Evening all

I had a sudden urge to indulge my nerdy side. I love all things Inuyasha, but true to my usual attractions, it's the bad boys that get me grinning. (Though I will admit, the dog has a certain charm)

Anyway, this will be a not-quite romance about one of Naraku's many incarnations. I would like to go ahead and warn those who have never read any of my fics that I am a very violent person. This story will reflect that. I like rough, dysfunctional relationships and bloody fun. This will not be a fluff romance or a happy-go-lucky story. It's told by one of the bad guys.

Umeko is not a good person. She will not become a good person.

If this bothers you, find some fluffy fiction and stay there. For those that enjoy things on the darker side, enjoy.

(Side note: Sesshy will be introduced in a later chapter, for now lets learn about our deadly little Umeko. Also, because this is based on an anime, I'm being a little outlandish with it, hence the wolf. Because really, why the hell not? ^_^)

-Calamity-

Episode 1

First Breath

It is a strange sensation, being born.

When I first felt myself forming; bones hardening like steel, muscle wrapping itself around them. My skin slid across me and tightened, almost uncomfortably and my mouth flew open to draw its first breath of life. The sensation was painful, as air scraped itself across the tender newborn flesh of my throat and into my lungs. They expanded, filling my chest until I thought it might burst, then released.

"Open your eyes." The voice that pierced the darkness was smooth and cold. It wrapped itself around me like a perfumed curl of smoke, and I inhaled the words. Became them. "Look upon your new world."

At first, everything was too bright, even in the dimly lit room. But mine were eyes that had never been used; sensitive. The voice echoed about the room as a soft amused chuckle, while I blinked away the slight pain. The room was blurred at first, but slowly came to focus as I learned how control my new body.

My limbs trembled, as they had never been used, but I was strong enough to push myself up, and growing stronger every second. I lifted my hand, closing and opening my fingers. They were slender, as it seemed, was the rest of me, and tipped with nails sharp enough to be considered claws. Looking down I found that I sat naked on the matted floor of this dark room, scorch marks surrounding my body.

"Tell me," the voice murmured, soothing and cruel all at once, "What is your name?"

My jaw worked silently at first, tongue sliding experimentally across my top row of teeth. My canines were pointed, slightly longer then the rest. I had fangs. When I finally spoke, my own voice was soft and just as smooth as the other's, but feminine, sultry. (Though I'm not sure how I understood these concepts)

"My name is Umeko." I said slowly. Thick tendrils of deep red hair slid across my shoulder like silk. My hair was long enough to conceal my naked body, though I was not uncomfortable with it. I had never worn clothes, how could I miss them?

Finally, my eyes lifted to find this cold, masculine voice in the darkness. And when I found him, it was enough to halt my breath for only a moment.

He was tall, my master, (Somehow I understood without being told that he was my master. My creator) with long, black hair, that curled down his back from the leather thong that bound it. As I gazed at him, something coiled in the pit of my stomach that I could only interpret as attraction. He was handsome, my master, but I was not set at ease by his pleasant appearance. Strictly the opposite.

"Do you understand what you are?" he asked, watching me with dark brown eyes. When he shifted, they caught the light of the full moon outside, and seemed to turn red.

I nodded, frowning at the floor as bits of my brain flicked on, one by one, like switches. Somehow, I understood that I was a demon, forged from his power with a consciousness of my own. I would be stronger than 10 mortal men once I left this place, and would grow stronger as time passed. I was faster, my stamina incredible. And more importantly, I had, deep inside me, a power that writhed like a coil of snakes, and demanded to be used.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked, tilting his head. Again I nodded, watching him as he circled me in the small room from my place on the floor.

"You are called Naraku." I replied, and speaking the name seemed to agitate the power within me. It swelled, and batted at its cage, a beast all its own, demanding that I use it. That it be set free.

"Good." Naraku smiled, but it was a cruel expression. "Now, I suppose you are starving."

As if on que, my stomach growled and I wrapped an arm around it, starring down at the flat expanse of flesh with a frown. Naraku chuckled again and looked to the door. It slid open to admit a whimpering man, a soldier, and another like me. I knew her as if we had grown up together, because essentially we had. We were of the same body, the same power. Naraku had taken us from inside himself. Her name was Kagura.

Naraku sat back against the wall beside a window. Getting comfortable for the show. "Before you eat…" he smiled, and the soldier was tossed onto his knees before me, "You have abilities."

I nodded, my own lips curling back into a wicked smile to rival his own.

"Show me."

My body no longer trembled when I stood; now completely formed and powerful. The soldier seemed shocked when he saw me, completely bare save the crimson hair that flowed down to my thighs. His mouth bobbed open and closed like a fish, until he met my eyes and drew a frightened breath.

