LL: *hiding behind Sesshy* Don't kill me! If you do, then I really will never finish the story!
Sesshy: Kill her! Maim her! Just get her away from me!
Shippou: You'd better watch it. You don't want to end up in drag again do you? *evil fang bearing grin*
Sesshy: *whimpers* I'll be good.
LL: Ha! I have finally tamed the great Fluffy-sama!
B0b: Took you long enough.
LL: Seriously though, I'm really, really, really sorry that it took me so long to get this chappy out. I've been a little busy.
B0b: *dancing around* Landlady's got a boy- ack! *gets pummeled*
LL: *cough* Yes, and besides that, it's the end of the semester and my professors are trying to get through all the stuff that they have to before finals and are smothering us with work, so I've been pretty busy all around. The next chapter may take me a while too, but I'll try to get it out as soon as possible.
Also, I know I didn't explain why Inu isn't a demon without the Tetsusaiga, but I'll explain that in the next chapter, I think. Eh, I'll get to it eventually. Oh yea, and I'd like to thank Jason Carter for giving me some ideas for this chapter, and everyone else who emailed me. And of course, everyone who reviewed!!
Disclaimer: Inu-Yasha doesn't belong to me. *sniffles* I'm just corrupting it horribly. *grin*
Chapter 8: Trouble in To-Shima
"They did what?" Inu-Yasha screeched when he had heard what Shippou had to tell them.
"They left to gather shards," Shippou repeated, rubbing his sensitive ears. He backed into Sango's legs when Inu-Yasha glared at him.
Sango patted the kitsune's head reassuringly. "Why would Kagome go off with that demon?" she asked, confused.
Shippou glared at the hanyou, who had moved away from them, looking for something. "Why don't you ask him?" the boy hissed, not loud enough for Inu-Yasha to hear.
"Hey, have you guys seen Kikyo?" the dog-demon called.
"Figures," Miroku grumbled. "Inu-Yasha and Kagome-sama had a fight just before she disappeared."
"Hey!"
Sango frowned, "But why didn't she just go home, like she always does?"
"Hello!"
"She probably got fed up," Shippou observed, just before Inu-Yasha appeared and grabbed the boy by his fluffy tail.
"Are you deaf? Where's Kikyo?" he yelled into the poor boy's ear. For his troubles, he received a hefty thwack from Sango's boomerang, causing him to drop Shippou and clutch his head. Miroku winced in sympathy.
"She's back that way," he said, pointing in the direction of the village. "I think." Inu-Yasha rushed off in the direction that Miroku had indicated without another word.
"This I've got to see," Sango muttered, picking up Shippou and heading off after the hanyou. Miroku followed, not really having anything better to do. Besides, it looked like he was going to have to be the voice of reason when Inu-Yasha discovered Kikyo.
Sure enough, the walking corpse was still trapped in the strange bubble that Kagome had created around her. Unfortunately – Miroku thought – she was still alive, or as alive as she ever got, and spitting mad. Inu-Yasha was clawing at the magical barrier to no avail; it just kept reforming where he scratched at it. Sango and Shippou were off to the side trying to hide their giggles at the sight. All Miroku could think was that it was a good thing that Inu-Yasha couldn't see them.
"Perhaps," Miroku ventured when he saw that Inu-Yasha was slowly becoming furious, "we should ask Kaede-sama for her help with this matter." Inu-Yasha growled, but he seemed to agree, if his stalking off in the direction of the village was any clue. Within a few moments, he was dragging the old woman back by the arm. Miroku intercepted for Kaede's sake.
"Kikyo seems to have landed herself in the middle of one of Kagome's spells, Kaede-sama. Do you think you can release her?" the monk asked.
The old woman surveyed the situation, her one eye widening at the sight of her long-dead sister trapped in a bright red bubble. "Kagome did this?" she said. Miroku nodded in confirmation and the old woman whistled. "I must say I am impressed. A spell of this caliber takes a great deal of power and control."
"She must have learned to use her magic while she was gone," Miroku observed.
Inu-Yasha snorted, "She's under Sesshoumaru's spell, that's all. He did this, through her."
