Kagome could feel herself drifting from sleep to a slight state of wakefulness. She could sense that something wasn't right. A slight moan of disappointment escaped her lips because her body could not feel the gentle warmth of the camp fire. Slowly she become aware of her surroundings, or lack there of. She could not feel the warmth of her kit snuggled against her body or hear the breathing of her other travel companions.

Why do I not feel the hard ground beneath me?

A slight breeze blew through her hair as she began to crack open her eye lids. She could feel strong arms carrying her.

That baka Inuyasha must have been in too much of a hurry for me to find more jewel shards and decided to take off early without bothering to wake me.

As her eyes adjusted and the sleep film creeped out of them she realized that the sun was still down and daylight did not sting her sensitive eyes. She looked up into the face of the male that carried her and gasped in shock. Instead of the golden orbs she had seen so many times she looked into eyes that were unknown to her.

A screamed ripped from her throat as she realized that the eyes she now stared into belonged to none other than Naraku.

Back at camp

Inuyasha awoke to the first rays of the sun peaking over the horizon. Something wasn't right and he could feel it down to his very core. He looked around the rag tag group of his as they continued to sleep.

After a few minutes in his solitude he could hear the sounds of his companions rousing. Sango's first yawn of the morning, Miroku's lack of his light snore. He thought nothing of it as he impatiently waited for them to start moving around to gain full wakefulness.

"Good morning everyone!" was Shippo's usual morning ritual. Inuyahsa waited for it as he had every morning knowing that Kagome would be the last to wake with a slight groan and would begin making breakfast at the campfire. That is not the routine he received though.

Instead he got a few desperate cries of Shippo yelling out for his surrogate mother and a gasp from the rest of the group.

Inuyasha immediately jumped down from his perch in the tree and stormed over to where the girl should be laying snuggled and warm in her sleeping bag. As he instantly pulled it open he realized what was missing, and her name was Kagome.

"Calm yourself wench", Naraku simply states without bothering to make eye contact with the creature that has awoken and now stares at him.

Kagome knew she should do as the monster says. He could drop her right now and she would fall to her death, but she would never do anything that Naraku wanted. EVER.

"What do you want with me, Naraku?"

He finally decided to make eyes contact to ensure she was listening and understood his every word. "I want Inuyasha's death. By taking you I will ensure that his death will come. He will come for you without rational thinking and bursting with emotion. His downfall will be your fault and once I am done dealing with that fool you too shall die by my hands. I will then be able to complete the jewel and taint it beyond purification. All of my plans shall play out."

"Where are you taking me?"

"Look little miko and see for yourself."

With those words Naraku looked to the horizon and nodded to indicate the direction in which she should look. Kagome slowly turned her eyes away from Naraku to see their destination. She had to hold back from letting loose another gasp as she took in the terrain.

In front of her stood a mansion in the mountainside. However, there was no beauty to behold. The outer walls that would have acted as shield for the main house were crumbling and the whole place seemed to have a darkness about it. The buildings within the walls were slowly deteriorating and were showing the toll of time and misuse. A cold shiver was slowly creeping up her spine with the knowledge that this may very well be her grave site.

Kagome didn't know why she was waking. She remembered that she was watching the horrible castle come closer. After that, nothing. He head was throbbing and when she reached back to rub it she found a very tender knot with dried blood leading down her hair.

He must have hit me on the head to knock me out when I wasn't paying attention. It was my own fault for allowing my mind to wander.

She moaned as she tried to stand but quickly found herself falling back to the floor as her head swam and threatened to let the darkness take over again.

He must have hit me pretty hard.

She looked around from her position on the floor. She could tell that she was well within the confines of the mansion. She was in a room that held little furniture or decoration. The walls were a crème color. There was a pallet to sleep on in the corner that followed along the wall to her left. A small wardrobe stood against the wall directly opposite of it. One small window let the sun shine into the room. Kagome walked over it in hopes of escaping.

She approached the window with care. Surely Naraku wouldn't make it that easy for me. She was right. As soon as her hand tried to go out it was on fire with pain. She quickly pulled her slender fingers back to examine them. No damage was done to the hand itself but the fingers were burning bright red.

