A/N: Ok, I managed to get a long chapter out before the New Year so to those that flammed: please don't hurt me!

Death, Greed, and Love

Chapter 25

Decisions

*~*~*

Inuyasha tightened his arms around Kagome, burying his nose deep into her hair.

"Gods, it's been so long."

The hanyou had to work hard to suppress the sudden wave of emotion that washed through him. He held her tighter, not wanting to let go.

How long had it been since he had last seen her?

How long had it been since Naraku had taken her away from him?

"I missed you so much Kagome."

She didn't respond, but welcomed the embrace. Her slender fingers caressed the coarse material of his haori, traveling upward until they curled around the edge of the scarlet cloth. Kagome smiled slightly, laying her head against his chest, as her eyes fluttered close.

"I missed you too, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's lips curved into a slight smile as a light sigh escaped his mate's lips, and tightened his arms around her even more so.

The couple lay like that on Kagome's bed for a while, just relishing in the other's presence, as a silence spread between them.

Finally, it got to a point so that Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. He removed one arm from around the queen's waist, letting his claws trail lightly up her arm before he cupped her cheek.

Kagome leaned into his touch, her eyes still closed.

The hanyou planted a light kiss on her temple, pulling back slightly to look at her, his amber eyes glowing warmly. Inuyasha watched her silently, enjoying the feel of her warm flesh against his hand, but he needed more. He needed reassurance that Kagome was really here with him, and that it wasn't some illusion.

"Kagome?"

"Hm?"

"I need you." Inuyasha's whisper was husky as he ran a clawed hand through her raven locks.

That's odd. He thought as he fingered the silky tresses. Her hair is much longer than I remember....Was it always so wavy?

The silver-haired hanyou pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He released her hair and reached down to hook a finger under her chin, gently tilting it up.

Her stormy eyes seemed to smile up at him, and all he could do was stare at them.

"Inuyasha?" She stared back at him quizzically.

His only response was to shake his head, before he moved to touch his lips to hers. His eyes slide closed as he did so, causing him to miss the way Kagome's pupils seemed to shrink, not to mention the crimson shade that seemed to seep in.

The arm around her waist tightened its hold as Inuyasha fervently devoured his mate's lips. A feeling of absolute contentment washed through him. She was real. It wasn't a dream this time. It was real!

He pulled Kagome closer to him, completely ignoring the part of his brain that wondered why her lips seemed so much colder and coarser than he remembered.

Lazily, Inuyasha pulled away and opened amber eyes to stare a bit numbly at the fingers curled around his crimson haori. The appendages seemed a lot thicker then they should have been. He closed a clawed hand over hers, caressing the skin with the pad of his thumb.

"Kag-"

Whatever it was that the hanyou was going to say was lost as the mop of raven hair (which seemed much too oily to belong to his mate's) shifted out of the way and once dark eyes shifted to look at his.

Beady, red eyes were sunk into pale, sallow skin. The face was too pointed and broad to belong to Kagome.

It wasn't an unfamiliar face. On the contrary it was a face that had haunted his dreams, and turned them into nightmares.

Nightmares in which the owner of the face would laugh gleefully as he mercilessly beat a prone Kagome.

Naraku.

Inuyasha let out an oddly high-pitched scream, and quickly tried to disentangle himself from the monster in his arms. He should have been angry, pissed, but at the moment was just too disgusted.

I kissed him! I kissed him!

He stumbled backwards; amber eyes wide with disgust and fear as the words played over and over again in his head like a mantra.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

The hanyou's eyes went wide with shock when he recognized the voice coming from Naraku's mouth as Kagome's.

No. No way. That's not fuckin' possible.

A hurt look crossed Naraku's face as Inuyasha continued to stare at him in horror.

"Inuya-"

Inuyasha didn't know how it happened. He wasn't even aware of what happened as he dashed forward. Everything around the hanyou became a blur, and there was a sickening crack. Something warm trickled between his fingers as the coppery scent of blood filtered into the air. His amber eyes were currently trained on Naraku's face.

The hanyou found some sort of morbid satisfaction at the bit of blood that trickled out of the corner of Naraku's mouth. A mouth that was slowly getting smaller. A mouth on a face that was slowly losing it's sickeningly sallow shade.

Confusion swamped Inuyasha. His gaze slid down to where he had run through Naraku, his arm was still protruding from the chest.

What's going on? None of this makes any sense! The inu hanyou shook his head and slid his hand out of Naraku, a sickening pop following the action. He took a step back and raised both hands to his temples, not caring that Naraku's blood was staining his skin and hair.

Inuyasha just took a step back as he continued to stare at Naraku. The body didn't crumple to the ground as he half expected it to, and it was only just then that Inuyasha was aware of how black the room had suddenly become.

Inuyasha stared at Naraku (a bit surprised at the lack of satisfaction he found in watching the man bleed), and the twisted hanyou stared right back.

Then everything changed.

It happened so quickly that the inu hanyou was hardly even aware of the change. Even as Naraku's body morphed into the smaller, and more pleasing form of Kagome, it took Inuyasha's brain a while to actual process what had just happened.

"Inu...ya...sha?" Her voice was breathy, yet choppy at the same time, and filled with a broken sort of horror.

"Ka..Kagome?" It was all Inuyasha could say, still horrified (but in way much different from earlier), as his mate's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she crumpled into the black oblivion that now completely surrounded him.

Alone.

*~*~*

Kei's dark eyes searched the room. Light had long since filtered through the cracks of the windowless wine cellar. It was quiet. The only sounds were the faint ones of the lingering tavern customers.

Soon, they would be forced to leave so that Yura and the other could clean up a bit. That would be the time that he and the others would be able to sneak up to the room that Yura had reserved for them, and to catch at least a few hours of sleep.

Kei's eyebrows furrowed into a frown. He and Kikyou had to be back before night fell.

