-1THANK-YOU'S GO TO;
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WITHOUT YOU GUYS, THERE WOULD BE NO STORY….
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the original characters
(I only own my Wild Dogs, Auraya, Leird, Aercoy, Shannei, and Lore)
Chapter 3
Hakudoshi's preordained fate
The rain poured in unrelenting sheets, drowning the earth, cascading down the rocks like makeshift waterfalls. A chill blew from the north, making skin tingle as fire and ice. Tears intermingled with the rain, that flowed off her face, the blood continuously flowing down her right arm, in its own red river. She sat in the rocky plateau in the rain, her raven hair plastered to her face and body, her body shivering in the cold. She felt lost, still wisps of demon rage coursing throughout her body.
Her sobs were silent, unless you looked at her trembling form you couldn't tell she was crying. Leird was standing behind her, his fur drenched in the few moments he'd stepped out of the cave-den to find Kagome.
"Kagome…Kagome, come inside, where its warm and sheltered" Leird tried to reason. Kagome remained in her position, holding her bloodied arm.
"Go away" she chided, not looking at him once. Leird stepped closer, before nuzzling his cold wet snout on her shoulder.
"Leave me alone!" Kagome yelled, turning to Leird, her eyes were the colour of hot flamed rubies, he stepped back. Her eyes were always so beautiful, even now when they were full of hatred and rage, they were still lovely.
"Come inside when your ready" Leird remarked, turning around and walking down the path to the entrance of the cave-den. He walked inside, shaking himself free of the water upon his fur. He turned his attentions to the demon Lord.
"you…" Leird began growling
Sesshoumaru opened his eyes, staring plainly at the Wild dog, that was goading him, he was sitting in a comfortable position on the furs, staring out at the opening of the cave-den these dogs lived in.
"this is all your doing" Leird barked
"Leird!" Auraya barked at the younger pack member.
"It's true, the moment he came here, he brought trouble to us. He brought that witch, and subjected our Kagome into a demon rage, with that evil sword of his" Leird snapped, baring his fangs at the Inu Youkai Lord.
"I did not come here of my own accord, she brought me here" Sesshoumaru reminded the wild dog, shifting himself a little. His gaze left the dog, when a flash of light illuminated a figure at the entrance.
Kagome stood there listening to Leird's accusations, no-one sensed her until the lightning flashed over, and Sesshoumaru caught glimpse of her. She was supporting herself upon the heavy cold wet walls of the entrance, her eyes still ruby red, although her cheek stripes has become defined once again, she was slowly calming down. She stepped forward, breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry" she whispered, before falling down to the cold ground. Auraya rushed towards her, nuzzling her with her cold nose, when Kagome didn't wake, she wanted to clean her up, and warm her. She clamped her teeth on the knot of her, makeshift top, and began dragging her, along the floor.
Sesshoumaru watched as she was dragging the exhausted woman across the floor.
'pathetic'
'get up and lend some assistance'
'why should I?'
'because, she's unable to haul that Youkai'
'not my concern'
'its not going to hurt us'
'nothing can harm me'
'really, then how are we in this mess?'
'I do not know'
'look, she helped us, the least you can do is help put her in a bed'
'…'
Sesshoumaru slowly stood up, making his way towards the fallen Youkai female. He crouched down, placing an arm under her neck, the other under her legs, he lifted her up, holding her tightly.
'she's surprisingly light' Sesshoumaru thought, turning his attention to Auraya.
"where do you want her?" he questioned
"you occupy her bedding, place her on mine" Leird snarled
Sesshoumaru walked her to her own bedding that he had been occupying, it was still warm from his own body heat, he placed her down, pulling the corners of the bedding around her, enveloping her within its warmth. Taking a perch against the wall beside her.
XXXX
Kagura returned to Hakudoshi, her soaked form dripping all over the wooden floor, and carpeted hallways. She walked past Hakudoshi's chambers, hearing voices, it was Kanna, no doubt telling him she'd failed at the task at hand. She entered her own small chambers, and removed the soaked kimono.
'Tell Naraku the Shikon-miko sends her regards' The woman's words bore into her soul, Kagura shivered, not from the cold either. She was alive, and her salvation. It was evident that Kagome had indeed forgotten, Kagura was assisting in Naraku's demise, not against it.
'I will not tell Hakudoshi of her resurrection, with any luck, I can talk to her. Make her see reason, and she can bring this bastard down too, and I will finally be free'
XXXX
"Tell me Kanna, does this threat, Sesshoumaru, still exist?" Hakudoshi questioned the bleak child, holding the mirror of souls and impending events. She had shown Naraku his destruction three years ago, but he didn't take heed to her warnings, and thus he was killed. Hakudoshi didn't want to follow in his 'fathers' footfalls.
