Bound by Corruption by BelovedStranger

Revelations

Prompt from Stella Mira’s Proverbial Challenge:

‘You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.’

At Sesshomaru’s words, Kagome waited a few seconds more, hoping that when next she opened her eyes, her sister would no longer be in such an intimate embrace. Blinking her eyes open, she saw time being fast forward as it had before, and Sesshomaru was already on the move, lifting them higher into the sky on his strange cloud, following the two lovers.

Lovers.

Kagome couldn’t believe she was referring to her own sister with such a…scandalous term. Kikyo was a priestess, just as she was! How could she..? Oh, God. Not again, she internally shrieked, flushing when she noticed the couple were at it again, this time performing the sexual act standing up, half undressed—with Sesshomaru’s brother of all men—pinning Kikyo to a tree. Kagome turned her face away, once again squeezing her eyes tightly shut, waiting for Sesshomaru to begin the torture all over again and force her to watch. She continued to wait, but nothing happened.

He said nothing. Merely held her close to his side with a hand on her hip to make sure she did not fall from her perch. She glanced up at him tentatively. Sesshomaru didn’t even spare her a glance, blatantly ignoring her. What was his deal? One minute he was being provocative and threatening all in the same breath, the next, he acted like she didn’t even exist. Taking a closer look at his face, she noticed a tightness around his mouth, barely discernable, but nonetheless there.

Was something wrong? What was he thinking about?

Right now, it didn’t matter. She’d worry about his strange behavior later. Her first priority was to find her sister. Just the thought of locating her, finding Kikyo alive and well, filled Kagome’s heart with such longing. Did Kikyo know what had happened to their village while she was away with her…lover? If so, did Kikyo think that she had died or fled from the village before the bandits had arrived to ransack the place?

Sesshomaru was having a difficult time hiding his fatigue from the onna beside him, the powerful, time spell finally beginning to take its toll on him. In hindsight, he realized, perhaps, it hadn’t been the best idea to waste time forcing Kagome to watch her sister allow a male—his bastard brother of all men—to fuck her senseless. It took great energy to cast and wield this particular spell. Controlling time in even this small way was strenuous, and even he had his limits. He was fast approaching his. He mentally cursed the couple below them even though they were mere glimpses in the past, not real. He wished they’d hurry up and reveal their location to him.

And what would he do once Kagome was reunited with her sister? The elder priestess would no doubt sense what he was, and if Inuyasha was still sniffing around, he’d most likely inform his lover exactly who he was. Though Sesshomaru was not ashamed of who he was and what he’d done in the past, should Kikyo pass judgment on him and attempt to remove Kagome from his side, there would be a confrontation. He seriously doubted Kagome would be pleased if he hurt her sister in any way, large or small. It was a complication waiting to happen and one he didn’t need. First Onigumo and now Kikyo? They all wanted to take Kagome from him, and right now, he didn’t have a strong enough hold on the onna to assure that she stayed with him for as long as he wanted her. Yes, there was still the contract between them, but there were two problems with that.

One, he no longer wished to kill Kagome if she tried to break her vow, and two… He hadn’t created a true blood contract between them. More blood was needed for the exchange, and he hadn’t had the time to do so, what with the human filth breathing down their necks at the Inu no Kami’s temple. And foolishly, he’d thought it would be unnecessary to make a true contract. Kagome hadn’t—still didn’t—realize it was a farce, and he was using her ignorance against her. Another reason that had stopped him from insisting they forge a true contract was because he hadn’t been able to come up with a good enough reason to exchange the blood necessary for the bond. There was no way Kagome would willingly drink from him, and if she knew there were no real ties holding her to him, she’d run as far away from him as fast as she could without looking back. 

Perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to offer his aid in locating Kikyo for her…

There was no turning back now. He’d set them on this path, and he had little choice but to see it through and make damn sure Kagome wasn’t stolen away from him. If Kagome truly was the priceless gem he was suspecting her to be, he wanted her for himself—for always.

