Disclaimer: See chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. You will see that I, without a doubt, OWN NOTHING!
Oh, and btw. I do not have a high opinion of InuYasha and Souta's intelligence. So it will take them a while to come up with a plan. Meanwhile, enjoy Sess/Kag madness!
Last Time:
"Now, how are we going to break them up?" Souta asked.
InuYasha grinned wickedly. Just listen closely.
CHAPTER 10: WEEKEND RETREAT
Kagome breathed in the clean air. I sometimes wonder why I bother going back to Tokyo. I love it here, and I have no intentions of living in the future. If I wasn't learning about the past and about medicinal herbs, I'd never leave again.
"Lady Kagome!" She turned to see one of the villagers running up to her. It was a village elder, and the worried look on his face concerned her.
"What is it, Kai-san?" Kagome asked.
"It's my wife, Ayame!" Kai shouted. "She just collapsed! Please, will you attend to her?"
Kagome stood immediately. "I must get my medical bag from my hut. I will be there as soon as possible."
"Thank you, Lady Kagome!" Kai breathed, rushing back. After a moment, Kagome raised a hand, and locked Kai in a barrier.
"If you'll forgive my impudence, Kai-san." Kagome said with a grin. "But you seem too old to be rushing around." She twisted her hand, and Kai disappeared. She looked down the hill to see him reappear next to his hut. She smiled briefly before rushing to her hut.
She made it in time to see Rin finish her breakfast. "Kagome-sama!" RIn cried with a smile.
Kagome bent down to give her a quick kiss before lunging at her bright yellow bag. She quickly pulled out a smaller white linen bag. "Shippou, I'm going to see Ayama-san. Be good, okay?"
"Alright, Haha." Shippou called as she rushed out.
Sesshoumaru saw her run out, but thought nothing of it. He went inside, and saw Rin interrogating Shippou. "Why did Kagome-sama look scared?"
Scared? Sesshoumaru reevaluated the female's scent. There had been a slight trace of fear, but he hadn't noticed until it was brought up.
"Something must be wrong with Ayame-san. She's the wife of one of the village elders." Shippou said sagely. "Haha said that there was something wrong with her heart, and so Haha has to keep checking up on her to keep her alive."
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. Why put all that effort into a frail, elderly human who will die anyway?
Shippou noticed Sesshoumaru listening in. "Haha said that she doesn't think it will be long before dies. Haha always gets depressed when she can't help one of the villagers. They've never blamed her though. They know she's only human, even if she is a miko."
Rin looked at Shippou. "Are you sure? There was this one time in my village where a miko couldn't heal someone. They beat her to death."
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. Are humans truly so foolish? He shook his head. The miko would not allow someone to manhandle her.
Shippou's eyes widened as well. "You don't think they'd hurt Haha, do you?"
Rin shook her head. "She's a miko. She can always use her powers."
Shippou's eyes widened again. "But she wouldn't use her powers on humans! She loves the people in this village too much."
A burst of wind shot pass them, and they looked up to see Sesshoumaru missing. They smirked. "Go us."
Sesshoumaru arrived at the hut in a matter of seconds. He smelled the miko inside and felt the sorrow that she gave off in waves. He tensed, listening for any signs of attack.
"Ayame-san, drink this. It will help you get better." The miko's voice was calm and composed, even as her aura went out of control. She was obviously lying.
"It's alright, Lady Kagome. I know I'm dying." The woman's voice was also very calm. "Thank you for helping me live until today. I would have been very put out to have missed my daughter's wedding."
Kagome smiled sadly. "Then I'll tell you the truth. This potion will put you to sleep, and take away your pain. You'll be able to pass on peacefully."
Ayame smiled and took the draught from Kagome. "That is all I can expect. Thank you, Lady Kagome. For everything."
Kagome felt the tears starting to well in her eyes, and stood. "I'm going to let your husband come in now. I'm sure both of you want to be together for this."
Ayame smiled again as she sipped the drink. "You know us too well, Lady Kagome."
Kagome exited the hut, and saw Kai just outside. Kagome shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry. There's nothing more I can do but take away her pain and let her sleep."
Kai's face fell, but he nodded. "Thank you, Lady Kagome." He hurried inside, eager to be with his wife.
Kagome walked through the village slowly, smiling as people called to her, stopping to playfully tease a child, buying something from a local vendor. Sesshoumaru followed, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as he watched the young miko. She seemed to be trying to drown herself in human contact, something he had never understood.
