Silver Maiden

Chapter Four



He had known she'd change. She told him right after he first slipped and called her "Okaa-San". She had been attacked by a lightning youkai during one of their numerous visits to the surrounding villages. Seeing her fall to the ground so limply, like a used burlap sack, was horrifying. Even the position she landed in looked exactly like that of his dead mother.



His short legs couldn't get him there fast enough, as he ran to the raven haired onna. Her eyes were closed and her hair was singed and tangled against her back as she lay heavily on her side. His brain knew she'd be okay; her healing powers were covering her body in a pink glow already. His heart didn't listen to his brain though; because all it could do was scream "Okaa-san, don't die! Please, don't die!" It had taken him a while to realize that he said it aloud, but no time at all to see her smile in her semi-conscious state.



From then on, she'd been his mother and it made sleeping so much easier. The nightmares became less omnipresent when he was in her arms. Admittedly, it had taken him a while to easily call her his mother; and he knew it hurt her, deep down, but she never complained. They became their own little family together.



As the day of her eighteenth birthday drew near they-- together with Shoga-- discussed the numerous scenarios that could possibly ensue. "If Sesshoumaru does this we do that…" or "If Inu Yasha reacts like this we put a stone statue on him…" Things like that were planned far in advance so safety would be priority.



They never planned for this.



"Okaa-San!"



His choked sob echoed back at him cruelly. Apparently, when Sesshoumaru had grabbed his mother, the Youkai was so livid that he didn't notice his other passenger until they were already at the seaside palace. With the cold glare he had received he was sure Sesshoumaru was going to kill him. Instead, he was thrown into a cell by himself, left him with torn clothes and a scraped knee that stung.



He could smell the others. Were they his fellow inmates? There was a woman in the cell next to him, she was pregnant and crying at him. "Please!" she whimpered, "I'm going to die, little kitsune, before my baby is born! At least let me experience what it's like to hold a child before it comes to an end! Please, sweet angel! Take pity on me…" Her green arms were stretched through the bars of their adjoining cells, her deep purple eyes shone with tears in the dim torch light.



A hug sounded so good right now. A wail ripped from his throat, the pads of his feet scuffed on the hard rock floor as he ran, tears clouding his vision. "O-ONEE-SAN! I'M SO SCARED!" The tears filling his eyes didn't disguise the hunger in the woman's purple orbs. He fell to the ground in a painful skid, his paws bleeding as the onna's eyes glowed and her once humanly flat teeth became sharp jagged spikes in her mouth. Her clawed hands scrabbled inches from his feet as she screamed.



"FEED ME! GIVE ME YOUR HEART! YOU'LL DIE ANYWAY SO WHY NOT IN MY BELLY?!" His fists pressed against his eyes and he wailed louder. How was it possible for her voice to sound so demented!?



His limbs burned as he raced back to the middle of his own rat infested cell, away from the woman's grasping hands. His tiny arms wrapped around his torn pants and he sobbed, listening to the screams of the woman and the other hundreds of prisoners. He closed his eyes tight and began to rock back and forth in a steady motion trying to imagine that wonderful smile his beloved Okaa-san would always send his way.



The evilly beautiful onna started to sing. Over and over the same lullaby until the tune was burned into his mind. He just wanted to get away! His sobs became a melody to her voice as the night dragged on, the occasional scream from a prisoner being hauled away simply added vocals.



"Nen nen cororiyo, ocororiyo

Go to sleep, go to sleep

boya wa yoiko da, nen ne shina

You are a good boy, go to sleep

boya no omori wa, doko e itta

Where did your nanny go

ano yama koete, sato e itta

She crossed over a mountain and went to her village

sato no miyage ni nani morota

What souvenir did you get from her village

den den daikon ni, sho no fue"

A small drum and a flute



"Nenneko! nenneko!

Sleep, sleep,

Nenneko yo !

Sleep, my child!

Oraga akabo wa

When was my

Itsu dekita ?

Baby made?

San-gwatsu, sakura no

In the third month,

Saku toki ni;

In the time of the blooming

Dori de o-kao ga

Therefore the color of the honorable

Sakura-iro."

Face of my child is the color of the cherry-blossom.



„Nenneko, nenneko, nenneko ya !

Sleep, sleep, sleep, my child !

Netara o-kaka e tsurete ina !

If you sleep I will go home to fetch your mother!

