Chapter Fourteen: The Retribution Of A Once Enemy.
O.O Wow, I kinda dropped off the radar for a while there… sorry about that. But yeah life with me is always full of fun and life. Even now as I type this fun stuff is happening. But Not to get into that, here is the Fourteenth installment of My Saviour is My Enemy. Oh and as always thank you for the review and keep them coming. And for you new readers, welcome and I hope you stick around… though I will warn you I'm a slow updater… Oh yes and this will ba a… LONG chapter… it was originally going to be two chapters but I decided to be nice and make it just one really long one…
Anywho… ah yes disclaimer. I don't own any of the Original InuYasha characters. But characters in this fic that are not in the manga do belong to me!
Without Further Ado!
Chapter Fourteen: The Retribution of A Once Enemy.
Sango gasped as they flew up towards the castle… there was a heavy aura surrounding the area and she was growing less and less hopeful the closer they drew.
Miroku was also growing steadily more worried for Kagome, he could feel the heavy aura of death surrounding the castle and he instinctively placed a hand on Sango's shoulder. He truly hoped that they would find her alive, because he did not know how he would deal with her death… while also dealing with the grief of his beloved.
They landed just outside the castle, Sango and Miroku jumped off and in turn Kirara shook her fur out and stared at the castle. Everyone armed themselves before they entered the castle, preparing themselves for a battle that they all knew would be fatal.
However they met no battle, despite the heavy fog of Miasma within there was no one within; instead they found only the dead bodies of the human residents of the castle.
Sango quickly placed her mask on, and Miroku wrapped a handkerchief around his mouth and nose. Meanwhile Ginta and Hakkaku continued walking as normal, the dense Miasma having no effect on their Youkai bodies.
They continued to search the area, mainly relying on the senses of the two Wolf Youkai. Sango then glanced up and watched as Ginta took off running in one direction while saying, "This way!" They followed after him and came to the room where Kagome and Rin had been held.
Sango's eyes widened as she took in the room, she first noticed the hole in the wall and thought, 'Did she escape… or someone arrive to help her?'
She was drawn from her thoughts by Miroku saying, "S-sango… I think we've found something…" He dropped to his knees at the sight of a darkened pool of blood with chunks of flesh. He paled beneath his handkerchief while whispering, "We were too late… there is no way she could have survived something like this…"
"You're right… she couldn't have survived it on her own…" Replied a gasping voice from behind the bed Rin had been kept in.
Everyone came to attention quickly, their weapons poised to kill, but it was Sango who approached to see who was speaking, she was shocked to find Kagura lying in a pool of her own blood, her face unnaturally pale, and her eyes half lidded with exhaustion.
"What do you mean by that… and what happened to you?" She asked while keeping the Hiraikotsu raised and ready.
"… I mean that though… it seems that she's gone… she's not… she had help leaving…" Kagura replied with a raspy gasp, with every word she grew weaker, but her fate mattered not to her, what mattered most to her was the heart that was now beating within her chest.
"As for me… lets just say Naraku finally grew… tired… of me… and gave me the freedom of life… then the freedom of death…" She replied while taking in a deep breath.
She then watched in shock and terror as Hakkaku walked over to her and knelt down; he then rubbed his hands together and pulled them apart revealing a light blue mist that emanated from his palms.
"Hakkaku, what are you doing? She's the witch that killed our brothers!" And worse she's the one that killed Kouga…" Ginta replied while walking forward and pulling Hakkaku back.
"No Ginta, she didn't kill Kouga… it was another Naraku incarnation… she was different… and she had whips…" Hakkaku replied as he remembered the day that Kouga had died.
~~//Flashback\\~~
It had been a calm fall afternoon and Kouga had been overlooking the training of young cubs. He had also been watching Ayame with a smile. They had just mated a few weeks before, and she told him that morning of the fact that she was pregnant.
He truly loved her… it just took him some time to realize it. And he was glad he had realized it, though the mutt didn't deserve Kagome, he knew he didn't either. She was special, and she deserved a special guy.
