Naraku's Mind Games

"Hurry..." Kagome whispered to Inuyasha. "We have to get to naraku soon!" they were following the light that had darted form the minion's body and was now flying at it's own speed. Thankfully, Sesshomaru had managed to match it's speed with all of them on his cloud.

"I have...a gut feeling about this if nothing else." Sango said mainly to herself. Admist the apprehensive atmosphere, everyone turned to her, then turned back, bacause they had realized that they were feeling it too. The gut feeling that tells you when something's going to happen...

000000000000

Katana sat down crosslegged and surveyed her sword with an air of curiousity. Usagi was pale, paler then usual, his long slivery blond hair falling infront over his face and shoulders and mingling with his tears. "Naraku..." he whimpered a bit, afraid of attracting the attention of a blood thirstym katana. "H-he's dead..." he realized with shock as he kneeled over naraku. I'm sorry. He thought. I'm sorry for being so mean to you. He slowly carwled back to where kohaku was, the only one besides him and katana who was still breathing.

"Kohaku...kohaku!" he called softly, shaking kohaku's shoulders. He had been thrown by katana headfirst into the ground, and was uncincious. Hopefully he didn't hit any rocks on the way...

"Kohaku! Why aren't you waking up?!" he said, shaking him more vigeruosly. A few more tears made their ways past his long eyelashes and dropped down on the dirt. Kohaku stirred. Usagi covered his eyes. He didn't need to see his big brother dead as well. Kohaku was his best friend, and usagi would go any leanhgts to protect him. "What a-are you doing...Usagi?" kohaku asked weakly. Usagi cast a glance at katna who was still examining the blood on her sword, and whispered. "Kohaku, we have to get out of here. Right now. This is too dangereous." and he slung Kohaku lightly over his back and slowly began crawling to the shrubery, right now the place nearest of saftey.

Slowly...queitly...don't notice me Katana-chan...just go on with your sick fascicnation...YOU TRAITOROUS BI&T! he screamed in his mind. Seeing as he hadn't the power to do anything else, this was the only thing he felt secure doing.

Kohaku grunted on his back. Hang on Kohaku...I just have to get you to saftey then I'll look at your wounds.

With this he continued his treacherously slow crawl, praying all the while that Katana wouldn't get up after them.

000000000000

"Shh...Sesshomaru...Kouga, Sorai? Is that blood?" Inuyasha qestioned, his nose scrunched to try and get a better smell while on sesshomaru's cloud. They nodded grimly. The red beam travelling beside them seemed to be glowing brighter.

000000000000000000000

Katana got up after thoughly inspecting the blood on her sword. She threw a glance over the remains of the house, and the bloody remains of its late inhabitiants. Then she glanced up by a tree about ten minutes walk away, and saw her master. Altough she wouldn't submit to him in her blood thirst, she still recognised him.

Hakudoushi smiled back at her. So she had mananged to kill Naraku...

but to fully repay the debt that Naraku had inflicted on him by killing everyone he had, he would have to do the same. That meant the two left, the ones Katana was too sickingly fascinated with blood to notice, were to be killed.

000000000000

Usagi panted hard. When after about an hour's worth of painfully slow crawling, he finally came to a rest, Kohaku flipped over from his back. They could still see Katana, and at top running speed this was barely three minutes, but at least they had some cover now. Usagi crept over to Kohaku, who was moaning and clutching his head. "Owwwie..."

Usagi sqatted down beside him and began to inspect Kohaku's head. "Damn Kohaku... you didn't have to fall so hard!" he whipsered hoarsely. He tore off the sleeve of his hakama with his teeth and bound it around Kohaku's head. "Damn...Shit..." Kohaku cursed when the cloth pressed a numb spot.

"Kohaku. You're bleeding from the head, and we're in a real fix right now, and all you think of doing is swearing?" he demanded, trying to appear like he was joking. Kohaku, of course, saw right through it. A new idea slowly dawned on his horizen. "Usagi...where's everyone else?" Usagi turned around. He had hoped that Kohaku would just forget about them for a little longer.

"K-katana-chan went into a hanyou bloodlust and..."

Kohaku's worst fears had been confirmed. "Tell me what happened to them!" he yelled.

