Inuyasha: Girl Lost In Time

Chapter 23: Naraku

Royakan and I stand facing each other with grimaces on our faces. At my sides, my hands tingle as they glow their purplish light, ready for attack. Off in the background, behind Royakan, the sound of buzzing can be heard, and out from nowhere come the gigantic poisonous hornets we fought during our Sesshomaru battle. This clearly is a sign that Naraku is part of this trouble.

With the brief distraction, I catch a flash of Royakan rushing for me; his long left arm swinging from the side so fast that I cannot release my ability before he's at me. I go to lift my arms to protect myself but without realizing it; I am in the arms of Inuyasha, and we're up in the air. The purple light retreats for my hands, and I clutch at his shirt as we come to land near the forest edge.

"The jewel, Inuyasha, it's on his forehead." I exclaim, pointing in Royakan's direction. He gently helps me stand, and I release his shirt. But once I do, I sense something powerful, along with the sacred shards coming from behind us.

"Help.... Help...." The sound of whispers of a woman comes from the forest as well. It is a familiar voice, one that I have heard before when the shards were calling out for me when they are in the hands of an evil demon. Looking over my shoulder, off in the far distance, I can see the faint sparkle of shimmering beyond the trees.

"Inuyasha...." I start, suddenly feeling an unease that upsets my stomach. When I look back at him, he's staring down at me with concern in his eyes. "There are more shards in the woods back there, and I can sense an eviler presence."

Royakan roars, earning our attention once again. He opens his wide mouth as wolves pour out in packs. Inuyasha growls at my side, clearly getting irritated. He grabs ahold of a tree that is nearest to us and rips it out from the ground. Dirt and leaves tumble onto the ground, escaping the movement of the heavy tree as he lifts it above his head. He thrusts the tree at Royakan and it enters his mouth, preventing anymore wolves from coming out; but the force is so strong that it sends Royakan flying back and landing with a loud thud.

The wolves that have already been unleashed come racing for us with their tongues lapping at the sides of their mouths. Unsheathing Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha growls as he impacts with the wolves with his sword, slicing them up and sending them flying. It doesn't take long for the wolves to be dispatched off, and when they are all gone, Inuyasha sheathes Tetsusaiga and bolts for the woods with Miroku close behind, leaving Kaede, Shippo and I alone with a hurt Royakan.

The guardian lies on the ground with his hands clutching his head as he weeps in defeat. Instead of dealing with Royakan, the three of us gather and follow the boys into the woods. Inuyasha and Miroku are heading in the right direction even without my help, and they are not too far from the border of the forest, either. The closer we get, the better we see a third person amongst Inuyasha and Miroku. This person is wearing a unique cover up of baboon skin, and he stands with a slight crouch, making him appear shorter than he or she actually is.

"Naraku, it's him!" Miroku says.

Kaede, Shippo and I keep a distance from this person, whose aura is significantly more powerful than that of the two boys.

"Answer me one thing before I avenge Kikyo's death, Naraku, why do you bear such a grudge against me?" Inuyasha asks, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. I can tell he's using a lot of restraint from charging at Naraku. Clearly he truly wants an answer.

"Good question." Naraku's voice is deep and sultry, a voice easily used to manipulate people and situations. "I suppose you wish an answer to that question, else eternal rest will surely elude you in death."