"Naraku, there's something you should know." Kagura dragged Kiyoshiyuki to the spot on the bed where her sire sat, hugging his knees to him and staring off into space.

"What?" He asked in the calmest manner she'd ever heard.

"You youngest child decided to run his mouth while we were in the rest."

"And?"

"He told Sesshomaru's men that we were searching for Kohaku to find your mate and pup."

Naraku nodded boredly, lifting his claws to his face to look them over.

Kagura smirked at the evil thoughts that ran through her mind. Kiyoshiyuki was going to be put through hell...for a second time. "I took the liberty of punishing him for ya. You can do it again though."

His spine straightened as he quickly faced her. "You. Did. What?" Kami, that explained everything. "Did you lay a hand on him Kagura?"

"I-I..."

Kiyoshiyuki moaned as he awakened, and Naraku's attention turned to him. He was more than stunned to see his most valued incarnation, his alternate twin, bleeding from various wounds, licking his busted lip, struggling to open his blackened eyes, resisting the urge to fall into unconciousness again.

Naraku eyed Kagura furiously, plucking her heart out of thin air and clenching it as tight as he could in his hand.

"Agh!" Kagura dropped to the ground, howling and writhing in pain.

"You will never, I repeat, never, lie a hand on him again if you wish for a lengthy life, Kagura. I should kill you, but you have yet to outlive your usefulness." Releasing her heart when he saw blood sputter from her mouth, he grabbed her by the kimono and tossed her out of his room before slamming his door.

"N-naraku?" Kiyoshiyuki stuttered weakly, his sight blurring.

Naraku kneeled beside him. "How severely are you wounded?"

He shrugged, forcing himself to sit up. "I should be fine by tomorrow."

"Kiyoshiyuki..."

"Yes, Naraku?" A part of him hated the hanyou so badly that it made his soul ache. He was envious of him for having Kagome's love, and furious with him for harming her. The other part, though, that part of him loved the hanyou like a sibling. He wanted to help him get over the corrupt feelings that filled his heart.

"Do you know what you are to me?"

Kiyoshiyuki frowned at that. He didn't understand the question. "I'm your incarnation."

Naraku shook his head lightly. "You are not. You are my brother, my alternate twin."

"I...do not understand."

Sighing, the hanyou left the room and returned with a tub of water and a rag. "Take off your kimono, so that I may tend to your wounds."

Kiyoshiyuki arched a brow, but slid the kimono off without questiong him.

"When you were created from the demons consuming Onigumo-"

"Wait. I thought you were created."

"No." He dabbed the wounds of his twin, ignoring the grunts and winces. "You were created, then I was, only I was created of dark matter. You, being far more innocent than I, were nearly killed immediately after our creation. I absorbed you."

Kiyoshiyuki smirked. "To protect me?"

Naraku narrowed his eyes. "No." He pulled a roll of bandages from the side of his bed, wrapping the wounds. "So as to not lose half of my power."

"I hold half of your power."

"Yes, and with you gone, that half disappears."

"Mm hm."

Naraku stood. "Redress." He waited until his brother was dressed before continuing, "You care for Kagome."

Kiyoshiyuki grunted, standing.

"That is fine. You are as much me as I am. We are one in the same, and yet different. But know this, she is not to be told until she returns to our side permanently. If she is angry with me when she comes into this knowledge, we will both be dead."

"Kagome wouldn't kill me."

"If she were angry enough, our little mate would. Now, go." He opened the door befor sinking back onto the bed.

Kiyoshiyuki stumbled to the door, pain racking through his body. "Naraku," He paused in the doorway, "why am I no longer pure?"

Naraku closed his eyes. "You have seen too much through my eyes. You now know that the world is no pure place. If you leave the castle barrier, be careful, brother."

"I will...brother." Turning with a small smile, he stepped over Kagura's unconcious body and started to leave. He had to find Kagome. He wouldn't tell her just yet, but he needed to see her."

"This isn't fair!" Inuyasha scowled, staring at the small board that sat in the middle of the circle.

"Stop your complaining." Ashi snapped as she leaned over Junsei's shoulder to look at the board.

Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha, you're being annoying. You can't be on my team because it's a couple's game. You with Kikyo, Sango with Miroku, and Sesshomaru and I because we don't have a spouse. Now, shall we begin?"

