InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Inu ❯ Chapter 5

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Sesshomaru rubbed his temple, annoyed that the northern lord was growing more persistent that he attend the upcoming Winter Solstice ball. He'd never been fond of attending such gatherings, but being the western lord, it was required for him to do so. In recent years he'd ignored the letters, or simply wrote back saying he had matters in own lands to attend to. They were always excuses for the simple matter that he detested social gatherings of all kinds. They were pointless. All one did was dress up in their finest clothes and pretend to be kind to one another, when in truth everyone was itching to kill the man closest to him.

 

Not only that, but the females were annoyingly persistent in trying to convince him they were destined to be his mate.

 

He rolled his eyes at such nonsense. He'd yet come across a bitch strong enough to be his mate. He refused to be tied down to a weakling, especially one who's birthing didn't match his own.

 

A knock sounded at the door. He knew long before she'd stopped before his door who it was. He bid his ward enter, watching as the young girl skipped up to his desk. "Lord Sesshomaru! Rin has something for you!" The girl held out something to him. It looked like a blob of dried clay, with sloppy flowery designs painted on it.

 

He peered at the object. "What is it?"

 

She giggled, the sound like music to his ears. "It's a cup! See?" She turned it over in her hands, showing him the hole at the top. "Rin went to the art building and made it for you."

 

Sesshomaru took the cup in his own hand, careful as to not break the fragile object. It was nothing near the fine crafted teacups he was used to having, but the fact that she'd created it on her own was a gesture he took to heart. Only his young ward could make him, a powerful Daiyoukai lord, turn into the softest of men. It was pathetic, but he'd long ago forced himself to accept that fact.

 

"Arigatou, Rin."

 

The girl beamed up at him brightly, her smile rather adorable despite her missing front tooth. She looked down at the unrolled scroll on his desk. "What are you reading, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked curiously.

 

Sesshomaru hesitated, but then answered. "It seems the northern lands will be hosting the Winter Solstice ball this year, and would like for us to attend."

 

His ward gasped, excitement lighting her face. "Really? Oh, Rin always wanted to attend a real ball!"

 

Sesshomaru frowned. In the few years he'd had Rin under his care, he hadn't assumed she'd thought of such things. He'd refused to attend the balls at the northern and southern lands, and had declined when it was his turn to host such in his own home. Since time went by faster for youkai, the noble Winter and Summer Solstice balls were held every ten years. This would be the only time little Rin could attend one at such a young age, considering ningen grew older faster than youkai. Perhaps he may even find a future possible candidate for her hand, despite her young age.

 

"Hai?" He said. "I had not planned on attending, but seeing that you want to go so much, I suppose I could make arrangements."

 

His ward squealed with unconcealed joy, mirth lighting her eyes. "Arigatou, Lord Sesshomaru! You just made Rin the happiest girl in the world!" She gasped. "Rin will go look for the best kimono to wear!" She giggled on her way out the door.

 

Sesshomaru stopped her. "Rin." The girl stopped and peered over her shoulder at him. "Where is your Kagome? Has she not been doing her job as your caretaker?"

 

Rin gasped again. "Kagome-chan is Rin's caretaker now? Yay!" She smiled. "Kagome is asleep. She's been sleeping since Rin last saw her at dinner."

 

Sesshomaru frowned. "That was three days ago."

 

Rin shrugged, obviously unconcerned. "Kagome-chan was very tired. Rin saw the dark circles under her eyes. Rin wanted her to sleep as long as she wanted until she was feeling better." That said, his ward skipped out of his study, singing a happy tune as she went.

 

Sesshomaru, after signing the letter to be returned to the north saying he would attend, rose to his feet. The wench had been sleeping for three days straight? Surely she was well rested by now. If not she couldn't just stay in hibernation for so long. There were things that needed to be done, and no one besides Rin was allowed to just laze about all day.

 

...

 

Kagome was sitting in a field of wild flowers, the sun shining down on her skin. She wore a green yukata with a yellow obi tied around her waist. She looked around, confused. She didn't know where she was, though the field around her looked familiar.

 

"Hello?" She called out. She couldn't sense a thing. All she could see and hear was nature's finest.

 

"Yes, my child."

 

Kagome jumped at the voice and spun around. A large black Inu stood before her, it's red eyes staring down at her. Kagome stumbled backwards, shocked. She fell on her bottom, staring up at the creature.

 

"Y-y..." She stammered, seemingly unable to get the words out of her mouth. She gasped when she realized the voice that had come out of nowhere the day she'd escaped her prison, as well as the one who'd told her her name belonged to the Inu. "You're that voice," she said dumbly.

