MataruDoukotsu

Behind These Blue Eyes

Chapter One: Promise

Disclaimer: I know I don't own them, You know I don't own them...So what's the big fuss? Keh, lawyers, I swear by the great Kami...

Kagome gasped for breath as she lowered her bow. The muscles in her arms screamed for a break, but her instincts went farther to rip at her mind, forcing her to lift the wooden creation again and remove another arrow from the quiver. Narrowing her eyes on the youkai –that strongly resembled a lion but it was so deformed that she couldn't be too sure- and reached over her shoulder to do as her instincts bellowed, only to find no arrows…

Frantically she moved her hand, hoping that her fingers would brush across one of the soft feathered shafts, but alas, they did not. Out from the fear that she would become dinner for such an ugly demon, Kagome felt anger. They had finally found Naraku -they all knew that it was the dreaded final battle- and here she would get picked off by one horrendously ugly and very stupid youkai! The Fates really had it out for her…

Seeing a large paw coming down on top of her, anger was forgotten and fear was remembered. Closing her eyes, she resigned to her destiny. The miko waited for the blow, but either one, she had already died of panic and didn't register the attack or two, it just didn't come…but then she shouldn't get her hopes up.

''Cause I know it wouldn't take the damned thing three minutes to simply squashme.' She thought then began the hesitant act of peeling her eyes open. Upon doing so, they widened considerably at the sight held before her.

Moon blue hair flowing like water and white silk billowing gently in the air, and suddenly the futuristic miko felt those dangerous heated sun-like orbs upon her person.

"Sesshomaru…" She whispered. Damn he sure was a being to behold the eye! Finally he had come to battle; Kagome knew for sure that they would win now!

She was so wrapped up into thoughts of victory that she didn't realize that the Demon Lord of the West had picked her up into his arms.

"Pathetic fool." He hissed; the very poison that flowed through his veins weaved itself into his words.

"Wha…?" was her most surprised and intelligent reply.

"You were so entwined into my saving your inadequate life that you failed to realize there are other youkai trying to steal your last breath, miko."

It was the most Kagome had ever heard him speak in one sentence, and she almost felt as if he were scolding her like one of her parents. Fighting a blush she mumbled her thanks, and then proceeded to tell him what she needed to do. "I must get closer to Naraku, Sesshomaru. The closer I am the more damage I can wreck." She peeked through her bangs to look at his face. Kagome noted that the Taiyoukai nodded slightly to acknowledge her words. She felt his re-grown left arm pull her closer to his side as soon as Tokijin was in his sword hand.

"You will destroy Naraku completely if I protect you."

Vaguely she nodded, "I must get real close. You're the fastest and strongest of our side, that I'm sure of."

"We have a deal."

Just as Kagome thought, it did not take long for the Inuyoukai to get her remotely close. Of course there was not a moment where she thought she wasn't going to lose her lunch. Though she had to say it was much better and quicker than what Inuyasha or Koga had achieved over the pass couple of years with carrying a passenger.

Kagome grimaced as Sesshomaru ran past the dead corpse of the Wind Sorceress Kagura. He had not been easy with her or merciless, so the battle only lasted about five minutes. When they came closer, Kagome was horrified to see Naraku fighting –or more like laughing at- a battered and heavily wounded Inuyasha. Her eyes watered as she saw the monk Miroku impaled on his staff not too far away. And the tears fell as she watched a large bone boomerang being flung back at its owner and pin Sango the Taijiya to a tree. Kirara tried fruitlessly to budge the huge weapon.

It was much like a play before her eyes. She watched as Naraku pierced Inuyasha with a large tentacle through the chest, blood flowed from the Inu hanyou's mouth as the look of surprise froze on his face-

"NO!"

Something within the Miko snapped. She was tired of seeing all this destruction, death and absolute chaos. She just wanted all of her friends alive, safe and happy. Yet it looked as if that beautiful dream was to never happen. Breaking from Sesshomaru's steel like hold, Kagome ran at break neck speed towards the incarnation of malevolence. When she jumped the Evil hanyou, shock was written on his face with big bold and underlined letters.

"Remove yourself from me, bitch. You cannot win!" he laughed, the gleam of madness taking over his crimson eyes.

