Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor the manga or anime
(Sun Moon1285 enters the room)
SunMoon1285: Hello fellow readers!! I am so happy that I got reviews from you guys! Well, I know you are quite confused by now... Sorry for not putting the RAPE alert... I'll try to warn if something like that would happen
Sesshomaru: She wants to thank Seshura for the lovely chocolates... They helped her a lot...
SunMoon1285: Well... Despite the confusion... please bear with me... in the next chapters you'll understand.
Chapter 13: Mending a Broken Heart
Naraku arrived to his castle hastily. He looked rather enveloped in fury and confusion. His dark hair was flowing like a dark veil behind his quick steps. His eyes narrowed as he cracked his fingers in anger.
"Is something wrong Lord Naraku?" Kagura asked as she came to view. Inside she was aching with fury and anger. 'Just be patient. Soon I will be free from this hell'.
"The plan didn't go as far as I wanted to" Naraku confesed.
"You? The Great Naraku has failed?" Kagura asked disbelievingly before clutching her chest from the pain as Naraku summoned Kagura's heart and squeezed on it.
Naraku turned and gave a sinister smile before withdrawing causing Kagura to fall to her knees.
"At least... it had the right effect on the miko..." Naraku sneered as he chuckled an evil laugh.
'Naraku... some day... someone will defeat you and I will be free' Kagura thought to herself as she took out a feather and flying away from this prison.
He gave her away to one of the lady servants before retreating to his chambers. He was in deep thought as he tried to calculate what had happened.
'Indeed she was hurt... and she did have a hannyou scent... as far as I calculated... the scent of her blood was overpowering all else... Inuyasha I swear by the heavens and hells that I will kill you with my bear hands', he thought before sleep overtook him.
The next day, Sesshomaru did his usual duty of patroling his lands. He searched to see a sign of the hannyou half-brother of his but to no avail. Worried of the miko's condition he turned back and rushed to her room.
Sesshomaru hesitated before opening her bedroom chamber. It has been days since she lost consciousness... now she lay on the futon wearing a black silk nightgown that covered her body completely. She opened her saphire eyes and saw him nearing closer. She huddled to the bed post hugging herself.
"Don't... look... at me!!!" she said, "I'm dirty and ugly don't look at me!!"
Even as she tried to fend him off, he manage to catch her arms and holding her tenderly against him. She shuddered violently as she cried and sobbed into his chest.. His mark shone faintly on her neck. He cursed at his mark for not protecting her from others like he said it would. He wanted to know what happened, how it happened so that it would fuel him to kill his half- brother. 'No one should touch her but me...'. He rose his head quickly at a familiar scent. A scent that belonged to the person he was most anxious to kill.
He rose from the futon and headed to the door.
"Where are you...going?" Kagome asked weakly.
"To take care of something" Sesshomaru said in a deep voice as he quickly shut the door. Jaken was at the front entrance trying to fend of the group. Inuyasha waited impatiently as the shard hunting group looked on upon him. Miroku knew that something was bothering him... but he couldn't quit pinpoint at what exactly. He leaned on his staff as he tried to study the hannyou's behavior. Sango was petting Kirara as she looked warily in case there was a surprise attack. Shippo remained atop of Kirara yearning to hug Kagome and to play with Rin.
"Listen toad!! I don't have time for this so you might just move away before you die" Inuyasha growled, "I want to see if Kagome's there!!"
"He's right... we have not seen her since the night you two returned from her era... it's as if she disappeared" Sango added in a stern tone.
"I suggest you leave, Lord Inuyasha, before Lord Sesshomaru kills you in a heartbeat" he warned.
"Why would the Lord of the West kill Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.
"Yeah... Why the hell would he kill-" Inuyasha was cut short before a blur of white pummeled him to a nearby column of the castle.
Sesshomaru looked at him through narrowed and merciless eyes as he waited for his half-brother to get up. Inuyasha eventually got out of the rubble and smirked.
