A Heart's Strangled Cry
Chapter 33: Redemption – Part 3
A month later found the Inu-Tachi and Sesshoumaru's group in a nasty skirmish. Throughout that time, the miko became ever more efficient and driven, mastering techniques left and right from the taijiya, the monk, and himself. She learned how to wield a staff and a simple katana effectively – not proficiently, but enough to be a handful. Her consistent practice with the bow and arrow every morning helped considerably in her aim and gaining faster reflexes. Her stamina and strength improved drastically since six and a half months ago when she first began to train.
The area most impressive came with her control over her reiki. Once a stumbling toddler who had no clue as to what it was, the miko flourished with the excellent guidance of the houshi. It was astonishing how even the smallest amount of control created such a difference in maneuvering such overwhelming levels of energy. It almost seemed as if a dam had been broken within her and the power that had been so hard to bring forward in ways other than a bow and arrow now came rushing forward with a clarity and willingness that took everyone's breath away. The miko had to often meditate for longer periods of time in order to keep it from leaking out and hurting any of the youkai and hanyou within the facility. The miko, without much to say, outgrew the teachings of the monk and now wandered off to train on her own though the two continued their usual friendly meditation together.
Sesshoumaru could see the changes made to her physique. Still somewhat petite, no longer was she only made of soft curves and gentle slopes. Her clothes were looser in some places such as the stomach and waist, but tighter in others including her shoulders, biceps, and thighs – signifying her new athletic status. She now had some angles and definition to her. The miko lost some remaining baby fat on her hips and cheeks, and toned arms and legs. Not so strangely, the miko refused to wear the customary garb associated with her status, hating the resemblance it gave her towards her dead incarnate. The woman-child kept her usual practice clothes along with a simple green yukata.
The hanyou had finally swallowed his own hurt and pride in order to be proud of the accomplishments his best friend and comrade was able to make for herself. Seeing her so happy with her new self made the resentment ebb away, almost like a soothing balm. InuYasha conjured up a picture of his friend before her training and compared it with the one he now saw. There was no competition – she was happier.
They had been ambushed by seven puppets. With the suddenness of his arrival, there had been no time to take the children away to a safe place. So within the chaos of dangerous, where wide-range attacks were taking place, there was the recognition that there were children on the battlefield requiring protection.
To put it simply – it was a mess.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," InuYasha chanted under his breath furiously, face an alarming shade of angry red as he swung Tessaiga wildly but efficiently through the fast-moving tentacles. "I can't deal with this shit right now!"
"Language!" Kagome hollered instinctively as she erected a soft pink barrier around the children. Jaken squawked at being left out, but quickly – under Sesshoumaru's icy gaze – put his two-headed staff to good use.
"I don't fucking care! The last thing we needed was this!"
Reluctantly, Sesshoumaru found himself in agreement with the hanyou. For the past couple weeks since the miko had come back from her time, it appeared as if Naraku was hell-bent on making their lives severely difficult. They had only managed to claim a single shard – it was not only pissing the hanyou off to no end, but the Daiyoukai as well. However, Naraku took it to a whole new level by bringing the children into play.
Narrowing his gaze when smelling Rin's potent fear, Sesshoumaru withdrew Tokijin from his sash, growling in cadence with that of a dark thundercloud,
"DRAGON STRIKE!"
The already dark clouds darkened ominously, lightning piercing through the sky and meeting Tokijin's tip. Expertly, the Western Lord maneuvered the power around the two entourages and managed to completely obliterate three of the seven Naraku puppets. Their screams helped to soothe the beast within him. Not wanting to be outdone, InuYasha slashed forward,
"KAZE NO KIZU!"
Kagome, Sango, and Miroku winced at the bright display of lights surrounding them, their clothes and hair whipping around them with the drastic change of wind currents. Kagome wrenched her head to the side, just missing getting a tentacle straight through her skull. The tug of shards pricked at her consciousness.
"I feel shards surrounding us," she yelled as she infused reiki into her staff before slicing the tentacle off. Sango nodded.
"We need to scatter ourselves! Kirara!"
In a burst of fire, the taijiya and the neko-youkai were quickly up into the sky, a puppet quickly following them.
"Hiraikotsu!"
Miroku sharply threw ofuda before him, sizzling off several tentacles aiming at him before diving through the warring powers of the inu brothers and getting out of the skirmish. The moment his feet touched land, he turned sharply just in time to come face to face with a puppet. He scowled at the delighted smirk of the kumo.
"We meet again, houshi," he mockingly greeted, "Tell me, how is your hand?"
"I'll show you!" Wrenching off the prayer beads, the Kazaana was unleashed – the dark winds more foreboding and all encompassing than usual. He cursed at the sudden abundance of saimyosho filtering the air. The miasma poison cloud began to permeate the air.
"Kuso!" Miroku gritted out.
"Kukuku," Naraku chuckled, "it's so easy to incapacitate you, houshi. It's quite boring really."
