Enchanted Orbs
Chapter 25 Controlling Thoughts
Inuyasha sat in the boughs of the Goshinboku. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, and it was time to turn in for the night. He glanced down at the figure that sat at the base of the tree.
Kikyou watched as the last traces of the sun vanished into the night. There was no longer any trace of the light purple; all was now the deep blue of the stars' restraint.
He and Kikyou had grown very close in the few weeks that Kagome had been gone, but he still missed his best friend. Yes, that was the difference between the girls. Though, they could pass for sisters in appearance, their personalities were nothing alike.
Kikyou was calm, reserved; she was refined but perfectly capable of being forceful when the need arose. Kikyou was the perfect shrine maiden, the ideal priestess, groomed for life in the Sengoku Jidai.
Kagome was vivacious, unpredictable; she was, no doubt, the product of her strange home, an easy life without danger. She had gained his respect in how well she adapted from that life to this one fraught with threats.
Kikyou was never meant to love someone, not with her role as the protector of the Shikon no Tama, but she disobeyed. It was probably the one time in her life that she didn't follow her commands; she had let a hanyou live after his attempt to gain the jewel, and in his continuous watch over her prized possession, they grew to respect one another for their similarities. The commonality that brought them together was the life on the outside, watching but never being able to participate.
Kikyou could never be a friend because she didn't know how; she was raised isolated from all except those who trained her. Now that her life was restored, she was trying to learn those skills, but he saw how she struggled.
Kagome was so loving and kind; she would sacrifice her own love to allow his. She knew how to be a friend, and she was one unfailingly. He missed his friend.
Yes, Sango and Miroku could be considered his friends, even Shippou, but Kagome was his first friend. She would always be his closest, even if he couldn't really confide in her, but that wasn't her fault. It was his inability to talk to her. He knew that, but whether he would admit it aloud or not was questionable.
Inuyasha sat up and jumped to the ground before Kikyou. She looked up and gave him a soft smile.
They walked towards the village together in silence until Inuyasha jerked to a stop. Kikyou stiffened as she felt the strong presence of demons, but Inuyasha broke into a grin.
"Kagome's back." He said softly and turned to face Kikyou.
Inuyasha crouched to let Kikyou hop onto his back. She didn't think she would ever get used to letting him carry her, but she knew how anxious he was to know that Kagome was safe and unhurt.
Inuyasha and Kikyou had trained together without fail until he had been able to go quite a large distance from her without losing control of his nature, but risking that loss was not something either of them wanted to deal with currently.
Kikyou silently ascended his back and they bounded off through the forest.
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Aishi held his silence while Shouron paced across the clearing. The firecat sat against a tree allowing the wound on his leg to heal as he contemplated the images Kagome had set in her mind before she left.
He never really saw images; it was usually just a mental conversation that drifted through his mind. 'She must have been so tired that she no longer thought in phrases, only sights.' It was the only plausible answer he could think of that would explain it.
Images of a older woman with short dark hair and a bright smile, an old man with priest garbs and gray hair, and a young boy that resembled the girl were prevalent. 'That must be her family.'
But there was also a young demon child that reigned in her thoughts. He had unruly red hair with a matching tail. Her whole outlook was depressed when she thought of him. 'Why? Why is she sad when she thinks of him?'
Aishi concentrated on the people in her thoughts because when other images flashed through her head...they were just confusing. For instance, how could she cause hot water to flow from inside the wall of her home, and why would her futon by elevated from the floor? There were other images, too but he couldn't even trace what they were.
He was beyond frustrated that he was spending so much time trying to figure out this girl, but his thoughts wanted to explore the unknown. There was nothing he knew about her.
A first assumption would be that she is human and no threat to him. That was proven wrong very quickly. She was powerful, more so than he ever thought a human capable. Then again, for a human, her scent was wrong. She still bled as a human, and there were advanced senses other than those a miko would have, but she didn't have the residual smell of death about her. 'No, nothing is certain about her not even her home.'
Her home. 'Who would hide their village down a well?' It was obviously protected by magic because she had been allowed, but when Shouron tried it seconds later, he landed on firm ground as if it was a perfectly normal dry well. She was a mystery indeed.
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He felt like he needed to kill something. He wanted blood dripping from his claws, but that would not do. Sesshoumaru was the epitome of self control and giving in to the urge to rend flesh was not something he would do now.
He had already let his control slip once, and that was why he was in this situation in the first place. Sesshoumaru gave in to the urge to let go his everything, his pride, his title, his status, and now those things were gone. 'Temporarily.'
But it was nice while it lasted. Her lips were petal soft and... 'Now is not the time.' He squashed the memories.
'She betrayed me.'
His thoughts were rebounding around his mind. No semblance of order remained for him to begin to sort through them, and he hated it. For the first time since his youth, he felt utterly confused.
'What is this woman doing to me?' She made him feel warmth and friendship; she made him feel helpless, and now, she made him feel lost and confused in his own thoughts where only he should reign.
