Hello, hello, back again! I'm trying to put out as many chapters as possible between now, and about a week, because I'll be busy with the Fourth of July, my Grandmother's birthday, and various other things. Spending time with my family will be the thing to do, so I doubt if I'll have any time to write. Well, this is Chapter Four, I don't have much to say until the end of it, so have fun kids!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha, it belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, yes, yes, yes.

Reflection

Chapter 4-Can't Live Within You



Inu-Yasha struggled to overcome the poison. It had seeped deep into his heart since Sesshomaru had struck him violently across the throat and had been causing him terrible, burning pain.

Because of said poison, the wound itself refused to close, and his blood poured freely, soaking the front of his shirt through second by second. Demons rarely suffered from lack of blood, as their unique healing abilities often saved them, but in this case, it had become a very real possibility.

His vision blurred hazily, even now he could only barely make out Kagome as she sat, numb to the world, at Sesshomaru's feet. His brother looked equally as dismal, though he was yet to determine why.

As the dragging seconds passed, very faintly, his wrecked mind registered the fact that Kagome was in the presence of his brother.

HIS brother.

'That's dangerous...' He observed dimly.

His hand, shaking violently, crawled out to the two slowly, reaching, trying to grasp Kagome's form. "Kagome..." He whispered hoarsely, and moments later fell to the ground, eyes still open, though the light had left them.

Kagome turned her head at the source of a small crash, her gaze withdrawn from her hair, which she had found a new fascination with since drawing out of her trance-like state with Sesshomaru.

"Inu-Yasha!" She suddenly exclaimed, and the song, the visions, all of it left her mind in an instant at the sight of her dear friend. Immediately, she sprang to her feet and scrambled over to his side, still breathing his name. "Inu-Yasha, oh please, Inu-Yasha!" She rolled him into her arms gently, and searched him for signs of life, beginning to weep over his still form.

"Quickly," Miroku shouted as he dashed over to them, "check his pulse!" Kagome nodded shortly and pressed two hesitant fingers to the hanyou's wrist. 'It's so faint...' She thought helplessly. The heartbeat was only a flicker, very brief and over extended periods of four or five seconds.

"Not good," she mumbled.

Shippou clung to Sango's shoulder, as they too, as well as Kirara, raced to gather around their fallen companion. As they neared, however, an uncharacteristically brave Shippou tossed a comment over his shoulder to the Demon Lord who watched on in silence. "This is all your fault!" He spat.

Unexpectedly, Sesshomaru felt a pang of guilt strike him suddenly, and he found himself nearing walking towards them. Kagome looked up at him as he approached. "He's dying..." She whispered. In her eyes, there was no accusation, no anger, no hatred, but concern, and love, and, as he studied her even further, a plea for help; and he was compelled to answer it.

Sesshomaru considered his sword first, and realized that he could simply allow Inu-Yasha to die and then revive him seconds after. But deep in the confines of his heart, he rethought the proposition.

'No, I couldn't.' He wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing that he had murdered his own kin, it was too horrific to bear. Moments ago, he might have allowed it without a backward glance, and yet, somehow, he was different, his emotions were more keen and overpowering, particularly now, when he felt the urgency of time.

Without a word, he bent to shuffle his unconscious sibling into his embrace and rose, towering above all of them with the same unreadable expression he was known for.

Both Sango and Shippou looked ready to intervene, and Kirara bristled with rage. Miroku tried to remain calm and thoughtful, though obviously having doubts, while Kagome smiled in spite of it all, a small smile, but a smile all the same. Her eyes now conveyed a simple, straightforward message: "thank you."

"Come," Sesshomaru snapped as he turned and took flight without warning.

Sango glanced at Kagome hesitantly, searching for an answer. "Kagome-chan-"

"We can trust him, now let's hurry." The young woman was acting now like everything was natural, with much confidence in her voice. From sobbing to smiling in less than a minute; it was odd, and almost frustrating for the exterminator.

Having issued the command, Kagome hopped onto Kirara, and motioned for Miroku, Sango, and Shippou to do the same.

"If you say so Kagome-sama," Miroku muttered as he slid on with the girl. Sango, still concerned, very carefully did the same, tossing confused looks in Kagome's direction as Kirara leapt into the air, following Sesshomaru to wherever he intended to take Inu-Yasha.

Sesshomaru cradled the hanyou in his arms cautiously, feeling very much the responsible older brother all of a sudden.

Behind him, he could detect the smell of the mononoke as well as it's passengers. Though most distinctly, the girl.

'Has she brought on this change?'