With a nonchalant air, the puppet sharply propelled the monk away from him. "I think I shall try the girl."
The puppet barely had time to dodge the staff that would have cleanly swept his head off. Crimson eyes locked on narrowed sapphire,
"You stay away from her!" Kagome hissed before turning sharply into a spiral, causing tendrils of reiki to leak from the ends of the reiki-infused staff and serve as dual whips. Hissing, Naraku darted away with tears in his clothing. Tentacles burst forth from beneath his baboon cloak before rushing at Kagome. She tried her best to evade and thwart the tendrils, but winced when some escaped her notice and gave her minor cuts. A cry escaped her lips when one cut in deeper into her side than the others.
Her stomach revolted when she felt a tentacle wrap itself swiftly around her waist before bringing her closer to the puppet in front of her. She felt herself black out for a moment when he squeezed the tentacle tightly around her torso. Kagome growled when he knocked her staff out of her grasp. She grasped desperately at another tentacle that wrapped itself around her throat.
Sapphire and crimson orbs warred with each other as Naraku brought Kagome closer to him till they were nearly nose to nose. His smirked arrogantly at her furious expression, ignoring InuYasha's outraged cry of, "What the fuck are you playing at, kumo!?"
Dread and panic filled her when Naraku leaned even closer, his smirk widening. His voice was like poisoned silk as he whispered into the shell of her ear. She quivered in fear as his deep voice penetrated her thoughts on how to escape his appendages,
"I wonder what would happen if you were to suddenly die, miko?"
"N-Nani?"
"I've been watching the group, naturally," he continued, ignoring her choked gasp, "and I have noticed that you seem to be the one that holds this tenuous alliance together. I wondered what would happen to this rebellious group that seems to oppose my attempt to rule over Japan if you were gone. The Shikon Miko, the only miko in existence that can cleanse the impurity of the Shikon no Tama…dead. I would not be opposed."
His crimson eyes gleamed in pleasure.
"I w-won't die that easily! You've failed to kill me before! Even at manipulating me, you have failed!"
"With practice, comes perfection," he purred.
"Kagome!" InuYasha cried, leaping forward, only to have a puppet intercept him. "Fuck you, Naraku!"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed when the kumo looked over his shoulder to smile. The troublesome spider dodged his poison whip, Kagome still in his tight grasp. A fury unlike anything he had ever known coursed through his veins, making his inner beast howl at the sight of the kumo holding the miko so intimately. His brow furrowed in confusion at the thought, yet cast it aside. There was no time to analyze his thoughts – he had to get to Kagome! His heart was thundering abnormally in his chest, making it hard to breathe. All he could see was Kagome being held by their hated enemy at his mercy.
It made him see red.
"Get away from her," he growled lowly, pink entering his ember gaze.
"Kukukuku," the spider chuckled nauseatingly, jumping further away from them, causing the taijiya, houshi, Jaken, and Ah-Un to deal with the remaining three puppets. "In a moment, Daiyoukai."
Naraku turned to his captive, hissing when he felt her miko reiki start to seep through. Gritting his fangs, the kumo tightened his grasp on the miko, causing her to gasp in pain. However, she refused to retract her powers, instead, pushing forward. The shards held in the bottle around her neck glowed intensely.
There was no way that he could take them back from her.
Curses! He inwardly fumed. However, I will not leave dissatisfied.
Despite the pain, he leaned inward. Kagome shrieked when he gently bit her earlobe and gave it a slow, languorous lick. A chuckle vibrated through his chest as both inuyoukai growled, eyes flashing crimson. The miko struggled in his grasp, cheeks flushed with anger and eyes sparkling with disgust,
"Get away from me!"
"Such a waste," he whispered; his tone unapologetic.
Before anyone could move, much less blink, he then proceeded to viciously impale her with his tentacles.
The world slowed down to a halt as her blood – so much blood – seeped through her wounds. Kagome stared at the blank face in front of her, shocked. Brow furrowing downward, Kagome tried to hold back a cough unsuccessfully, causing blood to dribble from the corner of her mouth and down her chin.
She winced when he squeezed a little tighter, vindictively.
"That," he punctuated, "is for thwarting my plans, miko."
"KAGOME!"
Kagome gave a choked sob when the hanyou and his puppets disappeared, laughing. She winced at the feeling of his tentacles leaving her body. Three, gaping holes – one in her upper left shoulder, one just missing her heart, and another just above her hip – littered her torso. The futuristic miko fell to her knees, hands coming out to catch herself from falling onto her face.
O…o-ow.
Kagome knew she heard InuYasha scream her name, but it was Sesshoumaru's intense aura that covered her. She felt his arm wrap around her waist, his hand reaching diagonally across her torso to grasp her left shoulder, stabilizing her.
"Hold on, Kagome," he whispered into her hair.
If she could, she would have paled further. Sesshoumaru was a hard ass about propriety. He was as stubborn as a mule. He would not have called her by her name unless it was urgent.
