DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, except parts of the plot...
SUMMARY: AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.
Author's Notes: I'm going crazy, and I have officially forgotten all the rules to English grammar.
I might have a lemon add on scene, but like I said, I'll probably just mess it up. There are plenty of SeKag p. w/out plots... Besides, upon rereading a couple of sex scenes I have attempted, I can only describe them as "awkward."
Thank you so much, crazy07, for sending me the e-card. I absolutely loved it! (That definitely deserved two exclamation marks, but I think is weird about multiple exclamation marks. It deleted my triple exclamation mark on another thing.) For those of you who are curious, it was a picture of Sesshoumaru, all red and glittery and on the bottom, it said "glitter." It makes me happy that people remember my story.
With this chappie, the word count is officially 31,080. I'm aiming for 100,000, but we'll have to see if I actually have enough plot for all that. (Or I could just slip in some lemon... lots of lemon...)
by Ethidda
Written 6/30/05
Chapter Twelve
"Well," demanded Inuyasha as he trailed behind Kikyou.
"Shh," Kikyou admonished. She stepped carefully around the corner, only to find another empty street.
From the top of the hill, she could easily see the rows of apartment buildings. Most of the windows were open, hoping to catch the elusive breeze in a hot summer afternoon. Drapes flowed out of some windows, plants sat at others, and there were even a few drying sheets swaying in the
"Well?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.
"Quiet," Kikyou snapped, as she scanned her surroundings carefully trying to identify the subtle feel of wrongness in the neighborhood.
Petulantly, Inuyasha said quite loudly, "Why? I don't see anybody here."
Kikyou narrowed her eyes. There was nobody there. Not a person on the street or tending the shops. Not a sound of cars or cooking or chattering or laughing. No children playing or old women sitting on their porches.
"We are in the heart of the city," Kikyou whispered to Inuyasha. "But we don't see anybody. Not a single person. Why is that?"
Surprised at Kikyou's analysis, Inuyasha looked around the neighborhood again. "I don't know. Maybe they're on vacation or something."
"On vacation? All of them? You are an idiot to even come up with such a stupid idea," Kikyou said coldly. "Something is definitely wrong."
As Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, Kikyou whispered harshly, "And do be quiet!"
Stung, Inuyasha followed Kikyou quietly as she weaved through the unnaturally silent streets some more.
Finally, Inuyasha broke the silence. "What are you looking for?"
"I don't know," Kikyou said, irritated.
"Fine," Inuyasha huffed. "I don't know why you won't just tell me about Naraku."
"This is more important," Kikyou answered distractedly as she noticed a door slightly ajar. It was the door of Shippou's apartment building and Kikyou wondered if this was a good sign or a bad sign.
Inuyasha followed Kikyou into the building. The lights have not yet been turned on by the doorman, who lay on his table, appearing to be asleep. Inuyasha wandered over to the still form of the doorman and yelled, "Hello!"
There was no response from the doorman.
"Keh, Whatever these people pay for maintenance is definitely not worth it." Inuyasha turned to the doorman again, and shook him by the shoulders. "Wake up."
Kikyou headed toward the elevators. She pressed the up arrow and it lit up. "At least the elevator is working," she said. Then, without looking at Inuyasha or the doorman, she said, "Leave him, Inuyasha. He's not waking any time soon."
Inuyasha scowled at Kikyou's back. "How do you know?"
"I know," she answered, sounding impatient. "Because his soul is not there anymore."
Inuyasha leaped away from the body. "You mean he's dead?"
"No," Kikyou answered shortly.
"Then what?"
Kikyou spared Inuyasha a glare. "I mean that somehow, his soul has left his body, and the body will eventually die without the soul to animate it. But right now, it does not need food or water."
The elevator arrived and Inuyasha followed Kikyou. She pressed the button marked "7."
"Why seven?" Inuyasha asked.
"Because I feel like it."
Neither Inuyasha nor Kikyou said anything else as the elevator finally read "7." Kikyou stepped out of the elevator and turned left. Then, she took out her keys and unlocked the door that said "703." She was grateful that Shippou had given her the key when she asked to stay with him when she first came to Tokyo, sensing Inuyasha here.
"Shippou," she shouted loudly as she took off her shoes.
Under his breath, Inuyasha muttered, "How come you get to be loud?" He followed Kikyou sullenly around the room.
"Shippou?" She repeated as she stepped into the living room.
She walked through the apartment carefully, and stepped inside the open bedroom.
There, she saw Shippou's fallen body. She ran over and started shaking him, "Shippou? Shippou! Wake up!"
Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her shake the tall, orange-haired youkai. Then, he asked, "Isn't his soul gone?"