He shrugged. "Keh."

"Alright. Sango and Miroku, you go first."

"Okay, um...Sango, you do this one." Miroku suggested, not seeing any letters that he liked. "I'll go next."

Sango nodded with a smile, shuffled through the small letter tiles, reading, 'f,e,h,r,c,e,l' She slapped the tiles onto the board, "Lecher! That's...11 points...no twelve, because of the double letter." She gathered more tiles from the bag, giving her lecher fiance a full view of ass.

Kagome nodded, tallying the points. "Okay, Inuyasha and Kikyo."

Inuyasha, still brooding, said, "Kikyo, you first."

Smiling a little, Kikyo analyzes her tiles, 'P, A, K, E, G, E, G.' Sliding the tiles onto the bord, she read, "Peak, 10 points."

Writing the number under Kikyo and Inuyasha's name, Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru, "You?"

"Hn." He looked away.

"Look, you cocky bastard, just play the game. I'm bored, and you said you wanted to learn more about the future, no? This is a game from the future. So, get your fluffy ass in gear and play the game."

Inuyasha stifled a laugh. "Flu-fluffy ass.." He snorted.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, then looked down to the game board. A smirk crossed his face. He placed a few letters on the board, then countered, "Hanyou, 12 points."

"Y-you bastard!" Inuyasha howled.

"Hey, hey, just get him back on the second round. Sang, Miroku."

The game lasted an hour, where many words were used. For example: Bastard- Inuyasha, Breast- Miroku, Castrated- Sango, Living- Kikyo, Halfbreed- Sesshomaru, and Vomiting- the Kagomes, which had earned both girls a group stare down.

"Okay, Miroku's turn again!"

Miroku beamed, his hands twitching. He eyed every single letter a few thousand times before picking three and slamming them onto the board, connecting them to one of the letters that was already there, "Oral. 12 points because of the triple word score."

Sango's hand throbbed. How badly she wanted to hit him! All of the words he were using were lecherous somehow, moan, touch! He'd even tried to put down 'Two Kagome's' after stealing some letters.

"Go ahead, Sango." Junsei waved her hand.

"You lecher, you idiot! You sex addicted fool!" Sango beat him mercilessly with the board, causing the pieces to scatter. "There are children watching! You shouldn't say such things!"

Rin tugged on Ashi's sleeve. "What's oral?"

Shippo nodded, "Yes, and what's an orgasm?"

Kakudan squealed, "Gasm, gasm!"

The two bled into one, their eyes twitching as they glared at Naraku. "You're dead!"

"But what do they mean?!" Rin cried.

"Well, oral, has to do with the mouth, if I'm not mistaken." Kiyoshiyuki came stalking into the garden's, picking a tile out of his hair and tossing it to the ground. "Hi, Kagome."

"Kiyoshiyuki!" She stood, racing to hug him. "Hi!" She missed the way he hunched over slightly in her arms.

"Hey."

Sesshomaru growled at the loving scene. "How did you pass the barrier?" He stood, a hand on his sword.

Kiyoshiyuki glanced at Sesshomaru, then back at Kagome. "I snuck in as some guy was leaving the barrier. So, Kagome, what are you doing?"

"Playing couple's scrabble!"

'Couple?' Kiyoshiyuki help back his glare. "Who was your partner?"

"Sesshomaru."

"You're a couple now?"

She shook her head, laughing in amusement. "Nope. Anyway, whatcha doin' here?"

He shrugged. "Came to see you. Kakudan!" He bent down, catching the little boy as he ran into his arms. "You've grown in the past few weeks."

Kakudan nodded. "I grow, Yuki."

Kiyoshiyuki smiled at him, standing up with a wince.

"Are you alright?"

"My Kagome, the ever observant." He cooed lovingly, grabbing her chin. "Your cheeks are red. Are you ill?"

"No." She glared at her so called friends, who were awing and laughing. "What's wrong with you?"

Kiyoshiyuki shook his head. "Nothing severe."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "Like hell it isn't. Let me see."

"No. It's fine." He stepped back when she stepped toward him. Another step was taken, when Kagome moved forward yet again.

