Author: taiyoukai-kai
This is not the sequel to my last fanfic "Fukai Mori: Darkness" but, I hope you enjoy it just as much.
Comments: My other fic is a flop…no one likes it…so..I'll stop it..for a while..and concentrate on this one..its so sad..Anyway..don't forget to review..and thank you to all those that did already. I'm really grateful..^_^ And if you like anime art..go ahead and visit my deviantart site..at… www.taiyoukai-kai.deviantart.com .. yup yup..how lame.
Disclaimer: Fear his claws…because I don't own him. Characters © Rumiko Takahashi.
Summary: Years after Kagome left the Feudal Era, she never expects have anything but memories left. But tragedy strikes, and she's had to live a life of sorrow and betrayal. Now, a new development threatens her very sanity. Again. [Sess/Kag]
Chapter Three...:
"She screams, sir. At night." The man lounged in a chair across from Sesshoumaru. He had been watching Higurashi-san for several weeks now and had long since learned that although Sesshoumaru may be a cold, unfeeling bastard at times, he was always fair.
"In her sleep?"
The man understood the hidden question. "Yes, sir. She hasn't been in any trouble. Not yet."
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and spoke softly, steel hidden by velvet. "You expect she will?"
"Weeell…" the man drew the word out, his brain looking for the right words. "There's been…some people trailing her. And," he shrugged. "She ain't exactly got pleasant dreams. You should hear her scream. First time I did, I almost ran in there with my gun out. She fair frightened me out my wits all right."
"She feels fear in these dreams?" Sesshoumaru needed to know. Kagome was a frightfully powerful miko, if a bit unorthodox, and it was entirely possible her dreams foreshadowed something.
"No, sir. Not fear. More like," he hesitated. "More like pain." He scratched his head. "Something is always seeming to hurt her in her dreams, but it doesn't seem she's exactly afraid of it."
Kagome couldn't get rid of the image in her head. Blood, splattered everywhere. That was it. For some reason, it was just there, running through her head. She assumed it was an aftereffect of the nightmare she had last night.
It had been the kind of nightmare where you couldn't remember it once you woke up, but you knew you had one by the lingering sense of fear. And it seemed she'd been having one for awhile.
The thought chilled her. That, and the stupid image in her head that wouldn't leave her alone!
She cursed underneath her breath and leaned back in her chair. Who was she kidding? The blood wasn't the only thing plaguing her. Who would have thought her old nemesis occupied all her thoughts nowadays.
It had surprised her the last time she saw him that he had changed. Not that he wasn't the same emotionless, all-good-mortals-are-dead-mortals freak. He was. It just seemed to her that he was more mellow. More toned down in the "Killing is my life" department.
She sighed and rested her head on the table, weariness weighing down her bones. She was so tired. Sometimes, she longed for the days where she spent in the Feudal Era. Sometimes…
She longed for peace.
~flashback~
"INUYASHA!!" she stamped her foot impatiently. "You're not paying attention!"
Inuyasha folded his arms and looked arrogantly away. "Che. Why should I listen to you, wench?"
Kagome was tempted to growl. "Because if you don't, you might as well give the Shikon no Tama to Naraku."
Inuyasha dropped his air of nonchalance and glared at her. "Don't you dare!"
She rolled her eyes and shouted, "Sit!"
"WTF——!! What was that for?!"
"I didn't say I was going to do it. If you listened to me you would know that!" she huffed.
"And why, dear girl, should a fine young hanyou listen to you?"
Kagome gasped in alarm at the new voice, but Inuyasha already knew who it was. He pushed her behind him and drew out the Tetsusaiga. "What do you want, Naraku!" he snarled.
"Tsk. And here I was defending you to the gel. How ungrateful." Naraku smiled, for once not appearing with his baboon pelt.
"I asked you a question!" Inuyasha yelled.
Naraku mockingly tilted his head in a clueless fashion. "Did you?" he laughed, his voice grating on everybody's hearing. "Ha, it doesn't matter. I brought you a little gift, hanyou." Naraku held up a finger and out of the shadows, Kikyo stepped out her bow up and armed.
"Call it, a farewell gift." Naraku laughed and turned his back on the group. "Whenever you feel ready, dear."
Kikyo's blank eyes didn't even blink in response.
"No."
Naraku lifted his eyebrows in surprise and slowly turned around to look at Kagome. "No? What exactly are you saying no to?"
"No, you can't kill us." Kagome stepped out from behind Inuyasha, her back rigid and her chin high. "I won't let you." She ignored Inuyasha's attempts to shush her.
"You won't let me?" Naraku narrowed his eyes at her. "And how, pray tell, are you going to stop me?" When he saw her hesitate, he laughed. "Oh, and here I thought that maybe you could make your deaths that much more fun. But, alas," Naraku smiled. "I guess it is just not to be."
This time, he strode away without a glance back, without stopping, so that no one saw or detected the triumphant smile that had marred his face. Finally, those two would never bother him again.
Kagome watched as Kikyo lowered her bow and began to walk towards them.
