InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kurayami no Naka de Hikari ❯ Photographer ( Chapter 21 )

Kurayami no Naka de Hikari

Notes: 11 pages | 8,157 words – Wow, I realized at the end of this chapter that I forgot to mention what SANGO was doing while they were questioning Kagura last chapter . I'll go back and edit that chapter some time this week (if I can find a minute to do it...). Anyway, I stayed up til like 12:30am tonight JUST so I could post this even though I shoulda been in bed a while again since I have to be up early for work XD I hope you all enjoy this latest installment!

If you like this story, please check out my newest story 'Solstice', which I will MOST LIKELY be updating next. I haven't gotten much feedback on it, but it's on several peoples' alerts and favorites lists. Please check it out?

Also, follow me on my Twitter account [at] Pokahydee_chan for the most up-to-date posts regarding progress~.^

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters thereof. Even though that is the case, please don't steal my plot, concept, or story out of respect for my creative endeavor as I would not do this to anyone out there.

- l - l - l - Change of scene, time, etc.
'Thoughts/dreams' will be in single quotes (IE: ' ')

Chapter 20 – Photographer

Kagura swallowed thickly as she stood before the three stalking inu youkai before her. And that's exactly what they were doing, stalking their prey. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had fanned out in the room effectively blocking any escape routes Kagura might have had before. Not that any of her options had been good to begin with, there was only two tiny windows on either side of it in the peek of the roof. She would have been caught before she could have even made it TO the window, let alone squeeze out and get on her feather before she was caught.

The only thing that was saving her from a swift death right now was the fact that she possessed information that the Takahashi's needed. And she didn't think they would keep to just diplomacy to get what they wanted, there was also no playing dumb and acting like she knew nothing. Inu no Taisho was no idiot and he wouldn't come after someone without being one hundred percent certain. In short, Kagura was seriously fucked!

One thing that had her seriously perplexed, though, was the youngest son's behavior. She could hear him growling low in the back of his throat, his fingers were flexing menacingly, and his muscles looked tensed, but why hadn't he attacked? She could sense his youki thrumming much more strongly that normal with a wild pulse and saw the blood red filling his eyes along with jagged purple markings on his cheeks andknew that his inner demon had risen to the surface; but she had heard that he was an uncontrollable killing machine when he was in that state, so what was keeping him calm? Even Inu no Taisho had trouble subduing him when he was in his current state of mind, this more than any other factor surrounding her, scared the shit out of her!

"So, Kagura, where are they?" Inu no Taisho asked calmly, his stance rigid and tensed for an attack. His golden eyes glinted dangerously as they narrowed on her. She swallowed thickly, her throat feeling swollen and dry with fear. She knew she stood no chance against the dai and had heard horror stories of what he used to do to traitors back in the Sengoku Jidai, the feudal era.

"I... umm..." Kagura paused as her red eyes darted around the room, searching for anything she had missed. She felt panic grip her chest as she realized there was no escape from this. Resigned to her feet, Kagura's muscles went slack and she sunk slowly to the ground, eyes on the floor. Death would be her only freedom apparently. A small smile graced her lips at the thought, at least she wouldn't be Onigumo's toy any longer.

"You've been my personal assistant for ten years, why did you help get my mate kidnapped?" Inu no Taisho snarled, anger filling him as his eyes bled crimson red.

"I had no choice..." She replied dejectedly as she stared at the floor with a faraway look. "How did you know?" She asked, curious as to how he had known. After all, she had been exceedingly careful in all the years she had worked for him.

"Easy. You're the only one who knew my mate and Kagome were alone at the manor." Inu no Taisho answered simply as he glared down at the demoness kneeling before him. He had killed for less than her transgressions, though that sort of punishment was frowned upon in this day and age. When it came to mates, some leeway was given so it was unlikely he would go to jail for ending her life. The punishment would be much more severe for a human for the same crime since they didn't have the same strong instincts, though if they killed in self-defense or protection of their family would likely protect them from jail time. Of course the youkai prisons were much more unbearable than the human ones. All of their youki was sealed and they were guarded by only humans so it was extremely degrading to a youkai.

"I'm surprised he didn't see that..." Kagura murmured quietly, though not unheard by the inu youkai in the room.

"Who?" Sesshoumaru asked in a low tone, voice devoid of emotion and eyes like chips of golden eyes staring out of a porcelain mask of indifference.

"If I tell you, he'll kill me." Kagura said with a wry twist of her mouth at the complete irony of the situation.

"If you don't, WE'LL kill you." Inuyasha's voice snarled and she could audibly hear his knuckles popping as he flexed his hands in anticipation, a dark look in his blood filled eyes. Kagura nodded her head in understanding with a sad smile barely touching her lips, as if she had been expecting that to be her answer.

