Hello everyone. Want to start out with my reviewers. First a special thanks to the ever faithful and kind byakugan-master93. Sorry about my misspelling but I was too lazy to look it up. Welcome back and thanks to Tina-Chan O for her review. Thanks to everyone for the strong response of the last two chapters. Sorry about the late update but I had to go to a job interview yesterday so I hope you understand. I will try to keep the enthusiasm going with this chapter. It will show Inuyasha's recovery and other more internal matters going on right after the last chapter. Sorry if it seems a little rambling. Hope to hear from all of you. Please Review.

CHAPTER XXLIII

HEALING BODY AND SOUL

Inuyasha's POV

Inuyasha frowned slightly at the burning sensation he felt running down his right side. The hanyou was still too weak to feel the other minor injuries on his arms and his right leg, but he slowly gained enough strength to open his heavy eyes. Inuyasha realized immediately that he was in his own room in Sesshomaru's palace. He was surprised when Healo quietly opened the door and entered with a bowl in his hands.

The Northern Lord did not smile or frown when he glanced into the golden orbs of his brother, but only said neutrally ", I have to dress your wounds again." The hanyou did not respond as he slowly pieced together his memories of what had caused him to be injured in the first place. His cheeks flamed red in shame of his actions, but he made no verbal reply so Healo stepped closer and knelt to examine the slowly healing wounds.

The demon lord's eyes softened as he finally removed the bandage over the hanyou's right side to reveal the wound beneath. Healo asked quietly ", Can you move your right arm?" Inuyasha considered speaking but decided against it and slowly, with slight pain, lifted his arm up. The Northern Lord smiled and pronounced softly as he dabbed a strange smelling paste unto his brother's arm ", Your arm will be as good as new in a day or so."

Inuyasha scrunched his nose at the bitter smell of the medicine and asked with irritation ", What's this stuff?" His brother answered solemnly as he applied it to the other wounds ", Kagome made this for your wounds. She would have cared for you herself but I dissuaded her from doing so." The hanyou narrowed his eyes and asked with suspicion ", Why did you do that?" Healo turned to look at Inuyasha as he said softly ", For your own good. As soon as our little miko realizes you're well enough for it, you are going to get the most severe tongue lashing of your life."

The hanyou grimaced lightly as he imagined the pain his ears and pride were soon to experience. However, he was soon brought out of his reverie when the Northern Lord added in a sharp tone ", It will be well deserved. How could you have allowed yourself to even entertain the possibility of fulfilling your own designs for the jewel shards? You are incredibly lucky to even be still breathing. Sesshomaru nearly had both of our heads for this incident, and if I had not intervened he would surely have taken yours."

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment as he reflected upon the strangely severe tone in his brother's voice. The hanyou replied in a calm tone ", Well it seems like a good thing that Kagome showed up then. Don't you think?" Inuyasha carefully watched his brother as he waited for a response. Healo spoke in a kinder tone ", She needn't have come at all. Sesshomaru had already lowered his blade by the time our miko arrived. Still it was touching to see her disobey and come in the hopes of saving her friends."

Inuyasha glared at the softening he had seen taking place in the Northern Lord's dark blue eyes when he spoke about HIS Kagome. The hanyou turned away as he asked in a brusque tone ", Are you using her to replace Avia?" Silence followed this question until Inuyasha turned and found his brother with a quizzical look on his face. Healo's eyes twinkled as he asked in a strange tone ", What do you mean? I have already answered to you about this."

The hanyou did not accept the dodge but instead pressed on fiercly ", Yah. But then you weren't getting all googely eyed whenever anyone talked to you about Kagome. I want to know if you actually love her or if she is just some replacement." The Northern Lord surprised him with a cold tone and a harsh statement ", Just like you continue to see her; as a replacement for Kikyo? How dare you question my motives? I may not have known Lady Kagome for long but I can say emphatically that I have never willfully, or otherwise, harmed her. The same cannot be said for you; on either account."

Healo rose swiftly with the medical supplies in his hands and moved quickly towards the door he had just entered from. Inuyasha did not say anything sense he realized that there was truth in what his brother had said, but he would never admit it to anyone except himself. Right before he left the room the Northern Lord said in a calmer tone ", I will give you a few more hours before I allow Kagome to enter. I suggest you rest with the time you have left."

The door shut with a surprisingly soft noise considering the emotions the demon lord had just unveiled. Inuyasha allowed himself to fall back into the softness of his bed as he considered the events of yesterday. Slowly he realized how much trouble he was going to be in with Kagome. It was not a comforting thought…

Healo's POV

His anger had mostly dissipated by the time he closed the door to his brother's room. Shame and guilt were slowly taking its' place as he turned to back to give Kagome an update on her beloved hanyou's condition. Healo was no fool. He understood perfectly well that the fair miko did not love him. At the moment her heart and mind were being overwhelmed with an increasingly large number of problems and complications that were only added to each day as each of the brother's sought to gain the advantage.

