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: To all those still keeping up with this story, I'm sorry for the long wait guys! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. I welcome any feedback and comments you may have! I can learn a lot from you guys. Thanks for reading!


Fallen leaves and tinder crunched underfoot as the ghostly girl led the way to a destination only she knew. The demon lord followed silently a few feet behind, his eyes trained on the ground in front of him. They had walked now for hours over the thick terrain. Although the moon had once been bright, there was no sign of it here in the deepest part of the forest. The ensnaring limbs of the trees were sign enough that this wasn't a well-traveled trail, and yet, Naraku's incarnation marched steadily onward as if this were a known path. The luminescence that surrounded her figure ebbed and flowed with preternatural-like energy. Was this child an apparition that could just as easily vanish into thin air?

Sesshoumaru took a glance over his shoulder.

The trees looked all the same here.

The pair soldiered on through the dense foliage until the ground began to slant upwards and they were soon hiking a weathered mountain. The demon lord raised his eyes to regard the figure above him treading easily across the ground.

"Girl. How much longer of this?"

The girl in white slowed to an eventual stop and stilled. Sesshoumaru halted as well, his regal stance betraying only the smallest bit of uncertainty. All was still; only the crying cicadas and miscreant toads continued on, clueless of the tension in the air.

"It is not much longer on foot."

The girl's voice was surprisingly timid and light. Though she inclined her head towards her companion, she did not meet his eyes. Her gaze landed somewhere far off into the trees.

Sesshoumaru did not reply or acknowledge that he had heard. Instead, he just stood staring at the young girl's form until she eventually turned back around and continued her trek forward.

The trees were beginning to thin out. Perhaps a clearing lay just ahead?


Naraku hummed a small tune while he busied himself about in the small study. He delicately wiped out a tea cup with a scrap of cloth before setting it down and whisking off to tend to the pot of water that heated over the hot coals in the center of the room.

"Well, you're in a good mood."

Naraku's eyes flicked up to meet that of his first incarnation before he smiled ruefully. He dipped a claw into the contents of the teapot and used it to drip some of the water onto his tongue. He made a small appreciative sound before rising and heading to a small chest of drawers tucked into the room's alcove.

"Your humor seems to have returned, Kagura. Seeing as you're not trying to help, I can only assume you intend to tease. Please. Spare me."

Kagura rolled her eyes from her position in the corner. Those red eyes—ones she had inherited from her master—continued to watch Naraku's every move with barely suppressed interest.

"So all this is for the mutt-lord, I presume?"

"Oh?" Naraku paused suddenly and gave Kagura a look. "And here I was, thinking you were quite taken with his highness. What changed?"

When Kagura growled in response, Naraku's face split with a grin bright enough to rival the sun. He turned back around to his task. He pulled out a drawer that contained small vials of powders. He lifted each one up until he settled on one black in color. Naraku rose to his feet.

"Kagura, see to it that our guest has a very hospitable welcome. I dread to think he'll come in crashing and slashing about in search for his…" Naraku's right hand worked in the air as if searching for the right word, "pets. Reassure him that they are safe."

"Safe? In your lair? Even my humor has its limits."

Naraku bloomed with laughter. Once the giggles had subsided, his expression became serious. He pinned Kagura with a stare, his lips settling into a humorless smile. "Need I repeat myself?" he bit out.

Kagura sucked her teeth with annoyance and vanished from the room, leaving her master to his insane preparations.


They had arrived. Once the trees had thinned, they had been confronted with the sight of heavy fog clinging to the air. The girl appeared to hesitate near the edge of the viscous precipitation and Sesshoumaru was in no particular rush to pass by her. The sound of buzzing soon joined them, however, and Sesshoumaru turned quickly to see Naraku's venomous insects settle around them.

Sesshoumaru's expression remained void save for a small tick of movement at his nostrils. His lips pulled down into a frown and his eyes swiveled towards the girl. He waited patiently for her to make the first move.

She did not disappoint.

The ghostly girl began to walk again. Sesshoumaru followed as did the insects. Sparks of electricity could be seen and heard all about them as Naraku's insects met an invisible barrier and burned off, their dead carcasses falling heavily to the ground before disappearing. Sesshoumaru did not spare a passing glance.

