Kryptonite

By Danyealle

(fanfiction/MF/HC/Abuse)

Chapter 4

A bit after midnight, Sesshomaru was jarred awake by Kagome stirring around beside him and her saying his name softly.  When he opened his eyes, he looked at her.  She was sitting up a bit, she was looking around with a bewildered look on her face.  Reaching over, he put a hand on her head, “Are you OK Kagome?”

Looking at him, she said, “Yeah, I’m OK.  Where am I?”

“My chambers.”  Seeing the puzzled look on her face, he explained.  “Someone needed to set with you in case you woke.  I thought that you would react better if you woke and saw me rather than some stranger.”

Understanding, she nodded.  “Thank you.”  She said, lying back down.

“There’s nothing to thank me for.”  He told her.  “Are you in pain?”

Curling around her body pillow, she looked up at him.  “It hurts a bit, yeah, but nothing I can’t handle.”

Knowing her the way he did, he figured that was an understatement.  After sending for his healer, he told her, “There’s no reason you have to suffer so they’re going to bring you something for the pain.”

Nodding, she sighed softly, “Where’s Shippo?”

“I put him in the room next to Rin.  I imagine the two of them drove the nanny insane until it was bed time.”  He told her with a smirk.

That made her giggle.  “Oh, I bet they did!”  Because the two kids were rarely around others their own age when the two got together they were very energetic and all over the place, making them a handful.

Quickly, the healer made an appearance then gave the little miko a draught for pain.  Once that was done she left telling the taiyoukai to call her if he needed anything else.

Laying curled around her body pillow, Kagome felt a smooth mellowness sweep over her as the pain killer started taking effect.  Sighing, a lazy gin turned up the corners of her mouth and a tiredness began to slowly spread through her body.  She knew she would be asleep soon but wanted to know a few things before that happened.  “Were you able to get Shippo without a fight?”

“Indeed I was.”  He told her with a nod.  “Quickly, he gave her a rundown of what had happened.

“Poor Shippo!  You probably scared him almost to death.”  She said, giggling unevenly.

“Oh, I know I did.”  He said with a smirk.  “But I felt a scare such as that was worth it.  It was easier to do it that way rather than try to grab him from camp.  I didn’t wish to engage the whelp at that point.”  He explained. 

“I understand.”  She said with a nod.  “I just wish there was a way to let Sango and Miroku know I’m OK.  They have to be really worried about me by now.”  She said with a sigh.

“I imagine they are but I saw no way to do that.  I’m sure, by now, both of them and the half-breed are on their way here.  When I see them I will make it known that I have no quarrel with them nor will I stop them from seeing you.  Is that acceptable?”

“Works for me.”  She said quietly as her heavy eyelids slid shut.

Seeing the shape she was in he told her, gently, “Sleep Kagome.”

“S’OK.”  She said as she slid off once more.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Mid-afternoon the next day found Sesshomaru in his study slowly working his way through the mountain of paperwork on his desk.  He had managed to get through all the urgent and emergent stuff so he was now working on the mundane.  But his mind wasn’t on what he was doing.  Just after dawn he received word that Inuyasha and what was left of his pack had crossed into the Western Lands.  

By this point he knew the boy would be making an appearance at any time.  That had him on edge.  No, he knew there was no way for the boy to get through him and/or his guards to get to Kagome.  What had him a bit on edge was the fact he was unsure what the whelps reaction and response to all of this was going to be.  The whelp was unpredictable on a good day but under the stress he had to be in at the moment, who knew what the boy was going to do.

About a half an hour or so later one of his guards came in to tell him that the pack had been spotted and were probably less than a half an hour away. Nodding, Sesshomaru then dismissed him.  Quickly, he ran through, mentally, what he had planned to do then exited his study to set it in motion.

He knew Kagome was out in the gardens with the children, playing.  So that was the first place he headed to.  Once there, he had the nanny take her two charges up to the children’s wing and stay there with them until they were told otherwise. 

Watching what was going on, Kagome didn’t have to be told what was happening, she could take a very good guess.  Inuyasha was close.  She could tell by the flurry of activity but also because she could feel him through the mating bond.  Quietly, she waited for Sesshomaru to tell her what he wanted her to do.

