10/09/06 - 12/04/06 - 12/05/06

Chapter 44 – Proposition

He shuffled his feet while he sat within the obsidian chair Dai had created. He clicked his claws together before glancing over at Kanna. She was being very quiet, and he wondered why for a moment, before her eyes turned to look at him. What he saw was a silent torment, and he wondered if Naraku's control over her was beginning to become stronger. After all, she hated Naraku, yes, but that did not mean that Naraku hadn't put her under some type of spell that made her wish to be with him. It was all so confusing. Especially after they'd escaped that stupid Nami bitch. Something told him that was the reason why Kanna was suddenly being so quiet.

She caught his eyes, but quickly turned away, listening to his clicking claws for a few moments, until she finally decided to block it out. Her thoughts were on that image that she received when she touched Inuyasha while under Nami's spell. She did not wish to think it was true, but she decided to remain silent in order to not bring any questions toward herself. She was sure Inuyasha wanted to ask her many, though.

They both watched as the goddess moved back into the room, her footsteps echoing off the walls. Within her hand was a small black orb, which drew their attention more than anything else in the room. However, Dai quickly covered it with her sleeve, causing them both to snap out of their daze as she grinned. "Should I find you're lying, mortals, your punishment will be great. You understand this, do you not?" Her voice was much softer than before, her presence glowing only a bit, knowing that should she allow the true light and voice she was given when born they would die upon the spot. Mortals could not understand such things.

They nodded.

"Excellent," she said. "Now that we have that understood, let us begin." She flicked her wrist, the chairs she'd created coming closer to her. The orb floated gently above her hand, even though she was covering it from their sight, knowing that should they see it, they would instantly begin giving up their most precious thoughts. She only wanted to find the ones that she wished to know, not the ones they wished to give up because of the emotions they were gifted with. A curse it seemed, really, too most that had them, but a gift to them nonetheless.

She turned her eyes to the hanyou, a small, cruel, smile flittering onto her lips. The green depths were coated with ice, almost like her heated exterior was frozen once it entered her immortal flesh. His chair moved closer even when his companions stopped, his eyes turning up to her with determination, which she almost admired from the mortal hanyou. However, she was a Goddess, and he was nothing compared to her except a small particle of dust that could easily be removed from the Earth. "You shall be first, hanyou."

"Feh," Inuyasha replied, though it could barely be considered thus. He wasn't about to back down after all this time, especially now that he had a chance to defeat Katana. His heart ached at the fact that she had once been Kagome, his true love, the one who made him trust again, but he knew that no longer mattered to her. The only thing she wanted was his head, he wouldn't give that up so quickly.

"Trust me, boy," Dai smirked, "you will regret ever lying to me…"

"I haven't lied to you," Inuyasha growled. "I've never even been here before."

Dai's smirk faded, "We shall see, mortal." Without a second thought she allowed the orb to fall into the hanyou's lap, knowing that the demoness behind him would not be affected by it now that it was not within her line of sight. The hanyou's gaze, however, instantly shifted down to the orb in his lap, an image of what he desired most coming to the surface within its depths. She paid no mind to this, twisting her wrist so that the demoness would not be able to move from her seat, restrains instantly forming around her ankles, wrists, and waist just in case.

His mind was in a fog, almost like he wasn't able to think on his own, like reality had suddenly faded away. It felt almost like his body had went into shut down and he needed new knowledge from a greater source in order to function properly. Right and wrong left his conscious mind as if they had never been there in the first place, his claws coming up to touch the surface of the orb lightly. It fascinated him, though he knew not why or how or even what it was. Deep inside this fog, though, he saw a pair of glimmering green eyes that asked him silently what they wished to know, and the knowledge of it formed within the thing he thought he was touching, though he wasn't sure if he was anymore.

Nothing was clear. Nothing was right. Nothing was wrong. Nothing didn't even exist. His mind almost felt like it was in chaos, at war with itself, fighting against what it thought it knew and what it wanted to know. Truth seemed to disappear except for the truth that those eyes asked for. Strange, but he was willing to give the small string of truth he knew was… right? Was it right, though? Was it wrong? He didn't know, but the eyes seemed to, and he trusted them for some reason.

