InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Gone With the Wind. ❯ Memories ( Chapter 10 )

Gone with the Wind

Chapter 10

 

“Ow.” Keiko deadpanned from her place against the ground, flat on her back, as she attempted to count, with a sense of bitter humor, how many times she had used that particular painful expression in the past few days.

 

`If it isn't one thing it's another.' The young woman theorized despondently as she noted she had apparently traded one set of aching muscles for another. Since her calves and feet weren't sore from walking it seemed her ass and thighs were destined to ache from ridding atop the demon lord's shoulder for the better part of the day. Couldn't she just be kidnapped and tied up like a normal person? Why did her kidnapper have to be so ….active?

 

In truth it hadn't been their journey this time that had taken its toll on Keiko's body. Sure, balancing on Sesshoumaru's shoulder would inevitably work small clusters of muscles, but working those muscles wouldn't have been as difficult if the lumbering youkai had just remained silent.

 

The problem, Keiko noted as she rubbed at her sore hips absentmindedly, was that a certain puppy demon's shoulder only had two settings; boney and vibrate, and every time he switched on she would pinch her knees together in an attempt to block the sensations. In another place, or time, or scenario she might have been able to appreciate such things, but when she was traveling with a small child, a disgusting froggy thing, and a man who….made it quite clear everything she did grated on his nerves…

 

The only thing Keiko could do was attempt to keep quiet as she tried to steer her mind on to less stimulating activities. Ironically this had led to her becoming comfortable with the small demon named Jaken; as she turned to him every time she needed a proverbial cold shower. The toad had shot her some pretty odd looks, she recalled as she attempted to remember the number of times she had narrowed her eyes in his direction. Sadly however, by the time they had finished traveling for the day, she simply didn't find the youkai as disgusting as she once had.

 

Funny looking—maybe, disgusting—no.

 

`What am I gonna do tomorrow if he wants to carry me again?' Keiko's inner mind groaned as she imagined the great taiyoukai enunciating the name of a particularly common herb; causing her to melt into a puddle of sexually frustrated goo on his shoulder. With her muscles as weak as they were, crossing her legs while imagining Jaken naked was simply not going to save her any longer. There was the chance, she speculated while attempting to put a positive spin on things, that they wouldn't travel tomorrow. If she was lucky she might get a day to rest before they set out again.

 

That was, of course, if she was lucky.

 

 

“Ow, ow, ow!” Keiko groaned as a muscle in her thigh suddenly tied itself in a knot and refused to relax. Frantically the young woman began rubbing at the offended appendage as she whimpered over the shooting pain the muscle delivered up the side of her body.

 

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose into his hair line as the young woman's painful exclamation suddenly caught his attention. She was in pain? How did she manage to injure herself again?

 

Soundlessly Sesshoumaru strolled over to the female, who was now frantically rubbing at her leg through the strange clothing she wore, as he lowered himself to sit cross-legged beside her. He allowed his eyes to follow the path of her fingers as he attempted to verify which cluster of muscles was causing her discomfort. His golden eyes remained motionless as he silently noted the location of the pain before deciding to take action. Deftly, and without asking permission, the great taiyoukai moved the young reincarnations hands aside as he roughly kneaded the flesh just above her knee. Instantly the muscles beneath the taiyoukai's palm relaxed as he continued to work the over extended tissue. A few moments later the rest of the young woman's body stiffened as she seemed to shy away from the demon lord's touch.

 

Keiko's eyes quickly darted from the demon lord's face, to her leg, and then back again as she frantically wondered what the hell he was doing. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his help, she noted as the throbbing in her leg finally stopped, but since when did he give a damn whether she was in pain or not? For that matter, what was his hand doing on her thigh? And how could someone as cold and grumpy as Sesshoumaru be so damn good at …

 

“Thank Kami.” Keiko groaned as she suddenly lost her train of thought and rolled her eyes back in her head.

 

`He is really, really good at that.' Her inner mind cooed as she lowered herself back against the ground and let the taiyoukai's fingers work their magic. She had never had a massage before, but if they were anything like this back home, she was definitely considering setting up an appointment. That was, of course, if she ever had a chance to return.

 

`Are all humans of the future so fragile?' Sesshoumaru pondered as he continued to knead the flesh of the young woman's thigh thoughtfully. Perhaps it had been a tad presumptuous, but he had assumed that, in order to survive, humans would have grown stronger, faster, and possibly more intelligent over the years. Based on this woman's physical conditioning, however, it seemed she led a rather sedentary life. Perhaps the youkai of the future insisted humans remain indoors unless otherwise instructed?

