Recap:
He reopened them, finally allowing the pain to recede. It was surprisingly nice to tell the story, the one he had kept to himself for so long, "Finally, she confronted me. I gave her an ultimatum, much like you did to Kagome…she did not chose me. One hundred and thirty seven years later and I still regret it. I missed the remaining years of her life because I could not get over myself, my own fears. Then I find myself here, so many years later and watching the same mistakes being played. The only difference here is that you are doing this to a friend who is not in love with said enemy."
Inuyasha scoffed, "Of course she doesn't love him, I know that. Kagome might be overly kind but she is not an idiot."
It seemed Inuyasha could not, more like would not, digest what he was saying. Uza understood since it was not something pleasant to think about. He wasn't kidding when he said demon's were possessive, they were also blind when it came to the people they cared about. "Inuyasha, she is eventually going to find someone. It could be another friend, it could be a mate, it could be a child. She will find someone and you will have to relinquish your hold on her. Your relationship will change, it won't remain as it has been in the past. If you cannot accept that you will lose her."
Inuyasha grabbed a fistful of grass, trying not to let the man's words settle in his head. He did not want Kagome to leave him, to consider someone else as important as him. It wasn't a hard thing to admit, and he would yell it at her all day if it meant she would listen, "She won't leave me. She can't."
Uza smile finally surfaced. Inuyasha was listening, that was always the first step, "She will never leave you, no matter who she finds. No one said anything about that. All I meant was that things will change, but that does not mean for the worse. I live everyday wishing I had given Nori that chance, but I didn't. Perhaps things would not have turned out the way they did if I had not acted like such a child."
The blades of uprooted grass flew as a large gust of wind swept them out of Inuyasha's hold. Both did not miss the symbolism of the moment, not even the thick headed demon named Inuyasha. "What is going on between them? It's not love, but it is something else."
Uza knew in an instant what Inuyasha was talking about. He recognized it too. It was why he had insisted on the meals together, why he was able to convince Shiho to go along with Malik's little games with her. "Respect Inuyasha, the two are learning to respect each other."
Malik was at his own twist in the road as he watched these new developments unfold. He was no fan of the priestess, even if he knew somewhere in his heart a small part of himself was becoming fond of her. This very night, which already felt so long ago, he had held her too gently when she struggled in his arms. In reality he should have snapped her neck for the fuss she was putting up. He should have held her tight enough to knock the air right out of her as she kicked and screamed, but he hadn't. Perhaps he was getting soft in his older years. But right now he did not want to deal with that, he was much to occupied with thoughts surrounding Sesshomaru to fathom the idea of wanting to help her.
Perhaps the sickness was overtaking him as well.
What he did know was that the young priestess did not deserve whatever had been thrusted upon her. He was smart enough, and experienced enough to understand that something was plaguing her. His mating with Nori had taught him enough about priestess's and their problems. Nothing ever plagued one of their kind just because it had the opportunity, there was always a reason. What's more, the young girl knew exactly what it was. He had watched in wonder as the disfigured half breed asked her the mired of questions about her symptoms. She had answered calmly, professionally and what's more with absolutely no curiosity whatsoever. Who doesn't want to know what plagues them? Who can answer a situation like the one she is facing without an inkling of curiosity, without a drop of panic?
The woman already knew exactly what was wrong. What's more, she had felt the need to lie to everyone in that room. To the healer, to him, to Sesshomaru and in reality, to Inuyasha. The woman lied to her closest friend about her own safety without an ounce of thought. But why, why did she feel the need to do so?
What's more, why did whatever was plaguing her seem to recede when Sesshomaru was near? Again, he was no fool. Her symptoms seemed to lesson when his young ward was around. It was no coincidence that she happened to come here right when her problems became worse. If he had to venture a guess Kagome did not start having symptoms after arriving, but before. She must have came here for help, whether she knew it or not.
He had been thinking about the priestess far more than he would ever admit to another soul – needless to say a few things were bothering him about her time here. For starters, her arrival seemed odd. She did not want to be here in the beginning, and even attempted to leave the castle. Up until she reached the break in the wall Malik was positive that she had every intention of leaving. Her turn around was off in more ways than one. Many other things had caught his eye during their time together and he had yet to explain any of it. Malik did not know what was happening and it was frustrating to a new level. This new development with her powers and the inability to sleep was just as frustrating. While it helped answer a few question it left him with far more.
What was exactly plaguing her? What made her feel the desire to hide it from the most powerful demons of this era? What, quite honestly, was she?
Malik, unable to answer any of these questions, was beginning to feel a bombardment of frustration take over. If there was one thing Malik, Lord of the Northern Land couldn't stand it was being uninformed. It had burned him on too many occasions for him to take something lying down. He was not about to put himself in that situation again. Perhaps it was time he took a lesson from his old friend Touga and become overly involved in something that wasn't even remotely his business.
With a brief moment of self-assurance combined with pure mischievousness Malik quickly walked out of his room.
Sesshomaru angrily attempted to patch up the claw marks his idiotic brother had somehow managed to slice into him. How the whelp had managed to nick him, let alone cause something worthy of blood, was unfathomable. Was he perhaps moving slower? Had Inuyasha developed a new skill that was unknown to him? Sesshomaru would be more than furious if his father had left the youngest of his son's yet another parting gift. Was there nothing Touga would not do for the son he actually wanted? Sesshomaru was more than aware that he was a product of a treaty, that he was an heir long before he would have ever been considered a son. Still, even in death the former Lord of the West felt the need to remind Sesshomaru of this fact day in and day out.
