InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blessed Curse ❯ The Crossroad ( Chapter 17 )

[A/N]

 

Yume: I really need to start pulling myself together. There is absolutely no excuse for me not updating and for that, I am truly sorry.

 

CF: (Bonk!) Bad Yume!

Yume: Excuse me? Who's the muse? Who's supposed to help me get over my writer's block?

CF: (hides)

 

Yume: Seriously, the real reason for my lack of updates? I dread writing these chapters…all of my stories are all coming to a crucial point that I don't want to get into because I know how hard it's going to be. But I can only put it off for so long. Please forgive me.

 

[Disclaimer]: Inuyasha's not mine. But maybe if I wish for it real hard and pray religiously to Rumiko Takahashi, she'll let me own it for only a day! ^^

 

 

Blessed Curse

By: Youkai Yume

 

 

Act 17: The Crossroad

 

 

All eyes became fixated on the girl as she ran clear across the room to scoop up the sobbing kistune in her arms. Shippo clung to her tightly; muffling incoherent things while tears stained and seeped through her beautiful evening gown. Kagome held him tightly; her hand running circles around the fox's back and a bittersweet smile played on her lips.

 

From where Sesshomaru was standing, it seemed like she was close to tears herself. His golden eyes lingered on the kitsune child. The pup seemed almost hysterical, more frightened than the night when the demon lord found him in his castle and locked him up in the dungeons. He frowned at the memory, feeling slightly guilty for treating him with such cruelty when he was so precious to Kagome. However, his frown deepened even more when he realized that Shippo's scent was now smothering all over Kagome's.

 

After a while, they finally parted. “Shippo. When? How?” Kagome asked, her eyes flashing with happiness and worry all at the same time.

 

“Oh, Kagome! I'm so glad that you're okay! I was afraid that I'd never get to see you again!” He sniffled, hugging her once more.

 

“As you can see, I'm more than okay and—“ her eyes widened in horror as she realized that he had a couple of bruises and cuts all over his small body. “Shippo! What happened?” She gasped, tentatively brushing over the scratches.

 

“It's horrible, Kagome. He came out of nowhere! Not even Inuyasha could sense him! H-He came and he wanted the Shikon…” The kitsune began to hiccup. “A-And I should've -hic. Stayed to help -hic. But I ran and now Inuyasha's probably—“

 

“Whoa! Slow down! What about Inuyasha? Is he alright? What's wrong? Is he hurt?” Kagome went off all at once, the worry more apparent in her voice more than ever.

 

The demon lord felt a slight prickling of jealousy when he saw how her eyes seemed to light up in concern at the mere mention of his brother's name. It seems like Inuyasha was always a number one concern for her. He found himself biting back a growl at this, causing Aki to look curiously up at him. Still, they remained silent, waiting for the child in Kagome's arms to continue.

 

Shippo began to mumble more words that seemed to come out only as gibberish in his panic-filled sobs. Sesshomaru could no longer stay silent. He gracefully moved across the room to where she knelt.

 

“Kitsune,” the demon lord called out. Shippo's attention snapped from his surrogate mother to the demon lord. His large aqua eyes became wide with fear upon gazing at his towering form. He gave out a tiny squeak before burying his face into Kagome's stomach. She glanced down questioningly at his sudden move and her eyes softened when she realized that the demon lord was right behind her. Sesshomaru mentally sighed. `Apparently my last impression on him has not worn off.'

 

“Shippo, it's alright, there's nothing to be afraid of,” she soothed, her voice soft and comforting.

 

“B-But Sesshomaru—”

 

“Doesn't mean any harm, I promise,” she reassured.

 

“But he locked you up! Did he hurt you, Kagome?”

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the remark. He knew he couldn't blame the child for assuming such things, but strangely, he had never felt more insulted in his life. Hurt Kagome…the thought seemed ludicrous now.

 

“No, sweetie. In fact, he's been really nice,” the miko continued, a small smile on her lips. Kagome turned her head to gaze warmly at the demon lord, “I trust him.”

 

He felt the familiar rise of heat to his cheeks at this, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but be shocked and at the same time touched. She'd never know it, but that meant more to he'd ever let on. His stoic mask was back on in less than a second. He nodded, kneeling beside her. Shippo gave him a hesitant look, and found that Sesshomaru was staring at him with emotionless yet patient eyes.

 

“Do not be afraid,” he managed to say gently, “I will not do anything to betray Kagome's trust.” The demon lord waited until Shippo nodded. “Now, it's very important that you tell us calmly and slowly what happened,” Sesshomaru said.

 

Shippo wiped at his eyes furiously and looked up at the girl, whose eyes were just as expectant as Sesshomaru. “W-Well, it was shortly after Inuyasha left for a walk on his own just before sunset. He told us not to follow him and he seemed pretty mad so we left him alone…”

 

Flashback

 

“Do you think we should go after him anyway?” Sango questioned, looking after the hanyou as he stomped off angrily into the forest.

