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Beyond Saddle Mountain, youkai spiders hung their webs in the corners of the ancient fortress. The only light in the great hall was the crackling fire in the central pit. The evil lord and his pale dark-haired woman lay entwined in the mounds of silk and furs on the futon before the fire.

A trembling servant rested a tray with sake jug and cups next to them on the platform and swiftly bowed his way out of the chamber. Naraku poured and handed one cup to the woman. "A toast to the return of my immortal bride," he purred and devoured his most treasured possession with his eyes.

His lady was only lately restored to consciousness from the fifty year period of regeneration after he snatched her remains from her funeral pyre. She stretched and draped herself over the dark lord. "I thirst and the craving grows unbearable. Will you not provide me with stronger drink, my lord?"

Naraku rose and padded to the doorway. "Kagura, bring sustenance for the Lady Kikyo immediately," he commanded.

A few moments later Kagura entered, dragging two bound squirming, whimpering village children. She dropped them on the edge of the platform and left silently.

Kikyo trembled and her eyes filled with anguish for a moment, then shuddered and smiled with unholy joy, her fangs gleaming in the firelight. She pounced and began to feed. Naraku quickly joined her in the feasting.

Inuyasha struggled and growled; his red eyes filled with hate. He showed no other signs of transforming to his animalistic youkai state. They left him on the ground, safely immobilized by the sutras.

Sango approached the group and introduced herself. They all gathered around the fire while Kagome ladled soup into their bowls. Miroku recounted what they had observed while Sesshoumaru was gone.

Kagome approached Inuyasha with a bowl. "Do you want some soup?"

Jaws snapping, he tried to lunge toward her. Snarling viciously, he lay on the ground panting. A guttural growl turned into "Blood . . . want blood."

Kagome jumped away and returned to the fire. She swept up Shippo and hugged him. She could not stop trembling. She had never seen Inuyasha this insane, even when transformed to his youkai state. Shippo ventured a timid question, "Do you think Myoga infected him somehow?"

Sango crouched and peered closely at the slavering hanyou. "Has he shown any unusual wounds recently?" she asked the group.

Jaken sidled closer to the vampire slayer and groveled. "Lady Slayer, this humble one has seen a black wound on his neck and red and black trails snaking down his spine. And he was covered in a carrion stench that took much scrubbing to remove."

"Hmm," she muttered, considering. She drew one of her knives from its wrist sheath and made a small cut on her hand. Pooling the blood in her palm she approached Inuyasha.

The hanyou became frantic, attempting to lunge toward the tantalizing scent. Sango stood over him and let the blood fall on to his mouth and lips. He opened his mouth wide and lapped all the blood from around his mouth. "More," he growled.

Sango turned away and returned to the fire, taking a drink from her bowl, pausing to compose her thoughts. "It is as I suspected; he has the vampire plague."

Kagome cried. "How can we cure him? You must tell us," she begged.

Sango frowned and sighed. It was always this way; the worst was telling the families. "There is no cure. He will only grow worse, rampaging and attacking all in his path, infecting any who survive his attacks. He must be put down."

"No, no, no . . ." Kagome began to sob loudly. Shippo began to whimper. The monk looked troubled and began chanting prayers softly.

Sango continued, "It should be done before twilight. He will be at his strongest after night fall." She rose and drew a wooden sword from a scabbard inscribed with mystical symbols.

Sesshoumaru was suddenly in her path. "He is the get of my father. The responsibility belongs to this Sesshoumaru. He is mine to kill."

Sango argued. "He must be staked through the heart with a blessed wooden weapon or he will rise again undead, my lord."

Sesshoumaru stood still, considering. "Do it then," he commanded.

Before any of the others could react, Sango leapt forward and plunged her sword through Inuyasha's heart. He groaned once, shuddered and lay still.