A/N: Okay, first and foremost, I have to send out a gigantic cyber smooch to all my reviewers and raters. As always, the reviews will be responded to at the end, but I feel the need to share the love to those who have rated but not reviewed as well…for you too must be smooched! I never expected this type of response when I started this thing and I'm sittin' stunned over here. Excuse the mushy-ness, but I LOVE YOU ALL! Deep breath…I'm okay now. And for all you who have read and not reviewed or rated…I love you too. Trust me, there's enough of this goddess to go around…for my scale does not lie. Damn it, anyway.
Warning: This is a brief warning for all those strict, Sesshomaru non-interpretationalists out there. (Yes, that is a word, my PoliSci professors declared it so.) While I feel I adequately explained the sudden shift of Sesshomaru's character in the last two chapters and duly poked fun at it the next, and coming ones, it may be a little harder to swallow. I try to stick as much to the characterizations set out by the Master Herself, but I never can resist putting in my own little twists. Hey, my story. I'll try to make them fit as well as possible, but you must understand that this is the way I understand him to be. I'll still try to keep it as realistic as I can. Anyway, if you feel the need to throw things when this is all said and done, could you just do me a favor and throw chocolate? Or doughnuts…doughnuts will work. Better yet, throw toilet paper, I'm almost out.
It's the Spell...Just the Spell
Kagome had never been too keen on philosophy. As far as she had always been concerned a bunch of guys sitting around throwing questions about things people really tended to care very little about was about as boring as watching bass fishing. And at least with bass fishing there was an eventual result. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it really make a sound? Please. What in the world ever convinced these guys that their presence was so important to the continuation of the universe? The only thing about the entire subject that managed to captivate her attention was wondering where in the world they found the free time to sit around and ponder the secrets of the universe? Didn't they have something better to do? After all, secrets were usually secrets for a reason.
She'd depressed another of her teachers by a complete inability to wrap her head around physics as well. As far as she was concerned it was the bastard love child of trigonometry and calculus…two spawns of evil themselves to be thwarted at all costs. She hated to be a stereotype, but somehow she just didn't think her brain was built for it.
But two of her teachers would have been shocked and pleased as Kagome miraculously merged the two subjects together in a feat worthy of some of the greatest minds of all time. There, walking to the side and slightly behind the silent Lord Sesshomaru it became abundantly clear to her that distance is relative to the one who travels it…and time can indeed slow down. Especially when one found themselves in an awkward and embarrassed silence with one of the most deadly creatures known to man.
And if having that creature madly in love with you because of some spell cast on you to turn you into their perfect mate then having to tell them that without being able to go into a full explanation that might or might not stem the homicidal rage wasn't awkward and embarrassing, then she didn't know what was.
Man, and I thought the time I had to go back to school after Grandfather explained my absence by saying I was suffering from a severe case of premature ejaculation was bad. Compared to this, that was cake. My camp is not far, he says. It makes one shudder to think about what his definition of 'far' is. We've been walking for an hour.
Kagome stifled a sigh and continued on. At least it was a beautiful night to be out walking, no matter what the circumstances. She'd barely had a full day as a demon and she wasn't exactly used to her new…attributes…yet. Hell, she wasn't exactly sure what her attributes were besides the physically obvious. She was just glad she hadn't grown a huge, fluffy tail like he had. She tripped on formal gowns, she hated to think what she'd do with a tail.
At least, I think that's a tail. I know it moves, cause he used it to choke Inuyasha once. So that should mean it's attached, right? I mean, it is a tail, right?
"What are you looking at?"
Kagome jumped at the sound of the demon lord's voice. Though he spoke in low, smooth tones it seemed to crack through the stillness of the night. She hadn't been expecting it, seeing at it was the first thing he had said to her since they had left the clearing.
"Umm…" she started slowly, "I was just wondering about this…" and she ran a hand over a bit of the fluff on his shoulder, her eyes widening at the thick, softness of it.I've always wanted to do that.Well, she knew that it was fur now at least.
