Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha Characters, they belong to Rumiko Takahasi. I'm merely using them for my own twisted enjoyment. I do however, own all Original Characters, this plot line, and all the fan fics referenced in this story. :D

Terms:

Virid: green

Sulphureous: bright yellow

Niveous: snowy; white

Nacarat: bright orange-red

Atrous: jet black

Ultramarine: deep blue

Rubiginous: rusty-colored

Chapter twenty two:

Inside the villagea traveler knelt on the ground bowing. "Have mercy on me, I've done nothing wrong. I have all the proper travel documents in my pocket." Three villagers with bow staffs surrounded him.

A woman stood behind a curtain ordering, "Kill him."

A guard bowed to her shadowed form. Yes Milady," He moved to approach the man while raising his sword.

The man screamed and the other bound travelers watched on in shock as the sword came down. The thud of a body hitting the ground sounded.

One of the travelers whimpered. "Will we all be killed?"

The travelers began looking around and trying not to panic, fearing what would happen next.

Sango stared where the man had been decapitated. "That wasn't much of a hearing was it?"

"How terrible," Kagome's eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and fear.

Miroku stood stoically never removing his eyes from the man with the sword. "I must say this is very disquieting."

The lady behind the curtain spoke up. "She's here," She pointed to the future priestess in unusual clothing.

Kagome was sized. "Come with us immediately girl, Milady commands it." She was drug away from her protectors.

'Just me? What's going on?' Kagome looked around trying to make sense of things.

Miroku and Sango were detained as Kagome was drug to face the lady of the village.

The lady commanded, "I have no use for the others - kill them." She began walking off into another room.

The villagers immediately swarmed around the bound travelers armed and ready to carry out their lady's whishes.

"Sango, Miroku, be careful!" Kagome cried out as she was led away.

XOXOXO:

Shippo and Kirara were flying in the air, searching for Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! Where are you?" Shippo noticed a dark ominous cloud swarming towards them.

The demon hoard grew closer.

"Ah," Shippo tried not to fall off of Kirara's back as she flew over the demons.

XOXOXO:

Kagome was shoved into the room hard enough she fell onto her side with a yell. She immediately picked up on a chilling aura and turned to face the woman, who was surrounded by an evil purplish aura.

Staring at the younger woman the puppet woman spoke in an abrupt voice. "Now that Kikyo is dead it seems you are the only one who can sense the jewel shards."

Kagome gasped sensing another presence and looked behind her. "Ah, the priest from yesterday," gasping again as she saw him fall forward and dust fill the air. She immediate began scooting back a space and freaking out.

From behind the puppet a demoness huffed. "Honestly, I've had it! That bastard makes me babysit this stupid infant." She stared down disdainfully at the no longer useful puppet.

Kagome stared in horror at the demoness. "Kagura," Kagome looked down to the body and her eyes widened. "Than this priest - "

Kagura cut in, "Don't you see? I was controlling him with my dance of the dead." She glared down at the strange miko.

'Than the story about Kikyo being alive, was a lie.' A sinking feeling clawed its way into the tiny priestess in training.

A strange demonic voice spoke. "No one will come to save you. The monk and the demon slayer will be killed, by the castle soldiers."

'The woman isn't the one actually speaking,' Kagome stared at the woman holding a small bundle.

A purple haired infant spoke. "Inuyasha will not come," He turned to stare directly at the young priestess. "Inuyasha is completely obsessed with finding Kikyo."

Kagome gasped. "This infant is…Naraku's incarnation!" She sat bound on the floor. 'This baby is an incarnation of Naraku, born at Mount Hakurei. He must be the one Naien mentioned,' She stared wide eyed at the seemingly defenseless child.

Forcing her fear at bay she stared at the kid and spoke with authority. "What do you intend to do with me?"

The infant replied calmly as his eyes locked to hers. "I told you - you are the only one left who can see the sacred jewel shards." He tried to intimidate her with a stare. "I have need of your eyes."