Perfect! Dai placed her hand onto the hanyou's shoulder, and knelt down so that his eyes were staring straight into her own. She knew that he didn't know what was happening, or did he know anything. Well, that was not true, he did know, he merely thought he did not know. It was complicated, but that was the result she wanted from him. "Why are you here, mortal boy?" she asked, her eyes filling with a thirst for the knowledge. Deep down she wanted him to be lying; she had not been able to punish a mortal soul in a long time, after all.

The black orb clouded over with a soft blue haze, almost like it was searching for him. Within moments the answer rushing through his head formed within the depths of the orb, and Dai narrowed her eyes at it. It was the image of a female, what looked to be a youkai female, with familiar markings, which looked ones like she'd seen on a male who'd become her slave around fifteen hundred years ago. That male was dead, she knew, but perhaps his children were still living, even if this female seemed arrogant and cold. Her curiosity got the better of her, "Who is this female?"

"K-K-Katana," the hanyou whispered.

Kanna frowned upon hearing the name. "Katana," she said quietly, earning herself the attention of the Goddess; "is an inuyoukai who has claimed Inuyasha's head. She was once a miko named Kagome, but she performed some type of ritual or something that caused her to change into a full-blooded inuyoukai. However, I… well, she doesn't seem like she has full control over herself. I don't think she is completely formed, um, so to speak."

"A miko turned demoness?" Dai muttered to herself. She turned her head this way and that for a while, thinking about what she had just heard. Youkai were dangerous creatures, but a miko who had purposely turned herself into a youkai. That was far more dangerous, for not only would she have the power of her pervious form, but she would also gain power from the change. However, she had only heard of a single case that was similar, one, no more than that. The demoness had not been able to completely control both sides of herself and ended up destroying her own body in the process. It seemed this one had managed to get through the ritual, while the other had not.

Still, even so, why would she go after the head of the hanyou before her? What had he done that caused the miko to wish to gain so much power that she could end up killing herself and everyone around her? Why would one even risk it? Mikos' of the time usually tried to stay far away from youkai contact, some even deciding that they did not deserve a place on the planet. So, why was it this one did not hold even an ounce of hatred? Why was it she chose to become a youkai, instead of merely a kuro-miko? What was the purpose behind it?

"Why has this demoness claimed your head?" she asked, looking back into the almost dull eyes of the hanyou. Once more the orb clouded over, the image of the female disappearing from her eyes. When it began to clear, though, there was another woman standing beside a strangely clothed one. They were similar, but she could easily see the differences. "Explain," she commanded the boy.

"K-K-Kikyo iiisss the…" he shook his head a little. "K-Kagome is Kikyo's re-reincarnation."

Dai frowned. Nothing in that was helpful. She watched as the image once more began to change, until it came to one where the boy was rutting with the one that had been strangely clothed. She presumed this to be the younger of the two, the reincarnation, Kagome. However, she watched as a white light began to surface from the woman's skin after they had finished and her body changed. She changed into the former woman, this Kikyo. She frowned, "How is it that Kikyo was alive, if this Kagome was her reincarnation?"

Her result was what looked to be an old witch. So, Kikyo was brought back from the grave. It is possible. Why, though, did this Kagome become a youkai…? No… That's it.

Kanna watched, listening to each word that was said. She wanted to know what was wrong with Inuyasha. He was simply slumped over, but not overly so. Almost like he was in a daze, like he couldn't think straight from the slight roll of his head. She knew the reason why Kagome had become a demoness. She could have told Dai why. After all, Naraku had wanted her to watch the scene once he'd ask her to find the miko Kikyo with her mirror. She'd seen it all, from start to finish.

"Kikyo tricked you into believing she was Kagome. Why?"

The eyes trapped him in a corner, a sweet voice calling out to him for answers. He tried to fight what he thought was wrong, what he thought wasn't possible. What he thought couldn't be true. Within moments, continuing to stare because he couldn't tear his eyes away, he found himself answering though. He found memories that haunted his dreams floating around, all of them causing guilt to flood his body. For unknown reasons he wanted to cry. "J-jealous. K-Kikyo wished for m-me to go to h-h-helllll with her, but K-Kag-gome… Love Kagome, K-Kikyo j-j-jealous."

