InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Prisoner, My Prisoner ❯ Nine Cell Prison ( Chapter 9 )

Prisoner, My Prisoner

Part 9: Nine-Cell Prison < The Hurt Inside

Author: profiler120

Email: profiler120@hotmail.com

Rating: PG/PG-13

Genre: Romance/General [AU]

Author's Notes: Sorry I've been away a bit, I've been sucked into the world of Ruronin Kenshin and Aoshi/Misao fanfics.

Sango knelt at Miroku's bedside silently, her eyes drifting toward Hiraikotsu. The force of the impact wasn't enough to create the shattering crack that had nearly splintered her trademark weapon in half because she couldn't throw it that hard. That meant it had to have been the force of the barrier. The thought made her frown. She was not familiar with that kind of power. If Kagome had had that kind of strength then-...

She twitched when she felt one of Miroku's hands where it shouldn't have been and promptly whacked him on the head. He whimpered, but ultimately looked up, smiling at her.

"Ah, lovely Sango. How wonderful of you to stay at my bedside. You must be terribly tired however why don't you lay down and-"

She smacked him again.

This time when he grinned up at her, his eyes were serious. "Are you well?"

She dropped her head. "Fine."

"A bit ago... I thought I heard Kagome-sama's voice. Is she well?"

She stiffened at the mention of the young woman she'd been thinking about. Truth be told she hadn't stopped thinking of the raven-haired girl since she'd left the garden. There were just so many things to process.

They knew. Sesshoumaru-sama knew that Kagome was the daughter of his enemy. Kagome had said she was a prisoner, now it all made much more sense. But then when she'd overheard them in the hall ... and ... she'd spied on Kagome in the bath. She hadn't imagined the horrible wounds across her back. When it came down to it, Kagome had probably saved her life out there. Out in that garden.

The blood in that clearing wasn't just because Miroku had tried to protect her. Six other guards had come to her aide, and all of them were dead. Perhaps that's why she hadn't done anything after she'd lost possession of Hiraikotsu. She'd been frozen in fear. Fear of Kagome, fear of Goshinki. Trapped and bound by her own emotions.

"Sango? Is Kagome-sama hurt?"

He sat up, looking upset.

"She's one of them."

Miroku blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Higurashi Kagome."

His eyes widened in realization.

"The man from the garden was her brother."

His jaw seemed to drop just slightly. "Really?" He paused. "Is she unwell? Was she injured?" he continued.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" She snapped viciously at him.

"I heard you just fine." He replied. "Sango..." he trailed off catching sight of her weapon and the deep crack. " What happened to Hiraikotsu?"

"I... threw it at Kagome. Did you know she's a miko?"

He nodded weakly. "I heard from Inuyasha. She saved his life once."

"She protected herself with a barrier and Hiraikotsu hit it... I'm not sure it's repairable like that."

"You threw it at her?" He lowered himself back down. "That may have been a bit hasty. It is not as though she were a spy, Sesshoumaru-sama knows all about her identity."

"I didn't realize that," she murmured.

Several hours later the conversation seemed to come around again.

"Don't misunderstand Sango." Miroku urged. "Merely consider - what has Kagome-sama to do with the death of your family? Surely you wouldn't hold her at fault for her father's war..."

She glowered at him. "Stop meddling!"

Jaken watched them, standing in the open doorway of Sesshoumaru's study. Sango and Miroku had been called there, but not told what about. Miroku seemed perfectly at ease, but Sango was tense about the upcoming interview. She knew he was in the room though she could not see him from where she presently stood.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is waiting for you," Jaken croaked, ushering them inside together.

Sesshoumaru was seated, looking down glancing over some materials. He did not look up, even as they waited before him.

"Since Kagome is no longer here, Miroku you'll be outside the Citadel gates assisting the groundskeepers." He paused momentarily scrawling something in beautiful kanji across the bottom of one sheet and then looked up at Sango. She tried not to flinch under the intense gaze. "From this point forward Rin will be accompanied by her minders during all your sessions. That is all."

There wasn't so much as a flicker of emotion in those eyes, she thought as she led Miroku out.

A short distance down the hall Miroku stopped and looked at her contemplatively. "What is a 'minder'?"

