October 2002
Prologue
The kitsune danced around him, trying vainly to catch his attention, to tempt him to her. Yet, the demon lord would not move, would not even spare her the smallest of glances as he continued to walk through the forest. He still couldn’t believe the fact that he had lost to his half-brother, that sad excuse of a demon—nay, of a hanyou. Then again, any hanyou was a complete disgrace. To say he was in a bad mood was an understatement. And here, to add to his aggravation, was a lustful kitsune. Biting back a sigh, he continued on to the village where his brother resided.
She was angry, to say the least. Usually, everything she desired was won, whether it was
materialistic or not. The angry
kitsune, Hanako, as she was called, pressed her luck and began to walk at the
demon lord’s side.
“Lord
Sesshoumaru,” she drawled out seductively.
He didn’t answer, didn’t even blink. It was as if she were never there, as if she
never existed. It only angered her
more, as well as fueled her desire. Her
tail began to wind around his, creating a clash of sienna brown and creamy
white. Hanako’s arm encircled his as
she leaned closer.
“Do you not
ever feel lonely?” Her voice resonated
in an impious purr.
Sesshoumaru’s temper flared. She dared touch him? With
a low growl as her only warning, Sesshoumaru threw her off. She struck a tree forcefully and landed at
its base, her already scandalous outfit slipping further. Surprised, yes. Angry, definitely. And
she was going to do something about it.
“I will not
be denied,” she snarled, raising an accusing finger at him.
He stared at her blankly, fury flashing in his attractive
golden eyes before he turned and left.
Hanako bristled. Closing her
eyes, she concentrated on the lord and chanted out a spell, a spell that would
leave him utterly powerless against the first female he saw. Once she was finished, it would take a full
ten seconds for it to have effect. She
smirked, she was probably the only female within a ten-mile radius, and he
wasn’t aware of her anymore anyways. He
was going to be hers one way or another.
Her grin widened as she laughed, full and long.
Sesshoumaru was getting very irritated. Growling, he turned around and lunged at
her, claws extended. Three seconds
flat, and she was torn into tiny pieces.
A look of horror and defeat was plastered on her face before it, too,
was allowed passage to the spirit world.
He smirked. Worthless bitch. He suddenly felt a shiver run down his
spine. Shrugging it off as just a
reflex, he continued on his way to the village.
~*~*~*~*~
Kagome sat against a tree trunk close to the edge of the
forest. Shippou hopped up into her
arms, snuggling up against her.
“Hey
Shippou!” Kagome greeted, hugging the kitsune close.
“Hi
Kagome!” he chirped, eyes shining brightly.
The girl looked skyward, closing her eyes and letting the
sunlight wash across her face. Shippou,
seeing that his ‘mother’ was not in the mood to play, gave her a quick hug
before scurrying back to the village. A
slight breeze rustled through the trees, and then Kagome shivered. She could faintly sense a familiar demon
aura coming closer, at a very slow speed, for him at least. Rising hastily, she ran towards the village,
where Inuyasha was bound to be.
Sesshoumaru quickened his pace. No doubt, Inuyasha would soon sense him. Blood pounded through his veins, thirsting for battle. His eyes began to tint crimson. This time, his brother would not win.
“Inuyasha!”
was the ear-piercing shriek as she neared the village.
“Oi, wench! What do you want?” he demanded, rubbing his
abused ears.
“It’s”
“My
brother, I knew already,” he finished monotonously.
As if on cue, Sesshoumaru appeared before them and immediately
clawed at Inuyasha. The hanyou suffered
a gash on the shoulder, poison seeping into his veins.
“You…you
never learn, do you?” Inuyasha growled, lunging at the demon lord.
As he dodged the blow, Sesshoumaru noticed Kagome, the
human wench Inuyasha kept with him. He
almost froze when he saw her. An
imperceptible shudder ran through his body.
Inuyasha took the opportunity to attack.
“You!”
Inuyasha called, slashing again at the shoulder protected by armor. “What’s wrong with you?!” His claws took off
a chunk of the armor.
The hanyou was puzzled.
His brother seemed to be…out of it.
Waving a hand in front of the dazed youkai’s face, he found that the
demon lord would not respond. Following
the demon lord’s gaze, Inuyasha found he was staring directly at an uneasy
Kagome.
What’s wrong with me? Sesshoumaru was totally and completely
confused by his actions. He was frozen
by the image of Inuyasha’s wench, Kagome, she was called. The innocent blue-gray eyes captivated
him. She swayed with uncertainty as his
gaze bore through her. Sesshoumaru took
in all the details of her body, her long legs, her narrow waist, the long black
hair that cascaded down her back.
Everything, he wanted to memorize everything about her. Vaguely aware of what was going on, he took
a step towards her, costing him a laceration in his shoulder. Falling out of his trance, he growled and struck
Inuyasha. The hanyou was graced with
another wound. Sesshoumaru, knowing he wouldn’t
be able to focus, leapt off, a deep frown painted on his regal features. Another time, brother.
Inuyasha
watched in confusion as Sesshoumaru left.
“What was that?”
Kagome
shivered slightly. “Did you see the way
he was looking at me?”
