Light Nevermore
Author: foxmagic
Rating: I'm changing it back to PG-13/T for now. It might be bumped up later.
Disclaimer: Inuyasha doesn't belong to me. So there.
(A/N) Yes, I have decided to write a SesshomaruxKagome fic. Why that pairing? Well, because Sessho rox my sox. Yeah, I have indeed grown tired of the InuyashaxKagome thing. And as much of a canon-lover as I am...I must make an exception. Because frankly,Kagome really is the only one I see working for this. So there it is.
Thanks so much to my reviewers. It means alot. Especially since I was already so iffy about doing an Inuyasha fanfic in the first place. If things go well, I'll keep it up.
;-Chapter One-;
What is mortality to the immortal?
What is humanity to those that are far beyond human?
Humans and Demons should never live in harmony.
Since the beginning of time…
This has been the truth.
The world ever divided-
Humanity and Demonism.
And those who dare to stray beyond the borders of this order…
Seem to disappear through time,
Leaving only their successors to imitate such a cruel fate.
And over and over the carousel spins…
Weaving destruction for the demon race.
;-
It was midnight when Kagome woke.
Yawing, she sat up on her elbows. Something had stirred, and continued to stir, deep inside her chest. Sleep would not come. Gingerly, her eyes met with the moon outside her window. Like a Cheshire cat, it smiled down upon her. She didn't look away.
From somewhere in the distance, a dog howled at the moon.
From somewhere far away…a dog lifted his face to the night sky.
She could hear it even now-
Aforetelling of events to come.
And she just couldn't look away.
;-
She should have stayed in bed that morning.
Things had started off absolutely wonderful. Very splendid, in fact. Kagome waved a farewell to her family before quickly hopping down the old well. It was back to the past for her, and once again she would have to decline that date offer Houjo had sprung the other day. Poor guy…she really should just tell him she's no longer interested. It had occurred to her that she no longer had time to be interested. Or perhaps that was only a sorry excuse to ease her guilt.
Yeah, maybe.
"I'm too nice." Kagome spoke to the creeping vines that littered the bottom half of Inuyasha's well.
"Trying to convince yourself of something?" A voice echoed back down to her.
Well speak of the devil…Her eyes lifted to meet the face of her companion. "Hello there, Inuyasha."
"Hurry up, will ya? I've already been waiting over an hour."
She contained a grumble as her hands gripped the stone wall crevices. It would take more than his sour mood to get her down. So far it was turning out to be a beautiful day, both in the future and the current present. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, she had brought home-made food for a nice picnic lunch…it was all well-to-do. Nothing was going to dampen her spirits. Nothing.
Hoisting herself out and into the fresh air, a smile formed delightedly on her face.
"Kagome!"
A bolt of energy came whirring passed her cheek, causing a tiny cut to appear. She made no attempt to move, and her smile was now a very distinct frown.
Damn…
"You idiot, be more careful!" Inuyasha scolded her. "I tried to tell you to move, but you weren't listening."
"Are we being attacked?" The girl looked around, irritated. "Where did that surge come from?"
He pointed to a now very dead demon, laying some ways away. Was she not paying attention when he just took the monster out moments ago?
"Geez, what's with you? Stop daydreaming and hurry the hell up. The others are waiting for us at the village."
Kagome began to follow him back, stopping only briefly to look over her shoulder. It puzzled her…
"Hey! I said move it!"
All previous thoughts now forgotten, she focused on catching up. "I'm coming!"
She'd 'sit' him later for that daydreaming comment.
;-
"This is for you, Shippo. And this is for Inuyasha…"
Watching her comrades gaze in wonder at the new types of food she had pulled from her bag, Kagome could only sigh. So easy to please. At one point she had even entertained the thought of dishing out helpings to all their enemies as a distraction.
Hello, Naraku! Would you like some pocky?
Why certainly! Could you hold on a moment while I mindlessly slaughter you?
That idea was quickly pushed aside.
