InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Crimson Dreams ❯ Crimson Dreams ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: j0yrid3

N/A: There it is people...the sequel is finally done. It says sequel so, for those of you who didn't read “Crimson Feelings”, I recommend that you do before reading this one.

I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed the first one, because of your support I was able to continue the story! Cookies and hugs 4 everyone!

Contains lemon at the end...You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Inuyasha...see what I'm doing to it?

Crimson Dreams

Kagome lied crumbled on the floor of her new prison. She didn't know if new was the correct word, since she hadn't actually been moved. Of course, Naraku didn't need to move her somewhere else for her to actually be in another place...

She didn't know what was real and what wasn't anymore, trapped in the Master of Illusion's web.

That wasn't the worst of it.

What really kept her awake at night was the horrible cracking of her heart, bitter reminder of her unthinkable actions.

She had given herself to him, willingly and she had loved every moment of it, being fully aware of who he was.

She felt dirty, no matter how many times she cleaned herself afterwards and she felt used, like a brainless puppet, the strings being her emotions.

And yet he knew so well how to use people's feelings to manipulate them and she knew it too. How could she have lost herself this way?

It was because she thought nothing could ever hurt her anymore, after what Inuysha did. Nothing mattered, least of all her life.

But she had been wrong. Something still mattered and it meant the world to her: the lives of her friends.

“Now you love me.” he had said nonchalantly and she had wanted to yell it in his face that he was wrong, but he wasn't and he knew it.

The love she had felt for Inuyasha was timid and pure, but with Naraku she felt desire for the first time, lust and passion binding her to him in a tainted way she had never thought she would feel. And least of all for her biggest enemy.

And yet she wasn't sad anymore. Not until his last words had dropped like thunder:

“After I kill your friends you will hate me.”

The chains had restrained her hands and feet again as he exited the cell, but she tried to pull out of them, hurting herself and yelled after him.

“Naraku!”

Her voice was broken, filled with pain and worry and definitely loud enough for a demon to hear, but the door to her cell remained shut.

She had tried again and again to get out of the heavy chains, cutting and bruising herself until she had sprained her wrist and realized it was futile.

“You bastard...you evil bastard...” she whispered, falling to her knees.

Before he had changed her surroundings, nightmares of Inuyasha's mangled body haunted her every night and she woke up sweaty and crying.

Sleep was something she had begun to hate, for it caused her more pain than staying awake. Every night she had the same dream and the fear of it becoming reality quickly crept into her heart.

She was walking through a beautiful clearing, showered in sunrays. She walked further, hoping for it to be different this time, but it wasn't and the sight of Inuyasha lying in a pool of his own blood appeared before her eyes. The irony of his lifeless form in this beautiful clearing was extremely painful and she had started to believe Naraku was the one behind these dreams. Her whole world was crumbling, Inuyasha was dead...how could the sun shine? The sun should die along with everything else!

What message was Naraku trying to send her through these dreams?

She had woken up, a curse escaping her usually well-mannered mouth. A bowl of food and a glass of water lied on the prison's floor and she regarded them with despise.

Naraku hadn't come to her since “the incident” and that was enough proof to her that he didn't really give a damn.

He got what he wanted, so why care anymore?

Kagome suddenly started to cough loudly, something she had been doing quite frequently the last few days. It wouldn't be unusual for her to catch a cold in this damp place, so she paid it no attention.

It wasn't until she saw the door to cell opening that she realized how serious it really was.

Naraku stepped in and she felt his crimson gaze before she even saw it.

She hadn't seen him in what seemed like ages and her eyes trailed unconsciously from his dark locks to his blood-colored eyes and lower to his purple and black garments, taking in his well built form.

The hanyou noticed her gaze and gave a smirk, his eyes capturing hers.

Kagome mentally cursed herself for her stupidity and knitted her brows, letting all the hate she had tried to feel for him these last few days fill her eyes.

That seemed to amuse him terribly and his eyes flashed red for a second as Kagome felt her chains disappear.

She pulled herself back, giving him an angry look.

If he wanted...if he thought they would...Never again would she give herself to this monster.

“Do not worry. I have not come for that.” he said, looking down at her. “When you want it, you're going to have to ask for it.”

Kagome's eyes widened in shock for a second, as she tried to comprehend his statement. After finally realizing what he had said, anger took over her and she narrowed her eyes, yelling at him:

“You make me sick! You'll never touch me again!”