Kaede pointedly didn't say anything to that. "I'll have to do some research to find a counter spell to this," the old woman said as she turned back to the village, "I'm afraid I'm not that familiar with it." With that, she walked away, Sango, Shippou, and Miroku following. After a moment, Inu-Yasha ran to catch up, leaving Kikyo alone once more, trapped in Kagome's spell.
***
Kagome bribed Sesshoumaru into taking her upstairs by promising not to call him Fluffy ever again. She managed to draw a bath on her own, sending the demon lord back downstairs to wait for her. With a sigh, he obeyed, not really having anything better to do.
Once downstairs, he ran into Kagome's mother, who had just returned home from work. Almost instinctively, his tail tightened around his frame. Thankfully, for them both, she merely smiled at him and chirped a greeting, heading towards the kitchen. For a moment, all that could be heard was the woman bustling about in the kitchen. Then, without warning, she stuck her head into the living room. "Sesshoumaru-san? Would you like some tea or something?" He thought for a moment and nodded, figuring that a quiet cup of tea would be nice.
Quiet. Hah.
"So Sesshoumaru-san," Kagome's mother began as she sat down next to him at the kitchen table where he had settled, pushing a cup of tea toward him, "How is your collection of the shikon shards going?"
He grunted noncommittally in reply, sipping his tea. The woman's tone bothered him; it reminded him of the rare times when his mother found out about his tricks as a child: dangerously impassive.
"I see." Kagome's mother took a drink. The demon lord waited; it was only a matter of time after all. "Might I ask you a personal question, Sesshoumaru-san?"
He turned his golden gaze at her, watching the woman. Surprisingly, she didn't even blink, but merely leveled her own gaze at him. Apparently, this was where Kagome got her stubborn streak. "Very well," he said finally, turning back to his tea.
Even so, he wasn't prepared for the woman's question. "How exactly do you feel about my daughter?"
He touched the hilt of the newly acquired Tetsusaiga and replied without hesitation. "She is a means to an end, nothing more." Funny, but the more he said that, the easier it became to believe. When Kagome's mother bristled, he added, "She is aware of this."
The woman sighed. "It's just that Kagome has been through the wringer with Inu-Yasha for so long." Her finger traced patterns on the tabletop. "And every time she goes out there, I worry … I worry that she won't come back. I don't want to tell her though; Kagome has made it clear that she needs to do this, and I don't want to make her feel bad about it."
The demon lord surprised himself by resting his clawed hand on the woman's shoulder gently. When she turned her eyes that were so like Kagome's on him, he faltered for a moment. "I will protect her; I have sworn it."
***
Kagome bounced down the ramp of the boat, feeling a lot better after a four day trip to a small southern island called To-Shima, where rumors of a shard had led them. It was tiny. She knew that from looking it at the map, but reality was a lot different than a picture. Turning, she saw Sesshoumaru exit the boat with a look of veiled relief on his face. Unlike her, he hadn't enjoyed the trip at all. In fact, Kagome seriously suspected that he was prone to seasickness. He did look a little green after all.
Fighting to hide a smirk – it wouldn't do for the demon lord to ask what was so funny after all – Kagome turned back toward the island. She felt Sesshoumaru come up behind her and lay a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, catching a glimpse of something from the corner of her eye as she did. Shooting him a curious look, she turned back. It was a fortress, hidden by an illusion spell just like the one that had surrounded Meducnoh.
"Lord Omura's castle," Sesshoumaru explained. From the tension in his voice, Kagome had to rethink her previous conclusion that the demon lord had been grumpy because of seasickness. Not even when they had been in the demon city had he been this way. He seemed almost … anxious, and a thrill of fear coursed through her as she wondered what could scare the demon lord.
Testing her theory, she turned back to him and asked mildly, "We're headed there?"
He looked away, "If what we are seeking for is there." Yup, that was definitely tension in his voice, more than tension.
"I'm afraid that it is," Kagome said sincerely. If Sesshoumaru was bothered about this place, then she was scared shitless.
"Kagome," he said quietly, crossing his arms over his chest, never taking his eyes from the castle, as if it would attack him at any moment. She watched him quietly, knowing that he would continue. "You should know that Lord Omura and I do not get along. I…" he paused, collecting his thoughts, or perhaps deciding what he could and could not say. "I believe that he is partially responsible for the death of my father."