While her eyes widened, though, Sesshomaru's snapped shut and he stilled all forward movement. She eyed him for a moment, taking in his ridged frame, clenched fist, and grinding jaw. He seemed to be doing everything he could to restrain himself from something. Probably killing her.
"Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly.
"Do not do that again," he ground out from between his teeth. Kagome opened her mouth to respond but he held up a hand to silence her. "Considering everything at the moment, stroking my tail in such a tender manner is not the most constructive."
This time Kagome felt like her eyes were about to pop out of her skull they were so wide. She could felt the heat rise in her face and spread down to her toes as a severe case of mortification swept in and settled down for tea. Well, at least she knew it was a tail…and apparently it was very sensitive.
Note to self: Stroke nothing.It was a good, generalrule and Kagome decided it would be wise to follow it.
"I'm sorry," she started, but Sesshomaru held up his hand again. Kagome snapped her mouth shut, obviously talking was not helping as the demon lord continued to stand tensely still in the middle of the path. After a few more moments he dropped the hand and returned to walking.
This time there was no holding back the sigh and it stole quietly out of her lips. Great going, Kagome, she mocked herself. Way to make an uncomfortable situation more apparent.
Since conversation seemed to be out for the moment, and considering that Sesshomaru's current issues with touching immediately voided a spontaneous game of tag, Kagome went back to studying her surroundings.
Her first observation had been correct, the night was stunning. The full moon shown down softly, gracing the world with a silvered sheen. A light breeze blew around them, gently stirring the leaves of the magnificent ancient forest in a whispering dance. She could even hear a brook off in the distance burbling happily along its path. She was momentarily amazed as she took things in with her heightened senses, trying not to be overwhelmed. Everything was sharper, clearer, stronger. The brook had to be at least a mile away, but she could still hear its soft babble. She could smell the rain in the distance and the forest all around her. And while not as bright as day she could see incredibly clearly in the dark. It was perhaps the most beautiful and perfect night she had ever known.
Kagome had the distinct impression that the universe was mocking her.
They walked a little longer, Sesshomaru tensely silent and Kagome simply tense, until the path they had been walking down for about half of eternity suddenly widened out to a clearing. Kagome paused at the edge and blinked. It was beautiful, as mockingly perfect as the rest of the night had been. There was a small stream running through the gently sloped grass that was carpeted with night blooming flowers that were giving off a delicate scent that tickled her nose and made her want to breath deeply. The clearing was almost perfectly round, the moon shining down and highlighting all of the perfections of the little scene.
The beauty of it wasn't what made her pause, however, what made her stop was the fact that it wasn't empty.
In almost the precise middle of the clearing was the strangest little collection of beings she'd seen since she left the village. Considering her own group she figured she was more than qualified to judge odd groupings.
The first to catch her attention was Jaken, Sesshomaru's disturbingly loyal retainer. It wasn't his sight that caused her to notice him first, however, it was the shockingly loud snore. How in the world could something so small make so much noise? And how was it even possible to snore in two different octaves at the same time? Kagome had never really understood why Sesshomaru kept the annoying imp around, even with her human senses he smelled horrible. Now that she was Inuyoukai it was all she could do to keep from gagging. How could he stand it day in and day out? Maybe he just needs something around to kick every now and then,she mused to herself as she fought the urge to cover her offended ears.
Curled up near Jaken was a small, human girl…one Kagome remembered seeing before. That's the little girl that follows him around…the one he rescued from Naraku. Maybe it was everything that had happened to her in the past few days, but Kagome found she neither questioned nor was surprised by the girl's presence in the terrible and feared Taiyoukai's party. Her brain had shorted out about three weirdnesses ago. Probably about the time Sesshomaru had called her 'little butterfly'.
It was also the reason she gave for noticing the two-headed dragon last. I mean, it was pretty much huge and not the sort of thing one tended to miss, plus, the girl was sleeping on its back. A fried circuit must have been the reason she had. She had seen the beast before, most often spitting lightning at her and her friends as Sesshomaru rode in during one of his trademark overly dramatic entrances. No one could ever accuse the Western Lord of lacking flair.