Frowning
Inuyasha wondered, indeed, why his brother had been staring at Kagome in such a
way. “Yeah. Maybe he’s finally cracked under all that royal stress?”
Kagome laughed sarcastically and walked into Kaede’s
hut. That had been scary…
~*~*~*~*~
Sesshoumaru watched from a distance. The girl entered the hut after exchanging a
few words with the hanyou. The demon
lord couldn’t shake the strange emotions he was experiencing. All his thoughts were centered on that one
girl. He didn’t quite feel complete not
being near her. In a way, he was quite
disgusted with himself. But he couldn’t
quite hold back the fact that he was drawn to her. He wanted her.
~*~*~*~*~
Kagome relayed the information of the encounter to
Kaede. The old woman nodded her head in
understanding when the young girl recalled the part of the demon lord’s intense
gaze. Kagome paused.
“If I
didn’t know better, I’d say it was lustful,” she said, frowning.
Kaede
looked thoughtful for a moment. “No,
child, it does not seem like the demon lord to gaze at one so.”
The information didn’t comfort Kagome much. Sighing, she gathered her things for a
bath. After all, she hadn’t taken one
since yesterday afternoon, and she felt positively filthy. She looked towards Kaede, who nodded and
waved her on. Smiling appreciatively,
she left the village for the nearest spring.
Sesshoumaru followed her with his piercing eyes. Inuyasha seemed to have left for a while,
going where, he did not know nor care.
Afraid he would, perhaps, scare her away, Sesshoumaru chose to follow
Kagome through the trees. Silently, he
hopped from branch to branch, keeping close behind the black-haired
figure. Even as he followed her, he was
still carrying that yearning for her. Impossible,
he chided, she fears me. But
despite his reason, his legs would not listen and only kept leaping through the
foliage.
Kagome shivered and glanced behind. I’m just being paranoid. Shrugging, she continued and remained
totally unaware of the possible threat posed by the trailing demon.
Once she reached the familiar spring, she set down her
things and slowly stripped off her clothing.
Sesshoumaru, above, watched her, though it now extremely
disgusted, not to mention disgraced, him.
Alas, he could not tear his eyes away from her. Every motion she made, a flick of the wrist, a
murmur of lips, the smallest gestures, seduced him unintentionally. And she wasn’t even aware of his
presence. This was not a good
sign. In all honesty, he really didn’t
know what was to happen when she intentionally seduced him. He would probably…no…no, don’t think
about that. Still, his eyes
remained glued to her. If it had not
been for his well-practiced control, he probably would have pounced on her
already. As it was, he was straining to
keep his balance. Sesshoumaru leaned
against the trunk of the tree and crossed his arms. He would not lower himself to attacking a human girl because of
his lust.
Easing herself into the water, Kagome sighed as the liquid
washed away the dull aches and pains of traveling. Really, she didn’t know how much more she could take. Her studies were taking a great blow, but
she could not excuse herself from her responsibilities here, in the Sengoku
Era. She slipped lower in the
water. I can worry later. Right now, maybe I can just relax… Nodding to herself, she dove under the water
and resurfaced. Small droplets ran down
her body and hair, glistening in the afternoon light. Kagome sighed in contentment.
A bath did do wonders.
He almost couldn’t bear it. There she was, right below him and in easy reach, but all he
could do was stand there. Sesshoumaru
longed to reach out to her, to have her accept him in some way. But he knew, the only thing his presence
would bring was chaos. After all, was
he not the renowned Lord of the Western Lands, cold, emotionless, and
bloodthirsty? No, he would not be
rejected because of that. So, he
remained in the shadows, patiently waiting for a chance to strike, like a
coiled snake lying in the shadows.
The heat was becoming a little too much for her, she
decided. Kagome splashed the steaming
water on her face once before she glided out.
On shore, she grabbed her towel and went about drying herself. Now that she was clean, she felt much better,
definitely more refreshed. The girl
tossed her towel aside and grabbed her light blue button-down shirt, slipping
it on. Dread seemed to be eminent in
the air. Why can’t I shake this
feeling? There can’t be anything
in the surrounding area, she thought reasonably, slipping on the dark blue
denim skirt she had brought. Sighing
again, she ignored the instinctual warnings and began to work the buttons of
her collared shirt.
If he were capable of doing so, he would have been
drooling. Before he knew what he was
doing, Sesshoumaru had hopped down from his high perch and was walking towards
the girl. Kagome spun around quickly
and backed up, just her luck, into a tree.
“W-what do
you want, Sesshoumaru?” she asked shakily, pressing her back into the hard
bark, as if expecting to meld into it.
“You,” he
stated simply, eyes flashing, “I want you.”
Kagome’s heart skipped a beat. Scream, girl! Scream
for Inuyasha! Her mouth moved but
no sound came out. This was just
great. Right when she needed it, her
voice just had to fail her.
Screw Murphy’s Law.
Sesshoumaru was drawing closer by the second, the golden
dusk light shimmering as it reflected off his eyes and hair, practically his
whole being. In a way, it made him look
like an angel. Yet, the way his eyes
flashed belied the notion. Kagome,
unthinkingly, scolded herself for not noticing the way the golden orbs blazed
malevolently whenever he wanted something.
