Fallen

Chapter 2


Kagome closed her eyes willing this to be some sort of dream. 'When I wake up I will not be facing a obviously I-just-got-out-of-the-tub, version of Sesshomaru.' She sneaked a peek at him again 'Oh Kami he's...hot.' She mentally berated herself for the impure thought, 'No, bad Kagome. Um...pissed but hot' she attempted again, her mind drifting to the way the clinging wet white silk stuck to his magnificent form. 'Argh... No this is a dream nothing more. ' She opened her eyes again and paled visibly.

No, there really was a soaking wet, silk clad demon lord, glaring at her with a look that promised a slow painful death. Kagome swallowed and forced her gaze to remain at eye level. “Uh, what brings you here, Sesshomaru?” she squeaked out frantically scanning her brain for anything to say. 'Idiot, what a dumb thing to say, uh... I think I just made him angrier.'

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “You summoned me.” he stated coldly. Kagome looked confused. “I did?” she asked missing the flash of red in his brilliant golden eyes. “I don't think I did.” The air felt cooler somehow and she shivered. “Um...” her eyes glanced down as she tried to puzzle out just what had occurred and she spotted the scroll. Sudden understanding and dread filled her. “No, I didn't. I think this did.” she said slowly avoiding his piercing stare. Kagome picked up the scroll and held it out to him. He snatched it from her out stretched hand.

His eyes scanned the script that was showing and his fury doubled becoming nearly tangible in the thick air. “Onna, did you read this aloud?” he demanded his voice deadly soft. Slowly Kagome nodded feeling like she was signing her own death warrant.

Sesshomaru stared down at the woman in front of him. He was livid. If he thought for one instant that she had known the results of the spell she'd used, he would kill her instantly for her insolence. But from what he could see of her actions, she must be a fool he reasoned. He narrowed his eyes and fixed her with the coldest look he could give “Do you know what you have done?” he questioned just to be certain. When she answered with a confused look, he was certain she had no idea. He decided to enlighten her of her current situation “You have summoned me here and stupidly bound us together.” He thrust the scroll at her. “You read the spell, so know and resign yourself, for you will die for your error.”

Kagome had a thousand thoughts fly through her mind as she registered his words and deadly promise. But the emotion that coursed through her was oddly anger not fear. She fixed the scroll with her darkest glare. “This is all your fault!” she exploded pointing at the scroll. It did nothing. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow slightly in silent question and the young woman continued to point at the yellowed rolled parchment. When it became obvious that the sentient scroll was not going to respond Kagome grew angrier “Don't you sit there like you have no clue that I'm talking! Ooh! If I knew what kind of energy you had I'd purify your...” Sesshomaru frowned. “To whom are you speaking?” he finally asked not certain if the fear had driven her insane though he'd not smelt any fear in her.

The woman snorted. “That stupid scroll. It burned my fingers, then made me come here. And when I didn't move quick enough it basically threw a temper tantrum. Wanna help me start a bonfire...?”

Sesshomaru was certain she'd gone completely mad as he listened to her continue to rant. It was a scroll. Though now as he probed it with his youki, he began to question his own simple deduction. It was a scroll but it wasn't. His gaze drifted over the aged parchment and he tugged the roll to expose more of the writing. It didn't budge. Instead the parchment lit with red light and grew hot. Sesshomaru resisted the urge to drop the thing as it heated uncomfortably. Instead he surrounded it with his youki and forced what ever power was in the scroll to back down.

“Silence your infernal chatter, woman.” he stated as he fought harder than he thought possible with a scroll for dominance. Kagome's mouth shut with an audible snap. Finally the scroll went quiet. He grunted in satisfaction. Though his hands were burned he ignored the sting they would heal in moments. The woman was looking at her own hands in horror. Her palms were angry red and blistered. “I can feel it, But why?” she mused softly to her self fighting the tears of pain that welled in her eyes.

His frown deepened as he noted that the marks on her hands were the same as his own. He fought the urge to sigh in annoyance. They were bound together worse than he thought. The injury to her was proof. Meaning he most likely couldn't kill her with out killing himself. Any pain he inflicted upon her would be felt by himself as well. He growled. This was troublesome. Bound to a human forever, according to the spell. It was a disturbing idea. True he had Rin but that was by her choice and his allowance. He turned to walk away this would take some contemplation.

“I am going home.” she announced to no one in particular as she climbed up on the edge of the well. Sesshomaru stopped and curiously looked over his shoulder. Oh no, he was not going to die from a human suicide. With a growl and a burst of speed he snatched her from the air as she fell. With a yelp her eyes shot open as her fall stopped abruptly. After lifting her free of the well he dropped her unceremoniously on the ground. “Onna, do you not know the meaning of the spell you cast?” he asked coldly walking away from her.

