DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, the characters, Staind, or "Epiphany"
AMP: Here we go. The "Reasoning Chapter". Also known as the "I Promise There is a Method to My Madness Chapter".
Sessho: Don't believe her. There is no sanity in that mind.
Kags: I agree with you, Sessho. Especially after that last chapter.
Inu: Hey, when do I come back into the story?
AMP, Kags, and Sessho: Oh, shut up Inu...
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Chapter 10: Epiphany
Sesshomaru sat in front of the fireplace in his room as he waited for Kagome to finish refreshing her self across the hall.
She was talking! She was finally willing to talk.
He had a thousand questions to ask and now he could finally have answers. The only problem was that she would demand sleep sometime and then the questions that were still unanswered would have to wait again.
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Sesshomaru had answered Iriai's questions in whispers after their return. She was shocked into speechlessness. However, that did not stop her from dragging Kagome upstairs to clean her up before sending her to the demon lord's room.
The fire hanyou had helped Kagome wash up and was now rifling through her armoire for fresh clothing. Kagome stood naked by the bed watching the older woman look through her clothing fussily.
"Iriai," she said quietly.
The hanyou jumped and turned to miko. "Yes Kagome-sama?"
Kagome took a few steps forward. "Are you afraid of me?"
Iriai looked at the floor, unsure of how to answer.
Kagome stepped forward until she was mere inches from the fire youki. "Answer me, Iriai." She said tenderly. "Are you afraid of me? I have killed demons for their blood. And I will kill again. Are you afraid of me?" She reached out and captured a lock of Iriai's orange hair between her fingers and appeared to examine the feel of it.
Iriai slowly brought her eyes up to the miko's and took a ragged breath. "I know that you are a killer. I know you could rip out my heart and devour it before my very eyes. But no, Kagome-sama. I do not fear you."
"Good," Kagome answered. "I get tired of having the demons in this place run from me." She released the fire demon's hair and walked back across the room.
Iriai shook her head as if trying to wake up and blushed a deep shade of red. She turned back to her task and tried to act as if she could not feel the miko's eyes on her back.
"Calm yourself, Iriai." Kagome laughed softly from the bed. "I can smell your arousal. Your lover will wonder what got you so worked up. She's waiting for you downstairs. You wouldn't want her to get jealous."
Iriai turned suddenly and dropped the clothes she had picked out for Kagome on the rug. "How did you know?" she asked fearfully.
"Sesshomaru told you that my senses will get sharper as the demon blood settles in. I could smell the woman's scent downstairs when we arrived, although I did not see her. I can smell her all over you. It isn't hard to put two and two together."
"Oh Kami," Iriai breathed and slumped into Kagome's desk chair.
"Do not worry." Kagome was suddenly at the fire hanyou's side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I do not believe that Sesshomaru would care. If he does not object, I do not think that anyone else here will trouble you."
Kagome turned away and began dressing in the clothes that Iriai had chosen: a red hakama and haori with a black dragon embroidered on the left shoulder.
"Iriai, I imagine Sesshomaru has a million questions, so I can't imagine how long this will take. We will talk later." Kagome flashed the fire demon a smile and left the room.
Iriai stared after her for several minutes. There was something wrong with Kagome's smile. What was it?
"Oh Kami!" the fire demon gasped. "She's grown fangs!"
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Sesshomaru glanced up quickly when he heard the nearly silent knock on his door. "Kagome, there is no need to knock." He said, knowing that her improved hearing could pick up his voice even from across the room and through the door.
The miko entered and spotted him on the floor next to a crackling fire. The chill in the air outside warned that winter was coming. She made a mental note to ask Iriai to build a fire in her room as well.
The demon lord made a beckoning motion. Kagome moved to sit on the cushion opposite his. There was a short table between them on which there had been set two cups of hot tea.
"So," Kagome began. "Where should I start?"
"The beginning is always acceptable," he replied.
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Three hours later she had filled him in on everything, starting with Inuyasha's death. She took a deep breath and waited for his questions.
Sesshomaru had been silent throughout her story. Now he looked at her, his expression revealing nothing.
"You loved him?" he asked.
Kagome thought for a moment. "He was my best friend. And yes, I suppose I did love him. But he is gone and that hardly matters anymore."
Something inside him tightened at her answer, but he pushed the feeling aside. Sesshomaru paused to collect his thoughts before continuing. "When you wish to see your family, this Sesshomaru will accompany you. The thought of seeing your future is rather enticing."
"I'm not sure if the well will let you through." Kagome cautioned. "Inuyasha was able to go through because of the prayer beads."
Sesshomaru growled. "Under no circumstance will you put this Sesshomaru under a subduing spell."
"The thought had not even passed through the mind of this Kagome." She replied sharply.
"So then what do you suggest, miko."
Kagome thought for a moment. "We should ask Kaede on our way through. Maybe there is another way to connect us."
The demon lord nodded in agreement.
"In the mean time," she continued. "You still have the Shikon."
Sesshomaru slipped the chain over his head and stretched out his hand across the table. Kagome reached to take the jewel, but the moment she touched it there was a brilliant flash that engulfed them both.
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White and pink clouds. They were the only things Kagome could see above or below.
"Sesshomaru!" she screamed. "Where are you?!"
Suddenly a pair of strong arms surrounded her. "Shhh, Kagome. I'm right here."
Kagome turned around In his embrace and clutched his biceps. "Where are we? What happened?"
"You are inside the Jewel of Four Souls." A new voice answered.
A young woman in ancient armor walked through the surrounding mist. Her waist length hair was loose and framed a face bearing a striking resemblance to Kagome and Kikyou.
"Midoriko?" Kagome pulled away from Sesshomaru and stepped towards the female warrior.