They had done the same when she had had the Tetsusaiga in her
grasp. He hadn’t looked at me that
way before…why now? Kami, help!
The scent of fear and panic was nearly overwhelming. There was no doubt that she considered him a
threat. This fact hurt him a little,
just a tiny bit, but he would not retreat now.
No, the kill was too close at hand.
The summer air was warm as was the breeze that drifted with it. Kagome’s natural scent mixed along with all
these other things enticed him more. In
one swift motion, he had her wrists and was closer than he had ever been to her
in his life. A startled gasp escaped
her lips as he leaned closer to her.
“What spell
have you cast upon me?” Sesshoumaru whispered to her ear.
“Spell?”
she returned hoarsely. He was really
having an effect on her.
“It matters
not,” he waved away, inhaling her fragrant aroma. “I have you.”
Before she could say anything in protest, her tenacity
failed as his lips descended on hers.
Surprisingly, Kagome found herself indulging in its sweet taste. Maybe Sesshoumaru wasn’t so bad?
~*~*~*~*~
“She said WHAT?!”
Inuyasha roared at the old priestess.
“There is
no need to get angry, Inuyasha,” Kaede said calmly, looking him in the eye,
“The girl was only making an honest observation.
“HONEST
OBSERVATION MY ASS!!!”
“How did
you say he looked, Lady Kaede?” Miroku questioned, “I couldn’t quite hear over
Inuyasha’s yelling.”
“The child
said he looked ‘lustful’,” Kaede offered.
“But,”
Sango reasoned, looking thoughtfully at the elder, “Sesshoumaru has never
looked at her that way before.”
“Maybe
something happened to him?” Miroku suggested.
“Something
like WHAT?!” came Inuyasha’s cry.
“A spell,
perhaps,” Kaede said reflectively.
“What kind
of spell is POWERFUL enough to affect my damn brother?!”
“A
kitsune’s,” Shippou answered meekly.
All heads
turned, Inuyasha’s accusing eyes boring into him. Shippou caught on before any bodily harm was inflicted. “No, it wasn’t me.”
“Tell us
about this spell, Shippou,” Miroku encouraged.
“Well,”
Shippou started uncertainly, gazing warily at Inuyasha, “there’s only one that
I know of, but it’s really powerful.”
Inuyasha looked positively
murderous. “Keep talkin’.”
Shippou
nodded. “Only female kitsune have
it. Men who are put under it are
totally drawn to the first female they see sometime ten seconds after the spell
has been cast.”
Everyone
looked grave. “Maybe Sesshoumaru met up
with some kitsune along the way here?” Shippou suggested carefully.
A slight breeze was felt, and Inuyasha was gone. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou quickly followed
the trail of scattered leaves and torn earth.
~*~*~*~*~
Sesshoumaru was surprised (and ecstatic) that she had
responded to his kiss. Really, he
hadn’t expected it. He deepened their
contact, and his arms encircled her waist.
Kagome was totally confused. Am
I actually enjoying this??? For
Kami’s sake, it’s Inuyasha’s brother!
Well…half-brother…but I thought he was the guy who would kill anyone
without second thought!!! …I’m kissing
a murderer…but, he’s a damn good kisser…
Unknowingly, her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer.
Thus was the position Inuyasha found them. He barely escaped fainting, but Sango was
not so lucky. She fell to the soft
forest floor with a thud. Shippou was
shocked, wide-eyed with mouth gaping.
Miroku smiled knowingly. His
voice broke the silence, thick with a teasing, gushing tone
“Lady Kagome,”
he started slyly, “is there something you haven’t been telling us?”
Inuyasha whacked him upside the head, knocking him
out. Kagome quickly pulled away from
Sesshoumaru, who in turn, frowned at the Inuyasha-tachi. He had finally gotten to her, and his
brother shows up. Dumb hanyou. Before anything else could be said, he
cupped Kagome’s chin in his hand and brought a quick, but passionate, kiss onto
her lips and disappeared.
The hanyou stared at Kagome. What just happened?
Did I see right? SESSHOUMARU
FRICKIN’ KISSED HER!!! He was just
about as confused as he would ever be in his life. His brother, the bastard that he was, just kissed Kagome…his
Kagome. Growling, he was about to go
find that damned brother of his when Kagome held him back.
“Leave him alone,”
she said softly, eyes pleading.
“Kagome…you
don’t…really…do you?” he questioned uneasily, looking lost and devastated.
The girl didn’t answer, only turned and started back to
the village, buttoning up the rest of her shirt as she walked along the forest
path. Inuyasha stared dumbly after
her. Kagome sighed and glanced off to
the side, deep into the forest. She
thought she saw something silver flick through the trees.
Chapter One
February 2003
The sun dipped low into the horizon, falling under the
cover of shadowing tinted clouds.
Crickets were beginning to trill their soothing nocturnes, and strong
gales began to lighten into whispering night breezes. Fragrant aromas floated through the atmosphere, hinting of roses
and rushing streams along with fresh greenery.
Kagome kneeled on the boarded floor of Kaede’s hut, an air of impatience
in her midst. The girl’s brow was knit
in comprehension of words which resonated smoothly from the old miko’s throat. Explanation did not take long, and Kagome’s
hands were soon fidgeting in thought.
