A/N: Ooh, look! It's a new chapter of Elements! Aren't you all just overjoyed with me?
Many thanks to you all for your faithful reviews! I appreciate and cherish every one! Please, continue to review!
Elements
Chapter 6
Harsh winds whirling around her, Kagome descended into the valley, trying not to cry as the ruthless gales assaulted her. Grass and leaves blew about in great numbers, and even a few sapling shrubs were uprooted as she passed by. Faltering at the sight of a branch blowing by, the young miko bit her lip worriedly but continued her steady walk downhill to the valley, where she would hopefully be ignored.
It wasn't her fault, really. She had only been joking. And if InuYasha hadn't lost his temper, she would have never lost her cool...
Kagome paused, frowning, and the winds picked up a bit before she continued on her way. That bit was her fault. She had always been a bit on the impulsive side, and her powers certainly seemed to follow suit.
Kagome scowled and kicked at a rock moodily, sending it flying off into the distance, glowing a vivid pink. What was wrong with her? She had trained herself in all conventional forms of miko energy usage, including a few of her own, like healing, she could summon her energy at will, and she understood the elements! She had fully earned the title of a miko, except for one flaw: she couldn't totally control her powers.
When she had embarked upon her quest to become a true miko and begun training herself, she hadn't expected any of this. All she knew was that she was frustrated with being so helpless all the time and depending on the others to save her, and she was fed up with playing the constant damsel in distress. Kagome had never liked depending on others for anything, and it had been high time she did something for herself, for once.
So she had taken to going on long walks away from the camp in the evenings and meditating, feeling for her energy. Once she had tapped into it, she experimented with it, trying to understand it and how it worked. After a while, she had gotten good enough to be able to mask her scent, so InuYasha couldn't keep finding her and yelling at her when she was trying to train herself. Through trial and error, she had learned to summon her energy and channel into an object, such as an arrow, and use it in other ways. She had also taught herself how to purify a youkai, heal a wound, control the elements, and walk about without being noticed. By the time she had deigned herself a fully-trained miko, she was stronger than Kikyo or Midoriko had ever been.
But once Kagome had tapped into her energy, it never seemed to want to turn off. She was powerful, and all that power didn't always want to be bound up all the time. Kagome had tried meditating and concentrating to keep it under control, but whenever she felt strong emotions or lost her cool, she could feel her power start to leak, and she hurried off to meditate and regain her control.
Sometimes, however, meditation didn't always work, and that was when Kagome had to go off to a secluded place by herself, like she was doing now, to set things right again.
Oh, what she wouldn't give to learn some sort of self-control! She'd be able to laugh and play again, run and jump and yell, without worrying about accidentally purifying her friends. Nothing she tried ever seemed to work, and it wasn't as if her friends could help her with this.
Having reached her destination at the lowest point of the valley, Kagome paused and sighed, her energy sparking about her in crackling pink bolts and biting winds. With so much of her precarious control lost, there was one to safely guarantee her energy would stop acting out on its own, at least for a bit, and that was to use it up.
Closing her eyes, her face a mask of concentration, Kagome summoned up every emotion she had been feeling over the past few days. The feelings bubbled up inside of her, along with her energy, and Kagome felt it all straining to break through. The winds around her sped up hazardously, and pink bolts of energy flashes about.
Flashes of memories and events darted through her mind like an erratic movie, the relating emotions accompanying the track. The happiness of triumph, the sting of defeat, the betrayal from InuYasha, the exasperation with Koga, the confusion with Sesshomaru, the annoyance, the aggravation, the anger, the rage, the blind fury... all her feelings and power grew, swelling dangerously. Tears began streaming from her eyes as Kagome strained to hold it all in, trying to gather it all.
As an image of InuYasha's face flitted in front of her mind's eye, Kagome lost it, and she felt her control shattering around her. With the winds around her whirling around her nearing the speed of a tornado and her energy straining to break free with all its might, Kagome threw her head back and screamed.
A sonic boom rolled over the hills, echoing in the mountains, moving the forest, shaking the very ground two youkai walked on. The taller youkai continued his powerful stride, ignoring the rocking ground beneath him, while the smaller cried out in dismay.
Jaken shrieked in panic at the rolling land beneath him, jumping about from foot to foot, crying out every time his foot touched the ground. Determinedly ignoring his retainer, Sesshomaru strode on, completely unaffected.
"Sesshomaru! My lord! Sesshomaru!"
