Natsu pov:

Its been 2 weeks since I have been in Naraku’s castle and served him as a subordinate. He has sent me out several times to defeat weaker demons and collect jewel shards for him.

I haven’t spoken to him after the day I made the deal with him but I had confirmed that Rin and Kaito had been safely returned to Sesshomaru. That was the only time I had spoken to him. Besides that, I just sit in my room by myself when I’m not out hunting jewel shards. I have lost the will to think about anything seriously and my mind is usually blank.

“Natsu, Naraku wants you.” I heard the door open and Kagura sneered at me. I sighed and got up from the floor and headed to the room where Naraku was. I slid open the door, walked in and sat down in front of him. I stared at him in the eyes and waited for him to tell me which demon I would have to fight next.

“Natsu, I want you to head to the forest of Inuyasha and get the jewel shard from the boar demon that has been lurking there.” I nodded and got up. I gave him a bow once and put on the air filter mask. I had got it from Kohaku and it was very efficient in preventing me from inhaling any sort of poison. I began to run and I headed out the castle and began heading to where the jewel shard was.

I had become a little stronger since I had been fighting quite a few demons in the last 2 weeks and I had gotten used to how my sense of smell and hearing worked. I had learnt to use it efficiently to track down demons and different scents.

My ears twitched when I heard the roar of a demon just a few meters away from me. That was the demon I had to hunt down. I walked to where the demon was and I gave an amused laugh. The demon seemed to notice me and he glared at me with red angry eyes.

“Blood! Give me blood!” He roared and I smirked. “Yet another demon who has lost his mind to the power of the jewel shard.” I dodged easily as the demon swung its arm at me and I jumped up and kicked him in the chest. He stumbled back but didn’t fall and I frowned. Looks like this one was a little stronger than the previous demons I had fought.

He came running to me and I dodged several attacks and managed to hit him a few times too. After almost half an hour of fighting, I was panting and the demon fell to the ground nearly unconscious. I watched as one of the saimyoushou flew to the demon and pulled out the jewel shard that was in the center of his forehead. I gave a sigh and wiped my brow as the demon turned into a small boar and he stayed on the ground wheezing.

I stiffened when I got his scent though. I clenched my fists and my jaw and I heard a rustle in the bushes. I turned around and there he stood. That same stoic face, the same emotionless façade. His eyes seemed to widen just a bit when he saw me though but I just gave him a blank look feeling my chest get tight.

“Wait for us mi’lord!” I hear Jaken’s voice and he stepped out of the bushes holding the reigns of Ah Un and Rin and Kaito riding the dragon. When they saw me, they gasped and a smile made its way to their face. My eyes softened but I didn’t show any emotion. “Ne chan!” They called out and jumped off Ah Un. They ran to me closing the gap between us but they were stopped by Sesshomaru.

“Rin, Kaito, stay back.” I was actually a little surprised that he had used Kaito’s name, but I still wasn’t buying it. The kids stopped and looked back at Sesshomaru confused. “But….” “You are serving Naraku?” He asked and I clenched my fists tighter. I didn’t get a chance to reply because the next minute, another group of people appeared from the bushed on the other side.

I recognized Inuyasha from the last time I saw him and he drew his blade. I stayed passive as it transformed into a huge sword but my eyes stung and my chest ached with every beat of my heart. “You’re one of Naraku’s minions!” He yelled and growled. I looked back and forth between them and Sesshomaru. I turned around deciding to leave, but I barely missed the windscar as Inuyasha sent it flying at me.

I did a back flip and landed a few feet away. I stood up and let out a deep sigh. “What do you want?” I asked in a soft voice. I felt like I didn’t have to strength to even talk standing in front of Sesshomaru and him watching me with that intense gaze. “Give us the jewel shard! And I’ll make your death painless!” Inuyasha yelled and I gave a small amused smile.

“Wait Inuyasha!” The girl in the uniform said. If I remember correctly, Naraku said her name is Kagome. “Kagome! Whats wrong?” The monk asked and Kagome looked at me. “She looks like the girl who was travelling with Sesshomaru, remember? She said she took care of Rin!” She said and I took a deep breath and let it out from my nose. Everyone looked back to me in surprise and they gasped as they recognized me.

“You’re right! But that time she was a human. She smells like a half demon now and she reeks of Naraku’s miasma.” Inuyasha said and tightened his hold on the sword. He cursed under his breath and glared at me. “Are you really working for Naraku?! Or are you just another puppet?!” He yelled and I gave an amused smile. “I work for him. I made him a deal and for that I am helping him collect all the jewel shards.” I said and heard more gasps.

Some saimyoushou flew around me and Inuyasha glared more. “Then you are an enemy!” Inuyasha yelled and when I looked at Sesshomaru, he looked clearly surprised. His eyes showed hate, anger, surprise and pain, but I didn’t care. He was the one who had crushed my heart. What right did he have to show me anger and pain?