Finally, she set her gaze straight to Kaede’s one eye. “You say he’s under a spell?”
The old woman tipped her head in consent before Shippo
launched into an expansion of the suggestion.
“It was a
kitsune who did it!” he exclaimed with vigor, eyes wide. “Only a kitsune can perform a powerful spell
like that.”
The little fox crossed chubby arms over one another,
nodding his head in approval. Kagome
only spared him the barest of glances, her mind elsewhere. The fire crackled and popped with jumping
sparks, smoke curling out of the hole in the ceiling. Now, she glanced upward, through the hole into the darkening
sky. A spell…does he know it?
Her head turned to the hanyou against the wood of the
wall, arms folded over a sheathed Tetsusaiga.
Though the golden eyes were closed, his face remained in his perpetual
scowl, as if this was a being totally unhappy with the hand life had dealt him. Kagome’s eyes softened at the sight of
him. She had wished for so long to be
his happiness, the solution to his life.
She had wanted to make him happy, make that eternal scowl disappear from
his visage. But it had not happened,
nor would it. Why don’t you like me,
Inuyasha? She asked herself again and again. Am I not what you want?
Shaking her head sadly, Kagome pushed herself up from the floor and made
her way to the door.
“Where are
you going?” came the rough question, the voice of Inuyasha.
“Yes. It is quite unwise to go wandering anywhere
alone at this hour, Kagome-sama,” was Miroku’s bit.
“Do you
want me to go with you, Kagome-chan?” Sango suggested.
Kagome stopped in the doorway,
half turning back to the group scattered about the cramped one-room structure. “I’ll be back. Don’t worry about me.”
Her voice was harsher than she intended, but she left it
at that and disappeared behind the flap of the door. Once outside, Kagome inhaled the brisk evening air, her legs
carrying her of their own accord toward the forest.
The path lay clearly before her, but she stepped away from
it. Quietly, she wove her way through
the thick collection of trees and underbrush, making toward an unknown
destination. A few moments later, she
reappeared in a clearing bathed in the orange light of fading sun. Prickling thrills ran down her spine, but
she ignored them, focusing only on bringing back the memory of two secretive
lovers. Closing her eyes, Kagome recalled
the painful image of Kikyo and Inuyasha’s rendezvous. She remembered the way the hanyou’s arms had wound tightly around
the priestess’s body, refusing to release her even when the miko attempted to
push him away. Never would she forget
the intimate embrace the two had shared in her seeming absence.
Upon opening tear-brimming eyes, she found herself leaning
into a gentle caress to her cheek. An
upward glance told her it was the one she had been seeking.
“Sesshoumaru,”
she whispered.
He did not
answer for a while, only cradled her cheek in an outstretched hand. Then, plainly astonished, “Why do you not
run from me?” It was more thinking out
loud than a question, but Kagome left it unanswered either way.
His slender hand moved from her cheek to her chin, gently
bringing her closer to him. Surprisingly,
she did not resist, only leaned into him.
The kiss started as slow and innocent, then it increased in contact and
audacity. Even as the demon lord slid
his tongue into her mouth, Kagome remained unmoving, as if she was giving
herself up to him. How could she?
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, they say. Sesshoumaru did not question her
submissiveness so allowed his arms to fold around her lithe body. Still, she made no move to stop him, and her
lack of response was beginning to rile his senses. He deepened their contact further, pushing her body passionately
into his.
When her small hand came to fall on his neck, Sesshoumaru
stopped, came to a dead halt. The
feeling of pleasure which was supposed to arise from their intimate contact did
not come, and the youkai slowly released her mouth but remained in close
proximity to Kagome. Their breath
mingled as her shallow pants evened out.
Kagome fell against the demon lord, relying on his body to
support hers. Her head rested against
the strong chest. The steady beat of
his heart and breathing played in her ear.
Unrelenting arms held her against him, not willing to let go.
“You’re
under a spell,” she stated plainly.
“I refuse
to believe that,” he responded, burying his nose in her aromatic scent. Really, he knew he was under the power of a
spell, of her spell.
“You are.”
“Under your
spell,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers.
Decisively, she pushed herself from him and stepped
away. The expressive orbs seemed to be
in turmoil. Clearly, her expression,
her body language, told him to stay away.
Turning on her heel, Kagome disappeared back into the cover of the
forest. Sesshoumaru stared after her
shadow, golden eyes flashing with regret and longing. As he stared back up at the now velvety black sky, sprinkled with
stars, he frowned. What is happening
to me?
~*~*~*~*~
Kagome ran through the foliage, snapping twigs underfoot
and breaking through branches blocking her path. Her world was falling apart, piece by piece. Hell, she was even making out with Sesshoumaru
now. Inuyasha…it’s all your fault.
Skidding to a halt, she gasped for the air her lungs had
been deprived of in her bolt from the clearing. The clothes she adorned were torn in some places from breaking
through branches. As if on cue, the
people inside the hut spilled out, staring wide-eyed at her appearance. Inuyasha was first to speak.
“Kagome! What happened?” he demanded.
“Kagome-sama…”
“Kagome-chan…”
“Kagome!” Shippo launched into her arms and cuddled
into her chest.
