A/N: Ah! So, I looked at my old outline and realized something. I didn't combine two chapters, but three. So, after this chapter, only two more will be posted. This leaves us with the good news that the story will be coming to an end next Wednesday - or is that considered bad news? ;) Luckily, as I've mentioned before, another story will branch from this one - Intertwined. Good ole Naraku will be one of the main characters of the first arc, Sesshoumaru in the second arc, and Inuyasha in the third arc - as well as many of the supporting characters playing a fairly large role in the plot of the story. If you all can force yourselves to read a story largely about an original character, I'd love the feedback - but I won't be offended if you don't. ;)

Enjoy!

Word Count: 1,334

"My Name is Naraku"

Two days had passed since his awakening, and Naraku had never felt better. Dark eyes surveyed the area as a smirk stretched across pale lips. He knelt down by a river, examining his new appearance with pleasure. He bore no resemblance to that fool Onigumo, and luckily, all of the feelings that had become so frequent for Onigumo had been banished with his existence; the only thing that remained of Onigumo was his flawed human heart—and his desire for the Shikon no Tama.

Even so, Naraku felt the need to pay homage to the feelings of deceit that had so consumed his former self's life. And so, that's what brought him to this forest—the one that Akiko and Daichi had moved him to at such an early age.

He stared at the reflection again, closing his eyes and transforming into the exact way Onigumo had appeared just before he had left. Smirking once more, he stood, and turned towards the cave, still a good distance away. He tested his new demonic powers, and was thrilled to find that he could detect everything—like the fact that Akiko, Daichi, and little Kaiya were all home, blissfully unaware of what was about to come.

Akiko stopped in her tracks, holding Kaiya closely to her, before turning to Daichi, a worried gleam in her eyes. "I sense a dark aura," she said quietly, and then gave a small shudder, nearly waking Kaiya from her nap.

"A very dark aura," Daichi agreed, frown pulling at the corners of his lips. Worried eyes fell on Kaiya before drifting back upwards towards his mate. "It's too close to run; whatever is out there would surely come after us."

Akiko inclined her head in agreement, still cuddling her daughter closely to her chest. "It would be best to stay and fight—at least that way, we'll be prepared." She closed her eyes, taking a breath to steady herself. "We'll need to protect her," she murmured, and the unspoken words lingered between the both. We'll need to protect her where we couldn't protect him.

Ever since Onigumo had left, Akiko and Daichi had promised they wouldn't make the same mistake with Kaiya. They'd decided they wouldn't keep the truth from her, no matter how painful; they were almost sure that if they would've told Onigumo the truth from the beginning, he never would've run away.

But, they had abided by his wish—they hadn't looked for him, however much they wanted to. They still weren't sure if they made the right decision in that, but they felt that they owed him at least a little respect after never telling him the truth.

"Are you ready?" Daichi turned his eyes towards his mate, who had just put Kaiya up, securing a barrier around her from some of the sutras the human village had given to them. She nodded, her eyes sad as she stood with him, facing the mouth of the cave.

"Yes. If we must fight, we will; if not—then we are truly blessed." Her voice was a soft murmur; they both felt the dark aura drawing closer. "After all, I suppose it is possible that this dark aura passes us by." Her tone was hopeful, but she was more reasonable than that—she knew it was a slim chance.

What neither of them expected was the form that appeared in the entrance to the cave—Akiko's heart nearly stopped at the sight of her son.

"O-Onigumo!"

Daichi's reserve was just as quickly lost, though more quickly regained than that of his mate's. After the initial shock, Daichi set his jaw. Neither of the two youkai missed the dark, demonic aura that was coming from their son.

"Son?" Daichi's strong eyes were questioning, and Akiko's were watering—it took all she had not to rush up and give him a hug. They both had a feeling that this was not going to be a pleasant reunion.

Naraku's eyes were dark and menacing, and a smirk pulled at the corners of his lips as he transformed; now, instead of appearing as Onigumo, he appeared as himself—as Naraku. "The Onigumo that you speak of no longer exists."

Any human would've been fooled; they would've thought that this was an evil demon that had destroyed Onigumo. And in part, they would be right—but Daichi and Akiko knew the piercing truth: that this was what was left of Onigumo—a ghost of the son they knew. Onigumo's faint scent was laced all throughout Naraku, and in an instant they knew that he had sold his soul to a demon—or, many, by the looks of it.

"I can see that," Akiko murmured sadly, and the temptation to reach out was just too great. Against her better judgment, her hand found her way in front of her, reaching out to the strange youkai in front of her.

"I assume you are not here for us to try and make amends," Daichi accused, though he knew neither he nor his mate would be able to fight him. He still had their son's heart, after all, however mutilated it might be.

"You would be correct." With a flash of his eyes, the entire cave set fire, and Naraku blocked the mouth of the cave, ensuring that they wouldn't escape.

"Onigumo, please!" Akiko was begging now, and she fell on her knees in front of him. "We were wrong to not have told you the truth—we just didn't know how to tell you!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears, and Naraku's only response was to turn his back on them.

"My name is Naraku."

When the fire had finally settled, Naraku stepped into the cave, nose wrinkled. As a youkai, he had a much more keen sense of smell than a human—but it was not an inuyoukai's nose; in reality, it was only slightly better than a human's. But he had gained much more power, and he was certainly not complaining on such a silly matter.

The cave smelled of burnt flesh; it almost reminded him of the turning point on Onigumo's life—and the sight pleased him. He could see his former self's parents' ashes on the ground beneath him, flesh burned right off their bones—the fire had dissipated before their bones, too, were consumed.

He was about to praise himself on his first kill well done when a small cry caught his ears.

Hn—Kaiya?

Naraku made his way to the back of the cave, following the sounds of Kaiya's cries until he reached the area protected with a barrier. It seemed that the barrier had also offered protection against a fire—interesting.

He peeled off the sutra somewhat distastefully, the spiritual energy attached to it singing his skin slightly, but it was no match for Naraku. The barrier dissipated instantly, and Naraku stepped into what had been Onigumo's baby sister's room.

The sound of her cries was annoying, and he wanted to silence them—but he did not kill her. Instead, he took her, morphing once more into a random inuyoukai, and made his way to the village his parents had once lived in.

"W-Who are you?" Sanjiro's eyes widened at the sight of the new youkai. He looked like an inuyoukai, but he sure didn't smell like one. And even Sanjiro could tell the aura surrounding him was evil.

"It is not important." Without further explanation, he handed Kaiya over to the boy, whose eyes widened even further.

"This is…Kaiya!" he exclaimed, and Naraku had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at the obvious statement.

"Akiko and Daichi met their demise; Kaiya was left alive." Sanjiro was just about to question about this new information, but when he looked up, Naraku was gone.

Whether Naraku left Kaiya alive because of the soft spot remaining for her in Onigumo's heart, or because he wanted her to experience the torment of growing up without parents, not even Naraku knew.

End Note: All good things must come to an end...even good and well-intentioned characters such as Akiko and Daichi. *shakes head sadly* Please review!