Hi everyone, Vira here! Thank you SO MUCH for all the reviews. Really appreciate it! I promise, I'm working as fast as I can to write this fic! I'll be anywhere with it…anywhere I go, the fic follows. Heh heh. Well again, I only have to say that I don't own Inuyasha. And now, without further ado, the next update:
~~~***~~~
"We must hurry, Kagome." He said to me as we moved quickly along. I followed as best as possible, but Sesshoumaru kept leaping forward at a faster pace. He looked back at me and grumbled impatiently, then ran over to me, picked me up, and continued on.
"HEY!" I shrieked. Unfortunately this fell onto deaf ears, so I quickly gave up resisting anything. After all, once Sesshoumaru made up his mind about something there was no use trying to change it. Another quality he shared with Inuyasha, I thought. He rushed me back to the castle. "Call off your searches." Sesshoumaru shouted to a group of guards as he passed by with me. "I've found her." They looked at me with a mixture of happiness and surprise, and then ran off.
Eventually he set me down. "Now, come with me." He stated calmly. I decided it was best not to argue, and followed. Sesshoumaru lead me into a huge room with a big table in it and excellent handcrafted chairs on all sides. It reminded me of some sort of conference room like in office buildings. "…We are to sit here." He said after awhile. He pointed to two exquisite chairs at the front.
We sat down slowly. Suddenly, the door burst open. I was expecting some intimidating-looking men that had been prepared for a really boring meeting. Instead though, it was only Rin. She looked around the room briefly before spotting me. "MOMMY!!" Rin shrieked. She rushed forward and latched onto my arm. "Mommy! Where did you go!? I was worried!"
I smiled and ruffled her hair gently. "Don't worry Rin, Mommy just needed to take care of a few things, okay? I haven't gone anywhere…" She smiled and hugged me tight. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at Sesshoumaru to see what his reaction to this might be. His face seemed indifferent, but I wondered if that was just another mask of his. I turned back to Rin. "Mommy and Daddy need to do some important…er, 'grown-up' stuff right now, Rin."
"Okay!" She giggled happily and jumped down from my lap. "Thanks for looking for her, Daddy!" Rin squealed to Sesshoumaru before leaving. He gave an indifferent 'hm.'
~~~***~~~
"I'm afraid we do not bring good news, My Highnesses." An official-looking man said gravely.
"What exactly is the matter?" Sesshoumaru asked in a bored tone.
The man paced about for a few moments. "…After the attempted theft of our Shikon jewel half, we decided to investigate our borders. Somehow the demon slipped through." He glanced at Sesshoumaru. "I cannot imagine why you were so generous with the prisoner we captured, Lord Sesshoumaru."
He made no response.
"At any rate," the man continued, "we have found a vast quantity of suspicious demon activity near our kingdom's borders. We suspect Naraku may be planning something. All of us," he motioned to the others beside him, "feel it would be in this nation's best interest if we…increase our defense near our borders, and possibly look into the matter further."
I thought about this for a minute. I wasn't quite sure what exactly this meant, but I figured I could fake it anyways. "Tell me…what exactly have the demons been doing near our borders that are so suspicious?"
He looked at me. "My men on guard duty have reported sightings of in-flight demons…flying dangerously close to our territory." The man glanced at some of his papers. "Two had actually crossed over our gate. We shot them down with some arrows. Also, many small demons have been loitering near our gate. We suspect they are reporting back to Emperor Naraku for any weaknesses." He gave us a moment to let it sink in. "We do not know what Naraku is planning, but obviously immediate action must be taken to strengthen our borders."
Sesshoumaru stood up. "I would like to see these gates myself. Will you be able to arrange for me to inspect it personally?"
The man nodded his head. "I think we would be able to do that. Of course, you will need to be heavily guarded while you're there, my Lord. It is a dangerous area indeed." He turned to me. "Would you like to come as well, my Lady?"
I thought for a moment, then said, "…Yes, I think I would. Please arrange a visit for us."
"Very well." He said. "We will make the arrangements." He bowed slowly and retreated to the doorway. The others followed him.
Sesshoumaru turned to me. "The area will not be safe. You should not go where you're not needed."
I smiled faintly. His manner was cold, but deep down… "You care about me, don't you? You don't want me to get into any trouble!"
He grunted in annoyance. "I…care nothing about you."
I smiled even wider and slowly walked out of the room with him staring at me in suspicion.
~~~***~~~
After dinner later that day, we started out for the gates. I couldn't see much of the scenery—there were too many guards around us. When we reached the border, a man approached us. "Good afternoon, Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Kagome. I'm sure you have already been notified that this area is dangerous. We have made extra precautions for your visit." I sighed on the inside. This was all too formal, and I definitely wasn't used to being treated this way. "If you would," he motioned forward, "please follow me." We nodded. I glanced at Sesshoumaru—he looked pretty bored as well right now, like me. Oh no…did the guy say something important just now? I wasn't paying attention. I looked back at him. "And you can stand over here." He continued, pointing to a watchtower looking over the huge gates. "I'm afraid there is not much room in it, though. Only two people can fit comfortably at once, so we'll have to send up one of you at a time with a guard…"
"…That won't be necessary." Sesshoumaru said calmly. I looked at him suspiciously. He read my thoughts and said, "We don't need to waste any more time than we already have. I am…a busy man. Besides, I don't need a weakling to watch over me." He flexed his claws. I rolled my eye, wondering if that was his true reasons. The man sighed. I guessed most of the guards weren't too fond of his arrogance.
