A1969: holy guacamole! It's been ages since I last updated!!
Miroku: kept them waiting, didn't you?
A1969: erm…yeah, I'm really sorry about that. It's just that I've been busy and all…
Sango: don't let it happen again.
A1969: sheesh, you sound like my mom. Anyway, I'm really sorry for the late update. Oh! And by the way, has anyone seen the ending to the Inuyasha manga?! It's sooo nice! All hail Rumiko-san!! Well, for those who haven't read it yet, your missing half of your life. I won't give out much except that everyone's favorite aristocrat is still conveniently single –sniggers-
Miroku: ahem…
A1969: oh right!! Hehe. I don't own Inuyasha! To make it up for you, enjoy this long chapter!
Chapter Thirty-three: Sesshoumaru's Battle
XoXoXo
Not good.
Those were the two words that first flashed across Kagura's mind as she watched—with a horrible feeling in her stomach—Helen. The young woman's hair was gently blowing back as if in a breeze, its color becoming an appealing shade of golden honey, her nails were growing longer and curving into talons; the colors of her pupils slowly lightened until they became a shimmering silver color. She bared her fangs menacingly at Kagura, all control lost.
She…she…Kagura faltered, not knowing what Helen was capable of. That plus the fact that she didn't have the slightest ounce of control over herself made her blood turn to ice.
Kouga himself was equally stunned. He was holding Kagome in his arms, but his eyes were not on the mortally injured miko for once. Forgetting that Kagura was an enemy, he turned to her. "What…who…is she?" the wolf asked as he watched Helen growl menacingly at them. It would have been funny had it not been for the fact that she seemed so out of control.
"Her true demon form," Kagura muttered. "She must've broken…But I couldn't imagine why…how…"
Kouga eyed Helen wearily. She was inching slowly towards him. "She doesn't have a single ounce of control over herself," he said, to no one in particular.
Kagura only tilted her head slightly in Kouga's direction and slowly opened her fan. Helen didn't have any control. Though she was stronger than Kagura, her powers were wasted if she didn't have a single ounce of control in her…
Killing her ought to be fun, Kagura thought.
XoXoXo
"You do not realize how happy I was to see that she had returned," Lady Shinsuke was saying to Chihiro. The two of them were alone in the tea room. Lady Shinsuke sat down on the floor, holding a cup of tea in her slender hands. Her eyes held a new gleam in them. She was no longer the sullen Lady of the East a week ago. She seemed much more—well, if not bubbly—cheerful than she had been before her daughter came back.
"I can see it clearly in your eyes, milady," Chihiro said with a respectful bow of the head before she talked. "I, too, am happy to see your daughter has returned. Now, her marriage to the Western Lord can continue, ne?"
Lady Shinsuke was somber. She was silent for a few minutes. "I am afraid not," she said finally, after a few moments' pause.
"Permit me to ask why, milady?" Chihiro inquired.
Lady Shinsuke blew on the tea and took a sip. "Well," she said as she set the cup on the table in front of her. "Lady Takeida and I have had a little chat and agreed to annul their betrothal."
"Why?"
"They do not love each other," Lady Shinsuke replied. She paused for a moment. "I am sorry—Sesshoumaru does not love her, it seems."
Chihiro raised an elegantly shaped eyebrow. It never mattered whether or not the two parties in a betrothal were in love—they were usually married off without feelings of affection to strengthen family ties and alliances. Chihiro, who had lived in the palace since she had been an infant, was incredulous.
"Milady, surely that never mattered?"
"It does matter," Shinsuke said. She stared out at the veranda. "It always matters…always…"
They were both silent, Lady Shinsuke thinking of her deceased husband and Chihiro thinking that the whole thing—not marrying because there was no love—was quite idiotic.
Lady Shinsuke suddenly stiffened. A shiver ran through her. She closed her eyes for a moment. Something was wrong. Frantically, she sent her mind out to her daughter. There was something horribly wrong…
She opened her eyes and saw what Helen was seeing—two demons standing in front of her. One of them was a demon she did not recognize but she realized that the girl he was holding in his arms was none other than Kagome, the priestess whom Helen loved like a real cousin. The other demon—a demoness—she instantly recognized with a jolt of anger. It was Kagura, Naraku's incarnation.
Shinsuke snapped out of her trance with another shudder. "Milady?" Chihiro's concerned voice was the first thing she heard as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. "Milady, are you alright? Shall I send for the physician?"
"No," Shinsuke said as she stood up with such speed that Chihiro stared. She dashed out of the veranda. "Wait, milady!" Chihiro called out. "Where—?"
