Notes: This story is on a revison because I was not happy with the entire thing. I decided one night just to start it up. This means I will be working on the other chapters with the expection of 15. I don't think it needs it until I get back to it.

When My Heart Shatters
By Utena

Take A Bow

...
All the world is a stage (World is a stage)
And everyone has their part (Has their part)
But how was I to know which way the story'd go
How was I to know you'd break (You'd break, you'd break, you'd break)

You'd break my heart
-Take a Bow, Madonna...From her vantage point on the second floor of the ballroom, Kagome Taisho stood nursing a glass of champagne, swirling the golden liquid in its flute, and watching her husband, Sesshomaru, move fluidly through the crowds of investors, board members, and stockholders, pausing momentarily to exchange a pleasantry of a smile and light conversation. Afterward, his lip curled in disdain, it was brief and only if you were looking for it.
Kagome had seen that expression many times in the past and knew there was no sincerity in it but a ruthless and calculative smile meant to disarm and lure potential opponents before crushing them in the boardroom. Sesshomaru's smile should have terrified those who had seen it, especially the young man standing in a circle with Sesshomaru and other businessmen. She watched them circle him like starving sharks, but the most dangerous one had patience and bid his time before the young man made a single mistake. The other sharks would be in a frenzy, but Sesshomaru would have already assimilated into Taisho Enterprise as he had done many times in the past. Kagome felt sorry for the young man, and she could only hope someone within his family would teach him how to survive in the world of Wall Street, stocks and bonds, and Dow Jones.
Champagne glasses clinked and conversations flowed below; making Kagome realize her services were no longer needed. She watched Sango latch herself to her husband's arm and knew her marriage was over. Kagome felt the last beats of her heart before it shattered, sending pieces across the ground, and over the landscape of her heart, Kagome knew she would have time to recover.
This was the straw. Kagome stifled a sob. She did not want Sango the luxury of knowing she had won. She could have him as she gathered her purse and coat and headed in the direction of the second-floor exit. Pushing the heavy metal door open, she stepped out in a long hospital-like hall..As the heavy door closed behind her clicked back into place, Kagome could feel the tears running down her face. She reached up to wipe away her tears and started looking for the small cell phone she carried with her. It had been the one she was to use whenever she needed Kimi. Finding it, she brought the phone out and looked down at it. Kagome knew that when she heard Kimi's voice sounded at the end, there would be a burst of tears..As the heavy door clicked into place, Kagome felt the tears rushing down her face, blurring her had she placed her phone?She pondered, looking down at the piece of blue silk in her had to be somewhere among the contents..She reached down, moving the contents out of her way until she found the smartphone she needed badly. Bringing it up, she knew who her first call would be made to—Kimi..Dialing the numbers, she waited for an answer until an older woman did.
"Mom," she began to sob, "I can't do this anymore. I can't let my heart shatter more than it already has."
A pause. "My love, don't cry," the older woman's voice soothed. "What are your plans?"
"I'm going to call Kikyo and see if I can get home to her."
"I will have a plane for you to depart within the hour," Kimi answered. "Go and get your things packed, and go to the airport. I will make sure the plane's flight path is unknown."
"I will," Kagome promised, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom, to have called you this late, but you were the one that I thought of."
"Nonsense," Kimi replied, "I will be there shortly."
"Thank you, Mom," Kagome whispered hanging up and placing the phone back into her coat pocket.
As the metal doors opened, Kagome stepped out into the brisk, cold air, drawing her coat tightly against her. Her sudden appearance had thrown both Renkotstu and the valet off, stopping them from the tasks they had been given. She had come unexpectedly, but they knew they had a duty to her.
Coming out of his stupor first, Renkostu freed his mind from the fog and moved to his young mistress. He held out his hand, making sure she would not fall on the black ice.
"Lady Kagome," Renkotsu stated, "allow me to guide you over the ice."
Kagome accepted it, allowing him to guide her over the slick patches of ice. She took careful, measured steps over the ice until they reached the curb.
"Thank you," Kagome whispered, appreciating the gesture he had given to her.
As the limousine rolled to a stop, Renkotsu approached it first and opened the door. Kagome moved forward carefully. There were still the slick patches of ice still clinging to the cement. She entered gracefully, drawing her coat closer to her to make sure no skin was shown.
Kagome turned her gaze once more to Renkotsu and said, "Thank you. Please take care of yourself."
