So, I touched up the last chapter a little; took out some things, changed some things. It's nothing monumentally different, just switching words around a bit.
Wow it's only been nine days since my last post. I'm actually rather proud at how quickly I was able to update! Yay for my muse. Elusive thing's finally decided to stick around for awhile.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.
Chapter 24: Bittersweet
"My, my... how interesting."
The soft words were followed by the flutter of paper; the dark figure who'd spoken them rising from his seat.
The past couple of weeks had been spent travelling; the last phase of his plan was coming into place, and it had been necessary for him to inspect the fruits of their labor. His allies were well prepared, and their numbers were finally high enough for him to set the stage for the final act. It seemed that some intriguing things had happened in his absence.
Walking the length of the room to a small, cherry-wood bar, he withdrew a bottle of bourbon and a glass, pouring himself a drink before offering one to his companion.
She shook her head in the negative, her interest drawn to the newspaper sitting innocuously upon the desk near the large divided window. She moved eagerly across the room, anxious to know what had captured her Master's curiosity.
A scowl curved painted lips as she gazed at the front page – which was dated for the beginning of the week – her glare lethal as it focused on the face of the woman in the photo. That journalist bitch… Kagura could not see what it was that drew men to her so eagerly. Even her creator seemed interested in the girl, a notion that made her teeth clench in fury.
She threw the paper down on the desktop, shrugging her narrow shoulders as she muttered, "I don't see how."
Naraku grinned. He gained much enjoyment from watching his first fledgling chafe, finding her anger rather entertaining. He knew the little journalist rubbed his darling the wrong way… and he would not miss an opportunity to rile her. Her blood-hued eyes shone like garnets when her temper was aroused.
"It seems the little Higurashi woman is rather popular amongst our kind. Sesshomaru Taisho… isn't exactly a nobody. I am intrigued by this development. I wonder… if he plans on changing the girl. She certainly would make a lovely addition… such beauty is wasted on the humans."
Kagura bit back a snarl, her glossy red nails pressing tiny, crescent indentations into the soft flesh of her palms.
"Such a healthy, spirited female… I imagine her blood would be divine," Naraku mused aloud, sipping his drink as he watched his first creation stir with restless ire. He could see her hands tightening at her sides, her slender jaw clenching in aggravation.
The dark reviver closed his eyes as he pictured the slight young woman, her vivid blue eyes sparking clearly in his memory. Her smell had been so sweet, so unlike anything he'd ever encountered; just recalling it made his mouth water. It was a wonder that Sesshomaru had yet to turn the girl. That long, pale throat must have provided a constant temptation… how could anyone deny a call of that caliber?
Perhaps the young fledgling was reluctant to take her humanity away from her? He'd seen such behavior in many a hematonist; those strange few who yearned for their past lives as mortals could never bring themselves to change another. He could not understand it.
If that was the case, Naraku supposed he could always help the boy along; make his mind up for him, as it were… Yes, that sounded acceptable.
In fact… it sounded down right delightful.
His hellish eyes lit from within as he made up his mind. "If Sesshomaru has no intention of changing the girl… I will not be so hesitant. There is no other way, now. The girl has had far too much exposure to him for her to be left untouched." He paused, turning to peer at his little seductress, noting that she was practically shaking with anger. He grinned. "What do you think of having another sister, my dear?"
She didn't reply for some time, and it shocked him somewhat. Kagura had always been a loyal, devoted follower; her universe centered solely on her desire to please him. The fact that he was refusing to speak after he'd asked her a question told him of her displeasure with his latest decision.
"You would be wasting such a gift on that woman," she finally sneered. "She'd never appreciate what you could give her. That human trash would be nothing but a burden to us; the simpering, ungrateful bitch would likely curse you before she would thank you for being so gracious. It's a bad idea. You should just kill her and be done with it!"
Rage furled behind his eyes, and they burned with sinful red light, his fangs stretching from his gums. Her petty jealously was one thing, but for her to openly defy him? Naraku would not allow it! He was the Master here and it was his decision to make.
Crushing the glass in his hand with a low growl, he crossed the room and snatched a handful of her hair, yanking down viciously until she was kneeling on the floor. Her back bowed sharply against the strain of his hold.
She wailed loudly at the unexpected pain, her eyed wide with fright as she stared into the now furious face of her beloved Master.
"Enough, Kagura; you have no right to challenge my authority!"
"Apologies, my Master! Forgive this one for her impertinence," she pleaded pitifully, knowing that if he so chose, he could put her through unimaginable pain.
"You would do well to remember that I make the rules, little one!" he chastised her before slackening his grip, lowering himself to the floor and maneuvering her around until she was settled in his lap. He stroked her hair lovingly, long fingers pulling gently through the newly matted strands of her ebony hair. "I do not like hurting you, my child, but you must remember your place. As your Master it is my job to remind you of it, should you forget."
