A/N: This is my entry for the second round of Tangie's Tournament!
The prompt was glow and my partner is Kirai! Don't forget to read both fics and pm your choice to Tangerine Dream!
Thank you Daniella for beta-reading!
Curse of the Innocent
One shot
He squinted and attempted to find her dark form into the somberness of the night. She had run away but he would locate her. He was not one to back down from a challenge and he would not cower in fear no matter what powers she claimed to have. He was doing this for himself. Of course, the town thought he was doing it for them but he had his own motives.
Sesshomaru had to kill her.
This dark priestess had soiled their town and killed many in their village. Priestesses were acclaimed and sought after but this one was not was she claimed to be. Instead of practicing the ways of the holy and using her herbs to provide relief she had used witchcraft. She had been seen with pink dust surrounding her and someone had spied on her while she had instantaneously healed one of her injuries with a pink glow.
Of course neither of those were as terrible as when she had sucked the souls out of bodies.
Despite the fact that she practiced witchcraft, she could not be a witch. She had used holy powers before therefore there was still something pure within herself. Still, they could not allow her to roam free. They did not know the extent of her powers or if she would try to harm or curse them and nobody was willing to take the chance of dying or losing a loved one.
Most of the men had run scared, but he would not.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of leaves crackling and his head snapped to the left. It had to be her. As silently as possibly, he headed in direction of the sound. His heart was pounding because of the excitement and he smirked. Sesshomaru was a hunter after all and the chase was quite thrilling for him. He breathed in heavily before taking the final steps.
Everything after happened so fast. He heard her steps hurrying and he felt his speed increasing. Next thing he knew she was laying against the cold dirt of the ground with him on top. He smirked brightly while he watched the panic appear in her blue eyes. Her dark locks were spread out and tangled and she was biting on her bottom lip, attempting to free herself from him with useless struggles.
"Please. You do not understand," she said with marked desperation in her voice.
"You killed those people," he said glaring down at her.
She should be burned or perhaps dealt with in a holy manner but he was aware that if he allowed her one moment, she would escape. She would pay for the lives she had taken, including his mother's. His father had told him how a soul like cloud had been pulled from his mother's body leaving her lifeless. This woman had done it and she had to pay.
He slowly reached for his weapon in his back pocket, making sure she was locked still. Anger gleamed in his eyes while he grasped the handle of the knife ready to end it.
"Please, I need to explain."
She could feel her life slipping away. Soon, it would be too late. She had promised herself she would not harm any of the people chasing her. Unfortunately she had also thought she would be able to escape them. She tilted her head far back and her eyes landed on the bright full moon. Its glow was the only thing lighting the dark night and it provided her with an answer.
If only he could understand! "Please!"
However, her pleas fell upon deaf ears once more as she felt him compress her chest even more leaving her without even a single breath of air in her lungs. She could no longer wait. Quickly, she glanced down at her neck. She was wearing a necklace, which had a huge round pink jewel at the end. It was the only way.
"You leave me no choice," she began as his hand reappeared holding a knife. "I wish for your curse."
He arched an eyebrow, confused at her words but only slightly afraid. While a fragile woman like herself did nothing to inspire fear within him, her demonic powers did. Not wanting to allow her the chance to attack, he prepared to slash her throat. Unfortunately when the blade was but an inch away from the flesh, he stopped all movements.
Sesshomaru felt his blood freeze in his veins, his breath hitched and his eyes widened in suffering like never before. A moan of pain passed his lips and the tension in his hand released causing the knife to fall upon his prey's body. His shock provided for a distraction and the woman slid from under him..
What she had done, she did not know for certain.
However, her time was limited. Knowing that, she never looked back, instead she kept on running while the clock kept ticking.
Sesshomaru's agony was too intense for him to notice her disappearance. Instead, he dug his fingers into the ground and tried to grasp something – anything to lessen his torture. Unfortunately he only met more pain. It was as if something was clawing its way out from the inside of his body. Sweat drops began to form behind his ears and neck while his body temperature rose higher.