He merely smiled, looking at her with an amused expression. It was strange how everything she did seemed to amuse him recently. It made her feel like his little pet and she hated it. He probably knew it and that's why he was doing it. Manipulative monster.

Kagome was just about to give the insolent bastard a piece of her mind, when another violent wave of coughing interrupted her.

Something akin to worry appeared in Naraku's ruby orbs, just to fade away unnoticed a second later.

His hand rose in the air and his fist opened, revealing the almost complete Shikon jewel. It started to float, emanating a corrupted dark light and Kagome, who was trying to recompose herself, remained stunned.

It wasn't the fact that her surroundings were rapidly changing that awed her the most, but the fact that she had been completely unable to sense the jewel.

She was now standing in void, darkness all around her and in front of her stood Naraku, his eyes closed and apparently concentrating on something.

Kagome started to feel a little afraid, since being surrounded by nothingness wasn't exactly cozy and she had vaguely started to wonder if this was what death felt like.

Some of her fears were scattered as she found herself in a normal room.

A tatami covered the wooden floor and a large futon lied close to a small table, which held a teapot and two cups.

She eyed her surroundings curiously, wondering if this would be her new prison or if it was just another trick. What was he up to?

“Does your new accommodation please you?” she heard Naraku's deep, low voice.

Kgome turned puzzled eyes to him and they clearly indicated she didn't understand why the sudden favor.

Naraku slowly walked towards the teapot and filled one of the cups handing it to her. He then proceeded in filling another and sat down, legs crossed beneath him.

But she was still standing, holding the cup cautiously and obviously reluctant to drinking from it.

“Sit.” he ordered, his gaze locking with hers.

She complied before she even realized what she was doing. His gaze was mesmerizing and it was now obvious to her that his voice could also be used as a weapon.

“Does he control Kohaku through hypnosis?” she started to wonder.

That wasn't what worried her most right now though. Since that dreadful day, his last statement - “After I kill your friends, you will hate me.” - had lingered in her mind, day and night.

For the first time since he possessed her, she looked him straight in the eye with anger and a well-hidden tint of fear. She wanted to know the fate of her friends. Were they even alive? Of course they were! Naraku had never succeeded in taking their lives before, he was just bluffing, playing with her mind as usual.

As much as she liked to think that, her mind knew how powerful he truly was. She had often had the impression that he was just toying with them whenever they fought.

Her eyes burned, fighting his deadly crimson gaze. If he...if he'd laid a finger on what she held dear...

His lips twisted in malevolent smirk as he took in her gaze.

“Do they still live? You'll never know. And it won't make any difference to you, because you won't ever leave this place.” he stated, his expression clearly indicating that he relished in her suffering.

She didn't care what her fate would be...as long as they were safe. The spark of hope shining in her heart told her that they were alive and she wanted to believe it.

“Drink.” his voice interrupted her thoughts.

She was still looking at the cup with distrust and he sighed, appearing bored.

“Do not be so foolish, woman. It's not poisoned. I have had countless occasions to kill you.”

She knew that was very true, but also everything that came from him could be a trap.

Still, she hadn't tasted anything other than water for what seemed like ages, so she took her chances and tasted the beverage. It seemed to be normal tea, if very rich in flavor.

“Black, of course...Of course he would drink black tea...That's so cliché.” she said to herself. She had nothing against black tea, but couldn't let the opportunity of mocking him even a little pass her by.

“You have no idea why I let you out of the dungeon?” Naraku spoke.

She didn't dignify him with an answer, looking into her cup of tea.

“It seems you are unaware. I had no idea you were so ignorant, but it's to be expected since you're untrained.” he stated.

Kagome ignored the insult, deciding not to let him get to her no matter what. She remained silent, her eyes fixed on the teacup.

“The evil atmosphere in there would have killed you in lack of purifying powers.” he informed her, red eyes observing her like a predator.

That seemed to have had a great effect on her as she immediately raised her dark eyes to his blood-colored ones.

Now that he mentioned it, she had been feeling somewhat empty lately...and now she couldn't sense the Shikon's presence. Something was horribly wrong.

Kagome concentrated, trying to let the holy energy fill her body, but nothing happened. Worried, she tried again with the same result.

Desperation was making its way into her heart as Naraku began to laugh. The sarcastic, evil laugh she had heard so many times before, when he achieved a victory.

Her eyes were now showing a mix of awe and fear as she tried to figure out what was wrong.

“One can only be a miko if she is untouched.” he sneered, accentuating the last word.

Realization hit her hard and her jaw dropped as the whole world crumbled around her.

