InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Angel ❯ Step By Step ( Chapter 31 )

Chapter Thirty-One:

Step By Step

Back and forth….back and forth…..back and forth…..

Kagura sat silently on the windows seat, watching as Kagome paced the length of her bedroom, agitation prominent in each step. Though she didn't notice it, her aura was blazing angrily. She'd been at it since earlier that morning after the emergency meeting. She had sent for Kagura in lieu of sleep.

She was "too damn angry" to sleep.

Kagura had been a bit hesitant to go. Racked with guilt over being apart of kidnapping Kagome and freeing Vishious. But now, sitting here, listening to Kagome rage, it was just like old times.

For a moment, she could almost forget her sins.

Kagome stopped and turned to Kagura, eyes blazing.

"He admitted to it! He could have lied or even refused to answer for Kami's sake!" Kagome raged.

Turning, she continued to pace. Growing more agitated by the second.

Back and forth….back and forth…..back and forth…..

"And poor Lord Katzunami; Gods I do not look forward to the talk we're eventually going to have to have."

Kagome slapped her forehead.

"Why oh why did I sleep with that man?" she groaned.

Back and forth….back and forth…..back and forth…..

"And now the Evil Six is back together, and Gods only knows what destruction they will bring. If the higher ups had listened to me and let me search for them this probably could have been avoided,"

Kagome removed her hand and fidgeted with a strand of her hair, the gesture nervous. She stopped, looking so sad it was painful for Kagura to watch.

"My life is being turned upside down and I don't know how to stop it. This new threat, I don't know how we are going to overcome it. And now…..now that I have to mate Sesshomaru, I no longer have the power or authority to oversee my people…..How can I protect them now? I've lost the right to be their Lady."

She turned to Kagura with tears shimmering in her brown eyes.

"I don't know what to do. That beast wants me for his own sick twisted reasons, and I just…I don't know what I should do anymore."

Kagura stood and walked over to Kagome, hugging her tight. In the warm, concerned embrace the damn broke letting loose a torrent of tears. Each sob, each tear was like a prick at her heart. The guilt she felt was like hands around her neck, cutting off her breath, suffocating her.

Kagura softly patted her back.

"My Lady, come, sit, pacing will only make you more agitated," Kagura said as she guided her over to the soft pillows of the window seat and sat her down.

"My Lady-"

"Kagome," she insisted with a sniffle.

Kagura smiled at that.

"Kagome," she corrected herself, "why did you sleep with Lord Sesshomaru? Do you have feelings for him?"

Kagome wiped a tear from her eye.

"I don't know really. There is….something between us, but not love or anything serious as that. I'm not even sure I even like him as person."

"Passion."

"Hm?"

"There is passion between you two. Physical attraction."

Kagome blushed and nodded, "Yes. It's just physical between him and I. I never wanted to be mated to him, it's just that, there was this burning…passion between us…and I just…wanted to act on that passion once, to know what it felt like to be with someone I found so attractive. But I wanted to mate for love."

Kagome looked down at her hands, vision blurring once more.

"I didn't intend to ever let anyone find out. It was to be my own little secret. But now…"

Kagura took a hold of her hands. Looking up at Kagura, Kagome blinked back tears.

"Don't look at this as a death sentence My La-," Kagura coughed as Kagome narrowed her eyes, "Kagome. You are a very strong woman. You've ruled over the Northern lands for years, right under the nose of the high ups, just think of Lord Sesshomaru as a new and unruly land that you have to manage. As for the Evil Six, you need only find those amulets, obtain the sword and we will have a fighting chance to defeat them all."

Kagura wiped a tear from Kagome's cheek.

"You just have to take everything one step at time. As for protecting your people, when you mate Lord Sesshomaru, will they not be his people too? Lord Sesshomaru may be a bit…cold and a bit heartless, but from my stay here in the Western lands; I've seen and heard how he treats his lands and his people. He protects them fiercely. His people are happy and loyal, not out of fear but out of respect for him. Would he not treat your people the same?"

Kagome sighed and dropped her head into her hands.

"Yes, I suppose that is true."

Kagome sat up and wiped the tears away, determination in her eyes.

"Right! I can't just sit here and mope, I need to focus on finding those amulets, taming Sesshomaru and getting rid of the Evil Six once and for all!"