Kagome took
the moment to grant the kitsune a squeeze of her arms before answering their
evident question. “I’m fine.”
“What
happened to your clothes?!”
She glanced
down at her clothing blankly. “I
fell.” With that, she deliberately
brushed past the startled hanyou back into the hut. Inuyasha only had to take half a sniff to recognize the scent
tainting her fragrance. Sesshoumaru!
March 2003
The diminishing light cast a shadowed illumination across
Inuyasha’s face, making his features gain extra depth and giving him a sinister
countenance. His strong jaw ran slack
as the information processed in his less-than-nimble mind. When the cogs finally turned, the light bulb
flickering on in the process, his jaw clenched along with his fists, knuckles
bleeding a ghastly shade of white. The
golden eyes flashed with anger and regret.
“What did
the bastard do to you?!”
Kagome half-turned.
Her eyes were dangerously narrow, as if she were in a trance, waiting to
be roused from a mute and pleasure-less dreamland; they looked so empty that
had Inuyasha not picked up her soft breathing, he would have sworn she was
dead. The bottomless orbs focused on
him, causing him to shrink back slightly in his stiff pose.
“Who?”
She acted
as if he was stupid! Through gritted
teeth he spat, “Who else? You think I’m
that dumb? Sesshoumaru!”
Recognition flickered and vanished; anguish followed
regret. She didn’t answer verbally and
only turned her back on him, cutting to the hut. The action only served to rile him, and he felt the urge to roar
in fury.
“DAMN IT,
KAGOME! I’ll KILL that damned
half-brother of mine!” he threatened, cracking his claws.
She stopped, gazing up into the treetops where the rising
moon hid. A stray breeze played through
her hair, lifting the silky tendrils to flow languidly. Kagome looked as if she was going to
cry. There seemed to be so much
heartache locked away in that cheerless stare.
Anyone watching would’ve given his or her whole life to see this girl
smile, so dead was her façade. But she
had, seemingly, given up.
“Inuyasha,”
she called.
Inuyasha could take it no more. With a signaling growl, he turned on his heel and rocketed in the
direction of the clearing.
“Osuwari.”
He crashed to the ground, skidding against the firmly
packed soil.
“He hasn’t
hurt me in any way, shape, or form…today,” she added offhandedly. Kagome turned. “Leave him be.”
“How can
you say that?!” he argued through a mouthful of grass. “How many times has HE tried to kill
you and me?”
She halted
once more. “For the number of times,
Inuyasha,” she told him, “that you broke me, I don’t think you have the right
to accuse Sesshoumaru of any high crime.
Let him alone, or answer to me.”
Inuyasha stared in wide-eyed shock at her retreating
back. How could she say such a
thing? What had he done to cause her so
much pain as to side with Sesshoumaru?
He dejectedly lifted himself from the ground, hastily brushing at his
long sleeves, before setting off quietly to the Goshinboku, where he would
hopefully find peace.
~*~*~*~*~
He watched, blending in shadow with the silhouettes of towering boughs. Every word uttered was clear to him, and it had a very chilling effect when Kagome made direct eye contact, even through the obscuring weave of foliage. Her intent look revealed nothing; no pain, no sorrow, no regret; it was like something had stripped her ruthlessly of all feeling, but the way the wind whirred around her suggested a magical being. It twisted her ebon locks and rippled her torn clothing as she uttered the words, directed toward Inuyasha but deliberately sent to Sesshoumaru.
“Osuwari.” After the hanyou had struck the ground, she continued blatantly with a scathing tone, dead of all compassion, “He hasn’t hurt me in any way, shape, or form…today.” A pause. “Leave him be.”
“How can you say that?!” his half-brother demanded, “How many times has HE tried to kill you and me?”
How true, Sesshoumaru reflected. There was no lie in the fact that he himself had attempted more than once to do away with both the hanyou and the girl. How would Kagome react to this argument? There was no denying it, but she seemed not to care. She had already turned her head from him, now facing Inuyasha, so there was no way to read her emotions, however few there seemed to be.
“For the number of times, Inuyasha, that you broke me, I don’t think you have the right to accuse Sesshoumaru of any high crime.” Blunt surprise flickered in his furtive gold orbs. Even more rose with her next statement, a bold threat. “Let him alone, or answer to me.”
Cold fury rolled in waves from her petite form, deceiving in its seeming fragility. Kagome had changed, more than he dared find out. What had caused this abrupt shift in emotional and psychological appearance? Somehow, her jubilance had gone with the wind, leaving in its wake an empty shell. With clenched fist and jaw, he reluctantly left his obsession to the fates; there would be nothing more he could attempt or achieve with her in such a state of mind.
Yet, he would come to know in just a few days…that the Fates had not intended for him to leave, and therefore, would not stand for a prolonged departure. Sesshoumaru would realize that leaving Kagome could prove much more damaging to him than attempting to soothe the raging storms of her soul…
Chapter Three
May 2003
He held the brush centimeters from the pearly white paper,
willing it to stroke of its own will, to continue this superfluous practice of
meaningless words. It would not
move. Only one elegant character was
written on the sheet. Even then, it was
not one of his best works. Excess ink
dripped from the coarse wolf hair, marring the blank expanse of rice
paper. He sat upright, staring blankly
at the splotch. It was a flaw, an
imperfection…inhibiting the work from being balanced, flawless, and otherwise
perfect. He carelessly stroked the
paper, sending a streak of black across the unsightly blotch. The bamboo brush twirled in his hand once. Twice.
