(A/N)

Sorry, folks, about the long hiatus. Summer's been crazy for me. Multiple jobs, marching band, Band Camp, crazy friends, crazy family, reunions, group trips and my lovable boyfriend all kept me away from you. I've also been working on my second full-length novel, titled "The Dresden Coils". I'm assuming I'll post it on fictionpress in the near future. My other novel : "The Key to Everything" has also reentered my workshop for plot and character development as well as general editing. So…I'm quite busy. BUT I'll try not to forget you all again. I'm going to work my arse off to get all of my ficcies updated by the end of September. Wish me luck!

All my love,

Darkness

Chapter 15

-That Evening-

The group made camp in a clearing in the center of the woods but the companionable mood that had accompanied InuYasha, Shippou, Ayame, and, especially Sesshomaru's arrival was long gone. Kagome lay in the corner of her and Sesshomaru's tent, curled around her three children, just as she had been the past three hours. Sesshomaru tried everything in his power to lighten the heart of his beloved, but the realization of the many outcomes that her new demon heritage could create had left her worn and scared. Nothing would reach her. At least, that's what they thought was wrong with her.

As she turned in on herself, her friends and her son worried about her in the tent nearest to the Western Royals. InuYasha couldn't look at his mate. He knew that she had not meant to hurt his friend in this way, but her carelessness still left him angry. On the other hand, Ayame was also angry: angry at herself. She cared deeply for Kagome.

It was true that before the Final Battle, she had despised the human woman—solely because she presented competition with Koga. But as Ayame discovered Kagome's true feelings for the wolf prince and the pure and selfless soul within the priestess, she couldn't help but be enamored and drawn to her. Soon, they were the closest of friends—their relationship only rivaled by Sango, Shippou, Miroku, Sesshomaru and InuYasha's relationships with Kagome. And that was understandable. They had known her longer and they knew her best—Ayame felt no competition.

She wiped an angry tear from the corner of her eyes, feeling the salt burn the tender flesh that was her eyelid. She deserved it. She deserved every painful tear. Wolf demons were not built to cry. So it was agony to be reduced to such pitiful displays of weakness. Literal agony. The heavy amounts of salt in their tears burned their skin. But Ayame did not even wince. She deserved this. She had torn away the happiness of one of her friends with a careless blunder.

"I'm sorry, InuYasha. It wasn't my intention to cause Kagome any pain."

Her only answer was an immature snort. She bristled. "You can't ignore me forever, InuYasha! You need to help me fix this! I'm sure Sesshomaru is beside himself with worry; and so am I. We've never had to deal with her like this. Not on a personal level. Every time she got like this before the Final Battle, you handled it. You healed her. You and Sango and Miroku. But if you stay angry like this, you won't be any help. And we need a healthy, happy Kagome right now. Her children need her as well." He continued to ignore her, but she saw his posture relax a bit. She continued. "Think of everything that she has to live for. She's the Lady of the West. Her country relies on her. And she's a wife, a mate, and a mother. What would Sesshomaru do without her? And she's a friend! What would you do without her? What would Sango, Miroku, even Shippou do without her? INUYASHA, think!"

At that, he turned and faced her with fire in his eyes. "We'd die. Kagome is the puzzle piece that holds us together. And you know it. But you're the one that tore her up. And, frankly, I don't know what to fucking do about it! She's in pieces! She won't even look at Sesshomaru. He's on the verge of destroying the whole forest, he's so sick with worry and pain and sadness. All she sees is those children; and even then, it's not a healthy gaze. She's imagining everything that she could do to hurt them—even on accident. And it's killing her! So don't tell me what to do, Ayame. Don't tell me that I know how to fix it. Because I don't! And, believe me, I've thought of everything!"

Ayame stuttered into silence as she watched InuYasha collapse onto the ground, shaking with tears. She moved towards him, lifting onto the balls of her feet so she made as little noise as possible. She didn't want him to lash out at her. Then, shaking, she wrapped her arms around him and hummed into his back, sending soothing sounds and vibrations throughout his body as an idea wrapped itself around her brain. "InuYasha, you saw her earlier. She was laughing at the whole situation. And then, just a few hours ago, she just collapsed. Don't you think that it's just a bit odd?" Her voice wavered as she attempted to stay calm. InuYasha was dangerous when he was like this.

