InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In the Dark ❯ To Trust a stranger ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter 14

In The Dark

To trust a stranger.

 

Kagome looked up from the ground and stared at the sun, her thoughts floating in and out of the news they had heard rumors of Inuyasha's position. He was at her fingertips, she could sense it. So much closer to her then before. Her bond with him was fading slowly, her own life felt empty without his obnoxiousness, his love and his presence. Nearly a year had gone by since her home had been destroyed from their souls emergence. She'd dreamed of him often, in small windows of time he'd reached out for her and in that time she'd always felt his chaos, his weakness in Naraku's presence. She felt the urgency to bring him back... Her last meeting with him left her confused, his eyes held a wildness and his body held purple stripes that wound around like ivy vines, markings she had never seen before. His voice held an edge that frightened her and threw her back into the memories of Kikyo's death.

 

Her eyes moved away from the sun to the horizon, lingering on the various buildings painted across the skyline of Tokyo. Her hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea her mother had left for her while she sat in front of the old sacred tree. She felt so tired. Her dreamless sleeps have brought her worry, there had been no sign of Inuyasha in the last few weeks.

 

“Are you ready?” her brother's voice sounded far away, Kagome turned to face him and smiled gently. He held out his hand to her and smiled encouragingly. She fell deep into thought as she reached for his hand, seeing the sturdy hands of Inuyasha instead of Souta. She shook her head gently and secretly pinched herself to stop thinking of him, it would only delay the progress of finding him.

 

“Will Sango and Miroku be joining us today?” she asked her brother who had begun to pull at her hand and bring her to the house.

 

“I'm not sure, they have been talking about meeting up with us along the way, I haven't been able to reach them on Sango's cell. It's hard to get a signal from that far.” he replied softly.

 

Kagome looked again to the ground, biting softly her lower lip in thought. Mirokou had been acting strangely lately, his mind had trouble adjusting to the two souls joining and his exposure to the magic. He had been a little more flakey then usual and a little less Miroku. Souta opened the back door and stepped inside the house with Kagome following close behind. Her mother turned around and greeted her with a warm smile. Her mother had been home more often since the incident and Inuyasha's disappearance. It was nice to have her home once again but it still felt strange to have her hovering around her all the time. She had gotten used to the idea that her mother was just not around. Kagome walked through the kitchen slowly and grabbed her pink sweater hanging from the back of the chair in the dinning room. Her brother eyed her from the front door and frowned at her slowness. She snorted and rolled her eyes at him. “I'm coming, you don't have to be an ass.” Souta laughed, there was the Kagome he remembered.

 

“Time to go sis, we need to see if this place is where your boy toy is.” A loud smack and annoyed snort was heard throughout the house as Souta found himself on the floor and lightly dazed. Kagome stepped over him and walked out the front door.

 

* * *

 

Souta nursed a sore kidney as Kagome secretly fumed in the car. “Oh stop whining, I didn't hit you that hard.” Souta snorted and kept his eyes focused on the road. “Ok according to Sesshoumaru, the castle is a few hours drive from here so let's try not to kill each other in the car tigress.” Souta responded, ignoring her obvious annoyed state. Kagome looked out the passenger window and fell into silence, a state she was used to being in since Inuyasha's disappearance. Her thoughts wandered to all that's had happened since she met him, her hanyou...

 

Her fingers pressed lightly against the glass in front of her face as her eyes caught a shadow above. Her eyes squinted in wonder... was that following them? She tried to look behind but the shadow had gone and her brother had decided to drive like a speed demon out of town.

 

“Souta slow down!” she shouted at him, he only grinned and ignored her. “I'm going to drop in at the temple to see if Miroku and Sango are there before we leave town sis.” She shrieked in surprise as the car swerved harshly taking a right. 'He's totally enjoying this, the little twerp! I'm gonna get him someday!'

