Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor the manga, nor the anime
Chapter 17: Recovering Feelings
'It is all over... There is no hope for me...' Kagome thought.
"Kagome... come to me... So you will notice what has happened..." Sesshomaru ordered without looking up.
Kagome stepped close to Sesshomaru but then stopped when Kagome fell to her knees screaming in pain. Sesshomaru quickly stepped away until the pain subsided.
"NO!!!!" Kagome cried as tears streamed down her face.
He clutched his burning mark that beckoned him to come closer to her, tempting him to go farther and soothe her sadness.
"This is as close as we can be... He made you his mate..." Sesshomaru said as his eyes met hers. Kagome looked at him as he fought vainly the tears that continued to well his amber orbs.
"Sesshomaru..." Kagome said softly as she reached a shaking hand for him. 'I can't touch him... I can't soothe his pains. I can't get close to him...'
Kagome quickly shot her head up in realization.
"The potion!!!" Kagome cried, "We can use the potion to clear Inuyasha's mark!"
"I have thought of that... but that will only work for an unwanted mark... You loved Inuyasha, and you still do. That is why it will not work," Sesshomaru answered.
"I do not love Inuyasha!!!" Kagome yelled.
"Yes you do... I can still sense your warmth to him even after what he has done... you still retain some feelings for the hannyou... perhaps more than you do for me" Sesshomaru replied quietly.
"..." Kagome lost all of her words. She couldn't speak, think, or even move. 'This must be a bad dream... It must be.'
She rose her face to see Sesshomaru flying into the night, back to his castle. He couldn't bear his feeling any longer, he needed to remain away for a while. Kagome had lost all hope for her to remain alive.
"Thinking about dying wench?" Kaiyan replied as he appeared from the shadows.
"I lost my reason to breathe, my life-force... my love... WHY SHOULDN'T I??" Kagome yelled as she turned angrily at Kaiyan as a pinkish aura emanated from her.
"Your quarrel is not with me dear miko... but with the hannyou" Kaiyan stated plainly, "It was rude and cowardly of him... to take you forcefully and preventing you and the Lord of being together. To think I actually believed that somehow the Taiyoukai might become a whole new being. I guess it was selfish of me."
"Why are you here?" Kagome asked.
"Hmph... Although I surely to not help others, especially mikos... I am willing to make an exception. Listen well, I cannot remove the mark, for you retain some feelings for Inuyasha, only YOU can make it fade away"
Kagome slumped to the ground.
"It is hopeless..." Kagome said quietly, "How can I hate a person that I have loved..."
"Sometimes wench... a new love can beat another" Kaiyan said to her ear before vanishing into the night.
"A new love? Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked aloud, "Yes! I do love him... and now I'll prove how great my love is for him..."
She quickly gathered her strength and mounted Ah-Un and went to encounter her love. 'I hope my love is enough to beat this...'
When they arrived at the castle, Kagome went quickly to the room. Sesshomaru was nowhere to be found so she inferred that he was around patrolling his lands. In her room she tried to gather all her strength for the coming test.
After a few hours, Sesshomaru arrived from patrolling his lands. He indirectly gave Kagome a choice to either go back to the hannyou or return to him with the help of his beast Ah-Un. He rejoiced quietly that she chose the latter when he smelled her scent of sakura blossoms as he entered the tall, wide, wooden doors of his castle. But no joy could suffice the demon lord other than Kagome being his, but only with her presence was enough for him for the moment.
Sesshomaru realized that the castle was still empty for some time. Sesshomaru was walking through the halls of his castle when he was struck out of his thoughts by an enchanting tone. A song. It seemed to come from the woman who has caught his fancy for some time now.
He reached to her room whose door was ajar. Inside, Kagome was twirling with translucent sheets around in circles while singing. Her eyes were closed to the world as she sang.
Fall into my arms
for help is on its way
And we'll draw to the moon
As we did in those golden days
Sesshomaru felt entranced by the strange lyrics of the song and most of all, her voice. He went inside and rested on the wall watching with his amber orbs to the young woman who twirled softly, deftly maneuvering the sheets to seem as if they were petals that blossomed into the angel that stood before him. These months of peace have brought him warmth and experience to classify what feelings were which. He felt protectiveness for Rin, as any parent would, and for Jaken he held a tiny bit of admiration for his loyalty in all that disdain and cruelness Sesshomaru held for him. But Kagome... she was a paradox... he felt admiration and awe for her innocence and beauty, both body and soul, he felt protective of her, and wanted her to be with him forever... he didn't want to be alone as he was before. She was the light in his cold heart, the flame that lighted and created the spring in his heart. He identified this feeling as true love.
Don't live in your torment
Don't pray for your loneliness
And move you overturn
Instead come over to me
Sesshomaru felt himself walking towards her. His hand stretched forward, reaching to her, to see if it was a dream or an allucination.
