DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha.
NOTE: REALLY the start of the climax. FAIR WARNING.
Previously, on Blossoms into Love...
"You don't need me anymore. Just...let me go." She started to run.
What had he done?
0o0
He hid in the shadows. It was the one place in the land where the world could not touch what he had. He watched over the field, watched the two people fight over what was his before his fate in the afterlife. The trees gave no light; the skies above created the shade; the voices were laced with darkness, something he longed to own once more in the body he once had. But he was stuck in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to arise.
So he watched. The woman's voice, while alluring, was laced with the most darkness. The man that stood before her changed. He couldn't place the change, perhaps it was a liking to the girl, but he noticed the man had changed since he was alive. The man in the shadows continued to watch the man in the light, and noticed how hard he tried to hide what had been changed, but the light showed what wanted to be hidden.
He watched the man charge the girl and attack her, showing his dominance over her. But it had not been the same. Yes, he noticed something was different with the man. He still couldn't place it. Their words were too quiet and they were finally in the shade. He could not find the facts when he was in the darkness, too. He would have to wait.
"What will you do?" He forgot the woman behind him. He was used to people asking what he was going to do with his life, what he would do next to ensure he would stay in power. But he was following their orders for once, following what they wanted him to do (although he wanted the same thing since being resurrected). The fight below was over; the girl was walking away toward the light. The man had stayed behind in the darkness. He looked back at the woman in the trees.
A smile crept onto his face. "I will introduce myself," he whispered. Then he vanished.
0o0
"Damn it!" Inuyasha tried and tried to break the barrier, hacking away at the walls with both his normal Tetsuseiga and his red one. Nevertheless, he planted his sword into the ground and leaned against the hilt. He was out of breath and out of energy to try any further. Miroku and Sango just stood near the edge of the barrier and stared out into the empty woods that lied ahead. Inuyasha stared at the ground.
Had Kagome set them up? Or had Kikyo? He couldn't figure it out. On one hand, Kagome brought them somewhere nowhere near the shard and went off on her own to try and get the damn thing. On the other hand, Kikyo told them that she would not spare Kagome's life in getting the shard (which did not surprise him, since she wanted her soul in the first place). He didn't know who to trust.
Or who trusted him. Did the others think he knew what was going on? "Inuyasha," he heard Sango talk to him. But he didn't look at her. He just looked at the ground. Why was this happening? They were so close to getting the shard, so close to ending all the terrible upbringings, and then something like that had to happen.
He felt someone place a hand on his shoulder. "Inuyasha," it was Miroku. He was supposed to be the 'hero' (it was what Kagome nicknamed him) and there he was, helpless and hopeless at the same time. Who would he save, anyhow, if he got inside that barrier? Would he try to save Kagome and betray the woman he loved for his entire life? Or would he try to save Kikyo and possibly kill the woman that had been by his side since the very beginning? He growled.
"Damn it all," he whispered. Miroku squeezed his shoulder and Inuyasha looked out toward the trees. How he wished he could tear down a barrier with his bare hands and go into those woods to save everyone in danger. What was in there that made Kikyo leave them behind? Sango didn't look away from the trees.
"What if Kagome's in there? What if she's in danger?" Inuyasha didn't doubt that. He didn't doubt she was in danger; Kikyo was on her own, out for vengeance because she despised Kagome. And he didn't doubt she was in there, either; she wanted the jewel shard just as much as he did. "What are we going to do, Inuyasha?" He looked down at the ground again and closed his eyes. He wished he knew the answer, but he had nothing.
His ears twitched. Something was coming near him, but he knew this scent. Had there been imminent danger to make him escape? Inuyasha felt his nose twitch; he smelt no blood, just a normal demon scent. He turned his head toward the noise and paid attention to the bushes. There were rustles in the leaves, crunches of the dried leaves nearby. Miroku and Sango put up a guard, but Inuyasha just stayed there, slumped over his sword. "Whatever happens," Miroku began, "we are doing everything we can."
