Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Awww, you guys! I'm so sorry to have made you sad or shed tears over the last chapters. Things will get better, MissTeak promises, but as of now, it has to get real bad for the plot to move on. For those who have guessed Sesshoumaru would hand the Shikon jewel over to Kagome, give yourself a pat on the back for you've guessed it right! Kudos to all of you amazing readers!

Title: Wisteria

Chapter 37: Shikon Jewel's reunion

He stopped in front of the shoji door to his personal study, with Kagome standing two feet behind him. Sliding the door open, Sesshoumaru stepped in with Kagome in tow. The interior of the study smelled the same as always, slightly musty with the smell only old books and scrolls could possess, but the same place now felt different to both of them.

There was no longer the feeling of anticipation or excitement of having some private time to themselves in his study, and gone was the poetic mood for poring over ancient poems and trying to read them together.

Instead, the only thing that hung in the air was the stench of her growing guilt. Guilt again, but it genuinely appeared to be the sole emotion she was now capable of. It struck her at all times, and it struck her the hardest when he was around, especially now that she had an idea of what he intended to do.

Sesshoumaru wasted no time in striding over to the deceivingly innocent-looking cabinet in the corner of the study's interior, before sliding it open. Once again, it opened to reveal the long stairway deep inside, and Kagome could immediately feel it – the warmth of the jewel's spiritual energy as it washed over her like lazy waves of the sea. It was calling out of her, weeping even, like how a lost child would call out for its mother. Now that the barrier between them was gone, Kagome could sense the calling of the jewel as if it was talking to her. Entranced, she closed her eyes and stepped into the cabinet.

He watched her walk into the cabinet fearlessly, and it once again amazed him to see how unsuspecting she was. Did she really expect the path to the jewel to be such a smooth and obstacle-free one? Or was she just so confident because she believed he would never allow her to come to harm. Well, she was wrong. As he had cautiously designed, the entrance to the stairway up to the seventh level was laid with traps such as demonic miasma and arrows. Those had been meant to deter or kill any potential intruder should they come this far to obtaining the Shikon jewel.

And right now, before his eyes, the miko would suffer this fate. She had it coming; he tried to himself. This was the only thing she deserved for betraying Sesshoumaru. He did not realize how betrayal really stung only when the person mattered. Just let her die, his beast sang hypnotically within. She deserves this…this cheap, scheming miko. But when the girl in front of him took a tentative step forward, his mind envisioned the way her frail human body would soon suffer the piercing of a thousand arrows, splattering the stone walls with fresh, crimson blood…

But when Kagome lifted her foot to take another step, listening with her heart to the calling of the jewel, he knew he could not do it, as much as he was devastated by her betrayal. There was no way he could allow himself to watch her suffer such immense agony in front of him, and if she were to die…he had nothing to say to that, because the idea of it was unimaginable. He had to stop her; he had to tell her before it was too late.

Before Kagome could move forward, she heard Sesshoumaru call out, "Fuji, wait!"

But it was too late. The heartfelt elation at hearing him call out to her with so much concern in his voice overwhelmed her instincts for danger, and Kagome's other foot stepped down to come into contact with the damp concrete-

Then she heard it almost instantly – the morbid, loud twang of arrows, released from tightly drawn bows concealed within the darkness. Kagome could not even do anything about it; it was so abrupt, and paralyzed by fear, she could only stand rooted to the ground, horrified, as multiple arrows flew in her direction. Her mind screamed as fear clawed at her insides viciously, and somewhere through the haze of fear in her mind, she heard the sharp graze of metal against flesh.

Then there was silence.

She opened her eyes, mentally concluding that it must have been the fear that made her virtually immune to pain. Waiting for the pain to set in, she soon realized it was not coming to her, and there was warmth, from the person who was holding her tightly.

Then taupe brown eyes widened with realization as they met gold ones, and she saw for herself what had just taken place. They were leaning against the base of the stairway, with Sesshoumaru holding her close to himself. But there was something strange about him; his face betrayed nothing, but his breathing was heavier than usual, and the slightly ragged breaths were caressing the top of her head.

