InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Between Heaven and Hell ❯ Beside the Falls ( Chapter 11 )

Though voting and nominations are over for last quarter, I still want to say THANK YOU for the nominations for this story! I know VERY well how undeserving I am of such an honor, but am so glad you guys enjoyed it enough to nom it.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. My only sad excuse is a slight bit of writer's block and RL.... It really kicks ass... This year, I will try my best to update and write whenever possible. So please, bear with me!

Big thanks to PickledPlum for getting me over my road bump as always. ^^ That and being a super-duper-editing-beta-plum! She fixes all my little problems like it was nothing! ;)

~ “*” ~

 

The crunch of the dried leaves and low taps of stone against stone sounded from the hardy mixing bowl. When a few moments had passed, the steady tapping came to a halt. Kagome turned to the old woman sitting beside her under the shade of the wooden hut, giving her a warm smile.

 

“Kaede, these are ready,” Kagome announced, handing her the stone bowl. Kaede took it, looking at her with an appreciative expression; wrinkles around her eyes and face revealed their steady wear.

 

“Ah, such a helpful girl you are, Kagome,” the elderly woman said with an old twinkle in her eye. “Much like your sister.”

 

Kagome outwardly beamed at the compliment, unable to hide her elated mood.  However, she changed the subject after a certain thought came to pass.

 

“You began teaching Kikyo when she was at a very young age, didn't you?” ascertained the blue-eyed girl.

 

The old miko nodded with a faded smile as she spread out a few linen bandages. Scooping a bit of water into another bowl from another basin, Kaede poured the crushed plants into it and began to mix them together with her hand. Taking up some of the new, bitter smelling paste on her fingers, her other hand readied the first linen strip. After rubbing on some of the herbal remedy, she placed the finished piece into the wicker basket.

 

“She was a very good pupil,” Kaede commented with another nod of her head as she placed another long strip into the basket. “She grew up to be quite the priestess.”

 

Kagome sighed, a hint of hidden restlessness laced in it. She placed her hands in her lap, only to bring one back up to brush the bangs out of her face. “Yes; she did,” she agreed, half proudly, half wistfully. A small wave of irrepressible envy flashed through her as she thought of her gifted sister. Though she looked up to her more than anyone, Kagome knew that Kikyo had accomplished something that she would never have the chance to. That fact alone made her heart ache with melancholy.

 

“She really takes after your mother,” Kaede continued, all while fixing the linen dressings, quite possibly oblivious to Kagome's somewhat deflated mood. The old woman gave a warm laugh. “Now your mother… She was one to behold.”

 

The blue-eyed girl started slightly at the verbal mention of her mother. It was not that it irked Kagome to talk about her, it was just the fact that it had been so long since the last time Kagome had last touched on that subject. In fact, she hardly talked about her parents at all, aside from within the safety and privacy of her mind.

 

Of what she could remember, she had only spoken about them a few times in her more mature years. When she was younger, she had intended to ask more about them; though now she barely remembered any of the topics they had talked about in those conversations. Beginning to break out of her daze, Kagome issued a small smile of acknowledgment.

 

Kaede sighed reminiscently. “Aye, what a blessing it was to train such a promising and compassionate woman as her!” she added softly in her delicate, elderly voice.

 

Smiling at the priestess's kind praises, Kagome's eyes wandered along the patches of fresh grass that grew along the dirt pathway. Silently, the young woman admitted wishing that she could have known her mother like Kaede did. Without words, Kagome tried to recall the few vague memories she had of her.

 

She thought of long, raven-black hair that fell in waves around her like waterfalls… Bright and shining sapphire eyes, always housing a small little twinkle of love and affection… That's all Kagome could remember. That, and the smell of fresh, spring grass, nurtured by the gentle caress of rain. With so little recollection, it was hard to say if she truly missed her. Yes, at times, Kagome wished her mother were here, but she wondered if it was her actual mother that she missed, or simply the idea of one.

 

Hoping to let her mind stray from the dismal topic, she looked to Kaede and her work. Inching a little closer to her, Kagome took a clean linen strip and began to spread some of the herbal concoction onto it. As she worked, she tried to lose the most recent thoughts of her mother.

 

“…Kaede,” she said after a long silence. “…Can I ask you something…?” she asked her in a subdued tone, stopping in her task to glance up at the old woman with curious and imploring blue eyes.

