Blood Stained

Blood Stained

Chapter 9: Sacrifice

Inuyasha.

How would she stop Sesshomaru’s beast from going murderous on him? He had never appreciated his brother's company, and since Inuyasha wasn't coming to make peace, Sesshomaru wouldn't give him a proper welcoming. That was when another thought hit her; maybe Inuyasha was not alone! What if her friends were with him? It wouldn’t be unusual for them to accompany Inuyasha, especially if he was coming to save her. Also, Kagome knew for a fact it wouldn’t make a distinction, and it would get rid of whoever got in his way. As she thought of about her companions suffering because of her, she started to feel nauseous.

“Is..Is he alone?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Sesshomaru inhale deeply, and shook his head. “The two ningens and the kit are with him.” He did not know much about the ningens traveling with his half-brother, but he knew the kit was very important to his mate, and he made a mental check to keep him out of harm ways.

Kagome closed her eyes, tears threatening to fall; she could not let him hurt them. If they had all accompanied Inuyasha, it meant he hadn’t told them the full story and, that they were only aware of what happened between her and Sesshomaru which meant, they would be prepared the fight the Taiyoukai if they had to. She bit her bottom lip, as her mind revealed to be a complete blank; she couldn’t come up with an answer. If anyone attacked him, he would reciprocate, and there was little she could do to stop him. It was also almost impossible to stop Inuyasha, since he had inherited the same stubbornness than Sesshomaru. She felt helpless when Sesshomaru pulled away from her, with what seemed like the intention of fighting the intruders.

“Don’t,” she asked, before sitting up on the bed, and reaching out for his arm. She almost flinched when her fingers touched his skin, and a chill ran down her spin. “They’re my friends, you can’t hurt them.” She knew Sesshomaru would have simply pushed her aside, and left anyway, but she hoped his beast was slightly different.

“He desires you. He wishes to take you away from me.” The hanyou was trying to challenge his position as the alpha, and Sesshomaru wouldn’t back down. He had nothing to fear; he could clean the lands from his worthless body in one hit. “If they try to harm me, I will get rid of them.” He couldn’t care less for the people who used to travel with her; she was his only priority.

Tears fell down her cheek as she removed her hand from his arm, and hurried to stand away from the bed. It seemed he refused to listen to her, or what she had to say, but she needed to make him understand her point of view, not that he had ever listen to her before... This was exactly what she had been afraid of; to him, their lives did no matter. “Let me talk to them first, maybe I can convince them to leave.” Kagome, even though her mind and body had gone through a lot of shock, was ready to sacrifice herself for her friends. Why should they pay with their lives when this wasn’t their fault?

He turned his head and growled at her; he did not approve of her idea, since it was degrading. He was the alpha of the pack, and all the decisions were to be made by him, she had no business talking in his place. When his authority was being challenged, he had to be the one to handle it, not her. “No. You are the female, you do not speak for me.”

She had forgotten how stubborn and proud youkais were. She was desperately trying to find an argument, to convince him, but her mind refused to provide her with anything. She closed her eyes tightly; she would have to somewhat lie, and hope he would believe her. “Please, just let me talk to them for a few minutes. They are here because of what Inuyasha told them. They are my friends, and they simply want to help me. They want to get me out of here, because they believe I’m here against my will, and I wish to leave.”

Sesshomaru slightly turned his body so he could stare into her deep grey eyes. “Do you?” He was aware that she was unhappy, but it was her own fault. He was trying very hard to please her, but she refused to accept his attentions.

Kagome bit her bottom lip, unsure what to do. It was so easy to lie, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She despised him, and never did she want him to believe she liked what he had done to her. Saying she didn’t want to leave would simply break her, since she refused to spend any more time with that monster. Although, now she was in a tight situation; her friends’ lives were at stake too. She sighed heavily; that little two letters would come out.

Her lips tremble as the truth escaped them. “Yes.” Kagome instantly looked down at the ground, almost ashamed.

