InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Hatred, My Obsession ❯ A Fateful Revelation ( Chapter 17 )

Hello everyone!

 

Wow! I can't believe this story made it to 500 reviews! * gets out Champagne bottle * I have some news to share with all of you that has changed a lot of things for me.

 

Last week, “My Hatred, My Obsession” was nominated to be in the running for the Inuyasha Fan Guild (IYFG) Best Alternate Romance Award. Today, I found out that it was seconded - an action that has earned this story a place in the finalist rounds. Now, it's up to all of you to vote (if you think this story worthy) and help me win this honor.

 

I feel strangely selfish for asking such a thing of you, since I did not write this (and never planned on writing this) for any sort of reward or recognition. However, somewhere in the last few weeks and the last 500 reviews, I've discovered how wonderful you guys make me feel when I open up my mailbox and see your encouraging words.

 

Please, if you feel that you have enjoyed this story, vote for it on IYFG (Yahoo Group). Maybe recommend it to someone else, or simply continue to leave reviews. Someday, I'd like to fulfill my fantasy of reaching over 1000 reviews (like so many great stories out there). It would mean the world to me to know that I am making someone else at least a bit more cheerful.

 

Thank you once again and again and again for all of your support, and I really hope that you continue to review and stay in touch (even if you don't vote).

 

I love all of you dearly! You make my world a better place! ^_^

 

Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy this chapter,

Raven91

 

 

My Hatred, My Obsession

Chapter 17 - A Fateful Revelation

 

“Kikyo.”

 

Kikyo…

 

The wind whispered her name as softly and with just as much apprehension as his lips, as if it was some dim reflection of himself - of his sudden and unbidden longing for her. She stood across from him - a mere several yards separating them from either a chilling reunion or a heated, hurtful battle. Her silky tresses moved in the wind, the miko's garments wrapping around her to hug her figure. Eyes - cold, icy, and unfeeling - bore into him with an intensity that was strong, yet dulled by time. He was nearly used to seeing her this way…

 

How long has it been since I've actually seen her happy?..

 

“Inuyasha.” She was notching an arrow and pointing the point in his direction. His longing intensified - he wanted to go to her, to push that weapon away, and to do anything to rid her of that frightening chill he couldn't seem to defeat no matter what he tried. This woman…this priestess…was not what she had been.

 

Then again…I don't really remember ever seeing anything but sadness in her eyes…

 

Yet now - here - in Sesshoumaru's Western Territories, he was vulnerable. He didn't know the land, the way, or the dangers that resided here.

 

But Kikyo does…

 

He tried - perhaps out of guilt - to believe that he was asking for her help only for Kagome's sake. They had to find her, and with all her travels, Kikyo must know the Western Lands pretty well; without some sort of guidance, it could be days before they found any hint of Sesshoumaru.

 

“What business do you have with me, Inuyasha?”

 

He felt a bit apprehensive at her words, taking an instinctive step forward. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were all left behind - forgotten - as Kikyo's face took his full attention.

 

“Do I always have to have a reason to see you?” Her facial expression did not change, as if what he said was empty unless it had a practical purpose. He let out a pent-up breath of frustration.

 

“You have something to say to me, Inuyasha. Speak now.” The string of the bow creaked as Kikyo increased the pressure.

 

“Kikyo, I - ” He took another step -

 

“Don't come any closer.” Curse it all! He wanted - no - he needed to be closer to her, and the pain of her rejection made the desire for such a forbidden fruit burn even more intensely.

 

“We're lost!” The two words blew out of his mouth before he could stop them. His nails dug into his palms, his hands nearly shaking from the tremendous force he had to use to stop himself from simply running to her. “We're lost…”

 

He was lost - lost in her eyes and in her beauty that reminded him so much of Kagome and of betrayal - a betrayal he was even now himself committing by yearning to touch those soft locks, that scratchy white haori of hers, and to somehow wonder if they could have had a chance in the past.

 

“You wish to save her, then.”

 

His head snapped up, an involuntary reaction to hearing the one he worried for so much mentioned in any sort of context. The chance, the probability, and the single desperate hope that Kikyo knew where Kagome was lit his eyes up like nothing the Shard Hunters had ever seen.

 

“You feel guilty.”

 

That's an understatement…

 

“She is with your brother.” He found that his voice was hoarse and scratchy when he finally spoke up.

 

“Where?” The priestess lowered her weapon, her eyes clouding over and her head tilting up to look at the sky - blazing with the impassioned colors of the fading sun. That warm glow lit up her earthen orbs, another breeze toying with her hair. She didn't speak for so long, that he thought he'd go mad. A coil of impatience was building and building - a horrid tightening in his chest - until he thought he would yell for her to speak or suffer the consequences. She stopped him, though, as if she had known his limits and had waited for him to suffer before giving her reply.

