Endless Darkness

Chapter 2

"Truth and Kidnapping"

---Inuyasha's Forest---

---Sesshomaru---

The twin golden orbs watched the entire emotional scene with quiet amusement and blatant mockery. The expression on the divinely handsome face never changed, remaining always indifferent and cold. The golden eyes were set in a pale, milky face with high, aristocratic cheekbones and two magenta stripes stretching across each cheek. A blue, westward facing crescent moon was set in the middle of the forehead, surrounded by platinum, moonbeam white bangs. The hair was free and cascading down to the figure's waist and lower. The face was emotionless and cold, but the eyes showed keen intelligence.

Lord Sesshomaru, Ruler of The Western Lands. He was feared and respected by people in all the lands, and the feeling varied depending on which land you lived in. He was cold, calculating and dangerous. He enjoyed power, he loved it actually, and enjoyed watching people cower in fear of him. Nothing and No one could touch him, physically or emotionally.

Well. He retrieved that last thought. Rin. She was the reason he was in the forest named for his half brother. She was the only one who Sesshomaru could say, beyond a doubt, that he loved. He was here for her. Rin had taken ill, and she was not healing, despite the best efforts of all the village healers Sesshomaru could gather together. His last resort, he knew, was his brother's travel companion, the miko Kagome. She was the reincarnation of Kikyo but was very strong on her own. She would be Rin's savior. Sesshomaru, knowing that the miko had gone back to her time and would soon return, had made his way to the Bone Eater's well and had taken a seat in the branches of a tall and sturdy oak.

Inuyasha had arrived shortly after him, obviously to wait for the miko, and Sesshomaru, to save the time that a fight would take, disguised his aura and scent so that he would not be detected. As a result, Inuyasha didn't find him and Sesshomaru had been forced to witness that entire sickening display between his brother and the once living Kikyo. He was not particularly fond of Kikyo and his brother's relationship, but then again, Sesshomaru was not very fond of anyone.

When Inuyasha carried Kikyo off into the forest, Sesshomaru knew what would happen. His delicate nose and sensitive ears picked up the scents and sounds of their love making and he found himself cringing. He hated the smell of Kikyo and that coupled with his brother's own distinctively unique and sometimes nauseating scent, it was making Sesshomaru some what ill.

He waited in the trees limbs, no emotion showing on his face, but in reality, on the inside, he was a seething mass of anger and worry. He was worried for Rin, pure and simple. No one, in all his centuries of existence, had managed to touch him like that small human child, and the anger was because no one seemed to be able to tell him what was wrong with his ward. The emotions were building in him, and despite his years and years of bottling up his emotions and locking them away, these refused to go away. He wondered at this loss in control but rode it off as nothing; a sensible fact in a potentially chaotic situation. He just wanted the miko to return from her time so that he could take her to his palace and she could heal Rin. What she did afterward was not of his concern.

He stared down at the well, as if his will alone could summon the girl from her time, but nothing. Finally, nearly an hour after Inuyasha had sped of with his lover, there was a sparkle of something at the top of the well. Sesshomaru's keen eyes focused on them. He felt the power build and quickly closed his delicate eyes. The flash was blinding and lit up the night, adding to the full moon's light. When it faded Sesshomaru opened his eyes again and peered down into the clearing.

A hand appeared on the well's rim, and then another, followed by a head rising above the rim. If he'd been the kind to put to use such pointless things, Sesshomaru might have murmured some eloquent curse, but instead, he quietly and efficiently jumped from the tree limb and landed on the ground behind the oak. He watched from there to make sure that the miko was truly alone; after all, no interference could be tolerated.

---Kagome---

Kagome struggled to make it out of the well on her own. Normally Inuyasha helped her out, but she was feeling particularly woman empowered that night and was determined to make it out by herself. She finally managed to pull herself up and out of the well shaft, landing on the soft grass outside the well. She sighed with relieve then reached back into the shaft to extract her bow, quiver, and yellow pack. She smiled to herself; the pack had lots of things she needed, and some goodies for her friends…Ramen. She strapped the pack up and shrugged it on, pulling her hair out from under the straps. She turned around triumphantly, proud that she had made it out on her own, expecting to find a growling Inuyasha…and instead, found an empty clearing.

