X-stasy

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

Chapter 7: -Guu-

"Wench," Sesshoumaru began ignoring the others. "Playtime is over." He began to approach Isane. She took a step back. That's all InuYasha needed to see. He quickly placed himself in front of Isane, the Tetsusaiga raised before him with renewed vigor.

"Sesshoumaru," InuYasha growled. "What do you want here?"

'Sesshoumaru...that name seems familiar.' Isane was thinking as she strained her mind to remember. Having just died and restored herself her mind was always muddled at first. Then she remembered her daydream from the morning and smiled to herself. She wasn't quite sure however if it was a dream or reality...

"I've simply come to retrieve my property." Sesshoumaru said waving a hand nonchalantly in the air towards the naked form of Isane.

"Your property?" InuYasha raised an eyebrow. He then turned to Isane questioningly.

"He's lying. I'm no man's possession." Isane said simply. "Although I happen to be his lover." She added in a playful voice, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in surprise at her comment. "I have no lover." Sesshoumaru denied quickly catching himself. "Love is a weak human emotion." Sesshoumaru sounded disgusted at the mere prospect.

InuYasha fell over from the shock. He then looked back at Sesshoumaru and suddenly burst out laughing. In fact he couldn't seem to stop laughing. "Ahahaha! Your...hahaha face! That...hahaha...expression is priceless!" InuYasha managed to get out.

Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat. "Get out of my way, hanyou. That woman belongs to me. That is all." He was not amused.

"She says otherwise." Kagome declared coming up to stand next to InuYasha.

"Yea, what's the real story?" Miroku asked suddenly. "She can't possibly be your girl. She's much too voluptuous-" SLAP. "What I meant to say is she's way too beautiful to be hanging around someone as heartless as you, Lord of the Western Lands."

Sango glared daggers at the monk and Sesshoumaru was joining in.

"This is really none of your business," Sesshoumaru's voice was toneless although his clenched fists were giving him away.

"I beg to differ," Kagome began. "This girl happens to be our savior. She just risked her life to save us. And she's also an enemy of Naraku. So I'm making it my business! The least we could do is thank her for her help and ask her to join us in our quest. We have a common enemy after all. And we're not simply going to stand back and watch as you snatch this poor girl away from us without even the slightest explanation." Kagome's eyes held a fire in them and Sesshoumaru noticed her miko aura had become more potent. She was completely serious.

"How bothersome." Sesshoumaru sighed. "I don't have time for this petty drama."

A cry from Sango got everyone's attention. Isane was at her side in the blink of an eye. "Are you hurt?" Isane questioned her concern writ on her Noh mask.

"No, it's Miroku..." Sango's eyes began to tear up. The monk had fallen unconscious.

"Oh the male..." Isane trailed off with no slight venom in her tone.

"He may be a male," Sango chocked out. "And he may even be a real leech but he's my friend. And he put his life at risk because of me."

"I don't save males." Isane stated simply causing Sesshoumaru to raise an eyebrow. She had saved him not too long ago. What did she see him as if not a male?

"Does that mean you could save him if you wanted to?" Sango asked hope in her voice.

Isane sighed as she looked back at the girl. She obviously cared for the monk very much. So much so that if he were to die it would harm the soul of the woman, and Isane was here to help the woman so...

"I suppose I have no choice. I will heal your friend." Isane acquiesced. "But all the males present must close their eyes! For I must remove my mask in order to heal your friend and I won't have any male looking upon my face!" Isane whipped around to face Sesshoumaru and he could feel her glare upon him even with the mask still upon her face.

Sesshoumaru decided not to make a show out of it and simply complied. InuYasha couldn't resist. "Looks like this girl has you whipped Sesshoumaru." Obvious mirth shone in InuYasha's voice.

"I advise you to cease speaking if you wish to keep hold of your tongue," Sesshoumaru threatened with his eyes still closed.

InuYasha smirked at his brother's response but closed his eyes too. That just left Miroku, who was conveniently unconscious.

