Oblivion

Chapter Twenty-Five

VOICES

SONG RECS:

"Bamboo" by Cirque du Soleil's Dralion (Play this during the battle scene. :D)

"Rebel Heart" by CFO$ (Kagome's theme song, yesIknowthissongisfromwrestlingfightme)

"Ghost" by House of SAY ("He doesn't leave me alone...he will come back in the night...")

They ran.

His hand gripped her wrist tightly enough for it to hurt, and he kept his eyes straight ahead, not looking back at her, clearly concentrating on using his greater strength and speed to get them both out of the castle, out of the stronghold, and outside the barrier.

Ayame had assumed they would keep going once they reached the cover of the forest, where they could bob and weave around to cover their tracks. Instead, Kouga just stopped short for a moment and stood there, scanning the treeline, his breathing only slightly labored even after running what had to have been miles.

"Lord Kouga?" Ayame whispered, approaching him from behind and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Finally, he turned. And the look on his face…

He was so angry. He looked ready to tear someone apart with his bare hands. His teeth were bared and sharp, his eyes wide and glaring. His chest rose and fell with every breath he took, and the air rushed out of his mouth in quiet hisses as he stared at her.

"L-Lord Kouga," she stammered, snatching her hand back from his shoulder, ashamed to be touching him. "I - I'm so sorry to put you through this. I think I can go on alone now. You should get back before they start blaming you for my disappearance."

"That's not an option." The words were terse, his voice low.

"Of course it is!" she said insistently, holding her shoulders to avoid flinching away from his glowing gaze, "I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. I don't want to put anyone else in danger."

They'd had this conversation so many times, hadn't they? But never under these circumstances. Never with him staring at her with fury in his eyes. It was unsettling. Terrifying, even.

There was a silence and stillness in the air as Ayame struggled to find words to further explain herself. Kouga just glared at the ground below them.

"If you think," he said finally, his voice a gruff, harsh whisper, "I'm going to let a member of our pack go off alone to be hunted down…" He fixed her with a fierce glare, and she felt herself take a halting breath at the blue intensity of his eyes, glowing in the moonlight. "…Then you don't really know me at all."

"Kouga," she said, forgetting the title she usually used with him, forgetting everything but how much she felt like trembling. She moved her hand upward, ready to reach out for him, and then thought better of it and settled it across her stomach.

"Come on," he growled, "I can smell Jakotsu behind us, and he's not going to waste time saying hello. Naraku's already made his move."

Without a word, he slipped a hand around her waist, and she bit her lip to keep from shivering as he pushed her forward, spurring her to run in front of him.

"Are you ready?" Miroku whispered out of the corner of his mouth. He stood there next to her, fidgeting a little with the scabbard tied to his waist, looking more uncomfortable than ever in the ornate armor of a shogunate officer.

"No," Kagome said truthfully, "but better to find out the outcome now than to wait another moment." She let herself inhale, exhale, and felt her eyes flutter shut for just a moment to collect herself.

At her response, Miroku did his best to smile before giving her shoulder a quick squeeze. Once he felt they were both well composed, he resumed his soldierly posture and nodded to the guard in front of them to open the doors to the throne room.

On the other side of the doors stood an anxious looking Hojo, His hands, which were stuffed into the folds of his regal-looking kimono, were visibly shaking. "Kagome," he said, stepping toward her and then stopping as he took in the black armor, the sword sheathed at her side. "Kagome, what on earth - why are you not dressed for - "

She silenced him by placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him her best hopeful smile. "Hojo, just trust me, alright?" I know what I'm doing. I think. I hope.

He covered her hand with his own, staring back at her with clear longing and unfiltered worry. He looked very uncertain, but he said nothing further as the three of them proceeded to cross the throne room. Hojo and Miroku hung back a bit to allow Kagome to take the lead.

Kagome kept her head high and made sure to show no hesitation or shame of her masculine dress and short, unadorned hair. She kept her eyes forward as she, Miroku, and Hojo walked forward down the parted sea of courtiers who were staring and whispering amongst themselves.

