InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters the Most ❯ Claustrophobia ( Chapter 66 )

A/N: Well, my muses are bitches, and this chapter came out nothing like I wanted it to. I suppose that’s not entirely unusual though, now is it? ^_^

Anyway, sorry about this chap taking so long. *shakes head* My writing pattern is weird right now switching between this chapter and a future one all the time...

Well, that’s enough outta me for now, hope you all like this chapter anyway. ^_^ ~(~   Claustrophobia

Inuyasha trembled softly, a barely suppressed whimper rising up in his throat as he struggled to keep his footing. It was difficult, considering his current state of malnutrition and the fact that he hadn’t been allowed to walk much of anywhere in his time spent captive here, but his only other option was not walking, and somehow he didn’t think the results of that would be at all pleasant for him.

So he continued on-- following blindly after the youkai leading him, keeping his head bower, yet unable to stop his ears and nose from constantly twitching as they silently tried to find anything that might give him some indication as to where he was and where exactly Naraku was leading him. Of course, given the fact that he was in a foreign youkai’s lands, and inside a castle he had not been allowed to see more than maybe two whole rooms of before, it really wasn’t working all that well.

Everything around him smelled exactly the same. Of miasma. Sickly and poisonous and disgusting and making him feel light-headed (which, combined with the headaches he had been getting lately, wasn’t a good combination at all); and it successfully blocked out and smothered any and all other scents. Food, water, people... there were no traces of them anywhere. And the only sound he could hear were his and Naraku’s own footsteps resounding dully around what he could only assume to be a hallway.

He couldn’t really tell at the moment. There wasn’t all that much light in the area they were travelling in, and, what with currently concentrating on keeping his eyes focused on the ground as much as possible, Inuyasha really couldn’t see all that much of anything. Had he been thinking clearer, he might have realised the significance of trying to memorize the paths they were currently taking and putting them to use later... but he wasn’t, so he didn’t. Besides, Naraku probably wouldn’t be pleased if he saw him looking around...

All he knew was that, wherever he was, it was full of death and darkness and emptiness and silence... and it was... claustrophobic. The only things that seemed to be here were him, Naraku... and the occasional unseen creature skittering out of the way before the light could touch them.

Inuyasha was jerked rather suddenly out of his thoughts when his foot unexpectedly decided now would be a good time to catch on one of the floorboards, which, naturally, sent Inuyasha’s whole body stumbling forward wildly... and right into Naraku.

The kumohanyou grunted in surprise at the sudden force, and spun wildly around on Inuyasha, who instantly jerked back and away, ignoring the way his foot was now faintly throbbing. Apparently he hadn’t moved fast enough for Naraku, and the next second he found himself jerking roughly into the wall as Naraku savagely backhanded him-- only the chain attached to the collar on his neck keeping him from falling to the ground completely. The crimson eyed demon threw him a glare, before harshly commanding that Inuyasha either learn to walk properly, or have the collar do it for him.

It was not a threat the inu was about to take lightly.

Ever since the image of his father and brother had appeared in Kanna’s mirror, Naraku had been in a... less than pleasant mood... And Inuyasha, for one, did not want to get on the youkai’s bad side. And not just because that usually meant Naraku would vent his anger on him.

Despite everything he had been through-- despite the pain and the loss and the suffering and everything else... when he saw his mate in that mirror... he couldn’t help but hope that maybe... just maybe, Sesshomaru would somehow manage to find him... maybe even rescue him. And he could practically taste freedom and peace in the form of Sesshomaru’s lips against his own... Inuyasha started slightly when his mind jerked violently away from that thought-- shying back and curling in on itself and sending a small wave of fear washing through him.

And Inuyasha did not have to waste any confusion on that particular action. Because, as much as his soul still longed for his mate... his body... didn’t want anyone... And it was afraid. He was afraid. And right now, he didn’t even have his youki to tell him otherwise.

