.:All of My Tomorrows:.
chapter fourteen : never-ending night
Surrounded by a cocoon of flesh and bone, Magatsuhi fed on darkness as he metamorphosed. Just as Onigumo never fully realized what evils his carnal desires fed, the human man, Yuji, did not realize what evil he fed.
Within the shell of Yuji's flesh and bone hid Magatsuhi much like a caterpillar within a cocoon. Magatsuhi made Yuji forget his terrifying encounter with the "beast" leaving him to believe that he had been irresponsible and allowed himself to fall asleep after sating himself with a village girl. All Yuji was aware of were the strange dreams and visions that haunted him, filling his mind with the image of a beautiful young woman that caused him to salivate at the thought of his ownership written into her chest.
The hunt was on.
Driven by some intangible desire to possess the woman he knew only as Kagome, Yuji began his quest to conquer her. Yuji moved carefully from village to village seeking the enchanting woman out as he left the mangled remains of young girls in his wake. His need was insatiable, boosting his lust for the taste and feel of blood and death. His urges became so strong and insistent that he frequently risked being caught as he pleasured himself with the unwilling village women.
Each woman that he marked as his, her face became clearer in his mind, causing his lusts to set his blood afire as her name dripped from his lips. He wanted her more than anything, he wanted to own the woman named Kagome.
Magatsuhi was pleased that he needed to put such little effort into controlling and directing Yuji. The darkness that filled the man drove him forward and Magatsuhi only needed to whet his appetite for the young miko to ensure that his plans would come to fruition. Each dream Magatsuhi teased Yuji with, each image that filled the man's mind only served to increase the amount of torment the human caused upon the innocent, thus providing Magatsuhi the substance he needed to increase in strength and the tool necessary to break Midoriko's heir.
Yuki was proving to be the perfect host. Soon Magatsuhi would be strong enough to taste the pleasures of Midoriko's flesh reborn and possess the god-like power within her that he had been denied five centuries before.
• • •
Kagome yawned as she stared out the window to watch the rain pelt the earth. She was bored, utterly and completely bored. It had been raining for almost four days already and for the past three days Sesshoumaru had been avoiding her. Kagome did not know why he was avoiding her, but she had noticed that he tended to disappear for a few days every month.
She hated to admit it, but she missed his company. The combination of bad weather and lack of peers her own age tended to make her feel particularly gloomy. A twinge of familiar guilt sparked to life within her as she wondered where Sesshoumaru had escaped. Kagome knew the guilt well, but didn't know quite how to appease it. She knew in her heart that just talking to Sesshoumaru was not a bad thing, but she could not help but to feel like she was betraying Inuyasha by simply thinking of his older brother in a friendly light. It seemed to her that every moment in Sesshoumaru's domain should bother her somehow, but it did not.
Sesshoumaru could certainly act the part of an arrogant, conceited jerk... but he was not the terrible villain Inuyasha had made him out to be. Kagome often found herself wondering where the bad blood and deeply rooted grudges between them came from. What surprised her the most was the lack of hateful talk about Inuyasha from Sesshoumaru. It seemed as though Inuyasha never had enough unkind things to say about his brother, yet Sesshoumaru didn't say anything that led Kagome to believe that he actually hated his younger brother as much as Inuyasha claimed he did.
Sesshoumaru certainly wasn't too bothered by Inuyasha's death. He even went so far as to say that if Inuyasha had truly wanted to live, he could have used the Tetsusaiga to protect himself or fallen back on his own natural instincts. Either way, he would have lived. Regardless of the human blood in his veins, his youkai blood was strong enough to survive had he really wanted to.
'He is my father's son,' Sesshoumaru had explained. Therefore, the youkai lord was of the opinion that his brother choose to die, which caused him to respect Inuyasha's death even less.
Kagome had to admit, some of what he said rang true. Why didn't Inuyasha use the Tetsusaiga to protect himself? Did he run to Kikyou to save her, or to die with her? Regardless of the answer, Kagome's heart had mixed feelings. What bothered her most was that in some very tangible ways, she was betraying Inuyasha... in the most horrible way she could think of.