When he was done dealing with the children, Sesshomaru turned to the little priestess.  “I need you to head up to my chambers and stay there until I come for you, alright?  No matter what you see, feel or hear stay put.  It won’t help anything if the whelp sees you.”

Sighing, she nodded.  “Alright.  Just be careful, OK?”

Giving her a gentle pat on the back, he tried to reassure her.  “I will, never fear.”

He then escorted her up to his chambers because he could sense her apprehension.  Once there he again reassured her things would be fine then went to prepare for what was coming.

~~~~~@~~~~~~

Running at top speed, Inuyasha felt his temper rise with each meter he passed.  He knew the fortress wasn’t far off and he could smell his bastard brother more clearly the closer he was to it. He could also smell, very faintly, Kagome and Shippo as well as feel Kagome’s presence more through the bond.  That was the confirmation he needed to tell him Lord Fuckhead had taken her and the kit.

Stopping below a rise just before the outer walls of the fortress, he waited for the rest of the pack to catch up to him.  He was aware that Sesshomaru and some of his men were waiting on him on the other side of the gate.  No, he hadn’t seen them but he could smell and sense them clearly.  So he needed to switch his plans around a bit.  It wouldn’t do to charge in at full speed with weapons drawn because they would instantly be on the defensive.  That wasn’t a good idea.  It wasn’t like taking on just a small group with that bastard brother of his.  He had countless guards as well as an army to back him up.  He and the pack wouldn’t last five minutes that way.

Once the other caught up and rested for several minutes, Inuyasha made sure all weapons were put up then they began to slowly walk the rest of the way to the fortress. 

When they were within a few meters of the front gate it swung open, revealing Sesshomaru standing there, waiting for them, arms folded across his chest.  Smirking, he glared at the hanyou, eyes cold.  “Well Inuyasha, what brings you here?  I doubt it’s just to visit.”  He asked, voice frosty. 

“You know exactly why I’m here you pompous ass!  I’ve come to get Kagome.  So do us all a favor and hand her over so we don’t have to fight.”  Inuyasha said, glaring at the taiyoukai. 

“No.”  Sesshomaru stated simply.  “She won’t be going anywhere with you again Inuyasha.  And you know why.  Youkai societal law required me to remover her from you and states she isn’t ever to return.  In a year your bond to her will be nullified.  You no longer have a mate Inuyasha and you only have yourself to blame for it.”

The hanyou felt his gut sink to his feet as his worst fear was confirmed but that didn’t mean he was going to give up without a fight.  “You can’t do that!  This isn’t your business!  If you won’t do it the easy way then I have no problem going through you to get her.”  The hanyou snarled, drawing his sword.

“You can try little brother.”  Sesshomaru said with a smirk as he drew his own steel. 

Of course, the fight was then on.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Knowing better than to get in the middle of the two when they fought both Sango and Miroku hung back a ways.  Seeing all the armed guards around the two made no move that could be perceived as aggressive.  Knowing this could take a while, both of them seated themselves a ways away and just waited, watching.

Usually, Inuyasha was a match for his elder brother and held his fair share of victories over the taiyoukai but for some reason he didn’t seem to be up to snuff.  His attacks were off and didn’t seem to have the same kind of power they usually did.  Quite honestly, he was being handed his ass by the taiyoukai from the look of things.

While sitting there, Sango’s mind wasn’t on what was going on in front of her but rather what had been said before swinging steel started. 

Part of being a good slayer was knowing your opponent in every way possible.  Though, mostly she knew lower level youkai she was enough acquainted with upper level and their society to have red flags pop up when Sesshomaru gave the reasons for taking Kagome.  She knew there was only one reason he would have done that:  Inuyasha was abusing Kagome.  She was also sure the taiyoukai wouldn’t take such a drastic step without real proof.  Nor would he take her just to get even with Inuyasha then make such an accusation.  He had far too much honor to do something such as that.

Filing all that away she tried to think back to see if she could remember anything she had seen or heard which would indicate abuse.  What came to her was troubling.  The way she saw it there were signs of it there.  Nothing big, but just some small things here and there.  She had seen some bruises and other injuries that were bad enough to draw her attention yet they weren’t anything that could be attributed to any kind of battle or other fighting they did.  Because of how protective Inuyasha was he generally made sure she wasn’t injured in any way.  Then there was the make-up… When she started wearing that it had raised the eyebrows of all of them.  Kagome had never worn that stuff but out of the blue she started.  Not only that, but Inuyasha made sure she had time to put it on.  Normally the hanyou had no patience for junk like that and it would have driven him buggy, causing a fight.  At the time all of them had thought it strange. 

