Gina and Zoku with her ward had just arrived at the Western Palace's Main Gate. A guard was standing there as if he was blocking their way to the palace.

Gina growled, "Listen, pup! Zoku isn't any danger to anyone in the palace. Now please let us through!"

"I was ordered to NEVER allow a dark miko within the estate!"

Zoku sighed. She, somehow, knew this would happened.

"Gina, why don't you go on ahead with my ward and have his lordship come out. It would probably be the best."

"But Zoku...you would never hurt anyone within the estate. It's unfair!"

"Gina, it's obvious that this pup, hadn't heard about me or my friendship with their PRINCESS Inuhime."

While the ladies were talking, the young gate guardian had summoned Jaken for help. However, when Jaken saw who it was making a fuss at the gate, his face turned white like he had seen a ghost. He quickly seek out his lord. He squeaked all the way to the library. When he passed the servants, they thought he was going insane. They, of course, knew just who was at the gate. They knew this would prove entertaining in the end.

-

Meanwhile, in the library, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Kouga, and Miroku were going through the old magical scrolls and ancient books about magic. The females and the pups went outside to the gardens for some fresh air because earlier Kagome felt like she'd needed some cool fresh air because inside the palace seemed to be o stuffy.

The air wasn't too cold, yet it wasn't too warm either. It seemed just right. Well, to Kagome anyway. Kimiko had Nanami brought some tea and some snacks for them.

"Hmm, it feels so good out here," Kagome said

Sango said, "Kagome, are you alright? It isn't you to give up on things, especially, when you are so focus on getting something done."

"Sango, I am fine. The library was just overcrowded for me was all. I just need some air. You didn't have to come out with me with the pups. So, that they could go play out here."

Ayame replied, "That's nonsense, Kagome. We all need a break from searching for answers in order to help and save Inuhime. The males probably end up taking a break as well."

"Maybe, but...*she plaused*...a dark miko has arrived."

Kagome stood up and started to make my way to the main entrance. Sango and Ayame looked at each other and then at Kimiko. They were worried about Kagome. Kagome, however, was as healthy as a horse except every now and then she would get a bit tired. She guessed that it was caused by stress.

Kimiko said, "Go. I'll watch the pups."

They had gone the way their miko friend went.

-

In the library, Inuyasha brashly said, "We aren't getting fucking no where! We don't even know what we are looking for! I just hope that who ever this miko is could help us save our sister."

"Inuyasha, we are looking for a spell that will reverse the curse that Inuhime has," Sesshomaru said as he read a book about curses.

"Do you know this dark miko, Sesshomaru?"

"No."

"How do you know that you don't know her?"

"Inuyasha, cease your trivial babbling."

"You didn't answer my question!"

"This Sesshomaru doesn't need to answer your question."

"Grrr...you are such a pompous ass, you know that!"

Suddenly, they felt Kagome's aura going pass the library. They sensed that it was going towards the main gate. Then Jaken suddenly appeared as he squeaking his annoying voice.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!"

"What is it, Jaken?"

"Lord Sesshomaru, that... that miko... that dark miko is here! What do you want me to do with her, milord?! Should I kill her for daring to come close to milord's palace?!"

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes because he knew that a dark miko would arrive soon with Gina.

"No! Let her enter!"

"But... but milord!"

Sesshomaru glared at him that it would mean death, if Jaken wouldn't do what his lordship said.

Jaken gulped. "As... as you wish, milord."

Jaken quickly waddled his way to the main gate entrance.

-

"Listen to me, baka! You let us in or I'll turn you to ash from where you stand," Gina snarled.

"You could make all the threats you want, but you will not enter this estate."

Kagome, Sanga, and Ayame had arrived at the main gate entrance. They saw Gina with a dark miko and a young girl standing outside of the estate, where a gate guardian was standing in front of the gate with a sword drawn.

Kagome yelled, "What the hell is going on here?!"

The gate guardian was startle when his lady yelled from behind him. Gina was so relieved when she saw her ladyship.

She said, "Thank Kami! Milady, he won't let us pass."

Kagome lifted her right eyebrow.

"Milady, I was ordered to NOT let her or any other dark miko inside this estate."

