Disclaimer: Archangelina (writes): I do not own Inuyasha

Teacher: "Archangelina! That's quite enough of your copyright infringement!"

Archangelina (puts down pencil): "But I-I wrote disclaimers!"

Teacher: "Maybe that's not good enough. How would you feel if someone composed writings based on your original ideas and all they did for it was write disclaimers before each chapter?"

Archangelina: "I'd be flattered."

Author's Note: Yes, yes, Miroku and Sango died in the last chapter. My advice to you is to pick up the pieces of your shattered lives and move on. Or you could read the rest. Trust me, I loved those two, killing them off was the hardest thing I ever had to write. But it was necessary.

Chapter 5 "Still my Prisoner."

Kagome awoke with a start. It was still hard for her to fathom what had happened the day prior, but she would not deny the truth. Now she sat in a cold sweat over the soft blankets of her four poster bed. She told herself she wouldn't deny the truth, but that didn't make it easier to accept. Miroku and Sango were murdered...mutilated...and it was her fault. She reached beneath her pillow in her panic and pulled from under it Naraku's haori.

"Would they really have killed me as well?" she asked herself. She looked at her surroundings, the large room with plum blossom scented incense burning in jars that floated in the pools of the weeping walls. The ornate rug beneath the large bed Naraku had ordered to be made to the specifications of a dream Kagome had...a dream Naraku invaded. He treated her well after long enough, though he was still an emotional bully. "If they knew the way I lived in my captor's castle, then maybe they would have..." Kagome shivered.

Kagome couldn't see the door beyond the veil in front of her. But there was a shadow against it coming from the other side. Her lord pulled back the white sheer fabric and studied her from the foot of the bed before speaking.

"Kagome," he began. "Did you sleep well?" Kagome hung her head and hugged her arms. The haori burned beneath her fingertips as she ran her fingers to her shoulders. Naraku waited for her to answer patiently as she shuddered.

"No, my lord," she admitted. "I had nightmares." Naraku's lips drew into a maniacal half smile. Kagome's head was still bowed, a ploy to prevent Naraku from seeing any tears. She was so confused, and angry, and dizzy. Nothing she ever knew was consistent.

"You're crying Kagome?" Naraku told more than asked. The girl looked up at him after wiping away a singular tear.

"No, my lord," she shrilled lowly. Naraku's eyes narrowed, his lips still twisted into a smile.

"Do not lie to me, Kagome," he instructed. His arm stretched out toward her, becoming the earthen colored sinews he so artfully mastered. His hand wrapped around her neck, gently but firmly. This time he felt her breath catch.

"Please, my lord," Kagome whimpered, "it will not happen anymore." Naraku's gaze and smile intensified on her.

"Then approach, Kagome," he ordered cooly, his hand still about her throat. The girl slowly leaned on her hands and crawled to the end of the bed. Naraku's arm contracted as she neared until she was at last sitting before him. He released his grip on her throat and studied her continence, his smile disappearing into vacancy. "Why were you crying, Kagome?" The girl gasped at his sudden question and hung her head.

"I-I..." she stuttered, "...do not know what...to believe anymore..." Naraku crouched to look her full in the eyes when she picked up her head again.

"Kagome, you may believe what you want to believe. It never alters the facts, and believing in the facts," he paused, "isn't believing at all. It's knowing.

"Now follow me, Kagome," he instructed. "You have work to do."

"I want you to shoot that target out there in the distance," Naraku instructed Kagome from afar. The girl took up an arrow and looked for her mark. It was barely even a dot in the distance. She drew back the shaft and aimed carefully. As the taut string was released, the arrow flew, glowing in its own pink aura. She watched eagerly as the arrow neared the target...and missed.

"It's too far away," Kagome reasoned, but no sooner had the words been said did something go whirring by her ear, cutting a few strands of her hair. She watched the white blur as it became smaller and smaller in the distance, until, finally, it struck the target, cutting through it in a mess of straw and canvas. Kagome turned in awe to look at the one who threw with such precision. Kohaku met her gaze with pride.

"Kohaku?" Kagome asked in disbelief. The boy smiled a weak smile at her.

"The target is never too far, Kagome," Naraku informed from the courtyard porch. He sat lazily against the wall of the main structure, awaiting Kagome's response.

"Naraku-sama," Kagome cried. "Why have you taken Kohaku?" Naraku smiled his coy smile at the girl, who silenced herself immediately.