He clutched his sword and I chuckled bitterly. So now he was getting ready to fight me. He ran at me and I dodged his attacks. I knew he was holding back….if he fought me with his full ability, he could kill me in a flash. We both jumped away and landed a few feet from each other. “Natsu. Why have you joined with Naraku? What is the deal that you made with him?” He asked dangerously and I stared at him with a blank face.

“What does it matter to you Sesshomaru?” I challenged and he growled. “Onna!” He yelled and I shook my head. “Sorry Sesshomaru, I switched sides for my own reasons and you or anyone else have no right to question me.” I said and he eyes turned red. I clenched my jaw and mentally cursed but I jumped sideways as I avoided a huge boomerang that flew my way.

Everyone started to attack and I could do nothing but continue dodging. It was only possible because of my new demon strength otherwise I would have been done for long ago.

I continued to jump through trees and over stones, but I gasped when Sesshomaru appeared in front of me in a flash and pierced his sword through my side. I widened my eyes and I was thrown back as he kicked me in the gut. I rolled several times and landed in the dust. I coughed and wheezed and clutched my side feeling the warm blood seeping through my clothes.

I coughed again and blood fell from my mouth and I supported myself on one arm and glared at Sesshomaru. Everyone else gathered in front of me seeing that I couldn’t escape now. Inuyasha brought his sword down in his windscar and I closed my eyes. This was the end of the line for me. I was done for.

But a few seconds passed and nothing happened. I opened my eyes and saw the looks of surprise on everyone’s face as a pinkish barrier had formed around me. I was panting and my eyes stung badly. I bit my lip hard and clenched my fist on the ground as I watched everyone from within the barrier. I glared but my eyes overflowed with tears and they left dark splotches on the ground.

The girls, the monk and the little fox kid in Inuyasha’s group widened their eyes seeing me crying and I wobbled and stood up still taking heavy breaths. Rin and Kaito came running to the scene as well and watched me with pained eyes. “Ne chan!” Kaito called and I felt pain jolt through me.

“Natsu….” Sesshomaru’s voice was softer than usual and I looked at him still glaring. He glared back and snarled, annoyed that I was giving him a hard look. “You belong to me! Come here!” He yelled and I tch’d. “I don’t belong to anyone Sesshomaru!” I defended and Kagome stepped forward. “Why would you do this? Why would you serve Naraku? I thought you were on the good side and you took care of Rin! And I can see that you love Sesshomaru! Why would you do this?!”

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist tighter. I could feel my nails digging into my skin and I snapped my head up and glared as tears fell unceremoniously down my cheeks. “Because I hate him!!” I yelled and panted. Kagome flinched. “Because I hate you Sesshomaru.” I looked back at Sesshomaru and glared at him. He narrowed his eyes at me and growled. “Onna.” He said dangerously and I snapped again.

“I don’t want to be with someone who thinks he doesn’t have something important enough to protect!” I said and he narrowed his eyes further. “If you think…..showing emotion is weak….if you think…..you don’t have anyone important to protect…..what am I to you Sesshomaru? What do you see me as? What was the reason I left everything I had to be with you here? What was the reason I gave up my family and my life? What is the response…..the answer to my love for you?” I asked. My façade had broken and I’m sure I looked destroyed on the inside. I was crying and hiccupping slightly and my heart hurt with every beat.

People were watching wide eyed and I shook my head as I watched Sesshomaru. “What am I to you Sesshomaru?” I asked again. He didn’t say anything and he just lowered his sword. He didn’t break eye contact and I gave a bitter laugh. “That’s what I thought.” I mumbled and wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. I wasn’t important to him…..I was nothing. Naraku was right; I could easily be replaced by someone to serve him. I gave a sigh and stood up straight.

“I have made a deal with Naraku. When I’m done helping him collect all the jewel shards, he will turn me back to a human and help me go home. Go home to where things make sense….to the place where I wont get hurt again.” I said and Kagome gasped. “I’m not a play thing Sesshomaru…..I loved you and I thought you loved me too. But….it seems I only made a fool of myself again. I don’t want to get hurt anymore….”

“Goodbye.” I said and I turned around. Miasma was released around the barrier and I put on my mask and ran back in the direction of Naraku’s castle.

Inuyasha pov:

“I don’t want to be with someone who thinks he doesn’t have something important enough to protect!” The girl yelled and I narrowed my eyes. What on earth was going on here?! She was with Sesshomaru when I last saw her and she seemed close with the human girl who travelled with him. And they even had a half demon with them. But now the girl smelled like a half demon and she served Naraku. Was she a spy this whole time? Maybe even Sesshomaru was stupid enough to fall for it.