As the group watched the bushes move, Inuyasha reflected on his life. Had he done everything he could with Kagome? With Kikyo? He couldn't do anything and everything right now, which he despised, especially when he was helpless. Had he made Kagome's life a little easier and a bit peaceful, when there was so much chaos around? He wished he could be there by her side, to at least be there to get the last shard and help with whatever it was holding her in a cage.
The noise popped out of the bushes. Inuyasha turned his head and saw a little demon flop against the forest floor. "Shippo!" Inuyasha heard his human friends cry out. They would check for injuries, tend to his side, but Inuyasha would stay slumped over his sword, looking down at the group. What was he going to do?
Miroku and Sango knelt before their little friend; they saw the fear in his eyes. "You guys!" He leapt into Sango's arms, holding her as she watched the little fox demon almost tremble in her arms.
"Shippo? Are you okay?" He shook his head against her chest.
"Kagome, she's…she's…" Inuyasha looked out into the woods again.
"She's in there." Shippo nodded against her chest and Sango closed her eyes. It answered one of her questions, at least. Miroku rested a hand against Shippo's back and comforted the little demon. Shippo continued.
"And I have…have this feeling that she's…she's…" Sango tried to look down at his face, but he wouldn't pull away from her. Miroku looked at Sango, and saw how worried she was; Inuyasha glared at the empty forest protected by the barrier.
"Is she in danger, Shippo?" Shippo didn't move, just cried.
"I don't know." Inuyasha growled; it was uncertainty that pissed him off. He hated not knowing; he hated not being able to do anything; he hated not being in control of his situations. Miroku glanced up at the half-demon in their group; something changed in his position that worried him.
"Inuyasha?" Inuyasha just growled. He felt rejuvenated, he felt alive. He felt his teeth grind against each other, his hands clenched against the hilt of his sword, and his nails pierce through his own palm. He straightened his posture and stared directly into the forest. Sango moved her head to look at him and saw his eyes.
"Inuyasha!" He turned his head; they saw the red.
He growled. "Damn it all!" He took hold of his sword and went back to hacking away at the barrier. He needed to get inside.
0o0
He reflected on what had just transpired. He watched her run away from him, over and over again. He watched her tears fall from her brown eyes and cry out for him to do something. He watched her step away from him and slammed his own sword into the ground. He watched; he didn't do a thing.
Sesshomaru stared at the little glowing shard sit in the palm of his hand. He wanted no life that involved such a dangerous weapon. It held no value in his life, anyway. Perhaps in Rin's, however she was too young to understand the divine powers it both possessed and expressed. He watched it glow with intensity near the almost complete jewel in the same hand. She was so close to completing the jewel; why would she give it up so easily?
"It'll do more good for you than it has for me." The jewel was something that possessed evil and good, and whatever strings that were attached in the process. He knew she had been through Hell and back trying to complete the damned thing, so perhaps it was not so surprising that she would give up such a thing. Perhaps it was her way of saying that she was willing to give up on her journey and bring a sense of inner peace to herself. Yet if she were the protector of the jewel, she would have to accept the terms of protecting such a weapon; otherwise, she would be blamed for the destruction of the world.
He wrapped his hand around the small item. He could see the pink light creep out from the openings between his fingers, but he thought nothing more of it. He placed the item inside his kimono and stared out into the woods that held the woman he wanted to see after so long, the woman he wanted to talk to, the woman he wanted to find. He found her; he saw her; he didn't say a thing.
"Kagome…" how he wished he called out to her, how he wished he ran after her. But he was not the hopeless romantic. He was not hopeless; he was full of hope. He knew she would find him again. He knew she would need his help again and want to be rescued by his power. He knew, somehow, he wanted her to do all those things. But he knew most were unrealistic, and she would ask the half-demon he hated to save her, instead of calling his name. "Just…let me go."
He couldn't. He had her on his mind for days, weeks, months…he couldn't let her go. He already let go of one woman in his life—he was not ready and unwilling to give up another, especially one he wanted near him every second of the day. He needed to please his beast somehow; he just didn't know what else to do. His beast whined; he couldn't handle another woman leaving his life. "You don't need me anymore."