Though it seemed that the two of them simply walked through the fog, it soon became apparent that the ghostly girl had enacted some sort of barrier around them that parted the low clouds from their path instead. The fog changed color the further they went in until all that surrounded them was poisonous, noxious miasma. Acting purely on instinct, Sesshoumaru raised his sleeve to protect his delicate nose and mouth.

It wasn't long before the demon lord lowered his arm. His gait became stilted.

The blackish miasma began to spark and crackle with blinding light in front of them. The girl continued on and so, too, did Sesshoumaru until the light became almost overwhelming and suddenly—

Calm.

Sesshoumaru looked around, taking in the surroundings. What lay before them had not been visible through the heavy fog. It was as if they had entered into another world. The ground was barren and black here, as if charred. Though it was obviously night and a sickly moon hung in the sky, the miasma seemed to affect even the dark of night, casting the atmosphere in a purplish hue. Was the very air they breathed miasma, as well?

Sesshoumaru's eyes lowered to regard a sprawling castle before them. It was large, overwhelming, intimidating. The architecture was beautiful—modern, even. And, yet, about it seemed to cling the very feeling of death. One of loneliness and despair.

It went without saying that this was Naraku's lair.

The girl in white had started to walk again. She approached the castle with ease, heading toward what looked to be the main hall of the residence. It was a moment before Sesshoumaru followed this time.

The girl began to slow as she neared the porch, so much so that Sesshoumaru passed her. He turned his head briefly to the girl but when he looked straight again, the sight that met him caused the demon lord to freeze in his steps.

"Hello again, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Kagura's eyes flew wide when a sickeningly green whip of energy sped toward her. She narrowly dodged in time, the whip connecting and ensnaring a porch pillar instead. The demon lord hesitated before jerking his arm, severing the wooden pillar completely. There was a loud groan as the roof of the porch shifted and Kagura looked fearfully upwards, but the structure held sound. Mercifully, the porch was supported by several wooden beams.

"Your manners are atrocious. Do you regularly destruct the homes of those who invite you to call?"

Sesshoumaru's hand went to his sword and stilled. "I've no time for your foolery, wench. You have violated this Sesshoumaru and now you dare to keep even his charges from him? You will die today."

Kagura made a placating gesture with one hand. The other remained white-knuckled around her fan. "We have your charges and they are safe. They were only a lure. They are merely under a sleeping spell to soothe their anxieties. Naraku needed to make sure that you would come to receive treatment."

Sesshoumaru's eyes flared even if his nostrils did not. His face began to transform, lengthening in places no human's would. Kagura cowered, Kanna took a step back and Naraku…

Naraku now stood on the porch, eyes wide as the demon lord lost control of his form.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Naraku called but the dog demon now sprouted a canine's head where his humanoid one should have been. Naraku spun around and seized Kagura by the throat. He hauled her forward. The wind demon's eyes went wide with panic and she tore at the hands ensnared about her neck. "Is this what you want, Sesshoumaru-sama? Do you want her death? She will be punished in time, as I am not yet done with her. She will be of use to me—to us—in securing your cure. I cannot kill her yet, but I will make sure she never acts without direction again!"

A large white paw struck the ground and the very earth rattled. Naraku's eyes flit back and forth as the giant dog demon leveled them with a predacious stare. Huge, rolling globs of poison fell from the dog demon's mouth and Sesshoumaru's forked tongue rounded its lips as if in preparation for a meal. Suddenly, Naraku pulled Kagura in front of him and plunged his arm through her back, exiting her chest.

Throat restricted or not, Kagura's shrill scream filled the thick air causing the dog demon to shrink back minutely and shake his head ferociously.

In Naraku's bloody hand was a small, pulsating object. It was Kagura's heart.

"Do you see this, Lord Sesshoumaru? I have stolen her heart and I will keep it captive. She will no longer act of free will and when we are done with her, I will give it to you to do with as you so wish," though elevated, Naraku's voice was calm as he addressed the demon lord. Naraku pulled his arm free of the wind demon and she dropped to the floor, her mouth still agape in pain.

