At last! I'm close to completing the jewel!

Miroku: so?

A1969: I'll wish that Inuyasha was mine! Mwahaha!!!

Sango: how many shards do you need…?
A1969: three! Ha! Eat your heart out, Naraku!

Sango: so until you have those shards…you don't own the show.

A1969: dang it! Oh and please remember, reviewing is one way of knowing whether or not you, the reader, want me to update.

Chapter Twenty One: Naraku's Heart and Helen's Feelings

XoXoXo

Inuyasha's ears twitched. The hanyou slowly opened his eyes from sleep and looked around his sleeping companions. He wrinkled his nose. He could smell Sesshoumaru and Helen not very far from where they were. What on earth could they be up to? It was very dark and very late.

Inuyasha yawned and got up. Usually, when he woke up from sleep, he could no longer go back. Inuyasha glanced at Kagome and decided that, for her sake, he would go and see why Helen and Sesshoumaru were out this late.

XoXoXo

Helen's blue eyes bore into Kanna's back. She glanced sideways at Sesshoumaru. What did Naraku want with them? Helen had a feeling that Sesshoumaru knew; she had a feeling that it had something to do with Kagura. She sighed. She could not forget the pure determination that had showed in Sesshoumaru's otherwise blank eyes when he saw that Kagura needed to be freed.

You still love her, don't you? Helen thought, feeling slightly down. She let out a long sigh and asked her silent companion, "What does she, I mean Naraku, want with us?"

Sesshoumaru glanced sideways at her. He knew what Naraku wanted. He wanted Helen. He didn't know for what demented purpose. Sesshoumaru frowned to himself. Naraku wanted an exchange; Kagura for Helen. Truth be told, Sesshoumaru didn't want this; but he had no choice. Kagura's life was at stake.

"Sesshoumaru?" Helen asked softly, her voice low, only above a whisper. "What does he want with us…?"

"He wants you," Sesshoumaru corrected her in an indifferent tone.

Helen's eyes widened. "M-me…? Why…?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer. Helen glared at him. She didn't know if he was going to give her over to Naraku. "Are you…going to…give me away?" she asked softly.

He didn't answer.

Helen looked up at the stars, they were dimmer, it seemed. "It's alright…you know…" Helen said sadly. She looked at him and he was surprised to see the sad but calm look in her eyes. "You plan to give me away for Kagura…right?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her. He actually didn't plan on that. He had planned to storm into Naraku's castle and save Kagura, which was all.

Helen mistook his silence for an affirmation. "You…still love her…don't you…?" Helen looked at his eyes and he stared back into hers; there was a very strange sad look in them, a look he did not understand.

He chose not to answer her question. He heard her sigh.

XoXoXo

Inuyasha, though he may have been a hanyou, knew how to hide himself well. He usually wouldn't have been able to hide from Sesshoumaru's keen nose but his elder brother seemed to be absorbed in his thoughts. From his hiding place behind the trees, Inuyasha could see Sesshoumaru and Helen walking side by side. Inuyasha's eyes wondered to Kanna. What was she doing there? And why were Sesshoumaru and Helen following her?

"It's alright…you know…" Helen was saying to his brother, who appeared to not be listening. But Inuyasha knew better. "You plan to give me away for Kagura…right?" The hanyou's eyes widened as he heard the words. Sesshoumaru was going to what?

There was silence.

"You…still love her…don't you…?" He heard Helen say in a voice quite similar to Kagome's whenever the miko was in a heart break. Inuyasha heard Helen sigh. The hanyou clenched his fists. Damn you, Sesshoumaru…are you really going to give her Naraku…?

Inuyasha gritted his teeth. He had always known his brother was a fool…but this! And Helen letting him do what he wanted! The hanyou frowned. Why was Helen agreeing to it? Why was she so willing to follow his unspoken order?

Glancing around the trees, Inuyasha saw that the pair had now vanished from sight. Inuyasha had to help Helen. He had to follow their scents fast before they reached Naraku's castle and his barrier hid everything.

XoXoXo

They had reached Naraku's castle. It was gloomy and dark. Helen bit her lower lip; she thought of running but decided against it, reminding herself that there was no way she could outrun a daiyoukai. Kanna had led them to the wide court yard of the castle. It was empty. Sesshoumaru turned to Kanna, she was gone.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," a voice said. Naraku appeared out of the shadows of the threshold of the palace. "You've come and you've brought the girl."

