InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Moonlight through the Broken Ice ❯ Purifying the Darkness ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: Never own them… not even in my sleep… But I own Sai in body and mind…ohohohohoho

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"Kagome-sama…Kagome-sama?..."

'Souta?...why are you in my room…I'm still sleepy…and stop it with the sama…' she mumbled sleepily.

"Kagome-sama… Kagome-sama…" the voice insisted.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes as the chirping voice took her from the bliss of the sleeping world. She stared at the big brown eyes accompanied by a toothy smile of a little girl kneeling on her futon.

"Ohayou, Kagome-sama!"

She stared at the young girl with black hair in a single ponytail on the upper side of her head. She was wearing an orange kimono with a checker board design.

 

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CHAPTER 10

PURIFYING THE DARKNESS

 

"Kagome-sama, Rin is very happy to see you awake now."

 

Kagome giggled at Rin's adorable way of speaking. "Ohayou, Rin-chan."

 

She rubbed her eyes and stretched as she looks at the girl. She adored the child's carefree character the first time they met during their shikon shard hunting days no matter how awkward the situation was then. She saw Rin running after Jaken while holding a wreath of flowers and resting between the heads of the two-headed dragon, Ah-Un, when she was tired. It was a good thing too that Sesshomaru was on patrol that day, so no bloody fights and bad mouths. Just some "sits" for Inuyasha who kept on saying strings of profanities in front of the child. Even Jaken was tolerable that day; after they tied him up, gagged and hung him on the branch of a tree near Ah-Un. The dragon youkai didn't bother since he sensed no ill will from their group towards Rin. She even gave the girl some of her chocolates and candies, which was openly appreciated, before they left to go back to their hunting.

 

"Is Kagome-sama feeling well now? Jaken-sama told Rin not to go because Kagome-sama is unwell."

 

"Hai, Rin-chan. I feel wonderful."

 

Kagome assessed the room once more hoping to find her backpack. She still has some sweets left that she knew Rin would surely love. But she remembered she didn't have it with her when she woke up. Though she did try not to blush when she remembers the situation she was in when she did, or more like in whose arms she woke up in and the owner of the haori that was covering her near naked body then.

 

"Rin."

 

Both of the girls looked at the now open door where the voice came from, each with different emotions etched on their faces; one of pure joy and adoration while the other, shock and fear.

 

There stood Sesshomaru in his kimono, the usual armor missing from his broad chest, his face, as cold and as stoic as ever. Kagome was still staring at the white fluffy mokomoko, contemplating on what it really is when Rin dashes towards the taiyoukai and latches herself to his leg.

 

Kagome just stared at the sight wide-eyed feeling her heart skip a beat when Sesshomaru moved his clawed hand towards the girl, and what happened next was a big surprise to Kagome.

 

"Eh?"

 

Sesshomaru tapped Rin's head lightly as shadows of emotion flickered in his golden orbs for only the barest of seconds.

 

'That can't be right? Hell must be frozen by now.'

 

She just stared unbelieving at what's in front of her; she was almost tempted to pinch herself. Rin started telling the taiyoukai about Kagome and how they met once. Then she barely heard him tell the child to find Jaken and about preparing for Ah-Un but before the shoji door closed leaving her alone in the room, she got a glimpse of Sesshomaru giving the sweet young girl an almost undetectable smile; she almost missed it if she wasn't practically staring at the taiyoukai's face that time.

 

'Nope, I'm wrong. Hell isn't just frozen; they've got some hell of a blizzard too.'

 

It took her a few minutes more before she finally shakes herself out of her stupor. She washed her face in the basin placed on top of the vanity and changed her sleeping yukata with a clean kimono prepared for her, probably by Aya while she was still sleeping.

 

The slight knock on the door took her attention from her thoughts, still having a hard time trying to process that she did see him give an expression other than rage and total blandness, she even blamed her brain for being asleep.