“That's why Kikyou said she would renounce her position as a priestess for Inuyasha...How could I have been so stupid?!” she cried inside of her mind.

Of course it was true, she should have known, but she didn't think about it, trapped between her pain and her newfound interest for the enemy.

He had manipulated her to the very end and she had fallen inside of all his elaborate traps.

“That's why you...” she said aloud, her eyes looking empty.

“No.” he cut her off sharply. “But I'll admit it was a bonus.”

She turned her head away with disgust for what she had done and she wanted him to leave and never come back so she could always be alone in her shame.

Naraku finished his tea and got up. The little cup disappeared from his fingers and he looked down at the broken girl.

“This is your room. The whole castle is at your disposition, but it is your choice if you want to explore it or not.” he said in a strange tone as he turned to leave.

Kagome didn't even look at him and made no sign that she had understood his words.

As he slid the shoji, Naraku spoke again:

“There will come a time when you will desire my presence with your whole being. Remember these words.”

And with that, he left, sliding the door behind him as his shadow disappeared immediately.

“Desire his presence? I knew he was crazy, but now he's starting to be delusional.” she thought, but it seemed like she was trying to convince herself of something she didn't really believe.

Since then Kagome hadn't left her room, bizarre thoughts crawling into her mind in her solitude.

What would Inuyasha say if he knew about what she had done?

That didn't matter! He wouldn't care! How many times did she have to tell herself that Kikyou was his choice until her mind would comprehend and accept it?

And Naraku...sometimes she remembered the moment when she was his and, to her anger, it didn't repulse her at all. Even after she knew what he had did to her and why...it still didn't repulse her.

He had felt so warm, so real and his eyes, the beautiful ruby orbs had shined with desire for her. Maybe it was because she felt that no one cared for her anymore and then he showed up, so different from what she had thought him to be all of these months as they fought against each other.

She remembered a conversation between them, when she had started to feel for him:

He had said her name for the first time in the whole period of her imprisonment and she loved the way it sounded in his deep voice.

“Kagome, I have wanted you from the first time I saw you.”

She had felt a tingle in her stomach at the sound of his words. But now she knew they were lies. Wasn't he the master of lies and deceit?

If she thought back, she really couldn't imagine how she fell for it. He had never shown any interest in her before, barely acknowledging her presence within the enemy group.

With Kikyou it was a different story. Ever since he had reabsorbed Onigumo/Musou, while he was screaming Kikyou's name, they all knew how Naraku felt for the miko. Even if he didn't like the way he felt, he still wanted her.

Everyone wanted Kikyou. And why shouldn't they? She was beautiful, smart and powerful...even if she now needed the souls of the dead to stay alive; it made her seem like a superior being, one who has been able to cheat even death.

And she was nothing but Kikyou's inferior copy and that was the way Inuyasha had always looked at her. All those moments of tenderness between them...they only happened because Inuyasha looked at Kikyou inside of her.

She wanted to be loved for herself, not for being the miko's reincarnation. And that's the path Naraku had found to crawl into her heart.

“You manipulative bastard!” she yelled to the empty room.

Maybe he had heard her, maybe he hadn't, either way the room remained silent and empty.

She had to get out of here. Naraku had said the whole castle was at her disposition. Maybe she could find a way out and...

No. He wasn't that stupid. As much as she hated to admit it, he wasn't stupid.

Either way, she would get out of this room. Her legs needed to move, as painful as it was, or they may never move at all.

Kagome got up weakly, feeling thousands of small needles inside of her feet. They were stiff from the lack of movement and the purple bruises around her ankles were marks of her own stupidity. Why in the world did she assume she could brake out of heavy steel chains? Scratch that, heavy enchanted steel chains.

But whenever it came to the ones she loved, she felt like she had supernatural powers. Unfortunately, it was only a feeling.

Kagome, taking small steps, made it to the shoji and slid it with slow movements, getting out of the room.

Naraku's words rang in the back of her mind:

“It's your choice.”

“It's not much of a choice.” she said to herself, trying to get used to walking again.

She found herself on a long hallway, with doors on each side of it. The light was dim, but good enough for her, since she was used to the darkness. But as much as she tried to see the end of the corridor, she could only see it continuing for a long distance and then even more, into darkness.

“It's like a horror movie.” she thought. She had to give him credit, for one who had never seen a horror movie before, he did a pretty good job.

Kagome took a few more steps and decided to go into the third room. After all, three was her lucky number.

