Thank you Janey and Lindsey for reviewing. Sorry this story doesn't make much sense, I am trying. My writer's block refuses to go away, however. Soit hard to write this chapter. Almost as hard as namingit. I nearly named 'Depressing NamlessChapter.' but it didn't have quite the ringto it. Anyways, there is a hurricane heading my way so if I don't update too soon. I probably lost power...or my house...just kidding.So yeah...I don't have anything else to say...

Disclaimer:...same as the chapter before last chapter...

Chapter Nine: The Loss of Freedom

Kagome had returned to the modern era to find some sort of medicine for her daughter. However, nothing short of a miracle could help. On the outside life appeared to have returned to normal. Everyone returned to their daily tasks and pretended to be ordinary. Kai was avoided, mainly because nobody knew how to approach her. What could they tell the dying teen? She is tragic, they said, which only fueled Kai's anger.

Kohaku and Miroku had set out to see if Mushin was still alive. They wanted to know when, if ever, would the hellish void of the wind tunnel would appear on Kohaku's right hand. Sango gave them a blessing and warned them that Naraku could strike anytime. She was left with time to spend with her children, which was rare since Naraku's return. Shippo and Chandra helped out the farmers in their fields. They figured if they kept busy long enough, Kai would be cured and everything would be normal. They were too naive...

Kiyoshi had disappeared into the forest for hours at a time. Nobody remarked upon his mysterious behavior and he just slipped past them. In the villages the people tended to concretrate on their own problems and didn't bother with strange demons. Inuyasha had been talking more and more with Myoga trying to force more information out of the flea reguarding his only child. The old flea had been relactant to reveal everything he knew and be faced with the half-demon's wrath. But slowly he laid it out and Inuyasha eased back a little.

But the one worse of was Kai. She would stray from the village and go into the Forest of Inuyasha. She would sit on the edge of the well and look at the small bones mixed with dirt on the bottom. She longed to return home, but a voice in her head told her not to leave. Kai began to wonder whether or not she would ever return. Everytime her thoughts drifted to her current condition her blood would run cold, and her knees would go weak. It seemed everytime she thought about it she lost some of her strength.

Kai sat crosslegged on the corner of the well staring down. She was wearing a dark blue haori over a lighter blue t-shirt. Her black cargo pants had numerous pockets and flared out at her ankles and the hems were ripped from being walked on. At her waist the Akahoshii sat in it's shealth. The sword wasn't as powerful when she wielded it. She cursed it for being a demonic blade forged by Toto-sai. She had nothing against the old man but if he forged a sword to only served one owner, it did just that. Although she could allow others to use the sword and refused to be wielded by her since her demon blood was thinning.

Her body seemed to be in the middle of a transformation. Her eyes were still mismatched and her dog ears disappeared one morning. The purple and silver streaks in her hair were fading slowly. However, her claws remained the same minus some of its orignal hardness and thickness. Kai missed her old appearance and couldn't bear looking at her reflection anymore, knowing that who she sees is truly her. She was dumbstruck to see that she was in fact a replica of the woman who appeared in her dream. Of course the resemblance made sense, while the dream itself didn't.

Kai squinted at the bottom. Slowly she leaned forward. She was rocking back and forth until she fell. She felt her stomach lurge as she watched the bottom approach closer and closer. A white sunburst of pain exploded on her forehead as she slammed against the unforgiving ground. Dizziness overwhelmed her instantly dullen senses. She felt no desire to move. The well refused to let her through. Pain shot through every nerve in her body as she finally sat up. She felt warm liquid trickling down her face. Whether it was blood, tears, or a mixture of both, she didn't know. Clumsily, she rose to her feet. She looked up at the small patch of sky and noticed with a sick feeling that the well was deeper than she remembered. She gulped and prepared herself to jump like she always did. A deep sinking feeling in her stomach had told her that it was usless, but she was determined to discover if it was truly impossible. She leaped off the ground. Rising to about halfway and she felt gravity's pull. She sunk her claws into the sides to prevent her fall, but with a cry of pain, a few of them broke. Kai fell on her back defeated.

"I am no stronger than a human," she said as tears streaked across her cheeks.

Naraku watched Kasumi carefully after he had tricked her. She didn't remember the incident, but she did remember the refreshment of her memories of her mother. Her magical mirror carried an aura that could send chills down Naraku's back. He had used it to spy on Kasumi and it had no side effect, but lately it was pulsing. Kasumi left a velvet cover over it, and refused to stare into it. He noticed her cationous manner when handling it. He was beginning to feel his curiousity rising.

When Kasumi was outside with her flock of demon ravens, Naraku snuck into her room and removed the fabric. The fame had threads of gold and silver intertwined and he saw for the first time that there was two sides to it. The first and only time he used there had only been one side. He stared into the side facing him and saw his reflection. He sighed as that side seemed insignificant and flipped it over.

Naraku saw two women, one in a red kimono, one in a purple and white one. Their backs were turned. He couldn't hear their idle conversion. Suddenly they stopped and turned to look someone approaching. The first woman was unreconizable, but the second one...was Kagura!

He curse loudly. How she still alive? Slowly grin appeared on his face. He could still use her. She was still apart of his flesh, he could reasorb her demonic powers and shut out Katsuo without relying on the Jewel. He had plans for the magical stone. Muttering a spell, a red stone appeared in his hand. He held Kagura's heart in his hand again. Holding the Jewel in his other hand and made fists. Combined with the magic of the jewel and the loss of her heart. Kagura was possessed.

Looking into the mirror he saw the scene play out:

Kagura and Rin were talking cheerfully. "So how as Lord Sesshomaru been?" Kagura asked heistantly hoping her feelings weren't betrayed. Her worries seemed foolish watching the cheery face of Rin. She noted with some envy despite her being twenty odd years old she still have the child-like innocence. Rin was lucky enough not to be plagued by one-sided love, or the constant fear that someday her freedom would disappear. Thinking about her heart drifted to her chest. She froze.

There was no heart beat. Frantic she looked down on saw a dark red light emit from her chest. Rin jumped to her feet. "Sesshomaru!" She cried whether out of fear or for help, Kagura didn't know. The demon lord appeared and watched the scene with indifference. His expression changed to one of...concern?

Kagura screamed in agony as she felt her entire body go numb. No, she thought despartly. Naraku damn you!

"That's right Kagura," His voice sneered in her head. "Thought you could hide from me. Fool." Kagura clapped her hands over her ears in a vain attempt to silence his voice, convienantly forgetting she heard him in her head. His cackling rang through her head and she became to scream without even realizing it.

"DAMN YOU!" (gee everyone says this...) Tears rolled down her cheeks as Kagura fell in to her knees. She looked up at Sesshomaru and Rin. "You must get away from here."

"What?Why?" Rin questioned fear causing her voice to quiver.

"Just go before Naraku..." She never finished her sentence. Naraku's fist clenched her heart and she felt her control of herself slipping. She felt as if someone cast a hook in her soul and reeled away from her body. Numbness supressed her lack of feeling. Since Naraku had the Jewel, this time she was under his complete control.

"Let's go Rin," Sesshomaru said. Rin looked up with an expression that asked, "but what about her?" The demon lord shook his head. "It's too late for her. Naraku has control."

"But if we stop Naraku..."

"Kagura will never be free." His voice was filled with sadness. He did feel pain for Kagura. She would never be free as he was. She could never live without Naraku. If he died, so would she. He shook his head. If only Kagura knew this...

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