InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Consciousness ❯ Awaken ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Awake
The little hut was buzzing with activity. Kaede couldn’t remember the last time the little group had stayed that long. Shippo and Rin were in and out of the hut all day long. Shippo would come in and sit between the two sleeping friends, gently stroking their hair and asking them to wake up.

Shippo was nervous about the light stripes that were noted on Inuyasha’s face almost two days ago. Rin though, so used to her Lord, was happily chatting away at the two, waiting for them to respond. They were constantly watched over by one of the group. Sesshomaru refused to allow Rin in the hut by herself, being unsure of what awaited them when the two finally roused from their sleep.

During the last two days, Kanna had reviewed the scrolls that Sesshomaru had brought with him. The scrolls were a source of new suspicions and theories. Information was shared between the members of the group and passed back in forth as it was dissected.

Kaede and Kanna were talking in low tones in the hut as Kaede slowly stirred the stew.

“My sister always believed that a pure wish would destroy the evil housed in the jewel and that the jewel would then disappear.”

“So, no one knows for sure what would happen if a wish was made?” Kanna inquired.

“No, however, there was always enough suspicion to prevent any of the previous mikos from trying it; Kikyo was the only that I know to even consider it.”

“The scrolls indicate that may be a fallacy. There is evidence in them that a wish may actually free or corrupt the spirits housed in the jewel. I don’t think that the solution would be that easy.”

“Hm, mayhap the jewel would never be considered pure?”

“A thought,” Kanna conceded, “the scrolls are demon writings; they may have believed that there was no one strong enough to purify the evil. Midoriko was not strong enough to finish the battle.”

“Yes, we are unsure of how strong the little miko is though,” Sesshomaru said from behind Kanna.

“Lord Sesshomaru,” Kaede bowed her head lightly.

“While my brother is an idiot, he has never doubted the strength of the miko. It does make me wonder if she is stronger than any of us believe her to be.”

“Of course she is! She is stronger than any miko I have ever met or even heard of!” Miroku stated indignantly, entering behind Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru just raised his eyebrows, glancing at the monk before turning his attention back to Kaede. Sango, Kirara, and Kagura filed in behind Miroku.

“Has anything occurred further?”

“Nay, Lord Sesshomaru, they have not stirred again,” Kagura replied.

Sesshomaru turned his attention to the sleeping pair. Two days ago, his brother had turned back into, well into a demon. All Sesshomaru could smell coming from the hanyou was pure demon blood. The group of friends knew enough to be nervous, seeing the stripes on his brother’s face and were quite unsure of what was to come when he woke. Sesshomaru was suspicious that the demon side had taken over to finish the healing. Shortly after his demon side took over, Inuyasha’s form appeared to be free of any injuries. Yet, a puzzle to all, the hanyou had not yet stirred. The miko was another puzzle all together. Her form appeared free from any injury that would cause her continued slumber. Yet, the only signs of life were the occasional stirring of her form and incoherent mumblings.

*****

“Inuyasha?”

“ Kagome, you are still with me?”

“Of course, are you healed? Midoriko said we would stay here until you were healed.”

“Feh, of course, I’m healed!” Inuyasha stated, exasperation ringing in his voice.

“Then, why are we still here?” Kagome asked, looking around the quiet light that they had been surrounded in since their battle.

“I dunno, wench!”

Soft laughter rose up to meet them. Midoriko’s form appeared in front of them.

‘I was waiting for you two to heal completely. I have some other information for you.”

“Oi, Bitch! What did you mean from earlier!” Inuyasha snarled out.

“INUYASHA, SIT!”

‘Umpfh! What was that for!”

“Please, don’t be disrespectful! Midoriko is here to help us!” Kagome cried.

“Kagome, it is alright. Inuyasha is understandably upset. I have told him that all his beliefs about the jewel were incorrect. I think he might also be feeling a stressed from inacttivity. You have been here for more than a week.”

“A week! We’ve been here for a week?”

“Yes, but, that is not why I am here today. I want to share what else I can with you; please, just let me talk for my time is limited.”

“Feh!” This was the only response from Inuyasha.

“Oh! Of course, Midoriko!”

“Kagome, you trust Inuyasha with your life, do you not?”

“Yes.”

“Good, Inuyasha, I must ask you to continue to protect her life and to protect her as you have. I must ask you to put her life before yours.”

“I’ve always done this!” he snorted.

“Kagome, we don’t know how this will end, but I have to know something. Will you please open your mind to me?” Midoriko asked with a small smile on her lips. At Kagome’s nod, Midoriko went in search of the link with Kagome. After a moment of silence, she saw Kagome’s eyes pop wide open.

“Kagome, don’t be startled,” Midoriko soothed as Kagome realized that Midoriko was speaking in her mind, wondering what she had to share that she didn’t want Inuyasha to hear.

In her mind she heard Midoriko saying, “Kagome, I need to know your level of commitment to the hanyou. I know that you have committed to him and that you won’t leave him. I also know that you have been traveling together for almost four years.”

“No, I won’t leave him. If I can only be his friend, then so be it, but I won’t ever abandon him.”

