Blood Stained

By the way, to clear confusion, Kagome's recent sickness, well pain, and "answer" is not related to the sicknesses she had in the feudal era. Just thought I'd mention it.



Thanks Eve for Beta-reading.



Blood Stained



Chapter 31: First Appearance



Pain.



It was the only thought filling her mind, even when she tried to chase it away. It felt as if her brain was throbbing. She could feel the headache coming. It would be such a nice addition to her current suffering she thought to herself. As she held her stomach Kagome couldn't help but wonder why now. After their first meeting everything had been fine, she hadn't experienced any pain at all. So Why now?



So what was so different about what was occurring now? They hadn't spent much time together yet, so something had to have triggered it. She just didn't know what it could be. There was one thing she was sure of, it was that she would rather suffer than have him touch her. Anything to avoid being dragged back down into that hell again.



Sesshomaru's eyes were locked on her form. He was worried about her. He knew their only current option wasn't the best, but leaving things as they were was not excellent either. It was her pain, her decision, but it bothered him. Ever since they had resumed traveling Sesshomaru had not been able to look away from her. He wasn't sure if she had even noticed though. For nearly the entire time, her eyes had been closed or she had been staring at her stomach. Perhaps she was talking to the pup. It would be a way to calm the pup down, so as not to cause as much pain.



"Have you talked to the pup?"



Kagome, who had been lost in her own thoughts, immediately looked up.



"Talk to him?" she inquired, somewhat confused.



He nodded.



"You can talk to him, he will understand you. It doesn't have to be out loud. Even if the pup is a hanyou, I'm sure you share a link with him. Perhaps you could find a way to lessen your pain."



She stared at him for a few more seconds, before bringing her attention back to her child. She had never really thought about talking to Kiyoshi, especially since she didn't consider him responsible for what happened in the first place. After all, she had dragged him down the well through time, which probably had not been a good idea. How could he know that his father had been a monster to her? The necessity to create a bond with his father was natural thing.



Of course, it was unusual from a human point of view, since in human pregnancies, the baby didn't form bonds with its parents while inside the womb. There was never that extreme of a link.



Kagome took a deep breath before rubbing her bulging stomach. I guess it's normal for you to want to know your father. I've seen him be a father to Rin, but I just never thought about him being a father to you.



If Sesshomaru was going to be a father to Kiyoshi, that would mean keeping him in her life. That was what she was trying to avoid. But then another thought came to her mind. Would she keep Kiyoshi from his father? That was when her heart skipped a beat. She had seen Sesshomaru with Rin, she knew he could be a good father, but a good person? That was another story.



Nonetheless, would she let her experience with him prevent her son from growing up with a father figure in his life? She knew that male bonding was important, especially for males. She herself had basically grown up without her father and she could still feel that void in her life. Would it be fair to let Kiyoshi live with that void? Though there was the other question, would Sesshomaru even want to be a father?



Technically she imagined he would. Not because he loved the child she carried, but from what she had seen between Rin and him. Kiyoshi would be his only heir after all and was a descendant of his beloved Rin. Sesshomaru would at least want to take care of him. She didn't want to ask though, but personally she didn't know what she wanted to do about that situation just yet. It would be selfish to not allow her son to have a father, but some part of her deep inside, wanted to be selfish. She sighed heavily. She would deal with it when the time would come.



I'm sorry. She needed to apologize, even if she hadn't done anything yet. The thought of being selfish was enough to fill her with guilt. You already want to be with him. And here I'm thinking about keeping him away from you. Maybe I do deserve the pain.



Sesshomaru was also the only one who could teach him about his youkai heritage. She didn't even know where she could obtain the same kind of device Sesshomaru used to mask his youkai. After all, Kiyoshi obviously could not go to school with puppy ears on the top of his head instead of regular ears.



Kagome couldn't help the feeling that her heart was being squeezed. She was split in two with no idea what to do. On top of that, her pain was starting to make it harder for her to focus. Nearly giving up, she rested her head against the seat, closing her eyes. She couldn't allow herself to focus on that right now. When the time came, she would deal with it then. If she over thought about it now, it would only make herself sick. She was already stressed enough as it was.



