Lyra was introduced to a little fox demon named Shippo, who she found extremely adorable. He was also travelling as part of their group. Sango's little companion, Kirara, was super cute as well. It reminded her of her own cat back home.

Inuyasha had picked up on a scent and so he was now on his hands and knees, sniffing around on the ground whilst everyone else followed patiently.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, sitting on the back of Kagome's bike. "Isn't this the right direction?"

"Shut up! Stop yacking and let me concentrate," Inuyasha yelled in frustration.

"Sniffing around on all fours won't get us closer to Naraku's castle," Sango pointed out.

Inuyasha then looked up at Lyra. "Can't you use your oracle powers to find out where Naraku is?"

Lyra sighed, folding her arms. "For the last time, I don't know how to control it yet. And I am in no rush to know who this Naraku is either."

"Ugh, damn it all." He frowned.

"Maybe your nose isn't working right now," Shippo said. "Tonight is the first night, remember?"

Kagome's eyes widened in realisation. "Right, tonight's the night of the new moon."

"Why is that so significant?" Lyra asked.

"On the night of the new moon, Inuyasha becomes fully human and loses his demonic abilities," Kagome explained. "Inuyasha, let's not do anything rash tonight. Even if we do find Naraku's castle you can't fight without your powers."

Inuyasha continued sniffing. "We've made it this far. I ain't hold back now."

"Let's get real. We can't do anything hasty."

The sound of wind whooshing suddenly began and it gradually became louder. Turning, they saw a small cyclone heading their way. Lyra's eyes narrowed at the strange phenomenon. It was too small to cause any damage, simply only disturbing fallen leaves and stones on the ground as it headed towards them. It went over Inuyasha, making him drop to ground, before coming to a stop in front of Kagome.

The winds fell and revealed a young guy with black hair and brown eyes. His hair was tied up and he wore a fur headband, including fur pelts. His body was shielded with an armour and Lyra couldn't help but notice his bushy tail.

'Another demon?'

"Yo, Kagome," he greeted her with a flirtatious smile. "It's great to see you again."

"Koga! It's you again," she said in surprise.

Inuyasha was sprawled across the ground on his face after being trampled on. Lyra observed the newcomer and could already tell that this demon had some sort of a crush on Kagome. Not only that, there seemed to be a feud between himself and Inuyasha.

"Hey, mutt," Koga said to Inuyasha. "Followed the scent around here too, did ya?"

"Mangy wolf," Inuyasha grumbled.

He looked as though he was struggling to get himself up off the ground until he suddenly tried to unleash his sword on the wolf demon.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he yelled angrily.

"Sit boy!"

Kagome's command caused some sort of force to smash Inuyasha down to the ground. Lyra's eyes widened at what just occurred but nonetheless, she began giggling.

"You think that's funny, do ya?!" Inuyasha shot an angry glare at her.

Lyra continued laughing quietly to herself, bringing her hand up to cover her giggling. It was at that point Koga had noticed her, taking him back in surprise.

"Hey, Kagome. Who's she?" he asked.

"Oh! Koga, I'd like you to meet my cousin. Her name's Lyra."

Koga went over to Lyra and took hold of her hand in his. "Well, Lyra, it's nice to meet a beautiful relative of Kahome's," he said with his casual smirk.

"Uhh... Thanks, I guess," she replied awkwardly.

"But I'm sorry I've gotta break it to you; Kagome's already stolen my heart."

Lyra glanced at Kagome, who was smiling in embarrassment, before looking back at Koga. "As much as that is a shame," she feigned hurt, "I don't mind. Kagome deserves you more."

Koga smiled. "Thanks for understanding."

"No problem," she said holding back her laughter.

He let go of her hand and went to return to Kagome. Lyra's attention became diverted at that point, missing the commotion between them. She turned towards the direction where they had been following the scent as a heavy and ominous aura surrounded her. It felt like there was a lack of air as her lungs became tight, her breathing turning hard. She struggled and had to remind herself to breathe.

A voice echoed in her head. "Come, Lyra. Follow my voice and come to me."

The sound was menacing. It chilled her to the core yet her legs began moving on their own will, one step slowly before the other. She knew her body was moving but she had no control until soon she was walking at a normal pace and away from the group. She tried to call out for Kagome, for anyone, but her voice failed her. No one had spotted her walking away.

