Recap:
"…I remember it from when I was sick, though I had thought myself to be hallucinating when I reemerged from the sickness due to its impossibility. It happened after the bathing incident when I attacked. I believe that it is done unconsciously as a protection, a way to keep powerful demons as guards. Her scent is covered and the one who covers it is the only one that can smell her true scent. They in turn protect her."
Malik looked on silently urging Sesshomaru to continue.
"I cannot truly describe it for there is nothing like it. I can say that there is no demon who would not fall prey to it, who would not want to keep it for their own. For her part, whether conscious or not I don't doubt how effective the technique is, Naraku himself would want to keep her close. I understand why Inuyasha was so angry at the fire cat, and why Laski was disappointed to have the scent taken from her senses."
Malik continued to wait for Sesshomaru's response.
"Purity, it was the scent of a pure soul, something us demons have craved since the very beginning of our existence."
Malik's eyes widened, "Impossible, no one is completely pure. It is physically impossible!"
Sesshomaru again looked towards the direction the priestess had traveled, "Perhaps it is a trait that has been in the human community for years but has been covered up, just like hers. Think of it, demons would easily wage war against each other for what she is. Hundreds would die, she would constantly be in danger. It is only logical that subconsciously someone like her would protect themselves so her powers allow only one to catch her scent. They will want to protect her and keep her secret. She is kept from danger, others around her remain safe and her guard is given the reward of her true presence."
Malik couldn't believe his ears, "It is an ultimate form of protection."
Sesshomaru turned towards his fellow Lord, "There must be other times our kind has come across this. Unconscious protection for herself like what she has displayed does not come naturally, it is an instinct that was learned at some point. Check with the other Lords and then the records hall, somewhere there will be something. I in the mean time intend to find out more about the place she calls home."
Kagome all but paced in Lord Sesshomaru's study while she waited for him. Internally, she could not comprehend what had just happened. She had just injured Sesshomaru, her, as in the know nothing priestess Kagome. It was inconceivable. Kagome brought her hand up to her mouth and began the tell all sign of nervousness, she began chewing her nail. It was a habit her grandmother had spent three years breaking, since you were never supposed to show any outward signs of displeasure, but Kagome thought the moment warranted it.
"He will be fine little one," spoke the calming voice of Touga. It was true that her daily life consisted of him annoying the hell out of her but he did have his moments, and this was one of them.
She turned to face him, worry evident in her entire composure, "I could have really hurt him, and I don't even know why. I don't just attack people like that, it is not in me to hurt others. And where did that power even come from? I have never been able to do anything like that before. He must be so mad at me. This is different than normal, I just know it."
Touga walked over towards the window, motioning for her to join him. In her state of panic, and knowing that there was probably very little that Touga did not know, she joined him. Together they were able to calm her heart rate, somehow managing to get her into a semi-relaxed state. Finally, when her breathing was normal, he pointed her towards the outer window. With a clawed pointed finger he directed her towards an open field of flowers resting about twenty feet away. They were a beautiful mix of colors, everything being represented in some way or another. It was awe inspiring to Kagome, who could not understand how the small and uncared for field had managed to survive in such an orderly place. "They are beautiful to look at aren't they? Rin's favorite past time was running through that field, grabbing what she could. The poor thing would grab the largest batch she could carry and place them on Sesshomaru's desk in whatever she could find."
Kagome glanced over at the flower bare desk behind her, the one littered with documents and black ink. There were no brightly arranged flowers on it to lighten up the room, or anything to make it look even slightly homey, "Sesshomaru allowed this?"
Touga turned slightly, only to rest his back on the open window he had been looking out of previously, "He never said anything to her about it, not once. She would bring them in, and he would nod. One would have thought he was indulging her, but that he truly found it a nuisance. Of course, no one paid attention to the new training exercise for the newer recruits after the first morning that she did so."
Kagome walked over towards the desk and let her hand run along the top, trying to figure out where Rin had placed the flowers. When she finally moved a large stack of papers there was a slight ring on the wood, one from dried water. This must have been the spot, "Training?"
Touga nodded, glad that she was listening, "He would have the recruits sweep through the field for any possible dangers. This could be for enemy intruders to arrowheads. Each morning they would bring him what they found and he would dismiss them. Two hours later little Rin would come in with her handful of weeds."
Kagome was on her knee's kneeling up against the table, "He was protecting her."
It was a concept that was foreign to Kagome, the idea of Sesshomaru actively protecting anyone. While she had known of a few instances where he had gone out of his way for the girl, it always seemed more honor bound than anything. This, this was deliberate and caring.
"Even Sesshomaru knows the deadliness that beauty can hide. Just because the fields looked pretty to the eye did not mean she was safe. There have been many battles over these lands and more than one spear, sword or armor fragment could be left out there for her to step on. You Kagome, are much like those flowers," he tried.
She shook her head and laughed, "What? A short life span?"
Touga knew she was still frustrated but could only give her a few words of wisdom. He hoped they would sooth her to at least some extent, "People, human's and demon's under estimate you. They see a young pretty girl with no formal training. Sesshomaru relates you to every other woman he has met that has fallen under that category. Inuyasha refuses to recognize that often the most beautiful flowers are used in the deadliest of potions. Even Naraku refuses to see you as a threat, instead he sees a toy with the inability to fight back."
Kagome pushed herself back onto her feet and glared at Touga, "If this is your attempt to make me feel better you really suck at it."
"Kagome, you are not weak. Your powers are strong, and it is something that can no longer be ignored. They will keep appearing like this until you find a way to release them. The tree, Sesshomaru and your scent are just the beginning," he said, hoping that at least one of those would catch her attention. His luck was thankfully on track, because her eyes looked at him inquisitively. He was guessing that she had come to terms with the tree, and while still stressing over hurting Sesshomaru she recognized the event. The scent scenario that he had laid was an entirely different thing. She obviously had no idea what he was talking about.
Before she could comment on his strange statement the door leading into the study opened revealing none other than the much talked about Sesshomaru. He stood there in all his glory staring at what appeared to be a specific area on the wall, specifically speaking the window. It was only after she realized that the window he was surveying was the area Touga has seconds ago stood that she mentally went over the situation. His body had evaporated the moment the door slid to the side, but that was indeed where he had been.
Had Sesshomaru sensed him? No, that was impossible. Sesshomaru had been in the same room with Touga before, of that she was positive. There was the time when he had erected the barrier to keep her in the castle, and when she called him all of those names and…there was no way. It would make her life much too simple for it ever to be true.
Instead of thinking about it further she reached into her trusty bag and pulled out a healing salve. While she doubted that it would do much on it's own, perhaps it's combination with her powers would do something. It was true that said powers were what had gotten him here in the first place, but it was worth a shot. "Can I see your hand?"