Kagome bit her lip. Sesshoumaru rarely spoke of his father. It was odd, but the only other time that she could remember, the demon lord had given the impression that he and his father hadn't got along. But now, it seemed as if he was still furious that he hadn't been able to avenge his otousan's death.
When he didn't say anything else for a while, she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned his golden glare towards her, and Kagome had to fight with herself not to shrink back from the heat in his gaze. But within a few seconds, the look softened, and he turned towards her fully, gently nudging her hand away.
"In any case," he continued, "I need you to put an illusion spell on me so that we aren't noticed."
Kagome fidgeted. The way that he was looking at her was very distracting, making it hard to formulate a reply. It said her nerves on edge, as if she expected him to jump her at any moment. And the worst part was she wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't going to. Her stomach fluttered faster than her heart, almost like … almost like it had the rare times when Inu-Yasha had looked at her without a glare. Only, this was stronger, much stronger, a roaring furnace to Inu-Yasha's tiny flame.
Oh shit, don't tell me that I'm falling for Mr. Personality. Figures, the one person that she had figured she wouldn't fall for, she did. She didn't want to fall for him and go through the same thing that she did with Inu-Yasha, probably something worse. No doubt it wouldn't take long for Sesshoumaru to figure out her feelings if she wasn't extra careful, and she wasn't going to put it past him to take advantage of that knowledge if he saw fit.
"Umm, I can't, I don't know how to do illusions," she finally managed to stutter, absently twirling her glaive in her hands. When he quirked a silken eyebrow in disbelief, she continued, "Well, I know the theory, but I haven't tested it yet. I really don't think that you want to be my guinea pig."
"I believe that you can do it," he replied, never taking his yellow eyes from hers. Unable to hold his gaze, Kagome let her head drop as she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Was he complementing her? He seemed to be, but all she could think of was that argument that they had had a couple months ago. Since when had he gained confidence in her magical abilities?
"Kagome," the demon lord said urgently, breaking the girl out of her thoughts. "Are you going to disguise me or not? It needs to be now."
The girl nodded, making up her mind. "Not here though." Sesshoumaru looked around the busy dock and nodded his agreement. Without another word, he walked off in search of a subtler place for them to do what was necessary. Kagome followed, still mulling over her recent gains in knowledge.
***
Sesshoumaru looked himself over in a small pond. Inu-Yasha's human form was obviously the inspiration for the disguise that Kagome had conjured up, his hair was pitch black and his eyes had taken on a definite violet tinge. He ran a hand over a smooth cheek, not that the whole visage wasn't startling, but seeing himself without the demon stripes that marked his face was disturbing. Rather, all that was left was a small blue star in the middle of his forehead. His clothes had changed as well, but not too much, just enough so that they weren't recognizable as something the lord of the Western Lands would wear. The most notable change was that they were now a deep blue, with white flowers instead of the usual red, and the fact that both his clothes and armor looked a little scruffier than usual.
Kagome was standing a few feet away, gripping her glaive like it was a lifeline. The demon lord frowned, tilting her chin up so that their eyes met, "You aren't that tired are you?"
"No. I'm just damn glad that I didn't kill you is all!" she screeched, glaring at him. She hadn't been happy with the entire situation, no matter how much sense it made to her. Odd, it was almost like she cared what happened to him. Humans were like that sometimes, he supposed. The demon lord himself was no mage, but his natural demon abilities were enough to protect himself from something as simple as an illusion spell going wrong, especially if one considered Kagome's already impeccable control.
Sesshoumaru told her as much, and the girl growled, for an instant so much like a demon that he was taken aback. "Now, now," he teased, "That's no way for a lady to behave."
Kagome blinked, changing her glare to a confused look. "Lady? What lady?"
The demon lord chuckled darkly, "We are going to a court you know. I expect that you'll behave properly while we are there." He turned and began walking in the direction of the castle.
Kagome watched him for a moment, still unsettled by the change that she had caused in his appearance and his words. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered grumpily, before jogging to catch up.
