Captive
Author's Note:
Ahahaha, and ha, I have finally completed this chapter, and as happy as I should be, I shouldn't, I should be guilty for hibernating for so long. Shame on me, shame, well, now that that's done with, please kindly leave a review after reading, and I hope I have atoned for my misdeed with this chapter.
I think I'll also give the whole Stoic Sesshomaru a new twist here, or maybe It's not new at all; I haven't read any fanfiction in a long time.
And away we go!
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha is not mine.
Kagome fought her way through the swarthy miasma that threatened to swallow her whole. Her every footfall capturing the attention of the sickly green slime, she was slowly slipping in, but perhaps if she got to him in time...
"Inu Yasha," she vainly yelled; maybe he was not coming for her after all. She was alone, all her friends, gone, and she was to die a horrible death by quicksand. Kagome raised her foot to dismay that it was stuck, and after several unsuccessful attempts to free it, she found her other leg in the same situation. Reminding herself not to panic, Kagome calmly searched her mind for a solution to the problem, surely there was someway to escape quicksand. Her mind was blank. C'mon Kagome, think! If it's anytime to use that noggin of yours, it's now!
"What's the matter, Kagome?" The arrogant owner of the words appeared.
"Inu Yasha you jerk, I was looking everywhere for you, and you were sitting there all along?" In truth, she was never happier seeing him, "help me out of here won't you? I'm a little...stuck."
He kept on grinning at her, until something else seemed to catch his attention from behind her.
"Hey, what're you looking at?" She turned her head, but she saw nothing, and when she looked at Inu Yasha again, he had straightened up and was walking towards her. "Well, finally," she mumbled, but he paid no heed to her words, and instead, walked past her. For an instance, Kagome was dumbfounded, where was he going, "H-hey, Inu Yasha?" She reached for his sleeve, but her arm could not reach, it too was absorbed into the ooze.
"Inu Yasha, please!" Desperation ringed in her voice and her heart caught in her throat. She didn't understand, why was he doing this?
He finally halted and slowly turned her way again, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips, and she in turn breathed a sigh of relief, he was just pulling her leg ...but he just as suddenly faded into the shadows, and was gone.
"W-what?" she sputtered, her voice hoarse and obviously confused. Well, when your only ticket out of a hellhole deserts you... What was wrong with him? Why was he acting this way? Had he not seen her? But by now, the ooze had risen above her neck, its horrid stench suffocating her in a turbulence of hazy thoughts. There was only one objective in her mind now, to find him...and 'sit' him.
She tried to speak but felt choked, as if an invisible hand were squeezing her dry of her precious oxygen. Her misty eyes beheld the abomination once more, as Kikyou's wretched soul snatchers held her in place. On she watched as he broke her heart once more. His lips closed down upon Kikyou's, sealing their jarred fates and pasts into an autocratic whole. Her arms snaked behind him and they sank slowly into the earth, Kikyou was dragging him to hell.
"Inu Yasha, please, wake up!" Kagome cried, struggling against her captives, was he deaf to her?
"Wake up, you idiot!" She thrashed at her bonds and finally freed, she ran to him, but it was too late, the two disappeared into the crater. Without a second's hesitation, she hastily plunged her fingers into the damp earth to dig him out, fingernails be damned! Gravel, worms, and clumps of dirt were scattered aside. He could not have...no, she had to tell him what he meant to her, how much she cared.
"Inu Yasha!" Jaken jerked awake to the human's cacophony, he had fallen asleep whilst keeping watch on the girl.
"Quiet your mouth, wretch, lest Jaken deal with it!" He threatened, waving his staff menacingly in her direction. All he needed now was punishment from Sesshomaru-sama for his ineptness.
Her fingers eventually bloodied and her eyes already wringed dry, she gave up. 'I'm sorry; I really wanted to see the cherry blossoms with you'
"Sesshomaru-sama, come quick, the human is coming to!" Jaken jumped up from his placement on the floor to scramble out of the room.