The woman smiled at Kagome and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, Kagome. I have brought you both here with the strength that I could spare. Kagome, the Shikon jewel was within you from the moment you were born. Your connection with it has given the demons of the jewel a window into your mind and they have been using that connection for their own gain. Those are the voices that enter your head at times. It was they who caused you to drink the blood of the tiger demon."
"But why would they do such a thing?" Sesshomaru inquired stepping closer to Kagome.
"They said that as long as I was live they would profit. And that the corruption of a miko wasn't a bad incentive either." Kagome answered. She turned to the warrior. "But what does that mean?"
Midoriko continued, "The demons wish to ensure that you will continue to hold the jewel, but in order to serve their purposes you would need the lifespan and power of a demon. The only way to do this would be to force you to consume demon blood. Instead of killing you, as it would most humans, your powers help it to grow stronger. This would most likely be beneficial to you in the long run, but they also wish you corrupted. The strength and power of a demon combined with your innate miko abilities would produce the ultimate power, and should you be corrupted and have possession of the jewel you would be unstoppable. Naraku was a minor annoyance compared with what you could be."
Kagome went pale and leaned on Sesshomaru for support. "I won't do it, I won't drink anymore!"
Midoriko gave her a pitying look. "I'm afraid you have no choice. The demon blood in you will drive you to it until the process is complete. You have already gained senses beyond that of a human. You have also grown fangs and if you look into a mirror, you will see that your ears are becoming pointed. And Kaede was wrong. It is possible for you to become full demon. Rather than hinder the blood, your powers will help it accomplish it. And you are well on your way to it."
"Is it too late to stop her?" Sesshomaru questioned, hating the tears that were building in Kagome's eyes.
"No." The warrior replied. "There was no turning back for her the moment she began drinking from the tiger. The only thing left to do is to wish on the jewel. That will eliminate the possibility of her using it if she is corrupted. But she will still take demon blood. The transformation must be completed."
Kagome was now crying openly and clinging to Sesshomaru. He wrapped his arms around her and smoothed her hair. "Thank you for your help," he said. I will do what I can to ensure her safety and the destruction of that accursed jewel."
"Your destiny is intertwined with Kagome's, Lord of the West. I wish you the best."
The white and pink mist faded, leaving the demon lord sitting on his cushion with the crying miko on his lap.
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The rain was tapping gently against the window of Sesshomaru's room. The last light of the fading sun reached across to the foot of the bed. Sesshomaru watched from his pillow as the minutes ticked by and the sun continued to pull out of the room. The exhausted miko was nestled against his shoulder, sleeping lightly after crying for her lost humanity.
"Your
words to me just a whisper
Your face is so unclear
I try to pay
attention
Your words just disappear…"
He could only imagine how that must feel to her. But at the same time, he felt that her becoming a demon was a blessing in disguise. He had feared watching Rin die every year that she grew. He didn't want to watch Kagome die too.
"Cause
it's always raining in my head
Forget all the things I should
have said…"
Kagome stirred next to him. Sesshomaru turned his head and starred into her dark blue eyes. He wasn't sure what to say. Apparently Kagome didn't care. She wrapped one arm around his chest and shifted her head under his chin.
"So
I speak to you in riddles
Cause my words get in my way.
I smoke
the whole thing to my head
And feel it wash away…"
Sesshomaru was having an inner struggle. There was no way the miko could know that what she had just done was a gesture of submission and an open invitation to a dog demon. Even her scent was enticing him. It was centuries of control battling with basic instinct.
"Cause
I cant take anymore of this,
I want to come apart,
Or dig
myself a little hole
Inside your precious heart…"
Kagome sighed. The hand on his chest moved slowly upwards and slid into the space between his neck and the collar of his haori. The demon lord gulped. He was barely restrained by a thin thread of control. What was he supposed to do?
"Cause
it's always raining in my head
Forget all the things I should
have said…"
Kagome moved her hand again, this time into the hair right behind his ear. That did it. Sesshomaru brought his right hand under her chin and slowly tilted her head back. Her eyes met his and then flicked down to his lips for a split second. He slid his left hand up her back slowly.
"I
am nothing more than
A little boy inside
That cries out for
attention,
Yet I always try to hide…"
Kagome shifted her weight and continued looking into his eyes as he lowered his head to hers, giving her plenty of time to move away. Kagome finished closing the distance.
"Cause
I talk to you like children,
Though I don't know how I feel
But
I know Ill do the right thing
If the right thing is revealed…"
Their eyes remained locked over their meeting lips for the span of a heartbeat. Then, as if by silent agreement, they closed their eyes and surrendered to passion.
"Cause
it's always raining in my head
Forget all the things I should
have said…"
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AMP: Ok, is everyone on the same page? If not, message me. Special thanks to: Archangel's Requiem, SessKagome1KaiHilary, LadyKellet, mangadreams, Lil' JJ, Inuyashagrl14. You guys get wicked awesome reviews! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy. I almost fell off my computer chair doing a happy dance!
From now on I will be giving special recognition to my repeat reviewers at the end of every chapter. You guys are the ones that kick my ass into gear and encourage me to continue this story. Thank you all!
to Archangel's Requiem: Glad you like the violence. Thank you for your support and awesome reviews! I promise I will use that song in an upcoming chapter, just not sure which one yet.
to LadyKellet: Thanks for the reviews! This chapter contained your "tenderness". Look! Your name is in this chapter twice! Blush again!
to mangadreams: Glad you enjoy my bloodthirstyness! I'm going to try to resolve the issues with Shippo later. Thanks!
to Lil' JJ: I told you there was a reason! Thanks for your great reviews!
to Inuyashagrl14: Hey everyone! Let's give it up for the first person to EVER review my story! ::wild applause:: Thanks for stickin' with me this long!
