Chapter Two

Naraku sat leisurely safe within the walls of his castle, his legs folded beneath him as he rested on a padded cushion on the floor. Across from his smirking face sat the silent priestess, Kikyo, her brown eyes looking cold and calm as did her porcelain face, but Naraku knew better than that. He could sense the waves of rage coursing inside her veins. She was angry, she was seeking revenge, she was yearning for something, and Naraku knew just how to give it to her, if she would give him something in return.

Naraku casually brushed his long black locks out of his face as his lips turned up irresistibly into a cold haughty grin. All his intricate plans were finally all falling into place. Soon he would have that cursed hanyou, Inu Yasha and his wretched incarnation bitch. His very blood boiled thinking of them and all the nuisances that they caused him. He couldn't wait to see their final tragic demise.

Kikyo quietly rose from her seat across from him and he could tell that she would be stubborn. But that didn't matter. Naraku had a way of convincing people. He always got his way.

"What makes you think, demon, that I would agree to help one such as you. Are you not the one who caused my very downfall fifty years ago? How do I not know that you wish to destroy me as well?" Kikyo's ice cold voice cut deep into the poignant air.

Naraku could not help, but broaden his smile. "I have nothing to gain by betraying you, priestess."

Kikyo stood deathly silent her eyes trying to peer deep into his soul. Her lips fell in a slight frown as her efforts revealed nothing. "But how can one such as you trust me? You know of betrayal and un-loyalty. How can you be sure I would not turn against you?"

Naraku's fingernails rapped gently on the hard wood of the floor. "I know you would not seek vengeance on me. I can see that there is nothing for you to gain by doing so. I know what it is that your heart truly desires and I am the only one that can help you get it. All you have to do is go through with the plan we discussed and Inu Yasha will be all yours."

'Yes, my dear Kikyo," Naraku thought, 'And when this is all over…you'll be mine…to do with whatever I wish…'

Meanwhile back with our favorite hanyou panic had begun to stir. Inu Yasha flitted through the dense forest of branches and leaves, rain stinging his face mercilessly as it was pelted against him in the wind. He had to get back to the others as soon as possible. He could smell the awful stench of demon hanging in the damp air, weighing down on the earth. In frustration of his slowness due to the rain he angrily wiped his soaking hair out of his eyes and peered anxiously around in the bushes looking for the demon that matched with this awful stench. It just had to be somewhere nearby. He could feel its presence.

"Behind you Inu Yasha!" Kagome screamed, just catching up to him at a run. Inu Yasha swerved around just in time as the demon looking very much like a miniature dragon pounced on him. Inu Yasha struggled as the demon sunk its tiny powerful teeth into his shoulder and its long lethal claws struggled to rip his skin apart.

"Damn it!" Inu Yasha screamed as he finally managed to pry the creature off of his skin with his claws. The demon hissed and retreated a few feet to stare at him menacing. It was almost like the creature was waiting for him to attack next.

Inu Yasha took some time to analyze just what this demon was. It was no bigger than him, but obviously of the dragon type. It's two inch claws glinted in the rain, its eyes burning a deep blood red. Its scales were pure white and shone with a glossy finish from the constant pounding rain. Those scales looked like they would be hard to penetrate. His claws hadn't done much against them. Glancing down at the blood dripping from a wound in his shoulder he got an idea and smirked.

"Blades of blood!" he yelled as he dipped his claws in his blood and slashed out violently at the demon.

Kagome's body felt like it had been frozen solid, surveying the scene in fear. From what she could tell Inu Yasha was lashing out at the dragon with his blades of blood, but it didn't seem to have much of an effect. The demon either dogged them or the blades simply rebounded off its shiny scales of armor and were sent back flying at Inu Yasha. It looked like this wasn't going to be a short and easy fight.

Kagome watched in worry as the rain poured heavily down his body and the distance thunder rumbled menacingly. She noticed that the wound on his shoulder was bleeding heavily soaking down through his clothes and dripping onto the muddy ground.

"That's it demon, I've had enough playing for today!" Inu Yasha yelled as he pulled out Tetsusaiga and grinned. "You're going down demon." There was a fierce look in his eye and a grin on his face as he prepared for his attack.

Unbeknownst to both Inu Yasha and Kagome, there was a quiet rustle in the bushes behind Kagome, but she was so intent with watching Inu Yasha's battle to realize that something, or someone more like, was coming up right behind her.

Inu Yasha lifted his sword, blade glinting menacingly in the rain and flashed through the lightning marked sky to deliver the death blow. Kagome saw none of this for just as Inu Yasha had lifted the blade and all his concentration was on that one blow something dark had been pulled over Kagome's head and she had felt herself being roughly jerked into the bushes. She instantly tried to open her mouth and scream, only to find that her throat would make no sound whatsoever.