But before Chihiro could finish her question, Lady Shinsuke had transformed and flew off.
XoXoXo
Why don't you want her?
Sesshoumaru's mental argument with himself had not ended.
Sesshoumaru tried to ignore the voice in his head.
Come on…we both know that you've wanted her since you saved her from Yamimaru…
-Silence.
You can't tell me to shut up, I'm you, remember?
Sesshoumaru was silent.
Here's what you're gonna do…You're gonna tell her how you feel, the moment she gets back.
-Why should I?
Maybe this voice was what humans called their 'conscience'.
'Cause you love her and if you don't tell her, Toshimaru will do it first…and we both know that Toshimaru always gets what he wants.
-I do not love her…
Mm…then why do you feel insane at the thought of Toshimaru getting her?
-Unlike humans and certain demons, jealousy is beneath me.
Riiight…
So, let's say you walked in on them kissing…?
A burning sense of jealousy seemed to sear through him as the hated image filled his mind.
Ah, I thought so.
-Silence.
Inuyasha was right, you know. You can try to suppress it, you can try to deny it, but it's always there, Lord Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru shook his head vigorously to clear it of the thoughts that had so plagued him. He looked at Rin, who was busy trying to persuade Jaken to wear a wreath of flowers that she had made especially for him. Sighing, he stood up and left them, not bothering to tell them that he was leaving. It was his pure intention to find Helen and bring her back to Lady Shinsuke. He was quite aware that it was past noon; she had been gone far too long, in his opinion.
You're worried about her, aren't you?
-No. Why should I?
Because you like her, don't you?
-No.
Liar.
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. Was this some kind of crazy mental consciousness that just refused to shut up? No. It was a part of him that just refused to keep quiet.
You're worried about her, admit it.
-Naturally. I am responsible for her safety, and seeing as she is Lady Shinsuke's daughter…
Don't give me that Lady Shinsuke reason. You want her and you know it! You're just afraid to actually love her, aren't you?
-I fear nothing.
Oh? Then why do you hesitate? If you're not afraid of anything, then make your move.
-I have no intention of doing so.
Really? Well, you and I know perfectly well that Toshimaru wants her and what that mongrel wants, he usually gets.
Sesshoumaru frowned to himself as the mental battle continued to rage inside him. Ever since he had met Helen, she had caused him nothing but the greatest discomfort and yet, he couldn't deny that he didn't regret it…
He suddenly stopped in his tracks. Up ahead, he could feel a rise in youki, unfamiliar youki…
His nose picked up a familiar scent in the air and his eyes widened in shock.
He quickened his pace and ran.
XoXoXo
"Fujin no mai!" Kagura shouted, sending a barrage of wind blades against the demoness who charged towards her, claws flexed. Helen instinctively held her arms in front of her face to protect herself from the wind blades which sliced through her flesh, sending flecks of blood flying in all directions. Helen only snarled even more menacingly at Kagura.
What's going on? Kagura thought as she watched Helen with narrowed eyes. I hit her full force and yet she continues to attack as if a breeze just blew by!
Kouga, meanwhile, was holding an unconscious Kagome in his arms, her head resting on his knee. He himself didn't know the full story, but he wasn't stupid enough to not know that the girl, Helen, had lost control.
And now, she might just die.
Kagura's eyes were still fixed on Helen, her gaze sharp. She opened her fan. It was best to kill her as quickly as possible. Of course, killing her now—when she was so deranged—wouldn't be exactly getting her revenge but killing Helen would work just fine. She held her fan in front of her and, much to Kouga's chagrin, it turned black.
"What the—?" he muttered, eyeing the blacker and sleeker fan that Kagura held.
"Shocked?" Kagura asked, looking over her shoulder to look at Kouga's astonished expression. "Naraku wasn't as useless as he seemed—this is a new power that he granted. My fan is now capable of producing miasma."
"Disgusting," Kouga snarled. "You intend to poison her?"
"I already have," Kagura said with a grin as she looked at Helen, whose breath had now become a pant. "When I hit her with my wind blades, I sent miasma into her bloodstream. Her death will be slow and painful, just as yours will be wolf."
Kouga growled at Kagura. If only there somewhere he could leave Kagome, somewhere safe. That way, he could find a way to help Helen…
Kouga shifted his attention from Kagura to Helen. The inu demoness did look a little shaky. Was the miasma taking effect? It was hard to tell.
