Chapter 3: Rage

Kagome woke up earlier than usual the next morning. Luckily for her, Youko had already gone out on his patrol. She walked into the front hall to find Kuronue sprawled out with his bottom half on top of a chair and the rest hanging upside down off of it. He was knocked out cold and snoring lightly. Kagome couldn't contain her giggles as she crept up behind him.

"HI KURO!" Kagome yelled inches from the back of his head. Kuronue jumped up, successfully falling flat on his face and bumping his head on the wall in the process.

"What the fuck woman!" He said getting up and rubbing the growing bump on his skull. Kagome blushed slightly when she caught herself staring at a very shirtless Kuronue. He must have noticed, because he shot her a mischievous grin before slipping his shirt back over his toned chest and stomach. Kunronue's raven locks were unbound and fell down his back in gorgeous waves. As she watched him, Kagome turned a less than subtle shade of cherry red. She bit her lip and futilely tried her hardest to focus on literally anything else. Kuronue felt himself stiffen, picturing her in the most delicious of positions. Why was this human so attractive suddenly? He thought to himself, shuffling awkwardly.

"Hey!" He said finally shaking it off and putting his hair up and his hat back on. "Come on I want to show you something." He took her hand and brought her outside of the cave before grabbing her by the waist. "Hold on!" He laughed as he opened his wings and took to the skies. Kagome shrieked and shut her eyes tightly. "Relax, I'm not going to let you fall," Kagome felt herself trembling as she opened her eyes slowly. "wow this is beautiful!" She said taking in the breath-taking sky view of their grounds. Kuronue flew low over a lake so she could dip her fingers in the sparking water as they zoomed by. She smiled brightly as the water splashed her and again, they ascended. Kagome's heart soared as high as the sky they were flying in. She screamed as he began to dive into a nearby forest.

"Relax. I said I wasn't going to let you get hurt, didn't I? Do you think I want Youko to kill me? He said as they landed in a small camp set up in the middle of the trees. "This is where I come to think, when I need to be alone. Its peaceful and I can forget about my problems... At least for a little while." He said quietly before sitting and patting the spot next to him. Kagome took the seat offered to her and smiled up at him. A long silence passed between them.

"Youko is going to make me swallow another one of those seeds, isnt he?" Kagome asked sadly.

"I don't know, youre off limits to me so I unfortunately have no say in what he does."

"I don't like the idea." She said leaning her head on his shoulder.

Kuronue stiffened and shuffled uncomfortably. He would never say this out loud, but this tiny human was starting to grow on him. He felt bad for her, she wasn't like other humans. Kagome felt Kuronue put his arms around her and looked up only for his lips to catch hers. Kagome's eyes shot open before she kissed him back. He leaned over her and laid her back on the blanket they were sitting on, placing his hands on either side of her head. "Kuro.." She thought as she deepend the kiss, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Was she actually into this? Or was this just residual power from Youko's plant? Her mind was racing. The one thing she knew for certain was that she didn't want him to stop.

"I'm so sorry Kagome, I let my desire take over me." Kuronue sighed when they finally broke apart. Kagome was breathing havily and her mind was foggy from their passionate kiss.

"For what? I kissed you back." she asked, blushing again.

"Yeah I guess so.. Come on, Youko will be mad if he gets back before we do." Kuronue said getting up and pulling a few twigs from Kagome's hair.

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"Dammit! Still no sign of Kagome or those fucking demons!" Inuyasha yelled as he desperately tried to get either Kagome's scent or that of her captors.

"We just asked some locals. No luck yet." Sango said sadly.

"We're never gonna find her!" Shippo wailed loudly through his tears.

"Shut up Shippo. We're going to find her if it's the last thing I do." Inuyasha snapped.

"Maybe we should consider getting help from the wolves. Kouga can get the other tribes to help and cover more ground?" Miroku suggested.

"I don't need that flea bag's help." Inuyasha scoffed and continued ahead. Miroku shook his head at the stubborn hanyou before following him. "You'd think he'd swallow his pride so we could get Kagome back faster, but no."

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Kagome shivered as the cold night air kissed her nude body. She decided to take a bath in the lake that night. The moon was full and reflected in the large pool around her.

"Kuro, why is that no one can find this place?" She asked as she sat on the submerged rocks below.

"Youko cloaked this place in Kitsune magic so we remain hidden. Only those permitted can get here or even see the path that leads up the mountain." Kuronue answered from behind a nearby tree.

"So even if Inuyasha and the others were looking for me.. They would never be able to find me." She thought miserably. It was getting late and Youko had yet to return from his patrol. Kagome wrapped herself in a towel before getting out of the waist high water near the riverbank. "I'm done Kuro." She said grabbing her pack and walking back toward the cave. Kuronue got up and followed her to her room. Waiting for them on her bed, was Youko.

