"You lied to me," Sesshomaru said spitefully. He turned his face and gazed into the distant. His amber orbs were tinted red with anguish. Clearly, he thought this conversation was over. Reina disagreed. She lifted her hands and turned his face back to hers gently.
"I will be yours forever," Reina confirmed. She looked deeply into his amber eyes watching them soften reluctantly.
"If that is the case then why must you return to the well," Sesshomaru asked bitterly. Reina sighed.
"I love you but I there are things that I must do. I would invite you to come with me but you cannot cross the well," Reina said with an exasperated tone. Sesshomaru was unconvinced by her words of adulation. They seemed empty to him. He despised the way humans talked about promises and loyalty.
"Leave me be woman" Sesshomaru finally said. He had not called her 'woman' since he had first met her. She opened her mouth to speak but held her tongue. He was furious.
Reina would be staying for a few months but without promise to stay forever, it was as if those months did not matter at all to them.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes but he could not sleep, partially because he was frustrated beyond comprehension, and partially because he could hear Reina tossing and turning. She could not sleep a wink either. Sesshomaru was as still as a statue, but his irritation grew as the night went on. It was now nearly midnight and he could still here Reina breathing normally. She was not asleep. He heard her stir. She got up and tip toed to him believing him to be asleep. She snuggled into him. He remained completely still, as if asleep. She sighed into his fur.
"I have another life that won't be ignored," She whispered very quietly to herself. Sesshomaru did not respond. "I know you can hear me, I know you are only pretending to be asleep". He opened his eyes, and the amber orbs caught the moonlight.
"My promises are not empty," Reina continued very softly, "I cannot promise to be with you constantly until the end of my days, but I can promise you my fidelity and my heart" Sesshomaru could feel his anger melt at her words. How he yearned for her words to be true. He could feel the sincerity and remorse in dripping in every syllable.
"I would be your wife if you would have me. I'm not sure if demons have such a thing," Reina said uncertainly.
"Mate" Sesshomaru said. Reina looked up at him gratefully for breaking the silence.
"I would be your mate… if you would have me," Reina said humbly.
"I will have you," Sesshomaru agreed.
His exquisite beauty in the moonlight hit her as if for the first time. She looked into his angelic face, more beautiful than any she had seen. She suddenly felt tears welling up eyes. She felt peaceful.
Sesshomaru looked down on her face with a shocked and horrified expression. Reina suddenly looked confused. Why was he staring at her like that? With one finger, he gathered up her tear. Reina looked at it. Even in the darkness, she could tell that it was not a tear. It was blood. She was crying blood! Reina began wiping up at her face. It was blood. It covered her hand sinisterly.
"What's happening?" She said in a panicked small voice. Rin fluttered her eyes from the sound but fell back asleep. Sesshomaru did not reply he only scooped Reina up tightly. He became a ball of light and sped through the forest. He only knew of one human healer that could help her.
Inuyasha was in the village with Kagome. They were both resting the hut with Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha suddenly picked up Sesshomaru's scent. He awoke and became still. He shook Kagome awake.
"What's up" Kagome set rubbing her eyes.
"Sesshomaru is here," Inuyasha said urgently. Sesshomaru was unpredictable. He could be coming to offer brotherly advice or he could be here to kill him. It was a coin flip with this person.
He cautiously walked out of the hut. Sesshomaru appeared moments later with Reina cradled in his arm. Blood covered her face.
"Wake the old woman," Sesshomaru demanded. Kagome ran to Kaede quickly.
Kaede examined Reina in the firelight of the healing hut. She took some of the blood off with a white cloth. The blood was dark red and turned black very quickly on the cloth.
"This is bad," Kaede said. "You have been cursed"
"Who would do such a thing?" Kagome said surprised. Reina would bet her kidney that it was Kagura.
"I think it be the cursed that you acquired in your past life as the demon priestess. You made many enemies in that time, and your new reincarnation has with it the curses of the old," Kaede said forebodingly. Sesshomaru instantly understood.
"She has inherited Hanako's four curses," Sesshomaru said recalling more folklore. Four was a notoriously bad number in Japan. It meant death.
Reina's tears had finally stopped. Her face and kimono were black with dried blood. She began to clean herself off with a fresh towel.
"My past life really had accumulated some terrible karma," Reina said.
"Hanako was cursed by four different priests and priestesses," Kaede began. Kagome had never heard this story before and listened intently.
"The curses are loneliness, clumsiness, barrenness and restlessness," Kaede said. There seemed to be a long story with each curse. Reina nodded suddenly realized that in her entire life she never had a good night's sleep. She also realized she had never had a day where she did not fall over her own feet.
"Why am I crying tears of blood then," Reina asked. Her face was clean now and she looked at Kaede with wide eyes.