Miraculously, InuYasha lifted his head and she breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed his eyes were still a warm, honey-brown. "You're right…something's not right." Suddenly, he stood, bringing her with him and pulling her into his arms. "Ayame, you're a genius! We have to get Sesshomaru. I think I know what's wrong with Kagome…" And, with that, he sped out into the darkness, leaving a stunned Ayame behind him.

-In the Woods-

As his burnt amber gaze followed the hanyou from his tent to the Royal tent, he let out a hiss of frustration. InuYasha had discovered something. His mission was in jeopardy. If Sesshomaru remembered his ability, then it would be only minutes before the Western Lord was upon him, claws and fangs bared, for tampering with his beloved wife.

He ran a scaly hand through his stringy dreadlocks, catching his nails on a few scattered bugs and plants that had collected in the matted tresses. This was very…unfortunate. When the Southern Lord had hired his services, and he had agreed, he had not counted on the hanyou catching on so quickly, nor had he counted on the sheer willpower of the Western Lady. She had fought his attempts at mental manipulation quite skillfully, leaving her only slightly incapacitated. However, it was her emotional wall that had fallen quickly. The Western Lady wore her heart on her sleeve, which had left her emotions easily accessible and easily corrupted.

He grinned in satisfaction. Yes, Yue Kisami had done wonders with Kagome's emotions. He clapped his hands together. "And Yue Kisami has done enough to satisfy his employer," he decided, blinking slowly. "And he will now escape into the cover of darkness." And so he did, twisting and morphing into the serpentine demon form he was most comfortable with. Then, with a low, sinister, hiss, he slithered into the woods and disappeared from sight.

-With Sesshomaru-

"You must speak to me, Kagome," Sesshomaru pressed, agonizingly frustrated, tears springing to his normally icy eyes. "I can't stand this any longer. You've never left me so utterly alone like this." His hands flew to his hair in a very human-like gesture. "And this Sesshomaru cannot deal with it!"

His clawed fist met the soft earth beneath the floor of the tent, sending clods of dirt and rock around the spacious tent. Some even embedded in the coiled, sweaty tendrils of his mate's raven hair. But she did not look away from their children. Even when some dust fell into Ryo's eyes and he let out a wail, she did not move. She watched him with a listless expression as she sucked on a chunky tress of her hair. Sesshomaru was forced to relieve his son of the irritation; which only irritated his father more. "I don't understand this, Kagome. This is not normal."

Suddenly, his idiot half-brother skidded into the tent, his eyes wild and his hair flying behind him. Sesshomaru was poised in an attack-stance in an instant. "What is it, InuYasha?"

"I know what's wrong with Kagome!"

Sesshomaru moved quickly, grabbing InuYasha by the collar of his yukata. "Speak."

"Her mind's being tampered with. She's under attack."

Sesshomaru's gaze hardened. "Explain."

"Earlier, when Ayame first brought up the kid thing, you reassured her. And she was fine. She was laughing. She had gotten over it. A Kagome-thing to do. But, as soon as she settled into the campsite, it was like her soul was drained right out of her. And she got depressed and angry and stopped talking. It was like someone had sucked the passion and forgiveness right out of her."

"Like the Kisami."

"The what?"

"The Kisami—a tribe of serpent demons with telekinetic and empathetic powers; they're, essentially, mind stealers." He cursed under his breath. "Yue."

"Yue?"

"A Kisami that I met many years ago. He was a loner—hiring himself out as a secret weapon almost. When I came across him, he was working for a rebellion leader in the East. I did not hesitate in paying him off and threatening him with instantaneous death if he aided any rebellion in the East ever again; or in the West. He took it to heart and I have not thought of him since. Hatsuharu must have hired him to tamper with Kagome. He knows that she is valuable to me; and that she's powerful. However, what Hatsuharu doesn't know is that there is always a trigger to release one of the Kisami's victims." He moved to hover over Kagome. "Now, we just need to discover what Kagome's is."

