Hey everyone, what's up? Frankly, I don't have much to say at the moment, so let's just jump into the chapter, shall we?

The violet haze curls around me as Kagura leads me through the desolate castle halls, swirling like a school of fish would inside a circular tank. It does indeed appear very much like that, other than the fact that it's backwards. I imagine the fog looks like it would if I were in such a tank, and the fish were circling outside of it. The thought arises within me the strange sensation that the haze is alive.

The wood creaks beneath our steps, soft against out feet, as if it were damp. It's too dark to see if the floor is actually wet, however, and the air smells of wood, incense, and one other peculiar scent I can't place instead of dank mildew. Every now and again, we pass a large shape slumped against the wall, or discarded on the floor. Kagura ignores every one of them, so I don't give them much thought, either.

Finally, Kagura stops. Sticking the tip of her fan into the handle of a door, she slides it over. Since she doesn't enter, I don't either, but I peer past her and into the room, curious.

A man sits stationary at the far end of the room, drenched in darkness. His waving dark hair that falls down around him doesn't help me make out his features. Beside him, however, stands a little girl paler than even me, with stark white hair leeched of any color, and an unstained white dress to match. The only part of her that blends with the shadows are her eyes, which refuse all light as if they were voids. As uncanny as she is, I hesitate to draw any closer.

"You brought her. Good." The man lifts his head, his back straightening. "Come in."

I glance at Kagura and wince when I realize she's staring at me, waiting. I guess he's only inviting me.

I enter, eyes flickering to the colorless girl before returning to the man. He appears to examine me. I clear my throat, then cough, having agitated my windpipe. When I recover, I tentatively ask, "Are you...Naraku, then?"

"Perhaps."

Perhaps? Can't he just say yes or no? But considering he's who Kagura brought me to, I guess he has to be…probably. "Kagura says you have business with me?"

"Hm…" He shifts, knuckles now supporting his jaw. "You seem rather apathetic, considering your situation. Tell me, what do you think I brought you here for?"

I study my boots, outlining one of the buckles with my eyes. "...I have no idea. The only reason I even know about you is because I've talked with Kagome and her friends." I lift my gaze to look about where his eyes probably are. "I don't have any jewel shards, if that's what you're after."

Kagura scoffs behind me. "Stupid girl. If you had any, I'd have already killed you for them."

I almost smile, finding her attitude pleasantly similar to Sesshomaru's.

"Tell me," Naraku continues, reclaiming my attention, "what relation have you to the spirit you met in the forest?"

"How do you know about that?"

The girl in white turns the mirror in my hand to face me, revealing within it Kagome and the others. They're still in the ash-ridden area where the spirit was, although she's nowhere to be seen. The group has gathered around Kilala, who still has Shippo atop her, although they majorly ignore the two as they appear to argue.

My eyes flash up, briefly meeting the little girl's vacant eyes, before I look back to Naraku. "Um, I don't really know anything about that spirit. She said something along the lines of my soul...having stardust or something...but I don't really know what that means."

"And how about Sesshomaru?"

I press my lips together, abruptly on guard. What does he want with him? "That was my first time meeting him. If you were watching, you should have heard me greet him like that."

"You were rather emotional, for a first time meeting. It appeared to me more like a reunion, than introduction."

"I have personal reasons for being emotional."

"Those being…?"

"None of your business."

Naraku smirks, apparently amused. "What is your name?"

My name? Shouldn't he have heard it, if he was watching? Or maybe… I don't look at the mirror, but I don't need to to realize the voices of those shown are notably inaudible. So he can't hear what's shown there.

"Ren."

"Tell me, Ren, is there something you desire?"

Don't tell that to Naraku. That there's something you want.

But...she did say he'd have a solution, even if it results in bitterness. The last thing I want to do is cause harm to Sesshomaru, but almost just as much, I don't want to be apart from him, so I inquire, "Why do you ask?"

The man unfurls his hand, revealing a small, chipped sphere the color of cherry blossoms that appears to emit a faint light of its own. It doesn't take me long to put together what it is. "The sacred jewel holds limitless power. So great is its power than even a sliver of it grants its user immense strength beyond compare, offering one endless possibilities. Were I to give you one, you would be able to obtain whatever it is you desire."

Well doesn't that sound too good to be true. He sounds like a scammer. However, considering what I've seen this past week, and what I've heard of him and the jewel he holds, I'm inclined to believe what he says isn't a lie. Still, that doesn't mean there isn't a catch.

I cross my arms, studying what I can see of Naraku where he sits. It strikes me as odd, that he stays on the floor. Perspective is a powerful thing. In art, to draw one with height is to symbolize power. That's why prominent figures are often depicted standing while others sit or crouch, or at least are elevated to show their superiority over the rest. People seeking power are naturally inclined to tower over others physically when doing so metaphorically, so why does Naraku stay on the floor while I am standing? The most likely scenario I can think of is that he wants me to subconsciously think that I'm the one in control, and if that's the case, then his offer is all the more ominous.

"Why would you give me something so precious? What benefit could that have to you?" I inquire. Kagura was right. He has a solution, although I'm not exactly sure how it would work, but somehow it would work to his advantage rather than mine. I wouldn't exactly care, except that the results could end up involving Sesshomaru. That would be unacceptable.

