Blood Tastes So Much Sweeter
By: The Gifted Ten & DerrangedBlonde
Part Eight: Battered Souls
He clenched his fist. "Damnit, Naraku... where are you?" He whipped around and slammed his fist into the trunk of the tree. It split down the middle and then each side fell, knocking down other smaller trees as it descended. He dislodged the numerous splinters from his hand and turned towards the mountains. He'd combed through those peaks from base to summit and found nothing. He turned towards the east. Every village and forest he'd searched turned up no clues. The northern region hadn't been any help either. He glanced to the west. It was a vast region once one crossed the ocean; it was full of many civilizations and different lands. "You wouldn't have traveled to the west; there are too many people and distractions." Turning to the south, the one place left his mate could have possibly gone, he wondered what kind of hope a barren wasteland of snow and ice could yield. Coming to an answer, he smirked. "The perfect kind." And with that, he set out for the southern-most land: Antarctica.
Another gust of icy wind struck him hard. He could barely feel it; he was so cold and numb that he had become used to the pain.
"You fool! We'll freeze to death out here!" The phantom growled.
"Then so be it. Because when I die, I'll take you with me and you'll never be able to hurt anyone I care for again." He said quietly.
"He hates you now...for leaving him. I can feel it. Right now he's probably searching around the globe so he can find you and let you have it." The phantom sneered.
But Naraku didn't respond. He found it harder and harder to stay awake. But it didn't matter; he welcomed death.
As Sesshoumaru crossed the ocean and into the frozen domain of snow and ice, he clutched his boa a little tighter as the wind, full of needles, beat down on his exposed skin. 'You came here to die, didn't you..?' he thought. Flying over some ice packs, he found himself soaring over a glacier that seemed to stretch for miles. And then he caught it; a scent of something familiar carried on the wind. It was definitely Naraku, no mistake. He quickened his pace and relentlessly scanned the never-ending white terrain for something that would lead him to his mate. 'Just hold on...I've almost found you..'
His chest rose and fell slowly, getting weaker with every other breath as the wind bore down upon him, whipping through his entire being as he was helpless to stop it. His eyelids became heavy as his breathing slowed. He wanted it to end...so he could sleep eternally with the thought that Sesshoumaru would not die by his hand once more. The phantom was waiting....waiting for that moment when unconsciousness would overtake his weaker half and he could control the body once more. Naraku swayed back and forth, trying to steady himself. He looked up into the sky, heaving another heavy breath before falling back into the snow, his eyelids barely open.
Finally passing over the glacier, Sesshoumaru could smell Naraku's scent was stronger. He pierced the drifting snow with his keen demon eyes for signs of life as he slowly descended.
Sesshoumaru silently landed in snow that came up to his waist. Disgruntled, he raised himself up until he was standing on top of the packs of snow, using his demon wiles to keep from sinking. Scanning the ground, he soon found what he was looking for: footprints. Urged on by knowledge that Naraku was close by, he briskly sprinted over the drifts before the footsteps were buried over.
His eyes slipped in and out of focus.
"Just give up....you can't take the pain of staying awake, you pathetic excuse for a demon." The phantom said viciously.
But Naraku wasn't listening to the worthless comments. He had heard someone call his name... 'Am I hearing things...?' he thought to himself. He listened for a second and heard nothing.
"You think anyone would find you here? Ha!...You're half buried in the snow...Do everyone a favor, and just die..." He hissed quietly.
Naraku winced at the sound...still listening, a faint hope preventing his eyes from closing and consciousness leaving him.
"Naraku!" The youkai yelled again. He walked a few more steps and called out again and a gust of wind seemed to tear his voice from his throat. It was so cold here; but Naraku had been here at least two days...he could most certainly stand it a while longer. He called out again as he continued towards the scent.
He heard it again, someone calling his name just before the flicker of hope had extinguished into nothingness. He wanted to speak, to shout he was there, but he had two enemies preventing him from speech: the icy wind that stole his breath and the phantom whom prevented the words from leaving his throat. He heard the crunching of snow. 'Footsteps...' he thought. They sounded so good to his ears. Desperately, he wanted to remove himself from the snow, to move--anything! But he couldn't; his body had grown too weak.
He called out once again, "Naraku!!!" And just when he was about to start searching in a difference direction, he spotted it. There! It looked like hair...and it was blowing in the wind haphazardly behind a snow drift. He walked over around the mound of snow and ice and there he was....Icy tears stung his eyes as he looked down upon his love, frozen and half-buried in the shifting snow. Sesshoumaru knelt down on one knee and put a hand on the cold shoulder as the other gently tilted the youkai's face to him. "Naraku..." he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over as his joy escalated when Naraku's eyes fluttered, taking in a shallow breath.
Naraku's eyes wouldn't focus...he barely made out someone's silhouette; silver hair was windblown into their face, hiding their features. But he knew who it was! "Sesshou..." but he couldn't finish anymore, as his head dropped and he fell into unconsciousness.
The inu youkai watched, stunned, as Naraku's head sank back against the drift. "NO!" Tears streaming down his face, he reached out and pulled Naraku close to him, praying that the warmth of his body was enough to bring him back, and so he hugged the cold, stiff body even tighter. But even as he held his mate, the cold had gotten to him; he couldn't feel the slight movement of the kumo's arm against his frozen clothes.
A devilish grin, unseen by Sesshoumaru, spread across Naraku's face. In his hand a dagger appeared...Slowly, the kumo moved his arm, blade pointing down towards the inu's back. "How long I waited for this day..." He whispered quietly, his grin widening as Sesshoumaru raised his head and looked at him in disbelief, tears still staining his face. The kumo opened his eyes and rammed the dagger into Sesshoumaru's back, all the way until the hilt prevented it from going any further. He chuckled slightly when he heard the cry of pain and the grimace that followed, taking sheer delight in each moment. He sat up, whispering in Sesshoumaru's ear, "..when I could see the look of anguish on your face once more....as you die by the hands of your former love." Malicious laughter pierced the silence of the frozen wasteland.
Releasing his arms from the youkai's laughing form, Sesshoumaru gasped in pain and tried in vain to reach around and pull the dagger from his back. He could feel the tainted blade's poison as it began to seep into his body.
