InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unworthy One ❯ Chapter 11 - Her Intended Sacrifice... ( Chapter 11 )

[ 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 11 - Her Intended Sacrifice...


They all turned back to find that Inuyasha was sitting up, tears streaming shamelessly down his face, and a look of agony like none that had ever seen on the hanyou's face before.

"Give me one good reason why not Inuyasha," spoke Sango in barely restrained fury. "And do not tell me that it would hurt you, Inuyasha, because I am prepared to live the rest of my life having you hate me if it means that she suffers for the pain she had caused."

"Because, Sango-san," Inuyasha said. "You would never forgive yourself if you did. Besides, the Fates have already decided on her punishment."

At the calm, self assurance of the hanyou's voice, Sango backed reluctantly away. What he said was true. She would spend the rest of her life regretting taking anyone's life in such away. Torture was not her way, and she truly found the idea that she even considered doing such to another person horrifying.

"Tell me, Kikyou," Inuyasha spoke almost sarcastically. Never had anyone heard him use this kind of tone even at just the mention of the priestess' name. "How long were you climbing in bed with Naraku? How often over the last four years, did you help that bastard to get the upper hand against us?"

Everyone, except Kagome and Sesshomaru, in the clearing, gasped at his words. Kikyou had been plotting with Naraku? She had been bedding him?

"Sango, do me the favor of tying the bitch up," said Inuyasha in barely controlled rage, "and while you are at it, gag her, too. I do not wish to hear any more of her lies."

Calmly, and quietly the hanyou approached the quiet little Miko. He had a hard time looking at her, let alone looking into her expressionless, listless face. The shame was evident for all to see, but he didn't seem to notice or care that they did. He at least could take responsibility for his own failings, something he should have done long ago.

He knelt quietly beside the onna, and took her cold, motionless hand in his own. He rubbed it, trying to bring some warmth to the cold flesh, and hoping that she might respond to his nearness. The things his brother had shown him, the things he had heard. All those times, places, chances, opportunities literally handed to him on an open and willing plate, and he had been too blind to accept the gift offered by a misplaced sense of honour.

She had given him her trust, and he had repeatedly broken it or thrown it in her face. She had repeatedly saved his sorry ass, and he had not ever said thanks. She had sacrificed everything she had ever known or had, to see him happy. She had encouraged him every step of the way, and he had ridiculed her. How could he stand to even look at her and hope that she would forgive him? But then this was Kagome. Kagome, who had never held a grudge against anyone. Kagome who could not hate anyone. Kagome who had tried so hard to get him to understand that he was perfect just the way he was, hanyou...not ningen, and not youkai, just simply hanyou.

That was something that even Kikyou had never done, nor could she now. But that was no matter, for she was soon to get her wish. A wish that she would learn was not all it was cracked up to be.

"Kagome," the hanyou said softly, choking on the tears he was fighting and failing to hold back, "Onegai, come back to us. We all need you. You have committed no crimes, and have suffered for things that are not your fault. You were always there for us...for me. If anyone committed a crime, it was me."

By now the tears were freely flowing, not just from the eyes of the hanyou, but from all of her friends as well. Still holding her hand, Inuyasha turned to the others...

"You all need to know," he spoke softly, "that Naraku is dead. But it was not us who killed him, and in fact, we all were dead until just this morning."

All, except Sesshomaru, Kikyou, and Kagome, gasped in shock and a stunned silence filled the darkened clearing. They had all died? None of them had survived? How long ago had the battle taken place? Why were they still alive? Who had defeated Naraku?

"Tell them all, little brother," came the cold voice of the Taiyoukai. "Tell them who really defeated that vile filth, and who really killed you."

Hanging his head, the shame very much apparent, Inuyasha continued to inform his companions of what he learned.

"Kagome is the one who defeated him," he said, a catch in his throat. "She saw all of us die, and in a fit of rage, she purified him to hell, and completed the jewel. She, also, killed Kikyou, but not before the bitch was able to put one of her 'sacred' arrows through my heart. But she put one over on the evil soul of the jewel. She has made it so that it can't be sensed by those who desire the jewel for evil purposes. It is safe until the last wish can be made and it destroyed forever."

