Everything was fuzzy. Everything looked, sounded, even felt fuzzy, and it was entirely disorienting. Kagome scrunched her eyes together, trying to make sense of where she was. Had she fallen?
Any attempt to sit up was met with an inability to move her limbs. Sucking in a deep breath, she strained her ears. Blood pounded through her veins, which felt foreign in itself, but as her heart began to slow from its erratic syncopated rhythm, she was finally able to make out voices.
A soft groan escaped her lips, and the fuzz around her shifted as she made a second attempt to sit up. There was a pressure at her back, smooth and steady as it helped her figure out which way was up. The room spun. She reached out blindly and was met with scales.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled Ah-Un closer. "Hello," she whispered. Her voice was gravelly, indicating it had been some time since she'd used it, and she cleared her throat before trying again. "Have you been watching over me?"
The beasts snorted, each head nuzzling hers as they lured her further into consciousness. After another deep breath, she was able to open her eyes again. Things were still blurry around the edges, but she could make out silhouettes. A pink one moved closer, Sango's concerned face taking shape. "How are you feeling?"
Kagome cleared her throat again. "Like I was chewed up and spat out," she admitted. Blinking rapidly to clear the crust from her eyes, she looked around. Light streamed in from the cave entrance, signalling it was late in the afternoon, but she had a nasty feeling more than one day had passed.
"Keh, sounds about right," Inuyasha said, coming into view. "You almost got yerself killed." Sango nudged him so hard he fell over, a well-placed glare preventing him from arguing, and his ears lay flat against his head. "We wouldn't have let it happen."
"And you'll get her anything she needs," Sango pressed.
The flush of guilt coloured his face. "Right."
"And you're going to thank your brother again for saving her," she said, giving him a pointed look. Ah-Un's necks wrapped around her, easing her back into a sitting position. They weren't ready for her to get up yet, and neither was she, so Kagome used them as a lean-to, accepting the cup of water from Inuyasha.
The cool liquid did wonders for her parched throat, each gulp helping her vision to clear. The lack of moisture at the mouth of the cave proved it hadn't rained in a while, though it had been threatening to do so when they'd been fighting—
She sat up so fast the room spun, and she slumped over with a groan. Sango caught her before she ended up face-first in the dirt, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of her neck. "Slow down," Sango chastised. "We're not going anywhere, and neither are you."
"The creature," Kagome breathed, struggling for air. "Did it—did we—"
"It won't be bothering anyone anymore," her friend replied soothingly, rubbing circles on her back until she was ready to be upright again. "Inuyasha finished it off." Normally, the hanyou would boast about such a defeat, but he remained unusually tight-lipped, and Kagome looked over with a frown.
"Were there complications?" she asked.
Inuyasha shook his head. "No. That thing, whatever it was, is dead." He rolled a shoulder. "Can't really walk around without a head."
"But?" Kagome's eyes widened as he avoided her gaze, arms tightening across his chest before he stalked out of the cave. She looked at Sango in confusion. "But?" she asked again.
Sango sighed. "He's been really worried about you," she said. "You've been unconscious for over a week, and—"
She almost made the mistake of moving too quickly again, gripping Sango's arm for leverage as she lay back against Ah-Un's hide. "That long?"
Her friend nodded. "It was touch and go in the beginning. I don't know if you were even breathing." She covered Kagome's hand with her own, and she finally noticed the dark circles under Sango's eyes. "We've all been worried. If it hadn't been for Sesshoumaru-sama…" She trailed off with a shudder, and something she said earlier finally clicked.
"He saved me?"
Sango clicked her tongue, kneeling in front of her for a better position. "I'm honestly not sure. That…thing…drained you. Your power, your aura, your very being required regeneration. Sesshoumaru showed up after Inuyasha killed it and used some weird power transfer to keep you alive."
Her time asleep, or unconscious, whatever the case may be, had been dark. No dreams, no colours, no sounds. The beast had opened its mouth, Kagome had felt her soul tear, and then darkness. The fact that she could barely move told her more than a few hours had passed.
"Humans can't survive on youki," she said, brows furrowing. "Less so when they're gifted with holy power. My body should've fought against it."
"Maybe there was nothing left to fight it with," Sango said, just as puzzled. Kagome was sure Sango had seen her share of everything, even before Naraku had attacked her family. Being a slayer ran in her blood, and since gender didn't matter, she would've been trained in the balance of youki and reiki from a very young age.
Gramps had tried to teach her, but Kagome had been more concerned with keeping her grades up. She snorted, staring at the ceiling. She was still concerned with that. She wasn't satisfied with her current knowledge; she had to keep travelling back and forth to continue school. Even with the well waning each time she did.
The thought brought up her fight with Sesshoumaru, and she closed her eyes with a sigh. He'd probably come back to interrogate her. With Rin being safe, nothing was stopping him from using brute force to get the answers from her—whether she had them or not.
It was still a struggle to breathe, and she looked down at her hands. The blockages were already back, but they felt different this time. She tried massaging her hands, pressing her thumbs into the creases like she'd seen him do countless times, but nothing helped, and she eventually gave up. She was too tired anyway.
"Did the women all make it home safe?" she asked, turning on her side.
"From what we can tell." Sango recounted her and Inuyasha's trips to all the neighbouring villages. The families were ecstatic to get their daughters, sisters, and wives back, but the questions they had about their disappearances remained unanswered. The bandits they'd come across at the base of the shrine hadn't been found, and Kagome had a feeling they never would be.
She shivered as the beast's voice rang through her head. "Your power remains linked to the land, burned into the soil where you used it most," it had said. If that were the case, the blame for Rin's kidnapping did lay with her. She'd have to consult Miroku when she returned to the village.
