Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Genre

: Romance/Angst/Hurt

Pairing

: Sesshoumaru/Kagome

Summary

: Little Rin has died and Sesshoumaru doesn't know what to do. He looses himself to his beast, lost in emotions he hasn't felt in hundreds of years. Kagome is called to subdue the raging beast and in the process binds herself to the taiyoukai stronger then her bond with Inuyasha. With Sesshoumaru's subduing comes the price of being Lady of the West and with the title comes all the downsides and perks of being ningen royalty among a youkai court.

A Demon Lord's Cry
Chapter Seven: Bella Mort [French for Beautiful Death]

x . . . . x

Brilliant crimson stained the perfectly white ground.

She was never enough to do what she needed to do.

Kagome had failed, she realized, as flesh split on the muscled back of her guard. She had failed him in the worst of ways. She was supposed to save him from this fate and yet she couldn't do such a simple thing as control the wayward power she had within her. It was her power! She should be able to tell it do what she wanted! She remembered Rin coming to her in a dream her very first night within the Western palace, telling her that her power was a completely separate entity, and another time explaining to her that it had to be treated as a familiar.

She didn't understand that though.

What she did understand was that Takeshi was bleeding.

Sesshoumaru arched his wrist back once again and the whip moved through the air and landed with a second crack to the guards back. He let out a whoosh of air and Kagome whimpered for him as she fell to her knees, tears sliding down her cheeks. Her kimono began to soak through as the snow began to melt but her small form shivered with tears and chill. She could hear the soft drops of the blood as they hit the ground. She flinched and looked up at the taiyoukai.

There was nothing on his face.

He was expressionless as he tortured one of his own.

She just didn't understand him.

He was a youkai, true, but didn't he feel?

Where was the rawness that had filled his gaze only a few days before?

Was Rin so meaningless that he easily set aside her death?

A cry fell from Takeshi's lips as another deep laceration was created in his back.

It was right then, she had, had enough.

Her power had refused to respond to her and she couldn't make it bend to her will so she would use what resources were left to her.

Courage.

In nothing more then a few swift moments, she was standing and racing toward the pole, feet kicking up snow as she went. She moved quickly as she saw the magenta stripped wrist arch back again in order to cause pain to her guard and in moments she was standing before the taiyoukai, cerulean gaze bearing into the golden haze. Surprise shown for just a moment and the momentum from the whip was bearing down upon her. She prepared to be assaulted with pain. Sesshoumaru thought quickly and in just a single second, a green burst of poisonous toxins were expelled from his claws, his free hand coming to cover Kagome's nose and mouth as the whip was turned into sparking green specks that floated around the three creatures within the snow.

"Do not breathe, miko." Sesshoumaru murmured as he released his hand from her mouth and placing it upon her shoulder, moving her away from potential danger. "Should you breathe in the toxins then they will enter your respiratory system and break you apart from the inside." Kagome nodded her head as the green settled into the snow, leaving sizzling marks as they went. Takeshi, whom had been facing away, was safe from breathing in the acidic air. Sesshoumaru nodded his head once, his gaze never leaving her own, "Speak."

"Leave him be." Kagome spoke softly, pleadingly, her anger having faded with the time she had been holding her breath. "Just leave him alone."

Sesshoumaru arched a sleek, elegant brow and looked down at ningen that was bound to him. Her form was trembling and the scent of fear coiled around her like a well embedded perfume. In the face of her fear, he gave a slow twitch of his lips upward and shook his head as he took a step toward her, yet, she didn't take a step back. "Oh? Did we not have an agreement? You show minute control and he would go unscathed, you show none, and he is punished. Have you shown control?" he inquired, head tilted to the side, golden eyes mocking. "Come now, miko, on what grounds do you demand I stop?"

She twitched angrily and sucked in a breath. "Fuck you." she hissed, picking up some colorful language she had learned from Inuyasha and then her anger took root, her power filled her hands, and she growled in pure animalistic hate. "You want control?" she asked. For a moment her power rippled around her, "I'll show you control, Sesshoumaru-sama." Her eyes slowly hazed over in a silver sheen, snow swirling around her feet. Her clothes whipped with a wind created with the power she held within.

Sesshoumaru leaped back just as the wind began to cast a silver glow, tearing small holes into his white attire. He narrowed his eyes at the slashes of wind turned into deadly blades with her miko power. He cast a glance toward Takeshi and was surprised to note that a barrier surrounded his form, protecting the guard from her anger. His attention was forcefully brought back to the miko when he heard the snow crunch beneath her feet as she walked toward him. A snarl curled his lip upward and he gave her an aggravated growl.

