(Inuyasha and Co do not belong to me. I just like to write about them. This chapter is a mixed bag of goodies, touching on just about everyone but the baddies.::sigh:: this has got to be the longest Inuyasha fic around. And the funny thing is, I don't set out to write 22 damn chapters and counting! Still, thank you for all your reviews, they are appreciated!)



Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Twenty-Three

In The Light of Day

Daylight brought a new freshness to everything..at least that's what Kagome thought as she saw the hint of sunlight through the windows. She smiled, a flush covering her entire body as she thought of the night before. Had it been a dream?

Oh no, it had not. Definitely not at all. The funny thing was that Sesshoumaru had kept her up the rest of the time - delightfully so - and she wasn't a bit tired. Kagome looked at her clawed hands. She had expected them to disappear once dawn came but they did not. Her hair had turned back to black though, except for two long strands that framed her face. They were a stark silvery-white in color.

She remembered her shock when Sesshoumaru had taken her back to the bathouse where they could clean up, and she happened to see her reflection upon the water. There upon her forehead was a small crescent moon - like Sesshoumaru's. She remembered touching where he had bitten her, and he only touched her chin with his fingertips, his eyes solemn.

"It means that you are truly mine.." Sesshoumaru murmured. To Kagome he actually sounded - happy. They bathed, resisting the temptation to couple again - Kagome found that her appetites were much stronger now - and when they finished bathing, they dressed. Sesshoumaru had brought her back to her own room, kissed her softly and then left without any explanation at all.

And yet, Kagome was troubled. In being Sesshoumaru's, did that mean that he would shut her away here like many females were here in this age? She knew that she couldn't live that way and in the very short time since they became lovers, Kagome knew he was possessive. She would always be considered as his, as Inuyasha had considered Kikyou his. There was something touching to that she supposed, but Kagome knew that she would not be able to be a simpering little doll for him, no matter how much she cared for him. The most troubling question for her too was if she could ever go home again? Would he allow that?

Good lord, she was already thinking about what he would allow or not allow! She was her own person, not his slave or his servant. She would find a way to go back home sooner or later. Probably she collected the Shikon shards again and they became complete, it'd knock her back home somehow.

The thing was, did she really want to go back home to stay? And what about her condition? Myoga had said that the blood within her wouldn't just disappear, it would only grow stronger. And Inuyasha - he had been centuries old..how long would she live? Even if she were able to mask the fact that she wasn't strictly human, would she have to pretend to age like other people and then pretend to die, only to start over again, watching new friends die?

In truth, she would not mind staying here with Sesshoumaru. She enjoyed the modern convieniences immensely, but there was something about this place that called to her. Even when times got rough before, when Kagome wanted to just go back home and be normal again, always this place called to her once more. It hadn't been just Inuiyasha or just gathering the Shikon shards, it had been more than that.

This place was becoming her home more than her modern world..

****

Kagome and Rin ate their breakfast while Sesshoumaru watched them with a slightly bored expression on his face. Kagome would sometimes look at him but Sesshoumaru's face remained impassive as usual Kagome settled herself in for a somewhat quiet breakfast with Rin chattering away about something or other.

"You will show me how you worked the Tetsusaiga and the Tetsusaiga together after you finish your meal, Kagome." Sesshoumaru said abruptly.

~No good morning, Kagome, no anything?~ Kagome thought incredulously. Maybe he had lied to her, maybe she had read things that weren't there at all. Her eyes narrowed. That had been all he wanted from her to begin with - the Tetsusaiga.

"So..you thought by seducing me you could get the Tetsusaiga, right?" Kagome accused. Rin looked at her and saw the anger in her eyes.

"That has nothing to do with anything." Sesshoumaru said. "And I would appreciate if you did not discuss such a thing in front of Rin."

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Rin asked.

"Nothing." Kagome felt herself grow hot with anger. She was sure of it now. Dammit, she had been used! Oh what a fool she had been!

Rin just looked worried. Kagome had been so happy earlier.

"You are agitated." Sesshoumaru said.

"Damn right I am.." Kagome glared at him. "Everything you did was to get the Tetsusaiga. You thought once you bedded me, I'd just give it to you right?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed. Rin did not need to hear all this.

"Rin, go get Jaken to take you outside."

"But - "

"Now." Sesshoumaru said shortly.

"Okay, Sesshoumaru-sama." The child obediently got up but kept looking in their direction. She knew better than to contradict Sesshoumaru-sama, but she didn't like the thought of Kagome and Sesshoumaru being mad at each other.

"You will desist from mentioning that in front of Rin. Is that understood?" Sesshoumaru suddenly towered over Kagome and she leaped up quickly, facing him down.

"Mentioning what? Oh, yes the fact that you seduced me right?"

"You did not protest as I recall." Sesshoumaru said coolly.

"How could I?" Kagome felt tears well in her eyes. She would not cry in front of this bastard.