 

'Seeing Sesshomaru smile and I mean smile and not sneer or smirk is on the top of my list of the impossible things, right next to me ever flying. Just plain impossible. Then pigs will start flying too. No wait, Momo can fly…but he's a cow not a pig…. But then again, I did fly here with Sesshomaru.' She thought before she answered and Aya came in with a tray filled with her breakfast and another youkai with dark gray shoulder length hair, his long fringe braided down beside his right ear and bright emerald green eyes. Fairly above normal height and medium built. He was wearing a dark blue, almost black hakama, red haori and a black surcoat bearing the crest of the western lands, a blue crescent moon with crimson outline and three hexagons with white sakura blossoms within each. They bowed respectfully before her.

 

"Ohayou, Kagome-sama, forgive my intrusion but my lord wants to have a word with you in his study as soon as you are finished your meal."

 

"This early?" Kagome peaks outside the slightly opened door, it was still dawn. 'I guess this is how their day starts. Even Rin is already up.' Then she looks at the other youkai and gave Aya a questioning look.

 

"This is Sai, Kagome-sama. He is to be your personal guard. My lord wants to make sure certain things will not happen again." Aya introduced him a little bit uneasy.

 

Kagome unconsciously placed her right hand on her throat as she stared at her left wrist, now sporting a pinkish horizontal scar. Somehow, her reiki has healed it faster than usual or maybe just an effect of the power of Tenseiga. She didn't really notice last night.

 

"Nice meeting you, Sai." The green-eyed youkai just nodded at her and stood outside the door. "Okay, I'll be quick then." She sat down at the soft pillow next to the table as she takes her fill then looked at the silent youkai.

 

'Sesshomaru must really have high standards here, even his guards look hot…' she shakes her head. `Miroku must have rubbed off on me, I'm becoming a hentai.' She heard Sai choke outside the door. Kagome looked at Aya then shrugged. She eyed the tail that was currently wrapped around the kitsune and the urge to ask took her.

 

"Anou… Aya-chan, may I ask you something?"

 

"Of course, Kagome-sama," She was kneeling in front of the miko.

 

"That fluffy thing that Sesshomaru has on his shoulder, what is it? Is that his tail?" Hey, a girl just had to ask, right?

 

Aya's brow furrowed as she looked at the miko quizzically. "That is my lord's mokomoko. It is a part of him, like another limb only it is connected to him through his youki, Kagome-sama. I mean not to be disrespectful but, may I ask why the sudden interest?"

 

Kagome blushed. "Nothing, really, I'm just curious." She gave her a thankful smile.

 

As soon as she finished eating she walked towards the Tetsusaiga that was placed on the katana rack and touched the sword, relishing at its unusual warmth before following Aya towards the study and Sai a few steps behind her.

 

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Sesshomaru immediately clutched the cloth where he put the black shards and tossed it on his study table. The cloth sizzled and smoke rouse from it as the three shards now partially visible from the cloth turned bright red and emitted a very dark aura breaking the green translucent barrier.

 

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They were walking down the corridor that leads to the study in the main dwelling when she felt the sudden piercing pain in her heart. She stopped but only for a moment. She didn't want to give it any thought, if only it would stop throbbing. The pain keeps on as they walk and it became a lot worse when they finally reached the study.

 

But as they entered the door, the pain was suddenly so intensified, that she fell on her knees clutching her chest with her right hand and the other one for support.

 

The two youkai was alarmed and were beside Kagome in an instant, helping her to her feet. "What's wrong, Kagome-sama?"

 

"I'm fine, don't worry." She hissed.

 

Sesshomaru saw Kagome as she grit her teeth to bear the pain. 'The connection of the miko to the shards is visible. It is reacting to her.'

 

Aya helped her sit on a big cushion in front of the table while Sai stayed beside the door reluctantly- Sesshomaru on the other side of the table, his face unreadable.

 

Kagome then sensed the dark aura near her and heard Midoriko's voice once more. 'Those are the kuro no tama; you must purify it to stop the pain.'

