When Shadows Give Way to Flames
Part 2: Forceful Negotiations
By: DB & The Gifted Ten
Naraku awoke to the pounding of brain against his skull. He stifled a moan and slowly opened his eyes. The room-or wherever he was-was pitch black, but fortunately being half demon, he could vaguely make out the outline of a clearing; alas, he didn't know the forests very well, so he had no clue where he was. The trees surrounding the area reached high into the air, blocking out any heavenly light. He tried to sit up, but his hands were tied around the trunk of the tree he was leaning against, so he only managed to tighten the ropes binding his wrists. Hearing soft footsteps, Naraku lifted his head to see the outline of his captor slowly walking towards him.
"Glad to see you're finally awake beloved." The youkai said dauntingly from his place just before Naraku's range of sight. The trees shifted in a breeze, allowing a few stray moonbeams to filter through. One lit up a patch of blood red hair, another hit a clawed hand and yet another lit up a fang from the demon's smirk. "I was almost afraid I'd have to use other means to get you to awaken. But you saved me the trouble lovely."
He strained his eyes to get a better look at the demon, but it was no use as the wind died down and the trees once again covered the stranger in shadow. "So sorry to disappoint you," he said haughtily. "Who are you, anyway, that you can't show your face?"
He stepped forward, outfit and form changing as he did so. "Oh beloved you don't need to know whom I am really...." He ran his clawed hands back through his now silver hair. "All you need to know is that you're mine now..." he moved closer to Naraku and crouched down in front of him, taking his chin into his hand. "That is all that matters." He grinned and crushed his lips to Naraku's for a short-lived kiss. Naraku tried to jerk his head away but the youkai held him fast with a clawed hand. "I'd be wise not to fight, love." He said before moving to kiss him once more. A loud caw echoed trough the trees. The youkai growled ferociously and pulled away, standing. "Fucking bird..." He muttered under his breath.
He held out his right arm and what appeared to be a giant black shadow landed upon the outstretched appendage. "You'd better confirm what I want to hear, Rabe... Or else I'll feed you to the mangy wolves around here. Is that clear? I am a firm believer in killing the bearer of bad news...." He glared at the bird. "Is he close?" Rabe shook her head. "Good. Don't return unless he is headed this way. Understood?" The raven cawed and took flight.
Naraku watched from his viewpoint on the ground as the bird was quickly out of sight amongst the shadows, and the demon standing in the clearing slowly turned around and walked towards him and said, "Now, where were we?" Naraku merely glared at him as he walked past him and behind the tree. He soon felt the ropes holding him to the trunk sag, and he immediately scrambled up and positioned himself in the middle of the clearing. He heard mocking laughter ring throughout the trees around him. He turned about, but the sound had no source as it faded and then spoke from nowhere and everywhere at once:
"Now really... What do you expect to accomplish by running? It'd be my pleasure to chase you down if you do decide to do just that." He laughed again, circling Naraku like a hungry shark. "Now be a good boy and come to me beloved." He stopped a few feet from in front of him, palm outstretched. The patches of moonlight from above made him seem more of a ghost than an actual living creature and much less like Sesshoumaru at that. "I promise I won't be so harsh with you if you come over willingly..." he smirked. 'Maybe...' he added as an after thought.
In anger and frustration, Naraku hit the offered hand away and lunged at the imposter Sesshoumaru, aiming his claws for its neck. But the demon was quick, and in the blink of an eye, his arm was twisted painfully behind his back, his other hand caught in midair above his head. "Too slow," the demon crooned in his ear. Growling in rage, Naraku jutted his head back into the fake Sesshoumaru's face, knocking him back and releasing his hold on his limbs. The kumo immediately elbowed the youkai hard in the chest, causing him to fall to his knees gasping, while Naraku leapt high into the trees and ran as fast as he could through the boughs, escape his only thought.
Meanwhile, the imposter had regained control of his breathing and stood up, a small stream of blood running down his nose. He licked it away and chuckled, "So... you want to play games." He grinned, dusting himself off like he didn't have a care in the world. A breeze shifted the trees, casting a single beam of light upon a gleaming emerald eye, and with a blink, the clearing was empty and the predator was quickly catching up to its prey.
'I think I lost him,' Naraku thought as he dashed past some more trees and ducked under a low branch. He didn't know how far he'd traveled, but he was almost sure he'd put enough distance in-between himself and that fiend- almost. Just as he made a quick glance back behind him to make sure he wasn't being followed, something hit his shoulder, hard, and he plummeted down through the trees, occasionally getting hit or scraped by passing branches, until he hit the forest floor with a painful thud. He winced as his spine felt like it had been broken-along with all the other bones in his body-and tried to take in air that burned his lungs.
He looked up at the figure that stood over him and noticed that it no longer resembled his Sesshoumaru. Instead, it cloaked in shadow, and Naraku couldn't make out a single feature, as if they had all been erased, however, the outline looked like the man he'd seen in the clearing before it had taken the shape of Sesshoumaru. He tried to sit up, but his shoulder had been dislocated and he could feel a couple of his ribs were fractured; he hurt like hell, and glared dangerously at the cause of it.