Naraku stood on the snow in front of Sesshoumaru, eyes glinting in pure sadistic delight. "How does it feel, inu....being back-stabbed by someone you love?" That arrogant look only became more defined as Sesshoumaru glared at him. "Aw....can't reach?" He sneered viciously and vanished, reappearing behind Sesshoumaru. "Here..." his hand grasped the hilt, "Let me help you," he wrenched the blade sideways, "With that..." He pulled it out as slowly as he had when he'd removed the Tokijin from Sesshoumaru's stomach. Naraku grabbed a fistful of the inu's hair and pulled his head back so he could taunt him further. "And yes...this is what you get for caring about your mate..." He chuckled evilly before kicking the inu in the back, right on his stab wound. His chuckle turned into that same taunting laugh as Sesshoumaru went face first into the snow, blood splattering about.
As his wound went ablaze with new fire, Sesshoumaru didn't even notice how the fozen snow stung into the exposed skin on his face. Gasping, he attempted to get up, but a swift kick to his ribs sent him sprawling on his back, a grunt of pain and desperation escaping from his throat. He again tried to get up, but the Phantom walked over to where he lay and stomped a foot upon his chest, knocking the air out of him.
He ground his foot down, taking immense joy in the pained look. "You are so pathetic.... What's wrong?....Afraid to hurt your mate?" He raised his dagger high, moving to bring it down hard into Sesshoumaru's chest to pierce his heart.
He ground his foot down, taking immense joy in the pained look. "You are so pathetic...." He stood up, still keeping his foot firmly planted on his chest. "What's wrong....?" He raised his dagger high, "Afraid to hurt your mate?" He sneered, "Your heart is mine for the crushing!" He brought the blade down. Images of the inu's face contorted in pain, of his screams when he cut out his heart, and of his last words as he lay dying, bleeding in the pure white snow, drove the phantom harder. But the blade stopped not even a centimeter away from the inu's clothing. "What?!" The phantom hissed. Naraku had broken free to stop the phantom-- temporarily. "You will not deny me this pleasure!!" The phantom shouted as he tried to move and complete the act.
Seeing the phantom momentarily distracted, Sesshoumaru used this opportunity to kick Naraku hard in the stomach, launching him several feet away into the waist-high snow. Grunting, he shakily reached for the Tensaiga and drew it before the snow had finished settling around the spot where Naraku had fallen. Quickly using the sword's power, he healed the wound on his back and managed to drive out nearly all of the poison before he felt the power shaking the ground underneath him. He quickly sheathed the Tensaiga and braced himself for whatever was about to erupt from the snowy depths.
Naraku emerged with a loud roar of anger. Not only had his pride been dealt a blow, but he was denied his sadistic pleasure. His eyes glowed red with his fury as his anger was nearly tangible. He pulled his arm back and threw it forward, it turned into one of his branch like appendages and tightly wrapped itself around Sesshoumaru's body, squeezing the life out of him as the phantom pulled him high into the air.
Stranded up in the cold, biting air with the appendages crushing him, the inu didn't know what to do. The last time this had happened, he'd been able to use his demon form to his advantage and break free. But now....he heard the Phantom curse at him from below:
"Prepared to die, you filthy inu-youkai?" He said viciously as his grip increased. The phantom narrowed his glowing blood red eyes, a grin spreading over his features.
Sesshoumaru cringed, "No..." Desperately, he thought of a way to get a rise out of Naraku. Amber eyes narrowed on the kumo's face and saw the marks he had inflicted upon him, declaring his ownership. He smirked in spite of his pain. "Release me, Kumo."
Naraku openly scoffed, "Release you? HA! Why would I do that? You are in no position to command me to do anything. You are merely a bug in my eyes...one that needs a good crushing." His grip increased marginally.
His smirk increased, showing his white fangs, as he forced a haughty laugh, "Because I own you, Kumo!" He narrowed his eyes slightly as he continued to taunt, "Can you not feel the marks that I carved into your flesh?" His smirk remained, though the inu glared at the Phantom: Naraku is mine...and no other's..'
"No one owns me!!!' With that, he moved the branch-like appendage backwards and then threw Sesshoumaru into the snow with all of his might. He growled, knowing Sesshoumaru was not dead from the fall; but then, he heard the loud snapping of ice and a splash of icy water appeared..."He doesn't stand a chance in there," Naraku chuckled bitterly.
The inu youkai's body hit the frozen ice with a force that broke through its three-foot thickness, which made his back feel like it'd been broken in three different places. But he had no time to gasp in pain as he immediately came in contact with the sub-zero waters of the arctic. His body felt like it was being stabbed with thousands of knives all at once. And with his body temporarily immobile from shock, he began to sink into its dark, icy depths...but something sparked his mind—and body—into motion: the fact that his love was still trapped somewhere inside that sadistic creature's mind. He forced his frozen limbs to swim upwards towards the wavering light of the surface. He was nearly there...
Then he felt it...the power signature of the inu-youkai. Naraku narrowed his eyes. He strode to the break in the ice, glaring down into it, able to see the blurred white figure steadily moving. "You just don't know when to quit." he growled and sent his branch appendages, now sharp as needles, down into the icy water, intent on stabbing him. He smirked, waiting for his branches to connect with the inu's torso and cloud the water with his blood.
Just as he was only a few feet away from the water's surface, he saw a shadow darken a corner of the hole. Suddenly, there came a blur of movement and something grazed his shoulder, drawing blood from the deep gash. He barely had time to dodge another attack of deadly sharp appendages--courtesy of the Phantom--and swim away from the Kumo's line of sight, clutching his shoulder as it continued to bleed his dark youkai blood into the water.
The Phantom growled, withdrawing his appendages, and stepped closer to the edge. His eyes narrowed as he searched the icy water. "Wretched inu...where did you go?!" His growl became lower and more dangerous in tone. "You can't stay down there forever..." And then he saw the dark red cloud in the water and a devilish grin crossed his lips. "Gotcha..." He chuckled lowly.
'That's what you think.'
Naraku's violet eyes widened as he heard the loud snap and then the shatter of ice somewhere behind him. He whirled around and saw the inu, his amber eyes narrowed dangerously. "No...How!?" Sesshoumaru looked like a ghost, his skin nearly matching the blazing white snow around him. His shoulder had a bloody gash from the wound he had dealt to the inu. The golden orbs flashed with hatred as a smirk crossed his lips. A sharp gasp of disbelief escaped the kumo's lips as a hand as cold as ice wrapped tightly around his throat.