Sesshomaru's attention slowly refocused on her, his eyes still glancing over towards the seemingly intriguing window. Finally, when he was no longer enamored with empty space, his attention turned back towards Kagome, fully this time, "I do not require your healing regiments."
Instead of listening to him like a good little girl she walked over towards him and grabbed his wrist, the injured one. With minimal pressure she pressed down around the burnt edges and watched him wince, "You are still healing from being sick and you have just been burnt by holy powers, you need all the help you can get."
Sesshomaru tried to pull out of her grip but she pressed down harder, effectively causing her to scrape his injury every time he pulled. He could only imagine the pain he would be in if he used his demon strength instead of toning it down like he was. The only option available to him was to decapitate her where she stood, but then he would not learn of her origins. It was a dilemma he was going to have to sort through, and fast. "Release me woman."
Kagome growled and pulled him over towards his desk, making sure to press down harder than what was needed. While she did not want to hurt him she did want him to accept her help, "You were never this argumentative when you were sick."
She all but pushed him down onto a pile of cushions, hoping to some degree that he would fall over as ungracefully as demonically possible. She was of course, never going to see that happen and pouted when he caught himself with his uninjured hand, "I was delusional when I was sick."
Kagome unscrewed the cap for the salve while grumbling, "Yet still preferable. Now give me your hand and let me help you. I feel bad enough as it is, I don't want you getting an infection as well."
He once again pulled away, causing Kagome to desperately wish for some form of rope. Demon and acid proof rope of course because he was that much of a pain. Who even needs their own type of rope anyways? He was just that difficult. Stupid dog demons and their resistance to everything normal.
Just as she was contemplating calling the whole thing off, Sesshomaru spoke. "I will make you a deal, I will let you place the vile smelling concoction on my person if you tell me about your home land," he negotiated.
Her movements faltered but she somehow managed to steady herself. It was not an offer she was expecting, in fact, she was not expecting any sort of cooperation from him whatsoever. Of course, this was one of a few topics she was hesitant to bring up. Then again, he needed this bandaged and cleaned, whether he said so or not, "If I tell you something, you will let me take care of this?"
"I consider it an adequate trade," he said sternly.
She shouldn't have considered it; it shouldn't have even crossed her mind. Her time period must remain a secret, it had to be protected from predators like him. And let's say she did tell him something, would it alter the course of something? Of history? Would it change what the world was like for her? "I-I live here in Japan."
With movement that should have been far beyond anything a human was capable of she grabbed his hand and placed it on her lap, open palm. She spread open his fingers and surveyed the damage. It looked like a horrible burn, the type people were given massive amount of drugs for. He was probably in an immeasurable amount of pain, not that he would ever voice it. That would be much too human for him to do.
"Continue."
"I live in an old shrine with my family. It has been handed down from my mother's side for years. Needless to say it is a little beat up but we have always managed to get by," she said while dabbing a wet washcloth she had grabbed on her way here onto his hand.
He did not flinch, not once as she pressed down. She was careful while starting around the edges and slowly moving in, trying to trap any dirt.
"Do patrons not come to pay their respects? I was under the impression that the visitors of the shrine offer money when they visit."
It was funny listening to him talk. She suspected that it was rare for him to engage in active conversation. "We have some older families that pay tribute, they have been coming to our shrine for generations. Sometimes we get the random passerby who wants to ask the gods something but where I come from most people don't go to shrines religiously anymore. For us, it is more of a relic of the past than anything else. Appreciated but not really used."
"Many have forgotten the ways of the past then?" She pressed towards the center of his wound and quickly pulled away when she heard a slight growl reverberate through his lips. Kagome immediately tried to apologize, trying to sooth his anger. "It is nothing, my defenses are still down because of the sickness. If I were at my proper medicinal strength this would be healed by morning. Now continue on and tell me about your family."
It was a command, and strangely enough she was going to follow it. So Kagome placed the towel down and pressed her own hand up to his own, determined to make things better, "This may sting, I really don't know what is going to happen."
Sesshomaru looked at her skeptically, "What are you attempting?"
Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated, almost willing herself to fix what she had done, "The same thing I did to heal Uza."
Sesshomaru felt the familiar tingling sensation of holy powers and on instinct alone pulled away. His demonic nature did not trust anything involving holy anything and was keen on keeping him aware. Kagome opened her eyes, a disapproving frown on her face. Sesshomaru growled at her un-asked accusation, "You said that no powers were used to heal Uza of my poison when in the war room."
Kagome grabbed his arm again, daring him to try and pull away like the toddler she was imaging he was. "I never said that, just that you should have sensed it if I did use them. You were all to busy having your little man war to notice."
This time she placed her hand down on his palm and tried to concentrate on her currently non-existent positive feelings. She was not going to focus on strangling him, or tying him to a chair, or making him practice his imaginary manners.
"Man war? What is this infernal term? I assume it is much like your bubble statement. Illogical and unfounded in every conceivable aspect," he argued back.
"I am ignoring everything you are saying. You are just angry that I did not tell you anything significant about my home and feel the intense desire to take it out on me," she tried, determined to win this pointless debate.
"On the contrary, I have learned much about your home. You live on shrine grounds, but know nothing of your heritage. Combine that with the lack of respect that your towns kin show for their history I can only assume that where you come from, things are very materialistic. Very little value is placed on things that hold real significance, but is instead focused on things that will deteriorate perhaps even in a few years. Your clothing is a prime example. The fabric is cheap, and somewhat adequately made but still there is much to be desired. While it is better than most farmers, softer than many merchants it does not hold the finesse of someone of my standing. I would venture a guess that things are made to be replaced where you come from, thus emphasizing my materialistic hypothesis," he said smoothly.
Kagome looked at him wide eyed, trying to follow his logic.
"I can further assume that while you live in the world you were raised, you do not hold on to many of their beliefs. You seem educated in more than just schooling, which in itself is a feet. You come from high standing, though are not willing to flat out admit it. It leads me to believe that while you enjoy nice things they are not what makes you happy. I imagine it was harder to find proper comrades growing up and when with someone you found suitable you were more than likely not being entirely true to yourself. It is why when you discovered yourself in this land, however different it may be from your own home, you managed to adapt. This is a world where value comes to what you have achieved, where pride is paramount. I cannot attest to what it is like to be where you come from, I am guessing that the pressures your home place's on any individual were lifted."
Kagome's mouth still hung open as she listened to his words. Had he really gotten all of that from her few statements earlier? And, was that how people of this time would really see her home? Her country? Her people? "Okay, I will admit it. I severely underestimated you."
Sesshomaru's lip turned up slightly, proud that he had managed to shock her into submission. This was of course a response he had been waiting for, but his nature was getting to him. As much as he enjoyed tormenting her Sesshomaru was curios to learn more. "Tell me of your family, I assume from the way that you care for the fox, that your mother is very prominent in your life."
