Chapter 19
It didn't come as a surprise to hear the familiar growl somewhere deep in the forest. What surprised her was that, it came almost immediately, even before she could blink, even before she could inhale a lung full of damp air from the impact of calling out, even before a whole second of time could pass by to its grave. She had lost hope, decided that it was just a wishful thinking to even call his name again and it was just out of an instinct, like an old habit, her lips had his name already dancing in its edges, the only word that her mind could process and come up with. The winds, the trees, the leaves had taken pity on her, either that, or they didn't want to face the wrath of the heir of the demon lord. They carried her muffled cry, her last hope, her last plea of desperation towards the group that was travelling to the deepest forest in search of her, towards her intended saviour.
The growl had the necessary threat, the war cry that shook the earth itself and Kagome almost smiled with a start, her heart fluttered, her eyes twinkled with unshed tears of misery. The lump in her throat eroded ever so lightly and her light in the distance grew, glowed and the resulting luminance embraced her aura with a lick of power. She would have bowed in a complete reverence, if not for the cursed demon who had her pinned under his arms.
She was in awe once more to see him transform in to the mighty demon with the rain of silver. His tail alone was enough to result in a massacre and for the millionth time, she couldn't fathom on what made her too lucky, to have him by her side, to have him come running to her aid.
Kagome could see Inuyasha narrowing his eyes towards the half demon that held her captive, his eyes had a strange hue of red, a low rumble in synonym with a growl vibrated through him and Kagome could see the priestess, silently pulling Inuyahsa's sleeves, to bring him back from the strange stance.
"Naraku, hand over her, or you will face my wrath" Inutaisho threatened. He didn't transform, but his humanoid form alone was enough to show that the Inu Lord was having a hard time to control the fury that was burning within him. No one messes his family and lives, it was well implied.
"Your wrath?" The half demon laughed, and his sick tone sent specs of shiver down her skin. Her throat burned, her eyes watered, her family was out there for her and she was scared that she may have brought them to a grave danger. She could see the struggle of Miroku and the priestess, in keeping Inuyasha down, his teeth cracked out of force and lines of fury marked his cheeks.
She was scared.
The howls of the sky grew, a streak of silver blue lightning cracked above, the leaves were the silent martyr, they shed from their branches just from the vibrations of the growls alone and it frightened her more.
"Why do you keep her as capitive?" The miko in red and white asked, her tone straight, sharp and directed towards the ebony demon.
"You know why" He whispered, yet his voice was clear as crystal. Sesshomaru could take it no more, his patience was next to vapour and he wanted nothing more than to kill the one that dared to tuck his Kagome under his arms.
"I know enough to say that you are wrong. She doesn't poses the power you seek for, maybe she did in a dimension that is far from this, but she is an innocent kid and I suggest you leave her alone and ask for forgiveness" Kikiyo said.
"I see you have a great sense of humour" Naraku scoffed and gave out a smirk. The sharpness of his nails dug in to her skin, Kagome flinched when his breath danced across the expanse of her curved shoulder.
"Give me back my daughter, you dark demon" Inukimi shouted, her eyes narrowed and under the night's sky, beneath the moon's shine she looked like a Goddess, the halo of silver made her surreal. Her heart drummed aloud for the girl, for the soul that had brought so much of happiness to her family.
There was no way that she would live if something is to happen to that girl. The little one who had entered their family as just a pet, had grew along, proved her worth, paved a way in to their hearts and rooted herself strong. Inukimi had made mistakes, she had forced upon an unfortunate chaos, but she will never sit and brood for her mistakes. It was hers, and now it was the time to write her wrongs right.
She moved forward in a rush, in a beat, in a roar and a line of raven ribbon hit her chest. It all happened in a second, the Lady of Inu fell down in a force, her chest bleeding and her eyes fading.
Three roars of pure pain and anger tore the ether, a siren for hell bringer, a promise to end the breath of the dark demon that had brought the mother of West to her knees, that had prisoned their beloved princess, that had robbed them away the happiness, the reason of their existence.
An ineffable inferno ignited somewhere deep within Kagome and it pained, burned her veins. Her chest cringed, her eyes flooded with tears of blood, her scream was lost in the howls, among the angst and mourns of the Inu Lord, among the loud cry of Inuyasha.
She was Kagome's mother, her friend, her guardian and her Lady. Her family was shattered in a second because of her, because of her foolishness to run away from the home that had raised her up. She was sinned, she was cursed and she thought that she didn't deserve to be loved.
Kagome screamed with pain, from an ache that promised to never let go, from a sorrow that willed itself to etch forever in her bones. She pleaded in silent cries to the heaven, to take her in, to rob her life instead of Inukimi's, to have her soul in the death bed in place of the West's Lady.
The earth under her shook, she could see the white demon with violet crescent running the expanse, towards them, towards her with a killer look drenching in his eyes, with a will to drink the blood of the one that had dared to hurt his mother, that had guts to even stand in the same land as him. She knew she will be safe in few minutes, no one can defeat her Sesshomaru, but the knowledge didn't give her any sort of comfort. She didn't want to be safe, she wanted to be gone, to disappear with the winds itself, to soar away and to not exist in the land of living. The burning fire in her blood caused her more pain than she had ever felt and she felt that she deserved the cruelty of pain more than anyone else.
The air shifted, her fingers curled with a mist, hues of violet smoke steamed from her digits, her chest cringed, her insides welled up and the last thing she could hear was her own scream, deafening everything, numbing the blinding pain in her chest and then the tumbling blackness embraced her with open arms.