"You will regret that you ever stole something as precious to me as my mate.." he said with deadly calm, "Now you shall feel how cold your heart has become!" And with that, he pushed off the ground, putting his weight behind the movement as he slammed Naraku into the frozen ground. He heard the Kumo's head smack against the ice as cracks spread like a jagged spider web from the point of impact. Still gripping the Phantom's throat with his left hand, he unsheathed the Tokijin with his right and raised it over Naraku's heart. The cold, calculating look in the amethyst eyes was enough to drive him as he made to bring his blade down on the youkai's chest.
The phantom's eyes widened in surprise, both hands flew to the one wrapped tightly around his throat. 'No... He's not supposed to do this!' The phantom had anticipated some retaliation, but never for Sesshoumaru to take such drastic measures! He tried to pull the hand away once more with no result. Now he panicked and retreated to the subconscious, forcing Naraku out so he would feel the blow...so he would witness his love stabbing him in the heart. Naraku's eyes widened in fear, his grasp on the inu's wrist weakened and his hands shook. "Koi..." he whispered.
But it was too late....The blade came down hard and tore through the youkai's chest in an awful sound of bones splitting and breaking, and the agonizing scream of his lover filling the air and tearing away at his soul was more than he could bear. He heard himself cry out as he tried to deny what had just happened. Tears streamed down his face as he looked upon his mate; the sight of his sword protruding through Naraku's ribcage as the youkai began choking and coughing up blood made his heart break into a thousand pieces. He quickly jerked his hand away from Naraku's neck and more blood ran down the side of his mouth. Sobbing like a child, Sesshoumaru's hand left the hilt of the sword and he reached up with his bloodied, shaking hands and cupped his lover's face reverently. "Oh, God, Naraku, I'm so sorry.." He cried uncontrollably and his body began to tremble. "..I...I didn't mean to...I couldn't stop it, I..." He finally looked into his mate's eyes, "..I love you..."
Naraku smiled meekly, each breath harder to draw in and release than the last. His hand trembled as he slowly brought it up, "I...it's ok..." His chest spasmed and more blood trickled from his lips as he swallowed it gingerly. "Boku wa kimiwo eien ni...aishiteru.." The smile faded and his hand dropped in mid reach as the last breath escaped his chest.
"NOOOOOOO!!!" he screamed at the heavens. Tears still running down his cheeks, he reached down and grasped the Tokijin's hilt and carefully drew it out of the stilled chest of his slain mate. 'I knew it would be hard..' he thought to himself, '..I knew that it would hurt the both of us...But..I didn't think it would hurt this much...' Yes, he thought bitterly, he had planned this. He knew he wouldn't have been able to destroy the Phantom without destroying its host as well. But he hadn't planned for it to happen this way...hadn't anticipated the Phantom would switch places with Naraku at the last just to hurt them both...His nose was running and he sniffed as he glanced down at the blade coated in his lover's blood. He despised it. Closing his eyes, he turned away and threw it far from him, wishing to be rid of the vile weapon. He heard a splash, but paid it no heed as he drew Naraku into his arms and cradled his bloody and broken form.
After a couple minutes, he gently laid Naraku back onto the frozen ground and drew the Tensaiga from its sheath. Positioning himself over the body, he wiped the tears from his face and readied the blade over the gaping hole in Naraku's chest. Swallowing hard, he channeled his power into the sword and plunged it into the lifeless heart of his love. A brilliant blue-black light flashed, enveloping them in a kind of twilight, and then there came a sudden flash of crimson and Tensaiga's blade was deflected away as if it had been struck. Confused, he lowered the sword and regarded Naraku's still unmoving body. Then, he saw as the Kumo's lungs filled with air and he could once again hear the steady heartbeat that was music to his ears. Sesshoumaru immediately forgot about the crimson energy he'd witnessed just moments before, and he dropped the Tensaiga on the ground next to him and supported Naraku's head when he noticed the Kumo begin to stir. "Naraku..?"
Life flooded his body once more, the cold sensation almost burned. He shuddered involuntarily the cold tore through his clothing and seeped into his flesh. He opened his eyes, blinding white his only sight for a second before he could focus. Someone was holding him..."Sesshoumaru...?" He whispered. Memories of something bad tried to surface; he caught glimpses of it, a blade crashing down as he trembled, tears from his love falling upon his skin. "What happened...? I'm so confused." He could taste blood in his mouth and on his lips.
Sesshoumaru blinked back tears that threatened to come again and he brushed Naraku's auburn hair from his face as he tried to smile without looking sad and happy at the same time. "The Phantom...we fought...and...I knew I couldn't kill him until I destroyed his host..." He pulled him into a hug, just enjoying the feeling of 'life' within his mate once more. Leaning back just enough to look into the youkai's eyes, he forced a smile, "But now he's dead and you're free of his cruel shadow that plagued your sleep." Then why didn't he feel any better? He looked back down at Naraku who was regarding him with a look of dread upon his face.
The phantom wasn't gone. A sharp laughter rang in Naraku's ears and pain flooded his chest before disappearing. "No..." The kumo searched for his love's hands and gripped it upon finding one. "He's not dead...." He winced and shuddered as the voice whispered cruel things into his ear:
'He rammed his blade through your heart without a second thought...He didn't even care...' the voice hissed.
The ache was back, the most pain centered right at the location of the jewel..."Get it out..." Naraku whispered, pain seeping through even the weakest of his words.
The inu's eyes widened in shock and horror. 'He's...still alive? But how could that be?!' Naraku's grip on his hand increased and he was pulled back to the present as the Kumo again repeated "Get it out.." and put a shaking hand to his chest. "How do I remove it?" He frantically searched over Naraku's tense body.
"Your sword...Tokijin..." He whispered, wincing and crying out sharply. "Get it out!" He cried, the pain becoming unbearable while the phantom tried seducing him with peace, painless and silent peace.
He looked around him in vain and then remembered..."Damnit, I threw it away!" He clenched his youkai's hand and then made to get up, "Just stay here; I'll go find it!"
"No.." Naraku pulled on his hand, "Not enough time..." He gripped the inu's hand once more. He closed his eyes, his head turn to the side, and smiled. "Fools..." he whispered, "So willing..." His head turned back toward Sesshoumaru, "..To fall for the same trick twice!" His eyes flew open, vicious violet eyes glittered with malicious intent as his free hand turned into a branch and pierced the inu's stomach.
