Penitent: InuYasha Fanfic Voume 1
Chapter 6
"Sesshomaru-sama! I have brought friends!" Rin squealed. She bounced happily as she called towards the hut again, "Sesshomaru-sama! Come out! My friends need to speak with you!" Jakken thunked her on the head solidly with his two-headed staff. "Don't speak to Sesshomaru-sama in that way!"
A fist came down on Jakken's head as a bump visibly protruded from his scalp. Jakked clutched his head in pain and looked up into Sesshomaru's annoyed face. "Do not speak to Rin like that, Jakken," he said quite calmly. Jakken just nodded and moved out of the way. Sesshomaru straightened and bade Rin move aside a bit to talk to Miroku and Sango. They, in turn, clutched the rosary and the hiraikotsu, respectively.
"What happened to Inu-Yasha, Sesshomaru?" Sango asked threateningly, her hand gripping the hiraikotsu tighter.
"I am not my brother's keeper," Sesshomaru replied, sounding bored.
"But you do know what happened. All we want is an explanation as to why Inu-Yasha is once again bound to the sacred tree." Miroku's voice was calm and collected, yet his hand, too, tightened on the rosary beads.
Sesshomaru smiled eerily. "And what if I do know? Why would I share it with you? But I'll humor you, nonetheless. Your precious friend Inu-Yasha was bound to the tree by none other than your other precious friend, Kagome."
"No..." Sango gasped. "Why would she...?"
"Because she was upset, of course. She wouldn't have had reason to do so otherwise." Sesshomaru examined the forest around them with sudden interest and sneered. "She had run after Inu-Yasha because he found out she had become intimate with another demon..." His eyes snapped back to Sango and Miroku. "Guess who that was?"
"You bastard!" Miroku cried, unclasping the rosary from his wrist. But he put it away again when Rin stepped forward, in front of Sesshomaru.
"No, please! I know what your hole does, Monk-san," Rin pleaded. "Do not hurt Sesshomaru-sama!"
Miroku sneered, grasping the beads in anger so tightly his knuckles turned white. "How cowardly of you, Sesshomaru, to hide behind a child!"
"I am not hiding. I am merely letting her express her affections. In any case, I would have been able to exterminate you even if Rin hadn't stepped in the way."
Miroku swallowed, knowing it to be true. He made a small face and glared at Sesshomaru.
"Now then. Before I was so rudely interrupted... Kagome did it quite willingly, mind you. I only seduced her. My overall goal was to send a clear message to Inu-Yasha - that whatever he owns can be mine. He has forgotten that as of late. But I suppose my plans are better than even I realized. No matter, the brilliance of my thinking is now recognized. Inu-Yasha, I suppose, was so upset that he attacked her. I could see marks on the ground where Inu-Yasha's claws scraped the dirt. Kagome had no choice but to defend herself, using a bow and arrows that she found in this house. As to why she did not free Inu-Yasha, I don't know. But does he not make a lovely tree ornament?" He laughed.
Sango gulped noisily. Sesshomaru never laughed... "Where is Kagome now?"
"If I knew I certainly wouldn't tell you."
"Kuso!" Miroku cried in frustration. But he couldn't do anything... Rin would... and such innocence should never be put in danger.
Surprisingly, Rin started to cry. She turned her face to Sesshomaru and gripped his sleeve. "Sesshomaru-sama... did you hurt their friend? And the girl... I don't see her here. Is she hurt too? Please, Sesshomaru-sama, don't do bad things anymore... Let's help them..."
Sesshomaru stared at Rin, his face never changing, staying as bland as it ever was. Rin was crrying... it seemed like it was his fault. He was, after all, the one with the plan. The plan to put Inu-Yasha in his place. It worked beautifully. But Rin was crying. He sighed inwardly and raised his eyes from Rin to Sango and Miroku.
