From all the Kagome/Sesshomaru stories I have read I have to say I'm in awe. Those stories are so well written it has me blinking owlishly at my work in-progress doubting it has potential.
But I come to realize that each author has their own style, their own take on characters, and their own imagination. That much I can respect. Hopefuly I can find the self-respect for my writings. Yes, my take on Kagome has been warped into a character I like, which may stray from her true nature, and yes the style may differ, but I'm happy to say the story is mine and I can do with it whatever I please. Which can be good or bad.
And since a surge of inspiration occurs once every two years of my life, I know it is a disappointment to see that I have not been committed to continuing the story. Hopefully authors and readers can understand and relate to writer's block or simply the progression of life.
But without further ado, here is my attempt to capture your minds again.
Enjoy, if you can.
WARNING: Contains small scenes of illicit drug-use. If uncomfortable, do not read on.
A euphoric rush instantly flooded through her body, starting from the roots of her hair and slowly percolating to the soles of her feet. The once erratic pitch of electronic music and sporadic thudding of bass dropped decibels until the sounds were reduced to a heavy droning drawl. Erratic flashing of strobe lights slowed, its rotation speed diminished to a flash every ten seconds. Between that time frame, bodies on the dance floor writhed slothfully, transitions of movement conceivable only with her sight.
She suddenly became paralyzed, surrendering into the plushness of the booth she sat in. Conversations around her warbled in a tenor so low it was indecipherable to hear what was being said. Slowly the world was fading from her, the dance floor inking away into blackness, sounds waning into nothingness. Her heavy breathing was the only thing she could hear, piercing the murky silence and echoing eerily into the darkened abyss. She didn't know where she was but didn't seem to mind, too enveloped in her state of intense ecstasy.
As seconds ticked by she was submerged in the depths of darkness, too high to care. And then, color burst forth, flooding the black canvas like Rorschach inkblots. The designs morphed into different designs, its hue deepening and brightening into various colors. Kagome let out a sluggish laugh, amused by the metamorphic display. The designs continued to morph and change color until she was completely mesmerized by its continual progression.
The designs then transformed into a figure she couldn't comprehend. The figure began to sharpen as her vision became clearer and Kagome soon realized it was a four-legged animal. Finally its features became apparent and she was able to identify it as a pristine-white dog. Its aura was regal yet fierce, beautiful but deadly. Kagome faintly recalled seeing this dog somewhere but was too immersed in the hallucination to fully remember.
It sauntered toward her, slinking with its predatory gaze set on her. Once at reasonable distance the dog came to a halt. The canine's gaze did not falter as it lowered its head and let something drop from its mouth. A small sphere-like object came rolling to her feet and Kagome could not identify it. She wasn't sure what the object was until it blinked at her. She swallowed a scream as she realized it was an eye staring up at her. Its iris was a flaming gold and pierced through her. Kagome couldn't tear away from its stare. She watched as its pupil began to dilate at an alarming rate, the golden iris shrinking until it was completely submersed in black. The pupil spread, eating away at the whites of the eye until it was completely black.
The object was no longer an eye. Its blackness possessed a opalescent sheen and Kagome quickly identified it as a pearl, a black pearl. The pearl suddenly levitated into the air until it was in her line of sight. It hovered there as if expecting something. Kagome momentarily tore her eyes away from the pearl to look at the dog. It sat on his haunches and gave her a knowing look. Confused, Kagome merely stared back. The dog titled its head to the side as if to iterate its meaning.
Clarity short circuited her brain, zapping her back to reality. As if just being resuscitated, Kagome lunged forward, gasping harshly as air filled her lungs and an electrical surge coursed through her veins. She stood shakily on her legs, her surroundings cruelly bombarding her unusually delicate senses. Everything was too loud, too bright, the smell of sweat settling bitter and sour in her nostrils. Kagome looked wildly around her, like an untamed animal outside of its element. She wanted to flee, she wanted to escape to where things were quiet and calm and where she could hear herself think. It was too loud. Too bright. And the smells...
A tug at her wrist had her head snapping in that direction. Her party-goer friend Katsuye gave her an alarmed expression. "Are you alright Kagome?" she shouted through the blare of music and bass.
