InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ She Who the Prophecy Foretold ❯ A Depressed Demon Lord ( Chapter 25 )

Chapter 25 - A Depressed Demon Lord 

 

 

      Kagome was still frustrated as she climbed out of the well in her time. `How dare that pretentious dog think he can tell me what I can and can't do! Damnit! It was bad enough when Inuyasha did it, and now his brother wants to control me too?! GAH!!!' If anyone had been around to see her stomp from the well house to the family home they would have been rather disturbed by the sound the miko was making. If anyone had been around to hear, they would have sworn that she sounded like she was growling, as if she was possessed by a demon or something! And growling she was. Maybe she was spending so much time surrounded by dog demons that they were rubbing off on her? She entered through the front door, kicking off her shoes and stomping up the stairs. He mother just looked after her, not at all disturbed by the sound emanating from her human daughter. 

 

      When she reached her room Kagome slammed her door shut behind her before throwing herself onto the bed and screaming into a pillow. What the hell is it with dogs and ordering her around?! After a few minutes she finally began to calm and then she heard a soft knock on her door. Lifting her head out of the pillow she had nearly smothered herself with she called out, “come in Mama.”  

 

      Her mother entered silently, closing the door softly behind her before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Kagome, honey, do you want to talk about it?” While she wasn't quite sure what the problem was, Hiromi did know that it needed a mother's touch. 

 

      Kagome heaved a sigh and sat up. “It's nothing Mama. Just sometimes I wish I had a zap collar for all the possessive, obnoxious, control-freak dogs around me.” Then she laughed at the mental picture she had caused herself. Sesshoumaru wearing a dog collar being led around on a leash. Not such a bad idea.  

 

      “Isn't that what the subjugation beads are for?”  

 

      “Yeah, well, if only it had been Inuyasha then I wouldn't have a problem. No, mama, it was Sesshoumaru. For some reason he didn't want me to come home and tried to tell me I couldn't leave.” Kagome sighed again. “I ended up screaming at him to not talk to me at all when I came back or to be gone altogether. Me and my big mouth.” 

 

      “Why do you think he didn't want you to go, Kagome?” Her mother posed the question gently, allowing her daughter to come to the realization on her own.  

 

      Kagome thought about it for a few minutes while running the scene between them through her mind over and over. Why did he not want her to go? “Ah, damnit,” she let out a sigh. “He doesn't know where home is; just that he can't reach it. (sigh) And when I go through the well it cuts off the marks. He feels the need to protect me now after what I did for his sons and he can't do that while I'm here.” She looked up at her mother whose face held a look of total understanding.  

 

      “So he was worried for you.” 

 

      “Yeah, I suppose so. But he didn't have to give me an order like a servant of something.” 

 

      “Dear, I don't suppose he knew quite how to say what he wanted to. He does seem to be one who is used to being in control.” 

 

      “Yeah, mama, your right about that. And I just flipped out on him. Great. I can just imagine what he thinks of me now.” A thought struck her. “Hey mama, can I use the gazing ball thingie?” 

 

      Her mother smiled wide at her before standing and walking out the door. She returned only a second later holding the requested item. “I had a feeling you might want to use it. I'll leave you alone now dear. Dinner will be ready soon.” 

 

      Kagome looked after her mother in awe. There was so much more to her than she had ever noticed before. Shaking her head to remove the odd thought she looked into the crystal and watched it swirl before settling on the demon lord. He was walking through the forest followed by his sons. “He's going home,” she whispered. She reached out a finger to touch his face while whispering “Sesshoumaru, I'm sorry.” She watched as he stopped walking while looking around. She saw then as he raised his hand to the cheek she had just caressed on the crystal. He looked more confused than she had ever seen. Did he hear her, or feel her? Did the crystal do more than she thought? “Sesshoumaru…” she saw him once again scanning the area. “I'm sorry I yelled at you.” He scanned the area once more before shaking his head and starting to walk again. Kagome set down the gazing crystal as the picture faded out.  

 

 

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      He was pretty sure he was losing his mind now. He had heard her voice and it felt as if she had once again caressed the markings on his cheek as she had by the stream. A scan of their surroundings found nothing in the area. His connection with the girl was still cut off. And yet, just when he had been ready to dismiss it, he heard her again, a gentle whisper. Yes, it was certain. The miko was making him crazy. He shook his head roughly in an attempt to remove the strange thoughts before he continued his march through the forest. He had decided to walk, at least for a while, taking the time to figure out what to do. Several times his sons had tried to get his attention but he just motioned for their silence and continued on. 