Struggling from the hands that gripped her, she tried to escape but the hold on her was too strong and she felt panic well up within her heart. She could feel cold fingers touching her, holding her with a grip that was so chilly, deathly cold as was the voice that gently whispered into her ear.

"When I first met you I asked what your relationship with Inu Yasha was. Now I know."

Blood splattered the wet grass in a haphazard pattern of splotches and puddles as his sword ruthlessly shredded the demon's scales and cut through it's delicate flesh beneath, revealing bone and organs alike. Gingerly wiping off his bloody sword in one of the few clean patches of grass and depositing it back into it's sheath again, Inu Yasha turned to face the others as Miroku and Shippo came running up behind him.

All them watched as the demon's body slowly disintegrated into thin air, leaving behind only it's bones and a shining jewel shard. Bending down, Inu Yasha carefully picked it up with one of his clawed hands and stuck it safely inside his robes. Finally another jewel shard that they had managed to find and keep.

"Where is Kagome, Inu Yasha?" Miroku asked, assuming that she must being somewhere with him since they had gone off into the woods together alone.

"Kagome? She's right behind…." Inu Yasha began, but as he turned around to look for the girl that had been there moments before, he saw no one. Immediately his heart skipped a beat.

"Kagome? Kagome!" He called frantically as he searched futilely through the bushes. Smelling the area he instantly froze. The scent, he recognized it, but it wasn't just Kagome's….There was a definite smell of another woman, one he knew very well. Kikyo.

Kagome was being pulled through the forest without mercy or worry about the various scratches and bruises she was obtaining. The rope that had been used to tie her hands together was burning her skin raw. It seemed as though her whole body had been put under a spell or something though, because all she could move were her legs.

'What is happening!' Kagome screamed inside her mind. One moment she had been worrying about Inu Yasha's life and now here she was being dragged along in a forest. And that voice, she knew as soon as she heard it that it was Kikyo's. What could Kikyo possibly want with her though? Was this another attempt to get back at Inu Yasha?

Finally when it seemed as though she was about to collapse, she felt herself pushed through a door and down a flight of stairs. The cloth over her face was removed with a rough jerk, but before her eyes could adjust to the brightness a door was slammed in her face and she heard the click of a lock.

Stumbling a little, Kagome took in her surroundings. She seemed to be in some sort of a cellar, as it was dusty and full of a lot old abandoned items. The only light in the room came from a small barred window that just peeped over the surface of the ground.

Turning back to the door, she reached out to touch it only to get zapped by a wave of energy. It seemed that Kikyo had not only locked it, but reinforced it with one of her spells.

'Now what!' Kagome thought angrily as she plopped down onto the ground, out of ideas.

Back with Inu Yasha, he was busily following the scent of Kikyo and Kagome throughout the thick forest. Sprinting as fast as his legs would take him, he soon left Miroku and Shippo far behind in his dust.

A thousand confused thoughts cascaded through his mind. What was Kikyo doing? Why would she want to take Kagome? What did she even know about Kagome!

"Kikyo.." he whispered softly, his eyes glowing softly with a sadness and a regret for his lost love. "….I know you're hurting….I know that you hate me… but… why can't I stop loving you?…..How can I still possibly love you after all you have done!"

Inu Yasha's heart in turmoil, he finally ended up in a small clearing. Surveying the scene he spotted a small house situated near a small trickling stream. More importantly he saw a very ragged looking Kagome tied up to the tree next to it.

After many fruitless attempts of thinking of a plan to escape, Kagome had still not found a way out of this blasted cellar. Stacking some empty boxes under the window she was just able to peep her head out and look at what was going on outside.

Everything seemed to be normal looking. She could see a small garden, a little stream, a tree. Hey wait, there was someone tied up under that tree. It was her! Kagome blinked in disbelief and looked again. No, it was Kikyo. She seemed to have put an illusion on herself to make her look exactly like Kagome. What was that dead priestess up to! It all became clear to her though, as Inu Yasha came bounding into the clearing.

Opening her mouth to call out to him, she discovered that she was still unable to utter a word. She watched helplessly as Inu Yasha walked up to Kikyo and began untying her. Suddenly Kikyo turned her face in Kagome's direction and her gaze pierced through Kagome's defenses and she felt herself grow weak in the knees and collapse onto the ground and away from the window.

Meanwhile Inu Yasha had finally finished cutting 'Kagome's' bindings. He felt relief wash through his entire body. He had finally found her and she was moderately unharmed. She did smell a bit odd, but other than that and a few scrapes and bruises she looked perfectly normal. The only thing he really wondered about was where the hell Kikyo had run off to and why she had just left Kagome tied her. It wasn't like her to be so sloppy.

"Kagome, are you alright?" He asked, concerned as she lifted herself uneasily off the ground and brushed off her clothes.

