InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fragments of Memory ❯ Angers Flare ( Chapter 7 )

Fragments Of Memory

Story © Akiko (Krystal)

Sesshoumaru x Kagome

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

 

Chapter 7 - Angers Flare

 

“Do you mind not shoving me all over the place you sorry excuse for a wolf?!” Inuyasha shouted as Kouga pushed him right into Kaede's hut.

 

The old priestess looked up from her fire, blinking her one good eye. Confusion was clear in her expression, as it was in the exterminator's, and the monk's.

 

“Kouga, what is going on here?” Sango questioned, placing her hands next to her on the ground and standing up. She was about to pull Inuyasha back, but Miroku had beaten her to it.

 

“Ask the dog-shit right there!” Kouga shouted, being forced back by Sango as he tried, once more, to reach Inuyasha.

 

“You still blame it on me?! You're the one who started this whole damn thing! If you hadn't been so stupid!”

 

“Yeah! I was stupid to trust her safety to you!”

 

“I'm not the one who nearly killed her!”

 

“You were suppose to be there protecting her, hanyou!”

 

“Oh! So now she was my responsibility! Funny how that works out for you! I do all the protecting, you come in and try to steal her as you put my strength down, and now you're saying I was suppose to protect her!?”

 

“You claimed to love her as well, did you not, dog-shit?!”

 

“What's it to you, wolf?!”

 

“ENOUGH!”

 

Kouga shut his mouth, as did Inuyasha. Everyone's gaze shot over to the elderly woman sitting by the fire, her one eye closed. She let out a sigh, finally opening her eye. “One of you will explain as to what is going on here.”

 

Inuyasha pulled himself away from Miroku's grasp. “I don't have to explain anything, you old hag,” he muttered and shoved his way out of the hut, leaving behind a rather confused bunch of humans.

 

“Aye, Kouga, would you be so kind as to explain why ye and Inuyasha were bickering like an old couple?”

 

Kouga let out a soft growl at the comparison, and then huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring off to the side. “The mutt told his brother, Sesshoumaru, that he could keep Kagome.”

 

“What were his exact words, if you do not mind,” Kaede pressed, watching Kouga closely.

 

The wolf fidgeted a bit under the old woman's gaze, muttering under his breath about how creepy she was. “He was talking about how since Kagome didn't remember him, didn't seem to be remembering him, and since Sesshoumaru seemed like he was taking good care of her, he told him to keep doing so. Something else about how she wouldn't go near him and just attacked him if he tried, so he said Sesshoumaru could have her.

 

“Sesshoumaru made a mocking comment about the pain being too much for him, and Inuyasha said he couldn't handle it anymore.”

 

“Anything else happen after that?” the priestess pressed further.

 

“Nope.”

 

“I'm betting Inuyasha and Kouga started going at each other's throats, not noticing when Sesshoumaru left,” Sango added, her tone dull, flat, and seemingly annoyed. One she would use quite often when it came to Miroku and his ways. She watched Kouga fidget some more. That was all she needed to know that was exactly what happened.

 

“I wonder why Inuyasha would do such a thing though, and behind our backs at that. Kagome-sama means a lot to him; he wouldn't just give her up without an all out battle.”

 

“Hoshi-sama has a point,” Sango sighed, hugging her arms a bit. “None of us would give her up without an all out war it seems. But he just did, and with just a few words. No battle or anything; I wonder why.”

 

“Kikyou…”

 

Everyone's gaze snapped to Miroku in shock as he mentioned the dead priestess' name.

 

“Aye, you did say he went out after my sister when the battle was over with, did ye not, monk?” She watched as Miroku nodded. “Then aye, it is a good chance my sister is pulling the strings behind Inuyasha's choice.”

 

“He's never given up so easily on Kagome-chan before, so why now? Even with Kikyou in the picture before he's never given up on Kagome-chan,” Sango whispered, brushing strands of her delicate black hair from her face. “Chased after Kikyou, yes, but never just completely ran out on Kagome-chan either.”

