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Holding her like this, so helplessly, Sesshoumaru wanted to be able to do something to stop her suffering. He had forgotten for the moment that she was human, that she was his brother's, that she was his weapon against Naraku. "I am sorry," he said simply.

Both of them jumped when Tenseiga flared brightly at Sesshoumaru's side. Sesshoumaru felt Kagome's grip on him tighten and felt warmth spread outward from where her hands touched and down his arm where he still held her. She was glowing lightly, and abruptly both her light and Tenseiga's flared simultaneously. She looked down in amazement at Tenseiga.

"Sesshoumaru," she said quietly, holding tightly to him. "I think you should draw your sword."



Chapter 10: Healing

The warm light enveloped both of them, making the air hum in their ears. Sesshoumaru released Kagome slowly, waiting to make sure she could stand on her own before he let go. Her grip on him tightened, anchoring herself to his strong form. Their proximity made drawing his sword difficult, but he carefully unsheathed it and raised it between them. As soon as the blade was freed, the sword's whitish-blue light surged anew, almost blinding them. Sesshoumaru watched in amazement as the miko slid her hand down his arm until her hand was wrapped around his own on Tenseiga's hilt. Her pinkish and the sword's blue auras collided and sparked in the charged air, mixing and tossing like surf.

Kagome held tightly to him, a look of concentration and exertion coming over her face. Abruptly, he felt a tremendous magical force pouring through his body through her contact on his shoulder and through his fingertips, coursing up his sword arm. The energy was intense, but not threatening; he could feel his body hungrily reach out, attempt to pull in the energy and assimilate it, demanding more. For a moment, he was swept under by the sensation. Every molecule in his body felt the pull of the energy, drinking it as though fighting off the ache of long depravation.

Struggling to regain control of the situation, he looked down at the girl who was still clinging tightly to him. As he watched, her eyes clinched in what he wasn't sure was pain or concentration and her fingers dug into him for all they were worth. Her power swelled one last time, Tenseiga flashing in response. Sesshoumaru averted his eyes as the electrified wave passed through him, leaving him disoriented.

After a moment, he could hear the gentle night sounds and the flowing water again and feel the damp breeze on his skin, a sharp contrast to the heat of the moment before. His eye caught the glint of azure steel and realized he was looking at Tenseiga, whatever power it held was no longer visible. He felt a slow, beating pressure on his hand and became aware of the miko's pulse whispering timidly to his skin. The pressure lessened a little and he met her eyes, the dark pools reflecting the moonlight in a soft blue glint just as Tenseiga had.

She looked up at him dizzily before giving him a small ironic smile. "Sesshoumaru," she struggled, a hint of bemusement in her voice. "I think your sword likes me." She swayed slightly before giving a small "oh" and falling, her hands sliding down Sesshoumaru's sleeves. Before he could fully register what had happened, his arm had flown behind her, holding her upright by a splayed-finger hand on her back. Only then did he realize that his right hand was still holding Tenseiga, while it was his left that was currently supporting Kagome.

He sheathed his blade, bring his other hand quickly under her legs and pulling her into his arms. She was so still and limp, for a moment he thought she might have died. He inclined his head slightly, listening carefully. He felt a swell of apprehension as he waited for some indication of life from her, until he finally discerned a slow, weak heartbeat. He adjusted his hold so her head was no longer dangling haphazardly, lifting it to rest against him. He leaned in to her. The sound of her breath , if present, was lost in the surroundings. He felt a trickle of air escape her slightly parted lips, almost dangerously slow. Her unconsciousness was very deep.

He flexed his fingers experimentally against her back; his arm felt as it always had, as though it had never been missing. He pondered the shadowed creature that lay so still in his arms and her words just before she had slipped away. The sword had indeed appeared to react to her powers, or perhaps it had happened the other way around. There was, however, no denying their synchronicity. He had felt as well as seen the ties that had woven between the girl and the sword in those few brief moments, and experienced those ties extend to find him as well. He marveled at the power lying dormant in the small fragile bundle draped so helplessly in his arms.

He slid the hand that was on her back around her, pulling up her arm from where it dangled at her side and trapped it to her body as he pulled her in to cradle against him. Her head knocked lightly against his armor as he did so, and for a moment he resented its cold presence. He frowned as he became aware of the petite, well proportioned form sliding under the fabric in his hands, disturbed that he had noticed. Her muscles were so relaxed, it made her look very calm and serene, especially wrapped as she was in the excessive yards of her loose blue clothing. Once again, the wish that the armor was not present between them came unbidden. Trying to ignore her delicately sculpted face, he turned to return them to the camp.