 

Kaede never looked up from her work, but answered warmly, “What is on your mind, child?”

 

Releasing a slightly discouraged sigh, the girl shook her head. Her hands wandered away from the linen pieces and to the small patch of grass that protruded from the dirt beside them. “My mother was an incredible priestess… And so is Kikyo. So then…” Kagome paused as a gentle breeze of air brushed against her, caressing her long, ebony waves.

 

“…Why do you think I have no spiritual powers?” Kagome asked after a long instant as she inattentively picked at the long blades of green.

 

Finishing the current bandage in front of her and laying it in the wicker basket, Kaede straightened her posture and glanced at the disheartened girl. The old woman's warm, brown eyes softened, giving Kagome an understanding, yet encouraging look.

 

“Who is to say that you have none, Kagome?” Kaede questioned, silently noting the way the girl's gaze averted from hers.

 

“Well…” Kagome pondered aloud in a low tone of voice. She thought for a moment before continuing. “…I can't purify anything - even the smallest thing. I can't create a barrier, and I can't even sense youkai aura,” Kagome began to list off before looking to the old priestess again. “You should know that better than anyone, Kaede. After all, you were my first and only teacher.”

 

Kaede smiled a knowing smile, making Kagome confusedly wonder why such dreary words would instigate joy. Frankly, such matters were the source of her occasional distress and made her feel tremendously confounded.

 

“Aye, child, that may be true at the present,” the miko said kindly, “but you should not allow such things to lessen your cheerful mood.”

 

Kagome sighed and nodded in reluctant understanding. “I know…” she agreed slowly, “but, I can't help but feel like… like I…” Kagome struggled for words before becoming silent once again as she began to occupy her fingers with the folds of her kimono.

 

“My child,” Kaede soothed, “there is no need for you to worry yourself. Besides, though you may not have spiritual powers now, they may come at a later time in your life.” Smiling empathetically, the old miko hoped to encourage the girl into higher spirits with the humble knowledge she had.

 

Meanwhile, Kagome's expressive forehead creased in bewilderment at the words. “You really think so?”

 

“One never knows for certain,” the miko leisurely mused aloud as she gradually became more and more distant with the medicinal bandages. Kagome continued to listen intently as she spoke. “Perhaps nothing has induced them enough to come forth… But again, one cannot be sure.”

 

Just as Kaede's sentence came to a finish, their company was joined by another before Kagome could comment.

 

“Kagome,” said a low, sweet voice as it exited from the infirmary. Kikyo smiled at her sister, noting the herbal ingredients and linen bandages beside them. “Why am I not surprised?” she laughed lightly, moving closer to brush a hand against Kagome's long, smooth hair.

 

“Oh! Kikyo,” Kagome smiled vibrantly, turning her head enough so she could face her sister. With her palm open, she indicated towards the modest, wooden hut. “How are they?” she asked her, implying the injured demon slayers' health.

 

“Thankfully, they are doing much better now,” Kikyo informed her as she took a seat beside her and her old teacher. “Soon, they should be able to return home to their families.”

 

“Aye, it has been long, hard work, but it is all worth it in the end,” Kaede added with a wise nod before returning to her task in fixing the curative bandages.

 

Kagome's eyes shined with joy for the injured taijiya. “That's such a good thing to hear!” she sang as she clapped her hands together once to emphasize her happiness. “I'm so glad they are doing alright.”

 

“Mn,” Kikyo nodded in agreement with an almost angelic expression on her face as she listened to her sibling's cheerful exclamations.

 

At the same time, Kagome leaned against her shoulder, clad in a miko's garb. The girl sighed, her undying smile still gracing her full, youthful lips. “Thank you, Kikyo,” she said softly with a slight air of undeniable admiration in it.

 

Kikyo let out a short breath, allowing for a subtle smile to rise. She placed a warm hand against Kagome's head; her way of showing her appreciation for her sister's undeserved praise.

 

They sat there enjoying each other's company for a brief moment, before chimes of youthful, blissful laughter rang through the air. The laughter belonged to two girls, looking around the same age as Kagome; not quite in their adolescent years, yet not quite mature adults either.

 

Kagome looked up, recognizing the familiar faces immediately as two of her old childhood friends. Almost simultaneously, the latter spotted Kagome also, waving to her as they came by.