Kikyou paused at this. "Yes," she agreed in a little voice. She closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "Yes," she repeated. "It's gone. What am I going to do?"
Inuyasha eyed the limp body uncertainly. He asked, "Who is that anyways?"
"None of your business," Kikyou answered without looking at Inuyasha.
"The hell it's not my business!" Inuyasha stepped toward Kikyou and stopped suddenly. He turned and paced instead. "You're here, with the key to a man's house, and worried over him. Of course it's my business."
"Jealous?" Kikyou asked coolly, still looking over Shippou.
"Of course not," Inuyasha answered quickly.
Kikyou snorted. "That's right. You left me three years ago. You have no right to question anything I do with anyone."
"I didn't leave you," Inuyasha denied. "You left and I couldn't find you. But you know what? I don't care anymore. You can be with whomever the hell you want."
"No, you didn't find me. You only found Kagome, the princess of the family," Kikyou replied bitterly.
Inuyasha either missed the bitterness in her voice or chose to ignore it. "Yeah, I found Kagome alright and she's a thousand times better than you."
Kikyou pulled out an envelop from underneath Shippou's still form. On seeing that it was addressed to her, she opened it and skimmed the contents, her frown deepening more and more.
"Hey, listen to me when I speak," Inuyasha demanded as he tore the letter from her hands.
Unfortunately, she had held on tightly to the letter, and Inuyasha only got the top two lines.
"'Kikyou,'" Inuyasha read aloud as Kikyou tore up the rest of the letter. "'Naraku wants you to...' What the heck? You do know this Naraku person?"
"Do you always listen to your dear older brother?" Kikyou questioned.
Inuyasha crumbled his part of the letter in his hand. "Just answer my question, dammit!"
Kikyou turned to look out the open window onto the still, quiet street. "Of course I know Naraku."
"Did you help him?" Inuyasha pressed.
Without turning, Kikyou said, "Yes."
"Are you still helping him?" Inuyasha's voice cracked with his desperation.
"I suppose so." Kikyou continued gazing out the window. "You're brother is actually quite astute."
"Dammit!" Inuyasha cursed again. He pointed at Shippou's unmoving body furiously. "It's because he's a full youkai, isn't it?"
This time, Kikyou turned and looked at Inuyasha in the eye. "Anything..." she stated vehemently. "Anything's better than the scum you are."
"Yeah," Inuyasha said softly. "I know that."
Before Kikyou could stop him even if she was inclined to do so, he rushed past her and jumped out the open window, landing on the street below with a soft "thud." He didn't waste time stopping, and ran until he was back at Sango's house. He climbed up the tree in Sango's backyard and determined to stay there until somebody called him down from it.
And if nobody wanted him, fine. He could just starve to death.
Sesshoumaru was reclined lazily on the living room sofa as Kagome cooked dinner. Kagome had claimed that it was only right that she helped out while imposing on Kohaku.
"Where the hell is that idiot?" Sesshoumaru asked rhetorically.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out from the kitchen.
"There is no other idiot," Sesshoumaru said contemptuously.
Ignoring his last comment, Kagome said, "I think I saw him leave with Kikyou."
"Kikyou?" He tucked a stray strand of white hair behind his ear. "Why is he with her again? I have told him repeatedly that he is to stay away from her. No good will come out of their association."
"I don't know," Kagome said thoughtfully, stirring the udon carefully. "I think that he'll be alright. I think she loves him."
"Not a chance." Sesshoumaru waved his hand indolently. "Kikyou is definitely just using Inuyasha."
"How can you say that?" Kagome frowned. "I thought that she was genuinely heart-broken. Did you hear how betrayed she was?"
"Whatever." Sesshoumaru shifted slightly on the sofa to a more comfortable position. "That was just acting. There's no such thing as love, anyways."
Kagome paused in her stirring. She exclaimed, scandalized, "How can you say that? Love is one of the truest feelings in the entire world."
"Okay, then," Sesshoumaru indulged in Kagome's beliefs. "She felt that she loved him. And now she doesn't feel like loving him anymore. It's all the same."
"I'm making dinner." Kagome huffed indignantly at Sesshoumaru's assessment and proceeded to ignore him.
"Will you buy me a Garfield book?" Souta asked Sango.
"Just read it here," Sango answered as she browsed through the book.
"But we have to leave," Souta said.
"Yeah, of course," Sango said. "Eventually, we'll have to leave."
"No." Souta shook his head emphatically. "We have to leave now."
Sango took another book from the pile of books on the table and flipped it through, looking for mentions of the history of youkai-human relations. "No, we don't. You have time to read more."
"Sango-nee-chan," Souta whined. "We really have to go now."