Sesshomaru titled his head slight before moving his hands, and taking a grip on her hips. “Why?” he asked before tightening his hold. “I have tried to please you, I have been gentle with you, but you refuse my touch. Tell me, why should I spare your friends?” He was aware this whole situation was hurting her, but if he could, he would use it to his advantage.

She could lie to him and say she would do as he asked, but in her heart felt the power of those words; when the time would come, it would be impossible for her to keep her promise. The pain and suffering he would bring her would be too much to bear. She would never be able to pretend she enjoyed it when he raped her. “It will hurt me if you kill them,” she said, her voice a soft whisper.

He was a monster who seemed to not care about what she felt, or wanted, but in some twisted way, it appeared he had some sort of feelings towards her, after all, he mated her, and he didn’t wish for her to leave him. Any lead was worth investigating, which was what she was trying at the moment. Kagome couldn’t help herself from chewing the inside of her cheek, as she watched his face. Was pain inflicted from his hand was acceptable, but not other kind?

Sesshomaru did not desire her any pain; all the suffering she had experienced so far was her own fault. If she had behaved, and accepted their mating, she would have enjoy it, He was conscious that her companions’ death would trigger torment in his mate, but he refused to have them snaffle her away from him. She was his possession. He found himself conflicted, and unsure what to do with the present situation. Since she hadn’t proposed anything in exchange for her friends’ lives, and he decided to push the issue.

“You have nothing to offer for their lives?” he asked as one of his hand moved up, and rest on her back. As soon as he did so, he could feel her stiffen under his touch, which he did not appreciate.

Kagome was repeatedly licking her lips, her mouth completely dry. She knew he had already used her body many times, and one more shouldn’t make a difference, but she refused to willingly give herself up to him. At least when she fought, and refused him, a spirit remained alive inside of her, something locked far deep inside of her, almost out of his reach. If she gave up the right to fight, she would lose her mind, and her life. She would deny him what he desired because he denied her what she wanted. She looked down, clearly avoiding his gaze, as his question remained unanswered. She had always been the first one to throw herself at danger to save herself, but right now, she found herself unable to form a response for him.

A sighed escaped his lips before he released his hold on her. “Two minutes. And they will believe you are happy here, and that you desire this.” His crimson eyes were staring at her, waiting for an answer. Sesshomaru was determined that in such a short amount of time, she wouldn’t be able to stop them, but at least she should be grateful he did granted her request.

She couldn’t help herself when her eyes widen in surprise; had he really dismissed his own question so easily? Kagome sensed this was a one-time offer, and if she let it slip away, that would be it. She did not wish to agree, but she hoped to save her friends, so she lightly nodded her head while holding back a sob. She didn’t wish to pretend, but to her, it was much better than letting him have her body. Although, she was confused as of why he wished the others to believe she was happy; he had never cared about her happiness every time he raped her. But, her answer appeared to satisfy the beast, since a smirk manifested itself on his features. Quickly, he grasped her by the waist, and pulled her close to his body.

“Two minutes,” he reminded her, if tone extremely serious; he wouldn’t give her one more second.

She could detect her stress level increasing, before she nodded. She might have a chance to talk to Sango and Miroku in that amount of time, but Inuyasha would never calm down in two minutes. Kagome could sit him, but she doubted it would do much, since last time she had seen him, it had taken for Sesshomaru to knock him out for him to stop. Inuyasha, why did he have to be such an idiot? Why couldn’t he have tried to protect her? She closed her eyes, trying to take deep breaths as Sesshomaru lead her out of the room, his arm still secured around her waist.

A few seconds after they stepped out of the room, they could hear footsteps coming their way, and soon enough, Rin appeared in front of them. For an instant, Kagome stopped breathing, worried for the little girl safety. Sesshomaru’s beast was supposed to have feelings for her, yet he treated her badly, would he do the same with Rin? Kagome closely observed as Rin walked over to them, a smile on her face, completely unaware of all the tensions happening around her.

