Umm, I have some bad news everyone. My mom is kicking out our tenant and since he's the one paying for internet…POOF! No more internet…which means I'll be lucky to have access maybe, oh, once a month? WAAAH!
I'll try to update as often as I can but please don't kill e if I don't get anything up for a month… or two…or five. Sorry! IT'S NOT MY FAULT!
Disclaimer: Don't own so don't sue. You wouldn't get anything anyway. Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and the song Snow White Queen belongs to Evanescence.
Koenma stared cross-eyed at the sword pointed at his nose. How the hell his day had come to this, he had no earthly idea. However, he would throw a tantrum later…when the lord of Makai wasn't about to slaughter him.
"Koenma, did I not inform you that the Shikon no Tama was to remain in the miko's protection?"
There was no question in the words, merely a threat and a pointed reminder, no pun intended.
Koenma's eyes darted wildly around the room, desperately searching his memory for any agreement of the sort.
Suddenly his mind filled with a meeting almost 300 years ago with the silver haired demon in front of him and the treaty that had been signed there. It was sitting in his desk now.
Damn! How had this crucial detail slipped his mind? Scratch that, how had this slipped past his father?! He was so dead!
"Of c-course! R-right away!"
The sword was still aimed between his eyes.
"I do not trust the Spirit World Koenma. I shall go to Ningenkai myself and assure that this remains the case."
Koenma spluttered for an instant before he remembered who this demon was. He could do whatever he pleased without repercussion.
He sighed and laid a weary head on his desk when the youkai king left in a swirl of silver, sheathing the evil blade silently.
---
Kagome felt her throat close up, fighting to keep the past in the past where it belonged. She glanced at the demons occupying her living room through lowered lashes. Youko was positively bristling. Yusuke was attempting to look bored and Hiei was beginning to get irritated.
She sighed. The negative energy coming off the little demon wasn't exactly helping her nerves.
"At first, nothing happened. I was locked in a cold drafty cell and given the standard bread and water treatment. After a week, I still hadn't seen hide nor hair of Naraku. Then…everything changed."
"The first time Naraku came, I was beaten within an inch of my life. Kagura had Kanna heal me."
Kagome felt her voice break and her ribs ached with phantom blows. Youko growled softly behind her.
"The second time he came, he brought a whip. Every time after that, he brought some new toy, some new sick way to torture me. Every day it grew worse. Every day, he became bolder. He played with me, body and mind."
Kagome tried so very hard to just tell them the very surface. She didn't want to tell anyone the terrible mental pain he inflicted, the sultry insults whispered in her ear, the images that haunted her waking dreams. Tears burned her eyes and the memories came anyway.
"The last time he came, he didn't bring anything…"
Hiei's eyes widened to an almost comical size when horrendous flashes flew threw his mind in a jagged blur of unspeakable agony.
"He didn't even bother bringing his clothes."
Youko roared with fury, his eyes blazing red. Yusuke punched the wall, his fist crashing through the thin paneling. Hiei looked slightly ill. Kagome sobbed openly now.
"He violated me and no one got there in time to stop him. I tried to stop him. I did. I really tried. But I just wasn't strong enough."
Youko almost crushed Kagome in his arms, growling softly into her hair as he tried to regain some semblance of sanity. HIS Kagome had been raped and he hadn't known, hadn't even had the slightest idea.
"How many times does this Sesshoumaru have to tell you miko? If I was unable to prevent Naraku's filthy hands from ever touching you, there was surely nothing you could have done."
Kagome's head snapped up and blue eyes met golden orbs.
"Sesshoumaru!"
Kagome raced forward to throw her arms around the menacing demon…or at least she would have if Youko had loosened his iron grip for just one moment. She glanced back at the silver haired kitsune whose eyes were still glowing menacing crimson.
"Youko let me go! That's Sesshoumaru!"
Youko merely glared over her shoulder, his expression never changing.
"Youko!"
"Onna, do not attempt to remove yourself from him. In his current rage, he might kill anyone else who so much as touches you."
Kagome glanced at Hiei, who grimaced at the pair and turned to Sesshoumaru.