Kagome blinked once, then twice. She then looked down at her hand, that was now grasping his. Her hand was completely engulfed by his, Sesshomaru's claws wrapping around her own almost protectively. She slowly pulled out and reached for the salve, "I think we should put this on."
Sesshomaru's eyes trailed her movements, as if categorizing her every move. Kagome, for her part was trying to keep her cool. She had misjudged Sesshomaru, he was more intuitive than she had anticipated. "You do not have a father, do you."
It was a statement, not a question. Instead of reacting like she was sure he wanted, Kagome scooped a small amount of product on her fingertips and gently placed them on his burnt hand, "No, I do not. He died some time ago, how did you know?"
Sesshomaru let her continue as the salve was coating his palm. He doubted it would do anything but it would bring the woman comfort, which would relieve some of her stress. The less stress she felt, the better at her job she would be. "Your reaction to Uza is that of a sister. You accept his antics with mirth. Shiho is more understanding then most, something that comes with age. I imagine that you have a grandfather that you relate his caring to. Hama is not kind, she treats you worse than I but you still listen to her implying a strong female role that you were raised to listen to. You see Malik very differently. He is old enough to be a father, shows many of the authoritative traits privy to most parents yet you react to him very differently. It is not hate, nor a lack of understanding. You do not see the reason for listening to him. After ruling out the other's, the only viable option was that male figures are not a form of authority for you."
Kagome ran her fingers through his, trying to get every crevice. It was strange to hear someone analyzing her like he was. She could only suppose it came with growing up like he did. Sesshomaru was undoubtedly having to decipher friend from foe for a very long time. Knowing what motivated them was probably one of the best ways to accomplish that. "My father died when I was around six years old. I loved him very much, I still do, but I don't remember him to any great detail. I live mostly off of what my mother tells me about him."
Sesshomaru nodded once, glad that she conceded to his analysis of her, "It is admirable for your mother to continue on like she did."
Kagome could not help but let lose a small laugh, "Did the great Sesshomaru just compliment a human? You must be on the verge of dying."
Kagome pulled away and looked at her handy work. Everything was covered, now all she had to do was bandage it. She turned around and pulled out a few things of gauze. Sesshomaru watched with curiosity. It looked like many of the tools that were used in his own infirmary but were different. They smelled cleaner and were thinner. "Jinenji created the cream, so it should help. I will just ask him for another batch. The gauze will make sure that nothing touches the wound."
"Jinenji, the half breed that Inuyasha retrieved. He is staying in the back stables on the northern side," he said almost to himself.
Kagome nodded, wrapping his hand and of course ignoring the half-breed comment, "Yes, he is the real one that saved the castle. No one can heal like him. I doubt many doctors at my home could match what he does."
Sesshomaru's head turned towards the window, then towards his desk full of papers, "Start with the pile on the right, then read what you can to me. I will approve or decline, write any changes I mention as well. Cross out with one line, so the original writings can be re-read if necessary, and write to the right hand side of the document you are fixing. If it is a person's name, you will draw two lines through it, but still make it legible. We will come across more as we go, but I will notify you of any changes."
Kagome grabbed the towel used before and wiped off what she could on her hand, glad that their talk of her and her home was over. Watching him pick at her personal life was a little more than unnerving. So she picked up the brush and fixed the holder where most of the black ink was held. Much to her astonishment, Sesshomaru did not say a word. Kagome had always figured him a no-nonsense type of person and he was apparently stalling his start. She looked at him wonderingly, stunned to see his gaze focused intently on her. She was about to ask what his problem was but was cut off by his voice.
"The half demon may have been the one to provide the medicine, but you kept my castle functioning. For that, I am in your debt."
The rest of her time in the room was surprisingly smooth after that.
To say Kagome was annoyed was an understatement, to say she was going to kill someone was much more accurate. Kagome angrily threw her pillow over her head in an attempt to suffocate herself, or at least her ears. Why were they so loud!
Kagome flung the pillow off her head and it hit the nearest wall loudly. She bolted upright, only to knock Shippo over slightly. Her body immediately calmed when she saw him turn slightly. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him. How he was sleeping through the racket was beyond her, especially with his demon hearing, but if he could then she wouldn't disturb him. She on the other hand was having no such luck.
Flinging the covers on top of Shippo, Kagome steadied her hand from slamming open her door. Briefly she looked at her watch. It was four in the morning, what were they doing awake at four in the damn morning? It was unhealthy if not for them than at least for her. She angrily stomped down the hallway, mildly surprised when the voices didn't get louder but continued to have the same volume. Shouldn't she be getting closer?
"My Lady?" asked a voice to her left.
Kagome turned to face the person who really just should have kept to themselves. Honestly, couldn't they see that she was tired, annoyed and bent on killing whatever had woken her up? So what if she was in a tank top and a pair of booty sleeping shorts. She was just going to have to be one of those action stars that kills everyone with little to nothing on. Was she aware that she was half naked and stomping around the castle? Yes, she knew. More importantly, did she care? At this present moment, maybe a little. But that amount was not enough to deter her in the slightest from her intended target. In the morning she would probably be mortified and blush ten shades of red but right now, she was more concerned about how to get blood out of her favorite sleeping shorts. "Sesshomaru, now."
The maid gulped, sensing her frustration. "They are in the war room. Lord Shiho received a message late in the night and they converged there about an-"
"Hour ago, yeah, I am aware. When did they move to the war room? Maybe five minutes ago?" she asked, already dragging the poor maid with her down the hall.
"N-No, they have been there the whole time," she stuttered.
Kagome stopped in her tracks whipping around to face the person before her, "That is impossible. The war room is on the other side of the castle."
The maid nodded, "Yes My Lady, it is."
Kagome's grip around the woman's arm dropped in wonder. How had she heard them? Was there something wrong with the sealing around the room? Perhaps the sounds vibrated down to the basement area where she was. That had to be it, their argument carried through the walls. But if that was so, where else did it carry? Perhaps to another room, where someone with more investment in Naraku's success could hear?
Kagome was walking towards the war room as each thought passed through her mind. It was only until she reached the sound of louder arguing that Kagome stopped. She growled, wishing that the doors could somehow keep the noise of their fighting down. Honestly, weren't they supposed to be the civilized version of their race? The way she saw it they were no better than human leaders from her time.
Kagome lifted up her fist and banged on the door. To impatient to wait for an answer she raised her other fist and banged repeatedly with that one as well, alternating between the two. She was about to start yelling, just for the heck of it, when the door slid open. When it did she was shocked to see Sesshomaru standing in front of her, a glare on his face. To think, they had such a nice evening together too. So much for warm fuzzy feelings. She lowered her arms and looked around the room, "I just wanted to ask if you four could kindly shut up. I am having a hard enough time sleeping and do not need to hear the four of you arguing any more than I do during the day."
