He who bears the heavens
Inuyasha/Greek Mythology
Kagome/Atlas
By: Itoma
(a/n:Okay... so this is going to take some monumental effort on my part. Because for those of you who are aware, my track record with projects like this is... questionable at best.
But I will endeavor to finish this MULTI-chapter story... that's right. This isn't a one shot! Wish me luck!)
High in the mountains of Greece, built into the side of a mountain, was large stone palace invisible to the mortal eye. It was here that an ancient Titan resided, for ever fulfilling his duty to hold up the heavens.
His name was Atlas, thousands upon thousands of years ago he had lead the charge against the Olympian gods with his Titan brothers and sisters. They had fought hard and long, waged war across the earth, but in the end his side had lost, and though most of his brothers and sisters had been condemned to Tartarus, his punishment, by the hand of the "almighty" Zeus was to hold the heavens upon his shoulders for all time.
After so many long years, Zeus had shown some leniency to his sentence. The stone palace was built, to hold up the sky, allowing Atlas a modicum of freedom to wander about his home. Although the titan no longer bore the heavens directly upon his shoulders, the palace was enchanted to make Atlas always feel the weight, connecting him to the massive structure. Inside the palace he had all his strength and powers as a titan, but when he left he became vulnerable, most of his powers would leave him, and though he could not feel the heavens upon his shoulders when he left the guards were always in place around his new home.
His daughters, the Hesperides, nymphs of the garden of the golden apples, each took turns standing guard. When weakened his girls could easily over power him and toss him back to his prison. He did not blame them for what they did, they them selves did not have the strength to stand up to Zeus, but at the very least they could speak to him now and then, sooth his loneliness. But they feared him as well, believed him to be angry with them for keeping him trapped in his own home. And yet again he could not blame them, every time he tried to escape and they dragged him back, his temper would fly out of control, he would say things he did not mean, and when he came to his senses it was too late to apologize. Looking out at his daughters from the grand doorway of his palace he could see their fear in their eyes.
He missed the contact of his children, though their mother had forsaken him completely, deeming him unworthy of her since the titan's had lost the war, his daughter's had still visited him, soothing him with their stories of the world he was not allowed to travel, of tales of travelers seeking the fruit of their garden. Until this blasted palace had been made.
But mostly he missed the feel of being loved, of having a woman's soft form molding to his own, cleaving to him as he worshiped her.
With a throaty groan he stepped away from the door, his memories filled with thoughts of goddesses who had come to him, under the guise of wanting to be his wife, he should have known better. Those vile temptresses had only wanted him for his seed, so that they would have powerful children. And while the thoughts of them had made him hard for sex, for but a moment, the following thoughts of their treachery enraged him beyond measure. He was a titan! Was it to much to ask for ONE woman to to stay by his side?
Suddenly he felt a charge to the air, as sparks of electricity began to dance upon the floor before him before lightning struck inside the mountain, and before him stood the tall powerful form of Zeus.
Atlas glowered at the slightly smaller male, being a Titan, Atlas stood at around seven feet tall, while a god like Zeus was averaged about six and half feet in comparison.
"What brings you here, cousin," Atlas spoke, the last word dripping with seething hatred. The king of the gods only grinned and gave a chuckle.
"Not much... just a gift," Zeus replied, stroking his white beard. While Atlas had grown and his body had froze with the likeness of a man in his early thirties, Zeus' form had aged until it froze in time in the form of an older male, belaying the fact that while he looked older, Atlas had aeons on the king.
Holding out his hand, a large wooden bowl appeared.
"Mother, wanted you to have this," The lightning thrower spoke, walking over Atlas and pushing it into the larger males gut.
Atlas looked down at the uninteresting bowl, taking it in his hands, it was old and made of a dark wood, with soft patterns and spirals etched into it.
"Why would Rhea want me to have this," He asked, the dethroned Titan queen was most assuredly no friend of his, at least not since the war.
"I don't care, nor do I care to find out," Zeus stated, stepping back, electricity beginning to dance across his skin and toga. "Fill the bowl with water.. and you'll know what ever the hell it does."
And with that the king was gone.
