Author's Notes: My favorite story to write, and I nearly abandoned it! Car accident + coma + brain damage = I write very slowly now. But I continue to try.
This chapter is dedicated to CordeliaBlack, whose reviews encouraged me to keep writing.
Shadowlands
Chapter 9: Three Year Delay
Wearily, he trudged his way back up the mountain to reach Kagome. The priestess still lay beneath the black oval of energy that Shishinki had placed around her, silent and still, without even a trace of breath or scent to betray the fact that she was still alive. Sesshoumaru did not know what to call her current condition – it seemed deeper than sleep, yet he could tell that she was not dead, for her spirit still sang inside the Tenseiga.
When he had been asked to fight So'unga and the demons once contained inside the Shikon no Tama, the taiyoukai had despaired at first. The Sword of Heaven, Tenseiga, it was usually a defensive blade, which healed others. But eventually, he had realized he could use it like a conduit, funneling the priestess's holy power through their blood-bond and into the blade. And unbelievably enough, this plan had worked.
It was not how blood-bonds were meant to be used, though. Even now, he could feel the priestess shining inside of his blade, and it felt strange to be so close to her blindingly pure, holy aura.
Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru focused on the scene before him more vigorously. Exhaustion was creeping up, and each passing moment made it harder to think, but he knew that returning to the earth was their next, most important step. At his side, the demon Shishinki also trailed to a stop, staring down at the human lying quietly beneath his power on the mountainside.
"I would pick her up, before creating the gateway," noted the vexatious demon-lord at Sesshoumaru's side. "Not after. The moment you step through, the time around her will unfreeze."
With a small growl, Sesshoumaru decided that he despised Shishinki even more for doing things like stating the obvious. Yes, all right, fine. At the moment, his head was not working properly, since he had not thought about how to complete their expedition, until his erstwhile companion mentioned it, but… he would have figured everything out in the long run. The pathway created by a sphere of the Meidou only lasted for a few seconds. Regardless of how tired he was, he had to gather up Kagome, open a portal, and then slip through it, before the Meidou closed or the priestess died. Obviously, he would need to be carrying her.
Reaching into the black space around Kagome's body, Sesshoumaru felt his hands go cold and nearly jerked back in surprise. Whatever spell the other demon had placed over her, to prevent her time from running out, it was lifeless and frigid to touch. So was she, for that matter. Not a single heartbeat betrayed her existence under his hands. A sliver of worry inched its way through his gut as he bundled the little priestess to his chest. The icy, dark feeling of the spell around her began to seep up his arms and into his chest.
Luckily, for once, the fact that he had been without a limb for so long became useful. Effortlessly, Sesshoumaru balanced the priestess in one arm, along with Tenseiga, using the other hand to create a darkened gateway. Without another glance at the demon his Father once defeated, whom Sesshoumaru had resolved he absolutely, positively hated, he stumbled through the Meidou and into the light of the sun.
It was almost blinding, to see such a beautiful afternoon after so many hours underground. The netherworld was not a hospitable place for things like… color. But here, there was color everywhere! Green and brown and blue and… In fact, all numbers of different shades of these colors sent him reeling too.
In his arms, the miko began to breathe again, but otherwise did not move. The relief he felt on her behalf was excessive and unproductive, yet there it was. She was all right, and they were both home, and, damn it, the appearance of this clearing made him feel downright happy.
Trembling with exhaustion, Sesshoumaru laid the miko gently on the ground, then closed his eyes, breathing deeply and reveling in the smell of fresh grass and trees and clear, warm air. A summer breeze eddied around them, and he thought he had never sensed anything so wonderful in his life. Without the constant drive to fight, to survive, his youki began to recede, leaving him increasingly bone-weary.
It seemed like he had been away forever. It felt like he had run a thousand miles without stopping. He thought he was fully entitled to a nice, long, restful nap.
Wasn't there something that he had to do, before taking this nap? No, surely not.
