InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sword of Supreme Conquest ❯ Chapter 18 ( Chapter 18 )

Love lies bleeding in the bed whereover Roses lean with smiling mouths or pleading: Earth lies laughing where the sun's dart clove her: Love lies bleeding ~ A.C. Swinburne

 

 

 

 

The air vibrated with palpable tension, like a guitar string wound too tight; ready to snap at the next indelicate pluck. The secret that'd haunted the palace halls had finally been laid bare. The murderous gleam in Sesshomaru's eyes left no question as to the parentage of the newborn down the hall or what he planned to do about it. His features, contorted and violent with rage, made it apparent that he had every intention of making Inuyasha suffer. For his part, the half demon didn't seem inclined to put up much of a fight.

 

 

“I should have killed you years ago,” Sesshomaru seethed, his words dripping with venom. His jaw snapped shut, his fangs clenching and grinding together. Kaede cleared her throat and, to her own surprise, found herself jumping to the half demon's defence. She couldn't say she approved of what he'd done, but she didn't want to see him perish for it either.

 

 

“Sesshomaru, please! Think about Kagome! What will she say when she wakes up to discover that ye have killed him?”

 

 

The Lord of the Western Lands turned his turbulent gaze on her and snarled so loudly it resonated off the stone walls around them. Startled, the elderly miko skittered backwards. Her breath heaved inside her chest and she looked helplessly at Inuyasha who was still caught between his claws. Heart pounding, she glanced towards the open door of the birthing room and noted the eerie silence drifting from it. It hung over their heads like a dark ominous cloud, sounding the foreboding trumpet of impending death and destruction.

 

 

“Sesshomaru…what have ye done to Kagome? And the child...ye didn't-?”

 

 

Her questions were cut off by the sharp slant of the demon's gaze, which narrowed menacingly in her direction. She abruptly closed her mouth and privately wished there was more hallway to back up into. As it was, she had her back and both hands pressed as far into the cool stone as they could go and yet she still felt smothered by his presence. The demonic aura radiating off of him was unlike anything she'd ever felt before; poisonous, violent, breathtaking - it made her hands tremble with fear.

 

 

She'd never allowed herself the luxury of fear when facing down a demon before, but this time was a rare exception. There was nothing normal about their situation and in the state he was in, Sesshomaru was more dangerous than the most violent and unpredictable of beasts. She'd been up against many demons in her lifetime, but never one like this, never one with so much anger in his heart. She honestly didn't think there would be any way to stop him once he started killing.

 

 

Opening his eyes a crack Inuyasha followed the old woman's gaze and stared fixedly at the open doorway down the hall. Still struggling against the burning claws choking off his air he glared at Sesshomaru. “If you…hurt Kagome…or her baby…I'll kill you,” he managed to rasp.

 

 

The claws squeezed ever tighter, cutting the air to his lungs like a freshly woven noose. Black spots clouded and darkened his vision and the world began to swim in sickening circles. He stubbornly fought against slipping into the void of unconsciousness. If he passed out now there would be no way for him to help Kagome if she needed it.

 

 

Seeing the bloodlust in his brother's eyes stirred a pit of uneasiness in his gut. If he hadn't killed her already, there wasn't much to keep him from doing so after he was dead. Inuyasha struggled even harder as a vision of Kagome dying in her bed while he was barely ten feet away swam before his eyes. He cursed the claws at his throat, the ones that made it impossible for him to smell her scent.

 

 

Sesshomaru chose to ignore the foolish old miko and kept his eyes trained on the half breed that was the bane of his existence. The more he struggled, the tighter he held him and watched with deep satisfaction as the colour slowly began to drain from his face. This was not how he would kill him though. His mutt brother had been a thorn in his side too long for it to end this easily. This final act, this one last transgression was the breaking point. He'd reached his limit of tolerance - his beast wouldn't be satisfied until he made damn sure Inuyasha would never returned.

 

 

His lip curled up into a sneer as he regarded his brother's pained yet determined face. He would thoroughly enjoy watching the life drain from his body. “You are hardly in a position to be making threats,” he reminded him.

