Hello everybody! And welcome back to Redemptions and Chasms! So last chapter we found out some revelations. This next chapter is going to be short for which I am sorry for, but it is needed.

I do not own Phantom of the Opera or Inuyasha. POTO is owned by Andrew Llyod Webber and Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

Nefarious times…

~Several miles away in several caves…~

Raoul, under the cover of a cloak and cowl, chanted to the drum's beat, feeling the power with the youkai that were there in the cave's dark depths. The lead youkai was a spider youkai, and his name was Naraku. Sometime after the Shikon no Toma had disappeared because of Kagome's pure unselfish wish, Naraku had been revived by a weak worshiper and follower of him. Because of the Shikon no Toma had been destroyed by Kagome's wish, his powers were vastly reduced. He was less than half as weak than that of Inuyasha, which forced him to go on the run and into hiding. Most of the demons that he had summoned long ago had abandoned him and left him for dead. He was far away from Japan now, in France and conspiring with evil men to take over Europe.

Looking out over the proceedings, Naraku noticed Raoul and mentioned to another youkai to have him come over to him. Raoul shuddered in fear, going silent and looked over, his chanting came to a stop when the youkai Naraku sent to fetch him roughly nudged his shoulder. He looked over to Naraku who sneered and motioned for him to come closer to himself.

Going over to the spider youkai, Raoul knelt down in submission and asked, "What does my master want of me?"

Naraku growled, "Why is it that you are here now, worm? You weren't supposed to be here until this evening after you dealt with your other proceedings with the funds for our moves against other nations!"

Raoul cringed, keeping his eyes down at Naraku's feet, "I didn't know how to proceed master. I best thought to come here and ask your excellence for advice on how to proceed. My thoughts about such things are a muddled somewhat because of that accursed priestess that is my wife's maid."

Naraku roared in rage, "That servant should have been killed as soon as you bought her, swine! As soon as you're done here with me, you are to go straight home and kill that low life of a servant! If you go against my orders your whole life will be destroyed, including forfeiting your life! Finish your chanting with the spell and head straight to kill that accursed Kagome for your life depends on it!"

Raoul flinched back from the spider hanyou's rage, terror filling him as he backed away from the dark energy radiating from the youkai's tentacles. Raoul bowed, shaking as he stuttered out, "Indeed my lord. The servant girl Kagome will be killed." He dared not added that the spell he had joined in on, he could not leave not. It was a day long spell that would last until evening or at least until the start of the night. He would not get home until late.

Naraku roared, "Now get back to the spell, worm. The faster it gets done, the earlier and faster you can get rid of that dreadful priestess you have in your home." He picked the shaking Raoul up with a tentacle and threw him towards the empty space near the center of the cavern, where the fire heated the cauldron full of the potion, which was the spell they were chanting about.

Raoul groaned in pain quietly, not wanting to get hurt by his master or the other youkai further. He grumbled again the spider hanyou and cursed him, though he didn't go against the orders he was given as he started to chant again with the others. He now was starting to regret his interactions and joining of Naraku's partnership, for the spider hanyou only brought to him death, destruction, and loss of property and trust of his friends and family. As he chanted and looked into the flames of the fire, he started to curse his master and Christine as well.

~Back at Raoul and Christine's residence, in the library…~

Christine and Kagome sat in silence and shock. The little priestess had wide eyes as Christine had, and her hands were shaking. Shaking off her stupor, she stood and took the scroll from her lady's hands, throwing it into the fireplace's flaming center. Christine flinched and growled, "Kagome why did you do that? We could have gleaned more information from it… Besides Assassin…"

Kagome cut her off from her triad with a glare and a hand, her voice short and afraid, "No. You heard Assassin say in his epistle. To throw it away as soon as we were done reading it. Besides we cannot stay here contemplating all that has been revealed to us both in his letter. It's clear now to me that there are forces that I did not realize until now that are still around and are plotting against you and I both. Come let us prepare for Assassin's friend Samwise Peters. From what I gathered from Assassin's letter; Samwise will be around in the next half hour. Come my lady." She reached out to take Christine's hands, forcing her to stand and walk to Christine's room.

Christine resisted the entire way and stuttered, stunned and still processing the information and Kagome's now strong-willed personality, "Kagome, how can you just accept all that Assassin said in his epistle just like that? Without any backing from other letters or from Assassin's own face, how can he be sure that Raoul isn't just causing havoc for other business owners? Or just to get you away from me?"

Kagome didn't respond until she had dragged Christine all the way to her room, having passed several other servants who were in a trance as they dutifully did their normal work and tasks that Raoul had them doing. Never did the servants look their way as they walked past them. Once Kagome had Christine in her room, she went over and locked the door and rushed around to gather several items for them to carry before Samwise Peters came to gather them for the marketplace. Christine asked again, "Kagome please! Answer my questions!"

Kagome paused to look at Christine. She sighed and continued to gather the coins for the journey to the market and items for being outside, saying, "I know for a fact that what Assassin says is true my lady. He and I have been meeting at night in person for the last five years and you have been the subject as of last the last two years of it. You know him… He would not lie to you or myself." She paused to see Christine look away guilty, nodding in agreement of her statement of Assassin.

Kagome continued, "As for Raoul, as I said about Assassin and I meeting, he came to me the other night and showed me some evidence that Raoul is in league with an enemy of my past that I truly thought was dead until he said otherwise. Raoul truly is trying to help this enemy of mine to take over Europe. He must be stopped at all costs. And for him to do that, I am sure this old enemy of mine wants Raoul to kill me somehow, someway to allow such things to happen to Europe. I will not let that happen! I've seen what this enemy of mine can do when I was back in my home country of Japan, Christine!

"Now come! We have to get to the door to meet this Samwise Peters. He will be here anytime now!" Kagome ordered. Christine flinched and nodded in agreement. She followed Kagome out of her chambers and to the front door. They quietly left the staff alone and tiptoed around those that got too close. They saw Lars twice on their way, but eerily he ignored them as if they weren't there. Christine was disturbed by this new twist to her servant Kagome. She had never been this bold before. Christine had never seen Kagome act so forward and as a leader.

At the front door, Kagome looked out the window, and saw a tall, young man approach the front door and knock quietly. She opened the door and let the man in. She inquired quietly, "Are you Samwise Peters?"

The young man nodded, smiling, "Yes I am. And you must be Lady Kagome Higurashi. And you must be the Lady Christine de Vicomtesse! Pleasure to meet the two of you! I am Assassin's friend and confidant. I am here to take you to the market and a museum for the day. To get you out of the house and for fresh air." Christine smiled in shock, never having been greeted in such a way since before the Opera tragedy. Kagome reacted with happiness.

Kagome smiled slightly, "Thank you Monsieur Peters. Are we walking?"

Samwise shook his head, "No I have a carriage waiting for us outside. My ladies, if you please take my arms." A gentleman at heart, he held out his arms for each of them to take. Christine hesitated, though eventually took his arm. He walked her and Kagome outside, pausing to let Kagome shut the door behind them. He handed them up into the carriage before he got in after them. He tapped the carriage's driver and their driver had the horses off at a pleasant pace for Kagome and Christine to enjoy the scenery.