Her name was Kagome, of this, he was certain. He had heard the name spoken before, saw her respond to it, and marveled at its charm. The very word itself seemed to hold a light heart that beat as strongly as his own. As he recalled, it was the name of a children's song, which seemed very fitting for the young woman. She often inspired the delight of others like a child, why not then, shouldn't she be named after one of their most favored rhymes?

His attention was called back to Inu-Yasha as he felt his soul and scent gradually continue to disappear little by little. He would need medical care immediately, death was upon him.

Sesshomaru was headed, at present, to a fortress built strategically into the side of a mountain in the very South of his lands. They would certainly be concealed well in that place.

'Concealed,' he thought, 'from Naraku.' He had truly forgotten it in the rush of so many new events, but his anger was now fully recovered, and he clenched his fists tightly with remembrance of the hateful creature. Someday, he would defeat him with his own two hands, someday, though this would not be it. Inu-Yasha called for him now. Perhaps he did not need aid, but his brother did.

Sesshomaru picked up the pace a bit and skirted off along the clouds in a sphere of radiant blue light, trusting that the mononoke would be able to follow his scent.

"Hey..." Shippou whined as he watched Inu-Yasha and his brother rocket out of sight, "Wait up!"

No one but the little kitsune was particularly bothered by it. But Shippou took it as potential betrayal immediately. "He's getting away! We should have never trusted Sesshomaru!"

"Well I hope that he is 'getting away' as you put it Shippou, Inu-Yasha could die at any moment." Miroku commented dryly. Shippou slouched on his perch, now the monk's arm rather than Sango's.

"There's still no reason to trust him," he sulked.

Both the demon exterminator and Kagome remained statuesque, not speaking, not even making eye contact. At heart, Sango expected that she felt the events that had taken place between her friend and the demon lord more deeply than Kagome had. Her mind struggled for answers as she tried to determine how it was possible Kagome could be so unaffected as she was. Eventually she left it as true concern for Inu-Yasha, and scolded herself for a moment for doubting her.

Kagome prayed silently for the hanyou with heartfelt determination, but she was not above thinking of another man at the moment. Sango had been wrong, the young woman was as much focused on Sesshomaru as she was the younger sibling, as well as the strange new dreamlike occurance, and, the song; the song that no longer plagued her mind, that didn't even cross her mind anymore without her own will.

It seemed to have faded all together as soon as she had experienced that nightmare, or dream, or whatever it was. Kagome was actually certain that it couldn't be a nightmare, she hadn't fallen asleep. It couldn't have been a daydream, those were voluntary. The only real possibility she could conceive was that it had been a vision, of sorts; but that couldn't be possible either, for Kagome had a strangely irking feeling that Sesshomaru had experienced it too.

What she wanted to know, was who he had seen before him. Had it been her, or was it truly the woman with the golden hair, so unlike her own?

Also just as curious, why, all of a sudden, she couldn't place any hate for the demon. Not even an hour ago, she had held fiercely to the idea that no matter what, he was a cold-blooded killer; now, she might even think of him as a friend. At least he was trying to help Inu-Yasha, that was good, wasn't it? Perhaps that had brought on her change of opinion.

Her face suddenly scrunched into a scowl; to make matters worse, it was still raining, of all things. Kirara's fur was wet and slick, and she could easily slide off at any moment. The whole evening had been a wet mess. 'What is wrong with the weather?" She sniffed angrily, tempted to brake the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the group by saying it out loud, though feeling awkward as soon as she had even considered it. Instead, she kept to her own thoughts and observations.

Sango sat frigidly before her, not even bothering to give her a characteristic, consoling smile. Kagome got the faint impression that she was angry about something, about...her. 'She must think I'm taking this too lightly,' Kagome thought, 'I mean, I just about exploded with pain, and then there's Sesshomaru, and now Inu-Yasha's on the brink of death. She must think I'm such a jerk...' Of course, it was just a thought, an assumption, but it was nearly accurate; though Kagome didn't know that. In all honesty it was just a dark little thought born of her anxieties, nothing more at all.

Kagome did worry for herself. Why was she taking this so well? It was true, she should be completely distressed at this point. But something deep inside her continued to tell her not to worry, and she couldn't figure that out either. She couldn't figure anything out these days.

'Like, for example, I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY IT IS RAINING!!!' She huffed and put her head down in rage. It was all too overwhelming right now, no matter how she chose to accept it. She needed a hot spring. She needed Inu-Yasha around so she could tell him to "sit." She needed it to stop raining. She needed lots of things.



