Acquisition, Possession, Seduction
Part: 1
A/N: This story is set very early in the series. Around episode 43 of the anime.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with the series. The following story is a work of fan fiction, written for entertainment purposes only. The author makes no monetary gains for this work.
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Amber eyes, darkened by simmering rage and the pitch black hour of midnight stared tirelessly into the murky depths of the Bone Eater’s well.
From his perch high in the boughs of a majestic elm, Sesshoumaru seethed as he recounted the events that brought him to this disgusting place weighted with the scent of many humans. Seeking to obtain the object he was due from birth, he had pursued his wretched hanyou of a brother to whom the object had been unjustly granted. It was unthinkable that such an unworthy creature would even share his noble blood, yet the insipid halfling was undeniably the progeny of their esteemed father.
Why the great general would sire such a creature was beyond him, but what was more perplexing still, was the fact that he would leave the famous sword to the less deserving of his offspring. It was an infuriating state of affairs as it was, but what was more maddening still, was the interference of that girl…
An image of the afore mentioned female solidified in his mind and Sesshoumaru’s lips curled in distaste.
In their father’s own tomb, it was she who had removed the blade from the stone, used it to thwart his efforts to be rid of her and then handed it over to the hanyou.
Because of her, because of that pathetic human female not only was he denied the Tetsusaiga, but his left arm was cleaved clean from his body by the very same blade. His eyes narrowing, the daiyoukai recalled the searing pain of having his arm severed. It had been painful physically, but his pride had suffered an even greater blow.
To think that the blade that should have been bequeathed to him in the first place was used by that pathetic whelp on behalf of that insufferable human girl!
If that had not been bad enough, the very next time they met, the damnable girl had had the audacity to fire arrows at him and managed to shatter his armor. In her presence, even that ridiculous half-breed was more formidable, his desire to protect the pathetic creature driving him to fight with a vigor Sesshoumaru had never witnessed in him before.
The demon lord was also convinced that the girl was at least partly responsible for Inuyasha’s mastering of the Wind Scar, a technique the miserable whelp had used against him nearly costing him his life!
The indignities he had suffered because of her would be atoned for, willingly or otherwise. Since his most previous battle with his brother, the one in which the Wind Scar had been used to severely injure him, Sesshoumaru had kept watch over the small clan that now followed after the half-breed.
With great patience he had bided his time waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his move. He would not be hasty, not this time. He had underestimated Inuyasha on two separate occasions and had lost an arm and nearly his life for his impulsiveness and poor planning.
As luck would have it, he would not have to wait long, for the girl soon stumbled upon the half-breed with the farce of a woman who had been his first love. He had been embracing the abomination of bones, graveyard soil and magic when the little female returned from wherever it was that she went on her frequent excursions.
Through the cover of trees, the girl had watched as the artificial female pressed her lips to those of the hanyou, the scent of anguish rolling off her in waves. Sesshoumaru had not realized that their relationship was as such, but it would all work out to serve in his favor. He could practically hear the sound of her heart shattering when Inuyasha turned an unapologetic look upon her, fully realizing that he had been spotted in the arms of another.
Without a word, the girl had turned away and broke into the woods from which she had come. Surprisingly, Inuyasha made no move to follow her.
Leaping soundlessly from the tree he had been occupying at that moment, he had leisurely trailed the girl, assured that she would not be able to escape him. Unfortunately, he had made another miscalculation. When he had emerged into Inuyasha’s forest, he was just in time to see the girl leap into the Bone Eater’s well.
Curious as to why she would do something so seemingly detrimental, he had gone to the well’s ledge expecting to find her crumpled body at the bottom. To his surprise, the girl was not there. Instead there was only her fading scent together with the odor of a magic he could not name.
Annoyed, Sesshoumaru had taken a moment to evaluate the situation. Now that his carefully crafted plan was missing its primary element, he was uncertain how he would go about achieving his objective.
Deciding more information was required, he went back to gleaning what information he could from silently monitoring his brother and the companions that continued to share his company. He was quickly able to determine that the girl had gone to her village in the future through a time slip or some such thing. The well apparently served as its host. He was also able to ascertain that the girl had had similar quarrels with the halfling whelp before and that it was probable that she would return.
This information put his plan back into play and he had since abandoned the task of monitoring his brother’s pack to return to his surveying of the well. It was a tedious endeavor, for certain but the end result would be well worth it.
