Many thanks to whoever reviewed, I really hope the story goes as smoothly from now on as it did until now. Feel free to point out any mistakes in the storyline, if you notice them.
CHAPTER 5 - Who stands against me?
"What is the meaning of this?" she said, slightly tilting her head on a side and giving him an irritated look. The young human stood almost lifeless on the floor he had thrown her onto, a faint breathing slipping from her softly parted lips. She was very pale, and her arm had been bleeding until recently, when the coagulated blood closed the wound. The clothes she was wearing were providing her with little comfort, as the house was very cold in itself and as an influence of the high altitude. The mountains were a good hideout, as it had been proved.
A slight quiver began shaking her body, and the woman pulled her skirt down, for as much as it covered her thin legs.
"Why did you bring her here? She'll never…"
"Shut it, Kagura!" he hissed. She sent him a spiteful glance, but said nothing. Naraku approached Kagome's quivering body, and sat on one knee at her side as Kagura watched his every move and expression. He seemed intrigued for a few seconds, and looked over the human's body thoroughly, attentive to her every curve and movement of breathing. She was breathing shallow, indeed. He frowned. 'She needs to trust that there is no turning back now. I need to convince her that once her heart tainted, she cannot protect and purify the jewel anymore.' He gave the witch a fleeting look
"Lose her faith in her purity…" his eyes sparked red. "Make her trust you… She'll never trust me. You may say whatever you want, as long as she comes to believe that she can no longer purify the jewel."
Naraku grinned, and Kagura stepped back as he passed by her and out the door, disappearing on the hallway. The room was dark, the only source of light was a thick white candle burning on a low table near a bundle of blankets. Kagura gave the human a look of pity, and bent to see her face. Black hair covered it, and she stretched her arm to uncover her features, and to see if she was still breathing.
'What the hell did he do to her?' The girl had no injury, except for the slash on her arm, and a bandage on her hand, that seemed to be there from before she encountered Naraku. She smelled of dried blood, and it bothered the witch. Kagura turned her to face the ceiling and resumed the thought that she'll get terribly sick if she wasn't to be clothed appropriately soon. Humans were awfully weak creatures. 'I'll get her some suitable clothing later…'
"Hey! Are you awake?" She shook Kagome's shoulder, but no response came from the human.
"Hey, miko! Wake up!" Nothing. Kagura rolled her eyes. She wasn't gonna wait around for as long as it took this stupid human to wake! So she slapped Kagome over the face a little harder that required… The impact woke the girl and she immediately stood up, startled. The next second, she got so dizzy, that she needed her assaulter's support to remain on her feet.
"Well hello-hello, miko! I thought you'd never wake…" Kagura wasn't smiling, as Kagome would have expected. Her face held a small amount of boredom and dislike for the task she was forced to perform. No resent, no cynicism.
"Kagura…" she whispered. "That means he's brought me to his… Where is this?" She raised her face and put a hand on her head. She was still dizzy. 'He didn't come for me. Neither of them did…' There was nothing for her to see up there. Just an ordinary ceiling. She was in a house. 'Well this is a change… The last time he was reborn we ended up in his body! Disgusting!'
"Are you gonna answer me? Where am I?" Kagome was truly distressed, but the demon woman before her showed no sympathy whatsoever. Her voice was somewhat lower when she asked: "Why does he want me here?" She couldn't understand his reasoning. She had already assured him that all the darkness in the world would not make her corrupt that jewel. She wasn't going to do it, and that was that. Why torture her? Why waste his time?
'He must have other plans. It's not like he's been the epitome of honesty until now… I have to find out what he's planning.' She was still shivering, and that damned woman wouldn't answer any of her questions. Kagome was frustrated, but tried to calm down. 'I'll get nowhere with this. I have to be patient… If I live long enough for that.' She swallowed her apprehension, and remained silent. This woman was here for a reason. Let her do the talking…
"Are you done yet?" Kagura finally said, seeing the human settle down and restrain her feelings. She frowned for a second at her first reaction. Emotions, or rather human emotions, disturbed her. They were too overwhelming, too sharp and too intense. Either that or these poor creatures couldn't hold up to them in a proper manner.
