InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unworthy One ❯ Chapter 8 - I Know Your Truth... ( Chapter 8 )

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

**Not for Kikyou Lovers! This story contains violence, sexual content and rape! You are WARNED**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor any of the associated characters. But it ain't because I don't want or wish to do so.




Chapter 8 - I Know Your Truth...


Reality slowly came into focus, and the normal sounds of a cold, early spring night made themselves known once more to his alert and ever watchful senses. Sesshomaru opened his eyes, and took stock of his surroundings before he made any effort to disturb the comfortable feeling that surrounded him at the moment.

The fire had died down, but was still burning, although low. It would need to be rekindled and soon. He could put more tea to steep for Kagome while he was at it, and heat the broth for her, as well. He could redress her wounds and tend to her feet while the tea was cooling, too.

Enjoying the warmth of the sleeping furs, and the nearness of his mate, Sesshomaru spent sometime just relishing the moment. She slept peacefully, and it showed in her face. There were still dark shadows under her eyes, and her face was far too shallow. She had lost too much weight in the past week, from lack of proper nourishment and the loss of blood from her injuries. Nevertheless, he could still see the beautiful onna that lay beneath the signs of ill health, and he swore to himself that he would see her look that way again.

He recalled to mind the events of his dream. Had he really seen and spoken to the legendary Midoriko? He must have, else he would not have come to know so much about Kagome as he now did. So much of it was far too fantastic to not be real.

So she was from the future, and she had chosen to live in the past. She had not been able to consciously use her powers, but from what he saw of them, it was not meant to be otherwise. By using them purely as a response to her feelings, she was able to wield far more power than any other miko that he had ever heard of. She lacked the prejudices of this time, and it only further enhanced her abilities, but also allowed her to see the good in all beings, regardless of what those beings were. It gave her the power to truly trust her instincts when meeting new people, new faces, rather than be coloured by the beliefs of the time before her many and varied encounters.

She had more compassion than a whole army of people, and a purity that was beyond imagining. To let her waste away in despair and self annihilation would be a crime against the living. He could not, would not let that happen.

He nuzzled her neck, near his mark, taking in her alluring scent. How wonderful she smelled, so soothing, so enticing, so different....wait...different....it had changed...he took a deep breath, bringing her beloved scent deep into his very soul. Yes, it was different. Something new. Something that seemed to be a mix of her scent and his own. Then he recalled Midoriko's last words, and an underlying fragrance that he had not noticed the night before hit his nose. Kagome was in heat, and now she was carrying his pup.

Midoriko had said she was carrying his son, but he would not be able to tell on his own for at least another week. His first reaction was of shock, and then surprise. He had never thought to sire children of his own. Well he had, but not with anyone that he would care about. He had figured that someday he might take one of the many bitches that were always trying to lure him into their beds, and by prearranged agreement, sire an heir to the Western Lands. Then the bitch and he would part their ways, once the pup was born.

But now, he not only had a mate that he wanted to care for, but she also was now to be the mother of his son. A warm feeling of joy and contentment filled his heart. A feeling that he had not known in centuries. The pride of knowing that he would be a father almost glowed about him, as he pulled her closer to him, and took pleasure from her nearness and his Youkai agreed with him wholeheartedly. Unconsciously, he was rumbling deep in his chest, the soothing almost purr like sound bring comfort to both his mate, and thereby himself.

As he held her, he remembered other things that Midoriko had told him. Things like what had really happened to his brother all those years ago. For so long he had hated his brother for having been so easily betrayed by a worthless ningen, and now to find that it was far more complicated that he had imagined, made him regret those long years of hatred. His brother had led a hard life, and giving his trust was not easy. This was something that Sesshomaru could understand, just as he understood the attraction of finding someone you had something in common with, like loneliness. It was no wonder that Inuyasha had fallen for the young priestess.