The small gesture of thanks made Renkotsu stumble, but quickly he gained his composure, nodding his head as the door closed. Alone again, Kagome felt the tears begin to stream down her face. She was trying to understand what she had done to lose her husband's love so quickly.
Pushing the thoughts away, Kagome reached into her pocket to retrieve the phone. Her eyes were blurring, making it nearly impossible to see the numbers, but she had managed to. She could hear the dialing tone.
It took only three rings, and Kikyo's sleepy voice answered, "Hello?"
"Kikyo," Kagome sobbed, trying to wipe the downpour of tears from her face.
Kagome, what's wrong?" Kikyo sat up in bed, hearing her sister's sobs on the other end, and reached to turn the light on. Her attention turned briefly to her husband lying beside her, and she shook him gently, hoping he would understand that she needed his help.
Inuyasha could hear the heartache in his sister-in-law's voice, and his heart broke for her. She didn't deserve any of this, and he knew exactly who was behind her misery.
Sesshomaru.
He was not going to let his elder brother get away with this, especially since he had promised Inuyasha he would never hurt Kagome. He had held his brother to his word, and never once had he seen Sesshomaru harm Kagome. Not until now, at least. When Inuyasha realized that things were getting serious between Kagome and his brother, he went out of his way to threaten his elder brother, telling him that if he hears Kagome cry, he is going to break his legs.
Growling again, Inuyasha grabbed the phone from his wife's hand. "I will make that bastard pay," he promised. "Come home, Kagome. I will have one of the planes ready for departure within the hour. Go home and pack, and get on that flight Kimi has booked for you. The sooner you are out of his reach, the better. Another growl. "I am going to torch him."
"No need. Kimi has ordered a plane for me," Kagome replied, appreciating her sister and brother-in-law. She couldn't have loved them more than she had already. They were here for her during the darkest point of her life. "I'm heading home to pack and leave Tokyo."
"Good," Inuyasha replied, happy that Kagome was not going to fight him on this. "We will see you in a few hours."
Inuyasha hung up the phone, tossing it back to his wife, and headed out to the kitchen for tea. He rummaged for the kettle and the two tea cups. Filling the kettle with water, he put it on the stove, lit the fire, and moved to lean against the kitchen counter. Inuyasha found himself reminiscing on the relationship between his best friend and his brother, and for the life of him, he could recall no interactions between them, not in high school nor in his childhood home. Kagome and Sesshomaru had never interacted, whether it was at his childhood home for study sessions or during school hours, so how did their routine at work come to be?
Upon graduation, the three had decided to work for Taisho, while the fourth member of their group, Miroku, had decided to settle down with Sango and enjoy married life. While they wished Miroku well in his new life, the three had decided to pave their way to the top while working for Taisho without help from Toga.
In the following weeks, Kagome had become the target of his brother's relentless insults, from her choice in clothing to how she styled her hair, and each time, it would set her off like a firecracker. Inuyasha was convinced his brother had other ulterior motives, even when he came to collect her for lunch. It had taken Inuyasha and Kikyo to finally tell the truth.
The scream from the kettle startled Inuyasha out of his thoughts.
"Pops needs to be told," he said, knowing his wife was leaning against the door frame.
"What are you planning to tell him?" Kikyo prodded, pushing herself from the door frame and sitting across from her husband at the breakfast table.
Inuyasha placed a cup of freshly made tea in front of his wife and sat across from her. "Sesshomaru is an asshole," he said taking a sip of the heated liquid.
Inuyasha placed a cup of freshly made tea in front of his wife and sat across from her. "Sesshomaru is an asshole," he said harshly, taking a sip of the heated liquid. He hated his elder brother, and what he had done to Kagome made him despise him more. His sister-in-law's heart was fragile, and his brother had done the one thing he had promised not to do—break her spirit and heart. Inuyasha was angry and needed to tell his father about this. Sesshomaru deserved to be punished, just as he had destroyed Kagome.
Kikyo was silent as she weighed the pros and cons of his words. On one hand, he was right that Papa Toga deserved to know, but on the other hand, Kikyo worried about the pressure that would be placed on her sister's shoulder, and she needed the time to think and heal before any of this.
"'Yasha," Kikyo spoke, breaking the thin veil of silence that hung comfortably above them. "Maybe we should wait for my sister's arrival before we decide on the next course of action. If we were to notify him right now, he could easily make the call to stop the plane from leaving the tarmac."
Inuyasha knew his wife was right, of course, and he agreed with her. Although he loved the old man, Inuyasha could not allow him to harm Kagome's mental health. She didn't deserve the hellish turmoil Sesshomaru was putting her through or the tethered bond that kept the two of them together. He really should go and beat his brother's ass...
.