 

Sesshomaru saw her eyes become unfocused and tapped into her mind. To his surprise, there was no barrier that stopped him and he was easily connected into her mind, as if he were even welcomed. Once inside he noticed the colors swirling around, each representing her emotions and the warm aura that signifies her personality. He was searching for her when he heard a voice - a woman's voice. Vaguely familiar yet he couldn't understand why, maybe he has heard it from someone, in the deepest part of his memory.

 

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'Young lord…no…Sesshomaru-sama, I see you have grown to be a powerful taiyoukai, just as you promised you would be a long time ago.'

 

Then from the innermost part of his long locked-up memories, the one that overshadows them all resurfaces and the scenes that he had tried so hard to forget was played in every painful detail in front of him.

 

"No… Sesshomaru…" Kagome whispered disbelievingly as raw emotions of the normally stoic taiyoukai became visible for her to see.

 

Without his mask, she saw how his heart was broken, she felt his pain and anguish, and she heard it from the heart wrenching howl the taiyoukai let out in his moment of great despair, echoing the howl of the image of his younger self from the long forgotten memory that was suddenly played painfully in front of them.

 

Sesshomaru remained in his kneeling position beside his younger image and his head hang low while his hair covered his eyes from her view. He was oblivious of her presence even after the memory that plays in front of them gradually faded away.

 

Kagome felt like a cold hand squished her heart from all the emotions. "That can't be real… his mother…" She wants to reach out to him, her anger to the taiyoukai shoved to the farthest side of her mind. Right now all she wants is to comfort him, but before her hand even comes close to his shoulder his image fades away as well, leaving her in her sanctuary.

 

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Sesshomaru drew in a sharp breath as he gripped his clawed hands firmly, drawing blood. He could still feel the lingering pain his tightly locked memory had caused. His mask of indifference placed once more on his face but his inner self was in turmoil.

 

Kagome's eyes refocused again right after Sesshomaru's sudden movement. She saw his pained expression before his emotional barrier was placed once again.

 

Her physical pain became nothing than just an insignificant thing compared to the pain she felt from him. It took a while before she realized she had been crying.

 

'She felt pity?... this human miko felt pity for this Sesshomaru?' the scent of her emotion made his rage spike up. Pity is something he could never tolerate for someone and most definitely not for himself. He is too proud for that.

 

Then he smelled something salty and found her crying as her blue-gray orbs meets his golden ones.

 

'Purify it now, little miko.' She heard again as her hand moved on its own to the dark shards.

 

The shards started crackling with energy as black swirling ki came out, pushing her hand away.

 

A pinkish glow covered her hand as two energies collide. The clothes wrapped around the shards were totally obliterated.

 

Kagome felt the searing pain on her palm when she pushed through the dark ki and touched the shards.

 

It was hot, like tiny pieces of iron placed on a fire until it becomes blazing red and then placed on her flesh to cool down.

 

She focused more of her energy on her palm; the glow intensified as she picked the shard up and let it rest on her open palm. And as the red hot pain continuously bore down on her hand she saw her energy swirl around each shard pushing through it. At first, the dark ki was pushing her away shooting her palm with little volts of energy and then her reiki touched it.

 

She felt the sudden changes as the pink glow from her hand was sucked into the shards. There was this pulling sensation in her palm as the shards dark aura gradually lightens.

 

Sesshomaru's narrowed gaze locked onto her open palm, watching as the glow from her hand was slowly sucked in by the dark shards like a black hole hungry for light. The change was slow but evident, as the dark shards color lightened. A few moments more of continuous flow of energy from Kagome, and the shards pulsed visibly before its color turned into pearl white and everything stopped; the sucking, the pulsing, and the pain.

 

Sesshomaru just watched it all happen in front of him. The sucking of her energy gave a rather uneasy feeling in him, something he ignored as soon as it came. After the purification, he smelled a bit of her blood and burned flesh, and the lingering scent of exhaustion from the energy drain was starting to overpower his nose.

 

Kagome let out a breath she never knew she was holding and gasped in surprised when a clawed hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

 

Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist after the ordeal. Even he was confused about his action but has already acted on it before he could stop himself. His eyes were on the shards on her palm but he could feel the miko's questioning look on his face. He used his claws to gently pick the shards from her open palm and saw the proof of his suspicion.

