The Pain Behind The Mask

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. Unfortunate but true.

Note: Hope ya’ll enjoy this chapter. I’ll try to make it longer since it’s been a while since I’ve updated.

“Talking”

‘Thinking’

/TelepathicTalk/

Chapter 12

When the sun had arisen, everyone was ready to move out, all of them eager to help out their dearest friend in getting back what was once lost. Kagome led the way, telling everyone that it would probably be best if they stuck to the shadows & moved silently. They didn’t know if the Lord had spies hiding out in the forest or not. Once they got closer, Kagome & Shippo halted the pursuit for a moment.

/Shippo, we should probably check out the layout of the outside first before the others come with. We saw the inside, but not the out./

Shippo nodded & turned to the rest of the group as Kagome stared out over the dead land.

“You guys should stay here. Kagome & I are going to check out the layout.”

Before anyone could protest, they had disappeared & no one could feel where they had gone to. “Damnit.” Sango muttered. “They’re good.”

/That’s another thing that I did not think about Shippo. Why is the land dead all around the palace, but inside the gates, it’s so alive?/

/I’m not sure ‘Kaa-san. But I know the answers are behind those walls./ He replied back as they stared out over the wall, watching the guards scope out the fields & servants.

/Split up. We’ll cover more ground that way./ They nodded to each other before cutting off their communication & speeding away, keeping track & burning everything they saw within their mind so they could explain it to their group once they got back to the.

A little while later, the two met up where they had been before nodding to each other & relaying everything that they had seen to one another. /Sounds good to me. Instead of explaining it to them though, we should probably just show them pictures of it in their minds. I remember Dad teaching that to us./ Kagome stated. When she had gotten the positive answer from her son, they phased back to the group, ignoring the yelps of surprise they got from the human.

Immediately, Kagome & Shippo began to show them what they had seen, the members of the group a little bit perturbed that they could just dive into their minds at any time before their thoughts were flooded with pictures of the palace. While they showed them pictures, they explained to them how things show go, who should go where & what might happen.

“We know the risks Kagome. We’re in this with you no matter what.” Sango said, straightening her shoulders & raising her head up defiantly.

Kagome smiled & said, “I thank you very much Sango. This means a lot to me.”

She nodded & looked to Miroku, whose forehead was scrunched up in thought. “& your sure that he or she or who ever may rule the North, has no idea that we’re here?”

“Not a 100% sure but pretty close to it. Be prepared for otherwise though. You can never be to certain of the future for what it may hold. I’ve heard from my father that this person is as crafty as Naraku, if not more so. So incase he gets the idea of striking up a deal with this person, we should probably get rid of him on the spot.” Kagome informed them, her eyes serious.

“What is Rin to do?” The little girl looked back & forth between Sesshomaru & Kagome, curious as to what role she may play.

“I’m sorry Rin, but I have seen the inside of this place, & I want you no where near it… I’d much rather you go back to Lord Sesshomaru’s Palace than be here but that’s up to him.” Kagome placed her hand on Rin’s shoulder, smiling at her in a motherly fashion.

Sesshomaru quirked his eyebrow up just a little bit, wondering just what it was that she had seen that would have her send Rin away. Kagome caught onto his thoughts & looked him straight in the eye, showing him the pictures of the dungeons, the reason that she would keep Rin at arms length of this situation. He damn near balked openly at the scene.

He looked to Au-Un & nodded his head, silently telling them to take Jaken & Rin back. Naturally, Jaken squawked, saying that he would stay behind to help out his Lord. He was kicked in the head & rendered unconscious, making Rin giggle when his prone body was set in front of her on the dragon’s saddle. She took the reins, waved goodbye & had Au-Un take to the skies.

Kagome molded a little bit of her energy into a black fox & had it follow Rin & keep an eye on her for her. It bounded away & she turned to the problem at hand. “Ok, lets go guys.”

They all nodded & followed Kagome to the gates. When she jumped into the trees, they all followed suit, gapping when they saw the inside of the gates. It was so… Alive.. It seems so wrong considering the outside of it seemed like something out of Naraku’s fantasy land.

“Wow.” Sango said, clutching Kirara close to her chest as she surveyed the land. “You can just feel how off this place really is.”

“Mhm” Kagome hummed her agreement, not at all surprised by their reactions.

Kikyo looked on, her eyes narrowed. ‘I think I know who the person is who had taken over the land.’ She side glanced Kagome. ‘& if it’s the person I have in mind, Kagome is not gonna like is.’ She smirked, loving how things could turn out.

Kagome looked over everyone, watching the determined/neutral/weary expressions. “Ready?” She asked in a quiet voice.

When everyone nodded Shippo said, “Alright everyone needs to hold to either ‘Kaa-san or myself. We’re gonna phase to inside the palace.” Sango, Kikyo & InuYasha were all closer to Shippo so they went with him. Making sure that they had made it safely inside & to where they were supposed to be, Kagome nodded to Sesshomaru & Miroku, telling them that it was their turn. She silently warned Miroku to keep his hands to himself & he scratched the back of his neck nervously before holding his hands up in surrender. “To myself, I know.”

Miroku put his hand on her shoulder & Sesshomaru gently touched her hand, just with the very tips of his claws, which sent invisible shivers through out her body. She ignored it, but Sesshomaru had felt the slight tremor through her body & a small smirk ghosted across his face before they were suddenly inside the palace, down in the dungeons.

As a precaution, Kagome kept all 3 of their minds linked together so they wouldn’t have to talk & risk the guards over hearing them.

/Where are the others Lady Kagome?/ Miroku asked, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of where they were.

/They’re on the other side of here, down in the other dungeons./ She replied, already moving forward to crotch down beside someone whose face was pressed through the bars of the cell.