-In the Caverns of Kagome's Mind-

She was shrouded in nothingness, watching through dimly lit windows—watching her precious children sleep. She couldn't move at all. She was trapped. And she couldn't hear anything. It was as if they had pushed the mute button on everything. She knew that she should leave. But the darkness was so comforting. She couldn't hurt anyone here. She couldn't hold anyone back. Sesshomaru could raise the children. She would be happy simply watching. It was safe to watch.

But, at the same time, she missed the warmth of his affection. She missed her friends' comforting presences. In the darkness, she was alone. And that didn't suit her at all. She was a social butterfly. She needed other people to complete her.

So Kagome was torn; and it was this tear that kept her here, unsure on where she needed to be. If only someone would open the door so she could see where she was, so she could see if anyone else had followed. If only someone would call out. Maybe then she'd come out.

And in the darkness, Kagome waited, praying that someone would open the door so she could choose where she belonged.

-With Sesshomaru-

"InuYasha, I've tried everything. I've tried her pet names, I've tried talking about her family, I've tried kissing her, hugging her, rubbing her back, combing her hair—everything that would have normally made her happy. I can't think of anything else to do."

"Is there anything that you've done for her that made her cry? Not cry in sadness but in happiness? Even if you only did it once. Or is there something you've done that was a major turning point in your relationship? Something that made her realize what you felt for her?"

Comprehension dawned on Sesshomaru's face. "I know what it is!" Then, to InuYasha's surprise, Sesshomaru flushed red. "But it's terribly humiliating."

InuYasha growled, frustrated. "Kagome is fucking brain-dead, Sesshomaru! She could end up in permanent physical pain! She could be crippled! SHE. COULD. DIE!"

Sesshomaru straightened. "I won't let that happen."

"Then fuck your stupid pride and try the damn trigger!"

Sesshomaru stalked towards InuYasha. "If you so much as chuckle, I will tear your head from its perch on your neck and devour your eyes, nose and ears before I reattach it and let you heal." Then, with a flourish that was a bit-too-feminine, Sesshomaru folded to the ground and tugged Kagome's chin so she faced him. Her eyes were milky with sheer emptiness and it tore and his heart. With an effort almost cosmic, Sesshomaru Tashio opened his mouth and began to sing.

"Words fall out of my mouth And I can't seem to trace what I'm saying … Everybody wants your time. I'm just dreaming out loud, I can't have you for mine and I know it. I just wanna watch you shine. Tripping up on my tongue, It's all over my face and I'm racing : Gotta get away from you. Burning all the way home, Try to put it to bed but it chases Every little thing I do. When the light falls on your face, Don't let it change you. When the stars get in your eyes, Don't let them blind you." It was as if the Gods had washed away a film over her eyes. Kagome blinked once and her hand rose to caress his face. But she wasn't free just yet.

So Sesshomaru started singing again, his soothing baritone sliding over the words like warm milk. "You're beautiful, Just the way you are. And I love it all : Every line, and every scar. And I wish that I could make you see, that This is where you ought to be … Come down to me." Her eyes cleared a little bit more. But he wasn't finished. "Spell it out in a song, Bet you never catch on to my weakness. I'm singing every word for you. Here I'm thinking I'm sly, Then you're catching my eye, and just maybe You're thinking what I'm thinking too. When you see it on my face, Don't let it shake you. I know better than to try and Take you with me." At this last sentence, Sesshomaru erupted into tears and Kagome's mouth opened and closed, mouthing the words. And as she woke up from the hateful trance, she sang back to her husband.

"You're beautiful, Just the way you are. And I love it all : Every line, and every scar. And I wish that I could make you see, that This is where you ought to be … Come down to me" Then she was kissing him, and the Gods themselves couldn't have made the tears stop rolling down both of their faces. And the moment was so private that even InuYasha, who was so happy to see his best friend well again, had to slip away.

(A/N: Sorry its so short. I need to hurry and update all the ficcies. Next chapter has some more action : maybe, finally, a meeting between our heroes and Hatsuharu? Who knows! But stay tuned to GotWS to find out! Love always, Darkness.)