more to come
As soon as she returned, Naraku knew of her deceit and the beating began, he made her strip to her underwear and lay on the cold hard floor before pulling out his whip. She screamed, cried, and pleaded but it didn't end. Her back felt like it was on fire. But he didn't stop, he didn't stop until her vision started to fade, till her body started to numb, till she felt her mind going black. Dropping the leather on her bloody whipped back when her breath was hard, rapid, and forced.
" What did you tell her?" he sneered kicking her hard in the stomach before circling her again, like he's been doing for the last 45 minutes.
Kagura lift her upper body off the floor slowly, turning her head to the side, she spit out a mouth full of blood before hitting the ground again unable to move any further. Naraku kicked her again, making her roll onto her back, " What did you tell her?" he repeated.
She hiss as he poured the hot oil on her now bare chest... it wasn't hot enough to do serious damage, but fuck, it still hurts like hell. She felt the tears sting her eyes when he brought the whip down on her wet chest. The leather digging into her body, leaving thick, bleeding lashes behind.
The oil making it hurt more than it should. Tears slid from her eyes as the oil seeped in the large cuts on her chest.
" What did you tell her!" he stated in his cold voice bringing the whip down again.
Kagura scream out. " Nothing I swear!" tears fell freely from her eyes.
" And I'm suppose to believe that." he said with a laugh as he beat her even harder than before. The whip tore into her skin. She bit her lip making it bleed, as she try not to scream.
Naraku frowned seeing her biting her lip. " So you don't wanna scream…." he quickly walked over to a nearby wall. He grabbed four burning candles he lit earlier and walked back over to her. He smiled down at her bleeding body and then...
" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The hot wax seeped into her cuts mixing with the still hot oil. She cry out loud again. It felt like her skin was burning off. Naraku smiled down at her again. " You're going to tell me what she said to you. And you are going to pay for damaging what's mine." she saw him undo his pants.
He flipped her around before he smashed her head against the floor, ripping off her panties. She cried harder. She hated this. She couldn't feel her hands, he was holding them behind her. Against her will she screamed when he pushed inside her from behind. Too tight. She was too tight back there. He was too big. He pulled out. Just to push fully back in with brutal force. The pain was unbearable. Kagura eyes shot open with pain, it was overwhelming, too much to take at once, it all gathered in her throat and came out in one deadly scream.
Naraku grinned staring at her back as he moved roughly inside her. Her hair clinging to her body from sweat and damp with blood. " What did you tell her?"
She answered, " Nothing!"
He dug his claws into her waist pushing harder, " I swear! I wouldn't betray you again!" She cried. Her eyes were tightly shut, tears and sweat smeared all over her face. Her cries for him to stop soft and heart breaking.
" You better not." he whispered leaning over to her ear, pushing hard in her one last time. " Or the last thing you will feel before you leave this earth is this." Pushing deep just to hear her scream. He kissed the back of her head, pulling out " And this is me being gentle." Standing up, putting himself away. " Be prepared to fix your mistake by tomorrow tonight."
Kagura cried as he left the room, collapsing to the floor, weakly she banged her fist against the wood, screaming out in agony. This was not fair! This was not life! This couldn't be it! This couldn't be her fate! She cried until her eyes hurt like the rest of her body. She couldn't keep doing this, she couldn't keep living like this. She should have killed herself when she had a chance. She should have ended all of this suffering when she had her window.
But no, the miko had to get in the way, she had to stop her, had to offer her help. Could she help her? She was the only thing she knew that would cause Naraku to spiral out of control. She was his obsession. She was his kryptonite. But she wanted to stop him, not join him. He was so sure she was his property, as if she agreed with his plans. Maybe he liked the challenge, maybe she could stop him. She was strong, she knew that first hand and now that she was married she had the entire west on her side including a power demon lord. Could she help her? Could she save her? Anything was better than the hell she was living. How would she do this, she thought, there had to be a way, she had to be free.
It has been about 28 hours; Kagome was still sleeping like the dead and Sesshomaru called out of work to watch her and do some research of his home. He would have had some people at his company look into some of his questions for him, but he knew it was a bad idea. His and Kagome's face was still all over the news and papers since her fall out of the sky and his disappearance from work. He didn't have the time to deal with the media right now, there was too much on his mind that concerned the mysterious woman he was forced to marry.
Gruff knew more than what he was telling, which only made him question who and what exactly was this so called man. When he met him the first time, he knew immediately he wasn't human but he still haven't had the time to figure out what exactly was he. And how he knew Kagome was also a mystery, you don't just adopt your mentor's last name and call him father. They had an odd connection, it was stronger than father and daughter. There was a secret to their relationship, something there weren't telling anyone else, not even the rest of the RDSVU.
After coming up with dead end after dead end, he did what he usually did when he needed assistance. And called his father. He was on the phone with him right now, sitting in a chair by the vanity table in his bedroom, watching his sleeping wife. Tashio had told him of what happened at the council debriefing, how Gruff told them Kagome placed a tracker on one of Naraku's men and how they got a decent location to scout. And that only raised more questions, Sesshomaru was sure the wolf was telling him the truth when she mentioned Kagome placing a tracker on the wind demoness that tried to take So'unga. But why be so subtle about it with the council? Was the team hiding facts from them when it came to this investigation?
