Chapter 12 - Strange Occurrences
The infirmaries in Sesshomaru's castle had never held a human—not even Rin—and certainly never a human with a low chance of survival. That had all changed last night; Kagome Higurashi currently lay beyond simple unconsciousness in Sesshomaru's infirmaries; she was in a coma.
Kiara, Kiome and Rin were all seated beside her bed, amusing themselves by telling her a story.
"You woke up back in the majestic forest known as Inu Yasha's forest," Kiome started.
"The sun was out and my okaa-san was nice, warm and cozy," Rin said happily.
"In Inu Yasha's arms," snickered Kiara.
"Kagome-chan and Inu Yasha-sama go back to their friends," Kiome looked at Kiara and stifled a laugh.
"Okaa-san wants to go back home," Rin piped up.
"Oh, and they're going to kiss!" Kiara sniggered.
Rin giggled.
"No, she can't kiss him. She really wants to, but she can't," Kiome said.
"Okay, they go home," Kiara agreed.
"Let's pretend that Kagome has a brother Rin's age!" Kiome suggested.
"Rin was playing with Kagome-chan's little brother. And Sesshomaru-sama was watching us play," Rin said happily.
"Ou, Kagome and Sesshomaru-sama have a little moment and Inu Yasha doesn't know," Kiome said slyly.
Kiara stole a sideways glance at Kiome and smirked. "Kagome spends more time with Sesshomaru-sama than with Inu Yasha-sama and he catches them and gets jealous."
"Kiome-chan, Kiara-chan, Rin is hungry," Rin stated, regarded the plotting demonesses innocently.
"Okay Rin-chan," the girls chorused, exchanging sheepish glances.
"Bye-bye okaa-san! Rin will miss you. Rin hopes that Kagome-chan will wake up soon," Rin waved at Kagome before exiting the room. The demonesses trailed after her.
On her way out, Kiara stole a glance at Kagome's body, wondering what she was dreaming about.
When Sesshomaru was sure that the two demonesses were gone to feed Rin, he walked into the room and gazed at Kagome; troubled. He recalled Sora commenting that if she didn't wake within a week, her chances of ever waking up would be slimmer than ever.
Sesshomaru frowned when he found himself taking in the girl's peaceful features. Hearing footsteps from around the corner, he fled the room.
Kiome entered the room looking distressed. Approaching Kagome's bedside, she stroked the girl's cheek and murmured, "Wake up soon Kagome-chan. Rin will be sad without you."
Inu Yasha jumped out of the well with Kagome in his arms. He looked at Kagome and saw her gazing around in wonder at the well house.
"Home," she breathed.
Inu Yasha smiled and released Kagome's waist, "Let's go."
Kagome looked up at him gratefully and slipped her fingers into his hand. Inu Yasha, in turn, gripped her hand tightly. Together, the two exited the well house and walked up to the main house.
Kagome flung the door open and stepped excitedly into the house. "Okaa-san! Souta! Ojii-san! I'm home!"
Her mother poked her head out from the kitchen, a smile stretching across her pretty face. "Kagome!" she immediately forgot what she was doing and rushed to her daughter. She threw her arms around the girl, tears of happiness running down her cheeks, "My baby, I thought I'd lost you forever. I love you so much!" Sakura Higurashi kissed the top of her daughter's head lovingly.
A boy raced down the stairs and tackled Kagome. "Kagome!" Souta cried, "You're back!"
Kagome laughed, "Hai, I'm back."
"Souta!" a small voice called.
Souta blushed and got up, "Excuse me sister."
Kagome stared blankly as the boy hurried off, 'Who was that?'
Inu Yasha helped Kagome up and after greeting Kagome's grandpa, the two walked into the living room. Kagome gasped at the sight before her.
Souta was playing with a girl a little bit younger than him. She had long black hair and a tiny pigtail. She looked up when Kagome and Inu Yasha entered. Her brown eyes twinkled happily as she ran to greet Kagome. Hugging her tightly she mumbled, "Okaa-san, I missed you."