 

 

With a sudden rush, Inuyasha felt his body drop to the floor. Hunched over on all fours he sucked air into his lungs, gasping and choking as the cold oxygen rushed in. He'd barely taken three breaths before the painful squeeze of Sesshomaru's claws was replaced with the searing pain of his brilliant green acid whip.

 

 

Without sparing a second glance for the miko Sesshomaru retreated down the hall, dragging the half breed behind him. He'd coiled the whip around his neck like a leash and took great pleasure in the groans of pain echoing from behind him. He could only imagine what it felt like for Inuyasha, to have the acid burn away at his exposed throat. The half breed would finally learn his place, one way or another.

 

 

Inuyasha struggled as he was pulled across the rough floorboards, splinters cutting deep into his bare feet and arms. He twisted and turned back and forth at the end of the whip, his body jerking in pain at its searing touch. As he was dragged past the birthing room he managed to stop struggling long enough to look inside.

 

 

From the end of the hall Kaede watched him closely. When his body flopped back down against the floor she breathed a temporary sigh of relief. So he hasn't killed her… not yet anyway, she deduced with a pensive frown.

 

 

 

For a brief moment, all time and space within the hallway seemed to hang in suspension. Kaede's dark eye locked with Inuyasha's golden orbs and an unspoken acknowledgement passed between them. Whatever happened, he was going to be okay as long as Kagome remained safe. Kaede acquiesced to his unspoken request with a subtle nod of her head before he disappeared from sight.

 

 

It pained her to know that the boy she'd come to think of like a son could very well be dead within the next few minutes, but she accepted it as she knew she had to. She would have to be strong because when Kagome awoke she'd need someone to console her. Besides, though Inuyasha appeared to be at a great disadvantage, he was stubborn and cocky and wouldn't give in to Sesshomaru quite so easily. Given enough time Sesshomaru would kill him, but it wouldn't be an easy battle for either of them.

 

 

------------------------

 

 

Weary from exhaustion and disoriented from her brief rest, Kagome pulled in a deep breath and opened her eyes. Her body felt heavy and limp, her mind foggy and muddled. How long have I been asleep? she wondered. The drowsiness that threatened to overtake her once more and pull her back under suggested that it hadn't been nearly long enough. Blinking and glancing around the room she realized with an odd sort of intuition that something had woken her.

 

 

The tapers along the walls continued to glow brightly, warming the room with their dim glow. The child at her side stirred and mewled before slipping back into a soundless sleep. She cast a fond eye down at him and pulled him a little closer. The relative calm permeating every facet of the room didn't reconcile with the strange sensation, the keen awareness pricking at the back of her mind, that something wasn't right.

 

 

Sitting still for a moment she listened to the silence emanating from the hallway through the open door, the soft crackle of the lamps, the deep even breaths of her son. No, she was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Where was Sesshomaru? Where were Inuyasha and Kaede? With the door left wide open she would've expected at least one of them to be milling about. And for that matter why was the entire palace so deathly quiet? Not a sound could be heard outside the room, a realization which made her heart beat faster. The palace was never quiet, never like this anyway.

 

 

Her dark eyes stared hard into the hall, brows drawn low over them, and she debated calling for Kaede. She'd just opened her mouth to do so when the old miko presented herself at the entrance with an odd sort of look on her face. She stepped inside, her sandaled feet silent atop the wooden floor, and made her way to the bed.

 

 

“Kaede?” Kagome stared up at her quizzically. The miko's withered face, locked in a perpetual frown, gave her no hint that anything was amiss.

 

 

“How are ye feeling child?”

 

 

Her tone was calm and businesslike, efficient like Kaede. It was something that should've reassured her and soothed her frayed nerves, but it achieved exactly the opposite effect. Kagome's dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she watched the easy way the old miko went about fixing the bed sheets without meeting her gaze.

 

 

“I'm tired and sore but otherwise fine.” She winced as a wayward cramp shuddered across her belly. “It almost makes me wish I'd gone back to the modern era, just to get my hands on those pain meds.”

 

 

Kaede inclined her head sympathetically and shuffled quietly towards the other side of the bed. “Ye chose to stay in the feudal era. Sesshomaru would have let ye go to yer own time to deliver,” she reminded her.

