Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Inuyasha or any of the other characters that may be used throughout the duration of the fan-fiction. Be advised this is a world created for the sole purpose of entertainment and would expect you to respect my work of fantasy as you would have me respect yours. This is rated mature for further chapters that may be controversial in subject matter. Please do not report me as you have been warned.
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Your Lady Fractured Moonlight
Summary: Sesshomaru has lived centuries without the one thing he desires the most only to have her return with no memory of him or the life they had known. Can he accept her as he had once or will everything be lost to time once more? Will she love the beast within the man as she once had in a time lost to her? Will they learn to love or will their love vanish as though it had never been? Read and discover the untold story between Sesshomaru and Kagome and you might discover a love that can span the centuries!
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Moonlight's Embrace
Chapter 9
Sesshomaru didn't know how to act around Ayumu despite taking him up on his offer. He was reserved, a lot like himself though he was reluctant to admit it, and Sesshomaru had to remind himself that he had been the one to abduct Kagome, the one to poison her and now was the one procuring the cure as a means of amends. He watched him with much scepticism as he set about his work, from where he sat against a tree. Not that it took much effort, the evidence of which was in his arms. He was no fool and would be damned if Ayumu or Katsurou painted him as such.
Ayumu was having troubles of his own, suffering the withering glares that Sesshomaru sent him on a regular basis, not that he hadn't earned a single one of them. He sighed realising that in all likelihood he would never be forgiven and despite Hana's earlier kiss she had gone back to more or less avoiding him. No doubt for what he said under Katsurou's control. He sighed again realising that the only real memory Katsurou had allowed him to possess in full was the day Kagome had betrayed him……but could he even call it that? If someone never returned your feelings was it even the same thing?
One thing was for certain……and that was that Katsurou had replayed the most hurtful memory leaving him to remain under his control and now that he was alive, again, would Katsurou try to once again seek control? And if he did what then?
His mind raced with many things pertaining to two very different subjects, Kagome and Hana. He thought he had fallen in love with Kagome in his youth and knew, now that control was granted his, that it was a misplaced connection that lots of people suffer while trying to find their one and only.
She had been kind and understanding and at the utmost his loyal and dearest friend despite their distant blood connection. They had shared their childhood together and now knew that it was foolish to want things to progress between them. But he had demanded that she return his heart and had not asked for it as Sesshomaru had.
It had hurt him when she had made her choice but then found Hana, an ookami who had remained in the background, forgotten after in their childhood. A woman who had been pointed out by Kagome's hand was unlike any their tribe had seen.
Feisty.
Determined.
Headstrong.
Loyal to a fault.
Some things that when combined where a rarity for their kind and now free from Katsurou memories of his life that had been suppressed came flooding back.
He remembered so much about their life together and what had been and now realised that he had never blamed Kagome for the pain she had unknowingly caused him. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't return them for her heart had been promised to another and it was foolish for him to think anything different. No he had never blamed her but Katsurou had twisted his memory, morphing it into something he could use to gain control, when he himself had nothing but respect for the miko and who she would become while another memory crashed against his senses.
The battle they had shared was etched permanently into his mind. His movements seemed blurred as is it was someone else entirely who had slammed her body against a tree. He watched her wince in pain as she coughed up blood and than he did the unthinkable….and dosed her with enough poison that it would have been immediately fatal despite his orders to bring her back alive. It sickened him that he was responsible for the position she was in.
That coupled with the look that flashed across Hana's face when she realised what she had done out of instinct. He had demanded that she fight him, he had demanded that she do it and thus lead him to where he was now. That lead to the searing pain that traced from his ribs to his waist. A pain that was comforted only by the fact that it was Hana's robes that bound the wound.
He did love her he realised but the fact was that it had been centuries since they had shared that type of connection and he wouldn't blame her if she had found another. Now what remained was telling her so and the fact also remained if she would listen to his words. So to prevent his mind from wandering further he set about making his amends, staring into the pot at the strange substance.
Sesshomaru continued to watch Ayumu wondering what the man might have been thinking about before glancing at an amazingly stoic Hana who revealed nothing. Why the sudden barrier when he had seen none of that before? Was it due to Ayumu's revival? Sighing he realised that none of his thoughts would receive the answers they so desired and thus returned his attention back to the very creature in his arms.
She hadn't stirred much since receiving Hana's strange brew. He assumed it was better than having the poison ravage her system leaving him with her pained screams. Yes this silence was much better despite the soft ringing in his ears that became, for him at least, a form of torture. It had grated on his nerves and once she had seen how her screams had affected him she tried to muffle them which only made things worse.
His eyes closed then against a memory that was steadily approaching the awareness of his senses. He closed his eyes against the image of their childhood, against the image of her and her innocence. He hadn't understood it then, and he doubted he understood the makings of the well now, but that mattered little.