"Get dressed." He demanded as he tossed a night dress at her. Kuronue sighed and shut the door, leaving her to Youku's torment. Kagome did as she was told and slipped it over her head.

"What are you doing Youko!?" She cried as he grabbed her arm roughly.

"I found out today that you have some people looking for you. I won't hesitate to kill them all if they get anywhere near here. Don't think I don't know about your little excursion off the grounds this afternoon. Both of your scents were all over that forest,"

Kagome looked nervously at her feet. She wanted to run away but she needed to wait for the right moment. "I just wanted to have a little fun." Kagome said, tears now spilling down her cheeks.

"I don't care! You are to stay on the grounds at all times!" Youko yelled, getting in her face.

Kagome nodded. "I'm sorry." Youko left her standing in the middle of the room and slammed the door. Kagome fell back onto her bed sobbing. "I'm never going to get out of here." She cried miserably.

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"Inuyasha wait for us!" Sango yelled after him as he ran into the forest. It was faint and almost completely covered with the smell of fox and roses, but it was definitely Kagome's scent. Inuyasha skidded to a stop in front of Kuronue's camp. "She was here. In this spot. She can't be far from here!" he yelled, continuing north with the others following close behind on Kirara.

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Kagome packed up her bag and put her school uniform back on when she was positive both Youko and Kuronue were asleep. "I'm getting the hell out of here tonight." She said as she grabbed the bow and arrows that she managed to sneak back from Youko. She silently opened the door and crept along the cave's wall. The passages were eerily silent and dark. When she reached the main hall where Kuronue's post was, she stopped for a moment to make sure the bat was still asleep. He was sitting with his back against the wall and she heard faint snoring coming from him. Shaking off her apprehension, she made her way through the door to the mountain's path. She began to bolt down the steep slope, almost falling as she skidded on the dirt.

"I'm going to see Inuyasha and the others again!" She thought happily as she made a break for the forest. The trees seemed to blur around her as she sprinted through them. Suddenly, she was stopped in her tracks by a large lower-class demon. She rammed into him hard and was knocked back on her bottom. "Ugh...Ouch"

"Hey girly." The demon said as he licked his chops. "You'll make a fine snack." He dove at her and Kagome screamed and blocked her head with her pack.

"Iron reaver, soul stealer!" She heard before the demon before her fell to shreds.

"INUYASHA!" She yelled happily and hugged him tightly.

"Glad to see you're okay Kagome." He said hugging her back. Sango, Miroku and Shippo soon appeared riding on Kirara's back.

"KAGOME!" She heard a familiar voice coming at her fast. Shippo ran for her and jumped into her arms.

"Awe Shippo!" She said hugging her son like friend close to her chest. "I've missed you all so much." Kagome said petting his head. Inuyasha smiled, putting his sword away and going to pick up Kagome only to be knocked on his ass by a quick flash of black.

"Why you son of a bitch! I'll pulverize you!" Inuyasha growled, pulling out his sword again.

"I would love to see you try." Kuronue smirked and unhooked his scythes from his belt.

"Guys stop!" Kagome pleaded. Both demons stopped and looked at her in confusion.

"Come on Kagome." Inuyasha said grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. Kuronue growled loudly, but just as he went to get Kagome back Inuyasha was knocked down and pinned by a snarling Youko. His fangs were bared and his had was wrapped tightly around the hanyou's throat. Inuyasha's blood began to pool around the tips of his sharp claws.

"Stay away from her!" Youko growled through clenched teeth.

Thick thorned roots emerged from the earth and wrapped around Inuyasha tightly binding him to the ground. The others faced the same fate and couldn't escape. Kuronue stood behind the wall of roots and thorns and pressed the blade of his scythe to Miroku's throat. "One wrong move monk, and you'll slit your own throat." Sango struggled against the thorns. "Kirara!" She yelled. Out of nowhere the giant cat demon flew out of the sky and pinned Kuronue to the ground, biting at his face. Holding her face back with one of his hands, he stabbed her in the ribs with the other. The sharp blade of his scythe pierced her skin and she wailed loudly before reverting back into her much smaller neko form.

"Kirara!" Sango cried desperately from the thorns as she watched her closest friend bleed.

Kuronue picked up Kagome and took to the skies.

"Put me down or I'll purify you right now!" Kagome warned as her fingers began to glow with her reiki.

"Go ahead, do that and you will surely fall to your death." Kuronue said as they flew toward a nearby cliff. Kagome looked down and froze. They were at least one hundred feet in the air.

