Saeka is Gone?

Sesshomaru was coming back from the river when he felt a strong wind and looked up. "Kagura." He mumbled angrily. She must have been spying on them again. As she departed, he thought he saw a triumphant look on her cunning face. There was another passenger with her, someone with fiery red hair.

Wait. Fiery red hair. His eyes widened in anger and sudden fear. With sudden decisiveness, he dashed back to the campsite to find it in ruins. Rin was just untangling herself from a thorn bush, Ah-Un was nowhere to be seen and Jaken was cowering on the ground, muttering jumbled nonsense. The fire was out, but he could still see very easily. And he didn't like what he was seeing.

Saeka was missing.

" Rin!" he yelled. He hurried over and slashed the bush apart, freeing his young friend. " Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru." She said with an obvious hint of sadness in her voice. She crawled away from the bush and picked something up off the ground and held it to him. " We never stood a chance." She said dejectedly. Sesshomaru looked at what she was holding and felt his heart nearly split in two.

It was the sunflower he'd given Saeka.

" Rin, what happened?" he demanded, trying to remember that she was only human and there was nothing she could have done even if she had been prepared.

" It was that lady, Kagura! She swooped down on the feather thing and someone else on it snatched Saeka and they took off! I couldn't do anything."

She fell to her knees, sobbing hysterically. Sesshomaru knelt down and gently raised her head up. " Rin, stop crying. There was nothing you could have done anyway, and I prefer that you did nothing. Kagura would have killed you. Just tell me which way she went." He said calmly. Rin sniffed and nodded. She pointed north.

" Thank you, Rin."

He ruffled her hair and stood up. " Jaken." He called. The little imp squealed and jumped to his feet. " Y-y-yes, my lord?" he stuttered.

" Find Ah-Un and get out of here. Go as far east as you can, until you reach the ocean. I will catch up with you. In fact, try to find…InuYasha and his friends." He said grudgingly. Before Jaken could protest, Sesshomaru had already taken off into the night sky. Jaken sighed and turned to Rin. " You heard him! Help me look for Ah-Un!" he called. Rin nodded and sighed.

" Good luck, Lord Sesshomaru. Please, bring her back." She whispered into the wind. She trailed after Jaken.

Sesshomaru followed Kagura's scent after managing to pick it up in the air. He found he could also detect Saeka's if he concentrated. But it was very faint. Kagura was covering it up somehow. This was another reason why he had to take Saeka back to Mt. Hakurei. Her abilities as a healer were quite desirable. Naraku would want those abilities for himself, if not to make her a part of him, then to force her to heal those around him. And he knew that as long as Saeka believed that he or the others were in danger, she would do whatever Naraku said. He remembered what Naraku could be like, and he was forced to close his eyes to banish the thought of what Saeka would be turned into if she were made to cooperate. No, as much as he wanted her to now, she just couldn't be with him anymore. She had to return to Mt. Hakurei, where even half-demons such as Naraku couldn't easily enter. He had finally realized it.

He loved Saeka.

Kagura landed outside Naraku's castle and led Attar as he half-dragged, half-carried his unconscious sister through the dank hallways to Naraku. Once again, the door opened and he stepped in. Naraku didn't seem the least bit surprised that Attar had actually returned with the girl instead of killing her. He threw Saeka down on the floor before him. " I changed my mind. Kagura said that you desire power. Well, go ahead and take Saeka's if you want. She has healing abilities, and you could easily use them. I'll admit, I hate her, but her power is useful."

Naraku stared at the healer. He seemed to be considering it.

" Tell me," he said. " Was Sesshomaru anywhere nearby when you took her?" he asked.

" I believe he was just returning." Kagura said. Naraku smiled evilly.

" All the better. If he knows that you were responsible for her kidnapping, he'll come looking for her. I'll have yet another chance to take his demonic power for my own."

" I get it. A double-play on the two fools." Attar said. " You're good."

Naraku narrowed his eyes and grinned. " This is only the beginning."

" What should we do with her?" Attar asked.

" I'm not in a position to take her powers quite yet and if you two did your job well, Sesshomaru won't arrive until much later. Such as, covering up her scent." He added. Kagura gulped.

" When the time is right, I will absorb her into my body and her powers will be mine. But for now, leave her here. I can keep an eye on her. And, if Sesshomaru shows up, she'll make a good hostage. At least until my own powers kick in."

Attar and Kagura nodded. Both of them left the room, leaving Saeka lying on the floor, still out cold. Naraku grinned. " Healing abilities, huh? I believe those will be put to good use in just an hour or so." He stared out the window at the moon. He turned his head slightly. " Kanna." He said into the darkness. The little girl appeared, clutching her mirror. " Yes?"

" There is one part of my plan I did not tell him. It involves your mirror."

A/N: Yes, it's a short chapter, but it's useful. I'll post the chapter after this fast. I still have a ways to go on this and people really seem to like this story. I always enjoy getting reviews, though they aren't required and I absolutely don't mind flames. Just don't flame too hard.