Disclaimer: Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Other characters are property of Kidoairaku.
Rating: PG-13: for possible language and just in case
Summary: [Sess/Kag] What if Sesshoumaru was the one that met Kagome on the other side of the well?
Genre: Romance/Drama
A/N: Personally, I think the previous chapter was a bit short, so this one should make up for it…double update!!! ^_^ This, usually, is not my style of writing in these recent two chapters. I may have achieved that "conversational tone" I'm always complimenting people on, but I wouldn't know. Well, enjoy!
SesshoumaruChapter Nine
April 2003
Rigorous training didn't seem to be enough for Sesshoumaru, Kagome observed. He plagued her with subtle insults that scarred her deeply. It made her wonder how he got along with Rin. As each day passed, his verbal lashes became more and more vicious, as if they had been just waiting to be let out. She found, also, as time went on, he lost his sympathy for her, holding back no more. Several wounds already hindered her freedom of movement, and bruises were not inconspicuous on her body. Now she suffered in the drenching rain. There was absolutely no shelter in the dojo, nowhere she could take cover in. Sesshoumaru, being who he was, was completely fine with the downpour and cold; his blood was several degrees warmer than Kagome's. The girl, however, was shivering in the dripping chill. She already had her fill to drink, and the storm had no more use for her at present. Kagome wanted do a victory dance when Sesshoumaru demanded they continue sparring. Maybe I'll regain some body heat, she thought weakly.
Her katana was gripped insecurely as she parried the blows of the demon lord's blades; he wielded two while she had only one. Damn the unfairness of life. She frowned. With a sigh and deep breath, she leapt lethargically at him, the weight of wet silk dragging her down. Darn it! Sesshoumaru responded with his own attack, which Kagome deflected gracefully while lunging again. She felt so…tired…she just wanted to fall asleep—drop dead on the floor right here. But Sesshoumaru'll slice through me, she reasoned groggily. And it's so cold…so wet… Her body involuntarily shuddered. Slender hands went slack, the steel katana clashing on the floor as she dropped. The girl braced herself for the oncoming bite of blades. They never came.
Kagome squinted through the rain at Sesshoumaru's silhouette, towering above her. A rueful smile twisted her lips. He didn't strike me. Her teeth chattered, and she drew herself together in a ball. So, so cold… The heavy silk plastered against her skin, already burning with fever. I have to withstand another two weeks of this… She coughed. I don't think I'll make it. Ha. Kagome felt as if her skin was burning in ice…how could that be possible?
Stoically, Sesshoumaru observed her crumpled form. Was it really that bad? He snorted unceremoniously. Weak girl, he thought. Kneeling on one knee, he lifted a hand to her forehead. She's burning. The girl was watching him through half-lidded eyes, fogged with delirium. He lifted his head to the sky, silently wishing there was some way around this. No medical supplies were available, though, and he had not expected a storm to last this long. Perhaps, an hour more, and he, great Lord of the West, would also be feverish. Adamant was he in this training routine; he would not break through these walls. As he had said before, it was the girl's duty to free herself. His two swords were tossed to the wayside as he scooped his protégé up in his arms. Couldn't have her dying now, could he; it would only mean his demise. The cut reciprocated from him on her right cheek was only a nagging reminder of their hindering bond. The demon lord sat himself down against a wall, holding his partner against him for warmth. Her breathing had shoaled slightly, face becoming a tad more pallid. Not a good sign at all… Sesshoumaru himself was feeling remotely ill…damn the bond once again. The girl unconsciously shifted so that her head rested against his neck. Both were sopping wet, so any position was rather uncomfortable. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her protectively and, deciding nothing more could be done at the moment, closed his eyes to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~
"She is faring poorly, Seisho-kun. Should we allow her to continue this routine?"
"Kagome-san learns quickly. Do not worry."
"How could Sesshoumaru be so cruel?"
"It has always been his manner from what I observe."
"No. Everything has changed…he will never be the same."
Seisho remained silent, giving no answer to what his fellow spirit had stated. He and Naora watched in contemplation as the demon lord cradled the Chosen One closer. Both had been shivering in cold and burning with fever. Naora smiled.