"Huh? Oh, those are Rin's guardians. Kagome ... told me about them." She again faltered on the name.

"What do you suppose she's doing now?" Miroku mused, continuing his walk. Either not noticing or not caring that Sango had stopped walking with him.

Kagome walked alone down the destroyed corridors of the building. It once was a nice place, not grand, but pleasant. As pleasant as something could be this far removed from life. Kikyo lingered here somewhere, having secured the location after Kagemaru had lost it. Goshinki too was here, wandering around somewhere, probably looking for something to kill. Her time with him had been short. Neither had said much in the mad rush to escape the Citadel.

Memories came unbidden to her. Memories of Sesshoumaru... Memories of Sango...

She should've expected it. Still, it hurt. She lifted her head a bit higher. She could handle this. She told herself she could.

"Kagome?"

Her head dropped automatically at the sound of her sister's voice. "Yeah?"

"Is there something bothering you?"

"Going back to the Citadel... I learned something. If this war were to end tomorrow, you and I... we wouldn't be free of it. We'll never be able to be free and happy. We'll probably never be able to go outside without looking over our shoulders." She turned to face Kikyo. "Being 'Kagome' won't ever be enough... I'll only ever be a hated 'Higurashi'."

Kikyo listened without reply.

"You knew, didn't you? You realized this a long time ago. Why didn't you tell me? Why did I have to find out this way?"

"The only thing that matters is what you're going to do about it. What are you going to do now? Are you going to be a 'hated Higurashi' and join the war? Or are you going to cling to being just 'Kagome' and insist you won't fight?"

"I don't know..."

Kikyo nodded grimly, pulling a piece of parchment from the folds of her garb. "I have received new orders from father. Since Kagemaru has been captured, he expects Masaharu to attack Juuroumaru's compound about thirty miles from here. I leave at dawn and expect to arrive around noon, will you come?"

Kagome glanced around wondering if Kaijinbou was lurking around hoping for another opportunity to grab her. Fearing such and other things, namely Goshinki, she nodded her agreement to Kikyo. Come sunrise she was riding off toward her first battle. Question was, could she handle participating in it?

"Get some rest. We'll take it one thing at a time."

Kagome nodded uneasily turning to go but slowing. "Kikyo...?"

"Hmmm?"

"Have you... ever fallen in love with anyone?"

Her sister remained turned the way she was, away from her view. "No. Father says such a thing will get you killed." She paused. "Have you?"

Kikyo turned to her then to see her face. "No... but sometimes I wonder... especially recently."

Kikyo smiled weakly. "It's not a good time for love. If you were to fall in love with one of Inutaisho's sons could you stand it? Would the strain of war crush you? Could you handle their desire for the death of our family members? Would you aid him in killing them off?"

Kagome's head dropped, mouth opening to speak. "Without the end of the war... You're saying I can never be... free to love?"

"None of us can. The Higurashi family in its entirety is trapped in our father's war. So embroiled none of us will ever escape, perhaps even when the war finally reaches it's end. We will always be the family that led to the deaths of so many."

"How did we get into this war? How did this all start?"

"That's a bit of a long story Kagome, maybe we should talk about it tomorrow during the ride. Don't you know this already?"

"I've heard a couple stories, but they were all different."

Kikyo nodded. "Let's head to bed. We'll talk tomorrow."

The first rays of daylight brought travel, and it seemed as though a new chapter of life had started for Kagome. She already felt like she hadn't smiled in years. Even so she'd strode to her horse determinately, willing to make the most of this experience. She would control this horse, she would survive this war. She hoped.

She was dressed in the same colored hakama as Kikyo. Kikyo preferred red, but since they were the enemy's families color's she'd taken to wearing blue. Goshinki was not coming with them. He had apparently left the previous evening. It was merely Kikyo, Kagome, and a goggle of servants following along. She was able to pull herself up onto the horse and smiled triumphantly at Kikyo, who merely shook her head in mild amusement and then they were off.

Kagome struggled to catch up, but finally managed it. "Do you know about the death of the Lady of Western Lands?"

"Which one?" Kikyo asked, surprising her.

"Which one? There were two?"

