Itachi –
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Joker… Chapter 3
"Wander into the woods at night, and he will steal your heart." That had been told to wanderers to keep them from the surrounding wooded area, but, when a lone girl finds herself lost and in the midst of a storm, she stumbles upon an empty castle, staying for just the night, she soon learns the legend had been real…for the acceptation of his utter laziness.
…Meeting past Peoples...
I laid silently on the bed. The sun had yet to cross into the skies, yet my eyes were open, and I was wide awake. I starred shyly at the demon that lay on his side facing me. His eyes were closed in sleep, his silver hair splayed across the sheets, and draped down the bedside. His arms were wrapped around me – I wanted to break the hold he had on me in his sleep, yet at the same time, I wanted to stay as is. Only a day had passed me by ever since I said that I would stay here at the Black Castle. Though I was not planning on staying for long, I didn't know when I would actually have the courage to leave and say goodbye to the 'Night King'. Seeing him so overjoyed to have another soul living alongside him in this lonely castle, and remembering the legend – how it saddened me every time I would even think of it… and then, there was his promise that was made to me. The promise that he wouldn't eat my heart… the promise being the kiss that left me more than just flustered and red. How could I leave him now? One part of me wanting to go back to traveling – to wandering the Old Country to see more of the vats lands that I'd never visited…But the other part of me wanted to stay here with him. Be it because of his sad story and the want to offer him some comfort for a short time…or because the promise he made to not eat my heart captured me.
I sighed; feeling content, and curled closer to him. The single action brought his closed lids to life, his golden orbs shining through on alert. Sesshomaru had awoken with the upmost surprise, seeing my form curled so closely to himself – He spoke no words, "I – Oh…uh…" This was an awkward moment, what am I supposed to say?! He's just looking at me – Please let him not be mad! "…Good…Morning..?" I spoke the simple greeting in a shy tone, hoping that he wouldn't be to mad at me to respond. A smile broke onto his features. A smile which had caught me off guard. Before I could come back to my senses though, One of Sesshomaru's hands wrapped behind my back and brought me to meet his lips. I almost panicked when I found that this was yet another kiss. When he pulled away, I found that I couldn't help but stare into his eyes.
"Good Morning," He said, all while wearing the same smug expression as before, "Ka – go – me." My heart was beating uncontrollably by the way he spoke my name – Why did he have to do that?!
"Wh – Why did you do that..?" I asked while trying to avoid eye contact. I soon found it futile as he now held my chin; with clawed fingers, up to face him.
"Renewal," Said he as calmly as any other time. Renewal? What did he mean by that? – Seeing my confusion, he explained, "Renewal of the promise I had made to you, the time you said you will stay with me in this castle for just a little more time," His usually unreadable expression turned gentle, "The promise I made to you – to not eat your heart." Upon finishing his sentence, he flipped the covers off himself, got off the bed, and turned to stand, "I am going to start preparing a morning meal for us two, is there anything that you prefer?" Breakfast? This early? The sun had not even made its way to the first rising!
"Oh, no! It's fine, you could make what you want," I sat up, "I could help you to-" In a mere second did he go from the door to the bedside - nose to nose once again. His messy bedhead hair giving him a wilder look, something my eyes had only just picked up.
"You are my guest, Kagome, and as such, you abide by the rules of the owner of this castle – and as the owner, I ask that you rest until I am done with preparations."
"O..Okay…" Giving off a small smile, he disappeared, reappearing at the door, than closing it without the slightest creek. I let out a breath I never knew I had been holding. This man…demon was very well trained in the aspect of being a gentleman. He knew how to cook, kept his castle clean, and spoke with such fluency… it was becoming more and more complicated to believe such a being like he actually exists! …But all in the same, it was becoming even harder to believe that a person such as he was abandoned by his family, and left here alone. I fell back onto the bed, and closed my eyes, awaiting sleep.
An hour or so had passed on…or at least, what seemed like an hour. I lay there starring into the nothing that was the ceiling. Sleep did not come, no matter how many times I tried to count the invisible sheep in my mind. I closed my eyes once more – They reopened upon the sound of the door creaking, followed by a pair of slow footsteps. The sound ceased to exist, what was that? I did not know until I turned in bed saw Sesshomaru lying next to me. "Se- Sesshomaru? When did you…" I stopped talking when I caught him staring at me with an unreadable expression. He moved himself closer, until he laid right by my side – pressed onto my arm like a child.