 

      The walk home was annoying, at least in their opinions. Their father kept ignoring them. They wanted to know why they were leaving! They weren't supposed to be leaving! Once their father had paused, looking oddly confused, but then he continued on as if nothing had happened. Eventually he motioned for them to shift and they ran the rest of the way which was much, much quicker than the agonizingly slow walk. When they reached the palace their father immediately disappeared into his study, leaving them to talk to Rin about what had happened.  

 

      Once he was alone in his study he sat in a lump, his head once again rested on his arm atop his desk in a most undignified and un-lordly manner. This was how Jaken found him nearly an hour later, still motionless. “M..M..My Lord?” Jaken looked terrified. What was wrong with his Great Lord Sesshoumaru? “Are…are you …alright, my Lord?” 

 

      “Yes, (huge sigh) Jaken. Everything is just perfect.”  

 

      Jaken stared at him, frozen in place and mouth gaping. Never had he heard his Lord sound quite so…depressed? Yes, that was it. He sounded depressed. But why would Lord Sesshoumaru be depressed? 

 

 

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      Shippo had returned to them after a while, still pouting and confused. Miroku and Sango had been sitting quietly by the fire still trying to understand all that had happened. How had Kagome known there was trouble on this side of the well from her side? What was Kagome thinking, walking off with Lord Sesshoumaru when his beast was so obviously in control? Eventually Inuyasha joined them, still grumbling about the `fucking mangy wolf'. When Shippo returned alone they had asked him where the pups were. All they got in response was a “They went home.” He then proceeded to go into the hut where Kagome's pillow still remained and curled up on it to sleep.  

 

      “Good riddance! It's about fucking time!” Inuyasha was still confused as to why his brother had been there to begin with and the fact that he was gone was a relief. Of course Kagome was gone again too, which he didn't like, but she said she would be back soon and he could always go check on her. He looked over at Miroku then who had a strange look on his face. 

 

      “What the fuck's up with you, Monk?” 

 

      Miroku was startled from his thoughts. “Huh? What? Oh, nothing Inuyasha. I was just thinking is all. Your brother's appearance was strange and we still hadn't figured it out.  And now he is gone, as soon as Kagome leaves again. I just get the feeling there is more happening here than we know.” 

 

      “Keh! Who gives a fuck?! The fucker's gone, that's what counts! What I wanna know is how he managed to save his herd of runts. From what I saw, Kikyo said that the curse was unbreakable except by a pure miko. How did that asshole find a miko to help him?” 

 

      Miroku and Sango looked at each other and then back to the hanyou. They had their suspicions of course and Kaede had confirmed some of it, but no one was looking forward to the explosion that would occur when Inuyasha figured it out. For once they were all glad that he wasn't big on thinking, especially not about things that were confusing. 

 

      Deciding it was a good idea to change the subject, Miroku spoke. “Inuyasha, would you like to help me gather some firewood for the night. Lady Kaede is running low, and since we will be staying a few days…” 

 

      The hanyou grumbled but agreed, standing and walking off with Miroku, leaving Sango alone who decided to go inside and try to talk to Kaede again.  

 

 

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      Ever since she had seen Sesshoumaru through the crystal she had been laying on her bed staring at the ceiling, thinking. She was trying to understand the feelings she had experienced while in his arm. Not just the tingles that had spread beautifully throughout her entire body, making every inch of her feel alive, but also the feelings of safety, peace, and completion. How could he have made her feel that way? She somewhat understood the feeling of safety. Since he was now her friend instead of her enemy and because he's such a strong youkai, she figured it was only natural to feel safe in his arm. No one could have caused her harm unless he allowed it, and she knew that would never happen. But the feelings of peace and completion, like she was suddenly whole still bothered her. She didn't think she had been missing anything since her soul had been made whole. That was all she had been missing, right? But then why did she feel like she was missing something now? Something had changed while she was in his arm. She had found something she didn't know was missing, and now that she did, she really missed it!  

