Inuyasha’s features contorted in rage. “You…” Sesshoumaru stood stonily by as his brother seized him by the neck of his haori. “After all the hell Kagome’s been through, you’re talking about mating with her?” Snarling, he tightened his hold, the points of his claws biting into Sesshoumaru’s flesh. “Are you fucking insane?”
“Easy, now,” Ryouken growled, advancing.
Sesshoumaru cut his cousin off with a glare before fixing his gaze on his brother. “Do you think,” he said coldly, detaching the hanyou from him with a shove, “I would propose this if there were any better choice? The prospect is as detestable to me as it is to you.”
Seething, Inuyasha stumbled as he shot back, “Why?—because she’s human?”
The demon lord’s jaw clenched, his brother’s sheer idiocy infuriating him that much further. Incensed, he bit out, “Because she is unwilling, you fool.”
Fangs bared, the hanyou returned Sesshoumaru’s glare. “You’re damn right she’s ‘unwilling’. As if Kagome would ever want to do that with you.” As Sesshoumaru contemplated hurling him from the terrace into the woods below, Inuyasha continued tersely, “If anyone, it oughta be me. She’s my friend—not yours.”
“You are a half-demon,” Sesshoumaru countered with more heat than was necessary, all patience with his brother long spent. “Even were your blood sufficient to the task, could you bear the consequences?—the end of your friendship with Kagome at best, and at worst, her contempt?”
Only Sesshoumaru deserved such disdain. Only he should have to bear this burden, and in his mind, only he could. For it was in his power alone that he trusted—not in his brother’s, nor any others’, nor least of all that accursed Jewel’s.
As Inuyasha shrank from Sesshoumaru’s words, his mother, who had watched their vitriolic exchange in simmering impatience, rose swiftly to her feet.
“You must not do this, Sesshoumaru. It is cruel—it is beneath you,” she said with cutting distaste, the glint of her eyes condemning in its censure. “It would be the end of our house.”
“…There would be dissent to be sure, my lord,” Ryouken agreed, his heavy features sagged in a frown. “War, even. Other lords would view such a union as a sign of weakness.” Muttering aside, he added, “Not even Uncle went so far…”
This of course was true—the Inu no Taishou had taken Izayoi merely as his lover, not his mate. There was a world of difference between the two, yet Sesshoumaru was undeterred. He had never given much consideration to taking a mate of his own, yet if he were to ally himself with any one female, he could hardly think of one worthier than Kagome.
“Let them challenge me then,” he said to Ryouken, “all who would dare.” As the captain lowered his gaze, Sesshoumaru locked eyes with his mother. “As for our house, were it not for her sacrifice, it would have ended months ago.”
Stricken, Inukimi looked from him to Inuyasha, who was regarding Sesshoumaru narrowly—but intently.
“Are you sure,” he grit out, as though each word were a vicious struggle, “that it’ll work?”
“If she is able,” Sesshoumaru replied, wondering himself.
Overruled, his mother spun sharply on her heel. “I will not be a party to this madness,” she declared, sparing none of them a glance as she swept promptly from the terrace.
In the brooding silence that followed her departure, the daiyoukai turned toward his haggard cousin. “Ryouken,” he ordered, “bring Hikari here.”
“Yes, sire,” the captain murmured, seeming relieved to have an excuse to leave.
Alone with his stewing brother, Sesshoumaru crossed over to the tiled ledge of the veranda. Standing between two vine-wreathed columns, he looked out over the wooded valley that bordered the main palace below. Miles away and above in the distance, he could just discern the outline of the lone castle—Kagome’s castle, he had already come to refer to it as in his mind.
As the door behind him slid open and Hikari appeared alongside Ryouken, Sesshoumaru stepped toward her. Surprised by such a summons, and by the dour attitudes of the demons assembled, the demoness stood timidly before the Lord of the Western Lands, her claws clasped and hidden together within the violet sleeves of her kimono.
Seeing no reason to belabor the point, Sesshoumaru said to her, “Tell me, Hikari—is Kagome well enough to mate?”
The healer blanched, her lips parting in shock at the question. Glancing sidelong at her in commiseration, the inuyoukai captain reached indiscreetly for the flask of sake at his hip, several tense seconds passing before the demoness recovered enough to respond.
“Well enough…?” she echoed weakly in confusion. “My lord, I…”
“Physically,” Sesshoumaru clarified in a brisk tone.
Wide lavender eyes flicked to Inuyasha in desperation, yet the hanyou was glaring determinedly away. “Physically,” she replied at last, her voice faint with dread. “…Yes, my lord, but—”
“That is all,” the daiyoukai said curtly. “You may go.”
Hesitating for a moment, the distraught demoness cast her eyes briefly toward his brother again before retreating with a defeated bow. After taking another long pull from his flask, Ryouken muttered something about seeing to the defenses as he dismissed himself and lumbered away.
As the door snapped shut behind him, Inuyasha turned to Sesshoumaru, his crossed claws sunk through the crimson fabric of his haori. His jawline was rigid, his golden eyes hard and flat.
“When?” was all he asked.
Sesshoumaru set his sights upon Kagome’s castle once again. Now that their course had been decided, there was no sense in delaying it any longer.