 

“Aye. No one can understand Inuyasha's mind anymore it seems. More so when it comes to the struggles of his heart between Kagome-san and my sister.”

 

“It's a long shot for Kagome-sama to even gain her memories back after what happened. It could be the blood loss that caused it, the trauma that she endured due to Kouga's actions, or possibly even both. It's not easy to say if she will regain her memories, and how long it would even take if she did,” Miroku sighed, trying to sort things out in his own mind while speaking a loud. “But it's possible she may not remember at all, and maybe, just maybe, Inuyasha is trying to save himself from false lights of hope. He's ridding himself of the pain he would endure then right now.”

 

“What a coward,” Kouga huffed; clenching his teeth he then closed his eyes in shock. A hand went up to his cheek as he reopened them, placing their gaze on the demon exterminator standing right in front of him. He had just been slapped. The exterminator had just slapped him; he wasn't sure how to react. The only thing he could say was, “Ow…”

 

Sango glared at the demon through blurry eyes, tears threatening to stain her cheeks once more. Her hand was still in the air from having slapped Kouga, and it was shaking from her pain, anger, frustration, and sorrow. She couldn't tell what feeling was more dominate than the others.

 

Kaede and Miroku just stared at the two in wonder. They had no clue what to say either. Miroku was the first to break the tense silence in the air. “Sango-chan…” he whispered, walking over to the female and gently taking her wrist. “Now is not the time to waste your energy; nor is it yet time for tears,” he smiled gently, brushing a hand over her cheek. “You need to relax and take it easy, you're body can only handle so much stress. We can still work to get Kagome-sama back, it just may take time.”

 

It was at that moment Kouga regained himself from the shock. “What the fuck was that for you wench?!” he shouted, glaring daggers at the exterminator.

 

Sango shifted her gaze from Miroku and glared right back at Kouga, and she snapped. “Inuyasha has a lot more guts than you do, Kouga!” she shouted right back; her anger was getting the better of her at the moment. This caused Miroku to slip out of the way of the two as they went at it now. If she slapped again, he didn't want to be the one to feel it.

 

“And just how the hell do you figure that?!”

 

“At least Inuyasha can think about Kagome-chan's needs before his own desires! She doesn't remember anything after what happened and she's currently comfortable being in Sesshoumaru's presence! He can see and understand that, so he's going to let her stay with him so she's comfortable! It's not like he's giving up on her!”

 

Kouga blinked, his mouth opened to say something, but remained speechless as the exterminator continued her rant.

 

“He's giving her time and some space! If things are forced on her who knows what damage that could cause to her memories! What damage that could cause to her! Sesshoumaru's obviously not such a bad guy you think he is if he was willing to go out of his way to protect Kagome-chan from YOU!” she paused for a moment to catch her breath. All her pent up rage and frustration was coming out now, and she was taking it out on Kouga. At least he might understand and quit whining about Inuyasha's choice after this.

 

“And he took the time to bandage up her wounds! The only reason Inuyasha hadn't been at her side was because we were currently in the middle of a battle with Naraku's cast-offs! He wasn't going to run out on us and leave us to battle them alone when we all know the tricks Naraku likes to pull on all of us! So you can back down, wolf, and shut up! Stop being such a selfish bastard and lay off Inuyasha for once!”

 

“Glad to know someone is willing to stand up for me when I'm not around,” Inuyasha smirked as he walked into the hut, pushing the material out of his way and letting it drop. He slipped his hands into the sleeves of his haori, amber eyes locked on Kouga and Sango. “Just didn't think Sango would be the one to blow up and put you in your place,” he chuckled.

 

Inuyasha managed to be the first to catch Sango before she hit the ground, having lost her balance. She was lightheaded from all her yelling.

 

“Hey, Sango, you all right?” he questioned, Miroku right at their side.