Regaining her composure, Kagome pulled back slightly from the embrace to look at him, checking him for signs of injury or whatsoever. Sesshoumaru appeared to be fine, and she could feel a sigh of relief coming, until she noticed it. A growing patch of red at his shoulder caught her attention, and with mounting horror, her eyes travelled to take in the sight of a raw, open wound. The split flesh was undoubtedly the work of an arrow.

Worry and heartache started to dominate her thoughts; Kagome could not bear the idea of him hurt. Instinctively, she held his hand gratefully and reassuringly. Looking up into his face again, she saw how he was not bothered about his own injury, but instead, those eyes were scanning her, looking for signs of injury on her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" She reassured him, smiling to prove her point, though her voice betrayed her sadness. He was once again so kind towards her, even when she did betray his trust. "Why are you so silly, Sesshoumaru? I'm not worthy…"

He remained silent; her worthiness was never for her to determine. It was his to judge, and if he deemed her worthy, he would do anything for her. Getting injured was nothing compared to her safety. In face of his silence, she hurriedly tore a piece of her purple kimono sleeve out. Gritting her teeth, she tied the length of cloth around his wound, applying further pressure so as to staunch the blood flow.

"Does it still hurt? Do you need to rest?" Kagome asked, placing her hand to his cheek.

"This would suffice." He said quietly, standing up to his full height such that she was compelled to remove her hand. The loss of her warmth was jarring, but he did not know how to accept her. "Thank you."

Years of strict upbringing under his father's guidance have molded him into a Taiyoukai where honor and discipline was everything. Rules of propriety were obeyed without question, and betrayal was never tolerated. Having grown up accustomed to seeing traitors in his father's military beheaded and exiled, he did not know alternative methods of dealing with betrayal. What else was there to do? No one had taught him, and part of him found it impossible to imagine forgiveness. How could one imagine something one had never ever experienced?

All he knew was that he needed time to himself. He didn't know if he could ever forgive her entirely, but he knew he could not be in the same space with her for now. He would do something drastic, no matter what it would be, and Sesshoumaru did not want to do so. Deep down, he knew he would definitely forgive her if she was allowed to remain by his side, and the thought of losing himself to the foreign feeling of benevolence scared him greatly.

"This Sesshoumaru is fine. Come." He said curtly, watching her flinch.

"But…can't we talk?" Kagome asked, gripping his arm.

Sesshoumaru turned to look at the miko. Her brown eyes were once again brimming with tears, and he looked away. He hated it when she cried – it was annoying, and it had the power to weaken his resolve.

"Talk? This Sesshoumaru is talking to you, is he not?"

She drew a quivering breath, knowing fully well he was trying to agitate her. "No. I don't mean this. I mean to explain, to talk things over, and to undo the mistakes-"

"More lies?" He asked coldly, staring at her as if reading her. Then he felt her hold on his arm slowly loosen, and he continued his ascend along the stairs. Silently, she followed. Every step up the stairs would bring her closer to the Shikon jewel, but sadly, it would also take her further away from him. She could literally feel it; the growing spiritual energy in her reminded her of the vast difference between the two of them.

She was a miko, and he was a full-blooded demon lord.

Tradition and duties dictate she should kill him, and vice versa. They were born to be mortal enemies.

But the thought soon left her mind, when she felt a flare of spiritual energy engulf her entire being. Kagome closed her eyes; it was slightly uncomfortable to have such immense power invade one's body and soul. It reached out into the recesses of her soul, lighting up every single bit of darkness there, filling her body with a power she had long forgotten with a rush of warmth.

When she opened her eyes, there it was.

Three quarters of the Shikon Jewel, suspended from a intricate chain sealed with ancient demonic magic so as to hold the spiritual powers in check. No wonder the jewel had been crying out for her, Kagome realized. In order to allow himself to touch the jewel without getting purified, Sesshoumaru had used ancient demonic magic to strike a delicate balance with the jewel's power, and it was causing the latter distress. Its color was a bright mauve, but unfortunately, it did not look quite like it was supposed to be. The muted light it was emitting lit up only a fraction of the secret seventh level. Something was missing in the jewel, and instincts told Kagome she had to advance, she had to go to it.

Taking a few unsure steps towards the jewel, Kagome reached out with shaky fingers. Inch by inch they came closer to the incomplete jewel, unwavering despite the occasional crackle of raw spiritual energy, until her finger tips came into contact with the smooth surface of the jewel. Energy pulsed through her through their point of contact almost erratically, as if the Shikon jewel was elated to see her.