"…" She rolled a blade of grass between her fingers idly. Hey, if she played her cards right…perhaps she could persuade them to hold off the search for one day.
"You know what, Inuyasha?"
Only the sound of eating could be heard.
"Inuyasha!"
"What!"
"I think we need a holiday. Maybe we should-"
He was quick to quell that notion. "Heck no. We ain't wasting no more time."
"Wasting time! Well just maybe I'd like to relax for once!" Really, is that too much to ask? Tight-ass! "Besides, you can't do anything without me anyways."
"S-Shut up! I can do just fine without your help!"
Miroku grunted at the redundancy. How many times had they argued this point? Even so, the conversation continued to grow more and more heated until Kagome finally took the initiative and stomped out the door of Kaede's hut.
"Where are you going!" Inuyasha called after her, anger rising.
She chose not to respond as her feet led her farther and farther from town.
;-
It was evening now. Time had slipped away, slowly but surely. And now Kagome sat alone on the bank of the village's spring. Baths always seemed to calm even the most frazzled nerves, so to the bath she had gone. And now, as her feet dipped in the water, she could feel all her worries melt into nothingness.
"Stupid dog-brain…" She gurgled as her whole body was finally submerged.
Was she really that fed up with him? Kagome wasn't sure. But while the days had progressed as of late, something had begun to dawn upon her. Even so, she wasn't ready to admit said apprehensions. No, not yet. But maybe someday…
Squinting, she let one hand reach up to settle over her eyes. And that's when she caught a glimpse of something odd in the tree-top littered sky.
A dark green figure against a blanket of stars…
"What…?" Kagome stood up, feeling the distinct air of another presence. It would be better if she returned to camp. Quickly the girl gathered her things, getting dressed in a lop-sided manner. She thought herself to be insane. There really was no one there, without a doubt. It was just her raw emotions getting the better of a bad situation. Paranoia was a fault of hers. Or perhaps…it was the brevity of her concern that caused all the trouble to come in her general direction.
Either way, she couldn't deny the increased pace that her legs began to adopt. Kagome was a little more than frightened now. And if the tug at her chest meant anything, she'd say that this truly wasn't just paranoia.
A snap of some nearby twig caused her breath to hitch quite suddenly. "Inuyasha?" Her voice was hesitant, not sure whether to deem that as a statement or a question.
Hopefully the former.
"Ahh…the priestess." Came the grueling answer. And to that, she'd be damned. It certainly was not Inuyasha.
In answer to the unspoken question, a monster made his appearance before the shaken human. Her eyes widened.
"You…but Inuyasha killed you this morning! I saw him!"
It was the corpse she had seen laying on the ground in literal pieces. He had been killed, or so she thought. And then the memory of that odd surge came back to her. Kagome lifted a hand to her cheek.
The cut was gone.
"Ho ho ho…" It hissed and spat in a manner fit for no beast. "We have been searching a long time for you, little girl. It is rumored that you have jewel shards within your possession."
Kagome sat still. She didn't move as the demon stepped aside.
We?
Out of the shadows emerged a second demon, only this time it bore the resemblance of humanity. She was a wicked thing indeed, with black hair, and a hideous and cruel smile. Her person gave off such intense negative waves that Kagome thought she would be sick then and there. But perhaps it would be better that way, because otherwise she'd have to concentrate on what a stupid mistake this all was. They must have been waiting for her to come out alone. And she had taken the bait.
Stupid stupid Kagome!
But really, if Inuyasha hadn't angered her like that, everything would be dandy. It was his fault.
Stupid stupid Inuyasha!
Better.
And then, as if that wasn't enough, Kagome suddenly found herself being assaulted with a rather angry looking toad. It came flying straight for her face. If she hadn't ducked, his large and pointy head might have impaled her. Instead, he ended up in the bushes nearby. Kagome could only stare in shock.
"…Jaken?"
He surfaced from the endless sea of brush, now angrier than ever. "Why you pathetic wench!" He screamed at the demon and his mistress. "When Lord Sesshomaru hears that you have kidnapped me, you'll be sorry!"