 

Yes, the taiyoukai noted, that would seem to make sense.

 

Did that mean that this female had a youkai master in her time? Would her master attempt to cross through the well to reclaim her once he or she realized she was missing?

 

Sesshoumaru was just about to ask the reclining woman the name of her youkai master and hopefully clarify some of his understandings on future youkai status when he found himself suddenly captivated by the moans that escaped her lips. They were almost sensual in nature and the image of her moaning in ecstasy, coupled with her virginity and physical short comings, lead him to a staggering conclusion.

 

Was she to be a concubine?

 

She obviously hadn't been taken, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be eventually.

 

For some reason the thought of a less then gentle youkai master breaking in the girl as he insisted she inhale a noxious poison to keep other demons away caused Sesshoumaru's chest to reverberate with anger.

 

“I would kill for a warm bath.” Keiko moaned softly as she allowed her head to lull to the side in contentment. She turned to the taiyoukai beside her as she noticed he seemed to be lost in thought for a few moments before his eyes finally locked on hers.

 

Sesshoumaru snorted loudly as he finally released the young woman's leg and stared off into the woods absently. “Murder is not necessary.” He stated plainly as he rose soundlessly to his feet and slowly walked away from the suddenly surprised woman.

 

Keiko fought the urge to drop her jaw as she stared off in the retreating youkai's direction. `Did…Did Mr. Grumpy Puppy just make a funny?' She blinked several times in succession as she verified her conscious state.

 

She simply had to be a hallucinating.

 

“Jaken…” Sesshoumaru ordered as he once again found a comfortable looking tree. “Escort them.” He continued before taking up his post; only the slight whisper of silk testifying he had moved at all.

 

“Y-yes m'lord.” Jaken faltered as he tossed the young human wench an agitated glare. He was now responsible for two human females? Life could be so cruel!

 

“Come along wench!” Jaken rudely ordered as he angrily grabbed his two-headed staff and began to waddle in Keiko's direction.

 

“Ew.” Keiko retorted with a sour expression. “There is no way I'm bathing with…” She began as she decided it was high time to put the toad in his place. He'd been shooting her dirty looks and calling her wench for the past two days, she recalled, and now that she could actually stand to look at him, she simply saw no reason to put up with his attitude any longer.

 

“This Jaken does not bath with disgusting humans!” The angry toad demon squawked as he became infuriated with the woman's insolence.

 

Keiko's eyebrow rose dangerously as the word disgusting slipped from the tiny toad's . “Oh?” She questioned rhetorically while narrowing her eyes; knowing the accusation would enrage the tiny figure. “So you just watch them while you touch yourself?”

 

“WHAT?!” Jaken sputtered frantically. “T-this …Never! Insolent bitch!” He screamed as he poised his staff in the pre-fire position.

 

Rin's head seemed to be on a swivel as she watched the exchange with wide-eyed fascination. She could not recall Jaken-sama ever getting so agitated before and wondered briefly what the new lady had said to make the tiny toad so upset.

 

“Jaken.” Sesshoumaru stated flatly; quickly diffusing the trembling youkai's anger as he reminded him with a single word that setting humans on fire was not a wise course of action.

 

“I think Rin and I can manage.” Keiko stated flatly as she pulled herself up on slightly unstable legs and glanced from the dog demon to the toad. Her muscles were still sore, she noted, but the taiyoukai's impromptu massage had made walking much more bearable then it had been.

 

“Jaken,” Sesshoumaru repeated, this time directing his attention at the human woman as he caught her eyes in a meaningful glance, “You will escort them.”

 

Keiko sighed while slumping her shoulders as the unspoken command in the taiyoukai's words registered to her weary mind. Apparently Jaken was taking them to the hot spring, and there was nothing she could do about it.

 

“Fine.” Keiko sighed,; sounding like a five year old who had just been sent to her room.

 

Jaken nodded once in triumph as he slowly waddled toward the forest and stared at the woman with the gleam of victory in his bulbous eyes. “Don't dally wench!” He squawked. “The sooner you bathe the sooner you can stop offending Lord Sesshoumaru's nose!”

 

“You just can't wait to see me naked, can you Kermit?” Keiko questioned sarcastically as she surreptitiously sniffed under her arm. She didn't stink. Not that she cared if she did. It's not like she wanted to smell nice for Sesshoumaru or anything. It was just generally rude to suggest someone smelled.

 

“WHAT?!?!” The toad squawked again, his indignant cries drowned out by the soft giggling of the child beside him.