Restraining himself from rolling his eyes in exasperation, Sesshomaru turned to look at the kappa, knowing from experience the water demon wouldn't shut up unless he was acknowledged first.
"What now, Jaken?" he asked. "Surely you are not scared by a mere earthquake?"
"Forgive me for my interruption, my lord, but this earthquake is burning your lowly servant!" Jaken squealed, doing his best to maintain some sense of decorum as he hopped about from foot to foot in pain. "The ground burns my feet, Sesshomaru-sama! Please, help your lowly servant!"
Raising an elegant eyebrow, Sesshomaru picked Jaken up by the neck, skeptical, and examined his servant, ignoring his gasping for air. It was true; the bottom of Jaken's feet were burned and blistering badly, and the smell of cooked flesh hung in the air.
"It appears you are right, Jaken," Sesshomaru said noncommittally, dropping Jaken back to the ground. "It seems that this sudden earthquake, does, indeed, burn."
"Then... shouldn't we turn back away from this earthquake and return to safer ground?" Jaken ventured timidly, looking at a group of small raccoon youkai who were fleeing from the direction of the valley. Sesshomaru turned and shot him a curt glare.
"No."
"But- but why, m'lord?" Jaken sputtered. "Surely this pain-"
"If you possessed a shred of sense, Jaken, you would notice that you are the only one of us in any pain," Sesshomaru said curtly, continuing on his way, his silvery hair billowing ominously in the growing winds.
Jaken was dismayed to realize that this was true.
"But- but how can this be?" Jaken squawked, flapping his arms about in confusion.
"This Sesshomaru believes the 'earthquake', as you so delicately put it, is a result of the miko sending shockwaves of purification energy through the ground," Sesshomaru told him, a pink aura shining brightly ahead of them. "As we are youkai, thus, the energy burns. I have told you to wear shoes before, Jaken."
Jaken scowled darkly, but managed to mutter a resentful, "Hai, Sesshomaru-sama."
Sesshomaru's sharp ears caught Jaken's disrespectful tone, but he paid it no heed. It would serve the kappa right for not listening to him before. And besides, the aftershocks of the earthquake were fading quickly, and his pain would end soon enough. Paying no further attention to the demon, the taiyoukai quickened his pace as he climbed the hill to the valley, his retainer trailing behind.
It was a rather odd valley, actually. The valley seemed more like someone had taken a hill and pushed half of it inside out than anything else. After all, how many valleys required you to climb to get to them?
Sesshomaru didn't really know why they were going to a valley, either. He didn't see why InuYasha's miko had chosen to come to such a place, isolated from the rest of the world. It was obvious that she wanted to be alone, but the taiyoukai's insatiable curiosity concerning the girl demanded that he know why.
As he climbed the mountain, Sesshomaru became distinctly aware of a growing sense of power. It was huge, gigantic, and pulsed beneath his feet. The winds around him also picked up, blowing greatly, seeming to escape from the great chasm ahead. It seemed like it was storming in the valley, but if that were the case, surely the miko would have had enough sense to run back to her friends?
Finally reaching the top, Sesshomaru paused while Jaken caught his breath, before the two carefully peered over the edge of the valley into the pink glow. Sesshomaru's eyes widened in wonderment while Jaken marveled beside him. It was unbelievable.
Standing at the bottom of the valley was Kagome.
Except she didn't look like Kagome at all.
Hair blown back, flying about wildly in the fierce windstorm, her eyes glowing an ethereal pink, Kagome stood still, her hands at her sides, her mouth open in a silent scream. Energy radiated off of her in great billowing waves as harsh gales of wind whirled around her, like some horrible cyclone with her at the epicenter. Tears streamed down her face as she stood there, leaving wet tracks along her cheeks before being blown off into the wind.
She looked like a fallen goddess, lost in her own pain.
While the fallen miko was certainly a sight to behold, the power swirling around her was nothing short of extraordinary. While Sesshomaru had been exposed to other miko before, none of them had ever possessed power such as this. Whereas most spiritual energy was polished, refined, and controlled, Kagome's was raw and rough, as if it came directly from the earth itself.
Sesshomaru was truly awed.
As he watched the swirling storm, Sesshomaru became aware of exactly why Kagome had come to such a place. Though her power was great, the valley was deep, with sharp, sloping sides, and her power could not fully overcome this geographic force, so it remained contained in the pit, intensifying in itself instead spilling over the edges. It was admirable that the girl had obviously gone to such lengths to protect everyone else. Sesshomaru could only imagine the devastation that would have occurred had she not taken such protective measures.