Kagome gasped as the woman stood up and walked closer to her.

The child stared at her intently the entire time.

Kagome felt a shiver of fear dance along her spine and tried to scoot away.

XOXOXO:

"Now resign yourselves to death!" One guard charged the small circle of innocents.

Sango ran to intercept the guard with her arms still bound. Flicking her wrists she quickly freed her hidden blades inside her Taijiya armor, surprising the guard as she blocked the swinging sword with her arm blade.

"Huh, a hidden weapon?" He tried to strike Sango.

She countered and swiped her blade towards him.

He tried a downward blow.

She jumped back.

He tried to strike her again.

She dodged again and then used a handspring to move back into a defensive stance.

"That damnable wench, how dare she?" The armed villagers went to join the attack.

Sango quickly swung her arm blade knocking the shocked guard's blade away.

"Don't let them get away!" He glared at Sango.

Sango quickly ran to Miroku and sliced through his ropes, freeing his hands. "There ya go," she turned to stand back to back with the monk.

"Thanks Sango," he turned his back to her, as the villagers.

Guards circled around them.

As the village men ran towards the two escapees yelling their heads off. Miroku quickly sidestepped a blow from the long wooden bow aimed directly for him.

Sango dashed towards their weapons being guarded by some of the men and fought her way to their weapons and Kagome's sulphureous bag.

Miroku caught the bow mid swing and yanked forward pulling the unprepared villager forward. Miroku used the tip of the bow to hit the man in the stomach making him grunt.

Breaking through the line of shocked villagers Sango quickly grabbed up her large boomerang and Miroku's staff. She swung around and faced off against the armed villagers. "I'm taking these back," She prepared to fight her way back over to her companion with sheer determination in her eyes.

Miroku used the wooden staff to hit another villager in the gut, and then smacked his forehead leaving a red mark as the unconscious man joined his fellow villagers on the ground.

One of the detainees screamed. "Ah, quick run away!" The remaining captives tried to run away, but they were cut off by the angered villagers.

One of the guards raised his staff. "Hold it! You're not going anywhere!"

Miroku turned around and used the weapon to knock the guard's chin causing him to fall backwards groaning.

Sango raised her large weapon. "Out of the way!" She used it to knock three men down before running up to Miroku and handing him his staff.

They immediately stood back to back again.

"Well these guys aren't any real challenge." Sango moved to hold her weapon up in a defensive stance.

Miroku nodded. "Yes, but Sango don't forget that these men are only following orders from someone higher up." The villagers glared at the duo as the monk continued, "We can hardly start killing them and besides we're out numbered. This may take a little bit of time." He sent her a sideways glance.

Glancing sideways Sango argued back, "I appreciate that, but they took Kagome and she needs our help. We have to hurry Miroku!"

The villagers yelled, advancing on the two strangers. They quickly fought off the villagers taking care not to kill anyone unnecessarily.

XOXOXO:

Ultramarine eyes focused down on the village as the proud warrior stood on the wide branch of a tree. He noticed the monk and demon slayer were busy fighting the villagers.

On a branch six inches below Naien narrowed her rubiginous eyes and clenched her fist. 'Sango and Miroku have everything in hand in the courtyard, but where is Kagome?'

Bankotsu stared at her and signaled for her to wait just a bit longer. 'This will probably be our only chance before Naraku deviates from his original plans and I don't want to waste this chance.' He rolled his shoulders. 'I'd love to be down there spilling their blood myself, but this is about more than my bloodlust… This is about taking revenge for Jakotsu's death.'

Naien nodded signaling she understood and pressed her back against the enormous tree trunk biding her time until Bankotsu gave the signal for them to attack.

His atrous bangs moved slightly as a light breeze brushed past his face.

Naien closed her eyes and allowed the cool breeze to wash over her feeling a little refreshed.