"Inutaisho's first wife, or the first wife of his son that took the title when she died?"

"Well... both I guess."

"I don't know her name, I'm not sure anyone does. I believe she died of illness a year or so after her second son was born. As for the second lady - Toki, she was killed accidentally in a raid at one of Masaharu's castles. One of father's servants didn't recognize her and cut her down. Otherwise she would have been captured.

"It initially started over a strip of land toward the west. Father wanted it, Inutaisho claimed it was his, neither would yield, and eventually the verbal spar turned into this fight. Father can't let anything go and it turned into this war, but it's no longer over that little piece of land. In fact I'm almost certain father set that patch of woodland on fire a couple years ago."

"How could such wounds be healed?"

"They won't be. Neither will let up until one is dead. Our father, or theirs, and even then it might not be over. Father can barely control Goshinki as it is, and only does so by using threats of death against Kanna."

"I don't want to know anymore." Kagome sighed.

Kagome peered about once again having lost sight of Kikyo. The last time they'd been separated she'd been captured again by Sesshoumaru. Well, if you could call that a capture. The halls were eerily silent, but she could've sworn she saw or heard a servant up ahead, which was why she kept on this path.

This place, she thought weakly, was nothing like Kagemaru's fortress. This was small and old. There must be holes in the roof, as she could clearly see the water damage down the walls. This place was in serious disrepair. Knowing such, questions began to arise on what she was really doing here. This couldn't be the place that Sesshoumaru was going to attack. With the slightest of efforts this place would merely keel over.

She continued onward down the hall, slowing when she heard muffled voices. She stepped around the corner. As she did so she was tackled, two sets of arms wrapping around her, and a cloth being pressed over her face. Strong fumes of something both herbal and medicinal assaulted her nose, her head becoming light in every passing second.

. . .

Kagome's eyes fluttered open weakly. Her head throbbed painfully, eyes aching. She groaned, pulling herself up immediately as she regained her consciousness. Her body weight was hanging by her wrists manacled above her head. She steadied her feet under her, releasing the painful pressure.

It was a small room, but large enough to accommodate four or five people. She had been right, she realized, there were large gaping holes in the ceiling. One was large enough for her to see the sky overhead.

There were several pools of water on the floor from a recent rain. The floor was also damaged; two or three places had indents that had filled with stagnant water.

Footsteps, loud and clear reached her ears. Someone wanted to be heard. The old door clattered open loudly. A man in light colored clothes filled out the doorway. Fine silk clothes, she noted. Her eyes fled to his face, and she almost whimpered. A feral grin spread across his visage as he stepped within pulling the old door closed behind him.

She stared up into the cold, familiar eyes, setting her jaw determinately.

"Onigumo..."

"You got away from me last time, my lovely. But we won't be interrupted this time..." he murmured withdrawing a familiar dagger into view. Raising it up he slashed it across her cheek, blood leaking from the injury. It was almost a mirror of the cut she'd been given before. She cried out softly.

He dropped the dagger down by his side, allowing it to clatter to the floor reaching around her to fiddle with the obi. Her eyes widened and he grinned all the more.

The Citadel was bustling with activity. It appeared to be a victory celebration on the backgrounds. People were everywhere. The smell of food made his mouth water as he navigated through the crowd snatching a warm bowl of rice from a table, stalking off, eyes darting around wildly. Finally spotting a flash of white hair he dashed toward it.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" He called out.

He pushed through the crowd only to find it was Inuyasha he'd spotted.

"Hey!" He called out catching Inuyasha's attention only after he'd called four more times.

"What do you want?" Sesshoumaru's younger sibling snapped irritably.

He was about to reply when he was interrupted.

"Kaijinbou, you are supposed to be scouting."

He shrunk away from the imposing figure that was Sesshoumaru slightly as he appeared suddenly.

"Ah, but I have news, Sesshoumaru-sama about that girl of yours."

He watched in distress, as Sesshoumaru's gaze seemed to harden on him, lips turning down into the scowl that could melt into a snarl at any moment.

"Speak." Sesshoumaru ordered.