What...? Miroku had watched the entire exchange disbelievingly. Rin was sticking up for them. She was so innocent... she considered everyone her friend. And Sesshomaru... he could see Sesshomaru relenting inside. It looked as if he wanted to protect her innocence. Well. The bastard has a soft spot after all. He gripped his rosary beads unconsciously, waiting for Sesshomaru's response. Sango had been thinking along the same lines as Miroku, and now as she saw Miroku's hand tighten around the beads, she rested a hand on his shoulder, willing him to wait. She held her breath when Sesshomaru looked at them.
"I shall help you. For Rin," he clarified.
Miroku didn't crack a smile, though inside he was crumbling with relief. "Arigato gozaimasu."
"Hai, arigato," Sango said also, giving him the tiniest bow she could muster.
Sesshomaru gave a half grimace, half sneer. "Do not thank me. Thank Rin."
"Arigato goazimasu, Rin-san." This time Miroku smiled at the young girl.
"Hai, arigato gozaimasu." Sango smiled too.
Rin grinned back happily and bowed in return, then beamed up at Sesshomaru. "Is not Sesshomaru-sama wonderful?"
"I wouldn't say wonderful..." Snago muttered as she turned around. Out loud, she said, "The tree is this way. You can pick up Kagome's scent from there and lead us to where she is." Miroku followed after her, and then Sesshomaru and Rin. Jakken, meanwhile, cackled.
"So, Inu-Yasha really is a dirty half-breed after all! He can't even stand up to a wimpy HUMAN!" he laughed. "That idiot you call a priestess! I can't believe even Inu-Yasha couldn't handle her! Sesshomaru-sama... you are such a genius! She was so stupid, however, that she fell for everything!"
Miroku, with a dead glare, turned around immediately to a laughing Jakken, who didn't know what the monk was up to until it was too late. The little demon received several blows to the head with the staff and more than a few sharp kicks to his buttocks. He lay nursing his bruises as Miroku turned around, far from satisfied. Self-restraint... self-restraint... Miroku thought to himself as he glanced at Sesshomaru, who passed him.
Sesshomaru, meanwhile, gave Jakken even harder his with his fists, claws, and foot. "Are you saying my plans are so simple? They are quite cleverly devised, I'll have you know, and I can bring down anyone who stands in my way, for I, Sesshomaru, am the greatest demon to have walked this earth!" A few more kicks punctuated his sentence, and then he turned around to follow Miroku, Sango, and Rin. Rin was laughing at Jakken (who nursed new bruises in places he couldn't even describe - Sesshomaru was so brutal), no remorse, no pity in her eyes.
"Sessomaru-sama, you're so wonderful!" she cried.
...
The next morning, Kagome heard the sound of water before she saw the source. Stepping outside of a clearing, she came upon a river. Thankfully scooping up some in her hands, she brought it to her mouth and drank deeply, repeating the process a few more times to satisfy her thirst. Then she washed her face and stood up, dusting off her skirt automatically. What was she doing? She could never be clean. Not with what she had done. Looking up and down the river, Kagome made her decision. She walked north, towards the waterfall, steadily avoiding rocks and scaring away small animals. When she came to the waterfall, she gazed at the thundering base, at all the jagged, sharp rocks... and then slowly climbed the smooth stones to the top. Her eyes began to water as she climbed, remembering how Inu-Yasha sat at the very top one time, gazing at the vast beauty of the land. She would do so also... one last time...
...
"Are you sure she went this way?!" Miroku growled irritably. They had been following the same path for hours, and it seemed as though it was leading nowhere.
"When you own the keenness of my nose, monk, then you may ask that question," Sesshomaru said bluntly, in his bland way. Miroku snorted and muttered a few choice curses, which were ignored by Sesshomaru. Sango, however, gave him a look that said, "You had better not do that in front of the baby..."
Miroku gave her a small, feeble smile and walked on. He emerged from a clearing, following Sesshomaru, and followed by the rest, minus Jakken. He was still in pain.