She gently rubbed the side of their face, waking them up. Before they could make a sounds, she pressed the tip of her index finger against her lips, silencing her. “Hush. We’re here to save you.” She murmured out, watching her face for any bad reactions. When the woman’s face lit up with happiness after seeing the mark on Kagome’s forehead, Kagome removed her finger & wiped a smudge of dirt off of the small & hollow cheek of the prisoner.

“You’re my true Lord’s daughter! Oh my god, you have no idea how happy I am to finally see you.”

Kagome smiled & nodded. “What can you tell of the traitor who now runs these lands?”

The woman’s eyes dimmed a bit before she said anything & when she did, it was in hushed tones & her eyes searched the area around her. “Tis a whore that runs these once great lands, my Lady. She takes men from the village, good looking men & use them till they are no more. Uses their bodies till they can’t walk anymore & sucks their life out of them. She even does it to women. Anyone to satisfy her sexual needs. She cares not for anyone but herself.”

“When you say, sucks the life out of them, what do you mean?” Miroku asked, crouching down behind Kagome with a hand on her shoulder.

“I mean, she bites their neck & sucks out their blood, Monk.” She whispered, her eyes as wide as can be before she licked her dry lips & brought her bony hands to wrap around Kagome’s, which were on the bars. “Please, my Lady. Be careful. She’s very beautiful, uses magic, bewitching spells to capture her prey.”

“Do not worry for me, darling. I shall be fine. Once this is over with, I shall free you & everyone else down here. Until then, please try & get your rest.” Kagome patted the hands on top of hers before standing up & making her way out of the dungeons.

She knew that the other two were following them & she sent the warning out to the others on the other side, making sure they knew to proceed with lots of caution. She pressed herself against the wall, feeling a shift in the air as a guard walked down the hall. She took out one of her throwing daggers as a precaution before reading his aura. This one was definitely an enemy, his aura holding nothing but evil in it.

When he came around the corner, she snagged him by the collar, wrapped her hand around his mouth & quickly sliced his neck opened before he could do anything but flail around uselessly. His blood did not squirt out like it should, but instead just oozed out, sliding down his neck & underneath his armor.

Kagome frowned before bringing her weapon up to her nose to sniff at it. Her eyes began to water at the scent. /Sulfur./ She relayed to the others. /Most of these guards are already dead guys, their blood replaced by sulfur liquids. Be careful./ She flicked the blood off of her knife before proceeding forward.

/Why would their blood be replaced with sulfur?/ Miroku asked creeping behind Kagome, Sesshomaru on his heels, not used to this kind of dominating. He usually rushed in & disposed of his enemy, but he was also kind of enjoying the cat & mouse game.

/My guess would because of the Lady. If she’s what I think she is, its to keep her from sucking the life out of every one of her guards. Can’t have her unprotected, now can we? Which means, they probably have a very powerful sorcerer among them./ She explained, yanking another guard from around the corner & successfully snapping his neck. She let his body fall to the ground with a thud before using her concealed powers to burn away the two bodies before walking on. She had to do this a couple more time before coming upon the dining room.

/She’s in here/ Kagome said to the other two, knowing that the others were busy dispatching the guards & rescuing the prisoners.

Sesshomaru & Miroku nodded, waiting for Kagome to open the doors. Miroku held his breath but Sesshomaru didn’t bother, not the least worried about a traitor.

Kagome pushed the wooden doors open, her weapon at the ready & when the doors were pushed out of the way, she sucked in a breath. It was.. Like a morgue. There were so many dead bodies laying around that it made her sick. The stench of rotting bodies made her head spin & she covered it with the sleeve of her kimono, her eyes narrowing. She heard a sighing hiss & saw a body rising up to float in the air. It reminded her of Kagura’s Dance Of The Dead attack.

“Oh boy.” She whispered out before they all began to lift into the air & attacked them. She quickly jumped up into the air & used a body to jump higher into the air before unsheathing her twin katanas & slicing through the next body that flew at her. She turned upside down to get the next one that was trying to attached itself to her back, decapitating it.

Sesshomaru raised his arm up & caught an enemy in his claws, snapping his neck in only a few seconds before taking out Tokijin & slicing the bodies up. The scent of decaying & rotting flesh became stronger the more bodies they slayed. Finally, when all the bodies were chopped up, Miroku sucked them up, to get rid of their evidence.

A clapping sound caught their attention & the 3 of them turned to see a provocatively dressed woman, a fang filled smirk being tossed their way. “That was an amazing dance my sweets.” Her voice was silky smooth & held a tone in it that was supposed to make them feel at ease but it only made them tense up more.

“Your blood..” She trailed off, walking towards them from the opposite side of the dining room & stopped when the two demons growled lowly at her, warning to stay where she was. “It smells so very good. It reminds me of someone long ago.” Her eyes trailed over Kagome’s body, eyes the color of the moon that had red rimmed around them. They came back up to land on the crest that was present on her forehead. “Ah, Isamu.”

Kagome smirked, holding her shoulders high. “My father.”

Sesshomaru widened fractionally before narrowing. ‘That’s where I recognized her. This is not good…’

“Hmmm..” The woman said, tapping her index finger against her chin as she thought. “You grew up to be a very beautiful woman my dear. But, how is dear Isamu doing?”

Kagome narrowed her eyes. “Why do you care?”

The woman smiled, exposing fangs that looked a little bit larger. “I only wish to know how my little brother is doing.”

Dun dun dun!!! Lmao, I hope you guys like this chapter! Please R&R! Tell me how I did with this one please. Anyways, lets just say this is for Halloween cuz I'ma be out partying that night so I won't get to update this until after next weekend. Bis Spater!!