To Activate Massive Mayhem, Just Add Water

[Mini]

((I must be super roleplay deprived because suddenly all I want to do is write write write! I'm gonna start this with the premise of the other roleplay me and Keera are currently working on, only branching out a little bit.

Let's assume that Mini has been under Naraku's control for a little while now. Maybe a week or so. She's managed to break free once after running into Keera but Naraku dragged her back to him kicking and screaming the whole way. He made her remember that she got turned into a mermaid and that the only way she can remain "normal" is to stay enslaved to him. After another fight, he won her back over, but not entirely. Every now and then she's able to regain control of at least her thoughts, if not her body, for a little while before Naraku realizes this and re-establishes control over her. I'm also gonna say let's put Naraku's castle in the same mountain range that Nayr lives in. That way he has an excuse to be around. ^_^ Remus, if you want to have Tsumaru show up to help out, be my guest! Other than that, I have no clue what's gonna happen, but that's when the best stories are written.))


Mini paced silently back and forth around the outer edges of Naraku's castle. After the last incident, Naraku had kept her very close to him for the past few days to better monitor her. It seemed that the more she was around him, the less her mind started to wander. It was a nice change of pace to be outside - not that Mini cared either way. Naraku had once again managed to completely suppress all of her memories, turning her back into his perfect little slave. The way she was now, she clung to his every word. They were the only words she was capable of processing. His thoughts were her thoughts. Even when he wasn't directly speaking to her, she could still hear his voice whispering things to her. The only thing on her mind (and in her mind, for that matter) was Naraku.

Kill Keera... Keera is your enemy... You must kill her before she kills you...

That was the one and only thing Mini seemed able to focus on. The seed he had planted in her mind had sprouted and just about taken over. Being outside, however, the whispering seemed... quieter. The farther she got from the center of his castle, the less she noticed the whispering.

A cold wind blew through the woods, rustling the leaves and dead branches. Something about the wind seemed familiar. Mini paused and turned to look at her surroundings. The castle was completely surrounded by a dark miasma that was slowly killing the trees that stood closest to the castle. There was quite a view from the front of the castle, as they were nestled high up the mountains. For the first time, she noticed a sort of rocky ledge off to one side that looked like it might be the start of a path. Something about the ledge seemed... familiar.

Rocks. Lots of rocks.

Mini blinked. What about rocks? She blinked again and tilted her head to the side.

Wait. Had she just had a thought? Yes! She did! And she had thought about rocks! But why had she thought about rocks? What was so special about rocks?

The whole house was made of rock. If you could even call it a house. It was much grander than a house, even if it was sort of underground.

A house made of rock? She frowned in confusion. Who lived in a house of rock? That seemed silly.

Not silly. Smart. Dragons don't like rock.

Mini gasped as she realized she was actually starting to remember something. Were her memories coming back? Did she want her memories to come back? Her master had told her that she didn't need her memories. Memories only caused pain. Besides, Naraku did her thinking for her. Chances were that he might even realize what was going on and come find her before anything bad happened. Something told her that she needed to go and find Naraku for herself, though. She turned as if to head back into the castle and find him but then stopped. True, he had said she didn't need memories... but what if they weren't so bad? This memory about a house of rocks and a dragon seemed interesting. She almost wished she could remember more.

There she stood, halfway between investigating the strange, rocky ledge that looked like it led deeper into the mountains and halfway between going to find Naraku in the castle to get him to help her. She found that she was quite conflicted with what to do. Not only was she remembering things, but now it seemed as if she was actually able to think about her actions before she carried them out. What was going on?

((I'm not sure how to end this because I'm not sure who wants to reply first, so, I'll just leave it there. If anyone feels so inspired, go right ahead and post. Keera, feel free to either have Naraku come find her or have Keera herself show up. Nayr, if you wanna be lurking around in the woods, go for it. Same to you, Remus. ^_^ ))

[Amara<3]

Keera sat back in her throne room, her son on close watch while he sat at the great dining table infront of a vast assortment of food, but didn't touch any of it. "You can eat, Tousa," she instructed. It had been hard for her to get him to do anything normal, not that Keera herself ate anything that was normal, when she ate at all. Still, he wasn't like her to that extent, atleast from what she knew.