His inner-demon had been very silent lately. Strange, considering it had seen it’s mate in that mirror and knew he was coming for him. But, after the last hallucination over his mate just before Naraku had decided they needed to go on this little journey to wherever, it had just... become tired. Tired of hoping and getting all worked up and heartbroken about nothing that existed in anywhere but his mind. It was just... tired of it all, and it wanted nothing more to do with the whole situation. It would wait until either his real mate somehow made himself known, or his daughter or sons showed up, and until then, it was going to rest and try and store up some strength for whatever assault Naraku would heap on him next. And really, Inuyasha couldn’t blame it. If he were it, he’d hide away too.

Something brushed up against his foot that was, quite clearly, alive (or as close to it as it could be), and let out a shriek loud enough to suggest that the thing had just had it’s skull crushed and lived to wail about it, and it set all of Inuyasha’s nerves on end, a small yelp of his own tearing free from his throat before he could stop it as he jumped away in surprise.

Again, with the lack of light he was unable to see much of anything, but he could make out a faint, tainted gleam in what appeared to be two beady little eyes that glared up at him in something akin to wrath and what he could only assume were the beginnings of insanity. Or maybe the ends of it-- he didn’t know. But the creature would have to be insane to try and live in a place like this.

He heard and felt the chain around his neck rattle as Naraku gave a faint tug, and Inuyasha tried to calm his rapidly beating heart which was, he was quite certain, on the verge of driving him into panic-mode.

Keeping his eyes on those of the... thing, Inuyasha turned to follow after Naraku warily. As soon as it was out of sight, however, he could not help but speed up-- shadowing the man who held him captive and all but breathing down his neck as they moved, causing Naraku to paused and glance back at him with a raised eyebrow and a slightly dark expression, which quickly changed into a smug smirk as Inuyasha immediately looked away from him, not willing to explain himself.

Not that Naraku wanted an explanation.

The kumo began walking again, and this time Inuyasha allowed a few inches to come between them before following, though he was still keeping unreasonably close to the demon. He couldn’t help it-- he was scared.

He didn’t know where he was or where he was going, he didn’t know how long he’d been here or when (or if) he’d ever actually get out. He didn’t know where his mate was or if he would get here at all-- and if he did if he would survive. He didn’t know where any of his children were, and the two he had the best idea about, he had no idea how well they were faring, or if they were alive at all. He didn’t know what that thing was back there, and he didn’t really want to either. He didn’t know how long they’d been walking or when they’d stop or if he was ever going to breathe air untainted by miasma again, or when Naraku was going to rape him next, or if the demon had succeeded in getting him pregnant, or if those pup’s would survive being birthed, or if he would survived birthing them, or what he would do if he did, or if he managed to go back to his mate pregnant again with Naraku’s pups, or if he would ever see any of his children again... he just... didn’t know...

And right now, the only one who even had any idea about any of those questions was the demon standing right in front of him...

And apparently Naraku really was standing now and no longer walking, because Inuyasha again found himself walking into the demon before he had even realised Naraku had stopped.

Naraku turned on him, and instantly Inuyasha pulled away, his ears crushing against his head, and a small whimper of submission and fear slipping past his lips almost instantly. He couldn’t help it.

He couldn’t take the pain anymore.

There was a pause in which he felt that cold, crimson gaze running over him, making him tremble all the more. Then Naraku was touching him-- running his fingers along Inuyasha’s cheek and down to caress his torn and bruised lips, coaxing more blood from the split he had made when he had struck the hanyo earlier. The scarlet droplet wriggled it’s way free of the torn prison of his lips, slipping down his chin and disappearing into the darkness surrounding them and presumably landing on the floor beneath them to slip through whatever cracks there were that existed there.