 

“I don't think that's wise,” Miroku noted, sighing as he sat back down at his place by the fire. “He'll come back when he's hungry. Besides, it's getting dark, and we're in unfamiliar land. If we get lost in the forest, it might spell trouble. Inuyasha's a half-demon, he can easily sniff his way back,” the monk concluded; though the look in his eyes told the others that he was still very pensive over their situation.

 

“If you say so,” the taijya nodded, sitting beside him—mind you, a good distance just in case of his wandering hands. “I guess I'm just a little worried is all. I mean…ever since Kagome was held hostage at Sesshomaru's, he's been acting really strange. I don't know if it's concern for her or if he's thinking of a plan…”

 

“Inuyasha thinking?” Shippo piped, eyebrows raised.

“Well, it does seem rather unlikely, but when it comes to Kagome, it's no laughing matter. We all know he's hiding something and—“

 

Miroku stopped in mid sentence as his whole body suddenly went rigid. Violet eyes began to widen with alert, and hands tightened around golden staff.

 

“Houshi-sama?” Sango prodded, noticing his sudden change in demeanor. He held up a hand to quickly silence them.

 

“Can you hear it?” He questioned, voice low and quiet. Sango and Shippo quickly opened up their ears for any noise, and sure enough, in the distance their was a low, rumbling sound. It was like the beating of furious wings that resonated in a buzz. “Everyone, get back!” Miroku shouted as a fierce wind blew all around them.

 

They all managed to jump out of the way as hundreds of wind blades showered down on where they were standing, immediately putting out the campfire that had just been started. Sango and Miroku quickly readied themselves while Shippo seemed to be nothing short of panicking.

 

All eyes turned upward as a figure descended from the skies in a silvery feather. Crimson eyes watched them all in a sort of bored manner. Behind the woman, familiar insects and demons hovered in anticipation.

 

“Kagura,” Sango muttered, eyes narrowing and hands tightening on her haraikotsu. She turned to them, a coy smile on her lips.

 

“Cretins,” she nodded in return, as if she were greeting them with courtesy.

 

“What do you want?” Miroku spoke up, his form tense.

 

“None of your business. I'm here for one reason and one reason only.” She pointed her elaborately decorated fan at them. “And that's to kill you.”

 

Without warning or time to react, she brought her hand down, sending another wave of wind blades down at them.

“Waaaah!!!” Shippo whined, scrambling into a nearby bush. Sango and Miroku were now in a heated battle as the hundreds of demons behind Kagura now went from neutral to full attack mode. Now usually, they'd be doing fine, because battling Naraku's hoard of demons plus Kagura was something they'd all done before. But now they were short one fire neko youkai and one hanyou with a sword that could wipe out a hundred demons in one swipe. Needless to say, from where Shippo was standing, they were at a large disadvantage.

 

“Hiraikotsu!” Sango let her boomerang fly, succeeding in slicing a fair few demons, but apparently some managed to slip by—including a snake youkai that lunged straight for her shoulder. “Ngh!!!” She groaned as it's teeth sunk into her.

 

“Sango!” Miroku turned to the demon slayer, who quickly stabbed the snake youkai with a dagger from one of her hidden pouches. It fell with a sickening plop onto the ground before disintegrating. “Are you alright?” He questioned, worry in his eyes.

 

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, luckily for me it bit into my armor.”

 

The monk breathed a sigh of relief. “It's no use, there's just too many of them,” he looked up at the next row of demons that were coming their way. Kagura was watching with bored eyes on the sidelines. “Where's a half-demon when you need one?” He muttered, grasping the beads that were wound around his arm.

 

Sango's hand grabbed his, and he turned back to see deep brown eyes widened in fear. “What are you doing?!” She hissed, and he gently took his hand out from hers.

 

“I have no choice, there's more than we can handle.”

 

“But the insects—“

 

“Nothing I haven't lived through before,” he answered, his eyes hardened with resolve. “I'll stop before I absorb too much poison.”

 

Before the demon slayer could protest he had pulled off the beads completely and the familiar gravity began to pull the demons in.

 

“Wind Tunnel!”

 

In the blink of an eye, half of the demons were gone, swept away into the dark abyss that was Miroku's wind tunnel. They could all see him tense in pain as the poison spread throughout his limbs.

 

“Houshi-sama! That's enough!” Sango pleaded.

 

“Stop, Miroku! You're gonna get really sick!” Shippo shouted from his hiding place.

 

“Just…a little more…” He strained, his teeth gritting.

 

“KAZE NO KIZU!”

 

All eyes turned to the silver-haired hanyou that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The Wind Scar's aim was true, and all the demons that were charging only moments before dissipated within the blink of an eye.

 

“You IDIOT! What do you think you're doing, using the Wind Scar?” Inuyasha growled, landing in front of them with Tetsusaiga poised.