Currently, both of the heads were raised and looking directly at her. She saw a slightly questioning look in their shockingly intelligent eyes before they blinked a couple times, looked at each other and then back at her. She could swear she saw something that looked remarkably like recognition in those four, slightly glowing orbs before one head nodded and the other…winked?
Yeesh. As if this all wasn't weird enough as it is. Now I've got dragons winking at me. Remind me to find whoever wrote this travesty and hit them over the head with a really, really big stick.
It wasn't until she heard a very slight clearing of a throat that she realized she had been staring for quite a while and was still standing at the very edge of the clearing. She turned slightly and found Sesshomaru standing ahead of her with a slightly raised brow. She smiled sheepishly at him and averted her gaze. Oops.
"If you are finished…" he said coldly. She glanced at him, fighting the embarrassed blush and saw him gesture for her to take a seat on a log not too far away. Kagome blinked but made her way there. After she was seated Sesshomaru settled gracefully on a bolder across from her.
Sesshomaru the gentleman. And cue the flying pigs…
She sat with her eyes downcast and her hands folded in her lap, not exactly sure what to do. She might not have been so nervous if he weren't trying to stare a hole through her. She was half afraid that he'd so something else strange, like burst out in spontaneous sonnet or a tap dance. He obviously wasn't acting like himself and she couldn't help but feel guilty for holding part of the blame. After all, the spell had been cast on her.
Finally she couldn't take it any longer and looked up. Despite his cool expression she could see impatience in his eyes, glowing slightly from the embers of the fire. She blinked at him in a silent 'what?'
"Is this clearing…" he paused for a moment and looked at the trees surrounding them, " private enough for your liking?"
Mental palm to forehead. Of course! He was waiting for the explanation she had promised him. She couldn't hold back the slightly embarrassed smile. For some reason she always seemed to do that when embarrassed…that and blush. Oh, yup, there was the blush.
"Uh…yes," she started awkwardly, "he hasn't been following us for some time. Actually, since shortly after we left the clearing."
Sesshomaru's expression didn't change by a hair but she got the impression that he wanted to raise an eyebrow or narrow his eyes or something. Man, he really did have the best poker face in the world.
"And you know this how?" he asked evenly.
Kagome blinked. "Um, because I don't sense him." She felt incredibly mature that she had managed not to add the 'duh' at the end.
"That hardly matters," Sesshomaru drawled, his slight sarcasm nearly ringing through the clearing and making her feel momentarily like she was three inches tall. "Many of us have the ability to mask our presence. I did not sense him where I found you caged, obviously he has this ability."
Kagome's brows drew together. "You didn't sense him?" Sesshomaru just looked at her, his expression blank but his eyes proclaiming that she had asked a stupid question. "I did."
"How?"
Kagome shrugged. "I don't know, I just did. Actually, it wasn't all that specific, I just knew he was there. Maybe it has something to do with the spell…"
"What spell?"
Oh, yeah, haven't gone over that part yet, have we? Kagome sighed. "Well, I might as well start at the beginning before you start to get annoyed and cut my head off or something." She laughed a little bit at her own joke before she saw that he seemed to take it seriously. Gulp. And moving right along…
Kagome proceeded to tell Sesshomaru what had happened, from hearing the scream at the well to Massoumo's insane ranting plan to him finding her sleeping in the cage. She conveniently left out the part about why she was at the well, merely that she had been there. During the entire tale he hadn't reacted once; not a twitch, smirk, scowl, or sigh. Kagome begun to wonder if he was even still breathing or if he had turned into a statue made of ice and silk. The only true sign she had that he was still alive and awake was that every now and then he would blink.
"And now," she finished, "I guess the real question is what to do now?"
She watched Sesshomaru apprehensively as he continued impersonating a statue. She wasn't really sure how he was taking all of this, after all, it's really heard to read a rock. As far as she could tell he was a split second away from going into a homicidal rage.
It was a moment before he spoke. "There is no question," he said, standing up and turned back towards the direction they had come from. "I will find this Massoumo and kill him."