He chuckled lowly and evilly, the voice no longer belonging to Sesshoumaru. "I told you... You can't escape once I have you" He bent down, taking Naraku's chin in his hand. "You're mine now." He chuckled again, putting his free hand on the youkai's shoulder... "Got it love?" He searched over the kumo's face and then dug his fingernails hard into his dislocated shoulder, closing his eyes in sheer delight at the whelp of pain before looking down at him once more... "Ah... so beautiful when you're in pain...." He sneered even though he knew his prisoner couldn't see it.
Tears of pain welled in his eyes, but he forbade them to fall since he knew it would only bring pleasure to his enemy-and more pain. Naraku sucked in air through his teeth and tried to ignore the laughter that came from the demon every time he writhed in agony for trying to escape. "W-what is it that you want with me!" he screamed at the figure desperately.
He leaned forward, "I want to know everything about you." He brought his hand up to Naraku's face and brushed a stray tear away in an uncharacteristically gentle way. "I want you to be with me..." He tilted Naraku's chin up and smiled. "But mostly... I just want you." And with that he pressed his lips hard against the Kumo's in a passionate kiss.
Naraku started to resist.... But somewhere inside of him--buried deep and forgotten--another part of him enjoyed it. And for a few seconds, he let that alter self reign over his actions, as he lifted his hand up to the shadowed face in front of him and rested his fingertips upon it. But just as soon as they touched, Naraku's mind snapped to attention, and he quickly let his hand drop and turned his head away, breaking the kiss. He was breathing hard as he barely managed to whisper, "Get away from me...."
Chills ran up and down his spine when Naraku touched his cheek. It renewed his lust for the man below him. But then, he'd turned away. "Already trying to convince yourself that you don't want me? Heh..." He redirected the kumo's face back to him, "Will you be able to turn away this time, beloved?" he kissed Naraku again twice as passionate as before, determined to make him melt into the very ground.
The kumo felt as though he were two different people at once; a certain part of him yearned for this kind of dangerous passion, while the other part screamed for it to go away, that it was wrong and he shouldn't be feeling this! The demon's touch burned at his every nerve, both in pain and in lust, and he tried to make one outweigh the other, as he felt more vile with every passing second he did nothing. Shutting his eyes tightly, he could only lie there beneath his captor, allowing himself to be touched and kissed, though he wanted it to stop.
Suddenly, lightning flashed in the sky above them, followed by a deafening roll of thunder as it started to rain. It didn't take long before they were both soaked to the skin as the storm continued to distend. A bolt of lightning struck a tree very close to the one that they were under and Naraku absently flinched. He pushed at the shadowed chest with his good hand, trying with little luck to push his assailant away. The demon didn't immediately stop his advances, but as another clap of thunder rolled through the forest, causing the ground to shudder, he soon broke away angrily and stood, glaring up at the storm with hellfire in his eyes.
He mentally cursed at the skies and then looked back down at Naraku. The death glare melted and turned into something far more menacing and foreboding. "Time to take my prize home with me," he said with a dangerous grin playing upon his lips. Another flash of lightening went off, revealing the wolfish smile and malicious glint in his eyes for just a second. "Will you come willingly? Or will I have to rip off a branch and help you get more in-tune with your subconscious? .... Either way, you're coming with me."
Naraku just looked at him through the haze of rain. When he didn't make any signs of getting up, the youkai cocked his head to the side and said leeringly, "Oh, your injuries must have slipped my mind... heh. Allow me to help you get on your feet." He silently walked over to the injured Naraku and bent down grabbing his uninjured arm in order to pull him up.
The kumo had waited for the opportune moment before acting, and as he was being drawn up he saw his moment. Quickly and precisely, he slashed out with his wounded arm-ignoring the pain it caused-and rammed his poisonous claws into the demon's right shoulder, raking them down the side of its arm as it slid back. Smiling in grim triumph, Naraku staggered back a couple paces, somehow managing to stay on his feet.
He winced but didn't snarl or even let out the slightest whelp of pain. "At least you weren't the complete weakling I though you had become." He said tauntingly with a playful grin. "If it's a fight you want, believe me it'd be my pleasure to have your blood on my hands..." He seemed to vanish and reappear behind Naraku, whispering hauntingly into his ear. "After all... it's one of the things I want most beloved..." He chuckled and dragged his fingernails down his prisoner's throat.
The smug smile he had had on his face all but vanished. He placed his hand over the one on his neck and pulled it away after a temporary pause. The kumo turned around to face his shadowed enemy. "I couldn't care less about what you want," he said in a dangerous tone.
"Oh I believe you do." The youkai said with a grin. "Your curiosity has gotten the better of you, hasn't it?" He snaked his arm around Naraku's waist and pulling him close. "Some part of you craves this... doesn't it?" He leaned forward and bit Naraku's lip gently and then licked the droplet of blood before the rain-washed it away.
The kumo angrily suppressed his body's urge to react to the unwanted contact. He shoved at the demon in front of him, seething, "I want nothing to do with you!" but as he said this, his feet slipped in the mud beneath them and he fell back-but not before the youkai got a hold of him. It wrapped its arms tightly around him, crushing him. He furiously squirmed and twisted his body to try and break free, but the demon only squeezed harder; he heard his shoulder crack under the pressure and he let out a small cry of pain.