Kagome laid sprawled on the soaked earth, so he finally left, he finally left with Kikyou. Good riddance, now she will finally be able to study for her tests, and finish all her homework. There will be no more disturbances or shard hunting expeditions from that idiot. She sniffed, wanting more than ever to see his stupid face again. She breathed in deeply; her hands were aching, maybe if she could rest for a while. Staring at her hands she nearly broke down again; how many times did she ponder on when he really was going to leave her? All the signs were there, the evidence laid in a stack that she refused to see. A mere travesty of the real thing; maybe she should have just stayed home, forgotten about the Shikon no tama, Kaede Shippou, Sango, Miroku and Inu Yasha...Damnit.
"Sesshomaru-sama!" After several calls and his lord still did not beckon, he made the gamble,
"Sessho-omph," Jaken attempted again but the words died in his mouth as his master's foot pressed into his face.
In Kagome's state of inertia, Sango immerged behind her and gave her a reassuring hug, "It'll be ok, Kagome." Words untrue but told only for comfort, and sometimes not even that, Kagome thought to herself.
Kagome glanced up at her friend, Sango, you who have gone through so much more, how can you say such simple words when you know life just isn't that darned easy?
But Sango had disappeared and Miroku instead took her place beside Kagome. The usual smile that occupied his lips was replaced with a frown, and the sparkle in his eyes disappeared along with the seal for his hand; he looked much older than his twenty years. He was silent for a moment, "Loneliness, regrets, and fears, we all harbor them, lady Kagome, either they consume us, or we overcome them."
"Overcome them?" She turned to face him, but it was too late, he too faded into stygian.
"Kagome," A familiar voice chirped above her, "What are you doing here by yourself?" Underneath the god tree, back in the present time, when she was still a child. The light scent of cherry blossoms filled the air, and for a few precious weeks, the sky rained pink petals. She stood underneath the tree in her newest clothes, her hair tied into a too tight bun, and her neck itchy because of the troublesome kimono.
How many minutes had it been since mama told her to wait there while she answered the phone? Personally, she was amazed that her mother could even hear the Bring-Bring of their telephone from so far away, but her mother was special. Like the time she had gotten a scraped knee for running in the playground, and instead of scolding her, she wiped her tears away, and simply took out a bandage and told her to be careful next time. She eventually had a scar there, it isn't very noticeable, but if you looked real close...
What was taking mama so long anyway? Kagome shifted from one foot to another, and stared at the other kids skipping to the cherry blossom picnic, some of them she knew from school while others were strangers. But they all shared a familiarity though, everyone looked happy, and for a while who had what toy 'mom, brother's not sharing', didn't matter. For a while, it was okay to be carefree and relaxed. Just then the boy she liked from class B walked by and she had had enough, glancing once more at his retreat, she decided the time was past for waiting! She pulled up her kimono and ran into the house.
"Mama, can we go now?" It was weird; the house was almost never this quiet, she wondered what had happened; maybe Mom went to the bathroom? Nope, she must still be talking on the phone; Kagome heard her quiet voice from the kitchen.
When she entered the room, she found her mother seated in the chair, staring at the refrigerator with the phone on the table. She looked different..., her face was pale, and her eyes glazed over. Was something the matter?
"Mama, are you sick, are you not feeling well?" She placed her tiny hands on her mother's forehead, feeling for any signs of fever, just what her mama did for her when she was sick. However, the forehead was cool, albeit a bit sweaty, Kagome lifted her hand away.
"Kagome," her mother suddenly held her in a tight embrace, "I have some bad news to tell you," what kind of bad news? She could not say anything though; her face was covered in her mother's sweater.
"Oh, Kagome, Papa's just been in a car accident..." What was so bad about that? They would just fix his broken bones and send him right back home like last time.
"So he can't come watch the cherry blossoms with us today?"
