Wednesday, March 9, 2005

   Chapter 54: Darkest Before Dawn...
Kagome's mind instantly went completely and totally blank.

The blood drained from her face, eyes widening in pure shock and every muscle in her body going tense at the feel of Sesshoumaru's lips moving like warm silk over her own.

The youkai's kiss was leisurely, practiced and explorative when her jaw went slack in surprise, giving him a chance to very briefly, almost absently tap his tongue against hers.

Kagome's heart lurched painfully in her chest, the tattoo at her hip fairly exploding with heat that raced through her body with staggering force. Inuyasha's presence shattered through her enhanced barriers as if they were nonexistent, and if she'd thought her own emotions had been intense, she was in for a rude awakening. Never in her life had she been so very enraged or even thought any creature, let alone Inuyasha, could feel such a soul crushing sensation. It had happened so fast, and the last of her conscious thought melted under a wave of instinctive response.

Sesshoumaru was abruptly shoved back when Kagome slammed her forearm across his chest, following it immediately with a punch square to the face using all of the mingled strength she could pull from both brothers.

The youkai didn't have the chance to connect with the trees behind him, a clawed hand curling around his neck to stop the backward momentum and redirect it into the ground beneath him in a blinding rush.

"I'm going to tear your heart out with my bare hands, you fucking bastard!!" Inuyasha snarled violently, claws and fangs lengthening murderously as he released Sesshoumaru and leapt back protectively in front of his shaking mate. "Get up!" he demanded, shooting a warning glare to Kagome as she sunk down in a taut crouch, claws raking furrows in the disrupted soil.

Sesshoumaru shot away from them both, blurring as a sweep of his youki poured back into him and restored a large portion of his strength. Confused, he looked first to Kagome, taking in the animalistic glaze to her glowing eyes and frowning at the wild aura that curled around her just outside her taut form. It was disturbingly reminiscent of what he had felt from Inuyasha... when the hanyou lost control.

His gaze snapped around to Inuyasha and for the first time in decades, Sesshoumaru was utterly shocked.

Inuyasha was standing regally, in front and to the side of his mate, but as surprising as that stance was, it wasn't what made his eyes widen. Inuyasha's narrowed eyes has changed drastically, crimson and azure, his face striped and all traces of human blood gone from his scent as if they'd never been. Yet this time, his eyes were bright with intelligence and deadly with rage, clear and sharp.

His little brother was a youkai.

Sesshoumaru's speculating gaze shifted between the growling pair quickly, his mind working in an effort to understand just what had happened. Was it because of his bitch that he could do this? Something in this human's blood or soul that strengthened the hanyou's body to accept full blood? More importantly, did something in her contain that mindless bloodlust that had over taken him before?

Inuyasha had paused just long enough to ensure he had a tight enough hold on Kagome's aura to keep her at least close to the path before he let his banked rage flare coldly in his gaze and faced Sesshoumaru. "I don't know what the fuck you were thinking when you dared to put you filthy hands on MY mate, Sesshoumaru, but you're going to regret it for the rest of your considerably shortened life, you fucking bastard!" he roared and shot forward.

Inuyasha's first slash of claws roughly caught his shoulder, slicing through muscle and tendon to scrape against bone. The second he blocked, but just barely, sliding backwards with his eyes gleaming as he reassessed the fight before him. If he had understood correctly, without Inuyasha catching her, Kagome was absorbing youki. But she would balance the skill with the hanyou instead of draining from him. Now that Sesshoumaru knew the feeling, he could tell Kagome was still pulling enough of his energy that he barely felt like he had half his normal strength.

If he wasn't mistaken though, Inuyasha was stronger than ever. He was under the control of his youkai blood... but he hadn't lost his mind... And worse, the youki swirling around them suggested Kagome was unconsciously feeding the stolen power she couldn't hold into him. The two of them made a dangerous pair like this; Inuyasha had the control and the skill, while Kagome was adding to his already impressive brute strength and keeping his mind clear.

Sesshoumaru couldn't help but be impressed.

Kagome rocked forward on the balls of her feet, her eyes narrowing as she watching Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru fight. Before she could move to rejoin the dueling, however, she sensed a small presence, the familiar aura heightening her protective instincts. Her thoughts redirected, pulling on the other youkai's control to bring her back to a measure of lucidity a moment before she felt the light weight land on her shoulder. She turned to look at the concerned kitsune before her gaze slid to the side to find her human friends running closer, unfazed by her transformed shape.

Shippo was lightly brushing his hands over her cheek, trying to see for himself if she had been seriously injured fighting against the cold youkai, "Okaa-san, are you okay?! What happened? Why were you fighting Sesshoumaru?"