But she was crying and I had a feeling that there was something going on that we didn’t know about. She cried harder and I felt uncomfortable. “If you think…..showing emotion is weak….if you think…..you don’t have anyone important to protect…..what am I to you Sesshomaru? What do you see me as? What was the reason I left everything I had to be with you here? What was the reason I gave up my family and my life? What is the response…..the answer to my love for you?” She asked and I nearly gasped.

Sesshomaru had someone who loved him? Then again, I did get his scent on her as well. More like….I felt heat rush to my cheeks. Had Sesshomaru and that girl…..mated? I tch’d to get rid of my embarrassment. She shook her head and asked him again. “What am I to you Sesshomaru?” We all looked at him and he just lowered his sword. He didn’t say a word and the girl laughed sadly. “That’s what I thought.”

She sighed and straightened up. “I have made a deal with Naraku. When I’m done helping him collect all the jewel shards, he will turn me back to a human and help me go home. Go home to where things make sense….to the place where I wont get hurt again.” She said and Kagome gasped. “I’m not a play thing Sesshomaru…..I loved you and I thought you loved me too. But….it seems I only made a fool of myself again. I don’t want to get hurt anymore.” I could hear the pain in her voice as she said those words. She turned around and we all jumped away as miasma was released from the barrier.

She disappeared after that and I sheathed my sword. We all looked at Sesshomaru and he was staring at the ground. The little kid Rin held his legs and looked up at him. “Lord Sesshomaru? Wont ne chan come back?” She asked and I watched with a hard stare. Somehow, I could understand how the girl felt. It was probably the same way I felt when Kikyo shot me with her sacred arrow. Betrayed and hurt.

Sesshomaru sheathed his sword and began to walk away. I scoffed and turned away as well. “Inuyasha?” Kagome asked and I turned to her. “I know this may be a stupid idea, but maybe you could talk to Sesshomaru…..he seemed pretty upset too.” Her eyes were soft and filled with worry and I sighed in defeat. “Ah you’re so troublesome sometimes!” I muttered, but I jumped and headed in the direction Sesshomaru had gone. When I spotted him, I landed on the ground.

“Hey Sesshomaru!” He stopped and turned around and glared. “What do you want half breed?” He asked and I scoffed. “If you like her, you should tell her. This is stupid…..talking to you about this. But I feel bad for the girl. She only switched sides because she didn’t want to get hurt anymore. If you’re really not scared, you should talk to her instead of running away like a coward. Besides, sometimes having something you want to protect makes you stronger.”

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and I scoffed again. “Well, I’m done here.” I said and headed back to the group.

Sesshomaru pov:

Foolish half breed! How dare he tell me what to do!

I clenched my fist but I felt a dull ache in my chest. Somehow the place felt hollow and every breath made my chest tight. Seeing Natsu crying and hearing the words she said….why did it make me feel so….weak? She had asked me what I was to her, what my answer was to her love. Did I love her? Could I call my greed of her being with me as love?

But love was an emotion only for the weak. What did my half breed brother mean when he said having something to protect made you stronger? How was that possible? My father, the greatest demon who ever lived lost his life because of protecting Inuyasha’s mother. How was he stronger? If his love for the human woman really made him stronger, he should have still been alive.

But at times……when Natsu had protected Rin from bandits or from Naraku, she surprised me by fighting even though she was injured. Any human would have died in a situation like that. But she had pushed herself to the limit to protect Rin and Kaito. Is that what he meant by saying…..stronger? I knew she had deep affection for the children and for me and I saw it in her actions several times. When she fought the maid I had back in the castle, when she fought with Naraku, when she fought to protect the children when she fought to protect….me.

I clenched my fist feeling my claws pierce my skin. Why didn’t this pain in my chest stop? I looked at Rin and Kaito. They looked disappointed and pained and they kept their head low as they cried. Why did I feel….guilty?

Protect….protect important people…..I wanted to protect Natsu. Protect her from pain, from other demons, from anything that could hurt her. She was…..important. I clenched my jaw and cursed under my breath. Was this what my father meant when he left for battle all those years ago? Did he feel the same frustration for not being able to be with Inuyasha’s mother?

“Natsu…..” Her name left my mouth in a soft mumble and I looked at the sky. Yes…..I cared for her, I loved her, I wanted to protect her, she was important. Why didn’t I realize it sooner?

You never know how important something is until you lose it.

The last words my father told me came to my mind. Looks like he wasn’t really a fool after all. He was right….atleast in one thing. But now, what would happen to Natsu? Would she really go back? She had already begun to help Naraku and I had seen the collar she had on her that he could use to control her. She was serious when she spoke those words before…..

Was I too late?

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Sesshy sama in a dilemma .> Yeah....he looks like he's in a daze in the picture.

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