"I'm afraid he won't ever be coming back," Her mother sobbed, she couldn't actually see her mother's tears but she knew that her mama was crying anyways because her kimono was starting to feel damp.
It wasn't fair, papa was a careful driver, he told her himself!
Several weeks passed by after the funeral and Kagome was in the kitchen listening to the radio when the revelation sang," you could go once and come back, go twice and come back, but the third time..."
"...but the third time they won't let you go..."
"What is this wench spouting?" Jaken ogled at the sleeping girl, "She must be delirious..." He turned his face upward at Sesshomaru, hoping that he would have an answer to this, but his master's face was placidly cool, his hard eyes trained only at the girl.
"He left you again didn't he? Don't worry, he'll come back, he always comes back" Where was the voice coming from?
Kagome slowly opened her eyes to a horrible green face. On impulse, her fist met the intruder.
"Pervert!"
"Aieee, Sesshomaru-sama I told you she was possessed!" croaked someone quite familiar.
Her vision refocused and she could now make out the bald green goblin (his strange hat was knocked aside) that was Sesshomaru's ward. Geez, why did she always have such unpleasant awakenings? Her head pounded, and she felt like she had just plunged into a vat of vegetable soup. Her hand reached up to massage her tempo when she noticed that her cheeks were a little damp. She had not been crying in her sleep had she?
"Don't scare me like that; you can kill somebody you know!" She said, wiping vigorously at her face before anyone could notice.
"You wake up Mortal and the first thing you do is hurt poor old Jaken, and now you dare say I scared you?" puffed the little green man as he rubbed his face. "Too bad you didn't die," somebody mumbled a little later on.
Kagome was glaring daggers at the owner of that comment when...
"Enough," a stern voice reverberated throughout the room. She dropped her hands, and stared at Him.
He had noticed, but allowed her to cling to her last visages of dignity.
"Since you're awake now, I have something to show you," and just like that, he walked out of the room. Oh, how he irritated her, she could just...! Well, fighting him unarmed was impossible, and she did not know how to use her spiritual powers, so she contended with sticking her tongue at his back and followed. Then of course, Jaken tailed behind cursing loudly at his dealings with humans.
When they reached their destination, Sesshomaru stood aloof in the middle of the room, apparently gazing at something in front of him. Kagome slowly approached him and she saw placed upon a fine silk cushion, a transparent ball. This was no time for bowling, she thought. What had he summoned her here for; not likely was he going to tell her where Inu Yasha was, now that was most likely.
"Move out of the way," Jaken pompously whacked her legs with his staff, and stood before the ball and muttered some nonsense to Kagome's ears; of course, she did not pay too much attention, her poor legs were smarting now.
At last, when Jaken finished his incantations, he tapped the orb with his staff and the thing came alive with brilliant raw color. Primal red jostled with amethyst until the myriad of swirls settled a little later to a soft pink glow.
"Look," Sesshomaru said, barely audible.
Kagome stopped rubbing her legs and scheming for revenge for a moment to peer at the crystal orb, and she was transfixed. She utterly forgot about the injury and stepped closer in wonder and amazement, 'such a pretty color'. Her eyes followed the swarthy movements of the mist, weaving in and out of itself; she tentatively reached for the fog in spite of herself.
It was then that the swirls stopped and an image began to form...
He was dead, if not then where was that frigging stream of light coming from? Only thing was, hell couldn't be this comfortable, where was the fire and the pitchforks that Miroku promised? His eyes twitched, and that was a good sign, he was most likely alive. He slowly opened his eyes, and there was a ceiling...definitely not hell. 'Where am I? He felt amnesiac, what happened?
Let's see, first he and Kagome were sheltering in a hut, then Sesshomaru paid a visit, they got into a fight, and then he was left fending for himself when he was human and injured while Sesshomaru made off with Tetsuiga and...