Shit…I've really landed myself into a pickle, haven't I?
She really tried to ignore the thread of blood that escaped her mouth and hit the ground. Kagome idly wondered why she wasn't feeling more pain.
Must be the adrenaline…shock?
Black spots danced across her visage. Fear grasped its cold fingers around her thundering heart. With trembling lips, Kagome tried to talk,
"S-Sesshoumaru…I…I c-can't…"
She passed out.
InuYasha tried not to hyperventilate when his best friend passed out. Paling, the inu-hanyou tried to calm his heart, knowing that panicking would not help Kagome. He sprinted forward, hands unnaturally clammy as he sheathed Tessaiga. He glanced worriedly behind him to see Sango distract the children. The protective shield had evaporated the moment Kagome collapsed.
He could smell the salt of her tears, signifying she had seen Kagome's state.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Miroku running towards Ah-Un.
"Sesshoumaru," InuYasha almost stuttered, uncaring as to how shaky his voice was.
Any other day, he would have never allowed any vulnerability to show in front of his older brother. He never craved his brother's acceptance – not after how Kagome and the group had accepted him whole-heartedly. As long as he had their friendship, he didn't need anyone else's acceptance or meet their expectations. But he had his pride – he wouldn't show any sign of weakness in front of his only living relative as long as he could help it. However, he couldn't afford to take care of his pride when Kagome was hanging on by a thread.
"Sesshoumaru, what can we do? How extensive are her injuries?"
He paled when Sesshoumaru turned, his eyes a light pink as he struggled to cage in the beast. Kagome was as white as a sheet; a thin ribbon of dark red blood trickled from her lips down to her chin. Her entire torso was drenched in dark red, trailing down the front of her thighs. Shakily, InuYasha lowered to his knees beside his brother.
"K-Kagome…"
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to calm the rampaging beast the thrashed about his subconscious. With every breath he took, he kept inhaling the scent of her blood, making it harder to keep everything under control. He tried to think of what was needed to be done. She needed to get medical attention. While she was unconscious, she could not use her energy to heal herself. The houshi did not have enough to control her bleeding.
When he opened his eyes, they were a cold, furious ember. Focused. For a moment, InuYasha felt hope.
"She needs medical assistance immediately," he finally answered the hanyou, "and the houshi is not equipped to help her. He does not have enough reiki to stem her bleeding or repair her organ damage."
InuYasha nodded, nausea curling in his stomach. He ran his claws through his dark silver strands.
"Kaede won't be able to help her either, then."
"InuYasha! Sesshoumaru!"
Both brothers turned to see the houshi running towards them, Kagome's backpack in his grasp. Miroku collapsed onto the ground on the other side of Kagome.
"I've got her medical supplies!"
Hurriedly, Miroku parted Kagome's kimono, ignoring both inuyoukais' growls. Unusually, his dark violet eyes were serious and somber, almost mechanical as he put gauze onto the holes that littered her torso. He winced at the holes, trying to will the urge not to vomit as his hands became red with her blood. He pushed several of the gauze pads as close as possible before using tape to keep them there. Miroku then took long pieces of bandages and proceeded to tie it around her torso in the three different areas.
"There," he breathed. "That should help control it a little. Should I try and push some reiki into her body? I could try and heal the internal damage. I won't be able to do a lot, though. I don't have enough energy," he lamented.
Sesshoumaru shook his head, "No, there's not enough time."
InuYasha narrowed his eyes at Kagome's deathly pale face. With his eye sight, he could start to see bags underneath her closed eyelids. Her lips were tinged a light blue. There was nothing they could do here. Kagome had no chance here.
Not here. There was nothing that they could do here.
"There," he breathed. Sesshoumaru and Miroku looked at him.
"Nani?" Miroku asked. "What do you mean 'there'?"
"The future!" InuYasha turned to Sesshoumaru with a hardened stare. "Kagome's home has everything that she would need to survive. They have something called hospitals with people who can help her. Kagome said they can help people even without reiki. You need to take her there!"
Sesshoumaru stared back with a narrowed, calculated gaze, "Will the well even let this Sesshoumaru through?"
InuYasha swallowed hard, "I don't know. Probably not. But I'll be following you on Kirara. Just…just get her there and try! If not, maybe Kaede can keep her stable long enough for me to get there and I'll take her over! JUST GO!"
The hysteria in InuYasha's voice kept Sesshoumaru from feeling anger – the urgency in his voice was matched to the urgency in his own. His fear was palpable. Sesshoumaru didn't waste another minute. He gathered Kagome into his arm, allowing the houshi to position her more comfortable, using the blanket from the first aid kit as a makeshift carrier. It served to anchor the young woman close to him, minimizing any jostling.
Flaring his youki around him, Sesshoumaru formed his orb and took off. The force of his movement caused Miroku and InuYasha to stumble backward, their hair and clothes ruffling with the wind. Turning around, InuYasha ran off towards the group. Sango looked up, away from Shippo's and Rin's worried gazes, and tried to wipe her tears from her cheeks.
