Naraku moved smoothly, his footsteps muted on the forest ground as he came closer to her, even with the growl of Inuyasha warning him. The others glared at him, most of their eyes flicking back to the still form of Kagome. "She would make the perfect servant," he whispered, his red eyes never leaving Inuyasha's own golden orbs. He still hadn't truly shown himself, his body and part of his face hidden by his baboon pelt. "She could become my servant in a different way." Red clouded Inuyasha's vision at what the male before him was insinuating. "Maybe in ways that Kikyo could never be with her new body made of clay." Kagome was feeling the anger that burned in her throat, the mixture of disgust that made it hard to breath. The creature on her chest wasn't moving, almost as if it were listening to its master talk, waiting for the command to harm her should anyone of them, save for the demon in the baboon pelt.
"No thank you," she hissed, drawing attention to her from the group standing poised to fight and from the male just hair's breath from her. "I would rather die." She heard the sharp intake of breath from behind her and although she wasn't sure who it was she blocked it from her mind. She needed to get free because even though it was true she would rather die then serve the baboon clothed male she would rather not do either.
"That could be arranged," he promised. "Though, that wouldn't be as fun." He turned his attention back to the Hanyou before him. "I never got to reap the rewards of that foolish Miko's death." He shook his head, managing to look contrite at his next words. "If she had only done what I had thought she would do then you would still be on that tree and although she would still be in danger of the death that I longed to give her, I would have a defiled jewel to give me even more power."
"Why the fuck did you do that to her? Why the fuck do you hate us so much?" Inuyasha growled. The male chuckled at the questions, Kagome feeling a warmth surround her, a faint pink tinting her skin, but Naraku was so preoccupied with his enjoyment of the Hanyou's anger, seeming to relish in the fact that he was causing so much pain and misery to those before him.
"I do not hate you, worthless half breed that you are. Rather it was the wish of that human who I once was," he stated simply, no emotion. "He hungered for the woman that tended to him, lusted after the one that held only pity for him." He frowned. "I had no need for that Miko other than what I wanted from her and once Onigumo called forth the demons that had begun to gather in those forests without one to shatter their existence, I was born. He has no control of me, wasn't even able to stop me when I murdered her." He still seemed rather upset, though his smirk returned to his face. "She was all he wanted, but when that worthless bastard gave up his dark soul for mobility he gave me a better bargain than he had intended."
"But you aren't really a demon, are you?" came a soft voice, Kagome finding her fear shrinking as her power flowed around her. He noted that she was slowly powering up, but he didn't seem all that worried. "You're just a human heart amiss an abyss of demons." He glared at her now, not liking her tone nor the fact that she was making such accusations. With his attention turned toward her he failed to notice that Inuyasha's eyes had changed for a second, his anger welling up at him at the fact that the male before him held no remorse for his actions that had not only brought about the death of his former flame, but that he planned to kill her yet again after she would wished to be saved. "Kikyo would have never given into your wishes," she spat, her energy beginning to burn away the wasp on her chest. Naraku reached out to grasp her by the neck, his fingers grasping tightly even as the aura around her not only burned the wasp away completely, but even managed to sing his fingers.
"You're nothing but a reincarnation, bitch," he hissed. "And although killing you would give me immense pleasure I find that using you would cause far greater pain," he spat, his smirk returning as he turned back to the group. As he pinned the Hanyou with a gaze, the surprise that glittered thru his red eyes disappeared when he noticed Inuyasha's own red eyes flickering between their golden hue and a icy blue that replaced them. Before he could do anything to the girl at his side Inuyasha thrust forward, his claws reaching out to tear his baboon pelt into shreds. Kagome fell to her knees, the mixture of fear and anger that had released her powers draining her for a moment as well as the feelings of sadness that came with the knowledge that Naraku had been wrong about causing the group misery. Sure, they were her friends, and maybe they would have been sad about her predicament had he been able to follow thru with his threat, but again they hadn't known each other very long so the bond wasn't as strong as the one with her family and friends on the other side of the well. Her mother would have been devastated and her grandfather would have probably had a heart attack, but not these people before her.