With a wince Sesshomaru wrapped another bandage around his waist. Briefly he considered waking the priestess if just to have her do this for him. Of course, the second the thought reached his conscious he dismissed it. One, it was the woman's fault he was injured because nothing like these last few months had ever happened before she intruded on his castle. Second, he was not so weak to need her help for something so simple. The woman would be the death of him before their little escapade was up.
Placing the gauze in his mouth, strips that he had stolen from the infernal woman's pouch on his way out, Sesshomaru ripped the bandage in half. He had wrapped himself enough times when younger to understand the basics of healing. One of his father's favorite lessons was what Sesshomaru called kill or be killed. Many of his father's best men would charge him and as a young boy Sesshomaru had to do what he could to defend, whether this be running or standing to fight. Needless to say Sesshomaru learned at an early age the advantages of a sound mind and well thought out strategy. Of course, a little boy could only do so much. Many nights he had been left in the grassy fields bloody and bruised.
His father had given the medics orders to leave him be for at very least a fortnight. The timeframe often depended on how well Sesshomaru had protected himself. At the time he hated his father for it but now he understood the necessity.
No one was about to stop mid fight to protect him, that was something one had to do on their own. Before he could will his mind to stop a contradictory image immediately came to mind in an attempt to prove him wrong. Briefly sight of bright blue eyes appeared in his mind. The eyes were attached to a delicate face with a slightly tilted head leaning to the right. In her hand was a string of raw meat dangling before him. Her eyes narrowed in frustration as she attempted to feed him by hand.
It was a conflicting emotion that arose in him. Sesshomaru knew what the world was like, he knew how selfish people were. They were rude and only out for themselves. Most would abandon their own children if it meant getting far enough ahead. The priestess called Kagome, or Lady of the West as Inuyasha had so eloquently put it, had become an enigma to him after his sickness. In a few days the woman had defied everything he knew of others, demon or human. She had provided more than the standard care necessary, she had provided comfort. With a shake of his head Sesshomaru pushed the image from his mind. There was no need to recall that, right now or ever.
"Why did she even do half the things that she did?" growled Sesshomaru to himself. It was a mystery the young Lord was still attempting to unravel.
He believed since long ago that the human mind was simple, instinctual and basically dumb. They never did anything that would not further themselves, the race was slow and foolish as well. What's more, they had little to no means to protect themselves. How they had survived the ages was based entirely on their priests and priestesses. They were the only real form of protection around and even they were slowly being extinguished. Humans would not last much longer at this rate. Then again, they populated like rodents.
It seemed all they did was copulate. Children were few and far between in the demon realm. There was no definite time that a mother carried the pup in her womb, it was carried as long as necessary. Some demon children were born within a year time span after conception, other were carried for up to fifty years. The mothers were extremely vulnerable during this time and were often killed by rival clans during this weakness. His own mother had been victim to a multitude of attacks. It was why he could not fault some weaker demons for conceiving with the humans. Their children were birthed in under a year and though tainted, the demon blood was carried on.
Yes, that was one advantage that the humans held over the demons. He could only hope that they would not somehow over power his own kind through their sheer numbers.
But Kagome, the priestess intent on frustrating him at every turn, was so very different from the rest of her race. He saw none of the hatred, none of the pettiness that was prevalent in her kind. Before he had dismissed it as a front to impress the others but despite all that had happened the young woman had stayed true to the same character he had seen all those years ago in his father's tomb.
The woman was an enigma wrapped in mortality.
With one final yank, and the immediate dismissal of the thought to visit her in her room, Sesshomaru finished wrapping the bindings around his waist. Before he had the chance to even drop the cloth from his mouth, where it hung to tear, his doors burst open.
In a flourish of annoyance and hatred Sesshomaru glared at his godfather. "You were banned from these quarters when you brought that infernal harem a mere forty years ago."
Malik grinned while he strode in as he purposefully pissed off the young demon, "Your father always appreciated such gestures, is it a crime to think his son would be any different?"
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, noting how Malik's energy slowly filled the room. What was the demon doing? This was not only Sesshomaru's territory this was his private quarters? No demon in their right mind would ever push their own demonic energy around in here. "Are you in the mood for war Malik?" he growled while letting the tape slip between his teeth.
Malik grinned, "Allow me this indulgence; I am in the mood to test a theory. Do not fight my energy, I would like to prove something to you."
While mildly explaining something that Sesshomaru was sure he would never understand Malik began the tedious task of fixing the young Lords bandages. While he had tied them appropriately the knots were lower than abysmal in skill. With a sigh he would only show to those he considered family, which were not the idiotic Lords that were vacant from the room, Malik fixed the young pups work. "Do you not remember the knots I taught you?"
Sesshomaru slapped his hand away in mock anger, "Of course I do old man."
Not only was his condescending attitude not meshing well with Sesshomaru's previous thoughts about his less than perfect childhood he was in no mood for Malik to play. The man was a fiend when he wanted to prove something. What's more, Malik's energy was still filling the area around them. He could feel it beginning to suffocate, and his first desire was to fight back with his own burst of power. The inability to do so was more than putting him on edge. It was like a challenge in his own home, one he was backing away from. It was not in his nature to back away. No self respecting alpha would ever do that.
"Settle down pup. Just a few more minutes to catch her off guard. Wouldn't want her sensing you now would we?" mumbled Malik.
Sesshomaru somehow hid the confusion from his face.