"Kagome-sama," Miroku knelt at her side, uncertain as to what they should be doing, if anything to Kagome with Inuyasha in his youkai state. Inuyasha was angry, but Kagome didn't seem to be as effected by that as she had been previously. Perhaps her control was improving? Grimly he shook off the thoughts and held out a hand to help her stand, feeling her tense and try to push herself up, "How badly are you hurt?"

"That bastard is stealing my fight," Kagome hissed in annoyance, ignoring the question from both the kitsune and the monk, but accepting the hand to pull herself to her feet. "It's my fucking challenge!" she reached up absently to pat Shippo on the head when he let out a grunt of distress.

"Inuyasha's trying to protect you, Kagome-chan," Sango watched in surprise as Inuyasha managed to catch his brother's wrist and throw him back several feet.

Kagome's ears flattened back and she shook her head with a disgusted snort, "He's just pissed off." She tapped a clawed hand on her hip, "I can feel him. He's not letting me push him out this time, and I'm trying. He thinks I'll just give the fight to him because that sonofabitch kissed me."

Sango set a hand on her tense shoulder, concerned at the way the girl was spasmodically clenching and unclenching her clawed hands. She was taking deep, panting breaths, obviously restraining herself with effort when she wanted nothing more than to rush into the middle of them and quite possibly take both brothers apart.

"Shit!" Kagome's fangs flashed in a snarl, looping her arms around both Sango and Miroku and yanking them backwards when Inuyasha came crashing down where they had been standing. Shippo hid himself in her hair with a squeak while she yelled out in frustration, "Goddammit, Inuyasha, watch what you're doing!"

"Bitch, you'd better be grateful I'm doing this!" Inuyasha snapped back as he rolled to his feet. "You'll be lucky if I don't take my time beating you bloody after pulling this shit! AGAIN!!"

Sesshoumaru smirked with mocking amusement, brushing his hair back over his shoulder, "What more could she expect from a bastard hanyou like you. It’s no wonder she ran away; her youkai blood searches for a mate strong enough to control her."

Kagome clutched at her heart when Inuyasha swore more violently than ever and attacked his brother again with renewed force. Saved from falling only by Sango and Miroku, she sucked in several deep breaths in an effort to dispel the sudden, overwhelming feeling. She felt a rush of heat snake down her spine, her vision spotting for a moment and then oddly bleeding red. She growled, rubbing at her eyes and then blinking, but the stubborn red haze refused to dissipate. Her eyes narrowed when the calm and restraint she had pulled from Sesshoumaru began to fade with every heartbeat until the anger radiating through both youkai swamped her and shattered the fragile hold of her fraying control.

"Stay behind me," she barely managed to grind out, all but knocking the breath out of Sango with how hard she thrust the kitsune into her arms.

"Wait! You must stay calm! Kagome-sama!" Miroku tried to reach out a hand to stop her, but she had already shot between the startled youkai.

One minute, Inuyasha was ducking to avoid Sesshoumaru, and the next, pain exploded across the side of his face. Shocked at the unexpected attack, he reared up to find Kagome crouched over a fallen Sesshoumaru, hissing as her claws glowed vivid green with his own poison.

His eyes flared dark with anger and he darted forward, fully intending to rip her away from the fight and finish it on his own, "Sta-"

Kagome swung back, the back of her fist cracking against the side of his face and killing the word before it could be completed to work its magic. Satisfied when Inuyasha crashed heavily to the ground, she turned her attention back to Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha stayed where he was, panting heavily and eyes huge with shock, 'She knew I was going to subdue her. She hit me on purpose, just to stop me...'

Sesshoumaru caught Kagome's wrists, holding her back even as he frowned, 'She's changed again. Her eyes... they're filled with the same mindless need to fight as Inuyasha's had been. Damn.'

Her lips quirked in a tiny smile as she leaned closer to him, planting her knee in his wounded stomach and pressing her weight into it, "You started this, youkai. Don't disappoint me like the hanyou did."

Inuyasha snapped out of his daze when he caught the growled whisper, shooting to his feet and spinning around in time to see Sesshoumaru bring his knees against Kagome's back and pitch her over his head. Kagome crashed to the ground in a rolling tumble, somehow righting herself before she stopped and skidding to a crouched halt. He had barely taken a step towards her when her cold gaze turned almost casually and pinned him to the spot.

Kagome's eyes were heavy-lidded... disturbingly intense and taunting, her lips quirked off her fangs in a smirk as her hair lifted in the late breeze. She was challenging him with that look, but... there was no recognition in her eyes.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha murmured more to himself than anyone else when a shiver of excitement rolled down his spine.

Sesshoumaru had risen to his feet, careful to not make a sudden move and set off the girl teetering on the brink of her instincts. He couldn't prevent the growl of annoyance that escaped him, as he looked from the still girl to his brother, “You idiot. Can't you even smell when your own mate is about to cycle?"