Kagome stood up and brushed herself off. “I told you, I didn't cast anything. The stupid scroll made me read it. And my name is KA-GO-ME.” She was annoyed at the whole situation. She was sick of the blush that consumed her cheeks every time she looked up. Okay granted he was a very appealing example of male flesh and though the silk had dried a bit and was not nearly see through anymore she seriously was not going to admit to herself or anyone else that he was having an affect on her. His face still wore the impervious look of boredom but his eyes blazed. Making him look to her like an enraged god of destruction. Kami he was beautiful. His eyes narrowed and she ducked her head. Her mind caught up to her that he had asked a question and she blinked risking a small look up. “I did not even know it was a spell.” she offered lamely.

At the name she called herself he inhaled lightly. He had been so enraged he hadn't taken the time to realize why she seemed familiar to him. “You are the one.” he stated before lunging at her. His beast roared in fury as all conscious thought fled. His eyes bled crimson and his claws lengthened. She was the bitch who had denied him his kill. She was the one who had as far as he was concerned sheltered his enemy. Naraku lived because of her. His rage spilled over him as he reached for her throat...

Kagome's cobalt eyes widened to unbelievable size as the Inu Youkai began to give off waves of youki. She'd known he was mad before but this was a murderous all consuming rage. Her mind went blank as she faced her oncoming death. She wouldn't have time to run and her voice was gone. She could only watch in horrified awe as he moved his claws to kill her...

Time seemed to slow as his claws shot towards her at an incredible speed and just before they made contact, he was flung back with a jarring jolt of power. It shook him to his core and dropped him to his knees panting for breath and fighting off wave after wave of dizziness. Kagome was also lying on the ground looking dazed. His rage seemed to run out of him as the last traces of power left him shaking. It was not possible. Surely the power had not come from the miko. He shook his head to clear it. He frowned as he inhaled lightly and could find no residual taint of her holy energy.

Swiftly he moved back to his feet and looked down at the girl. He was tired from the backlash to his attack and he wanted his questions answered. He was not going to attack her again, such an unknown power was dangerous even to him. “Get up.” he ordered. Kagome scrambled to her feet still holding her throbbing head. “What happened?” she asked quietly still dazed. Sesshomaru lips turned down faintly as he watched her movements warily.

“Miko, I do not know how you were able to accomplish such a thing, but it will not happen again. That I assure you.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked wincing as she shook her head. 'Ow, why did he push me? Oh right, he was going to kill me but...'

“That barrier was not of your making?” he demanded harshly quickly loosing what was left of his frayed patience.

“No, it wasn't.” she replied realizing the truth as he did the same.

He glared at her with an unreadable expression. He wanted to rend someone limb from limb. But the girl did not lie. He did not care for the idea that he had been brought to his knees in the slightest, but he liked even less that the only answers that seemed to be forthcoming were to do with that damnable scroll and the girl. Seeing no help for it and not finding an alternate solution he turned to the girl and said “Come.” It was not an offer. It was not an invite, it was a command. Kagome's head snapped up and her eyes hardened to a glare. She wasn't his to order. She was a girl of the future, she bowed to none. Kagome met his icy look with her determined one. “No.”

His eyebrow rose slightly. “Perhaps you misheard me. It was not a choice.” Kagome held her ground as she continued to glare. “Perhaps it was you who misheard , I said no.” She was angry and frustrated. Confused and annoyed. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done but she was not going to back down. She'd faced Sesshomaru before and hadn't feared him then and she wasn't going to now. Something had protected her from him and she had the suspicion that he knew it too. He made no move to attack but his tone lowered dangerously soft. “You think to defy me?” he questioned. She nodded. “Hn, I may not be able to harm you but your loved ones have no such protection. Do they?” his question was pointed as he watched her. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Alright. I'll come with you.” His eyebrow rose as he waited. “Sesshomaru sama.” she finished folding her arms across her breasts.

Honestly, it was beneath him to blackmail a human. And though he would not have hesitated to follow through, it would have left a foul taste in his mouth. He needed to discover the limits of the damn spell. He was not thrilled to have to take Inuyasha's wench anywhere. But leaving her behind wasn't a good idea either. She had too much of a knack for trouble. And until he knew the type of bond on them he was not about to leave her to her own devices the damn girl had already tried to kill herself at the well. Gathering his cloud beneath their feet he lifted off the ground. With a jump Kagome latched herself to his arm. Sesshomaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Miko what are you doing?” he asked looking down at her.

Kagome frowned at his tone and looked up. “I don't want to fall, do I?” she said angrily fisting her hands in his sleeve. “You should warn somebody before you decide to fly.” She took a deep breath, her anger fading. “Look, I'm just as confused as you are. And I don't like this anymore than you do but we should at least try to get along. Let's start over, I don't think I ever introduced my self properly. I am Kagome Higurashi and its a...” she thought for a moment “an... honor to meet you... um...outside of battle.”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the sudden formality but he answered albeit coldly, “Lord Sesshomaru, Dai Youkai of the West.” he offered no pleasantry but she did not look offended. “There that's better.” she said offering a small smile.