"Are you cold?" A simple question. Kagome nodded yes .
"You'll be given some clothing later." Kagura paused, as if she wasn't sure what to tell the human before her. How was she supposed to go about this? After a minute or so, she turned her head to the side and said:
"You and I can help each other a great deal, miko. First of all, though, you should know this: don't think I wouldn't kill you if you try anything against me. You aren't irreplaceable." Kagome stared, devoid of feeling, at the demon's face. 'Again with the threats…' she thought.
"You know, Kagura, threats are a sign of fear. If you want to talk to me, I'll listen. But no threats. I know where I am, and I am aware of my position, thank you very much. You don't need to do all that … act." The human seemed serious, and Kagura was truly impressed.
'That's more like it, miko! And I, thinking you were just a puny stupid human whose powers stumbled across her… '
"Go figure…" Kagura said, and her lips described a small smile. "So you have a backbone, miko." Kagome gave her a look of skepticism. She really did not know what to make of this. First, Naraku tries to steal her jewel, then he drags her to this place and leaves her with Kagura, and now Kagura seems to be proposing a deal of some sort. Most peculiar…
"As I've said, I'm listening." the girl continued, ignoring the witch's last remark.
"Don't you want some kind of leverage, first? I might deceive you." Kagura's bright blood-red eyes narrowed as she took a closer look at Kagome. 'Maybe this human holds the key to my freedom.'
"Will you give me your word?" Kagome asked, somewhat uncertain. The witch let out a powerful, brief laugh, and resumed her attentive stare. The human wasn't joking.
"You're serious… Would you really take my word for it?"
"I would." Kagome was no fool. She knew that Kagura's word could mean a little more than nothing, but she wasn't delusional about having a better leverage anyway. So what was the point in trying to find a suitable one, to give her a forged impression of safety? Kagura's face turned serious all of a sudden, and she seemed to think about it for a second or two, before she said the words.
"Well, then. You here by have my word for it, miko. I will not break our… truce. There! Are you satisfied?"
"I am. Now, will you tell me what this is all about?" Kagome was truly interested, and all the cold air in the room seemed to simply disappear when Kagura told her of that insane plan she had. Kagome could not believe her ears.
Morning was never this empty before then. The trees refused to talk to him, and the grass wasn't trembling at the slightest touch of the wind anymore. The forest was strangely quiet, and he longed for shouts and laughs. For her shouts and her laughs. He would even have her yell "Osuwari!" at him, if only she would call him anything! He leaned against a tree and rolled his head at a side, closing his eyes.
A gentle breeze brushed his skin, and his illusions gave it the form of Kagome's hand. He pressed his eyelids closed, and felt ripped apart by a thousand claws as the breeze continued to entangle with his silvery hair and caress his cheek. He wanted to howl, he wanted to run after her and take her out from that world she had enclosed herself, and her love into. Instead, he let out a powerless, tormented moan, and collapsed at the bottom of the tree, his fingers twisted and trembling, looking for a body that wasn't there anymore.
'Has she left indeed?' It didn't seem plausible that after all those years, the miko finally got enough of the hanyou's behavior, and left him to pursue his obsession without her aid.
His steps were gently pressing onto the grass as he walked towards Inuyasha Forest. He didn't know what had driven him to that place, but dawn was beginning to throw spears of light onto the world and the cool air suited his mood, so he decided to follow to wherever his footsteps may lead him. A yellow spot near the Bone Eater's Well caught his attention, and he noticed that it was the miko's strange backpack. 'Does she still have that old thing?' He mused at his thought, but then realized the oddity of the fact. 'Why did she not take it with her? She certainly meant to… it seems filled with her belongings.' Sesshoumaru continued to approach the well, until the yellow spot sat at his feet. He frowned for a second, narrowing his eyes.
'What could this mean?' A salty smell stung his senses, and he walked towards the source. A few feet away, the grass was stained with drops of blood. 'The miko's blood' he quietly acknowledged. He sharpened his senses, to catch the lingering smell of her attacker, but there was no sign of any other smell than her own.
