Hyo-hyo minna! Yes…I've finally managed to push all the other crap in my life away long enough to not only read, but update too!^^ As time goes on, it becomes increasingly difficult to do so, but hopefully I'll be able to finish this fic before I turn twenty…-_-;;;

Anyways, I'll try to keep this relatively short. Things of interest…hn…Metallica came to town, and tickets sold out in 20 minutes flat. You might also want to note the irony that Ticketmaster cut me off, thereby thwarting my chances of buying . However, my mom is letting me fly out to their next concert date…^^

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all related characters, etc. DON'T BELONG TO ME…and the last time I checked, wishing was in no way against the law or prosecutable in front of judge and jury. If it is…well, lets just say that I've got a LOT of notebook paper in which to doodle said pursuers into horrible Mary-Sue mangas, and sick my strangely demented, rabid chibis on them.

And ya…Inuyasha's potty mouth = not my fault, and this chapter starts a little differently for once…purposely, I usually have them go in a formula of Naraku/Sango's actions, then Inuyasha/Kagome's actions, etc. However, for the sake of inspiration, the formula will be different this time.

Now…to the fic!^^

Labyrinth

~An Inuyasha fanfiction story presented by Jurei~

Chapter 8: Firerat

~Excerpt from the Book of Eight, passages 7:6 onward. …And there was upon the island a war that divided the eight major gods to either side of the battlefield, sundering the land into eight realms. The power of creation stood alone at the centre, surrounded by chaos. Each realm answered to one god alone, and the men who lived within each realm were held to the land by the jealousy of the gods above. As the battle raged in the celestial realms, two of the gods began to emerge as the strongest: Urugath, the Warrior; and Haldirth, the DeadWaker. Gradually, each gathered the other gods behind them in equal numbers, until only one god remained alone with no allegiance: Itaisho, the Builder. He remained distant from the conflict, caring for the races of men and youkai.

After one hundred years of war, Urugath emerged victorious, defeating Haldirth with the feared Demon Blade Tetsusaiga, crafted by the Firesmith Toutousai from living metals existing only within the power of creation. Urugath then used the power of creation to craft a prison for those gods who had opposed him.

Into the stones he poured his resourcefulness, his wrath, and his bloodlust. He filled the walls with purpose: to punish all those who opposed their master to the full extent of their abilities, and gifted the very stones with a temporary consciousness that would allow the prison to outthink its opponents. Finally, he sealed the twisting passages with his remaining power, causing the stones to absorb the powers of lesser gods as time wore on.

Then, Urugath cast the wounded Haldirth and his allies into the prison, which he christened the Labyrinth, telling them that he would grant them forgiveness upon their escape from its walls. All except the DeadWaker, upon which he placed a curse: for as long as the power of the eight major gods was evident throughout the island, he and his descendants would never be able to leave its shores…~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The thundering of hoofbeats against hard-packed earth caused the dark-haired boy to jolt suddenly awake, sitting bolt upright with wide eyes.

He turned soundlessly, peering between the leaves to watch the mounted regiment gallop past his hiding place on the road below. Only when they were out of his sight and the dust that they had stirred in their passing had settled did he allow himself a sigh of relief.

The patrols were becoming more and more frequent as he neared the capital, further proving what he already knew: Naraku would be taking no chances, even if the general populace was too scared to even break curfew in order to use the latrine.

Souta sighed, drawing the threadbare cloak closer round his shoulders to ward off the dawn chill. He was stiff and cold, already regretting his decision to sleep in a tree. Sure, it was doubtful that Naraku's lackeys would go though the trouble of checking trees for curfew breakers, but he just knew that his next hiding place would probably be just as uncomfortable.

A few crusts of stale bread were all the recognition that he gave his rumbling stomach, barely enough to waken a growing boy's appetite. Instead, he tightened his belt about his middle and scrambled down from the tree, peering about cautiously. According to his last measure, he had fifteen minutes before the next guard patrol would pass, giving him a small window of opportunity. The sun had not yet risen, meaning that he had the advantage of shadows on his side. It would be a while before he would have to worry about the sunlight and the chances of the squads having a neko-youkai's incredible vision at their disposal.