He growled. She knew nothing of his needs; she knew nothing of what he needed and wanted in life. How he wished he was not a Lord; how he wished he was one of her group members, to protect her. How he wished…he would not think of wishes. Sesshomaru knew it was the jewel controlling his wants and needs at that point, and he stared up at the sky. On the outside, he looked calm; he looked as though he was in control. On the inside, his beast was out of control; she was in control.
"Sesshomaru."
"Sesshomaru?"
"Sesshomaru!"
"Are you transforming?"
"Maybe Rin and I are growing on you."
He viciously grabbed his Tenseiga that had been in the ground and stabbed the nearest tree. It split in two. Her voice disappeared and the images that continued to overwhelm his beast (and him, truth be told) continued to flash before his eyes. He could see the dead wench injuring her as she lied in a crater; he saw her blood flowing out of her body as he tried to tend to her wounds; he saw her in his arms, protected by the evils around; he saw her, by his side.
"Enough!" He snarled. Sesshomaru felt his nails turn green and send a poisonous whip toward the numerous rocks near the waterfall; one of them cracked. He pulled away from the tree and felt the light sword by his side once more. The sheath was resting on the ground by his feet, and he just stared down at the ground. She stood there moments before (had it been moments?) before she ran away. And everything started to flash in front of him again, how she was infiltrating his life and mind so easily.
Sesshomaru emitted a low, protective growl from his stomach. It was a new noise, something he never experienced before. He closed his eyes; he knew they were red. What was she doing to him? To his beast? What was going on? He relaxed his hands and felt his nails shying away from their deadly poisons; he opened his eyes. Nothing looked through the color of blood, so he nonchalantly picked his sheath up. It still had her scent; it would be the death of him. Tying it against his hip, he sheathed the sword and took one more glance into the trees.
She disappeared; he didn't know whether to chase after her or let her go. He turned his back and started to walk. He was not letting go; he would go after her eventually. He didn't know when, but he had to get out of the forest again. It would do no good to him. This forest is bad luck to all, he thought. He heard the rushing water beside him splash all around and he continued back to where he came. He needed to tend to his wards, those that needed his protection.
But as he hit the edge of the waterfall, as he was going to venture back to his camp, his nose twitched. He knew that scent; it was the dead wench. He turned toward a different part of the forest and searched for her. There was nothing. He scanned for anything that gave her away; there was still nothing. Why was the dead wench near? Had the others been on the hunt for the shard? And for that matter, where was his half-brother? He never left her side; why was this different?
Something was not right. He turned back where Kagome ran. His nose twitched again; he knew the other scent. It was Kagura's; she was nearby as well. Had she been watching from the trees? Had she watched the exchange between him and Kagome? He scanned the trees; she was not that near. She was far away, almost where Kagome was (but not quite). What was she doing near her?
Sesshomaru looked to the sky; there were little streams of light floating in the air. They were the soul stealers that dead wench possessed. They were flying toward Kagome. He eyed a few of them, and they swirled around a certain part of the forest. So the dead wench was near. "If you are looking for me," Sesshomaru shifted his head and looked ahead. The dead wench was before him. Then what were the soul stealers above? "I am right here."
Sesshomaru said nothing. He paid close attention to Kagome's scent and Kagura's scent; they were not near each other. What was going on? And why was the dead one confronting him? "You have the jewel," she said to him. Was it only for the jewel? Or was there something else? Sesshomaru did not move.
"On what grounds do you confront me, wench?" Kikyo smirked.
"I stand no ground. You are interested in why I am here, are you not?" Sesshomaru growled. Kikyo continued. "There should be other things you should focus on, not someone like me, Sesshomaru."
"And why should this one listen to your hollow words?" Kikyo walked past him and went into the direction of Kagome. His nose twitched; what was this scent?
"Because if you value that girl's life," she turned her head and had a smile on her face, "you should worry about her." Sesshomaru would have no words like that around him. He was next to her in a split second with his hand wrapped around her neck; Kikyo did not struggle, but continued to smile. "Do you wonder why I am near you all of the sudden? Why my scent had just appeared?" Sesshomaru did not look away from her; he just listened. "Look around."
