InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love Is Blind ❯ Inuyasha awakes ( Chapter 4 )

Inuyasha awoke feeling oddly groggy. That in itself was unusual. Usually he awoke alert and, according to Kagome, annoying. Yet this morning was different. He stretched and looked around Kaede's house. Kagome's bed was empty and so was Shippou's. There was a note on her blanket. He crawled stiffly over, waking Miroku in the process and picked up the note.

I have a debt that must be repaid. I know that you will be angry with me Inuyasha, but please try to understand I must do this. I was not entirely truthful with you before and I apologize. It was Sesshomaru who saved Souta from Naraku. He has asked me to help him raise Rin and I cannot refuse. I have brought Shippou with me. If you need any proof that I am safe look no further. I will continue to gather jewel shards and when the Shikon no tama is complete you and I will decide what to use it for. I love you all and I miss you already.

Kagome

Inuyasha felt tears slipping down his face as he read and reread the short letter. Kagome was gone. She was actually gone. He'd known that one day she would leave, but he had always believed she would go through the well and never return. Never had he thought that she would go with Sesshomaru, even to fulfill a debt of honor. Silently he handed the note to Miroku. He closed his eyes, though that did not stem the silent tears. He'd lost his best friend forever.

***

Sesshomaru watched Kagome work with the children. Rin and Shippou were far from the oldest, though it seemed they were the leaders of the group. Despite her connections to Shippou, Kagome lavished attention equally on all the children. They were at lessons now and no one, not even Kagome seemed to like math, still she tried to make it as enjoyable as possible, playing games whenever she thought one applicable. It had been over a week since he'd brought her here and she had adjusted well. Several of his advisors and friends seemed to think he was turning into his father and would eventually mate her, but they did not understand, could not comprehend the level of contempt he felt toward humanity. Most humans, in his opinion, were little better than vermin and needed to be exterminated. Still there were some examples, like Kagome, that redeemed the species as a whole.

A messenger came up and he turned his attention from the children. The news was not good. Naraku was moving his forces against Sesshomaru. It was a bold and foolish move. While Sesshomaru had never done anything to help the hanyou, he had also never done anything significant to harm him. To enrage a Lord of the Cardinal Points was a tactical error he would not let Naraku forget. The hanyou was positioning himself around Sesshomaru's palace. All reports indicated he would attack tonight. Sesshomaru dismissed the messenger and stepped into the garden Kagome was using as her class room.

"Take the children to the sanctuary. Jaken can show you where it is."

She nodded, knowing that arguing was fruitless. He would either tell her what was about to happen, or he wouldn't. Sesshomaru turned and left, apparently happy with her silent acceptance. He fervently hoped she would obey him. While he did not exactly care for her, he had no desire to see her harmed. He stood on the wall with the other defenders, preparing to fight their unseen foe. At sunset she mounted the wall with him, her bow in hand.

"You should be with the children."

"I count thirty two individual jewel shards scattered among close to a hundred youkai. If we assume each jewel shard is the living dead then that is quite a formidable force out there."

Several of Sesshomaru's friends and allies edged closer during this speech. He nodded slowly. "What else can you tell me?"

"Naraku is not there. The air doesn't…taste right though. That means his wasps are probably out there. He must think Miroku-san is here."

"Can you tell if Kikyou is out there?"

She winced at the woman's name then shook her head. "Kikyou-san is not sustained by a jewel shard and she has no youkai blood. I cannot sense her unless I try to find the spell that holds her body together or her soul stealers and that takes time."

"Time we may yet have. Please try."

She nodded and closed her eyes, gripping the bag that held her jewel shards. The shards began to glow even through the bag. Several of the youkai moved closer still, trying to see just what the human was doing. Then out of the darkness a black arrow materialized. Sesshomaru pulled Kagome behind him, the arrow struck his left shoulder and he grunted softly. Kagome grabbed at his kimono. Sweat dripped down her face as her desire to heal him and her concentration on the jewel shards began to confuse the complex weaving of spells.

Sesshomaru cried out as the arrow fell from his shoulder and his severed arm regrew all in a few short seconds. He looked down at his new hand, completely awed by the power the woman could wield. He turned to her, but she was far from done. Kagome stumbled forward pulling the bag from around her neck she dumped the contents into her right hand. She watched in fascination as the jewel shards sank into her skin. She followed their light with her eyes as they traveled up her arm and came to rest finally in her chest just above her breasts. No longer in control of her body she lifted her right hand, palm outward.

One by one the jewel shards came to her. Each shard was another wound that burned its way to her heart. Tears ran down her face and her mouth hung open in a silent scream until, at last there were none left. She almost collapsed against the wall but the presence of the hostile youkai would not let her rest. Both palms pressing outward she threw up a wall that was pure power and sent it out. It burned through Naraku's ranks, leaving forest and animal untouched. At last, Kagome was allowed to faint.

Sesshomaru caught her gently. He looked up into the awed faces of his allies. No one really knew what to do or say. He lifted her in his arms. She was pale and trembling. Even to his eyes she looked ill. He carried her back to her room and laid her on her futon. In the hall he assigned a guard with instructions to check on her every hour and send word when she awoke. He returned to the wall where reports were coming in on the damage her attack had caused. The walking dead all lay where they had fallen. There was no sigh of Kikyou and every youkai hit by her wall had been reduced to cinders. Akiko, a daughter of the Lord of the Southern Lands, shook her head slowly.

"If she ever turned against us, we would not survive. You should kill her now, Sesshomaru-sama, while she is weak."

"No."

"But…"

"No. I gave my word I would protect her, just as she gave me hers she would protect the children of this palace. That is what she has done. That her protection extends to us we should count ourselves lucky. I knew she was strong when I brought her here. I stand by that decision."

The issue effectively dismissed, everyone returned to their interrupted activities. Sesshomaru returned to his quarters to await Kagome's awakening. Despite his pretty speech he was scared and more than a little angry. The woman had hidden her true powers from him. He'd been open and honest and she had not returned that honesty. He fumed silently all through the night and the next day. As the sun set he began to feel the first hints of worry. By dawn he knew something was seriously wrong. Kagome should be awake. Even with the most consuming of spells the recovery time was no more than a day and a night. He called his friend Sanji to him. The strange rat-like winged youkai was smart and strong and, most importantly, able to carry several people on his back.

"I need you to go to this village." He said, laying a single claw on a map. "There is a one-eyed miko there named Kaede-san. I do not know the woman myself, but Kagome-san knows and trusts her. You will tell her what happened to the best of your ability and bring her here. If my brother and his companions wish to follow they may. Please fly quickly. I have sent for Subaru-sama as well."

"Lady Subaru? Here? I never thought I'd live to see the day."

"Neither did I, but this is beyond my skills. Even the Tenseiga cannot heal her."

"You have tried it already?" Sesshomaru nodded. "Then this is serious. I will leave at once. See you in two days, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Fly well my friend."