The Titan glared at the bowl, before he sent it flying through the air, expecting to hear it shatter into splinters against the stone wall, but instead the only sound to meet his ears was silence.
Turning to look where he had thrown the wooden object, he had to right himself when he stepped into the bowl, slipped, and nearly fell to the floor. Looking down, he growled low in his throat, grabbing the dish and inspecting it more closely, A protection enchantment?
Among others, the patterns on the bowl weren't just for decoration, now that he was inspecting it more closely.
Walking over to a small fountain he held the bowl under the running water, filling the bowl until the water began to glow, holding it close under his gaze he watched as the softly rippling water settled and an image of a young woman appeared.
"... what is this?" he spoke softly, watching as the young woman turned suddenly, as if she had heard some one speaking to her.
Kagome turned in her bathroom, her eyes darting over every corner of the small room.
"... weird,"she spoke slowly before turning back to her mirror, flipping her long ebony tresses over her shoulders and walking out of the room.
"Mama.. I'm gonna head out to work," She spoke, grabbing her keys from small set of hooks next to the front door. Hearing her mother call after her to have a good day, she closed the door, gave her praise to the god tree and ran down the shrine steps.
Running down the side walk it wasn't long before she reached her place of employment. A small dog shelter.
The building was old and somewhat shabby looking, but it was solid in foundation, the sounds of the many residence inside made her smile, though they had yet to have a home of their own, each of those canines loved their temporary home, because they were all loved, fed, and cared for.
This is where her life had gone, after the quest for the jewel was done, she had been forced back into her time, never to see hide nor hair of her feudal era family ever again. And instead of wallowing in despair, she finished her education, while working part time at the shelter. Currently she managed the place, while taking college courses online.
Opening the heavy, metal framed, glass door she was quickly beset upon by a large German Shepherd, its paws pressing her into the door as it yipped and howled happily at the arrival.
"Ah! Down girl! Down Susie... Oh.. you're not a puppy anymore sweetheart," She laughed, petting the canine as she got down back on all four paws. Susie tilted her head at the comment, her fuzzy triangle ears twitching momentarily before she raced off back behind the counter where a short blonde girl sat filing her nails.
"Ami-chan, did you feed all the dogs and take them out for their morning walks," She asked, leaning against the counter.
"Yes and yes, also Gizzy-chan needs to have a few teeth pulled," The Girl spoke, pointing to a small computer screen which was currently displaying a kennel with a small pekingese. The small fluffy dog barking at nothing in particular, most likely because the rest of the dogs were barking.
"Aww poor baby, here, take the business card and go make the arrangements with the vet, I've got paperwork to fill out up stairs," Kagome spoke tiredly, taking a small black credit card out of her wallet and leaving it on the counter for Ami, before walking around the counter and heading up a small flight of stairs.
Atlas's eyes where a lit with interest, the small Japanese woman was breath taking, long black tresses that flowed over her shoulders, molten chocolate eyes filled with compassion, and the way that blue fabric hugged her ass, what were those leggings called?
This woman lit a fire in his chest as well as his loins. Was this what the bowl was meant for, to work as a viewing port into the world.. or just for this woman? It mattered not, he needed this woman, his immortal heart felt the need to posses her and have her soft eyes gazing upon him at all times, and he wanted to tear those blue leggings off her body with his teeth.
"Rhea!" His voice boomed through the stone palace, calling out for the Titaness, knowing she'd hear him no matter where she was, knowing the woman is a daughter of Gaia had its perks.
There was a soft glimmer to his right, and before he knew it, the woman who had once been the queen he served faithfully stood before him.
"Liked my gift have you?" Her wispy voice inquired, as she lifted her flowing emerald robes as she walked up to the tall male.
"Why does it show me this woman?" He growled.
"She is your other half... the one whose soul will complete yours," She stated blithely, as she looked around the empty palace, "your home is rather... empty, you should see to getting it furnished."
"What do you mean my other half?"
