Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.
Title: Torment
Author: Hairann
Theme: Steam
Genre: Drama, Action
AU/CU: Cannon
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Word Count: 400
Summary: Kagome feels like she is being mocked.
Story Summary: There once was a priestess who found binding a demon to be the hardest thing she ever had to do. 50 years later another priestess found releasing him to be the easiest. History repeats itself, only this time binding the demon was easy, it was releasing him that proved to be difficult.
AN: Serial for Dokuga Contest prompts.
Kagome stared into the dancing flames of the fire long after the others had returned to their peaceful slumber. As much as she had wanted to join them, the pain kept her awake, her hands feeling as though they still gripped the arrow tightly, the power still burning them. They felt as if they were set aflame and she swore she could see the steam rising from them, taunting her from beneath the bandages.
More so than the pain the wounds caused her, the anguish they represented mocked her relentlessly. She could almost hear the arrow laughing at her for failing repeatedly in her quest to free the demon lord still bound before her by the priestess's holy powers. She could hear the voices of years past telling her she was weak, that she would never be as strong as Kikyou, and for a moment she contemplated seeking out the older priestess in hopes that she could release him as Kagome had been unable to.
But soon decided there was a better chance of Inuyasha attempting to remove the arrow for his half-brother, than there was for her to. So she remained where she was, glaring at her injured hands as though it was their fault she felt like a failure. Huffing at how ridiculous it sounded, even in her own mind, to blame her hands for her inability to remove the arrow, she turned her attention away from the wounds that haunted her and glanced around the clearing.
Seeing the others remained asleep, she turned to gaze at Sesshoumaru to find him staring directly into her chocolate eyes. Though she knew he could not really see her, she found herself unable to look away, unable to breath as she lost herself in his endless, golden orbs. Finally she had to turn away as she began to believe he too was mocking her and she knew if she allowed herself to believe that, she would become depressed. And she would cry again, and whether he could see her or not, she had no desire to cry yet again in front of the silent demon lord.
Deciding it was safer, as it would not point out her flaws her to, Kagome returned to staring into the dancing flames of the fire. Only the sounds of their breathing to keep her company as her companions remained unaware of her silent torment.