Suddenly, the winds grew fiercely in their intensity, and Sesshomaru became distinctly aware that something was wrong. Though he had no idea why Kagome had decided to unleash such a storm of her power, her pain was becoming more and more evident in the air, making the storm all the much worse. While the kappa beside him struggling to hang on to the ground, the taiyoukai carefully climbed over the edge of the valley and began a slow descent down to the miko.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find out what's wrong!" Sesshomaru yelled back, his voice nearly lost in the winds. "Go and get Rin, and then, if I have calmed the storm, come down to get me in the valley!"
"But my lord-"
"Go!" Cutting off all further objections, Sesshomaru carefully made his way down the valley, straining to keep his balance against the growing winds. His head ached with the harsh whistling of the winds piercing through his sensitive ears, while tiny bolts of purification nipped at his skin, and Sesshomaru felt himself cringe in agony.
Glancing up at the edge, Sesshomaru saw that Jaken had indeed gone to obey his orders, before he turned back against the wind and approached the miko.
Kagome still stood there, lost in herself, her eyes glowing as she stood there, silently screaming her pain, reflected in the wind. But whereas before her pain had only seemed emotional, it now seemed physical as well, but that she was trying to endure it.
She was trying to hold on to her powers, he realized suddenly. She must have gotten overloaded with her power come here to let loose, but she didn't seem fully able to let go of her control. Closing his eyes, ignoring the biting pain of her energy against his skin, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and mentally extended his youki to find out what the problem was.
Her powers whirled around her, spinning and spinning around, a thin string of energy connecting them to Kagome, drawing more energy out of her and up through the earth. Sesshomaru could feel Kagome trying to break the connection, but the string held fast, pulling more and more raw energy from the earth as her own was expended. He hadn't known a person could control the elements in such a way, but then again, he hadn't ever known anyone like Kagome.
Opening his eyes again, Sesshomaru squinted through the winds at the painful expression on Kagome's face. She needed help, a distraction, to help her let go. He wanted to help her, but how could he? He was a youkai, and she was a miko. Though they were friends of a sort, her energy would hurt him greatly if he tried to help her, whether or not she wanted it to.
Sesshomaru felt something in his mind settle into place. Maybe that was it...
Mentally resolving to do something very stupid that would likely be very painful as well, Sesshomaru struggled to walk forward, straining against the wind, until Kagome finally came within his grasp. With all his strength, cringing at what he was about to do, he grabbed her upper arm, tugging with all his might.
Sesshomaru managed to see Kagome's eyes snap back to normal, and she looked at him and his hand holding her with horrified recognition, before he felt his soul being ripped out of him.
An unearthly howl of pain tore itself from his throat, and he felt Kagome scream beside him as well with pain, as she desperately tried to pull back her energy, frantically trying not to hurt him. He cried out as he felt his soul start to shift, grinding painfully within him, trying to realign itself to become pure, and Kagome cried out with him.
The pain and the energy suddenly changed, and all of the sudden Sesshomaru felt liquid fire burn through him, scorching his skin and his veins. The pain gathered around his left shoulder and intensified, growing into something, agony building and swelling, and with another loud shockwave of energy forced powerfully into the ground, booming loudly around them, Sesshomaru was left screaming as he fell into blackness while the earth shook beneath him, darkness overcoming him as he collapsed and the agony faded out.
¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,Sesshomaru awoke to an unusual set of circumstances.
His eyes slowly opening, he saw the sun shining brightly overhead, indicating that it was past dawn. The birds swooped about, fully awake, chirping in their happiness. Dismayed, Sesshomaru realized that he must have overslept past his usual waking time of dawn and immediately moved to get up.
Hearing a small groan come from within his arms, Sesshomaru quickly froze, fast becoming aware that he was holding someone to his chest, firmly encased in his arms, though he had no idea who the said person was. The figure shifted sleepily, black hair tickling his nose, smelling slightly of juniper and jasmine, before moving back and laying its head against his chest once again, seemingly content to be held in his arms.
Wait – arms?
His sleepiness rapidly dissipating, Sesshomaru moved slightly, and became aware that he, once again, had two arms, something he had not possessed for over two years. Struggling to figure out what had happened, Sesshomaru wracked his mind, searching for memories.
