A/N Everyone, my apologies for this chapter taking so long. I have made this chapter long as an apology and hope it was worth the wait. As some of you know I have been working on other stories as well as the novels I have in progress. While all of my fanfics mean a lot to me, my novels will be the legacy I leave behind when I die. So that and other things have been taking up my time, again my apologies. Also, I am posting this request now. I need an editor, someone to look over my stories after I've made a rough draft of a chapter. This person will need a keen eye for details and should know how to fix and or better them. If anyone knows someone or is capable of doing so, please let me know. For all others, I wish thee well.
Tigress.
Moon Child
Chapter 5: The Enemy Revealed
By: TigressMoon
Kagome ran from the safety of Sesshoumaru's castle. She had not stopped to get clothes or food or even a weapon. She just ran. Her mind reeled at the visions she had seen. Was it truly possible that she had been the evil creature? Driven by bloodlust and rage, could she really have turned on Sesshoumaru? Her mother? And worse, little Rin?
No it's not possible.
She told herself and ran faster. Kagome did not even know to where she ran, her mind was turning upon itself. Her vision was a haze of violent patterns but was eerily gray in color. She did not feel the branches that reached out for her. Nor the sharp thorns that took hold of her skirts almost tearing it to shreds.
When she tumbled to the ground, she did not even stop to breath, in seconds she was on her feet again racing through the forest.
Should any come near her, be it demon, predator or other; her powers would react in a flaring blaze that would make the creature cower away from her. If they were too close for cowering they were merely destroyed. But every time it happened the word 'killer' flashed through her mind.
NO I AM NOT A KILLER!
She screamed as she crashed through the forest.
I am not a killer! And I will never harm anyone ever again.
Kagome vowed and continued on unaware that high above her, eyes followed her every move.
"Keep running Kagome, and bring yourself right into my arms."
Sesshoumaru raced calmly about his castle, trying desperately to find the rogue demi-goddess. His servants had searched the libraries, the gardens, the menageries, the bedrooms, and even the dungeons and yet there was no sign of her.
Kagome's wolves prowled around the grounds, putting and keeping everyone on edge. Their anger at not being able to find their mistress evident. They only paused their restless searching when Rin wanted to play. It seemed she was the only one who could sooth them.
An hour after she disappeared, Sesshomaru appeared before them. Moonlight still nursing her healing paw lay with her body curled around Rin as the young girl stroked her fur soothingly. Dusk watched protectively over them both, as he paced not to far from them.
Dusk stared at Sesshoumaru, his wolf-amber eyes filled with concern. It was Rin who broke the silence.
"Has Sesshoumaru-sama found Kagome-neesan?" She asked.
Both wolves perked up at the question.
"Not yet Rin." He replied.
"Rin hopes Sesshoumaru-sama finds her. Rin wanted Kagome-neesan to be Rin's new mother."
Sesshoumaru stared at her for a long moment, he wanted Kagome back as well, but for reason he could not discuss with the young girl.
"Do not worry Rin, I will bring Kagome back."
Rin stared up at him, her large chocolate brown eyes filled with hope and concern. Then before Sesshoumaru even knew what happened, Rin's small arms were wrapped around his waist. Her voice was muffled as she told him.
"Please bring Kagome-sama home. Please bring her home."
A feeling Sesshoumaru had never known swept through him. Sorrow for the Rin's insistent plea, the burning to do as she asked. And even more so, a need so deep to just find Kagome filled him that it almost scared him. He petted Rin's head trying to sooth her, that in itself already not like himself. Something about what she had said felt right. The demi-goddess had gotten under his skin. He thought of this as her home. And in a way it was.
Rin pulled away and settled down near Moonlight, who welcomed her by nuzzling her side. I stared at the dark male Dusk who was just as anxious to get his mistress home. It was to him I called.
"Dusk come with me, Moonlight you stay with Rin and help guard the barriers."
Rin looked up from her spot to gaze quizzically at him.
"Where are you going Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked.
"To bring our Kagome home."
After hours of running Kagome collapsed in a clearing. She was panting heavily without the slightest clue as to where she was or how she could find a way out. Her tears had dried on her cheeks and she furiously wiped the remnants away. Her mind was still reeling, but she had calmed some.
She had spent a lot of her energy running, and her body was still healing. She lay back on the cool grasp and tried to collect herself. When her breathing returned to a normal rhythm she sat up to see where she was.
Some yards before her there were a lake and she crawled forward till she was at the edge. Tentatively she peered into the water unsure of what she would see. Her own reflection stared back at her, looking somewhat shaken and tired, but still her.
