InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Fates ❯ Reintegration ( Chapter 30 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 30: Reintegration

Eyes fluttering, blinded by the light in the room, Kagome began to wake... but as the pain kicked in, almost wished she could go back to sleep. She hurt everywhere. But for the first time since she'd come back through the well, her heart... didn't.

She felt free of her tainted past. And it was all thanks to Yasha.

He came for me - even in my coma, he came to save me, and heal me. And I... I love... I love Yasha. I can finally say it. She remembered, oh, she remembered everything. All of what had happened.

Blinking, she moved her eyes around the room, trying to avoid moving too much, but suddenly needing to see Yasha - to know that he was okay, and still there with her.

As her eyes settled to her left, she caught sight of another bed, and a form stirring in it, and blinked, trying to clear the blurring of her eyes. It was him, she could feel it. "Y-yasha?" she managed to croak out. "W-wake up, Yasha," she whispered. "Please?"

Please let him be okay? she practically begged the kami.

Yasha came to wakefulness quickly once he heard her voice, weak as it was, and sat up, pushing himself out of his cocoon of blankets and scrambling out of the bed he was in in his rush to get to her, almost falling on his face. Within seconds he was at her side, carefully taking her hand into his and reaching up to run gentle fingers over her bruised cheek.

"Damn, woman, you've scared the life out of me with all this, you know that?" he whispered, his golden eyes actually shimmering with tears. "You can't leave me, K'gome - I won't let you."

Kagome didn't even try to hold back her tears as she nodded faintly. "I don't want you to, Yasha, I don't. I won't leave you, I promise," she said softly. Squeezing his hand as much as she was able, she blinked up at him, letting him see her every emotion at that moment. "I... I love you, Yasha, and I'm sorry it took so long to realize it."

At her words, words he'd waited a lifetime and more to hear, the tears in Yasha's eyes finally flowed over, and down his cheeks unabated as he groaned and nuzzled his face to hers with a tenderness he'd never shown anyone else. "Gods, Kagome," he choked out, "you don't know how long I've wanted to hear those words from you. I love you so much! You'll never get rid of me now, you know that, right?"

She laughed on a sob, and nodded carefully again, even as their tears fell and mingled together on her cheeks. "Th-that's good, because I don't want you to go," she finally managed to get out. After a moment of smiling up at him, the pain she was in sank in again, and she winced. Yasha pulled away hurriedly.

"Let me go get the doctor, koi, you're hurting, I can see it. Plus, your mom and everyone will want to know you've woken up. I'll be right back, I promise," he said at her anxious expression, and she nodded again.

"Okay," she said softly, closing her eyes and letting his hand go with a last squeeze. She kept them closed as he left the room, the darkness behind her eyelids helping ease some of the pain in her head, at least.

Yasha...

---cCc---

Aiko sat up and rubbed her eyes, tired and worried and not knowing what to think anymore. So much had happened, gone wrong, and as devoted a shrine daughter as she had always been, even she was beginning to feel a bit bitter towards the kami.

She'd had to watch her only daughter be injured and broken-hearted in her trips to the past, and that had been bad enough... but this? This was worse. A thousand times worse.

She'd just looked so tiny and injured... like a doll that had been haphazardly thrown away by a spoiled child that no longer wanted her as she lay in her bed, and it had nearly killed her inside as she'd stood there looking down at her. Because it was evident even in a coma, that it wasn't just her body that was broken.

It was her. It was what made her Kagome. The true essence of what she was had been shattered, and though she had partially healed, the rest wasn't coming together so well...

She hoped that Yasha could bring her back, because she didn't know what she would do if he failed.

With a sigh, she stood up and stretched, looking with gritty, swollen eyes around the silent waiting room. She knew she should have gone home, but she just couldn't bear to. Not again.

The first night that Yasha had been in the room with Kagome, sleeping so deeply, she'd allowed Sesshoumaru to talk her into going home and getting some sleep - and even the second night - but for some reason, this night, she just couldn't go. For some reason, she had the feeling that tonight was going to be the deciding factor in whether her daughter survived... or not.

She glanced up quickly at the stoic youkai Lord that was patiently waiting with her as he spoke, almost surprised to hear him say anything. He'd been so silent through all of this, only really speaking to give orders.

"She will pull through this, Aiko-san. Yasha will not fail."

She laughed a little. "I hope you are right. However it goes, I have the feeling that it will be finished tonight. That's why I'm so anxious, I suppose."

She didn't miss his surprised look. "Tonight?"

She nodded. "Hai. That's my feeling."

"Well, then, I hope you are correct," he said, with a suddenly weary-sounding sigh.

She frowned thoughtfully and tilted her head as she looked at him. "The one who did this - what's going to happen to her?"