It wasn't impossible for him to have the need for blood to sustain himself. That she knew, but she didn't think it to be right... but what did she know about her son, after all? The only thing tying them together was blood and the fact that he clearly believed she was his mother - and left with her when given the choice. She was beginning to lose her suspicion of him being under Naraku's control, but it hadn't left her mind. Once she was absolutely sure, she'd give him the right of passage to find the kingdom himself.

That in itself was a big risk she would be taking on him, and a chance she would be taking for her kingdom. She needed there to be an heir to this place once she was gone. She wasn't sure how long it would take before she needed to leave perminantly, so she wanted to be prepared. Her sister could no longer take her place, as she was married and had a child in the Southern Lands of Japan.

Still, this boy was the only thing she had that was going to be able to take her place. He would have to be the one to take her throne once she was gone. There could be no one else. She'd never had any other children, and she wasn't any closer to having another than she was after she had him. She wouldn't have chosen Naraku to be the father now, of course. Somehow she'd won him over then, but she couldn't remember that she'd had any romantic contact with him until merely a month ago - once he let her have those memories back. The missing piece to her life that she wished still remained hidden now. That the boy never really existed.

"Please, eat anything there infront of you, if it pleases you to have it," Keera said, trying to coax him into at least trying something. If only he would. "Try whatever looks like it may appeal to you."

"Nothing does," Tousa said, looking back to Keera. Her heart sank. "I don't know any of this." At least he was talking to her, bit by bit she would gain a little more ground with him, get just a little closer to figuring him out.

"What is it that you would normally eat?" He HAD to eat something! No one survived on just oxegen! not even her, though it looked that way.

"Not anything if Naraku hadn't given it to me himself."

"Are you not hungry?" she asked.

"No. I'm never hungry, and I never eat unless I get the food from-"

"Naraku. Yeah, I get it. Well, you're dismissed from the table then, if you do not wish to eat." She'd had him there for hours, and all he would do is stare at the food. She's had every dish she could think of made for him. The cooks were getting aggitated, thinking it was their cooking that appalled him, but in the end, it didn't matter. Keera would simply give the food to the servants, and there was on the table to feed the village, too. Everyone except her and Tousa would eat tonight.

The boy got up from the table, turned and bowed to Keera, waiting until she bowed her to him and then left without a word. She couldn't understand this foolishness. Naraku hadn't let their son eat unless it was he, the most evil, who gave him the food. "Probably directly from his hand too, the @$$." Then she sat up, seeing the miasma through her doppleganger's eyes. Finally there.

The Keera that stood at the foot of the mountain was an exact copy of the one who sat safely in her throne, upset at her son for refusing the food she'd readily had prepared for him. This copy was only half as strong, but that was for the world's safety, not because Keera couldn't give the power to it. She began to climb the mountain, watching for any signs that Naraku knew she was approaching.

As she watched through the dopplegangers eyes, she saw a little pink haired girl walking like a drone. She slowed, not sure if that was a true sign that Naraku know or just Mini patrolling. She watched the girl stop, and became curious. She was looking at the rocks. Why the rocks? The doppleganger began to move forward, slowly, quietly, until she was very close to the girl - her friend, tainted by Naraku's shard and mind control powers.

However Mini looked like she was thinking on her own. She watched as Mini turned to go back into the castle but stopped, as if unsure of whether she really should or not. That meaent there was still hope for her. If she could get even partially out of his control, he may see her conversing with Keera's doppleganger, but would he be able to do anything about it? If he couldn't see, when would he be alerted to Mini losing his mind control? How would she know he figured it out? She still needed to make sure it wasn't a trick.

When Mini seemed very conflicted, Keera knew she was thinking by herself again. It was clear on her face that she was deep in thought. "Mini?" Keera asked, coming out from behind a dying tree. "Is it you in there?" She waited for Mini to turn around, hoping to goodness Naraku wasn't the one still inhabiting her mind and body together.

