InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Double Vision ❯ Chapter 58 ( Chapter 57 )

At the first light of day, Sesshomaru quietly roused Shippou and Jakotsu. “Bring Kohaku’s weapon.” They made their way to the cairn, where he told Shippou to place the bone with Kohaku’s body. When Shippou finished placing the scythe over the place where Kohaku was was buried, Sesshomaru drew his sword.

This seemed to Shippou like the kind of plan Inuyasha would come up with. “Wait, Sesshomaru! This is dangerous! We need to get Kagome out of the cave if you plan on bringing down the side of the mountain!”

Kagome awoke to the sound of rock sliding on rock. The ground was shaking. Shit! A cave was a very bad place to be during an earthquake. She grabbed for her sword and her backpack, and scrambled for the mouth of the cave. After the first few steps, she ended up crawling. There was no sign of Sesshomaru, Shippou, or Jakotsu. They must already be up and out of the cave. The ground stopped shaking, but the sound of rocks falling continued for a while. A ragged cheer went up from somewhere near Kohaku’s grave. What the hell were those boys doing?

Using her bow as a crutch, she made her way through the shallow, mushy snow toward the group gathered at the gravesite. As she approached, her mate sheathed his sword with a flourish, tossing his hair back over his shoulder. Shippou and Jakotsu were watching him, both big-eyed with admiration. The two appeared to be suffering from a bad case of hero-worship.

Kagome eyed their morning project. It looked like Sesshomaru had used Bakusaiga trigger a landslide. Where Inuyasha would have brought the whole mountainside down, Sesshomaru had used Bakusaiga with great precision, causing a single slope to fracture and cover the grave with countless tons of massive boulders. “Well, I don’t think anything’s going to be able to get in there. But you guys should have woken me up. I thought there was an earthquake going on!”

Shippou told Jakotsu, “If Inuyasha had pulled that stunt, Kagome would have sat him straight to Hell.” Kitsune were known for stirring up trouble and causing mischief, and Shippou was no exception. He was disappointed when Kagome quietly dropped the subject and allowed Sesshomaru to sweep her up into his arms. Carrying her bridal-style, Sesshomaru led the group back to the cave.

Sesshomaru knew Inutaisho had already been wounded and exhausted when they began their battle. The younger demon had suffered no major injuries, and was by now fully recovered. He estimated that the damage his father had sustained should take a day or two to heal. If he did not set out in pursuit of Inutaisho soon, he would be throwing away this advantage. As he knelt by Kagome’s side, gently unwinding the wet, dirty bandages from her feet, the part of him that longed to spend just one more day with his new mate battled with another part of him, which acknowledged his father as a supremely powerful and deadly rival who must be eliminated immediately, before he had a chance to gain more power.

Kagome leaned back on her palms, watching her mate as he smoothed his fingers over her legs and feet. His touch felt so soothing. Inuyasha had never done anything like this for her, in all the times she had been injured. She wished they could stay like this forever, in the warmth and shelter of the cave, but Sesshomaru had made it clear that he had intended on leaving with the light of day. He had already delayed his departure to placate her fear of Kohaku’s body being exhumed like Kikyo’s had been, and now he was on his knees by her side, comforting her and nursing her injuries. She didn’t want to repeat the mistakes she had made with Inuyasha. Shippou’s remark about Kagome sitting Inuyasha had brought a hundred memories to her mind, and she could not help but wonder if she was not as much to blame for the failure of her marriage as Inuyasha had been. If she were a better wife, would he have still gone to Rin? She resolved to show Sesshomaru that she was not the needy, demanding little girl that Inuyasha had always accused her of being. She bit her lip, hating to be the one to bring this tender moment to an end.


“I was thinking that it might be best if I were to return to Edo. Kaede is there to help with my healing, and I need to tell Sango about Kohaku.”

Sesshomaru frowned, focusing his gaze on his hands as he carefully wrapped her feet in fresh bandages. “Edo is not safe for you right now. I sent Inuyasha back to Edo with Rin. Inuyasha is not as powerful as my father, but he poses a very serious threat. He refused to acknowledge that you are my mate, and he is still determined to reclaim you.”

“I’m the one in trouble, and I want to help, not just sit here doing nothing!”

Sesshomaru had wondered for a long time why a being who positively radiated power seemed to have so little idea of how to make use of it. “You used your powers to heal Kohaku’s wounds, Kagome. Could you not do the same for your own?”

Kagome looked down, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I have never been properly trained as a priestess. Kaede taught me the skills of an herbalist, a medic, and a midwife, but whenever I asked her to help me learn to use my powers, something important would come up, and the training would never happen. Miroku offered to help me, he is a powerful monk, but he tended to lose focus…” She let the sentence trail off, blushing.

“Yet I can attest to the effectiveness of your sacred arrows, and while you did not heal Kohaku’s wounds fully, you did manage to seal them and keep him from bleeding his life away.”

“I taught myself archery on the field of battle.” She gave him a demure look. “You served as one of my first targets.” He smiled at her in return, and she felt a strange tug at her heart. Who could have known Sesshomaru would have such a beautiful smile. “I have been experimenting with healing, but my powers seem to work better on others than on myself.”

“While I am gone, I want you use your powers to heal yourself. Focus is the key. Have confidence in your abilities. Eat well, and try to get all the rest you can. Practice meditation.” He turned his attention to Jakotsu. “When she is well enough, instruct Kagome in swordsmanship. Shippou as well. Make sure Kagome familiarizes herself with her new bow. Shippou, you will use Kohaku’s katana, he would have wanted you to have it.” Shippou gulped and nodded, suddenly teary-eyed. “Above all, beware of strangers, and watch out for Inuyasha. If he should show up, I want you to treat him as an enemy. Do not let him trick you into trusting him.”

Sesshomaru rose to his feet with unearthly grace. He took one last long look at his mate before he turned and walked away.