"I can offer protection if you give us their location. Though I cannot guarantee your freedom, you are an accessory to kidnap." Inu no Taisho said calmly, the red draining from his eyes. Kagura shook her head as if she knew that this offer would be given to her. The option of being sent to prison rather than death if she gave up the whereabouts of the two women.

"My only choice here is death. He can kill me anytime from anywhere so even caged like a bird away from him, I still won't be safe." Kagura said bitterly as the sad smile vanished and her eyes narrowed in anger as she bit down on her lip. "Give the choice, I'd rather be killed by you. Tell me, Sesshoumaru, is you poison painful?"

"Extremely, you will suffer a slow and agonizing death." Sesshoumaru commented in a seemingly bored tone, though his eyes were just as sharp as he gazed at the wind demoness kneeling between them.

"I suppose since my freedom is impossible, I could die content if it were by your hand." Kagura said as she looked up at Sesshoumaru with a genuine smile gracing her ruby red lips. Sesshoumaru stared back completely unfazed and unruffled.

"If you're so convinced you'll be dying, you can at least do some good with you last breath." Inu no Taisho broke in sharply as he moved forward in a blur and snatched his personal assistant up by the throat, letting her feet dangle a foot above the floor. "Where the hell is my mate, Kagura!" He snarled as he bared his faces at her, eyes red again and patience lost to a blind rage.

Kagura let her hands drop to her side, her first instinct had been to grab his hand and try to pry his fingers from her throat. She winced slightly at the pressure he exerted against her trachea, but didn't fight back. Her time around the Takahashi's had been the best times she could recall since Onigumo had stolen her life away from her. She wasn't a fan of humans under most circumstances, but she actually kind of like the Taisho's mate. She treated everyone she came across equally whether human or youkai and was exceedingly fair and understanding. She knew that human woman would have spared her life, but it was better this way. She had done too many things against their family to deserve a savior. Perhaps she could ease the tiny speck of a conscious she had by telling them where the women were located? She owed them that much... right..?

"Fine." She said in a choked whisper around is clawed hand as her trachea was partially closed off. His hand released her and Kagura dropped to her feet and sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm her choking and heavy breathing. She set her briefcase down on the floor and flipped it open, which revealed a stack of neatly piled files with colored tabs sticking out of the sides. She took the file off the top and thrust it into Inu no Taisho's hands, her other hand absently rubbing at her throat where she could still remember his firm grip.

"What is this?" He asked skeptically as he flipped the folder open and began to leaf through the scant few pieces of paper within.

"It's the most I could find of his plans. He doesn't trust me so I had to dig pretty deep to find these without him finding out." Kagura explained, her voice slightly hoarse. "It's not about your mate, that's just a distraction."

"What is it about, then?" Inu no Taisho questioned as he raised a delicate eyebrow in her direction.

"What else would it be about? Money and Power, of course." Kagura explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're one of the most powerful families in the country so, despite the risks, he chose you." Kagura explained as she closed her briefcase with a quiet click. "I also have reason to believe he has some sort of a personal grudge against someone in your family, but I'm not sure with whom or about what."

"There are a lot of people with grudges against our family so that doesn't give me any information." Inu no Taisho said with mounting irritation as his patience quickly began to wear out. "Give me a name or a location. All I see here is accounting statements and a lot of numbers." Kagura sighed in defeat, resigning herself to her fate. "Fine, his name is Onigumo. I can tell you where to find him." Kagura said quietly. Her head snapped up when she heard a vicious snarling from behind her to the side that made a chill of fear run down her spine. She slowly turned toward the sound and was surprised to see the younger son, Inuyasha looking so vicious she took several steps away. His youki whipped around wildly, crashing over her in frothy waves as they tried to drown her. She had never even considered that the one Onigumo had a grudge against could POSSIBLY be Inuyasha! The thought had never occurred to her.

"Onigumo?" He growled out as, in an unseen move, he lunged for her and slammed her up against the wall, his hand wrapped around her throat. This wasn't the threatening grip that Inu no Taisho had used, his strong hand was completely cutting off her air supply and his claws had broken the skin of her throat. She watched as he pulled his other violently clawed hand to plunge into her chest and she squeezed her eyes shut against the impact. She didn't want to see her blood run freely or drip off of his claws. She reasoned that it was a mercy for it to finally end, though she had hoped she could see Sesshoumaru's face

one more time before she left.

After several seconds of no air, the impact never came so, frustrated, she opened her eyes to see the tall lawyer holding Inuyasha's wrist back in a strained grip. 'He... he saved... me?' She wondered vaguely as she looked up into his strained face, his eyes flecked with red from the effort of holding Inuyasha back.