 

Keiko bit her lower lip as she looked over her shoulder at the reclining demon lord several meters behind them. His eyes met hers momentarily and she quickly turned away and hastened her pace in the opposite direction as she attempted to control the blush that began to warm the skin of her face.

 

She was… disappointed Sesshoumaru wasn't joining them? Where the hell did that come from?

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes remained on the departing woman's back as he dealt with a similar set of questions. He barely knew this woman, and yet …..

 

For some reason the mental image of her walking away caused the taiyoukai unease. Disturbing as it was to admit, her presence would be missed. He had somehow grown accustom to her scent and now that it left him, he was unsure what to do with himself.

 

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as he pushed the odd feelings from his mind. It was best not to dwell on such things.

 

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

 

Kagome sighed softly as she flipped yet another page in her favorite romance novel. The group had stopped to eat and rest for the day and when she spied the fallen log at the edge of the clearing she knew she'd have to spend a little more time catching up on Drake's and Tiffany's relationship. She was actually getting close to the end when she noticed a puppy-eared hanyou sitting beside her.

 

At first Inu Yasha merely sat next to the distracted miko, pretending to have absolutely no interest in what she was reading, but after a couple of minutes of feign inattention he had scooted closer to get a better look. He could almost make out the page number when the girl beside him quickly lowered the tome.

 

“Do you want to read my book Inu Yasha?” Kagome questioned with interest as she noted his head was close enough that she could feel the warmth of his cheek against her face.

 

“Feh!” Inu Yasha grumbled as he pulled away; fighting the urge to blush while burying his arms in his sleeves. “Why would I want to read your stupid book?”

 

“You seemed like you wanted to.” The young miko remarked in a friendly tone as she smiled at her often shy puppy cohort.

 

“Feh.” He grumbled in a lower, less agitated tone. “I just wonder what you find so damn interesting.”

 

Kagome smiled sweetly as waved the book in Inu Yasha's direction. “Well then… why don't you read it and find out?” She questioned temptingly. “I've all ready read it a couple of time before.” She explained. “So I really wouldn't mind if you wanted to…”

 

“All ready….” He sputtered in a high pitched voice. “A couple times?”

 

“Yeah.” She responded wistfully as she lazily stroked the cover as if it were an expensive piece of jewelry. “This is one of my favorites.” She grinned.

 

“You've read other books like this?” Inu Yasha snorted as his eyebrow began to twitch with violent anger.

 

“Well…Yeah…” Kagome admitted with a mild amount of confusion. “I have a collection.”

 

“A collection?!” The hanyou practically screamed as he shot to his feet and addressed the girl hotly. That was it. She had a collection. He simply couldn't let this slide any longer. “Just how many of these……books have you read?” He snapped while ripping the naughty novel from her hands.

 

“Um…” Kagome pondered as she lightly taped her lower lip with her index finger; completely oblivious to the source of the hanyou's ire. “I dunno,” She admitted with a shrug, “Thirty maybe?”

 

“Thirty?!” Inu Yasha bellowed. “Kagome….what the hell is wrong with you?” He barked out with contempt. “How can you read this perverted garbage?”

 

Miroku's eyes were instantly transfixed on the arguing couple as his hand paused inches from the demon slayer's firm rump.

 

“Perverted garbage?” Kagome questioned in disbelief. “It's not perverted…It's romantic!” She screamed in response.

 

“Romantic my ass!” The flustered dog demon argued, easily flipping to a section with several splotches of lotion coating the pages while shoving the open book in the young girl's face. “That's romantic?!”

 

Kagome's fists trembled against her sides as her eyes disappeared underneath her bangs, making her appear ashamed for the briefest of moments until she finally attempted to defend herself. “Inu Yasha,” The young girl whispered as she pushed herself free of the fallen log, “YOU WENT THROUGH MY BAG?!?!”

 

“I…that..” Inu Yasha stumbled.

 

“I knew it!” The miko barked in response.

 

“Don't try and change the subject.” The hanyou countered as he attempted to steer the argument in what he felt was the correct direction before tossing the book over his shoulder.

 

Miroku, who had been listening intently to the conversation, caught the book in mid air as, in a rare display of agility, he saved the tiny tome before it could consumed by the flames of their campfire. Quickly the young monk sunk to the ground with the forgotten novel as he flipped to the section that had been shoved in the young miko's face only moments before.

 

 

“Is that why I couldn't find my book?!” Kagome screamed as her anger filled eyes glared into him. “Is that why you went off to find it?” She finished while poking an angry digit into the hanyou's chest.

