Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Transit Umbra, Lux Permanet	By : ChaoticReverie Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 3749 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All OCs belong to me. I am not making any profit from writing this, it is for enjoyment only.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
The young miko blinked, brows beetling. It was her? What did he mean? "But… you said it was the jewel."
"It is."
"Speak plainly," the daiyoukai clipped, tiring of the old demon's riddles.
"Before I say anymore, you must tell me about yourself, priestess, for there is much about you that I do not know. I have watched your comings and goings for many years now, but as for your origins, your family… I have no knowledge of these things. Where does the Bone Eater's Well in Inuyasha's Forest take you?"
Kagome felt a small trickle of panic seep into her, and she turned, regarding first her friends, and then Sesshomaru. Was it safe to reveal these truths to him? She studied his countenance, noting the curiosity in his eyes, but finding no ill intent. They had not been enemies for some time now, and he had proven himself a loyal ally.
'He's honourable,' she reminded herself. 'The most honourable demon I've ever met. He'll keep my secret.'
Mind made up, she turned back to the magnolia and began her own tale.
"This place is my home; it is where I was born and where I was raised, but my birth will not come to pass for nearly another five-hundred years."
Sesshomaru felt his eyes widen marginally, an uncharacteristic break in his stoic mask. This girl… was from the future? Suddenly things made far more sense. Her manner of speech, dress, and decorum were not of this time. She was educated and bold, powerful but humble. These were not traits found in a human woman from this era.
She cleared her throat. "Are you… aware of the priestess Kikyou?"
Bokuseno blinked in confirmation, his gaze then slinking to Inuyasha. The hanyou frowned a little under the scrutiny, the subject apparently still a touchy one. "Indeed."
Kagome wrung her hands together. "Well, when Kikyou chose to take the jewel with her into death, it became tied to her soul, and both were reborn into this world through my body, five hundred years in the future. I lived on my family's shrine, and had no knowledge of the Shikon's presence within me - or of youkai existence - until my fifteenth birthday. I was looking for my cat in the well house… the jewel's nearness reanimated the remains of a centipede youkai that had been decomposing in the earth. She pulled me down into the well. The rift opened, and when I landed at the bottom… I was here.
She shivered a little as she recalled the encounter. "Mistress Centipede ripped the jewel from my body that day… and I'm sure you know the rest."
"I do," the old tree hummed, "and what you have told me confirms my suspicion."
"Which is?!" Inuyasha snapped.
"The familiar yet different feeling you described to me, monk, it is the portion of power within Kagome that has yet to be tapped; the power of the jewel."
"That don't make sense!" the hanyou barked. "You say it's the jewel, and then you say it's her, now it's the jewel again! Make up your mind!"
"They are one in the same, boy; that it why it was unrecognisable to all of you. It felt similar to Kagome's power, and similar to the Shikon's power, but neither description seemed accurate. That is because you failed to consider it as a combination of both."
"So, my reiki is fueled by the Shikon no Tama?"
"No, child, you still misunderstand. That skill you obtained through the reincarnation of Kikyou's soul. There is another, distinctly different power inside of you that has nothing to do with your reiki."
"But I'm human… how is that possible?"
"You said yourself that you were born with the jewel inside of your body. No other human has ever held such a connection with the Shikon no Tama. As its vessel, it would make sense that you have been infused with its magic. That would explain why you are able to sense it, while the previous guardians could not. You feel its pull, just as you feel the other portion of your soul when it nears."
She wobbled a little, and then her legs gave out. Inuyasha was there to catch her. Slowly he lowered her to the ground, placing steadying hands on her shoulders when she began to sway.
"If that is true, then why didn't it affect me before I came here?" she wondered, feeling dizzy as she tried processing this information, thinking it couldn't possibly be right.
"You claim to have come from a place where youkai are not known and that the jewel was within you until you arrived in this time. It is likely that severing it from your body caused it to rouse from its dormancy, and when it was shattered its power became diluted. Tell me, this sensation you have been experiencing, has it always afflicted you so strongly?"
She shook her head. "No. It's gotten worse as the years have passed."
"And what have you been doing since your arrival here?"
"Fighting Naraku, mostly, all while collecting… the jewel shards." Her brows lifted in understanding. "You… are you implying that the feeling has become stronger… because the Shikon is gradually growing closer to completion?"
"That is what I believe, yes," Bokuseno confirmed.
"And what the hell can we do to stop it?!" the hanyou suddenly demanded, rising to his feet and pointing down at her. "That damned jewel is killing her!"
The tree demon frowned, branches shuddering. "You are mistaken."
Inuyasha was baffled. "Sesshomaru said she was dying!"