Kagome faked a step, then lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. She frowned when he grunted and the scent of blood hit her nose. Ripping open his kimono, she gasped. "You're horrible. Who did this to you? Naraku?"

"Kagura. I must rejuvenate, much like Naraku. In my time of weakness, she attacked because I was attempting to warn you that he is trying to find you."

"That bitch! I'll kill her."

"There is no point. Naraku nearly did."

She gasped. "Naraku protected you?"

Kiyoshiyuki sat up with a snort, causing Kagome to climb off of him. "According to him, he wasn't." He sighed. "Kagome...what must I do to prove my love to you?"

"..."

"Does it hurt you because I am basically Naraku?"

"..."

"Say something."

Kagome sighed, cupping his cheek. "I don't...see why you want me."

He smiled. "You're strong, beautiful, perfection."

"And you're breathtakingly handsome, muscular, perfection." She cringed when he beamed, "But, I could not be with you."

His face fell, then hardened. "Why?"

She closed her eyes, holding her forehead to his. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry!" He yelled at her, nudging her away. "I want to know why! Why you do not love me in return! Is it him?!" He pointed to Inuyasha.

"Of course not." She replied.

"Then what is wrong with me?"

"I- Come with me." Taking his hand, she led him further away from the group.

"You embrace me, make me think that you love me, but are afraid! Then you say that you don't! Were you using me to have revenge on Naraku?!"

"No!" She fought back tears. "Kiyoshiyuki," She whispered, "you don't understand."

He frowned, moving closer to her. "Then please, make me understand. Tell me what I can do to better myself for you."

Kagome threw herself into his arms. "Kiyoshiyuki, I do love you, just not the way you want."

"Why?" Kiyoshiyuki whispered, resting his head on hers.

"The heart feels at it's own will." She uttered in return.

"It can't. You have to love me." He cuddled her. "You love Naraku, and I am Naraku in a way."

She smiled up at him. "You shouldn't want to be...just, give me time. I don't think I'm ready just yet, to fall in love, that is. But when I am, and I know that I am, you will be the first I go to."

He beamed, fire coursing in his veins. "So than I will wait. May I say goodbye to Kakudan?"

"Sure." She led him back out, a smile on her face. She didn't want to lose her friend, and she just knew when she was ready, if they spent time together, she could love him romantically.

Kakudan jumped up and latched onto Kiyoshiyuki. "Yuki go?"

He nodded. "For now. But I'll be back." He winked at Kagome, who blushed in return. He was starting to like that. Setting the bow down, he smirked, "Goodbye, Kagome?"

"See you later, Kiyoshiyuki."

"Oh, and before I forget, a wolf was looking for you. The filthy numbskull had the nerve to refer to you as his woman." He scowled, but smiled when Kagome giggled. Taking her hand, he kissed it before taking off.

Kagome shook her head with a sigh. "So, round two?"

Sesshomaru gazed at her in anger. "I have work to attend to."

"B-but-"

Sesshomaru turned, walking toward the castle.

She frowned. "What crawled up his butt and died?"

"I could be your partner, Kagome." Kohaku suggested, deepening his voice slightly.

"Thanks. That's sweet of you, Kohaku." She giggled, kissing the blush on his cheek. "Okay, let's get it started!"

"Sesshomaru, you done working?" Kagome asked, leaning in his office's doorway.

"No."

"I thought you wanted to talk about the future?"

"Later." He waved her out.

Kagome stiffened at the rejection, glared, then turned to storm out, bumping into Kohaku. "Oh, Hi, Kohaku. Sorry."

He didn't look at her, blushing as he stared at his feet. "U-um, I got you these." Pulling a bouquet of flowers from behind his back, he handed them to her.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" She gushed, smelling the flowers. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He watched her leave, slumping in the doorway as he stared after her. "Kagome." He sighed.

Sesshomaru growled loudly, making the young teen jump.

"O-oh, Lord Sesshomaru!" He jumped to attention. "I'm sorry." Blushing furiously, he ran out.

'Pathetic. First Naraku incarnation, second, human brat. They try seduce mate."

'Let them have the wench. She is useless to me.'

'Ugh, fool!'

Sesshomaru turned his attention to his work, a scowl on his face. "Wench may you be damned."