[Mini]

Mini was still trying to decide whether or not to go and seek out her master when a sound coming from the edge of the forest distracted her. Faster than the most elite of ninja, she drew her katana and peered around suspiciously. Was someone trying to break into the castle?

She spotted a young woman step out from behind a dead tree. Instinct told her to attack, but there was something about her that seemed familiar. It was almost like the thing with the rocks, but different. The girl spoke, addressing Mini herself. She sounded cautious, yet friendly.

Mini stood her ground. Something in her mind urged her to attack, but she fought the urge off. "You... I know you," she said, looking the woman over.

*steals from Keera* Keera looked at Mini, knowing still that she was coming back to herself. Good. "Yes. Do you remember me?" *end steal*

Mini grimaced as her head suddenly started throbbing. "You're... Keera? Keera... Keera?!" she gasped as memories came flooding back to her. As they did, her eyes regained their sparkle of life. Keera had been her friend for a very long time. The two of them had gone adventuring, gotten into loads of trouble, and had some very wonderful times together. Why, then, was she now standing here as if ready to attack her friend?

"Oh my-- what are we doing here? Where are we?" she asked, turning to look all around her. The dead forest, the miasma, and the castle gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Wait. These mountains look familiar, but this castle... This is... Is this Naraku's castle?! Why are we here? I didn't know he was up in the mountains. Oh. Oh, wait a minute. I think I remember. Kaori, and the jewel shard - it was tainted! And then he was there, in my head. Oh, Keera, it was horrible. Everything he said, I had to listen to. There wasn't anything I could do about it. I don't know if it's the jewel shard or something else, but he just... And then he made me fight you. I tried to kill you, didn't I?! Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I--"

A cold shudder traveled down Mini's back. Was it her imagination, or was the miasma starting to churn all around them? The color drained from her face as her entire body grew cold. Something bad was coming. She gulped hard.

"Listen, Keera. I'm not entirely sure what's going on right now, but I think you need to go. If we are where I think we are, I need you to go and find a friend of mine. His name is Nayr. He's a very strong demon who lives in these mountains. He saved me from a dragon once. Find him, tell him what's going on. He'll be able to help. He..." Her voice caught in her throat. "K-Keera, go. Don't worry about me. Just go! Now!"

[Amara<3]

Naraku looked up from where he sat, realizing his new precious servant wasn't feeling like herself. He needed her blissfully unaware of her surroundings, and of her memories. The sooner he was rid of Keera, the sooner he would be free to torment the ground she walked on once again. The thought of that, however, appealed less since her last visit to take Mini back from him. He'd realized her true reasons for almost everything she did that concerned him - why she hadn't persued and persued until she finally killed him, why she couldn't kill him there there when she arrived. He'd also realized that the connection they shared was because of that love she hated, and that he too possessed such hated love for her. He didn't want to love her, she'd served her purpose, and yet he couldn't kill her himself either, but had felt the need to turn her age old friend on her.

She continued to surprise him, even then. Keera had fought Naraku just for a few seconds as herself, managing to stop his control on her long enough to get her back out of the castle. He couldn't understand why his power worked on Mini only sometimes, and Keera seemed to break it so easily. There was nothing holy about Keera, so there was no reason she could break such a connection.

Keera began fidgetting in her chair, wondering what the heck Mini was talking about. Who was this Nayr person, and if he was so great, why didn't she know of him? Where was he supposed to be, anyway? somewhere on the mountain, or IN the mountain? She'd crept all over Japan and never ran into a Nayr demon. However if Mini thought he could help... well she'd at least try to find him. She made the doppleganger move now, deciding it would be best to leave. Naraku, if the coward came out of the castle, would be able to kill off her copy, and then it would take even longer to get Mini out of his strong grip.

Naraku stood up, and walked out of his room, and began his stalk down the hall. He'd frozen Mini in place to make sure she didn't run, and she seemed apprehensive of him. Almost scared. Almost. He could tell she was still disoriented, but it was time he brought her back to the ignorant bliss she'd had before. "Mini," Naraku said as she came into his sights outside the castle. "Come to me," he demanded, looking around. She was facing the dying forect, he swore he saw a flash of white-blue, but he knew it couldn't be Keera.

