Tainted Silver
-Chapter 14-
"I'm gonna die," he chanted to himself happily. "I'm gonna die."
He was going crazy, he knew it. And he welcomed this insanity with open arms. Insane people couldn't feel pain, they couldn't reason at all. Therefore, when the man whose family he had so viciously attacked returned he would find him lost in reason, unable to exact his vengeance. That would be the ultimate blow to a sadist creature such as he was. Thinking of it, why a would a man leave his wife and daughter unattended in the middle of a dangerous forest in the first place? A man was supposed to be ever so vigilant over his family. Not that he would know, but such things were primal instincts.
"I'm gonna die," he repeated clearly. "I'm gonna die."
That was his mantra he decided. Even as he heard the footsteps of the creature nearing him he lost himself in the simple phrase. His blank eyes met those of the creature's through the rusting jail cell bars, full of contempt. He had a feeling, insanity still hadn't fully kicked in, that he was merely an object for him to take his rage out on. His real rage was directed at the miko.
"The miko sent you," he ground out.
He laughed, hadn't they established that already?
"Midoriko does know how to piss off the best of them," he said, a tone of casual conversation in his voice.
"Human..." he growled, his temper was obviously lacking control.
"Did she do that to ya?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, she probably did. That's why you hate her so much."
Sesshomaru didn't respond to the man's baiting, but his patience was wearing thin.
"I know you came to kill me, I'm gonna die."
The human's voice had a tone of carelessness, a resignation he didn't take very joyously. Perhaps... Perhaps letting him live without food and water, lack of sanitation, and entertainment would be worse.
"You know nothing of the hell that woman put me through," Sesshomaru sneered, "but perhaps it is time that you do."
He smiled down at the human that stared back at him with blank, brown eyes.
"You are," the human finally said, "such a beautiful woman."
Sesshomaru's eyes shot open. He, a woman!
"You ingrate!"
"Perhaps I have not made my appreciation of your beauty in the most delicate of ways, maybe I've been too subtle milady? I merely seek to make my interest known."
He didn't know wether to kill the man or to laugh at his insanity. He was telling the truth, he honestly saw him as a woman. As humorous as the scene was, the ludicrous idea was completely disgusting. The man lusted after one of the same sex. Perhaps no longer the same species, but the same sex nevertheless. That marked him as lost, completely insane. He prepared himself quickly to end this lustful man's life, but a familiar scent reached him and had a profounding effect on his actions. He refused to kill in front of an innocent.
"Sesshomaru-sama, Rin wishes to speak to the evil man."
"That is unreasonable Rin, return to your quarters at once."
"Rin will speak to the evil man," she responded stubbornly.
Sesshomaru growled softly, he turned to Sango and nodded.
"You will stay here and monitor Rin. I will go to see how Miroku and Kagome are."
Sango nodded and he left. Rin nodded in approval and approached the cell delicately.
"Evil man," she said in a strong, well as strong as a child's voice can get, voice, "you will tell me what sex is now."
Sango promptly fell back in a dead faint, hitting her head against the pavement.
"Rin thinks that Sango is asleep... Our conversation bores her."
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Miroku patiently pulled himself up and set to tending his strained ankle. He shouldn't have pushed himself so harshly, even for his brother. What use would he have been injured in a fight against bandits? No use at all, of course. He could only thank the Gods that they were alright and that Kagome was on her way to recovery... However something told him that the vision Kohaku had was merely symbolic and was not a premonition.
"Kagome had gone out after Rin and was caught in a storm and died..."
"At least so Kohaku's vision says," Sesshomaru replied swiftly.
"The storm could be conflicting emotions, something of the sort. Perhaps an inner battle."
"Or perhaps Midoriko is affecting Kohaku."
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"I felt weaker, slightly so, when that man was before me. He has some of Midoriko's power in him and it absorbed my own. Perhaps she was near that day and distorted Kohaku's vision?"
"That makes sense... But then that would mean that she has been watching us. Therefore..."
"She's going to the villagers and trying to get us killed."
"Why would she?" Miroku questioned wildly. "Did she not promise to leave us alone with a curse!"