He remembered the first time she had fallen through and that same panic raced through him now as it had then. He remembered her innocent dance on the ledge never suspecting the loss of balance that was soon to follow. But before he could make it across the distance of the field she was gone from his sight. He waited for the thump of her body hitting the bottom and the sounds of breaking bones but heard nothing. When he gathered the necessary courage to look over the lip she had vanished leaving nothing behind. No trace she had ever been except for her lingering scent.
Her disappearance had left him in an agony that in his youth he didn't understand. He had told his father what he had seen and watched his eyes hold little scepticism as he heard his words. If he had lied his father would've smelt it but he didn't. They had searched for her for three days and nights while he never left the side of the well.
Worry had etched its way across his father's features as he watched over him. He had cried little and was thankful that the rain could effectively hide his sorrow. When his exhausted senses caught the smell and swell of magic before her scent, however panic stricken washed against his senses.
He didn't think as he leapt from his position against the well, diving over the lip, to cradle her against him then. Whatever magic that had taken her refused to acknowledge him as he touched the bottom.
"Kagome" he breathed as his mind exited the memory and especially when he saw Ayumu distantly approach, moving to cradle her more firmly against him. He growled softly in a low warning should he try anything as he accepted to cup presented to him. He sniffed the substance discreetly but could smell nothing that could take her life.
Ayumu watched Sesshomaru with a sort of muffled amusement as he sniffed the cup from where he sat against the bark of a tree. He saw the briefest smile flash before it to was lost on his expression. When Ayumu turned from him the strange vibrations in his chest ceased. Had he been growling at him without even realizing he had been? He shook his head slightly at his lack of control before turning his thoughts back on Kagome.
He set the cup beside him as he occupied his then freed hand with the task of waking her. He called softly combining her name with the soft almost non-existent strokes of his claws against her rounded cheek. He watched as her raven lashes fluttered softly before opening, revealing the beauty of her eyes for the first time in what seemed like to many forever's.
"S-sesshomaru." She mumbled her voice soft and dry form lack of use.
"You must drink this." He demanded taking the cup in his hand. "It will cure you." He stated as he pressed the cup to her lips watching as her face tensed, the skin tags responsible for her facial expressions wincing at the vile taste that scorched her throat. She coughed against the heat that scrapped against her throat muscles heading to the pit of her stomach only vaguely aware of the fact that someone held her and that someone was Sesshomaru.
Sango was less than willing to be anywhere near Inuyasha and he was less than thrilled that the taijiya was less than forth coming about the information that she knew. Which he knew would lead to a confrontation sooner or later whether she was up to it or not.
"Miroku, I need a bath." She stated heading towards a nearby spring. She noted that Miroku looked at her with much scepticism. She shrugged it off as his abnormal concern and thus proceeded with a very eager Shippo at her heals. She didn't mind it at all instead she found she enjoyed the kit's presence and found it comforting to have him around her as often as she did.
"Sango, do you think that Kagome is safe with Sesshomaru?" she met his concerned emerald eyes momentarily before gesturing for him to jump into her arms which he did eagerly. She felt him snuggle against her and she felt her irritation towards Inuyasha dwindle slightly.
"Shippo I think if Kagome can handle herself against the brute known as Inuyasha she can handle herself around Sesshomaru." They nearly laughed in complete mirth when Sango's eyes snapped in his direction upon hearing his words.
"I'm no brute" he snapped bitterly at Sango's words.
"It's because of you that she's in this mess in the first place."
"I never hurt her?" he stated incredulously, golden eyes blinking several times. "I never laid a hand on her!"
"No Inuyasha what you have done is much much worse than ever laying a hand one her. From that she could have healed, from that anyone can heal, but not from what you did."
"I'm going to go." Shippo said softly, eager to escape the gradually escalating voices of the demon slayer and half-demon.
"What did I do?"
"Don't play STUPID INUYASHA YOU DID WHAT YOU ALWAYS DO, WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE."
"AND THAT WOULD BE WHAT?"
"FORSAKING KAGOME FOR THE CORPSE KNOWN AS KIKYO!" she hollered turning her back on the stunned hanyo before calling over her shoulder. "NOT LIKE I SHOULD'VE EXPECTED ANYHTING DIFFERENT!"
Sango didn't like the fact that the very being she was having a well deserved argument with had just called out her name as he had. She spun on her heals, less than elegantly, ignoring the forest around her as her sole focus became him.
A deepening growl resonating filled his chest as he growled out the very name of the person who held their beloved miko.
"Sesshomaru!" he growled leaving Sango with a startled 'WHAT' that followed. "It's a few days off but I smell him."
Authour's Note: Here we go! The latest chapter in this continuing story and I hope another double chapter update! If not don't kill me!
As always tell me what you think,
Your Lady Fractured Moonlight