Isane went over and knelt by Miroku's form and sensed where she needed to heal him. It was a wound in his hand. She removed her mask eliciting gasps from the two women present. Kagome, for one, could not fail to notice the haunting shadows in the woman's eyes. Isane then she began to concentrate on summoning the mystical healing tears from her eyes. Soon shimmering drops of liquid-blue dropped onto the monk's hand and it began to glow.

"It is done." Isane informed them in a matter of mere seconds. Sango's eyes shimmered with thanks and she grinned back at Isane.

Then Isane felt something on her rear...SLAP! "Don't you dare open your eyes male! Or you won't be a male anymore by the time you do!" Isane spat a warning.

Miroku simply nodded vigorously but couldn't help a small smile from forming on his face.

"That's why I hate males!" Isane started before hearing a thud behind her. InuYasha had also fallen unconscious. Isane sighed. This was not her day. She simply healed InuYasha without having Kagome waste her time in trying to convince her. Her mask was again upon her face before InuYasha's eyes opened and he returned to consciousness.

"What happened?" InuYasha wondered aloud inspecting his wounds that were no longer there. He also noticed that his yoki power was back to full strength.

"The woman healed you," Kagome informed with a smile. "She probably saved your life and Miroku's."

"Can I open my eyes yet?" Miroku whined.

"In a moment, monk." Sesshoumaru informed him coolly. He had already opened his eyes, and upon seeing Isane still exposed he took off his haori and wrapped her in it swiftly. He was not going to have the monk lose control around his possession.

Insane seemed just as surprised by the action as everyone else was. Miroku already having had one eye open. SLAP! Ah, but it was worth the pain. Miroku grinned.

Isane quickly adjusted the haori around herself before addressing InuYasha, "Why is it you resemble Sesshoumaru?"

The question caught InuYasha off guard, "Well didn't you know? Uh...he's my brother."

"Brother?!" Isane started looking back and forth between the two. "And you're both after Naraku? Then why aren't you both working together?" It seemed logical after all.

"Well that's easy," InuYasha began to explain, "He wants me dead."

"Dead?" Isane asked. "But why? You're brothers right?"

Sesshoumaru's face was beginning to turn red. Here they were referring to him like that when he was yet in their presence! The audacity! Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to kill everyone present, although it was very very hard.

"Half brother," Kagome supplied as the two brothers were glaring at each other, lightning flashing between their eyes. "InuYasha is a hanyou. Sesshoumaru...looks down on InuYasha because of it."

"Oh I see...this has to do with Sesshoumaru's hate for humans." Insane said almost to herself.

"She seems to know a lot about you," InuYasha joked. "So are you two in love?"

Both Isane and Sesshoumaru remained eerily silent.

InuYasha felt a trickle of sweat forming on his brow.

Isane suddenly snapped her fingers. "Now I know why I was put on the face of this earth! I'm here to bring these two brothers together as brothers should be! The enemy of my enemy is my friend right? Why not travel with your brother, Sesshoumaru, in our quest to take Naraku's life! We could use the help as Naraku continues to become more and more powerful as he absorbs demon after demon."

"Never," Sesshoumaru said simply. "You are to come with me and-"

"You can't order me around, male." Isane huffed turning to face Sesshoumaru, hands on her hips.

"Oh? I think you're forgetting something!" Sesshoumaru unsheathed the Tenseiga and pointed it at Isane, who cowered in fear before the sword.

"But that sword can't kill right?" Kagome asked aloud.

Sesshoumaru's lip twitched as he resisted a smile. "Oh but it can kill this one before me. The Tenseiga seems to be rather fond of the wench." The Tenseiga glowed in response.

"That's totally barbaric!" Kagome exclaimed. "InuYasha! What are you waiting for?! Go help Isane!"

"I don't need a male's help," Isane scoffed getting her trembling body under control. "Sesshoumaru if you want me to come with you so badly I must be worth something to you, so I think it's safe to say you won't throw my life away all that easily. Therefore, if you want to be in my presence at all I suggest you come with me. I will be traveling with your brother and his friends to aid them in their quest to kill Naraku!"

"If she's been hanging around you, Sesshoumaru, it's no wonder Isane has such a low opinion of males." InuYasha couldn't help but comment. He then faced Isane with a smile on his face. "We'd be glad to have you with us."

