InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Loss of Self, Discovery of Truth ❯ Making Adjustments ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2:  Making Adjustments

"Osuwari," Kagome called out without glancing up as she knew without a doubt that Inuyasha would try and take this opportunity to start a fight with his defenseless half-brother.  Be it Sesshoumaru or Kouga, the dog-eared boy simply lost his ability of rational thinking in their presence.

Miroku shook his head at the hanyou the millisecond before he plummeted towards the earth to eat dirt.  "Kagome-sama, we should carry Lord Sesshoumaru to some place with more protection out of this wind," he pointed out as he gestured to a forested area not far off.  Kagome nodded in agreement, and carefully, she and Miroku tried to lift the former demon.

The key word was that they tried to lift the man.  "Keh, wait a minute before you hurt him even more," Inuyasha ground out as he lifted himself from the dirt once the spell on the rosary around his neck wore off.  "Let me get him," Inuyasha told Kagome as he took her place and supported most of the weight of his half-brother with minor assistance from the monk.

Inuyasha's face may have been carefully guarded and his voice was purposely gruff, but his eyes were a different story.  Kagome could see the concern that showed in their golden depths as he looked down at the battered body of what had once been his seemingly invincible older brother.

"I wonder how this happened," Miroku voiced the thought running through all three of their minds.  He and Inuyasha settled the broken body onto the soft grass near the forest's edge.  Kagome took her pack from Inuyasha and began to dig through it for her medical supplies.  Other than a vast supply of Ramen, that was really the only thing inside the yellow bag, other than a change of clothes or two.

She set out her medical kit and Inuyasha sat beside her, staring at his brother with a blank expression.  Curiously Inuyasha reached out his fingers and touched the light brown hair.  "Even his hair is human," he commented under his breath.  "How could someone have done this to him?"

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha for a moment, moved by the emotions she could sense within his conflicted being.  She brushed aside those thoughts and concentrated on treating the injured man lying before her.  She and Inuyasha removed the bloody battle armor and set it aside. 

"That does not appear to be his blood on the armor, so he was obviously in some sort of close combat," Miroku observed.  He glanced at Kagome and after being satisfied that she was capable of treating the wounds he stood.  "I'll gather some kindling to start a fire."

Kagome nodded at the monk, indicating that she heard him.  Then she carefully took off Sesshoumaru's blood soaked shirt.  Her hands paused over his legs, looking for any sign of blood.  "I don't think he had any cuts on his legs," Inuyasha answered her unspoken question.  

"True, but he could have some broken bones," she paused contemplating the wisdom of her request.  "Could you check for me while I treat his cuts?"   Inuyasha gave her a dirty look, revealing just how unhappy he was with her request, but he wordlessly went about the task.

With the last of the bottled water, Kagome washed his wounds, careful to clean out any soil and dirt.  "They don't seem deep enough to need stitches," she informed Inuyasha giving him a slightly relieved look that was greeted with one of annoyance.

"Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have any broken bones either," Inuyasha bitterly retorted.  The crash of an arm-load of firewood caused both hanyou and miko to jump and glance up at Miroku who had so silently re-entered camp.

"Now Inuyasha, if he had any broken bones, it would be you who had the responsibility to carry him," Miroku calmly explained before walking back towards the woods for another arm load.

Inuyasha turned to glare at the retreating figure of his human friend while Kagome hid a snicker as she applied the antiseptic.  Inuyasha returned his attention back to her and watched her every move and then handed over the bandages she would need to wrap up his brother's wounds.  "Thank you," Kagome told him as she accepted the linen cloth.

"I just don't want to haul around his worthless ass," Inuyasha snapped.  Kagome merely smiled sweetly at him, causing his white dog ears to flatten against his skull as if his mother had just scolded him for not sharing his toys.

Miroku returned just then and began to arrange the firewood.  He glanced at the now bandaged body of the human they discovered that seemed to resemble Sesshoumaru.  "I think we need to take him to the village."

"I'm not carrying him," Inuyasha promptly replied without so much as batting an eye.  Miroku turned his calming amethyst gaze towards his silvery-white haired friend with a raised brow.  "Well, I'm not," Inuyasha reiterated.

"I didn't say you would.  You will however go back to the village and return with Kirara," Miroku explained in his no-non-sense tone as he worked on lighting the fire.

"I'm not leaving the two of you alone with him," Inuyasha growled out through clenched teeth as he began to dig his claws into the soil around him as his muscles tensed at the suggestion.

