Chapter 22: The Night of the New Moon
Naraku contently inhaled the scent of his green tea as he studied the moonless sky. According to Kagura's memories, this was the night that Inuyasha became a human.
He idly twirled a finger in the hot liquid and brought it to his lips. He allowed himself the brief fantasy that he was tasting Inuyasha's blood.
In time, he promised himself.
Naraku eyed the repairs to his castle for a moment before returning inside. He paused only long enought to refill his tea before heading down deep into the heart of his fortress. He slid open a hidden passageway and walked down the poorly lit corridor until he came to his destination.
A huge, silky cacoon like mass hung suspended in the huge stone chamber as millions of unseen creatures grew inside of it. It pulsed grotesquely, as if the very cacoon itself were a living entity.
A very please Naraku took a sip of tea.
"The number of eggs that a spider lays at one time varies with the size of the animal. A female of average size lays about one hundred eggs. Some of the largest spiders lay more than two thousand eggs."
The production rate of demonseed was moving along quite smoothly.
Naraku reached a hand into the silky, wriggling mass and pulled out a purplish-brown spider. It writhed and tried to bite him, but Naraku only laughed and absorbed in into his skin.
His precious spiders were merely an extension of his own will. They worked by digging into the flesh of their victims and by partially absorbing themselves into the victim's body. In this way, Naraku was able to completely control the person under the influence of his spiders.
He took another satisfied sip of tea before turning to a nearby servant.
"I will be having a...guest shortly," Naraku said. "Prepare for him."
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Aoshi placed his hand on the hilt of his kodachi. Unbidden, a single bead of sweat dripped down the back of his neck. The creature had attacked twice more, and had each time slipped away.
Aoshi also now possessed a nice collection of claw marks on his chest and arms.
Where the hell was it? Instinct saved him then, as the small creature blurred out of the corner. He managed to get his kodachi up this time and actually managed to cut one of its hands.
The creature screeched and disappeared.
The former Okashira leaned briefly against a wall before heading warily back to the others.
Damn.
The sounds of a crying Kaia drew his attention and he ran quickly down under the deck. Gojin was calmly wringing out a rag as Misao tried to comfort her.
His heart seemed to skip a beat and Aoshi forced himself to take a breath.
The girl's left hand was bleeding.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Naraku puffed experimentally on a tobacco pipe he had acquired from a European merchant. He had found himself increasingly curious about foreign oddities. He had even taken to dressing himself in a European styled suit. Quite curious really...
He examined the gold pocket watch in his hands. Curious indeed.
It was Naraku's plan, after he killed Inuyasha and his friends, to slowly take control of the Meiji government. Once he accomplished that, he would begin to expand his influence into other countries.
He took another puff of tobacco and slowly blew out a cloud of smoke.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
"What happened to her?" Aoshi asked. He forced dispassion into his voice to hide his sudden uneasiness. The girl looked up at him and sniffed before wailing.
"Mr. Aoshi!" she cried. "I was so scared, it.."
"It's all right Kaia," Misao reassured her. "That thing is gone for now."
"What happened?" Aoshi repeated. He was staring at the girl's bloody hand.
"I'm afraid I don't know," Gojin admitted. "She had been playing hide and seek down among the crates while you were hunting the creature. I was looking for her when she gave a cry. She must have cut her hand on something while she was playing."
Kaia sniffed and Misao quickly dried her tears.
Aoshi stared a moment longer before walking back up onto the deck.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Kagome sat down finally in the nightly shadows of the tall trees. She had made it into the forest without being detected.
Why did she feel so weak?
The dead priestess leaned against a tree trunk and the answer came to her. It was the exact same reason that Kikyo always became weak.
She needed souls to animate her clay body.
Kagome sighed deeply. The one thing she'd never wanted to do, the one thing she might have to do. Maybe she should just lie here until she faded away.
No...
She was stronger than that. Besides, something told her that Inuyasha needed her right now.
"Kagome."
That voice...
Kagome opened her eyes expectantly and was awarded with the transperant visage of an old and very dear friend.
"Kagome, can you hear me?" the voice asked.
"Yes Sango," Kagome smiled. "I can see you." The ghostly Sango smiled in return as she bent down next to her friend.
"Kagome, you must keep going. Naraku needs to be stopped."
"I know," Kagome said. "I'm going to go find Inuyasha." Sango suddenly shook her head no.
"Don't, not yet. He'll find you soon anyway Kagome. He's with his brother." Kagome gave a start at that.
"His brother? How...oh..." She suddenly remembered what Kaede had said. Sesshoumaru had finally been reincarnated.
"Why Sango? Why shouldn't I go find him yet?"
"Because...because I need you to do something first Kagome. Please." Kagome sat up at the urgency in her voice. Sango continued softly. "One of Kohaku's descendants is heading this way. Naraku has tricked him into coming here and I fear for him. If Naraku gains control of him, things will turn badly for Inuyasha and the others. Please help him," Sango pleaded.
Kagome struggled to sit up.
"Sango, I'd be glad to, but I barely have the energy to walk. I hate to say it, but if I want to keep going, I'm going to have to use the soul collectors," she admitted. Sango studied her for several long moments before placing her transparent hand over Kagome's.
"Use me," she suggested. Kagome's eyes widened and she shook her head.
"No! I can't! I won't!"
"It's not what you think," Sango laughed. "I mean, just use my energy until you find the soul collectors. At least we'd be able to talk to each other a little while longer." Kagome stared at her before finally holding out her hands. Sango's spirit faded into a glowing ball of energy, which absorbed itself into the priestess's body.
"Sango?" Kagome asked worriedly.
"I'm here," she heard in her mind. Kagome gave a sigh of relief as she felt the youkai slayer's presence inside her. She straightened up after a moment with a new look of determination on her face.
"Let's get going Sango."
"Agreed."
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
"Father?"
The ghostly image of a dog youkai lord examined him sharply before fading away.
"Father!"
He reached a hand out to the disappearing youkai. The dog's golden eyes bored deeply into him as he finally spoke.
"Use the Tenseiga."
"How? It's worthless Father! Why didn't you give me the Tetsusaiga?"
His father faded completely away, only to be replaced by another familiar image.
Naraku.
The bastard laughed darkly as release a single, large soul collector from within his body. Naraku had absorbed the soul collectors of that human priestess, the one that had smelled of graveyard soil. He'd combined them into one entity and had released it as his final incarnation.
The soul collector twisted around him and the dog youkai bemoaned the lack of an arm. Damn Inuyasha, he could really use that arm right now. His eyes reddened as he began to transform into his dog form.
Damn creature, he would kill Naraku!
The creature hissed at him as it lunged toward his chest.
He would kill Naraku!
The youkai ripped into the soul collector and the exact instant it dug into his chest. The youkai lord gasped as he felt himself ripping apart.
He will kill Naraku! He will!
A pair of amber eyes snapped open as the sleeping human woke up. A disorientated Kenshin growled dangerously as he grabbed his reverse blade sword and the Tenseiga.
He will kill Naraku.
A blue crescent moon glowed upon his forehead as four red stripes grew across his cheeks. The newly awakened Sesshoumaru stood up slowly as he examined his surroundings. Who were these humans sleeping around him?
The youkai lord ignored them as he stepped out into a hallway. There, framed against the lantern lit corridor, stood a human Inuyasha.
His younger brother did not appear to be pleased.