Before Kagome could answer, a string of syllables exploded in her brain as if experiencing a violent flashback. She could hear the words over and over again, overlapping one another into a clash of syllabic messes, vowels and consonants intertwining. Each annunciation echoed in her head, the voice familiar but the incoherent babble making it difficult to fully recognize. Kagome clamped her hands against her temples in attempts to calm the hurricane crashing against her skull.
Midst the psychobabble Katsuye pressed on, "What's wrong? Is everything okay?" It was all so confusing and she couldn't make out anything. Katsuye turned to another rabble-rouser of the night and asked, "How much did you give her?" The young man adorned in chic nighttime attire merely shrugged and responded, "Only enough to fall into a hole." Katsuye shook her head, muttering "shit" under her breath. She watched her friend clutching her head with a strained expression. She stood to calm her drugged friend but was halted in her approach when Kagome suddenly burst out:
"Where one can see, but cannot be seen. The place where its own keeper cannot look upon."
Kagome stared wild-eyed at Katsuye as if looking for affirmation of her statement.
"Come again dear?" Katsuye asked in a calm tone. In her experience Katsuye had seen many versions of people emerging from drug-induced hallucinations, and Kagome's situation was nothing new. The best thing to do was to go along with whatever spewed from their mad lips to calm them down. But when Kagome repeated her statement Katsuye saw clarity fill her expression in a faraway stare and suddenly became concerned if she took whatever she saw in her hallucination seriously.
"Honey, you were just hallucinating. It isn't real," she assured Kagome and began to usher her back to her seat.
Kagome shot her an alarmed expression and tore her wrist from Katsuye's grasp.
"I have to go."
Katsuye was about to protest but Kagome was already gathering herself and pushing her way through the crowded nightclub.
"Where are you going? Why do you have to go?" Katsuye called after her.
"He needs me!"
"Who?" she shouted over the raucous din.
"Sesshomaru!"
It was a lost cause. Kagome was swallowed by the sea of night-clubbers and was nowhere to be seen.
Katsuye retreated back to her table with a befuddled expression. When her group gave her a look of inquiry, she asked, "Who the fuck is Sesshomaru?"
She suddenly knew what she had to do. Maybe all those drug-induced nights spent with Katsuye brought her back to her path. Maybe it didn't. But now she knew.
Her time away from Feudal Japan had her straying from a path she had unknowingly traipsed before. Drawn into Katsuye's world of high society, sex and drugs, Kagome made not much of a struggle. Moments spent at home brought the miko's mind to the fearsome inuyoukai. Although she tried to distract herself from these thoughts by interacting with her family, it was nearly unbearable to be in the same vicinity with her mother and James. To pry herself away from the sickening joviality, Kagome either remained in solitude or phoned Katsuye. "I just need to get away from my thoughts for a while," she had told the socialite. In response, Katsuye said, "I have just what you need."
It was easy to fall into another well and emerge out of it to a foreign world where cares and worries did not exist. And to barricade the thoughts of Sesshomaru she welcomed mind-numbing effects, psycho-babbling episodes, and a blur of ecstasy and entertainment, where the fun never ended. Yet she never thought it aloud, Kagome came to the conclusion that staying high was the only way to keep the formidable inuyoukai from her mind.
Kagome didn't have time to contemplate how quickly she returned home or how she had found her way. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest as she tore up the steps, taking two at a time. Thankfully the front door was unlocked and she thundered to her room. Tearing off her getup, she hastily dressed herself in sportswear attire. She dumped the contents of her traveling bag on her bedroom floor, swiftly pushing items aside she deemed unimportant and began to pack at ferocious speed. Absentmindedly, she threw in the small bedazzled clutch that accompanied her night outings. You never knew what you would need 500 years in the past.
She barely paid attention to what she was stuffing into her traveling bag, throwing additional pairs of sportswear and other miscellaneous items. Her motions were in a flurry and when she ran through the darkened house her bag felt lighter than usual.
Nothing else seemed to make sense except her fiery determination. This will set things right. She knew it. It had to.
'He needs me.'
The thought fueled her and she quickened her pace.
Agilely rounding a corner, she suddenly came colliding into, to her horror, James.
