Disclaimer: I don’t own anything Inuyasha
Authors Note: There will be sexual content and strong language in this story. If you are under age or are offended by any of this, please do not read this story.
Chapter One
I was tired. So very tired, but I had to keep fighting. If I gave up it would be over. I would die and my friends would all die for sure. I pressed on, fighting the burning in my lungs and the pain in my muscles. I dodged an attack from Kagura as I lined up my shot. Naraku had already absorbed his heart back into his body. We had managed to kill the rest of his creations; except for Kagura and Kanna. If I could just hit him in the right spot, this would all be over. I had only a few seconds before Kagura would come at me again. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up and knew I had to hit my mark now. I nocked an arrow, took aim and let it fly. The bright pink of my reiki haloed around the arrow as it flew straight for Naraku’s heart. My heart beat fast as I watched it fly and then I felt a rolling sickness in my belly as Naraku deflected it. His sneering smile made my skin crawl; his eyes stared at something above me. I looked up and knew I wouldn’t be able to move in time.
“Kagome! Get out of there!” Inuyasha yelled as he battled some of Naraku’s tentacles. My other companions were like wise engaged. None of them would be able to help me this time. I swallowed and made an effort to run. I heard Kagura yell her Dance of Blades attack and felt the wind before the blade. I felt the impact against my side, not what I was expecting. I felt a searing pain in my leg, but what had my attention now was something else entirely. Sesshomaru had me in his arms, spiriting me away from Kagura’s attack. What had my attention then was not the pain in my leg where one of her blades had cut me, nor the fact that Sesshomaru had saved me, but the fact that he had both arms. He looked down at me as he continued moving.
“Miko, I suggest if you cannot protect yourself, nor aid in this endeavor to defeat the hanyou; that you leave the battle field.” His voice was like ice against my skin as he set me from him. He had taken me to the outskirts of the field, having expected me to do as he said. He thought wrong. As I moved to enter the battle again his voice stopped me. “This Sesshomaru will not intervene in the event of your death again.” He turned from me and in the blink of an eye was attacking Kagura. Ignoring him I ran into the field. No one had noticed my return and that was a good thing. I had one arrow left. If I managed to wound Naraku; it would be easy to kill him. I heard a cry to my left. Sango was flung away from Naraku’s tentacles, Miroku stepped in front of her and opened his wind tunnel; despite the fact that Naraku’s poisonous insects littered the air. I had to act fast. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I ran as far into the fray as I dared. Kneeling in the dirt, I nocked my last arrow into place and aimed. Pouring as much reiki as I could into the arrow, I let it fly. The light surrounding it burned hot and white. Naraku saw it too late. The arrow hit to the left of my target, embedding deep in his shoulder. His angry eyes found mine and as he lifted one of his many tentacles, I knew I was a goner.
Two things happened at once. Inuyasha was in front of me with his Tetsusaiga drawn and Sesshomaru let fly his Dragon Strike. I heard Naraku scream and as the smoke cleared I could see him. The picture before me was grotesque. The left half of his upper body was gone and the rest of him was either singed or burned, thanks to the Dragon Strike. He summoned the Shikon Jewel’s barrier around himself and Kanna as he rose into the air.
“Until next time, Inuyasha.” Naraku said. Sesshomaru turned his back then with his signature ‘Hn’ and proceeded to leave. Naraku’s eyes widened a fraction. And I knew looking back and forth between Naraku and Sesshomaru what would happen. Almost before I knew what I was doing, I was moving toward Sesshomaru. Just as I reached him, one of Naraku’s tentacles pierced through my middle. My cry of pain ripped out of me as everything happened at once and in slow motion. Sesshomaru turned as I fell and caught me before I hit the ground. Inuyasha released his Wind Scar and I heard Naraku laugh as he rose higher in the sky and disappeared; Kanna and Kagura with him. Inuyasha turned to me, fear evident in his eyes; but of course he would never show it.
“What the hell were you thinking Kagome? That was a really stupid move!” his angry voice grating against the splitting headache that had formed behind my eyes.
“Kagome!” Miroku and Sango yelled together as they made it to my side. I was starting to fade in and out. My sight dotted with black spots. Sesshomaru said as much.
“The girl needs a healer. She is fading.” I felt my self being lifted, every motion agony within my already pain filled body.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Inuyasha yelled. I could hear the others protesting too, but I couldn’t really make it out.
“As this Sesshomaru has said, the girl needs a healer.” I could feel the rumble of Sesshomaru’s voice in his chest as he spoke.
“I will take her. You don’t need to…” I could no longer hear what was being said and I started to feel cold. It stared in my toes and fingers spreading up my legs dn arms. I felt the sensation of moving very fast as I finally lost consciousness.
