Natsu pov:

I groaned slightly as I opened my eyes. I blinked several times and sat up slowly to look at where I was. My head was spinning and I realized I was in a dark room with my hands and legs chained to the floor. I remembered what happened just before I passed out and I sighed. I guess I was in Naraku’s castle or hideout or whatever now.

The dull ache in my chest hadn’t ceased as Sesshomaru’s words still echoed through my head. My eyes stung and I leaned against the wall and wrapped my arms around my legs as I brought them to my chest. I closed my eyes and let my head rest against my knees as I waited for something to happen. I guess Naraku would turn up sometime and all I could do now was wait.

Sesshomaru pov:

Foolish demon.

I was annoyed with Naraku. He was such a coward, sending his incarnations to fight us. How long was he planning to hide? I would find him and kill him eventually. He should know that a mere half demon like him cannot even compare to a full demon such as this Sesshomaru.

I walked back to where I had left Natsu and Rin and the half demon and Jaken followed me while ranting. Annoyed with his constant whining, I hit him over the head once and continued back to the clearing. But as I got closer, I narrowed my eyes getting the stench of Naraku. I narrowed my eyes further and walked a little faster.

When I got to the clearing, Rin and the half demon were holding each other and crying. I looked around but I couldn’t find Natsu. “Rin, where is Natsu?” I asked and she lifted her head to see me. She began to cry more and I frowned when she got up ran to me and held my legs. “T-that scary d-demon! Ne ch-chan tried to protect us! B-but he took her a-away!”

I clenched my fist and my vision turned red in anger. That Naraku had used Kagura as a distraction! He had led me away from the group and he had kidnapped Natsu! How dare that half breed b******! I heard myself snarl in absolute rage and I pushed Rin away from me. I ran in the direction of his scent and I reached a river.

After this point I could no longer get his scent or Natsu’s. I looked up at the sky and growled. Naraku, you will pay for laying your hands on what’s mine.

Natsu pov:

I hadn’t moved an inch for the past few hours. Actually, I didn’t really know how long it had been since I had stayed here in this darkness but my mind seemed so messed up that I had thought about nothing but Sesshomaru, Rin and Kaito.

Probably Sesshomaru wouldn’t even mind that I was gone. Maybe he would find someone else to replace me. Maybe he would find someone better than me. The only people who would miss me would probably be Rin and Kaito. But then again, who knows how long I would stay in this place? What if it were years and I could never see them again? I would probably fade from their memory as well and be replaced by someone else.

I sighed and closed my eyes as every beat of my heart sent pain through my chest.

“Lord Sesshomaru is too prideful to reduce himself to love someone.” I snapped my head up to see Naraku standing at the door with a smirk. I furrowed my brows and glared at him. “What would you know about him?” I challenged and he chuckled. He walked to where I was sitting and sat down in front of me. He didn’t lose his smirk the whole time and I kept my stare hard and cold.

“I have known of him for a while. The killing perfection….hates humans and half demons and has nothing he wishes to protect.” I took in a sharp breath at the last few words and he gave a knowing smirk. I didn’t have a comeback for what he said and I just looked away. He chuckled again and I closed my eyes momentarily.

I looked back to him in anger. “What is it you want with me? Why did you bring me here?” I asked in a low voice. “I want you to serve me as a subordinate. And I’ll let you know, its not a request.” He smirked and I clenched my jaw. “I wont and you cant make me!” I yelled and he laughed. He got up and walked to the door, sliding it open. My eyes went wide when I saw both Rin and Kaito tied and gagged being held in Kagura’s arms. They were struggling and tears made their way down their cheeks,

I got up swiftly and tried to run to them but the chains around my hands and legs held me down. “What are you doing to them?! Let them go!” I yelled desperately. Naraku ran his claws on Kaito’s face and I saw more tears roll down his cheeks. My eyes stung and I thrashed more trying to get out of the chains. My wrists and ankles burned as the hard chins rubbed my skin and I hissed in pain. I might have been turned into a demon, but it looked like I didn’t have that big a difference in strength as compared to when I was human.

Naraku held Rin around the neck and choke her slightly and my heart pounded in fear. “No please! Let them go!” I begged and he chuckled darkly. He let her go and walked back to me. He held my chin in a painfully tight grip pulling me further and causing my wrists and ankles to burn more in pain. I winced and he made me look at him in the eyes. “How about we make a deal then? I will let them go if you agree to serve me.” I stiffened as I stared at him. I couldn’t serve him! He was bad! He hurt Rin and Kaito! He insulted Sesshomaru! He tried to hurt me! Besides, I need to get back to Sesshomaru! I loved him and I couldn’t leave him like this! Sesshomaru would want me back too right? Despite the harsh words he had said. He loved me….right?

“Lord Sesshomaru doesn’t need you. You are merely his toy, his plaything for him to pass his time. I’m sure he can find someone better to replace you.” He said and my heart thudded. A toy? A plaything to pass time? Be replaced? After everything I had given up, after we had become one? My chest ached. This had ended up just like army school. But much worse…..atleast then I didn’t belong to Tarou. But this time Sesshomaru and I….we had….I had submitted my whole being to him. But he didn’t need me as much as I needed him.

I couldn’t blame him though. I was the one at fault. I should have known better than to fall in love with a stoic demon like him. I trusted him pushing away all the possibilities that came with loving him. After hearing all the rumors about his cold attitude, about his desire for power….why didn’t I see it before? Why didn’t I realize that I couldn’t hold a place as important as his pride and power? That his heart didn’t have place for something as ‘stupid’ as love and emotions as he called it?