"Do you not think they look perfect together?" the woman inquired.
"Quite," was the absent, noncommittal response.
~*~*~*~*~
As soon as the shadow of rain had vanished, Sesshoumaru roused from his feverish sleep. A slight headache bothered him but nothing more. It only meant the same for Kagome. The lord brought a slender hand to her forehead once more. She still burned with fever. Our average body temperatures differ. Their garments were still drenched; another hour would be allowed for the girl to rest. He was surprised she had taken his training this long, anyways. The break was deserved.
Kagome cracked her eye open to check her surroundings. Lukewarm arms circled her waist as she leaned against a warmer body. Raising her eyes a bit, she found Sesshoumaru's handsome face tilted slightly to the torches burning above. Wow…isn't that sweet? He let me rest… Her head throbbed, and she shifted to get more comfortable, hoping the youkai wouldn't mind.
"You have an hour, no more and no less," Sesshoumaru's voice intoned. "Sleep."
The schoolgirl gave an incline of her head and gladly obliged. Sesshoumaru looked down at her. Although their, perhaps intimate, propinquity did not mean anything to him, he found it oddly comforting to have her petite body curled up against his. An imperceptible sigh escaped his lips as his arms circled her more securely. Obviously, his fever had not quite gone down yet; he was still delirious.
Once the hour had passed, he shook the girl awake, although not gently. After yawning and pacing several times around the dojo, just to remove the stiffness from her muscles, Kagome stood in the ready position, katana in hand. It had been two weeks since she had a half-decent nap and, although her body ached all over, she was slightly rejuvenated. After I finish Sesshoumaru's training…ha! Those demons will be easy pickings! Such optimistic thoughts as these encouraged her, giving her a bit of hope to grow on.
"Come here, girl," Sesshoumaru commanded sternly. Kagome complied. "Put this on," was his second command.
A suit of bone armor, similar to Sesshoumaru's, was handed to her, but she nearly fell down at receiving its weight. An eyebrow twitched spasmodically. She was supposed to wear this and move around? Her quick blue-gray eyes assessed the suit. It was pitch black in color, the top part having silvery shoulder…projections, sharp and pointed, unlike Sesshoumaru's. The bottom reminded her of a flower, with petals strung together, forming a skirt-like armor. A sash, which Kagome assumed was more for style than protection, was tied loosely between the two parts; this was white with blood-red cherry blossom patterns instead of the yellow and brown of the demon lord's. Kagome sighed and put it on as instructed, tightening the sash to fit her more comfortably.
Sesshoumaru's eyebrow quirked upward. The girl looked quite comical in the training armor. It was definitely not suited for someone so petite as her although it was considerably smaller than his.
"Start again," he instructed.
Bending to retrieve the discarded sword, Kagome estimated the weight of her new suit. She sighed in exasperation. This thing adds, what, thirty pounds to me? Wincing with exhaustion, she held the sword out submissively.
"Teach me kendo," she carefully demanded.
Sesshoumaru also retrieved his sword, studying her and the sincerity of her request. It was valid enough, he supposed. "Move like water." He crossed his sword over hers and nodded imperceptibly to commence the duel.
Kagome took a deep breath and did as she was told with as little movement as possible. After all, she had to understand the basics before she could do much more. Kendo was the perfect way to start. Besides, she had taken a few beginner courses in school, so she was well on her way to mastering this.
Really, all kendo was to her was a dance. For every attack, there was a block; it was all planned out. As Sesshoumaru said, the only instruction was to move like water. They started slowly, the clang of metal ringing every five seconds or so. Gradually, the youkai increased the speed of his movements, and soon, after a few hours of work, Kagome was moving quite deftly in her added thirty pounds of bones at a considerable speed. Once she could readily predict the demon lord's strokes, he dismissed her for her two minutes of break.
"Did I do okay?" Kagome ventured to ask, strolling around awkwardly.
"Better than expected," he replied monotonously. "Had you any previous training?"
"Yeah."
