A\N: Okay, so, once again I am curious, so once again I'm gonna ask you guys. Feel free to ignore me if you like. I just want to know, which of the Inuyasha movies is your fav? One, two, three or (if you've seen it) four?

There's no real point behind this question other than that I am curious, and have never been one to ignore my curiosity.

Anyway, sorry this took so long, but I'm afraid to say updates probably will continue to be slow for a while yet. Other site re-opens on Wednesday, and I've got two stories over there I have to update, plus two stories I have to add, and mixing that up with all this other shit I've got going on... is exhausting and gonna take time, so please bear with me, kay?

-Clouds of the Sky - We don't?... Oh, no, right, of course we don't!...

-Black Betty - Lol, well I'm glad you have such faith in my writing abilities to think that I'd be able to make that work. However, if they don't meet, alas as you said, I will likely be murdered while I sleep before the story is able to finish.

-xolovexinuyasha - No, it's not by eminem. I don't listen to him. That one begins with the same beginning from Martika's toy soldiers though "step by step, heart to heart, etc..." The one I'm talking about goes something like "Loud knock on the door, wake me up with the fiercesome sounds of war, I've found my dream, feeling weak but my head just can't ignore, my hearts desire, my will to be free is on fire..." Hm. Think I got a little carried away, but... -- Lol, yeah, all computers are asses. My comps a windows 98 as well. I'm surprised anybody else in the world still has one of these old fossils. -- Well like I said, whatever works. I think crying is more of a release than anything else. A great big emotional release, and since everybody is so damn uptight nowadays, it's always good to have some form of release like that. However, I too don't find any reason to cry when I get hurt. Sometimes my eyes water or something, but I can't remember the last time I cried from a physical wound. -- Lol, I didn't think you were stalking me. And don't worry, I'm not part of a cult or Satan-worshipping group. I've just got a very angsty mind. Believe me, if you thought this story was bad, you should see some of my other ones. This story is light fluff in comparison. -- BTW-- don't worry about confusing me-- I'm usually in a state of confusion anyway.

-Wish-full Thinkers - Which songs? The Inuyasha ones? Or the others? Cause most of the songs I've got listed are either from WMP, the radio, or my C.D.'s. The Inuyasha one's I got from the internet though... But, no, unless you want the songs on the c.d.'s or the songs on the radio permanently, then you shouldn't have to buy them. -- Anyway, sorry if you thought Inu's reaction was a bit... melodramatic, but I'm just trying to point out how heavily effected he really was. Think about it-- He was kept locked up by his worst enemy, had all his memories wiped, was beaten, tortured in pretty much every physical and mental way other than sexually, was forced to inflict the same sort of hurts on other's, and then was kept as a pet by Naraku, only to then fall into the hands of Kikyo, and then his brother, and finally having it all start to come back in his mind, only to nearly be found by his enemy once again. I think it would be a very traumatizing experience, but you're right, maybe I did go a bit over the top. -- 10 miles? Well I have no idea. I just heard you say "1000 miles" or whatever, and immediately that song by the proclaimers popped into my head. -- Umm... I'm a little uninclined to tell you the other site and other story since they are not exactly appropriate for this site and I don't think you'd enjoy the content at all. Believe me, this story gestures at story is very light in comparison to my other, darker fics...

-sourapple10000 - Well, I hope you get your computer fixed soon-- I can't wait to see what happens next in your story.

-Box Queen - Arigato!

-RamblingPhilosopher - Lol, thanks "RP", I'm glad you're enjoying the chapter. I'm trying to lighten up on the fluff a little bit, but it's not working entirely well since this is the sort of healing part of the story. However, I thought maybe I'd break the chain (or at least distract from it a little bit) with this next chapter and one of our least fav characters. -- Yep, I was in a music listening mood. I always am. Music is the best!

-lunerfox - Lol, I'm glad you can enjoy them-- some people are getting bored with them though. :( Sorry to them, but they are necessary. Inuyasha can't just go to Sess's and drop off the face of the earth now can he? -- Anyway, I looked up that song by them, and you're right, it is good. A little slow for my tastes, but sometimes slow works. I think I've heard another song by this group though..."For you" or something like that. I don't know. I rarely know what I'm talking about-- it was probably an entirely different band. Anyway, don't worry, no matter how much (or little) sleep I get, I won't become that guy, I can promise you. Whatever I go about doing, I am going to do originally!

-rena555 - Well it's good to hear from you again. I understand-- things are getting a little hectic lately aren't they? Well, I don't mind if you don't review every chapter, just as long as you're still reading.