She cupped some of the water in her hands and drank deeply. It felt like ambrosia rolling down her parched throat. She reveled in its purity and let it replenish her. Then before she could convince herself not to. She dived deep under the water and let the silence take her.
Underwater she felt weightless and free, no one could hurt her, no one could touch her, and better yet she couldn't hurt anyone else. She let the water slowly draw her back to the surface and when she broke the surface she was content.
Thinking to herself maybe she could return to the demon lord and work out what it was she saw.
Maybe I was wrong. She thought, her eyes still closed. Every vision is not definite, nothing is set in stone; they are merely glimmers of what could be.
It was then that she opened her eyes and she found herself just inches from a smiling Malachi.
"Hello Kagome." He purred.
Kagome gasped as he reached for her and dove back underwater. When she resurfaced yards away her wings were out and she pumped herself out of the water. She landed on shore, and as panic overtook her she fled into the forest.
Kagome had thought she'd run before, but that was nothing compared to how she moved now. She cut through the trees like a knife, a blur to quick too make out, but she left no destruction in her wake. She alternated between running and flying. She was moving faster than she ever had in her entire life, and yet she still heard Malachi close behind her.
She dared not look behind her for she knew the moment she did, Malachi would be upon her, and there would be no way to stop him. So she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Before long she came upon a mountain range, the one that separated the west from the east.
Somehow she knew that this range had numerous caves, she need only find one large enough and remote enough for her to hide in. She snuck inside one when she was certain that Malachi had not seen her. It was dark and cold, so much that she could see her breath as she panted.
The cave was deep but she could still see sunlight glistening from the mouth of the grotto on the walls, she needed to find a place where light couldn't touch her, and hopefully more so her hunter. She ducked behind a wall where the suns rays could not be seen, just as she heard Malachi pass her cavern's opening.
She began to mask her scent and power signal just as Malachi sent a probing thread throughout the cave. It passed her, but she could feel it looking for her like some morbid serpent. She tried to edge deeper in the crevice, but the movement must have alerted it to her presence for it turned in her direction.
Kagome was forced to remain perfectly still as it reached her barrier. If she were lucky the tendril will feel nothing but air and leave, if she wasn't, she would be discovered. She dared not move, dared not to even breath as it doggedly searched for her. It would have missed her if Malachi had not taken that exact moment to call out.
"Come out, come out wherever you are Kagome."
It broke her concentration and the tendril wrapped itself around her wrist. With an angry burst of power she destroyed it.
"There you are." She heard him coo.
Silently cursing she had to bite her tongue so as not to snarl. He knew she was here, not where she was but he knew he was close. She had broken his power line before it could tell him exactly where she was, but now he stood a better chance of finding her.
And she knew eventually that he was going to find her. She knew by the surety of his steps and his mocking laughter that bounced of the walls and ever closer to her. She wanted to move or run, but she dared not do either. She knew that the moment she did he would be upon her in seconds.
She was like a rabbit in the sight of a wolf, knowing she was already seen but could only sit still as he came ever closer. She hated the helplessness she felt. She couldn't flee but she couldn't stay. She couldn't fight him, but for the life of her, she couldn't yield either.
She was trapped with no way out, and at that very moment she felt bruising fingers grasp her wrist. With surprising force she was wrenched from out of the crevice. Before she could stop him, he had her pressed against the wall. The crushing solidity of them both made her squirm and hiss as she tried in vain to free herself.
"There you are my dear." He said with a husky purr.
Kagome stared into his piercing brown as she snarled with all the hatred she could muster.
"Let go of me you bastard."
She felt him shudder against her and even worse he pressed his hardening member on the pit of her stomach. She snarled and snapped at him with her newly sharpened teeth that longed to greet his throat.
"Such venom little hellcat, you've learned much under the demon lord's…tutelage." He growled pleasantly, his voice barely hiding the contempt and double meaning of his words.
Kagome growled in kind, something about his grip was forcing all the anger she had kept in to surface. The burning need to kill was sweeping through her, setting fire to her skin and rushing power to her body. She began pushing against Malachi with surprising force. Moments later the surprise was seen on Malachi's face.
"Let. Me. Go." She said in a dangerously quiet voice. She could not see but her eyes were shadowing from moonlight to a deep fathomless black.
Malachi unaware of the change, continued to taunt her.
"Now, now Kagome. If I let you go then we couldn't play anymore."
Kagome's power began to swirl around them both, and a deep biting cold settled over them both. For the first time Malachi looked into her eyes and was nearly pulled under by the devastating force that lay within. Before he could fully be drawn down into the icy depths he looked away.