Helen's silver eyes were narrowed at Kagura, looking insane. "It'll be much kinder for me to end your life right now," Kagura said softly. "You won't have to suffer—and trust me, with the miasma in your bloodstream, the pain will be excruciating." She raised her black fan and pointed it at Helen. "Ah well, goodbye, Helen."
"No!" Kouga shouted.
"Fujin—!"
But before Kagura could finish her prey off, a streak of green light appeared almost out of nowhere, wrapping itself around Kagura's wrist. The wind witch's eyes widened in shock and in pain. Instinctively, she released her fan, which fell to the ground with a clatter. The whip of light retracted itself from Kagura's wrist and back to its source, leaving her wrist bleeding.
Kagura spun around.
"Sesshoumaru," she snarled menacingly. "Come to save the girl?"
Kouga eyed the youkai lord who walked out of the shadows as quiet and undetectable as if he were a part of it. Sesshoumaru's eyes were indifferent and cold as always but Kouga could see, just beneath the surface, the rage hidden beneath.
Sesshoumaru's gaze swept around the clearing, ignoring everyone else, until he found person he had been seeking. He inwardly raised his eyebrows. She was not what he expected her to be. For one, he didn't expect her to look so deranged—snarling and growling. For another, he didn't expect her to look…pleasing. The afternoon sun glinted softly off her golden locks and her silver eyes seemed to shimmer. Her scent had not changed and he could see her that her skin—though she was splattered in blood—was a smooth alabaster color with the faintest hint of pink beneath.
He pulled his gaze from her and turned to Kagura, who was regarding him wearily, her fan, which she had retrieved when Sesshoumaru had been preoccupied with observing Helen, clutched tightly in her hand.
"Leave," Sesshoumaru said dangerously.
"What?" Kouga asked, incredulous. "You're letting her go?!"
Kagura herself eyed her ex-lover wryly. What was he playing at? Why was he letting her go? Why wasn't he going to kill her?
"Lady Shinsuke is on her way," Sesshoumaru warned. "She will most assuredly kill you without a moment's hesitation."
"And you're not going to do the same thing?!" Kouga snarled.
Sesshoumaru ignored him. Kagura narrowed her eyes and pulled out her feather with such speed that her hand appeared blurred. Quick as a flash, before anyone could blink, she was gone. Sesshoumaru's gaze now rested on Kouga, who held even tighter to Kagome. "Wolf," he said. "Get the miko out of here."
Kouga eyed him suspiciously for a moment. He then lifted Kagome gently into his arms and ran off, leaving Sesshoumaru and Helen alone. Without Kagura, Helen's attention shifted to Sesshoumaru who stared at her. He had never seen a demoness loose control before. The whites of Helen's eyes were a bloody red in color, her fangs were bared menacingly at him and her talons were clenched. Yet, despite these signs of aggression, Helen looked…tired. Sesshoumaru scowled, narrowing his eyes. He could make out the faint scent of miasma on Helen. Before he could even think about the miasma, another scent caught his attention. It was easy to knock her out and scoop her into his arms—demonesses with no control over themselves were easy prey.
He turned his attention to the sky where a large shape was bounding toward him. It was a gigantic dog, white and slightly smaller than he when he transformed. The dog glowed white and a moment later, a column of white shot in front of him, taking on the form of the Lady of the Eastern Lands.
He had never seen Lady Shinsuke look like this. Her eyes, which were normally cold and impassive like his own, were filled nothing but worry. Her lips were trembling slightly. Her skin, normally flushed with a soft red glow, was completely pale and clammy and her hands, he noticed, were shaking visibly.
"Oh, Sesshoumaru," she gasped as she made her way to him upon seeing her daughter securely in his arms. "I was so worried! I felt…what has happened?"
"As you can see," Sesshoumaru murmured, turning his eyes on Helen. "She has managed to break it, how, I do not know. You will have to explain that to me."
Lady Shinsuke placed a hand on her daughter's head of golden hair. This seemed to have a calming effect on her. "I am thankful that she is alright, at least," she said, returning to her old, brisk self now that she was sure that Helen was not going to die. "Yes. I owe both of you an explanation. Come then, to the east."
XoXoXo
She could hear voices murmuring.
They were murmuring slowly, softly. Then it was then that Helen realized why. Her eyes were closed and she could only assume that the voices were murmuring so as to not wake her. She immediately recognized one of the voices.
"I am thankful that you were there for her…as always." The voice belonged to Lady Shinsuke, her mother. Then that meant that she must be in the east.
"Hn." This voice was obviously Sesshoumaru's. Helen stiffened slightly at the sound of his voice.
