InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ An Unforeseen Flame ❯ Companionship or Slavery? ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: XmArKzThEsPoT 
Sesshomaru decides to keep Kagome around for Rin's sake.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Action / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.02.2011 | Updated On: 09.24.2012 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 647 | Status: Work In Progress
Sesshomaru decides to keep Kagome around for Rin's sake.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Action / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.02.2011 | Updated On: 09.24.2012 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 647 | Status: Work In Progress
A/N: Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters, nor could I ever hope to be as genius as Rumiko Takahashi.
The scent of sheer terror flooded a pair of rather delicate nostrils, and Sesshomaru realized that the girl was, indeed, awake. He found it amusing that she was so absolutely terrified of him. If he intended to harm her, he would have done so already. Why would he waste his time nursing her back to health first? Humans were such illogical creatures.
Kagome just continued to stare up at him, fearful amazement mirrored in her doe-like eyes. She paid no mind to the warm rays of sunlight trickling down from the sky through the thick leafy cover overhead to fall upon her face, nor did she hear the birds chirping boisterously as they flitted in and out the forest's springtime verdure. She was in such shock that she could not even feel the cool, dewy grass beneath her body, soaking through her thin clothing to settle against her now dampened skin.
All of her senses seemed to be focused on the man above her. She couldn't be certain whether it was her fear or his beauty consumed her at this moment. Never in her life did she realize how angelic his features were, or the way his silvery hair glimmered in the sunlight. The only feature she had ever noticed was his eyes and their sharp frostiness despite their warm amber color. Now it was these eyes, murderous though they were, that captivated her, even in her frightened shock.
"Were it my intention to harm you, I would've done so already," he remarked coolly in his form of a greeting. The girl's entire body tensed for a moment, as if his words were a weapon he had aimed at her unexpectedly. The youkai smiled inwardly at her timid behavior. She had seemed so confident and sure of herself when she faced him before, Inuyasha by her side, and now here she was, behaving no differently than a frightened rabbit.
"Oh…Uhm…," Kagome stammered, not knowing what to say. Her brain was not functioning well enough to form words, and even if it had been, what was there for her to say in reply? All she could focus on was the fact that Inuyasha would not come for her this time. Kagome was on her own in this one, and she was well-aware that Sesshomaru had no love for humans. She was going to have to be very mindful of what she said to him, given past insults.
'Just great,' Kagome thought to herself unenthusiastically. She knew she suffered from severe foot-in-mouth disease. Her already knotted stomach seized up a bit more at the thought of saying the wrong thing and angering the inuyoukai. A wave of nervous nausea washed over her, and she felt the blood draining from her face as she imagined him slicing her to gory ribbons. Yes, she would have to be mindful all right.
Kagome tried to sit up slightly, sending nauseating spins throughout her already aching head. Once the dizziness wore off and her world was righted, she found herself wincing at the newfound pain coursing through her stiff body. It felt as though she had run a marathon after a rough session of kendo practice. There was almost no muscle on her battered body that didn't feel sore.
As she inspected her appearance, she decided it was no wonder she was so achy. Her arms and legs were dotted with blue and purples bruises of various shapes and sizes, and numerous cuts and scrapes accompanied her multitude of bruises. She could only wonder how terrible her head looked, if the rest of her was so battered.
"If I may inquire... Where is that idiot brother of mine?" he asked casually provoking a melancholy expression that graced her lovely features. She cast her eyes downward sullenly no longer concerned with her alarming appearance.
Her disconsolate expression elicited a twinge of guilt from the Youkai Lord. He was dredging up memories that were obviously painful to the girl, but it couldn't be helped. He wrote his lack of sensitivity off as a necessity and quashed the fleeting sentiment of remorse.
"I…I don't know," she replied monotonously, her expressive brown eyes still downcast. The trembling tone in her voice left Sesshomaru with no doubts about the honesty of her answer.