 

“Bitch all you want……bitch.” Inu Yasha cursed; cringing slightly as his anger limited his vocabulary. “It still doesn't change the fact that you're a whooooor….”

 

“Oswarii!” Kagome screamed, sending her puppy companion into the earth before he got a chance to finish his less then flattering statement.

 

“You….you….you….oh!” The young woman sputtered as no words seemed to fit the despicable person before her. Kagome's hands buried themselves in her hair as she felt the telling burn of tears against the back of her eyes. She simply wouldn't let him see her cry. Not over something like this.

 

“OH!” She huffed out in frustration before disappearing into the forest, leaving a thoroughly engrossed houshi, a grounded hanyou, and a very confused demon slayer in her wake.

 

“Oh my.” Miroku mused as he flipped a sweet smelling page.

 

“What is it?” Sango questioned curiously as she found it impossible to fight her own curiosity. Honestly, what could be so bad that Inu Yasha would react in this way? She knew the hanyou typically overreacted but…

 

“Oh my.” Sango blushed after a few minutes of reading. Her face flushed as she quickly turned away and attempted to defend the girl she had long ago come to see as a sister. “Maybe it's normal for Kagome's time.” She argued logically. “I mean…it's not like there are images or anything.”

 

“Wouldn't that be lovely?” The monk stated in a wistful tone as he began flipping through the book to verify the demon slayer's assumption.

 

“Pervert!” The hot headed woman admonished before thumping the deviant monk soundly over the head. Without so much as a sideways glance the young demon slayer pulled the book into her lap as she insisted upon a closer inspection.

 

Both Miroku and Sango became so engrossed in …investigating the hanyou's claims that neither noticed the agitated dog demon when he disappeared into the forest after the fleeing female.

 

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

 

Keiko released a satisfied sigh as she sat near the small campfire and fed it tiny limbs. She couldn't remember the last time she went camping, and while this method of living was definitely a little rougher then she was used to, the experience was more relaxing then she ever expected it to be. Her legs were still sore, of course, but thanks to talented fingers, an extended warm bath, and a feast of what she assumed must have been rabbit, she was feeling exceedingly content.

 

The only complaint Keiko might have, provided she was allowed to complain, was how dreadfully dark the nights here were. Back home she hated the darkness, but here, in the absence of street lights and office buildings, there was no way to escape it.

 

`Besides feeding the fire, of course.' The young woman quipped internally as she smiled and threw another small bundle of twigs into the flames.

 

“You should rest.” Sesshoumaru commanded from his spot against an ancient tree. He'd been eyeing the woman for the better part of the evening, and as the sun set and she began to throw things into the fire, he realized she was more then likely avoiding sleep. It was futile, of course, but he supposed such a thing would make sense, at least to her.

 

“I'm not tired.” Keiko lied; her eyes remaining on the flames as she lost herself in their hypnotic dance. How could she sleep if every time she closed her eyes she saw the dark man? She rationalized that she should probably just ignore the ramblings of her unconscious mind, considering she always had very vivid and strange dreams. What was it about this dream that caused her to take it so seriously?

 

Before falling through the well she could recall having a couple strange dreams that involved claws and fangs which, at the time, she had chalked up to her monster movies and dismissed. Should she take them more seriously now that she had actually met beings with these characteristics? She silently pondered, now that there seemed to be a short list of people she knew with claws and/or fangs, whether all her dreams had been of the baboon skin covered man.

 

`No.' Keiko huffed softly as she continued to day dream and stare into the fire. She was pretty sure, at least from what she had experienced on this side of the time vortex, she hadn't dreamt of the sinister figure before. While he was always seductive, in a dark and twisted sort of way, there was never any passion in his actions. His caresses were intended to corrupt not comfort. His actions were always self serving and backhanded.

 

Or, at least, that's how she perceived him in the dream.

 

`I'm being weird.' Keiko huffed again as she rested her chin on her knee while pulling her leg up against her body. She never obsessed over dreams like this before. Hell, if she was going to obsess over any dream why couldn't she obsess over more pleasant dreams?

 

Keiko's eyes widened and a cold chill ran down her spine as she remembered a somewhat recurrent dream. Her heart's rhythm quickly increased as she attempted to focus on the leftover fuzzy image. Like most of her dreams she simply forgot them upon waking, when the hustle of the conscious world quickly overrode her thoughts, but now, now that she had a chance to stop and really think about it…

 

`Him?' The young woman's mind seemed to whisper as she turned to the great taiyoukai and lightly ran the pads of her fingers over her lips; attempting to recall a lost feeling in a dream.