"Demon." The word was a vile hiss, spoken like a curse, and it made something inside of me twist and boil. This was anger, I realized. I had been insulted. I did not give him the chance to push me further.

My arm lifted, fingers curled down toward the floor, then, with a flick of my wrist, they lifted. The human gave a strangled cry before his eyes widened and went blank. His body sagged, arms lifting at the elbows as if he were suspended by invisible strings. Smiling, I lifted one finger above the others and watched as the soldier's arm rose higher as well.

"It is an amusing trick, "Naraku spoke suddenly and my eyes flicked to him, narrowing slightly, "But this can not be the extent of your power."

Again I felt that warm coil of anger in my gut. I would show him power. Turning back to my solider puppet, I shifted my fingers, willing him to obey me, though he would have no choice anyway. The human straitened, his expression hardening to something almost angry, and he reached for his sword. Moving as if he were made of liquid, he drew the weapon and took to the air. His blade came down just beside Kagura, destroying the sliding paper door and making her gasp. I will admit it was a petty attempt to show at least one person that I was not to be pushed around.

The wind sorceress drew her fan and hissed as my soldier took stance, starring at her blankly. With the slightest twitch of my fingers, he dashed forward, his blade slicing through the air so fast it was no more than a glinting blur of silver. He moved faster than any human, wielding his sword with the fluid grace of and otherworldly accuracy of a demon. Kagura defended herself as best she could, deflecting blows and leaping from the window to the vast courtyard beyond.

"Naraku!" she cried, but our master only watched, a tiny smile curling one corner of his mouth. My soldier followed, reigning blows upon her too fast to track, until, with a shriek of fury, she lifted her fan and summoned her own power. That had been my intent, at least in part, from the beginning. To see and weigh her abilities against my own.

I had been born an ambitious creature.

Red waves of her energy shredded my soldier where he stood and his body fell in strips of steaming meat onto the dirt. For a moment there was only the wind, and the sound of Kagura's heavy breathing as she looked from her master to me with rage in her eyes. Naraku glanced at me, titling his head, as if to say: Is that all? And with a grin I held out my hand, fingers spread, then closed it into a tight fist.

The soldier's remains began to quiver on the ground, then with wet, slick sounds, he began to pull himself back together. Kagura could not hide the horrified shock from her face, stumbling back a step as my soldier once again raised his sword. He was bloody and his wounds were visible, but there he stood, ready for battle.

Naraku stood then, clapping, and moved toward me. "Impressive, Umeko. And how many can you command as you do this one?"

"Dozens." I replied. "Armies, if I must." And speaking it, I knew it to be true. Naraku smiled wickedly. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he assessed this. Added me to his list of weapons. He would use me against his enemies; control their leaders, if he wished. But knowing this, a new anger filled me.

Despite my understanding of my place, I did not want to be used. I would not be his puppet as the soldier was mine. When I turned, the soldier outside crumpled to the ground, his body splitting back into its various pieces and covering the dirt with dark blood. The scent filled the air, and urged me on as I lifted my hand toward my master.

My power stretched from my fingertips as it had before. Curled itself around him and tightened like a second skin. Naraku felt the invasion almost immediately, his eyes narrowing. But when I lifted my fingers, he did not move. Did not even twitch. My frown made him laugh and he moved toward me.

"You think that you could control me?" his hand lashed out, gripping my wrist painfully tight and I yelped. Physical pain was a new sensation, one that I did not enjoy. "Stupid girl."

He tossed me to the ground like a ragdoll and suddenly I couldn't breathe. My lips parted on a silent scream as I writhed at his feet, filled with a pain I could not identify. Naraku looked down at me like one observing an insect. I could feel him inside me, like fire in my blood, boiling my body from the inside out.

"You will never try that again." He spoke calmly, starring down at me with bored, red eyes. I tried to agree, but the pain kept me from my words. He let me suffer like that for what seemed hours, writhing in agony at his feet. Then, with a sigh, the pain vanished and I drew a ragged breath, releasing it as a tiny sob.

"Go, now, Umeko." He commanded, returning to his place by the window. "Feed and return to me. There is much to do and no time to waste."

This time, when I stood, I was trembling again, but he didn't notice. He didn't even acknowledge me; just stared out the window into the sky. I moved quickly from the room, my jaw clenched.

My first day living, and already I had been smashed down into my place by a master I knew I would grow to hate. Kagura and myself would have much in common. The sound of my stomach growling reminded me that I had never eaten; something I looked forward to experiencing. I would find a village, if one was near, or even a straggler, then feed and clothe myself and return to Naraku. To my master.

Again the power inside me rattled its bars, but now it was different. As I moved toward the gate of the castle, I felt it growing, clawing at me from within. There was something else here, something I had not discovered about myself. The energy writhed and swelled until I felt it just under my skin. It filled me until I feared I would burst, as if there was no room for me in my own body anymore.

