Disclaimer: This is a derivative work featuring characters from Rumiko Takahashi's series, Inuyasha, whom to which the characters belong. No copyright infringement is intended and I am not making any money from this creative venture.

Author's Note:Hello, hello! I've been working on this chapter for a while; thank you for your patience while I worked it out to get it just right! At this point, the story is going in an entirely different direction than the first upload I made a few years ago. To be honest—this new version is closer to the original vision I had imagined for this story. Go figure, right? I hope you enjoy!


It was as if the sun had never set. The moon was at its highest point in the sky and its persistent light illuminated everything in its path. Well, almost everything. There was a much darker place tucked into the country mountainside where the moon's pale fingers could not reach. A thick cloud of smog clung in the air there, only allowing the very peaks of the castle within to be visible against the nighttime sky.

After his visit to the elderly shaman some days ago, Naraku had returned to his home in the mist to focus on formulating a plan. It would be necessary to enlist the aid of another to get what he needed.

"Kanna," came a voice from the shadows of a formal sitting room. The sharp call hung in the air over the sounds of wet, cold slithering.

Floor panels creaked lightly in the adjoining hallway with the weight of an approaching figure.

The one who had called out opened his eyes and two red orbs materialized in the darkness. The door connecting the sitting room to the hall slid open and a ghostly individual entered, crossing the threshold before him.

The one who entered was a girl of small, dainty stature. Her thick, white mane settled about her stiffly and her starched white kimono seemed to dwarf her even more. She came to a stop and faced the red-eyed half-demon.

A rustling of cloth and wet skin could be heard as he shifted. As if a silent cue, the girl in white thrust forward a silver inlaid mirror, allowing her master full view of the image materializing across its surface.

"Good girl." The approval was evident in his voice. "Kagura, have you arrived?"

Silence cloaked the room as the two individuals waited. The one the half-demon addressed was not in the room.

"Oh, but can't you see where I am, Naraku?" came the snide, feminine reply through the very mirror the young girl in white held. She used no honorific with her master's name.

"I'll overlook your tone… for now," the darkness couldn't hide the sneer upon the half-demon's face, but his voice was calm. "Make sure you lure him away. I want him alone."

"I am well aware, Naraku. Now, if I may have the chance to concentrate. I've got work to do for which I have you to thank." The surface of the mirror dipped and swirled as it focused on the owner of the agitated voice. She was expertly hidden in the limbs of a tree.

"My, my. You're very much welcome, Kagura. It isn't often I hear such words of gratitude from your lips. Please, you'll spoil me."

The woman in the mirror's reflection clenched and grit her teeth so loudly that the sound reverberated through the mirror and into the room. The woman may not have known if her master had heard, but his booming laugh was evidence enough that he had and she frowned anew.

"I'll signal you when the deed's done," the woman said in a clipped tone and snapped her fan shut.


"Jaken-sama!"

Silence.

"Ohh, Jaaaken-sama!"

Still, no reply.

"Oh, JAA—"

"What, girl, what?! What is the purpose of your incessant noise?" The shout came from a toad demon with bulging, cat-like eyes. His breath came in pants and his beak of a mouth was set in a snarl—if one could call it that.

"Oh?" The girl who'd called him looked over her shoulder innocently enough. The toad demon's sharp reply seemed to stun her but her surprise dissipated quickly enough and a grin took root on her face. "I've got a question for you, is all, Jaken-sama."

"Well? Out with it! You're wasting my precious time!"

"Jaken," a third voice entered the fray. This voice was calm, deep, and terribly demanding. The mere mention of his own name froze Jaken in place and his manner immediately became deferent. The toad demon turned slowly towards his master.

"Y-y-yes, mi-lord?"

"Don't rush her."

"Oh… yes, mi-lord. My humblest apologies. I only wished to eagerly appease her curiosity," his voice waned in strength the longer he went on.

The young girl giggled childishly as she suddenly sprang to her feet and walked over to where the toad demon sat. His eyes were twitching.