Naraku's red eyes rested on Helen. Helen quickly hid behind Sesshoumaru and he stepped protectively in front of her. Naraku chuckled. "Growing soft, Sesshoumaru-sama? How is it that you have come to protect that girl? And to think it was only a few weeks ago that you were so willing to leave her in the garden, in my clutches."

The youkai lord glared at Naraku, his clawed hand rested on the hilt of Ryuko as he narrowed his eyes at the black haired hanyou before him. "So have you forgotten Kagura?" Naraku asked softly. Then, from within the castle, emerged a barrier in which Kagura was imprisoned. The moment she saw Sesshoumaru, Kagura stood up in her barrier and looked at him with longing.

"Sesshoumaru!" she called out.

Helen bit her lower lip when she saw the look in Sesshoumaru's eyes. She calmly stepped from behind him and faced Naraku. Kagura gave her a curious look that-for the first time-was free of any kind of loathing. Naraku laughed. "Finally come to your senses, Helen?" he asked smoothly. Helen glared at him. Behind her, she could feel Sesshoumaru's eyes bore into her back.

"Isn't this what you wanted, Naraku?" Helen asked. "For some unknown, demented purpose…you want me, why, I can't quite imagine…but me for Kagura, huh?" Behind her, she could feel Sesshoumaru tense.

Naraku smirked at her. "Indeed."

Helen took a step towards Naraku. Surprisingly, Sesshoumaru grabbed her wrist to stop her from taking another step. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Helen tugged her wrist from his grasp and without looking at him, said, "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her back. What he wanted? In truth, taking Kagura back was what he wanted; he didn't want to have to trade Helen for her.

Helen took another step towards Naraku. He smirked at her and raised his hand. As Helen took another step, the barrier containing Kagura advanced towards Sesshoumaru with each step Helen made. Finally, she and Kagura had come face to face in the middle.

"Why are you doing this?" Kagura asked Helen as their eyes met. "Why are you helping me?"

"I'm not doing this for you," Helen said softly as she walked past the barrier. "I'm doing this for Sesshoumaru."

"Helen, stop!" A voice shouted just as Helen was only an arm's length away from Naraku. Helen turned around; Inuyasha sprang into the courtyard, his Tessaiga was drawn.

"Inuyasha," Helen said softly.

Naraku narrowed his eyes at the hanyou. "Why are you here, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha ignored Naraku and focused his attention on Helen. "What do you think you're doing, you idiot?" the hanyou bellowed with rage and fury. "Why are you intent on doing what Sesshoumaru wants you to do? Why?"

Helen blushed and looked at the ground. "I…have to…" she answered without looking at anyone especially not Sesshoumaru.

"What do you mean you have to?!" Inuyasha thundered. "You don't have to do anything for him! Don't you see? Naraku wants you for some demented purpose…a purpose that suits him best!"

"Stay away, Inuyasha," Helen said softly. "I..."

"You idiot! That's it! I'm taking you with me!" The hanyou ran towards Helen, intent on grabbing her and taking her back to Kagome. Before he could even reach her, a scythe (A/N: that's Kohaku's weapon, right?) slashed Inuyasha's sleeve. Inuyasha shouted in pain as blood dripped from his wound.

The hanyou spun around, Kohaku was behind him, holding his scythe by the chain. "Kohaku!" Inuyasha said as the boy lunged towards him, scythe held high. Inuyasha parried Kohaku's scythe with his Tessaiga but the boy kept on attacking him again.

Dammit! Inuyasha thought. He's using Kohaku as a diversion, knowing that I can't harm him!

Helen looked at Inuyasha who was preoccupied with a boy who slightly resembled Sango. Helen returned her gaze towards Naraku. She took another step towards him. Just as she was about to reach his side, Sesshoumaru drew out Ryuko and attacked Naraku, pushing Helen out of the way.

"So, Sesshoumaru-sama, you refuse to trade the girl?" Naraku asked smoothly as he used his tentacle to parry Sesshoumaru's Ryuko.