 

“Kagome!” one called after her as they walked a little closer to the side of the road, stopping near the village infirmary after weaving past a few people.

 

Kagome smiled, giving them a wave back. “Hello, Ayumi - Eri!” she greeted each of them cheerfully as they approached.

 

“-Say, are you busy right now, Kagome?” the first girl, Ayumi, asked her almost enthusiastically as her eyes widened slightly and began to glimmer with anticipation.

 

“Yes!” Eri chimed in before Kagome could issue her answer. “You should come bathe with us! We were just about to go!” she said while Kagome noted for the first time the plain, linen washcloths that each of them held, as well as the small wooden buckets that each of them held at their side.

 

Beaming excitedly at the proposal, Kagome looked to her sister, seeking approval. “Could I?”

 

“I don't see why not,” Kikyo laughed, watching as Kagome nearly sprung up on her feet to grab the wash basin leaning against the wall, if not for remembering about her still healing injury. With a hurried reply of thanks and a parting wave, Kagome headed off with the two girls in the direction of the lively, bubbling river.

 

~ “*” ~

 

Crossing the stream's small wooden bridge, the three continued down the adjacent path, following along the river's winding bank until the picturesque sight of crashing waters and sakura petals came into view.

 

After seeing that the serene site was clear of people, Kagome and the others began to remove their outer layer of clothing, revealing a simple, knee-length garment beneath. The slip was white, and somewhat like the yukata itself, save for its thin, almost transparent-like quality.

 

Kagome exhaled as she felt the kiss of the sun and breeze caress her body more intimately as she revealed more of her milky, soft skin. The thin garment embraced her body closely, accentuating her naturally tantalizing and womanly curves. Neatly folding up her cloudy blue yukata, Kagome laid it on top of a small boulder beside the waterfall's natural lagoon before picking up the wooden washbasin and dunking it under the water's surface with a sweet-sounding splash. The other young women did the same as they neared the river's bank.

 

They poured the clear, refreshingly cool water over their supple, young bodies, rinsing away any signs of dirt or oil that had begun to collect on them. The water caused the fabric of their clothing to cling translucently to their skin, hugging flush against their body. After washing themselves, the girls, especially Kagome's two friends, dabbed away at any immediate traces of water left on them with their towels, and with a contented sigh, sat out to let the warming sun dry out all the rest.

 

When a generous time had passed them by as they rested beside the tranquility of the tumbling waterfall, laughing and making small talk, Ayumi and Eri slowly rose to their feet. Sufficiently dried, they began to slip on their colorfully patterned yukatas.

 

“Aren't you going to get dressed too, Kagome?” asked Eri as she noticed that Kagome had not moved from her spot on the ground. She still lay comfortably there, watching the pink petals of the sakura tree float to the rippling pond.

 

Kagome turned her head towards her friends and smiled with a nod, before suddenly remembering about her injured leg. Looking at the wrap of bandages, then back at the patiently waiting girls, she let out a breath of air.

 

“Actually, you two go on ahead of me; I'll meet up with you later,” Kagome decided as she unconsciously grazed her hand across the linen bandage wrapped around her lower calf.

 

Finally noticing the injury for the first time, Ayumi gave out an audible gasp as her eyes widened. “Oh, Kagome!” Ayumi exclaimed, rushing forward to look at Kagome's leg. “What happened to you?” she asked worriedly. Kagome just shook her head with a laugh, assuring her friend that she was alright.

 

“Oh, this? I… just tripped,” she chose to say, deducing that it would be better for them to stay ignorant to the truth of the matter. “Don't worry - it's no big deal!” Kagome reassured them.

 

Eri's eyebrows furrowed, concern flooding her expression. “You know, we don't mind staying, Kagome. Is there any way we could help you?”

 

Kagome just shook her head with an appreciative smile. “You guys don't have to worry about me - really. I just need to clean it up,” the girl insisted. “I'll be fine on my own.” She gave them another encouraging smile before they sighed in reluctant agreement.

 

After they gathered their things and the friends parted ways, Kagome inched towards the river bank once again. Letting her uninjured leg dip into the refreshing water, she left her other leg out, allowing her to unravel the herbal remedied strips of linen. The prominent scent of medicinal herbs from the dressing rose to her nose as she began to take off the bandages.