 

“Why do you worry for her so, Inuyasha?” He looked crestfallen and taken aback. His ears flattened against his skull, the gentle wind ruffling the tiny, sensitive hairs there. “Did you forget your promise to me so easily?” He had nothing to say to that - simply and truly; so he did the only thing he could -

 

He begged.

 

“Please, Kikyo…”

 

Her face went through a long-awaited transformation, her eyes faltering and her lips curving down into a frown. She said nothing more -

 

simply turned -

 

turned and walked away.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

It took several days for the inhabitants of Sesshoumaru's holdings to calm down. Kagome - which had begun to become a main attraction among the guests - was long forgotten in the fray of passionate fear towards the new invisible enemy.

 

But it appeared that - unlike the fickle royalty - Sesshoumaru had forgotten nothing.

 

She was allowed outside of her room only under strict supervision of two guards, and even then was not allowed to venture past a certain point on the premises of the castle. Food was brought to her - a colorful variety of sweetmeats, tasty cheese, rich, fluffy salads, hot soup, and an assortment of spiced meat that smelled so delicious it made her salivate from simply thinking about it. She was allowed the use of a remote bathroom, hidden away towards the unused portion of the floor she stayed on, and she was grateful to be able to at least have the pleasure of a hot bath, scented oils, and sweet-smelling soaps every single day.

 

But it gets a little…boring…

 

Steam tumbled away from her as she breathed out a sigh of bliss. The hot, gently aquamarine water splashed and wrapped around her as she stuck a foot out of its depths, resting it more comfortably on the edge of the huge tub.

 

If this thing can be called a tub…

 

She had tried many times to count the days she'd been here, but the whole event altogether felt like some twisted dream. The wounds she'd sustained during the terrible fight with the brothers and demon were healing over nicely - their sting only bothering her enough to remind her that she indeed was in reality. There was just one thing missing in this Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast:

 

Sesshoumaru…

 

Ever since he'd left her room the night before the murder, she hadn't seen or heard from him. Grudgingly, she had to admit that she wanted to see him. There was much that had to be said - much to be asked.

 

Like when he's going to let me go…

 

Inuyasha's face reflected in the soap bubbles on the surface of the water - the memory of him causing a pang of something akin to homesickness in her heart.

 

“What's the point of staying here…what does he want from me?”

 

That - too - was another question she couldn't answer, and, in fact, wasn't sure that her captor could either. Her presence in his home was an intruding one - something that shouldn't have happened without a concrete, solid, reason. Yet here she was - Alice caught in a Wonderland that had turned into a nightmare.

 

Who would've thought that I'd find myself in the middle of some sort of conspiracy?

 

When a loud and impertinent knock sounded at the door, she was so lost in the memories of the murder that she jumped in fright - her mind, for a moment, placing the image of a ghastly ghoul on perfect cue to overlap with the woman who entered the bathroom. Kagome screamed - screwing her eyes shut until she saw stars, and covering her breasts by wrapping her arms around her shoulders.

 

“My Goodness! Kagome-sama, are you alright?”

 

The miko's cheeks flushed. There stood Kira - beautiful as ever in a summer green kimono and pinned up hair. Her eyes were worried and a bit apprehensive - something that Kagome was sure she would have felt if she had been in the woman's shoes. Relaxing a bit, she looked away, suddenly feeling painfully shy.

 

“I'm sorry, Kira. Something just…” She waved a wet, bubble-covered hand in the air in a vague gesture that symbolized an inability to form the right words. The youkai intercepted the girl before she could trail of completely, though - something that Kagome really appreciated.

 

“I understand, My Lady. Everyone's a bit riled up since…well...” She trailed off, unwilling to mention the event that had scared them all more than they cared to admit.

 

Sure, I've read about murder and intrigue among nobility in all my history books…but to think that I'm actually experiencing something like it…

 

“My Lady.” Kagome's eyes - a bit glassy and unfocussed from her inner turmoil - swiveled back and sharpened on Kira's face. “Sesshoumaru-sama wishes to see you in his study.” The miko's brow furrowed.

 

“Did he say why?”

 

Kira blushed - caught off guard once again by Kagome's blatant disregard for rank and Sesshoumaru's power.

 

“I did not ask.” Hiding her slight disappointment and unsatisfied curiosity, Kagome plastered on a smile and winked in an effort to relieve the woman's sudden and painfully obvious discomfort.

 

“Then I shouldn't keep him waiting.”

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Sesshoumaru's study was beautifully practical.

 

That was probably the best description she could give of the ornately carved, Cherry wood furniture, the perfectly dustless library-like shelves of thick, multicolored books, and the lazily-billowing curtains - stirred from their slumber by a chilly breeze. A plush, oriental-style carpet softened the strict look of the room and provided an element of mystery - making her feel like Bell whom, in her curiosity, had wandered accidentally into the Beast's forbidden West Wing. Yet the differences were palpable.

