Itachi – My fellow readers, this is the last chapter of the story, RoseBud Trilogy : Water Garden...it is the last...but also the very beginning. So don't freak out okay? After Water Garden, there will be a part 2 of sorts which will be named, RoseBud Trilogy : Night Crawlers.

Enjoy...

oQoQo

Will I be killed upon entry..?

oQo

ROSEBUD TRILOGY

Finishing Part III

…

.Water-Garden.

"Naraku, you fool...this is merely more troublesome for my mind and body both, bringing a human of all species into MY RoseBud, knowing those are the very same creatures we eat..." Touga took in a short breath, and let out a whistle, "Naraku...you fool..."

oQo

Have I dug too deeply upon seeking the RoseBud for shelter?

Was this the move of a simple fool that I have made?

Will I even emerge alive?

I had asked myself these very questions as I trailed behind Naraku who waltzed through the corridors like a man...or being made of magic. But I...I...I had trembled. Every agonizing step only leading me in deeper...deeper...into the dark depts Of the RoseBud. Every time my bare foot would touch the solid, cold, ground. Every step I took echoed to me :

There is no turning back...

I whispered these words into my head; telling myself, 'you cannot run!', 'oh what a fool you have been!'...I would have no place on this Earth to go. No home to come back to...the only people I had even known in the RoseBud had been Kouga, and the man, Sesshomaru...and...And him...Naraku. The man whom looked out of a Fairy Tale, with his dull red eyes, and streaming, velvet black hair...

As if hearing my thoughts aloud, Naraku had ceased walking, and turned to face me – His eyes, lit like red darts - ...when he spoke... "Kagome...I can only promise that myself, nor the others of the RoseBud wish to see your blood flow in death...we can only hope that the Lord sees compassion, and know that you will do no harm to the name of the RoseBud Estate. He may call me a fool, I know, but..." Naraku paused, sighed, brought a hand to pet my face, "...After...the events that had occurred on the last night, I think you may want to stay in my watching range...if you know what I am implying..."

I knew what Naraku had been trying to say. After – uh…the events of the last night, there could be very high chances that I would be with child… I could only hope that had not been true, for, if I had been with child how would I provide for it? There could be no way…

"Kagome" I looked up to face the man with the Fairy Tale features, his toned voice had been little more than a whisper… "We are here" Naraku starred at the large bronze door that held such a powerful, intimidating look…so much power…that I shivered as if feeling chilled. So, I thought to myself, behind this very door will be the person whom decides my fate…it is funny, and yet uncanny of how I am suddenly remained of the Village of Thorns, as if I am to walk into the shadows of death once again as if-

"Do not think such nonsense, Kagome." As I looked up from the ground to face Naraku, I saw what looked to be as his already dull red eyes, glowing with such confidence, such truth, such…such…promise, that I found he looked more like an angel out of a children's story then a vampire. This man amazed me. On the night I had escaped he could have left me to be captured by the three men from the village, and yet, he helps me to get away from them. He could have left me to fair onwards on my own, instead of taking me into the RoseBud…but this..vampire…he had helped me.

"Are you prepared now, Kagome?" Naraku spoke to me, his expressions showing little to no worry. I answered him with the nod of my head… We two had pushed through the large wooden doors, leading to the Lord of the RoseBud.

…I spoke a silent prayer that Naraku truly had no reason to worry.

oQo

I shivered.

The thickness of the air, full with power unknown by my person had been almost suffocating. I looked to Naraku. He looked on forwards, making it seem as he had felt nothing in the large room at all. He looked forwards.

Just as I gathered the courage to ask of where had the Lord of the Estate had been, I heard a pair of shoes crushing deserted rocks on the pavement. The air reeked of raw power. This…presence had been quite unnerving. I shivered once again, moving closer to Sir Naraku, if just an inch.

As if sensing my slight discomfort, the tall, red eyed man had wrapped his arm possessively around my waist, pulling my body closer to his own. I trusted his touch wholeheartedly.

…The sound of heavy souls upon pavement had disappeared.