The ground was cold to his sandal-feet, causing a small shiver to creep up his spine. Wasting no time, the boy set out, keeping to the trees as he followed the twisting road north, a concentrated frown on his face.

Above, the leaves cast a dark pattern against the lightening sky, whispering omens of rain and storms to the chill wind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The stiff material of Naraku's hakama swept against the gray stones of the floor, serving to highlight the fact that his footsteps were almost silent. Dark and forbidding, he cast an intimidating figure in front of the two youkai that walked two steps behind him on either side. Sango could not help but grudgingly admit that she was slightly impressed.

The two youkai stopped wordlessly at the same time as their leader did, gazes fixed straight ahead, faces emotionless. Naraku ignored them completely, looking down at the miko with a superior gaze that unconsciously made her grit her teeth.

"Ohayo, Sango-chan. I am here to hear your decision."

The gritted teeth ground together harder at the blatant insult implied by his familiarity, though she tried her hardest not to allow her irritation to show on her face. "I appreciate your consideration," she ground out, "that you would follow the technicality of hearing my opinion."

The dark youkai's mouth twitched into a smirk that gave the miko the sudden urge to slap him. Hard.

"Welcome to our humble group then, Sango-chan," he said, tossing his dark hair over his shoulder arrogantly. He then turned away, gesturing with one hand for her to follow him.

Sango sighed, making a quick gesture with her fingers and whispering a single word. The rune hung in the air, unsuspended, before glowing briefly and spreading across the barrier like a spider web. Moments later, the barrier shattered, falling into countless pieces that melted into the stone without leaving a trace.

Wordlessly she strode to his side, refusing blatantly to give him the satisfaction of following submissively behind him. His smirk deepened, causing her to scream mentally.

"I would like you to meet my two captains," he said, casting a dismissive hand towards each of the youkai as he introduced them. "This is Kagura, and the other one is Kanna. Both are useful in their own right."

Kagura's face betrayed nothing as she gave a curt nod, something which warned Sango that it would probably be better for both of them if she pretended that she had never met the woman before either. She therefore returned the nod, trying to show no recognition in her expression.


Kanna came as a surprise to the miko. She had expected another woman, someone slightly similar to Kagura, in any case. What she found looking back at her expressionlessly was, instead, what she would have called a child, were it not for the lifeless eyes. The girl, as Sango was forced to classify her, wore a fully white yukata, holding a mirror directly infront of her chest with both hands gripping the silver frame carefully. Her hair was white and mid-length…somewhat like the rest of her except for her eyes, which were a deep, emotionless black. All in all, she reminded the miko of a ghost.

"Come now, Sango-chan…we have work to do," Naraku's voice cut through her thoughts, causing her to turn towards the dark youkai.

Her eyes met the crimson orbs directly, and she felt the urge to shiver at the darkness she saw, as well as the promises of what was to come.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Outside of the dank cell, clanking footsteps approached, alerting the occupant to the presence of the guards well before the man's voice called out.

"Oi! You, there! Get up! We've got orders to move you out!"


The squeaking of rusted hinges, as well as the scraping of an aged key turning in the lock, caused the dishevelled head to turn, raising hesitantly as one of the guards entered. The rest soon followed as the man prodded the prisoner with his spear. "Come on…we don't have all day! Get up!"

Once standing at full height, it became clear that the cell occupant was a boy of roughly thirteen. He wore a dirty tunic that was beginning to fray, as well as a ponytail that had come half-undone. He blinked blearily at the guard before attempting to speak, his voice raspy with disuse.

"What's happening…whose orders?"

The man looked about ready to smack the boy across the face, though all he did was prod him with the spear once more. "Naraku-sama's, though it's none of your business…supposedly, you're not to be harmed until he gives the word…something about a deal with the miko…not like we're told much, anyway."

