InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Prisoner, My Prisoner ❯ Ten Cell Prison ( Chapter 10 )

Prisoner, My Prisoner

Part 10: Ten Cell Prison < Time is Up

Author: profiler120

Email: profiler120@hotmail.com

Rating: PG/PG-13

Genre: Romance/General [AU]

Author's Notes: This picks up directly where the last chapter left off.

Last Chapter:

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!?"

"It cannot be helped. 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?

Part Ten: Time Is Up

Three days.

Kagome stared up at him. "If I stay... what am I? Will you make me fight?"

"You will not be able to escape the battle."

She absently touched her cheek. "I know, sometimes the battle will come here, but what I want to know is will you make me go to the battle?"

"Yes." He pushed away from the wall, stepping closer. "My stepmother Nijiko has never seen a battlefield. She spends her days in seclusion with only servants to keep her company. She can have no friends, she cannot go outside, she cannot leave a certain set of rooms for safety reasons. Those are the two choices you have. Be willing to fight, to prove you can defend yourself enough to be without me always at your side, or stay within. Completely protected, but completely sheltered."

"If I couldn't handle the battlefield... I could stay within? Like Nijiko-sama?"

"You probably can't handle either, you'll simply have to live with one or the other."

"What about Sango?"

"You may kill her if you desire."

She paled. "Kill her? Of course not!"

He stared at her overly-smug and she realized he must have been anticipating such a response.

"But if I go..."

He stepped away. "Rumors are getting out of hand. I will no longer be able to spare you."

Three days, she thought dismally. She had a mere three days to decide which path she would take on the rest of her life. Rin had been keeping her company since yesterday, pulling her along whenever she went somewhere. She'd been trying not to think about it as much as she could but little else flowed through her head.

Yet, could she go home to work for her father against him? That seemed to be what her life would be. Her father wasn't going to again remove her from the scene. She sighed heavily, leaning forward against the window frame. This was so hard.

She heard the rattle of the door, but fearing it was Sesshoumaru she stayed steady facing the window. A moment later it rattled closed.

"Hey."

She almost sighed in relief. "Hi Inuyasha." She turned, smiling.

"I heard Sesshoumaru gave you some kind of choice to make? You staying?"

She shifted uneasily. "You think I should?"

He approached leaning against the wall across from her. "You're okay with me, that Sango girl though... "

Kagome nodded. "I know, I don't know what to do about her. I probably can't do anything, but I'm trying not to think about her now. I only have three days."

He shrugged. "Stay then."

"That's very easy for you to say. If I stay here I will have to prove my loyalty to Sesshoumaru... if I go, I'll have to do the same at home and I'm not sure I can do it at all for anyone."

He crossed his arms. "One way to find out."

She merely shook her head, half amused. "Do you know where I can find him now?"

"Now? The dojo training." He scoffed. "Like he does anything else when he's got the time."

"Am I allowed to go there?"

Inuyasha straightened, looking contemplative. "I don't see why not, let's go."

He walked ahead leading her down unfamiliar corridors. A floral scent pervaded one corridor only to vanish as she entered another, long and dim. He slid the doors open loudly as though to proclaim his entrance. He walked ahead without waiting. She approached the doors slowly; the clattering sounds from within intimidating her and making her feel timid.
She peered inside slowly stepping within. There he was. She stepped inside completely before she leaned back against the wall, sliding to the floor as she watched. His hair cascaded around him carelessly, moving as he did with every sweeping action. In his hands was a sword; even in practice he was at his utmost seriousness. Maybe humor would get him killed, she thought somewhat bleakly.

Sesshoumaru was many things, she'd come to realize. The most obvious of which was beautiful. She'd never known a man to be beautiful until she'd met Sesshoumaru. He was also exceptionally patient but possessive, well mannered, but emotionally cold. He seemed to know what he wanted in life and how to get it. What confused her about it was his treatment of her.

Women in this day and age had no say in anything and yet he was giving her the option of choosing. Unless he planned specifically to come after her and kill her for rejecting him later, but that seemed stretched. Despite her wandering mind her eyes had not left his graceful form. She'd followed each movement paying scant attention to his opponent. Across the room Inuyasha had become embroiled in a match with the monk, Miroku. She tore her eyes away to glance around looking for Sango, but she, thankfully, was not around.