"Yes, Inu Yasha, I'm fine." She said, smiling sweetly up at him.

"What happened to you? And where's Kikyo? Why'd she leave you here and just run off like that?"

Kikyo gripped his shirt and leaned her head against his chest. "I was kidnapped and Kikyo, she put some sort of spell on me and I blacked out. Next thing I knew, I was here."

Inu Yasha blushed as she clung to him. "uh…"

"Where is the monk and the kitsune?" She questioned looking up into his eyes.

Inu Yasha frowned and slowly backed away from her. Kagome usually called Shippo and Miroku by their names. Why was she acting so weird? He sniffed her once again. There was definitely something different about her. Just what had Kikyo done to her?

"Just what kind of spell did Kikyo put on you, Kagome? You're acting weird." Inu Yasha questioned suspiciously.

Without answering 'Kagome' started to walk into the forest without looking back at him.

"Kagome! Where are you going!" Inu Yasha called as he ran after her.

"We need to find the others! I sense something, a dark presence! I think it has something to do with Naraku!" she said, her eyes looking as if they were deep in thought.

"Naraku!" Inu Yasha exclaimed, his eyes hardening. He sniffed the air. He couldn't smell his stench, but…if Kagome said so…

Kikyo successfully lead him away from the cottage and Kagome, determined now, more than ever, to carry out her plan.

When Kagome was finally able to control her body again, she jumped up to the window only to find that Kikyo and Inu Yasha were long gone. She stared in utter disbelief. How could Inu Yasha possibly think that that bitch was her! Was he a complete idiot or did he just not pay any attention to her at all! The worst part though was that now no one was looking for her. What was she going to do!

Her blood boiled and her hatred for the woman grew even more. What was she planning to do with Inu Yasha? Was this another one of her attempts to kill him and unite them in the afterlife!

Sighing she leaned against the dirt wall of the cellar. Closing her eyes, she resisted the tears that were threatening to come. There was simply nothing she could do but wait her and meanwhile Inu Yasha was being fooled by that woman and…and…if Inu Yasha died she didn't know what she'd do.

By this time the slow Miroku and Shippo had just managed to reach the clearing, following the path of destruction that Inu Yasha had made through the forest during his mad dash to save Kagome. The both stopped to catch their breath and to discover there was no one around.

Searching for clues, Miroku discovered some discarded ropes by a tree. Did this mean that Inu Yasha had already come and saved Kagome? There seemed to be no signs of a battle of any sort. Could it possibly mean that he had managed to escape with Kagome without any sort of fight?

Taking another look at the house in the middle of the clearing, his mind began to ask more questions. Who lived there, and was it possible that those people could possibly have some information of what had happened? He decided that he would and investigate.

"Miroku? What are you doing? Shouldn't we be following wherever Inu Yasha went?" Shippo asked curiously as he bounced after the amorous monk.

"I'm sure Inu Yasha can take care of himself. I want to see who lives here." Miroku said as he approached the building.

"I bet you just want to see if there are any pretty young girls here." Shippo said, sticking out his tongue at the monk.

Miroku just shook his head and grinned.

Back inside the cellar, Kagome felt a new surge of confidence. She wasn't going to give up now. She couldn't afford to. She was going to figure this out and find a way to stop Kikyo from hurting Inu Yasha. What kind of person would she be if she just gave up now. She just…couldn't. Thinking of the pain Inu Yasha would be in was making her heart ache excessively.

Returning to the doorway, she approached with caution, trying to decipher just what spell had been placed on it. Just when she thought there was no way that she would ever break through the door she heard voices from just behind it. She recognized them! It was Shippo and Miroku!

Kagome felt relief rush through her body, but then she suddenly remembered that she couldn't talk. How was she going to get their attention? Looking around the cellar she began to bang things together and generally making a lot of noise, hoping that they would notice it. Luckily it worked and Miroku used his sutras to remove the spell from the door.

"What happened? Are you alright Kagome? Where's Inu Yasha?" Miroku asked as he helped her out from the room.

Kagome motioned wildly to her throat in desperation.

"What's wrong with her?" Shippo asked curiously as he bounced up onto her shoulder to take a closer look at her.

"It seems that a curse has been placed on her, restraining her from speaking. This could be a problem. I don't have the abilities to remove such a curse." Miroku pondered.

Meanwhile Kagome quickly located a pad of paper and a pencil that she kept with her in her supplies. She quickly scribbled down an outline of the events that had occurred.

"So Inu Yasha believes that Kikyo is you!" Miroku exclaimed after he had read the piece of paper.

'We have to hurry and follow them' Kagome wrote down as fast as she could before she began bolting out of the room and off into the forest.

A/N: I had to cut this chapter somewhat short or else I wouldn't post it any time soon. Please review! Thanks a bunch.