"I have seen your demise, Two white Inu Youkai, approach your castle, one larger than the other, one is the older Son of Inu-no-Taishio-Sesshoumaru, He is aided by his mate." Kanna revealed in the mirror.
"What, just a few days ago, you said it was only Sesshoumaru that was the threat…Now his mate is involved?" Hakudoshi seethed
"This is a new turn in events, Sesshoumaru's mate, Although she is not yet claimed; Together they send your soul to pits of hell. If you can stop Sesshoumaru from taking this mate, then this event will not come to pass. Instead you could take her as your own, and conquer the lands of Japan". Kanna advised.
Hakudoshi picked up the glass vase at his table side, and threw it violently across the room.
"where can I find this wench?"
XXXXX
Kagome had been sleeping longer than usual, the sun was hours from rising in the east, Auraya silently thanked Sesshoumaru for his arrival, the woman barely got any sleep at all with her nightmares, plaguing her dreams every moment she managed to close her eyes. If Sesshoumaru hadn't arrived and sent her body into a demon rage, she wouldn't be sleeping so soundly.
"Is there anything I can answer for you?" Auraya spoke to the Taiyoukai, sensing that he was indeed awake, and looking at her 'daughter'.
"Who is she?" Sesshoumaru questioned, he had many questions, most of them wanting to find out if she was indeed the same Shikon-miko that personally escorted the Hanyou Naraku to hell three years ago.
"Her name is Kagome" Auraya answered
"where did she come from?" He asked another
"I came across her, three years back, in the winters snow. In a clearing East of here, it was battle torn, some demon bones littered the ground, a tear in the earth itself, like Kami ripped the land in anger. And lying in one of the rips, staining the snow a perfect shade of crimson, was Kagome. I recognised her to be that of Inu Youkai, so I took her in, as one of my own. She told me that her mane was Kagome.
"she was feverish, every night she would awake to nightmares of those who killed her, it was never ending. I felt pity for the girl. Her soul was clearly suffering. It was all we could do to suppress whatever we could. She used to say unusual things…Shikon-no-tama, Tenseiga, Tetsuaiga, Tokijin, saimyosho, Hiraikotsu, we didn't know what to make of it all, and by the time she awoke she'd forgotten it anyway."
Sesshoumaru looked over her still sleeping form, her long raven hair flowing over her back, her long bangs covering her eyes. She looked peaceful in a sense. Until she started to whimper in her sleep.
"It's starting…" Auraya offered
"What?"
"the nightmares, I knew it was too good, to last for so long" Auraya moved towards her, awaiting her eyes to open, her scream to reach their ears.
"If I were you, I'd cover your ears" Auraya added, as Kagome got more and more restless. Sesshoumaru took the advice, placing his hands over his sensitive ears.
SCREAM
Kagome bolted upright, her hair joining her in slow motion, showing Sesshoumaru a glorious scar upon her back. Although it was for a fleeting moment, and her hair covered it perfectly.
----
The nightmare once again, except this time it was slightly different, the figure in shadows, floating upon the wind, now had a face, now had a form, now had a name, Kagura.
----
Her piercing blue eyes captivated Sesshoumaru. He had never seen such intense eyes, only last night they were bright rubies, and this morning they were perfect azure sapphires.
'such amazing eyes'
'indeed'
'those are eyes that cannot lie'
'the colours?'
'her eyes are portals to her very soul'
'astounding'
'I want her'
'what?'
'I want her'
'…'
Kagome turned her gaze to Sesshoumaru, who was looking at her ineptly, a slight blush crept onto her cheeks, at his stare. Her eyes, shining brightly, now like a pair of soft sapphires with an amethyst ring around them.
"your eyes are amazing" Sesshoumaru whispered, not realising he'd said it audibly.
"Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama" Kagome answered. Her eyes took another twist, of realisation, the amethyst changing to a soft grey.
"I've said that before, haven't I?" she asked Sesshoumaru.
"Hai, you have" he decided that if she were to remember her past, he would not hold it from her. He was there when she died, and he would wait to see if she were to figure it out.
"Kagome, child, you must clean up, and dress. You are in the company of a Taiyoukai." Auraya barked. Kagome sat up, sparing another glance at Sesshoumaru, before taking to her feet, and walking to the entrance of the cave-den. There was a small mountainous spring that was around the other side of the cave-den. It was the same one she used daily, for the past three years.
XXXX
Kagura remained close by, she slipped out of the castle, before the sun rose. She wanted to catch glimpse of the resurrected Shikon-miko, and talk to her without a fight. She watched as she removed her rags of fur, and slipped into the hot water, up to her neck. She took this opportunity, to make her move. Stepping down the rocks as silently as possible, pushing her scent downwind, she appeared behind Kagome.