Her laugh echoed through the trees, covering everything as a plague. Her words were rich in malice and hatred. "You silly frog, I have taken you for that very reason. If I were him, I'd leave you and your incessant tongue to rot…but he will come for you. I know this."
"Well then what do you want with me?" Inquired Kagome, albeit a bit loudly. "Why Sesshomaru? Why me?"
She caught her eyes. The girl gasped. Such malevolence was harbored there, that Kagome felt she could not escape her gaze.
"Do not flatter yourself. It is only your shards that I have interest in."
Oh…
"And you will make fine bait for the half-breed."
Of course…
She wanted to spit. It was always the bait idea. None of these demons were original! It was a redundant pattern of Kidnap Kagome, Take the Shards, Wait for Inuyasha to Come, and finally DIE by the hand of said half-breed.
Always.
Always always always.
Who was writing this pathetic script anyways?
"Hey! I'm speaking to you, human!"
Snapping back to the situation at hand, Kagome tried her best to stay calm.
The demoness smiled grimly. "I said, now is the part where you hand over your shards. Please do so willingly, or I will have to grant you a premature demise."
"No way! I don't make deals with demons."
That laughter again. "Very well, then I suppose your dead body will serve as bait well enough."
She advanced, and Kagome could only shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
But it never came.
Rather, the clash of weapons could be heard overhead, and she had to force herself to look up.
She smiled.
Inuyasha had come. Then again…hadn't he always done so?
"Are you okay?" He asked, staving off a blow from the more grotesque monster.
"Yeah…I'm fine. But sheesh, it's about time you got here!"
"Hey!" Another blow blocked. "I was a little busy!"
"Oh yeah? Doing wha-"
Her voice hitched as she felt another strong demon presence approaching. But this one was familiar…
He was coming too.
"Inuyasha…" She tried to grab his attention. "Inuyasha!"
The demon didn't let up in his attacks, even as Inuyasha's attention was divided. Another swing, another block…it was becoming now all too pointless. Neither was landing a blow.
"Inuyasha!"
His eyes widened as he narrowly escaped the cut of sharp fangs. "Shut up! Can't you see I'm busy?"
"B-But…"
He ignored her whining when something far more interesting came to fall upon his ears. Rapidly, Inuyasha spun his head to glance back at the demoness.
A foul chant hung heavy on her lips.
"K…Kagome! Get out of here!" He shouted urgently.
She stood hastily to her feet, hesitating at the sudden tone taken.
"Go! Go back to the village!"
Her body shivered. Scared. She was scared. But she trusted Inuyasha too much to ignore his plea, so she ran. Through the brush now tainted with dark powers, her feet carried her safely away. Down the path, up a knobby little hill, and out onto the open plains. She ran. She ran fast.
But it aided her none.
It felt as though all breath had left her as the ground made quick contact with her face. The grass crumpled between a furious grasp. Is this how it would end? With death coming so swiftly to meet her? Kagome cringed, attempting to sit up –attempting to run. And then…
And then…all slowed to a halt before her very eyes.
A demon clad in white now stood where she lay. His hair swayed gently in a breeze she had not known existed, and his weapon was held read in its owner's hand. The girl blinked.
Sesshomaru…
"Where is my brother?" He said.
"I…" Her voice caught. "I think he's fighting the demon still…"
He merely looked away. Yellow eyes narrowed, as if he could perceive all that was happing in that dank forest. And then he stepped aside. Just as soon as a few meters had been cleared, a vile surge of power came barreling towards where he once stood. Kagome suppressed a scream as she covered her head.
Oh god, this is the end. I'm going to die. Panic reasonably began taking over. Farewell, mom! I'm sorry I never learned how to make that spicy chicken curry you loved so much.
And so, with morbid thoughts of death and the afterlife well in-tow, Kagome was able to make peace with her life in the entire 2.5 seconds she had before that beam hit her. Yes sir, she would soon be cream a la Kagome, and there was no Inuyasha to be found.