Jealousy? So, she thought, the boy must have known Kikyo while she was alive. When brought back she was jealous that the boy had fallen in love with her reincarnation. So, when he would not go to hell with her she did the next best thing. She made him believe he was mating his love, when in reality he was mating with her. Hm… mortals' have such strange emotions. "I see. Tell me, why are you here then? What purpose does the female Katana have for you being here?"

"M-must become s-stronger. Prove in-innocence," he muttered.

"I see. So, Kagome believed that you had thrown her love into the dirt when she found you mating this Kikyo in disguise? She wished to make you pay, to make you feel the torment you'd cast upon her and became a demoness in order to do so? Now you wish to prove to her that you thought you were mating her, prove your innocence?" Dai smirked, "You wish to be able to defeat her in a fight in order to prove this, am I correct?"

"Y-y-yes," he all but whispered. His head dropped, a single tear sliding from his eye as he stared into the darkness of the orb. The tear streaked down his face, and fell onto the surface. His eyes began to refocus, watching, as the image of his half-brother, cold and emotionless, appeared within its depths, then Katana… and then them both standing together. He knew, somewhere in his mind, that he had never seen them together, but he believed they were.

She nodded to herself, grabbed the boy's chin and forced him to once again look into her eyes. "Have you ever been here? Are you the one who stole one of my blades? The one you now hold?" Underneath her fingertips she felt his head swing a little to each side, silently trying to tell her 'no'. She shook his head, forcing herself not to grab one of his ears. "Answer me, mortal! I will not stand for a mere shake of the head! To many mortals lie that way!"

"No," he answered.

A clear answer. Dai wrinkled her nose a little, wishing that she wasn't completely sure now that he had never been there. It had been so long since she'd been allowed the right to punish a mortal. Mortals' screamed. Because of their lies she made them scream very loudly, so much that her entire chamber echoed with it for weeks, if she so wished it. This mortal hanyou was not lying, though. She knew not only because she was making him tell the truth, but simply because he had not stuttered, like he couldn't figure out how to speak. It was a small symptom, but he had managed to overcome it in order to answer her.

The boy wasn't as weak as he originally seemed.

With that she quickly snatched the orb from his lap, and turned so that he could no longer see it. She turned her head so that she could see his reaction from the moment in which he was released from the orb's power, her eyes boring into him like hot coals. She watched as he shook his head, turning his eyes so that he could glare at her, though he remained silent. She smirked, knowing the only reason he stayed that way was because of the things roaming throughout his head. Otherwise he probably would have been shouting at her.

"That is enough from you," she said. Upon the sound of her command his chair flew backwards toward his companion, coming to a jerking halt beside hers. Her smirk grew a bit when she heard him growl softly underneath his breath, still glaring at her. Perhaps she had brought up memories that he had not wanted to remember, or perhaps she had brought forth things he thought would soon be possible. Both were reasonable, but that was not the reason she was still holding her precious orb. "I believe it is your turn, demoness."

Kanna stiffened a little when her chair began moving forward, but without causing any sound at all. It fascinated her that the chair moved on its own, almost like it was apart of the floor. It was made of the same material, she could tell from the way it simply formed from the ground earlier, but it was quite intriguing. Her eyes turned up to the Goddess before her when the chair finally came to a stop, watching as her green eyes bore into her own like she could suddenly melt into the ground.

"I already suspect that you're not the one who stole the sword, since it is in possession of the hanyou, but I must be sure." Dai scowled, "Even the most innocent looking mortal can have a heart so evil it is dripping black. Therefore you shall be tested as well, since I am sure you have your own reasons for being here."

She did not have time to reply, for Dai dropped the orb into her lap. Her mind went blank for a moment, nothing there; everything still enough that it felt like she was suddenly alone in a strange place. Her body went numb, the feeling that she'd thought she'd had before draining away through something. There were no thoughts, no feelings, no sense of right or wrong, simply the tingling feeling she got when a pair of eyes came into her view. Somehow she felt like they were calling her, bringing back the feelings and thoughts that had suddenly disappeared.

Inuyasha seethed from his seat, feeling restraints wrap around his wrists and ankles, but paid little notice to it. There was one image fresh and almost burning in his mind, completely drowning out everything else. The image of Katana standing beside his brother, suddenly placing her hand within his own and being pulled into his side. Her eyes were burning with an emotion he'd often hoped would one day be directed at him. Something told him that it was more like a future sighting instead of simply his imagination. Something told him that she was completely lost to him; his sweet, sweet Kagome was gone.