"Shh...we'll be found out. She k-killed...them all." Usagi said the last with a sob. He was too young to see anyone dead yet, nor to kill anyone! He was useless...and now instead of comforting Kohaku and protecting his best friend, he was crying too. Pathetic.

He wiped the tears from his face, making it dirty as well his hands.Turning to face Kohaku, who was in shock, all the thoughts of fighting back fled. He couldn't fight. He wasn't made for fighting. Kohaku was stuck in place, frozen at the thought of everyone...his everything... Usagi threw out his arms and leapt on to Kohaku, hoding him as the horrible truth sank in.

000000000000

"We're here. Now everyone, quiet." Sorai ordered as they dismounted, seeing as Sesshomaru was silent. "I don't recall giving you permission to give orders, Sorai."Sesshomaru said coldly, narrowing his eyes down on her. He lowered her head. "No, my lord." the last flight had really used up pleanty of his energy and put him in a bad mood...

Kagome leapt off inuyasha's back ran over to Sesshomaru and slapped him on the back with as much strength as she could muster. She smiled a wide, fake smile. "Now, we don't need you getting all lordy on us, now do we...hmn?" SHUT THE HELL UP! She screamed in her mind.

Why? She isn't in incharge here.

Neihter are you. Your making her nervous.

Why do you care?

Why? Well...I like Sorai, and I hate to let lovers quarrel like that.

Lovers? Which part of your warped mind came up with that idea?

The one that knows the truth. Now shut up and apologise.

Apologise? I think not.

I think so. Or else I will fluffy you to eternity.

In yur dreams. We are here in a predictment, and all you care right now-

APPLOGISE!

No.

Do it.

I said no.

I said I will make you if you don't of your own will.

She forgot all about it! Read her mind, she isn't even thinking of that now.

And truly she wasn't but Kagome wasn't going to let Sesshomaru off the hook easily. Aplogise, or else.

Or else?

I'll tell Inuyahsa about the huge dressing room in your room full of makeup, hair and skin stuff.

Sesshomaru was at a loss here. How? What?

We went there to give you your earplugs...remember?

Then Inuyahsa already knows.

Nop. He was high off perfume. Rin tolf me too. She also told me how fluffy your tail is and that you let her sneak into your room at the dead on night when she has a nightmare. You really are sweet, you know that?

Shuddup.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry, Sorai. You people are heavy and hard to carry."

She looked up, clearly surprised. The rest looked on, clearly at a loss of what to do. He was apologising. Freaky if you ask me.

She nodded and shrugged it off. As she opened her mouth to say something more, she was interuppted by miroku saying, "No! Wait, sango!"

They all turned to see Sango venturing into the thicket with her boomerang at the ready.

Kouga lifted his nose into the air. "Weird...all I can smell is water and earth. I can't even get any of your scents unless I'm this close." he showed a puny amount with his fingers.

"Something is definently up." Inuyahsa confirmed.

"Oh no, dear brother, we just happened to travel, all ready for battle with naraku with this strange red light over who knows how much distance for no apparent reason!" Sesshomaru drawled sacrastically.

"Keh. As if." He shot back.

"As cute as I find your little brotherly affection quarrels, now's not the time." Kagome cut them both off. She pointed to Sango, who was still advancing away from them. Kouga nodded briefly. "Yes, kagome, your right. At least I agree unlike some OTHER vermin here." He shot a look to Inuyasha as he grabbed her hands and kneeled. "Kagome. My love, I will follow you into hell!" he proclaimed loudly, grinning wolfishly. (no pun intended)

Sesshomaru turned to inuyasha and taunted, "What's wrong little brother? A little shocked? Maaayyybe bacuse you remember you promising the EXACT same thing to someone else? Hmn?"

Inuyasha's sweat dropped. Kagome, already ticked off from the lack of attention everyone was showing, more so ever from Kouga hitting on her, and even more at the mention of the same promise inuyasha made to Kikyou, was fuming. With one fluid side motion, WHACK! And Kouga was on the ground with Kagome holding her bow above him. "Anyone else?" She asked dangerously. "Oh...um..no we're good!" Inuyasha and Miroku echoed, and Sesshomaru shot her another dirty glance.

