Chapter Three: Abduction

"Kanna, come here." Naraku was lying on his futon, crisp white bandages wrapped around his arms and chest. 'Damn that woman… When I find her, I will make her pay with the extent of my power.'

"You called, Master?" Said the young demon, walking into his room. Casting a pale glance around, she suppressed mirth at the sight of her father in such a embarrassing position.

"Kanna, I need for you to go on a scouting mission." Naraku said, sitting up with difficulty on the bed. "I need for you to find the miko, Kagome. Observe her for a while, and come back in one week, and tell me all that you have seen."

"Hai, Father." Kanna said, and bowed her white head as she exited her room. Glancing up, she saw his new slave, a ningen girl by the name of Rin, frightened eyes meeting her blank ones as she entered her new masters room.

"Rin has been captured…?" Kagome asked slowly, not believing her ears.

"You heard me, woman, Rin has been captured by that bastard of a hanyou!" Sesshoumaru grated out in annoyance, showing more emotion than Kagome had ever seen from him.

"Then that means that we both want the same thing…" Kagome said, smiling grimly at the demon in front of her, feeling the waves of rage wafting off of him.

"If you mean to kill Naraku with your own hands, then yes, we are working towards the same goal." Sesshoumaru said, taking a calming breath and looking at Kagome through the corners of his eyes. "Though if you expect me to work with a lowly human like you then you are sadly mistaken. I just needed to get information, and now that it is obtained, I shall take my leave."

"I didn't ask for your help, Sesshoumaru." Kagome said softly, turning away from him. "If that is all, you may go now. I'm sure we will meet again."

Not even sparing her a glance, Sesshoumaru called his cloud down quickly and flew away, collecting his scattered emotions. 'What a strange woman. I could smell no fear coming off of her. How could she be so calm in the face of a dangerous youkai such as me? I shall have to keep a close eye on her, I might just need her for something in the future…'

Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's presence fly farther and farther away, feeling an odd loss, as if she didn't want him to leave her side. 'What an odd feeling… However, there are more important matters to attend to.'

Kagome once again drew the pure airs to her, floating up into the bright morning sky. Sending her senses out, Kagome turned herself and started to fly towards Kaede's village.

Upon arrival, the young miko made her way through the village, sensing destruction and death all around, the acrid scent of smoke penetrating her lungs. "Kaede!" She called, wishing desperately for her sight once again.

"Who's there?" Came a deep man's voice from a fallen building nearby.

"It's me, Kagome. I need to speak with Kaede as soon as possible." Kagome said, turning towards the man.

"Kagome-san? It is you! We all thought you were dead…" The man said, gesturing to a few of the women left to help her into the small shelter. "Naraku came to us shortly after you all left. He said that every one was dead, and that we would join them. Only a few of us survived…"

Kagome sunk gratefully down onto a straw mat and asked, "Is Kaede among the living?"

Shaking his head, the man replied sadly, "No, she was the last to fall, caring for the wounded."

Sighing, Kagome said, "That will make things more difficult… But for now, I need a nice hot bath and a change of clothes, if it is at all possible."

Nodding, one of the women said, "Kagome-sama, we will have everything ready in half an hour. Please, help yourself to our soup, you look bone tired."

Kagome's stomach growled in response, and someone quickly poured her a bowl. Fumbling with the bowl at first, Kagome gingerly lifted it to her mouth, the warm liquid flowing down her throat to her eagerly awaiting stomach. "That's good… I don't remember when I last ate…"

After another two bowls of the nourishing broth, the woman came back with a bundle of clothes in her arms. "Kagome, the bath is ready, please follow me."

Getting up carefully, Kagome followed the woman outside. Her foot caught on a piece of rubble, which sent her crashing to the ground. "Ow…" She moaned, gaining the attention of the lady in front of her.

"Kagome-san! Are you alright!" She said, hurrying back to her and grabbing her hand to help her up.

"I didn't want you all to know, but… Sometime during the battle with Naraku, he took away my sight… I don't want people to worry about me…" Kagome said quietly, pulling herself up.

"Oh, Kagome-san… Here, let me help you, I'll make sure you wont fall again." The woman put her arm around Kagome's shoulders and guided her to a tub full of hot water. "Do you need me to help you wash?"

Shaking her head, Kagome smiled softly and said, "No, thank you. I can handle it." Waving at the woman as she walked away, Kagome took off the tattered remains of her clothes, dropping them to the ground. She stepped gingerly into the steamy water, imagining the grime floating off of her in thick clouds. She sunk down onto the small bench on the side of the tub, feeling around for the coarse soap on the edge.

After bathing as thoroughly as she could, Kagome leaned back against the hard surface behind her, closed her eyes, and began to dream once more…

FlashbacK

Inuyasha stood up and took a step towards her, laying his hands gently yet firmly on her shoulders. 'She's so thin…' he thought, looking down into her cerulean eyes. Words forming upon his lips, he said, "I could care less about the Jewel, Kagome, or the damn wish. All I want now, is to be with you…"

Kagome suppressed a surprised breath as Inuyasha's mouth came crashing down upon hers. Eyes wide open at the passion so openly displayed by her companion. Tentatively, she opened her mouth to him as a tidal wave of emotions enveloped her.

Breaking away, Inuyasha looked at her breathlessly. "I just needed to tell you, Kagome… Tell you how I really felt."