There at the end of the room sat the shogun upon a throne-like wooden chair, just as Kagome had imagined when she'd rehearsed this moment in her head.

She hadn't imagined the great, stark-white columns arranged in an arching pattern behind the throne. Her eyes wandered upward towards the ceiling and widened as she realized what the columns were made of.

Bones. Gigantic, oddly-shaped bones.

Youkai bones.

Before she had time to even process the sight, she heard the shogun's voice, raised slightly for the benefit of all in the crowded room.

"Lady Kagome," he said, with a gentle nod and a mischievous smirk, "I expected you to be dressed, shall we say, a bit more formally for this occasion. And here you come in all black, wearing a sword. I told you to look your best, did I not?"

Kagome swallowed, kept her head up and took a breath. "This is my best."

There were some titters of laughter in the all-male crowd.

Ignore it, she said to herself. Look at the shogun. He's the one you have to convince here.

The man in question looked mildly surprised at the boldness of her answer, and then gave her that smile again, the one that knew he knew more than she did and was relishing in it.

Like the ones I used to give you, huh? You poor, naive kid.

Leave me. Just leave me be. This is important and you're breaking my concentration.

"You never cease to surprise, Lady Kagome." The shogun sat up a little straighter in his throne, ready to get down to business. "Very well. Let's carry on." He gave a pointed glance to Miroku and Hojo, who immediately left Kagome's side and went to stand amongst the rest of the courtiers.

All alone now. Just me, having to argue my case.

Not alone, Kagome. Never alone.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD I DON'T NEED YOU -

"You, Kagome of the Higurashi Clan, stand accused of impersonating a soldier in the shogunate army. How would you like to answer this charge?"

Here we go. Hope this works. The voice in her head once again wasn't her own, but she drowned it out by clearing her throat to speak loudly and clearly.

"I did not impersonate a soldier, my lord Shogun. I am a soldier."

The reaction in the crowd was what she expected. Angry grumblings, baleful looks, and one shout of "How dare you!" ringing above the din.

"A-A soldier of the shogunate," she continued, raising her voice even louder above the noise, "bound to serve in any way I can. It was for the love of my family that I joined the cause; it is for the love of our land, our home, that I remain, even now." The sounds of the crowd were growing louder, more outraged, but she forced herself to stand tall despite her trembling legs.

Keep your eyes forward. Keep them on the shogun.

A man stepped forward from the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, causing the grumbles to fall to a hushed silence. Kagome had never seen this man before, but he wore the ornate trappings and breastplate of a man of very high rank; the helmet under his arm was custom-made and had a very distinct design along the side of it.

A general, perhaps? Kagome felt her spine stiffen as the man looked her up and down dismissively. And then the shogun addressed the man and confirmed her guess.

"General Ibushi," the shogun said, "You have something to say, I trust?"

"I do, my lord Shogun."

Another mysterious smile appeared on the great man's face. "Then proceed freely, old friend."

General Ibushi's smile looked strangely hungry as he turned bodily to face Kagome again. She kept her spine straight.

Stare him right in the eye. Show him you're not afraid.

She fixed him with a proud, even stare, and the voice in her head gave a familiar, muted chuckle.

That's my girl.

Shut UP.

"You call yourself a soldier, my lady." The tone of his voice was calm and almost kindly, as if he were speaking to a young child who didn't know any better. "Very well. And who could dispute you, bearing arms in the presence of the shogun?"

The general stalked around her, scanning her up and down, a predatory cat circling prey, deciding how best to strike. "You walk like a soldier, you stand at attention like a soldier, and in that armor you even smell like a soldier," he said, wrinkling his nose with exaggeration to gain some more laughs from the crowd. "All in all, very convincing. But soldiers, at the end of the day, are not pretty girls wearing uniforms. Soldiers are there for one thing - to fight."

His tone had been so calm that the blow to the side of Kagome's ribs came with no warning. She grunted in pain and stumbled forward, fists clenched at her side while Ibushi grinned with obvious self-satisfaction, twirling the still-sheathed blade at his side.