Jinenji couldn't believe his lack of everything and anything remotely lucky. With nearly all of his strength, the strength that would normally rip a very powerful demon in two, he was holding Kagome down as she thrashed. Mere minutes after everyone had left the woman began to seize in a way no moral ever should. Three times she had already thrown him to the ground because of her convulsions. In case the world had forgotten he was a rather large half demon.
With an 'umph' Jinenji was harshly thrown against the wall by what he could only assume was a leg. He didn't stop and calculate any possible injuries though, he was much to busy. In less than a heartbeat the demon was back on his feet and rushing over to the woman than he adored. Tears were pouring down her face, scratches from her own nails covered her arms, and Jinenji only hoped Kagome hadn't bitten off her own tongue due to the force of the seizures.
What was this?
Not less than an hour ago she was all but asleep, and peacefully, while everyone huddled around her.
Before he could ask the question out loud, or even contemplate getting someone to borrow research from, the doors were unexpectedly flung open. In a moment of confusion he looked up, totally stunned to see what he saw. The two Lords that scared him the most were standing in the doorway. How had he not sensed them? Well Malik yes, the man had been expanding his demonic energy enough to make the birds pause in their singing, but had Lord Sesshomaru actually let him over power him?
There was no chance to ask because he was suddenly kicked right into a nearby table the moment he stopped paying attention to Kagome. With a crash, and some now very broken furniture surrounding him Jinenji couldn't form any sentences. He could on the other hand see both Lord's faces drop as they turned to Kagome and her writhing body.
Malik stepped forward first, his arm outstretched slightly as if wanting to reach towards Kagome. Sesshomaru on the other hand stood still, eyes wider than normal as he watched the body convulse and the blood from the scratches fill his nose.
The moment he saw the damage his aura flared like a torch in a pitch dark cave. In less than a second the entire area was filled with raw power. Jinenji could feel every hair on his body stand on end as everything within the vicinity was covered, engulfed like a fishing boat in a flood. The look in his eyes was what really scared him though. Nothing had ever looked so dangerous, so angry before.
He didn't even notice how quickly Kagome's own body calmed down at the slightest inkling of Sesshomaru's aura. No, he was too filled with terror to notice anything other than the fear building inside of him.
"My Lord," he tried, his stuttering getting the better of him in each passing moment.
"Why was I not informed of her condition!" yelled the furious dog demon.
"There wasn't time…I could not leave her like that. She could have been seriously hurt or-" he was cut off from his argument as Sesshomaru strode into the room. In an instant Sesshomaru was by her side dismissing everything other than Kagome.
"She calmed when the two of us walked into the room, why was that?" he asked while searching her body for any new ailments.
"I-I do not know. She began shortly after everyone left. Her movements became ragged and possessed for no reason," stuttered the healer.
"If I may Sesshomaru. She did not calm when we walked in. She calmed when you revealed yourself through your power. Before I had been expanding mine to cover you, leaving you all but invisible to the senses if not staring directly at you. It was when your presence became visible to her that she calmed, not when anything else happened."
Sesshomaru turned to his godfather, "What could you possibly be implying?"
Malik glanced around the damaged room and then back at the woman of focus. It had been a battle for the half demon to keep her safe, that was more than obvious to say. The self inflicted scratches on her arms were enough to inform him about what was happening here. "I am saying one of two things Sesshomaru. Either you were able to scare off whatever is plaguing her, or she is comforted by your mere presence and feels safe with you around. Either way, you are not leaving this room while she still needs you. Your father did not raise a pup that abandons others, especially not someone in his pack."
Sesshomaru, who by now was moving towards Malik with more than annoyance on his face, was only stopped by Malik's clawed hand. The argument against her being in his pack was long forgotten as he followed the hand. A long battle worn finger pointed to the bed that the Lord of the West had just moved away from. The black haired priestess had already began thrashing, though not nearly as violently as before. "It seems to worsen the further you get."
Malik didn't say anything else as he left the room. He did not even have to wonder if Sesshomaru would follow him out the door to argue.
Sesshomaru would not leave her side and they both knew it.
Said demon watched as the doors swung shut in front of him. As they slammed closed the young Lord felt his eye lids drop in powerless submission. For a second he let them stay closed as he assessed the situation.
Girl, possible sickness, him.
Yes, that about summed it up.
Re-opening his eyes Sesshomaru wondered if he was even capable of the daunting task. Deciding that even if he wasn't no one would ever know his insecurities about having to care for another person. Turning to the half demon Sesshomaru pointed towards Kagome's bed, "You will spend the night informing me of every human ailment that could be affecting this woman. You will notify me of all the damages that you have noticed, whether they be to her mind or physical condition and all the human ramifications from them. Is that clear?"
The half demon did not dare refuse him.
Kagome could feel the stretch of her body long before her mind realized she was the one stretching. The muscles could feel the relaxing pull as her arms were raised above her head. She could feel the ever wonderful feel of her toes pointing all the way through her spine. With a slight giggle Kagome curled forward, her stretch relaxing her completely.
Slowly her eyes began to open, only slightly registering the sun cascading over her face. Why weren't all mornings this wonderful? Deciding that the sun was indeed too bright, and could wait another thirty seconds for her to see it, Kagome pulled the luxurious sheets closer to her. It felt like hand woven silk was surrounding her whole body. Somewhere in her mind she doubted even Sesshomaru woke up this pleasantly.
Sesshomaru!
In a flash the images from the night before hit her.