"I was watching the former compound of Kagemaru when I saw her, the princess girl of Higurashi's. They rode out on horseback the morning after, just the two females alone. I followed them to the old building that used to be the center of the former Kaga territory. They went inside the broken down building, but only one came back out. I stayed, watching. Just hours ago I heard sound again.

"There emerged Onigumo and with him, the girl. She hung in the arms of servants trailing behind him, broken and limp like a rag doll. She is purple and red from injuries, no clothes."

. . .

"You saw her at the Kaga house?" He asked, seeking confirmation.

Kaijinbou nodded grimly. "There was another there... a man I have never seen before."

Sesshoumaru noted the information. "Jaken, I'm going out. Get my horse."

"I'm going with you!" Inuyasha declared suddenly. "Who do these bastards think they are treating Kagome like that!"

"Did I hear the name of the lovely, Kagome?" Miroku peeked around from Inuyasha. "Where are you off to?"

Sesshoumaru plainly ignored him; turning his head another way while Inuyasha seemed not to hear. Miroku tugged on his sleeve repeating the question.

"We're going to rescue Kagome, damn it. Stop bothering me; you've practically been on my elbow all night. Where the hell is Sango, go bother her!"

"Rescue, Kagome-sama? Please allow me to assist you. As her former instructor, I hold high regard for-"

"Shut up, you can come!" Inuyasha bellowed.

"He most certainly cannot."

They both turned to Sesshoumaru, still facing another direction.

"You will hinder my progress. You're staying as well Inuyasha, I do not require your presence." Sesshoumaru snapped impatiently.

"Give me a break from the high and mighty-"

"Ah, what he means to say, Sesshoumaru-sama, is what if there are many guards surrounding the former Kaga house? Surely Higurashi would not leave his youngest daughter unprotected even at such a remote location." Miroku stepped in, calmly batting Inuyasha to one side further angering him.

"Very well, but the girl, Sango, stays, no exceptions." He growled, turning and stalking off.

She curled herself against the wall. It hurt. Oh it hurt. Everything hurt so much. Her wrist was broken, she knew it was. It was swollen and purple. It hadn't hurt so much at the beginning, but now she knew pain. It only got worse; her right ankle seemed to be in the same condition. Breathing was painful, but not near as much as moving. Worst of all she'd discovered however was coughing. Her heart lurched when she heard footsteps. Was he coming again?

Oh no, not again. Please! She pleaded silently with herself as though the silent pleas would be heard by someone to save her. Her breathing increased intensifying the burning pain in her chest. No one will come.

She was alone and it hurt.

Her chest throbbed, an awful haunting pain shooting through her as more tears welled in her eyes. Awful, painful tears. Tears that burned her already sensitive, and puffy eyes. Please... oh no...

She grimaced, trying to steel herself but knowing she wouldn't make it. She was going to cave under this... this torture.

Her vision was blurry, but she could hear well enough. She struggled to pull herself up feeling the pain leech out her strength as she fell into darkness back against the wall. Around her still unconscious frame she began to glow. A weak faint purple aura seemed to seep out of her skin gently washing over her injuries.

. . .

He listened to the footsteps behind him dissipate as they split off in separate directions. The place was pitch black, only the candle in his hand illuminated his path down the shoddy, rotting corridors. No one was here, nor was there any sign anyone had been in years, he thought staring around him cautiously, one hand near the hilt of his sword just in case. Most of the doors were fallen apart or were broken through. Why had she been out here? If he didn't find her, or some sign she'd actually been here Kaijinbou was going to get - he stopped believing he heard a scrape. Turning off to one side he moved the candle in that direction illuminating what appeared to be a doorway behind a fallen set of timbers once belonging to the roof structure.

He pulled the door open with some difficulty. The rain had soaked into the old wood; swelling it past it's normal size and wetting the track hindering an easy slide. The floor was slick with water after the rain that had nearly soaked him and his riding companions on their trip here. Yanking it open despite its protests he shone the light into the room by thrusting forward his candle-laden hand inside.

The light bounced off the walls casting flickering shadows and an odd haunted feel as he looked about. His eyes immediately traced along the floor, and at once, he realized with sickening clarity, he'd found her. She was completely unclothed; her former attire a pile of rags some feet away. He could barely stand the sight of her bruised and battered body. She was decorated in lacerations, painful reminders of his mistake, he thought. He never should have allowed her to go, even if the attack by Sango had hurt her in some way, how was he to know if she could heal from this?