"Enough!" Inu no Taisho's voiced boomed through the attic. After another second of no oxygen, the hand left Kagura's throat and she crumpled to a heap on the floor at his feet. "We need to know where he is, Inuyasha." Inu no Taisho said firmly as his youki expanded, overcoming Inuyasha's wildly roiling youki and overpowering it. The presence of his youki seemed to be enough to have Inuyasha regain himself somewhat, and though still growling, the hanyou stepped away still glaring at his father and alpha. Kagura coughed roughly as she sucked in huge gulps of glorious air, trying to fulfill her body's need for the life-giving substance.

"You're taking us to him." Inu no Taisho said as he grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her to her feet, ignoring her wheezing and gasping.

- l - l - l -

At first Izayoi was delighted, she was going to be a grandmother FINALLY! Then horror filled her chest at the look of rage that filled Onigumo's expression and the air became thick and hard to breath. She could hardly make out the terrified girl through the cloud of shouki, but the look of surprise and fear was mirrored on her face as well.

Kagome seemed to know this crook and Izayoi was still trying to puzzle out their connection. She didn't know Kagome too well since she was pretty close-mouthed about her family and her past, but she knew something bad had happened to the girl before she'd met her son. Izayoi concluded that this Onigumo had something to do with the things that Kagome wouldn't speak about. Why else would the man become so furious to discover she was pregnant with Inuyasha's child? 'Be strong... Kagome...' Was Izayoi's last thought before darkness closed in on her from lack of oxygen.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she slowly began to regain her consciousness. It could have been hours or it could have been days. What registered the strongest with her was a sense of being extremely heavy, that feeling you get when you're recovering from a really nasty bout of the flu. Her head thumped painfully as she reached a hand up to rub her temple trying to soothe the pain away. Her muscles felt weak and rubbery and she was vaguely aware that her wrists were free and instead of lying on a hard surface, she was submerged in something soft and warm.

She groggily forced her eyes open, not wanting to give in to the desire to go back to sleep. The memories from before she'd passed out had been slowly trickling back to her and she knew that Kagome was in danger. And not just Kagome, but her newly conceived, unborn grandchild!'What is taking so long, Taisho?' Izayoi silently wondered as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth, a bad habit she hadn't done since shortly after she had married Inu no Taisho, who was several centuries older than she. He had taught her that to show signs of worry for anyone to see will display you as being weak before those that follow, something that she refused to do. She wanted to prove to humans and youkai alike that she was strong and more than worthy of being his mate.

Izayoi pushed herself up off of a bed with plush pillows and expensive, silky sheets. She found herself dressed in a pair of pajama pants with a long-sleeved shirt on, though she could feel the distasteful undergarments underneath the soft fabric that she had been clothed in by that feminine looking man with tattoos below hid eyes, causing her mouth to twist in disgust. She wouldn't even wear something as trashy as what they'd put her in for her mate! Not saying that she didn't please him by wearing lingerie in the bedroom for his viewing pleasure, she just always chose something, no matter how revealing, with class.

The room was dimly lit by a black light that made all of the light colors in her clothing glow with an ethereal light. The room was decorated sparsely with only a small nightstand that the black light was sitting on, two beds on either side of the nightstand, and a lots of grotesque pictures hanging on the walls in large, dark frames. Most of the pictures were of people contorted into painful positions or strapped into contraptions bound and gagged, nude more often than not... trophies... Most of them were of women, though there was occasionally a man with a haunted look in his eyes, and many of their faces were stained with tears among other substances.

She couldn't suppress the gasp of shock as several familiar faces stared back at her and she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the torturous imagery. Her stomach churned with nausea and she felt tears prick her eyes, but still she was unable to tear her eyes away from three image series that were framed on the wall to her left, leaving her back to the sturdy-looking metal door. She covered her mouth as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

The first photos looked the oldest and had obviously been taken with a normal camera rather than one of the amazingly high quality cameras than photographers used or even a high-end digital camera. Lying curled up in a ball on a unmade bed lay Kikyo bare as the day she was born with her knees pulled to her chest and her cheeks flushed and stained with tears. She forced back a dry heave at the broken look in her eyes as she stared blankly at the camera. In the next photo, she could see a man's hand buried in her hair, pulling her head back painfully as her upper body arched off the bed. Her bare back was exposed and her eyes squeezed shut as if to block out what was happening. A sob escaped her throat as she saw that Kikyo's legs were spread and she could see a body pressed between them, the picture looking down on the terrified girl as if he was taking photos as he violated her!

"Oh kami-sama... Kikyo..." Izayoi whispered brokenly as a sob ripped from her throat at the horrific scene. No one had any idea such an awful thing had happened to the poor girl! Izayoi happened to know that the girl had been a virgin too because her mate had revealed to her a conversation he had with Inuyasha when he and Kikyo were considering taking that step. She forced her eyes away from the horrific scene and sucked in deep gasps of air as she tried to stem the tears that streamed endlessly down her cheeks.