Helen, who had been knocked to the floor by Sesshoumaru, stood up and looked at the two fighting demons. Sesshoumaru's sword clashed against Naraku's tentacle which had become encased in metal. Each tried to push the other, but their strength was unwavering.

Naraku smirked at Sesshoumaru. A cloud of miasma erupted from behind his armor. Sesshoumaru couldn't see through the black miasma and what was worse, like Naraku, the miasma had no scent.

Helen instinctively covered her mouth with her hands. She couldn't see through the black miasma that had now clouded her vision. She suddenly felt two arms wrap themselves around her waist. Helen spun around. Naraku smirked at her.

"Naraku!" she shouted, trying to break free of him.

Sesshoumaru heard Helen's scream and followed the sound of her voice. As the miasma started to clear, he found Helen in Naraku's arms, unconscious. "Well, well, well, Sesshoumaru-sama," Naraku said. "I have the girl, you have Kagura…why the enraged expression in your eyes? Are you afraid that your dear mother will kill you for loosing your betrothed?"

Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on Ryuko. Now was the time to see whether or not, Ryuko was strong enough to break the barrier. He slashed at the barrier and it was dispelled. Naraku's eyes widened in rage and slight panic. He was weak without his barriers.

"Sayonara, Sesshoumaru-sama!" With that Naraku and Helen vanished in a cloud of miasma. Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on Ryuko.

Inuyasha, seeing that Helen had been taken, wasn't about to let Kohaku get in the way of his killing his brother. As Kohaku attacked him, Inuyasha took hold of his scythe, allowing the blood to trickle from his wounded hands as the blade made contact with them. He seized the scythe and threw it. Kohaku was about to run off.

"I'm not going to go back empty handed!" Inuyasha snarled. He seized Kohaku's arm, drew him close to him and punched the boy in the stomach to knock him out.

As Kohaku slumped to the ground, Inuyasha made his way over to Sesshoumaru. The barrier around Kagura had vanished, allowing the wind witch to fall on the floor. His brother was helping her up by the time he had gotten to them.

"You bastard!!!" the hanyou roared. "Why did you give up Helen for her?!" He jabbed his finger at Kagura who stared icily at him.

"I did not," Sesshoumaru stated. "I never asked her to…she came to him of her own free will."

"She said she had to! What kind of spell have you put on her, you"-he called Sesshoumaru a very offensive term that made the youkai lord glare hard at his brother.

When Inuyasha was finished ranting, Sesshoumaru turned to leave, Kagura following behind him. "Wait just a moment, you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, drawing out his Tessaiga.

Sesshoumaru didn't listen. Instead he continued walking until he and Kagura were out of sight.

"Damn him," Inuyasha said to himself. He returned to Kohaku and slung the boy on his shoulder. "At least I'm taking you to Sango."

XoXoXo

Sesshoumaru walked back to their camp, aware that Kagura was following close behind him. He surprised himself that he wasn't happy about getting Kagura back. He felt defeated since Helen was gone, taken by Naraku. In truth, he didn't want her to be taken by Naraku. He didn't know why. He suddenly became aware that he had stopped in his tracks.

Kagura placed a slender hand on is shoulder. "Naraku gave me back my heart," she said softly. Sesshoumaru only looked at her. "You know what that means don't you?"

"You are free."

Kagura nodded and held his hand. "I can be with you at long last."

Sesshoumaru gently but firmly withdrew his hand from hers. Kagura sensed that he was troubled. "I didn't ask her to trade places with me," Kagura said in a huff.

"You didn't," Sesshoumaru said softly as he resumed walking. "Neither did I tell her to."

Kagura's eyes widened. "You mean…she came of her own free will?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer. Instead, he walked away from her.

XoXoXo

Kagome and the others had awoken to find Inuyasha gone. "Where did he go?" Kagome asked with worry.

Miroku shrugged. "Sorry, I was deep asleep and didn't hear him leave."

Kagome frowned and stared at the ground. "I bet he's off to see Kikyou…" Kagome said moodily. Sango and Miroku looked at each other. That would have been the very thing that Inuyasha would do.

