InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Taming the unruly ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 11 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: AKZJ1994

Hey guys, I know it's been a long time and I'm really sorry for that. This chapter was incredibly hard to write and for some time I just couldn't figure out how to do what I wanted to do. But then my beta stumbled across a beautiful solution in springandbysummerfall's dragon ball fanfic “accidental intimacy” (she's a huge fan of that one and you should definitely check it, as well as the other works, out).

I tried contacting springandbysummerfall, to ask for permission to adapt said solution but sadly haven't gotten any response yet, so if you should read this I hope it was OK to go ahead and that I could do your idea justice.

Also, should future chapters be deemed inappropriate, you can find this story on fanfic, ao3, and wattpadd. (The fact alone, that I tell you this is proof, that at some point our soon-to-be-mates will be getting some action, it's just moving way slower than in the first version. Please be patient!)

CheChey101 welcome to the family!! Thanks for following and favoriting this fanfic!!!

Now one quick Warning: this chapter does again contain torture and violent themes, and as always, beware of Ana's foul mouth!

And finally I hope you have fun reading this chapter, as always I love getting reviews and, so don't hesitate to leave one behind!

PEACE!!

Chapter 10

Run! Run! She urged her body but it wouldn't respond to her commands. “Did you think you could get away from me?” he cackled menacingly. Tentacles shot from the darkness in front of her, pulling her still body towards the waiting predator. “Sesshômaru!”, she shrieked, disdain dripping from every syllable. Her hands reached for him but he just stood there with cold, calculating eyes that burned hatred. He didn't move nor show any attempt to rid her of the tentacles that slithered over her body. Without as much as a second glance he turned and walked away.

Ana's body jolted as a scream bubbled at the back of her throat. Tears streamed down her face, a hiccup escaping passed her muffled scream. Taking a deep breath she begged her racing heart to calm down, it was a dream, nothing but a dream, no need to risk her body betraying her with another attack. With a shaky hand she wiped away the heavy droplets of sweat from her forehead and neck. She lowered her aching body back onto the futon and closed her eyes but sleep wouldn't come. Mayumi entered her room at sunrise, surprised that she was already awake. She watched as Mayumi served her breakfast, nibbling on her lower lip thoughtfully, contemplating whether or not to tell Mayumi about her dream but didn't want to burden the female with her emotional problems. The woman already had to bend to her every whim and besides, this wasn't the first time she was plagued with terrible dreams, she could handle it on her own, she had done it before. With a forced smile she ate breakfast and dreaded the moment she finished, knowing she would have to train as soon as she was dressed.

Ana clung on to the two rails willing her already aching legs into motion. They were only ten minutes into the training but it felt as if it had been hours. She pushed herself a bit more, determined to make the entire trip as she had done previously. Only a short distance left, she looked up from her feet into Mayumi's eyes. “It's okay Ojô-sama, one more step.” Smiling she adjusted her grip. Mayumi was right it was only one more step. By the power of her mind alone she made the distance, one more step. Again fearing the end of her task, knowing she had to attend Rin's “tea party” with Sesshômaru's mother.

Rin's chatter could be heard down the hall as she made her way to her chambers. Ana smiled, the little girl brightening up her day without much effort, maybe this little gathering wouldn't be that bad. The doors slid open as Rin dashed through them, coming to a halt when a warning growl from Sesshômaru's mother sounded through the halls. “Rin, I will not repeat myself again, a lady does not run around like some jostling fool. She is patient and graceful.” She entered the room, showing the alluded gracefulness as a second nature while the servants quickly made their way to place the tea set down with the various desserts. “You may leave,” she commanded as she sat across from her among the pillows with poise only she seemed to possess, while Rin sat between the two, unaware of the tension in the air.

“Ana-sama?” Rin's small voice called, pulling her observative gaze from the woman in front of her. “Yes Rin?”

“Would you like to hear about Rin's day?” She nodded, watching as the female demon swiftly, yet elegantly cleaned the utensils with steaming water before again adding the powdered tea and steaming water. Cautiously she took the offered cup of tea, unsure of how she felt about being served by the woman, but accepting it nonetheless before turning her attention back to Rin.

Though she tried to ignore it, she could feel the eyes of the female demon observing her like a predator watching its prey. The woman did correct Rin if she made mistakes but for the most part she did not engage in conversation. “Rin,” Sesshômaru's mother called, stopping the girls banter on the various flowers the girl had collected that day. “Yes, milady?”