"Kikyo…"
Kagome whirled to stare at Inuyasha, who had spoken Kikyo's name in such a reverent tone. Even with the evidence of Kiyo's betrayal staring him in the face, she couldn't believe that he still didn't get it. How could he still be faithful to the girl who wants him dead?
"Inuyasha…" Kikyo dropped her bow and held her hand out toward Inuyasha. "Inuyasha…"
Helplessly, Kagome watched as Inuyasha stepped away from her and toward her predecessor, Kikyo. "Inuyasha!"
He totally ignored her.
She hated it. The feeling of helplessness. The total inability to do anything. Why?! She couldn't stand not doing anything as she watched the two embrace. "No! Inuyasha…!" She ran to them, ready to tear them apart, but before she could reach them, an arm caught her at the waist. Giving her no time to react, it pulled her well away from the pair, against a hard body. As her feet once more touched the ground some distance away, she turned around, fully prepared to berate the offender.
However, who she way made her pause.
"Sesshoumaru?" Her exclamation was no more than a whisper. She could count on one hand the number of times she's been this close to him, and at all those instances he had been trying to kill her. But she didn't have the time to reflect on the past. A sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath her feet and a firework of lights flashed around her.
Before she could turn around to see what was happening, Sesshoumaru pressed her from satisfying her morbid curiosity.
"Ignorant is bliss…"
She heard him but knew deep in her heart, she wasn't ignorant. And she couldn't stop the tears from coming and she buried her sobs in his shoulder.
~End Flashback~
Kagome gently shook herself, trying to shake off the remnants of her memories. She could almost still feel the cloth of Sesshoumaru's clothing, could almost still smell him, although back then her nose was certainly not as acute as it was now.
She sniffed and to her surprise, discovered that she had been crying. Briskly wiping the wetness away, she noticed a slow curling line of smoke outside her window.
Sesshoumaru looked up from his work to the PI he hired. Noticing the bruises on his face and the bandaged nose, he folded his hand behind his head and sighed. "Run into a pole?"
The man hissed in pain when he grimaced. "No. A door." He took a seat across from Sesshoumaru. "Your woman sure is vicious. Didn't even give me a chance to explain why I was outside her window. Just came at me, her fists aswingin'." He gingerly touched his nose. "First time someone broke my nose."
Sesshoumaru's hooded eyes shielded the amusement that sparked within them. "So why were you outside her window?"
The man grimaced again. "You told me to watch her, didn't you?" he said defensively. Then his voice dropped to a mutter. "Just remind me never to smoke again. I'm quitting. Never smoking again."
Sesshoumaru almost grinned. "What other news?"
The man blinked in confusion before recollecting his thoughts. "Oh, nothing. Everything's been quiet. Except that crazy woman." He said underneath his breath. "Do you know she has nails as sharp as knives? She clawed me good." He rolled up his shirt sleeve to show the scratches on his upper arms. "Burned like a bitch when she gave it to me, and it hasn't stopped since. Like salt's been rubbed in, I say."
Sesshoumaru froze. Those nail marks on the man's arms looked vaguely familiar. He rose from his chair and approached him. As soon as he was close enough, he ran a finger over the deep wounds.
The man jerked in pain. "Hey! Watch it." Then he noticed Sesshoumaru's fingers. "Hey…you know, her nails looked a lot like yours. There is such a thing as nail clippers. Jeez. What's wrong with you people?! That's dangerous you know? Having sharp nails. What on earth does sharp nails do for you?
Sesshoumaru let the man continue complaining as he sorted through the new information. That was why those wounds looked so familiar. It had been so long since he seriously hurt somebody, so recognizing claw marks that looked similar to him wasn't an immediate response. Also, usually he just obliterated the prey. No use looking for claw marks in a puddle of flesh and gore.
But why would Kagome's nails wound somebody as seriously as this? If he guessed correctly, it even had a bit of the same poison acid he used.
He quickly strode back around his desk, took out a small vial, and gave it to the man. "Here, use this on your wound. It should stop the burning."
If he guessed correctly, then it should because it was an antidote to his own poison.
The man gripped the vial and nodded his thanks."But never let anybody get a hold of it. As soon as you use it, return the vial immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the man saluted sharply and grinned. "Right away, sir!"
Sesshoumaru waved a hand at him, dismissing him. "Continue watching her. If she attacks you again, use my name."
The man bowed and walked out, whistling, leaving Sesshoumaru to his troubled thoughts. He could only hope his name was enough to deter her…and hope that it didn't incite her either.
Mmm..the plot thickens. What is Kagome hiding? What does Sesshoumaru do? Stay tuned, and you'll find out on the next fanfiction chapter of "FAITHFUL INNOCENCE".
^__^ Woohoo…my very own first third FF series ever. :P Can it get any more exciting…?
For those that have read my first one, I apologize for the lack of variety in my writing style...I'm trying.
Also.. my other ongoing series "THY NAME IS DEATH" is on hold until further notice. The lack of enthusiasm on the part of the readers have seriously deteriorated my urge to write more…so until I get super super bored..it's officially cut. I will post one more chapter just to make sure its really dead..but I'm getting super lazy..and it'll take awhile…just look at this fic..its been what? Four months now…shame on me.. tsk..
^_^ Over and Out. Kai.