Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha.
Chapter 4 - Anxiety
He was greeted by a great big mess. Around him, machines were shooting out sparks, the walls were charred, and bits of glass littered the ground. Chairs were overturned and people were panicking.
When he got off the elevator, he expected some semblance of order in the laboratory. But one glance at the state of said lab immediately told him otherwise. He strolled calmly into the laboratory, people glancing at him from their fallen positions on the ground. Everywhere was chaos… except right in the middle.
"Speak." He said calmly in his baritone voice.
"Ta…Taishou-sama… the experiment… didn't turn out as we planned. We don't really know what we created…" The man closest to the experiment stuttered out.
Sesshoumaru spared a glance at the unexpected product of the experiment. Floating innocently in midair was a pink orb.
"Explain." Sesshoumaru dictated.
"Um… we did everything that we planned but somehow instead of a microchip it turned into this… jewel-like looking thing." The scientist said, clearly mystified at the turn of events.
"Hn." He said, before stepping closer to the curious jewel. To his surprise, a barrier prevented him from stepping further.
"See… we would've examined it if the barrier wasn't keeping us two feet away from it." A snarky scientist from somewhere behind Sesshoumaru commented sarcastically.
Sesshoumaru turned and grabbed the scientist from the collar of his lab jacket.
"I paid you to give me results, not pathetic excuses." He threw him across the lab into a corner before returning his attention back to the curious floating object that projected a barrier.
Very curious indeed… He thought before another scientist came into the lab and demanded his attention.
"Sir, we have an anomaly on the detector." He barely finished before Sesshoumaru exited the lab and walked towards a neighbouring one.
"What is the meaning of this." He asked stoically.
"Sir, we don't recognize this energy signature… It does not appear to be human, youkai or hanyou." One of the scientists in front of the monitor said while typing.
"Where is this enigma?" He pressed on further.
"It appears to be situated at a hospital… hold on, I can zoom in to give you a name…" He continued, before realizing that his boss has long gone.
"But I haven't even given him the address…" He wailed in shock.
----~~~----
"Hn." Sesshoumaru said as he picked up his cell phone.
"Taishou-sama? I'm a nurse from the hospital calling in regards to your daughter Rin… I'm quite concerned for her. She appears to be speaking to her 'imaginary friend'…" The nurse started to say.
Sesshoumaru nods into his cell phone, before realizing that the nurse can't hear his nod. "Hn." Sesshoumaru said simply before hanging up. He sighed inwardly as he sped off to see his ward for the second day in a row. Will he ever get a moment of peace? And just when will he get to sleep?
----~~~----
"Did you feel that?" A low voice asked in a surprised voice.
"Yeah… it made my hair stand on end" A male voice replied gruffly.
"The power emitted… do you think it's what we've been waiting for?" Kagura asked impatiently.
"Investigate," the low voice commanded.
"Your wish is my command" the male voice said obediently, before leaving.
"Kagura, contact him at once." The low voice said in a tone of authority. Kagura bowed before leaving the room. The tingle seemed very ominous to her, and apparently it had the same effect on her boss. He never sounded so… surprised before, she mused before taking off.
----~~~----
In a place far, far away…
"Kikyou, did you feel that?" Inuyasha asked out of the blue while staring out of the window of his hotel room. Kikyou came out of the bathroom clothed in a bathrobe, her hair still dripping from her shower. She nodded mutely.
What was that? He thought to himself as he continued to look out the window as Kikyou approached.
"Mmm Inu… it's getting late," Kikyou flirted as she stepped really close to Inuyasha's statuesque form beside the window. He gave in when she gave him a passionate kiss on the lips, and soon his previous thoughts flitted out the window.
I'm sorry Kagome… were his last thoughts before he allowed himself to fall into the warm embrace of Kikyou, his beloved.
----~~~----
"Ow… that really hurt" Kagome complained as she was awakened by a pain that fleeted through her side, as though it was pierced by an arrow.
"Kagome-chan!" Rin cried happily as she saw that Kagome has awakened.
"Rin has missed you! Rin tried her bestest to wake you but you still kept on sleeping!" Rin said as she attempted to hug Kagome, only to have her arms go through her new friend's body.
"Gomen ne, Rin-chan" Kagome smiled softly as she started to pet Rin's hair, only to be reminded of her spirit state as her hand went right through Rin's head.
"UGH I'LL NEVER GET USED TO THAT" Kagome yelled in frustration.
"… Get used to what?" A bemused baritone voice asked from behind her.
"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA! YOU CAME!!!" Rin squealed happily as she ran to hug her 'father' around his legs. Sesshoumaru patted Rin's head affectionately before scanning his surroundings. On the sofa sat a stuffed animal that looks like its seen better days, with crusted grey particles in its fur.
"Oh, Bear Bear was helping me eat the grey stuff that was my lunch" Rin said happily as she saw Sesshoumaru's gaze linger on the teddy bear on the sofa.
"Kagome-chan was keeping Rin company when Bear Bear was grumbling about stomach pains because of the food" Rin chirped as she resumed her position by Kagome.