On the third whirl, he set it down and began idly sketching whatever
came to mind. By the time he was
finished, the simple outline of a girl’s face stared up at him. Beside it, he had unknowingly drawn her
name. Kagome.
It had been two days since he last saw her striding away
resolutely, grimly. He had thought to
himself that it would be safer not to approach her in her state of mind. And, even if he did go near her, what was
his purpose? The brush slipped from his
fingers to clatter on the low table.
Somewhat startled, he stared down at it and then over the crude drawing
he had created; his artistic skills were not that of a master by any means, but
the drawing represented her well enough.
Her features, although not ornately detailed, were sculpted quite
accurately. It made him wonder how much
of her he had actually observed. A
polite rap at the door raised his head.
Jaken hobbled in with a low bow, leaning heavily on his staff.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,”
he started, “the Eastern Lord demands your audience.” The servant glanced up expectantly, awaiting his answer.
He gave a nonchalant glance once more to the drawing,
releasing an imperceptible sigh. The
nonsensical drone of political matters had never interested him much, but he
had naught to do, naught to accomplish at the moment. Swiftly, Sesshoumaru rose from his place at the table, gliding
out the door in the way characteristic to aristocracy. Jaken struggled to keep pace as the
taiyoukai made his way to the entrance.
There, his caller waited impatiently, casting observant glares to the
furnishings of the Western Lord’s home.
“Nomura-san,
I believe you requested my audience.”
The man turned alertly.
It was obvious he was not one to mince words; his expression was plainly
candid with no hints of generosity. He
was fit to be one of the Four Lords.
“Yes, I did.” He strode to Sesshoumaru. “I have noticed a recent jump in the human
population. Furthermore, humanoid
youkai are difficult to find these days.
Should not something be done?”
“I have no
qualms concerning the matter. The
Western Lands are stable in population ratios.” His answer was curt. No
lasting friendship stood between them; if anything, they were bordering on war.
“Very well,
then.” He scowled and turned
aside. “There is also the land
dispute.”
Sesshoumaru’s
gaze narrowed fractionally. And this
was the touchy subject. “May I remind
you, Nomura-san, you stand on Western land.
Any dispute that may arise is cause for bloodshed, as you are not on
neutral grounds. Continue if you so
wish, or leave.” A fair warning. If the Eastern Lord wanted to risk his tail,
it was his problem.
A frown
twisted his lips, and his head tilted tersely.
“Very well, then, Sesshoumaru-san.
Another time.” He disappeared,
as he was prone to doing, leaving Sesshoumaru alone in a threshold of silence.
He turned his gaze to a half-open door leading to the
outside world. A shaft of light gushed
through, staining the wooden floor with its golden hue, the swaying of trees
speckling the light with shadows.
Sauntering to the door, the taiyoukai stepped out, basking in the late
warmth of the sun. His head tilted
upward, observing the sky flecked with clouds.
Time passed indefinitely before he returned to his study, to the drawing
of the girl. As he stared at the
picture, silence pervaded the room, drawing on his nerves. Solitude usually did not bother him. In fact he reveled in it. Today it had an unnerving effect, pushing
him to the edges of his sanity.
Sesshoumaru turned when he heard his name.
Nothing met his searching gaze. He heard it again. This
time, it held a strangely familiar breathy quality that set him on edge. His claws instinctually lengthened and
flexed. Sesshoumaru, it
whispered over and over. Closing his
eyes he breathed deeply, attempting to calm his senses, only to become more
confused. Her pleasing fragrance
assaulted his nose. Cherry blossoms,
spring breezes, rivers, rain, summer, and roses all rushed to him along with a
general comfort that came with her. She
smelled…clean, familiar, fresh…everything.
It drove him mad. Where was
she? His hearing pricked. Her light footsteps echoed in his mind. The demon lord felt her slender hand rest
against his neck, and he looked down, expecting to find her before him.
There was no one there.
The wind rustled outside, and it all disappeared. What in seven hells was that? Sesshoumaru exhaled sharply and carelessly
shrugged it off as a result of stress.
Some sleep and several well-placed injuries on Jaken would wear it off. It was no big deal.
~*~*~*~
At one point, he had thought imaginary entities were just
that: imaginary. One could not touch
them, feel them, smell them, hear them, nor, much less, see them. He was, to be perfectly blunt, wrong. Five days now since he last saw Kagome,
curse the girl. In sleep the demon lord
conversed openly with her. When waking
she lay beside him. During the day she
followed his every step, and in the night she haunted his shadow. Sesshoumaru concluded that he was crazy—if
not that, then very verging on it. And
to add to that, he had a burning desire to see her, to be able to touch
her. Every time he cared to turn
around, she would disappear like a puff of smoke. But still, he could smell and feel her presence. Perhaps, she had actually died, and her
ghost haunted him. Somehow, the notion
did not bring the most pleasant thoughts to mind…
Damn it to hell.