"The sweetest sounds I've ever heard..." he chuckled, "Are the ones filled with your suffering..." He watched Naraku's eyes widen in dread, which only further provoked the more violent side of him. He withdrew one arm from around Naraku's torso, "Now, beloved... It's time you got some rest..." He put his lips close to Naraku's ear, "It's not any fun to break what's already been broken." And with that, he punched the kumo hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and rendering him unconscious.
Sesshoumaru was standing at the window, watching the storm slowly roll by as he waited for Naraku to return. It was already well into the night, and there had been no word from the kumo as to whether he was coming back, or if he was all right. Sighing, the inu turned around and walked to the fireplace, picking up the two pieces of flint from the mantle before he crouched down and lit the kindling. As he watched the fire grow and dance within the fireplace, he was reminded of the previous night when he and his mate had sat in this very room and watched the fire as if in a trance. He couldn't see the moon or stars, but he knew it was very late, and that Naraku should have returned by now.
Sesshoumaru got up and walked over to the window again; the storm was still intense. 'It would be difficult to try to find him in this weather... I will wait until morning when the storm has gone. Then I will find him and bring him back, and things will go back to the way they were.' The inu walked to the edge of the bed and took off his kimono, folding it neatly and placing it at the bed's foot. Stretching himself across the soft comforter, Sesshoumaru settled back and closed his eyes, the rumbling of thunder his luring him to sleep.
Lightening lit up the sky and the merciless gaze of a predator as he watched his slumbering prey. He growled, arguing with himself about what his next action would be: 'it's only fair I show him who I am... I can't hide in the shadows forever,' one of his inner voices said. The other shouted back, 'Why not? The shadows have always been there for me...hiding me during all of those hunts... Why not use them again? It's far more terrifying to have an unknown enemy, isn't it?
He paced silently back and forth. 'But where's the fun in that? He'd be much easier to sway if he knew what I looked like. And even if it doesn't then all the more fun! What have you got to lose? Show him!' The other voice was about to argue back when a faint noise came from Naraku. He frowned and crouched next to him, listening closely. "Sesshoumaru..." he whispered in his troubled sleep. A wicked grin crossed the youkai's lips as he once more took Sesshoumaru's form.
Naraku tossed his head from side to side, lost within his nightmares until he felt a warm and gentle hand on his cheek. He leaned into the touch and opened his eyes slowly for fear it was just part of his dream. Naraku tied to speak in more than just a hoarse whisper, but his lungs burned and he gasped for air. The kumo felt himself being pulled into a warm embrace and he felt safe. "Sesshoumaru?" he asked softly.
The youkai did his best to hide his sly grin. "Yes, beloved..." he said as warmly as he could without snickering. "I'm here..." He could feel the man in his arms gaining his strength back... He would have to put a stop to this so it wouldn't become a problem. "Naraku..." he said reaching over to a small table and grabbing a small, corked vial that contained poison, "You are ill..." He pulled the cork off with his teeth and spat it out, "Drink this; it will make you feel better." He grinned, putting the vial to Naraku's lips. "It will taste unpleasant, but you must drink it."
Naraku nodded softly and drank the contents, grimacing. Immediately, he felt it rushing through his veins, constricting all of his muscles and inflaming his nerve endings. "It burns..." he said hoarsely.
"It's supposed to, lovely." the imposter said, grin still in place. He brushed his thumb against Naraku's bottom lip, clearing away any excess poison. "You'll feel really weak as well... but pay it no mind... I'm here with you." the youkai said softly, barely containing his laughter as he brushed away Naraku's bangs.
Naraku winced as another fresh wave of pain washed over him. "Make it stop hurting..." He searched for the other's hand and laced their fingers upon finding it. "Please make it stop..."
'You don't know real pain yet, lovely...' he thought maliciously. "I can't..." he said, "but I can at least distract you from it-if only for a little while..." The youkai said before taking Naraku's chin in his free hand and tilting it upwards. He then kissed him softly, squeezing the kumo's hand gently while doing so.
Naraku moaned, leaning into the kiss and squeezing whom he thought was Sesshoumaru's hand in return. The kiss lasted several seconds, as Naraku tried to ignore the pain that seared through his body before finally pulling away to catch his breath. He let his head fall back as his muscles flamed and constricted. He was feeling worse than before. "Sesshoumaru," he opened his eyes and looked at the familiar face before him, "I don't think that tonic is...."
He saw the inu's face for the first time. "...Green eyes...." he whispered as his own widened in horror. Naraku scrambled backwards--and hit a wall. He tried to get to his feet but fire shot through his legs and they buckled under his weight. He fell to the floor with a thud and tried to crawl away, but his body refused to comply, and he only managed to rake his nails into the matted floor as his muscles tightened and he coughed just trying to breathe.
: He laughed bitterly, his voice and very appearance shifting to that of his own. "So much for you coming willingly..." the youkai said, raking his fingers back through his blood red hair, combing out the long, black streaks. Lightening flashed outside, revealing him for just a moment, and giving his emerald eyes an eerie glow. The edges of his lips twisted back into a vicious grin. "Oh, well... I've never had a problem with taking what I want..." He bent down and grabbed the collar of Naraku's kimono. "And as soon as I'm through with you..." he said, lifting him up to eye level, "You'll be begging for more." he finished before slamming him against the wall.
