(AN)---thanks go out to all reviewers! ^_^
It Changes Everything
Chapter Two:
Play Nice
Buyo hopped onto the bed and Kagome let out a soft screech of alarm. The sound was quickly followed by a shaky laugh, and then finally a sigh of relief. She picked up the neko and scratched him affectionately behind the ears, cradling his ample body to her chest. My imagination isn't going to like me very much for awhile...
"Did you think you would be safe here, miko?"
Kagome nearly fainted from how hard her heart suddenly thumped against her chest. It was far too soon after her initial shock. She turned her head and there he was, a towering outline before the soft light that filtered in through her window. Buyo lifted his head and calmly peered at the dog-demon from the shelter of Kagome's arms.
"That I couldn't follow? That I would waste away as time ran out?"
"Sesshoumaru," she whispered, she pressed her back against her headboard, but made no further movements to get away. He couldn't hurt and she knew it. Not because he said so, but because she felt it. Just as she knew she couldn't hurt him. That didn't mean she didn't feel fear quiver all the way down into the base of her stomach. That fear, however, did not prevent her from latching onto his words.
"Wait a minute, what are you talking about?"
He stared at her, and the steady ticking of her clock emphasized his stillness, gave weight to his silence. He blinked, one long, graceful sweep of lashes. "Of course, the hanyou would not tell you."
"Wouldn't tell me what?" Her mind wound back to the morning, when Inuyasha had tried to kill this creature before her through her kiss. It was becoming quickly apparent that she could no longer trust Inuyasha, not where Sesshoumaru was concerned. "What wouldn't he tell me, Sesshoumaru?"
His gold eyes turned on her, bright in the shadowed room. "If we are not mated by the night of the full moon, the curse will consume this Sesshoumaru. I will die."
He said it so calmly. She couldn't breathe past her shock, and he spoke as if death meant nothing to him. But she stared up at him from her nest of blankets and knew it wasn't true. An uncaring soul would not have put aside his hate and disgust and sought her out.
The curtains came billowing in and Sesshoumaru turned, Toukijin drawn and already up to meet Tetsusaiga. Sparks danced in her room where the two demon-swords met, the momentary flash of light illuminating Inuyasha's enraged face.
"Get away form her, Sesshoumaru!"
Sesshoumaru thrust forward and the force of his sword against Tetsusaiga sent Inuyasha flying through the air. He crashed into Kagome's bedroom wall, knocking the clock down to shatter on the floor. He rolled to his feet and charged again, swinging Tetsusaiga at his brother in a wide sweeping gesture that took out the lamp on her nightstand. Sesshoumaru stepped aside, disappeared and reappeared far out of the huge fang's physical reach.
Inuyasha stood, Tetsusaiga's massive blade pointed towards the ceiling and his breath coming out in soft, short pants. "You waited until nightfall, when you thought I wouldn't be paying attention..."
Sesshoumaru smiled, one of those odd little smiles he got when Inuyasha said something that he found particularly amusing. "I knew you would follow, dear little brother. I counted on it."
Inuyasha's growl filled her room, a deep vibration of warning that thrummed against her spine and made her feel as if her whole body was shaking. Inuyasha brought Tetsusaiga up, ripping a huge gash in her floor as he did so. Sesshoumaru parried the under-handed swing and came back down with his own.
Kagome jumped from her bed just as the two fangs met again, metal screeching on metal. "Stop it," she screamed, her hands clutched at her sides as the tension in the room poured over her. "Stop fighting!" Something thudded into her, just barely, but enough to send her falling back onto her bed. The room was far too small for two people to fight, let alone three. Throw two swords into the mix and her room was quickly becoming a disaster area.
Her anger riled, and a head-ache blossoming in her head, Kagome stomped right into the middle of the battle with no regard for demon or blade. Bypassing Sesshoumaru, who had stopped when he saw her enter his line of vision, Kagome grabbed one of Inuyasha's white ears and squeezed it hard.
He yelped, his sword arm dropping and Tetsusaiga de-transforming.
"I said, STOP FIGHTING!" She made sure to scream it directly into his face, keeping one eye on Sesshoumaru to make sure he didn't make any threatening moves. The full-blooded youkai sheathed Toukijin, leaving his hand resting casually on the hilt.
"I'm protecting you, bitch! Don't you get that?!"
"What?! Protecting me from the truth?! Why didn't you tell me there were conditions to the curse?"
Inuyasha's struggling away from her squeezing fingers stopped. He stared at her for several seconds, then said, quietly, "You want free of him, don't you?"