A growl escaped his throat and suddenly all the strength in his arms disappeared. Sesshomaru's face fell into the earth while tears formed in his eyes. The agony was extremely strong causing his brain to become numb. Everything surrounding him stopped making sense and his world became nothing but torment and suffering.
He rolled upon his back and his body started jolting and shaking. He felt foam forming at the corner of his mouth, slipping upon his shoulder and staining his shirt. His amber eyes began to shift from their shining amber to a deep blood color crimson. His fists hit the ground with a force that made his body jump an inch above the ground.
While he drowned in torture, the moon shone high in the sky, casting its glow.
Two hundred years later.
A rather large white dog walked through the forest. His steps were slow and his fangs and fur on his face were stained with blood. Cold eyes looked far in to the distance spotting an old looking wooden shack. His legs were longer than they should be because it was coming to an end. He hurried while the sun was barely peeking in the horizon and the moon still present in the sky. Seconds ticked away before the dog reached his destination and walked in through the broken door.
He forced himself in the darkest corner and kept its head pressed against the wall. All that was left to do was wait. The time was closing in and he could feel himself becoming more in control and conscious of his movements. . Relief washed over and he forced himself to forget the pain that drew near. Instead, he enjoyed being in control of his own body for the first time in two days.
Then, the sun finally broke the horizon casting an orange glow on the surroundings.
Instantly, he lay on his back forced to by the jolting pain coursing through his body. A dog whimper echoed while his eyes closed; he was unable to find the strength to open them. Long claws began transforming into human digits, bones cracked and, blood dripped freely. The dog's body began to grow in width along with height before an ear piercing human scream shattered the quiet dawn.
This transformation was almost a relief. Its duration was nowhere near the length of the moonlight one. Nonetheless, its body re-shaping into its original form was quick and extremely painful. The stretching continued while the torment spread and the screams became even more human. His face was no longer the one of a dog, but instead his human one.
His features were pulled tight and he attempted to wrap his arms around his body hoping it would stop it all. It didn't. He lay in a pool of his blood, the breaking, the pain and the horrifying sounds never stopping.
Once the sun was higher in the sky, silence filled the air.
He was still on the floor, waiting for the numbing to begin. Once it would, he'd be able to move and sit up. The seconds ticked away and he stared at the ceiling with a heavy heart. Every month for two hundred years he had gone through this. At first he had thought his suffering would end once he died at around sixty years old, but it didn't.
Instead, he remained young and the years kept on passing by. He never changed, he never lived. Sesshomaru had even tried killing himself a few times, but no matter what he did, he remained alive. He was not allowed to age or to die. For a time, it had seemed as if he would suffer until the end of time all because he had wanted to capture a murderer.
Fortunately that had changed.
Along his many years of wandering through the world, he had learned both about curses and how to break them; it had been his life goal. He had even befriended a few witches for the sole purpose of finding a way to free himself. He had tried every way except the last one. 'If you kill the last direct descendant of the woman who cursed you on the full moon, you will break the curse.'
Those words were the only thing keeping him going. A hope for a cure, a hope for a new life.
Obviously tracking down generations of priestesses had not been an easy thing. After years however, he had managed to do it which was why he was in Tokyo.. This was where he'd find the woman he had to kill.
Two hundred years ago, he would not have enjoyed the notion of killing an innocent person. However, he now was stained with the blood of innocent people forever; one more hardly mattered. Once someone had taken, ripped and murdered their entire family with their own… fangs, nothing seemed to be off limits anymore.
The only thing that upset him was that the full moon had just passed meaning he would have to wait an entire month before he could kill her.
Obviously, that would not prevent him from getting close to her. Kidnapping a stranger was too much trouble, especially in these times. He much preferred tricking her into trusting him and willingly taking her where he needed her. He was not one for developing friendships since it was pointless because he could not maintain it. But this one was required.
Finally, Sesshomaru felt some of the pain leave his body and he smirked.
He slowly sat up before using his palms to lift himself up. He walked over to the pile of clothes he had set up in a corner and grabbed the jeans first. He pulled a wallet out of it and flipped it open. In one of the pockets was a sheet of paper visible through the plastic cover. There was nothing on it but an address scribbled and a name circled a few times.