Sango set the book aside warily. "Are you hungry?"
Souta shook his head. "Something's happening to my sister. So we really should go back. Now."
Sango arched a disbelieving brow. "You are so worried about your sister that you are trying to convince me to buy you a cartoon book."
Souta made a noise of teenage frustration. "We have to go now, and I can't finish my Garfield book, and so you should just buy me the book and we should go."
"This is how you got into trouble with Moon." Sango picked out another book from her pile on the table. "Besides, nothing's going to be wrong. Sesshoumaru's there with Kagome, and Sesshoumaru can take care of most bad things."
Souta took the book forcibly out of Sango's hands. "We really have to go."
Sango just picked out another book from her seemingly endless pile.
"Really," Souta said seriously. "I'll bet you a Garfield book that my sis's in trouble."
"Uh-huh," Sango made a noncommittal sound. "I don't think I like Garfield."
Souta stamped his foot in frustration. He didn't know the way back or have the money with him to buy his own subway ticket--Kagome had refused to let him handle money. Otherwise, he would hurry home himself.
Souta pulled on Sango's sleeve. "We have to leave."
Sango sighed and straightened the pile of books she had left. "Fine, fine," she gave in. "We'll go home now, even if there's another four hours until the bookstore closes tonight."
"And buy me a Garfield book?" Souta asked hopefully.
Sango picked up her bad. "Only if you were right. Although, you should hope, as I do, that you are not right."
Just as Kagome finished making dinner and was piling the various food onto dishes and bringing them over to the dining room, the front door opened to Rin and Kohaku coming back. They barely managed to say hi before collapsing on the sofa next to Sesshoumaru.
"Tired?" Kagome asked as she placed another dish on the table.
Kohaku nodded.
Rin elaborated, "Myouga-sensei is back. He's a harsh taskmaster."
Kohaku nodded again.
Rin frowned in thought. "We thought we had a sub until today, but he came back and gave us a test. It was a really hard test, too."
Kohaku shared a look with Rin. "Well, at least we passed."
"What was your test on?" Kagome asked. She rather worried about Kohaku and Rin's fatigue. It seemed like they had been running a marathon or something. She wondered how Souta would handle college.
"Ancient history," Kohaku answered.
"Things we haven't studied since last semester," Rin added. "I only knew it because I grew listening to these stories."
"Your parents liked history, then?" Kagome asked.
Rin shook her head even though Kagome couldn't see it. "I was an orphan," Kagome heard her say. "Sesshoumaru is really good with history, though. He's really good with story telling, too."
Kagome turned around to see a scowl on Sesshoumaru's face.
"You made me tell stories," Sesshoumaru defended himself.
Rin smiled brightly. "But they were really good stories." She winked conspirallingly at Kagome. "You really should make him tell you some stories, especially the one about the First Youkai War."
"Rin," Sesshoumaru said, a clear note of warning in his voice.
Rin only smiled wider. "You like telling stories, too." After a slight pause, "Why don't you tell us a story now? We could eat and enjoy a story."
"I will not tell stories like a decrepit old lady," Sesshoumaru stated.
As Rin opened her mouth to protest, Kagome said soothingly, "I'm sure Sesshoumaru tells very good stories, but he's probably not in the mood today."
"But, Sesshoumaru..." Rin whined in her best imitation of when she was five.
Instead of being persuaded, though, Sesshoumaru only said, "The weather's nice. We should eat outside."
At this, Kagome looked at the dining table, loaded with dinner, and the front door. Kohaku finally said, "I'll help carry the food."
Rin came and helped carry some of the food to the table in the backyard, too. Sesshoumaru simply sat regally and comfortably in one of the chairs, waiting for the food to be brought to the table.
The four of the dug into the food quickly. Rin was stuffing herself with udon when she thought to ask Kagome, "Where are the other four people?"
"Sango and Souta are in the city. Souta's obsessive about some American comic." Kagome ate a fishball from her own bowl of udon. "As to Inuyasha and Kikyou..." Kagome shrugged. "I have no idea."
Sesshoumaru ate with impeccable manners. Still dressed in his traditional gi, Kagome had to marvel at the picture he was presenting. Lush summer greenery, a brilliantly colorful sunset, and Sesshoumaru sitting, as regal as you please. Kagome thought there was something very... royal about the picture he presented.
Kagome's reverie was cut short, though, when she heard the front door click open. Thinking it was one of the four people Rin just mentioned, Kagome called out, "Dinner's out in the backyard."
Soon enough, somebody entered the backyard. However, it wasn't anybody that Kagome knew. The girl was short, and looked rather young, but the combination of her white hair and empty black eyes gave her an odd appearance of being something surreal, and not quite human. The round mirror with an elaborate frame seemed like an odd thing to carry around, as well.