“Kagome, you do realize that he loves you?”

“That’s what our friends say, but I’m not sure they are right because he loves Kikyo.”

“Hn, you believe that? Yet, you are still willing to stay by his side?”

“Of course, he is my best friend!”

“You would have him, if he asked you?”

“Of course, I would!” Kagome cried. “Oh!” A deep blush stole up her cheeks as she realized what she had just admitted. Kagome had always known, but had never told anyone that she would stay with him, with no second thoughts.

Inuyasha stared at the two, wondering what Midoriko had said to Kagome that made her hand cover her mouth and her cheeks tinge a bright red.

“Thank you, Kagome, for being honest. You must always trust in Inuyasha. Please, remember that appearances can be deceiving. When all else is in doubt, please remember to trust in Inuyasha.”

Midoriko slowly let go of Kagome’s mind and turned her attention back to Inuyasha.

“Inuyasha, you are entrusted with Kagome; you must keep her safe and keep her with you. During this journey in this part of life, you must keep her close. Her life is yours.”

“Feh, whatever,’ Inuyasha replied.

Midoriko smiled. She was able to see into his soul clearly, and she knew that he would lay down his life for her, if needed.

“You two are bound together on this journey. For your safety, Kagome, you two will share a link. Inuyasha will be able to find you if you get separated unwillingly. Just call out to him as you have in the past. He will find you.” With those words, Midoriko started to fade.

“Watch out, evil is lurking and waiting for its time.”

Those were the last words before Midoriko disappeared from sight.

“Oi, Bitch, what was that about?”

“Inuyasha, don’t make me say it.”

With a grimace, he realized that was his answer. Kagome wouldn’t tell him what was said between the two.

“Are you ready? I can see the way back now,” Inuyasha asked.

“You can? Yes! I am ready to get home and have a shower!”

“Wench, you and your water!”

*****

Sesshomaru shifted his attention in the hut. Something had changed. He could feel it.

Looking around, he noted that his brother’s heartbeat had increased and the miko’s breathing was lighter.

Everyone around him stopped talking as Sesshomaru’s attention shifted to the unconscious pair. All eyes turned toward them. Inuyasha’s form shifted and thrashed in his sleep. Incoherent mumbling could be heard from the pair.

“Rin, Shippo. Leave”

“But,” Shippo’s voice trailed off as he looked into the hardened gaze of the Western Lord.

Jumping up the two scampered out with Kirara heading out after them. Kanna and Kagura followed suit. Figuring that if the two woke up, with Inuyasha’s facial features being what they were, the fewer inhabitants in the hut, the better. He was Sesshomaru’s brother; let him handle it, they figured.

“Lord Sesshomaru, please allow me to check on them,’ Kaede asked, moving past his stiff form.

Sesshomaru tensed, watching as the old miko moved closer, checking the sites of old wounds, placing her hand on their foreheads, and feeling for signs of fever.

Kagome’s face was tinged pink. Kaede could, however, find no evidence of fever. She noted a small smile on the face of the little miko.

“Sesshomaru-sama?”

“Yes,” his eyes shifted slightly toward the slayer, dividing his attention between the sleeping pair and the slayer.

“Does he still appear the same? Can you smell any traces of his humanity?”

“No.”

“Do you think he will wake up in a bloodlust?” Miroku was now interested in the thread of conversation.

“I do not know. I do not smell the instability that I have been able to feel and smell before in these circumstances.”

All eyes shifted to Kaede as she let out a startled gasp.

Looking at the sleeping pair, Kaede reached out to touch Kagome’s hair. Sango moved closer, looking at her friend.

Sango dropped to her knees looking at the pair, moving her hands lightly over Inuyasha’s hair, and then moving toward her friends.

The collective group moved in to examine the changes.

Kagome’s dark hair was now highlighted with a silver streak running down the right side. On her right cheek, slowly appearing was a faint purple jagged mark, barely more than a shadow on her unblemished face.

Shifting their attention toward Inuyasha, Sango gasped this time. What she saw was a reverse mirror image of Kagome’s hair. Inuyasha’s bright silver hair had a startling shock of black hair on the right side. His marks were still faintly visible across his cheeks. His fangs peeked out from under his upper lip. His claws appeared normal though.

Swiftly moving back, Miroku pulled Sango away from the sleeping pair.

“MONK!” Sango gasped.

“Sango, please, if they wake up, we know he won’t hurt Kagome, but if he is in demon form and we are too near to Kagome, there is no telling what he would do!”

Sango looked at him for a moment and then conceded. Nodding, she and Kaede retreated to the fire pit to finish working on the stew. Sesshomaru kept his weight shifted to the front of his feet, watching the sleeping pair.

Activity in the hut, returned to normal, as normal as could be, with Sesshomaru’s form filling the space between the sleeping pair and the rest of the hut.

Sango and Kaede ladled out soup, and Miroku dutifully took bowls to the group outside, taking a loaf of bread as well for the group to split with their soup.

As Miroku left the hut, Sango turned her attention to Sesshomaru.

“Sesshomaru-sama?”