 

* * *

 

Miroku found an angry Kagome fixing her hair in the front seat of Souta's red car as Sango turned a confused look to Souta rubbing his backside. Kagome's eyes brightened as she saw her two friends wave at her from the temple doors. She smiled. Those two had been there for her and she had treated them with silence the last few months, lost in her own despair. She would make it up to them somehow... She half hugged Miroku out of the window and embraced Sango with a kiss on the cheek, she had missed them.

 

“She gets a kiss?” complained Miroku. “that's kinda hot.” he replied with a grin. Sango only saw red as she slapped him solidly across the face in outrage. Kagome smiled; her friends hadn't changed.

 

“Let's hit the road.” Souta climbed into the driver's seat only to be greeted with his sister's cold, silent glare eating at him. He sighed in defeat and climbed out of the car only to hear a cry of glee from his sister as she crawled into the driver's seat. “you win this time..” The group of friends then took on the road to find their missing link to the old Kagome.

 

* * *

 

Naraku stood within feet of an unconscious weapon of destruction. He held a victorious smile as he stared down on the heap of what was once known as Inuyasha. He had achieved his goal. The hanyou was his and he had obtained control of the savage beast within him. It had taken months of experimenting with these cloned shards to find the right amount needed to keep him in his beastly state. The right volume of exposure to the music he had created for Kagura to sing so he could control him. Finally, Inuyasha was his to use in his conquest to destroy all that opposed him. A low laugh escaped his throat as he imagined himself in a world where blood lust and fear would be his to control. He was almost there... almost there.

 

His eyes fell upon the rising form of Inuyasha, he stood slowly, his body naked from the last battles, his white skin marked with purples streaks that ran down from his face, his neck, his arms. His silver hair shimmered as his red and gold eyes locked onto Naraku and a low snarl filled the darkened prison. Naraku slowly looked upon Inuyasha's changes and smirked. His body was showing how much of a hold his demon had. His skin held a whiteness to it that made his purple marks stand out, his naked flesh was designed like a tattoo. Markings ran down from his face to the whole length of his body. They swirled and followed each curve of the new demon's body, wrapping themselves like a blanket around his arms, reaching down to the hands, his thighs held a curled mark that expanded from his groin to his feet. He was magnificent and dangerous. A fang glinted in the dark as Inuyasha's hate surfaced. Naraku closed his eyes and turned away from his new pet.

 

“Get ready Inuyasha... It's almost time for the world to die.” He laughed as Inuyasha snarled violently at him, unable to move from his chained position, he could only watch as Naraku walked away from him.

 

* * *

 

Inuyasha felt exhausted. His body was changing slowly as his demon side remained out longer and longer, his mind was barely in control of it. His demon self was being provoked to the point of insanity. Being pushed to the limits with the combination of both the replicated jewels and the infernal song. He can never remember what happens to him when his mind is pushed past his control but he does remember the smell and taste of blood. His demon side is restless, wanting to break free from the cycles of death, his human side lies dormant, incapable of restoring his hanyou self. For the first time in his life he prays for the new moon to come so he can remain sane.

 

His body aches... he's filled with disgust as he smells his own body odor, he's dirty, crusted in blood and reeks of dead demons. His senses are unable to rid themselves of the evidence that he has murdered. Murdered demons in the name of insanity. His eyes water as shame slips in, what would she think of him now? This ghost that haunts him in his nights of hanyou sleeps. The woman who has given him a little hope that he would break free from this control. If only he could recall her face, the sound of her voice... He bows his head in frustration as he senses she is near in his memory but locked away because of Naraku's control. He growls in frustration as the thoughts of her come and go before he can see her. He frowns in concentration as he thinks again on her, he wants to know who she is!

 

A warmth in his chest suddenly calms him as the soft sound of a beating heart in his mind soothes him. She is connected to him somehow... A faint feeling of a breeze touches his skin and a flash of dark hair mingled with his in the autumn wind brings him to pause his thoughts. A sense of comfort washes over him and just as he's about to be swallowed by this memory, a sound catches his ear.