As I floated through the grey-black mist, I noticed all the pain in my body was gone. I tried to move my limbs, but they were too heavy to lift; weighted down by an unseen force. My fingertips touched something cool and wet. Suddenly my body was submerged in icy black water. The cold shocked my body and stole my breath. I managed to steal some air back before the dark waters closed over my head. I struggled to swim, to push my sinking body back to the surface; but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move my arms or legs. My lungs began to burn for air and as my panic rose; I heard a voice in my head.
‘Relax young Miko. Let yourself drift.’ The voice was female, and echoed with a soft quality in my mind. Was this woman crazy? I couldn’t breathe, I was going to drown. ‘Kagome, you cannot drown. You cannot die in this place.’ The voice said again. My lungs stopped their burn for oxygen and I found that I could move my limbs. Pushing with all my might, I swam upwards and broke the surface of the fridged black water. ‘Come ashore Miko.” The voice spoke again. Turning I saw a shore line in the distance. A woman was standing at the water’s edge, but she was too far away for me to see the details of her face. I began to swim as the fear of what lurked beneath me in the water kicked in. As I reached the shore I could see the woman had long black hair, much longer than my waist length locks. Hers almost touched the ground, but the midnight black color was the same as mine. Her skin was grey as well as her yukata. I couldn’t tell the color of her eyes. As I reached the sand bank and continued my journey out of the water on foot, I noticed that her eyes, like everything else in this strange world; the sand, the grass beyond the beach and even the trees and sky were all varying shades of grey and white.
‘Welcome Kagome. I am Midoriko.’ The woman said softly. I stopped on the shore line, thinking that she should look more like a warrior priestess. I swear my heart stopped for a moment as her words sunk in. Shock and fear overwhelmed me. If this was Midoriko and I was standing before her then…then I must be dead too. Midoriko laughed, the tinkling sound echoing in my head. My eyes jumped to her face and I frowned. I could still hear her laughter in my head, yet her lips did not move, her mouth was not open. She smiled at me.
‘Kagome you are not dead. Not yet and neither am I. I cannot pass beyond this limbo until the Shikon no Tama is destroyed.’ I stood in the sand freezing from my swim in the black water. My jeans and t-shirt clung to me uncomfortably as I tried to understand her.
“But you’ve been dead the better part of a thousand years.” my voice sounding harsh in the otherwise silent world.
‘My body yes, but my soul still battles the demon’s in the Shikon Jewel.’ A sad smile graced her lips as she spoke.
“Then if I am not dead, where am I?” I asked. This couldn’t be heaven and it certainly seemed to calm to be hell.
‘You are in limbo, the world between worlds. There is no sound here for the trapped and dead souls. You are still alive, that is why you can speak. This place is where we will have our future talks.’ She said as she turned to walk up the beach to the grassy bank. I notice that I was no longer cold or wet. Looking down I saw that my wet t-shirt and jeans were replace with a white yukata. ‘You’re welcome.’ Midoriko said. Midoriko stopped below the low hanging branches of a cherry tree. I hurried to catch up to her and we sat in the grass as she continued.
‘You have many battles to fight yet young Miko. There will be much death and destruction before the hanyou Naraku is destroyed.’ Midoriko paused and searched my face for something. I wasn’t sure what she was looking for. ‘My battle is almost at an end. If the Jewel is not purified and destroyed soon, it will turn evil. My strength is diminished in the hands of one such as him.’ Midoriko looked out over the black lake; her face took on a wistful look. I followed her gaze and saw the grey-black outline of massive gates.
“Is that the afterlife?” I asked. She turned back to face me.
‘The gates to it.’ Midoriko whispered. She raised her grey eyes to my brown ones and her face turned serious. ‘Kagome, you will not die. You are too important to lose just yet. The Kamis’ are placing you within the protection of another, one much better suited to you. He will protect you and teach you the art of war. You must learn from him Kagome. Your very life depends on this.’
“But Inuyasha protects me and I can defend myself.” I protested. Her eyes turned soft.
‘Kagome, your time with Inuyasha is at an end, you must understand this. When the final battle is over, he will chose Kikyou, as he was always meant to. No matter how much you think you love him, nor his affection for you.’ She touched my hand and I knew that my hurt could be seen on my face. It wasn’t that I hadn’t known he would choose Kikyou, but I had held out a little hope. Traveling with someone you thought you loved to the moon and back for almost seven years; it hurt a little to know that it was not to be.
“Who will protect me then?” I asked. Certainly Sango and Miroku counted as protectors. Midoriko’s mouth thinned and she hesitated to speak. I knew that I would not like what she would say next.