Naraku must have known of the Kikyou's longing and desire to be an 'ordinary' onna. He must have known and played on her weakness until she could deny her heart's longing no longer. Still, her desire had been a selfish one, and ultimately she had pulled Inuyasha down with her. Her one savings grace being that she chose to take the jewel with her in her moment of death.

But when he thought of the hell she had brought to those she encountered after her resurrection, he grew angry at the thought of her. The pain and suffering she had caused was not easily excused. But he would not take his anger out on her. No, Kagome would not approve of his openly doing so, and he had the satisfaction of knowing that she would pay for the suffering she had caused.

And even though he could forgive Inuyasha his actions of over fifty years ago, he could not so easily forgive him the transgressions he had chosen to make against his mate for the past five years. The baka had been a fool a thousand times over for not having the sense to see what was before him. He had held such a treasure in his arms, as Kikyou could never have hoped to equal. He had such power at his finger tips as any youkai would have begged for, and not only had he not seen her for what she was, but had been blind to what she had openly offered, and blindly given him.

Sesshomaru would not seek to take Tetsusaiga any more. He had no need, especially now. He had more than Inuyasha could now ever hope to have. He had two powerful and magnificent swords, and one beautiful, compassionate, and powerful mate. The mother to his pups and something that Inuyasha could no longer hope to have.

But what had Midoriko meant by the power of a youkai's blood? Of course youkai blood was powerful, everyone new that. It was far superior than ningen blood in every way. And what had she meant about completing his binding to Kagome? Was there something more that he could do to help her? Something in the back of his mind told him that there was something more, but at the moment whatever it was eluded him.

The sun was well risen, and he recalled that Midoriko had told him that she would grant Kagome's wish for her friends and his brother. He needed to take care of matters before they arrived, and reluctantly left the warmth of the furs, and his mate's side, to tend to them. The fire was quickly rekindled, and water set to boil for her healing tea. The broth was still hot, and he pour some to cool, then turned to tend to his mate's wounds.

With the fire blazing well, and the sun having taken the worst of the morning chill away, he was able to pull back the furs to check out her condition in the light of a new day. She seemed to have just a bit more color today, but it was still to early to tell for sure. He made quick work of removing her garments, and was pleased to see that the wound on her shoulder was indeed beginning to heal.

Already his attention to the wound had pulled the edges together and created a thin protective layer of new skin over it. He generously put some of the salve he had on the injury, and bandaged it to keep it clean. The cut that he had caused, was closed and already half healed. So he left it as it was.

He quickly removed the old poultices from her feet, and again cleaned the layer of infected material away from the exposed flesh. The smell was still bad, but had definitely not gotten worse. Still, while the infection was not spreading, it was not healing either and this bothered him greatly. If he could not do something to get her feet to start healing soon, she might never walk again. With quick efficiency, he applied knew poultices, and had her feet rebandaged in short order. That left only the gash in her right leg to be attended to, and this he had intentional saved until last.

He was surprised with himself in many ways. The Great Taiyoukai of the Western Lands had never held any attraction for someone else. No one had tempted his interest, and those few who had were not among the living. Well, except for his brother...now...and his companions, not to mention the beautiful Tenchi that he now cared for.

She had been one of the first to not only get his attention, but to intrigue him and incite his curiosity. She was a mystery. A lovely and desirable mystery, and he had to admit that ever since the first time he had seen her, he had been drawn to learn more about her. In truth he had to admit that he desired her, as much as his Youkai did.

Her bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, her loyalty to her friends, family, allies, and companions was unfounded by anyone that he knew. She even had a certain amount of cunning and intelligence that surprised him time and again. After all, it was she who had told his brother to try to pull out Tetsusaiga, not because he might have a means to defeat Sesshomaru, but as a means to attack his honour. An unusual form of attack, but nonetheless effective, had it of worked. There was so much about her, much he now knew, but more that he wanted to learn of.

