DISCLAIMER: You know I don't own any of this. I shouldn't have to say it. Please don't make me!

AMP: Alright! Chapter 8 is finally up! now everyone leave me alone! I just hope this makes sense...

Sessho: This is my favorite chapter!

AMP: Why?

Sesshoi: All the blood!

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Chapter 8: Violence Fetish

Sweat beaded down Kagome's neck as she raised her katana once again, forcing her miko energy into the blade. Her opponent sneered and gestured for her to attack.

Kagome suddenly rushed her challenger. He blocked her frontal assault, but abruptly found himself looking at the ceiling. The miko had barely made contact with his blade, quickly sliding to the floor and knocking his legs out from under him. She immediately flipped to her feet and aimed her purified blade at his neck.

Sesshomaru gave her an approving look from his position on the floor. "You are improving, human. This Sesshomaru never saw that attack coming."

Kagome gave him one of her barely-there smiles and left the dojo.

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Three weeks had passed since the young miko had come to live in the Western Lands. The demon lord had immediately established a training routine for her. Having never trained anyone else before, he had expected it to be a tedious and frustrating process. He had also been expecting the challenge to be twice as bad considering that his first trainee was human and female.

So needless to say, he was pleasantly surprised when the miko caught on quickly. "All those years of watching my brother must have been at least slightly beneficial," he remarked to himself as he set about putting the dojo back in order.

He had also been encouraging her to work with her powers. Her control was developing nicely, but he could tell that his servants and guards were still wary of her. Even after three weeks the only one who would willingly approach her was the female servant he had consulted about her room and clothing. "Maybe this Sesshomaru should have hired more female servants."

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"Sesshomaru should have more female servants," Kagome thought to herself, sinking further into the warm water. In the three weeks she had been there her best friend had become Sesshomaru's bathhouse, followed closely by his only female servant who insisted on attending her.

"Kagome-sama, are you comfortable?" The miko opened her eyes and nodded at the concerned woman who sat at the edge of the water. Iriai was a fire hanyou. Elemental youki were rare, and when Iriai's mother had been unable to find a mate when she was in heat, she took whatever came. Unfortunately, in the throws of passion, she had ignited herself and killed the human male. The fire youki had raised her daughter for a few years as best she could, but when Iriai was ten her mother lost her reason. She had burned through half of a forest and almost an entire village before being brought down by demon exterminators. Iriai stayed on the run for a year after her mother's death. By some miracle she had wandered into the Western Lands and been taken in by Inutashio several years before he mated Sesshomaru's mother. She had been a faithful servant in their household ever since.

"Well, you had better get out of the water before you get all wrinkled," Iriai scolded Kagome.

The miko decided to indulge the motherly fire hanyou. She rose out of the water and began wringing out her hair, her back turned to Iriai. The servant tossed a towel at Kagome's back and gave a soft laugh as the young woman caught it one-handed without turning around. "Sesshomaru-sama will be pleased. Your reflexes have improved."

Kagome gave the older woman a half smile as she began dressing. Her new clothes had taken some getting used to. While she was eternally grateful to Sesshomaru for not making her wear traditional miko robes, she sometimes missed the feel of her jeans. However, she had to admit that these clothes did allow her more movement. They were almost an exact replica of Sesshomaru's own, but both the hakama and haori were a very dark blue with a pattern of small silver stars over the right shoulder of the haori. He had given her several outfits of the same type, but this one was her favorite.

"Kagome-sama, hurry up! You'll be late for lunch."

The miko sighed and began braiding her hair.

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Sesshomaru sighed and sat back in his desk chair. The papers littering the desk in his study contained the usual: a threat of war, a peace treaty, a demand for an apology because the Taiyouki had insulted the Northern Lord, an offer of marriage to the daughter of the Eastern Lord. Sesshomaru was annoyed and his hand was beginning to cramp. He stood and walked to his window.

Rin was chasing Jaken around a tree with a necklace made of pink flowers. It took him awhile to spot Kagome, who was practicing her meditation in the shade of a large bush. "Well, at least she's being serious about her training" he said aloud. Kagome spent most of the daylight hours either honing her combat skills or learning to put her full powers to use. He had a feeling that she had only begun to scratch the surface of what she was truly capable of.

He turned away from the window and wandered into the hall. He had intended to go into the dojo and train, but found himself walking in the opposite direction. He let his feet control themselves as his mind rambled. His nose picked up on the scent of sakura blossoms and he unconsciously followed it straight to the miko's room.