“Sesshomaru-sama,” she said politely before turning her attention to Kagome. She ran towards Kagome, and hugged her around the waist. “Kagome, your friends are here!” she said, her tone extremely joyful. She had heard Jaken yelled that the worthless hanyous, and his pack were here. She had decided to hurry and tell Kagome; she was probably very happy her friends were visiting her.

The young miko bit her bottom lip before softly nodding. She dared to look over at Sesshomaru, only to see him staring at the emptiness in front of them, his eyes still red. He did not seem annoyed by Rin’s presence, which was a reassurance, but she wouldn’t push anyone’s luck. “Rin, honey, you remember those flowers you wanted to get, close to the castle?”

Rin nodded, a beaming smile overtaking her face. “And you said you would go with me!”

Kagome forced a smile, trying to keep up her façade. “Well, how about you grab something to eat, get ready, and we will go?” Not only would it occupy Rin for a while, but also she would have an excuse to be far from Sesshomaru for a little while once all of this would be over.

The little girl smiled brightly before frantically nodding her head. “I’ll be ready when you are!” she said before almost running in direction of the dining area. It brought her joy to have someone like Kagome around; she was so different from Jaken and Sesshomaru-sama, and sometimes, for a split second, it felt as if she had a mother.

The young miko was unable to stop the sigh of relief that escaped her lips as she watched Rin leave. She turned her head to peek at Sesshomaru, and noticed his eyes were locked on her, and she could see a flash of anger going through them. “I would not have hurt her.”

For an instant, Kagome almost felt bad that she doubted his affections towards Rin, but she quickly chased the feeling away; after everything he had put her through, she now knew he was capable of anything. She faintly shrugged her shoulders, before he pulled her up, and pushed her against his body again. Kagome was about to start walking again when he buried his nose in her hair, taking in a deep breath. As he did so, she felt a cool chill travel down her spine, causing her to shiver.

He loved her scent; it was addicting, it was lustful, and it made her so desirable. Perhaps his mate could not understand how much he needed and wanted her. The faster they would deal with his half-brother, the quicker he would be able to taste her again. If he did keep all of them alive, she would own him a little favor, and he planned on using it. Before she could comprehend what he was doing, he lifted her up, and used his super speed to help them reach their destination faster; enough time had been wasted already.

Kagome felt her heart compress in her chest as he put her down on the grass. From far, she could see her friends approaching, and it was bringing her immense pain. They might not understand, nor believe her words, but she had to try. She felt Sesshomaru walk behind her, and wrap his arms around her waist, before pushing her against his body. To say she felt uncomfortable in that position was an understatement; just the idea of him touching her was enough to give her nausea.

He rested his chin on her head, breathing in heavily and he growled softly, enjoying the feeling of her little body pressed against his. Everything would be going peacefully at the moment, if it weren’t for the voice in his head trying to regain control. The beast had been battling with Sesshomaru ever since Rin had made her appearance; apparently Kagome wasn’t the only one who was scared that he would hurt the little girl. He was also very protective of Rin, and had immerged for a few instants at time she was in danger. But then again, the beast and Sesshomaru hadn’t agreed on much in the past, so it was understandable. For example, he couldn’t grasp why Sesshomaru didn’t enjoy their mate’s body, or her company. Her scent was hard to ignore, and he couldn’t prevent himself from taking her. She belonged to him, she would never leave his side, and no matter who tried to get in his way, he would get rid of them.

The miko is not worth all this trouble.

He wants to take our mate from us. We cannot let him.

The hanyou doesn’t stand a chance. Now, this Sesshomaru demand you stop this non-sense, and give him back control of his body.

Not yet. Last time you almost let mate go to prevent me from taking over again, and pupping her. I won’t let you stop me.

You can’t remain in control much longer. Eventually you will slip, and this Sesshomaru will gain back control.