.

...The limousine rounded the courtyard and stopped in front of the mansion. Kagome was unwavering; her make-up had been ruined and her eyes swollen from the tears, but she was convinced no one would have noticed or paid attention to her arrival as the staff was asleep or working on the far end of the mansion.
Chewing on the bottom lip, Kagome felt horrible for the display of emotions in front of Renoktsu and the calls she made to her family. She had not wanted them to hear the shattering of her heart and the vulnerable part of her life.
As the door opened, Kagome's thoughts were pushed aside as she lifted her gaze to find Akito's ice-blue eyes glancing down at her in worry.
His ethereal, icy blue eyes spoke of the wisdom and intelligence within those depths. His eyes were a stark contrast to the beautiful white fur and bold, black stripes. Since his youth, he had chosen to work in Toga's household most of his life, but he would migrate to Sesshomaru's household to become the male half of the Head of the Household.
"Ahh yes," she remarked, embarrassed, and slid out of the limousine. As she approached the door, she paused and turned back to the tiger yokai. "Akito, can you keep the limo waiting?"
"Of course, Kagome-sama," Akito answered, confused by her words, but he acquiesced.
"It will only take me about thirty minutes to retrieve my things," she said, turning back to the door, opening them, and stepping into the large main hallway.
The mansion was faintly lit. It appeared that all the staff had long since retired to their respective quarters for rest. Kagome removed her sapphire blue heels and made her way up the stairs with them in hand, down the hall, and into the master bedroom that she once shared with Sesshomaru.
Flipping on the light, Kagome took a moment to absorb the beauty of the room for the last time. The master bedroom was one of the most beautiful rooms she had seen. The black and white marble-tiled fireplace was just opposite the bed, and its beautiful mantel had framed memories of their honeymoon and wedding. Above the mantel was a single, large image of her, and it was one of his favorites. They had dressed in an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved blue velvet gown with sapphires and diamonds dripping from her ears and throat. She could still remember that day clearly: the photographer had tried numerous times to get her to smile, but when Sesshomaru had stepped in, her smile and her face lit up the room. To this day, it was to have remained his favorite, but funny how those promises were lies.
Bending down to sit on her knees, Kagome reached out underneath the bed, grabbing two suitcases and pulling them out. When she had been about to put the suitcases on the bed, she noted they had turned down the duvet as if anticipating her return to the mansion. The household must have anticipated her return and prepared the room for her. Unfortunately, she had not come home to sleep but to pack her things and leave.
Stepping back, she tossed the suitcases onto the bed and began packing everything she could, from summer dresses to wedge heels. Kagome took one last look at the room before turning off the light and dragging her suitcases down the hall and stairs.
Quietly, she tiptoed down the stairs, making sure that she made no noise that would draw Jaken from his room. She had no wish to hear the million questions, the threats, and the looks of pity he would give her. She was convinced her departure would probably be a relief to him, as he had made it clear he didn't believe that she was a capable partner to his master.
As she reached the last step and made her way toward the main door, Kagome paused and pivoted to take in the last reminiscences of her world, where this place had been her home, and it had been filled with love and happiness. It's colors were inviting and comfortable, welcoming everyone to her and Sesshomaru's home. Now the mansion felt lifeless, hollow, and cold.
"Goodbye," she whispered, opening the front door and exiting the mansion, where she found Akito waiting for her.
"My Lady," Akito greeted, opening the trunk of the limo and carefully adding Kagome's suitcases in.
Kagome slid herself in the back seat and went through her purse, making sure she had retrieved all the necessary papers. Everything looked neatly tucked inside—her driver's license, her passport, and her birth certificate. She had been keeping them inside the large purse she now had on her.
Kagome sighed in relief. She would not be allowed on the airport runway with those papers. She was glad she started hiding important papers on her page, or else she would have turned the entire master suite into a mess.
As the limo reared back to life and began rolling away from courtyard, Kagome took one final look at her home before turning away...
.

