InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Longest Journey ❯ The Desire for Domination ( Chapter 24 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 24: The Desire for Domination

Kagome sighed, tired and beginning to wonder if she'd ever find what she needed. They'd spent nearly all day in the library, and while it was indeed a treasure house of old and rare scrolls, she hadn't found anything that would pertain to their situation.

Frankly, she was beginning to think that they wouldn't, either. The problem came from Inuyasha's use of the jewel shards - and that was something that no one knew how to deal with, since usage of the jewel was not common. Most of the time it had been in existence, it had been cared for by miko who had not allowed it to be used, and thereby tainted, and the youkai who had managed to get ahold of it and use it, weren't exactly talking.

Sugimi had led the search through the scrolls, but she knew that his heart wasn't really in it - it was his idea that they wouldn't find the answer anywhere but inside her... since she was the jewel. His belief was that she would be the only one that could figure out what the jewel had done, because it was her soul that had done it. How do you ask someone else about what your soul has done?

She knew he was right - but she was frightened. She didn't even know what had been done, let alone how to fix it, and everything was riding on her. Inuyasha's life was dependant on her figuring it out... and she didn't know if she could. That scared her more than anything else ever had. Having someones life in your hands... and not just any life, but the son of your new mate, as well, was terrifying.

She sat down in one of the chairs scattered around through the room, and dropped her head into her hands, fear overcoming her for the first time since all this had begun, and just cried. She couldn't stop the tears - all the stress and tension, and her knowledge of how much KIkyou was hurting, locked in her rooms in the shiro and still refusing to come out, all of it hitting at once and simply overwhelming her.

Sugimi dropped the scrolls he had as soon as he felt the fluctuation in her aura, and moved with all his speed over to her side. He hated to see her like this, it hurt, and once again he cursed his stubborn son for the pain he'd dealt to everyone. Pulling her into his arms, he just held her as she cried, silently giving her comfort in the only way he could. As Sango and Miroku moved over to them he shook his head, quietly telling them to go ahead and go, and they nodded, knowing that Kagome needed him more than anything else right now.

After a while, once she'd finally stopped crying, he spoke. "Tell me, beloved - what is wrong? I know that you are worried about Inuyasha..."

Kagome pulled back a little and looked up at him with drowned blue eyes, sorrow and fear evident in her gaze.

"I just don't know how to do this, Sugimi! How am I supposed to figure out how to save him - I was never even trained as a miko, I've just made it up as I go along, and now, a person's life, your son's life, is in my hands and I don't have a clue what to do!" She looked down, a pained sob catching in her throat, before she choked out, "Your son's going to die because of me, and I feel so guilty! You'll end up hating me because I failed..." she trailed off, barely whispering at the end, a hopeless sorrow in her voice that made him want to kill things because of her hurt.

At that, he took hold of her chin with his hand and held her there, a spark of anger in his eyes. "Never, ever, think something like that again, Kagome. I could not hate you, no matter what... I doubt I could hate you even if this was your fault - it isn't in me to hate you. And this is certainly not your fault. Inuyasha is the one that made these choices, my mate - not you. Only he can bear the blame for his own actions, they do not belong to you. It is simply not your place, do you understand?"

She nodded miserably, eyes fluttering closed as she tried to make his words sink in... but she just couldn't help but feel guilty - if she'd stayed away, this would never have happened. "I should have just stayed 'dead'... then none of this would have happened."

Sugimi shook his head adamantly. "Sooner or later, the boy's propensity for not taking no as an answer would have gotten him in trouble." He ran his hand through her hair soothingly. "I have no doubts in me that eventually, you will find the way... and then you can be sure that I will teach the whelp the value of understanding the word 'no'." He sighed. "If anything, this mess can be ascribed to the fact that I was not there to raise my son - and he grew up wild, knowing no way to exist except to take what he wanted, and what he needed, and to never give up."

Kagome choked on a slight laugh at that. "Usually, never giving up is a good thing."

He chuckled, sadness and regret tangible in his voice. "Yes, but the problem is that he never learned that, while it is a good trait, it has limits - and that you need to respect those limits. That is just one of the things that, as his sire, I should have taught him." Nuzzling into her hair, he said, "It is one of the things, knowing what I do about us and our destiny, that keeps me at ease - I know that our pups will not be missing their father. I will be here for them... always."

