Title: Don't Turn Away
Author: Dark Whispers
Rating: PG
Pairings: Sess/Kag
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru find himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. Sess/Kag
Inuyasha studied his brother warily. The demon appeared to be sleeping, but Inuyasha knew better. It was likely that Sesshomaru wouldn't get any sleep tonight. Even though they had defeated the demon with the shard, Inuyasha still felt the presence of something sinister. Sesshomaru probably sensed it too.
The humans had fallen asleep long ago, oblivious to the danger. Miroku had moved his sleeping bag closer to Sango after she had fallen asleep, and now he was practically on top of her. That would explain the goofy grin on his face. Kagome had originally fallen asleep in her sleeping bag, but when she started to shiver, Sesshomaru scooped her into his arms, much to Inuyasha's annoyance.
He just couldn't understand it. Sesshomaru *hated* humans. He hated them with a passion. Why would he suddenly claim Kagome as his mate? What was he planning?
Inuyasha's ears flattened sadly. Sesshomaru had taken his only chance at winning Kagome over. Just when she was starting to like him, Sesshomaru had to come in and just take her away! He was always doing things like that when they were children.
"Go to sleep, Inuyasha."
The hanyou snorted. "Sesshomaru, I don't know who you think you are, but just because you've joined our group doesn't mean anyone's going to take orders from you. I'm trying to protect the other members of my pack. If you get in my way, I'll have no choice but to dispose of you."
Sesshomaru resisted rolling his eyes at his brother. When had the hanyou gotten such a backbone?
'I guess he'll do anything if it involves the well-being of Kagome.'
Sesshomaru frowned. Since when he had started calling the girl Kagome? When he chose her to be his mate, he had done so because he was in her debt, and she happened to fit the criteria. He hadn't actually cared about her. He didn't have to care about her. Her only function would be to bear him an heir.
'But today, when that demon attacked. . .all I could thing was her safety.'
The miko was winding a very dangerous spell around him without even realizing it. Emotions would make them weak, and yet she managed to invoke them in him daily. It was simply astonishing what she could do to him without even trying.
He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the smell of cherries and warm vanilla. There was no way she could be human. She was just too different.
'Do I love you, Kagome?' he asked himself.
Inuyasha growled softly as Sesshomaru studied Kagome. His hand strayed to Tessaiga unconsciously. However, this was one problem that couldn't be fixed by hacking down some demon with his sword; the girl he loved was being stolen away before his very eyes by his brother, Sesshomaru. He was going to have to do something to stop it.
Inuyasha's hair whipped about his face as the wind picked up, blowing viciously. Sesshomaru stood up abruptly, clutching Kagome tightly to him and growling menacingly. Inuyasha sensed it too; this was the dark presence that had been settling in the area. The foul scent of Naraku hit his nose, and he presumed that one of offspring was on the way. Everyone was now awake and on their feet. The tension could be cut with a knife, and no one knew where the attack would come from. Kagome shook of the last remnants of sleep and gripped her bow tightly, a hand reaching back to her quiver of arrows.
That was when it happened. The demon was so fast it whipped past as nothing more than a gust of wind. However, it was soon realized they were under attack when blood started to spill from Sesshomaru's side where the demon had gone by and slashed him, unnoticed by everyone.
Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat while gasps from her friends mirrored her shock. How was this demon so fast that not even *Sesshomaru* had sensed it coming? It had managed to wound him without him even knowing it!
An enraged growl escaped rumbled from deep within Sesshomaru's chest as he lifted bloody fingers to his face.
'No one makes a fool out of this Sesshomaru,' he thought furiously, glaring at the demon that had just revealed himself.
He was tall, almost as tall as Sesshomaru with unusually tanned skin. His long black hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and the same coal black eyes Naraku possessed examined them coldly. He was wearing an outfit similar to Inuyasha's only it wasn't as baggy and in dark blue.
"I am Mangetsu. I was sent to kill you."
He was emotionless as Kanna.
Inuyasha brandished Tessaiga angrily while Sesshomaru gripped Toukijin, both waiting for a moment to attack. A devious smirk crossed his face that made Kagome wish he had remained emotionless. He vanished and a second later Inuyasha was hurled a few feet back by a fist to his gut. Kagome felt her pulse beat erratically. How were they supposed to beat a demon that they couldn't see?
Sango fell to the ground without warning when Mangetsu wrested her boomerang from her hands and slammed it over her own head. The harsh crack that came from the weapon's impact made Miroku wince and drop to her side, examining her head with great concern, fingers running through her hair gently.
