Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in posting. I was traveling and then this chapter kept giving me issues. I had to rewrite it and it took a different angle than I was expecting and ended up being twice as long as previous chapters.
When I started this I expected a one-shot. That proved to be much too dark and I needed to add a second part to help lighten it up a bit. Then that didn't feel like the end and it kept going and now here we are at part four with at least two more to go...for now. I'm not in control of this story anymore. But I hope you're all enjoying it!
Sesshoumaru was experiencing one of the worst feelings of his very long life: he didn't know what to do. This situation was unprecedented and there was nothing he could do to fix it. He summoned Kagome's companions, including Kaede, in the hopes that they might be able to shed some light on the problem, and how to fix it.
The group was relieved and grateful to receive his summons. They had been seeking Kagome ever since she had wandered away from the village in her stupor and even Inuyasha had been unable to find her.
Now Inuyasha knelt near the end of the bed, staring at his best friend and fighting back his tears. He wanted to reach out to her and feel for himself that she was still alive, that she would be okay. But she shied away from any touch that wasn't her mate's, fear of losing him still permeating her aura.
Instead he told her he was here for her, and promised his brother that he would do anything required of him to help, before sitting back with the monk while the old Miko and Sango examined Kagome. His eyes never leaving the pale face and haunted gaze that stayed locked Sesshoumaru's face, his hands constantly tapping a nervous rhythm on Tetsusaiga's hilt.
Eventually Kaede sat back and sighed. "This is a difficult problem to solve your lordship. Whoever did this was both highly skilled and extremely powerful, with knowledge of both of your powers.
I cannot say for sure how it was done, but it is an active curse that is keeping Kagome's mark blocked. There is a focus somewhere that is feeding it. Whether it be a relic of some kind, or a person's life force, destroying the focus should cause the curse to weaken and fade, until her own power can overcome it.
In order to fix this, you need to find out who created the curse in the first place."
"What of Kagome's weakened state? Can anything be done in the meantime to help her?"
Before Kaede could answer the door burst open and the Kitsune came rushing in. He was clearly aiming to rush into her embrace as he always did, but he came skidding to a halt when he caught sight of her. The sight of his mother in such a fragile state completely subdued his boisterous nature, and he approached her cautiously.
"Momma? What happened to you?" He whispered, his scent thick with worry and confusion. Glancing at Sesshoumaru, the inu briefly filled him in on what had happened.
"But, how did you not feel her pain until she was nearly dead? Your half of the mark is still functional, isn't it?"
"That is a question we are still trying to answer. The assumption is that whoever did this wanted to ensure I would be too late to save her, thus weakening me by her death.
How they accomplished this remains a mystery."
Shippou looked at his mother again, brows knit in consternation as he considered a possibility that revolted him. He locked eyes with the daiyoukai before bowing his head respectfully; "My Lord, will you permit me to examine her mark? I have a theory that may help illuminate the issue."
At the lord's nod, he took a deep breath before slowly leaning in to breathe in the scent around the mark, his gaze darkening at what he found. Lifting a paw he sent a tiny burst of fox magic against her skin, the responding sparks making him growl in anger.
"Her mark isn't actually dead. There is kitsune illusion magic bound up in this. I don't recognize the signature in it, but it is likely there to prevent either of you from realizing what was going on.
I'm betting that this is why you didn't feel anything unusual until it was almost too late. I suspect it's also what served to make her feel like the bond was severed in the first place."
"Can you remove it?" The hope and fear in Sesshoumaru's voice making every heart in the room ache in sympathy.
"I think so, but I can't guarantee what it will do. It won't solve the problem completely, Kaede is right about the focus. That has to be destroyed in order to remove this curse.
What is likely to happen is that you will feel more from her and she'll at least be able to know that the deadening is false. Right now, it still feels real despite being able to see and feel you here. It won't restore the bond but it might help her cope at least."
"Can you do it now?"
"Soon, I'll need to prepare some supplies first." Shippou ran from the room without waiting for an answer. Sesshoumaru hated unnecessary chatter at the best of times, no need to waste time waiting for a guaranteed approval now.
"What she needs most is you." Kaede said as the kitsune dashed out. "Despite the evidence of her eyes, her mark is still telling her that you are dead. Hopefully Shippou's intervention will help with that, but for now she needs you close to help keep her stable. If for some reason you should need to leave her I suggest you encase her in a barrier of your youki, or infuse your youki into her clothing and bedding so she can still feel you. You should not remain away for too long though. Your physical presence is the most vital aspect. She needs you close to help stave off the collapse that losing you would bring."
Thanking the miko for her advice, Sesshoumaru offered to have rooms prepared for the group so they could be close by in case she needed them.
After they left he watched his beloved as she slept in his arms. Her head cradled against he shoulder and one hand clinging to his haori with a white knuckled grip. Stroking her hair, he whispered gentle assurances in her ear as he pondered what to do next, hoping that removing the illusion would at least give her some peace.
The need to hunt them down himself was strong, instincts screaming at him to destroy the ones who had broken his beloved mate. But that very brokenness is what kept him beside her. The need to protect and care for her even stronger than the need to spill blood.
Every time he had attempted to do so much as adjust their positions she would break down again, clinging to him so tightly that her blunt human nails managed to break his skin. "Please don't leave me. I can't feel you when you're gone."
Her pleas left him shaken and the pain and despair he could still feel through his half of the bond left him reeling. How could anyone survive so much? So he stayed, curled around the tiny woman that encompassed his entire world, ensuring that she would never feel his absence.
