XV — The Dawn of a Sad Day

The battle with Onigumo hadn't even started, but before they got ready for it, Inuyasha and Kagome would have to face an even more difficult one. It was impossible, in fact, to believe that they would emerge unscathed from last night's ordeal, and while the half-demon watched his beloved sleep with a worried look on his face, he also anxiously awaited the moment she would awaken, fearing her reaction. Or, better, it worried him not knowing how she would react.

In hindsight, he realised that holding her while he waited had not been the best choice, but when he had seen her there, in the middle of the room, his only thought had been to make sure she was real and he had wanted to hold her more to reassure himself than her.

When Kagome finally regained consciousness she had no time to recall the details of her rescue because feeling herself being held tightly – not being able to free herself – brought her back to that feeling of impossibility Onigumo had forced her into when he had tied her up. Consequently, she began to scream and kick, every rational thought absent.

It frightened Inuyasha and when he tried to calm her down and make her understand that she was safe his words did not reach her mind and so she continued to struggle even though she was now free. She immediately attracted the attention of the new guards, but Inuyasha shooed them away and only then did Kagome seem to calm down and realise what had really happened.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" she stammered, unsure.

He approached her cautiously, his hands in front of him, and then resumed his place on the futon without attempting to embrace her again. "It's me, Kagome," he nodded. However, he had not expected her to be the one to throw herself into his arms once she understood who she had in front of her. A few seconds later, she was kissing him and Inuyasha, taken aback, did not respond, not until he mused that that kiss wasn't normal and neither was her attitude.

He tried to push her away gently by putting light pressure on her shoulders, but Kagome thrust herself even further towards him, not minding his lack of response. So, Inuyasha was forced to push harder, and although the expression on her face threatened to destroy his purpose, he resisted because he knew it was the right choice.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" he asked her with a calm he didn't know he had.

"I-I thought it was obvious. I was afraid I would never see you again, Inuyasha, and I wanted to fix it."

"Not like this, Kagome, not like this." He shook her head in disbelief, beginning to understand how much everything had disturbed her. "We need to talk, we need to... I don't know, try to assess the situation, but we can't… relax now." Not to mention that it felt so wrong to take advantage of her when she was clearly vulnerable.

"But I don't want to argue, Inuyasha! Have you changed your mind after what happened?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" he seethed regaining control with enviable speed. "It seems obvious to me that I have to be the one between us to make a more rational decision right now."

"Then it'll be too late! Onigumo will return and this time he won't wait for what he promised to do to me. I was afraid he'd succeed." She began sobbing again, hiding her face in her hands, sending another dagger to his heart.

Upset by those words and that involuntary revelation, Inuyasha let go of her shoulders as if scalded.

Onigumo? What did he have to do with everything? What did she mean?

Suddenly everything around him became more oppressive, and for a moment he struggled to breathe as he tried to sort out his tangled emotions. He had never doubted that this being had kidnapped her for a specific reason and had not given much thought to how she was already back, why everything had happened in such a short time, but the revelation was too much even for him. Two questions, however, rumbled in his head: would he be able to muster the strength to face what it meant for Kagome's sake? He had to, he answered himself, because otherwise, the foundations they had built would collapse like sand castles. But more importantly, how would she react to hearing his answer? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out and, at the same time, he knew he couldn't back down.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and as his chest rose and fell too quickly, he tried to find some composure within himself and not explode as he really wanted to. Yet, he had never been a quiet person and as much as he didn't like to admit it, he was just like his father had always said: he didn't think things through, he was impulsive and didn't give a damn about the consequences; in many ways, his young age still manifested itself. However, there was much more at stake than usual and in order not to lose what he held most dear, he was making an effort to ignore the more negative sides of his character and prove himself more mature.

Kagome was there, a surprise that he had more than welcomed. The scenarios he had contemplated as he ran alongside his father had never presupposed the young girl's return so abruptly, and although he still didn't know who or what he had to thank for that gift, he was also realising that the situation was still far from rosy. Yes, Kagome was there beside him, physically, but with her mind? With her mind, she was still a prisoner of that man, and whatever Inuyasha tried to free her, he wasn't sure he could do it without hurting her.

He could have continued to mull over why a human had been able to turn into a demon, run to his father and demand that he be given an answer or he could, instead, stand there and try to reason with her. But as soon as he formulated that last thought, he realized his hypocrisy: he couldn't be lucid, how could he pretend the same from her?

