Disclaimer: You know the drill already. . .
"___" = Dialogue
'___' = Thoughts
*___* = Special 'stuff'
Conflicting Desires
By Forsaken Tenshi
Chapter 12: Enter the Hanyou
Kagome stood by her fallen body, her spirit form shivering slightly in anxiety. In her eyes, Sesshoumaru with _any_ sword, healing or not, seemed extremely dangerous.
Suddenly Kagome felt as if she were being dragged downwards, and looking about her feet, saw the little demons from the afterworld wrapping her appendages with chains.
"Sesshoumaru!" she called, but for some odd reason, her voice would not work. She had been silenced.
The dog demon cocked his head as he gazed at the Tenseiga held firmly in his grip. He willed it to react.
Nothing happened.
Mentally shaking himself, he called to it again.
Still nothing happened.
By now, Sesshoumaru was getting irritated and worried; he had promised Kagome he would restore her life, but how could he if the Tenseiga refused to cooperate?
'Work, damn you, work!' he mentally snarled at the sword, frustrated and angry, his brows furrowing as he glared at his heirloom.
No response.
Now apprehension began to show in his eyes as the sword continued to remain dormant.
'I need to resurrect Kagome,' he thought, willing the sword to come to life from the very depths of his heart. 'Please. . .'
The Tenseiga flared to life. The demon lord stared at the sword. It was reacting exactly the same as when he had resurrected Rin. The only difference was that its pulsing was most definitely stronger; its white aura lit the blade to an intensity he had never seen.
'Trying to teach me something?' he thought wryly.
The sword pulsed in response.
He inwardly sighed. This sword was indeed strange. 'The Tenseiga,' Sesshoumaru reflected somewhat grouchily, 'Has always had a mind of its own.'
His eyes swept up to capture Kagome's. He then noticed that the little demons were attempting to take her soul to the afterlife, and that she was struggling to stay where she was. Sesshoumaru speedily closed the distance between them, leaving an arm's length between them. A growl rose in his throat at the little _things_ that tried to take Kagome away from him permanently for the second time that day. He raised the fang to his side in preparation of a swing.
Kagome automatically tried shielding herself with her hands, although it was useless as she was chained and had no solid body. His sword simply went through her once, twice, slaying the little demons. The chains disappeared, and Kagome fell over on top of her own body. She shakily moved and lay down in the outline of her body. Her body and spirit melded together, leaving only one Kagome instead of two.
Kagome gulped in a breath of air, and her eyes fluttered open. Sesshoumaru had knelt down so that his face hovered above hers.
"Welcome back," he greeted with the faintest quirk of his lips.
"It feels good to be alive again," Kagome said as she smiled weakly.
"I would imagine so," replied Sesshoumaru as he helped her off the grass. He eyed her kimono. "You should go clean up. You have blood and dirt all over you."
Kagome glanced down and answered with a sheepish grin.
"I guess I should." She turned to go but stopped. She did not turn around. "Sesshoumaru?"
"Yes?" answered the demon, resuming his haughty air.
"Was it true? What you said to me just now?" Kagome waited with baited breath.
Sesshoumaru hid a smile. "Indeed. This Sesshoumaru does not break his promises."
Kagome turned to face him, her visage expressionless. Her eyes gave her away, expressing gratitude. "Arigatou," she whispered softly, allowing a small breeze to send her message to his ears. She turned and walked towards the castle.
Sesshoumaru's gold eyes followed her until she disappeared into the depths of his home. He thought of something regarding Kagome and told her. 'Remember to meet me at the front gates at noon,' he reminded her mentally.
'I will,' she replied.
Satisfied, the demon lord headed for his study to do paperwork.
Noon came, and Sesshoumaru stood up after working on different scrolls for an hour and a half. He ambled to the front gate, where Kagome stood waiting, tensed and nervous.
"You ready?" he asked curtly.
She nodded. "How will we travel?" she asked.
Sesshoumaru replied by unfurling his tail and wrapping it gently about her waist. She stiffened upon contact, but remained still. After checking to make sure she was somewhat comfortable with the transportation arrangements, Sesshoumaru took to the air. They headed west; her home was on the western edge of his province.
In the distance they could see a faint black smoke rising out of the forest of red and gold. Sesshoumaru delicately sniffed the air.