Too distracted in not being pulled down he did not notice the increasing force of Kagome's grip. Her nails had lengthened into cruel claws and were now biting into his hands. With a gasp he looked back at her just as she declared.
"If you want to play Malachi, let's play."
A resonating boom filled the space and Malachi was flung from off of Kagome, whose wings resurfaced and she was back in the air. She had used enough force to show him what he was now up against, but not enough to knock him unconscious.
This was going to be it, no more games no more fun. Either he would kill her or she would kill him. It was now or never for her to take her stand and make Malachi fight for what he sought so hard to claim. Yes, this would end here.
She gathered all of her power around her and it swirled around her like a swarm of rabid hornets. She stood tall and straight in the sky and waited for Malachi to resurface and come to her.
He did so moments later, soaring out of the cavern with an angry battle cry sword in hand. His wings were nowhere to be seen for they were still healing. Malachi was flying by using his own magic.
A fierce hatred burned in his eyes and it was exactly what Kagome wanted. Make him hate her, make him no longer want her and then he would fight her with all of his strength. The cost of her plan, one of them would have to die. But it was a price she was willing to pay.
Seconds before he would have collided with her, Kagome calmly brought up her hand and a barrier was formed. Malachi hit it with surprising force but the barrier gave only the smallest of reactions. Snarling angrily he swiped at the force field that remained in place even after Kagome brought her hand down.
"Is that all the fight you can muster dark one?" Kagome asked, her voice listless and calm. It forced him to look at the numb expression on her face. "I feared you then…for nothing."
Malachi gave an angry roar and raised his sword. But before he could bring it down Kagome sent another blast of her power to knock him off balance. Now stronger than the first, it broke his concentration and he began to plummet to the ground.
Something inside of Kagome was coming to life like some twisted flower. It took root in her soul to blossom in her heart, branching out into her very body. Something dark and sinister was unfurling inside of her, like some large cat just waking from a long nap. It stretched inside of her before becoming part of her.
A voice began to whisper in her mind.
Hunt.
Kill.
Destroy those who would have destroyed us.
The voice was female, rich and sultry. A husky purr laced with venom. But the voice was familiar and she recognized it as a part of herself. One that was not to be feared but should be embraced. A sword appeared in her hand, as deep a blue-black as the darkest night sky and it glistened as if the stars themselves rested upon it.
Pulling her wings close around her she plunged down after Malachi, sword in hand and aiming directly for his heart. When he saw her, a horrified expression crossed his features. There was shock, anger and even better…fear. It spurred her on and she would have hit her mark had not a voice cut her through her concentration.
"KAGOME STOP!"
The voice was booming and masculine, the unquestionable command that she listen, took hold of her and she held off her assault. Kagome pulled herself some yards away from Malachi, a distance she could close fast enough to kill him should she so choose.
Her gaze rested then on Lord Sesshoumaru, who it seemed was attempting to ride to the rescue. No rescue was required. Something flashed in his eyes, but she knew not what it was. Her eyes were resting on the strange two-headed dragon that she had never seen before. It fidgeted under her gaze, but held steady under its master's hand. Before another word could be said, Dusk, whom she had not known was there, leapt at Malachi.
With an annoyed glare she caught the wolf with her power and flung him away from them both. He would have crashed into the dragon had it not seen the danger and moved to the side. When Dusk regained himself he stared at her and began whimpering. Calmly she declared.
"My kill."
Dusk continued to whimper but did not move, nor did the demon lord. It was Malachi who broke the silence. Sensing that he could not defeat Kagome with her new powers, the demon lord whose power was already well known and respected, and the treacherous wolf who had tried for his life many times, he began to flee.
"This isn't over Kagome, I will have you." Kagome glared at him but he ignored her and gazed at Sesshoumaru. "Enjoy her while you can demon."
And before anyone else could stop him, he disappeared in a blinding flash of light. When it faded and Kagome found that he was nowhere in sight a snarl so fierce that it parted the air and made the very earth shudder escaped her.
She was about to go in search of him when she felt something wrap itself about her waist. She looked down to see a strange glowing yellow whip fastened securely about her. Growling she turned in the direction of the only one who could have done it. And low and behold, there was Sesshoumaru whip in hand.
"Let. Me. Go." She demanded.
"You are in no condition to go after him."
She rounded on him then, and demanded. "Who are you to say what I will and will not do? You are not my keeper."
With his other hand, Sesshoumaru traced the crescent moon on his forehead. "On the contrary Lady Kagome, your mother has made it otherwise." He told her.