 

“I will find you my love”

 

His eyes snap open as his heart fills with a sudden sadness, a whimper of despair escapes his lips as her voice resounds in his mind. It was faint but he had finally heard her voice. Who is she? Why does she haunt him? His ears twitch lightly as a sound catches his ear, a rumbling sound of a sort, mechanical. Snapping him out of his current state of misery, his head tilts lightly to the right in attention as he tries to decipher the sound. Kagura's melodic voice fills his ears as she speaks to Naraku.

 

“It's ready.” she glances over to Naraku's form at the stairs of the entry way. She pauses as he smirks. “Kagura, I hear you have been visiting the city in the last few months.” his voice became low and nearly inaudible. She swallowed, fear suddenly grabbing her lower spine, it crawled up her back with every word Naraku spat at her. “Yes, I have.” she responded calmly. Naraku observed her body stiffen, her scent changing to fear and his eyes gleamed with knowledge.

 

“You wouldn't be thinking of leaving me Kagura?” he asked nonchalant. His eyes never leaving her back. She quickly glanced over her shoulder locking her gaze on her master as she replied: “No Naraku. I wouldn't dream of leaving your side.”

 

Silence greeted her as she turned again, closing the trunk of the van. She sighed quietly, thinking she had averted his questions but before she could even move, a cold hand wrapped itself around her mouth and the hard body of Naraku was pressed against her back. His clawed hand revealed itself and pressed against her neck harshly and cut her skin. A long line of blood trickled from her neck as his breath tickled her skin. She felt his wet tongue lick her neck slowly as he lapped the blood from her wound, he snickered as she struggled in his powerful hold.

 

“Remember Kagura, I own you. Do not betray me.” He released her harshly, she stumbled forward and tripped to the ground, she whimpered in fear as Naraku stood above her, her blood sliding down the corner of his mouth. He spat on her as she laid before him, wiping at the blood on his mouth he sneered at her as he walked away. Kagura stared at him and for the first time felt true fear of her master.

 

* * *

 

Chiyoda-Jo stood alone in the wooded surroundings. The village Kagome and her friends had gone through to get here finally was now 20 minutes away behind them. She stood on the path to the castle and stared at the outside walls, a wide bridge led to the entrance and her gaze locked on the closed gates of the palace. She turned to Miroku and said “So we just walk up to it and knock, ask politely if they're holding prisoner a hanyou?”

 

Miroku rolled his eyes. “No. We're here to scout, get a feel of the area and then we'll go back home and figure out a way to get him out of there.” Sango shook her head lightly as she looked at the surroundings. “This river could come of use Kagome, let's see where it can take us.” Sango took Kagome's hand gently and pulled her along, Kagome's eyes were wide as she stood before the armored walls of the castle and wondered if Inuyasha was truly behind them.

 

Sango frowned lightly as Kagome followed her, she worried that this was a dead end, that Inuyasha wouldn't be here. What would this do to Kagome? Her spirits had risen today once we came near the castle but now... she seems almost scared. What had Naraku done to Inuyasha after all these months? Would they even find Inuyasha as he once was? These questions swirled in her mind while her eyes surveyed her surroundings.

 

“What's that smell?” Kagome's voice resounded against the wall of the castle, Sango raised her nose to the wind and took a gentle sniff of the air. She choked. The smell of rotting corpses invaded her senses and she staggered at the force of it. Kagome blinked at Sango's reaction. It didn't smell that strongly...

 

“Are you alright Sango?” Kagome brought her hand to Sango's shoulder in comfort as she tried to recover. “I'm fine, I'm just really sensitive to smells.” Kagome nodded slowly and her mouth silently shaped “Ah” in understanding. “I wonder though, what could be making that horrid smell” Sango tried not to take a deep breath to recover, took a handkerchief out of her pocket to cover her mouth and nose. The duo walked carefully towards the edge of the river, trying to ignore the smell of rotting flesh but to Sango's grief, she would lose her breakfast before reaching the edge of the river. Kagome looked away as Sango ran in the opposite direction to relieve her stomach. She noticed the smell becoming stronger the closer she moved in to the water. She peeked carefully over the edge, her belly suddenly queasy with the oppressing smell hanging in the air.

