Chapter Seven-Gifts of the Awakened
An arrow shot from the bow, hitting the bull's eye perfectly. Another sigh came from Kagome's mouth. 'Its not every day I'm bored to tears that I practice my archery.' Her miko powers picked up on someone watching her, but they had been there for an hour now, just watching as Kagome strung an arrow, aimed it and released. Kagome wanted to fight someone and get the adrenaline going, but the stubborn person wouldn't come.
'Gakuto I need your help?' Kagome said stubbornly as she let yet another arrow through the air.
'What is it? Are you in a life and death situation?' An annoyed response came.
'If I say yes will you help me? I just want someone to spare with.' Kagome whined in her mind. Quickly a movement flashed in her senses and Kagome whirled around and drew her ken faster than any human could.
"You're pretty good. I see you have been training, but I wonder, is it to fight off me, or Sesshoumaru?" the icy voice taunted in her head. Kagome could see the visions of Naraku appear in her head, the power he had no doubt grown since he last tried to break into her mind. Kagome shut her mind out, blocking any information about her friends, especially Saito or Gakuto. "What's the matter Kagome, you know you can't protect them forever."
"I don't need to protect them forever, just long enough to kill you and take back the Jewel shards!" Kagome screamed at the shadow that came from her conscious.
"You think you can really save them Kagome, you know that even if I die, I will take you with me, and don't even think that the tensusaiga will be able to save you because you were already saved by it once, it will not work the second time." The image circled her slowly, ready to fight. Kagome grabbed both katanas and returned her ken. She could move quicker with the smaller daggers.
"What do you mean 'the second time' I didn't-…" Kagome froze. Flashed about the dispute between Sesshoumaru and her came to mind. She remembered the distraction of Inuyasha and Gakuto, then pain, then peace, and then when she opened her eyes she was at the Goshinboku.
"Yes you did Kagome, and mark my words, I will not fail to kill you." The shadow disappeared, leaving Kagome alone back at the archery range. The sound of steel hitting the ground was made. Slowly Kagome turned around to find Gakuto and Kyouko behind her, a fallen soldier at Kyouko's feet.
Kagome looked up to see worry in their eyes. 'Now is not the time to tell them.' Kagome thought to herself, her mind still locked anyone who tried to break through. She could see Gakuto concentrating, trying to read her thoughts but Kagome stopped him. She knew better then to break the binds that held her mind secure.
"Kagome? -…Are you alrigh-…" Gakuto watched as Kagome fell to the ground, collapsing with fatigue and shock it had been almost a year since she had seen or hear Naraku. Why now? Why at the most random time did he seek her out? Gakuto tried once more to read her thoughts but they were bind tighter then she had ever had them. None of them moved. What she had said ran through their minds.
'I don't need to protect them forever, just long enough to kill you and take back the Jewel shards!"-…"What do you mean 'the second time' Pain was written on the dream demon's face. 'What have I done?'
It had been almost two weeks now and every day Kagome's power grew with the build up of rage and desperation. The aura around Kagome flared every time someone tried to enter the room. Gakuto tried to enter her dreams, but Kagome fought every step of the way.
"Lord Sesshoumaru why hasn't lady Kagome awaken yet? What is the matter with her? Will she be alright-?"
"Rin, quiet." Sesshoumaru hushed the small girl. "Go play with Kyouko."
"Yes lord Sesshoumaru." Rin bowed quickly then ran off to find the playmate that didn't really want to do anything but stay by his lady's side. Sesshoumaru stood at Kagome's bedroom door. He tried to come in at least a hundred times, but she wouldn't let him. Today, Sesshoumaru hoped would be different. He listened closely, but her breath could not be heard, he wanted to panic but the feeling of peace stopped him. Before he could change his mind Sesshoumaru opened the door and stepped inside, looking around the room with his eyes closed expecting to be shocked with intense miko powers that his mate had acquired, but nothing came. He opened his eyes slowly and gaped at the image that stood before him.
In the center of the room Kagome sat her hair now a bluish black, her eyes closed as she sat in the meditation pose. He mindlessly gave his head a shake and straightened his composure. "Where is lady Kagome?" the woman's eyes opened revealing violet, sparkling eyes.
"Are you so rude as to not see this woman as who she is?" At first the words confused the lord, staring intensely into those violet eyes he understood that it was Kagome, his Kagome.
Kagome stood and gracefully walked over to the open balcony window. The room was silent. The air between the two was tense.
"What happened to you?" the question sounded blunt, but it was what Kagome had expected from the beginning.
"I will protect them Sesshoumaru, I will die protecting them." Turning her head, Kagome allowed Sesshoumaru to see the tears that were cascading down her cheeks. "They're my family now, I will not let him hurt them." Kagome knew he wouldn't understand part of her didn't want him too. "I have to leave. I want you to take care of Kyouko for me."
"Kagome if you want to protect 'them' we'll all do it together." Sesshoumaru took a step towards her before she turned her body away.
"What happened to you. You're not the Sesshoumaru that I knew." Kagome's body tensed as she thought of how much she loved the Sesshoumaru that had been so cold and hating. Her heart clenched as she thought of what she was willing to do to save the kingdom that wasn't hers and the man that never wanted her just because of who she was.
"You changed me, Kagome when you left me I spent all my spare time looking for you. When I lost you-…"
"You can't lose something that was never yours Sesshoumaru." Kagome knew that it wasn't true but that was how he acted, like he never wanted her.
"Kagome be quiet, you don't know anything about me anymore! When I found out it was you that I had killed I was ready to sell my soul to have you back. When your follower, Gakuto used the tensusaiga I was shocked. I wanted to find you again not kill you!" Kagome could feel the warmth in his words, but she turned her back on them. How could she fall in love with him again after what he did to her? "Kagome I didn't mean to betray you. For god sake Kagome I love you!"
The words hammered into her heart. The feeling was like being shot. "Why would a powerful lord as yourself love a miko?"
"Because the miko I knew wasn't afraid to admit she needed help. The miko I knew would do anything to show her courage and honour." He paused as pain tightened on his heart. "And because I believe that the miko I knew loved me too."