Disclaimer: Why, oh why, can't I own Inuyasha! Maybe...it's...because...Takahashi Rumiko does...

Chapter 7 "The Meaning Eludes us All"

Naraku's lips pressed hard against Kagome's as the pair lowered themselves on the dusty floor. Kagome moaned lowly as Naraku began kissing down the side of her neck. He pulled at the right sleeves of the haori and kimono she wore, exposing the pale skin of her shoulder. Kagome held her breath -her heart thumping in her throat -as Naraku's lips grazed her skin. He paused, his lips barely touching the light purple scar where her collar bone met her shoulder blade. He, then, exhaled, sending shockwaves of goosebumps down Kagome's skin. He, at last, bit hard into her shoulder, drawing her blood into his mouth. Kagome groaned, her arm burning over Naraku's fetish, but he kept her tightly pinned under him, enjoying her squirming subconsciously.

"Naraku-sama," she breathed. Her lord withdrew his biting reluctantly, kissing the wound as he pulled back. Kagome reached upward to wipe the still wet blood from the left corner of Naraku's lips. Her hand wandered from his face as he leaned downward to kiss her. Their lips locking, Kagome simultaneously worked to expose Naraku's right shoulder. As he felt the cloth side on his skin, he pulled out of the pin he held Kagome in very slightly, giving her room to lean into him. When she had uncovered Naraku's shoulder, Kagome's lips parted from her lord's to kiss the skin along his neck. Naraku grunted as she kissed his shoulder, pushing her away lightly. Kagome watched silently as he took to his own skin, scratching it open with a swift pass of his hand. He nudged Kagome gently forward, signaling her to continue. He grunted again when the girl sucked in his blood.

"Bite," he ordered softly. Kagome hesitated at first, but obliged, cutting into his unguarded flesh with her teeth. Naraku let out a breath. His blood tasted sweet in her mouth. As she took it in, Kagome allowed one of her hands to drift down Naraku's chest and stomach, stopping at the bow of Naraku's hakama. "That's enough, Kagome," he forced.

Naraku removed Kagome's hand from his hakama straps as the girl drew back from his shoulder. Naraku's hand hovered over Kagome's wounded shoulder for a few moments before he set her clothing straight. Kagome did the same for him in return, disappointment marking her face. The woman was silent in moving from under him.

"Kagome," Naraku called soft -though sternly. The prisoner looked upon him, left her hand cradling her right shoulder.

"Yes, my lord?" she replied sadly.

"You know as well as I why we cannot make love," he informed. The woman adverted her eyes and nodded.

"I must remain pure," she recited lowly. "I understand, my lord." Naraku shifted where he sat. It was possible he wanted her more than she knew.

"Kagome, I want you to do something for me," Naraku ordered more than requested. The woman fell to bow before him. Naraku reached and ran his fingers through her hair. "I want you to look for an artifact for me. You are to go into the Western Lands." Kagome's face shot up to look upon her master.

"But, Naraku-sama, what of the Taiyoukai there? Sesshomaru?" she reasoned. Naraku grinned, his eyes growing a tad wider.

"Are you concerned about a mere dog, Kagome?" Naraku questioned, inwardly amused. Kagome's wide eyes delivered her response. "It is nothing to worry about. I have knowledge he is negotiating a treaty in the northern borders." Naraku's hands found Kagome's face. He gently lifted her face upward so that he could look more directly into her large eyes. "Retrieve this artifact, and you will never have anything to fear from any human or demon -save myself." There was a long pause.

"What is this artifact?" Kagome succumbed at last. Naraku half-grinned in success.

"It's a necklace."

...x...

"No, Kai-dono!" Rin fussed childishly. The eleven-year-old girl walked to the leopard youkai and tried to open the palm he had held a flower in. He watched her, bemused, as she struggled to unclench his fingers. Rin grunted, unable to affect his grip, but she only tried harder. Kai half smiled. Allowing his fingers to relax, he tricked the girl into thinking she had pried his fingers open. She retrieved the flower, a smile of triumph on her face. "You hold it like this," she grinned, the stem of the flower held between her index finger and thumb, "or you'll crush it!" Kai chuckled.

"Is that so?" he asked, lightly poking the girl in the stomach to make her giggle. She did, her big eyes gleaming.