 

“You're one to talk! Miroku wouldn't have had to use it if you were here in the first place!” Shippo chided, appearing from his hiding spot. Inuyasha threw him an angered look, but for some reason that he couldn't explain, there was a hint of something like regret and apology written on his face.

 

“How is he?” He asked, eyeing the monk on the ground who was clutching his wrist tightly.

 

“…Poisoned pretty bad,” Sango answered, bringing a hand to his forehead.

 

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. “It wasn't supposed to get this serious…”

 

“Inuyasha?” the demon slayer averted to him.

 

“Put him somewhere safe so he won't hurt himself!” Inuyasha snapped quickly.

 

“No, I can still—“

 

“You can what? Kill yourself faster? You ain't doin' nothin' and that's final!” Before anyone could argue, the half-demon ran straight towards Kagura. She gave him a teasing smirk and sent another wave of her wind blades. Inuyasha blocked them off easily, and managed to get into close enough range to swipe her with his claws. But she was quite quick too.

 

From a distance, Shippo saw their lips move, as if they were talking to one another. But the fox couldn't make out any words despite his acute hearing. But whatever it was, it seemed rather important, and not the usual “back off bitch” kind of talk.

 

“This is bad,” Sango whispered behind him, and the little kitsune momentarily forgot all about the battle before him. He turned to see the taijya hunched over the houshi, who seemed to be in extreme pain. Large turquoise eyes rested upon his arm, and he grimaced visibly when he saw that most of the limb was turning a nasty shade of purple. “The poison is spreading too quickly!”

 

“S-Sango, don't worry about me…I'm fine.”

 

“Shhh, don't talk,” she soothed. Pulling out one of her secret pouches, Sango took out a makeshift antidote. All the while, she shook her head. “This will slow it down, but it's not strong enough to save him. If Kagome were here, we could use the medicine from her time.”

 

Just then, a loud crash could be heard nearby, and both the demon slayer and fox looked over to see the hanyou in a heap by the tree. He let out an irritated growl, using the sword as leverage to get up. “Dammit, he's here,” the spat. With questioning eyes, all of them turned in the direction he was staring at only to let out a gasp when a familiar dark figure approached from the shadows. One of his long tentacles had lashed out at Inuyasha, and as he withdrew the limb, a maniacal glint flickered across his crimson eyes.

 

“Forgive me, Kagura was taking so long retrieving the jewel I had to come and check,” he greeted casually, as if he was just passing by. “But I suppose if you want something done, you have to do it yourself!” At once he released a poison miasma which quickly covered the forest within seconds. Inuaysha grabbed Miroku, Shippo, and Sango to a farther spot where the fumes weren't as strong.

 

Immediately the demon slayer lifted her mask to her face.

 

“No way we can finish this before sundown…” Inuyasha grimaced, golden depths narrowed in worry.

 

“Sundown? What's so important…” Sango's eyes widened slightly in realization. “Inuyasha…is tonight—“

 

“Yeah. It's the new moon. If this keeps on, I won't be much use to you,” he muttered. “Damn, it wasn't supposed to drag out this long.”

 

`Supposed to?' Shippo cocked his head questioningly to the side, but didn't say anything. His mind was pressed on much more important matters at hand when several demons emerged from the thick smoke at them.

 

“He's using the fumes to cover his scent and at the same time hide himelf while sending out his demon flunkes!” Inuyasha growled, brandishing Tetsusaiga. “We can't fight this way unless this toxic gas is purified!”

 

“But we can't do that without Kagome!” Shippo whined. After a long, and perhaps even hesitant pause, the hanyou looked down at the fox.

 

“Get her.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

“I shouldn't, I don't want to…” and his voice were honest when he said this, as if he regretted them, but he looked rather desperate now. Over the situation or for himself the little kitsune wasn't very sure anymore. “But we need her. Go find her and bring her here.”

 

“But—“

 

“NOW DAMMIT!” Inuyasha snapped, so viciously in fact that Shippo was scared into finding the miko if nothing else. Amber eyes watched with smoldering emotion as they followed the child demon into the forest… The figure became smaller and smaller, heading towards the Western Castle, and all hopes rode on him to bring back Kagome. To save her or to be their savior was the question now.

 

End Flashback

 

“After that, I ran straight here to find you,” Shippo finished. “Please Kagome, the others are really badly hurt! It's the new moon tonight and I don't know how much more Inuyasha can take it!”

 

“He's probably transformed by now…” Kagome thought grimly, biting her lower lip. Her sapphire eyes were shadowed with worry and fear. “Oh, Inuyasha…” tears began to well up in her eyes, rolling gently down her cheek and splashing onto her beautiful gown. She watched in an almost entranced state as the teardrop became absorbed in the fine material, spreading until it left nothing but a damp spot.