Kagome stood, pulling Kagura with her.

"I have to find Lord Katzunami and speak to him; will you start packing for me?"

Kagura blinked at Kagome's sudden change in mood before smiling.

"Of course My La-"

Kagome's eyes narrowed. Kagura coughed to clear her throat.

"Kagome, I'll start right away."

The glare smoothed away into a bright smile.

"Great, be sure to pack your things as well."

Kagura's eyes widened in surprise.

"My things?"

Kagome nodded, "I was hoping you'd come with me. I've gotten close to you in a short amount of time. But if you'd rather not come I-"

"No, no, I'm just…surprised. I would be happy to accompany you, Kagome."

Kagome smiled and hugged Kagura.

"Thank you, Kagura."

'No, Kagome, thank you…I have never felt so warm and loved in my short life…everyday before you found me had been filled with pain, sadness and hopelessness. And now….now you've changed things for me…No matter what happens, no matter what punishment Vishious dishes out for me, I will protect you until my dying breath…..I swear it….'

"You should be going now, Kagome. Find Lord Katzunami before he leaves."

"Oh, that's right! I'll be back soon." Kagome said as she headed for the door.

As the door closed, Kagura slid open one of the windows, letting in fresh air and closed her eyes. Vishious was no longer hovering inside her mind. For the time being, she was free of him. His injuries from Lord Sesshomaru had weakened him for some time. For this, Kagura was glad. She was created from Vishious, so it was only natural that she knew some, perhaps all of his secrets.

The most important one was his method of healing, the healing method of any Ryu youkai. Dragon demons were notoriously strong and hard to injure, because of this, when a dragon youkai was wounded, the healing process was as slow as the humans, maybe even slower than that. The injuries closed up with in seconds to stop the bleeding, however, below the closed wound, the damage did not heal as fast as it closed.

Vishious and his comrades however had found a way to speed up the healing process and that was by using accelerants. Kagura was not sure what sort of accelerant they used. Vishious' mind had not specified that during her creation. They had taken the accelerants centuries ago, so by now the accelerants had to be wearing off. But even with accelerants, the healing process was still slow. Vishious' injuries would by some time for Kagome and for her as well. With Vishious weak from injuries, his hold on her was severed temporarily.

For now, she could and would be happy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

General Haku arose early; well before the sun had risen. His injuries had almost been completely healed. With the help of Kikyo, he ate a large breakfast, dressed and headed down stairs. He would be making the journey home alone. The other soldiers that had made it here had died during the night. Their bodies would be brought back with him to the Western lands to receive a proper and honorable burial by their families.

Haku did not look forward to the journey home. He would be returning a failure. It was his duty to see to the well being of his subordinates and he had failed. All of them had died. All of them except him. How could he face his Lord this way? How could he face his family? His friends? His children? They would hate him. They would be ashamed of him.

There is no room for failure in the Western military.

There was no room for a failure such as him.

Miroku was waiting for him in the hall with a black haired woman standing next to him. The woman was dressed as a demon slayer, with a giant boomerang strapped to her back. A small white furry, three tailed feline demon rested in her arms.

A few Northern soldiers stood in various places around the two.

"General," Miroku greeted, bowing.

Haku cringed inwardly. Some General he was…

"This is Sango," Miroku said, gesturing to the woman.

The woman bowed as well.

"Sango, this is General Haku of the Western lands. Sango will be accompanying you back to the Western lands. When you inform Lady Kagome of the…news it would be best if she has Lady Sango by her side," Miroku explained.

"Understood. Do you have a letter you would like me to deliver to Lady Kagome?"

Miroku nodded and handed over a letter.

"Please see that she reads this letter after you tell her."

Haku took the letter and placed it into a pocket inside his kimono.

"Shall we be on our way, Lady Sango?"

"A dozen guards will escort you. A carriage will carry the bodies and should arrive a few hours after you. It should take you no more than a day to reach the Western castle; the soldiers know a few short cuts and will take a more direct route than the main road. Please, give me a few moments with Lady Sango."

Haku bowed, turned, and headed towards the double doors leading outside. Miroku turned to Sango.

"Take care of her Sango. I know you will."

Sango nodded.