 

 

Kagome nodded and slipped a hand through her dark, pillow tousled locks. She cast her eye downwards and smiled at the sleeping face nestled into her side. “I know.”

 

 

Her voice resonated with warm affection when she spoke as she remembered the discussion they'd had about her delivery all those months ago. He'd insisted that she go to the modern era so she could be treated by the doctors there. She told him gently, yet firmly, that he'd have to drag her through the well kicking and screaming to get her back there. It was because of her headstrong determination to find the sword that he'd missed the birth of their first son. She didn't want to be responsible for him missing the birth of their second.

 

 

Enveloped by a sort of euphoric bliss, her mouth quirked up into a sort of half smile. “Speaking of Sesshomaru, has he returned?”

 

 

Kaede hands stilled where they'd been adjusting the sheets on the other half of the bed. Her one good eye stared hard at the bundle of blankets surrounding the newborn and Kagome watched her intently. Her intuition spiked again with an ugly reminder that something still wasn't right.

 

 

“Kaede? What is it? Is something wrong?”

 

 

The old miko opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it again when Ronin came bounding into the room. The energetic troublemaker cheerfully leapt up onto the bed and crawled across the covers to examine the new addition to the family. His mouth open into a tiny “O” of curiosity, he extended a pudgy digit to poke at his brother's plush cheek. Satisfied that he was, in fact, real, he rested back on all fours and turned a beaming smile towards his mother. Kagome smiled back at him warmly, no hint of her anxious thoughts visible on her features.

 

 

“Mama, can I go watch Daddy sword play? Pleeeeease?” he pleaded, his voice laced with a tiny whine. Apparently the birth of a new brother could only hold his attention for so long. He stared up at Kagome with large, round amber eyes and gave her what could've been called the world's most convincing `puppy dog face.'

 

 

Still disoriented and eager to speak with Kaede about what was troubling her Kagome acquiesced with a nod of her head. “Sure sweetheart, just be sure to stay out of his way okay? You know he doesn't like it when you get too close.”

 

 

Ronin nodded his head eagerly, his dark curls bouncing with the sudden movement. Clamouring off the bed he pushed his way past Kaede and headed out the door. Kagome watched his tiny figure disappear into the hall with a contented smile on her face.

 

 

As the last remnants of sleep laden fog cleared from her mind the smile slipped from her lips and she turned to Kaede horror struck. “Is Sesshomaru…he's back?” she questioned, her voice sounding strained.

 

 

The old priestess nodded her head solemnly, her eyes softening with sympathy. She was reluctant to say any more but upon seeing the unspoken questions swimming in Kagome's dark eyes she knew she couldn't leave her ignorant.

 

 

“Sesshomaru has returned. He knows the child is not his.”

 

 

Kagome's world shuddered to a stand still. The breath in her lungs froze. Too paralyzed to do more, she let her eyes drop to the child nestled at her side. Her hand pulled him closer and she sucked in a shaky breath. He knows…Kaede's ominous words echoed through her mind and vaulted her anxiety and fear to new heights. Her hand was shaking visibly when she lifted and anxiously swiped it down her face.

 

 

“Oh kami…tell me this is a nightmare. Please just let it be a horrible nightmare.”

 

 

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She tortured herself with instant replays of how Sesshomaru must've reacted. Just the thought of seeing such pain and betrayal in his eyes made her heart clench painfully in her chest. Two salty tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and dribbled down her cheeks to plop atop the blankets.

 

 

Amidst her dark nightmare of betrayal and self loathing a child's request echoed suddenly in her ears. “…can I go watch Daddy sword play?” She gasped realizing that there could only be one reason why Sesshomaru would be sword fighting at a time like this. The quiet look of confirmation on Kaede's face made her stomach roil and she put a shaking hand to her lips, certain she was going to be sick.

 

 

“He'll kill him…” she whispered horrified, looking to Kaede with wide, fearful eyes. The old priestess nodded silently and held her arms out. After placing a soft kiss atop her new son's head Kagome left him in her trustworthy care and slipped out of bed. She donned her slippers hastily and searched frantically for her robe, her mind a dizzying jumble of heart wrenching questions.