As General Ibushi struck Kagome with a thudding blow, Miroku took a step forward, feeling fury wash over him. This is too much, he thought, I should have known they'd use every excuse to try and humiliate her, to make an example of her -

"Stop it!" Hojo cried out, trying to rush out there as well, looking sick to his stomach. Miroku immediately forgot his own desire to intervene and focused instead on holding Hojo back.

"Ah, it seems we're hearing from the husband-to-be! My apologies, Lord Hojo. And also to you, my lady." Ibushi, still smiling, gave a deep bow. "I have never struck a woman before, and I hope to never do so again. It's an unbecoming act." He turned to the crowd, raising his voice to address them. "Almost as unbecoming as this - " he gestured toward Kagome's state of dress, a scowl on his lips, " - masquerade."

Kagome hadn't looked up at either Miroku or Hojo despite the outburst. Instead she simply stood there, staring down at the floor, rubbing absently at the new bruise that had to be forming beneath that black armor.

Then she spoke again, her volume soft but her diction clear as day.

"Try it again."

Ibushi stopped short and whirled around to face her. He seemed at a loss for words for just a moment but recovered quickly. "I beg your pardon, Lady Kagome. I thought you were trained as a soldier. Surely even you know that you should never speak over a superior officer without permission?"

"I do, sir. I apologize for my impudence." Kagome stood up straight again, and even from his vantage point Miroku could see the fire blazing in those crystal-blue eyes of hers. "If you please, sir, try it again. I wasn't aware you had doubts about my combat abilities. I'd be happy to demonstrate."

Her lips curled into a small smile, and she looked so wonderfully beautiful and strong and confident that Miroku found himself wishing Sango were here to witness it. You tell him, kid. We're both so proud of you.

Ibushi, for his part, looked utterly disgusted. "You stand here and issue a challenge like that, in the presence of the shogun, and you expect this could in any way end well for you?"

Kagome didn't answer him, just smiled as she drew her sword from her belt.

"You dare bare steel here, in the throne room?" The shout came from a man near Miroku in the crowd. Miroku, under the guise of adjusting his position among the throng of people, took great pleasure in grinding his foot upon the culprit's heel, sparking a yelp of surprise and pain from the man.

"I dare to defend myself and anything else from those who would do me harm," Kagome called out to the crowd in response. The smile was still on her face.

And then, before anyone else could say anything, Miroku had to fight back a triumphant outburst when the shogun smiled as well.

"Well, this could be interesting," the old man said, stroking his beard with a long, delicate finger, "Or at the very least, entertaining after a fashion. Ibushi, would you mind showing her the true strength of a soldier of the kingdom? A demonstration is in order."

Ibushi gave a quick nod, glowering at Kagome. "I fought alongside your grandfather," he hissed at her, "And your father. And now I'm going to help you restore the honor you stripped from their legacies. You'll thank me in the end, my lady."

Kagome visibly took a deep breath, steeling herself up, and took a defensive stance, readying herself for whatever was to come.

The first attack from Ibushi came in the form of a forward thrust, which she easily riposted, sending him into defensive mode instead. Ibushi's eyes flared for a moment and then he was smirking at her again, turning his back on her and walking to the edge of the scattered crowd.

"Let's see how well they train our conscripts these days," Ibushi mused, turning and handing his helmet to another soldier standing nearby, seemingly taking his time to adjust himself, "even if those conscripts have no right to even hold a sword."

She heard his blade unsheathe.

Here he comes, she heard the voice in her head say as the General stalked towards her. Bracing herself, Kagome scanned the man before her up and down. She took note of his gait, his stance, anything that would give her the upper hand and clue her in on what her opponent might be strategizing. Once Ibushi was close, he spun around and launched himself at her. Flurrying overhead strikes at her head and shoulders, Kagome managed to block each one with the wide edge of her blade. However, at that moment Kagome realized that with both arms occupied fending off the blows, she'd left her body wide open. Stupid, stupid, stupid…

His knee came up then, and she leapt backward enough to turn a smashing strike that would have knocked the wind from her lungs into merely a glancing blow. Ibushi noticed Kagome's retreating steps backwards and grinned with satisfaction. "Sloppy, sloppy," he said scoldingly, leaning over her heavily, "No form at all. You did go through training camp, did you not?"