Kagome's eyes shot wide. WHAT! "No!" she yelped and ran to get in front of him. And found herself there much faster than she had expected. One moment she had been sitting on the comfortably soft mossy log and the next she was in front of him. Even Sesshomaru seemed surprised at her speed.
Kagome shook her head to snap out of her shock and continued. "You can't kill him, Sesshomaru."
She got a slightly raised eyebrow for her efforts. "This Sesshomaru not one to suffer plots against his person. The lizard will die."
He made to move around her and out of desperation she put a hand on his chest to still him. It was an automatic gesture and she didn't really think about it, all she knew was that she had to stop him. And wonder of wonders, it seemed to work.
"Please, Sesshomaru, you can't. He's the only one that knows how to change me back. If you just go out and kill him I may be stuck like this forever!"
Sesshomaru stared into her eyes for a moment and she was truly starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the way they seemed to be getting more and more intense. Then he looked down, and curious, she followed his gaze…and realized that she still had her hand on his chest. Well, his armor, but it was about as close as she could get. Her face burned at her faux pas and she started to pull her hand back before he cut it off when Sesshomaru did about the last thing she expected. He reached up quickly and covered her hand with his own, holding it to his chest and refusing to let her break the contact.
"Would that truly be so horrible?" he asked softly and Kagome looked up to find him staring down at her. "To stay as you are, right now, is it so unimaginable?"
Maybe it was her new, heightened sense, or maybe it was that she had never really been this close to the Taiyoukai before, but Kagome could swear that she saw something in his expression…something that baffled her. And no, it wasn't just that she could ready anything off him at all, it was what she was seeing. There was a longing, a yearning so intense it was almost painful. It was in the way he held her hand tight against him, the way she could hear his heart speed up slightly, the tension of his body, even, she thought, in his scent. But what really struck her were his eyes. The golden gaze shown with tenderness and affection, but behind it all, lurking in the background, was the source of the longing she felt. Sesshomaru was lonely.
It's the spell, she told herself. It's just the spell affecting him. He doesn't really want me, doesn't really want me to stay with him. He isn't the creature that Massoumo has created. It's just the spell.
But she couldn't deny the loneliness she saw, and it made her chest ache. She felt even worse than she had before about all of this. Massoumo's trap had worked to an extent, and it was crueler than she had ever imagined.
Kagome sighed. "Sesshomaru," she started softly, "I mean no disrespect, but I can't stay like this. It's not who I am. I'm a human. I was born human, raised human, and even now I'm just a human trapped in the body of a youkai. It's what I am, who I am. I'm sure there are definite perks to being a youkai but…I just…I can't. Even if I wanted to, to do so this way would be to live a lie. And I can't do that. Not to myself. And not to you."
He blinked at that last part as though he wasn't expecting it and she felt his grip on her hand tighten as though he refused to let go.
"Please, my Lord," she said, hoping that the show of respect would keep her from harm, "whatever it is you're feeling for me right now, it isn't real. It's because of the spell. You deserve more than that. You deserve someone you truly want, not someone you've been tricked into wanting. You deserve better."
Sesshomaru continued to stare down at her for a moment before closing his eyes and clenching his jaw. He tightened his grip one last time on her hand before dropping it completely and turning away fro her, making his way back over to sit on the boulder he'd occupied before. Kagome watched him but he didn't seem to do any more than sit with his eyes closed. She wanted to ask him if he was all right, but the way his jaw was clamped shut and his fist kept clenching and unclenching she figured now was not a good time.
So instead she went back to her own perch, much slower this time, and sat down, watching him. He was pulling off his statue again, only this time it seemed like a vaguely pissed statue.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm sorry this had to happen…to you, to me…I'm so sor—"
"Do not apologize." Kagome almost started at the sudden interruption. His voice was fierce through his clenched teeth, as though he were trying desperately to hold back from doing something.
"But…"
"As much as it pains me," he continued, "I can hardly call this your fault. To do so would be dishonest and this Sesshomaru is not so low. You asked for this no more than I did. Lay the blame for this were it belongs, with Massoumo."
