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It was calm.
The horizon bathed in green was peaceful after the sudden downpour. It had soothed his heart, lulled it into hushed even harmonies from the players of earth's blissful song; the whispering wind, the flight of birds, and the humming of bees.
Oak trees and pine that dotted the bed of the windswept hills bowed gracefully from a gust. The smell of jasmine, cherries and pine floated, then lingered in the chasm of time tickled his nose as he savoured their fragrant scents. He could hear himself think again, no hammering of his heart, or the dreaded reprimand of his conscience.
The quiet, it wouldn't last, it was an illusion, and a temporary respite from reality as the woman that he loved had refused to stay with him even after having silencing their enemies. She'd rejected his supplication to stay by his side as his rightful partner, which had left him stunned.
His mate had laid her convictions at his feet; she would not live with him knowing that he had a wife whether free or otherwise. She wanted no shadows except her own, and had inadvertently given him an ultimatum; fix the problems or sleep in an empty bed.
Kagome had left with the smell of rain the day after the trial amidst tearful hellos and goodbyes to her children. It was hard, wanting to stay but she would not. The battle was won but the war still raged on, and until Sesshomaru resolved those issues she would not return to him.
sksksk
Back home Sayoka and her son was glad to see her; the children were all asleep on her return. She took a long look at them in bed. Aiko and the twins slept peacefully curled up together. Kagome sighed and turned away after a few moments had elapsed. She wasn't tired physically but the mental stresses of her life had begun to weigh her down in spite of the ease of victory.
Sayoka stood next to her and squeezed her hand tight. "Lady Kagome would you like something to eat?" she asked thoughtfully, as she could tell that her friend was uneasy.
She looked up and saw worried eyes and smiled to put the demoness at ease. "Thank you," she said, "and if it isn't too much trouble I would like a bowl of fruit and some water instead of a heavy meal."
Sayoka nodded and then answered softly. "So be it my lady."
Later in the evening after she had her meal, Sayoka invited herself inside her bedroom, took a seat and sat down.
Kagome smiled at the female's intuitiveness because she really needed someone to confide in, to help her clarify her thoughts and actions.
She expelled a shallow breath. "I left him again," she said suddenly, "I couldn't stay or even promise him when I would return."
Kagome lifted her head and peered at the demoness when she did not get an immediate response. She noticed that Sayoka's smile was weak and that she frowned slightly.
"What is wrong, please tell me?" Kagome queried anxiously.
"No, you should have stayed!" Sayoka said sternly with an edge of exasperation and stood up.
Kagome's eyes widened a fraction by the demoness's frank remark. Sayoka sighed; she had not meant to alarm the lady, but she had thought that with the wife out of the way Kagome would have returned to her mate.
She lowered her eyes apologetically this time as she spoke. "I know that you love him, and he loves and adores you like no other, put the past aside and commit to him again."
Kagome lean back and sought from the demoness's eyes to know if she was upset or dismayed. She could not tell and so she said calmly.
"There is much more to our lives than love at this point."
"Then tell me about it so that I may understand," Sayoka disputed and got up, because she could not comprehend the delay in their reconciliation after their victory in court.
Kagome left the bed wearily and approached Sayoka and hugged her around the waist. The demoness was startled at first; then relaxed a little just before Kagome let her go.
She gazed at the demoness and saw that she was calmer now and smiled at her before she mutterd. "I ran away from him three years ago, and once before that."
"What?" Sayoka asked puzzled, her voice lifted, thick with disbelief. She dropped back in the chair and stared at Kagome with narrowed eyes.
"Calm down Sayoka," Kagome gestured kindly. "Let me explain, I am not from this era, I am from a time in the future greatly removed from this one, and there things are done so differently." She paused and sighed with the distant memory of her past life.
Sayoka lips twisted as she'd listened to Kagome's calm voice and the inflections of sadness that rang in her tone. She heard the deep breath that she expelled before her voice filled the silence again.
"A marriage there meant commitment and family in a one man one woman household, so for me to be with Sesshomaru knowing that he was to take another was an option that I couldn't digest. To do so would've slowly killed me, and a scar from a past love still twitches."
Kagome paused, watched the demoness's reactions and saw her thoughts as they flashed across her face. She wasn't put off by it in the least, because her heart had long told her that she could trust her with anything and she would not judge, but would subtlety offer advice.
Sayoka took a deep breath before the words that she wanted to say tumbled from her lips. "I could tell that you were not a regular human, your scent is one that blooms with life and not silted with decay, and I knew of course from conversations with your mate that you were not from this time. But why do you fear and run?" The demoness asked, clearly a little confused.