He moved slowly, trying to reconcile what he had just seen and the restoration of his arm. Tenseiga had refused to heal his missing limb before, but somehow the girl's presence had changed that. The apparent alliance of her powers and Tenseiga's had been unlike anything he had ever experienced before. The girl, though, did not appear to have expected it anymore than he had. Did she have any control over what had just happened? In any case, she was in no position to help him unravel these mysteries.

He frowned at the prone figure held tightly against his chest. Whatever had happened, it had reduced her to this unresponsive state. Recalling the expression on her face, he wondered if the experience had harmed her, and if she would wake up. She was only intended to be a means of finding Naraku. He had not anticipated she would have anything else to offer him, but he could not resist the connection forming towards the girl. She had protected Rin and now she had restored his arm, all at great cost to herself, and he began to feel ashamed for his self-indulgent use of her. She was human, but since meeting Rin, he could no longer hold them in such indiscriminate regard. Kagome had shown her bravery, her purity, and her power, and Sesshoumaru was no longer sure of how to react to her.

As he returned to the clearing, he was soothed by the girl's strengthening heartbeat and breath. It seemed her body was beginning to recover from the ordeal it had been put through, and he hoped she would suffer no ill consequences from his healing.

Jaken jumped up to resume his groveling as soon as Sesshoumaru appeared, only to be rendered unconscious with a swift kick. Sesshoumaru was not in the mood. He hesitated, still holding the girl. A small part of him whispered that it wanted to continue to hold her, but he forcefully pushed it aside. The wanted to clear his head, and the girl's soft scent and warmth were distracting. He returned her to her place next to Ah-Un, leaning her carefully against the shelter and warmth of the dragon's body. As he slowly brought his arms away, he remembered the silky texture of her skin as he had felt her face at the riverbank, how easily he had slid his fingers over the soft lines of her face. Gently, he brushed a few of her stray hairs away from her face, pausing to finger the gossamer strands before once again letting his fingers drift down to explore her features again, gently tracing her jaw and chin before brushing his claws lightly against her lips. He allowed his hand to fall on her cheek and linger for a moment. "Kagome. . ." he whispered musingly.

He almost started when she stirred a little under his hand, but did not move. Her face twisted a little into a small confused expression. "Inuyasha. . .?" she whimpered in her sleep, and though she had only breathed the name, Sesshoumaru caught it. He recoiled away from her as if he had been burned. He glared at the offending hand, angry at himself for forgetting that this had been his loathsome brother's woman, and a newer part of him angry that she belonged to Inuyasha in the first place.

He saw Rin stir and realized the little girl was waking. She rubbed her eyes a little and looked over to Kagome, who wasn't curled up around her as they had when they had fallen asleep and moved to cuddle up to her again.

Rin was startled by Sesshoumaru's voice. "Do not wake her, Rin." She looked up at her guardian with wide eyes.

"Is Kagome nee-san ok?" she asked, her voice full of worry.

"She is fine, but she needs to rest." Sesshoumaru observed as Rin nodded gravely and delicately repositioned herself at the miko's side. In a few seconds the little girl was back asleep.

Sesshoumaru stood, but did not move away as he regarded the two sleeping figures. 'What have they done to me?' he wondered, his hand resting lightly on Tenseiga. He gripped the sword's hilt and felt the pull of resentment as the sword, the third party in their little exchange, refused to suggest any information about the strange events that evening. The sword had been the source of considerable confusion these past months, but it had also healed him and brought Rin to him. 'What was my father thinking?' he contemplated as he had thousands of times before.

Dawn came quickly to the small camp. Sesshoumaru had not slept, which was not unusual. Instead, he had spent most of the night watching the miko as she slept. She had not moved all night since he touched her, and he was a little concerned by her lack of motion. Though morning had come, she was still in the position he had laid her in last night.

Jaken and Rin had begun to stir with the rising of the sun, both knowing Sesshoumaru did not like to linger in the mornings, or at any part of the day for that matter. Rin respectively kept her distance away from Kagome, who didn't look like she would have wakened in any event. Ah-Un was awake as well, but did not move as long as he felt the body leaning against him. Jaken, on the other hand, had no qualms about disturbing the miko, and approached her with every intention of knocking her with his staff. After the abuse the girl had given him in past battles, it seemed she was finally in a vulnerable position, and even if he could not seriously harm her, he wanted to take advantage of his temporary dominance.

Before he could reach her, Sesshoumaru had lifted the toad off the ground by his neck. Poison hissed from his claws as he lifted his retainer. "Touch her and I will kill you," he threatened smoothly. He held Jaken until he began to turn strange colors and struggled for breath before finally letting him fall. Wheezing, the youkai got the idea: the miko was off limits.

"But Sesshoumaru-sama, aren't we going to leave now?" the toad asked, distressed.

Sesshoumaru glared back at his retainer. "We will leave when I choose. Do not question me." He turned away and kneeled next to Kagome, who did not make any kind of response. Gently, he lifted her into his arms again and waited for the Ah-Un to stand up before placing her on the beast's broad back.

Jaken looked on in realization. "Sesshoumaru-sama! Your arm! How. . .?"

Sesshoumaru ignored Jaken's studdering as he arranged Kagome to lie comfortably on the dragon. Rin watched happily. She had hardly been aware of Sesshoumaru's missing arm before, and knew that he was still strong without it, but she was very glad to see that the person she most cared about had been healed.

As soon as Sesshoumaru had satisfactorily positioned Kagome, he called for the group to continue their hunt, anxious not to loose any more time. Though, he reflected, the previous night had been well worth the delay.

Rin, if possible, showed even more energy than usual on that day, bouncing around like crazy as she struggled to keep quiet for Kagome's sake. Her concern for Kagome was obvious, she was constantly running up to Ah-Un's side to see if the miko were still asleep. Sesshoumaru found himself wishing she would waken to relieve Rin's agitation and his own frustrations. He had to remind himself that the only reason he wanted the girl was too destroy Naraku, and that was the only reason her safety should concern him.

Kagome came awake slowly, her thoughts muddled. The air felt cool, and she could tell she was lying down, but wasn't sure where she was. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes. Stars were twinkling above her, but she could hear nothing to offer any indication of her location.

"Finally awake?" She recognized Sesshoumaru's voice lazily drifting to her ears-she realized she was no longer next to the stream and wondered if she had dreamed the whole thing.

Kagome closed her eyes again but remained silent. "Did you hear me?" he asked. Her breathing was still slow, but he didn't think she had fallen back asleep. Had she been more damaged than she appeared?

Kagome breathed in and out a few times. "I heard you," she acknowledged softly. Her body still felt a little sluggish and heavy, but it was lessening as she became more aware. She felt a breeze and realized that Sesshoumaru was beside her now.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Kagome tried to gingerly raise herself into a sitting position, uncomfortable with the fact that she was lying vulnerable in front of him. Was Sesshoumaru really concerned about her? She remembered what had happened at the stream bank, how her powers had suddenly flared up along with Tenseiga's. "I feel drained, but all right. I fainted?"

"Yes." He was glad she was finally awake, perhaps now he could sort things out.

Kagome looked around. The group was camped, but this was not the site she had left when she went to cry. "How long was I asleep?" she asked wonderingly.

"All day-it's been over 24 hours now. Don't speak too loudly, Rin is finally asleep. She has been worried for you."

Kagome's mind spun until her thoughts were interrupted by Sesshoumaru. "What did you do back there?" he asked sternly.

Kagome thought back. The whole event had happened so quickly, she wasn't sure what had happened. "Tenseiga. . .," she began. "It felt like it was calling to me. I couldn't help hit, my powers just seemed to leap out of me, as if it were asking for me to release them." She swayed dizzily and Sesshoumaru put an arm behind her for support. "The magic. . .It was reaching for you."

Kagome looked at him, squinting as she tried to put the pieces together. Something was different about him, she realized. "Your arm. . ." she whispered in confused awe.

"Was restored," he finished shortly. "You did not intend this?"

"No, I didn't know what was happening." She paused. "Tenseiga, though, I think had that purpose in mind. It's pull was so deliberate, almost as if it could think on its own, I couldn't help but listen to it." She put her face in her hands. "None of this makes any sense."

The girl certainly had a point about the sword having a mind of its own, he thought bitterly.

Kagome lifted her head and rested it on her arms, folded over her knees. "Sesshoumaru," she said wistfully, "Did you mean what you said just before it happened?"

"Did I mean what?"

"Did you really try to resurrect Inuyasha?" Her voice lowered until it was almost inaudible. "Are you really sorry?"