"I am still astounded that she broke it," Lady Shinsuke said again.
Broke what?
"You said you would explain," Sesshoumaru reminded.
"Ah…I can only guess why. Maybe, from what you've told me, Kagome was injured…by Kagura? Perhaps that's why. Strong emotions can do strong things…including breaking a seal."
Seal? Helen thought. What is she talking about?
She couldn't remember anything. The last thing she remembered was Kagura.
"I was right," Lady Shinsuke said again. "She has my hair." Her mother's perkiness was back.
Hair? Helen decided that it was time to wake up. She opened her eyes and suddenly realized that there was just something different.
"Ah! She's awake!" Lady Shinsuke said with an obvious tone of delight in her tinkling voice.
Helen blinked. She was lying on a futon mattress in a room which was obviously in the palace of the east. Lady Shinsuke was kneeling on one side and, much to her dismay, Sesshoumaru knelt on the other, his cold, amber eyes studying her intently.
"Huh?" was the first thing she could say. There was something not right. Why was it that her vision, somewhat blurry before, was perfectly crystal clear? Why was it that she could hear every tiny detail around her? And why, she wondered was each scent much more pronounced?
"She has her father's eyes," Lady Shinsuke murmured.
"What?" Helen asked, starting to feel ridiculous. She sat up and as she did so, a strand of gold-colored hair fell over her shoulders. She stared at it and, for a brief moment, she wondered if she had dyed her hair gold. Several seconds passed until her groggy mind slowly registered what she was seeing…
"What the heck?!" she half-yelled, grabbing the lock of her hair between her clawed fingers. Before she could even wonder what weird phenomenon was taking place, she suddenly became aware that her fingers were much more slender and, above all, they were clawed.
She shook her head. "Okaay…hallucinating…maybe I'm just demented…but…"—she turned to Sesshoumaru, all traces of embarrassment forgotten—"…why the hell is my hair gold?!"
Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows. Really, why on earth was she complaining?
A warm hand gently took hold of Helen's wrist. "You broke the seal," Lady Shinsuke said softly. She smiled.
"What?" she asked, bewildered. "I…broke…that? How? I thought…you said unless…I'm confused."
Lady Shinsuke smiled again. "My theory is that when Kagome was dying, natural instinct and upsurge of anger broke it…I'm not sure. But who really cares? As long as you're free, that is."
A demoness. She was a demoness. Helen shook her head. "But…I'm dreaming," she stuttered, still quite unable to believe what had happened.
"Stop acting like a child," Sesshoumaru suddenly said, his voice cold.
Helen jumped and turned to him. "Who's acting like a child?"
"You are."
"I am not!"
"Of course not. Pup."
"Oh shut up."
"Stop acting like a mere infant and grow up."
"You're telling me to grow up? You're the one who can't get over Kagura!" The words stung her, she admitted.
Sesshoumaru gave her an icy glare. He stoop up and bowed low to Lady Shinsuke and without another word, he promptly left the room. "Ah, wait!" Helen called out. "Sesshoumaru, I didn't mean—!"
Lady Shinsuke inwardly sighed. "Let him go for a moment," she said. "There are some things that I have to explain to you."
Helen sighed and turned to Lady Shinsuke. "Can you please make it quick?"
A small smile curved her mother's lips. "Well, now that you are free of your human bondage, you do realize that you are compelled to stay here in the east? You have much to learn. You must learn to control yourself, you must learn the ways of our clan, and you must train your skills and learn to become my heiress."
Helen's eyes were round. "What? Heiress? I can't…I don't know how…"
"That's why someone is tutoring you," Lady Shinsuke said patiently. "This also means that you cannot return to the present."
Helen stared at her. "Why?"
"You belong here, do you not? This is your home," Lady Shinsuke said in a tone that discouraged argument.
Helen looked down at the blankets that covered her. "I won't agree to it," she said.
"What?"
"You heard me." She looked up at her mother, her silver eyes burning with emotion. "You cannot lock me up here. I know that this is my home now…and I accept that but you cannot possibly imagine that I would agree to that? I have a family in the modern era too! I have Kagome, Aunt Higurashi and others who care about me! And from the tone of your voice, you want me to stay east. Well, I won't. I have to help Sesshoumaru find Naraku and…"
Helen stopped, placing a hand on her forehead. She suddenly felt hot. Very hot. "Could…could you…it's so hot!" she said.
Lady Shinsuke, who had been about to argue with Helen, looked concerned. "What is it?"
"I feel like I'm burning."