"Where are the others?" she asked, not wanting to dwell on unanswered questions.
"Kohaku took Kirara to check on Rin," Sango said, leaning back on her hands. "I think he still feels guilty that he initially steered us in the wrong direction."
"No one could've known—"
Sango gave her a sombre smile. "He's still trying to make up for his past mistakes. Everything hits him that much harder." Kagome's mouth snapped shut, and she nodded. She couldn't fault him for that. He'd barely been a boy when Naraku had manipulated him into murdering his family. He likely had more nightmares than anyone.
"I'm sure she'll give him a warm welcome," she mused. "Before scolding him about apologizing too much." The women shared a knowing smile, a chuckle escaping the slayer's mouth. "Do you think he knows?"
Sango shook her head. "Not in the slightest. She's going to have to spell it out for him." Her eyes shone with mirth. "She'll probably have to propose herself."
Kagome's laughter was weak but genuine, her energy already waning. "She'll probably do that anyway. She's stronger than he gives her credit for."
"I've tried to tell him, but he's so protective of her that he doesn't see it." Sango gazed toward the mouth of the cave. "Can't imagine where he gets it from."
Kagome frowned but couldn't voice her question, darkness slowly leeching the colour out of her vision. Making a mental note to ask her about it when she woke again, she allowed sleep to claim her, feeling Sango's hand on her head.
She shifted in her sleep, the fuzziness from before tickling her nose, and the ground felt much softer than it had before. She reached up, expecting to find Ah-Un curled around her, but the beast was missing, her hand meeting air. Bracing herself against the fuzz, Kagome found the strength to push herself up.
It was dark, shadows dancing along the walls from the fire crackling in the middle of the cave. The heat was welcome, and she shifted onto her side, letting it warm her face. The random pops and sizzles kept her awake, and she eventually opened her eyes.
Thirst and hunger gnawed at her, and she smiled at the sight of the small cup and plate laid out within arm's reach. It was a simple collection of berries and rice—something easy on her stomach—and she managed a few bites before lying back down.
"That is insufficient sustenance."
She jerked at the reprimand, as soft as it had been, eyes snapping open to find Sesshoumaru on the opposite side of the cave. He sat in his usual position, one leg bent with an arm draped over his knee. His eyes weren't even open, but she could sense his disquiet, even from a distance.
"It's all I can stomach right now," she replied.
"You require more to recover."
Breathing deeply, she reminded herself that all his human knowledge came from Rin. Her metabolism rivalled Inuyasha's when ramen was involved. "If I eat too much, it'll only make my recovery worse. I have to pace myself. Especially since I haven't eaten in…"
"Ten days," he supplied, finally opening his eyes.
"Ten days," she echoed. "My stomach isn't used to anything right now. If I overdo it, I'll make myself sick." She held up a hand. "A human's stomach is about this big normally, but if we don't eat a regular diet, it can shrink, so overeating is actually really dangerous."
He looked like he wanted to argue, but then again, she still couldn't see very well, so it was probably just a trick of the light. "Hnn."
"Where are the others?" she asked. She remembered asking Sango the same thing, but she'd only ever answered about Kohaku, failing to mention either brother.
"The slayer and hanyou are seeking rest in the next village," Sesshoumaru replied. "The dragon and nekomatta required it as well."
"They didn't enjoy sleeping on the ground?" she asked, rolling onto her back.
"They were not unconscious."
She sighed again. "It was a joke, Sesshoumaru." She flinched as his ire licked at her shoulder. "Sorry, guess it's back to Sesshoumaru-sama, right?" She'd never called him that in the first place, and it felt weird to do so, considering they'd seen each other naked, but if he wanted to distance himself, that was the best way to go about it. "Thanks for keeping me safe while they're away. And for whatever you did after I was attacked." She waved in his general direction, hoping it sounded heartfelt enough.
She wanted it to be, as he deserved it, but everything he said now got her back up—his rejection before they'd found Rin had hurt, regardless of their relationship.
He was still staring at her, the sensation making her skin itch, but since she didn't have the energy to get up, it was something she'd just have to get used to. "Will they be back in the morning?" she asked.
"It is likely."
Steeling herself, she turned her head, trying to remain impassive. "You don't have to stay. I can put up a barrier until they get back." His brows furrowed, causing hers to do the same. He rose to his feet with the grace of a tiger, eyes never leaving hers as he closed the distance between them. His shadow blocked out the light of the fire, and she suddenly felt chilled. "Would it attract too much attention?"
His eyes narrowed further. "You barely escaped death, miko. It is unwise to use your power when it is unneeded."
"But then you can—"
"I am not going anywhere," he said, ire growing. "And neither are you." He nudged the plate closer to her. "Focus on your recovery." All she could do was nod, barely keeping her mouth from dropping open. Sesshoumaru was giving her medical advice?
She wrung her hands together, wincing at the blockage. A sigh escaped his lips, and he sat beside her, grabbing her hand before she processed what he was doing. The pad of his thumb dug into each crease, and she bit back a groan as the pressure in her shoulders finally dissipated, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, offering up her other hand. She was too tired to fight, too tired to complain—too tired to put up the wall he so clearly wanted to reestablish. He was here, offering a service, and she wasn't in any position to say no.
"It is not your fault." The words lingered between them, but his eyes remained fixated on her hands. He turned them over, releasing the knots in her knuckles. "You required power to survive," he explained. "Your body is currently unbalanced."
"Thank you." It sounded much more sincere this time, and he finally relaxed, placing her hands on her chest when he finished.
He looked like he wanted to say more but lay his hand over her eyes instead. "Rest. There will be more food when you wake." As he returned to his spot from earlier, she finally realized what had been off about him: he wasn't wearing his pelt.
Because she was lying on top of it.