Then he thought about it. It could have been her double. The one she controlled and used almsot like he used his puppetry. The two of them shared a lot of things, and yet they were so completely and irrevocably different. Somehow no matter what he thought about lately, she had something to do with it, or his mind found a way to lace her in his thoughts. He needed it to stop. He needed her with him so the memories and thoughts would stop. He needed to ravage her like he'd done almost two hundred years ago, and destroy her for the last time.

As Mini approached him, and stopped, he looked down at her. "What do you remember, and who were you talking to?"

Must find that Nayr demon that Mini was talking about, but where to start? Keera thought as her doppleganger slipped out of the miasmic area, and began to pace back and forth, looking at the rocks around her. Mini had been looking at the rocks before I interrupted her thoughts. Could the rocks have anything to do with me finding him? She took a deep breath and trecked off. If there was an entrance to a cave or a hidden entrance to something, she vowed she would find it if she didn't find him first.

[Mini]

"Mini. Come to me."

The voice rang inside of her head louder than church bells, compelling her to obey. Her body seemed to start to move on its own. She managed one last glance back to the woods, but Keera was all ready gone. Thank goodness she had listened to her and taken off before Naraku had sensed her. Before she disappeared into the castle walls, she decided to try and reach out to her old friend.

Nayr? If you can hear me, I'm in a whole world of trouble. Worse than the dragon, I'm afraid. Sent a friend for help. Her name is Keera. I... I really hope you can help.

And just like that, she was back inside the castle where her mental communications with the outside world no longer worked. It was probably the miasma barrier. Why was this happening to her? This all started just because she decided to take that stupid hit on Kaori, who hadn't even turned out to be the evil demon they thought she was. Because of that misadventure, here she was stuck with a tainted jewel shard in her arm that she couldn't even remove on her own because of the evil aura. Something else bad had happened, but she couldn't quite remember what. Now that she was back inside, it seemed hard to remember what she had remembered in the first place. Why couldn't she remember much of anything? What had he done to her?

Naraku was waiting for her on the porch. She walked up to the steps and stopped. She was careful to keep her gaze averted from Naraku's. There was something about his eyes that gave her a bad feeling. When she tried to remember what exactly had happened before, the last thing she remembered was seeing his red eyes. She shuddered involuntarily as she thought about it.

Naraku looked right at her and got right to the point. He knew she had remembered something. Had he even heard her talking to Keera? She wondered if she'd be able to play at being a servant long enough to figure out a way to get out of the castle.

Then a funny thing happened: Mini suddenly started talking on her own. She didn't mean to talk. It just sort of happened.

"I remembered rocks, sir," she found herself saying. "At least, I think I did. The rocks and the rocky ledge off by the edge of your castle. They seemed familiar to me, as if perhaps I have traveled that way before."

She almost gasped in horror as she heard herself speaking. Was Naraku's hold on her truly that great? She involuntarily made a tight fist with her free hand. Okay, so Naraku found out she remembered some rocks. Big deal. She was going to make sure she didn't let him know that Keera had been there, though.

"That's all I remembered, though. I didn't try to remember. It just sort of happened. And I... I wasn't talking to anyone. I thought I saw someone there, but it was only an animal. Just a fox. Perhaps you heard me shouting at it and mistook it as conversation. Well, if that's all you need, I should really be heading back out to patrol some more," she said, slowly inching back away from him.

[Nayr]

In a nearby mountain, a young fellow looked around suddenly. He could have sworn he'd heard something. He played back the last few seconds in his mind, an ability he'd taught himself not too long ago. Fortunate, too, because he could have sworn someone said something. The message echoed in his memory, leaping enthusiastically to the fore at his bidding.

Nayr? If you can hear me, I'm in a whole world of trouble. Worse than the dragon, I'm afraid. Sent a friend for help. Her name is Keera. I... I really hope you can help.