"Uh-huh!" she laughed.

Kai was a servant at Sesshomaru's castle. He had been for many long years, but once he was a soldier. He was never fond of war, however, and as the years went by, the battlefield sickened him more and more, until at last his status diminished into what he was now: a castle servant. The work wasn't exactly doing wonders for his reputation, or exciting at all, but his pride wasn't too hurt, and he liked the consistency. Plus, there was a recent new twist to the job. While Sesshomaru and Jaken were out on war business, Kai became Rin's "manservant." Glorified word for babysitter, he thought at first, but he grew rather fond of the little human.

"Look, Kai," Rin insisted, pointing to the sky, "Rin thinks-" Kai cleared his throat. It was also his job to get Rin out of the habit of speaking in third person. She thought it was a game at first, but when she found it was no fun, she realized Kai and Sesshomaru-sama were serious about it.

"Sorry, what was that?" The girl looked at Kai as though she had done something wrong. He caught her calling herself "Rin" again.

"I," she corrected. Kai nodded for her to continue. "think that one looks just like master Jaken." She looked back up into the sky and pointed at a cloud that did vaguely seem like Jaken's image. Kai leaned against the tree they were sitting by to get a better angle of it, his long, golden-brown hair sliding against the bark.

"Yes, I suppose that does look a bit like the little grump," he smiled. Rin furrowed her brow. It wasn't going to be a very fun afternoon if she kept having to use the words "I" and "me" and "you." Quite frankly, she didn't understand why she had to. It just seemed like another boring rule.

"Kai-dono?" she piped at last.

"Yes?"

"Why can't Rin say Rin when Rin is talking about Rin?"she pouted puppy-eyed. The cat youkai chuckled, his green eyes glinting. He sighed and smiled.

"That's quite a mouthful," he jeered. The girl only pouted more. Kai grinned once more. This was going to be quite interesting. "Well then, why can't Kai say Kai when Kai is referring to Kai?" The girl looked puzzled at his reverse psychology. For a moment, Kai wondered if she even realized he threw almost the same sentence she did.

"Huh?" she requested in confusion. Kai stretched against the tree, rubbing his neck slightly.

"You heard me," he replied. "So why can't Kai do that?" he pushed.

"Because it sounds silly," she grinned. Her manservant nodded.

"Yes, and if I were talking to someone who didn't know me," he began with a grin, "they wouldn't know I was talking about myself, now would they? Plus it's a lot easier to just say 'I,' don't you think?" Rin nodded, smiling widely. Kai looked up at the sky, spotting a large cloud moving toward the Jaken-shaped one. "Look's like that one's going to stomp on our Jaken-cloud," he grinned. Rin looked upward and laughed. "Just like our Lord Sesshomaru." Rin's eyes went soft.

"Kai-dono?" she asked in a mouse-like volume. He looked back at her, still grinning.

"Yes, Rin?" he replied.

"Do you think that Sesshomaru-sama loves Rin -er- I?" she asked awkwardly.

"Me," Kai corrected. Rin raised a brow.

"No, not you. Do you think Sesshomaru-sama loves I- oh!" she realized. "Oh, I get it now." Kai nodded. "Yes, I mean, Do you think Lord Sesshomaru loves me?" she asked a bit louder. Kai nodded, his expression very serious.

"I'm certain he does, Rin. Why else would he keep you?" The logic of the question struck Rin softly. She nodded and sat next to Kai, rubbing her shoulder against him until she found herself in his arms.

"And do you think maybe that Kai-dono -I mean- you -love me too?" The youkai was silent at first.

"Yes, Rin, I think I do love you," he smiled. The girl looked up at him, grinning from ear to ear. She held up the flower she had recently taken from him. Kai regarded the soft yellow petals silently.

"I love you, too, Kai-chaa," she hesitated, "I mean- dono," she smiled. She inched the flower closer to Kai, who took the flower from her gently, and held it between his thumb and index finger.

"You can call me Kai-chan if you want," he smiled. The soon-to-be young woman snuggled warmly against his chest and smiled. "Just don't let Sesshomaru-sama hear you, okay?" The girl cooed next to him.