"Kagome, are you okay?" Kaede asked as she and Shippo rushed to her side, Miroku joining Inuyasha on his chase after the male that had cursed both of them with misery. She nodded, explaining that using her energy against Naraku had just worn her out a bit. Turning attention to the males fighting before them she knew more about the half demon who had once been human than she was even willing to admit. It was Kikyo's fault for that information and yet, some of it she had seemed to be able to read when his hand had clasped around her neck. It was almost as if she could see into his soul, his human heart still beating under that mixture of demons. He couldn't kill Kikyo with that heart any more than he could seem to bring himself to do her harm. Yes, he had threatened to do just that for the pleasure of it she was sure that her looking like the dead Miko had snuffed out his want for that. If he was able to, and not saying he couldn't since he had created the demon that had lured them to the ogress, separate that heart they would have a bigger problem than any of them even realized.
"I really need to get these powers under control," she whispered, Kaede nodding in affirmation of that fact. She even suggested that she could assist the girl in her goal, though upon mentioning that she could also use arrows to assist in welding it in a more mobile way made Kagome shudder. "If it's all the same I think that not using that particular weapon would benefit her better in the long run, not that I won't learn it regardless. I just don't want that to be my primary weapon." When the pair finally returned, Inuyasha was looking particularly upset, maybe because he was unable to actually catch the elusive Naraku or maybe it was something else. Whatever it was he growled low as he approached her.
"You shouldn't have just wandered off," he grumbled to her, his eyes narrowing at the woman before him. She scoffed at him.
"As if I knew he was going to be waiting for me," she spat back, her anger rising again as she finally stood up, abet a little wobbly at first. When Miroku offered her assistance, claiming she could lean on him she accepted, shooting a scathing look at the Hanyou. "At least some people are thoughtful enough." She accepted his help, leaning on him as he helped her back to the village.
"How bad is it?" he asked her as the Hanyou grumbled something else, begrudgingly following with Kaede pulling up the rear. Shippo shook his head at Inuyasha as he walked in front of him. He moved closer to Kagome and Miroku to see what they were talking about, listening as she blew off the question.
"Not bad, just hurts a little to talk," she said, lowing her voice when she rasped a bit at the end. "I was just glad that my powers held long enough to keep it from being worse." The group finally made it back to the village thirty minutes later, the sun finally leaving the skies to darken.
Over the next few weeks Kagome and the gang found more shards, the fights quick sometimes while other times they tended to drag on with Inuyasha finishing them off only to find that not only did some of them have shards, but that the shards that they had were from Naraku. He used the demons that could benefit him and while some did it for the prize of getting a shard or two in exchange for destroying the Hanyou others were forced to endure the control he had one them. It was one of those times they came across a family that needed assistance with rumors that had come to their attention a few days after the battle with a creature that had been controlled by Naraku.
"That doesn't seem like a Naraku motive," Kagome pointed out as they entered the home of the latest family to lose female family member, the girl rather young when she had passed away. The fact of the matter was she hadn't even been dead a day when they had come across the village the family resided in. "Although there are a few youkai that would even bother taking the souls of a young maiden, it seems strange that they claim not to have seen who it is that is collecting the souls, but rather creatures that take them away from their bodies before disappearing into the night skies." She shuddered at the thought of having to be near a dead body.
"It has frightened my younger daughter," the lord of the manor stated, his eyes full of worry as he looked down the hall before them. "She did love her sister so much, but to even think that the youkai collecting these spirits might also be the one that can just take a soul from a living source has gotten her spooked." Kagome could understand that, but knowing that maybe they could assist in stopping this from happening she put on a brave face.
"I shall not allow the princess' soul to be taken," Miroku stated with confidence. "She shall find her way to the heavens." Kagome sighed as they were led to a small room where the older princess' body was kept, a white cloth draped over the still form. Sitting as far as she could from the body, leaning up against a wall, she eyed the dead body. Inuyasha grunted as he sat down near her, also eyeing the form under the sheet, though he appeared more frustrated with the task they had taken upon. He wasn't in the mood for the little things they did for the villages, his only goals were to avenge the death of Kikyo and to get the shards. He glanced back at Kagome, taking in the spooked look in her brown orbs he shook his head.