Kagome Higurashi.
-C-
The weather was warm, not a cloud in the sky while a fairly young woman was walking down the street heading for the fruit market. Her dark hair was pulled into a ponytail and black sunglasses hid her deep blue orbs. Only a yellow summer dress was covering her while a pair of flat orange shoes were on her feet. White pearls that shook with every step were dangling from her ears.
She was holding a blue grocery bag in her hand and a purse in the other. Her lips were pressed together and her heart was racing because of the exercise. Going out during such hot weather was not her favorite activity but she refused to let her grandfather or mother go out while the temperature was so high. She gently wiped her forehead, feeling a thin layer of sweat on the back of her hand.
It wasn't until she spotted the orange stand that her spirits lifted. She hopped her way there, hoping it would end her suffering sooner. With sweaty palms she reached out for the first fruit and lifted it into the air to examine it. Wanting to grab a bag for all the oranges, she rapidly turned with her arm stretched out. Unfortunately her fast actions caused her to hit something and then the sounds of objects tumbling on the ground were heard.
She gasped before turning around only to find a man on the floor picking up apples that she had most likely knocked out of his hands. Feeling like an idiot, she joined him on the floor and grabbed the fruits.
"I'm so sorry," she said, tucking her hair behind her ears.
Not paying attention to the quiet man she hurried to pick up everything else before slowly putting it back in his bag. It wasn't until they were done that she raised her head to glance at him. Their eyes quickly met and while she stared into his amber eyes a feeling of déjà-vu took her. She felt her heart squeeze with pain and breathing became difficult.
Her lips parted and she tilted her head to the side, unable to look away. What was this feeling?
"Miss?"
The sound of his voice broke her out of her trance. She shook her head softly before smiling. "I'm sorry," she said, apologizing again.
"It was an accident," he stated, his expression neutral.
He had not interacted with many people over the years and was not very skilled in the ways of friendship but attempting to be social with her was even more difficult. In a way she was responsible for his pain and suffering and all the agony he went through during the past two hundred years. Keeping his façade on around her would be extremely difficult.
He stretched a hand in front of her and opened it showing her the orange she had dropped while helping him. She took it from him, squeezing her hand around it. As she did so, the bracelet around her hand dropped a bit, revealing itself. It was a white band with a pink jewel hanging from it. The sight caused Sesshomaru's eyes to widen considerably.
Unfortunately for him, Kagome noticed his reaction. "Is everything okay?"
Sesshomaru peered at her piece of jewelry a little longer before focusing his glance on her. "Oh, hm. Yes. Are you- are you from the Higurashi Shrine?"
She raised her eyebrows before looking down at her bracelet. The pink jewel was a trademark of her family, but usually normal folks didn't know. "Yes, I am. How did you know?" she inquired intrigued.
Now was the time to begin his lie. "I – I am from a shrine as well."
Even though she was surprised, her smiled widened. Although there were still many monks and priestesses it was no longer common like back in the days. This man was actually the first one she had met outside of the shrine. She herself wasn't very into the whole thing but it was very important to her family and its history and she respected it along with learning its origins.
Sesshomaru knew she would ask something and decided to beat her to it by talking first. "Actually, I was seeking your shrine. It is the reason for my visit in Tokyo."
There was an excitement bubbling within him that he had not felt in many years. Seeing her, speaking with her it made the dream – his dream – feel real and reachable. For centuries all he had wished for was to be free of his curse and pain. Now, it could finally happen. Of course her death was not a sure thing, but he would not let this chance slip away.
This was as close as he had come to her in two hundred years.
"Really?" asked Kagome, not surprised.
The main source of money of the shrine was visitors. Though it was just a tad strange that someone had actually heard about them and gone out of their way to visit. But, he was from a shrine too, which explained a little.
"Would you mind guiding me there? I'm afraid I'm not great with maps," he said, offering her a charming smirk.
Yes, he had learned to use his looks to obtain a few things. Women usually seemed to find him charming and in the few situations where he required something, like a shelter, he had used that gift. Now, he would use it to get her to trust him so that he could obtain his freedom.