Kei looked over at the other inhabitants. The miko was wide-awake, staring off into the distance. As to what it was he could only begin to guess, but he was quite sure it had something to do with the 'Kiranji Charm' that she had mentioned earlier. Like Sesshoumaru, who just stood stiffly against a barrel of red wine, he didn't quite understand Kikyou's avid resistance to perform such a spell. The lieutenant continued to study the miko, his eyes straying to the tear tracks that marred her cheeks. If the writer of that letter was right then this was the best chance that they had against Naraku. If so why was Kikyou so against the very idea of using it?

Again, Kei cursed at himself for not paying closer attention to the rather heated discussion Kikyou and Sesshoumaru had shared earlier. There was a slight snort, and both Kei and Sesshoumaru started as Houjo shifted in his sleep. The servant's head rolled onto Kikyou's chest, but the miko seemed to take no notice.

The lieutenant couldn't help the slight smile. Briefly he wondered if Kikyou really was as out of it as she seemed to be. Like Kagome, he had known Kikyou for a very long time, and Kei wouldn't have been too surprised if she was secretly enjoying it.

It was strange, and many wouldn't find it possible, but the miko had a tendency to be a bit of a push over as far as loved ones were concerned.

Kikyou's relationship with Kagome was a very good example of that trait. Kei's lips curved up a smidge as he remembered one time when the three of them had been just kids.

Rumors of miko/harpy hybrids dwelling in a forest near Shikon had reached the castle, and Kagome had been rather anxious to see one, if even if it was only just a glimpse.

Although she had been against the very idea of Kagome leaving the safety of the castle Kikyou had readily agreed. It had taken little effort on their part to convince him to go along. Kei had always been somewhat of a thrill seeker as a child and the trip to these hybrids was just like another adventure for him.

It had been a disaster just waiting to happen.

The hybrids, like the rumors said, had turned out to be more harpy then human. Kikyou's miko powers had been completely useless against the hybrids own miko powers, and Kei's father was just starting to teach him swordsmanship. He had been taught the basics, so he had been of absolutely no use whatsoever. The most harm that he had been able to inflict on those monsters was a few minor scratches. They had been very lucky that Kikyou had told one of the maids of the little 'adventure'. (Of course that would be the last time the miko would talk to one of the 'hired help' class for years.)

The maid had gone to Aya right that morning, and the Inner Guard had rushed off to find the trio.

Kei's lips started to tug into a fond smile as he remembered how Kagome had refused to speak Kikyou for weeks.

"NOOOOO!!!!"

The scream was so shrill that for a moment he wasn't sure whether the voice was female or not. Then Kei looked down at the floor.

"Inuyasha?"

The hanyou didn't seem to hear the lieutenant. His amber eyes seemed to be staring off at nothing for the brief moment before he blinked. Inuyasha blinked several times before running a hand through sweaty silver locks.

What the fuck? He scanned over the room, still a little disorientated.

His amber eyes met a cracked barrel with a bit of the crimson alcohol that trickling through the cracked wood and onto his robes. They would defiantly be sticky later on, but right now that was the least of his worries.

Inuyasha glanced down at his claws as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

The blood. He could almost see it on his skin. Had he really done that her?

Had he really done that to his mate?

The hanyou had run his claws through many youkai. He had even done it to a human at least once before. Inuyasha's thoughts traveled to his very first kill, his eyes shifting out of focus. Like Kagome, the person had been human and a female. Iuyasha never forgot the look on her face. It had plagued his dreams for weeks. Dreams filled with the stench of blood as it seeped out of the human's body. Yet, even those dreams didn't make his blood run cold as he replayed his most recent nightmare over again and again in his mind.

Inuyasha's ears twitched a bit at the slight sound of someone approaching him, but the hanyou was too wrapped up in his rather disturbing thoughts to notice or care. So the throbbing pain that came from a sudden blow to his left cheek came as a bit of a shock.

The dazed and confused emotions that had been tumbling through his mind vanished as Inuyasha's eyes snapped up to meet the dark amber ones of his brother as responded to the blow with a bark.

"What the fuck was that for?!"

Sesshoumaru just merely glared down at his brother coolly.

"For once, I am glad that Father isn't alive. He would be so ashamed to hear his youngest son scream like a girl."

"What did you say?" Inuyasha growled out. He flexed his claws as he went from his sitting position to standing in one fluid motion. Sesshoumaru, of all people, better have not just implied he was a girl!

"You heard me, hanyou." Even though his voice was as smooth as silk, Sesshoumaru was mentally breathing of relief. Like Inuyasha, the inu youkai remembered how affected the hanyou had been after his first kill. Inuyasha went days without eating and, as much as he would deny it, Sesshoumaru had been very worried.

The look that Inuyasha's eyes had held just a few minutes ago....well, it had been unnerving to say the least. For a brief moment Sesshoumaru had wondered if Inuyasha would retreat into that shell, despite the fact that they were in the middle of a war. It was a shell that had been created when the hanyou was only five, and as his older brother Sesshoumaru felt a protective responsibility to keep his little brother from falling back into it.

A horrible thought suddenly flashed through the inu youkai's mind as he coldly smirked at the angry look on Inuyasha's face. I just hope he doesn't bring up that thing. After all he had just called the hanyou a girl……

For a brief moment Sesshoumaru was almost positive that Inuyasha wouldn't bring it up, that is, until he caught the evil glint in the hanyou's amber eyes.

Oh, crap.

"I wouldn't talk....Fluffy."

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, I think you heard me, Fluffy." Inuyasha smirked.

From the other side of the wine cellar Kei ran a hand through his ruffled hair. For a moment he briefly wondered as to whether or not he should warn Yura about the fight that was sure to explode, but one look at Sesshoumaru's face quickly made up Kei's decision. The rebel leader looked positively murderous.

