** chapter revised 4/16/2010 **
~ Chapter Seven ~
SURROUNDING the large cavern she was in was a barrier of Sesshoumaru's creation. When she had first touched it, to see its depth and power, she had been startled to find herself in pain. The pain shot through her body and, in her mind, she saw crimson eyes and snarling fangs--both warning her that she was to stay. It had taken her a long while to recover, never having felt such a thing before. Not even when Sesshoumaru had been punishing her in her dream had there been such chaos forced upon her. Now she prowled along its edges like a caged animal, testing its strengths with a push of her own aura. Even though she still felt much weaker than she normally did, she retained at least that much control. However the barrier remained steady and strong no matter what she tried and now it was tearing at her sanity.
She needed to get out of there.
Her prison was not unbearable and Kagome had been trapped in worse situations over the years. There was fresh water and a comfortable place to sleep. There was a fire for light and warmth with plenty of tender to keep it fed. Still, she did not wish to be here and the need to escape was strong within her. She knew that the thoughts and desires to do so would flee the instant Sesshoumaru stood in the same area with her and she knew she needed to try and do so while he was gone, but how? Her powers were being subdued somehow and his barrier was strong.
Glancing down at her hand, the one she'd touched the barrier with that was still cradled protectively against her stomach, her eyes landed on the crescent moon glaring darkly back at her and anger rose within her. Now that Sesshoumaru was not there to influence her moods, she could feel it. She was angry because she'd been struck, angry at being taken against her will, angry because of Inuyasha's treatment at the hand of his brother, and angry because she was being forced into something like this without even a by-your-leave! She was angry at the Fates for taking her life from her and thrusting her continuously into these situations, too. Grabbing a hold of that strong emotion, Kagome used it to her advantage and fed the pure fires that burned within her.
She could feel her aura flaring out around her, striking against Sesshoumaru's barrier like a snake. Kagome approached the barrier head on. Holding both her hands out in front of her, she placed them against it. The pain radiated through her once more, but Kagome pushed it aside. Sesshoumaru's face flashed in her mind, terrible in its fury. Closing her eyes, Kagome focused herself and her energy. Biting her lower lip to hold back her cry of pain, she took another resolute step forward. If what Sesshoumaru said was true and they were equals then this barrier should not be able to hold her. She took another step, feeling his barrier trying to repeal her. Taking an iron hold of her own will and energy, Kagome took another step and then another.
The sensation of falling reached her before her mind realized that she had passed through. Her body slammed into the ground and a harsh release of breath escaped her. Sesshoumaru's dark energy crackled visibly across her body, still fighting her. Kagome grimaced against the pain and tried to rise, but her strength had left her. She had been too long without rest. It had taken everything she'd had to push her way through the barrier and now Sesshoumaru's energy was sucking away at what remained.
Kagome closed her eyes, trying to subdue what was trying to conquer her.
***
Miroku woke before the sunrise. Inuyasha was still asleep and still in his human form. Bare from the waist up, the bandages on his chest were soaked with blood. He and Sango would not be leaving to search for Kikyou that morning, if the two women had any say in the matter. That meant that his quest was all the more important.
Waking Shippou, he carried the still half asleep kitsune out into the morning air. Kirara, waking when he had, followed shortly. "But we haven't eaten yet..." Shippou said groggily.
"We will eat in a little while, Shippou. Time is of importance and we have much ground to cover. Master Ungai and his exterminators were last seen in the eastern territories."
"That guy scares me," Shippou commented with a shudder as he made himself a comfortable place to return to sleep on Miroku's lap.
Miroku grimaced to himself, remembering exactly how terrified the little kitsune had been when faced with the monks. If he'd had a choice in the matter, he would not have elected to have either of his youkai companions join him on this search. Master Ungai was not known for his charitable ways where youkai were concerned and he doubted the monk's temperament had changed any since the last time their paths had crossed. Still, he would find Master Ungai much faster with the help of Kirara and Shippou. "He will not hurt you, Shippou. I will not allow it."