The undisputable point was: she made him feel. When she was around, it was hard to be the unfeeling bastard he had prided himself to become.
It was freeing in a way when it was just the two of them, but when others were around he didn't like the feelings she invoked.
Everything was contradictory. He liked what her, but he didn't. He enjoyed the feelings some times, but he didn't at others. He wanted his title and the respect that came with it, but he hated the dependency others had on him as lord, hated the competition between the various lords.
That was another problem. What would the other lords think of his losing his lands? Would he be hunted down by his competitors? 'Impossible. Those weaklings could not harm me. But I do need to find out what is being told to the other lords, and I would like to know what Rokoshi is doing at this point.'
Sesshoumaru flexed his claws. 'He will pay for his crimes against me, and before I am done with him, he will beg for his death.'
Blood flowed from his injured arm with the movement. He looked over the injury. The gash was deep, completely severing the outside muscle, and he could see the bone mending itself from where it, too, had been assaulted.
But it was of no consequence; within two days, the wound would completely vanish. For now, he needed to speak with Aishi and Shouron. Preparations needed to be made.
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Kagome didn't realize how exhausted she was until climbed the ladder out of the well. Leaning against the wall for support, she stopped to catch her breath a bit. She pulled back the door to the well house and stared, despairingly, at the many shrine steps.
'How in the world am I going to get home?' She thought, depression sunk in. 'I can't. I'm barely standing as it is. Maybe I should just stay here for the night.'
There wasn't much else she could do. She was breathing too hard from her climb up the ladder to yell for help, and it was chancy that her family was even awake to hear her calls. Even if they did find her, she doubted they could carry her up those steps.
Kagome was about to collapse. Her dreams of spending the night in her own bed vanished as she leaned back against the wall of the well house.
"Mama, grandpa, Souta, I'm home." She whispered as she gave into the exhaustion creeping up on her.
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Inuyasha reached the well's clearing only to find two unknown demons.
"Who the hell are you?" He called as Kikyou slid off his back.
Both generals looked up at him upon his entrance.
Shouron was about to speak, but Aishi interrupted. "You are the one to come barging in, who are you?" He stated in rudely condescending manner.
Inuyasha looked at the general who still remained seated. It was an insult; it told the former hanyou that he saw him as no threat, and it served to piss him off.
"Feh! I don't have time for you. I gotta find Kagome?"
With her name, both generals snapped to attention, but this time Shouron beat Aishi to words. "What do you know of Kagome?"
Inuyasha, who had began to make his way to the well, turned towards Shouron. "What's it to you? Come on Kikyou, we need to see if she's alright. There's no telling what Sesshoumaru might have done to her."
Shouron smirked. 'Or what she did to him.' He stopped Inuyasha once again. "I see the resemblance now. You are Lord Sesshoumaru's half-brother."
"I got a name, you know. Feh! You are wasting my time." With that, Inuyasha picked up Kikyou and jumped into the well, praying that it would allow both to pass.
Inuyasha had always suspected that it was the rosary which allowed him entrance into Kagome's world. Why else would he be able to cross when Shippou, Miroku, and Sango could not? Following that thought, since the new rosary combined Kikyou and Kagome's power to subdue the stronger Inuyasha, the well should admit her as well.
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Sesshoumaru had to contain the growl that wanted to escape his throat when he scented Inuyasha near. He hoped it was just a residual smell since this was the forest he dwelled near, but the scent became stronger as he made his way to the well where his generals remained.'Wonderful. That is all I need now, another test of my control.' He thought as his mood darkened.
When he reached the clearing that was home to Kagome's well, Inuyasha was nowhere to be found. 'Maybe my generals disposed of him.' He couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face with the happy thought, but there was no trace of blood except Aishi's healing injury.
His half-brother's scent disappeared down the well. Conflicting thoughts again plagued him. He was, for some reason, unhappy that he would go to her now when she is, undoubtedly, upset. It frustrated him that Inuyasha could pass into her village and he could not. But with Inuyasha preoccupied with Kagome, Sesshoumaru was free from the burden of dealing with him for now.
When he came back, would Kagome come with him? Did he want her to? How would he react to her after what happened; how would she treat him?
Too many questions, no answers. Now he was questioning himself. He was beyond annoyed at this point.
He flushed his mind of those riddles and approached his generals. There were things he needed to get done.
"Aishi, Shouron, there are matters to discuss." He said as he stepped into the clearing.
Aishi rose from his seat and followed Shouron to Sesshoumaru who was standing at the far side of the clearing.
'Farthest from the well.' Shouron noted as he hid the smirk from his thoughts.
Sesshoumaru's eyes flicked down to Aishi's wound. 'It will hinder him.'
"How long do you need before you completely heal, Aishi?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"One day." He responded.
"When you are healed, I have need of your...capabilities." Sesshoumaru continued carefully not knowing if Shouron knew of Aishi's ability to read thoughts.
"Yes, my lord. What is it you wish?" Aishi said with his head slightly bowed.