‘If only I could escape so easily...’ Inuyasha thought dully, hating how ridiculous an idea it really was. Because in reality, as he snaked his tongue out and obediently licked at the tips of the accursed appendages caressing him, that’s all he really wanted right now-- to slip through the cracks and disappear, and remain lost and forgotten to everyone walking overhead. He gave a mental grimace at the taste of his own blood on his tongue-- again-- but continued to lave the cruel fingers brushing against his lips until Naraku drew them back, a strangely pleased look in the demon’s eyes.

And why not? Naraku had him right where he wanted, after all.

And he had proven more times than Inuyasha cared to count that Inuyasha really couldn’t defend himself against his attacks...

Damn, he was weak....

And Inuyasha could only imagine how much worse it was going to get when he turned human... because, he would, undoubtedly, turn human soon. He had too, considering how much time must have passed since his last transformation, and the phase the moon had been in the last time he had seen it on Tsukiko’s head... Chances are, his transformation was just around the corner...

And the hanyou could not help but shudder at the idea of spending it here, with Naraku... Of what the demon would do to him...

However, Inuyasha’s delirious mind would not let him focus on that for too long, and soon his thoughts drifted off to the last time he had transformed.

His last two transformations into a human had certainly been... interesting experiences. The first one had been with Sesshomaru, out on the ravine... the first time he had let anyone (up to and including his parents) see him transform in years... right before they had made love... It was probably the best human night of his entire life. Even if he had been sick the morning after.

Unfortunately, not nearly so much could be said for the one after.

It had come shortly after the pups were born-- maybe a few days at most, and he, having been so caught up in just looking after his children in general, had somehow managed to forget all about it. Again. Which, for any hanyou, was not a good habit to get into. Even if he did have Sesshomaru to help protect him now.

Still, when he thought about it, there were two very simple words to describe the events of that night. Utter. Chaos.

At that point in time, it had still been early after their births, and Arekusu and Inuko had not yet opened their eyes, whereas Tsukiko’s had only just opened for the first time, making them rather wide and unfocused, so, for the most part, the pups were all relying on their senses of smell and their barely developed hearing to try and distinguish the things around them.

Now, those factors could (and did) cause enough problems on a regular day, but on that particular night... Well, lets just say “problems” didn’t even begin to cover the events of that night. “Fiasco” seemed a far better way to describe everything that had happened.

After so conveniently forgetting that his transformation had been on that night, Inuyasha had just been eager to settle the pups down and get them ready for bed. And he had almost done it too-- had got them all into their respective positions on the futon, which they would, undoubtedly, not be on when he woke up the next day-- and was just about to get himself and Sesshomaru to settle down as well, when the transformation had begun.

Of course, it had shocked the hell out of him at first, and he had again cursed himself for forgetting about it, but Sesshomaru had been there for him, never once looking at him with disgust or any of the things he still could not help but expect, and that had made it all so much easier to bear. Until the children took notice of his change, that is.

The pups, being unable to recognise his scent or place it as anything they knew or remotely liked, were not comfortable being in such close quarters with his presence, and they squirmed and squalled and screamed like there was no tomorrow until Sesshomaru came and “rescued” them from the “intruder.”

Only Tsukiko showed any semblance of control around him. But what she had to offer in matters of restraint was rather small.

Her crimson eyes would widen incredibly whenever they caught site of him, and her face would scrunch with confusion and in an effort to keep said eyes focused on the point she wanted them to be on-- clearly not comprehending what it was exactly that she was seeing-- before she would either try and touch some part of him (usually his face or hair) or else whine until Sesshomaru came and took her.

The experience had been less that comforting to the hanyou... especially when he had finally been forced to retreat to his old room so that the pups would stop crying. He had never felt more alone and embittered on the night of the new moon.

He supposed Sesshomaru actually had it worse-- having to deal with three, rambunctious newborns-- but he failed to feel any sympathy whatsoever for his brother.

Inuyasha was, again, jerked out of his thoughts as Naraku began to continue to lead him then-- going at a slightly quicker pace as though they were finally nearing the place he wanted to be, and he was in a hurry to get there, and Inuyasha made no objection even as he struggled blindly to keep up.

