Once again, I'm here to give you my incessant dribble in story form. And btw, telling you now, that torpor thing was made up.
Ch. 7 review replies:
Aura Black Chan: Thanks for the review, but I'm not sure you'll need the hankies...much...j/k!
ChibiFluffy: Glad you think it's cute. If you like that, you may just like this chapter.
Ch. 8
"Sango, did he just call you...mother?!"
Sango was just as amazed as Miroku was. What scared her more was that Sesshoumaru was burying his face into her kimono as if he were happy.
"I sort of like him this way, you know?"
"Feh! Everyone's siding with that bastard just because he overstepped his bounds! I might as well be chopped liver!"
Inuyasha stormed off.
"Inuyasha..." Kagome trailed off. "Maybe I should apologize for paying attention to Sesshoumaru more..."
"Urm..."
Sesshoumaru began to smile in his sleep. He cuddled more comfortably into Sango's lap and she blushed slightly.
Man, I wish I was there, Miroku thought dreamily.
"It seems Sesshoumaru-sama is enjoying his dream," Sango said.
"I don't think that's the only thing he's enjoying," Miroku muttered.
"Hentai! When I'm done here, I'm going after you!" Sango hissed.
Sesshoumaru was feeling happy for once in a long time.
He smelled his mother.
However, his happiness never lasted in his dreams long. A demon centipede began to chase him, and he found he was but a child.
"Wha? What happened to me?!"
He stared at his stubby claws.
"Oh, man!"
The centipede dove at him, but at the very least he had an edge in speed.
"MOTHER!!! MOTHER, HELP ME!!!" he cried.
His eyes were wide and childish. He darted from side to side like Shippo usually did.
"Eep!"
Suddenly, a flash of ivory tackled the centipede.
"Mother!" he said happily.
Run, my son!
Sesshoumaru took off to the castle. As he reached the doors, he ran into his father.
"Daddy!"
He hugged his father's legs tightly.
"Daddy, Mommy's fighting a bad thing! It tried to eat me..."
"Don't worry, Sessh, I'm here, and your mother is already on her way. All is well."
Sesshoumaru turned to his mother, who was back in her humanoid form.
"Mother, I was so worried..."
"Not as worried as I was of you, my son. Come to me."
Sesshoumaru ran into his mother's arms next and she cuddled together with him, picking him up.
"Mother, is it all bad out there? I don't like it..."
"It was only a bad dream, Sessh. Just take a nap."
Sesshoumaru had to say he was pretty tired. So he cuddled further into her arms as she took him to his room.
Fukai fukai mori no oku ni ima mo kitto
Okizari ni shita kokoro kakushiteru yo
Toki no rikuzumu wo shireba
Mou ichido toberudarou
Bokutachi wa samayoinagara
Ikiteyuku dokomademo
Shinjiteru hikari motome Arukidasu kimi to ima...
Sesshoumaru sighed and closed his eyes. Oh, if only his future was as good as this...
Kagome was glad Sesshoumaru didn't seem to be having night terrors. It was a sign that perhaps his fever was lessening. Maybe the final bit of the chocolate was finally filtering through his system. After that, he would recover quickly. Now it was just his eyesight they needed to fix. Even so, the young miko was wondering whether she should help him regain that.
He's tried to kill me so many times...
Yes, but do you really want to let him go blind when it could very well be partially your fault?
How's it my fault?
You let him take that candy, knowing there was chocolate in it. That led to his sickness and openness to an attack.
Kagome shook her head. As Inuyasha said, it was Sesshoumaru's pride and curiosity that had caused that. However, she did feel guilty for bringing such an animal-unfriendly substance to where it would certainly be questioned and tested. And she knew that Sesshoumaru was the master of curiosity; and a spoiled brat to boot...
She jumped as she heard a pronounced rumbling sound.
"What was that?" she said apprehensively.
"It's just that asshole," Inuyasha said, pointing to his brother. "You don't honestly believe human food can satisfy a youkai's needs, do you? He came hungry, he's still hungry. The only reason he hasn't dropped off into torpor is that we have been feeding him a little."
"But...why doesn't he hunt?"
"Don't you get it? He's too weak! That's why he hasn't left. Sesshoumaru hasn't been admitting it to anyone but himself, but the truth is a bitch; he can't protect that little girl and Jaken without his strength."
Inuyasha fell into a cross-legged sitting position and turned his nose up.
"Um...Inuyasha..."
"Huh?"
"I...uh...I'm sorry I haven't been paying attention to you."
"Spare me, wench. I don't need you mulling over me."
"You may not need it, but you are jealous. I can tell..."
"I ain't jealous!"
Kagome sighed.
"I'm still sorry."
She sat next to him and leaned into his shoulder.
Inuyasha leaned back softly.
"Its okay, Kagome. You're only doin' what's probably right. I just don't get it. Why try to help such a heartless bastard?"
"He's not as heartless as you think..." Kagome whispered, trailing off. "...anyway, I'm going to make some ramen. Would you get me some water, please?"
"Yeah..."
Inuyasha got up and instantly, Kagome felt her arm become cold. She already missed his comforting support.
Sango, who had long left Sesshoumaru and beaten Miroku for his perversion, was now polishing her Hiraikotsu. She paused occasionally to pet Kirara, then finally put her rag away.