Kagome was shocked. "I missed you too, Rin-chan." 'If Rin is here then…'
"What are you doing here?" Inu Yasha growled, confirming Kagome's fears.
Sesshomaru sat on a couch and glared up at Inu Yasha, "I should be asking you the same thing mutt."
Kagome quickly disentangled herself from Rin. Crouching to her height, Kagome looked her in the eyes kindly, "Rin-chan, go play with Souta, okay?"
"Okay," Rin obediently returned to Souta who was watching the scene between the two brothers unfold.
Turning her attention back to the inu youkai, Kagome quickly stepped between them. "No fighting in my house," she said firmly.
"We'll take it outside," Inu Yasha scowled, his angry gaze never leaving Sesshomaru.
"Iie! No fighting at all in my time," Kagome crossed her arms stubbornly and glared at Inu Yasha defiantly. "Why can't you two have a civil conversation?" Kagome turned and plopped down next to Sesshomaru, "Inu Yasha, come si—" she stopped when she saw the enchanted beads around Inu Yasha's neck begin to glow, "Seat yourself next to me."
"I won't."
"Sit boy."
Inu Yasha's body followed the command and he slammed face first into the carpeted ground. He looked up and growled. "What the hell was that for?" At her menacing look, Inu Yasha stood and dumped himself next to Kagome. "Happy?"
Kagome smiled warmly, pretending not to notice Inu Yasha's foul mood. "Hai. Now, let's talk—"
"Sister, we wanna go outside and play," Souta looked up at Kagome expectantly.
"Onegai okaa-san?" Rin pleaded.
Kagome sighed inwardly. Pulling a smile onto her face, she said, "Okay, I'll take—"
"Iie, I'll take them," Inu Yasha interrupted, eager to escape his situation. Without looking at Kagome, he followed the children outside.
Kagome slumped in her seat resignedly. Unintentionally, she found her gaze glued to Sesshomaru's stump of an arm. Guilt washed over her; Inu Yasha had been protecting her when he'd cut off his half-brother's arm. Her lips pressed together in a tight line and she stood, looming over Sessshomaru. She felt his golden eyes travelling up her body and finally meeting her determined gaze. "Get up," she commanded.
He cocked an eyebrow in question.
"Just do it," she urged.
Sesshomaru gave her an amused look and stood; towering over her.
Kagome took a step back and met his gaze. "Let me see your arm."
Sesshomaru offered his right arm for her to inspect.
Kagome ran her fingers over his toned arm, memorizing the feel of his muscles. Taking note of the twin magenta stripes adorning his wrist, she released his arm. "I can do this," she muttered to herself.
Sesshomaru let his arm drop and watched curiously as she took a deep breath. What she did next surprised him; his stoic mask dropped and he didn't bother to pull it back into place.
Kagome snaked her arms around his waist and pressed herself to him. Burying her face into his left shoulder, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel her body buzzing with energy and in her mind she moulded the energy into a left arm. She mentally attached the arm to his body and added finishing touches. Guiding her energy into his body and to his arm, Kagome hugged him tighter and squeezed her eyes shut. When she saw the glowing arm in her mind become solid and her spiritual powers calmed down, Kagome loosened her hold and stepped back. Her eyes settled on a shimmering, pink, left arm. Within moments, the pink faded and Sesshomaru's natural skin tone became visible, complete with two magenta stripes.
Kagome gazed innocently up at Sesshomaru, waiting for him to acknowledge her.
He eyed her suspiciously, "What?"
Kagome grinned, "Well…" her fingers curled around his right hand.
His eyes narrowed, "Well?"
Kagome grabbed his other hand and held it, smiling shyly up at him.
Sesshomaru stared down at his left hand. It hung limp in her tight grasp. He closed his fingers around her hand lightly and gazed at her with wonder.
Kagome stared right back at him, 'He looks happy—'
Souta walked in and cleared his throat.