Kagome was staying with Sesshoumaru in order to give him the Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha's inheritance. If Inuyasha knew what she was doing, he would probably hate her. That thought often kept Kagome up late into the night, but she knew she had no other alternative.
What else could she do?
Her only reprieve was the fact that Sesshoumaru had not asked for her to break the seal on the sword since the day Toukijin came alive. He never once mentioned Magatsuhi or anything relating to the Shikon no Tama at all. It was a nice break for Kagome because all she thought about when she was alone was Magatsuhi and it seemed the only time the beast was not on her mind was when she was with Sesshoumaru or playing with Rin and Shippou.
So when Rin and Shippou approached her and asked her to play hide-and-go-seek with them, she was rather thankful for the distraction, though apprehensive about playing such a game in Sesshoumaru's home.
What if Sesshoumaru did not approve of them running around the house and being otherwise bothersome?
They were guests in his home after all. It would not be proper for them to make a nuisance of themselves. Nevertheless, the two of them kept begging and looking at her with those pleading eyes that always tugged at her heartstrings and she found herself growing increasingly tempted to give in to their request. Besides, for all she knew Sesshoumaru wasn't even home. She had not seen him for days so even if she wanted to ask permission, she could not. With that in mind, Kagome closed her eyes and started to count, causing Rin to squeal happily before the sounds of two pairs of quickly retreating footsteps filled Kagome's ears.
Unfortunately, Kagome had been "it" four times in a row now. Shippou's ability to transform was making it impossible for her to find him. When she finally did spot him, Rin would come out of hiding and flee to safety leaving Kagome to try to tag Shippou. The kitsune was quick and Kagome had been unsuccessful in touching the boy until well after he tagged home.
Kagome could not help but to giggle to herself as she stalked Rin on her fifth turn of being "it." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rin bolt down the hallway leading into the east wing of the estate. The girl must have spotted Kagome as she turned the corner and, realizing her hiding spot was no longer safe, she fled.
Smiling to herself, Kagome slowly began to follow Rin, careful not to alert the girl to her presence and cause her to flee once more. Rin and Shippou were very clever and some of their daily antics reminded Kagome of Sota.
She missed her family.
Kagome carefully examined the doors lining the hallway, seeking out some sign of Rin's passage. She had never been in the east wing before and felt rather awkward being there. Her sense of déjà vu since arriving at Sesshoumaru's home never seemed to go away and even though she had never been in this section of the house before, she still felt she knew what was behind each door.
Sesshoumaru's quarters were in the east wing. Last door on the right, in fact.
A faint light peeking out from under a door directly to her left caught Kagome's eye. She studied the door carefully and saw that it wasn't quite closed. Behind that door was a library with lots of hiding places. Kagome smiled as she slowly slid the door open and peaked inside.
Candles light the room casting a pleasant glow over everything. The room was surprisingly bare, save for the tatami mat and zabutons. Kagome took a step inside. "Rin," she whispered loudly, "if you're in here you'd better come out. I don't think we should be in this part of the house."
She let her eyes roam the room as she waited for a response, her breath catching in her throat when she noticed the painting on the back wall.
At first, Kagome thought it was a painting of Inuyasha, a very gruff and very aged version of him, minus the dog-ears. Without thinking, she stepped completely into the room and approached the painting, trying to get a better look at it in the dim candlelight. She realized that the painting was not of Inuyasha at all, but of his father.
Kagome peered at the paining intently, marveling at the similarities in appearance between Inuyasha and his father. It was remarkable how alike the two looked and Kagome was certain that had Inuyasha lived to old age, he would have grown to look exactly like him.
Her curiosity sated, Kagome began to exit the room when another painting caught her eye. It appeared to be a depiction of Sesshoumaru as an adolescent at first glance, but as she studied it, she realized she was looking at a young woman.
