Holler Me Home by The Norrington
Holler Me Home
Kagome sat, with her arms around her legs holding them to her chest. It gave her a feeling of more safety, but she knew that was just an illusion. Silvery mist curled around her body and through the raven strands of her hair. Blue eyes, haunted with horror and confusion, stared endlessly out at the shifting mist. The visions had stopped, for the moment.
She knew she had been handed over to Byakuya; knew good and well that nothing that she was being shown was real. No matter how much they hurt, or burned, and tore at her sanity, none of it was real. But when that illusion started, when the scenes began to play once more, she was lost. They saturated her consciousness, and clouded her mind and heart.
Over and over, she was forced to watch the death of those she loved. Repeatedly, she stood in the face of Sesshomaru's rejection and had to bare it. Time after time she saw him struck down by Naraku. She screamed; she bled; she sobbed and she attempted to purify everything. Then the Illusion Master would withdraw once more, and she was left sweating and baffled. Not real, not real, not real.
There was a sound like a sigh and she flinched, her nails biting into her arms hard enough to tinge her pale skin pink with new blood. Was he back? Were the illusions starting once more?
There was the sound of silk, the whisper of well-oiled armor, and Sesshomaru loomed like an angel from the mist.
-----
Golden eyes narrowed, and lethal claws tightened on the hilt of Bakusaiga, but Kagura stood her ground. Behind the wind witch stood Kanna, her mirror held before her like a sheild, and seated behind her, eyes closed as if in prayer was Byakuya. And there, sprawled as these abominations feet, was his Kagome. Far too thin, and far too pale, but his none-the-less.
There was no need to speak to the incarnations of Naraku; they were more than worthless. But he did speak.
"Kagome."
She stirred, her eyelids fluttering, but then Byakuya's murmuring increased, his brow furrowed in concentration. Sesshomaru growled low, his eyes tinging red. Kagura's fan snapped open, and the surface of Kanna's mirror gleamed.
The battle for Kagome had begun.
-----
"Sesshomaru!" she exclaimed, her heart leaping.
"Miko," his voice rumbled, as he closed the last of the distance between them. "Why are you on the ground?"
"Oh, Sesshomaru, it's been terrible. Byakuya has been hitting me with illusions, and I just... I mean, he's gone right? This isn't an illusion? I guess not, because I haven't been able to talk about them before now," she rambled, scrambling to her feet.
The room instantly went cold, and the mists around her turned into shadows as Sesshomaru leveled an icy glare at her. She backed up a step, goosebumps popping up on her skin. "Sesshomaru?"
"What have you done, miko?" demanded Sesshomaru, his voice a hiss.
"W-what are you talking about?" she stammered.
His nostrils flared, and when looked into her eyes she was frightened to see crimson curl through his irises.
"Why do you smell of the hanyou? My half-brother. Have you given yourself to Inuyasha?"
Kagome...
The voice was soft, and far too quiet as it curled from the darkened mists. She backed up another step, her heart hammering in panic and tears of hurt stinging her eyes. She felt her back press into something hard and knew, that somehow, she been backed into a corner. By the love of her life, staring at her in betrayal and rage.
"I would never! Y-You know that! Don't you trust me?" she gasped.
"I did. I see now that, that was a mistake."
Kagome... Koi.
She burst into tears as Sesshomaru's stared at her mercilessly.
"It is a mistake I will not make again."
-----
Kanna was nothing but a steaming heap of bloody mess now, her mirror shattered into glittering fragments around her. Kagura was fighting savagely, her wind ripping around them all and off setting Sesshomaru's balance. But it could not last. He could already smell the stress and fatigue that was plaguing her body. Soon, she would start making mistakes. It was the Illusion Master that was causing the most havoc.
Everytime Kagome whimpered, or flinched, his rage and concerned deepend. When the scent of tears stung the air, her name escaped his lips before he could stop it.
"Kagome."
Byakuya shuddered in effort, and Sesshomaru was pleased to see it. Perhaps he could help in more ways than one.
"Kagome."
-----
She shook her head, sliding down the wall to sit on the balls of her feet before him. Once more, her arms wrapped about her knees.