Her scent wrapped around him, enveloped him in an intoxicating, and allured fragrance that promised pleasure he had only dreamed of having. Sure he had taken many females over his long centuries of life. Not one had drawn his interest or attention the way this little Miko did. For all of their aristocracy, they were cold, vain, uncaring, petty, greedy, vengeful, and hateful. Their interests in the Lord of the Western Lands being solely based on his wealth, status, prestige, and looks, not on who he truly was.

To someone like Kagome, such things were of little importance. What was most important was who a person was, not what they might be or what they might offer. Things that Sesshomaru had never thought anyone living valued. He had a number of occasions to observe her with his brother, and found her purity, and honesty to be a rare thing, and it attracted him more than he had thought possible. She gave of herself unconditionally, something that was so rare that it was almost nonexistent in the world that Sesshomaru knew.

He carefully examined the gash in her leg, happy to see that while it was not as far along in healing as the cut on her chest, it was at least not as open as it had been, and he had managed to avoid serious infection. That in and of itself was almost miraculous considering the location of the wound, but blessings were not to be questioned, just accepted, and he was grateful for all he could find where his new found mate was concerned.

He gently let his fingers caress the edges of the wound, hoping for her sake that there would be few scars from the injuries she now had. She would have enough to deal with as it was, from the scars to her mind and soul. Having them on her body too, would not help matters at all.

Giving in to his desires, much to the pleasure of his Youkai, he let his fingers reach up to her hidden depths. Gently, he opened her to his ministrations, looking to once again get her to respond to him as he had before. Even a small spark was better than nothing, and he was willing to be as patient as was necessary and to do whatever it took to pull her from her land of misery.

The desire to taste of her once again took control of his actions and soon he was eagerly driving his tongue deep into her hot, tight core. A skilled finger gently caressed the sensitive pearl causing shivers of pleasure to shake her body, and her breath to become erratic. Her scent spiked with the pleasure he was given to her, and he could smell how she was getting excited. A soft and gentle moan escaped her, encouraging his actions still further.

Her eyes were still closed, although he knew her to be awake, and her lips were parted as she panted for air, being caught in the sensual pleasures that he was giving her. Soon her soft moan became an almost equally soft groan. Oh, how he would be glad to hear her sweet true voice once more. With the groan, his name was flowing upon her parted lips and her tight, quivering muscles clenched at his tongue. As her essence flowed from her throbbing core, he eager lapped up every sweet and heady drop.

He quickly removed his hakama, and when she had calmed a bit, he crawled up her body, until he hovered over her, his own painful arousal brushing the entrance to her still quivering passage. In a swift, but smooth motion he was soon buried deeply into her wet, hot depths, and began to dance as he had before, secure in the knowledge that this time, there would only be pleasure and no pain.

To his delight, her eyes finally opened, as he capture her parted lips in a heated kiss that he poured all of his passion into. He was happy to see that her eyes, while still not fully seeing what was in front her, were at least filled with a passion to equal his own. A soft, tickling sensation suddenly grazed his sides, and he realized that she was caressing his skin with her hands. It was hesitant, and feather light, but nonetheless there. A warmth filled his heart to think that she was responding to him, and welcoming his advances, even if it was only in a small way. It was a start and that was want counted the most.

He nuzzled his mark, nipping and licking it, further inciting her own body's reaction to their passionate dance. She was groaning again, his name once more whispering softly over her lips. He could feel her nearing her release, and quickened his own pace to bring his along with hers, and with a roar of pleasure filled passion, he let the world know of his claiming, as he sank his fangs back into the mark on her neck, thrilling to the vice like grip of her convulsing muscles around his own heated and throbbing flesh.

Lapping up the blood from his mark, he softly growled in pleasure and comfort to his mate. This too, she seemed to respond to, a soft sigh that could easily be believed to be one of contentment escaped her lips. There was still no real expression on her face, but her eyes held a softer look, and deep down that small spark that he had sensed in the dream, seemed to be growing showing that there was still a bit of hope there for him to grab, nurture, and build upon.

