InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Allies I: How to Train a Taiyoukai ❯ Sesshoumaru’s Emotions Unleashed ( Chapter 9 )

{Disclaimer: See Chapter One.}

Chapter Nine: Sesshoumaru's Emotions Unleashed

Kagome took in her surroundings as she and Sesshoumaru sat in the middle of the clearing; watching the festivities with mild interest, looking for Rin. They were on the outskirts of the village, in a clearing surrounded by metal statues of mikos with various weapons. After the prayers and ceremonial dances, Rei walked through the crowd to the edge of the cliff.

"Welcome to our annual cleansing ceremony. We are here to remind ourselves that even though there is snow beneath our feet, our god will keep us from the bitter cold. All we have to do is come to him pure and unafraid."

"Whoa, I've never heard that before," Kagome whispered. Sesshoumaru ignored her, searching for some sign of Rin as Rei kept talking.

"We sit here on this cliff to ask for forgiveness for our previous trespasses with a sacrifice."

Kagome groaned softly. She hated watching these, and felt so bad for the poor animal. But it was tradition. Kagome was surprised when the children from the orphanage started toward the top of the hill toward Rei. Rin headed one of the two lines, a small smile lighting her face when she saw Kagome. Rei placed a hand on Rin's shoulder.

"Today, we sacrifice something sacred. Today, we please our god with the gift of innocence and youth."

She suddenly picked Rin up by the collar of her kimono and dangled her over the ledge. Kagome gasped, but not before subduing Sesshoumaru to keep him from darting to the miko and slitting her throat. Rei sneered as Rin started to struggle.

"Today, our god will feast on fresh blood!"

The other mikos cheered, chanting Rei's name as Rin cried for her life. Kagome's eyes narrowed. She stood up, yanking her hair into a honey-colored ponytail. She glared at the other mikos in disgust.

'I can't believe these are the same people! How can they stand to see Rin so scared,' Kagome wondered.

The cheering continued, and Kagome got madder by the second. She screamed in frustration; shocking everyone, even Sesshoumaru, into silence. Kagome started to shake, her anger going to her head.

"What is the meaning of this?" she hissed, sounding more like a lady of the court than a 17 year old girl.

Rei blinked owlishly. "What do you mean, Kagome-sama?"

"What do you think you're doing? Are you really going to toss her off that cliff? Do you know how sick that is?"

Rei scowled dangerously. "You insult me, miko. We take you in, feed you, and you throw it in our faces by judging us. We have done this for years, and it will continue today."

"There is no way, do you hear me-NO WAY-I'm gonna let you throw her off that cliff!"

The rest of the mikos started to laugh. Sesshoumaru watched as a low growl came from Kagome's throat, finding it surprisingly threateningly for a human. 'Who would have thought such a dangerous sound would be so alluring?' he thought, trying to keep his own anger in check. Kagome turned to him while the others were still laughing.

"Ready to show them who we are?"

Sesshoumaru nodded.

Rei ceased the others' laughter with a flick of the wrist. When they were quiet, she addressed Kagome again; the kind, warm face Kagome saw the past week replaced with cold malice.

"What do you plan to do about it? You are only a defenseless miko, who has a weak inu youkai protector. He can't defeat all of us."

Kagome started to laugh, startling the others as she moved toward one of the statues. She grabbed one of its swords and stood in the clearing between Sesshoumaru and Rei.

"I tried to make this easier on you," she said, giving Rei a piteous look. "But you have made it difficult for yourselves." She turned and bowed to Sesshoumaru, a evil glint in her eye.

"You may lay waste to them now, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru smirked as the brown leaked from his hair to soak into the ground beneath him. His eyes flashed a jade intensity before settling into the cold golden orbs that promised a slow and painful death to those around him. A wind encircled he and Kagome, the force lifting their hair and clothes as a dark purple mist surrounded them. A minute later, he and Kagome were their true selves.

The other mikos wasted no time in attacking them. Sesshoumaru ripped and tore through them like paper, enjoying himself especially on the ones that wanted to take him home when he was a slave. Kagome struggled under the sword's immense weight, but she managed to merge her power with the blade. Rei watched in silent fury as her army was decimated down to a few. She remembered the child in her hands. The others left long ago, scared out of their wits that Rin's Sesshoumaru-sama would kill them in an instant if they stayed. She cleared her throat, effectively stopping the fight.

"Well, I am honored. The Great Demon Sesshoumaru, in my home! This will make the cleansing that much sweeter. Say goodbye to your little human pet, even though you'll join her soon enough."

She shoved Rin off the edge, sending her plummeting to the rocks far below. Kagome ran forward, trying in vain to catch her, when another miko pushed her off as well. Sesshoumaru watched this in boredom until he tried to move. He was trapped in an invisible force field, and he knew that if he didn't get out, Kagome and Rin would die. Rin screamed for him, then all was quiet. Rei giggled, watching Sesshoumaru's face.

"Poor puppy. Pets really shouldn't outlive their masters."

{Yes, I remember Yura saying this. Sue me. ::gasps:: I'm just playing! I don't have a dime to my name!}

The few remaining mikos cheered.

Sesshoumaru knew something was wrong with him. He just shouldn't care about the lives of two humans this way. After all, he would figure a way out of the force field, tear the remaining mikos apart and retrieve his ring from the mess of Kagome and Rin's bodies. That would be the end of all his human troubles. That thought didn't comfort him. It only served to enrage him further. His feelings broke free of they're mental restraints, flooding his brain en mass.

