Under the Pale Autumn Moon

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Naraku smirked as he watched Kagome crash herself into the barrier, "I hope she doesn't kill herself."

Kagome was finally slammed into a wall and knocked unconscious, Naraku cackled evilly as he hopped down the steps and walked towards Kagome, picking her up by her hair, "Hard to believe she's the Miko who was cursed. She's barely worth my time, no real Miko powers."

He muttered to himself as he tossed Kagome onto a patch of dead tree leaves, shaped like a makeshift bed.

Sighing he sat on the wall she'd crashed into and gazed up at his castle, "One day I will be able to enter it, and it will all be thanks to you, Koibito," he spoke to the oblivious girl who was breathing softly, her hair fanned out behind her and her bruised and battered body looking rather paled, "If you die, I'll be very angry, Koishii, so don't even think of dying."

All he received in return for his exclamation was shallow breathing.

Inuyasha crawled on the ground, his legs scurrying out behind him as he dodged trees and other things that might offend his nose, trying to track down Kagome's scent, but sadly the many cedars that surrounded the area drowned the smell of roses out.

Miroku and Sango followed behind him in mild interest, only tagging along to make sure that Inuyasha didn't do anything stupid.

"Anything yet, Inuyasha?" Sango asked as Inuyasha ran into a tree, making birds scatter in all directions.

"Its weird, her smell is strong, but then it suddenly disappears," Inu- yasha grunted while rubbing his nose, staring at the tree as if it were the thing keeping him from Kagome.

Sango and Miroku exchanged glances, "Maybe that baboon guy did something to throw you off?"

"That bastard, Naraku, he'll have to pay, its one thing to turn me into this," he motioned to his ears, but appeared to be talking to the himself more than the two humans, "but how dare he take Kagome away from me!"

"I hate to point this out, Inuyasha, but you did walk away from her, allowing this Naraku guy to take her away," Miroku said, earning a punch in the stomach by Inuyasha.

"Shut up, you know nothing, you've always had Sango, you've always been one species in your lifetime, you have no idea what this feels like," Inuyasha growled as he returned to sniffing the ground, searching for Kagome.

Miroku sighed, knowing that what Inuyasha said was true, but not wanting to admit it, he slipped his hand into Sango's as they followed after the dog hanyou.

Naraku walked briskly with Kagome dragging behind him, her soft figure cut and bruised from Naraku's assaults and from being hauled like a little doll. Naraku's footsteps resounded along the deserted castle, though it could barely be called that, it was more like a large house.

Naraku came to a small shack on the outskirts of the "castle" and threw the door open. Rats and birds all hid when the sunshine hit their nests and dwellings. Naraku smirked, hopefully Kagome hated rodents. Throwing the girl inside the shack and locked the door, it would take awhile for Kagome to find the strength to open the door.

Before leaving he leaned over and pricked Kagome's neck with a claw, smirking again he placed something behind Kagome's ear and walked out.

He heard footsteps off in the distance, behind the barrier and smirked, "So, the little hanyou has finally found me?"

Inuyasha pounded through the forest, his nose finally attaching to Naraku's scent, Kagome's being too weak, his heart pounded. He panted softly when he found a gap in the trees.

Miroku and Sango were close behind, watching the hanyou run faster than anything they'd ever seen before.

Inuyasha didn't give them a second glance as he started to run again towards the gap in the trees: that was where Naraku's scent was reeking.

Something caught Miroku's eye, "Inuyasha wait..."

But he never got to finish because at that moment, Inuyasha ran through something translucent, a bluish wall. Miroku blinked, "He can go through barriers?"

Sango shrugged and ran forward, but was hurled back, "Damn, that hurt."

Miroku grabbed her and helped support her, "What does this mean Sango?"

"We're trapped outside, duh," Sango said dryly.

Miroku bent down on his knees and raised his hand in a one-handed prayer, "I shall try and break the barrier."

Sango nodded and looked past the barrier, where Inuyasha's figure was slowly retreating, "Take care of him, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha smelt his friend's scent growing weaker and weaker but he couldn't wait for them, he has to save Kagome, racing as fast as he could, he came upon some steps to a large house like thing. He stared blankly at it and then something caught his eye.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha cheered happily as he ran to the girl. She stood softly off to the side, in shadows, her arms crossed over her chest as she stood in an annoyed position, "Kagome, I'm so glad you're alright!"

Kagome smiled, "I am too."

Inuyasha grasped Kagome and hugged her tightly, as if she'd disappear if he let go. Inuyasha, however, didn't notice when Kagome smirked evilly, her eyes glinting with evil intentions.