Kagome tensed. She had a horrible feeling that she would be the next to fall. She fit an arrow in her bow and pulled the string back, glancing every which way. It was a useless effort; she knew very well she'd never be able to sense Mangetsu before he managed to hit her.
She and Sesshomaru were standing back to back. The forest around them was silent. It drove her insane. Not a leaf rustled, nor a twig snapped. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the dull clunk of the Tessaiga hitting the ground. Inuyasha used his sword to pull himself back to his feet.
"Do you think he left? I can't even smell him anymore," Inuyasha stated, his nose twitching.
"Be silent," Sesshomaru growled. "He's still here. The bastard is moving around to fast to catch his scent. He'll come out eventually."
Kagome chewed her lip nervously, trying to sense Mangetsu. She blinked and was surprised to see Sesshomaru in front of her when she opened her eyes. He was gripping Mangetsu's wrist tightly with one hand, his sharp claws creating lines of blood that his acidic poison seeped into.
"H-how. . .you couldn't see me," he stuttered, wincing in pain as the poison flooded his veins and spread throughout his body.
Sesshomaru snorted in disgust. "I do not depend on sight alone. You are most definitely an offspring of Naraku as you share his cowardice. Your advantage in battle depends on your ability to attack unseen. Overconfidence can kill you, as you are about to learn. . ."
A quick slash of claws sent Mangetsu to the floor, gurgling desperately as blood spilled from his neck. The skin of his face took on a slightly greenish hue as Sesshomaru's poison spread more deeply into him, even as he was dieing.
"F-fool," he rasped. "Y-you may have k-killed me. . .but. . .I . . .I. . .have achieved my goal. You will. . .die. . .Sesshomaru. . ."
His body slumped downwards, his last breath flowing from his mouth as his eyes went vacant, staring into nothingness. The very sight of Mangetsu made Kagome shudder. Sure, she had heard of Sesshomaru's cold-hearted killing, but she had never seen it first-hand. The indifferent calm on the demon's face terrified her. He simply flicked the blood off his hand casually before resheathing his sword.
No one knew what to say for awhile. Shippou was hovering over Sango anxiously, but Miroku reassured the kit that it was just a mere bump on her head. Inuyasha hopped into a nearby tree after announcing they would be staying there for the night. Kagome started to approach Sango when she heard Sesshomaru breathing heavily.
She turned to him instead, eyeing him with concern. His chest heaved as his lungs strained with effort, confusion and panic flashing in his eyes. He dropped to one knee and, Kagome became alarmed.
"Sesshomaru? What's wrong?" she asked urgently, crouching down next to him.
She pulled away the arm clutching his wounded area with gentle hands, gasping at what she saw. His blood was turning a murky black as it flowed from his body, indicating he had been poisoned when Mangetsu had slashed him.
"K-kagome," he gasped, before his eyes closed in an effort to block out the fiery pain flowing through him. He fell forward, slumping against her, causing her to almost fall backwards. She felt him continue to pant heavily against her chest, and she wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him while trying to support his weight. By then, Inuyasha had leapt down from his lookout in the tree to see what was wrong. Sesshomaru was pulled away from her and laid on the ground.
Inuyasha touched the wound hesitantly, causing Sesshomaru's entire body to spasm. The demon gasped his pain, his eyes rolling to almost the back of his head.
"What's happening to him?!" Kagome asked frantically as the others watched worriedly from across the clearing.
"I'm not sure. I have a feeling that this was what Naraku wanted all along though. . .but what is he after? What can he get by poisoning Sesshomaru?" he said, frowning.
Kagome grasped the taiyoukai's hand tightly in her own. This didn't look good. Sesshomaru was already starting to sweat from fever, and his pulse was racing against hers.
"You need to go to Kaede, Inuyasha. Please, find a cure. I have a feeling he's not going to last much longer."
Inuyasha was reluctant to leave his friends unprotected and ever more against the idea of letting Kagome stay with Sesshomaru without him, but the pleading look in her eyes chased all of his protests away. He nodded before leaping off, speeding off to find a cure that might not even exist.
~*~
The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls as Kagura hurried to find Naraku. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure he would hear it. She slid the door open with a bang and stepped into the room.
There he sat, facing towards the window. He showed no sign of acknowledging her presence, but he knew very well she was there.
"Mangetsu is dead," she stated coldly, gripping her fan so hard her knuckles turned white.
"I am aware," he replied with an air of someone about talking about the weather.
"You're aware?" she asked incredulously. "You're aware?!" she shrieked, her voice growing high with her fury. "You. . .you bastard. . .you knew he would die, didn't you?"