The three youkai seated upon the stone chairs moved to restrain the raging female but Sesshoumar gave them a look that clearly said, 'back off'. They did as they were told, bodies tense and seated at the edges of their chairs in the event they had to step in.

Kagome brought her hands straight before her, her power glowing a bright white. She breathed out and clenched her hands into fists. The silver glow around her hands faded to create ten small spheres of energy that quickly turned into shards resembling glass. They pulsated, still glowing silver, and she quickly opened her palms. They flew toward the taiyoukai and he leaped gracefully out of the way and began moving toward the miko. He snarled at her and brought his hand before him, intending on creating his acidic whip but paused when he saw the bow created out of pure energy pointed directly at him. She released and the arrow shot toward him. Amber eyes widened marginally and he ducked, the arrow streaking overhead, leaving the burning scent of purity in the air. From his current crouched position, he darted toward the miko, whom narrowed her glowing gaze at him.

His eyes flashed crimson as he grabbed the arm that was being brought to point at him again and jerked it behind her back, twisting her before him. She cried out and began to thrash. He tightened his grip and she screeched in alarm, her arm feeling as though it were on fire and about to break. She whimpered and he kicked her knees out from under her, sending her kneeling before him, her back to his angry, snarling face. He slammed her face into the cold snow, using only human strength, and watch as she whimpered, a sense of satisfaction welling deep within him.

"That is enough." he growled deeply. "Submit or I will bleed you."

"I give." Kagome whispered, power falling away from her like a blanket. "I give."

Sesshoumaru released her roughly and looked down at the kimono clad female. Her breathing was heavy and she was still on her knees, her back still to him and couldn't help the begrudging respect he felt her. She had stood up to him of all people and did not back down until in a corner. It was a short battle between the two, if one could call it that (it was more of a battle of wills then anything), but she had shown great power and some control. Her power had not lashed out negatively against her and been held in a steady stream, if her eyes anything to go by (they had remained silver the whole time).

Though she had defied her alpha and attacked him; she had shown courage.

She had stood up for what she believed was right.

She had done everything she could to make sure she achieved her goal.

She had done the things required of the Lady of the West.

"Ichiro, release the guard." the inu did as he was told, moving from the stone chair and running toward Takeshi. Sesshoumaru looked down at Kagome, who looked at him with wide eyes. "Miko, you have done well." he turned and began to walk away when her voice reached him.

"What did I do well?" she asked as she looked at Takeshi whom was being walked away.

"Your job, miko, you have done your job."

"I don't understand." Sesshoumaru sighed and turned around. He looked down at the woman-child and explained.

"I do not like the current predicament we find ourselves but I am going to make the most of it. So I, myself, decided to teach you as well. Takeshi bled because you were unable to perform. As Lady of the Western Lands, our people will die if you are unable to do your duties. When Takeshi was hurt, you attacked. This must be true for our lands as well. If you are not prepared to protect our lands, protect our people, then you have to be prepared for the consequences."

"So this was all some sick lesson?" she hissed and Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"It was a lesson within a lesson. A lesson to learn control, which you must learn, and a lesson of ruling." Slowly realization dawned upon her features as she began to connect the words that were being spoken.

"You knew I wouldn't be able to control my powers." she finally whispered and he nodded his head at her. "You set Takeshi to be hurt! You set me up for failure!"

"That I did but you learned, miko, a valueable lesson."

"A lesson?" she growled angrily, working her way to her feet. "Do you have any idea how tortured I felt? How hard I worked? Do you know how much emotional turmoil you put me through?" Sesshoumaru shot her a cool glance and nodded his head at her. "I don't appreciate your Machiavellian schemes as a lesson. I will not - "

"Be quiet." he snapped and made eyes contact with her swirling orbs of cerulean fire. "Stop and take a moment to see what I have taught you." Sesshoumaru growled low within his throat when for a moment his eyes tinted scarlet before retreating to a cool gold. "It is done. It has happened. He has been hurt and your lesson has been taught. Nothing can be undone! She is dead!" the raw pain returned to his eyes and Sesshoumaru felt something within him shatter and break a little more on the inside when he realized his slip up. Somewhere within his rant he had stopped talking about the miko and had begun to talk about himself.

In truth, the taiyoukai had failed Rin. If he could not keep a ningen girl safe then how could he take care of his people? He was was filled with doubts he could share with no one, there was a possible plot within his home, he couldn't get over the death of Rin, and he had a damnable miko at his feet making him even more miserable. He was just teaching her what he had learned the hard way.

