I hope this chapter even makes sense. It's kinda long, but enjoy! Chapter 8 will be up sooner than it took for this one to be posted (ah…the horrors of having a busy schedule).


Chapter 7
"Kagome's gone?" Sango gasped. "But she can't be! She can't!" The young woman fell silent and her eyes were glazed over with a layer of tears, swelling over the lower lids. Miroku approached her and put his arm on her shoulder.

"We'll get her back, Sango," Miroku said, trying to comfort her. His voice was nearly drowned out by Sango's loud, anguished cries.

Knowing that anything he was about to say now would have no effect on Sango whatsoever, the monk turned to Inuyasha.

"Are you sure Naraku took her?"

Inuyasha shot Miroku a peeved look. "I saw him take her. My eyes can be trusted." Inuyasha looked at Miroku's hand inching closer to the neckline of a too-distressed-to-notice Sango. Quickly, he added, "Unlike yours."

"Why, can't you see that I am only trying comfort this lady?" Miroku said, feigning innocence.

"Well, comfort harder, or else I'm heading off to find Kagome myself," the hanyou huffed.


The fire cast a preternatural red glow against the screen. Her vision was blurry and her head was throbbing. She groaned from the pain; it was intense and radiating. Each throb shook her insides to jelly. She tried as hard as she could to get up, but after long moments of struggle and an added intensity of pain, she gave up, having not moved a bit.

Suddenly, she sensed a presence. For what seemed like an eternity, she lay there, waiting—waiting to be devoured, raped, beheaded, burned. But as the minutes went by she was not approached and her head was less painful with each passing moment. She felt peace and her breathing patterned changed from strained to calm.

Then she heard the laugh. She froze—held her breath. Her eyes sprang open. She knew this laugh. She had heard this before.

Naraku.

Her heart stopped, her eyes widened, her body stiffened, her mind emptied.


Sango was absolutely sure that she looked awful. She always had red blotches over her face and puffy eyes after crying. But she had to other things to think about now. Like Kagome. They had to get her back.

She jumped onto Kirara's back and Miroku hopped on behind her. Kirara galloped a few steps and in an instant they were airborne.

The wind blew over her face, her hair tickling her face and pricking her eyes. She could feel Miroku lean close. She took deep breaths of the fresh air and she settled back a bit. Admittedly, she did feel a little safer when the monk was around. And darkness is when evil proliferates.

Below, Inuyasha bounded on the grass, following the faint scent of the one who took his beloved.


Naraku laughed. He watched the glowing blue waters in the basin. The bright white swirls almost jumped out from the basin, trying to pierce the surface of the waters. She was trying to escape.

"Foolish girl," he hissed. With a flash of his palm, the water in the basin was still, with only a faint blue glow that radiated from within. His lip curled in a sneer. His nose gave the slightest twitch. This girl was strong.

A wicked smile spread over his lips and he ran his fingers over the water. A shrill tinkle wavered and a white light hovered above the water and these were gone in a split second. Just wait, Inuyasha. You have no idea what I can do to Kagome. All you have to do is relinquish the jewel shard and she will be unharmed. But knowing you, Inuyasha, this will not go smoothly. You will unknowingly allow me to do Kagome harm.


"We're getting close!" Inuyasha called up, looking up at the shadow above him.

Kirara responded by flying low and circling. Sango jumped down, followed closely by Miroku.

The air was thick with fog. Sango was uneasy. Inuyasha sniffed the air. The scent—it was pungent. It disgusted him.

Slowly, they made their way through the jagged rocks and up the hill. The only light that guided the three was from the waning sliver of a crescent moon.

Inuyasha hopped a few steps. Through the fog, he could see a well-concealed house. It was large and exuded an aura of grandeur—and evil.

"Hurry, " he whispered.

"I can only go so fast," came the monk's complaint.

Inuyasha gave a forced breath. He surveyed the area while he waited for the other two to get up the hill. The trees were thick. He inched closer, crouching. Extending his head past the planks of the walkway that surrounded the building.

Sango and Miroku finally made it up the hill and Inuyasha slowly climbed onto the walkway. He was glad he was barefoot. Silence would help their cover, but not much, considering that it was Naraku they were sneaking up on.

Kagome, Inuyasha mentally screamed, please be okay.

His hand subconsciously migrated to the sheath of his tetsusaiga. His breathing was heavy as he resting a hand on the sliding door in front of him. He knew that this was the right room. He could smell Kagome. But something was not right about the scent. He could smell blood and violation. Naraku had done something to Kagome, he was sure of it. His nose never lied about what it picked up. Anger and frustration flooded his chest. But he had to stay as calm as possible. He had to at least get closer to Kagome and be there to protect her.


Naraku smiled. They had come, alright. And he could sense the wrath that was conceived in Inuyasha's heart.

A lover's wrath. Let's see how strong this half-demon really is, and what he really feels about this useless wench. Some incarnation of Kikyo.


Inuyasha steadied his hand and with one quick move he opened the door to reveal the crimson glow of the fire that burned in the hearth. His heart pounded in his ears. Frantically, he looked around the darkness of the room. In the very back, he could see Kagome's limp form.

Like a swarm of mad insects that were about to sting him, he made a mad dash toward the unmoving figure. His eyes were wide in shock. His woman was lying motionless, face-down, her cheek to the ground and her eyes were wide and empty.

And so he stood for a moment, holding the barely warm hand of the girl that lay in front of him, his world collapsing into the void he had known for most of his life. He was frozen, for fear that he had lost his beloved.