Update (March 2021): Chapter edited and lengthened!
Chapter 55: Amnesia Chasm
Two days pass since our main teen protagonists had one of their most impactful heart-to-heart talks, and once further preparations were made, the entire group of young souls would set out for the next closest province and continue their journey across the country. This time, they were retracing their path back to the last location of Naraku's Illusionary Castle, with Hachiemon the tanuki aiding in air travel this time...
Along the way, Shippō once again expresses his relief in knowing his fellow ginger hasn't developed any thoughts in leaving the circle.
"I was so worried! I thought you weren't coming back anymore, Coraline."
She smiles apologetically at the little fox demon and replies,
"I'm sorry, lad. I should'a waited 'til yeu woke up so I could explain things."
Freeman adds in a whisper from her right side,
"I did try to break it down for him while you were gone, but I think most of the info went over his head."
She nods in understanding while Shippō calls,
"Hey, Inuyasha: have you asked for Coraline's forgiveness?"
Said silverette exclaims from a few feet ahead in the middle of the transformed Hachi,
"Butt out!"
The two teens sitting with the fox demon shake their heads with sighs of exasperation...Panning in the other direction, we see Miroku, Sango and Besa sitting together up front, watching Kilala fly on ahead while discussing the latest 'dispute'.
"I wonder how on earth those two patched things up?"
The monk ponders the slayer's question:
"Hm, knowing him, he probably just wore Coraline down with his silence."
"What? You mean she forgave him for cheating on her?! Ugh, I can't believe that; how can she put up with that kind of behaviour?"
"She probably realized that he was backed up against the wall and most likely didn't want to pressure him."
They steal a glance at Inuyasha as Sango nods,
"Yeah, it doesn't take much to push him over the edge..."
...Unfortunately, the dog demon caught onto the stares, and glares back at the two.
"What're you lookin' at?!"
They dart their eyes forward, and Miroku muses to himself,
Ah, a clear sign of remorse. Good, good...
"Haha, I find it funny that you two think Cora and Inuyasha are in a romantic relationship...It's not as obvious as you think it is."
The monk and slayer look at Besa in surprised confusion.
"It's not?"
"Nope. The interactions we're seeing are actually just as common in opposite sex best friends. I mean who knows, (whisper) maybe there's a slight chance they're hiding their true feelings from one another, but until it's confirmed from at least one party, it may not be the best idea to assume."
Miroku and Sango hum at the theory, while the young man with cornrowed hair steals his own glance at each topic of conversation.
Although I do have a sneaking suspicion Cora may have come to an emotional epiphany not too long ago...
But it's not my business to pry. I'll leave it to her to say what she needs to say when she's ready...Same for Inuyasha.
Eventually, the entire ensemble reaches their destination, namely, the barren ground marred by the scar of Tessaiga's strongest attack, which surprisingly still has a few hints of a stone wall running around most of the former castle perimeter...
"So this is where Naraku's Castle used to be?"
Miroku nods to Inuyasha,
"Yes. There are still traces of Naraku's miasma...This is it."
Sango looks around with a faraway expression, feeling some unpleasant memories threatening to resurface...Everyone then splits up to comb about for any clues that may tell them where the evil entity that used to occupy this area could've gone...Inuyasha walks with Shippō and Kilala, wondering aloud,
"This doesn't make any sense, though: there's hardly any signs of the ruins. Are we sure that Naraku's castle was really here?"
The fox demon could only shrug at the same time the twin-tail emits a mewl of indifference, and they reach Miroku and Hachi who were examining the ground where the claw mark of the Wind Scar is. The monk hums in thought,
"You've got a point: considering it's Naraku, it wouldn't be the first time that we've been lured to a false castle..."
"Fake o' not, I'm definitely pickin' up faint traces of the bastard's aura!"
"Hm?"
The males look ahead, and widen their eyes when they see Coraline sitting Indian-style on the ground, her body emitting a ring of icy neon blue. Lumos is also present, circling around the girl while emitting a similar glow...They wander over for a closer inspection, and the half-demon would ask the question on all their minds.