Kagome suppressed a heavy sigh at the thought of the insensitive hanyou. Her wounded heart ached at the memory of last night, but she longed to be certain that Inuyasha wasn't berating himself too much over the situation. As much pain as he had caused her over the past few years, she loved him enough to wish to never cause him any sort of pain or heartache in return. She was just being self-centered the night before. No matter how true her words rang, she should not have said them.
"I am surprised. I would think even he, unrefined as he is, would know better than to let a young maiden travel alone in these woods. Especially one he cares for," he stated, almost derisively. This had struck a nerve. He could smell the salt of tears welling up in her large eyes. To make her cry was not something Sesshomaru had intended, but it was no matter. In the back of his mind he could feel something nagging at him, as if to argue that it did matter, but he ignored it. He could not afford to be sympathetic, least of all to some human wench. After all, he was a demon lord, and she was inconsequential.
"Thank you for your...kindness," she started with a quavering voice, hoping desperately that was the reason he had come to her aid, "but..."
"I am not finished with you, woman," Sesshomaru interrupted her sternly, before she could excuse herself. He could sense that she was trying to worm her way out of what she found to be an uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous, situation, and he found himself displeased. He had just made certain the fool and her wounds were properly cared for, despite have no obligation to do so whatsoever, and she was acting as though he was impending doom, and she needed to escape.
Not that he couldn't be her impending doom, if he wished it, but he had been as hospitable as she deserved. He understood the fearful awe. He would have been insulted if she hadn't expressed it, but Sesshomaru had thought he had made it clear that he meant her no harm. Did she think him so disreputable that he would lie about his intentions?
"My name is Kagome, not woman," she retorted angrily before she could stop herself. She gasped, her eyes wide, as she clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. How could she be so disrespectful to this powerful demon that could, and probably would, rip her to shreds in an instant? Well, at least she wouldn't have to worry about Inuyasha choosing between her and Kikyo now, since she was about to be very dead.
"Insolent wretch!" cried Jaken indignantly. "How dare you summon the audacity to speak to my master in such a manner!"
"Quiet Jaken," Sesshomaru commanded, his deep voice dangerously low. The toad bowed and ceased his exclamations. In truth, the inuyoukai was just as appalled by her impertinence as the imp was. Had he not had more pressing matters at hand, Sesshomaru would have taught the woman a lesson in respect. "What news have you of the half demon, Naraku?"
"Naraku? Oh, him? Well, none really," she fidgeted in agitation, unable to even make up anything interesting that could possibly cause Sesshomaru to want to keep her alive. "We've been trying to find his castle for so long now, but all of our leads have been traps or dead ends."
"I see."
"So," Kagome started, smiling nervously. The anxious pit in her stomach began to grow larger as she fidgeted with the threads of her frayed sleeve. "I guess I'm not much use to you. Sorry 'bout that. Do…Do you think I could go now? Not that I don't appreciate your kindness, but I don't want to get in your way or anything, and I sort of have some place I need to go… Inuyasha and the others will probably be wondering where I got off to, and…"
"Stop your incessant babbling!" the Demon Lord snapped in annoyance. Now she was lying to him! Did her lack of respect for him know no bounds? "You have no plans to return to my brother's company. Do you think me stupid?"
"N…No, I…oh."
Again, Kagome found herself at a loss for words. How did he know that she didn't plan to return to Inuyasha and the others? She almost wondered if the Youkai Lord could read minds. What was it that he wanted from her anyway? She had no information on Naraku, he had made it clear on previous encounters that he had no interest in the shards of the Shikon jewel, and if he planned to kill her, he sure was taking his sweet time.
"Rin, how would you like another friend to keep you company while I am away?" Sesshomaru asked his young ward, softly.
Kagome's chocolate eyes widened with astonishment at his statement. He was going to keep her around…as a babysitter? Who did he think he was, just deciding that she was going to do his bidding without her consent? Then again, what could she do about it? It wasn't like she had her bow and arrows, and even then she was no match for the powerful inuyoukai. She would be little more than Sesshomaru's slave, and Inuyasha wasn't coming to save her this time. She felt as though her entire body had been turned to stone as the realization washed over her.