Lady Shinsuke placed a hand on her forehead. She frowned. "You have a fever…which is strange." It was strange. Demons weren't the ones who would be caught with a temperature like this. She frowned for a moment, remembering what Sesshoumaru had said to her about the afternoon's events. "Perhaps," she muttered to herself, much to Helen's bewilderment.
"What are you talking about?" Helen asked.
"Sesshoumaru mentioned that Kagura hit you with her fan that was laced with miasma…it might have entered your bloodstream," Lady Shinsuke concluded, sighing.
"Isn't…isn't there anything you can give me? Really, I feel like I'm on fire…besides, I want to get better so I can go and find Sesshoumaru."
The experienced demoness shook her head. "I'm afraid not," she said. "If you had not managed to break the seal and become a demoness, we could have had a priestess purify it"—she made a face at that—"however, it would be dangerous to that now that you are a demoness…the best thing to do would be to wait until the miasma leaves your system"—she looked worried—"in the meantime, I shall one of the best physicians in the land look after you."
"No," Helen murmured, trying to sit up. The fever was starting to get to her. The room swam immediately as she tried to sit up and her head throbbed. "I have to go find Sesshoumaru and apologize."
"Nonsense!" Lady Shinsuke said, gently pushing her back down onto the mattress. "Sesshoumaru is a young man…he will not easily be insulted by your childish remark."
"But…"
"Helen," Lady Shinsuke said exasperatedly. "I finally have you back…as a demoness! Even though you are ill right now, the sight of your golden locks still makes me so happy…" Her voice trailed off and she sighed.
"Mother," Helen muttered, the fever finally getting to her. She reached out and took her mother's hand in her own. "Thanks."
Lady Shinsuke's eyes which, up to that point, were like silvery blocks of ice, softened at what Helen called her. The Lady of the Eastern Lands looked lovingly at Helen as the latter gently held on to her hand.
XoXoXo
"It's way past lunchtime," Inuyasha grumbled. "Where the heck is Kagome?"
The hanyou was busy pacing their campsite, feeling angry with himself for easily loosing his temper with Kagome earlier. Miroku and the others, who watched from the shade of the tree under which they had slept the previous night, followed Inuyasha with his eyes. The hanyou had been pacing for the past several hours.
"Sheesh," Shippou, perched on Miroku's shoulder, said. "Can't you feed yourself without Kagome?"
There was a sharp whizzing sound as Inuyasha threw a smooth stone at Shippou, forcing the kitsune to yowl out in rage and pain. "Shut it!" Inuyasha snapped, agitated.
"Inuyasha, that's no way to treat Shippou!" Sango reprimanded. "It's not his fault that Kagome ran off—truth be told, it's all yours. If you haven't overreacted and started screaming at her for leaving without your permission, she wouldn't have run off and we wouldn't be in this predicament. The truth is you don't know how to control your temper!"
Inuyasha rounded on Sango, was about to do or say something nasty, when he suddenly remembered that she was…well, she was Sango. Inuyasha backed down and muttered something that sounded like an insult to the female species.
Sango rolled her eyes. "If you don't want Kagome to run off on you the next time, Inuyasha, I suggest that you improve your manners."
"Are you saying that I ain't got manners?" the hanyou demanded.
"No…I'm saying that you're acting like a savage!"
Inuyasha was about to retort when the smell of blood suddenly reached his nose. He went rigid—the scent was Kagome's!
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, not even bothering to answer his companions' curious looks. He was about to dart out of the clearing when a figure suddenly stumbled from the trees, carrying a bloodied young woman in his arms.
"Kouga!"
XoXoXo
Kagura flew over the mountains, allowing the wind to rush freely through her unbound hair which streamed behind her like a dark cloud. Her eyes were narrowed and it was quite obvious that she was in deep thought.
Why, Kagura had asked herself a thousand times, did Sesshoumaru let her go? She was quite certain that the demon lord would kill her then and there and yet…
She frowned to herself. Could it be possible that he still cared about her? If you could their cold relationship caring, at least. Perhaps, he still did. She sighed. If Sesshoumaru still did care about her, then maybe if Helen weren't around…
She bit her lower lip. The thought of having Helen dead suddenly became an urgent obsession. But how to kill her? That brat was now a full-fledged inu demoness—she was possibly more powerful than Kagura. Not only that, but the fact that she was surrounded by people who wanted to protect her—Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and his friends, Lady Shinsuke—made the task of killing her seem so impossible, so distant…
She gripped her fan and placed a slender hand over her left breast to as to feel the rhythmic beating of the heart that had given her freedom. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, she knew what she had to do.
