I understand that I need to update more frequently….. Please forgive me, my loyal reading audience! As a token of my appreciation for remaining loyal throughout this story so far, I have made this chapter a bit longer than the rest! :] Please enjoy, I love you all!
Sesshomaru dashed through the forest, talking to Inuyasha to keep him from being worried. His shoulders sagged with relief when he saw the neatly placed stone path that lead up to Lady Miloka's house. He slowed to a walk, assuring Inuyasha that after this; they could defeat Naraku and finally start a life together.
"I can hardly wait," Inuyasha chuckled weakly, followed by a violent coughing fit. Sesshomaru held him tight in his arms and rocked him gently, trying to soothe his pain. "Do not talk anymore, Inuyasha! Your pain will end soon, I swear."
Inuyasha nodded and rested his head against his brother's shoulder. "We are going to go see someone who will both cure you and coddle you…" Sesshomaru chuckled. Inuyasha gave him a look as if to say, 'What the hell are you talking about?'
"Lady Miloka!" Sesshomaru chortled. "She taught Hinode all that he knows. She acted like a mother to us when we were young. You might not remember her, but-"
"No way!" Inuyasha laughed, and then coughed violently. "I missed that old bag!" he coughed again, eyes glazing over from exhaustion. "I told you to not talk!" Sesshomaru scolded him. Inuyasha smiled widely in response.
Sesshomaru reached the door and he rapped on the door loudly. "Lady Miloka!" he shouted.
He heard something fall to the ground and smash, then a curse. "I'm coming! I'm fucking coming, for God's sake!" a muffled voice screamed. He heard the sound of multiple locks being unlocked, and finally, the beautiful sound of the knob being turned.
A short but thin elderly woman opened the door. Her wrinkled face was kind but hard. Long light brown hair that was streaked with gray framed her face. She wore a robe, long and purple with intricate patterns of the stars stitched into them. The second she opened the door, she smiled brightly and squealed. "Sesshomaru, you old dog! It's been years since I've seen you, ya little shit! What the fuck has kept you from seeing me?"
Sesshomaru smiled softly, his eyebrow twitching. He thought of this woman as a surrogate mother, but her foul mouth was worse than Inuyasha's…
"I have been busy…" he forced out.
"Oh my God! Holy shit!" She screamed. "Inuyasha? Is that really you, m' boy?"
"Nice to see you too, Milky." Inuyasha rasped, smiling. Lady Miloka smiled. "You don't know how much I've fucking missed that nickname, Inuyasha!" She stood on her tiptoes and tried to kiss him on the cheek. She could not and she angrily flicked Sesshomaru on his arm. "Lower him down here, ya little brat!" She giggled. Sighing, Sesshomaru kneeled down and allowed the short woman to peck Inuyasha on the cheek. "Now get your ass in here and tell me what the fuck is going on," she said, turning serious.
Sesshomaru stepped into the small shack, having to duck a little because of his immense height, and Miloka slipped the door shut behind him.
"You made me break my cup of tea, ya damn pup," She grumbled, cleaning up the shattered glass from the floor.
Sesshomaru laid Inuyasha down on the makeshift bed Miloka made around the fire and then they both sat around the fire in the middle of the main room. Sesshomaru told her everything just as he had told Hinode everything. As the story progressed, her face stayed the same.
Passive.
When Sesshomaru finished, Lady Miloka just smiled, and started laughing. Sesshomaru became furious. "What the hell is so funny about any of this?" He bellowed. This made the elderly healer laugh even harder. She rolled over, laughing furiously, tears streaming down her wrinkled face. Sesshomaru shared a glance with Inuyasha, and they both continued to watch Miloka nervously.
When she finally stopped, she sat upright and was still grinning. "I'm sorry, guys, it just amused me that Mr. Genius here didn't think of just coming to me first." She jerked a thumb at Sesshomaru. He frowned and glared at her. "I was worried about him… I wasn't in my right mind…" Sesshomaru defended, trying to keep his dignity intact. Miloka smiled and strolled over to him. "You guys are like my sons; there is no need to have your emotional barrier up all the time." She ruffled his hair.
"Especially around me, ya little squirt." She slapped the side of his head. "Ow!" He yelped. She walked over to Inuyasha, who was lying in his cot trying to hold back his laughter. She leaned in and whispered, "And I, Lady Miloka, have single handedly dominated the Lord of the Western Lands with this hand!" she stuck up her right hand and Inuyasha howled with laughter.
"S-Stop making him laugh!" Sesshomaru yelled. And sure enough, after Inuyasha was done with his laughing fit, he traded it in for a coughing fit. He coughed and coughed, his face turning red. "Can't… Breathe!" He gasped out. Miloka pulled a pouch out of one of the folds of her robes. She opened the bag and forced Inuyasha's mouth open the entire way.
"Hold it open for me, will ya?" she asked Sesshomaru. He nodded and held Inuyasha's mouth open while Lady Miloka reached in and pinched out a small amount of a bright orange powder.
She sprinkled the powder down Inuyasha's throat and he stopped coughing almost instantly. Sesshomaru looked at her thankfully. She nodded solemnly. While Inuyasha was catching his breath, she began speaking. "Now, I have the cure for Inuyasha's illness. But," she held up a finger, "Before you go celebrating, Inuyasha will be in a lot of fucking pain throughout the duration of the process." Sesshomaru glanced at Inuyasha's face.
He was surprised to find it solemn. "I would rather be in a lot of pain for a short period of time, then die and never be able to see you guys again." The powder that Miloka gave him help his cough and improved his speech functioning. Miloka nodded slowly. "I admire your bravery, Inuyasha." She smiled and kissed his forehead. She turned to Sesshomaru. You may wait outside if you like." He immediately shook his head.
