Chapter 10: Revelations, And The Plans Of Darkness

Sesshoumaru rested next to the bed as he had the first time, listening to Kagome's heartbeat. Shippou was curled up next to her side, taking comfort in her nearness. The two humans and Rin were resting in rooms provided by the Healer, having arrived earlier. And on the bed, Kagome rested, once again having been purged of a dark poison, just as she had the first time. Sesshoumaru raised his hand and was just about to stroke her face, when someone cleared their throat behind him. He put is hand back to his side faster than the human eye could perceive, as he stood and quietly greeted the Healer. He was perfectly willing to take Kagome as his beloved, if she wished it, but he would prefer to keep it known from the rest of the demon world until he dealt with Naraku. Sesshoumaru followed the Healer when she motioned for him to follow her.

Down several tunnels they went, and made so many turns that even Sesshoumaru had lost track of where they were. Finally, they arrived in a room filled with many different crystals. And for the first time, Sesshoumaru felt nervous. Something about this room just felt… odd. The air in the room seemed to tingle in a way that felt dangerous, yet wasn't. "Welcome to my room of souls. Not that I keep many here," spoke the Healer, pulling Sesshoumaru out of his thoughts. "Why did you bring me here?" Sesshoumaru asked. "To show you something… interesting I noticed the first time you and the girl first came here. Touch this gem here, and you will see what I speak off." As she spoke she, she put a clear diamond bigger than Sesshoumaru's own head. "And what would this gem do exactly?" Sesshoumaru asked as he regarded the gem warily. Though the jewel didn't feel evil, he had learned through the ages that most magical objects didn't at first. "Nothing that would harm the Lord of the West, I assure you", the Healer said, sounding sincere. Ultimately, Sesshoumaru touched the gem, only to be stunned by what happened.

One minute he was looking at the crystal, the next, his view changed, almost as if he was looking through another's eyes. He saw himself and the healer in the room of souls, yet in a way not normal. Around there bodies he saw and aura of some sort, the healers a white tinged with blue on the edges, with the general feeling of age. The aura about his own body was a dark red with several blotches of lighter red, with white and pink meshed amongst the red. Even more interesting was the chain like beam going from him to another out of sight. Using his own will, he followed the chain to the room where Kagome rested, where the chain meshed into her. Kagome's own aura flared about her a bright white, emanating power. As he came closer to her, he began to feel at peace, as her own aura began to calm, revealing several holes in her aura, almost as if they were missing, and several marks of dark red, much like his own aura. And then, he was looking through his own eyes again.

"Interesting, was it not?" Asked the healer as Sesshoumaru eyes readjusted themselves. "What was that?" Sesshoumaru asked. "That was the appearance of our souls." "Explain." The Healer smirked at the blunt demand before responding. "My own was white due to the healing magic I often use; whereas yours was a dark red due to your serious nature, the blotches of pink and white signify that others of a lighter nature are influencing you. Kagome's was pure white because of the sheer strength of her miko powers, whereas as the holes are from others stealing parts of her soul, and the red is from the healing of another. Yours specifically." "I have done no spells that would influence her." Sesshoumaru said, following the Healer as she left the room. The Healer paused before replying, "The instincts of dog-demons are rather curious. Did you know that some dog-demons instinctively begin a certain level of bonding before they consciously join one another?" "What does that have to do with Kagome?" Sesshoumaru already had an idea of where this was going, but he was not one to presume. "You and Kagome are bonded," the Healer said, waiting for a reaction. Seeing none, the Healer continued. "I noticed it the first time you brought her here. At the time it was rather weak, It's effect on the two of you unnoticeable. Right now though, the bond is having far more noticeable effects. Odds are you've been feeling things you've never felt before, or acted in ways that you had never though yourself able to." Thinking back to when they had first admitted their feelings, the almost overwhelming surge of emotions seemed to make sense to Sesshoumaru.

"At this moment, the bond is balancing both of you, preparing the two of you for a life together. Already, Kagome likely already has a lengthened life, likely equal to yours. Even I can not tell what else it shall do to the two of you. All things considered, it shall most certainly be interesting." Sesshoumaru simply nodded, taking note that they had arrived back in the main room. "I would rest if I were you, Sesshoumaru. Although I do not fully know this Naraku's abilities, simply from what I have heard I can tell you that your brother is in very dangerous hands. There is no telling what he plans to do with him." Sesshoumaru simply gave the slightest of nods before walking away, moving towards Kagome's bedside. The Healer watched as Sesshoumaru sat down by Kagome and fell into a very light sleep. The healer simply shook her head before leaving the room and muttered some thing along the lines of "Kids these days" as she left the room.

Someplace else, in the dungeon of a dark castle, a dark plan was nearing its completion. "Ah, this is indeed a fine piece of craftsmanship. And exactly to my specifications as well," Naraku said as he studied the blade he held in his hands. "Yes, well, it was not easy. Many of the ingredients necessary are quite hard to find, and I often had to part with rather precious items of my own to barter for them. Since you are pleased with the results, I believe it is time to discuss payment," spoke the odd looking creature bowed before Naraku. Naraku stood up and began to leave, stopping only long enough to say, "Kagura, give the man his payment." "Yes Lord Naraku," Kagura replied, a small smirk on her face as she got out her fan. Naraku smirked darkly as he heard the screams from the throne room.

As Naraku approached the dungeon, he began to mentally prepare the spell that would bind the sword to his newest… guest. He began to hear the moans from Inuyasha as yet another spell wove it way through his body, settling into place besides the other enchantments placed upon him. Naraku observed the creature before him, barely recognizable from it's former self. "More grotesque than most of my works, wouldn't you say Kikyo?" Naraku spoke to the hidden miko. Kikyo remained silent as she watched Naraku finish the spell on Inuyasha, quietly observing the nature of the spell, placing it deep in her memory. "Yes, I do believe Inuyasha is ready for a test run, don't you?"

Twenty minutes later, at a village near Naraku's fortress, the people went about their normal business. Suddenly, a black wave of energy smashed into the ground just outside the village, flowing into the village, blinding the site of any who observed with a black light. When those who survived opened their eyes, they were greeted with a horrible sight. Not only had the village been destroyed, but dead. The very life that once filled the ground was gone, the ground left black and cracked. Any plant life surrounding the village had withered and died, and where there had been any humans or animals were left skeletons. Those few left from the blast would have entered to find any survivors, were it not for there deaths as a creature that moved faster than the eyes ran in and killed them all one by one. As the creature stopped moving after killing the last one, a man in a baboon skin appeared next to it's head. He observed the destruction caused within those short ten minutes, than turned and spoke to the creature. "I expect you to be quicker with the next village, or there will be punishment for you. Is this understood, Inuyasha?" The creature called Inuyasha simply nodded its head, before taking off into the forest, letting loose a howl as he sped to his next kill. Naraku stayed a bit longer, a chuckle escaping from his mouth, raising into a full blown maniacal laughter, before he disappeared.