He wanted to be angry at her for questioning him, but instead, the prospect of comforting her seemed so much more just. "Yes," he decided. "I would have saved him."

"Even though you hated him?" Her wide eyes were fixed on him. "What stopped you?"

"Tenseiga... does not obey me." It damaged his pride to admit it, but the truth was the only thing that would prevent him from being a monster in her eyes. "It chooses who it will heal-and who it won't. If it does not work on its own, I have not been able to control it."

Kagome nodded in acceptance. "I'm so lonely," she confessed, looking away. "I miss my family and my friends... and Inuyasha." Her face twinged in sorrow, but she did not cry. She wanted to talk, but Sesshoumaru was the only one here. "How can Naraku destroy everything like this? It's not fair." A small shudder went through her when she said the hanyou's name. "He's going to come for me again, isn't he? He has to, if he wants to find the rest of the jewel."

"Yes." That's why she was here after all, but he was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of Kagome being hunted by that disgusting abomination. Impulsively, he laid a hand on her hunched shoulders, and was mildly surprised when she didn't make any move to throw it off or flinch at his touch. "But I have promised: I will protect you."

Her face still shadowed by her long hair, she smiled slightly. She had never thought she would hear him say anything like that. It also reminded her a little of Inuyasha, not long after they had first met. The memory stung a little, but she couldn't help but compare the situations.

"Sesshoumaru, may I ask a favor?" He had seemed so uncharacteristically, well, kind tonight that she thought anything might be possible, and something had been bugging her.

"What do you want?" he asked, certain she would ask to be released or something else he would never consent to, and he did not relish the prospect of having to telling her no. Then she would probably cry, and he would not be able to keep the guilt for hurting her at bay.

"I would feel safer if I had a bow. I. . .I don't like feeling helpless."

Sesshoumaru felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward slightly in relief. He was also surprised to find he sympathized with the girl's feelings. He had rarely been helpless in his life, and it was the thing he most hated in the world. "Alright," he consented.

Kagome lifted her head, the first real smile in days on her face. It twitched a little more when she saw Sesshoumaru. He looked more peaceful than she had ever seen before, his golden eyes did not appear so icy and wrathful. "Thank you," she said, knowing not to push her luck with more questions.

The sun was beginning to rise now and warm red light was beginning to pool on the ground. Rin and Jaken were already climbing to their feet, and Kagome found that her grogginess had left her now. "Sesshoumaru," she commented as he lifted her to her feet.

He looked into her still smiling face. Her eyes were sparkling merrily and her raven hair fell into a neat frame around her face. "I'm glad you got your arm back." Her voice was warm and sincere. Sesshoumaru gave a small nod and turned quickly to begin their march.

Her smile had lit up her face, she had been so beautiful. For the first time since he had picked her up in Naraku's cell, some color and vibrancy had returned to her features. That was the way she was meant to look, he felt with certainty. He was glad he was walking ahead of them so no one could see the ghost of a smile on his lips.

Apparently, this kind of thing was contagious.



This chapter was pretty fun to write, so I hoped you like it. And look!! I finally took a small baby-step away from angst!!



Ok, here are some things I need your HELP on-please respond with reviews:

1: The next chapter is becoming a lot longer than I expected. So, you guys get two choices: I split it into two medium-sized chapters and post the first of them by the end of the weekend, OR I leave it as is and post some time next week, probably late.

2: Is the Sess/Kag relationship moving to fast, to slow, or just right? Too much angst, not enough waff? Let me know what you think.

3: Miroku and Sango are coming back and there will be some romance between them. How much is kinda depending on what you guys want me to do.

4: Anything else you want to tell me. If there's something bothering you about my story, notice some weird spelling or grammar, think I'm way too much into Sesshoumaru's dragon (Ok, so this last thing I'm probably gonna stick to, that thing is damn cute) I want to know.



Ok, REAL RESPONSES

Brunhilde: You're my 100th!!! Yay! Thanks!

Atashi-wa-Yume, kagomesirene, JoJo, dreamertwin, Silver Dragonfly, kawaiikitsune, MarsMoonStar: You guys review almost every chapter! Sorry to keep torturing you with cliffhangers. Thanks so much for your support.

Mmandy: Thanks for all the suggestions. You'll probably see at least elements of some of those ideas show up in the story.

Everyone else who reviewed and I forget to mention: Thanks for all your reviews. Keep reading! I'll try to make it good.



-Aiwendil