‘Lord Sesshomaru will be your protector now. He will train you. Your spiritual powers are wild and untamed. Your ability with the bow has improved, but is nowhere near what a priestess of your caliber should be. Kagome you must learn from Sesshomaru. The Kamis’ can only provide you with the choice; you must be the one to decide to take it.’ She grasped my hand harder and I knew that what she said next would be unpleasant. ‘Kagome, if you do not do this you will fail to kill Naraku and the world will be plunged into a never ending darkness. The world needs you to defeat the hanyou.’ I knew it. I knew that even ‘given the choice’ I had none. Sesshomaru would never agree to this. I would never learn from him. Naraku had already won. I said as much.
“Sesshomaru will never agree to that. The only thing he hates more than humans is his brother. He will never do it.” I spoke softly, wondering what she would say. Midoriko shook her head.
‘He will not have the choice. The Kamis’ have already bound him to you. When you wake, it will be difficult to be parted. The longer and farther apart you are the more painful and difficult it will be to maintain the distance between you. It will be painful for both of you, more so for him since he is much stronger than you. The bond will remain in place until the finale battle is over and this foul evil is destroyed.’ Midoriko smiled and released my hand, ‘When you wake, you will begin your training.’ I frowned.
“My wounds were very severe. It would take weeks of healing just to be able to function normally. It would take longer than that for me to be able to start training.” I said.
‘Kagome, time passes much slower here. Weeks have already passed in your world. Your powers are speeding your healing even as we speak. Your wounds will be healed when you wake.’ I saw a look of strain pass over her features and then she looked at me with sorrow. ‘I must go now. I have expanded much of my energy to keep you here.’ Midoriko began to fade from view and soon I sat alone in the grey-black world of the in between. I heard her voice in my head again. It sounded far away and much weaker.
‘Wake up, Kagome.’ She whispered and then I felt the pull. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it did not feel wonderful either. It felt like a tugging in my heart. My vision swam and I felt myself fading. I found myself drifting through the grey-black mist again, but this time I could hear voices around me. I could hear Kaede leave the hut and Sango settle on the dirt floor beside me. I was jolted back into my body and felt my limbs jerk. I heard a gasp and turned my head toward Sango. I tried to open my eyes and failed.
“Kagome? Kagome are you…can you hear me?” Sango asked. I tried again to open my eyes and succeeded. My vision was blurry, but after a moment I could make out Sango’s face, worry etched in her every feature.
“I am okay Sango.” My voice was scratchy and rough from disuse. I saw her face fill with relief and she hurried to the door of the hut.
“Miroku! Inuyasha! Kaede, Kagome is awake!” she yelled. She came back to the side of my cot and took my hand. “How do you feel?” she asked. I took a moment and did an inventory of my body. My middle was still sore and my muscle ached with every movement from lying in one position for so long.
“Sore, but I am okay. How long was I out?” I asked. Midoriko had said that time past faster in the world of the living. Sango sighed.
“Kagome, you’ve been asleep for almost six weeks. We thought you weren’t going to make it.” Her eyes filled with tears. I was shocked to say the least. I hadn’t expected it to be so long. I moved to sit up and Sango immediately helped me into a sitting position. I lifted my soft grey night shirt to look at my middle. The skin was still healing, but other than the raised pale pink skin around the wounds edge, there was no evidence that I was ever injured. I felt the tugging on my heart again. It was more intense this time and I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn’t take my weight. I tried again, but Sango put a staying hand on my arm.
“Kagome you shouldn’t be up yet. You are still weak.” She spoke softly and tried to help me back into bed. I grabbed her hand.
“Sango, I need to go outside. Now.” I said. She searched my face for a moment and then nodded. Probably realizing that I would try to get up again on my own. Sango helped me up out of the cot and we made our way slowly out the door.I was thankful someone had thought to put me in my black night shorts as well. I felt the warmth of the sun seep into my skin as my eyes searched the surrounding hills and tree line for him. I could feel his presence through the bond almost before I sensed his direction. I found him standing under the Goshinboku. Sesshomaru looked toward my direction before he turned and disappeared into Inuyasha’s Forest. When I could no longer see him, the tugging became painful and a hot burning sensation started in my belly. I gasped, not expecting it to have been this intense. At that moment Inuyasha and Miroku arrived, Kaede lagging behind. I saw both relief and worry on their faces.
“What the hell are you doing Kagome? You shouldn’t be out of bed yet!” Inuyasha yelled.
“He is right Lady Kagome. You seem to still be in pain.” Miroku said as he came to help Sango in supporting me. The pain intensified and I cried out.