…And before us, seated in a high chair, sat the Lord of the RoseBud.

oQo

He glared through me, his golden-red eyes trying hard to pierce through my heart. Arrogance, might, and power surrounded him as he starred, he had been a mighty being indeed, one deserving of the name 'Lord' as every vampire on the Estate addressed him. His hair - a blinding, yet shimmering silver – tied into a low tail which dragged down his back. He wore completely white, the spinning image of Sir Naraku who kept a darker tone to his inner and outer wears.

This creature had been perfectly defined in my mind as terrifying.

He spoke no words.

And the silence had started to grate on my nerves, until –

"So, human, you think of me as perfectly terrifying, do you?" The walls of the darkened room seemed to shake from only his deep voice. The Lord of the RoseBud had addressed me…as 'Human.'. . None of the others did like he had done. Not Sir Kouga, or Sesshomaru, they had addressed me as my name! Sure, they had not learned to do so immediately, but they had been kind enough to, so what gives this Lord the right to-

"What gives I, the Lord of the invincible RoseBud Estate the right to call you human?!" He laughed. Naraku tightened his grip onto me. "You insects should not even go through the trouble of naming yourselves! You hold no right to even think! Human, in my presence you should bow, you should fall onto your feet, and grovel – no, beg for me to spare your worthless life…"

A sudden fast weight had over taken me – what..? What had been going on?! Only by his stare, the Lord of the RoseBud had been able to force me onto my knees?- I fell onto both knees, the weight of thousands weighing me down. I felt my face touch the floor.

"Girl!" I heard Naraku speak the nickname I had grown so accustomed to, he was at my side in less then a moment.

"…You scum. You should be blessed to even be in the presence of one as mighty as I…Huma-"

"Stop this."

The room grew suddenly quiet.

The Lord grew silent. "N…Naraku, my old friend, why do you interrupt me while I punish this disgusting insect that dare lay its eyes on my person?" The Lord had already stood up, off his throne chair, and started a steady walk towards Naraku; who stood tall.

They stood face to face.

"My friend," Naraku spoke, "My Lord, and friend, please, tell me as to why is it that you detest these creatures so? They have done nothing wrong to us, yet it is us that they fear, so please, my Lord and friend, Touga, tell me, why is it so?" The room stood still in a sickening silence.

The Lord placed a single hand onto Naraku's shoulder. "This wretch has taken control of your mind, has she not, my Naraku? You know better then to bring the likes of a human into MY RoseBud…" With the sudden flick of his wrist, Naraku had been sent flying halfway across the room, a loud crash – accompanied by the sound of feet tapping onto the floor had been heard.

I tried to speak.

But alas, my lips refused to move.

Naraku stood straight in the spot he had been pushed to. I grew worried.

Ever so suddenly, I had been pulled roughly by the neck of my clothing, and forced to stand. It was painful…but I had no right to worry for myself…Sir Naraku could be hurt – no killed by this man…vampire! The Lord of the RoseBud could kill him! I slowly started to calm myself down, bit by bit, thinking positive. Sir Kouga and Sir Sesshomaru had wished I and Sir Naraku luck. Luck that I would come out of this alive and well…-

"Naraku, Naraku,…oh, my dearest friend, you know I wish not to have you injured, but, if I must, I will rip you apart, piece by piece until the spell that this human wrench has placed upon you dissipates! So my friend…" the Lord of the RoseBud had starred Naraku in the eye, "…what shall it be? Choose to kill this human ';';';';';, and regain your current status as one of the most powerful vampires in our RoseBud, or continue to shelter this human, and face off with me, as much as it will pain me to do so…" The Lord had waltzed slowly off his throne chair and stood.

He watched Naraku intently.

I watched Sir Naraku as well.

What would he choose? To kill me by his own hand, and regain his honor in the RoseBud, or to fight the Lord? What was I supposed to do? How could I stop this?!

As I had been thinking of a solution, the Lord of the RoseBud had started to sniff the air on my skin.

He groaned in disgust.

"So this filthy human women really did lay with you, Naraku? I'm guessing you want to keep her for personal reasons that are beyond my understanding," He tossed me to the ground, "choose now Naraku, make your choice wisely."