She nearly jumped when a heap of clothing fell messily into her lap, half on her head obstructing her vision. She peeled the garment away, grimacing at the sight of the sweaty clothing. Who had-? Her unhappy face melted into one of surprise as she saw whom the garment belonged to. It seemed Sesshoumaru had paused in his practice long enough to peel off the article of clothing and toss it at her.

His lips were turned upward into a small, pleased smirk. He was bare to her gaze from his neck to his waist. His skin was flawless, she realized, staring. No scars graced his frame, just the smooth defined lines of his chest.

It could have been no more than a minute or more later when his opponent, bowed, and left him. She watched perplexed as the unknown man walked past her and out the dojo doors. She stood, and approached. He remained where he was staring down at her blankly.

"Why are you letting me make my own decision?"

"Why do you have to analyze everything? I'm giving you the choice, be grateful you have any say at all."

She frowned. She was about to leave, but stopped. "I'm giving you the choice, be grateful you have any say at all."

He was... he was giving her the choice! Her father never let her decide anything. Would staying here really be so bad?

"If I stayed... what would I have to do? I don't imagine that giving an answer would be good enough. Because of who I am I doubt any oath of fealty would quite be enough either... So what would I have to do?"

His expression visibly changed. He looked half surprised.

He reached down tracing one finger along the scarred mark on her cheek. "You continue to surprise me, and you wonder why I want you..." he mused aloud.

"That doesn't answer the question," she replied primly.

He shifted the blade in his hands handing it to her. It was surprisingly heavy and she lowered it to rest the tip upon the floor. He practiced with this thing? Kagome frowned, her thoughts turning gloomy again. How was she supposed to *make* such a decision? What had he handed her this thing for anyway?

She turned absently watching Inuyasha and Miroku dance around one another in their sword fight. They made life look so simple, smiling, laughing, and taunting each other. She found herself smiling despite her unhappy mood.

As she stared though she came to a conclusion. She wouldn't be able to decide without settling her differences with Sango first. Maybe... Maybe if she could win over Sango, however slight, she could stay here. If not... well, if she couldn't it was a bad sign. She wasn't eager to paint everyone with the same brush however, some were more forgiving than others, but she didn't hold high hopes.

"Where can I find Sango? I need to... I won't be able to decide without seeing her first."

"She has nothing to do with it. It is between us alone."

His voice was low and strangely cold as though he resented her bringing up the woman. She glanced back to indeed find him glaring coolly at her. She merely smiled.

"It is and it isn't. You said yourself I need to protect myself right? I need to know if I can do that, if I can handle people like Sango. I won't encounter people like her if I go home."

Something else bloomed in his eyes. Had she been bolder she might have called it pride at her assessment of the situation, but she wasn't about to make such an assumption.

"She is with Rin around this time, you know where to find her."

Kagome nodded grimly, heaving up the sword and handing it back to him. She tried to smile reassuringly, but couldn't.

"I'll... see you later then."

She walked a few feet only to turn back and toss his haori back at him. "Oh and take this. I'm not your servant!"

Kagome entered the garden uneasily. She could hear a female speaking and knew at once it was Sango. She decided to wait until Rin's class was over before she approached so she sat down by the doorway and waited. Not that she didn't have plenty to worry about. She was spared a long wait when the sky overhead rumbled and Sango gave Rin an early dismissal. Kagome managed to hide from the little girl but felt a bit guilty about it. Before Sango could leave Kagome approached the small practice clearing where she and Rin met for their classes.

She knew at once when Sango noticed her, watching as she tensed. What was she going to do? She'd come without a real plan in mind. She couldn't even think of anything to say.

"Hi."

Sango stood straighter.

"I came... I suppose you have valid enough reason to hate my family, but I really had nothing to do with any of it."

Sango shifted drawing her weight to one leg putting her hands up on her hips. "Is that some attempt to make me feel better, or you? Don't bother, you Higurashi's are all the same, I won't be fooled into thinking otherwise."

Kagome smiled sadly. "What would you do then? Shrink away all the time? Should I be on guard in case you're lurking around every corner ready to kill me? Or... maybe I'll be the one lurking in corners waiting for you... Distrust and paranoia eat away at our hearts, if we are enemies, let us be enemies but I wish to know what sort of enemies we will be. Is that what I have to expect, you waiting around every corner?"

They both turned their gazes left when a figure in motion drew their attention. Sesshoumaru stepped into their line of sight, again dressed and bearing a different sword. Kagome watched his figure seem to stoop slightly.

