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Beta: Lillian

Scientific Method

Chapter 63

Kagome panted. Her body hurt all over. She tried to use her miko powers, but they weren't working. At first, she thought it was the house that didn't allow her to use any kind of powers, but she began to understand that it wasn't the house.

It was Sesshomaru.

Slowly, her powers had begun to crack out of the shell they had been contained in, a dark space of her own making. She had, unconsciously, closed herself down against them. Slowly, by fighting Sesshomaru, her instincts had awakened, and once again she could feel the miko powers flowing freely around her body.

It felt…like being inside her skin again.

Lately she had felt so alone and weak. There had been a darkness lurking inside of her. She had mistaken it for her hatred and pain at the inu siblings' betrayal, but now, while Sesshomaru continuously beat her with the rusted sword, she understood better.

She was killing her powers and herself with her fear and with her insecurity. This, this was like a cancer waiting for the right moment to explode and drown her from within. She had been such a fool! She had almost become a dark miko. By not doing anything and permitting the continuous poisoning thought in her mind, she had been selling her soul to the devil.

She could have turned out to be another Kikyo, a good priestess consumed by her hatred and tragic life.

More tears rolled down her eyes as she evaded yet another painful nab to the side. Sesshomaru had become less aggressive with her now, seemingly pleased by her acceptance and understanding of what had happened to her, but there was more. She could see it in his haunted face.

She could feel it…in the shards hanging from her neck.

There was a darkness to him, a new tainted side to him. It lured the shard and it was lured by it. This terrible illness, this void of anger and helplessness, was like candy and desire to the jewel. It fed on it.

"Sesshomaru?" begged Kagome, too weak to want to fight anymore. She wanted to crumble down on the floor and cry for him. What happened to him?

Sesshomaru remained still for a long moment, watching her carefully. He turned to the sword lying untransformed on his hand. There was loathing on his glance, and he discarded the sword beginning to walk towards her.

Kagome froze and didn't move, not even when he stopped besides her.

"You understand now," he said evenly, and waited.

Kagome thought knew better. She could feel it so vividly. It was so painful that she couldn't hold the sob that escaped her lips.

That was all the answer Sesshomaru needed. He walked away leaving her behind to glue the broken pieces of her heart and soul together as best as she could. Was this…her fault? Was she the one who caused Sesshomaru to be…Powerless?

To be continued...

JeniNeji's Note:

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