***
They were greeted in much the same manner as at Meducnoh, with one vital exception, Sesshoumaru introduced himself as Somaru, and no fuss was made over their arrival. They were settled into a small room deep within the castle. The demon lord grumbled a bit about the state of their accommodations, but he couldn't really complain without drawing attention to them. As soon as the servant left them alone, with a request to come to dinner, Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome. "Where is the shard?"
She bit her lip as she sent her senses out, "Umm, I think it's in a demon, which is making it really hard to track. We're going to have to wait until dinner, I'm afraid." The demon growled, giving into the inevitable. Kagome sighed, and sat down on the small futon, hoping that they would be able to retrieve the shard before they had to spend the night here. The prospect of sleeping next to Sesshoumaru again disturbed her, mostly because she liked the idea.
Dinner didn't come soon enough, but it eventually came, and a servant came to lead Sesshoumaru and Kagome into the dining hall. Kagome had changed into a full-length kimono earlier, which made her a little nervous because it inhibited her movement, but the stiletto carefully hidden in her obi quelled most of her fears. Plus, Sesshoumaru still had his swords, if worst came to worst.
The dining hall was huge, especially if one considered that demons rarely ate, and almost completely full. But upon seeing that some of them weren't eating – and the rest were clawing at something that Kagome didn't want to identify – the girl figured that 'dinner' was more of a social event here than anything else.
Presiding over the entire room was Lord Omura, if Sesshoumaru's low growl was any clue.
He wasn't anything like she had expected. He was young for a demon, though he looked a little older than Sesshoumaru, and rather good-looking. In fact, he was nearly as handsome as Sesshoumaru … nearly. His forest green hair was tied back in a loose horsetail, falling to his mid back. He had the typical pointed ears and fangs of humanoid demons, with startling purple eyes and two blue demon marks that ran the opposite of Sesshoumaru's. On his forehead was a white diamond that was hard to see against his flawless pale skin. He wore the clothing of a noble, like Sesshoumaru usually did, in black and purple. Two amber teardrops hung from his ears, catching the light tastefully.
Kagome didn't stake much in appearance though; she had had too many lessons to teach her that. So if Sesshoumaru said that he was a bad guy, than she wasn't about to question it.
So when he turned his purple eyes on them upon their entrance, Kagome merely narrowed hers, sizing him up. She was sure almost positive that he was the one that had the shard, and was beginning to suspect that there were two of them.
Only after they were introduced did he speak. At one point in time, Kagome would have compared the two demon lords, but after traveling with Sesshoumaru for as long as she had, it was obvious that he wasn't nearly as snobby as he could be. Omura outdid him by a long shot.
"Well, well, Somaru was it? It is always a pleasure to have visitors from beyond my lonely island. Please, come sit with me and tell me news of the outside world." While he spoke, Omura's eyes never left Kagome, and she was fidgeting by the time they made their way over to the head table. Omura managed to maneuver them so that Kagome ended up stuck between the demon lords, a position that neither she nor her companion was happy about. But what could they do?
He turned to her, baring his fangs in a grin when she gasped. Obviously he was used to that reaction, but Kagome hadn't given it for the reason he suspected. As he moved, she caught the glow of the jewel shards, coming from his earrings. He had a shard embedded in each! Now the hard part, Kagome thought, how to get them out.
She was distracted when the Lord started to speak again. "Such an unusual companion, Somaru-san," he said elegantly, sliding a clawed finger under her chin and tilting her face towards him. She fought not to shrink back. "How much would you like for her?" It took Kagome a moment to realize that the lord was speaking in a demon tongue. Not the dog-demon one, but, she suspected, a more general language among demons.
"She's not a slave," her companion bit out behind her. Turning slightly, she noticed that his hand had come to rest lightly on his sword hilt, ready to use if need be.
"Odd," Omura said flippantly, removing his finger from her chin, "she's human."
"It makes no difference; she's rei-youkai."
The demon smirked. "I had no idea you felt that way … Sesshoumaru." Kagome's eyes widened, and she scanned the room on instinct. It seemed that no one had heard them, or understood; only the guards were on alert. But how? How had he known? Then she gasped … smell. She had forgotten to mask her companion's scent!