"So tell me Lord Sesshoumaru. What is the demon king doing in Ningenkai?"
"You're the demon king?!"
Sesshoumaru gave a small smile at Kagome's outburst and nodded. She beamed, her former depression all but forgotten. Hiei wondered if the girl was bipolar, though with what he had seen, he would be surprised if that's all that was wrong with her.
"Why doesn't that surprise me Sesshou? You always were the strongest demon alive, even in the feudal era."
Sesshoumaru allowed a small smirk to grace his features before he turned back to the hybrid.
"I am here to ensure that the Shikon no Tama remains in Kagome's hands."
There was a pregnant silence as Sesshoumaru's words processed through the semi-paralyzed minds of the Spirit Detectives.
"What?! No way?! Koenma is going to be so pissed if we don't bring the stupid thing back!"
Yusuke fumed at the back of the room, furiously shoving the last few minutes behind the barrier he'd perfected in the back of his mind.
"I assure you detective, Koenma will not. He in fact, neglected to bring to memory an agreement made centuries ago that would ensure the jewel remained in Kagome's care. His father himself signed the document."
He pulled a sealed parchment from his haori and passed it to Yusuke, who nearly threw a fit when Hiei snatched it out of the air. After scanning the elegant writing, he passed it back to Sesshoumaru, nodding to Yusuke. The agreement was valid.
Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru, curious at to how he had managed to pull that one off. She had met Enma shortly after…and well, he hadn't seemed like the cooperative type but then again, this was Sesshoumaru.
Hiei glared at the floor. The memories of the girl had thrown his careful control out of balance and he needed to kill something to help return it to normal. As he was no longer needed…
"I am returning to Makai."
He departed swiftly. The shrine door remained suspended for an instant before it slammed shut.
Stoplight lock the door
Don't look back
"Ow."
Youko's stone-cold arms shakily slipped from Kagome's waist to fall quivering at his sides. Kagome turned to comfort him but was frozen into silence when she caught sight of the brilliant emerald orbs dotted with gold gleaming in his pale face.
"Youko?"
"Shuuichi, actually."
Kagome cocked her head curiously. Raven hair fell softly to the side, revealing a jagged scar that danced across her slender neck. Shuuichi trembled.
"It's a long story Miss Kagome."
Shuuichi closed his eyes, desperately trying to reign in Youko's fury at being restrained. A small hand gently touched his. He opened his eyes to see Kagome cradling his hand. Crimson blood dripped from their interlocked fingers.
The rush of white-hot rage nearly toppled Shuuichi's fragile control. Sweat poured from his brow as he somehow managed to push Youko back into the recesses of their combined mind.
When his eyes opened again, Kagome had pried his hand open and held it that way. Five deep punctures opened the gates for his life blood to flee, to cover his hand and hers. Oh.
"I believe it would be best if we retired for the night. Could we continue this discussion tomorrow?"
He looked with pleading eyes to Sesshoumaru and Kagome, hoping they would see the urgency of the request in the flashing colors therein. They both nodded their mutual consent and Shuuichi sighed with relief.
"I believe I will join Hiei. Yusuke?"
Shuuichi locked eyes with the pacing teen.
"If anything happens…you know how to reach me."
Shuuichi disappeared, leaving a miko and a demon with one very troubled spirit detective. He shuffled around nervously, suddenly unsure of himself and what he could say.
"So…um…could I…well, would it be all right…the couch…?"
Kagome managed a weak smile at the boy.
"Sure Yusuke. You can crash on the couch tonight."
Ignoring the audible sigh of relief, Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru.
"How about you, Sesshou?"
Sesshoumaru looked down on the miko, amusement sparkling behind golden eyes.
"I will stay. If I tire, I will move to your brother's room."
Smiling at the thought of the rather tall demon lord attempting to sleep on her brother's twin size bed, Kagome went to her room to take a shower and change into her night clothes.
Undress in the dark
And hide from you
All of you
Clutching her satin coverlets to her chest, Kagome sat on her bed and stared out at the sky. While it didn't quite match the unspoiled beauty of the stars in the feudal era, they were still lovely, still able to calm her turbulent aura on nights such as these.