Kagome gave her a wan smile and responded. "A heart that breaks for love once will be twice as shy to venture forward again. What irony?" She said and smiled a little. "My love for Sesshomaru is endless like the times, but sharing him was the one thing that I could not do for him. I couldn't bear the pain of knowing that he was with someone intimately other than me."
Sayoka chuckled; Kagome huffed and glanced at her and their eyes met.
"Lady Kagome I understand you perfectly and the times have nothing to do with it, when I do indeed find love it is oftentimes selfish, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. I have fought and killed two of my mate's lovers in the past; sadly he was killed in the war to regain the west five years ago."
Kagome gasped at the chilling revelations. "Oh Sayoka I am so sorry, I didn't know."
The demoness got up and laid a gentle hand onto her shoulder. "Do not worry about it, the life of a soldier is fleeting in times of war, and besides, the lord has made sure that my son and I are well taken care of, and if not for the tragedy I would never have met you…My friend."
Both females smiled; and for the first time in a long time Kagome felt sure that she had formed another long lasting bond of sisterhood with someone other than Songo.
sksksk
Much was at stake. Sesshomaru had made no secret of his belief that the emperor should be killed to his brother, Tora and two of his most trusted subordinates, Shun and Aburame.
Now more than ever he felt the tension; the rain had stopped hours ago and with it the tranquility of his mind. Now he was eager, the emperor would leave tomorrow, but had requested an audience with him, no doubt this would be about his sister.
The next day as he sat in the large outer office of the palace guard house waiting for his guests, his mind wandered to the trial not three days ago. He had seen the displeasure on the face of his brother in law, and knew that things would get from bad to worse if he did not take decisive actions now.
The woman was the man's sister and a noble woman, and she was humiliated in front of a room of demons initiated by him, no doubt that did not sit well with her family.
A scurry of sound came from the outside; Sesshomaru got up from around his desk and approached the window. He saw as a carriage came steadily towards the building accompanied by four soldiers on horseback, then the team came to a halt by the entrance.
The driver of the carriage dismounted swiftly and then fell to his knees after he had opened the door for the emperor and his advisers to exit. He also heard as Jaken opened the front door of the guard house and bowed.
His voice was low and muted but his words carried. "Welcome honorable emperor and guests, lord Sesshomaru awaits."
They nodded their greetings and looked at the toad suspiciously, who scoffed and hurriedly led them to his master who glanced at him briefly. When they were seated inside he locked the door and scurried away.
There was one other who was slated to attend the meeting and that was Tora, and hopefully he would get here shortly. He hadn't the time for pleasantries and reclaimed his seat silently, and only a pitcher of water and some glasses were laid out for the guests to drink if they desired to do so.
The door opened a short time later and Tora entered. He nodded his acknowledgement to the guests and sat. He observed that Sesshomaru was in an unlikely mood of sorts and knew the cause. His mate had gone back to Edo though he had wanted her to stay.
Their gazes fused, the emperor stared at Sesshomaru who stared back at him passively.
"My sister's life is in your hands. What will you do with it?" He asked cautiously.
Sesshomaru's jaws clenched. "I should kill her for the betrayal."
Masayoshi gazed at him sharply. "But I take it that you won't exercise that right because she is still your wife." He quizzed the lord.
Sesshomaru glared at him coldly. "As she is my wife and I am her master, I will decide how and when she should be punished. It does not concern you."
Tora glimpsed at the emperor after Sesshomaru's curt response and observed his disquietude. He looked like he might explode at any given time.
He pressed his palms against his temples and sighed. "You mustn't kill her; remember the treaty," he said anxiously. "She is the glue that binds our contract and if you exact your vendetta against her I will immediately send out a protest to disown the validity of the alliance."
Sesshomaru rebutted immediately. "Send a protest if you like but it will do you little good, an act of treason here warrants death and so it is in your kingdom."
He wasn't looking to start a war, but war the emperor would receive if he interfered in something that he had no right to.
The emperor shook his head unhappily and stared through the window on the beautiful clear sky, remembering a promise that he had made to his father on his death bed. Treat your sister well and find her a loving husband. He couldn't see plainly how he was supposed to keep that promise now.
He expelled a breath and looked once more on the demon as he implored him to spare his sister's life. "For all practical purposes lord Sesshomaru, think of the consequences that would be harvested if my sister is killed," he said cleverly, "the relationship between the races are not yet cemented, if she dies this incident could undo what we have sought to change."
