Rose Number Ten
For the past two months she had not left the temple for anything other than at night but no one knew what it was that she was up to. Not a one of them was brave enough to ask her either. Kanna knew that the aura around Kagome had gotten a lot darker in the past two months and though she wanted to confront her had a feeling that she might not like what it was that she found out from the once pure miko now tainted beyond recognition. Miroku thought that he had seen the change but
didn't want to believe that Kagome would go that far. Kanna had a feeling that Kagome had fallen much further than any of them wanted to even guess at. Her hair longer now and her demonic marking shown through even more than they had at the time that they had thought that the change was finished she had changed a lot in the past two months. Her power still grew but was chained up so much that they didn't even feel it when she walked in and out of the temple any more. They all knew that they needed to talk to her but how to get her to talk with out upsetting her. Miroku had offered several times to go talk to Sesshoumaru but none of the females would have him put himself at risk just to find out why he had done what it was that they were all sure that he had. They wanted reasons but knew that they weren't the ones that needed them it was the now pitch miko that walked though the temple once again to leave it for the night. They didn't know where it was that she was going and not one dared to follow her either. They had tried once and found that she had locked them into the temple. They knew that she would keep that lock in place until she thought that it was time for them to leave her.
Kagome walked out into the night as she had for the past two months. She knew that the others were worried about her but she didn't care any more. There were some things that they just wouldn't understand. This was one of them. She had found out a lot about herself in the months that she had been learning from the dark one. Peace was something that she would have to fight for if she wanted it enough. Life was something that she wanted and one of peace was in her grasp. That was all that she wanted, she thought that it was about time for her to do something about the things that she wanted in her life and she was going to. The dark one told her that all she had to do was give up her human soul and the jewel and she would be free to live the life that she wanted no matter who it was that she decided to take as her mate. Since she was sure that Sesshoumaru would have nothing to do with her she was positive that it was a good idea.
"Dark One I have come." Called out Kagome
"I am here." Answered a male voice from around her. She knew that the dark one unlike Kuan-Yin didn't mind lingering around mortals. He found them entertaining. She didn't mind at least this god was willing to tell her how it was that she could have a life not end it.
"My master what is it that you would have me learn tonight?" asked Kagome as she walked around the area not quite what trusting that she was alone. She felt someone around her but she wasn't sure who it was.
"You are no longer alone. I will wait until you dispense with the intruder. I know that you will do so quickly."
"You mean?" asked Kagome
"You know well who it is that comes to you. You don't want to see him, give him that which he needs then leave him there I will follow you to the next location for our training." Answered the dark one
"Very well then master." Kagome turned in the direction that she knew that Sesshoumaru would be coming from. There was no reason for him to be out and about tonight but she knew that she couldn't stop him. All she could to was make sure that he didn't interfere with what it was that she was doing. She wanted to continue her lessons and she would.
"Anbu Ichiko, I am looking for someone. Have you seen a pure miko around here?" asked the new comer to the area. She knew that it was Sesshoumaru but his voice didn't sound as it normally did.
"Anbu Ickiko, hummm that isn't what I thought that I would be called but that is all right. Who is this female that you seek to you?" asked Kagome knowing well who it was.
"A friend." Answered Sesshoumaru
"Only a friend?" asked Kagome
"Why do you ask?" asked Sesshoumaru
"Though I know not the female that you seek I would like to know for whom I should keep watch." Answered Kagome
"Her name is Kagome should you find her, tell her that her true mate is looking for her."
"Interesting choice of words, is there a reason?"
"She will understand."
"I have to know what I am telling her so that I know that she will not attack me. I know that a pure miko can harm me."
"She can not harm you will not harm you. She's after me."
"I heard tales that a pure miko died, could that be the one that you are talking about?"
"What was the name of the miko that died?" asked Sesshoumaru fear flowing through his voice
"I do not know I only know that one of them did. I would have thought that were you her true mate that you would know what was going on with her."
"I should but she has found a way to make sure that I can not find her."
"Oh poor you, any female would be privileged to be with you."
"I wouldn't suggest that."
"What do you mean?"
"This miko can create flowers that have been dead for centuries and she did so the last time that she came to see me."
"What would that have to do with me and you hooking up?" asked the female demon in front of him
"Have you heard of a flower called the VenomsFlame?"
"Yes it is deadly to those it is intended for why do you ask me that?"
"That was what she left the last female that got close to me."
"How close did she get to you?" asked the female demon in front of him with a smile. She was familiar some how but she didn't ring any bells. What was it about her that seemed to remind him of another female one that he was coming to see?
"Closer than I think that the female I am looking for wanted her. I had to though so I thought at the time, now I am not so sure."
"Why is that I wonder?" asked the female
"I thought that perhaps the reason that I couldn't find my mate was that I was too wrapped up in the sexual tension that has built up between us."
"Had you not thought that she might feel the same thing but that she has hidden it from you?" asked the female
"Why do that it is my right my honor to take care of that for her?"
"Perhaps and remember that I don't know her but it is possible that she wants something that you have not told her that she has. Just a suggestion mind you." Answered the female
"I never thought of that. She could want the answer to the heart before she gives the answer of the soul. Why didn't I think of that?"
