By: taiyoukai-kai
Comments: Thank you all for reviewing. ^.~ Some have mentioned that that Sesshoumaru used the Tenseiga to kill Kagome, so therefore she couldn't really be dead. ^__^ Thank god it wouldn't matter since I never thought of that possibility. Bad me. Thank you all.
Disclaimer: Love him or fear him, I don't own him. And fear his claws.Rowr.
Chapter Four...:
He had spared her life. The revelation dogged him. Why?
Her death would have appeased him, and brought him much joy.
Yet, he courted grief and granted her mercy.
Mercy for the traitor.
Kagome.
Kokuei.
She woke up again in another strange place. This time, though, she remembered exactly the events leading up to her capture.
She didn't know why she was spared, but she wasn't about to hang around to find out. Hopefully, this time nothing would go wrong. She turned over to heave herself up and felt a sharp pain lance through her wrists and a cold resistance to her movement.
Looking down, she stared at the chains binding her wrists. She could feel now, the weight of cold iron on her ankles.
And for one split second, her mind burst with panic. A long forgotten claustrophobia. Enclosed, trapped. Nowhere to go. To be captured. Again. She couldn't tamp down the fear anymore. It blew her barriers down like dust.
Lost in herself, she shrieked, her eyes wild. She thrashed at the chains keeping her there. She threw herself as far as she could, oblivious to the blood slowly dripping to the floor as the manacles bit into her skin like hungry monsters. Yet, the chains held.
She didn't care.
Continuously, she fought the chains, all pain banished as fury and an ingrained fear swept over her.
Out. She had to get out. Nowhere to go. Despair. Desperation. All these feelings, unexplained emotions and thoughts teemed through her. Gathering. Sweeping through her.
Trapped. Dark. No way out. She could hear the Furies coming again. Coming to tear her apart.
Run. Run away. Can't. Can't move. She had to get out. OUT!!
She collapsed to the floor and rolled up into a fetal position. She couldn't see. Tears rolled down her eyes, mixing with the blood, washing it away.
Her body trembled. She could hear them. They were coming, to punish her. The chains cut into her skin, but she was oblivious.
The Furies were coming.
"My lord!" Jaken squawked, alarm making his voice break. "My lord, my lord, my lord!" He ran down the corridors, his staff banging, forgotten, at his side.
"My lord, Sesshoumaru-sama!!" He burst into the library. "My lord."
Sesshoumaru glanced over from his position in from of the fireplace.
"My lord." Jaken collapsed onto the floor, his eyes crazy with horror. "The girl." he moaned, his mind in turmoil. "The blood.all the blood." He sobbed into his hands.
Sesshoumaru stared down at the blubbering toad. Blood.. Panic rushed through him, his chest tightening with a strange pain. Blood.
He fled out of the room, ignoring Jaken, who sobbed, the terror still fresh in his mind. "The blood."
Sesshoumaru ran full tilt for the cell he had put Kagome.
Blood.
Images flashed through his mind, each one worse than the last. Yet, nothing prepared him for what greeted him as he yanked open the heavy iron door.
The first thing he saw was the upturned plate of food at his feet. Then the blood. Everywhere. Splashed onto the walls, pooling at his feet in tepid puddles. The smell of slaughter rose up heavy and drugging.
Finally, the girl shuddering in the corner. Her eyes wide open, staring at nothing, everything. Her hand was at her mouth as she tore her flesh off at the wrists with her teeth. The chains were stained, like rust. Slashed showed vividly on her pale face, her body, as proof of her madness. Blood dripped everywhere, her hair coated in the red liquid.
"Kagome." Sesshoumaru couldn't remember a time when he couldn't force himself to move, frozen with shock, horror. But he did now.
"Out." the girl in the corner muttered. She lifted her glazed eyes to him and brought up her hand to her face. Dragging her nails down, she dug gouges in her cheek. "Out." Slowly she stood up, unsteady, her figure battered and bloody. "Must."
"Kagome." Sesshoumaru took a step toward this girl who no longer resembled anything human.
"Must." She weaved slowly, her eyes trained on him. "Get..out!!" Before he could anticipate anything, she launched herself savagely at him, her teeth bared and her hands outstretched like claws.
A few feet away from him, the chains finally snapped savagely at her, jerking her back hard. She didn't seem to notice the fresh blood running down her wrists and ankles. Didn't notice the tears pouring down her face.
Repeatedly she launched herself at him, tearing at her chains, screaming in anger and panic.
He couldn't do anything. Could only watch as the girl slowly killed herself. Tortured herself. Who was this? This creature, oblivious to pain, her mind gone? But soon, he couldn't bear seeing her do this to herself. As she threw herself at him, he caught her in his arms, and wrestled her to the ground.
Still struggling, he cold make out the words she kept on muttering. "Out.I have to run.have to get out."
He cradled her in his arms, confusion whirling around in his head, her voice gradually quieted and he looked down at her to see her staring up at him, tears still running down her pale cheeks.
"Why?" she whispered hoarsely. "Why won't you let me out?"
He started to answer when she curled up and began to mutter to herself again.
"Kagome." He shook her. She stopped and cocked her head as if listening.
"Are you going to let me out?"
He could feel her eyes on his face, yet, strangely enough, he knew she wasn't seeing him.
When he didn't reply, she shuddered. Suddenly her eyes focused intently on his face, their cold stare penetrating. "You." She seemed to struggle to continue speaking. "I."