She felt her teeth clench, and as he turned to the crowd to gloat, relieving the pressure on her blocking stance just enough, she aimed a sword slash up past his head, pulling to the right at the last second. As the tip of her sword flashed in front of Ibushi's nose, Kagome watched the smile die on his face as he turned to look at her with renewed anger.

He's underestimating you. He's an idiot.

Please go away don't you understand I can't concentrate when you're taking over my thoughts like this -

"You're a bold one, aren't you?" Ibushi muttered, bringing Kagome out of her thoughts and back to reality. "You care to prolong this? Very well, my lady, I'll oblige you. Never let it be said I don't give a woman what she - "

Kagome would not let him finish. She took a lightning-quick step forward and snapped a side kick directly into Ibushi's hip. Now it was his turn to stumble in surprise.

"Oblige me, then," she challenged, lowering the sword to her side, standing there completely open and unguarded. "Your move, General, sir."

She thought she heard Hojo's voice saying her name admonishingly, like he was shocked at her flippant tone. She ignored it.

Nearly purple with anger, Ibushi lunged again, with a series of swipes to the side this time. "You stand there and mock me," he spat, going for her arms, her legs, whatever he could reach, "You know nothing of the ways of war, or what it means to be a trained soldier!"

"Kagome, stay low!" She remembered a dark forest at night, slashing claws, feral growls, and his eyes, so wide and terrified and -

Kagome dropped to her knees.

Miroku watched her crumple, heard Hojo cry out again, and felt his own heart drop for a split second.

Until he saw her smile again, peeking through the black strands of her hair.

He stood there wide-eyed and watched as Ibushi's legs suddenly seemed to give out completely, causing him to crash heavily to the floor with a thud.

Kagome lay there in her crablike position, her slender legs still entangled with Ibushi's ankles. She leaned into the hold, knowing Ibushi's joints were likely searing with pain.

"General," she grunted, feeling a bead of sweat drip from her temple from exertion, "I know much more than you think."

Learned from the best, didn't you?

Shut UP.

"Wh-what is this?" Ibushi said, trying to claw and scramble his way out of the pin, "You think you can kill a youkai by tripping it? Is this the combat skill you're so proud of - "

Funny how even the most blusterous men stop ranting when the sharp edge of a katana grazes the skin of their neck. Ibushi's silence was very telling.

"No, sir," she replied, balancing on the strength of just one arm, "But even youkai have trouble fighting back when their throats have been slit, right?" She dug her heels in, tightened the stranglehold her legs had on his, and let the blade nick his skin slightly.

"You little - " Ibushi roared with effort and finally managed to free himself from the trap she'd fashioned out of her own armored shins. He rolled to the side, raised up on all fours, and shakily returned to his feet. Kagome took the time to do the same, flicking her hair back from her face with a single confident toss of her head.

"I had to work twice as hard," she said, looking him square in the eye as she twirled her katana once in her hand, "And be twice as smart to even have a fighting chance. If that's not what a soldier does, then I suppose you're right about me, sir."

Ibushi's fingers went to the small cut under his chin, and he visibly snarled at the blood she'd drawn, then spat on the ground in front of her before charging her again. She got her guard up and felt his katana blade nick the back of her sword hand as she spun backward, trying to dodge. It stung and was already starting to bleed freely, but it wasn't deep. Nothing to worry about. She could still move. She'd have to be careful not to let her grip slip, though.

She felt a group of bodies at her back. She'd spun all the way into the edge of the gathered crowd.

"Kagome!" Hojo's face sprang into the edge of her field of vision. "Are you - oh, gods, Kagome, stop this! There has to be another way -"

Before she could reply, she felt two strong, familiar hands grip her shoulders gently.

"Don't heal yourself." It was Miroku's voice, purposely just above a whisper.

Kagome frowned, keeping her eyes straight ahead as she whispered back. "I wasn't going to - at least, not right now - "

"Just don't. Trust me." She felt his thumbs behind her shoulder blades, and he gave a gentle push to send her back upright. She took another step toward Ibushi, ready for more.