The dog lifted its head and narrowed its eyes. It gazed for a long moment at the two before it became a rush of wind and its humanoid form emerged once again.

Naraku grinned maniacally. "Will that suit you, then? I will keep to my word this time, Sesshoumaru, as she has wronged me, too. Now, please. I bid you enter my humble home," Naraku bowed before turning with a flourish and disappearing into the recesses of the castle.

Sesshoumaru stood motionless for a moment, his eyes still fixed on the hunched figure of the demoness. Curiously, her expression no longer held only pain. She appeared annoyed, vehement. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her before ignoring her completely and stepping onto the porch. Kagura stiffened when the demon lord passed but he only left her in his wake as he disappeared within.


"You'll have to excuse me. I've no proper tea house to receive you and I was in too much of a rush to prepare otherwise. Hopefully my study will be to your liking."

The dog demon grunted in reply. Naraku pursed his lips but quickly replaced it with a smile. Before him sat a shallow tea cup into which he had poured freshly boiled water. He unscrewed a small jar of black powder that curiously resembled soot. Naraku dipped a white spoon—most likely carved from bone—into the matter and extracted a small amount into the cup. Naraku whisked the contents slowly and delicately before raising his eyes to meet that of the demon lord's.

"I can't say it will be pleasant, but it will help," Naraku spoke matter-of-factly as he tapped a bamboo whisk on the side of the tea cup.

Sesshoumaru's eyes tracked Naraku's every movement, narrowing every so often when the spider did something questionable.

"Appearances aside, it smells strongly of fresh pine. Ah, there we go. Now, drink up. A taste of this and you will soon be able to smell it, too."

"Has this Sesshoumaru not the luxury to know what he drinks?"

Naraku's eyes flitted back up to Sesshoumaru, a surprised look on his face.

"I dare say that's the first time you've spoken this evening."

"Your word games bore me, half-breed. I have no time for them."

"Right, right. You're absolutely right," Naraku waved his hand dismissively before gently taking the tea cup and bringing it to his lips.

All of a sudden, the dog demon smirked. Naraku quirked a brow.

"Something the matter, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The dog demon chuckled unexpectedly. The sound seemed to catch the spider off guard for he froze and his eyes narrowed upon his guest.

"You seek to reassure this Sesshoumaru by drinking from the same cup. How touching."

Naraku regarded the dog demon silently before smiling warmly in return. "As long as we've known each other, you must know by now that I wouldn't put myself unnecessarily into harm's way," Naraku murmured before taking a sip from the cup. He ran his tongue slowly across his lips and flicked it across the edge of the teacup. "You should take comfort from that."

Suddenly, the dog demon lurched forward and Naraku jerked back violently—only to find that the dog demon had deftly relieved him of the teacup he once held. There was a hint of amusement across the dog's face but he said nothing. Sesshoumaru raised the cup to his mouth and inhaled of its contents. He frowned shortly after.

Clearing his throat loudly, Naraku smoothed his collar and leaned forward. "You appear to be well-learned. Perhaps you've heard lore of the Yao grass? The tea which you drink is made from the powder of its fruit. It clears the mind, rejuvenates it, which—in turn—rejuvenates the body. I've used it myself to force my regeneration when your… acquaintances managed to land a blow."

Sesshoumaru snorted softly before downing the contents of the cup. Naraku raised his brow and waited. Sesshoumaru had begun to lower the cup to the table when it unexpectedly tumbled from his fingers. The spider looked unsurprised as the dog demon began to double in on himself, mouth wide and gagging.

"Oh… I should mention that it doesn't go down smoothly. Though, curiously, I didn't suffer those effects this time. How fascinating! It must be ineffectual in small amounts. Good thing you drank it all. I never do that. One taste of it and I can barely choke down a mouthful. No worries, though, my lord. The burning means it's working."

Sesshoumaru coughed and spluttered and his face reddened with the effort to stifle the involuntary reactions. His face was a mixture of fury, confusion, and betrayal. After a few seconds the choking lessened, but in its wake, his irises turned dark as blood.

