Miroku didn't remember much of his stay in the maze. While held prisoner in the dungeons of the castle, his guards had given him mind altering drugs that made everything hazy, and indestint. He could recall being unable to hold a clear thought in his head for more than a few seconds. It was the only known way to hold a mage or anyone with magical powers prisoner.

There were stories of course. Stories that had circulated through the castle city, and much of the surrounding area for close to ten years now. Rumors of...something, living in the dreaded maze beneathe the stone castle. There were times, in the still of night, people would swear a terrifying sound had woken them from their peacful sleep. The cry of the Nightmare. That's what people called him, Nightmare. The crazed beast, that crawled up from the belly of the earth, as if the ground herself rejected him. He was the one that lived in the maze, forever trapped in its unending halls. To be thrown into the Nightmare's Maze was the worst punishment of all, for your fate was assured to be a tortured one. Hunted, haunted, and then eaten slowly, piece by piece, until you cried out for the end.

Miroku could remember, that despite the drugs, when the guards laughingly told him he was doomed for the maze; he had fought as hard as he could. This was evidenced later by the lack of four of his fingernails. Miroku shuddered a bit, knowing that somewhere in these dank dungeons, there were marks, his vain claw marks in the dirty floor. That kind of single minded fear was more powerful than the drugs they had given him. But his moment of clarity hadn't lasted long. The moment he was dropped through the trap door, he was running, blindly, through the sandy corridors. The darkness had been unyeilding to his eyes, and he had undoubtably wounded himself far more than the Nightmare ever would have.

Miroku snorted at that idle thought. The swish of his purple priest robes was the only sound that announced his presence. And there was currently no one to hear it; not when the castle was being forced through another of the King's infamous purges. The mage priest came to another intersection and stood in the center of it for a moment, considering each possible way.

No, there were precious few other memories he had of his stay in the maze. A rumble, like constant thunder that seemed to echo around in the halls, making it more than it was to his drug hazed mind. Looking back on it, Miroku recognized it for what it sounded like: growling. That and the terrifying presence behind him. He never saw anything, nothing penatraed the darkness, but the presence had made the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention, and it had hunted him through the maze. Again, once his mind cleared, he remembered other things, a voice in the dark, coacing him, guiding him (if somewhat harshly at times).

The only other thing Miroku could remember about that time, was the sight of daylight. The first gasping breath of fresh air. And the stunning realization that he was free.

Hours later, he awoke some miles from the capital city, curled up under a tree, with a pounding headache. Miroku suddenly smiled, as he recalled that it was the left hand path he needed to take. He immdiately continued walking.

After a tearful reunion with his wife, Hitomi, Miroku had retreated into himself to recover from the ordeal. No offical arrest had been made, so Miroku had no clues as to why he had been imprisioned, or on who's orders. It wouldn't be until a month later, when another purge occured that Miroku felt safe enough to venture into the Capital again. It also would be a month before the memories began to clarify in his mind. And it would be in the dead of night that Miroku sat bolt upright, shocked by the realization that whatever it was that lived in that maze, Nightmare, he assumed, had helped him.

It would take another month of careful searching, before he found the forest entrance to Nightmare's Maze. It was there, in that sunlit clearing, that Miroku first met Inuyasha. Their meeting went something like this:

"What the fuck are you doing back here, you idiot?" A voice came from the shadows of the maze entrance. Foilage had grown unhindered around the entrance, making it very hard to see inside.

"Are you the kind spirit that lead me out, sir?" Miroku asked uncertiantly, trying to match the voice to that of his memories. It was close, but the one he could recall had seemed softer and gentler somehow.

"I'm no spirit you blind moron, and yes, I lead you out."

"Then I owe you a debt of gratitude. Would you step out into the light, so that I might thank you properly?"

"No."

Inuyasha, Miroku later learned, was always that abrutly blunt about everything.

His treck came to an end when he found the lowest dungeon cell at the end of this dimly lit hallway. Entering the cell, Miroku knelt and then heaved open the trap door. A loud wail of wind shreaked in his ears as a result. Miroku cringed, he had forgotten about the noise. Praying no one was within ear shot, Miroku dropped down the pitch black hole, pulling the door shut after him. He landed with a thud, and managed to keep his balance. In the darkness, he blindly reached out until he felt one of the sandstone walls under his grasping fingers. He used the wall to guide him down the halls, shuffling his feet slowly, knowing from experience that the floor was uneven and rocky.