She carefully slid the door open and entered what seemed to be a perfectly normal room.

The impression of normality disappeared as the shoji closed behind her with a loud sound and the surroundings began to change rapidly.

“What's happening?” she asked herself, her hand unconsciously reaching for the non-existent bow. Even if there was a bow, it wouldn't do her any good, she reminded herself, while staying alert.

Suddenly she found herself in the all-too-familiar area of the time well. No one seemed to be around, except a few birds and forest animals.

Kagome looked around, thinking her eyes must be playing tricks on her and walked to the well, putting her hands on the rim.

To her surprise, she felt the cold wood under her fingers and started to be afraid. Naraku wouldn't just let her go like that. He said he would never let her go. This was a trick...another terrible trick of his.

Kagome's head suddenly lifted as she heard voices coming from the Goshinboku tree.

One was Inuyasha's and the other one seemed to be...Kikyou's.

Her heart twisted painfully at the sound of the hanyou's voice and she walked towards the God tree, fully aware of the pain she would experience.

And there, sitting down and leaning against the tree, holding Kikyou in his arms stood the boy she had loved more than life itself.

Kagome's first instinct was to hide somewhere, but Inuyasha seemed to not notice her scent...which could only mean that she wasn't really there. Was Naraku showing her what was happening during her absence?

She approached carefully, even as her heart bled at the sight of them together.

“Inuyasha...do you regret it?” came Kikyou's soft voice.

Kagome knew that she was talking about his choice and a spark of hope appeared inside of her heart.

“No.” he said and the spark went out, shattering all of her new found hopes.

“I don't regret it. I love you...I've always only loved you.” he continued, looking at the priestess with his warm golden eyes.

Kagome tried to stop the tears from flowing, since it was ridiculous to cry over something that she already knew.

Inuyasha's soft gaze...the warmth of his amber eyes...was something she would never experience again, for it was his gift to another.

Kikyou's eyes were lost in his, but she spoke again, this time her voice seeming a bit harsh:

“So you do not care that she has been killed by Naraku?”

“I do care!” he replied in a higher tone. “How could I not care? She was my friend!”

“Friend...” Kagome thought. “Is that what you always thought of me?”

“I have another reason to rip that son of a bitch limb from limb!” Inuyasha continued, his expression determined.

“Don't use profanity in front of me, please.” Kikyou said in a calm voice.

“I'm sorry...He just gets to me, that's all.” The hanyou replied, holding her even tighter in his arms.

“I'm not dead!” Kagome shouted, losing all of her self-control. “Inuyasha, I'm not dead!” she screamed, tears flowing freely across her cheeks.

Suddenly the God tree, Inuyasha and Kikyou started to get further away from her and she ran after them, but they kept backing away no matter how fast she ran, until they disappeared into the darkness, leaving her with her sorrow.

“INUYASHA!” she cried, falling to her knees.

Kagome found herself in the room again and the door slid open slowly, inviting her out. It was over. Naraku had achieved his goal...her heart was bleeding and her tears were flowing.

Did he expect her to scream his name now? Like she wanted him to comfort her...It wasn't him that she wanted! It was someone else..someone who had always comforted her.

Always until now.

Drying her eyes, Kagome exited the room. Now that she had a taste of his sick mind games, she wanted to get back to her room and stay there. But where the hell was it?

She counted three doors back and it was supposed to be this one...but she had a strange feeling about it.

Suddenly the hallway became filled with Naraku's ironic, evil laugh.

Her eyes searched everywhere, but the dark hanyou was nowhere in sight.

“I gave you a choice, my little pet.” his amused voice echoed along the corridor.

“I'm not your pet, you asshole!” she yelled, anger shining in her eyes.

The laughter that seemed to come from all directions was his answer.

“I hate you so much.” she thought, trying to build up enough courage to step into the room.

Kagome slid the door slowly, cautiously peeking inside. It looked like a bathing room and she thanked Kami for the unexpected luck. But what if this was just another trick to lure her in? What if she would get naked and then...

No, he said he wouldn't do it unless she asked him.

“Hmph. Conceited bastard.” she said to herself, deciding to enter the room.

To her relief, the door didn't suddenly close and the surroundings remained the same. Kagome finally let out the breath she was holding and closed the shoji, examining the fuming water.

It was a normal color so she assumed it held no shouki or poisons.

“He's had countless occasions to kill me.” she thought, remembering his words. Still, nothing he said could be trusted...and when it came to mind games, he had no equal.