..."Kimi-sama?" Totosai's voice broke through the deafening silence that once hung between them and watched her place her cell phone back onto the table.
Kimi's molten gold eyes turned to look at her companion with an expression Totosai had not seen in awhile. "That was Kagome, Totosai," Kimi acknowledged, placing her cellphone back onto the table. Pressing her lips together, she tried to recall most of the conversation she had with Kagome. Something about this situation was not adding up, and Kimi knew she would need to go to Hawaii to find out.
"I need you to head to Scotland and repair any damages that may have accumulated; also take any of the yokai builders with you to prepare it for Kagome," Kimi ordered, drawing the attention of her handmaidens. "Prepare for my departure."
With Kimi's departure, Totosai left the sky castle to look for the other builders.
Seeing that he had been dismissed, Totosai departed from the sky castle and headed toward the small little village up north filled with builders of all kinds and took them with him. It would be beneficial for them to depart together. The old castle had not been touched in centuries, and he was certain he was going to do a lot of upgrades in order to get it ready for occupancy.
Left alone, Kimi considered changing into her Yokai form and leaving for Hawaii, but she knew it would alert both Toga and Sesshomaru of her departure. She didn't want her former husband and mate to know anything, at least right now. She needed to put Kagome first, and if this meant leaving him in the dark, so be it; but first, she had something to do.
Stepping into the mirrored room, she exhaled sharply and spoke the incantation that would bring forth the three lords of their respective regions.
"Kimi-sama," the cat Yokai murmured in surprise but bowed his head in respect. Upon lifting his head, the tiger-like face appeared youthful, but the forest-green eyes told of another story—one filled with wisdom of age and appearance, and one who had lived long and prospered with a great influence throughout many of the cat clans.
Beside him, the Lord of the East appeared. He, too, appeared to be surprised by the summonings.
"Kimi-sama," Kirinmaru spoke softly but with respect lacing his greeting upon seeing the former mate of his enemy. His unruly, bulbous red hair flowed down behind him as his face hid behind a dragon mask. His eyes focused themselves on the woman but not on the other members of the group.
The last lord of the council, Koga, the young Lord of the North and Leader of the Wolf Nation, appeared. His dark eyes widened at the sight of Kimi standing before them. Her call to the council meant something was wrong, and it needed attention quickly. Something had to be wrong for her to call all three of them together.
"Kimi-sama, you do us a considerable honor. What does the Wolf Tribe owe to this call?" Koga inquired, bowing his head to the female inuyokai.
Behind him, Ayame stood frozen in her place as surprise flashed in her eyes upon seeing the older Inuyokai. Her appearance was always a rare sighting, as Kimi seemed to prefer the solidarity that her Sky Castle had to that of the human and yokai worlds below. While the tribes still held power over their lands, Kimi was the deciding factor when it came to the votes necessary on the council. She felt something was off with Kimi's presence, and it seemed to be weighing heavily on the older female's mind. Ayame's, the young Luna of the Northern Wolf Tribe, speculated that the reason why Kimi had appeared before the Lords had to do with the Western Lands and its heir. It was the only thing she could make out of this, as Kimi appearances were nothing short but rare to them all, and her suspicion was only amplified by the exclusion of Toga and Sesshomaru from this meeting.
Kimi's eyes swept across the familiar faces of the Lords. "My daughter-in-law may seek out the guidance of the Council." She gave them a few minutes to process what she had said before continuing, "There is, of course, the tethered bond we must consider."
The council members murmured amongst themselves, realizing the implications of Kimi's declaration on her son and daughter-in-law's crumbling marriage. Each one knew that if this leaked out to both the human and yokai realms, it would have a possible implication for humans and yokai trying to marry. This was sure to become a scandal to the Western Lands and the first in centuries since Toga's relationship with Izayoi came to light, ending his mating to Kimi.
"What is your reasoning for telling us this?"The cat Yokai spoke, breaking the silence that had hung between all of the council as his mind was trying to wrap around the situation. "If you wish us to convene in a special session to determine the future of the marriage, we will gladly meet within next week."
Kimi shook her head and sighed softly. "There won't be a need for a special session," she answered, looking over every one of the Lords, "at least for now. I called you to see if there is anything – old texts or records – that could remove a tethered bond."
Kirinmaru crossed his arms over his chest, listening to the conversation between the cat Yokai and Kimi. To say he was surprised by her sudden call was an understatement. When had been the last time he had seen her? A millennia? Long ago, he chased after Kimi, believing that she was a strong female and worthy of becoming the Lady of the South, but he had been too late; Toga had stepped forward to lay claim to Kimi, making her the Lady of the Western Lands and mother of the heir.
"I believe we might have something. Allow me to search the library and I will message you soon," Kirinmaru spoke, breaking the silence that hung between the four of them. He placed a hand over his heart and bent low to bow.
Thank you," Kimi sighed looking relieved. "We will meet again soon."

Chapter End