"Kagome's a strong woman, she'll make it. It'll be…tough for her to hear, but in the end. She'll accept it and deal with it." Sango said sadly.

Miroku laid a comforting hand on Sango's shoulder and pulled her into an embrace.

"Everything will work out."

Sango sighed.

"I know, I just wish I could spare her this kind of pain. What is Rykotsu thinking? How can he do this to her?"

"I know not what goes through that man's head. We can only be there for Kagome and protect her from him as much as possible."

Sango nodded in agreement.

"Also…."

Sango looked back up at Miroku, "Hm?"

A blush erupted across Sango's checks, brow twitching as a large, masculine hand caressed her shapely rear end. Sensing the danger, Kirara took that opportunity to leap to safety and watch the show from a distance. Kirara didn't have to wait for long.

"Miroku…..you….."

Rearing back, Sango let her hand fly across Miroku's face with a thunderous clap.

"Pervert!"

Reaching up, Miroku rubbed his stinging flesh, a bright red hand print forming on his cheek.

"Sango love, you wound me so without any remorse," Miroku complained, a rueful smile on his face.

"You deserved it you pervert!" Sango yelled angrily, "You're just lucky Kagome's not here as well or else she would have slapped you twice as hard."

"Ah yes, our fiery little Lady, I am a lucky man indeed to be spared her wrath. My face can only take so much punishment."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to let Kagome know how you've been behaving in her absence," Sango said smugly, smirking.

"Dearest Sango, surly you would take pity on me?"

"Not a chance pervert." Sango said, crossing her arms and turning away.

Miroku smiled at that. It was good to see Sango smiling. She had been down since Kagome left. Despite his best efforts to coax a smile out of her, he had been mostly unsuccessful. Seeing Kagome would be good for her. He had been torn over letting her go, however. These were dangerous times. Sango was a strong, capable, warrior woman but at the end of the day she was just a woman. A human woman, vulnerable to injury and death.

He had loved this woman for many years and yet, she was completely clueless as to his feelings. Could he really let her leave here without knowing when there was a chance she would walk out that door and possibly never come back?

"Please be careful out there."

Sango turned to face him once more hands on hips.

"Of course I will. What do you take me for? This isn't my first time doing something like this you know."

Reaching out, Miroku took her hand and pulled her into his arms, his lips crashing down on hers without a second's hesitation. The kiss was soft and passionate. Miroku poured all his feelings of love and adoration into the kiss, willing her to understand his feelings, to return them.

Pulling back, Sango looked up at Miroku in shock. His eyes. That look he was giving her. The emotion in his violet eyes. Did he-

"Please be safe Sango," he said.

"I-I will,"

With a quick smile, Miroku turned and walked away, leaving behind a flustered and confused Sango. Turning to Kirara, she kneelled down in front of the purring cat and rubbed between her ears.

"Miroku is sure acting strange, ne, Kirara?"

Kirara purred in response. Smiling, Sango picked up the small ball of fur and headed outside. General Haku was waiting in front of the main gate along with the guards, the carriage with the bodies were a few feet away.

"I apologize for the wait, General Haku," Sango said as she approached.

"You need not apologize. Let us begin our journey."

Sango nodded. The gates opened and the group set out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toramaru sat in yet another meeting with the Elders, Lord Sarinji, Lord Yamiko, and Lord Sesshomaru. Apparently, General Rykotsu was involved with the Evil Six. Sarinji and Yamiko had spoken to Elder Toramaru as soon as the battle had ended and had told him of General Rykotsu's involvement. Toramaru had sworn the two to secrecy until they could all meet and discuss it without Kagome knowing.

"You are certain it was him?" Kiji asked.

Sarinji nodded, "It was indeed General Rykotsu of the Northern military. We engaged in a brief conversation before the fight began. He is part of the Evil Six."

"Have you spoken of this to Lady Kagome? Is she aware of this new development?"

"Nay, I have not had the heart to speak to her of this issue. She was very close to her General."

"Whether she was close to him or not, she needs to be told and take responsibility for her General. Bring her here to answer for herself." Elder Torao demanded.

"There is no need to upset the woman, Elder Torao," Toramaru said.

"Ha! She wanted to play Lord of a territory then let her deal with this and take responsibility for the actions of her General!"