"Kukuku…There is no use in trying such silly antics my little miko."

Kagome swirled around to see Naraku was already occupying the same room as her. She stood there staring at him in defiance.

"You see, I have put many containment spells upon this mansion to ensure that you will stay with me for as long as I need you. If Inuyasha thought you were dead, then he would not come here."

"You vile creature! I will never stay with you. I will always try to escape." Kagome spat at him. She wasn't so sure that Inuyasha would ever come for her. She didn't even know if he was alive.

FLASHBACK

Kagome is sitting with her kit by the fire after the evening meal. Sango and Miroku sit across from her looking cozy with each other and making their usual banter back and forth. Inuyahsa watches from a tree nearby.

All of a sudden Kagome sat straight up and Inuyasha jumped to the ground. "I feel a very powerful demonic aura coming this way", Sango states.

"I don't sense any jewel shards, Inuyasha", Kagome states as she rises to her feet and grabbed her bow and arrows.

"I know that smell and it means trouble."

As Inuyasha takes off through the woods and leaves everyone behind he could hear them yelling at him to come back or wait up. He wasn't going to let them get into the middle of this. Sesshomaru was his problem to deal with and not theirs.

He burst into a small clearing and saw his half-brother standing there with his usual air of arrogance. "What do you want now?" Inuyasha called to him. His hand moving to the hilt of his sword.

"Only you little brother."

The battle began. Both brothers drawing their swords and Inuyasha charging blindly into the fight. As they exchanged blows and dodges the rest of the group finally caught up and burst through the tree line.

"Stay back. He is mine to kill and you will not interfere!" Inuyasha yelled to them once he heard them in the area.

Sesshomaru inwardly smiled at this. The fact that this half breed thought he could kill this Sesshomaru was amusing to him. Of course none of this could be shown to others. His only reply was a slight raise in his eye brow and a "Hmph".

After a while Inuyasha was visibly tiring while Sesshomaru showed no signs of slowing down. "I tire of this game little brother." Sesshomaru stated. With that he raised his Tokigen and unleashed his Dragon Strike. It hit Inuyasha with deadly accuracy, but did not kill him. Sesshomaru calmly walked over to where his half-brother lay in the grass waiting for his heart to stop beating. No one dared approach the youkai.

Kagome watched in horror. She could finally take no more of this stupidity. "Leave him alone!" She screamed at the Lord. He turned his head slowly to gaze upon who would dare speak to him in this manner. He recognized it as Inuyasha's miko that he had seen traveling with them many times and had dared to speak to him this way before. He would put an end to this.

A white blur was all that could be seen as Sesshomaru moved across the open field to grab the human by the neck with his hand. Before she knew it she was pinned against the tree staring into the eyes of the enemy.

"You will not speak to This Sesshomaru in such a manner, wench. It is time you learned your place. For your insolence Inuyasha shall die on this day."

Kagome's eyes grew wide and gasped loudly as he let her fall to the ground. He moved once again back to the body of his previous prey. With sword in hand, he drove it one final time into the body of Inuyasha and turned away walking back into the forest from which he came.

"NOOOO!" Kagome screamed as she ran to Inuyasha. She checked for any signs of life from him. She crouched as low as she could to lay her ear upon his chest. She could faintly hear a beat of his heart but it sounded struggled and strangely off beat.

She turned to yell for her companions but found that they were already at her side. Her instincts kicked in. She would save Inuyasha. She could not lose the only one that she had ever really loved. She knew that he did not return her feelings but that was not a reason to let him die.

She told Sango and Miroku to move their previous camp site to here. Inuyasha should not be moved. She had Shippo go and get the herbs she needed to make a salve and bandages from her first aid kit.

Once all was done and Inuyasha was cared for as much as she could she told the others to go to sleep. She would stay up and watch him through the night. I will not let him die because of me.

Now she stared at an even bigger enemy the very same morning she had accidentally fallen asleep on after ensuring she could do no more for her hanyou friend.

"I suggest you get comfortable with your stay here. It may be some time before Inuyasha will be able to find me. I have a barrier erected. I will put it down and allow him to come for you when I am ready." The words of Naraku snapped her back to reality.

