Chapter 10: The Truth Revealed

Miroku rubbed his face where Sango had once again slapped him after catching him looking down her shirt during one of their study sessions. Inuyasha was sitting on the floor across from him and Shippo was happily sprawled on the couch. Kagome had said that she might come, so it still remained to be seen if she would appear. They had wanted her to come and help them with their math studies because she was a mathematical genius in their eyes.

Inuyasha flattened his ears to his head when he heard Sarra enter the front door. He had never liked his brother's giggling human girl and had been sorry to see her return. Though he had hoped that her return would give him a better chance with Kagome. He had certainly been wrong on that front. The only people who Kagome talked to anymore were Sango and Shippo. She was back to being afraid of everyone and everything around her.

"Sesshomaru, why don't you give me the grand tour of this place? It's been so long since I've really walked around it," Sarra said sweetly, serenely eying the graceful wood paneling and paintings along the walls. "If I remember correctly one of the studies has wonderful acoustics." Sesshomaru smiled, seeing her flute case sticking out of her backpack, and he remembered listening to her play for hours on end in the third floor study, the tall, arched ceilings and wooden walls making it all sound perfect. He nodded and took her hand and took her upstairs.

They wound up in that very study ten minutes later and Sesshomaru smiled while she put her flute together and blew a few test notes. A moment later she started playing and he closed his eyes as the familiar melody washed over him. This song was her favorite and she played it at least twice a day.

"Isn't there an art gallery on this floor?" she asked when she was done. Sesshomaru nodded and took her hand once again. He would never admit it to his father, but he actually loved the art gallery. For a moment he had an uncomfortable pang in his mind when he errantly thought that Kagome would love it as well. He was surprised that Sarra had wanted to see it. She didn't really like art that much and the only paintings in the house that she liked were on the first floor. "These are so beautiful," she breathed, examining a few pictures in a corner, surprising Sesshomaru. "There was an art museum near my house in America and people used to go there when there was nothing better to do. It made me realize how much I missed this house. Nothing compares to these."

She continued to wander down the hall, stopping to look at some occasional pictures and portraits, at last stopping in front of the last painting. It was a picture of his father in full armor with his demon swords, the tetsusaiga and tensaiga drawn and shining while he stood over legions of slain demons. The swords themselves, the most precious part of his and Inuyasha's inheritance, were against the back wall in a protected glass case alongside another case containing his father's armor.

"This really is a beautiful painting," she whispered before turning to him with glowing eyes and saying, "I'm sorry Sesshomaru, but now it's time for you to leave."

Kagome knew the moment that she arrived at the house that something was horribly wrong. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's auras were flaring around a vaguely familiar aura in a far corner of the house. She quickly and anxiously walked inside and heard a distant bang echoing down the staircase. Kagome quickened her pace, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach that promised a fight. Powers that she had long tried to suppress and that had long been dormant were rising to the surface in reaction to the angry, powerful auras that were starting to press on her lungs as she climbed the stairs.

She heard another dull thud and Inuyasha shout in pain while Sango yelled and the floor shook beneath Kagome's feet. It seemed like it was against her will that Kagome's legs started moving faster, hurrying towards the commotion and power that her mind screamed she should be running away from.

She found them in the hallway of the third floor. There were gouges taken from the wood walls and dust floating thickly through the air. Sango was kneeling over an injured Inuyasha while Miroku stood defensively over them. Sesshomaru was squared off against...she squinted and gasped. It was Sarra, but she didn't look quite like Sarra. Her eyes glowed red and she wore armor and wielded some kind of darkly pulsing sword. Sesshomaru held something that looked like an acid green whip which he launched at her and she dodged it. The whip scorched and gouged the wall behind her while she laughed.

Sesshomaru just glared coldly at her, his perfect battle mask in place. Beneath the surface questions raged, first and foremost being how he had missed the fact that this wasn't Sarra Asano. The next was what had happened to the real Sarra. His mask slipped slightly when he found himself surrounded by a faint, pink light. He recognized it as miko energy, but it didn't hurt him. Instead it slipped over his body, soothing his sizzling nerves and cooling his overheated skin. Sarra on the other hand, didn't seem to find anything positive about the dazzling energy.

She shrieked, her sword dropping from her suddenly numb hand. She collapsed, completely paralyzed. "Sesshomaru, I think that you had questions for her," a gentle voice said from behind him and his eyes slid closed at that sound. Kagome had come to their rescue and she was giving him a chance to get the truth before this abomination died. Kagome was there behind him and supporting him. He felt his chest swell with some emotion that he couldn't name, but he held it in, telling himself to address everything else after he had destroyed this thing.

"I won't tell you anything," the demon spat.

"Yes she will, I can guarantee that," Kagome said quietly.

"Where is the real Sarra Asano?" he demanded.

"She went and got herself knocked up," the girl at his feet snapped. "Why do you think her mother was so desperate to drag her to America? She's married with a baby now and she's forgotten all about you," she said tauntingly. Sesshomaru's chest tightened in anger and he had to remind himself that it wasn't honorable to kick a downed and immobilized opponent.

"Why are you here?" he asked, keeping his voice even.

"I came to steal your swords," she answered.

"Why?"

"My sisters and I desired the power. We desired the world," she said. Her eyes were wide with panic while her mouth betrayed her every secret against her will. Kagome certainly was talented.

"Your sisters were the family that I met?" She nodded. "Well then, let your death serve as a warning for them not to return here," he said. He took his whip and slashed it across her body and she disintegrated with one last scream.

"You were right, she was a demoness," Sango whispered in absolute awe and the pink energy slowly receded into Kagome's body.

"You knew?" Sesshomaru said incredulously. How had Kagome seen it when Sesshomaru could not feel the slightest trace of a demonic aura.

She weakly nodded as the color drained out of her face. "Kagome!" Sango said as her knees buckled. Sesshomaru darted forward and caught her before she could hit the floor. "Put her in the guest room," Sango said in a panic. Sesshomaru shook his head as he focused and became a glowing ball of demonic energy.

Kagome would awake eventually and when she did they both had a lot of talking to do.