" I can't find anything on the father." Tashio was saying, " Nasyu Hernoshi is the fakest name of all fake names. My guy can't get anything on him besides he randomly popped up at the jail Kagome was in one day. He would sit with her while in solitary for about 3 hours a day every day so no one knew what they did. Just that she calmed down a lot with his visits. I'm guessing he was helping her control her powers but I don't know."
Sesshomaru shook his head, staring at his sleeping wife, " Something is off. He said it was a healing spell to help her gain control." he frowned trying to remember the words, " Something, Es atlaidos tevi atpakaļ, something, no kurienes tu nāc."
" I have no idea even what language that is pup. And I've been around for a long damn time."
Sesshomaru nodded, feeling the same what his father felt, like he was being played as a fool or something, " They keep secrets from the rest of the team. They are hiding something important concerning Kagome powers."
Tashio agreed over the phone, " We need to dig deeper, is Kagome even a native to this lands? Something about her doesn't sit right with me, she doesn't act like a typical Japanese woman. Her language has a subtle accent to it."
Sesshomaru frowned, he also noticed that slight drawl when she spoke. He thought it was pretty cute but it did seem like this language wasn't the first she learned. " She said she was in the states for about 6 months on a job but nothing else. Where do we even start looking for the truth?"
" I know where to begin, her mentors. If she needed to learn how to control her miko powers there is only a few people she could have gone to as a child."
Sesshomaru blinked, that's right, Kikyou and Kagome have been taking priestess lessons since they were kids. Her mentor was bound to know something about the mysteries that surrounded the girl. " Father, can you come and watch her in case she wakes."
" Of course pup I'm on my way."
It didn't take his father long to arrive, so about 20 minutes later Sesshomaru found himself parked outside of an old shrine. There was 2 people Kagome's parents would have sent their twins to for training at their young age. And Tanaka was a member of the council by then so it had to be the old one eyed priestess Kaede. She was the last living relative to the supposed keeper of the Shikon Jewel.
He remembered stories of the jewel of four souls as a child. It was something he never really believed in. A jewel being created by a powerful priestess trying to stop a powerful demon and trapped them both inside for all eternity sounded much like a fairy tale. Besides he's been living for almost one thousand years and never seen proof of it. Amber eyes glanced around for a second, making sure the coast was clear of any cameras before he got out of the car and headed up the steps.
Kaede stood in her small shrine that also served as her home during the earlier hours of the day, she was suppose to be cleaning her cooking tools to prepare breakfast. But she stumbled across an old orange ribbon that somehow got caught between two of her stewing pots. She stood there holding the ribbon in her hand, lost in memory. She remembered when her student lost it, she was so young and so upset. It was always her favorite color and the ribbon was one of her favorite items to keep on her. She had told the old woman that it was a magic ribbon. That it kept her safe from the shadows.
It saddened Kaede greatly, the poor child, she suffered from so much and no one even knew. She wished the young woman well, shes had tried her best to help her before it all got worse. Kaede wrapped the ribbon around her wrist, she felt a sudden anger surge inside her. It was all her parents fault. She had tried to explain to them, tried to warn them something was wrong with their child. That she needed additional help that she couldn't provide. But they didn't listen, refused to listen, instead they told her to punish her if she does anything that wasn't considered normal. The old woman sighed, and the girl was anything but normal, so you can see how that was a huge problem.
Sesshomaru pulled back the sliding door to the shrine and with no introduction, stepped into the small home. Kaede blinked and turned, taking a hot pot of water off the stove, " I'm sorry I wasn't expecting anyone so early."
Sesshomaru stood in the doorway, looking over the woman before him. He remembered Kaede had bore a very striking resemblance to her sister in her youth. But now in her old age, her long hair which she keeps tied behind in a long ponytail has grayed and her facial appearance has altered slightly, as her face dons various aged creases and wrinkles. He remembered she use to have a short stature with a surprisingly slim build for her age, however now she had a slightly bigger build that has accumulated with old age.
Yet her clothing is still the same, identical to a priestess. Kaede just smiled as the great lord continued to stare, steadily she set the hot tea on her small table. " Lord Sesshomaru I have not seen you in almost 60 years." She smiled up at him, " Please come sit, how can I help you."
Sesshomaru stepped forward, lowering to the seat that was gestured to him, " You were the mentor for Kagome Hernoshi correct?" he asked, immediately jumping into business.
Kaede smiled, " Yes I was for a short time. I have heard you two were married, sorry I could not attend the reception. How is Kagome?"
He shook his head, " She is comatose at the moment."
Kaede blinked, surprise evident in her one eye, " What?"
" What can you tell me about her powers?" Sesshomaru asked.
Kaede frowned and glanced, down, focusing on pouring the water into a tea cup. He did not touch the cup she poured for him, not because he was ungrateful, he was just sure he wouldn't like it. He was extremely picky with anything he consumed. The silence stretched on for a moment longer, Sesshomaru frowned at the obvious avoidance, " Something is wrong with her and its making her ill. If you do not wish to share I will find another source." he said, standing to leave.