The beautiful young reviver nodded submissively and curled further into her creator's embrace, thankful to have been spared from his wrath on this night.
"It would not be so bad, my sweet," he purred to her, issuing a deep, soothing hum from his chest. "Our little family is due for a couple of new members, wouldn't you say? I imagine – given time – you might actually enjoy her company. You would have someone new to play with… I know I certainly enjoy the prospect of having some new blood among us."
Kagura remained quiet in his arms. He smiled widely, glad to see she had learned her lesson.
His mind wandered back to the picture on the three day old paper. Higurashi and Taisho… it was an intriguing find. He had always had an interest in Taisho, from the very first time he'd set eyes on the boy all those years ago. He was an astounding young man, with a tenacity rivaled by few and a hunger for control that was not unlike his own. There were few who were not enthralled by the male.
As for Higurashi, there was a spark in the woman he'd never seen anywhere else before. She was so full of life… and it pained him to think that in a scant handful of decades it would wither away to nothing. Humans had such pitifully short life spans.
The fact that the two of them were together… well, it only made things easier for him in the long run. He had plans for the pair, and it was only a matter of days before he would be able to set things in motion. Years of careful planning would soon culminate.
Kagura grit her teeth and scowled, hiding the look from her Master by tucking her chin to her chest. She was in no way pleased with this situation, but his recent reaction to her protests made her hold her tongue. She was in no mood for a lashing.
The female hematonist saw no reason to expand their tightly knit family. She, Kanna, and Hakudoshi were the only three children Naraku kept in his company – the many pawns he'd created over the years did not count. This was the only thing she'd ever known, and she did not want it to change.
As was the case with her younger regenerator siblings, Naraku had found her in her darkest hour, when the idea of death was a much sought after dream. The world - and every stinking, disgusting human in it - had turned its back on her, and she'd had nothing to live for.
He had come to her… offered her a new life and new hope. Even as a young, mortal woman she'd known exactly what the consequences of her choice would be, but by that point she couldn't have cared less. As far as she was concerned humans were nothing but parasites; she had no qualms with killing them.
Kagura accepted all he offered and had never looked back. Naraku was her teacher, her father, her savior, and her lover. He was her everything, and she had no intention to share him with another woman. No one, especially not that snide journalist bitch, would take him away from her.
His head hurt. It was not a sensation he was unaccompanied to, mind you, but when coupled with the aching throb in his chest it was quickly becoming unbearable. Sesshomaru, for one of the first times in his life, found himself regretting a decision.
He had thought long and hard over what Albert had told him, and it was clear now what needed to be done. That didn't mean it was going to be easy. The thought of not having the brilliant young journalist in his life made a searing pain blossom in his heart. She meant so much to him, more than anyone before her. His intrigue had changed to amusement, and then to affection… and now. The emotions she stirred within him were foreign and frightening; he was afraid to label them. Could he… possibly… love this woman? He didn't know. He'd pushed everyone away for so long that he wasn't sure he knew what love was. Yet… she made him feel loved.
Albert had said, 'If you care about the girl, you'll let her go. While being without her may hurt, it could not compare to the suffering you would experience if she were to die because of your refusal to give her up.'
It was true. He'd never be able to live with himself if something happened to her because of him. It was better this way… better for the both of them. However, while he understood the logic of what he needed to do, it didn't make the pain in his heart any easier to bear. He'd miss her, he always would, and Sesshomaru doubted he would ever find anyone who was as perfect for him as Kagome.
He'd thought on these things thousands of times over, and knew it needed to be done. Sesshomaru had long ago stopped debating that. The reason for his current, blooming headache… was the thought of how he would break this news to her. He was sorely tempted to do it over the phone, so that he would not have to see the look in her eyes when he told her.
Taisho sighed. 'That would be cowardly,' he told himself. 'The least you can do is tell her face to face… she deserves better than to be dismissed over the phone.'
He couldn't help but worry over the unavoidable confrontation. He wondered if she would cry… Ugh, he hoped not. He would rather her yell and cuss and slap him. Sesshomaru already felt like a monster for having to do it… seeing her tears would only make him feel more despicable.
It had been days since he'd spoken to her, needing time to think over how to handle the situation. The timing, he realized, couldn't have been worse. After the weekend they'd spent together… he had a pretty good guess as to what she would think. She would assume that he'd been using her, and now that he'd gotten into her pants and had his fill he would just discard her like a piece of garbage. I couldn't be further from the truth, but how else would she view the situation?
He knew he could tell her a million different reasons for the sudden breakup, but he doubted she would believe any of them. It was true that he had to leave in only a handful of years, but that was just as lame an excuse as any other. She would, of course, think that it meant he didn't care about her. After all, if he did, why wouldn't he just invite her along?
