THE PLAN STARTS.

Naraku let out a sigh.
Things were finally getting back on track it would seem.

Kohaku, Kanna, and the other half of the infant were at the human castle, just as planned.

The woman thought the pale skinned babe to be her own, and would take care of it until the next step was to take place.

All he had to do now was go and introduce himself to Princess Abi.

A sly smile crossed his lips.

Ah, yes, that one would be easy to play with. Far too worried about her dying mother to say no to his kind offer of assistance in the gathering of human blood...

But of course, it would only serve his own purposes in the end.

So close.
He was so close to getting that last shard of the jewel.
Leaving only the three that would be so easy to take for himself.

His smile quickly turned to a frown of concern when his thoughts went to the Kohaku boy.

While Koga's would be both easy and fun to get, Naraku still had yet to figure a way to get the boy's shard without killing him.

"A puzzle for another day." He said to himself as he walked on.

He was alone.
It had been a while since he was truly alone. He didn't want to admit that he had grown used to the odd company of Kanna and Kohaku.

Letting out a sigh, he let his mind grow quiet. Something that had never been easy in the past, what with the voices once in his head.

But now that they were gone in the form of Hakudoshi, he could actually do this one simple thing, truly relax.

Walking, he took in the changing season around him. Recalling how a certain blue eyed girl had told him of her love for the season to come.

Autumn.
The slow death of the year before the cold corpse the earth would turn into for winter, only to be reborn again in spring and repeat.

When he had voiced his opinion of the seasons to her, Akane had just smiled at him and titled her head.

"I've never heard it put quite like that before. Seeing as how you call winter a cold corpse, I'm thinking you don't like it all that much."

"I hate the cold." He had stated.

She leaned in close, the two sitting side by side as they had watched the falling sun.

"Well, most spiders don't." She teased him, and her warmth had seeped into his shoulder.

"I also hate the way it looks."

He had not meant to say such.
The girl thought him odd enough.

"Oh?" She batted those eyes up at him, interested, in a cute way.

With a blush to his face, he had went on with his explanation.

"It even looks dead. All grey and white, like a corpse. There is no food growing and it's wet and cold. There is no beauty in winter."

Akane had locked eyes with him for an eerie amount of time before she turned her head to rest it on his shoulder, making him heat up more.

"If you know how to look, it has it's moments of beauty. Like the way the sun can make it sparkle, or the softness of light falling snow. And white isn't really a bad color..."

"You only say that because all THAT man is, are shades of white." He stated with a chuckle.

Akane hadn't denied it.
In fact, she had laughed before looking back up at him.

"Ha, sure, but even YOU call him beautiful, despite all the white."

She had him there.

He could only blink down at her.

He had wanted to kiss her so badly he could taste it, yet held back due to knowing she only wanted to kiss one person. And it was not him.

Naraku suddenly shook the memory from his mind rapidly.

Damn.
He had done so well at not thinking of her these past few days.

Now the pain swelled inside as he recalled how she had left.
Left them both.

Her blue eyes a mix of sadness and anger as she told him that she could not fully trust him.

But what did he expect?
Even HE wasn't sure just why he kept seeking the jewel anymore.

But something made him feel the need to do so. To complete it.

With a hiss of annoyance, Naraku held out a hand and sent a small wave of miasma out to kill the bush that was by his feet.

Naraku watched with interest as the green leaves, which had only just began to turn, now paled into yellows and reds.

When it was the color he wanted, he took his hand back and studied the dying plant curiously.

Reaching out and snatching up a handful of the leaves like flowers, he pulled them to his face and took in a deep breath.

Akane said he smelled like autumn.
Like rain and dying leaves.
Said she loved the smell.
That it was comforting.
That in turn, he smelled comforting.

Sure enough, the scent of the leaves in his hand was not rancid like most dying things.

Almost pleasant.

"Hmmm." Naraku stared at them, suddenly unsure as to why he had just done such an odd thing.

He jolted and dropped the leaves when one of his insects flew at him full speed, clearly alight with news it thought would please him.

"What is it then." He said with a bored sigh.

