Faithful (of not) readers! This is an idea inspired from a random moment of sleepiness! What?! I'm not weird (well, not very much)! I just think about InuYasha a lot when I'm sleepy….nyah! Oh well, the point here is to show everyone (including InuYasha, of course) just how much Sesshomaru really cares for Rin! Read away! Oh and I gave Ah-Un a weird ability, so don't be alarmed. Here, it's normal.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own InuYasha. If I did, it would scare people. But I'd get a kick out of it.
Only For Her
"Die, Naraku!"
Three attacks hit him as one, while he frantically tried to flee with the infant. Sesshomaru's Dragon Twister, InuYasha's Adamant Barrage, and Kagome's sacred arrow. They had unwittingly worked together to bring him down. It was too much for his body to withstand. He would die here, and he knew it. But he wouldn't go down so easily. Naraku exploded in a massive amount of miasma. The poison would pollute the area for days before dissipating. He would take as many as he could with him to hell. You couldn't get rid of Naraku that easily.
('.')
o( )o
O O
"Kaede, I can't hold out much longer," Kikyo said weakly. She was sustaining the barrier protecting the village from Naraku's poison.
Kaede nodded. "I will fetch Kagome. She has more strength than I."
With Kagome came Miroku. His spiritual power wasn't enough to protect the village, but he had another way of helping. Kagome had only recently learned the art of barriers, and still needed guidance at times. If she were to have trouble, he would step in and assist. They could not risk the miasma getting into the village.
Kagome took over, and Kikyo went to rest, exhausted. For the past day, the three priestesses had been taking turns protecting the villagers. It was hardest on Kaede, though, her age and lesser spiritual power making the job much more difficult. Kagome seemed to be least affected, quickly regaining her strength, and being able to hold out the longest. It was mostly due to her efforts that the town was still safe.
A cry went up among the villagers. "A demon is approaching! A demon!"
Kagome couldn't see, but InuYasha's snarl answered her curiosity. "Sesshomaru, what are you doing here?"
"Kaede," Sesshomaru said, ignoring his brother's question. "You have knowledge of healing?"
"Yes," she answered, equally as calm as he. "Why do ye ask?"
"I require your assistance."
"I will do what I can."
"Then come."
"What are you up to, Sesshomaru?" InuYasha demanded. "I don't trust you."
Miroku sighed. "InuYasha, I doubt that your brother would stoop so low as to use trickery to harm an elderly priestess."
"Feh."
"Will you be okay outside the barrier, Kaede?" Kagome asked.
"Yes, I can protect myself long enough." She left the safety of Kagome's barrier and followed Sesshomaru through the cloud of miasma.
They went past the battlefield where Naraku was slain. The poison was thickest there, making it difficult to see and breathe. Then came the trees. The air there was better, though not by much. At least visibility had improved. And soon Kaede was able to see why Sesshomaru had summoned her.
A two-headed, dragon-like demon was standing inside a sphere of swirling air, which was clear of miasma. Behind the demon was Jaken, kneeling by Rin. The child was unconscious, and quite clearly very ill. Kaede hurried to her side, grateful for the clean air that Ah-Un was providing. "Was it Naraku's poison?" she asked.
"Yes. Can you help her?" There was just a hint of concern in Sesshomaru's voice. It was barely there, but Kaede caught it.
He really cares for this child, she thought. "She has been badly poisoned. I cannot predict if she will live. But I can say this; she would have a better chance of recovering if ye would allow me to take her back to the village, where I can watch over her condition."
There was a moment's hesitation before he answered. "I will stay with her."
Kaede looked at him thoughtfully. "Are ye sure?"
"Rin would surely run away to find me before she is completely recovered," he explained. "I will stay with her."
"We should return now," she started, only to find that Sesshomaru was already picking up Rin.
"Jaken," he said. "Take Ah-Un and find a safer place to wait for me."
"Yes Lord Sesshomaru."
As the little green demon led Ah-Un away, Kaede and Sesshomaru left the protective sphere and hurried back to the village. It wasn't long before the glow of the barrier could be seen. "Kagome!" Kaede called. "Allow us through, quickly!"
"I'll try!" was the answer. It was still difficult for her to let people pass through her barriers, and they felt the resistance as they entered the village.
As soon as they saw Sesshomaru, the villagers fled into their huts, fearful of having a demon in their midst. "Feh. Came back, did you?" InuYasha scoffed. He received an icy glare in return.
"He's carrying Rin," Sango said. "Is she ill?"
Kagome gasped. "She must have been out in the miasma!"
Kaede led Sesshomaru to her own hut, and immediately began making some medicine for Rin. "Ye were foolish to allow her to be so near the battle," she admonished. "Ye should have sent her away."
"I did," he answered quietly, unaware that his nosy brother was eavesdropping. "She disobeyed."
(.".)
'-'/. .\'-'
( o o )
"-"
"I don't get it," InuYasha grumbled. He was sitting up with Kagome, who was taking another turn on the barrier. The rest of the village was asleep, leaving the two of them alone under the miasma-clouded sky.
Kagome yawned. "What don't you get?"
"Sesshomaru hates it when people disobey him. He's definitely killed enough of 'em for it. Why is he so concerned about a human girl?"
She smiled, glad that InuYasha wasn't able to see. "Maybe he truly cares for Rin. He's protected her before. He's even gone to hell for her once…literally. Or did you forget?"
A stubborn "Feh," told her that he had.
They sat in silence for a while longer, until Kagome's barrier started to weaken. "InuYasha," she whispered. "Can you go get Kikyo? I need a break." He left without another word. For once, Kagome wasn't worried about what might happen between them. In order to protect the village, they had made an unspoken agreement to be on their best behavior and put all differences aside. Until the miasma cleared, all within the barrier were allied, villagers, bandits, travelers, demons (or half-demons), and priestesses alike.
Kikyo arrived a moment later, accompanied by a woman from the village. When she had control of the barrier, InuYasha helped a half-asleep Kagome into the hut next to Kaede's. She fell asleep immediately, but InuYasha wasn't tired. Instead, he sat against the wall and eavesdropped on the snoring coming from all around.
The feverish moans of a child drifted from Kaede's hut. A moment later, InuYasha could hear the elderly woman herself shuffling around.
"Oh my, her condition is worse than I feared. She will need a special medicine found some distance away."
"I will get it," Sesshomaru said, his voice as calm as ever. Does he ever sleep? InuYasha thought.
"Nonsense. I'll send InuYasha. He is just as resistant to the miasma as you are. Also, he knows the way, and is on good terms with the ones who grow the herb I need. Besides, if you went, you might just end up with an entire town and the half-demon who grows the herb angry at you." Her reasoning silenced any protest Sesshomaru was about to make. It was, after all, very reasonable.
A moment later, InuYasha heard Kaede calling him. Reluctantly, he slipped outside to meet her. Soon he had left the quiet village and was running toward Jinenji's garden to get the medicine he and Kagome had once gotten for Kirara.
Sesshomaru, angry that he was depending on his wretched half-demon brother, remained in Kaede's hut, Rin curled up beside him.
Wow, this is going to be longer than I expected. And it was so impromptu, I thought it would be horrible. So, tell me. How long do you think Sesshomaru could put up with being surrounded by mortals, and unable to really do anything but sit around and wait? Especially since InuYasha is there…Oh, and tell me what you think of the story so far, too! I always want to know that!