“It is time for supper, why don't you put the flowers in the vase and go with Mayumi?” Rin looked at her for a second with sad eyes before doing as commanded. Ana couldn't help but feel her once alleviated tension return as Rin said her goodbye. “You are rather good with children.” The statement was short with a hint of calculated appreciation. It was random and she didn't know how to respond. “My son seems to have developed one of his father's odd traits. Can you tell me Anastasia, what does my son see in you that he deems worthy enough to keep you here?” Her eyes seemed to grow twice as cold as the words left her mouth. Ana wanted to retort as she normally would but decided to take a more cunning route, “Why don't you ask him yourself. I'm sure he would love a conversation with his mother.” The word love dripping distaste as it left her mouth. The chuckle from the woman startled her. “My, my. It seems as if my son enjoys taking up challenges that could possibly have a negative impact on his life.” Brows furrowed she looked at the woman in confusion. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“All in due time my dear, well I have to get back to my duties, we should do this more often. Of course this was not a typical tea ceremony, but I could teach you once your are better, if you'd like that. I'm sure Rin would love your company.” With that she was gone. What the hell was that woman's problem? Was the Inu family weird or was it just her imagination? It was sure nice of her to offer such a thing, but how long did she expect her to stay here? And with the way she constantly scrutinized her...like hell would she willingly put herself in a situation like that. Whatever, she had too many things to think about and one of them was how to deal with her nightmares.

One more step. Her feet dragged across the floor as she tried to move her legs but she was so tired. The nightmare had come again and kept her wide awake for most of the night.

She sat at the table looking down at her food with a scowl. It wasn't that it looked unappealing, she just didn't feel like eating. “You need to eat.” It was Sesshômaru, his voice left no room for argument or disobedience. Reluctantly, she picked up her chopsticks and slowly ate as much as she could.

She lay on her futon too afraid to close her eyes but too drained, mentally and physically, to think much less move. Acid crawled up her throat causing her to push up on her elbows, dinner seemed to be fighting back. She swallowed thickly, urging the undigested food back down her esophagus. Grateful for Mayumi's foresight she grabbed the bucket as saliva pooled under her tongue. She heaved up even the last grain of rice she had eaten that day, leaving nothing to strengthen her body. Weak she fell back onto the futon, still panting from the effort.

One more step, Mayumi said, yet again, when she noticed that she hadn't even covered half the distance after thirty minutes. She was taking pity on her, something Ana didn't like but she was too tired to care. This was inconceivable, being unable to use her legs to the fullest capability. Everyone's concern was grating on her nerves as well. Mayumi's overly gentle touch, as if she were a doll, the other servants sympathetic looks; as if they understood what she was going through, along with Sesshômaru's and surprisingly his mother's random, soft, worried growl; she could almost believe that they were truly concerned instead of hiding their unwanted pity. She understood, she was a human, she was weak, they didn't have to remind her with their actions. It made her feel out of place but she wasn't about to let them know that and besides, would they really care if they knew the truth?

One more step. This was her mantra, trying, yet failing but never giving up. Her legs had grown weak in the past three weeks. Not enough sleep, not enough nourishment from either throwing up or not eating at all. A smile was on her face but the fire in her eyes waned as hope slowly crumbled in front of her. Sesshômaru didn't approach her not even to see if she had progressed in her training. It hurt, more than she cared to admit..

One more step. She couldn't take another step. Her nightmares had taken a toll on her and her eating habits had gotten worse, everything she saw looked like the dead flesh that lay splattered on the ground when Naraku had held her in the middle of the battle field. Sesshômaru's mother had even sent her to the healers to see what the problem was. Why? She knew where the problem lay but it was none of their fucking business. The way they looked at her from their high horses, breathing superiority wherever they went...what did they know about her suffering? What could they possibly want to know about it?

One more step. She couldn't take it anymore. The constant persistence of Mayumi, even Rin's bubbly personality irritated her. Everything around her scared her, every little sound made her jump and the guards she passed left a deep fear within her bones. With the lack of sleep and no nutrients her body was even weaker than it previously had been.