Sesshoumaru's eyes glowed red and his lips twitched into a snarl. He quickly sheathed Tenseiga before unsheathing his spare sword. He then lunged at InuYasha with lightning speed. InuYasha was ready for him and blocked the oncoming blow with the Tetsusaiga.

"What did I strike a nerve bro?" InuYasha mocked as he countered the attack with one of his own. "Take this! Kaze no Kizu!" Blades of energy flew through the air towards Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru had no choice but to avoid the attack since he no longer wielded the Toukijin and was somewhat vulnerable. "What's the matter brother, scared?"

Sesshoumaru's face began to contort and look more and more beastlike. He was beginning to transform into his full youkai state.

"I am not the one who formed her low opinion of males," Sesshoumaru barked. "It was Naraku!" Sesshoumaru finished before tossing his useless sword aside and letting his youkai blood take over. In a matter of seconds Sesshoumaru was in his full demon form. He towered high above InuYasha and the hanyou was surprised to see Sesshoumaru had both his arms.

'Now how the hell did that happen?' InuYasha wondered idly.

Acidic saliva was dripping from Sesshoumaru's jaw as he bared his teeth at InuYasha with a snarl. InuYasha jumped backwards and knew only one attack would be powerful enough to hurt his brother in his current form. "Fine you want to play hard ball then so be it!" InuYasha yelled.

Isane noticed that Sesshoumaru didn't have the Tenseiga when he was in his full demon form, which would mean that if InuYasha killed Sesshoumaru he would not be resurrected by the sword but would die...

He would cease to exist.

Something stirred in Isane and she knew what she had to do.

"Bakuryuha!" InuYasha cried as the two demons simultaneously attacked one another, passing each other in midair. InuYasha looked behind him, and found himself leaning heavily on one side. His brother had managed to inflict a deep leg wound with his poison claw. And meanwhile tornados of energy from InuYasha's attack were still attacking his brother. But most of the attacks weren't hitting their intended target...

There in the midst of the several tornados of youkai energy was Isane, who was flying in midair with the Fenikkusu sword raised before her. She was concentrating all her power through the sword as she cut through the tornadoes, neutralizing their energy, and causing the tornados to dissipate. But there were just too many. Isane was soon caught up inside of one and having been dealt a mortal blow her body burst into flames.

Luckily that was the last attack remaining and Sesshoumaru was able to handle that one on his own. Seeing Isane cut down because of him sobered the full demon and caused him to revert back to his human form. He came to stand over Isane's ashes and watched silently as she once again began to restore herself.

InuYasha was shocked and confused as to why the mysterious woman would risk her life to protect Sesshoumaru. Kagome on the other hand seemed to understand entirely. A knowing smile passed her lips as she watched the myriad of emotions that flickered in Sesshoumaru's gaze as he watched Isane's body take shape.

Kagome didn't have too long to muse on that however when a sharp cry was heard behind her. She saw that Miroku was looking down at his hand that contained the wind tunnel with a look of pure horror on his face. She quickly ran up to her two friends. "What's up?"

"Something...something's wrong." Miroku said thoroughly unnerved.

"Miroku?" Sango questioned slowly.

"Only one way to find out." Miroku quickly faced away from the group to begin unwrapping the prayer beads, which restrained his kazaana. "Wind tunnel!" He cried pointing his palm outwards.

Nothing happened.

"Miroku, what's wrong?" InuYasha asked ignoring his brother and the woman for a moment and coming up to his friend with a worried expression on his face.

Miroku turned around to face everyone with a curious expression on his face. "It's...it's wonderful!" Miroku exclaimed even getting Sesshoumaru's attention. He then pointed his hand at everyone who in turn flinched. Until they noticed his fleshy hand that is.

"Oh my god! Miroku what happened to your wind tunnel?!" Kagome exclaimed.

"You don't think..." Sango trailed off.

Miroku looked off at the trembling form of the newly restored Isane. "She not only healed by body from the poison...she healed my hand...and in turn removed the curse Naraku had put on my father and then passed down to me. She broke the curse!!!" Miroku spun around to face Sango and then he picked her up and began to swing her around happily. Sango looked peeved at first before she soon found herself laughing with happiness along with the monk.