If she wasn't so preoccupied with her mission, Kagome's immediate response of James's presence would have been similar to a bristling spitting cat. But she had no time to voice her indignation of James's spending the night. As of now she could hardly care.
"Kagome!" James exclaimed, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders to prevent her from falling. He opened his mouth to say something next, but stopped short as he took in her appearance.
She must have appeared quite bizarre. The nighttime shenanigans reduced her alluring curls into an untamed mane of wild hair, crazed brown orbs darkened with smoky eyeliner, and lips slightly smudged a plum hue of lipstick. To top it off, she was dressed in black spandex leggings, a polyester-spandex runner's tank top, and worn track trainers. Kagome sniffed loudly and made sure to wipe her nose away of any possible residue.
"Are you going somewhere?" he asked with mild interest. Kagome huffed, shrugging out of his grasp. Couldn't he see that she was in a hurry? There wasn't any time to explain where she was off to!
"Peace Corps," she cut shortly, trying to side step him.
"But your mother told me you've already left," James said smoothly as if he had all the time in the world to converse. Kagome began to prickle with agitation and was soon washed over with panic. For some reason she felt like time was not on her side and needed to act quickly.
"I was out with friends," Kagome replied dismissively this time successfully side-stepping James.
"But it's the middle of the night," James pressed on in his calm tone.
Kagome erupted an irritable sigh and turned to face him.
"And?" she said, quirking an irritable brow.
Quickly catching her annoyed expression, James then said, "Oh, right. I'll let Kun-Loo know you said goodbye."
Kagome didn't thank him as she swiftly turned on her heel and with long quick strides, she was out the door.
A goodbye to her family wasn't needed. They probably assumed she had already gone back to the Feudal era. If Kagome was in a right state of mind she would have pondered how her family took her absence, if it all became a habit to them and the acceptance of her absence was getting easier to take as the years went by. But there was no time to think of that.
She barely realized she had reached the lip of the well, stopping short at its gaping opening. A bow and quiver full of arrows was propped against the side, awaiting its master. Staring into the darkened abyss, Kagome quickly went over her plan of action, refusing for the small thought of failure to fester her brain. Grabbing her bow and slinging the quiver over a shoulder she stepped to the well's edge. She drew in a deep, shaky breath. Her nerves were shot; anxiety gnawing at her empty stomach as a tremor traveled through her body. Kagome raked her hands nervously through her hair only to withdraw them and realize they were trembling.
She attempted to shake away the tremors but her hands continued to tremble. This wouldn't do. She needed to calm down before she would attempt the unthinkable.
Discarding the traveling bag from her shoulder, Kagome frantically dug through the contents and pulled out the glittering clutch bag. She unclasped it and with fumbling fingers found a small bullet shaped inhaler. The miko sighed in intense relief and without further thought brought the inhaler to a nostril and took a sharp sniff.
The effects were immediate. A wave a complete relaxation flooded through her body and her limbs buzzed with tingles.
Detached from anxiety, fear, and worry, Kagome gathered her belongings and jumped through the well.
Raindrops spattered her face as she looked up facing a dark overcast sky. Sound was altered and enhanced, the drops of rain a pleasant patter against forest leaves. A breeze blew overhead causing a whooshing sound to swim in Kagome's ears. The smell of rain and forest cleared her sinuses and filled her lungs with clean, pure air. She jumped up to clutch at the edge of the well and hoisted herself up.
The sensations of Sengoku jidai crashed against her, stronger and more powerful than ever as Kagome climbed out of the well. It left her breathless. Energies of every organism within a large radius flickered against her being and Kagome couldn't help sending a small upsurge of her own energy, effortlessly escaping her like a gentle wave. She was mildly surprised how in her current state her miko powers felt like second nature to her.
Musings of illicit drugs and miko powers in pair had to wait, though. The unthinkable had to be done.
The rain absorbed in the polyester fabric of her sportswear, but her hair was becoming damp. In attempts to tame her wild tresses, she pulled it back in a hair tie. She looked again to the gloomy night sky to realize there was a giant bright orb missing; a new moon. Kagome smiled wryly as she assessed the timing of her situation. Inuyasha would be human, easy to overpower and defeat.