"Well, what is it, dearest Rin?" the toad demon asked quietly.

"I was just wondering… would you be taller if you didn't get stepped on so much?"

The toad demon sat in silence for a minute. Then, his beak fell open.

"What?! How dare you, you impertinent wretch of a human—"

"Jaken."

The commanding voice spoke the toad-demon's name again. There was a warning there and it made the toad demon stop short. "Y-y-yes, mi-lord?"

"Answer the question."

The toad demon balked. "B-b-but, master…"

The young girl, Rin, clapped her hands eagerly as she awaited the response.

"I-I…" the toad's large eyes swiveled around like a gecko's before he looked toward where his master sat for some form of assistance. "Master-"

His master was nowhere to be found.

The toad demon jumped to his feet when he realized that the regal dog-demon no longer occupied the tree against which he had been reclining. "H-huh?! Where did he…?! Master Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru-sama, where—"

"Huh?" Rin quipped, looking around just as confusedly as the toad. "Wow… you're so fast, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The girl looked around excitedly before her eyes settled back on her lord's toad retainer. He was looking at her strangely.

"Jaken-sama?"

The toad's large eyes narrowed and the corners of his beak curled up into a cruel, beak-like smile.

"It looks like you'll have to wait for your answer, stupid girl!" the toad's mouth split wide and he began to cackle.

THUNK!

Rin's hands flew to her mouth as she regarded the once-upright retainer. "Ooh, Jaken-sama! You don't look so good!" The toad was now lying prostate on the ground, a large, sweltering lump quickly forming on his head where a large stone had struck him. His eyes were rolling comically in their sockets and the girl's hands tightened around her mouth. Her own eyes bulged slightly before she sat back on her heels, made a calming gesture with her hands, and then stood to skip off to the surrounding field.

"…Don't… go… anywhere…?" the semi-conscious toad croaked.


Kagura jumped swiftly from her hidden perch and landed lightly on the forest floor. A gust of wind washed over her, smoothing her appearance. The woman flicked her wrist, causing her lacquered fan to fall open. Bringing it to cover the lower half of her face, she stood in wait.

Quiet as a fox, a figure cloaked in white parted the forestry as if in search of a destination only he knew. His strides were as stealthy as they were assured. Every footstep was deliberate, carefully placed, and yet the figure was making steady headway towards his destination.

"Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru. The wind tells me you draw near," the man's eyes narrowed at the sound of the feminine voice that called out to him. His adversary was still some ways ahead of him and yet her voice sounded as if she were everywhere at once. The man's right hand balled into a fist and he used it to push aside some low-hanging foliage that obscured his view of the woman before him. An abrupt and unnatural breeze blew through the forest then, ruffling his hair and causing him to narrow his eyes.

"Is it only the wind that tells you so, demoness?"

"I'm sure you know exactly who's brought me here."

The dog-demon made no visual acknowledgement of her statement. Instead, he jerked his head to the side, clearing misplaced strands of silver hair from his face.

Kagura snapped her fan shut, sending a reverberating clack through the trees. "Forgive my rudeness, Lord Sesshoumaru, but I've grown weary. For a moment, I feared you would ignore my calls and leave me here to rue in loneliness."

All Kagura got in response was a light scoff and a bored look. Her right hand tensed about her fan. The demon lord didn't seem particularly chatty tonight. Appearing to come to terms with the demon lord's standoffishness, the wind-demon raised her fan and made an abrupt slashing motion with it through the air.

Suddenly, and out of nowhere, silver disks of embodied wind materialized and mimicked the demoness's movements, soaring through the small space and aiming to render the demon lord's body to pieces.

Sesshoumaru grunted as he dodged quickly to the left, his longest sword already in hand. His long hair hadn't yet settled about him before he was dodging again to the right, narrowly missing another onslaught of sharpened wind blades. The dog demon bared his teeth in agitation as several young saplings slid to the forest floor behind him. The demoness didn't appear to be holding back.

