Yayy! Another chapter completed!Well, be ready for another heaping helping of angst, 'cause this is where the story gets interesting. BTW: for those of you who might not know already, the character I'm mentioning in this chapter comes from book nineteen of the regular manga series, and I don't know what book for the ani-manga, but probably somewhere around there as well. Just thought I'd mention that so no one gets confused and thinks the character is my own. Yaoi warning for this chapter: little bit o' solo fun on Sesshy's part X3 enjoy! On to chapter four: Enlightenment
Notice: This was added after my original author note. I've just found out that my favorite cousin, Bruce, died of a heroin overdose last night. In honor of his death, I'm dedicating all future chapters and stories that I post on this website to him. He was the greatest person I've ever met before in my life, regardless of his faults, and I will miss him everyday. DON'T DO DRUGS, KIDDIES!
Disclaimer: Definitely, completely, utterly, one hundred percent not mine. Results may vary. Void where prohibited. Not available for retail sale. See package for details.
…
Sesshoumaru darted through the woods around him as effortlessly as ever, looking more at home than the actual forest creatures. His flaxen eyes were set resolutely forward, not to be deterred by anything. He'd been travelling like this for several days now, heading north along a path that was distantly familiar to him.
He'd been along this way only once before, but he knew it as well as any could. He always made sure to memorize the ways of reaching those he found helpful. The creature he sought now was one that he hadn't thought much of originally, but had now become of the utmost importance to him.
Though Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how the creature did it, he (at least, he assumed it was a he) seemed to know quite a bit about Sesshoumaru, his family, and pretty much everything that went on in their world. He'd only consulted the creature once, but the information he'd offered had been valuable enough for the inu youkai to mark him as a useful source.
He was calling upon that usefulness again in the hopes that this strange being could give him some kind of clue as to what course of action he should follow. Sesshoumaru hated every minute he spent away from Naraku, never knowing if his lover had already died without him by his side.
The thought tore at Sesshoumaru and fed the blinding speed with which he tore across the forest, never faltering for even a moment as he dodged thick tree trunks and leapt over winding rivulets. As he broke through the never-ending rows of trees and walls of foliage, Sesshoumaru locked his eyes on his final destination and slid gracefully to a halt.
The creature he sought was exactly where he'd last seen him, not surprisingly, since this being happened to be a two thousand-year-old magnolia tree. It was fairly safe to say that Sesshoumaru wouldn't have to worry about his informant trying to escape.
"Lord Sesshoumaru…" the tree sighed in a voice as wispy as the drifting wind. "It has been a long time since you have graced this old bark with your presence."
"I haven't the time for pleasantries, Boku-sen'o. I assume you know why I have come seeking you." The tree's gnarled face broke into a grin, filling the air with the sound of creaking wood.
"Tell me, have you solved the problem with your young whelp of a brother, yet? Last time I saw you, you were here seeking information on the one called Inuyasha. I believe the answers I gave proved quite satisfactory."
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed to feral slits. "What does my pitiful brother have to do with anything. You explained to me a fundamental difference between our blood and the swords we carry at our sides. Why bring that up again?"
The tree's smile became almost pained. "You may think your brother has nothing to do with this, but if my information is correct, you will soon find yourself more involved with your sibling than you'd like."
"Explain yourself."
"It is actually a very simple matter, Lord Sesshoumaru. Or, at least, it would be for someone with less… pride, I suppose. You recently had an encounter with a yami no miko, yes?" Sesshoumaru nodded. "Lady Ashe was a priestess of darkness if there ever was one."
"Well, as you know, the mikotachi trained in the dark arts often have thousands of different curses at their every beck and call. They are trained to learn the minds of their opponents and use that knowledge to select the spell that will force them to suffer the most."
"I did not come here for a lecture on the teachings of priestesses, Boku-sen'o. If you have a point, you'd do well to get to it quickly."
The magnolia let out a chuckle that was breathy and whistling, like the sound of air blowing through marsh reeds. "Did you honestly think that after having you in her clutches for so many weeks, Lady Ashe wouldn't already know the best way to torture you? She was one of the most powerful of her kind, and you had the hubris to actually think you'd defeated her and left unscathed."
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened minutely. "You know what she did to us," he accused. "You know what evil curse it is that eats my lover away from the inside."