First…

Anger,

Grief,

Then …

Love.

He just lost the only two people he truly cared about.

That was the last straw.

Sesshoumaru tried to shake it off, but the more he tried the more he remembered flashes of them.

'Look, Sesshoumaru-sama! Look at all the pretty flowers!' 'Jaken is so funny, Sesshoumaru-sama!' 'Can Rin go too, Sesshoumaru-sama?'

"Rin", he whispered.

'Thank you, Seishou-sama. That means a lot to me.' 'I can't refuse someone who needs me help. Not even a blood-thirsty, arrogant youkai like you.' 'Sorry. We can't be as perfect as you.'

"Kagome."

A single tear escaped his golden eyes. It trailed down his cheek, rolling off his chin. He watched in growing rage as it fell to the ground. When it splattered on the cold snow; the last of Sesshoumaru's control splintered, then completely fell apart. Sesshoumaru roared, his eyes turning red.

++++++

Kagome plummeted toward the screaming child, her arms outstretched. 'If I can just get to her, maybe I can save her. How, though, is the question.' She reached down and grasped Rin, holding her close as they fell.

"What are we gonna do, Kagome-onee-chan?"

Kagome felt herself warm against the shrieking wind, unaware that the kanji on her cape started to glow. She looked at Rin, her bluish eyes staring into brown.

"Do you trust me Rin?"

"Hai."

"Good. Hold on."

Kagome held Rin tighter as her power started to flow. Her eyes suddenly glowed white and they stopped in mid air; inches from the sharp rocks below.

+++++++++

Sesshoumaru threw his head back and roared, releasing an incredible force of youki. The force field fell and the mikos controlling it exploded into dust and bones. Sesshoumaru transformed and the few mikos remaining fled. Sesshoumaru chased them all, crushing them under his paws. He bounded for another miko when a carefree giggle rang in the air. Everyone stopped, turning to look at Rei; who still stood on the edge of the cliff. She paled. Sesshoumaru forgot his stupor instantly and rushed for her. The sudden scent of cinnamon and lilies knocked him down. 'What the hell?' he wondered. He stood back up, and nearly flopped back down in amazement.

Gossamer feathers rose up slowly behind Rei. She paled further under Sesshoumaru's intense stare. The feathers turned into wings, shimmering under the afternoon sun. Sesshoumaru watched as they rose higher in the air until a little voice cried out

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Rei whirled around, nearly falling off the cliff in her astonishment. Kagome was slowly rising out of the cliff's abyss with Rin safely in her arms. The wings on her back were three times the size of Sesshoumaru in his dog form. If it wasn't for the look of sheer rage directed toward her from Kagome's eyes, Rei would have sworn she was an angel. Sesshoumaru sat back on his haunches, too stunned and relieved to move. He morphed back to his humanoid form as Rin pointed to him.

"There he is, Kagome-onee-chan!" Rin chirped. Kagome looked down at her, then at Sesshoumaru. The wings suddenly folded; then shot toward him like a missile. The wings spread open in front of him, lowering Kagome and Rin to the ground. Kagome reached out and yanked him to his knees, following suit and keeping Rin between them as the wings closed around them. Sesshoumaru started to ask her what was going on when Rin hugged him.

"Rin has missed you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried, tightening her grip on his neck. She also cut off his air, so Sesshoumaru had to gasp to respond.

"Hai, Rin. I know."

Rin grinned at him, (now that they're eye-to-eye with each other, she doesn't have to look up as high) and loosened her hold. "Kagome is so pretty like that. She smells nice, too."

Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome, and secretly agreed with Rin. Kagome's hair and skin shimmered with energy; her robes billowing under the mysterious power pouring from her, and lilies and cinnamon muted the vanilla in her scent. Sesshoumaru noticed then that her hand was still fisted in his gi. Raising his hand to get her off, he saw her other hand. It glowed a pinkish-purple, palm flat on the ground. Kagome gasped suddenly, and the world outside the wing-shield screamed and shuddered as if under attack. Rin grasped Sesshoumaru tightly, her little face hiding against his chest. He smoothed her hair in an effort to comfort her, the screams piercing his ears as the assault continued.

The chaos outside stopped. The wings twitched for a moment, then exploded in a gentle flurry of feathers. They floated around them as they stood up and gawked at their surroundings. There were no sign of the dark mikos, only a huge field of green grass, without a single sign of snow. Sesshoumaru stood in amazement as the feathers danced on the wind around them. Rin giggled and reached out for one, shrugging out of her cape. It was then Sesshoumaru realized how warm it was. He turned around, looking for Kagome. She reached out and caught a feather as more landed in her hair. Sesshoumaru reached over and softly brushed them out.

"What just happened?" he whispered.

Kagome shrugged. "I haven't a clue."

It was then that she chose to faint, collapsing in Sesshoumaru's arms. He sighed, picking her up and sending his tail to pick Rin up as well. He waited patiently for Rin to put her cape on, then picked up Kagome's pack and left the deserted village.

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SF: Sorry about the late updates! FF locked me out until recently. Forgive me! The preview and responses are below.

Chapter Ten: Betray Me Once, Shame on You. Betray Me Twice…

They sat quietly for a while, each deep in thought. Sesshoumaru was the first to speak.

"I would never betray you."

"Excuse me?"

"I would never betray you."

Kagome gasped. "That's what I thought you said. What are you talking about?"

"Rin sent me to give you a present. I have been trying to figure out how to pay you back as well, and now I know." He turned her around so she straddled his lap, her white cape covering his legs.

"You are now my ally."