 

“Kagome?” Shippo tugged at her dress. She wiped away her tears quickly, as if just realizing that she had begun to cry. The feeling of contentment and warmth had all been but a memory now. The music had faded from her ears and the intimate waltz that she shared with Sesshomaru seemed so distant now.

 

A firm hand gripped gently on her shoulder and she turned to the Taiyoukai. Sesshomaru wiped away a tear that escaped one of her sapphire irises, his fingers caressing her cheek softly, almost in a feather-like touch as if fearing she would break. He said nothing, only conveying through usually expressionless golden eyes that he understood what she could not say. Kagome turned from him, away from his comforting touch. And for a split second, he seemed deeply hurt at her slight withdrawal.

 

But she couldn't rely on him, couldn't take the comfort he offered. At the moment, Kagome felt like she didn't deserve any of it because she felt so low.

 

Heavy guilt washed over her. `While I was here safe and sound—enjoying myself and living in the lap of luxury, my friends are hurt and suffering.' Her hands wrung in her lap and she hung her head. What was she doing here in this gorgeous gown and dancing with the Taiyoukai? What happened to her being prisoner and him being the enemy? What happened to having Inuyasha and her friends come first? When had it all become so very complicated? It used to be so simple back then…the enemy was the enemy and was meant to be hated.

 

She looked up at the demon lord now; who gazed back with tender eyes. And she began to weep again…for she could not hate him, no matter how dire things seemed. Still…she found to her dismay that it was not the guilt of forgetting her friends that tore at her, but the fact that she truly and honestly cared for the man before her. She wanted to be with him, and see him smile in a way that she knew only she could make him smile. Kagome wanted to dance a thousand more waltzes with him under the starlight if it meant he would hold her forever…

 

And that was why she was so guilty—because she for the first time in her life Kagome had wanted something. She wanted to continue living in his fairytale that she had created with Sesshomaru so badly that she forgot everything that had been important to her before. Including her friends, the Shikon no Tama, Naraku…and most of all, Inuyasha. `Since when did I become so selfish?'

 

“S-Sessho…I need to…” Her words came out broken and almost choked. A gentle finger pressed against her fingers and she looked up Sesshomaru, who looked at her in an almost pained expression.

 

“I need you to come with me for a moment,” He said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. Kagome nodded, wiping away her tears and following the demon lord as he led her down the hallway. Shippo had slid off of Kagome's lap and stared after them in a confused manner.

 

`I know Kagome said Sesshomaru was nicer…but it's WEIRD.' He thought. It's in the way he looks at her, speaks to her, touches her that implies more than just what they claim to be. The kitsune wasn't sure exactly what it was that was there, only that it was. Even when they weren't in the room anymore, it still seemed to linger…an achingly tangible sadness.

 

For a moment, he moved to follow his surrogate mother, but a hand stopped him.

 

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” Jaken warned, bulgy yellow eyes narrowing at the fox demon. The child scowled and knocked off the toad's hands.

 

“Don't tell me what to do!” He growled.

 

“No, for once Jaken-san is right,” Aki, the badger stepped in. “Right now, more than ever they need to be alone, little fox. I guarantee you that Kagome-sama will not be harmed.”

 

“…I know she won't be,” Shippo admitted slowly, easing a bit before moving back to his chair.

 

~*~*~*~

 

An uncomfortable silence enveloped the both of them, holding back the things that he wanted—needed to say to her. But what was there to say? He knew what was going to happen now…and he almost regretted in a way, how things came to be as they did. He still held on tightly to her hand, as if he were afraid to let her go. Yet she did not complain, did not pull back as he led her to a part of the castle that he had so viciously before banished her from. But Kagome seemed so preoccupied with other thoughts that she didn't seem to notice that they were entering the West Wing.

 

The Taiyoukai mentally winced upon the memory…how cruel and frightening he was when he found her in his chamber. The harsh words of hate that spilled from his mouth. The look in her eyes… `Oh god, the way she looked at me…' Remembering it now, he wished he could've done things differently. From that one moment to the second they first met. Sesshomaru had never been one for wishful thinking, but it seemed unavoidable to him now. He wished things would be different.

 

Kagome seemed to sense his distress and squeezed his hand comfortingly. A sad smile graced his lips, as he squeezed back, their hands holding tightly to each other almost desperately.

 

“Sesshomaru?” Her delicate voice finally broke the silence. “Where are we going?” She asked, finally becoming aware of the surroundings. The familiarity seemed to sink in, and she held back a gasp when they stopped in front of a recognizable shoji screen door decorated with a silver dog and wispy clouds.

 

Sesshomaru could sense her nervousness and she seemed to pull back a little, unconsciously trying to prevent what had happened last time she walked through those magnificent doors. But he held onto her tightly, giving her a reassuring look.