"I liked our last flight better." Kagome thought as she gave up.

Meanwhile

Youko continued relentlessly attacking Inuyasha. "Give up fox, you won't get me to die that easily." Inuyasha spat. Youko smirked wickedly, getting off him and raising his hand which began to glow. The vines binding Inuyasha began to unravel and return to the earth. Youko pulled a rose from his hair which he simply flicked, and it transformed into a long, thorned whip.

"This is my rose whip. It can easily cut through steel, so it should go through you pretty easily. Now fight me half breed." He yelled snapping his whip at him. Inuyasha pulled out the tetsusaiga, blocking his attack just in time. Youko began to run around him so fast that Inuyasha could barely see him. Youko slashed Inuyasha's shoulder, which sprayed blood. Inuyasha screamed in agony and landed on his knees. Youko pounced on top of him, once again grabbing him by the throat. Inuyasha grabbed his arm and struggled to get the crazed kitsune off of him to no avail. He was just too strong.

"Youko, she's trying to get away hurry up!" Kuronue yelled from the cliff ahead. Youko stopped growling and looked up at them before placing the rose for his whip back into his hair and standing up. "Consider yourselves lucky, stay away from Kagome, next time you won't survive." He said picking up Inuyasha and throwing him hard into the others before taking off after Kuronue.

Kuronue dropped Kagome on the cold stone floor of the cave when they got back to their hideout. "Why did you try to escape?" Kagome could hear the pain in his voice. "This won't be pretty when Youko gets here I hope you know that!" He said sounding worried. As if he was waiting for his que, Youko kicked the door open, grabbing Kagome by the wrist roughly and dragging her down the hallway, When they reached her bedroom he threw her on her bed, sending her belongings flying everywhere.

"I give you a little bit of freedom and this is what I get? You take off away from me?" Youko growled. Kagome trembled with fear as he pinned her down. He pryed her mouth open and forced in another seed. It once again slithered its way down her throat and a familiar haze began to wash over her. She felt his vines tightly bind her once again. "You're now confined to this room; you're not going anywhere." he said coldly before leaving her alone. Kagome curled up into a miserable ball and sobbed herself to sleep.

She was running down what seemed to be an endless hallway of white. Her vision blurred as she began to stumble.
"Inuyasha!" She yelled as she frantically tried to pick up the pace. Her heart pounded in her chest and she gasped desperately for air, she felt like her lungs were going to collapse. It was then when she saw it. What seemed to be so close but remained so far was Inuyasha collapsed in a heap. Behind him sat Youko covered in blood with a crazed look in his eyes.

"NO!" Kagome cried, holding her hand out trying to touch him only to be stopped by an invisible wall between them.

"I told you that you're mine now." Youko said getting up and picking Inuyasha up by the hair. He threw the hanyou's body toward her and he landed with a thud on his back. The face of the man she once loved was staring back at her, now blank, pale and his eyes were no longer there. Only bloody sockets remained. "INUYASHAAAAA!" Kagome screamed in horror.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Kuronue yelled as he shook the trembling girl. Tears were falling freely from her sleepnig eyes.

"Inuy..asha.." She whimpered as her eyes opened to a slit and she saw who saved her from the horrible nightmare. "Oh Kuronue! I was so scared!" She said crying and collapsing into his chest. He hugged her "It's ok it was just a dream" He said trying to comfort her without really knowing how to comfort anyone.

"It felt so real." She sniffled.

"It's over now." Kuronue said lifting her face so she was looking at him. He wiped her tears with his thumbs. "Don't be scared anymore." She nodded in response and clung to him tighter. Something inside of Kuronue burned. He had never felt like this before. He felt like whoever caused this pain needed to pay, and that someone was Youko.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Kuronue kicked his sleeping partner's leg. "Youko.."

Youko jumped up, changing into his fox form and baring his fangs threateningly.

"Calm down, its just me." Kuronue said putting his hands up in front of him. Youko changed back to his human form. "What do you want bat?"

"I want to go on a job." Kuronue said coldly, wishing it was his partner he was going after instead.

"It has been rather boring lately hasn't it?" Youko replied, putting on his robes.

Kuronue waited outside impatiently. It had been raining that night, so he couldn't fly and that was irritating him enough. Now he had to wait longer to blow off steam because of the stupid fox. Finally, Youko walked leisurely out of the cave.

"Took you long enough." Kuronue spat. Shrugging him off completely, Youko continued passed him. They walked into a secluded village not too far from their hideout. It was about an hour walk for most, but they were fast and managed to get there in less than half of that time. Kuronue hid high in the trees above as Youko transformed into his fox form to scope things out. There weren't a lot of houses, yet enough to satiate Kuronue's rage. There were eight in total. All of them looked as though they were going to fall apart and most had wooden beads instead of doors.

