It was brought to my attention that I have been neglecting to post chapters on I'm posting the next three right now, but for those of you who aren't die hard fans, I also post on Dokuga and you can find more chapters there!

Sorry for the wait!


My father always told me how proud he was of my flying; he encouraged me to work with his unit every day until I was the best flier there. When I was little, only four in human years, I was already maneuvering as well as the older boys; at seven, I could out maneuver even the best fliers in my father's unit. At eighteen I won the men's races.

With each new ability I discovered in my flying, I could hear my father's praise once again; he would beam down at me and say,

"That's my little tsuki." Daddy patted my head and smiled big at me.

"Pa-pa! I am no moon! Ka-go-me!" I harrumphed, crossing my arms over my chest. Papa laughed his big, big laugh with his head back looking at the sky.

"Come 'ere you." He rumbled, scooping me up in his arms and lifting me way up into the sky, and spinning round and round.

"Pa-pa! Down! Pa-pa!" I screamed, laughing.

"But you are my little tsuki! With hair like night time and skin like the moon! Tsuki!" He laughed and laughed…

Kikyou continued to laugh as I lay there, for the second time, completely helpless.

"Kikyou, stop, this isn't funny. You're hurting her!" InuYasha's voice sounded so scared, but I didn't even have the courage to try and look at him, I could already feel the beginnings of the tearing pain in my back, and it was more than enough to scare me into not moving. I was hardly breathing for fear of making the damage any worse. It would be weeks before the damage healed already.

"It's not a joke, Yasha," I could hear the contempt in her voice, "I'm just evening the playing field."

I screamed in pain, drowning out whatever response InuYasha made. Burning, searing, tearing, then numb. My whole back went numb, but it didn't stop me from feeling her rip the second wing from my back seconds later. My vision spun a bit as I felt Kikyou's weight leave my back, but I staggered to my feet.

"I'll give you to the count of three, Kagome, and then I'm coming after you again, and if I catch you we will see how well you fly without your wings..." her voice trailed away into a laugh, and I glanced desperately at InuYasha, who was already making his way towards Kikyou.

"One," she cackled, and I took off running into the trees. The pain in my back was so intense, every step jarred my back, but I had to get away. I hoped InuYasha would be able to stop her, but he only prince by relation to Kikyou, she was the true ruler and in the end he would have to bow to her will just as everyone else must. Running was too slow, surely she would catch me; I needed to fly.

I abandoned the thought just as quickly as I'd had it, I couldn't possibly fly with the pain I was already in, no I'd just have to hope that she would over look me, that my silent run through the trees would send her racing off after a phantom. I just needed to make it outside the border of the village, out of the reach of the patrols. They would not let Kikyou leave, and I could survive long enough for her to lose interest.

With this plan in mind I continued to run. I stopped only a moment to tie up the now ruined kimono I wore, abandoning the top layer and pulling the skirts and tying them at my hip to keep them from tripping me up. A roll in the dirt would surely hide me better than continuing in my glaring white, but the thought of dirt in the open wounds in my back was enough to prevent me from risking it. I ran until I felt my back go numb for a second time then I slowed to a jog, I would keep moving until I was safe.

The sound of breaking branches and shrill cries reached my ears and I began to run again, Kikyou must have found some way to follow me, I glanced at the ground behind me and groaned, I'd bled enough to soak the back of my kimono and leave a trail.

The thought came again, I needed to fly. This time I couldn't dismiss it. The branches around me began to thin as I pushed off the ground willing my back to stay numb as I fought to fly. Luck was not in my favor, pain ripped across my shoulders, as I beat the air with phantom wings, but I had to keep going. I bit my lip to stifle and sounds I would have otherwise made and kept flying.

To say flying was generous, I fell through the air, barely managing to keep from running into things as I went. How did the other faeries do it? With only two wings I had no sense of how to maneuver like I had before. A whole new respect was born in me for the other warriors who challenged me to competitions of flight. That being said, I was barely managing to stay in the air, and only moving a little bit faster than I had been running. I just had to hope that I was far enough ahead to keep away from Kikyou.

"I see you, little Kagome!" Kikyou's shout startled me and lost my concentration, diving for the ground. I managed to catch myself before I hit swinging up into an arc that took me vertical. It was too much, I didn't know how to fly crippled like this, and I fell to the ground in a heap skidding across the ground on my back.

I must have blacked out momentarily, because when I opened my eyes Kikyou was circling above me, looking like a cat about to pounce on its prey.

The combination of fear and pain was too much and my vision faded to black.

"Come on, Kagome, help me out here…" InuYasha mumbled, obligingly I wrapped my arms around his neck as he scooped me up off the ground. The movement pulled at the tears in my back and I winced, but I was in shock and the pain was not so bad. It was dark out, and InuYasha was alone here to save me once again. "It's gonna be okay, Kagome, you're gonna be okay." He kept saying, over and over and I didn't understand why until we were flying and the wind cooled the wet tracks down my cheeks. I buried my face in his shoulder, trying to hide the tears. As I turned my head I caught a glimpse of the ground behind us, two bright yellow wings, crumpled and bloody, lay on the ground.