Sesshomaru hissed rudely, his jaws twisted in vexation as he responded. "There is no need for your sanctimonious explanations, the princess and her mother will be punished for their hand in plotting mine and my mate's demise, but as a courtesy to you and our cause I will not kill her right now, but make no mistake she will die."
The brusque statement incited a protective armor of friendship from Tora who noticed an ever increasing angry Sesshomaru, his heartbeat quickened as he saw the turgid veins pulsing with blood at the lord's temples.
He got up and approached him quietly, placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. He held still, fully aware that Sesshomaru would not surrender easily this time.
He sighed and removed his hand as he felt the muscles beneath his palm relaxed. It was a fool's errand Tora thought wearily, but he would love for them to remain as they were, friendly and peaceful instead of on a battlefield made crimson by rivers of blood.
Sesshomaru leaned back into his chair and looked away, clearly dismissing his guests. The emperor and his companions got up to take their leave, but then he hesitated momentarily.
"Thank you for sparing her life even if it is just for a short time," the emperor said, his fingers trembling slightly against his will, he closed his palms to stave off the embarrassment . "I pity my foolish sister for loving you, for your flames cannot be tempered, and ice chills your heart. I was wrong," he admitted unhappily.
Sesshomaru did not answer right away, but his gaze raked over the man tersely making him all the more uncomfortable. "Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned, know your friends before you make and enemy out of one," he said casually, at long last.
The next day the human aristocrats left the west and Sesshomaru summoned Jade and Heaven, it was time to move things along.
They were escorted to his office by two palace guards; in his presence he could hear the rapid beating of their hearts. He gazed at them a long moment icily, then they bowed lowly to him.
"I am not a patient being neither am I tolerable of my enemies," he said bitingly.
Jade nodded, then winced as his words and glare prickled her flesh, Heaven was speechless, trembling in sheer terror of the beautiful demon who sat in front of them.
His eyes narrowed upon them, Jade gulped and nervously tried to speak for both she and her sister.
"My lord you promised to pardon us, but if you cannot forgive our deceit, I beg of you please spare my little sister and take my life instead."
She was breathless as she pleaded with the demon lord while Heaven sobbed quietly beside her. His countenance was beautiful, but was as cold as ice. She didn't need to think twice, the answer to her plea burned brightly in his eyes.
He nodded agreeing to the request. Her sister would live but she would die. She breathed a sigh of both relief and gratitude, as she had hoped, her sister's life would be spared.
"Girl," he addressed the young woman, who jumped and looked at him wide eyed, her sister held her hand trying to offer her some support.
"Your sister has bartered her life for yours so that you can continue living, however, you will not be free to roam my lands or to return to yours. You can spend the remainder of your days in isolation with the princess or marry a soldier in my army," he gave no pause and no mercy; "the choice is yours so choose."
Heaven gasped loudly and backed away from the desk, putting more space between her, the desk and Sesshomaru. Jade frowned severely by the shock of the lord's cruel compromise. She had thought that by giving up her life for her sister's the demon would at least send her home.
Stunned she looked at him and witnessed the pure lethal fury in his eyes and saw the twisted ironic smile curling his lips. It cut her deeply that she couldn't bear to watch for long, she shifted her head aside.
He got up and called to the guards, then gave the pair a sardonic sideways glance as he did, telling them in no uncertain terms with his body language that if the guards got there before they decided the deal would be off.
"No, kami, please no," Jade murmured. Taking one hard, long look at her baby sister, then closed her eyes and decided.
"At least find her a good husband," she said breathlessly.
Sesshomaru did not answer verbally, he only acknowledged the grieving woman with a slight nod.
Jade closed the few inches of space between she and Heaven and hugged her weeping sibling long, before strong arms tore them apart. Heaven screamed as she and Jade were separated forever.
A full hour had passed before princess Maemi's mother was escorted to her fate. Sesshomaru watched through the window as the woman was dragged by the rope that tied her hands together.
However, when she was brought before him he was already seated behind his desk. There was growing suspicions in his eyes as he watched the woman's deep dark ones; his wife had a similar expression in hers.
"I will not beg for my life," the woman said suddenly, vehemently, their gazes locked, "my daughter deserves to be happy, unfortunately she was bewitched by you and couldn't see that you were a monster behind a mask."
She paused and he remained silent, she shifted her weight to her left side and folded her fists. She spoke serenely, clearly again. "I can see why my daughter would love you, forbidden fruits are always more enticing, but she was a fool who couldn't decide whether or not she wanted you dead or your mistress. If she had listened to my council she would have succeeded in her efforts to rid of the thorn in her side."
His mind was already on other things as his in-law babbled, he yawned showing her that she was nothing than a mere annoyance before he spoke up for the first time.
