A\N: Okay, well I said I'd but updating faster, but I may have lied. Finals are coming up (some are already here) and I am in desperate need of some time to study. I will still make time for my stories, but they might not be up as soon as I had hoped. I shall try and right this A.S.A.P. but I may not be updating again for a while.

MustLuveKits101 - I'm glad I was speaking coherently for at least a short time, and I don't much like Kikyo either. She's damn all annoying and there seems to be no way to make her die and stay damn well dead! And I don't might late reviews, if you can put up with my cussing (exams really put me in bad moods, Plus I got about three hours of sleep last night-- which would explain why this is updated: I always run better on empty.) and late updates for a while.

TheyMadeMeDoIt - Sorry bout that, but, like I said, I don't know how long any of the chapters will be-- they'll all probably continue to be short. I simply can't write more than I can write, and that's all there is to it. As to your penname-- well that explains it... I think. I've never seen that movie though.

Snow Lepord - How Kikyo fits into the equation: I have no idea in all the seven hells. I never really considered her trying to kill Kagome... after all, our fav little miko (and no, I don't like Kagome much either, but, if I had to choose between her and Kikyo...) is going through enough in Naraku;s grasp, I don't imagine Kikyo could do much worse. Except, maybe, kill her.

sourapple10000 - I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I'll try to keep up the good work, but I really can't make any promises my crazy little mind might not keep.

Okay, well that's all the people who reviewed for now, so, since I am completely worn and not at all in a ranting mood, I guess it's time to give you guys the next chapter:

(Before I forget again) VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: (I'm currently still in a state of denial, but and the law require me to put this anyway): I own nothing and no one that you have seen or heard of in the Inuyasha anime and\or manga. I make no money off of them. However, one character and this particular story (as well as any other under my name) belong to me so I can do whatever I want with them.

If you are in a full state of comprehension of the above message, then please continue on with the story:

Slipping Away

Cold.

It was cold.

That was Inuyasha's first warning that something was not right-- it was never cold in Naraku's room.

Inuyasha's eyes flew open and he sat forward, his hand instinctually going to his waist, grasping at the empty air there for a reason he could not fathom.

He froze, however, when his eyes fell across the creatures soaring gracefully around the room-- looking more like they were swimming through the air than flying.

Long, graceful, and snakelike, the creatures had strange fins on the sides of their heads, and six small leg-like things underneath that looked like they should be used to carry something. They glowed faintly in the dim light from the fire, and emitted strange, ghostly sounds that made Inuyasha feel strangely sad. His ears instinctually went back to try and block the noise out.

He watched the creatures, fascinated, feeling as though he had seen them before but not able to place where. One of them moved to the corner and wrapped itself around the sword Naraku kept leaning against the wall there, the one he had forbidden Inuyasha from ever touching.

Inuyasha started forward slightly to try and stop the creature as it pulled the sword up, but he couldn't. Two of the creatures had come and wrapped around his waist, and when he tried to fight them, another joined, pinning his arms to his sides, stilling him.

They remained like that while Inuyasha thrashed and squirmed, trying desperately to escape, but only succeeding in wearing himself out.

Finally, he slumped back against the bed, powerless to resist as more of the creatures moved to wrap about his body.

He lay limp in their grip as they slowly began to lift him into the air, pulling him through the window which Inuyasha only noticed now was open.

He trembled slightly, but not from the coolness of the air. He was scared.

He didn't know what these creatures were, or where they were taking him-- if they would simply drop him over the sharp cliffs that surrounded the castle and let him be skewered upon their jagged edges.

He silently prayed for his master to come and rescue him from these creatures.

It only occurred to him a moment later that maybe these creatures were Naraku's.

Maybe he was being taken to be punished for something he had done wrong.

He wracked his mind but could think of nothing he had done, any indication that he had displeased his master.

But he must have done something... he must have been bad...

Inuyasha trembled again, terrified. The last time he had done something wrong, Naraku had tortured him for hours, sometimes letting his demon servants take over... and they could be even more malicious that his master at times... it would not be so unusual for these demon creatures to be taking him somewhere to be abused...

The combination of fear, confusion, exhaustion and despair were too much for him. The creatures were gentle, not wrapped too tightly around him, but he could get no air in his lungs.

He fell limp again in their grips, not bothering to fight the unconsciousness-- it would be a blessing if it continued until Naraku was done with him. Not that he was ever that lucky.

The soul-collectors weaved through the sky, instilling curiosity and a strange sense of sadness and fear into all those who saw them. The moved their bodies so that the hanyou was hidden from prying eyes below, and to all who saw, they were just strange demons soaring through the night-sky.

The one carrying Tetsusaiga moved, unravelled it's body slightly and then released the sword completely, letting another take over the burden.

It soared up to move beside the hanyou's head, before slipping off ahead slightly, moving toward it's masters beckoning call.

END

A\N: Yeah, that's it. Short-- Maybe. But it's all I could manage right now. Actually, I think this chapter was longer than the last one, cause that was only a page or so, but this one's just borderlining three, so I don't know...

SPECIAL THANX GO TO: MustLuvKits101, TheyMadeMeDoIt, Snow Lepord, and sourapple10000 - The awesome reviewers who made this chapter possible by convincing by damn lazy muses to get off their asses.