'Kagome! Help!'

A low chuckle rang through her ears and she cringed mentally. She already knew who the voice belonged to. The one who had been haunting her nightmares; Naraku.

Inuyasha and Koga had been fighting over Kagome and so no one had noticed that Lyra had already disappeared into the dense trees. She was praying that at least one of them notice but their voices were getting quieter and more muffled the further she got away from them.

She didn't know how this Naraku had managed to take control of her body. She had never even seen him let alone had any sort of contact with him. She couldn't think of even the slightest reason why he wanted her. Her eyes closed tight as she struggled to try and move her body. Moving just a finger became impossible. The sound of wind whooshing past her caused her to open her eyes and she was suddenly face to face with the wind sorceress herself.

***

"Lyra! Where are you?" Kagome called out around her.

Worry filled her entire body, it being evident in her expression. Miroku, Sango and Shippo were shouting her name as well whilst Inuyasha sniffed around on the ground in the middle of the trees.

It was only after Koga left that they had noticed she had gone. Kagome was the first to realise and thus the search began. They had made quite a lot of progress with Inuyasha's sense of smell but he suddenly stopped, a deep frown on his face as he got onto his feet.

"Her scent stops here. It's as if she just vanished," he explained.

"But that's impossible," Kagome said, her brows furrowed in concern.

Miroku assessed the area as well. "There doesn't seem to be any signs of struggle either."

"Wait a minute." Inuyasha began sniffing the air. "I'm picking up Naraku's scent."

"Naraku?!" Kagome gasped.

"Even more of a reason to go after him." Inuyasha started in the direction they had been following previously.

"Wait, Inuyasha," Miroku stopped him. "Either way, you cannot fight as a human. And if Naraku finds out that you become human sometimes, your life will be in danger."

"But Lyra's in danger now!" he argued back.

"I understand that but I doubt Naraku would kidnap her to simply kill her. He'll keep her alive, I'm sure of it," he said confidently.

Inuyasha sighed. "Alright."

Kagome felt both guilty and worried. If she had just noticed that Lyra had wondered away from the group earlier, then she could have saved her somehow. Naraku was dangerous and she just hoped that Miroku was right.

***

The last thing Lyra remembered was seeing the smirk on Kagura's face before she was taken away on her large feather. A sharp pain had gone through her head before she fell unconscious. Her head was still throbbing as she stirred on the cold, wooden floor beneath her. Gripping onto the side of her head, she groaned as she opened her eyes slowly, the pain showing on her face.

The room was dark, the only light coming from a couple of candles in the corner. There was a window, barred with metal rods. Lyra could see what looked like a barrier outside, the purplish hues giving it a villainous vibe. She sat up slowly, her head pounding as she seethed in pain. Vaguely looking around the room, she could tell there was nothing else in there. Across the room was a door. She quickly got up, ignoring the dull headache and ran to the it, pulling on the handle hard before realising it was locked.

'Obviously.'

She started to bang on the door, hoping to draw some attention. She hit the door a few times before putting her ear against it. Silence. Not a sound or single movement. Going back to the window, she clutched onto the bars and shook them to see if they would budge only to fail miserably. Holding onto them, she got onto her tiptoes to take a look around the area of her prison. The surroundings gave nothing away of where she was. Even if she did escape, she wouldn't know where to go. The only sounds she heard was the roaring of demons nearby.

"So, you're awake," a deep voice suddenly spoke.

With a frightened gasp, she quickly turned around. She saw a silhouette on the far side of the room but she made no movement. She knew who that voice belonged to.

"Naraku," she simply said.

"Correct," he confirmed. "I would expect no less from you."

He stepped out of the shadows and the first thing Lyra noticed were his evil red eyes. Absentmindedly, she began to walk back until her back hit the wall. The face that she had seen in her vision was now physically in front of her and he seemed even more menacing in person.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, trying to keep herself sounding confident. However, it faltered at the end giving away her façade.

He chuckled at her feigned bravery. "Your coming here had been prophesised. I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival, Lyra."

The way he said her name sent shivers down her spine. "That doesn't answer my question."