"Kagome" she said, Kagome's eyes flew open in surprise, jerking her head around to see who called her name. she drew in a deep breath, readying to scream, but Kagura had anticipated this, she threw a ball of wind at her throat, temporarily bruising her voice box. Kagome remained in the water, looking about herself, for something to warn the others of this woman's presence.
"I'm not going to hurt you" Kagura said, taking a seat on the rock beside the spring.
"by now you have figured out that you know of me, that I was indeed there when you died." Kagura paused, seeing the Deep blue of Kagome's eyes settle in a moment of understanding. Kagome nodded.
"What I want to know is, how? How did you survive?" Kagura questioned, the dull ache in Kagome's throat was subsiding, she had watched this wind witch. And would harness as much information as possible, of the only one she recognised, form her murderous nightmare.
----
Sesshoumaru sensed something off about the wind outside, he listened carefully, expanding his sensitive hearing to Kagome who was supposedly bathing nearby. When he heard Kagura's voice he stood, slowly walking towards to entrance of the cave.
"Where do you think you're going?" Leird barked
"silence!" Sesshoumaru barked back, cocking his head listening to Kagura speak, he stepped outside, remaining downwind, and in the shadows
----
"I see it happen every night, I remember the thunder booming above, the rain falling upon my face, the lightning illuminating everything insight. At first, for the last three years, they've been faceless, devoid of anything. Until last night, until I saw you.
"you are the only one that I have recognised so far, by the plume you ride, and the wind fan you hold in your hand. I do not know what came over me last night, when I was temporarily not myself. I had this feeling, that you belonged in hell, and that you being here was wrong, tell me I am mistaken."
Kagura took a few moments to allow everything Kagome said to sink in.
"You are not mistaken. You took the most insidious Hanyou to hell, my master and creator. I owe you a great debt, his name was…"
"Stop right there Kagura!" Sesshoumaru interrupted
"Sesshoumaru" Kagura whispered
"she has a right to know" Kagura snapped
"She had a right to remember, not to be told" Sesshoumaru scalded
"You were there too, weren't you?" Kagome asked, she stared deep into his eyes.
"Yes, although if you have not yet figured out who I am. I will not tell you, it is your memories that must filter through. You must not be told of the events, that indeed lead, to your death. But I know, that you are Kagome, the Shikon-miko resurrected. The question is how? But that too will surely be explained in due time" Sesshoumaru said.
"That's the most I've ever heard you speak, usually its just… Half breed, come or Hn" Kagome said, with that reminiscent look in her eyes once more.
"Hn"
"See your doing it now" Kagome giggled.
Sesshoumaru turned his attention to the wind witch, who indeed stared openly at him.
"I should kill you, you would likely tell your master of her resurrection"
"No, you have no worry there, I will not tell him. I was on your side, when you fought against Naraku…besides I heard a piece of valuable information last night. That…." Kagura's face twisted and constricted in pain, as she collapsed to the rocky floor.
-----
"Oh no you don't Kagura, I knew you couldn't be trusted" Hakudoshi said, squeezing a ball of pulsing dark light in his hand, the dark object being Kagura's heart.
----
Kagura faded away from sight, her screams of anguish echoing around her. She appeared before Hakudoshi, clutching her chest, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Well done Kagura, you've led me to my destroyers, and the Shikon-miko is resurrected is she, without memories. This is far too easy" Hakudoshi remarked, staring at the two Inu Youkai in Kanna's mirror.
----
"where did she go?" Kagome questioned
"get out, and dry off, we're being watched" Sesshoumaru answered, handing Kagome her furs, then turning around. Kagome stepped out of the spring, placing her furs on, covering her private flesh. She grabbed her long raven black hair, wringing it free of the water, as she walked past Sesshoumaru.
He stared at the long scar across her back, it started from her waistline, on the left, and continued up to her right shoulder, the scarred skin, glistened and held a sheen, catching the daylight.
'the path of the wind scar'
'it tore her body in half'
'and yet she survived'
'no, she was genetically altered, no doubt from her own miko powers'
'but why did she chose an Inu Youkai?'
'maybe it was a clue to herself, should she forget. Who did it'
'possible'
Kagome sensed his stares, dropping her wet hair down.
"I didn't mean to stare, that's a large scar" Sesshoumaru commented
"I know" Kagome replied "My murderer gave it to me"
'Inuyasha' Sesshoumaru thought
------------------------------------
Chapter 3 written.
Well I didn't get called to work, but I read this chapter after I had written it late last night, and I didn't like the way it reached the end of this chapter. The editor side of me came shining through. So I've done a lot of reading and editing to make this what I think better, than what was written last night.
Enough of my babbling, Hope you enjoyed, If you did or even if you didn't let me know, by pressing the little purple button labelled review.
Many thanks Callie-Yue