I'm sorry. She apologized again.



Before she could allow herself to drift into her own thoughts again, the car came to a stop. Kagome opened her eyes looking around, they were near a forest. She couldn't help but wonder why most youkais decided to hide in the forest? Perhaps they had no desire to conceal their youkai like Sesshomaru. That was the only way for them to live in peace in this human dominated world.



She waited inside since Sesshomaru wasn't moving. But then, the door was opened and Sesshomaru's eyes were on her, probably waiting for her to go first. Though, she wondered why since he was usually the first one to get out. Nonetheless, she didn't want to drag this out, so, slowly due to the pain she was in, she made her way out of the car. The driver held out his hand and helped her out of the vehicle. She thanked him for his assistance.



A few seconds later Sesshomaru emerged, and he was holding a bag. He nodded at the driver who went back in the car, but did not leave. Kagome assumed he was going to wait for them to come back.



"Is it in the forest?" she asked, her voice unsure. It seemed that the wilder the environment was, the more dangerous it would be, she had a feeling she was not too far off.



"We have a little bit of walking to do, will you be fine on your own?"



Kagome bit her bottom lip, only somewhat containing her anger.



"I can walk. I'm pregnant, not handicapped."



Usually, it would be the moment where she would walk away, but since she didn't know where they were going, she remained in her standing there. She looked everywhere but at him. This could be a dangerous place. Sesshomaru didn't seem one bit insulted and he softly nodded at her. He needed to know, it had been a long time since anyone had confirmed the presence of the shard, he wanted to confirm something before they went any further.



"Can you sense a shard?"



Kagome seemed slightly taken back by the question. It was something that hadn't been asked of her in a long time. It reminded her of Inuyasha and an ache revealed itself in her heart.



She closed her eyes, trying to focus herself. She waited a few seconds, waiting for that familiar feeling of a shard, even a tainted one, but nothing came. Did it mean it wasn't here? Had they traveled all this way for nothing? Kagome couldn't help her heartbeat from increasing.



"No," she answered, whispering.



He nodded. From the look on her face, he could already tell what she was thinking.



"We have this whole region to explore. Perhaps it is simply out of your reach." With that said, he turned around and began to walk, expecting her to follow behind him.



After a few seconds, she indeed did.



Kagome made sure to stay on alert, not only for a shard, but also for youkais. Which reminded her, she had nothing to defend herself with.



"I don't have any weapons," she stated calmly, even though inside, she was panicking.



Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks and dropped his bag on the ground. He slowly opened it, before taking out a bow and quiver of arrows. He hadn't really intended on giving these to her, since he didn't want her fighting, especially in her condition, but… perhaps it was better than him having to use his youki. Nonetheless, he didn't like the idea. Still, he handed her the bow and arrows and she took them.



It felt weird as she slipped on the weapons over her shoulders. She hadn't used a bow in a long time, but it felt nice to hold it in her hands again. Perhaps, because she felt as if she was given some power back. Though all he had to do was tweak his watch and he would be in control once again, yet she preferred not to think about that.



Without a word, Sesshomaru resumed his walking with the bag slung over his shoulder. Kagome held on to her bow tightly as she walked behind him. In a very selfish way she hoped that by remaining behind him, he would be the one in the way if anything came up at them. It sounded cold-heart from her to not mind if he got hurt, but he never did care either.



She wasn't like him, but that thought had crept into her mind.



Then, she sighed heavily, remaining on guard, waiting for any sign of a shard.



***



30 long minutes later.



That was how long Kagome and Sesshomaru had been walking, not even detecting a shard. They had passed a few secluded cities, always remaining near the forest, perhaps to not attract attention upon themselves. The one thing she was relieved about was the fact that they had yet to encounter any problems.



Though, that didn't mean anything. She learned from previous experiences that problems could come out of nowhere and cowardly attacks would wait and come at you from the back.