Youko sniffed curiously at the air, trying to put his finger on what he was smelling. Humans of course but there was something different nearby. It was foul and sweet at the same time. Like poison and nectar. Deciding to shelf his curiosity for now, he continued into the village. It was still sprinkling, but the rain had died down enough to allow Kuronue to fly. He hovered above youko in the sky, spinning one of his scythes impatiently waiting for the fox's signal. Youko went to the last corner of the village and transformed back, nodding his consent before leaving him to find the source of the strange smell.

Kuronue crept silently into one of the houses. Inside there was a woman sleeping with her dog beside her. Smirking, he bent down and shook her awake. Her eyes shot open from the shock.

"Hello." Kuronue said with a smirk as he slit her throat. Her blood sprayed all over him. "Ah it's been too long." He sighed. The dog began to bark at him only to receive the same treatment she did. He didn't enjoy killing animals, but he couldn't risk the dog waking the entire village. Some of them might escape. He looked through the house only to find a small bag of coins. "Useless wench." He said kicking aside the woman's spurting corpse.

The next house wasn't as easy. There was an entire family inside. They ran out of the house screaming in horror but their attempts at escape were futile. Kuronue was way too fast for them. He jumped onto the father who was trying to protect his two daughters who were hiding behind him. Kuronue disemboweled him and the man fell to his knees before hitting the cold ground to die.

"Please mister bat sir, don't hurt us." The older of the two girls begged.

"You better leave then if you don't want to watch your mommy die." Kuronue answered before flying into the air and pouncing on the woman below. The two girls took off crying into the woods.

Meanwhile..

Youko made his way through the trees as he sniffed the air. Then he finally found what he was looking for. A tall, regal demon stood before him. He had long silver hair, two swords strapped to his hip, purple demon markings on his cheeks and a blue crescent moon on his forehead. "So you're the source of the smell."

"Who are you." The demon turned to face him.

Youko drew his whip. "I am Youko Kurama, the bandit king, and you are?" Youko could smell him better now. "A dog demon."

"I am Lord Sesshomaru, ruler of the western lands. Put your weapon away fox, or this will be your last conversation."

Youko scoffed at him. "Why should I be scared of you? You barely look like a challenge. Plus you're a lord, you're bound to have something valuable for me."

"I'll make you eat those words." Sesshomaru said drawing his blade.

Youko raised his hand and thick thorns ensnared the dog lord. Sesshomaru smirked and the roots glowed green. A whip of pure energy sliced them to pieces. He darted after Youko, who was an exact match for him in speed. His poison claws cut into Youko's arm. Youko grimaced as the poison set in. He began to feel faint so he called up multiple plants to hold the dog lord just long enough for him to escape. "This isn't the last you've seen of me." He yelled as he fled. He spotted Kuronue polishing off his scythes in the middle of the massacred village. "Kuronue I've been poisoned...Fly me home..Quickly." He managed to get out before passing out.

Youko opened his heavy eyelids slowly to see Kagome hovering over him and Kuronue sitting in the corner as usual. He had a cool damp cloth on his forehead. He still felt terrible, but at least he was conscious. Kagome, who had been working silently on him gathered her things and put them back in her pack. She handed him a bowl of foul-smelling liquid. "Drink up. This will neutralize the poison completely." She snapped before leaving them and going back to her room. Youko sniffed the bowl cautiously. HIs nose wrinkled and if it wasn't attached, it would've jumped off his face from the smell alone. He groaned before gulping down the bowls contents. He dry heaved a few times before collapsing back into bed.

Kagome returned a few hours later with more of the antidote.

"Youko, who did this to you?" She asked, her heart was in her throat from feeling like she already knew the answer to that question. She didn't want to be around Youko at the moment, but she didn't exactly want him to die either. "Some dog lord? He caught me by surprise that's all." Youko replied, sitting back up again. Kagome turned white as a ghost.

"Was his name Sesshomaru?"

Youko nodded. "Yes, so what? He wasn't that tough."

Kuronue rolled his eyes and turned over on his side.

"Stupid fox." Kagome handed him more antidote after it was mixed. "Don't be so quick to underestimate him. You're lucky you're still alive."

Youko was both concerned and insulted at the same time. "Kagome, I pretty much matched him in power. You don't need to worry, I promise."

Kagome scoffed. "I'm not worried, I promise that much." She spat before going back to her room again.

"She won't talk to me." Youko said as he propped himself up with pillows. He was finally starting to feel better. "My plant seems to be losing some of its effectiveness."

Kuronue scoffed in response before he too left the fox by himself.