 

      She focused then on his behavior. He had pulled her to him and held her so closely. And then there were the kisses and licks, the nuzzles and nips. And the way had had breathed her in like he was suffocating and her scent was the air he needed to live. What was going on with him? Why had he been acting so oddly? It was just like at the palace in his study, almost like he needed her. Like he wanted her. Did he want her? Did he like her? But that couldn't be possible! He doesn't like humans, and she's most definitely a human. It was just too odd. She was getting nowhere. She eventually decided to put it out of her mind and not worry about it. She couldn't figure anything out anyway! So she pushed down all the odd feelings and all the unexplained things he had done. And when she was done locking it all away in her mind she drifted off to sleep, having decided a nap before dinner would be perfect. 

 

 

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      Jaken had eventually left him alone, but only after multiple threats of disembowelment. Apparently he wasn't quite as intimidating at present. Since then he had not been bothered and now night had fallen once again. He decided to try to sleep in his own bed. The scent of the miko would only cause him to dwell even more on the argument, as well as the odd feeling he had experienced on the trip home. He changed into a pair of silk sleeping pants and slid between the sheets on his large, cold, empty futon. He tried to force all thoughts from his head so he could get some sleep, but she just refused to leave. What if she never wanted to see him again? What if she never spoke to him again? How could he survive without her soothing and delicious scent? How could he live without hearing her gentle laughter or seeing her smile? And her touch! Now that he had experienced her caress he found himself aching to have her hands on him once again. He had to figure out some way to apologize to her. It couldn't be too hard, right? He had done it before and she had forgiven him, and that was for trying to kill her! Surely she could forgive him for trying to stop her from leaving. He lay there staring at the ceiling for hours while trying to decide on a course of action, eventually falling into a restless sleep. 

 

 

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      They had been trying to figure out what to do since they had returned home. They didn't know what the problem was or why their father was acting so weird but chances were good that Shippo was right. But why would their father leave? They had never known him to back down from any challenge, and yet this time he ran away. Was their fight really that bad? When Jaken had come from their father's study mumbling about `never having seen Lord Sesshoumaru so depressed' they knew something bad had happened. They stayed in their rooms talking and trying to come up with ideas until well after dark. They had heard their father go into his own chambers which they had not been expecting. They figured he would go to her room, seeking her scent once again. Since he hadn't, they decided they would and they crept silently into the room that held her scent still, curling up together and falling asleep.  

 

 

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      Sango had found Kaede alone, besides the sleeping Shippo, and tried to get more information out of her. She was sure the old miko knew much more than she was saying but she refused to share, saying Kagome would tell them all in time. Eventually the slayer gave up and instead helped Kaede prepare the evening meal. By the time Inuyasha and Miroku had arrived, both with armloads of firewood which was piled outside, the stew was ready and they all ate quietly before settling down to sleep.  

 

      Sango and Miroku both slept well for the first time in quite a while. Sango was sure her sister was safe and though she didn't know what had been going on yet, she was sure Kagome would tell her if they ever managed to get some time alone. She dreamt of sitting in a hot spring with Kagome, talking and laughing like they always had. Suddenly there was a noise in the bushes. Sango picked up a rock and threw it into the brush at the side of the spring. It met with something solid with a thump before the hentai monk fell out of the bushes with a lump on his head and a smile on his face. They laughed at their now unconscious friend before returning to their girl talk. She slept with a peaceful look on her face. 

 

      Miroku had given up on trying to figure everything out. He knew that their suspicions had most likely been right from what they had witnessed earlier. Kagome trusted him, and he was sure she would confide in him soon enough. So when Miroku drifted into dreams they were once again filled with a certain woman with brown eyes, long dark brown hair, and a black and pink body-hugging outfit. No more pink teardrops, no more worries, just him trying to figure out how to peel that outfit off of her. He slept with a smirk on his face.  

 

      Inuyasha took up his resting place in the tree next to the old miko's hut. He liked sleeping outside better. He could keep his senses trained on the area while he rested, something he had learned to do when he was just a child, a hanyou child, alone in a hateful world. He had a hard time sleeping on the ground or inside. He just couldn't assure himself that it was safe. He stared at the stars for a while, still confused about Kagome. He knew he felt strongly about her, he wanted to protect her and make sure she was provided for and taken care of. But he didn't know if he had feelings for her like he had for Kikyo or not. Kikyo still had him tied up in knots, mixing things up in his mind and leaving him confused. She reminded him of Kikyo enough to make him wonder which feelings were really directed at Kagome and which were left over from Kikyo.  