"Ok, Kai-chan, I will not." Kai hugged her next to him gently. Soon he heard the unmistakable, monotonous breaths of a sleeper. Normally she was so energetic, but he could tell she didn't sleep much for worrying the night previous. She always had trouble sleeping when Sesshomaru was away.

"Is this what you wanted to do today?" he asked himself more than the girl as she dozed in his arms. He slowly gathered the sleeping human and walked carefully to the castle, planning to place her in her bed for rest.

...After Rin was secure in her bed chamber, Kai wandered through the grounds to no place in particular. He planned on staying near Rin's room, just in case, and found himself, eventually, opening the nearby doors of the castle library. Among the serval volumes were five or six of Kai's European-bond books. Three easily were among Rin's favorites: Magic Pendants and Legendary Jewels; A Catalogue of Northern Europe's Demons, Elves, and Imps (Because she thought some of the elves looked a little like Lord Sesshomaru), and The Mythology of Greece. Of course, those were the only ones translated into Japanese so far. Now Kai took down the English Volume Dragon's Fire and Knight's Nobility. Rin liked this one, she was fascinated by Western Dragons, and wished very much she could read it.

Kai opened the large, intricately bond book on one of the desks. Unrolling a parchment, and opening the drawer for an ink jar and quill, he set to translating the English to Japanese. Having learned latin about five or six hundred years previous, Kai found other European languages easier to understand. Especially English, since he started learning it when it was new. It developed more intricately, but it was nothing Kai couldn't handle...

Ye taketh heed of the words here writ. There be Dragons among us, living, breathing, planning our demise. Thine only hope ist the valor of the high knights, yea, but even those so noble can only pray to return un-singed. Thus far, many dragons have been slain, but there be one Dragon who has escap'd ev'ry attempt.

Kai dipped the quill in the ink jar to begin his translation. The quill tip moved over the parchment, dropping a large splatter of ink on the aged paper. Kai took closer inspection of it. The tip had broken: split in two. He muttered a curse under his breath and opened the drawer for another quill, but as it slid open, his elbow bumped the ink jar, spilling the remains of the ink all over the parchment. Kai jumped, swiping the book off the desk quickly. He frowned, looking at the ink on the desk.

"Guess I'd better get something to clean that up," he thought aloud.

Kai slid the book back on the shelf and left the library. He stopped off first to check on Rin. After finding her safely dreaming, he went straight to the servants quarters to get a bucket and rag, followed by a trip to the kitchen for some oat soap. When Kai got back to the east wing, he, again, checked in on Rin: still sleeping soundly. As he closed the door with a faint click, he dropped the soap bar into the bucket and water. The library was just opposite Rin's room.

When his hand was upon the cool metal of the door handle, Kai heard a shuffling noise coming from down the hall. He looked over his left shoulder to the carved frame of Sesshomaru's door and eased the bucket onto the floor before making his way to it. He paused on the way to lock Rin's door, keeping his back along the wall. Kai crept soundlessly to the doorway of Sesshomaru's quarters thereafter, and pressed his ear to the door upon reaching it. There was silence at first, but after Kai heard an unmistakable sound: a window being opened. He quickly freed the whip he had in his sleeve and burst through the door.

The chamber was empty upon inspection, or so Kai thought, but the window was open. Kai walked to it and scanned the outer perimeter. There was no wind, so it couldn't have been blown open. Silently, he closed it, though he stayed where he was. Something was wrong here. Someone was there. He turned and scanned the room again. That's when he smelled something.

...Blood...

Kai pretended he didn't notice, and slowly made his way to the door. He put his hand on the doorknob and turned it halfway, only to lock it and pull loose his whip to lash at the ceiling. The intruder dropped to the floor, turning in the air to land on her feet and hands. Wrapped around her left fist on a silver chain was the moonstone necklace Sesshomaru inherited from his mother. Kai took a step toward the high pony-tailed woman.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice suddenly very intimidating. Kagome stood slowly, slipping the necklace into a hidden pocket inside of Naraku's haori sleeve.

"That's none of your concern!" with the last word, Kagome drew the short staff she'd been recently practicing with and charged Kai. The youkai grabbed the end of the wooden pole and force swung Kagome into one of the posts of the nearby bed. Her back popped against the furniture, but she did not release her hold on the staff. She landed on her feet and twisted it out of his grasp.