"Good greeting... not bad for the Lord of this castle" he mocked as he took out Tetsusaiga.
Sesshomaru removed Toukijin and awaited his attack. He knew better to fight with a right mind than losing himself to his rage.
Inuyasha took the offensive and slashed at Sesshomaru. In a swift move, Sesshomaru disarmed Inuyasha and held him by his neck. Inuyasha groaned in pain.
"This... is ... new... What's....... damning you?" Inuyasha asked at the furious taiyoukai.
"You will die for what you did to her..." Sesshomaru swore as he squeezed his neck a bit more.
"Wait!!! What do you mean?" Sango asked as the group neared closer to them.
"He... raped... the miko!" Sesshomaru replied in an icy tone as he rose Inuyasha into the air.
"Inuyasha... how... could you?" Sango blurted before sobbing quietly. Miroku held her close.
"He was missing during that night..." Miroku added, "but... it isn't like him to do that..... Drop him now!!" Miroku ordered.
Sesshomaru turned his fiery glare at the monk. He too noticed that it was not like Inuyasha to just claim someone out of anger. But still... he will not be defeated mentally by a monk.
"You dare order the Lord of the West in HIS domain!" Sesshomaru sneered. He turned back at the wheezing hannyou as he smirked proudly.
"You'll die slowly... I want to see the life drained out of you" Sesshomaru added in a dark tone.
"SESSHOMARU STOP!!!!" a voice yelled atop the stairs.
Sesshomaru's mark began to react at the voice as his grip began to loosen. Eventually, he released Inuyasha. Inuyasha crumbled to the ground wheezing and reaching his hand to his throbbing throat. Everyone looked up at the beautiful miko as she weakly got down the stairs.
"Ka...go... me" Inuyasha whispered as he stood up.
Sesshomaru went to the miko and stared at her coldly.
"What the hell are you doing miko? Do you want to see the culprit go about free after doing this to you?" Sesshomaru asked cooly.
"No..." Kagome replied as she came close to Inuyasha, " but I need to find out something first... Inuyasha I want you to answer the following questions... answer yes or no... got it?"
"Yeah..." Inuyasha answered.
The group looked on quietly at the twosome as Sesshomaru controled his youkai instincts to just kill both of them: one for the crime and the other for stupidity.
"Do you like me?"
"I guess..."
"Do you love me as much as Kikyo?"
"What? Where you gettin' at?"
"Let me rephrase the question: Do you love Kikyo?"
"......"
"Yes or no!!!!!"
"Yes"
"Did you see... what happened last night between Sesshomaru and I?"
Everyone rose their heads at this. Even Sesshomaru turned his face in amazement.
"Yes" he answered as a tear trailed down his cheek, "but... I didn't rape you... I couldn't have done it!!! After I saw you with that jackass... I needed some time to think... so I went back to the place where you first found me and saw Kikyo... and..." he trailed of soundlessly as he tried to back away his tears.
"I don't believe you..." Sesshomaru said coldly.
"Inuyasha doesn't smell like Kagome... only of Kikyo and... trees" Shippo said as he sniffed at him.
"I'll be the judge of that, fox" Sesshomaru said as he stepped towards Inuyasha
Sesshomaru took in his scent... and the little fox demon was correct. From his silence everyone thought that Shippo was correct in his statement.
"Then if it was not Inuyasha... then who was it?" Miroku asked.
"Whoever he was... he was a hannyou..." Sesshomaru added, "That was all I could pick up of that area."
"Naraku..." Kagome whispered.
"Kagome... I know it must hurt... but tell me... show me what happened..." Inuyasha pleaded.
Everyone grew wide-eyed at his proposition with the exception Sesshomaru who scoffed at his request. Kagome let a lone tear fall down her cheek as she told them what happened.