"No. No no no no no," she whispered furiously to herself, unable to take her eyes off of the youkai she loved so very much.
Kagome.
Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles, and even through her terror was able to see and smell the arrival of his dokkaso. She trembled before him, and his reddened eyes gleamed in predatory delight. He stepped closer, his claws dangling menacingly above her face.
"Farewell Miko. You were a nice distraction."
Kagome!
The image flickered for a moment, like the old run down T.V. set they used to have at home, and warmth shuddered down her spine. Her eyes seemed to clear. Why was Sesshomaru so, so pale? He had always been fair, but never in this sickly way. And why...why?
"Why are you calling me Miko?" she demanded, her voice louder than she intended. "You haven't called me that since we began courting."
Sesshomaru faltered, and again something seemed strange about the scene. Wasn't his poison green? Why did it look distinctly blue?
-----
Byakuya cursed under his breath as the miko, Kagome, once again noticed something wrong with his illusion. He had thought he had broken her down enough she would no longer notice. She stirred before him, frowning.
There was a scream and a gurlge, and then Kagura slumped to the ground, dead before she finished her fall. Byakuya struggled all the harder as the Daiyoukai approached. He had to break her before he was killed. That was the last assignment Naraku had given him. And he could not betray it.
This time when Kagome moaned, it was one of true pain. For a moment, Sesshomaru forgot about Byakuya and had eyes only for his mate. His only. His love.
"Kagome!"
He barely reacted fast enough to ward off Byakuya's blade. The illusion master grinned, his face pale with exhaustion.
"That should do it."
Sesshomaru's eyes flashed to Kagome now writhing form.
"Kagome. Kagome!"
He growled in desperation as she screamed in agony and heartbreak.
"KAGOME!"
-----
Kagome!
This can't be happening, it just can't. She withheld a scream as the first of the poison touched her brow. She writhed as it began to slide down her body, leaving a bubbling, oozing path in her skin. It seemed to be trying to eat it's way to her heart. The Sesshomaru above her, smiling in cruel delight suddenly flickered, stumbling, and then faded away, returning to the mist. The pain still lingered, and she screamed as her flesh began to melt from her bones.
Kagome. Kagome!
The pain lessened in the wake of that voice, so strong, and so loved. Her eyes opened with agonizing slowness, and now she recognized the mist coiling about her.
"Sesshomaru?" she rasped.
KAGOME!
He was screaming. He, Sesshomaru, the stoic youkai of the west...was hollering for her.
Finally, her eyes opened at last to the real world. She was painless, the poison gone, and as she focused on the two combatants she feel several things. One was relief. One was joy at the sight of her love. But the other was rage. Pure, unadulterated rage. Her powers flared up around her, and the world was gone once more in a flash of light.
-----
Sesshomaru held still as his mate's purification power rolled over him, and although it was very warm, he held no fear of it's burn. Kagome would never hurt him. Byakuya was erased from exsistence so thuroughly it was if he had never been. The light cleared, and he moved forward to catch his mate as her power released her from it's hold. Her caught her in his arms and craddled her to his chest, his nose buried in her hair.
She still smelled so wonderful, even tired and sick as she was.
She stirred weakly, and he pulled back to meet those smiling blue eyes that had captivated him from the beginning. Some how, she got her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. This is he allowed, graciously pouring out his love for her. When she pulled back, he was pleased at the flush in her cheeks. She spoke first, after catching her breath.
"You came for me," she whispered, her eyes lit with wonder, "And you called me. You...you hollered me home."
He gazed into her eyes, and then pressed a kiss to her tired brow, and when he spoke his voice was hushed.
"In the end, I will always be there to holler you home."
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A/N: This prompt was from Stella's Word Game, and it was Saturate. That's it folks. The end. Fin. We leave Holler Me Home behind with hopefully good memories, feels, and laughter. I dedicate this last chapter to Stella, who has followed Holler Me Home from the very beginning. Thank you, Stell. You're amazing. I hope you all have enjoyed this story as much as I have. 3/26/13
"...and in the end, I will be there to holler you home."