Kaede jumped to her feet, " Wait." reaching out to stop the demon lord from leaving, " I do know what's wrong with her but I was sworn into secrecy."
Sesshomaru turned and glared at the old woman, " Her body is attacking itself, she has been dead to this world for the last day now and is not getting any better. What ever is happening is because of her powers."
Kaede shook her head, " Have you spoken to her father yet?"
A slender eye brow raised, " Nasyu?"
The older woman nodded, " Yes, he is usually taking care of her when she gets like this."
Sesshomaru watched the woman return to the small table, silently walking back to his cushion and taking his seat. " He is not willing to share."
Kaede took a calming sip of her tea, " That's like him, he's super protective over Kagome."
He just frowned, " Explain what is going on with her."
Kaede nodded, setting her cup down and sighed, " My first run in with Kagome, she was only 4 years old and even then I knew she possessed an enormous amount of power. Her sister Kikyou only possessed a fraction of that strength. I started to think Kagome could be the next Shikon No Miko, keeper of the Shikon No Tama, like my sister."
She paused, shaking her head for a moment, not even convincing herself with that statement, " But even at that age, her power levels surpassed any priestess I ever encountered. And then her control was far too advanced for someone her age. They way she could hide her aura was challenged by masters of this trade. The way she mastered abilities in just a day was just too hard to believe. She's a mimic. What she see, she can do almost instantly. What she read, was memorized word from word. What she saw was held in her head like a picture. It's like she was made, instead of born."
Kaede sighed, staring into her cooling cup of tea before glancing up into staring amber eyes, " Her sister would complain constantly about her moving too fast so she started to lose interest in our lessons. She would just sit in the back of the class and she would just talk to herself. I asked her once who was talking to and she said Man, her friend and pointed at the wall. I figured her sister's jealousy was making her feel isolated at home and she must have created an imaginary friend."
Sesshomaru frowned, listening to the story, " But that is not what you believe anymore." he assumed.
Kaede shook her head, frowning, " Her parents were never good listeners when it came to Kagome. Even before the incident her mother was turning the family against her."
Sesshomaru raised a brow, " Why?"
Kaede looked up, " Because of the way she arrived. Kikyou was supposed to be the first born."
Amber eyes blinked, " What? How?"
" During delivery something went wrong, the cord was wrapped around her neck as Kikyou was coming out. They had to perform a cesarean in order to safe Kagome's life. They pulled her out her mother's stomach mere seconds before Kikyou came out. Because she was not born naturally, the mother always felt the child would be an omen."
Kaede sighed again, " Perhaps that is why Kagome was so eager to have someone to talk to. She would get in trouble if she did not act normal at home. But she would tell me she heard voices in her head, telling her to do bad things. She spoke of urges to set fires. She would have temper tantrums that would turn deadly if anyone got too close. And then her immense amount of power had me concerned, especially once she told me she was holding back during classes."
Kaede fist her hands, looking to the demon lord, " I believe, somehow when the jewel was burned with the ashes of my sister, the souls inside of it were released. Those girls are possessed and Kagome got stuck with the demon of all demons."
Sesshomaru blinked, " So you believe Kagome is housing the demon from the Shikon jewel inside of her body?"
Kaede nodded, " Yes. It is the voices she hear, the temptations she feel, the rage she can not let go. The shadows she sees following her."
Sesshomaru was not convinced, " The sister has not shown any signs of possession from a powerful priestess. One is too assume her strength would match the one inside of her correct."
Kaede shook her head, " Kikyou has not done anything to wake the priestess spirit inside her. But that night, all those years ago, something happened and it woke the demon inside Kagome. Gruff has spent years, containing it with magic."
Sesshomaru raised a brow, " Something like Es atlaidos tevi atpakaļ, something, no kurienes tu nāc?"
Kaede nodded, " Yes, it means I relinquish you back to whence you came. Gruff has worked hard in keeping that demon locked away inside her and throwing away the key."
Sesshomaru thought over the new information he received and frowned, " But once she gets injured too seriously, this supposed demon tries to gain control of her body."
Kaede again nodded, seeing he was starting to believe, " I don't know what happened that night, Gruff made her mind forget most of it and anything to do with the demon inside her."
" Can she be healed of this demon?"
Kaede shook her head, " I am not sure, but I never agreed with Gruff in keeping it a secret from her. She can not fight what she does not know." she answered with, standing.
Sesshomaru watched the old woman step over to her stove and pick up a orange material. She turned back to him, " This was hers. She kept it with her all the time when she was a kid. Give it to her when the time is right and it might jog her memory to the true of who she really is."
Sesshomaru stared at the ribbon for a moment, it was coated lightly in his miko's aura. Standing, he reached forward and took it from the old priestess. He nodded his thanks and turned for the door.
Kaede called out, making him stop, " My lord, protect her at all cost, she is the key to this war."
Sesshomaru turned and stared at the woman, she just shook her head, " Both sides will fight for her power and it will not stop until someone wins."
Sesshomaru frowned, but nodded, knowing the old woman was right, again he turned, he needed to get home to check on his wife.
more to come