Oh god, Sesshomaru and the war room. Sesshomaru and the pillows. Sesshomaru and the passing out. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha! Oh God! Inuyasha!
Before her eyes could register anything going on around her Kagome was tumbling out of the bed with the sheets wrapped around her whole body. She landed with a louder thump than she thought was necessary but didn't stop there. She was too busy going through the million and one thoughts racing through her head. Most of them surrounded Inuyasha and wondering what had happened there. Had he left? It was past dawn and she had slept right through their meeting time. Would he understand that it wasn't her fault? That she had no concept of time when Touga was busy screwing with her mind? Of course he wouldn't understand. Not only could she not tell him about his father he also had the added bonus of being Inuyasha, sympathy was not his strongest social skill.
She would lose it if he had left. She would literally break down into tears and demand to have Touga explain what was happening.
Pushing what was left of the blankets away from her Kagome immediately lunged for the door hoping anyone who knew anything was around. Could anyone tell her what had happened? Before she managed to make it towards the door a very familiar figured emerged in front of her. With a gasp Kagome watched the materialization of Touga happen before her eyes.
He was different this time around. Normally when he appeared there was a fatherly presence, a feeling of protection despite their past squabbles. This appearance held no such comfort. His entire body was rigid, arms crossed and his mouth was set into a firm line. Touga's entire stance screamed warrior and the chill running up her back continuously reminded her that despite being dead, he was in fact the strongest of the warriors around.
She opened her mouth briefly with the intent to confront him but was stopped by the change in his eyes. They narrowed slightly, enough for her to see only the terrifying gold before her, "The game has changed. My children have made choices that force my hand and if I must choose between you and my son's, then you will be forced into an early grave."
It was if he has just ordered her a death sentence.
Before a scream could reach her lips Kagome dropped to her knees in pain. Her entire body seemed to be attacking itself. Piercing needles permeated every pore, crystals scraped along the inside of her veins like rocks being rushed by a stream. Her arms immediately wrapped around her body as she tried not to cry from the sheer indescribable pain of it all. "Wh-"
She looked back up but Touga was already gone. In a moment of hell induced clarity the situation dawned on her. Touga didn't care, he was going to kill her before all of this was done. He was going to keep tormenting and punishing her until her lifeless body couldn't feel anything anymore. The dreams would never stop, the desperation would never go away.
Kagome tried to cry but it hurt so much. It was like acid was running down her checks with each fleck of water that fell from her eyes. How could something that came from your own body cause such agony? She tried to gulp for air only to realize that she couldn't breathe. Her body was rejecting the air around her; everything was tainted, dirty to the point of disgust. Kagome needed to breathe though and combining this need with the pain was leaving her all but dead on her knees. Ripping what she could of her shirt open Kagome started clawing at her neck as she tried to gasp for any form of air. She didn't care how much it hurt, she didn't care that each movement intensified the pain times a hundred, she needed to breathe! Everything felt so disgusting, her body was refusing the world with each pant. Each gasp was like a mouthful of sewage to her body.
She clawed harder, as if it would somehow help. With what she could only assume was a loud thump Kagome fell completely to the ground, her body writing in pain as her nails dug into her neck. God, she couldn't even gasp anymore.
What had he done to her?
Suddenly everything felt warm. Everything hurt just a little less and the blinding pain slowly receded. Bit by bit the world became less painful and somewhere in the back of her mind she could feel her hand moving away from her throat. There was something else attached to it, something else was pulling her hands away. Silk seemed to cover her and even in her hazy state she could recognize the beauty that surrounded her. Kagome wanted to look, she wanted to thank whatever God had sent to save her. But as soon as her body began to regulate itself the world around her went black and that beautiful silk quickly faded away into nothingness.
Sesshomaru was in utter disbelief at the situation presented to him. He had stepped out of the room for a few minutes in an attempt to catch a few minutes of reprieve. The moment he felt her distress he had regretted it. By the time he had returned to her rooms she was in complete disarray, her nails leaving painful red marks halfway down her exposed chest. She had been gasping like a fish out of water as her tears poured down her face. It had been obvious the amount of pain she was in but his nose had detected nothing out of the ordinary. Then again, his nose detected next to nothing with Inuyasha's scent still masking as her own.
A voice behind him suddenly caught Sesshomaru's attention. The voice was cold, calculated but wavered just slightly at the end. "What did you do to her?"
Sesshomaru's hair, which had previously shielded her from sight, gently swayed to the side as his attention refocused from the girl in his arms to the half breed wanting to protect her. Before him stood Inuyasha, the brother he never wanted.
"I won't ask you again Sesshomaru, what did you do to her?" this time his voice was much harsher, more prepared for battle than he had been before. Briefly Sesshomaru saw his father staring at him through Inuyasha's eyes, a sight that the younger of the two siblings displayed well. Despite never knowing their great and terrible father Inuyasha was like him to a remarkable level.
Cautiously, because she honestly could break at any moment, Sesshomaru reached under the woman and cradled her legs in the crook of his arm as he stood. Without saying another word the stoic demon lord carried her towards the ruffled bed where he could place her on something softer than the cold floor Kagome had been crying on. The moment he was satisfied with her positioning the Lord of the West faced his brother. "Something plagues her Inuyasha, those marks came from her own hands and if your nose cannot smell the flesh under her nails then you are truly more pathetic then I ever imagined."
Inuyasha, much to Sesshomaru's surprise, completely let the insult slide and instead focused on Kagome, "I can't lose her Sesshomaru. Not to you, not to anyone. You can have the sword, you can have the legacy but she is mine."