 

“You are troubled.” Sesshoumaru stated plainly as he pointed out the distress he could all ready detect in the young woman's scent. He realized, after a few moments of silent study, that she seemed to be contemplating something, but hadn't really felt compelled to inquire as to what it was until she turned to look at him.

 

“I …uh…” Keiko stated softly as she pulled her hand from her lips and turned to face the fire again. There was simply no way she was going to tell him she might have had a dream (or twenty) about him. He hadn't exactly been thrilled over her last dream confession anyways.

 

“You know what's ironic,” Keiko began as she attempted to make conversation while steering the topic away from her dreams, “I never really bought in to the whole reincarnation thing.”

 

The taiyoukai remained quiet and she decided to continue..

 

“I guess I sort of have to now…huh?” She smiled while staring into the fire, not expecting an answer form the silent dog demon as she continued.

 

“It just feels wrong,” She explained while staring into the fire, “me being here..I mean. It's,” she paused as she attempted to think of the right way to word things, “It's confusing I guess? Oh …but even more then that…It's….”

 

She fell quiet again as she attempted to organize her thoughts.

 

“In school,” She began again, “they taught us that the soul waits an undisclosed period of time before it returns to earth…and…at the time…I thought that was kinda stupid. I mean, why would it wait? Why not just come back right away? It never made any sense to me…”

 

Keiko sighed softly as she quietly finished her voice inner thoughts with a, “until now.”

 

Sesshoumaru sat quietly as he let the woman's confession sink in. It was odd, he supposed, but also profound. How many people would physically meet those they had interacted with in a past life? Not many.

 

“Now you feel differently?” The taiyoukai questioned plainly as he hoped the young woman would elaborate.

 

“Now I feel…” Keiko groaned as she tried to find the words. “Like I'm losing my mind.”

 

“Like I'm not supposed to be here.” She corrected. “Like I'm me but also, somebody else.” She admittedly solemnly.

 

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to sigh at her admission. Perhaps this once he should have ignored tensaiga and allowed the female to pass through the well? She obviously didn't belong in this time, that much was obvious from her appearance alone, but what of her soul? Could one damage their very soul by reliving a life they weren't meant to?

 

“Since I've been here,” Keiko admitted, “I've had these dreams…about a dark man.”

 

“Naraku.” Sesshoumaru amended as he felt the need to address the man she dreamt of by name, even if she couldn't.

 

Keiko's entire body shook as the dark man's name rolled so easily from the taiyoukai's lips. As soon as she heard the name spoken out loud she knew it belong to the man she had been seeing but refused to speak the name herself.

 

“So he's real?” The young woman questioned as she locked frightened, unsure eyes with the unreadable youkai.

 

Sesshoumaru nodded solemnly.

 

“He killed me…” She whispered as she stared into the grass. “Or I mean… her,” She corrected, “didn't he?”

 

“He did.” The taiyoukai confessed.

 

Keiko suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to cry. For some reason she knew the tears were not her own and so she repressed them as she continued on with the conversation.

 

“In my dreams,” she admitted while placing a palm over her chest, “he tries to rip out my heart.”

 

Sesshoumaru tensed at the young woman's admission and fought off the sudden urge to scoop her up into his lap. Not only was she reliving Kagura's life, but her torment as well? How despicable was the human mind to slowly torture its owner with such imagery?

 

A long silence lingered between the two as neither seemed to know what to say.

 

“Lord Sesshoumaru…” Keiko whispered as she successful gained the youkai's attention.

 

“Hn?” He grunted as he pushed away the disturbing imagery of Kagura's death.

 

“I know I'm just a filthy human,” Keiko raised both hands and twitched the first two digits on each; a broad smile curling her lips as the taiyoukai seemed confused by the common gesture, “but do you suppose I could..um…sleep wit…er..I mean..by…” She fumbled her words as she attempted to phrase her request correctly.

 

The taiyoukai fought the urge to smirk as he lifted the arm at his side and deposited it in his lap; leaving room for her to lean up against him.

 

Keiko smiled softly as she gave up on her completely mangled sentence and sat next to the tall taiyoukai. A content sigh escaped the young woman's lips as she rested her head against his shoulder and felt his arm encircle her.

 

“You know…he was wrong,” Keiko whispered sleepily as she closed her eyes, “you aren't really a bastard.” She yawned as she slowly began to drift off.

 

Sesshoumaru released a loud snort in response as he rested his chin against the young woman's head. She had obviously had at least one conversation with his ridiculous half-brother. He would have to remember to thank him for his kind words on his next visit.