Finally, the couple below returned to the sisters’ village. Considering Inuyasha followed Kikyo into the village instead of keeping his presence secret, he had scented the burnt buildings and the stench of old blood and rotting corpses. With more effort this time than the last, Sesshomaru brought time back to its normal pace, though he kept the past firmly before them, hoping to figure out where Kikyo was headed after she learned of her home’s destruction.

He lowered them to the ground, his youki cloud dissipating like smoke when his and Kagome’s feet settled upon the dirt. Inuyasha and Kikyo were only a few paces ahead of them. He must not have returned time to its normal pace to catch the beginning portion of the lovers’ discussion. It hardly mattered.

“She’s dead. They both are…” Kikyo murmured, gazing around with impossibly sad eyes.

Inuyasha stepped closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder in a show of comfort and support.

“You don’t know that, Kikyo. Maybe your family escaped, left before the bandits arrived. I can find them for—“

“—Kagome and my obaasan are dead!” Kikyo interrupted with a sharp shout before modulating her voce in a calmer tone. “They’re dead, and I wasn’t here to…” She choked on a sob before stifling the sound by pressing her lips tightly together.

Inuyasha dragged the stiff woman into his arms and stroked her back. “It’s not your fault,” he told her in a low tone. “You didn’t know this would happen.”

“No, but I did know that the bandits’ forces continued marching closer and closer, yet I left them here to be with you.”

Inuyasha stiffened.

“Are you…blaming me for this, Kikyo?” he grated out, obviously hurt and angry at the insinuation.

“No, of course not,” Kikyo replied with a shake of her head. “Even if I had been here, there is no guarantee that I wouldn’t be counted amongst one of the dead.” Then she leaned back and stared up at Inuyasha, her voice turned hard as steel as her ire grew. “I want them to pay for what they have done.”

“What do you mean,” hedged Inuyasha, his expression showing his surprise at Kikyo’s vehemence.

“I’ve had enough of countless villagers running for their lives or dying at the hands of these….vile men. Worse? They stole my family from me, and I want them to pay for what they have done with their lives. Every last one of them.”

While initially shocked by her words, Inuyasha got a determined look upon his face, and he nodded. “I’ll find the bastards who did this, Kikyo. I’ll track their scent. They couldn’t have gotten too far ahead. We’ll catch up with them in no time.”

Kagome couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Wide eyed, she stared at the sister she thought she knew, realizing she was seeing a completely different side of Kikyo she’d never even dreamed about. First, Kikyo had intimate relations with a man not her husband, now she was talking like Sesshomaru with words of vengeance falling easily from her lips. Would she really… Would Kikyo actually kill another human being for such a reason? They were miko! They were supposed to eradicate evil spirits and demons, not murder human beings.

Then came the realization that Kikyo would be tracking the same bandits that Sesshomaru had slaughtered when he tried to teach her about revenge. How close had she come to being reunited with her sister, only to miss her by…days? Mere hours? If Onigumo’s identity hadn’t been found out, if the villagers’ hadn’t turned violent and burned the bandit to death and turned on her, Kagome probably would have been reunited with Kikyo by now. The thought nearly had her digging her hands in her hair and pulling strands out by the roots one by one. How could fate be so cruel?

Suddenly, everything around her seemed to waver. Kikyo and Inuyasha’s voice warped, becoming more distant as their image began to fade.

“What…” murmured Kagome, bemused.

And then they were gone, but the village remained relatively the same. The fallen, burnt heaps that had once housed the villagers were all that remained of their humble abodes, crows circling and picking at the dead bodies…and then Sesshomaru stumbled.

“Sesshomaru?” Kagome called, turning to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, trying to help keep him on his feet, but damn was he heavy.

His arm fell across her shoulders, using her as a crutch as he bent forward at the waist a bit, his long, silver mane falling around his face, hiding his expression from her, but she could hear his heavy breathing, how he panted for air. His strong body trembled, and for a second, she feared they were going to fall to the ground if he gave her all his weight.    

“Sesshomaru?! What’s wrong? Are you alright?” she cried, worried.

He seemed to regain some of his strength back as his knees locked, preventing him from collapsing—and taking her with him.