"What the heck are you doin'?"
"I'm focusin' my aura to sync with Lumos, and we're gonna try an' see if we can zero in on Naraku's specific energy based on the traces still lingerin' in these ruins...If all goes accordin' to plan, I migh' be able to uncover his latest location."
"What?!"
"No way!"
"Seriously!?"
"You can really do that?!"
She nods while keeping her focus,
"Auy...bu' there's no guarantee it'll work. I dunno how far mine and Lumos's radar will extend...and there's also the possibility the opposing energies will try to block us...Still, worth a shot."
She then takes a big breath through her nose...and opens her glowing eyes.
"Everyone stand back, or you'll get hi' by the backlash!"
They nod and scramble out of the area around Coraline, just as she raises her hands into a pedestal shape above her head where Lumos floats to rest on.
(Sheen)
"Seek'a Aurora!"
The human and her Will O' Wisp partner are each swallowed into a brighter expel of bright arctic power, and everyone shields their eyes as the energy is released in a series of ribbon-like waves through the surrounding area.
(...Ba-bump...ba-bump, ba-bump...)
"Uh! I think I'm getting something!"
Inuyasha calls from afar,
"Whaddo you see?"
"Hang on, the image is blurry...Wait. It's starting t' come into view..."
But just before Coraline could make any sense out of the image being projected into her mind...
(Gleam...)
"Huh?"
Freeman feels something off, and turns his head to see several spots of burgundy energy beginning to form on the ruined stone walls!
"Uuuh, guys...?!"
Everyone turns their own eyes to where he's looking:
"What the-"
"Ah! I'm sensing a substantial amount of dark demonic energy...!"
"Naraku's aura must be going on the offense!"
"Coraline, stop!"
But the warning came a few seconds too late:
(Pow-pow-pow-pow)
Four beams of the burgundy light shoot one at a time from the walls, and blast against the redhead's body!
(Bzzzzzzzt)
"Aaaauhhhh!"
Once the offensive energy finishes its job, Coraline collapses on her hands and knees, grimacing as she fights down the shock of the pain in her veins.
"Grh! D-Damn...So much for tha' plan..."
Everyone rushes over to check up on her:
"Coraline!"
"Are you okay?!"
"That must've hurt..."
"You're not badly injured?"
She gingerly rises to a stand, slipping a bit halfway but steadies herself quickly enough.
"I'm, alrigh'. (Weak smile) I think the part tha' really took the blow was me pride."
Inuyasha places a concerned hand on her shoulder and asks with a serious expression,
"What happened?"
"Naraku's aura happened. I was close to pinpoin'in' a possible location, but the traces seeped into these ruins go' wise to Lumos and I an' proceeded to stop us with tha' energy shock...I'll be fine, bu', there's no way I'll be able t' do tha' again without bein' attacked."
Miroku asks,
"Is there anything you can remember from what you did see that may help?"
Coraline rubs the side of her head and replies discouragingly,
"Nothin' tha' would be really helpful. Most of the image was pretty blurred and domin'ntly purple, so there mus' be a huge mist of miasma surroundin' the structure...That's as far as I go' before I was blocked."
She forms an apologetic look and adds,
"Sorry I can't add anythin' else."
"It's alright; you did your best...It's possible that the mist you saw may be more than just miasma. Naraku may have erected a barrier to block his presence from others."
"True..."
The Will O' Wisp then floats to settle on Coraline's shoulder, and lets out a tried moan. She smiles a bit and says to him,
"Thank yeu for lendin' a hand, Lumos. Take as long a rest as you need."
She looks down at the ground and muses with a sad smile,
"I guess even illusions can pack'a punch once in'a while..."
"No...It was real."
"Hm?"
Coraline looks ahead to see Sango examining a specific spot in the ground.
"Yu're sure?"
