InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yume ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 16 )

Disclaimer: *snore*

**Thanks to all of my reviewers! *kisses* *hugs* *ducks kicking and swinging readers* I'm sorry that I haven't responded individually, but be assured I have read every single lovely, wonderful, inspiring comment you have gifted me with. I figured I could spend my scanty free time writing letters, or I could write the story, and I guessed you would rather have the story. So here it is, and I love you all!**

Thank you, Jaredono, for your proofing skills and your patience!

Previously:

Kagome's stomach lurched as her feet left the ground; her captor had leapt up into the air. She opened her mouth to scream as the full reality of the situation hit her, barely registering Sesshoumaru locking his long, strong fingers around her wrist as the now-trio plummeted together into the dark opening below.

Blue light surrounded them, illuminating the bizarre face of the demon who had made off with her like the filthy thief he was. It was a horrific mixture of grotesque baboon and cruelly beautiful male, his crimson eyes glowing at her with an unbridled lust for power.

"Noooo!" she shrieked her denial, but knew it would not wake her from her worst nightmare come to life.

Naraku had leapt into the Bone Eater's Well with her, and Kagome didn't know if the power of the Shikon would take them back to her time…or to the place she suspected the final shard was hidden.

Yume

Chapter Thirteen

Naraku couldn't believe his good fortune. He had considered it an annoyance, this sudden urge to see for himself just where the miko had been leading everyone, but it seems his instincts had yet again served him well.

He had arrived in time to not only watch that fool Inuyasha finally give in to what appeared to be madness---though his sudden change into what appeared to be a full youkai surprised him---but he had attempted to kill the reincarnation of Kikyou, as well. If she had not been of such potential use to him, Naraku would have gladly sat back and enjoyed the show.

Alas, as the only person able to see the Shikon shards (since he had done away with Kikyou herself), he regrettably had to act. To protect his investment, as it were. Kagome was his link to the final piece of the Shikon no Tama. He knew it. He could feel it; his destiny was waiting for him---and the miko was going to show him the way.

His expression darkened. But for all of the wonderful circumstances that Fate had gifted him with, there was the matter of the demon lord to attend to. He did not want to risk losing his chance at finally reaching his ultimate goal because the cold youkai had managed to latch on to his guide.

With a sharp tug, Naraku shifted the struggling girl from his left side to his right, forcing Sesshoumaru to come closer or break his grip on Kagome's wrist.

Unsurprisingly, the taiyoukai kept his fingers firmly locked around Kagome's slender arm and lashed out at the evil hanyou with his claws. He didn't dare draw a weapon in such close proximity to Kagome, and Naraku knew it. As it was, his natural weapons were a chancy move, but Sesshoumaru would rather kill Kagome himself than allow her to fall into his enemy's control.

The taiyoukai's claws dug deeply into Naraku's shoulder, but as soon as he released his grip on his enemy, the rent flesh knit itself back together.

"Sesshoumaru," Naraku said tauntingly, "Perhaps we should postpone this battle until we reach our destination. As you can see, I cannot be killed in this new body. Such wonderful powers of regeneration I have, wouldn't you agree? Besides, we wouldn't want anything…untoward…to happen to our guide, now would we?"

"I'm not your damn sherpa!" Kagome ground out around the pain Naraku's crushing grip was causing.

She began to struggle fiercely against his hold, desperate to escape contact. Some deep, instinctual knowledge told her that, if she could just get him to let go, then he would be lost in the time stream. On the other hand, if Sesshoumaru were to release her wrist, he would suffer the same fate. As it was, Kagome herself was the only anchor the two had in the magical current of time that was sweeping them along. The young woman's blood ran cold at the thought of losing the man she had come to love, despite her anger and hurt at his betrayal.

"Don't let go of me, Sesshoumaru!" the miko implored, clutching fiercely at the demon lord's sleeve. "You'll be lost in here if you do!"

Kagome locked her gaze onto Sesshoumaru's amber one, trying to calm the racing panic she had felt the instant she realized who had hauled her into the well. She was greatly helped by the taiyoukai's strong presence, and by the fact that seconds ticked by and they did not land in the dark confines of the well house in her own time. The odd trio seemed to stay suspended in the blue morass of sorcery that was the tunnel between the past and the present.

Knowledge and relief bloomed in her mind. She had time, then, to come up with a way out of this mess without dragging Naraku back to her family or getting Sesshoumaru lost forever.

"Naraku," she said, trying to inject every ounce of calm and command she could muster into her tone, "You like making deals, right? Well, I've got a proposition for you."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his golden eyes on her, his look piercing and seeming to shout, "Just what are you up to now, wench?"

Kagome ignored the demon lord and turned her head to stare at Naraku.

"Well?" she prompted, "Do you want to make a deal with me or not?"

Naraku's beautiful mouth twisted into a smirk of cruel amusement and he said, "You wish to bargain with me, little miko? Interesting. What is it you hope to gain?"

"I want your promise not to harm Sesshoumaru or any of my friends," she stated simply.

The Western Lord scoffed and said, "I do not need a human to protect me from the likes of this scum."

Kagome swung her face back to the proud taiyoukai, glaring daggers at him. "Well, forgive me for caring enough to not want you dead!"

Huffing, she didn't notice the slight softening of his gaze at her declaration.

"Such fierce protectiveness for a man who has tried to kill you," Naraku observed. "Could it be that you have abandoned Inuyasha for his older brother?"

Kagome glowered at Naraku's undisguised amusement and snapped out, "Do you want to deal or not?"

Sobering instantly, the hanyou narrowed his crimson gaze on Kagome's pale face, wondering what this weak human female could possibly have to offer him that he could not simply take by force.