Confused, Kagome took a few steps forward, thinking that maybe Inuyasha was hiding in the shadows trying to scare her. She took another step, and another, making it to the center of the clearing before she took a deep breath and called out, "Inuyasha?"

Silence returned to her, except for the echo. Her own voice was echoing around her, bouncing off the trees at the edge of the clearing and coming back. Kagome took a deep breath; where was he? Could he be farther out, so far out that he couldn't hear her? She took a deeper breath and called out again, louder. "Inuyasha!" Silence. The wind blew and she felt the chill into her bones…where was Inuyasha?

The idea came to her with the force of atomic blast. Could he have forgotten? The very thought made her temper rise, made her cheeks flush with anger. She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the forest. "Inuyasha, when I find you, you are so dead." She could feel her impatience rising. She couldn't believe the nerve of that half demon! "Inuyasha, you half breed bastard, I can't believe you forgot." She huffed and glared.

The wind blew through the trees, "He did not forget you miko, he just remembered another this evening as well." The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at all, blowing through the air around her and echoing as her own had.

Kagome whirled around in a tight circle, drawing an arrow from her quiver and notching it with her bow at the same time. The bowstring was pulled taunt and the arrow was ready to fly. Kagome searched the shadows of the forest frantically, hoping to see the outline of her enemy, or at least, the place where he was hiding. After a moment, knowing that sometimes the direct approach was better, Kagome called out bravely, "Who are you? Show yourself!" When no answer came, she tried again.

"You know, I know the ruler of this forest, you should go before he finds you. He'll be very angry." She shouted it, trying to sound authoritive and genuine. It didn't work as well as she wanted it to.

No matter. A voice responded to her from the shadows, "Should I still be afraid, after all, can one really punish oneself for trespassing on one's own property?" The voice was cold and familiar to her, and Kagome gasped as the figure stepped into the light. Sesshomaru continued to speak, "Or do you count my idiot half brother as the forest's ruler? Either way, I have nothing to worry about. I will never fear Inuyasha." Sesshomaru stepped closer, his entire being illuminated by the moonlight, but Kagome kept her bow drawn. She knew better than to drop her guard around this particular demon.

Making sure to choose her words carefully, Kagome addressed to demon lord. "Lord Sesshomaru, can I help you? Why are you in this forest?" She tried to sound polite and not curious or annoying but she just barely pulled it off. Barely.

She saw Sesshomaru's eyes narrow and wished to all the Gods she knew what he was thinking. If she was going to die, she wanted to know ahead of time. But in truth, if she could have had her wish, she would have been feeling something completely different from fear.

---Sesshomaru---

He watched her, his face impassive and unchanging but his mind was active and calculating. The miko obviously didn't know about Inuyasha's sudden…defection; it was impossible for her to know. She only saw that her lover was not waiting for her and was appropriately confused. Sesshomaru needed the girl, Rin was no closer to health if he just stood there looking at her, but he knew that she wouldn't come with him. She would fight, as she always had, but he didn't need that right now; at that moment, his mind was contriving some way to turn the girl to him, to his purpose.

It came to him in a flash. Inuyasha. His brother's mistake, his betrayal, would be Sesshomaru's aid. He carefully took another step closer to the miko, watched as she pulled the bow string back another increment. She was ready and willing to shoot him, but she was the kind of person to give a chance at survival. If he were in the privacy of his own home, alone, he might have smirked, but he contented himself with staring her down.

The waves of her raven colored hair were falling around her shoulders, and her navy blue eyes were steady and clear. It interested him that, while he hated Kikyo with a surety of both mind and spirit, he could find no reason to hate this miko, aside from her relationship with his brother. She was strong, courageous, and she had restored to him his arm. As if to remind him, the muscles of that particular limb tingled and Sesshomaru was thrown into the past.