"That dark miko was invited by his lordship to come and help us out with a certain unwanted situation," she said as she pointed at Zoku.

"I apologized milady, but I didn't received any news about inviting this dark miko in here. How do I know that she hasn't bewitched you or milord?"

Zoku rolled her eyes and said, "If I wanted in there, you or any other guards wouldn't even sensed me. In fact, I would have either bewitch the estate; I would have just kill every guard that I would have come across; or I would have done both. It depends on the situation. Also you would have just let me inside without any hesitant on your part. It's just that simple. Now, as you can see, you or anyone else in that estate isn't bewitched."

The gate guardian was going to retort, but he sensed Jaken coming.

"We'll see. His retainer is coming. We'll see if you are telling the truth."

They waited until Jaken came out. When he got there, he saw his lady and her friends standing here looking at him.

"Master Jaken, please tell me, if our lady or this land has been bewitched by some means. I was given orders to not let any miko rather they are good or evil inside this estate."

Jaken starred at him as though he were insane because it is an anti-miko cuffs on the miko in question. He knew that if a miko did came with good intentions or being invited by his lord, she would have an anti-miko cuffs on her. It showed that she respected his lord and his household. He now realized that this guard was a pup. He was as young as his lord's half-brother, Inuyasha. It was obvious that his superior didn't tell him anything regarding mikos that were invited that she would have anti-miko cuffs on until it was ordered that they would be removed.

He took a deep breath and said, "Pup, let them in."

"But master... she's a miko!"

Kagome, Gina, and Zoku took offense of his words. It was the way he had said them. It was with so much malice and disgust.

"Don't 'but master' me, pup. His lordship, himself, said to let her in. Unless, of course, you want to die by his lordship's hands, then you best let them inside."

The gate guardian gulped because he knew the reputation of his lord. He numbly nodded and then he yelled, "OPEN THE GATE!"

Gina thanked Jaken and their lady. She also introduced Zoku and her ward with Inuhime's nekoyoukai, Kimomo, to them. Jaken told a guard to put the horses in the stables with Ah-Un.

Jaken said, "Follow me, ladies."

-

Meanwhile, at the Southern Palace, Naraku woke up from his nap after raping Inuhime.

"Soon, my sweet, you and I, along with our son, will rule these lands."

He touched her delicate, smooth skin with his clawed, index finger. She, subconsciously, slapped his hand away. He chuckled. He, then, got off her futon. When he turned around, he had seen his mating mark, similar to the one on his back, was glowing black and the color of purple around its edges.

Naraku smirked, because the spell, that he perform right after he abducted her from her bedchamber, was working like a charm.

FLASHBACK BEGINS...

It was the night of the ball, when Naraku disguised himself as Akunokeshin, the Lord Father of Akuokaesu, the Lord of the South, when he made his way down the halls of the family wing of the palace. When he finally arrived at Inuhime's room. He could smell her scent. Oh he loved her scent. It was a scent of power. He knew he made a right decision to rut with her for her to conceive his only son and heir.

Once he entered her room, he undisguised himself. He sat down on her bed first. He had no idea why he wanted her by his side. Then it occurred to him that he wasn't as powerful as his son or whenever he had the Shikon no Tama. That just wouldn't do. There's no way in hell that his son would be more powerful than him. Yes, he loved his son, but he can't let his son had more power than himself. At first, he really had no idea what spell he wanted to use on her. The blood of her kin had made it possible for him to recreate his son, because it turned out that his REAL son wasn't a dark soul like him. Despite the fact that, he's a youkai, but he also had reiki, which was not his plan. It made him more like his insufferable mother. Not only that, the purity of her blood vanquished any scent of his. He didn't even had his spider mark on him.