Despite her painful condition her body glowed in a soft fuchsia light.

He began tugging at his armor, both unable to stand looking at her and wanting to cover her before his companions caught up to him. He pulled the armor off impatiently, sliding out of his haori.

Her hair was soaked through, but most of the water on her body had evaporated. He carefully threaded one arm and then another through the white silk pulling it closed over her chest. It was too large for her and for that he was glad, it covered more. If he caught that monk so much as glancing at her funny he'd disembowel him, he thought irritably. He reached for her, pulling her battered form up and holding her against his chest just as he heard footsteps.

"Yo! Sesshoumaru, I can't find anybody around here, the whole place is-"

Inuyasha trailed off abruptly, hissing as he sucked in a deep breath at the sight.

"Find the monk, we're going."

Inuyasha rushed off to comply with the order as Sesshoumaru trudged her outside, hoping she didn't wake. She didn't look well and if she woke the trip would be unimaginably painful.

Kagome listened silently to the men talk. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were currently debating her 'prisoner' status in means of Onigumo and how he had managed to escape. Miroku making an occasional comment. Her head was in Sesshoumaru's lap, while his hand stroked her head softly, almost absently as though he didn't realize he was doing it. She stared up at him, admiring his features in the flickering light the campfire provided. He'd come for her, she thought. He'd come to save her. She swallowed hard, biting back more tears. What did he see in her? What made her worth all this trouble to him?

"Then maybe it was a trap for us."

Sesshoumaru cast him a bored look. "Really? Have we been attacked thus far?"

Inuyasha scowled.

"It's not like that," she murmured meeting his eyes when he looked down at her. "It doesn't have anything at all to do with you. The only person supposed to be here was me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha asked.

"The Higurashi family is a small but powerful group of people all lumped together under my father's name. The family doesn't take orders just because he gives them."

"So... I still don't get it."

"Without extreme measures of punishment it would be impossible to keep the family in line." She mused aloud. "Onigumo doesn't blink without my father first giving him permission. This...was for me. My punishment for disobeying my father."

"He... had her bring you here purposely?" Inuyasha asked, incredulously. "And you can forgive her for that?!"

"She doesn't have any choice. If she doesn't obey, he'll do the same to her, its... it seems to be how my family works."

Her body ached. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to think. She just wanted away. She wanted to sink into the ground and forget she ever lived. Hide in the darkness of the shadows and pretend she wasn't there. Pretend those looking right at her couldn't see her. Pretend she was just a normal girl.

She felt tears, and closed her eyes ruthlessly trying to suppress them. She was on level with Kikyo now, she realized weakly. He was now treating her as he did her elder sister. Suddenly faced with the reality of 'Kikyo's status' she wanted to go back. She wanted to be the young, weak sister, but she couldn't anymore. Now her father expected things from her.

Her thoughts of her family fled when Sesshoumaru leaned over her. She grimaced, gasping sharply in pain as he lifted her head carefully, guiding her to sit up only to lower her back down pillowing her head on the blanket Inuyasha had provided for her.

"Traveling is going to be hard on you, get some rest." He moved to stand, but she lashed out, clutching the material at his ankle.

"Where are you going?" she almost sounded frantic.

"I'll be back soon, rest."

She wanted to protest, but knew it wouldn't help her cause any. She closed her eyes willing everything to disappear behind her eyelids. A futile attempt, but it was all she had. She heard Sesshoumaru request a candle from Inuyasha and then heard his footsteps as he moved off. She also heard Inuyasha calling out to him, inquiring as to where he was going. He was ignored.

. . .

Inuyasha peeked an eye open at the unusual grating sound, peering about. Across from a still lit fire his elder brother sat working something green on a hard wood surface. He recognized it as something his brother often carried in his pack he used to grind herbs on, a small cutting block.

He sat up fully. "What are you doing?" he whispered sleepily.

Sesshoumaru looked up. "She won't be able to handle it."

Inuyasha blinked away his sleepiness and stared down at the green mush that had once been a plant. "You're going to knock her out?"

