Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few days later, the group was well on it's way. Sango still rode on Kirara's back, but when they stopped for the day, Kirara would change into her human form. Miroku rode on Ah-Uhn. Every once in awhile, Rin would climb up with him. Now was one of those times. He was telling her stories of people and demons he had encountered on his travels. Sango was watching him from the corner of her eye. "And then, the brave monk stepped around the side of the building when BAM!" Miroku yelled the last word. Rin, who had been paying rapt attention, screamed. Sango smiled.
'He'd make a good father,' she thought. 'Whoa, where'd that come from?' She blushed a little.
"Are you all right, Sango?" Sesshoumaru asked. Sango's blush deepened when she realized he had seen her blush.
"Um, I'm fine. Really. Heh heh." Kagome snorted and giggled.
"You lie like a dog." Kagome quipped.
"Hey!" Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha said, sounding insulted. Inuyasha had stopped being so angry after a day or so, after Kagome and him talked a little more, though it still hurt him to lose Kikyo. All but Shippou and Rin laughed.
"Grown ups are weird." Shippou said. Rin slid off Ah-Uhn to walk beside Shippou.
"Yup," she agreed, nodding. The group fell silent again as each was left to their own thoughts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After nightfall, the group settled down near a forest and drifted off to sleep.
~!Sess Flashback!~
*Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and found himself in the healing room in his castle. He saw Tomoyo. "This will be a painful process, my lord," she said as she turned to face him. He looked at her for a second, confused.
"How long will it take?" he heard himself say. He spun around and saw himself. The self in his memory stood there with his upper kimono and armor off. Most surprising was his right arm. It was only a stub. Tomoyo walked over, through Sesshoumaru, and painted some characters on the stub.
"I do not know, my lord. You may wish to lie down. Do not touch the characters no matter what." He simply looked down at her. She sighed softly and started chanting. The characters started glowing and seared into his skin. Tomoyo grabbed his hand when he started to reach up. "No, my lord!" She led him over to a futon and helped him lay down. Blood dripped on the sheets as five things grew from the stub. Slowly but surely, the clawed fingers grew out. The memory-Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and clenched his jaw tight against the pain. Tomoyo sat on his chest and held him still. The real Sesshoumaru pulled up the sleeve of his kimono. There was a thin pink scar line just above his elbow. He snapped back to the scene when he heard himself yelp. Tomoyo had taken a knife and cut away a larger circle of skin for the hand to come out freely. He heard her murmur softly to him, trying to take his mind off the pain. The real Sesshoumaru felt a stabbing pain in his arm.
~! End Flashback !~
Sesshoumaru sat up with a soft yell. He clutched at his arm. It was there. When had he lost it? How? He leaned back against the tree and tried to slow down his breath. A softer throb was all that remained from the arrow wound. "What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked.
"When did I lose my arm?" Sesshoumaru asked. He looked up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked down at him, his face unreadable.
"About a year ago."
"How?" Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. He didn't ever think he'd be discussing ithis/i with his brother. He put his nose in the air.
"How should I know?" He jumped off into in another tree. Sesshoumaru stared back down at the ground and rubbed his arm. Inuyasha sat in his tree, thinking.
~! Flashback !~
"Just shut up and let me protect you!" he yelled at Kagome. In that instant, the rusted sword in his hand transformed into a gleaming white fang. He ran at his brother's huge dog for and sliced his arm clean off. Sesshoumaru roared with anger and pain. He licked at the wound, trying to at least stop the blood flow.
~! End Flashback !~
'I didn't regret it at the time. I don't regret it now either. It was something that had to be done.' He looked down at Kagome. 'She did what had to be done. I was too weak to do it myself. I promised to protect Kagome before I promised to protect Kikyo. Would I have stopped Kagome if I could've been able to move? Why couldn't I move?' He fingered the beads around his neck. 'The necklace was glowing, but it didn't pull me down. Kagome didn't say sit either.' He shivered. 'Their purifying energy didn't hurt me either. Which one of them would've thought to protect me?' He rolled his eyes. 'Kagome. Duh.' He inwardly sighed. 'Kikyo only wanted to kill me. Still, I owed her my life. I've got to defeat Naraku so I can avenge her death.' He sat staring at the ground until he fell asleep.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
At the wolf pack den, Kouga sat at the mouth of the cave, looking at the stars, and thinking. "What are you thinking about?" Ayame asked as she sat down beside him. "Please don't tell me that human girl." Kouga looked over at her.
"What I'm thinking does involve Kagome, but it's none of your business anyway," he said. Ayame stood quickly.
"Fine." She started to walk away. "I just wanted to tell you that she's in the western lands again, not an hour's run from here." She walked back into the cave. 'If I can't make him happy, maybe she can at least.' Instead of hearing Kouga run off, she heard him follow her. He grabbed her hand.
"Would you like to come with me? To see Kagome, I mean."