"But of course. It was all part of my plan. He was only needed to poison Sesshomaru and was very expendable. You see, everyone has a part in my plan, including you, Kagura."
Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she clutched her fan like a lifeline.
"What's wrong, Kagura? Do you miss Mangetsu? Aw, you poor girl. . ."
Kagura continued to glare, but on the inside her heart was sinking. Why did he have to know her so completely? Her every weakness, fear, and fault. . .he knew everything. Nothing could be hidden from him. It wasn't the first time she realized that she was trapped in a life without meaning. Naraku held her very heart in his hands. She had no freedom. All she had was her dreams and her sister, Kanna.
Kanna, though emotionless, was the only family Kagura had. Kanna was bound to the same horrible fate as herself. Kagura was becoming more and more determined to free both herself and Kanna.
'Would Kanna show more emotion is she was free? Would she be like other children if she were able to play and live without the fear of having her life stolen every day of her life?
Mangetsu had reminded Kagura very much of Kanna. Kagura had just been beginning to gain a whole family; a sister, a brother (and a bastard of a father). . .but now Mangetsu was dead. He hadn't been a useless glutton like Goshinku. A knot formed in her throat when she thought of Mangetsu, but she didn't cry. She absolutely refused to show that much emotion. She wouldn't give Naraku the satisfaction.
'One day, I will be free, and he will be nothing but a corpse,' she vowed.
Naraku turned his head slightly and glanced back at Kagura from the corner of his eye. "I would leave if I were you, Kagura. Your thoughts betray you, and I would hate to get rid of you before you have fulfilled your true purpose for me."
Kagura gritted her teeth but left without retorting. She walked silently to her room, her feet making no sound this time as they glided over the wooden floor instead of pounding it with fury as they had before. She slid her door slid open and quickly closed it behind her. She stood for a moment before collapsing to her knees in absolute agony. Kagura rocked back and forth, holding in the burning acid trying to leak from her eyes.
"Kagura?"
She looked up blankly to find Kanna in front of her. Light brown eyes stared into her own crimson ones. Though her eyes were blank and emotionless, they did not hold the same maliciousness Naraku's coal black ones did.
'One day. . .I will be free.'
A/N: Hey, this chapter wasn't too bad! I think I write better when I listen to Brand New. ^_^ Thanks for reading and please review!
Author: Dark Whispers
Rating: PG
Pairings: Sess/Kag
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru find himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. Sess/Kag
Inuyasha studied his brother warily. The demon appeared to be sleeping, but Inuyasha knew better. It was likely that Sesshomaru wouldn't get any sleep tonight. Even though they had defeated the demon with the shard, Inuyasha still felt the presence of something sinister. Sesshomaru probably sensed it too.
The humans had fallen asleep long ago, oblivious to the danger. Miroku had moved his sleeping bag closer to Sango after she had fallen asleep, and now he was practically on top of her. That would explain the goofy grin on his face. Kagome had originally fallen asleep in her sleeping bag, but when she started to shiver, Sesshomaru scooped her into his arms, much to Inuyasha's annoyance.
He just couldn't understand it. Sesshomaru *hated* humans. He hated them with a passion. Why would he suddenly claim Kagome as his mate? What was he planning?
Inuyasha's ears flattened sadly. Sesshomaru had taken his only chance at winning Kagome over. Just when she was starting to like him, Sesshomaru had to come in and just take her away! He was always doing things like that when they were children.
"Go to sleep, Inuyasha."
The hanyou snorted. "Sesshomaru, I don't know who you think you are, but just because you've joined our group doesn't mean anyone's going to take orders from you. I'm trying to protect the other members of my pack. If you get in my way, I'll have no choice but to dispose of you."
Sesshomaru resisted rolling his eyes at his brother. When had the hanyou gotten such a backbone?
'I guess he'll do anything if it involves the well-being of Kagome.'
Sesshomaru frowned. Since when he had started calling the girl Kagome? When he chose her to be his mate, he had done so because he was in her debt, and she happened to fit the criteria. He hadn't actually cared about her. He didn't have to care about her. Her only function would be to bear him an heir.
'But today, when that demon attacked. . .all I could thing was her safety.'
The miko was winding a very dangerous spell around him without even realizing it. Emotions would make them weak, and yet she managed to invoke them in him daily. It was simply astonishing what she could do to him without even trying.
He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the smell of cherries and warm vanilla. There was no way she could be human. She was just too different.
'Do I love you, Kagome?' he asked himself.