The whole time they had been walking, she had been behind him. The more time passed, the more distance was created between them. Kagome's pain had not diminished and it was hard for her to maintain a constant pace like he did. But, she refused to say anything, and when he would turn around to check on her, she would usually pick her speed up.



Then, she felt it.



In an instant, she dropped her bow to the ground as the familiar feeling overcame her. The sound of her weapon falling to the ground attracted Sesshomaru's attention, and he turned around to see if perhaps she had fallen. He could see her eyes searching the area and he knew she felt it.



"Where?" he asked, his tone more demanding than usual.



Kagome closed her eyes, feeling the location. She could tell that the shard was not moving, so perhaps, she had finally gotten close enough that she could sense it. After a few more seconds she pointed in the direction and he began heading that way.



Meanwhile, she bent down to grab her weapon when she felt something thick go down her leg. Kagome looked down and saw a rip in her black leggings as well as blood dripping down her leg. For a moment, everything froze and she could not move. Then, she took a deep breath before looking around her. She had probably just scrapped herself against a rock, or a branch without realizing it.



She was being way too paranoid.



Once she convinced herself properly that this was nothing, she stood up and began to follow the trail to the shard. Her heart was beating like a drum the closer they got to the shard. Sesshomaru was somewhat ahead of her, and she found herself glad that in his current state he could not smell her blood. Quickly enough, through the pain, she managed to catch up to him.



That was when things began to get complicated.



Kagome could still feel the presence of the shard, but her head felt funny. As if she were dizzy. But that did not make any sense. She tried shaking her head slightly, but the feeling refused to go away. It was as if all of a sudden, she could not tell where the shard was. As if she were inches from it, ready to grab it, but could not reach far enough to get it.



Little did she know that she was not the only one having that feeling. Sesshomaru was feeling intoxicated with a foggy feeling as well. It was the reason why he had stopped in his tracks. His brain was pounding inside of his head and his vision was slightly blurry. At first, he found it very strange, even though his body looked human, he was not that fragile.



It was not until he noticed Kagome, that he realized something was wrong. Her hands, instead of being on her stomach, were on her head and he could see her walking had become a little wobblier. That meant they were both being affected by the same thing and he knew this wasn't a coincidence. Wherever the shard was, someone thought it belonged to them and was trying to protect it.



This was obviously a plan to drive them away. Unfortunately, they could not do that.



The miko might be dizzy, but perhaps she could fight. The only problem was, they didn't know where or who their opponent was.



Then, as if to make their situation worse, a soft yellow mist began to surround them. Immediately, Sesshomaru walked over as fast as he possibly could, towards Kagome. He didn't like where things were heading. If he had his youki, he would be able to tell right away where they were.



Kagome felt his presence behind her and stiffened. In a panic, she reached out for one of her arrows and grabbed her bow. If she could at least get rid of the fog… …



In an attempt to do so, she shot an arrow aiming for a tree. As it went through the mist, it created a pink light, but quickly enough it died out, never dissipating the mist.



Through the haze, she saw his green eyes and without him saying a word, she knew what he was itching to do. He wanted his youki. Kagome gulped hard, as she scanned the area once more. Obviously this was no regular fog, but did she feel safer with whatever was out there or with his beast? The question could easily be answered.



And her heart was hammering in her chest.



He didn't even need her permission. Whenever he wanted to he could press that little button and the monster would be freed. Perhaps it could defend them, but she was afraid of what may occur after wards. And who said he would go for the enemy? Perhaps it would go to her, since she believed that she was the enemy at the moment. She had run away from him, she had left him. It would not be a happy reunion.



Once again, Kagome crossed glances with him, but her eyes were filled with confusion. His stare was intense and she could not hold it any longer, so she looked away. She would not be making that decision. She would not be the one to tell him to bring that thing back. She would rather die then have those words pass her lips.



Then it happened again. The same feeling she had earlier, but this time, it was coming from her other leg. Kagome bent down as far as she could, to get a closer look. There indeed was the same cut with blood dripping down her leg. Unlike the last time, Sesshomaru did notice that something was wrong. Perhaps it was only because he was much closer to her than earlier.