"I don't ask much," the villain complies, easily admitting his conditions. Too easily. I've read enough books to know there must be a reason he's attempting to cover up. "I simply ask that you report to Kagura from time to time. I ask nothing but that you answer whatever questions she brings you. Be aware, though. When there is a fight between my incarnations and Inuyasha, you will be treated like his other companions, even targeted for your shard. Outside of those battles, however, none of my incarnations will harm you. They may even help you. If you lose the shard without dying, our agreement will be over, and we will both act like we never had an arrangement to begin with. What do you say? It's a small price to have your wish granted."

Such a contract would surely be detrimental to Kagome and her friends, which is unpleasant in and of itself. They're nice people, as hospitable and as accommodating as they are. They've been better friends to me, if I can call them that, than the classmates I've technically been with since grade school. That alone would be enough to make me hesitate, if not refuse his offer, but he also brought up Sesshomaru. He never said anything about this deal involving him, but considering what I desire is to be at Lord Sesshomaru's side, and Naraku thought it of interest to mention him before, I have no doubt some of those questions he'd want answered would have to do with him.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline," I finally reply. "There's nothing I particularly want."

The low laughter that fills the room makes my knees go weak, my heart clogging my throat as I'm struck with the abrupt notion that I've just made a horrible decision. "That's too bad. It would have been entertaining to have watched you betray them of your own free will."

Sirens blaring inside my head, I whirl in place, only to find Kagura squarely blocking the doorway. A acute stab in my shoulder blade forces a rasping gasp from my mouth. I twist and stumble away from Naraku, who's suddenly looming over me. My hand flies to my shoulder, and my back burns!

Then, as quick as it came, the pain subsides, and I'm shocked to discover breathing no longer hurts. I pause, sucking in a deep breath, then releasing it. My throat...is better. Healed. The slight prickly sensation that had lingered in my skin is gone, too. Still frozen where I stand, breaths coming somewhat rapid in my fear and confusion, I eye Naraku. What...did he just do to me?

"Now, Ren," he begins, sounding satisfied, "whether you want to or not, you will do my will."

A strange pulse beats within my back. Nausea swells in my stomach as the foreign pulsations continue, as if a second heart resided inside my shoulder blade. Every beat it pounds deeper into me, as if battling my original heart, and the internal invasion quickly has me on my knees, retching. Disgusted by the lingering taste of fish, I gag, "W-What...is...this?"

"She's fighting it." The small voice unwillingly draws my attention to the girl in white. Even in the dimness, I can see her dark, empty eyes watching me. I'm fighting? Fighting what? How? All I feel is sick!

"She is indeed."

"Is she a priestess?" the wind demon wonders.

"Whether she is or isn't, her body will wear down, as will her mind, and the shard will take over, just as it has happened to Kagome in the past."

"There is something wrong with her soul."

Naraku turns to the little girl. "Speak. What do you mean, Kanna?"

The girl, Kanna, holds her mirror closer to her chest, but otherwise shows no reaction to being singled out. "I can see it. She is human, and her soul is small, but it shines. Her soul shines with something inhuman. It's powerful, Naraku. The shard may not work."

Naraku doesn't reply, but from the doorway, Kagura scoffs, "May not work? Kanna, have you lost your mind? Nothing is more powerful than the sacred jewel!"

I spit, trying to rid my mouth of bile as my stomach begins to ease. So, what, he put a sacred jewel shard in my back? To make me do his bidding? Like mind control? The thought causes my heart to speed to an indiscriminate thrumming. My mind feels fine! I'm not under his control, right? But what if this is how it's supposed to feel, so I'll relax and let my guard down?

I flinch when Naraku steps towards me, scrambling back into the wall. He pauses, studying me, then closes in. I press back against the wood futilely. When he grabs my shoulder, my first instinct is to scream and thrash, but what good would that do? He peels me off the wall, and a second later, there's a sharp sting in my shoulder, exactly like when he first put the shard in. And then it's gone. He eyes the shard in his hand, then closes it in his fist and turns away. Kagura moves aside when he passes her in the doorway.

"I don't have time to figure out where this unknown fits into my plan. Cease your protection of her and let her body succumb to my miasma, but don't let her flesh melt. Leave her in a place where Inuyasha and his friends will discover her poisoned corpse."

And then he's gone, vanishing into the hallway.

Without warning, the tube of purple surrounding me breaks, and like a horde of bloodthirsty demons the haze rushes into my haven. Immediately my skin begins to sear as if it were exposed to the sun, and tears gush from my stinging eyes. Likewise my airway and lungs begin to burn. It's just like what happened before, except much, much more potent. This time I can't even think to withhold my scream, the noise only tearing at my throat all the more, and the cry quickly morphs into hacking as I begin to cough up blood. Black swims in my vision, its clouds wavering and changing shapes. The spots grow and stretch until I can't even make out the floor beneath me, and the last thing I feel is my head, banging against the ground.

Ehehe, sorry about all the cliffhangers. They just sort of happen. I don't plan them, I swear. Anyway, I've been looking at all the follows and favorites, and I'm absolutely delighted to see you all are enjoying it so far! I'll try hard to live up to all your expectations! But anyway, as always, I'm open to hear all opinions, predictions, and any other thoughts you all have, and look forward to hearing from you! See you all next chapter!