I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. This is purely a fan-made story. Enjoy! =)
I felt a gust of wind brush my skin. I opened my eyes and gasped. Lord Sesshomaru was over me swinging his blade. He hacked away at the horde of the damned. Sesshomaru helped me stand up and let me use him for support. I limped beside him as he cleared a path to my precious cat demon. Akito was howling and yelping in pain. As Sesshomaru eradicated the circle of the dead surrounding my beloved demon, I gasped in horror. Akito had been many bite wounds all over his body. Lord Sesshomaru stood over Akito and laid me down against my demon. Sesshomaru continued to keep the creatures from touching us. I looked Sesshomaru over and was amazed. His clothes were a little torn, and he only had one bite wound on the top of his left shoulder. Sesshomaru looked so graceful and powerful. I couldn't help but feel admiration for him.
Sesshomaru had wiped out all but a fourth of the creatures now. The souls of the damned didn't know if they should pursue or retreat. The dead circled us and Lord Sesshomaru held his position over us, waiting cautiously for their next move. Every time one of the creatures made a move towards us, Sesshomaru instantly swung his blade with unbelievable swiftness. The damned were caught between survival and starvation for our flesh. Sesshomaru had slain twenty more before the souls of the damned retreated.
Lord Sesshomaru wiped off Tenseiga and sheeted it. Akito stood up and lowered his neck. I put my arm around it, and Akito lifted me up to my feet. Sesshomaru helped support me by wrapping his arm around my waist. I flinched as he brushed my wounds, but my heart hammered from his touch. Akito nudged Sesshomaru and bowed his head slightly. "You're welcome." Lord Sesshomaru mumbled. "Thank you for saving us." I said gratefully. He simply nodded and began walking us towards the archway. I could barely see it in the distance.
"We will have to stay here tonight." Sesshomaru grumbled. I looked at him fearfully. "I will stay on watch. I will not let that happen again." Lord Sesshomaru promised. I still felt terrified but I nodded. When we reached the archway, I looked at the sky. "It hasn't changed." I whispered. "What?" Sesshomaru asked with a frown. "The sky isn't dark. It's still red. Why?" I asked with confusion.
"In this place, time does not exist. Nothing here changes. This realm will remain the same every second of every day. We are living, so everything basically stands still here for us." Sesshomaru explained. "Why did the damned attack us?" I whispered. "The damned suffer as we do. They starve constantly. They will not die of starvation though. The dead did not die when I hit them with my blade either." he sighed. "Then what happened to them?" I gasped. "You can't kill the dead, but you can send them back to the netherworld. They disappeared and were sent to another area of the Netherworld." Sesshomaru replied. I shivered and looked around.
Akito curled up in front of the stone arch. Sesshomaru gently helped me lay down against Akito. Akito wrapped his tails around me. Lord Sesshomaru sat down against the archway. "I'll keep watch tonight. Go ahead and rest." Sesshomaru muttered. "Sesshomaru, is there any way I can repay you?" I asked sleepily. "Repay me for what?" he questioned. "I want to repay you for saving Akito and me. We would have died without you." I sighed. "I don't want payment." Sesshomaru frowned. "It doesn't have to be gold." I shrugged. Lord Sesshomaru nodded but didn't say anything. "Well how can I repay you?" I persisted. "I'll let you know another day. Right now, Akina, you need to rest." Sesshomaru dismissed.
I fell asleep almost instantly. The nightmare stayed away as if chased off by Sesshomaru's presence. My body shiver with bliss as a new dream formed. I had hoped that it would turn into reality.
I was standing in the middle of an open field. The wind gently caressed my skin. Lord Sesshomaru was holding me in his arms. I was looking into his breathtaking amber eyes. "Akina", he whispered. I closed my eyes as his lips brushed mine. I could feel the hesitance in him. "What's wrong?" I asked sadly. "I love you. I just don't know how to tell you. I know I'm the man for you. You loved my brother, and he hurt you. I know your heart still grieves over him. You're not ready for me yet. I hope you will be soon." Sesshomaru sighed. I touched his face gently. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. I kissed him gently and felt his hunger as he deepened the kiss. His kiss was sweet and spine tingling. As it seemed to finally break a barrier, Sesshomaru pulled away from me.
"Akina", Sesshomaru shouted. My eyes snapped open. Lord Sesshomaru was standing over Akito and me. "The portal is about to open, get ready." Sesshomaru muttered. Akito helped me to my feet. My body still hurt severely from my wounds. I felt shock as realized my lips were slightly moist. Was my dream real? I shook it off. Sesshomaru did not love anyone. He did not want a woman to claim and mate. I had simply licked my lips in my sleep.
Sesshomaru's Point Of View
I knew it was wrong to take advantage of Akina as she slept, but I had to find out how she felt. I had told her I loved her. It was true but I could not admit that yet. Akina's heart still grieved for my flea-bitten half brother. I felt surprised when Akina had kissed me. Her silky lips felt electrifying. I regretted pulling away, but I had to wake her. The portal was about to open, and I would not leave her behind. I don't think she realized that I had told her my feelings and kissed her. She would not know until I felt she was ready to love me. We stepped through the portal together and returned to our world.