In Death 58

Chapter 58:  Time Trap

Ungai stared at the trussed up samurai that had been thrust before him with a blank look on his face that had everyone around him uneasy.  

"So, this man was attempting to desert, you say?"  he asked quietly.  "Tell me... where are his comrades?  The other samurai and the monks that went with them?"

The silence grew heavy as the story was told, ominous.  Everyone around the monk grew nervous - all except Meimei.  

She was just amused.

"Looks like that Western Lord has battle smarts, Ungai.  He's a true general - and you are just incompetent,"  she chortled.  "The battle comes soon, and you've done nothing to even plan for any of it.  Were you hoping that the kami would bless your idiocy, allowing you to win anyway?"

Every person surrounding the elder monk's tent stepped back at the fury that swept across his face at that taunt; apparently, he had thought that was all it would take.

"Be silent, woman - what would you, a female know, of battle and tactics?"  he hissed angrily.

She cocked a brow.  "More than you, it is apparent.  Even I, a female, know that a battle is something that is planned, not just wandered into.  I have said it before, and I will say it again-"  she pointed at him,  "-you, Ungai, are a fool."  With that, she turned on her heel and walked off, leaving a seriously disturbed male behind her.

Just a few more days, and I will be rid of her, he thought, fists clenching.  In the meantime, however, I have need of some relief...

He looked down once more at the frightened male still on his knees before him.  "You will tell me everything you saw."

The screams didn't start 'til later - and far away from the camp.

-cCc-

Sesshoumaru studied the islanders, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Horai Island was something beyond his understanding, a place for demon and human to be happy, and at peace - together.  Just a few short years ago, he would have jeered at the demons here as pathetic, weak, and useless for joining with worthless humans and creating filthy half-breeds to dirty up the lands.

Now...

Well, now, his opinion was quite a bit different.  After all, when he had chosen his mate, she had still been human, and any children she would have borne him would have been half-demons.  He had accepted that fact - it made no difference that she was now a goddess - so while his heirs would still be half-bloods... they would not be half human.

It was with this mindset that he was able to look at the island and the people on it objectively, and he could easily see in it what his own lands would someday look like.  Especially as Kagome was determined to return the world to what it had once been, and they would all resemble the half-demon children here on this small piece of land.  

There would be differences, of course, as Kagome had pointed out that while the children here were close to what the original beings had been, they still weren't exact.  But it was enough to get a very good idea of what the people of the lands would soon be becoming.

He had to admit, the idea of the peace they would all find as a result of Kagome's decision sounded much more pleasant than he had ever thought it would.  Despite his once desire for power, and his determination to walk the path of conquest, he was finally tired of the fighting.  He wanted nothing more than to patrol his lands, and live with his mate and future children peacefully.  

It was surprising to him, to find how much his heart really yearned towards such a thing...

He was almost certain his father was, once again, laughing at him.  It seemed that the old dog had gained plenty of amusement at his expense, lately, but he couldn't find it in himself to be any more than mildly annoyed at the idea.

Again, as he looked over at his mate, he was quite taken with the expression on her face as she watched the children for a last few minutes before leaving.

"One imagines that you will one day look at our own young with such a look on your face,"  he said quietly, almost contemplatively.  

Kagome glanced up at him, then, and smiled a little, though it was tinged with sadness.  "I'm sure I will... though the upset I feel when I look at these kids won't be there for our own."

With a slight frown, he locked eyes with her.  "Why do you feel upset?"

She sighed.  "Because all these children, and their parents, fall to those four bastards... soon.  Their lives of peace and happiness are about to end in horror and bloodshed – and I can't do anything to stop it."  She looked back at the children still playing, and wanted nothing more than to cry.  "Let's go back, Sesshoumaru.  I... can't stand to be here anymore."

He nodded, not saying anything; what was there to say?  She was right – their world was about to end, and in order to keep the time line correct, she couldn't interfere.  Knowing her heart, it was probably for the best that he escort her home – before she found herself not caring about history – or the consequences of changing it.

"Come, miko."  He held out his hand, and taking hers, let her cast one last glance around, and then stepped into the other realms, leaving behind the doomed island...

And its inhabitants.

-cCc-

The melancholy mood didn't leave her once they passed into the other realms, and Sesshoumaru wondered; what was she really remembering?  He knew that there had been some angst between his brother and Kagome on that island... was she truly only thinking of the people and their fate – or was she remembering back to a time when she had still loved Inuyasha?