Rhea looked bored with him already, so she walked over to a nearby balcony, looking down at the Oreads and Dryads playing along the mountainside under the afternoon sun. "I mean she is the one meant to complete you, deities such as our selves don't speak of this, we haven't since mother Gaia told the first generation of titans that we had fated significant others. Even before Zeus and the gods, the titans had always enjoyed being viewed as free beings who could love who ever we chose, so much so that we never really spoke of fated ones, even if one us happened to find ours."
"Fated ones? WE have those! Mother always stated that such things were only of lesser beings such as were-beings, vampires, and demons?" Atlas spoke, in awe at the information. His mother Asia had been a Titaness, who had taken many lovers, though she only ever bore children with his father Iapetus, had that been because he was her fated, or because she was married to him? If that was true the being a fated one didn't mean much. "Tell me Rhea... were my mother and father fated?"
The woman gave an uproarious laugh, turning and leaning against the railing, "Dear chaos no.. Cronus had decreed them married and her father, Oceanus, had decreed she could only bare the children of her first husband. Of course that never prevented either of them from partaking in fun with others."
"Then tell me... what does it mean for one of our kind to be fated?" the sky holder asked, his eyes looking down in the bowl watching as the woman scrawled over many papers on her desk, her chest heaving with slight anger as she was apparently faced with an issue. He instinctively wanted to destroy what ever was distressing her.
"It means you complete each other, in every way. You'll always instinctively want to provide and protect her, and when you meet her gaze for the first time, you will always crave her touch," Rhea examined her nails, "Her love could bring you eternal happiness, and losing her would destroy you, you would seek to end your self, the only way one of our kind can truly be ended."
The discussion had taken a dark turn, the woman could either make or break him. If he lost her, for what ever reason he'd toss him self back into chaos, call upon the one amorphous entity from which everything had been born; Gaia, Uranus, Pontis; the earth, sea and sky, and allow it to swallow him body, mind and soul.
"If I'm to have her, how will I keep her, she is mortal and will surely die of old age," he needed more answers, he needed to approach the situation carefully, the entirety of his existence depended on it.
"The gods, on Olympus, have a drink, for them it is nothing more then nourishment that they could easily gain from eating mortal food, but when ingested by a mortal it will change them, make them into one of our kind, it would make her a goddess," She explained, "I can retrieve some from my children, I need only know when you will need it, ambrosia loses it special qualities when exposed to the mortal world after an hour, and Zeus only allows it to leave Olympus once every hundred years."
Atlas stroked his short black beard, his mind going over all the details, he'd have to be sure, completely sure that she would stay by his side forever, he was fairly certain that being fated did not take away ones free choice, it didn't for other supernatural beings, he had remembered a time when a werewolf's mate had left him, it had driven him insane and he had slaughtered many villages before the humans had begged the titans to end him. He still had one last question bothering him...
"Why are you doing this?"
Rhea suddenly looked tired, looking up at him with a sad smile. "I can hear them.. I've heard them since the day they were condemned to Tartarus.."
Daughter of Gaia, she heard everything that went on, in, and under the earth deep in Tartarus. He winced, their Titan brothers and sisters no doubt screamed her name in agony every time they were tortured.
"After so long, I can't take it any more, it crushes my heart knowing their enduring such pain. I've been working and pleading Zeus, trying to lighten their sentence, to allow them some semblance of reprieve maybe. But he would not, so I bartered with him, I told him that If I could prove one of the titan's could be turned from their thoughts of vengeance, be pacified, that they could become upstanding members of our society, they could help us garner the attention and worship of mortals once again, they could be rehabilitated."
He winced again, for Rhea, once the queen of the titan's, to beg her son for something must have wounded her pride.
"But what shall Zeus gain if this plan fails, and how would we help you to regain the worship of humans?" Atlas asked, he wanted to know more of what Rhea's bargain entailed.
"If I can not prove that the member's of our race can be rehabilitated, I must relinquish my powers over the earth to Zeus," Her lips thinned after relinquishing that last bit of information.
"Your powers Rhea? You would give up your connection to your mother?" Atlas was astounded, the only comfort he knew Rhea took comfort in these days was her connection to Gaia, feeling the warmth of the earth mother's heart, hearing it beat.