He then turned his attention back to the cubs that were playing around, a large group of them had ganged up on a runt. He chuckled as he walked over and let out a shrill whistle, "Hey kids! Leave him be! Remember, we're a pack, we fight as a pack, defend each other as a pack, and help each other as a pack." He said while they removed themselves from a dog pile, leaving a whimpering small wolf Youkai.
He walked over and was about to help the child to their feet when he sensed a Demonic Aura enter the area. He sighed as he thought, 'I was wondering when she was gonna come around again.' He then stood and turned around to face Kagura who was sitting on her feather, her eyes were set on him, and strangely enough, he thought he could see regret in her eyes.
"You're not gonna get what you came for Wind Witch." He replied as he glanced over to Ayame. He then titled his head back and let out a howl, the meaning was clear, "Go home to the Mother Pack." The mother pack was the castle of his Father, the Lord of the East, he was actually living out on his own, a way of finding himself and branching out the pack. Nevertheless, when things got rough his pack often returned to the Mother pack for safety.
He then glanced over at Ayame and simply said, "Run," She nodded as she turned on her heel and took off running.
He then watched as the rest of his pack followed after her, he finally returned his attention to Kagura before saying, "You're not getting them." He responded as he placed himself in a fighting position.
"That is where you are wrong Wolf Prince…" Kouga's eyes narrowed as the feather disappeared and Kagura landed calmly on the ground.
Kouga's only reply was a huff as he cracked his knuckles and prepared to fight.
Kagura shook her head sadly, she knew how this battle was going to end… no matter how strong the Wolf Prince was… there was no way he could be prepared for what was coming.
She flipped her fan open and sighed as she felt the pulse of power coming from within its wooden handle. That had been Naraku's decision. 'A precaution to ensure a successful battle…' She rolled her eyes as she inspected him. She pitied him, especially since she knew that 'she' would never let him see the end of this day.
Kouga was the first to act, he quickly drove his fist into the ground sending a shock wave of dirt and stones towards her body. She huffed before flicking her fan towards him and saying "Dance of the Dragon!" She then watched with awe as five large serpent-like tornadoes shot forth from her fan. The shard of the Shikon within had truly increased her powers, and as such she could see why Naraku felt that this fight was going to be over with quickly.
Kouga just barely dodged the attacks and he grumbled as he glared at Kagura, "Fuck, she's gotten a hell of a lot stronger since we last fought… something's not right…" He shook that last thought away as he charged at her will full speed, a whirlwind kicking up behind him as he ran, he neared Kagura quickly taking swings at her and kicking out with his powerful legs.
Kagura dodged to the best of her ability but she was still struck in the chest by one of his kicks and she was sent flying into a cliff wall. She groaned as she quickly shook her head and regained her bearings. She then stood and grabbed her fan flipping it out towards him once again as she shouted, "Dance of Blades." She watched with a grim satisfaction as the wind blades shot forward and tore at the Wolf Prince who had been approaching her with a look of determination set on his face.
Kouga stumbled for a moment before shooting forward at an impossible speed and grabbing Kagura by the throat, though his body was experiencing excruciating pain, he would not give up or surrender, he was the son of the Eastern Lord, and he was also going to be a father, and he was not going to allow this witch to escape once again.
He slammed her against a wall and snarled, his usually calm and joyful face filled with determination and rage, "Finally Witch, I am going to avenge my brothers that you slaughtered, finally I will lay their souls to rest and rid the world of yet another vermin, finally I will have my revenge." He then began to crush her wind pipe with his hand, going as slow as possible to cause her as much pain as possible for the sins she had committed.
Kagura struggled to breathe as she used her hands to try and force another attack from her fan.
Kouga noticed this action and tore the fan from her hands, he then crushed it in his free hand and tossed it behind his back, "Not this time Wench, there will be no escape for you this time…" He snarled as he hoisted her a good foot off the ground and slammed her back into the wall, his strong arm effectively cutting off the oxygen flow to her lungs.
"You will let her go Wolf Prince; that is you will if you want your precious Mate to live."