"She is no longer in a position to take responsibility for General Rykotsu's actions. That position has fallen to this Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru informed him from his position at the end of the large oak table.

"You are not yet her mate Lord Sesshomaru. She is still in a position of power over the Northern lands until tonight is over."

Sesshomaru lifted a brow, "This Sesshomaru has already had her."

Sarinji shifted in his chair, his mood darkening while Yamiko clenched his fists, his aura crackling. Sesshomaru's eyes blazed with male satisfaction at the displayed emotion.

"And yet you have not marked her as your mate, thus you are not the Territory Lord of the Northern lands."

"That's merely a formality and well you know it, Elder Torao," Elder Kiji said as Torao glared at him, "Let's not play games. Lord Sesshomaru became the Lord of the Northern lands the moment he rutted with Lady Kagome. If there is an issue about the Northern Lands then it is now to be addressed to Lord Sesshomaru and he shall deal with in whatever way he sees fit."

Elder Torao sat in angry silence.

"Lord Sesshomaru, if you would,"

"I have decided not to inform my mate of these new developments at this moment. No one is to speak of it with her unless this Sesshomaru has given his permission. General Rykotsu shall be dealt with in time. Are there objections?"

Sarinji's steady gaze spoke volumes. He clearly was sore over losing Kagome but knowing Sarinji, he would not dare make a scene. Yamiko however seemed ready to take that leap. His eyes blazed at Sesshomaru, his displeasure untamed and unchecked. To Sesshomaru's surprise he remained quiet and did not succumb to his usual outbursts.

"Then if there is nothing more that need be disgusted, this Sesshomaru will excuse himself at this time."

"One moment, Lord Sesshomaru,” said Elder Kiji “Please be aware that a banquet is being prepared for your up coming mating to Lady Kagome. It will begin at the Midday meal and carry on through the night. Your people have been invited, though I do not know how many shall be able to attend, as there was no notice given. Would you mind informing Lady Kagome? There was no time to inform her."

Sesshomaru inclined his head and stood.

"That concludes our meeting," said Toramaru.

Everyone stood and left.

Sarinji swiftly headed for the soldier training fields.

His anger was great.

He had no idea if was more angry at Lady Kagome's choice, or maybe Lord Sesshomaru's obvious pleasure of her choice, or maybe he was more angry at himself for losing her. He knew not which one it was; however, at this particular moment he was pretty certain he was furious with Lord Sesshomaru. The bastard had been rubbing it in during the entire meeting, acting as though he were already mated to her. It was enough to turn his stomach. Damn that cheeky bastard.

Sarinji made it to the soldier training field in record time. The soldiers were in the middle of taking a break.

Sarinji unsheathed his sword.

"Who would like to be my sparring partner today?" he called out.

Looking at his demeanor, his crackling aura and angry tone of voice, none of the soldiers volunteered.

"Sparing partner? More like punching bag," one soldier whispered to another.

The soldier laughed at the joke.

"You two will be my sparing partners," Sarinji said pointing at the two soldiers.

"B-But my Lord-"

"Come," Sarinji demanded.

Hanging their heads the soldier stood and walked over to Sarinji as if they were walking to meet their executioner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yamiko however was headed in the opposite direction. InuYasha was already sitting on the hill when he arrived. Sitting with his back to him, InuYasha munched on fruit from his bag.

"Why the fuck do you always follow me here ugly?" InuYasha asked with a mouth full of fruit.

Yamiko continued to walk over to the half demon and took a seat next to him.

"Ah shut up, you could use the company and you know it mutt," Yamiko said taking a fruit from the bag and munching on it.

They sat in silence a while, eating fruit quietly.

"So you gonna talk or what?" InuYasha demanded.

Yamiko lay back on the grass, arms behind his head.

"Why him? Why the fuck did she have to choose him? That arrogant prick ain't a good match for her."

"And you are? Ugly fuck like you?"

Yamiko shot up from the ground, "You goddamn right I am!"

InuYasha snorted, "She'd be better off with me."

"Dream on half-breed!"

InuYasha narrowed his eyes.

"You looking for a fight ass face?"

Yamiko leaned in close, nose to nose, eyes blazing.

"What was your first clue dumbass?"

