Keep Away

Chapter 3,

Kagome was so confused, every person; be it man or demon, that held her captive were so different in their selfish needs. Her father had wanted to touch her and have her love only him, the bird demon had wanted to devour her blood, and then her body, and this man...he confused her most of all.

So much had happened since that faithful day she had outwitted the crow demon, she had been lying passed out in a rusty, bloody old bird cage only yesterday. Now she sat in a fine silk kimono, on what had to be the biggest, fluffiest red velvet pillow in the world. The room she was sitting in was very rich, in color, in taste, and in possessions. She was one of those possessions. The demon man that had saved her had told her to call him "Lord Sesshomaru", and that all he required of her was that she sit in this room, day in and day out for the rest of her life. Kagome had no choice, the demon man acted kind, but that was just it, an act. Kagome knew, she could see it in his cold unfeeling eyes. If she did not do as he "requested" he would simply kill her, without the sliest regret. So here she sat, dressed like a doll and instructed to act as such. A small green imp demon had told her so, be seen not herd. She had hassled him until he finally reviled his name to her, "Master Jaken".

Kagome sat in the traditional position, staring at a large oak chair. The room she was kept in, "her" room, was very large. There was a ton of room for her to run and play...but no, she was only aloud to sit. Master Jaken had strictly and harshly informed her of the many demons wanting to rape and kill her. He had humbly spoken of the wonderful, majestic, honourable, gracious Lord Sesshomaru who had spared her and protected her from such awful demons as the filthy crow who previously owned her. Telling her how Sesshomaru searched and searched for her, never resting until she would belong to him. He had also instructed her that there was a very powerful shield cast over the castle Sesshomaru resided in. Sesshomaru, of course, held this spell over the grounds and nowhere in the castle was the shield most strong than in her very own room. And nowhere in the room was the shield most strong than the very pillow she rested upon. Jaken had a reason for everything, every rule, and all his reasons where always dedicated to his master Lord Sesshomaru. But Jaken was nowhere in sight today and Kagome was lonely, even if all the imp ever did was nag, she still missed his company. She sat on her pillow, counting the threads and trying not to wrinkle the green and white kimono Jaken had picked out for her that day. How different her life was, like she was born a royal, a princess in a far off castle. Except... Kagome sighed, her legs cramping underneath her. She was still imprisoned, no matter how her life was wrapped with a bow she belonged to a strong and powerful demon, she would never be her own. Never go anywhere she wanted, her life, forever on a pillow. As she was smoothing out a few small folds the large wooden doors slowly opened and Jaken stepped in, announcing the arrival of his Lord, Sesshomaru glided in behind him. He took a few long strides and sat delicately on the chair she had been staring at for hours, directly in front of her pillow.

"You are dismissed Jaken." Sesshomaru waved his hand nonchalantly and Jaken bowed stepping out of the room and closing the doors that looked far too heavy for him to ever move behind him. Sesshomaru didn't say anything, he just gazed at her, occasionally motioning for her to move her head side to side so he could get a better look. This was the first visit Kagome had had with her new "owner" and she was very nervous. Other than when he had rescued her, brought her to the castle and ordered her to stay in this room and listen to Jaken, she had never spoken with him. He had seemed cold and calculating then, but now...she just wasn't sure. When he spoke it made her jump, "Priestess, do you like it here?" Kagome tried not to think about the question, she just gave the only answered she knew he wanted to hear,

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru, I love it here." He seemed pleased with her answer but gave her a dark look.

"You don't have to lie to me priestess," Kagome's hands trembled as Sesshomaru's eyes pierced into her, she wondered if the unhappiness she tried to smother was somehow shining through. "Ah so young, so naive. You have no idea, every demon in the world wants to possess you but only I can." Kagome watched as his lips curled into a smirk laced with greed, so that was it. She was a symbol to him, of everlasting wealth and power. Something everyone wanted and only he could have. "It is not a mystery why every demon is after you though, Priestess," Kagome was pulled from her thoughts, she really did want to know why this was happening to her. Her father had only ever told her stories of impossible beauty she could not see in herself, maybe this demon had a real reason for her to try and overcome. "Oh it's as plain as day, you don't even have to search for it like you do in most humans and demons." Kagome leaned forward on her pillow, what was this thing she unwillingly possessed? His next words made her heart sink, "Power."

"I am weak." Kagome could not help herself, even though she felt as if she was speaking out of place. How could she be powerful? She couldn't defend herself from anything... She was surprised when Sesshomaru began to laugh.