The kumo groaned when his head smacked against the wall, causing his vision to momentarily blur. The storm outside was at its peak now, and lightning flashed several times in a row, giving Naraku a clear image of the enemy: he was fairly tall-nearly eye level with Naraku-with small shoulders, and, from what he could tell, had a lean, well-built body. His layered hair was long and crimson with a few black streaks here and there, and although his oval-shaped face was slender and quite handsome, his large, almond-shaped eyes gave seemed to give him a slightly feminine and innocent appearance.
He'd never seen a demon quite such as this one, and judging by youkai's physique and temperance, Naraku guessed that he couldn't be any older than two hundred. Then he smiled evilly, draining any hope of escape or pity that the kumo might have had. "Who are you?" And since he couldn't fight back with his physical strength, tried words, "...You reek of kitsune, you pathetic excuse for a demon..." he added dryly.
"It's because my dear, I am a kitsune... My name is Raposa DeVos, and..." He brought his free hand up and dragged his nails down hard on the kumo's chest, ripping into both the kimono -and the flesh beneath- on their torturous path down the kumo's torso and abdomen. He inhaled the potent smell of blood and then smirked. "...And if my nose serves me right... you're only a HALF demon..." He got to Naraku's naval and grinned, digging his claws in clear to the fingertips and he began to twist them sideways, reveling in the noises of pain emitting from the kumo... "Which would make you the lesser one here, am I correct?" he said with a taunting grin.
Naraku grimaced. 'I'd be more than a match for you if I still had the Jewel,' said a voice inside his head. But he only glared at the kit, clenching his jaw to keep from yelping with pain as the claws puncturing his stomach remained where they were, blood oozing from the gash and seeping into the surrounding cloth.
"You have quite a high threshold for pain..." he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "But it won't do you any good now that you're in my hands..." Lightening flashed again, showing off a grin so devilish, it would make a lesser man cringe. He wrenched his hand further to the side, ripping more of the kumo's flesh apart. "Beg for me to stop..."
As if beckoned from the grave, memories of pain and snow and ice flashed behind his eyes and he shivered involuntarily. He could almost smell scent of Sesshoumaru's spilt blood, and it made him sick, as well as triggering even more of the half buried specters within his own mind. "No..." he breathed, trying to suppress the memories of that horrible day.
The pungent smell of fear caught the kit's nose and was so strong; it even drowned out the smell of blood. He chuckled, thinking he was behind the fear in the kumo. The kit smiled and leaned in closer, burying his face in the nape of Naraku's neck to inhale more of the intoxicating scent. "Oh, beloved..." he whispered against his captive's neck, "...the smell of your fear overwhelms me... and only the smell of more of your spilt blood can make it better." The kit sighed blissfully and then chuckled. "And that much I can do..." he said slowly, drawing out his claws, letting the blood he was clogging flow freely. "Much better..."
Pain and the smell of his own blood brought him back to the present. He inhaled sharply and his breathing hitched, making him struggle to breathe and stay focused. "Why...." He let his head fall onto his chest, unable to finish the question; the loss of blood was making him dizzy. His limbs felt like leaden weights-even though he could barely feel them now-and he had the sensation that he was falling.
The kit released his hold on the kumo's collar and let the man fall against him, weak and weary from the torment and poison thus far. "Why? Because everyday I would wake up alone with the thought that I would always be alone..." he grimaced and continued. "And I became embittered, taking pleasure in other's pain...But then I discovered you... and I knew right away that I wanted you all for myself..." He looked down into the face of his captive and noted the understanding look he bore. "But" His face darkened." I also discovered that that wretched dog had dug his claws into you already," he said running his fingers over the marks on Naraku's cheeks, "but no more, my love..." He said with a sly grin. "Now you belong to me, and I will make your love for that inu rot from the inside out!"
The kumo heard the youkai's words as if they were far away, but he heard them none-the-less, and his heart almost ached as he knew all too well how the fox demon felt; for only a year ago, he had felt the exact same thing... But the kit's last words stuck in his mind: '...and I will make your love for that inu rot from the inside out!"... "Nnnooo," he mumbled when the demon's hands began to roam over his body, his head still pressed against the crook of his neck.
When Naraku felt cold hands slip past his kimono. He reached up and tried to still the hands that wandered over his chest, but they were void of all their demonic strength. The poison seemed to have impaired not only his speech but his muscle strength as well--and the icy hands merely moved to his back, giving him chills down his spine.
The kit smiled ruefully as Naraku slowly lost consciousness and slumped against him. "It almost makes me saddened that I cannot see you at your full strength..." he whispered to the now slumbering half demon as he removed the bloody kimono. "...And that your soul is already sullied." He picked up the kumo and laid the injured man onto his own bed. "But then again...." He grinned, looking him over, "Maybe not...." He chuckled and set to work. DeVos took his time patching up Naraku's stomach wound, smiling shamelessly at his own handiwork as he hummed a little tune he'd once heard as a child in France.
A/N: SORRY! I completely forgot to upload these past two chappies! bows repeatedly Well here's a two for one so don't hate me! Oh and just in case I forget to upload in the future, this is my co-author's penname and she'll have it up if I don't: The Gifted Ten . Also! If you like yaoi and final fantasy 9... check out her Aftermath fic! She's a lil slow to update it but It's great! Alright well now to work on the next chappie!