Sesshomaru visibly frowned at this statement. While his brother was not the sharpest sword ever crafted he had always believed that some common sense had been beaten into him at some point. "You speak nonsense Inuyasha."
A clattering noise filled the air as the rusty heirloom that usually rested at Inuyasha's waist hit the floor. The barefoot half demon kept a level stare with the elder Inu demon as his most prized possession rested between them on the ground. "Take it…please."
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously at the offer, "You are a fool."
"Take it!" he screamed in a range.
Sesshomaru, who desperately wanted to turn his back on this entire situation found himself stuck. He could not leave the priestess, his honor was at stake if he left. She had saved him, the woman had provided for him with great sacrifice to herself. His house was all but ran by her and he would be doing an injustice to leave her with such a crazed creature. "You would give up the one thing keeping your demon nature in check, for a human? A human whom you have no romantic interest in? A human who will be dead in a few years time is worth centuries of madness? I will state it again Inuyasha, you are a fool."
Inuyasha quickly turned to the woman on the bed, the one who had given him everything. Friends, family, hope – they were all gifts from her. "I will control it."
"How? Father's fang kept it in check even before it was removed through the portal in your eye. You would quickly kill her in your madness and this entire debate would be for nothing. You do not think anything through Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru's temper rose as Inuyasha's stubbornness clashed with his own.
Inuyasha looked up at his brother, "I would never hurt her! Never! I don't care what state I am in Sesshomaru, she is my everything. I had nothing before her. I didn't even have myself. I didn't even know who I was, or how to be a decent person before her. So yes, centuries of madness is enough for a few years with her!"
Sesshomaru felt his upper lip curl in a threatening growl. "You would place her in danger for your own chance at happiness?"
Inuyasha's own eyes narrowed in response. His own growl was on the tip of his tongue, "You don't understand, she would never be in danger with me. I would never hurt her."
It was a pathetic argument and Sesshomaru could all but taste the bile on his tongue. It was disgusting listening to the very words as they came from the half demon's wretched mouth. "You have no control over yourself Inuyasha, even when you are not in an instinctual state. Half of the words out of your mouth are a belittlement, the other half an argument. Yet you claim to have her best interest at heart? You cannot even protect her from yourself let alone something else," with this Sesshomaru turned his back from the sword and from Inuyasha. With more than a little anger in his step Sesshomaru began walking out of the room.
"You don't know anything Sesshomaru. I've protected her for years! Hell, you don't even know the first thing about protecting cause it implies actually giving a damn about someone other than yourself!" yelled Inuyasha with the growl that had been building up in his throat.
Sesshomaru, who was halfway out the door, stopped mid step. Sesshomaru immediately felt his eyes flash red in pure rage. He had planned on stepping outside for a quick breath of fresh air while regaining his senses from this idiotic conversation. He had planned on immediately returning in case the priestess fell into another fit. He had planned on pretending that this conversation had never happened for the sake of the sleeping girl.
Inuyasha always did know how to piss him off.
Sesshomaru turned in a large flourish of energy. In less than a blink of an eye he was standing toe to toe with Inuyasha. "Can you ensure it? Can you ensure that no tip of your claw, no burst of anger, no misplaced fangs will ever reach her for even a mere scrape? Do you have that level of control Inuyasha? Can you swear that you will know where she is every moment of the day? That anyone who even thinks of harming her will meet your claws long before she realizes their intent to do her harm? Do you have the skill Inuyasha? Do you have the mental strength? Do not assume to have something so fragile. I have trained for years to perfect my body to that level, to hone my mind to that of a perfect warrior. But if you believe that you can do something so easily, and in a state of pure demonic madness, then please do show your dear older brother up."
Before Inuyasha was able to blink the outline of his brother was gone and Kagome's mind numbing screaming began.
Malik stood by the half conscious priestess as she sipped the soup handed to her. The fits had stopped about an hour or two after Sesshomaru had left the room. It had been pure hell for anyone in the vicinity while it had lasted though. Nothing calmed her, nothing woke her. If it wasn't one thing it was another. If she couldn't breathe then she was purifying everything within sight. If she wasn't clawing at her own skin then she was crying tears that left burn marks down her face.
When Kagome woke she had little to no recollection of any of it, just the very beginning of the episodes. After that her mind seemed to blackout because of the pain and nothing else could be remembered. Of course, Malik wondered if this was true. She had already displayed a keen ability to lie under pressure. Perhaps she remembered more than she was admitting if only to keep things easier on herself. After all, if this was in anyway tied to what was plaguing her, something she obviously had no inclination to speak about, then it would make sense to magically forget.
Instead of interrogating her like the miscreant she was Malik was taking a new approach. It had become obvious after he thought about it that this was no ordinary woman. She, despite her heritage, had been well schooled in the art of winning. "You are an idiot if you think anyone will let you out of this bed."
Kagome turned her attention to him and glared, "I am fine! I just had a bad fit is all."
Malik's eyebrow rose slightly, partially in question but mostly in an attempt to mock her. "Do all human's have such loud lungs? Perhaps it is a trait specific to you, it would go well with your level of annoyingness."
Kagome took another sip of her soup as she tried to think of an appropriate comeback. None came to her at that particular moment and she swore up and down that he would pay for it later. If there was one thing her family had taught her it was to always be one step ahead of everyone else. "Why are you even here, you hate me."