Sesshoumaru's silence was Inuyasha's confirmation.

"You think... you think she'll be okay? I mean... after last time with Onigumo, he didn't... well... "

"Rape her?"

Inuyasha quietly mumbled an agreement, clearly uncomfortable with the subject matter.

"Last time I was certain it hadn't happened, but this time..." he trailed off, eyes never leaving his work. Beside him a small heap of green plant life was stacked up.

"You're making an awful lot of that aren't you?"

"One morning administration isn't enough to keep her down for the entire day."

"Just up the dosage," Inuyasha replied crossing his arms as though he had the solution all along.

Sesshoumaru shot him a withering look. "And poison her?"

Inuyasha scratched his head awkwardly. "Oh... right, I forgot about that. She's coming back with us, right? Coming home?"

"Why else would I be out here?" Sesshoumaru snapped somewhat irritably.

"What are you gonna do about that girl? Sango? It's probably not a good idea for them to be in contact with each other anymore. I guess you'll have to move one of the girls to another location for training."

Sesshoumaru looked up at him but Inuyasha was staring at the stars. As though nothing at all has changed. To Inuyasha it is merely picking up where they left off... Doesn't he understand she won't come out of this the same girl she was when she left?

He was tempted to tell him so, but refrained.

Sesshoumaru stared down at the sleeping girl once again within the walls of the Citadel. He heard the door slide opened and turned to see his father step in. It was late; he was probably headed off to bed.

"Sesshoumaru..."

He almost groaned at the tone of his father's voice. It most certainly meant he wasn't going to like what he was about to say.

"You're going to have to handle this more effectively. It can't be forgotten that she is a Higurashi. The girl, Sango, is too embittered to let go of her wounds and there are dozens like her. Kagome cannot be protected, she has to protect herself. Give up the notion you can single handedly keep her safe, it isn't possible in our situation."

"I realize this. " His voice was low and solemn as though he'd come to a hard fought conclusion.

Inutaisho nodded. "Very well," he replied, leaving.

Sesshoumaru stared down at her, once again alone. Her beautiful little face had been marred with bruises. The gash across her face had been re-cut, now covered by a spotless white bandage. Her pouting pink lips were cut and swollen from mistreatment. Her lovely shaded eyes were bloodshot when opened and one had an unpleasant violet ring surrounding it.

Onigumo had assaulted her once more, and angered him. This could not, nor would it be forgiven. Now he'd touched her twice invoking his fury. Onigumo would die. He would have his revenge, one way, or another. Now or later, he was a patient man.

. . .

Her eyes hurt. They ached, but she opened them anyway. Already she knew she was back. Perhaps it was the warm, soft, familiarity that told her before her eyes were fully open she was back at the Citadel. Maybe it was luck. Maybe she knew Sesshoumaru would bring her nowhere else. Ooohh... she ached. She felt heavy and... shamed. How she must look... Especially if the way she felt was any indication.

When her eyes finally obeyed her will to open she was met with a pair of brilliant gold orbs right in front of her. She could feel his breath against her face. She gasped fearfully and he drew away but stayed close.

"You can't continue this."

She choked back a sob.

"You need to decide now. You can't put it off any longer, Kagome."

She shook her head silently.

He leaned close to her again; once again looming mere inches away. "I will kill you because I am your enemy. He will kill you if he loses control of you, and if he doesn't, can you stand life like this? Can you handle such continuous punishment?"

He pressed his lips gently against hers, barely touching her wounds, but she flinched away, his lips sealing a kiss against her cheek.

"I won't do this. You will decide, and it will be over. You are mine, and take my name, or you remain a Higurashi and I will see you safely back to your home, but then next time we encounter one another, I will kill you."

She brought a hand up to her face as though to hide her tears. She wanted to cry away her problems. She understood what he was saying.

'You can't escape. There's the promise of death on every side. '

He would make her choose, and when she gazed up into those eyes she believed him. She believed he'd kill her and yet after everything he was still willing to put up with her if she swore her allegiance to him, and took his name. If she gave up her father, if she turned, became a traitor to her family, he would protect her.