"Not to beg for your worthless life was very perceptive of you, because it would have served no real purpose. Your execution is in the morning,"
He chuckled and left the room, leaving the woman in the capable hands of the guards. It was time he took a long soak and retired to bed. It had been a frustrating, yet satisfying week.
sksksk
The hands of justice were swift, Jade and lady Kim was beheaded at dawn, the former had requested a priest to pray over her body to cleanse it of her worldly misdeed. Her last wish was granted before her death.
Many months had passed since the deaths of his enemies and the isolation of princess Maemi at the fortress. Her caregivers were the two same stern youkai females that had guarded her before; they watched her constantly and with suspicion. She had no hope of escape; the fort was only accessible by flight. She was placed in an inner sanctum and could only view the sunlight through slits in the window high above her head.
Kagome stayed true to her word and never returned to the west, wounding Sesshomaru's already restless pride. He became angry, resisting the urge to go to her in spite of the pain that their separation caused him. He was of the mind that when his wife was convicted that he and his mate would reside in the west at long last and rule.
How wrong he was, Kagome had wanted no part of it, and he could not dissolve his marriage for obvious reasons to please his mate. To divorce the princess would mean the end of the opportunity to gain possession of the human empire. He could not compromise his position.
Two years came and went yet he and Kagome had not reconciled their differences, neither had he seen her nor his children. They were locked in a stalemate. Their relationship was crumbling, and he felt number with each passing day, as his lust for blood rose with his torment.
The urge to kill the emperor grew louder as the years faded. Three more years wilted from the calendar of time making it five years in total of mental and physical hardship. His body and soul yearned for his mate, but a prideful heart was unrelenting. He would not go to her.
Kagome suffered in silence, but to go to him now would be wrong. He had a wife locked away and an empire within his grasp because of the unfortunate woman. She was not the sort of person to gloat because of someone else's injury. She would ride out the waves of the storm until the time came for their reunion, even though the wait was slowly killing her.
On the eve of the sixth year, Sesshomaru woke up and felt the heat in his blood hotter and heavier than before. He felt strange like he was being carried, as if in a trance, and when finally he shook the haze away, he was in Osaka, watching as the emperor lazed around with a young girl in a private field.
His horse was tethered to a tree by a brook and the girl braided his now long hair. No one knew that he was there not even the soldiers who guarded the perimeter. He reached for his sword, the glint shone on a tree up ahead. He put it away again.
What was he thinking? He hesitated, but the pain in his heart and soul made the decision for him. If he was going to kill the emperor the deed had to be clean without any evidence left behind. His movements were quick, the emperor and the woman were spirited away in a glowing ball of light, moving swiftly, nauseatingly.
He heard them scream as the sphere dissolved and they fell to the ground, however, it was just fright, because when they fell they were merely three feet above the ground, they were winded but alright. Immediately their wild gazes swept the area looking for the ghost that had abducted them; they saw no one until the devil floated to the ground.
Shocked, the emperor stared at him. He looked at Sesshomaru's red eyes briefly then looked away. The girl fell back unto her bottom and stared in utter disbelief at the pale demon in her line of sight.
It was sudden, he didn't even see him move, but felt the crushing hand of the demon lord touched him, squeezing his mouth open. He struggled but against brute strength and aggression his efforts were useless, the girl screamed and ran, Sesshomaru paid her no mind, she wouldn't get very far.
The emperor panted harshly as he felt the bones in his jaw shattered, the taste of blood filled his mouth like acrid wine. He swallowed the blood and the bile in hopeless despair. He had sensed it, his death before now knowing the cause would be this demon, and yet he had casted it aside to his folly. Now it was too late, he couldn't call for help nor could he fight back.
His captors fingers glowed green aiming for his mouth, then he smelled something sweet and perverse, he felt woozy, almost drunk as the fumes rushed into his nostrils.
A burning like the hottest ice crept down his throat and into his belly. He heard the gurgling noises in his head as pain so intense rose up and swallowed him whole, consciousness slowly left him and so was the grip on his jaw. He felt a gust of wind and saw white before his senses were no more.
Sesshomaru caught the crying woman staring at the hills that stood before her and escape; unfortunately she had to suffer the same fate.
As silently and inconspicuously as he'd entered the glade the first time, so did he a second time. He placed their bodies by the base of a tree, positioning them in a lovers hold. He took one last look; there was no physical evidence of the cause of their deaths on the surface. He looked away, his conscience did not stir, only the slightest pang of pity for the young unfortunate girl.