I felt cool tears leave my eyes and Naraku smirked. He wiped my cheeks with his hand surprisingly gently and I bit my lip and turned away not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing me like this. “There’s no need to despair over such trivial matters Natsu.” He said but I didn’t look at him. I sniffled once and clenched my jaw. He sounded gentle as if he were trying to console me but I could still make out from the tone of his voice that he was smirking and mocking me.

“How about I give you another proposal?” I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. “I will let the 2 children go…..and if you help me collect all the jewel shards and achieve my goal, I will turn you back to a human and help you get home.” I frowned. Home? How would he know of my home? Its not like I had ever told him about myself.

“You must be wondering how I know of your home.” He said with a smirk. I guess he saw the confusion on my face and figured it out. “I am curious, actually.” I said with suspicious eyes and he chuckled. “I know you come from the same future as that girl Kagome.” “Kagome?” I asked slightly interested now. “Yes. The priestess who travels with lord Sessomaru’s half demon brother.”

I frowned and then took a breath remembering the girl I had seen in the sailor uniform. We had passed each other once when we were fighting against Naraku and an attack by a sword had saved my life. Then again, when I think about it, the guy who was using the sword looked similar to Sesshomaru…..except he had dog ears on his head. Perhaps he was Sesshomaru’s brother that Naraku was talking about.

I looked back at Naraku. “So you’re saying…..you can send me home?” I asked warily. I was really hurt by what Sesshomaru had said and I didn’t feel like being around him. I felt like I regretted my decision of being with him. Going home sounded like a nice option. I didn’t want to get hurt anymore. I wanted to stay with the people I trusted….mom, dad, grandma, Rei….

“If that is what you wish.” Naraku said and I looked at Rin and Kaito still squirming in Kagura’s arms. “Alright, I will help you, but you should keep the end of your bargain…..and it starts by letting them go.” I gave him a hard look and he chuckled. “Of course.” He waved to Kagura and she nodded and walked away.

Naraku turned back to me and took out a white color collar from his kimono. He snapped it around my neck and I squirmed. “What are you putting on me?” I asked and he smirked as he took off the chains from my hands and legs. “It is a collar made from my bones. It will prevent you from being able to attack me or harm me in any way.” I tugged on the collar and it seemed to be clasped on pretty tightly.

I gave an amused chuckle and looked at him. “You’re quite a sly person, you know that?” I said and he smirked. “So I have been told.” I shook my head and he got up and walked out of the room. He stopped at the door and motioned for me to follow. With a heavy heart, I sighed and got up. I followed him out of the room and through the castle.

I had no choice now but to do as he told me to. It was for the sake of Rin and Kaito and also because of how hurt I had felt because of Sesshomaru. I couldn’t deny that I still loved him, even though his attitude towards me was so low…..I felt like an idiot for trusting people in the name of love and getting betrayed for the second time. I was definitely an idiot. But there was nothing I could do now…..

Besides, if I did help Naraku, I could go home. I didn’t know how to get home by myself and I’m sure it would need some kind of spell or incantation and Naraku probably knew about it. Of course, he was the bad guy and he couldn’t be trusted, but it was a deal. He couldn’t go back on a deal right? Well, even if he did and if he ended up killing me once he had no use for me, I’d just have to agree that that was how things had to turn out. Being used as a subordinate and then disposed off later was a lot less painful that staying with the person you loved and gave your whole being to, and him not considering you as anything more than his pass time.

Naraku led me through the eerie castle and finally to a room that had a good view of the courtyard. The room I was previously in was kinda like a dungeon and there were many skeletons and bindings for prisoners. He opened the door and I walked in. It was a simple room with a mattress laid in the middle and a small table with a lamp, some writing equipment and a glass of water on it.

“You will stay here. I will send you out to bring back jewel shards for me as I find out their location. Don’t try to escape because if you do, I cannot guarantee your life or the lives of those brats that we just let go of.” He said and he walked out without another word.

I walked to the window and looked out to see nothing but his miasma barrier. There was no way for me to escape from here was there? If I inhaled the miasma, I was done for and now that I had this stupid collar on, he would know of everything I did. I shook my head at my hopeless situation and walked to the center of the room. I sighed and sat down on the mattress. I was still pretty tired from before and I decided it would be a good time to take a nap.

I lay down on the mattress and closed my eyes, not bothering to cover myself with the sheet. Soon I was asleep.

Naraku pov:

I smirked as I sat in my room and looked out at the lands beyond my barrier. Everything was working out just as I wanted it to…..my prized bait had finally fallen into the clutches of my hands. Natsu…..I always knew she was lord Sessomaru’s weakness.

And now after he had told her that he had nothing important to protect, I had seen her shatter just the way all humans do. Sending my saimyoushou to find their location and hear their conversation was very effective indeed. After all, even though she was a demon now, she has been a human all her life and human emotion and human weakness was something that I had always used to my advantage. It was so easy to manipulate humans and so easy to shatter their trust with one another.

Even Natsu….when I had told her that I knew of lord Sesshomaru for a long time and I knew what kind of person he truly was, she had wavered. Of course, I could see that he had changed and he truly did care for her. He wouldn’t have turned her into a demon if he just wanted her as his plaything. But she didn’t need to know that. After all, if I broke her trust with him, it meant bringing down one obstacle from my goal of becoming the ruler of all the lands over all demons and humans.

And now I had the best possible weapon against the lord of the west. Seeing his mate serve his enemy, fighting against his own mate and watching her show her hatred towards him…..I was waiting to see the crushed look on his face when that would happen. He was no longer a threat to me. Just seeing Natsu once would be enough to completely bring him down.

I smirked in victory. This was an opportunity I just wouldn’t miss.

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VoTe!

CoMmEnT!!

:P