Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. However, I DO own Gin, and Mikato is owned by another writer, as are Katsueki and Seron.
I want to thank everyone for your reviews, and I'm going to start replying in my new chapters. I want to thank you all who told me to not pay attention to my friends and to not delete this story. Although, this is a different account than the one that I first posted this story in. My original account, which is still up and going strong, is the pen name Veata. You may or may not have read my most popular story, Midnight Mornings.
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Recap:
As for Inuyasha, well, he needed someone to calm him down when he turned into full-demon, and someone who would either tolerate his tantrums, or not tolerate them and teach him to vent his anger and frustration in a different manner. Knowing Mikato, probably the latter if she didn't kill him first.
Friendship, Betrayal, Lust and Love
Chapter 9-Why Do They All Run?
Kagome watched Sesshoumaru as he prowled the ballroom, looking sour. She saw Gin trying to catch her eye, and looked at the hanyou. The sly hanyou merely winked and nodded in Sesshoumaru's direction, before continuing her conversation with Katsueki who had recently come back in.
Kagome watched Sesshoumaru as he was caught by a Lady a few years older than Kagome. The Lady hung off of his arm, and chatted non-stop about something most likely irrelevant to everything as Sesshoumaru attempted to shake her off.
Suddenly, Kagome recognized the Lady. They had been introduced during their mingling. Kagome's eyes widened in shock when she realized that the Lady was already mated, and here she was trying to get Sesshoumaru took look at her so she could kiss him!
Kagome made her way over to the Lord that Kagome knew the Lady to be mated to and asked him for a private word. The Lord agreed and Kagome led him over to where Sesshoumaru and the Lady were.
"Excuse me, my Lord, but could you kindly remove your mate's arms from mine?" Kagome asked loudly enough so that Sesshoumaru, the Lady, and a few of the surrounding demons heard. The Lord turned red in anger, grabbed his mate, and hauled her from the room, most likely to give her a lesson in loyalty.
Kagome watched them go, satisfied that she had done something to help out her crush. Kagome smiled at him when he spotted her just off to the side.
Sesshoumaru, who had been trying to avoid her, approached Kagome, who was elegant in silver. He noticed the white dog that looked suspiciously like him in his true form on her back, along with the designs on her sleeves that looked like 'S's.
'Gin.'
He immediately knew that Gin had done that on purpose and made a mental note to kill his younger half-sister later. She was too clever and observant for her own good. She had realized that Sesshoumaru liked Kagome, and was doing whatever she could to get them together.
'Does that mean she likes me as well?'
Sesshoumaru tried in vain the ignore that thought. He had believed that the feelings he had had for someone were returned last time, and now look what had happened. The youkai had taken her own life, without even an explanation.
He shook his degrading thoughts from his head, and took a look at the girl in front of him who was regarding him with curiosity. He offered his arm, which she took, and led her from the room, heading to the gardens for a starlit stroll.
They stopped by a pond full of koi, and Kagome looked down into the glassy water as Sesshoumaru stood beside her. Suddenly, he inhaled sharply, and was slightly disappointed to find that she was no longer enveloped in his scent. He leaned down and put his mouth close to her ear.
"What happened to my sleeping kimono?" he murmured. Kagome's eyes widened at his words and she did the most childish thing ever when he stood up straight. She stuck her tongue out at him.
Sesshoumaru was surprised when she stuck her tongue out at him, but quickly recovered with an evil idea to get her back. Quickly, he leaned down, opened his mouth, and took her tongue into his mouth while pressing his lips to hers.
Kagome was not expecting that. After registering everything in her mind, she slowly kissed him back. He growled in approval as she did so, the sound tickling her lips. She smiled into the kiss, and reached for his obi, when--
"Kagome-hime!"
The two sprang apart and Kagome whipped out her shukusen and pointed it at the intruder's throat, growling. She was obviously displeased about being interrupted, and nearly cut the messengers head off.
"What." she commanded.
