As most of you already know, there was an incident a while back where a girl signed on with my penname and erased all my stories. Well, I couldn't put this one back up until I put up every chapter of the prequel, so, finally, here it is. I hope you enjoy and please review since I lost all of my wonderful old ones when that girl erased my story. Thank you!

…

Naraku sighed sleepily and rolled onto his side, trying to find a comfortable position before his mind forced him to wake up. The bed under him was soft, the blankets warm, and the pillows fluffy, but the sunlight burning into his closed eyelids refused to let him drift off again. Grumbling to himself and cursing the sun for the thousandth time, Naraku slowly cracked his eyes open and allowed himself to awaken.

He was sleeping in a room that had slowly grown familiar to him over the past couple of months. The floor was covered in thick, richly decorated carpet and the furniture was of the finest make. Long windows covered in heavy curtains and made of mosaic stained glass lined the outside walls one after the other, allowing fresh light to come dancing in and sing the praises of another sunrise past.

The bed he slept on was far too good for any kings, but just right for him. It was lavishly coated with silky quilts, velvety pillows, and gauzy hangings that kept sleepers tucked peacefully away from the waking world. Naraku grinned as he gazed at the finery around him, noticing how well this sort of grandeur suited him. Even though the room was done in colors too bright for him to ever care for, he still felt right at home.

Even more pleasing to him was the fact that the original owner of the room lay sleeping next to him in their enormous bed. Sesshoumaru seemed to be in the stage of light dozing that came right before waking up, so Naraku decided not to disturb him for the time being. Normally, the kumo liked nothing more than waking his mate up just as the first rays of sunlight cascaded into the room, so he could watch them blend together with his partner's excruciatingly beautiful golden eyes.

This time; however, Naraku was content to just watch the peaceful inu sleep and wait for the moment when he would wake up and give his life meaning. Naraku would never openly admit it to himself, but he could no longer imagine waking up without Sesshoumaru right beside him. He spent most of his day either with the inu or thinking about being with him. He seemed to have completely forgotten about his life before and no longer remembered having any other ambitions.

What was it that I used to do with my time? Naraku thought to himself, though not very clearly, since he was far too busy concentrating on the exquisite creature next to him. I used to have a purpose… I know I did… There was something I wanted…Some goal I had yet to reach…

Naraku wanted to remember, yearned to remember, but Sesshoumaru seemed to have leaked into all his thoughts.

The memories from his previous life were as faded as the photographs in an old woman's album, and the only thing that stood out was his mate. This would have seriously distressed the kumo, but Sesshoumaru picked that moment to open his lovely eyes and erase all angst from Naraku's mind.

He fell helplessly into the shimmering pools of gold glistening before him, just as he had every morning for the past few months. Naraku grinned blissfully as his mate reached over and gently stroked his cheek, running his smooth fingers along the kumo's porcelain skin. Sesshoumaru gently traced the curves of his lover's face, trailing over his jaw line to stroke his soft, full lips.

The inu youkai admired these lips, the same ones he had claimed with his own on more occasions than he could think of, and yet, every time was blazed perfectly into his memory.

All the passion-filled nights, all the secret, sensuous touches when no one was looking, all the mornings when Sesshoumaru awoke to find his lover already kissing him warmly… all of this ran together in his mind into one flowing tapestry of the happiest days of his life. He would rather take his own sword to his wrists than lose even a single moment of his time with Naraku, his soul mate.

He sighed dreamily when Naraku leaned down and kissed him, caressing his lips ever so gently with his own. This light touch was like a tease to Sesshoumaru, drawing the first fiery embers of his lust out from deep within him. This gentle kiss was all it took to make his bones melt, just as Naraku's kiss always did. He moaned softly as Naraku pulled on top of him, bringing their unclothed bodies closer to rub together sensuously. Nowadays, there was never any need for them to wear clothes. They just got ripped off anyway.

Sesshoumaru eased himself out from under Naraku and sat aside his hips, leaning down to give his mate's muscled abdomen a slow lick. Naraku hissed in satisfaction as his lover's tongue probed him, sending shivers racing up his spine. Sesshoumaru kissed the succulent skin below him with tantalizing slowness, enjoying the taste Naraku left in his mouth more than anything else. The soft groans escaping from his lover's lips tugged at something low in Sesshoumaru's body, sending a blazing message straight to the fire building between his legs.

Naraku's heart rate nearly doubled as Sesshoumaru crushed their mouths together, nearly drawing blood with the fervor from which he kissed him. The gentleness was gone from his touch and replaced with raw need. The eagerness in the hands that stroked his entire body made Naraku shudder with pleasure. Every time Sesshoumaru touched him, Naraku couldn't help but moan his enjoyment. Hell, all Sesshoumaru needed to do was be in the room to make Naraku desire him.

The two youkai groped at each other eagerly, losing all sense of the world around them as their passion grew. Naraku felt a distracted hand wander down his abdomen and grinned wickedly as he grabbed this hand and guided it between his legs. He growled with pleasure as his mate complied and began to stroke him, gently at first but gradually with more and more force, as his breathing became ragged. Naraku relaxed as Sesshoumaru continued to caress him in a most provocative way and wrapped his arms sensuously around his elegant neck.

It was then that Naraku felt it, a strange blemish on his partner's supposedly perfect skin. He growled silently at this mark, angry at it for distracting him from the beautiful youkai straddling him, but examined it curiously. It was a small white scar that seemed to be in the process of healing from the pink color of the skin around it. Naraku guessed that it had come from only a few days ago and would be gone in half that time.

What's happened in the past few days that could have done this? Naraku wondered silently. He thought back, trying as hard as he could to remember. He felt a faint brush against his mind, the barest whisper of remembrance, which he immediately clutched fiercely in an attempt to recall whatever it was he was forgetting.