There, she said her peace. Sure there would be things to talk about in the morning, like how the walls carried, but that would be for later. Right now she just wanted to get back to her bed and maybe get 15 minutes in before Shippo woke her up. Kagome was in the middle of turning around and walking away when she felt an arm slither around her waist and effectively hoist her up in the air. She 'eepped' in a very undignified manner, only aware of what was happening because she knew she was not this tall, before Kagome was thrown down onto the middle of very relaxing cushions. When Kagome managed to fish herself out of the mess there were four demon lord eyes on her.
Sesshomaru stepped up first, "Explain."
Her first thought was 'what', explain what? That they were loud? That she needed sleep? That normal humans had a hard enough time getting their required hours and they didn't even have Touga attempting to kill them? "Sleep, human, need."
There, that was basic enough wasn't it? Kagome knew her sarcastic side was coming out, it really made an appearance when she was tired and the last couple of months or so was taking the cake on sleep deprivation records. Really, what were they not getting about this?
Malik stepped forward this time, obviously haggard about something, "How did you hear us woman."
Kagome rubbed her fingers up against her temple in an attempt to sooth her growing headache. It wasn't even morning yet, usually it didn't show up until then. Then again, she normally didn't get stupid questions like this until later in the day, "Alright, I realize that our species are different and you four are superior and all but we do have ears. You know, those things that pick up sounds. Especially loud sounds, like the ones you were just making."
Uza quickly stepped outside motioning to a guard. In a matter of seconds he was back in the room, the door shutting right behind him, "This room is sound proof Lady Kagome. The best demon's in our history have poured their blood into making sure this room is secure."
Kagome threw her hands up in the air, "Well obviously they screwed up because the sound carried through the walls. I swear, if I had to deal with one more minute of growling and threats I was going to lose it. All I want is to go to bed and stay that way."
This time she pushed herself up and once again attempted to walk out the door. Sesshomaru seemed to have the inability to let her go, which was odd considering how much he hated her. "What did we speak of?"
She tried to side step him but his form was too big. The only way she was getting around him was to hop up on the table and pass him that way. Instead of making a fool out of herself she glared at him, "I don't know, I've spent the last hour trying to block it out."
He moved closer and she felt her chances of getting out drop even more. Perhaps she should have stayed in her room and continued to ignore the noise, not that it was doing her any good. "Fine, there was something about troops, and spies. Then Malik lost it and started yelling, Lord Shiho quickly following. Uza for some unknown reason was keeping quiet which probably meant that he agreed with Malik but did not want to admit it, and you were barking orders at everyone because that is what you and your brother do."
This time she really did jump up on the table, intent on walking across it if she had too. She did not want to be here. She wanted to be with Shippo, in bed, dreaming those horrible dreams Sesshomaru's stupid father insisted on giving her. At least then she would be asleep. Waking up every twenty minutes, yes but still asleep. Okay, maybe not asleep since that never happened any more. Sesshomaru, for his part still seemed incapable of letting her be. When she tried to walk past him the silver haired man once again grabbed her around the waist, holding her up onto his shoulder like he had previously. After a few second Kagome felt herself falling towards the same batch of pillows as before.
She fished herself out of it once again, angrily throwing the pillows every which way that pleased her. This of course meant that all but Uza and Shiho had objects being thrown at them since they were standing at a father distance. Lord Sesshomaru and Malik on the other hand made perfect targets. Sesshomaru was her main adversary though, what with the way he was manhandling her. Kagome glared as the remaining pillows bounced off of Sesshomaru like a stone wall, "Stop throwing me around!"
He growled loudly, "Stop trying to leave."
She threw another pillow, "Stop telling me what to do!"
He stepped forward, his acid eating through one of the finely decorated pillows he had caught with his firm grip, "Stop trying my patience."
Kagome grabbed another pillow and held it above her head with both hands. In order to gain the proper height she jumped back up on the table, intent on hitting him square in the face. She knew it wouldn't hurt, no matter how hard Kagome tried, but that didn't mean it wouldn't make her feel better. It would also damage his pride, getting hit in the face by anything at all, forget that it was a pillow. She was in mid-swing, throwing all of her weight and anger into the hit, when a new pair of arms grabbed her around the waist and yanked her to the other side of the room.
The pillow dropped mid air as she attempted to figure out who had the audacity to grab her and deprive her of the one sided pillow fight that would have went down in history. She looked up to see Sesshomaru still standing their threateningly, the bastard hadn't even moved, Shiho looking on in astonishment and Uza's eyes wide in disbelief. That meant one thing, "Put me down Malik or I will bite you so help me!"
His hold did not waver, "Calm down woman."
His voice was calm and for some reason that irritated her to no end. She quickly started to squirm as much as possible, her new goal in life to get away from this damn room and its inhabitants. It of course did not work and it was only after a few minutes of struggle that she calmed down slightly. When she went partially limp his forearms were still holding her still and against hid stomach. Her feet were dangling off of the ground swinging slightly and she huffed angrily.
She hated demons, she really did.
Shiho, who was once again playing mediator stepped up to Kagome. He walked around the thrown pillows and the stoic Sesshomaru. He was finally face to face with her, hanging feet and all, when he spoke. "We received a letter saying that Naraku is moving his armies. My men have not been able to infiltrate so I suggested Malik send in a spy. All we need is their destination, nothing more. He refuses to send in anyone and I obviously disagree."
Malik pulled her towards him, his grip tightening enough for her breath to catch, "You have failed to mention that we have sent in hoards of men, in groups and one at a time. No one has returned alive, most have been found in pieces. I cannot do that to another family, especially if we do not know if the information is accurate."
Shiho of course refuted the argument, intent on making his case. Malik seemed to have the same idea because in a matter of minutes both were at each other's throats. Why men thought that the louder someone got the more persuasive they were she didn't know. Of course, maybe they just seemed loud to her since she was caught in the middle, literally, seeing as she was still being held by Malik.
Kagome's eyes glanced over towards Uza, who was glancing every which way but at the two bickering men. He obviously agreed with Malik but was hesitant to admit it. She quickly bypassed Sesshomaru since she was still mad at him. In her mind, his opinion did not matter in the slightest. Which meant one thing, Kagome was once again going to have to play the referee. It helped that she had a solution to their problem, thank the stars for that.
"I'll ask Shiori to check it out, will that solve the problem?" she tried.
Three pairs of brightly colored eyes turned towards her. Kagome could only assume that Malik had done the same, but she could not see him. Malik's grip loosened and she felt herself being lowered back down to the ground. When her feet touched solid floor Kagome walked over towards the nearby table and picked up a piece of blank parchment. There was of course no ink so she looked at Uza who was standing next to small bottle of it.
