Itachi – Hey everyone! I'm alive and after months on hiatus, I've escaped the writer's block!

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JokerChapter 10

"Wander into the woods at night, and he will steal your heart." That had been told to wanderers to keep them from the surrounding wooded area, but, when a lone girl finds herself lost and in the midst of a storm, she stumbles upon an empty castle, staying for just the night, she soon learns the legend had been real…for the acceptation of his utter laziness.

Re-Make the Ends (Part I)...

"I will be the one ending this story, by any means I so wish."

Something told me to keep my eyes closed. So in fear of not knowing where I was, I kept them closed. The bed below me felt just as comfortable as the bed in the Black Castle, the pillows too felt just the same, but something…something just wasn't right. Sesshomaru's warmth was gone, I felt when he left – in order to comply with the heinous deed, at the strike of nine, but…

…He had yet to return.

That was when the horrid feelings in my gut started to warn me.

Reluctantly did I open my eyes. A scream nearly rung from my throat.

..

Joker…

..

"Where is she..?" A shocked Sesshomaru whispered softly starring down the red eyed demon who simply smirked in response. After a lapse of silence, he asked once more, "Naraku…Demon of Misfortunes, tell me now…" Claws raked slowly through his silver locks, while red eyes peeked from below the messy growth of hair, "…Tell me, where is Kagome..?" Another chuckle was given by the red eyed man.

"I'll tell you this now that all three of you have assembled in the castle," He noted to Touga, who; out of curiosity of the situation, joined Inuyasha and Sesshomaru in the eerie bedroom, "Say what you will, say that I lie to you all, say that I am merely here to annoy and grab the attentions of all, but know that it was I who has made this story, from the birth of your misfortunes caused by your laziness, Night Walker," He looked to Inuyasha, "To the runaway little brother who was too scared to comfort his elder," He then glanced towards a shaken Touga, who knew all too well what had happened, "All the way to making this little doggie as fussy and stubborn as he is! Though not physically, mentally, I was easily able to influence your every decision, and with the Night Walker at my disposal, surly, this will be the most splendid tale I've created for so long!"

"So, you…" Touga started, looking first to Naraku then to his two sons, noting the infant child held tightly in his youngest' arms, his mind began to work, easily creating a scenario that he was sure occurred not even two hours before, that child's mother was likely killed by Sesshomaru. Because of the curse he'd placed on the boy. On his own son – his flesh and blood…his very first child… and it was all because of him, "You caused me to resent my eldest, and Kouga even, he was used to fuel that hatred of him, you us-!"

In a flash of gold was Naraku thrown backwards, stopping himself before hitting the brick clad walls, he looked up to find an enraged Sesshomaru standing before him, his claws digging into the flesh of his bloody fist, "Is it so fun for you," Tears ran down his stripped cheeks from furious red eyes, "Is it so fun to take everything away from me once I've finally obtained it?! You took Kagome away from me…to make a silly story?! What audience do you have you sick pile of shit?! 500 Years I've waited alone in this Black Castle, waiting only for the day when I would find her and you –you…you…you! You take it away! Father takes it away and to the masses, I'm nothing more than a deranged evil man from a silly horror tale!" Blinded in rage did Sesshomaru garb onto the scruff of Naraku's coat – every other in the room was taken aback at his sudden outburst, "I've been hiding it!" A solid punch was delivered to the face of Naraku, who's head snapped back and forth from impact, "This rage I show you now, I've contained it for so long!" Amazing…so the Night Walker DOES have anger, I could greatly benefit from this! Now- Another punch was delivered, Naraku clamped his mouth, feeling the heavy rattle of broken teeth tap at his bloody tongue that was sure to heal on its own very soon, "Where is she?!"-Now to endure the pain!

Before a third punch was delivered…Sesshomaru fell to his knees, breaking down silently.

"No matter…no matter how many years I've atoned for mothers death," His tears leaked to tap the floor, "It still seems…as if nothing has been forgiven…" As the other two silver haired demons were distracted with Sesshomaru's break down, Naraku took the chance to escape out of the open window, not missing the icy cold glare of the Night Walker, nor his departing words,

"Your filthy being, will be the 'Night Walkers' final feast…" The final words left a pit of fear bubbling in Naraku's stomach, "…I will eat your heart."

Fear chased from the spiders red orbs as he faded into the night, knowing full well, he still had the Night Walkers love in captivity.

"I may be wrong, but," A slightly confused, and almost ashamed Touga leant on the window ledge, starring into the nothingness that was outside, while hiding his face from his two sons, both who listened intently, "I think I know where he is headed."

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Joker…

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The scenery was distressing. Piles upon piles of papers, old new, were falling apart, starting to crust, webs of numerous spiders of every shade and color keeping the fragile pages in place. Kagome looked out of a small, high window, peeking past the metal bars getting a small glimpse of the outside and knowing exactly where she was. This was Touga's castle. Simply seeing the decayed parts of human remains gave her all the answers she needed.