Flinging her fan open, Kagura altered her motion and brought the fan sharply across in front of her. A strong gust of wind blew towards her target. The dog demon narrowed his eyes and he tensed as he braced himself against the onslaught. A half-second later he was sprinting straight toward the wind demon, his sword held at the ready behind him. As he neared, the wind demon raised her left hand before her and swept her fan across it. Droplets of blood trickled from her hand and down her raised arm. The dog demon slowed his ascent ever so slightly before doubling over in crippling pain. The hesitation lasted for only a moment before the dog demon caught his footing and sprang back a couple of steps. He brought his sleeve before his face, red-tinged eyes glowering at the enemy before him.

Kagura let her arms fall to her sides and from her left hand slid the shattered, bloody pieces of a broken glass vial. Whatever had been in the vial had caked with the blood on her left hand and left the dog demon gasping audibly. The demoness smirked. Sesshoumaru's low growl filled the space and the demoness tensed visibly.

"What brings you to hide your face from me?" Kagura questioned innocently as she raised her open fan once more.

What was once a growl turned into an open mouthed snarl. Sesshoumaru dropped his arm with swift deftness. His face was twitching, his nose and eyes a raw red.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" the woman called to him, but the dog demon shook his head as if disoriented. His eyes narrowed and he grimaced, starting slightly when he wrinkled his nose. His eyes widened suddenly before he repeatedly flicked his face from side to side as though attempting to dislodge some foreign object from his face. After a few seconds, whatever ailed him seemed to pass and he focused, determined anew, to somewhere immediately to Kagura's left. The demoness turned her head in confusion as she looked to where the demon lord stared. But she was alone here.

Out of nowhere, the demon lord crouched down into a defensive position, still staring fixedly to the left of the wind-demon. Confusion rooted deeper in Kagura's face and she brought her fan close to her bosom, ready to protect herself as best as she was able. And, then, he sprung.


"Naraku!" the demoness had transported so fast that when she made it back to safety, her momentum sent her spilling across the floor.

Kagura's frazzled appearance was a stark contrast to the quiet and tranquility of Naraku's formal sitting room. She jerked and shivered and fought to catch her breath and yet her master continued to look on as if nothing were amiss.

"Back so soon? I thought I told you to subdue him?"

The demoness flung her head up with such ferocity that the bones in her neck popped and the sound echoed through the room. "What did you give him?!"

"Oh?" the spider demon quizzed, head tilting slightly to the side. "I gave him nothing. It was all you, my dear—and yet, you managed to fuck even that up."

"You sent me to die!" Kagura cried suddenly, clutching at her disheveled clothing. "Do not pretend as if you did not witness the way he attacked me!"

"Attacked you? I don't think you stuck around long enough for him to do much of anything, really. He's a wounded dog, Kagura, his reaction's to be expected."

"You bas—"

"What, 'you bastard'? Oh, come now. We must work on the diversity of your vocabulary." The pale spider demon was still cloaked in darkness but his malicious smile shone brilliantly in the dark. "That shall be for another time, however. I must finish what you failed to."

"I did just as you asked of me," the wind-demon growled, clutching her bloody shoulder. "You were supposed to interfere!"

"Oh, but I will. Just not when you had expected me to. Truly, Kagura, must you be so dimwitted? You berate my name every chance you get and yet you fail to even understand your true purpose here? You need me, Kagura."

The demoness did not answer, only clutched viciously at her throat. Her eyes bulged, much as the dog demon's had, and her open mouth formed a twisted oval as she fought to catch breath that was steadily escaping her.

Naraku looked on with mild interest as he tightened his fist until the ends of his claws made him bleed. The wind-demon's condition appeared to worsen with the flexing of his fist. He continued to loosen and retighten his hand until his first reincarnation fell to the floor, hands now clawing at her throat.

"What, no retaliation? No vicious, quick-witted response? You're losing your touch, Kagura. I suppose that tongue of yours isn't much use to you when you don't have any air, now is it? Is it?"