With those traded insults, the fight was on.

Katzunami stood on the edge of a river a few feet behind the gardens. His heart felt as though it had been ripped out. He had been foolish to think he could convince her to love him as he loved her. It was time for him to go back to the Fade, a complete brokenhearted failure. Even though he had failed, this entire experience would be something he would always remember.

He would always love Kagome, even though he had lost her. Under better circumstances, he was sure he could have won her over. This whole thing with the Evil Six, and Kagome losing the rights to her lands had been in the way of wooing her. At least that's what he liked to think.

A soothing aura clashed with his own.

He closed his eyes, savoring the feel of it.

"Things did not go as I'd hoped they would," Katzunami said with his back to her.

Kagome looked down at her feet, nervously twirling her finger around a strand of her hair.

"I know…I'm….sorry, I didn't mean-"

"You need not apologize, Kagome. There is no need to apologize."

"But-"

Katzunami turned to face her. The expression on his face stopped her from saying another word. Slowly walking up to her, Katzunami took her hands in his own.

"I will always love you, Kagome, but my time here is done. I came here knowing I would either fail or be victorious. I promised myself that no matter what happened I would accept it without any regrets. I failed, and I have to accept that."

Kagome shook her head, "You didn't fail, Lord Katzunami. I do not love Lord Sesshomaru. What happened between us was just…it wasn't…I just-"

Gently placing a finger over her lips to stop the tirade of explanations, Katzunami smiled. It was a small comfort to know that she did not love that beast. But whether she loved him or hated him; she would be mated to him tonight. Any chance he had of making her his was gone. There was nothing more to do but to leave, once more become part of the Fade, and guide Kagome through her visions.

Therein lay another comfort. Their connection was something Sesshomaru could never sever.

"I am grateful for having had the chance to be near you. To touch you, to hold you, to be able to speak the words I've had in my heart for years. I will leave here with no regrets, but take this memory and cherish it all the days of my life."

"Katzunami….."

Taking his finger, he ran it softly over her cheek and pulled her close to him. A blush bloomed across her cheeks, as Katzunami leaned down slowly, lips inches away from her own.

"I love you….." he whispered as his lips descended slowly to her own.

Before their lips could touch, something ripped Katzunami away from her. Losing her balance from the sudden movement, Kagome fell to the ground. The air around her was charged and angry. She had never felt anything like it. As she looked over at Katzunami who was laid out a few feet away from her, covered in blood and on the boarder of passing out, a tall, dark shadow blocked out the sun.

Sesshomaru stood over her, eyes crimson and flashing, his markings jagged and brighter than usual. His fists were clenched, blood dripping from them. Kagome was not sure whose blood it was, his or Katzunami's. A chill crawled down Kagome's spine.

Sesshomaru looked absolutely livid.

Despite that, Kagome was angry herself. How dare he hurt Katzunami for no reason!

Kagome stood, her own energy crackling. She'd deal with him in a moment, right now; she was more worried about Katzunami. He hadn't moved. Kagome began to walk in his direction.

His dark distorted voice stopped her cold.

"Go to him, and this Sesshomaru shall see to it he dies a long, agonizing death."

Kagome turned back to Sesshomaru. The air was visibly rippling with his angry energy. Kagome had never seen him so furious. She barely ever saw him display emotion of any kind besides passion, so this intense rage was out of character for Sesshomaru. Even when he was angry he never let it become known to anyone. What was going on?

"Why did you attack him? You had no right to-"

He was on her in a flash, too fast for her to even realize he had even moved. Pushed up at against a tree, Sesshomaru pinned her hands above her head, his body pressing aggressively against hers. Kagome looked up angrily into those blood red eyes.

"This Sesshomaru had every right female," he snarled, fangs glistening, "He would dare touch what belongs to me."

Kagome struggled against his iron grip. Sesshomaru gave her wrists a warning squeeze, hard enough to bruise.

"Let go of me, I am not yours until tonight! You have no right to treat me this way!"

Holding both hands with one of his own, Sesshomaru grabbed a fistful of her hair and brought her face to face with him. Kagome clenched her teeth in anger.

"This Sesshomaru has every right, woman," he hissed, "If a mating mark is the only way you will realize that then let us have done with it now."