"It's the most logical solution.  You travel much more quickly than either Kagome-sama, or myself."  Miroku explained easily as he leaned back from the roaring fire he just created.

Kagome listened to the two men argue, but her attention was focused on the man lying so silently before her.  If it wasn't for the constant rise and fall of his chest, be it rather shallow, she would have doubted that he was alive.  She reached out and placed her palm over his forehead and began to brush back the silky light brown hair that adhered to his sweaty flesh.

"Would you stop touching him!" Inuyasha cried as his attention snapped towards the miko and his half-brother. 

"Inuyasha, that is exactly why it is you that should go.  You always lose your temper around Lord Sesshoumaru.  If this is in fact him, then your presence may only serve to cause more stress for him."  Miroku explained, satisfied that Inuyasha understood his reasoning, even if he didn't like it.

"It's too dangerous," Inuyasha decided.

"You could carry him back," Kagome offered, entering the two-way conversation for the first time.  Golden eyes stared daggers back at her for the comment.

"I am curious how a full-blooded demon could be turned human," Miroku pondered aloud.  "If this was you, Inuyasha, I could understand since you have human blood within you.  The demon blood could have been sealed, but it makes no sense with Sesshoumaru."

"We need him to wake up to tell us what is going on," Kagome agreed.

Inuyasha cast an anxious look at what he thought to be his brother.  "How long do you think he'll be unconscious?"  He turned to look at his two companions in turn.

Kagome shrugged.  "Hard to say," Miroku answered thoughtfully as he scratched his chin while gazing at the unconscious man, assessing his injuries.  "It could be an hour or a few days."

"Fine," Inuyasha rose to his feet.  "I'll be back before nightfall tomorrow with Kirara."  He gazed longingly at the yellow pack and then sat back down and gave Kagome his best impression of a puppy dog.  "If you'll fix me some Ramen first," he bargained.

"Men," Kagome muttered exasperated as she found herself succumbing to his request.  Sesshoumaru was forgotten as the hanyou sat next to her and peered over her shoulder to watch the progress of his Ramen.  She was grateful that it didn't take but a few minutes to cook.

"I think Miroku is wrong," Inuyasha confided as he watched the water boiling and Kagome dump the Ramen noodles into the solution.  "We don't know what did this to him and it is foolish to leave the two of you here unprotected."

Kagome glared at him over her shoulder.  "We are not completely useless.  We can fight too you know."

Inuyasha knew she was right, but he still was uncomfortable that lurking somewhere nearby an entity capable of beating Sesshoumaru so soundly still remained.  "I still don't think it's a good idea."

"Then you had best travel quickly," Kagome informed him as she handed him the Ramen she had just cooked.  She watched with a sense of morbid fascination as he practically inhaled the noodles.  It would seem that no matter how long she had known him she was still surprised with his horrendous table manners.

Without a word, Inuyasha passed her back the empty bowl and stood.  He looked once more at the unconscious human that Miroku was staring at thoughtfully.  "He only has one of his swords," Miroku spoke up, meeting Inuyasha's golden gaze.

"Then it is him," Inuyasha whispered to himself, still in slight disbelief at the idea.  He recognized the sword given to his brother by their father, while the one created from Naraku's evil detachment was missing.  "Remember, I'll be back before nightfall tomorrow," he informed before he took off in a flash of red and white.

Kagome began to make a second helping of Ramen noodles for her and Miroku to eat.  "So how long before you think he'll wake up?" Kagome asked once she was satisfied that Inuyasha was far on his way.

"I'd say within the next hour," Miroku answered as Kagome sat beside him and offered him some noodle soup.  He graciously accepted it.  "As I was saying with Inuyasha, I don't see how this is possible unless his demon blood was sealed somehow."

"But if that happened, since he's a full demon, he wouldn't be alive." Kagome argued.  She soaked a clean cloth in the water that Miroku had gathered for them while collecting the fire wood.  It had already been boiled and was cool once more.  She placed the damp cloth on the still feverish forehead of the man.

Miroku shrugged.  "You never know, he may have been unaware that a non-pure demon was in his genealogy." 

Kagome couldn't help but snicker at the irony of that.  "After all these years of belittling Inuyasha for not being a pure-blooded demon, he in fact isn't one himself."

"Like I said, he probably was un-aware of that.  And most likely so was whomever attacked him, thinking they would destroy him, but instead turned him into," he pointed towards the prone figure, "this." 

A moan passed through the lips of the slumbering man, followed quickly by a fluttering of eyelashes.  Kagome and Miroku both held their breaths in anticipation.  A pair of honey-brown colored eyes opened and darted around quickly as the human male quickly sat up, holding his hand to his rib cage in obvious agony, though he did not cry out.  His vision focused on the two humans kneeling beside him.