"Kagome...!" He immediately sat up and regretted it; he was still a little dizzy in the head but he had to find and rescue her before it was too late; Sesshomaru was no fan of humans. His sword, he needed his sword, but it was not on him, oh yes He took it. Well, sword or no sword, he had to get moving, who knew what the scum could be doing to Kagome right this instance?
He wobbly stood on his feet, clutching the wall for support and noticed that his kimono was gone; he scanned the room for it and found it drying by the hearth. He didn't trust himself to walk alone just yet, so the wall stood as his support for the time being. It was when he was dressing that he noticed that most of his wounds had healed, but he surely should have frozen in the storm. Who was it? Who would have through all this trouble to save his sorry hide?
However, he at least found out where he was. It appeared to be another little hut, there seemed to be so many of these just conveniently lying around. The source of the 'light' was the fire burning in the hearth. But where was the tender to the hearth, the person who saved him from sure death so he would have another chance to save Kagome? He wiggled his nose, content that it had reverted to its original state; he took a sniff, and recognized that O so familiar scent of death and grave-soil. His heart skipped a few beats and he dared not breathe fearful that it was a product of his imagination.
His ears twitched at the door, and as soon as his eyes followed, she materialized. It seemed that She had not expected him to wake so soon for her eyes grew round, and her eyebrows knitted together as if combating a great struggle within. The moment froze and while they stood only several feet apart, it was too many years away. Both were unable and unwilling to look away. There was a time when they were happy... He felt his tongue working when a chilly gust of wind slipped through the entranceway and brought them back to reality. Kikyou was first to break the gaze and turn from him, as if any other such actions would weaken her resolve.
"...I thought you were dead when I reached you," she finally whispered.
He did not want to voice his question aloud, but he had to know the answer, had she changed her mind? "...why did you...?" His words trailed. Maybe her thirst for vengeance ceased.
"I...do not know why myself...," she interjected softly, clutching her arms tightly as if to ward off the ambient chill. She appeared so vulnerable and alone that he longed to reach out and stroke her soft tenuous strands of hair, embrace her and reassure her that he was with her and always would be. However, before he could act on that desire, she came to him instead with slow wavering steps. Every footfall lethargic, and a struggle; was she not able to find the souls needed to sustain her body? He watched as she slipped her arms around him and laid her face against his chest. She was close enough for him to remember the sweet scent of her hair, the warm touch of her hands and the gaiety of her voice, but so long ago... Despite himself, his own arms were around her then, his cheek resting on the crown of her head. If for just this moment, this one speck in time, he would hold on to her until every second was counted and gone. To see but not to have, we were never meant to be.
"Kikyou..."
You smell of death...
Sesshomaru could not have believed his luck when he found the soulless priestess with his half brother. Imagine the look on the girl when she saw this unveiled before her. Would the notorious tears descend from her lids? Better yet, perhaps the twinkles in her eyes would fade and dull. Such a pure power, such a pure soul, she would be the death of him yet; unless she went first, gone out of her mind by Inu Yasha's perfidy and right into His arms instead. The warmth blanketing Inu Yasha now absent, was his to use, sweet blissful heat, how I have missed the feeling.
In the most subtle way, the corners of his lips ascended, and only Jaken was any the wiser, as his gasp jarred the silence occupying the room. Sesshomaru himself studied the girl with his steeled eyes, pride from a conquest emanated through his very pupils. A wisp of her ebony hair was out of place, and he fought the urge to smooth it back behind her delicate ears. Her soft pink lips were slightly ajar, as if waiting for a lover's kiss...but whom was he fooling, she was gasping for air, recoiling from the blow he had given her.
The moisture in her eyes threatened to spill over, tears, they were called, and he wanted to catch one in his fingertips, examine it like a fool and his gold, and then...
Before the thought could continue, the girl rubbed all evidence of grief from her eyes with her fists, and promptly stalked out of the room. The strangest of females... she appeared more miffed than saddened. Therefore, just like the fool, he followed, a squeal meeting his sharp ears in his haste, but he paid no heed, only she filled his mind.