Sesshoumaru moaned in pain and doubled over, his head now braced against Naraku's chest. He sensed the Phantom lower its head to his ear and then it whispered: "And to think...I could not have returned without your help....Thanks for helping me destroy Naraku once and for all...." The inu could feel his hand still clasped that of his mate--but it wasn't his mate anymore--and he dug his claws into it, secreting some venom as he did, and then pushed the Phantom away from him as he staggered a few paces back, a hand held to his abdomen.
The phantom rose, laughing maniacally. He was more powerful this time; his strength completely renewed. The cold didn't phase him, nor did Sesshoumaru's feeble attempt at poisoning him. "Aww...I was aiming for your heart... but apparently my aim isn't as good as yours." The phantom sneered.
Sesshoumaru's pupils narrowed to slits as he glared at the imposter before him. "Silence! You would do good to control your tongue, Kumo, before I rip it from your mouth."
"Still thirsty for blood? I thought you'd be content with spilling Naraku's." A devilish grin spread across his face.
"Shut..up." He took a step forward.
"How badly did it make your chest ache? Hearing the last word Naraku spoke before you killed him in cold blood?" He also took a few steps slowly towards the inu. "Hmm....koi? Wasn't it?"
Sesshoumaru stood there, rigid with anger, and then it finally sunk in. The Phantom was just trying to get a rise out of him; in all actuality, the Phantom could probably care less what Naraku and he felt about each other. It's only desire being to rid Naraku's soul from his body so it could take over. An insidious gleam shone in Sesshoumaru's eyes as the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.
Naraku raised an eyebrow. "Something funny? I see no purpose for you to be smirking." He folded his arms, waiting for a response.
"I think I've finally figured it out, Kumo." he took another small step.
"Figured out what, you sorry excuse for a youkai?"
"You speak so much of Naraku and I...One might think you were jealous..?" He risked a few more steps.
The kumo's eyes narrowed dangerously, daring him to come any closer. "I? Envy you and Naraku?" He smirked. "Please...You both are nothing but two thorns in my side." He snarled at Sesshoumaru.
"You know...I think you're not being honest with yourself, Phantom." He cocked his head to one side as he noted the Kumo's eye slightly twitch. 'Bingo.'
"Honest? You didn't even tell Naraku the truth about what happened to him, when in reality, you just couldn't—!" Suddenly the inu-youkai was standing right in front of him, half smirking, half smiling. Naraku clenched his fist, raising it and pulling back with the full intention to strike the Inu across the face, but Sesshoumaru caught his arm in mid-motion and leaned closer.
"Tell me, Kumo..." he said as he lightly brushed the back of his hand across the youkai's face, "Can you honestly tell me that whenever you see Naraku and I together," Sesshoumaru leaned in even closer, "That you don't, in the least bit, crave my touch as well?" He brushed his lips over Naraku's as he said the last few words, lining up his fingers along the Kumo's hairline, barely even touching the skin, but enough to cause tiny physical sensations race underneath the mask.
The Phantom tried to ignore the feeling of his touch. It sent chills down his spine when even the artic winds could not. He closed his eyes to regain his bearings. He forced a growl, "Do not touch me inu..." He opened his eyes and shot the inu-youkai a dangerous glare.
"Do not touch you?" Sesshoumaru mimicked the Kumo's sarcastic tone perfectly, "Now why would I do a thing like that?" The fingers that had rested on the youkai's hairline slid over Naraku's scalp and into his hair as the inu pressed his body against the imposter.
The phantom's eyes widened a little as Sesshoumaru became closer. His train of thought was quickly derailed. He could feel his body reacting, a soft sigh wanted so badly to escape from his lips, but he kept it in. He could feel himself leaning into the touch. 'This isn't right.' His inner voice growled. 'What's his motive?!' The phantoms violet eyes narrowed as he skimmed over the inu's thoughts to see if he was right about the youkai's intentions. Then he grinned devilishly. "I hope you're not thinking this will drag Naraku back out, Inu." He chuckled, "Besides...what good will it do even if he did resurface? You don't have a weapon to ram through his chest this time."
Sesshoumaru glared at him but then quickly covered it up by rolling his eyes and bringing the corner of his mouth up in a smirk, "You think it was that weaker Naraku whom I spent that first night with?" He despised himself for resorting to such low levels, but he acted out the lie some more, "Why would I, a full-blooded youkai prince, want that lesser half- demon for a mate when I can have the pure bred form right in front of me?" He then jammed his mouth onto the Phantom's and pressed his body against it further.
Naraku's body utterly bent to Sesshoumaru's will. It didn't feel like he was standing in the bitter cold, but rather in a desert. The phantom hated and loved every minute of the inu's attention. 'No...' He forced a low growl and jerked his head to the side, away from the youkai's lips. His breathing became heavy as he tried to regain his composure. It was a losing battle, what with Sesshoumaru's body crushed against his.
The inu-youkai smirked a little victory smirk as he removed his hand from the youkai's hair and used it to turn Naraku's face back to his as he once again covered his mouth with his. He felt uneasily relieved when he felt the Phantom's body lean into his as it deepened the kiss by forcing its tongue into his mouth. Just a little longer, he thought to himself. When he felt that he had the Phantom's undivided attention, Sesshoumaru abruptly jerked back and slashed at the Kumo's face, dragging his poisoned claws across the imposter's eyes. The Phantom screamed in pain as his hands flew to his smoldering face and he staggered back and fell into the snow, blood streaming down his face from the venom-filled wounds. Sesshoumaru immediately turned around and dove into the break in the ice where he had heard the Tokijin fall through. As he swam to the bottom, he sincerely hoped that his assault to the imposter's vision would buy him enough time to reach his sword. He knew that he would not be able to cut the Jewel from Naraku's chest with only his bare hands; the Tokijin, forged from a part of Naraku, was his only hope to removing the accursed gem from his love's body. He saw a glint of metal in the looming darkness before him; he began to swim harder.
A loud howl of pain filled the ensuing silence. Sesshoumaru had deadly aim, and now he couldn't see. The howl of pain turned into a roar of anger. He felt a hot, thick liquid slide down his cheeks. The scent told him it was blood...his own. How could he fight an enemy he couldn't see?! His face seared with pain as his body tried to heal the wound, but Sesshoumaru's venom prevented any form of mending as it continued to rot the surrounding flesh. He snarled, baring his fangs. The splash he had heard and the faint scent of the inu's power were the only indications of where he had gone. He sent his branches down, breaking the thick ice by his feet. They shot through the darkness as Naraku aimed towards the source of the faint energy.