DB
Part 2: Forceful Negotiations
By: DB & The Gifted Ten
Naraku awoke to the pounding of brain against his skull. He stifled a moan and slowly opened his eyes. The room-or wherever he was-was pitch black, but fortunately being half demon, he could vaguely make out the outline of a clearing; alas, he didn't know the forests very well, so he had no clue where he was. The trees surrounding the area reached high into the air, blocking out any heavenly light. He tried to sit up, but his hands were tied around the trunk of the tree he was leaning against, so he only managed to tighten the ropes binding his wrists. Hearing soft footsteps, Naraku lifted his head to see the outline of his captor slowly walking towards him.
"Glad to see you're finally awake beloved." The youkai said dauntingly from his place just before Naraku's range of sight. The trees shifted in a breeze, allowing a few stray moonbeams to filter through. One lit up a patch of blood red hair, another hit a clawed hand and yet another lit up a fang from the demon's smirk. "I was almost afraid I'd have to use other means to get you to awaken. But you saved me the trouble lovely."
He strained his eyes to get a better look at the demon, but it was no use as the wind died down and the trees once again covered the stranger in shadow. "So sorry to disappoint you," he said haughtily. "Who are you, anyway, that you can't show your face?"
He stepped forward, outfit and form changing as he did so. "Oh beloved you don't need to know whom I am really...." He ran his clawed hands back through his now silver hair. "All you need to know is that you're mine now..." he moved closer to Naraku and crouched down in front of him, taking his chin into his hand. "That is all that matters." He grinned and crushed his lips to Naraku's for a short-lived kiss. Naraku tried to jerk his head away but the youkai held him fast with a clawed hand. "I'd be wise not to fight, love." He said before moving to kiss him once more. A loud caw echoed trough the trees. The youkai growled ferociously and pulled away, standing. "Fucking bird..." He muttered under his breath.
He held out his right arm and what appeared to be a giant black shadow landed upon the outstretched appendage. "You'd better confirm what I want to hear, Rabe... Or else I'll feed you to the mangy wolves around here. Is that clear? I am a firm believer in killing the bearer of bad news...." He glared at the bird. "Is he close?" Rabe shook her head. "Good. Don't return unless he is headed this way. Understood?" The raven cawed and took flight.
Naraku watched from his viewpoint on the ground as the bird was quickly out of sight amongst the shadows, and the demon standing in the clearing slowly turned around and walked towards him and said, "Now, where were we?" Naraku merely glared at him as he walked past him and behind the tree. He soon felt the ropes holding him to the trunk sag, and he immediately scrambled up and positioned himself in the middle of the clearing. He heard mocking laughter ring throughout the trees around him. He turned about, but the sound had no source as it faded and then spoke from nowhere and everywhere at once:
"Now really... What do you expect to accomplish by running? It'd be my pleasure to chase you down if you do decide to do just that." He laughed again, circling Naraku like a hungry shark. "Now be a good boy and come to me beloved." He stopped a few feet from in front of him, palm outstretched. The patches of moonlight from above made him seem more of a ghost than an actual living creature and much less like Sesshoumaru at that. "I promise I won't be so harsh with you if you come over willingly..." he smirked. 'Maybe...' he added as an after thought.
In anger and frustration, Naraku hit the offered hand away and lunged at the imposter Sesshoumaru, aiming his claws for its neck. But the demon was quick, and in the blink of an eye, his arm was twisted painfully behind his back, his other hand caught in midair above his head. "Too slow," the demon crooned in his ear. Growling in rage, Naraku jutted his head back into the fake Sesshoumaru's face, knocking him back and releasing his hold on his limbs. The kumo immediately elbowed the youkai hard in the chest, causing him to fall to his knees gasping, while Naraku leapt high into the trees and ran as fast as he could through the boughs, escape his only thought.
Meanwhile, the imposter had regained control of his breathing and stood up, a small stream of blood running down his nose. He licked it away and chuckled, "So... you want to play games." He grinned, dusting himself off like he didn't have a care in the world. A breeze shifted the trees, casting a single beam of light upon a gleaming emerald eye, and with a blink, the clearing was empty and the predator was quickly catching up to its prey.
'I think I lost him,' Naraku thought as he dashed past some more trees and ducked under a low branch. He didn't know how far he'd traveled, but he was almost sure he'd put enough distance in-between himself and that fiend- almost. Just as he made a quick glance back behind him to make sure he wasn't being followed, something hit his shoulder, hard, and he plummeted down through the trees, occasionally getting hit or scraped by passing branches, until he hit the forest floor with a painful thud. He winced as his spine felt like it had been broken-along with all the other bones in his body-and tried to take in air that burned his lungs.
He looked up at the figure that stood over him and noticed that it no longer resembled his Sesshoumaru. Instead, it cloaked in shadow, and Naraku couldn't make out a single feature, as if they had all been erased, however, the outline looked like the man he'd seen in the clearing before it had taken the shape of Sesshoumaru. He tried to sit up, but his shoulder had been dislocated and he could feel a couple of his ribs were fractured; he hurt like hell, and glared dangerously at the cause of it.