When Sesshoumaru opened his eyes once more, the first thing he saw was a tombstone, bearing his name.
The second thing he saw was Kagome's name, immortalized beside his own. From the other side of the clearing, the engraved boulder battered at his brain like a jagged pike. About ten seconds before he passed out, the significance of the tombstone finally dawned upon his tired mind.
Perhaps, they really had been away for a long time. But any further contemplation was impossible – his mental faculties simply weren't up to the task. The last thing he thought, before sleep claimed him, was simply this: "Why the hell is my name spelled wrong?"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
It had been a long day, although not a difficult one. Inuyasha seriously considered making Miroku carry one of the bundles of rice. The monk grew greedy, whenever he went on a demon-slaying expedition with Inuyasha. With the half-demon around, their chances of winning any battle sky-rocketed. Inuyasha could easily overpower every youkai they encountered with the Bakusaiga. Thus, Miroku usually asked for a steep fee from landowners who needed an exorcism.
Moreover, the bum knew that he could force Inuyasha to carry all the rewards back to town, however ill-gotten their gains might be. As a result, again, Miroku was inclined to ask for a large fee, since Inuyasha would be the one carrying the burden. Damned rice bundles were heavy!
Frowning, Inuyasha dropped the rice off at Sango and Miroku's hut. Meanwhile, the monk went to check on his wife. Sango was close to the end of her second pregnancy, and concern had been radiating from the monk all day.
Somehow, participating in such activities did not appeal to Inuyasha, though. Birth was smelly, messy, and judging by the sound of it, painful for women. So, he avoided encountering it. Plus, thinking about Sango having babies always made Inuyasha think about families in general… which made him think about his own family… Sesshoumaru and Kagome.
One was family by blood; the other, family of the heart. Both gone now.
It still hurt to think about them, although admittedly, the ache had lessened over the past year. In the past few months, he had even started practicing with Bakusaiga. At first, Inuyasha had avoided unsheathing his half-brother's sword. But lately, the memories did not upset him so much, and he had decided that even Sesshoumaru would not have been such an asshole that he wanted to waste the weapon. They had traded swords, when his half-brother offered to travel to the netherworld to save Kagome. It had been a fair trade! It wasn't like Inuyasha was stealing Bakusaiga or something.
So, every morning, he had begun to practice with it, in the forest.
The blade was ridiculously powerful, perfectly balanced, and it smelled a little bit like his half-brother. On one level, it made him nostalgic, but deep down, Inuyasha enjoyed holding the blade. Over the last few months, in fact, he had become proficient enough with it that he could aim the lightning-storm it created, toward small targets, before releasing a blow.
The downside to wielding Bakusaiga was its tendency to dissolve everything it touched. If he unsheathed the sword and gently trailed it over the grass, for example, the greenery would shrivel up and melt, bubbling as if it had just been touched with poison. It acted like Sesshoumaru's toxic claws – only it could not be turned off.
So, Inuyasha had to be very cautious about when and where he used the blade. The metal had to strike enemy youkai and absolutely nothing else. Unlike the Tessaiga, he could not swing this sword carelessly.
Gradually, it had compelled him to develop better fighting techniques. His sword-strikes had become more controlled and precise, and his temper had stabilized. If he could settle a fight without drawing his sword, then he chose to do so, every time. Because in the end, the Bakusaiga was not the kind of weapon one should whip out at a moment's notice. It was the sort of blade to reserve for specific moments and purposes.
Sometimes, using the blade made him understand the way his brother had always behaved.
Thoughts like that, however, always made Inuyasha immediately stop practicing and return to the village. Missing Sesshoumaru was one thing – but trying to understand him? That was unacceptable.
In any case, rather than tag along with Miroku to check on Sango's health, the hanyou found himself outside, trailing toward the forest. Perhaps he could spend the afternoon training, instead of smothering himself within a hut. It had been a few days since he had last practiced with Bakusaiga. Using the sword during a trip for hire – that didn't count.