XoXoXo
"What did you do to Kagome, you wolf?!" Inuyasha bellowed, immediately withdrawing Tessaig from its sheath. "You've harmed her! You're so dead!"
"Shut up!" Kouga snarled, baring his fangs at the hanyou. "I didn't do anything to her! I as good as saved her!"
Inuyasha glared at him then at the bloodied form of Kagome in Kouga's arms. Miroku and the others had stood up, their eyes wide with surprise and shock. Without a second's hesitation, the hanyou rushed at Kouga, Tessaiga held high. "Wait, Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted. Inuyasha swung Tessaiga at Kouga, taking the greatest care no to hit Kagome and missed. Kouga had jumped into the air in time.
"Gimme Kagome!" Inuyasha roared, fury lacing every syllable he spoke.
"Not until you've let me explain!" Kouga snapped as he landed on the far side of the clearing.
"Explain?!" Inuyasha shouted, his hot-headedness taking the best of him. "She's in your arms and you're covered in her blood! I don't think I need to think for this one!"
"INUYASHA!" Miroku screamed. Inuyasha glanced behind him. "Give Kouga a chance to explain. I mean, he would never harm Kagome so let him explain."
"Not until you give Kagome to me," Sango interrupted, stepping forward. "I'll treat her wounds, give her to me."
Kouga looked hesitant and Sango looked impatient. The former gave in and confidently strode past Inuyasha, who was trying his best not to kill the wolf, and deposited Kagome into the safety of Sango's arms.
Sango took Kagome to the far side of the clearing where she began treating the priestess's wounds. Miroku then turned to Kouga. "Well?" the monk demanded. "What happened? How did Kagome end up like that?"
Kouga looked at Inuyasha, who was eyeing him malevolently. He then began to relate what had happened. How Kagura had tricked him into following Helen's scent, how he had thought that Helen was an incarnate of Naraku and tried to kill her, how Kagome had intervened, how Kagura had attacked them and how Kagome sustained her injuries, ending with the sudden arrival of Sesshoumaru who bore away the demoness Helen with him.
They were silent. "So," Miroku muttered. "She broke her seal…"
"What does that mean?" Sango asked as soon as she joined their conversation after she had tended to Kagome, whom she had left under a tree in the care of Shippou.
"She's a demoness," Miroku answered. He frowned. "By why did Kagura trick into killing Helen?"
Kouga shrugged. "It's Kagura, isn't it? She was probably under Naraku's orders."
"She isn't," Inuyasha surprisingly said. He had stowed Tessaiga back into its sheath and had finally calmed down.
"Excuse me?" Kouga asked.
"She's not under Naraku's orders—she's free now," the hanyou informed. "I think her reasons are much more…personal."
"Personal?"
"Of course," Sango said. "She loved Sesshoumaru."
Kouga's eyes widened. "Yeah…so?"
"Well," Sango plowed on, deciding that, since she was a girl, it would be best if she told them her suspicions. "I think Sesshoumaru…well…I think he likes Helen."
Kouga's eyes were nearly as wide as the moon.
"Mutt-face's brother?!" the wolf demon exclaimed, shaking his head. "When I met him, I thought he was like some kinda walking block of ice."
"So did we," Inuyasha muttered, ignoring the name-calling. He left them arguing about whether or not, Sesshoumaru had the capacity to fall in love and went to Kagome, who was still unconscious underneath the sheltering branches of the large oak tree. Sango had done a pretty good job with Kagome's wounds. The bandages were neatly wrapped around the injured areas on Kagome's arms and Sango had expertly applied disinfectants to the miko's wounds that didn't need bandages.
Inuyasha sighed and, as he watched Kagome, looked away so that he wouldn't have to see her like this and inwardly vowed that he would try to master his temper from now on. "Sorry, Kagome," he muttered. "Sorry for being such a jerk…sorry for not understanding you…for underestimating you…for not being there for you…I should've been there to protect you…should've gone after you, instead, I acted like a jerk with an ego the size of a mountain…I…I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha started. His eyes snapped to Kagome. She was awake and she was smiling at him. "K-Kagome?" he stuttered, blinking.
"I forgive you," the miko said serenely.
Inuyasha shook his head. "I shouldn't have acted like a bastard towards you…"
"I told…I'm okay," she assured as she gingerly tried to sit up.
"You shouldn't," Inuyasha said as he tried to ease the miko down.
Kagome shook her head. "What happened? I remember Helen…oh! What happened to Helen?!"