 

“It's alright, I have decided to make an exception this time.” The door slid open easily, revealing the beautiful chambers within. Still, Kagome kept her head down, feeling acutely aware that she didn't belong. This made the demon lord sigh mentally. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable or frightened to be there…he wanted her to be relaxed and safe, no matter where she was with him.

 

Golden eyes caught sight of a dent in his wall; one that bore claw marks that had not been repaired since their last meeting in the West Wing. He closed his eyes. Part of her anxiety was his fault, and the familiar guilt tugged at him.

 

But he couldn't think about that now. There was little time left. His weary eyes glanced at the moonless sky, peppered with stars that seemed to have lost their luster that had been present during their waltz.

 

“I had almost forgotten all about this painting,” Kagome started suddenly, bringing him out of his reverie. He looked in the direction she was staring, and saw the portrait of his mother and himself as a child. The miko smiled and walked over to it, hands clasped behind her back. “She must've been a very beautiful person,” she remarked, studying his mother's kind expression.

 

“She was,” Sesshomaru replied, moving to stand beside her and gazing affectionately up at the face of the woman whom he could never forget. Kagome glanced over at him, a tender look in her sapphire irises that made his heart stop for a second. Her fingers lifted to trace the lines of his portrait self, gliding over the canvass gently, almost feather-like as if fearing she would mar the painting.

 

“You seem so happy here,” she commented. “…Looking at it, makes me wonder what happened to make you seem so cold.”

 

He looked away at this, the memory of his father's betrayal to his mother vivid in his mind. Nothing was said, but he could feel Kagome's eyes boring into him. And somehow…without words, he could tell that she knew that he was holding back.

 

“There are a lot of things about Sessho-kun that I don't know…” She said softly, a tone of regret in her voice.

 

Gold met with sapphire in the starlit room, and he could only stare back with the same sense of longing. He felt touched by her words. She WANTED to know more about him, wanted to stay with him and learn more about what he liked and disliked. She wanted to know about his childhood, his dreams, his ambitions—things that he thought he had long forgotten. She wanted to know HIM in all of his entirety…and he could SEE it in her eyes, shining with honesty.

 

“…And there are a lot of things I don't know about Kagome…” He admitted. And the truth of the matter was, he wanted to know her too. He wanted to know every curve of her face, every fleck of silver in her eyes. He wanted to know the feel of her lips, the taste of her essence. He wanted to know her love, to know what could've been, what they could've had if only there was more time… “We can still know…” he whispered, almost pleadingly, desperately, despite the fact that he knew it was all futile.

 

Kagome frowned at this, as if following his thoughts. Her fingers came up to silence him, pressing gently against warm lips.

 

“We can't. We mustn't,” She uttered ruefully. `Before we regret it.' The tears welled up in her brilliant blue orbs now, threatening to fall. “I wish we could, Sesshomaru. I really do.” Kagome moved her fingers to trace the markings on his cheek carefully, affectionately, the sadness evident in her beautiful eyes now more than ever. “But they need me…” She whispered. “He needs me…”

 

He closed his eyes, his teeth clenching at her words. Inuyasha. It was always Inuyasha…always will be Inuyasha. That damn hanyou…he could never know how much his elder brother envied him. He hated the whelp not for the things he had, but for the fact that he couldn't see that he had them. His father's affection, the acceptance of others, and most of all, he had Kagome. The half-breed didn't even have to be present to ruin his evening—His wonderful, almost dream-like evening with Kagome. And now…now everything was ruined.

 

His hand came up to touch Kagome's, which was still on his cheek lightly before removing it from his face. Drawing away from her completely, he went over to the balcony window. The miko looked after him sadly.

 

She was asking him if she could leave. He knew she was even though she didn't say it directly. It wasn't a matter of questioning. It was what had to be done, and both of them was aware of it. Sesshomaru knew that she didn't want to outright say that she wanted to leave because she was bound to him. Kagome had promised to stay with him until he released her, and until he said otherwise, it would always remain so.

 

If he could have it his way he would have Kagome stay with him forever. But he couldn't bear the thought of her staying with him only out of obligation. He didn't want to control her or affect her free will. Only Kami knows, nothing could contain Kagome. She was like a bird—meant to fly free and on her own path. And at the moment, her path lead to Inuyasha.

 

He mentally growled. Deep down, Sesshomaru didn't blame Inuyasha. She belonged to his brother long before she met him. It was foolish to think that she would suddenly forget all about him. To think that she could love him more than she did Inuyasha. Besides, even if she did love him she would still run to the hanyou in his time of need.

 

And here he was…at a crossroad. The new moon. The last chance for him to break his curse, also happened to be the night his brother was most vulnerable to their most hated enemy. He had to decide now which more was more important. His own salvation from the curse, or Inuyasha and Kagome's friends. The selfish youkai in him screamed to `Keep Kagome here for yourself!' While the reasonable voice argued that if he kept Kagome here, he knew she wouldn't blame him, but she would probably be saddened and possibly hate him for it. And he couldn't live with that.