Kagome stared at the still Lord, her jaw slightly dropped. Well, this was something she hadn't exactly expected. Anger, disgust, contempt, disinterest, blame, all those she had anticipated. But this? His quiet acceptance of her, no, their situation. What was more, accepting that it was not her fault this had occurred. Not expressing anger against her for her own part in Massoumo's plans. Not ignoring her pleas and killing the lizard straight out. He had always struck her as a prideful creature, but she had never imagined that that pride would lead to this.
Maybe it's still the spell? she mused to herself, but something told her that was wrong. She glanced over to where the human child was sleeping peacefully on the back of the two-headed dragon.Maybe not.
Kagome sighed and started pulling the pins and such out of her hair, letting in fall out of the delicate quaff Massoumo had insisted upon before laying down on the surprisingly soft fallen tree, stretching out on her back to stare at the starry sky. What am I going to do now? she wondered. Here she was, trapped in a plot for revenge that really had nothing to do with her, but she now had no way out of. How was she going to deal with this? What could it even be done? They couldn't just kill Massoumo to end the thing, not if she ever wanted to be herself again.
Kagome blinked, was that even possible? She had only Massoumo's word that he could change her back, and everything considered, she didn't think the insane youkai could even be remotely trusted. What if she couldn't? What if there was no real way to change her back? What if she was stuck like this forever?
The starry sky above her started to blur as her eyes filled up with tears at the thought of never being able to change back. There would be no way she could ever return to her former life, she didn't even know if she could pass through the well in this form. It was possible that she would never see her family again. The tears started to slip down the sides of her face, leaking from the corners of her eyes as she continued to look at the blurry sky above her. Mama, Souta, Jii-chan… She would never see them again…never even be able to let them know what happened. She had barely even said good-bye the last time she had left…
And what about the rest? What about her friends and her quest and…Inuyasha. Would her friends still accept her like this? Would Inuyasha resent her for suddenly becoming what he had so long craved to be, a full youkai? She didn't even know if she would be able to sense the shikon shards like this…surely her miko powers could not exist within the body of a youkai. If she couldn't even do that, how was she to continue with her task? Would her soul be forever tainted with the undone deed? Marred with her inability to put to rights what she had made so wrong?
The thoughts swirled through her mind as tears slowly continued to drop down her face and into the hair fanned around her. Gradually, though, her eyes drifted closed and the stars disappeared from her hazed view as Kagome slipped into a troubled and exhausted sleep.
ooOoo
Sesshomaru felt his muscles slowly start to unclench. He had been sitting here, fighting himself with everything he had…and it was exhausting.
The Western Lord was not naturally inclined towards Buddhism. Certainly, he understood the tenants, he was very well educated. There were even many that he agreed with. The one that really stuck sideways for him, though, was karma. He didn't like the notion that the events of one's life were dictated by the actions of a previous one, one over which one currently had no control. Sesshomaru had always believed that his current situation was earned by the actions he had done in his ownlife, not someone else's. He carved his own fate, it was not set down by another.
Right now, though, he was beginning to wonder just what he had done in his last life that was so bad to warrant placing him in this kind of hell. He knew it was nothing he'd done in this life. Sure, he wasn't always kind and there were times he was forced to act harshly, but he could find none of his actions that had warranted this.
He had been enraged when the tale of deceit had been unfurled, the plot set against him by one whom he had done nothing to. If it was one of his own enemies then perhaps he could have understood, not tolerated of course, but at least he could see where they were coming from. But to have someone do…do… thisbecause of a grudge against his long dead father was something that truly went beyond the pale.
Sure, when he had first become Lord there had been others that had sought to take out past grievances against the Western Lands. There were always the ancient grudges, the blood feuds, the ancestral enemies. But this was far different. None of the others would have dared stoop to something like this. None of them would have violated such laws of nature. None of them would have….would have…
As things had been revealed it had taken all he could not to give in to his rage. It would have been one thing if Massoumo had come at him directly, as any being with a shred of honor would have, but to have used such a vile weapon was completely and totally unforgivable.