"She killed Kikyou? But why is she alive now? What happened to the jewel? Did she make a wish on it, and is that why we are all live? Those questions and more were coming from everyone at once, but Inuyasha sat patiently and waited for them to guiet down before he continued.

"Kagome was stabbed through the shoulder, and foot by Naraku's tentacles, another tore a gash in her right leg. Before the leg injury, she watched as the Saimyoushou killed Shippo, leaving her the last one standing on the battlefield, still faced with a horde of hell's insects and hundreds of lesser youkai all looking to take her life," Inuyasha explained.

"Her scream of anger," he continued, "released a wave of power that took out all of the extra youkai. That is why she has almost no voice. She must have damaged her vocal cords when she screamed. From what Sesshomaru showed me, she screamed loud enough to fill the entire battlefield with the echoing sounds for over five minutes.

Naraku suffered mortal wounds from the attack, but Kagome didn't give him the chance to use his shards of the jewel to heal. Despite her injuries, she walked right up to the bastard and grabbed him letting her anger take over once more, and a wave of pure compassion washed over the whole clearing, purifying not just Naraku, but all of the youkai remains, with the except of the few bones that we saw this morning that were covering the ground."

Inuyasha had to pause here. He knew he needed to tell his friend's everything. They had the right to the truth. All of it, but it was not easy to speak of it.

"She might have been alright, even then, except she came looking to find me. She found me on the verge of death, and tried to tell me that Naraku was gone, and the jewel completed. But whether it was delirium, or not, it was what I said that...that...h-h-h-ur-t her the most. Instead of being happy with her and proud of her bravery, I asked for Kikyou as I died," he brokenly spoke.

"She took it as my way of telling her that she had failed, because she had killed Kikyou, and not done something sooner to protect all of you, and me, too. She took all of the cruel words that I have said to her over the years, and her failure to protect everyone she cared about, as a series of crimes for which she was to be punished before she could die. She believes that she must suffer excruciating pain for every crime she believes she had committed against us...against me," he hung his head lower still, though he still held onto her hand.

"Her feet were already like they are now, when Sesshomaru found her, she offered herself to him many times, asking him to punish her by whatever means he saw fit. She apparently walked barefoot, all the way here from the battlefield, before her body gave out and she could not go any further," Inuyasha said.

"She thought that seeing her in pain, would please Sesshomaru, and that she was...is...unworthy of anything else. He did hurt her a couple of times, the first time she apologized for not screaming in pain long enough to please him before she passed out. The second time, she apologized for not having enough voice to scream. She even offered herself for further punishment for being the cause of his inner haori being covered in her blood, and torn to treat her injuries."

"But why are we all alive Inuyasha?" spoke up Shippo as an uncomfortable silence began to fill the air. "Did Kagome wish on the jewel?"

"Iie," he replied.

"He is correct," spoke up Sesshomaru surprisingly, to Inuyasha's relief. "The reason that you are alive, is because the jewel wished to help its Chosen Guardian. When I finally started to get enough information from Kagome, she made it known that she could hear the jewel talking to her. Later, I found out that it was the soul of Midoriko.

Suffice it to say that Midoriko felt that granting a wish to the Guardian was not too much to ask. The final wish for the jewel has not been used. Instead, because her heart and soul are so pure and her desire so unselfish, her greatest desire was granted. She had intended to wish you all back to life as the final wish on the jewel, with her last breath before death could claim her," said Sesshomaru.

"Kagome felt that bringing us all back, as she died," Inuyasha continued, "was something that would make us happy. She wanted us to all have the lives that she believed that we wanted the most. Sango, and Miroku to have love, a home, and a family. Shippo to find a mother and father worthy of his love. And me...me...she thought that...I...I wanted to have Kikyou."

Inuyasha would have continued, except that it was now that Kagome started to thrash and toss around. It was opening her wounds again, and blood she could little spare began to run, once again from her many injuries. Kaede, who was near the poor girl, quickly reached for her head.

"It is her fever. It came back," said the old miko. "That is what I feared the most. Unless we do something and do it soon, Kagome will not live long enough to see dawn's light break upon another morning."

Her hand held Inuyasha's in an almost vice like grip. Shippo moved back, unsure what was happening, trying hard not to show how afraid he was. Sango and Miroku tried to hold her still, but nothing seemed to work.