 

 

What if I don't make it in time? What if he's already dead? What will Sesshomaru do to me? To our son? For weeks she'd been so angry with Inuyasha she hadn't been able to speak to him, much less look him in the eye. She'd felt betrayed, used, and shamefully guilty. It took a long time for her to come to terms with the fact that what he'd done…it wasn't malicious or cruel. It wasn't like before.

 

 

She could see it in his eyes when he spoke to her. He honestly thought he'd done what she wanted him to do. In his own way he'd been trying to help her through a rough time, the consequence of which was the child now squirming in Kaede's arms. He'd spent so much time caring for her and protecting her, she couldn't let him die for her mistake, not when she could stop it.

 

 

Finally finding her robe tossed across a chest, Kagome hastily threw it over her thin shoulders she ran for the door, ignoring Kaede's cries of protest from behind. She tied the robe shut as she ran, her heart pounding at break neck speed against the walls of her chest. The blood loss from giving birth hours earlier sent her head spinning but she refused to allow herself to succumb to it. She fumbled blindly down the stairs, using her hands against the stone as a guide, until the black spots slowly cleared.

 

 

By the time she reached the short stone tunnel that led to the main courtyard her lungs were burning from the cold air. She spotted Ronin immediately. His tiny form stood stock still, facing out towards the field. He didn't move an inch, not even when she jogged up to him and collapsed to her knees at his side panting heavily. She quickly noticed the twin streams of crystalline tears coursed down his cheeks. His large eyes, those endless pools of soulful amber, stared wide and unblinking at the battle taking place.

 

 

Frowning, Kagome pulled him into her chest and gently wiped away his tears with her thumb. She tried to console him with a few hushed words and a gentle hug; he trembled wordless in her arms. Glancing up she caught sight of what'd become of her mate and let a horrified gasp tumble unbidden from her lips.

 

 

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha faced one another across what'd once been the practice field. Steam rose off Tokijin in delicate tendrils, the lingering aftermath of its most recent attack. The blade hummed with power and a thirst for blood, its master's desire for revenge flowing through it and feeding its bloodlust. Sesshomaru's crimson glare was fixed on the pile of red robes pushing itself up off the ground at the far end of the field.

 

 

From the looks of it they'd been fighting for some time and Inuyasha was losing badly. With no weapon to assist him except his claws he was practically helpless. Sensing her presence he turned to her and forced himself to his feet. She made a move to stand, intending to run between them but he shook his head, silently commanding her to stay where she was.

 

 

He wanted this. He knew he deserved it and it'd been a long time coming. In a twisted way the abuse his body was taking was only fitting. He was the cause of all the pain in Kagome's life. All the tears she shed were because of him, all the happiness she'd lost was due to his own stupidity; it was only right that his body suffer the penance for his sins.

 

 

Turning to Sesshomaru Inuyasha flicked his claws open. With a grunt he dug them into a wound on his chest and saturated them with his own blood. Kagome hugged Ronin tightly to her chest, hiding his face from the battle. Her own body shook with silent sobs as she cradled him, helpless to do anything more. Tears leaked freely down her cheeks to mingle in his dark curls.

 

 

She heard Inuyasha cry out, a dead man's battle cry that echoed loudly across the field. He charged blindly, foolishly, at Sesshomaru with his claws bared. The powerful hum of Tokijin filled the air, the static of its dark power crackling against the pure energy flowing within her. The Lord of the West lifted the demonic blade effortlessly and Kagome squeezed her eyes shut. His authoritative command reached her ears with foreboding clarity.

 

 

“Dragon Strike.”

 

 

The terrain of the field was torn to bits in the wake of the powerful blast that surged out of the blade and struck Inuyasha head on. When she cautiously opened her eyes Kagome fully expected to see a dead, mangled hanyou. She actually gasped aloud when she watched him once again stubbornly push himself up off the ground.