A slight rustle in the bushes snapped the group out of their stupor. Everyone tensed as they stared at the bushes. A second later, Inuyasha came through the bushes.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said. Everyone's eyes fell on the boy on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Kohaku!" Sango said. She ran up to Inuyasha and the hanyou gently deposited the boy into her arms.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, relieved that Inuyasha hadn't been off to see Kikyou. "Why is Kohaku with you and where have you been?"

Inuyasha's face darkened. "Something's happened to Helen," the hanyou announced.

Kagome looked at him. Worry automatically clouded her features. "What happened to her?" Kagome asked. As everyone settled down, Inuyasha slowly began telling them of his little adventure. When he finished, Kagome stared at him with wide eyes.

"Helen!" the miko sobbed. "How could Sesshoumaru trade her in for Kagura?! And Helen letting him!"

Miroku and Sango were silent. "We have to save her, Inuyasha," Sango said in the same worried tone as Kagome. "Who knows what Naraku plans to do with her?"

Kagome stared pensively into the fire. "Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha nodded and held her hand, an action which surprised Kagome. "I know," he said. "We're going to get her back…and when we do…" his voice trailed off.

Kagome only nodded and leaned her head on his shoulder as her eyes continued to stare into the flames.

XoXoXo

Helen began to open her eyes. "My head feels foggy," she said to herself. She sat up in a bed inside a dark room where only one candle burned and beside that burning flame stood Naraku. Helen jumped out of the bed and glared at him.

"Why am I here?" she snapped, her voice filled with poison.

Naraku chuckled as he approached her. The door to the room slid open and Kanna walked in. Instead of holding her mirror, she was holding…a beating heart.

Helen looked at her then at Naraku. Naraku moved swiftly toward her and pinned her to the wall. "Let me go, you bastard!" Helen snarled as she tried to claw him with her fingers. Naraku held her hands with one of his own just as Kanna drew near. Helen watched as Naraku took the heart-his heart-from Kanna.

"What are you"-Helen didn't finish her sentence. Her eyes widened as Naraku pressed the heart to Helen's chest. Her eyes widened.

Naraku narrowed his eyes at Helen. He planned to place his heart inside of her. That way, Inuyasha nor anyone else for that matter, couldn't kill him since they would have to kill Helen. But something was wrong. The heart wasn't going in. Naraku knew what was repelling it.

Love.

That accursed emotion that Onigumo felt for Kikyou; it may have been a dirty love, but it was love nonetheless. And Naraku couldn't stand that filthy emotion. "You love Sesshoumaru, don't you?" Naraku said softly still pressing the heart to Helen's chest. He knew how to remove what little love she had for the youkai lord. "You love him…And yet he loves Kagura…He traded you for her, didn't he?"

Helen's eyes widened.

"He tossed you away like trash…he despises you, he loves someone else."

Helen realized that and felt jealousy stir within her.

"Hate him, Helen. Hate him for betraying you…Hate him for disregarding your affections…hate him for loving another…"

Helen closed her eyes. Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn you against Sesshoumaru!

"Listen to me…you love and you are in pain…hate him and you will be free of this unbearable pain…hate him and you will be free of the pain…"

The pain…? I'm in pain…?

"Yes," Naraku whispered as he felt the heart go in inch by inch.

Hurt…? Sesshoumaru…He betrayed me…he hurt my by loving Kagura…I…Don't want to feel pain…I want to hate…I want to hate him…I HATE HIM!!!

Naraku smirked as he felt the heart enter the girl. Naraku stepped back as he watched Helen. The young woman looked at him. There was an evil look in her eyes, caused by the heart. Her words, when she spoke were like poison.

"I hate him," Helen said dangerously. The candle behind them started to shake of its own accord. Naraku smirked. The heart had partially freed Helen's demonic abilities, but not her true demonic self.

Interesting, Naraku thought. The uncanny ability to move objects with her mind…But that was not the power I wanted her to display…I want her power over time…

"Do you hear me, Naraku?" Helen asked as the candle quivered even more. "I hate him…I HATE HIM!!!"

XoXoXo

This chapter is finished.

Sango: you all know what she wants.

Miroku: yeah, she wants reviews.

A1969: guys, look! I got Kouga's shards! All I need is Kohaku's! –Sango becomes quiet- Sorry Sango, I didn't mean it that way…Darn it, how on earth am I going to get that shard?