The only disadvantage was Kagome would have to search for the hanyou without her flaring youkai radar. She quickly came to her first step in plan: visit Kaede and ask of Inuyasha's whereabouts.
To her astonishment and liking, the hanyou was in the wizened miko's hut, fast asleep by a smoking fire that had just extinguished. Instead of the shimmery silver strands, the hanyou's hair was an inky black. His vulnerability was what Kagome was relying on.
Kneeling before her slumbering friend, Kagome's left hand hovered over Inuyasha's right eye. In a moment of seconds she watched his closed eyes move rapidly behind the lids, apparently in deep sleep, then made her move. As she summoned an insurmountable amount of energy, she heard her voice cut eerily through the electric crackle of power, metallic and steely as she uttered, "I'm sorry Inuyasha."
She did not know how she had done it, but it was clasped firmly in her hand. The rain fell harder as she stood in a clearing within Inuyasha's forest. Everything seemed to be going seamlessly up until this point. Kagome unfurled her fingers to stare at the black pearl in her palm as if expecting something to happen. It lay lifelessly in her hand.
As the wind picked up and a spray of rain hit her face, she summoned her powers once more, radiating at her core and whipping around her in a potent gale. She stared hard at the pearl, hoping her energies would awaken this ancient relic of power.
To her dismay, nothing happened. Kagome frowned, ignoring the continual whip of rain in her face.
She faintly recalled how Sesshomaru had activated the portal to his sire's grave. His servant, the toad imp had placed the end of his two-headed staff on the pearl. The old man's head began cackling, though as Kagome evoked this memory, she had no idea what that had meant.
How would she open the portal? Nothing came to mind.
"Please," she found herself saying without her knowledge. Absentmindedly she brought the pearl to her mouth, lips moving in a soft murmur as she spoke.
"Your son needs me. I've seen him in a different light. Let me help him redeem his ways."
Kagome assumed her mere utterance would not stir the vestige of the brothers' Father, but to her disbelief the black pearl began to glow soft lavender. She felt an omnipotent energy surging in her hand, flames of youki licking her digits and caressing her palm. If she had not been as composed she would have dropped the pearl, finding the energy against her own too prevailing to clutch in her hand.
The pearl then levitated, suspended in air and hovering for a moment. Then with a sound of clapping thunder and sizzling lightning, a rip to her right came out of nothingness, immersing her in glowing purple light. It was the portal.
The wind had picked up its speed, whipping rain in all directions. Kagome wasted no more time and stepped through the portal. Entering the portal had the feeling similar to when she traveled through the well. She was engulfed in a sensation of weightlessness, obscured in a bright light.
And then she was there. The wind and rain was much stronger here. Within seconds Kagome was soaked. For a moment she feared the blustery weather would prove the absence of the skeletal winged birds. But within a flash of lightning she saw the whiteness of their bones shining eerily in the electric light, gliding effortlessly in the air, unaffected by the monstrous gale. As if they sensed her presence, a flock of them sailed towards her and landed before her. They were enormous in size, their skeletal wings stretching out in great length as they settled before the miko.
Without hesitation Kagome mounted the nearest available bird. Obediently it soared to the colossus skeleton of the great Inu no Taisho. Rain whipped mercilessly against her face, like tiny needles stinging her skin. She ignored the cold that had seeped into her clothes and caused a slight tremor through her body.
The detachment of feeling and the tingling numbness in her limbs began to ebb. Reality came crashing in and she was suddenly on pins and needles. But she preferred it so. She would have to be completely cognizant and competent to accomplish the task before her.
The bird came to a halt once inside the mouth of the skeleton. Kagome gave it an elusive stroke on its skeletal beak and the bird took off. She was submerged in complete darkness, though she was not relying on her original senses to find what she searched for.
She brought forth her energy in vigilant small ripples, a spiritual echolocation. The small ripples were like feelers, searching for an unmistakable aura that she would immediately familiarize with.
A surge of strong energy took her by surprise, crashing against her like a powerful wave of a high tide. It was hot and searing like rays of the sun, omnipotent and full of formidable power. It was the spirit of Sesshomaru's severed arm, still possessing the objective to seize and destroy. Although Kagome expected to encounter this powerful youki, she was startled by its eagerness to consume her. It came barreling towards her and Kagome allowed herself to become on open doorway, feeling its presence flood through her.