 

Her skin of her leg now bare to see, Kagome involuntarily sighed at the sight of her damaged calf. It looked much better than before, despite the cake of old blood surrounding it. From the look of things, the wound was healing well.

 

Now scooting her other leg into the river, she began to run her hand gently across the lesion, washing away the grime that covered it.

 

With a long, drawn out breath, Kagome watched the cascades of water plummet from the cliff and into the small lake below with a certain absence.

 

Everything seemed to remind her of the alluring youkai now. Her healing leg, even the rushing waterfall… He was beginning to consume her thoughts, little by little. And the unexpected kiss she had received the night before undoubtedly did not help the situation either. It was nearly impossible not to revel over something so intimate.

 

Her hand slowed to a stop before absentmindedly straying through the cold waters of the river, skimming the surface and creating rippling patterns and waves as she took in a long breath of fresh air. The scents were earthy and soothing, sweet yet clean. Places like this had the ability to make anyone feel completely at one with their self, she thought. It was the perfect place to sort out one's thoughts and feelings.

 

Without giving it much thought, Kagome stood on her feet, gradually walking her way into the shallow river from the low bank. The chilly water felt somewhat revitalizing against her flesh. She exhaled contentedly, closing her eyes as another rush of a fresh breeze blew her way. Dipping her body lower into the river, she let the water envelop her petite form, caressing her curves with a gentle touch. She ran hers hands over her smooth skin once more, cleansing herself even more thoroughly. She stood again, letting the radiant sun warm her now cooled body.

 

Satisfied, Kagome opened her crystal blue eyes, pivoting on her toes to return to the shore. However, as she turned, a gasp escaped her as she caught sight of a silver-haired man leaning against the trunk of a tree, watching her with an almost uninterested stare.

 

`Sesshomaru…' she realized inwardly after having unconsciously froze in her shock. But suddenly remembering her manner of dress, Kagome's face soon flushed pink in mortification as she dunked her body hurriedly beneath the surface with a squeal of unbearable embarrassment.

 

“Sesshomaru-san!” she cried, covering her body with her arms in instinctual defense. “Why are you here??” she demanded without thought, humiliated beyond belief. Kagome shut her eyes tightly; the last thing she wanted to see was that soul piercing look of his. And of course, of all the untimely moments, Kagome could not help but think that this was the first time they had seen each other since the kiss.

 

When Sesshomaru did not answer immediately, Kagome finally plucked up enough courage to open her eyes, only to find Sesshomaru walking forward towards the river's shore. He raised his arm towards her, offering her his hand in an unexpected gesture of consideration.

 

This served only to make Kagome blush more profusely, causing her to turn her face away from him, trying hard to hide her embarrassment, but only in vain.

 

“No, Sesshomaru-san…” Kagome hopelessly attempted to explain to him her circumstances, her head still turned from him and her arms still futilely shielding herself. “I just - You shouldn't… you shouldn't see me like this, so… so-”

 

But before she could stammer out the rest of her sentence, an unexpectedly gentle, yet strong hand took hold of her wrist and pulled her out of the chilly water. Kagome shrieked in surprise, shivering at the sudden rush of air that brushed against her as she was lifted out of the cold river.

 

She felt her body fall flush against the youkai's strong one, forcing her body into a freeze of nervousness and shock. She found her hands somehow pressed against his firm chest, mentally panicking her out of her wits. Unable to move away from him, her body stayed deathly still, completely unsure of what to do. One of his hands still had a loose hold of her wrist, motionless. His other hand barely touched at her side, as if it were half-attempting to support her, while trying not to make contact with her at all.

 

In all honesty, Kagome wanted to drop lifeless at this very moment. Her heart was beating impossibly faster each passing second, and the thought of herself in a state of near nakedness as well as in the arms of Sesshomaru, of all beings…

 

Should she pull away? Kagome mentally shook her head. No, if she did, wouldn't that mean that Sesshomaru would see her virtually exposed body? But then again, staying in this position forever was not an option either.

 

“You tremble,” were the first words he uttered. His voice was low, and almost sultry in the way he used it. Kagome's heart pounded hard in her chest, and she felt her face heat to another degree as he spoke so dangerously close to her ear. As he continued to speak, she could practically hear the smirk of taunting amusement in his voice.