"Mikato-hime is leaving! T-there is t-trouble in her lands, and she must go to her people. She requests your presence."
Kagome shoved the servant out of the way and took off for the front entrance. When she realized she didn't know where she was, she was about to whistle for Botond, when a voice sounded behind her.
"Please do not whistle. It hurts my ears."
A strong arm secured its self around Kagome's waist. Moments later, Sesshoumaru and her were on the roof, with him sprinting across it faster than a human could ever dream of going. Of course, Sesshoumaru was no human. He was a youkai.
Landing gracefully in the entrance yard, Kagome spotted Mikato, thanked Sesshoumaru quickly, and took off running for her friend. She missed the growl that came from Sesshoumaru as she did so.
Mikato didn't miss it, and looked up to see Kagome running to her and a displeased Sesshoumaru glowering at her back. She almost smiled; Kagome had neglected her, well, in this case most likely 'future', mate.
"Mikato! What's going on? There's trouble in your lands?"
"Yes. Unfortunately so. It seems your sister believes you are hiding in the Southern Lands. So, she has attacked demanding we hand you over. She will continue to attack even once she doesn't find you, though. She knows we are against her ruling."
"Oh." Kagome said softly. She didn't know what else to say.
"Do not worry. I shall divest my lands of your sister and we will be fine for the time being. Now, I must be off if I wish to reach my lands by day-break. Give Gin and Kat my regards, and an apology since I could not stick around to say good-bye. Oh, and you may not want to neglect your mate, and give him a proper thank-you."
With the Mikato nodded and took off on Zàdor through the gates. Kagome watched her go, before turning around, coming face to face with an angry inu youkai.
Sesshoumaru growled at her, displeased that she was paying more attention to her friends than himself. She was his after all!
'Wait, mine?'
'Yes yours! I'm your demon side, incase your wondering, and I DEMAND you claim that girl before someone else does!'
'I refuse to make the same mistake twice.'
'You aren't making a mistake with this one. Look, last time, that chick had issues anyway. This one doesn't. At least put a scent claim or something on her to warn all the other lords! I didn't like the way Lord Naraku was looking at her. He kept licking his lips too, a bad sign if you ask me.'
Sesshoumaru growled as he had noticed Lord Naraku looking at Kagome like that too. His demon side told him to claim her in some way, too keep all the other males away. But how would she react to this? They had only known each other for what, 3 days?
'Demons court fast you idiot, look at your parents and your father and step-mother. Although, humans don't court as fast, but Kagome doesn't seem to mind..'
'There you go! So claim her! You're already referring to her by her first name anyway!'
'Shut up.'
'No.'
'I refuse to argue with myself. Will you go away if I agree to scent claims her?'
'For the time being.'
'Good.'
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru seemed to be having an internal battle with himself. She had been about to tap him a few moments ago, when he had suddenly growled at something and resumed his thought process. He now seemed to come to the present and looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"Erm- Thank you for bringing me here in time to see Mikato off. I, uh, appreciate it." Kagome said, trying to hide her nervousness. The look he was giving her set her on edge. He set her even more on edge when he started to stalk her like she was prey.
'Woo! Ok, creepy dog guy is now coming towards you like your his next meal! Choice of action?'
'RUN!'
Kagome had been backing away from the dark-looking Sesshoumaru, now she spun of her heel and took off for the gardens yet again.
Sesshoumaru immediately took off after her, his inu youkai blood boiling and itching to claim her, and not just a scent claim, a TOTAL claim. He wanted to know every part of her suddenly, and lunged for her.
Kagome narrowly missed him, dodging to the side and taking off into the castle. She quickly stared turning halls randomly, until she came out into the middle of the ballroom, people looking at her strangely while she searched the crowd desperately.
"GIN!"
Gin turned to find Kagome panting and running towards her for all she was worth. Gin looked at her blankly, then saw a streak of white enter the room. As soon as she saw Sesshoumaru's face Gin started to laugh at Kagome's panicked expression.