A tear escaped his eye, quickly followed by a few more afterward as he slumped forward, hoping to hide his shame filled eyes. He'd caused all that was happening to Kagome to happen because he hadn't thought that maybe there had been some type of trick in the beginning. He hadn't thought about anything once he'd been told those three little words, "I'm ready now". He hadn't even considered that something was wrong; since she'd told him she'd return the next morning, perhaps a little later than that. He should have realized that something was wrong when that same day she'd told him that she'd tell him when she was ready. He should have known better than to think that within that small amount of time she'd thought about it and simply decided to jump into their relationship all the way. He should have… he should have… but he didn't.

Anger swelled up more than simply the shame that he felt, making him sink his claws as deep as he could into the arm of the chair he sat in. He wanted to rip something to pieces, especially Sesshoumaru. That bastard had taken his woman. He'd always thought that if Kagome left him it would have been for Kouga, or fuck, Naraku, but not Sesshoumaru. His older half-brother had been the last person he'd thought Kagome would end up with. Hell, he hadn't even thought she might have the balls to become a hanyou using the Shikon no Tama, but she'd become a full youkai and wanted his head. Now she was with his half-brother, the bastard, and probably didn't even feel a bit of pity for him. No, for she was too busy jumping his bones to even care.

His eyes closed completely, tightly in order to make the thoughts go away as he shook his head violently. He wanted the thoughts to go away, even the ones that began forcing their way through the others. The ones of the fiery redhead who'd sought after Kouga's attention. He didn't need any of them. He didn't need any of them. Not Kagome, not Katana, not Ayame, not Kanna, or any other female that he'd ever met. He just needed a way to make these thoughts to go away! To make them leave him alone!

There was only one way to do that.

He opened his eyes a little, staring blankly at the floor as he did. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to train, become stronger, and hopefully defeat Katana in battle. He needed for her to die in order to make her memory go away forever. Either that or thrust himself on his own sword, thus ending his life and leaving the memories behind him forever. Leaving his soul to rest, instead of being haunted by everything else. But… there was always that bit of information that he knew would be there for him should he try.

Kikyo hadn't found peace when she died. She'd been haunted by the thought of his betrayal. Perhaps he'd be haunted by Kagome… Katana's. Maybe he would be haunted by everything until he was reincarnated into another person, leaving behind everything he'd ever known. Or maybe once reincarnation his soul would search for something unknown to it, something that it felt had been lost, and he or she would be struck down when Katana realized that it was his reincarnation.

The arm underneath his claws began to crumble, though it instantly began trying to once again reconstruct itself. He knew what he needed; now all he needed to do was find a way to make it happen. To be able to finally find a way to beat Katana, since he was sure she was almost as strong, if not stronger, than Sesshoumaru. Sure, he'd come close to defeating his brother, but he was positive Sesshoumaru hadn't actually been using his full strength. Like he was trying to play with him, test him in a way, instead of actually fight with him. A bitter smile washed over his face for Kagome had told him the same thing once.

Her eyes flickered over to the silently raging hanyou from her prey. She knew that he was not lying to her, she knew that, but there was something about the way his form shook. The shame and determination in his eyes, while underneath it all one would find pure fury and hatred – emotions that needed to be dealt with the only way he possible could. By allowing it to flow out of his body through a vent, such as fighting, since she was sure he got enough of that. Dai knew that ningen and youkai both had certain ways to vent, whether it was from fighting, killing, wandering, or simply things such as physical pleasure, cooking, or writing. He would need to vent very soon.

Kanna tried to claw her way out of whatever she was within, something telling her that something just wasn't right within her body. She didn't know what it was, she didn't know what exactly was wrong, but she had some instinct feeling that something was. Something was completely wrong and it needed to be fixed. No matter how hard she tried, though, no matter how hard she clawed or fought, she continued to feel like she was drifting away from the solution. She knew somewhere, somehow, that something was wrong, but what wasn't registering in her head, or anything at all.

"Tell me, why are you here?"