-Almandine-Azaleea - Yeesh. Everybody's a critic. Lol, yeah, that probably is what I meant. Sorry, between writing and typing them out and all the other stuff I have to do, I don't have a lot of time to edit my stories-- and before you say it, I can't stand having a beta.

-wolfygirl13 - Lol, wow, you must have really liked that last chapter if you were willing to give me that tongue-twister of a treat. -- And I'm glad you're re-reading it because you like it, not because it's so confusing you can't understand it on the first go.

-Sexy Kat - I've seen one or two episodes of "Gundam Seed" and, no offence, but it lost my interest pretty quickly. I don't know, I don't seem to have any set style that I like, I'll just flip on a channel, stop for a second (unless it's a soap opera ) and if the show catches my interest, then I might watch it. So far the only anime's I'm really watching on a regular basis are InuYasha, .hack/sign and Yu-Gi-Oh GX. They're the only one's that have really caught and held (which is quite a feat) my attention, even though I've seen little bits of some others.

-ultimate-romantic - Yeah, it is ooc, but it works . (at least, I think it does...) and yeah, you'll have to wait patiently, because I don't know how long it'll take Inu and Kag to reunite. A while yet, anyway.

-angelwinz21 - Aww, make me feel guilty why don't you: ( -- Lol, sorry, but that's just the way it has to be. I can't do everything at once-- I'm not superman ya know? It just doesn't work that way. I'd have to be perfect if I was able to do all these things at once, and isn't Sesshomaru already filling out that role?

-Darking Queen - Lol, well I hope you can keep it up... still going to be slow going...

-Kitsama - I understand what you mean about Sess. A lot of people think he's OOC in this, and I agree, he is ooc in a sense, but not entirely in my mind. To me, he's just actually expressing what he might be originally feeling and hiding inside the way he normally does when he's a stoic block of ice. But I have many different views on how Sess should be portrayed, and this is just one of them. -- About the "Girly" comment you made, I have to laugh at that because the thought of Sesshomaru acting girly is just so... mortifyingly unreal you have to find it funny. Plus, it reminds of this one person's comment that they had a Sess "wall scroll" on their wall, and everybody would come up, stare at it for a moment, and then say "she's pretty." I don't know where everyone gets that idea, because while, yes, he does look a little more... feminine I guess than some of the other characters, he still doesn't look like a girl. And you notice, no one says anything like that about Kouga, despite the fact that he wears a skirt. (Lol, just so you know, I have nothing against Kouga and actually like his character quite a bit-- even if he is annoying and useless sometimes)

-lusterstreak - Lol, well I never really gave it much consideration, but that's where all the big money is isn't it? (In Japan anyway) Still, I don't know if I'd be able to come up with a good story. I have to have other characters to build off of otherwise my own are completely stupid and unbelievable. Amaya only worked out because I could background her against some of the others. Anyway, I think I just put waaaaaaaaay too much thought into that, plus I've been ranting on for about half an hour now, so I think I better shut up and let you guys have the chapter.

(BTW -- This chapter would probably fit in better between the last two chapters, but I didn't think of writing it until now, so...)

Kikyo and Naraku

Kikyo landed hastily but still with grace, letting the soul collectors release her body as she moved silently through the weaving passages of Naraku's castle.

She did not have youkai senses and so had not know how long Inuyasha had been missing-- only that he was indeed gone. And, though she knew not how he had done it, she knew of only one person capable of breaking through her barrier at this point in time. One person who had enough desire to do so.

But when she had sent her servants here to find Inuyasha again, they had been unable to locate the hanyou, therefore Kikyo had come to the conclusion that Naraku had hidden him away to try and lure her out.

And she had decided to take the bait.

She paused outside the sliding door of one room as she was overcome by a particularly powerful demonic aura, and she reached her hand up and pulled aside the door, revealing the dark room and the nearly complete Shikon no Tama.

It was black, with a faint purple aura around it, and several small shards were missing, but they were clearly not missed by Naraku-- he obviously knew where each and every one of them were and was not concerned at the moment with getting them back.

'Ah, Kikyo. I wondered when you would come.' Naraku said quietly, his crimson eyes moving toward her as she stared coldly down at him.

'Do you spend all your time wondering when and where I will next show myself to you?' She asked taking another step into the room, purifying the barrier set up all around and throughout the castle to keep intruders like her out. She gave a small, humourless smirk. 'Your barriers are easy enough to break, as they were when my servants first came for Inuyasha. Have you not been trying to keep me out?' She asked, as Naraku continued to watch her with something akin to loathing. But now something new flickered there, something too fast for her to catch.

'And why are you here again, Kikyo? You have your "beloved" with you now, and I had not thought one such as yourself would stoop so low as to gloat.' Kikyo's eyes narrowed slightly.

