CHAPTER NINE

Sesshomaru

I had found myself running. That girl was so stupid she had run directly into the smoke...! Why did I even care so much? I thought that I hadn't even wanted to see her again. Yet now, I was running after her at full speed, not stopping.

The smoke had gotten heavier, and I could smell nothing through the thick grey. However, as I slowed myself, I had taken a step into an indent. As I inspected, I realized that on the ground were struggle marks. Fresh. They were definitely from Mikage.

A sharp pain shot through my side as something jumped on my back. I could smell my blood spill, as I cried out. What had attacked me? Turning, I saw those same glowing red eyes as before. It was that evil yokai.

She bared her fangs as she continued to dig her nails into my sides. So... Much... Pain...! Angrily, I threw her off. I wasn't going down easily.

She tumbled into the dirt, yet still sprung back up. It became apparent that she wasn't going down leisurely, either. My blood covered her fingers. She was still covered in the substance from earlier. It had turned a deep maroon color, and was starting to crust. She acted like an animal. It was quite enervating, especially when she just looked thirsty for blood. My blood.

She chuckled a bit as she brought her fingers to her face. I saw her pink tongue open her lips as she ran it up her pointer. She came to a stop as she reached her claw, taking extra time to clean that. The sight was disgusting.

"Girl, calm yourself. I don't want to have to hurt or kill you," I told her, pretending that she was listening. She was only nine years of age. I didn't want to end her life this early. Still though, I was bleeding heavily, and she had gotten a taste for my blood. I could feel my raked skin on either side of my torso, and unsurprisingly, it was extremely painful.

She snarled before leaping on me again. This time, she brought me to the ground. Why wouldn't I retaliate? Why couldn't I retaliate? I could feel her talons burrowing into my skin. All I could do was simply push her off! How annoying was that?

Finally, after her third time of attempting to kill me, I rolled over, and pinned her on the ground. I was just lucky that I was immune to the smoke.

She shrieked, and tried to scratch at me, but I moved my hands down onto hers so that she couldn't.

After she had quieted down somewhat, I sat down on her legs. I was still preventing her from hurting me anymore. I smacked her.

I heard a crisp crack as my hand came against her cheek, feeling the sting against my skin. I didn't know if this would work or not, but perhaps it could snap her out of her trance.

She squeezed her eyes shut. I had smacked her hard enough to turn her head, and so I watched. At last, she opened her eyelids. She said nothing as she lifted her hands to her face, examining the fresh red that covered them. She turned them over and over, before looking up at me, then back at her hands. Silently, she reached her hand out, and felt my side. I flinched at first, but I slowly relaxed. Her fingers were cool to the touch, and didn't hurt the injury at all. when she removed them, all she said was a quiet,

"I'm sorry."

I sat there for a while, looking her over. She seemed weak. Her breathing was labored. Her eyelids were a bit swollen from irritation. As I moved myself off of her, she remained there. She had closed her eyes again, every now and then mustering a cough.

Gently, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and propped her up a bit. Her clothes were tattered, her face and skin dirty. It appeared she had gotten used to the smoke, but still, it had rendered her extremely weak.

I shook her a bit. It was dangerous for her to be this out of it. Her eyelids fluttered open as she stared at me. She moaned a bit, but as she did so, I noticed that her voice sounded hoarse.

"Lord Sesshomaru... I need to-" she had to stop to cough. "find... Mama and Papa..."

I had found myself becoming sorry for her. I shook her a bit more, as her eyes started closing again. I grabbed her face, and forced her to look at me.

"Girl. Wake up... Come on..." I growled. Her consciousness had begun fading in and out, and her head rolled to the side, against my arm. Taking my hand off of her face, I picked her up and began running back out of the smoke. I was leaving a trail of blood behind me, but I had to get her out of there. This was the last time I was saving her.

Jaken had come to meet me, and gasped when he saw my wounds.

"Milord! What has happened?! Milady t-" I stopped him abruptly with another growl.

"Shut up. We fly now." I took little time taking flight. I knew that Father had that dastardly healing sword, Tenseiga. He had returned home, I was sure. I would have to make it there fast. I could feel the girl's life slipping away. How frustrating. It was a race against the clock, now. I was being weighed down by my injuries, Jaken, and the girl. The place where Father lived was still a ways away. And if this girl was to have any hope in surviving, it all relied on me.

I wanted to teleport, but if I did, I could risk hurting myself further with my injuries. I couldn't believe that I was doing this.

"Milord... Do you think that she will make it?"

"I don't know, nor do I care."

"Well, if you do not care, then why are we going towards your Lord Father's dwelling? Perhaps you do have someone to protect! Me and Milady!"

Honestly. Why did I even put up with this imp? He was clinging to my moko moko. I took that opportunity to kick him.

"Another word, Jaken, and I shall not hesitate to kill you once we land. Do you hear?"

I heard him gulp behind me.

"Y-yes."

Glancing down at the girl, I saw that she had become pale. Her whole body reeked with the stench of blood, and smoke. At least she wasn't a human, or a disgusting half-breed... Then she would have an absolute zero chance of me rescuing her.

Upon arrival, she was no longer breathing. The smoke had corroded her lungs, and her body was cold. I knew that it was partially my fault, as well. I had stayed in the fumes for too long with her. I could of led her out, even while we were fighting. For some reason, this frustrated me even more. I was responsible for the death of a mere child... I inhaled deeply, before kneeling down with her. Jaken had let go of my moko moko, and had come around to stand beside me.

"Is she...?"

I nodded silently. He removed his cap, his small ears seeming to droop in sadness. We had been too late. I lay her on the ground, brushing her hair out of her face. For a reason unknown to me, I was feeling remorse. It was a strange, foreign emotion to me- one that I had never experienced before. I realized something then. I had only called her by her own name once. She was so small, so innocent. I could have saved her life, but I hadn't. Now, she had passed onto the Netherworld.

"Jaken... Make sure that no demons come to touch her... I will bury her once I wake up..."

Before I had known it, fatigue had washed over me. As I leaned against the tree, I heard Jaken saying something about me never sleeping in front of him. I didn't care right now. I was exhausted, and had enough of all these happenings today. If only Mikage's sleep was temporary like mine.