When she had regained her composure enough, she turned back to the next series of photos, these ones looked to be done by a professional photographer, and was startled to see a familiar pair of red eyes looking back at her. This was the last person Izayoi had expected to have any ties to this Onigumo. 'What is Kagura DOING here?' Her thoughts screamed as she scanned over the shots. The apparent betrayal was like a slap in the face and Izayoi felt her knees go numb as her mouth dropped slightly open, though she forced herself to remain standing.

There were many photos of her with the dark-haired Onigumo and also with her and another woman with short, straight black hair that Izayoi didn't recognize, and several more still with all three of them. Izayoi hadn't really pegged Kagura as the type that was batting for both teams. She always seemed so down-to-earth and strictly no nonsense.

Izayoi blushed in embarrassment at some of the contorted positions they were in, some partially clothed and others completely nude. In all of the photos, Onigumo had a triumphant smirk on his face, the woman with short hair looked to be in supreme ecstasy, and Kagura just looked pissed or disgusted beyond belief. This confused her greatly... why would Kagura look so angry when she was allowing those things to be done to her. She was definitely allowing it too, the photos looked almost posed and not at all like the forced ones that had been taken of Kikyo and many of the other people in the photos One of the photos caught her eye at the bottom of the large frame. It was a photo of all three of them with the unknown woman cuffed, much like Kagome had been, and Kagura was sandwiched between her and Onigumo who looked a mix between furious and exceptionally pleased with himself. Unlike all the other photos, Kagura looked to be in serious mental anguish, her eyes were screwed shut tight and Izayoi could see a tear glinting innocently in the light of the flash from the camera.

Izayoi took her focus off of the puzzling expressions that were reflected in the photos and turned to the other familiar face on the wall. Kagome... This series was completely different the other ones filling the walls. For starters, there were more photos and they were more varied. There were photos that looked like they were taken from a personal camera as well as photos taken professionally. There were also photos that looked like they were either pulled from video on a camera that was positioned in the corner of the room and were typically low-quality. Not to mention all of the smaller photos that looked like they were taken on a cellphone.

Another difference with these photos was the fact that in some of the photos, she looked genuinely happy! There were pictures of her smiling brilliantly and looking very innocent and trusting and not all of them were explicit in nature. There were a few with her and Onigumo together fully clothed where she seemed completely comfortable curled up in his lap while he'd be smiling down at her, though Izayoi noted that his smile never touched those brown, nearly red eyes he had in the photos. She knew from meeting with him personally that the brown wasn't the true color and she suspected he'd been wearing contacts that

couldn't quite hide the natural red hue of them.

As her eyes moved across the frame, she saw photos of the pair in the throes of passion, or at least of Kagome in them. Izayoi could tell from the expression on Kagome's face that it was completely consensual, but she couldn't understand why or how Kagome could get involved with such a man.

When she got further down the frame, she saw a change in the expressions on Kagome's face, slowly fading to something different. There were photos of Kagome with bruises marring her pretty face as she refused to look toward the camera. As her eyes scanned further a feeling of dread began to build in the pit of her stomach, she had a pretty good idea where this was going. The bruising got worse as she kept looking, though it was rarely in a place that couldn't be hidden with long sleeves and jeans, and with each photo her expression grew more solemn as she looked to be turning in on herself.

Izayoi gasped out loud when she reached the bottom series of photos, which definitely matched the theme of all the others. There was a photo of Kagome and Onigumo that was nearly identical to the one with Kikyo where he'd yanked her head back, though Kagome was obviously on the floor and she had red and bloody scratches covering the exposed flesh of her back. It was with that photo that Izayoi was struck by something she'd never noticed before... She was struck by just how MUCH Kikyo and Kagome looked alike! It was an uncanny resemblance really!

There were a few distinct differences between the two. Kikyo's eyes rarely revealed her emotions. Being trained as a miko from a very young age had instilled a seriousness that she carried throughout her life. Izayoi had only ever seen the girl's eyes reflect any emotion when she and Inuyasha were together, and even then she was reserved. Her parents had instilled a strong sense of responsibility and duty into her that she carried to her grave. A family friend and miko, Kaede, had aided in Kikyo's training and had attempted to remind Kikyo that she was still a young woman and was entitled to happiness, and after much convincing, Kikyo finally seemed receptive to the idea with Inuyasha. Izayoi wasn't sure what caused the fall-out between Inuyasha and Kikyo because she had been convinced her son was prepared to propose, but for some reason the two broke up and Kikyo fell into a downward spiral and ended up dead by Onigumo's hands.