"There's no mistake: Naraku's Castle was definitely here...Your detection adds to the proof I found."
The redhead wanders over to where the brunette is crouching...and sees some unearthed armor pieces.
"...Oh. Sango, are these...?"
Everyone else comes over to where they're standing, and Inuyasha asks,
"What's up, Sango? Did you find something?"
She holds up one piece of the worn armor with a grim expression and replies,
"...This was my father's armor...The day he was murdered, we demon slayers were lured to Naraku's Castle...My father and all the others were slaughtered. The assassin was...my young brother, Kohaku. His mind was being controlled by Naraku..."
Besa and Freeman hum with sympathy, and the brunette finishes,
"Their bodies were buried in the corner of the courtyard, right where we're standing."
Coraline replies solemnly,
"I'm so sorry, Sango...Hm?"
They then look to see Miroku step over to the side of the grave, before unwrapping a part of his robes.
"Miroku?"
"We mustn't leave your father and the others here buried in this tainted ground."
He lays the material down and begins to remove the armor pieces from the grave, much to Sango's admiration.
"Miroku..."
"We shall bury them elsewhere and offer our prayers. Is that agreeable, Sango?"
"Of course. Miroku, I...thank you."
The twins nod at one another, before setting their rucksacks down and unroll a blanket from one to assist.
"We'll help too."
"Yes. It's only right that they be resting somewhere that isn't laced with miasma...and hate..."
Coraline smiles faintly at her brother's Samaritan efforts, before going into thought over the area.
Well then, I suppose this fully confirms tha' this area's the last location of Naraku's Castle...
But wha' of the people inside?...I remember Kohaku floating ou' of the area durin' the whirlwind, so there's a good chance he wasn' killed...
But these remains have undergone a rather speedy decomposition, leavin' only the slayer gear...and a few bones...
The miasma must've been absorbed deep into the dir', makin' it more acidic...A damn shame.
Once the last of the remains were gathered, their location is shifted to a cliff-side far enough from the ruins to avoid further decimation, and reburied with a marker on top made from large pieces of rock...As Miroku sends his blessings, Inuyasha comments,
"Well, at least here, wild dogs won't dig up their graves..."
"Let this be your resting place for the time-being."
Sango lays a small bouquet of flowers on the grave site, and mentally vows,
Someday, I promise to erect proper graves for you and the others in the village.
The village is abandoned now...but Kohaku and I are still alive. We'll both watch over the graves...if I can find him.
...Unbeknownst to her, our lost and misguided young demon slayer was closer by than she knew...
(Toss, slice)
"Haha!"
Turns out, Kohaku is indeed alive, currently taking refuge in the home of an elderly couple and cutting firewood in exchange for lodging...He slices another log in two, catching one half on his foot and the other on his head. He turns around in a hop with a smile and asks,
"Well?"
The elderly couple clap in praise over his skill:
"Oh-hohohoho...!"
"That's quite the performance, young lad!"
Kohaku lets out another laugh and tosses the pieces of wood onto the log pile, the second balancing on the other for a few seconds before toppling over...
"You are remarkable!"
"I'll say he is!"
"Your performance has been truly entertaining."
"And on top of which, you've done a fine job cutting our firewood."
Kohaku cheerily replies,
"Don't mention it."
The elder woman then says,
"You must be tired from all that work. Come inside and rest a little."
"Thank you."
...
...
Soon, the sun sets on another day, and as the simple trio starts to eat dinner, the elderly man asks the young demon slayer,
"Well? Did you remember anything?"
"No, not really..."
"How about, where you came from, or your name?"
The woman ponders,
"Wait a minute now: perhaps you lived close to the castle..."
"Castle?"
"About two weeks ago, Lord Hitomi's castle suddenly vanished into thin air...and it was the very next day that we found you lying unconscious. Perhaps you suffered a frightening experience and that's what caused you to lose your memory."
Kohaku thinks on the theory, but does not speak...
The elderly man and woman say respectively to his lack of response,
"Well, never mind..."