Healo had known that that was what was behind Inuyasha's little stunts long before the hanyou had confirmed it himself. He knew that he had huge points against him and was starting to despair because of Sesshomaru's intrigues. Inuyasha had not only done exactly what the cynical Western Lord wanted by deciding to leave, but he had gone even farther and gave an excuse for his own destruction. However, Healo was not his younger half-brother's stooge, and he would not play his game.

If the Northern Lord had allowed Inuyasha to die he would have experienced death himself. Healo had been momentarily surprised when he realized that Sesshomaru knew this but that he was so intent on destroying the hanyou that he had not cared. Even if Inuyasha were to be killed in a way that would release the Northern Lord from his oath, Kagome would surely be crushed. However, that was precisely what the Western Lord wanted; if he could not remove his rival he could attack the miko's emotions and then bend her to his will.

Healo shook his head at the level of sheer chaos that seemed to run in the family. The only ones who seemed to behave in a normal manner were Magus and Sulam and even they occasionally fell into strange straights. The Northern Lord was prodded from his thoughts when he realized that Kagome herself was heading towards him. She was wearing the stern expression of a task master, and he feared that he already knew what the miko's goal was…

Kagome's POV

She was determined to get the final point of view on yesterday's disastrous event. However, when she noted that her friend had just exited from the room that was her destination she paused and watched his expression to see what had happened. The Northern Lord's smile was warm enough but something in his eyes showed regret or some other negative emotion. Kagome moved closer as she asked ", Is he awake yet?"

Healo's eyes shifted slightly which confirmed the miko's suspicion; he and Inuyasha had apparently had some uncomfortable words. Kagome was surprised when the Northern Lord said in a tight voice ", Kagome if you wish to know about my feelings, you need only to ask. I do not enjoy being examined and probed for my emotions." Healo closed his eyes and sighed before continuing ", I apologize. Yes the hanyou and I had a small argument."

The miko glanced at the door as she asked nonchalantly ", What was it about?" The Northern Lord's eyes softened as he replied in a kind tone ", You, and about what happened yesterday." Before Kagome could ask anything else her friend asked quietly ", I assume that you have already spoken to Sesshomaru." The miko paused as she watched her friend before answering ", Yes. He told me about the fight from his point of view."

Healo asked crisply ", And what was his view on the battle?" Kagome hesitated as she remembered the Western Lord's warning, but she decided to be honest. She spoke calmly ", He thinks that you purposely went easy on Inuyasha. He said that you were trying to persuade him to run away. Were you?" The Northern Lord regarded her calmly before asking ", That would have been what you wanted. Would it not?" Before the miko could answer he continued ", Despite what Sesshomaru may have told you, it was not I, but himself, that escalated the fight. If he had not shown up and enraged Inuyasha there would have been nothing to fight about."

Kagome's instinct was to believe her friend but she said truthfully ", Inuyasha is not known for his careful thinking. How can I be sure that what Sesshomaru said isn't true?" Healo smiled gently as he answered softly ", Because he wants to discredit and destroy the hanyou, not just physically, but he wants to remove him from your heart. The Western Lord takes a very draconian view towards those who stand in his way. Eventually he will cook up some plan to discredit me as well."

The miko thought that she could understand what he was suggesting. However, she responded carefully ", Is that the way demons normally act when trying to convince a mate?" Healo responded slowly ", Usually the two claimants will duel and the winner will take the mate, but since we are family, the rules are different. In the long run our situation may be far more damaging; especially since Sesshomaru and I are both Lords. If we say the wrong things or show too much animosity it may convince Naraku and the other lords that we are easy targets."

Kagome sighed as she said softly ", Naraku. I'm sure that he is enjoying all of this, assuming that he knows about it." The Northern Lord turned to look out of a nearby window as he replied ", He most surely is. That vile hanyou relishes setting allies against each other, especially when they are family." The miko noted sadly ", He did that to you before didn't he?" Her friend sighed and answered ", Yes. But then he used my anger and suspicions; now Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's emotions are playing right into his hands and there is nothing I can do but try to keep the peace."

The miko paused as she considered what he had said. She shook her head and replied calmly ", I don't know how long you'll be able to do that. I mean, they are Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. You can't change that." The Northern Lord answered firmly ", No. But I will do my best for as long as possible. I want and need both of them to aid me if we are to succeed. If they allow personal problems to separate them, I fear that they will be playing right into Naraku's hands." Kagome felt certain that Healo was right but she said nothing since the atmosphere already seemed gloomy enough without her own thoughts.

Yay. So again sorry about the late update. Plus I did want this chapter to go farther but the conversations just took on a life of their own and swallowed the whole chapter. So next chap. will have the discussion between Kagome and Inuyasha. Also another verbal spar between Healo and Sesshomaru. Hope to hear from all of you. Depending on reviews, update will be Tuesday or early Wednesday. Please review.