"Should you attempt to break all the curses, a final curse would take its place" Kaede said "The priests were hoping you would break these curses and doom your immortal past life"
"They wanted to kill me" Reina said… she realized a few things in that moment
"I'm going to die aren't I…?" Reina began "and…. I'm pregnant" Sesshomaru felt his body tense, he lowered his nose to her body briefly. She was right, and had broken the curse of barrenness. She was with child, his child.
"All the curses have been broken, the nightmares stopped days ago, I have suddenly become more agile, and I must have gotten pregnant when…" Reina coughed but did not finish that idea "and tonight I broke the curse of loneliness when you took me as your mate"
"You took her as your mate," Inuyasha said with a jeer "You really are a hypocrite, you claim to hate half breeds but now you have a son who's going to be a…"
Before Inuyasha could finish he was pinned to the ground. Sesshomaru squeezed hard on his neck and he began choking. Inuyasha thrashed furiously but he could not escape, he only managed to kick up the dust.
Reina gently drew at Sesshomaru's sleeve. He let Inuyasha go reluctantly.
"How am I going to die?" Reina asked Kaede.
"During childbirth ye will die, at least that is how the legend goes" Kaede said finally. Reina did not expect to face her own demise in nine months with such calmness. Sesshomaru had heard this legend as well. It was popular with humans since they loved to think that they had power over demons. It was popular with demon children as well, as a cautionary tale on the line between them and humans.
"Well I guess my next tour is cancelled after all, I can't go on stage three months pregnant," Reina finally said. Kagome looked somewhat disappointed at that. She already bought tickets, expensive tickets.
"You will go on tour because I will gut that half breed out of you. If it will save your life, I have no need of a half breed son," Sesshomaru said savagely. Reina stepped back horrified. She put a protective arm on her belly. It was flat still but with promises to swell soon.
"You will do no such thing. You will not harm this child," Reina demanded. Sesshomaru raised a poison claw at her belly
"I would gut that thing out tonight if I could, but it's not big enough to take out as of yet" He said menacingly
"I forbid it," Reina said again with a very strong voice. She stepped back defensively
"I will not let you die" Sesshomaru repeated. Reina felt truly frightened for her child's life. Before she could think about what she was doing. She raised a glowing palm at Sesshomaru and blasted at him. Her mothering instinct gave her regular spiritual energy an exponential boost. The blast threw him out the door. He narrowed his eyes at Reina as he got up. Reina held a defensive stance inside the healing hut. She got up and ran for it. Sesshomaru sped after her and grabbed her arm harshly.
"You are my mate, your loyalty, fidelity, and obedience, you have sworn these to me," Sesshomaru said seething. "I will have that half breed, I will save you"
Inuyasha suddenly stepped in between Reina and Sesshomaru. Reina took this chance to create some distance between her and Sesshomaru. She took a few steps back. Inuyasha put his hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and began to draw Tokijin. Inuyasha struck first with a tidal wave of energy, Sesshomaru dodged the attack and began to counter.
"Wind Scar" Yelled Inuyasha as he released a devastating attack on the land. Sesshomaru took evasive action, and his form reappeared to the left of a ditch that the Wind scar had gouged out.
"He is distracted," Reina thought. She had to get to safety. Sesshomaru was serious about performing an abortion her, if he got to her first. Reina ran for it. She would get to the well where he could not follow. She had made it all the way to the ledge. She was about to jump in. Sesshomaru noticed that she was gone. He stopped battling with his half-breed brother and headed for the well.
"Stop" Sesshomaru had managed to get there in time. Inuyasha followed at his heals. He settled himself between the well and Sesshomaru.
"Give me your word, that you will not hurt this child," Reina said on the ledge about to fall in backward. She hoped that he would understand and give in.
"The child will kill you," Sesshomaru stated. He would not budge on it. He would not compromise, and he would not lose her
"I don't care" Reina said. She stepped back, so that her heels hung off the edge. Sesshomaru would not agree to let the half-breed live. He tossed mokomoko in an attempt to catch her. She dived into the well backward. Sesshomaru waited to see if mokomoko would catch her. It came up empty. She crossed to the other side where he could not follow.
Sesshomaru's eyes became blood red with burning rage. His demon blood pounded in his head, forcing coherent thought into submission. He pushed Inuyasha away and jumped into the well. He could not cross to his dismay. He jumped out again after a moment of hesitation. The longer he stood there, the angrier he got. He could not get to Reina now. She had slithered out of his grasp. It made him furious. He looked from Kagome to Inuyasha like a rabid dog.
Kagome made a dive for it next. Sesshomaru was quick enough this time and caught her with mokomoko. It began to squeeze her mid section painfully.
"Inuyasha, you will bring Reina back or I will kill your mate," Sesshomaru threatened in near demonic form.
Authors note: What would you do in this situation… and do not expect an anime way out of it. There is no way to break the curse! I am going to make sure of that because I am so evil! Whahahahahah be back soon