Realizing his location he started to turn away when his curiosity got the better of him. Sesshomaru opened the door and crept in. Her scent permeated the room and sent his head reeling for a moment. He tried to block out her scent and focus on her room. The miko had made almost no changes to the room since she arrived. He almost turned to leave when he spotted the contraption that was always attached to the young woman's ears. It was lying on her bed next to the book of silver disks that went inside.

His canine inquisitiveness won out. Settling himself on the miko's bed, he slipped the small circles over his ears. The contraption had many buttons and he wasn't sure which one Kagome pressed first. Picking it up, he began pressing all the buttons one by one. Nothing happened. The Taiyouki stared at the device with an intense look of concentration. He began tapping the bottom and sides of the music-thingy until his finger pressed against a silver piece that slid and the lid popped up.

"Well, that wasn't hard," he smirked. But now what? He opened the book of disks and picked one at random. Copying the miko's movements, he placed the disk inside and shut the lid. Then he began pressing buttons again. Eventually he hit the right one and the whatchacallit made some clicking noises.

Suddenly an atrocious racket filled his ears, making him wince and pull the ear circles off. He found that by holding them a few inches from his ears he could tolerate the clamor. He put them down on the pillow behind him and settled in to listen.

"Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
If you've ever known anyone
Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
Can you feel it?"

After a few moments he was able to separate the words from the so-called music. "This is what she listens to? How could this appeal to any one?" Sesshomaru deliberated.

"How do you sleep
When you live with your lies
Out of your mouth
Up from your mind…"


"Kagome's people must have amazing instruments to produce these…noises" he thought. He couldn't call it music. In his experience music was soothing. This tumult created much different emotions. The canine demon began to involuntarily move his head along with the beat.

"That kind of thinking
Starts a chain reaction
You are a time bomb ticking away…"


He still wasn't able to comprehend some of the things these people were screaming about. He began to make a mental list of things to ask Kagome when she was more willing to discuss them. As of yet she still wasn't willing to speak more than a few words at a time.

"You need to release
What you're feeling inside
Let out the beast
That you're trying to hide…"

He couldn't help but feel that the miko was absorbing parts of his personality. The one or two times he had bothered to consider her before Inuyasha's death, he had thought her to be too much like his loud stubborn brother to be tolerable. Now she was quiet and standoffish, much like himself. He found that to be appealing, but distressing at the same time.

"Step right up and be a part of the action
Get your game face on
Because it's time to play
You're pushing and fighting your way
You're ripping it up…"

The demon lord shifted around to find a more comfortable position. The miko's scent was soothing and her bed was comfortable. Even this music was beginning to lull him.

"Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
If you've ever known anyone
Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
Can you feel it?"

He knew he should get up. Falling asleep on the miko's bed was extremely improper. He would just wait until the song ended and leave.

"Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
If you've ever known anyone
Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
Can you feel it?"

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!"

One of his guards was yelling a few yards down the hall. Reluctantly, he left the music playing and stepped back into the hall.

"Kuromeru? What is the trouble?"

The panther guard noticed what room Sesshomaru had left, but kept his comments to himself. "My Lord, there are humans from your lands at the gate. They demand an audience"

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It was a rare event, but once in a while a demon would wander into the Western Lands and make trouble for one of the human villages under Sesshomaru's rule. This was ordinarily an inconvenience and easily taken care of.

"This Sesshomaru will take care of the problem personally," he assured the humans. But a small hand on his back brought his attention to the young miko behind him.

"What is it, Kagome?" he questioned. Even under the circumstances he was willing to pause for a moment if she was willing to speak.

"Sesshomaru, I wish to take care of this demon." She spoke very softly, knowing that he would be the only one to hear her.

The demon lord hid his shock well. He thought quickly. Kagome was well trained, but still barely even a novice compared to him. Still, it might be just the challenge that she needed to test her true skills. Of course he would accompany her, but only as a spectator. He would be there if needed, but allow her a fair try first.

He turned back to the group of humans. "We will leave at once."

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"How do you live without playing the game
Sit on the side and expect to keep sane
Step right up and be a part of the action
Come get a piece of it before it's too late…"

The tiger youkai circled Kagome, drooling slightly as it taunted her. "Sesshomaru sends a miko to defend his lands? And a weak one at that!" Its evil laughter echoed off the walls of the village huts.

Kagome watched the humanoid tiger with an expression of disinterest, but remembered her training and kept it in her line of vision.

The youkai made as if to start circling in the other direction, but pounced unexpectedly. The miko's purified katana was drawn, and had she meet it's attack then the fight could have been over almost as soon as it started, but instead she jumped to the left.

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Sesshomaru watched from several yards away, rolling the complete Shikon no Tama in his left palm. He had thought the miko wise to leave it in his keeping in case her luck was against her, but after seeing her throw what could have been a clean kill, he was starting to have his doubts.