"I do not know how to treat this, InuYasha. It is very bad, four holes in her back that I cannot close for fear of preventing her wings from coming back." There was a long pause, "What has happened to this poor child, InuYasha? Who would do such an appalling act?" Silenced fell, there was the sounds of motion, jars and bowls clinking together, then the familiar sound of herbs being ground into a mixture. Kaede uttered a disapproving and heavy footsteps moved away.

"It was the Princess, Kikyou." Something dropped to the ground and shattered, the door slid open and closed with a click.

"Pa-pa, Pa-pa! Come quick!"

"Kagome?!" Papa was running towards me, "Kagome what is it? Are you ok?"

"Watch, Pa-pa!" I spun around in circles as fast as I could trying to keep my feet in the same spot just like my spinning top did on the ground beside me. When I got dizzy I stopped, falling to the ground on my back. "Did you see pa-pa? Did you see!?"

Papa was laughing, big laughing.

"Watch papa, now, Tsuki." Papa spun like me, faster and faster until his feet left the ground and he was flying just like a top in the air!

"Ww-ah-oh! Me try, Pa-pa! Me try me try!" Arms out to my sides I spun in little circles, just like papa. He laughed at my antics; think me too young yet to fly.

"That's right, my little Tsuki, you keep trying, papa has to finish working now." He started to walk away, laughing again.

"Just like pa-pa! Look, Look!" I shouted.

"I saw you already, Tsuki, I saw."

"No, Pa-pa!" I demanded, "Look now!" and I was in the air before him, spinning just like papa, and just like my little toy top.

I was lying on a thin mat on the ground, face buried in a pillow, when I awoke again. There was an icy cool feeling on my shoulders that sent tingles through my back when I breathed.

"Come, child, help me with this." Kaede beckoned me, and I put my arms beneath my shoulders and pushed up. Immediately I regretted the action, as the icy tingles turned to hot pain and I cried out, collapsing back to the mat I laid on.

"Kagome-baka! What were you thinking?" InuYasha's gruff voice was in my ear almost instantly, as he fussed with the bindings on my back. "Kaede-sensei, she's bleeding again." Kaede mumbled some not very nice things about the "fussy patient who refused to lay still and heal" but came over and applied some more of the cold tingly stuff to my back.

"Lay still, Kagome, you only make things worse by moving." Kaede ordered, standing back up with a huff.

"You needed my help," I objected, "I heard you call for me." InuYasha laughed loudly, covering whatever it was Kaede had begun to say,

"Ba-ka," he teased, "That's why I'm here." He paused and his voice softened, "You need to focus on resting." I grumbled a response and they went about their work while I watched, peeking through my bangs. Eventually I fell asleep.

"Kagome!" Papa's shocked cry startled me and I fell, dropping to the ground as quickly as I left it.

"Owwie! Pa-pa made me fall! Meanie!" I stuck my tongue at him as he scooped me up in his arms, spinning me in big circles like I was flying again.

"You did it, Kagome! You were flying!" Papa was so happy that I had to smile too. "I'm so proud of you, my little Tsuki, you will be the best flier one day, mama and papa will be so proud!"

"Papa, where is mama?"

I was running, moving so fast branches whipped into my skin. Someone was following me. My chest heaved my lungs were going to burst.

I heard a crash behind me. I turned to look and stumbled. Tripped on a root and fell, catching my weight on my forearms I rolled through the momentum and surged back to my feet, it hurt, but a broken wrist hurt more. Something knocked into me from behind, sending me sprawling again.

This time I stayed down as pain ripped through my back, washing over me in waves.

"Shhh, little one." A cool touch, two hands on the outside of where my wings would be, fingers splayed towards the outside of my shoulder blades, "Who has done this to you?"

Kikyou's image appeared in my mind, but I couldn't make my voice work to tell her. Tears of frustration leaked from my eyes. "Shush, little one, it is alright. The thought is enough; I wouldn't know her name anyway." The whisper of cloth told me she was moving again, I turned my head to see but the woman was already disappearing into the trees.

"Follow me, little one, you will be safe."

"The cuts and bruises on her arms… What could they mean? Where did they come from?"

"I know not, child. You are sure she didn't have them before?"

"Feh." He scoffed, "Of course I am. I carried her here didn't I? I had plenty of time to see it then." There was a long pause, then, "Besides, How do you explain her back? You and I both know those weren't there before."

"InuYasha," I groaned, "What are you two whispering about?" There was some shuffling, then InuYasha's voice, much closer than before.

"It's nothing, Kagome. Don't worry about it." Sighing I rolled carefully onto my side so I could glare up at him, "Ah, don't, Kagome!" He fussed about until he could help me sit up, so my back faced his side. The blanket pooled around my hips and I realized that all I was wearing was the bandage around my back and breasts and my underwear. I mentally shrugged; he'd seen me in less before.