"Where is she, InuYasha?" she whispered frantically. Their eyes shifted to the children nearby whom were glumly trying to color in their books. Their questions about Kagome had been side-stepped.
"Sesshoumaru has taken her to the well. I need to borrow Kirara in case the well doesn't allow them through."
Sniffling and trying to swallow a sob, Sango nodded, "Hai, hai. Please, take her! You have to save Kagome!"
InuYasha gruffly placed a hand on her shoulder for a moment in compassion, before taking off at a sprint.
"Kirara! Come!" he barked.
With a mew, Kirara got ready to transform when a presence interrupted the tense atmosphere.
Sango, despite Rin and Shippo nearby, cursed aloud. She swung up hiraikotsu into an offensive position over her shoulders. She yelled at Jaken to get the children onto Ah-Un and away from the area. Sango cursed under her breath, tears still escaping the corners of her eyes. She tried to keep her heart from beating out of her chest.
Why is that bitch here now of all times!?
The taijiya gritted her teeth as she took in the demoness – just looking at how much she resembled the kumo made her blood boil. Naraku had already taken so much from her: her village, her father, even her brother. He even had placed his hands on Miroku, indirectly, with the Kazaana. She and Miroku could never hope for a future together, the possibility of having children out of the question…not unless Naraku was dead.
And now, he could have very possibly had just taken her sister from her.
Her eyes narrowed, a fresh wave of tears building up, as she tried to keep herself from hurling hiraikotsu into the bitch's face.
With an enraged snarl, InuYasha skidded to a halt. He quickly unsheathed Tessaiga, the sword transforming into the mighty fang. His eyes almost flickered with crimson as he took in the regal figure sitting upon the feather that hovered above him. Miroku ran up beside him, the Kazaana ready to be unleashed. Both men glared at the kaze youkai.
"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE!? I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" InuYasha howled.
"Can it, hanyou," Kagura deadpanned, though her eyes were intense – showing that she was in no mood for his attitude or theatrics. "I come bearing an olive branch."
"I couldn't give a fuck about your olive branch! I have to get to Kagome, which your father is responsible for! Now get out of my face!"
"I know, half-breed. If you would just shut the hell up for five seconds, you would hear me say that I will take you to the well," she hissed.
The clearing went quiet for several moments as all of the occupants tried to comprehend what she just said.
"You're lying," Sango breathed. "Or it's a trick."
"Oh, come now, taijiya," Kagura scoffed. "I may not like your motley crew, but I hate Naraku more. That bastard father of mine cannot be killed unless the miko lives. And believe me – I want the miko to live."
She paused, a grimace on her ruby lips as she admitted sourly, "She, and in extension you, are my only hope for freedom."
Kagura turned to a silent InuYasha, "It's your call, hanyou. I am the mistress of the winds – while I'm not sure that I can catch up to Sesshoumaru right away, I can for sure get there faster than the neko. Be rest assured of that."
After a long, tense moment, Miroku turned to InuYasha,
"Please, InuYasha…if there is any chance of you getting Kagome through the well, this may as well be it. If not," Miroku turned his gaze to the youkai, "you can kill her if she tries to do anything."
Kagura sneered at him before snapping at InuYasha, "You have five seconds, hanyou, before I leave."
"Fine," he hissed hurriedly. "Let's go – we've already wasted enough time."
Not a moment later, InuYasha and Kagura left in the direction of Edo, the silence between them filled with tension.
Sango slowly lowered the hiraikotsu, her shoulders shaking. The young woman sobbed into Miroku's shoulder uncontrollably as the houshi encased her into his arms. His familiar scent engulfed her, bringing her only a small measure of comfort.
"What if she dies, Miroku?" she whispered into his neck.
Miroku threaded his hand through her hair, his eyes pained. "It's Kagome-sama, Sango. She has to make it."
It took several hours. Within those hours, Kagome drifted in and out of consciousness. In her bouts of consciousness, her face screwed itself up in concentration as she tried to use her miko energy without burning her youkai carrier. However, the healing sessions were brief and only served to wear her out. Last he knew, she managed to shakily whisper that her shoulder – while still needing more work – was patched up enough that only the other two holes were the main problems.
It still didn't make him feel better.
When he reached the well, the front of Sesshoumaru's garb had turned pink from the rubbing of Kagome's injuries to his chest. His index and middle finger traced underneath her jaw line before pressing inward, checking her pulse. It was very weak. Her skin was pale, yet her forehead was ablaze.
He remembered her whispering something about becoming septic. Whatever that meant.
Stopping just above it, Sesshoumaru dissolved the orb and allowed himself and Kagome to fall directly into the well. Hope faintly blossomed in his cold, thought to be dead heart for a few precious moments as they fell. However, as they dropped into the dark cavern, the smell of magic did not enter his nose and the aura did not spike. The blue magic did not appear. The hope dwindled back to urgent desperation as he landed elegantly on the balls of his feet, Kagome pressed close to his chest. Before their hair even settled down, he leaped back out of the well with a fury.