"Information. We are currently in Inuyasha's Forest; travel north until you reach...the western lands." Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how to address his former lands. In all rights, they were still his because he was still alive, but did Rokoshi know that?
Sesshoumaru continued. "I want to know what is being said to the other lords of our current situation. Does Rokoshi know we still live, or does he think he died in his trap? Find out as much as you can with out getting too close."
"What of me, my lord?" Shouron spoke up.
Sesshoumaru turned to Shouron. "If Rokoshi knows we still live, he will be looking for us. It would be best if we make as little noise as possible; therefore, the wisest thing would be for us to stay where we are." He hated the thought of staying so close to his brother, but he also didn't want to leave Kagome.
He didn't want to face her right now, but he knew that she could very well be dying from her last burst of power. 'There's nothing I can do about it, though. I cannot travel to her village, the barrier is not one I know how to break.' He admitted mentally.
"What about Kagome?" Shouron added.
Sesshoumaru glared at him. "There is no way to reach her until she comes back. If we are still here when she returns, what she does is her decision." He answered stiffly and both generals knew the conversation was over.
The three retired to their own corners of the clearing to rest. It had been a very long day, and all were exhausted, though, none would admit it aloud.
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Inuyasha and Kikyou landed on soft earth under a roof, and he knew it had worked. Not wasting time to rejoice, Inuyasha carried Kikyou out of the well.
He was about to tear out of the well house when he smelled Kagome nearby. The sliding door was open and he glanced outside. He didn't see her.
Kikyou gasped and tried to get free of his arms; he followed her gaze and found Kagome leaning against the wall, unconscious.
Inuyasha let Kikyou down, and both rushed to her side.
"Is she...?" Kikyou asked quietly. She couldn't see Kagome's aura because of its weakness, but she didn't want to admit she was dead.
"No, she's still breathing, but its very faint." He said solemnly.
He gently picked up Kagome and carried her up to the house. Kikyou followed at a slower pace, observing the strange surroundings of Kagome's habitat.
Inuyasha pounded on the front door, and after a few moments, Kagome's mother answered in her robe.
"Dear me, what happened? Is Kagome alright? Come inside quickly!" She ushered them in and led them up to Kagome's room.
"She is really weak. I don't know what happened. We just found her this way." Inuyasha admitted quietly.
Kagome's mother kicked Inuyasha out of the room while she and Kikyou tenderly changed her clothes. A mother's tears slipped down her cheeks as she tucked her little girl under the covers.
Kikyou put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure she will be fine. Kagome is very strong, and she will find a way to pull through."
"Thank you, but I want to know what is wrong. Why is she like this? Is she sick? Was she hurt? We didn't see any injuries when we were changing her, so what happened to her?" She asked as the pace of her tears sped up.
Kikyou rubbed her back in a consoling manner for a few moments before stepping outside Kagome's room to give her solitude.
Inuyasha was leaning against the wall with a scowl on his face.
"Inuyasha?" Kikyou prompted.
"What did that bastard do to her?" He whispered angrily. He looked up when he felt two arms wrapping themselves around his shoulders.
"All will be will. Have faith." She whispered back.
He was silent for a moment. "No. We're going to find out what happened. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the house.
When they reached the outside, it was all a blur to Kikyou until she found herself back in the past with four demonic auras around her.
She recognized them all, but it still unnerved her to be surrounded by so many potential enemies. Even Inuyasha could be considered an enemy if he didn't stay within a range of her.
"SESSHOUMARU!" Inuyasha's bellowed across the land.
Across the clearing, Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "I am not deaf." He stated calmly from his resting place against a tree.
Inuyasha appeared before him glaring for all he was worth. "What did you do to her, you bastard?"
Sesshoumaru stared at him for a moment. "I did nothing. She overused her power; possibly destroying herself. I warned her not to, but she did not listen." He responded. It took all the control he could muster to keep the concern from his voice, but he'd be damned if Inuyasha found out he cared about the girl.
Inuyasha growled at him, not sure how to respond.
"Go back to her." Sesshoumaru started. "She must rest and recover. If she dies, bring her body here. Tenseiga will revive her. Until that time, there is nothing we can do." He spoke as a mentor would to his pupil then closed his eyes.
Inuyasha was more than angry. Sesshoumaru wasn't responsible for Kagome's condition, so he couldn't release his frustration on him. Well, he could but that would keep him from making sure Kagome is still breathing, and now Sesshoumaru casually dismissed him in such a condescending manner.
'Cocky bastard.' Inuyasha thought before releasing a fierce growl and running full speed back towards the well. Kikyou just sighed as the scenery around her blurred once again with Inuyasha's pace.
A/N: Hi guys. I hope you liked this story...yes, kinda boring, but hey, if it was solid battles, there wouldn't be much of a plot now, huh? Sorry you guys, but if you reviewed the last chapter...it might take me a day or so to sit down and respond to them. We've been having some wicked weather down here, and my electricity has been on the fritz. I'll try to get those out pretty quick, promise!