Malik leaned back in his chair with a very prominent scowl on his face, "Hate is such a simple word, we need something stronger to describe our relationship."
"Loathing?" Kagome said with a snort. With a small laugh she put down her soup, "Oh no, detest? Despise?"
Malik could feel the grin trying to form and he desperately tried to push it back. He would not smile. He would not acknowledge the small amount of joy he was gaining from this conversation. She was nothing, a mere woman. He did not find her conversations more stimulating than he did the majority of the people in this castle. This woman should not be entertaining to him. She was stubborn, and manipulative to a demonic degree and was beyond frustrating. A child like her had no business trying to keep on par with a leader like him. "Eat, I don't want to have to take care of you."
Kagome looked at her soup with slight hesitation. He wanted to say something and was holding back. He found that odd, since she rarely held her tongue, but he did not press. He learned from the mistakes of others and she did not do well with others forcing something out of her. After a few moments of silence Kagome finally spoke, "Everything tastes like mud, it's rather disgusting."
Mud? He mentally categorized that as another odd trait of hers. He had been assured by the cooks that all of her food was prepared with the most delicate and finely crafted hands. It should by no means taste like anything other than bird and spices. He could all but smell the food in her mouth from here. "Get over it."
While thinking things over Malik briefly looked out the balcony before him. What was going on outside was much more interesting then listening to a woman complain, especially about perfectly acceptable food tasting like wet dirt. He smirked as his hearing picked up a conversation he was positive was intended to be kept silent. Some part of him desperately wanted to be there as Inuyasha argued with himself, but another part of him knew the wench needed to be monitored.
Kagome felt the little kid in her grow to a larger height. If she was a few years younger a major tantrum would be on its way but she wasn't about to let that happen, not when she could gain valuable information to use against him later. "What do you really want?"
Slightly shocked that she had outright asked him, Malik felt his annoyance rise. How could anyone put up with such a demanding and stubborn person? What had she been raised by? Women were not like this, he didn't care where you came from. Women did not stand up to a war general and leader like him without the slightest fear in their persona. Without saying one word, let alone giving her an answer to her question, Malik stood up from the nearby chair and walked out the door. Something about her drove him absolutely mad.
Kagome felt like throwing a nearby pillow at him, despite the fact that he was already outside of the door. Why was that man so infuriating? Did he get some sick pleasure out of totally throwing her off kilter? And what was this nonsense about her not getting up to do anything? To hell with that. She was more than capable of standing upright and writing a few papers to help with the castle upkeep. Besides, those damn ladies and their daughters were going to be here in a few days and she needed to finish preparing the schedules for their time with Sesshomaru. No way in hell was she allowing anyone else to supervise that little adventure.
"Kagome?" squeaked a small voice to her left.
With a rare bout of energy Kagome turned to face a small form sitting in the nearby balcony. Her heart immediately seemed to expand in her chest, but this time instead of pain Kagome's body seemed to glow with pride. "You climbed the terrace all by yourself?"
Shippo's bushy tail quickly made its way through the room as it bounced from side to side while he scurried towards the bed. Before he was able to get to close, nearly touching the sheets, he stopped mid track. A look of worry crossed his face as he scanned Kagome up and down. "Am I allowed to touch you now? Or is it going to hurt? Inuyasha said I wasn't allowed to go near you."
Kagome felt her heart sink. Was that why no one was in and out of her room? Was that why Malik had been the only one in since she woke? Inuyasha was keeping them at bay? Despite her anger at him for this another part of her was happy that he was even still around. When Malik had told her that Inuyasha had stayed she had only half believed him, he was Malik after all. "You never have to worry about hurting me Shippo."
Shippo slowly crept closer to the bed, his little arms reaching out as his claws gently intertwined with the sheets. Inch by inch he pulled himself towards her until he was about a foot away from touching her. With wide eyes he looked at the gashes on her body, smelt the burns on her skin and could hear the hoarseness of her voice. "Inuyasha said-"
"Inuyasha is not thinking clearly," she quickly cut him off, slightly determined not to know what Inuyasha had said to her son. If she knew then she was bound to be angry. If she knew then she would undoubtedly take it out on the obviously frustrated Inuyasha. There was no reason to start a war with him. She already had plenty of those with Sesshomaru and Malik.
"But you are-" he tried again.
Kagome, deciding that her son was much too far away quickly scooped him up in her arms and drew him in as close as possible. With as large of a hug as she could muster Kagome attempted to show the little boy in front of her how much she loved him. "I am healing and not going anywhere. I promise, I am going to fix what needs to be fixed and then everything will be back to normal."
Shippo, no longer concerned about hurting her, buried himself in his mother's body. "What needs to be fixed? Can I help?"
Brushing his bright red bangs aside Kagome kissed his forehead, "To be completely honest, I don't even know if I can help. All I can do is exactly what I am doing and hope it works."
"But what if it doesn't?" tried Shippo again. His concern over his mother was more than he could bare. He couldn't lose another parent, he just couldn't. Especially not Kagome.
"It's not me who loses Shippo. I'm not the one who will be hurt the most, someone else will be in a lot more pain then I could ever be in," Kagome could feel her mind wandering back to what Touga had told her about Sesshomaru. Despite the recent events Kagome knew he was telling the truth when he described Sesshomaru's demise. The proud, slightly honorable demon would die alone and without any hope in the world. No matter her frustrations with Touga, Kagome did not want to see Sesshomaru end in such a manner.
