Disclaimer: InuYasha & Final Act are all owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz Media & Madmen Entertainment.

SessKag Week 2023 Day 2 – Fear

Word Prompt: Nightmare

Scenario 1: Overcoming their biggest fear

Scenario 2: Character A stands guard over character B's sickbed

Chapter Two

The village was unusually quiet. Typically, when he arrived, it would be to the grumblings of his half-brother or the delighted cries of his ward. But today, there was silence. Not even the elder Miko came to greet him. His hackles rose as he traveled through the village; the distraught faces of the few humans confirming his suspicions.

Something was terribly wrong.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to pinpoint the location of his ward. Her bright wildflower scent, buried deep under the stench of unwashed bodies and livestock, lead him to the old Miko's hut. Concern washed over him, knowing of only one reason his ward would stay within the hut and not greet him.

Within a few heartbeats, he reached the hut. Pulling back the bamboo privacy screen, he prepared for the worst. Brown eyes filled with sadness looked up from their vigilant watch of the young woman sleeping fitfully on the futon.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…" Tears welled only moments before his ward surged to her feet, running toward him for comfort. Resting a hand on her head, he looked across the hut, demanding answers from the old Miko. It was clear the Shikon Miko was ill. For her to allow Rin to stay in such close proximity was unexceptable.

Flashes of dull, lifeless eyes had him gritting his teeth. He refused to allow Rin to lie dead in his arms once more. "Come." He lifted his hand from Rin, expecting her to follow as she always had. Until the Shikon Miko's illness passed, he would take her from this place.

"No!" Rin stepped back. His eyes widened at her sudden rebelliousness.

"Rin, I will not allow you to catch the Shikon Miko's illness." His young ward folded her arms across her chest, head turned away.

"Kagome-sama isn't ill." He stared at her before sniffing the air. The cloying tang of sweat tainted the air, but there was no sign of the sickening sweetness that came with illnesses humans so often caught. Cocking his head to the side, he looked closer at the Shikon Miko.

Sweat beaded across her forehead, the thin yukata sticking to the parts of her not covered by the thin blanket. Her lips parted as she mumbled about a festival in her fitful sleep. The young Miko may not be ill, but there was clearly something wrong with her. It was still not a suitable place for his ward. If whatever afflicted the Miko passed to his ward…

"Regardless, you will still come." His ward stomped her foot, the audacity of her tantrum catching him off guard. Even when he left her in this village to learn the ways of humans, she not acted up in such a way.

"Fear not." His gaze shifted to the old Miko. "The curse placed on Kagome cannot shift to young Rin." He lifted a single eyebrow as the older Miko placed a damp cloth on the Shikon Miko's forehead.

"Hn," Rin returned to the Shikon Miko's side, eyes filled with worry and fear. It would take a strong curse for the Shikon Miko to be affected; though it was clearly not strong enough if her reiki was fighting it off like an illness.

"Will you stay, Sesshoumaru-sama?" His ears twitched at his ward's quiet request. He wanted to deny her, especially after her tantrum just moments before. But one look at her devastated eyes had him sighing in defeat. At least if the Shikon Miko took a turn for the worst and true illness took hold, he would be here to whisk away his ward before the worst happened.

He settled against the far wall of the hut, arm resting loosely over his knee. His ward's eyes softened just a touch, a phantom of the smile she typically had sent his way. The concern she felt for the Shikon Miko was one he knew all too well. If staying by her side while they waited for the Shikon Miko to fight this curse put his ward at ease; who was he not to give it to her?