With no progress made Mayumi had proposed a change of scenery, urging her that somewhere new would help improve her training. She complied, too tired to protest. Though smooth, the stoney pathway in the garden wasn't as flat as the boards in the training room. Her feet dragged along the path, a fist clenched around Mayumi's arm to keep a steady balance. Each step, though small was agonizing, her own body weight; though not much, a burden on her shaking legs. The progress was there compared to her time spent in the training room but when her foot snagged on a loose stone it was over. Instinct had her take a step forward to stabilize herself but her already tired legs wouldn't respond. It was a long fall, her arms reaching forward to soften the blow to her body. Eyes clenched shut, she waited for the impact that never came. Instead of the harsh stony surface, her arms were met with sturdy, rough hands. They snaked around her body, holding her in position. She jerked, trying to wiggle herself free from the tormentor only to find those hands forcing her in place. This could not happen again! How had he found her? The dreams! Dismissing them had been a mistake! In a world like this, of course such a thing was possible! She couldn't go back. She could not have him touch her again. Could not have his tentacles writhing across her skin again. She could not! How? How? A frustrated scream escaped her lips and she was free, finally feeling the cold smooth stone connecting with her head then all she saw was black.

What happened? She looked up into golden eyes filled with rage and concern. Where they always like this? Why, why must she be this broken in his embrace? She was not worthy. He said nothing as he carried her to her chambers, his steady heartbeat revealing nothing of what he must have felt moments ago. After laying her on her futon he looked her over once then left without saying a word. Was she that broken that he didn't see the need to converse with her? She just lay there, staring at her room's ceiling. How far had she walked that day? 10 steps? 20? Sesshômaru's body heat had felt nice when he had carried her here, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to never walk again?

“Just one step, Ana-sama.”, Mayumi begged of her after she had collapsed on the floor where Mayumi had placed her by the bars. “You can do it, Ana, please!” She could not.

A rattle woke her, she frowned, it wasn't even close to morning and Mayumi never disturbed her as she tried to sleep. It grew louder in her ears, she growled in the back of her throat, a quirk she had at some point adapted from the demons around her, and pushed herself into a sitting position. The day had gone terribly with Sesshômaru's mother pointing out the obvious that she had gotten even thinner since the last time she had addressed it and she was doing worse than ever in her training. The woman could at least have possessed the decency not to remind her that if she didn't heal she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life. Sesshômaru on the other hand was unreadable as usual and for once didn't stop his mother from verbally abusing her. To make it worse Mayumi had told her the same thing earlier that day as she had watched in disappointment as she had sagged to the floor at the beginning of the rail! She was hot, tired and irritable so whosoever was in her room would at least be verbally attacked. No one was there. Annoyed she laid back onto the futon only to hear the rattling again. She grumbled in irritation and sat up again, “Look, whoever you are, I'm too tired for this shit-” Her breath hitched when she saw the large tentacle in front of her. Slowly it crept from the shadows, Naraku's body followed moments after. “Well now my little toy, is that a way to greet me? I've come to retrieve you. Look at what they've done,” he frowned. “I took so much better care of you. I would never have let you get this thin and weak.” She couldn't speak, she wanted to scream but couldn't. He knelt in front of her, nudging her legs apart with his own. She wanted to close them but knew they wouldn't respond. His hands caressed her skin as he knelt between her thighs, his fingertips trailing over the angry black welts where his tentacles had marred her skin. “They are so beautiful,” he whispered softly.

“No, please,” she whimpered, as she turned her head away from him, her own voice sounding foreign in her ears. He gabbed her face, “I do as I please, you are mine after all. Do you hear me? Mine!!” His tentacles wrapped around her arms and legs and slowly dug beneath her skin, a scream escaping her lips from the throbbing, sizzling pain as the pieces broke off, wiggling under the surface like maggots crawling inside a piece of rotten meat. “Do not forget this,” he said disappearing into the night. She stared, wide eyed, as the pieces wiggled beneath her skin, crawling up her arms. No! Frantically, she dug her nails into her flesh, ignoring the pain that surged through her arm.They had to come out! She needed to get them out! Get them out before they ate her alive! Blood trickled down her arms as she continued to claw through her own skin, but no matter how deep, she could not find the parting gifts. “Get out!”, she screamed, frantically trying to cleanse her arms of Naraku's dead flesh. “Get out!”