Sesshomaru saw her not threatening his life, so he looked. There was nothing; he saw the woods, the trees, the waterfall, the sky…what was he supposed to see? Then, a demon was flying toward their spot; he could not smell them. Why? He watched this demon. It dove toward the spot, howling and wanting something (perhaps the shard). Sesshomaru saw it be deflected away. A barrier?
He looked back at her. "What is this?" Kikyo did nothing.
"You know, Sesshomaru, and only you and Kagome have been in this area, all alone. You should have noticed the other scents by now." He growled.
"You and Kagura have surfaced as unwelcomed guests in these trees." Before he pierced her skin with his nails, she chuckled. He watched her, and saw her continue to smile. There was more, he knew.
"I am surprised, Sesshomaru. I thought you were powerful to smell all scents." He growled; he would not have a wench demoralize him and—
His nose twitched. Another scent came. It was human blood—her blood. Sesshomaru glared at her before throwing her to the ground. He stared straight into her dull eyes. "What have you planned, wench?" She placed her hands around his wrist; it started to burn. He instantly let go and leapt away from her. She rose from her spot; he watched numerous soul stealers take her and carry her into the sky.
"I have planned death, Sesshomaru," she called out to him, "And I intend to watch." Sesshomaru growled; he wished to go after her, but continued to smell Kagome's blood in the air. But there was another scent mixed with it—it smelt familiar. "You deserve to die!" His beast flared. He knew this scent far too well; it had been masked the entire time. She was in danger. She needed to be saved. He looked up to the sky once more, seeing the dead wench disappeared. Then he looked to the trees, where Kagome had run into; there was something hidden all along. He needed to save her.
He ran after her. 'Mine.'
0o0
Kagome rested against a tree, but knew she had to get out of there. Too bad I'm lost already, she thought to herself. She sighed. At first, she was relieved that the jewel was finally away from her, that she was no more the protector of the jewel. Then she panicked; what if Sesshomaru would wish on the jewel and bring destruction? It was a terrible thought.
She looked back from where she came. She didn't want to believe that Sesshomaru only had her around because she could detect jewel shards. Was it the truth? Had she made the entire thing up? Or was she right, and had to get away from him before she went down the wrong path? She sighed once more; her life sucked. It was never this way with Inuyasha, I don't think.
"Kagome…" She heard the trees rustle; perhaps it was just the wind, but she turned to the noise. She was hearing his voice again, something she wished would go away. The leaves crunched against the floor; she eyed the woods intently. "I did no such thing."
"Who's there?" She brought her bow around and held it out in front of her body. She was not willing to blindly shoot into the woods without seeing her enemy, but she stared at the trees. Then, a shadow appeared. Her hands gripped her bow more, but once the light showed the person, she eased a bit, but kept her guard up. "Sesshomaru?"
She couldn't believe he chased her through the forest. He would've stopped her before, right? But there he was, standing before her. "What are you doing here?" He stopped at a group of trees as she leaned against hers.
"I have come to say you are wrong about my intentions, girl," Kagome listened to his voice. It was almost angry with her for running away, as though she had upset him in some way.
"You used me, Sesshomaru," she began, "I don't see how I have wrong intentions about you when you know for a fact you used me to get the jewel!" She heard him growl. It was threatening, yes, but it sounded different than the other ones she had heard. Was he transforming?
"You know nothing about what I have done. I have not used you to gain anything," he said to her. Kagome saw him stepping toward her, moving ever so slightly toward her. She eyed him; what was going on?
She kept her bow in front of her. "Then why did you have me by your side?" He stopped right in front of her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was wrong. He looked and acted different. He wasn't like that at the waterfall. She saw his eyes—they were gentle and understanding. She heard his voice—it called out to her, as though it desired her. Sesshomaru just stood there in front of her, staring at her with his golden eyes.
"To protect the one I have grown fond of," he replied. Kagome widened her eyes.
"Grown fond of?" Sesshomaru just stared.