He grabbed the ink bottle and brush but did not hand them to her, "Who is Shiori?"
Kagome glanced around the room in annoyance. Shouldn't they know their subjects? She felt like they should. "Shiori is a bat demon in the south. She is actually the leader of an entire tribe. I would say that they total about 65 members, maybe a bit less. They have lived on that land for centuries, and probably fly over the area's Naraku would use to transport his soldiers. Naraku would never suspect them because they keep to themselves and hold no loyalties to anyone in particular. They are natives to the area which means he will let them pass without suspicion."
Shiho stepped forwards, "When we first met, you said that you did not know anyone in the south, let alone a bat queen."
Uza walked over towards Kagome and handed her the bottle and utensil. She quickly started writing down her request as eloquently as she could in such little time, "I lied. You were a stranger, one partnered with Sesshomaru of all people. I just wanted to get out of there."
Malik walked around to her side and glanced at the paper, "What makes you believe she will help?"
The very idea of Shiori not helping out was insane at best. She was the sweetest little thing you could ever come across, not a maleficent bone in her body. The girl idolized Inuyasha for coming out on top as a half-demon and worshiped Kagome for being a strong woman in this era. Shiori would do anything if they requested it. "Her grandfather tried to take control of the clan a few months back, with a few helping tricks from Naraku. The bats will be more than willing to take a blow at him trust me on that. She also idolizes Inuyasha. The boy could tell her to jump off a cliff and she would do it."
Malik scoffed, "Did she see him during the day? I heard most bats are blind when the sun is out."
Kagome sneered as she finished writing the request for surveillance. She didn't know why Malik seemed to hate everything that came out of her mouth, but he did. She could bet that if she said something nice about him he would automatically say something mean back, not even registering that a compliment could come from her. Normally, Kagome would let it go, or would do something undermining to make him stop. Tonight was different, she was tired and her patience was low. When that happened, her temper tended to exceed any form of rational thought.
"Shut up, just shut up. Don't you ever talk about Inuyasha that way," Kagome slammed her hands against the table and pushed herself onto her feet. With one movement she was facing Malik, her wariness and fatigue temporarily forgotten by her mind. Sadly enough her body was still very aware of her exhaustion. Her knee's gave out momentarily, buckling under the stressful weight of her body, but she managed to catch herself last minute.
Malik's eyes flashed red at her tone but they quickly calmed back down when he watched her falter. In all the time she had been in the castle, he had not once seen her waver. She was never hesitant about anything that she did, but there was a new sense of cautiousness in her movement.
After she regained her footing Kagome turned back towards the fellow lords, all of whom were watching her tentatively. Lord Uza was who stepped forward, knowing from his interactions with Nori that human's did not lose their footing under normal circumstance. "Lady Kagome, are you alright?"
In a very un-Kagome like fashion, she snapped at him, "I am fine."
Kagome once again straightened herself, pushing and pulling her clothes in order. She was not one to take something lying down and her tiredness was no exception. She knew what this feeling was, she had experienced it the last time she crammed for midterms. She just needed more sleep, sleep Touga was unwilling to give her. Now that she was back in her own bed, and out of Sesshomaru's, Touga's projections were becoming more and more real, his nightmares were truly feeling authentic. Despite her urges he was no letting up. "I just need you four to stop yelling and let me get back to…"
Kagome's world began to spin and she felt her body become undeniably heavy. She couldn't move her arms, they felt like dead weight. Something was pulling them down to the floor, she could practically feel it. Her entire body needed to rest, it needed to take care of itself. Kagome felt her body hit the hard ground, the pillows that would have broken her fall being long gone thanks to her antics. Her eyes blinked once before the world started to lose focus. In front of her she could make out what appeared to be a man, one with silver hair and gold eyes. She knew those eyes, they were what were causing this whole issue.
Touga.
"I-" she panted once, her body trying to breath properly, "I, think I'm breaking."
Sesshomaru, for his part had no idea what was happening. No one had expected the strong woman known to them as Kagome to collapse before their eyes. No one had anticipated the fall. Reality seemed to hit when her body made contact with the floor. He was immediately by her side, Malik along with him. Both surveyed the area, intending to find something to help them decipher what had happened. Instead she mumbled those crazy words.
He turned to Uza who was staring at the scene like a killing had happened in front of him for the first time, "Notify Inuyasha that something is wrong with the priestess, also, inform the half demon staying in the back."
Uza turned, not even bothering to tell another guard of the situation. He was faster than any of them anyways.
Sesshomaru quickly lifted Kagome off the floor, solely intent on caring her to some form of sleeping chambers. For a moment he contemplated her room but bypassed the idea. Something was wrong and the medic would be unable to fit in the cramped space Sesshomaru had provided her at the beginning of their stay. He would need something big, something like one of his guest rooms. The room to the right of his would work, the archway was large enough for the half-demon and close enough that he could smell-
He stopped, her scent, he should have been able to tell if something was wrong. He took a large gulp of air but could smell nothing other than the scent of fox. Her sickness could be covered up by the fox child. If she was sick, only the one with the ability to smell her would be able to tell. The kit was much too young to know what the subtleties of sickness were. Unless someone was dying he would never had understood that something was wrong.
"Malik, the young foxling's scent is blocking my ability to tell if anything is wrong. Were you able to distinguish anything when she left the bathhouse?" he tried as they together walked out of the room.
Malik shook his head indicating no. The only thing that had lingered was the boy's smell of candy and dried leaves.
Shiho pushed open the familiar door, not commenting on where his friend was placing her. Instead he pulled down the sheets and watched as Sesshomaru positioned her in the well padded bed. "Could this be Naraku? Perhaps he has done something to poison her."
Malik shook his head, "We will wait until the horse demon arrives before we assume anything. Inuyasha will be less likely to do something reckless that way. The last thing this castle needs is a riot, not after the ordeal that it just survived through."
It was of course true. Inuyasha would not be able to contain himself and would attack anything in sight. Add to that the loyalties many of the workers had for her and something was bound to happen. Someone would get blamed and hurt. It would be a perfect opportunity for Naraku to make another strike.
"Kagome?" came a very quiet voice. The three occupants turned towards the sound and watched as the oversized horse demon stepped into the room. He was nervous, obviously not used to being in a room with such powerful beings. His eyes wandered over towards Kagome's unconscious body and his fear automatically ebbed away. Apparently, his safety was less important than the girls.
Sesshomaru, who seemed to have the sense of mind to remind the others of the war brewing, pointed towards the door and motioned for one of them find, seal and send the letter Kagome had just written. Shiho, who out of the three Lord's present, wanted to leave the least, was closest to the door. He was saddled with the task but decided not to argue. It was after all, a clan in his lands they were asking help from.
