Author Note: I just want to thank anyone who reads this, and I want to especially thank all that review. The reviews are my elixir and help me write! (I know, that sounds kinda corny) but it's true. Without the reviews this story would be in the trash right now.

It's getter a little more difficult to continue it though, I'm not gonna lie. I have a delightfully horrible habit of writing scenes that happen way further on in the story (don't ask why, I don't know) before they happen. In a way they help because I want to write up to them, but sometimes I just want to say 'forget it'. But you know, I like the scenes I wrote for later on so much, that I'm gonna try and see this story through to the end. So please enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of InuYasha, they're Rumiko Takahashi's not mine.

Chapter Six

InuYasha blinked his eyes once at her, and then looked down at the arrow in his chest. Kagome looked down in horror as she realized she was the one who shot the arrow. She whipped the bow away and ran to the base of the tree and tried to pull the arrow out, but it would not budge. He caught her hand in his as she began to cry.

"Why, Kagome?" He asked her quietly.

Kagome just shook her head in disbelief and sobbed, "I didn't mean to! I didn't know!" He lifted her chin with his thumb to look her in the eye. His chest was unusually warm against her hands… he felt so good…

"Kagome," InuYasha whispered softly before claiming her lips in a soft kiss. Kagome gasped audibly against his lips and then suddenly he went limp, and when she drew back, her lips were coated in his blood. She tried to wipe if off with her hand as she felt the tears renew in her eyes, but more blood replaced what was smeared away.

And she screamed…

Kagome's eyes snapped open she looked around, unusually cold. A trembling hand reached up to fell her forehead and she was drenched wet. The man she had learned was Naraku's reincarnation stood with a bucket clutched in his hands, water dripping down the sides.

"Wake up," he whispered.

Kagome shook her head and squeezed her hair try, still shaky from her nightmare, though she never took her eyes off the man in front of her. "What?" She finally asked when he noticed he was staring.

He didn't answer, but his stare morphed into more of a leer.

She scooted backward until she hit the wall, pressing the soaked material of her haori further to herself. This reminded her that it was way too cold to be wet in such cold weather. 'I wonder if Sesshoumaru will save me… no, probably not,' she answered herself dejectedly. 'He's not the 'hero' type, is he?'

Naraku's reincarnation dropped down to his knees before her and came closer to her.

Kagome looked around nervously. "Y-you know… Ritsu is just using you to get to S-Sesshoumaru…" she shivered, already feeling a horrible chill scamper up her spine, and not just from the cold.

The man cocked his head to the side and laughed. "Or is it me that it using her? Did you ever think of it that way?" He was only a few inches in front of her now, and she desperately hoped that maybe there was a trap door behind her and it would throw her into some strange room with a three-headed monster. Anything better than this.

"Yeah… well m-maybe you can just use each other and be happy, like the assholes you both are," she said through gritted teeth. With that she stood up and carefully slid her back along the wall until she was a few feet away from him.

He stood and followed.

"Stop following me…" she said a little nervously, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Why would I do that? Did Ritsu not say that you were to obey me? Or else I would harm you?"

'Good point,' she thought to say, but would rather not have admitted he was right and she was wrong when she was backed into a corner as it was. She settled for biting down on her lip harder, almost tearing the skin.

The reincarnation came to stand in front of her once again and his hand traced the fine ivory skin of her neck, before enclosed his fingers around her jugular, threatening to tighten his hold. Kagome whimpered softly then noticed his face go rigid. She noticed now that a youkai was in the dark room with them, a familiar youki filling the space.

Sesshoumaru pressed the tip of Tetsusaiga into the flesh of the dark-haired mans neck, assure that he would cut through if he so much as made a move. "Release the human…" he said.

Kagome recognized his voice instantly and bit back a relieved sob. She felt the mans fingers twitch on her neck, and then loosen reluctantly. 'Good. Kagome, now you know you were wrong. Maybe Sesshoumaru is the hero type. Okay, just focus on surviving right now and you can beat the crap out of yourself later.' She slid herself against the wall away from the aggressor and hope that he would not come near her anymore.

"Sesshoumaru," he said.

Sesshoumaru's ears perked at the familiar deep voice and felt his chest go cold, eyes widening marginally. "Naraku," he let a lethal growl slip between gritted fangs.

The man twisted his head so that he was looking at the Taiyoukai. "Not quite."

Sesshoumaru, a tad perplexed, though it never showed on his well-masked face, sniffed the air. "You…" the demon lord tried to piece the little details together.

"I'm Naraku's reincarnation. But I suppose you could call me Naraku, if you wish." He suddenly ducked down and went for a blade at his hip. Sesshoumaru saw it coming and leapt back deftly, landing in a crouching position, Tetsusaiga aimed forward.

Kagome gaped at the large sword Sesshoumaru held. It looked larger than it did when in InuYasha's possession, as though it went through a greater transformation while with Sesshoumaru. She looked from one man to the other, swords both drawn and pointed.

Sesshoumaru stood perfectly still, statuesque, as he stared down his opponent.

"How sweet, the Famous Lord of the West, known for his hatred and many killing sprees of the humans, is here protecting one!" The re-birthed Naraku laughed. "What has changed you, My Lord?" He hissed mockingly.

Sesshoumaru's face twisted into a snarl and his hand coiled around his swords hilt tightened, claws biting into the flesh of his pale palm. He slid one foot slightly back, and readied to strike. The aura from Tetsusaiga whirled through the room, sending a warm current in every which way.

Kagome's hair lifted in the gust and she felt her cold, soaked skin become delightfully warmer, if only by a fraction.

Before Sesshoumaru built up the swords power to its full extent he saw the incarnate move quickly, and pulled Kagome in front of him, sword against her neck. "You strike me down and I take your human with me,"

Kagome felt the vibration of his words thickly against her ear and tried to writhe out of his grip.

The power that had built up to a choking state suddenly vanished, expelling from the room, though his expression clearly wrote that he wished to continue, to slay the man, to feel his blood through his claws. Red eyes, once gold, glared through the fog created by his rage as he re-sheathed his sword. Kagome's captor took her by the hair and threw her down on the floor at Sesshoumaru's feet. Sesshoumaru's eyes diverted to look at the girl not even for a second, but when he looked back up, the reborn Naraku had disappeared.

Kagome pushed herself up onto her elbows and gazed up at the demon lord who had saved her life so uncharacteristically through eyes becoming overshadowed by tears. She sniffled and got up onto her feet.

"Why did you come save me?" She wondered aloud.

Sesshoumaru stared at her blankly, wondering why she would ask such a silly question. But he found, rather oddly, that her silly question had no answer.

"Why?!" she cried.

"You are alive, does it mat-" he was cut off as the miko came forward and enveloped him in a crushing hug. She sobbed against him and buried her face into his chest, holding him for dear life. Sesshoumaru just stared down at her awkwardly, but for some reason he did not push her away.

Author Note: Squee!!! I know, I know, it was short. I wish I could have made this chapter longer, but I had run out of ideas and I figured that might be a nice ending to it. There will be more, don't worry. Please, please, please and please review!! It would be much appreciated.