"Who is the one who would be really hurt?" asked Shippo as his eyes started to close on their own. It had been so long since he had been held by her that his body had instinctively began to relax. Both of them knew that it wasn't going to be much longer until he fell asleep, at least as long as he had the comfort of his mother being so close to him.
With a grin at the little fox's ever present curiousness Kagome let the boy rest in her arms, since she too missed this small joy of being with Shippo. "No one who wants my help, that's for sure."
Kagome was too enamored by her son to notice the small flicker of demonic energy outside of her door. She was too preoccupied with thoughts of Touga and Sesshomaru to fathom the idea of someone waiting outside for just such a conversation. She never thought that Malik was more patient than he looked.
Sesshomaru was beyond annoyed as he slipped in through the balcony door. Despite the darkness he saw where he stepped with perfect sight, not even needing the light of the mood to help him. Though perhaps running into something would refocus his anger. He could at least destoy something that managed to get in his way. Nothing had curbed his anger, nothing had even dented it. He was just as furious as he had been earlier in the day and it appeared that nothing was going to help. Not even a spar with Malik was able to curb his temper and that was rare. The arrogant demon lord had never failed to rein in his temper before and it was maddening to think that his normal method had failed. Usually, if the situation called for it, Sesshomaru would move onto a different sparing partner, namely Inuyasha.
The pup was never hard to find, what with how he never bothered to mask himself from others. Perhaps he had never learned, perhaps Inuyasha was just that arrogant but either way Sesshomaru never had to put much effort into finding him when some much needed stress relief overcame him. Of course today was entirely different. Inuyasha, who normally provided him with some amusement, was the one person he had been avoiding. Well, if one did not include the priestess. The again she was stationary and unable to bother him to the same extent that his younger brother was.
Slowly, and almost with an agitated sigh, Sesshomaru turned toward the bed where the sleeping woman rested.
He could not just abandon her to the whims of the moronic pup Inuyasha. He really was a child blessed with sharp claws. He actually thought he was capable of doing what Sesshomaru himself could not? And in such a simple manner? Inuyasha had never had to work for anything, it just came to him like some lost little foal to a hungry wolf. Sesshomaru was no fool, his brother had faced hardship, he had been through his fare share of undesirable moments, but their lives could not be more different.
Inuyasha's day consisted of survival among thugs and humans with no purpose to their antics. Sesshomaru had grown up with more callous individuals all with their own backstabbing methods to further themselves. He, unlike his brother, had never had a day magically finish with a bright sunset. He had never had a free meal given to him that was not laced with poison. He had never been through a night where there was a moment of peace. And Inuyasha thought that he could achieve out of want what Sesshomaru had strived his entire life for out of necessity. Inuyasha thought he could just will it to happen?
"It is only because it would dishonor our father that I have not ripped his heart from his body," growled Sesshomaru.
"Yeah, he is a pretty big idiot," said a voice from behind him.
Sesshomaru was facing the direction where the voice came from in less than a heartbeat. He was appalled at the fact that he hadn't noticed anyone in the room. Him, the Lord of the West, had been unable to detect a simple intruder. Casually his eyes scanned over the bed, the same bed where the sleeping priestess lay, but was unable to determine where the voice stemmed from.
With his previous anger still in his step Sesshomaru walked over towards the slumbering woman in order to make sure she was still asleep. After a quick glance, and seeing that she was incapable of answering his earlier statement, Sesshomaru scanned his surroundings. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary. Determined to decipher the elusive magic Sesshomaru slowly reached towards the bed. He was positive the sound had come from the woman's direction.
Before his claw could touch a hair surrounding the sleeping woman's face he heard what appeared to be a hiss. Eyes narrowing the situation became clear. With a swipe of his claws the young demon lord lifted a small bundle of blankets, empty sheets that wiggled.
He hated fox magic.
Before he could voice his opinions on the matter the white sheet wrapped itself around his arm, the color quickly turning orange and developing fur. "Put me down!"
He recognized the young foxling as the priestess young ward. They smelled of one another which explained his inability to sense the young kit. His frustration mounted. He had come to check up on the priestess, but to also gather his thoughts in solitude. After the hours of screaming he had endured listening to her, damn his ears for being to unfathomably sensitive, he wanted some semblance of quiet. He also wanted a few moments of reprieve to get rid of this nasty feeling of guilt that had been growing in his gut since he exited her room. "You are intruding."
A pair of rather sharp claws and teeth suddenly dug into Sesshomaru's skin. While it was not particularly painful he did find himself angered by it. Who did this pup think himself to be? First he imposed himself on Sesshomaru's time, then he thought to strike him? To actually attempt to injure one of a Lord status? "Release me or I will dislocate your jaw from the rest of your body. I am not the halfling who undoubtedly endures this nonsense."
If anything the fox demon bit him harder. Blood quickly began to drip down Sesshomaru's arm and his ire rose. Deciding that enough was enough, and the priestess probably wouldn't live much longer to properly yell at him if her decline was anything to go by, he was going to have to partake on his threat. In a move faster than a normal eye could see Sesshomaru whipped his arm to the side. The kit all but hurled though the air from the force of the move. In a surprising display of speed the pup twisted his body midair. His feet landed on the side of the wall, where his head should have made contact, and he pushed himself back towards the bed with his remaining strength.
Shippo landed, with a less than smooth roll, directly in front of Sesshomaru not a moment later with his glare still present. With a slight hobble, because the impact had to have hurt his feet if only a little, Shippo placed himself directly in-between Sesshomaru and the sleeping woman. His lips curled back again and sharp teeth, that were covered in Sesshomaru's blood, made his intent clear.