Sesshomaru turned back towards the slumbering woman as the horse demon checked her vitals. He growled slightly, the tone reverberating through the room. It was enough to scare the timid Jinenji, whose grip loosened slightly, but Sesshomaru paid it no mind. The woman had gotten sick under his care, she had the audacity to become ill while under his protection. It was inconceivable. And what was the statement about her breaking? Human's broke many times over, he had counted the various bones in human's by snapping them one by one on many occasions, so he knew that they healed eventually. She had no such injuries, no wounds, so what had happened?
"How has she been sleeping," asked Jinenji while he attempted to check her eyes.
Malik grumbled but managed to answer the question, "From all her complaining I would say pretty badly."
Jinenji nodded but did not ask any further questions. Instead the three men in the room contemplated the situation presented to them. One was worried for his friend, the other two felt concern over their forces. Though neither one of them were particularly fond of the woman she did play an important role. She was a moral source for many of the troops and her friends would not be able to continue on without her. While many of them were human, one even being a half-breed, they were strong allies.
It was not until Inuyasha kicked the door open that anyone stepped away from their thoughts. The door splintered and cracked under the pressure, the pieces of debris could be found scattered throughout the floor area. In the open doorway stood a very irate half-demon, one who's temper was getting the best of him."What did you do to her you bastard!"
Sesshomaru glared at his youngest sibling. It was of course Inuyasha's first assumption that this was his doing, "Half-breed, do not blame me for your friends mortality."
It appeared that Inuyasha was in no mood to banter. His claws were at the ready as he swiped with all his might. Much to everyone's surprise he moved at a speed unlike his own, something faster than Sesshomaru had witnessed in years. To everyone's further astonishment when Sesshomaru pulled away there were claw marks on his face, and blood on Inuyasha's hands.
"You fucking bastard! I will kill you!" he leaped again, straight for Sesshomaru. The eldest brother dodged only to feel something scrape against his stomach. This time when he pulled away there was a giant gash in his side, one that had not been there before. He placed his un-injured hand to his wound in bewilderment. He had been hit, not once, but twice. All done by Inuyasha no less. This was more than illogical, it was inconceivable. Inuyasha had never hit him, not like this. His speed had always been inferior but now he moved with a new grace, a sense of determination.
"You had to take her, you had to take away the one thing I wanted to protect. The one thing in this word that meant something to me!" Inuyasha leaped again, this time his claws were not drawn, but his fist was solidly in place. He made contact in an instant, hitting Sesshomaru on his right shoulder harder than he ever had before. Both brother's stumbled back from each other, one in anger and one in disbelief. Malik was about to step between them, and this ridiculous fight, when a soft sound reached all of their ears.
"I-Inuyasha?" came the feminine voice they all knew so well.
The sheets ruffled slightly and something in the bed sat up. Inuyasha was immediately by her side at the edge of the bed, "Kagome?" He had grabbed Kagome's hands and placed them in his own bloodied ones. Either she didn't notice in the dark, or she did not care. Either way, he clutched tighter to her, determined to never let her go.
She pushed herself up further, the dim lighting of the room doing nothing for her vision. "Why are you fighting? You know I hate it when you two do that."
Her voice was weak, obviously something was wrong. It was taking all of his patience to not panic, to not yell. Never before had he been tested like this. Inuyasha, instead of arguing with her like he normally would, pressed her hands up against his cheek and nuzzled them to his face. He watched as Sesshomaru's blood marked her beautiful features but continued, he needed to know she was there. While he could not catch her scent he could see and feel her. "What happened?"
Jinenji cut him, more than willing to offer an explanation, "She is tired, her body is showing all the signs of fatigue."
Kagome sighed, nodding her head briefly, "I am just worn-out, I haven't slept more than an hour or two a night for the past couple of months. All I need is a few good nights of rest with no nightmares and I will be fine."
Jinenji, for his part, could not keep the shock off of his face. He had assumed that she was not sleeping the moment Lord Uza relayed the symptoms but he had never anticipated months. An hour a night? That was physically impossible for her kind. If that were so, by all accounts Lady Kagome should have been dead by the second or third week. How was she still breathing? Standing? Functioning? Had she gotten the dates wrong?
"Kagome?" his voice was the same gentle noise that it always was but there was a new sense of disbelief in his tone. "You spoke of nightmares?"
She nodded once, a yawn breaking her action only briefly, "Yes, they are nothing, just random bits of nothing."
Kagome mentally calculated those random bits of nothing in her head, knowing that they were anything but arbitrary. Of course, explaining it would be incredibly difficult, especially since Touga refused to let her say a word to anyone.
Jinenji knew stories of priestess's. His mother had spent a great deal of time with him explaining what they were, how they did what they did. He knew that everything that happened to them was there for a reason. They were a second force of nature that was in tune with things no other creature could comprehend. If she was having consistent nightmares, it was for a reason. Right now, the time frame did not matter, what did was what happened after everything began. "Anything significant happen before or after your nightmares appeared?"
Inuyasha scoffed, his hands still encasing hers. "She freaking led us to this bastards house that's what. One week we are heading east and the next she has us eating breakfast with my son-of-a-bitch brother."
Kagome's response was to glare, "Inuyasha, there is no reason to talk like that."
His grip on her hand tightened to an almost painful level but she resisted the temptation to pull out of his hold. She didn't know what he was going through right now, but it was obviously something. Whatever it was it needed to be taken off his chest.
Inuyasha felt his anger grow even more as she disagreed with him, and was therefore taking his side. It wasn't even the demon in him, it was his own emotions, his own feelings of hate. "No Kagome, it's him. It's this place. Ever since we got here you have been looking out for Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru this, Sesshomaru fucking that! You think I don't know all the work you have been doing for him? You think I don't hear the servants talking about your damn role as the fucking Lady of the West? How you have been doing all of Jaken's duties? What's next, you gonna mate the prick?"
Kagome felt herself knocked straight onto her proverbial ass. What was happening? Where was this coming from? "I-Inuyasha, I-"
Inuyasha all but threw her hands away from him as she tried to comfort him. He knew that with a few words she could sooth his anger, make him forget why all of this mattered so much to him. He didn't want that, he wanted to be mad. He wanted to hate Sesshomaru and how much time she was spending with him. "Then today when I went looking for you I found out you were with him, in his study doing his paperwork!"
Kagome tried to push the covers aside and walk towards him as he stumbled away from her. Jinenji grabbed her wrist and held her down, pinning her to the bed. They both knew she would not make it out the door with how weak her body was. "I burnt him, I was trying to make up for hurting-"
Inuyasha growled hatefully at her when she pulled out of Jinenji's grip, "You stayed with him, you stayed with him and let me bleed! When he attacked me you chose him! But you are mine! You are not his! He is taking you from me and I won't have it!…We leave in the morning, and whether you decide to come, that will be your fucking choice!"