"Good! Now we can get going!" Kagome grabbed Sorai and led after Sango.

Leaving some very traumatized demons. (two demons, one hanyou and one lecherous monk)

"Women can be scary." Inuyasha piped up.

"Ahh...but that's all in their beauty." Miroku said.

"MY WOMAN ISN'T SCARY! She's just...fiesty." Kouga said from the ground.

Sesshomaru, for the umpteenth time since they found the minion being used; found himself giving a dirty look.

00000000000000000000000000

"How..." Kohaku was too shocked to complete his sentence as he felt his best friend hug him and sob into his shoulder. Slowly, the truth dawned on him. "Is...Naraku?" he felt a jerk from his side, which was actually a nod from Usagi.

Slowly his hands found their way to Usagi's shoulder. He pushed him off enough to see his face, as said with as much courage as he muster, "Now's not the time usagi. We have to go back and get them. And get Katana out of her blood lust. It isn't her fault. She didn't do it on purpose." He said, even though his voice betrayed the brave words. Usagi got up and wiped his has tears on the sleeve of the hakama, "Your right, Kohaku. I'm just being...stupid."

kohaku looked up to see a new light of determination in eyes, and knew that usagi would help him.

000000000000

Sango crept closer to the bush. The one she was looking for. Yes, she was looking for a bush. And she also suspected herself of being a mental patient. But to be exact it was not the bush she had seen from afar, but had actually caught a glimpse of cloth...she didn't know if she would regret this or not...it could be trap after all, but then again they were close to naraku, so it could be something that would be worth coming across.

She glanced back. They were still quite far from her, maybe she ought to wait for them? BUT... A few steps couldn't hurt and it would let her see what was, if anything, was behind the bush. It would at least put an end to her curiosity. She a tentive step closer, keeping her eyes fixed on the bush, lest something, like an oversized gerbil dressed in a ballfrock or something jump out at her.

0000000000000000

"Right. Just let...me rest a bit." Kohaku whispered as he leaned against the tree root. "My head...still hurts." He said, almost nodded off.

Usagi sat by him, determined to keep patrol while Kohaku regained his strength. Forget that. A flat three minutes later, his head drooped as he slowly lowered himself into sleeping positon, ending up with his head on Kohaku's chest.

0000000000000000000

Sango silently crept around and peered at the bushes, her boomerang held with one hand and the other on her katana hilt.

With a gasp and yelp, the next moment saw her running and holding onto the nearest person, happening to be Miroku. She buried her face in her hands in a dry sob. "Sango-chan? What's wrong?" The not-so-holy monk asked, looking down at her.

ONE MINUTE LATER

SLAP! "YOU STUPID PERVERT!" and Sango ran to the next closest person, now happening to be Kouga.

"Er...I already promised Kagome..." he trailed off helplessly, looking back and forth from Sango to Kagome. One punch and kick later, kouga had joined Miroku on the floor. Sango cursed. "Damn can't you even provide some comfort? I just saw the scariest thing ever, and now you guys...!?" she sobbed into Kagome's shoulder, who was torpeedo-ing VERY dirty glances at Miroku and Kouga.

Kagome patted her on the back. "Now, now. Tell me what's wrong!" she said. Sango was too busy being horrifed to think clearly. It made no sense, and just gave Kagome a headache to try and read her thoughts.

I hate this. I hate cute Kohaku's who look like pretty nine year old girls and trees. I hate trees. Now I know why sorai hates trees. I REALLY HATE NARAKU. All trees are minion's of Narakus. We should murder all Narakus. And all trees. Especially ones with Kohakus leaning against. And that monk. Houshi sama is going to die. Very very soon. But untl then, I HATE TREES, NARAKU, HOUSHI, MONKS, AND...AND...TREES!!

Kagome patted her on the back again and promptly shut off all thoughts from Sango's direction.

"There...there...was K-k-kohaku." she stuttered over the name even though the sobbing phase was long over.

"Kohaku?" Inuyasha asked, emerging form the shadows to which he had taken refuge in with Sesshomaru when they saw Sango runnning back looking for something to hug.

She nodded. "Uhhuh. He was there...sleeping..."