"Her life is indeed fading, but your assumption of the cause is false," Bokuseno explained. "The only thing causing her harm at this time is her own resistance. The jewel is attempting to become one with her, but her opposition has made such a thing impossible. The amount of energy she is using to keep that portion of herself separated is putting her body under immense duress. The mere fact that she is able to keep so much power it at bay is astonishing; were it anyone else they would have expired long ago."
Shippou leapt forward. "So then, if Kagome stops fighting and just lets it happen she'll be okay?"
"Not necessarily."
The kitsune drooped, his hopes dashed.
"The jewel is indeed a part of her, but its potential has never before been unleashed, and she has been supressing it for many years now. It is uncertain what releasing such a massive concentration of power might result in."
"Could it… could it kill her?" Shippou whispered, fearful of the answer.
"Possibly."
"You said the damned jewel wasn't hurting her!" Inuyasha reminded harshly, growing impatient and confused.
"The jewel is not harming her currently, but I cannot be sure what the release of its power could mean. Had she allowed it to surface gradually and at its own pace it might have been simpler, but to discharge so much energy at once without a proper outlet may have catastrophic results not only for her, but for any who are near when it occurs. There is no sure way to know. Only time will tell."
Kagome fisted her hands into her shirt, her outlook bleak. If she continued to fight the jewel's power – her power – she would die. But if she stopped fighting and allowed the power to release itself… she might die anyway… along with anyone in the immediate vicinity? This wasn't the way it was supposed to end. It couldn't be! They had to save the world from Naraku! If she died… she didn't want to think what might follow.
This wasn't right. No, there were still pieces of the puzzle that didn't fit! "What about my dreams? And the IV at the hospital?"
"Your reoccurring dreams… I glimpsed them when you allowed me passage into your soul. While the Shikon is a part of you, it is – in its own way – a separate entity as well. It is possible that, because it is unable to communicate with you verbally, these visions are its way of warning you of the dangers that come with containing it."
He gave a pensive hum. "However, I must admit to being ignorant to your other query. What is a hospital?"
She sighed, pulling a hand through sweat-dampened bangs. "It's a place where people go to see healers in my time. An IV is like medicine they put directly into your bloodstream, and when they remove it, it leaves a tiny puncture. It scabs up and usually takes a week or so to fully heal over, but when the nurse-er… the healer took mine out… it sealed up almost immediately. That isn't normal."
"Perhaps not for an ordinary human," Bokuseno mused, "though I would not consider you ordinary."
"Is it the jewel's doing?"
"Another possibility. It is doubtful that the jewel would long for the destruction of its host."
"Oh, so it doesn't wanna hurt her, it's just trying to kill her," the hanyou bit out, lip curling. "Makes all kinds of sense."
"Again, the circumstances she finds herself in now are those of her own making. Fighting against something that is a part of you is taxing."
The silence that followed was an austere one, the conclusions drawn that day not at all what they had hoped for. Kagome's life was still in danger, and time was running out. There had to be some way to reverse this, Miroku pondered, or at least stall it until they came up with an answer. He recalled his suspicions from days ago, when their friend collapsed back in the village. He did not know if the information would help, but he would leave no stone unturned.
"Is it at all possible that the presence of this new evil might have some form of effect on the Lady Kagome's condition?" he asked suddenly.
"She's been fighting this for a lot longer than these new asshole's have been free," the inu hanyou muttered.
"But do you not find it odd, Inuyasha, that Kagome was afflicted at the same moment we felt the release of that dark energy? It seems like more than mere coincidence."
"In what way was she affected?" Bokuseno repeated, turning the new information over in his head.
"She passed out," Sango spoke up, remembering the abrupt stiffening of the priestess' spine, the way her eyes rolled back in her head. "It was almost like something was attacking her, and we couldn't do anything to make it stop."
"Just as the power of the Shikon healed her wound, so too might it flare up in response to a threat, attempting to protect its wielder. It was not the dark presence that afflicted her so, but her unwillingness to accept the jewel into herself. This will continue until her life is spent, or until the two become one." He turned his gaze to the kneeling miko. "You have a choice to make."
"All that power…it might destroy me," she said lowly, her eyes downcast.
"It might," he conceded, bows rustling. "However… it might not."
"Is that all you've got to say?!" Inuyasha hissed. "What kind'a bullshit is that?"
"It's fine, Inu. Can we… can we just go?"
The priestess' quiet utterance calmed him, and he dropped to a knee at her side. "Sure, Kagome, whatever you want."
Sesshomaru watched the small group depart, a cloud of despair hanging over them all. His keen golden eyes slid to the ancient magnolia, noting the way he watched them as well, a small smile playing over his mouth. "You have more to tell."