"That's wonderful!" Kagome smiled.

"Wow...no wonder my brother wants her. She must be pretty powerful to break Naraku's curse that easily. With her help we'll be sure to beat Naraku! So is that why you really want her Sesshoumaru? To use her as a weapon?" InuYasha questioned his brother suddenly thinking he had things figured out.

Sesshoumaru flinched at InuYasha's words and found himself at a lose for words. Why did he really want Isane? He found he didn't know the answer. Instead he found himself filled with uncertainties. Was it really just to solve her mystery? Or was there something more to it than that? Perhaps, his brother was right and he just wanted to use her power for his own ambitions. To turn her into a sort of tool...his own personal weapon? He did know that he had come to see her as his possession. He had become rather possessive of her as of late. That much was obvious. And then this feeling that he wanted to control her had come after that. 'If I have control over her then she can never leave me again, as she did this morning. Just like that.' Sesshoumaru shook his head trying to get his thoughts in order.

"Perhaps," Sesshoumaru merely agreed.

"Feh," InuYasha said angrily. "You really are such a coldhearted bastard Sesshoumaru! I'm really beginning to feel sorry for this girl that she even knows you!" Lightning flashed between the two brother's eyes.

Meanwhile as the brothers were distracted a certain sentence got their attention:

"Will you be the mother of my children?"

They quickly spun around to see Miroku had stopped his play with Sango and had run over to the still trembling Isane taking both of her hands in his. He was still leaning in closer and closer. Isane was too weak to do anything let alone resist. The expression on her Noh mask shifting into a frown however. Miroku couldn't seem to get over the fact that a beautiful, naked woman was in such close proximity to him and seemingly not resisting his advances. He was practically drooling on her as he leaned in for a kiss...

'So close, so close...' Miroku was thinking.

A low menacing growl was heard before Miroku was sent flying. Sesshoumaru had placed himself between the two in a mere half-second. 'How dare he touch my possession!' Sesshoumaru thought. He was now hovering over Miroku his fingers twitching as he began to summon his venom. "How dare you take advantage of Isane like that!" Sesshoumaru snarled. "She's vulnerable just after she restores herself. You are a coward to take advantage of a woman! Have you no honor?! You shall die!"

"Sesshoumaru," Isane's musical voice rang through the air. Sesshoumaru's hand stopped its ascent a mere centimeter from the monk's bare throat. "Did you just say my name? And not call me wench?"

Sesshoumaru stood up to face Isane. "I've called you by your name before. You were just unconscious at the time or mentally unsound." Sesshoumaru simply revealed.

"Oh I see," Isane stood up with a hand wrapped around her bare chest as she faced him. Sesshoumaru simply starred back unable to pull his eyes away from her for some reason.

"Miroku, I think you owe Isane an apology." InuYasha suggested as he closely watched his brother's reactions. There was definitely a story behind those two.

"Of course," Miroku agreed beginning to catch on. "I'm sorry for my impudence Isane it's just I can't help myself around a beautiful woman...and you are the most beautiful woman I've ever lied my eyes upon. Although my heart does belong to another." Miroku cast a fleeting glance in Sango's direction causing her to blush in response.

"I accept your apology," Isane began. "Males are weak creatures and it's quite understandable that you were unable to control yourself. Males rarely have control. Even over their respective bodies. And I-" Isane was cut off by someone wrapping a haori around her bare form. This time it was InuYasha who helped her during her state of undress.

"We really are lower life forms aren't we?" InuYasha grinned earning a forming smile upon the Noh mask in return

"First god created man," Kagome began, "And then he had a better idea."

Isane couldn't help but laugh at that. "I'm sorry." She said suddenly. "Some...aren't all that bad. Thank you, InuYasha." Isane began to fix the red haori of the fire rat around herself.

"No prob," InuYasha said, "It's the least I could do. After all, you saved me and even broke Miroku's curse!"

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge of using his poison claw on InuYasha. His fist clenching and unclenching at his side as he watched the exchange, a deep frown marring his otherwise flawless features.