Flashback

The wind blew through the field, cool and refreshing despite the glaring sun that rose high above in the sky. Sesshomaru stood unaccompanied, facing Inuyasha across the field, his eyes focused on his brother's body. He wanted to know when the attack was coming, and though Inuyasha was no match for him, Sesshomaru wanted to see what his brother had learned.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat, "Sesshomaru, give me Kagome!" His voice was gruff and filled with tightly leashed anger, but Sesshomaru didn't miss his meaning. He shifted his stance only a slight bit to flick his gaze toward the miko. Kagome, Inuyasha had called her. She was the one that he had kidnapped to bring his brother to him; she had no significant purpose but she was useful to him. As long as Sesshomaru had possession of Kagome, Inuyasha would do anything he asked. Perfect.

His impassive golden eyes stared into the identically colored ones of his brother, "Inuyasha, surrender to me the Tetsusaiga and the girl can go free." He watched with disguised interest as Inuyasha's eyes fired. "I'd rather kill you and take her." He launched himself at Sesshomaru and the fight raged.

Sesshomaru dodged all the attacks easily, not caring that he was making the openings too easy for Inuyasha. His brother, leading with his temper instead of his head, was attacking every which way and was becoming very sloppy. Finally Sesshomaru grew tired of the tedious task of dodging and, drawing Tokijin, struck Inuyasha a blow to the side.

Inuyasha fell back onto the ground and moaned. He was in no condition to rise again and Sesshomaru knew it as well as the half demon did. He approached his fallen brother, sword pointing down, and press the point of the steel weapon into the hollow of his brother's throat. Inuyasha raised his chin in defiance but, Sesshomaru paid it no attention. "Inuyasha, you lost, and miserably at that. I've wanted to kill you for some years now. Here is my chance. Goodbye brother." Sesshomaru drew back and raised the sword, and swung it down in an arch toward Inuyasha's neck.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock and then he closed them and bowed his head. A scream rent the air as the blade came nearer Inuyasha's throat. Sesshomaru's expression never changed as the sword completely its arch…and bounced away.

Inuyasha's eyes flew opened and he raised his head to see why he'd been spared. He was surprised to find a bubble like shield of purple-blue light surrounding him, protecting him from harm. He turned his head at the same time that Sesshomaru did, and both brothers stared up into the startled face of Kagome.

"I..I..I don't' know what happened. I don't know why it came out." She stuttered, clearing startled by the blatant display of her long dormant priestess powers. She was glad that her powers had saved Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru's unwavering golden gaze was putting a chill down her spine.

He took a step toward her, his sword still hanging at the ready in his hands. "Miko, you will release the barrier you set up around my brother. He will die today." His voice was firm and clearly stated that he would stand for no argument.

That very tone was what upset Kagome. Fire started to burn in her eyes and she stood up taller, she wouldn't be ordered around. "No. You can't kill Inuyasha, I won't allow it."

Sesshomaru stared into her eyes, and took another step closer, "You will release my brother from the barrier, and I will kill him, and then I will set you free." He waited with leashed and bridled patience for her answer.

Kagome glared, "I said No, Sesshomaru." She only had an instant to see the flash in his eyes before a long-clawed hand was wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air. She struggled against him but his grip only tightened more. She stared down into his eyes as he spoke. "You will address me as Lord Sesshomaru miko, and you will release the barrier."

Inuyasha growled, "Kagome…just do it. I don't need protection, I can take him."

Sesshomaru heard his brother but he kept his eyes on the miko. She'd stopped struggling and was staring into his eyes. With a shaky hand, the girl reached out with delicate fingertips and touched his wrist. A purple shot raced up his arm and Sesshomaru let go of the miko, letting her drop to the ground. She coughed and shook while Sesshomaru watched the spark of purple energy race up his arm. It traveled across his shoulders and then down to the place where his other arm used to be. There was a sudden shock of sensation in his arm and Sesshomaru looked down. Just that easy, it seemed, his arm had regenerated.