“I’ ;m not sure,” he hated admitting he had no idea what was going on with his brother or with the miko. This is not something that he had ever heard of in all his long life. He knew that Inu-youkai shared some traits with their mates when they mated, but the two were still unconscious; he knew from his nose that the miko was still pure.

“Do you think it has something to do with the jewel?”

“It appears that most things come back to that damn jewel,” Sesshomaru acquiesced.

“I’m afraid that we will just have to wait for answers from them.”

“Sesshomaru-sama, could intent be strong enough to cause this?” Kaede asked.

“I have never heard of that.”

*****

Outside the hut, Miroku was sharing the changes with Kanna, knowing that Kanna had spent much time on the scrolls that Sesshomaru brought with him.

“There is reference to this in one of the scrolls. It is called a life bond. It is unheard of in hanyous. However, it was documented once, about 900 years ago. A demon who had a human companion created a life force bond with her. She carried one of his marks. The scroll is vague, noting that the magic that created it was considered a myth. The scroll alludes to the fact that their life was bonded together, one linked to another.”

“Is there any information about what happened to the pair?” Miroku asked.

“Well, there is nothing about what happened; however, it is noted that it was done to protect her against evils that the demon could not.”

“Anything about her? Who she was?”

“That is the interesting thing. It doesn’t say, but there is a reference to her being a powerful miko. Sections of the scroll are missing.”

“900 years ago?”

“More or less, yes. It is not really known when this scroll was written. It was thought to be written right before Sesshomaru was born, and the scroll indicates 400 years prior. Sesshomaru is a little over 500 years now.”

“That would have been about the time of Midoriko, would it not?” Shippo chimed in.

“Myoga would be the one to best answer that, but to our knowledge, yes,” Miroku answered.

“That may explain the mystery behind why she was trapped in stone. If she couldn’t die, then maybe this was the result.”

“Yes, but, who was the demon? There is no reference to her being with a demon? Would they not still be alive if she isn’t truly dead?”

Kanna was slowly digesting the information. Sesshomaru was the one to seek help from with this quandary. She would have to talk to him when he emerged from the hut.

*****

Inside the hut, Sango and Kaede settled down to working on herbs and medicinal mixtures.

Sesshomaru settled down to wait for the sleeping pair to show signs of awareness.

His eyes shifted to the pair as Inuyasha shifted his weight, one hand reaching out to grasp Kagome’s right hand. His hair spilled around both of them.

Sesshomaru tensed as he noted Inuyasha’s nose twitching. His hand moved toward his sword.

“Slayer.”

Sango turned to look. Sesshomaru shifted his weight forward. Sango moved so that she was between the old miko and the pair sprawled on the mats.

The first warning they had that Inuyasha was awake was a low growl, rumbling deep in his throat. Inuyasha’s nose twitched; he scented Kagome. She was waking slowly.
He could smell the overwhelming stench of his brother.
Close.
Too close.

Shifting his weight, his hair fell over his face. He tightened his grip on Kagome’s hand. Moving with lightening speed, he jerked her to her feet, swinging her behind him.

A yelp escaped Kagome as she was rudely jerked from her slumber by Inuyasha swinging her abruptly behind him. With no time to assess what was going on, she stumbled hard against his back.

Two things hit her right away. One being the speed at which Inuyasha moved and two being the deep growl that quickly turned into a snarl.

Sango gasped. She couldn’t see Inuyasha’s face because his hair was shifted forward, preventing anyone from clearly seeing it. The sound coming from him was primal, a deep snarl had erupted from him.

Sesshomaru tightened his grip on Tokijin. He could see part of Inuyasha’s face, marks were still evident on his cheeks. Sesshomaru could not see his eyes.

“Kaede, please, go,” Sango asked quietly.

Inuyasha’s gaze flicked quickly over Sango and Kaede.

Kaede moved slowly toward the door. Stepping lightly and with no fast movements, she did not want to startle the hanyou more. She slipped out of the hut.

Outside, the group jumped up when Kaede came out.

Sango moved slowly closer to Sesshomaru, ensuring that Inuyasha could see her and him in the same line of sight. Sango did not want the hanyou to feel any more threatened that he apparently already was.

Kagome tried to move from behind Inuyasha, only to be firmly pushed back by a rough hand.
“Stay” was the only command snarled from the rigid form in front of her.

Bringing his face up, Inuyasha growled at his brother.

Looking at Inuyasha, Sesshomaru could glimpse his eyes from under his bangs.

Golden eyes met golden eyes that were now flecked with blue and red.

“Bastard” was the only response.

Once again, the disclaimer:
I don’t own Inuyasha, its characters, or its story line.
That right belongs solely to Rumiko Takahashi
I’ll let you know which characters I own as we go!
A/N:
If you are enjoying this, please be patient. Updates will happen weekly. I can’t promise any more than that. I work 14 hour shifts, so it only happens on my days off.
If you’re looking for good readings, anything that Sueric writes if a great read! (She is the goddess of fanfic). Other really good reads: Taisho’s Darlings (sess/kag), The Days I Left Behind (sess/kag) and one of my all time favorites The Lucky Ones (Inu/kag).