Sunlight in Shadow by Lillian

Part I: Flight

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.

Now, I hate to write author’s notes besides the disclaimer, but I feel this story warrants one, and it is IMPORTANT! Sunlight in Shadow is a subtlely written fic. Please please please read it carefully and, if need be (I have been informed this is a good idea), re-read it. I especially recommend reading Part I carefully.

To Miss Katt for the Valentine's Day Exchange. I love you!

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Blood pulsed through her, her heartbeat thudding in her ears in time with her feet as she pounded though the forest blindly, breath catching on a dry sob. Already, scratches lined her arms and faces from bushes that sought to hinder her progress, but still she ran, hair tangling with branches and leaves.

She would not let anything stop her: there was no choice.

He was coming for her, a silver streak in the black of the forest. She could see it now; his golden eyes would be narrowed in determination, hand settled on the hilt of his sword, hair flying like a banner behind him.

“Kagome.” Her name ghosted by on the still air. “Why are you running?” A slight breeze made it feel like his breath was caressing the shell of her ear. “I only want to talk to you.”

Obviously he didn’t realize that his talking constituted his sword in her chest. The bitter taste of his betrayal was still fresh. After all they had done together, all they had accomplished for themselves, their group, and Nippon, he still allowed himself to be swayed by the memory of what could have been. Two years of friendship and saving each other meant nothing--she was only a pale shadow in his eyes.

She had to be near the well. She had to be. They had been close to the Well, just on the other side of the forest, when they had set up camp for the night. Desperation and exertion made her breath come in harsh pants. Kagome blindly tore through the forest, literally running for her life, and she could only pray to the Kamis that she was almost there. She had to have been running for at least an hour, haphazardly zig-zagging to try and confuse her scent trail.

There. Right there! A small sliver of white in the dense foliage. She forced her trembling legs faster, and as she broke through the trees and ducked under a large, low-lying branch, gleaming iridescent hair, black boots, and an implacable face appeared before her.

“Sesshomaru-sama!” she said in relief. Perhaps, if she begged hard enough, he would ensure that Inuyasha wouldn’t follow her the remaining distance to the Well. “Please, allow this lowly one a favor. Prevent Inuyasha from following me. I beg of you.” She knew her voice was higher than usual with a tinge of hysteria mixed in, but she couldn’t help it. Her hands shook, the foul odor of fear surrounding her.

Orbs the color of molten gold narrowed. “What does it matter to this Sesshomaru if the half-breed follows you, pathetic ningen?” Kagome’s heart sank. She’d wasted precious time for nothing.

“Gozaimasu, Sesshomaru-sama.” She tried to most past him, but he blocked her way. Kagome turned startled, crazed eyes at him.

“You may not pass.”

“W-What?”

“This Sesshomaru does not repeat himself.” Sesshomaru’s features started to twist strangely. “He has a purpose for you to serve.” His face began to elongate, rows of extremely large teeth growing before her eyes. A pale, perfect hand stretched towards her, and his maw opened wide. “This one intends to dine on delectable miko flesh. It has been a long time, and it will not take long for you to die.”

Kagome screamed, and abruptly she was on the floor of the forest, foot bent at a strange angle, face stinging with pain as blood from a gash somewhere on her head trickled down her cheek. She had hit the branch she thought she’d passed under but had apparently failed to do so and knocked herself unconscious.

“Kagome...” His voice was much closer, and, terrified beyond rational thought, she scrambled to her feet, giving a small groan of pain as she put weight on her hurt ankle. It was definitely sprained at the least, broken at most; however, at this point in time it didn’t matter how bad it was. She had to keep going.

Breaking into a haphazard jog, ankle threatening to buckle under her, she made her way out of the forest and onto grass, seeing the Well in the distance.

Almost there. “Kagome...” He had almost caught up to her. If he did, she was defenseless. She didn’t have her bow and arrows; his subjugation necklace was gone, taken off by her after they had come to an agreement; Kagome could never bear to hurt him, anyhow.

At the sight of Kagome, Sesshomaru’s hand partially clenched, then unclenched. He had come to confess to her his feeling and ask permission to court her. He noticed that she stopped at the sight of him, however, horror etched on her face. His heart clenched, but he waited nonetheless, determined to at least see what was wrong, why she was covered in grime and blood, why she reeked of terror and desperation. His instincts were in an uproar, but he quelled the urge to let them rule him and determine his course of action. She wasn’t yet his to protect, and letting his youkai bleed into his eyes and smear his stripes would only frighten her. He needed to maintain his calm.

Kagome functioned on only the most primitive of levels at this point in time: she knew she wasn’t stronger than Inuyasha at this point in time, more potent, more everything. She couldn’t overpower him in a struggle, if she had chosen to fight him.

But she hadn’t: she had chosen flight.

Her nostrils flared as she espied Sesshomaru, her breath rushing out of her as if she had been sucker punched. It wasn’t fair. She had come all this way, only to be stopped by him. Kagome could only go forward and face the lesser of two evils at this point--she knew what Inuyasha would do to her at this point and didn’t know what Sesshomaru would do. He wouldn’t eat her like she had dreamed, right? He wouldn’t hurt her without reason, right?

Warily, Kagome approached him, knowing she had precious little time to get to the Well and a large obstacle to get past. Why he was even there in the first place, she didn’t know, but she did know she wasn’t above using force to achieve her goal.

She would do anything to protect her family and herself from the wrath of Inuyasha.

“Kagome.” She released a sob at the sound of her name, which had been haunting her on the wind for so long, and shrank away from him. “What’s wrong, Kagome?”

“Keep away from me!” the miko cried. “Stay back!”

Instead of obeying her, he stepped forwards, golden eyes narrowing.

Kagome curled inwards protectively, beginning to summon her ki. It was exactly like she had dreamed. Next would come his transformation into a monster--

“Who hurt you?” he demanded, stripes turning jagged, eyes bleeding red. “Whoever it was, I’ll kill them.” His hand outstretched, and Kagome screamed a blood-curdling yell, launching herself past him and towards the Well.

“I can’t...I can’t...” The words seemed to stumble out of her mouth as she limped.

Sesshomaru had never seen her so broken. It seemed something had happened that had stopped her rational mind and caused her to retreat within herself until she acting like nothing more than an animal. She had reason to fear him--he had never given her reason to believe otherwise, but it still tore at him to see her like this. “Kagome...” He moved towards her limping form. “Allow me to help you.”

She only shivered and hoisted herself onto the lip of the well, preparing to launch herself down into the darkness.

“Help me? Help me?” Kagome gave a hysterical laugh. “Nobody can help me. Nobody is who they really are. My best friend, my love, he betrayed me--kill me. He wants to.” Kagome turned fragmented, and reached for the vial around her neck.

Inuyasha. He would kill him until only scraps littered the earth.

“I will protect you,” he vowed.

Kagome screamed, “You’ll eat me!”

Sesshomaru didn’t know what she was talking about, but he reflexively caught the object she threw at him.

The shards. All the group had collected sat in the palm of his hand.

“Protect them,” she whispered, and flung herself down, down, down...

A roar of anguish split the air.