Izayoi shook the thought away as her eyes fell on the last few images in the frame. There were a few images where the intimate actions looked consensual and as if they were pulled from a hidden video feed. Izayoi's eyebrows rose up as she looked at the photos and concluded that they must have been misordered. No one would willing give themselves over to someone who had taken their body by force, after all. The last few photos made her stomach turn once again... They involved handcuffs, knives, collars, blood, and tears... The last few drew her eyes, though.

Kagome looked broken as she lay on the bed spooned against Onigumo with a collar securely fastened around her throat and connected to a spiked bracelet he wore. The ones following were much more disturbing by far, though... Onigumo's hands were wrapped around her throat, his eyes were blood red and there was a look of intense fury on his face. Kagome was obviously struggling in the photo, Izayoi could see thin trails of blood running down his arms as her nails bit into his wrist. It was obvious that Kagome couldn't breathe as slowly the fight went out of her until she was hanging limply from his hand, eyes closed. The last photo was one that made Izayoi's skin crawl as she looked upon it... Kagome hanging by her wrists completely nude and pale as a ghost... It had obviously been placed in the frame extremely recently since the table Izayoi was strapped to at Kagome's side was bare.

"Oh my kami... Kagome..." Izayoi whispered quietly as she fell to her knees and the tears began to flow freely. She had never imagined the poor girl had gone through so much. No WONDER Inuyasha had found a way to rescue her!

When she heard a jingle of keys and the sounds of several locks snapping back, her head swiveled to the door sharply as she drew in a ragged breath. She rose to her feet and wiped her tears away, making sure she stood tall and regal when they opened the door. She knew her face was red from crying but hoped it was hidden somewhat by the dim black light lit room. She took in a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly as the door swung inward with a slight squeak of hinges.

"Stupid slut!" A voice snarled as the door was kicked the rest of the way open. The rest of the conversation had been cut off with the door closed, but Izayoi noted that the bald man had blood dipping down his chin from a split lip. "I'll teach you to headbutt, bitch!" He snarled as his eyes flashed angrily. Izayoi watched in horror as a bruised and bloody Kagome was slapped harshly across the face and fell unceremoniously to the ground. She was dressed in what looked like a black, silk slip that went down to her mid-thigh and nothing else.

"Kagome!" Izayoi cried out in concern as she rushed to the fallen girl's side. Said young woman was picking herself up slowly when Izayoi dropped down next to her.

"You will not touch me!" Kagome said coldly as she glared up at the bald man angrily.

"Whatever girl. As if I care enough to touch a child such as you." He said with no expression gracing his blank face. "I honestly don't see what Onigumo sees in such a kid. You're not even fully developed."

Kagome ignored him as she wiped the trail of blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. Izayoi noted how dark her eyes seemed and could see some of the horror she must have felt within the last few hours show deep within those reflective pools. She didn't see any trace of tears within them, nor were there any marring her battered and bruised face. Kagome was refusing to make direct eye contact with her, though, which caused Izayoi's concern to increase.

Izayoi vaguely heard the door snap shut and the of a key and jingling chains as the door was, once again, sealed and locked up. She helped the oddly silent girl to her feet and directed her to the bed, guiding her to sit on the plush mattress. She used the sleeve of her long sleeve shirt to wipe the blood away from Kagome's face and some of the various cuts that covered her pale skin. Still Kagome remained silent. When Izayoi could no longer stand the silence, she gently sat on the bed beside Kagome and draped an arm around her shoulders before pulling her into a gentle embrace like she used to do when comforting her son.

"It's all right, Kagome-chan." Izayoi whispered quietly as she ran her fingers through Kagome's tangled, raven locks. "Inu will come for us soon."

"This is all my fault..." Kagome's voice said in a nearly inaudible whisper. Izayoi's brows knit together at the girl's words, not understanding how she could possibly have come to that confusion.

"Of course it isn't sweetie." Izayoi said quietly into her hair, doing her best to comfort Kagome. She could still see that blank, haunted look in her eyes, though. "People have been after my mate for centuries. I've been kidnapped several time already. It's actually MY fault that you were involved."

"You're wrong..." Kagome whispered as she shook her head in denial and pushed away from Izayoi gently. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't come into your family's lives, Naraku would never have grabbed you."

"Naraku?" Izayoi asked in slight confusion. She had heard Kagome use the name before so she had a suspicion who Naraku was. She wasn't going to assume though because assuming will only make an ass out of you and me, as her father told her as a child.

"Heh, he had a whole life I didn't know about." Kagome said with a dry laugh as a single tear slid down her cheek. "Yep, Onigumo played me good..."

Izayoi's eyes grew sad at the look of self-hatred she saw on Kagome's face. She had seen that look on her son's face when he was young and had gotten picked on for his supposed dirty blood. To this day it broke her heart that her son had been forced to endure such prejudices and wished she could have protected him from it. But he had grow stronger for it and at least had a very strong and loving family and close friends to come home to.