As he jerked her head to the side and bared her neck, Kagome began to panic. Kagome knew the Inu's method of mating was by biting the female between the neck and collar leaving behind a visible mark to warn other males away and identify who the female belonged to. She wasn't afraid of being marked, but right now with the level of intense anger Sesshomaru was displaying, she wasn't very comfortable with the idea of him marking her right now.

"No wait!" Kagome said.

This was harder than she thought it would be. Begging for mercy from this asshole was a hard medicine to swallow.

Forcing back her anger she continued, "Please…..I….understand…I won't…go to him…"

The words left a bad taste in her mouth. Sesshomaru however couldn't look more pleased with himself. His eyes were no longer completely crimson, merely tinted red around the rims of his eyes, amusement and male satisfaction shinning in his amber eyes.

"Elder Toramaru has scheduled a banquet in honor of our upcoming mating, you are to return to your bed chamber, change clothing and wait in your quarters.I shall escort you down to the banquet"

Kagome bit back the scathing remark and settled for staring angrily into his eyes. As soon as he released her, she jerked away and stomped angrily to the castle. He had won this battle, but he had not won the war. If he thought for one second that she was some air headed, weak minded female who only lived to serve him, he was in for a very rude awakening.

She would not go down without a fight.

Sesshomaru watched her march back to the castle, satisfaction rolling off of him in waves. He knew she had wanted so badly to say something less than lady like to him, he had felt her highly charged aura clashing with his own and it had been exhilarating to say the least. He looked forward to their many battles.

"She will not go quietly." Katzunami said from the ground.

Sesshomaru's satisfaction was instantly dashed.

"It would be best to keep your mouth shut until this Sesshomaru has left."

Katzunami laughed from his place on the ground.

"Aye it would."

"If you ever touch her again, I will not be so gracious as to leave you clinging to life next time."

"You need not worry anymore Lord Sesshomaru. My time here is done. I was merely saying my goodbyes to Lady Kagome and trying to keep my dream alive for just a moment longer."

"Your dream was nothing more than just that. A dream. A fantasy. It could never and will never be more than a fantasy," Sesshomaru scuffed as he started back to the castle with a toss of his hair.

Alone on the ground, Katzunami looked up at the afternoon sunlight, letting the wind blow softly across his face.

"A fantasy?"

He smiled.

"Have I been trying to live out a fantasy?"

It was possible. More than likely. It mattered not to him because it had been his fantasy, his dream. And despite having failed to obtain the woman his fantasy was built upon, he had been…happy. Free of the burden of his work, he had been carefree for a time. It was enough. For one such as he that would never die, never know eternal rest, for now, it was enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kurai awoke from a restless sleep. She had gotten no more than a couple of hours of sleep. How could she with Lord Sesshomaru's betrayal fresh in her mind, and Hikari's constant pitiful weeping keeping her up all night?

Speaking of which…

'Hikari, shut up.'

'How c-can I K-Kurai? He….he…..slept with her! He b-betrayed us!' she sobbed.

'How the hell is crying going to solve anything Hikari? Grow up!'

Kurai flipped back her furs violently and hopped out of bed, at the same time she shut Hikari out of her mind. Hikari went without a fight, too distraught to care. Kurai was just as distraught but did not shed a tear. She rarely shed tears.

Instead, she calmly walked over to her closet and retrieved one of her knives. Without hesitation, she began cutting. Deep cuts, making sure to bypass any veins. Her blood dripped onto the floor, and she closed her eyes as the pain spread through her body, dulling the pain she felt in her heart.

Taking a breath, Kurai cleaned the blade and returned it to the closet.

Dressing in a bright red kimono and braiding her hair down, Kurai went downstairs for the midday meal. In the hallway, servants rushed to and fro with various decorations and food in hand.

One servant, blinded by a large vase of flowers, crashed into her, breaking the vase and spilling the flowers onto the floor. Though the crash had not knocked her down, in her current mood it annoyed her to the max. The male was not so lucky. No more than a teen in demon years, he was no where as strong as she was. The crash knocked him flat on his ass.

"Watch where you're going you stupid piece of shit!" she hissed at the male.

The Inu male looked up at her, blue eyes flashing. The word bitch shining in his eyes. Kurai narrowed her eyes, daring him to say it.

