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Allegiance | 12: Shield
MASTER SERIES INDEX IS HERE.
Click here to read original entry (1637 words)
Title: Shield - Expanded
Genre: Angst/Drama
Universe: Canon
Rating: T
Warnings: Character death (implied)
Word Count: 1730
Summary: Sesshoumaru learns of his brother’s fate as a new threat arises against his house.
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
“You requested an audience with me, my lord?”
Sesshoumaru looked up from his work, allowing his eyes to fall upon the woman kneeling before him, her head bowed in quiet deference. His blood heated in his veins as she sat back on her heels, bringing her hands to rest on the bright red cloth of her hakama. For a long moment, he studied her, this woman who had brought him so much pain and conflict, allowing a heightened sense of irritation to wash over him. He was so tired of it all – of the suffering, of the regret, of the secrets she fought so hard to hide from him.
He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.
“Are you ever going to tell me what happened to him?” he finally asked, resting his arms along the length of his desk.
Kagome’s head shot up, her eyes widening as they latched onto his. The tiniest hint of fear spiked in her scent, though she rushed to conceal it. Her expression fell carefully blank as she lowered her eyes once more.
“Why is it any of your concern?” she replied, softly but firmly. “You never cared about him when he was alive – ”
He was across the room before she could place him. “Why is it any of my concern?” he repeated incredulously, grabbing her arm and hauling her to her feet. He gripped her wrist, shoving it in her face. “Have you forgotten? My blood flows through your veins,” he contended lowly, his voice on the edge of ice. His eyes fell shut as he took a deep breath, fighting the urge to flick his claws across her skin and remind her just how they had gotten into this predicament in the first place.
“And your emotions flow through me,” he continued after a beat, eyeing her once more. “I know you regret whatever happened to him, so tell me –” – he squeezed her wrist, the bones come agonizingly close to breaking beneath his grip – “ – tell me why you’re really here.”
Her gaze flickered to his, her expression betraying no hint of pain, though her scent – and her emotions – told quite the different story, ebbing and flowing against the back of his mind with fear, regret, and something unknown…
“I told you,” she whispered over a ragged breath, “I had nowhere else to go. I sought your protection.”
He snorted in response, his eyes narrowing as he released her. “You are more than capable of protecting yourself.”
She bit her lips, a violent tremble raking over her body as she cupped her wrist and held it close to her chest. The salty smell of tears spiked in his nose; his youki raged at the sight of her, vulnerable and hurt, warring against the pride and frustration that throbbed through him at her obstinacy. Dammit, but why couldn’t she be honest with him? She was bound to him now, not his brother, and he had every right to know why she held back from him – !
A knock sounded at the door, shattering the tension of the room. Sesshoumaru paid it no heed, his attention focused solely on the woman before him and the storm of emotion she always managed to stir within him.
“My lord?” tried a voice, meek and unsure, muffled through the thin shoji screen.
“Not now,” Sesshoumaru snarled, cutting his eyes over to the opening door, fisting his hands and taking a deep breath to regain control of himself.
It was one of his castle guard. “My lord, with all due respect – ” The young youkai froze when he noted Kagome’s presence in the room, his eyes widening, then narrowing, then closing as he debated whether or not to continue.
“My lord,” he repeated after a moment, “we’ve found something you ought to see. One of the scouts, on patrol to the south, engaged in conflict with an unknown but very powerful opponent.” He shot a decidedly cold glare in Kagome’s direction. “A human opponent, with a weapon unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head. “Bring it in,” he assented.
The young youkai gaped. “But my lord – ”
“If it is a human weapon,” Sesshoumaru cut in, his eyes narrowing into slits as he gazed at his guard, “then we will allow our resident human to identify it.”
Kagome looked up at him then, as if only now realizing there was someone else in the room. Sesshoumaru kept his eyes averted, pointedly fixing his attention to the doorway as a range of footsteps approached.
Five of the guard swooped into the room, carrying a long, smoking metal object on several layers of rough cloth. They halted a few steps from Sesshoumaru, allowing him to peruse the curious piece, though they stood apart from it as much as was physically possible, holding onto the edges of the blankets with claw-tipped fingers.
Sesshoumaru spared a cutting look at the original, accompanying guard. “This is a firearm,” he announced, unimpressed.
“Indeed, my lord,” the guard agreed, “but look at this.” He curled his hand into a fist, reaching down to brush the metal with the back of his hand.
A spark of purified light crackled forth at the contact, earning a gasp of pain and a singe of skin for the hapless soldier.