Kouga cringed slightly as a haughtily seductive voice cut through the silence of the clearing outside of his cave. He then froze as the smell of fresh mountain air, spring Lilies, and fear drifted past his nose. He spun around partially, his hand still holding Kagura secure, while his cerulean eyes fell upon the source of the undeniable scent of Ayame and the strange voice that had threatened her.
The voice belonged to a female Youkai, she was standing tall, Ayame held roughly in her arms, and a strange weapon held snuggly against her throat.
The weapon at first glance appeared to be a serrated dagger, its deadly teeth held dangerously close to Ayame's jugular. However the hilt of the dagger did not just simply end, instead it continued on to a long and rather intimidating whip that was coiled up around the woman's arm.
The woman herself was a strange yet beautiful sight to behold. She was tall for a woman, standing it an impressive 5'11 (Sesshomaru is 6'4). She was clothed quite strangely, and it caught Kouga's attention for a split second, she was wearing long tight fitting dark brown pants that were bound down the sides with black thread. She had a tight fitting black halter top that was quite low cut showing off a needless amount of her cleavage. Her arms had sleeves on them, but the sleeves were not attached to her shirt. Instead they here held to her upper arm with a buckle. The sleeves held close to her arm until just below her elbow, they then flared slightly before ending just above her wrist.
Her face was slender and beautiful with a pale tanned complexion and pretty almond shaped eyes. And she had short black hair that crossed her face and curtained over her left eye. Her eyes were a yellow green, and they had an eerie reptilian slit for a pupil. However the most interesting fact of this woman was the scales that lined the sides of her face, trailing perfectly with her hairline, they then continued down her neck and wrapped around it like a necklace before disappearing down her back.
"Now pretty boy, if you don't let Kagura go, I'm going to bleed this pretty little wolf and the pup in her womb." She said calmly, and it was her calm nature that struck an unusual beat of fear into Kouga. She was far too calm in this situation, which told him point blank that she was serious.
He complied quickly, dropping Kagura, he then locked eyes with Ayame, not really paying attention to Kagura who was taking in hearty mouthfuls of air as she tried to regain her breath.
Ayame was terrified.
She had been running through the forest with the rest of the pack when this strange woman had stepped out from behind a tree and grabbed her quite roughly, "Come now dearie, we're going to go have a nice chat with your precious mate." Not even a second later they were standing in behind Kouga, and he was in the process of throttling Kagura.
Ayame had a major panic attack when the woman had held onto her and seemingly pulled them through a tunnel the size of a pinhole within a second. Little did she know but Ayame had just experienced the terror of teleporting. A skill the woman holding her was well gifted in.
However none of this mattered to Ayame at the moment, all that mattered was Kouga. He was looking at her with a look of pure unbridled love, and it was a look that terrified her to no end, a look that spoke of a love that was only spoken of in Legends, a look of true love. He then closed his eyes slowly in a solitary blink before gently reaching a hand up to touch their mating mark. At that point Ayame began to struggle, she had an idea of what was going through his mind, and she was not going to stand for it. Her struggling was quickly stilled by the woman holding her, "If you continue to move, I will rip the unborn child from your womb and ensure you never bear again, do I make myself clear?" Ayame stilled and nodded slowly, her green eyes wide in fear.
Kouga took a deep breath as he heard the strange woman threaten his mate, it was taking all of his self control not to charge forward and rip her head off, and it was taking even more self control to hold back the raging beast that was his inner wolf. Most of the time it was free and wild, but now he was holding it back for the sake of his mate and child.
He knew why she was panicking, it was because she knew what decision he had to make. He was an Alpha, not only in their relationship, but in his pack as well, and the decision he had to make was for the both of them. He then dropped his fists to his sides and said, "Take em, they're not worth it." He then prepared himself for the pain he knew was coming.
Meanwhile Kagura was slowly getting used to the sensation of breathing once again while glancing at the newcomer from the corner of her eyes. 'Cutting it kind of close wasn't she? One more moment of that and I would have been a goner… damn that Shelinda…'
She then stood and pulled another fan out from within her kimono, she then pulled it back while whispering, "Sorry…" She then said "Dance of The Dragon!" The serpentine tornadoes hit him from behind roughly, there were five once again, and two immediately went for his knees, ripping through them quickly, and as they tore through they grabbed the shards and dropped them calmly in Shelinda's hand. The other three tornadoes did just as much damage. Two went directly for his shoulders, ripping through them painfully, and effectively ripping off one of his arms completely.