"Why would you even allow that monk to talk you into this if you are afraid?" he muttered. She glanced at him, rolling her eyes.
"I didn't let him talk me into anything and if you don't want to do this then just go ahead and scout outside," she stated, but when he made a move to do that she seemed to change her mind, though she didn't voice it. He could see it in her eyes and the way she tensed. "Anyway," she said, thankful that he had sat back down. "We should help if we can and if it should come about that it has a shard or maybe if there is a connection to Naraku then there's that added benefit." He shrugged, looking back down at the woman before them when he heard a commotion out in the hall. He reached for his sword, moving to strike should the person on the other side of the closed door mean them ill will, he waited. When the door burst open he found himself face to face with Miroku and Shippo, the pair looking a little frantic as the younger daughter of the lord followed them in. She whined pitifully as she grasped at Shippo, the young fox diving over Inuyasha to get to Kagome. She giggled at his apparent unease, but still cuddled him close to her as Miroku found himself under the princess as she moaned about the fact he would leave her to fend for herself should the creature, or whatever was stealing the souls of maidens, come after her.
Kagome tried to hold the laughter back, but it spilled forward, even Inuyasha finding the situation funny. "Serves the pervert right." It fell silent though moments later when right before their very eyes the girl under the sheet rose and not like a regular person would. No, this girl rose like a vampire, her whole body coming off the ground as she became vertical. The sheet fell down, pooling before them as the younger princess screamed and clung to Miroku while Kagome found herself clinging to the rather shocked Hanyou. It was the appearance of the youkai that grasped for the soul that threw everyone to their feet, save for Miroku who was still trying to extract the young princess off of him. As Kagome was thrown back when Inuyasha charged forward she noted that the creatures weren't what she had been expecting. The accounts had made them seem like snakes that slithered in the air, hands reaching for the souls, but these creatures made her think of eels, their bodies a pastel green looking color with an almost insect-like features. She was right about one thing, this wasn't a Naraku thing. This was something that was related in some way to someone else they knew, she was sure of it.
A feeling twitched thru her, her soul calling her to leave the Hanyou to his business and as he destroyed the single creature she shoved the door to the outside open just in time to see more of the creatures. She was sure now, her own body was telling her there was more to this...they weren't just collecting souls for a stranger. It's her. She knew it was, her own soul had been the dead miko's own at one time and with the incense that had separated them, opening them to each others' memories she could still feel her. It was strange to think of her as a part of her and yet separate, but she felt that way. She wasn't Kikyo anymore than Kikyo was her, but they shared a soul. Rushing off into the night, Miroku and Inuyasha following behind her, calling out for her to stop or at least to tell them where she was going. "I think I know who's behind the collecting of the souls!" As she grew closer to the place that the creatures were disappearing into she found herself thrown back, a barrier shimmering before her like a vertical lake. It had stunned her, but it hadn't harmed her and she moved down the barrier, hoping to find an opening as the others caught up with her.
"It's a barrier," Miroku stated, stopping to touch the shimmering obstruction. Kagome came back over, frustrated that she couldn't seem to get thru and to the shock of the group they heard shouting on the other side, a male and a female.
"K-Kikyo?" Inuyasha murmured in disbelief. Kagome turned to him, sure that he was right...that she, herself, had figured out moments after seeing the school of soul collectors. She could see his pain, the reflection of it swimming in his golden eyes and she forced herself to look away at his private pain.
"We couldn't get in there if we wanted to," Kagome said to Miroku. "We'll have to give up on this for now." Without waiting she headed off back to the manor they had just left. The monk glanced back at the Hanyou, unsure of where to go and after watching Shippo rush to join the raven haired girl he soon followed, only pausing to touch the Hanyou's stiff shoulder as a way of letting him know they were going back.
"There's no telling if that is her until we find whoever was talking to her just now," he explained as he continued on his way. Inuyasha sighed and after accepting that Miroku was right he followed behind the others.
Kagome struggled to keep awake, the books in her lap filled with words that didn't matter as her vision blurred from lack of sleep, but she continued to try and decipher the texts. Yawning she heard Shippo snoring softly in her sleeping bag, his father's pelt left at Kaede's hut after the fight with Hiten. She yawned again as the moon disappeared behind the clouds.