"I guess not. Meanwhile, you can stay here as long as you want. Now, eat up; there's lots more."
"(Small smile) Hm, thank you."
...Another hour passes, and we find Kohaku sitting under a nearby oak looking up at the moon while trying to rack his brain for a clue to who he was.
The castle...That's right: I have a feeling I was there...
(...Buzzzz...)
Suddenly, a large drone of the Saimyōshō comes flying his way!
"Uh!"
Though he isn't completely sure of their purpose, the boy somehow knew these demonic insects were here because of him. In that regard, he hurries to warn his temporary caretakers of the impending threat.
"Gramps! Granny!"
"Uh?"
"Huh?"
"I have to leave you now!"
"Where will you go, my boy?"
"I can't stay here anymore! It's dangerous, so don't go outside! (Smile) Thank you for all your kindness."
With that, Kohaku leaves while the elder couple mutter,
"Wait...!"
"Ooh my..."
The young slayer is soon dashing down a hillside through the forest as fast as he could, feeling a snippet of his lost memories return.
That's right; I remember! I ran away from the castle the night it disappeared!
(Flash)
"Kohaku...I have no need to keep you alive any longer. Go join your father and the others."
(Flash)
Kohaku...My name is...Kohaku?
Before he could question himself any further, something else comes shooting out the ground in front of him, causing him to jump back with a yelp!...As the boy grimaces from a new injury on his upper arm, he looks up and meets eyes with a monstrous demon, a creature with the body of a mahogany praying mantis and a skull-like head, red eyes and long green hair!
...
...
We quickly return to our titular group as they settle around a fire for the night, Hachi having left them a couple hours earlier...Kilala then picks up on the scent of the surfaced demon, and rises to a stand with a low growl.
"What is it, Kilala? (Narrows eyes) Mm...Are there demons nearby?"
Coraline then senses a familiar pulse of power.
"Uh! There's a jewel shard nearby!"
Inuyasha asks,
"What's that?"
"It's in the same direction Kilala's looking!"
The whole troupe wastes no time in chasing after the lead, with the Brownlee twins running alongside the silverette while he carries both gingers, and the twin-tail rides a few feet ahead with Sango and Miroku on her back...
"Coraline, is it this way?"
"Auy! It's in the clearin' beyond this part of th' glen!"
Freeman asks curiously,
"How can you tell it's a clearing?"
"Some of Lumos's lent energy is still within me, so my detection's a bi' sharper tonight."
"Gotch'ya."
...That's when familiar drone of buzzing began resonating from above, and the monk looks up to see,
"Uh! Naraku's poisonous insects!"
Inuyasha sarcastically comments,
"So, they're after the Shikon-no-Tama shard too, are they?"
Besa replies,
"We better pick up the pace!"
...
Up ahead in the clearing, the mantis-like demon addresses its target.
"Kohaku, you cannot escape from me!"
The young slayer flinches, and the creature threatens,
"Surrender to me the Shikon-no-Tama shard in your back!"
Shikon...no-Tama shard?
Said fragment emits a faint glow from the middle of the clueless boy's back, and the enemy raises one of its razor arms to attack.
"Surrender the jewel!"
Kohaku leaps back from the monster's arms, but still ends up being thrown off his feet when its tongue comes shooting out and thrashes the ground underneath him!
"Aaa-hhh!"
The boy's kusarigama is knocked far out of his hands in the process, leaving him defenseless as the demon charges his way. All he could do is let out a frightened scream...just as his sister cries out his name upon arriving in the area. Coraline easily deducts,
"That demon's tryin' t' get the shard in Kohaku's back!"
"What?!"
The Shikon-no-Tama shard embedded in his back is his lifeline.
If the shard is removed...he'll die!
With her brother's life on her mind, Sango leaps off of Kilala and releases her weapon.
"Hiraikotsu!"