He lifted his head up, nose in the air, and took a deep breath. The Sengoku Jidai air filled his lungs. He sorted through the different variety of scents: Kagome's blood, her shallow breathing, the village nearby, the vegetation of the forest around them, and beyond.
He did not smell InuYasha anywhere near them.
Growling, Sesshoumaru sprinted to Edo towards the old miko's hut, ignoring the gasps, whispers, and concerned looks of the villagers. When he reached the hut, the elderly miko was nowhere to be seen. There was no living presence in the one-bedroom home. The hearth in the center, usually used for cooking, had not been lit that day, if his nose was correct.
She had been gone for some time.
This cannot be happening right now!
Nearly ripping the fabric apart, Sesshoumaru exited the hut and stalked to the closest villager near him. The filthy ningen paled underneath his angry gaze. Sesshoumaru gave him points for not running away, despite hearing his knees trembling against each other.
"Where is the miko?" he demanded, fury undercoating every word.
"K-K-Kaede-sama is at Kobayashi village, m-milord," the man bowed hurriedly, averting his gaze. "I-It's at least a three days travel from here on h-horseback, sire."
"When did she leave?"
"Yesterday morn."
The man backed away hurriedly, the others following his example as the powerful western Daiyoukai let loose a wild snarl. The usually placid face of the young lord was distorted in frustration.
"Useless!" he growled, his deep voice deeper with his beast's immergence.
"G-gomen nasai!"
Without another word, Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and headed back to the well. His killing intent gave him a wide berth, for which he was thankful.
Hurry up, InuYasha!
His back pressed against the well, Sesshoumaru sat with Kagome in his lap. He took a deep breath and started exercising his infamous restraint and patience.
One hour passed. Then another. And with it, Sesshoumaru's patience continued to thin.
Throughout the wait, Sesshoumaru allowed his emotional barriers to slowly lower. Whenever Kagome awoke, her eyelids sluggishly opening at half-mast, Sesshoumaru softly spoke to her, asking her the routine questions:
How are you feeling?
Can you heal yourself?
Do you know of anyone that could help you?
Was there anything that he could do?
Terrible. Kind of. No. And frustratingly: No.
With the last one, she tried to give him a smile. She whispered softly,
"You…y-you have done plenty, S-Sesshoumaru-sama."
She paused.
"Please, talk to me? I…I-I'm afraid that…that…"
"Hai," he whispered. As if he would deny her this. He was a youkai, but he was not a monster.
Least of all to his friend, his pack mate.
They talked of many things in the short time that they had. Some of the questions she asked were personal and in his opinion, intrusive. However, he looked at the broken woman lying in his lap and answered them. Despite the fact she looked like she was dozing, Sesshoumaru could hear her heart beat. It was weak, but signified her alertness. She was listening as well as she could.
He told her of his childhood, omitting his mother's death. It was a subject still tender and Kagome, uncharacteristically, did not press. He told her of how he grew up: his father, the great and terrible InuTaishou, was a very demanding father and leader of the Dog Clan. Needless to say, he expected much from his first-born. Softly, he talked about how the clan faced its greatest tragedy and fall from grace when he had reached 300 years of age. His father had finally taken the princess, Izayoi, as his mate and wife, and had conceived a bastard son, a hanyou. The previous Western Lord had left his lands, despite of his protests, to save the infant and his ningen lover…and in the process died. He told her of the aftermath – something she had not been told, but had grabbed her attention. Sesshoumaru told her of how he had gone after the mother and son and had almost taken the two in.
It did not matter of his prejudice, he whispered into her hair. Izayoi and InuYasha were pack. However, it had become clear that while the human village did not accept the two fully, they were in a safer environment than the youkai court they would have suffered. Youkai, he informed her, were not as willing to be passive-aggressive than ningen: when they felt slighted, they retaliated. While it had been InuTaishou whom had disgraced the Western Lands, the Lord was dead. That left Izayoi and InuYasha to make an example of. Sesshoumaru knew that he could not allow pack members to be treated as such.
So he had left them alone.
"What a-about afterward? W-When Izayoi-sama died?"
"He was already gone when this One got to the village. This Sesshoumaru tracked him down. As a pup that had faced much prejudice, he was not willing to place his trust in someone he had never met. So this Sesshoumaru scared him. If he could not trust in this One, he must have trust in himself to survive on his own merit."
Sesshoumaru paused. "This Sesshoumaru has regrets, but the hanyou is not one of them. He has proven our father's blood runs in his veins. He has survived more than this One thought he would. Father would have been proud of his son."
"A-and you?"
Darkened sapphire met gold.
"Do…do you t-think that he…w-would be proud of you?"
He worried over how her voice almost tapered off. Her hand, over the first hour they had been waiting, had grasped his haori like a lifeline. It had loosened its grasp on his person and now laid flat on her bandaged, blood-soaked stomach.