"Stop!" she called out abruptly fearing he was about to attack her. "You wouldn't hold her against me, would you?"

"Your compassion will be the end of you," he warned.

She flashed him a smile. "I think I've heard that before," she mused. "It doesn't really matter, you know how many people already want to kill me? Besides, it's not like I'm going to escape this world alive anyway."

Sango looked unnerved by Sesshoumaru's arrival.

"This didn't make anything easier," Kagome admitted, sighing.

"Had I told you so, you would have come anyway."

Kagome turned her eyes to the sky. It would rain soon.

"When the sun sets upon this day, your time is up."

He turned to leave, and Kagome without looking back, followed after him.

Her heart was heavy for the rest of the night. How was she to make such a decision? When the sun rose and she was still awake she realized he hadn't come. He hadn't come for her decision yet.

What was he offering her? His name, his protection, and a future.

What was there waiting for her at home? Her family. That was it. A family bent on the destruction of those here in this castle. A future that was unknown, unsteady, and unsafe.

Her heart pounded in her ears when she heard the light knocking upon the frame and then the door slide open. She watched his eyes dance over her figure still clothed in her crumpled kimono from the day before. It was plain as day she hadn't slept, she probably looked horrible.

She pulled herself from the floor and turned to face him. He slid the door closed silently staring back. He didn't bother to say anything. He just waited.

She opened her mouth to speak, unsure what would come out. She wasn't surprised when nothing emerged, so she closed her mouth dropping her head a bit, averting her gaze. What to do?

"I-I'm not going to make it. Wars, they crush people like me..." she glanced back at him periodically but he was unreadable. Wasn't he going to try to convince her to stay with him? At all? Just a little?

She wanted him to. If he did... she ... might stay with him, but he wasn't going to say anything it seemed. She tried not to look disappointed. The thought was forgotten however as he approached her quietly, standing in front of her. She looked up at him apprehensively, nervously biting her lip.

Kiss me, she thought. I want to know what it's like to be kissed before I go off and die.

"Your time is up. Make your decision now, Higurashi."

Her hopes were dashed under the weight of his cold formalism. Her shoulders drooped sadly and she stepped back allowing her eyes to flutter closed while she dropped her chin downward toward the floor.

"Would you betray your father for me?" She asked quietly.

His answer was short, concise, and immediate. "No."

"Nor can I. I have to face my life I guess."

"Then your final decision is to leave me?"

She turned to the window silently hoping it was enough of an answer for him.

. . .

Sesshoumaru just barely contained the growl at her answer. This would not do. He had made this mistake before. He wasn't going to allow it to happen again. She would not leave him. Her opinion no longer mattered.

"You've escaped me twice, I don't intend to allow it again. I told you some time ago you were mine. Until you submit to that, you're confined to this room."

He turned to go.

"So I'm your prisoner again?"

"Until you resign yourself that you are simply 'mine', you are my prisoner."

He left her alone, pausing once he reached the hall.

"Jaken," he called knowing the servant was never far, and true to form he waddled around a corner.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Fetch a guard, Higurashi must be attended to at all times. She may not leave her room until further notice."

He pushed away leaving Jaken to follow the order. He waited mind in a whirl as he tried to figure things out. Moments later the door pushed open and there she stood, caught like a little mouse.

He merely stared at her, no particular mood, and no particular expression.

She pushed the door open a bit more stepping fully into view, whereas previously she had merely been peeking out conspiratorially.

"I can't do what you want. Don't you understand? Eventually it will come down to you or someone else and then what am I supposed to do? It's my family you're trying to kill. The people I love! You can't expect me to turn my back on them! You can't, it's beyond unreasonable!" she snapped, looking every bit a battle goddess with fire in her eyes.

"I have asked you to do nothing of the sort."

"It might not be what you're asking for but it's the eventuality of it all."

With that she slid the door closed ending the argument. Had he been in a better mood he might have gone after her but he could think of nothing to argue her point. She was right, but so was he. It was going to come down to that anyway.

He didn't want this to be so difficult for her, but she wasn't making it any easier on herself by choosing a side. But she would eventually. His.

Finally the guard showed up and took his place by the door, Jaken scuttling along behind him.

"Jaken, come to my office in an hour."

He quickly left, eyes cast ahead of him blankly, seeing nothing. In his mind he was already penning the letter he was going to send - indirectly - to Higurashi Naraku.