The final and thickest tornado tore right through his abdomen, sending even more blood splashing to the ground.
Kagura turned her head sadly as she watched her attack tear through the Wolf Prince, he truly did not deserve such a fate, and to see such a promising Youkai defeated so easily tore right at her, she truly hated the position that Naraku placed her in.
Kouga gasped as pain tore through him in an excessive amount, he could not even begin to comprehend where one pain began and another ended, and even worse, he had lost the feeling of his legs and one of his arms. Nevertheless, his attention was on Ayame, he could see that she was struggling with not struggling, and he watched with a broken heart as tears streamed down her face. However in the back of his mind he could still hear the whispered apology of the Wind Witch, and this confused him greatly.
He then froze as the woman holding her smirked suddenly, "Oh don't worry Wolf Prince, she'll be joining you in the afterlife soon… or should I say you'll be joining her."
Kouga then let out a hoarse heart wrenching scream as the serpent Youkai calmly pulled her blade across Ayame's jugular. The effect was immediately affective as Ayame's blood flowed like a waterfall down her throat. The woman then released her, letting her limp and dying body fall to the ground.
Ayame gasped suddenly as she felt the blade slide through her flesh. When she hit the ground she slowly moved herself so that she was facing Kouga, then with her dying breath she whispered, "I love you…" She then faded away the light leaving her once bright green eyes.
Kouga snapped.
The sight of his mate dying was far too much for him, and he could not help himself from releasing the chains that were binding his inner wolf. His eyes went a vibrant crimson, and his fangs elongated as he let out a terrifying feral snarl. He then lifted his last remaining arm and punched the ground, his body was already beginning to heal from the ordeal and the unleashing of his inner demon was only speeding up the process.
As he punched the ground another shockwave of dirt and stones shot at the strange woman who had just murdered his mate. However this time there were deadly shards of stone within the shockwave.
Shelinda rolled her eyes as she teleported in behind Kouga and snapped her whip at him, it quickly wrapped around his throat, and as it did razor like spikes came out of the whip and dug into his flesh, "Did you really think that you could hurt me with such a pathetic attack? No wonder you had to rely on the Jewel shards… you're pathetic… and I'm doing the world a favour in ending your life. She then snapped her arm back, pulling the whip as she did.
The whip then acted as a saw blade cutting off Kouga's head in one quick motion.
Shelinda smirked as she walked off a short distance, she then bent slightly to pick up Kagura's discarded fan. She stood and turned around grinning maliciously at Kagura, "At first I wondered why 'He' sought me out with beings like you and your sister at his side… but now I see, your weak, just as your sister is… no wonder he sent me to make sure the job was finished this time…" She then smirked as she teleported off to return the shard to the man that had brought her from her home country to this strange land.
Meanwhile Kagura slowly approached Kouga, she could not help but cover her lower face with one hand while whispering, "Oh Kami… it wasn't meant to end like that…" She then walked over to his severed head and slowly closed his eyes, a few tears streaming down her cheeks as she said, "How many more people must die for his damned jewel? If it were not for Kanna and Kohaku… I'd leave… even if he did kill me." She admitted with a soft whisper.
"Why did you apologize to him before you attacked him?" Kagura froze as Hakkaku walked out from within a cave, at the time that Kouga had told all of the wolves to flee he had held back, not wanting to leave his pack mate and best friend alone.
"Because… I didn't want to have to hurt him… I know why he was protecting the shards… I know that they were much safer when they were with him…" She admitted while taking a few steps away from him.
"Don't worry Wind Witch, I won't hurt you… though you do deserve it…" He admitted with a sigh. "So you stick around with Naraku cause of someone called Kanna and Kohaku? Why, why not take off, and save yourself?" He asked while slowly closing Ayame's eyes.