"I…dunno," Inuyasha admitted. "It was Kouga who—"
"Kagome!" Kouga, when he saw that Kagome was awake, abandoned Miroku and Sango and elbowed Inuyasha who was sent crashing into the ground. The wolf demon took Kagome's hands in his. "I was so worried! You were so bruised! I'm sorry for not protecting you completely! I swear, Kagome, I'll never let anything or anyone hurt you again! I'd rather die than—"
"Outta the way, you wimpy wolf!" Inuyasha snarled as his elbow made contact with Kouga's side.
"Hey!" Kouga half-shouted as he in turn was sent sprawling to the ground. The wolf retaliated by trying to place a well-aimed kick at Inuyasha's head which the hanyou avoided. A minor scuffle broke out between the two who were watched by Kohaku and Shippou with growing amusement.
"Enough!" Kagome shouted, sitting up.
At the sound of her voice, both Inuyasha and Kouga froze and turned to her with such puppy-like expressions in their eyes that the young miko couldn't help but giggle.
"Stop fighting, you two," she reprimanded. "Anyway, I want to know what happened. First, where's Helen, what happened to her?"
Kouga immediately related what had happened to the miko and threw Inuyasha a sideward glance that seemed to say, "Ha! I was there for her and you weren't!"
Kagome was silent. "I have to go see her," the miko decided, attempting to stand but Sango restrained her.
"You're very injured, Kagome," the taijiya said. "Kagura seems to have done a lot of damage…I don't think you should go yet, you have to rest."
Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm worried about Helen. If she has become a demoness, then I want to see her."
"Rest," Sango insisted. "You'll see Helen soon enough."
"And she won't be the same," Inuyasha said darkly, not knowing that he was more than right.
XoXoXo
"Lady, you should be indoors," Helen heard Chihiro say, a tiny note of worry in her voice. It had been five days since the seal had been broken and Helen found herself not only a demoness, but also sick with fever. She was sitting on one of the many stone benches in the garden, underneath the wide canopy of an oak tree. She was—much to her dismay—was wearing simple yet formal robe with the symbol of the Shirogawa clan stitched into the neckline. Her arms were folded on her lap and she was staring up at the leafy canopy, the shadows cast by the sun filtering through the leaves and dancing on her.
"I want to get out," Helen muttered. The fever from the miasma had gotten worse over the few days that had gone by, reaching its climax on the third day when Helen felt as if she had been broiling. The physicians couldn't do anything, they said. They had never seen a more potent miasma and the only way to get rid of the fever was either to wait till the miasma cleared her system or to have it purified which, according to Lady Shinsuke, was far more dangerous.
"It is not good for you. Do you want your mother to die of worry?"
"I'm bored," Helen said. She looked up at Chihiro. "I don't think I'm sick anymore anyway…I want to go back and help Sesshoumaru find Naraku. But first, I want to go and see what happened to Kagome."
Chihiro shook her head. "You are not allowed to help them find Naraku anymore. You are to stay here and learn the ways of your clan, lady."
Helen groaned. "Please don't call me lady," she said. She was now annoyed, more than ever, of all the bowing, the respect, the titles and all the other things she couldn't name. "And as to my clan…I don't know if I can do this. I'm not at all ready. I'm not supposed to…I never…I don't…I don't know where I belong."
"Hence, lady, you are here."
Helen sighed. "I order you to stop calling me lady." One of the most unnerving things of being heiress of the Eastern Lands was the fact that even the tiniest of her orders—which ranged from requests to open the doors, to making people keep quiet—were almost always followed. It had felt unnerving but, as Chihiro started calling her by her name and apologizing for not being able to allow Helen to go out of the castle grounds, giving orders suddenly seemed like something she could do—for now.
XoXoXo
"I want you to come with me Sesshoumaru," Lady Takeida insisted. She and her son were watching Rin and Jaken running around the palace garden—Rin, running towards the toad, shouting about flowers, flowers and more flowers while he ran away from her. Lady Takeida wanted to go and see Helen, whom she had not set eyes on yet, while he, understandably, wanted to stay away from her.
Sesshoumaru did not answer. Ever since Helen had said those three simple words, he had been battling himself. He knew that the wall on his emotions was close to breaking and, for once in his life, he felt afraid. Afraid that he wouldn't get the power he wanted, afraid of being weak like his father, blinded like his brother. He had no intention for being weak; he had no intention of being foolish. It was best to stay away from the one person who could make him just those.
"Sesshoumaru?" his mother prompted.