“Damn it Sango! Why’d you let her get up?” Inuyasha shouted. I breathed through the pain.
“Stop it Inuyasha. It’s not her fault. It is not my wound that pains me.” I whispered as I leaned against Miroku, who was now taking the brunt of my weight.
“What is it that ails you Lady Kagome?” Miroku asked. I didn’t know if I should say what was going on or not. The decision was taken out of my hands as another wave of burning pain coursed through me to settle in my belly. I gasped as the pain started to recede and the burning stopped. Kaede had made the rest of her journey by then and stood in front of me. She felt around my belly and shoulders, poking and prodding tender flesh.
“Ye wounds are healed Kagome. There are no new wounds on ye, so what is the cause of this pain?” she asked concern showing in her aged features.
“I…it’s the…”I started to tell them all that Midoriko had told me when I felt him through the bond. It was subtle brush of his power against mine. I knew he was returning before I saw him come through the tree line. His usual stoic expression was gone, I could not see his face; but I could feel his anger through the bond. Midoriko had said nothing about that. It was rolling off him in waves, making my throat thick with fear. At that point Inuyasha and the others sensed his presence as well.
“What the hell dose that bastard want now?” Inuyasha said as he bounded up the hills to meet his half-brother. Miroku handed me to Sango and took off after Inuyasha, to help or intervene I would never know.
“What is Inuyasha talking about?” I asked Sango and Kaede. They looked at each other.
“Sesshomaru has lingered around the village since he brought you here. He has not left the vicinity except for today.” Sango answered me. I was surprised, but Kaede explained before I could ask why.
“It is his honor. Ye saved his life and so he is in ye debt. I suspect he lingered incase ye were to succumb to the land of the dead, that he could revive ye with his Tenseiga.” Kaede explained. Her reasoning was sound I had to admit, but I knew the truth. He couldn’t leave me without experiencing excruciating pain…on both our parts.
“No that’s not why he is here. I know why though.” I said to them as Kaede took Miroku’s place at my side. The two women helped me to stand straighter and it was then that I felt, dare I say, surprise through the bond with Sesshomaru. I spoke a little louder. “I know why he is here.” I knew that he had heard me the last time, but he could not ignore that everyone knew he heard me this time. I saw across the field as he stood in front of Inuyasha that he held himself tensely and I knew that he wanted to fight with his half-brother. Yet I presented a much better opportunity, a chance to get answers as to why he had lingered near while I had been in Limbo. All eyes shifted to me when I remained silent. I shivered as his eyes meant mine. His gaze was cold and I blinked after a few moments. In the blink of an eye he was before me and Kaede and Sango shifted me slightly to the rear. He stood in front of me, glaring down from his towering height.
“You will tell this Sesshomaru what you know Miko.” His baritone voice was filled with ice and the promise of death if I did not comply.
“If you would come inside Lord Sesshomaru, there is much to tell that I think we all need to hear.” I swallowed. I didn’t need the bond to know that he was irritated. I could see it in his eyes and the tick that had started in his jaw. He gave a barely perceivable nod of his head and stepped back away from me and my human crutches. We started to turn when Inuyasha appeared and lifted me into his arms. At one time, before my near death experience, this would have thrilled me. Now I was just relived I didn’t have to embarrass myself by hobbling back into the hut. Inuyasha carried me into Kaede’s hut and place me back on my cot and then settled on the foot of said cot, expectantly waiting. The other’s followed in after that. I noticed for the first time that Shippo was not here.
“Where is Shippo?” I asked. The answer came in the form of the Western Lord entering Kaede’s small hut.
“The Kitsune has taken to playing with Rin in the clearing. Jaken and Ah-un are with them. No harm will come to those under this Sesshomaru’s protection.” He spoke emotionlessly. I nodded and looked around the hut. Everyone was staring at me and it was making me kind of nervous.
“Well come on Kagome! Tell us what you know.” Inuyasha said impatiently. I sent a glare in his direction.
“I guess I should start from the beginning. Well, after I passed out I technically died.” I heard a gasp from Sango and I stopped and put my hand on hers before I continued. “I was in limbo and there I met Midoriko. She told me that the final battle is near. She told me many things and one of them was that the Kamis’ were placing me in the protection of another.” I was interrupted, rudely this time, by Inuyasha.
“The hell you are. I protect you Kagome.” He yelled.
“Inuyasha,” I sighed, “Midoriko told me that my time with you as my protector was at an end. She told me that the one who will protect me now, will teach me how to protect myself as well. “I looked around the small hut, keeping my eyes from meeting Sesshomaru’s.