Pushing his hands against the wall to straighten his posture the lieutenant briefly wondered as to whether or not he should also try to drag Kikyou and Houjo out of the room. That thought was quickly dismissed. Kikyou was a powerful miko. Sure, she was a little out of it at the moment, but she would be more then able to raise a sufficient shield if need be. Besides, Kei had a suspicious feeling that Kikyou wasn't as out of it as she seemed to be.

However, Kei was suddenly reminded of just how vicious battles between youkai could be, whether they were serious or not, when Sesshoumaru let out a bone chilling snarl, this will probably wake up some of the customers.

That was the last thing that they needed. If anyone heard strange noises and crashes coming from the tavern's wine cellar then they would surely tell someone at the palace, and not everyone there was in favor of the Rebellion. Granted, they didn't prefer an unstable king like Naraku, but most figured that an heir would quickly solve that problem.

Once Naraku heard of strange noises from the Tenshi Tavern he would hardly need anytime at all to put the pieces together, and if he did they would have no time to escape. Especially since his recent discovery of the secret passageways that lurked within the palace. Besides there was a possibility that it would put Miroku, Aya, and maybe even Kagome in more danger then they already were.

~~~~

Kagura's knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip around her fan while she paced in front of the door to Naraku's private study. The hanyou had yet to send for her, and for some reason, she couldn't shake the horrible feeling that gripped her.

The wind youkai had been hopping to get a chance to spy on the rebels before Naraku's summon, but Kanna had been no where to be found. That was her main concern at the moment. What could have happened to her dearest sister? Especially at a time like this!

She had to know what the miko's response would be to her proposal. Kagura was well aware of the history of the Kiranji Charm. It had been a long shot, she knew that when Zorant had taken off to the tavern, but now she needed to know, and Kanna was the only way that she could possibly find out.

Of course this was only one of Kagura's many worries.

If the wind youkai had one wish then it was to free everything and everyone, including herself, from the bastard's hold. Of course, the Rebels were the only ones that could possibly help her accomplish such a task. (It was one of the reasons for her decision to take a sudden involvement with the war. A more positive one.)

Yet, if they didn't make a move soon....

The raven-haired youkai wasn't completely aware as to how he had discovered it, but somehow Naraku knew where most of the Rebels were currently hiding. The bastard of a king was going to attack soon if the Rebellion didn't attack soon.

It didn't help the fact that she was absolutely powerless to do anything to alert them. If his tone earlier had been any indication, then this 'meeting' was most likely a warning.

He's going to hurt everyone. She thought. He's going to hurt them if I try to help the Rebels again.

Although it was a feeling that she had grown accustomed to over the years. Kagura couldn't help but hate the feeling of absolute helplessness that washed through her.

As if dealing with Naraku isn't enough. Damn you, Moete! Why the hell did you have to fall in love with such a bastard?!

Just like Kagura was almost positive that her younger sister knew about her desire to help the Rebels, the wind youkai knew what Moete was planning. It didn't matter how strong Moete's firepower was; Naraku should have kept her on the island. It just wasn't safe.

It wasn't the king's welfare that Kagura was concerned about, however.

It was Kagome's.

Moete probably didn't suspect that Kagura knew about what the fire youkai had been up to as of late. How she was sneaking around the Healer's rooms, as if she was looking for a chance to get the queen alone. Not to mention all of the questions that she was asking some of the scholars and the elderly servants.

She's defiantly looking for a way to get Kagome alone. Kagura's brows furrowed into a frown. How stupid can she be?! Naraku certainly wouldn't stand for it if anything happened to Kagome. (Kagura didn't want to think of how Inuyasha would react.) I have to get her to stop this nonsense! Her mind made up, Kagura decided that she would go pay her younger sister a little visit after her meeting with Naraku. As much as she hated Moete she was still family. Besides, the Gods might see it as atonement for her past crimes.

The doors to the king's study suddenly opened, causing the scarlet-eyed youkai to start in surprise. A young woman with sleek raven hair stumbled out of the private study, breathing hard. Her clothing, which caused the word 'whore' to come to mind, was all askew. The young woman gave her a brief nod as she rushed past, quickly straightening her clothes.

Kagura blinked twice before rolling her eyes as she stared in the direction of where the young woman had hurried off. That whore had looked a lot like the queen....

"You can come in, Kagura." Naraku's voice broke through her thoughts.

The wind youkai mechanically complied with the soft demand, not at all surprised to see the heavier, more formal part of Naraku's attire tossed carelessly on the floor.

Of course! Disgust filled Kagura, and she had to bit down hard to fight the feeling of nausea, at the sudden realization as to exactly what Naraku had been up to. He can't go near his wife. So of course he would come with some alternate solution! I thought he was being too calm about this whole thing. Swallowing the bile that once again threatened to rise in her throat, Kagura forced her facial features into a stoic expression as she faced him.

"Hai, Naraku-sama?"

"Come." The dark-haired king was hardly able to hide his smirk as he headed towards one of the secret passageways that lead from the study.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

~~~~

Inuyasha dropped into a crouch, cracking his claws. His ears twitched as the door clicked shut. Kikyou and Houjo were the only ones left in the room, but hey, the miko could take care of herself and the human, and if she couldn't....well, it wasn't like it would be a big loss.

Across from him Sesshoumaru still had his trademark stoic expression. The slight bunching of his muscles was the only real indication that he was responding to his brother's challenge.

As Inuyasha moved to jump towards Sesshoumaru, the other youkai sped towards him. A blur of silver and white was all the hanyou saw before Sesshoumaru's fist cracked against his cheek a second time.

The blow sent him flying towards the direction of Kikyou.