Sango came up next to Kagome, "Yea, Isane don't blame them too harshly they are only the rough draft after all."

The three girls began to giggle at that.

Sesshoumaru had never heard Isane laugh like that. Her other laughs were so empty. His mouth twitched into a half smile. He sighed. He hated what he had to do but knew it was the only way. "I suppose..." This was way too hard for him. "I suppose...Isane and I will be coming with you."

InuYasha patted his brother hard on the back nearly causing the Lord to fall over. "Now was that so hard, brother?"

"Yes, it was, dear brother." Sesshoumaru growled grasping InuYasha's shoulder in a mock brotherly manner and giving it a very very hard squeeze.

InuYasha gritted his teeth from the pain and smiled back at his brother in an exaggerated fashion.

The two began to laugh albeit it was somewhat unnatural. Sesshoumaru's fake laugh sent a chill down Kagome's spine.

"You see that's how brothers should be acting!" Isane declared enthused.

oooooooooooooooo

"So...how did you meet Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked Isane while she poured another glass of sake for herself. She needed a drink after all the energy it took trying to get Isane to agree to soaking with her and Sango in the hot springs. For someone so powerful it was quite a surprise to both girls that she was so afraid of the water. While InuYasha and the others had been left to make camp.

Isane took a sip from her own cup, "I don't remember."

"What?!" Sango and Kagome blurted in unison.

"Well you see..." Isane trailed off suddenly feeling shy. She had never been in this type of situation before...just talking with girls her own age, or at least with the same level of mentally, well when Isane was at her sanest. She had never had any friends...and then she had fallen in love with Naraku and the rest was history or perhaps legend. She wondered what the two girls would think of the truth. "I can't remember anything that happens after I wake up the next day. Only things that happened before...the incident."

Sango and Kagome looked at each other. "Incident?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

Isane sighed, "Naraku...he used this contraption he named a 'control collar' to break my mind after I decided to kill him."

"Naraku?" Sango questioned surprised. "Is that why you two are enemies?"

"You could say that..." Isane agreed.

"So you're saying you can't remember new things? That tomorrow you won't remember us?" Kagome asked her eyes going wide at the thought.

"That's exactly what I mean."

"That's awful!" Kagome cried. "What about if there's something really really important that you need to remember. That you simply cannot forget!"

Isane quirked an eyebrow at the miko. "Such as?"

"Well..." Kagome's face began to turn red as she placed both hands on either side of it. "Well...you see...what if...you know...you and Sesshoumaru...what if something happens between you two and you fail to remember it?"

Isane's eyes widened at that. She hadn't really thought of the possibility of something like that actually happening...in reality and not in dreams. "No, that would be impossible."

"Why do you say that?" Sango wondered aloud. "He actually seems fond of you. For Sesshoumaru that is."

Isane was surprised. "You think so? He sure has a funny way of showing it. I just don't know...I can't understand him. But even though I can't remember how we met...my soul remembers him. I think...he's done nice things for me in the past. And I think...I do feel something for him in my heart. It's all very confusing for me since...males have been my enemy ever since...Naraku."

Kagome and Sango nodded in unison at that.

Isane sighed letting herself sink deeper into the water. It felt good to get all of this off her chest. "So...don't you think I'm...odd?" Isane questioned tentatively.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"You don't think I'm a freak?"

Sango chocked on the sake she was drinking.

Kagome frowned. "I for one am not so quick to judge. I like to give the people I meet a clean slate right off the bat. I try not to judge people on appearance alone. Like my mother always said don't judge a book by its cover."

"Anyways, how could we think of you that way when you saved us?" Sango began. "You even managed to break Miroku's curse. He really must be grateful for it although...I don't think he knew the best way of going about thanking you. He can be really naive at times, and a bit foolish. But those are things I like about him. Even his lecherous self is well kind of amusing at times."

Isane smiled slightly at Sango's explanation for the monk's odd behavior. 'These people are rather interesting and they seem so nice. It's like a breath of fresh air. I've never let the like before. And I suppose that monk is amusing. When was it that I started to take life so seriously? Will I ever learn to have fun? Did I ever have fun? I don't really know what fun is.' "Thank you." Isane said simply catching the two girls off guard.