 

      When he finally fell asleep he dreamt of memories of Kikyo when she was alive intertwined with memories of Kagome. Their faces mixed and faded from one to the other until he could no longer tell who he was looking at. First she asked him to use the jewel to become human for her, and then she said she loved him as a hanyou, then she asked him to come to hell with her, and then she begged him to wake, stay with her and live. He watched her shoot an arrow at him and pin him to the god tree and then he watched her pull the arrow out and set him free. Then the image of the woman in front of him split in two and Kikyo and Kagome stood before him once more. Kikyo walked off to the left and Kagome to the right, each turning and calling out to him. Which way should he choose? Which was the right path? Suddenly he was standing still while watching himself step forward and split in two, one running to Kikyo and the other to Kagome. As he continued to watch the Inuyasha that went to Kikyo was greeted with cold eyes and harsh words. The Inuyasha that went to Kagome smiled and gave him a warm hug. He heard her speak then. “I already forgave you. I love you too much not to. I will never leave you. I will always be your friend.”  

 

      If someone had been watching the hanyou in the tree they would have seen him tossing his head back and forth with a look of confusion on his face. After a while, though, his thrashing stopped and he relaxed into a comfortable position with a content look on his face. 

 

      Shippo, who hadn't even bothered waking up to eat, was experiencing a dream he had suffered from since the death of his parents. Everyone was walking away from him. Everywhere he turned people were leaving him. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara walked away as he called out to them. Inuyasha let out a `keh' before leaping away. Kagome walked away and jumped into the well, never pausing or turning at his cries as if she couldn't hear him. And a new group had been added as well. Sesshoumaru walked away without looking back, followed by his sons. However, each boy turned and looked at Shippo sadly before they disappeared into the trees. He was all alone again. Everyone had left him. The kit was tossing and turning until he fell off of Kagome's pillow and hit the hard wood floor of the hut, startling himself awake. He looked around, seeing Sango and Miroku were still there, as well as Kaede and Kirara. Kazue, who had found her way into the hut sometime during the night, walked up to him and nuzzled the still shaking Shippo. She followed him back to the pillow and they curled up together.  

 

 

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      Dinner was a quiet affair at the Higurashi Shrine as well. Souta was having dinner at a friend's house so it was just Kagome, her mother, and her grandfather. Deciding it was time to break the silence, her mother spoke. “Kagome, now that it is time for you to truly begin the journey you will probably be spending even more time in the feudal era, don't you think?” 

 

      Kagome let out a sigh. “Yeah, but I already am having so much trouble keeping up in school. At least summer break starts soon, but when it is time to go back in the fall, I don't know what to do.” 

 

      “Don't worry about it dear. I think that you should take a bit of time and study for your final exams and then I will let the school know that you won't be attending next year.” 

 

      “But Mama! Not attending at all? What are you going to tell them?” Kagome still didn't know what was going to happen in the future but if she ended up staying in her time for some reason, then dropping out of school would be a big mistake! 

 

      “Calm down, dear. I will tell them that you will be taking courses at home. You can sign up for correspondence courses. I've been looking into it and there are some good schools that will send you your books and things in the mail and allow you to take the tests online, at your own speed. You can study when you can and take tests when you come home. Plus, you have a lot more choices in courses. You might be able to find some things that will come in handy on your journey.” 

 

      “Oh…well, I guess that sounds okay. But what will we tell my friends? They will expect me to be at home then, and if they visit and I'm not here?!” Kagome knew her friends weren't going to just stop visiting and calling. They were nothing if not persistent.  

 

      “Oh, we'll think of something. Will you be able to stay until your exams are over?” 

 

      “I don't know mama. They don't start until the week after next. I don't think Inuyasha will let me stay here for two whole weeks after I was gone for two weeks already, even if I promise to be able to stay for a long time after that. I think maybe I will go back tomorrow or the next day, tell them all about the prophecy stuff, and study there for the week, and then come back for exam week.” 

 

      “Well, that sounds fine dear.”  

 

      Dinner fell silent again after that, Kagome's thoughts returning to a specific demon lord. She just couldn't stop thinking about him, no matter how hard she tried. It was odd really. Usually when she was home she would be obsessing about Inuyasha, but she had barely even thought of him. She didn't even say good-bye to him earlier because he had been sulking in a tree again for some unknown reason. After helping her mother with the dishes Kagome went to bed, planning on returning to the past again in the morning.

 

Author's Note: Thanks goes to Coffee Flavored Fate for helping me with the revisions. You're Awesome!