Chapter 21

Congratulations to TourmalineBlue for winning the Starbucks gift card contest. Don't forget to reply to your private message to get the card number and pin.

I think that I will do another bigger contest around the holidays. Also, if you are interested in any of my original content as a writer check out my Wattpad account in a week and I will have one of my stories posted.

Danger on the horizon. *cough* Choking on miasma. On with the show.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and story belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, this is just a fan fic.

Red, runny eyes and coughing and gagging could be heard all over the valley. Ah-Un was low flying to avoid debris, but high enough that Rin and Shippo were not poisoned by the noxious gas that Naraku's latest creation was spewing. The centipede demon was every where crawling and burrowing in-and-out of the ground, attacking one and then another. Tattered shirts and ripped pants were the least of the gangs worries. The barrier that Kagome had erected to purify the air during the fight was littered with holes like swiss cheese that she was constantly repairing.

The valley that the miasma clung to showed signs of the life that flourished before the poisonous fumes had eaten and spoilt the vegetation to the point everything was shaded gray and brown. Strategy was the aim when Naraku had picked this spot. He wanted to have the high ground at his advantage, while forcing Inuyasha and his group to fight in the valley. Just like a game of chess, he could see his opponent's moves and his own like an overseer.

Sesshoumaru's attention was never too far from Rin and Kagome as he aided Inuyasha in beating the Centipede's many legs back and a slew of half formed, crazed demons that Naraku must have birthed from his bowels. One-eyed monstrosities and mutilated anthropoids grabbed and swung at the demon slayer and monk, while Kagome kept them at bay with reiki infused arrows and constantly shifting barriers. The humans were working on empty and the demons could smell their exhaustion. Sesshoumaru caught Inuyasha's eye and motioned that they should move into formation.

Inuyasha had never worked with an experienced fighter before and Sesshoumaru was as experienced as they came; this was their first time working as a defensive team. Once they started working on the center attack, demons were falling like flies. Kagome realized that the brothers were purging the middle offense, and she instructed Miroku and Sango to help pare the sides. In thirty minutes, the battlefield was completely emptied of demons and the Centipede was the only animal left to cleave. Sweat slid down Kagome's face as she watched Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru prepare a combo strike at the long, legged creature. She could see the horror in the eyes of the demon as it realized that it was going to die; and then she saw the desperation, as it realized there was no way out. The creature turned red, blood-filled eyes to her and burrowed underground ripping the earth away at her feet and tossing her thirty feet in the air.

The soft slice of a blade and the cool cracking of silk in the air was all that Sesshoumaru could hear as his eyes followed the trial of the flying miko as she ascended past the tallest trees in the valley and crested as a twisted macabre of a lifeless doll. He was frozen in a heartbeat before the screaming miko's voice reached his ears: the world began moving again and he was was flying faster than he had ever moved before, arms to the side slicing through the air like a driver in water.

The screams were flowing past her lips, but that was stolen away by the rush of air as Kagome was flung into the atmosphere. She felt the momentary pause that fills every child's heart that has every ridden a rollercoaster when the car comes to the crest of the track and titters, pulling the body into a weightless float before plunging into the abyss. Her breath stopped and so did the scream as she felt weightless and buoyed up by negative gravity. A second later gravity kicked in and the downward force made her stomach turn. Just as she took a breath to scream a solid white pillar hooked her around the middle and carried her higher. Kagome gasped and took a much needed breath as she clutched the silk sleeve that had an iron grip around her waist. She could feel the demonic aura as Sesshoumaru lashed out at the Centipede from fifty feet in the air and Inuyasha sent a bast of the Wind Scar at the same time.

Heat surrounded both side of the Centipede as it watched in horror the bright flashes of pure power cascading all around its form and it knew that it would not survive the hellish burn. Ashes were all that remained as Sesshoumaru touched ground. He still had his arm possessively wrapped around Kagome's waist and he didn't want to let her go. The fear had been real, and he had only felt this once before when Rin was killed in the underworld the second time and he had to get his mother to aid in her revival. It was that spike of fear that made him move faster than he had pushed himself before to reach the miko before she was impaled on the teeth of the wicked bug.

After a few breaths the slayer and the monk ran up to the pair and Sesshoumaru reluctantly released Kagome into the bear hug of the slayer, while being mindful of his brother's approach as well. Inuyasha looked a little worst for wear, but the whelp had done well and Sesshoumaru smirked as pricks of pride flowed though his mind. Everyone was breathing deep and covered with dirt and blood stains, and after everyone was accounted for the group immediately made to find the nearest body of water to clean up and to rest.

About seven miles away was a small hot spring that was fed by a small cascade. Sesshoumaru had led the group there and it was here that everyone took the time to inspect the wounds they had received from earlier. The kids were okay because Ah-Un had kept them high enough from the battle so they served as errand runners for fire wood, fresh water, and setting up camp. Inuyasha and Miroku were already in the hot springs washing blood away and easing aching muscles as Kagome was stitching a wound on Sango's arm before she headed into the water. Sesshoumaru was standing on the edge of the clearing still holding Tokijin that was soaked in the blood of the demons that he had slain.

Kagome led Sango to the secluded area of the hot springs so that she could bath in privacy before she headed over to Sesshoumaru to thank him for saving her. She had felt true terror when she was flying through the air and she was grateful that the great dog demon had come to her rescue. He had held on to her a bit longer that she thought was necessary once they hit the ground and that thought had made her blush several times as she was sewing Sango's arm. He made her feel special when she didn't want those feelings. Lavender eyes fell on the stoic demon still on high alert standing at the edge of the clearing and she felt her heart leap. Oh, what was she going to do? Slowing she swallowed and approached him as the wind picked up and blew her hair into her face.