(Toss, za-za-za-za-za-za-TOK)
The demon is cut down instantly, and Kohaku watches with wide eyes as the pieces fall down to the ground in front of him.
"U-U-h..."
His elder sister lands a few feet away, and found herself staring at him.
...Kohaku. Your mind was under Naraku's control, and you were in Naraku's Castle.
...So, why are you here now?
Kohaku then asks,
"...Who are you? Do you know me?"
The young Croft widens her eyes at his question at the same time Sango froze stiff, both realizing that the boy's mind has become more damaged than before.
Coraline's POV
Though we all likely had a bushel of questions sitting in our minds, we decided to move ourselves out of the area and found an abandoned shrine house for a temporary shelter...Right now, I was helping Sango with treating Kohaku's injuries...
"You've hurt your arm. Let me see it."
As Sango finishes applying a bandage, he asks,
"Uh, excuse me..."
"Hm?"
"Um, have we, uh, you know...met before?"
She nods, and I gently but firmly ask,
"Kohaku, are you sure tha' nothin' else comes to mind besides yur name and escapin' the castle?"
"(Nod) Hm...no."
Sango then asks with a sad frown,
"You don't remember Naraku?"
I see his face light up in a slight epiphany...before switching back to an unsure look.
Hm...Kohaku seems to know th' name, but a' the same time, he's uncertain...
Maybe he remembers a snippe', but no' enough to know wha'e was doin' before his escape...
Did his time as a puppe' cause tha' severe of memory loss...or is something else preventin' 'im from rememberin'?
No POV
As Coraline ponders over what could be causing Kohaku to be memory-impaired this time, the young men outside the abandoned shrine house were thinking aloud over the manner themselves.
"I dunno...I think the kid's just putting on an act for us."
"It doesn't appear that way to me."
Inuyasha asks Miroku in a ludicrous tone,
"What, you mean you trust him?"
"I didn't say that...Last time we saw Kohaku, he was virtually a puppet...like a human without a soul. And now we have this boy."
Besa offers his insights:
"I'm almost wondering if maybe Kohaku broke some of Naraku's control to the point that he can move independently, but not so much that he remembers his life before..."
Freeman shakes his head and replies skeptically,
"I dunno, bro. It'd take a serious amount of willpower to do that, and I don't think the kid's got enough in him."
(...Slide)
"Hm?"
The four look back and see Coraline exiting the house with Shippō on her shoulder, the younger asking,
"Do you think it's safe to leave them alone, Coraline?"
"I didn' sense any hostility laced in Kohaku's aura, so i' should be fine. And Sango wan'ed to speak one-on-one with 'im, and I'm not abou' to argue with her at this time..."
There was somethin' I was sensing tha' troubles me, however...Kohaku's energy, is vibrating, the light sendin' waves agains' a particular portion of his darkness...
Almost like, the soul is suppressin' something.
Sango's POV
"The slayer's village?"
"Yes. That's where we used to live, Kohaku."
I'm sitting up against the wall with my brother as I try to stimulate his memory by telling him about our life before Naraku...Kilala hops on his shoulder as he asks,
"Hm? Then, you mean I was a demon slayer as well?"
"You were still an apprentice..."
(Flash)
I think back to the hours before we left for the castle, not long after I returned with that shard of the Shikon-no-Tama...
"Rest yourself, Sango. We'll be needing you again in a short time."
"Yes, father."
As I walked away, I remember overhearing father saying to Kohaku,
"Kohaku, you to must prepare for battle."
"Who, uh, me?"
"Yes, you are eleven now. Plenty old enough to go into battle."
"Mm...mhm..."
I was then observing my brother practicing with his kusarigama while I laid with Kilala...
"Hey, um, Sango?"
"Yes?"
He successfully broke all of the clay targets on the poles before asking,
"Do demons breathe fire and toxins as they say?"
"Sometimes."
"Hauh, then it's true..."
Sensing his anxiety, I crawl up beside him and gently ask,
"Kohaku, what's wrong? Are you scared?"