 

“Are you frightened?” he asked her, Kagome's body still helplessly pressed against his as neither made the move to part.

 

“No - I'm not…” she answered shakily as the flustered girl tried desperately to regain her footing. Kagome attempted to force the strength back into her voice, but doing so proved impossibly difficult.

 

“…Then you should be,” he responded with a sudden iciness coating his words. “A mere girl like you should not be out here alone.”

 

Receiving the much needed push to recover her senses, Kagome leaned her head back to look the daiyoukai in the eyes. “I'll be just fine, Sesshomaru-san. It's completely safe here,” she asserted, with something near indignance in her words.

 

“Is it really…?” he asked, barely above a whisper as the depth of his amber-gold eyes seemed to deepen, entrancing the now silent girl. Sesshomaru leaned his head closely forward; just enough so that she could feel the heat of his breath against the chilled length of her neck.

 

As the heated blush returned to Kagome's soft cheeks, she refused to let his intimidating, yet enthralling tactics get the better of her.

 

Leaning away from his advances, she turned her head and huffed. “Yes; it is. I would know better than anyone,” Kagome stated matter-of-factly as she tried to force the blush to fade.

 

Sesshomaru almost scoffed, thinking of how ironic it was for her to say that. After all, she was the one who practically drowned in the river because of a certain little demon who decided it wanted to have her for its next meal. But of course, the naïve girl had no recollection of that.

 

Before Sesshomaru could further his thoughts, Kagome turned her head back around to steal a look at him. Her cerulean orbs looked almost nervous the way they turned slightly upwards at the inner corners, and her eyebrows creased slightly together, vividly revealing her inner turmoil.

 

She wondered how she could have gotten herself into such an awkward mess again; it always seemed that she, herself, was her own worst enemy. Though, for the moment, one, certain thing was on her mind. However, for that one, supposedly simple thought, there was a multitude of ways to say it. She was cold, she was soaking, she was mortified, she was near naked; in the end, the fact was - she couldn't take much more of this.

 

“Sesshomaru-san…” Kagome began as she lowered her gaze, as if feeling uncomfortable to be heard out loud. “You can… let go of me now,” she finally settled for saying. Sesshomaru glanced down at her, tilting his head slightly at an angle to get a better look at the blushing girl. He found her embarrassed expression to be a bit amusing. Though she never said a word of it, it was obvious she didn't want him to see her body in such an exposed state.

 

Kagome began to pull away from him hesitantly, relieved to have the safety of distance between him and her ill-equipped emotional state, yet still struggling to come to terms with having to display her body for all to see, specifically, Sesshomaru.

 

“But… Don't look,” Kagome added, unconsciously tightening her hands against the fabric of his black kimono. To her respite and satisfaction, Sesshomaru gave her a small half-nod of agreement, but not before an imperceptible smirk stole across his lips, too fast even for Kagome to catch.

 

The silent inuyoukai turned his head away slightly, seemingly unconcerned whether he caught a glimpse of the young female or not. Soon, Sesshomaru felt the soft pressure that held against him disappear, along with the strong scent of soothing jasmine. He listened to the sounds of her light feet pad against the earth as they moved farther and farther away from him to the certain rock that she had placed her things on. Her footsteps were gentle, though oddly, he could still hear them nonetheless, past the roar of the crystalline waterfall.

 

Kagome briskly shook out her yukata in front of her before opening the folds to dress. She raised her arms, letting the pliable blue fabric fall around her youthful body as her arms slipped through easily. Checking the fit to make sure no fold was seriously out of place, she tied the obi firmly in front of her before rotating the neat-looking bow to the back. Then after she had done all the necessary tasks, out of habit, Kagome tenderly ran her small hands through her long, raven waves, pulling them to one side to air.

 

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru still waited patiently, half-turned so as to not give the fragile girl any certain misconceptions. However, despite that he had given her his word, the youkai's eyes shifted, stealing a private, fleeting glimpse at the lively, yet gentle girl he had become so increasingly involved with. But before his gaze could linger for another moment, they turned away again, as if he were completely uninterested in anything he saw.

~ "*" ~

I know, disappointing ending. :( I know you want more Sessh and Kags. Me too. Lucky for you, the next chapter is mapped out full of Sessh/Kag action! I promise I'll make up for all my naughtiness for not updating like a good author should!

Next time! : "Jealousy"