Shippou nodded his head in understanding. "Do you...do you think Kagome's gonna be okay, Miroku?"
"Of course, Shippou. She has been through worse situations and remained unscathed."
"But Sesshoumaru's as scary as Master Ungai!"
Miroku thought that Sesshoumaru was far more terrifying than Ungai, but, then again, he wasn't a short little fox youkai, either. When Sesshoumaru had turned his burning red eyes onto him the other day, Miroku had known true fear. It was as if the very fires of Hell had been staring at him and he couldn't help but fear for his friend now trapped with the ruthless daiyoukai. He prayed Kagome kept her temper in check. But Kagome was strong and there was a lot more to her than anyone truly gave her credit for. "Sesshoumaru does not want to hurt the Lady Kagome," Miroku told the little kitsune reassuringly.
"But if he takes her soul, isn't that hurting her?"
Miroku looked down at Shippou for a long while. He looked so much like a child and was treated as such, but, in reality, he wasn't much of one anymore. Youkai aged differently than humans. There were times when his childish nature showed, but Shippou had been slowly losing that edge for some time now and his playful actions were more because he was a fox youkai than a child. He was 'growing-up', one could say. "We will not let it progress that far, Shippou."
***
Kagome opened her eyes. She was lying down, staring into the face of a perfect white flower. What were these flowers and why was Sesshoumaru constantly dragging her to this place?! Viciously tearing the flower away from her face, she stood and looked around her. She was alone...for now...but she could feel him coming to her.
Above her the full moon hung, haunting and large. Another question for Sesshoumaru, she thought resolutely. The youkai had much to explain to her…much more than he already had. And by the Kamis she was tired of not knowing what in the hell was going on around her!
Looking around her once more, she decided she didn't want to see any more flowers. Then, as suddenly as the thought had come upon her, she was no longer in the field. She was standing outside her own home, in her own time, with a very angry looking daiyoukai before her. "What is the meaning of this, miko?" he asked, his voice cold and flat.
"I'm home..." Kagome breathed, looking around her; longing for the sight of her family.
Sesshoumaru had never been to her time. He'd never seen her home or knew even remotely what it looked like. So that meant...she was in control.
Kagome smiled, wickedly. It was a smile that would have done the murderous inu-daiyoukai proud. "You cannot control me, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, knowing her voice would carry to him. They were separated by a great distance it seemed. For some reason, the space was larger than it truly was.
In an instant, Sesshoumaru was before her. His single hand reached out and grasped her around her neck. He lifted her, effortlessly, off the ground. Kagome did not struggle. She did not feel the need to. Here she was safe from him. Her only thought was wondering why grabbing her around the throat was so appealing. "You will let me go. Now."
His eyes, so close to her own now, bled red and Kagome watched the process with awe. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying to see; the veins of red widened and spread and encompass all. Kagome felt a shiver race through her body. This was the beast she was seeing. This was the inuyoukai. "I will never let you go."
His voice had been rough, wild. "Unhand me, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said again, keeping her tone soothing now. Her mother had always said you caught more flies with honey than with vinegar. Of course, why someone would want to catch flies was beyond her understanding. "Please."
Slowly, he lowered her back to the ground, but his grip on her throat did not relent. Kagome took what she could get and did not try and pull away from him. She remembered too well the pain of being hit by him that had carried over into the waking world.
His breathing was coming in harsh pants. It was the most emotion she had ever seen him show bodily before. "You will return me to Inuyasha," she said, hoping her power here carried over into the real world.
"Never."
"I want to go back to him. I love him."
"Love means nothing, miko," Sesshoumaru answered, slowly regaining control of himself. It, too, was a beautiful process to watch, but then again, he was a gorgeous creature. Perfection at its height, Kagome thought with a sigh. Then Sesshoumaru's breathing evened out and his mask locked back into place. "And it is your downfall."