 

“I just lost my balance, I apologize,” she merely whispered. She closed her eyes and rested her head lightly on Inuyasha's chest, catching both the hanyou and the monk off guard.

 

“Sango…?” Inuyasha questioned, then his ears twitched as he heard her mumbling something into his chest.

 

“Kagome-chan… she'll… she'll be all right, won't she, Inuyasha?”

 

His ears twitched slightly once more, then dipped down slightly. “I can't say about her memories, Sango, I can only hope she'll get them back. As for being okay physically, she always heals pretty quickly and never lets her wounds get to her.” Inuyasha smiled a bit when Sango looked up at him. “She's safe with Sesshoumaru, I promise. If he didn't want her around he wouldn't have kept her this long.”

 

“Thank you, Inuyasha,” Sango smiled softly. Her smile truly had happiness behind it as she released the hanyou. “I knew you'd always look out for Kagome-chan's well being, no matter what.”

 

Inuyasha blinked and then shrugged. “She's a pain in the ass, but Kagome's worth it, and always will be.”

 

Miroku slammed the metal of his staff over Inuyasha's head, rather hard. The hanyou held his head and let out a string of curse words as his amber eyes glared at the monk. “You better get to explain, Miroku!”

 

[[[]]]

 

“How much longer before we act?” came a quiet, monotone voice from the darkness. A mirror was held between her two hands was showing the current situation with the hanyou and what was left of his group of friends. Her white kimono stuck out well in the dark room, her eyes, like a void, placed upon her creator and master.

 

“It'll be soon, Kanna. Soon. I want to see how much long this little game will play out before I decide to take the appropriate time to act.”

 

“Naraku, this is getting boring,” came another voice. Boredom filled its tone. “I'm sick of hanging around this dank castle with nothing to do,” she complained.

 

“Patience, Kagura. You will have something to do soon enough. For now, make sure to stay on my good side, for once,” Naraku responded, placing his crimson eyes on the female standing at his door.

 

“Tck.” Kagura turned and whipped out of the room, letting the material fall soundlessly as she exited. Her bare feet padded lightly against the wooden hallway floor. Her crimson eyes shone with hatred for her master, her creator, and could even go as far to say her father.

 

[[[]]]

 

“Sesshoumaru…?” Kagome spoke up gently, following the youkai back towards their companions.

 

He glanced back at her for a moment, and then paused. Turning his form halfway, he watched her from the corner of his eyes and then glanced straight ahead, into the woods. The sun was shining brightly overhead of them, giving the wooded area a serene look to it, a calming feeling was placed around it.

 

“What was that hanyou talking about?” she questioned, stepping closer to him, her head cocked slightly to one side. Her bangs brushed gently against her forehead as gravity pulled them towards the direction in which her head was tilted. When he glanced at her again, there was a curiosity in her eyes often found in children. It weakened him; he hated it.

 

“Explain.”

 

“What did he mean when he said I didn't remember him? And about you being able to have me?”

 

He closed his eyes. This was a bother. Now he had to sit and explain everything because he knew if he didn't she would just press on further with her questions and get that much more determined to have them answered. He'd seen her do it to his brother. A silent, unnoticeable sigh slipped past his lips as his weight shifted.

 

“You were originally traveling with that hanyou,” he started to explain, opening his golden eyes and placing it right on her to see when he expressions changed. “He was rather taken with you, dealing himself painful blows to keep you safe, among other things as well and you, yourself, seemed to be rather taken with him. Yet, my little brother seems to be taken with yet another priestess, whom is dead.”

 

“You mean… the priestess who we saw before?”

 

Sesshoumaru merely nodded. “Yesterday, when I came across you, that wolf was attacking you and seemed rather close to killing you as well. You lost consciousness and then when you came to, you seemed to have lost all memory of them.”