He imitated her actions, bending down to take a look at her leg. His head still felt fuzzy, but he managed to clear his vision long enough to see the blood running down her leg. At that moment, it didn't take him too long to make his decision. It's only fifteen minutes, he told himself. It could seem like quite a long span of time, but he would waste most of it tracking down their enemy. After all, it was quite obvious that the enemy had mastered the art of hiding. Sesshomaru didn't look at her, knowing what he would see in her eyes, and pressed the button before tightly shutting his eyes.



She could not see him clearly through the haze, but she didn't need to. Kagome knew what he had done. She felt like her heart was ready to burst out of her chest. At that precise moment she wanted to run, just run as far away as she could. Her heartbeat was echoing in her mind, her legs becoming limp. She didn't want to run anymore, she had to run. It was as if her instincts were screaming at her, panic was beginning to set in.



Without allowing another thought to cross her mind, her brain finally connected with her legs and they began to run in the opposite direction. Her eyes were semi-closed as she went as fast as her current state allowed her to.



Don't look back.



Actually, she didn't have to. With her powers back, she could feel his aura, feel it overwhelming the area. Her fear increased, as did her running.



Sesshomaru was on the ground, on his knees. For the first time in many years, his youki filled his blood. Slowly, his green eyes became amber, a fire flickering within them, his dark ebony hair transformed into shining silken silver. He could feel his claws growing back, his fangs sticking out of his mouth. For the first time in too long, Sesshomaru felt like himself. He was complete, and he was who he had always been in the past. A rush went through his body as he rose to his feet. For the moment he was still in control. That moment of control he knew would not last very long. Sesshomaru could feel his beast awakening and starting to rage inside of him.



The first thing he felt wasn't the hidden enemy. NO. It was the miko running away. How foolish was she being! It would have been safer for her to remain where she was! This wasn't about whatever was hiding in the forest, this was about his beast. She was offering it a chase. This would make things even worse.



Then, Sesshomaru felt the youkai that had been hiding. Before Sesshomaru could walk towards it, it revealed itself. A tiny orange skinned dwarf came out of the bushes, his hands in the air. He looked afraid and was staring at the ground.



"Lord Sesshomaru," he said, his voice cracking. "Forgive this one's outrage. I did not know it was you, my Lord."



He knew better than to mess with Lord Sesshomaru. It had been a long time since he had seen him roaming the lands, but he knew he was probably still as deadly. He had no doubt left in his mind why the great lord was here, he was here for the shard. The little youkai dropped to the ground, bowing to Lord Sesshomaru.



"Where's the shard?" he said, before growling at the dwarf.



Though this growl did not come from him, it was from deep within him, it was his beast gaining back its awareness. Time was slowly running out, yet there was still so much left before his youki would be resealed once again. Sesshomaru would remain in control as long as he could. Perhaps a few extra minutes…



The little youkai jumped when Sesshomaru growled, he began to tremble in fear.



"Please my lord, we need it." He was nearly sobbing. "It's the only way we have to protect our people. We use it to defend ourselves."



He knew his plea would mean nothing to Sesshomaru, but he had to try. Youkais were fewer in numbers, yes, but they still existed and some of them fed themselves by eating other, weaker youkais. It was especially dangerous for those hiding in the forests since they were unable to mingle with the humans.



Sesshomaru snarled, before walking closer to him, only stopping when his feet nearly reached the little youkai's face.



"Where is the shard," he demanded.



His temper and patience were wearing thin, especially since he was focused on his own inner battle at the moment with his beast. His anger rising inside of him was not helping to remain in control. It was actually feeding his beast. He had no choice, he needed to find that wretched shard, then the miko. He needed the miko. He wanted the miko.



No. He needed her for the shards. He did not want her.



His mind was still clouded, but not by the fog this time. It was by his beast's own desires, his inner thoughts. Deciding that he had waited long enough, Sesshomaru grabbed the dwarf youkai by the neck and lifted him up. When the little one finally managed to open his eyes, he found himself staring at a very angry Dayoukai. He didn't even notice the pink hue of Sesshomaru's eyes, he was too afraid.