He pondered it for a moment. Just from the tone of her voice, Nayr knew that whatever was going on, it probably did beat the dragon incident, although he couldn't imagine how. That crazy nonsense was about as nuts as anything he'd experienced. She was saying that even after all that, there existed a higher level of trouble she could get herself in? Some people took such looking after.

A friend of hers was coming, Keera by name.

What had she told this Keera person? Would Keera be expecting a man or a demon?

"It surprises me that you can bear to speak my name after what you saw. You left so suddenly, and spoke so little. What happened while I was blacked out? What did you tell her about me, Mini?"

[Amara<3]

A fox? Naraku thought. He stared at Mini while he took in what she said. Was she using that as a clever metaphor for Keera, or did she think that using an animal that Keera had inside her would be funny to try and throw him off? "No, your patrol is over," Naraku said and took hold of Mini's arm, a hand to her face, holding it at an angle where she would have to look directly at him. "Now you will stay with me," he whispered out loud, and inside her head.

"What am I doing?" Keera asked herself and stopped the doppleganger. It stood on the ground, stiff, only it's eyes moving about, searching for anything and everything. A voice then whispered through the mountain, Keera hoping it would reach this person's ears that she was searching for.

"If there is someone on this mountain by the name of Nayr, I bid you come to me," Keera projected through her mind. She hoped he would speak out loud to her voice, and if he did, she might just hear him and be able to pinpoint his location. She also hoped he was somewhere on the mountain, and not gone off somewhere. "I've been told you could help a situation."

The whisper of Keera's voice came in through the castle where Naraku and Mini stood, but it was muddled and lost any words that were said through the miasma. "So Keera is here," Naraku growled. His eyes narrowed at Mini. She'd been herself enough to tell a lie, and he wouldn't let that happen again. This girl was more trouble than she was worth, but the strength that came with her fiesty little body was immense. His own flesh and blood had resorted to a type of magic in order to stop her, and that meant something. He needed this girl on his side, and it looked like he had to be forceful in order to have that, but no matter. He'd done worse in the past.

Maybe that's what he would do. Nearly kill her and keep her alive with the shards, like he'd done to countless humans and demons. To try for Keera again would be useless, she seemed to be above his power now, and it was entirely his own fault, at least that's what he thought. He cursed her then, wondering why she didn't storm in and take Mini back by force. Maybe she was afraid he'd kill the girl before she got the chance to order him to let her go. She knew him well.

[Mini]

Mini opened her mouth to protest that in her opinion, her patrol was far from over, but just as she did so Naraku grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him. The start of her protest ended up coming out as a startled yelp of alarm. His cold fingers took a firm grasp around her chin and her face despite her best efforts to wriggle herself free.

And then she saw his eyes. His big, deep, red glowing eyes. The eyes that had some otherwordly power over her. Her wriggling ceased almost the instant she made eye contact with him. Her tense muscles relaxed as his words washed over her, twisting her thoughts and her emotions once more. Everything she had just fought so hard to remember dissolved back into darkness.

You will stay with me.

These five simple words were laced with other thoughts that invaded her mind. That was all she wanted to do. Why did she need to patrol? Patrolling seemed to lead to her trying to think on her own, and that was bad. Her master told her to not think for herself. Why was she trying to fight the words of her master? She needed to stay next to her master. Her master knew what was best for her. She must stay with her master always.

"I will stay... with you," she repeated slowly, slipping back under his control again. Yes. I will stay with you, Master Naraku. Please, forgive me, oh my master. The rocks seemed familiar, but I knew that I should not have been thinking. I was on my way back to find you. I knew I should have come straight here to ask you to suppress my memories again. I know not why I strayed."

Naraku looked distant for a moment, then said something about Keera. The mention of her name stirred something deep inside of Mini, but Naraku's thoughts quickly took over for her. Now when she thought of Keera, she felt only the hatred her master had for her.

"Keera... Yes. Keera was there. But she left again. She headed off to the north. She did not try to attack me, nor did she try to break into the castle again. I should have tried to kill her. Forgive me again for my incompetence, master. Please, let me make up for my mistakes. What is it I can do for you?"