"I have not taken Kohaku," he said with a certain degree of satisfaction. "He came to me. He followed us back here from his sister's home." The boy raced to the target to acquire his weapon. Naraku watched silently as did Kagome. "Now, shoot your target, Kagome," he ordered. Kagome started.

"But Kohaku destroyed the target," Kagome protested. Naraku's gaze fleeted from her. She followed it and saw Kohaku working to pull free his weapon.

"Aim carefully," Naraku toyed. Kagome's eyes watered.

"But he's just a kid...I can't..." she cried. Naraku's eyes narrowed on Kagome.

"You forget your place, Kagome," he warned. "You forget that you are still my prisoner." His gaze was suddenly a lot colder than normal. "Now do as I say."

Kagome brought up her bow, her vision clouded with tears. The bowstring groaned as she pulled the arrow back. Then, she closed her eyes and released.

"What have I done?"

Kohaku whirred around, pulling free his de-chained scythe as the arrow approached. With a flick of his wrist, he sliced the arrow longways with his weapon. The sharpened stone and rod fell on either side of his feet. Kohaku grinned in victory, Kagome sighing inwardly in response.

"Kagome," Naraku called cooly. Kagome tensed, turning her head slightly.

"Yes, my lord?" she asked, expecting a scolding. Instead Naraku looked back toward Kohaku.

"This is your new sparring partner," he responded, his eyes curving into an expression of devilishness. Kohaku nodded from across the field at Kagome. The girl was breathless, relieved, and afraid at once. Naraku shifted where he sat. "You may begin tomorrow," he added.

Kagome's lord stood and made a move to re-enter the castle. She watched him, her bow in both hands at her thighs.

...the next afternoon...

Naraku collected Kagome from her two hours of sparring with Kohaku. As usual, he took his time both to get there and to speak. Of which, he only said one word: Kagome's name. Kohaku instinctively retreated from the practice session, taking time to bow to Naraku before leaving to his designated chamber in the castle.

Kagome watched Kohaku leave. Naraku had to call her name a second time before she snapped out of her trance and walked to him. When she was near enough she bowed and awaited for Naraku to speak before lifting her head.

"I see that you have lost today," he surmised by looking at her dirty cloths and bruised skin. Kagome nodded and looked up at him, a bruise upon her right cheek.

"Pretty bad, actually," she almost whispered. She looked at the haori Naraku gave her as she left it on the wooden rail beside her and picked it up. Naraku watched her silently.

"I didn't want it to get dirty," she explained when she noticed him observing her. Naraku took it from her slowly, the silk sliding against Kagome's open palms.

"Come, Kagome," Naraku ordered. "You need a bath." Kagome hugged her arms and nodded.

"Yes, my lord," she submitted, and followed him to the bathhouse.

Baths always went quickly. Kagome had twenty minutes to clean herself off and wash her hair per visit. If she went about the task too slowly, or if she wasn't "clean enough" Naraku almost always interjected.

Naraku sat in his usual place in the far right corner of what was nick-named "Kagome's bathroom" by the servants who worked there. He watched the door as Kagome bathed, making sure none of the workers intruded. He could tell by her usual splashing -ten or twelve minutes into her bath -that she was beginning to wash her hair. He diverted his attention to her and stood.

Kagome heard him shift and froze, leaning against the end of the tub opposite him with her arms under the water. Her captor approached slowly, walking around the tub and sitting on his knees behind her. He pulled her shoulder firmly against the side of the tub and started running soap in her hair. Kagome let out a small whimper as he started, expecting another harsh punishment from him.

"Not this time, Kagome," Naraku said lowly. He removed his hand from her shoulder so he could wash her hair with both hands. Kagome was still tense despite the gentle passes of Naraku's hands on her scalp. "Was a child really so much trouble for you, Kagome?" he asked, freeing the hair Kagome had pinned between herself and the lip of the tub.

"He's very strong," Kagome said shakily. Naraku was quiet, soaping her locks meticulously until their strands were easily separable. Kagome shivered when Naraku coaxed her into turning to one side. He slid one hand to cradle the nape of her neck and offered her his free hand, which she took after some hesitation.

"Lean back," he said gently. Kagome did so, confused and disbelieving his care. Her hand tightened around his as her face was submerged. Naraku focused on her closed eyes while the soap freed itself in the water.