The demon said nothing.

Reaching down, he collected the pieces of the vase and flowers, mumbled excuse me and continued on his way.

As he disappeared down the hall, Kurai wondered if she should have demanded that he tell her what was going on, but instead, she shrugged and began to walk again. More servants rushed through the halls, all seemed in big hurry.

Confused, Kurai continued to the dining room. Two soldiers stood before the double door, confusing her even more. There were never guards at the door. Had the attack last night make Lord Sesshomaru increase security? It was a reasonable explanation but it didn't seem to fit Sesshomaru. She couldn't see him doing something liked that. And then there were the servants in the hall. What was going on?

As she approached one of the soldiers asked, "Are you here for the midday meal, my Lady?"

"Aye."

"The midday meal has been postponed until the servants are done decorating the dining room."

Kurai's brows lowered in confusion.

"Decorating? For what reason may I ask?"

"For the banquet, my Lady."

Banquet? She had not heard anything about a banquet.

"Banquet?"

"To celebrate the mating between Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kagome tonight." The other soldier informed her.

Kurai felt the earth shift under her feet. Hikari wailed loudly in her mind. It was like a bad dream. It had to be some sort of mistake, some sort of awful, terrible nightmare!

"M….M-mating?"

"Aye. I am not surprise you had not heard about it. The decision was made but a few hours ago," the soldier said.

"I-I had not heard."

"Do not worry, my Lady, the servants have nearly completed the final decorations, and the banquet will last well after the couple has retired. There will be plenty of food and fun."

Kurai bowed, "Thank you,"

The guards bowed in return.

"You're welcome my Lady," they said in unison.

Kurai turned and hurried out into the garden, barely able to breathe. She collapsed onto the ground behind a high, perfectly manicured hedge. Shaking her head in denial, Kurai pulled her hair, yanking out her braid. Tuffs of black hair littered the ground as Hikari screamed in the back of her mind.

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,'

Rocking back and forth, pulling her hair out, Kurai tried to make sense of everything. Her mind was so jumbled. So chaotic. She couldn't form a single thought.

'Mating….he's mating her…her… her…her….her…her… …HER… ….HER… .HER… …HER…HER, HER, HER!'

Kurai hyperventilated as her mind began to crack. All the years of teetering on the edge, this was the final push. Where was she? What was going on? Why did it hurt so much? The pain, why was it so intense. It was her fault….all her fault…..

She had to die. Death was the only way. Kurai nodded to herself. It was the only way….only way was death….death was the only way….the only way was death….death was the only way…..the only way was death…

"Death….only way…." she whispered to herself as she stood.

There was something wet on her cheek. Reaching up, she touched her cheek, shocked and confused to find it wet with tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome stormed up the stairs to her bedroom and slammed the door in absolute fury. How dare he!

How dare he?

Trembling in rage, Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her rampaging emotions. Once she'd grasped some semblance of calm, she opened her eyes, shocked to find her room mostly empty. All her trunks and dressers were gone. A lone outfit in the Western colors was laid out on the bed. Kagura came out of her closet, a surprised look on her face.

"My La- Kagome, what's wrong?"

"Where are all my things?" Kagome asked looking around at her empty room.

"The servants came in and moved all your things to Lord Sesshomaru's bed chamber."

Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Taking a deep breath, Kagome calmed herself.

"Come, Kagome. A nice warm bath should help you relax; you can tell me all about it."

Kagome smiled, "Only if you take one with me."

Kagura nodded.

Undressing quickly, the pair bathed before indulging in a soak, Kagome explaining the events that happened.

"And I'm worried about it," Kagome finished.

"You need not worry, my Lad-" Kagura coughed as Kagome gave her `the look'

"Kagome. Lord Katzunami is a strong male, I am positive he's fine. He may be a bit sore but not dead."

"Still…." Kagome sighed, "Everything about that man rubs me the wrong way. How am I supposed to be happy mated with a male like that?"

"Everything happens for a reason. Just take everything one step at time, remember?"

Kagome rested her head against the lip of the large tub.

"Okay," she agreed, "One step at a time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys, hope you enjoy. My fingers hurt from writing so much , but I cannot stop, I like to write! Thank you to those who reviewed.

Laters!

~Sessakag