Finally, she made it through the village. She took one look at her hut in the distance, and faltered. For a moment, she stood frozen between the village and her hut. Then she turned in the opposite direction, towards the forest, and started running.
She kept going, a practiced run that pushed her body so that her mind couldn't think. She ran up the large hill that led up to the Bone Eater's Well, dodging roots and potholes as she went. She nearly fell a few times, but she managed to right herself before meeting the ground. When she reached the Bone Eater's Well, she jumped over it, heading beyond it to the ancient tree that she'd known since birth. Finally, she stopped among the roots of the Goshinboku. She collapsed beneath the largest of them, leaning back again the soft wood as she finally released the tears that she'd been holding back.
Sesshoumaru landed in the Goshinboku, and watched as the miko dissolved into tears. He watched her critically, wondering why she worried so much about an elderly woman who would have died anyway. Surely she wasn't that upset?
As the miko's sobs grew in violence, Sesshoumaru felt an unfamiliar stirring. He watched her, and something about it felt. . . wrong. But he was at a lost to think of what. That alone made him irritated.
He dropped down from the tree, glaring at the weeping miko. She looked up in surprise, and saw Sesshoumaru there. She quieted immediately. She quickly tried to wipe away her tears, but found that she couldn't stop crying. Darn it! I just wanted to be alone! I hate letting people see me cry! Why did it have to be Sesshoumaru? Why him?
A clawed hand reached out, capturing one of her tears before pulling away. Sesshoumaru stared at it, wondering what about the minuscule droplet that was causing him so much discomfort. He tossed it aside after a moment, and turned back to the human that had turned away from him.
Kagome stared up at the Goshinboku, rubbing a hand over one of its roots. Good-bye, Ayame-san. I hope you are at peace.
"Woman." Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru slowly, too depressed to actually do something about him calling her woman again. She nodded to indicate she heard him. "Why do you cry over such a death? She was merely a human whose time had come. You delayed her passing as long as you could, but even you cannot stop death."
Kagome smiled sadly. "I'm not so foolish as to think I can stop death, Sesshoumaru. I know that I can only help to delay it a bit longer." She stood slowly, a few more tears falling down her face. "But that does not make the passing of one life any less sad. Ayame-san will be dearly and thoroughly missed."
Sesshoumaru looked at her critically. "You should be careful where you place your heart, Miko. Those who wear theirs on their sleeve often find they have lost it along the way."
He turned and started to walk away, but was stopped when the miko called to him. "Better on a sleeve than hidden away in a place so dark that only a few dare to look for it."
Sesshoumaru paused for a single second before walking on. But it was enough for Kagome to know that he'd heard, and that its meaning at hit him. She smiled as she began her run back to the village. She was getting better at understanding the distant taiyoukai.
ß Sesshoumaru à
The early morning was the only time that he got a reprieve from the miko, and he took it gladly. He had found a small lake nearby that served well for his morning meditation. It was also prefect for evaluated the feeling of discomfort he'd felt the other day.
He hadn't felt this particular way before. What had the miko done to him that the mere sight of her tears was enough to set him into action? He knew that she was not the type to have placed a spell on him.
Perhaps the goddess had done so? It seemed unlikely, but then again, so did the idea of a spell that bound him to the whim of a human girl. Could it be a spell?
Sesshoumaru mentally sighed. Amaterasu had been quite clear as to the nature and purpose of her curse. She'd been proud of coming up with the idea. Any addition to it would have been crowed from the heavens. Literally.
So why had he felt the need to dispel the girl's tears? Why had he been compelled to offer her some kind of comfort, something that he had trouble with even with Rin? Why had he felt such relief when she had finally smiled?
He growled as he stood. The meditation, usually the perfect way for him to think through his problems, somehow seemed to be making them worse.
"Having some trouble, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Sesshoumaru turned slightly to see the elderly miko that Kagome. . . that the miko had referred to as Kaede. Seeing who it was, Sesshoumaru chose not respond. He was quite annoyed at himself for allowing the miko to sneak up on him.
"Ye seem unsatisfied by your meditation, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kaede commented. "Perhaps a second opinion is in order."
Sesshoumaru's icy glare was wasted on the elderly miko. "This Sesshoumaru has no need for second counsel."