Okitara gagama ga totte kama !"

If you stay awake the Gagama will catch and bite you !





Shippou held his little hands to his ears and screamed.



~*~



"Kiree na…"



And it was truly beautiful, the view of the rolling waves and the endless stars in the night sky. Her silver eyes twinkled as she stared at the lovely view from within the hot spring pool she rested in. It was amazingly constructed, the hot spring. A waterfall of the naturally heated mineral water flowed into a large pool of limestone walls and fine squishy sand at your feet. The used water sloshed out the other side to flow along veins within the carved granite walkway where it reached the numerous willow and sakura trees that surrounded the pool.



The maiden was certainly awed by the beauty of this bath house garden. From the gentle sway of the willow branches to the view of the ocean beyond, it all worked together to create a utopia of tranquility. Even the canopy above, made from pure silk, was layered and strung into numerous gauze-like curtains that flowed rain water away from the bath itself, protecting this little bubble of peacefulness from being destroyed.



'I wish my heart were as peaceful…'



The maiden sighed as she leaned over in the sloshing water and hugged her knees, trying to let the sound and feel of the water calm her, heal her. 'I can't believe he… I ate that baby's… But oh Kami-Sama… The feel of his hands…' Here she blushed a pretty pink and dunked her head deeper into the steaming water till her nose was just barely above the surface.



She had kissed him. She had kissed one of the most fearsome youkai males in all of Japan. And she loved it despite of everything.



Her mind supplied the lovely images of what had happened just minutes prior. Their kiss was so cold at first, but once she actually responded… It was like something snapped within the Shihaisha and there was suddenly a wild fire between them! Their lips caressed in such perfect sync it was like they'd been together for years. Oh, the way he gripped her red bottom lip between his teeth and pulled, it was like pure electricity had been shot through her body.



When she felt something wet and rough against her lips, a confused gasp escaped, before her mouth was filled with a new wonderful flavor. Mint and peaches perhaps? Their tongues caressed, one skilled and the other hesitant but eager. He was so rough but nothing he did hurt her. Even when those lethal claws scratched down her spine, it was bliss instead of fear that made her shudder from head to toe.



The first restraint to go was the one keeping her head still, causing their heads to tilt together. Allowing their kiss to deepen…



She didn't notice the pain in her arms as the rough coils of rope slid off, forcing her to lean against him for balance. Her only concern was to wrap those suddenly desperate arms around his long neck. The feel of his lashes against her cheek as golden eyes finally closed was a simple pleasure all in its own.



She never noticed the aches or pains in her sore, stretched muscles, instead she focused on the pleasure this tall Youkai was showering on her. She concentrated on the feel of his tongue against her neck that made her spasm and gasp. The feel of his hand pressed against the small of her back as he pressed his hard body against hers.



She felt more than heard the sizzle of his whip as its energy crackled in the air. The long tendril of power sliced the binding that kept her feet up and suspended. Had she forgotten about those too in lieu of pleasure? She would've laughed it off, had her feet not hit the ground with a squishy splash.



The memory made her shudder even within the warm mineral water. The only thing she remembered after staring at the pool of blood that reached her ankles was that pool suddenly getting closer as she fainted. Next thing she knew she was laying on one of the limestone benches beside the steaming pool, a bucket on the ground by her head and a bundle of clothes with a tan towel at her feet. Her movements had been robotic at best, as she used the bucket, and accompanying sponge, to wash off the layers of dried blood that coated her body and matted her hair.



Once in the heated spring, her first concern was scrubbing her body with the fine sand at the bottom, removing layers of skin till she was close to raw. Once that was done, she was left to do nothing more but sit. With that sitting came the contemplation of "now".



Now what?



What'll happen now?



Will I die from embarrassment now or later?



She had told him she loved him and, while it was true, she wondered if that could change. Could she love a brutal killer like the silver haired Shihaisha? So many lives were torn from the world in just a few hours. All of them were used as a twisted gift for her. They all had died, because of her.



'What are you complaining about? They would have died anyway! Besides… You heard what he said, they were all criminals. They deserved their deaths. I know but do you think they deserved deaths like that, so foul and gruesome? Something tells me that he could have done worse, Kokoro. What…? Think about it, their deaths were much too quick. Yes, it was painful, but that pain didn't last long.'