We will see.

“YOU BASTARD!”

Both Kagome and Sesshomaru turned their heads in direction of Inuyasha. His whole face was red in anger, and he was holding Tetsusaiga, pointing it at his half brother. The sight of Sesshomaru holding his Kagome was enough to disgust him. “Get away from Kagome.”

Kagome’s eyes filled with tears as soon as she caught a glimpse of him; the memories of the last time she had seen him came back flooding in her mind, breaking her heart. It was true that Sesshomaru had done worst things to her than Inuyasha had, but they were completely different cases. She trusted, and loved Inuyasha, and he had betrayed that trust. It hurt so much more that he had tried to rape her when she would have willingly giving it to him, if only he had been there for her. Kagome couldn’t take her off Inuyasha, as if she was frozen in place, terrified to move. Suddenly, she could feel Sesshomaru burning a hold in the back of her head, apparently waiting for her to get on with her talking. Kagome took a deep breathe, trying to give herself some courage, before she pulled away from Sesshomaru’s embrace, and walked in direction of Inuyasha, her legs shaking so much, that she was wobbling.

“Inuyasha, put your sword down,” she said, her voice quiet but firm. Simply saying his name was almost enough to shatter her poor broken heart into pieces, and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Why was it so hard to just look at him?

She breathed out heavily before catching a glimpse of her friends; Shippo was on the verge of crying, while both Sango and Miroku had concerned looks in their eyes. She gulped, trying to pull herself together; she just had this feeling nobody was going to believe her lies. Why would they? They had been her second family for the past three years, and they had gone through so much together. But not anymore; she was all alone, prisoner of a beast, and for her friends’ safety, she had to push them away, she had to purposely isolate herself.

“What are you doing here Inuyasha?” she asked, her eyes filled with hatred. Why didn’t he look guilty? Why didn’t it seem as if he even felt bad for his actions?

“Wench, what is wrong with you?” he asked, putting his sword down. He knew he screwed up, but even she could realize it had been a mistake! There was no way she could compare him to that asshole, they weren’t in the same category. “I came to get you away from that bastard,” he said, pointing at Sesshomaru. He would kill Sesshomaru, he wouldn’t let him keep Kagome, and his death was also the only way to free Kagome from the mating.

It didn’t matter he was the one to take her body first, because Inuyasha intended to be the first to love her body, something Sesshomaru would never do. Inuyasha firmly believed he was the only one who could make Kagome truly happy, after everything that happened between the two of them, he knew Kagome couldn’t give up on him. It would take time, but she would eventually forgive him. Still, he had a hard time believing the words coming out of her mouths; they were cold and harsh. It was true that he did deserve them, since he hadn’t acted nicely towards her, but it was nowhere near what Sesshomaru had done! His lost of control would have only lasted a couple of minutes, and he wouldn’t have raped her like that monster. Also, from the scent that overwhelmed his nose, it was quite obvious Sesshomaru had forced himself onto her more than once. Yet, Kagome was defending the Ice King! She was supposed to belong to him, and no one else! And what was up with Sesshomaru’s interest in ningen anyway?

Right now, in Kagome’s mind, they were both bastards. “Sit.” As Inuyasha’s face was smashed onto the ground, a mumbled curse could be heard, even though in the back of his mind, he knew he deserved it.

She turned her head in direction of her friends, and gave them a small smile, trying to reassure them. “I don’t know what Inuyasha told you, but I’m fine.” Obviously, she was lying through her teeth, but she hoped they wouldn’t notice that. Sango gave her a suspicious look, and Kagome tried to come up with something else to tell them. “It was hard at first, I didn’t really understand what happened, but now, I’m fine. Really… I’m just… I’m fine. “

Sesshomaru growled at Kagome, as her uneasiness filled the room. She bit her bottom lip, her nervousness growing with every second that pass. It was harder than she expected to lie; everything involving her current predicament with Sesshomaru brought her agony, and torture, how was suppose to come up with anything nice to say about him? It was beyond her power, and even though she could feel her eyes watering, she kept trying. “I came her of my own will. He didn’t force me, I agreed. We—I mean.. After all, we’re mated.” Although her mouth was closed, she couldn’t prevent it from shaking.