The world shifted around her once more and Kagome almost groaned. They were once more standing in the field with the moon shining down upon them. Sesshoumaru was no longer holding her by the throat, though. Now he was circling her closely. She could feel his silken hair as it brushed against her body. She could smell him. She could taste him on her tongue. Was this what Inuyasha's world was like? The feeling of knowing, of sensing, so much was intoxicating. Kagome took a deep breath. Even the flowers smelled sweeter. 'You are strong, miko," Sesshoumaru said. "But I am stronger."
"We are the same, Sesshoumaru," Kagome countered, thinking of how she'd pushed through his barrier.
He smirked at her, she could feel it, and then came to stop behind her. His hand settled heavily onto her shoulder and then ran down her arm to her wrist. Kagome watched as his long fingers encircled her there, squeezing slightly in a soundless message. "We are not the same, miko," he corrected her.
Automatically she raised her hand, his guiding hers without force. He held her wrist before her face and slowly sunk his claw into her flesh. Blood blossomed and Kagome could smell and taste the coppery odor. Then he pushed himself against her, leaning down over her shoulder, enfolding her within his larger form. She could see every movement he made, could feel his muscles moving against her body. His tongue darted out and flicked across the mark. Kagome shivered at the contact and then watched, mesmerized once more, as he suckled at the wound.
This time, with him pressed so close to her, she could feel the pleasure coursing through his body. He broke away and opened his own wrist, holding it up to her. His blood smelled sweet, like the flowers. Kagome opened her mouth willingly and placed it against his skin. He leaned back over and put his own mouth up against hers.
As sickening as the thought of her doing this was to her, Kagome could not help but see the beauty in such actions. He was giving to her, as she was giving to him. This was a youkai trait, a youkai action, but it felt so right to her. What was becoming of her?
Sesshoumaru had to forcefully move his arm away from her, she knew. She'd become lost in the action of taking and giving. Turning to face him, her eyes wide, she looked up into that face. His eyes were warm again, warm and loving. Kagome realized that his eyes only looked at her this way after they had connected, shared themselves with one another. "Love is not a weakness, Sesshoumaru," she said softly. "Love is what I am."
***
"Let me up already!" Inuyasha yelled to the empty room. Sango and Kaede had receded outside when he would not stop demanding to be released. Inuyasha didn't care where they went. He would yell all the louder until they gave in. "LET ME UP!!"
Hearing the slayer growl, Inuyasha smiled with satisfaction when she stormed back inside. "Inuyasha, sit boy!"
Reflexively, Inuyasha's ears pinned back against his head. Then he realized what he'd done and growled up at Sango. "Ha! Doesn't work for you, Sango!" he shouted triumphantly, forgetting what he was trying to make the slayer do.
"If only..." she grumbled. Then she sat down next to his prone form and began looking underneath the myriad amount of bandages covering his upper body. The only one not well on its way to being healed completely was the stab wound, but, as Kaede had said, that would take time and rest. And time is what they did not have—at least not where she was concerned.
"See!" Inuyasha said when the slayer sat back from examining him. "Now if you're done ogling my body like that lecherous priest does yours, get these damn sutras off of me and let's get going!"
She opened her mouth to speak but then snapped her jaw shut with an audible click. Inuyasha could see the fire in her eyes and almost let out a whimper. Then Kaede came in and Inuyasha had never been so happy to see the old hag in his entire life. "Ye must be quiet, Inuyasha. Ye are disturbing."
"You want me quiet, let me up!"
"Ye are not well enough yet, Inuyasha."
"I'm fine, you old hag!"
"May hap ye think ye are, Inuyasha--" Kaede began.
"No," Sango interrupted. "He's right. We need to find Kikyou. Do you have any idea of where she could be, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha thought about that. It had been some time since last they'd run into Kikyou. There was no telling where she could be. "No," he admitted gloomily.
"A traveler some months past mentioned a wandering priestess who looked remarkably like Kagome," Kaede provided. "He said he came from the south."