The girl had time for only one quick guilty glance at Sesshoumaru before she felt the cold press of a blade on her abdomen. "Think carefully, my lord," Omura sneered, "You can go quietly and without a fuss," the guards stepped forward, ready to do their master's bidding, "or this girl can become a treat for some of my guests."
Inwardly, Kagome made a face. After all she'd been through, she was going to end up a demon's dinner. What a crappy way to die. It wasn't like she expected Sesshoumaru to give himself up for her, especially after she'd just let Omura get her like that. Kagome shut her eyes, praying that they would at least kill her before they started to eat her.
"I will do what you wish," Sesshoumaru's voice came from behind her. Kagome's eyes snapped open. He was crazy! But then, the promise, how could she have forgotten that he had promised to protect her? "But let the girl go. She has no part in this."
"You should have thought of that before you brought her here," Omura said. And then something was touching her neck and everything went black.
***
Sesshoumaru was pissed. Considering that being as powerful as he was, he always kept his anger in check, this was quite an accomplishment. But there was something about the way that Kagome's unconscious form flopped when she was thrown carelessly into a corner that made his blood boil. The demon lord didn't bother to analyze the feeling; he probably wouldn't have liked what he found anyway.
Choking back a growl, he turned to Omura, who was standing a few paces away in the dungeon that they had been brought to. He could just feel the demon's neck under his hands, and if he weren't shackled to the wall with magicked chains, than Omura would have never stood a chance. His armor and swords had been taken from him before he had been brought here. The illusion spell was gone as well, broken when Kagome had been knocked unconscious.
Omura held the sheathed Tetsusaiga, disinterestedly examining the tattered hilt. Fortunately, he didn't have the Toujikin in his hands, a sword that he actually could wield; Sesshoumaru didn't want to think of what would happen if he found that sword's true power. He didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, as Omura shoved the Tetsusaiga's hilt under his chin, forcing their eyes to meet. Golden ones widened as the demon lord realized that the sword was hissing.
"Such a disgusting sword, Sesshoumaru," Omura tsked, "I would have expected you of all people would take better care of your equipment."
"Until recently, it belonged to my half-brother," Sesshoumaru replied. If Omura couldn't sense the sword's innate power, then he certainly wasn't going to mention it.
Purple eyes glinted dangerously as Omura backed away a few paces and unsheathed the sword. "Well, let's see if it at least cuts." He raised the blade and swung. Sesshoumaru braced himself; Tetsusaiga wouldn't transform for Omura, but this was still going to hurt.
"No!" With a brilliant blue flash, Tetsusaiga – and Omura – were thrown across the room. Sesshoumaru blinked, looking over at Kagome, who had woken up. Was that her power, or simply the Tetsusaiga reacting to her cry?
Then he smirked as Kagome's unbound hands rose to clutch her head. The fool hadn't even bothered to tie her up, probably thinking that she couldn't do any harm. Uncrossing her eyes, the girl looked up at him, frowning when she saw the chains. The frown deepened when her attempts to free him proved fruitless. A pounding on the door alerted him to the guard's plans to enter the room.
"Kagome, come here," he said urgently. She had just barely crawled over to him when the door burst inward, revealing the two guards that had brought them there. Omura was just recovering from the blast. Kagome scowled, and the shackles that held Sesshoumaru shattered.
"He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day," Kagome muttered to him. Sesshoumaru wasn't happy about it, but he found that he had to agree with her. The chains had drained a lot of his strength, and Kagome wasn't much better off. At this point in time, it would be better to retreat and regain their advantage. The only problem was that they were surrounded.
"We could use a door," Sesshoumaru whispered. The wall behind Omura blasted inwards, covering the demon in rubble and giving them an escape route. Sesshoumaru grabbed his companion, who by now was completely exhausted, and took off to find a place to rest.
***
Seeing that Sesshoumaru was having no trouble navigating the fortress and carrying her, Kagome allowed herself to relax in his arms. Her head was still pounding, and she was tired. A few moments of sleep wouldn't be so bad…
Just as she was dozing off, Sesshoumaru stopped and set her down. "We should be ok here for a little while," he said, looking around. They had since exited the castle proper and found a small alley in between the stables and the smithy. It butted up against the outer wall of the fortress, so they had an escape route if necessary. In the background, Kagome could hear the shouts of the guards waiting for them.
