“Please Sesshoumaru just let me have sometime alone. If there are any problems, I will scream for you. Ok? I just need to be alone right now.” Kagome turned and walked off into the woods without waiting for him to respond.
Sesshoumaru growled for what seemed the umpteenth time that week. The baka of a half-breed had no regard for the girl, and now he was flaunting his clay bitch in front of everyone as if she was a hard-earned trophy. Sesshoumaru knew that the Kagome wasn’t in love with the hanyou anymore, no that love was reserved for him, yet she still hurt due to the half-breed.
She shouldn’t let him get to her as he does. So he wants to rut with something dead, so what, let him. Her heart is too pure to be hurt by someone as lowly as the whelp. Now why in all of seven hells would he care?
The hanyou broke her heart with his clay bitch, why should I care? He could feel another growl ready to erupt from him. He had to release the tension that was building up within him, meaning something had to die. He took off in a silver blur hunting something to destroy.
He didn’t get very far when he heard a woman’s shriek. He knew whom that voice belonged to and he cursed himself for letting her go off alone. No one was going to kill her but him, and he was going to make sure that it stayed that way.
He shot off into the direction that she had left in and was there in seconds flat. What he saw when he arrived for some unknown reason made his blood boil. There in the arms of some mangy wolf was Kagome, looking for all the world rather annoyed. Before he knew what he was doing, and before the wolf could react, Sesshoumaru had the wolf by the throat glaring at him.
“You dare lay a hand on what’s mine?” Mine?
Koga looked at the demon completely confused and slightly angry. “Yours?” He choked out.
“Sesshoumaru put him down this instant!” Kagome yelled.
Sesshoumaru turned a hard glare at the girl. “You know this wolf?”
Kagome nodded her head. “Yes, he’s a friend.” She looked at Koga when she said friend with emphasis.
Sesshoumaru dropped the wolf to the ground. “Leave wolf.”
Koga jumped up and got into a fighting stance. “Who the hell are you?”
Sesshoumaru glared hard at the wolf. How was it possible that this lowly demon didn’t know him, Sesshoumaru, lord of the west.
“Koga just leave. I will see you later.” Kagome said with a sigh. She really wasn’t in the mood especially after Inuyasha brought Kikyo into the group.
Koga grabbed Kagome’s hands. “If you need me just call and I will come running. No one will harm my woman.” Then he was gone.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the girl, who was currently looking down at the ground trying to hold in her tears. “You do not like the wolf’s claim on you.”
Kagome nodded her head, then turned and walked away. She was so very confused. Sesshoumaru wanted her dead but he informed Koga that she was his. What was Sesshoumaru thinking? If only she could read minds, her relationship with the great lord would make a whole lot more sense.
Sesshoumaru watched her go; he had his own issues at the moment. For example he called the girl his. Why would he do that? He was getting far to involved with the miko for his own liking. She was beginning to get under his skin, causing him to show emotion for her. Anger at Inuyasha and his dead bitch, jealousy at seeing her in the arms of the wolf, and now something else he couldn’t name at seeing her tears. So many reasons he wanted her dead, and just as many for not. Damnable woman, he cursed within his own head.
“Sesshoumaru would you like to take a walk with me?” Kagome asked as she stepped out of Kaede’s hut.
Sesshoumaru gave a curt nod and followed off after the girl. They walked until they came to the clearing that contained the well, and Kagome sat down on the edge.
Kagome let out a heavy sigh; she was about to engage the demon in a conversation that could break her heart right in two. “Sesshoumaru what do you really think of me, besides the whole death thing?”
Sesshoumaru looked off into the distance. He did not want to have this conversation with the girl. Besides how was he to answer that question when he wasn’t really sure himself. “You are a ningen miko.”
“Yes Sesshoumaru I know what I am. I asked you what you truly think of me. What do you consider me to be to you.” ‘Truly how could he be so dense?’ She thought with an inward snort.
Sesshoumaru couldn’t answer that question. How could he when he himself didn’t even know, and if he did, he was fairly sure that he wouldn’t answer it anyway. “Miko I have no time for these trivial little conversations.”
Kagome huffed at him. “Oh, so now you have something better to do? You have been with me for over three years, and now you don’t have time for me?” Kagome stood up and went to stand in front of him, trying to get him to turn his gaze down to her. When he wouldn’t, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her head into his chest being careful of his armor. “Sesshoumaru why do you stay with me aside from wanting me dead?” She whispered.
Sesshoumaru went ridged at the feel of her wrapped around him. She was hugging him and he did nothing about it. His most hated of one-word questions popped into his mind when it came to the girl. Why?
Tears pricked the back of her eyes wanting to fall for her love of him and for his non-response of her question. “My heart bleeds for you, aches for your touch, dies for your love, but your wish for my death keeps you away from me. Please Sesshoumaru give me some happiness before the jewel takes me away.”