He slid the door open, not surprised to find Inuyasha there.

"Get out."

It was more automatic response at seeing his brother than anything else.

"I want to talk to you," Inuyasha protested barely seeming to realize Sesshoumaru wasn't listening. He seemed to understand that point when Sesshoumaru reached for a piece of paper, a shallow ink well and a bamboo brush. "Hey!"

"I'm busy Inuyasha."

"Fukui-san,

I have great news to impart to you. My eldest son, Sesshoumaru, has acquired one of Higurashi's daughters. Upon return from a dramatic rescue plus earlier encounters here at the Citadel, to my amazement, Sesshoumaru seems to have won her over. I was quite stunned, brother, at this turn of events, but I have no objections to his wishes. Sesshoumaru managed to elicit an oath of fealty from her and is going to seal it with marriage vows. "

He filled a few lines of general fluff, extraneous information he completely fabricated and then signed the letter from his father. He would take it to his father later, having him stamp it with his seal. The entire document was fictitious, but it was a common practice. Misinformation campaigns could be quite the effective weapon if done correctly. It didn't even matter if Naraku believed it, it would put doubt in the air about her loyalty.

He looked up only to find Inuyasha was still seated in front of him.

"What were you here about?" He asked absently folding the paper.

"Kagome."

"Let me save you the trouble of speaking." Sesshoumaru paused. "The answer's 'no'."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"Doesn't matter, it's something inane."

Inuyasha stood angrily. "That's your problem! How do you expect to win over Kagome if you're always being such an ass?! You damn well don't deserve her, but you never have deserved half the crap people give you!"

"You want Kagome, Inuyasha? Is that what this is about?"

Inuyasha calmed, perhaps by the anger in Sesshoumaru's eyes. He was now treading on very choppy waters. He'd often been envious of his older brother and his older brother's possessions. He'd even been jealous of the female attention Sesshoumaru had gotten over him, but he'd never managed to wrangle anything or anyone away from Sesshoumaru.

In fact, he'd learned when he was younger taking anything Sesshoumaru truly desired was followed up by a nasty backlash. There was no kidding around with Sesshoumaru; he was not the ideal sibling. He was completely incapable of sharing anything and had a very poor sense of humor.

"That's another thing," Inuyasha started again ignoring the question, charging ahead. "What's with you lately? You've never had trouble wooing a girl before. Need some pointers?"

Inuyasha grinned foolishly at his elder brother who was rapidly losing patience with his antics. His grin faded quickly however.

"I just want Kagome to be all right." Inuyasha said quietly. "She... She's not so bad."

He made to leave only to have Sesshoumaru throw the question at him again about him wanting Kagome. Inuyasha paused, staring at the door.

"No."

Whether it was true or not, neither brother was certain, and with that, Inuyasha left.

The halls of Juuroumaru's compound were dark and uninhabited. Kagemaru's twin brother was a quiet, but wild, and beastly man. Yet it was not Juuroumaru he was seeking this day. In the pit of the old building, Juuroumaru's lover lurked, tormenting the world one person at a time. A spiteful fiend, a black miko obsessed with age, beauty, and power, an infamous woman by the name of Tsubaki.

The drafty wooden building was eerie. Only small shafts of light from high, covered windows led the path and kept him from walking into the walls. He stopped when a column of light illuminated part of a door at the end of the hall. Juuroumaru's study. If he was that close then Tsubaki's hidden doorway should be along the left wall.

He reached out, laying his palms against the old wood surface. He scraped his fingers along, feeling for the small indentation that would mark the doorway. Being about the size of a child's fingertip, it was especially difficult to find on this old, bumpy wall.

After several minutes of fumbling he finally located it, and pushed, struggling with the small hole. It slid back, falling into the recessed track on the inside of the wall and then easily slid open. Within he pushed it to, not bothering to close it completely.

Before him was a set of stairs, he walked slowly as not to mis-step in the dim light. At the bottom Tsubaki was more accommodating with the lighting, revealing a wide-open room lined with book filled shelves on one side and four long rectangular tables on the other. It almost looked like some odd alchemy lab.

"Tsubaki!" he called.

He watched the doorway, but didn't approach it, not wanting to disturb whatever activities she was engaged in. The last time he'd come here he'd walked in on a spell and been blind for two days.