When the first bubble floated from Kagome's mouth, Naraku slowly pulled her to surface. He turned her to face away from him and began rubbing silksmell from a small container in her hair. The servants left silksmell in Kagome's bathroom every time she was expected. Those were Naraku's orders. Kagome never understood why the conditioner was so vital, but she hadn't complained. She always liked the way it smelled.

When he was finished with the silksmell, he submerged her once more. The second time around, Kagome was less tense, looking up at Naraku through the water. His expression was vacant, as it was, but his eyes were locked on hers. Her fingers tightened around his hand, and he brought her to surface.

Naraku stood, and moved from the sloping base of the tub.

"Get out, Kagome," he ordered coldly. The girl shivered and obliged, pulling herself from the perfumed water. Naraku looked over his shoulder at her face. "Come here." Kagome crossed her hands over her breasts and silently agreed, walking forward with her head hung. Naraku wrapped her in the haori that he had given her so long ago.

"What about my clothes?" she asked. Naraku's eyes narrowed on her uniform.

"Filthy rags," he observed with mild disgust. "I'll have them cleaned for you." Kagome bowed.

"Thank you, Naraku-sama," she replied nervously.

"Mm," Naraku sighed and walked out of the bathroom, signaling for Kagome to follow.

Once out of the bathhouse and into the entry hall of the castle, Naraku lead Kagome to a section of the building she'd never entered before. The walls were very plain, but still seemed extraordinarily beautiful. Kagome was having a hard time keeping up with Naraku after some point, being so distracted by the her surroundings.

"Where are we going, my lord?" she asked after scrambling back to his side. It was an odd experience for her. She felt like the girl, Rin, chasing after Sesshomaru.

"We're going to see about those wounds of yours," he answered cooly. "The cut on your thigh looks like it will need tending to." To himself, Naraku thought about how long it must have bled. It was too bad he missed the initial cut.

Naraku walked into the sleeping chamber, Kagome still following. When the girl stepped through the threshold, Naraku turned and slid the door closed. Kagome looked about, afraid of what this could mean.

"Sit on the floor, Kagome," Naraku ordered calmly. Kagome hesitated, but obliged. Naraku sat on his knees beside her rolling up one of her sleeves to reveal rings of bruises and many shallow cuts. He rested a hand on her shoulder and ran his fingers the length of her arm. Her skin burned for a few seconds under his hand, but the bruises and cuts disappeared. Kagome's breath caught as his hand rested on her bruised cheek. There was another burning feeling, and like on her arm, the bruise was gone.

"Naraku-sama, why are you doing this?" Kagome asked quietly. Naraku focused his eyes on hers.

"It is not wise to question me, Kagome,"Naraku warned. He rolled up her other sleeve, refocusing on her arm, and repeated the process. He did so again on each of her legs and her stomach. There wasn't so much as a scar when he had finished.

"Kagome, I see there is more pain under the surface," Naraku angled. Kagome adverted her eyes. "I told you before, if there is something you wish," he said cooly, "I will grant it to you." He awaited her answer silently.

"You are right, Naraku-sama," Kagome admitted softly. "There is pain beneath." She looked Naraku full on the face, something she had never done without his stimulation. The other half smiled.

"I can take your pain away, Kagome." Kagome let out a small gasp of surprised. "Is that what you want?" Naraku asked with hints of malevolence in his voice.

"Naraku-sama, I can ask nothing of you," Kagome evaded, looking quickly away.

"But you can, Kagome," he pushed without eagerness. Kagome stared at the floor. "Kagome," Naraku paused, "do you want to continue feeling this pain?"

"No, my lord," she answered at last. Naraku half smiled, ideas and plans began formulating in his mind. His intentions were ill, but magnificent.

"Then that was all you ever had need to say," his smooth voice convinced. Kagome looked up at Naraku, her lips meeting with a tender kiss. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms about his shoulders. She had lost herself to something that had been lurking beneath the surface for weeks. Something that nearly caused her to back out of Sango's plan. Something that could make her lose herself...

...Naraku had never been more stable.

Additional Author's note: I'd like to thank my reviewers for all the nice things they have said about my story. It really means a lot to me, and I'm glad you all like it so much. Special Thanks to Child Of Ashes who gave me the most hilarious review I've ever read and pushing my comments to two pages. Woot, woot! Thanks!