He was falling apart at the seems and just barely keeping himself together.

It was something that Kagome was just beginning to realize as she looked at his slightly hunched shoulders.

The youkai said nothing as he turned on his heel, straightened his back, and walked away.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome called. Sesshoumaru paused to show he was listening. "Please, please let me bring him here."

He only walked away and Kagome's heart broke as she sobbed.

.

Takeshi breathed a sigh of relief when his wounds began closing on their own thanks to the use of herbs and his natural quick healing process. The gauze felt itchy against his skin but it prevented his haori from getting caught within the open wounds. He moved through the halls of Western home as he headed to his chambers and caught whispers of conversation as he passed servants and nobles alike. He rolled his eyes; no matter what social class, all liked to gossip, it seemed.

"... I hear she has yet to move... "

"... I bet the cold will kill her frail ningen body like it did the little one... "

"... she stopped her pitiful crying hours ago... "

He arched a brow as he slowly pieced together whom they could be talking about and immediately set about finding his charge. When he found her, she was sitting in the courtyard in which he had been whipped in previously. His eyes softened abruptly at seeing her hunched form. He was barefoot seeing he had been in the healer's chambers not outside but indifferent to the cold, rather not letting it bother him, he stepped into the patches of icy snow and walked slowly to the fallen woman. She had been staring blankly at the bare amount of sun that could be seen. Tear tracks had long since dried upon her porcelain cheeks and her eyes had grown red from crying. Her lips were cracked and dry and her body looked tinted slightly with blue.

"Kagome-sama." he greeted softly. She didn't jump at the unexpected sound within her quiet, no, instead she closed her eyes slowly.

"Takeshi-san." she whispered in response.

"Come, Kagome-sama, allow me to take you inside." he murmured. His clawed hand reached to touch her shoulder gently and when it did, he almost flinched away at the feel of just how un-naturally cold the cloth was. Kagome shook her head slightly and sighed, before speaking in a soft and cracked voice.

"No. I c-can't go in there. I can't, Ta-akeshi-san." she responded. "I won't." She turned despondant eyes to the inu-youkai and her lips were set into a frown and tears filled them once more.

Takeshi was momentarily at a loss. He was charged with her safety and he took his duties very seriously. He looked down at the woman that was decades younger then he but in that moment looked so much older. He had been whipped, yes, but she had done everything that she could to stop it from happening. She had jumped before him risking bodily injury and had been prepared to take his blow. It was odd to know that someone he had known in such a short amount of a time would actually care for his well being so strongly. It was even odder that it had been a ningen miko to be the one to care.

Slowly, he lifted a clawed hand to rest upon her head, the strands both wet and cold. They were softer then he had expected them to be and he wondered what they would feel like dry. Just as soon as the thought came, he pushed it away. Kagome tilted her head up at him, the tears once again slipping along her pale cheeks and within the confines of his mind, a plan had been created. Kagome's eyes closed and a soft cry slipped passed her lips and his mind had then been made up. Takeshi leaned down, pursing his lips in pain as his wounds stretched open on his back as he gathered the woman in his arms, holding her effortlessly. "Alright, Kagome-sama, where will we be heading?" he asked gently. Her mental health would deteriorate at the rate things were happening.

He could see the fight in her eyes falling away as a dullness began to settle in.

Sesshoumaru might kill him but Takeshi was a soldier and he had been assigned her guard and he took both her physical and mental safety to heart.

It was a weak case as far as cases went but he would come before his Lord when the time came and that is what he would say though in truth, he knew he was doing this for a different reason.

She had tried to save him.

So he would try and save her and risk Sesshoumaru's anger in order to do it.

Kagome looked at him, slowly comprehending what he was saying to her and when she finally came to the conclusion of what was happening, she smiled. It was a beautiful, bright, brilliant smile that made her seem far more innocent then he knew. She smiled as though she had never been touched by the cruelties of this world but knew that as a miko she had been through more then many her age. She pressed herself into his warmth, her iced body seaking causing him to shiver. Her smile faded to a grin but it was still brilliant nonetheless, and murmured against the silken haori, "To Edo, near the Bone-Eater's Well."

He cast one look around the courtyard and proceeded to seemingly melt into the shadows the dim lighting from the sun provided. Precious cargo in hand, he moved silently through the Western Fortress and scaled the inner walls. Though this was in fact the Western house and it had impeccable security, all he had to do was hide Kagome for a moment and distract the guards with some menial task and quickly move her. It was a carefully done task though dangerous all the same. His feet touched down just outside the inner wall and they were one the sides of the mountain that the Western House sat upon, headed toward the youkai village that encased the fortress.