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There was something that was wrapped warm around her, something that was so familiar, something that defined as her own. Her vision was blurry, her eyes were still adjusting to the dim light that the nearby fire was emitting. She could almost hear the soft hiss, the dying melody of the damp timber, the last of its essence dancing in a smoke, to give out the warmth, a light to the dark.
And that's when it striked her, the reality, the happenings came rushing to her head. She sat up and her finger curled in a thick fur, the silver pelt of her Sesshomaru. Her eyes travelled across, in a search, in a plight to see the Lady.
"I'm fine Kagome" Inukimi coughed from nearby, a voice so strained and light. Her whole frame was covered by Inutaisho's pelt.
"But I saw.." She started.
"It would really take a lot to kill me, my dearest. A thin power stream from a puny demon wouldn't do much" The Lady said, in a week attempt to earn a smile.
"Where is he anyway?" Kagome asked, looking around. She knew that Inutaisho and Sesshomaru would have by now burnt even the smallest of remains of the half demon that had threatened their family.
"Oh, he is the pile of ash that is near you" Inuyasha grinned and gave a thumps up. She slouched a bit more against Sesshomaru, trying to drown in to his arms. His eyes were yet to reach hers, his arms were around her, but she still felt his aloofness and it worried her.
"Oh.. you could have just hurt him or broke him. I mean, with the Lady and me fine, you didn't have to kill him" She said, her voice was too low, almost like a whisper.
"What are you talking about? You burning him with a flick of your palm Kagome" Miroku said and earned a death glare from Sesshomaru.
"What?" Miroku asked, wondering why he was in the receiving end of the stare.
"What?" Kagome asked, looking down at her palm, her tips were burnt, ripped of skin and she shuddered.
"Nothing Kagome" Sesshomaru consoled her, his arms tightening around her frame, his nose rubbing across her temple, his fingers drawing loose circles of comfort along her back. She looked up, to see him, to see the truth in his words, but his golden eyes were yet to grace her.
She shivered and that was when his eyes met hers. And she saw herself, her reflection in his golden sheen, a monster.
"No baby" He whispered and her fear increased a notch.
"You purified Naraku and tuned him in to ashes" The miko who was beside Inuyasha said.
The world around her tumbled down when she heard those words. She had killed someone so powerful, so mighty. She had committed a murder.
"I..I.." She whispered.
"You are safe now" He consoled.
She shook her head, her palm fisted, afraid to let her finger lose. She could still feel the lingering burn of the violet mist in her veins. She shuddered once more, before she stood up in a flash.
"Stay away from me" She screamed. Her fisted palm was against her heart, within the confines of her frame, trying hard not to grab the palms of her loved one,
"Kagome" He looked up, confused.
"No, all of you, stay away from me. I may hurt you" She whispered, a single drop of saline rolled down her face.
"No, you won't, my dear. Don't you see? You saved us all. You didn't need our help" The Lord said, pride swinging in his eyes.
"No" She said again. Her line of vision landed across the pile of smoking ash and her nails dug further in to her palm.
"Kagome. Don't" Sesshomaru asked, commanded, pleaded. He could read her as easily as ever. He could see how her thoughts were now irrational and frightened. She was powerful, more powerful than the trained miko in white, maybe almost in par with himself, but he knew she would never hurt him, she would never purify him and he wanted to shout out loud on how her fear was just too stupid.
"Come home my baby girl" Inukimi said, her smile was genuine and after a really long time, Kagome could see that she wasn't really hated and unwanted like she had thought hours ago. Her body ached, her knees were in the verge of giving up but she was still unsure of the rapid ball of energy that had apparently curled from her palms. She was scared of what she might do to them, of what she possessed and how to control them.
"Ka-go-me, stop staring like a moron and come home. We lost the idiot wolf and the dragon demon on the way. It would take hours before we find them and head back to the castle. So stop sulking and don't you dare to boast around that you got to kill the ugly bad man." Inuaysha groaned and got a prompt hit on his head from Miroku.
She smiled a bit and then a small giggle escaped from her lips when Inuyasha got another from the priestess.
Sesshomaru almost bit down his smile, the small bubble on his chest rose and swelled inside his heart on hearing her giggle.
"I can stay in the lands of West and train you. I can teach you to control your powers" Kikiyo offered and Inuyasha couldn't stop the giddy smile. His tiny fluffy ears perked up and his large golden eyes almost pleaded with Kagome to accept the offer.
"Come home Kagome. After all, Shippo is waiting for us" He murmered.
"Shippo?"
"Oh, I named the baby fox." Inukimi smiled and chirped along. Her heart was at ease, the small scar that she bore on her chest was ugly, yet the one that had reunited her family.
"Um, I'm sorry for sneaking him in" Kagome squeaked, redness tinted her cheeks and she looked even more adorable. Her path looked brightened, awaiting and promising.
She was once a pet and now she was much more, she was worth fighting for, she was worth a rebellion, she was worth everything that he had and will have in his life. And when the time comes, he will allow her to make her choices, to choose the life that she wishes for, to choose a mate that she yearns for. He will let her go, even if his heart would stand still, he will let her go. But for now, he was gonna hold her tight, he will be her friend, her protector and her light.
Sesshomaru took her palm in his, his pet curled her waist and pulled her towards the direction of the Western castle where the moon sung blessings every night and where the stars dazzle them to a land of tranquillity.
~.~.~.~
A/N – Oh My poor Sesshomaru, when are you gonna see that she is hopelessly in love with you too?!
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