Uncharacteristically slashing the door down, he shot into
the air, determined to bring an end to this.
His need to see the girl had not dissipated, and, since it held firm, he
would just appease it. There was
nothing to this; up and away he went.
` ` `
Kagome sighed, turning tired eyes to the painted
horizon. She had no idea what was wrong
with her these days. Her eyes drank in the
warm colors, expressing a silent wonder at the simple beauty of something so
simple as a sunset. Kagome had settled
on her sleeping bag near the fire, hugging her knees to her chest. They were on another shard hunt; news of a
powerful demon lured them to the east, away from the Western Lands. From what she had gathered, they were going
quite close to the coast, where, perhaps, they would find white sandy beaches
and clear cerulean waters. It was
something she would have normally looked forward to, but her mood had dropped in
the past few days. Whether it had anything
to do with Kikyo and Inuyasha she was no longer sure.
The hanyou expressly stated in more ways than one that he
would protect her, indirectly claiming her as his property. Yet Kagome found no relief from this
proclamation; it only served to cage her, bind her to him. Of course, it wasn’t entirely unwelcome;
after all, she did hold quite a place for him in her heart. Then again, her opinion of him seemed to
lower just a notch every time she saw him with Kikyo.
Kagome sighed again, closing her eyes and lowering her
head.
She understood, really she did. Inuyasha still loved Kikyo, and to some measure, loved her as
well—just not as much as he did Kikyo.
It irritated her to no end, but she was by no means a selfish person, so
she resolved to convince herself that no, she did not hold any serious feelings
for the hanyou. In short, denial was
her destination.
But then, if she didn’t love him, then why did it bother
her that he was gone again? She
snorted. Sniffing once and giving no
indication of where he intended to go, Inuyasha had left but fifteen minutes
ago. She could only guess from the
serpent-like spirits that passed occasionally overhead that he was after
Kikyo. Not only that, but there was a
stiff silence about the group that belied everyone’s suspicions that, indeed,
that was the case.
Raising her head, Kagome glanced again at the sky before
turning to the still forest. I
wonder where they’re at… What they
would be doing she had no idea; she had heard that Inuyasha had already vowed
to protect the woman multiple times.
What else could they do after that?
Inuyasha was not the type of person to jump in sexually and also was
given to remain silent about his feelings.
Although, Kagome reasoned, there was that one time when she was tied to
the tree while witnessing their…second meeting. She nearly gagged. Seeing
something like that again was not on her list of things to do. Although it was sweet and all, she felt like
she was invading Inuyasha’s personal space.
And everyone was entitled their personal space, weren’t
they?
“I’ll be
back,” she tossed to Sango. “Just going
for a walk.”
The taijiya
nodded. “Kagome-chan, are you alright?”
Kagome
indicated that she was and rose.
“Here.”
The tiny vial tinkled when Miroku caught it. He eyed the shards once, nodded in
understanding, and placed it safely within a sleeve. Kagome silently cut a path into the wood, the muffled snapping of
twigs sounding underfoot.
“What do
you think, houshi-sama?” The demon
exterminator was seated across from him, so that the fire separated the two.
“Kagome-sama
seems to be preoccupied,” he pointed out, glancing thoughtfully at her
abandoned sleeping bag. Shippo lay
curled up to one side of it, clutching a fistful of the blanket in his small
hand.
Sango
inclined her head grimly. “Inuyasha and
she don’t seem to be so close anymore.”
“I would
imagine, especially after that encounter with Sesshoumaru.” He paused, looking to the sky. “Have you noticed Kikyo’s increasing visits?”
She rested
her chin on a propped hand, thinking.
“No, but now that you call it to my attention…she does seem to be coming
on a regular basis. What do you think
she wants?”
Miroku
sighed sullenly. “I don’t know.”
` ` `
Kagome kicked along the trail, watching her feet as they
trudged through the dirt. It seemed
like she was being forcefully propelled in one direction, not that she
cared. Wherever she went was fine with
her…just as long as she didn’t bump into Kikyo or Inuyasha, or both of them,
doing whatever they were doing. Kagome
sighed. She was moping and she knew
it. What was there to mope about,
though?
The branches in the forest canopy thickened, and it become
harder to see where she was going.
Muttering under her breath, Kagome broke into a relaxed jog, hoping she
wouldn’t run into anything too sharp and harmful. It’s just my luck, you know?
I’ll probably run into this thorny bush and cut myself up, whaddya know,
and all the cuts will get infected with this unknown virus that doesn’t exist
in the twentieth century; I’ll be sick for real, and then I’ll be stuck in a
bed forever. Go figure. Or maybe… Kagome slowed, spying a break in the wood several paces
ahead. I’ll run into a big, BIG
demon that’ll want to eat me. She
sketched said demon in her mind, and her mood lightened. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad…what she
pictured was quite comical. Large and
bulky, the creature had one eye, red as blood, and horrendous orange fur
covering its entire body.
But…apparently the demon had encountered some sort of
vicious battle. All of its appendages
were quite severed; in fact, it didn’t seem to have appendages at all. In a way, it reminded Kagome of a live hairy
orange potato, hopping around quite helplessly and falling flat on its one
eye. It didn’t seem to have a mouth,
either…
“Oof!”