"Enough, both of you, before you stain the floor or dent it even further."

They both stopped short and immediately turned to face the throne again, both breathing a little hard. Hojo, who had likely been struggling against Miroku's much stronger grip the entire time, finally broke loose and rushed forward, taking Kagome's uninjured hand in both of his own and staring at her as if he'd never seen her before in his life. Ibushi, for his part, looked not a little humbled at his winded state, and deep within herself Kagome felt a sort of fierce glee that she didn't dare put on display.

The shogun actually looked pleased. Satisfied.

"Your methods may be…unconventional, Lady Kagome," he said calmly, "but the fact remains that you are likely one of the first people to knock our dear general off his feet in a very, very long time." His dark blue eyes scanned the crowd. "Does anyone else have something to say before I pass judgment?"

Hojo opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"I do, my lord Shogun," said a man elbowing through the crowd. Another officer, it seemed, but where Ibushi was solid and tall and muscular, this man was thin, almost underfed-looking, with teeth far too big for his mouth that gave him a very odd countenance to say the least.

Kagome gave Hojo a gentle push to the side, stood in front of him, and readied herself in case this one wanted to try her out in combat as well, but the man merely stopped in front of her, cast a sidelong glance to the shogun, and gave her a deep and respectful bow.

Well, this is unexpected.

Go AWAY.

"My lord Shogun," the man said, his voice raspy and high-pitched, "This girl shows devotion and loyalty and not a small amount of skill. What sort of men would we be if we turned down a capable warrior in these trying times, female or not?"

"A very astute argument, General Nakamura," the shogun said. "Lady Kagome, your skill in battle is…unrefined, to be certain, but there can be no denial of the results. You had General Ibushi at your mercy a few moments ago."

Next to her, Ibushi huffed with outrage but said nothing.

"You do credit to the skills of the officers who trained you." The shogun paused for a moment, then continued. "Gods rest all their souls."

Not all of them. She heard him laugh again in her head.

You'll join them soon enough in the afterlife, don't you worry.

I can't wait.

Kagome chastised herself for continuing to talk to him in her head; for having foolish, futile conversations with a man who didn't even exist, at least not really; not the way she'd known him. All while the entire throne room, and no doubt a crowd of others outside, were watching her like a hawk. Lucky for her that her current grip on sanity was already somewhat tenuous, because Kagome felt that this was enough to drive any sane person into a hysterical fit. In an effort to ground herself she bit down on her tongue hard enough to taste iron and stood there as the shogun continued.

"I don't wish to see this become a trend," the shogun went on, "It would be most inconvenient to see all the housewives and old mothers running off into battle at every given moment." A small round of chuckles from the crowd again. "However, for a case such as this, I believe an exception to our laws can be made."

Kagome tried not to make her sigh of relief obvious as Hojo's arms encircled her shoulders for a brief moment before he clearly remembered himself and stepped back, cheeks red.

"Lady Kagome," the great man said, raising his voice for all to hear, "We, the shogunate, thank you for all your dedicated service against the youkai menace. You will remain a part of this great army, this force for change and peace." He paused, looking down at the wound on her hand, which was trickling blood down the side of her leg. "Do you require medical attention, my lady? We can wait a moment if you do."

"Thank you, my lord Shogun, but I'll be alright." She flexed the injured fingers, feeling the blood running between them.

"Why don't you tell them what you really are?" Another harsh voice rang out from the crowd.

Kagome recognized the guttural tone immediately, and her eyes locked on Miroku's for a brief instant. He stared back, and seemed to utter a quiet curse under his breath as Sanada shoved his way to the front of the group.

The shogun narrowed his eyes in annoyance at being interrupted. "Something to say, soldier?"

Sanada drew himself up to his full height and pointed a thick finger at Kagome. "She says she wants to help the cause, rid the world of demons, but she's a demon herself!"

The crowd, so vocally against Kagome mere minutes before, seemed to have changed its tune as a result of the shogun's accepting words. So it came as a bit of a surprise to Kagome when they grumbled in confusion as Sanada stood there accusingly.

