraline?"
"I'm not sure, Shippō...but she seems more on edge."
Kaede nods in agreement with Miroku.
"Aye, and I suspect it has something to do with the symbol that lies on that cloth...Whatever it represents, it is causing a great deal of stress and anger in her being."
The boys hum with worry, while the half-demon tries to interrogate the young Croft on why she's suddenly upping her guard.
"...What's going on with you, Coraline? What does that insignia mean?"
"Something you don't need t' know about. It's my issue, not yours!"
"If it's causing you this much anger, I have a right to know why...Hang on...Shippō said something about a deep hate you hold for someone of your past..."
Coraline turns her stare to said fox demon.
"...You told him about wha' we discussed a few days ago?"
"I'm sorry, Coraline, but, he had a right to know!"
She softens her glare at the young boy's apologetic tone.
"...Hauh, it's okay. I'm not mad at you, Shippō."
"Coraline...does that insignia have something to do with your past?"
She focuses back on Inuyasha with a near-sneer.
"So what if it does? I don't have t' explain every damn detail of my life to you."
The silver-haired youth glares hard at that response.
"You know, you got a really bad attitude right now, and that's coming from me. What're you hiding, Coraline?...Is this man from your past coming after you or something? What's going on? Tell me!"
Coraline snaps under the pressure of the other teen's words.
"Feck off, Inuyasha!"
...The area falls silent as everyone of this older time form their own forms of shock at the sudden spat of rage from the girl...
"If you can't trust me with yo'r vendetta, what the hell makes y' think I can trust ya with mine?!"
Coraline then gasps, and slaps a hand over her mouth when she realizes her mistake.
Oh crap. I shouldn't have said tha'!
"...Yours? You have a vendetta set against someone?"
The girl feels herself shake, her red locks billowing in front of her face to shield her vision from Inuyasha's approaching form.
"...Coraline...What are you talking about? Who are these-Uh!"
He flinches back when she snaps her head back up to show off an expression of anger...and fear.
"Just, leave me be, Inuyasha...Stay out of this!"
And before anyone could stop her, Coraline bursts off into a run from the area, wanting to put herself as far away from the half-demon as possible, much to his protest.
"Coraline? Coraline, come back! Coraline!"
Damn. What's going on?
Is Naraku not the only one to worry about? Is there another enemy that wants to harm Coraline?
...Coraline...please...talk to me. Tell me how I can help you!
Boom, plot twist!
What in the world has got Coraline more on edge than the thought of Naraku?
Will Inuyasha and the others find her? Will they get answers to why she's acting like this?
What does her father's murderer have to do with the mysterious insignia?
Tune into the next chapter to find out!