Pink rock hurling out of nowhere... earthquake... climbing to the valley... going inside... lashes of power... winds whirling around... Kagome standing in the middle of the valley, crying... lost in pain... must help her... her shocked expression as he grabbed her... the pain of his soul ripping... the change in power as it focused on his missing limb... the succumbing blackness as it overwhelmed him...
Shaking his head, Sesshomaru cleared his thoughts. At least his recollection of last night answered his questions: it must be Kagome who he was holding in his arms.
Inhaling deeply, Sesshomaru felt the tell-tale twinge of her miko power flutter slightly within her as he smelled her, intrigued by her scent. He had never gotten the opportunity before, as she always masked her scent when she left her friends, and he found it was oddly pleasing. She smelled of juniper and jasmine, with a slight tinge of rain. She smelled fresh and clean, much nicer than most humans smelled, and her hair smelled of apples.
It was mildly surprising to realize that he would be perfectly content to lay there with her as she slept, simply smelling her, long into the day.
She shifted again in his arms, and Sesshomaru felt himself instinctively pull her tighter against his chest, her body soft against his own. His armor seemed to have vanished. Perhaps, being youkai armor, it had been obliterated by her purification energy channeling through him.
Examining himself subtly, Sesshomaru was relieved to find that he seemed to sport no signs of abuse from the purification energy. His claws were still firmly in place, his fangs were as long as ever, and his hair remained a pure silvery-white. The only thing that was any different about him was his new arm.
Moving it from Kagome, Sesshomaru held it up in the air, examining it as his kimono fell back from it. It was perfectly formed, tendons and bones aligning perfectly, his hands ending in elegant talons, and two magenta stripes streaking from his wrist up his arm. Flexing his claw slightly, he felt poison flow into it, and he smiled slightly, welcoming the feeling.
When he had grabbed the miko in the midst of her pain, he hadn't really known what would happen. There had been a strong chance that he would be purified, naturally, but there had also been a chance that Kagome would realize who he was and re-channel her energy to something less harmful before cutting it off. Though the chance of her doing so was small, he had taken the chance heedlessly, not really knowing why as he did so. He wasn't quite sure when Kagome had suddenly meant something to him, but it was certain that she did now.
It seemed the miko had fully repaid him for his senseless risk. She had shifted her purification energy and healed his missing arm with it. He would be forever in her debt.
The girl shifted again in his arms, this time pulling back slightly and stretching, yawning widely. Her eyes flickered open sleepily, a deep blue, as she looked at the taiyoukai lord.
"Hello," she murmured, nuzzling her head back into his shoulder. "It's nice out, isn't it?"
"Indeed," he said, amused. The girl obviously didn't realize just who was holding her.
Kagome stiffened slightly, before relaxing again. "Sesshomaru?" she asked, pulling back to look at him more fully.
"None other," he responded mildly. Her eyes drifted from his eyes all around his face, soaking the sight in, as if to make sure.
"You're holding me," she said simply.
"I believe it was you who once told me not to state the obvious," he said dryly, and she laughed. She pulled back from him and moved over on the grass, and Sesshomaru was surprised to feel a sense of loss as she did so.
She propped her head up on her hand and smiled at him. "Thanks," she said. "I was really a mess last night, wasn't I?"
Mimicking her example, Sesshomaru propped his own head up on his new hand and looked back at her. "What happened?" he asked, curious.
"InuYasha and I had a row, and I completely lost my temper," Kagome admitted, looking down. "I'm still new at the whole miko thing, so my control slipped with my emotions. I went to the valley to let it run free until it was all used up." She looked up at him uncertainly. "That's what you came and saw, I guess. My power running free, I mean."
Sesshomaru felt a rush of fury ignite within him as he recalled the pained expression on her face as her energy whirled around her.
"How could you do something so foolish?" he asked, his tone cold and icy, making it that much more intense. Her eyes widened as he continued on. "Do you have any idea what might have happened?"
"You could have died, you could have been lost, you could've been seriously hurt!" he said, his tone losing its icy quality, becoming heated. "Why did you do such a thing? Tell me!"
Kagome looked at him uncertainly, fear flickering in her eyes at his enraged tone.
"I've done it before," she said. "I don't know any other way to handle it when my energy slips. I can't fully control it."
"Control or not, your energy was used up and you were channeling raw energy from the earth through you by the time I got there!" Sesshomaru countered. "You looked like you were about to die!"
"It's unlike you to care so much about someone," she said, confused by his response. "I'm just a lowly ningen, remember?"