His eyes flew down to meet those of the miko sitting at his feet. She was still coughing but she spoke anyway. "Please…Lord Sesshomaru…you have your arm now…please…leave…Inuyasha…alone." She coughed again and started to rise from the ground. Sesshomaru just watched, shocked that the miko had restored his missing arm to save his worthless half brother. Perhaps she was stronger than he'd realized and wasn't just a liability on his brother's part.

Sesshomaru blinked down at the miko once and then turned to look at Inuyasha. "You have been spared today Inuyasha, but beware brother, the miko will not always be able to bargain for your life." With that he sheathed Tokijin and walked into the trees surrounding the clearing.

END FLASHBACK

---Present Time: Sesshomaru---

The miko's voice snapped him back into reality once more, and his eyes focused in on her face again. She was quite oblivious to his thoughts, but it was quite obvious she was unnerved by his stare.

Still, her voice was calm and firm, "Can I help you with something Lord Sesshomaru?" She was trying not to reveal her trepidation of the situation, but it wasn't fully hidden from Sesshomaru's keen senses. Yet, he thought, the girl still faces me down. How courageous…if not foolish.

"This Sesshomaru requires your assistance miko. My ward has taken ill and she must be healed. All the healers I have gathered have failed and now I come to you. You must come with me." He took another step forward. "Now."

He watched with silent amusement as the girl called Kagome looked around in confusion, obviously seeking Inuyasha. Sesshomaru cocked an ear stealthily; he could hear his brother snoring in the distance and knew that he and his lover were asleep. Perfect.

Kagome, though, was unaware of the situation. "Lord Sesshomaru, respectfully, I must ask for more time. I have to inform Inuyasha. He's supposed to be here any minute." She took a hesitant step back, her bow still pulled taunt in her grasp. She was still looking, out of the corner of her eye, for Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru took another step closer, "You have no need to inform my half brother. You are, as you've said many times before, not his to command." He made sure to keep his tone flat, and neutral, though it always was anyway.

Kagome swallowed, "yes I know, but he'll be very upset if he comes and finds me gone. I have to wait and tell him where I'm going. I owe it to him." In her voice, Sesshomaru could hear the beginnings of fear, though it wasn't a fear of him; it was fear for the location of Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru knew he had to play this next part very, very carefully, if he wanted to see his goal achieved without making a scene. Inuyasha was a bit far off, but not so far that he wouldn't hear the girl scream should the miko and the demon lord get into a fight.

So, choosing his words carefully, Sesshomaru spun his web of deception. "Are you sure miko, that it was this night that he was supposed to meet you? Perhaps he forgot, or mistook the day. I could have sworn on my soul that I saw him just an hour or so past with the other miko."

He watched as his words took effect, watched as the miko's face went pale. Perfect.

Kagome's eyes widened and filled with an unmistakable sheen. Sesshomaru almost cursed inwardly; he hated when women cried, it was a weakness. He was more than ready to be disgusted with the miko, but she didn't let the tears fall; and that interested him. So, he thought, she isn't ready to except that Inuyasha has betrayed her. We will see.

Deliberately, Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow, as if he were curious. "You are most kind miko, to allow my brother to take up with his lover in your presence. I would not have expected you to be so understanding." He watched as the miko's eyes cast around them, as if she would spot his brother and Kikyo romping in the woods before her.

Kagome cleared her throat and blinked back her tears. Apparently she wanted to appear strong before him; how quaint. She spoke, her voice shaky but resolute, "Where are they? Have you seen them around here?" She was obviously trying not to sound sad, but it shown through, just the faintest bit.

Sesshomaru sighed, "Understand me miko. I tire of this. Come with me, and I will explain all to you later, after you've healed my ward." He made his tone firm and sure, telling her that he would stand for no argument.

Kagome coughed delicately and made to move away, her grip strength renewed to on the bow. Sesshomaru frowned and in an instant he was beside the miko, knocking the bow out of her hands. She gasped but he paid no attention; he simply scooped her into his arms, bow, quiver, backpack and all, and carried her away on his cloud…toward the West.

To be continued…