"Sesshomaru-sama," spoke up Kaede. "Onegai, do ye best to restrain her. She might calm for ye touch, as ye are her mate."

Sesshomaru quickly moved to Kagome's side, and pulled her into his lap. He gently, but firmly wrapped his arms around her, and despite the fact that her skin seemed to be almost on fire, he began to nuzzle and nip at his mark on her neck. It seemed to work, as she immediately began to calm. She calmed still more, when he began to softly growl to her, further soothing her.

Quickly, Kaede and Sango tended her wounds once again, but Kaede was most concerned about the amount of blood lost, and for the safety of the pup as well. She voiced her concerns to the Taiyoukai, who in turn tried to think of something that might help her.

Without a moment's thought or hesitation, he pick her up, and walked right into the lake before anyone could stop him, or even think to try. He carefully lowered her into the icy water, only enough to submerge her up to her waist. He didn't plan on staying in the chill waters more than a few moments, but hoped that it would help to bring her fever down, even just a little.

Her clothes were not an issue, as the women had removed them earlier to clean and dress her wounds. There had not been even a chance to clean them from the last incident, let alone put them back on the girl. Vaguely he heard Kaede give the houshi instructions to take Kirara, and go to the nearest village. There he would find the village miko and fetch more herbs for pain and fever, and more clothes and warm furs.

As the great neko youkai took off with the houshi to gather the items requested, a sudden and unexpected noise came from the nearby forest. Everyone tensed, not being sure what was coming. Soon as lithe, young figure came stumbling out of the dark, obviously it was a male, and a young one at that.

"Aneue?" came a soft voice from the boy, who now stood just inside the edge of the clearing, barely visible in the light of the fire.

"Kohaku?" Sango said hesitantly. "Kohaku, is that you? You are alive?"

She could not find more words to express her joy and surprise, and instead opted for running to the youth and grabbing him into a tight hug. It was not but a moment later that a small voice could be heard yelling out from around Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha-sama, Naraku had been defeated?" asked the all to familiar voice of his loyal vassal, Myoga the nomi (flea) youkai.

"Hai, Myoga," Inuyasha said sadly, much to the little nomi's surprise. "Kagome finished him off."

"Why so glum, my Lord," the nomi youkai asked. "Should you not be celebrating your victory over the vile hanyou?"

"Myoga," the hanyou paused, "Kagome is dying and we do not know what more to do for her."

Myoga looked around, and finally saw Sesshomaru coming out of the lake with Kagome held in his arms. She was shivering now from the cold of the water, but her fever seemed to have gone down for the moment at least. Sesshomaru walked over to the warm furs, and he lay Kagome down for a moment, and quickly despite everyone watching, removed his own now wet clothes. Laying them aside, he lost no time, pulling Kagome into his lap, and wrapping his tail and the warm furs around them both, to share his body heat with his mate.

Kaede understood his intent, and quickly took his clothes and set them aside for later cleaning. Myoga quickly hopped over, landed on Sesshomaru's shoulder and took a deep sniff to catch Kagome's scent.

"My Lord, how long has she been this badly wounded?" the little nomi asked.

"A least a week that we are able to determine. Most of the injuries are from Naraku's tentacles," spoke Sesshomaru, "her throat was badly damaged when she attacked his minions, and her feet from walking barefoot all the way here. One cut on her chest in my doing. But she has, also, resigned herself to being punished for perceived crimes against her friends, all of whom she saw die at the hands of that vile excuse for a hanyou, before she finally finished him off. She was looking for means to be punished with excruciating pain before she planned on death taking her, and with her last breath making the final wish on the Shikon no Tama."

Myoga had his full attention on Sesshomaru while he spoke. When Sesshomaru said nothing more, he asked, "You subjected her to your poison, did you not, my Lord?"

"Hai," Sesshomaru spoke with a bit less command in his tone. "A drop, early on when I believed that she was trying to fool me. That was before I learned the truth of what had occurred before she got to this clearing."

"You have mated her, and she bares your pup, does she not?" was Myoga's next question. In an almost unconscious gesture, Sesshomaru pulled Kagome closer to his chest, and a soft and gentle growl could be heard.