She ran a pale pink brush through her hair, trying to somehow delay the inevitable. Sleep had to come sometime.
What would Inuyasha say?
Gasping at the sudden pressure lodged in her throat, Kagome fought back tears and fought back the memories that single thought had brought.
"Kagome come with me. Leave them."
You'll never know the way
Your words have haunted me
"Hurry! He'll be here soon! He'll take you back! Is that what you want?!"
I can't believe you'd ask these things of me
You don't know me
"Kagome!"
CRASH!!!
Kagome stared at a hundred shattered reflections of her face suspended in shards of floating glass…just like the jewel, just like her heart.
Lowering her outstretched arm, Kagome delicately stepped around the jagged slivers and picked up her brush, brushing glass powder from the handle. She grimaced at the sudden pain and stared at crimson drops cascading down her palm.
Grimacing, she walked back to her bed and pulled out a first aid kit from the nearby dresser. After wrapping her hand, Kagome laid down, exhausted. Though she tried not to, her eyes slowly slid shut and she slipped into the realm of nightmares.
***
She rolled over, coughing at the sudden ferocity of the flames licking at her skin, their acrid breath threatening to choke her. Stumbling to her feet, she caught sight of a narrow tunnel. She raced forward, through the gap in the fire, and almost fell into nothingness.
Kagome squinted into the darkness, trying to make out something, anything in the inky blackness. She listened carefully, trying to hear something, anything in the frightening silence. There was only herself and the fearful precipice on which she stood.
You belong to me
My snow white queen
Kagome spun around, trying to guess the location of the voice that caressed her skin with smooth evil. She did not have to wait long, for a man soon stepped out of the flames, still glowing with a menacing aura.
"Naraku!"
"Yes my love. Now, be a good little girl and hand over the jewel."
There's nowhere to run
So let's just get it over
"No!"
"Now, my love, is that any way for a slave to speak to her master?"
Kagome stepped back and her heels touched a black void. From her precarious position, Kagome glared at the vile demon in front of her.
"I'm not your slave and I'd rather be dead than give you the jewel!"
"Now, my love, why ever would you say that?"
A writhing tentacle shot forward and pushed Kagome over the edge. She screamed as she plummeted to her death. In the freefall, Kagome noticed shimmering fragments of the corrupted Shikon no tama floating beside her. What an odd thing to imagine before she died.
She hit the ground with a sickening crunch.
Kagome laid there locked in the moment of her death. Her entire being ached. New pains danced along the edges of her awareness. Once or twice, she thought she heard a familiar voice for an instant before it too faded into insignificance. Nothing mattered but the pain.
Soon I know you'll see
You're just like me
Naraku stood over her, delighting in her agony. He held a luminescent jewel to her face and forced her to watch as it became corrupted. She didn't know why she should care. He frowned and touched her forehead, as if concerned. She cried out in pain.
Don't scream anymore my love,
Cause all I want is you
Kagome sobbed into her hands, her blood stained hands, when he left. She wouldn't let him see her tears. Through the pain, her body shut down. Kagome lost consciousness and oh, how she wished it had been forever.
Wake up in a dream
Frozen fear
There was something touching her! It was crawling along her skin like a thousand tiny spiders. Two glowing red eyes hovered dangerously close to her face and something foul, wet, and cold slammed into her lips.
All your hands on me
I can't scream
No…no…no…no…no…NO! This couldn't be real! This couldn't be happening! This couldn't be! Someone had to save her! Someone! Anyone! Someone help!
I can't scream
No one came.
I can't escape the twisted way you think of me
"Good night, my love."
I feel you in my dreams and I don't sleep
I don't sleep
"Sweet dreams."
You belong to me
My snow white queen
"I shall come again tomorrow."
There's nowhere to run
So let's just get it over
Kagome sobbed, still lying where he had left her, bleeding and broken on heartless stone.
Soon I know you'll see
You're just like me
"Good night, my love."