He expertly navigated the halls, keeping one hand on the wall for suppot and guidence. Several minutes later Miroku came upon a dead end so suddenly he crashed into the wall in his surprise. In the darkness, Miroku regained his balance and then scratched his head in confusion.

"Bother, I could have sworn it was left, left, right, left...humm..." Miroku carefully retraced his steps back two turns and stood at the crossroads thinking. More time passed, and the knowledge of how to reach his destination didn't surface in his memory.

"Well, damnit. I knew I should have just used the forest entrance."

"Then why didn't you?"

Miroku flinched at the sudden voice in the darkness, gruff and annoyed. He recovered quickly however, taking a few deep breaths to calm his suddenly racing heart.

"Really, Inuyasha, would it kill you to hang lanterns or something? I'd be happy to apropiate some for you, ceritanly make this place less...nightmarish."

"I like it nightmarish," came the voice again. Miroku's arm was grasped firmly, making the priest flinch in surprise again. He felt Inuyasha tighten his grip just a bit, the half-demon's claws pressing on his arm through his clothes. Something solid, wood and cold brushed against his hand, Miroku let out a sigh of relief as he took the offered item gratefully.

"Thank the gods, thought I left it here," Miroku raised the item in his hand and then stabbed downward with it. The narrow hallways were lit up in a glow of purple light. The priest rubbed the wood of his magic staff fondly, relaxing now that he could see properly. He looked over at his friend with a smile.

"Many thanks, I'm not much of a magic priest with out my staff."

Inuyasha snorted, squinting a little as his eyes adjusted to the light, "Not much a magic priest to begin with."

Miroku jerked back dramatically, a hand on his heart, "You wound me, my friend! But enough chit-chat, how do we get out of here?"

Inuyasha rolled his golden eyes, which were currently a muddled brown in the purple light. He turned and lead the way down back the way Miroku had come.

"For future reference, it's left, right, left, left from the castle door."

Miroku slapped his forehead in aspiration, "Of course, inversed it. But in my defense, I haven't used that entrance in ages."

"Which bears the question: why'd you use it today?" Inuyasha asked over his shoulder.

"Two reasons," Miroku answered, "the first is it was more convient considering the castle's currently in a state of panic. Naraku has sealed the gates."

That caught Inuyasha attention, "What for?"

"From what I've been able to gather, a spy cell was discovered. Three men and a woman have been arrested so far. That information isn't widely known of course, but most suspect that's the case. Everyone knows the King is a right paranoid person," Miroku said gravelly.

"Do you know what country the spies were from?" Inuyasha asked.

"The spies never said a word, but the answer is clear. King of Daisho is on the move. No doubt the stalemate has gone on long enough for his tastes," Miroku said simply. Hell, the stalemate had gone on long enough for everyone's tastes. Ten long years of boarder disputes, and failed invasions on both sides. Daisho and Bine were two large countries that occupied a penisula located on the eastern side of the larger continent. Bine took up the eastern most part, while Daisho took the western half, its lands including a bit of the main continent as well. At the moment, the two countries were divided by a range of mountains on the southern side of the penisula, and a large lake north of that range, Lake Shera. The land that experienced the most fighting were the northern most parts of the mountains, and the eastern shores of the lake, the Bine side.

Inuyasha had fallen silent at the last bit of information that Miroku relayed. The mage knew very little about Inuyasha's past. He knew he was a half-demon captured by Naraku at a young age. He assumed the young man had been here for about as long as the rumors of Nightmare's Maze had been around, nine or ten years. Miroku also had been able to discover that Inuyasha was a Daisho native, however he never asked for news of his home land. He didn't stop Miroku from speaking of the war though; so Miroku assumed he had some intrest.

Once, over sake, Miroku asked Inuyasha directly why it was he never spoke of his family or home. Inuyasha, who was quite drunk at the time, simply replied, I am dead to them. And they to me.

Nothing more was ever said on the matter, and no amount of achocol changed that fact.

"What's the second reason?"

Miroku broke off his thoughts at Inuyasha's voice. He frowned in confusion, "Second reason?" The priest echoed, and then he remembered. "Oh! Yes, sorry, second reason is that my wife, Hitomi, has just gotten word that her father has fallen deathly ill. She and I managed to procure special permission to leave the castle in two days. This means I won't be able to visit for a few weeks, her family lives very close to the western border; and I didn't want you to wonder at my prolonged absence."

Inuyasha snorted in disbelief, wordlessly showing his feelings on the matter. Finally, they reached their destination. Inuyasha's home.