As the stunned Inuyasha came flying over in their direction Kikyou's cobalt eyes opened into narrow slits. She had long since become fully aware of her surroundings, around the same time that Inuyasha had regained consciousness. When Sesshoumaru's string of insults towards his brother hard started the miko had placed a hand, her lips curling into a light smirk, on Houjo's hair, and ran her fingers through the sandy tresses. Now as Kikyou saw the hanyou come flying in her direction she closed her eyes again and removed her hand from Houjo's hair. Placing the tips of fingers on a cracked board beside her, Kikyou took a deep breath.

It was always amazing whenever she tried to perform this spell. At all times she could see rose-colored waves of energy as they wove in, out, and between of the earth, building, windows, trees. It was the life energy in which mikos controlled and tamed, and surrounded anything that was filled with life, or did at one point. The moment the flesh of the miko's tips touched the wood the energy started to fluctuate, drawing towards her. It became more and more visible as she guided it closer; becoming silvery swirls in the air until it former a nearly translucent shell, protecting both herself and Houjo.

Neither Sesshoumaru nor Inuyasha were aware of what the miko was doing. Sesshoumaru was still chagrined at his half-brother calling him by his dreaded childhood name. The only one who ever got away with that was his mate, and that was because she was…well….Asami. The inu youkai relished at the thud as Inuyasha bounced off of Kikyou's shield and crashed into a nearby crate.

The hanyou was up with a snarl, claws drawn back as he darted forward. The last time Sesshoumaru had called him a girl was when he had been in his teens, and his voice had been in the process of cracking so of course it would sound a little……high-pitched. (It was one of the unfortunate side effects of being half-human. He still had to deal with most of what human children dealt with as they matured.) It had resulted in another fight, but Inuyasha seemed to remember fairing better. (Of course, this was only because Asami had shown up when Inuyasha had been preparing to attack with Tessaiga, and had temporarily distracted Sesshoumaru. Not that he knew that, of course.)

Sesshoumaru's lips suddenly tugged up into a cocky smirk in the most unusual manner. This wasn't going to end like that last fight they had ten years ago. Inuyasha was finally going to pay the price for calling him 'Fluffy'.

The wine cellar was small, and while they clawed, kicked, and attacked each other the two had to take care to make sure not to throw the other at a wall at the risk of exposure – both to themselves and the Rebellion. Sesshoumaru took great pains so as not to accidentally destroy too many of the wine barrels. Even as Inuyasha rushed towards him repeatedly the inu youkai still managed to hold onto the thread of sanity that prevented him from completely letting go of the control that prevented him from going into a mindless fighting frenzy.

Inuyasha's main concern was just to get Sesshoumaru take it back. (If Kagome ever finds out....) His reputation was at stake, and he didn't care nearly as much about what destruction their fight would cause. The inu hanyou was just careful to make sure to throw his brother in the direction of the back wall, which was made of stone.

Neither of them took much notice of Kikyou. At first Sesshoumaru took care to avoid the miko, but after Inuyasha sent him hurtling as the energy crackled, sizzled, and danced across his skin the youkai quickly decide that she could take care of herself.

Neither of them paid much attention as the door that lead to the tavern slammed open or the commanding shrieks at them to stop that followed. Their fight was only suddenly cut short when something round and metal hit the two brothers hard on the head - Sesshoumaru first, then Inuyasha. Snarling, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha whirled around – more then ready to redirect their anger at whomever had decided to interrupt their fight.

They came face to face with a very irritated looking Yura. The youkai's arms where crossed and in one hand she held a coppery frying pan with a rather large dent in it. Her knuckles were starting to turn white as she gripped the black handle and she did not look happy.

In fact she looked down right pissed.

"You idiots!" She ground out. Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru slowly backed away. They both had come across an irritated Yura and neither of the brothers had any desire to repeat the experience. "There are soldiers in the tavern right now! What if they heard you!?"

Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru winced.

"Just be thankful that they're drunk off their asses! I can't believe how stupid you two are." Quickly Yura closed the distance between herself and Sesshoumaru. "I expected more from you Sesshoumaru! You've done such a terrific job leading this rebellion."

Inuyasha smirked slightly at the slight drooping of his brother's head. He would never thought that there would be any in the world besides Asami that could effectively scold Sesshoumaru. Even their father hadn't been very good at it; but then again Yura was perfect when it came to lying on loads of guilt.

She must have caught the slight smile on Inuyasha's lips because Yura whirled her head and turned on the hanyou next.

"Wipe that smirk off of your face right now Inuyasha!" She advanced on the hanyou until she was literally inches from his face. "I would think you of all people would know better. Did you forget that Kagome is stuck in the palace with Naraku, and that Aya is the only thing keeping her safe!?"

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head and his eyes dropped to the ground. No, of course he hadn't forgot about the danger Kagome was in. The earlier dream had served as a vivid reminder of that.

"I think you should know that Naraku's patience is wearing thin and it will only be a matter of time before he finds an excuse to have Kagome's only protection permanently removed."

Yura took a step back and studied the two inu youkai for a moment. They both look utterly ashamed, particularly Inuyasha. If anything he looked a bit scared. Good, maybe that was enough for those two to pull themselves together. As nice as it would be, none of them had the luxury of letting their emotions run free, especially the youkai. That luxury was lost the moment that Naraku had invaded their camp.

"Stupid hanyou." Someone muttered from across the room. All heads turned to look at Kikyou. The shield she had raised had already been lowered. Houjo had also been roused and was now helping the miko to get to her feet. She absently brushed off his help to meet the steadily darkening glare that a certain pair of amber eyes was throwing her way.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you." Inuyasha ground out. It was only then that he noticed the miko's tear-stained cheeks. There was a pause and he smirked. "Funny, I thought you had more self-control then that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kikyou's glare matched Inuyasha's own.

"I would think that would be obvious. So what happened? Did you break a nail?"