((*tweak tweak tweak*))

[Nayr]

No sooner had Nayr asked himself what Mini might have told this friend of hers when that friend sent her own whisper. It came wafting in on the winds, carried to his ears, and likely many others.

"If there is someone on this mountain by the name of Nayr, I bid you come to me. I've been told you could help a situation."

This one he heard clearly, partially because this one he was actually paying attention to.

A situation, hmmm? he thought to himself, If Mini's whisper is to be believed, that's something of an understatement...

Deciding that there was nothing further to be gained through delay, he began to get some things together. One shouldn't venture forth into the world, likely unto myriad troubles, without making some kind of preparation thereto pertaining. He gathered together a small bag designed to be slung across the back to distribute the weight evenly enough that one could still move about relatively unencumbered by the load one bore and loaded into it a few useful items he felt he might need on this errand. He knew that Mini was incredibly accident prone, and the last episode between them had taught him the value of a few things he now made sure to keep around his house at all times. Having loaded up a reasonably well stocked travel kit, he made for the door. As he passed through the immense stone portal and into the night, he stepped through a pool of water that had formed on the ground as an unfortunate side effect of when Mini had been here. He noticed the pool, and hadn't cleaned it up yet, but paid no mind to walking through it. It reminded him for a moment of how careful his parents had always been about water, but they hadn't had a chance to explain to him why it was so important to take care about water.

A shiver went up his spine as he was walking out the door, which he attributed to anticipation, as he hadn't left his home to go see to a dangerous situation in the past. He was certainly a little nervous, and distracted by what manner of trouble he might have to pull Mini out of this time. As such, he didn't notice that the ease with which he closed the giant stone doors was relatively astonishing even for him. He'd always had an easy time with the doors, even though they were made entirely of stone and large enough to admit someone twice Nayr's size while simultaneously sturdy enough to withstand the assault of an angered dragon. Even so, however, the ease with which he handled them this time was above and beyond what should have been a reasonable standard. Similarly, he didn't happen to take note of how he paused to read the wind, then spoke into it almost as if he thought that the wind would carry his message to its intended recipient.

"Lady Keera, I have heard your call. Direct me."

Without a moment spent waiting, he walked in the direction the wind was blowing, not really realizing either that he was doing it or that there was any reason other than it seemed a reasonable direction to travel.

I'm coming, he thought, Hang on until I get there, Mini.

[Amara<3]

There was a sigh in the wind, and the wind blew a slightly different direction, just a few degrees differently, but harder, as if purposely trying to lead him that way. Keera, for all of her power, shouldn't be asking for help, but in the case of Mini she wasn't sure what to do. Naraku held so little power over her, and yet so much. She knew now how it was done, but for Mini being so old, it was a wonder it even worked on her. Still, getting the jewel shard out of her friend's body was not something she knew how to do. She'd never dealt with this type of problem. Naraku had never taken her friend. His daughter -her sister- yes, but never a friend.

However this Nayr supposedly would be able to help. Mini had said he could help. Did that mean that he may chose not to? What was she really expecting to see once he got there, anyway? She knew what he was, but would she crack her persona if he looked like a regular, lesser demon? No, of course she wouldn't. She was much above that.

"Follow the direction of the wind. I'll meet you part way."


Keera sent the doppleganger in the general direction of where the voice of Nayr had come from. She was all too relieved that Nayr had responded to her call. She then wondered, had he known she was coming and going to call on him?

Just then her sensei came in, bowing as he stode up to her. "Your son is in the courtyard. He doesn't look like he's any better since this morning, and he looks sick. Has he eaten?"

"No, he's starving himself," Keera replied with a sigh, still watching through her copy's eyes. "Naraku took the boy's will from him, and I don't know how to give it back. He'll die here of starvation, but I can't tell him to go back to Naraku."

"Do you think it would be best for him to stay here, my Queen?"

"I know what you really mean by that, and no, I don't know if it is wise to let him stay, but I feel that I've gained a few inches with him. If I can keep going like that, it won't be long before I have him talking normally with you." She hoped.