"No," he whispered. His face and eyes did not change, but Kagome could hear the low tone of disappointment. "This One does not think Father would ever be able to see his first born as anything more than a disappointment. This One came from an alliance with a mate he did not love. This One is nothing more than the successor to his empire – a sour remembrance of a life he had abhorred."
He raised an eyebrow when she tried to swat at him. He would have been amused if it hadn't been so pathetically weak.
"That…c-cannot be t-true. If…I-If I wasn't d-dying, I w-would slap you…s-silly."
Sesshoumaru's left corner of his mouth lifted up into a semblance of a smile.
"Indeed, miko. If you say so."
"Y-you smiled," she gasped. "I…I t-think I could d-die happy, now."
"Silence yourself, miko. The hanyou will be here soon."
The two sat silent for a moment. The sun had begun to set, and with it, hope. An irrational feeling grasped his heart.
A sense of unfairness.
"You're w-wrong, you know."
"Hn." Of course she would contradict him, even upon her death bed.
"Y-you're not a disappointment. Y-You saved R-Rin-chan…you a-allied with us a-against Naraku. Y-you trained me…a-and I was not t-the best student. You b-brought me here. Y-you comforted m-me. That…t-that is not w-what a horrible p-person does."
She smiled at him, tears leaking from her eyes.
"Y-y-y…you," she finally stressed, "will be…a g-great leader. You will d-defeat Naraku, even w-without me. I c-can feel it."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her – his version of a frown – and her words.
"You are not dead yet, miko. Save your strength. If InuYasha cannot get here in time, this One will revive you."
"I…I don't think T-Tenseiga will w-work."
"And why is that?" It would just be his luck that it wouldn't.
"I-It's not singing."
He slowly blinked at her.
"Singing."
He had felt the sword tremble in its sheath beside him when it wanted to be used, but otherwise it remained deathly silent. Its aura was comforting, but silent.
"H-Hai…I c-can usually h-here him. S-singing. It's…b-beautiful. But it's s-silent. I…I d-don't think that's a g-good thing."
Glancing at the swords at his hip, he stared at his father's heirloom. The red and white-diamond threaded handle, encased in a black sheath, did nothing. There was no angry tremble, begging for use. Shifting his arm from around Kagome and allowing the makeshift carrier to hold her against him, Sesshoumaru unsheathed the blade. The blade was long and smooth – perfectly forged and seemingly useless. He waited for the sword to pulse. He waited for anything and found nothing.
It was silent and unmoving.
He felt himself bristle in indignation, which was unheard of. The Daiyoukai usually never cared why the sword deemed anyone worthy. After all, it was not his place to decide on whom should live. He wasn't that presumptuous. But it irked him that the one person he wouldn't have minded saving, after Rin, was being denied. It baffled him.
How can this be? She is more than worthy.
He looked back at her when she whispered softly, scared, "S-Sesshoumaru…"
"Hai." Dread curled into his stomach. He should not care…he should not care…he should not care…
"I…I f-feel so cold. I…I think…"
"InuYasha will not make it," he breathed.
"Hai…" Kagome tearfully whispered.
Sesshoumaru watched, helplessly, as Kagome fell silent. The smell of death was becoming heavier and heavier with every passing minute. The sun disappeared. His mind, his analytical and strategic mind that had been bred to come up with solutions – raced through possibilities that would prolong her life long enough to make it to her side of the well. Nothing came; nothing seemed right.
His beast howled within his cage, causing Sesshoumaru's gaze to turn pink. He was a powerful Daiyoukai; he was the youngest cardinal lord. He was feared and respected by every walk of life: youkai, hanyou, and ningen. He always found a way. In fact, the only thing that eluded his grasp was the blasted spider's demise.
He had never been helpless till now. And it was all because of him.
Sesshoumaru never hated a being so much. And it was saying a lot – he thought that no one would be able to surpass his father in that respect.
He looked down at the woman. Her heart beat was dangerously slow. She was hanging on by a thread.
"Kagome…"
This woman had been infuriating since the moment he had first met her in his father's tomb. She was mouthy, insolent, and dressed indecently. She was a well of energy yet was inexperienced, leaving her nothing but a burden. A weapon that could not be used. She not only brought the Shikon no Tama back to the Sengoku Jidai, bringing forth the kumo-hanyou's reign of terror, but had also succeeded in breaking the cursed jewel. It was because of her that he been blasted away, hurt, and without an arm. It was because of her that he had come upon Rin and saved the little girl. It was because of her that Rin had been used against him successfully because he had come to care about the girl.
She had opened him to a bed of emotions that he had been content to be without.
She infuriated him with her disrespect. She confused him with her knowledge and mysterious ways of the future. She impressed him with her care of his ward and the incredible ability to adopt a kit as her own. She earned his respect with her compassion to every individual, no matter what race. She amused him with her antics. She amazed him with her determination to be more than what she was. Her perseverance despite everything she had been through, including this, made him so terribly, terribly angry.