She thrashed violently when someone grabbed her wrists. “No! Let go of me! Please,” she sobbed hanging her head when the hold would not loosen. “Anastasia.” The voice was stern but gentle. She slowly raised her head, looking into amber eyes, shining with concern. “Sesshômaru?”, she whispered softly. “Sesshômaru,” she sobbed, “I have to get them out, Naraku he… his tentacles are squirming under my skin.” Sesshômaru immediately turned her arms around viewing where she had clawed at her flesh to confirm her words. He looked at her, his features hardening. She gasped, “You don't believe me?” the words soft and filled with hurt. “Anastasia-”

“Can't you see them? They are everywhere!” She ripped open her sleeping yukata, digging into the flesh of her stomach where the tentacles squirmed beneath. “Enough!” He grabbed her hand, stopping her assault on her breast where she had traced the little maggots. Hysterical, she tried to twist herself free from his grasp, “I have to get them out, why won't you believe me! They are there, can't you see?”

“There is nothing to see!” he growled, stopping her frantic movements effectively. She stared wide-eyed into his golden eyes filled with disgust. “All I see is your torn flesh dripping with blood.”, he said, bringing her own bloodied hand in front of her eyes as proof of his words. His features softened, “You were dreaming. Nothing more.” Tears pooled around her eyes and streamed down her face. “But-”

“Do you want me to smell for him? The only thing I can smell is you blood and the heavy fear it carries.” Her head hung. It all felt so real but it had only been her imagination. This couldn't be,. She stared at her shaking arms while Sesshômaru called Mayumi and ordered her to clean and bandage her wounds. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off her flesh felt like it was on fire. Dazed and still in shock she sat there staring into space before a cup was brought to her lips. The warm liquid slid smoothly down her throat leaving nothing but warmth in the pit of stomach and a minty taste in her mouth. After the cup was emptied her whole body felt at ease and her world turned into an empty dream.

“Wake up Anastasia.” The voice was stern, commanding and yet had a tad bit of softness and concern within. This was not Mayumi, she was more than sure of the fact as her heavy lids blinked open to see the one person whom she didn't want to see her in such a pitiful state. As usual he was perfection to behold, looking down on her with his usual stoic mask of indifference. Why the hell-, Before she could voice what was on her mind he spoke, “This Sesshômaru is well aware of the fact that you do not wish to be in close proximity but given the situation and circumstances this could not be avoided. This Sesshômaru would not sit idle and watch you wither away under his care.” The only thing Ana could do was blink up at the demon lord, a bit astonished by his words but oddly comforted by them. “Get dressed. This Sesshômaru has someone for you to meet,” he commanded yet again. To this her anger spiked and the words tumbled out of her mouth. “Excuse me? If you didn't notice, I can't!” His eyes narrowed with an ever so slight tug of his lips. “Maumi won't be around to assist you today, surely you can accomplish at least this much. The training you have been recieving must have worked some way, or have you been idle the past weeks? If the task proves to be too much, perhaps you would prefer my assistance?”

“No, thank you.” The answer was swift. The thought of having his hands on her unnerving, she could not have him touching her the way she was. “I will be back in an hour and you will be dressed and fed.” God, she had forgotten how infuriating the man was sometimes. “Fine,” she said between clenched teeth as he slid the shôji doors of her chambers closed.

She was a panting mess by the time she was completely dressed, with her legs useless and her body weak as it was, it had taken quite a while. If that bastard thought that she would crumble under his command he had another thing coming! Satisfied with her sudden swell of determination she slid her tired body down the wall she stood against, drawing the small tray of food the servants had brought, close towards her. Not even completely three bites in a soft knock was heard against her door. “Come in,” she called after swallowing. Sesshômaru smoothly glided in, staring all too blankly at her spot against the far wall. “It seems as if you have disobeyed this Sesshômaru's commands.” She blinked up in confusion then looked down on her meal, realization dawning on her. “Forgive me Sesshômaru-sama, but since This Anastasia had no assistance, getting dressed took longer than expected.” His eyes narrowed, “Eat,” he said as he slid into seiza across from her.

She forced as much as she could down her throat, silently praying that it would stay down. Wouldn't want to puke on the bastard by accident. It was obvious he was not there to simply keep her company, but to make sure she ate everything and that she kept it down. She didn't need a babysitter. Finished she placed the bowl and utensils down. Sesshômaru, standing before she even blinked, reached a hand towards her. “Would you like some assistance?” His underlying mocking tone irked her to no end. “I can more than handle myself,” she said with a small frown. Did he really think she would accept his help after what he had just spewed? She could do it on her own and she would. Slowly pushing herself up the wall she stood, ignoring the slight raise of his eyebrow as she made the daunting task of finding her way to the chamber doors. By the time she slid the doors opened her legs felt like lead and she wanted to do nothing but rest her aching body. “With your progress and stubbornness, we may have to break for lunch before we reach our destination.” Ana didn't miss the taunt in his words. Oh how she wished to punch him in that pretty face of his. She scoffed and rolled her eyes waiting for him to give a command but he said nothing and simply began to walk away without looking back. Annoyed she inched her way in his direction, having nothing but the walls as her support.