"Stupid child! You have no idea!" his whole body rumbled with a weird type of frightening laughter. "Even I, so in controlee of myself, so poise. Want to rape you of your power." As he said this all laughter left his voice, he leaned forward a bit and Kagome watched as if he was tasting the air between them. "Ah such power...it will be mine." She recoiled as his voice became more demon than his somewhat human appearance would like to have her believe. "Afraid Priestess?" Sesshomaru stood up and began to pace slowly around her, patiently waiting for her answer.

"Yes." She replied truthfully, he would be able to tell if she lied anyways.

"You should be." His lips found their way back to his smirk as he continued to circle her, "Let me enlighten you, young Priestess." He stopped behind her, placing his long slender hands gently on her shoulders. "Once every few thousand years a human female like you is born. We demons call you "Priestesses", because you have many abilities that average humans do not posses. One of those abilities is that you discharge spirit." Sesshomaru paused as he said this, letting Kagome soak up the information. "Spirit, my dear girl, is what the majority of us demons draw our strength from. Weather it is the spirit of someone we devour, or the strength of our own spirit. We need it to live, but we crave it as well. It is unexplainable, our life source." Kagome flinched as his nails dug into the kimono and slightly into her skin drawing a tiny amount of blood and staining the fabric a dark red, "I find the spirit you emit most delicious when you are frightened." Kagome gasped as she felt a very violent evil emitting from behind her. And when Sesshomaru spoke next he sounded nothing like the calm, collected demon he had before. He sounded strained and she could hear his tongue sliding across his lips, "The power practically oozes from you, I can smell it. It's as if I'm drunk, my head spins and I can't control myself." Sesshomaru dipped his head down in one fast movement, "You are just an undeveloped little runt, but you're indescribably beautiful. Delicate and compelling." Kagome felt the tears forming in the corners of her eyes as Sesshomaru's hands slid over her kimono. "How will you grow I wonder? Like a bird, caged." His hands barely grazing over her body felt like fire, leaving terrible burns everywhere they trailed. "Someday I will drain you of your power, take everything from you." Kagome trembled and tried as hard as she could not to burst into hysteric tears. "Soon...I promise." And with that Sesshomaru stepped away from her and into the darkness, it seemed as if he didn't even leave through the door. But just disappeared into the night from which he was born.

Kagome sniffled and couldn't hold back the flood gates any longer. She threw her head into her hands and sobbed uncontrollably for what felt like hours. It was already getting dark outside when Sesshomaru had visited and by now it was pitch black. Eventually crawling her way from her pillow into her unreasonably large overstuffed bed, she curled into a ball under the covers. Trying to imagine herself anywhere but here. She decided to instead, imagine herself in a forest, where the bright sun shone delicailty through the trees. Creating beautiful patterns all over the grassy ground. Little white bunnies and beautiful pink flowers sprang up from everywhere. Kagome sighed, it was beautiful. She would forget everything, have the first peaceful sleep in ages. The innocent little girl was soon drifting off as she imagined herself twirling under the sun, laughing and dancing and she fell asleep, dreaming a long happy dream about freedom and the sky and...There was a boy. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed over her closed eyes, "Who..?" she thought, her dream self stopping and peering at the boy. His hair was as white as snow, with only the tiniest hint of beautiful silver shining through as the sun danced playfully across it. Her mouth moved but no words came out, "Who are you...?" the boy didn't respond, instead he turned around and ran, inhuman speed carried him farther and farther away from her until it was like he had never been there to begin with. Kagome opened her eyes, her heart was beating fast. She had never encountered anyone in her dreams before, who was this boy who had graced her with such a short appearance? It frustrated Kagome, momentarily forgetting her doomed circumstances and making her more than ever want to stand and run to the window, look for the boy in the forests she new stretched far beyond the castle walls and demand why he hadn't answered her. She laughed to herself, she must really be going crazy to begin imagining imaginary friends...

Suddenly she sat up straight as she heard a commotion in the hallway leading to her door. She quickly adjusted her kimono and wiped away a few tears. Kagome held her breath as the heavy oak doors began to open, "Anyone but Sesshomaru," she told herself quietly, "Anyone!"