"So?" Inuyahsa asked.

"Just look for yourself!" She said and crept there slowly, clearly not wanting to go back. Kagome kept pace with her, with Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Sorai behind them, and Mirkou, and Kouga, still brushing themselves off, in the back.

Sango and kagome dawned on the scene. Sango screeched, "He's hurt!" and began to crouch by him. She stroked the hair out of his sleeping eyes. "Kohaku..." she whispered.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group had caught up. With one of them looking throughly uncomfortable (ready to attack), the in a fighting pose, the third stotic as usual, and the last with a perverted smile, also as usual, they looked on.

"Sango...who's the girl?" Miroku, asked with his not-so-innocent look placed firmly in place. "And why is she asleep with Kohaku?"

Inuyahsa turned away, but not before whispering a warning to Miroku. "Your going to regret that, monk..."

Sango stood up and asked. "DO YOU THINK I CARE!? HE'S HURT RIGHT NOW!" Miroku cringed. An echo came. "I told you sooo..."

"She is a bit young..." Sesshomaru admitted quietly.

Sango tunred to him. "HE'S HURT RIGHT NOW! I DON'T CARE! SHE'S PROBABLY ONE OF NARAKU"S MINIONS!!" Sesshomaru gave a stare. "I meant too young to fight us if she's one of Naraku's minions."

She stared back. He increaed the intesity of the stare. She braved it on. Kagome jumped in the middle. "Now now...guys, we don't you guys killing each other, now do we?"

"Easy for you to say!" Sorai and Inuyahsa said, both holding onto to the warring parties. "Ok, maybe they do. But now's not the time. You can murder each other later!" She chirped happily.

"Alright alright, Inuyahsa get off me." Sango grumbled, and Sesshomaru grunted to Sorai, who had her barrier on.

"Waaaait a second!" inuyahsa scratched his head. "Why am I holding you to make sure you don't kill HIM? Go ahead! You'll be doing me a favor!" he concluded.

"Sit." There went that logic.

"Hm...usagi? What are you doing?" Everyone tunred at once kohaku, who had woken up and was adressing his best friend.

"Kohaku!" sango gushed as she leapt to hug him. "Your hurt!"

"And awake." kouga commented. Kohaku gave him a cold glare. "It would be hard to sleep with strangers standing and screaming their heads off infront of you." he muttered. Sango only tightened her grip, causing Usagi's head to roll off, therefore waking him.

She pulled out her Katana and pointed it at usagi's throat. "Who are you?" she snarled, Kohkau still helplessly caught in a hug.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? Kohaku, do know these people?" Usagi yawned, calmly waving away the sword.

"Let go woman!" Kohaku pushed himself away and stood by Usagi. "Hey...wait a second! These are the people that...Naraku used to swap!" realization dawned on him. At the sound of Naraku's name, everyone tensed.

"Naraku? Kohaku...are you still with him? Don't you remember me?" Sango asked, her face a look of hope.

"I know you only from the eyes of the minion." He responed, wondering why the hope on her was suddenly shattered. "I'm...your sister...Kohaku." she said, her face now downcast.

"Sister? I have no sister." he drew his katana, and nudged Usagi behind him. Hearing a short yelp, he turned back to see inuyahsa picking Usagi up between forfinger and thumb and sniffing him. "Who are you, little girl?"

Usagi could feel the anger mounting. "I AM A GUY! GET IT INTO YOUR THICK SKULLS!"

Inuyahsa just nodded and said, " I was wondering why you didn't smell like one..."

Sango let out a sigh of relief. A good thing I don't have to worry anout that at least...

Next inuyasha picked up Kohaku, kicking and yelling. Shaking him around a bit, he scolded. "You know what? I've had enough of your shinanigans. Stop worrying Sango. Remember her, and be over with, sheesh!" with another resolute shake, he dropped them both. Kohaku sprung back up, his katana drawn. "Don't be so harsh Inuyasha!" Miroku and Kagome called simultanouesly.

Sango reached over and grabbed Kohakau's shoulder. "Kohaku. Try to remember. Please."

Usagi snorted. "look. We don't know who you all are. We've only seen you a few times, and not even up face, so why you don't bugging kohaku, and either fight us, or go away!"