"She sees Kagome as a possible interest to me, and an end to her curse. Ending her curse would free us to go after her and end her pathetic life as we pleased."
"A coward," Miroku hissed.
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"And so villagers, Kagome ran into the woods blindly and has ended up in a vicious creature's hands! She lays sick as we speak and he will no doubt kill her soon!"
"Why hasn't he killed her yet?" a voice questioned.
Her face took on an insulted expression.
"Because she has been of... use to him."
The crowd gasped and she barely hid a contented smirk. She was pure genius! She had never thought the abomination would get somebody to love him, or like him. The girl was a threat and by getting the villagers to go in and try to kill him she was sure he would kill them all. Then the twit would see the massacre, family among them, and leave him.
"Prepare yourselves men! You are going to war!"
"How do you know of all this woman?" an elderly voice asked.
She didn't recognize the man, but everybody else did. Kagome's senile grandfather was questioning a priestess' word! The nerve of the man! All turned to her to listen to her rightful answer, to hear her set him in his place.
"I had a man step out of that forest and tell me of this."
The old man looked at her questioningly, not satisfied. She saw the villagers begin to shuffle, doubting her themselves.
"He told me of a creature so much like a man, but so different. White hair down to his ankles, golden eyes with an icy stare, claws instead of nails, and the speed greater than that of an arrow! He hunts without weapons and can hear farther than the human eye can see. The man informed me that he saw a young girl with long, black girl with features similar to her," she paused to point at Kikyou, "being dragged away by him."
Once again she had the villagers' trust. Everybody knew that Kagome and Kikyou had an uncanny similarity to each other, so InuYasha and Kouga stepped up. They faced their village and cheered them on.
"We must go and save Kagome! If it was any of us in her place we'd want to be saved also! Let us go and fight bravely men, for we don't know when this monstrosity will strive to kill our families and homes!""Let us waste no time!" Kouga shouted over the murmurs of his comrades. "Pick up your weapons, friends! We'll go in three nights!"
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"So sex is when bees stick their things inside a young flower and suck honey out of it?" Rin questioned incredulously.
"That it is little boy," the man answered seriously.
Rin glared, "I'm a girl."
"Of course you are, son."
Rin's eyes narrowed, but she ignored him.
"Then how can Daddy have sex with Mommy? Daddy's not a bee, and Mommy's not a flower," Rin reasoned.
"Well lad," he said, looking up at the murky ceiling, "your daddy has this-."
"Rin," Sango said quickly, "Sesshomaru didn't want you here for too long. Let's go."
Rin frowned but got up nevertheless.
"Rin will be back and Rin will find out what sex is!" she said infuriatingly.
She stomped out with an unbelieving Sango behind her. Rin ran and joined the curious boys to tell of her findings and Sango left up the stairs to find Kagome. She knocked on her door and received no response. She entered and found Kagome facing the other way.
"Are you okay Kagome?"
Kagome turned to face her slightly, "I'm fine."
"Something's troubling you, I can tell."
"I'm just confused Sango. Why does Sesshomaru not want me to leave? I've proven I'm trustworthy!"
"He's holding you here for selfish reasons-."
"He wants me to warm his bed!"
"Kagome!" Sango reprimanded aghast. "Don't say such things!"
Kagome hung her head in silent defeat, obviously out of ridiculous ideas.
"He feels something for you Kagome, don't you for him?"
Kagome looked up with tears.
"I can't think of myself right now Sango. My grandfather is in danger and I can't go back and help him. Naraku is probably there waiting for me too."
Sango reached over and wiped away her tears.
"Ask him again," she said softly and left.
Kagome stared at the closed door and her eyes hardened. She was going to leave whether Sesshomaru wanted her to or not. She would run, sneak out, pretend to go on walks. As soon as she was out of the boundary he would not be able to take her back. If she was lucky and Kami-sama decided to grace her, she would even have the children become her allies.
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Ah, jeez. This will start to look more like Beauty in the Beast. However, I did say this was with my twist which means I'm not using the exact Disney idea, just the vague one. You're reviews bring tears of appreciation to my eyes, keep doing it.