"Kagome," he began with a gentleness that was still foreign to him, "what are you saying? What happened?" Perhaps shedding a little more light on what had happened to her would have helped him.

Closing her eyes, she shook her head and curled back into herself, and Inuyasha immediately regretted having made her regress. So he approached her, not daring to touch her yet but hoping that the warmth his body exuded, his familiar aura, might comfort her.

It worked, for soon afterwards she looked up at him and threw herself at him, clutching him in a silent plea; he embraced her and tried to fuse their bodies together, to rip away the pain that was tearing her apart as well as any memory of what had happened in the last few hours.

"I don't want it to happen again," she cried, like a child asking for a parent's embrace following a nightmare. "Take those memories away, Inuyasha, and make sure it can never happen again." Then she kissed him again, and there was nothing chaste about it; she focused on the taste of him, the softness of his lips and the warmth that radiated within her whenever they were together. She was sure he could be the only one that could help her erase those awful memories.

But Inuyasha had other plans and mindful of his goal, he didn't let her distract him; he took a step back, while still keeping her in his arms, and hardened his gaze. As much as he might try to deny it for his own benefit, that being's plans were more than clear and he did not blame Kagome for wanting to forget them now. Yet, he didn't want her to make a mistake she would regret as soon as she was lucid again; he would not allow Onigumo to taint their relationship and such an important moment. He longed for her as he had never longed for anything, his inner demon demanded to come out and give in to her request, but he didn't back down; it was harder than any challenges he had ever faced, but he refused to let his mind being clouded but those primitive and physical instincts. He wouldn't make that mistake, even if it hurt him to refuse her.

"Kagome," he repeated, "you don't really want it, you don't want someone like him meddling in our relationship."

She seethed in response. "You're the one who doesn't understand, Inuyasha. Don't you see that? He's already meddled, and if you let him, he'll do it again, in the worst way!" She sent the same hard look back at him and then turned away abruptly to let him know how much that rejection hurt her, perhaps even more than everything else.

"If you let him," she said.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, telling himself that he shouldn't hold it against her, that he must be the stronger of the two, but it didn't mean that those words didn't hurt.

But it wasn't over yet.

"Leave me alone," she yelled at him a moment later, curling up again and distancing herself from him, as if he were the villain.

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he thought he could hear the sound of his heart escaping from his ribcage and shattering to the ground; he brought a hand to his chest, as if to stop it from coming out for real, and stared at her, unable to answer or console her.

Was he really so useless? Was it normal to feel this pain? And why did his inability to protect her hurt more than what she had just told him? He didn't know yet, but it was all part of being in love and it would be some time before he could experience it in its happiest forms. First, they would have to overcome the obstacles that had been cleverly placed in their path.

And although it was not easy now, he did not regret his confession before his departure; he knew that the same feeling that now threatened to bring him to his knees would also give him strength when he'd have to face the monster. Resolute, he let those cold words spoken in a moment of weakness slide over him, softened his gaze and gave her a sad smile. Then, in silence, he left, not before reminding her that he would never abandon her.

At the same time and in the same castle, another couple was discussing the same topics but encountering different difficulties.

Toga had welcomed her mate into his arms as soon as they were alone, having recognised the restlessness and suffering that last night's events had aroused in her, and before she was forced to relive them, he tried to give her as much comfort as possible.

Silence did not displease them, on the contrary; being together was enough and their bodies' language could say everything needed. Looking at them, one could have said they had been together for millennia – and not just over two centuries – given how strong their bond was.

Toga perceived his beloved's pain and shared that burden with her so that it would not weigh on her soul; his hands ran with a calm and comforting movement over her back and shoulders, pushed her to himself; his lips left kisses on her head and, only when she was ready, whispered reassurance in her ear.

"I was so afraid," she finally confessed in the hollow between his shoulder and neck. "I never had any doubt you would find her, but look how she came back, after barely spending a few hours with that monster."

Toga left another kiss on her hair and then asked the first of many questions that clouded his mind to come to a clearer picture of the whole situation: "How?"

She lifted her face and looked him steadily in the eyes so that she could read the surprise that, she already knew, she would find there. "Sesshomaru."

His first reaction was to repeat his previous question – how – the second was apprehension. He hadn't heard from him in weeks and in the midst of that mess, he was now popping up to save the very woman for whom he had only had pure hatred?

