InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Deeper Destiny ❯ Chapter 17

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: Me? Own Inuyasha? Hey, a girl can dream. But no, I don’t own Inuyasha. He is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and we are all indebted to her for creating him, the story and all the other characters. However, I’d like to say that this story, as well as any original characters I have created, belong to me. So far, that means Yanmei, Ayako, Mareo, Lord Toyoharu, Amaya, and Sanyu. I’d also like to call to attention that I do not own The Curse of the Golden Flower, nor any of its characters, meaning Emperor Ping, Empress Phoenix, and the three princes; Jai, Wan, and Yu.



A Deeper Destiny: Chapter Seventeen



Kagome gave the two teenage girls a teary smile before pulling them both into a tight hug. Moving back a little, she cupped both their cheeks and kissed their foreheads.

“I’ll see you two in a fortnight, alright?” The two nodded, rushing forward for another hug. The miko merely smiled and returned their embraces before moving to address the Northern Taiyoukai. The gray-haired, icy-blue-eyed lord gave her a hug and kissed the back of her hand.

“It has been a pleasure having you, Lady Kagome.”

“As it has been staying, my Lord. Thank you for your hospitality.” It was then that Sesshoumaru arrived, stepping beside her and taking her arm in his. He turned to the elder Lord and nodded, which was returned with a smile.

“We shall return in another fortnight to retrieve Rin.” Toyoharu nodded.

“I’ll take good care of her.” Sesshoumaru gave a curt nod and turned on his heel, taking Kagome with him. Kagome waved at Toyoharu, Rin, and Amaya over her shoulder, calling out her farewells. She waited silently as Sesshoumaru stopped to give orders to the soldiers he was leaving behind. She smiled politely to the group of men as they left to follow their orders.

“Sesshou?”

“Hn.”

“Did you say goodbye to Rin?”

“Yes, this morning when you were with Sanyu.” Kagome nodded, hiding the grin on her face. Sesshoumaru was such a big softy, he just didn’t like to be too public about it. He pulled her close, wrapping one arm around her waist, and she laced her fingers with his. As his Youkai cloud gathered beneath their feet and lifted them into the sky, Kagome began to wave to all the people that had seen them off. Everyone began to fade into specks in the distance and the scenery soon changed to dense forest. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks as Sesshoumaru pulled her flush against him, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. He nuzzled her nose with his before claiming her lips, tasting her slowly and languidly. He took his time before pulling away, settling for holding her close. Kagome was silent, cheek against his chest as she drew invisible circles into the sleeve of his white haori, feeling the muscles in his arm bunch and flex.

Her mind wandered back to earlier that morning, in the magnolia grove with Sanyu. Kagome had been heartbroken, having to leave her newly found friend. Surprisingly though, her Kitsune friend had handled the situation well, comforting her with words and hugs. Kagome frowned slightly as she remembered what Sanyu had said. ‘Do not grieve so, Kagome. We do not know what tomorrow may hold.’ The crease in her brow deepened as Kagome remembered the distinct gleam in those jade green eyes. Sanyu had been hiding something. But what? With a small frustrated sigh, she looked up at Sesshoumaru. His silver hair and white haori reminded her of the rest of her conversation with Sanyu.

“You are fond of magnolias, are you not?” Kagome looked up, surprised by the sudden question.

“You know, I never really thought about it before. But I suppose you’re right. I do seem to spend a lot of time in this grove, don’t I Sanyu? But I wish Sesshoumaru had magnolias.”

“Oh, but he does!” Sanyu smiled mischievously, jade eyes glittering. At Kagome’s questioning look, she shrugged. “Lord Toyoharu has said that the Lord Sesshoumaru was quite attached to the grove of magnolias at his palace. It is a small secret grove, that only he and his mother went to. Lord Sesshoumaru spent many hours each day there with his mother.”

“Do you know where it is, Sanyu?” The Kitsune nodded, a slow smile spreading on her face.

“From his bedroom chamber balcony, you look beyond the gardens and forest. You’ll notice a slight dip in the forest canopy. That is where it is. Be sure to go there.” The azure-eyed miko laughed in response.