"Not.enough.to.kill.for.it," she ground out slowly, each word dragging through her throat in anger.
He jerked away from her, and she let him go. Watched as he rubbed at his bruised ear and slid Tetsusaiga into its scabbard.
"Out," she said. "Get out now."
The two dogs stared at her, then each other.
"You heard her," Inuyasha growled at his brother, his hand falling back down to curl around his sword's ragged hilt.
"I believe she was referring to you, halfling," Sesshoumaru said. "The miko and I...have business to discuss. It does not concern you."
"Stay away from her!"
"Make me."
Kagome twitched, and again. A fine line of trembling took her body, and when she raised her head, both brothers stepped back. Their expressions almost identical.
"Both of you. Out."
Again, they stared at her, then each other.
"You first."
"No, you."
"You!"
"You."
"Just go, DAMN IT!"
"OUT!" Kagome screamed. "OUT-OUT-OUT-OUT-OUT-OUT..." She went over to her wall and kicked it, once for every howl that erupted from her mouth. It was that or pour her frustration out on the two creatures that so obviously deserved it. When she was done her foot was sore and her voice was just a hoarse chant reminiscent of her initial shriek. Her hands fell to the wall, palms flat, and she leaned against it tiredly.
They were gone, having fled the sight of a seriously brassed-off miko.
She didn't know which one had swallowed his pride, conceded the 'battle', and left first---her eyes had been closed. She didn't know nor did she really care. All she knew was that if they hadn't gone, she would have done something horrible. Lifting her head, she stared around at the mess that had once been her nice and tidy room. She sighed.
Glass crunched behind her and Kagome spun around, a fierce growl of warning already spilling from her throat.
Mrs. Higurashi peered in through the half-open door, her eyes wide. "Kagome, are you alright? What was all that noise?"
Kagome's head thumped against the wall.
TBC...
So, was that anti-climatic or what? ^_^ Sorry about the wait, but I have this little personal rule over not posting a chapter of a story until I have at least part of the next chapter written. It doesn't make sense, I know. I'm having problems with chapter three, but some parts are finally beginning to unwind in my mind a little. I only hope I can get it done. Of course, you can also blame the lateness of this chapter on "Juxtaposition". Is it natural to be sucked into your own story? It keeps demanding that I write on it, though it is less popular than this one. Oh well, I write where my ideas take me. ^_^
A few of you have expressed concerns about the curse. If you haven't read "Three Times a Lady", that may help you a little with the background. But truth is, I'll be revealing the nature of the 'curse' through Kagome. Whatever information she learns, you will learn. She has already learned three bits of info. One, that she and Sesshoumaru cannot harm each other physically.
Two, that the 'curse' is mystical and potentially dangerous to Sesshoumaru, if she...I don't know the word to use. "Cheats" is so generic. That's where the kiss factored in the first chapter. You have to remember the 'curse' roped her in as being 'his mate', so conditions will spring up to try and force her into that mold.
Speaking of which, let me say something that may seem a little off-topic, but has always bothered me about fics in the IY fandom...Dogs do not mate for life. Dogs only mate to produce pups, and then they go on their merry way as soon as the act is done. In fact, some dogs will even attack their pups if they come across them again. Incidentally, that factors into the story later on. Consider it a spoiler. ^_^ I suppose it's okay to say that YOUKAI mate for life, but I get a little annoyed when the statement is based on the fact that Sesshoumaru and/or Inuyasha are dogs. Not trying to upset anybody with stories centred around the 'mating' concept, I have read some that have made me completely forget that little fact. But...just something I've always wanted to point out, but never had a place to do so.
Okay, now we can get back to the core of the topic! ^_^ The third condition that has been presented is that there IS a time-limit. Now, some of you may have groaned at that inclusion, but just bare with me. The time-limit is the catalyst to get things moving. I fully believe that if nothing were there to poke at our heroine(and anti-hero), then Sesshoumaru would either try to kill Kagome (again), or not even pay attention. It also takes the place of the 'in heat' plot device, and let's all breathe a sigh of relief for that. :-D This is so much better than turning Sesshoumaru into a hormone-driven monster, believe me. :-) *thinks a moment* Though that can be fun, too. If done right. But that is a common plot in S/K fics, and I am trying to steer clear of some of the clichés. Though I will use them if they are logical steps in a story. ^_^
Is that a long AN or is that a long AN? Have I helped anyone with their questions? Or just helped to confuse more? :-\