Another year came and went; the human kingdom was at last his to hold. Maemi handed over the throne to him as was the law, becoming unnecessary as she'd fulfilled her final obligations to him. Cunningly the youkai maids abandoned the fortress, leaving the woman to her own devices.
The bereft princess walked out of the fortress and onto the stony surface around it. There was nothing else to see for miles but the ocean. She gazed at it and it seemed to call out to her, then out of the mist and darkness her striking husband appeared. He called her name and she stepped into the water, but the further she swam, the further away his image seemed to go. Was it her tortured mind and soul that created the apparition, whatever the answer was she did not care anymore?
No matter how far, no matter how deep she sunk she would get to him. She swam, never stopping until the brackish waters and rising currents pulled her down into its murky depths, to her final resting place, a watery grave.
sksksk
The older children were almost fully grown, and the young dragon halfway to maturity, but it would seem as if he did not want to remember the past or his name, so Akiyoshi gave him a new one, Kenchiro.
It was springtime, Kagome, her ten year old twins and Aiko planted beans, then suddenly she felt a presence that she had not sensed in years. She closed her eyes in disbelief because she had convinced herself that she would never behold him again. Sayoka and Sora ran outside to see if what they were actually sensing was in fact true.
And it was:
Kagome got up and dusted the dirt off her clothes, they were all on alert sensing Sesshomaru's aura, but after not seeing him for seven years they were innately cautious.
Truthfully, she had kept herself well informed about her mate's actions through Shippo, and she was well aware that he had succeeded in his cause. It goes without saying that she was very proud of him. When the heavens had chosen him for demon-kind's saviour they had selected the right individual.
She felt more nervous the nearer his presence came, and she was anxious because she knew that she looked horrible; her hair a loose mess and she was covered in grime. She gulped as he came into view. The twins were nervous but still moved towards him as he came closer, Aiko remained motionless.
They stopped but he did not, he walked silently towards them and paused a few feet in front of them. They had grown quite a bit in his absence he noted, and he did not know what to do. Would they reject him if he touched them? He wondered bitterly. The last time that he had seen them they were barely three years old, and Aiko just stood and stared at him.
Many tortured moments passed by and none made a move, then just as he was about to turn away in despair and approached their mother, he heard a shout.
"Father...father!"
He lifted his head and looked away from the twins and saw Aiko running blindly towards him with tears flashing from her eyes. It was a moment in his life that he would cherish forever. Love, joy and relief flooded his heart as the child flew into his open arms and cried onto his chest.
The twins seeing their sister's tears broke down and cried. Sesshomaru half carried, half dragged his now very tall daughter the few steps to his smaller children who grabbed onto his sides and wept as they cried father.
He closed his eyes tight as the emptiness in his heart slowly ebbed away as eternity filled it up, no amount of words could explain the feelings passed between him and his children. All that he had done, all that he had given up and had suffered for was all worth it now. Everything that he had endured over the years was for his children.
The hands of their father drew them close in a soft but loving embrace as they cried. He held them tight as his own eyes stung with tears, they didn't fall but his heart and soul clouded with love for his family.
Kagome wept silently as she watched the touching scene. He let his children go after many minutes and walked unhurriedly to her. He came close and stopped. He gazed at the beautiful woman that was his heart, and his soul soared free.
All his worries flew away. There was no need for speculation, her feeling for him remained strong; they shone through the tears in her eyes. He smiled as his lips moved, and the gentlest of sounds left his mouth.
"Mate it is time to come home."
She couldn't hold it in any longer, and the sobs busted loose. She trembled with the assault of her emotions but couldn't move. Stealthily he closed the gap between them and covered her frail form with his large warm body. Kagome leaned into the embrace and melted against his chest.
He tilted her chin up and saw sadness, but he smiled when he saw happiness and relief as well, and felt happy that he had something to do with her good mood. He arched his spine and brought his lips to hers.
His kiss came upon her like potent wine, woozy and magical. She strained on tip toes to keep his mouth on hers. To keep the sensation of weightlessness like streaming clouds across the sky.
They broke apart; she smiled, took his hands and softly said. "I am ready...Let's go home."
The words that he had waited for so long to hear finally reached his ears. He grasped his beloved by the shoulders and kissed her tenderly. It was a kiss so deep that it touched their hearts as it mended their wounded spirits. The children, Sayoka and Sora drew closer and looked on in obvious delight at the reunited couple lost in each other and their own world.
The end!
Kenchiro -Good luck son
Bent is finally finished, and it has been a labor of love that I could not have accomplished without all the readers to the story, and the persons that gave me the most encouragement by reviewing, you know yourselves.Thank you all so much!