Naraku had knelt down to face me, and used his gloved hand to cup my cheek. What was he going to do? Would…Would Sir Naraku really kill me? No…I believed in Naraku. Whatever choice he made – it was right. "It is alright Sir Naraku…" I started, my voice laced with sadness, "it is all your choice, please forget about me, I being here has only caused you trouble, you need to remain here and regain your place with your Lord," I closed my eyes awaiting my fate, "you can kill me, Sir Naraku…"

I waited.

My eyes closed – And I felt familiar, soft pair of lips placed itself on my own… When I opened my eyes once more, they were gone… "S-Sir Naraku..?" I looked at him, both flustered and surprised.

"Do not speak such nonsense," he smiled, "You should know that one such as I will keep my promise, you are my Kagome, and I protect what belongs to me…"

I smiled – yet it was short lived as a loud snarl rattled the large room. I looked up to see the Lord of the RoseBud still seated…but his eyes…

"So…Naraku, my friend…" his eyes had been… "you choose to side with that filth…" I filched just by starring into those burning eyes, " as much as it pains me to do this, I must now treat you as a traitor- and that means death!"

His eyes had become a burning bloody red.

I shuddered, than felt a gentle hand land itself onto my shoulder. I looked above only to find that it had been Sir Naraku. "Please," he spoke in a low voice, "stand back."

…His eyes had become a glowing darker black.

They clashed.

oQo

Sesshomaru ran down the hallways, heading in the way of Lord Touga's palace rooms where Sir Naraku and Kagome had been. But something – he could tell – had been off. Suddenly, a large burst of deadly power burst through the air around him. "What in the hell?!" he yelled as he blocked his face using his arms until the burst had subsided. Just as he took off running in the way of the Lords rooms, Kouga had joined along with him.

" Sesshomaru!" he spoke loudly, "that pulse of power, do you think…" he trailed off only to have Sesshomaru confirm what may be his true nightmare… "The Lord of the Estate and Sir Naraku are fighting at full strength."

"And this means," Kouga spoke, "that one wishes to kill the other, correct?"

"You have spoken it all, my friend."

The two turned the corner, and paused to take a short breath, before continuing on the trek to the Lord's palace rooms. "We must stop this – whatever it takes!" Kouga spoke proudly while he and Sesshomaru made their way down a long flight of steps.

"This may end with us two getting ourselves killed – do not tell me that you will cower away from this Kouga"

"Do not even think for a mere second that I; Kouga, would back out of any battle…even if the end result may be futile…"

oQo

Black and Red collided.

Blows where exchanged. Blood had spattered. Limbs where lost, and grown back. Snarls, growls, and yells had been all I could hear over the sound of flesh pounding flesh…bone breaking bone.

It was horrible.

Yet amazing.

I did not know.

The way these two had been fighting made it look as a graceful dance of violence. As I watched the two vampiric beings do their dance of destruction, I noticed the change in their appearances. They looked…as shadow beast in the outline of a human being.

The man covered in the shadow of black. Sir Naraku.

The man covered in the shadow of red. The Lord of the RoseBud Estate.

Their kicks graceful – yet deadly. Each and every attack leading to a heavy shiver in the Estate itself. I felt myself tremble. The overwhelming power in the one room alone had been enough to hold me still and in place – I watched in complete horror as Sir Naraku's arm had been ripped off the shoulder, straight down to the bone for what seemed to be the third time.

It started to heal almost immediately.

Specks of blood hit my face.

This blood shed…was…horrible.

…But…What was it that I could do…to stop this..? …What if…What if I leave?

Without yet confirming my actions through my mind, I stood myself upon my cold, bare and shaking feet – ignoring the doors from the entrance slamming open so hard with a force that shook few pebbles from the ground – and started to walk. It had been a pace kept even, and slow, so I knew my legs would not fail, and fall beneath me.

"Sir Naraku!"

"Lord Touga!"

As I continued my slow, shaky, and uneven walk, I heard the two that I had met earlier on this day. They yelled and pleaded for Sir Naraku, and the Lord of the Rosebud to cease their fighting – but every lost plea fell deaf on their ears. I continued to walk unnoticed.