"Tell me, InuYasha, please." He sighed heavily, and reached cautiously around me, lifting my arm and turning it over. Along the length of my forearm were bruises and a few cuts, like I had fallen on it, I turned the other over and it was the same. "What else, you said there was something else?"

"It's just…" His hands moved to my back, "Here… there are some golden marks, like this," His hands on my back the same as the woman from my dream, "I don't know where they came from. You can barely see it, it's so pale, mostly we just noticed them glittering…"

The door slid shut with a click,

"I'll just go check on the others, Kaede." InuYasha mumbled as he left. Kaede came over to me and motioned for me to sit up.

"Come child, I need to see to the wounds on your back." I pushed myself up into seiza, which was much easier than other things I had tried, and Kaede began to unwind the bandages. "How do you feel, Kagome?" Her voice was apprehensive. I thought about it a minute then shrugged,

"I feel fine, Kaede-obasan." It was silent for a moment, "What's wrong?" Her hand traced four lines on my shoulders.

"It's nothing, child. You should rest." She was lying, I could tell, but I didn't push. I would just ask InuYasha later. Kaede re-bandaged my wounds, and when I didn't lay back down to rest a she'd said, fussed about making putting together some tea and a meal.

Warm herbed bread and fresh goat cheese, and a spiced tea were placed before me. "Thank you, Kaede-obasan." I murmured, as the smell of the bread wafted up to my nose. I spread the cheese into the warm slice, and ate it slowly, the first real food I'd had in days. While I was eating, InuYasha came back in, and I sat and watched the two of them work while I leaned on the table and sipped my tea.

My tea was still full when my eyes grew heavy and half full when it fell from my hand clattering loudly. InuYasha shouted my name, as the world began to tilt to one side. It wasn't until InuYasha caught me that I realized I was falling.

"Kagome are you alright? What's going on?" His words came to me slowly, as if through a fog. I couldn't speak. The next thing I know he was carrying me back to the mat where I've been sleeping, and then lowering me to the ground laying me down with my head in his lap.

I was scared. So completely terrified, what could have gone so poorly with my back that Kaede would drug me? Kaede, of all people.

InuYasha was making soothing noises trying to chase the fear from my expression. He ran his fingers through my hair, smoothing tangles and sending chills down my spine.

"I'll get you a blanket." He told me, starting to slide me from his lap so he could get up. I clutched his hakama tightly in protest, hoping he could see the pleading in my eyes. "Alright, Kagome, alright. Relax, I'll stay." He settled again, getting comfortable, before beginning to comb his fingers through my hair again.

I stopped fighting whatever it was that Kaede gave me, letting it do its work. I fell asleep still clutching InuYasha's hakama.

"I have given you a gift, my little one," it was the same woman I always dreamed about, "A great gift, but one that will take time to show its full potential." I turned my head to the sound of her voice, and saw her, flying beside me, holding my hand. "I must leave, little one. I have used the last of my strength," her voice and her image were fading as she spoke, "Be strong, my little one, there are many trials ahead of you."

She was gone and I was falling.

"What are you doing here, InuYasha?" My eyes flew open and I became aware of Kikyou's voice shattering the calm of the healing hut. I was still laying in InuYasha's lap my hair falling across my face, though InuYasha was cross-legged and my head and arm were draped across his thigh. I was facing away from him, so I could see the disgusted look on Kikyou's face as she came to stand in front of us.

"She is my friend, Kikyou, and she asked me to stay. I will not leave until she does as well." InuYasha's voice, hushed so as not to wake me. Kikyou pouted, sticking out her lower lip and batting her eyelashes at him. "No Kikyou, my answer is not up for debate."

She sighed dramatically and flopped gracelessly on the floor beside him, "Fine then, I'll just stay here too." InuYasha grunted noncommittally, but was obviously uncomfortable with her being here. Well so was I, she was the reason I was in so much pain… speaking of pain, I wasn't actually hurting so bad at the moment; that didn't mean I had to like Kikyou though.

They sat in silence for a while, and just as I was falling asleep again, I saw InuYasha reach his hand out to take hers.

When I awoke again Kikyou was sleeping on InuYasha's shoulder snoring softly. At some point I had rolled onto my back and loosened my bandages. I sat up, my back to the sleeping couple, clutching my bandages to my chest.

"Kagome?" InuYasha's voice startled me. "What happened?" his voice was groggy with sleep, and I tried not to laugh while I half turned to look at him.

"My bandage must have come off while I was sleeping somehow." I whispered, "Don't worry I'll ask Kaede to fix it. You should go back to sleep." I started to move away,

"Wait, Kagome," something in his voice made me turn back to look at him again, "You don't need new bandages, Kagome… Your back is," he paused, "Healed." There was astonishment in his voice and he traced the same four lines on my back that Kaede had before. "They scared pretty badly, Kagome," he wouldn't meet my eyes, "I'm sorry." I reached my hand up over my head and touched the same spot where InuYasha's hand had lingered.