It merely required patience.
***
A strange sound reached his ears jolting him fully awake from the light slumber to which he had succumb. Eyes scanning for possible threats, Sesshoumaru’s tension began to ebb when the source of the disturbance met his questing gaze.
It was her…
Watery beams of the early morning sun escaped the sparse veil of clouds to center almost exclusively onto the well, as if the gods themselves were in agreement with his plans and were attempting to show him the way in which his goals would be realized. He soon registered a series of light grunts and muffled words telling him of the girl’s ascent. Sparing a glance in the opposite direction, Sesshoumaru noted that his wretched excuse of a sibling was not far away. It was of no consequence he decided darkly, in a matter of seconds he and the girl would be miles away from this place and the hanyou would be none the wiser.
With the stealth of a skilled predator in pursuit of its prey, Sesshoumaru leapt from his perch. Instead of landing, he formed a cloud of youki at his feet, its power propelling him through the air a short ways. Still unaware of his presence for the moment, the female heaved the upper portion of her body over the edge of the well. When she had her feet solidly beneath her, she took a moment to brush debris from her clothing, straightening them as best she could before running a hand through her dark hair. It seemed that she was about to seat herself on the edge of the old wooden structure when she finally looked up and saw him.
Sesshoumaru could practically feel the air escaping her lungs…
Almost idly, he took in the fact that the girl had foolishly returned without her weapons, not, he amended mentally, that they would have been much help to her anyway. He saw how the color drained from her face and she stumbled back nearly toppling back into the well before he darted forward.
***
Gasping with the shred of air that was not stolen from her lungs when she saw him, Kagome was instantly reminded of the last time she had shared his company. She’d fired arrows at him and if not for Inuyasha shielding her with his own body, he likely would have killed her. There was no reason for him to seek her out other than to complete the task at which he had previously failed. At the revelation, the untrained miko immediately felt the stirrings of panic in every part of her body. She had no weapons, no friends, no Inuyasha… she was here all alone.
With him…
And there was no way she could prevent him from ending her life at this very moment.
She wanted to scream but was too shocked to do so. She stumbled back, sheer, raw instinct demanding that she flee this dangerous creature quickly lest she suffer the consequences of remaining in his presence.
But there was no time…
She was hardly aware of what had happened. One moment, he was just standing there, and a wave of dizziness, and a white blur later, something, it was… HIM!!! HE had crashed into her with what seemed like the force of a brick wall and then the ground was no longer beneath her feet.
Finally gathering her wits enough to share her terror with the outside world, Kagome was unfortunately prevented from crying out by the clawed, dangerous hand that clamped down like a vice over her mouth. The wind whipped against her mercilessly, stinging her fragile skin and pointing out with certainty that human beings were not meant to travel so swiftly through thin air. Her panicked mind temporarily lost the ability to register the passage of time so she could not begin to say how long they’d traveled before he landed in an area which seemed simultaneously open and secluded at the same time. He landed near the edge of a precipice, making sure to place her closest to the edge so that any thoughts she might have of escaping would be discouraged by the stone peppered valley that lay far below.
He abruptly released her watching impassively as the girl fell to the thin, dry grass, her small body jarring violently with the impact. Large frightened eyes stared up at him and the inu could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the dissipation of the brave front she had displayed when last they met.
“Wha-- What do you want with me?” she stammered, folding her legs in such a way as to protect what little modesty she had left due to the tiny garment she wore. Sesshoumaru scowled lightly. As if he would have any use for one such as she.
“You forfeited your life when you interfered in my dealings with Inuyasha.” he intoned stonily, noting absently the faint stirring of melancholy at the mention of the hanyou’s name. “However, I will not kill you, as is my right. I will instead grant you the opportunity to correct your mistake.”
At that moment, her brow crinkled in what he could only describe as mildly defiant confusion. “What are you talking about?” she asked guardedly.
The demon narrowed his eyes. “The Tetsuaiga,” he stated simply, “You will retrieve it and surrender it to me.” He watched her and was faintly surprised when her eyes hardened and much of the fear that had radiated from her person dissipated, leaving little indication it had ever been there.
“No.” she declared, her voice quiet and vehement. “I will not.”