He continued, "You are allowed out of your room but only to the indoor spring to bathe and the dining room to eat. Do not try to go into any other room or you will be burned with my miasma. This is your only warning." With that said he turned on his heal and left the room, sliding the door shut behind him.

Hours passed as Kagome did not heed his warning looking for any other room or way that she could get herself out of this situation. She did not know if Inuyasha would come for her.

He might be dead. Did Naraku know this and was just toying with her mind?

Stop that! Inuyasha will make it. He is strong and stubborn. Far too stubborn to let his brother kill him like that.

Kagome sighed. She now had a burn on every finger on both of her hands. I will have to think of something. She went about making a normal routine for herself in hopes that she would think of something or someone would come for her.

She got up every morning. After bathing she would put on clean clothes and eat breakfast. Then she would go to her room, now more like a comfy prison cell to her, and meditate. During these meditations she would try to harness her powers and make them stronger in the hopes that perhaps she could free herself from this hell. None of the other inhabitants were allowed to speak to her so had no one to talk to and occupy her mind. She ate only the morning meal each day. She did not want to gain weight from the lack of exercise and overeating that could occur. After a while she didn't even feel hunger the rest of the day.

She refused to cry. She would not give Naraku that satisfaction or power over her. She refused.

Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. She couldn't remember how long she had been here but it felt like an eternity. Her only visitor had been Naraku. He came once to find out why she had only been eating one meal a day and warned her that she was being watched. If she looked like she was starving herself then she would be force fed. He needed her alive for his plan to work.

He came one other time when Kagome had been working on her powers and accidentally slipped, letting her aura flare a little too much for his liking. She only told him that she was upset and hurt that Inuyasha did not come for her up to this point. Naraku waved it off as a simple incident and didn't think the small human capable of controlling said power. She was not a threat.

After what Kagome felt like was months no one had still come for her. Naraku made another appearance. She sat cross legged in the middle of the floor. She was meditating and trying to focus her powers when she felt another's presence in the room.

She cracked open her eyes to see Naraku staring at her from the door. "It is time wench."

"What do you mean?" Kagome questioned him.

"Today I lower the barrier and allow your mate to come rushing to his death."

She closed her eyes as she fought back the tears. With that, the evil aura once again left her room.

Today is the day I will make my move, Naraku.

She had slowly and carefully reached her aura out over the months to detect all within the mansion and grounds, always careful to stay away from Naraku. She knew how many were here and where they usually were at what time of day and made mental notes of it. She waited.

As the sun set she could feel the shift in the miasma and barrier that surrounded her for so long. She let her heart become overwhelmed with joy at the knowledge that she would be free.

As soon as she felt the barrier drop she was up and out. She lept from the window with ease. She had made sure to keep her body in shape as well as her mind, knowing full well that she would need to. She ran through the ground purifying demons with a single touch from her hand. She no longer had her trusty bow and arrows and had to learn to harness her power and focus it.

She was halfway to the outer wall before anyone noticed what was going on, but they were too late. She was on a mission. A mission of life or death. Hers.

Naraku waited for the group to come for the pathetic little human they held so dear. She would be their downfall.

How could that weak thing ever be as valuable as they treat her to be?

He lowered the barrier and miasma to make sure the hanyou would smell his scent and come rushing to his death. He sat watching the sinking sun and congratulating himself on his upcoming victory. He closed his eyes and reveled in it.

"Master!"

"What is it?" Naraku asked without turning his head or opening his eyes in the slightest. It was sure to be something stupid and he could just kill the insolent demon that interrupted him.

"The miko! She is escaping!"

Bright red eyes turned to the monster and an angry roar split through the air. He looked back down at the ground and focused his eyes on the little human that was now surrounded.

Breathing hard from the run to her freedom, Kagome now looked around her. She was completely surrounded by demons.

"Now, now Kagome. Is this any way to repay the hospitality that I have shown you for so long of a time?"

She twirled around to see Naraku strolling up to her. She stared at him in defiance before answering. "Hospitality? Locking me away and holding me prisoner is hospitality? Then you can keep it!"

"I should have killed you the day I brought you here. Inuyasha will still come if I kill you now. He will come faster when he smells your blood." A smirk of victory came across his face while he spoke. It made Kagome cringe.