More unseen critters hissed and scampered about-- trying to get away from them-- some of them taking the occasional nip at Inuyasha’s bare feet and making him wince and stumble (though thankfully not into Naraku) before they finally came to a stop once again in what appeared to be a piece of hall exactly like every other they had been down so far. The only difference here was, there was a small spill of light coming from around one of the corners, and the scent of the air here was definitely a bit less... toxic.

Inuyasha risked casting Naraku a quizzical look at this, because the demon seemed to be concentrating on doing something now, but he did not dare question. Instead he simply tried to calm himself yet again, exhaling what little air he had in his lungs before replacing it with a deep, shuddering breath... and freezing.

Because the scent that lingered on the air... however weak...

‘Tsukiko.’

Inuyasha’s head shot up, his eyes locking on the end of the corridor where the scent seemed to be strongest. However, before he could further react or do anything, he felt Naraku’s hand come to wrap around his waist-- tugging him firmly up against the elder hanyou and making him go rigid.

Fuck!

No!

He had to get there! He needed to go to that scent! His daughter was somewhere nearby! He needed to fucking find her, Dammit!

Inuyasha was about to start struggling like his life depended on it-- consequences be damned!-- when he felt the collar pulse on his neck slightly-- holding him still and quelling his efforts. As though Naraku had read his mind, and knew what he had been planning...

Inuyasha felt hopelessness surround him in the form of Naraku’s toxic miasma, bathing them in an acidic blanket and making his eyes, ears and nose burn horribly and what little moisture had been residing in his mouth to instantly evaporate, right before he suddenly found himself being lifted up into the air-- Naraku somehow defying gravity and managing to pull them outside through some exit before he even realised what was going on.

Instantly his eyes squeezed shut and he whined softly as the blinding glare of the sun that, even hidden behind a layer of shouki, was enough to temporarily render him blind, and he winced from the throb of pain it sent through his muddled thoughts, even as he felt his feet again being allowed to touch ground.

Grass.

There was grass on the ground.

He could feel it brushing against his feet... and that, combined with the sun, and the much lighter force of the miasma surrounding them, convinced him that they were, indeed, outside.

Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat, and then begin to flutter sporadically as two very familiar and long missed scents reached his nose and he slowly, so slowly, cracked his eyes open to try and confirm what he was smelling.

The sight that greeted him, however, didn’t really do that.

In front of him were two giants.

And not just giants, but giant dogs, with silver fur and blazing red eyes and tongues that were probably as long as his entire body.

And for a moment Inuyasha was stunned, his mind refusing to recognise the fact that his father and brother did have the ability to transform into inu’s like this, and that he had seen them just a short while ago in the mirror in this form, but was rather convinced that he was just hallucinating. Again.

When white light and a good deal of wind surrounded the two dogs-- rising in volume and intensity the longer it remained-- Inuyasha only felt this fact to be confirmed even further, and he whimpered low in his throat while unconsciously pressing back into Naraku. Fuck. He didn’t want to hallucinate anymore! He wanted his mind back!

Inuyasha felt himself on the verge of doing something drastic.

What? He didn’t know. But it was either something along the lines of getting down on his knees and begging Naraku to, please, make it better, or else slitting his own throat. Anything to make it stop.

However, the small storm of wind and light and other chaos that had surrounded the dogs suddenly dying down caught his attention-- drawing his gaze back over to the two inus... only they weren’t dogs anymore...

They were demons.

Two tall, silver-haired, golden-eyed demons... who he knew very well.

And Inuyasha felt himself go still and all but numb as he stared at them, his heart jumping up into his throat, even as a quiet, whispered word slipped past his lips before he could stop it.