Finally she dragged herself into his sight, appearing in all her beautiful glory in the doorway.

"Goshinki...?" She gave him a cursory once over. "What do you want?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"No." She turned away swiftly. "I don't do favors. Not even for you."

"I have not come without a gift deserving of such a beauty and I am certain you will enjoy this task."

Her curiosity assured she stopped and listened. "Very well, but I am not agreeing to anything before hand. Tell me what it is you want first."

"I expect no less." He grinned. "My father's young heiress, Kagome, has been taken back to the enemy Citadel. I want you to curse her."

"Curse her? If I'm not mistaken, Higurashi Kagome is a miko, such a thing would not be possible without-"

"Oh, but I thought of this already." From the folds of his garb he withdrew a sheathed, but exquisite little blade. "Her blood has coated the blade of this weapon. It is my gift for you, Tsubaki, if you can complete this task."

She reached out, pulling the sheath back to examine the now rusty colored blade. She looked over it closely. "Higurashi Kagome, hmmm? What about Kikyo?"

"What about her?"

"Won't she come after me? She will know I am the originator of the curse. I do not want to get involved with her."

"I told you, she is at the Masaharu Citadel, she's not anywhere near Kikyo. She will be beyond all help."

Tsubaki looked up with a smirk. "Really?"

Goshinki returned the impish grin. "Really."

"Kagome?"

"S-Something's wrong with me." She stuttered clutching his red haori. "Inuyasha," she murmured fearfully.

She was scared, unsure of the strange sensations she was currently experiencing.

"Come on, I'll get you a doctor."

She started to move only to gasp in pain; her body tensing in a somewhat surprised shock. Inuyasha, without another word, scooped her up and began walking her to her destination. Her vision faded slowly, sounds blurring. She was aware of leaving the doorway, the guard following, and then nothing.

. . .

Inuyasha burst through the doorway rudely, startling the occupants. His father was holding a Citadel meeting, a monthly or weekly event depending upon the urgency. He was going to be in trouble later for this, but there was no time.

"Something's wrong with Kagome!" He declared immediately.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed on him as though to say 'now's not the time' perhaps thinking it was not as serious as it was.

"I'm not kidding! She's got black splotches on her neck that are pulsing like a heartbeat. She's got a fever and she won't open her eyes no matter how much I shake her or call her - where's the doctor?! I can't find him anywhere!"

"Ahem," All eyes turned to the monk, Miroku. "If you will permit me, Inutaisho-sama this sounds familiar to me."

Inutaisho nodded, allowing him to speak.

"This sounds very much like a black miko curse. I have encountered them on my travels, some of these curses are quite harmless other than the painful aspect, but most are quite deadly."

"Can you identify if she had been cursed?"

Miroku nodded solemnly.

"Very well, go with Inuyasha. Brief me later on her condition."

Miroku followed a worried, upset Inuyasha down the hall some minutes later.

"It looks bad," Inuyasha confided, surprising Miroku with the look on his face. "Kagome... really has a lot of bad luck."

Miroku grinned. "Luck has nothing to do with curses, my friend."

Inuyasha shot him a nasty glare; waiting at the doorway while Miroku went in the room with the tossing and turning female.

Miroku placed a hand upon her forehead checking her temperature. Then he tilted her head back to see the marks Inuyasha had described. He took one glance and frowned.

"This is not good."

"She's gonna die?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"Being a monk, I can break some curses. But this... It's called the 'triple shadow curse'. One of the most complex and painful curses I've heard of. I was told by a miko I met once the scrolls needed to perform the curse were lost to most and very rare in practice. Not only so but you would need an expert black miko to perform it..."

"Can we save her?" Inuyasha asked impatiently apparently not interested in the history or performance of the ritual.

Miroku frowned.

"Is that a 'no', monk?" A second, unfriendlier voice from the doorway caused his frown to deepen. He glanced up to see that voice belonged to Sesshoumaru.

"Not necessarily, she could survive the curse but this... this would need to be cured." He motioned to the black splotches. "They will continue to grow until they consume her, it's caused by the bloody hemlock used in the curse. It will kill her eventually if the curse alone does not."

"Reishi."

"Huh?" Miroku looked up. "You know of the 'Triple Shadow Curse' then?"

"I've heard," Sesshoumaru replied offering no information on how he knew. "Reishi is not available anywhere in this area and it would take too long for it to be brought."