“I plan to!” Kagome missed the mischievous glint in her companion’s eyes.

Glancing up at Sesshoumaru once again, she wondered whether or not she should ask him to take her there. Smiling up at him when he caught her gaze, she decided against telling him. Why not go alone? She hadn’t been out in the real wild for years now, and she was perfectly capable of protecting herself. Turning her face out of the wind and into his warm chest, she sighed happily.

Kagome closed the heavy wooden doors behind her, waving one last time at the Taiyoukai with a smile. He’d be in a long meeting with the minor Lords that governed sections of the Western Lands. She and Sesshoumaru had returned to the Western Palace almost a full week ago, and she had yet to sneak off to that magnolia grove. This would probably be her only chance. Hurrying down the corridor, she slid the door to her room open and grabbed Tetsuaiga, easing it into her obi. Checking her reflection in the huge mirrors of her dressing room, she smiled. The kimono she wore had been designed by a Spider-Youkai seamstress just for her, requested personally by Sesshoumaru himself. Pristine white silk, woven out of silk from special Silkworm-Youkai, similar to fire-rat fur, though much more refined as Sesshoumaru commented. The top half of her kimono was like a normal kimono, but the bottom half is what made it so unique. It had slits going all the way up to her waist, allowing for more leg-room. Her inner kimono made up for all the exposed skin; thin silk that was pleated to allow her legs enough freedom to run and leap. Adjusting her hair, she exited her room and calmly made her way down the corridor. Just as she was about branch off from the corridor and into the main hall, she spun, pulling Tetsuaiga from its sheath and pointing the tip of the blade at her assailant’s throat.

“Whoa, whoa. I’ve had that fang pointed at my throat once before, and I think that was enough to last one lifetime.” Her shoulders dropped as she recognized her “attacker.”

“Damn it Mareo, don’t do that!” Sheathing Tetsuaiga, she fought the urge to slap him. “What were you doing, masking your aura like that?!” The violet-eyed Youkai shrugged.

“I was about to leave for a mission. But now that I’ve run into you, I might as well share this piece of information with you.”

“Information? What are you talking about?” The miko frowned as Mareo pulled out a scroll from his navy blue sleeves. Taking the scroll that he held out, she unrolled the yellowing paper.

“I found this in Lord Sesshoumaru’s study.” Mareo watched silently as the raven-haired miko read the contents of the scroll. As her blue eyes narrowed with each passing second, his heart grew even more torn. With this single act, he’d betrayed his Lord. Even so, he did not regret it. If It would prove to strengthen the bond between himself and Kagome, and weaken the one that she and his Lord shared, then it would be worth it.

Kagome stood silently at the edge of the pond. She didn’t know how long she had been standing there, but it didn’t matter. She felt numb. Completely and utterly numb. Mareo was long gone now, headed off on his mission. Rin was still at Lord Toyoharu’s Palace. And Sesshoumaru.. Well, he was still in that meeting. But he was probably the last person she wanted to see right now. Turning away from the pond, she headed out in search of the Magnolia grove Sanyu had spoken of. She’d felt a strong, compelling urge to go there, and that damned scroll wasn’t going stop her. So what if Sesshoumaru was most likely using her for power? This wasn’t the first time that a guy used her for their own personal gain. Her pace slowed as images of the Inu brothers filled her mind. A gruff, arms-crossed Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru in all his sophisticated glory smirked at her, taunting her with knowing eyes. Red and silver blurred until all she saw was brown and green. Closing her eyes to will away the burning tears, she opened them to find the surrounding trees slashed and cut down, Tetsuaiga unsheathed in her right hand. Dropping to her knees, she watched silently as Inuyasha turned his back and began walking away. Sesshoumaru remained where he stood, staring at her with a strange look on his face. A clawed hand rose from his side to reach out to her, but he and his departing brother began to fade into the forest backdrop. It was then that Kagome began to cry.

Sobs wracked through her body violently as she sank to her knees, hot tears running down her face and into the forest floor. Tetsuaiga was embedded in the ground, the hilt gripped in her slender, white-knuckled hand. Minutes passed by and the tears continued to fall until it seemed as though she had no more tears to cry. It was after she had run out of tears and the warm wetness on her face had dried in the breeze when it happened. Tetsuaiga pulsed, and when she rose her head to look upon the pulsing blade, she felt its aura pulling her own forward.