Once she felt it encompassed within her, Kagome sealed herself, trapping the arduous youki within her. Immediately she was thrown into a struggle. The youki fought to completely consume her, rivaling with her reiki, two opposing energies battling against one another. For a moment she was apprehensive of becoming completely consumed by this energy, her soul devoured until she was reduced to a hollow shell.
Kagome was aware of the consequences if this was to pass. Naturally the youki sensed her energy, most likely the strongest it had encountered in years and instantly yearned to latch on. It would then consume her body and soul, for Kagome was not a taiyoukai. Indeed it would devour her completely until she was drained of all life-force and then dwell and wait until it could latch onto something stronger.
It was imperative to keep this resilient energy at bay and return it to its master.
Already she could feel the war raging within her and she willed her energy to subdue the snarling beast. She would not let it overpower her. She could not allow a fragment of Sesshomaru's youki dominate her, not with all these passing years of her evolving powers.
Kagome doubled over as she felt her insides burn. Although this was all part of her plan, she was not entirely confident she would see to it until the end.
An impish green toad came bustling out of the treeline, huffing into the clearing with freshly hunted hare hanging limply from his shoulder. Once he noted his Sire and ward's presence, he instantly straightened his stooped form, approaching the crackling fire in a triumphant gait.
"Dinner is served," Jaken said as he beamed at the Daiyoukai and the young girl. His beam was extinguished once he took in the girl's soured expression.
"Rabbit again?" Rin groaned eyeing the lifeless forms in disdain.
The small youkai squawked at her unappreciative comment.
"Be grateful child that you aren't required to fend for yourself!" Jaken crowed indignantly.
"As if I haven't before," Rin retorted as she recalled her early childhood before encountering the demon lord.
She rolled her eyes as the toad began to sputter angrily. Before he could respond, she snatched the rabbits from him and set to work.
"I swear, I'll sprout rabbit ears if I eat another," she grumbled, grabbing the rabbit by the leg and pushing at the knee joint until the hide separated from the meat.
Sesshomaru suppressed a smile from his ward's comment. It seemed as she grew older she became more sprightly and argumentative with his toad servant. At times she often won the arguments leaving Jaken sitting surly in the backdrop, angry that the girl was not reprimanded for her insubordinate behavior.
"Rin." His baritone voice cut through the clearing. She froze in her ministrations as her head shot up to obediently acknowledge the demon lord. Any sign of displeasure was immediately wiped from her features as she stared warily at him. Although he appreciated her unwavering reverence, her guarded position wasn't necessary.
"This one will provide you an adequate meal tomorrow," he stated. Her wary expression cracked into a wide smile. "Thank you Lord Sesshomaru!" she sang out. She then shot Jaken a smug look while the toad gaped at her.
He turned his visage away from the squabble about to break out and towards the sky. Although a brilliant blue and partly cloudy, he picked up the smell of damp showers miles away. It would rain soon. After his ward gained her sustenance they would resume their task to find adequate shelter immediately.
Before Rin, locating shelter was unnecessary. He and Jaken were able to travel day and night through any condition of weather. At first, the constant need to provide basic human necessities for the child was a nuisance. Though, as the years went by and as the Taiyoukai's emotions grew for the girl, this task was no longer an inconvenience. Besides, sitting for eight hours while the girl rested was faster than the blink of an eye to his being. By now, finding food and shelter for Rin had become a solid routine in their travels.
"Here you are Jaken." Rin's bright voice stalled his silent musings. Sesshomaru watched as his ward tossed the rabbit's hide at Jaken, who sqwaked in digust when it slapped him in the face. The girl giggled as she skewered the rabbit with a thin branch and positioned it over the fire.
It was strange, but from watching his ward, he caught glances of the miko he had abandoned months ago in this girl. He definitely saw more of the miko when Rin was stubborn or defiant. It seemed as time went on he thought more of Kagome.
Admittedly, the inuyokai was not totally satisfied at how he ended it. But looking back, he knew it was for the best. The miko had done peculiar things to him and for all he knew it could have interfered with his sharp judgment. Yet, even though it was for the best, he couldn't help but miss her.