A low growl echoed through the room as his eyes flashed red for a moment. "I have not made a decision on that at this time. Much depends on what happens with... Kagome."

Something in his voice caught her attention, and she slowly sat back down as a certain realization came to her. "You care for her a great deal, don't you?" she asked quietly.

There was silence for a time, then, "She makes it easy to do so." He looked at her, a slight smile tilting the corner of his lips. "She is much like you, I think, Aiko-san."

A faint blush touched her cheeks; when a male of the beauty of this youkai Lord complimented you, you couldn't help but to do so. "I thank you for the compliment, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Before he could say anything in return, Yasha walked into the room, and both people were standing in front of him before he could say a word. He blinked. "Uh... yeah - Kagome's awake now, though she's hurting a lot. But we have to wait a few minutes - the doctor's in with her right now." He was taken aback as Aiko took him into a fierce hug, and with a startled look at his uncle, he slowly hugged her back.

"Thank you, Yasha," Aiko said, her voice muffled, though perfectly audible to the two males. "Thank you for not giving up on her." She looked up, then. "She has accepted her soul back, right? You did say that she wouldn't wake until she did...?"

Yasha stepped back, then nodded, and gestured for the two to sit down, as he took a seat himself. "Yeah... she did. Oh, there's still healing that she needs to do, but... now she actually will heal. It was quite a strange thing, in that coma of hers, ya know." Then he scowled. "And that damn lecherous monk...! He's a friggin' pervert, I tell ya."

Aiko burst out into relieved laughter at his expression, and even Sesshoumaru looked amused as he remembered things from so long ago. "Hai, that he was. I take it that he appeared in her coma, as well?"

Sobering, Yasha nodded. "Yeah. He gave her some good advice - he was quite stern with her, really, but it seemed to be what she needed. A wake-up call, I suppose you could say. Whatever, I'm just grateful it worked."

At that moment, the doctor stepped into the room and smiled at them. "Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama, Aiko-san, and Yasha-san, as well - just who I was looking for. I have just seen Kagome, and I am most pleased with how she is doing. Though she will still be in hospital for at least a week, her head injury, which was what most concerned me, has caused no lasting damage. From what I can tell, her memory is intact, and she is not suffering any breaks or gaps in it, though we will conduct more extensive testing before she is released, of course."

At that, smiles broke out on Yasha's and Aiko's face, and Sesshoumaru nodded, pleased. Inwardly, he sighed with relief. At least Tenseiga would not be needed.

"Yasha will remain here with her while she recovers," Sesshoumaru said then, his voice letting it be known that there would be no arguments on that score.

The doctor nodded agreeably. "That is fine. She will be moved into a private room on the next floor down in the morning - we will make sure that a second bed is placed inside for Yasha-san, as well, at that time." He glanced at his watch, and said, "You may go and see her for a few minutes, though the pain meds will probably knock her out soon, so you should hurry. Now, if you will excuse me, I must see another patient." He smiled at the three and bowed, then left.

Yasha took the lead, walking them into her room, then standing back - after all, he would be staying with her, and they wouldn't, and he'd already talked to her. He could wait.

He turned and looked out the window at the night sky, staring out over Tokyo's skyline with an almost blind gaze.

Now all that's left to do is get her healed - and deal with that bitch Akina.

His eyes narrowed and flashed crimson at that thought.

---cCc---

The next morning, Sesshoumaru sat back in his study, and considered different punishments for Akina and her parents. Obviously, Kagome had survived, so they would be spared death - however, the punishment would still be severe. Behavior like that was never acceptable, and the bitch had been arrogant enough to attack even after she had been warned away with his name. That was disrespect enough, even without her further actions, to warrant punishment.

And then to have attacked who she had...

He let a wicked smirk cross his face when he considered what his guards had reported to him about the girls parents, and he figured that he had the best punishment already figured for those two.

It seemed that they had been considering having another child - but it was beyond obvious that those two were not good parents... so it would be an option that was taken from them. Both would undergo forced sterilization - the demon world did not need irresponsible beings like them reproducing again.

As for Akina... her fate would be two-fold. She would also not be allowed to procreate. There was no way in hell that a being such as her would ever make a good mother. The side effect of that, though, is what would harm her the most, with her propensity for men. There would be few now that would ever accept her as a mate, due to her sterility. That would drastically alter her life options, being that only males that were sterile themselves would ever bother with her now - and no one of good family and standing in the demon world would have her.

Yes... he was satisfied with these punishments. After all, killing the manipulative little bitch would be too easy - this way, she would suffer more, and have a lot longer to think about what she had done. It was shameful that she would let her lust for Yasha, and his family connections, convince her that taking another's life was acceptable.