 

 

Every part of him was covered in mud, from the ends of his silver hair to the soles of his bare feet. An angry looking burn coiled around his neck, standing out stark red and raw against his pale skin. A thick stream of blood ran freely down his forehead now and into his right eye, which he kept clenched shut. One of his arms appeared to be broken or dislocated. He kept it pressed across his chest to staunch the flow of blood from the gaping wounds there. Kagome's heart leapt into her throat when he wavered unsteadily on his feet before he gained his balance.

 

 

After stabilizing himself he glared across the field at Sesshomaru. “Is that all you got?” he challenged, sounding somewhat arrogant. He'd barely finished speaking before a violent cough ripped through him. Turning his head he spit a mouthful of blood onto a patch of grass next to him.

 

 

Kagome glanced wide-eyed at Sesshomaru. A knowing smirk turned up the corners of his mouth. It was only then that she realized it - he was only toying with him. He was intentionally not dealing fatal blows because he wanted him to suffer. He wanted Inuyasha to feel as much pain as possible before he finally cut his heart out.

 

 

Kagome covered her mouth and gasped aloud, horrified that he'd lost so much of himself to his anger. She chewed her lip and gazed upon him with troubled eyes. Sesshomaru…what've I done to you? The thick lump that formed in her throat was hard to swallow. The tears that pricked her eyes now were for her mate and what they'd already lost.

 

 

“Mama?” Ronin's voice cut into Kagome's dark thoughts and she hesitantly turned away from the battlefield to look at him. His eyes looked into hers, bright, turbulent and full of questions. “Why is Daddy hurting Inuyasha?”

 

 

The boy sniffled and wiped at his runny nose with the back of his sleeve. It broke Kagome's heart to know that she'd been the one to do this to him. It wasn't just her life or Sesshomaru's or Inuyasha's that was affected by her bad decision anymore. The look in Ronin's eyes revealed rather acutely that her choice, her selfish act had far greater consequences than she ever could've predicted.

 

 

Ronin's concern for Inuyasha was understandable and she offered him a sympathetic smile as she stroked his cheek. Over the years Inuyasha had been the only other half demon in the palace. The normally gruff and selfish hanyou had befriended the young heir, often filling in for Sesshomaru when he was absent for long periods of time.

 

 

Innocent and naïve, Ronin couldn't understand why his father now looked at his brother with such hatred in his eyes. He couldn't understand his mother's tears or why Inuyasha wasn't putting up much of a fight. None of it made any sense to him at all. Frustrated and confused by Kagome's silence he pushed out of her embrace and turned defiantly towards the battlefield.

 

 

He noticed that Inuyasha had dropped, barely conscious, into to a low crouch, his body bleeding and broken. His father slowly drew Tetsusaiga from its sheath and levelled it in preparation for another strike. Without thinking, Ronin ran into the fray towards the man who looked like his father but wasn't. The demon, that beast that wore his father's skin and thirsted for blood and death, couldn't possibly be him. He'd never seen his father lose his temper. He was always stern, always cool-minded and in control of himself. The power radiating off this beast was anything but controlled and focused. It was wild, untameable and raw; feeding off emotions he didn't understand or even know how to interpret.

 

 

If this beast, this killing machine, this monster truly was his father, Ronin understood for the first time in his young life why the people of the Western Lands feared their lord. He understood the rumours he'd heard circulated through the palace halls, the ones that called him `the Killing Perfection.' It was in that very moment that he vowed to himself to be nothing like him. He didn't want people to fear him or cower from his presence and couldn't understand how his father had ever lived that way.

 

 

Tears clouded his vision and streamed into the wind behind him as he ran. He pumped his legs harder across the broken soil, his muscles burning from exhaustion. He pressed forward with stubborn determination, confident that if he could just run fast enough he'd reach him in time.

 

 

Kagome cried out when she realized where Ronin was headed. She stood to chase after him but a powerful cramp in the pit of her stomach brought her to a shaky halt. With a surprised gasp she wrapped her hands around her belly and fell to her knees. Cringing, she looked up with squinted eyes at the scene playing out before her and prayed to the gods to protect her foolish, headstrong son.