"You are not just a lowly ningen!" Sesshomaru said angrily, his tone final. "You stopped being just another human the moment you overpowered me in that field! No human has ever had the ability to beat me before, let alone control such power! And it is not out of the question for me to care about what happens to such a mighty person!"
"You just don't get it, do you?" he snapped, looking away. "I had to do something. Your expression was one of absolute agony as you channeled the earth! You could not have possibly have done that before."
Kagome looked at him, her eyes a silent blue in response to his own fiery amber.
"Yeah, I have," she said quietly. "After a while, the pain becomes so overwhelming I pass out, and the power all lets go. I don't know any other way."
Sesshomaru stared, falling silent, stunned into speechlessness at her words.
"You- you do this regularly?" he asked, trying to conceal his aghast tone. Kagome nodded.
"Never again," he declared, and Kagome looked up at him, incredulous.
"I have to, Sesshomaru," she said. "I don't know any other way-"
"Then I will teach you," he interrupted. "I will not have you enduring such agony just so you do not accidentally purify your foolish friends."
Kagome's eyes widened, and Sesshomaru saw a note of excitement flicker into them at his words.
"Are you serious?" she asked, unable to hide her eagerness. "You'll teach me to control my powers? My emotions? You'll teach me how to control it all?"
"That, and more," Sesshomaru nodded. "With one such as you, who can channel the elements, you will need to learn more restraint and refined technique, lest you blow your enemy completely away, like you nearly did me."
Kagome had the grace to look abashed.
"I will teach you how to that as well, if you wish," he said. Kagome nodded, and then mumbled something beneath her breath.
"What?" Sesshomaru asked, leaning forward. "I'm afraid I didn't hear you."
"I asked if you wanted me to teach you how to use the elements as well," Kagome said louder, blushing madly. "You know, in exchange for you teaching me about control."
Sesshomaru snorted. "In case you haven't noticed, Kagome, I am a youkai," he said flatly. "There is no possible way for me to harness miko techniques..."
"It's not miko," Kagome blurted, before stopping herself, blushing madly. Sesshomaru looked at her, shocked, as he realized what her words meant.
"Your... ability," he said, for lack of a better word, "to control the elements is not from being a miko."
Kagome shook her head.
"Then how is it that you have garnished such power?" he asked, incredulous.
Kagome looked up at him here, no longer embarrassed by her outburst.
"I'm not quite sure," she said honestly. "All I know is that when I taught myself to use my miko powers through meditation, I became more aware of the elements, and I developed a sense of understanding for everything around me. With that understanding came the ability to talk to them and use them."
"Remember the time a few days ago where we watched the sunrise together?" she asked, and Sesshomaru nodded. "I asked you if you understood the sunrise, but you did not. That's kind of what I mean. You're smart enough and powerful enough to grasp the concept, so I can teach you to understand the elements and the world. It's not really a verbal thing to be spoken, but I can guide you to finding the knowledge yourself. If you want, that is."
Sesshomaru paused, considering. Such power would be a huge asset to have in battle, especially in the coming feud with Naraku. Having control of the winds would render his miasma futile, as well as the powers of his second-born child. Being able to summon energy from the earth would make his blows with Tokijin more powerful than ever, and certainly capable of blasting the cursed hanyou apart. And with power over fire and water as well, there was no telling what would be able to stop him.
Plus, he'd be able to spend more time with Kagome as well.
Turning back to face Kagome, who was looking at him worriedly, he smiled.
"I find your proposition... acceptable," he said delicately, shoving down the twinge of excitement that threatened to leak into his voice. "It is an honor to be chosen to partake of the great power you possess."
Kagome blushed a brilliant red, ducking her head.
"You flatter me," she said, embarrassed, "but thank you."
Sesshomaru withheld his remarks that he only spoke the truth, deciding it would merely heighten her embarrassment, instead choosing to rise from the ground, extending a hand.
"Would you like me to walk you back to your camp?" he offered. "If need be, I can explain this new arrangement to your friends."
Clasping his hand, Kagome pulled herself up, smiling at him, grateful.
"Thanks. I don't know how I'd've handled InuYasha alone," she said honestly. "Thanks."
"The pleasure's all mine," Sesshomaru assured her. "Now, which was is your camp?"
The two headed out of the valley, Kagome murmuring directions to herself as they walked. It was a considerable while later that Sesshomaru realized that she hadn't let go of his hand and found that he didn't mind in the slightest.
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What did you think? Here, the story really begins, or at least the plot I had planned out ahead of time. Please, review, and let me know what you think! Please, review!