Kagome wrenched herself out of her daze. Turning to see who had entered the room, her cheeks painted themselves bright red and she pulled her hands back to herself. Hurling herself onto the sofa in a sleeping position, she pretended to be preoccupied with her hair.
Kagome thought she heard a chuckle from Sesshomaru before he seated himself cross-legged, leaning against the sofa.
Rin bounded into the room followed by a bored looking hanyou. "Kagome-chan! Kagome-chan!"
Kagome sat up and smiled at the three, "Are you tired of playing outside?" she asked, addressing the children.
Inu Yasha shook his head, "Iie, they wanted to go to the park, but I didn't know if I should take them."
Kagome's eyes met his and she smiled gratefully at him, "You don't have to take them Inu Yasha, I can take them."
Inu Yasha flushed, "Iie, don't worry, you must be tired. I'll take them. Just tell me where the nearest park is."
After giving him directions, she met his gaze and murmured, "Arigato Inu Yasha."
Smiling softly, the hanyou turned and left, beckoning to Souta and Rin.
When the front door slammed shut, she smiled to herself and allowed herself to lean back against the couch. Her eyes came to rest on a silvery head of hair.
A sudden urge forced her to lean forward and rake her fingers through the hair. She marvelled at how soft and silky his hair felt. "It's so pretty!" she commented.
Sesshomaru did not respond to her remark and did not object to her fondling. She supposed that he must be used to hearing people "ooh" and "aah" over his hair.
Gathering his hair in her hands, she pulled it into a high ponytail. Making sure his bangs were also gathered up in her fingers, she instinctively searched for something to bind the silvery mass. Finding a navy blue ribbon on a little table, she expertly tied it around the bundle of hair. Excitedly, Kagome jumped off the couch and in front of Sesshomaru. His eyes opened and stared blankly back at her.
Frowning, Kagome moved closer until she could reach the ponytail. Pulling it tighter, she wrapped the ribbon around and around his hair. When she was done, her eyes trailed from his ponytail to his exposed forehead and finally came to a stop at his hypnotizing golden eyes. She blushed when she realized that she was balanced on his thighs with her knees. She reddened and her knee slipped off his thigh.
She pitched forward.
Sesshomaru grasped her upper arms to stop her fall. Her head flopped onto his chest, bumping his chin in the process.
Kagome felt her other knee slide to the floor. She looked up and grinned sheepishly, "Whoops."
Sesshomaru sighed. "Are you done playing with my hair?"
Kagome was sure that he would be angry with her but for a second; she was sure that she'd seen a flicker of affection dancing in his eyes. As soon as it had come though, it was gone and if she hadn't been staring, she wouldn't have caught it. Kagome stared at the inu youkai, hoping to catch another glimpse of emotion. She was mesmerized by his mysterious golden irises; there was something about them that seemed to reach out and grab her, refusing to let her go. Absently she noted how similar Sesshomaru's and Inu Yasha's eyes seemed, yet upon closer inspection they were at two opposite ends of the spectrum. Sesshomaru's eyes were carefully guarded; trained to reveal nothing. Inu Yasha on the other hand, had very expressive eyes. While he tried to mask his emotions, he failed miserably; everything he thought and felt was evident through his body language. Kagome smiled at the thought.
She noticed the demon lord stare past her and she realized too late that he wasn't just avoiding her gaze.
"Kagome?" A disbelieving voice brought her back to Earth.
Kagome blinked and twisted around. She came face to face with a livid hanyou. Realizing what it must look like, Kagome's brown eyes widened, "I can explain!"
"You sent me off with those munchkins so you could have some alone time with him!" Inu Yasha accused angrily.
Kagome blanched. "That's not true—"
"Spare me." His golden eyes narrowed and he glared down at her, "Get up or I'll help you up."
Kagome scowled, offended by his lack of trust, "I can't believe you don't trust me. What do I look like to you?"
Ignoring her, Inu Yasha strode forward and grabbed her upper arms.