"Indeed I do, Lord Sesshoumaru, and I will be glad to tell you what I know, but I don't believe the knowledge will do you any good."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Like I said, Lady Ashe was as skilled as any, and I believe she found the one curse in all the thousands in our world that could possibly stop a inu youkai lord as powerful as yourself. The spell is called "Bachi no aka hatsu" or "Curse of bloody hearts" and it is one of the rarest in existence, since it requires the sacrifice of the user to inflict. The hex targets lovers, but will only contaminate one of them to insure that the uninfected one will be forced to live on in sorrow without their mate.
"The one chosen by the spell will die and slow, tormented death as their life force is slowly leeched away. Most only survive the torment for a few days, but those with stronger wills can keep the illness at bay for agonizing weeks. However, no matter the strength of the inflicted, the illness always claims their life in the end. It is inevitable."
Sesshoumaru felt his throat clench painfully at this and had to keep his voice from shaking as he asked, "Is there no way to be rid of the curse?" The tree's sad smile returned. "Your question brings me to my original point. I don't believe this knowledge will do you any good, since I know of only one way to end the affliction."
"What way is that? Why are you so certain that I will be unable to do this?"
"The only way to end the Curse of bloody hearts is to perform a ritual in which the cursed individual is offered the blood of two specific people. He must drink a combination of the blood of his true love and the blood of his greatest enemy, and all of this must be done before the curse can properly root itself into the body of the ill."
If Sesshoumaru hadn't had such iron control over himself, his mouth might very well have dropped open in shock. Naraku must… drink the blood of his true love along with the blood of his greatest enemy? But, who is his greatest enemy? And then Sesshoumaru knew.
His eyes widened to twin golden moons as he whispered, "Inu… Inuyasha?" Boku-sen'o smiled mournfully. "Now you realize the difficulty of this task. If you wish to save the life of your love, you must not only offer your blood, but offer your pride as well. You must seek out the help of your brother, Inuyasha.
"You will have to tell him that you have taken a mate and beg him for his assistance in saving the one man who has caused him and his companions so much torment. This is the task set before you, Lord Sesshoumaru. There is nothing more I can say." Sesshoumaru's beautiful eyes were empty of all feeling, completely submerged in his shock.
"You're certain this is the only way I can save him?"
The tree nodded creakily.
"Shit."
…
It was later that evening, long after the shadows cast by the sun had become drifting, hazy creatures dancing under rocks and below tree limbs, that Sesshoumaru finally began to recover from his shock. He wandered through the woods in a daze, headed back towards his castle without even realizing it. The only way to save him… Why did it have to be this way? Is this some kind of cruel punishment? Is this the retribution of the wicked I've always heard priests speak of?
Sesshoumaru collapsed onto a bed of soft grass as his exhaustion finally caught up with him. The only expression on his ethereal face was a slight crease in his brow, indicating his unease. His eyes fluttered slowly closed, seemingly of their own accord, and he was immediately granted a vision of the one hanging so vividly in his thoughts.
Naraku's fair face appeared out of the misty backdrop of his mind like an angel stepping down from a silver cloud. It's ironic that a bloodthirsty demon should possess the beauty of one borne of the heavens… Sesshoumaru watched behind closed eyelids as the vision of his lover slowly approached, growing clearer by the second.
Naraku… his thoughts called out. Naraku, I want to see you so much…I want to be near you…
Shh… The beautiful vision hushed him with a single porcelain finger against his lips. Sesshoumaru moaned softly as he imagined that he could almost feel the heat of his lover's finger pressed against him, longing to take that heat and drown himself in it.
His dream self opened its eyes wider and clasped the finger laid so delicately against his lips, using it to draw his lover down. Naraku fell to his knees before Sesshoumaru, pools of crimson staring directly into pure golden suns. Their lips met tentatively in the swirling haze, almost shyly, like back when they barely knew each other and lovemaking was a new and almost frightening experience.
Sesshoumaru groaned low in his throat as heat seeped into his body, even though he knew his lover's touch was only in his mind. Despite this hindering fact, the startling reality with which he felt his lover's lips caressing his own was enough to make him truly believe the gods had taken pity on him and allowed Naraku to find him even hundreds of miles away.