However, she didn't act quite like he expected her to. Instead of her smile increasing and her cheeks becoming red, she remained the same.
She glanced at him up and down, almost as if a part of her was trying to determine if it was safe. She almost shook her head; he would come to the shrine anyway, it would make no difference. Not only that but the way back to the shrine was filled with people and it was broad daylight; she had nothing to worry.
"Sure," she offered shyly. "I just need to pick up a few things."
He nodded. "Of course." He smiled at her again, though it wasn't his most natural expression. "I'm Sesshomaru," he added, finally introducing himself.
"I'm Kagome," she said, grabbing a few oranges.
Oh, he knew exactly what her name was.
-C-
The day had gone by fairly quickly and now the moon was slowly making its way up in the sky. Sesshomaru and Kagome were in the little well house, Sesshomaru inspecting every artifact upon the walls while Kagome was pressed against the wall, allowing him to satisfy his obvious curiosity. He clearly had way more interest in this than she did.
Her grandfather had loved him, which had been no surprise. Sesshomaru had listened to every story; he had asked questions and had even asked for more. Nobody else had ever done that. His grandfather had spent the evening praising him, even going as far as inviting him over for dinner, something the old man never did.
He could feel her eyes on him and he resisted the urge to smirk. Apparently she was actually paying attention to him and what he was doing. Perhaps he had gone to deep into his whole play and she now found him odd. However, it couldn't be helped. In the off chance this did not work, he needed another way. He figured being close to her family was the only way to do that.
"You find me strange," he said breaking the silence.
"Oh, no I just -"
"It's okay," he said cutting her short. "I had to learn about all of this; it was a bit of a responsibility."
It wasn't far from the truth. He had wanted nothing to do with monks and priestesses, not after what had happened to him. Yet, learning about them had been his way to try and break the curse. Unfortunately never had her heard stories of another holy person doing what that woman, Kikyo had done. Had she lied, had he been seeking a priestess who was not one?
But it made no sense. He had listened to the old man's gibberish and they were descendants of those with holy powers. Perhaps there were a few details that had been left out. Unfortunately he wasn't certain Kagome knew more than her grandfather. The goal was for him to pretend this was completely fascinating, hoping she would share with him more than what had been said already.
"I respect your interest, I just – I don't believe in all this."
Intrigued, he raised an eyebrow. "Believe? There is nothing to believe in. We simply seek to help those in need and use prayers and beads to bring peace and call upon forces to protect those we love."
She shrugged. Kagome didn't know about every family, but hers had a very special history. She didn't believe any of it, but her grandfather kept bringing forward their powerful ancestor. Although that information was shared with the public, it was never told to strangers exactly how special she was. She was tied to a special legend and her grandfather said it was best if nobody knew.
Yet, there was Sesshomaru glancing at her, thirsting for knowledge and waiting for her to explain herself. He was a monk or something right? It wasn't really a stranger. Surely he had heard of something like this before? She bit her lip in uncertainty before glancing left and right as though she was trying to make sure they were alone.
"My grandfather keeps saying we had this ancestor with powers. Like – something like magic or something."
"Magic?"
"She could heal people differently and do all sorts of things."
Like kill them, he thought. "I have heard of such stories before."
If he told her he didn't she might doubt him or stop telling him information. Although it wouldn't change anything if he found out a part of it that needed to know. After all, she was the woman who was had taken his life away. He never had the chance to find out what she was.
Sesshomaru found himself looking upon her face clearly and the resemblance was striking. He had seen her picture before, he had known what she looked like but in person it felt like she was her! He had to look at her for this to work, but he wanted to do nothing more than look away. This girl, the girl who would die, would never know why.
She wouldn't understand the pain he had lived through for centuries or the heaviness of the guilt he carried around. Not even the way he could no longer look at his own reflection, not after he had killed his own kin. He wasn't sure if it was part of the curse but his first victims had all been his family. As if spending his life in torment and cursed wasn't enough, she had to make him destroy his loved ones. At least with him destroying them, it made it impossible for her to ever punish his family as well.