 

 

As soon as Ronin reached the demon disguised as his father he latched onto his leg and held to it for dear life. It took one breath for him to realize he'd been wrong. This thing, this vengeful, terrifying monster, a creature from his worst nightmares, wasn't some foreign invader. This nightmarish beast was…his blood.

 

 

Sesshomaru halted his attack and stared disinterestedly at the tiny figure clamped around his leg. One eyebrow quirked upward in a look of genuine surprise when he realized who it was. This quickly melded into confusion when the heavy scent of the boy's tears reached him.

 

 

“Please stop!” he sobbed loudly. “Please don't kill Inuyasha!” Tilting his head up Ronin bravely met his father's gaze, his bright amber eyes glistening with tears.

 

 

Scowling, Sesshomaru glared at Kagome who remained paralyzed at the edge of the field and then back down at his son. “Ronin,” he commanded sternly, “go to your mother.”

 

 

The boy shook his head stubbornly and clung tighter, refusing to let go. “I won't! Not until you promise not to hurt Inuyasha anymore!”

 

 

Sesshomaru growled in frustration and glared heatedly across the field at the half breed who could barely stand of his own volition. How had that mutt been able to turn them all against him? First Kagome and now his son…he could feel his threadbare control slipping and tightened his hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

 

 

Sensing Kagome's presence drawing near, he turned to see that she was already halfway across the field. Moving slowly and with much effort, she walked until she was within arms reach and then promptly fell to her knees. Hanging her head low she stared fixedly at the dirt, refusing to meet his gaze.

 

 

“Sesshomaru…,” she begged softly, “Please. I'm begging you…don't kill him.”

 

 

He snarled in response and drove Tetsusaiga almost hilt deep into the ground next to him. Picking Ronin up by the scruff of his neck he forcibly removed him from his leg and set him to the side. He slowly dropped down to one knee and grabbed Kagome's chin in his claws. Her chin was lifted to meet his gaze and when she opened her eyes he searched them intently.

 

 

“Did he force you?”

 

 

The question caught her off guard and she faltered. Mute, she gaped at him in silence. Her throat constricted as she tried to swallow, her breath momentarily refusing to go past the lump that'd formed there. Hearing a threatening growl emerge from him she gulped and slowly shook her head.

 

 

“I-I don't-No. It wasn't like before…he didn't hurt me…,” she stammered, her voice dry and constricted with shock.

 

 

All she could hear was the pounding of her own heartbeat in her ears. He gazed at her a moment longer and she watched his eyes cloud over with emotion. It was only visible for a brief moment, but she saw something in them she'd never thought she'd see - pain. Her words had cut him deeper than any person should be able to hurt another.

 

 

She knew she could've lied and said that Inuyasha had forced her. She could've saved herself the agony and heartache of being separated from him and the knowledge that she'd hurt him with a simple lie, but it wasn't her way. She wouldn't allow Inuyasha to die to preserve her own happiness. Though she loved Sesshomaru more than life itself, she couldn't and wouldn't let him kill Inuyasha.

 

 

“So you went willingly to his bed?” He breathed these words softly, his eyebrows rising into his hairline with surprise. Unable to lie and refusing to speculate on events she couldn't remember, Kagome chose to hang her head so he couldn't see the guilt in her eyes.

 

 

“I'm sorry…” she whispered so softly her words were barely audible.

 

 

Sesshomaru was silent a moment. She felt him subtly draw back from her and then his claws wrapped around her throat. Faster than she could blink or comprehend what was happening he hoisted her into the air. A vicious growl tore out of him and echoed across the field. She struggled against his choke hold, kicking her feet wildly, but his grip only tightened until it cut off her air completely.

 

 

Even in this life and death situation it seemed her miko powers, what was left of them anyway, remained dormant - apparently too weak from blood loss and too obstructed by her self-loathing to emerge to save her. Accepting her fate, Kagome closed her eyes against the image of Ronin watching wide-eyed as the life was slowly squeezed out of her.