The creature told it's tale, and Naraku's eyes lit up with a light of happiness, followed by worry and a deep confusion.

"Why the hell is the little dragon looking for ME?" He mused as the insect awaited orders.

Naraku ignored it and went off in the direction it had come from.

Akane was looking for him.
Tracking his aura and scent as best she could and followed after any of the insects she came across, asking them to tell him of her.

As happy as this should make him, all it did was fill him with worry.

"She was supposed to go home."

Naraku paused mid-flight.

Once more, just the thought of her was making him put his plans on pause. She did not love him, not the way he wanted her to, so why is it that even now, he wanted to make sure that she was okay?

Was this normal?

With a shake of the head, he went on once more, with the insect by his side to show him where.

Princess Abi could wait.
At least a little longer...

Akane stood on a cliff that overlooked a vast landscape.

It was mid afternoon as far as she could tell, for the battery on her phone had died a while ago now.

Her black yokai horse panted as it was finally allowed to stand still.

It was larger then most horses, with a mane of black and blue shadows that moved like smoke or mist. It's body as black as midnight, and even though it's eyes were red, the beast was very friendly to her.

She felt bad, knowing she was pushing the beast more then she needed to, but she was in a hurry.

Akane had been steering clear of any hint of Sesshomaru, staying down wind so he could not catch her own scent. And had been trying to avoid Inuyasha and the others.

Totosai had not let her get far when she had snuck away from him and Myoga that day, and insisted she at least allow him to take her to any place she needed to start.

Chika's village had been her desired place, but when she said she only wanted to go there for a horse, the old man had laughed and told her he knew someone closer who had what she needed. Kurohide was owned by another old yokai who was friends with Totosai, and the man was happy to lend him to her, especially after Totosai mentioned she was the mate of Sesshomaru...

Despite being leery of it, the horse had cut her travel time in half in the long run, and she learned to trust it.

Now, just days later, she managed to catch up to where the others seemed to be headed.

Akane had circled around Inuyasha's group a ways back, hoping he had not caught her scent.

She had a feeling they would stop in at the castle she could make out at the bottom of the cliff, so she made a note to avoid it at all costs.

A gust of cool wind hit her face, and a chill ran down her spine.

Days were getting chilly sooner then before, even while the sun was still high in the sky.

She breathed in the smell of fall coming in the air.

Akane needed to find Naraku before Sesshomaru did.

He would kill her friend in her place if she didn't get her plan going...

The black horse let out a strange sound, that of worry, and she frowned at it in confusion.

"Kurohide? What is it boy?"

Slowly, it moved away from the cliff without her doing so.

It had behaved just fine up until this point, so she trusted it, letting it back all the way to the treeline.

The scent of autumn grew stronger, just moments before she sensed his aura in the air.

Naraku came up from bellow the cliff, focus in his eyes before the maroon color brightened when he seen her astride there.

Their eyes locked as he froze.

Given how they had parted, she wasn't sure if he would be angry.

But he looked just as worried.

The horse, seeming to sense no danger, calmed and moved closer to Naraku of it's own will.

It got right up to him, sniffing at him as if it were a dog instead.

Naraku blinked in surprise when the creature nudged his shoulder to get his attention. And, like a child very unused to animals, he reached out to touch the creature.

The horse nuzzled it's nose into his hand and a smile eased it's way onto Naraku's face before he looked back to Akane's eyes.

She had forgotten just how sweet and childlike he could be at times.

Still looking nervous as he played with the horses dark mane.

Akane swallowed.
Not sure what to say to him.

"I truly wish I were the type of yokai who could track things."

Akane blinked at his words.

"Huh?" She blurted.

"You were literally just feet above me and I had no clue." He finished with that adorable pout of his.

And like that, the silent tension was broken as she laughed.

Naraku went right for her, and she all but jumped into his open arms.

He held her close to his heart for a moment, feeling like he might actually have one beating inside, before he set her down to her feet.

His maroon eyes searched hers as his fingers trailed her face.

Akane did not pull away, having missed his tenderness, and not wanting to hurt him by refusing to allow him to touch her.

"What are you up to, little dragon?"