Sango’s chocolate eyes saddened at her friend’s lie, and her heart constricted inside of her chest. At that moment, Kagome wanted nothing more than to run into Sango’s arms, and cry her heart out, but she couldn’t. She had to be strong; even if they didn’t believe her words, she couldn’t show them that they were right to doubt her. If she had any reason to strongly believe that her friends could take out Sesshomaru, she would have ran away with them, but she knew Sesshomaru would have the time to kill them all before they made a move.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Sango was the first to speak. “Kagome, what happened,” she said before walking towards her, and taking her cold hands in hers. She could tell when her sister was lying, or when she was in pain, and now was one of those moments. It was evident that Kagome was seconds from breaking down, and losing her sanity, and Sango couldn’t help the murderous thoughts that quickly ran through her mind.

Kagome held on tightly to Sango’s hands, almost afraid to let go. It was obvious her friend knew she wasn’t telling the truth, so Kagome decided to try and explain things to her in a way, only Sango could understand. “Sango,” she said, almost in a whisper, “what would you give up for Kohaku?”

Sango was slightly taken back by the question; what did Kohaku have to do with any of this? “What do you mean?”

“Would you give up everything for your brother’s life?” she asked, her voice cracking, covering a sob. Sango nodded, a tingle of pain going through her heart. Of course she would give up her own life so Kohaku could live, she would go to the end of the world to try and save him.

That’s when she understood; Kagome was trying to save their lives. Sango’s eyes traveled to Sesshomaru, where she noticed his red eyes for the first time. She was knowledge when it came to youkai, and she had an idea what it meant and the pain she felt for her friend, only increased. Sango shook her head. “Kagome, nothing will happen to us, please.” This time, Sango was the one lying; if she were right about Sesshomaru, it wouldn’t even take him a second to get rid of them.

Kagome closed her eyes; why did they refuse to perceive him as the monster he was? Why did they insist on being so stubborn, and believe in a victory that would never come? “Sango, trust me he will kill you.” She was done praying for a miracle that would never occur; she would continue to fight him, but she had stopped hoping.

“I refuse to leave you here when he’s treating you like this!” screamed Sango, before suddenly closing her mouth, regretting it. All heads were focused on her and Kagome, and both brothers shared a similar furious look, but for different reasons.

Inuyasha was about to speak, but Kagome turned around to face him, and did so before he could. “You have no say in this. You are not better than him, you tried to do the same thing to me.” Tears were spilling from her eyes, as she pointed her finger at him. “You were supposed to be there for me, but you’re as much of a monster as him.” Her words were spoken quietly, but the emotions she conveyed into them were enough to slightly shake Inuyasha’s mask of anger.

Feeling like Kagome was going to break down, Sango rushed to her side, and wrapped her arms around her, trying to console her. Kagome hadn’t meant for it to happen like this, nor to worry Sango, but it felt as if she had reached her limits for today. She had grown to despised this era, and almost everything in it; she desired nothing more but to leave. Before she knew it, Kagome buried her face in the crook of Sango’s neck, and slowly let her tears show.

Sango was trying to comfort her friend, but her anger was rising fast. She had known this whole time that Inuyasha had been hiding something from them, and now she knew why. They would never have brought him with them if they had known. Sango, who had been victim of great suffering and loss could imagine how horrible Kagome had felt that day, being raped, and then betrayed. She cursed herself for her absent at her sister’s side, when Kagome had been there for her for many difficult task, and events. Shippo, who had remained quiet the whole time, slowly approached Kagome, and wrapped his tiny arms around her leg. He had been able to understand what had occurred between Kagome and Sesshomaru, and it had been too much for his child’s mind to form a coherent reaction. All he knew was that his mother was hurt, and he only wished to comfort her. His blue eyes were filled with tears as he felt the warmth of her skin against his cheek.