Shifting so as not to rest his weight upon her already overly weakened form, he quickly dressed her, and set about giving her the tea for her pain, and fever, and then the broth to help her body recover its strength. Finished with the necessities, he sat on the furs beside her, and pulled her into his lap. He rested her head against his shoulder, nuzzling the mark on her neck, and growling that soft and soothing purr like sound that she seemed to find comfort in.

It was still a bit chilly and he wrapped his tail around her, and tucked the sleeping furs over them, to make sure that she stayed warm. A chill now would not make her recovery any easier, and she certainly could not afford another shock to her overtaxed body.

"Have I pleased, my Lord?" came the whispered voice.

"Hai, my mate. Very much," he said, hugging her tightly to him and nuzzling his mark again to show her how pleased he was. She relaxed against him, and sighed, apparently content to know that he was happy with her response to him.

"Kagome," he called her name softly. "Midoriko spoke to me last night."

"She did?" came a soft whisper of wonder.

"Hai, she did," he replied. "She showed me much."

"Is it permitted for this unworthy one to ask what?" she said, still so unsure of the changes that were going on around her. It made him wince to hear her refer to herself so, but he understood that it would take time before she would see herself in any other light. Perhaps if he told her of some of the things he saw and knew, it would help.

"I got to see some of your world, my mate. She showed me some of your time," he told her. "I saw when you will be born, and when you were first pulled into the old well, and many of your travels and adventures in this era."

"Gomen nasai, my Lord," she said sadly, tears gleaming in her eyes.

"For what, koi," he asked.

"For your having seen how pathetic, weak, and useless this unworthy one truly is," she replied. "One of such power and greatness as yourself, has more important things to spend their time on, than seeing the lowly and unimportant existence of one such as I."

"Iie, my koishi," he replied with all of the confidence he could muster. "I found it most interesting, and I did not seen a weak, pathetic, or useless being in the visions that I saw."

A small frown crossed her face, as she tried to grasp what he was saying. It was like she was unsure that he had really seen anything of her past. He could see in her eyes, the confusion, but he was happy that she was feeling that much. Even that was a step forward, and he welcomed it.

"I saw a beautiful, warm hearted, and compassionate person. A young woman, who took responsibility when she could have turned away. I saw a strong, loyal, and loving young girl, facing off with things that she had never known before, and not letting her fear control her," he told her. "I saw a pure soul, who cared more for others than she cared for herself, repeatedly sacrifice everything she had, including her own life, to come to the aid of her friends. She readily set aside her own fears, and problems in order to help those she most cared about before her own needs. What I saw, was a strong, powerful, and dedicated soul, that only had one thing she desired above all else."

"You did, my Lord?" she asked in wondered.

"Hai," he replied. "She only asked to be loved," he continued as he pulled her closer still and growled softly to her, "and I do not think she asked too much by doing so."

A clawed hand cupped her chin, and gently lifted her head so that he could look more closely at her face. In her eyes, was still the look of confusion, but also that oh so tiny spark of hope. Bringing her lips up to meet his, he captured them in a loving kiss, letting his growl continue to soothe her. Patiently, he nibbled at her lower lip, encouraging her to respond to him. Soothing circles rubbed along her back further helped to comfort her. With one hand, he softly caressed her sensitive breast, through the haori she now wore, and as a small gasp of pleasure escaped her lips, he eagerly slipped his tongue into her warm, sweet mouth let her feel how much she pleased him.

He didn't want to push her too hard. Too much at one time was not any better than too little. He wanted to tell her that she carried his pup, but that could wait for another time. A gentle breeze drifted across the clearing, bringing the promise of a warm spring afternoon. The sun was high, and if what Midoriko said was true, his brother and companions should be arriving soon. As if on cue, the faint scent of their approach reached his nose and he knew that their time was short.

