Last time: Sesshoumaru stood, and sneering, walked from his meal's broken body.
Dishonor
Ch. 5 Coming Home
Feeling his beast's satiated state, Sesshoumaru renewed his struggles to gain civil dominance. Chagrined at his most recent failure, Sesshoumaru curbed his ire, and allowed his damnable beast to have its way a little longer. Headed home at its full speed, Sesshoumaru's youkai was too far from its meal to see the earth flash.
ooooooOOOOOoooooo
Kagome peeked out of her sleeping bag at Sango and Miroku. They were in close proximity and she was delighted to see that the monk had managed to stay conscious. Content and warm, Kagome snuggled back against her kit and went to sleep, prepared for another day of shard hunting.
ooooooOOOOOoooooo
Kagome sat by the yellow flame in Kaede's thatch-roofed hut, and gazed after the embers as they were cast out into the cold air. Kaede-bachaan had listened quietly to the young miko's description of the most recent battle. She was concerned that Kagome's miko abilities, though strengthening, were becoming unstable.
"It would seem that yer body is unable to channel yer ki. If ye watch the river flow, ye will notice that the bank disappears and the river widens."
Kagome nodded, "erosion."
Kaede seemed to contemplate the foreign term.
"The water washes away the dirt as it flows," Kagome clarified.
Kaede nodded slowly. "Yer ki is channeled in yer body, like the water in a streambed. If ye had been trained, yer ki would move throughout all yer body harmlessly. It seems child, that yer ki is harming yer body in the same way a flood would overfill the streambed and rush over the fields, drowning the plants and washing them away."
Kagome shivered, recalling the crests and falls of her ki raging inside her head and the surging heat-
Kagome cried out as reminiscent fear awoke intense revival and she screamed as the holy burning consumed her.
ooooooOOOOOoooooo
There was darkness. No, not darkness, just an absence of light and warmth, of being. There was flowing white. Kagome watched it flicker and then, swaying, come closer. Not light, but substance, being. She strained to see and make sense, but suddenly understanding, seeing Him, she panicked.
"….Kagome…."
"NO! Get away from me!" Kagome struggled harder, hysterical at her inability to move in her bodiless state. She began to shake violently.
"Kagome…" there was hurt in vast darkness.
"Sesshoumaru, NO!"
Then there was a cool hand against her feverish skin. "Momma…," said Sesshoumaru's image.
"Momma?" In confusion, Kagome's eyes fluttered open, only to shut instantly against the blinding white. She groaned.
"Kagome?" The voice came soft, unsure, but known and welcome.
Kagome's eyes opened slightly, "… Yasha."
"Your safe now."
Kagome saw the promise and certainty, the honesty and the compassion that poured from Inu Yasha's golden orbs, and slept. Without dreams of shard hunts, or visits with Kaede or run-ins with Inu Yasha's brother, Kagome slept in peace.
ooooooOOOOOooooooo
Kagome found herself in the darkness again. This time however, there was substance, and she had a body. Looking around, Kagome spotted the white blur. This time she stood her ground and waited, oddly calm, for Sesshoumaru's arrival. The instant He appeared, Kagome was struck with the absence of the Western Lord's markings. The youkai who stood in front of her was in Sesshoumaru's image, but upon its face lay the embodiment of love, concern, and tender knowledge.
Kagome blinked, "Inu no Taisho?"
The youkai smiled, "no."
Hesitantly, Kagome tilted her head and posed her question. "who are you?"
"I have no name."
Kagome winced, a soft "oh" escaping her.
The youkai reached out as he reassured her. "Oh, I will have a name. I've just not been born yet." He said it eagerly, hut he flinched when Kagome leapt back from his outstretched hand, nearly falling in her unregistered panic.
With her heart pounding, and her hands shaking, Kagome hugged herself and said hoarsely, "don't touch me."
The youkai seemed to wither, and as the blackness lost its substance, Kagome lost her sight.
"Wait," Kagome cried. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Her voice came soft, "I'm sorry."
She slept.
ooooooOOOOOoooooo
When Kagome awoke, Souta was sitting at her bedside reading a comic.
Kagome grinned. "It's nice to see that you're concerned," she croaked.
Souta threw down the comic and stood up. "Was sup, Kags?" he asked, smiling down at her softly.
"Obviously a lot if I wake up at the hospital and can't remember getting there."
Souta frowned slightly.
Kagome paused. Slowly, she closed her eyes and consciously relaxed, taking deep breaths. Then, as gently as one might inspect a wounded knee, she tried to open herself to her body's physical state of health. She hurt. In her dreaming delirium had come the birth of hope, a hope that what had happened at the stream was just the product of her fever and her out-of-control ki. With the recognition of pain, she lost her desperate hope, and behind her mind's eye, she could see herself withdraw. First came the piercing heat and insatiable itch of the raw skin inside her. Then, simultaneously, she was hit with the pain in her thighs and back. Kagome put her hands at either side of her pelvis, flat on the bed, and pushed, trying to relieve the suffering of her poor back. Reaching the favored position tenderly, she opened her blue-gray orbs to Souta, "ow."