"Fine," Sango said, ripping one of the sutras off of Inuyasha's body. Secretly she enjoyed the flinch that showed on his face. Even at his best, Inuyasha could be a royal pain. With her nerves as stretched as they were, Sango knew the coming days would test her mettle where the hanyou was concerned. "Then it is south we go."
"We can't just wander around aimlessly!"
It wasn't like Inuyasha to not want to act—and he had been screaming to do just that all last night and all this morning. Why was he suddenly so hesitant? Sango narrowed her eyes at him. What was he hiding now? She ripped off another one of the sutras. "Is there something else you haven't told us, Inuyasha?" she asked sweetly.
Sango talking sweetly was only a sign of coming pain and Inuyasha shook his head rapidly no as she ripped another sutra off his body. "Can't you be a little nicer when you do that?!"
"No," she replied as she ripped another off and then another. "Can you tell me what it is you're hiding?"
"I'm not hiding anything!" he protested. Then a slow blush crossed his face. "I just don't want to see her."
Now he gets uncomfortable thinking of being around Kikyou? Where was this when it was really needed?! "This isn't about you and her, Inuyasha. This is about Kagome. And if I have to drag you to Kikyou's side, then so be it!" Sango informed the half-breed, ripping off a sutra for each word she spoke. With the last word, the last sutra came off.
Inuyasha immediately jumped to feet, flexing his claws and stretching his back. He'd been immobile for so long now, he was stiff. He walked outside without another word, stretching as he went, and Sango followed him. Finished flexing his muscles, Inuyasha crouched down in front of her. "Let's go, Sango."
"What?" she said with a blush of her own.
Inuyasha glared at the slayer over his shoulder. "What?" he said back to her. "I'm faster than you and you won't be able to keep up with me running on your own. So get the hell on my back!"
Sango knew he was right. Shouldering her Hirakotsu, she climbed into Kagome's usual spot and the hanyou took off with a blinding burst of speed, leaving Kaede standing in her doorway.
Kaede looked off after the two and closed her remaining eye, whispering a silent prayer for all involved.
***
"Love is what I am."
Sesshoumaru snapped out of the trance he'd fallen into when the miko's spirit had unexpectedly called to him. He growled low in his throat and heard Jaken's startled yelp when the imp heard him. "Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken said tentatively.
He turned his head slightly; not looking at the imp but letting him know all the same that he had his attention. "Lord Sesshoumaru, is something wrong?"
Sesshoumaru did not even bother dignifying that question with an answer. Instead, he turned his head away once more and stared off into the distance, his senses both searching the area surrounding them for any danger and reaching across the distance to the miko.
He and his...pack—not having a better word for what he would call those who followed him—were currently sequestered by a gently flowing bend of a river. Rin was wading in the water, her kimono pulled up to keep it from getting wet. Her bright eyes were focused on the fish swimming there and her small child's hands were posed for action. "Jaken," he said smoothly.
His retainer gulped audibly. "Y..yes, my Lord?"
"Go and help Rin."
"Yes, my Lord!" the imp said with obvious relief. He had been expecting to be struck. Whenever his Lord carried that certain expression in his eyes, it did not bode well for him.
Sesshoumaru turned his eyes towards his ward. The little girl noticed she had her Lord's attention and smiled brightly. Her smile reminded him of the miko and Sesshoumaru turned away once more. Her mood not disturbed by her Lord's lack of return, he heard her laugh at Jaken's attempt to get into the water without wetting himself which ended up with the imp buried head first into the flow. "Master Jaken, you'll never catch a fish that way!"
"Rin, you silly girl!" the imp sputtered as he picked himself up out of the water. "You should not disrespect me so, child!"
"Yes, Master Jaken. I am sorry," Rin answered with a giggle that said she was anything but sorry to see her traveling companion and care taker--when her Lord was absent--floundering about head first in the cold water.