"M-master Inuyasha!" Jaken's voice rang urgently through her room, "You mustn't! She belongs to Lord Sesshomaru!" The room was too dark and Kagome could not see anyone, the light from the hallway was barely eliminating the entrance to her room. She pulled the covers up, scared again. All thoughts of the forest and fuzzy little bunnies skittered from her mind leaving her cold and alone.

"Inuyasha do not!" Jaken's voice came again, "Stay away from the Priestess!"

"Oh shut up already!" the person sounded annoyed to Kagome, it also sounded like a boy. She watched huddled under her blankets as the form retreated back to the door. Kagome breathed out in relief, he was finally leaving. Unfortunately she was wrong, the person made a quick movement and the door was slammed closed. Jaken's voice could now only be herd outside, pounding and cursing at the person she could only assume was "Master Inuyasha". Suddenly he was at the side of her bed, his form seemed much bigger now that he was close to her.

"W-who's there?" she whispered quietly, hoping it was loud enough for whoever it was there to hear and answer.

"You..." was the only reply she got. Confused she decided to try again, it didn't sound like Sesshomaru.

"Can you light a candle or something? I cannot see in the dark." Kagome was squinting her hardest, her eyes began to hurt in her futile attempts to see.

"Why were you in my dream?!"

"What?" Kagome replied, baffled. The figure moved quickly to her bedside table and pulled something out, she didn't even see his hand move and the candle began to glow, dimly lighting the area around her bed.

"Now answer me." He leaned over her threatingly. And Kagome gasped, it was the boy from her dream! Except.. He wasn't a boy anymore, he was much older than her but younger than Sesshomaru. And he sort of looked like Sesshomaru, but more boyish, more wild. She stared curiously at two little white dog ears that sat nuzzled in among his white hair, so he was a demon as well...

"W-we...shared a dream?" Was all she could reply, how could it be possible to share a dream with someone she had never met before?

"No! You little wench! You intruded on my dream! I tried my hardest to stay away from you and you find me, come to me in the night!" Inuyasha was yelling at her, he seemed unreasonably outraged to Kagome.

"Stop! It wasn't on purpose! Why are you yelling at me?!" Now she was upset, she had only wanted to sleep, she hadn't asked for this to happen! "And my name is Kagome, not wench! K-A-G-O-M-E!"

"Feh." He seemed to dismiss her name all together, "I'm yelling because..." Inuyasha paused obviously struggling to find the right words, "I...I have never envied my brother for anything..." Kagome listened quietly, the demon boy's voice was now very mumbled and hard to understand but his face had gone a little softer and he looked almost embarrassed. "But you..." Suddenly he sounded angry again and Kagome was confused. What had she done to this guy to make him hate her so much?

"I haven't done anything to you." Kagome finally spoke her thoughts, she sounded haughty.

"Haven't done anything? Haven't done anything!" Inuyasha repeated her words in disbelief, "You have no idea!" Kagome shrunk back into her covers, he sounded just like Sesshomaru. There was so much she still didn't understand... "Look at you, pathetic. You're just a weak little human girl, I wouldn't even give you a second glance." Kagome felt hurt by his words, he didn't even know her...

"Then why are you here? Go away..." She finally spoke her thoughts, if this demon boy was just here to mock her weak humanness she really just didn't want his company. And to think she had wanted to find the boy in her dreams so much... what disappointment.

"No."

"What?" Kagome looked up surprised, she had expected him to punish her for such daring words. Instead he sounded very serious all of a sudden.

"I said no." Inuyasha was looking at her in a different way now. Kagome couldn't explain it, it sort of made her heart feel funny, but the serious look in his eyes made her nervous.

"Why?" was all she could reply, this was by far the most confusing demon she had met yet...but he also seemed the most gentle. He loomed over her, spoke harshly, but he never touched her.