He sighed again, loudly, and dropped his head into his hands. There was only one thing he could really do that wouldn't produce questions he was unable to answer. He would simply have to lie to her, and tell her that he was no longer interested in her. It would crush her, he knew, but by playing the part of the heartless bastard it was a surefire way to break things off completely. She would want nothing to do with him after he told her that… and that was how it needed to be.
Another horrible thought occurred to him then – as though he didn't have enough to feel wretched about already. Kagome had revealed her delicate past to him; she'd told him about the boyfriend who'd left her high and dry as soon as they'd graduated. It was the exact same scenario… though he was doing this for the benefit of her safety. However, she would never know that. Sesshomaru imagined that his actions would likely scar her permanently. Kagome would probably never be able to trust another man in her life.
A sick feeling rolled around in the pit of his stomach. 'Will she… end up alone… because of me?' he pondered sullenly.
Sesshomaru grit his teeth. He wished there were some other way… but this was all he could do to ensure she would stay alive and well. Now, it was only a matter of arranging a time when he could tell her.
"Sir, are you free at the moment?"
Rin's soft voice startled him, and he breathed deeply, stilling his trembling hands and pressing the button on the intercom. "Why?"
"Kagome is here, sir. She says that if you're busy she can c-"
"Send her in."
Sesshomaru pulled himself together, not having expected the unscheduled visit, but wanting to see her all the same. He would not tell her now, in such a public place. He didn't want to humiliate her. Yet… he needed to see her face… needed to see her smile at least once more before he crushed her heart.
She knocked timidly once before coming through the door, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled sheepishly at him. Approaching the desk slowly, she began rambling, "I'm really sorry to pop in on you like this. I don't mean to be a bother, and if this isn't the best time I'll just-"
"It's fine, Kagome," he told her quietly. He wanted to get up and embrace her, kiss her senseless until she was panting and trembling against him. He wanted so very much to taste her sweet lips again, but knew that it would be cruel of him. He couldn't string her along like that.
"Is there anything you need?" he asked politely, wanting to keep this professional without seeming cold.
"I just… oh, you're going to think I'm stupid, but…" She paused, looked up at him and bit her lip. Taking a deep breath, she went on, "Sesshomaru, I don't want to seem clingy or anything, but it's been days since we spoke last. I called you a few times, but you haven't returned my calls. I just… I just wanted to know where we stand right now."
He felt himself pale. It took every last bit of his control not to go to her, not to take her into his arms and whisper sweet nothings to her, to tell her that she meant the world to him.
He set his carefully crafted mask back in place. "I apologize for not having called you, Kagome. I have been very, very busy. I wanted to arrange something with you, but I have not had the opportunity to get in touch."
She seemed to perk a bit at that, a small grin tilting her rosy lips as she clasped her hands together and told him with a shrug, "I'm free later tonight."
He nodded. "That is acceptable. Is it alright if we have dinner at my home?"
Tilting her head in affirmation, the young woman asked, "Did you want me to see if I can borrow Sango's car and come over once you're done work?"
"I can pick you up," Sesshomaru told her.
She smiled then, her full lips curving upward in a way that seemed to light up the whole room. It broke his heart to see her look so genuinely happy… and to know that he would have to take that away from her in a few short hours. However, he took an instant to memorize her beautiful face, knowing this could possibly the last smile she would ever grace him with. This is how he wanted to remember her.
The blue-eyed female hurried forward then, coming around the side of his desk and throwing her arms around his neck in a quick hug. She pecked him lightly on the temple. "Alright then! I'll take off and let you get back to work!"
She turned and hurried out of his office, grinning and waving as she pulled the door shut behind her. Sesshomaru felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. He dropped his composed façade, face contorting in unspoken agony at the thought of their upcoming meeting.
'I'm a monster.'
Relief couldn't even begin to describe what she felt at that moment. Kagome had tried her best not to worry… but after the experience with her last boyfriend, she knew that a lack of contact usually meant something was up. She was used to not seeing him for days at a time… but he always called, and she had worried. She was thrilled to have that weight lifted from her shoulders.
She was also glad that he hadn't seemed put off by her questioning. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was some kind of obsessive, clingy twit.
However, a part of her could not help but think something was wrong with Sesshomaru; he'd been so stiff and formal. Something was bothering him, she was sure of it. She would ask him about it over dinner, she supposed.
Checking her watch quickly, she guessed that she had a while before he would be off. Kagome mused at his late hours, glad that she got to leave her job at a relatively decent time. It was shortly after six, it had taken her close to a half-hour to detour to his company from her own place of work, but she'd needed to get it off her chest.
For the entirety of the day she'd done nothing but worry, and had she been forced to go through it again the following day, she was sure she'd have lost her mind. Now that it was over with and out of the way Kagome felt very, very glad that she'd decided to stop in before heading home.