"Why?" He shrugged. She nodded reluctantly and walked back towards the cave entrance with him. She noticed he wasn't letting go of her hand. She smiled to herself and wrapped her fingers more tightly around his. (/I know. I know. Kagome and Inuyasha did this in reverse order, but hey, I wanted a fluffy moment and this is adorable fluffy./) He looked over his shoulder and smiled. They started running into the forest.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tami: It's a little bit shorter than usual. Sorry. I wanted to update soon and this is what came out.
* = This is how I remember stuff. I see outside myself in my memory. I rarely see things through my eyes when I look back on stuff. *shrugs* I'm weird, I know.
Review Responses:
Soli-chan: Is this sooner enough? *giggle* I'm starting to get back in the swing of things, so hopefully I can start updating more.
Amreld: I wouldn't want to cuddle my own tail, but there's a few guys whose tail I wouldn't mind cuddling if they had one. *smirk* Oh, and it will be very interesting when he gets them back. Fics and three weeks worth of taped Inuyasha episodes have cured me for now.
Sukuri: Aw, dude, e-mail me whenever you want. I don't mind at all. Inuyasha actually said one of my phrases in an episode once. "Damn it to hell." *giggle* Whenever I'm pissed at something, that's what I say. I'm not supposed to swear either. I'm glad you don't hate me. I'm glad no one does actually. It would suck monkeys if someone did.
Suki1: Trust me, hon, I could never give up this story. And guess what! I have a real car! My parents got me one for m 16th birthday. Now I can really drive around for inspiration. (Well, when I get my license anyway.)
Miharu210: Pocky! I've heard it's yummy! Whee!
Azn-anime: That's a really long time! I dunno if I could write that long. O.o
Familia-Ficz: Oooo, fun mental image. *drool* Ah-Uhn is fun! I love them.him.whatever. Jaken will die if I have my say. And it's my story! So ha! I was a goth fairy for Halloween! *giggle* Great minds think alike. Sess: So what does that have to do with you two? Tami: *growls and pulls out Frying Pan of Doom* Don't make me use this on you. Sess: Tch. Tami: If he was real.there's way too many ways to finish that sentence. *dreamy grin*
Lunatic Pandora1:Yes, it's Sess/Kag. I'll try to make them interact more.
Also thanks to:
Tiger Tiger2
Deadly Tears
Saria4
Jarjayes
Midnight-Chaos-Flame
Crystalstar
trihn
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few days later, the group was well on it's way. Sango still rode on Kirara's back, but when they stopped for the day, Kirara would change into her human form. Miroku rode on Ah-Uhn. Every once in awhile, Rin would climb up with him. Now was one of those times. He was telling her stories of people and demons he had encountered on his travels. Sango was watching him from the corner of her eye. "And then, the brave monk stepped around the side of the building when BAM!" Miroku yelled the last word. Rin, who had been paying rapt attention, screamed. Sango smiled.
'He'd make a good father,' she thought. 'Whoa, where'd that come from?' She blushed a little.
"Are you all right, Sango?" Sesshoumaru asked. Sango's blush deepened when she realized he had seen her blush.
"Um, I'm fine. Really. Heh heh." Kagome snorted and giggled.
"You lie like a dog." Kagome quipped.
"Hey!" Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha said, sounding insulted. Inuyasha had stopped being so angry after a day or so, after Kagome and him talked a little more, though it still hurt him to lose Kikyo. All but Shippou and Rin laughed.
"Grown ups are weird." Shippou said. Rin slid off Ah-Uhn to walk beside Shippou.
"Yup," she agreed, nodding. The group fell silent again as each was left to their own thoughts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After nightfall, the group settled down near a forest and drifted off to sleep.
~!Sess Flashback!~
*Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and found himself in the healing room in his castle. He saw Tomoyo. "This will be a painful process, my lord," she said as she turned to face him. He looked at her for a second, confused.
"How long will it take?" he heard himself say. He spun around and saw himself. The self in his memory stood there with his upper kimono and armor off. Most surprising was his right arm. It was only a stub. Tomoyo walked over, through Sesshoumaru, and painted some characters on the stub.
"I do not know, my lord. You may wish to lie down. Do not touch the characters no matter what." He simply looked down at her. She sighed softly and started chanting. The characters started glowing and seared into his skin. Tomoyo grabbed his hand when he started to reach up. "No, my lord!" She led him over to a futon and helped him lay down. Blood dripped on the sheets as five things grew from the stub. Slowly but surely, the clawed fingers grew out. The memory-Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and clenched his jaw tight against the pain. Tomoyo sat on his chest and held him still. The real Sesshoumaru pulled up the sleeve of his kimono. There was a thin pink scar line just above his elbow. He snapped back to the scene when he heard himself yelp. Tomoyo had taken a knife and cut away a larger circle of skin for the hand to come out freely. He heard her murmur softly to him, trying to take his mind off the pain. The real Sesshoumaru felt a stabbing pain in his arm.