Inuyasha went stiff, shooting his brother a look filled with reluctant curiosity beneath the simmering rage, "She's not due for a week."

Sesshoumaru didn't even bother restraining his urge to backhand his youkai brother and send him to the ground, "Your bitch is a youkai, not a human. Are you truly that ignorant of the blood?"

Kagome let out a throaty purr that turned their attention, her muscles obviously tensing as she sunk down into an even deeper crouch. She was staring at the two youkai, watching their mouths move, but all she could hear was the rush of her own heartbeat in her ears, pulsing with the red haze coloring her sight. They were boring... why weren't the fighting? She pushed herself to her feet, claws tensing as she tried to decide which one to attack first.

Inuyasha's brows lowered angrily when he watched her eyes slide to Sesshoumaru, his lips pulling back in a snarl, "Kagome...!"

She giggled, holding up two fingers as the claws tipping both began to glow. Sesshoumaru’s brows lowered in annoyance, mimicking her action as she lashed out with the glowing whip of energy. The two clashed together and crackled as they wrapped around each other and pulled taut. Inuyasha darted forward, ducking under the whip as Kagome twisted to break it free and snap it around at him.

Inuyasha caught her stomach with his shoulder, tackling her to the ground, "Snap out of it, you bitch!"

Kagome rammed her forehead against his, throwing him off and grabbing onto the front of Sesshoumaru's kimono. She gave a hard yank, pulling the youkai off his feet and sending him crashing into Inuyasha. Her lips pulled back in a cold smirk as she watched them break apart, absently scuffling, more out of habit than real desire to fight each other before they faced her warily.

Inuyasha clenched his hands into fists, "Sta-!"

Once again Kagome cut off the word before it could do damage, the whip forming in an instant and snapping forcefully across his face to send him spinning head over heels to the ground. Sesshoumaru took advantage of the distraction, blurring forward and grabbed her wrist with one hand and her throat with the other.

Kagome was snarling, poison flowing freely from her hands over Sesshoumaru's uneffected flesh. He smirked and lifted her higher, looking over his shoulder at his enraged brother, "Shall I distract her again, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha shoved himself to his feet, his eyes blazing as he completely forgot the rage and pain that had gone through him to know Kagome was purposefully killing his attempts to subdue her. His face and shoulder burned from the poison as he stared at Sesshoumaru's amused expression, his blood fairly boiling with hateful rage. "Get your hands off her!" he crouched and leapt forward, claws poised to rend his brother into shreds.

Kagome twisted, cracking her heel against Sesshoumaru's cheek and gaining her release in time to dart out of Inuyasha's newest attempt to grab her. She was getting so hot.... but every time she attacked, the pressure would ease just enough that she felt good again. She could feel her heart accelerate when Inuyasha opened his mouth, and something in her insisted she stop him from saying whatever it was he was trying to say.

Sesshoumaru was more fun to fight with. He wasn't trying to stop her, but she sensed that he was holding back when before he had been much more open. Why wasn't he attacking with everything?

Inuyasha was fuming.

His eyes gleamed with deadly anger as he regarded the almost smug grin on Kagome's face, "Oh, little girl, you're going to regret this when I get my hands on you."

Sesshoumaru regarded his growling brother and couldn't resist taunting, "What's wrong, Inuyasha? Even when she makes you a youkai, you aren't good enough to make her obey? Even the weakest youkai knows how to control their mate."

Inuyasha slammed his elbow into Sesshoumaru's face, grabbing his throat and pinning him to the ground, "It your fault she's like this, you asshole!"

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called, casting a glance at where Sango stood poised with the Hiraikotsu. "Kagome-sama's aura is fluctuating too drastically! She's still pulling from both your emotions... This has to stop!"

Kagome turned her head, baring her teeth at the interuption. Her head was starting to pound again and she shook it fiercely in an effort to clear both it and her swimming vision.

Inuyasha almost smacked himself in the head for his own stupidity, glaring over his shoulder where Kagome weaved unsteadily on her feet. Her body was wounded and exhausted, but she was drawing in enough to ignore it. For as tangled as her aura appeared to be, her thoughts were strangely smooth, but then again, she was only interested in the fight. He just hadn't been paying enough attention to what her youkai blood was telling her to do.

"This has indeed been allowed to progress too long," Sesshoumaru kicked Inuyasha off him casually and rose to his feet. "Your mate is out of control," his brows lowered in disapproval, "but what more can one expect from a hanyou."

Inuyasha got back to his feet, lashing out, but barely catching a glancing blow across his back as Sesshoumaru closed the space between himself and the youkai girl again... Or would have if the massive boomerang hadn't torn up the ground in front of him and made him dodge back. Kagome's hand snaked out and caught the handle, the weight of the thing dragging her back as she turned towards the exterminator.

