Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Inuyasha or Sesshomaru...or Kouga, or Shippo, or Keade, or Kagome. blah blah blah blah blah...

Sesshomaru Forbidden Bonds II

Decision

The next morning the three of them prepared to depart for the feudal era.

Inuyasha awoke before the crack of dawn and proceed his morning patrol around the shine grounds.

Kagome rose early to begin making both breakfast and her special lunches for everyone back home. As she whisked and mixed around the eggs and spices around in a bowl the meko repeatedly looked over her shoulder to the living room, where Soun had fallen asleep from exhaustion and pain. "How am I going to tell them? How are they going to take it? If it's possible would they be willing to take the risk? Then there's the Kutoso to deal with. How are we going to stop it before every demon is destroyed? Sure a lot of demons are bad but there're a lot of nice ones too. This is giving me a headache."

Inuyasha came in just as she was arranging the lunchboxes on the table. "Well? Any news back from those quacks yet?"

Kagome: "Yes."

Inuyasha: "Well what is it then so we can head back?"

Kagome gazed down at the food, but hardly looked at it. She hung her head low so that her bangs hid her eyes from view.

Inuyasha leaned over the table curiously, "Kagome? You ok?"

Kagome nodded and breathed in a hesitated breath.

The hanyou sniffed the air to find out what was wrong, "Chopping onions again?"

She quickly shook her head and hurried on with her food. All the while Inuyasha kept sensing that something was wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it. (as usual)

(a few hours later)

"Mommy!"

As the three time travelers headed back toward the village from the well Shippo, Sano and Rin ran from the hut in eager joy. Two flew into Sdoun Yee's arms while the third leaped into Kagome's.

"You're back! You're back!" Shippo exclaimed nuzzling close to Kagome.

Kagome: (laughs) "Nice to see you too. Everything alright?"

Rin glanced up to Kagome, her arms still wrapped around her adoptive mother, "Yeah, ut we've got another problem…."

Inuyasha: (raises and eyebrow) "Oh?"

Rin pulled away and took Soun by the hand, "Follow me everyone!"

Quickly the children led the others back to the Keade's hut.

Inuyasha was the first to enter through the thatched tarp doorway to see the priestess kneeling promptly between the pup on one side, and paler wolf demon on the other.

"OMG! Kouga!" Kagome shrieked. She ran inside and knelt down by Kouga's side. The wolf's breathing was still labored and crackled from the lethal spores. Several muscles in his face twitched and winced in pain

Inuyasha: "What happened to him?"

Just then Myoga the Flea jumped from the depths of Hegiowu's fur and griped hits tiny hands tightly on the skin of Inuyasha nose, "I'm afraid he's suffering the same ailment that Master Hegiowu has."

As if on cue Hegiowu had turned over on his other side and fallen back to sleep, followed by Kouga's violent pain filled coughs.

The miko Kagome hus her face in her hands: "Oh no….first Hegiowu…..now Kouga…..what next?"

Just as she said it a shadow fell inside the room making everything fall to a complete silence. Kagome looked over her shoulder to see that everyone had backed away from the door, and Sesshomaru was standing in it's place.

Kagome: "Oooooooh boy…."

"Cancer? What's that?" Inuyasha said cocking an eyebrow after hearing Kagome's diagnosis report from the hospital.

Kagome: "A terrible disease, I don't really know how describe it but it's always deadly left untreated."

"So what can we do?" Soun asked while stretching Sano's ears on her lap at the far corner of the room.

Sesshomaru listened carefully as the meko

Kagome: "Well...for many cases and types of this disease there are some treatments and therapies to counteract it. however for your case I'm afraid…
Inuyasha: "What?"

Kagome: I'm afraid she's going to need a heart transplant."

Miroku: "A what?"

Kagome: "A transplant. A surgery that will remove the diseased portions or the entire mass of the tissue and umm….."

Sango: "You mean remove her heart and put another one in?"

Kagome: "Well…..yeah…exactly…"

Shippo, Rin, and the wolf demons shuddered and cringed at the thought.
Hahhaku: "Ew gross!"

Rin: "Creepy."

Shippo: "Kind of morbid if you ask me."

"Is there any other way?" Soun said with a shivering sound in her voice as she looked down at her son who was listening uncertainly.

Kagome: "I wish there was….but there isn't."

Inuyasha: "If she doesn't have this done….How long will she last?"

"Five…maybe six months." Kagome pulled her keens up to her chin and gazed down on the floor, to bring up more unpleasantness of the story, "But it has to be done very soon, or else nothing will save her."

By then Sesshomaru has mysteriously disappeared.

Sango: "I guess he didn't take that so well."

Soun Yee lifted Sano from her lap and handed him to Inuyasha, "I'll go check on him."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Miroku asked unquestionably with concern.

"I maybe dying but I'm not crippled!" she exclaimed throwing the canvas door away and rushed out.

Keade sighed heavily, turning to the sickened boys, "I was afraid something like this would happen. Matters of the heart can be quite painful to more then one soul."