For once upon a time you found
the binds of your holiness
All you want to find
Is the sacred me...
She stopped singing and opened her eyes. Her neck burned from his closeness to her, but she still held her ground. But that pain was enough to make her stop singing the melody that rapt the demon lord. She quickly bit her lip and turned towards him.
"Oh... sorry you startled me" Kagome lied.
When Sesshomaru caught the sight of his brother's mark he quickly backed away in realization of his foolish action. Kagome caught sight of his apologetic eyes and quickly went up to him.
"It doesn't hurt... Kaiyan said to me that there is hope-" Kagome was cut short.
"I will depart to my room..." Sesshomaru said, "Forgive my intrusion and my brash actions"
Before Kagome could respond, Sesshomaru left the room.
That night, Kagome could not sleep. She felt so sorry for Sesshomaru and regretted not having explained to him what Kaiyan said when he went to her room. She quietly got out of her bed in her black satin gown and left her room. She walked through the dark hallways fearfully. It was extremely quiet and dark, save the sound of the hard rainfall outside. The twigs snapped wildly at the window and created monstrous and horrible silhouettes simulating demons as if reaching for her. She ran the rest of the way until she reached the master door leading to Sesshomaru's room. After she caught her breath and gathered her senses she realized what she was doing.
"Damn... I can't go back... It's way too creepy..." Kagome said quietly. 'I need you, Sesshomaru'.
She turned to the door. 'Just standing here makes me safe... His presence, his embrace, his touch make me feel so secure'. With that thought in mind she opened the door and crashed into something hard, warm, and soft. A sharp pain instantly burned her neck and with a quick deep breath she kept herself in control. 'I will be close to him no matter what...'
"Hm... I guessed right..." Sesshomaru said softly. He was shirtless wearing only a pair of white silk pants. He heard a sound that roused him from his slumber and wished secretly that it would be her.
"I so wanted to see you..." Kagome whispered heartily to him
"I'm sorry I could not offer comfort... Doesn't it hurt you to be near me?" Sesshomaru questioned her.
"Like hell..." she chuckled softly, "but if you can keep it at bay then so can I. I now know how you felt... being taken from your own free will and forced to submit to someone regardless of your strength. Even more so, how much you've controlled yourself from having me." She quickly wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru's broad, strong chest and buried her face in it. "I'm so scared..."
Sesshomaru embraced her tightly and reassuringly, running his long fingers through her ebony hair.
"Of the rain?" he chuckled. A soft laugh came out when he said that. It sounded so melodic and angelic, like the voice of a fallen angel.
"NO!!! Of losing y- wait... you made a joke AND you just laughed" Kagome said.
"You make me feel different... It is hard restraining myself when I'm alone with you... I want to show you something," he said as he took her hand, "Come in..."
He drew her into the room. The room was big and dark. Black silk curtains decorated the two floor high room. Velvet chairs and vanity mirrors were located at the right of the room. The black hand-made cabinet and closet were at the left side next to a hallway that led to the balcony. The windows and doors still showed the hard rain and the gusts of wind, but having Sesshomaru close made all fade into nothingness.
They both sat on the bed as they stared at each other. Kagome was mesmerized by the lovingness of Sesshomaru's eyes that he didn't hide from her. Kagome realized that the burning pain from the mark is worth being beside the person she loved.
'For once see me... see only me' Sesshomaru thought as he pulled her to him and held her tenderly.
"Why of all the females in the world, I find you, and you take my world over?" Sesshomaru said as he tilted Kagome's head to kiss her breathlessly.
Kagome felt the love that emanated from Sesshomaru. The mere thought of him sent shivers down her spine and butterflies in her stomach. She smiled inwardly as she wished for the day she would get rid of her mark and give herself entirely to him. Suddenly, she realized that the burning has subsided. 'Wha- w-why?' She quickly pulled away from the intoxicating kiss and was about to feel the mark when Sesshomaru's hand beat her to it. He had noticed something was different as well.
"Is it gone?" Kagome asked desperately.
"Yes... I do not smell him on you... Sesshomaru affirmed.
SunMoon1285: I'll end it here... please review!!! (and for once... no cliffy)
Sesshomaru: Yeah right
SunMoon1285: At least I answered the question
Sesshomaru: Do not worry readers... I'll make sure she does this over her homework... (glares at a shuddering SunMoon1285)
SunMoon1285: I apologize... and by the way readers... Belonging to You is reaching its final chapters... after this I will probably do a romance of Fushigii Yugi or Imadoki... it's just a thought
Sesshomaru: How about another for Inuyasha?
SunMoon1285: Yeah... I have something for that too...
Sesshomaru: Tell tell!!!...
SunMoon1285: It will probably be out in November and it'll be called 'A Strange Transformation'... no more comments