He nodded and leaned against the wall. Strangely, his muscles were beginning to get sore, his body to ache. A glance to the human told him she felt similarly. The bond once more. One day, that Kikyo witch would suffer a painful death…once this aggravating connection was removed. Forty-five seconds. Perhaps…his training regiment was overly harsh on this girl; she was only human, after all. The strain descending to his arms and legs was beginning to wear…only slightly…on him. If the girl felt even remotely as he felt…she was strong, indeed. He cast a sun-colored eye her way. Kagome walked in slow circles, swinging her arms about loosely. The youkai's opinion of her rose half a notch, from a hindrance to a tolerable burden.
"Focus energy," he said suddenly, startling her. "It is the last thing you will learn from this Sesshoumaru."
Kagome smiled meekly. "Sounds like fun. How?"
As if in slow motion, she observed the slight tensing of muscles as he crouched an inch and prepared to spring toward her. The katana in her hands instinctively rose to her vertical center, and there was a clash of steel as their blades collided. A second in time had passed. Kagome's deep oceanic eyes widened in awe.
"Your means of attack receives the energy. The opponent is your focus. I, your adversary, am the only thing you see," he murmured softly, deep voice resonating over the ring of metal.
His velvety tone lulled her into obedience. The beautiful face was scarcely six inches away. Kagome closed her eyes and re-opened them slowly. Silence permeated the air as she stared determinedly into the orbs of molten gold. Everything else disappeared around her, the trapping walls of the dojo, collections of various weapons, rain-stained earth floor, scents of heavy rainfall, perpetual glowing of torches…all vanished into nothingness. She closed her eyes again. The rhythmic whisper of her partner's breathing deafened her ears. Just barely, Kagome could discern the cool waves of power rolling off his being. The dark lashes lifted as her lids rose. Wow… With the single thought, the nothingness broke away and shattered her reverie. She gasped. Where did it all go?
His eyes flickered with curiosity. She nearly had it… "Again. Think nothing," he ordered. The girl learns quickly, he perceived.
~*~Two and a Half Weeks Later~*~
Even with his speed turned on full, Kagome could detect him and pinpoint his youki anywhere in the room. When he was about to pass in front of her, Kagome dove forward with sword ready. Although the demon lord noticed and pivoted sideways, she mirrored his move and caught him off guard. The blunt edge of the blade pressed against his throat, and Kagome smiled gleefully. Her month of starvation had finally passed! Joy to the world! Hell on Earth had ended! Thank the gods! She tossed the blade to the floor.
"Do I have leave to take off the armor, now?" she questioned excitedly.
He consented, and then, "Strike the wall."
Kagome blanched. Darn it all…she had forgotten about that part. Let hell continue its torturing of souls… She sighed. A brief stretch and then she was at the wall with the katana. Three inches of rock is no big deal, she told herself. Just do what Sesshoumaru told you to do, and you'll be fine, she assured. Deep breath. Her sword was held at center, then lifted to the right of her head. All the energy in her body was poured into the blade, and she thrust it forward in desperation. Then, she blinked. Only half of the blade protruded from the wall. The rock around it was cracked and severed. A few well-placed kicks would probably take it out. In her rapture, Kagome pummeled the demon lord, smiling like an idiot.
"I did it!" she shouted exuberantly. "Can you believe it? I did it, Sesshoumaru!"
Her arms, wrapped tightly around his neck, went limp, and she passed out. A straight month of little sleep did not do a girl good, not to mention not eating; the whole ordeal ran along the same lines as having fasted for a month. Sesshoumaru caught the girl before she could strike the floor, feeling a little lightheaded himself. It would figure. Scooping the girl up, he made his way to the dojo door, wondering absently whether he should procure the second key from his boot before declining. He kicked the wooden barrier down and launched into the air towards his balcony.
A/N: I cannot say I know much on kendo; I only did a tiny bit of research for Best Friends, the…second Sess/Kag I wrote, I think. So, if you have any info on kendo, I would appreciate it. ^_^ Also, there may have been some difficulty in understanding certain parts of this chapter…I jumped around quite a bit. Please, if there are any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask. ^_^ I'd be happy to answer.
-kidoairaku