"It is all I have to barter with, I lost so much after the war, Zeus took everything. All I have left are my powers. What few of them I have, but that is neither here nor there. Just one last thing, Zeus has no idea how I'm going to rehabilitate you, and he can not know until she is a goddess. I've convinced your daughters to cloak the presence of mortals here on the mountain," She continued, waving her hand, causing large green curtains to appear over the windows and the balcony, "You must take care though, Zeus will try to discover what is happening here."
"You speak of my power being mine entirely once again and you avoided my other question, what is really going on here Rhea?" The Titan eyed her suspiciously.
"With your fated by your side, you will have the strength to free your brethren, you could overthrow the Olympians with ease-"
"Although revenge would be sweet, Rhea. If I'm to have this woman I do not wish to rage war across the world, I will not risk her, as a goddess or mortal, she shall know only pleasure, only the happiness I bring her," Atlas spoke roughly, glaring down the ex-queen.
Rhea looked defeated for but a moment, before looking up to him hopefully. "Would you at least free our fellow titan's from Tartarus?"
He gave a harsh sigh, scratching the back of his head as he thought about the request, he owed Rhea as much, if she was to bring him together with his fated one. "Very well.. but after they are freed, me and my woman will have no part in any war between Zeus and the Titans."
"Yes Atlas, thank you, now I will go retrieve your fated.. and while I'm gone, think about sprucing up this... man-cave of yours," She spoke, her body fading from sight as she left, her voice echoing in the room.
Atlas looked around his home at her statement, yes it was, rough around the edges and sparsely furnished, but it had everything he could possibly need, besides what could a human female possibly need in this era? If he remembered correctly, all they needed was a strong male to provide and protect them. How much had changed over the years that he would need to change his lifestyle for a woman?
Kagome groaned as she threw her head back. The months budget was off, they had somehow spent more then necessary on the building mortgage, they didn't have enough left over to pay for food and the veterinary healthcare.
"Darling... a lady shouldn't groan like that... it makes you sound... boorish."
Kagome's brow furrowed as she suddenly looked up, there was an obscenely tall woman standing in her office, with long flowing honey colored hair, long green robes, and a seemingly unnatural glow about her. The priestess shrunk back in her chair and narrowed her eyes at the beautiful woman, wondering where she had come from.
"Umm, Ma'am? How did you get in here? W-when did you get in here," Kagome asked.
The woman seemed to fade out of existence with a light glitter, before fading back in to Kagome's left, causing the young woman to fall out of her chair with a start.
"Like that.. Oooh are you okay?" the blonde woman inquired.
Glaring up at her lightly, Kagome waved her off when the woman tried to help her up, "I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine, Now what do you want demon?"
The woman gave a laugh, "You think I'm a demon? I am a Titaness my dear. My name is Rhea."
"Alright not a demon, but a Titaness. Now what do you want... Rhea?" The foreign name was interesting to say, but she didn't question how such an obviously foreign being of magical origin spoke Japanese so well. Language was never a barrier for communication when one could simply cast a spell to learn said language, that and it being the 21st century helped, those language programs for her computer helped her learn English with ease.
"I just need you to come with me for a while, fear not, your..." She looked around the office, "Business shall be well taken care of."
Kagome looked at the woman like she was insane, "Are you kidding? I have to come up with a new budget and present it to the owner of this shelter, I don't have the time to go traipsing around with what ever obnoxiously tall demon-"
"Titaness," Rhea interjected, examining her nails tiredly, a small glitter coming to them.
"Titaness, walks into my office asking for my attentioonnnnnnnn..."
Kagome's eyes went wide as he office faded from view, only to be replaced by a large stone room, with torches lining the walls.
"Oooh darn it... I told him to spruce this place up," Rhea muttered, tapping her foot. "Listen my dear, no one in your life will worry about you, they've all been informed that you have left for a cruise for the next week, your work shall be taken care of, every expense paid."
"You're making it sound like I've won some sort of dream vacation!" Kagome grumbled, calling forth her holy powers to her hands, the lavender colored light emanating from her palms.
The Titaness smirked, obviously not intimidated, "Listen my dear, your powers will have no effect on me. Now please... relax. Your every need will be taken care of," Rhea spoke with a knowing grin, as she faded out once again.