She smiled a heartfelt smile as she was reunited with her jewel, feeling the lost connection between them establish itself once again. Sesshoumaru watched silently in concealed fascination at how Kagome subdued the jewel's raw power, taming it gently into a soft, gentle aura. It was really rightfully hers; this connection he was witnessing could never have been faked. It came so naturally to her, just like how he wields the Tenseiga. Then in that moment, he understood.

"Take it."

She whirled around, her mesmerizing brown eyes widened with shock at his words. To say it was hard to believe his words was an understatement; she thought he had only intended to reveal the jewel to her, but never had she imagined he would offer her the jewel. Cradling the jewel in her palm, she looked into the eyes of the demon lord who had been standing behind her in silence.

"This is what you're here for, isn't it?" He asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the jewel with an unreadable gaze.

She did not know how to answer that question. He was partially right; it had been her initial reason, but as time went by, the Shikon jewel constituted only a fraction of the reasons why she came to Ezo so willingly.

"It's not the only reason, Sesshoumaru."

He disregarded her words. "You have done so much to get this. This is what you have anticipated."

Kagome looked at the jewel, hesitation screaming in her brain. Taking the jewel would mean claiming what was rightfully hers, but it would also deepen the misunderstanding, for it would give him the wrong impression. He would interpret her ready acceptance of the jewel as it being her sole reason for lying, scheming and trying to get close to him. If she had a scrap of common sense left in her, she would not allow things to get worse than they already are.

"No."

Sesshoumaru looked at her, betraying a hint of exasperation in his eyes, before striding over to her. Regarding the jewel in her palm expressionlessly, he reached for the chain on which the jewel was suspended. Closing his larger palm around the slender chain bewitched with demonic magic, Sesshoumaru commanded, "Wrap your palm around the jewel."

Kagome complied, and the two of them stood transfixed, watching the balanced powers of the demonic and spiritual forces separate and drift to their respective ends. The demonic energy subduing the spiritual energy went to Sesshoumaru, while pink spiritual energy drifted to the end Kagome was holding. It broke her heart to see it; the merger between the two opposing ends was to be ended, just like their ill-fated relationship.

He was the dark; she was the light.

Since when did these two elements merge? She must have been too naïve to assume it possible.

Kagome wrapped her palm around the jewel tightly, refusing to look at what he was about it do. Her heart was breaking painfully; the separating of the jewel from the demonic chain signified a finality which she so badly wanted to deny.

"Don't, Sesshoumaru…" She whispered a fraction of a second before she felt a firm tug that drew her arm in his direction. Then a harsh snap was heard, and her hand fell limply back to her side, her fingers cradling the jewel loosely.

He had snapped it. He had snapped the connection between the demonic and spiritual side, just like what he had done to their relationship.

"It's yours. Take it and go."

Something snapped in Kagome, and with a burst of emotion she didn't know she still possessed, she shouted, "No! I won't take this. I'll never, ever be able to live it down if I took the jewel. I believe what I truly wanted was to see it, to calm and reassure it. From the moment Inuyasha passed it to you before he breathed his last, the Shikon jewel has been in your possession. He had entrusted you with it. But since you want me out of your life so badly, then I'll go. Just know this, Sesshoumaru. The jewel is not all I care about. You are the main reason why I'm here."

If he could be so gracious in handing the jewel over, how could she accept it so greedily? With that, she reached for his hand, which was still holding the chain, and placed the Shikon jewel in his palm. Ignoring the emotional distress and physical pain in her gut, along with the desperate calling of the Shikon jewel to her soul, she closed his fingers around it. The Shikon jewel made a final attempt at reaching out to its guardian priestess, but Kagome suppressed the urge to answer the inner voice.

And without looking back, she walked past him, running down the stairs that would lead her out of here, away from the jewel and Sesshoumaru.

He watched her retreating back, vulnerable and demanding protection as it shook with impending tears. Then he cast a sideward glance at the length of purple fabric tied tautly around his wound, now stained a sickly brown with his blood.

"Fu-, no…" He whispered, but sadly, there was no one around to hear it. "Kagome…"

To be continued…