"Because, Kanna is my sister… and Kohaku is a child…" She said while sighing, "I am the only one who can protect them…" She said while pulling a feather from her hair and throwing it to the ground, it quickly grew and she climbed into it, "I truly am sorry for their deaths… had it been my decision… they would have lived…" She said while flying off.
Hakkaku sighed as he watched her fly off, though all of his instincts told him not to trust her, he did, and he hoped in a small way that she would someday find freedom from Naraku.
~~//Flashback\\~~
'And so you did Wind Witch…' He thought while focusing his healing powers on her body.
The other watched as he healed Kagura, slowly bringing her back from the edge of death, "Ginta, she not only felt regret for what she did… I don't think she ever had a choice in the actions she took, she did what she did for Naraku to protect her pack mates." He explained while watching as his powers worked their magic on her body.
"Her pack mates?" Ginta and Miroku asked in unison while sitting down on the bad that had been Rin's.
"Yeah, her sister Kanna, and some kid named Kohaku, she told me she wouldn't leave Naraku cause she had to protect them from him." Hakkaku explained as Kagura slowly woke up.
Sango gasped as she heard what Hakkaku said, she then glanced at Kagura and asked, "Is it true… were you keeping my brother alive?"
Kagura glanced around in confusion, she was supposed to be dead, not still in the ruined castle, even stranger, the wolf that had been there when the Wolf Prince had died was now healing her. She then glanced over to Sango and nodded, "Yes, I was doing everything in my power to keep him safe… both he and Kanna… but Naraku grew angry when he lost Kagome and Rin… he got so angry that he took it out on me, blaming me for his failure, and giving me the final insult, he returned my life to me, only to end it… or so I thought… why did you rescue me wolf?"
"You may call me Hakkaku, and I saved you because you don't deserve to die, you may have done a lot of bad things in the past… but in my opinion doing bad things for a good reason isn't all that bad. " He explained while healing the worst of her wounds, once he was done he sighed and said, "Everyone deserves a second chance."
Kagura paused for a moment before tears began to cascade down her cheeks, "But now Kanna and Kohaku will suffer! My failure to save them is my punishment… why could you not just let me die?"
It was Sango that responded.
She walked over to Kagura and knelt down next to her, "I know what you are going through… I lost my brother… just as you've lost Kanna, but you cannot just give up. You must stand and you must be willing to give your all to fight for her, if you want to truly help her… then join with us, and we can rescue our siblings together." Tears were flowing down her own cheeks as she leaned forward and embraced the weeping woman.
Kagura gasped when she was hugged, and she all but pulled away before saying, "Thank you… and I can promise you all this… I will prove to you my loyalty, and I will help rescue our younger siblings." She said while sitting up slowly.
"Wonderful, welcome to the group Kagura, now I must ask you this, you say that Naraku lost Kagome and Rin? Who took them? Where are they?"
Kagura smiled as she looked up and replied, "Who else would rescue Rin?"
Kagome woke up with a yawn and a quiet groan. The sunlight was beaming right onto her bed and Hikari was leaning against the wall next to the bed.
"Good Morning Lady Kagome, it's wonderful to see you awake again… I hope Naraku did not enter your dreams again…" He said while smiling at Rin who was still curled up next to Kagome, her cherubic face relaxed in sleep, and her thumb resting calmly in her mouth while she sucked on it.
"No… and I've got to say, I'm happy he didn't, though I've got to say that my shoulder hurts like hell…" She said while reaching back and rubbing the spot where the marking was.
She then reached down and gently shook Rin's shoulder, "Sweetie, you need you need to wake up now…" Rin mumbled in her sleep while cuddling more into Kagome.
Hikari chuckled at the pair before saying, "I was told to tell you by General Keiji that you are to begin training with him in twenty minutes…" He then watched as Kagome's eyes bugled and she exclaimed, "What? And you're just telling mw this now? Why didn't you wake me up? Why did you let me sleep in!" She then slowly climbed out of bed and ran a single hand over Rin's hair, "I'll see you later sweetie."
She then spun around and asked Hikari, "What am I supposed to wear while sparring! I can't exactly wear the kimono I wore last night and I don't have anything else to wear!"
