Disclaimer: I owned Inuyasha once. Then, I woke up.

Chapter 3 "To Fulfill a Promise Part 1"

Naraku lead Kagome through the castle grounds and back to the main quarters of his castle. It had been another two weeks since the bathing incident. A lot of things changed since then. Kagome's rebellions grew quieter and quieter until finally -about three days ago -she did not rebel at all, and even after she called him 'lord' in the bathhouse that day, it took until just two days ago Kagome called him thus all the time. Lately, Naraku's cruelties were emotional, so Kagome learned not to speak much at all. It definitely paid off to speak little and call him lord. It had been a week since Kagome had to sleep in a cell, in fact.

Now Naraku had something to 'inform' her of. He did not have to tell her this time to follow: she went to him instinctively. Naraku turned softly and walked off. He lead Kagome through the castle grounds and back to the main quarters of his castle. Kagome watched carefully as the hanyou before her strode, following his steps as carefully as possible. As the master of the castle came to a stop before her, she became still and silent, refusing to even breathe. Naraku turned and leaned toward her, his face at her level.

"Is there something you wish, Kagome?" he asked as though he were coaxing her into a trap. The girl who had been Naraku's prisoner now for almost a month was beginning to learn to know these traps. She shook her head.

"No, Naraku-sama," she said softly, turning her face away. The other repositioned her face with his forefinger and looked directly into her eyes.

"If there is something you wish," he began, "you will inform me of it." Kagome looked away.

"My lord, there is nothing for me to rightly want," she avoided. Naraku stood up straight and put his back to her. In the unsettling silence, Naraku pondered as Kagome stood silently.

"I know what it is you want, Kagome," he announced, his eyes shifting to one side when the girl's breath caught in her throat. The darker of the two let out a small chuckle. "Kagome, tell me what you want and I will give it to you," he angled. "You can rest assured all my promises are sincere." Kagome bowed her head.

"I want," Kagome started. Naraku turned quickly, startling her. He focused on her eyes as he always did while Kagome took a breath. "Nothing would make me happier than leaving the castle, my lord." Naraku half smiled, but Kagome saw only treachery in it. She bowed quickly. "I am sorry, Naraku-sama."

"No, Kagome. You will have what you want," he toyed. Kagome looked up at him in disbelief, eyes wide with tears, but the coldness of her lord's own eyes shoved all the emotion back inside of her. "I am of my word, after all." Naraku eyed the girl who still adorned one of his haoris over her re-sewn clothes. He then looked to the large double doors and willed them open. Kagome followed his gaze and watched the main gates open as well.

The girl stood stunned for a moment. Could it be true? Was he...releasing her? Kagome looked carefully into his face and saw that he was indeed sincere. She bowed quickly and turned on her heal to leave.

As her foot made contact with the threshold, Kagome felt herself being held back. Naraku's left hand was cupped along the front of her shoulder, pinning her against himself. Kagome panicked and squirmed until his arm wove under her own, his right hand brushing against the skin of her cheek. She breathed quickly as he coaxed her to lean back. It was like being pinned and poisoned by a spider, such was the nature of his trap. Naraku leaned next to her ear and let out a brief chuckle.

"Do not think for a moment that you are free, Kagome," he whispered. Kagome whimpered as he held her more tightly with his left hand. "You have not given me what I want...and I will have what I want."

...One hour later...

"You may go now. I will show you the way back in six months. Go with great care, Kagome."

The last month in Naraku's castle seemed almost unreal to Kagome as she meandered about the forest. She stopped and leaned against a tree, hugging her arms. She winced as her fingers recognized the smooth fabric of Naraku's haori. She slid off the jacket and stared at the pattern embroidered on the silk.

"I can't go home, but I can find the others. Surely they can help," she thought to herself. Kagome ran her fingers over the cloth. "But what if he's watching? Should I take that risk?" Kagome sighed and looked at her recently re-sewn clothes.

"These are yours," Kagura sneered as she threw the stringed package at the prisoner through the cell door. Kagome untied the bundle to find her uniform re-stitched perfectly. It was impossible to tell the clothes had even been worn let alone ripped. "He tore them right along the seems. Go figure."

"Naraku-sama did this?" Kagome asked in disbelief. Kagura screwed up her face at the other's words.

"You don't have to call him lord all the time, you know."

"Kagome!" called a masculine voice from afar. The girl snapped out of her trance and looked in the direction it was coming from. A person in black and purple robes ran toward her. "Kagome is that you?"

"Miroku!" Kagome called back, over joyed at his very existence. The monk reached her quickly and caught her in a friendly embrace.

