Authors Note: My three year and change hiatus is over. I finally have some free time to catch up on writing now that I've finished college. I'm starting up graduate school in the fall, but hopefully this story will be finished by then.
Reina could feel herself floating in a painfully hot bath. Where was she? She opened her eyes. She was in a sea of nearly boiling blood. She felt herself go limp, as waves of foamy blood washed over her and tossed her like a piece of drift wood. I had felt like she had been in this state for years, even though it had only be a mere few days
"This is a dream," She said to herself. She tried to recall what had happened last. She remembered feeling lonely and rejected.
While Reina remained unconscious to the real world, things were taken a turn for the worst. Hanako was covered in blood and more lion demon blood splattered on top of that. Sesshomaru was still feeling conflicted but first thing was first, he still had to restrain this demon priestess before he decided what to do with her. He lurched forward in attack. Hanako looked up in time to dodge. She skillfully shifted to the left.
"Little doggy wants to play," Hanako spat "I have no time for your sick puppy love". Then the blood on her body suddenly flew away from her. Inuyasha recognized that attack, it was just like his iron reaver. Sesshomaru's face was apathetic, though he could feel frustration bubbling underneath his cool exterior. He dodged the blood blade but a drop of lion's blood managed to touch his sleeve. It was beyond disgusting.
Reina was still drifting in a sea of blood, in the unconscious mind. It was becoming very turbulent. Something was very wrong. She forced herself to try to swim. When she focused, she saw pieces of reality come into being. She wasn't adrift in miles of a bloody sea. She was in a fight. She was in a fight with Sesshomaru. She had to stop herself.
Sesshomaru noticed that Hanako had become rigid. Her eyes shifted between blood red and warm brown. It was a sheer force of will. Reina was trying to fight her way back. She just needed some help. Sesshomaru swallowed his disgust at the amount of blood on her face. He zigzagged his way in to her vicinity. Hanako was still rigid trying to regain control of the body but it was too late for her.
Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her. He leaned in and kissed her gently. When he pulled away he saw that her eyes had stopped shifting between colors. They remained a warm brown. It was Reina again. Her eyes fluttered that closed shut she was out cold. Sesshomaru lowered her body into his carefully.
"I guess he didn't need a repression scroll after all," Miroku noted. Kagome looked tense. She needed to take Reina back to her time. Reina had to clear her family of murder. However, it would be difficult to take Reina away from Sesshomaru. He didn't look like he was going to let her go any time soon
Sesshomaru looked back at the gang for a moment. Inuyasha looked back at him fiercely. His look seemed to be saying "don't you dare leave". Sesshomaru felt like scoffing but he decided against it. Then in a ball of light, he was gone. Inuyasha sighed. It looked like the hunt would have to continue.
When Reina awoke again, it was very dark. She was in a strange forest clearing. She had been asleep for two full days, though she had no clue. Rin was fast asleep near a cindering fire. Rin looked tired, it was probably due to the fact that she had been fussing over Reina for the past two days nonstop. Reina felt very sore all over, as though her body had been hit by a truck. She looked around some more, as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light. She saw Sesshomaru leaning on a tree. He was wide awake and looking intently at her.
"What happened," Reina asked very quietly. Sesshomaru looked at her as if to signal her to follow him. Then he disappeared into the trees. She gingerly got up to follow him. He had stopped at a nearby river. She walked up behind him.
"Hanako took over your body," Sesshomaru said with his back toward her. He was still feeling conflicted. Had he made the right choice, now that Reina was human again, it meant she was vulnerable and prone to die at any moment.
Reina shook her head. She didn't remember much of that. She did however remember that she was wearing a white kimono and now her kimono was pale green with glittering leaves embroidered on it. Sesshomaru had to change her while she was unconscious. In normal circumstance it would have a certain thrill to do it. However it was more disgusting than appealing. Reina had been covered in blood. Her body was bruised up from fighting that she couldn't remember.
Sesshomaru had used the Tenseiga to heal her, but it had a strange effect. She began vomiting up copious amounts of demon blood. Sesshomaru laid her on her side so that she would choke and aspirate. Over all, it had been grotesque. The kimono was beyond unsalvageable. Reina decided to let the subject of her clothing drop.
"I don't remember," She said in a small voice "Did I hurt anyone?" She had slaughtered at least a few hundred demons for their blood. However Sesshomaru in an attempt to assuage her guilt had used Tenseiga to raise them from death. Reina felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She had hurt someone, maybe it was him and he wouldn't say so.
"I only remember that Inuyasha and you were fighting…" Reina began, her memory was very hazy. Sesshomaru quickly turned around. She was not going to pin this on him, he already felt guilty enough. He was going to vehemently defend himself but he was taken aback by her remorseful tears. All he wanted to do now as comfort and hold her. However, his demon pride kept him stoically in place. Reina felt cold and lonely.
"I want to go home," She said finally after what seemed like an eternity of silence. This was not how he planned it at all. The girl he loved was crying, suffering, and pitifully weak.
