InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Between Heaven and Hell ❯ Dream ( Chapter 2 )

With a weary sigh, Kagome rested her chin on her palm while she waited for her sister. She fiddled with the thin blades of grass between her fingers, hoping to pass the time. After another minute, the girl let out a noisy breath, flipping onto her back.

She stared blankly at the feathery white clouds that painted the cerulean sky. They floated blithely above her, slow and tranquil. The corners of her mouth turned up into a smile as the image of the silver-haired daiyoukai appeared in her mind.

Her little figment's golden eyes were looking upon her, even as he was positioned partially away from her, without the slightest sign of emotion within them. And although his expression was cold and apathetic, Kagome couldn't help but think he wasn't as lethal as he made himself out to be. He had told her he never intended on killing her, so that had to count for something.

Bubbling her lips, she let the warm rays of sun warm her skin. With a cat-like stretch, Kagome yawned and closed her eyes, resting her hands behind her head.

Sesshomaru... she repeated thoughtfully in her head. Sesshomaru the beautiful, silver-haired daiyoukai... Giggling softly at her muse, Kagome rolled onto her belly, laying her head on folded arms.

Turning to look at the hut, she scrunched her lips to the side. Releasing a tense breath of air, she wondered dejectedly if she was any help at all, or if she only caused more trouble for everyone, especially for her sister.

Kikyo was a miko; a well learned priestess. She was such a great aid to everyone in the village, and sometimes even travelers. Her sister even helped the other healers a great deal in treating the injured and sickly.

All she was good for though, was to pick herbs, or gather wood, or fetch water. Kagome frowned. It was all the simplest of chores really.

The young girl sighed. She had to admit, sometimes she felt jealous of Kikyo. Kagome wished she could be useful to people, especially after all the people had done for them.

Their parents had died while she was still very young, so Kikyo, being the older sibling, succeeded responsibility for them both. Kikyo had only been about twelve or thirteen years old at the time, while Kagome was about five or six. They remained in the small home their parents had left behind, though it was more than enough room for the two of them. The others in the village helped the two sisters with food and other necessities until they became old enough to look after themselves.

Letting out a hot breath of air, Kagome propped herself up on her elbows, picking at the green blades of grass once more.

At least Kikyo earned it... she thought silently to herself. Almost immediately, Kagome began to shake her head.

No, she had earned it as well. Groaning, Kagome buried her face in her arms, knowing she was being too negative, as well as too hard on herself.

Yes, Kagome declared; she did everything she could for them, and the villagers knew that. Even though they were the smallest of things, they appreciated them. They knew she was trying her hardest, and they never judged her half as harshly as she did herself. Kagome balled her hand into a fist, nodding her head in determination. Yes, and she would keep doing so. It didn't seem like much, but that was all she could offer, and all that was required.

Unless I cause more trouble for everyone like I did today... Kagome added in her mind, the dark cloud of gloom returning in an instant. She huffed, covering her face once more.

Suddenly curious as to how the injured men were doing, her miserable thoughts quickly dissipated.

Their families must be worried sick about them, she thought sympathetically. At least those few escaped with their lives... she attached as an afterthought.

Selfishly, her thoughts bounced straight back to the daiyoukai from before; Sesshomaru. Closing her eyes, Kagome swung her legs back and forth, deep in thought. He had said he wasn't the youkai who had killed her village's slayer group, yet he was badly wounded when she had found him.

Curving her bottom lip upwards, she held her head erect with her palms as she slowly pieced together the two events. Before long, Kagome jumped, a wide smile plastered on her face.

Of course! Sesshomaru must have saved those other slayers from the other demon! That explains why that youkai never came back to kill the survivors, and why the silver-haired daiyoukai was wounded! It all makes perfect sense!

Before she could begin celebrating with joy, a hand landed on the top of her head, halting all her musings with a simple movement.

Turning to see who the hand belonged to, she giggled as she recognized her sister Kikyo kneeling beside her.

"You seem awfully happy, Kagome," Kikyo noted as she ruffled Kagome's hair lightly. Straightening herself up, she grinned at her sibling.

"Me? Oh, well, I was just thinking to myself," Kagome clarified, laughing again as she stood to face her elder sister. "So how is everybody?"