 

Where the foreboding, dark, and ominous West Wing had been covered in creepy, sneaking shadows and leering gargoyles, this study was bathed in the sunlight of the afternoon - filtering through the three, single widows in the medium-sized room. There were no sticky cobwebs - no dust bunnies or even a hint of the smell of old and time-worn paper like there often was in libraries. Here, there was simply the aroma of intelligence and an almost tangible feeling of general “importance”. Yes…this was a room that must have seen decisions made; this was a room where the fate of the Western Lands had been thought over and possibly sealed for all eternity.

 

Those books are just screaming to be read…

 

She somehow found herself padding to the perfectly aligned ledges - the books perched upon them strangely calm and unafraid that they may, at any time, fall from their heights. They looked lonely somehow, yet something also told her that the golden, silver, bronze, and shining pages before her had been leafed through more than several times. Unnable to suppress a surge of eagerness to touch the antique relics, her fingers met with tightly-bound cloth and parchment, stroking spine after spine of books she would never even dream of finding in her time - where such things as Cattle Inventories, Crop Counts, and strict records of Treaties, Wars, and Land Holdings were all extinct.

 

Just look at this stuff!

 

“Estate Records…Fundings…Finance Records Volumes one through twenty! Mongol Account References and Records… Mongol Invasion Diaries…Kami-sama! He's got everything!”

 

Her wide eyes took in ancient texts, Medicine Scrolls, Epidemic Reports, and even things as wild as records of previous War Generals and their prowess in battle. Before she knew it, her head hit something hard and when she looked up with an offended look, it turned out that her aggressor was a small writing table. She stood up, dusting off imaginary lint from her green kimono and leaned on the structure.

 

Clean and neat…what else could I have expected?

 

Certainly not the mess that she often saw in her room once she returned from time to time.

 

I don't even remember how my room gets so messed up…guess I'm always in such a hurry that I don't notice. But I won't see my room for a long time, will I?

 

Mom…Grandpa…

 

She sniffled, rubbing a suddenly stinging eye.

 

I can't be depressed now…Kami-sama knows I've got more important things to deal with right now…

 

Blinking a few times to clear any evidence of her brief bout of weakness, she focused her vision on the several sheets of parchment lying on the table. Her eyes ran over the letters - a few characters too old and archaic for her modern mind to decipher. She mumbled the title of the document before she knew what she was doing:

 

“Investigation of the Northern Armies?”

 

Why would Sesshoumaru need to know about that? Then again…he probably needs to know about the lands that surround him…it would be safer, I guess. Maybe it's something every leader should know about…

 

But as she read further down the page - pieces of some sentences unclear and illegible - a worm of doubt caught her off guard.

 

“…as requested, a thorough investigation of Misamoto Kiba…”

 

Kiba? What does Sesshoumaru want with Kiba?

 

“…has been suspected of several unlawful executions…”

 

What's going on?

 

“…Misamoto Hiren did not deny the crimes of his brother publicly, but further information alludes…”

 

Hiren? Crimes? Did Kiba do something bad?

 

“…therefore, it is believed that Misamoto Kiba may indeed be in league with the feared demon Naraku…”

 

Kagome felt so much shock in that instant, that it felt as if her entire body was going numb. Her head spun crazily, the words blending together as she desperately continued to read farther down the document.

 

“…Misamoto Kiba is also suspected to be a member of the banned and illegal Inquisition…”

 

What in the world?

 

“…this organization was responsible for the execution, imprisonment, and eradication of more than three thousand priestesses in the times of the Holy Wars…”

 

They killed priestesses? Holy Wars? Oh Kami…

 

She recalled the danger she'd felt when he had circled her that day in her room. Never could she have imagined that that strange feeling she had dismissed so easily had been right on target!

 

Oh Kami…he's in the castle…what if…what if…

 

Hands shaking, she backed away from the table. Her cold fingers - almost numb with a fiercely gripping terror - touched her cheek.

 

“Is Kiba the one who murdered that man?”

 

She didn't really expect an answer.

 

Why should she have?

 

After all, she was alone in the room only seconds before.

 

So when a deep, baritone voice tickled the hair on her temple, and when two large hands gently encircled her neck from behind, she nearly chocked trying to hold back a shriek of pure horror.

 

“Do you understand your position now, Kagome?” She felt her face being turned, slowly but forcefully, until her eyes met those of Sesshoumaru. “The Council has demanded that This Sesshoumaru surrender you on the morrow to be used as bait to lure the Creatures that have been ravaging the land to us.” If he hadn't been there to catch her, she would have surely hurt herself with her fall when her knees gave out. He held her against him for a moment - as if allowing her to take some of his warmth into her shaking body. His claws dug into her hair almost fiercely yet carefully, his arms tight around her.

 

“Tell me, Kagome…” She looked up at him again and saw that his face was in turmoil. He looked almost confused - an expression that would have been, on his face, as unnatural as a smile. “You must tell me…” She waited for him to continue, but it seemed like he did not have to say the words for her to know what exactly he required from her:

 

…tell me what to do…