Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

In a New Light	By : Sylean Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Naraku/Kagome Views: 17606 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor do I make any profit from this story.

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In a New Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor do I make any profit from this story.

Warning: There will be lemons in this story, some non-con as well.

(A/N: School has started back up, stealing my attention, and almost making me forget to post. Yikes! If I ever do forget to post on fridays, just shoot me a reminder and I'll get it up post haste.)

Chapter 35: Influence

Immersed in an all-consuming darkness, dead creatures live, sightlessly observing the outside world with great dissatisfaction.

Many voices echo in the hollow space, crushed and expansive, resounding unnaturally in tones of growls and hisses; strained, gravely sounds reverberating hoarsely.

"Progress has slowed."

"Host'sss resssolve waversss."

"At this rate, we no become corporeal."

"Something must be done."

"Finding a new host would be most troublesome."

"Strong demons have no use for us and weak ones are insufficient."

"Motivation must be restored to host, strong and greedy."

"But he's clever, not easy to manipulate."

"Host has been weakened by love, now is the perfect time to take control."

"Need to exploit weaknesses."

Finally, a perfectly smooth voice answered the mass of discontent demons, when Magatsuhui spoke, all would listen, "It is that girl, that has altered our host's heart. She must be eliminated." His declaration was followed by shrieks of agreement and the plan was put into action.

Far off, in an isolated shrine barely secured on a mountainside, Kanna spoke in her ghostly voice, "It has begun." The only one around to hear was her "sister," Kagura.

"What has begun? Another one of Naraku's schemes?" her tone was sarcastic, and she didn't expect an answer, Kanna never told her anything important.

"Kagome is the only one who can save us all," Kanna let the monotonous, but loaded words form on the air.

"What? We will be saved?" Kagura tried to get more out of the void demon, but she would not crack, leaving the wind sorceress to speculate on her own. 'Does that mean Kagome will kill Naraku and free us? I will finally be able to be the wind.'

Waking up in the cold, damp darkness of the cave, the first thing Kagome noticed was the fire went out, leaving only a pile of black charcoal. Sitting up, the second thing see noticed was how she was alone. 'Where is Naraku, didn't he say he'd be here?' she felt so abandoned, forgotten. The white pelt that covered her was missing and her bed was nothing more than a sparse pile of straw that barely covered the stone floor. She could scarcely see anything, until the unnatural glow of strands slowly appeared in her vision. 'Strands of what?' Rising and letting her fingers touch along the silky threads, the shape finally dawned on her. 'This, this is a web, a spider's web.' She gasped, realizing the previously invisible threads were also wound around her wrists, controlling her movements like a puppet.

"You fell for it," Naraku's oily voice echoed around her. "You let yourself fall in love with me and now you are trapped for all eternity."

"W-what? But I thought-"

"Thought what, that I actually cared about you?" his maniacal laughter pounded in her ears. "Don't be so naïve; I never loved you. I was using you. And now, you will die." Tentacles shot out of the darkness, tearing at her skin and knocking her to the ground. He was playing with her like a cat would torture a mouse before finally killing it; giving her hope of escape before striking at her once again, all while laughing at her futile efforts. "You cannot escape from me; you will succumb to my will and become mine to control."

'No! This can't be happening!' Kagome's heart screamed at her. Before she could even contemplate what her sluggish body was doing, the arrow was fired, straight towards the glowing black jewel and striking Naraku square in the chest. His scream of agony as her powers ripped him apart tore at her more than anything; she would have gladly let him take her life if it would have spared him pain. Even if he didn't love her, she loved him!

"Kagome!" she heard his voice call for her, beckoning her closer. "Kagome, wake up!" Her world was shaken, the gruesome scene evaporating as she registered hands shaking her by the shoulders. Her eyes snapped open as she was startled awake, staring straight into Naraku's eyes, eyes that were not pained or angry. The tears that were already flowing burst with renewed vigor as she launched herself into his arms.

'He's alright! It was just a dream, just a nightmare,' she repeated the mantra to herself until she calmed enough to breath again. As painful as it was to dream of him betraying her, the unbearable part was seeing him in pain, she clutched tighter as she tried to bury the image. 'It was just a dream; everything is okay.' Her hurried breathing slowly mellowed out as she regained her senses. 'Naraku is not hurt, but why do I still feel like I'm going to lose him?'

Still clinging to his chest, she felt the tears being gently wiped from her cheeks, "There is no reason to worry so, Kagome." His simple words, just hearing his voice in that calm tone, settled her right down.

'No reason to worry,' her mind repeated, finally loosening her hold and smiling up at him, "I'm okay now, it was just a nightmare." She wiped the tears away and vowed to not dwell on it.

The curiosity was nagging at him though, he wanted to know what troubled her, "Are you going to tell me, or do I need to find the answer for myself?" He could always dig around in her mind, but he was giving her the chance to tell him, out of respect, first.