"No. I am staying with him." He answered, clutching his hand. He pulled a face. "I could not anyways…" He motioned to the rope that connected their necks. Miloka burst out with laughter. "Duh!" She screamed. "God, I swear, I am too fucking old. I'm going fucking senile! Well you guys stay here then. I will right back and then we will get this shit over and done with so you can go kick this Naraku guy's ass." They both smirked and watched her leave the room. When she left, they both looked at each other. "You won't leave me, will you?" Inuyasha asked timidly, clutching onto Sesshomaru's hand for dear life.
"Never."
"Sesshomaru…. I'm scared."
"I will be here. Always." Sesshomaru promised. He leaned in and pecked his lips. Inuyasha nodded nervously and licked his lips.
"Back!" Miloka announced. She was carrying a blade in her arms, and Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru nervously. She set the blade beside the couple and walked to her shelves that held her potions and such. She scanned the shelves before picking out a large beaker full of a thick dark green fluid. She walked over to the brothers with the beaker in hand. "Are you guys ready?"
They both looked at each other. "See you on the other side." Inuyasha laughed weakly. Sesshomaru nodded and kissed Inuyasha's hand. Miloka leaned down and picked up the large blade. She dipped it in the beaker full of the thick solution and poised it above Inuyasha's chest. When he saw the fear in Inuyasha's eyes, Sesshomaru was about to protest when Miloka interrupted. "I know what I'm doing. Who's the expert here?" She gave no warning as she plunged the blade deep into Inuyasha's chest.
Inuyasha screamed and his body shook violently. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he frothed at the mouth. Miloka sat onto of him to steady him. She dipped her fingers into the beaker and began writing symbols and writing on his chest. When she was done, she ripped the blade from his chest. Blood flowed freely from the wound, gushing out in rapids. When she saw the look of fright in his eyes, Miloka whispered to Sesshomaru, "He will be alright. Just wait." He nodded and clutched at Inuyasha's hand harder.
This went on for what seemed like forever. Miloka sat on Inuyasha while he shook and screamed and cried. Sesshomaru's heart broke at the sight. Miloka placed he blade in the fire, letting it heat up. "Almost done!" She assured Sesshomaru. She was sweating and her body sagged. Sesshomaru could not sit by and let his surrogate mother go through this in front of his eyes, so he offered to take her place.
"And ya couldn't have fucking thought of that 5 fucking minutes ago?" She screamed. But she thanked him and let Sesshomaru take her place on top of Inuyasha. Sesshomaru was a lot more effective at holding him down anyways. Sesshomaru almost couldn't take it. Tears were pouring down Inuyasha's face and he was screaming in pure agony.
"Are you ready for his to be over?" Miloka asked Sesshomaru. He nodded. "Please end his pain!" She dipped her hand into the beaker and pulled out a handful f the liquid and poured it over the wound in his chest. He shook violently, and it was even hard for Sesshomaru to hold him down. Miloka immediately grabbed the blade from the fire, which was now red-hot.
She poised the blade right above the wound. She lowered it and as it made contact with Inuyasha's skin, Sesshomaru almost regurgitated. The thick smell of burning flesh filled the cabin and his screams were louder than ever, and his crying almost brought Sesshomaru to tears himself.
And finally, it was over. The screaming ceased, and he stopped crying. Miloka pulled the blade away and showed it to Sesshomaru. The blade had turned pure black.
"And there," she panted, "Is your disease." She hurled the blade into the fire and the blade popped and sizzled and turned into mush. "And that it what would have happened to Inuyasha's body if you hadn't of came to me when you did."
Sesshomaru shivered. Inuyasha stopped shaking and Sesshomaru looked down at him. "Inuyasha?" He called. Inuyasha blinked his eyes open, but just barely. "Am I better?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru nodded and cupped Inuyasha's face in his hands. "Yes."
Inuyasha tried to set up but he cried out and collapsed. "It…. It hurts!" he clutched at his chest. "Well, naturally…" Miloka snorted. "You rest, Inuyasha. You will be all better in the morning. Sore as fuck, but better. And you too Sesshomaru! You haven't slept for two days!"
"Miloka, I normally don't sleep for weeks on end. I am fine. I want to watch over Inuyasha." Miloka adopted the motherly look on her wrinkled face. "No! Sleep. Now!"
"But-"
"No 'buts'!" she yelled and tossed him a blanket and rough pillow. "I will be in the other room if you need me. See you in the morning." She left the room and Sesshomaru could hear a door close. He crawled beside Inuyasha and put his arms around him. Inuyasha curled into his embrace. They laid there in each other's embrace for a while, neither saying anything.
Finally, Sesshomaru spoke up. "Inuyasha?" Inuyasha looked up at him. "Hm?"
Sesshomaru caressed his cheek. "Are you O.K?" Inuyasha nodded. "Yes. Helluva lot better. I feel my strength returning." Sesshomaru smiled. "Good. And Inuyasha?"
"Yes?"
"When we get a chance to return to the castle, I want to finally claim you as mine and make you my mate. I want you to rule over the western lands with me."
Inuyasha looked up at his brother with surprised eyes. "You… You want to… and you want me too…?" Sesshomaru nodded, laughing as his brother's expression remained baffled. "It would be you decision whether we mate or not. It is your innocence being taken, not mine." Inuyasha blushed. "I… I have to think about it… don't rush me…" Sesshomaru smirked. "I wasn't rushing you at all." Sesshomaru pulled Inuyasha closer into his embrace."Take your time in deciding. We have a long time." Sesshomaru could feel Inuyasha nodding into his chest.
I love you…