Finally after what felt like hours of walking slowly behind lord fluffy pants they stood before the entrance of a garden. Her body leaned heavily against the frame of the shoji doors, her palms along with the rest of her body covered in a sheen of sweat from the efforts she had put into getting this far. She looked at his offered arm, unspoken command evident in the air. She wanted to protest but knew she wouldn't be able to make it inside the garden without any support. Swallowing her pride for only this moment she took his arm, leaning most of her weight onto his firm body. She tsked softly when her heart fluttered, the fact that him being near affected her in a way similar as at the hot springs... All thought ceased when the memory came back and she silently reprimanded herself for even thinking along those lines. That was dangerous. Instead she focused her mind on walking as efficiently as possible and the scenery before her. Lush green grass plastered the floor of the large space, trees littered about in vast quantities, their fallen leaves complimenting the green of the grass. The stone pathway they were on was similar to the one she had previously trained her legs on, but the stones were much smaller and were not just grey but brown, black and light blue. They rounded a pond under yet another tree, lily pads floating above while multi colored koi swam beneath. It was breathtaking and to her surprise she had forgotten she was leaning on Sesshômaru's arm until he cleared his throat. Under a sagging tree was a woman with black hair in a high bun and deathly pale skin, her back facing them. As they rounded the leafless tree the first thing she noticed that the wrapped cloth around her head were bandages around the girl's eyes. She gasped, looking up at him. “This is Shizuka, the person this Sesshômaru wanted you to meet and who you will be staying with for now.” The girl turned her head when she heard Sesshômaru's voice, smiled and gave a small bow in their direction. He gently placed her next to the girl.

Having no signs that the woman was about to say anything she took it upon herself to speak first. “Hello? My name is Ana.” The woman just simply smiled at her. She scrunched her face in confusion and looked at Sesshômaru. “She doesn't have the voice to speak.” Ana looked at him, wondering how they were supposed to communicate with one another. Before she could ask he placed her hands into the woman's own. “Mayumi will retrieve you before dinner,” he said as he walked away leaving her with no explanation as to why she was to spend the day with the unknown female.

A soft, warm light engulfed her and a small voice called out to her. “My name is Shizuka, I am Sesshômaru-sama's hand maid.” For a few seconds she wondered if Sesshômaru was the one who had taken girl's eyes and damaged her vocal cords beyond repair. “On the contrary, Sesshômaru-sama is the one who saved me.” Panicked by the sudden voice in her mind she pulled her hands away from the girl, breaking whatever connection they had. She looked at the girl confused and afraid that she was able to read her thoughts. “How did you do that?” The girl merely smiled at her, offering her her hand and she realized that she couldn't answer her without contact. Reluctantly she placed her hands back into the girl's own. “I am a light demon... I have the ability to communicate with my mind.” Ana was silent. “Please forgive me Ojô-sama if I scared you.”

“No, I was just surprised. Why am I here? Sesshômaru didn't really tell me much.” Though the warm touch of the sun and the calm scenery should have her feeling relaxed she was quite the opposite, especially since she was with and unknown female for no particular reason. The woman shifted atop the blanket they were on. “Sesshômaru-sama told me to speak with you. It seems as if you have been suffering from terrible nightmares lately.” Ana hissed as she sucked in air between clenched teeth. That damn bastard.“It's not something I want to talk about.” Ana frowned, why was he always interfering? “Sesshômaru-sama is just worried, Ojô-sama.” A slight breeze shook the sagging branches leaves fell and fluttered around them. She scoffed inwardly, at the woman's words “As if.” The man hardly conversed much less looked at her when they were around the dinner table. The girl smiled. “That could be, Ojô-sama, because you had told him to leave you alone.” Ana looked at the woman, a bit of guilt eating away at her but she still held her ground. He could have at least tried. “Sesshômaru-sama, is very respectful to one's personal space. That is to whom he deems respectable, he may not seem like the caring type but that is just his outward appearance, I am proof.” Ana's brow shut up in question, remembering her words from before “He saved you?”