"Hai," stated the Youkai Lord, unashamedly.

"Have you completed the bonding ritual?" asked the old nomi.

Sesshomaru frowned in thought. This was the third time that something along those lines had been told to or asked of him. What was he missing? What were they all getting at? What ritual? Then it dawned on him. He had marked her, and by doing so had taken her blood binding himself to her. But he needed to give her some of his own blood to complete the bonding of mates. Or more precisely, soulmates!

"That ritual is only for those whose souls are perfect matches," he stated flatly. "What you speak of is only meant for soulmates."

"Precisely, my Lord," spoke up Myoga.

"Are you saying that Sesshomaru is Kagome's soulmate?" asked Inuyasha.

"Hai, my Lord," replied Myoga.

"That would make sense," said Sango.

"Hai, it would," agreed Kaede, who turned to Sesshomaru. "My Lord, of all of us, the only one that she had outwardly acknowledged in her current condition, has been Shippo, who she sees as her pup, and ye. Did ye not say, she spoke to ye, responding to your questions after ye found her?"

"Hai," was his simple reply.

"Some say that the power of youkai blood is strong, my Lord. Especially the blood of the Great Inuyoukai of the Western Lands. Use what means you have at hand, and you will not only heal her body, you will heal her mind, and save her soul," Sango said to the Youkai Lord.

That same phrase again. Had that been what the old miko, and Midoriko had been trying to tell him? That they were soulmates, and exchanging blood with her would help her to heal?

"My Lord, you must give her some of your blood," stated Myoga urgently. "It will complete the ritual, but it will also allow your strength and healing to help her. It is the only chance you have to save both your mate, and your pup."

"In her current state, she has not the strength to mark me," he stated still trying to comprehend that she was actually his soul match.

"She doesn't have to bite you, Sesshomaru," spoke up Inuyasha. "As long as she takes some of your blood, the ritual will be completed, and you will save her."

"Why, of all people," the Great Taiyoukai asked, "would you encourage this, knowing what it means to you?"

"I have been a baka for the last five years, brother," Inuyasha said with determination, "but I would be an even bigger fool to risk her life for my own selfishness. If she doesn't, she dies and there would be no Kagome for me to at least call friend and sister, or for me to apologize to, and do what I can to repay all that she tried to give to me. But if you help her, if you finish the ritual, then I have at least that much, and the time to try to make up for my stupidity. I owe her that and more."

Sesshomaru nodded his understanding and turned to Kagome. Quickly, he ran a clawed finger over one of his fangs cutting it open and letting it bleed. He tipped back Kagome's head bringing her face up so he could look at her still listless eyes. Gently he ran a clawed tip along her bottom lip, trying to encourage her to open her mouth so that he could give the dripping blood to her.

"Kagome," he spoke softly to her. "Kagome, drink!"

A small frown crossed her face, and for just a second her eyes seemed to focus on his face. He could see the question that she wanted to ask, but had no voice to say.

"It would give...." he paused, not wanting to admit to such feelings for others to hear, "....It would give me pleasure to see you drink. Take my blood, my mate...for me, for the pup you carry within you."

At the mention of a pup, all could clearly see a faint look of surprise cross the poor girl's face. Slowly, she opened her mouth, just enough for Sesshomaru to slip his finger inside and let the dripping blood run over her tongue. Instinct allowed her to swallow the warm fluid as it coated her tongue.

"A bit more, my koishi," Sesshomaru said. His world narrowed to just him and the feel of his mate in his arms, her tongue softly wrapped around his finger, weakly suckling of the life's blood that he offered to her. He kept his finger there, letting her take his blood, letting her have the gift that would help to heal her body, and bind him to her soul from now and beyond death.

A surge of warmth spread from her connection at his finger, up his arm and all through his body. It was a sensual feel, exhilarating, alluring, and desirable. He knew the pleasurable feel of tasting the blood of another, but this was something totally different. This time, he was giving the blood, and the sensation of her tongue, and warm mouth on his finger, suckling however gently, immediately left his blood on the verge of boiling, heat pooling in his loins, and his beast growling in the pleasure of the sensually intoxicated.