"If you didn't think of that and were only acting on the desires of the flesh how are you to know what it is that she might want from you?" asked the female
"You are right. Might I ask your opinion on something?" asked Sesshoumaru
"You might though the answers you might not like all that well."
"Honest enough I guess." Answered Sesshoumaru
"I am nothing if I am not." She answered
"What if I have thought not about what it is that she is doing in the right light? Is there a way that if I told you what she was doing that you could tell me what it is that she means?" asked Sesshoumaru
"Perhaps, though remember I know not the lady of whom you speak. I would only be answering were it myself doing what it is that you tell me."
"Fair enough." Answered Sesshoumaru watching her closely there was something about her that told him that this was the one that he was seeking. He would take the chance to talk to her now though he knew that she was not happy with him in the least.
"She has been gifting me with roses, roses that no longer live here. I do not know what it is that she is trying to tell me with them."
"What is their type?" asked the female
"Rose of the Night."
"Those are extinct, there is no way that the female you are talking about could find those." She answered with a smile, " don't play me for a fool what kind of rose are they?" she asked once again
"I lie not, they are Roses of the Night. She is a being of earth in being that she can call any bloom that she wishes that is why she also left me a VenomsFlame."
"Well Roses of the Night have a couple of meanings like the cards of Tower and Death. You know the meanings of those I assume being as powerful as you are." Answered the female
"Perhaps tell me what it is that you think that they mean."
"The death of the old the beginning of the new of course, any dolt knows that." Answered Kagome
"that is death not the tower.'
"Same principle old things crumble and new things are built. Goodness had I known that you would question me like this I might not have agreed."
"Just want to know if we think the same," answered Sesshoumaru watching her closer now, she was who he was seeking, Kagome his mate.
"You think that you know me, do you?" asked Kagome
"Perhaps at one time I might have but the being in front me has changed. Darkness do I see, when light used to show the way." Answered Sesshoumaru not knowing how it was that she had spoken his thoughts.
"The link you seek is still there, you are not looking in the right way." With that Kagome lifted into the air so that she could leave him.
"Kagome stay." Sesshoumaru whispered to her, sure that he was right about her.
"That name doesn't hold the same meaning any more. Learn the lessons."
"I have, you are the one that I want and before you die I want you to be mine. I didn't think before I did what I did. I only wanted to remove that part of myself from what was going on with us. I want you no one else."
"How do I know that, you left my dreams to join hers that night." She snapped back
"I have never linked with another like I have you."
"You laid with her in a way that is reserved for me alone. You came not to me but to another how can I trust you not to do so again if we are together? Answer me this, do you care for her, did you leave my present for her with her?"
"Yes." He answered thinking about the fact that he had allowed her to keep the flower knowing that it would kill her long before she reached another who would know where it was that she had been none knew where she was and none would.
"You allowed it to do what it was meant to do?" asked Kagome fear entering her voice
"Yes. As my mate it was your place to let me kneow that I had done something that you didn't think right. You did as any demoness would though I didn't know aat the time that you were one." Answered Sesshoumaru
"That was not who I am. That was something inside of me that had had enough of you thinking that you were always in the right. I didn't do what I did for any righteous reasons only my own selfish ones."
"Which I should have thought about when I did what it was that I did. I told you Kagome my life that I didn't think before I did what it was that I did. I should have thought about the fact that though I didn't hear you that the link would still be there."
"It was there that is the reason that I went to see you that night. I felt something that I had never felt before. Miroku told me that he thought he knew what was going on. When I looked into the eyes of the rose I knew what it was that you were doing. You angered me and I had to do something to let you know that you had. You actions caused my reactions, I didn't like what it was that I did once I thought about it but I did what I thought that I should have seeing as you are MINE no one else's."
"I am yours?" asked Sesshoumaru curiosity filling his voice
"You know that you are, why do you play this game of foolishness knowing where it is that you are."
"I am not the fool, I know that I am at my mothers temple and I know that you have tainted it with your dark presence. I know that you have called to the Dark One to aid you. I don't know why you did it but you must think that there is something that he can do for you that my mother can not."
"You mean your mother will not." Answered Kagome her voice filled with her anger
"You have asked her not. Don't play with me you only asked her how to woo me not how to change me. You have not thought through what it is that you wanted. Now you have it what will you do now that my heart lies at your feet?" asked Sesshoumaru throwing down the gauntlet hoping that she wouldn't turn from this fight as she had not in the past but knowing that the chances were that she would.
"I will do what you have taught me to do." With that he watched as a raven rose floated out of the air from her hand and landed in his hand. He knew then what she meant. He watched as she vanished into the night. He wasn't going to leave here until she was with him. He looked around him, his mothers temple was hidden from all but those that she allowed inside so that meant that the monk was there as well. First he sent the rose to the palace much as he had done the first, sure that it would be all right he put a plan into action. He smiled as he shifted his form into that of a powerless pup and pulled his power close to his heart so that she couldn't feel it. He shifted his scent to that of the surrounding area, once he was sure that she wouldn't know him he moved to the steps of his mothers temple and laid down to wait for her. He would be here until the day that she saw who he was or the day that she died.