The pain was steadily increasing as I staggered to the gate and down the path away from the castle. It pulsed in my head, beating like thunder behind my ears. I lifted my hand to my head, grasping it in an attempt to hold back the growing agony. Was this more of Naraku's punishment? It did not feel like him. The energy was my own.

With a cry of pain, I fell against a tree, digging my claws into the bark as I slid to my knees. I felt as if something were trying to dig itself out of my body. I doubled over and clenched my teeth, in far too much pain to think, let alone fight back against the assault.

I felt my back split, felt the first of the claws as they tore themselves out of me. I screamed, and white light exploded behind my eyes, blinding me. Or was it around me? Something growled, and I collapsed onto the ground panting and shaking uncontrollably.

Sweat beaded off my forehead and I grit my teeth against the residual pain as it slowly seemed to melt away. What was happening? Was I dying? Had Naraku decided he didn't need to waste the time on a disobedient servant like myself?

But then I felt the soft brush of fur across my back, and a warm, wet tongue lapped across my cheek. Something whimpered above me, something canine. I blinked away the last of the white light and rolled onto my back to find a beast standing above me.

A wolf, far bigger than the naturally born, with fur black as a raven's feathers. His tail and feet were the same red as my hair, giving him the look of some kind of demon, and when his opened his mouth, there were two separate rows of teeth within. Like a shark.

He was a demon, but as I gazed at him, I knew that he was an extension of myself. The bit of boiling energy that had writhed in my gut and until now had not taken form. The wolf knelt at my side to nuzzle against my cheek and I smiled, knowing that when I reached out, he would not harm me. Why would he? The creature pulled back to gaze at me with blood-colored eyes, and the intelligence there was almost jarring. I sat up slowly, wincing with the last of the pain that birthed him, and sighed.

"You hurt me." I said slowly, "Just like Naraku."

The wolf bowed its head, giving a high animal whine that I could only interpret as an apology. When I lifted my hand, he licked my fingers, nudging me with his nose until I gave in and began stroking his head. The great beast sat down beside me with a contented huff and closed his eyes, resting his head across my lap. He was big enough that I could ride on his back, should I wish, and I knew without question that he would protect me above all else.

"I suppose you have a name?" I asked, because I knew he could understand me. The wolf opened one eye and looked up at me, then huffed and closed it again. The message was clear.

Duh.

"And what is it?" I asked hesitantly. He couldn't speak, but seemed to be able to communicate with me just fine so far. We were connected; it stood to reason that I could hold conversation with the demon, at least to some extent.

The wolf lifted his head slowly, and gazed steadily into my eyes. For a moment even the sounds of the forest around us became silent. We were still, watching each other and waiting, until, like a spark of electricity, I felt the last bit of my new brain snap into place.

"Jei." I murmured, "Your name is Jei."

The wolf nodded once then stood, stretching his powerful body and yawning. Then, looking bored, he reached out and closed his jaws lightly around my wrist and pulled. I stood with a frown and patted his head, which rested just below my breasts when we stood side by side.

"Do you know where to find food?" I asked, gazing into the dark forest. Jei turned his head and sniffed at the air. A soft growl rumbled from deep in his chest and he turned back to me, nodding again. That was a yes.

"Can you take me there? And I'll need to find clothes."

Jei huffed, unconcerned by the latter, but stretched out his front paw and knelt forward. For a moment, I didn't understand, but after he shot me an impatient look and tossed his head, I grinned and kicked my leg over his back. My feet just barely touched the ground, but sitting here now felt like it was meant to be. It felt right, and normal; running my fingers through his fur was comforting and stole away all thoughts of the master I would return to, come dawn.

As Jei took off into the woods, I wondered idly if Naraku knew of him, but then that was a stupid question wasn't it? I had been made of Naraku, and Jei of me. We were all one in the same. No doubt Naraku would hold just as much power over my new found friend as he had me. The thought of Jei in pain like that sent a sharp snap of rage through me and I tightened my grip on his mane as we flew through the trees, almost to fast to see.

The wolf rumbled deep in his chest, which I understood to be his comforting me. He could feel my anger and even the ripple of fear and was telling me to ignore them. Tonight we would feed. We would play, and forget about Naraku and anything he planned for us.

Tonight we would be free and when the morning came, we would return, like dutiful servants, and accept the demands of our master.

Hope you liked the first chapter, leave me some reveiws if you can, because they usually are the biggest motivation to continue.

Also, because I'm a loser, I have a link to the image that inspired Jei if anyone is interested. Hopfully, I'll sketch out Umeko as well and you can get a better idea of her appearance.

Until next time.

Jei, the wolf demon -(add to beginning since it wont post full, remove spaces) http:// s109. photobucket

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