Kanna had left the room so Lyra was unable to see Sesshomaru or what was happening at that moment. Her body was still paralysed and she was stuck with Naraku. Well, his puppet. The room felt damp and the puppet was cold against her body. It only made her yearn to be within Sesshomaru warm and firm grasp. All she wanted to know was if Sesshomaru was okay. She had envisioned Naraku targeting him but she didn’t know exactly what. She simply hoped Naraku was unsuccessful.

The puppet had told her that the window in that room was fake. It looked as thought it was night but it was just an illusion. She didn’t know how much time had passed since she had been brought to the godforsaken castle. It could have been hours or days, she couldn’t be sure. However, it hadn’t been long since Kanna had left and Lyra soon felt the puppet stiffen under her. Something must have happened for the puppet to curse under its lifeless breath.

‘What’s happening..?’

“Damn you, Sesshomaru,” the puppet growled.

It then suddenly crumbled under her causing her to yelp as she fell on top of a pile of dirt. Opening her eyes, she came face to face with the demon puppet. She gasped and quickly sat up to get away from it.

“I can move again...”

She lifted her hands up in front of her and clenched her fists a couple of times to return the feeling in them. Stretching her arms and back, she stood up with only one intention in her mind. Turning on the spot, she ran to the only door in the room. When she went to slide the door, she came across an unexpected problem.

“No... No, no, no!”

She patted and slid her hands all over the door but her heart dropped. The door was also just an illusion. It felt just like the rest of the wall. Out of anger, she threw a punch at the illusionary door only to hurt her own knuckles in the process. Clutching onto her hands, she cursed her own idiocy but mainly yelled curses at Naraku. Turning to the window, she looked at it with a ray of hope. The sky may be an illusion but surely the window was real.

“Please...”

The window in that room took up pretty much the entire wall. It was closed off with wooden panels going vertically all the way across. Lyra may not be able to squeeze her way through but it wouldn’t stop her from trying to break it. Rushing over to the window, she held onto one of the panels, examining it closely to find any weak points. Unfortunately, the panels were quite thick on strong. She tried shaking them, hitting them and kicking them only to fail.

Collapsing to the ground after multiple attempts of trying to break free, she looked out to the fake sky. She hoped Sesshomaru was somewhere out there looking for her. Her focus then moved to the lifeless puppet in front of her. It looked as though it was just staring at her and it literally gave her the creeps. She quickly picked it up and threw it out of the window.

“Freak.”

***

Inuyasha had somehow managed to break through Naraku's barrier and arrive at the scene where Naraku had engulfed Sesshomaru with his flesh. However, it wasn’t long before Sesshomaru had freed himself and almost successfully destroyed Naraku. He would have gone after him before Naraku easily distracted him by mentioning Rin.

Of course he would also have to find Lyra but he knew Naraku would keep her alive. He wouldn’t kill off the oracle yet he wouldn’t hesitate to murder Rin, even if it wasn’t directly by his own hands. It was all part of his plan to bide time and escape. Now all traces and senses of him had completely disappeared. Sesshomaru, not even listening to a word Inuyasha was saying, rose up into the air and left the scene. He had no time to waste.

Following Rin's scent, he came across her laying unconscious in a field, a young boy holding up his weapon over her. Sesshomaru landed behind him, catching the young boy's attention and soon, the boy had turned to face him.

“Oh? You turn your blade toward me?" Sesshomaru asked rhetorically whilst holding up two fingers, ready to end the boy’s life with his poison whip.

“Kohaku!”

Inuyasha yelled as he came running towards them, suddenly punching Kohaku square in his jaw and sending him flying to the ground. Inuyasha glared down angrily at the boy who was struggling to get back up.

“What are you doing, you fool?!”

Kagome soon came running onto the scene before kneeling beside Rin who was still knocked out. She lifted up her small body and smiled.

“She’s alright,” she informed. “She’s just unconscious, that’s all.”

Kagome hoped it would stop Sesshomaru from killing Kohaku. If Rin had been hurt in any way, then he certainly wouldn’t have held back in ending the boy’s life. Kagome still couldn’t understand how Lyra had managed to fall in love with him. He was willing to kill an innocent child.

Inuyasha turned to Sesshomaru. “You heard her. The girl’s not hurt. So let the boy go free.”

Sesshomaru simply stared at his brother. “Stay out of this, Inuyasha. It’s useless to try to interfere.” His attention turned to Kohaku. “This boy seems compelled beyond reason to die by my hands.”

Inuyasha had figured out Naraku's plot. He must have commanded him to attack Sesshomaru so that he would be killed in the process. Kohaku threw his blade in Sesshomaru’s direction but Inuyasha quickly jumped in the way to block it. He couldn’t allow for Kohaku to be killed. His action was wasted though as Sesshomaru used his speed to reach Kohaki before grabbing hold of his throat and lifting him up into the air. He could easily end the boy’s miserable life in a split second.

“How generous of you,” he looked at Inuyasha from the corner of his eye. “Disarming the boy for me. I had no idea you held such strong feelings for me, Inuyasha,” his words dripping in sarcasm.