Her presence in this world had been absent for months now and he only assumed that she had returned to her time. Though, she had not returned to this time and Sesshomaru was beginning to wonder if she would remain there. It was unlike the miko to shirk her responsibilities, but when his half-brother interrogated him of the miko's whereabouts months ago, he now wondered if she would ever return. Feigning cold indifference, he told the hanyou he had severed all ties with the miko and had not seen her since. When the hanyou looked troubled Sesshomaru couldn't help feeling a slight discomfort.
"I have not sensed her for weeks. It is apparent she has not returned," he stated in his monotone voice when speaking with Inuyasha.
"Couldn't be," Inuyasha said to himself rather than to his elder brother. "I went back and Kagome's mom said she hasn't come home."
"Either the miko does not wish to be found in her realm, or her abilities have reached a degree to which she can veil her presence," Sesshomaru said. "The latter is highly doubtful. Besides hanyou, she is no longer and has never been this one's concern," he added too firmly than he intended.
The younger grimaced at the elder's response. Sesshomaru ignored this and turned to make his leave. He came to a halt when Inuyasha suddenly said, "You really must have hurt her feelings."
Before Sesshomaru could comment, the hanyou was gone. At the time he refused for this encounter and its events to trouble him. Though reflecting on it now, Sesshomaru couldn't help but wonder: had he wounded the miko so deeply that she wouldn't return? Impossible, Sesshomaru found himself thinking. Kagome would never leave her duties. She wouldn't. Would she?
The sky began to darken and the clouds became thicker. Once Rin finished her meal, they resumed their trek. Shortly after they found an abandoned dwelling. It wasn't the most adequate, but the forest leaves began to patter with the sound of scattered rain drops. His ward had quickly assembled a makeshift bed from old blankents. She then began busying herself with constructing a fire in the earth clad pit.
Sesshomaru silently admired how adept and resilient his ward had become. She was self-reliant, hardly needed Jaken or his assistance, and was finally able to tend to her own necessities. Although the dog demon did not mind aiding his ward, she required less of his help and asked of it only when she was in dire need. She was becoming more resourceful during their travels.
Jaken came paddling into view, holding the staff of Two Heads proudly. "I have inspected the entire house. There are no vermin about!" he declared as he puffed out his chest. "Well done, Master Jaken!" Rin exclaimed and gave him a small applause. "You're so brave!" she added and the small demon did little to hide his conquering grin.
The two of them suddenly paused their interaction when they caught sight of their Sire. The Taiyoukai had gone rigid and his usual steely gaze was suddenly sharp and alert. Jaken immediately caught on with his Sire's state and flared his youki to investigate any threat in the vicinity. But the small toad could not detect any looming youkai nearby. "My Lord?" he questioned cautiously.
Sesshomaru was certain he had felt it. Although brief, it pulsed through him like a strong single heartbeat. Within its brevity he identified two energies, carrying the sensation of extreme opposing auras. As soon as he had discovered it, in that second it was gone, coalescing into the ebb and flow of energies surrounding the area. It was gone and all the Taiyoukai could do was puzzle over it. For a moment he had sworn the auras held a familiar element to them, both of them-as if it was a fleeting touch from an old companion.
Another pulse. It was stronger this time, reverberating inside him that caused him to rise on his feet. At that moment he was able to identify one of the auras: a fairly powerful youkai. From what he could decipher the flare of energy was a few kilometers ahead. Though what he could not decide was whether this energy was a threat. And in that fraction of a moment, he knew the stronger of the two warring against one another was prevailing.
The third pulse thronged so strongly within him and his eyes widened a fraction as realization suddenly came upon him. The second aura was feeble and wavering, becoming overpowered by the first. It seemed a heady battle had ensued but the youki was close to victory. And without a doubt the second aura belonged to...
"Kagome," Sesshomaru uttered the name in a breath of a whisper.
"My Lord!" Jaken squawked in alarm. But his Lord was already gone.
Forces of mother nature could not delay his mission at hand. The taiyoukai tore through the showers of rain in the moonless night. He used the throbbing energies as his guide of navigation. As each pulse reverberated through him he knew that time was not on his side. He had to approach the origin of destination before it was too late.