Don't scream anymore my love,
Cause all I want is you
"NOOOOOOOO!"
***
"What's wrong with her?!"
Yusuke frantically held the thrashing miko to the bed for fear she would harm herself. Youko held her other side. Both were panicking at the amount of blood beginning to soak through the coverlets.
I can't save your life
Though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting
"She's having nightmares! Damn it!"
"It's actually a quite more complicated than that."
I'm losing my mind and you just stand there
And stare as my world divides
Both boys turned to Sesshoumaru who sat in the corner with Hiei. The hybrid was boiling water in a cauldron that would have taken hours to heat by conventional means. Sesshoumaru was furiously tossing in herbs and potions and staring at them with anxious eyes, trying to ignore Kagome's screams of pain. It was the most emotion anyone in the room had ever seen from the demon king.
"Naraku placed a curse on her before his death. Whenever she is in a deep sleep, she relives the events of her captivity, both physically and mentally."
You belong to me
My snow white queen
Hiei looked up, his concentration broken for an instant.
"You mean…"
"Yes hybrid. Naraku essentially rapes her every time she closes her eyes."
There's nowhere to run
So let's just get it over
Hiei stared at the miko struggling against Youko and Yusuke and against her nightmares. For the first time, he saw the dark circles under her eyes, the pallid complexion of her skin, the almost unnoticeable bones peeking through her frail frame.
Soon I know you'll see
He shuddered, racked with memories of Yukina, and doubled his efforts with Sesshoumaru's remedy. The sudden increase in temperature startled the demon lord, though he did not show it. He nodded at the demon and continued his own efforts.
You're just like me
"She seems to have calmed down somewhat."
Youko pulled his hair back, slowly reaching across Kagome to grasp the pale silver ribbon that lay innocently on her dresser. He tied back his hair and sat exhausted next to the shivering miko.
"Naraku has left her for now. However, that's only temporary unless we can get this into her."
Yusuke glanced at Sesshoumaru. The demon looked paler than normal and his amber eyes were slowly tingeing red. He held a vial of a smelly green concoction in his clawed fingers
"Ew! What is that?!"
"It is a temporary measure we discovered shortly after Kagome returned to us. It protected her mind until we sent the foul hanyou to hell. The visions had stopped sometime after that."
Don't scream anymore my love
Cause all I want is you
Sesshoumaru stepped over to the miko, held her nose, and poured the liquid into her mouth. He held her jaw shut while she struggled anew. After she swallowed the remedy, he moved to stand solemnly by the wall.
"Now what?"
Hiei watched the miko, a curious sensation lodged in his stomach…almost like…
"Now we wait."
Sure enough, not even ten minutes later, Kagome's feeble thrashing ceased and she slipped into a dreamless slumber.
"So what the hell was that Sesshoumaru?"
The demon king turned tired eyes on the bedraggled spirit detective, no more emotion in them than slate. Yusuke squirmed under the iron gaze.
"If the visions stopped, than what the hell was that?!"
He gestured toward Kagome, his voice rising steadily in volume and pitch before he found a sword to his throat.
"If you wake her Yusuke, I assure you, you will not like your fate."
Nodding furiously, Yusuke gasped as Youko released his youki from the sword, which turned back into a simple blade of grass.
"But I am curious Sesshoumaru-sama. How could this happen?"
Sesshoumaru sighed, suddenly feeling weary.
"I am not sure. I suspect that telling you her story could have brought on this…attack. However, I feel there is something else at play here, though what it is, I don't know."
Youko's ears flattened and Yusuke looked down guiltily, irritated at his possible part in this.
"In any case, she should be fine for the rest of the night. We should all get some sleep."
No one moved.
"Very well. We shall rest here for the night."
Sesshoumaru leaned against the wall and watched as the others also selected places around the room. The only one who did not remain was the hybrid and even he did not go far. Sesshoumaru could sense him in the God Tree not far from Kagome's window.
Sesshoumaru looked at the miko who had dared to face him 500 years ago and marveled at her ability to draw both humans and demons alike to her side.
Be alright Kagome.