It was true. Their pain was definitely obvious and deliberate but after witnessing the skill he used in each death, it was also obvious that he was sparing them at the same time. He had kept true to his word that if she watched their deaths would end quickly and before sunrise, but sunrise was a long way off when they had finished. He certainly could have kept it going much longer than he did.



Add on the fact that he was so blasé about the whole affair, to the point where he seemed to be almost bored, and it just got more confusing! And so, the more she thought about it, the odder it became.



'Perhaps he was trying to prove himself to you. Maybe… But I can't imagine him needing to prove himself in any way to me personally. I've seen what he can do on multiple accounts and he knows it…'



She ducked her head below the water so all that could be seen were her twitching ears. 'Men are so frustratingly confusing!' She blew out an angry torrent of bubbles before bursting out of the water's surface with a gasp and stomping to the edge of the pool. The water just wasn't relaxing anymore.



She dried herself off with the strangely thick towel before wrapping up her long, heavy locks and creating a damp turban on top of her head. Searching through the set of clothing that was beneath the towel, she realized she had two clothing options. Either wear the standard, diaper-like loincloth or put the once white lace thong against her body again, a tough decision that resulted in the answer being a resounding "Neither"!



Once that decision was made she carefully slipped on the white nagajuban followed by the beautiful black furisode. At first glance, it was simple, but then there was the slightest of shimmers from the fabric. It was covered with small sakura blossom designs, embroidered with a black, shimmery thread.



As she wrapped the light gray obi around her, she watched the sun's first rays of morning dance over three tops in the East before that first spark of light hit the Western Sea. Even though the inky waters tried to fight off the rays with its huge, crashing waves, the sun won out and soon the waters became clear and blue. The light would always win against the dark, it would seem.



A gentle wind from the North blew against her, making her wrap her arms around herself tightly, grateful for the heavy silk of the furisode and the warmth it offered in the chilly early morning air that smelled of flowers and sand.



Peace was broken by a sudden and new smell penetrating her mind, a mix of salt and smoke. The silver-eyed onna turned to stare at the youkai that stood on the other side of the pool, his smile marred by one of the four scars that pulled down the left corner of his lip. He was a tall man with pale skin, shoulder-length white hair that shimmered, small slate grey eyes, and, strangely enough, there was a black dot in the middle of his orange lips.



The strangest thing of all was the scars on his face. They looked like painful, bubbled claw marks as they went from temple to chin. Part of his left eye looked to be melted and droopy as the skin bubbled and flapped over the outer corner. There was even a slight hole near the apple of his cheek where pale, white bone was visible. It was almost painful for her to look upon, he must have been so beautiful before the obviously tragic incident.



"If you are ready, dear maiden," he said in a thundering baritone voice, "would you please follow me to your rooms?"



She gave a hesitant nod as she followed after him, her bare and still slightly red, raw feet padding soundlessly on the sand and sakura petal covered walkway. He was too extravagantly dressed in his black and white silk kamishimo to be a mere servant, but who was she to complain to help at this hour?



Instead of walking in front of her, he moved to walk beside her towards the numerous steps to the castle's ground entrance and gave her another one of his half tilt smiles. "It is good to meet you Kagome-Sama. I am Sesshoumaru-Sama's head advisor, Hong." She flushed prettily when he winked at her. "And for the record… You look equally as lovely clothed as you do nude."



Her right eyebrow started to twitch as a violent growl built at the back of her throat. 'That ASS!'



Without thinking, she lunged at the tall youkai, hissing as her claws elongated and took aim… At air? Before she could reach him, she was being held by the scruff of her neck while a deep laugh sounded behind her. "My… Feisty one, aren't you? Slow as the years but no less interesting!" Her tail bristled and slashed against his legs as she let out a guttural growl and hiss.



"PUT ME DOWN, YOU JERK!"



"Why, little onna, that just sounds so unappealing." He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her snugly, pinning her arms down to her sides. As the warmth of his body spread against her back; she felt her cheeks also heat up. Despite his facial scars, he was still a very attractive man. "I'd much rather find other uses for your… passionate emotions."



She opened her mouth to reply but it wasn't her voice that came out. Instead, it was a smooth, silkily masculine voice that she knew and loved so well. "The last time you were affected by 'passionate emotions' such as hers, you lost part of your eye." The orange and black lips that were pressed against her hair pouted as he straightened up and let the maiden go from his firm grasp.