'Smoke,' he thought. 'A fire?'
They landed before the village, or rather, what remained of Kagome's village. Every building was a heap of charred ashes, the embers still glowing. Smoke filled the air, making both their eyes water.
"No!" Kagome freed herself from Sesshoumaru's tail and raced to the location where the shrine would have been.
"Mama! Souta!" she cried desperately. She began rummaging through the charred wood, searching for her family. "Kami-sama, please let them be alive. . ." she prayed as her hands blackened and burned upon contact with the still glowing wood embers. Unshed tears welled up in her eyes.
Sesshoumaru heard a gurgling cough and left Kagome to investigate. He found a man, fatally injured, lying on the ground with part of a hut collapsed from his chest down. He knelt by the man.
"Who did this?" he demanded, his voice steely and cold.
The man coughed weakly and replied, "Naraku."
Sesshoumaru growled lowly. "Why?"
"He. . . he was after. . . the Shikon no. . . Tama," the man replied, wincing. "He. . . he thought that. . . that it might be here. . ."
Sesshoumaru pondered the information for a moment. "Arigatou," he said to the man.
The man barely nodded before passing out from loss of blood.
Sesshoumaru bowed his head in a quick, silent prayer before getting up to find Kagome.
'He will die soon. He cannot be saved,' he thought as he made his way towards the priestess. He flicked a glance at the Tenseiga to see if it would respond. Nothing.
She was still digging through the remains of the shrine. He grasped the hilt of Tenseiga, willing it to work, but the sword stubbornly refused to respond. He willed it again, wishing with all the emotion he could muster. Still nothing. He sighed. He had originally planned to use it on the corpses of her family. Quietly, he walked behind her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"No. . ." she whispered hoarsely, turning and weeping into his chest. "They can't be dead! They can't!" she sobbed.
Sesshoumaru allowed her to shed her tears. She had been through so much, partly because of him, and he felt responsible. She mumbled incoherently, and hiccuped every now and then. Gingerly, gently, he wrapped his arms around her shaking frame, savoring, reveling in her warmth, her scent, and the strange feeling in his breast.
He held her for what seemed like an eternity, rubbing her back and rocking her gently, soothingly. The afternoon wore on.
"Where will I go after?" Kagome whimpered after her cries had long since died away, not really speaking to anybody.
"You could stay with Rin and I. Teach her, be a sister to her. If you leave, she will miss you greatly," Sesshoumaru simply replied, purposely forgetting that he wanted her by his side as well.
Kagome exhaled slowly. "I guess that's all I _can_ do. . . I cannot be a miko any longer," she whispered brokenly. She gazed up at him. "Who did this?"
"A hanyou by the name of Naraku," he replied, his face impassive.
"Naraku. . ." Kagome echoed emptily as she clung to his kimono.
"Come, let's go home," Sesshoumaru said, "The sun is going to set soon." He wrapped his tail around her waist and took off, leaving behind the smoldering remains of Kagome's village.
Kagome shivered as the chill evening air enveloped her, her tears burning like ice on her face. She hugged herself to keep warm. Sesshoumaru glanced back only to see the priestess shuddering. He pulled her towards him and wrapped an arm around her, draping the sleeve of his kimono around her to further warm her up. She pressed herself against the source of warmth, cuddling her head in the crook of his neck.
"Arigatou, Sesshou," she sighed as sleep claimed her.
Sesshoumaru peeked at her through the corner of his eye. She was there, pressed against him, her face calm, but far from peaceful. Her brows were knit in anxiety, and a slight frown curved her lips. Tears still leaked from her closed eyelids. She still cried even in her sleep.
"Mama. . . Souta. . ." she mumbled.
Sesshoumaru gently wiped her tears away, careful not to scratch her with his claws. He tenderly pressed his cheek to her forehead, eyes half- closed, and remained that way until they had reached the castle.
He set Kagome on her feet, but as she was still asleep, she was unable to support herself. He bent down and carried her bridal style into the castle and into her room.
The demon lord gently laid the priestess down on her bed and pulled the covers over her. He then sat down on the edge of the futon to watch her sleep. The bed dipped with his added weight. His hand lifted from his lap to gently caress the teen's jaw line.
