As she walked, a dark cloud formed over the entire village, and the wind became to pick up ferociously. Nyoko could barely see, as debris was blown into her face, causing her to squint her eyes. She knew she needed to get to her parents, and fast. She took off running toward the steps of the shrine, but stopped dead in her tracks as she saw a group of her fellow villagers fighting against each other.
What the hell is going on here? she thought, unable to look away. Why have they all turned on each other? She tried to move, but couldn't make herself take a step. It was as if she were frozen in place, forced to watch the horrors which were surrounding her.
Suddenly, her eyes were drawn upward, and she saw three figures floating high above the shrine, looking down menacingly. She felt a shiver shoot up through her spine, and her heart began to beat very quickly. Nyoko was beginning to panic; something definitely wasn't right. Very slowly, she forced herself to take one step at a time, even though her feet were very heavy. It felt almost as if someone were trying to suck the life out of her, but she wasn't going to give in. She needed to get to the shard, to her parents, before things got even more out of hand.
High overhead, Naraku smirked, watching the carnage his girls, Kagura and Kanna, were creating. He knew it wouldn't be long before he had what he wanted-another piece of the Shikon Jewel, and this strangely powerful priestess, Nyoko. He didn't know what it was about her, but something about the young woman intrigued him.
Very slowly, he turned to Kagura and said, "Go down and bring her to me. I will take care of getting the shard."
Kagura nodded, "Yes, Naraku-sama. As you wish." She smirked evilly, and then pulled a feather from her hair. It grew large enough to carry her, and she jumped on, floating down towards where Nyoko stood, completely helpless.
Nyoko jumped as a strange woman landed in front of her, floating down from the sky on giant feather. As she landed, she grabbed the feather, and it shrank immediately upon her touch. She smiled, and slowly slid it back into her hair.
"You must be the one they call Nyoko. Come with me."
Nyoko turned to run, but the strange woman pulled out a fan, and cutting it through the air cried out "Dance of Blades!" cutting off any hope Nyoko had of retreating. She slid her sais down and gripped their handles tight, prepared to fight if need be. "Who the hell are you?" Nyoko asked, glaring into the woman's crimson eyes.
"Who I am is none of your concern, but to make things easier, my name is Kagura. My master, Naraku, has taken a liking to you, and wishes for me to deliver you to him." Kagura motioned towards Nyoko's hands. "Put away your weapons, foolish priestess. You are no match for the likes of me."
Nyoko simply stood and stared at Kagura. "Why are you doing this? My village has nothing to offer! And why would your master want anything to do with me? I have never even heard of this man before!" Her attention was temporarily distracted as she heard the unmistakeable sound of flames eating away at the huts. She turned, and saw that her own villagers were burning their homes to the ground, then turning their flaming torches on one another, burning each other to death. Her mouth dropped open in horror as her ears were filled with the sounds of agonized screams.
Nyoko tried to run, but Kagura stepped easily in front of her. "Foolish girl, you cannot escape your fate. Whatever my master wants, my master gets." Her blood red eyes were shining, the flames dancing in them making her appear even more ominous. She grabbed ahold of Nyoko's arm, and pulled the feather out of her hair once more, pulling Nyoko up next to her. Very quickly the ground began to fall away.
Nyoko jerked her arm out of Kagura's grasp, and began to speak, but all that came out of her mouth was a cry of horror. She looked down, tears filling her eyes as the roof of the shrine caved in, burying her parents under the rubble. "Noo!!" she screamed, collapsing in a heap on the feather, pulling her knees to her chest and sobbing.
"Stop shedding your foolish tears, woman. Your fate is no longer your own, and my master will give your life a higher purpose. He has chosen you to be the mother of his child, you should be honored."
Nyoko's mouth fell open in horror. That monster was going to make her...his mate? She screamed and moved to the edge of the feather, prepared to throw herself to her death rather than let her body be violated by such a vile demon. Just as she was about to jump, she felt Kagura's arm pull her back, and her body went limp.
"You will not escape so easily, miko. Naraku has taken an interest in you, for both your fertility and your powers. He will have what he wants. If you do not struggle with me, I will try to convince him to take you as painlessly as possible." The wind sorceress laughed. "Not as if there is any way for being with Naraku to be anything but painful."