 

She blinked, her gaze shifting towards the ground as she tried to sort through all this new information. She didn't know how she was supposed to process it; how to respond to any of it. Her eyes drifted shut as images of gold and silver flashed through her mind; the feeling of a warm, tight embrace. She couldn't remember anything else. Her hands finally shot to her head as pain surged throughout her mind; tears from the pain shifted down her cheeks.

 

She remembered the battle Sesshoumaru and her had fought against Inuyasha, and then how the hanyou had looked at the other woman. A familiar pain had come back to her, but she just ignored it then. She hadn't been sure what it was, nor had she cared. Sesshoumaru was the one her mind remembered…wasn't it?

 

Even if it wasn't Sesshoumaru, why would she want to go back to the hanyou? Sesshoumaru had just told her that the hanyou couldn't make up his mind on which one he wanted, so wouldn't it be better this way? He had seemed rather concerned for her, but all his attention drifted to the dead priestess when she entered. She let out a small sound of pain as her head throbbed harder.

 

Sesshoumaru watched her for a moment. He watched as her expression went from curious, to thoughtful, then to pain, and now she was in tears. Was it from the pain that seemed to be engulfing her head or was it from other pain? He wasn't sure; his attention was caught even more as her breathing became harsh. He stepped forward, slipping an arm around her and pulling her close to his own form. He leaned forward a bit, placing his lips beside her ear once more. “Breath. Ignore the pain and breath, or you will pass out.”

 

She gave a simple nod, her hands going from her head and clenching at his kimono tightly. She buried her face into his chest, rather grateful for the fact he was missing pieces of his chest plate armor still. She tried to focus on her breathing, the pain still throbbing tightly in her mind.

 

“Whatever it is that's causing you pain, stop thinking about it. Memories, feelings, anything,” he instructed, watching as she nodded again. He was holding her tightly. Protectively. She was as close to his form as she would get, and his hold around her was as tight as it could be without causing pain or heaviness in breathing. If anything, she seemed calmer now.

 

She finally opened her eyes, vision blurred from tears that had yet to spill down. She tilted her head back, bronze colored eyes meeting golden ones. Her breathing was easier and his voice had helped. It wasn't so much the instructions that he had been giving her, though she had tried those out. Focusing on his voice, when he was speaking, helped out a lot more. “Thank you,” she finally whispered.

 

She wasn't letting go, he noted, but then again he also noted how he had yet to release her. That was unusual for him, but what was even more out of place in his mind was that he didn't want to release her. He just watched her for a moment. Her personality came off strong, prideful, and rather stubborn. She was a mortal, so he knew that they were all fragile, at least in body.

 

With her, it had seemed different. She had never been scared to go against him, and even wounded she had never given up. He had never really seen her being so weak. Now, for the first time since he had saved her, he was seeing how truly weak she was. Yes, he had seen her have a similar episode of pain last night, but this time it had seemed different. He couldn't figure out how either. Maybe it was the mere fact her tears had been shed? He wasn't sure.

 

“You hate him, don't you?” she murmured her question, knowing his keen hearing would pick it up.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Did you hate me then, when I was traveling with him?” She rested her head back against his chest, her eyes closed. She could hear the beating of his heart, and a soft smile graced her lips as she listened to it.

 

“I was indifferent towards you. You were merely nothing but his wench to me,” he commented, watching off in the distance. “Something that was worthless; a weakness.”

 

“Do you still think that way about me?” she questioned.

 

He kept his gaze in front of him. “I have yet to decide.”

 

“You're opinion of me must've changed,” she pushed, her eyes now placed on the demon's face in front of her.

 

He glanced down at her, his face still showing no expression. “Explain how you have come to that conclusion.”

 

“I somehow doubt, with your opinions of humans, that you stand by and stare at a female's body when she's trying to take a bath,” she started. “Then there's the fact you saved me from that wolf. You've saved me from a demon earlier while I bathed, calmed me down twice already since you saved me from that pain in my head when I try to remember,” she continued. “You bandaged my wounds, caught me when I fell asleep last night, not that I wanted to fall asleep.” She paused. She locked her eyes with his, making sure he was paying attention.