The voice sounded almost distant, but somehow it echoed throughout her head. In front of her eyes she saw the image of Inuyasha appear, her claws reaching out from the sides trying to catch him. He turned from her, almost like he didn't even know she was there, and she felt a growl form in her chest. The voice had somehow brought forth this image, and she could almost feel eyes that were not her own watching as he fell into the arms of that redheaded ookami. However, she smirked, or thought she did, when she suddenly saw herself rip the ookami's head from her shoulders and bring Inuyasha's head to her breast.

Another case of jealousy? Dai wondered, tilting her head a little at the sight. Who is this redhead, though? She shook her head, deciding that was something she did not need to know. She'd had enough with mortal emotions for that day. "I see," she said, telling herself for now she would simply ignore the knowledge she wished to receive.

Inuyasha raised his eyes for moment to watch Kanna. She seemed to be completely gone, her body looking like a dead doll that someone had thrown into the dirt. Not that he would say Kanna wasn't good looking, but she was just Kanna. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much that he was near her, but something within him made him churn. Something told him that the demoness wasn't with him simply because she wanted to be, but because she wanted something. He wasn't going to allow anyone else to take something from him.

"What is it your expect to accomplish?" She watched as suddenly there was an image of the demoness wrapped in the hanyou's arms. They looked happy, though she could tell from the way things were going that the emotions were not that of what mortals called 'love'. Dai sighed, knowing that more in likely she was going to get the same information out of the demoness each and every time. Though, she knew that eventually she might get more information, but most of it would probably consist of the same details.

Mortals are such annoying creatures. Too many emotions, too many twists, turns, and feelings denied for each other. This is why I do not associate myself with them unless necessary, she thought. I still do not understand the concept of the redhead, though. Perhaps I do not wish to know. "Very well," she said, quickly lifting the orb. There was a loud pop, knocking both back into the reality of the moment, while the orb disappeared.

He growled, the hair on the back of his neck rising from the energy that filled the room.

"Oh, shut your yap, hanyou," Dai snapped. "You're here for a reason, so I shall, if you're willing, to allow you to stay here for the time you train. What seems like a year here is only a few days within the mortal realm. You shall have your time to train, more so than your opponent will be expecting. What do you say, mortal hanyou? Will you stay and train with a Goddess?"

His eyes widened. She was trying to give him a fighting chance! He might actually be able to defeat Katana if he stayed to train within that chamber. He might be able to get everything he'd wanted by simply wiping his slate clean of her. His eyes then narrowed in suspicion, wondering why she would suddenly simply give him something like this. "What's the catch?" he hissed softly.

She raised her hand over her heart, "There is no catch, hanyou. I give you my word as a Goddess." She then made what looked to be an 'x' over her heart, making sure that the promise would be fulfilled.

"You swear?"

She shook her head of red hair, scowling at the hanyou. "I cannot go against my word, mortal hanyou. Every Goddess is bond to their word, any kami would be. That is why it is best to always ask for them to give their word before you set out on quests for them. You might come back empty handed simply because they interfered."

"Inuyasha?" Kanna whispered, shaking her head in order to get rid of the fog that filled her mind.

"I'll stay," Inuyasha said, excitement filling his voice. "I'll stay if you unleash the power hidden within my sword. The sword you created."

"In due time, mortal. In due time," Dai mumbled. She turned her head away. "I believe I should make this place suitable to your needs. I shall return when I have the supplies needed in order to train… both of you. From what I've seen, the demoness shall need as much training, if not more, than you, yourself." She walked away, retreating into a backroom before they could say anything more.

Kanna moaned.

"You alright, Kanna?" Inuyasha asked, turning his head toward the void. His eyebrows bent downward in worry, wondering what was wrong with her exactly. It wasn't like her to act like this. Not from what he'd seen so far, at least.

Kanna smiled, turning her head so that she could see him. "I'll be fine, Inuyasha. I think I just need to… rest…" Her head rolled forward, the exhaustion taking over her body as she fell into a deep sleep.

"Kanna," Inuyasha called. "Kanna?" His ears twitched, hearing the steady beat of her heart and he calmed. Now was not the time to be worrying about her when she was indeed alive. No, for he had things that he needed to do now. He had things that he could finally do. After all this time, finally he would have something to look forward to, and know that it was going to happen.