The next few hours could either make or break his mate, and he would not willingly let any more harm come to her than he could inhumanly help. He turned to her once again.

"My koishi," he said softly. "Midoriko has chosen to give you a gift."

"Me? Doshite?" she asked, again confused. He could sense that she could not understand why she, who felt that only pain should be her companion for crimes she felt she had committed, would be given a gift by anyone.

"Because, my mate," he stated with complete assurance, "we felt that you have more than repaid any debt you owed for any crimes that you believe you have committed. You have suffered enough, and we felt that you deserved a chance to find happiness, to let someone make you happy for a change."

"Honto ne (Really)?" she said, though still confused, there seemed to be a faint sound of hope in her whispered voice.

"Hai," he said, letting a small smile briefly grace his ethereal features. He was not big on showing others his feelings. He had not been for many centuries. It gave him a serious advantage over his enemies, especially in combat. But here, with his mate, and in private, he would let his mask ease and let her see his true self. She deserved that truth from him, and he would willingly give it.

The scent of his brother, and the others was rapidly getting stronger. It would not be much longer now, before they arrived. He had just enough time to prepare her for the coming shock and wanted to do his best to make sure that it would not be a shock that would throw her over the edge, instead of bringing her back to reality.

"Honto ne, my koishi," he replied. "Do you remember what you told me was your last wish?"

"Hai, my Lord," she intoned.

"Midoriko has chosen to grant your wish," he said, "without taking the last wish of the jewel. It is her personal gift to you, her descendant. She knew that you wished for your friends to be happy and to find love in their lives. In fact, they will be coming here soon. They are on their way now, and should be here shortly."

Tears began to trickle down her face, soft sobs shaking her tired and injured form. Feeling the sadness rolling off of her, he grew concerned.

"Nani? Kagome, what is wrong?" he asked gently.

"If they see me, I will only bring them more pain," she cried softly. "Because of me they died, because of me they were hurt."

He hugged her tighter, letting his growl and touch continue to soothe her.

"Iie, Kagome," he stated firmly. "That is not so. I saw your last battle with Naraku. It was not your fault that they all died. They faced their foe, knowing the odds were against them. But they faced it because it was their choice, and knowing that they had to give you the chance to end the nightmare that the vile hanyou had brought to this time.

Each of them would sacrifice themselves again, if it meant that you could finish off that evil villain as you did. Do not think less of yourself because you did not possess the skills of a fighter. You are strong in other ways that are just as important as having the skills of a warrior," he explained. " There are warriors who wield blades, whips, axes, staffs, glaives, and other weapons, but there are other warriors whose weapons are more ethereal, and no less effective. You are one of those fighters, a warrior of the soul. Do not let your friends' sacrifice be in vain. Hold you head up, and do not be ashamed of who you are."

"Come! They are arriving," he said. "Do not worry about the hanyou. No one, and nothing will harm you. I will not permit it." He shifted to place her on the sleeping furs, so that he could stand. He made sure she was sitting as comfortably as possible and arranged the furs around her to keep out the slight chill in the air. He quickly donned his clothing, armor, and swords, then he turned and awaited the arrival of his brother and his companions.

As Sesshomaru looked out over the edge of the forest, he could see the speck that heralded the rapidly approaching neko youkai, and knew that his brother must be racing through the trees just below them. It was not long after the sighting that his sensitive ears, and his sense of anything youki around him, picked up the sounds and aura that identified his brother, the houshi, the Taijiya, and even the kitsune.

A few minutes later, they all arrived at the edge of the clearing. The hanyou jumping down from the nearby trees, Kikyou riding on his back, and the neko youkai landing with a flare, as the houshi and Taijiya dismounted her back and she returned quickly to her smaller form. The kitsune riding on the Taijiya's shoulder.

"Hello, little brother," said Sesshomaru with a bored expression, as he stood carefully so that Kagome was behind and just to the side. Enough so that they could clearly see her, but so that he could protect her if need be.