He chuckled lowly and evilly, the voice no longer belonging to Sesshoumaru. "I told you... You can't escape once I have you" He bent down, taking Naraku's chin in his hand. "You're mine now." He chuckled again, putting his free hand on the youkai's shoulder... "Got it love?" He searched over the kumo's face and then dug his fingernails hard into his dislocated shoulder, closing his eyes in sheer delight at the whelp of pain before looking down at him once more... "Ah... so beautiful when you're in pain...." He sneered even though he knew his prisoner couldn't see it.
Tears of pain welled in his eyes, but he forbade them to fall since he knew it would only bring pleasure to his enemy-and more pain. Naraku sucked in air through his teeth and tried to ignore the laughter that came from the demon every time he writhed in agony for trying to escape. "W-what is it that you want with me!" he screamed at the figure desperately.
He leaned forward, "I want to know everything about you." He brought his hand up to Naraku's face and brushed a stray tear away in an uncharacteristically gentle way. "I want you to be with me..." He tilted Naraku's chin up and smiled. "But mostly... I just want you." And with that he pressed his lips hard against the Kumo's in a passionate kiss.
Naraku started to resist.... But somewhere inside of him--buried deep and forgotten--another part of him enjoyed it. And for a few seconds, he let that alter self reign over his actions, as he lifted his hand up to the shadowed face in front of him and rested his fingertips upon it. But just as soon as they touched, Naraku's mind snapped to attention, and he quickly let his hand drop and turned his head away, breaking the kiss. He was breathing hard as he barely managed to whisper, "Get away from me...."
Chills ran up and down his spine when Naraku touched his cheek. It renewed his lust for the man below him. But then, he'd turned away. "Already trying to convince yourself that you don't want me? Heh..." He redirected the kumo's face back to him, "Will you be able to turn away this time, beloved?" he kissed Naraku again twice as passionate as before, determined to make him melt into the very ground.
The kumo felt as though he were two different people at once; a certain part of him yearned for this kind of dangerous passion, while the other part screamed for it to go away, that it was wrong and he shouldn't be feeling this! The demon's touch burned at his every nerve, both in pain and in lust, and he tried to make one outweigh the other, as he felt more vile with every passing second he did nothing. Shutting his eyes tightly, he could only lie there beneath his captor, allowing himself to be touched and kissed, though he wanted it to stop.
Suddenly, lightning flashed in the sky above them, followed by a deafening roll of thunder as it started to rain. It didn't take long before they were both soaked to the skin as the storm continued to distend. A bolt of lightning struck a tree very close to the one that they were under and Naraku absently flinched. He pushed at the shadowed chest with his good hand, trying with little luck to push his assailant away. The demon didn't immediately stop his advances, but as another clap of thunder rolled through the forest, causing the ground to shudder, he soon broke away angrily and stood, glaring up at the storm with hellfire in his eyes.
He mentally cursed at the skies and then looked back down at Naraku. The death glare melted and turned into something far more menacing and foreboding. "Time to take my prize home with me," he said with a dangerous grin playing upon his lips. Another flash of lightening went off, revealing the wolfish smile and malicious glint in his eyes for just a second. "Will you come willingly? Or will I have to rip off a branch and help you get more in-tune with your subconscious? .... Either way, you're coming with me."
Naraku just looked at him through the haze of rain. When he didn't make any signs of getting up, the youkai cocked his head to the side and said leeringly, "Oh, your injuries must have slipped my mind... heh. Allow me to help you get on your feet." He silently walked over to the injured Naraku and bent down grabbing his uninjured arm in order to pull him up.
The kumo had waited for the opportune moment before acting, and as he was being drawn up he saw his moment. Quickly and precisely, he slashed out with his wounded arm-ignoring the pain it caused-and rammed his poisonous claws into the demon's right shoulder, raking them down the side of its arm as it slid back. Smiling in grim triumph, Naraku staggered back a couple paces, somehow managing to stay on his feet.
He winced but didn't snarl or even let out the slightest whelp of pain. "At least you weren't the complete weakling I though you had become." He said tauntingly with a playful grin. "If it's a fight you want, believe me it'd be my pleasure to have your blood on my hands..." He seemed to vanish and reappear behind Naraku, whispering hauntingly into his ear. "After all... it's one of the things I want most beloved..." He chuckled and dragged his fingernails down his prisoner's throat.
The smug smile he had had on his face all but vanished. He placed his hand over the one on his neck and pulled it away after a temporary pause. The kumo turned around to face his shadowed enemy. "I couldn't care less about what you want," he said in a dangerous tone.
"Oh I believe you do." The youkai said with a grin. "Your curiosity has gotten the better of you, hasn't it?" He snaked his arm around Naraku's waist and pulling him close. "Some part of you craves this... doesn't it?" He leaned forward and bit Naraku's lip gently and then licked the droplet of blood before the rain-washed it away.
The kumo angrily suppressed his body's urge to react to the unwanted contact. He shoved at the demon in front of him, seething, "I want nothing to do with you!" but as he said this, his feet slipped in the mud beneath them and he fell back-but not before the youkai got a hold of him. It wrapped its arms tightly around him, crushing him. He furiously squirmed and twisted his body to try and break free, but the demon only squeezed harder; he heard his shoulder crack under the pressure and he let out a small cry of pain.