"You shall help me achieve my goal. Tell me what I must do to destroy the ones who wish to get in my way." The smirk on his lips was consistent as he spoke.

Lyra frowned deeply but she knew she had to try and play this in her favour. "I don't think that's how my powers work. I can only see the future from the circumstances I'm given."

"What do you see now?"

"I see you losing," she lied. She couldn't see anything.

"Hm." His smirk deepened.

Naraku thought of her answer as an advantage. He would change his tactics in order to win. And by keeping Lyra there, he would be able to know in which circumstance would bring him victory. With not another word, his body disappeared only leaving a wooden puppet which landed on the floor. Lyra jumped from the shock and eyed the puppet before slowly lowering herself onto the ground.

Lyra couldn't let him know that if she left, he would win. She knew what her powers were meant for now. She needed to train herself how to see visions whenever she needed to. She needed to control them. Only then would she be able to help the others defeat him. It felt like the weight of the world had been put on her shoulders. She wasn't ready for this responsibility that had been thrust upon her. Hiding her face in her knees, she closed her eyes and prayed silently.

'Please... Someone... Anyone... Find me.'

***

"It sparkled! A star just sparkled!" Jaken giggled. "Did you see, Lord Sesshomaru?" he asked as they walked under the galaxies of stars. Rin was fast asleep on A-Un as he held the reigns. Sesshomaru carried on walking, not even bothering to answer the imp. "U-uh, hello?"

The past couple of days without Lyra had felt strange. In the short time she was with them, she had left an impact on all of them. Rin missed her, always outwardly expressing it by constantly speaking about her. Although Jaken didn't like having another member added to their party, he did enjoy having her around. Sesshomaru didn't like to think of her although he couldn't very much help it. One of the last conversations they had when she got upset that he didn't find her appearance appealing was one that he remembered vividly. He had never seen anyone react to him in that way and he quite enjoyed it. And when she fell asleep using his leg to rest her head, he found it endearing. Jaken found it annoying as Sesshomaru was a lot more silent than usual. And that was saying something.

Sesshomaru suddenly came to a halt on a grassy cliff causing Jaken to almost walk into him.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

"His scent is in the air," he replied simply.

Jaken began to sniff before gasping. "You're right! It's the scent of that Naraku fellow who was so rude to you, Lord Sesshomaru. Is he nearby?" he whispered.

There was a sudden gust of wind. The grass blew every which way as the strong winds knocked Jaken off his feet. Even Rin ended up rolling off the back of A-Un.

Kagura landed swiftly in front of Sesshomaru, who seemed untouched by the wind, before looking up at him with a smirk.

"Yo," she greeted.

"Yo yourself," Jaken said in annoyance.

"Sesshomaru, I assume you came following Naraku's scent as well?"

Jaken stood and pointed at the woman, Rin waking up behind him. "Lord Sesshomaru, this wench is Naraku's incarnation."

Sesshomaru looked at her. "Wind Sorceress Kagura, I recall."

"So, you remember me. I'm very flattered," she replied coyly. Sesshomaru placed his hand on Tokijin's hilt in anticipation before she stopped him. "Take your hand from your sword. I didn't come to fight, Sesshomaru. I have a proposition you might be interested in."

"Proposition?"

She held her hand out to reveal two shards of the Shikon jewel. She had taken them from Koga's legs. It was part of her task to take the shards back to Naraku but clearly she had her own plans for them.

"You know what these are, Sesshomaru. I'll give you these sacred jewel shards. In return, I want you to...kill Naraku."

"WHAT?!" Jaken yelled in shock.

"Free me. Release me from his grasp," Kagura said seriously. When Sesshomaru remained silent, she became desperate. "You have the power to do it. Once you kill Naraku, all the sacred jewel shards he's gathered will be yours. Let's use those shards and provide ourselves with a little amusement."

"You intend to betray Naraku?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagura sighed angrily and looked away. "It's not as though I had chosen to live under his command. So, what do you think of my plan?" she asked, smirking at him again. "Joining forces would give mutual benefit."

"Unfortunately, I have no interest in the sacred jewel," Sesshomaru replied. "If you wish to become free, use those shards yourself and destroy Naraku."

Kagura frowned at his response. "Are you afraid of him?!"