Miroku was sporting a large lump and sitting in contemplation. About what was anyone's guess. Anyone's guess was visions of a harem of girls in skimpier clothes than Kagome could ever don.
Sesshoumaru was currently snoring softly, tossing and turning on the hard ground. He was used to sleeping against a tree.
After a while, the ramen was done and everyone gathered around the good stuff. (A.N: Pizza Hut pun. Sorry, had to do it). All but the still resting Sesshoumaru, anyway. Rin was fascinated by the delicious soup.
"Even Master Sesshoumaru doesn't have this!" she said after asking for seconds. "I like it, Kagome-chan!"
"Thanks, Rin."
Miroku wondered if perhaps they should all wake the silent Sesshoumaru so that he may indulge in the meal as well...
"Excuse me," Miroku finally said. "I'm going to clean up at the stream."
He picked up his empty plate and went to the said stream to clean it off. He was wiping it dry when he heard a small shuffle.
"Huh?"
He turned to find Sesshoumaru with his eyes half open and dead-looking.
"Lord Sesshoumaru. What brings you here?"
Without a word, Sesshoumaru began to walk monotonously to the stream side. He then looked without sight up at a cliff hanging over the lake. He climbed atop it, with the curious monk following him.
He must be sleepwalking, Miroku thought pensively. It would be good if I followed him to assure his safety...
At that moment, the taiyoukai reached the cliff face.
"Mother..." he whispered hoarsely. "Look...what I...can do..."
He took a swan dive (or at least tried to, but ended up stumbling) from the cliff.
"NO!!!"
Miroku reached out to grab Sesshoumaru's arm, until he realized the taiyoukai had no left arm. He grabbed only empty haori sleeve, which wasn't enough to support Sesshoumaru's weight. It ripped and he plummeted down.
"Sesshoumaru!!"
The lord hit the water hard on his head.
Miroku quickly threw his staff aside and dove into the water, swimming to the middle of the body of water, where he had seen the demon lord fall.
Instantly, he dove down, searching frantically for Sesshoumaru. He found the taiyoukai with a wispy trail of blood coming from his head.
Damn! He must have hit his head, and I'm not sure I can pull him up with his armor...
Miroku went up for air, then dove quickly down. Sesshoumaru was now settled to the bottom and his once open eyes, however dead, were now closed and his mouth was slightly open.
Miroku quickly undid the armor and kicked viciously with Sesshoumaru on his back. Almost to the surface...
Miroku felt himself falter slightly, but gave an extra-hard kick to propel himself. His lungs were on fire as he burst through the water's surface. The monk took in great breaths, then brought Sesshoumaru to the water side and stretched him out on the bank.
What if he's not breathing? Miroku wondered worriedly. There's no way in HECK that I'm going to resuscitate him!!
However, Miroku had no such luck. Sesshoumaru was not breathing.
"Uh, great...maybe I can just...push the water out..."
The monk began to push on Sesshoumaru's chest, praying, hoping, that this would do the trick.
No such luck.
"Ugh..."
Miroku rolled his eyes with a groan. He then began to do mouth-to-mouth on Sesshoumaru.
This should be against the law, damn it!!
"Breathe damn you, breathe!!!!!"
Fortunately, after only several seconds, the taiyoukai's eyes snapped open and he began to cough violently, vomiting water as he did. When he recovered, he turned his nose to Miroku.
"What...what was...I...doing?" he gasped. "What the hell happened?"
"You were dreaming, I expect, and began to walk in your sleep. You walked to that cliff edge."
Miroku pointed, suddenly feeling foolish as he realized that Sesshoumaru was blind.
"Well, you climbed the escarpment, then leapt from it, saying, 'Mother, look what I can do.'"
"And I leapt into the water, trying to prove..."
The lord trailed off.
"How did I come to? I was quite sure I was unable to breathe, and I felt waterlogged..."
"Well...about that...I had to..."
Sesshoumaru stared hard at Miroku with his unseeing eyes.
"Let us keep this a secret, you and me."
"A fine idea, my lord."
"This Sesshoumaru is full of them."
Sesshoumaru made to get up, but the pain in his forehead instantly drove him down.
"Come. I shall help you."
Sesshoumaru got to his feet with nary a stumble, not accepting Miroku's hand.
"Ah. You are too proud for that. Lead the way then."
Sesshoumaru began to take steps towards the camp, but after twenty feet or so, he found it hard to keep going. His head was pounding.
A small tickling sensation ran down his right temple.
Blood. His blood.
"I was injured."
"Yes."
"As if I couldn't be any worse off. I trust my well being to you, Monk. Do not fail me, or you shall die by my claws."
With that, the lord collapsed to his knees before falling forward, completely unconscious.
"You can trust me."
Miroku took hold of Sesshoumaru's one arm and pulled him onto his back.
"But just this once."
Miroku walked into the camp and the girls gasped.
"What happened?!?!" Sango and Kagome cried.
"Long night," was all Miroku would say. He then added one thing.
"Long night of crazy."
Whoo!! That was fun and long!! Hope you guys read it and like it. This chapter took forever and a day. Pretty soon though, this story's gonna have to end. Sesshoumaru has demon blood, so he's gonna start healing now. However, I've become taken to writing stories w/ Inuyasha characters being ill, since there aren't many. So I may do a sequel to this. Btw, I don't like torturing Sesshoumaru...well, maybe I sorta do, but that's because he's my favorite, so I feel sorrier for him then.