Inuyasha growled softly as Sesshomaru studied Kagome. His hand strayed to Tessaiga unconsciously. However, this was one problem that couldn't be fixed by hacking down some demon with his sword; the girl he loved was being stolen away before his very eyes by his brother, Sesshomaru. He was going to have to do something to stop it.
Inuyasha's hair whipped about his face as the wind picked up, blowing viciously. Sesshomaru stood up abruptly, clutching Kagome tightly to him and growling menacingly. Inuyasha sensed it too; this was the dark presence that had been settling in the area. The foul scent of Naraku hit his nose, and he presumed that one of offspring was on the way. Everyone was now awake and on their feet. The tension could be cut with a knife, and no one knew where the attack would come from. Kagome shook of the last remnants of sleep and gripped her bow tightly, a hand reaching back to her quiver of arrows.
That was when it happened. The demon was so fast it whipped past as nothing more than a gust of wind. However, it was soon realized they were under attack when blood started to spill from Sesshomaru's side where the demon had gone by and slashed him, unnoticed by everyone.
Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat while gasps from her friends mirrored her shock. How was this demon so fast that not even *Sesshomaru* had sensed it coming? It had managed to wound him without him even knowing it!
An enraged growl escaped rumbled from deep within Sesshomaru's chest as he lifted bloody fingers to his face.
'No one makes a fool out of this Sesshomaru,' he thought furiously, glaring at the demon that had just revealed himself.
He was tall, almost as tall as Sesshomaru with unusually tanned skin. His long black hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and the same coal black eyes Naraku possessed examined them coldly. He was wearing an outfit similar to Inuyasha's only it wasn't as baggy and in dark blue.
"I am Mangetsu. I was sent to kill you."
He was emotionless as Kanna.
Inuyasha brandished Tessaiga angrily while Sesshomaru gripped Toukijin, both waiting for a moment to attack. A devious smirk crossed his face that made Kagome wish he had remained emotionless. He vanished and a second later Inuyasha was hurled a few feet back by a fist to his gut. Kagome felt her pulse beat erratically. How were they supposed to beat a demon that they couldn't see?
Sango fell to the ground without warning when Mangetsu wrested her boomerang from her hands and slammed it over her own head. The harsh crack that came from the weapon's impact made Miroku wince and drop to her side, examining her head with great concern, fingers running through her hair gently.
Kagome tensed. She had a horrible feeling that she would be the next to fall. She fit an arrow in her bow and pulled the string back, glancing every which way. It was a useless effort; she knew very well she'd never be able to sense Mangetsu before he managed to hit her.
She and Sesshomaru were standing back to back. The forest around them was silent. It drove her insane. Not a leaf rustled, nor a twig snapped. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the dull clunk of the Tessaiga hitting the ground. Inuyasha used his sword to pull himself back to his feet.
"Do you think he left? I can't even smell him anymore," Inuyasha stated, his nose twitching.
"Be silent," Sesshomaru growled. "He's still here. The bastard is moving around to fast to catch his scent. He'll come out eventually."
Kagome chewed her lip nervously, trying to sense Mangetsu. She blinked and was surprised to see Sesshomaru in front of her when she opened her eyes. He was gripping Mangetsu's wrist tightly with one hand, his sharp claws creating lines of blood that his acidic poison seeped into.
"H-how. . .you couldn't see me," he stuttered, wincing in pain as the poison flooded his veins and spread throughout his body.
Sesshomaru snorted in disgust. "I do not depend on sight alone. You are most definitely an offspring of Naraku as you share his cowardice. Your advantage in battle depends on your ability to attack unseen. Overconfidence can kill you, as you are about to learn. . ."
A quick slash of claws sent Mangetsu to the floor, gurgling desperately as blood spilled from his neck. The skin of his face took on a slightly greenish hue as Sesshomaru's poison spread more deeply into him, even as he was dieing.
"F-fool," he rasped. "Y-you may have k-killed me. . .but. . .I . . .I. . .have achieved my goal. You will. . .die. . .Sesshomaru. . ."
His body slumped downwards, his last breath flowing from his mouth as his eyes went vacant, staring into nothingness. The very sight of Mangetsu made Kagome shudder. Sure, she had heard of Sesshomaru's cold-hearted killing, but she had never seen it first-hand. The indifferent calm on the demon's face terrified her. He simply flicked the blood off his hand casually before resheathing his sword.
No one knew what to say for awhile. Shippou was hovering over Sango anxiously, but Miroku reassured the kit that it was just a mere bump on her head. Inuyasha hopped into a nearby tree after announcing they would be staying there for the night. Kagome started to approach Sango when she heard Sesshomaru breathing heavily.