"Kagome, Sango and I found," he started, but decided not to finish. "I am glad to see you again, Kagome." The girl burst into tears and buried her face in Miroku's chest.

"It was horrible, Miroku," she mumbled into his clothes. Miroku stroked her hair and allowed her to finish crying. "I'm so glad it can be over." Miroku noticed the smooth silk on Kagome's back as she gripped the sides of his robes.

"What's this haori?"

"Kagome!"

"Sango!"

Kagome was never happier to see her old friends, and as the two girls embraced, Kagome began to cry again. Miroku stood solemnly watching, knowing that something was wrong. Kagome had not yet told him anything about her strange over-shirt, but promised she would as soon as he found Sango. This was not a problem as the two ended their engagement recently in marriage.

"Kagome," Miroku announced to end the reunion. "You said there was something you had to tell us. Where have you been all this time? Where is Inuyasha?" Kagome froze and suppressed a sob. Inuyasha...

"What is wrong, Kagome?" Sango asked as Kagome took a step back and hugged her arms. The girl looked at the two as if studying herself.

"There is something that you must know."

...Meanwhile...

"What? What do you mean you let her go?" Kagura demanded. Naraku examined her, suppressing a clever grin. His cold eyes grew colder at his incarnation.

"Kagura, would you say my letting this girl out of the castle was a mistake?" Naraku narrowed his eyes on Kagura and awaited a response, but she was silent. "Hm?" he prompted. The demon woman crossed her arms and stomped her left foot.

"It is foolish to let her go free. She will go to the others and tell them where you are!" Her argument had no effect on her creator, who simply disregarded her.

"Kagome surrendered herself to me the moment she first called me lord, Kagura," he cooed. "I may not have the Shikon jewel to manipulate, but I have the next best thing. I have power over the girl. Her spiritual aura will seep into the ones about her, reactivating the influence I had over demons, phantoms, and humans who were never able to break my control.

"Let her assemble her friends if she is foolish enough," Naraku nearly sang with guilty pleasure, "so I might fulfill another one of my promises."

"Well that explains the return of my wind tunnel earlier this morning." Miroku thought aloud as Kagome finished her tale. The three, joined by Sango's young brother, Kohaku were eating solemnly in the main quarter of the house. Suddenly, Kohaku groaned and dropped his chopsticks to grip at his stomach.

"Kohaku, is something wrong?" Sango asked as her brother dropped his supper bowl. The boy doubled over, holding his stomach and groaning. The boys eyes were squinted closed for a few more seconds before he warily sat back up.

"My stomach..." he groaned as he clutched his shirt once more. "I think I ate something I shouldn't have..." The boy rubbed his temples and stood. "I think I'm going to be sick," he confessed, and shortly after, ran out of the house and vomited.

"No! Not again!" came Kohaku's voice from outside. "I refuse! Sango! Help me, please, Sango!" The demon slayer jumped to her feet at the first word, followed swiftly by Miroku and Kagome. Kohaku was on the ground -unharmed, but afraid -when they found him.

"Kohaku!" Sango called as she ran near him, dropping on her knees at his side. The boy sat on the ground, leaning backward on his hands; staring at the blank air before him. "What's wrong?" Tears ran down both of Kohaku's eyes.

"I'm cold, big sister. I'm so cold..." he cried. Kohaku looked Sango square in the eyes, more tears streaking his face. "I thought I saw him just now, and I couldn't break free. He pinned me down," he proclaimed, tears coming faster. "His hands were ice." Now Sango began to weep. "And now I'm cold," Kohaku cried as Sango pulled him into her embrace.

"His emotional wounds are deep," Miroku surmised. "Kagome's story must have awakened sleeping fears he still harbors for Naraku." Sango looked up at her husband as her little brother balled in her chest. His theory was very possible, and they all accepted it as truth.

...five months and twenty-nine days later (3h30' a.m.)...

"If Naraku is to show you the way back to his castle, we can follow," Miroku reasoned as Sango gave Kohaku sweetened ginger to calm his nerves. Kagome regarded the haori on her back.

"But how can we hope to defeat him without Inuyasha or Sesshomaru?" Kagome despaired. "He's just too strong. This is all my fault." Kohaku looked up from where he sat.

"You cannot blame yourself," he piped. Miroku nodded.

"He's right, the best thing for it is a strategy."

Kagome couldn't sleep with the thought of tomorrow morning's significance. It was when she would return to Naraku with a vague hope of ending him once and for all. Miroku's plan wasn't complicated, but it involved Sesshomaru's help -whom they never were able to find. Sango had a back up plan, however.

As Kagome lay awake thinking over the plan's many intricacies, she heard a faint rustle just outside the wall of her room, followed by a scream she would remember for the rest of her life...