He was almost within an arm's length of Tokijin. Faintly, he heard the muted sound of breaking ice behind him, but he didn't turn around. There! He had it! With un-human speed he turned around and swung his sword, cutting down the limbs that had been but a couple feet away, and they hovered in the water for awhile before dissolving into a dark matter that thinned out in the current until it was gone. Then, using the ground as a launch pad, Sesshoumaru propelled himself through the water with great speed and he soon broke through the surface, doing a back flip and gracefully landing in the snow on both feet. He took one look at the Phantom's wounded--and still bleeding--face and he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. "You'll have to be quicker than that if you want to spar with me, Kumo."
The Phantom smothered a growl and recalled his limbs. His head turned to Sesshoumaru's location and a devilish grin came across his face. "Won't Naraku be delighted when he discovers you stole his eyesight from him?" He crouched low and charged towards the direction of Sesshoumaru's voice with inhuman speed.
The youkai leaped high into the air just before the Phantom reached the spot where he once stood. He made his landing in the exact spot Naraku had occupied not a second before as he called out to the imposter, "Still not fast enough, Kumo. And as for Naraku's eyesight, I will return what I have taken from him...but not before purging the disease from him that is you." He raised the Tokijin and began to channel his energy into it, and this time--now that Naraku's blood had been mixed with his own--the sword did not repel him. The corners of his mouth rose.
The phantom did not turn to face his enemy; rather, he darted off to the left behind a large snowdrift. The snapping of ice could be heard as he sent his branches down into the icy depths in an attempt to attack Sesshoumaru from below. The branches were just a few inches off target and came up right behind Sesshoumaru.
"Heh." He side-stepped the assault and used one hand to severe the limbs. "What's the matter, Kumo? Your senses just not 'cutting it' anymore?" He made a side-long look and said in a sarcastic tone, "I sure hope you're not losing your touch!" And as he finished the last word, he jumped into the air and swung his mighty sword, releasing it's power onto the land itself, causing the ice caps to split and break away. "Watch your step!" he called out to the youkai below, the ice and water still crashing around him.
The phantom regained his footing. Growling, he tried desperately to think of a plan. No doubt Sesshoumaru had shattered the ice surrounding him.... What did he have in his advantage? He chuckled evilly, a single word floating into mind: 'Naraku...' And with that, he dove into the cold water, not planning to resurface anytime soon. He was going to lure Sesshoumaru into the dark depths with him.
'What is he up to? Diving into the water like that..' Sesshoumaru thought. Landing on an iceberg, he braced himself and waited for whatever the Kumo had up his sleeve this time.....He found himself waiting for quite some time and still nothing. 'What could he be doing down there?' he thought. 'Maybe, he's trying to get away..or at the very least trying to put distance between them for an attack..' Indeed, it was difficult to say where the Kumo was; the thick ice caps and freezing water made it hard for him to smell or sense where the imposter had gone. 'Well, I'm not going to wait for him,' and with that, he dove into the cold water to search for his prey.
The phantom lurked in the dark depths, searching for the energy signal the belonged to the inu. At last! he felt it as it came slowly nearer and nearer. Once he was sure Sesshoumaru was as blind as he was, he shot his branched up, aiming for the core of the energy signature.
The inu stopped abruptly in the water, his instincts warning him of something coming. And sure enough, no sooner had he ceased, something shot past in front of him, grazing his forehead. If he'd continued swimming, he would have surely been done for, the inu thought. However, the cut on his head was deep, and he could already feel the familiar ache of Naraku's poison as it came in contact with his blood. 'Damnit,' he thought, 'I should have seen this coming.' He cursed himself for being such a fool.
The branches doubled back, one just missing by a centimeter, the other connecting, reopening the wound on the inu's shoulder. Naraku's lips twisted upward in a devilish grin when he felt his blow connect. 'Oh don't blame yourself...Dogs aren't know for their intelligence.'
Sesshoumaru glared in the dark at the Phantom's insult it had voiced inside his head. Ignoring the pain in his head and shoulder, the inu shot poison vapor into the water in the direction the branches had come from. But with it being so dark and the graze to his forehead, he couldn't tell if he'd hit him or not. An eerie laughter resounded in his head and he turned about in the dark, trying to locate a source.
'How long can you last, inu? Before your oxygen supply runs out?' The branches wrapped around Sesshoumaru's torso and pulled him down further, not quite to the location of the phantom, but near. 'Care to find out?'
The inu unconsciously released precious air bubbles as the Phantom increased its grip on his upper body and dragged him down deeper into the black unknown. He struggled in its grip, but with his loss of blood and the poison consuming him, his efforts were futile; and indeed, he was growing weaker from the lack of oxygen. 'D-Damn you...' he seethed.
'Aw...did I touch a rough spot? Does the inu need a hug?' The tentacle- like branches tightened. 'Just welcome your death...and the fact that not a damn soul in the world can stop me now.' Malicious laughter rang through Sesshoumaru's head so loud, it was like the phantom himself was laughing in his ear. Sesshoumaru's grip on the sword went lax, his muscles giving up because of the lack of oxygen to drive them. The sword sank down and Naraku withdrew a limb and grabbed the sword. Now he could be rid of the freezing water and satisfy the burning for air in his lungs. He pulled Sesshoumaru's limp body and bolted to the top. He wanted the inu alive and well when he delivered the blow that would end it all. The phantom broke through solid ice, indicating he had swerved and was no longer near the broken platforms of ice. He threw the inu down on the ground in front of him, taking in greedy breaths of air.
Sesshoumaru's body was like a rag doll; first there was the blow to his head which had caused him to become dizzy and disoriented, then the poison from the cuts he'd received had made him grow weaker, and if the lack of oxygen wasn't enough, the Phantom had used his body to absorb the impact of breaking through the ice. His body ached all over. He couldn't move a single muscle; all he was able to do was breathe in shuddering breaths of chilled air. Sesshoumaru barely registered the sound of crunching snow as the imposter made his way towards him.
"To know that such a proud creature like you has been reduced to nothing but a play toy makes me happy." The phantom chuckled. "So good to know my original plans for you have been carried out." He stepped nearer and bent down when he was sure he was close to the inu's head. His hand reached out, touching the inu's face. How badly he wanted to see the look of pain upon it. His fingernails raked down the side of Sesshoumaru's face. "Cry for me..."