Technically, the whole maze was his home, but as a child he had found this corner of the maze and used it as a base of sorts. Eventually, after discovering that this place had the easiest access to fresh water, Inuyasha turned it into his perment risdence. The area was small, about seven paces by seven paces. Two of the walls were taken up by archways that lead out into the maze, one wall was occupied by Inuyasha's water source, and chimney of sorts, carved from the stone by the passage of water. The chamber was dimly lit by the light that filtered in from that small opening, but Miroku had provided Inuyasha with a couple of paper lanterns to keep the place lit at night. There was a stone basin, carved out of the floor, that collected the falling water. A nick in the brim, allowed the access to continue its previous path down the wall, past the floor and into the lower levels of the mountian the castle was built on.

Since befriending Miroku, Inuyasha's room had procured a few additions, all of which the hanyou had accepted with a general grunt, and a harsh thank you. There was a grate to cover his small fire pit, located just to the right of the water basin. A collection of frayed but clean blankets that served as Inuyasha's bed; they were up against the only other free wall, neatly folded. Miroku had even dragged a low wooden table into the maze, along with some seat cushions. There were other nick nacks, a couple of chipped clay cups and plates, all in a state of obvious wear. A knife, some shells Miroku had found on his many walks through the forest to get to the maze, and finally a battered Go board, complete with chipped and abused white and black playing pieces. The board at the moment was set up on the low table, a game partically completed.

Miroku turned off the light of his staff once they arrived at the little apartment. He rested his staff against the wall by the archway they had come through, and took a seat at the table. He scrutinzed the board, comparing it to his last memory of the current game; checking for tapering of any kind.

"You swear you moved nothing?"

Inuyasha huffed loudly from his place next to the water basin. To the left of the basin, Inuyasha kept his food stores, spices, and herbs, the latter two also something that Miroku brought him from time to time. He rummaged around while he answered, "As if, You suck at this game, I don't need to cheat to kick your ass."

Miroku shifted into a more comfortable position at the table and waited paicently for his friend to join him. Inuyasha came to the table a plate with salted meat and mushrooms (the only two things he could get himself in the maze), and two cups of water balanced in his hands. He put both down on the table and then sat down himself. Miroku snatched up a piece of meat and popped it in his mouth. Salted meat, no matter what it was, generally tasted the same. Steeling himself, he asked the obvious question.

"So what's the meat this week?"

Inuyasha smirked at him, raising his eyes from the board to answer, "Rat. Fat sucker."

Miroku swallowed determindly, and reached for another piece. Inuyasha just chuckled softly, and added a piece to the board, as it was his turn. Miroku considered his opitions, despite knowing that this game was going to be won by Inuyasha, again.

"Pay attention you little Hanyou brat."

The youngest Daisho Prince thrashed angrily against his bonds to no avail. He knew they were spelled to hold against his youkai strength. Nonetheless the ten year old looked up to his captor and glared fiercely at him. From within the folds of his white fur cloak, perched on a gilded throne, a dark chuckle escaped. "Prince Inuyasha of the Kingdom of Daisho. Your illustrious father has refused once again to give into my ransom demands."

Inuyasha managed to hide how much that statement stung both his pride and his heart. After all, he had had a very long year of practice. The man draped in his baboon cloak continued in a sneering voice, "I tire of the whole affair, it is clear that my theory that the great, kind King of Daisho would do anything to save his son was wrong. Perhaps I should have kidnapped your older brother, clearly the King values him more since he is the heir."

"Fuck you! Sess would've sliced your pathetic men to ribbons before they came two steps!" Inuyasha had picked up a whole new, un-Prince-like, and vocabulary while in prison. The cloaked man chuckled again. The noise echoed off the circular walls, bouncing like the torchlight. The mage guards stood like stone at even intervals against the walls, going all the way around, two-dozen in all. Their robe uniforms were the customary crimson, which designated their high rank. The gilded doors that matched the scrollwork on the throne were behind Inuyasha, but he could not see them bound as he was. His arms were chained painfully behind his back, his elbows coming close to touching. His feet, too, were bound, as were his knees. The entire arrangement was then connected together by one more chain making it so that he could not stand (if he had been) at full height.

"Which bears the question: Why were you so easy to capture?" That struck Inuyasha's already wounded pride. He renewed his struggles against his chains. "Could it be," he continued, "that your hanyou blood is indeed the scourage of both races? None of the youkai strength, and none of the human magic. A pathetic combination of both races' weaknesses."

