Lost Time and Bloody Betrayals

Chapter Twelve


Everyone sat around the large table laughing and catching up. The group consisted of; Hiei, Yusuke, Kurama, Yomi, Mukuro, Jin, Touya, Chu, Rinku, Shishi, and Suzuka. A few others were there as well listening to the excitement going around for this year's Makai tournament. Enki had been a decent ruler for the three years he had earned the title for. Things had been pleasant without many problems to speak of. Everyone remarked on the approved strength of others, saying who would win.

This year's tournament would be exciting if anything else. Memories were brought up from the first, some good some bad. The lots had already been drawn and the fights assigned, in the morning it would all begin. Most of the names they recognized some were new.

Kurama spotted Yomi looking out the window, the lightning strike across the sky. He walked over to stand next to him, wondering what was on his mind. "Why so deep in thought?"

"One thing gave me hope that it hadn't been you. Not to bring it up, I have forgiven you. There was that one thing that made me believe that you hadn't turned on me. Did you punish her?" He sensed the confusion in the other man.

"Who?" Kurama wasn't sure whom he was refering to.

"We've never spoken about how I survived, why I didn't die. We both know why, you had to have known." Yomi could tell that he really confused, "I see, so you didn't know that she had gone behind your back to make sure that I lived."

"You mean, she went to you?" Shock filled his voice.

"Yes. She wouldn't answer when I spoke of you, she left soon after. I always assumed that she had returned to you." Yomi felt the remorse and guilt beside him.

"No, she had no reason to. I..I threw her out, she disagreed with what I had done. I'm afraid I sent her to her death. I searched for her a week later, all I found was bloody clothing."

"Fool, if I had known that I wouldn't have let her leave me. Not that it matters, she is gone now." Yomi smiled for a brief second.

Shura came bursting into the room now looking to be the age of a teenager. His voice filled with cockiness he boasted, "I don't know who this Onigumo is but he'll be the first to die tomorrow."

"I see he does indeed take after you." Kurama smiled at the young boy.

"Hmph, I was never that cocky."

A portal opened up in the room and Koenma came out with Botan. Everyone stopped talking when they saw the looks upon the two's face. If Botan wasn't smiling then it wasn't good.

"Good, I am pleased with this turn out. We might need all of your help very shortly." Koenma eyed Yusuke for a few moments, the boy had gotten stronger. But would it be enough? "Please we don't have much time, I need everyone's attention. The situation is dire, our worlds could be in serious jeopardy."

"What is it now?" Hiei demanded.

"Don't take that tone with me Hiei. I'll get straight to the point, and inform you all. Over five centuries ago, a hanyou was born; we aren't sure how he came into existence. Back then there was something known as the Shikon no Tama, a jewel of immense power. To make a long story short almost all of it ended up in his hands, all but a single shard. By using the jewel and corrupting it with his evil, he became unstoppable. Many tried to stop him, all failed. For some reason the last shard suddenly disappeared, never to be found. Four centuries ago after getting tired of being hunted Naraku went into hiding never to be heard from again. Many say he died, that the jewel was destroyed. Some say that he merely waits for the last shard to once again be brought into this world. I'm sure some of you here have heard of the name, from the looks I'm recieving."

"Why are you telling us this?" Yomi asked.

"We have detected odd stirring here in the Makai these last few days. We aren't sure if the last shard has been recovered or not. However we believe that Naraku has awoken and has entered this year's tournament. His name is not on the roster but he might be using an alias. I cannot express how important it is to make sure this man does not win. If he were to get the title as ruler, he would use the position to bring about untold misfortune. Not just to the Makai, but all three worlds. When Naraku exposes his true self I want him destroyed at all costs."

Kagome stared out the window watching the lightning strike in the far distance. Uncertainity filled her as she gazed out into the Makai. He would show himself soon she knew, felt it in her bones. Would it finally end? Could she finish what Kikyo and Inuyasha had started?

She had tried to go through the well once more after coming back. The need to check on Inuyasha and the others had consumed her. Her hopes were crushed when the well refused to activate for her. That night she had cried in the privacy of her bedroom. Everything had changed for her that night, she had changed mostly. As she held the jewel shard in her palm it had begun to glow. On it's own accord it had entered her body. Where it went she wasn't sure but she could sense that it was still inside her.

After that her powers had gotten stronger, more in-tune. A week after returning a visitor had shown up at her doorstep. Seeing the tall inuyoukai standing there had shattered her heart. It meant only one thing, he was the Sesshoumaru from her time and Inuyasha was gone.

He then informed her, how she had never returned to that era. The last jewel shard had never returned, leaving the almost completed jewel in Naraku's clutches. Seemed Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had hunted him for almost a century before the man had went into hiding never to be found. She had cried that night too, knowing that her first love was gone.

Sesshoumaru had invited her to come with him, to his estate in the Makai. That had been six months ago, six long months in which to prepare. The hanyou wouldn't be able to sense the last shard or know it had returned. It was no longer in shard form because as she stood naked in the mirror she couldn't see it.

The inuyoukai had informed her of the stirring of recent and of the tournament. Sesshoumaru seemed to think that it was possible that Naraku might try to win. They would see, it should be happening soon. He said to wait, if Naraku did come out they would head to the tournament.

She didn't agree to waiting because it would take them three days to get there. He said it would take him longer than that to go through all the ranks. But it meant some innocent people would die in the process. That didn't sit well with her, even if she was different.

Sesshoumaru had taken to training her the best he could, since Inuyasha was no longer around protect her. It made sense to her, she needed to know how to handle her own. She swore to become stronger, it was up to her to finally end the sad existence that was Naraku. Sango and Miroku were gone as well, never able to have the life they wanted.

There was a knock on her door and Shippo came in all smiles, "Hey, hows it going?"

"Alright, I can't get over how grown up you are." She smiled up at him. He'd grown into a very handsome man. Being under Sesshoumaru's care had done wonders for him. His face still held that boyish look, his eyes full of laughter. He had his long hair pulled into a high tail in the back, her hand went out to pull on it.

"Sesshoumaru said to inform you to get some rest the tournament starts tomorrow."

"Tell him to bite me, I'll go to bed when I feel like it." She turned back around to gaze out the window once more. One thing was bothering her, if Naraku did show it meant she might see him again. The name Yomi had been brought up several times. It had to be the same man, how many blind Yomi's could there be? It was rumored that he'd fight in this year's tournament also. If they had to go because of Naraku, chances were she'd see him again. She doubted that the man would remember her, rumor was it that he'd been blind for over a thousand years. There was rumors that Youko had been killed, that thought depressed her. It was time to get some rest, she might need it.

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