The woman pictured wore a very elaborate and beautiful dark blue and ivory kimono. Her eyes were a pale blue and hair a light, white blond. Her hair was pulled back from her face revealing a strange looking mark high on her neck that seemed out of place in the painting. The woman had the same crescent moon and cheek markings as Sesshoumaru and in her arms she cradled a very small infant.
A warm smile filtered across Kagome's face as she realized the infant was a newborn Sesshoumaru and the woman holding him was his mother. He looked exactly like her, save for the difference in eye color. Kagome leaned in closer to get a better look at the baby Sesshoumaru when her fingers brushed across the top of several scrolls. She glanced down at the scrolls and let her fingers linger on top of them, curiosity threatening to get the best of her.
"Jeez, what am I doing in here?" Kagome whispered to herself as she pulled her hand away from the scrolls and realized the rudeness of her behavior. "I'm supposed to be looking for Rin."
Turning around, Kagome came face to face with Sesshoumaru himself. He was watching her with an intense look in his eyes, his expression betraying his vexation. She felt her heart immediately double its efforts as she met his gaze, suddenly feeling guilty for entering a room she knew she should not have.
"I— I was looking for Rin. We're playing a game and I saw her run down the hall," Kagome said in a rush as her cheeks began to redden, "I saw the door was ajar and I thought maybe she was hiding in here."
His gaze did not waiver as he regarded her and she fell back to the well-ingrained instincts of childhood. She bowed.
"Gomen nasai, Sesshoumaru."
When she finally looked up, Sesshoumaru was no longer standing in front of her, but beside her. She straightened and stared at his profile for a long moment wondering what to do. She did not think it would be polite of her to just leave and Sesshoumaru's silence was confusing her. She turned to look at the painting with him, waiting for him to say something. He seemed unusually tense to her and she thought she detected a subtle shift in his stance when she moved to stand next to him, yet he still did not speak.
When the silence became too much, she tried to break the ice herself. "That's your mother, isn't it? She's very beautiful," Kagome said quietly. "You look a lot like her."
Sesshoumaru continued to study the painting, giving no indication of a response. Kagome scratched her head nervously and wondered if the risk of being rude by leaving was a risk she was willing to take. Sesshoumaru was not one to shy away if he had something to say. His silence bothered Kagome on a deeper level and she felt at odds of what to do next.
"Is there something significant about the bruise on her neck? It looks strange."
"It is not a bruise."
Kagome glanced up at him in wonder, but remained silent.
"It signifies her lifelong commitment to my father."
"Oh." Kagome turned her full attention to the painting as silence engulfed them once more. She cleared her throat after a moment and smiled once again, "She looks very proud in that picture."
"Aa."
"Inuyasha never mentioned your mothe--"
"Inuyasha never knew my mother." Sesshoumaru interrupted. "She took her life shortly after he was born."
Kagome turned her startled gaze back to Sesshoumaru, "Why?"
"Just because I have forgiven you for entering my study does not mean I will entertain your questions about my family history."
"I didn't mean any offense. I was just asking."
He looked down at her for the first time since entering the room, his eyes reflecting something foreign that Kagome hand never seen in the youkai's eyes before and couldn't quite name what it was.
"I would prefer it if you would mind your own business in this matter," he said softly.
Kagome gazed back at him and nodded, "Of course. I'm sorry."
Sesshoumaru sighed as his gaze returned to the painting. "There is a shortcut in this wing that leads back to the front room. Rin is probably there."
"Thank you," Kagome whispered, understanding that she had just been excused. She left the room as quickly and as quietly as she could and headed back the way she came, memories of that foreign look in his eyes haunting her.
It was sadness she realized, her heart suddenly feeling heavy for the youkai lord.
• • •
"I've been looking for a girl about your age," Yuji said with a disarming smile.
The young woman to whom he spoke did not spare him a glance as she continued to work her herb garden. The woman's dark hair was pulled back away from her face and hung down her back in a long ponytail. Her hands and kimono were stained with dirt and her breathing sounded husky from her work, the sound a delight to Yuji's ears. His smile grew as he studied her, noting the way the top of her kimono bulged just slightly as she worked hunched over her plants, revealing just a hint of the ivory skin beneath.