“Must you screech so close to my ear?” he grouched, his voice sounding strained, tired even. He kept his arm around her, his fingers digging into her shoulder in a punishing grip until she winced. His claws were so long and sharp, she felt them pierce her flesh.

However, she didn’t complain or voice her discomfort. Something was wrong. She’d never seen the Inugami like this before, so she ignored his surly tone.

“Are you hurt?”

He scoffed at her, and stiffened his spine, righting himself, and she could see locks of his hair sticking to his sweat slicked face. He was still breathing more heavily than usual, and a fine tremor continued to shake his frame, if slightly.

“I’m fine. Stop hovering over me like a mother hen with her chick. I merely need to rest awhile.”

It was then that Kagome realized that the spell had taken a lot out of him. She was desperate to find Kikyo, but she bit her tongue, refusing to ask that he perform his magic again. She opened her mouth, then clicked it shut audibly, barely stopping herself in time at voicing his obvious weakness. She was no fool. Sesshomaru would not take kindly to even a murmur from her concerning his strength—or lack thereof in this instance. He was likely to bite her head off.

Trying not to seem like she was coddling him, Kagome tried to help steer him out of her ruined village, hardly noticing it, not when her whole focus was on the man beside her. However, he shrugged her off and stepped away from her, walking on his own steam. They didn’t travel far. There was no shelter around these parts anymore, so they found themselves by the god tree in the forest close to her village. Slowly and with more grace than she thought he had at the moment, Sesshomaru sat down at the trunk of the massive tree, and rested his back against the bark. He was almost hidden amongst the roots at its base, so large and high they sprouted from the ground.

Kagome stood there, shifting from one foot to the other, unsure as to what to do. It was late in the afternoon, the sun still high in the sky. There was plenty of daylight left to travel, though she wasn’t sure where to start.

“Ah… Sesshomaru… what—“

“Leave me in peace, onna,” he commanded, his eyes closed and head tilted back. He looked so beautiful with a few of the sun’s rays peeking through the large leaves, leaving some of his face in mild shadow, and making his silver hair sparkle. “You prattle incessantly.” 

Kagome clammed up, watching him helplessly. Did he have to be so rude? She was worried about him. Then she shook her head violently, her hair whipping around her sharply at the ridiculous thought. Fine. If he wanted to pretend that he wasn’t as weak as a kitten, fine by her. Turning sharply on her heel, she began walking away when Sesshomaru called after her.

“Where do you think you are going?”

Kagome didn’t even turn to look at him. It was on the tip of her tongue to give him attitude after he’d done it to her, but she kept her sarcasm to herself—barely.

“I’m hungry. I thought I’d return to the village and see if one of the villagers’ gardens was left undestroyed. Is that a problem?”

Okay, maybe she couldn’t help herself and be a little short with him.

“Hn.” His reply was disinterested.

What? Did he really think she was trying to run away from him or something? Not that she enjoyed his touchy attitude and perverse, twisted ways, but she wasn’t stupid. She needed his help to find Kikyo…and there was still the problem with that contract of theirs. There was no doubt in her mind that Sesshomaru would hunt her down if she even tried to flee. Perhaps kill her for trying to break their contract. Jerk.

Kagome had only taken a couple of steps before his voice reached her ears again.

“Do not be gone long.”

Now he was really getting on her nerves. She continued silently on her away, hoping a wild animal or something disturbed his precious rest.

Thankfully, Kagome’s mind was blank as she made her way to her village, ignoring the destruction around her with marginal difficulty, and scrounging around until she found a vegetable garden that held promise. Deciding to take one of the melons so she didn’t have to clean her food first, she cracked it open with a large rock and dug in.

Juice dripped off her chin and onto her hideous and filthy kimono. She should really think about getting a new one. As she took another bite, her mind decided now was a good time to stop being idle and contemplate on what she had learned in the past hour.

Kikyo hadn’t been in the neighboring village as she had claimed, meaning she’d lied.

Kikyo had instead left to meet up with a man and spend a passionate interlude with him for a few days, meaning she was no longer chaste and basically broke a cardinal rule set for a priestess.