The miko's face automatically flamed. Self-consciously she raised a hand to touch a tear-stained cheek as the other clenched into a tight fist. Oh, one of these days she was going to find a way to hurt him....badly. And it would involve lots of hot oil. Kagome would probably object to it though....I can always say it was an accident.

Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest and grinned arrogantly while ignoring Houjo's unusually viscous glare. He had won this round.

Or so he thought.

For the second time that day something hard crashed onto the back of his skull. A something that felt suspiciously like his brother's fist.

Inuyasha whirled around to face Sesshoumaru, fangs bared.

"What the fuck was that for!?" he roared.

"Shut up." Sesshoumaru hissed, glaring at the hanyou stonily.

The inu hanyou refused to back off and was about snap back some sort of retort (he still didn't want to risk the wrath of Yura's frying pan) when he caught the faces of the others. They were all glaring at him with similar cold glares. Yura calmly tapped the top of her free palm with her frying pan, her expression just daring Inuyasha to say something. Kei wore an expression of suppressed irritation (if the rolling of his eyes were any indication), and Houjo's emerald orbs burned with a smoldering rage.

It must have been a conspiracy. Of that, Inuyasha was almost sure. What, was it because he was a hanyou? Just because he nearly decapitated Kikyou didn't mean he deserved it.

"She started it." He mumbled, disgruntedly.

"Oh, grow up, Inuyasha." Yura rolled her eyes. "How old are you? Five? Now by quiet, Kei has something to say."

"Seeing as how you were unconscious for the more important part of this meeting Inuyasha," a quick glance at Yura reassured the lieutenant that the hanyou would keep his mouth shut, "it seems that we have been given a way to defeat Naraku."

Anything Inuyasha had been about to say in his defense (he had been knocked unconscious, what did they expect?) was completely lost at those two little words. Defeat Naraku. Those words were like gold to the hanyou. Images of Kagome flashed through Inuyasha's head as he suddenly pictured a disemboweled Naraku while he held onto his mate. A fairy tale-type image where he was the knight in a red haori saving his princess. (Or in this case queen.) Unfortunately, those images were quickly dashed when Kei spoke next.

"However, there is one small problem."

"Problem?"

Kei winced inwardly at the sudden hollow echo that laced Inuyasha's tone. He glanced over at Yura. The youkai gave him a reassuring smile, and shifted her arm to make her pan easier to access.

"There's a spell that can be used to weaken Naraku's youki, and well...."

Inuyasha was starting to become very irritated with the round about way that Kei was speaking, and was it him or could he smell just a hint of nervousness coming from the human?

"Kikyouwon'tdoit."

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha blinked several times. He hadn't understood a single word that Kei had just said. Although he could have sworn that it had something do with Kikyou.

"Gods, Kei, you can be such a wuss." Yura muttered, clearly exasperated.

All eyes fell on her and Kei relaxed a bit. Just as long as he didn't have to say anything. He knew he was being ridiculously hesitant about telling the hanyou about Kikyou's reluctance, but then again it did concern Kagome and Naraku.

"What he said was," Despite her the confidence in her tone and posture Kei couldn't help but notice how tightly Yura gripped her frying pan. "Kikyou won't do it."

Out of the corner of his eye Inuyasha could have sworn that he saw the miko flinch but temporarily dismissed it.

"Doesn't want to do what?"

Silence spread across the room. No one really wanted to tell Inuyasha Kikyou's issue with the Kiranji Charm, not even Sesshoumaru. They had all seen Inuyasha in that peaceful last week that he had made Kagome his mate, and knew how devoted he was to her - it was in the hanyou's blood. His father had been devoted to both of his mates, and both sons had clearly followed in their father's footsteps.

Sesshoumaru glanced around the room idly. It looked like he didn't really have a choice. Why did his brother have to be so dumb?

"What he means is that our new ace card can only be performed by a miko. Unfortunately, she has...issues with using the Kiranji Charm."

The second silence was tense as everyone in the wine cellar was trained on the hanyou. He was going to explode. They just knew it.

~~~~

Pain. Gods, it hurt so much.

Zorant let out a groan, as he tried to force himself out of the hazy pain that seemed to be consuming him. He blinked twice and immediately regretted the action. Even the twitch of such small muscles hurt. Not to mention the fact that he was blinded by some red and yellow light. He quickly shut his eyes again in an attempt to block it out.

The falcon youkai was becoming aware of things on small levels. It was so hard though. The burning pain seemed to dominate his senses, and was making it extremely difficult for him to form any lucid thoughts. He thought he heard a feminine chuckle off to the side, but that couldn't be right. His sense of hearing in his bird form was horrible. The only senses that Zorant had learned to rely on was that of sight. Yet, the soft laughter only seemed to get louder.

This isn't right. He pulled at his wrists only to find them tightly bound up over his head. This only served to confuse Zorant even more. Was he in his human form? The dark-haired youkai shook his head in confusion.

It was another action that he immediately regretted, as flashes of hot pain seemed to pierce his very being.

"Does it hurt?"

The voice was taunting and smug, all at the same time and Zorant vaguely recognized the speaker as the one whom had been chuckling since he had regained consciousness. The falcon youkai opened his mouth to reply, but found himself unable to speak. In fact, he seemed unable to do much of anything except reflect on how much pain he was in.

"You deserve this, you do realize that?" The voice sounded closer now, and disturbingly familiar. "You're a servant, a freak, and you need to learn your place. You took Kagura's kindness for granted. What she ever saw in you is beyond me."

Zorant's head rose sharply at the mention of Kagura. He forced himself to speak despite the intense pain. It came out in a croaky sort of voice.

"Moete?"

~~~~

Inuyasha knew that he should be angry, furious even, but for some reason he didn't feel... anything. Maybe it was the after effects of his earlier nightmare, or maybe it was one of those shadows that haunted him since his childhood, but the inu hanyou couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the miko.

Maybe Yura's frying pan had done some damage after all....