"Please," he pleaded again.



"You will tell me where the shard is now." He knew the miko could locate the shards, but if there were more of these parasites around, they might need a more specific area if they wanted to find it without further difficulties.



Tears rolling down its cheeks, the dwarf youkai nodded.



"Inside that mountain," he said, his whole body trembling, as he pointed to the location.



His control slipping away, Sesshomaru inserted his claws through the skin of the poor youkai. His beast wanted vengeance. The scent of Kagome's blood was still lingering in the air and the beast demanded to eliminate the one who had spilled her blood. In one last attempt at control, Sesshomaru threw the youkai as far as he could, probably hurting it in the process.



Once again, Sesshomaru dropped to the ground, holding his head. He could feel it, it was as if he was burning from the inside out. But not enough time had pass by. There was at least another ten minutes left, and he knew the beast could catch up to the miko in less than two minutes. Eight minutes never seemed so long, but he knew it could prove to be deadly.



Not now.



Not like this.



He was breathing sharp and shallow, as a loud, deep growl escaped his throat. His eyes were filling with red as he fought on and on. But too quickly, he could no longer keep that control. His semi-bangs were covering his eyes, his head was low and he snarled.



It could feel her. She was running. Mate was running away from him.



Slowly, the beast rose to its feet, freedom enveloping his body. It had been way too long since he had last been able to feel this way. He opened his eyes, looking around him. He could feel her, she was not far off. Her scent, which he had missed dearly was intoxicating him, making his head spin. She was his, but she had left him. Oh, never had he forgotten about her betrayal. How could he ever forget the way she left him, when all he had tried to do was love her?



Quickly he went after her, starting the chase. Oh yes, he wanted her to run, run as fast and as far as she could. He would catch her. Last time she had slipped through his fingers, but not anymore. He felt the rush, the need, running through his veins and he wanted more. In less than a minute, he could feel her presence near, and he knew he had almost caught up to her.



Meanwhile, Kagome was so exhausted from running, she felt like she was going to be sick. She wanted to rest, she wanted to stop, but couldn't. She knew he was near, right behind her just waiting to catch her. Now that she thought about it carefully, perhaps running hadn't been such a great idea. It was probably making him even angrier than he already was.



As she tried to outrun him, flash backs were filling her mind. His hands on her body, the pain he inflicted upon her, her blood spilling, her flesh tearing. It was all so vivid in her mind, tears were rolling down her cheeks. Perhaps it was because her memories were distracting her that she never saw the rock in her path.



And she tripped.



Kagome, awaiting the fall, immediately wrapped her arms around her stomach, attempting to protect Kiyoshi. But then, the contact with the ground never came.



Instead, she felt his arms wrap around her.



As Kagome slowly opened her eyes, she saw his clawed hands around her waist, right under her breasts. She dared to look up, her body trembling with her increasing fear as she found herself looking into two red eyes and she yelped.



She freed herself from his grip as best she could and immediately backed away. No matter what she did, his eyes never left her. He followed her every movement, not even blinking. She could not see a trace of emotions on his face. She was breathing hard as she tried to hold back the tears. It didn't work.



Her heart was caught in her throat, she begged silently to herself. Kagome tried to focus enough to figure out how long it had been, but her mind refused to cooperate with her. All she could see was him, all she could think about was him. Right now, he was everywhere and she felt overwhelmed.



"Why?"



One word, one question.



And then he let his emotions show on his face. The pain crisped his face, while the thought of her betrayal nearly made his eyes watery. The anger was also present, as he bared his fangs at her, as if to dominate her. Kagome was looking right at him, but she could not move, or speak.



"Why did you leave me?" He took a step closer to her.



"I gave you what you wanted." Another step.



"I tried to give you happiness. I loved you." Two steps.



"You betrayed me," he said, before growling at her.



Feeling he was too close, she took a step back. First mistake.