"And here, life as your advisor was just becoming interesting!"



The Shihaisha chose to ignore the Hakuchoo and instead direct his golden gaze on the flustered neko onna. Her rosy cheeks made the royal blue stripes even more noticeable as she straightened out her kimono. "It would seem than Hong is not an adequate guide for you, Neko no Onna. This Sesshoumaru shall accompany you both."



Before Kagome could thank or protest— she wasn't sure which one would be appropriate at the moment— he turned on his heel and walked off with his usual air of arrogance.



"Humph!"



She stomped after the silver haired youkai stubbornly, forgetting about the Hakuchoo that was currently taking up and in the rear. "My… Kagome-Sama certainly is lovely on all sides. I'm not sure which one I like most!" Twin growls tore through the morning air, causing the bird to, wisely, keep his mouth shut.



Thankfully the silence left the rest of the walk peaceful. Well, peaceful enough that the tiny maiden could take in her surroundings. Nothing was ever truly lax in the presence of an annoyed Sesshoumaru.



Looking around, Kagome quickly noticed that the castle was certainly different from what she had originally expected. Aside from the thousands of stairs that lead to the main grounds, there was nothing connecting the castle and its gardens to the earth. It simply floated on air till it slopped down to the marbled wall protected hot springs and the ocean docks.



Protection and beauty were certainly a key element but as she stared at the flights of stone carved steps ahead… She found herself really wishing for an escalator. At least it gave her time to marvel at the tall beauty that was the Western Palace. Its walls were made of black stone and white birch planks and it was at least nine stories high, not including the six towers posted on all corners of the hexagon shaped castle.



The inner hallways were large and spacious with stone lanterns and candelabras. Some of the fusuma doors were painted with different scenes depicting the wars of current and past Youkai rulers. Others were painted with romance in mind, showing the courtship of mates, growth of friendship, and the beauty of nature. Two different passions, both fiery in their own rights, filled the mood of the castle.



'Yet the Alpha of the palace is so cold…'



Fifteen minutes later she found herself with frizzy dry hair and inside the most beautiful room she'd seen so far. The fusuma was painted with a scene of a great somei-yoshino bent over a flowing river, the moon highlighting the small white blossoms from the horizon. The set of two foot servants slid the doors open to reveal what was possibly the largest room she'd ever seen, with more square footage than the bottom level of her surrogate family's home.



The numerous shoji screens were pulled open, allowing her to see the different "rooms" within the room. The color scheme was a vast range of purples, as she stepped onto the tatami mats in awe. In the corner farthest from the doorway on the left, sectioned off by screens, was a long, low set table of red maple with black lacquered designs surrounded by large and plush mulberry stained pillows. In the middle of the left wall was a floor to ceiling window that spanned three arm lengths. Part of the sun's rays dancing on the lapping waves was blocked by an intricately designed lattice stretched across the bottom half of the window; while the rest was surrounded by sheer gauze-like silks to act like curtains. There were more pillows placed in front of the window for comfortable viewing.



Centered in the middle of the rooms was a queen sized futon place on a low black lacquered platform. The light amethyst comforter was pulled back to reveal the lavender sheets and the off-white pillows that were piled at the head of the bed. At the foot was a low maple trunk that held extra blankets and pillows, a set of slippers was placed next to it.



On the far wall were three scroll paintings. The scroll to the left was of a crane about to take flight from a lake. On the right was one of a black and white koi jumping back into the water. The middle scroll was the most detailed and largest scroll, of a mountain scene with a tiger stalking through the bamboo. Four bamboo lattices were placed between and on either side of the scrolls, allowing a creeping kudzu vine to crawl along and between. Tiny gentle springs of water fell from the ceiling into carved out bamboo spouts that were situated next to the two large pots that the kudzu based out of. She watched those spouts plunge forward long enough to fill the kudzu pots before coming back up to catch the water for the next day.



The right side of the room was sectioned off into three areas. In the far corner was a changing area filled with black and royal purple pillows, three large cedar trunks, and a vanity mirror with metal vines crawling around it. A black canvas makeup box with purple flowers sat next to the mirror. In the middle section was the fusuma that lead into what she presumed to be the bathroom and to the right of it was section three, her study of sorts. It had a low desk with an ink well, a quill with violet plumage, and blank scrolls included. Two bookcases were set on the opposite side of the desk, filled with new and worn scrolls with secrets hidden inside.