The boy went willingly, ducking his head as he stepped through the rusted doorway. Outside, the guards formed themselves into an experienced formation around him: too far for him to reach out and grab, but close enough to catch him if he attempted to run.

Not like they really need to…I'm not stupid, Kohaku thought, though he said nothing. Instead, his mind centred on one thought, the sadness and dismay showing plainly on his face; he had never really mastered hiding his emotions like his sister had.

Onee-chan…what have you done…?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The labyrinth on this side of the gate looked slightly different…the walls were a bit more worn, the floor stones a little less even. Overall, Kagome thought it looked older…almost like it was a different section altogether.

"From here on in, things get even more dangerous," Inuyasha stated, though his voice came out as a quiet growl. The girl sighed, placing a hand to her forehead and kneading thoughtfully.

More dangerous? Why can't it ever be good news? She wondered to herself.

The hanyou paid her no heed as he instead began to walk ahead, as was his usual style. She sighed before trotting to catch up and not be left behind. Moments later, she couldn't help but voice one of her concerns, mentally flinching at the expected reaction from her companion. "Is there another water source by this gate? We seem to be running a little short…"

To her surprise, Inuyasha merely replied tonelessly with a slightly preoccupied air.

"Yeah…I know. There's one up ahead."


Kagome was unsure whether to be glad at her unusual fortune, or concerned. It was so unlike him…she decided to keep silent on the matter, remembering his reaction to the last time she had shown concern: before their drop through the gate.

All in all, it was a slightly uncomfortable silence that engulfed the two as they proceeded down the passage. The hanyou's golden eyes moved restlessly, seemingly searching for something among the wallstones.

Their sudden halt came as a surprise to the Runner, though she was half aware that she was getting better at not bumping into the irritable inu-youkai when their progress stopped. Instead, she only continued on for one more step past the place where Inuyasha had turned to face the wall, stretching out a clawed hand to feel the stones critically. She was by his side in time to see the callused fingers disappear into the stone, as if the stones weren't there at all.

"What…an illusion?" she asked carefully, throwing a questioning glance at her companion.

He gave a swift nod, pushing his arm fully into the wall before following it with his body. Moments later, Kagome found herself standing next to empty air, alone in the passage.

She blinked. Really…how had he known? The wall looked exactly the same as the rest of the passage…

Metally steeling herself for what she knew came next, she clenched a hand to her chest, reaching the other out hesitantly to touch the stones. They felt solid enough to her fingers, though she could feel the buzz of magic pass through her fingers upon contact.

It's not really here, is it? She thought to herself, this whole section…it's just an illusion…Inuyasha just passed through it. The rocks are not really here at all…

She was only half-conscious to the strange feeling as her fingers began to pass through the stones, focusing completely on the mental affirmation. It's not real…

Her arm was now through the wall; soon, her body followed. Upon opening her eyes, she found herself to be standing on the other side of the wall, next to a slightly irritated hanyou.

"Keh…talk about slow. Come on," he gestured, turning his back on her as soon as he was sure that she was following. The Runner noted that his preoccupation hadn't completely disappeared…what could be causing it? She was frustrated to admit that she hadn't the foggiest idea.

The passage sloped downward, making the going slightly easier on Kagome's legs, for which she was grateful. Even though her muscles were probably measures stronger than they had been when she had first entered the labyrinth, they still ached when Inuyasha allowed them to rest. Something that still made her feel slightly resentful…she shook her head. He was entitled: after all, he was the one leading the way, therefore it only made sense that he set the pace. If only he didn't take so much darn pleasure in moving at inhuman pace…

The glinting of torchlight off of the surface of water first alerted Kagome to their proximity to their destination. She quickened her pace, almost outdistancing Inuyasha in her rush to get to the space ahead. Instead, he sped up with a growl, giving her the distinct impression that he refused to let her beat him out of a strange childish pride. She grinned slightly, speeding up as well.

When they reached the circular chamber, both were running. Inuyasha bounding ahead with superhuman speed and entered first, turning to her with a triumphant expression.