"Gomen," the Lord of the Western Lands whispered to the still woman in the bed, "I sincerely regret making you go through all that emotional turmoil over the past month. Added to what happened to your village, your home, I cannot express the sorrow I feel." He paused, reorganizing his thoughts before continuing. "I tried to use the Tenseiga, the life giving sword, but it would not respond to my touch. I would have brought your family back to life. I am sorry it had to be this way. But please, believe me," he promised, "I will do almost anything to redeem myself in your eyes. I just want you to be happy, like you were before. The castle has been rather quiet ever since you withdrew into this very room. Rin isn't as happy, and that, in turn, distresses me."
He stood to leave. "Sleep well, Kagome," he purred as he placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. That done, he left, closing the door gently behind him.
Kagome opened her eyes. She had awoken the moment he set foot on the ground, had known he had carried her to her own room, had heard his whispered confession, had felt his lips gently touch her forehead. She rolled over, her mind still in a state of shock. She still had yet to process the fact that her family really and truly was dead. Her heart ached in loneliness. She wished she could be in her mother's arms, confiding to her; she wished she could be in the meadow chasing Souta, tickling him when she caught up with him. How she missed them. And she never had the chance to say goodbye.
A lone tear slid down her face and was absorbed into her pillow. "Mama. . . Souta. . . I love you both. . . I'm sorry I wasn't there to say goodbye or give you two decent burials." She sniffed and another tear rolled down from her moist eyes. "I'll avenge your deaths by the death of Naraku," she promised, spitting the man's name as if it were something distasteful. "I promise. . ." Physical and emotional exhaustion took their toll, and the young woman sank back into the arms of sleep.
*The next morning*
Kagome awoke to the smell of sunshine and wildflowers. Prying open her eyes, her own blue ones gazed into wide brown ones.
"Ohayo, Kagome-chan!" greeted Rin, clutching a handful of flowers, roots and all. "Is Kagome-chan feeling okay?"
Kagome blinked and yawned. She sat up and stretched. Feeling better, she gazed at the little girl. "Yes, Rin-chan, I feel much better now."
"That's good!" exclaimed Rin, bouncing up and down on Kagome's futon. The flower stems began leaking light green juice in the eight year old's grip. Rin looked questioningly at her hand. "Ne, Kagome-chan?"
"Yes, Rin-chan?" replied Kagome, who was sitting before a mirror brushing out her midnight colored locks. "What is it?"
Rin showed the teen the crushed flowers. "What is this sticky stuff?" she asked, scrunching up her face in a cute frown.
Kagome giggled. "It's sap. You could say it is the blood of the flower."
"Blood? Why is it not red then?" she inquired.
"Well, what color are plants, Rin-chan?" she replied.
"Green."
"So what color would the sap be if plants are green, Rin-chan?"
"Green!"
"Exactly," Kagome said, tapping her finger on the girl's nose.
Rin giggled. "Rin understands now. Arigatou, Kagome-chan!" she exclaimed as she launched herself at the priestess.
"Rin."
Both girls looked up at the doorway to find the demon lord watching them.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" asked Rin.
"Find Jaken and go outside. I need to speak with Kagome," he commanded.
"Okay!" Rin got up and scrambled out the door, calling out for Jaken as she pattered down the hallway.
Kagome turned back to the mirror and continued brushing her hair. "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Kagome after a long pause.
"I am concerned about Naraku. He is after the Shikon no Tama, which you possess. It is my duty, as you are now a member of my household, to protect you," he stated. 'I cannot let you get hurt. . .'
Kagome gaped at him. "Protect me?" she asked. "But I think I will be fine by myself. . ." Her voice faded away as his amber stare intensified.
"No. I have heard many rumors that this Naraku is an extremely cunning character. He manipulates people, and many have died from his doings. I would imagine he wants the Shikon no Tama to make himself a youkai. He is determined, and will go to any lengths to get what he wants. Which is why I am going to protect you from him," he finished without taking his eyes off her astonished face.
Kagome bowed her head. "So be it," she acceded.
Sesshoumaru suddenly tensed. "Well, speak of the devil. . ." he muttered angrily.
Suddenly Kagome felt it too. Evil, evil with such intensity as she had never known. She instinctively clutched the jewel hanging about her neck.