Kikyo's eyes brightened as if she had remembered something. "They're doing quite well, actually. But, if you don't mind, would you go get some water for them? We're running a little low," she said, while Kagome noticed the large, empty wooden bucket at her side for the first time.

"Sure."

.:.:.:.:.:.

Walking down the dirt path casually, she took in the fresh, spring sights surrounding her. Bright green leaves; budding flowers; unsullied sprouts of new grass; young, lively animals. Spring was wonderful, she thought. Taking in a deep breath of cool air, she smiled. Spring seemed to make everything as good as new.

As she walked further down the path, the sound of running water reached her ears. Upon entering the clearing, the sight displayed itself to her like a live painting.

Crystal blue water cascaded from above, tumbling into misty vapor below. The sun sprinkled its light like diamonds across the falls, shimmering on the reflective water with a certain celestial atmosphere. It fell into a small, sparkling pool; from there, it carried on its way down a bubbling stream.

To add to the divine sight, sakura trees lined either side of the waterfall; its soft, pink blossoms bustled with the breeze, some of which floated into the misty pond below. Swaying with the wind, its branches welcomed any passerby, enticing them to come closer and catch its falling petals.

Sighing at the beautiful sight, Kagome felt herself relax. She truly loved this place; it brought a peace to anyone's soul with only its presence. If it was her choice, Kagome thought she could stay here all day.

Suddenly remembering why she came, Kagome began to make her way toward the edge of the water, the wooden bucket at hand.

That was right; the injured needed water, and she was to fetch it. Nodding her head, she walked the rest of the way towards the cobalt-colored lake.

With the wounded in mind, she found herself wondering about the silvery-haired daiyoukai once more.

Standing at the edge of the water, Kagome sighed, looking down into the clear, shining water. She wondered if he felt any better.

Not that I should care or anything, she laughed inwardly. He is a youkai after all, wounds heal quicker for them, is what he told me at least.

 [Author ID1: at Thu May 14 17:36:00 2009 ]

Nodding, she bent down to the water, before a sound crackled in the bushes behind her.

Turning on impulse to face the unexpected intruder, she gasped as the color of silver caught her eye.

Before she had time to think, she shrieked in surprise as she stepped backwards into the chilly water behind her.

She sank deeper into the water, bubbles of air surrounding her body. Her heart was beating at a maddening speed, thumping like a drum inside her chest. The currents brushed against her, trying to find their way around the obstructing object.

When she hit the pond floor, which was not far from the surface, Kagome opened her eyes. She could see light a few feet above her, rays of sun streaming down through the water.

Wanting to sigh at her own stupidity, Kagome wondered if it would be better to just stay down there. She watched as a blurry object floated down beside her, planting itself in the ground near her shoulder. The water bucket, she thought.

Kagome, though underwater, managed to blush as she thought of how clumsy she must have looked.

Deciding it was best to get the embarrassment over with now, Kagome moved to stand. The sooner she did, the sooner all this would be over.

As she tried to shift the bucket off her, her eyes widened. She discovered, to her horror, that the bucket had caught itself on the pond floor. Worse, her kimono had been snagged along with it.

Desperately, Kagome tried to pull free of its grasp, but the wedged fabric held strong. Soon, she was tearing at the shoulder of her kimono to get herself loose. However, the cloth did not rip as she had expected it to. The idea of stripping from her entire kimono came to mind, but before she could execute it, her eyes closed in discomfort as her lungs began to burn within her.

Covering her mouth with her free hand, Kagome tried to suppress the inevitable.

In less than seconds, she gasped for air, instead, finding nothing but water. Bubbles of used air floated obliviously to the surface.

.:.:.:.:.:.

Sesshomaru approached the clearing with atypical interest. Usually, he would never indulge in his curiosity so, but strangely, he had made an exception this once.

The scent was familiar. If he didn't know any better, he would have been positive it was the girl from before; the human, Kagome.

But, he had only met her once; therefore, he could not be sure.

Sesshomaru made his way around the trees and bushes until he stood at the edge of the open section of forest.

So, he was right. The girl stood before him, holding a sort of wooden basin. She must be there for water, he noted silently to himself.

As he turned to leave, she finally became aware of his presence.

Sesshomaru stopped, hearing a shriek from behind him. He turned, just catching the sight of the female falling into the water behind her. Water splashed into the air as she plummeted into the pool.