Kikyo vowed to take vengeance on the bandits who killed and destroyed their home, meaning she had a darker nature than anyone had ever thought, one supposedly antithetical to miko.

All in all, everything Kagome thought she knew about her kindhearted, strong willed, elder sister was a lie. It was difficult to associate this new woman with the sister she had grown up idolizing, even envying. She couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around it—any of it.

Who was the real Kikyo, the sister she knew and loved, or this stranger she’d had a glimpse of? More importantly, where was she?

Kagome tossed aside a hard shell and dug in to another piece of her melon. About to take another bite, she paused as another thought filtered through her mind, somehow more disquieting then all the others. Had Sesshomaru been right? Not only had he told her—on more than one occasion—how it was no great sin to experience pleasure of the flesh, but also about human nature, that vengeance was a part of all of them. Because of her revelations about Kikyo, Kagome began to second guess everything she once thought to be true.

Was it alright to….consort with a man in that manner despite her calling? Should she have taken a greater part in avenging her friends and family? Or perhaps even relished their deaths?

So many questions, too much confusion, and no answers to be found.

She is taking a while, though Sesshomaru with a small frown. He refused to admit that he might be worried about her. Just to be sure, he tilted his head back and sniffed, scenting the air, and allowed his senses to stretch outward, feeling for any danger that might be close and waylaying Kagome. Nothing. He settled back against the tree he rested against, inwardly cursing his fatigue.

The reverse time spell he’d cast was not only advanced magic few could perform; it was not meant to be used for lengthy periods of time, usually spanning no longer than fifteen to twenty minutes tops so as not to drain one’s energy to far. And yet, he’d allowed it to continue for close to an hour. It had been foolhardy to waste time and energy to watch his bastard brother fuck Kagome’s sister. Then he grinned, flashing a sharp fang. Oh, but how sweet it had been to witness his miko become aroused by the sight of another copulating. The scent of her need had permeated the air, swirling around in his head and deep within his lungs.

His smirk melted, forming into a frown. Who had she been yearning for to assuage her need? A low growl spilled from his lips, a snarl curling his upper lip at the thought that Kagome might have been lusting after Inuyasha and not him. She was his, dammit. And she’d better remember that. Perhaps, he needed to remind her…

Regardless, it had been well worth his current tiredness—he refused to call it weakness. Surely, even now, Kagome was having doubts about her precious sister. There was more than one lesson to be learned from their glimpse into the past. But one thing was for sure. Now that Kagome was vulnerable and second guessing Kikyo, it was the perfect opportunity to interject himself into her life more firmly, to make her less dependent on her sister and rely more fully on him.

To achieve this goal, he needed to completely destroy her self-image of how she was supposed to conduct herself and tear down the wall that inhibited her. Though he was coming to crave her pure soul, he still needed to corrupt her just enough to allow him entrance and gain her unwavering loyalty. He’d had it all wrong before. He shouldn’t be trying to extinguish the spark that made her so unique. He should be the object of her corruption, the only thing she allowed to cast a shadow over her pure light. Her one, dark vice.

Sesshomaru chuckled darkly, his good mood restored. He relaxed, waiting patiently for her to return. He had much to do once she came back.

Come, aijin, he beckoned. Return to me.

Kagome returned a little over a half-hour later. Once she caught sight of Sesshomaru, reclining in the same spot she’d left him in, his eyes shut, her worry flooded back, though she tried to beat it back and failed. Guiltily, she realized she’d been so caught up in her own thoughts, she’d forgotten to bring back something for Sesshomaru to eat. What if he was hungry or thirsty? She’d never seen him eat, but surely even he had to get hungry once in a while.

No, he didn’t even want her concern, so she refused to feel bad about her inconsideration. If he wanted something to eat, he could get it himself. Now she sounded like a bratty child, and she hated it.

Sighing softly, she knelt near him but out of touching distance, resting her back against one of the many roots that protruded from the ground around the god tree. All of a sudden, she felt bone weary. Too much had happened in her life recently without enough to time to take a break and relax, to enjoy a new day.