Then there was something that only she, as far as she knew, seemed to notice.  For as long as she had known the little miko, the hanyou’s temper didn’t faze her nor was she scared of it.  But that wasn’t the case any more.  Now, if she saw his temper start to spike you could see a wide-eyed, fearful look cross her face and she would do everything in her power to calm him down.  Nor did she seem to want to go anywhere or be alone with him when he was upset or angry.  That had been troubling the slayer since she first noticed it and now she didn’t like what it may indicate.

As far as she could remember from the time she had joined up with the group Inuyasha had never been ‘clingy’.  In fact he wasn’t all that affectionate at all with Kagome.  But after their mating he wouldn’t let her out of his sight.  It seemed that if she wasn’t right next to him at all times he became agitated.  Nor did it seem he wanted her to be alone with anyone, male or female.  She and Kagome had been close since she had joined up with them and had spent many hours having some ‘girl talk’ and other things.  But since she and the hanyou had mated there had been none of that.  Inuyasha had cut that off completely.  He now was her only bathing partner and where she went so did he.  So unless she wanted an Inuyasha audience the two women’s talk time was gone.

Watching the half-brothers go at it like they had so many times in the past, the slayer focused in on Inuyasha, eyes narrowing.  Her gut was now telling her that her impression was right, that her friend was being ‘hurt’ by the being she had loved for so long.  She deiced that she and a certain hanyou were going to have a talk and she was going to out and out ask him.  Then she would decide for herself, by what he said, what she believed.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Miroku was confused.  Unlike Sango he didn’t know much at all about youkai society and laws so he was fairly clueless as to why this was happening.  Nudging Sango, he asked her to explain what was going on.

Pulled back from her inner musings, she gave him a brief rundown on what she had felt was going on and youkai societal law about breaking a mating bond and reason for removing a mate.

Stunned to even think the being he considered a close friend would so something like that to Kagome, the monk was speechless.  But then, like Sango did, he began to think back to see if there were any signs which would indicate the little priestess had been abused by the hanyou.

Quickly, like the slayer, his mind conjured up several things that really troubled him.  Honestly, he didn’t like what he was thinking nor the conclusion he was coming to.  But he wasn’t going to solidify anything without some other evidence or thinking it through to see if there was another explanation for things. Plus, he wanted some kind of independent confirmation.

“What do you think Sango?  Is it possible?”  He asked the slayer quietly as he watched the brothers go at it.  To him is seemed that Sesshomaru was not trying to end the fight quickly but extending it so he had the opportunity to punish Inuyasha.

Sighing, Sango rubbed her eyes.  “I don’t know.  But I do know that there does seem to be a lot of things leaning that way.”  Then she listed off the odd things she had seen or heard that were troubling her.

When the slayer finished the monk sat there, a blank expression on his face.  When he did speak again his voice was quiet.  “This, quite frankly, troubles me.  And I don’t like the conclusions I seem to be drawing from both our observations.

“If the evidence it’s self weren’t strong enough there is Inuyasha himself.  Both his insecurities and temper are things that would lean him that direction.  Just look at how he had and still does act with Kouga.  Kagome has never expressed any kind of interest in him as anything but a friend but the minute he shows up Inuyasha can’t handle it and his insecurities just fuel his jealousy to new levels

“It should have ended when Kagome became his mate but it didn’t.  We’ve both heard him accuse her of flirting with him and that comment about how sparkling her eyes get when she talks to him he makes all the time.  Everyone but Inuyasha knows that isn’t true but he sure seems to think it is.  Jealousy and insecurities like that are never a good sign.

“Even though we’ve all been traveling together for a long time now and he knows he can trust us he’s taken steps to isolate her from us unless he’s there.  That’s not only a troubling sign but seems to indicate he has something to hid and is afraid she might say something if he isn’t around.  Something such as that troubles me greatly.  Though he’s know her longer than we have our own special relations with her and he knows it.  We’re truly a family in so many ways yet he seems to be trying to isolate her.

“All of us are well aware what his temper and violent streak are like.  Thos in of themselves mean nothing but combine hem with all the things we’ve noticed leaves me with a very foreboding feeling.”  He finished quietly, eyes locked on the battling brothers.

Sango nodded, “I agree.  I think that you and I need to have a very long talk with a certain hanyou.  He has a lot of things he needs to explain or clarify to us.”