But she noticed his arm slowly rising. What was Sesshomaru talking about? What was he doing? Kagome closed her eyes and felt around her. She breathed in; her grip on the bow relaxed just a little bit. She could feel Sesshomaru's presence next to her, the trees cautiously blowing with the slight breeze, and the jewel—the jewel. Her eyes shot open and she looked straight into his eyes.
"You're…" before she could finish, the body in front of her collided with her, sending her flying toward a large tree. Her back hit the bark; her body was sliding against the rigid surface. She could feel her blood dripping down her back, new wounds forming. Her throat was held by a hand, one that felt nothing like the one that had held it before. She opened her eyes and still saw Sesshomaru standing there. "You're not him…" she breathed out.
The hand wrapped tighter around her neck. She could hardly breathe. She brought her hands up to his wrist (she dropped her bow at some time while in the air) and started to burn the skin; he didn't let her go. She could feel the person pushing her against the tree more, pushing down against her throat. They still looked like Sesshomaru, but it wasn't him. This person didn't have the jewel with them.
The person smiled; now she knew it wasn't Sesshomaru. "We meet again," the voice changed; her eyes widened. It can't be… "Kagome." She started to struggle against the person's grasp, trying to get out. But it was no use; she was pinned against the tree by the one she killed before. She glared down at the person, staring deep into the golden eyes that weren't Sesshomaru's. She let out a painful whisper:
"Naraku."
WOAH WHAT THE I UPDATED AGAIN LOLOLOL
I told you I'd update before the end of May. And GUESS WHAT? IT'S NOT THE END OF MAY! HOLLA! I'm surprised I got this out. But! The chapter did come to me WAY easier than the last chapter. I'm proud of myself.
SO GUYS, NARAKU'S BACK. WHO CALLED IT? I didn't! Well, I did, BUT I DIDN'T AT THE SAME TIME! Um, yeah. For about 3-4 chapters, it's gonna be slow again. Lots of talking, drama, fighting...the whole deal. FUN STUFF. Want a hint on what'll happen? I have a hunch, but...I'm pretty sure one person will fight Naraku and Kagura, while the other fights Kikyo. GEE I WONDER WHO.
I'm a dork. BTW: Sorry that this is all...Sesshomaru. I didn't plan for that, but it's SO much fun playing with his feelings and all that jazz. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, FTWWWWWWWW
ANYWAY. I should probably respond to those LONG OVERDUE reviews from before. LET'S DO THIS!
From Chapter 21
soulspirit18: Thanks! I worked so hard on that dream, good lord. I remember me trying to get something out, but it sucked so bad LOL At least you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review!
Pcebabe: Thanks! I'm glad it's awesome!
01992: Thank you! I love describing Sesshomaru's feelings with flowers. For some reason, it works. And it gives him some character/pizazz. Or something.
sydney: LOL Thank you! You're so enthusiastic! And thank you for the humble comment that I should have more than 300 reviews (but I don't think that'll happen. I can only dream!). It made me laugh 8D
From Chapter 22
soulspirit18: Thank you! 8D
Kurina333: LOL I'm sorry. I don't mean for cliffhangers! But thank you! Glad you like my story!
InuBroken: Thank you! I do my best to please and write like a professional (God knows I need to work on that sometimes).
From Chapter 23
InuBroken: Oh my LOL I'm SO SORRY that my next chapter took so long to get out. I hope you're still reading the story, HAHA. Ohhhh man, a fail on my part. Anyway, thank you for reading!
Tamashi no Kuroneko: I don't think I updated fast enough with Chapter 24 LOL Oooooops. But thanks for reading/reviewing!
Heart-broken to the core: Oh wow, 2 days! I hope you got some sleep during the story! I'd hate for you to get insomnia reading this story, LOL. But thank you for the kind review!
From Chapter 24
NONE WTF LOL (I'm not surprised)
Weeeeeell. I hope some of my reviewers come back! PLEASE review! I'd appreciate it, and you can tell me how inconsistent I am or something! WOO!
Thank you for reading again!
Until next time!
TLS