The beast felt his annoyance grow by his mate’s current state, and he blamed it on the hanyou; none of this would have happened if he hadn’t show up. It also didn’t help that he had desired to rip off the hanyou’s head ever since he had tried to force himself on Kagome. Sesshomaru had dealt with it, but the beast would have been more satisfied with Inuyasha’s death. Now it was time for Inuyasha to pay for what he had done to his mate. He walked towards the hanyou, ignoring the sword he was pointing at him, or the threats he was mumbling.

The hanyou is worthless; you do not need to waste your time on him.

He is threatening to take her away.

She obviously doesn’t desire to be with him. He is no threat to you.

Do you wish for the hanyou to remain alive?

As if this Sesshomaru cared, you are welcome to get rid of him.

He smirked before speeding towards the hanyou, and grabbing him by the throat. As he shook him violently, Tetsusaiga dropped from Inuyasha’s hand, causing it to drop on the ground. The sound attracted both Kagome and Sango’s attention, and the miko felt her heart crack at the sight in front of her. She had always been aware that the only reason why Inuyasha was alive was because Sesshomaru kept him alive and any moment he would decide to get rid of him, that would be the end of Inuyasha.

Inuyasha cursed his brother before he tried to get a hold of his Tetsusaiga. He would be damn if he were going to lose Kagome to him. Also, he was getting this strange vibe from Sesshomaru, a deadly vibe. “She’s not yours,” he said between sharp breaths.

Sesshomaru almost chuckled at his brother. “She is my mate. She isn’t yours.”

At first Inuyasha remained silent for a few seconds, taken back by Sesshomaru’s new voice; Inuyasha had never heard his voice so harsh and deep. “What did you do to her?” he asked, completely dismissing his brother’s comment, as his patience reached its limit. Without Tetsusaiga, he knew there was the possibility his youkai blood would take over, and he had to try and control it.

“Nothing I cannot do to my mate.” He was enjoying how much this annoyed Inuyasha, and he would take advantage of the situation to rub it in as much as possible. “Unlike you, I can take her body every night, I can fill her womb with my seeds, and you never will.”

His tone, and his precise chose of words caused Inuyasha’s control to snap, and permitted his fury to take over. His eyes turned the same red as Sesshomaru, and slowly, purple markings appeared on his face. “You are resulting to your youkai blood? What a disgrace!”

He did not fear Inuyasha’s youkai state, since it was still nowhere as powerful as him, but he wouldn’t give him a chance to get a lucky moment. Sesshomaru pushed Inuyasha against a tree, still holding him by the throat with a tight hold. “I could snap your neck right now, and it would all be over.” For the first time ever since the beast had taken control of Sesshomaru’s body, there was a glow of amber in the middle of his red eyes.

Kagome watched, silently sobbing as Inuyasha transformed into his youkai side, her body unable to move, nor answer the screams coming from her mind. This wasn’t even about her anymore; the fight was now a power struggle, a battle for the alpha title, and Sesshomaru had the upper hand. Without a second thought, she was conscious that she didn’t support either of them, but deep inside, she did not wish for Inuyasha to die. She hadn’t forgotten what happened, but between the two, she had to pick Inuyasha; he was a total idiot, but she couldn’t let him die. There was many times where he rescued her, when he did not wish to. That time before she broke the jewel was a perfect example of it; he still despised her at the time, yet he had come to her rescue.