Sesshoumaru listened vaguely as the two continued their conversation speckled with light bickering here and there. Then he turned them out completely when he realized the miko had escaped his barrier. How?
His body stiffened as his senses focused more on her. She was lying on the ground, asleep apparently, outside of his barrier. How? He had been sensing her overwhelming amount of emotions since leaving her, but had not been paying much attention to them. The miko was a human female, a sex prone to wild mood swings—and the miko seemed to be a premium example of that. He did not want to even begin to recall the amount and range of emotions she had shown him during their brief time together. Such a display was a weakness, but he did not mind that she showed them to him--and only to him. Such a thing was to be expected from a human and he could use her weakness to his own advantage. He just wished she'd pick one emotion and cling to it for a length of time.
He was torn from his thoughts by the overly excited screeching and splashing of his retainer. Sesshoumaru looked back over towards the pair to find Jaken doing what appeared to be Rin's 'happy dance' while wildly swinging the fish he'd caught around him. Rin was laughing and clapping her hands in jubilation. "Hn," he commented before turning his eyes and mind back to the miko. As long as Rin was happy, he would not berate the imp for distracting him from his thoughts.
The miko was a mystery that needed to be solved. The place she had taken him to had been foreign to him. He had never seen the likes of it before and yet the miko had called it home. Is that the place the well took her to? He had never really paid much mind to it before. The well was of no use to him. When he was near it he could feel the youkai energies contained within it, yes, but he knew the stories as well. Why the miko disappeared inside of it or where she went after disappearing within its depths had never mattered. Now, though, that id did matter he would know. He needed to know everything and she would tell him. He would see to that.
The fact that she had gained some measure of control over him in the dream world also perplexed him. He had been livid to be drawn into her unconsciousness. It was he who held the control. It was he who would decide when the miko would be able to interact with his energies. Sesshoumaru had been angered further by her demands to be released and returned to his half-brother's side. Still mentally reeling from her disobedience of him, the mentioning of his half-brother had only angered him further. Yet this miko had managed to calm him, to make him let go of his anger and set her down onto her own two feet again, when all he'd wanted to do was beat the girl into a bloody pile of miko to show his dominance.
And how had she drawn him in? How had she found the strength to gain such control? As far as he had known, she was unaware of the true abilities she contained within her. They only surfaced when she was under severe distress. Of course, since she had broken through his barrier, she would have been under emotional strain. He had added a large measure of his youki to strengthen it and keep the miko away from it. With her miko abilities weakened by the natural barrier of the cavern walls and his own, she should not have even been able to step near his barrier. When she forced her way through, however she had done so, it must have shredded the mental barriers her mind had unconsciously placed in her to bind her energies. However, that did not explain how she had controlled the dream so strongly. He had been helpless to heed her call until she mentioned love. Love—such a pathetic thing and definitely not something he could fall prey to. He was youkai. And true youkai did not indulge in such human behavior.
The releasing of her energies, combined with the strain she had been under since he had taken her from the well, had forced the miko's body to rest. She was sleeping now, still protected by his fires that danced around her aura. When she woke Sesshoumaru knew she would try and run from him. She would try and return to her precious Inuyasha. He smiled, thinking of the pleasure of the hunt. He was an inu, after all. Hunting was something done for sport as well as necessity. It would be thrilling to track her down and remind her all over again the futility of running from him. No one escaped Sesshoumaru—least of all her.
Jaken, still doing his happy dance, looked over towards his Lord and Master and squawked in alarm when he saw his Lord's smile. The fish he'd been so pleased to have caught slipped from his grip, slapping him in the face with his slimy tail before plunging back into the water, but Jaken didn't realize it. His wide, bulbous eyes were focused on his Lord and hoping, praying to every Kami there was, that his Lord's smile did not foretell some measure of pain for himself. Whoever his Lord's thoughts centered on had better start praying themselves, he thought before turning away from the sight and back to Rin. There is nothing but misery to be found for someone else when my Lord smiles like that.
***