 

“And, finally, you kissed me.”

 

He stiffed slightly at that last reminder. Most of the other ones could be easily written off as Rin's soft spot for her. But the kiss. The kiss had been his own curiosity getting the better of him. He couldn't write that one off as easily as the others.

 

“Why did you kiss me?” she questioned him, her head tilting to one side once again.

 

He ripped his gaze away from hers, looking out at the wooded area again. “You can be assured it will not happen again.”

 

Kagome blinked, watching Sesshoumaru and slowly released him, stepping back, out of his hold. She looked up at him, her bangs slightly in her eyes, but she made no move to push them from her line of vision.

 

He looked back at her, his gaze hard and emotionless. “I am not my father and I will not fall to his level of being involved with mortals. It was his mistake in taking a mortal lover that caused his downfall. I will not make that mistake. I have no need for such trivial things.”

 

By now Kagome's gaze had fallen to the ground. Her chest was tight; it felt as though she couldn't breath again. “I never stop thinking about you! Kikyou!” Her breathing hitched for moment as those words ripped through her mind, echoing and bouncing off walls. She restrained herself from holding her head in pain and ignored the pain in the palms of her hands. Her nails were digging in, clenched into fists, but her kimono sleeves hid them well.

 

Sesshoumaru blinked as he watched her, his gaze narrowing slightly. There was something wrong now, but he was unsure of what it was. She wasn't acting in any normal way he's seen her act before. Before he could do anything further to find out what it was, she turned and dashed off into the woods. He blinked. What was she doing?

 

[[[]]]

 

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to get away. She didn't know where she was going as tree branches scratched her cheeks and whipped in her fact. They would catch her hakama and cling tightly for life, but she made them let go, or her hakama ripped, she wasn't sure. The branches would try and grab her kimono, but it was the same. She either ripped her clothing from its grasp or she ripped it. She couldn't be sure.

 

Her eyes stung with tears as they spilled down her cheeks. Her foot finally snagged under a tree root, causing her to hit the ground. Her arrows scattered on the ground in front of her as her quiver and bow stayed right in place. She didn't bother to get up. She pulled her arms towards her head, crossing them, and burying her face into the white sleeves of her kimono.

 

She couldn't tell what was real anymore. She couldn't trust her own memories, her own thoughts. Everything seemed to be betraying her. “I will not make that mistake. I have no need for such trivial things.” What was she suppose to say to that? How was she supposed to react? She didn't know and had done the first thing that came to her mind. Run.

 

[[[]]]

 

He shook his head when she ran off. He needed to get her, before she ran into trouble, and then needed to return to Rin and Jakken. He had no time for such ridiculous games such as this.

 

[[[]]]

 

She froze when she felt his presence enter the area. Hadn't she run far enough? Then again, he was a demon; he could've easily caught up with her without much trouble.

 

“Get up,” her ordered, watching her as she just lay there on the ground. She looked utterly pathetic like that, and he hated it. When she didn't make any move to get up he walked over and bent down, grabbing one of her arms and pulling her up. He was startled to see the tears and dirt smudged on her face. Her muttered and wiped it away.

 

She pushed away from him, keeping her eyes and face hidden the best she could. What was he doing here now? There was no need for her to be around him. She was old enough to take care of herself, could sense demons nearby, most of the time, and could wield a bow and arrow without much thought or effort. She didn't need him to protect her.

 

“What are you doing?” he questioned, his tone sounding rather annoyed, grabbing her arm and yanking her back over, finishing what he was doing.

 

She tried to push his hand away. “I should ask you that,” she merely whispered. “You don't need me around and I'm not something that can be given from one to another like a gift. I'm a human being. I don't need you to take care of me, I'm quite capable of keeping myself alive.”