"We've all been fooled at times, Kagome." Izayoi said with a reassuring smile and Kagome didn't return. Kagome turned toward her with a wry look.

"It's one thing to be fooled. It's completely different to be a fool." Kagome explained simply with a sort of self-loathing half-smirk on her face that made Izayoi's skin crawl. She really didn't like seeing that look on her face, it was completely unnatural on Kagome's soft features. Her face and eyes were built for smiling so to see such a look broke her a little on the inside. She already considered Kagome her daughter even if she and her son had only been together for a little over a month.

"Deep down, I knew he wasn't a good guy." Kagome continued softly, her eyes going out of focus. "He was secretive and would close himself off at times. I even bought that bullshit about him being an insomniac as the reason he would leave in the middle of the night." She shook her head slowly, that look not leaving her face.

"I brushed off the fact that he had gone to prison and believed his bullshit story about beating up a drug dealer that had gotten his girlfriend killed." Kagome said with a dry laugh. "He was the one that got her killed. It's so ironic... I met her, you know. She was beautiful and she looked so sad and lonely when she gave me the choice..."

"Choice?" Izayoi prompted in confusion. She really had no idea what Kagome was talking about but certain pieces of the picture were dropping into place. It looked like Kagome had been in a relationship with Onigumo, only he wasn't Onigumo. He had been acting the whole time, tricking her and warping her. Though the reason behind his actions was beyond her, there were still pieces missing.

"She gave me the choice of returning or moving on." Kagome said quietly and the expression dropped, replaced by a sad smile. "I'm so tainted now... I didn't deserve to be given that choice... I should have just died..."

- l - l - l

Onigumo was pissed! No, he was BEYOND pissed! White-hot rage bubbled in his veins even after he had taken his anger out on Kagome. He had been surprised that his shouki hadn't killed both her and the Takahashi woman. It seemed that Kagome had discovered the huge spiritual powers that were contained within her and was learning to control them. She was by no means a true miko, yet; but this new turn of events were seriously interfering with his plans.

He had known about Kagome's spiritual powers when he'd met her. It was to his advantage that she didn't even know about them let alone how to control or use them. Someone had neatly undone everything he'd done in the last five years to prepare her for the role she was to play in his master plan.

Oh well, at least he didn't have to find a replacement for her since the mutt had saved her life. Though it seriously put fire in his veins that she had let that damn dog touch her! And not just put his hands on her, but put his filthy seed inside of her! That completely threw off the time-line of his plan! First he was going to have to get rid of the little brat, then he was going to have to wait until she was fertile again, which wouldn't be for another month! He had planned the kidnap for the time she was most fertile every month so he could make sure it took, but it was in shambles right now. Onigumo was going to be stuck a hanyou for at least a month longer and be considered the scum of the earth for that much longer as well.

"Onigumo-sama." A raspy voice filled the silent air around him. Onigumo turned a lazy red-eyed gaze at the childlike youkai that stood before her.

Even Onigumo wasn't quite sure if she would be considered youkai or human because of the lack of... anything. She had no scent, no aura, no color, and no emotions. She wasn't much more than a doll that just followed orders without question. Her mirror was a useful tool, though. It was also a pretty big part of his plan. Now he only had to wait for the guests of honor to put that phase into action.

"Are the preparations made, Kanna." He asked with his sharp gaze on her small form.

"Hai, Onigumo-sama. Kagura sent the paperwork and will be arriving shortly." Kanna said in her quiet yet raspy voice. Her black eyes stared straight forward, not truly focusing on anything as she made her report.

Onigumo rose from the squishy armchair he'd been sitting in and pulled his robe up onto his shoulders, not caring that he wore nothing underneath, nor that it was gaping open seemingly in front of a child. Kanna had been serving him for several centuries so he knew that appearances could be deceiving.

"Yes, Kagura will be joining us shortly. I've already been informed of her treachery." Onigumo said in an amused tone as he lifted his hand up to allow a nasty-looking bee perch on his hand that he fluttered out of the shadows. "He betrayal was planned so everything is going smoothly in phase two. Is phase four prepared?"

"Hai, Onigumo-sama." Kanna replied quietly. "They should be arriving shortly."

Onigumo smirked confidently as he walked toward the back of his den to a large cherry wood desk that glowed with a dull shine. He lifted a key from the chain around his neck and unlocked a glass case that was against the wall above it. The key was something he wore at all times, it was his skeleton key and opened everything in his little dream house. The day for his condo was almost through. Soon he'd come out of hiding and have his pick of where to live. Takahashi manor may be good enough for his uses, maybe that would be his vacation home and he'd head back to Tokyo. He hadn't been able to set foot in that city for close to a century, but it seemed a good headquarters for his Empire.