"You act as if I raped you, when it was your doing all along.."

"MY doing? MY doing?" Kagome's voice raised up a notch. "You're blaming ME?"

"I, Sesshoumaru do not easily succumb to the weak desires of flesh.." He crossed his arms in front of him.

Kagome gasped. So he considered it a weakness did he? She had been wrong about him. So very wrong. That was it. She was taking the Tetsusaiga to find it's real master and look for the Shikon shards. Then she'd go home if she could. If she could not, well the world was a big place in this time. There were no communication satellites, no cars, planes or anything like that. She could just disappear where no one would find her.

"Then you can go straight to hell, Sesshoumaru!" Kagome eyes showed her hurt and anger. "It's time I left your dubious protection and go back to my true mission of finding the Shikon shards and finding the master of Tetsusaiga!"

She spun on her heel, uncaring if he followed her or not. He would not stop her.

****

Miroku saw Sango's body, floating free just where her soul had told him it would be. Already she was pale and he wondered if her body would be able to take her soul back.

Chanting as he stretched his arms out, he closed his eyes. Slowly he felt Sango's soul draw out of him as he opened his eyes. A flash of light blinded his eyes temporarily as Sango's soul entered her body and she cried out as she dropped to the ground. Miroku came to her and quickly embraced her, praying that she was all right.

Sango looked up at Miroku and said, "Houshi?"

"Yes, Sango-chan?"

"I thought you were a hentai before but now.." Her eyes looked luminous.

Miroku smiled. Their souls did occupy the same space. Perhaps now she would -

WHAP!

"Ow!" Miroku was on the ground, since Sango's slap was pretty hard - and unexpected.

"That's for all those thoughts you had about me! The nerve!" Sango smiled.

"Gah.." Miroku sat up and then Sango kissed him on the cheek. Miroku blinked.

"That's for your worrying over me, Housh-sama.." Sango helped Miroku up.

"Are you alright, Sango?" ~She must be if she hit me like that..~ Miroku frowned.

"I - " Sango frowned. "I think so, although for awhile it was bad. I felt like I was in something so - so - "

"Evil?" Miroku asked. "Naraku had you."

Sango looked shocked. "Naraku's here?" Where was her Hiraikotsu?

"He is, but not all of him." Miroku frowned. "It's part of him within this shard. He's imprisoned in it as we are."

Sango's eyes looked stormy. "Still we could kill him off easily couldn't we?"

"No, he cannot harm us nor we him." Miroku said. "He seems to be at odds with Onigumo though."

"But isn't Onigumo here?" Sango frowned as she looked about the glittering walls of the shard.

"I think so but it seems that it is he who is manipulating events using much of what Naraku had used before."

"Onigumo WAS a thief." Sango said thoughtfully. "It would make sense."

"It is about the only thing that does right now, Sango." Miroku shook his head. "I only pray that Shippo - "

"Kirara!" Sango cried out.

"She's with Shippo, Sango. They got away I hope. I told Shippo to find Kagome."

Sango looked somewhat relieved. "I hope they do. I think she'll be our only hope."

*****

"Jaken-saaaama!" Rin called out into the empty halls. "Sess-chan says you have to take me outside!"

The halls were silent, which was odd to Rin, since usually Jaken was after her for something or other. Wandering about, Rin came across Kagome's room and brightened up. Maybe Kagome was back in her room and Sesshoumaru-sama was kissing her again. That would be nice - nicer than them fighting. She knew that it wasn't nice to enter rooms, but in this case -

"Kagome?" Rin entered the room.

*****
It hadn't taken Jaken long to find the Shikon shard that had been in Kagome's pack. When he plucked it out, he stared at it entranced by it's dark fire.

"Jaken-sama! What are you doing in Kagome's room?" A small voice piped up.

Jaken whirled around, anger in his eyes at who he saw. He picked up his staff of heads and branished it at the child.

"Get OUT, you insufferable human before I bash your head in like a rotten melon!" Jaken growled, his eyes blazing out of his head. Rin's eyes widened, for she had never seen Jaken this way. He stepped towards her, malice in his heart and Rin backed away. Suddenly she spun and ran as fast as she could. She would go outside and hide in the field next to the castle, that's what she'd do. Surely Sesshoumaru-sama or Kagome would come looking for her soon.

Jaken placed the Shikon shard in the small pouch he always kept with him and the Shikon flared as it merged with the new shard. Jaken smiled as he thought of what was to come. He had nearly lost his temper with the brat, but he knew it was too soon.
His ears picked up some noise and the toad youkai grinned with satisfaction. So the hanyou-miko was screeching at the top of her lungs again, was she? Good. That meant that Sesshoumaru-sama would have her torn to bits soon enough. All that would leave would be the brat.

Securing the small bag once more, Jaken left Kagome's room, a lightness to his step.