Sesshoumaru raised in a brow, new interest in his eyes as he gazed down the length of the black barrel. It was, indeed, unlike any firearm he’d ever seen before, especially as it seemed to have no handle. That end, however, was not as smooth as the other, suggesting to him that the weapon was broken. “What happened?” he asked, indicating the unformed end with a nod of his head.
“It exploded on him,” one of the guards holding the blankets piped up. “The human fired and it recoiled and blew up in his face. That’s what killed him.”
“Got a taste of his own medicine,” another grumbled under his breath. “Now he knows what it feels like to be purified to a crisp.”
The others murmured in agreement, curling their hands even more towards their bodies, as if reacting to the very idea of touching the weapon.
“Kagome,” Sesshoumaru called, his eyes still trained forward. “What is this?”
He felt, rather than heard, her breath shuttering in her lungs as she approached his side. “Kamis above,” she gasped, gripping the sleeve of his kimono, unable to tear her gaze away.
Sesshoumaru turned his head, his eyes narrowing as he felt the rising tide of distress in the back of his mind. “What is this?” he pressed, unable to hold back the full bore of his irritation.
“It’s called an arquebus,” she stuttered, taking fistfuls of his sleeve until she found his arm. “It’s a gun.”
Sesshoumaru steeled his spine, allowing his eyes to fall closed as he reigned in his emotions. “I’m aware of that,” he began through clenched teeth, only to find his next words stuck in his throat.
“It’s what killed him,” Kagome blurted out. “It’s what killed Inuyasha.” Her fingers curled around his arm, her nails digging into his flesh as sobs broke in her chest.
He turned to her, stunned. “My brother was felled by a human weapon?” he breathed, unable to believe his ears.
She was shaking, tears flowing down her cheeks, her distress and fear and anguish calling out to his youki. “They’ve found me,” she whispered. “They wanted me, and they followed me, and they found me.” Her free hand closed over her neck as another sob escaped.
“I can’t stay here,” she babbled. “I have to leave. Oh, kami, I can’t stay here one moment longer!”
“Leave,” Sesshoumaru directed to his guard, his gaze averting from Kagome for only a moment. His heart was pounding in his chest, his breath short in his lungs, the muscles across his abdomen constricting as the sheer force of her unleashed anguish threatened to overwhelm him.
When silence greeted his order, he looked over his shoulder, only to see them staring back at him, mouths agape.
“I said go!” he growled, leaving no doubt in their minds as to the status of their lives should they defy him. They scrambled away, closing the door with a slam as they beat a hasty retreat.
Kagome swooned then, falling to her knees, continuing her mantra – “I can’t stay, I can’t stay, I can’t stay” – paying no heed to her surroundings as she sank to the floor. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused, her lips quivering as she rambled on.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Sesshoumaru declared, giving her a slight shake as his youki flared forth, filling the room with its customary icy chill. “Now tell me what happened to Inuyasha, and don’t leave out a detail.”
She gulped for air, curling her hands into the front of his kimono, half-disappearing into the fur of mokomoko. “Like I could ever forget,” she sighed, closing her eyes against the memories. “Oh, kami, I failed him, I wasn’t strong enough to save him, I let him die – !”
“Focus,” he commanded, shaking her again. “How did he die?”
“Purified shot,” she whispered. “Purified shot and poison powder.”
His heart seized in his chest. Purified shot and poison powder? But that’s –
– Rin –
“They wanted me all along,” she continued. “He was only trying to protect me…Oh, kami, why did I leave him alone that day? That day, of all days – !” Her hands clenched into fists, her fingers threading through his clothes. “That’s why they’re here now. My lord, I swear to you, I don’t know how they found me, but it’s me they want!”
“Kagome – ” he broke in.
“I failed him,” she pressed on, ignoring his interruption, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “Don’t you see? I failed him, and he died. I can’t let the same thing happen to you!”
It was too much for him then; he wrapped his arms around her and dragged her against his chest, tightening the embrace as his protective instincts dictated. “Stop it,” he ordered. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Her breath was warm on his neck, her tears soaking into his shoulder. “But Sesshoumaru – ”
“But nothing,” he declared. “You wanted my protection? Well, now you have it.”
Besides, he thought, lowering his head to her shaking shoulder, I’m not entirely sure it’s you they want.
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His heart seized in his chest. Purified shot and poison powder? But that’s –
– Rin –
*lifts eyebrows*
...
This expansion is exceedingly interesting. Especially with that last line...
(Okay, I squeed when I saw this. Can you possibly make my day better?!)
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(Okay, I squeed when I saw this. Can you possibly make my day better?!)
Hehe, well, I'm glad =) I dunno if I can make it any better than this, but there you go. I'm still writing mental notes for my Mir/San story...