'Strange.' He returned, and lifted the backpack, his eyes still searching for clues of the girl's whereabouts, or at least reason of disappearance. It was odd enough to know that she used this old well to transport herself to her time, but now she seemed to have simply vanished. If there was any certainty, it was that she was taken against her will. The remainder of blood and the presence of her backpack testified to that.
He took a look into the well, and felt a pulse from his sword. Slightly pulling back, he gave Tenseiga a confused gaze. 'What is this? Tenseiga? Could she be dead, in here?' But there was no sign of her smell, other that what was persisting after her departure. Sesshoumaru resumed his stare into the well, and his youkai eyes spotted two sparkling purple shards.
"Shikon shards?" he couldn't help asking out loud. 'She never let anybody touch those things, lately. How could she leave them in there like that?' Without further thought, he jumped into the well, and picked up the two shards. Immediately, a purple and blue light encircled him and he had the distinct feeling that he was falling into thin air. He barely had the time to ask himself what happened, and the light withdrew, leaving him to stand on the bottom of the well. Sesshoumaru froze for about half a minute, not knowing what to think of it.
Quirking an eyebrow, he looked up and jumped out from the well. 'This must be her time… How can it be that the well allowed me passage?' Tenseiga pulsed again, and seemed to pull him back. Turning halfway to that direction, Sesshoumaru was still consumed by curiosity, and decided to take a glimpse at this time before he returned. So he pulled by the wooden door, only to see a shrine, and a huge tree before it. 'This is… Goshinboku!' he thought. A woman exited the front door, shouting:
"Souta, hurry up! You'll be late for school, dear!" She held the door open for a small child to pass through. He smiled, and gave her a brief hug before running away.
"Take care!" she added, but the child didn't seem to hear her. She remained on the porch, staring at the spot where she last saw the small child, until an old man appeared from behind the shrine and said:
"Isn't Kagome coming to visit, anymore?" The woman shrugged, but did not move her eyes from the blank spot. The old man entered the house, not saying a word. Sesshoumaru wondered who she was, and how come she knew the miko. Then, the woman's eyes filled with tears, and silent drops drew water lines on her cheeks. She looked at her shaking hands, and hugged her waist, taking in a few short and violent breaths. She tightened her grip and crouched for a few seconds as if someone had hit her in the stomach, before returning to normal, and wiping her face clean.
"My dear child… Where are you, Kagome?" Sesshoumaru winced, slightly widening his eyes. He involuntarily held his breath for a few seconds. 'Her mother…' He let out the air in his lungs, and closed the door about the same time that the woman closed hers.
Facing the well, the taiyoukai felt a twinge of heart recalling that woman's silent sorrow. She was a mother, in pain for her child. And the bizarre miko was that child, even if she was now a woman. 'I guess you never stop being your mother's child, no matter what age you are.' he thought, while approaching the well.
He jumped back in, still holding the shards in his left hand. He wouldn't know of that, though. His mother had left him alone long ago, long before he could come to know her. Long before he could take a mindful look at the one who gave life to him. All he had from her was a faint voice and the even fainter memory of a lullaby. 'Mother's voice was as faint as that woman's, just now. What was she so worried about? Why was she crying?' Sesshoumaru allowed himself to be carried back to Sengoku Jidai, and effortlessly jumped out from the well. A small sigh came out from his lips, as he made a decision that he knew would complicate the hell out of his life.
Sango stared for a couple of seconds at the taiyoukai. He was holding Kagome's backpack and claiming in his usual unemotional style that she had been abducted. Her face was immobile, as if she could not believe such an improbable scenario. Kagome abducted, a few drops of blood as a proof of her unwilling departure, and Sesshoumaru posing as an apparent rescuer. 'Yeah, right! Since when does he care?' the taijia thought.
The monk was equally astonished, but a brief inspection of the house and state of facts suggested that the Demon Lord seemed to be correct with his assumptions. Kagome had intended to leave, but she never got around to do it. It was obvious that she wouldn't just leave her backpack there, like that.
"Why was she leaving without telling anybody about it?" Miroku asked. His look somewhat surprised Sesshoumaru.
