Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Revenge Brings ❯ Chapter 23: Recovery ( Chapter 23 )

A/n: Here’s to hoping you had a Merry Christmas!

*What Revenge Brings*

By: Kage Otome (Shadow Maiden)

Chapter 23: Recovery

His claret eyes watched over her, nervously. He was afraid---afraid didn’t even begin to cut it. He was terrified. Her body was covered in bruises, in wounds and lacerations. He was so scared of losing her, he was so scared he, for a single moment forgot his guilt. The guilt he felt for having been caught off guard and captured, then being used as a bargaining chip. He knew she would never let him down, he depended on her to save him and she did but at what price.

Staring down at her beautiful, motionless body a single tear fell hitting her cheek--the price to pay for his safe return was too much. Kaede didn’t know when or even if she would wake up again. He remembered he was the last one to see her awake, the pain was so clear in her gold eyes. She fought for him with a slim to no chance of winning considering he had disabled her from using her abilities. She fought because she cared. She wasn’t as cold as they all thought. Kun bowed his head to hide the tears.

She’d want him to be strong. But he just didn’t care anymore. As tears fell from his eyes striking her skin, he never noticed the twitching of her hand as she began to gain some level of consciousness. There was only one thing running through his mind at that moment.

‘Don’t leave me...’

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It had been a week since Kagome had fallen into a comatose state, her wounds were still repairing themselves. Let’s just say she had gained further respect by not cheating, abiding by the rules set out and winning none the less. No one had expected her to win, not even herself. They knew however she was determined to. She cared too much for Kun to allow him to die in Naraku’s clutches. But she had still not awaken.

Hiten and Bankotsu were beginning to worry. She was almost completely healed. She should’ve awakened. But she didn't. When consulting Kaede they were informed Kagome had rarely taken on her true form having never needed to before. It took her a lot of energy to maintain that form and control herself from turning around and killing everyone else. The only thing that stopped her blood lust from taking over was her control, and her feelings. Whatever they may be.

They were also informed of the damage done to her mind by seeing Naraku again, in person. It might have brought back more memories she suppressed resulting in a mental break down. Kaede informed them that in the mind anything was possible. Including death. If one believed one was dying, if they convinced themselves enough that they were dying they may die in real life. Of course those cases were rare. Very rare.

They both knew she was strong. She should’ve had no problem waking no matter how much energy she used--she’d never had any problems before. Sure it was only for a little while but she still got up if only to make sure the rest of them were all right. Bankotsu and Hiten weren’t the only one’s worried Kun and Kagome’s subordinates were extremely fidgety this past week trying to figure out what was wrong and why she hadn’t gotten up yet.

“I’d hate to break the news to ye.”

“What?” Kougaiji asked quietly.

“She has a better chance of dying, then waking.”

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The wind blew through his soft green hair, as his wine colored eyes closed to hide the emotions that ripped through him. He heard the news that Kaede had brought, it wasn’t good. His arms lay down at his side, his face contorted, eye brows furrowed, jaw clenched, he was doing all in his power to keep his tears from falling. Why did he have to be so weak? How come he couldn’t protect himself? Why did she come, he told her not to? He knew the answer---because she cared about him. That thought filled him with warmth. She didn't care about many people, but she honestly cared about him.

He sighed, his voice filled with pain as he tried to shove his guilt down. None of this was going to help make her better. Not that there was much he could do anyway. He was a seer, not a healer, even if he had the abilities to heal, he couldn’t heal any mental damage done to her after seeing Naraku, face to face, in person again after all these years. All contact had been via the seeing glass or through other communication techniques. Who knows if the years of torture she went through came rushing back, but she just hid it, pretending seeing him didn't affect her when he knew that it did on some level.