Sesshomaru had spent his life alone.
How could he find someone if there was a chance he could harm them? How could he explain that he would never age? On top of that he did not know if the curse stopped at him. Perhaps it would be passed down to his children and he would not inflict this on anyone else. Loneliness had been the better option – his only option.
He tore his eyes away from her and looked through the open door. The moon was glowing high in the sky and he hated being out this late. Something about the moonlight shining on him was enough to make his skin crawl. He didn't like it and he wanted nothing to do with it. Every time it was full it brought him nothing but misery.
"I should be heading back; I have imposed already too much on your hospitability."
"It's fine really," she said while pulling herself away from the wall.
"Thank you for having me," he said before bowing slightly.
Without uttering another word, he began to head out. He couldn't stay too long or ask for another invitation. He was afraid that if he looked too interested he might appear suspicious. Of course, it was obvious nobody had heard of his curse or they would know what he looked like and wouldn't have acted the way they had.
His plan was even more in reach now.
Kagome watched him leave, unable to explain why her heart felt so heavy. She brought her hand to her chest and clutched her shirt with her fingers. There was something sad about him that brought guilty feelings within her but she didn't know why. All she was aware of was that this was the same feeling she had experienced earlier when she had first met him.
Even though tears were forming in her eyes, she didn't feel guilty anymore. What she was feeling… she couldn't put her finger on it. All she could do was stare in the distance at the spot where he used to be. Her instincts were screaming at her and she couldn't help but ask herself who he was. He had introduced himself and she had spent the whole day with him but…
She knew he was hiding something.
-C-
Two weeks had gone by and everything was going exactly as Sesshomaru had planned. Every couple of days he visited the shrine, staying a few hours and getting more and more familiar with not only the place, but with Kagome too. However, he did feel her be more distant than she was during their first meeting. Perhaps it was because he didn't know much about reading people's emotions, but it was the feeling he was getting.
Nonetheless, it didn't affect his plans. As long as some part of her trusted him, it was enough to allow his plan to proceed smoothly. For now he was enjoying knowing his enemy's history. Each time he felt the mystery become clearer and he hoped in the end he would know exactly what she was and how she had cursed him.
There was also that pink jewel.
Kikyo had worn it and it was the Higurashi's clan's symbol. There had to be a reason for that. All the old man had told him was that it was a jewel that brought great powers to the one who owned it. Could that really be the explanation why she could take souls and bring curses upon people? The legends and myths he read in a few books did nothing to provide him with answers.
"Oh, I didn't know you were here."
Sesshomaru smiled at her, knowing she didn't quite mean that. It was his eight time in her house; it was obvious she was expecting him to be there. Nonetheless, he went along politely.
"It's hard to stay away from such treasures," he said pointing at the books.
Unable to resist a question that had been burning her mind for a while, she decided to come forward and ask. "You know you don't – I know you said it was your responsibility to learn about this, but you don't seem like the type to actually enjoy this."
She joined him sitting down on the porch. "You think it's all fact?"
Sesshomaru shrugged his shoulders. "I do not see any reason to think it's not real."
"But all this witchcraft, the spells and the soul draining…"
His heart stopped at her words. Sesshomaru did his best not to let anything show, but his heart was pounding. "Soul draining?"
"I heard it's a tradition, something passed down in the Higurashi Family, but really nobody has ever done it, not that I've heard or read about. I just think it's a made up story passed down to enrich our history."
While Kagome was getting ready to explain it to Sesshomaru she felt her throat become dry and suddenly words were hard to form. She brought a hand against her chest hoping it was going to help. Panic filled her eyes and she felt him come in closer.
"Is something the matter?"
Kagome shook her head and attempted to take deep breaths. "It's okay," she said as she felt it pass. Her heartbeat began to slow down and the fear enveloping her mind dissipated.
"I just, choked I guess." She forced a smile. "What was I saying?" she added, trying to distract him from what had just occurred. "Right. Hm, my grandfather often told me there were priestesses in our families that could drain evil souls."
"Evil souls?"