Suddenly, Naraku relaxed his hand and wind demoness inhaled sharply. She twitched on the polished floor, the fresh strangulation burning away any pretense she held.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" The spider demon stared affectionately at the wind-demon before lifting his eyes to pin the ghostly girl with a stare. Kanna had never left, and yet, she had never been there at all. Her smoky, black eyes never left Kagura's form, however, even as she vanished from view.

Naraku ran a hand through his air and flipped it from his eyes. "Must I do everything?"

Slowly yet gracefully, the spider demon rose to his feet. The sounds of retracting tentacles filled the room as Naraku composed himself, calling back the appendages that had made his bed in the day. Once he again resembled a man and his clothing had knitted back together, he walked steadily towards the trembling wind-demon's prostrate figure.

Kagura crumpled in on herself as her master approached. With each rustle of his robes, Kagura grit her teeth further.

And then there was silence.

Confused, the wind-demon opened guarded eyes. She was alone in the room.


Unwillingly, the demon lord had collapsed to one knee. He refused to prostrate himself upon the ground; his knuckles were white around the hilt of Tokijin as he used the sword to keep himself upright. The dog demon wore a bemused expression, but there was no humor there. The way he jerked to and fro suggested he was no longer completely aware of his surroundings and the unfamiliarity of it made him hyper aware.

What had happened here?

The dog demon had went on the offensive against the wind-demon, managing to injure her and send her on a retreat. That is when he had collapsed to the ground, having theretofore fought through the blistering pain that caused his eyes to screw shut and his breathing to come out in quick pants. He had been poisoned with something, but with what, there was no clue. The wind demon had crushed some sort of vial in her hand, hadn't she?

The demon lord jerked his head up suddenly. The sound of crunching foliage echoed through the trees. Something was approaching. At least he could still hear.

The slightest gleam of metal caught the demon's eye before the reflected light threatened to blind him completely. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, unwilling to divert his attention.

Soon, a young girl close to his own human ward's age came into view. A hint of recognition flitted across the demon lord's face as he forced himself upright.

"Naraku, I know you are not far behind. Show yourself," Sesshoumaru growled and his grip tightened on his sword.

Despite his call, there was none other to be addressed save for the small girl. She had come alone.

"Cease your folly, you halfbred scum. Show yourself!" the sharply bit out command was punctuated with a finely tuned swing of his sword towards the mysterious girl in front of him. His sword was no regular sword, however; the simple motion created a vortex of demonic energy that flew in electrically charged currents towards the mirror-wielding girl.

Just as the energy made contact a burst of light filled the forest bright enough to rival the sun. This time Sesshoumaru did not relent; he shielded his eyes with his sleeves.

"Attacking children now, are we? Sesshoumaru-sama, I would have thought even you above such a vile thing. Must an enemy teach you morals?"

"You are a coward. You send a child to do your bidding. The fault is all your own."

"No. More like, I had to intervene so you wouldn't tear the poor girl to pieces. Really, what would your young Rin say?"

The unspoken challenge was met with a ferocious growl from the demon lord. Slowly, the strong light that had filled the space began to fade, leaving a shimmering path in its wake. It would seem that it had not been just any ordinary burst of light, but a remnant of the deflection of Sesshoumaru's earlier attack. The fading light revealed that the girl was no longer alone. Just to her right and slightly behind stood a tall half-demon with untamable tendrils of inky black hair and eyes the color of blood.

"Naraku," the name was spat with the utmost vehemence from the demon lord. Sesshoumaru flicked his sword. He was growing impatient.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," the spider demon inclined his head in acknowledgement of the other. "It's been a while. What have you been up to as of late?"

No more words were wasted as the dog demon leapt into action, diving forward with his sword drawn back, ready to swipe at the enemy.

The spider demon quirked a bow but didn't move. "Kanna."

The ghostly girl in white thrust her mirror forward.

Sesshoumaru brought his sword down aiming to split that very mirror in two. His blow did not connect, however; instead, the mirror had created a barrier between them that ebbed and fought against the onslaught of the demon lord's demonic energy. Energies clashed and the mirror rebelled, its own enchanted torrent thrusting against the dog demon's sword and sending the wielder catapulting back into a forced squat.