(A/N: Remember, the Western House is built into the side of a mountain with an inner wall surrounding it. If you scale down the side of the mountain, you hit the youkai city, and from the youkai city, you hit the outer walls, and then finally you reach the ridiculously large trees surrounding the outer wall.)

Bare feet moved smoothly along the rocks and glided through the air with small leaps and bounds as he stuck to the shadows to get to the city. Kagome shivered in his arms and knew he had get her a spare change of clothing and a quick, warmbath. He frowned and moved faster when she sneezed, pressing her nose against the visible skin through the part in his haori. He flinched at the chill but said nothing as she pressed herself into a small ball and closer to him, her lips moving against his flesh as she whispered something almost inaudible. He looked down at her head of ebony hair, eyes softening ever so slightly, and nodded to himself.

He would do all in his power to get her where she wanted - needed to be.

"Thank you."

.

Himeno raced through the compound, worried, due to the fact Kagome was no where to be found. She had servants looking in all the rooms and along the grounds. At first she hadn't worried because she figured that the miko had wanted some alone time. Now though, it had been five hours since she had been last seen, and no one could find her. The worst part was that Takeshi had gone missing as well! The last he had been seen was along the inner wall, giving orders for several soldiers to make sure that the other soldiers were not slacking.

Now though, the newly made Western Lady had not been found and it was serious.

She quickly knocked along the door that led to Sesshoumaru's study and entered when she had been given permission. Bent over several scrolls, Sesshoumaru sat concentrated on the task before him. "Sesshoumaru-sama." she greeted as she bowed lowly. Again he did not look at her, relying on scent and hearing to know who was in the room.

"Himeno, what brings here?" he asked coolly, signing off another scroll.

"Ah - um - Kagome-sama has gone missing. We have been searching relentlessly for her but we can not find her. What is worse is that Takeshi has gone missing as well." Himeno answered quickly as she threw herself to the floor, pressing her forehead to wood as she abased herself before him. There was a deafening growl that filled the room and Himeno flinched.

"You will turn this house upside down until she had been found. Where was she last seen?" he growled and Himeno trembled at the anger in his voice.

"The c-courtyard, Se-Sesshoumaru-sama." she stuttered out and Sesshoumaru moved out of the room as he made his way to the courtyard, barking orders as he went.

"I want the city on lock down. No one enters and no one leaves. The miko must be found and I want Takeshi brought to me!"

Himeno could only be happy she had her head and sighed in relief though her heart feared for the miko.

.

Sesshoumaru headed toward the courtyard, anger blazing, and bubbling just below the surface. He growled when he walked to the spot where the miko had been sitting and took several deep breaths. He could smell her there, the salt of her tears, the ache of her sadness, the spice of her anger, and then finally the despondency and her giving up. Deeper still, he caught the sent of her guard and his eyes went scarlet for the second time that day before he reigned in his anger and bit his tongue.

He followed the scents and made it to the inner wall and knewthat Takeshi had taken the miko with how deeply the scents were intertwined.

She had gone against his word and his word was law.

She had run from him, she had fled with her guard, and the miko would be hunted down and dragged back screaming and kicking if need be.

A growl curled his pale lips upward and already knew where they were headed.

So Sesshoumaru took off after them, their scent lighting his way like a beacon.

.

Clawed hands were gentle as they bathed away sweat and grime with a small towel from the young kitsune. His claws had been for shredding away enemies and had not known how to be gentle. His hands were for hurting, not saving. It was odd to sit there and help the smallest member of his pack seeing as he had never done if before. He was alpha and such, it wasn't his job to take care of the pup. At first, his claws fumbled but he soon got the hang of what he was doing. Sango and Miroku were hunting and Kaede was tending to an injured girl elsewhere in the village. It was just Inuyasha and Shippo within the hut and smell of sickness hung in the air.

Air escaped the young kitsune's lungs in a ragged breath and a soft cough filled the silence. A fire was cackling in the center of the hut and the kitsune was as close as possible without getting burned, buried under blankets that had been retrieved from Kagome's era. Teal eyes opened groggily and Shippo reached blindly for a hand that wasn't there. "K'gome." he slurred softly and Inuyasha's chest ached. Tentatively he reached his hand out and Shippo latched onto it, holding as tight as his meager strength would allow it.

"Sorry, runt." Inuyasha spoke gruffly, yet softly. "Kagome's not here."