 

The Inu didn't speak through its mouth, but rather through the mind. "Hai. I am."

 

"Who are you?"

 

"I am you," the Inu said simply. "Or rather, the other half of you." At Kagome's blank look the Inu seemed to look heavenward in annoyance. "I am your beast, your inner demon. I am your true form."

 

Kagome stared up in wonder. This was what she'd look like should she let her demon take over? She didn't look half bad, if she did say so herself. She blinked. "Wait a minute. If you're me, then you'd know who I am, right? You remember my life before..."

 

She trailed off when the demon began to shake its head. "I'm afraid not, my dear. The effects of the drug the hanyou fed us are still wearing off. However, I do catch glimpses here and there. Brief memories into our past, but not enough to tell me who we are."

 

Kagome frowned, disappointed. "Why is it that you get the memories, and not me?"

 

"You are the master. I am but the voice in the back of your mind. The memories must pass through me before reaching you."

 

Kagome nodded, not fully understanding, but not wanting to question it. She moved onto another subject she rather dreaded. "The day I escaped that...place. The pink light. What-"

 

"My apologies, but that is something I cannot yet discuss with you."

 

Kagome scowled. "Why not? You're me, so I think I deserve to know." When the beast remained quiet, Kagome placed her hands on her hips. "As your master I command you to tell me."

 

The beast chuckled in her head. "That is a good try, but I'm afraid on this matter I must answer to a higher power. The kamis forbid me from telling you, and I must obey."

 

Kagome rolled her eyes, wondering what part the damn gods had in all of this. Where were they the three centuries she'd been kept captive in that hell? "What a load of crap," she muttered. A gentle breeze blew by, and she realized that the surrounding forestry was lush with springtime greenery, where as where she'd escaped from the east the western lands had begun to change in color as the end of Fall drew near. "Where am I, exactly?"

 

The beast looked up at the sky, its glossy fur shining blue black in the sun. Kagome looked up and saw a blue five point star on the middle of its forehead. Did she have that mark too? If so, what does it mean? "You are within the depths of your mind, in the place between the real world and...not so real."

 

Again, Kagome didn't quite understand, but nodded anyways. "In other words, I'm dreaming."

 

"That too."

 

Kagome shook her head, rubbing her hands up and down her bare arms. "What am I going to do? I don't know who I am, I have some weird power that I can't control bubbling under my skin, and a beast that lives inside my head." She began to pace, chewing at her nails. "After I get my revenge on that bastard hanyou, what will become of me? I have no home that I know of, no friends... Nothing. That rotten creature stole my life from me."

 

Her beast hummed, leaning down to put its cold, wet nose on her cheek. "If I may make a suggestion..." When Kagome stopped pacing and looked her beast in the eyes, it continued. "I rather like the silver haired Inu. Just looking at him makes me pur like a neko."

 

Kagome froze, suddenly realizing who it was her beast was talking about. "Sesshomaru?! Keshite nai! No bloody damn way! I'll be damned to hell and back before I ever choose that...that...brute for anything."

 

Her beast tilted its head. "He is not so bad."

 

Kagome gave her beast a disbelieving look. "I just escaped one yatsu. I do not need another so soon. He is rude, and annoying, and always looking down his nose at me as if I were a bug."

 

"He is beauty and power wrapped up in a big, strong package. We want him."

 

"No, you want him. I'd just as soon die before even considering him in such a way. Besides, even if I were interested, which I'm clearly not, I'm sure he'd rather have someone politically and physically better than myself."

 

"But we do not yet know who we are. We may be-"

 

Kagome held her hand up, cutting her beast off. She was done with this conversation. "Is there a reason you dragged me to this world between worlds for something other than idle chitchat?"

 

Her beast grumbled something, but Kagome ignored it. "I did not drag you hear, firstly." The beast shook its big head. It then lifted its muzzle to the air, and inhaled deeply. If it were possible. Kagome would have assumed a smile curved her beast's mouth. "Speaking of the Inu, he approaches. However, I wanted to show you something before you awakened."

 

Before Kagome could ask the beast to clarify, it leaned down to stare Kagome in the eyes. Unable to look away, Kagome watched as the beast's eyes began to glow a brighter red.

 

...

 

A face appeared before Kagome, one she felt was familiar, but could not remember. The face soon developed a body that was cut off at the waist. Everything beyond the body was blurry. The person was a handsome male wolf youkai. She knew that from his scent. He was tan with stunning blue eyes and long black hair that was pulled into a high ponytail.

 

The male turned his eyes to her and grinned. With a gasp, Kagome suddenly remembered who the male was. He was her old friend, the one she was waiting on the day she was ambushed by the dragons.

 

Kouga.