He stomped out the door, passing Uza's stiff form along the way. He had given her a choice, one that she could not get around. Kagome was going to have to prove to him that he still meant more to her, that Sesshomaru was nothing. She needed to choose him, if she didn't, he wouldn't survive.
Kagome remained sitting in the bed, her body in a form of complete shock. Her hands went up to her mouth as a sob escaped her. Her eyes began to tear as she recalled the details of the fight. Never before had anything like this happened, they had never argued like this. Another sob racked her body as she tried to think up anything she could have done differently. Her mind came up blank. She had followed her instincts on every account, she had done what felt right in the moment.
Obviously Inuyasha did not feel the same.
What's more, she couldn't leave. She couldn't go with him, Touga wouldn't let her. She didn't know why Inuyasha wanted her to prove her loyalty to him, or why he felt that Sesshomaru was replacing him, but he did. He was asking her to prove him wrong, but she couldn't. Normally she would already be packing ready to leave before morning but she was stuck here. Inuyasha was going to think it was her decision, that Sesshomaru meant more to her than him. God, there was nothing she could do about it.
Kagome pulled her hands away from her face as another tremor shook her body. She needed to talk to him.
"Lady Kagome, you shouldn't-" tried Jinenji but she ignored him
Nothing in this world meant more to her than her friendship with Inuyasha and no one was stopping her. Her feet touch the floor and she automatically felt them give way, her body realizing what her heart refused to.
She couldn't go to him.
Kagome loudly slammed her open palm on the ground angrily, determined to get this right. A few tears leaked from her eyes before she managed to pull herself back together. With one large push, and the ability to steady herself on the bed, Kagome was once again on her feet. She could feel her body tense, her leg and torso muscles screaming at her to stop, to lie down. It wasn't going to happen.
Surprisingly enough, it was Malik that grabbed her upper arm, "You need to rest."
She tried to yank her arm out of his hold, to free herself from his demonic grip, but it was useless. "No, I need to tell him that he is my best friend, that I would do anything for him. You may not care about him, you may consider him worthless but he is not. I don't know why he thinks I care about Sesshomaru more than him but I won't let him suffer like this. He has been through so much already. His childhood was filled with pain and rejection; he is worried that it is happening again."
Something strange happened in that moment. Kagome's heart pounded in her chest sporadically, as if to a new beat. She could feel it, the new rhythm of her heart, of her pulse. She could feel her body trying to adapt to the change but it was having a hard time. Instead, her breath shortened and she clutched her chest. Kagome looked up from her own leaning position and watched as the world vibrated with each thump. Everything pulsed, the people, the objects, even the sheets from the bed. Kagome clutched her chest once again and blinked while trying to gather herself. The action did nothing.
Instead her breath shortened even more and Kagome heard, more than felt herself panting. Briefly, she wondered if this was what it felt like to have a panic attack. The moment the thought hit her the beating of her heart intensified. A shooting pain engulfed her entire body, hitting each nerve it came across. She silently screamed within the confinement of her own mind. Apparently her body no longer had the ability to speak.
Kagome immediately dropped to her knee's as she clutched her heart. Out of the corner of her eye Kagome saw Jinenji leap across the bed and to her side. He wrapped her in his strong hold, those big arms binding her like a newborn.
Then everything went black.
Jinenji pulled her tighter when he felt her go limp. Her body had given out under the stress, but what had happened before that was a mystery. He had never sense anything like that before. He looked around the room at the shocked faces. Obviously, no one was of sound mind to comment. Lord Malik seemed rooted to his spot, as did Lord Uza. Both had a distant look on their face, not one of contemplation, but both were recalling a memory.
Lord Sesshomaru was different. He was clutching his side, obviously Inuyasha's attacks were deeper than he was letting on. How he had managed to be hit was one mystery, but how Inuyasha had moved so fast was another one.
His biggest concern was Kagome, always Kagome.
"Get out."
All three Lords were quickly out of their daze and staring at the peasant in disbelief. No one could fathom a no nothing half-breed telling them what to do. Not only was it unheard of, it was against every norm within demon society. It had to of been because of the situation because surprisingly enough, two out of the three listened. The two contemplators left without a word, both heading in opposite directions without glancing at each other once. Jinenji did not try to over think their strange action, or willingness to comply, he instead tried to focus on his patient. Of course, that was a little hard to do with someone like Lord Sesshomaru glaring at you.
Said Lord quickly began his questioning, "What is wrong with her?"
Jinenji leaned over towards the bed, his body covering most of it when he did so. He, as gently as possible, released Kagome effectively rolling her onto her back. He then tucked the covers around her like one would their infant child, with love and admiration. When he was done and satisfied with his caretaking abilities, Jinenji motioned towards the other side of the room. He was not fool enough to argue with his Lord, especially one that had asked him a direct question.
When they made it to the other side of the room, one being purposefully careful not to make unnecessary noise and the other doing so naturally, Jinenji explained the situation, "Something is wrong, but her symptoms make no sense."
Sesshomaru's eye brows did not even raise in wonder, "I was under the impression that fatigue normally results in falling asleep."
Jinenji looked towards the bed, "How long can a demon of your caliber go without sleep my Lord?"
Mentally Sesshomaru calculated the last time he had gone without sleep. While he did not need as much as others, it was still a bodily requirement. "Perhaps one month before death would overtake me."
Jinenji turned his attention back to the injured Lord, "Kagome is not one to exaggerate, if she says it has been two, it has been two months since her last night of sleep. Human's cannot sustain themselves like we can. By all accounts, Kagome should have been dead after her first couple of weeks. Furthermore, that fall was not due to fatigue. She could not breathe, her heart was causing her pain and her spiritual aura was going wild. With your power you must have felt the powerful fluctuations. Her body was all but attacking itself."
Sesshomaru finally looked over towards the bed. In a few quick steps he was standing by the sleeping woman, his eyes intently studying her face. It seemed that something truly was wrong with the woman. "She will remain here for the night, under your care. Wake me if any new developments arise."
Sesshomaru attempted to walk out of the room but was stopped by the horse demon's voice, "Will you not talk to Inuyasha? The stress of the situation is not helping her condition."
Sesshomaru remained rooted to his spot for a good few seconds before answering the healer, "I have no desire for the priestess, and she holds nothing but contempt for me. Neither her nor I am under any obligation to answer his questions."
Sesshomaru quickly walked out of the room. If the half-demon refused to see what was really there, or lack of what was there, that was his own problem. Sesshomaru was under no silly ideation to talk to the fool about non-existent feelings. He was Lord Sesshomaru of the West, and she was an untrained priestess. Nothing could, or ever would come of that. He was not his father, he would not make such a faulty decision. Glad that the half-demon had the sense of mind to not bring up his newly acquired injuries, or push the issue further, Sesshomaru silently stepped into his own rooms. Perhaps not all half demon's were as idiotic as his brother.