The inu-youkai was pulled back into reality as the pain from Naraku's venom- tipped nails droned out any other thoughts or sensations--not that he could feel any of his limbs anyway; the combined cold, sub arctic temperature mixed with the freezing water had robbed him of any physical feeling other than pain. He grit his teeth and tried to keep from grimacing.
He chuckled, partially glad that there was still something left in Sesshoumaru for him to break He continued to rake his claws down the inu's throat and then to his chest, making sure to press extra hard. He leaned dangerously close to the inu. "Beg me to stop..." He had shredded the front of the inu's clothes. He wrenched his hand to the side, claws digging painfully deeper. Then, a delightful sound reached his ears: Sesshoumaru had tried to speak. "What was that?" he cooed softly, wrenching his hand back to its former position. The scent of blood, a delightful smell to him--especially on the crisp icy air.
Sesshoumaru coughed to clear his throat, and then looked up defiantly at his mate's imposter, "I was just admiring your pretty face. Blood red is definitely your color; it brings out the color in your eyes..."
Naraku growled, pulling his bloody hand free and bringing his fist down hard on the inu's stomach, right on his wounds. "Oh how I love stealing your breath away." He said coldly, knowing he'd knocked the wind out of Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru wheezed and doubled over, holding his aching lungs as he drew in painful breaths. He felt a hand close around the hair near his scalp and he was suddenly jerked to his feet.
Now, Naraku had every intention of playing Sesshoumaru, just as the inu had played him before stealing his eyesight. The fist in his hair released, his fingers dancing deftly across his scalp. "Tell me...Does your skin still ache for my touch...?" He whispered, nipping at his earlobe. He chuckled malevolently.
Sesshoumaru cringed at the Phantom's touch. He turned his head and spat in its face, "Fuck you."
He wiped away at his face, only managing to smear more blood across it. His hand caught Sesshoumaru's chin, he leaned forward, their lips brushing, "I believe you've already had the pleasure."
His eyes widened for only a split second, and then he brought his hands up to the Kumo's chest and shoved him away. The inu coughed as the sudden movement had disturbed his wounds, but he managed to keep his ground, glaring at the spider all the while.
He knew Sesshoumaru was glaring, he could feel it, and his arrogant smirk only grew. He raised the blade, aiming for where the scent of blood was thickest and then moving upwards until he felt the blade hit Sesshoumaru's chin. He chuckled, pressing the pointed tip of the sword to his flesh. "Watch it, inu...Or I'll cut you down as easily as your brother." He chuckled. "I'd hate for such a stunning play toy like you to go to waste."
He hit the sword away from his face with a clawed hand, then using his energy whip, he struck the Kumo's arm which still held the Tokijin which obliterated it and knocked the sword to the ground a few paces away. As he heard the youkai's scream, he wasted no time in running towards where his precious sword had fallen.
"Not so fast, inu!" he roared as pain shot through his arm as it began to regenerate. He sniffled for the blood, catching the strong scent of the youkai's blood--no problem. His branches shot out, catching the inu's ankle and he pulled back sharply as he bolted forward. "I won't lose this battle to a mutt like you!" He roared, diving for the blade. He called the branch back and gripped the hilt of the blade. His laughter filled the area as he clutched his prize tightly in his fist. "Now my words shall be fulfilled... and you will die by my hands!" He shouted as he turned and charged at the inu, raising the blade above his head.
His charge had turned into a slow gait... then into a stagger. His chest seemed to explode with pain as he neared the inu. The phantom's mind couldn't compute it. One of Sesshoumaru's hands was locked tightly around his raised wrist....The inu's other hand no doubt was wrapped around the sword hilt protruding from the kumo's chest. His body slumped against the inu's before Sesshoumaru took a step back. He dropped to his knees. "No... how...?"
The inu-youkai's body shook all over from the cold, fatigue, pain...everything... And it threatened to engulf him entirely as his knees buckled and he fell to the ground in front of Naraku.
Youkai blood stained the snow all around them. Now that the wind had died down, the stench of spilled demon blood was so strong it blotted out any other smell. Sesshoumaru felt dizzy and tried not to gag as his gorge rose with every intake of air. He looked up to the Kumo in front of him who still had the Tokijin embedded in his chest, unable to move. Dark liquid was running down his torso like a river of blood, and Sesshoumaru could hear the Phantom's breathing turn into a painful gurgling sound that made the inu avert his gaze to the reddened snow beneath him. Groaning, he forced himself to sit up, and he somehow managed to crawl over to where Naraku knelt without collapsing.
Swallowing hard, he put a hand on the Kumo's shoulder as a support hold and he reached up to the hilt of the sword. He saw the Phantom's head follow the movement of his arm as if it were able to see it. His hand closed around the bloody hilt, and with great effort, he steadily drew the sword from the youkai's chest, and more blood flowed from the gaping cavity and spilled onto the already stained snow. Sesshoumaru let out a sigh of fatigue, as he lowered Tokijin and used it as a crutch to lean on. And as he reached forward with a bloody hand to take out the shining jewel that was now visible within the broken rib cage, Sesshoumaru saw out of the corner of his eye, a smirk begin to appear on the Kumo's blood-soaked lips.
His energy was draining fast, the cold wind stealing it right from his body. "If I go down..." He mustered up all he could and grabbed the blade quickly, ramming it into the inu's stomach. "You're coming with me..." He whispered as he wrenched the blade with a turn of his wrist and then fell into the snow.
No scream came from his mouth when Naraku impaled him once again with his own sword, nor did he make a sound when the Kumo fell back onto the snow and he could feel his own lungs began to fill with blood. Instead, a single tear trickled down his cheek as all the memories--from his childhood up until this moment--flashed inside his head. Looking up through tear and blood-soaked bangs, Sesshoumaru called out to his beloved, "..Na..Naraku.." His only answer was the Kumo's muffled cough as he gagged on his own blood that was pouring out the sides of his mouth. Sesshoumaru tried to move towards him, but the Tokijin was still embedded in stomach. Holding his breath, he grit his teeth and yanked the sword out, dropping it on the crimson snow in front of him. Gasping as the pain from his wounds finally began to catch up with him, he shakily reached a hand up to the hilt of Tensaiga. With great effort, he grunted and pulled the sword from its sheath, immediately leaning on it for support. He blinked to try and focus his mind on drawing forth the sword's power. After a couple of tries, the blade finally glowed a blue-black and his wounds immediately began to heal; the process was complete within a matter of minutes. Air filled his pain- free lungs and he gratefully stood up on legs that did not buckle beneath him. Turning his head into the wind, he glanced down at Naraku's mutilated body, and this time his ears confirmed no heart beat within the broken chest... However, the Kumo still lived—somehow. He walked over to the youkai's struggling form, still carrying his Tensaiga.