"I have a speculation, though only time will show me the truth. Yet, I needn't wait long. My answers will come shortly."
The daiyoukai took his leave as well, knowing the old tree had no more to share on this day. He looked at his brother's pack, observing the sorrow that seemed to weigh upon them physically. His own mind was clouded with thoughts of the future – or the girl's future, rather. It seemed like such an inglorious end for such a miraculous human. Yet, it was as Bokuseno had said, there was no definite outcome, and if there was a way for her to surpass this, he was certain she would find it.
The small group walked in tense silence, all of them wanting to comfort their friend, but none of them knowing what to say. Several minutes passed by this way, the monk, slayer, and kit all exchanging worried glanced before their eyes fell once again on the priestess, whose expression seemed dismal now, her body lax as the hanyou carried her through the forest.
Unable to bear the quiet any longer, Sango asked, "What now?"
The question meant many things, and was directed at no one in particular. 'Where do we go from here?' 'Who else could we seek aid from?' It was Kagome who answered.
"We keep doing what we've always done. Searching for jewel shards and fighting the bad guys."
"But what about… what about what Bokuseno said?" the taijiya queried, concern tightening her throat.
The miko thought about the answer for a moment, her voice firm when she chose her response. "I will continue to restrain the jewel's power."
Inuyasha stopped, ears pulled back as he argued, "You can't keep going on like this, Kagome! He said you'll die if you do!"
"But if I take that risk… it could kill me anyway, along with all of you… or worse."
"Whaddya mean by that?"
She looked up at him, blue eyes fearful. "I've seen what the Shikon is capable of. I've seen what it can do to even the most peaceful beings. It turns them into monsters. What if… what if I become like them? Would you be able to kill me?"
The hanyou grimaced at the notion. No, he could never bring himself to do such a thing. He tucked his head down toward her, hugging her tightly. "That won't happen. We'll think of another way!"
"There is no other way."
"But you can't just let yourself die!"
"I can't risk all of you! I won't!" she shouted at him. "You are my family and I could never do something that might endanger you! If protecting you means dying, then I will give my life without hesitation."
The inu hanyou stared down at her in horror. He had to change her mind, had to sway her. He couldn't just stand by and watch her kill herself!
She seemed to lose some of her steam then, her steely gaze growing soft. "Besides, we have far bigger problems to worry over. Not only is Naraku still a very real threat, but Zetsubou's reincarnation is imminent. We need to figure out how to stop that from happening."
"So… so what?! You expect us to just act like nothing is wrong with you and keep on fighting?!" Inuyasha growled, disbelieving.
She nodded. "That is exactly what we will do. We will continue to fight. I will continue to fight, to my last breath if need be."
Miroku stepped forward and placed a hand on Inuyasha's back, seeing the turmoil in his companion's expression. "Perhaps for now we could find a suitable place to make camp. We should allow the Lady Kagome time to rest and perhaps rethink her decision."
The hanyou wanted to argue, but he knew how stubborn Kagome could be, and the monk was right. She needed her rest, and perhaps with time would change her mind.
"Should you choose to take shelter here, you will be safe."
Sesshomaru's offer surprised them all – all but Inuyasha, who was beginning to see just how much his brother respected the young priestess. He'd seen the signs for himself these past few days, despite the daiyoukai's attempts at discretion.
"Bokuseno's Forest is a haven. His youki and my own will act as a shield."
The hanyou nodded. "Probably be best to stay in one place for now, until we get some leads. You stickin' around, too?"
Sesshomaru nodded. "The other Lords will begin to arrive shortly, and will wish to convene with Bokuseno. His eyes will offer us the best tactical advantage."
"Kouga may be able to assist us as well," Kagome put in, "We need all the help we can get."
Both brothers growled at mention of his name, neither one particularly fond of the wolf. Yet, the girl was correct. The daiyoukai looked to her. "You are certain he would come?"
Inuyasha snorted. "If you mention that Kagome's involved, he'll come."
Sesshomaru lifted a brow at that. The miko merely shrugged. "I will send for his pack as well, then."
She shifted in the hanyou's arms. "If we're stopping here, I can help set up camp. And don't you try to argue with me about it!"
He grumbled, letting her slide from his grasp. "No heavy lifting."
Her pink tongue poked out at him as she walked away, moving to help Sango collect firewood and kindling. The brothers watched her go, the youngest letting out a heavy sigh.
"Have faith in her strength, Inuyasha."
"That… sounds weird… coming from you," the dog-eared male countered with a smirk. The tall inu huffed and turned from him, departing from camp. He was patrolling, the hanyou knew, and it offered him a measure of comfort.
Don't kill me just yet.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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