Understanding dawned on her and she could feel her face contorting with anger and frustration. Her mother, whom she had thought abandoned her, had been plotting with the demon lord without even consulting her. It was an insult she could not take. Placing barriers around Dusk and the dragon both, she lunged towards the demon lord.
He made not attempt to stop her; in fact he leapt of the dragon to prevent it from coming to any harm. She collided with him and began to pull him to the ground. Her wings pulled tight against her, she began the descent that moments earlier she had tried on Malachi. This time with Sesshoumaru in her arms.
But when she looked into his eyes she did not see fear there. There was an unearthly calm that settled over his features, even more so than usual, as if he knew that this was something that must be done. The surprise of it all made Kagome hold off the force she intended to use.
Seconds before they would have both hit the very solid earth Kagome pulled off and let Sesshoumaru fall. The impact was amazing, nearly identical to that of the one she had made not so long ago.
She stood back away from the debris, waiting for the smoke to clear. But before even that could happen a silhouette appeared behind the dust. Sesshoumaru stepped out of it, wiping dust and debris off his torn close. There was blood soaking his left arm but besides that he seemed to ignore everything, even her.
That and the arrogant calm on his face made her even angrier. It baffled her how he could be that calm when he stood before her and the power she knew she now possessed. She wondered, quite frankly, how dare he be that calm.
She lunged forward with an angry snarl, claws extended to tear him apart. But for a moment all Sesshoumaru did was continue to dust himself off. Just as she thought she had him however, again the whip wrapped itself around her and Kagome was flung from him and into a body of water she had not even realized was there.
She and Sesshoumaru had landed near the lake where she had first encountered Malachi. He had not thrown her far; the water was only about three feet deep there. But she had fallen on her back and was now completely soaked, wings and all. She growled and sputtering, chocking up water. She brought herself on all fours before snarling.
"A child Lord Sesshoumaru, you think of me as a CHILD!"
She was about to lunge forward again when she caught her reflection in the water. It was just as she had seen in her vision. Her eyes were glowing a bloodthirsty red, her face was contorted like an angry hissing cat, and her hair was a living writhing mane.
Her hands when they went to cup her face had claws and she sat in the water not knowing what else to do. Her body began to shudder, of the cold or of her own volition she was not sure. A ragged 'no' escaped her she as tried and failed to understand.
It was true; she was the evil her mother had seen. One that would kill Sesshoumaru, Rin and even her mother if she staid with them. Under her hands she could feel her face changing back to what it was. But she did not notice, what she did notice was the fact that Sesshoumaru was coming toward her.
His eyes when they met hers were no longer annoyed but filled with an emotion she had never seen before. It surpassed, worry or concern, it was something much deeper, much more potent. But she was scared she would hurt him further and cried out.
"No! Don't come any closer!"
She thought he ignored her, but she noticed he moved towards her with more caution. Again she cried. "Sesshoumaru, please, I don't want to hurt you."
"You cannot hurt me Kagome, because I can tell you do not want to." He said simply. He had his arms outstretched showing that he had no weapons and he would not hurt her. But the voice was returning. It told her to kill him before it killed her.
She fought the voice for control and said. "You don't understand, there something inside me that wants to hurt. That wants to kill. Sesshoumaru please don't come any closer." She begged, recoiled deeper into the water.
Do not warn him. KILL him. The voice screamed.
NO! Kagome screamed in kind.
"I will take my chances." He declared still inching closer.
"Sesshoumaru don't." She pleaded she tried to pull away but she falling deeper into the water before she knew it. She saw Sesshoumaru try to take his chance and lunged at her.
"NO! Sesshoumaru don't!" She screamed just as her power was ripped from her in a blinding light.
Sesshoumaru was flung away from her with enough force to make another crater inside of the one he had already made. "Sesshoumaru!" She cried and raced forward.
He had knocked over several trees but then lay slumped securely in front of the last one. Blood was trickling down his forehead and an array of minor wounds decorated his body. He seemed to be unconscious as she knelt down in front of him. Tentatively she took his pulse, he was alive and she gave a sigh of relief while closing her eyes.
A hand gripped hers and as she opened her eyes she found herself being pulled closer to the demon lord. She was about to fight when she found warm lips pressed against her own. For a moment she was confused and knew not whether to pull away or stay.
Then those lips began to move, tenderly, as if it were afraid that she would break under strong pressure. She realized then that Sesshoumaru was alive and well. She gasped when his palm cupped her face, but the movement allowed him greater access to her mouth.
His hot probing tongue tickled her own as he tasted her. The voice had quieted down under the new attention, it too knew not whether to help or flee. But just as suddenly as it had started Sesshoumaru pulled her away, the sudden lack of his presence made her gasp and shudder.