"Idiot..." As he said this some of his hair slid gently from his shoulder and brushed against her arm, it sent chills through her body. "The only thing I've ever envied my brother for is...you." Kagome felt faint, this person wanted her as well. But it didn't seem like the possessive, destructive want of the others. It felt different, softer. "That day...I was there. I felt you, as if you were calling to me from the mountains." As he said this Kagome pictured the mountains, the ones with the horrid cave, the awful room, the cage... she shivered and held back tears in memory. "I came to you Priestess, I ran as fast as I could." As Inuyasha said this he lifted his hand to her cheek but stopped, it wavered there for a moment and dropped back onto the bed. Kagome's eye's never left his. "But I was too late..." he paused looking tortured, "My brother had already claimed you." Inuyasha got up from the bed and moved across the room, "If not for him...you would probably be dead." Kagome sat up and watched him lower his head into his hands, "I couldn't save you...I can't protect you like he can." He sounded so utterly disgusted with himself it drove Kagome from her bed, she stepped down and walked slowly across the room. When she finally reached Inuyasha she didn't know what to do, so she lifted her hand and gently touched his arm. When her skin touched his no one could have predicted what happened next; it was like nothing Kagome had ever felt before. Like a million lightning bolts where flying through her hand where it touched Inuyasha. It was as if she was going to melt as something deep inside her swirled around, traveling through her arm and almost seemed to pass right through her finger tips and into the demon boy. Her mind went blank and alls she could feel was bliss. The touch only lasted a split second and Kagome collapsed onto the floor panting hard. Inuyasha seemed strangely quiet and Kagome wondered if he had felt that strange sensation as well, she could still feel tingly sensations all over her body and it made it hard to concentrate.

"D-did...did you feel that?" Kagome asked breathlessly. She was still sitting on the floor catching her breath, she had only just met this demon but after what she had just felt and heard from him he was the closest thing she had to anything in this world. Inuyasha's only response was that his shoulders bounced slightly with something that might have been laughter, or crying. She watched in confusion as his entire body began to tremble.

"...power..." Inuyasha growled as he slowly turned around and Kagome stared up in horror at what he had become. His eyes and even the whites around his pupils had turned a crimson red. Three large red marks almost like scratches had appeared on either side of his face and his claws and fangs had grown twice their normal size. He seemed almost feral as he posed to strike.

Kagome lifted her hands up helplessly and begged him, "Inuyasha! Please! What's happened to you?!"

"You gave me power Priestess, no longer am I a worthless hanyou! I can protect you now! A fully fledged DEMON!" he roared ferociously leaning his head back. Kagome was confused, what was a "hanyou"? Was Inuyasha not entirely demon before? And what had happened to change him? Was it all because of her?

"NO!" Kagome's eyes began to overflow with salty tears. "No I don't want this! Turn back! Inuyasha! Turn back, PLEASE!" It was as if he couldn't hear her anymore, the demon Inuyasha bent down and picked her up gently, beginning to head for the door. "No Inuyasha! Sesshomaru will kill you! Please! Stop!!" She beat her tiny fists against his chest and screamed at him, struggling for him to stop. "Inuyasha..Please..." Kagome could feel it, she knew how strong Sesshomaru was, and even with Inuyasha's knew found strength he wasn't thinking clearly enough to use it. Sesshomaru would definitely kill him.

She only hesitated for a moment, wiping the tears from her eyes she leaned forward, placing her lips gently on his. It was all she could think of to make him stop, and it worked. Inuyasha's body seemed to stiffen instantly, then relax. She could almost feel herself pulling the evil power from his body and holding it captive in her own. His legs seemed to collapse beneath him and soon they were both on the floor.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha's voice was weak, "What the hell did you do to me?" his words were harsh but he didn't sound mad, only slightly annoyed.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry.." Kagome couldn't stop crying, she was just so relieved that he was back to normal.

"Have...have you ever given that much power to anyone before?"

"No..I don't even know how it happened.." Kagome replied barring her head into his chest.

"It's alright..I'm fine, stop crying." He petted her head, trying not to think about how much he had loved the power she had bestowed upon him. As much as he hated to admit it though, he couldn't control it. When he was like that, he just wanted to kill his brother and take Kagome far away, hide her and keep her all to himself. He wanted to be exactly like every other demon in the world, and he knew in the end he would hurt her.

"What are we going to do?" Kagome spoke suddenly breaking his train of thought.

"The barrier around this castle is too strong for me to break right now." Inuyasha spoke out loud thinking, Kagome knew he was purposely leaving out the fact that his brother was also a problem. As if reading her mind Inuyasha spoke again, "And when the time comes I will have to deal with my brother as well." Kagome wrapped her tiny arms around him, careful not to let their arms touch again, not sure of what might happen. "I will become stronger for you." Kagome tried not to start crying again, Inuyasha might be able to save her someday, but until then she would be at the mercy of his brother.

"Hurry." She replied weakly.

"I will."

END of Chapter 3, which was a long one! Umm.. So yeah a lot happens hope it's enjoyable. Sorry if the characters get kind of OC now and again. It's just the way my story demands them to be. Leave a comment so I have a reason to skip homework and write more!