Kagome looked up at him, enchanted at the thought of little half inu pups - their little half-inu pups. The thought made her smile, and the look on her face enticed him into leaning down and kissing her, softly but heatedly - the desire to start making those pups running high in both of them.

Unfortunately for them, their timing was a bit off, and just as things started getting a little heated, Koga came in, and bowing, informed them that Sesshoumaru and Kagura had arrived - and Kagome's presence was immediately required. Shooting a wide-eyed look at her mate, she turned and they both hurried from the room, following Koga to wherever the group awaited.

Maybe, they were going to finally get some answers.

But neither was expecting what they found - or who, exactly, would be giving them those answers.

---zZz---

When they made their way into the informal family gathering rooms, the first person they saw was Sesshoumaru, who motioned them over solemnly. As he moved aside, they saw what had been standing behind him... Kanna - and she was holding the infant. When Kagome saw that, she shivered, memories of Akago rooting around in her soul and trying to grasp it washing over her... but then, frowning, she realized the aura of the child was different, and walking over, she pulled back the blanket surrounding him.

And promptly fell back in horror.

At her choked cry, Sugimi grabbed onto her and frantically tried to get her attention as everyone in the room stopped and stared in shock at the absolute horror on her face. She felt as though she was drowning as everything around her faded away, and she almost blacked out, as the child opened its eyes and looked into her own - she stopped breathing for a long, endless, pain-stricken moment...

It has Inuyasha's human eyes...

Because, looking at the infant, and what it had become, she suddenly had a pretty good idea of what Inuyasha had done - and she didn't think there was a way to reverse it.

She might be able to somehow help... but she didn't think that she could ever put Inuyasha back together the way he had been - and there was no telling just how much of Inuyasha would be left when it was over.

Sugimi pulled her down into his lap, trying to get her to respond to him, to breathe, and finally, she drew in a deep, shuddering breath, and looking up at him, she just shook her head, not even sure where to start, her mind whirling with thoughts and fears that she couldn't articulate.

Sesshoumaru had watched her reaction, and was pretty sure she knew what was going on, and just how bad the damage was, but it still needed to be said. Motioning for the other members of the group to sit, he looked around, before ordering a servant to go find Kikyou and bring her to the room. Once that was done, he sat down himself.

Kagura watched Kagome, and felt really bad for the young woman. It was obvious that she was now the Northern Lady - and that it had just come to pass - and instead of celebrating a joyous occasion, she was suffering... and it didn't look like it was going to ease anytime soon. She felt a surge of anger go through her at the thought of all the grief Inuyasha and his jealousy had caused - he had a lot to make up for, if he even ever could, and that was by no means certain.

The rest of the group just looked at each other, unsure of what was happening, but knowing, with Kagome's reaction, that it was bad, they all felt a bit of panic, and wished that Kikyou would hurry up - because no matter how bad it was, it was worse not knowing, and they just wanted to get it over with.

Kikyou entered the room at that moment, and as soon as she saw Kanna, she sat down, knowing that they were going to get some answers, but afraid of those same answers. She, better than anyone there, knew it was bad - she might know what had happened for sure, but she'd been feeling the effects of it through her bond - and it was bad. That was why she'd stayed in her rooms... the things coming through the bond had frightened her to the point that she was becoming ill.

Now that they were all in the room, and before things could get off-track, Sesshoumaru spoke up.

"Miko, from your reaction, I believe you have an idea of what has happened. But for clarity's sake, I will tell everyone what Kanna has told us."

As Kagome nodded, he continued. "Several days ago, she spoke for the first time, telling us that Naraku no longer existed as Naraku - that he had changed, and that another mind was in control, but that it was fragmented, and in her words 'did not remember itself'. Then she told us that it would be just as dangerous as Naraku, but in a different way. That was her first warning."

Kikyou was shaking, almost afraid of what was coming next, and Kagome had her eyes closed, tears leaking from them as her worst fears were realized.

"The next time she spoke, she told us that he was still 'changing' - she called it 'becoming', and that Naraku's mind was now totally gone - but that so was the 'other's' mind - and that what he had become was youkai. Then," he sighed, "she showed us what you just saw, miko." Eyes closing, he spoke the final damning words...

"The infant is no longer Naraku's infant, Akago... he is Inuyasha's human heart."