 

 

It was Inuyasha who saved her. Despite the fact that he'd nearly been killed because of her, it was his voice that rang across the field, raw and deep, and drew Sesshomaru's attention. The demon lord's head snapped to the left and he growled threateningly when he saw what the half demon held in his claws. The hanyou's body had morphed, taking on its demonic characteristics. Jagged purple streaks cut deep across his cheeks, enhancing the blood red hue of his eyes. His fangs and claws, both elongated, were razor sharp and deadly. Held hostage in his clutches was Rin, her feet dangling helplessly above the ground as he suspended her by her throat.

 

 

Rin couldn't help but feel somewhat betrayed by the half demon she'd come to think of as a friend. In the brief lull she'd taken the opportunity to run to his side to see if he was still alive, hoping that perhaps if she intervened along with Kagome they could prevent any further bloodshed. Instead he'd lashed out and grabbed hold of her the moment she got within arms reach. His sharp claws pricked against the tender skin of her neck but she noticed with surprise that he wasn't choking off her air. He was simply holding her, using her as a bargaining chip to gain what he wanted from Sesshomaru. While she kicked and wrestled against his grasp to keep up her end of the charade, she kept a careful eye on Kagome who seemed to be struggling less and less.

 

 

“Kagome.”

 

 

The one word, rasped loudly across the field was both Inuyasha's command and his plea. He wanted her safe and the only way he knew how to achieve that was to threaten something Sesshomaru cherished. The closest thing he'd been able to find was Rin, who'd just so happened to conveniently wander up to him at exactly the wrong time. Considering how cold-hearted his bastard of a brother was though, he wasn't even sure if risking his ward's life was enough. Rin's pulse beat in rapid fire succession against his fingers but both it and her breaths were strong. He hoped that she'd find it in her heart to forgive him someday for using her this way.

 

 

Slowly, yet purposefully, Sesshomaru lowered Kagome to her feet and released his claws from her neck. He didn't spare her a second glance, despite her coughing and spluttering, and kept his eyes fixed on Rin. Kagome watched as well, her stomach twisting anxiously over whether Inuyasha would follow suit. She breathed an inward sigh of relief when Rin's feet touched the grass. Releasing her neck, Inuyasha stepped away to resume his original fight with Sesshomaru. The demon lord gladly accepted his silent challenge and made to draw Tetsusaiga from the earth until Rin's cry stopped him.

 

 

“Sesshomaru-sama stop this!”

 

 

He glared at her, livid that she dared to interfere. She stood with her arms splayed out, her body positioned defiantly in front of Inuyasha like a shield. Sesshomaru's brows drew low over his eyes and he remained silent for a long while. He didn't move, didn't speak, just fixed her with a cold, unmoving stare. His look silently asked her, How could you betray me this way? How could you chose to side with him over me, who has given you everything?

 

 

Despite her reservations, Rin remained firm in her resolve and refused to back down. For ten years she'd obeyed every single one of her lord's commands, but this one she would not bow to. At almost sixteen she'd grown fond of the half demon and wasn't willing to let him die so easily. Besides that, a part of her told her that this wasn't what he wanted either. He may be angry enough to kill Inuyasha, but that didn't mean he wanted to do it. She'd known him long enough to understand that much at least. If she didn't stop him now, if she let him kill Inuyasha, he would live to regret it.

 

 

Kagome tentatively placed her hands against Sesshomaru's arm, silently asking him to desist. Without looking at her he ripped the sleeve of his kimono from her grasp as though her very touch was vile to him. She faltered, taking a few uneasy steps backwards. He glanced at her briefly, his amber gaze cold as he swiped his claws through a length of silver hair that swept across his shoulders.

 

 

The look he gave her now was stoic but his eyes, those endless seas of amber and honey, were empty. They stared back at her devoid of any emotion at all, whether it was love or hatred. It was as though his soul had been sucked into a great black hole. Kagome's heart clenched painfully as her eyes flicked back and forth between his, trying to deny what she already knew to be true. He'd closed himself off to her. It'd taken years for him to learn to trust humans, to allow himself to love again, and within that one long, silent moment it'd all been stripped away.

 

 

“You betrayed me,” he seethed, his voice low and menacing. Kagome swallowed audibly and tried to shake her head “no” but he held her fast. “You bare his child and then ask me to spare his life?” His words dripping with venom and burned her just the same as if he'd cast her into the fire.

