"Kagura. Come back here; we're going on a little trip."

Kagura halted in her steps as the cold voice of Naraku penetrated the castle. She turned and headed back towards him. "Are you finally going to grace them with you presence? Or send another puppet to do your dirty work." Kagura eye's held no hint of emotion, with Naraku exerting his control of her she couldn't risk offending him right now.

Naraku smiled coldly at Kagura, stepping forward to reach out and brush her cheek with his fingertips. "Dear Kagura, I'm hurt you'd say that to me. Of course I'm going to see them personally--that's why you and the rest of my children shall accompany me."
He reached out a hand, and one of his Saimyousho landed on his palm. "Go find my offspring, and tell them to return here. We will all go together to retrieve the newest addition to our fold." The insect buzzed its compliance, and flew off, taking a few of its brethren to aid it.

Kagura recoiled slightly away from Naraku's touch. She stepped back away from the hanyou. "Do you really think you will be able to control the miko?" The demoness questioned. "She has a strong will Naraku. I'm not certain it's worth the trouble." Dark red eye's watched Naraku closely, half fearing his reaction.
She backed slowly away from him making sure to distance herself. She didn't want to get caught up in Naraku's scheme's it was bad enough he was forcing her to go on this little outing.

A boy was sitting in the forest a little far from the castle he is bound to, a purple miasma aura surrounded him. He looked up to see one of the insects that Naraku had sent and stood up. "Now what...why has he sent for me this time..." Hakudoushi looked to the side at a large fire horse, a youkai horse that he had tamed and it stood up as well. "Entei I need your assistance to get back to the castle..." The horse waited as Hakudoushi jumped onto its back with his Glaive in hand. Then the two shot into the air, leaving nothing but a long trail of fire.

Naraku chuckled quietly to himself. Of course having Kagome under his control would be worth the struggle. It would prove his strength, and unquestionable dominance. And besides, with her under his control, he would have only a few youkai left to contend with for the remaining Shikon no kakera, and that wouldn't be at all difficult.
He went inside to don his infamous pelt, but he paused next to Kagura. "I expect you to be ready by the time the others arrive," he said. "We leave immediately afterwards."

Kagura bowed slightly. "Yes Master Naraku, I will be ready." The wind sorceress took one of the small white feathers from her hair and began to run it through her fingers waiting for her 'siblings' to appear.

The girl stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry Sango-chan, I just don't know." She retreated to the edge of the firelight somewhere close to Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha's right though Sango...You really should get some rest." The miko hanyou closed her eye's slowly trying to gather her thoughts.
I suppose if Naraku can reach me through this...strange connections he's made...shouldn't I be able to reach him? The tense miko hanyou hurredly banished that thought. She didn't want to leave herself open to the evil hanyou's manipulations.

Inuyasha glanced at her, attempting to read the miko's thoughts.
She looks...tense. Why? I told her to relax, dammit!
The hanyou immediately berated himself for his stupidity. Of course she can't relax, with that bastard hovering around her mind- no telling when he'll pop in again.
Of course, this lead to yet another tirade of angry self-blame for the poor boy. Shit...this is all my fault. If I'd just been better at protecting her- if I'd really stopped her going home, then this wouldn't be happening!
Kouga would have stopped her. his traitorous mind whispered.
No, he wouldn't have! he snapped back mentally. He would have let her go, that stinking coward! He'd better not have the nerve to show up here- I'll rip him apart! I need some stress relief anyway...

No one could protect Kagome better than him. Or at least, that was what he tried to convince himself of.

"Inuyasha...it's no more your fault than mine." Kagome whispered quietly not wanting to disturb her friends. Her eye's opened slowly watching him closely. He was worried she could sense that, and the scent of doubt was heavy in the air..not only her own but Inuyasha's as well.
"Ye can blame yeselves all ye want. But that doesn't mean this tragedy has not occured." The ancient one eyed preistess watched the two hanyou's in the firelight. "Naraku is a malicious demon Inuyasha, Kagome. And it appears to me he will not rest until ye, Inuyasha, are dead." The miko closed her eye's slowly, all that had happened in the past year catching up with her. "Inuyasha and Kagome you have become close, closer than ever Inuyasha and my sister Kikyou were. If Naraku succeeds in his plans for taking over Kagome, I have no doubt he will make her kill ye Inuyasha. Your doubts and worries only add to his power. So set your mind at rest for now."
Kagome nodded to the miko's wisdom. "You're right Kaede, we shouldn't worry. Not now at least." The miko hanyou closed her eye's and soon she was asleep still sitting up. Her body and mind were exhausted from the battle earlier that day, it was good that she was finally resting it.

Easy for her to say. Inuyasha thought darkly. Old hag just has to sit here, nobody's making HER fight for her life. She just sits her dispensing wisdom like she's so wise herself- ha!
The contrary hanyou crossed his arms and legs and leaned back against the wall of the hut, glancing at Kagome.
She's asleep now? Funny, I thought we decided she shouldn't sleep. Whatever. If she starts to dream about Naraku or something, I can just wake her up.