"As you wish, my Lord." He said finally.
"Please, Sesshoumaru. I whispered to him. "Don't think you're invincible…we might need their help."
"It won't be needed." He repeated. I sighed and followed him up the ladder to the watchtower. When we got up we looked into Naraku's land.
It was very different than here—a strange darkness seemed to loom over the land. I couldn't see much, because the area was covered in forest. The trees grew bent but tall. Various demon cries could be heard within. Somewhere far away, I could faintly see another castle. 'Naraku's.' I thought.
Sesshoumaru looked around as well. After a while he commented, "This gate holds little protection. If they really wanted to, the demons could break through here."
"I bet they're starting to." I said. "Naraku must be trying to unite them together now so they can do his dirty work. Remember, he's a coward." Sesshoumaru nodded. "He must want our half of the Shikon jewel." I continued. "If we don't do something about it soon, the demons will win…"
Suddenly, we heard a noise near the edge of the forest. "They're coming!" We heard a voice say from below. "Prepare your arrows! Get ready!" Sesshoumaru and I looked intently at the trees for a few moments. Suddenly, a figure appeared. Then, more and more came. I gasped—giant bear demons!
"Look out!" Sesshoumaru cried, and had only just pulled me down to the floor as a huge bird demon swooped dangerously close, talons raised. Sesshoumaru growled in annoyance, and said, "Stay here. I will handle this." Before I could say anything he leapt into the air, claws raised. He sliced through the first bird, then moved to some more. I bit my lip and noticed he was beginning to lose ground. Sesshoumaru started to fall into the demon land. Arrows continued to rain down, and a bunch of "Lord Sesshoumaru!" screams could be heard from the guards below. He finished the bird demons off easily enough, but the bear demons would prove to be more of a challenge.
"Behind you!" I cried to him. He jumped up just in time to avoid a swipe. The gate was open, and the angry guards poured through. Unfortunately more demons crashed out of the trees and a short battle began. I ran down the ladder as fast as I could and grabbed a spare bow and arrow I saw on the ground. Gulping, I entered the fray and began to shoot arrows.
Sesshoumaru glanced at me sharply. "I told you to stay back!"
Geez, I thought. For someone who used me as a human shield in battle before, he SURE had changed. Before I could say anything back, a particularly large bear demon stretched its claw towards him. Sesshoumaru looked around just in time to see a huge gash appear on his upper stomach. I cried out and shot an arrow at the monster. This one was filled with extra power, killing the beast and even went into the next one behind. The other demons saw this powerful move and looked at me fearfully. I pointed another arrow at them bravely, and they ran backwards into the forest. I breathed a sigh of relief for a moment, and then ran to Sesshoumaru.
He tried to pretend it didn't hurt, but I saw him stagger down. I rushed over and held him steady. "Please, don't move…you're hurt." He made a small, futile protest, but I didn't pay any attention and carefully laid him down on the ground. Around us we could hear cries of fear and despair from the guards, but we ignored them.
I looked at the wound. I was pretty bad…however, nothing a demon couldn't recover from soon. "How bad does it feel?" I whispered to him with concern.
"It's…nothing." Sesshoumaru replied, but I could see in his eyes that it wasn't the case. I wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want me to be worried or if it was just his giant ego.
"Get him inside the castle." I shouted to the men nearby. "We need to leave Naraku's land before more come back. Call for a nurse, and get some bandages." They nodded and raced about to get these tasks done. Six carefully picked him up and started back to the castle.
"Should we do anything for you, my Lady?" The man from before asked me. "I'm sure this whole ordeal has been quite shocking." He bowed. "I…apologize...that was inexcusable…"
"That's alright." I answered quietly. "You did all that you could, and your men fought bravely. Please, I just want to go now…back to the castle to see him."
I just wanted to go home.
~~~***~~~
"Are you UP yet!?" My mother called to me.
I leapt up from my pillow and looked at my clock. Oh no! I had overslept! I was supposed to meet Inuyasha and everybody two hours ago so we could get a head start on finding some jewel shards! I slapped my forehead in frustration with myself. What would they say? Miroku, Sango, and Shippo would understand…but Inuyasha wouldn't be as forgiving. I sighed—he NEVER was.
I jumped from my bed and threw some clothes on. They were probably still waiting! I ran downstairs and looked around for some food for breakfast. My mother paused from reading the newspaper and looked up at me. "Good to see you're awake."
I mumbled a response of some sort and put bread into the toaster. My stomach growled.