Her sapphire eyes burned white, and she snarled, "I will destroy you and chain you to the seventh depth of Hell and believe me, there's no eighth!" Growling she sunk her nails into his face, gouging out his eyes, ripping off his ears in her mad frenzy then crushing his wind pipe before sinking her hands into his chest. She could feel her power building and building before it burst…

XXX

Sesshomaru was surprised when the human onna broke free from him and he was ready to track after her had it not have been for the bright white light and Naraku's screams of torture and agony. Then as soon as it began, it ended. The clearing of the Bone-Eater's Well was deafeningly silent. Distinctly, he could hear his half-brother's cracking voice.

"Kagome-"

Then the Miko. "Inuyasha!"

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and watched as the onna stumbled to her feet and ran towards the hanyou. With mild interest, Sesshomaru looked on, watching the human and his pathetic hanyou brother.

XXX

Kagome lifted his head and placed her forehead to his. "Inuyasha no baka." She cried. "What got into you? You idiot! You stupid, stupid dumb ass!" He pushed the round sphere of the jewel into her hand. Crying heavily, she closed her fingers around it.

"There's nothing for you here anymore, Kagome. Stay strong…get away…" a pause where he began coughing, more black blood trickling from his thin lips. "What are you waiting for! Get the fuck home, bitch! You don't belong! You never belonged! Go home, you fucking bitch!" he snarled.

Disbelieving, Kagome stumbled to her feet; Shikon and Tetsusaiga in hand, she sobbed, "Inuyasha, I-" but she never finished.

"GO HOME!" he roared, his crippled body trembling in his anguish, and eyes bleeding crimson at the edges.

Eyes clouded with both grieving and terrified tears, she bolted to her feet and clumsily away from the Hanyou's position on the outskirts of the Goshimboku's canopy, making her way towards the well.

Stay strong. Stay strong. Stay strong. The words were a mantra to her steps in her mind. "I wish I were strong." She sobbed.

Unnoticed by the miko, the Shikon twinkled and slowly dissolved.

Kagome touched the rim of the rotting well. Five years. Five fucking years she had passed through the well continuously. And in those years she had managed to pass High School, her brother was now fourteen soon to be fifteen. Grandpa was dead and her mother working the Shrine; she and Souta living off the money Kagome's father left behind along with the corporation.

"And here I wasted half my life in a fairy tale."

XXX

Sesshomaru looked down at his brother as the Hanyou panted. The Taiyoukai knew he was to soon die within the next half hour, if not sooner. Crouching down, Sesshomaru ran his claws through Inuyasha's hair. It was so much like his own, accept the Hanyou's was pure white like their Sire's. The ivory Demon Lord idly caressed the half-breed's tan face with his eyes, gingerly.

"Sesshomaru…I want ya to do a favor for me." The Hanyou said between coughs. Amber eyes searching his elder brother's golden ones.

The Taiyoukai could see the light fading in those eyes that so resembled their late father, but that illumination was defiant. "If it is within my power."

"Look after Kagome, don't let her do anything stupid, 'cause she bound to some time. Make sure she's happy though." Inuyasha grabbed onto the Inu youkai's hand. Sesshomaru laid his hand that held Inuyasha's on the dieing boy's chest. The heart that pounded there was slowing rapidly as the hanyou panted harder. Those eyes searching desperately for an answer from the great youkai.

"This Sesshomaru will do as much as he can." The Taiyoukai of the Western Lands replied. He could feel his own heart pounding and his eyes sting; the reality of the situation crashing on him. As he watched the Hanyou, his throat constricted, he gave a smile to the boy as best as he could; a real caring and true smile that the younger had only seen one time before: when he had been a mere toddler and the cold demon had held him, teaching him to walk in the dead of the night. "Rest now, little brother."

Golden eyes locked onto failing amber as they stared at him blindly, without that so loved defiant radiance that had always propelled the Hanyou…all the way to the end, with a smile on his handsomely tanned face.

And Sesshomaru was vaguely aware of the very first tear that he had ever shed. But he would always remember that it had been for his little brother who had made such a big difference in the world…even being a Hanyou.

X

X/X/X

X

Sesshomaru reached the edge of the Bone-Eater's Well and didn't hesitate to jump in. He knew very well that the girl his brother had tried so diligently to protect was from the future. And logically, there was no way that girl couldn't be from the future with her indecent clothing, slang phrases and strange contraptions. He was dimly aware of the warmth the blue tinted magic gave him as the well let him through the time slip. Once he landed on solid ground, left it to jump over the edge. The scent of salt and sweet pea mixed with a demonic aura assaulted his sensitive nose. Golden eyes glowing in the darkness of the room, he caught sight of the most depressing scene he had ever come across his long years.