She decided that she had to keep Inuyasha alive, and before another thought could reach her mind, Kagome carelessly ran in direction of the brothers. Sango tried to reach out for her, but Kagome pushed her hand away. At the moment, she realized how stupid her actions were, but she was unable to stop herself. Both brothers were way too preoccupied to notice her approaching their way. As soon as she reached them, Kagome grabbed Sesshomaru’s arm, and tried to remove it from around Inuyasha’s neck by pulling on it. Her action was useless, since she never stood a change against Sesshomaru, but it did not prevent her from trying. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks as she thought how much worst this would make things for her. Obviously Sesshomaru wouldn’t be happy with her if she tried to help Inuyasha, but she refused to let him die.

“Sesshomaru, release him,” she begged, her sobs causing her words to be barely understandable.

The moment she spoke those words, the tint of amber disappeared from his eyes, and he growled at her. “Why do you protect him?” He had been able to sense how much she hated the hanyou, so why would she pick Inuyasha over him? He was nothing but pathetic worthless scum; he was a disgraced to his heritage!

Kagome refused to answer, as she kept on pulling on his arm, trying to free Inuyasha. Why did she protect him? She wasn’t sure, maybe because she could not forget everything they went through, because she couldn’t forget the happy moments, or the love she had for him. For years she had gone through hell to love him, and her heart refused to withdraw from those feelings. It was also because she owed him more than one life. She closed her eyes, fearing his reaction if she answered him, and decided to remain silent.

Her silence only helped increase his impatience, and he smashed Inuyasha’s head in the tree, trying to make a point. “Why do you protect the hanyou?”

Her bottom lip was trembling, as she opened her mouth slightly. “Because I love him,” she answered, her voice a quiet whisper.

For a second, it seemed as if everything stopped moving. Kagome couldn’t believe the words that escaped her mouth; they were the truth, but it didn’t mean it was what she desired. She couldn’t stop herself from loving Inuyasha, but she couldn’t go back to him. He had crossed a line, and it would be hard to build everything back up, but she would never wish him death. Kagome was aware of one thing though; her friends might be safe because now, Sesshomaru’s wrath was set on her. As the red color of his eyes deepened, she couldn’t stop her whole body from trembling.

Slowly, the Taiyoukai freed Inuyasha’s throat, carelessly dropping him to do ground, and focused his attention on the miko. Claws marks were clearly visible on Inuyasha’s neck as he slightly rubbed it. His markings were slightly fading away as Kagome’s words replayed in his mind. Not only did he believe she hated him, but he couldn’t understand why she had done such a careless revelation, even though her words had created a warmth in his heart. It was obvious that Sesshomaru would be irritated by her confession.

“Repeat yourself,” he demanded. The beast wasn’t exactly sure if what it felt was anger, or pain. How could she love the hanyou; he had never done one good thing for her. Why was she still hung on Inuyasha when she had him? He would provide her with the love she desired, and he would not love another like he had done.

Kagome slowly backed away, her fear seizing over her body. She did not wish to say those words again, but she was well aware that if she remained silent, it would only make thins worst for her. “I love him,” she said, in a normal voice this time. She observed his face as his features changed slightly, as his rage grew. Kagome could hear her heartbeat inside of her head, as distress overcame her. She listened to every beat, a lump stuck in her throat, as she awaited his reaction. She wasn't sure what she was expecting and the one thing she expected was the pain that could come from her punishment.

Sesshomaru remained silent as her words played over in his head. He felt an aching affecting his heart, and he dropped his head slightly, as the pain flowed through his body. Unaware to him, Kagome had a similar pain constricting her chest, causing her to grab the area around her heart with her hand. She recognized the pain it was the regular one she would get, and now she was certain it had something to do with Sesshomaru. Kagome felt Inuyasha move near her, and before he could even touch her, she violently slapped his arm away. Inuyasha’s ears flatten on his head, as a psychological pain hit him.

“Leave, please,” she begged, her voice shattered, and enlaced with pain. “Just go Inuyasha, leave me alone.” Kagome yearned for his leaving, and could only hope he would understand. She had enough pain, and trouble with Sesshomaru, and she did not need her friends’ suffering added to it. Kagome managed to lift her head, and throw a glance in direction of Sango and Miroku. She couldn’t find her voice, but her eyes would speak for her, as her companions could read into her expressions the sadness that filled her, and her desperation.