“Yes, Ojô-sama. He saved me from the taijia. It was a long time ago, I was young and the light demons were migrating but I got separated from the others. As I tried to find them I came upon a group of taijia. Since I didn't know how to use my powers I was captured. I woke up only to find my hands and feet bound by chains that could sap demonic energy. I was terrified. For the first two weeks they left me there with no food or water. When they realized that even at a young age demons could go for a while without nourishment they found other ways to make me feel pain. They plucked my nails and when that didn't satisfy them they whipped me as punishment for my sins.” She chuckled, “Sin that's what they called my birth. A sin as if I had asked to be born a demon. By the time they were done with me my vocal cords were useless. That's when they took my eyes. When I regained consciousness I was engulfed in a world of darkness, for a light demon who mostly relies on sight it was a disaster.”

Ana scoffed, this couldn't be true, she was a demon. She couldn't, no, wouldn't be able to understand any of this, even if she had been a child. The woman's carefree voice was proof of it. Why were they doing this, just to get her to talk? This was ridiculous and rather cheap for a demon lord. “Ana-sama,-” Shizuka's voice was stern but surprisingly soft. “How am I supposed to believe a demon when it was a demon who did this to me in the first place?” She interrupted furious, the word demon leaving her lips with more venom than she had intended it to. The woman's hand loosened around hers and she could feel the hurt through the connection. What was she saying? Not all demons were bad, Inuyasha and Shippo being great examples, and it sure as hell wasn't this woman who had tormented her for weeks. “I'm sorry, that was really stupid of me to say.” she said softly to Shizuka. There was a long moment of silence. “I will show you then, Ojô-sama, but I must warn you, what you are going to see are my memories and what I have gone through may be just as grotesque as what you have. If it becomes too much please do stop me.”

The memory of her own torture was all too fresh in her mind, but, she had to know. No. Needed to know, to see if she could trust this person, to rely on her because she actually knew what it felt like to be at the mercy of your enemy. “I'm ready,”she said. This time she felt herself being pulled, drawn down the depths of a long hall, through an open door. The first thing she heard were screams, they were long and high-pitched. She looked for the source only to look, beyond blurred vision, up to a man with a grin on his face. Her head dropped as a whimper escaped her lips. Tiny fingers lay sprawled out before her. This wasn't her own hand, could this be.. All thought process stopped as another scream tore through the room. Another nail was pulled out and blood pooled and dripped from the exposed area, before dribbling to the floor. Ana felt the bile rising in her throat at the image she saw but she had to keep going, she had, after all told the woman she was prepared to see it all.

Her vision went blurry before she faced a wall, focusing on the small cracks in the mortar, her nailless fingers clawing into the seams between stones whenever the whip cracked through the air behind her. The voice that came from her mouth nothing more than a whimper as the flesh from her back tore with the wet sizzle Ana was too familiar with..

Back in the hated chair she could barely see, the eyes too tired to focus. A man grabbed her face, a fear scorching through her veins, that wasn't her own, had her know that it was the very same man that had pulled out the girl's nails. He stared into her eyes. “For someone in your position, your eyes hold a lot of hope. How about we remove those bright hazel eyes,” he said with a grin in his voice. She could do nothing but stare as a hand reached out towards her eyes. There was a sickening squelch, then the tear of flesh and then the edges of what vision she had left grew dark until all was black. The feel of Shizuka's emotions bombarded her when she regained consciousness, the despair she had felt when she realized that she wouldn't be able to see anymore. A terrified scream ripped the blind girl of her despair and fear rocked her lithe body at the prospect of even more pain and suffering, but the hand on her cheek was gentle and oddly familiar to Ana. The disapproving growl music to her ears. “What's your name?” Sesshômaru's voice held sympathy, something that seemed foreign to her yet quite fitting at the same time. She couldn't say anything and he must have assessed her damages quickly because she could feel gentle hands picking her up. The embrace was everything she remembered and everything she needed, Ana sighed in content, not caring if Shizuka was aware of how her memory of Sesshômaru's gentleness affected her.

Ana found herself back to reality, frowning when his warmth vanished, her brain trying to wrap the new information around her head. How had she been able to overcome her overwhelming despair? Ana opened her eyes to see a small smile on Shizuka's face. “Ojô-sama it is time for dinner.” Mayumi's voice spoke gently beside her causing her to look up at the demon. “It would seem that we are out of time Ojô-sama, perhaps next time I will be able to answer your question.” Nodding dumbly she took Mayumi's outstretched hand and the three walked back to the castle.