Scar tissue, smoother than all the skin around it, pulled together in a knobby puckered line. I could feel it pull on the skin around it, like it was too tight on my body. Did this mean I'd never have wings again? Was this the gift the woman talked about? The one in my dream? It had to be, how else would I have healed so quickly? This must have been what Kaede was keeping from me, worried maybe, that I'd react poorly to never being able to fly again.

That thought stung. Never fly again. But I flew in the dream, surely that must mean something. There was my spark of hope, and I clung to it.

"Kagome?" InuYasha's voice, worried. I pulled my arm back down and twisted to look at him, twisted my back as far as I could, I smiled at him.

"I guess I'm all better, then, huh 'Yasha?" He seemed reassured, but still on edge. I decided a bit of mild revenge was in order, to help lighten the mood. I imagined Kikyou as she was, sleeping on InuYasha's shoulder, only drooling—a lot. I moved my far hand, the one out of InuYasha's sight, and pulled.

It took a few minutes, before InuYasha noticed the dampness on his shoulder, and by then most of his kimono top was wet. He looked at me, eyes wide in disgust. I raised my eyebrows at him, as if to say 'you're only just noticing this?'

"You saw!? And you didn't tell me?!" His voice was a shout and Kikyou awoke with a start, pulling away from InuYasha. I watched as she registered the dampness on her chin and cheek and reached up to wipe her face, she turned the color of a tomato when she saw InuYasha's kimono. I burst out laughing, still clutching my too lose bandages to my chest. "Oh, you think it's funny, do you?" InuYasha threatened, rising to his feet.

"And what if I do?" I replied standing as well. InuYasha began to unfasten his obi, a smirk on his face, before I could begin compare him to Naraku he spoke again,

"Then I'll just have to lend you my kimono so you can cover up." He laughed pulling the top layer of fabric out of his hakama.

"Oh no, I'm fine just like this, thanks." I answered hurriedly, backing away from him. He slipped the top from around his shoulders, holding it out towards me.

"No, no, Kagome, I must insist." And just like that InuYasha was chasing me around the room, just like we used to when we were little, only now I was in my underwear clutching scraps of cloth to my chest, and instead of chasing me with bugs or mud, InuYasha threatened me with a drool dampened cover for my near nakedness.

"Quickly Kagome, get dressed, someone is here to get you." Kaede's worried voice woke me as she bustled about my small borrowed room, pulling out a sturdy white gi for me to put on.

"Here to get me?" I questioned, as I stood and began dressing, grabbing a high necked undershirt to wear over my breast band and under the rough material of the new gi top. I really needed InuYasha to go scavenge the clothing from my house for me; my old gis were much softer. There was a soft tap on the door frame.

"Kaede-san, it is requested that she wear these." Kikyou's voice came through the screen, she slid the door open, placed the clothing on the floor, closed the door and left.

"Kaede, what's going on?" I questioned, still wearing just my underwear and the undershirt. Kaede sighed heavily, turning to face me.

"Naraku and the council have heard of your recovery, child. They have sent a messenger to deliver you to Naraku's estates." I took a deep breath, fear gripped me, but I could not fight, if they knew I was here already, and if ran, Kaede would pay for my defiance. Grimacing I picked up the clothing, a purple kimono with a white obi, and began to get dressed. My arm slipped into the first sleeve easily, but some part of the stretch to get my arm into the second sleeve set off a spasm of pain.

I was on the ground doubled over almost before I realized what had happened. "I'm alright," I answered Kaede's question, "I must not be completely healed yet, but I'll be fine. Don't worry." I finished dressing, albeit a bit more carefully and looked at myself in the mirror.

The purple of the kimono was dark, highlighting my pale skin, and I almost would have liked it, except for the crest. The bottom of the sleeves had the general's crest along the hem and outer sides in white, and the obi had a trailing line of crests across the front in purple turning into a solid line of purple at the ends. The crest itself was rather creepy; it depicted octopus tentacles reaching up out of a wave, grasping at the air like it was searching for something to drag into the depths. I smoothed the front of the kimono, turning my back to the mirror.

'I can do this.' I thought to myself, I faced Kaede, who was fussing over the bow of my obi, saying it wasn't ornate enough, trying to retie it, straightening it on my back. I brought her to face reality with me,

"Stop this fussing Kaede; he'd prefer I tied it in the front anyway, though I don't plan to make things that easy for him." Saying it like that, putting the reality of it there for us both to examine helped me to steel myself for what I knew was to come.

She hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back even though it sent tingles of pain down my spine. When she stepped away there were tears in her eyes. I walked to the door, sliding it open and stepping through, I thanked Kaede, and bowed, starting to slide the door shut. Just before I couldn't see her anymore, she said,

"I'm sorry, Kagome."

"Me too."

"Get up." Naraku's voice roused me from the light doze I'd finally managed.

"Nnhhm," I groaned stretching the soreness out of my limbs, careful not to pull the scars on my back in a way that would set off the pain. I'd been here for seven weeks already, and the routine was always the same.