Sango didn’t want to leave, but she understood Kagome’s stubbornness to sacrifice herself for someone she loved. She had done the same many times for Kohaku, even though, he wished to remain far from her, and tried to refuse her help every time she was around. Sango had put herself in harm ways for her brother, just like Kagome was willing to take the damage for everyone. But, inside her, it felt wrong to walk out on her friends, when it was obvious she needed her help. Kagome mouthed the word please, and Sango felt her heart break at the sight.

“Leave, all of you,” she said, trying to make it on her own two feet. Kagome’s gaze traveled to Inuyasha, who avoided looking at her, then at her other two friends and Shippo. The one who broke her heart the most was her adopted son. If she knew it would be safe for him, she would keep him with her, safely tucked in her arms, but she couldn’t bring herself to let him live this hell. She had to separate herself from him to be able to protect him. “If I wish for you to remain here, and help me, I would say it, but I don’t. Please, for me, leave.”

Sango was the first to react as she softly nodded. For Kagome’s sake, they would leave the area, but she would make sure to be on the look out for any sign from her. She planned on sending Kirara to scan the area, at least once a day, to check up on her. It killed her inside to leave her in such a situation, but she was able to see what their presence was causing in Kagome. It obviously made it a lot harder, and emotional for her; she had never seen Kagome look so broken down. Sango would made sure she’d always be ready to help her friend, if she desired their help, but she refused to increase her suffering. If their presence created so much conflict in Kagome, she would respect her request.

She turned her head to meet Inuyasha, but his eyes were fixed on the ground. One sigh escaped Sango’s lips, before she walked in direction of Kagome, her footsteps heavy. Taking Kagome by surprise, she threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly. “Any time you’ll need me, I’ll be there.” Kagome softly nodded, a shadow of a smile on her lips.

Sesshomaru watched the two women interact, the pain in his heart never ceasing. Once she had repeated the fatal sentence, he had felt a fury like never before fill him, but the pain had prevented him from any actions. At the moment, none of her companions mattered to him; he was simply waiting for them to leave. His eyes were focused on Kagome, rage filling them. He felt betrayed by her words, and he knew the love she carried for the hanyou had to go, and he would see to it personally. He would have already grabbed her and taken her away if it wasn’t for her friends. If he acted in such a way in front of them, they would surely stay, and get in his way, and Sesshomaru was in no mood to deal with them. He had to wait until they were alone, and for the suffering to end.

When Sango finally let go of Kagome, her eyes were filled with tears, and her heart was heavy. She turned her head in direction of Inuyasha, and glared at him. Sango was clearly upset with him for what he had done to Kagome, but she would yell at him once they were further from Sesshomaru’s lands. Miroku, getting the hint, walked towards Inuyasha, and put his hand on his shoulder. Inuyasha didn’t even lift his head, as he seemed completely defeated. Without a protest, he started to wander away, his body weighting a tone. Sango painfully look away from Kagome, before picking up Shippo in her arms.

The little kit was sobbing as he stared at his mother. “Please, don’t leave me,” he begged, drowning in his tears.

Kagome felt herself die inside as she heard his words; she could not even bring herself to look at him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered; she knew she was doing it for his sake, but Shippo couldn’t understand it yet. He meant the world to her, and the last thing she desired was to hurt him like this. She could feel tears staining her cheeks, as his pleas remained, even though Sango was walking away with him in her arms. Kagome stared into the emptiness, until she could no longer hear him, even though his words, and his voice remained engraved in her mind.

Then, she heard Sesshomaru’s footsteps, and she closed her eyes. Quietly, inside her mind, she prayed for her safety, and prepared herself for the consequences of her sacrifice.

***