Most times, it wouldn't have occurred to him to even think of that... but she had clamped down on the link between them right before they'd left, and that left him feeling rather insecure.  Did she perhaps... regret the way things had turned out?

He wasn't really used to feeling such uncertainty, but then again – he'd never been in love before, either – and she had led him a merry chase.  After all, when they'd met, he'd been a homicidal demon Lord bent on conquering everything in sight, and she'd been in love with his brother.  Sometimes, it was just hard to believe that he'd actually gotten the girl.  Especially when she closed down the bond.

Even though they'd only just mated, and the bond was therefore very new, it felt as though it had always been there – it was actually extremely uncomfortable to not be privy to her mental state fully. Right now all he was getting through the link was sadness.  What he feared was what was causing that sadness.

He came to a halt on the pathway, turning to look at her as she stopped also, surprised.  After a moment, he asked,  "Do you regret?"

Kagome blinked, then blinked again, nonplussed.  "Eh?  Regret... what?"  she asked.

"Me."

One word... and yet, she'd never been more shocked.

"What?"  she choked out, aghast.  "What the hell would make you ask something like that?  Why... I mean,"  she looked at him, then at the ground, then back up at him, totally confused.  "Why would you think that?  I don't get it."

He looked away, his usual stoic expression coming down to hide his feelings from her.  "You blocked our bond off – I merely wondered if visiting that island, with the things that happened there between you and Inuyasha – and the formerly dead miko – rekindled your feelings for my brother."

And suddenly, she understood.  Sesshoumaru was so unused to feeling uncertainty over anything that he didn't know how to handle it – or his jealous suspicions.  He felt as though he were still in danger of losing her to Inuyasha – even though she was permanently bonded to him, if her emotions still belonged to his brother... it would be agonizing hell for both of them.  She shook her head, and sighed, then unblocked the link, allowing all her thoughts and feelings to be open to him again.

"Actually, I think I just blocked it accidentally.  I certainly wasn't trying to – but I guess I'm not used to having someone in my head with me,"  she said steadily, calmly.  "It'll just take a bit of getting used to, that's all.  And thoughts of your brother, and the things that happened when we came to Horai, weren't anywhere in my mind, as I'm sure you can tell now."

He didn't say anything, merely letting the bond feed him her thoughts and feelings, allowing what he found to soothe his fears.  There was no regret in her for anything – save for the fate of the islanders, and all he could feel at that knowledge was relief.  He couldn't even find it in himself to feel foolish, though he knew that he should have.  He was acting quite out of character at this moment – but this was Kagome... his mate.  The only woman he'd ever wanted as a mate – there was no way that he could remain indifferent to her – especially not to the fear of losing her heart to another.

After a few minutes of indulging himself, drowning himself in the bright, clear, and strong love she was projecting at him, he nodded, and turned to continue walking the paths, feeling the warmth of the bond strengthen as she followed along at his shoulder silently.

The silence was comfortable, though, and they both simply enjoyed the quiet time together, not in any real rush to get back to the village – they each had plenty on their minds to keep them occupied.

Kagome was careful, however, from then on out, to make sure she kept the bond open – she suspected that it would take some time for Sesshoumaru to finally realize that she wasn't going to change her mind.  

He would eventually get it, she was sure.

-cCc-

The now nameless man lay, bloody and broken, against the trunk of a large tree, and let bitterness and rage take him.  He was dying – and at the hands of a monk.  In all his days, with as many beings as he'd hated, none were despised more than Ungai.

The negative, enraged emotions pouring from his body soon began to beckon to things that were better left to nightmares.  Even with the relative proximity of the monks of Ungai's army, there were some creatures that were not afraid... and those were the ones that began to congregate around the dying human.  Spirits, with no true form, some demons – they all had one thing in mind... to feed off the darkness in the soul of the human laying before them.

The offer was made, then, to the nameless man - offer to join together to make him a half-demon – one with the power to come back and destroy the monk called Ungai.  At first, the man was not convinced – why become a half-demon?  

The answer?  Because then Ungai could never truly defeat him – he could only temporarily subdue his demon side... leaving his human side to kill the monk.  No matter what, human side or demon, he would win.

That convinced the human, and he opened his soul wide to accept the demons, and the dark spirits around him.  

When the transformation was complete, a new being stood over the bloody ground...

His name was Zetsumei.

Death.

-cCc-

Back in Ungai's camp, Meimei smiled almost sadistically as she felt the psychic waves of the birth of Ungai's doom.  Sou'unga... well, his fate would come at Sesshoumaru's hand – but Ungai... he would fall by the hand of Zetsumei.