Sesshoumaru grasped tightly to this idea as he deepened his kiss with his lover, running his clawed hands through the silky black locks he'd always adored so much. He reveled in the small whimper that escaped from between the kumo's soft lips as he ran his fingers teasingly down his sides, tickling the sensitive skin.
Naraku threw his head back with a moan that melted Sesshoumaru's bones, giving the inu access to the tender flesh of his neck. The silver-haired demon began to greedily suckle at the hollow of Naraku's throat as he continued to caress his smooth skin, growing more excited with every agonized gasp of pleasure that came from his mate.
Sesshoumaru let out a muffled moan as he felt slender fingers slide their way down his body, inching teasingly lower until they found the part of him that ached for Naraku's skilled touch. Gritting his teeth against the ecstatic moan threatened to burst out of him at any moment, Sesshoumaru rocked his hips slowly against the contact, craving it more and more with every passing second.
Naraku took this opportunity to strip them both of every stitch of clothing they'd had on but had not paid one iota of attention to. Laying his lover gently on the ground under him, Naraku sat astride his mate's hips and placed a hand on either side of his head, giving the demon a feeling of vulnerability that was a surprisingly pungent aphrodisiac considering the inu's normally domineering personality.
Sesshoumaru arched his back nimbly, biting his lip in pleasure as his body rubbed against that of his lover, creating a friction so deliciously hot he could feel it resonate through his entire body. The pleasure was flowing so thickly through him now, his eyes fogged over with the force of it all. It was impossible for his senses to work properly with so much raw heat coursing through him like a tantalizing flood.
Naraku… Sesshoumaru moaned again, almost losing himself over the edge as he heard the desperation with which he called his lover's name. His own helplessness was turning him on. The kumo grinned slyly down, face shinning with a look of sadistic lust that could only be Naraku's.
The spider demon leaned his head down to Sesshoumaru's and ran his tongue over the soft lips before him, tasting their sweet honey taste. He raised his head to the top of Sesshoumaru's and inhaled deeply, basking in the inu's erotic smell. Sesshoumaru shuddered at the sensuality of such an act and whimpered with need, driven to docility by the almost painful hardness growing between his legs.
His release was so close to him, and it drove him into utter madness. Naraku sensed his wonderful discomfort and met his eyes head-on, seemingly preparing him for what would come next. However, instead of driving into him and bestowing the satisfaction he craved, Naraku surprised Sesshoumaru by rolling onto his back and pulling his mate on top of him.
Sesshoumaru couldn't help but grin at the feigned innocence with which those jeweled garnets gazed up at him from beneath his sweaty, heaving body. Sesshoumaru positioned himself greedily over the kumo and planted a soft kiss on his forehead right before sliding slowly in.
Naraku whimpered in a most delicious way with every hard inch that came sinking into his body, creating a sort of fierce pleasure that sent colors dancing before both their eyes. Sesshoumaru had to struggle to hold himself still as he fully entered the kumo, trying not to hurt him by moving too quickly.
He feathered light kisses all over Naraku's face, needing the distraction to keep him from sinking down into the almost blinding pleasure shooting through his nerves. However, as Naraku adjusted to the invasion and began to rock against him, Sesshoumaru could resist no longer and began pumping into him, crying out passionately.
He drew out his climax as much as possible, knowing the chances of the gods granting him another session with his lover were slim to none. He wished they could stay this way forever, bodies merged into one in the most fantastic kind of pleasure, never again longing for the other and never again worrying about the future.
But, alas, the pleasure soon grew too intense for Sesshoumaru to bare and with one final shaking thrust he sent both himself and his precious lover spiraling over the edge. His chest heaved with the effort of breathing as his own cries filled the air, loud and so wonderfully delicate. He felt the warmth of Naraku's body clinging to him as the kumo's voice melded with his own, winding together into a harmony more perfect and surreal than any other.
Sooner than was compassionate to one in his state, Sesshoumaru felt his lover's warmth slip away like the final tide of evening, gone into the cool depths of the ocean to wait until tomorrow's dawn. His eyes blinked shakily open to be greeted with the dark shadows of the forest as the danced tauntingly around him.
Though he now felt the absence of his love more potently than before, his merciful encounter only managed to convince him that no task set before him could possibly get in the way of saving his love. Tomorrow… he would begin his search for Inuyasha.
To be continued…