A/N: This is the chapter when something actually happens…. Kukuku….
Inuluvher151: No, this is my first fanfiction. I've read about that kind of thing happening, though. I can't remember which story it was… Hm..
Blackstorm50: Poor squirrel! ::sob:: I like squirrels.
Hiei's.punk.rocker.girl: Hey, that's ok. All of my friends call me hopeless too. And I'm glad that you're not mad at me!
Banana Rum: You should be writing too!
Inlovewithsesshomaru: I'm glad that you enjoy this story so much.
S's one&only: I feel so loved. Heehee.
Demonloverangel: Yay!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, ok?
Beta Read by Kalliel/ Banana Rum
Chapter 7: You're Not Alone
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"S-Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru glared at her. "This," he hissed, "is a private room. It is off-limits to all but me."
Kagome cowered under his look. "I'm sorry," she stammered. "I was just curious."
"You have no right to be here. I should kill you now." Sesshomaru's eyes bore into her menacingly. To prove his point, he flexed his claws.
"I-I'm sorry," Kagome said, softly, covering her face with her hands. She waited for the deathblow, but, after a minute, she looked up timidly.
Sesshomaru was staring down at her, with a strange expression on his face. "Go now," he ordered, his voice lacking conviction.
"Why is this comb so special?" Kagome knew she was being stupid, but she wanted to know.
"And what would you do with that knowledge?" Sesshomaru asked angrily.
"I'm curious. Besides, I haven't seen Rin around…" Kagome began, innocently.
Suddenly, she was face to face with Sesshomaru, his tightening grip almost cutting off her supply of air. "You will not talk of Rin. Is that understood?"
Kagome nodded, as well as she was able, and then made one, crucial mistake. "But I would still like to know…"
"Maybe a night in the dungeon will teach you not to meddle, whore." Sesshomaru dragged her away from the room, and brought her to the dank, foul-smelling dungeon. He threw her into a cell, and locked the door. Without another word, he left.
Kagome whimpered, massaging her throat. 'I'm going to have some bruises tomorrow,' she thought. 'And I really screwed that up. I'm so…. so stupid!'
A while later, Kagome heard soft footsteps coming towards her. She roused herself, and whispered, urgently, "Hatsue, why are you here? You might be punished if you're found!"
"I know. But I had to take the risk," Hatsue replied, bringing a dish of food out from behind her. "Here. I know it's not much."
"Thanks," Kagome said, digging into the food, which turned out to be rice. She looked up for a moment, and asked, "Hatsue, what happened to Rin?"
"Um… I don't know," Hatsue said, her eyes purposely avoiding Kagome's.
"You're lying. Tell me," Kagome ordered. Hatsue still didn't say.
Kagome decided to try a new tactic. "You know, Hatsue, I'm a priestess. I've killed a lot of demons," she said, trying to sound convincing,
"Oh, really, Lady." Hatsue wasn't falling for it.
"Well, I have chopsticks!" Kagome said, brandishing them in front of her. "I can attack you at any time, and you would be dead in a second."
"I don't believe it," Hatsue said, but there was a distinctive lack of confidence in her voice.
Kagome began to mutter "magic words" under her breath. She waved her hands for more effect. "Now tell me, what happened to Rin?"
"She died, Lady," Hatsue said, shaking. "Don't hurt me."
"She died?" Now that was something Kagome wasn't expecting. "How'd she die?"
"I heard that Jaken burned her to death. I don't know the details, Lady," Hatsue said in a hushed tone. "Now I must be going."
"Bye," Kagome said absently. 'Rin died? That little girl, she couldn't have been over eight years old. And she's dead? I never thought she would die… at least, not like that.'
Kagome yawned. 'I'm tired. But I don't want to sleep yet. I wonder how long I'll stay here.'
She looked around carefully, checking for any escape routes. The only possible way out was through the window, which was seven feet from the ground. Kagome went over, wincing slightly as her throat burned. She jumped and reached for the sill, but couldn't make it.