The girl- Kagome, remembered fiercely- sat at the base of the well, rocking to and fro with the sword of his father's fang, Tetsusaiga, in her arms, crying her eyes out. Her aura instead of the brilliant pink as it once was, was now the deepest snow white Sesshomaru had ever seen; the void of sorrow.

He was not overly surprised to see that the Miko was now her absolute opposite: youkai; considering he had heard her absent-minded wish to be strong. The jewel had turned her demon thinking that youkai were –rightly- stronger physically and mentally more stable than humans. Focusing on the girl, he crouched down in front of her, staring into her sobbing sun kissed face. Briefly he was reminded of Inuyasha seeing her tanned skin. Shaking his head to push back his slight grief for his last family member, he turned back to the girl.

"Kagome." His voice demanded her attention, though he knew she needed her time to grieve for the loss of her companions. And rightly, so did he; but as of right now, he did not matter. "Kagome." He spoke again. This time he was awarded with her shooting forward and latching her arms around him, crying silently into his chest. Trying to regain his balance, the great demon Lord wasn't sure of what to do. Impulse told him to shove her away, yet Instincts told him to wrap his arms around her slight form in return and still yet, his Mind told him that no matter what she was now, she was still human and weak.

She isn't exactly weakshe did, after all, destroy Naraku. All else said, Inuyasha wanted me to protect her because she was human and fragile, not weak. There is a difference. The Inu youkai thought, softly gazing down at the miko turned demon in his arms. Sighing slightly, he gathered her up, sword and all, and searched for the exit from the room.

Once found, he pushed the wooden door open with one boot clad foot. After hearing so many of Inuyasha's complaints of how the future smelled the month before the Final Battle when Sesshomaru had taken to traveling with his brother and actually talking with the Hanyou, the Taiyoukai knew to limit his breathing. Looking around he found the shrine house where the young miko lived. Passing by the God Tree and walking up a bit of stairs he came to what he thought was probably the back door. As he was about to shift Kagome in order for him to reach for the door, it opened, revealing a small black haired boy who distinctly reminded him of a human Kagome only in boy form.

"Sesshomaru-sama…" the boy whispered in what the Taiyoukai read as awe. Suddenly the young boy no older than fifteen bowed deeply to him before speaking. "This way please, Sesshomaru-sama."

Nodding his approval, the demon followed the boy who he was sure was the former Miko's young brother. Sesshomaru took notice of how to get to Kagome's bedroom from the door he had entered.

"This is her room. Her bathroom is the door with the target board on it." The boy spoke again.

"What is your name, child?" the Inuyoukai asked as he turned in the center of the room, memorizing every detail of it.

"Souta. I'm Kagome's kid brother. Izumi is our mother's name. We're the only people who reside here, so you may rest in peace that no one will disturb you unexpectedly." The teen answered with a slight smile.

"We will talk later…Souta." Sesshomaru spoke softly, yet commandingly smooth. Nodding the chocolate eyed boy backed out of the room and politely closed the door.

When Sesshomaru thought back to the name of Kagome's mother he was shocked to know that it sounded a lot like Izayoi, Inuyasha's ningen mother. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he concentrated on his main objective: Kagome. She was grimy and blood covered from the Battle. He was sure that if she had been in her right mind instead of the silent almost trance like state, she would be freaking out about being dirty. With a slight smirk, Sesshomaru set the girl down on the thing he was sure fit the descriptions of what Inuyasha called a 'toilet'. She stayed there with no qualms or changes in behavior. Leaving the bathroom and entering her main room, the thought occurred to him that he himself would have to bathe her, so he set to find something comfortable for her to wear.

Looking in her drawers he picked out a black pair of sweat pants and a deep emerald tank top; he had seen her wear something akin to this many a time before. As he searched her drawers, he came across one that only held carefully folded silk and cotton under garments, and by the scent that lingered upon them, he was absolutely sure as of that moment where they went on the female body. He suppressed a shiver of delight as he picked out a dark purple pair before going back to the bathing room.

She was just as he had left her.

Eyes blank, staring into nothingness. It irked him that her eyes, that were now of the palest blue almost bordering white, did not show the light that he had seen in them when he had defended her in the battle.