"No, I never said I was scared!"
The sigh he expelled afterward said it all, however...I pat his back and reassure him,
"You'll be fine. We slay such things as snakes, spiders and other types of large beasts. As father says, the most frightening demon is one that masquerades as a human being."
I then add more seriously,
"He says that if that type of demon comes to possess the jewel, then it's trouble."
He nods back, nervously but seriously...
(Flash)
The day we were lured in by Naraku, was Kohaku's first experience in battle...
"Say..."
"Hm?"
"Tell me everything you know about me."
I was taken aback by how innocent his question was, and watch as he gently moves Kilala off his shoulder and adds,
"I feel so empty, because I don't know how I got here..."
...I feel a small smile come to my face.
He's just like the Kohaku I remember. Quiet, and a bit cowardly...
I wrap an arm around his shoulders, and gently pull him close while chiding,
"Don't rush it. It'll take time to remember...We'll have all the time in the world together now."
I notice his face forming a blush of embarrassment.
"U-Um, excuse me..."
"Hm?"
"You're, embracing me...It's kind-of embarrassing."
"Why are you so shy? We're siblings."
Still, I should remember that his memory impairment will cause moments of confusion like this...
But, Kohaku's come back to me. He's escaped from Naraku's grasp...
That's what I want to believe.
I then pick up on his breathing forming a steady rhythm, and look down to see that he's fallen asleep.
No POV
While Sango was beginning to believe that Kohaku was out of Naraku's hold for good, everyone else is still wary, Inuyasha especially...
"Well, I'm sure that a couple good punches will knock the truth out of him."
Coraline sighs exasperatingly,
"Inuyasha, violence isn' a good solution to this sort'a issue."
Miroku nods,
"Coraline is right; it's not as simple as that. I can't say whether or not it's a trap, but the fact is Sango's been reunited with her younger brother."
"Mhm. And assumin' this does become a trap, Sango's heart will tear up again before i' can sew i'self back together."
"We have to keep in mind that Naraku loves to toy with people's feelings..."
(Slide)
Sango then exits the shrine house with Kilala...
The half-demon rises off the ground to approach the demon slayer, much to Coraline's confusion.
"Inuyasha?"
"If you guys aren't gonna tell her, then I will."
"Hold on!"
Besa hums and gets up off the ground while thinking to himself,
Something tells me we'll be needing a mediator.
He follows Inuyasha as Sango walks away from the entrance to the house, only to stop when she sees the dog demon step in front of her with a serious expression...
"What? What's wrong?"
"Listen, Sango: it's about Kohaku. It's obviously one of Naraku's traps."
She widens her eyes, and tries to deny his claim despite her own uncertainties.
"No, you're wrong. I trust Kohaku!"
"That's what Naraku wants."
"Grh, what choice do I have except to trust my younger brother?!"
"This whole thing reeks of Naraku."
"If we haven't come to his aid, the Shikon-no-Tama shard would have been removed, and he really would've died!"
"That's the trap! That's what he wants you to think!"
"It's not a trap!"
Inside the hut, Kohaku overhears the shouts and becomes disheartened.
...That nice lady has become unhappy...and it's all my fault.
...I can't stay.
Picking up his kusarigama, the boy decides to slip away while he remains unnoticed...
"You're being blinded by love for your kid brother!"
"Enough! You don't know how I feel!"
"Open your eyes!"
He mutters a sad farewell and takes off...just as Besa finally steps in to cool the rising tempers.
"Stop it, both of you! If we're talking about what Naraku wants, I'll tell you: he wants us to turn against one another for reasons such as this!"
He shoves them away from eachother, and adds with a stern expression,
"Look, if I can be honest, I don't believe that Kohaku is being fully honest with his memory loss, but not so dishonest that he's being controlled by Naraku. If that monster was still wanting to use him, why on earth would he send his insects and that demon after the boy? Answer: Kohaku's become a liability, and Naraku wants nothing more to do with him other than retrieving the jewel shard in his back and ending his life once and for all."