~~~~~@~~~~~

It didn’t really take all that long at all to give the whelp the beating of his life.  There was little doubt of his victory when he started but as it started it was assured as he spent most of his time enjoying inflicting punishment on Inuyasha.  Sesshomaru had wanted to not just thoroughly beat the boy, of that there was no doubt, but he also wanted to get some measure of revenge for what the miko had suffered through.

Finally, Inuyasha was so badly beaten all he could do was lay on the ground with the tip of Tokijin pressed to his Adam’s apple.  Panting heavily, all the hanyou could do was glare up at the asshole with his fangs bared.  He was clearly beaten, there was no two ways about it.  Nor was there anything he could do to change it.  He was far too hurt and tired to keep trying either.

Smirking, Sesshomaru glared down at his half-sibling.  “You’ve lost Inuyasha.  Do you accept that fact?”

Glaring up at Sesshomaru all Inuyasha did was pant heavily, saying nothing.

Pressing the top of his sword harder into the boys neck, until a small rivulet of blood trickled down, Sesshomaru growled, “Do you accept that?”

Deciding it was better to fight another day, the hanyou growled. “Yes!” He spit out through clenched teeth, glaring daggers at the taiyoukai.

“I will allow you to leave this time and give you two days to remove yourself from my lands.  But remember this Inuyasha… I and I alone am the law of the Western Lands.  While you are on lands controlled by me I decide what happens to you.  For what you have done to your mate I could and should have you arrested then let the punishment fit the crime.  And I would take great pleasure in meeting out such a thing as I’m sure you know all too well.

“Do not think I’m showing you compassion in any way.  I’m not doing this for you but for the miko.  As far as I’m concerned I could torture you to death without a twinge of guilt but I don’t wish to see her blame herself for any of it.  So you get to walk away this time.  But remember… there will be no second chances.  You have lost your mate because of your actions.  Accept that.  If you show up here again to argue the matter I won’t be so magnanimous and you will pay dearly for what you’ve done.  Now, get out of my sight!”  He snarled, finally sheathing Tokijin.

Knowing full well there was no way the whelp would be able to move on his own, Sesshomaru mentioned for the monk and slayer to come over to help because there was no way he or his guards were about to do anything to assist the half-breed.

Quickly, both humans and the fully transformed fire cat hurried over and pried the wounded hanyou off the ground and helped him onto Kirara’s back.  Quickly, Miroku hopped up behind him to hold onto the wounded hanyou.  Once he was sure he had a hold of him tightly and he wouldn’t slide off he started Kirara moving.

Sango hung back and waited until the monk and Inuyasha were out of earshot then she turned to the taiyoukai.  “Is Kagome alright?”

Having expected this, the demon lord nodded.  “The priestess will be fine.  She will get the best care anyone can give her, rest assured on that subject.”

“Was it Inuyasha that did it?”  She asked quietly, afraid of what she was going to hear.

“Yes, he did.  Quite badly and for a long time now.”  He told her.

Shoulders slumped, Sango looked at the ground, shaking her head.  “Miroku and I didn’t know.”  She told him quietly.

“I assumed that.  I have doubt the two of you would have done something about it if you had.”

“I know she’s under your protection but Miroku and I would like to be able to see her.  She’s a good friend to us.”

“I have no problems with you and the monk so you will be allowed to see her whenever you wish.  I will also extend the invitation for the two of you to join me if you tire of the half-breeds antics.”

“Thanks Lord Sesshomaru.”  Sango replied respectfully.  “Take good care of her and Shippo.”  With that being said, she turned and hurried to catch up with the fire cat.