His eyes when they reached hers were a lazy molten gold that burned with such intensity that it surprised her. "Sesshoumaru?" She questioned before again his lips were on hers. This time fiercer demanding a response. And she did. Tentatively she kissed him back, reveling in the way he gave a husky growl in reply.
He drew her bottom lip tenderly between her teeth and sucked on the soft flesh. She moaned and her hands wrapped themselves in his hair, urging him on. His fingers began to trace lines down her body. The torn fabric parted away from her with a sigh. Before she could stop him, she found herself naked before him.
She saw the hungry look that flickered through his eyes and shuddered; she needed to stop him they needed to talk. But just as she was about to tell him, his mouth captured her nipple.
She cried out before she could stop herself. He began to suckle the quickly hardening mound, pulling and nipping at different intervals. His other hand worked her other breast with the same exquisite torture. Her voice was a breathy whisper when she said. "…Sesshoumaru."
He seemed not to hear her as his other hand began to drift further south. "…By the Goddess." She said gripping his hand to get his attention. "Sesshoumaru please…we have to talk." Her voice was a pleading whisper but Sesshoumaru heard her and complied, somewhat reluctantly she noted, but complied.
The ruined gown would not keep her warm, so Sesshoumaru drew her into the bend of his chest. "I can fix it…" She told him reaching for the fabric. Sesshoumaru's tail wrapped itself around her waist and drew her closer to him.
"Fix it later." He commanded huskily.
Kagome sighed and snuggled closer to the warm curve of his chest. For a moment she lay there, content to just be near him. Of all the people, she never expected Lord Sesshoumaru to care, let alone want her in such a manner. It was almost a pleasant surprise.
"Sesshoumaru, I could not let you go any further without you knowing the whole truth about me." She began and Sesshoumaru remained quiet.
"Do you remember when I told you of my mother's prediction?" She felt him nod.
"Sesshoumaru…I am that thing. That darkness that she could not see. The power that rivaled that of her daughter is her daughter. And I cannot control it. Today when I touched Rin's hair, I got a vision showing me this. I saw what I stand to become."
"Is that why you fled?"
A creeping blush flourished on her cheeks. "That and other things."
She felt him look down at her and she returned his gaze. That emotion was in his eyes again. This time it was screaming 'See me, See me, understand me!' but for the life of me I could not.
"What else did you see Kagome?" He asked.
"I saw myself…I saw myself kill you…and Rin…and my mother." She said, the tears forming in her eyes again. Sesshoumaru held her closer and she cried against him, the only rock she had found in a world of quick sand.
"It was horrible. And you saw it Sesshoumaru, you saw what I looked like. How can you still care after seeing me like that?" She demanded.
He tipped her face up to his and kissed her gently. "Because dear one, it is not so strange among my kind."
The mere shock of his words made her conveniently forget he called her 'dear one'.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"You were like a youkai female, with of the two desires that drive them surfacing. Hunting and mating."
Slowly the words began to make since to me. "In that sense Kagome you are kindred to a demon. Kindred…but not kind. You don't have to worry about being slave to that principle."
She smiled weakly. "So I'm not evil." She asked and Sesshoumaru chuckled huskily. She was so shocked by it that her mouth formed a small 'o'.
He laughed this time and cupped her face with his palm. Kagome leaned into the touch. "No more so that I."
That caused Kagome to laugh in kind, from the stories she had heard about him, there were many who would contest that statement.
"But I still must speak with my mother before we go any further."
"Of course." He declared and settled down more comfortably. It was then Kagome remembered his injuries.
"Sesshoumaru your wounds…" He silenced her with a kiss.
"Are already healed." He replied calmly. "Go to sleep dearling."
Dearling? Kagome repeated in her mind. That was her word. However she did not terribly mind it coming for its source so she smiled.
The sun had already set and stars were beginning to fill the sky. She would speak with her mother tomorrow, and for this one moment all would be perfect. No Malachi, no worries, no evil, no death. Just Sesshoumaru, her and the stars.
She snuggled closer to him, placing her head on his chest. She could feel his heart, a heart that was beating for her. And smell his rich scent. He smelled like vanilla and sandalwood, with a undercurrent that was undeniably male. As his breathing slowed and she knew he was sleeping she whispered.
"Good night beloved."
And that everyone is the chapter. I hope it was worth the wait, and I will try to update more quickly. If after two weeks I have not updated I am giving everyone permission to threaten me into doing so…BUT NOT WITHOUT REASON. I will begin writing the next chapter as soon as my cold lets up. Again I thank everyone for reading. Be you well, safe and blessed.
Your faithful authoress,
Tigress