"Are you in a rush to be somewhere?" She asked.
I nodded quickly and poured some orange juice.
"In that case," my mother said calmly, "you seem to have forgotten that you need to walk your brother to the store. He needs some supplies for his science project."
I groaned in annoyance. Since WHEN did that little brat take an interest in science projects!? "Um, but Mom, I have stuff that I need to do-"
"-It can wait." She replied sternly. "He's sitting outside."
I sighed. An argument would be useless. I grabbed the toast that I just made and trudged outside.
"THERE you are!!" My brother shouted to me. "You're finally up! C'mon Kagome, let's go!"
"…Can't you just go on your own?" I asked impatiently.
"Mom doesn't want me to." He said sadly.
I was defeated. "Alright, but we need to hurry, okay? I have stuff to do today and I have some friends waiting for me. I can't be late today…"
"…Fine." He looked at me suspiciously for a moment, and then started down the road. I followed wearily.
~~~***~~~
We rushed back to the castle as fast as we could. The sun left the sky and stars appeared instead within the night. I insisted that Sesshoumaru would not stay in the doctor's beds in the medical wing of the castle—rather, our own comfy bed. It was the least I could do, anyways. Royal nurses came pouring in and began to bandage his wound. I awkwardly stood off to the side and watched timidly. Below the balcony I could hear people in the courtyard, whispering tidbits and rumors of what happened. Word traveled around here quickly, I decided. Occasionally one of the nurses would ask me to find some water or more bandages. Sesshoumaru himself did not open his eyes throughout this, which worried me even more. Eventually the nurses and doctors did all that they could, so they left him in my hands for the night.
We were all alone.
After watching his condition for half an hour, I slowly reached my hand out and brushed the hair away from his face delicately. To my surprise, he stirred and opened his eyes, looking at me. What emotion was in them? I couldn't tell. "You're awake." I said softly. "I'm glad." Sesshoumaru tried to move again, but groaned and fell down in pain. "Please, don't move. The wound is bad." I said, and gently eased him back into the bed. I took a cloth, cold with water, and laid it on his head.
Sesshoumaru looked around. "…I am in your bed."
"That's okay." I replied. "You can use it for now. I don't mind."
He watched me lift off his robe slightly to check the bandages. I was worried he would refuse my care, but he made no protest. His skin was warm and strong, and I wanted to keep my hand there. He noticed my hesitation but did nothing. After a while, he asked, "…Why are you doing this?"
I looked at him. "I need to make sure your bandages are okay."
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "But why do you help me?"
I thought for a moment. What an odd question… "…I don't know. I just have to."
He closed his eyes and said, "I…don't understand."
I smiled. "Neither do I."
Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and smiled. It was the first time I had ever seen him smile. He laid his hand on mine that was resting on his chest. At first I was greatly freaked out by this, but the shock wore off and I let it stay there. Tomorrow, I knew, I would be visiting Kaede for a new kind of advice.
Review Responses:
Rabid-Inu-Girl: Haha, wouldn't we all? =D
Moon-n-Universe-Goddess: Thanks, I will! Well, as you can see.
BabyTil14: Can do!
bubbley-girl: Heh, well that's good to hear! I'll keep at it then.
Satu-Chan: Ahh…random…sentences…lol, well thanks for summin' up everything! ^___^
elementsofmine: Well, don't expect any more…uh…'springing' for awhile. Although rest assured, it'll come soon enough.
Peanut Gallery – Alaska's Own: Yes…yes, she is. O_o
Shadow39: Okay! Here you go! Lol
Vegetas4life: Yeah, I don't like same ol' plots either. And the lemon will be…let's see…wait, I mean, you'll just have to find out! ;)
Fiorella-sama: Right! Heh heh
xypherscompany: *runs in fear* okay, here you go!!!!
bloodbunny: o_O I can honestly say you're the first gothic fanfic reader I've ever encountered. But hey, it's cool, as long as the bunnies are safe. ^__^
Nightfox: Yeah, everyone else seems to be saying that…
KawaiiLil-InuGurl: Whoooaaa…I uh…don't know if that'd be the coolest thing in the word, per sé, but if I use that for the plot, then everyone would say I got it off of you! Although yeah, that'd be a great plot-twist.
Shely-Sama: Okay, then I hope you enjoy this update! ^___^
Cali1043: Oh, he's around…hehehe. =D
blackstormgal: Umm, we'll just have to wait and see! But yeah, they'll definitely be in here.
Gennie Kag's and Sess's Child: O_o Good to know, good to know…
Teru04: Alrighty, will do!
Skitzoflame: Ha ha, even I don't know how this will end! But we can always speculate. ^_^
Robin5791: Yeah, it's small, but it's there. And don't worry, it'll grow soon enough. Hehehe…
*wipes sweat* Wow! What a lot of reviews! Keep it up everyone, it makes me happy! Most of us knows what it's like! Anyways, I hope you liked this update! Truthfully, you're not the only ones who want to know what's next, I feel the same! Lol. R&R! Ja ne!