 

Her eyes watered as she peeked over the edge, flesh floated in the river, ripped apart, torn. Her heart cried out to them. She fell to her knees in shock. “Oh god Sango!” she screamed. Pieces of demons littered the whole area, decaying flesh clung to the river bank as broken bones floated gently in the river's calm surface. Sango ran to her friend, unsure of what Kagome was seeing. Her eyes finally looked down upon the carnage and she turned her head away in disbelief. 'What's been happening here?' she thought to herself as she grabbed on to Kagome and pulled her away from the scene. Fear gripped Kagome's heart as she thought of Inuyasha, her thoughts grew wild as she imagined her lover being torn to pieces by whatever had killed those demons, her body suddenly built a pink shimmer as her emotion went out of control. Sango felt a warmth enter her body as Kagome's miko energy expanded from her. Sango was stunned momentarily by Kagome's power, the miko took that one second of vulnerability to rip herself from her friend and ran to the river. A need to touch the souls of the dead became overwhelming, her eyes held a serious tone to them that even Sango didn't stand in her way.

 

“Maybe I can find out what's happened to them Sango... Maybe ... just maybe...” Kagome's voice became still as she closed her eyes, Kikyo's words floated into her mind as an ancient rite was pulled from her memories to quiet the souls of the dead. She fell into an unknown prayer, her hands glowed a soft pink as she slipped into the fouled waters of the river. Her eyes became blank as her body moved towards the infested waters, her spirit merged with her surroundings and her heart was filled with the sudden anger of the dead. The Demons cried out at their injustice and filled her with their hatred, images flashed in her mind, last memories and her heart stood still. Their killer stood above them, an image she would never be able to forget... Inuyasha... Her lover stood before them in his demon form, his eyes red, his body white with purple markings wrapped around him, his teeth and nails had lengthened, his hand and forearms were drenched in blood, his silver hair was wild and untamed. He looked dangerous as he snarled, his body positioned to kill. The spirits grew in a rage as she witnessed their deaths, heard Kagura's melody and Naraku's laugh. Their rage wasn't focused on Inuyasha, she held her breath as they showed her how he came to be this monster. She saw his struggles to remain himself but losing the battle hopelessly to Naraku.

 

A tear slipped from her eye, shimmering pink with her miko power. It fell slowly into the water as her heart cried for them, the dead and her lover. A bright light illuminated the murky waters and she softly promised them she would end their suffering. Sango stood mesmerized, starring at the back of her friend waist deep into the river. The smell had disappeared and so had the rotting corpses. She stepped closer to Kagome and touched her shivering form.

 

“Sango.. what.. what has Naraku done to him?”

 

* * *

 

He sensed it. The magic of the jewel. It was close, and warm and held such promise. His ear twitched in the darkness of his prison, his clawed had gently touched the wall as he pressed his ear to it, waiting. Maybe.. there was someone out there? It didn't feel like the oppressing aura of Naraku, this must be someone new or different. Shippo tapped with one finger against the wall as his eyes narrowed in wonder. He had been trapped here for 300 years and this was the first time the thought of escaping had entered his mind. His neighbor had been quiet for the past few hours, 'Exhausted I'm sure after all that Naraku's done to him'. His whimpering from the last 3 hours had finally stopped about 30 minutes ago. He turned to the bars of his door and squinted his eyes once again, deep into thought. He was a fox demon and foxes were sly. He smiled in triumph, a small tooth sticking out over his lip as his hands reached to the bars. Since he was no threat to Naraku, his cage wasn't magically sealed. There was someone out there and they might be able to help him out of here.

 

His prison hadn't changed much in the last 300 years so he knew where all the weaknesses were, he was old in years but he looked like a tall scraggly teenager that could use a few more pounds. He had worked away at the stone around the bars over the years out of boredom, weakening their hold on them and he knew that a few solid tugs would loosen them. His lean arms gave a solid yank to two bars and they came down. He snorted. 'Ok that was too easy.' and one by one the following bars all came down. He blinked. All these years he could of yanked them off easily and he didn't? He turned around and stared at the spot on the wall where he had felt the surge of power from the jewel. This must be his day of freedom.