When 3.4 seconds rolled around, she wasn't entirely too surprised to find out that death had not claimed her. Unless of course, Heaven included a rather cold and uncaring demon Lord. That being the case, she was sure she'd prefer to take her chances with Hell.
She contemplated lightly as to who had truly protected her from that blast. But as an angry Inuyasha bounded forward, Kagome decided to save such questions for another day.
"Sesshomaru!" He snarled. "I thought I told you to get lost."
His brother only cast a brief look his way, before setting his sights on the female demon approaching. "I have come to retrieve what you have stolen from me."
She tittered lightly at the mono-toned voice. "Yes of course, my Lord." Now her hands rose above her head, and snapping her fingers, she revealed a blue and yellow cloth from mid-air.
It was only then that Kagome realized Sesshomaru had come upon them without his sash. It was amazing that some other being could attain an article of clothing from the powerful yet way too pompous Lord of the Western Lands. She frowned. The situation was proving to be more and more ridiculous.
And then to add insult to injury, Inuyasha insisted on initiating brother-brother bonding time in the middle of the little crises at hand.
What a guy.
No, Inuyasha. This is not a good time to fight with your sibling.
No, Inuyasha. The absence of his sash will not give you any sort of advantage.
No, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru is not here to kill you…for once.
Her head hit the ground voluntarily.
And then she was up in a flash, marching over to where the brothers bickered. Er…over to where Inuyasha bickered. Kagome had every intention of 'sitting' him. Many times. Many many times.
Too bad the thought came with the actual incantation attached to it.
Oh well, not a big loss. Her foot came to kick his head lightly for good measure. "And that's what you get! How about listening to me next time?" Now thoroughly pleased, the futuristic girl spun to face their current adversary.
Her eyes grew large.
It seemed to be all slow motion for her. As a newly launched attack headed straight for them, she felt herself frozen to the spot, unable to move or speak or even blink. Out of the corner of her eye, a petrified Sesshomaru stood, seemingly transfixed in time. It was a universe inside of a universe, and her breath just would not come.
How could she see this when they could not?
Move! She wanted to cry out to them. Run! But only an echo of her shaking voice was played back to her. An echo for none but herself.
Kagome covered her face.
And the world faded to white…
;-
"Uhn…"
"Wake up."
"…Mm."
"I will not repeat myself."
"…just five more minutes."
"Suit yourself."
Kagome settled back down, content that her mom agreed to let her sleep. Her mom…
Hmm, her mom sounded almost like a man. How odd.
The girl let out a piercing screech as she was hauled into the air, suddenly very much awake. Even more surprising than the ascent…was the descent. She landed hard on her rump.
"Dammit, Inuyasha! I'm going to-" Kagome made an effort to wag her fist at him, and was startled when she could not do so. Moreover, there wasn't even an Inuyasha to scold. She pulled back on her right wrist. Still, there was resistance. So forcing herself to assess the problem, she shed a glance at her arm.
A shackle of some kind was attached around her wrist. Hmm…yes, things were progressively sliding downhill. And then Kagome caught a glimpse of a taught chain, which was also attached very actively to her wrist. Or to be more precise, attached to the shackle.
Pulling the contraption once more, she made a face.
"If you don't stop with that ceaseless tugging, I will ensure that you never use that arm again."
Her face fell.
It had never really occurred to her that some one might be affixed to the opposite end of that chain. Being too afraid of the truth, this called for some reverse psychology. It is not him. He is not standing there, staring at me as if I were an idiot. I am dreaming. It's mom's voice. She just…has a really bad cold. Yes…a cold. Fully confident (or more likely, mentally disturbed), the young girl let her eyes wander up the length of the interlocking metal rings. And horror of all horrors…it was not her mom.
Surprise surprise.
"Se…"
Her luck sucked.
"Sesshomaru!"
He held up his arm in silent response. And sure enough, there on that delicately marked skin of his, an identical cuff held him prisoner.
Kagome felt like crying.
And she knew then, that she really should have stayed in bed that morning.
;-CONTINUED-;