"The sweetest sounds I've ever heard..." he chuckled, "Are the ones filled with your suffering..." He watched Naraku's eyes widen in dread, which only further provoked the more violent side of him. He withdrew one arm from around Naraku's torso, "Now, beloved... It's time you got some rest..." He put his lips close to Naraku's ear, "It's not any fun to break what's already been broken." And with that, he punched the kumo hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and rendering him unconscious.
Sesshoumaru was standing at the window, watching the storm slowly roll by as he waited for Naraku to return. It was already well into the night, and there had been no word from the kumo as to whether he was coming back, or if he was all right. Sighing, the inu turned around and walked to the fireplace, picking up the two pieces of flint from the mantle before he crouched down and lit the kindling. As he watched the fire grow and dance within the fireplace, he was reminded of the previous night when he and his mate had sat in this very room and watched the fire as if in a trance. He couldn't see the moon or stars, but he knew it was very late, and that Naraku should have returned by now.
Sesshoumaru got up and walked over to the window again; the storm was still intense. 'It would be difficult to try to find him in this weather... I will wait until morning when the storm has gone. Then I will find him and bring him back, and things will go back to the way they were.' The inu walked to the edge of the bed and took off his kimono, folding it neatly and placing it at the bed's foot. Stretching himself across the soft comforter, Sesshoumaru settled back and closed his eyes, the rumbling of thunder his luring him to sleep.
Lightening lit up the sky and the merciless gaze of a predator as he watched his slumbering prey. He growled, arguing with himself about what his next action would be: 'it's only fair I show him who I am... I can't hide in the shadows forever,' one of his inner voices said. The other shouted back, 'Why not? The shadows have always been there for me...hiding me during all of those hunts... Why not use them again? It's far more terrifying to have an unknown enemy, isn't it?
He paced silently back and forth. 'But where's the fun in that? He'd be much easier to sway if he knew what I looked like. And even if it doesn't then all the more fun! What have you got to lose? Show him!' The other voice was about to argue back when a faint noise came from Naraku. He frowned and crouched next to him, listening closely. "Sesshoumaru..." he whispered in his troubled sleep. A wicked grin crossed the youkai's lips as he once more took Sesshoumaru's form.
Naraku tossed his head from side to side, lost within his nightmares until he felt a warm and gentle hand on his cheek. He leaned into the touch and opened his eyes slowly for fear it was just part of his dream. Naraku tied to speak in more than just a hoarse whisper, but his lungs burned and he gasped for air. The kumo felt himself being pulled into a warm embrace and he felt safe. "Sesshoumaru?" he asked softly.
The youkai did his best to hide his sly grin. "Yes, beloved..." he said as warmly as he could without snickering. "I'm here..." He could feel the man in his arms gaining his strength back... He would have to put a stop to this so it wouldn't become a problem. "Naraku..." he said reaching over to a small table and grabbing a small, corked vial that contained poison, "You are ill..." He pulled the cork off with his teeth and spat it out, "Drink this; it will make you feel better." He grinned, putting the vial to Naraku's lips. "It will taste unpleasant, but you must drink it."
Naraku nodded softly and drank the contents, grimacing. Immediately, he felt it rushing through his veins, constricting all of his muscles and inflaming his nerve endings. "It burns..." he said hoarsely.
"It's supposed to, lovely." the imposter said, grin still in place. He brushed his thumb against Naraku's bottom lip, clearing away any excess poison. "You'll feel really weak as well... but pay it no mind... I'm here with you." the youkai said softly, barely containing his laughter as he brushed away Naraku's bangs.
Naraku winced as another fresh wave of pain washed over him. "Make it stop hurting..." He searched for the other's hand and laced their fingers upon finding it. "Please make it stop..."
'You don't know real pain yet, lovely...' he thought maliciously. "I can't..." he said, "but I can at least distract you from it-if only for a little while..." The youkai said before taking Naraku's chin in his free hand and tilting it upwards. He then kissed him softly, squeezing the kumo's hand gently while doing so.
Naraku moaned, leaning into the kiss and squeezing whom he thought was Sesshoumaru's hand in return. The kiss lasted several seconds, as Naraku tried to ignore the pain that seared through his body before finally pulling away to catch his breath. He let his head fall back as his muscles flamed and constricted. He was feeling worse than before. "Sesshoumaru," he opened his eyes and looked at the familiar face before him, "I don't think that tonic is...."
He saw the inu's face for the first time. "...Green eyes...." he whispered as his own widened in horror. Naraku scrambled backwards--and hit a wall. He tried to get to his feet but fire shot through his legs and they buckled under his weight. He fell to the floor with a thud and tried to crawl away, but his body refused to comply, and he only managed to rake his nails into the matted floor as his muscles tightened and he coughed just trying to breathe.
: He laughed bitterly, his voice and very appearance shifting to that of his own. "So much for you coming willingly..." the youkai said, raking his fingers back through his blood red hair, combing out the long, black streaks. Lightening flashed outside, revealing him for just a moment, and giving his emerald eyes an eerie glow. The edges of his lips twisted back into a vicious grin. "Oh, well... I've never had a problem with taking what I want..." He bent down and grabbed the collar of Naraku's kimono. "And as soon as I'm through with you..." he said, lifting him up to eye level, "You'll be begging for more." he finished before slamming him against the wall.