 

Shippo slipped into the darkness of the dungeon looking back momentarily to say good bye to his home for the last 300 years and only felt a sense of victory. His thoughts were interrupted by the angry snarl of his neighbor as he began to frantically pull at his binding chains. 'He must of felt it too...' Shippo glanced towards the closed door of where Naraku's project was held and he touched the knob only to feel it burn his skin. He held back a yell as his hand began to numb. His eyes watered at the pain of his stupidity. Naraku had spelled the door to make it impossible for the prisoner to escape. He sighed and nodded to the door, he'd figure something out but for now, some stranger was waiting to rescue him.

 

* * *

 

Inuyasha was woken by the sounds of falling metal, his eyes focused slowly in the darkness as he heard footsteps passing by his door. He snarled in frustration and yanked at the magic chains holding him to the wall. They held him tightly around his neck, preventing him from calling out. He snarled again and yanked harder. Someone was there, just outside. He could smell them. The footsteps paused and he heard the sound of burning flesh. His nose sniffed at the smell and he recognized the fox demon. He wondered what had made the fox get on the move to escape. He heard the fox move away quickly and he strained to hear where he was headed. He sighed and then came to the realization he wasn't his new self... Why wasn't he in his demon form?

 

* * *

 

Sango held Kagome as they walked back to the car, Kagome had grown pale and hadn't said anything to her since she was endowed with the visions of the demons. All she could think of were her words “What has he done to him?” Sango bit her lower lip lightly in wonder, did Inuyasha rip those demons to shreds? What had she seen? What had she been exposed to make her lose her careful control? Sango felt Kagome shiver as her wet clothes clung to her. The breeze wasn't helping and she was sure Souta would get upset if he saw her like this. She sighed as Souta came into view and she heard him say “What happened?” as he walked quickly towards them. She explained to him what had happened and Souta looked on to his sister worriedly. He took her gently into his arms and placed her into the car as she continued to stare blankly ahead of her.

 

Souta turned towards Sango and continued to ask her questions on what had happened. Sango felt a little frustrated since she couldn't answer him since she had no idea what Kagome had seen. They continued to bicker about the events as Kagome sat in the car. Her eyes were following a bopping orange fluff in the river she had just cleansed. She lightly tapped on the window to get her friends attention but they were deep into the conversation of what had happened to her. She rolled her eyes and opened the door to the car and slipped out, unnoticed. Her eyes continued to follow the fluff as it moved slowly away from the two arguing by the car. Kagome's head leaned to the right as she became even more curious as to what it was. Her eyes lost track of the floating object so she stopped and continued to survey the river edge. Her eyes locked on an object half laying in the water. It looked like a statue, shaped like a fox. Kagome approached the still form cautiously, her body still shaking from her meeting with the dead spirits. As her body began to lower itself on the shore, Souta noticed his sister had gone missing from the car. “Where's Kagome?” his voice suddenly worried. Sango looked up to see Kagome's head disappear from the horizon. “She's at the shore!” Sango shouted in surprise. Now why would she go there? Souta shook his head in annoyance and waved to Miroku who was making his way back to the car from his inspection of the surroundings.

 

Kagome looked on to the statue, it was fairly large and her hand gently caressed the still form. She felt something odd about that statue, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. A giggle emitted from it as her hand passed over the object's back. Kagome blinked. A giggle? The area became suddenly smoky and Kagome coughed as it surrounded her. Her eyes watered and she heard her brother shout her name and her friends' footsteps rapidly descend on her position. A cold wet hand reached out to her and grabbed her arm gently. She held her breath as two green eyes looked upon her, filled with curiosity and wonder, even a little fear.