He opened his mouth to speak but then seemed to blink and clear his mind of what he was about to say.  It was as if his question stopped before he spoke it, because the answered came flooding back to him.  He quickly scanned the make-shift camp.  "Where is Inuyasha?" He demanded voice parched and weak.  He frowned at the sound that passed through his own lips.

"We sent him back to the village.  He'll be back tomorrow evening," Kagome answered, drawing the gaze of the man.  She almost gasped at the very human emotions that were dancing across Sesshoumaru's normally stoic countenance.  He was weary, exhausted, hungry, anxious, in pain, and most unusual he looked completely and absolutely lost in the world.

"I see," Sesshoumaru answered as he gazed down at his pale human wrist.  The evidence that there were neither stripes nor claws was like a slap in the face, but he already knew it was not a dream.  His senses were too dulled for him not to realize this.  It was as if he suddenly found himself blind and deaf.  Everything was a strain for him to make out.  He looked at the concern in the two humans' faces.  He found it oddly comforting.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Miroku interjected, "can you explain to us what happened?"

Sesshoumaru's light brown brows furrowed together as he tried to word the recent events.  He was dismayed to discover that even his mind worked slower in his human existence.  "I was," he paused, "attacked."  His voice was hoarse and he reached his hand to rub at his sore throat.

"Here," Kagome handed him a fresh water bottle.  Sesshoumaru eyed it for a moment before figuring out that he was to unscrew the cap.  He placed the bottle between his legs to hold it in place and then, unscrewed the top with his remaining hand.  Kagome winced as she realized her mistake but was pleased to note Sesshoumaru managed just fine to open the bottle one handed.  He took a greedy gulp from the bottle and returned it to her empty moments later.

"One of Naraku's detachments, a parasite of some sort, attacked me.  I don't understand how I could have not detected it, but it slipped past this Sesshoumaru."  A flash of anger passed over his features, which were one of the few emotions that the two humans had seen before on his stoic countenance.  He grew silent, not willing or incapable of continuing.

"Sesshoumaru, I have been trying to decipher how a full-blooded demon could be turned human.  In Inuyasha's case, his demon blood can be sealed.  We have seen this before."  Miroku shared when it became apparent that Sesshoumaru was not about to proceed.

"It is the same in this Sesshoumaru's case," he answered quietly.  Kagome and Miroku shared a surprised look at his soft spoken statement.  Sesshoumaru caught the look and almost smiled ruefully if it were not for the extreme depression he was feeling.  "It would seem the father of my mother was a hanyou," he explained.

"How long have you known?" Kagome asked, shocked to say the least.  Sesshoumaru shrugged a very human trait before answering.  "A few years," he answered.

"What?  But with how you taunt Inuyasha, that doesn't make sense."  Kagome decided with a harden expression that softened immediately in concern when Sesshoumaru gasped and reached his hand just below his rib cage.  There was a particularly nasty gash there.  "Are you okay?" Kagome asked as she removed Sesshoumaru's hand and began to re-inspect the wound. 

Sesshoumaru eyed her curiously.  He had not felt this sort of pain since his first fight with Inuyasha that resulted in the severing of his left arm.  Without conscious thought he looked back at the stump that was his arm, realizing that he was not wearing a shirt and his weakness was exposed.

Kagome followed his gaze and frowned remorsefully.  She reached her hand to gently rest on what remained of his left arm.  Her actions were met with a heated stare but before Sesshoumaru could say anything she spoke first.  "I truly am sorry for this," and she meant it.

"Your pity does not change things," Sesshoumaru told her coldly as he shrugged to remove his ruined arm from her grasp.  Her touch was soothing, but embarrassment and disgust at his imperfection chipped at his very soul, causing bitterness.

Miroku cleared his throat.  "Lord Sesshoumaru, what happened to this detachment?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes closed behind heavy lids.  "I do not know.  I could not even hold my sword once I was turned into," he gestured vaguely to himself, "this human existence.  Toukijin may only be welded by a demon.  I managed to keep Tensaiga and a powerful barrier built around me.  Much like how the Tetsusaiga protects you humans, apparently my worthless sword isn't quite so worthless," he conceded with ill-humor.

"Well," Kagome broke the heavy silence that followed the last comment.  Both men turned their attention towards her.  "Your wounds are not as serious as we feared."  She paused, giving the former demon lord the once over, causing his eyes to narrow suspiciously.  "However, you will need time to heal.  You also need to eat and rest."