"You continue to defy me?" asked Sesshomaru. His anger had been momentarily curled after watching the swiftness of the kit, not to mention his outright disregard for his own safety. Despite his outward nature curiosity was never a trait Sesshomaru outgrew.
"You're just like him, a big bully, and I won't let you hurt my Momma," growled the young demon.
The kit had no grace, no refinement at all and Sesshomaru could not fathom why half the castle was not here to determine the commotion. Sesshomaru glance towards the, much to his disbelief, still sleeping woman. It appeared human's possessed no hearing at all if she was still sleeping through all of this racket. With another small movement Sesshomaru returned his attention to the kit. He had more than a few questions for the small child in front of him, one being the refuting statement that he was nothing like Inuyasha, who he could only guess was the 'him' the fox spoke of. One other tickled his senses even more so. "Mother? She is a priestess raised to kill our kind. You would willingly subject yourself to being under her? You have traveled with humans to long and are disgracing your kind."
It appeared this, despite how true Sesshomaru believed it to be, was the wrong thing to say. The kit all but attacked him, his demonic power flourishing all around him. While it was miniscule to Sesshomaru, and could be overpowered with a flick on his wrist, he took notice of this immediate defense.
"My kind do not care about me. She does! She loves me more than anything, she told me so. When my Papa died no one took me in. No one! No one cared enough! But she did, she took in a little orphan demon that tried to kill her," screeched Shippo.
Sesshomaru's earlier thoughts of other's selfishness immediately sprang to mind. Had he not just debated this scenario in his head? It even appeared that the kit understood the mindset of others, yet his still placed his trust in the priestess. Despite this, he could not call either of them a fool. This woman, and the fox, were as infuriating as anyone he had ever met. His anger diminished as he continued to contemplate, but his displeasure at the situation did not. "Yes, it appears she has a tendency to take in those that wish her harm. It is a foolish trait that will be the death of her," mocked Sesshomaru.
Shippo must have sensed that Sesshomaru's fury, and mild killing intent, had disappeared because his stance became less tense and his claws retracted. "I will protect her. I will protect her from everything because she is my Momma."
"And how will you do that? Your magic? It is limiting and nothing more than a façade. Will you trick your way into saving her?" he asked again. This line of questioning was not lost on him. The irony of asking his brother the same questions earlier, about the same woman no less, did not escape his notice. Was it pathetic that he half expected a more reasonable answer from the child in front of him than he had Inuyasha?
Shippo, really wanting the comfort of his mother while such a powerful demon mentally stripped him into nothing, bent down and curled up next to her. "I will do anything I need to. I will protect her, you'll see."
Sesshomaru watched as the fox demon snuggled deeper into her hold. It was a sight he was unaccustomed to, family openly showing affection. "She will become cross when she awakes, you should leave."
Shippo had the courage, probably because he was in Kagome's arms, to snort. "Momma loves being held, or holding others, or getting hugs, or giving kisses!"
Sesshomaru watched as Shippo became more excited with each passing moment. Briefly he entertained the idea that while he was ill, she did not prefer being held. In fact, she seemed rather averse to Sesshomaru doing what the kit had suggested.
"One time when she was gone for a really long time she came home and gave me a big old hug! She was kissing me and holding me all day too. Inuyasha was so mad because she ran right by him and picked me up because I'm her special little boy. That's what she calls me when she is really happy and really misses me. Inuyasha always says mean things after that, cause he gets really jealous when she love me more than him, and tries to hit me on the head with his sword. Momma always gets really mad and then he gets in trouble. I don't think he cares, since at least Momma is paying attention to him, because he does it all the time. I don't know, maybe he just likes hitting me on the head. Or getting yelled at too. Like I said, he is an idiot. He thinks telling her what to do will make her listen," rambled on Shippo.
Sesshomaru, who was oddly enough listening to the young demon, found himself rather befuddled by the entire thing. First, his younger brother really did had the mindset of a two year old. Secondly, the priestess had amazing tolerance to put up with what he could only describe as her self imposed pack. Third, Sesshomaru could feel that slight discomfort in his stomach growing. It was different than the guilt. It was less dreary but just as worrisome. He knew this feeling, though it was rare. He had become jealous, jealous over a few measly stories told by a demon not even past his first century. It might have been a ridiculous concept but it was a true one.
Turning his head back towards the snuggling demon Sesshomaru came to a decision. Looking at the woman whose arm had curled around the kit, and the kit who was burrowing into her chest, the decision only solidified itself in his mind. "She is by no means normal."
Shippo shook his head, "Momma? No, I don't think she is either. No one can be normal and put up with Inuyasha as long as she has."
Sesshomaru felt a tug at the corner of his lips, a smirk forming whether he wanted it to or not. Perhaps the fox demon was not a complete loss, he obviously had a sound mind despite his time with Inuyasha.
Firevixen73 – No the story was not left behind! Who knew right? It is up and running I have just had a crazy year. I will be continuing this story so readers do not fear. I would also like to thank everyone who reviewed. It was great inspiration for me to keep writing and to keep the chapter going. It is amazing how much you all support me and I don't think I can say a big enough thank you. This chapter would have taken at least another month or two if it wasn't for all of your comments. I hope there were a few sweet moments in this chapter. I tried to put in more from Sesshomaru's point of view since there were requests for that. How did it go? Or do we prefer mostly Kagome's point of view?