 

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. `I guess I was wrong. I don't have a choice, really.'

 

“You…”

 

Kagome paid full attention to the demon lord, who still had his back turned to her.

 

“Sesshomaru?”

 

“You must go to him.” There, he had finally said it. And god, it hurt.

 

“Really? You mean you'll let me? Is it really alright with you?” Kagome's voice held hints of happiness and sadness at the same time. Happy that she could go and help her friends; sad that she couldn't stay with the demon lord.

 

“Hai,” He answered slowly, keeping his voice as calm and collected as usual. The demon lord turned to approach her now. “As of now you are no longer my prisoner. I release you. You're free.” Though his words were void of emotion, his eyes reflected what he could not say.

 

A bittersweet smile played on the girl's lips. “A-Arigato, Sesshomaru-sama,” Ah, back to the formalities… “Thank you for everything.”

 

Without even thinking, she leapt up and hugged onto the demon lord tightly, and his arms immediately found their way around her petite body. Almost regretfully, she pulled back, but before she could run out of the room and possibly out of his life forever, Sesshomaru grasped her wrist and tugged her back.

 

“Wait, there's something I want you to have before you go.”

 

She cocked her head to the side. “What is it?”

 

He led her over to the desk that was situated in the middle of the room. Kagome stared at him curiously as he took into his hands a familiar glass case. Her eyes widened when she recognized the beautiful silver armlet that he removed from the intricate box. Except something was different about it this time.

 

The last time she had seen it, the armlet had a dangling chain that was devoid of any charm. Now however, she saw that a fang had been clasped into place, completing the piece perfectly. `Is that…his own fang?' Kagome thought to herself. She didn't quite understand it, but she knew there must be a very significant meaning behind the armlet and fang.

 

Her attention turned back to Sesshomaru, who held her left hand tenderly, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss on her knuckles while whispering her name softly so that only she could hear. Kagome blushed at his sudden display of affection. Without a word, he slipped the armlet onto Kagome's slender arm, which, to his pleasure fitted her perfectly. Just as her hand fit perfectly in his, and just as her body fitted perfectly in his embrace. He felt a sense of pride at seeing her wear it, especially when she brought a delicate hand up to touch the fang that dangled from the gem.

 

A gasp escaped her lips, sapphire eyes more beautiful than the jewel that hung around her arm looking up at him in shock.

 

“…For me? But I…” Kagome flushed a deep crimson, “I couldn't possibly accept something so precious to you! It belonged to your mother! Besides, the first time I tried to put it on, you got so angry…” she began to babble, not fully comprehending why he would give her something that seemed so important to him.

 

Sesshomaru brought a finger to her lips to silence her, then moving his hand to her chin to lift her face up and place a tender kiss upon her crown. “Fret not, Kagome. It belongs to you now…Even then it belonged to you. I was just to blind to see it before, that's all.”

 

Kagome didn't move, only stared back in complete confusion. Of course she didn't know. She didn't know that by giving her the armlet, he had sealed a bond between the both of them. That from now on he would belong to her. She didn't know that his fang hanging on the armlet signified his devotion as her mate for life. She didn't have to know. She could go on and live her life, loving whoever it is that was fortunate enough to have her. But as long as she wore it, a part of her will always belong to him. And he preferred it that way. This was his way of telling her that he loved her. Sesshomaru was never one who was good with words.

 

“As long as you wear this, a part of me will always be with you,” the demon lord whispered against her hair, not bothering to mask his emotions at all. He felt a something damp against his hoari, and pulled back to see tears silently streaming down her cheeks. He quickly wiped a tear away with his thumb, bringing it to his lips and tasting the tangible sorrow that she bore. Yes, he will be remembered. He didn't have to worry about that.

 

“Thank you,” She whispered.

 

They held each other once more. It wasn't desperate or tight like before. This embrace was tender, gentle, conveying all the emotions that neither got the chance to say. Reluctantly, she drew away from him, a look in her eyes he couldn't quite place.

 

“Remember me,” the words came from her lips like a breeze.

 

“Always.”

 

Kagome turned to leave but stopped, turning to him once more. Bringing two fingers to her lips, she kissed her fingertips, then placed them over the Taiyoukai's lips. His golden eyes widened in shock at this. That was her goodbye kiss. How he wished to pull her into his arms and kiss her properly. But he refrained. `She does not belong to you…not anymore.'

 

So with a bittersweet expression on his face, he watched as she ran out of his chambers. He could hear her footfalls resounding throughout the hallway, and his youkai ears could even catch the muffled cries that emanated from her throat. `Stop it,' He willed himself, turning away from the spot that she had stood only moments before to turn tired eyes up to the night sky.

 

Was this what it was like? The feeling that humans sometimes died of? Was this heartache?