 

“And you failed at that fact earlier when you decided to swim with a demon,” he reminded her in a harsh tone. “And then last night when you almost let that wolf kill you.”

 

“Would you quit?!” she shouted, opening her eyes and glaring up at him. She'd never shouted at him with tears in her eyes, but this side of her made him relax slightly. It was a side he was use to seeing. Finally, something familiar from her.

 

“You say you won't be lowered to your father's level of being involved with mortals, but yet here you are! You're in the company of a mortal child and now here I am too! You say you didn't give a damn about me before, so why has anything from you changed now? You saved me from getting killed, twice, and then kiss me, and now you're saying you don't need me around?! Would you make sense for once! You're so confusing!”

 

He blinked as he was yelled at, not seeming phased. “I should be saying that to you,” he nearly growled, his expression changing. “You're the most confusing mortal I've ever run across and I'm still having troubles figuring you out. One minute you're happy, the next you're curious, then depressed, angry, and happy. Would you make up your mind on one mood and quit changing them?”

 

“You're saving me one moment, kissing me the next, protecting me after that, then you're all serious. Not to mention you suddenly talk about not wanting to be lowered to your father's level, and that you don't need mortals around you, but yet you come after me when I run off! Why is that?!”

 

He growled as he pulled her closer, anger flashing his eyes for once. He could now see why his brother had such issues with his anger around this woman. “You're infuriating, you know that?” The words were low beneath his growl. “You spark my curiosity,” he admitted, pushing her back into a tree, a tad roughly so that she flinched.

 

Kagome shot her gaze back to his eyes, watching him with just as equal anger as he seemed to be holding, and just as much stubbornness; she'd be damned if she was giving up this battle. “Oh, so I'm just a toy to you now?”

 

“You enjoy placing words into other's mouths, don't you wench? I don't recall titling you as a toy. I don't play with toys. You stir instincts in me I don't ever recall having; I've never been protective of someone the way I seem to be of you, nor have I ever bothered with such trivial things as kissing or scanning over a female's form,” he growled slightly.

 

Kagome blinked as she watched him, the anger seeming to die out from her eyes, or at least pushed aside for the time being with shock. A blush crept to her cheeks as she remembered feeling his eyes on her body when she had clung to him desperately earlier. And then she remembered the feeling her of body against his own, and that did it for how red her cheek could possibly get.

 

Sesshoumaru watched her and then shook his head, releasing her, only to catch her as she stumbled. He watched her cheeks as they heated up, his silver hair slipping gently over his shoulder with his movements. He brought his free hand up, cupping her cheek gently and leaned down, stealing her lips once more in a kiss. He couldn't help it; she ignited up his curiosity without even having to try.

 

Kagome's eyes widened when she felt his lips take hers, but then let them drift shut after a moment and pushed right back against his lips. Her fingers slid up his chest, over his shoulders and around his neck, strands of his silver hair getting caught in her grasp along the way. She then let out a small gasp when he nipped at her bottom lip, and his tongue slid right into her mouth.

 

She melted right into the kiss, going along with what felt right. He had said he didn't want get lowered to his father's level, but was she at all like the mortal woman his father had loved and, apparently, died for? She wasn't sure. She made a mental note to ask when their kiss was finished.

 

A pleased sound slipped from Kagome's lips when the demon pulled her closer to his own body. He brushed his tongue along hers and along the caverns of her mouth, fully enjoying her taste. A soft, barely noticeable sound slipped from the back of his throat as it continued. When he broke the kiss her brushed his lips down to her neck, brushing them over the tender flesh of her neck, settling a few kisses here and there.

 

When his fangs brushed over her neck, Kagome shivered slightly, but more from anticipation than anything else. She flinched slightly when his fangs punctured her skin, her eyes closing when she felt the warmth of the liquid that spilled down her neck.

 

Sesshoumaru licked up the small amount of blood that spilled from the wound, then brushed his fangs over the mark on her neck once more.