Author's Note:

This story evolved as an as I went thing with no real end in mind. It was more of a character exploration of "what would happen if..." So enjoy this bitter exploration into hurt, healing and hope.

Be warned, since I haven't followed the series closely in years or seen the Final Act, I'm pretty sure some things won't fit into cannon.

Of Pride and Power
Chapter 20: Captured

Above Kagome, periwinkle volts of light shimmered into nothingness as the barrier dissipated. Shouts and commands sounded around her like succinct cannonfire. Someone called her name and Kagome's cheek turned to the voice only to find her vision swallowed by snow hued silk and hair. An arm lifted her by her thighs and stained fur belted her to a battle worn chest.

Kagome blinked and the world was suddenly a blur, her senses went numb as her body struggled to cope with the sharp increase in velocity. Even when carried against the back of Inuyasha, he never moved with such a quickness that put her into a state of shock.

Cradled against Sesshomaru's front, Kagome's chin hooked itself over his shoulder, her arms clenched around his neck like bent iron. Grasslands blurred into mountains, the air turning thin. At such speeds the wind was cold and only the fur encasing her spared her from the threat of hypothermia. A sudden sense of sickness washed over her stealing thought, breath and stability from her person. Had Kagome eaten anything, she suspected it would've been removed by the nausea curdling her stomach.

A journey that would've taken days was condensed into hours and when Sesshomaru slowed his step, they arrived at a shambled estate hidden well within the mountains. It was dilapidated and old, showing hints of its former majesty in the sloping roofs and vine strangled sculptures of inu-youkai.

Sesshomaru entered the home and in the same second the door slid shut behind them, Kagome found herself slammed against a wall. A cry slipped through her lips as the length of his incomplete arm pressed into her chest like a baton.

"How dare you–"

"SIT!" she shrieked. Sesshomaru's grip faltered as the beads slammed him against the rickety floor. Gasping for air. Kagome fell to her knees, her palms scraping against the splintered wood. In her dizzied state, Kagome could hardly orient herself and if not for the threat of the angry youkai at her feet, she would have been content to just lie where she fell. Weakly, she crawled away but not before a clawed hand seized her ankle. Where Inuyasha was rendered incapacitated, Sesshomaru still managed to move beneath the surging command of the necklace.

"Sit!" she yelped in panic, unprepared when his grip dragged her down with him. Slowly he pulled her to him, his ire masked with stony indifference. Only the electric edge to his sharp gaze gave indication of his rage; meeting those eyes proved paralyzing and momentarily, Kagome's chest seized in a numbing attack of panic.

"Have you forgotten-" he began, speaking sharply as he crawled forward. "- the strength of this Sesshomaru?" Though his words were strained and broken, the threat they carried retained the power he boasted of.

The sight of him moving closer stirred Kagome from her terrified trance. "Let me go!" she shrieked, lifting her foot to kick his face. With one leg pinned beneath him, Sesshomaru seized her attacking leg by her calve. Remembering Takashi's gift, Kagome found the satchel tucked within her chest bindings and with sheer desperation she threw its contents at Sesshomaru.

A hiss sounded from his lips revealing fangs, his eyes teasing red. Nightmares replaced reality and panic seized her lungs. A whimper of terror sounded from her lips seconds before Sesshomaru leveraged his grip on her leg to yank her beneath him. Kagome's back dragged against the rugged floor, her hip aching as muscles were pulled in unnatural ways. Sesshomaru loomed over her, his form hovering atop hers and his claws resting above her heart, positioned to lance her chest.

"Give your command priestess." he invited, his nose a breath away from hers. "If you are so inclined to continue in your boldness, speak your incantation."

"Th-This isn't how this is supposed to work!" she cried, anxiety laboring her already overworked lungs. Why was it so hard to breathe?

"Why are you here?" he inquired stoically.

"What are you talking about idiot?" she snapped, struggling to focus against the pounding pain within her head. "You were the one that brought me here!"

The razor claws at her chest descended until they pressed through her cotton robe and pricked her skin in warning. Flinching, Kagome pursed her lips. "Why are you not in your own time?" he clarified.

"I don't know! I jumped through the well a few days ago and ended up here!"

"Days?" he echoed, his brow lifting.

Seeing his surprise, Kagome went pale. "Why? How long has it been?"

Looking her over carefully Sesshomaru answered, "100 years."

"Eh?" she breathed, her tension uncoiling with the revelation. "No way." Kagome's focus moved from the noble face of Sesshomaru to the cobwebbed ceiling, her expression resigned with defeat. "And of course the well has to dump me out into this time, probably just so I could save you." Thinking on it, Kagome looked to him. "How did you get mixed up in all of that anyway?"

"Remove this necklace from me or I will kill you." he informed bluntly.

"But-"

"It has already proved itself ineffective in ensuring your safety. When compounded with the barrier and my injuries it held some use, but it will be rendered obsolete as my strength returns. I will not repeat myself."

With a laden breath of resignation, Kagome pushed him off of her with a moody, "Fine." Sitting up, she reached for the necklace to remove it but not without adding, "Sit!"

The floor trembled as his chin struck wood. Sesshomaru seethed, Kagome reclaimed the beads and scooted to rest her back against the wall, putting some distance between them. "You deserved that." she reminded as she fiddled with the beads at her neck. "Just be grateful I didn't kill you. I could've and you know it."

The inu-daiyoukai regarded her evenly as he sat up, his expression contemplative. "Why didn't you take your revenge?"

Shrugging, Kagome drew her knees into her chest to place her aching head atop them. "Who knows." she sighed. "Maybe I didn't want to be the reason the youkai died out. Maybe it just felt nice to see a familiar face, even if it was yours."

Her eye peeked open in time to catch the twitch of his brow at her back handed compliment. However, Kagome just couldn't bring herself to care for his feeling of offense. Apparently neither did he. Without a word, he rose to his feet to limp away from her giving her full view of the broken arrows protruding from his back. Her heart softened at the sight of his injuries.

Kagome knew herself well enough to know that she'd never take her revenge for his crimes against her. Such darkness simply didn't exist within her no matter how painful his sins were. Instead, Kagome knew in her heart that she would need to find the means to forgive him.

"I can help you with, that– if you want." she offered, gesturing to his injuries.

Without pausing his laboured steps, Sesshomaru gave an answer true to his nature. "I have no use for the kindness of humans." he sneered in arrogance not even bothering to spare her a glance. "And given your state you are in no position to offer such a meaningless thing." A frown turned her lips at his insult to her offer but Kagome felt the truth of it.

With an aching head, nauseous stomach and lack of coordination, ultimately she'd do him more harm than help. Sighing to herself, Kagome meandered aimlessly down the hall until she found something that resembled a bedroom. Having no energy to even close the door behind her, Kagome collapsed onto the soft futon centered within the room with sleep finding her instantly. In her state of weariness, even her nightmares proved too exhausted to make an appearance allowing her a blissful reprieve into nothingness.