"Damn," she swore. 'So I guess I'm stuck here.'
She angled herself in a position that she could look out the window. 'Wow, the sky's so clear. In my time, pollution clouds everything.' The sky was indeed bright, a crescent moon and thousands of stars.
'Maybe this is an omen that my future will be bright?' The stars twinkled with an aura of trickery. 'Ah- maybe not.'
A breeze rushed in, ruffling Kagome's clothes and hair. She shivered. 'He could have at least given me a blanket.'
Kagome lay down, wrapping her arms around her to ward off the chill from the wind and the stone floor. She soon fell asleep.
--
'I still can't fall asleep.'
Sesshomaru growled, sitting up. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Kagome's face out of his mind.
'I can't be… guilty?! No, no. I'm just wondering how she's doing. I mean-' He stopped talking to himself.
He looked out, his eyes fixed on the moon. It shone brightly, so bright that he had to squint to look at it, and even then was just a hazy blur of white. The stars around it were similar, and Sesshomaru felt as if he were being pulled up, up out of his room and into the vast nothingness above.
He tore himself away, standing to leave the room. He didn't see the shadow that hovered nearby, or the tentative footfalls of the servant. He and the servant pushed aside the paper screen at the same time; both visibly shaken, but Sesshomaru hiding it for the most part.
He ignored the vassal, even when he cried out, and walked briskly to the dungeons, his heart beating arrhythmically. He pondered that for an instant, before dismissing it and turning to other musings.
'Why did Rin have to die? She was innocent. Then again, Kagome was innocent too. Their blood has been spilled, and it can never be forgotten.'
He suddenly found himself near the dungeons, and blinked in surprise. Cautiously, he crept in, automatically looking for Kagome.
There she was laying in what looked liked a fitful sleep. She was shivering violently, and Sesshomaru discovered that he was indeed worried about her.
'She made a mistake. I can forgive her this time. She can go back to her quarters.' Sesshomaru picked her up and carried her, holding her as if she were made of glass.
But when he came to her room, he couldn't bring himself to leave her there, all alone. "Wake up," he whispered gruffly.
"Hmm?" She opened her eyes slowly and yawned, almost hitting him in the head. "What do you… want?" She was still half-asleep, Sesshomaru presumed, for she didn't seem to realize who he was.
"Where to you wish to sleep tonight?" He said carefully, not wanting to alarm her.
"Who… are you?" Kagome yawned again.
"Sesshomaru."
"Then I'll…. sleep with you," she muttered, already falling asleep again.
'She... wants to go with me? Or is she merely half-asleep?' Sesshomaru's heart started beating rapidly, thrumming against his chest. He decided on the latter, before contemplating another possible problem. 'Or… does she like me?'
He continued to carry her, and, when he reached his room, lay her down on his futon. Then he was faced with another problem. 'Where am I going to sleep?' The only place was on the ground- which wasn't actually too bad- or the futon with Kagome- which would be better, but more awkward.
'I'll be gone when she wakes up, anyway,' he reasoned. 'And somehow I'll make sure no one learns of this.' He slipped in next to Kagome, and sleep claimed him much more quickly than he had thought.
--
"Uh. Where am I?" Kagome groaned, sitting up. She took a good look around her, and then panicked. "This isn't the dungeon, or-or my room! Where am I?!"
'Calm down, Kagome,' she told herself. 'Ok, let's see. I saw Hatsue, fell asleep, and- and someone took me here. Who could it have been? Hatsue? Maybe. Definitely not Sesshomaru. He hates me.'
She got up and examined her surroundings. 'Very rich and very important. Is there any concrete evidence of who it is, though?'
Something flashed in the corner. Kagome peered closer, and gasped. It was Tensiega.
'So… I'm in Sesshomaru's room?! Why did he do that?! And where is he now? Sh-should I bring it to him? But I don't know where he is!'