Yet if she did that... her entire family would never forgive her. Not even Kikyo would be able to forgive such an offense. He wanted her to turn on her family, for him? For nothing, but him? Why would she do that? Why would she give up everything she'd know just for him? She was not some foolhardy, love struck girl. She couldn't be swayed by his charming good looks.

Worse yet, if she stayed, how would he make her prove her loyalty? What if he asked her to kill Kikyo? She would, undoubtedly, have to prove her loyalty to him; he wouldn't take merely her word. He couldn't. Doing so would be foolish.

Her eyes flew open, spilling more of her tears when she felt the brush of cloth beside her. She could feel him lying at her side, and tried to keep her heart from racing out of control. What was ... he doing?

His hands wrapped gently around her shoulders guiding her to him, and overwhelmed, she curled up against him and cried.

Her injuries healed remarkably quickly. Due in large part to her remaining in bed allowing her miko powers to flow through her and a good part of that time was spent in active concentration trying to mend her body. Still, it took over a week for all traces of her mistreatment to fade. Even so, her wrist and ankle still caused her pain.

She shuddered at the thought of the memory of being with Onigumo. His sickly voice. His calloused hands on her bare flesh. His words in her ears. The pain. The only thing that had kept her from being raped was the guard her father had sent along. Many times the man had stepped in threatening him that 'the kind of fun' he wanted, he couldn't have. Imagine that, her wonderful daddy didn't want her to be sexually violated, how sweet of him, she thought bitterly. She felt like crying all over again.

She was under an enormous amount of stress. She hadn't been able to keep anything but soup in her stomach for the last two days.

There was the matter of Onigumo and trying to forget her time with him. Then there was the situation with Sango. How many Sango's were there in the world? How many people were affected by her father and would hold her responsible for it? How many would hate the name Higurashi so much as to kill first and ask later? Then there was Sesshoumaru and his unyielding ultimatum. Both sides of the coin held death. Neither was escapable.

On one side was her family. Her beloved sister Kikyo. The people from whom she inherited her blood. The people who had given her life. The same people who had shown her an entire new world of cruelty, and pain. A world where commands were given and followed or punishment was dealt out in the severest fashions and threats of death hung over everyone's heads. She had learned just why so many people hated her family, first hand.

On the other side was the Masaharu family. The people she'd been raised to hate. Her mortal enemies merely by birth. Yet he, Sesshoumaru, except on rare occasion hadn't actually hurt her. He'd been exceptionally kind to her when he should have despised her. He should have hurt her. He should have immediately killed her, and he hadn't. He'd come after her; he'd saved her twice. He'd... been beyond forgiving when he should not have been. He'd forgiven, for whatever reason, she was his enemy. But there were also people like Sango. There were undoubtedly more like her. People who would never trust her fully, even if she could win them over because she was a Higurashi.

She stepped out following the hall down the stairs. She wasn't sure where she was going; she just wanted to get there. Maybe she could hop a boat to the ocean and forget she ever lived here, she thought despairingly. She halted as she came around a corner.

"Kagome-chan! Rin-chan has missed you lots!"

The girl swept her arms around her in a hug.

"Hello Rin-chan. I have missed you too." She managed to smile, but it must have faltered because Rin frowned.

Kagome looked back up toward the two others in the hall. Sesshoumaru was standing, back to the wall watching her silently and Sango was a foot or so away from him looking uneasy.

"Now Kagome-chan can come too!"

"No," Sesshoumaru immediately interjected. "She has other things to do today. Go now." He urged.

Rin pouted, but ultimately complied.

Kagome watched them go, shifting uncomfortably, turning her eyes back to him. "How... how many days do I have to decide?"

He paused a moment. "I will give you three days."

"Three days!?"

"Such decisions are never easily made except by those who have unfailing loyalty, or by those who have none - but you have only three days."

She glanced back at the retreating backs of Sango and Rin. What to do?

[End Chapter Nine.]

Author's Notes: I'm not really sure how things are going to work out with Sango and Kagome. I'm not sure they'll be friends at all in this fic, which may be a disappointment to some.

Sorry it took so long to update. "Blind Stitch My Heart" is being put on hold, probably until I finish this story. I just, I've got nothing for that right now. No ideas at all. ^_^