Playing with people's minds seemed to be Naraku's favorite activity. So it wasn't only to corrupt the jewel, surely the pain she suffered had no effect on it. He enjoyed it, the sick bastard...

Kagome got rid of the kimono she was wearing, throwing it aside. Right after “the incident”, she had found herself wearing this elaborate blue and black silk kimono. It was actually a thoughtful thing for Naraku to do, since he had cut her uniform right off...

“Argh! No more of that!” she thought, shaking her head to make the thoughts go away.

She then proceeded to sink her toe in the water and then, finding it acceptable, got in entirely, leaving only her head at the surface.

“Ahh...this feels great...” she said to herself, feeling all her muscles relax. “It's just like at home...Will I ever go home again? Probably not...Mom, Souta, grandpa...I'm so sorry!”

Kagome felt the tears running freely down her cheeks, but her expression didn't change. She knew that he was watching her right now, relishing in her pain and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of bursting into tears.

“I've lost everything...” she realized suddenly.

First she had forfeited the chances of ever seeing her family again, while engaging in dangerous battles with evil demons. Then she had lost the first boy she had ever loved, but then again he was never truly hers. And finally, she had turned to none other than the arch enemy, only to serve as his puppet.

It was sad how she had started to get used to being hurt, it wasn't even that painful anymore.

“When did I become like this?” she wondered.

The time when she had been so optimistic and full of life seemed so far away...in another life time.

“Kagome, you're pitiful.” she stated.

What was real in this feudal world? Did Inuyasha ever have any real feelings for her? Was she even real? Maybe Kikyou was the real one and she was just a mistake...

Kagome sighed again and sank even lower, looking at herself in the water's mirror.

For a brief moment, it showed her Kikyou and she looked at her reflection, astonished, but the illusion had disappeared and now her own awed face stared back at her.

Kagome rubbed her eyes and took another glance at her reflection. It seemed normal now.

“I'm going crazy...” she said to herself, deciding it was time to get out.

Still, when she thought about going back out into that creepy hallway...

“Just pull yourself together, Kagome Higurashi!” she scolded herself. “I have to get through this...” she thought, while getting out of the water.

She couldn't help but blush at the thought that he might be watching her right now so she grabbed the kimono and got dressed as fast as she could.

Stepping out into the hallway, Kagome felt a chill up her spine. The corridor seemed to continue endlessly and she couldn't recognize any of the doors.

Taking a deep breath, she started to walk down the hallway and this time counted the doors she past by so she could at least remember were the bathing room was. If he didn't decide to change them again...

Not daring to slide any shoji, the girl kept walking, her footsteps leaving strange echoes in the dark castle.

It seemed Inuyasha had come to terms with losing her. Of course, as long as he had Kikyou it was all good...She suddenly realized it didn't hurt that much anymore. Her pure, unconditional love for Inuyasha seemed to fade compared to what she felt when she was with Naraku. It was forbidden and dangerous, he was unpredictable and his thoughts were a mystery. She had never felt lust for Inuyasha. Sure, she had always wanted to be close to him, but touching him always made her blush and she had never had...sexual desires for him.

With Naraku it was a different story, her body still yearned for him, as much as she tried to suppress it. She wanted to feel him again and it was so wrong...Even the fact that it was wrong made the attraction grow. But he had only used her, manipulated her and stripped her of her purifying powers. She was now harmless to him...and she couldn't even sense the jewel shards anymore. So why the hell was he still keeping her alive? That was one question she still couldn't answer. He obviously didn't care about her...so the only reasons she could think of was that he was keeping her as a pet, to entertain him. And the whole idea of this castle served that exact purpose. It was like putting a hamster inside of a maze and watching as it struggled to get out.

How she hated that sick bastard...she'd show him!

With that in mind, Kagome stopped in front of the 13th door and slid the shoji with a determined expression on her face.

As she entered the room, it started to change into the familiar sight of Kaede's village. It was just like she remembered it: people doing their daily chores and children running around all over the place.

She took an unsure step forward, wondering what she should do now when she saw Inuyasha appear out of nowhere, with the others right behind him.

“I told you I smelled her!” the hanyou said loudly, hurrying to the girl's side.

“Inuyasha...you can...see me?” Kagome asked in an awed tone.

“Of course I can see you, idiot! You're all right!” he exclaimed, pulling her into him before she had a chance to realize what was happening.