He shook his head. If there was one constant in that complicated relationship of theirs, it was surely the father's inability to understand the son: no matter how much he wanted to and tried, Sesshomaru seemed to strive to appear a mystery impossible to solve.

"And he left soon after?" Izayoi nodded. "Didn't he say anything?"

"You know better than me, Anata, that even if I had asked him he would not have provided me with any answer. I begged him, however, to wait for your return; it was to no avail."

"Do you think I was wrong?" He did not need to tell her what he was referring to because, for Izayoi, it was implied.

"I believe that whichever way you had decided to act, Sesshomaru would have rebelled anyway. He would never have listened to you or stayed to seek sincere confrontation or agreement. I know it hurt you to have to resort to an ultimatum just as I know every regret you harbour in your soul because of the mistakes you have made towards him in the past, but, dear, if you had decided not to act, it would have been even worse."

"I often wonder if we have reached a point of no return and if I am persisting for nothing, then he behaves like this, in a manner so foreign to him and hope returns to me." He hid his face in his free hand, then he slid it into his hair.

"It's more than normal." She smiled at him. "We don't know what conditions led him to clash with Kagome, but I doubt she was already free of that monster when it happened. Besides, when she arrived she was covered in blood – not hers."

Toga widened his eyes and then let her go to stand up and begin pacing back and forth. "So far we know that whoever kidnapped Kagome has a bone to pick with Inuyasha – or at least that's what he's made clear from what little he's told us – and that he's arrogant enough to believe he can win this battle easily. He sent a copy of himself to us with the clear intention of instigating Inuyasha and boasting of his achievements while at the same time, he himself kidnapped her." He stopped and, for the first time since his departure, he smiled, even if not lightly; it was the smile of someone who had understood everything. "That tells me that beyond my first impression, we have before us an amateur and I already know where and how to hit him: his overconfidence will be his undoing."

"And what about the blood? Don't you think Sesshomaru has already defeated him?"

He shook his head without pondering the question even a second longer. "No, if that was the case, Sesshomaru would have stayed, if only to prove himself superior to me." He smiled again. "And as much as there are still many holes in our story, I am absolutely certain of one thing: Sesshomaru is on the hunt and that will come in handy. Let it not be said that I don't know my son then," he concluded, laughing heartily. For a moment it seemed that the apprehension was gone.

"And you will also have an opportunity to put up a united front with him," Izayoi continued.

"We'll see, Anata, we'll see," he whispered to her before he hugged and kissed her again, now eager to lose himself in her.

Later, when the General summoned Inuyasha and Kagome to discuss together what had just happened and prepare a plan of action, he found himself before two people completely different from what he had left behind – and from what he had imagined.

He immediately noticed that something was wrong just by observing the language of their bodies; they had entered together, sure, but they kept their distance as if they were afraid to even accidentally brush against each other. Kagome kept her head down even as she muttered her greeting and then went to sit down next to Izayoi, still well away from Inuyasha. For his part, he had a fierce expression on his face and seemed to be struggling to control the tremors that were shaking him, not to mention that his aura – which before had appeared clear – now manifested his inner turmoil.

When he left them alone, he had no doubt the two of them would comfort each other because he knew they had overcome the phase of doubts and uncertainties that had marked their first meeting. Yet, seeing them now, even that seemed a better alternative: they had regressed, but not only that, they looked like two lovers who had betrayed each other and no longer knew how to find their way back to each other. How could this have happened in such a short time?

Gone was the happiness and positive embarrassment he had read on his son's face, and all because of a demon that had suddenly appeared in their lives. Thinking about it, Toga hardened his gaze and his spirit; there, at that moment, he promised himself that he would not only make the two of them embrace their feelings again, but above all, he would have his revenge. Whoever that being was, he was running out of seconds.

"Father, what is the reason you summoned us?" Inuyasha began formally, interrupting his thoughts.

Toga exchanged a meaningful glance with his mate and then focused on him. "You will agree with me that there is no time to waste: we don't know if and when the demon will act again, and that is why we must be ready for every eventuality. To do this, we must put together everything we know about him."

"Onigumo," Kagome replied in a faint voice, shocking him and looking up. "It is Onigumo."

"Onigumo, dear? Is that the name he introduced himself to you with?" Izayoi was mostly startled by the chill that ran through the girl when she uttered that name.

Kagome shook her head. "No, there was no need for an introduction. I already knew him."