He groaned mentally as he thought of the 'weapon' herself. Massoumo had really done a perfect job. Even now, even knowing what she was, that she was actually a human, his half-brother's miko at that, he couldn't help but want her. Her scent still clouded his senses, her form burned into his mind, his body aching to touch her. His rage and the need to control it had been the only thing that had kept his urges at bay, kept his mind clear and focused on the fact that she was not what she seemed.
But when she had stopped him from going after the lizard, when she had placed her hand on his chest, he had slipped. He had given in to his desires, his loneliness, and actually asked her to stay…or as close as he could get. Knowing what she really was…he had wanted her to stay. It was only her words that had snapped him out of it. They weren't what he had expected—so kind and full of compassion and of all things, guilt—and while they managed to snap him out of it, deep down they only seemed to endear her to him more.
This time he moaned out loud. Damn this. Damn Massoumo. Damn his infernal instincts that made the spell able to affect him. While it seemed Kagome did not understand exactly why this was affecting him as it was, Sesshomaru did. It was the scent, more than anything. Massoumo had laced her scent with Sesshomaru's own. And while he consciously knew now why that was, he was still being affected on an instinctual level. The mingling of scents like that only occurred when two were joined. It was the scent of a mate…his mate. His instinctual side, that part of him that existed without his conscious knowledge or control, his bestial Inu, recognized what that scent meant and was acting accordingly. It was recognizing her as his mate. It didn't matter that she wasn't, that he had never joined with her, never marked her, to his senses she was his mate.
He had done the only thing he could to regain his control, he had turned from her and shut his eyes, hoping that not seeing her perfect form would help. It hadn't really, especially when she had started to apologize. His words had startled even him, but he found he couldn't bare her guilt over this. But when he thought about it, it was true, his honor would not allow him to blame her. Damn it. It would be so easy to take out his frustration on her, to vent his anger for her mere presence causing him to feel this way. But he simply couldn't. Damn it.
He had managed to gain a small measure of control until she had started crying. His jaw had clenched and every muscle tensed as he fought the urge, the need to comfort her. The scent of her tears invaded his mind and forced him to choke off a whine of his own. It had taken everything in his power, all of his years of training to stop himself from taking her in his embrace and licking the tears away, from growling in her ear until her sadness stopped, from nuzzling her neck to make her smile. All very appropriate things for a mate to do. All so incredibly wrong on so many levels.
But finally, her tears had stopped and from her breathing he would say she had fallen asleep. Slowly his muscles had started to relax and his jaw unclenched to the point where he was no longer worried his teeth would shatter. After a few more moments, he deemed it safe to open his eyes.
Then again, maybe not.
The sight that greeted him was one of the most innocently sensual ones he had ever seen. She was stretched out on her back across the fallen tree he had her sit on. Her arms were stretched over her head, her silver hair fanned around her and spilling down the sides. She had been more than fetching with the ornate hair style he had found her with, but with it spilling around her sleeping form like this she looked almost…angelic. She looked as though she had fallen asleep looking at the stars, a sad angel gazing upon her lost heavenly home.
Or perhaps more of a devil.
The stretch of her arms had arched her back slightly, causing her chest to push forward in a shockingly erotic manner…especially since the kimono she wore seemed to have loosened slightly to reveal a touch of cleavage. It had also slipped slightly elsewhere, revealing a touch of her legs. Not that her legs were anything he hadn't seen before with her standard, immorally short garb, but there was something so sensual about it now. How just a little bit of well formed calf was revealed. It made him want to run his tongue…
Stop this, Sesshomaru, he silently berated himself.You're only making this worse. This is not how she truly looks.
He closed his eyes again and tried to make him visualize her as a human. Actually, she didn't look all that different. Her facial structure was the same, save for the noble marking on her cheeks and fangs. And he did seem to recall that her eyes used to be brown. Odd, that. If her eyes had changed any color he would have thought they would have turned golden like his own. Such a blue was not common for Inuyoukai. And the rest of her form actually seem to have remained basically the same. Did she really have such an alluring body this whole time and he had failed to notice? Sesshomaru prided himself on his appreciation for beauty, how had he missed seeing such a beautiful form?