Ginta: "What? Is he afraid she'll change?"

Hakkaku: "Maybe a change of heart?"

Boys: (tries not to snicker)

Kagome: "That's not funny."

Hakkaku: (a little dramatic) "Oh the heartache!"

Sango and Keade: (cracks a grin) "That's bad…"

Ginta: (Shakespearian) "Oh thou has stolen thy heart!"

Kagome: "How dare you make jokes at such a heartbreaking matter!"

Everyone: (a laugh bursts out unintentionally)

On top of a hill outside the village Sesshomaru stood alone gazing up at the moon. In a day or so the new cycle will begin again, "How could I have let this happen? First the Kutoso, now this?"

"There you are." He heard a voice say. He turned around just as Soun was approaching him from the village.

Soun: "I was getting worried."

Sesshomaru looked away and gazed up at the slivering moon nearly gone, "I do not believe what the meko says is true. An illness which attacks an organ yes. But a process with removes a heart and put another one?"

"I don't think I should go through with it." Soun suddenly said gripping her chest fearing it would be stolen from her at any moment. "I want to live, but I don't think I can love you with someone else's heart inside me. How can the one I gave you be so diseased? What will happen if the 'transplant' was done?" She then walked up to him and leaned against his soft boa, "And what of the Kutoso? You and the children would still be affected by it. How can I live when you could die the next day?"

"Soun…" he turned to her and wrapped his arm and tail tightly around her.

She buried her face in his fur and, for the first time for many years, sobbed, "I would rather die along with you, then live alone once more."

"I know." He held his head low to inhale her scent from her hair. Embracing every hint so he would remember as clear as day. "I'll think about what we should do. Don't worry." "I just wish I knew what to do…"

It seemed as though nothing would help them make a decision.

Some time later at the approach of winter after a lengthily struggle the fiendish Kutoso plant had finaaly been defeated…but at a price…

"Haaa…huuuh…haaaa…huuuh…"

Sesshomaru watched uneasily from beside Soun Yee's futon bed. The cancer that had been growing within her heart had spread into her lungs and other vital organs; now she lay helpless, pale, breathing every more slower, and weaker.

"Mama be alright. Right?" Sano asked meekly, looking up at his father.

No answer replied.

Jaken hung his head low at the situation, clinging onto his staff for strength, "Come on children. Let's leave them alone."

"No Jaken. We can't." Rin sniffed hesitantly, "We can't leave them!"

"This is no place for children." The imp scolded, quickly herding the three of them outside the room before departing himself. He glanced in at his lord and lady one more time before closing the door.

"Ssssesh…" Soun groaned weakly forcing her eyes to open.

Sesshomaru leaned forward to stroke a few strands of heir from her face, softly caressing the paler skin of her chilling flesh. "Shh, don't overwork yourself. You must rest."

Soun: "Sessh, I think….no….I know…it's over for me-"

"NO! I won't that happen. I'm not going to loose you…" The Inu Yoki lord gasped hesitantly. He took one of her hands into his and held it close to his face. A tear leaked past his tightly shut eyes. The hand he held grasped his fingers the best they could, but the strength she once had had diminished to that of a newborn.

He opened his eyes to see hers, filled with tears and regret, "Looks like…we won't see the first snow fall together this year…"

Sesshomaru gasped at the meaning of her words. Before he could comply she was already gone. Everything stilled and hushed to nothing. He laid the hand he held back down to its mate slowly, unwillingly. A cold presence clutched his heart. A mass of guilt and shame prevented him from breathing normally unwilling to allow the truth to set in he staggered up on his feet and reached for the Tenseaga. "No. I won't let you die."

Vzeee! Vzeeew! Vzeew!

He slashed the sword of healing upon his departed mate. Many strikes. No revival.

Sesshomaru dropped to his knees. The tears were escaping easier. The mass of sadness and guilt continued to hamper his ability to restrain his own emotions.

Soun Yee was dead.

Feeling alone, and ashamed for being unable to do anything to prevent it, the defeated lord took out a long dagger from under the futon. It was where she had always kept it during their travels together. Ever since the beginning.

"In the world of humans, the soldiers have a ritual, where the swordsman proves his loyalty to his master. The test of true loyalty." He thought while he ripped a large portion of the silken sleeve of his kimono. With some difficulty he wrapped most of the blade in the silk with one hand, and clinched the hilt desperately. "No…we won't see the snow fall…"

Sesshomaru jerked up out of a restless slumber. The night wind tapped against the tattered door of the hut and the sound of the summer crickets filled the air of the outside. He looked around to see his mate resting by the stubbed arm, his son on her lap, and his daughter seeking out for personal reasons.

"A dream….just a dream…."

"Sesshomaru? Are you alright?"

Sesshomaru looked over to Soun who looked at him worriedly. He breathed in a heavy sigh, "Yes…and I believe I have made up my mind…"

(shivers) I wonder what it is….Hey I'm the one writing I should know! (facefaults)

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