‘Sesshomaru...’ ~*~  

Glossary

Youkai - Demon

Kumohanyou - Spider half-demon

Inu - Dog

Youki - A demon’s spiritual energy

Kumo - Spider

Hanyou - Half-Demon

Shouki - Miasma ~*~

-Oriya-chan - (In response to the review you left on Haunted - Alternate Ending) - Lol, you have no idea...

Actually, it’s my muses that are the scary one’s, I’m just their humble slave writing whatever dark insanity they choose to spew out. ^_^ -- Hm. Well, no, I actually don’t love rape, or anything about it really. What I do love in angst. And mind-fucks. I love writing out stories where I can mess with the characters psychologically and, at the same time, get the readers’ angst-sensors on overdrive. Writing N/C fics just happens to be one of the best ways to accomplish both. Lol, it’s very understandable if the rape-fics bother you, though (I have absolutely no idea what gutter of my mind they keep crawling out of). I’m glad you think they are well-written anyway. ^_^ And I’m glad you liked the PWPs. They’re just easier on the angst and depression scales I guess. ^_^ -- Lol, well I’m trying to update wmtm quickly, but unfortunately it’s not working nearly as good as it should be, especially since it’s august and that means it’s the end of summer which means it’s busy as all hell. Still, I’m glad you’re enjoying it ^_^ I’m not sure if skipping over the rapes would effect the overall plot or not... I don’t think it would, since it’s mostly just Inuyasha’s mental torment, but sometimes there are flashbacks to things and whatnot... still, overall, I don’t think it would really matter. ^_^ And don’t worry btw-- it won’t go unpunished. Even if I decide Naraku should win this little fic I’ve got going here, there’s a bunch of Inu/Sess fans out here just waiting for the opportunity to draw and quarter him (among other things). ^_^ -- And that’s fine that you’re reviewing all the fics there-- I don’t mind really. I’m just happy you decided to review at all (even if some of my stories make you uncomfortable)! ^_^ I won’t turn down free chocolate though... ^_^

-Trysted/Punishment of the Inu - Lol, well get in line. Sess gets to have the first whack! ^_^ -- Hm... Disturbed huh? Disturbed can be good... ^_^ -- Yeah... I suppose I’m lucky that way-- if I get angry enough at Naraku in this fic, I can always just kill him off. Everybody else only gets to tell me how much they want me to kill him off... Hm... guess Naraku better watch his step around me, neh? ^_^ -- Yeah. Poor inu... I really gotta cut him a break sometime soon, neh? And you’re right... if we’re not careful... he’s gonna break... ^_^ Glad I could help! ^_^ Hope that stalker is leaving you alone now too. >_<

-CrimsonInHumanBlood - Hm... I’m not sure if I should be scared or flattered... i guess I’ll stick with flattered for now ^_^ But if you start foaming at the mouth then we might have a problem... ^_^ Sorry about making you cry, btw... I didn’t mean to do that!

-Snowfall - Yeah, inu’s really taking a beating, neh? I really should stop being so cruel to him... y’see, it’s stuff like this why Rumiko is so reluctant to just hand Inuyasha over to me! ^_^ Tsukiko? Well I’m not gonna specify, but it seems from this chapter that she is at least somewhere in the castle, neh? -- Inu’s vision? um... well, Kanna walked in front of him with her mirror and he thought he was hallucinating, but other than that I’m not sure... -- Yeah. I’ve got more torture for him lined up. I’m not gonna lie to you. Even if he and Sess and Inu Taisho win, I’ve still got torture lined up. *hides* Please don’t hurt me! -- Well, it’s not the hole I mind so much... it’s the whole being a corpse buried in the hole that’s kinda getting to me... -- Lol, well you were right, it didn’t get to the ass-kicking part. I think that might take at least another chapter cause I got something in mind for them and... well, I can’t tell you anything else. It should be interesting to say the least. ^_^