The only thing keeping the kumo alive glowed faintly in his impaled and broken body. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the warmth of it as it tried to rectify what damage the inu had done. He faintly sensed the inu near him. The foot steps crunching the snow spoke not of hope...but of foreboding. "I refuse..." he whispered, blood welling in his throat and a lack of oxygen made it hard for him to manage anymore, "to go down like this..." But there was no way he could change his fate.
The inu-youkai could barely discern the words from the gurgling and sputtering sounds that came from the Kumo's throat as more blood flowed from his mouth. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the dying creature before him; he despised it with every ounce of his being for what it had done to both him and his mate. Leaning down over its grotesque body, he reached his hand into its chest cavity and clutched the pulsing Shikon no Tama. As he began to draw it out, he felt a bloody hand close tightly around his arm. Eyes widened in surprise, he turned his head and looked at Naraku, who had somehow managed to raise his head and appeared to be staring straight at him.
The kumo's head turned and he spat the blood filling his mouth into the snow. Naraku's head turned to face Sesshoumaru, the hand on his wrist never loosing the tight grip even in spite of him being near death. "Don't...don't take it from me..." he said as harshly as possible. His claws dug into Sesshoumaru's flesh. "I will cease to exist without it...." He swallowed down the blood threatening to fill his mouth once more... "I don't want to die..." he said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Sesshoumaru's eyes furrowed in confusion; was it his Naraku talking to him? begging him not to take away the thing which had given him power and sustained his life for so long?... Or was it the Phantom of the Shikon no Tama which gripped his arm in savagely, trying in a desperate and last attempt to save itself from destruction?... He could no longer tell which being it was that now pleaded for its life; for Naraku's eyes, the only visible indication of which essence controlled the Kumo's body, had been maimed beyond sight and recognition. He hesitated, and the grip on his arm increased and the nails bore deeper into his flesh, deciding it for him. With lightning speed, Sesshoumaru jerked his hand that clasped the Shikon Jewel out of Naraku's chest and he heard a defiant scream of terror mixed with pain. And just as soon as his hand was out of the way, Sesshoumaru then moved the Tensaiga down and into the Kumo's chest before he'd even finished screaming. The sword began to glow with its dark aura, but as soon as the youkai's body looked to be only halfway healed, Sesshoumaru removed the sword from the now partially mended chest cavity. He waited for the youkai to open its now healed eyes and look at him, hoping with all his being that the eyes that looked back would be those of his mate.
Icy air flooded the kumo's lungs; he both loved and loathed the feeling of it. He tried to move, to sit up, but half of his body felt like dead weight and a blinding pain shot through his chest. He grimaced slightly, almost too consumed in finding renewed energy to notice he was being watched carefully. Both eyes opened just a little, each catching quite a different sight.
Sesshoumaru could see it; the split between the Kumo's conscious was so apparent now as two slightly different-cut amethyst eyes shone from beneath half-opened lids. He stuck the sword, Tokijin, into the frozen snow to his left, and then spoke:
"Naraku," he caught himself upon hearing the harsh tone in his voice and he tried to soften it a little, "..Are you..." He stopped, not sure if he wanted to know the answer; he'd been deceived so many times... "Naraku, look at me...please." Trying to hold back the well of tears that had begun to form, he braced himself for the worst, claws at the ready... He just couldn't go through fighting the one he loved again... If it really was the Phantom who looked back, this time there would be no hesitation...He would end it here and now.
The kumo's eyes opened wide. The dual view was unnerving, but... there was no malicious laughter ringing through his head...there was no voice whispering cruel words into his ear. His right eye viewed Sesshoumaru as an enemy...but the left... He felt a sharp pain slice through him once more, and his hand went to his chest. This time the pain came from outside... there was a hole... where the jewel should be. "No..." he whispered, desperate eyes turning to his love. "Sesshoumaru... I..."
The eyes..... He hesitated; he knew what he had to do... Very slowly and deliberately, Sesshoumaru held out his clenched right hand in front of the Kumo as he spoke, "Naraku, I will be straight with you..." He opened his hand to reveal the bloodied Shikon no Tama, "In my right hand... I hold your obsession for the past half a century: The Jewel of Four Souls... The source for your full youkai power...." Then added quietly, "...And also, the reason behind your suffering..." He eyed the Kumo warily.
There it was... what he needed to fill the emptiness in his chest! He stared at it as it glowed, charming him into a stupor. He reached out to touch it... to take it... His eyes didn't see the blood the jewel was soaked in... Only the treasure glowing seductively... begging him to take it back. But Sesshoumaru pulled it away. Naraku looked up at him with pleading eyes. The kumo moved to say something but stopped when he noticed a strange look in the inu's eyes.
Sesshoumaru stared at Naraku with a fierce sincerity. He held out his left hand and unfurled his fingers to reveal nothing but the hand itself, which was splattered with both the Kumo's blood as well as his own. Sesshoumaru spoke in a clear and unemotional tone, "..And in my left hand... I offer you myself.." Naraku looked up from the jewel and met his gaze; he continued, "..I offer you my life, my love, and all that I am...And also, my promise to you that I will never forsake you..." He bit back the tears that stung his eyes and lifted his chin, determined, "..You must make a choice, Naraku... For I have made mine long ago...." A tear escaped and slid down his cheek.. "So tell me, Naraku.." he placed both hands in front of Naraku, "Which will you choose?"
Naraku's eyes glossed over upon seeing the tear slide down Sesshoumaru's face. "I..." he closed his eyes. 'This shouldn't be this hard!' He shouted at himself mentally. He swallowed hard.... Time seemed to speed up and slow down all at once... he wanted the jewel... oh yes... but would he give up love for it...? A shaky hand rose of what seemed to be of its own accord. A pain shot through his chest, as if in warning of what he was about to do... but he disregarded the painful ache. He rested hand over one of Sesshoumaru's, sure about his decision. A small grin played upon his lips as he opened his eyes slowly.... The phantom and all of its traces had been eradicated... He was himself again. "Sesshoumaru..." He rose to his feet, interlacing his fingers with Sesshoumaru's. He held his left hand up, smiling, eyes shining.