"You are entitled to do whatever you wish…as am I," Sesshoumaru said. "And I have no intention of seeing her."
Takeida raised her eyebrows. "Oh?" she said. "Why not? I hear she is different. And I wish to see her. And you shall accompany me."
"Why…hahaue?"
"Because I desire it."
"I do not need to listen to order do I?"
Takeida's eyes narrowed menacingly. Sesshoumaru had gone too far. "Such disrespect for your mother shows how incompetent you are!" Takeida snapped, anger bubbling within her. "Your father would be ashamed of you."
Sesshoumaru was silent. "Very well," the youkai lord said, feeling impassive and foolish. "I shall come with you if you so wish it."
Takeida nodded. "Good."
XoXoXo
Helen sighed as she continued to stare up at the leafy canopy above her. A sigh escaped her lips as the wind gently played with her golden locks. Everything was so different now. The world was different, her sight was changed, her hearing was sharpened and a million more changes that she probably didn't know about. She sighed again. What would become of her now? Would she be able to return to the present? Would she be able to help Sesshoumaru and the others hunt down Naraku? Since she had become a demoness, the only good thing about it—in her opinion—was the fact that she could now help hunt down Naraku and not become a burden.
"It's true, then," a voice, smooth like velvet, said.
Helen spun around, annoyed that anyone would even try to mask their aura around her. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Toshimaru was smiling at her.
"Oh," Helen said, feeling stupid. "It…Lord Toshimaru." She quickly bowed to him, as she—despite the fact that she was ill—had been taught to do when in the company of men.
"Please," Toshimaru said. "You don't like it if I call you 'lady', do you supposed I would like it if you referred to me as 'Lord'?"
Helen smiled, unconsciously moving over so that he could sit down next to her. "No, I don't think you would, Toshimaru."
He returned her smile and gestured to the stone bench. "May I?"
Helen nodded. He sat down next to her and they were silent for a moment. "You know, I couldn't believe my ears when they told me that you had broken Lady Shinsuke's seal," he said. He turned to look at her. "I suppose you feel…different?"
Helen shifted. "Yes," she admitted. "Actually, it feels…strange, annoying."
Toshimaru chuckled, his voice sounding even more like velvet. "You'll get used to it."
Helen smiled again. "I suppose I will…if you'd help me, that is."
"My pleasure."
They looked at each for a moment, and then Helen turned away, clenching her hands tighter. "Is anything wrong?" Toshimaru inquired, sounding worried.
"N-nothing. Could I…could I lean on you for a moment? I feel a bit…dizzy," Helen muttered.
"It would be an even greater pleasure."
Helen smiled, but blushed slightly as she leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.
XoXoXo
"Well, where is she, Shinsukue?" Lady Takeida inquired of Helen after all the formalities had been exchanged.
"She is out in the garden, for a little fresh air," Lady Shinsuke said, raising her voice a little louder at the word 'garden' and looking pointedly at Sesshoumaru. It was obvious that she and Takeida still hoped that they're children would end up together.
"Well, Sesshoumaru?" Takeida inquired. "Why don't you go and see how she is doing? I hear she is getting better."
Lady Shinsuke nodded.
Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed and thought it best not to argue with his mother. He stood up and left the room. It was easy to follow her scent of vanilla and wild violets—now more pronounced than ever before—out of the castle and into the garden.
He readied himself for the emotional battle that assailed him every time he was with her. He had readied himself for that, but he was not ready for the sight that greeted him.
He stepped into the garden and saw, from afar, Helen comfortably leaning her head on Toshimaru's shoulder, her eyes closed, her golden locks curling round her shoulders, looking even more lovelier than the last time he had seen her. Toshimaru was holding her hand and leaning his head on her head.
A startling surge of jealousy suddenly seemed to rage through him. His jaw clenched, his fists unconsciously balled themselves, his eyes narrowed themselves and a there was such a look on his that even the war god would have run away.
He closed his eyes and remembered that he wasn't supposed to feel these kinds of weakening emotions. He counted from one to thirty and opened his eyes to see that the scene had not changed. He abruptly turned and walked away.
His emotions were now raging a full-scale war against him.
XoXoXo
A1969: whoa…that was my longest and, ow, my fingers ache.
Miroku: why don't you guys make her feel better and review?
A1969: I'm sorry for the really late update. I've just been so busy.
Sango: so busy.
A1969: reaaaaallllyyyy sorry!! I mean it! I mean, I felt guilty about not updating for a long time.
Sango: we understand you. Anway, you're fingers all better?
A1969: a bit. Please review guys!