Kagome let out a frustrated scream. She had been free of supernatural shenanigans, for three years after she completed the damn jewel, three years of the peaceful normal life that she had always wanted, only for it all to be tossed to the wind on the whim of some Titaness. Just as she was about to let loose her powers, and start blowing the stone room to smithereens she heard foot steps as well as a deep masculine voice.
"Rhea! I felt your presence! Why did you return! Why does it sound as if you have brought a har...py."
She felt dumb struck, standing in the doorway was a tall, tall, man. With short slicked back black hair and short scruffy beard covering his firm jaw. His eyes were wide and blue, they seemed to sparkle brightly as they looked upon her. His clothing consisted of a simple white tunic and leather leggings, his large feet bare on the stone floor. The tunic was open slightly, enough to where she could see the dark curls that covered his chest. Her mouth felt dry, as her heart began to beat loudly in her ears. The man was huge, he easily dwarfed her five foot nothing, yet instead of feeling intimidated she felt only an uncharacteristic need to rip the clothes from his body and explore every inch of his form.
"my fated" he spoke, suddenly moving towards her, she had no idea what he had said but the fierce hunger in his eyes made her react, unleashing a volatile blast of her energy and sending him back out through the doorway and into a wall.
It suddenly occurred to Kagome, that he might not be like the woman Rhea, he could be of a race more vulnerable to her powers for all she knew. "I'm so sorry!" She shouted racing forward, coming to kneel beside him. Above where he lay on the ground there was a very interesting imprint of his form in the stone, she winced at it, apparently her powers had grown since she last used them, or she was that much out of practice.
Gripping his shoulder, she rolled him over onto his back with a huff, the man obviously wasn't fat, but he was tall and if the way his clothes wrapped around his body said anything, he was very fit, heavy with muscle.
She suddenly flinched away when he groaned, his large hand coming up and rubbing his forehead.
"Ugh... have the Olympians taken to throwing mountains now?" He asked out loud as he sat up, Kagome merely sat on her knees next to him, her eyes wide as the stranger stood up. He was still speaking that language she didn't understand, she took a wild guess that it was probably Greek or something.
"Umm... are you alright," Kagome inquired tentatively, catching the man's attention, his eyes instantly began to gleam as he looked upon her.
"My fated...you seek to tend to me?" Kagome gave him a confused look as he continued to speak in his own native tongue, he seemed to realize this as he closed his eyes and looked as if he was concentrating for a moment. "Worry not my dear, all is well."
Kagome paid no mind to the fluent Japanese flowing from his lips all of a sudden, simply reminding her self he was one of the supernatural.
"Are you sure you're okay? I didn't mean to blast you like that.. I'm a bit out of practice you see," She started before he moved closer to her, his deep blue eyes boring into her own, as he gave her a roguish grin. Seeing the grin made her chest flutter with excitement for some reason.
"All is well, though I was a bit surprised you have powers, and that they were able to harm me as such, that is uncommon among mortals..." His voice was deep and rough, causing a tingle to run up her spine.
Kagome gave an uneasy smile, pulling back slightly. The stranger before her was drawing out some rather unusual reactions from her.
"Well then.. if you're alright, would you be able to tell me why I am here? That woman... Rhea was her name I believe, brought me here..."
"You were brought here because you're are the one fated to be mine, the one woman who can complete me... in all ways," He spoke plainly, his eyes continuing to gleam.
Kagome narrowed her eyes in suspicion, scooting just a bit away from him, "Now... when you say in all ways..."
"Heart. Mind. Soul... and body," the way he said the word body made her toes curl in her shoes. That word should not have this effect on her, it didn't matter if it was coming from a rugged, handsome, masculine, blue-eyed, buckets-of-sexual-confidence-oozing... her thoughts trailed off as she wondered absently if he had a cleft on his square chin, under that beard. She shook her self out of her daze as she quickly jumped to her feet.
"Nope! Nooooo.. not going there, to much to do, not enough time," Kagome spoke quickly, darting back into the room Rhea had left her in, "Where is the door.. also how far from home am I?"