A gentle growl emanated from deep in his chest. While it soothed the young Miko in his arms, it also spoke to her of the lustful pleasure that she was imparting on the one who made the growl. She must have heard it clearly enough, it must have reached some deep recess in her otherwise listless mind, because her suckling became just a bit stronger, and she let her tongue softly move over his finger in a gentle caress.

It was not much, she had not strength to do more, but it was enough that the Youkai Lord noticed. His soft growl instinctively became more sensual, and filled with the pleasure that her actions aroused. The frown that had marked her face before, was replaced by a look of contentment, and peace. Someone was pleased because of something she did. She had not done something wrong, brought harm to another, or through her own inaction caused harm to anyone else. This time, she brought someone else happiness, and the lone thought brought her the first sense of peace she had felt in a very long time.

At the sound of someone approaching, all eyes turned only to see Kirara landing with Miroku. He had two large packages strapped to the neko's back and he quickly slip from her back, as Sango and Kohako ran over to help him with the packs.

"The old miko sent a lot of things. More warm furs and blankets, extra food, additional honey, more broth for Kagome, and a couple of tents, too," Miroku said. Seeing Sesshomaru holding Kagome, and his finger in the little Miko's mouth, he turned to ask Sango what he had missed. But she told him quietly that it was something for later, as she hurriedly carried one of the huge packages closer to the fire.

With Inuyasha's help, she got one of the two tents set up in short order, and they piled most of the soft furs inside. Shippo lent a hand to Miroku and Kohaku as they took care of the second package. While Miroku and Kohaku set up the second tent, Shippo fetch fresh water in the pot that came with this batch of supplies, and put it on to make tea for Kagome, and replenished the fire to keep away the chill night air.

"Taijiya," called Sesshomaru.

Sango turned to him with a small bow of respect. "Hai, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Directly to the west from here, is a small clearing. It is about an hour's walk. My ward, retainer, and Ah-Un are camped there," Sesshomaru began.

"If you like, my Lord," Sango broke in, "Shippo and I could go and bring them here for you."

"Arigato," was his only reply, as he stood up, letting the furs that he had been sitting on and covering Kagome with, slip to the ground. They had blood on them, from the last two times that Kagome had started bleeding again. They needed cleaning, and as there were fresh furs in the one tent, he didn't feel a need for clinging to the blood caked ones.

Miroku paused, getting an eyeful, only to have Sango, in passing to go to a waiting Kirara, smack him upside the back of the head for good measure.

"Eyes on what your hands are supposed to be doing, houshi-sama," she stated with a slight growl, only to hear two slightly stronger growls coming from Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

"Gomen nasai," was all the houshi could spit out, as he swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as a slight rush of fear crossed his features. Two sets of glowing red orbs, one filled with a look of promised pain, and the other filled with a look of promised death, sent unwelcome chills down the hentai houshi's spine. He quickly turned back to his task at hand, as Sesshomaru finished moving Kagome to the first tent.

With a blazing fire happily roaring just outside the entrance to the tent, which was slightly open to allow the heat of the fire to enter, it was soon quite cozy in the portable shelter. Kaede followed him and between the two, they soon had Kagome's wounds soothed in the healing salve to which Kaede had mixed a quantity of the honey, and rebandaged, and new poultices applied to the poor onna's feet.

That done, he sat her once again in his lap, and wrapped a warm fur about them both. Inuyasha brought him two cups, one with a rich broth and the other the herbal mixture for pain and fever. With his brother's help, Sesshomaru got Kagome to drink up both cups. With his blood now in her veins, something warm in her stomach, and warmly wrapped in her mate's embrace and warm furs, Kagome soon drifted off into peaceful slumber.

Sesshomaru lay on his side on a couple of the provided furs and pulled Kagome close to him, back against his chest. His arm snaked comfortably around her waist, and up so that his hand cupped one breast. Kaede, stayed long enough to lift Kagome's feet up, and place a cushion under her calves. This allowed her feet to remain suspended off the ground, and Sesshomaru wrapped one leg over hers, both locking the two together, and easing the weight of the covering furs from resting on her tortured feet.

He cast his senses around, despite the alert group outside, making sure that there was no immediate danger around them. Then he nuzzled into his mark, taking in her soothing scent, and let sleep claim him in peaceful slumber along side his soulmate.