~! End Flashback !~
Sesshoumaru sat up with a soft yell. He clutched at his arm. It was there. When had he lost it? How? He leaned back against the tree and tried to slow down his breath. A softer throb was all that remained from the arrow wound. "What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked.
"When did I lose my arm?" Sesshoumaru asked. He looked up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked down at him, his face unreadable.
"About a year ago."
"How?" Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. He didn't ever think he'd be discussing ithis/i with his brother. He put his nose in the air.
"How should I know?" He jumped off into in another tree. Sesshoumaru stared back down at the ground and rubbed his arm. Inuyasha sat in his tree, thinking.
~! Flashback !~
"Just shut up and let me protect you!" he yelled at Kagome. In that instant, the rusted sword in his hand transformed into a gleaming white fang. He ran at his brother's huge dog for and sliced his arm clean off. Sesshoumaru roared with anger and pain. He licked at the wound, trying to at least stop the blood flow.
~! End Flashback !~
'I didn't regret it at the time. I don't regret it now either. It was something that had to be done.' He looked down at Kagome. 'She did what had to be done. I was too weak to do it myself. I promised to protect Kagome before I promised to protect Kikyo. Would I have stopped Kagome if I could've been able to move? Why couldn't I move?' He fingered the beads around his neck. 'The necklace was glowing, but it didn't pull me down. Kagome didn't say sit either.' He shivered. 'Their purifying energy didn't hurt me either. Which one of them would've thought to protect me?' He rolled his eyes. 'Kagome. Duh.' He inwardly sighed. 'Kikyo only wanted to kill me. Still, I owed her my life. I've got to defeat Naraku so I can avenge her death.' He sat staring at the ground until he fell asleep.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
At the wolf pack den, Kouga sat at the mouth of the cave, looking at the stars, and thinking. "What are you thinking about?" Ayame asked as she sat down beside him. "Please don't tell me that human girl." Kouga looked over at her.
"What I'm thinking does involve Kagome, but it's none of your business anyway," he said. Ayame stood quickly.
"Fine." She started to walk away. "I just wanted to tell you that she's in the western lands again, not an hour's run from here." She walked back into the cave. 'If I can't make him happy, maybe she can at least.' Instead of hearing Kouga run off, she heard him follow her. He grabbed her hand.
"Would you like to come with me? To see Kagome, I mean."
"Why?" He shrugged. She nodded reluctantly and walked back towards the cave entrance with him. She noticed he wasn't letting go of her hand. She smiled to herself and wrapped her fingers more tightly around his. (/I know. I know. Kagome and Inuyasha did this in reverse order, but hey, I wanted a fluffy moment and this is adorable fluffy./) He looked over his shoulder and smiled. They started running into the forest.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tami: It's a little bit shorter than usual. Sorry. I wanted to update soon and this is what came out.
* = This is how I remember stuff. I see outside myself in my memory. I rarely see things through my eyes when I look back on stuff. *shrugs* I'm weird, I know.
Review Responses:
Soli-chan: Is this sooner enough? *giggle* I'm starting to get back in the swing of things, so hopefully I can start updating more.
Amreld: I wouldn't want to cuddle my own tail, but there's a few guys whose tail I wouldn't mind cuddling if they had one. *smirk* Oh, and it will be very interesting when he gets them back. Fics and three weeks worth of taped Inuyasha episodes have cured me for now.
Sukuri: Aw, dude, e-mail me whenever you want. I don't mind at all. Inuyasha actually said one of my phrases in an episode once. "Damn it to hell." *giggle* Whenever I'm pissed at something, that's what I say. I'm not supposed to swear either. I'm glad you don't hate me. I'm glad no one does actually. It would suck monkeys if someone did.
Suki1: Trust me, hon, I could never give up this story. And guess what! I have a real car! My parents got me one for m 16th birthday. Now I can really drive around for inspiration. (Well, when I get my license anyway.)
Miharu210: Pocky! I've heard it's yummy! Whee!
Azn-anime: That's a really long time! I dunno if I could write that long. O.o
Familia-Ficz: Oooo, fun mental image. *drool* Ah-Uhn is fun! I love them.him.whatever. Jaken will die if I have my say. And it's my story! So ha! I was a goth fairy for Halloween! *giggle* Great minds think alike. Sess: So what does that have to do with you two? Tami: *growls and pulls out Frying Pan of Doom* Don't make me use this on you. Sess: Tch. Tami: If he was real.there's way too many ways to finish that sentence. *dreamy grin*
Lunatic Pandora1:Yes, it's Sess/Kag. I'll try to make them interact more.
Also thanks to:
Tiger Tiger2
Deadly Tears
Saria4
Jarjayes
Midnight-Chaos-Flame
Crystalstar
trihn