Nyoko's bright blue eyes stared directly into Kagura's crimson orbs. She was losing hope, fast, but perhaps this woman would keep her word, and protect her as much as possible. "This is not what I wanted...this is not the way my life was supposed to be." She looked down, and saw that they were floating high above the village, approaching the demon named Naraku. The priestess's heart was suddenly filled with fear as she saw his dark, emotionless eyes behind his baboon cloak. Nyoko tried to hide behind Kagura, but the wind witch grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to face Naraku.
"Ahhh, you have done well, Kagura." He reached out and took Nyoko's face in his hand roughly, gazing into her eyes. "Yes, this one will do well." He let go, and began to float away. "Meet me back at the castle, Kagura. And no dawdling. The village is already in ruins, it shouldn't take long for you and your sister, Kanna, to finish the job."
Nyoko let out a scream as she watched Naraku float away. "Kagura, I will go with you! Just please, leave my village alone!"
The wind sorceress smiled. "You are smarter than I took you for, miko. Fine, I will leave your village; there is no longer any living souls in it anyway. Come, Kanna. Go back to the castle with Lord Naraku. I will be along shortly."
The whitehaired demon spawn nodded to her sister, and quickly floated off to join her master, leaving Kagura and Nyoko alone. "We don't have much time, miko, so listen to my words carefully. Naraku will only torture you until he has managed to plant his seed inside of you. For your sake, I only hope that comes quickly." Kagura's eyes narrowed. "Do not despair, all is not lost. Perhaps, I could help you make your escape, after you have become pregant with my master's child. But...I will require something of you, as well."
Nyoko's eyes went wide. What could this strange demon woman want from her? "Why must you let him do this to me? Why can you not just leave me here to die? That is all I truly want...all my friends and family are gone, I simply want to die here, peacefully, with them."
Kagura shook her head and laughed. "You will serve my purposes, and the purposes of my master, and then when the time is right, I shall find a way to give you back your freedom. But you must learn to control your fear; Naraku feeds off of fear, and the more afraid you are, the more he will cause you pain." The wind sorceress paused, tapping her fan against her lips. "I need you to gain his trust, Nyoko."
"For what? Why should I do anything you ask of me? You are about to deliver me into the hands of a monster, to be tortured beyond my wildest dreams! Why on Earth should I try to repay you for your so called 'kindness'?"
Kagura placed her hand over her chest. "I need you to get my heart back from Naraku. Only then, can we both be free."
The priestess shuddered in terror. Naraku held this woman's heart? What exactly was Kagura? "How do you live, if your heart is outside of your body? I don't understand..."
"There is no way for you to understand. Now come, we've wasted too much time as it is. You will want to make a good first impression on Naraku, if you don't want to die instantly."
Nyoko began to feel ill as the feather flew quickly in the direction which Naraku and Kanna had traveled. Her nausea soon overcame her, and she passed out, curled into the fetal position, crying even though she was unconscious.
Kagura growled, her ruby red lips curling into a frown. She leaned down and slapped the miko across the face, bringing her back to reality. "You are far too weak, you fool. Naraku will crush your very soul if you do not compose yourself right now." The youkai woman leaned down and pulled Nyoko to her feet roughly. "Stop those stupid tears, if you wish to survive."
Nyoko looked at Kagura in disbelief, and attempted to swallow the lump in her throat. She took her hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks, trying as hard as she could to compose herself despite the fear that was rising in the pit of her stomach. "Kagura, I cannot do this. I cannot keep my fear in check. You may as well just kill me now."
As these words passed her lips, the doors to the castle opened, and Naraku stepped outside, moving toward the two women with menace in his eyes. He grapped Nyoko's face in one hand, hurting her, and looked deeply into her eyes. "Hmmm...you are afraid. This is good, you should fear me. But you will know true terror by the time I am done with you." His lips curled up into a disgusting smile. "Yes, you will serve my purposes nicely. I can feel your strength, coursing through your body. You will be able to carry my child, and I will use you as I please." He let his nails slide across the miko's cheek before letting go of her, and turning to Kagura. "I need to rest, wind witch. Take Nyoko to her room, and make her comfortable. Let her soak in a bath, to cleanse her, and keep an eye on her. I wouldn't want my precious mate to do anything rash." Without waiting for Kagura to answer, he turned and withdrew into the castle, disappearing without a trace.