Chapter 10:

I don't know why but I've been extremely into writing lately. It's like I have an unlimited supply of words to share. I guess it's because I can't share them with someone special. Yes, I just spilled the beans. This author is a loner. How sad, boo hoo. (-_-) blah blah blah. And I love how I'm reminded about this around the worst time of the year for singles. Yay, Valentine's Day…and what do people like me do when that time roles around? Sulk with a good romance book on their lap and a bowl of extra chocolaty ice cream and call it "Single Awareness Day". Now THAT sounds way better! (^_^) And as I said in the previous chapter, this one is supposed to be about certain…things. So, we shall be spending less time with our beloved couples. Sad yes, but hopefully I'll still have some words left to write another little chapter that will satisfy all you "love seekers" out there. (^_~) And for the sake of keeping things short, I'm just jumping right into names. Don't expect hidden figures to stay hidden.

"Why should we have to meet with these low lives? Naraku will reject them anyway." Said Kagura, quite irritable with the meager task at hand. She and her accomplice started to make their way from the park towards the back alleys of the city, weaving in and out of people and stray animals. Once safely secure in a secluded alley, Kagura faced the person accompanying her.

"Where are we supposed to meet these idiots?" Kagura spoke again.

"Here" Said Kikyo.

"Would you looky here! Two young ladies seem to have gotten lost and need some guidance." Came a slurred male voice followed by the shuffling of another; the first obviously too cocky to make sense of the danger.

"I wonder if these were the scumbags we were sent to retrieve." Kagura glanced over at her accomplice.

"Did he say to test them?" Kikyo asked Kagura lightly, glancing tiredly at the two figures.

"Does it matter?" She threw back excitedly. "He would want to see if they're Slave Warrior worthy." Kagura purred towards the guy leaning closest to her. This made both men shudder, finally getting the point that these are not just some by standards.

"So you're who we're supposed to meet." Said the quiet one warily.

"That's right." Kagura purred again. She turned and looked at Kikyo who was just waiting. "Kikyo, you take care of them. I'm too tired to dirty my hands."

Kikyo didn't like being the animal you call on to sick on people but she had no choice. "Gladly." Raising her hand towards the two men, she focused on the lurking voices in the ground, slowly seeping into the air, whispering alluring curses. You are doomed to die. Come join us in the place of the dead. She is calling upon us. Slowly, the voices swirled around the two men, grabbing hold of them and keeping them rooted. Something flashed behind her eyes as she focused her powers onto the men themselves and stretched and pulled at their own souls.

Their screams fell to deaf ears. With mouths agape, eyes bulging, both men fell to their knees as sudden pain seared right through their bodies.

"Stop. Please." Cried the man who was too cocky for his own good. Amazing how he thought he had so much power and within mere seconds he's reduced to pleading for his life. Kikyo thought.

During all this, Kagura was occupied with talking to someone on the phone, not even slightly disturbed about the two men on the ground in pain. Making a show of shutting her phone, she turned to Kikyo, who still had her two victims pinned. "He wants us back with a full report. Might as well leave them. They're not Slave Warrior worthy." Kagura sneered. Kikyo obeyed and released her death hold on the men.

"Good. I'm done playing around." She watched as the men slumped to the ground, unconscious. "Let's go."

"What took you two so long?" rumbled a deep, dark voice.

"Sorry Master. We were held up." Replied Kikyo.

"How did the two men sit with both of you?" he paused. "Were they worthy?"

"Well" started Kagura while leaning up against a wall. "they were extremely cocky and didn't last one minute with Kikyo." Heaving a sigh. "Not even worth a glance." She slid down the wall and closed her eyes. "So what's the next move?"

"Couldn't wait could you?" Naraku looked smugly.

"Speaking of which, when are we gettin' out of this dump?" Kagura looked around the abandoned lab building. Empty flasks littering the floors, ragged lab coats lumbering around, and the occasional stack of papers looming in mindless places.

"In time, everything will fall into place." Naraku inclined his head towards Kikyo. "I want to keep an eye on Kagome and Inuyasha."

Kikyo bowed obediently.

"Kagome is the key to fulfilling the plan. With her, we can harness the untapped powers of every element and use that to bend people to our whim, forcing them to hand over all Creatures. What ever ones fall short of power are destroyed along with the Skye people's beliefs."

"What do you want Kanna and I to do?" asked Kagura.

"I have a few more people that I want you to…meet."

Sighing angrily, Kagura got up and motioned Kanna to follow. "Fine. As long as they're worth it." As soon as they left, Naraku bid Kikyo to her duties.

All alone, Naraku spoke to the welcoming darkness. "First, we need to destroy the bond between Inuyasha and Kagome."

Yeah yeah yeah….I know. Ending with a really short soliloquy. How lame. And when do bad guys ever share their plans with their cohorts? Haha, now that I think about it, more often than not. Anyways, I planned for this to be longer with more…secrets to tell. But I'm running short on writing time and this is all I could provide. Hopefully I'll be able to upload another chapter within the next two weeks. Please please please let me know what you think of the story thus far. For those of you who have, I greatly appreciate your kind words.

Thank you: hardcore90210, PokePowerGirl100, Bookfreak1275, sprout808,, Inu-'SIT'-loveKag, Ice-Kitsune-317, Runningshadow135, Random Tigerz of Lily, LilatheKitsune, and JayEyedWolf!

Hopefully this chapter has answered some questions…