Naraku had waited until all was still, once Kikyo had become lightheaded from the sake and asked to go lie down. He had a room prepared for her ahead of time that the servants took her to with a bit more assistance than Kikyo had wanted. She kicked her legs stubbornly like a mule as they carried her, and complained that she wasn't drunk, 'a miko would never allow herself to become intoxicated by the devil's water', she'd said, but Naraku had known better as he smirked into his sleeve. Surely, Kikyo had never drank more than one saucer of sake in her life, whereas he enjoyed it, perhaps too much, back when he was the mortal Onigumo.

He sighed, rubbing his face that was oddly moist with sweat, something he was still getting accustomed to, and he accidentally rubbed away the lilac eye paint he wore with one hand. He called in a servant, and they brought him a hot basin of water. Naraku cleaned himself up with a steaming hot cloth, and his robe slid down his back as he bathed. Naraku paused, almost hesitantly. He turned his head to look at his back, and grimaced. The spider mark glowed with InuYasha's red youki, like it was still smoldering.

No matter how many times I change flesh, the burn scar of the bandit Onigumo will not leave my back...He thought with disgust, he absolutely hated to see that hideous mark; to feel that lingering pain with each time it resurfaced on his new flesh. It was like a curse; he would be forever damned to remember why the burn scar would never disappear. Why the woman in the other room still despised him; though the euphoria they felt tonight had been promising, he knew that once she got over her initial euphoria, she would most likely leave him and return to her temple to continue her priestly duties. But, he wondered, could she? Whatever had happened to Kikyo had given her a powerful jaki, but the reason why, she did not divulge. Naraku narrowed his eyes and seethed with anger as he poured the hot water down his back and watched his skin redden and welt up, gritting his teeth.

The sun rose slowly over the castle, as Naraku reached back and there was a terrible tearing sound, then a bellow of agony. Kikyo sat straight up in bed, her heart racing wildly as she heard the sound. Her vision spun as she reached around on the cool floor, searching for purchase as she got onto her knees, her body still swaying from intoxication. Kikyo was able to at last stand, her vision unstable as she struggled to see, feeling her way down the cool corridor. She wasn't sure why her heart raced so quickly, she felt frantic as she at last came up on his bedroom, and felt for the sliding door.

Kikyo swallowed anxiously, her chocolate brown eyes lit up with the sparkling blue and red auras in the room, as Naraku sat still, staring out the open window, his back bared to her. She gasped and hid her shocked expression with one hand. Her inquisitive gaze took in the sight of him. His skin was torn wide open, the pink, blood-weeping flesh of his back exposed to the cool, misty fog of morning as he stared up at the pinkening sky, and closed his eyes. Kikyo was so shocked, and disgusted all at once that she stepped back, ready to run away. But, something stopped her, and she hesitated, her hand resting on the cool paper and making a blurry shadow as she rested her forehead against the wall.

InuYasha, A voice whispered, and she felt it shoot deep down into her heart and twist there like a knife.

He's in pain. Kikyo, can't you feel him there? Kagome whispered, and threatened to surface. Kikyo shook her head, biting her bottom lip as she gazed at the pale figure bathed in sunlight. No matter how she looked at him, he was still the man who had hurt her, and led her to her untimely death at only the age of eighteen. Kikyo was so young, and yet aged beyond her years with the wisdom of having been to the underworld and back, of having her life stolen from her, then her unwanted resurrection, which brought her back to the world of the living, yet not... as she was then forced to watch as her soul was sucked away; her InuYasha replaced her with this 'Kagome', a cheap imitation, and to her, they were nothing alike.

Kikyo clenched her shaking fist, and fought against Kagome. Backing away from the gory sight, she ran to the room given to her, and gathered up her meager belongings, before leaping out the window, and taking flight with her newly acquired wings. She darted away from sight, into the forest, not wishing to be seen by Naraku, or InuYasha for that matter. Kikyo flew up into the sky and chose to rest on the thick bow of a tree, which was much more uncomfortable than the bed inside, but she had grown accustomed to sleeping in odd places as a wandering husk of a woman. She scooched herself back further into the safety of the tree, her crimson and lilac eyes glinting just barely from where he could see her, far away through the castle window.

Naraku sighed, and turned to look at his back again. It was there again, he saw, and pulled his robe back up around his shoulders to cover the hideous burn. He felt something odd pulse through him, and looked at one hand curiously, flexing his fingers as long claws grew once again, with maroon stripes crawling up his arm. Naraku's eyes flashed golden, his hair silvery black as he growled lowly to himself.

She's all alone... Kikyo. Kagome. Go to her. A sudden voice whispered, and Naraku gasped, digging his nails into his palm.

You dare? Do you know from where you're speaking, cur? Recede back inside my body. Naraku threatened, moving the bloody tips of his claws, and watching, amazed as the blood glowed, and he felt a powerful sensation rushing through him.

Blades of blood! The voice hissed. Naraku shook his hand to shake off the blood, and jolted upright when four red slashes flew through the air, and struck the wall, leaving jagged divots.

"What the...?" Naraku murmured, looking at his hand. Then he remembered that time he had disguised himself as InuYasha all those years ago to steal the Shikon Jewel from Kikyo, he'd used that very attack.

Asshole. The voice whispered again, and Naraku growled at it, feeling the reverberations in his throat as he made the newly acquired animalistic sound.

"Shut up!" He snapped, then heard a chuckle from within. The power pulsed once again; how strong was this half-demon? Strong enough to overtake Naraku's body?

Go to her. Make sure she's safe. You have to. It's Kikyo. Kikyo and Kagome need us.

InuYasha urged from within. He floated in darkness, only able to watch from inside through Naraku's eyes as he at last stood, staring out the window. Naraku smirked and glared out the window, able to clearly see the shadow hiding there in the trees. The stubborn yin inside of him crept up; ignoring InuYasha's protests, and he narrowed his eyes. Alighting ruby, his eyes honed in on her and soon he heard her hoarse cry as she felt her blood burning through her veins as punishment.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, you lowly dog, or you can watch your beloved suffer," He whispered huskily, slamming the window shut, and turning away. Naraku wished for nothing but the comfort of darkness and privacy. The disembodied soul inside raged, and the angered red youki of InuYasha sent tremors through Naraku as he simply sat and drank a saucer of sake as if nothing were amiss; the whites of his eyes flashing red with rage, demonic markings appearing and disappearing on his cheeks as he resisted InuYasha's struggling.

Kikyo! Kikyo!

"Why do you cry for one, but not the other?" Naraku sneered with a smirk, sipping.

I care for both! But Kikyo, she's hurting... She may have killed Kagome, but only because you've corrupted her! She's gotta change back! InuYasha shouted, but Naraku only silently shook his head back and forth, grinning with his sheer amusement.

"I did not corrupt her. I may have placed a small seed of malcontent, but Kikyo was the one who sprouted branches, and Kagome was the one who made her true self emerge. She is so beautifully defiled, so corrupt, and now with this gift, you can watch us become one," Naraku seethed, feeling the shudder of disgust from InuYasha pulse through him. You'll never be with her, over my dead body!

"Correction, you're already dead, but perhaps that could be arranged," He said slyly, tossing his head back and laughing.

InuYasha's soul seemed to recede, slumping down and admitting defeat, at least for now as Naraku chuckled softly with his satisfaction.