In a move her human eyes could scarcely register, the demon had pulled her to her feet, the immovable grip of his only clawed hand wrapped securely about her wrist. “You would dare to refuse me, even when your own life hangs in the balance?” he hissed, his warm breath ghosting over her cheeks as he held her close enough to glare down into her eyes. Her lips parted as if she would respond, but before she could do so he added, “Even after he has betrayed you?”
The girl’s reaction was immediate. She gasped, her jaw going slack as her shimmering brown eye stared at him with obvious incredulity. “H-how do you know about…?” she was about to ask, but was unable to finish when he cut her off.
“I know many things.” he said quietly. “I know that he does not care for you as you apparently care for him. It is obvious even to me. If he held any wish for your continued presence, instinct would have demanded that he go after you when you fled from him. After all,” he drawled darkly, his hand tightening further around her wrist as he pulled her even closer, “It is an inu’s nature to give chase to what he desires.”
She frowned at that, but her eyes displayed the viscous swirls of hurt stirred by his callous words. “Maybe,” she began, her voice dry and slightly grainy, “Maybe he did betray me,” her frown deepened and she bared her blunt human teeth at him. “But I won’t return the favor!! I won’t betray him to the likes of you!”
His displeasure of her defiance was evident in the thinning of his lips and the light furrow of his brow. “Is this your final decision?” he drawled softly, though his voice was edged with danger.
She didn’t even hesitate before giving her answer. “Yes!”
“Hn. So be it.”
It was the last thing she would hear him say before she was flung away from him. She had fully expected to go flying over the edge of the precipice but apparently there was more ground behind her than she had believed. She made brutal contact with the unforgiving earth, her small form rolling over and over before finally skidding to a stop at the very edge of the cliff. Her skirt was now torn and her flesh burned and stained by the parched grass. She looked up at him, her fear returning ten fold as he advanced on her and the world around her narrowed and slowed to this crucial moment.
His eyes held the shimmering glow of malice and his hand, still in motion from when he had thrown her down, began to glow an unnerving shade of green. Unconcerned over her compromised modesty, the untrained miko didn’t even realize that her tattered clothing now showed more than she would have deemed acceptable. He was moving toward her quickly; so quickly that it was difficult for her eyes to follow. His hand, now fully engulfed in toxic wisps of green, was moving ever closer, the poisonous plumes spreading, billowing, reaching toward her; aiming to end her life.
Normally, this is where Kagome would throw up her hands, hiding behind them until Inuyasha barged in to save her. But things were different this time. She knew, knew Inuyasha was not coming; knew that the useless reflex would only end in her demise. She had to DO something!
He was closer now, closer, almost here!
Kagome threw up her hands.
But, instead of hiding behind them this time, she aimed her palms toward him. She had to make him stop, had to ward him off somehow. Yet, for reasons she could not begin to fathom, she also did not wish to kill him. An explosive surge of energy, pink, pure and blinding, exploded from the girl’s palms, her body jerking violently as it fled from her.
The momentum that had been propelling him toward her together with the abruptness of her attack, ensured with all certainty that Sesshoumaru would not escape in time. His eyes widened, heels dug into the earth, tried to dart to the right, was hit on the left…
Gritting his teeth and refusing to vocalize his pain, the youkai growled mentally at the searing burn that ripped through him like a scorching, rusty blade through flesh, muscle and bone. He was thrown several yards back, his boots carving grooves into the earth as he landed on his feet and skidded to a halt. “Insolent wretch!” he growled, his ever present indifference giving way to rage at her continued audacity. For once in his life, he found himself at a loss for what to do next. If he darted forward again, it was likely that she would repeat her attack and if it was enough to burn and throw him back this first time, what would a second blast yield?
Pulling a pair of shaking legs beneath her, the girl stood, uncertainty writ clear on her face. When Kagome had first come to this time, she had been able to perform a similar blast, but somehow this one felt different. Whatever the case, she wasn’t sure she would be able to do it again if he was insistent on killing her and even though there was a more comfortable distance between them now, she still was not sure how she would manage to escape. “Stay back!” she warned loudly, endeavoring to infuse as much threat into her voice as a petite young woman with mussed hair and torn clothing could muster.