"Hn..." Sesshomaru raised a brow, expecting her rise to the surface.

He waited for a long moment, but still, she did not rise. Have I frightened her that badly? he thought in slight irritation, tucking his arms into his sleeves while he waited.

The girl's oxygen supply would soon be entirely depleted. She would surface sooner or later.

But still, she did not reappear.

He furrowed his brow with a sigh, deciding whether or not to help the wench. Sesshomaru recalled what she had told him earlier.

"Well, if you saw someone hurt, right in front of you, how could you not help them? Especially if it is in your power to do so?"

Shaking his head as he approached the ledge slowly, he declared his reasoning silently: He was only returning the favor.

As he approached, bubbles surfaced, indicating she was well out of breath. Sighing, he stepped in the water after tossing his haori to the dry ground, crouching down to pull her out.

However, as he held her, thinking he could pull her out easily, he felt her resist his motion. Something was holding her to the bottom. Reaching down, he felt the wooden basin from earlier snagged onto her clothing. Oddly, it had planted itself into the ground. Pulling it roughly, it gave, allowing him to raise the girl to air.

He placed the coughing girl on the ground as he looked into the wooden bucket.

A small mongrel of a youkai cowered inside, who had expected this girl to be its next meal, apparently.

"Detestable," he commented coolly before unsheathing his sword to kill the creature. Before he was able to pierce it, the lesser youkai jumped up from the basin, scampering into the deep forest as fast as its legs would carry it. Sesshomaru only returned his sword to his side, indifferent as to whether it was dead or alive.

Returning his attention back to the kneeling female, he found her coughing violently, holding her mouth with one hand and propping her body up with the other.

He moved to sit, resting his arm on his knee as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

When she had finally calmed down some, the girl began to shiver with the cold. Looking at her water soaked body, Sesshomaru exhaled softly, taking his haori and placing it around her.

Holding onto the piece of clothing tightly, she turned to sit a couple feet away from him. "Th-thank you," she whispered with a shaky voice. With only a nod, he closed his eyes while she dried herself off.

Her breathing was still labored as she spoke. "Sorry... That was stupid of me," she apologized, keeping her eyes on the waterfall.

"There is no need to apologize," he stated, wondering why in the world she should be saying sorry.

She did not say anything further. Keeping silent, she curled into a small huddle, hugging her knees to warm her shivering body. Her clothes clung to her body as if water was attracted to her skin.

Opening his eyes to glance at the soaked female, Sesshomaru noticed her unsteady state. Her body was trembling, though he did not believe it was from the cold. Perhaps she was frightened, he deduced.

"Are you alright?" he asked solemnly.

Kagome did not answer at first. His voice felt distant to her, like she was in a dream, far from the world. The full reality of what had just happened had only now begun to sink in.

"Mn..." Kagome mumbled quietly in answer to him. Resting her head on her knees, her breath hitched in her throat. The grip around her knees tightened.

If Sesshomaru hadn't helped her, she would have drowned. To be so close to the brink of death, it was a helpless feeling. Like running in a dream where legs seemed to move in slow motion, or falling into a deep ravine that seemed never ending until one hit the bottom.

A violent tremble coursed through her body.

Kagome pictured herself at the bottom of a sea of water, rushing to the surface for air, but before she could reach the very top, her supply of air exhausted. With open eyes towards the light above, she sunk back into the darkness beneath her, a darkness ready to swallow her whole.

She would have never been able to see Kikyo ever again. She would have never been able to tell her how much she loved her and appreciated all she had done for her. She would never see the other kind villagers who had helped them, or see the injured slayers get well and reunite with their families.

An unpleasant stinging sensation tingled in her nose. It wasn't until she felt a firm hand resting on her head that she felt warm tears running down her face.

His hand; it felt so warm, so comforting. It reminded her of her sister Kikyo.

Kagome sobbed, hot tears streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably. She began to wipe away her tears with the daiyoukai's white haori unintentionally. Sniffling and hiccupping, Kagome wept, shutting her eyes tight, attempting to cease the flowing tears. She rubbed her eyes, embarrassed of her crying, but unable to stop.

Minutes passed before she finally calmed to a quiet sniffle.

Sesshomaru was relieved beyond belief when the tears ceased. He returned his hand to his side, grateful it was all over with.