"Very much so milord!" she replied enthusiastically, clapping her small hands together in excitement.
"Then it is settled. Kagome, you will serve as Rin's companion and caretaker," the Demon Lord declared as though he was a King decreeing his new law.
"What? I can't do that! I have other obligations back in my own era," she protested indignantly. She couldn't believe his nerve or his arrogance. Just who did he think he was? He obviously had more in common with Inuyasha than he knew.
"That is of no consequence to me," he replied tonelessly, not even bothering to look in her direction.
"But… My family... I can't just abandon them... They'll worry," she exclaimed as if to appeal to the familial sense of obligation that Sesshomaru had proven time and time again he did not possess.
"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, we cannot keep her from her family," Rin declared worriedly, her brows furrowing in concern. Although she was excited at the prospect of a female companion, she did not want one that was forced to stay with her.
A flutter of hope rose in Kagome's belly. Thank goodness for kind-hearted little girls! If anyone could appeal to his softer side it was Rin. All was not lost quite yet.
"You may see your family for three days once every month. If you decide not to return during a visit, I will fetch you myself," he warned her. The hopeful feeling rose to Kagome's chest and swelled with the smug comprehension that, once she was in her own era, she could choose when to come back, if ever.
"Hah! Good luck with that. No one can pass through the well without a jewel shard," she exclaimed, then covered her mouth with both of her hands as she realized she had said too much. "Anyway," she continued, her voice laced with uncertainty, "Inuyasha and I are the only one's able to pass through the well."
"We shall see," Sesshomaru replied curtly, clearly doubting the fact that there was something Inuyasha could do that he could not. The Youkai Lord turned and began to walk deeper into the forest, the party trailing behind him, Rin clinging tightly onto her new friend's hand.
"It'll be so nice to have another girl around," she remarked happily as she skipped alongside the raven-haired young woman, a toothy grin plastered across her fresh face, while Kagome tried to quash her resentment towards the young girl's joy at this newfound enslavement.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters, nor could I ever hope to be as genius as Rumiko Takahashi.
The scent of sheer terror flooded a pair of rather delicate nostrils, and Sesshomaru realized that the girl was, indeed, awake. He found it amusing that she was so absolutely terrified of him. If he intended to harm her, he would have done so already. Why would he waste his time nursing her back to health first? Humans were such illogical creatures.
Kagome just continued to stare up at him, fearful amazement mirrored in her doe-like eyes. She paid no mind to the warm rays of sunlight trickling down from the sky through the thick leafy cover overhead to fall upon her face, nor did she hear the birds chirping boisterously as they flitted in and out the forest's springtime verdure. She was in such shock that she could not even feel the cool, dewy grass beneath her body, soaking through her thin clothing to settle against her now dampened skin.
All of her senses seemed to be focused on the man above her. She couldn't be certain whether it was her fear or his beauty consumed her at this moment. Never in her life did she realize how angelic his features were, or the way his silvery hair glimmered in the sunlight. The only feature she had ever noticed was his eyes and their sharp frostiness despite their warm amber color. Now it was these eyes, murderous though they were, that captivated her, even in her frightened shock.
"Were it my intention to harm you, I would've done so already," he remarked coolly in his form of a greeting. The girl's entire body tensed for a moment, as if his words were a weapon he had aimed at her unexpectedly. The youkai smiled inwardly at her timid behavior. She had seemed so confident and sure of herself when she faced him before, Inuyasha by her side, and now here she was, behaving no differently than a frightened rabbit.
"Oh…Uhm…," Kagome stammered, not knowing what to say. Her brain was not functioning well enough to form words, and even if it had been, what was there for her to say in reply? All she could focus on was the fact that Inuyasha would not come for her this time. Kagome was on her own in this one, and she was well-aware that Sesshomaru had no love for humans. She was going to have to be very mindful of what she said to him, given past insults.