Sesshoumaru pried the girl from his person. “You are a foolish girl. Your loves is wasted on this Sesshoumaru.” With that, he took off into the sky. He had to get away from her, something inside him wanted the girl, but he couldn’t let that happen, he wouldn’t.
Kagome fell to her knees and sobbed into her hands. He rejected her, just as she assumed he would, and now her heart was in tatters. That was it for her, too much heartbreak. First it was Inuyasha and now Sesshoumaru; a girl could only take so much before it was too much. “Goodbye Sesshoumaru” She whispered to the quiet air around her.
Sesshoumaru couldn’t take it any more. It had been five nights since the day at the well and she hadn’t once talked to him, hell she barely looked at him. This should be just what he wanted from her but it wasn’t. All the silent indifference she was sending his way should not be tolerated. If anyone should behave that way, it was him.
He did figure out one thing however. She must have cared for him more than she ever did the half-breed. Inuyasha went behind her back with the dead whore, and then brought her into their group, and Kagome still acknowledged his existence. She talked to him, laughed with him, yelled at him, and even occasionally still sat him.
So why was he Sesshoumaru any different? He only rejected her love; he didn’t betray her love as the half-breed did. Again, why did he care? All he was suppose to care about was her death, not whether she would talk to him or not.
Every time he would try to talk to her, she would just stare at him with those eyes. If he wanted to know what her eyes would look like when she died, all he had to do was look into them now. Every time they landed upon him, he could feel the coldness of her dead soul. Something deep inside him wanted to bring back the warmth that they used to have, the sparkle of life, they way they would shine when she would look at him.
He couldn’t though, even if he was willing to accept what deep down he really wanted he couldn’t. She would be dead when the jewel was complete and then he would be alone without her. It’s better to avoid the hurt now instead of suffering it later. Yes she had to die, now for her love of him, and his growing feelings for her.
“Leave me alone Sesshoumaru.” Kagome said while trying to pull herself from the tight hold he had on her.
“Miko this game of yours has gone on long enough. You will cease ignoring this Sesshoumaru and explain yourself.”
Kagome began her struggles anew. She had to get away from him; all he did was cause her to hurt and she didn’t want to suffer it any more than she had to. “There’s nothing to explain. You made it quite clear what I am to you, so that is all I am being.”
“And what is that?” He looked down at the struggling girl in his arm.
She stopped her struggles and looked up at him with those cold dead blue eyes, which were slowly filling with tears. “Nothing” She whispered.
“You assume to be nothing to me?”
Kagome kept her cold gaze upon him. “I don’t assume. I know.” She whispered brokenly.
“How?”
“You want my death. To want someone’s death as badly as you do mine, means that that person has to be nothing to you.”
Sesshoumaru tightened his arm around her waist. She was right, but she was more than nothing to him. He just couldn’t identify what. He had never before had these feelings for anyone, and he didn’t like it one bit. “Don’t presume you are nothing to me miko. I know not what you are to me but you are not nothing.”
Kagome laid her head on his unarmored chest. “Why Sesshoumaru? Why can’t you give me the happiness I so desire? Just a moments worth before I die?”
He couldn’t answer her questions. He pressed his hand into her back, bringing her closer to him wanting to give her something to hold on to, but couldn’t. She shouldn’t want what he can’t give her, and she shouldn’t hurt for it either. He really was as cold hearted as everyone accused him of being.
“No Inuyasha it’s in its other head!” Kagome screamed at the battling hanyou.
“Damn it woman you could have said which head it was in the first place!” He yelled as he dodged the two-headed dragon’s tail.
The dragon was turning out to be harder to kill then they had originally thought it would be. The entire group was fighting the beast, Sesshoumaru and Kikyo included, and it felt like they weren’t making any headway against it. Sesshoumaru got his toukijin knocked out of his hand and was currently using his claws and poison whip against the beast. Miroku couldn’t use his wind tunnel since it had a jewel shard in its head. Sango was on the back of Kirara throwing her hiraikotsu at one of the dragons heads, and Kikyo and Kagome were quickly running out of arrows.
They knew that its weak spot was its belly, which it was currently laying on to protect it. Somehow they had too get it off the ground so that they could attack it, but how?
Sesshoumaru landed next to Miroku. “Monk get on the fire cat and use your wind tunnel to lift it off the ground, and this Sesshoumaru will run it through with the toukijin.”
Sesshoumaru leapt off, gathered his sword, and went back into the battle with the dragon. Miroku called Sango down and climbed to the back of the cat and they raised high into the air above the dragon.
Once they were in position a yell of ‘Wind Tunnel’ was heard as the dragon began to slowly lift off the ground. The dragon flapped its giant lime green wings to keep itself rooted to its spot, but it was in vain. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Sesshoumaru was under the dragon slicing through its soft belly.
Once Sesshoumaru was out of the way, Miroku closed off his wind tunnel, dropping the dragon back down to the ground with a loud thump, sending dirt and debris everywhere. With the dragon severely weakened, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha made quick work of the beast, and they finally had the last jewel shard.