There were tears streaming down the Inu's face now. His love, his mate, stood before him, looking at him with eyes that were of the deepest purple as he raised their interlocked hands, smiling. For the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru was consumed by an emotion he recognized somewhere as....joy. Turning, he gingerly plucked Tensaiga from the ice and aligned the blade with the Kumo's chest; it glowed and he felt Naraku squeeze his hand as the sword completed fully restoring the youkai to perfect health. As soon as it was done, Sesshoumaru dropped the sword and pulled Naraku into a heart-warming embrace as he could no longer suppress his recent fears and the emotions that washed through his body. He buried his face in Naraku's shoulder and whispered, "..I'm so glad...it's finally over.."
"No more pain..." he whispered. "It was horrible..." But now it didn't seem so bad... He was in the arms of someone who didn't want to hurt him... "I'm sorry..." Naraku had seen all the phantom had... a prisoner in his own mind, "For what I did..." The silver hair felt so good against his skin as he buried his face in it, "For what I couldn't stop...." he whispered.
The inu held him tighter, needing the feeling of his mate safe in his arms. "Don't think of it, koi.." he sighed against him. He leaned back a little and looked in his mate's familiar amethyst orbs. "You're all I need," he said and then put his forehead to Naraku's, placing an affectionate kiss upon his lips as he closed his eyes to revel in the moment.
"Koi..." He sighed happily, but whipping icy winds pulled him out of his happy moment. "Let's go home..." Naraku said softly, running his hands through the inu's hair.
He shivered. "Home..." He looked at Naraku. Home was where his aijin, his mate... Sesshoumaru smiled. Home was where Naraku was. "Yes, let's go home." He made to leave, but the Kumo hesitated.
Naraku smiled softly and kind of sadly as the embrace was deterred, but he still enjoyed the feel of the inu's hand resting on his back, their fingers once more intertwined.... 'Wait..' Naraku thought... he paused, looking at Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru... where's the jewel?"
He immediately snapped to attention. "The jewel.." he thought for a second then, "I must have dropped it." They both looked down and there it was, the blood-encrusted Shikon no Tama, half buried in the snow at their feet. He glanced back up at Naraku before he bent down and picked it up. Holding it between the two of them, he stared at it, resenting it and yet curious how such a small thing could overpower one's own mind. As he regarded it, it began to glow, becoming warm in his hand. Sesshoumaru was entranced by it suddenly; he could feel his mind begin to unshield itself and he drew it closer and closer to his chest...
He saw the look in Sesshoumaru's eyes....one he knew all too well. His hand shot out and closed over Sesshoumaru's, pulling it away from his chest. "Are you insane?!" he looked at the inu incredulously. But...he understood what the jewel could do to someone. "Sesshoumaru.... Let's leave it here.... buried in the snow where no one will find it..." He could feel the jewel beckoning to him and he closed his eyes, grimacing.
He blinked and shook his head violently to clear if of the false images the jewel had put there. A hand went to his head and he breathed heavily. "How...did you...." Naraku's hand over his applied a little pressure. Finally getting a hold of himself, he stood rigid and glared at the jewel through his hand, hating it even more now. Never taking his eyes off it, he spoke: "Yes...Where no on will find it.. I will bury it here in this frozen and forgotten wasteland; but first, you must seal it--to stop any who might be of weak mind from being manipulated by its evil."
Naraku tried to seal the jewel... but it did not work. He growled, knowing that because the jewel was once his power source, he could never seal it. He had fed it with his own emotions and spilt blood and now, the black aura around the jewel could never be sealed within it. He gingerly took the jewel from Sesshoumaru. "I cannot seal it... but I can set up a permanent barrier around it." He dropped it into the snow. "Take a few steps away, please." He waited until his request had been carried out. He held a hand out, palm angled down towards the innocently glinting Shikon no Tama. He set up a strong barrier around it--one that he doubted he could break. He looked back up at Sesshoumaru. "Now no one can reach it... The barrier is small, but it won't let anyone touch it."
The inu nodded, "Good." He turned and walked over to where his swords had been disregarded. Picking up the Tensaiga, he easily put it back into its sheath, then walked over to the bloodied Tokijin. The blade was completely coated from hilt to tip in their blood; he grimaced. Sesshoumaru then picked it up out of the snow and walked over to a hole in the ice and proceeded to wash off the youkai blood. When its blade once again shone like a mirror, he stood up and walked over to Naraku, who had waited patiently while he cleaned his sword. "I am ready."
Naraku nodded solemnly. Letting go of what he obsessed over for fifty years was hard.... He sighed heavily, glancing at the jewel once more. Suddenly, the cold felt horrible--as if it had been magnified. He bowed his head, folding his arms over his chest, thinking over what all he had done with the jewel, grimacing. But his brooding was deterred as a warm arm wrapped around his waist. He looked up and saw Sesshoumaru half smiling at him. Naraku smiled back slightly, "Let's go." the kumo said quietly. Sesshoumaru knelt down and leapt into the air, pulling Naraku with him. He turned to face the small island their battle had created and aimed the Tokijin down towards it. "Sesshoumaru... what are you doing?"
"KIERU!" he shouted as he flooded his power through the sword and it spiraled down to the frozen land below with an unmistakable malevolence. It hit Antarctica with a force of a bomb, ripping the icecaps apart and setting many bergs adrift. When things began to clear, there was no trace of the blood-stained island; it had completely been destroyed. 'And now, the Shikon is on its way to the bottom of the ocean...never to surface again.' He turned to the kumo in his arm, "Let us part from this frozen Hades, my love; I do not wish to remain here any longer." And with that, he pushed northward, towards Japan. He felt Naraku turn in his arm, back to the crumbling wasteland. Sesshoumaru didn't look back.
Foreboding... that's what he felt. No matter how reassuring his aijin's words were... he couldn't help but think that it wasn't the last they would see of the accursed item. He looked up at Sesshoumaru, smiling softly. He was already home....
A/N: lol..i keep getting reviews commenting about the sequel. Lemme just say that it's up and running, ppl! Go read it! And my sincere thanks to all who have reviewed, bows