-Crazy-Inuyasha-Girl - Thanks!!! ^_^

-Caitriona695 - Lol, well it’s your review, so you go ahead and do it however you want. ^_^ -- Lol, yeah, well the long-distance angst just wasn’t doing it anymore, so I figure it’s time to bring the whole family together again and get some up-close and personal angst in there. ^_^ -- Mm. Yes, when I originally wrote the chap, I didn’t really put that in, but then I was rewriting it (cause it was complete crap and it needed at least some improvement, however minute) and I decided that Sess has been held back by his father so long, why the hell would he go to him now and just give him one more opportunity to keep him from his mate? So I had him take off and Inu Taisho had to catch up, as you saw instead. It just worked so much better. ^_^ Mm. Yes, both for their psychological states and the fact that, if anyone’s gonna kill naraku, it’s gonna be inu or sess! -- Yes. I suppose I have given our little hanyou quite the beating, haven’t I? Well, just goes to show how much I like him I guess-- I only torture the characters I love! ^_^ -- Well you were pretty damn close on the mark, weren’t you? So far anyway. I think Inu might actually need some convincing before he believes that Sess and his dad are real, but... well, we’ll see. ^_^ -- Yes. I suppose if things continue the way they were, Inuyasha really would start to rely entirely on Naraku to tell him what was real and what wasn’t. Maybe that’s Naraku’s plan though, neh? Mm, could be. ^_^ Tsukiko? Well, I think she’s still alive. She’s definitely still in the castle, as I think I hinted at in this chap... I’m not going too much into detail about her right now though (mostly cause my muses haven’t told me any of the details myself) so we’ll just have to wait a bit longer on that. Lol, well glad that I could keep on the edge, even if this is the kind of story that does seem to overstimulate the angst sensors from time to time. ^_^ Thank you for reading it! Who do you think I’m writing this stuff for, if not you readers? ^_^

-Skullz - Lol, yeah, isn’t he great? Sadistic bastard, and getting moreso by the minute. ^_^ Lol, well I don’t think I’m gonna stop updating anytime soon, but I’m still rather slow in the process (for which I apologize again). Me and my muses had a long talk though, and we’re working on that. ^_^ -- Giving Inuyasha back? Well you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you? ^_^ -- And don’t worry about not reviewing. Just as long as somebody does every once in a while to let me know that people are still reading this-- and liking it-- I’m good. Not that I’m gonna try and discourage you from reviewing! No, please, by all means! In fact, I encourage it! ^_^ And don’t worry, i don’t hate you... ^_^ Although now you’ve effectively made my ego swell up again. ^_^ My awesomeness? Well, I suppose you can have some of it. I’m not sure how to give it to you, mind you, but if you figure out a way, then I don’t mind sharing. ^_^ -- A co-conspirator? Hm... I think I might have to decline on that. No offence or anything, I just prefer to work on things solo... When I start working with other people I become rather bitchy and annoying (or so I’ve been told-- and I tend to believe it) and it just ends up being one big mess. >_<

Please don’t hate me!