“Miko...” he said not entirely certain of what to say. She was an odd one. Secretly he had followed their mismatched pack for a time trying to discover their weaknesses as any hunter did with his prey. But what he'd seen had surprised him. They had been like a family, warmly taking care of one another and sheltering and protecting this young priestess above all else. True she was the shikon no miko, but it seemed to go deeper than that. She was the heart and the life blood of the group. He'd never seen her with anything but a forgiving and accepting smile on her face. Although he'd never gotten close enough, Sesshomaru was certain that she'd have done the same for him had he ever formed an alliance with them. Though the very idea was preposterous, there had been a time he'd longed for any acceptance. Now of course he rejected the idea completely, but her smile, though small, was unnerving. She looked up and waited. “Why did you protect Naraku?” he asked.

Kagome bristled her smile gone. “I wouldn't protect that...” she took a deep breath remembering that though chances were he'd heard what happened in the battle he didn't know why. He had not been there. “During the battle I purified him and he became human. I couldn't kill him. He was helpless.” Her cobalt eyes pleaded for understanding. He frowned. “Human or not he deserved to die. Surely even one like you can understand that.” he stated simply. Kagome shook her head, her eyes darkening. “No, death for him was too easy. Even now he lives in total humiliation. He will never be able to walk on his own again and the potion he's been given will keep him unable to move.”

Sesshomaru's eyebrows rose sharply at the cold words coming from the little miko. He would never admit it but her vehemence shocked him. He'd never seen the girl be anything but forgiving.. “So you condemned him to life. You never struck me as a cruel one, miko.” he said with another unreadable look.

Kagome shook her head arguing the harsh assessment. “He condemned so many to death or worse. Have you forgotten how he tried to kill Rin on more than one occasion? Or the horror he inflicted on Kohaku, making him brutally slaughter his friends and father?” Her voice caught at the name of her beloved friends brother, she had been as unable to save him as Sango. “You might be able to forget but I can't.” she replied softly.

She'd never thought of her actions as cruelty but he was right. She had condemned him to life and suffering. Though part of her was pleased with her actions and the fact he could not hurt anyone any longer, another part of her was disgusted. She was not a cold or vengeful person yet she had acted like it. Under the guise of not wanting to kill him had been something darker though understandable, she wanted him to suffer for the lives of all the people he had taken from her and her friends. “Maybe I should have let them kill him.” she mumbled to herself feeling a slight twinge of guilt for her unkind thoughts.

“Your pity is wasted on this matter. Unless you now plan to kill him there is no sense thinking on it.”

Kagome looked up at him with surprise, there was no anger in his tone but an emotion she didn't recognize. Kagome shook her head. There was no point in trying to analyze Sesshomaru. So she tried to think of some way to draw him in to a conversation. “So...how is Rin?” she asked lightly in an attempt to change the subject.

“She is well.” Simple and to the point. Kagome frowned and determined to try again. She paused a moment.

“Will I get to see her?” it was an innocent enough question.

“Hn, undoubtedly. She will be waiting at the gate.” he paused. “You are to say nothing. Do not speak about this situation to anyone. If asked you are to say you are there to negotiate an alliance with me. Do not leave my sight.” He fixed her with a glare. “If you heed my advice you might survive this. It is well you no longer wear that disgusting robe. At least you have gained some sense.”

Kagome looked down at the clothes she wore. It was true that her school uniform hadn't been the best thing to go traipsing about in feudal era Japan but it was the best she'd had and it was considered perfectly normal where she was from. Not to mention the fact that everyone else she'd met in this time, had worn everything from normal looking kimonos to demon slaying garb, and anyway the last time she'd worn her uniform had been a year and a half ago. Now her typical outfit was a pair of loose fitting jeans and a tank top or t-shirt under a black hooded jacket. The denim held up better than the cotton of her uniform and her high school uniforms were just too expensive to wear while killing blood-thirsty demons on this side of the well.

She had plenty of the traditional robes of the priestess but she despised those because Kikyo had worn them and she had always looked identical to Kikyo without the priestess robes let alone with them on. Kagome had said once that she'd rather go around in her under wear than don the traditional robes. That had been the last time Keade had suggested that she wear the robes, and anyway Inuyasha had told her that he couldn't stand seeing her in them. As he crossed her mind a twinge of heart break ran through her chest but she shook her head to clear him from her mind. Sesshomaru looked at her puzzled for a moment and then returned to his own thoughts. Kagome fidgeted with her zipper and stuck her hands in her pockets. Maybe she should have worn something more time and space appropriate.

He did not offer any further advise or council as they flew in silence to his castle. Each was lost in their own thoughts of how this new situation was going to affect them.