Bankotsu's blue gaze remained focused on the battle below.

XOXOXO:

Deep in the dark hut the infant released a chuckle. "Kagome, I will make good use of your eyes." His eyes pinned the demoness. "Kagura, I want you to untie her ropes now."

Walking over the wind demoness sighed. "Are you sure?" At the infant's cold stare she nodded. "Very well then," Her ruby eyes stared down as she aimed her fan and released a single blade of wind slicing through the ropes that bound the future priestess.

The miko closed her eyes and waited for the blade to cut her in half. When she realized her binds had been cut she blinked her eyes open and then stared at the dangerous infant in fear.

The woman currently holding the infant dropped to her knees in front of the miko.

Eyes widened like saucers and trying to scoot back, Kagome fell back a step releasing a frightened sound.

Kagura reached out grasping her shoulders.

Kagome gasped turning to face the wind demoness.

Kagura silently lowered her eyes to the girl and looked at the infant. Pushing on the miko's shoulders she forced the girl to hold still as the tiny hands began reaching for her.

As the purple haired infant moved closer and closer, her fear began to increase and her heart began to beat frantically. As the tiny alabaster hands reached towards her Kagome yelled out in fright. "No," she pushed back knocking a surprised Kagura back a pace.

Kagura clinched her jaw and gripped her shoulders tighter pushing her forward.

As if reading her mind the amused infant stared at her. "What are you afraid of? Do you think I'll take your eyes and perhaps eat you?"

She gasped in fright and her breathing became erratic as the infant latched onto her placing his head against her full chest and closed his eyes.

A moment later he frowned. 'What is it about this girl's soul? I can find no darkness. That cannot be, with every human there is some darkness inside their soul. Perhaps anger, hatred, or – '

Kagome gasped. 'What is this terrible feeling? It's like his groping around inside my heart.' An image of Inuyasha's niveous hair breezing in the wind as he ran farther away from her, popped into her mind. 'Help me,' she begged as he moved further away from her. 'Help me Inuyasha!'

Kagome's heart plummeted to her stomach and a fierce wave of sadness filled her soul as realized Inuyasha wasn't hearing her. Jealousy began to edge its way into her soul. 'Inuyasha is… isn't coming to rescue me.'

The flashback of just before he left to search for his first love filled her head. 'Inuyasha isn't coming. He's still searching for Kikyo.' Her hands gripped the child and her body trembled. 'Inuyasha isn't going to come and save me. Inuyasha…' Her sorrow and jealousy intensified.

The child's eyes widened. 'I found it!' Latching firmly to the jealousy the infant spoke to her. "I've finally grasped the darkness in your heart Kagome. You can't get away from me now." His ominous purple aura began to encompass her. "Now hold me tightly, let our souls unite and become my eyes, Kagome."

As the useless puppet's body fell dead to the floor the miko grasped the baby and began to feel an overwhelming sadness. Her arms firmly wrapped around the infant cradling it to her chest. 'Inuyasha, please –'

XOXOXO:

The villagers were still determined to carry out their lady's whishes and charged once again towards the battling strangers.

Miroku knocked one away with his staff.

Sango was charged by three men and used her boomerang to knock them down, disarming them in the process.

The two friends were fiercely protecting the innocent travelers, who were in a tight circle behind the two fighting companions. The armed villagers were in a larger circle surrounding them all.

The monk and demon slayer again stood back to back holding off the villagers.

"Fighting off these men without actually killing them is proving to be rather difficult." Miroku sighed.

Sango nodded. "No kidding. It's easier to deal with demons."

The armed villagers charged them again. "Now die!"

Using their teamwork the two worked together and held them off.

'This isn't good; at this rate we'll never rescue Kagome.'

'Kagome, please be safe.'

Kagura watched from behind the curtain as the two warriors continued fighting off the villagers. "Hmph so those two are still alive." Raising her fan to her mouth she tapped it. "And it seems as if they refuse to kill the castle soldiers."