Mental, emotional damage was the hardest to ever recover from. And she suffered through years of not only both of those, but physical abuse. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend her pain, he only went through a fraction of what she had. Not to mention, she was a child when she was captured. The things they’d done to him in that short span of time were forever imprinted in his mind. How she ever survived it all without going insane was beyond him. He imagined, that her mind was torn to shreds and it had taken years to repair, she was probably still repairing it, along with her heart, that is if they would ever heal completely. Probably not.

He had a taste of the pain she went through, they did unspeakable things to him, his eyes darkened at just the thought. He could still feel the whips, the burns, he could feel every moment of torment he went through and he was only there for three and a half days at most. Most of his wounds were healed now, but his mind was still in turmoil. His heart was aching for not only her but himself.

How selfish was he thinking about his own pain and guilt? He should be focusing on her. Staying by her bed waiting for her to waken. And she would wake up. She wants her revenge to bad to die---she was a fighter, she would get through this someway, somehow. He nodded to himself firmly before turning and walking toward the infirmary, his beige trench coat billowing behind him, exposing his bare chest and tan colored, leather pants.

She would survive.

She had too.

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Kaede sighed softly, brushing a strand of hair behind Kagome’s ear. Tracing the soft contours of her face she prayed silently for her charge to get better. She considered Kagome the daughter she never had. If only things had been different, she knew that Kagome would be the kindest ruler hell had ever seen simply because as a child, before the treachery of Kikyo and torture Naraku inflicted, she was as innocent as a dove, but now she was just as wise, just as quick, and calculating as a serpent. But you know how the saying goes...

‘Innocent as a dove you will harm no one, but wise as a serpent no one will harm you.’ (Haug)

She had learned that lesson the hard way, she toughened herself up, made herself a whole new person. What she believed to be a strong person, but Kaede knew by hiding, suppressing her emotions she was just inhibiting herself from her true potential. And what potential she had---If only, she let herself feel openly. Feelings were great strengths, but Kaede knew, they could also lead to one’s downfall. Like it had to Jigoku’s. He had let his feelings cloud his judgment in going to Kagome and Yura and because of that Yura died and Kagome was broken.

But if Kaede knew one thing about Kagome---

She was a Survivor.

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She wondered where she was and why it was so dark. She had been wandering around this place for days or what she assumed was days, it was so well boring. Having nothing to do, she didn’t think it was to odd at first when she wasn’t hungry or thirsty, or even have to use the bathroom, but she didn’t know how much time had truly passed. For all she knew it could’ve been an hour, a day...But eventually she would’ve gotten the urge to do something. But she didn’t. It was different in this inky blackness, it was as if her problems melted away.

Sighing, she sat down, well, more like floated around in this dark bubble that must’ve been her mind. There was no other explanation for it. Suddenly her mind was assaulted with more images, of her and Kun, Hiten, Bankotsu---of them all. Startled she jerked back almost instinctively. She thought she sorted through the mess that was her mind a while back---in other words by forcefully slamming shut the door to the part of her mind where the bad memories lay. Bared it, chained it, reinforced it with spells. But these memories, they were different. Happy even, these were times when she felt content.

“Kagome...”

Kagome jerked up wondering who else was there.

“Please, I don’t know if you can hear me, but if you can, please get up...We all miss you---we don’t know what we’ll do without you. Please---I’ll do anything, I’ll even give you my stash of Pocky. Just please....Don’t die on us now.”

“Naraku still lives, you haven’t fulfilled your vengeance, or taught me how to fight with a whip properly. We haven’t told you so much, we haven’t taught you what we wished to, we haven’t made you laugh yet We... We love you, Kagome, we know you care about us, we know you have a good heart you just don’t like to show it. You still have so much to do, so much to live for...”

Kagome grimaced. All she lived for was revenge....wasn’t it?

“We need you...”

They need me...

Blurry amber eyes fluttered open to stare into shocked green ones.

“What was that about Pocky?” Kagome smirked trying to lighten the mood.

“Kagome...!”

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A/n: Well---that was kind of a pointless chapter. But it will come into play later, well, at least part of it. Review!