A tiny patter of fox feet echoed in his direction, so Inuyasha stopped to wait. Shippo was not always in the village, these days, but he returned periodically to brag about his accomplishments in the fox-demon Youjutsu exams. The other kitsune were amazed by him – at such a young age, he had already accomplished a great deal, and he had seen even more.
"Inuyasha!" shrieked the tiny kitsune happily, when Shippo saw that his friend was waiting patiently for him to arrive. "It's a boy!"
With a sigh, the half-demon turned and allowed the kitsune to leap onto his shoulder. "Miroku totally expected another few girls," continued the fox-demon, "But I told him that the gods would not allow someone like him to live in a house surrounded by only women."
"Feh," scoffed the hanyou, "He wouldn't enjoy that as much as he thinks."
"True," Shippo nodded sagely, "Not even Miroku can deal with that many women."
Flicking one ear in annoyance, the half-demon stared at the passenger on his shoulder. "Um… Shippo, you do realize," grumbled Inuyasha, "That Miroku's interest in women would not extend to his daughters, right?"
The fox-demon merely blinked at him in puzzlement, not understanding the point that Inuyasha was trying to make. "Of course," the green-eyed fox replied blandly, "They are too young now."
Moments later, the kitsune was flying through the air, after being launched by a punch from his guardian. Unfortunately, it seemed that no one had ever explained to him exactly why Miroku had chased after ladies. Inuyasha did not take the time out of his day to explain it now, either.
It was not until Shippo went flying that the half-demon's nose twitched in recognition. That smell…
From behind, in the forest, he could detect a faint trace of Kagome's scent, and beside it he could sense his half-brother Sesshoumaru as well. Without a word, the half-demon fled into the trees, running as fast as he could toward the odor. Many times over the years, he had dreamed of it, but he had never actually detected their scents. But this was more than memory, more than hope – this was a real smell, picked up by a sensitive half-dog-demon nose.
Heart racing, his feet dashed toward the clearing where the Bone Eater's Well once stood. The scent was strong now, burning his nose. It smelled like fire and blood, overlaying his half-brother's storm-like scent, which overlaid flowers and peaches and… Kagome.
Sliding to a halt, he burst through the treeline and stared.
The beating of his heart almost drowned out the sound of their breath. But it was real. He wasn't imagining it. Their heartbeats were real, and their breathing was real, and…
Kagome lay beneath the taiyoukai, perpendicular to his form, which was sprawled rather ungracefully across her torso. Sesshoumaru was covered in blood and soot, with large patches of hair and fur either missing or blackened by fire. One hand clutched the Tenseiga, which shone like a star in his grasp. Neither one of them was moving.
"Kagome?" asked the hanyou desperately, without receiving an answer.
Dragging his half-brother off of Kagome, he gently rolled Sesshoumaru to one side, and lifted the priestess in his arms and raced for the village. First, he had to find Kaede and get the old woman back to work – there was no time to waste on things like cooing over Sango's baby.
Then, he had to find someone to help him carry his half-brother back into town. Inuyasha wasn't sure he was strong enough to lift the taiyoukai himself; furthermore, the dog-demon was badly injured. Treating him like a dead weight might worsen his injuries.
At times like this, he missed having Kirara around. Damn that Kohaku for running off with the fire-cat!
"Kaede-babaa!" he yelled, approaching the monk's hut, "Old woman, get out here!"
His voice brought both the old priestess and Miroku to the door of the hut. Both of them fell instantly silent, all signs of jubilation replaced by shock. Suddenly, the birthday of Miroku's first son had become even more significant. Laying Kagome down carefully outside the hut, the half-demon nabbed the monk without another word, and carried him back to the forest.
And if Miroku's face had looked shocked to see Kagome, appearing out of the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the afternoon – the monk looked absolutely appalled to see Sesshoumaru, laying in the clearing. They both burst into activity. Inuyasha picked up the Tessaiga and sheathed it, tucking the blade into his hakama beside the Bakusaiga. Meanwhile, Miroku tried to sheathe the Tenseiga, only to discover that Sesshoumaru refused to relinquish it.