"Sugoi…" the maiden whispered.



She walked around slowly, taking it all in as she ran her fingers over one of the kudzu's purple flowers. Everything was so breathtaking…



She spun to thank her host but found only the smiling advisor, Hong, standing there. It was hard for her not to frown. Sesshoumaru had disappeared into thin air once again.



"Where…? Where's Sesshoumaru?"



The Hakuchoo continued to give her his lopsided grin as he walked around the room, mimicking her awed inspection. "Sesshoumaru-Sama, left to prepare for a meeting that will transpire at the highest sun today and your appearance was requested." She turned a pretty pink as she looked to the ground and cringed, both because of his obvious correction and the thought of this meeting. What would it be about?



Before she could ask, Hong brought up a question of his own. "How does the Lady like her rooms, might I ask?"



Silver glanced around as a bright smile contorted red lips. "They're beautiful! Absolutely stunning! I didn't think Sesshoumaru had such great taste!" She chose to ignore his cringe this time. He was "Sesshoumaru" to her.



"Yes… Well, Sesshoumaru-Sama has spent a full year on this room. Decorating and arranging it to fit the needs of the woman he had chosen as his mate." His back was turned to her, so he missed the look of pain as her smile fell.



"He... Had chosen a mate?"



Hong turned around to grin at her again. "Why, yes, he did. He spent years searching to see if she could be the one, and she had proven herself to him. So he had planned to begin courting her during the next lunar cycle. That is… till we received your letter. Then things changed, of course."



"I see…" was her monotone response as she stared down at the tatami mats. Her emotionless state was lost on the Hakuchoo as he continued like nothing happened. "I must adjourn, but worry not, dear maiden! Your dressing maids will be here shortly." And in a swirl of feathers, he was gone, leaving a small pile of white and red feathers where he once stood.



"Tsk. That dastardly male new I was coming didn't he!?"



Kagome let out a gasp as she looked to find two women standing in the doorway. One was a tall and busty blonde with large red eyes and long fingers with sharp tips. She was dressed in an extravagant kimono of the deepest crimson with a spider web pattern on the corner to signify her race. The other wore a simple tan colored kimono as she hid behind the spidery onna. She was shorter than the Kumo with green eyes and hair that clashed viciously with her maroon obi.



The Kumo nodded to the green one for her to clean up the mess of feathers before walking up to Kagome and bowing low. "I am Hiromi, head seamstress of the Western Palace and wife to the insufferable Hong." She looked up at the maiden with her large red orbs and smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my maiden."



Despite the sadness brewing in her heart, Kagome couldn't stop herself from smiling back. And in no time at all, it seemed, she was standing before the entrance to the High Court. Her hair was brushed till it shined and placed into an elaborate and braided bun by the green one, later named as Bunko. Hiromi had fitted her in an ice blue furisode with a scene of a royal blue koi swimming up her right side. The obi was deep granite with small waves stitched into the bottom.



She could hear her name being shouted within the court before the large Inu guards pulled open the heavy doors and a muttering Jaken lead her to a plush maroon and gold pillow next to the platform the handsome Shihaisha sat on comfortably. Gold eyes turned to her as he gave her the barest of nods before turning forward again. She smiled lightly. At least he showed her the respect due to her.



There was a barked order from one of the higher servants before the doors were once again slid open to reveal the Western Castle's latest guest. She was a tall Neko with round, sandy ears that were almost lost within the mass of sunshine curls that were piled on top of her head in a waterfall design. Her narrow eyes were only a slightly darker shade of yellow than her hair, as she stared curiously back at the silvery maiden. She was beautiful with her curvaceous form and womanly elegance.



Especially, in her stylish furisode composed of various shades of purple…



'So… that's who the room was designed for, it would seem…'



"Introducing, Sasura-Hime, here to petition the ruler of the West!" cried the announcer.



Sasura stepped up to Sesshoumaru's platform before bowing low to the ground. After the tall Shihaisha gave his order, she rose slowly with a practice grace that made even Kagome jealous. "Why, Sesshoumaru-Sama!" the yellow raion's voice was as womanly and seductive as her body, "It's wonderful to see you again, but I thought you knew that if you should have need for partner in bed you can always come to me. Not resort to a concubine such as your guest here." Yellow eyes caught silver as pale lips smirked, "I doubt she's even a virgin, like me." The voice that was so beautiful now made the Miko's ears fall back in displeasure.



Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, didn't miss a beat as his own sultry voice boomed within the room. "It is my pleasure to have you visiting, Sasura-Hime, but as my guest I ask you treat Kagome-Sama with the proper respect of her stature as Hime of the North… Also, I recall you giving that same testimony to Kuza the Southern diplomat, Hisoka the advisor to the great sea's ruler, and Sadao the man that tried to kill your father last month. Last I checked, all of them proved you wrong."



'Must not snort… Must not snort…Bitch deserved it…'



Surprisingly, instead of becoming angry or even embarrassed, the yellow onna just laughed, long and loud. "Oh Sesshoumaru-Sama… It's so sweet to know that you care for me enough to keep track of me. Perhaps it is useful to have known you for so long…"



"Perhaps. Now state your business here, Sasura-Hime."



The yellow raion stepped closer towards Sesshoumaru, her eyes shining with sultry desire as she kneeled in front of him and leaned close, their lips barely touching. "I want to finally be your Mate, Sesshoumaru-Sama..."



Kagome watched with wide silver eyes as the woman pressed thin lips to Sesshoumaru's pale ones, and at that exact moment time stopped.



Thinking stopped.



Breathing stopped.



Her heart stopped.



Till, finally, she gave up to the dark waters of unconsciousness.



~*~



Growing up she had never really been fond of the dark, it was simply too scary. It held too many mysteries and unknown horrors. Yet now, as she floated in this colorless sea, she decided that the dark was beautiful. The darkness saved her from starring at the faces of her failure, saved her from witnessing the truth for another agonizing moment…



She was not meant for love.



All possibilities for true love were lost. Hojo, the kind boy that tried so hard to receive her love, finally gave up on her and left. Koga the Ookami Purinsu, though he truly did love her, was bound to Ayame whether he liked that fact or not. Inu Yasha could never love her like he loved Kikyou, could never see her as anything more than a copy. Funny thing was that she could never look at him as anything but a copy of his brother. His cold, heartless, beautiful brother that seemed to be made from the moon's very beams.



"S-Sesshoumaru…"



When she was first sent back to her true time and met Inu Yasha she had assumed that he was her betrothed, so her heart had built a bud of love for him that had seemed so strong. Till she saw Sesshoumaru for the first time, and everything seemed to shift beneath her very feet.



But he was so terrible! As cruel as he was lovely, a white rose within a tangled bush of thorns and blood. She couldn't let herself love a man like that! So she buried her heart deep inside her and tried to forget the truth. After all, she was the only one that knew of their betrothal. She didn't have to tie herself to the evil youkai.



That's when she forced herself to love Inu Yasha, after all, he was sweet and loving despite his thick headedness. He treated her well for the most part— even if he would leave her for the dead. But in Kaguya's castle, when she'd finally kissed him, it was so vile that for a moment she wondered if he was corpse made of clay instead of Kikyou! Everything in her body rejected him in that moment and her heart screamed for the ruler of the West so loud she thought she'd go deaf. She couldn't imagine the pain and disgust getting any worse at that moment. Sweet Inu Yasha proved her wrong though; when he whispered his love into her once human ears.



"I love you… Kikyou…"



She had thought that her heart would break for the last time afterwards. But seeing that raion press her body against Sesshoumaru… After watching their lips meet so intimately. She thought for sure her heart had shriveled died somewhere within the acids of her stomach.



She gave up. There was no chance for her to find true love, to find someone that would love her no matter what, to find someone that would love her for her, not her strength, her beauty, or her rank. Just love her for her true self, Kagome, the silly girl that loved with everything she had.



Maybe it was easier now, admitting defeat. After all, no longer did she have to let herself be broken and used. No longer did she need to strive to be the best for her Only. Life could be so simple now.



'O cruel and sadistic darkness, you hide the shame yet allow the tears to come forth? How heart breaking you are… Do you wish me to drown in these tears?'



So be it, she'd happily drown. Drown in this world where she could make believe he loved her. That his arm was wrapped tight around her body, holding her close to his hard chest, and his lips to her furry ear, calling her name. "Kagome…"



He would brush back her hair as he declared that his cold heart could only love her.



"Kagome…"



She'd finally be happy.



"Kagome."