Inuyasha held up his sword towards Sesshomaru. “Let’s get one thing straight, Sesshomaru. I’ll kill you if you don’t let him go!”

His words only made Sesshomaru tighten his grip around Kohaku's neck.

“Don’t do it, Sesshomaru!” Kagome pleaded.

“Set the boy down,” urged Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru stared at the boy in front of him. There was no life in his eyes. ‘This boy... He shows no signs of suffering. He knows no fear. I despise the look in his eyes.’ He could swiftly end his life and have no regrets. But just then, an image of Lyra appeared in his mind. He knew for sure she would look at him with disappointment if she was standing amongst them at that moment. He knew it would be something she did not want. With that thought in mind, he released his grip. Kohaku landed on the ground with a thud. Inuyasha and Kagome gasped quietly in surprise before Rin began to stir and awaken.

“Huh?” Kagome looked down at her. “Oh! You’re awake.”

Rin rubbed her eyes before opening them, a large and bright smile growing across her lips. “Lord Sesshomaru!” She then looked at the boy on the ground, her smile being replaced with a concerned frown. “What happened, Kohaku?”

Kohaku suddenly got up and ran off towards the trees, leaving the group behind him. They watched him leave before Inuyasha turned to Sesshomaru.

“Aren’t you gonna go after him?”

Sesshomaru remained silent. He could sense another presence that he had become quite familiar with. A strong gust of wind blew and Kohaku was whisked away on a large feather.

“Kagura...” Inuyasha seethed.

Kagome stood up. “Thank you...Sesshomaru. Thanks for letting Kohaku go.”

“The boy was trying to die at my hands,” Sesshomaru spoke.

Inuyasha gasped. “You mean...you knew that?”

Sesshomaru turned to look over his shoulder at them. “It was Naraku's doing and I refuse to play by his rules.” He turned away and began walking, Rin quickly following after him.

“Wait!” Kagome called out to him. “Where’s Lyra?”

He stopped in his tracks. “Naraku has taken her. I’m going to get her back.”

“Hang on a second!” Inuyasha yelled. “You gave us so much talk when Naraku kidnapped her last time yet you failed to keep her safe yourself!”

At that, Sesshomaru turned to face his little brother. “Do not measure me against your incompetence, Inuyasha.” His voice may have sounded calm but the anger underlying his tone was clear. “Naraku took Lyra right from under your noses,” he said whilst eyeing Kagome as well. “He used my absence to his advantage. Don’t be so ignorant.”

Inuyasha growled under his breath, unsure of what to say. It was best for him to remain quiet. Without wasting another second, Sesshomaru turned and left with Rin following behind.

Now that Naraku had completely disappeared, Sesshomaru was able to sense Lyra's scent whereas he couldn’t sense it at all before. Her scent had always stood out from all the others and it was something that had always attracted him to her. She was quite a distant away so the first thing he did was take Rin back to Jaken and A-Un.

“Be safe!” Rin called out to him, waving as Sesshomaru set off.

Jaken groaned in sadness and frustration due to the fact he was back on babysitting duty. Sesshomaru ignored his whining and flew up into the air. He had no time to waste, strictly following the direction of Lyra's scent.

***

In total, only two days had passed in the real world. For Lyra, however, it felt as though a week had gone by. She was weak and she was starving. She had no idea how much longer she could go without food. No one had come to check up on her or even offer her anything to eat to the point she felt sick from hunger. The weakness took over and she spent most of the time collapsed on the floor. Even her powers weren’t working so she couldn’t tell what the outcome of her imprisonment would be.

Her mind became possessed by negative thoughts. ‘Why has Sesshomaru not come to save me? Is he done with protecting me? Perhaps I’ve become a burden on him...’ Pushing herself up off the ground and leaning back against the wall, she shook her head.

“No, Lyra. Don’t be so ridiculous,” she told herself. “Sesshomaru loves you and he's coming for you.”

At that moment, she heard the shrieks and screams of the demons around the castle. With whatever little strength remaining, she lifted herself off the floor and went to the wooden bars to see if she could witness who was out there.

It had taken Sesshomaru a long time to pinpoint Lyra's exact location for he seemed to sense her all around him. It became worse the closer he got but at least he knew she was near. The effects of Naraku's barrier had completely worn off after he broke through with the Tokijin and he was instantly the target of the demons guarding the prison. However, they were no match for him. He saw the castle, multiple windows lining the outside.

“Lyra!” he called for her as he slay another demon before running into the building.

Lyra's eyes widened as she heard his voice. Part of her thought she was hearing things but her hope was too strong. Sesshomaru ran through the castle, her scent surrounding him completely, engulfing him and making him second guess each turn he made. He opened every door but each of them came empty.

“Sesshomaru!”

He heard her voice echo close by.

“Lyra...”

She called his name again, hoping he could hear her. She went to the fake door and banged the palm of her hand against it repeatedly. Sesshomaru could hear the bangs but was confused when he saw no door anywhere down that corridor.

“Lyra?” he called loudly, his brows furrowed in anger and frustration.