"Ah, but that is not so, Sesshoumaru-sama. I know of one who may provide the Reishi herb for Kagome-sama, but I very much doubt you will welcome him here."

"Wait a minute-!" Inuyasha interrupted. "What the hell is 'Reishi'?"

Miroku replied. "It's an herb grown in the mountains. Called by its peddlers 'the wonder drug'."

Sesshoumaru growled, getting the monk's attention once more. "Where can we get it?"

"I know for certain, the bandit Prince Kouga can get it quite easily."

The silence in the room was deafening. Kouga. An enemy was needed to aid yet another enemy, although he truly did not regard the young woman at his feet as someone he would kill at a moment's notice, whatever he told her about it.

He had, initially, thought of using her against Naraku, but he now realized that Kagome's loyalty to her family seemed unwavering, even if it was reluctant. Knowing such he did not wish to punish her for her loyalty even though such loyalty in others had enraged him on occasion.

All he could seem to think of was how beneficial it would be for himself if he could acquire such loyalty from her. Could he win her over? Yet as time wore on he couldn't help wondering what he was doing. Where had he lost his head with this girl? Why was he bothering himself so much on her behalf? What was he gaining from this? Surely no 'woman' was worth all this trouble, there were a hundred just like her to be had, and yet the excuse wouldn't serve.

Kagome was not one of a dozen, but he was not quite sure why.

"Can she survive without it?"

"I will not say it is impossible, she is after all a miko of impressive strength from what I have heard. But chances are unlikely." Miroku replied solemnly.

"Is there anything you can do to ease her discomfort?"

"I would highly advise against anything that 'eased' her, Sesshoumaru-sama. Kagome-sama is fighting a miko's curse; if she were to relax the curse would take over much more easily. A miko may be able to offer something to bolster her resistance however, but I have little knowledge on the way of the miko's personally. They're trades are not known to me. "

"You and Inuyasha will go find one."

The two young men exchanged glances before drawing away and leaving him alone. Sesshoumaru stepped in, pulling the door closed, staring down at the young victim. She was continually embroiled in one drama after another. What was he to do with her?

Curses and black miko's were something he'd but heard of in passing. He'd put little faith in the stories, even in the 'grand' power of the miko's he heard of were naught but tales to him, at least until he'd met Kagome. She's shown just how powerful a mere woman could be wielding an awesome, spiritual, purifying power. She could save, she could heal, and she could destroy. She was a wonder. A treasure with a grand secret locked away that most couldn't see by merely looking. She could be a weapon of great persuasion, but she was a woman of peace. She would not fight on his behalf even if he did acquire her loyalty. So what to do with her?

For now she was again his prisoner. When he broke her resistance to him, he would begin training her again. He knew, somewhere within him she possessed the strength to escape or at least put up a strong offensive, but she had never tried. She never even showed a hint of the great strength in means of hostility that simmered within her unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Kagome."

He spoke her name to the room, rather than to the woman who was still perspiring and struggling in sleep's hold. To his surprise, her eyes cracked open. He could clearly see the battle within them.

"Stop. Don't contact that snob, Kouga. I'll be all right on my own and if I'm not... then I'm not."

"You presume to give me orders?"

For a brief moment her lips turned up into smile. "Of course not, Sesshoumaru-sama."

He kneeled down beside her. "You know of this curse?"

She nodded weakly. "'Triple Shadow' - Kaede and I didn't spend a lot of time on curses. She was an old woman, during the end of my training when we began curses she became ill and couldn't travel anymore. My travel abilities were limited so... I didn't really complete it and Kaede died sometime later."

The woman, Kaede, he noted was always spoken of fondly. She must have loved her like family, he concluded.

She shook her head. "Not Kouga - he won't help. Kouga is..." she groaned. "Kouga is Onigumo's slave and he is my father's... He will have to tell him... if he finds out... just... Kikyo."

Kikyo. At least he had an option then. Kouga or Kikyo. Enemy or enemy, neither could be trusted.

"Reishi... won't work. Because the scroll used in casting the spell is burned, the only way to break the curse is to kill the caster. No one even know who cast the spell on me so ... I'm not sure you can do anything anyway."

He frowned not liking her perspective. Wasn't this girl the perpetual optimist? He was supposed to be telling her she wasn't going to make it. That's how it always went. He wasn't supposed to be thinking everything would be okay, he'd find and eviscerate the miko when he found her.

