"Child! Are you okay?"

Kagome broke the surface of the water, gasping for breath. "I…I'm fine," she called back, shivering. That's what she gets for trying to look at all the beautiful fish when she was supposed to be doing laundry.

"You're going to catch a cold. Hop on out," Atsuko murmured, searching through the clean pile set neatly on a large boulder. She pulled out a thin piece of cloth, barely long enough to cover Kagome.

"Here, get those wet clothes off you." Kagome obeyed. After all, the hanyou was blind, so it didn't make a difference if she looked at Kagome or not.

Goosebumps crept up her arms as the air blew over her, making her shiver. "I'm…s-s-sorry," she managed to stutter, the cold seeping to her bones.

"Nonsense, apologizing to me when you should be apologizing to yourself. Look at you!" Atsuko wrapped the thin piece of cloth over her. It hardly covered her bottom, but she managed.

"Now, head back to the castle and go to my bedroom. Since your arrival, I've been preparing some clothes for you to wear, though I now fear they will be too large. You are much smaller than I imagined. Anyway, the finished clothes are in a basket near the desk."

"Wait, you want me to go back there like this?" Kagome gestured to the thin cloth wrapped around her.

"I see no other way."

Kagome sighed, but began to go back the way they came. The woods were alive with creatures out of sight; birds crying in the distance, the sound of small creatures burrowing undergrowth. She felt so exposed as she speed walked back to the castle, her feet bare.

She quickly slid open the door, slipped in, and shut it behind her. She knew her way to her bedroom, but she was not aware of where Atsuko's was.

Kagome made her way through the halls. Why had she not asked Atsuko where it was when she had the chance?

She opened the door to her own bedroom, tying the cloth more securely around her. She shivered, goosebumps covering her flesh. She had to hurry and find something to cover herself up before Naraku came—

"My, my, what do we have here?"

Kagome immediately felt his arms wrap around her waist. "What are you doing in such inappropriate clothing?"

"Get off of me!" She pushed against him, trying to make his grip loosen, but to no avail.

"No need to be rough, Kagome," he said into her ear, his breath against her neck.

With one swift motion, he had her in his arms, carrying her the way a prince would to a princess. Kagome, still a bit confused, let him carry her to the bed.

He dropped her on the mattress without so much of a warning. She looked up at him, glaring the same glare that Kikyo possessed. He was only more thrilled to touch her.

Kagome's hands were pulling at the edge of the cloth that Atsuko had lent her, willing it to grow a bit longer. She was showing more skin than she'd like to.

Naraku smirked, his eyes raking over her every curve. Kagome had never felt so uncomfortable.

And then, he was on her.

She gasped as she fell back, too, not wanting him to crush her. He was right above her barely covered body now, and Kagome didn't like it.

"Now that I know you a little better, I realize you're not completely like her. In fact, you have many differences I had yet to know of."

Kagome found herself curious, and the question slipped. "Like what?"

Naraku grinned, glad she was complying. "Like you are not afraid to speak your mind."

"I…I'm sure Kikyo spoke her mind a lot."

"No. The only true person she ever confided in was that dog demon." Naraku seemed very confident in his words. "Even with a sister by her side, she only confided in a half-demon. She accepted her fate as a priestess and did not question, though it was not the life she wanted to live."

Kagome looked downward, anywhere but in his eyes. She had always been one to stand up for what she believed in, but in the nicest manner possible.

"Could you please show me where Atsuko's room is? She said I could borrow something to wear."

Naraku chuckled, his hand going to her face. She turned her head, but only grasped her chin more firmly. "I hope you know I will have you. 'If' is not the question but 'when.'"

Kagome struggled a bit more until he released her. She slid off the bed and waited for him to guide her.

Naraku did as she requested. She followed a few feet behind, eying him with uncertainty. She noticed his masculine back, covered by his robes. She imagined the spider mark underneath, and shivered.

He guided her a few halls down, Kagome trying hard to memorize it. They approached the room. Naraku opened the door and stepped aside, letting her in. She hesitantly walked into the room. When she turned, the door was shut closed and Naraku was gone.

Kagome turned toward the room and immediately found the desk. Below it, she found the basket full of colorful robes with exotic colors. She picked miscellaneously pulled one from the basket—it was the color of Sango's slaying outfit.

Tears sprung to her eyes and she quickly began wiping them as they came. But they outnumbered her. She missed Sango so much. She wanted to be a mother, too. What if she never got to? What if she stayed here forever…?

She tried to wipe them away once more, and they kept flowing. Soon enough, she was sobbing into the kimono. It lasted only a minute or two, and Kagome slowly pulled herself together. She wiped her face and began to change. She wiped at the wet spot where her tears had fallen above the breast of the kimono. She changed into it, leaving the little piece of cloth where it was.

She made her way back to the front of the castle, and walked outside, heading back to the river where Atsuko was. Kagome did not intend to be a burden on her, nor would she be one. She'd help the elderly demon as much as she could.

As expected, Atsuko heard her coming before Kagome had come into view. "'Bout time."

"I apologize," Kagome replied sheepishly.

"What have I told you about apologizing for nothing? Now, could you help me fold the rest of the laundry? I cleaned it all when you were scrambling for dry clothes."

Kagome refrained from apologizing again. "Okay."

The rest of the day went on utterly quiet. Atsuko was quite a bit more entertaining than any other elder woman Kagome knew. She was lively, despite her age, and talked quite often. Kagome suspected it was because she hadn't had another female to talk to in so long, if she ever had one in the first place. Kagome enjoyed her company more than she should have.

Kagome began to wonder if the gang had took notice of her disappearance.

What am I thinking? Of course they have…

Inuyasha, please find me. I know you can. Just please hurry before I feel the urge to stay…

I'd like to thank everyone who has stayed with me to the fourth chapter of Dark Side! I hope your enjoying this so far and I apologize for the chapter being so short. It's still not as popular as my Adventure Time story, but...oh well. As long as someone is enjoying it!