With a snarl, the unconscious taiyoukai pressed the glowing blade into Miroku's throat, and the monk quickly threw his hands up in surrender. "Ah, he does not seem ready to let go of this blade, Inuyasha-sama."
Next, Inuyasha tried the same action, with exactly the same results. Only when the hanyou felt the Sword of Heaven swing in his direction, he quickly skittered out of the way. At the moment, the Tenseiga was… dangerous. As unbelievable as it might seem, every instinct in his body warned the half-demon to keep his distance. Being touched by that blade, right now, would be an incredibly bad idea. So, they allowed Sesshoumaru to hold onto the Tenseiga, as they carried him back to the village.
Tumultuous excitement greeted them on their return.
"Kagome-chan," Sango was sobbing, holding her newest child, while collapsed into a human puddle beside the priestess's form. "Kagome-chan is alive!"
Shippo was running laps between their huts, helping the elderly priestess gather medical supplies. When they appeared, transporting a blood-soaked taiyoukai, Jaken exploded into absurd, unhelpful comments too. Since the monk was holding Sesshoumaru's feet, Inuyasha walked backward, carrying his elder brother's shoulders, and the third time that the tiny, green youkai almost caused him to trip, Inuyasha growled threateningly. "Jaken, cut that crap out, and shut up!"
Thankfully, Rin saved the day, by encouraging her caretaker to one side. But even the little girl's eyes were wide with disbelief. Suddenly, the inside of Miroku and Sango's hut seemed a bit cramped.
And suddenly, the inside of Inuyasha's heart seemed as light as air.
He had always thought that his half-brother kept promises. It was true, after all.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"But why won't she wake up?" came a high-pitched whine to his left. The tone of it was childish and startling, nearly dragging Sesshoumaru awake. Muddily, his thoughts would not center, and his chest felt sore and empty, tired. He turned his head toward the voices.
"Keh," scoffed his half-brother, an easily recognizable tone. "Don't be stupid, kit. They need rest."
"But Kaede says she's not hurt, and…"
"Get outta here." The hanyou's gruff voice continued, affectionately. "Brat."
There was a good feeling, inside of his heart, even though he did not know why. Even without opening his eyes, it seemed like a candle had been placed close to him; he could see the flame in his mind. Whuffling slightly, Sesshoumaru turned back toward the comforting light. Just before falling asleep again, he heard metal scraping over a wooden surface, as he moved his hands, but that was all right too. It felt good to have a sword in his grip.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The second time he woke, Sesshoumaru's mind was mostly clear. His body still felt a bit fatigued, but demonic-energy had gradually been returning to him – the level of his youki had nearly recovered. Opening his eyes, he saw the inside of a wooden cabin with a thrush-reed roof, and he smelled the presence of seven humans, including Rin. He also scented his half-brother close by, although not indoors.
Ironically, it was night-time now, and the humans were all asleep, on the opposite side of the cabin. Laying close beside a pair of toddlers, Rin breathed deeply under the same blanket as the rest of them. And the final human was at his side.
Sesshoumaru stared down at the priestess, noting the way that she smelled now that she was clean and the way that she lay perfectly still. It looked like the others had bathed her, but dark circles under her eyes implied continuing hunger and thirst. He frowned.
How long had they been lying here?
As he sat up slowly, the blanket slid to his waist, and the vague, subdued glow at his side now bathed the cabin in light. The Tenseiga enthusiastically gleamed up at him, from his fist. Sesshoumaru's frown deepened.
Why was the Sword of Heaven still shining like it had purifying powers?
Of course, the answer for this question quickly presented itself. The Tenseiga was still acting as if it carried Kagome's soul, because it did. The problem was obvious. After all, he was the one responsible for the residence of her soul inside his sword in the first place.
