The Pain Behind The Mask

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. I own only the plot & Isamu as well as his wicked sister.

Note: Thank you to all those who have reviewed this story & stuck with me on my erratic uploading abilities lol. I have been dealing with yet more drama & it's needed my full attention until the creator of the drama left, so now all is well until he comes back. Now, on with the next chapter! By the way, this chapter is dedicated to a close friend of mine who would like for me to call them DieKikyo. Obviously, she's not a big Kikyo fan lmao.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

/Telepathic/

Chapter 13

Kagome blinked, staring at the woman as if she was from another planet. "Come again?"

"You heard me. I am your Aunt." The woman tilted her head back, allowing her black tresses to cascade down her back as she shook it back. She brought her head down to watch the reaction that her niece might have. What she remembers of the girl was that she was an open book. She was sorely disappointed when all she could see was boredom.

Inside, though, was a totally different story. 'What the fuck is she talking about? Father never mentioned having a sibling. Let alone that that sibling was the one who had taken over the land.' Kagome thought to herself, shutting off her links with the others. "Then why, if he's your brother, did you take over his lands?" Kagome tilted her head to the side, watching the woman closely.

She laughed, her power swirling around her like a storm. "The sniveling bastard was never supposed to have what I was meant to have. I was in the process of becoming the intended heir for these lands when my parents decided to try to have another. I was hoping it would turn out to be another girl, because if it was, I'd still be in line to rule when Father gave up his title." She paced now, her forehead scrunched up as she remembered. "But no. Fate had to be cruel & give them a boy." At the last word, her power exploded as her anger in creased, causing winds to whip around their bodies. "When that happened, I knew I was doomed to only be the princess & end up not being able to have what is supposed to be mine." She snarled out, her eyes landing on Kagome.

"But you were the first born. The title should have been yours, right?" Miroku asking, speaking up.

Sesshomaru answered him. "No. When it comes to families & rules like this, the elders prefer to have a male run the lands, rather than a female. Even though females can run lands without a problem & are capable of doing a fine job, the elders think males are better suited for the job."

"But what about Kagome-sama? She has a younger brother. Wouldn't he end up being the Lord of these lands?" Miroku was very curious on the subject at hand.

"We have different fathers. So I would still rule. Plus, only I can be here, he cannot." It was Kagome who replied this time, still watching the woman's every move to make sure she wasn't planning on doing anything while they were talking.

"Ah so you have come back to claim what was once your fathers, am I correct?" The woman asked, standing tall with her shoulders straight, ready to pounce.

"That's right. But first, I must ask you of your name. What is it?" Kagome asked, her hands itching to wrap around the handle of her weapon.

"It's Amari, darling. & yours is..?"

"Kagome."

& with that the battle begun. Before anyone could even think of what had just happened, it seemed like both Amari & Kagome had vanished into thin air. Only Sesshomaru could hear the swishing of their clothes & that was about it. "Monk, we would be wise in moving out of the room & into the door way." Sesshomaru turned & began to make his way to said destination, knowing that Miroku would follow if he wished to keep his life.

A few minutes of not being able to see anything, they appeared, both now across the room & staring at one another, measuring each other. No blood was drawn, no clothes ripped, neither one of them were breathing hard.

"Your good, I'll admit that." Amari smirked, removing her leather whip with spikes at the end from around her waist. "But let's see just how good you really are."

Before anyone knew what happened, guards ran in & restrained the three intruders with specific shackles made for them. Miroku cried out as his hands were pulled above his head & was hung up in the air, his feet kicking uselessly in the air.

Sesshomaru reared his head back, a roar resounding around the threshold, enraged that they would do such a thing as about 8 guards yanked his arms behind him, dragging him back to one of the walls & attaching them there.

Kagome dropped her weapon as the guards brought the front of her body against the window, hiking the chains up so that she was resting solely against the glass, both her feet & ankles bound. 'Oh shit.' Kagome thought, resting her forehead against the cool panes as she awaited to see what would happen.

"Weren't expecting that, were you, Child?" Amari asked as one of her guards ran over to her, holding a steel bucket full of something. She dipped the end of the whip into it & told them to leave. They obeyed & closed the doors behind them. "Being pretty much from the same family line as yours, albeit different, obviously, I know that even though your bloodline is able to make it so your immune to poisons once its been in your system, it'll still do the damage I require it to do long before your able to leave here." The liquid that she had put on the whip dripped down on to the floor & sizzled through the marble, leaving dents there until it burned completely through.

Sesshomaru snarled silently & Miroku gasped. 'Oh god. This is gonna hurt so fucking bad.' Kagome sighed tensing up as she looked outside.

"Scream for me!" Amari laughed before bringing the whip behind her. She quickly brought it back, &in hearing the sound of fabric & skin tearing about, her eyes began to bleed red & her fangs lengthened. But there was no sound coming from her victim, which made her frown. She did it again & again, until her arms was feeling heavy & there was almost nothing left of Kagome's back. She could even see glimpses of he girls spine through the torn & damaged tendons & flesh. "Damnit I told you to scream for me you useless little bitch!!!" Amari screeched, yanking the chains down & dragging kagome towards her.

"Kagome winced but suppressed the urge to cry out as well as let the tears that she held in her eyes fall. She would not give her the pleasure. Suddenly her head was yanked back by her hair & Amari's face was an inch of so away from her own. "Why won't you scream?!" When all she got in response was smirk, Kagome was rewarded with a deft jab to her stomach, making her spit up blood from the force of it. "Answer me you disobedient little girl!"