Naraku frowned slightly, looking out at the freak storm that had suddenly spawned above his castle. It didn't feel natural; in fact, it practically stank of youkai magic, which meant it would probably follow him. Ah well; Kagura could control the wind, and a little rain never hurt anyone. He wouldn't worry. After all, he would soon have his dreams realized, and nothing more would matter.
Which was when he sensed Kagome asleep. A wicked smirk crept across his lips, and he gently reached out, lightly touching her mind with his own. You will not wake up, he whispered in her mind, just barely at the edge of her consciousness. Only when I command it will you regain consciousness. When you awaken, you will have forgotten everything you'd ever known...all you will know is that you serve me, and me alone. You will never fight me, nor disagree. I will be your master for as long as I wish...
He paused for a moment, then decided that that was enough for now. He repeated himself a few times, letting the suggestion sink into her subconscious, and then withdrew again. He had learned that toying with the part of a person's mind that the person was unaware of was far more effective than playing with conscious thoughts. Naraku was confident that would be the case again this time.
Outside, Kohaku jumped from a branch to land beside Kagura, garbed in his full youkai-hunting gear. He looked up at the kaze-youkai. "Naraku-sama called, and I've come. What's going on?"

Kagura looked down at her 'elder sister' and silently nodded, her dark eyes showing no emotion. She then turned to the young tajiya who stood nearby. "Naraku wants to go fetch his new toy." Was all she said. The feather in her hand was slowly beginning to expand. All she waited for was Naraku's orders.

The miko hanyou shivered in her sleep, Naraku's faint touch on her the edge of her mind turning what dreams she had into nightmares. Her eyelids fluttered but remained closed as she sunk further into sleep.
The last reserves of her power had been used up a while ago and she had nothing left to fight the evil hanyou with. As the suggestion soaked into her unconcious mind the miko hanyou fell further and further into darkness.
One by one her memories began to be erased. Sango, Kirara, Miroku, Shippo Kaede, Sota, her grandfather, her mother and finaly a silver haired hanyou...Inuyasha.
The memories were still there of course, all they needed was to be re-awoken, but something or someone the miko hanyou was attached to...or deeply cared about.
While all this was happening the raven haired girl was thrashing in her sleep. Although she slept sitting up, when she had begun to trembled she had returned to her normal sleeping position. Now she was turning and mumbling in her sleep, trying to fight off Naraku's touch with no success.
The ancient miko suddenly woke up. An evil presence had entered the hut and she knew not what it was. "Kagome?" The miko knew where the evil taint was coming from yet she did not want to believe it. She stood up slowly and shuffled over to the miko from the future and her hanyou companion.
"No, it cannot be..." But it was. The girls normaly light pink aura had darkened and strands of black could be seen twining around it...changing it. "Inuyasha, ye must wake Kagome if ye can. Naraku is gaining control of her."

"I do what I can, Kagome!" he growled at her. "No one's perfect, you've said so yourself time and again!"
Still looking at her, he growled something incomprehensible to everyone else, possibly in some sort of youkai language.
"I'm not moving, baba. You put up the barrier, you can put it around me."
If I beat him and he takes her with him to the grave, there's no point living anymore! She dies, and I die too!

The taijiya's eyes fluttered open, her long lashes lifting to allow her to better understand the situation. She stretched her arms but halfway before she realized something was up.
Sango sat forward by instinct. Her chocolate-colored eyes were wide with surprise. Standing to her feet, she slipped on her sandals. The graceful demon slayer was a bit fazed from her sleep and what was brought up around her. "Nani? What happened?"
Her voice was pushy and persistent as her gaze slipped from the elderly miko to the two hanyou. Everyone looked serious. Not sadistically serious as earlier, but a dead serious. A frown fell onto her face.
Leaning her arm backward, her deft fingers gripped the boomerang's sash to hold it. Scratches were heard as she lifted Hiraikotsu by its sash. Sango stepped forward many steps to steady combined weights of the weapon and the weilder.
Alarm rang in her ears as she stared at the group of people. The taijiya was still a tad bit drowsy and it was not in best interest to be attacked by some youkai or another.
Kirara looked up at her owner with her blinking red eyes, her black pupils watching her. They turned back to Inuyasha and Kagome and gave that little mew of hers. The youkai kitten stood at battle stance but had yet to change. She did not want to wreck the hut carelessly if it was not needed. While her owner could merely place the boomerang down, Kirara would end up in the way with her large youkai size.

Miroku's eyes flashed open, wide in confusion. What is going on? He quickly stood, the mood that had fallen in the room more than enough to tell him something was very, very wrong. Grasping his staff, he observed the situation, hoping he really understand as much about what was going on as he thought he did. Looking to Kaede, he nodded.
"That might work," Miroku replied, eyes narrowing. "Will it do any good, though?" If it only delayed the effect, wouldn't it be better just to get things done and over with? Not to mention, if Naraku was on his way, he would be even more tired than he already was. How was he supposed to fight a battle and win if his entire body ached with exhaustion? This is not how things are supposed to happen...