He hadn't been sure how to handle the tears at first, never having seen a crying woman so close. The situation felt oddly uncomfortable, yet he could not leave the girl there by herself; after all, she had only fallen in the water because he had frightened her.

Hoping to bring her sobbing to an end, Sesshomaru gingerly placed a hand on top of her head. He winced when it only served to make her cry harder.

Now she sat sniffling, wiping her tears away with the sleeves of his haori. Sesshomaru sighed unconsciously at the thought of her tears on his clothing.

"Um..."

Sesshomaru turned to look at the teary eyed female.

"Thank... Thank you... Sesshomaru-san..." Kagome said finally when her sniffing came to a stop. "And... I'm sorry about your clothes..." The girl's cheeks heated into a light blush. She didn't understand why she felt so flustered.

"It was out of mere obligation," he clarified frankly, indicating the white wrappings around himself with the slight incline of his head.

Laughing nervously she replied, "Oh, right..."

Turning to look at the pool of water, she sighed. Kagome stood, walking to the ledge where the basin was laying. She began to fill it with water as she would have normally, as if nothing had happened.

Kagome couldn't believe she had caused so much trouble. Kikyo and the others must still be waiting for her.

Leaving the wooden bucket on the ground momentarily, she removed the haori she had borrowed from the youkai.

"Thank you, again," Kagome said, expressing her appreciation with a bow. As she began to hand it to him, she paused in hesitation. This really wasn't fair to him at all.

Now, it was soaked with water and drenched in the smell of her tears. It looked somewhat pathetic in her hands, not nearly as majestic as it had before.

"Uh..." Kagome flushed sheepishly as she looked at his haori. She caught her lip in-between her teeth, her grip on his clothing tightening.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind. Her face brightened with joy.

"I'll wash this for you!" she exclaimed, her eyes beaming in excitement.

Sesshomaru furrowed his brows as he looked at the delighted girl. "No... That... is not necessary."

Kagome frowned. "But I feel so terrible about giving it to you like this..." she admitted disappointedly, shuffling the dirtied cloth in her hands.

"It's fine," he muttered, reaching for his haori. Before he could get a grip on it, the girl pulled it away curtly.

"Please, Sesshomaru-san!" she began to beg. "I promise it won't take long! I'll bring it to you tomorrow!"

"No," he reiterated, though inwardly surprised that she would go to such lengths only to wash his clothes. He was almost positive that washing clothes was not exactly the most favored task. Sesshomaru began to reach for the haori for the second time.

"Well, after everything you've done for me, I ought to do something in return for you..." Kagome began again, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

Sesshomaru couldn't believe this woman. He had only saved her in return for assisting him, and she was speaking of repaying him? He shook his head in frustration, truly goaded to rip the clothing from her hands.

"Please, Sesshomaru-san," Kagome said again. "It's not fair to you..." She looked to the ground. This was the only way she could think of to express her gratitude to him.

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath of air. Finally, he surrendered to the human. This was utterly ridiculous, but if this was her way of saying thanks, then so be it. Besides, what harm would a clean haori do?

"Fine."

Ridiculous, he repeated in his mind.

Kagome gasped. "Really!?"

Smiling happily, she tucked the clothing away quickly. "I'll have it ready tomorrow! Where should I bring it to you?"

"You can leave it here."

"Okay," she agreed. Turning to pick the water basin up, she smiled again. "Thank you for letting me do this for you, Sesshomaru-san!" He looked away, hiding his slight irritation.

He felt as if he had been made a fool out of; by none other than this whelp of a girl, moreover. Sesshomaru turned his back to her as she began to walk away in the direction of her village.

Ridiculous, he thought again.

All this, everything about these situations with her were ridiculous. He knew he shouldn't be giving in to a human like this. Sesshomaru never felt so utterly... exasperated.

 Kagome on the other hand, was beaming all over.

In an obscure way, she felt like she had made a new friend.

She laughed softly.

Well, probably not, but a girl could dream, couldn't she?

Friends with a handsome, dangerous daiyoukai? A youkai that could kill her in an instant?

But a youkai with a good heart? Kagome added silently.

Still, it was most definitely fantasy.

.:.:.:.:.:.

GraWr! Chapter 3, chapter 3!! >>

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-DestinysTears