She nodded. "Evil souls would take over human bodies and they would eat the soul inside and take over the body. Priestesses from my family would take away the evil soul, freeing the good soul. Unfortunately, well the person would still be dead, but they would be at peace."
Sesshomaru's orbs widened and he completely stopped breathing. He couldn't stop the scene from two hundred years ago from flashing in front of his eyes and an ache formed in his chest. Unconsciously he rose to his feet, glancing left and right. Evil souls? Death? His bottom lip began to tremble both from his confusion and anger.
No. This was not possible. He had seen it right back then; that woman, Kikyo, she had killed his mother! She had not saved her! He licked his dry bottom lip before running a hand through his hair. During his whole mini freak out he completely shut out the fact that Kagome was sitting near him, witnessing the entire thing.
"Sesshomaru?"
He could hear her voice, but it was as if she was not there. None of this made sense. He had gone through living his entire life with a set mind. Instead, he was learning that it was all wrong? But why would the woman leave, why would she run? And why hadn't she told everyone what she was doing? Surely if she was doing good… they would have accepted her?
Sesshomaru shook his head. No. He refused to accept this reality.
"I- I have to leave."
Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Leave? Why? Are you okay? What is going on?"
"I just- I have to leave," he repeated.
This time, he didn't let her speak again. Instead he simply jogged away from her, not allowing for more interruptions. This was beyond what he had expected; this messed up everything he had planned.
Kagome watched him leave even more confused than ever. Whatever she felt he had been hiding this had to be part of it. For the past few weeks she had stayed away from him but now she needed to know. She was not the smartest person sometimes, but she was far from being an idiot. All these events were just connected in more ways than they should.
Meeting a man who was looking for her shrine by accident, fine she could believe that. Then, he becomes intensely passionate even if he should know some of the stuff and he won't stop coming at her house. Now, he seemed completely thrown off by the information she had thrown her way. Heck he had appeared to be on the verge of tears for a while.
She didn't care if it made her look crazy or if it made no sense at all, there was something not right here.
She knitted her eyebrows together when suddenly a shock went through her. Kagome felt her eyes roll in the back of her head and a warm feeling taking over her body. Something exploded within her and her hair was blown upward. A powerful force filled her leaving her no choice but to close her eyes tightly. Once again, she was breathless.
The power within her was too much to handle and Kagome dropped to her feet. Her fingernails dug into the ground while she desperately attempted to find a way to control the overflow inside her body.
After a few seconds, it toned down.
She couldn't help but spit, her mouth filled with saliva. She opened her eyes in a flash and expected to find darkness. Instead, she found a trail of pink light leading to the shed near the house. Confused and exhausted, she scrambled to her feet. She had to be tired; just what the hell was all this? Someone didn't just get attacked by air! And what was with the light?
Kagome swallowed hard, holding her head with her hands. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she pulled back her damp hair. Was she supposed to follow this strange light? Was it actually real?
She inspected the surroundings only to confirm there was nobody else. Taking a deep breath, hoping it would disappear, she decided to go forward. She took slow shy steps, unsure of the safety of her destination. She had been in the shed plenty of times, simply never when it was…glowing. Her hands were shaking and she was hopeless to stop it while the distance between her and her goal decreased.
Of course this would happen to her. Hadn't she voiced that she didn't believe in any of this? She did think her family was monks and priestesses, but the stories that been told… they had been unreal. She lived in the real world, not in some kind of fantasy. Such things like soul draining and healing magic were not real. Perhaps some people back then thought some simple tricks were witchcraft.
Still, it did nothing to explain the lights.
Finally, Kagome reached the shed. It was with trembling fingers that she took hold of the handle, holding her breath. She carefully turned it and then proceeded to kick the door open. She was ready to scream but she quickly found out there was no reason too; the shed was empty. It had the regular stack of boxes her grandfather stored in there, but nothing else.
Even though she was feeling more at ease, she couldn't erase the fact that she expected to find Sesshomaru. She just didn't know why.
At least one thing was for certain, ever since he had come into her life, weird things had been happening. And if she, a girl who had been raised on a shrine with crazy stories though this was weird, it was. Unexplained feelings, visions and lights.