The solution? Not so simple.
To be perfectly honest, Sesshoumaru could not quite remember how he had achieved this result. He had been going into battle unarmed, which was unacceptable given the caliber and number of demons he had to attack. The only weapon in his possession had been the Sword of Heaven. However, since Tenseiga was a healing sword, he had desired to transform the blade into something more deadly against demons, by utilizing his recent connection to the priestess.
So, he had reached out to her reiki… using his youki… which had been possible because his demonic-energy was bound to her, by the bond they had created… But what then? Oh, damn. He didn't know what he had done.
Strangely enough, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. The idea that he might suffer consequences, as a result of trying to save her life in this fashion, that idea had never dawned on him, somehow. How exactly did he push the miko's soul back into her body?
"Kagome," he hissed, under his breath, close enough to her ear that she would be able to hear him. Holding the Tenseiga aloft over her body, he pressed it onto her skin. "You may have it back."
The comatose priestess ignored him. Nothing happened, although the light from his sword outlined sharp shadows on her face from below. Her breathing did not change; her heartbeat remained sluggish and steady.
"Thank you for the… assistance," bit out the taiyoukai, "Take it back, now." Internally, he gathered his youki and pushed against the holy energy in his blade. It did not go anywhere, however, leaving Sesshoumaru bewildered.
Maybe he had to pull her reiki away from the sword, instead of pushing it toward her body? Expanding his demonic-energy as gingerly as possible, the dog-demon wrapped his aura around the blade and tugged gently. Absolutely nothing happened, yet again.
All right, maybe he had to visualize exactly what he was 'pulling' first? Closing his eyes, the taiyoukai could feel the soul of the priestess with crystal clarity, emanating from the sword in his hand. It simply seemed that the girl's soul no longer inhabited her body, at all. Unfortunately, no matter how many times he poked and prodded at the searing, white, holy energy with his youki, the girl's soul stayed firmly within the Tenseiga.
Right. So, the soul had to be extracted from the sword and reinserted in her body. The crease in his forehead increased, as Sesshoumaru realized he had no idea how to do this. In fact, the tool he usually used to manipulate souls and healing energy was in his hand. One swipe from the Sword of Heaven could kill pall-bearing imps from the underworld, returning an individual's soul to her body by default. This time, however, the miko was not dead and he had to manipulate the Tenseiga to… manipulate itself, somehow.
A headache progressively dilated behind his eyes. Then, at last, a drop of inspiration! He could simply reinsert the soul into her body, physically. Yes, this might work.
Feeling foolish for not considering this sooner, Sesshoumaru dragged the miko's blanket down to her waist, laying the sword against her throat. With constant pressure on the blade, he sank it into her flesh, only to watch in horror as blood blossomed over her skin and began pouring out of her chest onto the floorboards.
Instantly, he yanked the Tenseiga backward and toppled over onto his own set of blankets, staring at the priestess, aghast. Her flesh healed in a purple glow, returning to its previous state. Apparently, the otherworldly blade he held still carried healing properties. Yet her soul remained firmly fixed in one location, while her body lay in another place. Stabbing her with her soul would not solve the problem.
With a growl, his half-demon brother pushed the bamboo reeds from the doorway, as Inuyasha streaked inside of the hut. "Kagome?" muttered the hanyou, sniffing the wound that had recently healed on her throat.
Rapidly, the boy noticed the fact that Sesshoumaru was awake. It took another few precious moments for the half-demon to perceive the blood on the tip of Tenseiga. The low-pitched snarl his half-brother emitted then spoke more than a thousand words.
But fortunately, in the last three years, Inuyasha had learned temperance. "I am going to assume," grumbled the half-demon slowly, "It was an accident, since you did just spend three years saving her life."
As if to mock him for his lack of knowledge, the boy's words circled through Sesshoumaru's head once more. Three years? This kind of surprise was unnecessarily cruel, he thought. Three years, instead of three days?
