Chapter 15: Feudal Tragedies
"Sesshomaru, Please wake up!"
Cradling his head in her lap, a trembling Kagome pushed his bangs back away from his face, struggling to feel for any sign of life in his body. Nothing. Beginning to hyperventilate, the demoness started to sob as the reality of their situation finally reached her conscious mind.
All around her was nothing but death. In the center of the mansions courtyard, the once great social hub of the home was now a decaying wasteland from which her worst nightmares had come true. Laying lifeless on the ground next to her was the body of the human girl Rin; stabbed to death as evident by the gaping holes left in her body and neck. Across from the child's corpse her twin brother's lay side by side, killed in a similar fashion, their entrails scattered around the earth like worthless pieces of trash. Out of all the victims their mother was the worst; gutted alive like her children, her uterus had been removed, the horrifying remains of an unborn child curled up inside the lifeless womb.
Turning her head away from the bodies, Kagome fought back the urge to retch as she began to feel sick to her stomach. Focusing her attention back to Sesshomaru, she listened to the ever slowing beat of his heart and choking out a sob, beg her lover not to die. "Sesshomaru, just hold on!" He still didn't respond. Throwing her head back, she let out a howl of despair to the moon, this was all her fault for ever having gotten so involved with humans. "I'm so sorry…" as she rocked the dog demon's body in her lap, Kagome cried pathetically and reminded herself who was truly to blame for this moment of terror. The deranged human man she had once researched the mysteries of life with; the same man who had brutally slaughtered his family and unborn child, all with the misguided intention of bringing them back to life.
Hearing a noise from the main house, Kagome turned and bared her fangs at the intruders, a silent warning for them to stay away from the horrific scene. A suffocating aura was released in response; one that was familiar and caused her to submit. The powerful Inu no Taisho rushed into the courtyard; a barrage of guards and guardians behind him who immediately began to secure the perimeter. Seeing his son unconscious in her arms, Taisho demanded to know from the girl, "What happened!?"
Kagome's breath hitched in her throat, unable to speak of the tragedy she had just been through. Trembling in dismay, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, she released Sesshomaru, and her body collapsed; joining the boy in his world of the unconsciousness.
Sitting up quickly in bed; Sesshomaru sprang awake and growled, his breath becoming labored as the pain in his body ached. Looking around, he saw a number of healers and servants nearby; and scenting the air, relaxed only slightly when he realized he was no longer in hell, but safe and warm in his home. The comfort only lasted but a moment however when he didn't see Kagome anywhere in sight. The panic returning to his mind and body, Sesshomaru demanded to know where she was, his voice completely hoarse while his eyes bled red with fatigue.
A healer offered an answer. "Kagome-san is being treated in her own room."
Moving the sheets away from his person, he tried and failed several times to move his legs as he wanted. Realizing that he would need aid, without hesitation he ordered the healer. "Help me up."
The healer rapidly shook her head no. "You cannot leave yet Sesshomaru-sama. You are too injured."
"You do not tell me what to do."
"Sesshomaru-sama, I have orders from your father, you are not to leave until…"
"I come and go as I please," he said. "I told you to help me up, bring me my clothes."
"Please my lord…."
"Sesshomaru you aren't going anywhere."
Every head in the room turned to the doorway where Inu no Taisho stood impassively. Behind him his mate Kimi was poised in silence, eyeing her son from around her mate's shoulder. Swiftly the two demons entered the room, all servants in the room bowing until the man finally ordered them to stand.
Kimi was the first to approach. Going over to her son's bedside, she felt his forehead for fever, and after determining him well enough to talk, softly inquired, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine mother."
"Then what on earth happened! What has that girl got you involved in this time?"
"Kagome had nothing to do with this," he started, only for Inu no Taisho to speak.
"She has already confessed to being the culprit. We just need to know what ritual she was trying to perform."
"What!" he yelled out, falling into a coughing fit, he tried to talk through it but was finally forced to wait until it was over. "No.", he said. "This is not what you think. Kagome…."
"Almost got you killed, again." Kimi growled out.
"No. She. The bodies….."
"Yes. Four of them." Inu no Taisho confirmed. "All stabbed to death. There were body parts all over that courtyard. An infant had been removed from the mother's womb." he skin became a bit paler as he recalled the gruesome scene. "This is beyond insanity. As soon as she is well enough to stand trial, Kagome will be put to death. She won't be allowed to get away with this. To think this madness was within my own home."
"No, Kagome is innocent, she didn't do this!" trying once more to get out of bed, he was stopped by his mother who snapped at him to stay.