The kumo groaned when his head smacked against the wall, causing his vision to momentarily blur. The storm outside was at its peak now, and lightning flashed several times in a row, giving Naraku a clear image of the enemy: he was fairly tall-nearly eye level with Naraku-with small shoulders, and, from what he could tell, had a lean, well-built body. His layered hair was long and crimson with a few black streaks here and there, and although his oval-shaped face was slender and quite handsome, his large, almond-shaped eyes gave seemed to give him a slightly feminine and innocent appearance.
He'd never seen a demon quite such as this one, and judging by youkai's physique and temperance, Naraku guessed that he couldn't be any older than two hundred. Then he smiled evilly, draining any hope of escape or pity that the kumo might have had. "Who are you?" And since he couldn't fight back with his physical strength, tried words, "...You reek of kitsune, you pathetic excuse for a demon..." he added dryly.
"It's because my dear, I am a kitsune... My name is Raposa DeVos, and..." He brought his free hand up and dragged his nails down hard on the kumo's chest, ripping into both the kimono -and the flesh beneath- on their torturous path down the kumo's torso and abdomen. He inhaled the potent smell of blood and then smirked. "...And if my nose serves me right... you're only a HALF demon..." He got to Naraku's naval and grinned, digging his claws in clear to the fingertips and he began to twist them sideways, reveling in the noises of pain emitting from the kumo... "Which would make you the lesser one here, am I correct?" he said with a taunting grin.
Naraku grimaced. 'I'd be more than a match for you if I still had the Jewel,' said a voice inside his head. But he only glared at the kit, clenching his jaw to keep from yelping with pain as the claws puncturing his stomach remained where they were, blood oozing from the gash and seeping into the surrounding cloth.
"You have quite a high threshold for pain..." he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "But it won't do you any good now that you're in my hands..." Lightening flashed again, showing off a grin so devilish, it would make a lesser man cringe. He wrenched his hand further to the side, ripping more of the kumo's flesh apart. "Beg for me to stop..."
As if beckoned from the grave, memories of pain and snow and ice flashed behind his eyes and he shivered involuntarily. He could almost smell scent of Sesshoumaru's spilt blood, and it made him sick, as well as triggering even more of the half buried specters within his own mind. "No..." he breathed, trying to suppress the memories of that horrible day.
The pungent smell of fear caught the kit's nose and was so strong; it even drowned out the smell of blood. He chuckled, thinking he was behind the fear in the kumo. The kit smiled and leaned in closer, burying his face in the nape of Naraku's neck to inhale more of the intoxicating scent. "Oh, beloved..." he whispered against his captive's neck, "...the smell of your fear overwhelms me... and only the smell of more of your spilt blood can make it better." The kit sighed blissfully and then chuckled. "And that much I can do..." he said slowly, drawing out his claws, letting the blood he was clogging flow freely. "Much better..."
Pain and the smell of his own blood brought him back to the present. He inhaled sharply and his breathing hitched, making him struggle to breathe and stay focused. "Why...." He let his head fall onto his chest, unable to finish the question; the loss of blood was making him dizzy. His limbs felt like leaden weights-even though he could barely feel them now-and he had the sensation that he was falling.
The kit released his hold on the kumo's collar and let the man fall against him, weak and weary from the torment and poison thus far. "Why? Because everyday I would wake up alone with the thought that I would always be alone..." he grimaced and continued. "And I became embittered, taking pleasure in other's pain...But then I discovered you... and I knew right away that I wanted you all for myself..." He looked down into the face of his captive and noted the understanding look he bore. "But" His face darkened." I also discovered that that wretched dog had dug his claws into you already," he said running his fingers over the marks on Naraku's cheeks, "but no more, my love..." He said with a sly grin. "Now you belong to me, and I will make your love for that inu rot from the inside out!"
The kumo heard the youkai's words as if they were far away, but he heard them none-the-less, and his heart almost ached as he knew all too well how the fox demon felt; for only a year ago, he had felt the exact same thing... But the kit's last words stuck in his mind: '...and I will make your love for that inu rot from the inside out!"... "Nnnooo," he mumbled when the demon's hands began to roam over his body, his head still pressed against the crook of his neck.
When Naraku felt cold hands slip past his kimono. He reached up and tried to still the hands that wandered over his chest, but they were void of all their demonic strength. The poison seemed to have impaired not only his speech but his muscle strength as well--and the icy hands merely moved to his back, giving him chills down his spine.
The kit smiled ruefully as Naraku slowly lost consciousness and slumped against him. "It almost makes me saddened that I cannot see you at your full strength..." he whispered to the now slumbering half demon as he removed the bloody kimono. "...And that your soul is already sullied." He picked up the kumo and laid the injured man onto his own bed. "But then again...." He grinned, looking him over, "Maybe not...." He chuckled and set to work. DeVos took his time patching up Naraku's stomach wound, smiling shamelessly at his own handiwork as he hummed a little tune he'd once heard as a child in France.
A/N: SORRY! I completely forgot to upload these past two chappies! bows repeatedly Well here's a two for one so don't hate me! Oh and just in case I forget to upload in the future, this is my co-author's penname and she'll have it up if I don't: The Gifted Ten . Also! If you like yaoi and final fantasy 9... check out her Aftermath fic! She's a lil slow to update it but It's great! Alright well now to work on the next chappie!
DB