"So she was here?" Sango ventured. "It figures, with the river as a water source. Though I should say, I would come here for the view, as well." Miroku nodded in agreement, taking note of the river itself. It was not very wide, though fairly deep. Grass lned the sides and no bare patch of earth was to be seen. Trees lined the sides of the river, though far enough from the edge that rocks formed, as if to take the place of chairs. The trees themselves cast large shadows, perfect for napping on a hot day. The river sported a few fish once in a wihle, and the water was as clear as glass.
"Yes, she was here." Sesshomaru was about to go on, when a panting Rin tugged on his sleeve.
"Sesshomaru-sama, can we stay here for a while? Onegai?" she asked.
"Of course." He sat down without even consulting with Sango or Miroku. They, however, had no qualms, and readily sat down. The pace Sesshomaru had set was a demanding one, though it didn't seem so to Sessomaru himself.
Miroku chose to sit by the river, dipping his naked feet (he had taken off his sandals and rolled up his pants) into the water and swirling them around. Sango sat beside him, doing the same. She put aside her hiraikotsu and lay her head on Miroku's shoulder. Miroku rested his cheek on her head and sighed deeply. His hand searched hers until he found it, entwining their fingers.
Sango smiled. "We haven't been able to do this in a while..."
"I hope you're not complaining," Miroku teased. "But you're right. Ever since Ayame was born... it's been so long. She's not even a year old, and already, it's been so long."
"Mmm," Sango replied, turning her head to nuzzle her nose at the base of Miroku's head. She inhaled deeply, breathing in Miroku's sweet scent, and rubbed her nose sideways against his throat. Miroku only responded by bringing up their hands and kissing her callused knuckles.
...
Kagome breathed heavily, letting her exhausted lungs take a break. She lay her back on the ground, against hard stone. After a few moments, she sat up, this time panting lightly. She shaded her eyes against the glare of the sun and gazed at the countryside. The forest wasn't very dense, and she could see empty spots... the place where the tree was... she could even see the smoke from Kaede's hut, beyond the forest. Her eyes rested on the empty space where the well was. She shook her head emphatically. She couldn't go back there. How could she face her family knowing what she had done? Her eyes misted over, thinking about Sota and Ojii-chan... and Kaa-chan... and her friends at school... she couldn't face them. She just couldn't. They wouldn't miss her anyway. Her gaze snapped back from within herself to out into the sky. Birds flew through the air, and one let out its bowels, narrowly missing her and going down the waterfall. She hadn't realized how close she was. But forgetting that, she took the secretion as a sign from God, telling her what she was, right in front of her face. Well, she got the message. But first... she would spend a few more moments reminiscing... watching life unfold from the pinnacle of the world.
...
Ten minutes later, Kagome stood up, having finally said her goodbyes. Her feet took her to the edge of the waterfall, facing the point where the corner of the rocks met empty air. She never gulped, never looked down. She felt so sure... this all felt so right... she took a deep breath and stared once more at the empty blue sky above her. She thanked the one up high for every blessing and every person in her life... and with memories of Inu-Yasha... Inu-Yasha when they first met at the tree... him fighting with Koga for her... the small moments that reminded her he loved her... she closed her eyes for the last time.
...
"Are we there yet?" Miroku snapped. They had gotten up 10 minutes before, only to be led at the same demanding pace Sesshomaru had set before, except this time, they were fully refreshed.
Sesshomaru didn't respond as he came to a halt at the base of a waterfall. Scents sometimes got lost around water... but Kagome's was clear, for some reason. He could distinctly smell tears and regret mixed with sweat and pain. Wordlessly, he started to climb the stones easily, pausing to hitch Rin onto his back. Sango and Miroku followed, eventually passing Sesshomaru. They pulled themselves up, panting heavily at the steep climb.
Sango lifted her eyes... to see Kagome poised to jump at the edge of the waterfall. "Miroku --!" she yelled, scrambling forward as well. Kagome jumped despite the noise behind her, waving them away from her thoughts as large animals who had come to feast. Her feet were a foot off the ground when she was rudely and roughly yanked back. She opened her eyes quickly to see blue sky again, and two familiar faces gazing at her with a mixture of worry and anger.
"Kagome, what were you doing?!" Sango cried. Kagome focused on Miroku and Sango, anger and frustration welling up inside her.
"What do you care, huh?! Why can't you let me die in peace?!" Kagome forced herself up. "I was fine! FINE! Until you came along! You shouldn't have stopped me.... you shouldn't have! I was ready, but now that I'm back... now I'm... not so sure... and I blame YOU!" In a fit of rage, she grabbed Sango's arm with one hand and Miroku's arm with the other, then forcibly pulled them to the edge. With a great deal of effort, she heaved the arms in her hands into the emptiness.
Miokru realized what she was doing a split second before she pushed. Reaching up, he used his free arm to grab Sango's free arm, and twisted his captive one around to catch Kagome in the stomach. He used the momentum to pull himself and Sango back towards the rocks. Kagome was pushed back roughly, landing on her butt and elbows with a grand, "Ugh...!"
Sango moved away from the edge, as did Miroku, as Kagome pulled herself up in defiance and anger. "Kuso! Why can't you...?!" She lunged at them again, blinded by her tears. Just then Sesshomaru moved in, having watched in amusement at the enitre spectacle from the side. He moved quickly in front of Kagome and punched her hard in the stomach. She collapsed into him without another word, and Sesshomaru held her up by her midsection. He threw her over his shoulder none too gently and led the way back to the tree without another word, Rin following behind. This time they'd take a less exhausting route.
"You were almost too late, did you know that?!" Miroku snapped at Sesshomaru.
Sango sighed and doubled over, leaning on her hiraikotsu. She turned to Miroku, who was panting lightly. "Daijoubu ka?"
"Daijoubu," Miroku replid, smiling. "Let's go, Sango-chan." He started forward, only to be held back by Sango's arm on his shoulder.
Sango gave him a sound, full, kiss, pouring her soul into it. When she broke it off, she grabbed his hand and pulled him in Sesshomaru's direction. He wouldn't have been able to move on his own, anyway.
Chapter 6
"Sesshomaru-sama! I have brought friends!" Rin squealed. She bounced happily as she called towards the hut again, "Sesshomaru-sama! Come out! My friends need to speak with you!" Jakken thunked her on the head solidly with his two-headed staff. "Don't speak to Sesshomaru-sama in that way!"
A fist came down on Jakken's head as a bump visibly protruded from his scalp. Jakked clutched his head in pain and looked up into Sesshomaru's annoyed face. "Do not speak to Rin like that, Jakken," he said quite calmly. Jakken just nodded and moved out of the way. Sesshomaru straightened and bade Rin move aside a bit to talk to Miroku and Sango. They, in turn, clutched the rosary and the hiraikotsu, respectively.
"What happened to Inu-Yasha, Sesshomaru?" Sango asked threateningly, her hand gripping the hiraikotsu tighter.
"I am not my brother's keeper," Sesshomaru replied, sounding bored.
"But you do know what happened. All we want is an explanation as to why Inu-Yasha is once again bound to the sacred tree." Miroku's voice was calm and collected, yet his hand, too, tightened on the rosary beads.
Sesshomaru smiled eerily. "And what if I do know? Why would I share it with you? But I'll humor you, nonetheless. Your precious friend Inu-Yasha was bound to the tree by none other than your other precious friend, Kagome."
"No..." Sango gasped. "Why would she...?"
"Because she was upset, of course. She wouldn't have had reason to do so otherwise." Sesshomaru examined the forest around them with sudden interest and sneered. "She had run after Inu-Yasha because he found out she had become intimate with another demon..." His eyes snapped back to Sango and Miroku. "Guess who that was?"
"You bastard!" Miroku cried, unclasping the rosary from his wrist. But he put it away again when Rin stepped forward, in front of Sesshomaru.
"No, please! I know what your hole does, Monk-san," Rin pleaded. "Do not hurt Sesshomaru-sama!"
Miroku sneered, grasping the beads in anger so tightly his knuckles turned white. "How cowardly of you, Sesshomaru, to hide behind a child!"
"I am not hiding. I am merely letting her express her affections. In any case, I would have been able to exterminate you even if Rin hadn't stepped in the way."
Miroku swallowed, knowing it to be true. He made a small face and glared at Sesshomaru.
"Now then. Before I was so rudely interrupted... Kagome did it quite willingly, mind you. I only seduced her. My overall goal was to send a clear message to Inu-Yasha - that whatever he owns can be mine. He has forgotten that as of late. But I suppose my plans are better than even I realized. No matter, the brilliance of my thinking is now recognized. Inu-Yasha, I suppose, was so upset that he attacked her. I could see marks on the ground where Inu-Yasha's claws scraped the dirt. Kagome had no choice but to defend herself, using a bow and arrows that she found in this house. As to why she did not free Inu-Yasha, I don't know. But does he not make a lovely tree ornament?" He laughed.
Sango gulped noisily. Sesshomaru never laughed... "Where is Kagome now?"
"If I knew I certainly wouldn't tell you."
"Kuso!" Miroku cried in frustration. But he couldn't do anything... Rin would... and such innocence should never be put in danger.
Surprisingly, Rin started to cry. She turned her face to Sesshomaru and gripped his sleeve. "Sesshomaru-sama... did you hurt their friend? And the girl... I don't see her here. Is she hurt too? Please, Sesshomaru-sama, don't do bad things anymore... Let's help them..."
Sesshomaru stared at Rin, his face never changing, staying as bland as it ever was. Rin was crrying... it seemed like it was his fault. He was, after all, the one with the plan. The plan to put Inu-Yasha in his place. It worked beautifully. But Rin was crying. He sighed inwardly and raised his eyes from Rin to Sango and Miroku.
What...? Miroku had watched the entire exchange disbelievingly. Rin was sticking up for them. She was so innocent... she considered everyone her friend. And Sesshomaru... he could see Sesshomaru relenting inside. It looked as if he wanted to protect her innocence. Well. The bastard has a soft spot after all. He gripped his rosary beads unconsciously, waiting for Sesshomaru's response. Sango had been thinking along the same lines as Miroku, and now as she saw Miroku's hand tighten around the beads, she rested a hand on his shoulder, willing him to wait. She held her breath when Sesshomaru looked at them.
"I shall help you. For Rin," he clarified.
Miroku didn't crack a smile, though inside he was crumbling with relief. "Arigato gozaimasu."
"Hai, arigato," Sango said also, giving him the tiniest bow she could muster.
Sesshomaru gave a half grimace, half sneer. "Do not thank me. Thank Rin."
"Arigato goazimasu, Rin-san." This time Miroku smiled at the young girl.
"Hai, arigato gozaimasu." Sango smiled too.
Rin grinned back happily and bowed in return, then beamed up at Sesshomaru. "Is not Sesshomaru-sama wonderful?"
"I wouldn't say wonderful..." Snago muttered as she turned around. Out loud, she said, "The tree is this way. You can pick up Kagome's scent from there and lead us to where she is." Miroku followed after her, and then Sesshomaru and Rin. Jakken, meanwhile, cackled.
"So, Inu-Yasha really is a dirty half-breed after all! He can't even stand up to a wimpy HUMAN!" he laughed. "That idiot you call a priestess! I can't believe even Inu-Yasha couldn't handle her! Sesshomaru-sama... you are such a genius! She was so stupid, however, that she fell for everything!"
Miroku, with a dead glare, turned around immediately to a laughing Jakken, who didn't know what the monk was up to until it was too late. The little demon received several blows to the head with the staff and more than a few sharp kicks to his buttocks. He lay nursing his bruises as Miroku turned around, far from satisfied. Self-restraint... self-restraint... Miroku thought to himself as he glanced at Sesshomaru, who passed him.
Sesshomaru, meanwhile, gave Jakken even harder his with his fists, claws, and foot. "Are you saying my plans are so simple? They are quite cleverly devised, I'll have you know, and I can bring down anyone who stands in my way, for I, Sesshomaru, am the greatest demon to have walked this earth!" A few more kicks punctuated his sentence, and then he turned around to follow Miroku, Sango, and Rin. Rin was laughing at Jakken (who nursed new bruises in places he couldn't even describe - Sesshomaru was so brutal), no remorse, no pity in her eyes.
"Sessomaru-sama, you're so wonderful!" she cried.
...
The next morning, Kagome heard the sound of water before she saw the source. Stepping outside of a clearing, she came upon a river. Thankfully scooping up some in her hands, she brought it to her mouth and drank deeply, repeating the process a few more times to satisfy her thirst. Then she washed her face and stood up, dusting off her skirt automatically. What was she doing? She could never be clean. Not with what she had done. Looking up and down the river, Kagome made her decision. She walked north, towards the waterfall, steadily avoiding rocks and scaring away small animals. When she came to the waterfall, she gazed at the thundering base, at all the jagged, sharp rocks... and then slowly climbed the smooth stones to the top. Her eyes began to water as she climbed, remembering how Inu-Yasha sat at the very top one time, gazing at the vast beauty of the land. She would do so also... one last time...
...
"Are you sure she went this way?!" Miroku growled irritably. They had been following the same path for hours, and it seemed as though it was leading nowhere.
"When you own the keenness of my nose, monk, then you may ask that question," Sesshomaru said bluntly, in his bland way. Miroku snorted and muttered a few choice curses, which were ignored by Sesshomaru. Sango, however, gave him a look that said, "You had better not do that in front of the baby..."
Miroku gave her a small, feeble smile and walked on. He emerged from a clearing, following Sesshomaru, and followed by the rest, minus Jakken. He was still in pain.
"So she was here?" Sango ventured. "It figures, with the river as a water source. Though I should say, I would come here for the view, as well." Miroku nodded in agreement, taking note of the river itself. It was not very wide, though fairly deep. Grass lned the sides and no bare patch of earth was to be seen. Trees lined the sides of the river, though far enough from the edge that rocks formed, as if to take the place of chairs. The trees themselves cast large shadows, perfect for napping on a hot day. The river sported a few fish once in a wihle, and the water was as clear as glass.
"Yes, she was here." Sesshomaru was about to go on, when a panting Rin tugged on his sleeve.
"Sesshomaru-sama, can we stay here for a while? Onegai?" she asked.
"Of course." He sat down without even consulting with Sango or Miroku. They, however, had no qualms, and readily sat down. The pace Sesshomaru had set was a demanding one, though it didn't seem so to Sessomaru himself.
Miroku chose to sit by the river, dipping his naked feet (he had taken off his sandals and rolled up his pants) into the water and swirling them around. Sango sat beside him, doing the same. She put aside her hiraikotsu and lay her head on Miroku's shoulder. Miroku rested his cheek on her head and sighed deeply. His hand searched hers until he found it, entwining their fingers.
Sango smiled. "We haven't been able to do this in a while..."
"I hope you're not complaining," Miroku teased. "But you're right. Ever since Ayame was born... it's been so long. She's not even a year old, and already, it's been so long."
"Mmm," Sango replied, turning her head to nuzzle her nose at the base of Miroku's head. She inhaled deeply, breathing in Miroku's sweet scent, and rubbed her nose sideways against his throat. Miroku only responded by bringing up their hands and kissing her callused knuckles.
...