They faced off, untrained miko against great and terrible inu lord; neither wavering, neither willing to back down to the other. Then, the tension broke, it was so sudden, so subtle, a shifting of brown eyes… just a little. It was the perfect opportunity to strike, but the faint confusion evident in her features gave the inu lord pause. “Your arm…” she breathed so softly he almost didn’t hear. It was perhaps not the best of decisions, but Sesshoumaru looked. Moving slowly, cautiously, he turned his gaze to follow the girl’s line of sight. The left portion of his kimono was singed beyond repair, the sleeve almost entirely missing. His armor, while in far better condition, had not escaped unscathed either as it clearly displayed the burn of the girl’s power.
But, more interesting than anything he’d surveyed thus far, was the stump of his left arm. He was well aware of how it had looked since the day it was cleaved away by the halfling whelp called Inuyasha. It was seared into his memory and it boiled his blood every time he looked upon it… except for now. This time, it inspired a completely different reaction. Shock. Whereas everything else was burned and damaged, his arm was healed… partially anyway. It had been severed, just a few inches below the shoulder. But now it was notably longer. It had grown, almost to the elbow. He could not keep the surprise from his face.
Turning back to the girl, his eyes still larger than normal, he asked, “What are you?”
***
She was a miko, untrained, but immensely powerful. Torn between the instinct to protect herself and a foolish, yet beneficial desire not to harm him more than what was strictly necessary, the girl had held back at the last possible moment and unleashed a blast of power which was a mix of destruction and healing. While it had destroyed his clothing and damaged his armor, it had healed his flesh.
She had refused to procure the Tetsuaiga for him, and so her life was now at his mercy. She would not agree to it verbally, but she was given no option but to remain in his traveling party until such time as it pleased him to be rid of her. Having discovered that she was of greater use than he had initially believed, Sesshoumaru felt it prudent to keep her by his side. She would restore his arm.
In his travels over the years, Sesshoumaru had come across an unscrupulous young priestess named Chi. She held no qualms about availing her services to anyone who held a few pieces of silver, gold or pretty much anything of monetary value. He had never expected to see her again, but now it seemed, he had need of her assistance. Pallid and withered, the miko’s once passable features were now creased with age. That was of no consequence however as he only required her services to train this miko. She would be employed to instruct Kagome only in the ways of healing among their kind. Though it had been unnecessary to warn her not to instruct the girl any further than that, he did so anyway. For Chi, time was money and she would do little more than what she was paid to do.
The idea of simply having the old priestess heal his arm had crossed his mind, but the fact was that he simply did not trust her. The young miko, Kagome, had already displayed her unwillingness to attempt mortal destruction against him, even when her own life was on the line. Besides, Kagome was his property now, and just like sharpening a katana, he felt it advantageous that she should gained full control over her healing abilities as it would make her more useful to him.
Kagome had accepted the training with little question, believing that once she restored his arm, her ‘debt’ would be paid and he would let her go. She didn’t seem to understand that Sesshoumaru had no particular plans of releasing her at all. He was still toying with the notion of using her to procure Tetsuaiga, and aside from that, her healing abilities might come in handy for future use. If not for him, then at the very least for his human charge, the little girl called Rin who had taken to following him in these recent weeks. Not, he amended mentally, that it was of any great importance to him, but the miko’s company was also good for the human child.
Glancing over at the girl’s sleeping form as the light of the fire warmed her against the cool night air, Sesshoumaru could feel a sense of anticipation stirring within him. They would arrive at Chi’s village in the morning and the miko would begin her training. He turned away to gaze into the stars. If the girl was fairly sharp and learned her lessons quickly, his arm would be restored within a few months.
***
It had taken two months, two long, arduous months under the tutelage of the crusty, bitter old miko called Chi, but Kagome had finally learned the basics of healing. She might have been able to learn more quickly if not for Chi’s resigned method of teaching. The dried out husk of a woman worked only for the weight of her purse, and it showed in the impatience with which she dealt with her pupils. Not only that, but Kagome often found herself preoccupied with other matters as well. The goings on with Naraku and the jewel, the friend she’d made in this time, her family, who were probably worried sick about her by now, and Inuyasha, the one who had turned his back on her. He had chosen Kikyou, held her in his arms, openly declared that he’d thought of her each day and sealed their lips in a kiss that broke her heart.