As the door of the cabinet swung open, a dull throbbing sound filled the air, quietly at first, but becoming louder as Onigumo reached his hand into the cabinet. He lifted and ornate jar from one of the middle shelves and held it haphazardly, not caring if it tipped to the side.

He reached one slim finger into the jar and stroked the beating organ. His smirk grew in size as the beating sound increased in speed and the organ began to move faster with each pump. It no longer pumped blood through a body, but it still reacted to fear and other emotions, including lying. As good as she had become at lying, Onigumo always knew. That was the reason he had built her portion of his plan around the knowledge that she was going to betray him.

He had actually left her no choice but to betray him! The little blips of information he'd let slip around her had been laid out perfectly to push her along that path. She thought she had been so secretive, but he'd known her every move and had manipulated her to follow his path for her. Besides, now that he was about to get what he wanted, he had no more use for her. And what do you do with something useless? Why, get rid of it, of course... Though he had to admit, he would miss tormenting her. It might be worth keeping her around just to insult her by making her play with his little human toy, Kagome. The thought of seeing Kagome and Kagura together and nude sent a surge of desire to his nether regions and his smirk grew. Yeah, Kagura may not have outlived her usefulness just yet. Once he grew bored of her, he'd finish her off himself.

- l - l - l -

Sango glared at the restrained youkai sitting in the middle seat between her and a fuming Sesshoumaru. He was less than pleased to learn he had been demoted to the backseat. As the eldest and second-in-command, he felt his rightfully place was next to the current alpha. The decision had been made out of necessity; Kagura needed a strong and controlled capture and Inuyasha was in such a feral state of mind, he would act before thought and may end of killing her or allowing her to escape. To this, Sango was somewhat grateful. The red-eyed demonic Inuyasha freaked her out a bit and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

For her part, the red-eyed demoness was sitting quietly with her head hanging and a sad, almost peaceful smile gracing her lips. This puzzled Sango because it was obvious even if the Takahashi's didn't kill her, her master would find a way to finish the job. Yet, Sango didn't see even a flicker of fear in her far-away gaze.

It had been pretty much silent since Kagura had given the address of Onigumo's condo to Inu-papa to plug in to the GPS. All of the occupants of the car, save for Kagura, were preparing themselves mentally for what they might find once the arrived. Sango didn't want to be negative but she was dreading the worse for her new friend and surrogate mother. The tension in the vehicle was so thick, Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga would have been unable to cut it.

A low growl sounded from the small feline sitting just as tensely as her human friend as she picked up on Sango's mood. Sango was slightly more tense than when she was keeping watch outside of Kagura's house because she only had her katana at her hip, the hidden blade up her sleeve, and her assortment of poisons and darts she had hidden on her person. Her Hiraikotsu was too big to keep in the seat with her so she'd been forced to put it in the back of the SUV.

This ride couldn't end soon enough for her taste, she was one human going up against who knows how many youkai. She knew she was strong and was a master with her weapons to the point that it was an art to her. She had never had much opportunity to use her skills in the field, so to say. If she had been born in the feudal age, she had a feeling the nerves she was feeling wouldn't be there at all. She had sparred with Inuyasha and Miroku, and even on occasion Inu-papa would join in, but sparring and actual battle were two very different things.

"Turn left and drive point-two miles to destination." A computerized voice broke into the tense silence that filled the vehicle and Sango felt herself draw in a sharp breath as her heartbeat increased.

"Deep breaths, taijiya." A deep, low voice said from her right. Sango's auburn eyes darted over to look at Sesshoumaru, but for his part, he looked as if he hadn't said a word. Sango smiled softly, knowing that feeling this much anxiety was silly. If she did get in to any trouble, she had several strong youkai that cared for her that would definitely jump to her aid. If Sesshoumaru was telling her to calm her rapidly beating heart, then he apparently cared even a miniscule amount if for no other reason that she was his client's fiance. With his words, Sango steeled herself and forced her heartbeat the stabilize as her confidence returned. She was going to be just fine, with Kirara at her side and Hiraikotsu, she would be just fine.

Inu-papa didn't bother with parking away from the condo building that the GPS had directed them to, knowing that their presence was most likely already known. If Onigumo was even half as conniving and calculated as he suspected, then they were walking right into a trap. After all, when the women had been taken, they had gone as far as to change the security code at the gate to send a clear message that he could reach them any time, any place.

When the vehicle pulled to a stop, everyone piled out, Sesshoumaru pulling Kagura out roughly with him. She didn't put up a fight at all and simply walked meekly in front of him as he shoved her in the middle of her back, his hands gripping her bound wrists to steer her where he wanted. Sango vaguely noted that his hand was glowing slightly green and made a note to herself that he, indeed, had poisoned claws. Something that would go unnoticed on a regular day, but must come in handy in these types of situations.

