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Allegiance | 4: Alliance
Click here to read original entry (200 words)
Title: Alliance - Expanded
Universe: Canon
Rating: T
Warning: Hints of violence
Word Count: 685
Summary: Sesshoumaru realizes Kagome’s stubborn pride – and his own actions – have caused her harm.
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
~*~
Two weeks later, he found her on the corner of an abandoned practice range, firing arrow after angry arrow into a far target. He held back for a moment, admiring her improving skill, her shots landing with deadly precision. As he drew nearer, however, he realized she hardly had such control over herself, a fine shimmer of rage radiating from her too-thin frame.
The accompanying scent was sour to his nostrils, but did not dissuade his approach.
She whirled around, stifling a startled gasp at his presence, clutching her bow close to her chest. He, too, was brought up short as he took in her appearance. Ghastly bruises and marks covered every visible inch of her – wounds too fresh to be battle scars.
Defiant tears slipped down her cheeks as she met his gaze, pride and resentment lurking in the shadows of her eyes.
Inexplicable anger coiled in his gut. “Who did this to you?” he asked, surprised at the guttural tone of his voice. His hands fisted at his sides.
She turned away from him. “Your men don’t respect me.”
“Who?” he demanded. This would not stand. Were his men truly that stupid? Did they not realize the true extent of her powers? Or where they merely that short of memory, unable to look beyond her mortality?
“Does it matter?” she sighed. “They fear me, but they don’t respect me.” She shrugged, her arms unfurling loosely, the bow slack in her hand. “They were only putting me in my place.”
His eyes blazed with golden fire as he stared at the back of her head. “Your place,” he hissed possessively, “is with me. We are allies.” Some feeling he couldn’t identify rankled against his nerves, causing his youki to flare. That primal urge was rising high within him again, and he was equally shocked and appalled to find himself at its mercy.
“Don’t you understand?” she murmured darkly. “That’s not good enough anymore.”
He resisted the urge to reach out for her, to draw her close. A little voice in the back of his mind mocked him. It’s just like Rin, all over again.
After losing her, he swore he wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice.
“Then what do you suggest?” he asked tersely, keeping his hands firmly at his sides, striving to regain control over the inner workings of his body.
A long stretch of silence filled the space between them before she turned to face him once more. “A union.”
For the first time in his life, he was truly taken aback. “Do you realize what you say?”
“You know I have nowhere else to turn,” she replied, her tone thin, pained. “I have put myself at your mercy, in exchange for protection in this world.” And you have failed me.
The implication of her words struck deep in his heart, and again he wondered why it bothered him so much.
She raised her chin to look him directly in the eye. “I realize this proposal is radical, but there’s no other way I can stay here, in peace.”
Her aura was strong as she stood her ground, spiking and ebbing with the flow of her frustration. He realized that she found this solution just as unpleasant as he, yet he knew she spoke the truth. He couldn’t be with her every moment of the day – whoever was responsible for her current condition would find a way to continue.
He understood he was partially to blame, for putting a human woman in charge of his youkai vassals in war. They resented the implication: that she was somehow equal to their general, or even to him, their leader. Negotiations following the conflict had carried him away from the grounds, and obviously his men had taken out their umbrage on her in his stead.
She was far too proud to coming running to him for personal protection from them – besides which, such consideration had obviously only caused her harm.
Was he willing to go so far?
Was the tenuous alliance they shared worth the price she asked?
It’s just like Rin, all over again.
Title: Alliance - Expanded
Universe: Canon
Rating: T
Warning: Hints of violence
Word Count: 685
Summary: Sesshoumaru realizes Kagome’s stubborn pride – and his own actions – have caused her harm.
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
Two weeks later, he found her on the corner of an abandoned practice range, firing arrow after angry arrow into a far target. He held back for a moment, admiring her improving skill, her shots landing with deadly precision. As he drew nearer, however, he realized she hardly had such control over herself, a fine shimmer of rage radiating from her too-thin frame.
The accompanying scent was sour to his nostrils, but did not dissuade his approach.
She whirled around, stifling a startled gasp at his presence, clutching her bow close to her chest. He, too, was brought up short as he took in her appearance. Ghastly bruises and marks covered every visible inch of her – wounds too fresh to be battle scars.
Defiant tears slipped down her cheeks as she met his gaze, pride and resentment lurking in the shadows of her eyes.
Inexplicable anger coiled in his gut. “Who did this to you?” he asked, surprised at the guttural tone of his voice. His hands fisted at his sides.
She turned away from him. “Your men don’t respect me.”
“Who?” he demanded. This would not stand. Were his men truly that stupid? Did they not realize the true extent of her powers? Or where they merely that short of memory, unable to look beyond her mortality?
“Does it matter?” she sighed. “They fear me, but they don’t respect me.” She shrugged, her arms unfurling loosely, the bow slack in her hand. “They were only putting me in my place.”
His eyes blazed with golden fire as he stared at the back of her head. “Your place,” he hissed possessively, “is with me. We are allies.” Some feeling he couldn’t identify rankled against his nerves, causing his youki to flare. That primal urge was rising high within him again, and he was equally shocked and appalled to find himself at its mercy.
“Don’t you understand?” she murmured darkly. “That’s not good enough anymore.”
He resisted the urge to reach out for her, to draw her close. A little voice in the back of his mind mocked him. It’s just like Rin, all over again.
After losing her, he swore he wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice.
“Then what do you suggest?” he asked tersely, keeping his hands firmly at his sides, striving to regain control over the inner workings of his body.
A long stretch of silence filled the space between them before she turned to face him once more. “A union.”
For the first time in his life, he was truly taken aback. “Do you realize what you say?”
“You know I have nowhere else to turn,” she replied, her tone thin, pained. “I have put myself at your mercy, in exchange for protection in this world.” And you have failed me.
The implication of her words struck deep in his heart, and again he wondered why it bothered him so much.
She raised her chin to look him directly in the eye. “I realize this proposal is radical, but there’s no other way I can stay here, in peace.”
Her aura was strong as she stood her ground, spiking and ebbing with the flow of her frustration. He realized that she found this solution just as unpleasant as he, yet he knew she spoke the truth. He couldn’t be with her every moment of the day – whoever was responsible for her current condition would find a way to continue.
He understood he was partially to blame, for putting a human woman in charge of his youkai vassals in war. They resented the implication: that she was somehow equal to their general, or even to him, their leader. Negotiations following the conflict had carried him away from the grounds, and obviously his men had taken out their umbrage on her in his stead.
She was far too proud to coming running to him for personal protection from them – besides which, such consideration had obviously only caused her harm.
Was he willing to go so far?
Was the tenuous alliance they shared worth the price she asked?
It’s just like Rin, all over again.