"I'm saying I'm under no obligation to assist you. If you don't have the resolve to go it alone, don't even think about betraying him."

"Foolish coward!" she yelled at him. And you call yourself a man?!" she took a feather out of her hair. "I misjudged you." She flicked the feather, crafting another gust of strong winds and flying on top of her large feather. "Maybe this will change your mind: Naraku has the oracle."

She flew away from them and the winds slowly settled. When Kagura mentioned the oracle, Sesshomaru knew exactly who she meant. There was slight doubt in his mind that she was speaking the truth. Perhaps it was her second plan if the first one failed. Was she luring him to find Naraku to save Lyra, thus destroying him? But still, Sesshomaru was mostly sure that Inuyasha was incapable of protecting her.

He could hear Jaken complaining about the wind sorceress's lack of respect but chose not to comment before walking away. Rin ran up to him.

"We must go and save Lyra, my lord. She could be in trouble," she said with concern.

Sesshomaru again didn't respond causing the little girl to sigh quietly, silently praying that he would save her from Naraku's clutches.

***

Daytime had arrived. Inuyasha, Kagome and the others had followed Koga to Kagura in the hopes of finding Lyra and the jewel shards she had taken. They had managed to retrieve the shards but Kagura had managed to get away thanks to Naraku's demons. After replacing the jewels back into his legs, Koga had zoomed away claiming he would find Naraku's castle first.

"Inuyasha, we have to find Naraku's castle," Kagome pleaded.

"Alright," he agreed. "Let's get moving. And no slacking!"

Kagome smiled gratefully before the group followed Inuyasha and his nose.

***

Sesshomaru stood before an invisible barrier. The area surrounding the castle was as dark as night due to Naraku's aura. Jaken coward quietly behind him as he looked around anxiously. The imp mentally cursed Kagura for adding in the last bit of information about Naraku having Lyra in his grasp. Ever since Sesshomaru found out about Lyra, he had been focused solely on finding the castle. Jaken also blamed Rin for his current predicament for if she hadn't been constantly requesting to rescue Lyra, then surely Sesshomaru wouldn't have gone to the castle. However, with or without Rin's behest, Sesshomaru had already made up his mind.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken called, wondering what his next move would be.

"She is in the castle. But I doubt Naraku is."

The area did have a strong scent of Naraku but it was simply the remnants. There was more of a chance that Naraku himself was elsewhere. However, behind the barrier and surrounding the castle were hundreds of demons acting almost as guards to stop anyone going in or out. A second later, Sesshomaru stepped through the barrier, followed shortly by Jaken, before witnessing the demons swarming around the castle.

His eyes narrowed slightly. He wondered if Kagura knew that Naraku wasn't physically in the castle. If she did know, then telling him of Lyra being taken would have made no progress in her plan.

'Either way, it doesn't concern me.'

Unsheathing his sword, he began his search.

Lyra had been left alone since Naraku had disappeared, leaving his puppet behind. She didn't know how much time had passed since then but it felt as though days had gone by. There was not even a single hint of daylight outside and she questioned whether the night was ever over. The door was completely bolted and she stood no chance of prying it open with just her hands. During her time there, she was often able to hear the growling of demons. Some had even flown close to the window.

Giving up, she sat against the wall. The room was dampened by a chill air causing goosebumps to cover her arms. She tucked her arms inside her T-shirt to hopefully provide some warmth. She felt weak and tired since she couldn't sleep and had no food, but she doubted that was the only reason why. It was as if the actual atmosphere was drawing out and sucking away all her energy. Dropping her head back against the wall, she stared out of the window.

Suddenly, she could hear the screams of the demons instead of their usual growls. She became hesitant at first, wondering what could have been happening. Had a more powerful demon arrived?

'Sesshomaru..?'

She got a sudden burst of energy as she got up and went to the window hoping to see what was going on. Unfortunately nothing could be seen. But she could still hear the demons roaring and falling to the ground. It went on for just a couple of minutes before the place fell into an eerie silence and Lyra dropped back onto the ground as the energy she received had quickly dissipated. She began to think she was wrong. The demons probably fought amongst themselves, she thought. A few minutes went by and more of her energy drained from her body, her eyes fluttering shut from the weakness consuming her body.