Or maybe the tavern wench's brutal reminder of his mate's dilemma was finally starting to sink in.

The hanyou was about to slip into a rare brooding moment when he realized that everyone was staring at him.

Crap. Next thing he knew they would probably start thinking that he was going soft. Gods, the taunts from Fluffy would be worse then ever. So Inuyasha said the only thing that he could think of.

He 'keh'ed.

It was more of a subconscious reflex, but the hanyou's eyes carefully darkened while his trademark, arrogant smirk curled onto his lips.

"I guess it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Considering her lack of control....you don't make much of a miko, do you Kikyou?"

The reaction was instant and predictable. Kikyou's hands balled into tight fists, and the light embarrassed blush that had stained her cheeks was lost as her eyes narrowed into an ugly expression of livid rage, her complexion quickly changing to a blotchy red.

"You fucking, sonuvabitch." The miko took a threatening step forward, ignoring the looks of shock by her uncharacteristic language.

Inuyasha just crossed his arms and returned the miko's glare, although his just didn't seem to have the cutting edge that hers did.

"Can't even do some simple spell. If I didn't know any better I would think you almost like that bastard as king."

Again, the silver-haired hanyou's words were having the desired effect on the miko.

Kikyou's fist clenched even tighter. Her aura suddenly sprang to life and everyone, especially the youkai in the room, jumped back flinching.

"I...am...going...to...kill...you." Kikyou moved forward, full intent on making true her threat.

Inuyasha backed away slowly. Ok, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He didn't like that look on her face. It reminded him a lot of that look Kagome had that one time....

The queen had only been at the camp for a week, and Inuyasha didn't remember exactly what it was that he did. All he remembered was that he had really pissed her off.

It was not an incident he wanted to repeat.

"Kikyou-sama!"

Both Houjo and Kei moved at practically the same time, braving Kikyou's anger and powers, as the miko jumped forward.

A dull thud followed by a crackling sound akin to that of confined lightening and a string of muttered curses came from Inuyasha as Kei jumped in front of the aggravated woman. The guard held a sheathed sword in front of him, energy crackling around the sheathed blade.

Kikyou paused at the sudden block to her goal.

"Get the hell out of my way, Kei."

"Kikyou-sama, please calm down."

"No chance in hell. I am going to kill that bastard."

Not again. Kei thought. If he had anything to say about it, Kikyou and Inuyasha would never cross paths again, the lieutenant suddenly decided.

That is if they could stop the miko from trying to purify and/or fry the hanyou.

"Kikyou." The voice was strong and soothing at the same time, and seemed to cut through the shell of anger surrounding the miko.

She paused and her aura died down considerably. Kikyou turned to look at the sandy-haired young man. Houjo laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

It was strange.

Kikyou could only stare at Houjo as the energy crackling around her died down.

It was so strange. Ever since she had moved into the palace Kikyou had held a deep contempt for the lower class. Yet, something about the hidden strength in those emerald eyes drew her to him. There was a distant sort of crash; the sound of something heavy crashing into wood, but the miko paid it no mind.

Kikyou never thought of herself as the submissive type. She would sooner depend on her own powers and abilities then depend on a man for support, and yet……

He just called me Kikyou. Th-there was no 'sama'. It took all of the raven-haired miko's self-control to prevent herself from leaning against Houjo's chest.

"Looks like everything is under control." Yura commented in a bemused sort of way.

Her frying pan had another dent in it.

"Sorry." Kikyou muttered, not exactly sure as to why she was apologizing.

"Keh."

The miko's gray eyes started to darken again, completely ignoring the fact that this scoff didn't have its usual hardness. If anything Inuyasha's voice almost sounded as if he were in pain.

"Calm down, Kikyou." Yura snapped at the miko before flinging her frying pan at a certain annoying hanyou.

Sesshoumaru let out an irritated sigh as he walked over to Kikyou.

"Ignore my idiot of a brother." He said as Inuyasha howled on about his ears. 'Oh the pain' was moaned in the background as the inu youkai's eyes turn serious. "But you must realize how serious the situation is."

"I know." Kikyou said softly. "I was thinking about that earlier." She sent a piercing glare in the direction of the howling hanyou.

"And?"

"And....I think we should send someone to get some...things. Yura, can you have Kohaku, Shippou, and Rin go get some herbs from the Western Forests?" The miko timidly handed over a piece of parchment to the youkai.

Yura raised an eyebrow as she took the scrap of parchment, but didn't ask how and when the miko had created the little list. She turned on her heel and went to pick up her battered frying pan before heading back into the tavern.

"Have Jaken go with them." Sesshoumaru quietly ordered.

"Whatever." Yura said. "You guys should probably wait a few minutes before leaving."

Her heels clacked softly against the wood as she left the wine cellar.

The small group complied with her request. A few moments went by before Houjo was the first to emerge from the cellar. After all he was the only one who could safely walk through the tavern in broad daylight without being questioned by Naraku's guards.

The tavern was nearly empty save for the maids as they coaxed drunken customers out of the establishment or lead them up into their rooms. The other tavern wenches were busy clearing and busing the tables and sweeping broken glass off of the floor. Houjo headed back into the wine cellar to give the others the okay.

Inuyasha was still grumbling about his ears as he stumbled through the door and headed up the stairs towards their room. Sesshoumaru and Kei quickly followed suit. None of them could afford the luxury of being caught. Only Kikyou stayed behind.

Her bow and arrows were swung over her shoulder as she stopped next to Houjo.

"So when you going to head back to the palace?" She asked softly, a light blush staining her cheeks.

Houjo just shrugged. Personally he didn't want to head back to the palace, and he knew that Kikyou felt the same way. Hell, they all did. None of them really wanted to go through with any of this but they really didn't have that much of a choice. Naraku had to be stopped. All of the horror and pain that he had caused……it couldn't go on. Someone had to put an end to it.