So by using dark magic and his REAL son's blood and more of his. He created perfect clone of his son, but with subtle differences. He had his red eyes, while his REAL son had golden yellow eyes and even had the mark of the Western House: The Crescent Moon. That wasn't acceptable. His hair was black with silver highlights while his REAL son has silver hair. His face looking like his father, while his REAL son looked a lot like his grandfather, InuTaisho. His blood also was the essence used for the blood curse of his mother. Now he must complete the second part of the spell before midnight. It was a three part spell, one: to get a sample of blood from the victim's child, then place a blood curse to weaken your victim to a brink of death by magically placing a mark on any part of its body. Second part was to have complete dominance of her body, mind, and soul by becoming one. In other words, the victim must be broken. The third was simply mind control that doesn't get reversed unless, of course, if the victim would die. Death was the only means to free the victim from the curse.

He reversed a little of the curse. It was only enough to make her aware that she was swallowing something, but also not made her conscious enough to wake up. Naraku leaned down to her crook of her neck. He then bit down and devoured some of her blood. Next, he cut the palm of his hand and split some blood inside a vial that had his spider venom. Then, he mixed the blood and venom together by shaking the vial. Once that he felt it was mixed enough, he poured the substance into her mouth and made her swallow it.

FLASHBACK ENDS...

Now, he was awaiting for the curse's results. He knew the spell was working due to it's glowing. However, the result wouldn't be known until she would wake up from her dark slumber.

-

At the Western Palace, Jaken followed by the dark miko, her ward, Gina, Sango, Ayame, and the lady of the house made their way to the library.

When they arrived, Jaken knocked until he heard an 'enter' from the inside. Jaken opened the door. They all entered, except for Zoku and her ward. She was waiting for Sesshomaru to say that she could enter without the anti-miko cuffs. That would tell her if he would trust her without the cuffs.

Kagome turned and noticed that Zoku was still at the entrance of the library. She turned to look at Sesshomaru. She was about to say something, but...

"It has been a very long time, Sesshou."

He growled at her.

"Zokushi, you know that this Sesshomaru doesn't like to be called 'Sesshou'."

"Awe, but Sesshou, we had known each other since we were pups."

"That as it may be, however, this Sesshomaru is now the Lord of the West. Therefore, you'll called me either 'milord' or 'Lord Sesshomaru'."

"Hn. If I call you by your prefer title, then you'll call me 'Zoku'. Also as a symbol of trust between you and I, remove these insufferable cuffs off of my person. Do we have an agreement?"

Sesshomaru thought for a moment. He said, "We have an agreement. Jaken, remove those cuffs!"

"But... but milord!"

"Now or die by my claws!"

Jaken quickly removed the anti-miko cuffs from Zoku's wrist. He gave her a look that was saying: 'I don't trust you'.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshou."

Inuyasha couldn't help, but to laugh when he heard. He thought, she would say 'Lord Sesshomaru'; not 'Lord Sesshou'. It was just funny to him. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, didn't think it was amusing at all. He snarled, then grabbed her throat and pushed her up against the wall of the other side of the hallway.

However, despite the situation that Zoku found herself in couldn't help, but to laugh. And laughed, she did. Everyone inside the library thought that she was insane. She was provoking Sesshomaru on purpose. The more she laughed; the angrier Sesshomaru got. He growled at her. Also the more he growled; the funnier she thought it was. Truly, she must be insane.

However, when she heard her ward crying, she thought, "Damn! I forgot about my ward was here. I guess seeing Sesshomaru again made me thought that I was young again. Ah, those were the good, old days. I guess I mess taunting Sesshomaru. Well, since I have a child with me, I might as well give his icicle-up-his-ass lordship preferred title, but I won't say 'Lord Sesshomaru'."

She spoke up as best as she could since he was choking the life out of her.

"I meant to say: 'thank you, MILORD.'"

Sesshomaru also heard her ward crying. The longer she cried; the more grasp around her throat loosen, which was the reason why she was able to speak up.

He thought, "Damn it! I hate it when females cry, especially young ones... *It was then he heard her say: 'I meant to say: thank you, milord* ...lair!"

Then he said out loud, "You are fortunate that you are my sister's best friend. If it wasn't for that, you would had been dead a long time ago."

Zoku smirked and said, "You should be fortunate, yourself, Sesshou... I mean, milord that you are my best friend's brother or I would had made your life a living hell."

"Hn."

Kagome couldn't take it anymore. She was about to yell at them, but she fainted.

Sango yelled, "Kagome!"

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari