Masquerade

Chapter Fifteen- Could I Be You?

Kagome was feeling dreadfully intelligent today.

She’d come to terms with many things during the night after the hours of darkness of the removal of the Shikon.

For instance - she was going to die alone. The worst part? She was going to die alone, as a virgin.

Oh, and let’s not forget - Naraku, whether he’s dead or not, won. Against me, he’s won.

Because in the end, all of Naraku’s plots had been to get under everyone’s skin. And it had worked.

Kikyou, Kohaku, Kazaana, Kikyou.

Sprawled on her back across the futon, Kagome stared up at the dark ceiling blankly. The sun rose through the window to her right as she watched the play of shadows against the thatched roof. Kaede had been called away earlier in the night and Inuyasha had gone with her, something about her bad eyesight and narrow roads had been said. Sesshoumaru had disappeared before Kaede had cut her open, and she hadn’t seen him since.

Her top was still open, her breast bindings hiding her modesty. Her hair was loose and tangled, and the bandage around her abdomen was loose. Sometime during the night her pants had loosen and fallen down on her hips, much lower than normal. Her socks were tossed away and a bare calf stuck out of the blanket thrown over her, the red hakama ridden up. Her arms were outstretched and her upper half was off of the mat, one of her legs propped up on the wall. Tips of her hair tickled her waist and back, but it was so easy to ignore. Her eyes - framed by dark lashes - were framed by even darker circles.

A small bird landed on the sill of the window, and her eyes turned to it slowly.

A falcon - deep green and grey-eyed - stared at her with its cocked head.

It hopped down to the floor next to her hand and nudged the appendage with its beak. Slowly her hand reached out and she stroked the surprisingly downy feathers. Her hand froze when she caught sight of the vial tied to one of its legs. Kagome’s eyes narrowed, but she took the message out of the vial in a curious manner.

To the Miko Kagome, Holder of the Shikon no Tama-

She skimmed over the words quickly, her excitement mounting. No. Way.

A shadow fell across her lap and she looked up, startled.

Sesshoumaru stared back at her, though Kagome couldn’t help but think that something was missing…

“Where’s your armor?”

“Tetsusaiga,” he bit out, glowering slightly.

Kagome’s eyes widened, “What about Inuyasha?”

Said hanyou burst through the door next, yelling and cursing loudly.

Kagome watched him silently, still lying on the ground. Something wet hit her face and she wiped at it. When she pulled her hand back blood covered the tips of her fingers. She gasped and looked up at Sesshoumaru, who was staring at Inuyasha angrily.

“Sesshoumaru-sama, you’re bleeding!” she exclaimed, standing up.

Sesshoumaru turned back to her, his hand clenching on his side. Ignore the open shirt ignore the open shirt… Its okay, she’s just a human. Ignore the shirt-

“Sit down!” She tugged on his sleeve, ignoring Inuyasha’s shocked expression.

Sesshoumaru yanked his arm away from her and took a step back, patent scowl in place.

“Ka-Kagome? What about me?”

Kagome glanced over at him, looking sheepish. “You’re bleeding?”

“The half-breed fought me, girl. Of course he’s bleeding,” Sesshoumaru said, feeling oh so tempted to roll his eyes.

“Oi! You lost your arm against me! What was all this perfection shit anyway?!”

“I was not wielding Tokijin at the time. In swordplay you are severely… lacking,” Sesshoumaru replied haughtily, exiting the hut.

Kagome blinked slowly, her brows drawing together. Severally lacking… was that a double innuendo? A picture of pretty, naked, wet Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha flew through her head and she stuttered, her train of though grinding to a halt. So, letter!

The Southern lord had contacted her and informed her that-

I refuse to be part of this war. Until men are dying on my domain I will not offer my assistance.

She stared at the parchment, reading and re-reading it with mounting dread.

Her arms fell limply to her sides, the letter still clutched in her fingers. So, note to self: I no longer think the Southern lands are pretty. Or courageous. They refuse to help everyone. They should call themselves Switzerland.

She looked down at the hand clutching the letter and then-

She was racing out the door, bounding over Inuyasha’s sitting form and ignoring the cold wind on her stomach. “Sesshoumaru!”

Because it was important and he needed to know and-

She found him. In the lake. Partially undressed. Which was partially beyond her grasp to form coherent sentences and what did the paper say again?

“Miko,” he said, turning fully to face her, his lower half still in the water.

“Uh-huh.” Kagome responded eloquently, her eyes following a particularly shiny water droplet down his chest appreciatively, sighing that he was so pretty even with the slowly healing gash in his side. The sight of blood shook her out of her trance and she met his eyes, a blush staining her features. His eyes were dark and empty and amused and Kagome found that they were no less distraction than his glistening-

“The Southern lord has refused to offer his assistance,” she forced her self to say, batting away the urge to twitch violently.

Sesshoumaru’s eyes followed down her arm to the letter. His head titled back and he stuck his hand out.

Kagome took a step forward and shoved the paper towards him, ignoring how something below her belly button knotted and warmed as his fingers curled over her hand, grasping the note. She wrenched her hand back and folded her arms over her chest, her bottom lip poking out childishly. Sesshoumaru glanced at her briefly but read over the note silently, resisting the urge to growl when he reached the end of the letter.

So.

“I guess you don’t have to train anybody anymore.” The priestess mumbled, looking at him through dark lashes.

“No. I suppose not.”

She sighed and shifted, looking to the right. Sesshoumaru stared at her profile a few minutes, contemplating his suddenly insane string of thought. It would not be wise…

“Miko.” Her head turned back to him, her eyes stuck stubbornly to his face. “I will still offer my assistance, for a price.”

She turned fully to him, edging closer to the water’s edge. “Why?”

Because I’m crazy and so are you and-

“Japan is my homeland. I will not watch it fall because of some greedy child.” And I’m not bored for the first time in…

Ever, really.

He held the note back up to her and she took it hesitantly, one foot dipping into the water. “But… I thought Spain was your homeland.”

“Spain?” He shook his head and turned his back to her, splashing water on his now healed torso.

Kagome stood behind him numbly, mildly surprised that even his back could look really, really sexy-

“What do you want in return?”

Sesshoumaru looked at her over his shoulder contemplatively. “I’ll tell you at a later date.” She rolled her eyes and began walking away, “Oh, and miko?”

“What?”

Sesshoumaru turned back to the water and splashed his face. “Do you always run around so freely?”

Kagome blinked and stopped. “Freely?” A breeze blew suddenly and she was aware of her open shirt. “Eep!”

Fighting the urge to laugh, Sesshoumaru ducked his head under the water. What to ask for as payment…


“I’ve found a solution.” Kaede announced that afternoon.

“To what?” Kagome stood next to her as the old woman bent over in her herb garden.

“On how to destroy the Shikon no Tama.”

“Oh.” Kagome bent down next to her and yanked a weed out of the ground, listening to Kaede’s humming.

…

…

“Well?” Kagome prompted.

“Hm? Oh!” Kaede sat up and wiped her hands on her hakama. “The Shikon no Tama…”

“Leiko.”

Uh-oh.

“Uhm… Good… (What’s the time? What’s the time! What’s the time?!) Afternoon, Masao-san.”

Masao stood up straight on the branch he was occupying, and Leiko gulped, scooting back against the tree trunk.

He still looks so- so-

Edible. Gorgeous. Pretty. Shiny. Edible. Deadly. Dangerous. Edible!

“Good afternoon, Leiko-chan,” he replied, his voice falsely cheery and his eyes glittering dangerously.

Leiko gulped (again) and slammed herself against the rough bark behind her (again).

Uh. Oh.

“You are aware of what the jewel consists of, correct?”

“Yes.” Demon souls, priestess soul, and… erm, evil. AKA, Naraku.

“In order to destroy the jewel you must empty it of the souls inside.”

Okay, so we need Kanna. And a really big cage.

“How would we go about that without releasing them to rampage Japan?” Kagome asked, leaning against a fence post.

Kaede stood in the center of her small garden and looked out the east, sighing wistfully. “I cannot be sure. It would take a great deal of power to extract the demons, then even greater power to hold the souls – especially the portion of Naraku’s – in place. I assume Midoriko’s soul could be released without fear, but the rest…”

Kagome straightened and hopped in front of Kaede, avoiding plants. “So, who do you think we could use?”

“I believe your powers would be enough to extract the souls, but we’d need a powerful demon to hold them.”

“Why a demon?”

“Because a human would be swayed by the evil influence and easily possessed. The act should be performed on sacred ground, and the demon and ye would have to connect… temporarily, mind you.”

“Connect?”

“Aye. A bound that would hold you auras, your souls, your very essences together for as long as you need.”

Whoa. “But what demon is strong enough-”

God. Dammit. Goddammit goddammit goddammit! I already owe him!

Kaede gave her a meaningful look.

“Couldn’t we just use Inuyasha?” Kagome whined, dropping on her knees before Kaede.

“Even the mighty Tetsusaiga could not compete with hundreds of demons swarming the poor lad’s soul. He would go on a killing spree. No, Inuyasha will not work.”

“Kouga?”

“The brash young wolf-demon that claims ye? No. Unacceptable.”

“Uhm, Shippou?”

Kaede chuckled and patted Kagome’s head.

Damn. Outta- Ah ha!

“We could use Masao! He’s powerful and really levelheaded too!”

“Masao?” Kaede asked.

“Yeah, he’s the escort I told you about. The cat-youkai. He’ll be here in…” Actually, he should’ve already been here by now.

“Is he as strong as the demon lord?”

“Almost?”

Kaede’s eye narrowed and she Hmm’d quietly. “Perhaps he will work.”

“Yes!” Kagome shot up and turned around, hopping out of the garden with a little victory dance.

“Child!” Kaede called after her, stopping her stride.

“Yes, Kaede?”

“You should ask the demon lord anyway, so that if this Masao isn’t powerful enough ye will have other options.”

Kagome sighed and scuffed her foot. “But… oh, fine.”

She groaned and tossed her head back, walking into the forest. Screaming, “Come here puppy, puppy, puppy!” won’t help. It won’t.

“Pup- Sesshoumaru-sama!” She called, skipping over a log. “Sess-”

“What?”

She ran into his (still unarmored) chest with a small, “Oomph.”

“Oh. There you are.” And he’s wearing a shirt, damn-

No! She didn’t mean it! She was a good girl!

“I know I already… owe… you and it really isn’t good to ask for anything-”

“What is it, girl?”

Kagome sighed and backed up, looking into his eyes quietly. “Well, you see…”

“Why are you here, Leiko?”

“I-I-”

Masao bent down so his (pretty, pretty) face was in front of her and looked her straight in the eyes. “Hm?”

“I… I was following you,” she muttered, looking away.

“Why?” Masao asked, sitting on the branch in front of her, his malevolence evaporated.

“Because…” I can’t help it.

“Because…?” Masao edged a little closer to her, his hand falling a breath away from her own.

Leiko looked up at him, her pale yellow eyes slightly watery. “I’m sorry, Masao-san,” she whispered.

Masao backed up a little and breathed deeply, staring everywhere but at her. The smell of ginseng tea and jasmine filled his head and he sighed appreciatively. I missed this.

He turned back to her, taking in her bound hair and pale face, focusing on her wide eyes.

I missed her.

Masao: …

Leiko: …

Kagome: Aw! That’s so cute! Why, I wish-

Sesshoumaru: *tosses her over his shoulder* We’ll be going now.