"He's coming. . ." Kagome stated, her voice quivering. "That murderer. . ." Her voice gained in strength and anger, and she gazed heatedly at Sesshoumaru. "I will personally make him pay for what he did to my family. I will be the one to destroy him."
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "Agreed. However, I will not allow you to go into battle alone. I shall be by your side when you fight the hanyou."
Kagome nodded. "Let's go," she declared, her voice full of determination. She picked up her bow and quiver of arrows and strapped it across her back. She suddenly froze. "Sesshou?"
The dog demon simply looked at her.
"Where's Rin?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened infinitesimally. He whipped his head to look down the hall before he disappeared from sight.
Kagome cocked her head at the dog demon's sudden disappearance before realization dawned on her. Sesshoumaru had ordered her outside. . . to where Naraku could now be. "Oh no. . . Rin!" She sped off towards the direction of the intensely malicious aura, aware that Rin's own aura mingled with the former.
She skid to a halt before the front gate, and gawked. Sesshoumaru stood before the hanyou, growling. His claws were extended, and a bright green mist glowed around his fingers.
Rin was struggling in the grasp on Naraku. His blood red eyes glinted malevolently as he eyed Sesshoumaru. His black wavy hair drifted behind him, its length comparable to that of the demon lord. His skin was a sickly pale. His lips curled in a spiteful grin. He wore a black kimono and pants; his kimono was decorated with curls of yellow and dark blue.
The half demon rolled his eyes upon Kagome. His smirk widened even more. "Ah. . . the miko with the Shikon no Tama," he sneered.
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Naraku."
~*~*~*~
FT: Konnichiwa, minna-san! Can you believe it? This is the second to last chapter!
Sesshoumaru: *flexes claws* Will I kill Naraku?
FT: *mystically* Maybe. . .
Kagome: *angrily* What do you mean "maybe"?!?
FT: *shrugs nonchalantly*
Sesshoumaru and Kagome: *glares at FT with the most evil eyes she has ever seen*
FT: *gulp* Um. . . review, please? *flees as Sesshoumaru and Kagome give chase*
~*~*~*~
"___" = Dialogue
'___' = Thoughts
*___* = Special 'stuff'
Conflicting Desires
By Forsaken Tenshi
Chapter 12: Enter the Hanyou
Kagome stood by her fallen body, her spirit form shivering slightly in anxiety. In her eyes, Sesshoumaru with _any_ sword, healing or not, seemed extremely dangerous.
Suddenly Kagome felt as if she were being dragged downwards, and looking about her feet, saw the little demons from the afterworld wrapping her appendages with chains.
"Sesshoumaru!" she called, but for some odd reason, her voice would not work. She had been silenced.
The dog demon cocked his head as he gazed at the Tenseiga held firmly in his grip. He willed it to react.
Nothing happened.
Mentally shaking himself, he called to it again.
Still nothing happened.
By now, Sesshoumaru was getting irritated and worried; he had promised Kagome he would restore her life, but how could he if the Tenseiga refused to cooperate?
'Work, damn you, work!' he mentally snarled at the sword, frustrated and angry, his brows furrowing as he glared at his heirloom.
No response.
Now apprehension began to show in his eyes as the sword continued to remain dormant.
'I need to resurrect Kagome,' he thought, willing the sword to come to life from the very depths of his heart. 'Please. . .'
The Tenseiga flared to life. The demon lord stared at the sword. It was reacting exactly the same as when he had resurrected Rin. The only difference was that its pulsing was most definitely stronger; its white aura lit the blade to an intensity he had never seen.
'Trying to teach me something?' he thought wryly.
The sword pulsed in response.
He inwardly sighed. This sword was indeed strange. 'The Tenseiga,' Sesshoumaru reflected somewhat grouchily, 'Has always had a mind of its own.'
His eyes swept up to capture Kagome's. He then noticed that the little demons were attempting to take her soul to the afterlife, and that she was struggling to stay where she was. Sesshoumaru speedily closed the distance between them, leaving an arm's length between them. A growl rose in his throat at the little _things_ that tried to take Kagome away from him permanently for the second time that day. He raised the fang to his side in preparation of a swing.