"I told you to sleep…" He said, all while closing his eyes slowly.
"I thought that you were cooking," I started nervously, "I guess I wanted to wait for you to come back first…" What was I saying?! "…I couldn't sleep…" He brought a hand to rest on my cheek, ignoring the few strands of hair which fell from the rest of the messy bush, and rested over my face. Unconsciously, did I lean into the warm touch.
"Just sleep…" He said. I closed my eyes. To whatever women was detained to be his – to whatever women he kept his name of 'Night Walker' for, stealing hearts, and devouring them…they had to be the luckiest person on Earth.
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…Joker…
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The hours of morning had arrived rather quickly. The food prepared by Sesshomaru was wonderful. It was even –dare I say – better than what was made by him before! After Breakfast though, I found that I still was in possession of Inuyasha's umbrella. I would need to return it to him soon, least he start to miss it. I was dressed fully now, in my; now dry, dress, and flats. Picking up the umbrella, I pushed open the doors to the outside, and stepped out. There, outside the door, was Sesshomaru, who seemed confused as to why I was dressed, "Tell me," he said, "Why are you dressed, and where are you going?"
"Uh…" I stared to hope he wouldn't mind me heading out, "Well, you see, before I came over to your castle-"
"Correction," he interrupted, "You mean to say 'before you snuck into my castle'."
"Yes, before that," I started once again, letting his comment brush by, "It was during the storm when I came across the main street, and some Inns. A loud inn keeper with the strangest hair color had given me this umbrella," I pointed to the umbrella in my hand, "And I've been thinking to give this back to him, he may need it at some time, and today seemed like the appropriate time to give it back to him – I'll come straight back once I'm done." Sesshomaru seemed to be lost in thought.
"A…loud Inn Keeper with a strange hair color?..." He turned to face me, his face holding an expression that seemed strained, "Could you tell me, the color…of his hair?"
"Well, if I do remember, it was something like a shiny white."
"A shiny white color…" he thought for a bit, "And his name? Do you know it?"
"His name?" Why was Sesshomaru so suddenly interested? "It was Inuyasha." Silence overtook us two as a gentle wind swept by.
"I will accompany you." Accompany me?! Into the town?! But what if people saw him? Wouldn't they start to panic? Reading my expression, he answered me, "They know of the legend of the 'Night Walker', but I only appear in the dead of night, when all is quiet, and none can see. They do not know how I look, nor do they know how I speak or dress. In the people's eyes, I am only a noble, and nothing more." That was actually…true. When I heard the legend, I had no idea how he would look, I only knew what he was alive. The legend said nothing about appearances, though, that did not answer my question, why did he want to accompany me into the Town? "Plus…I wish to see this Inn Keeper, I am curious about his 'abnormal' hair color, and I wish to get nothing but a closer look at him. That is all."
"That is all?" I asked him, "Your only curios about his hair?"
"Yes. That is all."
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…Joker…
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Not too later were we both walking down the main street, passing open stores, and walking through the crowds. Though most people had stopped to glace over at Sesshomaru, none had reacted in the panicked way that I'd expected. So he was right. Though the people knew the legend, none had actually known of his appearance. That was quite the relief, I wouldn't even imagine what I would do if panic arose from so many people. My steps came to a full stop as I stood in front of the small Inn where I'd meet Inuyasha, Sesshomaru too stopped – oddly enough, I found that he was staring quite intensely at the door… as if sensing something, "This is it," I said all while knocking on the door a few times before taking a step back, "If he says anything offending, just don't mind it. He is quite rash, and very loud – please pardon him, I know he means well-" The door swung open –
"Who in da' hell was knocking-" Inuyasha's loud voice had slit silent. He took a glance at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru too glanced back at Inuyasha. "Hm…so then," Inuyasha started in the somewhat awkward silence, "Whatcha' back er' for, Kagome?" I smiled – not taking notice of the small tension beginning to grow between the two men.
"I just wanted to make sure I gave this back," I handed to him the very same umbrella given to me on the night of the storm, "I'm actually going to be staying close by for a while until I find some new places to-"
"So you were here." Sesshomaru's voice passed by so suddenly – only then did I realize the cloud of tension floating between the two. Why did they seem so hostile towards each other all of a sudden? Had they not just met one another? Inuyasha's hand was balled into a fist. Sesshomaru's hand too was clenched tightly. What was happening?! Slowly did the two start to raise those fists into the air – and end in all in a pleasant 'fist-bump'. …What had just transpired? I stood next to Sesshomaru who wore a small smile on his face, and looked to Inuyasha who was grinning.