Naraku'd wake me up for morning training with the other warriors, had to keep things seeming normal he didn't want to mar his reputation, then his hands all over me while he dressed me, 'My job as your new caretaker', sometimes he'd get overly excited and there would be sex, but my participation was always minimal and I had learned to lock myself away in my mind for the duration; that didn't stop me from flinching every time a man got too near or waking up screaming the few nights I did sleep, but Naraku didn't get the satisfaction of seeing my reactions anymore.

Next, of course, was training, I'd been good before, but these days the men were almost afraid to face me. When I was fighting one on one even two or three to one, I was fine so long as I didn't let them get close enough to touch me, but after that, when they got close enough for hand to hand combat, and the irrational panic started to kick in some switch in my head took me to the next level and I stopped pulling hits and started fighting with a ferocity that came from too many nights of abuse. After a while, Naraku stopped setting them all against me at once, most of the time it was almost as if I were any other warrior, well until I got off the training field anyway.

From there I made breakfast of his choice, served it to him in the private dining area of his monstrosity, I mean mansion, and fed him his meal. I served him and fed him now without a thought, it was another time where I could go off in my mind and let my body work with only minimal conscious thought. At first I had fought him on this, he obviously had plenty of paid servants to do it for him, but he'd insisted with his fists, and eventually I stopped fighting. I cooked and hand fed him all of his meals, though mine were served to me in a much different manner.

The rest of my time was mostly filled with sex or spent locked in my room. Or both.

Today was no different, but I had a plan to escape.

"I said, get up." A hand in my hair lifted me when I wasn't quick enough. "I'm hungry, make me some fish." He threw me forward, finally releasing my hair, and I stumbled.

"May I get dressed at least?" I demanded, pulling the blue silk robe closed around me. This was one of my favorites because his crest was only on the back, so I couldn't see it. He did actually take the time to think about my question before answering,

"Hmmm," he eyed me appreciatively in the mirrored wall, "No, no I think it will be much more enjoyable for both myself and others to watch you cook just as you are." I saw the grin spread across his face and sighed. These days I had no undergarments to speak of, and usually just dressed in kimono outside of training, today I had been taken for a bath, surprisingly without Naraku, and was lounging in the bath robe when I dozed off.

"Fine then." I brushed past him, crouching down to retrieve the tie that had come off in my sleep. The skirt was short, really short, only falling a few inches past the split of my legs, so I had to work not to flash him. I had a nice bed, as Naraku spent almost as much time in it as I did, but it was low to the ground and with each wall acting as a mirror, I had to pay close attention to my actions. I had a grasp of the strip of material when Naraku's foot connected with my ribs. I hopped to the side trying not to fall, but stumbled on the uneven ground and fell anyway, sprawling across the corner of the bed. The dark blue material of the robe fell across my legs and covered one breast; even I noticed the stark contrast of my pale skin against the dark backdrop of the robe. I quickly scrambled to my feet, still clutching the tie to my robe.

"Just as you are, I said," He hissed at me, ripping the material from my grasp. There was something about my face in the mirror when he did this, something wrong, but I didn't have time to figure it out, "Now, bitch, I'm hungry." His hand on my lower back ushered my out the door, and I pulled my robe tightly shut once again.

The temperature change was instant, the breeze chilling me, I shivered and my skin broke out in gooseflesh. My nipples hardened as I shivered again, and I envied Naraku his many layers of clothing. His hand was still on my back and he walked beside me. When he saw my reactions he chuckled, a manly sound of pride. He leaned down to whisper in my ear,

"Still your body reacts to so innocent a touch, look how strongly your desire for me affects you," he traced his nail around the hard bud closest to him, I shivered again this time from fear, but he didn't know the difference, "I have many hungers, my little flower." His words struck me and I struggled to keep walking, if I stopped now, then I would not be feeding him fish anytime soon. I picked up my pace, stepping away from him and his hands as the door to the kitchens came into view.

I slid the door open, startling the cook to attention, and stepped through, already gathering pans and ingredients one handed.

"M-my lord!" I didn't have to be looking to know he bowed as Naraku entered. The other servants in the room all did the same. Meanwhile I was deciding the best way to chop herbs one handed. Soon enough the kitchen was bustling around me once again, I was heating oil in a pan and standing in front of the cutting board again.

"What is the problem, little flower?" Naraku stepped up close behind me, pressing his hardened member into the curve of my back. "It seems as though you could use an extra hand, little flower, allow me to assist you." One of his hands gathered and held the herbs in a bundle, making them easier to chop, but the other hand slid around my hip, across my stomach and down to cup my sex through the thin material covering it. I dropped the knife and it clattered loudly on the tabletop and fell to the floor, narrowly missing my, and subsequently Naraku's, foot.

I took advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration spinning around away from his hand. "Let's compromise; I will cook if you stand out of my way. I can't be dropping knives and… burning oil" I noticed one of the others removing my pan from the heat and washing out the ruined oil.