'Just great,' Kagome thought to herself unenthusiastically. She knew she suffered from severe foot-in-mouth disease. Her already knotted stomach seized up a bit more at the thought of saying the wrong thing and angering the inuyoukai. A wave of nervous nausea washed over her, and she felt the blood draining from her face as she imagined him slicing her to gory ribbons. Yes, she would have to be mindful all right.
Kagome tried to sit up slightly, sending nauseating spins throughout her already aching head. Once the dizziness wore off and her world was righted, she found herself wincing at the newfound pain coursing through her stiff body. It felt as though she had run a marathon after a rough session of kendo practice. There was almost no muscle on her battered body that didn't feel sore.
As she inspected her appearance, she decided it was no wonder she was so achy. Her arms and legs were dotted with blue and purples bruises of various shapes and sizes, and numerous cuts and scrapes accompanied her multitude of bruises. She could only wonder how terrible her head looked, if the rest of her was so battered.
"If I may inquire... Where is that idiot brother of mine?" he asked casually provoking a melancholy expression that graced her lovely features. She cast her eyes downward sullenly no longer concerned with her alarming appearance.
Her disconsolate expression elicited a twinge of guilt from the Youkai Lord. He was dredging up memories that were obviously painful to the girl, but it couldn't be helped. He wrote his lack of sensitivity off as a necessity and quashed the fleeting sentiment of remorse.
"I…I don't know," she replied monotonously, her expressive brown eyes still downcast. The trembling tone in her voice left Sesshomaru with no doubts about the honesty of her answer.
Kagome suppressed a heavy sigh at the thought of the insensitive hanyou. Her wounded heart ached at the memory of last night, but she longed to be certain that Inuyasha wasn't berating himself too much over the situation. As much pain as he had caused her over the past few years, she loved him enough to wish to never cause him any sort of pain or heartache in return. She was just being self-centered the night before. No matter how true her words rang, she should not have said them.
"I am surprised. I would think even he, unrefined as he is, would know better than to let a young maiden travel alone in these woods. Especially one he cares for," he stated, almost derisively. This had struck a nerve. He could smell the salt of tears welling up in her large eyes. To make her cry was not something Sesshomaru had intended, but it was no matter. In the back of his mind he could feel something nagging at him, as if to argue that it did matter, but he ignored it. He could not afford to be sympathetic, least of all to some human wench. After all, he was a demon lord, and she was inconsequential.
"Thank you for your...kindness," she started with a quavering voice, hoping desperately that was the reason he had come to her aid, "but..."
"I am not finished with you, woman," Sesshomaru interrupted her sternly, before she could excuse herself. He could sense that she was trying to worm her way out of what she found to be an uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous, situation, and he found himself displeased. He had just made certain the fool and her wounds were properly cared for, despite have no obligation to do so whatsoever, and she was acting as though he was impending doom, and she needed to escape.
Not that he couldn't be her impending doom, if he wished it, but he had been as hospitable as she deserved. He understood the fearful awe. He would have been insulted if she hadn't expressed it, but Sesshomaru had thought he had made it clear that he meant her no harm. Did she think him so disreputable that he would lie about his intentions?
"My name is Kagome, not woman," she retorted angrily before she could stop herself. She gasped, her eyes wide, as she clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. How could she be so disrespectful to this powerful demon that could, and probably would, rip her to shreds in an instant? Well, at least she wouldn't have to worry about Inuyasha choosing between her and Kikyo now, since she was about to be very dead.
"Insolent wretch!" cried Jaken indignantly. "How dare you summon the audacity to speak to my master in such a manner!"