-____inster user here - Hm... Evil is a pretty strong word don’t you think? I think I prefer the term morally bankrupt, but whatever. ^_^ -- Well, maybe you are used to torture by now. But you’re not used to my torture. ^_^ -- Lol, well you should be honoured! ^_^ Actually, I don’t know if you should or not... Hm... -- Utah? Never been there. But I suppose that’s to be expected considering I’ve never been outside of Canada, so... ^_^ -- Woosh. Well sounds like you’re (not) enjoying yourself down there... That sucks. Never been to a hick state (or any state for that matter, as I said) but I know what hots like, and I hate hot, so I can only imagine... And, as has been demonstrated repeatedly in my stories, my imagination can be an extremely dangerous thing. -- Hm... that’s a good point. I never really contemplated what Inuyasha and them would smell like. Well, no, I contemplated Inuyasha, but that’s really only cause Sess has got such a good nose so when I write him, I usually have to think up some kind of scent for Inuyasha to have. Still, I imagine they would smell a lot like smoke and trees and just dirt and sweat in general. It’s not like they get to bathe a lot, now is it? Hm... Ah, hell, you got me thinking again! Now I’m probably gonna be contemplating this into all hours of the night until somebody whacks me over the head and knocks me unconscious. *shakes head* Anyway... science... Woosh! Man, that male lactation thing seems to have gotten more than a few people strange looks... Lol, I’m glad I kept my mouth shut in any regards except to the story. ^_^ Still, it is interesting to know... Well, I think so anyway, but I’m weird like that. ^_^... Are you flaring your nostrils at me? ... -- Lol. ^_^ Yeah, it’s nice to get out of the psych ward every once in a while, neh? ^_^ -- Woosh. People have the strangest laws... I especially like that one for kansas “When two trains approach each other at a crossing, both trains must come to a complete stop, and neither shall start again until the other has gone.” How the hell does anybody get anywhere with a law like that? o.O *shakes head* Still, requiring shirts and shoes isn’t all that odd, neh? The fact that people wouldn’t want that law is what’s odd. I mean, I like walking around in bare-feet as much as the next person, but really, inside a store or resteraunt... anyway... I lost my train of thought again... -- Lol, well I don’t know if I’d be insulted so much as confused. I mean, would that be implying that I had more limbs than necessary? Or that I had tentacles? Or that I squirted out ink when I feel threatened? Or maybe it’s just a way of saying you don’t have a backbone... or else that you look an awful lot like a deflated balloon... Hm... maybe it is insulting after all... ^_^ -- The potato is watching you?... is that because potatoes have “eyes”? Lol, I have to admit though, “Potato watching” doesn’t sound quite as good... and makes for a very boring hobby, let me tell you. ^_^ Lol, now I’m thinking of a mistranslation where “I saw the Pope” got changed into “I saw the potato” ^_^ Lol. ^_^ -- I don’t think your brain is messed up if you don’t remember stuff from sixth grade math classes. Right after we learned the basics of multiplying and dividing, that’s when my brain shut off math classes. ^_^ But maybe that’s because every experience afterwards in math has been pretty much a nightmare... *sighs*... Anyway, it seems we’re both on a bit of a roll, although if you do talk about the quadratic formula and trigonometry, I can guarantee it will be a one-sided conversation. ^_^ I think I better shut-up too, even though it’s only around 1 in the afternoon, but I need to talk to the rest of the reviewers so I can post this chapter some time today so... ^_^

-coldTenshieyes - You know you don’t need to apologize for not reviewing. Seriously, this fic’s up here for your viewing pleasure-- the reviews are just a little added bonus you guys give me to tempt me to keep writing. It’s not like if you miss a chapter I’m going to stop writing or anything. ^_^ But, anyway, apology accepted. This time... ^_^ Moving right along... What are you talking about “Sesshomaru was so cool in the last chapter”?! He is Sesshomaru! He’s cool in every chapter! Lol, and in case you didn’t notice, he’s one of my personal favs too. ^_^ Lol, yep, Sess is too fast for him. I realised after I was about halfway through the chapter though that that was probably inaccurate, considering Inu Taisho is supposedly large enough in his dog-demon form to fit Sess inside of him with a little free-moving room, but I decided to bend the rules a bit and make it more so that he was the same or similar size to Sess. Quite honestly, I don’t think anyone noticed... ^_^ -- Lol, yeah, inu’s really getting it rough. *sighs* maybe ____insert user here was right-- I am evil... Still, you’re right, insanity can be fun! ^_^ Although I’m not sure if that applies to hallucinations and other serious mental disorders or not... I don’t think it does... Although technically Inuyasha doesn’t exactly have a mental disorder yet-- except maybe RR-PTSD and depression... and maybe a bit of Stockholm syndrome starting to come into play now, but other than that he’s perfectly fine... ^_^ -- *sighs* Somebody asked me a question, and I confused them with my answer. Yep, that sounds about right. ^_^ Still, at least you caught the gist of it, neh? Sess ain’t evil or good in the battle against Naraku because he’s trying to kill both the hero and the villain, but in the main scheme of things, he’s probably... semi-decent. So long as you don’t get in his way. ^_^ -- Yep, gotta love Sess as the cold hearted bastard he is. ^_^ -- Hm. Hang on a sec, I don’t remember my opinion... *runs off to check opinion*... Ooh, okay, I know what we’re talking about now. ^_^ Lol, yeah... well those stupid eyes and tentacles were completely unnecessary-- I mean, he’s already proven that he can mutate into just about anything that has more writhing limbs than shape, there was no reason to make him look like that on a regular basis. Completely unnecessary... Kinda like the majority of Kikyo’s appearances in the series. ^_^ Yeah, he’s got a nice voice. I like Sess’s better (although when I was watching this trailer thing on the DVD for the third movie, they used his voice (or a voice that sounded an awful lot like him) as the commentator, and it really confused me because I didn’t understand why the hell Sesshomaru was introducing the inu characters and all that ^_^). Lol, yeah, I really gotta get inu some help, neh? ^_^ And I’m glad you read it too! It’s great hearing from you. ^_^ Longest review huh? *glances over response* hm... that might explain why this turned into such a ramble... frig, I need to learn how to shut-up, neh?