 

Kagome winced as he gently picked the shards from her hand leaving three bright red burns the size and shape of the shards in her flesh. Her face and neck beaded with sweat as she felt drained as her eyes felt heavy and blurry before everything around her became nothing but darkness.

 

Sesshomaru took the shards from Kagome's palm and caught her before she banged her head on his table.

 

Seeing that he won't be able to ask her about the shards with the way that she is now, he placed another barrier around the shards just to be sure and keep it in his haori. He picked her up and took her to one of the empty rooms and ordered the kitsune to take care of her needs once the healer is finished with her wounds, leaving Sai to guard the miko's chamber with an order to move the miko back to her own sleeping chamber in the inner dwelling after she was healed and report to him if anything more comes up.

 

He didn't linger long and left as soon as he has given his orders and went straight to his study. He hid the shards in a much safer place before leaving for his already late patrol of this territory, his mind still on the event that took place in his study.

 

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'That was different. What just happened?" she asked as the floating spheres of light surrounds her again.

 

"You've purified the dark shards, well done, child."

 

"It was painful…" she murmured, the memory of the pain makes her shiver and fearful of what she must endure as she collects all those shards. “The story of my life…it only consists of more pain and hardships… Kami must have forgotten to add up a little bit of happiness or perhaps romance in it." She sighed dejectedly.

 

"Don't be like that little miko…remember that hardship is given to those who can withstand it. You may see yourself facing the darkness of the night but know that no matter how long that night may be morning will surely follow," Said one of the spheres.

 

"Don't lose hope… for as of now, losing hope is something you can't afford." It was from the pink sphere.

 

A female voice whispers around her as soon as the spheres vanished.

 

"When the darkness descends, little miko, you will need to be strong. But you will never be alone to face this for your destined one will come to your aide."

 

"Know that those that cannot kill you will only make you stronger. Be strong and have faith. You held within you the hope of all that exists. Pain must not deter you."

 

At that she remembered what happened with her the last time she was within her sanctuary.

 

"Midoriko, may I ask something?"

 

"Of course, little miko."

 

"The last time… I mean before I purified those shards, I knew I saw Sesshomaru in here with me. What happened then? What were those images?

 

"Those are Sesshomaru-sama's memories the most painful and probably most guarded ones."

 

"That was his mother?" she murmured remembering the pain the taiyoukai felt. "But how did I see it? Why was he even inside my sanctuary?"

 

"He tried to reach into your mind when he noticed you were in a trance. He did not know that he will be forging a link between you two when he did it. And the memory must have been triggered when he heard my voice."

 

"He was in so much pain…" her eyes turned teary.

 

"Hai, it was the most painful moment of his long life. He became nothing more than a living-dead. Those occurrences turned him into who he is now. I know, because I am the one of those that helped him get back on his feet. And it was not easy."

 

Kagome just listened silently absorbing everything that the powerful miko is telling her.

 

"Little miko, it is time for you to take some rest, don't lose hope… have faith…things will always turn out right."

 

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The purification of the dark shards proved to be taxing as she fell unconscious for a whole day. She barely ate her dinner before she's falling asleep again. Sesshomaru didn't press on with his inquiry about the shards seeing the miko's drained state which Kagome felt grateful for.

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Once more, thanks for the hard work, CASEDEPUTY!!! Please don't give up on me even when I become lazy, ne? *grins* ^_^

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Moonlight Scion: I know you've got lots of questions, just ask me. The answers are probably on the next chapters… the memories that flashed in their minds? Just wait for it. I'd post it after a couple more chapters… It would be something… and Sai, have you tried reading Kagome's mind while she's in a trance?

Sai: Forgive me but that is just not possible… there is some kind of a powerful barrier within her whenever that happens…even Lord Sesshoumaru who's more powerful than I am can not do it.

MS: oh right! Plus she needed the privacy… she's naked in there. (Sai blushes furiously)

(MS grins)…read and review…