Onigo

Chapter 5

The Spider and the Flower

Everything was peaceful in this forest glade. That was definitely a sensation I was unaccustomed to. It's difficult to explain the sensation of peace, but I will try my best. Here in the woods, the light was filtered through leaves of jade, casting jeweled tones on my pale skin. In my palace, all was dark. The very air seemed to encroach upon you, its wispy tendrils snaking about your throat as you sit in dank solitude. Here, it was silent, but alive. There were forest spirits here; I could sense them around me, although I saw none. This was the sharpest contrast from my palace. Everyone, everything…even I was not fully alive there. But here was life in its finest form…and here I sat- Naraku: destroyer, hell-bringer. A small smirk passed my lips. It was rather ironic. I suppose that even in tranquil moments, it is difficult to control sarcastic tendencies, which I of course must apologize for. Also, I'm getting a bit sidetracked. It was a lovely forest after all. Anyhow, as I sat here, I felt a familiar sensation against my skin: mist. It was not a heavy fog, as I normally used to conceal myself, but a clean mist. As it swirled around me, I imagined my thoughts now held a similar consistency. It was an interesting image to me; all my wishes and desires in a literal haze as they jostled against each other in my head. What was I doing? What did I even want with Kikyou? What did I want in general? Lately, everything had become so clouded. It wasn't like me, really. In the weeks prior to this little escapade, everything had been going relatively smoothly. Alright, maybe not perfectly smooth, but smooth enough, considering the vast amount of effort gathering jewel shards and defeating my enemies requires. If there was another way to rid myself of the complications of emotional attachment, I was ready to try it.

Do you want my help, Naraku?

A chill crept up my spine. Someone was here…perhaps from the mists. I looked around trying to think of what forest spirits lived here. Most, I knew, would be afraid of me. If this one was not, either they did not know me, or I had a new threat to worry about. The voice was neither male nor female- human nor demon. Whatever it was, it was ancient. Far older than me, far older than any spirit I had encountered in a long time.

"I need no one's help." I responded curtly. I searched the forest for any recognizable life form, but only felt the presence around me. "I am Naraku. Join with me. That way, you shall feel complete power." I said this boldly, although I was undoubtedly intimidated by whatever it was speaking to me.

Ha! Power! The power you received all those years ago are ebbing from you. Even as you stand here, the life ebbs slowly from you. Immortality has been gifted to only few, and those who possess it are unwilling to share.

The voice rang in my ears, but also throughout my mind and my very core. I was definitely feeling a bit…intimidated. It was not because this was a powerful spirit, but because I could not sense its power at all. It seemed to be only a mist.

Be wary of Onigo. He is not who you think. You are not who you think. For the withered flower shall destroy the spider. Death shall seize its web, slowly pulling on each end until all is lost…and all is won. Both shall live, but both must die. What you fear most will consume you completely. But do not fear it. Do not fear what is to come.

With that, the mist departed once more. I was intimidated, but oddly, the peace which I had found in the forest had stayed with me the entire time. Perhaps The Spirit had been correct. Perhaps I didn't need to fear what was going to happen. Even so, I didn't like the message I had been given. The spider…I thought of my own mark which now appeared on the backs of my creations. The Spirit had been talking about me…or all of us who bore the spider. Now…the withered flower… I had a lot of enemies, but I was unsure of who or what this might refer to. My thoughts, of course, began with Kikyo. She was the only one of my enemies who I believed was powerful enough to kill me. Yet, she had not. This perplexed me to no end. Perhaps she would determine to finally destroy me? Or maybe I had some other enemy that I did not know of. Perhaps it was Onigo. I was unsure of his power, and I felt he intended to kill me. Now I was very troubled. I couldn't even begin to figure out any of what I was struggling with. It was as if creating Onigo had led to more problems than fixing any. It is very uncharacteristic of me to say, but I will admit I made a tremendous error in creating him. Unfortunately, as I would soon learn, this would not be the last of my great mistakes.

((Switching perspectives))

Naraku is hell. His very name is a representative of what he is, or at least what he is to me. From the day I met that dying, burned creature in the cave, I had become entangled in his web of deceit, never to escape for the rest of the time I spend on this earth. It is not a matter I take lightly. Although much has changed in my life, or rather, afterlife, his existence is one factor that remains constant. I wonder what I would do without him. It is an interesting idea; but one which I can not hardly imagine. I think we will go on existing in this world together for the rest of eternity, until one is able to destroy the other. I am able to kill him. I know that I am. And yet, every chance I have has been ruined. I am confused as to why this occurs, but I will continue onward. I have much to do; his existence only complicates my own. So as I sat in reflection over what Naraku had said to me in those odd moments, I formed a question:

Does he love me?

It was a question I had thought about before. Back when I was a young girl, still caring for the wretched Onigumo, I knew of his lust for me. I used to wonder if it was more than that, as any young girl is wont to do when a man pays attention to her. I knew Inuyasha loved me. That was all I needed at the time. Still, the thought persisted for years. Even after Onigumo resurfaced as the demon he is now, the idea plagued me.

Does he love me?

There were moments when I wondered. He had taken me prisoner before. I had found myself at his mercy several times, and yet he had forgone the opportunity to take my life. And now, there was our current situation. He had created a new demon, although I knew not why. This demon was interested in me; his motives unknown. Also, Naraku had once again neglected to kill me. Was this done out of some love for me? Perhaps it was only my fancy. It had been so long since I had known that sensation; the idea that someone could or would love me is beyond fathoming now. I was not even human anymore. Even so, I knew he could not love me. Not in the genuine sense of the word anyway. He was, as I said before, hell. He was completely evil; therefore incapable of such things. As I sat alone, reflecting on his visit, I thought now of his sinister intentions.

He must want something with me. The spider was tugging at me in his web. However, this time I would not be toyed with. I stood up from the spot where he had left me and retrieved my bow. There were a few others who saw Naraku as often as I did, and I was about to pay a few visits.

While I am unsure I can update my story on a regular basis, I hope there are still people who read this. Thank you everyone for your kind reviews and for simply reading it.