She would have many, many centuries to consider just how wrong she had been.

With a sharp nod, he called his guards and ordered that the family be escorted to his offices to be told of their fate.

He would greatly enjoy this day...

---cCc---

Yasha watched Kagome sleep with a small smile on his face - she looked more peaceful than she had at any time since the well had finally closed. It had been months of pain and sorrow, and slow, slow, healing, but it was finally getting somewhere.

He could only hope that things would run more smoothly now.

He was pulled from his introspections by a light knock at the door before it opened quietly. It was Mika.

"Hello, Yasha," she said softly, looking at him weighingly. "How is she?"

He sighed, and looked back at her. "She's okay. In a lot of pain, of course, but she's gonna get better."

Mika nodded. "I hear that she finally accepted the Kikyou portion of her soul back - that she reintegrated it within herself. Is that true?"

"Yeah. Oh, she still hates Kikyou, and so do I - but things can start moving ahead, now."

"What made her finally take that portion of her soul back, if I may ask?"

Yasha let his gaze go distant. "I think..." he said hesitantly, "she just decided that Kikyou wasn't worth all the stress and hassle. Her disdain for the woman got to be so great, that she figured she didn't want to act like her, and it would be easier to just accept that part of her soul back, and then forget about the bitch that had held it." He shrugged. "I, personally, don't really care, as long as she gets better."

A curious look crossed her face. "And her feelings for you? Any resolution there?"

Brow quirked, Yasha looked over at Mika. "Is that anyone elses business but ours?" he asked.

"Yes... there is still that couples counseling that you both had agreed to... I think it would be a good idea to continue with it," she said dryly.

He looked at her suspiciously. "There ain't gonna be anymore of that waking our past incarnations up, is there?"

Mika laughed lightly. "No - there'd be no point in it. Now that she has at least taken the soul and begun to meld it back into the rest of her soul, we can focus on working out any lingering resentment towards Inuyasha and Kikyou, and on creating a healthy relationship between the two of you."

Both were a bot startled at the voice that interrupted them. "I'll c-call you in a month and set up an ap-pointment," Kagome stuttered, blinking sleepily in the bright light of the room.

Mika joined Yasha at the side of the bed, and smiled. "Hello, Kagome, welcome back. It's good to see you awake. But I think that for a while, anyway, I might be coming to your house for any appointments - it's going to be difficult for you to go too many places with your broken bones."

Kagome blinked, then chuckled almost silently, a pained look crossing her face as she felt the pain in her ribs. "I g-guess s-so," she winced. "I'd really like to get my hands on that Akina - I'd so make sure to l-leave her in the same shape I'm in - maybe that would get through t-to her."

"Actually, that won't be necessary," Mika chuckled. "Father is dealing with that family - believe me, they will be feeling the repercussions for this for the rest of their lives, if I know father. He doesn't take kindly to those he cares for being harmed."

Kagome's mind shot to a tiny, dark-haired human child from long ago, and the protectiveness that had been evident in Sesshoumaru towards her even back then. She smiled a bit sadly. Rin... "I know. But he's not going to kill anyone, is he?"

Yasha scowled. "He should. If he doesn't, I might."

"No, the only way he would have killed them is if you had died. I think that it's possible they might wish they had died, though," Mika said, laughing at the dark, reproving look Kagome shot at Yasha.

"You know, Yasha," she said, deceptively sweetly, "you are so lucky that you don't have a kotodama on." He flinched, and she grinned, as widely as she was able with her bruised cheeks. "I wonder if I c-could make a set," she mused to herself.

His scowl deepened, and he snapped, "Don't even think about it, wench. Those beads were for assholes - and in this life, I ain't one."

Mika shook her head and laughed again, then reached out and patted Kagome gently on her hand. "I need to get going, I just stopped in to see you before going back to work. I'm glad to see you getting better, Kagome - and don't forget to set up another appointment for the two of you in a month or so."

Kagome smiled back as Mika turned to leave. "Sure, and thanks f-for stopping by," she said.

With a wave, Mika stepped out the door, and Yasha sighed, turning back to look at his girl. He was so happy to see the liveliness in her eyes - though he could do without the lines between her brows signifying pain.

Running the backs of his fingers gently over her cheek, he asked, "Do you want me to get the nurse for some more pain medicine?"

She nodded wearily. She still felt so tired, even though she'd already slept so much. But the pain was quickly getting unbearable. "Yeah," she whispered.

He smiled at her encouragingly. "Just hang on a second, then, baby - I'll hurry." With that, he disappeared, and Kagome had to smile just a bit at his protective nature.

Yeah, you're right, Yasha. In this life, you aren't an asshole. I think you're perfect.