The castle drew into view slowly, and Inu-Yasha was nearly dead. But miraculously, the half-demon clung to life sincerely, and as the mighty building loomed into view, he was still breathing shallowly.

The castle itself was a feat of the engineering of the time. It was crafted carefully into a natural dent in the rock, all of its nine levels created like stairs individually; each supported by slender beams, creating a near waterfall effect.

Despite it's beauty, however, it had been created as a tool of war. His father had used it frequently during times of battle due to its discrete location; being nearly surrounded by mountains acting both as a mask, and a shield. Few were aware of its whereabouts, prompting his decision to allow Inu-Yasha and his mother to live there at times for their own safety. It was also enormous, and could contain a small army if needed, thus becoming a base of operations for all intents and purposes. Indeed, it was a very useful, and secretive fortress, just the place to allow Inu-Yasha to heal properly, and conveniently close enough so that he had been able to access it in this brief space of time.

By then, he had reached the gardens that were spread at its base, and alighted gracefully in their midst. Without a moment's hesitation, he began racing through them, the quickest way to reach the large gate, which was concealed in the rock, like most everything else. Exotic trees and flowers opened before him as he navigated through the brush skillfully, they were all gifts from foreign lands, spoils of war, or other, unnecessary additions to his father's wealth of variety and riches at the time.

At last the gate finally loomed before him, accompanied by two solitary statues molded after identical beasts. They had been created centuries ago, and acted as guards of the palace. Though seemingly decorative casts of stone, at the mere buzzing of an unbidden insect, they would spring to life without warning to annihilate any uninvited guest. They had recognized his blood and Inu-Yasha's immediately, as they had been built to, and allowed them passage without a passing glance; but he would have to clarify with them somehow to allow the girl and her companions through as well.

'No time.' He thought rapidly a he raced into the building, barely able to hold onto reality without remembering his brother nearly dead in his arms. Sesshomaru's surroundings now appeared to him as a dizzying blur, too swiftly passing by to be acknowledged or even visible as he brushed through the maze-like halls. Servants bowed to him as he passed, considering him as a guest at least because of his very presence though they knew not his identity due to his speed.

It was a simple enough journey, he had spent so much of his life here that hecould remember where the healers dwelt in the vastness of the castle, and he could smell the scent of old blood that still lingered in that particular wing.

The scent grew stronger; he gradually began to slow as his destination ahead became more clear, the next corner he turned would bring him to the end of his search.

'Finally.'

Any of the rooms along the hall he now stood before would suit his brother's needs; shooting into the most accessible one, he began calling for a healer. Very gently, he lowered Inu-Yasha into the futon at his feet, and proceeded to check his breathing and pulse. It was low, nearly undetectable. For an instant, Sesshomaru had feared his brother might have died, and yet his heart continued to beat, he had life in him yet, he would save him.

'Inu-Yasha, my brother, you will not die.'

Kagome resisted the urge to break into a sprint down the halls of the impressively large building she now wandered so impatiently in.

A seemingly emotionless vassal now led them through the quiet halls of the castle. She might have commented on how he reminded her of Sesshomaru, but somehow, it wasn't the same. The little man had a tired face, still smiling cheerily, but old and lacking of true happiness. He was aged, at least sixty, with his thin gray hair pulled back with a dignified tie high on the back of his head, dressed formally, though not as one with a royal back round.

This servant had met them at the gate, leading them through with nervous looks directed at the statues that stood on either side like they would attack at any given moment. Because of his age, however, they were traveling at a much slower rate than Kagome would have preferred. Perhaps Inu-Yasha was in the care of the professionals of the time, but she still feared for him. His wounds had been terrible, he might not survive...

Servants much like their current guide lowered their heads at them silently as they passed, while some even got down on their hands and knees and bowed. Surprisingly, it was an even mix of both demons and humans. The man before them himself was human.

Their ages seemed to range from very young adults, to men and women as old as eighty, but there were no children to be seen anywhere. Even more noticeable, that they met no one who appeared to have a higher rank than a personal attendant. 'Does no one live here?' Kagome began to wonder.

After what seemed an eternity of tense silence, the group finally rounded a sharp corner at the end of a wide hall. At the first room on the left, the elderly man stopped and slid the door open slowly, motioning for them to enter.

Kagome hesitated and stared at the man for an moment for approval. He nodded slightly and urged her forward, bobbing his head once more in return to the girl before she bolted in, followed by Sango.

