[[Disclaimer: 'Ello, readers. Wonderful to see your lovely faces back again. Er, well… More or less. I haven't written this much in a very long time, so I do hope that you are all enjoying reading. Oh… Reviews. Are. Love. Please continue to leave reviews once you have finished a chapter/read through all I have written. I do so love them. They keep me going. After sleeping for three days, I looked at my story traffic and almost cried, I swear XD Please. When I am gone, my friends, message me and such to get me going again. I'm terribly flaky and depend on all of you~ Support me! Bitte und danke~ Oh, also… Just in case this wasn't obvious.. This is yaoi (Which is man on man love!) = ^= I don't do heterosexual stuff. And, dudes, I just read that Sesshomaru is taller than Naraku. XDD Well, he's not in this story! So.. With that in mind, please, do what you must, be it leaving the story or continuing on ;D]]

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"Please," Naraku said softly, standing from his seated position and facing the silver haired lord, "Come inside. I have much to explain to you, lord Sesshomaru." His red eyes followed the soft curve of Sesshomaru's arm, recalling that the male had two the last they'd seen each other. Surely he hadn't gone and gotten his own arm back… Had he? A small smirk found his lips when he saw the other was prepared to kill him if he made any wrong moves, but noted, gratefully, that Sesshomaru had not yet moved to do such a thing. Perhaps this was his "okay" to explain. Although the lord was very different from humans, all beings were the same in curiosity, and Naraku knew Sesshomaru wanted to know just what had taken place that day, and why. Hm, this could be interesting, "You see… Since our first departure, I have tried to find a way to get you here. So, I figured sending a messenger would do the trick. Though, in the end, I was right… The creation of this messenger went horribly wrong. Kagemaru…" He looked up and their eyes met, "You remember him, yes?"

Sesshomaru snorted, but spoke calmly, "If you have a point to make, make it quickly."

Naraku chuckled lightly, taking a small step in Sesshomaru's direction, "Well, you see… I hadn't intended for him to kill you, and I knew I made him far too strong. Surely, if I hadn't intervened, you would have been killed." He could hear the lord growl and those amber eyes narrowed at him, "So, though I was injured, I came to your aid. Though… In the end, you were badly wounded. Fatally wounded. You cannot use Tenseiga on yourself, my lord, and you lacked the energy to find anyone willing to nurse you back. So, to save your life…"

"…you plunged your hand into my chest…" He eyed the spider, loosening his grip in the hilt just a bit, for his curiosity was far more important than his protective stance at the current moment. Naraku nodded a bit, but didn't break their stare.

"And I stole your very heart."

Sesshomaru looked away from Naraku and down to his torso. Come to think of it, his pulse was much more faint than it ever had been, and his scent wasn't nearly as strong. Of course… He could still feel a faint beating. As if his heart was a ghost, forcing the blood cells through his veins. If what Naraku said was true.. Then why was he not dead? Not creature could truly live without a heart. It was insanity, and the lord wanted answers, "…Fool. If you have stolen my heart, like you claim, then why do I stand before you?"

A small smirk fell upon Naraku's face once again, "Because I made it so. Your heart is currently in my possession, yes. But it is still your heart, and, through your demonic aura, its beating still courses through your veins, pumping your blood and keeping you alive. You cannot die while I hold your heart, and I shall return it once you have healed. After I have-"

Sesshomaru hissed, "You shall return it to my body now."

"No." Naraku said plainly, stepping closer to the lord. His eyes were locked with those ambers now and he noted, with great appreciation, the height difference between them. The dark male didn't stop moving until he was just about a foot away from the other, "Not until I have fulfilled my reason for having you brought here in the first place, that is."

Those eyes narrowed graciously, "And what did you bring me here for, Naraku? Surely not for poor conversation."

"Tell me your theories."

Sesshomaru straightened out, a questioning look upon his pale face, "Battle," There was no change in Naraku's facial features, but Sesshomaru gave no more explanation. He simply stared up into those red eyes, noticing they told him he was wrong. That he was a fool for thinking such a thing. But what other explanation was there? It had to be battle, for there was nothing he could think of. Unless… A low laughter filled the spreading silence between them and Sesshomaru scowled, his expression changing to that of shock when the taller male grabbed him by the front of his clothing. He had left his armor behind, so this was an easy task.

Those red eyes had a chill running over his pale skin, surprise drowning anger right then, "I intend to make you mine, Sesshomaru." Those amber eyes widened, incredibly so, but before that expression could change or a word could be said, Naraku swooped down and captured the lord's lips in a kiss. He was surprised at how soft those pink lips were under his own. Not exactly warm, and certainly not accepting, but still just as wonderful as he knew they would be. Still. He had no time to enjoy them fully, as he was shoved away immediately afterward with a blade suddenly drawn and held toward him. Sesshomaru's face was red with anger, and his eyes were tinted a light shade of the same color, "Haha. Alright, dearest Sesshomaru. Have it your way. A battle, then. If you win, I shall return your heart right away and then let you go free."