"I think I much prefer this way," he murmured, sliding his hand beneath the hem of my robe. I needed a reason for him to move away, I was too close to a full scale panic attack and I couldn't let him see that, he would enjoy it far too much.

I let my robe fall open, "I'll cook like this." I stated a bit desperately, stepping back against the table, and hoping that the extra skin showing would be enough to forestall what was coming and let me gain my composure while I cooked. I watched as he examined the inner curves of my breasts exposed, yet covered enough to intrigue, then his eyes followed the unmarred expanse of skin from my breasts to my hairless mound that was the object of his attentions. He licked his lips, eyes roaming back up my body, and then he nodded, and a quiet sigh of relief escaped my lips. Naraku moved away and spoke to one of the kitchen workers who hurried away after.

There was already another pan on the fire warming oil for me when I turned back to my work and I nodded my thanks. I chopped herbs and tossed them and a pinch of salt to warm with the oil. I couldn't ignore the leering gazes of the other men in the kitchen; they panicked me almost as much as Naraku did, but I was safe from them while Naraku was here, and safe from Naraku for the moment, so I tried to relax into the familiar habit of cooking. I moved around the kitchen gathering sides and plates, borrowing rice that had already been made and mixing a spicy fish sauce to go with the food.

When the oil was hot I tossed the pieces of fish in the pan, frying it as quickly as I could to keep the texture firm and flakey. A dried plumb on the pile of rice and the fish arranged on a plate next to the sauce, and I had a meal to present to Naraku. When I looked over at him, carrying the tray with his food, he had a grip of his member through the silk of his hakama. Looking at me with heavily lidded eyes he stroked himself, hand moving slowly up and down his length.

"Let's retire to my private dining room my flower; I have a treat waiting for you." Something was off in his voice, and as we walked to his dining room, I realized it was already dark out, so he had missed breakfast and lunch, or at least taken them without me, so what had he been doing all that time…

Naraku lead the way through the door to the dining room, and I placed the food down at the table's head. That's when I noticed the mix matched tea set, ceramic and glazed with different color paints. There were two cups so I reached to pour the tea. Naraku was there before I could even get close, "I've already poured the tea, little flower, why don't you sit and I will bring it to you.

I glared at him suspicious as he carried both cups and the pot closer, setting them down just outside of my reach. I pulled my robe closed around me, and sat in seiza on the cushion, Naraku sat to my right at the head of the table. He very carefully set one cup to the side for me and the other on the opposite side for him. I ignored the cup, pretty as it was, in favor of serving Naraku his meal; I dipped a bite of fish in the sauce and offered it to him. He sat very still out of my arms reach, making no effort to make my life any easier.

"I can't reach, come closer." He demanded petulantly, smirking at my scowl. I scooted towards him, nearing the corner of the table, "Too far," he complained, toying with me, "Come closer." He kept this up, refusing to eat until I sat facing him, my knees touching his thigh. "Where are your manners, Kagome?" he asked, in reference to my improper seiza, I was clutching my knees tightly together for my own sense of modesty, but manners dictated a fist's length of space between them.

"What game are you playing, Naraku?" I asked, keeping my legs pressed tightly together. His face lost its mirth as I refused his wish, and I knew I was in trouble.

"No game," He hissed, "I just don't appreciate the improper way you are sitting."

"It's improper for me to sit so closely as well." I reminded him. He slapped me hard, knocking my face to the side. I rubbed my stinging cheek; this was the Naraku I knew how to deal with.

"Do as I say, Kagome." my name from his lips was shocking, he was still playing whatever game it was in his head, and that scared me most of all, because that meant I didn't know the rules.

I corrected my seiza, shivering as the cool air reached my most private parts. As soon as I did, Naraku leaned forward to take the bite of food I'd been offering him. "Mmm, much better, my little flower."

I continued to feed him for a little while, eating bites of my own when commanded, and when I finally fell into a pattern Naraku patted my knee, "Good girl, don't forget to drink your tea." I threw a sideways glance at him, but he pretended not to realize he's left his hand on my leg. I set the chopsticks aside, picking up my large and very full cup. I took a sip, it was a surprisingly flowery tea, a bit over sweet, and still hot, hotter than I expected even. "What do you think, little flower?"

I was surprised, and the words fell from my lips unexpectedly, "It is sweeter than I usually take my tea, but I do like it a lot, very good with the spice." That was weird, why would I tell him it was too sweet? Naraku smiled, something was wrong, but I didn't know what yet. I took a few more sips of tea, the sweet flowery taste covering my tongue, before I picked the chopsticks back up.

A bite for him, a bite for me, drink, a bite for him a bite for me, and I stopped again for another drink, the flavor was really something that grows on you.

"Take another sip, little flower, you've got to stay warm." I was putting down the cup before I even realized I'd picked it up again, serving us each another bite.

"The plumb next, my flower, you'll like it." I took a bite of the plumb, and the sour tang was surprising after the sweet of the tea, "What are you thinking, my flower?"