The dog demon attacked again.

Once again, the young girl thrust her mirror forward in deflection but a signal from the tall demon beside her had her quickly withdrawing.

Sesshoumaru's lips curled into a cruel smirk as he did not deter his attack. Without the young girl mirror to defend, his strike was sure to land. The demon lord pivoted ever so slightly to the side, the sword curving swiftly towards the pale spider demon.

Naraku turned his body abruptly and the sword sailed past. The wielder did not falter but instead redirected the swing into a sweeping backwards arch. This, too, the spider demon avoided, completely disappearing and reappearing with the young girl several feet away.

Sesshoumaru's hair settled about him haphazardly, giving him a mad appearance. "Does your cowardice know no bounds, Naraku?"

The spider demon didn't answer but his eyes were narrowed. Sesshoumaru's mouth twisted into another feisty smirk. Without a moment's hesitation, the dog demon swung his sword behind him without advancing. Ground was torn and rocks were sent flying as Sesshoumaru's demonic energy manifested and formed, sailing towards the pair again.

Kanna thrust her mirror forward again and, this time, Naraku did not stop her.

The same blinding white light filled the trees as Sesshoumaru's attack was deflected.

"Enough of your games!" the demon lord bit out, arm lifted and ready to strike anew.

"Are you well, demon lord?" the question was spoken quietly.

The dog demon gave no answer as he rushed towards the spider demon. Naraku visibly tensed but as soon as Sesshoumaru was upon him again, he was able to deflect the demon lord's attack without so much as a bat of the eye.

A look of curiosity passed over the spider's face but the look was soon gone as a sharp elbow connected solidly with his jaw.

The spider demon had been caught unawares.

"Ughff!" The force of the blow sent the spider skidding several feet. Circumstances considered, the demon lord's close range attacks were still quite effective. "That was a lucky shot."

"Stand, half-breed. We shall end this."

The look Naraku shot the other was an odd mixture of exasperation and pure, unadulterated surprise. "Is there something wrong?"

"Do not speak as if we are civil, scum. To your feet or I'll detach them from your very body."

Naraku shook his head and climbed carefully to his feet. He looked mistrusting.

"Again, I ask, are you well?"

"That is of no concern to you!" Sesshoumaru dove forward again, but this time, Naraku was not prepared to parry the attack and he paid for it with a sever to his right leg.

The spider demon's mouth fell open in false-pain as he yelled in frustration.

"You cursed dog, listen to me!" Naraku's fangs were bared and his fists clenched tightly as several ill-formed tentacles sprang from the stump left of his right leg and knitted themselves together to form a new appendage. The severed leg became as a slug on the ground and melted into the earth.

The spider demon's shout stalled the dog demon's onslaught if for but a moment. The dog demon looked affronted.

"You dare forget your place?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as his pupils shrunk to the size of pinpoints.

Naraku slowly closed his mouth as he forced himself straighter and smoothed his haori. "Forgive the offense, my lord, but something is the matter here and I intend to find out what that something is."

Sesshoumaru's expression didn't reveal any curiosity but he did stall his sword. The dog demon stood straighter as well. "What vile do you speak?"

Naraku's lip lifted again but he seemed to think better of it and fixed his expression into one of conciliation.

"Forgive me—again, my lord—but something seems off. Believe me when I say that I'm not proud to admit that I'm strangely besting you when I otherwise should have lost."

A low growl could be heard coming from the dog demon and Naraku continued on hurriedly. "You've managed to alleviate me of just one limb in all this time. Even I find that puzzling," the spider demon admitted, smirking humorlessly.

"You venture to insinuate that this Sesshoumaru's fighting is not to your ill-conceived standards?"

The spider demon seemed to think it over before answering. "Yes, I do venture."