Kagome gave her a side ways glance before sitting herself up on her knees & licking her lips of what was left her blood. She quickly spit it on the demo nesses shoes as she replied. "I will never give you what you want. You hear me?" She was backhanded into the ground & was kicked in the ribs, successful sending her sliding backwards until she Sesshomaru's feet, making her hiss out when they connected to her open wounds.

Miroku & Sesshomaru had been quiet through out the whole scenario, Miroku unable to watch so had his eyes closed & his head turned away. While Sesshomaru was watching, his head was spinning, his beast snarling & threatening to shred that vile woman to bits for hurting Kagome that way. His rational self trying hard not to shout out & some how get her attention away from her victim but unable to really say anything. After all, he was Lord Sesshomaru & he cared for no one… Right?

She when she was tossed his way, his eyes had widened marginally when she still struggled to stand up. Granted, she was now a demoness, but even the strongest demon would have stayed down & admitted defeat. Why wouldn't she just lay down & submit?

"I will take you down!" Kagome's beast said in the famous old Kitsune language. "You & my father do not have the same mother. Yours was a common whore, a Vampire who couldn't keep her legs shut, isn't that right? That's why Grandfather took in you after she had you, because he knew you wouldn't survive if you were left with her." Kagome stood up on wobbly knees, her back still hunched over as she continued to regain her breath. "Your in the wrong, to be doing this. Your in the wrong now…" Kagome trailed off as she stood up tall, her bangs uncovering her eyes, eyes which are now the color of royal blue. "But I will put you in the right by taking your life."

The ground began to shake, the palace walls shuttering under the pressure of Kagome's power as it washed over everyone in the area. The chains that were holding the two beings, cracked & broke under the weight of it, setting them free. Water burst through the windows, sending glass everywhere as stream after stream of water poured in. It was wound like a snake, spiraling itself around Kagome. 'Kagome's controlling the water!' Miroku thought to himself, amazed at her level of control.

'She can control elements?' Sesshomaru asked himself, silently awed by her power.

Amari's eyes were so wide, that Kagome feared they might pop out of her head. "This ends here, but it won't end quickly, you hear me witch?" Kagome's voice was dark, sinister & sent small shivers of desire coursing through his body, which he hid.

Kagome chuckled evilly when Amari tried to scramble away but some of the water rushed at the demoness, gripping her ankle & made her fall flat on her face before she was drug towards Kagome, whose arms were crossed over her chest, her body already working on getting rid of the poison in her system & heal her back.

When she was restrained to the ground in front of Kagome, she began to beg, "Please, please let me go! I swear I won't come back, I won't come anywhere near what's yours! I swear on my life!!" Her voice was high pitched ringing through out the room.

Kagome's eyes narrowed in anger, knowing that the demoness must have done some research on her if she thought begging would help. The old Kagome would have let her go. The ld Kagome would have ended up regretting it because not only would it end up costing her life, but tons others in the process. It's a damn good thing she wasn't like that old Kagome anymore. "You bet your ass that it's on your life Amari!" She spoke quietly, a small satisfied smile on the woman's face.

Amari herself began to smile before she felt the water on her ankles beginning to move up her legs, the cold of it sending her small hairs up in goose bumps. "What're you doing? No! No! You can't!"

"Oh but I can. & I am."

Soon the whole of Amari's body was covered in water but suddenly it was absorbed into her skin & moving towards her insides. She shrieked in terror & pain as her body was slowly becoming frozen from the inside out, Kagome's will & her power keeping her alive through out the whole process she felt ever bit of ice covering the entirety of her body.

When she was nothing but a solid body of ice, Kagome stepped away & sent the rest of the water outside of the gates, before letting it rain to being back the foliage. Kagome sighed before walking towards the wall that had had the windows on it. Muttering a small spell, every piece of glass flowed up into the air before replacing it all back into the frames, forming, once more, the windows that had been destroyed.

All the guards around the premises suddenly burst into flame, sending their forms into the walls from the pain that spread out through their bodies. The armor they wore clanked to the ground, the ash the left behind being swept up from an unknown wind blowing through the halls & sending them outside to dance on a more natural breeze.

The body of Kagome's aunt was gone when Sesshomaru blinked & he didn't bother asking where Kagome had put it. It didn't matter to him.

/Mother! Are you ok?/ Shippo asked, outside the gates, watching the grass, plants & trees growing at a very fast pace.

/Yes darling. I'm alright. Just tired ha./ she replied leaning against the wall for support as she regain some of her energy.

/I shall await your return at the last camp site we were at./ He said to her, heading out with the others already.

/Very well son. Safe travels/ Their link was disconnected & she found herself staring into curious golden orbs. The only way she could he was curious was by the telling so in his eyes, his face did not show any emotion.

"I'm fine." She said, straightening herself out & dusting off her sleeves. While doing so, she found that her kimono had somehow repaired itself, just like her back had, but that was because of her Miko powers. She'd ponder on that later. "Where did Miroku go?"

"This Sesshomaru had sent him outside. I have a few things that need to be discussed."

Sesshomaru said, gripping her upper arm when she had tried to walk & failed.

Kagome blushed at the contact & quickly righted herself, noticing the smirk on the Demon Lords face. She cleared her throat & crossed her arms, staring at him, silently telling him to continue.

"Since you are the daughter of Lord Isamu, you & I are to be mated." Came his voice, blunt & to the point.

Kagome just stood there, blinking owlishly. Before saying, "Excuse me?!"

There it is you guys! The long awaited chapter lol. I had to leave it at another cliffy! Hope you enjoy! Please review & tell me what you think. Bis Spater!