Uza was at an impasse. He was not normally one to think things through, to debate with himself about an action. This case was a little bit different. The situation with Kagome was a strange one, but one that he had lived through before. It was only logical that with his age he would come across a situation similar to his past. History did have an innate ability to repeat itself when it was not learned from the original time around. This seemed to be one of those situations. He had the chance to fix a mistake, not one of his own but one none the less. The question was, was it worth it? Could he really go through the pain of recalling what happened to him and Nori?
Lord Uza pushed himself off of his feet, having already made the decision. If he could prevent their friendship from breaking, he should. So, with a sense of determination the demon bravely walked down the halls. He knew that Inuyasha's fears would be put to the test, and his own insecurities would no longer have a place to hide. But this was no excuse. Demons of their caliber should not be hiding from themselves of all things. No, they should be strong. It was only when he had head out the door and into the cool nights breeze that he sensed the angry pup. No angry would not do him justice. The proper term was defeated, even a little broken. It seemed he had made the correct decision. Uza knew that feeling of being crushed better than most.
"Pup, come down, I need to talk to you," he tried, hoping that since Uza hadn't technically been in the room during the fight with the priestess that the pup would consider him neutral ground.
He wasn't.
"Fuck off old man, I ain't talking about Kagome," mumbled Inuyasha.
It seemed the half-demon's language worsened as his temper grew. Nothing but fowl words were coming out of his mouth. Luckily Uza understood the man's pain, the feeling of abandonment by the one person you trusted. Perhaps it was time to share that particular feeling if misery. "My best friend mated one of my sworn enemies. I understand why you are so angry Inuyasha, but you cannot push her into a corner. You will lose."
Inuyasha was instantly in front of him, fangs bared and claws at the ready. Nothing was going to get through to him if he could help it, of that Uza was positive. Inuyasha was as hard headed as his brother, something both would one day have to admit. "What do you know about my relationship with Kagome? Don't assume that-"
"That I know what it feels like to think that you never have to share her, that she is yours to keep because why would she ever need anyone else? I know more than you think. I know what it is like to feel that maybe you were not good enough, that you should have done this or that. Somehow your friendship wasn't enough to keep her with you; you were not strong enough to keep her by your side. She needed more, what you could not give," said Uza smoothly, clearly recalling his own emotions.
Inuyasha's face relaxed, his defensive stance loosening slightly. Something in Uza's words hit a string with in him. Just the fact that something not meant to be touched was, gave him reason to pause. But instead of admitting that he had been hit in exactly the right spot, Inuyasha huffed and crossed his claws across his chest. "Whatever."
Uza shook his head, despite the response he knew Inuyasha would listen. "He was from a different part of the nation, one we were just settling a war with. I had spent the last twenty years at war with him so you can imagine my hatred. So many men had died at his hand, I had lost many friends to this war and I was more than bitter. She, the friend, surprisingly enough, was a priestess. I knew her since birth, her family having been working in my castle as ambassadors to the humans. For some reason I took a liking to her when she was a child and I watched her grow. She was of course brought along during the treaty visits, included in every dinner hosted between the two lands. So imagine my surprise when Malik, of all the people in the world approaches me for the right to mate her."
Inuyasha's attention was no longer on the sickly piece of grass he was shredding with his nails. Instead his head turned towards Uza who was bitterly looking at the field before them. "Needless to say I was furious. I declined and he backed off. Time passed and I had hopes the issue would resolve itself. It did not, much to my dismay. Instead it worsened and day after day I would feel my resentment growing. She would heal him first, she would sit next to him, she would laugh at his stories. A few years later he reappeared, asking me for her once again, as was customary."
"You declined," said Inuyasha, realizing that he would do the same thing.
"She became angry with me and our friendship was strained. I started holding her back, preventing her from leaving my side. I am afraid to say that demon's are very possessive, and not just with our mates. She was my friend and I did not want to share. I realize now that I pushed her away, that she never would have made the decision that she did if I had been there for her," Uza sighed and closed his eyes. He let the cold wind brush against his face, healing the wound that had never closed.
He reopened them, finally allowing the pain to recede. It was surprisingly nice to tell the story, the one he had kept to himself for so long, "Finally, she confronted me. I gave her an ultimatum, much like you did to Kagome…she did not chose me. One hundred and thirty seven years later and I still regret it. I missed the remaining years of her life because I could not get over myself, my own fears. Then I find myself here, so many years later and watching the same mistakes being played. The only difference here is that you are doing this to a friend who is not in love with said enemy."
Inuyasha scoffed, "Of course she doesn't love him, I know that. Kagome might be overly kind but she is not an idiot."
It seemed Inuyasha could not, more like would not, digest what he was saying. Uza understood since it was not something pleasant to think about. He wasn't kidding when he said demon's were possessive, they were also blind when it came to the people they cared about. "Inuyasha, she is eventually going to find someone. It could be another friend, it could be a mate, it could be a child. She will find someone and you will have to relinquish your hold on her. Your relationship will change, it won't remain as it has been in the past. If you cannot accept that you will lose her."
Inuyasha grabbed a fistful of grass, trying not to let the man's words settle in his head. He did not want Kagome to leave him, to consider someone else as important as him. It wasn't a hard thing to admit, and he would yell it at her all day if it meant she would listen, "She won't leave me. She can't."
Uza smile finally surfaced. Inuyasha was listening, that was always the first step, "She will never leave you, no matter who she finds. No one said anything about that. All I meant was that things will change, but that does not mean for the worse. I live everyday wishing I had given Nori that chance, but I didn't. Perhaps things would not have turned out the way they did if I had not acted like such a child."
The blades of uprooted grass flew as a large gust of wind swept them out of Inuyasha's hold. Both did not miss the symbolism of the moment, not even the thick headed demon named Inuyasha. "What is going on between them? It's not love, but it is something else."
Uza knew in an instant what Inuyasha was talking about. He recognized it too. It was why he had insisted on the meals together, why he was able to convince Shiho to go along with Malik's little games with her. "Respect Inuyasha, the two are learning to respect each other."
Firevixen73
- So I got a few comments about how long the chapters are and I cannot figure out if people like them or not. When I did a poll on my page most said they preferred it. I usually write a chapter until I feel like what I wanted to happen in that time span happened. Also, for those of you who have been wondering why Kagome always appears so strong and Sesshomaru so out of the loop this chapter was for you. I have always seen Kagome as a strong character because she has to be not because she wants to be. This was the moment in time where everything just piled on top of her and Sesshomaru is really going to have to earn his keep. This was a powerful chapter, at least in my mind. I hope you like! Please review so I know what parts to emphasis and what to leave out!