Sesshoumaru collapsed as he finally broke free of the barrier spell.
Kagome lay lifeless besides him and a sickening fear spread over him.
Normally he cared little for the life of anything, but this girl was
different. He had no time to contemplate why. Raggedly he rose from the
ground and lifted Kagome up and over his shoulder. With the remainder of
his strength he ran towards his palace. Servants met him outside and tried
to tend to him, but he said weakly, "The girl is a mere mortal, it is she
you is in more danger." An old woman came and took Kagome from him,
cradling the girl in her arms like a baby. The woman looked at Sesshoumaru
tenderly. "She will be okay, my lord. Worry not."
Sesshoumaru followed the old woman through the hallways of his palace. "Kali," he said to the old woman, "take her to my mother's room."
The shock Kali felt did not show on her face as she turned down a hall with huge windows that looked out onto Sesshoumaru's gardens. He pushed open a beautiful mahogany door that had carvings of flowers and exotic birds on it. Inside was a huge room filled with priceless treasures from around the world. Against the opposite wall was a large bed, raise on a platform so it was a couple of inches off the floor. Kali lay Kagome down on the bed and turned to Sesshoumaru. "Watch her and I will go get some remedies," she said softly. Sesshoumaru looked down at the unconscious girl with mock disgust, but stood like a century by her side until Kali left the room. As the door close behind the old woman, Sesshoumaru fell to his knees by Kagome. Inwardly he cursed his brother for having stolen the healing sword. Gently he put his arm under Kagome's shoulders and pulled her in close to his chest. He felt her breathing, shallow but regular, and was greatly relieved. Then he did something that amazed even him. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
When Kali came back to the room with jars of herbs and medicines from lands far away she found Sesshoumaru as she had left him. Inwardly the old woman chuckled, "This human girl has captured his heart, and he thinks he can hide this from Kali." She knew it wise, though, not to comment about it until it came to full bloom.
"Master," she said bowing a little, "please go, relax. You have had a long journey, too, and I know that you at tired."
"No Kali. I will stay here." He said without looking up from Kagome. "My honor requires me to stay until she dies or is revived."
"That may take a long time," the old woman said wisely.
"Weak humans," he said with disgust. "Then I will wait a long time."
Kali said nothing else, but went to work on Kagome. "What a unique girl," she thought to herself. "Most humans would have died going through the barrier spell, but she lives. And she has enormous power. It rivals that of a powerful youkai. She pines for Inu-Yasha; I wonder if Lord Sesshoumaru knows how her heart breaks. No, he does not, at least he doesn't know the true extent of it. Or else he would know that caring for her is futile. Unless. No, after Inu-Yasha's passionate displays of feeling, Sesshoumaru would seem cold and empty. It is hopeless." The old woman's heart broke for Sesshoumaru, but a mother's love drew her to love and pity Kagome, also, for Kagome resembled greatly the daughter she had lost 65 years ago.
That night while Kali slept in an adjoining room, Sesshoumaru lay near Kagome, his fingers running through her dark hair. He would have never let anyone, not even his trusted Kali, see this display, but in the darkness with no one around he allowed himself the comfort that her heartbeat brought him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kagome felt as though she were floating high above the darkened earth. Her bodily pain had subsided, but her heartbreak remained. "Inu- Yasha," she whispered, though her lips did not move. Tears fell like rain from her eyes, but they stopped as she heard a voice on the wind. "Kagome," the voice said softly. "Please come back, Kagome. I didn't mean to hurt you. Kagome, I'm so sorry." At first she thought it was Inu-Yasha's voice, but their was something different, something more true it this manly voice.
"Where are you?" Kagome shouted into the void, but there was no response.
"Who are you?" she shouted again. She felt the wind playing in her hair, as raindrops fell on her face. "If only I could stay with the wind, maybe I would forget Inu-Yasha," she thought to herself. But that was foolish, because no one can change where their heart really lies, and hers lay with Inu-Yasha.
Sesshoumaru followed the old woman through the hallways of his palace. "Kali," he said to the old woman, "take her to my mother's room."
The shock Kali felt did not show on her face as she turned down a hall with huge windows that looked out onto Sesshoumaru's gardens. He pushed open a beautiful mahogany door that had carvings of flowers and exotic birds on it. Inside was a huge room filled with priceless treasures from around the world. Against the opposite wall was a large bed, raise on a platform so it was a couple of inches off the floor. Kali lay Kagome down on the bed and turned to Sesshoumaru. "Watch her and I will go get some remedies," she said softly. Sesshoumaru looked down at the unconscious girl with mock disgust, but stood like a century by her side until Kali left the room. As the door close behind the old woman, Sesshoumaru fell to his knees by Kagome. Inwardly he cursed his brother for having stolen the healing sword. Gently he put his arm under Kagome's shoulders and pulled her in close to his chest. He felt her breathing, shallow but regular, and was greatly relieved. Then he did something that amazed even him. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
When Kali came back to the room with jars of herbs and medicines from lands far away she found Sesshoumaru as she had left him. Inwardly the old woman chuckled, "This human girl has captured his heart, and he thinks he can hide this from Kali." She knew it wise, though, not to comment about it until it came to full bloom.
"Master," she said bowing a little, "please go, relax. You have had a long journey, too, and I know that you at tired."
"No Kali. I will stay here." He said without looking up from Kagome. "My honor requires me to stay until she dies or is revived."
"That may take a long time," the old woman said wisely.
"Weak humans," he said with disgust. "Then I will wait a long time."
Kali said nothing else, but went to work on Kagome. "What a unique girl," she thought to herself. "Most humans would have died going through the barrier spell, but she lives. And she has enormous power. It rivals that of a powerful youkai. She pines for Inu-Yasha; I wonder if Lord Sesshoumaru knows how her heart breaks. No, he does not, at least he doesn't know the true extent of it. Or else he would know that caring for her is futile. Unless. No, after Inu-Yasha's passionate displays of feeling, Sesshoumaru would seem cold and empty. It is hopeless." The old woman's heart broke for Sesshoumaru, but a mother's love drew her to love and pity Kagome, also, for Kagome resembled greatly the daughter she had lost 65 years ago.
That night while Kali slept in an adjoining room, Sesshoumaru lay near Kagome, his fingers running through her dark hair. He would have never let anyone, not even his trusted Kali, see this display, but in the darkness with no one around he allowed himself the comfort that her heartbeat brought him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kagome felt as though she were floating high above the darkened earth. Her bodily pain had subsided, but her heartbreak remained. "Inu- Yasha," she whispered, though her lips did not move. Tears fell like rain from her eyes, but they stopped as she heard a voice on the wind. "Kagome," the voice said softly. "Please come back, Kagome. I didn't mean to hurt you. Kagome, I'm so sorry." At first she thought it was Inu-Yasha's voice, but their was something different, something more true it this manly voice.
"Where are you?" Kagome shouted into the void, but there was no response.
"Who are you?" she shouted again. She felt the wind playing in her hair, as raindrops fell on her face. "If only I could stay with the wind, maybe I would forget Inu-Yasha," she thought to herself. But that was foolish, because no one can change where their heart really lies, and hers lay with Inu-Yasha.