Instantly, the room was filled with the babble of horrified voices, but over all that was the pained wail of a woman whose heart had just been stolen away. Kikyou reeled back, horror in her eyes, and collapsed into a heap on the floor, in too much pain to care what anyone thought. Her whole world had gone wrong, and while she'd known since it happened that something was majorly wrong, she'd held out hope at least that it could be fixed, and that everything could eventually go back to the way it had been... but now she knew that it would never be, because no matter what, even if Kagome managed to help, Inuyasha would never be the same as he had been - and she didn't know if they, as a couple, would survive this.

She just may have lost her love - all over again.

She was so lost in agony, she didn't even notice when Kagome determinedly pulled away from her mate and moved over to her, taking her into her arms and holding her as she cried. Eyes fierce, she looked up at Sugimi and said, "I may not be able to ever get Inuyasha back the way he was - at the very least, he will remain youkai now, but I'll be damned if I don't bring his soul back... he'll be Inuyasha, just in a different body. And hopefully, more mature, this time around."

She continued rocking the sobbing Kikyou for several minutes, murmuring soothingly as everyone looked on, and finally, the elder miko fell into a deep, exhausted sleep, too tired from the trauma of the last few weeks to stay awake anymore.

Calling for a servant, she had them carry Kikyou back to her rooms, and ordered that the healer be sent for so that a sleeping draught could be prepared for her - she needed a good, long, healing sleep, or they'd lose her, too.

Once the priestess was gone, she looked at the void youkai, and clapping her hands together determinedly, sat down before her. In a hard voice, she said, "Let's talk, Kanna... I want to know everything that you know - and I want to know it now."

Sesshoumaru's brow raised into his bangs, surprised at the note of command in the miko's voice - he'd never heard it there before... and then he looked at his father, and noted what he'd been ignoring since he'd walked in. He'd mated her...

Maybe it was that she was now living up to the title of Lady of the North... but then he looked at her and thought...

Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was because she had a friend to save.

Knowing her, that was the cause - because even he knew that she would give everything to save a friend - even her own life. Looking at his father, he hoped it would not come to that.

Because his father would never allow her to go that far - but he didn't think that she could live with the guilt if she didn't manage to save Inuyasha - no matter the cost to herself.

It was a bad situation all around.

---zZz---

Inuyasha woke, slowly, and stretched, feeling every part of his body fall into sync, and grinned. He was finally finished - his body complete, and mind no longer fragmented, he was whole - and strong. Flexing his aura, he rejoiced in the strength of it, pleased beyond measure - it was surely a match for the rival that he had to defeat.

His father.

Oh, yes, he remembered. He remembered everything... including that he had inherited several servants from the pitiful hanyou that had been known as Naraku. The saimyousho - and others. Standing, stretching again, he sniffed the air, and deciding that it was time to move, he tossed the boulder covering the entrance away, and walked out, fully confident in his right to do whatever he felt like - including killing anyone that got in his way.

He had power, now, and that gave him the right to dominate and take what he wanted - no matter what he wanted, he would have it. That was the way of life - the strong took, and the weak gave. He watched his claws flex as he walked, lost in thoughts of domination and power, and smiled.

The only thing he needed to do now, was take command of his new servants - and then, it would be time to go take what he wanted... Kikyou - and Kagome.

He grinned to himself. Kagome. She would bend to his will - or he would break her to it, but either way, she would be his, and Kikyou would accept his will in all things, as well. They would do as he wanted - he was stronger than they were, and so his will would prevail. It was a simple concept, and one that they would quickly learn.

He could feel his mate, Kikyou, through the bond he already held with her, and scoffed at the thought that came through - that he had changed, and she may no longer accept him as a mate... as if she had any say. He would have to punish her for such disloyal thoughts when he got her back from his enemies. The thought of what he could do to her excited him, and lead to thoughts of what he could do to Kagome as well, and what he could make them do for him... and suddenly, he was hard.

Hopping into a tree, he opened his hakama, and began stroking himself, visuals of blood and sex running through his mind - and within minutes, he was crying out in release, his seed spilling over his hand as he almost passed out in the excitement of dreams of dominating his bitches - he could hardly wait.

He sat there for a while, just pleasuring himself, over and over, before finally feeling enough relief that he was ready to continue on - now that that was out of the way, it was time to go fetch his servants - the sooner he did so, the sooner he could have his bitches doing what he'd just done for himself.

It was time to go take what he wanted.

And anyone who got in his way, would die.

He smiled.

The more blood he had to spill to get what he wanted , the better he'd like it.