"Will you two get upstairs!" A voice hissed.

Both Houjo and Kikyou looked up to see Yura coming down the stairs with Rin, Shippou, Kohaku, and Jaken in tow.

"The guards are going to be here any moment, so get your asses upstairs!"

The two silently complied, feeling a bit sheepish as they drudged past Yura and up the stairs. The Rebels had been given a rather large room with a numerous amount of cots strewn over the floor. Naraku's guards had no knowledge of the room so the group was quite safe from discovery. Only Houjo, Yura, Rin, Shippou, and Kohaku ever left the room.

"Houjo?"

The servant's hand fell from the door and he turned to look at Kikyou. The miko's long, dark bangs were covering most of her face, but even he could just make out the slight blush that stained her cheeks. She was obviously very embarrassed about something. (Although as to what it was the young man didn't have the slightest clue.)

"Kikyou?"

The miko didn't speak. She was trembling slightly, and for the first time in her life terrified of the outcome of what she was going to do. Kikyou had never been a scared woman so why was something like this bothering her so much? Gathering her courage Kikyou leaned over and kissed Houjo lightly on the cheek.

The sandy-haired servant went stock still, a reaction that Kikyou immediately misinterpreted. Her pale skin flushed a dark red and she hurried inside the room. Damn it! Why did I do that?! Now he's going to hate me. She ignored the inquisitive looks of Kei and Sesshoumaru and quickly found a cot near a corner of the room. Wrapping her cloak tight around her body, Kikyou settled into the cot, curling into a ball. As she closed her eyes tight, and tried to block out everything, the miko kept asking herself the same question. Why did she do that and why did his reaction bother her so?

Outside of the room Houjo raised a hand to his cheek tentatively.

What had just happened?

~~~~

Kagura wrinkled her nose in disgust when the smell of burnt flesh wafted through the hall. A wispy sort of smoke was starting to come from a room at the far end of the stone corridor. It stung her large scarlet eyes, and forced her to blink several times just to get rid of the sensation. She glanced over at Naraku, briefly, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach when she caught a glimpse of the bland expression on the king's face.

"Kagura?" The cold voice suddenly broke through the silence, bounding against the stone walls. "How long have you been loyal to me?"

The nature of the question, itself, was more then enough to startle the wind youkai. Involuntarily, she drew in a sharp breath that sounded suspiciously like a strangled gasp. The slightly smoky air caused several quick coughs to erupt to her throat. The raven-haired youkai clamped a hand over her mouth and stopped, and it was several moments before she could speak.

"Ex-excuse me?" Was all she managed to get out between coughs.

By now Naraku had stopped even though he was completely unaffected by the slight smoke. Somehow the smoke that Moete's fires created was surprisingly similar to the miasma that his own youki emitted when it was unrestrained. It was something that the hanyou could live on if left to starve for weeks at a time.

Not that something like that would ever happen, of course.

"How long have you been loyal to me, Kagura?"

The uneasy feeling in the pit of Kagura's stomach suddenly went ice cold as the youkai tried to breathe through the smoke.

"I-" Another cough erupting from her mouth interrupted her, "I have served you well over seven years, Naraku-sama."

Naraku clicked his tongue, a sound that was barely heard over the wind youkai's coughs.

"I didn't ask how long you have served me, did I Kagura? I asked you how many years you have been loyal."

There was no response from Kagura as she dropped to the floor. She ripped off a piece of her kimono sleeve and covered her mouth with it. Surprisingly enough this made it much easier to breathe. Taking a deep breath the scarlet-eyed youkai blinked as she tried to process just what it was exactly that Naraku was saying.

"No one in your family has truly been loyal to me, have they? Moete is an exception, I suppose, but even she has her own agenda. The little slut." Naraku chuckled darkly to himself. "I can't really blame Kanna, though can I? After all she is young, and easily manipulated. Especially by a loving sister that she idolizes. Isn't that so Kagura?"

He walked over to where the wind youkai lay, rigid, knelt against the cold stone floor. His beady eyes glared down at her.

"Get up." Naraku ordered. "It's time you understood what happens when people try to deceive me.

~~~~

It doesn't hurt so much anymore. Zorant thought as he watched Moete through slitted eyes. It had been a long time since he had seen Kagura's younger sister, but she hadn't changed a bit.

Her expression just screamed superiority, with the smug smirk that graced her face. Zorant had never really liked her that much. Moete and her friends always had a habit on picking on him and making him do the hardest chores. It was like they lived to torment him.

At first Zorant had taken it all in stride. He had been young when they had first arrived at the Joxaph Islands, but even then Zorant had understood that people would hate him simply because of his bloodline.

Moete's treatment of him never really bothered him that much. Even before Naraku had attacked, Zorant never had a lot of friends. Falcon youkai weren't exactly common, and when you lived in a kingdom that was filled with wolf youkai, it was just natural that those his age saw him as weak.

No, he was used to being picked on. Moete had just been another youkai to see him as weak, but it was when the fire youkai had started to pick on his little sister that the falcon youkai had found it harder to deal with her.

His little sister had always been weak as a baby, and the sickness that she had developed when Naraku had attacked didn't help in the slightest.

Kagura's mother, who was also the healer of Joxaph, had written it off as small pox. According to her a little rest and the right herbs would heal his little sister, but for the longest time Zorant was convinced that it wasn't some mere disease one had as a child.

When he and the rest of his family had been escaping from the palace they had been exposed to a bit of Naraku's miasma. His sister's immune system wouldn't have been strong enough to fight it off like his had. Well it didn't really matter as to whether his sister's illness stemmed from miasma or from a childhood disease. Either way it was Moete that was responsible for her death.

A painful cough suddenly wracked Zorant's body. The room had long since filled with a smothering smoke that made it nearly impossible to breathe. At this rate he would most likely suffocate.