"What are you thanking us for?" Kagome grinned. "We should be thanking you. The mysterious and beautiful female heroine comes to the rescue!" Isane laughed softly at that.

"Let's all be friends," Sango said suddenly.

Isane blinked back at the two girls in shock. Surely, they couldn't seriously want to become friends with her...the Isane One! The forever child! "You...don't really mean that. No one would want to be friends with me...I'm a freak. I'm mentally unsound! I have a reputation of being called the Insane One and the forever child. I'm not nor-"

Kagome put a finger to Isane's lips stopping her tirade, "Isane, we don't care about your reputation. We care about who you really are, on the inside. And so far all we can see is a caring person. Someone that's so caring that they would go out of their way to help complete strangers. I would be honored to have you as my friend."

Isane's eyes shimmered with tears, "Really? You both are just too nice."

"People haven't been very nice to you have they?" Sango asked quietly.

"No...I suppose not." Isane admitted. "Well, expect for Sesshoumaru. He lets me stay at his palace..." Isane furrowed her brow as she remembered the morning.

"Wow really?" Kagome exclaimed. "I think Sesshoumaru must really really like you! He's probably confessed his love already but you just forgot!"

A look of horror came across Isane's face at the thought. Kagome quickly put a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry Isane...I was trying to make a joke. I'm sure you'd remember that...because you know love conquers all!"

"Love," Isane sighed. "I wonder...is Sesshoumaru the one meant for me and only me. The one I will show my face to?" She said to no one in particular. "I just don't know how I feel. I'm all confused. I have all these fragments of memory and fragments of feeling inside of me. I'm...I think I'm just too broken to love properly." Isane suddenly burst out crying into her two hands. "How could anyone fall in love with someone like me?" Isane gasped between sobs.

Sango and Kagome immediately went to comfort the girl throwing their arms around Isane, who stiffened at the sudden contact but then allowed and even enjoyed the solace the two girls offered no strings attached. "Never give up on love Isane." Kagome advised. "It's the best thing in the world!"

"Is it?" Isane wondered aloud thinking back on how she had fallen madly in love with the powerful Naraku. "I'm not so sure..."

"Isane...what exactly happened between you and Naraku?" Sango ventured to ask.

Isane hesitated. 'Surely, they'll think me disgusting if they know...what actually happened. I'm just not destined to have friends for very long.'

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to..." Kagome offered giving Sango a warning look. The girl seemed so in pain at the mention of Naraku's name...and Kagome couldn't help but notice those shadows that seemed to swirl like restless ghosts of the past in Isane's beautiful golden eyes.

"No," Isane began clenching her fists. "I want to tell you. Although I'm sure after you know the truth you won't want to be friends with me. And I can't tell you everything...some of it I have to keep a secret for a very good reason. But I'm willing to tell you everything I can. If we're to be friends there should be no secrets between us. Now where to begin...I was abandoned at a small, secluded, mountain village as a baby. I know nothing of my blood parents. I grew up raised by an old woman who died when I turned sixteen. I was still human at the time. I...didn't have very many friends because...I used to have visions. I could foretell the future and everyone was always freaked out when I could accidentally read their minds. Even back then people called me 'freak' or 'crazy'. Perhaps it was just destiny.

There was also something else that was strange about me...one day when I was knitting along with some of the village girls I pricked my finger and giggled. I actually found that the pain tickled. Everyone stopped talking to me at that point. I was completely alone...with no one to talk to. I was left to deal with the visions alone...and I could hear the inner thoughts of the villagers. So I knew how much they hated me. How much they thought I was a freak. And how much they wanted me dead. I was thinking of killing myself around the time it happened. Our village was attacked by demons. They were lead by one powerful demon in particular. He was also extremely handsome.

Apparently, he was after me. He had heard about a human girl who had the ability to predict the future and had decided someone like that would be a useful tool. And so he took me with him. I felt like I was in a dream...a powerful, and handsome demon stealing me away from a village where all I ever knew was hate and loneliness. The demon...he treated me very badly...he even tortured me...but because I could feel pleasure from pain I suppose I formed a warped view of him and well I...fell madly in love with him. One day I even went so far as to confess my love. But he just laughed at me saying he could never love a pathetic human woman, and hurt me some more.