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I noticed!
*angsts moar*
I dunno if I can make it any better than this, but there you go.
This has firmly made a dent in the craptastic day today has been, so I take off my hat to you (or would, were I wearing a hat. Remove my hood, perhaps?) and squee and glomp in thanks ^_^
I'm still writing mental notes for my Mir/San story...
OMG YAY!!!!!
*bounces anxiously for the angst*
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I noticed!
*angsts moar*
Well, at least the war won't be going on in your head about how to resolve all this! I swear, I think they're taking revenge for me making them clam up over my canon-ending-divergence-quest fic "The Wrong Ending" *grumbles* They would come out of hiding after months for this and then slam me with something awesome and impossible.
This has firmly made a dent in the craptastic day today has been, so I take off my hat to you (or would, were I wearing a hat. Remove my hood, perhaps?) and squee and glomp in thanks ^_^
Aww, well, you're welcome! I'm glad I could make your day brighter. That's what I'm here for, no? :)
OMG YAY!!!!!
*bounces anxiously for the angst*
LOL, you make me sound like I'm enabling your angst addiction o.O
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*on hands and knees*
Aaaaaaannnnnggsssstttt...
Aaaaannnngggssttt...
I need an icon that proclaims me to be an angst-whore (hey, at least angst is cheaper than crack!)
Again, I'm also a wank-whore (*snickers* That sounds so wrong...)
*shakes fist* DARN YOU YOU KEEP GIVING ME GOOD IDEAS FOR ICONS
Aww, well, you're welcome! I'm glad I could make your day brighter. That's what I'm here for, no? :)
Awwww *hugs* And I am here to make you smile when possible!
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As usual, I'm thrilled that you are sticking with this series, am beyond curious to see where it goes, and can't wait until the next installment.
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Hehe, can you tell that's what interests me most about this pairing? They are fighters before they are lovers - and its all the more delicious for it :D
As usual, I'm thrilled that you are sticking with this series, am beyond curious to see where it goes, and can't wait until the next installment.
This is a very muse-driven series, so I apologize for not updating it more often. This feels like the beginning of a story arc, though, so maybe the muses will be assuaged into working on it more than once every few months. The changes I inserted from the original contest entry are going to make it more twisty and complicated to unravel than I originally intended, but - that's all part of the fun, right?
So happy to hear you enjoyed!!
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Twisty and complicated is more fun, and ultimately more rewarding, but this muse is going to have to face a Sesshoumaru-like firing squad when it comes to justifying all these sudden little tweaks! LOL, that's a battle I'm glad will only be going on in my head...it might get ugly :P
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Damn (grumble grumble) good writers that push me out of my normal zones and make my inner fanbrat yell out MOAR....
o.O And now I'm just shocked. LOL, I'm glad it grabbed you! Don't get too close, though - apparently my angst is addicting :P
You can always click through to the main index if you wanna read moar, tho ;)
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And, okay, I kinda sorta enjoy torturing Sesshoumaru. Just a little.
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Or it may have been the other way around.
Either way, I recall being exceedingly shocked that there could possibly be a Sess/Kag fic that didn't destroy InuYasha...
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I very much enjoy reading all of your SK mainly because you are writing it. As you showed with Memento Mori and your MS, it is not the characters that make your writing good, it is your writing that makes them come alive.
I first noticed you as a IK author. Now you seem to be writing mostly SK.
I read a lot of SK, but that will never convert me to SK. I try to read what is nominated. There is still is a lot of drek being written about IY,but I am not willing to do what KK does and try to wade through the mire to find the gem.
Good luck with Allegiance. I hope you find time to write more. You have even hooked RosieB which is a high compliment.
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And because he wants her, but he doesn't, and he doesn't like the situation he finds himself in, from so many different angles. I am really enjoying this game of emotions being suddenly foisted onto him and he just has to...deal with them, LOL. The range from beginning to end here is rather amazing, no?
As you showed with Memento Mori and your MS, it is not the characters that make your writing good, it is your writing that makes them come alive.
*blush* Wow, thank you! You have no idea how much this one little line made my whole friggin day. Just - wow. Knowing that you guys will read my work, no matter what my stylistic or pairing or content experiments, flatters me to the very core, because it means you like my work for more than its characters. And that's just amazing.
Good luck with Allegiance. I hope you find time to write more. You have even hooked RosieB which is a high compliment.
Thank you. Yes, I'm still amazed myself at the number of people who seem to be enjoying this crazy little series, from all parts of the pairing spectrum. To see such a 'big name' talent as RosieB nominate it for an award just blows my mind.