"Umm..." Kagome thought about how to treat this person. Finally, she asked bluntly, "Who are you?"
The girl blinked. "Kanna."
"Oh," Kagome said. Then, "What are you doing here?"
Her voice even, Kanna said, "I am searching for my master."
"Oh, okay." Kagome wasn't sure how to reply to that.
As Kagome debated how to politely uninvite the stranger and continue her dinner, she started seeing little white balls float serenely toward Kanna's mirror. They looked like the white fluff that fell from trees in the summer time, but they glowed rather faintly. Kagome looked at the flowing white things curiously, before looking at Sesshoumaru to see his reaction.
"Don't use any soul power," Sesshoumaru warned as he stood up. His stance was now alert and tense, unlike his lazy indulgence just minutes ago.
"I don't even have soul power," Kagome protested.
"Of course you do," Sesshoumaru disagreed. "You are a priestess. But you can't use them now, because this thing sucks out souls, and the more soul power you expand, the more it will suck out the souls."
Kagome's eyes widened in horror. "She's sucking out souls?"
Sesshoumaru nodded grimly. "Judging by the brilliance of her mirror, I'd say she already has a few hundred in her custody."
"A few hundred?" Kagome repeated, as Kohaku placed Rin behind him. Kohaku's hand went to his back, only to realize that he wasn't carrying his kusari-gama. Kagome asked, "A few hundred zombies walking around?"
"They wouldn't be walking around," Sesshoumaru said. "The soulless cannot move beyond the basic breathing and beating of the heart. They're not motivated enough. But the bodies will die soon without the souls, and we better find a way to disable it before then."
Kagome refrained from pointing out that Kanna seemed perfectly human and that they probably shouldn't refer to Kanna as "it." Still, Kagome thought that while violence should always be one's last resort, she was willing to use it on one... being if it meant saving hundreds of lives.
Kohaku ran quickly into the house with Rin, keeping himself between Rin and Kanna. When he came back out, the kusari-gama was in his hand. To Kagome, it looked rather menacing for a college student to be carrying around.
The kusari-gama looked more evil when Kohaku swung it out with practiced ease. The scythe turned gracefully in the air, as Kohaku held the silent chain.
"Don't kill her," Kagome yelled involuntarily as the scythe rounded around to Kanna's back.
But Kagome needn't have worried. A transparent shield appeared around Kanna when the kusari-gama made contact with it.
Kohaku looked at Sesshoumaru. "The shield won't break without soul power."
Sesshoumaru nodded grimly, wondering what to do about this new enemy. Although she looked like a young girl, Sesshoumaru was fairly certain that she was also sent from Naraku.
"Why are you doing this?" Kagome asked Kanna from beside Sesshoumaru.
"I listen to my master," Kanna replied as more bits of souls flew into her mirror.
"But it's not right," Kagome attempted to reason with Kanna. "You can't just take people's souls."
"Why not?" Kanna tilted her head a little, looking slightly puzzled, the first expression she had shown since interrupting their dinner. Kanna glanced down at her mirror for a moment. "The souls are happy."
"But..." Kagome thought for a moment. "Just because they're not arguing doesn't mean that it's right. Sometimes, it's difficult to make the right choice."
"But the souls are happy," Kanna repeated.
Kagome tried to think of another way to explain to Kanna the wrongness of her actions, and failed. At that moment, though, Sango and Souta burst into the backyard.
"What's wrong?" Sango shouted at the same time Kohaku warned, "Watch out!"
Souta's face was confused even though he had known something was wrong. He looked at the innocuous girl in white. As Kanna turned toward Souta, though, Souta saw her black, black eyes and felt himself shrinking back from her emotionless face.
"He'll be happy in my mirror," Kanna told the group at large.
Souta didn't know what that meant, but he noticed for the first time, the white fluffs flowing toward the strange girl's mirror. He felt unusually detached, and could only marvel at the world around him, blurring quickly into a seamless white.
"Souta!" He heard Kagome yell, but he couldn't understand the alarm that was plain in his sister's voice.
I'm sorry I can't be replying to each individual review. I'm writing on my laptop, but I can't access internet here, so it's very difficult for me to remember who asked me what. I'll clear a couple of things up, though.
Yes, Kikyou and Shippou were friends. I couldn't fit it in quite right with Kagome. In any case, Kikyou's not evil, just... "misguided."
Oh, and I know that I promised SeKag fluff. It was in there when I wrote the notes for this chappie, but I had to chop the outline in half, there being too much stuff to fit it all in. So, it's been pushed back to next chappie.