Inuyasha was sniffing the air and a low growl rumbled in his chest as he caught the familiar scent of his mate... accompanied by the scent of fresh blood... her blood! His blood began to boil and Inu no Taisho had to put a restraining hand on his son's shoulder and flare his youki to keep his son from recklessly dashing into the unknown in a blind rage.

"So, Kagura." Sesshoumaru said in a cold voice as he glared darkly at the back of the woman's head. Her hair was loose and falling from the normal spiky bun that was on the back of her head, letting lank strands of black hair brush the back of her neck.

"The whole building is his. It's just designed to look like condos to avoid suspicion." Kagura said dully, not raising her eyes or even flinching as the green glow grew and Sesshoumaru visibly tightened his hand on her bound wrists. Inu no Taisho glared at her darkly, not liking her vague answer either.

"So, where will he be?" He demanded as he stepped up to the wind youkai and grabbed the front of her shirt, forcing her red eyes to turn up and meet his. His angry eyes and dark look sent some of the defeat from her eyes, and a spark of fear flashed within them.

"The top floor is his pent house. His little playroom is up there." Kagura said simply as she was unable to tear her gaze from his. He was radiating such an aura of power that a chill went down Kagura's spine and she visibly cringed under his stare. Inu no Taisho released the front of her shirt and motioned for the rest of them to follow him into the large building.

"Make sure she's secured. If she's lying, we'll kill her without a second thought and find him on our own." Inu no Taisho said coldly as he looked back over his shoulder at his ex-personal assistant, someone he had trusted explicitly for the last ten years. Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding, a knowing smirk splayed across his delicate features. When his father had that calm look on his face, he was at his strongest. Inu no Taisho of old had returned for the first time in centuries, Sesshoumaru felt a wave of anticipation to fight alongside his father once more.

Sango swallowed thickly as she felt the pulsing youki that surrounded her, encompassing her, nearly suffocating her. She had no spiritual powers so if she was able to feel the youki of a demon, they had to be supremely strong. She felt her confidence raise as she banished her dark thoughts and followed the Takahashi men into the lobby of the condo building. She hefted her Hiraikotsu to a more comfortable position and double-checked her blades one more time to make sure they were still secured properly. The last thing she needed was a weapon malfunction because she had attached her katana incorrectly.

Inu no Taisho led them to a staircase, sniffing the air delicately as he walked. Inuyasha followed behind him, Sango took the middle and Sesshoumaru, still leading Kagura, took up the rear, his eyes swiveling in every direction all at once as he strained to pick up on any movements, noises, or auras behind them. Kirara mewed softly and jumped from Sango's arms before transforming into her true nekomata form in a flurry of flames. She had apparently decided that the tension in the air was too great for her to remain in her vulnerable miniature state.

"So, where has he taken them?" Inu no Taisho questioned as he turned around and looked directly toward Sango. Her eyes widened in surprise, not sure why he was looking at her when he was asking that question. That is, until she noticed his eyes were directed above her head, She spun around to see what he was looking at and saw only a silhouette of several large, apparently male, figures blocking the entrance to the condo that they had just come through.

"That's really none of your concern." The man in the front said in a confident voice as he stepped forward from the other forms and pushed a button on a remote in his hand. Slowly, a low grinding sound met their ears as a thick, metal door slid shut, blocking the exit of the building with a resounding clang. All of the light was blocked out and Sango took in the form of the men standing before them.

"So, that bastard has hired the Shichinintai to do his dirty work, huh? Let's see if you're half as good as the hype." Inu no Taisho said with a confident smirk as he took a step toward them. In a movement that Sango couldn't follow, she suddenly found Inu-papa standing in front of her, looking at the seven human males with that same calculating look that had been on his face when they were preparing the spring the trap.

"Bring it, gramps." The man with a long, black brain in the front said with a smirk as he hefted a huge sword up onto his shoulder. "I only have to kill one more youkai before I reach 1,000 youkai and my Banryu becomes the ultimate demon blade."

::FIN::

February 8, 2012

Notes: So that's it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it~.^ I'll more than likely write a side-story about Sesshoumaru and Rin that accompanies this, thought I don't think it will be too long, maybe 5-6 chapters tops. I need to make an outline on this one to make sure I have a nice plot for it^^ I probably won't start it until after I finish Kurayami, though. I'm honestly not sure how much longer Kurayami will be since I don't have the ending planned or anything yet, but it SEEMS like it's starting to reach it's peak~.^ Please review and let me know what you think, I LOVE hearing from you all! SOOO cute! My baby girl was just giggling hysterically in her sleep!