"How dare you!" Hojo's hands once again went to Kagome's shoulders and he gripped her protectively. He looked furious. A first time for everything, she supposed.

The rat-faced general, the one named Nakamura, cut in, addressing Sanada as if Hojo hadn't spoken. "A demon you say, soldier? That's interesting. What gives you this insight, then?" He looked amused.

"Sh-She's got powers," Sanada bellowed, stabbing his finger toward her as a means of punctuating his statements, "I had a sword slash to the leg and she used her demon magic to heal it! She healed a fatal wound like it was nothing!"

Kagome didn't have to force the bewildered expression onto her face.

"Kagome, what is he - " Hojo whispered haltingly. She opened her mouth to answer, but the shogun beat her to it.

"Demon magic, you say. So it's your position that this young lady - " he inclined his head toward Kagome, " - is a youkai in disguise, here to undermine us all?"

Sanada hesitated, then nodded, sending Kagome a fierce glare. Kagome returned it forcefully.

"If I may," Miroku stepped forward, "I was there, my lord Shogun. All Lady Kagome did was apply gentle pressure and a clotting agent. Sanada, I'm sure the wound felt fatal to you, but I can assure you it was not." He shook his head pityingly, a smirk on his lips.

The crowd laughed, causing Sanada to turn crimson and splutter with rage.

"You don't understand!" he cried insistently, "Her hands - they glowed with a pink light, and suddenly my wound was healed! No one has power like that except - except witches, or demons!"

Kagome felt a twinge of fear grip her heart, but Miroku just burst into obnoxious laughter and doubled over on himself. Everyone else turned to gape at him with bewildered expressions.

"As you can see, my lords," he said through gasping breaths when he stood upright again, "We also had to give poor Sanada here some milk of the poppy. Evidently it was too much if he's seeing glowing lights and witches and demons everywhere." He looked at Kagome then, a playful grin on his face. "Lady Kagome, we'll have to work some more on proper medicinal dosage. Can't be too careful nowadays, right?"

"Right." Kagome let the sheepish smile slide over her face and put on her best humbled look. "I'm sorry, Sanada. That had to have been confusing."

Sanada looked ready to explode. "Th-That's not what happened!" he protested, scanning the crowd behind him and reaching into the sea of people to yank someone forward by the arm. "She did it to this boy, too! Tell them, lad. Tell them what this witch did to you!"

It was the boy, the one on the bloodstained battlefield in Ryusei whose gaping shoulder wound she had closed. He still looked rather pale and worn out, but he was alive and standing at least. And now he was staring right at her, a blank expression on his face.

Some reward for saving a life, huh? He's gonna rat you out in front of everyone.

Shut UP.

The boy sent a quick glance down at his working shoulder, and then his eyes were on Kagome's once more.

There was a silence that couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but so help her it felt like hours.

"What do you mean, Sanada?" the boy said finally, "We were wounded and near death, and she patched us all up. I never saw any powers."

Tears threatened to prickle at the corner of her eyelids, but she fought them off and held herself steady as she smiled. The boy smiled back.

"Pssh," Sanada all but flung the boy back into the crowd, "All of you are fools, taken in by a pretty face! Is there no one here who will tell the truth about what she is? Ask her where she learned to use this demon magic, then! It was probably from her demon lover, Okada - "

"That's enough," Hojo said sternly, stepping forward and blocking Kagome's view of Sanada. "You levy all these vicious, slanderous accusations against my wife - " he was so incensed he didn't even seem to notice the slip-up, " - with no proof and no one willing to support your story. My lord Shogun, if you please, I ask that you have this man removed immediately. He's insulting Kagome and by extension insulting your own judgment."

The shogun sat there motionless, his hands clasped in front of him thoughtfully. "Yes, indeed, Lord Hojo," he said finally, "Guards, please escort - Sanada, was it? - out of these chambers for the remainder of the evening. Thank you."