Then, gingerly, she transferred the weight from her hands to her rear and sat. Her face crumpled at the astronomical increase of insufferable pain, and as she lay back, she made a mental note not to sit; period.
When Kagome opened her eyes again, Souta was watching her guardedly. He gaze flicked quickly elsewhere, and momentarily returned.
"Momma thought Inu Yasha should go for a walk."
At Kagome's confused and pained expression, he elaborated. "-to calm down. He's been at your side the whole time, but he was getting pretty uptight. They'll be back soon. Or I can get a nurse if you want?"
The last two sentences tumbled from Souta's mouth, so that Kagome had to close her eyes and mentally repeat what he had said in order to comprehend the words' meaning.
Shaking her head slowly, Kagome opened her eyes and offered a wincing smile. "What were you reading?"
Souta blinked. "Oh! Uh, it's one of the new American comics. It's called Belzsac."
Kagome nodded again, slowly. "Is it any good?"
Rather than answering, Souta inched his way onto the hospital bed and lay down. Tilting his head back, Souta searched his big sister's face, "… are you okay, Kags? Really?"
Kagome lay on the bed, with her brother looking up at her, and wondered. "I don't know, Souta. I don't know." Despite her confusion, and the nauseating pain, Kagome's face lit up in a smile. She was home. She was loved. She was safe. "I'm good."
Inu Yasha stood outside the door, a wince settling on his features. He turned to Mrs. Higurashi. "Better not to tell her yet."
Mrs. Higurashi nodded and moved gently into the room.
Kagome looked around at the movement, and smiling, murmured "momma." She smiled. Everything was going to be okay.
Wow, that last sentence was awfully cliché, huh? Hee-hee, I updated. Score!
Hewo!
Thank you to all my readers! and to these special reviewers!
DrWolves- I promise not to leave you hanging. Sorry the update was so long in coming.
Zadeon- I updated… sorry it took so long!
Kenshi-mimiroo- yes, fluffy was mean. I'm going to try and keep him mean for a while yet, but I believe I'm going to have a hard time. Uh, it's not that Kagome's powers are weak, it's that I don't believe they should arise to save the day and then go back to being useless. There is a reason for everything that has happened… it's just a long wait to see what that reason may be.
Zackire- why thank you!
KouseiJL- For anyone reading this response, I want you to know that I love this person! Yay! Yah, it's definitely going to be hard for Kagome for a while. However, she will be truly happy at the end. Sesshoumaru did not come back, obviously. I considered it, but eventually came to the conclusion that the story wouldn't move in the direction I wanted it to if he came back. So yah. Thanks for the congrats on the lemon. I'll be updating again not so soon, so thanks for the encouragement on that end. Well, 'til next chapter- emerelddreams
Your Crimson Death (Ice)- I'm glad you loved my story! I hope you've continued to do so.
Icedragon012990- lol. I've never had anyone respond by saying 'wow' before. I kind of like it. Thank you.
Hanasaki Rikku- I definitely agree. Kagome should've just enjoyed Sesshoumaru. However, …. we'll get to that, won't we?
CultKagome and Sesshoumaru- I've read a couple of stories in which Sess rapes Kags, but the outcome was that Kagome ended up with Yasha. That is not happening. Period. Anyway, I love the Sess/Kag pair. Just trying for a new angle… I'm really glad you like it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Kjinuyasha- thanks, I think… lol, I updated.
Minkyo- thanks for reviewing! I'm glad the story's dark too, though I'm having trouble keeping it that way. All will be revealed… eventually.
Skitzoflame- you better believe he left her there. Lol. He'll come around eventually.
Kagamoesiun- That's what. I'll update again to let you know what's happening. grin Thanks for the review!
Shadow Kitsune67- That was most definitely one of my longest reviews ever. Thank you! Yah, I definitely try to be grammatically correct. There are stories that have grammatical errors that I'll read, because there is obviously effort involved, and then there are stories in which the grammar is so pathetic, I can't read them. Point and case- I want to give my readers the best that I can. I do believe the saying is actually 'case and point,' lol. Oh! The moment you can't imagine the scenes anymore, flame me so I can get my act together. Until next chapter, emerelddreams.
Zeddy200- Thank you. Sorry I didn't update quickly!
Sleepinghanyou- awesome sn! I get such a cute image in my head! Anyway, it is sad, and probably will be for a while. All will be happy in the end though. Thanks for the review. Continue to enjoy!
Lyn- I'll keep writing. Please keep enjoying!
Eternity Star Knight- Definitely ouch. Yes Kagome can still use her powers. The rest you'll have to read about later. Hope you enjoy. I'll try to satisfy your curiosity soon.
Ja!