"He's going to kill me!" Kagome said in an urgent whisper.
"He's not going to kill you silly. He's going to claim you. Probably just a scent claim right now. He just wants to make sure no one else can touch you! Relax! Head for your rooms though, you might want this to be a bit private." Gin advised and watched with amused eyes as Kagome took off running again, Sesshoumaru not far behind her.
Making it too her rooms, Kagome dashed inside and locked the doors, knowing that that wouldn't be much of an obstacle for the crazed inu youkai. And she was right.
Sesshoumaru barged into the room, breaking the lock with ease. As soon as he was in, he turned, shut the door, and sealed the entire thing shut with his acid, then turned around to face his prey.
Kagome visibly gulped and back up until she hit a wall. She mentally swore when she realized she was in a corner and attempted to move, but too late. Sesshoumaru pinned her too the wall and started breathing in her scent.
Her scent of sakura blossoms and rain was driving him to the brink of his control. He had to put a scent claim on her lest he go absolutely crazy and take her here and now.
Reaching down, he grabbed her hands in his own, and turned them so that her wrist was facing upwards. He brought her left wrist up to his face, and quickly grazed his fangs across it horizontally. He did the same with the other wrist.
Kagome winced as he sliced open her wrists, then they suddenly healed, and were replaced by two magenta stripes like those on his wrists. She narrowed her eyes at them and at him. He merely smirked, got himself under control and left the room through the connecting doors.
Kagome growled at his retreated figure. He had not only scent claimed her, but visually claimed her as well. Oh man, would this be hard to explain if someone saw.
She retreated to her bed after changing into a sleeping kimono, Sesshoumaru's too be exact. She settled in and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
.:.The Next Morning.:.
"Holy shit! What the hell happened to this door?" Gin's irritated and brash voice drifted to Kagome's ears from the other side of the door that Gin and Katsueki were standing at.
"By the looks of it, it has been sealed with Sesshoumaru's acid." commented Katsueki.
"What on earth does he want to do with her? Keep her away from everyone so that he can have her all to himself?"
"Most likely."
"Well I'm not standing for it."
"And what do you plan to do about it, little sister?" came an emotionless voice.
"I plan to kick your ass that's what Sesshoumaru! Now release Kagome or I will take her from you!"
A sharp growling was heard before Katsueki's voice interrupted.
"Look here, we don't want to kidnap Kagome, Sesshoumaru. We want her to come practice weapons with us. We aren't going to take her anywhere else, we swear. You'll be down there too, as I know you haven't practiced either. You also might not want to be so damn possessive, you might scare her away."
The growling abruptly stopped, and Sesshoumaru voice sounded after a pause.
"Fine. You can take her anywhere you want within the grounds. Now move so that I may release her."
A sharp crack sounded and the door flew open. Within moments, Kagome was looking up into Gin's face as the suddenly hyper hanyou straddled her.
"Get up so that we can practice!"
"Talk about mood swings..." Kagome mumbled to herself. Gin was still straddling her, but not for long. She was suddenly lifted up, and thrown across the room. Luckily the hanyou's reflexes saved her from any harm, and she landed casually on her feet near the door.
"No need to get edgy just because I was on your girl Fluffy." Gin said and took off running for the training dojo at her brother's look. Katsueki cast them both an amused glance before following suit.
"Do you need help with anything?" Sesshoumaru asked Kagome. She looked at him and shook her head as she pushed herself up.
"No, I should be fine."
"Ok." Sesshoumaru then left, shutting the door softly behind him. Kagome changed and grabbed her swords, wincing when she picked the up. Growling, she looked at her wrists.
The magenta stripes were throbbing, making her hands unable to pick up her katanas. Kagome yelled, outraged, at this new found development. There was no way in hell she was leaving this room without her swords. She had made an exception for last night, but not today. She felt practically naked without them, and refused to go without them again.
Sesshoumaru burst into the room at her yell; he had apparently been waiting right outside. Kagome glared at him heatedly.