This couldn't be real, could it? She wondered, feeling his warmth, the warmth she had missed so much. His grip tightened just a little, careful not to cause her any damage and tears started to flow down her cheeks as she inhaled his scent...she had always associated it with protection, comfort and love. He smelled like...home.

Without any warning, he withdrew from the embrace, his brows knitting slightly as his beautiful amber eyes regarded her questionably.

“His disgusting scent is all over you...” he growled.

“No...please, no...” she thought, as her whole world crumbled around her.

Shippou jumped out of Sango's arms and hurried to her side, sniffing at her.

“He's right!” the kitsune confirmed, turning puzzled eyes to Kagome.

“That bastard...did he?!” Inuyasha's voice was trembling with anger.

Kagome froze, hearing his words. This was just like something Naraku would do, send her back tainted and dirty...to let everyone know what they did.

“Kagome-chan, he...raped you?” Sango asked in a strangled voice as she hurried to her side and put her arms around the girl's shoulders.

“I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible.” A female voice stated.

Kagome felt a spike inside of her heart at the sound of that voice. Kikyou was approaching them slowly, the only one with a calm expression on her face.

“What did you say, Kikyou?” Inuyasha asked, knitting his brows.

“I said that wouldn't be possible.” Kikyou repeated, turning her eyes to her reincarnation. “A demon such as Naraku would be instantly purified the moment he would try to posses a miko against her will. The holy energy inside of her would have broken loose and defended her.” she continued.

“You're lying!” Sango snapped, glaring at Kikyou.

“Ask her if you do not believe me.” The miko said simply.

Kagome felt her very soul shatter as Inuyasha looked at her with a serious and determined expression, asking the inevitable question.

“Is it true, Kagome?”

She should just lie! Just why did Kikyou have to know everything? She had to lie, she had to say Naraku forced her, she had to think of something...

“Yes.” Her answer came before she could stop it.

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he looked like he couldn't believe what she had said. Slowly disgust made its way in the amber eyes she had loved more than anything.

She couldn't stand that look on his face, not when it came to her. She couldn't bare it!

Her eyes flooded with tears and the hanyou remained silent, watching her, his eyes now expressing despise.

“Kagome-chan, you're shaken up! You didn't mean that...tell me you didn't give yourself to the one who slaughtered my whole family!” Sango cried, taking her hands off her shoulders like they burned her.

“Sango-chan...” Kagome started, trying to take the taijya's hand.

Sango moved away, turning her back on her former friend.

Inuyasha followed her and Kikyou accompanied them away.

Kagome, tears now running freely across her cheeks looked at the only two people who were still standing in front of her.

“Kagome-sama...” Miroku said in a sad tone, “I never imagined you would be that kind of a woman.”

“Miroku-sama...” Kagome spoke weakly, feeling her heart break at the sound of her friend's harsh words.

“Why? Revenge on Inuyasha for choosing Kikyou?” he asked, the small kitsune now standing on his shoulder and watching Kagome with teary eyes.

“No! Miroku-sama, it was nothing like that! I...” she stopped, not knowing how to explain what she had done.

Miroku shook his head with an expression that meant: “I never thought you were capable of such a thing”.

“I don't understand what you did exactly, but even a kid like me can see you've betrayed us.” Shippou said, wiping his tears away.

“Shippou-chan!” Kagome exclaimed, falling to her knees as Miroku and the kitsune turned their backs on her and left.

“This isn't real...” she told herself as heavy tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

Now, she was truly alone. Stillness had settled all around her and it was getting dark. A darkness so thick that it suffocated her. She deserved to be treated this way. It was all her fault.

Suddenly she heard a laugh all too familiar and she opened her eyes to the same darkness. Her blurry vision tried to determine an outline, but there was nothing other than void surrounding her.

I deserve this...I betrayed my friends...I betrayed Inuyasha...she thought, ignoring the malevolent laugh that seemed to come from everywhere.

“Did they not abandon you first?” She heard Naraku's voice inside of her mind.

The darkness around her dissipated and she found herself in a normal room.

Kagome's hand instinctively touched the futon, finding it solid.

Did they not abandon you first?

His words still echoed in her mind and she would have ignored them, if not for the doubts they stirred inside of her.

Kagome laid down, placing her head on the futon. With a deep sigh, she stopped the tears from pouring out of her eyes. His words were poison, dripping inside of her mind and she remembered the suffering she felt after Inuyasha had left her to die.

Closing her eyes, she remembered a time when the sun still shined brightly in the sky and a golden-eyed hanyou protected her from everything evil. She allowed herself the vision, wanting to stay inside of the dream and never wake up.