"Woman, what are you?" Sesshoumaru asked, unamused. Kagome started in shock.
"If you think I'm going to answer that, you're a fool. I'm not talking to the person who ignored me the other day and who DROVE THROUGH ME…" Kagome huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Is that not what you are doing now?" Sesshoumaru asked, with a trace of amusement in his voice. Kagome felt her face flush in embarrassment.
"Feh." She said in annoyance.
Feh? Can she not come up with a better retort than… His eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the female enigma in front of him. She had wavy black hair with blue streaks that reached her shoulders, with deep cerulean blue eyes. She appeared to be in pink bunny pajamas decorated with flowers and mini cakes all over.
"Inuyasha…" He began to say, anger seeping into his voice. Kagome looked at him in shock.
"What about him?" Kagome asked, curious.
"You know of him?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Know of him? KNOW OF HIM? OF COURSE I KNOW OF HIM. HE'S THE ONE THAT LEFT ME AT THE ALTAR FOR SOME OTHER DARK HAIRED WOMAN…" Kagome began to rant.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened.
"So you were his intended?" Sesshoumaru asked inquisitively.
"Yeah, before he left me under the scrutiny of everyone at the ceremony…" Kagome said softly. Sesshoumaru looked pensive as he took in the information.
"Wait, you know him?" Kagome asked as she put two and two together.
"Hn… he is this one's half brother." Sesshoumaru said offhandedly. Kagome's jaw dropped.
"WHAT??????? But you two look NOTHING ALIKE…" She sputtered in shock.
"Hence the word 'half'" Sesshoumaru answered in annoyance. Does she have hearing problems as well as mental instability?
"Hold on, hold on. If you know him, you should've been at the ceremony… you would've known who I was, you would've been ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE GIVING ME LOOKS OF PITY…" Kagome realized in shock.
"This one just got back to the country yesterday afternoon" Sesshoumaru calmly stated. Kagome looked at him as though he just spoke Farsi.
"Wha…?" She asked stupidly.
"This one was not at the ceremony." He growled as he was forced to repeat his earlier sentence.
"Oh" Kagome's cheeks coloured as she realized she just asked another stupid question.
"Woman, what are you?" Sesshoumaru resumed as though their conversation never digressed.
"Um… Well I think I'm some sort of spirit… I apparently got hit by a car and slipped into a coma… The weird thing is I feel alive and stuff… the only thing difference is that I can't touch physical objects." Kagome explained.
"Hn." Sesshoumaru said as his attention was diverted by a certain female child pulling at his pant leg.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Bear Bear said that he wants to take a bath! Can Sesshoumaru-sama give Bear Bear a bath?" Rin asked cutely. Kagome laughed at Sesshoumaru's predicament, but was instantly sober when Sesshoumaru gave her a murderous glare.
"Of course Sesshoumaru-sama would," Kagome said to break the pregnant pause. Sesshoumaru gave her another murderous glare. Kagome coughed before looking away and started to whistle out of tune.
"Hn." Was all Sesshoumaru said before taking the teddy bear from Rin's embrace and walking towards the door. Rin hugged Sesshoumaru's legs happily before bounding back onto her bed.
"See you later Bear Bear! See you later Sesshoumaru-sama! Good night Kagome-chan! Take care of Bear Bear for me Kagome-chan!" Rin chirped before settling into her slumber. Kagome waved before following Sesshoumaru out of the door, before he could close it.
"AHA! For once I got through the door before you closed it!" She said in triumph. The only indication that Sesshoumaru heard was a slight shake of his head.
"Ne Sesshoumaru… do you know how I can get back into my body?" Kagome asked as they strolled down the hallway, towards the elevators.
"This Sesshoumaru knows not of which you speak." Sesshoumaru replied, the teddy bear dangling at a precarious angle from his left hand. They walked across a room with its door open, with its occupant busy drinking soup from a spoon. They walked across the reception desk. They waited in front of the elevator doors.
"I'm scared Sesshoumaru…" Kagome admitted nervously. "What if I never wake up from my coma? What if I'm stuck like this… forever?"
Sesshoumaru suddenly sighed.
"There is nothing to be afraid of." He said stiffly before resuming the silence. His face was a mask of indifference. Kagome paused in shock. Did he just… comfort me?
"Hehe… I think Bear Bear's softening you," Kagome giggled before she could stop herself. Sesshoumaru wisely chose to ignore the comment as the elevator doors opened.
"Somehow I never took you for a stuffed animal type… hey! Wait for me!" Kagome yelled in surprise as she passed through the closing elevator doors.
Stupid Sesshoumaru… always leaving me behind. She huffed in anger.
Bear Bear stared at the ground as he dangled from Sesshoumaru's left hand.
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A/N: Special thanks to Hirono for helping me proofread this, and to my reviewers. By the way, I hope people who speak Farsi aren't offended... If so, I sincerely apologize. I meant it as a comparison to show Kagome's inattention and meant no insult by it. The next chapter is in the works and will be coming up within the next few days.