 

“So, she's leaving,” A low, feminine voice said from his doorway. Sesshomaru didn't have to turn around to know that it was the aged neko who came to him.

 

“…I let her go,” Sesshomaru said regretfully. Somehow, saying the words aloud made them more painful.

 

“You could have broken the curse, Milord. With her gone, chances are, all hope is lost,” Nira remarked, her voice was calm. “Did she know of the curse?”

 

The demon lord shook his head, his hand covering his face. “She knew that I was cursed, but she did not know the terms in which to break the spell.”

 

“I see. Had she known, Kagome-sama probably would have stayed.”

 

“I didn't want her that way,” Sesshomaru admitted quietly. “I wanted her love to be pure, untainted, and solely created because she cared for me. I felt that if she knew of the curse, that love would seem more obligatory than anything.” He paused, “Besides, if anything were to happen to my idiotic half-brother, she would have blamed herself. And…I can't bear to see her cry again.”

 

The neko nodded, understanding what he meant. A smile creased her lips. “That was a very noble and selfless thing you did. So tell me, milord,” Nira's tone grew serious now. “Why did you let her go?”

 

The question seemed so ridiculous, but she had to hear it for herself. And what's more, she knew he needed to say it aloud as well.

 

“It was the right thing to do,” was his answer.

 

“No,” she said quickly, unsatisfied. “WHY did you let her go?” Nira pressed, this time it was sterner. The demon lord never took his eyes off of the stars. In that one moment, the old cat youkai swore he never looked more burdened and tired in his entire life. And yet, at the same time his soul burned with something that made him clearly more alive than he had ever been: passion.

 

“Because…I love her.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

“He did WHAT?!” Jaken exclaimed, barely believing his ears.

“He let her go,” Nira repeated calmly, her aged eyes flickering with something akin to sadness over the entire situation.

 

“Oh, all is lost now! Sesshomaru-sama will be a feeble ningen come sunrise!!!” The toad bemoaned.

 

“It's such a shame too,” Aki mentioned, shoulders slumping. “Just when he finally learned how to love…”

 

“How do you know Milord has really fallen in love with the ningen?”

 

“He gave her his mother's armlet, WITH his fang attached,” the neko said.

 

“Oooh, he IS in love then,” Aki scratched his snout at the mention of this. “That's serious, really serious…” he muttered under his breath.

 

“WAIT!” Jaken interjected, “There's hope after all! Sesshomaru-sama has fallen for the girl, then that should break the spell!” He did a little happy dance at his revelation, but was stopped abruptly by Aki's paw. The badger shook his head ruefully.

 

“It's not enough.”

 

“What? Why?” The toad grumbled, narrowing large yellow eyes.

 

“Because, the terms of the spell was that Kagome-sama has to love him in return as well,” Nira elaborated. “And at this point, all we know is that cares about him deeply, but beyond that…”

 

“She MUST love him!” Kotori said suddenly, “I've seen the way she looks at him, she just HAS to love him!” The lynx was only a romantic at heart, and she had been so sure that everything worked according to plan.

 

“But that's only an assumption. We have no way of knowing for sure. Besides, Kagome-sama gives love freely so it's hard to tell with her,” Nira thought.

 

“Not to mention, there's Sesshomaru-sama's half-brother to consider. I mean, she's harbored feelings for him before this whole ordeal, and seeing her rush off to his aid now, I'd say she still cares deeply for him.”

 

They all nodded grimly at this conclusion. They really had no way of knowing. All they really could do now was wait until sunrise. If their master was restored to his former glory then they will know that the curse was broken. But if he awoke with ebony black hair, then Lord Sesshomaru would have lost more than just his demon blood…

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Momma? Why are you crying?”

 

The girl glanced over her shoulder to the little kitsune, who gazed back with concerned eyes. Her hand touched her cheek as if she just realized herself that she was crying, and wiped at the tears furiously.

 

“I-I'm not crying, Shippo. My eyes just hurt a bit, that's all.” She turned back to the matter at hand—packing. Shippo narrowed his eyes at her evasive answer, hopping up to her shoulder to get a better view of her face. She was lying.

 

“It's because of Sesshomaru, isn't it?” She froze at this. “Did he make you cry?”

 

“…No, he didn't make me cry. I'm just…sad to be leaving that's all.”

 

“Then why is Kagome-neesan leaving?” Both of them looked up at the third voice, and the shoji screen door opened to reveal a very teary-eyed Rin. Apparently she had been there the entire time.

 

“Rin?” Kagome stood up, still in her ballroom gown. Without warning, the child ran from her spot at the doorway and grasped onto the hem of Kagome's gown, clinging tightly in a hug.

 

“Rin, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed,” Kagome chided, kneeling down and holding the girl by the shoulders.