When Sanada had been dragged back through the doors and all was quiet again, Kagome found herself once again under the shogun's penetrating gaze. He wasn't smiling anymore, but his voice was just as calm as it had always been.

"Captain Miroku," the shogun said, "I trust you'll take extra care to measure your herbal doses from now on, yes? To avoid such unpleasant rumors on Lady Kagome's behalf."

"O-Of course, my lord Shogun." Miroku was clearly relieved that his little gamble had actually paid off, that they weren't all currently being dragged to the executioner's block en masse.

"Now then, where were we? Ah, right. Lady Kagome, I am promoting you to the rank of General."

"Wh-What?" It was Kagome's turn for an outburst, it seemed. The rest of the room, with just a few exceptions, looked just as floored as she felt.

"And you will command your own garrison of troops. Your task will be to patrol all the villages and towns and keep the order on the home front. Your presence amongst the people will come to be a sign of hope, and you will…"

She was trying to listen, really she was, but the inside of her skull seemed to be humming with sheer elation and disbelief as millions of thoughts swarmed around in her mind for attention.

A general? Me? I don't know anything about commanding troops, or strategy, or -

You'll learn. If I could do it while lying and betraying everyone, you can do it too.

She didn't even bother telling the voice to go away again. Smiling despite herself, Kagome relished in the resounding cheers that reached her ears moments later. This was a moment she wouldn't soon forget.

Naraku was distracted. Preoccupied with the little wolf girl who had escaped his clutches.

This might be her only opportunity.

Luckily the bastard had unchained her before he'd left the room.

Rubbing at the raw marks on her neck, Kagura let out a hiss of pain and gathered the skirts of her tattered, singed kimono. She half-walked, half-stumbled down the pitch-black hallway.

Just have to pray I don't run into Yura or another one of those sadistic bastards. Just a little farther.

And then she'd have to pray that the one she sought was in his room.

The imp, Jaken, was stationed outside as always, ever ready to be summoned. At the sight of her approaching in her disheveled state, he spluttered in surprise.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" He fixed her with a very distrustful eye.

"Is he inside?" Kagura felt her eyelids flutter closed. She was starting to fade.

"His Highness is asleep!" Jaken hissed. "You can't just - "

She shoved past him, threw the door open, leaned against the doorframe.

Sesshomaru was indeed laying in bed, but he'd clearly already heard her voice, because he was half-upright, propped up by his elbows. There was no outward expression on his face as usual, but those golden eyes of his were immediately fixed on hers, holding steady.

The first time they'd met eyes in months.

"Hello, my dearest," Kagura said, taking only one step forward before she felt the last of her strength give out. She braced for the impact of the floor.

A strong arm caught her beneath the ribcage, and she felt her cheek press into the warmth of a bare, muscled chest just as the world faded to black.

A THOUSAND THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL KEICHANZ FOR HELPING ME PLAN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS OUT, AND A THOUSAND MORE TO MY BELOVED HINEZUMI WHO VOLUNTEERED TO BETA THIS CHAPTER. I am unworthy of your greatness and I adore you both so much.

Poor Jaken. No one ever waits to be announced, do they? Jaken like "y am i even here :sadface: "

YAY KAGOME! I'M SURE THIS NEW TITLE OF HERS DOESN'T COME WITH ANY STRINGS ATTACHED RIGHT? RIGHT? *cries*

Sorry for the delay once more, you guys. I am not abandoning this story, as was suggested. I would venture the thought that many authors take MUCH, MUCH longer to update things than I do, and I promise, even when there's no new chapter uploaded, I AM writing it. And rewriting it. Constantly.

In fact, this chapter has been edited because the original draft had way too much going on. I've got a lot of threads going here and the large battle is keeping things coherent while also maintaining my own sanity. Thank you guys for your patience, and thank you so much for loving this story so much. I am not worthy. :)

If you guys are ever curious about the status of a chapter, feel free to drop me a line on Tumblr, or just check my blog because I post status updates (also prayers for my own mental wellbeing LUL) all the time. I would love to hear from you! I don't bite, I promise. :D

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. Please let me know what you think. Catch y'all on the flipside! - meggz0rz