He had never meant to care about her. Not even a little.
The miko was supposed to be a source of amusement; someone that would take care that the hanyou would stay out of his way. She was just supposed to be a temporary comrade – he helped train her because bettering her would help the group as a whole.
She was not supposed to mean so much.
Sesshoumaru's mind slowed as an idea…a small, impossible idea formed.
A Soul-Impairment Bond would allow him to bond his soul with hers…allowing her to siphon his energy to heal her body of any wounds. And since she was unconscious, he could control the amount given and the way it was used.
It would be tricky and require all of his attention, but he could potentially save her.
"Kagome?" he whispered into her ear.
His heart thudded unnaturally in his chest when she did not stir.
"Kagome," he hissed.
He gently shook her.
His decision was made when she did not move. Her heart, his ears strained, was almost at a standstill. It fluttered.
Frantically, Sesshoumaru leaned down and with his nose, brushed aside her hair and the collar of her yukata.
Asumimasen, miko, but this One will not let you die!
He promptly plunged his fangs into the crook of her neck. Letting loose his aura, he allowed it to transfer into her as he drank in her sweet blood. Eyes closed, Sesshoumaru allowed her blood to glide down his throat. Infused with her aura, the miko energy sizzled on his tongue enticingly. Addicted to the taste, Sesshoumaru allowed a small moan to escape his throat. His hand that cradled her head, gently stroked her cheek in his first act of gentleness towards his new mate.
Mating with a ningen, his father had found, allowed the potential mate to decide which species to become. A youkai's aura was intense and powerful – more so than a ningen. With so much aura to take in, the mate could decide whether or not to allow it in. A small amount could grant certain qualities, like superhuman strength or the ability to see in the dark. A large amount could do even more to the point of altering the mate's physiology and genetic makeup. Izayoi had only accepted a small enough amount so that a connection had been formed between her and his father. She loved the way she was – she did not want to change in any aspect. It was one that his father had accepted – one that he had found foolish, personally.
If Izayoi had made the decision to accept more of his father's soul, and in effect become youkai, if not at least hanyou, then maybe things could have been different for everyone.
Things could have been different if she hadn't been so weak…
This was a different case with Kagome, however. Kagome was a miko – Izayoi had been a ningen princess. Kagome already had a large aura – Izayoi had not. This difference was tantamount to her survival with the bond. It was hard to tell just how much she would accept from him, subconsciously. While he could use his powers, through the bond, to heal her, she could battle against the change on another mental level.
He would just have to do what he could to save her…and deal with the repercussions when she woke up.
If she would.
Furrowing his brow, the Daiyoukai continued on his course without a backward glance.
This One does not know if he is capable of love, miko. He thought to her silently, allowing his aura to envelope her safely. This Sesshoumaru had been content to mate for politics – to solely produce an heir. This One has entertained the notion for quite awhile now that he would be saddled with a female that will not live up to his expectations. This Sesshoumaru does not know if he is capable of giving you what you want and deserve. This One cannot promise you anything.
He huddled her closer. Relief began to swell up within him as her aura began to marginally get stronger with every moment that went by. He pushed as much as he could in – as much as she would accept. Her aura was soft, warm, and comforting. Tension, that he had never known he had, was lifted. Her loving nature had not been false. Her aura welcomed him, enveloping him in an equal embrace that surprised him.
He would never say it – but he was touched at the level of intimacy that her soul was willing to give to him. Sesshoumaru, deprived of such acceptance since he had been a mere pup, could not help but to answer her call.
But this One promises you, mate…this Sesshoumaru will care for you, provide for you, and stand by you as you have stood by him. This Sesshoumaru shall give himself to you…whatever he can manage. This One cannot promise that he will not hurt you – this One has never been known to be soft. But you know this: you have come to this One seeking guidance and protection. You want love…and while this One does not know if he can give you that…he can give you all of him. It is least that he can do for you in your time of need. This Sesshoumaru does not know if you have damned or saved him, but he is willing to find out. With you.
Several moments later, Sesshoumaru felt the hanyou's presence, but refused to budge. He felt InuYasha's emotions running rampant from confusion to anger, then understanding, and finally: acceptance.
And gratitude. He saved his brother his pride by ignoring his tears. He felt him unsteadily take a seat on the lip of the well beside him.
Sesshoumaru, oddly enough, did not begrudge him comfort as InuYasha laid his hand on his shoulder…hesitantly. He did not shrug it off.
Maybe you, the Shikon Miko, the miko from the future, can do the impossible.
Maybe you can teach this One to love again.
Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to find his mother smiling back at him, proud tears in her eyes.
Sesshoumaru slowly blinked as memories, long stored away, flashed through his mind. He looked off to the side, remembering staying up all through the night as Kagome slowly recovered. He had refused InuYasha's attempts to take her from his embrace until he was sure that she was fully healed. When the worse had sorted itself out, the brothers took the miko to Kaede-obaa-sama's hut to rest. There, they waited.