It was a great victory for everyone. They had the last jewel shard, which meant that the only ones left were the ones Naraku had. For Kagome however it was rather bittersweet. Yes they were one step closer to defeating Naraku, but they were also one step closer to her death.
Sesshoumaru could sense her apprehension and knew immediately why. As quick as silver he had her in his arm and leapt to the sky.
A blur of white, red, and green came flying out of an old well house, stopping at the base of an ancient tree.
“Sesshoumaru what are we doing here? What’s going on?” Kagome asked shocked that not only did he fly off with her from the celebration with her friends, but brought her back home to her own time.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the girl he held close to him. Ignoring that stupid one word question that always danced around in his head. “You need time.”
Kagome wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, afraid that if she let him go he would disappear forever. “Thank you.” She whispered into his chest.
“You must let it go miko.” He said to the top of her head.
With those six little words, a dam of tears was released. She wept for what was going to be the loss of her family, her friends, their hurt, but most of all she wept for the man that now held her in his arm. She was going to be leaving him forever once the battle with Naraku was over, and the jewel was once again complete.
She thought for so long that she had truly prepared for what was to come, and she was sadly mistaken. She was no where near prepared. She figured that somewhere in the back of her mind that the jewel would never be completed, and she would continue searching for the shards for the rest of her life. Now she held the final shard in her hand, which was the last step of her adventures with her friends. Once Naraku found out that they had the last shard, he would waste no time in attacking them so that he could complete the jewel and gain the power he so desired.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the top of the raven-haired girl with so many mixed emotions running through him. He wanted her dead, he wanted her alive, he wanted to see her cry, yet he despised her tears. She was strong, but she was nothing but a weak ningen. He hated her, but he… loved her?
Is that what that unknown feeling inside me is? Love? Is it love for her that causes me to hurt to think of her death? Am I really sure that this is love and not just a passing attraction? If she is to truly pass on when the jewel is complete, will I be able to continue on with out her?
I have been with her for so long now. I have seen every emotion that she has ever shown, each one as unique as snowflakes in a winter storm. Were I to move on in my life without her would my life return to what it once was before my travels with her? Or will I continue on with this aching feeling in my chest for the rest of my days? What has this woman done to me, to make me feel such alien feelings within myself?
“Miko, I think its time you talked with your family.”
Kagome looked up at him with red puffy tear-filled eyes. That was the last thing she wanted to do. How could she walk in there and tell her family that this was to be the last time they would ever see her? How do you explain that once you leave, that you are walking to your death…willingly? They would insist that she stays and avoids her fate, that if she doesn’t go back then she wont die. They would be wrong; Naraku would be waiting here for her if she were to stay. If she stayed, he would win.
“Sesshoumaru I can’t.” She choked out.
“But you must. They need to know and understand. You are honor bound to your family just as you are to the jewel. You will not turn your back on either, that is not who you are. I will be your support.”
Kagome was in shock. Was this really Sesshoumaru? Caring, giving advice, and offering his strength to her? “Who are you?” She whispered looking up at the demon almost as if he was a stranger.
Sesshoumaru slightly cocked his head to the side. “I am Sesshoumaru. Has your mind left you?”
Kagome shook her head and gave a light laugh. Then she suddenly turned serious. “Sesshoumaru how am I suppose to tell them?”
“That is for you to decide. Just know that I will be there with you. Now come.” He walked towards the house pulling her along.
Kagome sat on her bed sobbing into her mothers arms. Telling her family of her fate was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She would rather face Naraku in battle a hundred times over, then to have to ever go through this again.
Her mother wasn’t faring much better. Tears stained her cheeks knowing that once her daughter leaves she will never see her alive again. Her first reaction to the news was to keep her here and not let her go back, but her explanation of what would happen were she to stay was just as bad as her leaving. Either way she was destined to die, and all because of a sacred jewel. Why was her daughter chosen to bear such a burden, and at such a young age? She was angry that this was happening to her precious little girl. She wanted to stop it, forbid her to leave, to scream to the kami above that they had the wrong girl. Yet what good would that do? Part of her wanted to believe that this was all a dream, and that soon she would awaken from it, finding her daughter living the normal life of a teenager. It wasn’t a dream; it was a nightmare, a living color nightmare.
“Come we must go and prepare for the final battle.” Sesshoumaru said in what he hoped was a sympathetic sounding voice. He couldn’t stand to see these two females crying. Kagome’s tears were eating at him, causing an unknown clenching pain within him.
Kagome looked up at the demon lord. “Do we have to go now? Can’t we leave tomorrow, so that I can spend one last night with my family?”
Sesshoumaru regarded her for a moment, then looked over at her mother and nodded. He couldn’t believe that he gave in so readily. He was becoming weak to the needs of this simple human. Yet she was no mere human, she held the fate of the world in her hands, having to face certain death in order to save all. She was truly astounding.
Suspension by Keva