"I am wondering what this is all about." I answered, "Why the shared meal and the special tea? I don't understand." He chuckled, running his hand up the outside of my leg, and up the curve of my hip.

"Have some more tea, little flower." He murmured, I lifted the cup to my lips and finished the glass before I realized that I was only drinking because he told me too. "Ah, my flower, the shock in your eyes tells me you've figured it out." He chuckled running his hand up and down my thigh again, I began to move away from him; I was in serious trouble if what I was thinking was correct.

"Now, now Kagome, don't scoot away from me," I stopped mid-motion, "Tell me what you're thinking."

"You horrible, evil, scum. This magick is forbidden, this artifact is supposed to be kept safe from monsters like you!" His hand came across my face and started a throbbing through my whole head.

"You don't mean that," He said, and he was right, I didn't really mean those cruel things, "You don't think I'm a monster, I am your only love." I was crying, tears poured from my eyes and I began to weep, how could I say such nasty things to my love? "How did you think you could escape from me? Surely you were not alone in the thought? Tell me about your deceit." I had to lie to him, he couldn't know.

"I was planning a surprise for you, my love, not planning an escape." I said, he slapped me again, furious,

"Tell me the truth!" he demanded.

"I was going to slip out the door to the servants' quarters, no one watches that door because you pay all your servants well." He let out another sound of anger,

"Drink some more tea." I picked up the cup and drank more, funny because I was so sure I had emptied it last time. "How did you know about the door, who told you?" I had made friends with another servant, I thought, the one who took me to bathe and brought me my clothes, she told me about the door. "Damn it!" he shouted, hitting the table with his fist. I must have said the words out loud rather than thought them. "Why would you run from me, my flower?"

"Because you are a rapist." I said simply, I thought, because you hit me, because you are cruel and because I am terrified of you.

"Drink some more tea." I did. "You don't have any reason to fear me, your love for me does not know fear, I hit you because you enjoy it, because it turns you on and makes you squirm with want for me."

He was wrong. "Damn it! Drink some more tea, Kagome, the whole cup." I lifted it to my lips and it was full once again, I drank it all even though it scalded my mouth and throat. "Everything I do makes you want me more, my every touch on your skin sends heat to your sex because you desire me so greatly." He was right and suddenly I was hyper aware of his hand on my thigh, so close to my knee, so still, I wanted it to do things that were more pleasurable than that. My love smirked, "You want me so badly it hurts," and I was in pain, I needed his touch on my skin, "You love me, and you will never love another, no one else could possibly want you, I am the most handsome man you have ever met, no man can compare to me, you don't deserve me." I began to cry again, tears of wanting, but at the same time tears of love, without my love I would have no one, I was alone and he was the only one who could help me.

"Yes, yes, I will help you my flower." I really hated him calling me that, I was not his anything. Must have been speaking out loud again because he shouted at me, why was he shouting at me? "Drink some more, stupid cur, stop fussing about my yelling." I stopped crying, picking up the cup that was miraculously full again, "You are mine, and only mine, Kagome, and you love any name I deign to call you by."

His hand moved forcefully up my body, pushing me onto my back and knocking the cup to the floor beside me. "You want me so badly that you will beg." He was right, I ached for him, ached for his touch on my skin, I wanted him so badly, my only love. I must be voicing my thoughts still, because he leaned over my body and crooned, "You are damaged goods, ruined; only I could ever bear to touch you like this." His hand moved over my breast, squeezing and heat pooled between my legs, I whimpered, arching into his touch.

He leaned down to kiss me and let him; I reached up and pulled his lips down to meet my own. He nibbled along my lip and I moaned, his tongue slipped into my mouth and I wondered if I tasted like the tea I had been drinking.

"Shut up, Kagome." He groaned, trailing kisses down my neck and across my chest. He bit lightly at my collar bone, licking away the sting. His mouth dropped lower as his hands gripped my hips tightly, and I gasped as his hold on my hips brought back memories of that night and I began to struggle, I loved him, but he was a monster and I had to get away from him. I must have said this out loud because the next thing I know he hits me, and it sends tingles of pleasure down my spine even as I taste blood in my mouth. He gropes around the floor around me, coming up with the cup, it's somehow full again, "Drink." I take a small sip, but the sweet is overpowering and I don't want to drink anymore, "All of it. Drink all of it!" I swallow it down, choking twice on the too sweet liquid, and I begin to cry again. "You will have sex with me now, and you'll like it. No you'll love it, you'll love it so much that you cry when I'm not here and you won't even look at another in the same way ever again." I did want him, I wanted him so bad. I ground my hips into his, feeling the silk of his hakama strain against his hard member, delicious friction, I cried out when he moved away from me.

After a moment I realized he hadn't told me to stay still, so I sat up, and followed him, robe sliding down my arms as I crawled towards him where he had set up the cushions into a sort of makeshift bed. I watched him as I crawled the short distance to him; saw the appreciative look in his eyes as he took in the sight of me. He was so distracted by the sight that he dropped the strings to his hakama that he had been untying.