“Inuyasha!” she screamed and warm golden eyes turned to her, seeming puzzled.

“Don't...leave me...” she said in a strangled voice and her eyes were filled with pain and fear.

He approached her and one of his claws reached her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.

“I'm not leaving you, idiot.” he said in a soft tone and she buried her head in his chest, feeling his arms around her. Why couldn't things just stay like this? She felt the answer when his muscles suddenly became tense and she lifted her eyes to see him looking behind her with an expression she knew too well.

Kikyou.

His warmth left her as the one she loved turned to another and she stumbled, losing the support of his body. She turned around to confirm what she already knew in her heart and she saw him, the love of her life, one who was always proud, arrogant and sometimes childish, now seeming completely the opposite. He was humble next to the priestess, he almost begged her to take him back, like a lovesick puppy. He seemed...older when with Kikyou, more mature. She remembered their childish fights, wanting them back, but the boy in front of her had changed. And after Kikyou would leave, he would return to his old-self. It was like her presence was shaping him after her own will.

In her heart, she wished Kikyou had never come back and it made her feel even worse. She raised her eyes to the miko's and found herself drowning in the dark abysses. Her look said everything: “Obviously I won...did you really think you - a pathetic replica of myself - could ever take him from me?”

Kagome closed her eyes, a spark of anger rising inside of her and slowly taking over her pain. When she opened them again, the sight before her eyes made her jaw drop.

She was in the dungeon again, the heavy chains binding her arms and legs and she was freezing cold. Was this real or was she still dreaming? She moved her hand, feeling the cold bite of steel.

Standing in front of her, none other than the miko of sorrow, her past self: stronger and more beautiful, everything she was not.

The screeching noise of the heavy door opening caught her attention and she saw the man she both hated and loved step inside.

His crimson eyes rested upon her for no more than a second, after which they turned to the priestess. And Kagome saw his eyes change, she saw them burning with the flame of desire when he looked at Kikyou. It hurt.

He spoke, his deep baritone making her heart race.

“Finally...You're finally here.”

Kikyou said nothing as she held his gaze, seeming as impassible as ever.

“I knew your lesser copy would make fine bate.” Naraku said and his words dropped like thunder.

She remembered one of the conversations they had.

“Is that why you keep me here? Because I remind you of her?” she had asked him.

“No. You remind me of no one.” had been his reply.

“You lying bastard!” she screamed, hurting herself as she struggled out of the chains.

He didn't even spare her a glance, as if she were inexistent, his whole attention concentrating on Kikyou.

Suddenly she saw his arms circling around the priestess as he leaned over her and kissed her possessively, with a passion she had never thought him to be capable of. It was like...he loved her.

Kagome wanted the ground to swallow her so she would be spared of this scene.

Naraku's lips slowly descended down Kikyou's neck as his hands pulled her closer into him.

“Stop! I don't want to see this!” she yelled, not even realizing that tears were running down her cheeks.

But he didn't stop and instead his head raised to catch her lips one more as his eyes burned. That hurt the most, not the fact that he was touching her or even kissing her. The gleam in his ruby eyes, the feelings they showed made her heart twist painfully.

Kikyou...always Kikyou...first she had taken Inuyasha and now...

Kagome wanted to close her eyes and shut them out, but she couldn't. A painful realization hit her along with the sting of jealousy. He had infiltrated himself so deep inside of her that even with everything he had done to her, she still had feelings for him.

Naraku's hands were tearing Kikyou's clothes off, while his mouth tasted her whole body. The miko had closed her eyes, letting a soft moan escape her lips.

He was now naked himself as he took her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around him.

“No...” Kagome whispered faintly.

A cry of both pleasure and pain echoed inside of the dungeon.

“NO!” she yelled, sheltering her eyes with her hands.

Strong arms pulled her up and she opened her eyes to see a pair of crimson orbs staring back at her. Kagome acknowledged she was back inside the room as she quickly pulled away from him.

Naraku smirked, making no move to stop her.

“Do you remember what I told you?” he asked, his gaze piercing into her eyes.

Kagome didn't know what was real and wasn't anymore so she remained silent as her eyes, red from crying, mirrored her puzzlement.

“There will come a time when you will desire my presence with your whole being. Remember these words.”

She heard them inside of her mind and she glared at the demon in front of her.

“Stay out of my mind!”

“Why would I...it's so much fun.” he replied with a grin.

Her eyes were burning with anger as she looked at him. He was toying with her.