"That's a blunt way of putting it.." Sorai commented, earning a nod from Sesshomaru.

"Forget that right now!" Kouga pointed at the sky, where there seemed to be a huge spear like thing made of water rising high above the treetops, glinting and glimmering in the sunlight.

"Damn!" kohkau cursed, much to Sango's surprise. "You curse, Kohaku?" She asked unbeleivingly.

"Uh-oh. Kohaku, I say we go now." Usagi said, taking on a determined pose.

"Remind me again, WHY are we here if they're going to take all the action?!" Kouga asked, now drawng doodles in the dirt.

"GET UP!" Inuyahsa yelled and ran after Usagi and Kohaku, grabbing kagome by the shoulder and slinging her like a backpack while on the run. CRACK.
"Uh-oh...Kagome are you alright? Please don't die!" Inuyasha whimpered as he held Kagome in his arms after in an attempt to sling her went bad, resulting in her head bashing against a nearby tree at full speed.

Sango and Kouga rushed over. "Kagome! Wake up!"

"IN-U-YASHA!"

"YOU STUPID MUTT! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HER!" they both thundered, murder in their eyes. Kagome stirred slightly.

"Kagome, are you alright? Plase be alright. I'm sorry!" the concerned hanyou whispered.

"Sit."

"Damn Inuyahsa! I'm not a backpack!" she said as she struggled to get up, aided by both Kouga and Sango.

"your not? You look like one." the taiyouki present said with a smirk.

"do you want me to fluffy you t- er...that wasn't intended...goumen!" she said sheepishly.

"Miko... prepare to die." Sesshoamru threatened from the ground.

"OVER MY BODY!" Inuyasha yelled in retaliation, resulting in a lot of coughing when he realized he had just swallowed a few blades of grass and dirt.

"You're already on the ground. It doesen't take much to walk over you." Sesshomaru pointed out.

"Er..." Inuyasha tried to think up a comeback, ignoring sorai's giggles. "You guys can't take anything seriously can you?" Sango asked disapprovingly.

"It's alright mutt. I'll protect Kagome!" Kouga said, satnding infront of Kagome.

"Um...Kouga, your blocking my vision." she said with her hands on her hips. He shot her an apoligectic look. "Oh..sorry." he raised one foot to the side, when kagome poked him in the side. "Ouch! What are you doing?" he asked, holding his misused side.

"This." she responded by smiling a rin-ish smile and lightly runnning her fingertips down his side. He responded by falling down and gasping. "Don't! No! Sorry! Ticklish!"

Everyone else was dumbstruck. "Kouga's ticklish?" Miroku asked unbeleivingly.

"Yep!" replied his torturer. " Inuyasha is too. So is everyone else here, except for me and sesshomaru."

Sango shook her head. "Sesshomaru I'll believe, but you? I don't think so!" And began to ruthlessly tickle her on the neck.

"NO! STOP!"

Sesshoamru turned to Sorai. "Is it just me that notices how amazing it is that evertime we all get together, we manage to sucessfully do nothing the enitre time?"

she shook her head. "It's rather enjoyable."

Sesshoamru rolled his eyes. There went the last conversable (person who is worthy of having a conversation with) person here.

"PEOPLE!" a sudden screech from Miroku came.

"Now is not the time. Naraku, remember?" he hinted. Wait a second...why am I being the smart one?

God knows why. That was from Sesshomaru.

"Oh yeah! Naraku!" Inuyasha slapped himself on the head jokingly and raced off, but not before letting Kagome carefully climb on his back.

Shaking their heads in a long suffering manner, they followed.

00000000000000000000000000

how was that? Please tell me! I hope you liked it!

Ok, For the first time I've received a complaint. I appreciate the complaint, because this way I can actually improve my writing.

Boring and chapters too long...I agree with the boring a bit because these aren't supposed to be funny chapters... sorry.

And too long? Well, I've completed writing this story, if you want I can break up the chapters to last way past fifty, or like I have it right now, ending at 48. Please tell me and REVIEW SOON. Last time it took me a week to get five reviews, and then I got really sad and didn't even want to work on this story anymore. (editing etc.)

PLEASE PEOPLE!