Naraku smirked, leading Mini by the shoulder around the castle. "Now, tell me what you and Keera talked about, Mini. It's only right that you tell me. As your master, I need to know everything that you both spoke of."

Tousa, Naraku thought. You will open up to your mother, do what she tells you, and gain her trust. After she gives you permission to come and go freely, you will wait until she leaves and bring me down to her kingdom. I have a surprise she would die for.


Tousa looked up from his seat in the courtyard of his mother Keera's castle. It was beyond magical there. Flowers the likes he'd never seen, demons and humans living together, and the food looked other worldly. Yet he wondered why his mother herself didn't touch any of the food. Then he heard his fathers voice, calm and coaxing him to get closer to her. The moment he was told, he wanted to go in to where she was and eat as she'd instructed, and even hug her before bed, if it pleased her. He was free to live like his mother thought he should, and though something about this felt wrong, he couldn't help but want to get closer to her. He'd never known her voice, her beautiful features, or her power before the moment she stormed his father's castle looking for their sister.

((Wow does that ever sound weird. Kaori is Keera AND Tousa's sister, and Tousa is Keera's son. Good thing Keera's not related to Naraku. Haha.))

[Mini]

Mini walked alongside of Naraku as he led her around the castle, perfectly content to let him lead her wherever he felt like taking her. With her back in the castle and so close to Naraku, his power over her was just about unbreakable. His voice soothed her spirit, leaving her without a single care in the world. Whatever her master wanted, her master would get. Right now, he wanted information. Words poured out from her without her even having to think about what to say.

"Yes, it is right that you should know. You are my master. You should know everything I know," she parroted. Repeating his words aloud only helped to engrave these thoughts into her mind.

"Keera approached me first. She asked if I knew who she was. At first, I did not recognize her, but her questions prompted some of my memories to return." Mini paused briefly, as if trying to actually remember something was a bit of a challenge. "She seemed glad to see that I appeared in relative good health. I believe I apologized for trying to kill her earlier. I then slowly started to remember the events that led to my being here, and also remembered that I have been in these mountains before. I asked Keera to seek assistance from a demon named Nayr, who lives north of here. Then I told her to leave before you sensed that she was there."

Mini found that she was now feeling very guilty for sending Keera, Naraku's enemy, off to get more help. As Naraku's servant, she should have tried to kill the woman on the spot. Not only had she failed at that, but she herself had told her to get help to fight her master! She was so upset over this that she almost quit walking, but Naraku kept strolling alongside of her, which prompted her to keep strolling as well. Her master was always so calm, so it seemed.

"Master, please forgive me for saying such things to her. I should have destroyed her, and instead I sent her off to seek further assistance."

[Nayr]

Nayr felt the wind's pull, insistent. It sort of reminded him of that phrase in some of the books his mother had loved. Something about a lover? He shrugged it off. Ultimately it was unimportant to the situation. Frivolous wordplay and nonsense that wouldn't help bring Mini back. He strode purposefully in the direction the wind pointed, waiting to meet Keera, whomever that turned out to be. While ultimately it didn't worry him, it was still something that occupied him as he walked. Any friend of Mini's was an ally in this situation, regardless of what kind of person they turned out to be. That was the important thing to remember.

We'll worry about her taste in friends some other time. For now, let's worry about getting her out of whatever scrape she's in. Wonder what kind of crazy being she's annoyed this time. I swear, if this is because she's stolen something again, I might give her a knock upside the head. Sometimes I wonder if she doesn't just need someone to constantly keep looking after her.

While his thoughts certainly sounded bitter, they were ultimately in the nature of a good humored jest. Regardless of how many times she got herself into all manner of creative scrapes, he would always be around to help her. She was, after all, his only friend.

(Okay, less awesome post because it's A. The middle of the night, and B. There's only so much my tired brain can do with walking. I'll do better next time...)

[skyacezero]

A man with dark brown hair was escorting his latest client through the mountainside. He had a massive, half-moon shaped sword slung diagonally across his back, and he was wondering why he hadn't used it yet, as his latest client that he was escorting through the mountainside wouldn't stop talking. All he could do was silently growl in irritance.