She hated him. Everything about him. He was evil and that's all there was to it. She could feel the corrupted jewel that lay just within his haori.

"You will never win Naraku. I will not submit to you. Go to hell!"

Naraku came at her. He lunged and drew a sword at the same time.

Kagome watched as her came. She did not consider grabbing anything to defend herself with on her spring across the grounds. Her plan was completely offensive and this seemed to be a major flaw.

She screamed as the sword was plunged deep into her side. Darkness threatened to take over as she felt herself hit the ground beneath her.

Naraku stood over the woman.

How pitiful. Weak human.

He smiled down knowing his plan would still work for Inuyasha. He looked at her pale face as her breathing slowed to death's beat. He was so busy in his victory that he didn't notice that the sword he had shoved into her body had started to glow pink.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked at the vile thing in front of her. "Die, Naraku."

Naraku's eyes went wide when he realized that great pain began to shoot through his body. He could feel her purifying him. He looked down only to realize that his hand still held the sword he attempted to kill her with. He could not remove it.

Kagome sent her power through the sword and up through his body to purify the jewel. She knew that this would kill the evil that they had chased after for so long.

Since you died for me, Inuyasha, I will die completing the only thing you wanted. Rest in peace.

She let lose all of the power she could. She saw as Naraku turned slowly to dust before her eyes and the rest of the demons took off to avoid the same fate. They didn't get very far. Her wave of power struck them all.

She forced herself to stand despite the pain and dizziness that were washing through her from blood loss. She pulled the sword from her side with another scream of pain and slowly walked as far as she could from this hell.

She reached a stream and collapsed. Her body would not allow her to go any further. She looked to the now completed and purified jewel in her hand and knew she too could rest in peace. Kagome closed her sea blue eyes and let the nothing of darkness take her.

"What should we do with her my mate?"

"She is human. Let her die here. She looks to be already and peacefully within the other realm. Let her find the peace that death will bring."

"Aisoka, are you blind? She is powerful beyond compare and she holds the jewel."

The horse youkai looked at his mate. He saw concern on her beautiful face and sighed. "Then we shall take the jewel with us." He stated simply.

"We cannot. Watch." The female youkai walked over to the human woman that lay by the stream and bent to touch her. A pink aura flared at the intrusion and danger.

"I understand now, Aiyana. She is the protector of the jewel."

The two youkai sat and pondered their situation and what they should do.

"I have it! I know what we should do now, koi." Aisoka looked to his mate. She was a beautiful horse youkai with long flowing dark blue hair. She had curves in all the right places and lush full breasts. Her face resembled that of a Greek goddess. Regal in all ways. Her blue eyes matched her hair and had the depth of wisdom in them. She was tall and lean but not too skinny. She had purple markings along the tops of hands and the symbol of a beaming sun on her forehead. Beautiful even for their kind.

Aisoka himself resembled his mate except that he was perfect picture of masculinity. Perfectly sculpted muscles adorned his entire body. His hair was a midnight black and he had the same markings as his mate.

Aiyana spoke again after receiving a questioning look from her mate. "We should take her back with us to the Northern castle." She stated simply as if talking to a child.

His eyes went wide in disbelief. His mate had suggested that they bring a weak human to their home. He looked at the woman and moved in for a slightly closer inspection. It then hit him why she would suggest such a thing.

"She is the one." Aisoke stated. "She is the one that killed Naraku and protects the jewel of Four Souls. Her power is immense."

"Hai." Aiyana replied.

He knew that is he brought her back to the castle no one would think less of him. He would be seen as a hero for saving her. She had been able to accomplish what none of the Lords had been able to. She was much desired in the youkai society as an ally. Perhaps as even a mate.

"How will we move her?" Aisoka asked. "Her aura will let no one touch her while she is in this state. It will protect her."

"I think if it has no fear that we will harm her or try to take the jewel, then it will not be a problem. Before when I tried to touch her, it had been to take the jewel away."

His mate truly was wise. He reached down to lift the sleeping miko and to his surprise he was able to pick her up.

"We must make haste, My Lord. She will die soon if she is not tended to."

With that, they took to the sky on their youki clouds and sped to the North.