Kagome automatically tried shielding herself with her hands, although it was useless as she was chained and had no solid body. His sword simply went through her once, twice, slaying the little demons. The chains disappeared, and Kagome fell over on top of her own body. She shakily moved and lay down in the outline of her body. Her body and spirit melded together, leaving only one Kagome instead of two.
Kagome gulped in a breath of air, and her eyes fluttered open. Sesshoumaru had knelt down so that his face hovered above hers.
"Welcome back," he greeted with the faintest quirk of his lips.
"It feels good to be alive again," Kagome said as she smiled weakly.
"I would imagine so," replied Sesshoumaru as he helped her off the grass. He eyed her kimono. "You should go clean up. You have blood and dirt all over you."
Kagome glanced down and answered with a sheepish grin.
"I guess I should." She turned to go but stopped. She did not turn around. "Sesshoumaru?"
"Yes?" answered the demon, resuming his haughty air.
"Was it true? What you said to me just now?" Kagome waited with baited breath.
Sesshoumaru hid a smile. "Indeed. This Sesshoumaru does not break his promises."
Kagome turned to face him, her visage expressionless. Her eyes gave her away, expressing gratitude. "Arigatou," she whispered softly, allowing a small breeze to send her message to his ears. She turned and walked towards the castle.
Sesshoumaru's gold eyes followed her until she disappeared into the depths of his home. He thought of something regarding Kagome and told her. 'Remember to meet me at the front gates at noon,' he reminded her mentally.
'I will,' she replied.
Satisfied, the demon lord headed for his study to do paperwork.
Noon came, and Sesshoumaru stood up after working on different scrolls for an hour and a half. He ambled to the front gate, where Kagome stood waiting, tensed and nervous.
"You ready?" he asked curtly.
She nodded. "How will we travel?" she asked.
Sesshoumaru replied by unfurling his tail and wrapping it gently about her waist. She stiffened upon contact, but remained still. After checking to make sure she was somewhat comfortable with the transportation arrangements, Sesshoumaru took to the air. They headed west; her home was on the western edge of his province.
In the distance they could see a faint black smoke rising out of the forest of red and gold. Sesshoumaru delicately sniffed the air.
'Smoke,' he thought. 'A fire?'
They landed before the village, or rather, what remained of Kagome's village. Every building was a heap of charred ashes, the embers still glowing. Smoke filled the air, making both their eyes water.
"No!" Kagome freed herself from Sesshoumaru's tail and raced to the location where the shrine would have been.
"Mama! Souta!" she cried desperately. She began rummaging through the charred wood, searching for her family. "Kami-sama, please let them be alive. . ." she prayed as her hands blackened and burned upon contact with the still glowing wood embers. Unshed tears welled up in her eyes.
Sesshoumaru heard a gurgling cough and left Kagome to investigate. He found a man, fatally injured, lying on the ground with part of a hut collapsed from his chest down. He knelt by the man.
"Who did this?" he demanded, his voice steely and cold.
The man coughed weakly and replied, "Naraku."
Sesshoumaru growled lowly. "Why?"
"He. . . he was after. . . the Shikon no. . . Tama," the man replied, wincing. "He. . . he thought that. . . that it might be here. . ."
Sesshoumaru pondered the information for a moment. "Arigatou," he said to the man.
The man barely nodded before passing out from loss of blood.
Sesshoumaru bowed his head in a quick, silent prayer before getting up to find Kagome.
'He will die soon. He cannot be saved,' he thought as he made his way towards the priestess. He flicked a glance at the Tenseiga to see if it would respond. Nothing.
She was still digging through the remains of the shrine. He grasped the hilt of Tenseiga, willing it to work, but the sword stubbornly refused to respond. He willed it again, wishing with all the emotion he could muster. Still nothing. He sighed. He had originally planned to use it on the corpses of her family. Quietly, he walked behind her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"No. . ." she whispered hoarsely, turning and weeping into his chest. "They can't be dead! They can't!" she sobbed.
Sesshoumaru allowed her to shed her tears. She had been through so much, partly because of him, and he felt responsible. She mumbled incoherently, and hiccuped every now and then. Gingerly, gently, he wrapped his arms around her shaking frame, savoring, reveling in her warmth, her scent, and the strange feeling in his breast.