"Been a while, eh, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha started to laugh. I did not understand what exactly was happening.
"Too long, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru responded. They both knew one another, that was for sure, but what was there relationship? I was never once informed of Inuyasha knowing Sesshomaru – wait… did he know that Sesshomaru was the 'Night Walker'?! Or was he someone Sesshomaru happened by one day? "Kagome," Sesshomaru turned to face me, "This man; as rash and loud as he is…my younger brother." What? His younger Brother? I thought that he ran away to some unknown place – like in the legend.
"Bu-But in the legend," I started, "It said that he ran away and…" My words drifted off as I stopped to look at the two more closely. Inuyasha's hair was white, his skin a soft tan, and his face held no markings, as compared to Sesshomaru whos hair was glossy silver, his own skin pale, with markings aligning his cheeks. That is when I found the single thing they both shared. Golden eyes. "…So what about your father, Sesshomaru?" I asked suddenly, "If Inuyasha lives so close by, than he should too…"
"The Old Man's livin' in some cozy dome a few miles from here, I lived with him for a few hundred years or so…but I started to feel bad 'bout leavin' Sesshomaru by himself like that," Inuyasha gestured for us to come inside. We sat down in an empty lobby while Inuyasha continued his tale, "Leaving Dad's palace all on its own was pretty hectic… I was packing my stuff on the day I was going to leave, and when he asked where I was going, and I said 'I'm going back home to Sesshomaru at the Black Castle' he flipped – the guy nearly killed me when I mentioned you were alone, and that I wanted to apologize for leavin'…but instead of feeling sorry for his eldest son, the Ol' Man went on to make sure I couldn't leave. I was stuck in that castle for over 400 years with the crazy guy - like some sheltered princess. I finally escaped about a month or so ago; I wanted to go straight to the castle, and – you know, speak to you…but… I didn't feel like it was the time to see you, I thought that after all that time…that after 400 years…that you'd hate me or something…"
"I have never hated you, nor do I hate father," Sesshomaru hid his expression behind his normal tone of voice, "I've missed your company, you and father both-"
"But Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha stood up from his seat, giving his elder brother a sincere look of worry, "Dad hates you! How could you forgive him so easily? After he left you on your own like that, after he cursed you to eat human hearts for the rest of your life – he hurt you so badly and you just brush it off?!" Inuyasha's voice started to crack as the beginnings of tears started to brim his eyes, "How can't you hate me after leaving you like that?...and how can't you hate dad for making you kill?" The air around went silent, with only a mumbled response from Sesshomaru…
"Because…you are family…"
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…Joker…
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We left Inuyasha's Inn not too long after. It did seem that the two were on good terms with one another again, but, was what Sesshomaru said really his reason for not hating his father. Could he have been lying to Inuyasha about his reasons for not hating them? By now, us two were in front of the Black Castle, the sun was setting, leaving the sky with a golden orange look, "Sesshomaru..?" He stopped at the giant doors, and turned to face me, "What's the real reason you don't hate your father or your brother?"
"My real reason, you ask..?" Sesshomaru waltzed towards me, stopping once we two stood right in front of each other, "This is my punishment for killing mother, I have no right to hate my younger brother, or my father who has cursed me…it was a lonesome 500 years in the Black Castle… if it weren't for my utter laziness…none of this would have happened." Before I could interject and speak, Sesshomaru spoke again, "But, now that I have met you, things have changed for me, no longer is my castle an empty realm of despair, And I feel as if the killing I am forced to do does not go to waste anymore."
In a silent moment, did Sesshomaru pull me into a desperate embrace. He sniffed my hair, and breathed out. Usually, I would have been terrified – but, for a reason unknown to me, I felt…safe. Be it because I wanted to comfort him, or because I've been with him for so long… Pulling my chin up, I was met by his soft lips. We stayed like that for some time, until he pulled away to look at me with golden orbs. He spoke.
"Kagome, do you love me?"
Joker… Chapter 3
End
T.B.C
Itachi – Chapter 3 mini – cliffy! Whew! I haven't posted a new chapter for anything lately! I've been too busy with homework and stuff… Aw well! Tell me how the chapter went!~ Review!