"Why don't you get some sleep, wench?" Inuyasha asked as he looked down at her from the tree he was currently perched on. "Those books can wait." Shaking her head at him she rubbed her eyes and continued to read what little she could see, but it soon became apparent as her eyes closed on their own accord that even if she could continue on with her studying that it would do her no good if she couldn't retain the information. Laying the book in the open bag near her she slipped into the sleeping bag next to Shippo and under Inuyasha's watchful eye soon found herself passing out. As soon as he was sure that she was asleep he turned his attention back to the skies. It had been weeks since his last sighting of the soul collectors, Kikyo being alive after that fateful day at the ogress's cave a nightmare that intertwined with her first death, but now that there was a slight possibility that she was still wandering the earth he felt that he needed to see her. To tell her of what he had found out about her former patient and he also wanted her to be free of her plight. He wanted he to go to nirvana. Thinking back he remembered their time together, tho most of it had been just him following behind her and her pinning him with arrows, she had never killed him and he had never killed her. He had just wanted the jewel, the Shikon no Tama his true goal. He had never thought he could find love. He was Hanyou after all, but even knowing that she wanted him to become human instead of his own wish to be rid of his human side, he had just been happy to find someone that was just like him and had felt something other than the hate towards him.
The skies above him grew bright again and it was in that instant that he saw them, the soul collectors, drifting thru the starlit skies. He tensed and glancing back at the trio asleep below him he rushed off to follow the creatures to their master. As soon as he disappeared over the top of the tree, rushing over the tree tops in his rush to find the other raven haired Miko, another shadow entered the area that held the rest of his companions. His blue eyes watched the girl in the bag as she slept, taking in the even breathing that filled the air and mixed in with the one that slept by her, cuddled close. She was the one that he had heard about, the girl that could see the shards and just the one that he needed for his clan to be safe from further attacks. Moving quickly he yanked her up from the sleeping bag, his hand covering her mouth before she could cry out. Her eyes opened at the sudden movement, but as tired as she was she couldn't seem to fight back.
"Mmph!" she said, her words muffled behind his hand but he couldn't silence the kitsune that had woken up upon the abrupt awakening he had suffered when Kagome had been pulled away. Looking up to find a male holding a struggling Kagome in his arms the Kitsune started yelling in fear, Miroku waking up to find out what was causing the ruckus to find himself coughing as dust was blow into his face.
"What the hell?" he said, coughing as the dust began to settle and he found that he and Shippo were the only ones still at their campsite. "Where's Kagome?" he asked looking around for the raven haired girl and then noticed that Inuyasha was also missing, though when Shippo finally managed to clear his throat and eyes after the burst of dust that had enabled the escape of the male that had Kagome he told him what had happened.
"It was a wolf demon," the little fox cried out. "He took Kagome with him!"
"Where's Inuyasha?" Miroku inquired, sure that the little fox could scent out the half demon. Shippo looked up and around him, but being so concerned with Kagome's abduction he was unable to really concentrate on the Hanyou's whereabouts. "Never mind," the monk stated. "He can take care of himself, we need to get to Kagome now!" Debating on whether to take her stuff with him he decided that should Inuyasha return from wherever he was that he would follow their scent and rushed off, Shippo at his heels. I hope whatever he's doing is worth the fact that Kagome is in danger! He was pissed off at the other male's lack of intelligence when it came to leaving a girl that not only possessed shards of the jewel that everyone with dark intentions wanted, but had also garnered the attention of their enemy with intent to use her in ways to defile her and the jewel connected to her. Shippo jumped on his shoulder, his nose picking up Kagome's smell so that the pair wouldn't lose her with how fast the male that took her away.
I hope we find her in time. He loved Kagome in a way that was like that of a child for its mother and couldn't bear to lose another parent after the death of his own biological parents and the clan that they had run with. He was also rather miffed at the Hanyou and his disappearing act, sure that the person that had taken her had been stalking them which in turn made him mildly mad at himself for not scenting the other demon lurking nearby. We're coming, Kagome!
I hope you are enjoying my fic and I would like to thank those again that have given this story a chance. :) I appreciate it more than you can know.