Immediately, he reached out for her arms, holding both of her wrists with his hands. The chase was over, after five hundred years, he had finally caught her. He wasn't about to allow her to slip away again. He felt her struggle, trying to break free, but his hold was too tight for her to succeed.



She would never be allowed to leave him. No matter what, she was his. He wanted to know why, why she wanted to run away so badly.



"Answer me," he ordered, his voice echoing through the forest.



Through the tears, she groaned, as she never ceased her struggles.



"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking.



"Because I hate you," she answered.



Sesshomaru knew and understood, but she didn't know why the beast refused to accept that simple fact. How could he not see that he never had her heart? How could he be so oblivious to the hatred she harbored towards him? Could he not feel it? After what he had done, how could he expect her to love him?



At least Sesshomaru finally understood what rape was and admitted it as it was. Kagome wasn't sure the same could be said about the beast, and it only made her fear grow stronger.



His eyes seemed to widen at her words, but his hold grew tighter. The beast knew it would probably leave a mark, but this was not the worst he could do to her right now. When a mate disobeyed, she deserved a punishment, if she hadn't been pupped, he would have done it. But now he couldn't. Her situation was too delicate. Nonetheless, it didn't mean she would not pay for her betrayal.



He loved her. He would sacrifice anything for her.



If only she could see that.



Then he felt it, for a brief second, he was distracted by the aura coming from the child. It was disturbed, it was craving. He titled his head slightly, trying to pin point what it was.



"Our pup is in distress," he stated, his voice somewhat softer.



Kagome's watery eyes flickered down to her stomach. Was he referring to what they already knew, or was this something else? She could ponder the question even more, but she felt his hands on her stomach. She stiffened at the touch, but before she could back away, he wrapped an arm around her waist keeping her next to him. Their bodies were pressed together, and he let his hand roam over her stomach, a feeling of pleasure over taking him. She felt so warm, soft and welcoming. After a few seconds, it was easy for him to determine what the problem with the pup was and Sesshomaru was to blame.



Though he had found the miko and kept her by their side, he apparently did not have enough contact with her. Before Kagome knew what he was doing, he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck near the mating mark. Softly, he nibbled at her skin, tasting her. It distracted her from the light coming from his hand, so she could not see what he was doing.



Kagome was so intent on fighting him, she didn't realize the pain she had been suffering from had begun to lessen. Instead, she kept struggling against his touch, refusing to live the same nightmare over again. Yes, she knew this was a risk when she had decided to complete the jewel, but now her fear was stronger than anything else.



And hadn't it been fifteen goddamn minutes yet?



Sesshomaru licked her skin, while he breathed in her scent. He wanted more, he needed more. His own emotions were too much for him to bear. He wanted to punish her for what she had done, but he needed control to not harm the pup, while she was being punished. Also, he had missed her, her body and he needed her. His emotions were too conflicting, perhaps it made him weak.



Maybe it was why, Sesshomaru managed to breach in, just slightly.



The beast's red eyes widen, as he backed away from Kagome, releasing her from his hold. He then, held his head, before growling, not understanding what was happening to him.



Over the years, Sesshomaru had looked into his beast problem, even when it was locked away. He had figured that if his beast could sometimes control his emotions or thoughts, shouldn't he be able to do the same? Never had he found anything concrete, but apparently he could do it. He was not in control right now, but he could share.



The beast had lain dormant nearly the whole time and had only seemed awake when Sesshomaru had tried to stop the miko from going through the well on that fateful day. Or at least, he assumed it was the beast that had stopped him, why would he have stopped himself? Sesshomaru intended on using this new break through, to share his own memories with the beast. After all, it had missed a couple of centuries, including some facts about the miko he thought it should know.



Kagome watched, her lips slightly parted, as the beast seemed to suffer. She took that time to slightly back away, not making the mistake to run away again. She wanted to look away from him, but didn't understand what was happening, so her eyes remained glued on his form.