"What?"
Kagome pointed at her wrists, then at her swords which were lying on the desk before her. Sesshoumaru immediately understood and gave her a hard glare.
"I refuse to remove my mark. You can do nothing about the pain, but it will ease within two days, until then, you will not be able to handle your weapons." he said flatly.
"I refuse to leave this room without my weapons! I refuse to be unarmed and weak! You can either remove your marks or I will have them removed myself!"
Sesshoumaru stormed over to her until they were inches apart. "I refuse to give up something that is mine." he growled.
"I am no one's possession, Sesshoumaru. Remove your marks or will not see me again." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.
"I doubt that. You will have to remain in this room until you are healed and I can trust you."
"If you can't trust me then why mark me?" she spat.
"Because I did trust you. Now that you seem to have plans to get them removed, I don't." he swept from the room, sealing the door with his acid yet again, and making Kagome feel guilty.
'Great. I lost his trust, and probably made him very upset for wanting his marks removed. Still, I can't depend on other people to protect me. I already had to do that once, and that brought me here. Look what good it did me.'
Kagome pulled out her weapons case and set it on the bed. She carefully packed her glaive, trying hard to ignore the pain in her now burning wrists. She stowed away most of her knives, except for the ones she carried on her calves. She packed away her archery set, and, after much struggling and rests, managed to tie her katanas on her side.
Closing the case, she slung it on her back, threw her saddle bags with her now clean male kimono's over a shoulder and went to the balcony. Thankfully, Sesshoumaru had forgotten to seal these doors.
Putting a hand on the railing, she swung up and over, jumped from the balcony to the ground and landing in a crouch. She then took off running for the front entrance, whistling for Botond all the while.
Botond came galloping out of nowhere. Kagome swung up on him in mid-run, put her saddlebags on him behind her, and rode him bareback to the gate.
Upon reaching the gate, she yelled for the soldiers to let her out, claiming she needed supplies at the city. They let the bridge up, and Kagome had just started riding Botond out when a voice yelled
"Stop! Close the gate! Do not let her pass!"
It was Sesshoumaru's voice. Kagome ignored it and yelled out 'Botond!' in the voice meant for his fastest speed. The horse took off, zooming through the closing gates and down the path.
The gates closed and a deafening infuriated roar was heard from just behind the gate. Sesshoumaru had not been able to clear the gates before they closed, and his future mate was now putting as much distance between himself and her as possible.
Kagome entered the dank forest and kept going, pushing Botond as much as she dared. She hoped to reach the border by nightfall.
.:.In The Castle.:.
Gin came running to the front entrance at the sound of her brother's roar. She entered the entrance yard to find the gate guards slain and her brother in his true form completely infuriated. Gin approached him warily.
"Sesshoumaru, what happened?"
Narrowed blood red eyes turned their gaze to her, but Gin stood her ground. After a moment, the massive dog gave a pitiful whine and then transformed back into Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru continued with the whine, and Gin approached him cautiously. There was only one other time she had every heard that whine from Sesshoumaru. That had been right after his former future mate had jumped off the balcony to her death.
"She left. She ran. She's gone." he said sadly. He couldn't even bring himself to put his mask back on.
"What happened?" Gin asked again.
"She was angry with me, she couldn't lift her katanas because of her wrists. I put a scent and sight claim on her last night. She refused to leave the room without her katanas, and demanded I remove the marks, or she said she would remove them herself. I sealed her into the room so that that wouldn't happen, but I forgot the balcony doors. She's gone."
"Sess..." Gin said, reaching for him.
"Don't." he moved away, his head down and his mask back in place. "Its my own damn fault. I drive them away, but why?" he looked up at Gin, his expression sad again.
"Why do they all run?"
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Awwwwwwwwwwwww! Don't you feel so sorry for Sesshy right now? Poor thing! But, then again, Kagome's a free spirit, and you can't pen her up like that nor take away her only defense. Sorry this chapter took so long, but was it worth the wait?