Much like Sesshomaru's dining hall, this room – though a bedchamber, was downcast, making it utterly depressing. The pearl white walls slowly peeling to revel the meek, crusting browns underneath, curtains shawled beyond repair "Wait…" She spoke aloud, sitting upright before standing off the bed, "But why am I…"

"…Here, right?" From behind the piles of elderly papers did Naraku step forth, "Because I've brought you here, and yes, the Night Walker and his accursed family know, I'm sure they will be on their way to save you soon,"

"Aren't you the-"

"Ask no questions, young one, I've bought you here simply to tell you something…important," A short pause lifted the room as Kagome began to suspect the man in front of her, who sat down at the bedside, "You see those corpses, littered throughout the front yard of this castle? A story has been linked to why there are so many, why they are there in the first place. So far, only three of so theories have made it to the minds of the people who pass by, led by the stick of sun-simmering flesh." He fell backwards onto the soft cushions of the bed, black hair sprawled out as if an ink jar had been spilt over, "The first," One finger raised to the air, "Mass murder, led by none other than myself," He ignored the gasp given by the confused girl and continued, "The second," Two fingers raised to the air, "Sad victims that fell prey to Touga's claws on a daily basis due to his anger," Three fingers raised in the air, "The third, daily victims of the Night Walker, bought here in hopes his father would show him mercy." Looking to the startled girl sitting quite tensely, "And sometime after these three theories, a forth was made," Four fingers in the air, "Mass Murder lead by none other than the Night Walker," He heard the girl choke on air, nearly smirking to himself as he moved his plan along, "Now tell me," He would first confuse her, "Which of these four are the truth?" And end the story in a tragedy.

"I'm not sure what you-"

"Ding-Ding!" The doors to the basement bedchambers burst open to reveal the family of silver haired demons, Sesshomaru, and his father, "Time's up young one, the answer is…"

"Don't you dare-" Sesshomaru spoke in too late.

"Choice number four!" Kagome's heart lurched, "That's right, the Night Walker you've come to love soo very much is nothing more than a savage! Haven't you heard of the missing parts of the 'Story of the Night Walker?' If not, then ask your 'sweet darling' himself!"

A silence ensued over the small, dusty area.

"It was me," Touga spoke up, cutting through the silence, "I made him kill those people."

"Oooooh, what a re-va-la-tion!" The jester's laughter rung happily though the desolate basement, "Don't you think the little lady should know some more?"

"That is her decision and hers alone," Touga had gave a worried look to his eldest; the Night Walker, who stood warily at his side. The recess of his mind where almost beating on him – how he so easily fell to grief and into the ink that ran the paper of the story made by the Story Telling Demon of the Old Country, how he so easily ripped apart any means left of the family he had with his two sons, how he left his eldest alone to suffer for so, so very long, alone in that Black Castle to forever live out in eternal sorrow of his mother's death.

It was then that the father of the Night Walkers curse realized something.

From his previous thoughts, he'd realized something…he'd realized that he'd made a mistake in his life…he'd realized his wife may not have wanted vengeance upon her eldest. The thought tore him in two. One part of him still hated Sesshomaru to the core, while the other wanted to forgive him. He was like a coin that refused to land – heads? Or tails? What side was he to choose?

"The missing part of the 'Story of the Night Walker'," Sesshomaru's voice trailed on with solemn thought, "Was that all those humans rotting in the yard were not killed for your sake, but for the sake of convincing my father to un-do this curse before it was in motion,"

Kagome starred on confusingly, "But…has that not been what you've done all this time..?" A bending tension caused her to worry, "Sesshomar-"

"Their hearts were not eaten by me, or any other and father did not order me to kill that many…" The room's quiet was broken by Naraku's sudden laughter, as if he'd just heard a joke, the spider nearly doubled over with tears brimming at the eyes, "In all truth, father did not tell me to kill any of those people…I did so on my own impulse-"

The two arms of his lover suddenly wrapped around his wasit, bringing him an unwanted warmth that he then thought he did not deserve, "It's okay…Sesshomaru, you've been though too much already, please, please don't blame yourself.." Over and over did the Night Walker see himself as unfit to having her. She forgave him of his transgressions, she helped him in his worse of times.

Kagome was his love that he then felt he did not deserve.

"…It could have been you."

The spider; Naraku, listened in, waiting for the perfect place to add another sick twist, "What could've been me, Sessho-" Kagome's voice was cut by Sesshomaru's.

"Those people! The dead and decaying corpses littered outside the castle were all traveling people like yourself!" Touga was taken aback by his sons outburst, "It could've been you that I killed on any random day without grief, or mercy! It could've been…you, Kagome…"

Before his lover could retort with any comment, the Jester of the tale made himself known once more, "I like this, this is good! Years feom now, people will tell of the 'Tale of the Night Walker' generation though generation – but… I think it's missing something, hm? Do you not agree, Touga?"

He knew Naraku pulled on the hate he held for Sesshomaru.

He knew Naraku wanted to use him for another ploy to add to his 'great tale.'

He knew he'd had enough.

"Night Walker," So he decided it was time to end the tale, "It is now two hours until the time to keep your love alive, if you kill this man, and bring me his heart, I will give you one chance to convince me. Convince me, and the curse of the Night Walker shall be removed."

Joker… Chapter 10

End

T.B.C

Itachi – It's ending! OMG. How the tables have turned on Naraku! Leave a review!