Toga turned to snap at her, ignoring for a second the rage that crossed his son's eyes and waiting for her to continue. "I... I don't know how this is possible and at the same time, I tell myself that it makes sense. That demon, that being with the baboon fur that kidnapped me and you were chasing, is actually the man I was promised to after Hojo's death," she confessed all in one breath for fear that the memories of the previous night might prevent her from finishing if she stopped. "I had had this feeling ever since we left the slayers' village, but I never thought it was possible, even I-Inuyasha had reassured me." Her voice faltered as she pronounced the name of her soulmate, but Toga and Izayoi were too shocked by the previous revelation to realise it.

"But that is not possible," agreed Toga, widening his eyes. "No man is allowed to become a demon and vice versa."

"Are we really sure, Dad?" asked Inuyasha. "Are you sure you've never encountered such a case before or even heard or read anything in particular?"

The dai-youkai ran a hand through his hair as he reflected. For someone who had lived as long as he had and gone through more turbulent times than the one in which they now lived, it had not been difficult to encounter some cases more dangerous than others. Wickedness lurked in every corner, and if one indulged in it, the results could be disastrous; still, others thought they shone more in the dark than in the light and therefore sought it willingly, rejoiced in it. Toga had always tried to steer clear of such people, but he also recognised that sometimes in life one was forced to deal with them for the common good and it was in those moments that he had really known evil. It was also not the first time he had heard of men who had tried to become demons; most of them had believed they could become stronger and thus invincible and instead had only met a painful death. However, on hearing his son's question and the priestess's foreboding, the words of a wise old man he had met when he too was a mostly inexperienced and very reckless pup came to his mind.

He did not remember the occasion in detail, only that at that time the young Toga was always very frustrated because of the prejudice of the people around him: why did humans take it for granted he was bad just because he was a demon and why, conversely, did those who shared his origins insist on being cruel?

The sage, at that point, had spoken of wickedness, revealing to him that not everyone was able to recognise it – indeed, few had the privilege – and this often led to the wars and uprisings that plagued their lives. Toga, who had never had great difficulty reading people's auras, was astonished by this and listened attentively to his words precisely because he wanted to know more in order to treasure them.

He – or she, he sincerely could not remember – told him to always pay close attention to the darkness that lurked in a person's soul because that was what determined the demon that would be born of it. And, above all, he warned him that the dawn of the day when a man would exploit it to become what he was not meant to be, to increase his own power, would be very sad.

He had shaken his head at the time, and although he hadn't believed the last sentence, he had thanked him with a bow and kept going for his way. But the fact that, after so many centuries, those words were coming back to him just now did not bode well. Could it really be possible?

"If that were indeed the case, if that demon was born of the one called Onigumo, then our enemy would be the most evil person I've ever met," he sentenced, frowning. His determination, however, never wavered and what he had said to his mate earlier was all the more valid: if as a demon he had just been born, they could take advantage of his inexperience.

He just had to be careful of that soul so dark that he could go where no one had ever gone before.

When they had finished, Izayoi offered to accompany Kagome to her new room and spend some time with her so that she would not have to be alone. She was sure, in fact, that the company was the only thing the girl wanted and given the way she and Inuyasha had kept away from each other, it was presumable that her son couldn't help her.

Arriving at their destination, they discovered that the maids had lit a fire to warm the room and prepared blankets and drinks so that everything would be ready for their return. This did not surprise the princess; those who worked in that castle were more than accustomed to her different needs as a human and not infrequently made sure they had a little more consideration for her than the General. Those gestures had always meant a lot to her, they reminded her that not everyone hated her for who she was and she always thanked those who helped her from the bottom of her heart; she was sure that soon Kagome would get used to it too.

Finally, they settled down and Izayoi did not let silence reign over them much. "Kagome, I was wondering if you would like to hear a story."

The priestess roused herself from her thoughts and looked at her. She had expected anything, even reprimands in case Inuyasha had already told his mother what had happened, but not such a casual and innocent question. "A story."

"Yes, something I think might be useful to you."

"I... well." What harm could it do her, after all? She nodded.

Izayoi smiled at her before patting her hand affectionately. "Then let me tell you the story of someone you reminded me of the first time we met."

A/N: I'm already re-reading the next chapter, so I shouldn't be so late posting it. Meanwhile, I look forward to reading your thoughts about this one.

Thanks for reading ❤.