Kagome's mind was in chaos. 'Why, after all this time? Why did he decide to fall in love with me now, when I feel nothing other than friendship for him?' A trembling hand reached up and touched her swollen lips. "Inuyasha… I…"

Before she could finish her thought, a cold voice came out of the woods behind them. "How touching… However, I will make you pay, Inuyasha, for touching what is mine and mine alone."

End flashbacK

Kagura sighed, glancing back once more to check on the little ningen girl tied to her feather. "If you're a good little girl," She said, a sadistic smile gracing her face, "Our master won't make you keep him company tonight. Just stay still, and don't make any attempts to escape."

Eyes wide, Rin whimpered, hugging herself for comfort and warmth. 'What has Rin done to deserve this?' The little girl thought, watching icy wisps of cloud pass by.

"We will see your beloved Sesshoumaru soon. He should be willing enough to cooperate." Kagura looked forwards once more, chuckling to herself. 'Naraku must not trust Kanna with her task. And he promised me Sesshoumaru once he's finished with his task.' Smiling dreamily, she soon caught sight of the demon lord, meditating in a solitary meadow.

Opening an eye at the intruder, Sesshoumaru addressed Kagura, "What do you want, Kagura?"

Smiling openly, Kagura said, "Naraku has a task for you Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Tell him I am not interested." The demon lord spat, closing his eyes once more.

"I think you will be once you see all that's at stake." The demoness stepped aside, letting a bound Rin come into view and lifting the concealment spell on her scent.

Eyes snapped open, immediately bleeding red at the sight of his charge tied up, the scent of Naraku almost drowning out her own. "Rin!" He said, standing up quickly.

"Ah ah ah!" Kagura waved a finger at him, tugging on an invisible string around the young girls neck. "If you make a move, I'll be forced to behead her. Will you listen to Naraku's proposal?"

Growling, Sesshoumaru fought himself to stay still, and nodded curtly.

"Good boy. Now, Naraku has a little favor to ask of you. If you do this successfully, you will have your little girl back." Kagura said, once again covering Rin's scent up. Getting back on the feather, she continued, "You must find the girl Kagome, and bring her unharmed to him. Once you get her, Kanna will find you and tell you what to do from there. Until we meet again, Sesshoumaru."

Eyes shining crimson in the dark, the enraged demon lord set off towards the miko's village, and an unsuspecting Kagome.

Sometime lateR

Kagome was jerked awake by something shaking the tub around her. She heard vicious growling, and suddenly the water surged upwards, turning over and tossing her bare form out onto the hard ground. Looking up, she drew back in fear of the aura of a very angry demon lord who goes by the name of Sesshoumaru.

"Uh… Sesshoumaru…?" Kagome said, nakedness forgotten at the moment.

Sesshoumaru unceremoniously bent down and dragged the young miko to her feet, wrapping her up in his tail and taking off as quickly as he came, not saying a word.

"It's Naraku, isn't it…?" She asked softly, her voice wavering as the chill air caressed her damp body.

Sesshoumaru didn't say a thing, only emitted a loud guttural growl, picking up speed.

"Don't you think you should think this through before you go barging in there?" She added, trying to calm him by softly petting his tail and projecting an aura of peace and serenity.

"That bastard has Rin!" Sesshoumaru replied, turning his head to face her. "He's doing things to her I don't even want to imagine. I've thought this through enough, I'm not waiting for that bastard to send Kanna to me, I'm going to get Rin back!"

Kagome was silent for a moment, part of her stunned at the revelation that Sesshoumaru, the prince of ice, can feel. Sighing softly, she said, "What makes you think he'll give her back? For all you know, he'll slaughter her in front of you once you hand me over."

Those words rang with the voice of truth, and the demon slowed down. Continuing, Kagome added, "Naraku never plays fair. If you want Rin back, you need to plan carefully, or else you will lose her for good."

"Don't you have any concern for what happens to you?" Sesshoumaru asked suddenly, dropping lower to the ground and landing silently beside a small stream, dropping Kagome unceremoniously to the ground.

Kagome let out a small 'oof!' and grimaced slightly as she replied, "I don't really care what happens to me anymore, just as long as I can drain the life from Naraku with my own hands."

Turning to the miko, and bending down so that he was face to face with her, noses almost touching, Sesshoumaru asked, "Why do you care so little about yourself? What has made you change so from the energetic girl who always ruined my plans?"

Kagome, a bit surprised at the demon lord's curiosity, said simply, "Time. It's worn me out. Living like that day to day drained me until I was about to break, so I distanced myself from who I was and became who I am now."

Surprising even himself, he continued, "It was my brother, wasn't it. He was the one who made the final changes." Golden eyes met unseeing cerulean as he awaited an answer.

"Perhaps it was…" Kagome said at long last, "However, it was also the pain of being torn away from my family. Naraku destroyed my one way home a year ago…"

"I thought you lived in that village."

"No, I come from a place far, far away. There is no other way to see my family again." Kagome said, sadness evident in her voice as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I see…" Sesshoumaru said, just now taking notice of the little miko's state of undress. Making up his mind, he stood up and said, "We need to find you some clothing. From now on, this Sesshoumaru will make sure you're safe."

Blushing slightly and covering herself up with her hands, Kagome asked, "But why?"

Letting a feral gleam shine out of his eyes, Sesshoumaru replied, "You're going to help me save Rin, and in doing so I will make sure you get the revenge you so desire."

End Chapter 3

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