 

“Are you the one who holdsthe power of the jewel?” Kagome frowned. The voice sounded old but the bearer of the voice didn't look older then 16. “The Jewel?” she replied with confusion. “I felt it earlier, the shikon jewel's warmth.” The voice replied as his grip became firm on her forearm. Kagome thought for a moment that he must of meant when she had touched the spirits. “That wasn't the jewel.. that was my miko power.” She replied. Her eyes never left those of the stranger. “Ah.. a miko you say?” Kagoome nodded. “Take me with you.. I've been prisoner of this place for over 300 years.” Kagome bit her lip in thought, she felt no wrongness from him, no trickery. “Why should I?” she replied. “there is something in this castle that you are here for. Maybe I can help you find it.” replied the young man. Kagome nodded in agreement. “Ok. I'll help you if you help me.” The young man nodded in return and smiled, his green eyes glinted with pleasure as Kagome finally got to see him.

 

“My name is Shippo, I am a fox demon.” he stood up suddenly, towering over Kagome by a solid foot and he reached out his hand to pull her up. “I'm Kagome.” She replied. “Now tell me Kagome, what brings you to the prison of Naraku?” asked Shippo. Before Kagome could answer, her brother yanked her suddenly away from Shippo and glared at both of them. She laughed, Souta wasn't going to like this one bit.

 

* * *

 

Souta was still fuming. His hands firmly gripped the wheel of the car as the stranger sat on his back seat... wet. All he could think about was how that wet... dog... smell would ever come out of his car seat. 'Well he's a fox... not really a dog.. close enough.' He could almost picture Reina calling him a baka and he smiled to himself. Kagome turned towards the new comer wedged between a sleepy Sango and a flustered Miroku. He was upset because Shippo had decided to separate the could-be monk and his prized piece of ass, also known as Sango the terminator. Her eyes actually glowed red a little when he decided it was time to reacquaint his hands to her “lovely buns” as he called it.

 

“I'll get you some of Souta's old clothes at my house Shippo, you could use some new ones.” Kagome smiled sweetly to Shippo as he bowed his head in thanks. Miroku snorted. “You mean he needs something else then a loin cloth.” Kagome glared at him and Souta withheld, poorly I might add, a bubble of laughter. Shippo blushed and suddenly felt self counscious. “You'd look like this too if you had been held prisoner for 300 years.” Miroku nodded and sheepishly apologized. Sango snorted and stared out the window in disappointment.

 

“You're lucky that Naraku was not home today.” Shippo said after a long pause. Kagome looked at him curiously and asked him why that was. “Had he been home and felt your power, you would not be ridding home right now.” Shippo nodded at his statement. Kagome frowned. Had her power really been that noticeable?

 

“I want to ask you questions on the castle Shippo.” Miroku slowly asked. “Once you're settled of course and had a warm meal. “And I also have questions about a recent addition, if he's even in there” added the miko sadly. Shippo turned to her and felt her sadness, in waves. “Your aura is like that of my neighbor's. So sad and searching” he replied. Kagome didn't quite understand his meaning but decided not to push it. Shippo was slowly dozing off from the rocking of the car. For the first time in all of his captive life, he was going to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Rin was sitting in Kagome's kitchen with the old blue prints of the castle she had just arrived from. She had called to let them know they had found a reliable source to find a way inside the castle. Of course that reliable source was still dead asleep on the couch four hours later. Rin sighed. She wanted to smack Shippo awake and tell them what he knew so they could rescue her brother in law. Well maybe not “rescue” Inuyasha would scoff at that idea, maybe just busy the guards as Inuyasha busted out of his chains.. with Kagome's miko magic. She grinned, 'He's gonna twist that around until he makes it look like it was his idea the entire time'. She missed the loaf... so did his brother but good luck trying to get it out of him.

 

In the meantime, Rin poured herself over the blue prints she had dug out and plotted a way to get in while Kagome simply stared ahead of herself, thinking on what Shippo had told her on the ride back. Her heart still ached from all the souls she had encountered.

 

“I don't really see how we can get in Kagome.” Rin's voice floated through her thoughts. She mindlessly shrugged, lost in thought and replied “Shippo got out unnoticed, maybe there's a secret way out. I mean it is a castle. There's bound to be some secrets.” Rin nodded and sighed again. “When will that demon wake? Time is wasting.”