“I can teach you, Kagome. Sango and Miroku can too. Hell even Kaede can teach you to use your bow and arrow, even your spiritual powers.” Inuyasha said.
“Ye will leave me out of this Inuyasha. The Kamis' have said Kagome will learn and be protected by another. It would be wise for Ye to accept this and leave it alone.” Kaede spoke from her spice table.
“Aw shut up you old hag.” He pouted.
“Inuyasha.” I said and I saw his eyes widen, but I woudn’t ‘sit’ him just yet. With a sulking look he stuffed his hands in his sleeves and turned to look out the window. I continued on. “She also said that there would be much more death and destruction before we would be able to kill Naraku. That everything hinged on my learning from my new protector. She said if I didn’t…we would fail and the whole world would become evil.” I stopped and waited for the most obvious question, but the silence continued. Everyone was staring at me and waiting for me to speak again, when I didn’t Miroku spoke up.
“So who then will be your protector if not Inuyasha?” I swallowed thickly, and took a breath. This was not going to be easy.
“Sesshomaru.” I finally got the nerve to say. The room was oddly silent for a moment before everyone, save for Kaede and Sesshomaru, erupted with something to say.
“The hell he will! Sesshomaru hates humans Kagome! You’ve been sitting here telling us about some crazy dream you had! Sesshomaru will never protect you!” Inuyasha was yelling.
“Kagome, I do not mean to doubt you, but Inuyasha is right. Are you sure that this was in fact Midoriko you spoke to?” Miroku was saying. Inuyasha was still yelling and Sango put a questioning hand on my knee.
“Are you sure about this Kagome?” She was saying. It was hard to think with Inuyasha’s shouting and Miroku and Sango both trying to talk to me. A headache was forming behind my eyes and I could feel through the bond Sesshomaru’s mounting anger. I cast my eyes to his form discreetly, but I saw no out ward sign of his anger.
“Shut up Inuyasha!” I yelled, that quieted everyone and returned the room to silence. “Don’t you think I said that? I told her this would never work, but she insisted.” I looked at the ground before I spoke next, afraid that my next words would be my last. “Sesshomaru doesn’t have a choice and neither do I. The Kamis’ have bound us together. That is why he has been here this whole time. The Kamis’ bound us almost as soon as I…well technically died.” I heard movement and I watched as Sesshomaru rose and moved toward the door.
“This Sesshomaru is not under any beings control and you, Miko are not under my protection.” His voice was cold as he exited the hut. I could feel him move away from the hut at a leisurely pace. The pain would start soon, as he began to put more distance between us quickly.
“Sesshomaru doesn’t have a choice, but to remain near me.” I said, “If he tries to leave, it will put us both in to excruciating pain, him more than me because he is stronger.” I could feel the pain start and I breathed through it. The burning rolled through me and settled in my belly. I was starting to shake with it and Sango helped me to lie on my cot. If it hurt this much on my end, how much pain was Sesshomaru experiencing now?
“That bastard!” Inuyasha yelled before he ran out the door. I hoped that Sesshomaru would come back, even though I was fairly sure he wouldn’t. I just wanted the pain to stop. I lay on my soft cot and concentrated on breathing in and out. In and out. After some time I noticed the pain lessening, before it finally subsided. Once again I felt him through the bond before I sensed his presence. He entered Kaede’s hut and stared coldly at me. His body language was tense and foreboding as he glared at me.
“Miko, it would seem that you are right. However reluctantly so, this Sesshomaru will remain here in Inuyasha’s Forest until I destroy Naraku and the bond is broken.” He spoke in his trademark emotionless voice and made to leave the hut. I rose up on my elbows, panic setting in.
“Lord Sesshomaru, that won’t work. Midoriko said that…” I found myself lying flat on my cot with one of Sesshomaru’s hands around my neck, cutting off my words.
“As this Sesshomaru has said before, he will not be ordered by any being. Least of by the likes of one such as you. This Sesshomaru dose no wish to put himself in undue discomfort and is the sole reason to remain near you. Make no mistake Miko, if there is no way out of this bod with you, this Sesshomaru will kill you to free himself.” he released me after he spoke and turned to leave the hut. My companions and I sat in shocked silence after that. I hoped that Midoriko and the Kamis’ knew what they were doing. As of right now I was sure I was right in that Naraku had already won. I hoped Midoriko had a miracle up her sleeve, because short of anything else, that would be it took for Sesshomaru to fall into his role as my protector and train me. We were certainly doomed.
“Kamis’ help us.” I whispered.
Author’s Note: I really hoped you liked the first chapter in my new story. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. And I hope to have another chapter for this story as well as another chapter of A Real Good Man up soon. Thanks for reading! BittersweetLady