The Runner placed her hands on her knees, catching her breath, before looking up and fixing him with a slight frown. "You cheated!" she accused.

He turned away, crossing his arms, though she could almost have sworn that his mouth had briefly twitched into a slight smirk. "Keh…not my fault that you're human…deal with it."

God…if he were any more childish, he would have stuck out his tongue at her…Kagome couldn't help but giggle.

The action took them both by surprise, stopping abruptly to be replaced by shocked expressions on both face. The girl turned away, feeling odd. When was the last time she had laughed? She couldn't remember, though she felt that it had been long before she had found herself in the labyrinth…

"Hurry up and fill the water holder," the hanyou's harsh statement cut through her thoughts like a knife, bringing her back to the present with a jolt. She gave him a slightly irritated glance before moving to comply.

When she had finished drinking her fill and filling the flagon with the precious liquid, she looked around to find that Inuyasha was gone. No…not gone…he had moved ahead into the passage ahead, though he wasn't moving now. He had stopped and seemed to be focused on something…

She got to her feet, walking quickly ove to join him. His concentration was so complete that she saw him jolt with surprise when he noticed her next to him. Her grey eyes looked at him with concern, though his face was turned away.


"Inuyasha…what-"

"It's nothing."

This time, Kagome was not ready to give up so easily.

"Will you stop acting so macho for just one second!?" she snapped, pulling his face to look at her, "there is obviously something wrong with you…will you just tell me what it is!? I promise I won't do anything but listen, if that is what you want…after all, there is very few people I could possibly tell, seeing as we have not encountered any so far!"

Inuyasha's golden eyes burned into hers for a moment before they shifted away, as if uncomfortable. "Fine…stupid, stubborn…keh! If you want to know so fucking much…"

He turned, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards a gap in the wall that she had previously missed. In fact, it wasn't so hard to miss, even with knowing it was there…it was narrow and shallow, more of an alcove than another chamber.

Wordlessly, the hanyou let go of her wrist and jabbed a harsh finger into the space, turning away and crossing his arms in what was becoming, to Kagome's mind, his signature pose.

"What-" she began, and stopped, words escaping her thoughts as she beheld what lay inside.

A huge skeleton took up most of the space in the alcove, which she was beginning to realize was not naturally a part of the labyrinth, but a gap punched into the wall itself. Around it, chunks of stone littered the ground, further proving that whatever the figure had been in life had probably created the space in the midst of its death throes.

"Inuyasha…who…what is it…?" she asked hesitantly, eyes still fixed on the empty eye sockets.

"Gyuou," he answered, though his voice was slightly muffled and distant. "He was the original Beast of the Labyrinth."

She turned to him in surprise, though he still had his back turned to her. "Original? He must have been enormous…what happened to him?"

This time, the hanyou was silent for a moment before answering. "I killed him."

Kagome's mouth shut with a snap. There was something he wasn't saying…but she counted herself lucky to even know this much. He had opened up to her…even if it was only slightly.

She stood up wordlessly and began to turn away when something caught her eye. She stopped, narrowing her eyes and trying to make out what it was.

Inuyasha was already moving away, but she paid him no heed for once, stepping into the alcove instead. Once inside, she made her way carefully, avoiding bones and rock as she neared the object with curiosity.

"Oi! Wench! What the hell do you think you're doing!? Get back here!"

Kagome ignored him, cautiously taking the last few steps before stepping out into the strangely clear area beneath the huge skeleton hand that clutched the item.

"Didn't you hear me?" the hanyou's voice was strangely hushed next to her. She gave him a half glance, noting that he had crossed the room in a single bound, as usual.

"I wanted to see what that was…" she said, pointing to the hand.

Inuyasha's eyes flickered quickly in the direction she indicated before stopping on the object as if frozen. Then he leapt, balancing precariously on the bones of the ribcage while snatching it deftly out of the skeletal grip.

"How…I thought it was too shredded to mend…" he whispered, almost too quietly for the girl's ears to make out.

"What is it?" she asked, both curious and somewhat apprehensive.