Neither one of the frantic young women seemed not to have even noticed the small child sitting beside the door, knees drawn up to her chin, arms folded over them, and eyes half-closed in what had resembled sleepiness. She had perked up at their arrival, however, almost instantly, all tire banished from her gaze, replaced with sparkling charm. Her hair was partially bundled up in a lopsided ponytail, and she wore a summer yukata decorated with red and yellow flowers.



"Hello!" She chirped at the remaining Shippou and Miroku. "Rin was wondering when you would arrive!" She then leapt up excitedly and began gawking at Shippou's tail.

Miroku gentlemanly bent down a bit to lock eyes with the girl and spoke lightly. "And who is Rin?" He asked quietly.

The small girl giggled and pointed at herself proudly. "Ahhh... Shippou why don't you handle this." Miroku said as he darted into the room smoothly.

"Hey wait a minute Miroku, I want to see Inu-Yasha too!" The kitsune shouted to the inside of the chamber.

"I'll fill you in on the details!" The monk called over his shoulder as he disappeared through a second archway.

Shippou clenched his fists and muttered a few curses under his breath angrily before he suddenly became aware of the still staring girl standing in front of him. A few seconds of silence passed awkwardly before she pointed at his bushy tail brightly. "Rin likes your tail."



"Oh Inu-Yasha..." Kagome cried as she stroked the hanyou's brow tenderly with a damp cloth. His warm breath tickled her hand as she did so, frequently, and steadily, a pleasant reminder that her friend was alive and well.

"I hadn't even thought of your sword Sesshomaru, why didn't you use it?" Sango asked cautiously. She received no reply from the demon lord, who stood coldly before them. She didn't press him about it either, they owed him their thanks for saving Inu-Yasha, there was no need to bother him now.

Miroku sat on his legs beside Sango. His staff laid across his lap. "It is a wonder that Inu-Yasha was able to survive, even with the care of healers as skilled as the ones you have here." He had changed the subject for a reason. Whatever was needed to break the frigid silence he would certainly provide. Everyone except for the joyful Kagome was acting as if Inu-Yasha had died instead.

Several hours had passed since Kagome had come bursting into the room with Sango and Miroku, and faint light had appeared on the horizon, signaling that dawn was not far off. Since then, they had watched with bated breath as he underwent the painful process of healing, overseen by demon healers whose hands were much more delicate and precise than any human's. They had sown the would carefully, and extracted a bit of the poison around it, but left the rest up to Inu-Yasha, and fate.

In the end, the half-demon had pulled through just barely, and was now attended only by Kagome, who persistently attempted to bring down his diminished fever with various signs of affection.

All in all, there was now a strange sort of eerie calm that had settled over the room. Kagome was absorbed in her care of Inu-Yasha, but both Miroku and Sango had noticed his brother's odd behavior long ago.

They alone were wondering over his sudden change of heart. They had seen the way he had hovered over his sibling like a hawk, always badgering the healers with reports of his progress throughout the whole escapade. One might have assumed that it was a passing thing, and that he might fade entirely into his old self once it had been announced that Inu-Yasha would live, but thing's had only become more mysterious.

Rather than be focused on his younger brother, Sesshomaru's eyes now rested on Kagome. He had been watching her silently for sometime. She hadn't realized it. Of course, this could only serve to make the exterminator and the monk nervous, and they each had been making dry comments to hold the demon's attention, to no avail. Eventually, he had just stopped responding, increasing the tension considerably.

Miroku was preparing now to question him on the subject, happy to end it finally, and his mouth opened to speak when he was suddenly halted by an unexpected command from Sesshomaru.

"Kagome," he spoke tightly, with more power and depth than usual. The young woman turned to face him slowly. "I would like a word with you alone." It was odd, hearing those words come from him. Perhaps they had expected a more dictating choice, but even so, he was still undeniably strict about it, and Kagome rose quickly.

Together, they both strode out of the room like shadows, a worried expression covering Kagome's features like a veil. Behind them, they left Sang and Miroku bewildered, and confused.

"Do you think he will harm her?" Sango mumbled once they had left.

"I doubt it, but as Inu-Yasha once told me, 'you can't be sure.'"

I know, I know, it ends abruptly. Don't worry. I'll update soon. Besides, it's just about three in the morning and I don't want to experiment with writing at that hour. I don't think you'll want me to either. But hey, it was a pretty long chapter anyway. Well, I'm going to bed folks. Also, I have no idea if Tensaiga only works once the person you are trying to save is dead or not. They were never very clear on that in the series, so I just assumed, you know. And also, the whole purpose of this chapter was basically to got them at the castle. It'll help the story along later. Hope you liked it.