It's the spell,he chanted to himself.It's only the spell. Surely I would not find her form so pleasing if it weren't for all of this. Mostly likely I am unable to see her as anything else while my instincts are still recognizing her as my mate. Besides, why would I have ever seen a human form as pleasing? It's just the spell.
Sesshomaru reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, a gesture of frustration he rarely used in front of others, and resolved not to open his eyes again. Maybe ever. He had no idea what he was going to do, how he was going to deal with this. Something must be done, that was certain, but what? Massoumo must be stopped, of course, but how? The woman had said he was the only one who could change her back, and that too must be done. He could not abide this for long.
Something in him twisted at the though and he fought down a grimace. No, once this spell was reversed he would no longer be affected as such. But what if it wasn't? His eyes snapped open as the thought occurred to him. What if Kagome had been deceived and there really wasn't a way to reverse the process. Would she then be stuck like this forever? Tantalizing his senses, tugging at his control, urging his Beast. What was he to do then? He couldn't just kill her, no, honor forbade that. But he couldn't remain around her without her affecting him.
Deep down a part of him wondered the same question he had asked her earlier in his moment of weakness. Would that really be so bad?
Sesshomaru sighed and slumped down the boulder in a very un-Lordly manner, leaning back against it and squeezing his eyes shut. It was going to be a very long night.
ooOoo
The two figures stood around the infinite game board that resided in a place that defied description. The first looked up at his companion, his starry eyes twinkling.
"It is well begun," he said, his sardonic voice lacking its usual bite, "the first choices have been made and the first step upon the path to the desired outcome."
The second's eyes, made of that strange, endless azure light flicked up briefly before returning to stare intently at the board and the pieces upon it. "Many branches lay ahead, many choices still not made. There is still no guarantee another outcome will not occur."
The first rolled his eyes, a strange sight with eyes such as those, and looked at his companion without bothering to conceal his amusement. "You know as well as I that there is never a guarantee. The pieces can be prepared, placed accordingly, and formed in the right manner. Once the game begins there is little to be done but let the choices be made. There is no point in this obsessive worry."
A snort echoed through existence. "Oh, that made me feel so much better."
The first sighed. "As I have said before, you have done very well. The set up is as near perfect as can be. They are as well prepared to make the proper choices to continue the path. Believe me, I should know."
"There is always Chance…"
"And nothing to be done about it. Deal with it as it comes, accept what cannot be changed. That is all even beings such as we can do."
The second stayed silent, still gazing at the game, still completely uncomforted. The first returned his gaze to watch as well. After all, it really had only just begun.
A/N: Well, there's a nice, long one for you. I hope that makes up for the delay in posting. Sleep dep does little for the imagination…sure, I'm awake, but I find it makes me stare at the screen and wonder what those 'letter' things really are. Anyway, I hope you liked. I'll try to get more sleep and post a little sooner this time.
Reviewer Response:
yukikaza: I'm glad you like it, I always try to be original in some way. Except for my love of chocolate. I am more than willing to be a seriotyplical female chocoholic. Yuuummmm.
O2: Just don't forget to breath...I find huffing in and out through my nose helps when doing the "I must not laugh" teeth clench. And thanks for the suggestions...some would be really funny. Let's just say that good ol' Fluff certainly isn't going to be having the easiest time of it. Grin
Insane-and-Psyco: Well, here you go! I'm glad you like it so much. It means a lot to me that people actually like what I write.
MataruDoukoutsu: I'm glad you liked so much. I was absolutely dying when I was writing Sesshomaru like that...the only way I could do it was to have Kagome mock it. Hell, even Sesshomaru mocked it while he was doing it, or rather, that little corner of his mind. THat you so much for your review, it made my day. I feel so loved!
hellspixie18: I'm glad you liked it...and don't worry, this one is longer. At least, I think it is...Anyway, I try to keep them longish because writing short ones tends to annoy me. Granted, it takes longer to write these, but in life there's always a trade off...sigh.
Erik and Faye: I'm glad you liked it, hopefully you liked this one too. I've had so much fun. I guess we may have to postpone the raid...sigh. Ah well, more time to plan the sneak attack. I'm thinking we'll need something stronger than duct tape.