This guy better be worth what he's paying me. Otherwise we're going to have a little issue... he thought as his client continued rambling.

"That's why I hired you, no one else wanted to come through this area, it's the fastest way to go, but there are so many demon in this area...." the merchant he was escorting kept ranting. It just seemed like he kept going back to the same topic, until the wind changed direction.

"Hm?" The man grabbed the handle of his sword. "The wind's different... I think we might be near something big..." he said thoughtfully.

[Amara<3]

A white blur jumped into the scene of the forest ahead of the man and his client. As it landed, the blur became visible as a pale female with white-blue hair in a white dress that flowed out gently from the waist. However her eyes weren't so gentle as they glanced over to the two men. With her appearance came the essense of great power that was being subdued by some other force.

The appeared to be going against the wind, but it didn't slow her down. I don't have time for this, she thought. They're none of my business anyway. I'll end up seeing them again, I'm sure... oh hell. Why not. Mini will be fine, I'm sure. She then stood slowly, rather than springing off like she'd planned. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" she asked, her multi-coloured blue eyes seemed to pierce through them, trying to find a reason for them to even be on the mountain. She stood straight, face raised in the air to them, looking agitated. They were too close to Naraku's castle to not know something or be a part of what was going on.


"The important thing is, you've bought me some time to decide what to do," Naraku said as he walked with Mini. "She's not running away either, which is good. It means she'll be coming back to reclaim you. With or without the person she seeks. However, remembering her," he placed a hand on her head, "is not something you need to do." With that, the memories slid away again into the back of Mini's mind, sealed away. "Now, just follow me."

Naraku opened a door and walked in, waiting for Mini to follow him in. He went and sat down on a ledge by the window, and glanced outside. The miasma was so thick that surrounded the castle like a fog, killing everything it touched. The trees had already lost their leaves and turned gray, never to grow again because of his poison. "Come and sit with me. We'll wait for her together."


While the real Keera and her sensei conversed, Tousa came back in. Keera's eyes met his, and he bowed to her again. She nodded, and he spoke: "Mother, I would like to try some of the food you offered me a few minutes ago."

"Of course," Keera said, her heart skipping a beat as she stood, instantly upon his request. "It is all still there. Try anything you wish."

The sensei looked back at Tousa as he sat down. The boy just said more words to Keera than he'd ever heard him speak since he'd gotten to the castle. What was this about? He was talking freely with her all of a sudden, and Keera didn't seem to notice. Or had she? He looked back at her, and noticed the look in her eyes. Love, relief, but there was still suspicion. The kid had just left a few minutes ago saying he would sooner starve than eat the Queen's food, and now he was back saying the opposite. He couldn't help but wonder if Naraku had told him to get close to Keera, and attempt to take her life. Keera wouldn't let that happen, but it was a possibility.

[Mini]

Mini continued walking alongside of Naraku. She was slightly worried that he was going to punish her for such behavior, but as his devoted servant, she was ready to accept it. She turned and looked up at Naraku as he spoke further. So, she had actually done something good by sending Keera off? But what did he mean, Keera would come back to "reclaim" her?

No sooner had she opened her mouth to ask a question than Naraku reached over and placed his cold hand against her forehead, startling her slightly. His piercing red eyes stared right through her, looking all the way down into her soul. The thoughts she had just had and the memories she had almost remembered turned into dust and vanished from her mind. Instead of her own thoughts and memories, Naraku's incessant whispering once again filled her head.

You belong to me. I am your master. My thoughts are your thoughts. My will is your will. All you want to do is to serve me. "Now, just follow me."

Mini nodded in response to the verbal command. Without saying a word, she followed Naraku into the castle and up the hallway. He walked into a small room in the back and sat down on a ledge by the window. As he beckoned for her to join him, it didn't even occur to her to ask who they were waiting for. She went and sat down right next to him.

"Yes. We'll wait together," she said softly, gazing out at the dead landscape that surrounded the castle.