"Do as you wish" He said coldly. What was he saying?! He didn't want her to go anywhere. Finding her had been a hard earned victory. Now she wanted to leave him.
"Take me back to the well" Reina demanded tearfully. Sesshomaru swallowed his ambivalence.
"You can go by yourself, I don't serve humans" Sesshomaru said. His behavior was subarctic. This was not what he wanted at all.
"Fine" Reina almost yelled. She looked around in a bewildered way. Then she stalked off in a random direction. She was headed exactly for the well as if she was drawn there by magic. Sesshomaru stood there fighting his need to chase after her. When she tripped over a root, he could fight it no longer. With demonic speed he snatched her before she hit the ground. She was so fragile and clumsy.
She didn't appreciate the save however and struggled in his arms.
"I don't need your help," She said blackly. Sesshomaru gently lifted her to her feet and set her down.
It was then that Reina remembered something else. There was a kiss. He had kissed her. The memory set her face ablaze. She turned her head to avoid his gaze. The blush on her cheek was exquisite. Sesshomaru again thought about how strange humans were. Their emotions were all over the place. Sesshomaru leaned slightly forward wondering what he should say now. He wanted her to stay.
Reina however, mistook his action as an attempt to kiss her again. She quickly responded with a slap.
"Don't ever try to kiss me again" She said brazenly. So that's what she was thinking about, that made her blush so fiercely. Sesshomaru still felt her hand on his face. She didn't do any damage despite her best efforts.
"Don't flatter yourself," Sesshomaru simply said.
"I'm not flattering myself," Reina said with an almost childish voice "I remember you forcing yourself on me"
"Believe me, if I was really forcing myself on you, you wouldn't be able to stop me" Sesshomaru said, revealing just a touch of his desire. Reina didn't seem to pick up on it.
"What happened to my sword" Reina said. Her mind was changing directions again. Sesshomaru wondered how he could trick her again.
"And also, it's been more than a week, you promised to take me home" Reina added when he didn't respond.
"The sword is now in my possession, you are free to go" Sesshomaru said coolly. How could she still want the sword after all this.
"That's fine by me, I just don't want it to fall into the wrong hands" Reina replied. She didn't want the sword back after all. She trusted him to keep it.
"The wrong hands would be your hands" Sesshomaru said cruelly. He had lost any leverage on keeping her here.
"I'm tired, I'm going back to sleep" Reina rubbed her eyes and turned back to camp. She had been talking about leaving but now she was going back to sleep. She was crying and now she was fine. Humans were so strange in every way. Sesshomaru wasn't going to argue if she was staying.
"You've been asleep for two days" He said as he followed behind her.
"I'm still tired, maybe turning demon takes a lot out of you" Reina said. She had walked almost all the way back to camp before she stopped again.
"I remember… that we fought too" Reina said. Memories were coming back very quickly.
"That was Hanako" Sesshomaru said. He didn't want to elaborate further, that was sufficient enough explanation for him.
"I would never hurt you" Reina said although it was very quiet, as thought it was almost to herself. Sesshomaru felt elated but seemed apathetic on the surface.
"On the contrary, you just struck me" Sesshomaru said. He felt playful again.
"You know I didn't mean anything" Reina said. She lifted her hand and lightly caressed his face. Did she even know the effect that had on him? By her casual nature, it was obvious that she didn't.
She stretched herself out and then rolled into a ball. She was fast asleep before long. Sesshomaru leaned against the tree and closed his eyes for a brief moment. An hour passed. He opened his eyes to scan the parameter. The fire was still blazing. It would be dawn in a few hours. He looked over at Reina. She was shuddering despite the raging fire.
Sesshomaru sighed; he gently picked up her sleeping form and tucked her into his pelt. Her shuddering died immediately. She felt cold. Sesshomaru intertwined his hand with her in attempt bring some heat into her finger tips.
His felt his desire for her bubble up. He reasoned with himself all the ways he had to stop himself from hurting her. She sighed in her sleep and absently mindedly whispered his name. He had to be careful; he could kill her simply by accident. He had to control himself.
Reina had been having a very good dream. She had been at the beach, drinking herbal tea. Rin and Jaken were playing games with the sand. Sesshomaru looked out into the ocean and let her run her hand through his hair. It was peaceful but then dark cloud formed over the beach. Blood was everywhere. Rin and Jaken were suddenly motionless on the dunes covered in blood. Reina turned to Sesshomaru. He turned toward her, and his eyes were red, bleeding blood tears.
Reina screamed herself awake. She was nestled into Sesshomaru peacefully, when she began screaming and trashing wildly. Sesshomaru shook her until her was completely awake. Recognition formed in her eyes.
"It… was a bad dream" She stammered while dislodging herself from his embrace. She stretched herself out hoping that some action would dissipate the awkwardness. It didn't
"After a good night's rest, it's time to go home" Reina said with her back to everyone, facing the horizon
Sesshomaru's expression darkened. She wanted to leave after all.