The tone was both worried and curious, as if he sensed there was a good reason for her being here.

With a deep breath, and one small step back for space, she decided to cut to the chase with him.

"Someone wants both you and I dead, and they are using Sesshy as the weapon. He's been possessed by a yokai who will only leave him when he kills those he thinks betrayed him in love. Sadly, that just happens to be you and me."

Naraku stepped back, eyes wide.
Very, very, interested.

"Oh? And just who do you think would do such a nasty thing?"

His tone was a bit spiteful, clearly thinking of how she had assumed that HE was the one.

Akane let out a sigh of guilt.
Biting her lip a moment before giving her best 'Sorry' look.

"You really didn't have anything to do with Sesshomaru's outburst, and I am beyond sorry that I thought so in the first place. I'm sorry, Naru."

His eyes lit up more as she used his nickname, and a true smile greeted her before he spoke.

"All in the past. You had every right to think it in the first place."

"Still wasn't right to you." She mumbled while rubbing her arms.

"Surely you are not here to just argue about being forgiven?" He said in a teasing tone.

Akane smiled.
He was too smart for that.

"No, I'm not. But I needed to say it."

"So it is said." And he sat on the grass, pulling his knees to his chest in that way she found adorable, staring up at her curiously.

"What all do you know?" He asked.

Akane smiled, and sat across from him, then began to explain.

She told him of her trip to Totosai, and of how a female yokai named Ikari Shitto had possessed Sesshomaru in order to make him kill either her or Naraku.

She explained this yokai attached to those who had been cheated on in love, and fueled what jealousy there was to a killing rage.

"Someone who knows about all three of us set this Ikari Shitto lady on my mate, and I want to help set him free of her hold."

Naraku frowned. "Yes, but it sounds to me like she'll only leave if one of us happens to be dead."

"It has to be me." Akane cut in.

He rolled his eyes and snorted at her like she was stupid.

"Akane, I can fake my death much easier then you possibly-"

She raised her fist and he stopped to watch her point one finger at a time up in the air.

"One, he would know you didn't die. Two, there is no promise that he will leave me alone once he thinks your dead. Three, I'm the one he thinks betrayed him, so it has to be me to die. Four, that is the only way to get this lady to leave him." She finished with a gasp of air.

Naraku raised his hand in the air and cocked his head to the side.

"Are you SURE that's the only way?What if you or I just tell him what is going on? If he knows about her, would she not lose power over him that way?" He asked.

Akane shook her head.
It was a good idea, sure, if it was a normal person. But this was her mate after all and she knew him.

"Sesshomaru will not think himself so weak as to not know he was possessed. We would only insult and add to his anger. Besides, are YOU gonna be the one to tell him?"

Naraku went pale at her words and messed with a spike on his armor.

"I DID try to tell him something was not right about him. Those eyes... Those eyes of his are darker now."

She nodded, having noticed that, but it had been too late.

"And how did THAT go, hmmm?"

At her teasings, he blushed and looked away from her face.

"He just got huffy and attacked."

"Exactly. So I need to die in order to set him free. It's the only way."

Akane had not seen his 'crazy ass bitch' look in a long while, and it made her laugh to see it.

"So what," He said in utter wonder.

"Are you asking me to make it look like I killed you? Not sure that will stop him from wanting ME dead."

Akane snorted at him with a very dramatic eye roll.

"NO, you idiot. The only way-"

A snap in the near distance made them freeze, and it was followed by rustling and cracking branches.

Not the sound of a small animal like the noises around them had been, but of something big running in the forest in front of them.

The horse let out a light sound as it pawed at the dirt, and an insect came from the direction of the noise just as Akane caught the scent.

""Inuyasha."" They both said.

Each jumped to their feet, Naraku looking almost panicked.

"I'll go. You say I was attacking you or something-"

"There's no time to come up with a good lie and I need you." Akane cut in as she took his hands.

His eyes went wide as she wrapped herself around him, holding tight.

"Take me with you." She ordered.

Naraku was frozen in shock.

"But he could see-"

He was cut off by one of Inuyasha's battle cries. As if he had caught the scent just then.

"NOW Naraku!" She pleaded.