Reflexively, Kagome grabbed at Sesshomaru's haori. Her gaze met his fleetingly and she squeezed her eyes shut as Inu Yasha pulled.
"Enough!" Sesshomaru's voice brought silence to the room.
Kagome's eyes opened and she found Sesshomaru glaring daggers at his half-brother.
"She doesn't want to come with you. Let her go."
Inu Yasha's jaw dropped and his grip loosened.
The next thing Kagome knew, she was away from Inu Yasha and in Sesshomaru's arms.
Miroku, Jinenji and Jiya were right; Inu Yasha had come back last night. It had been in the middle of the night but he'd returned and he hadn't been alone. He had brought a battered female with him. At the moment, she was fast asleep on a thin bedspread.
Miroku had been sitting awake with his troubled thoughts since Inu Yasha had returned to the hut.
Flashback
As usual, sleep avoided Miroku for most of the night while everyone else slept peacefully. Sleep was just beginning to pull Miroku into its depths when he heard footsteps approaching the hut. His eyes opened drowsily and he watched as a shadow crossed the entrance of the hut.
As he expected, Inu Yasha stepped into the hut. His features looked haunted in the eerie light cast by the dying fire. Miroku blinked to clear his vision; the hanyou was not alone. He carried a limp figure in a white, flowered kimono.
It was a woman.
She was asleep with her head resting against Inu Yasha's chest. Her lustrous, black hair hung low and obscured Miroku's view of her face. Even in the weak light, the monk could see that her kimono had patches of dried blood and tufts of her hair were strung together by clotted blood.
Miroku was wide awake now. Sitting up, he reached for firewood and fed the fire. The fire crackled and reached higher. Finally, Miroku could see clearly. Inu Yasha set the girl down gently and moved her long black strands away from her pale face.
Miroku was struck, "Kagome?"
Inu Yasha looked up with an unreadable expression, "Iie, this is Kayo."
End Flashback
At that moment, Miroku understood why Inu Yasha had disappeared the way he had. His mind worked furiously until the sun rose trying to figure out why this maiden looked so much like Kagome. When everyone sat around the hut eyeing the sleeping girl, Inu Yasha finally spilled everything that had taken place the night before. He shared her story and explained her abilities to his companions.
Kayo began to toss and turn in her sleep. Her brows furrowed and she cried out. "Iie! Stop!"
"I wonder what she's dreaming about…" even as Miroku said it, she stopped struggling and her body lay still again.
Kayo heard voices around her and struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. An assortment of colours attacked her vision. Out of them all, blue was the prominent colour; sorrow was prominent emotion. Kayo struggled to sit up, but a sharp pain caused her to stop midway, a gasp leaving her lips. Before she knew it, arms were around her, helping her into a sitting postion. "Arigato Inu Yasha," she mumbled, seeing the concern decorating his familiar aura.
Sango noticed a growing stain on her stomach. She pointed it out, "Kayo ought to bathe and get her wounds dressed."
Murmurs of agreement sounded around the room and soon, Sango was leading Kayo off to a nearby hot spring.
When he was sure that the two were out of earshot, Miroku looked meaningfully at Inu Yasha, "Kagome might still be alive… just because Kayo came along, doesn't necessarily mean that Kagome's gone."
Inu Yasha smiled ruefully, "Kikyo just can't leave me alone can she?"
"Inu Yasha, don't—" Miroku said.
"That's what's going on and you know it," Inu Yasha interrupted with a hint of anger in his voice, "As soon as one disappears, another one pops up."
Miroku quieted, deciding it was better not to pursue this topic. Despite what Inu Yasha thought, he was convinced that Kagome was still alive.
A/N) Well, this chapter got shorter for a very good reason. :P For Kagome's coma-reality, I'm putting everything in her perspective, so I had to cut out everyone else's thoughts
Ou, and I know I'm inconsistent with the honorific... sorry :$
Also, I apologize if this chapter seems rushed.. it feels kinda choppy to read... don't know if that's just me