Atlas was dumbfounded, that the woman had resisted his divine charms so easily. With a small grunt he decided to double his efforts, as he jumped to his feet and walked into the room after her.
"Wait! Please... You were brought here because you are my soul mate.. as I am yours, I only wish to pursue a relationship with you, to court you," He explained, watching as her shoulders slumped and she turned to him with a tired look.
"Look... that's really sweet and all, but I've heard that song and dance before, you aren't the first guy to try those lines," The sound of her voice pleased him to no end, but the information that her voice carried did not, causing jealousy to flare through him.
"Others are trying to court you? Show me them so I might smite them," He spoke clearly outraged, though it was short lived as she crossed her arms and gave him a skeptical look, his rage leaving as quickly as it had came.
"Are you kidding me? We don't even know each others names and you're acting possessive?" the young woman arched her brow at him.
"I.. apologize. My name is Atlas, first born son of Iapetus and Clymene," He spoke bowing respectfully to her as he introduced himself.
"It's very nice to meet you, given the circumstances, my name is Kagome Higurashi," Kagome replied, before pursing her lips as a thought occurred to her, "Are you really Atlas? As in the one from Greek Mythology? As in the Titan?"
"The one bearing the heavens upon his shoulders for all eternity.. yes" He answered, frowning when she turned from him again, "Is something wrong?"
"Yep, I have to be dreaming, I must have hit my head on something at some point. There can be no other explanation for why an ancient Greek Titan is claiming me to be his soul mate," She spoke as she pinched her arm, "Ow... okay... that didn't wake me up, maybe if I hit my head again.."
Atlas quickly grabbed her arm when she had began to make her way to the stone wall, "This is no dream, you and I are fated to be together, that is all there is to it."
She looked at him skeptically again, her chocolate brown eyes gazing straight up into his blue ones.
"Alright then... how would you prove that statement?" His fated asked, her arms folded over her chest again as she tapped her foot.
"If you would allow me one kiss, one small act of my affection, I can prove our souls are connected," He spoke, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.
Kagome weighed her options for only a moment, "Alright, and if this kiss proves nothing you'll have me returned home, to the exact place that Rhea took me from." She really figured that despite all the reactions this man drew out of her body, that there couldn't be some sort of soul deep connection between the two of them, and really would kissing such a handsome man kill her if it meant getting home.
"It is a deal-"
She held up her finger as he bent down to kiss her, stopping him momentarily. "I would like to point out really quick, that I do not go around kissing men I've just met, this is an exception."
Atlas only chuckled, before lightly grasping her chin and tilting her head back, his free hand cupping the side of her face as his lips met hers. Instantly it was like a spark jolted through them both, the two moaning against each others lips as their kiss deepened, their eyes closing as they lost themselves to the feel of the others lips.
Kagome felt as though she was on fire, her hands instantly gripped the fabric of his tunic pulling him closer. Her left leg actually popped up in a cliched reaction to the kiss, as his tongue softly prodded her lips, silently begging for entrance.
When her mouth opened for him, Atlas felt as though his world had exploded, leaving only the small woman pressed against him, his hands trailed down her body to wrap securely around her. She tasted of only pure sweetness, her warm wet tongue molding to his own as they danced.
After a short while they pulled apart, and with Kagome's feet firmly upon the ground she pulled back a little more, running her hand through her hair as she gave a deep wistful sigh.
"that was..." Her voice trailed off as she spied something dangling next to her wrist, pushing her hand away from her, her eyes went wide as she took in the sight of the ethereal red string wrapped around her smallest finger. "Well I'll be damned..."
"What is that?" Atlas inquired bringing up his hands to softly grasp hers, his eyes going wide as well when he saw the red string connected to his own pinky finger.
"The red string of fate... where I come from it connects two people who are meant to be... though its normally not something you can see," Kagome stated looking up at him as her thumb softly rubbed against his rough hands.
"But then again... how often does one meet their soul mate?" Atlas added, warmth coursing through him at the small tender action of her thumb, his heart swelling in his chest.
Kagome sighed, bringing her free hand up to join the party. "Alright... where do we go from here?