He held her for what seemed like an eternity, rubbing her back and rocking her gently, soothingly. The afternoon wore on.
"Where will I go after?" Kagome whimpered after her cries had long since died away, not really speaking to anybody.
"You could stay with Rin and I. Teach her, be a sister to her. If you leave, she will miss you greatly," Sesshoumaru simply replied, purposely forgetting that he wanted her by his side as well.
Kagome exhaled slowly. "I guess that's all I _can_ do. . . I cannot be a miko any longer," she whispered brokenly. She gazed up at him. "Who did this?"
"A hanyou by the name of Naraku," he replied, his face impassive.
"Naraku. . ." Kagome echoed emptily as she clung to his kimono.
"Come, let's go home," Sesshoumaru said, "The sun is going to set soon." He wrapped his tail around her waist and took off, leaving behind the smoldering remains of Kagome's village.
Kagome shivered as the chill evening air enveloped her, her tears burning like ice on her face. She hugged herself to keep warm. Sesshoumaru glanced back only to see the priestess shuddering. He pulled her towards him and wrapped an arm around her, draping the sleeve of his kimono around her to further warm her up. She pressed herself against the source of warmth, cuddling her head in the crook of his neck.
"Arigatou, Sesshou," she sighed as sleep claimed her.
Sesshoumaru peeked at her through the corner of his eye. She was there, pressed against him, her face calm, but far from peaceful. Her brows were knit in anxiety, and a slight frown curved her lips. Tears still leaked from her closed eyelids. She still cried even in her sleep.
"Mama. . . Souta. . ." she mumbled.
Sesshoumaru gently wiped her tears away, careful not to scratch her with his claws. He tenderly pressed his cheek to her forehead, eyes half- closed, and remained that way until they had reached the castle.
He set Kagome on her feet, but as she was still asleep, she was unable to support herself. He bent down and carried her bridal style into the castle and into her room.
The demon lord gently laid the priestess down on her bed and pulled the covers over her. He then sat down on the edge of the futon to watch her sleep. The bed dipped with his added weight. His hand lifted from his lap to gently caress the teen's jaw line.
"Gomen," the Lord of the Western Lands whispered to the still woman in the bed, "I sincerely regret making you go through all that emotional turmoil over the past month. Added to what happened to your village, your home, I cannot express the sorrow I feel." He paused, reorganizing his thoughts before continuing. "I tried to use the Tenseiga, the life giving sword, but it would not respond to my touch. I would have brought your family back to life. I am sorry it had to be this way. But please, believe me," he promised, "I will do almost anything to redeem myself in your eyes. I just want you to be happy, like you were before. The castle has been rather quiet ever since you withdrew into this very room. Rin isn't as happy, and that, in turn, distresses me."
He stood to leave. "Sleep well, Kagome," he purred as he placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. That done, he left, closing the door gently behind him.
Kagome opened her eyes. She had awoken the moment he set foot on the ground, had known he had carried her to her own room, had heard his whispered confession, had felt his lips gently touch her forehead. She rolled over, her mind still in a state of shock. She still had yet to process the fact that her family really and truly was dead. Her heart ached in loneliness. She wished she could be in her mother's arms, confiding to her; she wished she could be in the meadow chasing Souta, tickling him when she caught up with him. How she missed them. And she never had the chance to say goodbye.
A lone tear slid down her face and was absorbed into her pillow. "Mama. . . Souta. . . I love you both. . . I'm sorry I wasn't there to say goodbye or give you two decent burials." She sniffed and another tear rolled down from her moist eyes. "I'll avenge your deaths by the death of Naraku," she promised, spitting the man's name as if it were something distasteful. "I promise. . ." Physical and emotional exhaustion took their toll, and the young woman sank back into the arms of sleep.
*The next morning*
Kagome awoke to the smell of sunshine and wildflowers. Prying open her eyes, her own blue ones gazed into wide brown ones.
"Ohayo, Kagome-chan!" greeted Rin, clutching a handful of flowers, roots and all. "Is Kagome-chan feeling okay?"
Kagome blinked and yawned. She sat up and stretched. Feeling better, she gazed at the little girl. "Yes, Rin-chan, I feel much better now."