Kagome did not want to talk about it, it would bring back those painful images, and even if she could talk about it without breaking down, how was she to tell him, 'Oh, I just had a dream about killing you. Yeah, no thank you.' She resorted instead to avoiding the question, "Its nothing. You know, its no fair, you've seen inside my mind, but I've never seen inside yours... Is that possible, can you show me-"

"No," he derailed her question from even being asked. Even if there was a way to allow it, he still wouldn't. He still had too many secrets; schemes that he didn't want her knowing about, past and present. He stopped asking about the nightmare; she didn't want to tell him. He would look later.

"Geez, don't need to be mean about it," she crossed her arms, but still leaned against him for emotional comfort. Even though it was just a dream, fabricated by her subconscious, she still felt unbearably guilty for hurting him. She would never try to hurt him, but she recalled he did appear pained lately, and had to make sure it was not her powers doing it. "I've noticed you tend to appear pained lately, when we… finish."

"Yes," he acknowledged, not sure where this was going.

"I-its not my fault is it; my powers aren't hurting you are they?" she stuttered.

"No, it is my body that has developed this reaction," he calmed her worries.

"Why?" she couldn't understand why his body would be hurting him.

"It is my demon instincts to mark you, and since I have been denying them, for your safety, it's a natural response to urge me to comply," he explained, again letting his claws linger on her neck.

'It is my fault, kind of,' she thought.

"Do you know why your powers can't hurt me?" this was obviously a topic of worry for her, and when she was worried, her mind was not on him in the moment, but distracted within herself. That was not what he wanted; he wanted her attention.

"Because I'm not very strong, probably," she whispered, remembering all the times Inuyasha called her weak.

"On the contrary, you are just as strong, if not stronger, than Kikyo," he paused when she gasped, letting the information sink in. "It is because you do not wish for them to harm me."

"I don't understand," she cocked her head.

"Your powers do as you will," he continued to explain while allowing some of his miasma to swirl around his hand in demonstration. "Holy and demonic powers are not that different, each can be molded to fit the desires of the one wielding them. Most priestesses and monks never gain enough power to attempt these alternate uses, and those that do, fear what their power can do and struggle to contain it, not wield it." He formed the miasma into a gaseous flower, exhibiting this control. "If you wished it, your arrow could heal, or even create a barrier." The flower flowed back into his palm.

"Really? But how do I make it do that?" she asked incredulously, never thinking she was this powerful.

He smiled at her before responding simply, "You desire it."

The need for sleep overcame the girl as the distress of her nightmare abated, and Naraku used this opportunity to peek into her mind and find out what her nightmare was about to begin with. The startling scene of her killing him was the first thing he saw, and it disturbed him enough to withdraw from her mind. 'Why would she dream of something like that?'

That's when he heard the voice, the dark influence of the jewel, as it foretold of the future, "She will betray you." The Jewel was in full on self-defense mode; after having triggered the disturbing dream, it knew its host would not be able to resist knowing what it was about, and thus, set the trap. "How could she possibly love you? You who have hurt all those around you, who would hurt her if it proved to be beneficial. She only stays because of your defense of her. She is just another weak human, weak in body and soul, who will do what she can to survive. You are nothing more than a means to that end."

It was not the first time the jewel had spoken to him, for it was by the jewel's instruction that he understood how to go about having his wish granted, as well as having given him many insights to his prior workings. It had not been wrong thus far, but on this, he was not prepared to just take its word on the matter, 'How do you know this?'

"She would hate you if you harm her friends," it presented it's proof simply.

'She had not fled me after learning of Kikyo's demise,' he pointed out the contradicting evidence.

"Kikyo was her enemy, or rather, still is her enemy. You know she may still be alive. It's no wonder the girl didn't leave,"the deep voice in the jewel reminded.

'No, she will not; she will love me even if I kill them,' he had only recently let her into his battered heart, it was not a feeling he was willing to let go.

"Do you feel strongly enough to prove it to yourself?" the voice asked, free of a challenging tone.

'She cares about me more,' he insisted, but in all honesty, he wasn't completely sure now.

The jewel fell silent, having placed the ideas in his head and felt as he pulled himself from the priestess. His thoughts were now troubled, and he distanced himself in order to calm them. The plan was progressing nicely as the evil entities stirred within the depths of the tainted jewel. The demons within had been feeding off of Naraku's ever expanding aura, using this increase in power to bind the holy half; to bind the priestess whose soul made up this prison. It wanted out, and it had enough power to fuel its escape, all that remained was assembling the last shards.

'It wasn't enough; it was never enough time. One night, one week, one lifetime…' Naraku's thought process digressed to the melancholy, admitting this unchangeable truth. 'Even if she does not betray me, and choses to stay at my side, her life will not match my own; eventually, she will be gone… I will be alone.' He looked into his palm, at the swirling magnificence of the jewel he held. It would still be needed, for one desire of another. Naraku knew he would be forever incomplete until he satisfied Onigumo's wish to be loved and taint the pure. If he gives the human what he wants, he will become solid, singular, no longer segmented and collective. The jewel could grant this wholeness, which was his original plan, or he could gain these goals on his own, via Kagome. The jewel seemed like it would be the easier route until he was recently given the latter. What he had not expected was to desire these same things for himself, her love. He did not want to lose it now that he had it, but eventually, she would die, or betray him, and it would be gone. He would keep the jewel for now; continue its completion to be used for whichever outcome surfaces.