Placing the fan under her chin she turned her back to them and finished. Her tone filled with disgust. "As usual, those two are far too principled," She walked back over towards the clearly enchanted teenager from the future.

The maniacal baby chuckled. "But soon they'll want to kill the soldiers. After all, the soldiers are quite intent on killing them. The malice of the soldiers is contagious and soon the humans will kill each other."

The ruby eyed wind demoness made her way back into the dark room where the quiet priestess followed his every command, holding him close to her beating heart.

Miroku quickly spun the staff like a baton in front of his body and then defeated another charging villager.

'The human heart is weak, hatred is bred easily and this girl is no exception," The evil infant leaned against her heart once again.

The young miko was currently listening to his every word and struggling within herself, but she was coherent enough to catch his last phrase. 'He's underestimating us.' She pretended to play his little game a while longer. 'I must find a way to break his hold on my heart.' Sheer determination entered her very strong spirit.

XOXOXO:

Inuyasha currently stood on the grass impacted bank of the river. "Kikyo!" When only silence greeted the frustrated hanyou scowled. 'I've been up and down the river where the old priest said, but I can't find Kikyo's scent anywhere.'

Walking a few steps onto the rocky soil, he knelt beside the river staring intently into the water. He watched his lost love's face shimmering in the water. 'None of the villagers around here claim to have seen a priestess either.'

The reflection in the water faded and the atrous hair was replaced with niveous hair. 'What's going on?' A soft breeze wafted by his nostrils. "What is this scent?" Looking up he growled, "Demons," and watched them float by in the sky.

On the lush grass about five feet away lay a stone statue nestled between the thick virid blades. It blinked as the demons sailed away overhead. 'Whew, they're gone.' It popped back to normal. Deep grey stone puffed into smoke and nacarat hair and virid eyes peered through the now fading smoke as Shippo sighed in relief. "Good, I don't think they saw me here either."

His relief was short lived as the cunning fox kit quickly took stock of his situation. "But Inuyasha is nowhere to be found and Kirara and I got separated." A small frown crossed his young face as he thought of his cat friend. 'Be safe Kirara, I'll find you as soon as I find Inuyasha, I promise.' That decided he nodded. "I guess I have no choice but to use this technique."

Virid as became wide as saucers as the kit found himself suddenly being raised into the air by his furry tail, thrashing around he caused all of his acorns to fall to the ground. A clawed hand turned the kit and the owner spoke calmly. "Hey there Shippo, what are you doing?"

Recognizing the voice the kit's racing heart began to return to a normal pace. "Don't ever scare me like that again Inuyasha!" He glared at the hanyou who had nearly scared ten years from his young life.

A rustling sound was heard in the lush blades to the right. Shippo began wailing and screaming louder as a blue head appeared through the thick grass, soon followed by a very recognizable face with black tipped ears and pale yellow fur.

Inuyasha stared at his other friend and raised a brow. "Kirara?"

Shippo tried to make his way to the transformed fire cat demon, which secretly held his heart. "Kirara you're okay!"

Inuyasha blinked at sat the tyke down as the cat walked over. Shippo clung to Kirara and then faced Inuyasha explaining the situation as best he could.

A moment later, Inuyasha demanded, "What? Kagome and the others were taken to the castle?" He growled. 'While I was searching for Kikyo.' Immediately panic began to fill his core. 'Than this was all a set up...' Without waiting for his two companions the hanyou tore off running. "I've got to go save them! Let's go!"

The young fox jumped up on the wide back of his friendly cat demon. "Quickly Kirara, follow Inuyasha."

She immediately jumped into the air and began flying towards the direction the panicked hanyou had taken.

"Please Kagome, just hang in there!" Inuyasha continued to where he could hopefully save their friends.

XOXOX:

A/N Okay everyone there's the next chapter - Enjoy.