The Moon and the Sun
Chapter 7 – In Which Tenseiga is Used
Sesshomaru kneeled by Hotaru's sleeping form, listening to her heartbeat, which was quick and frail. Every so often she whimpered and her face winced in pain. She was, indeed, dying as she had thought she would.
He had realized that she was as ill as she had said soon after she fell asleep. Her sleep was deeper and quieter than it had been before and she trembled as if cold.
"What is this illness?" He asked himself as he looked upon her. To his surprise, she answered him in her sleep.
"Terminal… heart disease…" she murmured. Her pale lashes fluttered as another burst of pain went through her. Her heart rate increased and she sighed shakily.
"What can stop it?" He asked, leaning closer. He could smell blood.
"… pills…" her body began to shake more. His eyes widened as a trail of blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.
"Where are they?"
She moaned, shifting in pain. "Gone…" she whispered. She gasped, her face twisting. He heard her heart beat faster, pounding against her ribcage so hard he thought it might burst. Still, she didn't wake, even as she whimpered and moaned in pain. He stood; he could hear her teeth grinding together.
Her heart stopped.
Her face relaxed and she sighed, sinking into the ground, her muscles limp. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth and she didn't take another breath. Sesshomaru drew Tenseiga from its sheath. He narrowed his eyes, searching for the demons hat would come to reap her soul. Ah, yes, there they were. He raised his arm and cut them away, killing them.
After a few seconds, she gasped and coughed a little, her golden-hued face paining for a moment before relaxing into an expression of relief. Her heart beat steadily and strongly, and her breathing became even. She moved her lips, saying something inaudible, pushing some leftover blood out of her mouth. He kneeled and wiped the red fluid away with his finger. Odd, it smelled faintly of cocoa. Her lips curled upward slightly in the advent of a smile.
Relived, he stood and walked back to his tree, glad that he wouldn't have to pay for her life with his own when her clan found out. She whispered something again as he left her side; it was barely audible, but he heard it.
"Thank you…"
End Chapter 7
Ugh, this chapter was agonizingly short, and I'm deeply sorry, however, I'm going to try to update monthly from now on, especially now that summer's here. I'd try to update more often, but I have a full-time job babysitting and I'm not getting to write as much as I want to. Even my other fics are getting neglected.
Also, now that's Hotaru's final physical change is out of the way, the story can get rolling.
Once again, we see Sesshomaru acting like a big softie, but don't forget, he only acts this way because he sees Hotaru as superior to him and is afraid of what might happen to him if anything happens to her. Basically, he saved her life to spare his own.
I wasn't going to have her talk in her sleep, but I noticed that happens quite a bit in the Inuyasha anime so I thought, why not?
Read and Review! Constructive criticism welcome!
If you're into Naruto, go check out some of my other fics please!
Oh, and I'm officially insane now! I hate the stupid "happy pills!" +
Ja ne!
Mysteri