"Sesshoumaru…"



She squirmed in the strangely warm waters. It was maddening how fuzzy it felt though…



"Onna, wake up."



No… He wouldn't say that. He'd take her hand and whisper sweet words like…



"If you do not awaken quickly, this Sesshoumaru shall be forced to throw you into the Western waters."



'Unconsciousness is bliss I suppose… Yeah…'



~*~



He watched with veiled curiosity as blue stained eyelids fluttered open to reveal the sparkling silver beneath. Looking at her now, brought flashes of the past three years that he'd seen of her. The occasional wild thought had always wormed its way into his brain that her body was not meant for her true self and potential power. It would seem fate agreed.



Her face contorted into owlish confusion, which amused his more ironic side in light of her neko heritage. He found himself strangely grateful to the small bundle in his arm. If not for her and her fainting spell, he would not have received a good excuse to remove himself from the arms of the lust filled Hime. Her father supplied the Western Castle with the highest quality sake. Sesshoumaru doubt he'd keep receiving that supply if he ripped off the arms of the Hime and send them back to her father.



He was interrupted from his musings on how best to packaged bloodied limbs by the small voice of his current charge.



"Sesshoumaru…?"



He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Hai. This Sesshoumaru assumes you were expecting his half breed brother?"



She looked away from him and flushed. "Iie. I was just surprised…Um… What are you doing here?"



"After you nearly cracked your skull on the floor, this Sesshoumaru departed from the company of Sasura-Hime and brought you back to your rooms. You have temporarily reduced this Sesshoumaru to a common house nurse." At the mention of the raion the onna stiffened in his grasp and seemed to grow colder. Her face snapped back towards his own, giving him a full view of the vibrant turquoise bleeding into the whites of her eyes. Her kemono was trying to take control. "I see. Well then, Sesshoumaru-Sama, I shall relieve you from your task as my caretaker so you may spend time with your whorish mate, Sasura. I revoke my claim on you."



It was difficult to decide which emotion he wanted to favor; anger or confusion. He rarely let anyone see his confusion over any matter so he settled for the first option as he pushed her back onto the furs of her bed. His large hand wrapped around her throat. "What is this nonsense you decided to taint the air with?"



She started to growl as the turquoise started to consume her eyes more. Her legs flailed and her hands tugged till he was forced to pin her body and legs down with his own and wrap his mokomoko around her, keeping her arms still. Her voice was almost savage as she screeched, "Don't play dumb with me Sesshoumaru! Hong told me everything! How you have planned these very rooms for your chosen mate! How you'd spent years searching her out to make sure she was what you wanted! How despicable of you, Sesshoumaru! Torturing those people to break me! Leading me on with that fucking kiss so I'd think I had a chance! Only to give me the rooms meant for another and flaunt your relationship before my very eyes! I ha- UHK!"



He couldn't stand another moment of her blabber as he tightened his fingers around her throat. Her cheeks turned a strange purple from both her anger and lack of breath. "Listen, for this Sesshoumaru shall only say it once. Sasura-Hime is a whore whose only usefulness in my palace is to boost the morale of my troops." He watched her eyes take on the cruel tint of sadistic joy. "And as for Hong's words, hai, they're true. I spent many moons examining this onna and decided to prepare to court her; hence the creation of these rooms. I was going to begin pursuit on her on the next moon till a letter was delivered two nights ago and this Sesshoumaru realized that his chosen had made the first move."



At first, her eyes shone with confusion, but as her eyes regained their normal color, clarity came with. Her voice was a crocked whisper as he eased his hand off her jugular.



"Me…? I'm your…"



For the umpteenth time he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Hai, Little Neko. I chose you."



She went still again and her face became as blank as a Noh mask, eyes staring into nothingness. He just waited, even as he straddled her wide hips and resisted his more basic urges to press against the heat he felt against his groin. They both began to mimic stone statues as the silence dragged on till finally she inhaled a sharp breath and her heart began to pound against his chest.



She pressed her hips hard against his own as she wrapped one arm across the other on his shoulders, the look on her face that of pure bliss. He allowed himself to be pulled closer and secretly reveled in the kiss his onna initiated. If he had known years earlier that the little bundle he pressed closer against himself would be such an amazement to him, he'd have started things sooner. Because this power that they shared with just a simple kiss, was like fire.



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CSKitten: Comments are appreciated!