He paid little attention to the feeble barrier he effortlessly passed through at the mouth of a small cave. Once he entered, he had to rely on his own senses. He had to slightly bend his form as he ventured through the cave's passage. Wariness or trepidation of falling into a trap did not pass him as he carried forth within the cavern, trekking deeper into the darkness as he used the conflicting auras as his guide.
The pitch black was not a concern to him, his sense of sight strong against the blackness. But as he approached closer to the origin of warring auras, he saw what was held before him.
The huddled form of the miko was unmistakable to recognize. She was crouched, head held in her hands and shaking. The miko's tension was palpable in the atmosphere; Sesshomaru could see it in the rigidity of her form, the trembling and straining of muscles in her body, taut and clenched as if she fought against something. Her heartbeat thudded loudly in his eardrums, staccato beats that was unlike a mortal pulse. If not for the situation at hand he would have immediately approached her. Though, something was off putting, and his intuition told him to stay put.
There she was, his little miko, crouched in a position that illustrated she was in great struggle.
"Kagome," he called out before she could make her move.
She stirred from her doubled form, lifting a heavy head to gaze out into the darkness before her.
"Master," she replied, in a voice that fell strangely on his ears.
It was not her usual utterance of words. Her voice was strained, unlike anything he had heard before. 'Master' ?
He wanted to ask of her current situation, but before he could do so, she crawled forth in a disturbing amount of speed, making her movements jerky and nearly indecipherable.
Her swiftness surprised him. The miko was before him, the smell of her scent intertwining with sweat. A saltiness lacing into heady sandalwood. He barely had time to react from her sudden closeness, for she was shrouding over him in a swell of almighty power.
His back brushed against the rocky expanse of cavern wall. He had full view of her face. The miko's eyes glowed bright, electric and eerie. She seemed to emanate this glow hot like the sun and collecting at the base of her throat.
He was about to voice her name once more, though to his astonishment a hand grasped at his jaw, the ironlike grip making it impossible to word anything. He tried to rip from her grasp, but before he could do so, her mouth was on his, colliding nearly clumisly onto his, jaws bumping against jaws. Her mouth was open wide, manipulating his to do the same until he felt a lurking presence faltering before entrance.
And then there was a sensation.
He wouldn't have described it as an invasion, for the feeling was almost welcoming, like a reunion of sorts. Once he was filled with this sensation, he felt greater than he had in years, unable to name what this new-founded fulfillment was. It was as if before this phantom sensation haunted him of his inadequacy of power. But now it had returned, speaking to him as if it had never been absent.
Kagome's mouth tore from his once the action was completed. She rasped a throaty cough, crouched weakly before him.
This new-found glory swirled within, completing him in a way where it seemed like he breathed a fresh intake of air. Though before he could do anything on this granted energy the miko graveled out in a pain-stricken voice, "This is going to hurt."
She reached out and grasped Sesshomaru's left shoulder. The Taiyoukai suddenly knew the miko's next attempt but it was too late to react. White, hot, blinding agonizing pain tore from his shoulder as he felt the sizzling electrical power of Kagome's reiki leave from her open palm. The pain was indescribable. He didn't know whether he was screaming or the pain had inhibited his vocal cords. The world had gone blind to him. All his conscience could comprehend was the horrific torture Kagome was inflicting on him.
Is this what it felt like to be purified? It seemed the process would have been quick and painless. Yet the searing pain continued, bordering on new levels of agony, each new degree more unbearable than before. Each terrace of torture seemed never-ending and when he felt a stutter of energy he silently prayed for it to cease, but more pain ensued.
The moment came where he surely thought he would die, unable to withstand such unfathomable pain. Throughout the Inuyoukai's lifetime, his being had undergone a plethora of agonizing affliction. Each encounter he had endured, cheating death far too many times than the average living creature. But this pain, this cruel, unbearable torture was none he had ever suffered. Yes, this time death would be waiting at the denouement of this anguish, waiting to gather him in its tomb-like embrace. As the world's life force ebbed so did the pain, descending from levels unimaginable.
And when he never thought he would receive it he was finally at peace...