Inuyasha and Sango gasp in surprise, and the latter asks,
"So, you believe that Naraku wishes to kill Kohaku?"
"Yes, and this skepticism that we're all feeling right now...This is Naraku's true intent. He wants us all to fight about what we don't yet fully understand, and become paranoid."
The slayer thinks over the possibility, and Inuyasha replies,
"I guess that would make sense too...but how can we be sure?"
"That's the problem: we can't. But one thing I do know is this...If we fight among ourselves, we lose."
Besa claps the shoulders of his friends and adds,
"So both of you, cool it and drop the attitudes. Got it?"
"...Got it."
"Fine..."
"Thank you."
The other four watch from a couple feet away in amazement, and Shippō comments,
"Wow, your brother's really good at stopping fights, Freeman."
"(Smile) Yeah, he's got a talent for mediating..."
Nice one, bro.
Just as the infighting ceases...a rumble passes through the air, causing everyone to become alert.
"Hm?"
"Huh?"
Lumos pops out of Coraline's rucksack, blinking red in warning, and Inuyasha mutters,
"They're coming...Hundreds of them."
The sky darkens over...and a huge swarm of demons comes swooping down towards the group lead by Saimyōshō! The silverette moves to stand with Coraline, Miroku, Shippō and the twins, the last two muttering,
"Oh great..."
"Not those damn wasps again!"
Sango realizes,
"Uh, i-it's Kohaku they're after!"
She rushes into the shrine house to warn him as Inuyasha calls back,
"Forget about him, Sango! (Leap) Hrrrraaaaahh!"
(Slash)
He then uses his claws to cut down on a good number of the wasps, just as the brunette slams the door open.
"Kohaku?!"
...But he was already long gone...
"Kohaku..."
Coraline comes over to inform her,
"Sango, I can sense th' jewel shard and his aura are on the move."
She then moves to grab her sword and adds urgently,
"C'mon! We hafta find him and protect him!"
"Uh...right."
Back outside, Inuyasha lands on the ground just as a barrage of wind blades come barreling towards him and the others. Miroku snatches up the fox demon as Freeman pulls Besa away while shouting,
"Hit the deck!"
(Boom-boom-booom...)
When the dirt and dust clears, we see that they're all okay...Kagura then comes leaping down.
"Kagura. Whaddo ya want this time?"
"...I know you're hiding Kohaku. Inuyasha, let me have him."
"What?"
"Don't play innocent with me; hand over Naraku's kept boy. You see, Kohaku went berserk, and ran off from the castle with the Shikon-no-Tama shard embedded in his back."
"So that's the reason you've come for him?"
"Naraku always goes overboard. Imagine, dispatching this enormous army simply because he wants the shard..."
The wind sorceress lets out a small laugh, and Inuyasha concludes,
"So, you're after the Shikon-no-Tama shard, are you?"
"Correct, although once it's removed, Kohaku will die. We're under orders to let Sango have him after that."
The four men are appalled by her words:
"Hrgh!"
"How dare you!"
"You witch!"
"Screw that! You ain't gettin' so much as a hair on his head!"
...
As they prepare to engage Kagura and the demon army in battle, Kohaku was running for his life from another smaller swarm of the Saimyōshō...Unfortunately, he's forced to slide into a stop when he finds himself blocked on both sides!...Just as the wasps begin to charge at him...
(Za-za-za-za-za-za-sli-sli-sli-SLICE)
Hiraikotsu comes flying in and destroys the swarm in a matter of seconds!...Sango catches the boomerang on the rebound, letting out a huge breath of relief as Coraline comes up on Kilala.
"That was too close..."
Kohaku was stunned by their assistance, the brunette's especially.
"I don't understand! Why did you come?! It was me that they were after!"
Sango rises to a stand and approaches him with an expressionless face...before smiling softly and sadly.
"Kohaku, stay here. Don't leave me anymore."