He didn’t need her anymore. Kikyou would help him find the jewel. He wouldn’t come after her. Not this time. He had proven that much. Silent tears had drenched her cheeks nearly every night since then, but now, even though the pain was still there, it didn’t cripple her as it once had. Now it was tainted, only slightly with a level of bitterness that he would so easily forget her. Still, even with this knowledge, Kagome would not betray him. In fact, she’d decided one night, when her eyes had been dry and stinging from crying, it was probably best if she never saw him again. Now that she had learned her lessons, she could heal Sesshoumaru’s arm, repay the stupid debt he thought she owed him and then go home and pick up her life as a normal teenaged girl.
Though her experience here had been more bad than good, the idea of leaving this place behind filled her with a sense of melancholy. It didn’t matter though. Sesshoumaru was coming to get her from Chi’s village today, she’d heal his arm by sunset, and be at home in her bed by tonight.
It was all so simple.
***
“There!” the girl declared happily, her satisfaction evident in the large smile she wore. Now dressed in the garb of a proper miko as Chi had demanded nothing less, she stood back allowing her oversized sleeves to fall back into place as she admired her work. “It looks really good if I do say so myself!” she added and proudly placed a hand on each hip.
Sesshoumaru looked down at his fully restored left arm, lifting it before him and flexing his clawed fingers as he curled and uncurled his fist. “Hn.” he declared with only a modicum of interest.
“Hn?!” she asked incredulously, “Is that all you have to say?!” He turned a glare on her, silently warning her to watch her tone. “Well, whatever,” she waved him off flippantly. “You got your arm back and that’s all that matters.” She took a deep breath releasing it in an audible sigh. “Now, if you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of The Bone-Eater’s Well, I’ll be on my way!”
She saw his brow furrow. “I do not think so.” he intoned blandly.
Her frown matched his own. “What do you mean you don’t think so? I can’t find it on my own.” she paused and looked around as if to gage her surroundings. “You don’t have to take me there, just tell me which way to go.”
“I will do neither. Tell me, Kagome, what ever made you believe that your debt to me would be repaid with the restoration of my arm? That,” he drawled softly, “Was a notion of your own creation. Do not expect me to take the blame because you mistook my silence as confirmation of your lunacy.”
Her eyes widened at that. “What else could you possibly want from me?!” she demanded heatedly. “I already told you that I won’t steal Tetsuaiga for you and I don’t have anything else to offer! You have no further reason to keep me here!”
He rose from his position against the tree and her eyes followed as he went from looking up at her to towering over her smaller form. “I have no right?” he drawled darkly. “You had no right to interfere in my dealings with Inuyasha and for that I had every right to kill you, you should count yourself fortunate that I did not. As of that moment, your life, including any and all abilities you possess now and in the future became mine to control as I see fit!” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “I will here nothing further on this subject.”
Her rage boiling over and pushing her past the bounds of caution, the miko challenged, “Oh yeah?! Well you won’t have to hear any more on the subject because I’m outta here! You don’t get to dictate what I do!!” and with that, she spun on her heel to beat a hasty retreat into the forest.
She’d hardly taken four long strides before the great inu had her in his claws. His fingers clasped around her thin neck, he pressed her against a tree, holding her above him as he glared up at her. Instead of succumbing to fear, or even logic, she fought against his hold scratching at his skin and demanding that he release her.
“Insufferable woman.” he hissed. “It is advisable that you do not make yourself more trouble than you are worth.”
She continued her fruitless struggles and he tightened his grip enough to be extremely unpleasant but not enough to be lethal. She gradually stilled, her cheeks flushing heavily. “Do not think for one moment that you can escape me.” he said slowly, deliberately. “Clearly you do not understand and so I will take this single opportunity to explain. You, Higurashi, Kagome, are mine! Your life, your power, your very flesh, it all belongs to me and only I will decide if you will stay, if you will go, if you will live or if you will die.” He tightened his grip ever so slightly, allowing his claws to bite into her fragile skin. “By rights I should have already killed you. Do not force me to rescind my generosity.”
He dropped her then, watching impassively as she crumpled to the ground, sputtering and coughing violently as she regained her breath.
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Wow! Sesshoumaru’s being a jerk right now isn’t he?! I never would have expected that kind of behavior from him.
Anyway, this story is part one of what will be a two part story. In other words, this is the Acquisition, and Possession part, and the Seduction will take place in the second part. I know the plot isn’t very outstanding or unique, but with a short story like this, what do you really expect?
Hope you all enjoyed, and please take a moment to leave a comment. It’s the right thing to do! XD