“Tonight,” he answered.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Ohmyghad! As much as I want Kagome to have her old self back, without her consent it’s the same as raping her! Sesshomaru, you fool! His mother is right, this is madness. All seriousness aside, he’s not exactly being ‘selfless’ as he likes to believe, he’s being selfish for keeping her there, on that state, and planning to mate her. You think that the solution is better but he’s going to doom her in neverending life! What would she feel when she outlived her friends or her family?! They have no right on making life changing decisions for her regardless of her state. Just wake her up and let her decided! If they dont even let her decide, they’re no different than her tormentors. Some of the truth came out, too, unconsiously he cant see anyone worthy to spend the rest of his life with (mate) than Kagome.
And, gosh, I’m sorry but Hikari is starting to pissed me off with all this pinning for Inuyasha or whatever.
Anyway, thank you so much for updating! I’ve been on your blog for like 24/7 hours re-reading your stories because of how addicting they are. Love your writing style and more power to you author-chan!
Hello! Hope you don’t mind my 2 cents.
I don’t know that he intended to mate her/kept her to mate her. His actions are selfish, but he’s selfish in that he wants to be punished. He’s too caught up in his self-loathing to do what’s best for her, and by punishing himself to “save” her (the easiest way being physically), he thinks he can gain atonement (or *absolution*). That’s really why he keeps her alive and keeps her nearby and keeps himself involved – and its why he keeps suggesting/saying that *he* deserves her hate for *his* failing her, not anyone else.
Underneath it all, he does admire her, but he’s put her on such a pedestal as a “pure” thing that was ruined because of his failings that I don’t think he can feel anything for her as a person. I think he’s going to be quite shocked when Kagome eventually forgives him, as he doesn’t want to be forgiven. The danger is, of course, that he’s so caught up in punishing himself he’s willing to risk everything around him. Guilt and shame are very corrosive emotions.
At least, that’s my armchair psychologist’s take on it. Sorry if I go overboard, I just have a lot of thoughts/feelings about this fic.
I love Char’s characters. They are always so complex and conflicted, and they lie to themselves very well which makes for interesting twists and turns.
Came for Daily Transgressions (and thought that was dark), stayed for the enjoyable agony of everything else on here.
Ahh absolutely love hearing your take on the story thus far! <3 Hope you enjoy how things pan out!
So glad you've been enjoying the fics on my blog! And thank you for the lovely compliments!! <3 <3
Aw thank you so much, Rain! So glad you’ve been enjoying my stories – and so sorry to leave you hanging! Hoping to be ramping up the update frequency soon now that real life has settled down a bit 🙂
Absolutely love hearing your take on events!! Thanks for sharing <3 <3
Blanched is right. I can’t believe they’re really going through with this. This is going to be horrific for Kagome. There aren’t enough therapists on the planet between now and 1999…
You’re killing me Char. You may actually make me cry.
Not enough therapists by a long shot D:
Sorry, girl!! I know I’m the worst lol
<3
oh man….
D:
I know, I’m terrible haha
<3
Sesshoumaru, what are you thinking? You are one deranged dog.
All of them need to let Kagome come out of her current coma-like state and let her decide her fate. If she wants to die then let her. Everyone seems to use her for their own agenda. The gods, Naraku, her friends and now this guilt-ridden demon lord.
No one ever asks her what she wants. They assume what they’re doing will be in her best interests. Poor poor Kagome.
Nope no one asks… 🙁
And of course this is the same stubborn hanyou who used to get in knock-down drag-outs with Kagome every time she wanted to go home lol
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, as always, Doug!! <3 <3
I can only wish i hope he’ll wake kagome up & ask what she wants… This fic evokes so many emotions….
😭 Please keep updating i love all your fics
P. S. I really love reading the readers comments so. Many different views…. *its because your fics are really engaging *
Thanks so much, Anki! So glad you’re enjoying the fic – and the discussions! I love them too <3
I love all the comments and everyone’s take on this story thus far and I agree that Sess is looking for punishment or eternal penance to alleviate his guilt. Depending on who this Kagome is, she will probably forgive him (in time) and where will that leave him? I also suspect that InuYasha not doing more to stop it will drive a wedge between him and Kagome. I think she’ll be pissed that he didn’t do more to protect her.
Of course, my real world brain looks for the realistic solution to this problem, and assuming Kagome’s time is 2019 and not 1998, my immediate thought is why didn’t her mother insist on Inuyasha bringing Kagome back to the modern time and seek real medical attention and surgery?! I know damn sure I would if I was her mom. I know this is fantasy and that’s not the real point of the story but my pragmatic brain just immediately goes to reconstructive surgery, face transplant, intense psycho-therapy and PTSD treatment are all in order for this poor girl. 😉😊
As always great writing Char and I can’t wait for more!
You raise a great point, Molly! If I were Kagome’s mom and knew what was really going on, I’d be demanding to have her back home too. Of course, there’s sadly not much she can really do about it…
Love hearing your take on Sesshoumaru’s motivations and character! Hope you like where the story goes from here!! <3 <3
I kind of hope that Kagome wakes up before Sesshomaru does that stupid thing called ‘mating a comatose Kagome’. He needs a reality check here.
Kagome would never forgive him for doing what he is about to do to her. She can easily forgive him for throwing her under the bus to save Rin first, because a child’s life or anybody else’s life is more important than her own according to Kagome’s philosophy of life.
Very fascinating chapter char. Looking forward to more of the same. 🙂
Yeah saving Rin is one thing, and this is another entirely. Totally agree with where you’re coming from!
So glad you enjoyed the chapter, Cheryl!! Thanks for sharing and hope you like the next part! <3