 

“It's true, isn't it?” She asked instead, “Rin (hic) overheard from Nira-san (hic) and the others (hic) that Kagome-neesan is leaving us!” Rin managed to say between hiccups. “Why? Did Rin do something wrong? Or doesn't Kagome-neesan like us anymore?”

 

Kagome's sapphire eyes softened at this, and she took the sobbing girl in a warm embrace, rubbing her hand up and down soothingly. “Shhhh, oh sweetie…It's not like that at all. Of course I like you.”

 

“Then why?” Rin questioned.

 

“My friends need me, Rin.” Kagome said sadly. “…And I don't belong here.” The child cocked her head to the side, confused with the answer. `Didn't belong here? Of course she belonged! “Please understand, Rin-chan. It's like, if Sesshomaru-sama and Jaken were in trouble, would you help them?”

 

“Of course!” she piped. That was an easy question to answer.

 

“Then this is what I'm doing. My friends are in danger.”

 

Rin contemplated what the older girl said for a moment, her nose crinkled in thought. Finally, she nodded. She did understand perfectly. And she also knew that there was no stopping Kagome-neesan from leaving. After all, she herself would have left right away if Sesshomaru-sama, Jaken-sama, or anyone else she knew were in trouble to help.

 

Shippo went beside her and took the girl's hand into his own small one. “Don't worry, Rin! I'll take good care of her!” The fox promised.

 

“Okay, Shippo-chan.” She smiled, before turning back to Kagome and giving her a hug. It was then that she noticed something shiny on Kagome's arm that hadn't been there before.

 

“Oh! It's so pretty!” Rin pointed suddenly at the armband Kagome wore. “Where did Kagome-neesan get it?”

 

The miko looked sadly down at the armlet, a beautiful, sad smile adorned her lips as she touched in affectionately, playing with the fang that hung from it. “Lord Sesshomaru gave it to me as a goodbye present,” she said wistfully. “He…has been so good to me.” Longing was evident in her voice.

 

Shippo hopped over to where Kagome played with the piece of jewelry, examining it closer. His eyes widened when he realized what it was. Bending closer, he sniffed the fang that Kagome was idly playing with, and froze.

 

This was Sesshomaru's fang! And this armlet…he had heard that only noble youkai used it to signify their bond as mates. But if Sesshomaru gave it to her…then does that mean…?

 

“He gave it to you as a goodbye present?” Shippo suddenly asked. Kagome nodded. “Anything else?”

 

“…No, why?” she looked at him curiously.

 

“Oh, nothing!” He chuckled, “Let's hurry up, Kagome! The others are counting on us!” He didn't pursue the matter further.

 

Kagome quickly changed out of her gown and into her trademark high school uniform. She placed the dress carefully onto the futon. “It's far to beautiful, I can't take it with me. It belongs here,” she whispered.

 

And that was it. It was like leaving the last of her memories here in this castle behind—good or bad. She picked up her bag and Shippo, gave Rin one last hug, and ran out of the room and out of the castle.

 

As she rode a transformed Kirara out into the night that seemed to have become increasingly cold, she tried to hold back the tears. She tried to forget about the demon lord that she was leaving behind, that was watching her, as she became further and further away from his balcony. And she tried to block out the sound of a dog demon's mournful cry to the star-filled night that spoke of what could have been, what never will be, and what little there was left.

 

 

End Chapter

 

 

Yume: Whooo! Finally done with it! Though the thirteen pages hardly make up for time lost.

 

CF: CF thought it was harder that CF thought! Too many emotional scenes!

 

Yume: Anyways, sorry AGAIN for the lateness of chapters. There should be two or three chapters left before the conclusion of this fic, and I'm rather saddened that another fic is wrapping itself up.

 

CF: But on happy notes! FANFIC AWARDS!

 

Yume: Thank you all for nominating and voting for our fanfics on “A Single Spark!” I was very surprised when I saw my name up there with the winners this year, despite my lack of updates. (sob) I'll try to make it up to you all with more updates I promise! I'm soooo happy! “Even Immortals Fall” and “ForgetMeNot” (again?) managed to squeeze in some of the slots, and I was surprised because a lot of fics that one last year won this year too.

 

CF: Can't get rid of the classics?

 

Yume: I guess not. Congratulations to the other winners too! Especially Resmiranda! (thumbs up!) YOU ROCK!

 

CF: CHOCOLATE TURTLES FOR EVERYBODY! Oh, and THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!

 

Yume: Please read and review, I always appreciate feedback to know if I had gotten worse (according to my teacher who hates my works XD) No flames please!

 

Preview Next Chapter:

 

Sunrise awaits over the horizon, but until, what secrets lurk in the darkness of the moonless night? As swords clash between two brothers, and a puppeteer pulling the strings in the background, all is not as they appear. And as the sun peaks its' first rays of light, Kagome finds one silver-haired brother standing over one with tresses as dark as night.

 

Whether that's Sesshomaru or Inuyasha, I'll let you all speculate. Until next time!