The smell of salt, dirt, and blood reached his nostrils before the small woman reached his side. She was standing next to him when he turned his half reddened eyes to her face and breathed in her scent. Something was wrong. He narrowed his eyes at her and watched as she blushed and turned away from his gaze.

His body was tense and he seemed angry when she had approached him, but Kagome couldn't turn back now. She had to let him know that she was grateful and she needed to know that he was okay too. Inuyasha had received quite a few scraps and even though they always thought of Sesshoumaru as invincible, he too could be hurt; Inuyasha had chopped his arm off before.

"Thank you for saving me."

"You need not thank me for something like that."

"But still."

She looked into his still pink eyes and wondered why he hadn't calmed down yet, Sesshoumaru rarely let his beast out. It was as if his beast was still on high alert. Kagome began fiddling with the hem of her shirt when she felt her body temperature rise and spike. She shouldn't let him get to her like that she thought as she tried to calm her racing heart. She blinked and then felt pain and wondered if it was from embarrassment that she felt warmed over, or was there something else that was making her blood boil. She watched as Sesshoumaru's eyes began to bleed red again. Something was wrong.

Sesshoumaru couldn't control his beast and he wasn't sure why it was so difficult to reign in his emotions and calm himself. The miko was fine; the whole party had survived the vicious attack, so why couldn't he settle down? But something wasn't right and his instincts were warring him, but he didn't know what he was missing.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked as she grabbed her left elbow with her right hand and glanced at a bloody Tokijin. It was so eerie that the blade was still covered in blood because normally Sesshoumaru would have cleaned it and put it away.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the blade by his side and he could hear the thoughts running through Kagome's mind as her eyes fell on the sword. He should have put this blade away a long time ago. Why did he feel paralyzed in the moment? He closed his eyes and tried once more to calm his beast.

"This Sesshoumaru is fine Kagome. You should go to the pool and bathe your wounds and rest."

His eyes were still closed when he finished speaking and Kagome cocked her head to the left and felt the pain increase. She was not okay. Something was wrong. She looked down at her legs and only saw a few scraps and bruises. She glanced back at Sesshoumaru and found that his eyes were still closed so she lifted the edges on her shirt and looked at her side and mid-drift. Nothing but bruises, but on closer inspection she noticed a cut in the middle of a bruise on her stomach. Kagome paled when she realized the Centipede may have stabbed her with its poison. She raised her eyes to Sesshoumaru and once again felt weightlessness in her body.

In slow motion Kagome saw herself fall backwards and land on the ground. It was as if time was passing at a quarter speed. She couldn't even call out; she had lost her motor skills. At the the slow thud of her body hitting the ground, Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and saw the miko laying at his feet with her eyes glassed over, pale and stiff. Whatever control he had over his beast was gone the minute he lay eyes on her. His vision turned crimson. He was stone faced as ever, but there was pain in his eyes and then rage.

Kagome lay at his feet and realized that her dream was coming true and she knew that if she didn't do something Sesshoumaru was going to transform. Sweat broke out on her forehead and she tried to move and let him know that she was still there.

Youkai licked across Kagome's prone form and she could feel the tension building behind the ruby eyes and she knew she had only a matter of moments before he snapped. So she did the only thing that she could think of and prayed that it worked. A small wisp of reiki snaked out from her body and she willed it to collide and wrap around the daiyokai in a warm embrace, and from her heart she called to his youkai.

Jagged, magenta stripes were forming and Sesshoumaru could feel his form beginning to change shape and he fought the urge to transform so that he could help the miko. She was probably dying and he needed to get a hold of himself. Suddenly he felt a warm tingling all around him and he could hear the shouts of Inuyasha, Sango, and the kitsune in the background. He strained for a moment and then it got easier and his soul was calming at an alarming rate. In the midst of the rage induced fog in his mind, he felt her reiki surrounding him and embracing him. Kagome's voice was gently whispering through his mind and his eyes returned to their normal golden state. Sesshoumaru knelt down and gently scooped Kagome into his arms as Shippo approached and buried his little paws into her hair.

"What's wrong with Kagome," the little kit wailed.

Sesshoumaru examined her form and lifted her shirt and saw the bruise with the small cut. He sniffed and found traces of a neurotoxin. He sighed in relief and stared Kagome in the eye.

"The Centipede has released a toxin into her blood stream that has immobilized her. This Sesshoumaru will remove the toxin and she should be able to respond."

Sesshoumaru took one digit and poked at the wound, and with a fleeting glance of apology, he released a bit of his own venom into her blood stream and forced it along with his youkai. Kagome could feel a coldness running through her veins and the pain vanished. After a few moments she gasped as her lungs forced oxygen into her system. A fit of cough proceeded and then she looked up into now honey orbs.

"You heard me," she breathed as she slowly relaxed in his arms.

"Hn."

Sesshoumaru picked her up and began carrying her to the spring wrapping MokoMoko around her legs to keep her warm. He glanced down at the top of her head and bent to nuzzle her hair. One inhalation of her scent put his beast at ease and he straighten.

"Always, Kagome. Now and forever more."

Kagome smiled into his fur and gripped him a little tighter.

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Author's Note: Congratulations again to TourmalineBlue for winning the contest. See you guys!