I knew then that as a human I would never be good enough to win his love. I had to become more powerful. I had to do something. So I ran away in search of a way to become good enough for him. But my search was in vain. I ended up alone and near starvation while crossing a desert land to a place that supposedly held great power. I never got there. As I lay dying I thought it was the end...but the demon found me and took me back with him. I thought that he had changed his mind but I was mistaken. I couldn't live without his love...it was just too painful to be so close to him and yet so far away so I decided to kill myself.

As I lay dying that's when...it happened. I can't say exactly what but as a result I have the powers you have seen me use. Finally, I was powerful enough to win the heart of the one I so deeply loved. I went to him and showed him my great power and beauty. And I thought he had fallen in love with me at last, at least it seemed so. I was finally happy, however...it turns out it was all a lie. All a dirty trick just so he could use my power and I for himself. He placed the control collar about my neck and began to use me as a puppet. I have no memory of most of those events, but then I found out that he had made me do unspeakable atrocities. He had turned me into some kind of horrible weapon for mass destruction...I was responsible for taking countless lives. I will never forgive myself...my hands are stained with the blood of those I killed.

I...never really realized how evil he was until I learned the truth of his existence. How he fed off the life forces of Miko he had managed to capture to gain immortality. He needed at least one Miko to sustain him for a hundred years, until that time when he would need another victim. I learned of his next intended target...a woman named Midoriko. And knew it was time to end things. I stopped him from killing the Miko, and attempted to destroy him as well. I succeeded in part, only...he managed to break my mind by breaking what he called the control ring and he also wasn't destroyed entirely. He became a shadow of what he once was, a parasite...some foul evil thing that had to feed or live off other demons in order to survive.

Until the day he found a willing host...

Apparently he managed to find one. Since I saw him last with a new body. Even if it was just a puppet. The demon...that I had fallen in love with was the spider demon, Naraku. I understand if you hate me now that you know the truth. I'm sick at myself for loving someone as evil as he. But I couldn't help myself. I did love him. Although I can at least say I only hold hatred in my heart for him now. I really am disgusting aren't I? You should also know I was happy the day the villagers got killed. I was happy. I won't deny it. I'm simply not a very good person. I deserve to die...but it's funny I can't. Not anymore. Perhaps I should just let Sesshoumaru use his special sword on me and end it all now. I have so many sins to atone for and-"

"Isane," Kagome started. "I think that's enough."

"You hate me now don't you?" Isane asked.

"No," Kagome spoke. "I don't. Everyone makes mistakes Isane...even I've done things, horrible things that I've regretted. Everyone has a darkness inside themselves. It's all a part of who we are. It's what we do about that darkness though that decides whether or not we're good or bad people. But even then life isn't black and white."

"Kagome is right. No one is flawless. You shouldn't eat yourself up so much about things you had little control over. I think...everyone deserves a second chance at life. My brother...he's become a puppet of Naraku just like you were and I think...he..." Sango couldn't continue.

"Your brother?" Isane questioned fire burning in her golden eyes. "Naraku...how dare he. I will free your brother Sango. I promise."

"Really?" Sango said whipping away her tears. "For some reason when I hear you say it like that I know...I know its true. It's the first time I've felt that there's really hope."

"It's funny...we never knew much about Naraku until now. Do you mind if I tell InuYasha the info, not anything about your past, just what we now know on Naraku." Kagome ran a hand through her hair.

"Go right ahead," Isane said forcing a smile.

"Don't do that." Kagome scolded.

"What?" Isane asked not knowing.

"Never smile unless you really want to," Kagome advised.

"I'll...I'll try." Isane agreed getting out of the water.

"What's up?" asked Kagome.

"The sun is about to set...I need to be alone for a while. I'll be back." Isane wandered off to be alone as she would have to face dying yet another time that day. 'My mind can't take much more of this.'

To be continued...

Japanese translation notes:

Guu: Friend