Then again she did see her comrades killed off as if they were nothing right before her eyes, and she was powerless to stop it. Small wonder she did not fall weak to her knees at such a sight. He thought to himself as he slowly and with gentle claws undressed her. There were no changes in her demeanor as she simply lifted her arms for him to peel off her shirt and so on and so forth. Turning toward the 'tub' he studied the two handles set on each side of the spout. Twisting the one closest to him, he found that it was the contraption to call forth hot water. With reasonable deduction, he surmised that the other knob was for the cold water.

Soon enough he had a warm concoction with bubbles he had found that came from a box he caught sight of in the cabinets under the sink- which he found worked the same way as the tub- labeled as Calgon: Moisturizing Bubble Bath. So naturally after seeing the word 'moisturizing' he threw some of the mixture immediately creating bubbles. The formula in the blend would help dissolve the grime and blood from her tanned skin.

Turning off the water, Sesshomaru gently gathered the nude girl to his bare chest – for he had shed his armor and haori once the heat of the bath in the small area got to him- and slowly lowered her into the steaming water. Having already gathered her bathing supplies- a body wash that smelled like sweet pea, and a shampoo with the scent of lavender- he worked on rubbing her skin clean from the dirt and dried blood with a wash cloth. Sesshomaru forced himself to become distant and not to react as he bathed the female in her most sensitive of places.

After the Taiyoukai was finished with washing her, disgusted with the color and stench of the water, he drained it and ran a new bath for the former human. Washing her hair had not been hard and once he was done, he laid her back against the wall of the tub. He fascinated when she closed her eyes. Sesshomaru knew that she knew who he was, yet she seemed to not care. She had even relaxed and closed her haunting ever watchful eyes for the Great Kami's sake! The Inuyoukai felt something spark within him. Kagome had shown her ultimate trust of him by knowing that he was bathing her body –looking at her body!- and went further to close her eyes and relax.

Caressing her face with his deadly claws, he studied the changes. Dark emerald coloring on her lids that brought her eyes out, deep silver strips –two on each cheek- emerald hinting on the out lines. On her left arm was a curling, very graceful marking in the color of silver; it curled all the way from her elbow to her wrist. On her right was a more sharp and demonic one in the majestic emerald, this one to formed from her elbow to that dainty wrist. Almost the same design was on her lower back creeping over her hips; only this time the left held the sharp, demonic emerald and the right supported the flowing, graceful silver.

And below that marking a sleek almost cat-ish black tail tipped with white grew.

The sight of the back mark triggered something in the back of his mind, but he did not recognize it. Studying her face again, he noted the two emerald downward triangles holding a pale blue tear drop in the center crowed by her long ebony bangs. Thinking of bangs, he noted that her hair had grown longer –past her mid thigh- and deeper in color.

But for the life of him, Sesshomaru could not remember where that crest on her forehead came from…

Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, the Demon Lord- after testing the water and finding it growing cold- picked the girl up and proceeded to dry her and clothe her. It was much simpler than he had originally thought. After cleaning the bathroom, in means of disposing of the towels and washcloth he had used for her in the bathroom hamper then placing her dirty clothes in her bedroom hamper, Sesshomaru carried the demon girl to her childhood bed and laid her down upon the covers. Gazing down at her, Sesshomaru knew he could not turn back now. He had promised his little brother –on the death bed, no less!- that he would do everything for her that was within his power and abilities.

Releasing a deep sigh, the Inuyoukai was about to turn away from the strange girl to check out the premises of the shrine before a delicate golden skinned hand reached out and grabbed hold of his own paler, much larger hand. The same one that a certain hanyou had grabbed not too long ago. Whipping his head around, molten eyes fell onto sorrow filled ice blue.

"Please…don't leave me to." Her soft terror filled voice pleaded.

The Demon Lord felt his heart clench. "Shh…" he cooed before sitting down before the bed, laying his head on the mattress near her stomach, looking up at her. "I won't leave." The girl whimpered once before curling herself around him slightly and drifting off into slumber.

Just what have I gotten myself into now, Inuyasha? He thought before settling himself comfortably as possible. It was going to be a long night.

XXXXX

A/N: Tell me what you think. Sorry it went so fast but I need it to start to up and go, if you know what I mean. I can't waste any time, really, on the beginning. So there.