"How am I to know?" he responded coldly. "I am merely stating facts." Even so, he found himself answering this human, when it wasn't entirely necessary for them to know what his intention was. 'They do, however, deserve to know of the miko's fate.' He bent to put her backpack on the ground, and then calmly turned his head to see a little kitsune run towards the group. His eyes followed the small youkai's path until he reached his destination.
He seemed a little thrown off by the Lord's presence, and he took a moment to stare at him wide-eyed. Sesshoumaru didn't move, taking in the Shippo's glare patiently. Finally, he raised an eyebrow, and the fox realized he was staring. 'Kagome said it's not nice to stare at people. But Sesshoumaru's always staring!' he thought.
"Hi guys! Came for a visit?" he asked, moving his look to Sango and Miroku. The couple seemed reluctant to answer.
"Hello… Shippo, did Kagome say anything to you about leaving?" Sango asked, looking a little distressed. The kitsune gave them a look of oh-my-God-I-am-so-forgetful and sighed.
"Oooh, I was supposed to tell you all that she's going home for a while. She said she was tired and that she wants to see her mom. I'm sorry, Sango…" The group (even Sesshoumaru!) seemed interested in his words.
"Was she in a hurry to leave?" the monk asked, but Shippo's hazel eyes were now staring at the yellow backpack at Sesshoumaru's feet.
"What's happened to Kagome?" he asked, almost as it he were afraid to know the answer. "Sango? Miroku? Where is she?" He had a bad feeling about this. The picture was all wrong. Kagome was supposed to leave, but there was her backpack, brought by Sesshoumaru, by all accounts. Sango and Miroku had no idea what was going on, and Shippo saw himself forced to turn to the Demon Lord for an answer. Sesshoumaru seemed to ignore him, and was staring at the horizon. He appeared deep in thought.
"She was taken." The demon finally said, no emotion breaking through his voice. Then he walked away from the group, leaving the little fox almost in tears. 'Why did she not use her powers?' was all he could think of at that time. As he distanced himself from the humans, new questions appeared in his mind: 'Why can't I sense any other presence? Why did she leave the shards behind? Why do I want to go after her?' He clutched his left fist tighter, feeling the two small shards in his hand as they poked his skin.
Sesshoumaru took a quick look at the two fragments. They were discharging a purple light, bright and steady, and they stung him a bit. Tenseiga seemed to act peculiar ever since he had taken the shards. It was constantly pulling at his senses, making sure he was aware of its presence. The demon did not know what to make of it, but decided not to try and find out for the moment being, as he had an urgent matter to attend to.
The sight or Rin on her usual task, up that hill, somewhat settled him. He was walking slowly towards the young girl, observing a few strands of hair on the back of her neck, as the morning breeze played with them. It was still early, and he wondered why she wasn't in the library, instead of sitting on top of that hill. She had her legs crossed under her, and was leaning back on her palms. Her arms suddenly lifted into the air as she stretched.
Even with nobody watching, she was still graceful with her motions, never a step or an unnecessary movement. Sesshoumaru felt a slight wave of content wash over him, and then rapidly cast it away, as he stood still above the human girl. Rin didn't turn around, but resumed her previous position.
"I'm not slacking off, Sesshoumaru-sama…" she said vividly, and the corners of his mouth slowly lifted into a smile. The girl didn't see it, though, and she continued to stand there, her back turned from her Lord.
"Slacking off…" he murmured, mindful, and watched as her head bend backwards, a wide smile lighting up her face.
"It's just something I've learned from Kagome… I thought it sounds… cool." she giggled, and raised her eyebrows to the taiyoukai, although she was slightly worried about him getting upset with her for using such language. Sesshoumaru imitated her gesture with the eyebrows, and Rin turned around, eyes widened and moth open from the stun.
"My Lord…" she stated, faking astonishment, but being somewhat happy he'd chosen to loosen up a bit. Sesshoumaru's face took its immobile appearance once again, though, and he let out a small sigh, barely hearable.