Sesshoumaru growled again before launching into a new attack. He thrust his sword at the spider demon, but the spider managed to spin around and end up somehow behind the dog. Sesshoumaru turned quickly, edge of his blade at the ready to split Naraku in two, but he was met with air.

"Your eyes are red."

Sesshoumaru blinked twice realizing that the one who was just there was no longer anywhere to be found. He paused stiffly, head tilting in inquisition ever so slightly to the side.

Naraku was behind him again.

The dog demon spun abruptly to face the spider who did not move an inch.

"Your nose is red, too. Is it common for demons to catch cold? I honestly wouldn't know."

"You inbred fool. You know not what you speak."

"You do seem a bit winded, my lord. It isn't like you—if I may be so bold to say."

The spider demon fell forward suddenly.

Naraku's face was frozen in shock before the need to expectorate overtook him. He hacked onto the ground and saw that it was blood; the dog demon had kneed him in the stomach. The spider straightened cautiously, half expecting the dog to strike again. He gave him a pointed glare. "That was hardly necessary."

The dog demon's expression was blank.

Naraku growled with increasing frustration. "Look. I don't know what farce you are trying to pull, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I don't take very kindly to surprise attacks on my charges."

Sesshoumaru's harsh bark of laughter made the spider jump.

"Your idiocy astounds me. You must think this Sesshoumaru a fool."

Naraku gave the dog demon a perplexed, if not annoyed, look. His eyes swiveled down to the sword the dog demon still held at the ready.

"Not at all, but to think you'd proactively attack my reincarnations in an attempt to woo me out—all while being alone—well, I just wonder why you never acted sooner."

The dog demon growled again and Naraku took a half-step back, tensing for another surprise attack.

"Did you attack Kanna to get at me, Sesshoumaru-sama? Is that it? You really didn't have to go through the trouble—"

"You continue to spout absurdity. I will defeat you just as I defeated your demoness of the wind!" Sesshoumaru tossed the sword to change his grip and dove forward with the end extended, aiming to skewer the spider demon through the heart.

But Naraku didn't move in time.

The tip of the sword bit into the spider demon's flesh. The spider fell backwards to deflect the full force of the blade but the dog demon still managed to cut through him, sending a spray of miasma into the air that had the demon lord faltering and jumping away.

Strangely, the dog demon had lost his earlier bravado and was beginning to claw frantically at his nose and face. Something was definitely amiss.

"Demoness of the wind?" Naraku spoke curiously before reaching forward and pulling the sword out by the blade. He tossed it aside, the dog demon's attention snapping to him as the sword connected dully with the forest floor. "That bitch."

The dog demon slowed his attentions but kept eyes fixed firmly on the enemy before him.

Carefully, Naraku took to his feet. His haori was ripped where Sesshoumaru's sword had impaled him but the flesh was already beginning to close. Thick gobs of pus flowed and ebbed from the wound, an unfortunate reaction to the powerful dog demon's demonic energy clashing with his own.

The spider shook his head viciously before letting go a booming laugh that made Sesshoumaru frown.

"That bitch. How dare she?! I give her a little freedom, just a little and the bitch tries to undermine me. The nerve of that churlish, mindless bitch!"

The ferocity with which the spider demon swore made even his enemy stare. It wasn't long, however, before the dog demon stood and retrieved his sword. With the way he placed the sword back at his hip, Sesshoumaru had every intention of leaving the cur to his own mindless musings.

Sesshoumaru had turned and made it part way out of the vicinity before a small, overheard admission brought the demon lord to a standstill.

"She poisoned you."

The dog demon was frozen in place. He didn't attack, he didn't turn around. He didn't even breathe.

"Did you hear me, Sesshoumaru-sama? She poisoned you!" the words were spoken harshly, spat even. Perhaps it was his tone that finally caused the dog demon to turn back around.

"Explain yourself." Sesshoumaru spoke calmly and yet Naraku visibly tensed again.