Something inside of her was just screaming, but she couldn't hear it.
Kagome was about to give up on the light that had led her to the shed, when suddenly in the back of the shed, it began glowing pink. She had come this far; could she turn back now? Despite how insane she found herself for going along with all of this, she entered the shed.
It wasn't long until she was standing right in front of the source of the glow. She picked up the box and put it on the floor even though the light coming from it stopped at the same time. She gently opened it and peaked inside only to find a wooden box. With an eyebrow raised, she forced the lid up only to find… a necklace. It would have been ordinary and of no interest if she hadn't recognized the familiar pink jewel hanging from it.
She remembered this.
Kagome lifted her arm and stared at the similar jewel on her bracelet. This couldn't be. She had heart about the Shikon No Tama her entire life, but it wasn't supposed to be in anyone's possession! It was a powerful jewel that could grant any wish but it could go both ways. Any evil desires would bring a curse to the one who used it; a selfless wish would bring peace and happiness.
The tricky part was if someone used it for their own gain they never knew when they'd be inflicted with the curse, but one day they'd be doomed.
She took it from the box and lifted it. She couldn't explain it but Kagome had this urge to put it on. She felt absorbed by the jewel and her heart was echoing in her mind. She licked her lips before slowly undoing the necklace and bringing it against her skin. Her movements still felt like an out of body experience as she tied it around her neck.
Make it right.
Save him.
Words began echoing and Kagome dropped upon the ground face first. She blocked her ears with her hands but it did not stop the voices.
Make it right.
Save him.
Free him.
-C-
The night had fallen and it was quiet. Sesshomaru was sitting on his green couch deep in thought. It had been two weeks since he had last seen Kagome and perhaps it was best this way. He had always easily justified killing her since it was her ancestor's fault he was cursed. On top of that, he had thought it was fitting since she had killed his mother.
However, he had now learned it was different.
If he went along with what Kagome said, his mother had been possessed? He had witnessed darkness and demons in the past but he didn't think they would take over someone's body. Witches and Priestesses he had studied for years, but other supernatural beings not as much. But the girl had no reason to lie to him; she didn't know who he was.
And, he was ashamed to say… it made so much more sense.
He could hear her voice still; it haunted him. Please, let me explain. The pleading tone was still vivid and he would not forget it. He had thought back then that she would spurt lies but he no longer knew if that was the truth. What if she had been attempting to say she had saved his mother from being damned?
His entire life he had known one truth and one truth alone. Also, his only goal had been to be himself again. Now, everything he had known didn't make sense anymore. How could one conversation take away all his certainty? No.
No matter the reasons, no matter how the situation had changed this was still the only chance he might have left. He couldn't throw it away; he couldn't let himself live this life for eternity. He shook his head to himself, he had to kill her.
But now… she was becoming the innocent victim. The one to pay for his mistake and her ancestor's. Out of everyone she was the most innocent. Then again, hadn't he said what was one more? He had brutally murdered everyone he cared for. He didn't even care for her…
Suddenly a knock was heard on his door, bringing him out of his thoughts.
His instincts were sharp and on edge; nobody knew where he lived and he didn't have friends. Who could this be? The thought of ignoring it crossed his mind, but once it rang again, he realized whoever it was would not be ignored. He rose to his feet and headed for the door. In one swift motion he opened it to reveal the last person he expected to see.
Kagome.
She stood in front of him chewing on her bottom lip. To be completely honest she was not certain why she was there. For weeks now her dreams, her mind had been haunted by pictures and memories that were not hers. She didn't even understand any of them or what they meant. All she knew was that at the end of all of them, Sesshomaru was there covered in blood and in pain with the female voice begging Kagome to help.
It was insane; he was a stranger! Heck, none of this made sense; none of this holy powers crap should even exist! Yet, why was she standing in front of him, not feeling like herself. Ever since she had met him, something was surging inside of her.. He was the key to getting rid of this weight on her shoulders.
"What are you doing here?" he inquired a bit more rudely than he wanted.