Kaede nodded. "Ye would know ye best." She turned to the water. "This water is very odd. It has a complex and delicate system, created over centuries of work. And even as delicate as the system is, it handles disturbances so well that once it is removed, nothing remains of its presence." She leaned over the water with a smile. "Yet even then, some disturbances change the system so irrevocably that even when it has been removed, the evidence of its passing will remain forever."
Kaede turned away and began to leave. "Have a good day, Sesshoumaru-sama."
Sesshoumaru watched her go before looking out at the lake. Mentally, he shook his head. Since when has this Sesshoumaru listened to a mere human miko?
Since the human miko was right.
Shut up.
ß The Palace of the Gods à
Unbeknownst to either of the two, three pairs of eyes had watched the exchange, and saw the understanding held in the young taiyoukai's intelligent eyes.
"He'll crumble before the year is out." Amaterasu said with a smirk.
"I doubt it. He has a long way to go before he's released from this curse." Inugami insisted. "But I will admit, he just might learn before the end of the century."
The Dog God left the room, leaving Amaterasu and the servant she'd brought with her. "Do you have a plan in place, Unmeikeirai?"
The servant smiled. "Don't I always, Amaterasu-sama?"
Amaterasu laughed. "Good girl. I know I can trust you with this." She turned back to the image before her, watching as Sesshoumaru unconsciously sensed for Kagome's return. "He's getting there. All he needs is a good push."
Unmeikeirai bowed. "Leave it to me, Amaterasu-sama. You know I can get the job done."
Amaterasu nodded. "Just try not to take too long. This curse is going to get somebody killed if it doesn't move along quickly."
ß Border of the Western Lands à
The inuyoukai glared at the West hungrily. If only Sesshoumaru wasn't so powerful, he'd have taken the Western Lands. But the Western Lord was very vigilant. Any disturbance would be crushed. Brutally.
"Really, I expected more of the Rebels of the South." The inuyoukai turned at the sound of a female's voice. His mouth dropped. The thinnest, sexiest, most beautiful female inuyoukai he'd ever seen was standing before him. Bright blue hair, white eyes, and black markings were her most noticeable features. His inner demon roared, filling him with such lust that he could barely hold back his erection.
Then the insult sunk in, and he growled. "Bitch, I suggest you retract that statement, unless you wish to be removed."
The female chuckled. "What reason do I have to fear someone like you? Someone who cowers in the shadows even when the object of their fear is absent."
The last part caught the inuyoukai's attention. "Absent?"
The female rolled her eyes. "Really? Don't you even keep track of your nemesis? You really are a failure." She stepped forward, and bowed mockingly. "I am Unmeikeirai. I've come to help you in your little endeavor."
"And why should I trust you?" The inuyoukai snarled.
Unmeikeirai smiled. "Because you don't have a choice. You want power, and I can help you gain it. What more do you need to know?"
The inuyoukai thought for a moment, then nodded. "The name is Kaimaru. And you just got yourself a business partner."
Unmeikeirai watched him leave, waiting until he was out of sight before shivering. Ugh, that guy is disgusting. You better appreciate what I'm doing, Amaterasu-sama. Cause otherwise, I'll be doing diddly squat for you for the next thousand years!
--------------------------Author's Rant--------------------------
Obsessive_Goddess: Another chapter, with some very serious thinking going on.
InuYasha: I thought I was going to break the two of them up!
Kagome: Wait! I thought he was okay with the two of us?
Sesshoumaru: Woman, why is this Sesshoumaru being told what to do by a human miko?
Kikyo: Why is Kaede trying to promote a match between Sesshoumaru and Kagome?
Shippou: When do Rin and I start having fun?
Rin: What's going on with Unmeikeirai and those rebel dudes?
Obsessive_Goddess: TOO MANY QUESTIONS! [inuCast silences] All of your questions will be answered in later chapters. [turns to Sesshoumaru] Except yours. Really, what kind of question is that? You're being told to do something because you have yet to understand your own feelings because demons look down on emotions. Really, are you too dumb to figure that out?
Sesshoumaru: [lunges at Obsessive_Goddess, but runs into a barrier] Woman, you will cease in your mockery of this Sesshoumaru.
Obsessive_Goddess: Ooh, big words. You're such a smart puppy dog.
Sesshoumaru: [twitch]
--------------------------Author's Rant--------------------------