The sun was just beginning its slow decent over the tops of the skyscrapers, pouring vivid orange light across the street. By this time most people were finishing work, and were hurrying along the sidewalks toward the subway stations. Kagome hated rush hour.
She stepped onto the bustling street and out of the quiet reprieve of the tall building, maneuvering herself through throngs of people as she began her shirt trek to the tunnels. 'I wonder what he has planned for dinner,' she pondered idly, thinking to herself that Sesshomaru was probably a fantastic cook. The man did everything else perfectly, so the chances of him being a lousy chef were slim in her mind.
Then, without warning, a strong hand wrapped securely around her upper arm, yanking her back with such ferocity that it made her stumble. She was towed awkwardly along, unable to do anything but keep herself upright. She tried to turn and see who had a hold of her, but was stopped when the person's other palm gripped the back of her skull and turned her head forward again.
She realized with no small amount of shock and panic that she had been pulled down a narrow alleyway, and was swiftly being tugged farther and farther away from the crowd of people that traversed the sidewalks. When she opened her lips to scream for help, the hand on her scalp shifted and clamped over her mouth.
Fear crept up her spine as she tried to wrench herself free of her captor's grip, an ill feeling settling in her stomach when she found she had no chance of escaping. Whoever this stranger was, they were much, much stronger than she. Kagome was near tears. 'What's going on? Who is this person?' she wondered frantically.
Adrenaline fueling her struggle, she twisted against the hands holding her back, hoping to dislodge the firm grip over her mouth so she could call out for help. Yet, her fighting was is vain, her brief surge of energy dying as she realized that she was making no progress.
'Is this… could this be the criminal who's been murdering all those innocent people? Oh god… am I going to die?' Had there not been a hand over her mouth she would have been hyperventilating, the terror now all consuming as she realized these could very well be her last few moments alive. She would never get to write another article, never get to enjoy the amusing antics of her two best friends, never see the smiling faces of her family... she would never get to see Sesshomaru again...
They stopped at what she could only assume was the back of the alley, the tall shadows of the buildings concealing them from the eyes of the people who were not more than twenty feet away. They passed by obliviously, without a single clue that another murder was about to take place right under their very noses.
Kagome started when she felt herself get pulled back against the strong, though equally small body of her captor. The soft press of breasts between her shoulders was unmistakable. This was a woman? 'No, 'that's impossible! No woman is this strong! I can't even budge!' Again she tried to free herself, but this attempt was ended just as quickly as the first when the thin fingers over her lips dug painfully into her jaw.
"Bitch!" the mystery assailant hissed. One slender arm kept her immobile and quiet, the other curving around to press threateningly against her neck. In the short moment that she'd caught a glimpse of the hand attached to it, Kagome had seen the glistening red nails that decorated long, slender fingers.
"He's mine! You'll never have him!"
The frantic journalist hadn't the slightest clue what this person was talking about, and tried to express her confusion with a muffled shout. It only earned her a hard jostle and an acidic command to 'shut up'.
"Die, you worthless human whore."
'Human...?' was the only thought her mind could conjure before everything became a frightened blur. Kagome whimpered as her head was yanked backward over her attacker's shoulder, and from this new angle she could clearly see the pair of full red lips that hovered by her throat. They parted, and long, thin fangs glistened menacingly in the shadowed alley. Terror welled in her throat as she choked on a scream, her body seized with spasms of fear for one, seemingly endless moment before she fell limp and the world around her went black.
Oh god, what's going on? Is she dead? Well… I'm evil and you will all have to wait until the next chapter to find out.
So, how many of you thought it was Naraku to begin with? Coooooome on, I know there were a few of you! Seems like the green-eyed monster has reared its ugly – and apparently homicidal – head. Jealousy can make people do drastic things…
Please review!
Oh... by the way... you're all going to roll you eyes at me for asking this, but I need help finding a story. I read it a long time ago, and when I looked for it again I couldn't find it for the life of me.
It went something like this (if memory serves me correct):
- Kagome and Inuyasha are together at the start
-Kagome isn't human, but rather some kind of kami or otherworldly creature of great power
-Inuyasha dies and Kagome ends up in the care of Sesshomaru
-by law all of his brother's possessions become his in the event of his death, including a mate or mate-to-be (I can't recall if they'd mated yet)
-he's kinda mean and nasty to her in the beginning, and she wants nothing to do with him
-he desires her because she's incredibly powerful
-he realizes that she's somewhat of a 'fountain of power' and by joining with her he is able to gain more power
-there's some kind of magical tree with fruit that can make those who eat it immensely powerful
-all in all Kagome has to save Sesshomaru from himself before his lust for power destroys him
Does that ring a bell to anyone? If someone could answer that question for me I'd be forever grateful.