His simply responded by pointing to a pile of clothing stacked neatly at the end of her bed.
"And to answer your previous questions, I did not wake you because I know that you need your rest, so I allowed you to sleep in, though had you slept for five more minutes I would have woken you." He explained calmly with a smile while watching her panic.
She shot him a glare while approaching the pile of clothes quickly. She lifted it noticing that it was almost identical to Sango's battle garb except for the fact that it was green where Sango's was pink. She climbed into it quickly and was surprised to find that it fit perfectly, "How?"
"While I was bandaging your wounds Lord Sesshomaru had me take your measurements, which is why the Kimono fit as well." He explained with a shrug before turning approaching her and saying, "Now get going, you're going to be late…"
Once he was by her side he pulled a brush from within his robes and gently brushed her hair back into a pony tail. He then ushered her out of the room and quickly led her to the training room.
They arrived with minutes to spare, Keiji was leaning against the wall talking away to a group of female servants that were giggling and checking him out. When he noticed Kagome and Hikari he stood and grinned, dismissing the girls, causing them to leave with sighs and frowns.
Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes at Keiji, "He's worse then Miroku… I think it might be because he's actually good at wooing the women…" She then bowed to him as she said, "General Keiji, I was told you were waiting for me. She then watched in shock as he attempted to us two of his tails to sweep her off her feet, she jumped back and looked up just in time to dodge an attack from a staff he had pulled from seemingly nowhere.
She glanced up at him in dumbfounded astonishment as he spun the staff only to have it disappear in a puff of smoke and reappear as a chopstick in his hand.
"Good, not only are you on time and prepared to fight, but you also do not need to be taught the lessons of: to be prepared for anything, and to never take your eyes off your opponent. Now shoo Hikari, I've got training to attend to…" He said while waving his hand at Hikari who opened his mouth to interject; but instead he shrugged his shoulders at Kagome and took off running back to her room to be there for Rin when she woke up.
Keiji then seemed to size up Kagome before crossing his arm and saying, "Well Shikon Miko, lets see what you've got… attack me." He then relaxed his shoulders and tilted his head.
"What?" Kagome could hardly believe this man, one moment he was attacking her and the next praising her, and now he was telling her to attack him.
"You're right, heal that wrist first, then attack me… chop chop, haven't got all day." He replied while nodding his head and glancing at her with an amused expression.
Kagome's jaw dropped and she raised an eyebrow at him while narrowing the other eye at him. Finally she sighed and healed her other wrist quickly, a task that was much easier since she had eaten the day before and gotten a fair amount of sleep. Once she was done she focused on attacking the annoying green Kitsune before her. All the while she focused on ignoring the dull throb of pain in her shoulder.
Once she was ready she send a blast of holy at him while charging at him, the holy blast went right through him and he faded from view only to reappear at her side and knock her off her feet with his own foot, he then pointed his sword at her throat and chuckled, "You're dead, try again Shikon Miko, you're gonna need more then that to beat me."
Kagome replied by huffing and jumping to her feet, she then paced around him before trying a few various techniques of taking him out with her powers, each and every time the attacks went through an illusion and she was knocked on her ass while he 'killed' her, then he would always say, "Try again Shikon Miko."
After the tenth time she was really getting pissed, this guy was beyond haughty and he was really gritting on her nerves, so she closed her eyes and focused, she then heard a haughty chuckle and she shot out her powers in threadlike attacks, but with her eyes closed she did not focus on where he had been when she closed her eyes, instead she focused on where she could feel his aura.
Within seconds he was pinned to the ground, the threads of her power doing well to pin him, she then walked over to him and said, "Before we continue I'm going to say this once, and only once. If you call me Shikon Miko one more time I'm going to purify your tails bald. My name is Kagome." She then smirked as she formed a small dagger out of her powers and pointed it at him, "Oh and by the way you're dead." She then walked away from him to where the weapons were; she dismissed her power dagger and grabbed a bow measuring its weight in her hand. She placed it back and grabbed a pair of Sais; she then whipped around just in time to block an attack from Keiji who was wielding a pair of twin blades.