"The miko has a way…" he started, but didn't care to finish his sentence. Rin stood up, and watched his face attentively. She had to make an effort to push through his calm appearance every time she was worried about him. Sesshoumaru, however, never noticed her worry. He ignored it, much as she ignored the birds flying above her.
"Are you… sad?" Rin dared to ask, although she didn't really expect an answer. She only awaited his reaction, hoping that she could figure something out from that. So she sharpened her attention and tried to capture his every movement, and every breath of air.
"I will bring her back." he said, and moved his eyes from the sky to the girl in front of him. He frowned for a second, and then touched Rin's cheek, slowly following the line of her jaw to the chin. He lifted her face and took a good look into those pitch black eyes, widened with amazement. Rin had frozen, incapable of movement, from the moment he had looked straight at her with that grave appearance.
"D-Do you mean… Kagome?" she managed to say, and felt a sting in her chest as Sesshoumaru inched closer to her. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn't understand his actions. Why was he being so laconic? And why the sudden physical closeness? Before she could say anything else, the Demon Lord took her face in his hands and narrowed his eyes into a thoughtful look, leaning his head a bit towards her. Rin was almost scared. Her worry grew deeper though, as Sesshoumaru refused to answer her question.
"Sesshoumaru-sama…" her voice was calm, and she tried not to show too much uneasiness. "What's happened? Are you… like this… because of Kagome?" He was still pinning her to the ground with that stare. He could still do that to her, after all this time. Her breath became shallow, and she nearly forgot to breathe at all, when he finally said:
"No, Rin. This is because... something... might be worth protecting." Rin swallowed her surprise, and tried to remember something that was told to her, but she had never heard from her Lord. 'I, Sesshoumaru, protect no one!' The words fell heavy on her heart and she realized that she was already a part of his life when he had said that. What could he find so precious that he would care to protect it? Her curiosity sprung out as she exploded the question in his face.
"What?" her word seemed to bite the air, and a slight wave of regret hit the taiyoukai. He remained silent, though, watching as the human fought to keep her uneasiness hidden from him. 'Why does she still do that? Can she not sense that I know her every emotion?' Yet, he did not, even if the Demon Lord was so confident that he did. So he responded with a lie, for maybe the first time in his life.
"Innocence." The girl was taken by surprise by his answer, which was really what he had intended. 'Maybe she will be able to identify with that innocence, and so… I'll be protecting her too…' The reason for which he was lying to Rin in order to keep her at ease was, however, out of his grasp, momentarily. He let go of the human, who was now regaining her balance as she watched him walk away from her. His word echoed in her mind much like a scream would, in an empty cavern. 'Innocence… Innocence… Innocence!'
Something was… off. She couldn't release the thought, as she looked at his silvery hair, barely moving, and his arms beside his body. 'His arms. He's not… ' she couldn't believe what she was thinking, but it felt so right… it felt so true, that she couldn't help it. 'He's not protecting anything… not even life itself, let alone innocence. He's only after Kagome.' Rin felt a terrible nausea come over her, and she laid down on the ground, so that she could come to her senses. She didn't know how she felt. Confused didn't begin to explain it. She felt everything at once, but most of all she felt alone.
The demon walked away from the human, thinking that she would accept his words as the truth, like she always did. Neither his excuse, nor her judgment were accurate, though, and still they were both so certain that they understood one another. Tenseiga was still making him attentive, and the shards still stung him, ever now and then sharper than usually. 'She will be back safely. I will bring her back safely. And Naraku will die.'
The Wind Sorceress' presence had closed the deal for him, and he had realized that the filthy hanyou must have discovered a way to hide his jyaki and even his presence. What were his plans with the miko, he could not clearly make out. Either way, the woman's words were still strong in his memory: 'My dear child… Where are you, Kagome?'
His mother's silent weep, and her last lullaby came to his mind and the taiyoukai frowned, struggling to keep at a normal rate the pace of his heartbeat. A strange feeling stung his chest, and he let out a deep growl, in discontent. 'Why was mother crying?'
As always, leave a review if you like it, leave one if you don't, also! I can take constructive criticism... as fuel for a bettering!
Sorry it took so long for this chapter to burst out, I had computer problemzzz!