"It is good that you found us," Miroku added, earning the silent attention of the honey-brown eyes.  "If your fever had progressed you probably would have died by morning."

Sesshoumaru released a shaky breath, but fought hard to keep the damned human emotions that were overwhelming him in check.  Once more he felt the calm reassuring hand of the human woman.  "Miko, stop touching me."  He snarled, satisfied when she drew away sharply.  "I am still the Lord of the Western Lands."

"Well Lord Sesshoumaru, you are also human now," she answered, it became evident in her sapphire gaze that she understood his hostility and the reasoning behind it.  It must have been a difficult situation to go from being the most powerful being in Japan to a mere mortal with a high grade fever.

"Unfortunately, that I am well aware of miko," Sesshoumaru answered sullenly.  He raised his hand to his scalp, he was developing a headache.  He feared it had to do with the weight of his five foot long hair. 

"Let me braid your hair, it will help," Kagome offered.  Sesshoumaru backed away from her cautiously, not trusting her.  "We could just cut it off," she suggested in annoyance.  She felt an inner satisfaction at seeing his eyes bulge slightly.  She smiled sweetly, "I'm just kidding."

"Very well miko, I will allow you to braid it," Sesshoumaru consented.  Miroku returned to the side of the fire and began to make another bowl of Ramen.  He knew it wasn't the most healthy of meals, but given the circumstances it was better than nothing. 

Kagome moved to sit behind Sesshoumaru on her knees.  She pulled her brush out of her pack and began to start at the bottom of the tangled mass of light brown silk.  "Beautiful," she whispered under her breath, not thinking Sesshoumaru could hear her praise.

A smirk itched to curl the former demon lord's lip, but a small victory was made when he was able to resist the urge.  "It is more beautiful in its natural state," he pointed out.  He had never had to have his hair brushed before.  It simply fell into perfect place.  He did miss having two hands though, for back in those days he had a habit of running his clawed appendages through the silky mass arrogantly.

It used to bring such humor to him to casually brush his hair over his shoulder moments before releasing his green energy whip.  He loved presenting such a contradiction in the last moment of the lives of so many of his victims.  Once again the useless human emotions of self-pity were surfacing and he found it distasteful.

Instead, he tried to focus on thinking of nothing at all.  He concentrated on the gentle tug he felt as the miko tamed his hair.  His gaze focused upon the fire the monk had set and he found himself uncomfortable sitting so close to the flames.  There was an odd feeling overcoming him.  Curious, he reached his fingers to touch his forehead to feel the gathering moisture.

He drew back his damp fingers and rubbed them together.  Realization hit him and he groaned aloud in annoyance.  "What?" Kagome asked concerned, releasing her hands from his newly braided hair.

"It is no concern of yours," Sesshoumaru answered coldly.  At least he could be thankful that his sense of smell was lessened.  He nearly growled, or did the human equivalent to a growl, when Kagome pulled hard on his long braid.  He turned, quick as his body would allow, and his hand fisted in the collar of her odd white shirt.  "Do not test me human," he warned, anger coloring his tone.

Calmly, as if dealing with a temperamental child, Kagome pried Sesshoumaru's fingers off her shirt.  "Tell me what is wrong," she told him simply.  Honey-brown eyes narrowed at her demand, but Sesshoumaru released his fingers and turned back to stare at the fire.

"I am sweating," he confided at length.

"That's natural," Miroku assured him as he mixed the Ramen noodles that were almost ready.  "You have a fever and are sitting near the fire."

"Inu youkai do not sweat," Sesshoumaru explained.  Miroku and Kagome both had their mouths opened to say something and both snapped them shut at his explanation.  They hadn't thought about that.

Miroku smirked, feeling a wicked temptation to tease the dog-demon turned human.  He couldn't resist so he caved to the urge.  It wasn't every day that the most powerful demon got turned human and then started pouting about a little sweat.  "I assure you Sesshoumaru-sama, we do not find your smell offensive."  He handed over the bowl of Ramen towards the man.

Sesshoumaru snatched the bowl from his hand and frowned down at it, having never consumed something of this nature.  "Simply because you can not smell the stench of humanity with your inferior senses does not mean this Sesshoumaru wishes to share in that aspect."  Miroku offered a pair of chopsticks to go with the noodles, ignoring the barb.

Taking a page from Inuyasha's book of manners, Sesshoumaru lifted the bowl tipping the contents into his mouth and ate the noodles that way.  Unlike Inuyasha, he didn't spill a drop and the action was surprisingly elegant.