He'd gotten the word of a Goddess, after all.

oOo

She gazed out the window of their room, feeling the hand of her intended land on her shoulder as she watched the moon. A soft sigh filled her chest as she turned her somewhat excited eyes to the cold golden ones of the taiyoukai at her side. "It is not long now. Soon the ball will begin," she whispered, almost afraid to break the silence. She didn't know what it was, but something told her that it was time to begin melting her heart, to allow someone to get close. The feeling was not unnatural or foreign, but it was something that she'd thought she would never feel again.

"Hai," he replied. "You should try to rest before then. I shall watch over you."

She shook her head, "Iie. I do not think I would be able to sleep, no matter how hard I tried. Besides, I promised Kita that I would walk with her through the gardens at the first ray of the sun."

"It shall be some time before then," Sesshoumaru scowled. "I shall wake you before then, if you wish it. So that you may fulfill your promise to the girl."

"Not just Kita," Katana smirked. "I also told Miyoko, Kaida, and Kei that I would allow them to escort me to the lake. Kei said that it is very magical when the first rays of the sun manage to caress it. I decided that perhaps I should see for myself, instead of simply sitting here for the rest of the day waiting for them to come dress me for tomorrows activities."

"Hm."

"I also wish to speak with Naoko," Katana sighed, tilting her head completely to the side. "I did, after all, tell her that we should be able to get some time alone with each other in order to speak privately, but Kyo has kept her under lock and key. I have not been able to even sniff her out without a guard suddenly crossing my path. It is obvious Kyo is trying to make sure his actions are not caught by his mate, nor blown downwind to any of the others here." A smirk filled her face as she allowed her vision to be filled with the moons glow. "I believe tomorrow will be full of many things, though. I can feel it."

He nodded, "I understand." Tomorrow they would show the others that they were not going to give up what they had claimed for themselves. Tomorrow they were going to show others that the West was becoming the most powerful of the lands. Tomorrow night they would show the others just exactly was happening around them. Neither of them would sleep for they knew instinctively that something was going to happen and whatever it was…

There was going to be blood. That always got the youkai blood pumping to the point where they could not do anything but wish for time to speed forward. Their claws twitched in anticipation, while their eyes were watchful to everything around them, hoping to catch the first whiff of that sweet, sweet metallic smell. He, though, had a feeling that smell would not come until they stepped out onto the battlefield. He was positive they would.

Kyo and Kumiko were fools, after all.

They deserved to die the way they lived.

OoO

Kiba:

I'm so sorry it took me so long to write this. I've been trying to type up some other things, and I've been coming up with a few other things as well. Some stories that I'm writing on my computer but will not be posted until I'm done with this one, or two of my other stories. That way I don't want to continue typing my others in order to make others happy to read more for it. However, I will tell you a little about them:

1. The Dark Abyss

Little details: A Kagome/Sesshoumaru fanfiction. This shall consist of magic, immortal beings, and major plot twists. It will be in a dying world, with warlords and pets that attack the caravans that still contain the last remaining survivors of this tortured world. What Kagome doesn't know is that her entire adventure will lead her to the solution to saving this withering place!

2. Evil Intentions?

Little details: A HP/IY Crossover, with a crossover pairing: Draco/Kagome. The story will have Kagome, the only child of The Dark Lord, the last of Salazar Slytherin's line, and the HP Gang. After disappearing for almost half a year, Kagome reappears, only to be placed under the protection of Hogwarts walls. Though sweet and innocent she seems to have a thing for the Muggle-hating Malfoy and Harry, claiming he isn't jealous, wants to know why. He might find out more than he bargained for. Based within an alternate version of the fifth book, though there will be some things that will remain the same.

3. Never Ending

Little details: A Rurouni Kenshin/IY Crossover, with a crossover pairing: Kenshin/Kagome. This fanfiction shall jump around a lot from the present time, to the past, dates that Kagome has seen during her duty to the Shikon. If you wish to find out more on this will become a chapter story, you can read the one-shot that it was originally. It has the same title within my collection of one-shots called "Past Time: A Collection of Kagome OneShots" Chapter 18.

I figured that I needed to write something a little different once this is over, for I have grown to writing simply Kagome/Sesshoumaru fanfiction, and I like to expand my boundaries. Now that doesn't mean I'll give up my favorite pairing, but it does mean that once my current stories are done I will have other pairings to read besides merely Kagome/Sesshoumaru.

Thanks,

Kiba