I'm not sure, were the words she attempted to say, but not the ones that came out. "I want to help you. I can help you."
He raised an eyebrow. "No you can't."
Sesshomaru kept his eyes focused on her, refusing to look at the bright moon glowing in the sky. Its glow was too meaningful, it meant that once it would be at its rightful place in the sky, he would be doomed to live his curse again. There was no way out for him, no way to help him. Now was not the time to piss him off, he was too on edge.
"Leave."
She shook her head. "I know how to help, we can't do it here. We must do it out there, in the forest." Forest? Kagome didn't understand the words she was speaking. She began to feel suffocated in her own body..
"How?" Why did she speak like she knew what was happening to him?
"Follow me," she begged, taking hold of his hand, guilt filling Kagome's body.
He nodded quickly and together they began to walk outside. Her footsteps were confident; she knew where she was going. Kagome didn't know. Kikyo did. The necklace was beginning to glow under her shirt and sweat drops were dripping down her neck.
She didn't feel regret. What she had done had been for a reason and a purpose. If she hadn't he would have killed her. However, she didn't wish for her family to be cursed or for him to live forever. She had been afraid when she had sensed his presence, but he had not harmed anyone. Perhaps he had hoped her family would have known how to break his wretched curse?
Kikyo could feel him being on edge while the glow of the moon kept increasing. It would soon be the moment and she had to hurry before they ran out of time. Seconds passed, became minutes and suddenly, they were there. She dragged him into the depths while ignoring the semi-resistance she got from him. She didn't stop until they found the right spot.
Right through the trees was a perfect circle of white created on the ground and made by the glow of the moon illuminating the area. She brought both of them in the circle and grabbed his other hand.
"Who are you?"
He was no longer facing Kagome it was an obvious fact. The blue eyes now turned brown were also a hint. The truth was also obvious but he didn't want to accept it.
"You know who I am. And I am here to help you."
"You can't help me. You did this to me." His tone was still bittersweet but after many centuries of misery it was to be expected. "You're only here to distract me because I tracked her to kill her."
Kagome's eyes widened and she nearly gasped. Kill? No. NO! He was supposed to be here for a solution… this was not a solution! She- how could she help him now? She thought those years had lessened the anger in his heart, not made it worse! He was seeking death in this world? Did he not understand what kind of pain and guilt it brought?
"No. This is not a way."
"It's the only way I have," he almost screamed in rage.
The effects of the white glow were intensified in this circle and the time he had before his transformation was speeding up. It would happen before the moon was at its highest point. He moved his hands to her shoulders and squeezed down hard.
"This is how I become free."
She could see the red and the fire in his eyes. She had decided to do this to save him when all he had wanted was her death. Then again, perhaps she was to blame for some of the rage he had deep within him. Maybe…. Maybe she should help him.
Perhaps this would be the one thing she would regret.
"I wish-"
Before her sentence could be finished she felt herself be smashed against the floor. Sesshomaru's reaction had been more intense; he remembered those words. She had said them before laying the curse on him. He would not let her make this worse on him. He roared as he reached out for something in his pocket.
"I wi-wi-"
And no more words came out. Blood spilled out of her wound while Sesshomaru held a knife, the same knife he had that night two hundred years ago, blood dripping from its blade. A drop fell on her face, staining her porcelain skin and he took a deep breath.
"w-i- fo—for- your—fre-ed-o-m," she said chocking with her last breath,
Because of the loss of blood, her blue eyes closed; the dizziness and light headedness making it too much for her to remain awake. She could only remember a blurry image of his face as her whole world went dark.
Sesshomaru stood over her with confusion and pain written all over his face. She hadn't wished for another curse, she was going to help him? He watched her neck glow pink and suddenly he was enveloped by that aura. For the first time in two hundred years he felt happiness beyond belief. Tears spilled from his eyes and he could not stop them.
He lived.
He was free.
Yet she lay there dead.
She had been innocent the first time and forced to protect herself. He had attacked her and thought he was the damned one.
But in the end, she had been the cursed one. Not by the glow of the moon, but by the glow of the jewel she so proudly wore.
-C-