And through the night, the changes began to occur.
They had been shocked when Kagome had turned into an inuyoukai. There had never been a case of a ningen becoming a youkai through the mating, never mind a miko at that. It was unmarked territory. It had been fascinating to watch her, despite his exhaustion from the exchange, as markings slowly appeared on her face and assorted appendages. Her hair lengthened considerably – still holding a slight wave to it as usual. However, light blue highlights could be seen throughout the dark raven mass. Her ears, once rounded, had become elfish with extension at the tips. Delicate claws lengthened from blunt human nails. The only discomfort she experienced, with the exception of her hair, had been the growth of her tail.
For days she had slumbered. The rest of the allied group had returned by the time she had awakened.
It had been a very…confused and animated awakening. One filled with a lot of misunderstanding.
Sesshoumaru couldn't help a small chuckle as he remembered her fiery reaction. In the end she had been filled with gratitude and understanding, but not so much in the beginning.
She had actually given him a challenge.
The road to their actual consummation of their bonding had been what people would call 'eventful'. It had been a roller coaster ride: up and down, side to side, and loops. Their relationship had been rocky as their differing personalities clashed. It had been slow and progressive as a friendship blossomed from near tragedy. They hadn't even gotten together romantically until well after Naraku's demise, the taijiya and houshi's wedding, and even the hanyou and the kaze youkai's mating ceremony.
As the silver-haired Daiyoukai sorted through his memories, he realized that the wait had been worth it. Every fight – both verbal and physical – had been worth it. Her tears and his vexation had been worth it. Their children, both adopted and naturally born, had been worth it. The centuries may have blurred into one but there was one consistency that remained perfectly clear:
Kagome.
She had been his first real friend that he could honestly remember. She was his first confidant. She was his partner in every way that counted. She stood by his side happily without remorse or regret.
She meant more to him than anything: his power, his title, his lands, his immortality…even his life.
"Do you understand?"
He looked at his mother and gave her his rare smile. She smiled back at him as he gently thumbed away the tears that slipped her notice.
"I wish to go home, haha-ue."
"Of course, my son."
When he opened his eyes, he found himself separated from the foul creation before him. A cursory glance around him showed that he was back in a destroyed shopping section of Tokyo. The stale blood of innocents wafted through his sensitive nose. The sound of battles occurring roughly brought him back to his original mission.
Kagome…wait for me. Just a little bit longer, mate.
He turned back when the creature gave an enraged howl. The imitation's once apathetic face was screwed up in anger, ruining the beauty it once held.
"This is impossible…You should not have been able to escape my attack! Why are you not dead?"
Sesshoumaru glanced down to find Tokijin thrumming with coinciding anger. The tall Daiyoukai smirked at its temperament – it did not like to be thwarted from its destructive path.
Sesshoumaru turned back to the creation and smirked, causing the youkai before him to stiffen.
"You are nothing but an attempt of imitation of this Sesshoumaru. Just like any other imitation, it will never measure up to the real deal. This Sesshoumaru promises you that."
"I've held you off for this long," the Fake-Sesshoumaru countered, "whom is to say that this Sesshoumaru will fail in killing you?"
"Because this One has a distinct advantage."
The Western Lord spread his legs, lowered his center of mass, and adjusted his grip on Tokijin. Without even having to call out his sword's attack, the clouds above them began to darken and swirl with his killing intent. His facial markings grew jagged and his orbs began to bleed pink.
His voice, when it spoke, was deeper than usual.
"This Sesshoumaru has someone to protect. Savor this moment for it shall be your last."
It certainly has been a long time, hasn't it? I just want everyone to know that when you review, favorite, or follow this story, I'm not just glancing at them and deleting them from my e-mail account. I don't look at them in passing. I read them and take every word to heart. For those whom have private-messaged me - I have heard you. Life has been busy these past few years. I'm reaching my last semester as a college student and it's strange and life-altering. I have been feeling lost for a long while now. The stress of school, finding internships, deciding on whether or not to apply for grad school or being certified and just going into the real world...I have been struggling to understand what direction I want my life to take. It only seems like it was yesterday that I started this part of my life and now its ending.
I have forgotten just how refreshing writing can be. It's cathartic. I have been gone for a long while and while I can't guarantee that I will have updates cranking out every other week, I can say that I will continue to try. School will be starting again in a few days, so I will have an abundance of homework and actual work to do, but I aim to do better. New year's resolution and all that :)
So...Sesshoumaru is back in the present! It's time to set things back into motion. I'm thinking of either going back to Kagome or Shippo. I haven't decided. Or maybe Sayori. In case people have forgotten, something is going on with her too, haha. Or Omuk - I wonder when he'll come across Chiihiro's body and what he will do when he finds out.
Thank you to all of my reviewers whom have stuck with me so far. I know that it hasn't been a smooth journey so far. I know I have disappointed a lot of people. I just want to say thank you.
Until next time,
Miss Artemis