"Then if not her, who?" Kimi demanded to know. "People have seen her go in and out of that human settlement for months! There have been talks of her performing magic there! She was the only youkai around when your father appeared. Who else could have done such a thing?"
"Onigumo!"
"Onigumo?" Taisho repeated confused.
"The man of that house. I saw him kill Rin myself. He went mad. He…." gripping his head; Sesshomaru laid down as a headache overtook him, the memory of what occurred racing through his mind.
"Sesshomaru." Kimi touched her son worriedly.
Seeing situation at hand, Inu no Taisho faced the servants in the room and commanded them. "Leave."
Quickly the healer and attendants gathered their things and left, the door closing shut behind them as the conversation they witnessed was discussed word for word. Once they were gone, the lord of the west joined his mate at their son's side and asked once more. "What happened?"
"Checkmate."
Looking up at Shin'ichi across from her, Kagome stared at him confused. "Huh?"
"Checkmate. I won." he said, pointing to the gameboard between them where he had achieved victory for the third time that day.
"Oh...Congratulations…."
"Hmm…." he responded, absently stroking his beard. "I tire of this game, why don't we play GO or maybe…."
"I'm...Forgive me Shin'ichi-dono, but I don't really feel like playing board games right now, excuse me…" standing up from the low raised table, Kagome bowed respectfully to the elderly man, grimacing when the position pulled against her chest which was heavily bandaged up under her clothes. Ignoring the worried way he was looking at her, the demoness limped to the door and exited, heading in no particular direction.
It had been three days since the incident that almost cost them their lives and still Kagome had trouble accepting that it had been real. Three days ago; Sesshomaru had been cradled in her lap, near dead from an attack by a creature from hell, summoned by a man the two had once thought of as a friend. That same man who had brutally slaughtered his wife and children, all for the sake of achieving the search for knowledge.
Somehow, the demoness stopped when she realized she had ended up in the castle's garden, the lady's prized azaleas looking perfect in full bloom. Limping over to a tall maple tree, she literally collapsed under the shade, out of the way while she rested her still aching body.
She was lucky to be alive she figured. Sesshomaru had woken up in time to tell his father the truth of what had occurred, and though his parents still blamed her for his injuries; she was no longer at risk of execution. The village that had nearly served as their resting place was in chaos however. Inu no Taisho had been forced to seal up the house; locking up the villagers so that the rumors wouldn't get out. What he planned to do next she had no idea.
Feeling a presence behind her, the demoness was about to move when the person called out. "Kagome..." tensing at the familiar sound of her name. She almost considered ignoring him until he joined her under the shade, his own breath labored from the effort it took him to walk from his room.
Knowing what he was going to say Kagome spoke first."I don't want to hear it Sesshomaru."
"Well too bad. We need to talk about what happened."
"It's my fault they died. There is nothing you can say that will change that."
"Kagome, you ran into that courtyard at the same time I did. You did nothing wrong."
"But it was my idea that got put into his head."
"If that's the case I am just as at fault as you are."
"What!" Turning to him she growled low in her throat only for him to mimic the sound, reminding her who was alpha here. "No. Sesshomaru, I'm the one who wanted to learn how to revive the dead. I'm the one who taught a human if all people how to use children...a pregnant mother are dead because of me..."
"They are dead because of Onigumo. And it was I who put the idea of revival in your head. We are getting nowhere trying to place blame."
Wavering blue eyes looked into firm gold ones, both holding pain that was hidden by their anger. Kagome, at last, looked away. "Rin..."
"We will give her and her family a proper burial." seeing her tremble, Sesshomaru placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, hoping to calm her without too much touch. Both had severe bruising along their midsections, a hug would only serve to aggravate them.
"What about the demon..."
"My father has the guardians searching for it now. So far they haven't found anything." hearing him wheeze a bit in his chest, Kagome looked at him surprised. "My lung was pierced." He explained ominously refusing to meet her worried gaze.
"Are you supposed to be out of bed?"
"Are you?" He countered back defensively.
Resting her head slightly on his left shoulder, Kagome let out a tired yawn. "I won't tell if you won't..." she muttered out. Closing her eyes to take a nap.
"Deal."
A/N: I know this was a little dark….children dying and everything, and I hoped it made sense. The next chapter should clear some things up. As an afterthought, this chapter as is all the others is supposed to show how Kagome's memories are slowly coming to light. Eventually she will get everything back at once. I hope you are enjoying this story because it is honestly becoming my favorite to write. Please review! -Theores