"You're okay…" Naraku intoned, speaking as a father would to his babe. "Your body is simply trying to catch up to your mind." Sesshoumaru's eyes rolled back and his body convulsed. His head lolled and his claws dug into the wooden grain of the low-lying table. Naraku watched with apt interest as Sesshoumaru's body appeared to be undergoing a transformation before his eyes. "You're handling this quite well, might I add. I'm usually in a fit at this point, tearing off my own limbs as liquid fire races through me, burning everything it touches. It is worth it, though, and you will soon see."

Naraku was obviously taking advantage of the demon lord's incapacitation. Sesshoumaru didn't appear to hear him, only jerked and started with the changes going through his body. So, it was quite the surprise when the dog's golden eyes suddenly focused on the spider with unsettling acuity. A shiver ran visibly through Naraku, his expression unsure.

A few tense seconds passed before Naraku dared to speak. "My lord?"

"You dare to make a mockery of this Sesshoumaru?" the demon lord bit out, fangs elongated and gleaming.

Naraku's expression of pure shock was almost comical. "What?"

"This potion—this p-poison—did not a damn thing but cause this Sesshoumaru pain and for what? I detect not even your wretched stench."

Naraku's mouth was still wide but, mercifully, he regained his composure after an almost absurd amount of time.

"This can't be. No, n-no. This Yao grass, it… it always works. A demon healer secured it, prepared it himself. It has always worked—"

"Do not compare your low-born filth to this Sesshoumaru!" the youkai lord no longer looked the same. His expression was wild, savage. Naraku had begun to back away from the table in case the demon lord's claws came flying. He was in too close of a range to come out of an attack unscathed.

"Calm yourself!" Naraku hissed, taking up the defensive. "We must think clearly. The healing should have been instantaneous. Do you not sense anything?" Naraku growled, anger now lacing his features.

The dog demon's roar made Naraku flinch violently, but the spider refused to relinquish his ground. Sesshoumaru's voice returned to him: "You will fix this."

"And I intend to," Naraku bit back, "but you have just taken my strongest anecdote and still fail to show improvement! The venom Kagura poisoned you with is too rare to take this situation lightly. I cannot risk giving you the entirety of my medicine cabinet when what is truly precious to us is time. If your body won't—can't—regenerate, then you have no hope of being healed!"

Too much happened too quickly. The dog seized forward, yanking the spider up by his collar and hurling him into the wall. Naraku hit the wall with a loud gasp and fell into a heap on the floor.

Groaning, the spider began to sit up. Sesshoumaru was still near the table though he seemed to calm somewhat—that, or he was trying desperately to restrain himself. Naraku sneered and spat off into the corner. When he spoke again, red stained the spaces between his teeth.

"I would watch my steps if I were you, lord Sesshoumaru. The only chance we have is to take you to the demon healer and only I know where he is."

Sesshoumaru's bark of laughter had Naraku drooling with rage. "Are you senile? There are many demon healers who will assist this Sesshoumaru and will be honored to do so."

Naraku kept the dog demon's eyes as he intentionally let Sesshoumaru's declaration hang awkwardly in the air. After an uncomfortable amount of time, Naraku spoke again: "And how do you propose to find these demon healers when you cannot even scent friend from foe?"

The dog demon's expression made Naraku laugh out loud.

Naraku shook his head and spoke in ironic tones. "I am trying to help you and you insist on inhibiting me at every turn. If you cannot trust me—one who has prepared a tonic out of his own private collection to heal you—I would love to know who else you can—"

"Remember your place, half-breed. You will heed your tone."

Naraku's eyes flared with anger but his jaws snapped shut. Sesshoumaru had spoken the words too calmly, a complete change in manner compared to how he had spoken just a few moments before. The words he spoke dripped with promise—the promise of a swift end.

Begrudgingly, Naraku seemed to resolve himself and reign in his anger. He began to get to his feet. "The demon healer masquerades in a human village to the south. I will take you to him. We will leave at dawn. You may take your charges and rest for the evening. Kanna."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes untrustworthily before rising swiftly to his feet. At Naraku's call, the ghostly girl from earlier appeared in the doorway, her supernatural mirror reflecting nothing. Naraku gestured for Sesshoumaru to follow her before limping his way back to the table. Sesshoumaru did not spare the spider a glance as he followed the girl to where his pack had been held captive.