 

“You sound like Sesshomarou Rin.” Kagome laughed as a slight blush began to form on her friend's face. “well someday you'll start sounding like Inuyasha.” she retorted. Kagome fumed. “I will not!” she yelled. Rin laughed. Her temper already resembled it, she was so close to being his full mate and he still hadn't told her. She shook her head in wonder what they would be like a few years down the road.

 

Kagome's yell had awoken Shippo finally and he groggily walked into the kitchen and sat next to the ladies. He yawned and Rin stared at him. He blinked and looked around himself “Something behind me?” She shook her head. “Tell us how you managed to get out of there unnoticed.” she asked him. Shippo nodded and pointed to a wall by the south of the river.

 

“There's a hidden hole dug through here,” he said casually. “A baka demon some 400 years ago dug it through and escaped.” he yawned. “I heard it took him years to dig it out unnoticed.” Kagome smiled sadly and knew who had dug it out. Her eyes teared up momentarily before she quickly wiped away at them. 'This is not the time to loiter in misery.' she reminded herself.

 

“But there's a problem.” Shippo warned sleepily. “What's that?” the two women asked in sequence. “There's a demon in the keep that has no qualms in killing anything that is in front of him. Naraku's been playing with him for a while and he's very powerful. He's got total control on the beast by the use of corrupted cloned shards and Kagura's voice.” Kagome gasped. “What does the demon look like?” she asked, fearful she knew the answer.

 

“He has silver hair, and purple streaks all over his body. I'm not sure of his name.” Shippo had laid his head on the table sleepily in response. “I think Naraku has some plans with him, something to do with the control of the demonic world anyways, he's crazier then a fox.” He laughed. “Well no pun intended.” his eyes closed and promptly fell back asleep, unaware of the commotion he had just caused.

 

Rin stared at her friend, her face had drained of color. Her body trembled slightly as her fears were confirmed.

 

“Rin... we need to get to him.” she whispered. Rin nodded and stood up from her chair, her arms reaching for her friend who was quietly suffering. She embraced her friend in her arms to soothe her but worried herself on what could be done to save him. Kagome wept silently into her arms.

 

:Gods.. what have they done to you:

 

* * *

 

Her voice cut through his mind like a knife in the late hour of the night. He woke with a start and had forgotten for a moment where he was. His exhausted hanyou form had fallen asleep shortly after he had realized he was no longer in his demon form. He had been dreaming of her again but this time they had been trickles of memory. Her hair flickering in the wind, her smile, her warm laughter tickling his ears, the feel of her body against his... he groaned, he didn't want to forget that one particular dream. His wrists were cut from the metal of the cuffs and he winced at the dulled pain emitting from it. A cold chill had settled on him, dampness he wished would go away. The magic used to restrain him made his senses dull and he barely noticed the presence of Naraku at the door of his cell.

 

“What's this?” Naraku asked in slight surprise. His prized possession had reverted to a simple hanyou. Without hesitating, he approached the sleepy hanyou and promptly inserted a new corrupted shard under Inuyasha's skin. Something had happened here today while he had gone searching for a lead on the jewel...

 

He blocked out the sounds of Inuyasha's nightmarish transformation and searched for a sign. His eyes met the door knob and he noticed a piece of charred skin. Someone had tried to open the door. He sniffed at the object and noticed a familiar smell clingning to it. “Shippo.”

 

Naraku walked out of Inuyasha's cell and swiftly headed for the other's cage only to find broken bars and an empty cell. 'What has prompted you to escape little fox?” Naraku wondered. He stepped into the small room and sniffed lightly, trying to determine when he had left. His skin rippled at the feel of something against the walls of the cell. He moved in closer to follow that sensation, not quite sure what it could be. His hand rose to the wall and he felt a warm pulse. It was very faint, but was still there. This power he was feeling had a danger to ruin his plans.

 

“Time to put my hunter to a prey.” Naraku smiled and began to prepare plans to track and rid himself of this threat. What ever it was, it was not going to live very long with Inuyasha tracking them.

* * *