She had just tensed to fling the thing back when an arm snaked around her waist, but that wasn't nearly as shocking as the sensation of fangs sinking deep into the nape of her neck.

Kagome arched, letting out a scream of fury as she dropped the heavy boomerang and attempted to shake off the restricting hold. She felt the growl vibrate through her back, the teeth biting down harder and a second arm wrapping around her arms to pin her in place as they dropped to the ground.

Inuyasha ignored Sesshoumaru's curious stare, closing his eyes and focusing only on the struggling girl pinned down in his lap. He could feel her heart thundering through her back against his chest, his aura sliding into hers easily and taking a firm hold as he forced Sesshoumaru's youki out.

Sesshoumaru regained his stoic mask in slow degrees, each pulse of the aura around the pair sending a warm wave of strength and control seeping back into him. His eyes burned curiously into Kagome's own as the glow dimmed steadily, the glassy look slowly leaving as she panted under Inuyasha's hold. 'So this is what they meant by balancing,' he mused as the wild look completely left her gaze. 'Inuyasha is forcing her to release the energy.'

Inuyasha slowly eased the hold on her neck when he felt the ripple slide down her spine, resting his mouth beside her ear as he kept a suspicious glare on Sesshoumaru, "Don't fight me, Kagome. You know better than to try pushing me out when you're like this."

Kagome panted, trying for a moment to cling to the draining strength, but the soothing stroke of Inuyasha's soul against hers was restoring her clarity. With every pulse she knew it was a futile effort and she slowly slumped back against him, finally able to blink away the red haze that had filled her vision.

"Damn you," Kagome growled in a whisper, dropping her head as helpless tears slipped down her cheeks. "You should have let me go, Inuyasha," she awkwardly shifted her shoulders, wrapping her arms around her aching stomach. Something was wrong... She knew her stomach SHOULD hurt, after that hit she'd taken from Sesshoumaru, but... This wasn't exactly pain....

"Interesting," Sesshoumaru murmured thoughtfully, his face cold and arrogant, but to Inuyasha's growling displeasure, his eyes warmed when they touched on Kagome. She was strong, stronger than most of the youkai he had come across. And that skill of hers would only improve over time... provided his idiot brother actually taught his mate discipline.

"Leave, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha's eyes still gleamed violently, arms tightening around Kagome possessively. "If you aren't gone by the time she calms down, I'll rip out your throat," he promised darkly.

He snorted, completely ignoring the threat as he glided close to the pair; this Kagome would not be allowed to run wild so long as he was Lord of the Western Lands. Letting out a soft growl that drew Kagome's gaze upwards in an instant, he captured her scarlet gaze and held it with ease, "You will learn control, bitch."

Kagome bristled in annoyance, but Inuyasha vocalized the irritation much more directly, "You've no rights to give her orders, bastard!"

"If you intend to be worthy of my father's blood, you must prove yourself," Sesshoumaru continued, completely unperturbed by the snarl. "If the hanyou cannot teach you, I, Sesshoumaru, will have to do so.... And you will not find me an easy instructor, little youkai," he watched the surprise flicker deep in her eyes, her emotions humming close to the surface. In that moment, he saw something that nearly made him smile.

Determination.

And respect.

"You won't get a chance to get within thirty feet of her after what you've done," Inuyasha hissed, his fists clenching with his desire to leap up and finish ripping his brother to pieces. The only thing that stopped him was knowing that if he let go of Kagome now, she'd likely slip right back into her youkai instincts and it had been hard enough to catch her this time. What if Sesshoumaru was right and they really were forcing her into an early, wild heat? He couldn't take that risk.

Sesshoumaru finally looked at Inuyasha, snorting in disgust, "If you neglect you mate, you will not have her long, Inuyasha. She is a youkai. If you don't learn to accept that, she will run."

Inuyasha frowned, shaking his head in confusion at Sesshoumaru's words. His brother's voice as condescending and emotionless as ever, but the words... "What the hell are you talking about?!"

His eyes had already left the confused hanyou, returning to the girl slowly regaining control of herself, "I have no doubt that I will soon have many more responsibilites because of you. Your time is close and my brother is too young to restrain himself."

Now it was Kagome's turn to look confused and she shook her head, "I don't... understand..."

"I, Sesshoumaru, am now watching you... Kagome," Sesshoumaru took a step back, his eyes connecting with hers to pass along a silent message. His earlier words of challenge easily read in his eyes, 'Prove it to this Sesshoumaru.'

Kagome stared after him as he turned and walked away just as casually as if the fighting had never happened. Her hand lifted to press over her chest, feeling the burn and pulse of her wounds, 'Control. Sesshoumaru... wants me to learn control...? But that just... doesn't make sense!'

Inuyasha's growl at her back brought her attention back as his hand lifted and covered hers, his claws pressing to her healing flesh, "You have no idea how much trouble you're in right now, Kagome..."

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