Kagome breathed heavily, letting her exhausted lungs take a break. She lay her back on the ground, against hard stone. After a few moments, she sat up, this time panting lightly. She shaded her eyes against the glare of the sun and gazed at the countryside. The forest wasn't very dense, and she could see empty spots... the place where the tree was... she could even see the smoke from Kaede's hut, beyond the forest. Her eyes rested on the empty space where the well was. She shook her head emphatically. She couldn't go back there. How could she face her family knowing what she had done? Her eyes misted over, thinking about Sota and Ojii-chan... and Kaa-chan... and her friends at school... she couldn't face them. She just couldn't. They wouldn't miss her anyway. Her gaze snapped back from within herself to out into the sky. Birds flew through the air, and one let out its bowels, narrowly missing her and going down the waterfall. She hadn't realized how close she was. But forgetting that, she took the secretion as a sign from God, telling her what she was, right in front of her face. Well, she got the message. But first... she would spend a few more moments reminiscing... watching life unfold from the pinnacle of the world.
...
Ten minutes later, Kagome stood up, having finally said her goodbyes. Her feet took her to the edge of the waterfall, facing the point where the corner of the rocks met empty air. She never gulped, never looked down. She felt so sure... this all felt so right... she took a deep breath and stared once more at the empty blue sky above her. She thanked the one up high for every blessing and every person in her life... and with memories of Inu-Yasha... Inu-Yasha when they first met at the tree... him fighting with Koga for her... the small moments that reminded her he loved her... she closed her eyes for the last time.
...
"Are we there yet?" Miroku snapped. They had gotten up 10 minutes before, only to be led at the same demanding pace Sesshomaru had set before, except this time, they were fully refreshed.
Sesshomaru didn't respond as he came to a halt at the base of a waterfall. Scents sometimes got lost around water... but Kagome's was clear, for some reason. He could distinctly smell tears and regret mixed with sweat and pain. Wordlessly, he started to climb the stones easily, pausing to hitch Rin onto his back. Sango and Miroku followed, eventually passing Sesshomaru. They pulled themselves up, panting heavily at the steep climb.
Sango lifted her eyes... to see Kagome poised to jump at the edge of the waterfall. "Miroku --!" she yelled, scrambling forward as well. Kagome jumped despite the noise behind her, waving them away from her thoughts as large animals who had come to feast. Her feet were a foot off the ground when she was rudely and roughly yanked back. She opened her eyes quickly to see blue sky again, and two familiar faces gazing at her with a mixture of worry and anger.
"Kagome, what were you doing?!" Sango cried. Kagome focused on Miroku and Sango, anger and frustration welling up inside her.
"What do you care, huh?! Why can't you let me die in peace?!" Kagome forced herself up. "I was fine! FINE! Until you came along! You shouldn't have stopped me.... you shouldn't have! I was ready, but now that I'm back... now I'm... not so sure... and I blame YOU!" In a fit of rage, she grabbed Sango's arm with one hand and Miroku's arm with the other, then forcibly pulled them to the edge. With a great deal of effort, she heaved the arms in her hands into the emptiness.
Miokru realized what she was doing a split second before she pushed. Reaching up, he used his free arm to grab Sango's free arm, and twisted his captive one around to catch Kagome in the stomach. He used the momentum to pull himself and Sango back towards the rocks. Kagome was pushed back roughly, landing on her butt and elbows with a grand, "Ugh...!"
Sango moved away from the edge, as did Miroku, as Kagome pulled herself up in defiance and anger. "Kuso! Why can't you...?!" She lunged at them again, blinded by her tears. Just then Sesshomaru moved in, having watched in amusement at the enitre spectacle from the side. He moved quickly in front of Kagome and punched her hard in the stomach. She collapsed into him without another word, and Sesshomaru held her up by her midsection. He threw her over his shoulder none too gently and led the way back to the tree without another word, Rin following behind. This time they'd take a less exhausting route.
"You were almost too late, did you know that?!" Miroku snapped at Sesshomaru.
Sango sighed and doubled over, leaning on her hiraikotsu. She turned to Miroku, who was panting lightly. "Daijoubu ka?"
"Daijoubu," Miroku replid, smiling. "Let's go, Sango-chan." He started forward, only to be held back by Sango's arm on his shoulder.
Sango gave him a sound, full, kiss, pouring her soul into it. When she broke it off, she grabbed his hand and pulled him in Sesshomaru's direction. He wouldn't have been able to move on his own, anyway.