The bloody battle had come to a stare down. Both of them glaring into each other, as a loin does its prey. The Lord had spoken first.

"My, my, this was truly something I wanted to avoid," Touga, the Lord of the RoseBud spoke as taunting as ever, "You are a very close friend to me, and I to you, and yet you alley yourself with that human! What good will she do for you?! They are all hateful, ungrateful, selfish-"

"Stop it!" I finally came between Sir Naraku, and the Lord of the Estate – for a flash of a moment I saw the Lord's eyes widen in slight shock, ever so quickly as it came did the emotion fade into the darkness of his angelic features. "Just please…stop-"

"And why should I, you scum?" his voice rang out like the sting of sparks. I continued on, fear filling my body.

"…I…I'll leave…"

"What are you saying?!" I heard Sir Naraku from behind me.

"I wont ever come back – I mean this!..." I paused for a short moment, took a shaky breath, and went on, "So…so...please," I swallowed, "just don't hurt Sir Naraku…" silence filled the room, "he saved me…I was - I'm just so happy that I had been given the chance to be with him, he has gone through whatever means to keep me safe, and, I do not wish for him to be hurt because of my selfishness! Please! I'm begging you as only a mere human, I apologize to you as well, for in the little time I have been with him-I may have fallen…I love him! The one I love shouldn't be the one who has to get himself so injured over me…so please…" By the time I had finished, I finally noticed I had been crying.

Time seemed to stop.

Everyone in the room had not moved a single inch upon my revelation. I suddenly started to panic. Had I said something I shouldn't have? Would Sir and the Lord of the Estate go back to fighting once more?! No! If this was to prolong because of my words-

"Go."

Every head, accept the Lord's had shot up in complete shock.

I heard Sesshomaru and Kouga gasp, then fall silent.

Sir Naraku spoke in almost a whisper, "Touga..do you mean to say…"

"Go now, Naraku, my friend," The Lord spoke once again as he started to slowly walk step by step into an unknown darkness, his silver hair giving off an un earthy glow as the rest of him seeped into the shadows once again, "If you do not leave with your human – than I will kill her without going through you, now the both of you, go."

oQo

Sir Naraku and I had stepped out of the large doors. Our once clean clothing now dirty and torn. But it did not matter at all to me. I was here. I was finally here. And the best of all…I was with my Sir Naraku…

Just as I had thought of him – slender arms had wrapped around my waist. I blushed, knowing already who it had been.

I tilted my head to the side. I felt Sir Naraku trail his tongue on the exposed skin – I shivered. He kept his head at the crook of my neck, nipping it softly with his fangs as he spoke. His breath felt cold.

"Girl…" I did not speak against the familiar 'pet name' that he had given me... "I never knew that you felt …such feeling for me," he held me tighter, "Come now, and let us express the such love we share for one another…"

oQo

"So," an elderly women spoke, "she is still alive you say?" Silence lifted in the single fire-lit room, until several voices lifted to speak one after the other.

The first spoke. "Yes, she was spotted deep in the Forest."

The next one spoke. "Deep in the Kip'tin Hine…"

And the last… "We believe she has made in safely into the RoseBud Estate."

The elderly women sighed, then raised her voice, "Did you all hear that?! Your very enemy of the Night, those Vampires – that is who you all need to exterminate! Do yee hear me clear you monsters?"

…Out of the darkness of the night, came several eyes, each glowing purple with a heavy intent to kill…

"Why yes Elder," a shadowed figure spoke, "We will do as you have instructed us to…" A menacing laugh broke the silence, "and please, while the vampires can tolerate being called 'monsters' we werewolves detest being put into the same category, we prefer the term…"

He paused.

"Savages."

oQo

ROSEBUD

-Water Garden...Part III

oQo

Itachi – I finally finished it. My second story done. Don't worry though. There's goanna be a squeal story to this one called, ROSEBUD TRILOGY : Night Crawlers. I really do hope you all liked the story, please drop a review, and try reading some of my other stories as well.

Thanks!