Slowly, the beast's mind was filled with everything that happened to Sesshomaru, every time, he screamed to chase it away. He was not supposed to be able to be in control. He shouldn't be able to manage reaching out to him. The beast should have been the only one able to do so. He had been locked away for so long, that he didn't know how to control his anger, so he punched an immense hole into the ground, causing such a violent shock wave that it felt like an earthquake, that caused Kagome to reach out for a tree, to help stabilize herself.



For a few seconds, Sesshomaru and the beast's minds became one, as it looked through what Sesshomaru had experienced. Most of it didn't matter, he didn't even flinch at the rape memory like Sesshomaru had. He didn't associate the two events what so ever. But then came Rin.



The beast might be different from Sesshomaru, but he had cared for the little girl nonetheless. Often he had emerged side by side with Sesshomaru in order to protect her life. He had often felt the need to eliminate those who had previously offended her and he had also seen her as a daughter. If there was one thing they shared in common, it was Rin.



For a second, the beast stopped breathing hard. Even though he was still on the ground, he had raised his head to look at his mate. Kagome looked completely terrified, as she released the hold she had on the tree. She didn't like the way it was looking at her, she didn't trust it.



Slowly, the beast finally made it to his feet, his eyes locked on her form. She was a part of Rin, and for a split second, he felt the same guilt Sesshomaru had felt. But not for the same reasons. Sesshomaru had felt guilty because he had realized what he had done and that he had broken his promise to Rin.



The beast did not feel guilty for the rapes or the mating. He had not accepted his actions for what they were, so he could not regret those events. He did feel guilty for the tears she had shed, for the horrible way she had felt and for the suffering he had inflicted in her life.



Unlike Sesshomaru though, he saw them differently. Rin was Rin. Kagome was Kagome. He did not love her less or more because of that link they shared. He saw two people, he loved two people. Nonetheless, his heart squeezed in pain, but he did not know if that was from him, or from Sesshomaru. His own thoughts and emotions could not be trusted at the moment.



Slowly, he walked toward a very frightened Kagome, as she tried to avoid his touch, he ran his claws through her soft dark locks. He didn't want to see fear over her features anymore. He had tried not to scare her again like in the past. He had done as she had wanted. But, it had not worked. She had not been pleased.



Forcing her was the only way he had ever obtained anything from her. She fought against his every desire. Perhaps it was why he felt such a fury inside of him sometimes. Kagome was constantly fighting his right for dominance. But then again, it was part of why she was the one. Even now, when she was scared, she was standing tall. She hated him, yet she was right by his side.



His little mate frustrated him like no other. His heart ached from what she had done to him. He wanted to run his claw down her arm, have some blood pour from it, just to inflict upon her a string of pain. But, he didn't. Instead, he raised his hand to her face and cupped her chin. Kagome tried to pull away to avoid the kiss she knew he was trying to force upon her, but all of a sudden, he released the hold he had on her. Sesshomaru slightly backed away before he bared his fangs and snarled.



Suddenly, Kagome felt his aura diminishing and she knew what was happening. The fifteen minutes had gone by. The beast looked surprised and angry at the same time. He did not know what was happening. Why was his control slipping away? Why did he feel himself being trap again? He growled loudly, as Kagome watched his hair slowly darken once more. Then, his markings faded from his face before the red from his eyes diluted.



A few seconds later, all that was left was the human looking Sesshomaru.



For the first time, Kagome found herself breathing easier. Nearly as if she was relieved to see Sesshomaru again. Well, he was better than the monster she had been with a few moments ago. Nonetheless, her tears were still there and her fear was overwhelming her body.



Perhaps because her mind was still pre-occupied with the beast, that she still did not notice that the pain had lessened. Sesshomaru took a few seconds to collect himself before taking in a deep breath. To be honest, the whole thing had gone down more smoothly than he had expected. No harm had come to Kagome and he had managed to do somewhat of a break through to the beast. But, he was still able to see the effect the beast had had her; she looked like a mess.



He couldn't bear to look at her, he turned around.



"We're heading for the mountain," he said, his tone low.



Deep inside, they both hoped it would be the beast's first and last appearance into the modern world.



***