Suddenly she saw a blur of movements as his arm grabbed her neck.

“Do you know what that look does to me?” he whispered sensually.

She felt electricity run throughout her whole body at his touch and felt like surrendering to him again, but he let go of her and backed away.

Kagome looked at him with a puzzled expression, not being able to fully hide her disappointment.

“I told you, my beautiful prisoner, you're going to have to ask me for it...beg me for it.” he sneered.

She blushed and glared at him, searching for the worst term to describe him. It was useless anyway...he would probably enjoy it.

“Is this real?” she asked finally, her tone frozen.

“Perhaps.” he answered. “Or perhaps not.”

Oh, how she hated him as he sat there, mocking her the look in his blood-colored eyes making her feel like his prey.

He came closer and his eyes fixed her with an unusual intensity.

“I can throw your mind into the deepest pits of hell, did you know that?” he whispered into her ear.

She froze, remembering the pain his illusions provoked.

“Even if it's an illusion, it will look real and feel real.” he continued as the fear grew in her scent. His arms grabbed her shoulders, claws digging into her skin. “And I can keep your mind bound to the dream forever.”

The breath stopped inside of her throat as tiny trickles of blood fell to the floor. She felt fear now, more than she had ever felt it before. He could do all of the things he said. There was nothing to hold him back.

His head leaned closer to her and he inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.

“The scent of your fear...is delicious.” he whispered into her ear, his hands lowering the folds of her kimono and moving on her bare shoulders.

His touch made her shiver, his claws moving so dangerously close to her neck giving her a dark thrill and she felt warmth rising between her legs. One of his hands moved to her breasts and he spoke:

“Say it...”

His tongue invaded her ear and she felt her knees withdraw their support as she fell onto him. His skin was burning and she could feel his beautifully sculpted body underneath the fabric. She saw the strands of dark hair falling on his shoulders, remembered they had the scent of winter and she wanted to sense it again. It made her remember that moment of ecstasy when she had been his.

One of his claws tilted her chin up and she looked at him. His dark hair contrasted with his white skin and ruby eyes shined with desire as he looked at her. His face came so close that she could feel his breath on her lips. She felt all of her resistance crumble and a faint whisper escaped her lips.

“I...want you.”

He smirked, lowering his head to her neck and her heart started to beat faster as she felt his fangs biting on her skin. His arm circled her waist, pulling her into him aggressively and before she realized what she was doing, her own hands wrapped around his neck. He stopped teasing the neck and raised his head, his crimson eyes piercing into hers.

“How bad do you want it?” he asked and she could feel his errection pressing against her.

Her nails dug into his skin and her voice trembled as she spoke the truth:

”More... than I've ever wanted anything...”

As if her words had been the trigger, he ripped her clothes off and tasted her as she moaned deeply, closing her eyes. His tongue teased one of her nipples as his hand made its way between her legs. He bit on it hard and she let out a scream, feeling his fingers inside of her. And she felt them retreat suddenly, leaving behind an aching void.

She wanted to feel him inside of her, filling her emptiness so she pulled him closer to her, noticing he had discarded his own clothes as she felt his skin burning upon her own.

He turned her around aggressively and she placed her hands on the wall for support. She felt him push her thighs wider apart as his penis teased her entrance and she a cry escaped her lips as he shoved into her powerfully.

His hands grabbed her breasts as he set his pace and she groaned, pushing her hands against the wall. Suddenly, he grabbed her hair, pulling her head back and she heard him panting as he rode her faster. She moaned loudly as one of his hands reached between her legs and toyed with her clit. She felt a stinging sensation in the place his hand was teasing and gave out a loud cry as she came.

He shoved into her with more speed, feeling her inner muscles contract against his member. He pulled out suddenly and she felt the hot liquid on her skin as knees barely supported her.

She felt him take her into his arms and closed her eyes as he carried her to the tatami, laying her down on it.

“What's real, Naraku?” she asked, looking at him as he sat down besides her.

He leaned over her, his heavy dark locks touching her shoulders as he answered:

”You're my addiction...as I am yours. That is real.”

She didn't need to say anything as her eyes gave her away. It wasn't even painful anymore. He was right.

He buried his head in the crook of her neck, leaving bruising kisses on her collarbone.

“That's why I can't ever let you go.” he spoke, his crimson eyes rising to hers.

And oddly, she smiled.

A/N: I hope it turned out at least as good as “Crimson Feelings”. Feedback would be highly appreciated ^_^