"Why?" he whispered, voice hoarse. Inuyasha went grabbed one of the water bottles Kagome had left them and lifted it to Shippo's mouth. The small kitsune drank almost greedily, water slipping from his mouth and sliding along his chin and neck.

"Whoa, there, kid." he murmured as he pulled the water away. "Not too much." Shippo fell back on the pillow and closed his eyes for a few moments and Inuyasha had through he was sleeping again. He was proven wrong when the teal opened again, swimming with tears. Shippo looked at Inuyasha, his small, drawn in face, paler then normal. The bags underneath his eyes were a stark contrast and Inuyasha frowned at the sweat that had beaded itself along his brow. "Wha'sa matter?"

"I'm scared." Shippo confessed as he reached for Inuyasha's hand once more. The palms were moist and his hands so much smaller then the hanyou's.

"Scared? Of what? I'll protect ya, idiot." Inuyasha grunted, trying not to pay attention the tremble he could feel in Shippo's hand.

"I'm dying." Shippo whispered gently, his voice so soft that Inuyasha strained his ears to listen. His heart hammered in his chest as he gripped Shippo's hand tighter and growled angrily.

"Don't say that!" Inuyasha growled, golden irises narrowed. "You're just sick and you're gettin' better!"

"Inuyasha." the tears slid along his cheeks freely. "I can feel it." he whimpered and tried to reach up his free hand to rub his eyes, to brush away the tears, but the strength he had was washed away with his hand in Inuyasha's. Inuyasha moved his hand to brush the rosy cheeks, to remove the tears, but he had ended up pressing his palm to caress his cheek instead. There was resignation in his eyes, terrible resignation, but it was there and it was all Inuyasha could do to keep the tears at bay and his throat from closing up. He moved his thumb under his eye, remembering a time when his mother had done the same action for him and it had calmed him.

"I-I'm here, runt." he took a deep breath and swallowed thickly. "I'm here."

"I love Kagome, you know?" Shippo whispered. "Tell her that for me." Inuyasha nodded his head and Shippo sighed and coughed. "Inuyasha... I love you too, believe it or not. You're like an older brother... thank you for protecting me and playing with me. Thank you for saving me."

Inuyasha could feel the burning sensation behind his eyes, signaling tears he refused to shed in front of the small boy. "I..." he swallowed thickly again before continuing. "I..." He had never really said the words to anyone. Not Kikyo. Not Kagome. Only his mother but as he looked down at the kistune, he knew it was something he truly felt. "I love you too." Shippo smiled happily, childishly, and nodded his head slowly.

"Tell me a story?" he asked, eyes dropping closed.

"I don't know how." he confessed.

"Start with 'Once upon a time', Kagome always does." he murmured, words slurring.

"Alright. Once upon a time... there was this no-good mangy ookami and..." Inuyasha continued his story, a small smile on Shippo's face, until the story ended and then he started another one and another and another until the grip in his hand loosened. He continued telling his story, unaware of the tears sliding along his cheeks because he had to finish this last story for Shippo.

Sango and Miroku entered the hut, brows creased in worry.

"Inuyasha, wha - " Sango was cut off as Inuyasha finished his story, closed his eyes, and sobbed softly because sickness was something he could not save the kit from.

"... and the kitsune and the miko lived happily ever after... the end."

.

.

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'Gome Yuki:: Yeah, Shippo died. I am so ridiculously happy because I specifically wrote this story JUST so I could get the Shippo x Inuyasha scene and the next few chapters. I swear that there will be romance eventually and some Sesshoumaru x Kagome fluff in the next chapter or so, maybe. Takeshi is awesome and if you like him now, you'll love him later. Some of you will say he contradicts a lot of what he is but Takeshi is a contradiction. I plan for this story to be at least thirty chapters or more so there is PLENTY of time for Sesshoumaru x Kagome love. Believe me, I have this story planned out to the max.

P.S. SO many of you were SO sure she was going to outright explode xD It was awesome so JUST so I could be a bitch, I was like... "Nahhhh, she'll explode five minutes from now", haha. Love you guys :)

P.S.S. Yes, Sesshoumaru is D I C K,Rin will make another showing, we'll dig deeper into Kagome's powers as well as the friendship of Takeshi and Kagome, and Sesshoumaru will see reason soon. In honesty, I was getting tired of everyone harping about how awesome Sesshoumaru was so I had to make him a douche bag just to be different o3o;;.

I'm a review whore! Review for me and I'll give you a special, awesome chapter :D I like 30-40, pwease! :3