He smirked at her while bowing, his vibrant eyes never leaving her face, "Good job, you've proven yourself worthy of being trained by me. Though I must say… you focus on your eyes too much, you started to get it at the end though, when fighting Demons you got to focus on where the most power is coming from. While we may be able to make duplicates, they hold very little power… remember that and you might actually beat me for real… Kagome. Now, lets spar for real…" He then charged at her and began attacking with a smile, the blades in his hands blunt and used only for training, just as her Sais were blunted at the tip.
A few hours later Kagome was completely exhausted. He had sparred against her relentlessly, forcing her to her limits and then more, and she had only succeeded in defeating him once more, and that time had been her last, he had this arrogant way of battling, and he had spent most of the time making small slashes at her – and while these slashes caused her no harm - they were infuriating cause he kept reminding her that a human stood no chance against a demon like him. So… she proved him wrong. He had been coming at her with a side slash and she reached her Sai in and used it to grab the sword and rip it from his grasp, She then threw the Sai and sword aside and used the other Sai to block an attack directed at her midriff, "Now get this through your thick skull General Keiji, I'm not like any other human you've ever met before, and you're wrong, I do stand a chance." She then thrust her hand forward and placed it on his chest sending a pulse of pure –yet slightly weakened –holy powers. He was sent flying into a wall. She then walked over to him and crossed her arms while saying, "Got it?" He simply nodded while sitting up and rubbing his chest painfully.
She then placed the single Sai down and walked off, "Now if you don't mind, I'm done training for the day…" She walked from the training room and made her way back to her room, grumbling about stuck up Kitsune's the whole way.
Keiji laughed as she walked off, "I'm surprised it took her that long to get pissed off..." He said mostly to himself while standing and shaking his head.
"As am I… though I must say Keiji, try not to infuriate the Miko too much… I do not wish to have to look for another General." Sesshomaru replied from a balcony that overlooked the training room. The balcony was designed solely for the purpose of spectators, and for the Lord of the Manor to inspect his guards and troops in their training.
However Sesshomaru had been using it for the past few hours to watch Kagome's training.
This had not been his original plan though, he had planned to spend the day filling out paperwork and seeing to his other Lordly duties that were quite boring.
He had been walking through the halls while reading through a letter from the Eastern Lord regarding Naraku and his presence on the Wolf Lords lands. However he attention was drawn from the letter to the sound of Keiji chiding Kagome.
He followed their voices and found himself on the balcony; once he was there he quickly pulled back his aura and watched as they sparred. Keiji was winning, which was not a surprise to Sesshomaru, the Kitsune was quite skilled and the human Miko was not. He then watched in silence as she closed her eyes and sent out tendrils of her power, pinning the arrogant Kitsune to the ground.
Sesshomaru nearly smirked when she threatened Keiji, 'Ah there is the spark within her that I remember…' He thought while thinking back on the times he was fortunate enough to watch her subdue his half brother with a single insulting word.
He continued to watch until she left, and he would never admit it but she had surprised him and gained a bit of respect from him that day. Not once had she stormed from the room in frustration of defeat, instead she remained until she defeated her opponent.
"Oh don't worry My Lord, I don't think I'll be bugging her much anymore… she's quite powerful… I can still feel the sting of her power…" Keiji admitted while rubbing his chest with a chuckle.
Keiji was met with a, "Hmn," As Sesshomaru walked off towards his office, his mind focusing on Kagome now, and the mark that lay on her shoulder.
The scroll had been of little help, it only informed him of things he already knew, that there were only three ways of removing the marking. One of them he knew was impossible, the Angels were gone, and had been since he was a pup, so there was no way for her to drink of the Blood of one.
The other two were just as frustrating, finding a true soul mate could take a lifetime… this was something he knew all too well, not to mention that the mark had to be of pure love, something that was genuinely rare in those times. Then there was the final option, killing the marker, this one was the most promising. However he knew that Naraku was powerful and that taking him down would not be simple…
He thought of all this as he walked to his office, once he arrived he sat down and sighed, things truly had become complicated since the Miko had come into his castle.