"How long is a little while?" she asked, struggling to her feet, and looking around nervously. She didn't need anyone to tell her that they were in a bad situation. Sesshoumaru didn't have his swords, all she had was a dagger and her magical supply was nearly gone. If – no when – Omura's men found them, they would be virtually defenseless.
Well, if they couldn't use their strength, then there had to be another way to get out of this, preferably with the shards but at the moment she wasn't going to be that picky. "They're coming," Sesshoumaru warned suddenly.
Kagome made up her mind. Grabbing Sesshoumaru, she smoothed her hand over his hair, pouring out the last bit of her magic. As a result, the silver locks turned a bright red. "That's very inconspicuous," the demon lord muttered as he realized what she'd done.
"Shut up," Kagome grumbled back, "It's the best I can do right now." The guards were getting closer. Wiping her hands on her kimono, she slipped her arms around his neck. "Just play along … and don't kill me ok?" Before he had a chance to say anything, she kissed him. The guards that were looking for them passed by without a second glance.
Kagome didn't notice. The demon lord's lips were taking up all of her attention. Perhaps she should have thought of that before but it was definitely too late now. Worried about the repercussions, the girl pulled away. Sesshoumaru, however, was having none of it. He pulled her back violently with a growl, pressing their lips together. Kagome jumped when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. For a moment, she wondered what he was up to, but then relaxed into his kiss. She deserved a little happiness after all she'd been through, didn't she?
After a moment, he pulled away but refused to release her from the circle of his arms. "I think they're gone," he practically purred, taking Kagome's breath away.
"Ok," she finally managed to choke out. "Umm, so what are we going to do now?" For some reason, she found it very hard to look him in the face without blushing.
The demon lord seemed to shake himself and let go of her abruptly. "We are going to get the shards of course. After you rest."
Kagome found that she had to agree with that and sat down, resting against the wall of the smithy. Her hand went to her lips as she imprinted the kiss on her memory, figuring that it would never happen again. With a small contented smile, she finally allowed herself to sleep.
***
Sesshoumaru watched the sleeping girl with a small frown. Blast her and her tempting plots. Her tempting lips. Of all the things she had to think of, and it probably didn't mean anything to her either.
He hadn't meant to lose control, but the second her lips touched his, her scent surrounded him, driving all thoughts out of his mind. It was all he could do to keep from going any farther than he had.
But why? He usually had more control than that. Kagome, as beautiful as she was, was only a human after all, and he had never lusted after a human before. True, she was an unusual human, clever, more powerful than most, and she actually bathed. But that in itself wasn't enough. He didn't think that she was witching him, in fact, he was sure that Kagome would never do such a thing. After traveling with her for so long, he was sure of that.
Come to think of it, it was funny the things that he had noticed about her. The way she got grumpy when she hadn't had a bath in a while, her odd modesty, the fact that she was in no uncertain terms not a morning person, and the way that she chewed her lower lip when she was thinking. He could name a thousand more, and that's what was really bothering him.
After traveling with her for all this time, she had become a part of his life, just as Rin had. And he wasn't sure that he was going to be able to let her go.
Shit. Sesshoumaru stalked over to the corner of the stable to keep watch, Kagome still sleeping behind him. He had the sword, and that was all he needed from her. As soon as they finished gathering the shards, Kagome would go back home, and that would be that.
As soon as the demon lord had made that decision, a slight scuffing sound caught his attention. He cursed himself silently for not paying better attention just as two of Omura's men leapt out in front of him. He backed up toward where Kagome was sleeping, all the while letting poison seep onto his claws. If he could grab the girl, then they would be able to get away. Shooting a blast of poison at the guards, he used the distraction to turn…
Kagome was gone.
Next time: Well, you'll just have to wait and see…
Sesshy: That was just plain evil…
Shippou: Seriously…
LL: I know, I know! But it was just the perfect place to end it! *hides from the rabid readers who are really pissed by now* I promise to try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible!
I'm not going to do review responses this time around because for one thing, they take me forever, and I didn't want to delay this chapter any more than necessary. Still, I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! *glomps reviewers*