Kagome decided that didn't need it anyway. 'If he left it, he's got to have a good reason.'
She tried to act normal as she sedately walked out of his room, but she attracted suspicious stares as she walked by. Kagome lifted her head high and ignored them.
After a while, though, she found herself hopelessly lost. "Excuse me, sir?" She asked a demon passing by, hoping to get directions. "Could you tell me-"
The demon turned towards her, and she started. It was Bokkai. 'He's that demon who- who tried to hurt me before!' Kagome mentally screamed.
"Um, never mind," she said. "I'll just be on my way…"
He grabbed her. "As I said, we could have fun. Let's go." He started to drag her away, and she screamed.
"Help! Help!" She twisted and turned, clawing at his hand. "Someone! Help!"
To her horror, the majority of the demons in the vicinity just laughed. Some looked sympathetic, but knew better than to take the large wolf demon on.
"Shut up," Bokkai said. Kagome almost passed out from his breath alone. It reeked of sake.
Soon they were in the lower region of the castle, and Bokkai was thrusting her into what apparently was his own room. It was filthy, and looked as though no one had inhabited it since the castle was built.
"Let me go," Kagome said, boldly glaring at him. "You have no right to keep me here, and Sesshomaru will kill you when he hears!"
"So?" The word brought Kagome's spirit crashing down. "We're going to do a little fucking today."
He threw her onto a pile of musty straw, and leaned forward. Kagome scrambled away desperately as he reached for her.
"Help!" she shrieked. "Help! Please! Someone! Anyone!"
Bokkai laughed, and yanked on her shirt. Kagome yelled for help again. "He-he's trying to rape me! Someone, please save me!"
The screen was pushed forward, and, before Kagome had time to react, Sesshomaru was holding Bokkai by the throat, glaring with such hatred that Kagome involuntarily shook.
"S-Sesshomaru?" she said, weakly. He paid no attention to her.
"You bastard. You keep your hands off her," he hissed. "I should kill you."
Bokkai struggled fruitlessly. "I don't do nothin'. I just talk."
"You didn't! You were trying to-to-" Kagome started to shouted, then stopped. She couldn't continue. 'Oh, thank the gods. I almost- I could've-'
Sesshomaru pulled out Toukijin slowly. "You deserve to die." He slashed down at Bokkai, and blood splattered everywhere. Bokkai's head rolled over near Kagome. She gulped, and inched away.
Sesshomaru swept the blade downwards again, to get rid of the blood on it. Then he turned to Kagome. "Did he do anything?" His voice was businesslike, and still had a nervous and angry timbre to it.
"N-no," Kagome stuttered. "Nothing. B-but he w-was close."
"I will take you to Hatsue." Sesshomaru said, taking command. "You'll never have to worry about him again." He kicked at Bokkai's head, and Kagome saw some of his brains fall out by way of his neck, the slippery innards covering the head with a mucus-like substance.
'Don't throw up, don't be sick,' she willed herself, clutching her stomach. 'I think I am going to be..'
She threw up, the vomit landing dangerously close to Sesshomaru's shoe. He wordlessly hoisted her up, and swept down the corridors, bringing her to her room. "Stay here," he commanded. The he was gone.
Kagome lay back weakly. 'Thank you, Sesshomaru.' She was still in shock. 'Damn you, Bokkai.' And with that thought, she fell asleep.
--
Sesshomaru paced back and forth. 'I'm worried about her, I'll admit that, but who wouldn't be? Having a servant suddenly disobey you isn't a good thing. Who knows? There might be more like him. What will I do to make sure my castle is safe?'
After several agonizing moments, he came to a conclusion. 'I shall have to throw Kagome out.'
--
A/N: Yet another agonizing chapter. I actually had it planned out to go in a different direction, but Kalliel gave me another suggestion that was much better. Still, I sat in front of the computer for an hour or so, wondering exactly how to write it. I'm still not completely happy with it, though.
Posted early because I'm going to be gone all weekend.
Please review!