"Return what you have stolen," Kai warned with a low growl. Kagome circled back in front of him.

"Just try and take it from me!" she challenged, and drew the staff back to strike him, but within that same instant, a gust of wind coming from Kai's direction pushed her backward. She stabilized herself near the window.

She wasn't out of tricks yet.

"I will give you one more chance," Kai growled as he neared her. "Return what you have stolen." Kagome slid her hand into the haori sleeve silently. She retracted it slowly at first, but just as her wrist was becoming visible, she flung two shurikens, almost in the same instant, at him. Kai jumped to the side to dodge them. Kagome this opportunity and struck him hard with her staff across his right cheek. Kai regained his footing as soon as he had lost it and pounced. Kagome tried to block him with her staff as best she could, but the other already had her by the shoulders in the tackle. The pair crashed through the second floor window.

Kai used Kagome's shoulders to push himself off into a mid-air flip. Panicking, Kagome aimed the end of her staff on the ground. It hit the earth as Kai's feet made their own graceful touch down. Kai turned to see the girl's clenched hands slide down the wooden pole, splinters planting themselves in her palm. She let go, landing hard on her left thigh. This only hindered her a split second, but even that was too long. By the time she reached for the staff, Kai's whip had wrapped itself around her weapon. Kai yanked it back, catching the staff with his free hand.

"Kai! Kai-dono!" boom, boom "Kai!" Inside her room, Rin panicked fitfully.

"Give back the necklace," Kai threatened, "or so help me you won't live another day." Kagome stood. She had no idea what she was doing anymore. Why she was here...who she was fighting...why he was fighting her...she didn't know any of it anymore. All she knew was she had to keep this necklace he was talking about...and she didn't know what she had to do that for, either. Her rust red eyes flickered into a more natural brown and back to red. Kai saw this.

"No!" she challenged. The cat youkai walked cautiously toward her. His nose twitching.

"You smell like a demon, act like a demon, and look like a demon," he surmised, "but you're just a human." He paused, growing near her.

"Stay back!" Kagome threatened, pulling loose her short sword. Kai lifted his left hand slowly, and before she knew it, Kagome's hand was ensnared by a branch of the tree behind her. It wasn't a strong power, and if she wasn't so panicked, she would have realized she could cut through it fairly easily, but she WAS panicked. Kai stopped right in front of her and bent to examine her.

"I don't want to have to kill you," he threatened lowly, retrieving the necklace from her sleeve pocket. "So I will take this from you, and you're going to leave here." His green eyes narrowed. "Understood?" Kagome sliced through the tree branch and ran off.

...x...

Kai unlocked the door to Rin's room after he returned the moonstone necklace to it's rightful place. The small child burst through the doors, revealing to Kai the mess she had made in her panic. Her curtains were virtually ripped from the windows, and the windows looked like they took quite a scratching from something. Her bedding was also thrown askew in the chamber. Her largest quilt was soaking in the water from a vase it no doubt knocked over in its flight. Kai sighed, but grinned at the same instance to keep Rin from bursting into tears.

"Kai-chan!" she cried, hugging his kimono sleeve. Kai bent so that his eyes could be level with hers. "Why did you lock Rin in Rin's room?"

"Because," he started softly, "I did not want Rin to be hurt." The girl threw herself into his chest, her thin arms pulled around him.

"Who were you fighting out there?" she whimpered. Kai drew his arms around the scared girl and rested his chin atop her head.

"The wind," he lied. "It was only me and the wind."

Kai stayed like that with Rin for a minute or so, terrified at her fear and worry, and he wondered to himself who had sent the human. He wondered, with the sobbing girl wetting his haori with her tears, if the thief would return.

Note from the Author: So...How'd you guys like that chapter, huh? Huh? Huh? It was part double fanaticism and part favor. Fanaticism for Inuyasha (that's a given) and that fanfic I've been telling you guys about (Why haven't you read it yet!). The favor was actually for the Author of said story. At first, I was not going to incorporate Kai into it, but I decided I wanted to help portray him in the days prior to o0MissKaoru0o's story. (Back when he was sane O.o) NEwayz, I hope you guys liked it. Review if you want, I like it when you review! ;)

o0MissKaoru0o - That was cool, Archangelina!

Archangelina (grin) - Well, I try. ;)