"It is a toxin—a venom—she used on you. I had gone through great lengths to procure it. It is a venom native to a very powerful serpent demon on the Mainland. The serpent lives underground and is only seen once every thousand years. To be incredibly honest, I hadn't intended such a precious commodity be used on you—"

Before another word could fall from the spider demon's lips, strong claws pinched his throat, clamping off his air supply and causing him to drool.

"Fix this," the dog demon spoke dangerously low. The force of the dog demon's hold on him was excruciating. It wasn't clear whether the dog demon wished to threaten the spider… or kill him.

The half demon could not speak, only clutch desperately at the magenta striped wrist that held him vulnerable. Naraku was in trouble; the way his eyes bulged and his face reddened, it was obvious he hadn't used a doppelganger this time. Naraku had come before the dog demon in the flesh, flesh that was yielding dangerously to the canine's sharp claws.

The spider tore at the dog demon's wrist, ruining the porcelain skin and yet Sesshoumaru's hold did not abate. "L-llleeehhh"

Suddenly the dog demon released him and Naraku slumped forward, hands bracing on his knees. Naraku growled, his mouth wide and fangs elongated.

"That was uncalled for—!"

"You caused this, you will fix this," Sesshoumaru bit back just as ferociously. The hand that had been around the spider's throat now trembled lightly over the hilt of Tokijin, ready to draw at even the slightest bit of resistance.

Naraku eyed Sesshoumaru through the errant curls that fell across his face. He turned his head and spat. Straightening, he smoothed his robes defiantly and yet somehow missed straightening his disheveled collar. The spider looked unsettled.

It was a few tense moments before the spider demon spoke again.

"It is an ancient toxin. It is not so simple as mixing a concoction to reverse the effects," Naraku began but stopped abruptly when the dog demon's growling began anew. "Let me finish," Naraku demanded, barely above a whisper. Though the growling didn't cease, it quieted somewhat—no doubt the dog demon's effort to better hear the spider's proclamation. "Though there is no known antivenin, I can give you something for the side effects until we figure out how to eradicate it from your system."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened considerably and his mouth fell open slightly revealing glinting fangs that seemed too large for his humanoid mouth. Naraku hurried through the rest of his explanation before the dog could begin to formulate the threat he was no doubt imagining.

"Come to my castle. I will give you something to restore your sense of smell—that's what's affected, yes?"

The dog demon fell silent and Naraku's mouth twitched.

"You have done the unimaginable, half-breed, and you will pay with your life."

"I have done nothing, let us not forget."

"You are responsible for the actions of your wards."

Naraku paused suddenly, eyes focusing somewhere far off before he drug them back slowly to focus on the dog demon. "Speaking of wards, where are yours?"

The dog demon bristled visibly and reached forward to strike at the spider demon but his claws closed around air. This time, the spider demon had escaped.

Sesshoumaru spun around quickly and rushed stiffly back to the site of their camp.

The way proved difficult for the demon lord. His arms stretched out to steady himself and his eyes searched furtively for any trace of the path that he had taken. Eventually, he broke through the tree line and into the clearing where young Rin and Jaken had waited patiently for him.

There was no one there.

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath and paused.

He let the breath out with a rush.

He tried again, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes as if to concentrate.

The dog demon froze, realization blooming across his face.

"So… it is true. Rest easy, demon lord. They are with me. The path will be made clear to you," a disembodied voice echoed everywhere at once. The owner of the voice was nowhere to be found but the recognition was apparent in the dog demon's expression. Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly as his eyes scanned about the clearing. His right hand flexed and his claws sharpened… but he was alone.

"This way."

Sesshoumaru's head whipped sharply to the side. This voice was closer, he could hear it. Out of the darkness of the trees emerged a white sleeve. The young girl in white appeared before him again, still clutching her brilliant mirror. She stared blankly into space before turning and disappearing into the trees again.

Sesshoumaru did not move.

A hollow chuckle floated through the breeze. Naraku. He was speaking again.

"I wouldn't lose sight of her if I were you."

Stiffly, Sesshoumaru began to follow.


Thank you so much for reading! Reviews & hello's are much appreciated!