He wasn't even sure what to say anymore. What to do or anything else. So much had happened and he was lost in the sea of confusion that had suddenly bubbled up around him.

Sesshoumaru stared listlessly out the window. Behind him were the gentle murmurings of his father and his most recent wife, Nijiko. The two had come in for tea long after he'd been there, posted at the window. He stayed now only so he did not draw attention to himself.

Jaken too was bumbling around the room somewhere. Since he'd found out about Kagome's curse an hour ago the servant had practically been on his heels. He turned suddenly tired of the landscape and quietly left the room, but never once escaping the notice of Jaken who was again at his side.

"The caster will have to be killed."

Jaken nodded.

"First we need to find the miko. There is a woman on the grounds with a young son - his name is Shippou. I have heard he has clairvoyant abilities. Find him."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."

He would use the kid to find the miko and then he would hunt the woman down and kill her. After that... after that he would go back to his original intent, securing Kagome's loyalty and seeing to the destruction of the Higurashi family.

. . .

"Waaahhhh! Put me down you bully!"

Sesshoumaru looked up at the shrill scream that reached his ears. Young and male. It must be the child. Moments later the door slid open, Jaken stepped in dropping the young red haired boy on the floor in front of him.

"Ahhh! Let me go I'll-"

"Seat yourself."

The child whirled around at the dangerously calm voice, eyes widening in fear. Although at what Sesshoumaru wasn't quite certain, maybe the child knew who he was by reputation? After all, his parents did serve his father.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama?" His voice was a mere squeak.

"I have heard you have displayed unusual abilities."

The kid immediately puffed up, narrowing his eyes defensively. "They're lying, I'm just like everyone else!"

Had the kid been teased? Children and adults alike could be merciless especially when it involved things they feared.

"There is a girl in the castle - she has been cursed by a black miko. I need to know who the black miko is to save the girl."

He crossed his arms. "I don't care."

Sesshoumaru watched him. His body language spoke of nothing but his eyes betrayed him. The child was clearly worried about what he'd said.

He stood and quietly left the room. Jaken plucked the kid up once more, and he began wailing all over again. "Let me gooo!"

The room was a few doors down. He'd had her moved again so he could be closer to her. He slid the door open and had Jaken toss the kid in. He went sprawling inside, falling over the poor, whimpering girl.

He scrambled up looking down at her, but he could not see the child's expression.

"Kagome!"

They knew one another? Well, that was convenient. The child would be more easily persuaded.

"Look at her and then condemn her to die by saying you will not help."

Kagome cried out sharply in her unconscious state in a dramatic, perfectly timed display as the boy stared down at her uneasily.

"Kagome..." he murmured settling down at her side.

"Well?" Jaken snapped impatiently.

The kid remained silent, back turned, head bowed.

"It's... it's dark where she is. There's something gold, and candles. Someone with off purple colored hair is with her... but it's empty... and cold... and dark.

That's it... it's all I can see."

Sesshoumaru sighed silently. It was better than nothing. He turned to go, Jaken intending to follow when the kid turned again.

"C-can I stay with Kagome for a while? I-I met her a while ago but my parents told me she tried to escape and... When I came back she was gone..."

"Very well."

He turned and went encountering the monk, Miroku in the hall leading two young women. He stopped, glancing over their unusual garb.

"These two young ladies are miko's from a nearby village. This is Botan and Momig, I have told them of Kagome's plight and they have agreed to do all they can."

Sesshoumaru glanced at them skeptically. They looked roughly equal to Kagome's age, but he very much doubted the power Kagome held was common among all miko's. If that were the case such stories about legendary miko warriors would not be so fantastic and popular. Most miko's were mere healers.

"Where is my brother?"

"He has gone to your father, they are with Lady Nijiko in the tea room."

Sesshoumaru nodded tersely and moved on. To the tea room then.

It was quiet when he entered, all looking up at him. Nijiko, polite as ever smiled at him, but he, in his typical fashion merely looked away.

"How is she?" Inutaisho inquired.

"Not any better," Sesshoumaru replied turning his gaze to the table.

"And the clairvoyant? Any luck?"

Sesshoumaru glanced at Jaken who immediately repeated the words of the child and then quieted, leaving it open for discussion.

"Juuroumaru."