 

 

Kagome closed her eyes and a few tears slipped out from beneath her lashes. Giving in to the emotional tide that overwhelmed her, she sunk to her knees in the mud. Sesshomaru watched the display with dispassionate interest and regarded her with a disgusted “tk.” With her head bowed and her shoulders hunched, Kagome took in one shaky breath after another and tried to absorb what'd just happened.

 

 

The robe she'd so carelessly slipped on over her nightgown slipped from her shoulder to reveal the mating mark he'd placed there so many years ago. The tiny crescent moon glinted up at him tauntingly and when it caught his eye Sesshomaru stared at it long and hard, his heart hardening inside his chest. Cracking his knuckles he felt the acid flow to his fingertips and lifted his hand.

 

 

“Sesshomaru! Stop!” Inuyasha cried out from across the field.

 

 

The demon lord ignored him but Kagome looked up, startled at the exclamation. For a time, she'd actually forgotten Inuyasha was still there. He was sitting awkwardly on the grass now, trying to push himself to his feet while Rin held him back. Her confusion lasted but an instant before searing pain shot through her shoulder. Her eyes widened with shock, but once she heard the sizzle of Sesshomaru's acid burning her skin, she understood.

 

 

Biting her lip to keep from crying out, she bowed her head and waited. When he finally removed his claws from her flesh her body shivered from the pain. The acid continued to burn away at her skin, but at least with his claws out of the equation the searing pain had subsided to a burning ache. Kagome let out the breath she'd been holding in a rush and quickly collapsed forward, catching herself on her palms.

 

 

“Mama!” Ronin cried out to her as Sesshomaru stepped between them. The boy peered through his father's legs but didn't dare try to force his way through. Kagome winced against the pain in her shoulder and turned her head to catch a glimpse of her son through the curtain of hair hanging in eyes.

 

 

“Don't worry sweetheart, I'm okay,” she whispered and attempted a reassuring smile. Wrapping her hand over her shoulder she held the hot spot that throbbed beneath her touch and sucked air in sharply between her teeth. When Sesshomaru spoke she looked up at him but his eyes were staring away from her towards the horizon.

 

 

“Ronin. Look closely. This is why humans and demons must never mate. Humans can never bet trusted. They are vile, deceitful creatures and they will all betray you if given enough time.” He directed this last comment at Kagome with a hard glare and she shrank back from his gaze.

 

 

Sesshoamru ignored her look of dismay and shifted his gaze across the field. He studied the image of Inuyasha sprawled across the mud, his head resting atop Rin's lap. The half breed hadn't moved for some time but he knew from his scent alone that he wasn't dead. He frowned at his charge and she eyed him down defiantly. This newfound interest of hers was disturbing to say the least and would have to be dealt with.

 

 

“Take him and leave,” he growled out suddenly, his voice rough and raw. Kagome knew that he was speaking of Inuyasha from the way his body tensed.

 

 

“Please…Don't do this!” Her impassioned plea seemed to drift away on the wind as he completely ignored the fact that she'd spoken.

 

 

“You have one day. If you are not gone by then I will kill you both.”

 

 

Those were the last words he levelled at her before prying Tetsusaiga from the earth with a soft grunt and sheathing it at his hip. Spinning on his heel he strode casually past her and Ronin, refusing to acknowledge either of them. She watched him go and felt her heart shatter. Unable to hold back any longer, she hung her head and allowed a thick torrent of tears to course down her cheeks and drip onto the grass between her hands.

 

 

Curling her fingers into the soft earth she felt her entire body tense up as if she were a tightly coiled spring preparing for release. There was no sense in postponing it anymore. Throwing her head back she looked up at the grey early morning sky and allowed the last of her tears to roll down the sides of her face and seep into her hair.

 

 

It was finished. She had nothing left to lose now. She pushed herself to her feet knowing there was only one thing left for her to do.

 

 

 

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Author's Note: Damn…I don't know who to feel worse for Kagome, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Ronin or the new little one. This has just become one huge, heartbreaking mess. I hope you guys liked this chapter despite its violence and tears. Please leave me a note and let me know what you thought of it!