At one point, she had considered taking vengeance against him herself for the torments he had imagined raining down on her head – but then she had decided that this was a more fitting fate.  While he had imagined horrible things to do to her, he had actually done those things to the being that was now many in one, and she would allow him to take his dark revenge against the arrogant and power-mad monk.

In the meantime, she allowed her consciousness to flow out of her body, and reform as Amaterasu – it was time to look over everything, and make sure that things were flowing smoothly.

She had an odd feeling that something was about to happen – but she wasn't sure what.  

She was sure, however, that it was something that her evil brother had set in motion.

Now to figure out exactly what it was he'd done...

And throw a wrench in it.

With a grin, she disappeared from the tent of her alter ego, and dissipated into the ether.  

She so loved spiking her brother's plans – his screams of rage were always extremely entertaining.

-cCc-

Kagome glanced at her mate out of the corner of her eyes, the insecurity she'd seen in his expression earlier sticking her like a thorn from a rose.  It was almost inconceivable to her that Sesshoumaru, Lord Killing Perfection himself, was even capable of feeling such a thing – and especially over her.

But she would be lying if she said that by the same token, it didn't warm her heart.  That she, Kagome, bumbling miko from the future, could have someone like him tied so much in a knot was quite a rush.  Not that she wanted to cause him pain, or upset, mind... but it was still completely amazing that she even could.  

Needing to reassure her mate more than she already had, she smiled a bit, and flooded the bond with her own feelings for him – her love for him, the attraction she had to him, (that emotion sent through with a blush), and even her own fears and insecurities when it came to him.  She figured that would help him to understand that he wasn't the only one with those negative feelings...

It seemed to work, as he turned his head to look at her, surprise flaring in his eyes.  'Why do you fear that I will end up wanting another, and feeling trapped by you?'

'Why do you fear that I will end up wanting Inuyasha and feeling trapped by you?</i>'

He sighed, just barely audible, but there.  'Your point is taken.  It appears that we both have foolish sides.'

She chuckled at that, then spoke aloud.  "I guess so, though fool isn't a word one would necessarily equate with you, Sesshoumaru.  I promise not to let it out that that part of you actually does exist,"  she teased.

His eyebrow arched immediately.  "Indeed, miko.  If such a rumor were to be heard, this one would know whence it came."

"True, true.  Ah, well.  I wouldn't want to tarnish your reputation, now would I?"  she laughed.

"My reputation is very useful, Kagome.  After all, many beings who wish to take my lands hear who I am, and decide to find easier opponents – each time that happens, it is one less battle I must fight."

Kagome tilted her head as she thought about that.  "Ya know... I never thought of it that way.  It's like your reputation is fighting some of your battles for you.  That's pretty cool."

He shook his head at her.  "You and your future sayings.  Odd, to say the least."

With a smile, she sighed.  "I guess so... this is nice, you know that?  Just the peace and quiet, and you and I with no one around to bother us.  I could get used to this."

He had to agree, although... "It would not be wise to get accustomed to this, as enjoyable as it is.  We have Rin, and your kit – as well as Jaken.  Alone time will not be impossible, but it will not be a regular occurrence, either."

She mock glared at him.  "Why did you have to bust my bubble?  You could have just let me have my illusions."

"It is better to face reality than live in fantasy, mate,"  he lectured, though she could feel his amusement through the bond. She rolled her eyes at him.

"You would say so, but that's so boring,"  she insisted.  "Sometimes a good fantasy can be quite... enlightening, shall we say?"  She flushed lightly as certain visuals flashed through her mind, and a tiny moan slipped from her throat.

Needless to say, that caught her mate's complete attention.  

"It depends on the type of fantasy you speak of, little mate.  I will admit that there are some that are... worthwhile,"  he murmured, his voice deepening as his thoughts flickered towards very naughty things.

Kagome was just about to answer that, when a funny look crossed her face; she started to turn towards her mate...

And then she vanished into a swirl of magic stronger than anything Sesshoumaru had ever seen.

In the moment that she did, the bond between the two cut, and in the next second, the paths between worlds resounded with a mad howl of rage as Sesshoumaru lost control of his youki and transformed.

The disturbance that caused echoed through all the realms, as well as the heavens – and the Western Lands.

Their Lady seemingly no longer existed, and the backlash from the broken bond roiled through the realms on the heels of the first shock, stunning even Sosa himself.

No one had been prepared for the effects of a bond between a demon of the caliber of Sesshoumaru – and a goddess... nor what would happen if that bond were severed.