Then, it suddenly came back to him. A few days ago, Sesshoumaru had left him for several days without a word, making Naraku worry. He'd returned with several deep bleeding wounds, and, even more shocking, the smell of his half brother clinging to him. Naraku hadn't thought much of it at the time, but the fact that he'd forgotten such a thing hit him with the force of a sledgehammer.

Inuyasha, the pathetic half-breed, had attacked his mate, wounded him, and he had forgotten. Curse that vile excuse for a demon, Naraku thought bitterly, wondering why he hadn't killed Inuyasha before. Oh, yes, He recalled, I never killed him because that stupid wench still held the Shikon shards. I couldn't take them until they'd been corrupted…

Abruptly, Naraku suddenly realized the importance of his words as it all came flooding back. Inuyasha, his pathetic friends, the Shikon Jewel… That's what I used to yearn for! I sought to gain the power of the Shikon Jewel! That was my purpose… Naraku let out a strangled gasp as this information brought a flood of memories crashing into his scull. He saw innumerable battles fought between his minions and the hanyou, he saw all the people he'd manipulated into fighting, and all the people he'd murdered in cold blood. Naraku finally remembered what his life had been all about.

Sesshoumaru, in the mean time, had noticed the almost frantic look that had come over his lover's face and was gazing down at him concernedly. Naraku met his mate's golden eyes for an instant before he was forced to look away guiltily. He pulled away from his lover and sat on the edge of their bed, breathing heavily. Sesshoumaru went to wrap his arms comfortingly around his shoulders, but Naraku pulled away again, standing and pulling on his clothes distractedly.

Sesshoumaru watched him with growing concern, noting how Naraku's hands shook and how ashy his skin had become. He wanted desperately to ask him what was wrong but, somehow, he knew he would never get an answer. Instead, as Naraku walked shakily to the door, he asked, "Where are you going?" Naraku paused for an instant, hesitating, and then answered, "For a walk." He disappeared out their bedroom door without another word, leaving a very confused Sesshoumaru behind.

The inu youkai felt despair well up in him as he wondered what he could have possibly done to make his lover leave like that. He quelled his feelings of self-pity as best he could and rose to dress himself, still thinking hard on Naraku's strange actions. The youkai was completely at a loss to explain what just happened, and figured Naraku would be ready to talk about it by evening. Exiting the room to meet up with his advisors and try and get some work done, Sesshoumaru pushed thoughts of Naraku to a distant corner of his mind.

…

No more than a few moments later, Naraku could be seen striding quickly through the gardens surrounding Sesshoumaru's lavish castle. Anyone who looked out their window and spotted him would swear that he was heading specifically towards something, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Naraku was so distracted by the thoughts whirling through his head, he would have walked into the mouth of a volcano without even flinching.

Why couldn't I remember any of this before! Naraku wondered furiously. It's as if some kind of spell has been placed upon me. I can no longer do anything but think of Sesshoumaru. Naraku finally stopped his furious walking some hundred feet from the castle and decided to take up his old pastime of pacing.

Sesshoumaru is my mate; I love him dearly, but the Shikon Jewel is my obsession. I spent too many long years plotting to take the Jewel to just give it all up in an instant. But what am I to do? I can never hunt for the Jewel and be with Sesshoumaru… I can hardly remember where I am when I'm with him, let alone plot against another. Am I… am I supposed to choose?

Naraku was disgusted by this idea, by the thought of choosing between his mate and his life. The choice should have been obvious, but doubt still tugged at him. No matter how much he'd grown to love Sesshoumaru, he could never fully abandon such a big part of his life. The Shikon Jewel was the whole reason he became what he was that day, the whole reason he was a demon worthy of being with Sesshoumaru.

It was his drive to gain the Jewel's power that made him as strong as he was. The Jewel was the reason he'd survived this long.Naraku sighed heavily and rubbed his temples, closing his heavy eyes as he thought, What am I going to do?

Well, a voice inside his head chanted eerily, This is a dilemma, isn't it? Naraku's eyes bolted open at the sound of whispering in his head. This new voice was not the one he was used to hearing, AKA: his own thoughts. He hadn't thought the words that came ringing into his mind, and yet, there they were. Who are you? Naraku asked suspiciously, targeting the voice with his demonic energy in an attempt to make it reveal itself.

The voice laughed at him, and eerily familiar laugh, and replied, That is far from relevant at the moment, my pet. You should be more concerned with your present predicament than with little old me.

Naraku growled uneasily as this voice gave him a disturbing feeling of déjà vu. The laughter, the way the voice referred to him as 'my pet', even the sickeningly sweet tone of the obviously female voice in his head was all chillingly familiar. What do you want from me? Naraku demanded, wishing the owner of the voice were nearby so he could rip out her entrails. Well, to put it simply… I want my revenge. The voice whispered to him with such subtle fury it gave him chills.

Naraku growled low in his throat and replied, What exactly do you mean by that!

You'll see. Was the only reply he got. Before Naraku could wonder what the mysterious voice was getting at, he suddenly felt faint. An overwhelming feeling of nausea flooded him with the force of Niagara Falls, making his eyes cloud over and his knees buckled under him.

Naraku fell to the ground, wheezing and clutching the grass so tightly with his clawed hands, he drew blood from his palms. He couldn't breath… he couldn't see… he was drowning in the sickness that flooded him. He tried to stand, tried to master this illness like he had mastered others, but it was already rooted too deeply within him. As his final gasping breath caught in his constricting throat, he tried to call for Sesshoumaru.

His cry came out as nothing more than a pained gasp, and he fell to the ground, knowing he was headed somewhere even Sesshoumaru could not follow.

To be continued…