-Nikkie23534 - Okay, first, let me say Congradulations! ^_^ I’m glad your pregnancy/birthing went well! It’s great to hear that 5 and 6 are doing good! ^_^ Then, I’d like to apologize for the whack over the head I might have to give you for apologizing. I don’t mind when people miss reviewing for things far less, (I actually don’t expect people to review every chapter, so it’s always a really nice surprise) and even if I did, I think that going into labour and delivering two kids is a pretty viable excuse for missing it! Don’t you? -- Lol, anyway, I’m glad you’re enjoying this story so much-- if it makes things easier in any way, then I’m happy. ^_^ And thank you for even bothering to review when you’ve got all those little bundles of joy running around, I can only imagine how hectic that must be... Anyway, congratulations again, and sorry for the whack! ^_^

-Fluffymiyster - Mm, well I’m not entirely certain what’s going through their minds right now. That’ll probably be for next time. However, they don’t really have much choice but to go in blindly without actually attacking Naraku, considering they have absolutely no idea where he has Inuyasha (well, they didn’t until this chapter anyway), and Tsukiko, and if he has some way to kill either of them that they don’t know of or what kind of condition they will be in or anything like that. So a good deal of recklessness and caution would be required in a situation like that... -- Hm. I don’t know why he likes messing with inu so much. Do you mean in the fic, or in the series in general? Maybe it’s cause Inu’s much easier to be manipulated than Sess and is much more susceptible to his little mind-fuckings. Not to mention probably a good deal less deadly... -- A random thought, huh? Those ones are the best kind though! ^_^ -- Oh, and about the comment you made on “Was it worth it” I agree-- either title would have been acceptable. The title “What matters the most” actually doesn’t really fit all that much with this story when I think about it, but at the time I couldn’t think of anything else for the story title. Still can’t, actually... but I’ve grown kinda attached to WMtM anyway, so for now it’s all good. ^_^ -- Lol, well I’m glad you liked my chapter, however emotional (even though that was intended) and that you’re still enjoying the story! ^_^

-golden_kitsune - Lol, well better late than never, neh? Oh, are they having ostrich problems down in Mexico too? Well, at least they had you to help take care of it, neh? ^_^ -- Yep, I guess I did. Well, I’m assuming I did, because I have no idea when you left or returned, but you said I updated in time, so... ^_^ And I’ll assuming the odd vocalizations are a way of saying you liked the chap? ^_^

-mindfreak - Lol, well I will certainly try! ^_^ ~*~  

A/N: Well I can’t remember what I was going to say here, so I guess that’s it for now... Hope y’all liked it! ^_^