"He kissed me... I tried to pull away but he kept me in place. His ragged breath was smoldering. And his eyes... they were different from before. I screamed and yelled as he tore up my clothes with his sharp claws. He gave no regard as he tore my skin. For each time that I would not consent he would punch me and everything grew dark... but the mark... the mark that Sesshomaru gave me... it confused him... as it eventually gave me energy and managed to create a weak barrier that granting me a chance to run for it... I ran and ran... I couldn't see anything and then... I fell... and something got me... I saw him staring from the edge... his smirking face as I lost consciousness... then I saw you... Sesshomaru..." Kagome trailed off as she shivered and wept quietly.
Sango and Miroku gave her comforting hugs, Shippo cried quietly as he jumped to Kagome's shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. Inuyasha boiled with anger and quickly held her tightly against him. He slowly pulled away and left the castle. He wouldn't waste anymore time.
'Your grudge is with ME, Naraku... I'll make sure you rot in hell for this...' Inuyasha thought as he left towards the forest.
"We'll see after him... when you get better... we'll hunt Naraku down!" Sango promised as they retreated from the castle.
"Thank you, Sango" Kagome whispered.
Kagome turned back to Sesshomaru who looked at her with his emotionless mask. She turned away from him from shame and sadness. 'What must he be thinking at this moment?'
"What is wrong, Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I must look shameful to you..." Kagome replied.
"You look like a silly ningen" he added as his eyes trailed her body, "but other than that... you're still the same miko that has managed to change this- me."
Kagome let out a small laugh. Even after her hard ordeal, she had granted him with a laugh. His cold mask was failing him, as his amber eyes softened with warmth. Sesshomaru stepped closer and held her.
"You really are an interesting creature, miko," Sesshomaru said as he traced his hand gently across her cheek, "you always find a way to intrigue me beyond my imagination."
"Coming from a person who hasn't felt emotions... I'll take it as a compliment..." Kagome said.
"Now... you have to rest stubborn ningen... or else you won't be able to fight Naraku" Sesshomaru added as he put back his emotionless mask.
"Um... Sesshomaru? Soon... Kaiyan will have the potion ready... and this bond would be over..." Kagome lost her words as Sesshomaru quickly bent down and gently suckled the same spot on her neck.
"That's a reminder for you... to not ask that senseless question again in the future..." he said nonchalantly as he walked away.
"Thanks Sesshomaru..." Kagome said, "for being so understanding... and nice to me" 'I know how hard it is for you to experience so many things at once... and yet try to help the ones in need'
Sesshomaru merely stopped for a minute without facing her to signify that he was listening, then continued onward. He searched his mind and found that he held no regrets for what he just did. With that said, he went back to his study but not before he quickly summoned a servant to escort Kagome back to her room.
SunMoon1285: Whoo hoo!!! Another chapter done!!!
Sesshomaru: (sarcastically) yay.....
SunMoon1285: I hope you guys understood the plot for now... Inuyasha didn't rape Kagome... he only saw Kagome and Sesshomaru together... whereas Naraku was in disguise (like he did when he tricked Kikyo 50 years ago) when he tried to rape Kagome. I'm sorry if my story doesn't quite meet with your expectations... (caught offguard by a chaste kiss of Sesshomaru) uh.....
Sesshomaru: I think you're doing great
SunMoon1285: (smirks) Thanks...... um... right...... Please review and no flames...
Chapter 14: A Decision to Make
Sesshomaru thought deeply as he stared at the potion that Kaiyan just left him. His words played in his mind. If he drank it... he would be free... without bindings... without pain and dark memories of his captor. But then... Sesshomaru came to realize that he has begun to like her company. Her ebony hair, her saphire eyes, her pale skin and her beautiful smile. He smiled faintly at the times they shared together and how she was teaching him about emotions, laughter, and life. Something that the demon lord has never experienced and made him powerful and merciless throughout the lands. Unfortunately, this proved to be a weakness for the Lord of the West. His pride and common sense told him that he couldn't be with her... but his heart was tugging him towards a life with her. He narrowed his eyes as he came to a decision. He slowly raised the vial to his mouth....