“What is it Tetsuaiga? What is it that lies ahead? What is it you want me to see?” Standing up shakily, she pulled the fang from the earth and sheathed it. Following the tug on her aura, she ambled forth.

She didn’t know how long she had been walking, but Tetsuaiga had long since ceased its pulsing and she had just continued walking forward. She had totally forgotten her original destination, the magnolia grove, until she came to a deep dip in the terrain. The ground began to descend at a deep angle, and she cautiously maneuvered her way down the steep decline. When she reached flat land again, she came across a dense line of trees. It seemed impossible to squeeze between these huge, wide trees, and so she wandered along this sort of fence until she came across a pathway. The path that seemed to be the entrance was apparently frequently used once, but was now mottled with grass and small plants.

Kagome looked about herself warily, but didn’t sense any danger. With one last look over her shoulder, she stepped forward and made her way through a row of trees. Reaching the end of the row, she gasped, frozen in place.

Sesshoumaru frowned as he stood at the entrance to the front hall of his palace. The last of minor Lords had taken their leave some while ago, and Kagome had yet to come to him. The sun was going down and it was quickly approaching night fall and yet the sapphire-eyed miko who’d promised to be there after the meeting was no where in sight. To make matters worse, he couldn’t sense her presence at all. Kagome had masked her scent and hidden her aura. Golden eyes narrowing in worry, he turned on his heel and headed for the gardens.

“What magic do you hold? Does this grove of white magnolias hold some sort of old and ancient sorcery?” The azure-eyed miko laughed out loud as her unanswered questions hung in midair. Sitting up from her half-laying position on the low branch of the biggest magnolia tree, the very tallest and oldest in the center of the grove, she let her legs dangle over one side of the branch. Looking up at the white magnolias around her, she stretched an arm upwards and picked a single blossom. She held the flower tenderly, cupped in both hands in her lap, a thumb stroking the soft petals unconsciously.

“You must hold sorcery. Is it you, little magnolia? Or is it the very tree that I sit in, the one I have plucked you from, that holds this magic? For it must be magic. I came here with a heavy heart that was slowly breaking. I came upon this place with pain, sorrow, and hate.” Sparkling sapphire eyes turned upwards. “But as soon as I stepped beneath the branches of this very tree, I felt all the doubt and pain and evil in my heart fade away. Instead of the hurt I once felt, all I feel now is certainty. My thoughts no longer linger on that scroll and what it could possibly mean. Instead, I find myself thinking about Sesshoumaru and all the good memories we’ve created together. All I can think about is... How much I truly love him.” A small smile slowly spread itself upon her lips as her eyes lit up. “What will happen after I leave the shelter of this tree, leave this grove? Will the contentedness I feel in my heart vanish, replaced with the hurt and pain I once felt? I do not know myself. But I put trust in you, old tree. For your bark is gnarled and wizened with the passing of many years, your branches have lost and gain countless blossoms, and you have seen more suns and moons than even some of the oldest Youkai. I have faith in your wisdom.” That said, Kagome closed her eyes and unmasked her presence, letting her aura pulse and reach out to the very being who held her heart.

“Sesshoumaru.”



A/N: My deepest and most heartfelt apologies to everyone. I hope this chapter will suffice for my tardiness. It was supposed to be a little longer, but I decided to save the subsequent events for chapter 18. I really need to know what you all think about this chapter. I sort of did it a little at a time, and so I’m afraid that it may not be my best. I know I should have devoted more time to it when I did work on it, but I could only spend a few minutes here and there. Anyway, thank you all for being so patient and understanding. And yes, thank you to those who motivated me to get this dang chapter done.

To all my reviewers;



half demon cat kagome, Nyuka, Chase 65, Miss Mischief, Hentai Vixen, adiba 20009, oldestmaiden, and kagome95323;



I really couldnt have done it without you. Thank you all so much, and really, i do love you guys.

--angie