She smiled, able to hear him through the wall. “I’m in here!” she yelled, hitting the wall again so he could find her.

He put his hand against the wall before unsheathing Tokijin. “Move away!”

She did just that, moving to the far corner of the room before crouching down into a ball and shielding her head. A second later, Sesshomaru slashed through the wall causing it to explode and send debris flying everywhere. A few bits of it did hit Lyra but they didn’t cause her any harm. Once the plume of dust settled a little, Sesshomaru scanned the room to find her still shielding herself and coughing from the dust. He rushed over to her before sheathing his sword and crouching down beside her to make sure she was unharmed.

“Lyra, look at me,” he spoke softly.

She lifted her head, looking up at him weakly. “Sesshomaru...”

He cupped her cheek gently, wiping away some dirt with his thumb. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. He helped her stand and she steadied herself by clutching onto her kimono. The room began spinning around her and Sesshomaru could instantly see that something was wrong. Before she could speak, the world turned black. Sesshomaru quickly caught her limp body and carried her out of the castle, not looking back to get her to safety.

***

Lyra didn’t know how long she was out for. In the distance, she could hear the muffled sounds of children playing and the warmth of blanket over her. With great difficulty, her eyes slowly flickered open expecting to see the open skies. Instead she was met with a roof made of straw. Slowly, she looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. There was a small fire in the middle of the small hut and when she turned her head the other way, she saw a door also made out of straw. Pushing herself up to sit, she tried to compose her thoughts. The last thing she remembered was seeing a blurry Sesshomaru before passing out. She stayed sitting on the makeshift bed on the floor, trying to figure out where she was.

“I see ye have awoken,” came a voice.

Lyra instantly turned to look at the newcomer who was entering through the door. The old lady seemed really familiar. The grey hair tied in a bun, the eye patch and priestess garb. It suddenly hit her; Lyra had spoken to her when she first fell through the well.

“Oh, I remember you,” she exclaimed.

“Indeed. And I remember ye. Ye are Kagome's cousin.”

Lyra nodded. “My name is Lyra. It's nice to meet you.”

“I am Kaede.” She walked towards Lyra and examined her face. “Ye seem well rested now but ye still need to eat.” Kaede walked away again to get her some food from the other side of the hut.

Lyra wanted to ask her where Sesshomaru was but she wasn’t sure if the lady would enjoy the idea of her being close to a demon. She looked down at her hands as she became lost in thought. She had no idea how to ask or to bring it up casually. Suddenly, a bowl was held out to her filled with piping hot soup.

“Eat. Ye will need strength.”

She took the bowl and smiled gratefully. “Thank you.” She blew away some of the steam before taking a sip. “This is delicious.”

Kaede nodded in approval. “Good. Eat it all up now. Ye friend is waiting.”

Lyra looked at her more alert. “My friend.”

“Aye. The demon,” she answered. “He brought ye to me two days previous. Ye were out cold from weakness. He has come by from time to time to check ye progress but has not stayed too long. The villagers are understandably a wee bit frightened.”

Lyra smiled softly, relaxing a little. “I’m just glad he’s okay,” she spoke quietly before drinking more soup.

Kaede sat down. “Ye are in love.”

“Is it that obvious?” She blushed.

“I can see it in ye eyes, my dear. As in his. He was calm on the outside but I could see the panic in his eyes.”

*Flashback*

Sesshomaru was placing an unconscious Lyra on the small bed.

“Make her better or I will kill you.”

*End of flashback*

Kaede shook her head. “That bond must run in the family,” she continued.

“What do you mean?”

“Love,” she answered. “Ye and Sesshomaru, Kagome and Inuyasha, and-"

“Lyra.”

The two women looked towards the door to see Sesshomaru standing there. He had that usual stoic expression on his face but the relief was evident in his eyes. The past few days had been complete hell for him. Not only was Lyra captured but she had been unconscious for two days. Seeing that demure and sweet smile on her lips, her azure blue eyes beaming up at him made him forget all about it. Ignoring the other lady in the hut, he strode over to Lyra before going down onto his knees beside her. His hand reached up to stroke her cheek, losing himself in her eyes as he forgot all about the third presence. He leaned down and placed a long yet simple kiss on her lips. All only for clarification. Lyra blushed deeply as he pulled away, too embarrassed to see Kaede’s reaction. Kaede simply busied herself with something else.

“How do you feel?” he asked softly.

“Weak. But I’m already feeling better,” she answered, holding up her bowl of soup.

Sesshomaru gave a short nod. “Take rest for a little while longer and we will leave.”

He got up to leave but Lyra quickly grabbed hold of his hand, not wanting him to go. She begged him silently to stay with her, pleading with her eyes. She didn’t want to be alone. Kaede noticed the silent debate the couple were having and came forward.

“Ye should stay with her,” Kaede said. “The villagers will understand.”

With that, the old woman left the two alone in the hut. Sesshomaru sat beside Lyra as she happily drank the rest of her soup.

Sesshomaru breathed out. “You won this time.”

Lyra smiled smugly.