"If I were to make such a promise," he began slowly, "what would be in it for me? I already have most of the Shikon no Tama, and you are my captive," he shrugged. "Once I have the power of the jewel, there will be nothing you could offer me that I could not gain for myself."

"There's the rub: You don't have the jewel completed because you don't know where the last piece is."

At this annoying fact, Naraku scowled, his arm tightening around Kagome's waist so she cried out in pain.

"Ah!"

"Naraku!" Sesshoumaru made to release his grip on Kagome's wrist so he could use both hands to wrench her from the evil being's grasp, but she cried out again, fisting her free hand in the collar of his haori.

"Don't let go of me! Naraku can't kill me---he needs me!"

The demon lord halted at the utter terror that shone in her eyes at the thought that she would lose him in the time slip should he let go. Growling in frustration, Sesshoumaru forced himself to comply, though his body language fairly screamed his desire to rip into Naraku's flesh with his teeth and claws. He did make certain to get a better hold on Kagome, though.

The hanyou smirked at the capitulation of the proud lord before turning his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Now, miko, what do you have to offer me in exchange for this promise not to harm your precious friends?"

"I'll help you complete the Shikon no Tama," she said starkly, fully aware of the risk to the entire world her `help' would mean. Kagome almost lost her nerve, but her eyes slid once more to the man who had followed her into the maelstrom in an effort to save her.

Some things are worth the risk, she reminded herself. The thought bolstered her resolve to see this dangerous scheme to its conclusion.

Naraku's deep laughter rolled out from under the hideous baboon mask. "You already will help me, human. What makes you think you have a choice in the matter?"

"If you won't swear to leave my friends alone, I will refuse to help you. I don't want to die, but I'm prepared to if I must. And without me, you will never finish the jewel. Never."

Naraku's face smoothed into an expressionless mask that was terrifying in its stoniness, but Kagome simply set her chin and gazed back at him with determination.

"I have very…unpleasant…ways of digging the location of the last shard from you," Naraku threatened lowly.

"Ah, but it's not enough to just know where the last shard is; you have to know how to get there." It was Kagome's turn to smirk as she laid her trump card on the table. "And I'm the only one who knows the road."

Silence fell for a brief eternity while a battle of wills between the priestess and the villain was waged.

"Very well, miko," Naraku spit out the title, "I accept your offer. Now release the demon lord and deliver us to the place where my destiny awaits."

"Lord Sesshoumaru comes with us," Kagome asserted. "He is part and parcel of our deal: You cannot harm him, and that includes forcing him to become lost in the time slip."

Nodding curtly, Naraku signaled his consent. Kagome let out a small breath of relief.

"You are truly a foolish human if you can sincerely tell me you trust the word of this abomination," Sesshoumaru scoffed.

"Of course I don't!" Kagome retorted. "I don't trust Naraku farther than I can throw him, but we don't exactly have a lot of choices here, now do we?"

"It is good that you do not trust this scum, but you could at least trust me enough to know that I will protect you with everything I am!" he snarled back.

Kagome gasped at the emotionally-loaded comment, unable to do anything other than stare at Sesshoumaru's stoic countenance. She noticed the tenseness of his frame and the infinitesimal softening of his golden glare and knew that the Western Lord was sincere.

Warmth bloomed in her chest. The knot of pain that had weighed on her heart since she reappeared at the bottom of the well, overhearing how the man she loved considered her no more than an expedient measure to control the Tetsusaiga, finally dissolved. Sesshoumaru may still want her for that reason---it seemed to be her lot in life to be a tool for others to gain power---but he also cared for her enough to bend his pride and declare her under his protection.

"I do trust you, Sesshoumaru." A brilliant smile lit her face as she looked into her love's golden eyes, willing him to understand the depth of her message.

`I forgive you for those awful things you said. I still love you.'

"Spare me the touching moment," Naraku interjected dryly. "If you would get on with it, miko, we have a destination to reach."

Tearing her gaze away from the demon lord's, Kagome took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she looked deep within herself, searching for that elusive knowledge that always seemed to be hovering right on the edge of her consciousness. With a feeling of both triumph and dread, she grasped the edge of it. Pulling it to her, she dipped into lifetimes of experiences, searching, reaching…

Awareness flooded her mind as her power rose from the depths of her soul, answering her summons. Locking onto the lone, distant call tickling her senses, Kagome reassured herself that her grip on Sesshoumaru was secure before releasing the flood tide of energy that was her birthright.

Briefly, she felt a tug of satisfaction at the hiss of pain Naraku emitted when the purifying power wrapped around them, burning into his youkai flesh like acid.

Sesshoumaru felt nothing more than uncomfortable heat, protected from serious injury by Kagome's love for him. Then all sensation was wrenched from him as Kagome's will ripped them from reality as they knew it.

A/N: Oh, my God. I am soooo sorry for the long wait! (And not just because I have had so many death threats, either. ^^;;;) One thing led to another in this travesty I call "My Life", and the next thing I know…it's been over a month! Gah! And now I can't promise timely updates for a while longer because I've bruised a rib from coughing ---I have pneumonia now. Ick. Well, forgive this author, but as soon as I'm able, I'll be posting more. I swear on Kikyou's grave! *stomps on miko bitch's grave* See? Honest!

Oh! I have good news! I have this thing almost completely figured out now, and even down on paper in (extremely) rough form---and it looks like it's going to be at least another 10-15 chapters. *pauses thoughtfully* Then again, maybe that isn't good news for you guys. *shrugs* Hey, I can't deny the muse any longer. He is demanding to be given a voice! (And it's a loud, annoying, irritating voice that sounds suspiciously like Inuyasha. ^^) In the meantime, you know what to do, right? Let me know what you think!