'Save your games, Naraku, I care very little for them.' Naraku stared at her and raised a dark eyebrow.

'Games? Kikyo, what makes you think I would play games with you?' Kikyo narrowed her eyes.

'You know of what it is I speak, Naraku, so do not pretend that you do not.' Naraku continued staring at her with an expression of morbid curiosity on his face, and her own eyes narrowed further. 'Where is Inuyasha, Naraku?'

Naraku blinked at her words, and then took a moment to absorb them. So Kikyo had lost Inuyasha had she? And she thought that he had him... A smirk spread across Naraku's lip at the thought-- this would certainly be a good way to manipulate the priestess.

Kikyo's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Naraku's reaction. She had seen the flash of surprise in the half-demon's eyes when she had asked where Inuyasha was, and now, seeing the other emotions play on his face, it led her to only one conclusion: Naraku did not have Inuyasha.

'So' she said, breaking the hanyou out of his silent reverie and drawing his crimson eyes back to her face as she smirked down at him. 'You do not know where he is either.' Naraku's face darkened slightly at her words, and he did not even bother to deny them. Kikyo was strong and very keen, she would not be manipulated by mere words alone and would not come to believe anything he said now concerning Inuyasha's whereabouts. It would do no good to try and lie to her, yet neither would it do any good to tell the truth, so he simply remained silent, waiting for her to talk.

'That's bad for you, indeed, Naraku. If I remember correctly, he had three jewel shards in his neck. And now he's with someone else. Do you think that you'll ever get them back? Do you think you'll ever get him back?'

'Do you think you will?' Naraku countered, and Kikyo faltered slightly as the half-demon stared calmly up at her. 'You surely must be able to feel it-- the half-breed does not love you anymore. Tell me, when you embrace him, does he cringe from your touch? From the coldness of your skin?' He smirked as Kikyo's own face took its turn to darken, and then said, in an almost conspiratorial way 'he does not love you, and he will not willingly go back to you. The effects of the memory charm I place upon him will weaken with distance. For all we know he could well be more than three hundred leagues from here-- at that distance the spell will likely have completely broken. Do you think that, when he remembers all that has happened, he will ever want to live with you or love you?'

Kikyo straightened slightly and smirked. 'You are not as cunning as you seem to think, Naraku. I do not want Inuyasha to forget, and neither do I want him to live. I want him to remember me in time, in a way of my choosing, and when he does, then I will take him down to hell with me so we can truly be together at last.'

Naraku raised an eyebrow, but Kikyo continued talking. 'And since you do not have him here, you are, once again, of absolutely no use to me, Naraku.' She said, walking swiftly toward the door. 'And, in all your carefully cunning words, you forgot one thing.' And at this she offered him a smirk over her shoulder. 'You also have no idea where he is. And he will not return to you either.'

And then, as quickly as she had come, the miko was gone, disappearing down the halls as Naraku stared back at her. But his face was not the dark mask it should have been at her words. It was cold, yes, but there was an almost arrogant sort of fire burning in the hanyou's eyes as he watched the soul collectors soar about through the window.

'And you forget one thing, Kikyo.' He thought as he watched them swoop down to wrap around the red, white and black figure that was the priestess. 'A person may follow another into the depths of hell, but they cannot share it with them.' A small smirk spread across his lips. 'Whether you convince your hanyou to go into hell with you or not does not matter. Either way, the two of you will never again be together.'

END

A\N: Well, I don't know how to handle the interactions between these two very well, so I hope they weren't too OOC. Quite personally, I don't really care if I ruined Kikyo's character, but I don't want to mess up Naraku's. I don't know why, but I kinda like him.

Anyway, now to the most important part of the story:

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Clouds of the Sky, Black Betty, xolovexinuyasha, Wish-full Thinker, sourapple10000, Box Queen, RamblingPhilosopher, lunerfox, rena555, Almandine-Azaleea, wolfygirl13, Sexy Kat, ultimateromantic, angelwingz21, Darking Queen, Kitsama, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand lusterstreak.

stares at list a moment Yep, I think that's everyone... Yeesh... that's a long list... I don't think I have enough cookies for you all... (psst... umm, hey, wolfygirl, a little help here...)

CMoC - I Write Sins, Not Tragedies - Panic! At the disco ( -- This song has a couple "bad words" in it, but if you can get past them, it's definitely worth checking out. I don't know it's got a fun and catchy feel to it. ), Every other time - LFO, Silhouettes - Smile Empty Soul, Yura Yura - Every Little Thing, Tubthumping - Chumbawamba(sp?), Toy Soldiers - Martika, Perfect - Simple Plan, and Don't Stop Dancing - Creed