He hissed, looking upward at the man who'd brought him here, "And… On the off chance your body is not torn to shreds?"

Naraku chuckled, "You become my mate."

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They'd been back there long enough… Truth be told, she had no idea as to why Naraku wanted Sesshomaru in the first place. He said the demon would be seeking him out. Had the demon lord been making a weapon, intending to battle Naraku? Mm… Surely, with a sword like that in the hands of a man as powerful as Sesshomaru, she would finally be free of that wretched man. She hadn't noticed earlier, but the imp had been looking her up and down for some time now, "Can I help you?" Kagura barked, her arms folded over her chest.

Jaken jumped a bit and then glared at the woman, "He's been in there quite a while. You wouldn't happen to know why he's been brought here, would you?"

"I haven't the faintest idea-" Their conversation was short lived and their questions soon answered as Naraku flew out the side of the building holding a sword out as if he had just been defending against an attack. Kagura narrowed her eyes, opening her fan and using it to shield the lower part of her face as she watched Sesshomaru follow Naraku outside. It seemed she had been correct in her guessing… The demon lord raised Tokijin high in the air and brought the sword down in a lithe, downward-slash. Of course, Naraku quickly countered, their swords clashing both being propelled apart by the power between them.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called out, her tone showing all the worry she felt. Truly, she hated watching her master fight. It worried her so much… Narrowed amber eyes looked back upon her, meeting dark brown for a moment. And that moment was all it took to be attacked by the one he was fighting. Foolish! Rin cringed as Sesshomaru was sent flying to the ground, tears filling her eyes. She had caused her lord to be struck! As she tried to climb off of Ah-un, after Sesshomaru, Kagura stepped toward her.

"He would not want you involved, girl. I'm sure he'll be fine. Stay where you are. There's no need to be more of a nuisance."

The demon lord cringed a bit as he dislodged himself from the rock at the base of Naraku's castle. He could feel his wounds reopening. He had to end this, and fast. With quick movements, he jumped from the ground and brought his blade down upon Naraku from the height. The clash of their swords from such an attack sent Naraku flying this time, even if it wasn't into the ground, as he had done to Sesshomaru, "Yes, lord Sesshomaru!" Rin and Jaken both cheered from the sidelines, though neither participant paid them any attention.

Their swords met again and again. Sesshomaru used his poison whip and wrapped it around Naraku, only to have the man grab it and pull the lord close. He hadn't had his guard up, it seemed. He never predicted an opponent doing such a thing, and, before he could pull back, Naraku stabbed his blade through Sesshomaru's torso, "Underhanded…" The dog then slammed his fist into Naraku's face, forcing the man to the ground with incredible force. With clawed hands, the lord pulled the blade from his torso and then leaped down, standing over Naraku with a blade to his throat. He was… Feeling a bit faint, to be completely honest. Not only were his wounds reopening… But he'd just been stabbed in the same area once again. Sesshomaru's legs felt as if they could give out at any moment, "You've lost… Return my heart."

Kagura's eyes widened and her expression behind the fan was that of sheer horror. Naraku has Sesshomaru's heart? No! This was impossible! If he had Sesshomaru's heart… Kagura scowled darkly. She'd have to find Inuyasha and get on his side. Perhaps then, she could be freed. There was no use if Sesshomaru wasn't free. He was just another tool, like her, though… Not an incarnation.

Naraku smirked darkly at the half-lidded expression on Sesshomaru's face and grabbed the blade, ripping it from the demons hand. The dog stumbled back, only to be grabbed by the neck and slammed back into the ground, "No, pet. It appears you have lost." Naraku's fangs grew fast behind his lips and he bared them to the demon lord, who cringed and struggled beneath him. Ah… How he loved this. With his free hand, he ripped away the cloth at Sesshomaru's shoulder, revealing the unmarred flesh there and marveling at just how pale and porcelain-like the dog's skin was. He drank in that consistency and pressed a simple kiss there just before sinking his fangs into the man. Gods, he tasted good. Sesshomaru was no weakling. He bit his bottom lip harshly, causing it to bleed, and growled instead of screaming, as anyone else would, for the mark of a mate was excruciating. As Naraku bit him, he was being injected with a sort of venom, which any other demon would be able to smell on him to know he was marked. That he was taken. Though they would know not by whom.

The man atop the lord's teeth receded back to their normal shape and he leaned up, looking down up on his mate, who was doing his best to glare through the impending need to faint, "Now… You are mine."

Sesshomaru spat at Naraku and snarled, "We will never be mates. I will never mark you as mine!"

Red eyes narrowed and the spider grabbed the dog by his long hair, letting go of his throat finally. He simply stared at him for a minute before licking some blood from the corner of Sesshomaru's lips, "We shall see."