"Why? Why are you doing this for me?!"
She moves to stand beside him facing the opposite way and replies,
"You're my brother. That's why...Kohaku, you're my one and only little brother."
"Hn..."
...Kilala suddenly begins to growl, prompting her passenger to ask,
"What is i', Kilala? More trouble?"
Lumos floats up from twin-tail's head and lets out some warning cries, and they all look up to see a swarm of demons heading their way! Sango grits her teeth, before turning to call to Coraline,
"Protect Kohaku for me! I will stop those demons!"
"(Nod) Alrigh', bu' be careful!"
The redhead slides off of Kilala to allow the twin-tail to hurry over and scoop up her true partner, and they both take off to fight the swarm...
"Kohaku, you must live!"
He could only stare at the young woman's shrinking form in shock from her determination, before Coraline rushes over to pull him out of the area.
"This way, Kohaku!"
Coraline's POV
I pull Kohaku along through the woods as fast as we can go, but just as we make it to the next clearing, a serpent demon comes charging at us!
Thinking quickly, I swipe out my sword and swing out a blast of aura energy.
"Hrrrah!"
(POW...)
But that was only the beginning: about five or six more enemies come popping out...
"How will we stop 'em?"
"No worries. I can take 'em out."
Thinking quickly, I jump up on a pile of fallen trees and leap forward while bringing my sword down in a somersault to slice through two demons at once, then straighten out to side-sweep my blade through a third. Landing on the ground, I wait for the fourth and fifth to try charging at me, before performing a spin attack after wrapping the blade in my soul energy to make the cuts more potent...
I then run forward and stab my sword through the heart of an oni, and I pull my weapon out with a deep breath of relief before brainstorming my next move.
Me training's definitely payin' off...but I can't waste too much time takin' down these boggin' creeps...
We need to hide ou' for a bit.
I then see Lumos fly over to a spot under some large oak roots, circling an entrance to an underground hole...
"Kohaku, in there, quick!"
We duck inside, and begin our wait for everyone to find us again...
I notice a couple Insects of Hell fly by, and curse quietly,
"Damn. We'll hafta lay low f'r a while until someone finds us...But if all goes t' hell, we'll wai' for an openin' and make a break for it."
"...That lady."
"Hm?"
"I hope she'll be alright."
I smile reassuringly and reply,
"Don't worry about Sango; she's tough. Those demons will regre' crossin' her path, trust me...She's your older sister, after all. She'd move the earth for h'r kin...Are yeu, sure tha' yeu can't remember an inklin' abou' her, or is your mind still suppressin' the memories?"
He nods and replies,
"I do seem to know her...I mean, she seems so familiar..."
"Hm, I call tha' a good sign...She's been very worried for yae since you two were separated a while back. (Sad smile) She puts on'a mask of content, but I can see her sadness leavin' cracks...Personally, I'm happy yu're alright, for both your sake and hers."
"Huh...Do you really think it'll be alright if I stay with her then?"
"Why not? I'm sure th' longer you stay with h'r and us, the faster yur memories will begin to resurface. (Frown) I can sense tha' something inside you is holdin' you back, but I must implore yeu to have courage...To be brave, means facin' your fears head on."
He nods in understanding...
No POV
Kohaku goes into thought over his memory loss and what Coraline said to him.
I want to remember her, and everything else...Still, why do I feel this way?
It's like I'm scared, like there's something I don't want to remember...
(...Flash)
"Kill her...Kill Coraline..."
(Flash)
"U-h!"
Kohaku's jewel shard suddenly emits an ominous glow...
"Damn, this isn' lookin' good. I hope Inuyasha ge's here soon, or I'll hafta take a risk with s'more swordplay of me own."
(...Clink)
"A shame you already wasted most of your energy."
"Hm?"
Coraline turns around...and widens her eyes at the sight of Kohaku raising his kusarigama to attack!
"...Kohaku...wha'...?"
Hh! His eyes...have no pupils!...He's been pulled back under!