Kagome rose to her feet and gave the tiger a predatory smile. The demon lord had been waiting to see her truly smile for weeks, but that particular expression combined with the calculating look in her eyes made his blood run cold.

"Take a look around
You can't deny what you see
Were living in a violent society…"

The miko tossed her katana aside and beckoned the tiger. "If I am so weak, then why am I not dead yet? I will make it easy for you." Kagome tossed her braid over her shoulder and bared her throat to the demon.

The tiger didn't even hesitate. It leaped, knocking the young woman to the ground. Suddenly it howled and twisted away from her. The miko's purification powers had only left black handprints, but it was enough to cause intense pain to the demon.

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"Why didn't she completely purify the creature?" Sesshomaru growled in his head. Not once, but TWICE she had thrown away her chance! The youkai might be stronger and faster, but her powers had them on even footing. Hell, she could have reduced it to a pile of ash without breaking a sweat, and here she was just playing around…

"Wait." The demon lord had an epiphany. She was playing. It was as simple as that. Rather than defeat the demon immediately as she could have, she was drawing out the kill. "But why?" he thought. "Is it to test her skill, or does she have another purpose?"

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The tiger was crouching a yard away snarling at her.

You can take him down easily, but what fun would there be in that?

Kill! Kill! Kill!

Taste his blood, little miko! Let him see what it feels like to have his guts ripped out!

The voices were screaming at her again. She could understand them now, and it felt right to listen. The voice that had guided her last time was absent, so maybe it would be worth it to see where the others would take her. Besides, they were right. It was time this tiger understood the pain that its human victims had suffered.

She hit it with another small blast of energy. The tiger clutched its shoulder and scrambled to the right just in time to avoid the next energy blast. Its panic was almost tangible.

"Well my brother let me show you a better way
So get your game face on because it's time to play
You're pushing and fighting your way
You're ripping it up…"

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The demon lord stood still as a statue. He had suddenly been faced with a fact he had been trying to avoid. There was no way that Kagome could ever again be the same girl she used to be. She had been through too much to go back.

And now she was playing a bloodthirsty game with a youkai who was already half-dead.

"Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
If you've ever known anyone
Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
Can you feel it?"

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The miko carefully aimed another energy blast at the youkai and hit him in the stomach. The stench of burning fur filled the air. He was down, unable to get up and run. His pain-filled eyes were already beginning to glaze over.

"Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
If you've ever known anyone
Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
Can you feel it?"

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Kagome approached and looked down at the tiger with something that almost resembled pity. The demon lord thought for a moment that she was going to heal the youkai and let him go. At least until he saw that predatory look again.

"So tell me what am I supposed to be
Another goddamn drone
Tell me what am I supposed to be
Should I leave it on the inside…"

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Kill him! He never showed mercy to humans, so show him no mercy!

Yes, taste his blood!

Kagome knelt next to the tiger and ran her hand gently over the soft fur of his head. She smiled softy at him, but then tightened her grip. In one swift move she pulled his head backwards, pulled a small knife from inside her haori, and slit the tiger's throat.

Taste, miko! Taste!

"Don't worry," Kagome allowed herself an evil smirk. "I will…"

The miko buried her face in the tiger's gaping throat.

"So tell me what am I supposed to be
Another goddamn drone
Tell me what am I supposed to be
Should I get ready to play…"

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He couldn't believe his eyes. Surely he was not seeing what his eyes were telling him.

No. It couldn't be!

It was.

She was drinking the tiger's blood.

"You're pushing and fighting your way
You're ripping it up…"

Sesshomaru ran toward Kagome and pulled her off the tiger's body. "What are you thinking?!" he screamed at her. "Are you insane?!"

Kagome's pupils had dilated and her eyes were so wide they looked like they would pop out of her head. Her breathing was heavy and the tiger's blood dripped from her mouth and ran down her haori.

"Kagome!" he shouted. He gave her a little shake, but she didn't respond. She just continued to stare blankly.

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The blood was roaring through her system, lighting fire where it went. It pounded in her ears. Every hair on her body felt like it was standing on end. An endless stream of color was flashing before her eyes. She could feel the strength flowing through her.

Was this what it felt like to be a demon? This incredible sense of power?

Feel that, miko? Enjoy it.

"You bet I will."

"Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
If you've ever known anyone
Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
Can you feel it?"

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AMP: This AMP would like to give a special thanks to: Kpoulson, dark-hate, Archangel's Requiem, Ru-Doragon, and Pearl Knight. Thanks for reviewing guys, keep it up!