Sesshoumaru looked up at his father's voice. "Kagermaru has a twin brother with an off purple colored hair and he is a Higurashi. Fukui has told me that Juuroumaru has retreated from the compound in the east to a smaller, more recluse little keep. I sent Hiten to the east and Manten to the west - Manten reported back there was no one minus Juuroumaru, a handful of servants and an unknown woman living at the keep."

"An unknown woman?"

"He reports that she was a miko by her garb, but it was unusual and dark colored. It may be nothing." Inutaisho speculated.

Sesshoumaru nodded grimly. "Jaken - meet Hiten at the east keep. Between the two of you Juuroumaru should not be difficult, kill any women that you find there, allow no one to escape."

Across from him Inuyasha blanched. "Isn't that kind of rash?"

"He was going to die either way or another - now is merely more convenient than later." Sesshoumaru replied coolly waving off Jaken.

"Manten has been sent to overtake the compound abandoned by Juuroumaru. He will fortify the base and lead an attack on Kouga's forces and then push northward toward Naraku's and Ongiumo's border territories."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Hiten should be able to break away by the end of the week regrouping with his troop force to meet Manten at the border."

"Good, good. Sesshoumaru, have you met Souten? Brilliant young girl, I've invited her to dine with us this evening."

Sesshoumaru frowned not liking the sound of that. That was how he'd first met Toki, his first wife.

"She has an amazing talent for drawing up battle plans, I want you to meet with her. Perhaps line her up with an instructor, it would be a terrible waste to allow such talent to wither."

"An instructor?" He asked, baffled. What was going on here?

"She is Hiten and Manten's younger sister. She's only around 8 or so."

"Eight?"

Inutaisho nodded. "She is truly impressive."

[End Chapter Ten]

Author's Notes: Wow, I almost kept writing here. Each chapter has a pre-set length and I almost went swooping past this one. ^_^

Please note any errors you find in your review if you find them. I appreciate the help, thank you.

Why did Kagome go with Goshinki? - I think Kagome's pretty lost in this story. No where to really go and no one, except Kikyo, for her to really trust and even that isn't what it used to be.

I could've sworn someone said something about Sesshoumaru and marriage with the whole 'take his name' thing. ( I couldn't find it *anywhere*, but I know someone wrote it in a review.) Anyway, you were right. It was originally a marriage proposal, but I changed it.

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Review/Question/Etc:

taskinLUDE: I like to use surnames in my stories because I like the whole last name/first name setup they use in Japan. Because I like to use them I've made a list of characters, assigned them surnames and I use them for every story. 'Senaka' was the surname I gave to Naraku, that's why I used it for Kagome's 'fake' name. ^_^

Flambeau-Willow - Think it's bleak, huh? I can't tell, personally. I didn't think it was half bleak enough. I'd say it would get better but... ah, it probably won't. More gloominess ahead.

kokonutsu - Nope, no rape. That's too traumatic an incident, and it's the last thing she ( or I ) need to deal with right now. It would extend the story too much, and this is reaching it end. (Okay, not really - but the main conflict is reaching it's end. Sort of. Er... yeah, something like that. Ah, I'm not sure! I can't give chapter estimates.)

Aki no Yume1 - Sango and Kagome, I finally decided what to do with them! Next chapter ( I think ) you'll see that. "Blind Stitch My Heart" is again underway. Hopefully this month I'll have something to add to that.

LovelyLioness57 - Inuyasha, I don't think he really *loves* Kagome, I think he likes her for certain though. Why isn't Sesshoumaru professing his love for Kagome? Same thing, I'm not sure he loves her. I was reading through this story utterly baffled wondering what exactly I've built this relationship of their on.

Kura - The injury on Kagome's back isn't going to be discovered by Sesshoumaru. It is important for two reasons though, one of them was the curse, the other you'll see next chapter but you might not notice it. It's a minor thing. Hmmm, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru love conflict? Maybe, I don't really plan things out that way.

Erin - Is Kagome going to end up killing someone? Very unlikely, but completely possible. Will she end up fighting? - Not sure. Is she going to have any more interaction with Kouga? I don't know... maybe. He's (Kouga) not really all that important right now, but in a few chapters he might be.

Strawberry shortcake - Very simple reason Kagome hasn't thought about her 'feelings' for Sesshoumaru. That reason is, I haven't a clue. *laughs* It's a very one-sided almost sort of romance thing going on. I'd like to say that's going to change, but not for a little while yet. One, two chapters, maybe more.