However the most annoying complication had been the constant chatter of his usually quiet beast, even while watching her spar with Keiji the beast had been persistent.
"The Miko is strong is she not? She fights your strongest with little difficulty…" His beast had commented as he watched her block an attack from Keiji.
"Hmn, she's allowing her emotions to get the better of her, and her facial expressions betray her movements…" Sesshomaru replied as he watched Keiji disarm her in one fluid motion, only to quickly knock her back onto her rear.
"While that may be true, you must remember that Emotions sometimes strengthen us in battle… why even she was at a greater strength when emotional."
"I thought I told you not to speak of her… she is dead and gone… let her be that way…" Sesshomaru growled while watching Kagome try to find the true Keiji in a mass of doppelgangers.
"I know that… but it seems you cannot practice what you preach… you speak of letting her go, yet no one can say her name around you without serious repercussions…"
"…" Sesshomaru was silent as he attempted to ignore the truth behind his inner beasts words.
"I am not telling you to forget her… I am telling you to not ignore what lies before your eyes a woman quite worthy of being your mate… you of all beings know that Choemi would not to watch you suffer this way…" After that his beast was silent and Sesshomaru was faced with memories that were beginning to resurface again after a long slumber.
Now Sesshomaru was sitting in his office thinking of Kagome and trying to figure out just why his beast had chosen her of all beings to target as a potential mate…
"Are you truly that blind? Have you not noticed her beauty…"
As his beast said this images began to flow through his mind of the various times he had seen Kagome, while images of Choemi flowed along side them.
Image of Kagome's lively vibrant blue grey eyes that showed not only her wide variety of emotions, but they also showed her passion for life and everything she holds dear, and they showed her courage when she stood against those who threatened that that she cared for.
Then there were the soft gentle golden brown eyes of Choemi, eyes filled with love and caring, eyes that cared for everyone and anyone, a trait that was ultimately her undoing. They were also eyes that showed a stubborn strength…
Then there were images of Kagome's long flowing black hair that shone blue in the right light, of her young lush curves and strange way of dress that left little to the imagination.
These were once again met with contradicting images of Choemi, of her long beautiful white hair, her full womanly body and the flowing kimono's that formed beautifully to her body.
Finally there were memories that showed the women's spirits.
Memories of Kagome standing boldly before him, no fear in her eyes, instead they ablaze with anger. Then there was the memory of her shattering his armor to defend his brother, an idiot who held little to no feelings for her, yet she still pined for him… Then there was a rush of memories of the young human miko, of her caring for her pack, of her fighting with her pack, of her showing great promise with her powers.
Once again these were met with mirror memories of Choemi. Of Choemi picking flowers in the garden, her harmonious melodic voice washing over the garden, bringing joy and peace to anyone that had the pleasure of overhearing. Memories of Choemi dancing freely, a ribbon twirling freely in her hands, the rhythmic movements capturing the eyes of many, and the hearts of even more.
Sesshomaru closed his mind off quickly, he knew what memories were coming next, and he would not cause himself to walk that path once again, "She is human, and that is all that matters, I care not for humans, they are vile disgusting creatures who care for nothing, not themselves and most certainly not others…" He growled while narrowing his eyes.
"And yet you care for Rin," His beast shot back.
"Certain exceptions have been made, the child does not fear me, even though she has every right to." He snarled back.
"And yet you chose to not give that same exception to a woman who does not fear you, when she has every right to fear you as well, if not even more of a right since you did threaten her life more then once." His beast retorted with a huff.
"I do not even see why we are having this conversation, I do not care for the human." Sesshomaru said in a tone that stated that the conversation was over.
"That may be what you think now… but you are blinded by that which you have lost. I simply hope you are able to notice the beauty of the Miko before you lose her as well…" His beast replied with a soft growl before returning to the depths of his mind where it simply lay down and watched in silence. Leaving Sesshomaru alone with his thoughts, and many unanswered questions… and worst of all memories that reminded him of why he chose not to care, and why he chose to hate humans.
There you go… 21 pages typed, and the next one is coming soon! Please review, and remember the more reviews I see the more I want to update! So click that button that says review!
Saffire Anyse Ryver