'She looks delicious, doesn't she? You can have her. You can do anything you want to her...'
Yuji's smile did not falter as his eyes continued to move over her young body appreciatively, "I think her hair is a bit longer than yours, but she looks very similar to you."
"I'm sorry, I haven't seen anyone like that," the young woman said without looking up, her voice belaying her irritation.
Her condescending tone was not lost on Yuji and his smile began to fade consequently. "Really? That's not what the old man tending the field a mile back told me. He said a young woman with a kitsune passed near here several months ago. You didn't see her?"
"No sir, I did not."
'She's lying.'
"I need to find her. She has something that belongs to me."
"I told you, I saw no such girl," she said impatiently as she finally raised her head to look at the man questioning her and gasped, her spade falling from her hands as her eyes widened in shock.
"You're lying."
"Wh-what are—"
'Kill her!'
"Lying bitch," he hissed as his hand shot out to grasp her by the neck. "You saw her, didn't you?!"
"N…no!"
"She passed right through here!" His nails started to dig painfully into the delicate skin around her throat, creating beads of blood to form at his fingertips. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth as her neck was being crushed, her skin already casting a sick, blue tint.
"Damn you! I can't stand liars!" He shouted as his fingers punctured her neck causing blood to spurt out all over his chest. He looked down at himself in disgust, knowing he just ruined the only clothes he had. Renewed anger flared up within him as he shook the corpse, screaming his rage in her dead face.
"Damn, dirty whore! Look what you did!" Her still bleeding corpse slammed onto the ground, her blood staining the herb leaves of her garden. He breathed heavily as he watched her blood soak into the earth, idly wondering how her cooling skin felt under her clothes.
The familiar sound of a sword being unsheathed behind him interrupted his thoughts, causing him to turn his head toward the sound. An aged samurai stood behind him ready to strike, but waiting for him to take notice of his presence.
"That's not very bushido of you. I am unarmed."
"Bushido is reserved for human beings," the man said. "You are a monster and do not deserve such an honor."
"Is that so?" he asked as he turned to face the samurai, his mind quickly running through his options.
The samurai bowed his head and offered up a quick prayer to Buddha before addressing Yuji directly, "I will put you out of your misery." With a speed usually reserved for men twice his junior, the samurai attacked, swinging his sword in a tight arc aimed at disemboweling Yuji in one, clean slice.
Yuji didn't have any time to blink as he felt the burn of the blade slash through him. He stumbled backward in shock, only to fall over the corpse of the woman he just murdered. Terror filled eyes peered down at his body. He expected to see his own intestines spilling out onto his lap, but instead he saw a strange black goo ooze from his wound.
He breathed ragged breaths as he stared at himself in numb shock.
Yuji knew what he should be seeing. He had seen it before, smelt it before. His bowels should be hanging out, he should be gagging on his own internal stench... but all he could see was the black liquid slowly pouring out of his body. As he held his hand up to his face to examine the black fluid coming from his body, he became aware that there was no sensation of pain, not even a slight dullness.
The glint of metal and loud grunt caused him to flinch instinctively, his arms raising up to protect himself as he closed his eyes tightly waiting for the attack. Yuji felt his middle lurch forward unnaturally and the sound of a sword hitting the earth following by the choking sounds of someone desperate for air filled his ears. He opened his eyes in alarm and watched as the black goo oozing from his body drove itself down the samurai's throat, filling his sinuses with fluid.
Yuji observed in fascination as the light in the samurai's eyes slowly dimmed as he drowned. A moment later a wide smile filed Yuji's face as the samurai's limp body fell to the earth in an undignified flop, marking the end of the old man's bothersome life. The fluid filling the dead man's face slowly retracted and pulled back into itself, entering Yuji's body once more, healing him completely. Yuji felt a comforting coolness move through him as he watched the slash across his torso close leaving smooth, flawless skin in its wake.
A rush of joy, almost sexual in nature, filled his senses as he moved his hands over his belly and realized what he now was. Somehow, he had become immortal.
No one could stop him.
No one.