She turned to him instead, eyeing him with concern. His chest heaved as his lungs strained with effort, confusion and panic flashing in his eyes. He dropped to one knee and, Kagome became alarmed.
"Sesshomaru? What's wrong?" she asked urgently, crouching down next to him.
She pulled away the arm clutching his wounded area with gentle hands, gasping at what she saw. His blood was turning a murky black as it flowed from his body, indicating he had been poisoned when Mangetsu had slashed him.
"K-kagome," he gasped, before his eyes closed in an effort to block out the fiery pain flowing through him. He fell forward, slumping against her, causing her to almost fall backwards. She felt him continue to pant heavily against her chest, and she wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him while trying to support his weight. By then, Inuyasha had leapt down from his lookout in the tree to see what was wrong. Sesshomaru was pulled away from her and laid on the ground.
Inuyasha touched the wound hesitantly, causing Sesshomaru's entire body to spasm. The demon gasped his pain, his eyes rolling to almost the back of his head.
"What's happening to him?!" Kagome asked frantically as the others watched worriedly from across the clearing.
"I'm not sure. I have a feeling that this was what Naraku wanted all along though. . .but what is he after? What can he get by poisoning Sesshomaru?" he said, frowning.
Kagome grasped the taiyoukai's hand tightly in her own. This didn't look good. Sesshomaru was already starting to sweat from fever, and his pulse was racing against hers.
"You need to go to Kaede, Inuyasha. Please, find a cure. I have a feeling he's not going to last much longer."
Inuyasha was reluctant to leave his friends unprotected and ever more against the idea of letting Kagome stay with Sesshomaru without him, but the pleading look in her eyes chased all of his protests away. He nodded before leaping off, speeding off to find a cure that might not even exist.
~*~
The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls as Kagura hurried to find Naraku. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure he would hear it. She slid the door open with a bang and stepped into the room.
There he sat, facing towards the window. He showed no sign of acknowledging her presence, but he knew very well she was there.
"Mangetsu is dead," she stated coldly, gripping her fan so hard her knuckles turned white.
"I am aware," he replied with an air of someone about talking about the weather.
"You're aware?" she asked incredulously. "You're aware?!" she shrieked, her voice growing high with her fury. "You. . .you bastard. . .you knew he would die, didn't you?"
"But of course. It was all part of my plan. He was only needed to poison Sesshomaru and was very expendable. You see, everyone has a part in my plan, including you, Kagura."
Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she clutched her fan like a lifeline.
"What's wrong, Kagura? Do you miss Mangetsu? Aw, you poor girl. . ."
Kagura continued to glare, but on the inside her heart was sinking. Why did he have to know her so completely? Her every weakness, fear, and fault. . .he knew everything. Nothing could be hidden from him. It wasn't the first time she realized that she was trapped in a life without meaning. Naraku held her very heart in his hands. She had no freedom. All she had was her dreams and her sister, Kanna.
Kanna, though emotionless, was the only family Kagura had. Kanna was bound to the same horrible fate as herself. Kagura was becoming more and more determined to free both herself and Kanna.
'Would Kanna show more emotion is she was free? Would she be like other children if she were able to play and live without the fear of having her life stolen every day of her life?
Mangetsu had reminded Kagura very much of Kanna. Kagura had just been beginning to gain a whole family; a sister, a brother (and a bastard of a father). . .but now Mangetsu was dead. He hadn't been a useless glutton like Goshinku. A knot formed in her throat when she thought of Mangetsu, but she didn't cry. She absolutely refused to show that much emotion. She wouldn't give Naraku the satisfaction.
'One day, I will be free, and he will be nothing but a corpse,' she vowed.
Naraku turned his head slightly and glanced back at Kagura from the corner of his eye. "I would leave if I were you, Kagura. Your thoughts betray you, and I would hate to get rid of you before you have fulfilled your true purpose for me."
Kagura gritted her teeth but left without retorting. She walked silently to her room, her feet making no sound this time as they glided over the wooden floor instead of pounding it with fury as they had before. She slid her door slid open and quickly closed it behind her. She stood for a moment before collapsing to her knees in absolute agony. Kagura rocked back and forth, holding in the burning acid trying to leak from her eyes.
"Kagura?"
She looked up blankly to find Kanna in front of her. Light brown eyes stared into her own crimson ones. Though her eyes were blank and emotionless, they did not hold the same maliciousness Naraku's coal black ones did.
'One day. . .I will be free.'
A/N: Hey, this chapter wasn't too bad! I think I write better when I listen to Brand New. ^_^ Thanks for reading and please review!