I crawled between his legs, holding myself up on his chest. I leaned forward dragging my breasts across the fabric of his kimono; he groaned at the sensation and it sent another wave of heat to my already wet core. I licked the little gap of skin showing at his chest, following the line up to his neck, and back, blowing lightly on the damp skin, he shivered and thrust his hips against my stomach. I needed his cock inside me, desperately so, but I was determined to make my love happy, so I dragged my nails down his chest, over his nipples that I could see pressing against the cloth of his kimono. I began to pull at the knot of his obi, loosening it then removing it completely so I could run my hands over his bare skin. He pulled the kimono up out of his hakama so he could take it the rest of the way off and I was struck by the beauty of the half-naked man before me. His dark hair pooled behind him, contrasting the striking red of his eyes, following the hair down to his shoulders that were so broad and strong, his muscles strained beneath his skin, like they were too big for the rest of him, and then I could see the marks from my nails on his chest.

Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, as I leaned down to kiss and lick just above the 'v' of his hips where the red marks ended, I moved up his body from there, kissing and licking the marks, spending extra time in the spots that made his breath catch in his throat.

When I felt like I couldn't bear my need for him any longer I untied his hakama, watching as his cock strained against the cloth of his fundoshi. I looked up into his eyes as I leaned down and licked his head through the fabric, his head fell back and he moaned loudly, "Fuck." He grunted, thrusting his hips up toward my mouth again. I laughed, huffing hot air against the damp fabric and he grunted again. I licked him again, this time from base to tip and followed with a breath of cool air, I did this a few more times before he grew frustrated and removed the fundoshi himself.

I sat up and pouted, and he hit me again and rolled the cup towards us with his foot. No more, I thought, I don't want any more, I can't drink anymore. "Shut up and drink it!" he growled, grabbing a handful of my hair and yanking my head back. He lifted the cup to my lips and poured it in my mouth and I swallowed a few mouthfuls. He let me go, "Continue." He commanded, pushing my face back towards his throbbing cock, but what started as a smooth hairless chest, and a slightly more hairy than normal happy trail turned into a unimaginable amount of hair at his base and I didn't want my mouth anywhere near it.

He hit me again, and some combination of the faerie tea and the blows to the head made me dizzy, and I fell forward against his abdomen. "Useless wench." He growled rolling over on top of me, his words sent a flash of sensation to my sex; I loved when he called me names.

Suddenly he was tracing my sex with his fingers and I bucked against him, he chuckled, continuing to tease me, tracing my lips and avoiding my clit entirely. Without warning he jammed three fingers into me, the pad of his thumb pressing against my clit, and I screamed in a mix of pleasure and pain. His fingers moved side to side inside of me, causing his thumb to rub against my clit and I bucked my hips into his hand a second time.
"So wet my flower, so wet for me," He groaned bringing his fingers to his mouth he licked them clean, "Taste your nectar, sweet flower." He leaned down to kiss me, and I could taste my juices on his tongue. He thrust his tongue into my mouth at the same time that he entered me and I screamed into his mouth, I had been wanting him so badly, and he was finally inside me, I could feel him pulse against me and I arched my back, rocking my hips into his. My eyes squeezed shut and I threw my head back in ecstasy as he began to thrust into me, soft and slow at first, teasing. He began to speed up, falling into a rhythm, grinding his hips in a circle against mine with each thrust, it felt so good. The waves of heat began to come faster and faster, and I could feel them knotting together in the base of my stomach. His breath began to catch with each stroke and I knew he was getting close, so was I.

I was going to come, and soon, I was close, so, so close. "That's right little flower, and I'm the only one who can make you feel this way." Of course he was, my love was the only one who could love me this way, he was so good to me, I didn't deserve him, I didn't deserve his touch. "That's right, little flower, you are worthless, only I would have you." He picked one of my legs up over his shoulder and I cried out at the new angle. "Who makes you feel this way?" he growled at me, and I screamed,

"Only my love, only you." I was breathless, I could feel my muscles clench around him,

"Say my name, worthless bitch, my name!" His name, his name, I couldn't think, I was so close… he hit me, and then pinched my nipple hard, so hard, the pain and pleasure mixed pushing me over the edge, and then I remembered.

"Naraku!" My eyes widened in fear and I screamed and then the world went black.

When I opened my eyes, my love was still there, but I remembered now. My love was a monster, and I had to get away from him. He slept on the pillows beside me, not touching me, and the thought made me begin to cry, I had to leave, and no one would ever love me again. I would be all alone, but I couldn't bear to be with the monster that I loved. I grabbed the heavy tea kettle and hit him on the head with it, hoping it was enough to leave him sleeping while I made my escape.

I pulled my robe closed and walked out if the dining room like it was nothing, like it was an ordinary day and I was returning to my room. I walked past my door though, and kept walking until I was past all the doors and gates, and I walked until my love was far behind me.