Kagome awoke to the sounds of birds singing and a crinkling sound, something similar to paper. Rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them, she spotted Naraku sitting next to her and smiled warmly before realizing just what the paper sound was. He was reading her history textbook! Jumping up to stop him, the cold chill of morning nipped at her backside and she realized she was still naked from last night and dove back under the fur shivering at the cold. Naraku never even stopped skimming the pages, but did let a chuckle slip at her antics.

"Why are you reading that?" she questioned, this time taking the pelt with her as she sat up. "Its not nice to go getting into someone else's stuff."

"Does this tome have a counterpart detailing demon affairs? This one seems focused on humans and has some parts that are incorrect," he ignored her question and asked his own, still turning pages.

Looking at the date on the page he was currently on, she realized he hadn't gotten past this era and breathed a sigh of relief, "We are not taught about demons." True as it was, she wasn't sure she should tell him about the absence of demons in her era; he was just too clever and who knows what parts of history he would try to change.

He hummed to himself, figuring that made sense why she was so inexperienced, and pointed out the other book he had found, "Explain to me why you carry around obscene art."

"What?" she asked, stumped over what he might be referring to.

He pointed towards his feet; there another text lay opened. She retrieved it and her face turned a bright red at the image on the glossy pages; he had it opened to the reproductive system chapter of her health textbook. They hadn't even gotten that far in her classes yet and she didn't even know something this detailed was in the book. Gulping in embarrassment, she tried to explain, "Its nothing like that." Waving her hands around, "Its for learning how the body works, for healing purposes only. Nothing more."

"It is indecent," he remarked and she realized it wasn't an opinion she could change. She let him continue to read the history book as she got dressed, only to look up and see his focus was no longer on the book, but on her. She blushed and continued with her morning routine. The fire was still burning lowly, and she stoked it up before putting a pot of water on it to boil. While waiting she fished out a package of ramen and before long had the meal prepared. She remembered from her time at his castle that he didn't really eat human food, but his gaze was so curious, and it was the polite thing to do, "Do you want some? I promise its like nothing else you've ever tasted." After staring at her wiggling the cup before him in what she thought was a tantalizing manner, he gave a small nod and she dished some up for him as well. It was now his turn to be watched like a hawk as she waited to see what his reaction would be.

She had not exaggerated, the flavor was one he could not place, and not unpleasant either. Realizing she was waiting for a reaction, he humored her, "It is flavorsome." She squealed in delight as he continued eating it.

Time passed all too quickly and with the dawn, Kagome was preparing to return to her friends. The rain had let up, leaving everything quenched and refreshed, droplets still pooled on the leaves of all the foliage. Her spirits too, felt invigorated as memories of last night circled, nothing would dampen her mood today. Shouldering her bag, he escorted her to the entrance of the cave and pointed her in the direction that her companions lay. She gave him a lingering kiss and then turned and left the cave, heading towards the tallest tree.

She arrived at their camp as they were just waking up and was greeted by cheers of "you're safe," and "where were you?" but one reaction was missing, Inuyasha's hounding about running off.

As she was still wondering where he was, his downtrodden voice drifted in, "I couldn't find her, get up, we need to searc- Kagome!" He was dripping wet from his night out searching for the missing girl, but impulsively ran to her and enveloped her in a hug, just relieved that she was alright. So many scenarios of where she was or what could have happened to her; he was just grateful she was unharmed. "Where were you? I thought you might have gotten kidnapped by Naraku or something. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, Inuyasha, I'm fine," she smiled. "I just took a walk and got caught in the rain. I found a cave and stayed the night there."

"I didn't see any cave nearby and-" he stopped when a whiff of a particular scent caught his attention. "Hey," he started as he sniffed her closer, following the scent and getting a little too close to her face for comfort. The scent was coming from her mouth, "you ate my ramen, didn't you?" His accusation made Kagome roll her eyes and giggle, but from afar, the sight looked a little two intimate for a specific, dark demon.

"You are doomed to repeat the cycle over and over again," the jewel spoke to him again, a voice that only he could hear.

'No, I do not follow a predetermined path,' he thought back.

"You may not, but she does," it referred to Kagome, and the sight of her being embraced by Inuyasha had him inclined to believe that. If things should remain as they are, she may just end up doing the same as Kikyo did fifty years ago, except this time would be even worse.

'If she follows the same path, I will just have to remove any off-shoots that take her away from me,' he decided, plotting how he was going to eliminate those she ran to. 'She will not leave me; I will make sure of it. She will have no one else.'

(A/N: So the plot thickens. If it was confusing, the underlined dialogue was the jewel speaking to Naraku and no one else can hear it.)
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In a New Light