Maybe dying won't be that bad. Zorant though dryly. At the very least it would make all the pain disappear. He still hadn't made even the slightest sound and the falcon youkai could only imagine how irritating it must be for his tormentor.

Everything started to look like shadows now. Even as he glared at Moete, Zorant could only make out the outline of her figure and that of the crude chair and the rows of spikes that protruded from the ceiling. His hearing hadn't diminished though. If anything it only improved. Why even now the slight breaths that Kagura's sister took sounded as if her mouth was mere inches from his very ears.

There was a low creak and the sound of metal scratching against metal, and Zorant could only assume that the door had opened. Two shadows came in from the hallway, and one of them let out a shriek that sounded dreadfully familiar.

"Zorant!"

~~~~

It was almost on instinct, and very stupid. Whatever type of doom Kagura had expected Naraku to bring down on her it was anything but this.

It was like something that only mikos like Kikyou would fear.

They were back in the room were Venkal had died. Moete stood near the edge of the death trap while a fire burned and sizzled in the middle, and eerily enough it seemed to be in almost the same exact spot that Naraku's advisor had been skewered.

The stench of burned flesh could have been easily identified by even a human, but that wasn't what horrified Kagura.

It was the fact that there was someone in the middle of it, and even though her sense of smell wasn't all that great for that of a youkai she could still identify it.

"Zorant!"

Naraku stayed just behind Kagura relishing in the sudden scream that tore out of her throat and the fear that seemed to envelope her body. He sent Moete, who was watching both him and her sister with interest, a curt nod.

The fire youkai's dark grin, which had been there from the moment the two had entered the dungeon, only grew. The small red orb that hovered inches above her outstretched, left palm darkened in color until it was a dark crimson. The air around it was twisted and manipulated to such a point where it almost seemed that wisps of flame were coming out of the orb. Moete uttered a few words that were of a language that the hanyou could not recognize, but he didn't expect to. Moete had reassured him, again and again, that Kagura would recognized the language and that was all that mattered.

Sure enough Kagura turned to her younger sister, her scarlet eyes going wide and liquid as a horrified look crept into their depths.

"No." The wind youkai whispered, shaking her head in denial. She moved to stop Moete but was roughly stopped when Naraku grabbed the locks of hair that stuck out of her bun and pulled hard.

This sudden action caused Kagura to stumble backwards with such a force that at almost seemed as if she had been thrown against the bloodied, dungeon wall her back hit. Her thick, raven tresses cascaded down her back as she fell to her knees. Slightly dazed it was several seconds before Kagura was able to refocus on her sister.

As the wind youkai did the crimson, floating orb underwent a sudden transformation. It slowly floated nearer to its creator's hand.

"Ur kavena il eractus!"

The moment these words left Moete's mouth, the orb suddenly burst until several small flames. These flames seemed to melt together until one large flame was burning brightly, nestled against Moete's skin.

Kagura's eyes instantly jumped to the figure that was chained to the stake in the center of the dungeon. The flames surrounding Zorant rose and burned brighter, hotter then ever before, but not a sound could be heard from the falcon youkai.

Tears slowly made their way down Kagura's cheek; the tracks visible against pale skin that had been blackened by Moete's sooty smoke.

She stared blankly at the area where Zorant had been staked. There would be nothing left of him now. Nothing but ashes.

Kagura heard the soft soles of her sister's slippers scrape against the floor as she left, the thick smoke dissipating. Now she was left alone...with Naraku.

Kagura didn't remember a time when she had been more scared in her life.

He knew. Naraku knew.

To what extent the wind youkai wasn't sure, but hopefully he didn't know of how deep her involvement with the rebels was.

Kagura's scarlet eyes raised to the small pile of ashes on the floor, and the severely burnt piece of wood that lay next to it.

Even as her heart lurched and the tears continued to pour down her face the raven-haired youkai ran over how much Naraku could possibly know in her mind.

No, he couldn't know of her suggestion to the rebels. If he did....he wouldn't have just stopped at Zorant.

But....what's to say he hadn't? What's to say he hadn't already done something horrible to Kanna?

Naraku watched Kagura's slightly trembling form silently. His pale lips curled into a slight smile when the sound of her breathing started to become more frantic. No doubt she was going over in her head what more he could possibly do to her.

"Let this be a lesson, Kagura." He finally said, when Kagura hugged herself tightly. "I can do much worse to you if you ever decide to help the rebels. Besides," Naraku added as an afterthought, "that youkai was just taking up space anyway."

Kagura went stock still at that remark, she continued to stare at the ashes through eyes blinded by tears.

How dare he. She thought, a red anger boiling deep inside her. Kagura was used to people from her village mocking Zorant and his family, but to do what Naraku did...That bastard's dead. I don't care how it's done, but I'm going to make sure he's dead by the end of this week.

The wind youkai had never felt true anger and rage before, not even when Naraku had dragged her and her sisters from their home. Even the threat that he would destroy all that the sisters knew and held dear if they ever betrayed him never angered her like this.

Zorant had been her reason for living. Her reason for dealing with the guilt of everything she done. Now he was gone.

Naraku was going to pay.

A/N: Ok. Mina-san I hope you liked this chapter. I also hoped you weren't too creeped out by the beginning. I don't know when 26 will be out, I have some surgery coming up tomorrow and I don't know when I'll be able to get back to writing. Also, I owould like to remind some of you that I do have a life. I put as much time as I can into my writing, but I can't completely devote myself to it. Maybe if I'm lucky in the near future I will but not now. School and work are very demanding. (Writer's block certainly don't help either.) Also if any of you are interested on the status of my fics please check out my bio. I'll try to put a weekly update there. I'm also putting my fics up on mediaminer.org soon. So check it out. Well, that's all for now. Ja ne!