Her eyes grew heated and she bared her teeth, even as her throat worked to get the sounds out.
".hate."
Still he waited.
"You." With that last word she erupted from his arms and swung the chains attached to her manacles to encircle his throat. Tightening it, she snarled. "What did you do to me!?"
Sesshoumaru grimaced and quickly used his claws to obliterate the metal strangling him. As soon as he was free, he stood up in a rush and backhanded her.
Landing on her backside with a slight oomph, she looked up just in time to see him pin her down to cold stone floor. Her hands were held up, high above her head with one of his, and the other gripped her face.
"Foolish wench. I care not for your petty insanity. Leave off your playacting."
"Playacting?!" She spat at him. "You did something to me!"
With his free hand, he easily backhanded her again. "I did nothing."
She stared at him and smiled menacingly. "Liar." She whispered. She tugged at his grip, seeking freedom, but he only tightened it.
Her eyes widened, focusing on a point beyond Sesshoumaru's shoulder.
He would have growled, the attempt to divert his attention so blatant, but he heard a soft chuckle.
He spun around dragging Kagome up.
"Well, well, well."
Kagome cursed and struggled to regain her balance, ineffectively pushing at Sesshoumaru to release her. "Kagura."
Kagura laughed again, tapping her fan to her chin. "How the mighty has fallen."
Kagome shoved at Sesshoumaru, but he didn't budge. "What are you doing here?"
Kagura shrugged, her eyes sly. "Just thought I'd drop by. You know," she smiled evilly. "To see how you were doing."
"You're spying, you mean."
She shrugged again. "Same thing." She snapped her fan open to hide her smile. "I'm sure Naraku would be quite unhappy with the news."
Kagome froze. But she recovered quickly. She smiled smally, and Kagura narrowed her eyes. "Yes, he would be, wouldn't he? I'd hate to be the one to break the news."
Kagura's eyes snapped, fire roaring within them. She snapped her fan closed again with a sharp click. "Oh, be warned. He will be told. And when he is," Kagura paused to gloat. "You'll be sorry for ever existing!!"
Kagome shrugged with a calmness she wasn't sure she felt. "I'm already sorry. So do your worst." She gave up trying to free herself. "Tell him he'll have to find me."
Kagura sneered one last time before turning to leave.
"Tell Naraku, he will have to go through Sesshoumaru."
Both Kagome and Kagura gaped at Sesshoumaru. Neither had been prepared for such a comment from the stoic youkai. Kagura recovered first. "Very well. Sign your death warrant."
Kagome ignored the wind youkai's departure. "Why?" she whispered.
Sesshoumaru shrugged. Why indeed? Spur of the moment decisions weren't like him. Nor was mercy. This girl was changing him yet again. Just like last time.
He shoved her away from him and she tumbled to the floor. Looking coldly down on her, he tossed the key to her manacles at her feet. "Have Jaken lead you to a bath."
He turned on his heels and strode out, not letting her see his vulnerability. As he walked back to his room he reflected on their past relationship.
It had been idealic. Like a dream. She was so sweet back then. Always smiling, always there to greet him. She'd melted through his thick defenses like ice and tamed him.
Now her eyes were cold, a wall erected to hide them. It seemed as if all warmth had been sucked out. She reveled in pain, still so brave, so stubborn. She had grown distant and older. She looked the same, but her actions bespoke of a past no one should have gone through. One that made her older than what she appeared. Inside.
Yet, strangely enough, this Kagome appealed to him just as much as the old one had, if not more. It seemed more than just Kagome had changed.
When had he felt fighting with such a slip of a girl exciting. When had he begun to wish he could hear her growl, see her ire rise, watch her eyes flash with anger.
It was so unlike him. He didn't appreciate the change. He didn't need the change.
He didn't need her.
Kagome sighed in pleasure as she reimmersed herself in steamy water. Sinking until everything was underwater except her nose and up, she reflected on herself and Sesshoumaru.
She was still uncomfortable with the name Kagome. It still brought no memories. No recognition. As if she wore the name of a stranger.
And Sesshoumaru. He was there when she woke up. When she finally remembered that her fear was irrational. Yet, she doubted she did it herself. She vaguely remembered her name being called and being cradled in arms so strong and gentle.
Shaking her head, she totally immersed herself. Concentrating on her breathing, she wondered about her attraction to this mysterious man.
He wasn't very.manly. She almost giggled but caught herself when she remembered that she was still underwater. He wasn't exactly girly either. But he was.beautiful to look at.
He was so elegant and composed. His features so very feminine yet one had no doubt at all that he was a male. Very male.
She brought herself out of the water and wiped water from her face. She gathered her resolve together. The attraction was a distraction. She didn't need it. Didn't want it.
Splashing water on her face one last time, she stood up and stepped out of the tub. She wrapped a towel around herself.
A distraction. She was determined to name it such. And it was a distraction that she could ill afford. With Naraku after them, anything could be the death of her. And she wouldn't put it past Sesshoumaru to attempt to do away with her. After all, she was still a loose end, something he could do with out. Something expendable.
Yes, her attraction to him cannot get in her way.
Welp, they're both in denial.how in the world is this going to end? Tune in to the next chapter of "THY NAME IS DEATH"!!
Also, sorry about the delay.and the typos.I had to type this up in one night because I felt that I was doing a disservice by postponing the typing of this story as much as I did.I'm sorry. Go check out my other ongoing ficcie "FAITHFUL INNOCENCE". Yup yup.
Over and Out.
Kai.