"Quiet Jaken," Sesshomaru commanded, his deep voice dangerously low. The toad bowed and ceased his exclamations. In truth, the inuyoukai was just as appalled by her impertinence as the imp was. Had he not had more pressing matters at hand, Sesshomaru would have taught the woman a lesson in respect. "What news have you of the half demon, Naraku?"
"Naraku? Oh, him? Well, none really," she fidgeted in agitation, unable to even make up anything interesting that could possibly cause Sesshomaru to want to keep her alive. "We've been trying to find his castle for so long now, but all of our leads have been traps or dead ends."
"I see."
"So," Kagome started, smiling nervously. The anxious pit in her stomach began to grow larger as she fidgeted with the threads of her frayed sleeve. "I guess I'm not much use to you. Sorry 'bout that. Do…Do you think I could go now? Not that I don't appreciate your kindness, but I don't want to get in your way or anything, and I sort of have some place I need to go… Inuyasha and the others will probably be wondering where I got off to, and…"
"Stop your incessant babbling!" the Demon Lord snapped in annoyance. Now she was lying to him! Did her lack of respect for him know no bounds? "You have no plans to return to my brother's company. Do you think me stupid?"
"N…No, I…oh."
Again, Kagome found herself at a loss for words. How did he know that she didn't plan to return to Inuyasha and the others? She almost wondered if the Youkai Lord could read minds. What was it that he wanted from her anyway? She had no information on Naraku, he had made it clear on previous encounters that he had no interest in the shards of the Shikon jewel, and if he planned to kill her, he sure was taking his sweet time.
"Rin, how would you like another friend to keep you company while I am away?" Sesshomaru asked his young ward, softly.
Kagome's chocolate eyes widened with astonishment at his statement. He was going to keep her around…as a babysitter? Who did he think he was, just deciding that she was going to do his bidding without her consent? Then again, what could she do about it? It wasn't like she had her bow and arrows, and even then she was no match for the powerful inuyoukai. She would be little more than Sesshomaru's slave, and Inuyasha wasn't coming to save her this time. She felt as though her entire body had been turned to stone as the realization washed over her.
"Very much so milord!" she replied enthusiastically, clapping her small hands together in excitement.
"Then it is settled. Kagome, you will serve as Rin's companion and caretaker," the Demon Lord declared as though he was a King decreeing his new law.
"What? I can't do that! I have other obligations back in my own era," she protested indignantly. She couldn't believe his nerve or his arrogance. Just who did he think he was? He obviously had more in common with Inuyasha than he knew.
"That is of no consequence to me," he replied tonelessly, not even bothering to look in her direction.
"But… My family... I can't just abandon them... They'll worry," she exclaimed as if to appeal to the familial sense of obligation that Sesshomaru had proven time and time again he did not possess.
"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, we cannot keep her from her family," Rin declared worriedly, her brows furrowing in concern. Although she was excited at the prospect of a female companion, she did not want one that was forced to stay with her.
A flutter of hope rose in Kagome's belly. Thank goodness for kind-hearted little girls! If anyone could appeal to his softer side it was Rin. All was not lost quite yet.
"You may see your family for three days once every month. If you decide not to return during a visit, I will fetch you myself," he warned her. The hopeful feeling rose to Kagome's chest and swelled with the smug comprehension that, once she was in her own era, she could choose when to come back, if ever.
"Hah! Good luck with that. No one can pass through the well without a jewel shard," she exclaimed, then covered her mouth with both of her hands as she realized she had said too much. "Anyway," she continued, her voice laced with uncertainty, "Inuyasha and I are the only one's able to pass through the well."
"We shall see," Sesshomaru replied curtly, clearly doubting the fact that there was something Inuyasha could do that he could not. The Youkai Lord turned and began to walk deeper into the forest, the party trailing behind him, Rin clinging tightly onto her new friend's hand.
"It'll be so nice to have another girl around," she remarked happily as she skipped alongside the raven-haired young woman, a toothy grin plastered across her fresh face, while Kagome tried to quash her resentment towards the young girl's joy at this newfound enslavement.