Kagome moved away from behind Sesshoumaru to sit beside Miroku, across from the former dog demon.  Sesshoumaru handed the empty bowl to the miko.  "This meal does not possess the nutritional values I shall require for this inferior body."

The miko blushed as Sesshoumaru hit the head on nail with that comment.  He was echoing the sentiments her mother was always preaching.  "Well that's all we have, so it will have to do," Kagome defended.  Miroku was suspiciously poking a stick at the fire and it almost sounded as if he were snickering at her expense.  She jabbed him in the ribs, "It's not funny.  Besides you're the one that fed it to him."

"If I am being forced to travel with you, try to act civilized," Sesshoumaru suggested as he flipped his braided hair over his shoulder to inspect the work.  He was satisfied that it seemed acceptable.

"Being forced to travel with our group?" Kagome echoed in disbelief.  How in the world did he all the sudden reacquire his 'holier than thou' attitude?  She knew he was arrogant, but it seemed that even having his identity stripped away did little to dampen his egotism.  "Stop being a narcissistic jack ass!"

Sesshoumaru raised a brow at her language, unfamiliar with whatever term she insulted him with.  The context clues hinted at something unpleasant though and he was not amused.  He was having a very hard time arguing back with her.  "You dare to call me a narcissistic jack ass?" He was careful to repeat back what she said verbatim to avoid looking ignorant.  "Why are you the one who wears that ridiculous outfit?"  He reached out and flicked her red neck tie for emphasis.

Kagome's face was crimson right now and Miroku had moved away from the bickering duo to enjoy the show without getting in the crossfire.  "This outfit is not ridiculous!" She countered.  The look Sesshoumaru gave her made her stammer before continuing.  "It's my school uniform," she defended sulkily.

"Are you in school miko?" Sesshoumaru asked casually, working hard to keep the irritation he felt out of his tone.  He was actually having fun getting the woman worked up.  Damn human emotions were really screwing with him.

After blinking a few times, Kagome answered.  "Well, no, but at least I don't have to worry about looking like anyone else if I wear this."

Understanding dawned on Sesshoumaru.  "I see, the dead miko, you wish to differentiate the two of you."  The thinning of Kagome's lips at his guess was enough to confirm it.  "Do not worry, the two of you look nothing alike."

"You really think so?" Kagome asked quietly, unsure of why Sesshoumaru not comparing her to her former incarnate seemed to matter.

Sesshoumaru shrugged.  "I suppose you could pass for distant cousins," he ground his teeth.  "My half-brother and I look more alike than the two of you do."  His eyes narrowed at her, "And he and I look nothing alike," he clarified.

Mysterious coughing could be heard coming from the monk, who was currently stooped over the fire.  "Are you okay?" Kagome asked in concern, moving towards him to pat his back.  Miroku nodded vigorously. 

"I'm just going to set up a few wards for protection then we should probably get to sleep."  He reached into the inner folds of his robes.  "Would you like to take the first watch or should I?" He asked Kagome.

"Why don't you?" Kagome suggested.  He nodded and began to go about the task of securing their perimeter.  Kagome returned her attention to Sesshoumaru, who was watching her warily.  "So does it really bother you to smell like a human?"

He gave no reply. 

"When we go to the village, I'll go back to my family for supplies.  I'll bring back some hygiene products from my home that I think you'll find quite bearable."  Kagome suggested as she pulled out her sleeping bag that was rolled up and tied to the yellow pack.  Sesshoumaru watched as she settled down to sleep, as he moved towards a tree to  rest his body against for the evening.

He hated the fact that sleep would become essential to his functioning now.  He hated the fact that all his senses were reduced.  He didn't like to sweat.  But, he was grateful for the miko's offer.  It was true that her scent had never bothered him like most humans.  Perhaps if she shared her magic with him he could avoid some of the unpleasantries of his new existence. 

Sesshoumaru watched as the monk went about putting up demon-wards, finding it ironic that they didn't harm him anymore, not that they did much damage to him in particular beforehand.  He reached for the chain around his neck that held the insignia of his position as Lord of the Western Lands.  He would soon have to send word to have his affairs postponed indefinitely.  He then pulled the tattered and bloody remains of his shirt over his shoulders and settled in for his first night as a human.

A/N:  My bad….special thanks to CharmedReality.  Check out her works, she's one of my favorite authors.  I appreciate all your reviews; they are truly encouraging and motivational.  Let me know what you think of my interpretation of our favorite dog-demon lord adjusting to being a human.