Oh no! The potato
was attacking her! She had bumped into
its downy orange body, and she was falling onto it! It was gonna eat her! She
could see it now, portrayed vividly in her mind’s eye. The sharp canines sinking into her…or
maybe…she would be swallowed whole…down its dark throat and into its stomach,
where the digestive juices would devour her alive…
Firm hands clasped her shoulders, and she squeezed her
eyes shut. I love you, Mama, Souta,
Grandpa…Buyo, Ayumi, Yuka, Houjo…Sango, Miroku…that cute guy at the
café…Eriko—you were the best little kid I ever babysat for…Tanuki-sensei—darn
you and your quizzes, but I actually learned something from that class:
procrastination isn’t all that bad…Shippo, how could I have forgotten Shippo…
Wait…
An eye cracked open and glanced at the pale skin of the
hand that grasped her. Her monster was
furry…carrot-like and furry…with no hands!
Yes! She was saved! Her knight in shining armor had come to her
rescue! Her gaze trailed up the thin
wrist to the silky kimono sleeve, to the shoulder, up a neck, and to…
Him.
The half-cheerful mood she had procured was lost to her,
and her shoulders slumped. Talk about
being delirious.
“What do
you want,” she demanded softly, shrugging his hands off. Some knight in shining armor.
He did not answer, stepping back to allow her some
space. Kagome observed him warily and, seeing
no emotion evident in his countenance, crossed her arms and sighed.
“Look, last
time you came, you had no objective,” she stated bluntly, meeting the golden
eyes, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m out on a walk right now. I don’t need you ruining it for me.”
She had suddenly reverted to being moody and she couldn’t
imagine why. After all, he had saved
her from her fuzzy orange monster.
Maybe it would’ve been better if an innocent tree rescued her, but it
probably would’ve been a little more painful, not to mention embarrassing. Whoosh!
BAM! Straight into the abrasive
bark! Kagome grimaced. She probably would’ve ended up giving a
prolonged apology to the plant. Not
only would it not understand her, but the squirrel up in the branches, poor
fellow, would be confused by her foreign tongue. Who knows, though? Maybe
she would’ve come across a new mutated species, you know? She would bring one back to the future and
become famous for discovering a squirrel who could speak the human tongue! Kagome shook her head, attempting to dispel
the ridiculous lines of thought.
Yes, she was delirious.
Maybe she should get back to camp…a good night’s sleep could do wonders.
~*~*~*~
A perfect brow rose in silent query. The object of his obsession seemed to be gazing somewhere over his shoulder, but by instinct, he knew there was nothing and no one there but trees. Her eyes seemed to glaze over somewhat as her jaw slackened. Perhaps she was somewhat ill? He had the impression she was not thinking quite straight. In fact, her line of thinking might have been anything but a line. It was possible that she was thinking rather more in a circle with not a point touching on the boundaries of sane thought.
Although…he might have been crazy himself. Her rosy mouth was slightly parted and
seemed to beckon him. Come to think of
it, he’d been aiming to actually touch the girl for a while, especially after
the ghost incident. She had to be
alive, he reasoned. Kagome was standing
right in front of him! Then again, she
had been standing right in front of him quite a few times. Perhaps, if he touched her, she would
disappear again…it was a risk he was willing to take.
The distance between them quickly diminished as his mouth
found hers.
~*~*~*~
She had been about to apologize profusely to the tree for
running into it, but for some reason, it moved and she found herself kissing it. Kissing a tree. For a moment, she thought it was
Sesshoumaru; in fact, she could’ve sworn it was Sesshoumaru, but she dismissed
it as a trick of the eye, and she had enough of those for the day. She brought a hand up and attempted to push
away, but the tree, of course wouldn’t budge.
And, come to think of it, it felt extremely soft. Who’d have thought bark could be that
smooth? It was like she was touching
silk… Sometime in the course of her
tree-hugging, her eyes had fluttered shut, and some sort of writhing vine had
wrapped around her waist, pressing her rather intimately against the body of
the tree. The demon lord’s image
flashed before her closed lids, and she took the chance to bring her hand
across it harshly. Instantly, she was
released from her delirium (as well as the tree’s embrace), and her vision
cleared painfully.
She felt hot and her head ached. Her hand rose to her forehead instinctually as her temple
throbbed. Gasping, she felt her legs
weaken. She toppled to the ground in a dead
faint.
~*~*~*~
If he had ever seen anti-climactic, that was it. Through the osculation, Sesshoumaru had felt the rising of her body temperature. He had dismissed it as the result of their contact, and continued as if nothing had occurred. It wasn’t until her lids had closed lethargically that he realized the true extent of her feverish behavior. The slap had caught him off guard, and she fell from his hold. There she was now, lying prostrate on the ground, flushed and also somewhat pallid at the same time. Her respiration was hitched and forced; something had to be done.
Seeing no other option, he lifted her into his arms and
took once again to the air. His
half-brother would just have to suffer from suspense until he chose to bring
the girl back…if he chose to bring her back. Sesshoumaru sped up. He
could feel her fever even through her clothing.
[To Be Continued…]