He didn't answer, focusing instead on pulling whatever it was over his shoulders and fastening the ties. He then turned away from the immense skeleton, gripping the girl's arm and crossing the alcove in one bound again.

Her gaze was slightly confused, eyes showing more than a little surprise. "A haori?"

He let go of her arm almost immediately, as was his custom, letting her regain her balance on her own. "It was mine…a long time ago. It's made from the skin of the Fire rat…stronger than any wimpy human armour."

She nodded, still not quite absorbing what he was saying. It was slightly strange to see the companion who had worn nothing but a pair of hakama for as long as she had known him fully covered…and all in red to boot.

Inuyasha pushed her ahead, and she complied, shock wearing off enough to know that there was some reason why he didn't mind conceding to her his usual place at the head of their little party.

Kagome picked up her pack from the place where she had dropped it when her companion had pulled her away, checking the bag carefully to make sure that the flagon had suffered no damage and, satisfied, proceeded to wait for the hanyou further down the passage.

When he did join her, she said nothing about the dust flecking his new haori, or about the sound of falling stones that had echoed through the passage moments before.

He strode ahead, aknowledging her in grateful silence.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Well, that's it, minna…not TOO much on the part of Kagome and Inuyasha, though I hope to write some more with them in the next part. I decided to put some other stuff in for once…like exactly what's going on with Souta and Kohaku, for instance. Hopefully you enjoyed it anyway and weren't overly disappointed…^^;;;

Ahh…saw LotR: Return of the King on opening day…LEGOLAS! *squeals* Ahh, he rocks!^^ Anyways, this update came unusually promptly…which is a rarity, and I advice that you all not take this as an example, because it's one of those once-in-a-blue-moon things. My life actually calmed down enough for me to sit at my labtop and plunk keys without being called away to some other activity almost immediately. Once again, I don't even want to venture a guess at when chapter 9 will be out.

To answer shatteredjade's question…there are seven gates. Unlike the labyrinth in the Death Gate Cycle…I thought it best to put a limit on the number of gates, seeing as the labyrinth in here is a prison and not an entire world. Also, it would stretch the story on for about as long as the actual manga if I went with the books so closely…^^;;;

…Soundtrack drill! *pulls out fireman's hat and plonks it on her head*

This chapter was written to the sweet sounds of:

"Nevermind"~ by Nirvana, especially…well, the whole freaking CD. On repeat. Several, SEVERAL times. -_-;;; Lets just say that I love Nirvana enough to actually worship at a Kurt shrine, were there such a thing in existence. Next to Metallica, they're probably the greatest band ever. ^^ (Okay…maybe I listened to "Territorial Pissings", "On a Plain", "Lithium", "Polly", and "Drain You" a LEETLE more than the others…mainly cause I've heard them less frequently than "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are"…^^;;;)

"In Utero" ~by Nirvana. Hehe, I got both CDs for Christmas, so it's been a Nirvana holiday. Mostly, the tracks "Heart-shaped Box", "Rape Me", and "All Apologies".

"…And Justice For All" ~by the mighty Metallica. Another Christmas present (which I promptly huggled my mom to death over), I also listened to the whole thing several times. Most notable tracks are…well, I guess the intro to "Blackened", cause it's just so darned addictive, "One", "Harvester of Sorrows", "The Frayed Ends of Sanity", and "Dyers Eve".

Anyways…thankies to everyone who reviewed chapter 7…all your comments are extremely appreciated! To those who guessed at what's going to happen…thankies, because it helps me know how I'm handling the story, and how predictaly (or not) things are. To those who don't guess…thanks as well, because it would probably drive me crazy if every single person only submitted a guess and didn't mention anything else about the story (like improvements that could be made, or things that they love and shouldn't be changed, etc.) In any case, I love ALL the reviews…it's the most rewarding part!^^

Next chapter is "Chapter 9: Digging Deeper"…hopefully it'll get out some time before next summer. -_-;;;

Ja ne till then!

Arigato gozaimasu for reading! *bows* (_ _)

~Jurei-chan^6