"Shut up!" the ten year old cried, "I'm not weak! I'm strong!! And...And..." His triangular white ears now lay flat in his silver hair. His golden eyes narrowed in barely contained anger, fangs barred in challenge. Inuyasha knew that his next words could probably be his last. Saying what he could feel rising up in his throat like bile, would mean the end of his life but this man's hands. But they tasted so good, and if he was to die, Inuyasha would have it be with his enemy's face twisting in rage. "You can't talk Naraku! You're the fucking same as me!!"

The King's eyes narrowed, unseen by anyone in the room. Those calculating eyes, flickering with the beginnings of anger, grimly noted the presence of his guard. Inuyasha wasn't finished, and Naraku saw it coming. The sorcerer was on his feet and storming down from the dais as the child screamed his next words.

"You're a hanyou too! You let oni demons eat your soul for the sake of power!! You think those stupid wards you wear can hide the stench of a rotting spirit?! Not from a demon's nose! You're just a much as a so called half-breed as me!!!"

Naraku reached Inuyasha, who had managed to rise up onto his knees while shouting. The dark King struck the boy across the face, putting magical force in the blow. Inuyasha jerked at the impact, knocked into the floor. The young Prince looked up into the smoldering eyes of his captor, glowing from underneath the hood of the cloak. "You will regret those words." He hissed out.

Inuyasha squared his jaw, and glared right back at the man who had held him prisoner for over a year. "Never."

The Prince saw the next blow coming, and could do nothing to dodge. One breathless moment and then the black overtook his senses.

Naraku was shaking with anger. He could sense his guards staring at him in shock. There was no way their kind, the crusader, The Bane of the Demons was actually part demon himself. Not possible...right?

The King was going to make the hanyou Prince suffers. Suffer for his words, for his father's actions, for his brother's inaction, and for the whole disgusting youkai race. Death was far too forgiving, life was the only way. So Naraku stayed his hand and went to his personal library. After applying a powerful memory charm to his guards, Naraku began researching curses, binding magic, and dark rituals. He wanted something that would torture the little hanyou brat, torture his fragile human heart that he thought he so carefully had protected this past year. He wanted that vile thing to beg for death, forever. But what to do? Curses didn't last forever. Magic's cast under indefinite parameters were unstable and likely to fall apart with short periods of time. So there always had to be a catch, a possible counter charm to balance the curse out, stabilize it.

Naraku was several hours into researching when he came across a storybook amongst his secular sources. He was about to toss the thing away, when the image emblazoned on the cover caught his eye. It was the picture of a bull like animal standing on two humanoid legs, curved horns protruding from his head. The boarder around the edge of the book was a complicated maze, which made him think of the extensive maze that was under the dungeons, under the castle. No one knew how big the maze was, where it ended, began, or where any of the other entrances were. It had been built centuries ago, carved out of the soft sandstone of the cliffs over looking the sea. The only known entrance was the one that was in the lowest point of the dungeons, a simple trapdoor in the floor. If Naraku recalled correctly, this story had something to do with a similar maze...

An idea began to form in Naraku's mind. It would be perfect... A curse that would indeed torture the half-breed even when death took him. Naraku grabbed some parchment and a quill.

The wording would have to be just right...

^^^^^^

"Is this wise, sir?" One of Naraku's mage advisors asked as the still body of the Prince of Daisho was heaved into a dark hole in the floor of the dungeons.

"What do you mean, Bonkotsu?" Naraku asked darkly. The human sorcerer nervously shifted as he felt his master's heavy gaze fall on him.

"You said you wanted the devil spawn to suffer. However, in his current state, there's a chance he won't survive the underground maze. The application of that curse most likely damanged much of his body." Naraku gave the hole one more look before waving his hand idly. The door swung shut in response, clanging loudly in the enclosed cell. Wards, charms and locks were quickly layered on the door. The King decided to answer once the sorcerer finished the last of the wards.

"Never underestimate the resiliency of a half-breed." Behind him his sorceress advisor mentally replied: You base that on personal experience, don't you, your highness? The dark king suddenly turned to her.

"Kagura, make sure that mutt's haori gets sent off to Daisho tonight. And don't allow anyone to clean the blood from it. I want the new Daisho king to know he doomed his precious little brother with his refusal to meet my demands. From this day forward, Inuyasha Daisho is dead. He died begging for his life like the pathetic half-breed he was, understood?"

Naraku's inner circle of mages all nodded in agreement. Silently they left the lowest room of the dank dungeons and spread the word. Prince Inuyasha was dead. Next, was the country of Daisho, and every vile demon in the way.