“Ne, Sesshomaru,” she called to him in a low voice. She knew he would be able to hear her.

“Hn?”

“I’ve been thinking…”

“Yes?” he prompted when she remained silent too long.

Perhaps she shouldn’t be talking to him about this, that it was the better choice to keep her thoughts to herself, but she couldn’t. Maybe if she spoke aloud, her voice would unlock the answers to her many questions and solve a problem or two. Or she just wanted to talk and get this weight off her mind.

“I think you might have been right.”

“You will have to be more specific. On what occasion do you refer to?”

“You once said I needed to learn the pleasure of revenge. I was so obstinate… And yet… Kikyo didn’t hesitate. After she learned what had happened, she wanted to make the ones responsible pay. To kill them.” She whispered the last, still unable to truly believe it had been her sister who had said such bloodthirsty words.

Sesshomaru blinked his eyes open, staring at Kagome in open surprise, but she didn’t notice, wasn’t looking at him, and he quickly masked his reaction. This felt…strange. He’d been planning on bringing this very subject to her attention once she had come back, but Kagome had beat him to it. A knowing smile curled his lips slightly. So he had been correct in his earlier musings. She was doubting her sister. He could hear it in her voice. Even better? Kagome was rethinking her whole life, perhaps believing it all to be a lie, a gilded cage that trapped her spirit.

He opened his mouth to respond, but he was silenced when she spoke again.

“But it didn’t make me feel better…” she murmured, feeling conflicted about her feelings. She turned to him, even leaned towards him slightly, though still out of reach. Not that he couldn’t catch her in the blink of an eye if he so chose. “Even after you…killed my enemies for me—” God, was it hard to say he’d done it for her, putting the weight of all their lives on her shoulders. “—it didn’t change anything. It didn’t make me feel better, only worse. Why am I so different? You, even Kikyo, talk about murdering people so easily, as if it was so simple.”

Sesshomaru could hear how lost she was feeling, could hear the vulnerability in her voice and see the doubt in her eyes. Somehow, though he’d been in her company almost nonstop this past week, it never ceased to surprise him with how open she was, how expressive, completely without guile. Did she not realize that she could so easily be taken advantage of because of her inability to mask her feelings? How sweet she appeared, how innocent and naïve.

He had to admit, silently to himself, her pained expression filled him with desire. It made him want to hurt her just a little more just to see that expression painted on her face.

Her confusion was palpable, and better yet, she came to him for guidance. Sesshomaru had to will himself not to show any of the excitement he was feeling, easily masking his thoughts, because if she was given even the smallest inkling of what he was thinking, she’d clam up and mentally withdraw from him.

When would she learn, he wondered, not to rely on him? After everything he had put her through, she still had this child-like innocence about her, and unconsciously sought guidance from whoever was around her when she was confused and unsure. He wasn’t complaining. Whatever her reasons were that she’d continue to put faith in him, he was not about to question them. He’d take it as the gift it was with relish.

“You believe yourself to be flawed, Kagome? That there is something wrong with you?” he inquired, making sure to sound almost disinterested, yet meeting her gaze in silent encouragement to continue their conversation, to remain open with him and reveal all her fears and doubts.

“I…” her voice cracked, forcing her to clear her throat and nervously move her hair behind one ear. “Maybe,” she admitted.

Though she didn’t go into more detail than that, her answer spoke volumes.

“You are not so different from your sister,” he told her seriously, purposefully seeming more interested in the conversation, acting as if he were striving to help her.

The subtle change in his demeanor, the more interest he displayed in his body language and expression caught her, and Sesshomaru knew it, saw it. At times, Kagome proved to be too easy to manipulate. But then she’d have moments of surprising him, catching him off-guard. It always kept him on edge and challenged him in intriguing ways.

“You once admitted that you had wanted the bandits to pay for their crimes. The end results may be different, but you both desire justice.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

A light had entered her eyes after she mulled over his words, dispelling some of her melancholy.

Caught you, little bird, Sesshomaru though with satisfaction. You are mine.

“That is not the only similarity between you two,” he informed her silkily.