"That's good!" exclaimed Rin, bouncing up and down on Kagome's futon. The flower stems began leaking light green juice in the eight year old's grip. Rin looked questioningly at her hand. "Ne, Kagome-chan?"
"Yes, Rin-chan?" replied Kagome, who was sitting before a mirror brushing out her midnight colored locks. "What is it?"
Rin showed the teen the crushed flowers. "What is this sticky stuff?" she asked, scrunching up her face in a cute frown.
Kagome giggled. "It's sap. You could say it is the blood of the flower."
"Blood? Why is it not red then?" she inquired.
"Well, what color are plants, Rin-chan?" she replied.
"Green."
"So what color would the sap be if plants are green, Rin-chan?"
"Green!"
"Exactly," Kagome said, tapping her finger on the girl's nose.
Rin giggled. "Rin understands now. Arigatou, Kagome-chan!" she exclaimed as she launched herself at the priestess.
"Rin."
Both girls looked up at the doorway to find the demon lord watching them.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" asked Rin.
"Find Jaken and go outside. I need to speak with Kagome," he commanded.
"Okay!" Rin got up and scrambled out the door, calling out for Jaken as she pattered down the hallway.
Kagome turned back to the mirror and continued brushing her hair. "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Kagome after a long pause.
"I am concerned about Naraku. He is after the Shikon no Tama, which you possess. It is my duty, as you are now a member of my household, to protect you," he stated. 'I cannot let you get hurt. . .'
Kagome gaped at him. "Protect me?" she asked. "But I think I will be fine by myself. . ." Her voice faded away as his amber stare intensified.
"No. I have heard many rumors that this Naraku is an extremely cunning character. He manipulates people, and many have died from his doings. I would imagine he wants the Shikon no Tama to make himself a youkai. He is determined, and will go to any lengths to get what he wants. Which is why I am going to protect you from him," he finished without taking his eyes off her astonished face.
Kagome bowed her head. "So be it," she acceded.
Sesshoumaru suddenly tensed. "Well, speak of the devil. . ." he muttered angrily.
Suddenly Kagome felt it too. Evil, evil with such intensity as she had never known. She instinctively clutched the jewel hanging about her neck.
"He's coming. . ." Kagome stated, her voice quivering. "That murderer. . ." Her voice gained in strength and anger, and she gazed heatedly at Sesshoumaru. "I will personally make him pay for what he did to my family. I will be the one to destroy him."
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "Agreed. However, I will not allow you to go into battle alone. I shall be by your side when you fight the hanyou."
Kagome nodded. "Let's go," she declared, her voice full of determination. She picked up her bow and quiver of arrows and strapped it across her back. She suddenly froze. "Sesshou?"
The dog demon simply looked at her.
"Where's Rin?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened infinitesimally. He whipped his head to look down the hall before he disappeared from sight.
Kagome cocked her head at the dog demon's sudden disappearance before realization dawned on her. Sesshoumaru had ordered her outside. . . to where Naraku could now be. "Oh no. . . Rin!" She sped off towards the direction of the intensely malicious aura, aware that Rin's own aura mingled with the former.
She skid to a halt before the front gate, and gawked. Sesshoumaru stood before the hanyou, growling. His claws were extended, and a bright green mist glowed around his fingers.
Rin was struggling in the grasp on Naraku. His blood red eyes glinted malevolently as he eyed Sesshoumaru. His black wavy hair drifted behind him, its length comparable to that of the demon lord. His skin was a sickly pale. His lips curled in a spiteful grin. He wore a black kimono and pants; his kimono was decorated with curls of yellow and dark blue.
The half demon rolled his eyes upon Kagome. His smirk widened even more. "Ah. . . the miko with the Shikon no Tama," he sneered.
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Naraku."
~*~*~*~
FT: Konnichiwa, minna-san! Can you believe it? This is the second to last chapter!
Sesshoumaru: *flexes claws* Will I kill Naraku?
FT: *mystically* Maybe. . .
Kagome: *angrily* What do you mean "maybe"?!?
FT: *shrugs nonchalantly*
Sesshoumaru and Kagome: *glares at FT with the most evil eyes she has ever seen*
FT: *gulp* Um. . . review, please? *flees as Sesshoumaru and Kagome give chase*
~*~*~*~