He took to the sky at top speed, surrounded by his protective barrier as they went higher and further away from the cliffs edge.

Kurohide let out a cry at being left behind, and danced in a circle.

"I'm sorry!" Akane called to it as they began to take off.

But to her horror, Inuyasha came out from the trees in a run, and barely stopped before falling off the edge of the cliff.

"Where the hell are you?!"

Inuyasha was taken aback by the prancing yokai horse, and he threatened to attack it until he seemed to catch on that the thing was just afraid of him.

"Naraku, you bastard. Come out!"

"Like that would actually make any person want to come out." Naraku whispered in an amused tone.

Akane had to stifle a laugh in the crook of his neck so she wasn't loud enough to be heard.

The yokai horse proved to be a nice distraction, but before they could descend to hide in the forest bellow, Inuyasha had turned his head in their direction.

"Stop moving!" Akane hissed in a whisper to Naraku, who obeyed and froze like a statue in the sky.

"What are we doing?" He whispered back to her ear softly.

Silently, Akane watched Inuyasha search the sky and the ground bellow the cliff, squinting as he looked their way.

With nothing but pure luck, Naraku had lined himself right in the middle of the sunlight, and Akane knew if they moved from this spot then all would be over for sure.

"He can't see us?" Naraku sounded beyond puzzled as his breath made her neck tingle.

They watched Inuyasha search, watched him yelp and get out of the way as the yokai horse took off back into the trees angrily.

At last he seemed to give up.
He left, back from where he came, white hair flailing behind him.

Naraku let out a very comical deep breath before looking at her.

Akane had her arms around his neck, and he held her by the waist.

"The sun. Your brilliant!" He said.

The beaming smile he gave, along with how she was positioned, made a deep blush come to her face.

Naraku caught it, and he too turned pink before attempting to set her down on her feet, only for her to wiggle like crazy.

"What are you doing? I can't fly!"

He chuckled and gave a playful smirk her way before letting go.

Akane squealed before landing on a hard surface. She froze, blinked down at her feet, and stomped.

Well I'll be...

His pinkish barrier was solid.
Now she felt like an idiot.

"Think I would drop you?"

Akane refused to look up at what she knew had to be his evil smile.

"Asshole."

His response was a deep laugh before coming down to stand next to her, taking her hand.

"I currently have no place of stay. So before we speak on matters of death and possession, shall we go seek shelter for the evening?"

Rolling her eyes at the debonair way he said that with a bow, Akane gave a small girlish bow back, making him smile a mile wide.

"So then, Naru, does this mean you WILL help me with Sesshy?" She could not help but ask once they were on the move.

She could not believe how solid the barrier was. It was like flying inside a solid bubble, and she was a bit less nervous as she looked down.

"Indeed so, little dragon. We shall be partners in whatever you desire."

The way he said that made her swallow, her face heating more.

"You DO realize what I desire is to make Sesshomaru himself again?"

"Mhmm." Naraku laced his fingers with hers while they both refused to look at each other.

"Really?" Akane dared a glance.

Naraku was still looking ahead, searching for a place as they flew.

His hand held tight to her own.

Stealing a look her way to catch her sideways stare, he smiled.

"I have said that I do not hate the mutt, have I not? Besides, it is highly unfare that someone other then myself has messed with him."

Akane burst into laughter and leaned into him.

"NOW it makes sense." She grinned.

He returned her grin as they continued onward, having no clue to the pair of yellow eyes watching.

Inuyasha had not completely left as he had made it seem.

While he had not seen them, the smell of them both had been too strong to be gone. So he had been wise to make it look like a retreat when he simply waited in the trees.

The moment Naraku had moved out of the suns light, Inuyasha locked his eyes on the pair in confusion.

It did not LOOK like Akane was even trying to get away.

As a matter of fact, as the two descended bellow the cliff line, he had came out and watched as the they seemed to be talking.

Friendly talking.

Unable to make out the words, he could still tell by the laughter that Akane seemed to know Naraku.

And as they went out of sight, all Inuyasha could do was stare hard at their laced fingers.

And one word kept repeating over and over in his mind...

Traitor.