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Ripples in Time	By : Waterunleashed Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 7625 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
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- 2
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Chapter 2: The Cost of Kindness

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or the Characters from the Merry Gentry series. Nor do I make any money from this story. My only profit is the satisfaction of getting this story out of my head and onto paper.

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I was too late to be any help in the battle. Out of breath I kept pushing myself further even though his opponents were leaving. I had to believe he was still alive. He was Sesshomaru, the Killing Perfection; he was the embodiment of a warrior.

It wasn’t inconceivable that he was defeated, as strong as he was I have seen him retreat from battle. But, I didn’t feel his aura retreat this time. I felt it fade. I didn’t dare search for his aura, his enemies were still too close and if he could not kill them I did not want to be found.

My lungs hurt and my throat burned as I continued through the forest, trees around me were showing signs of damage, some were struck by lightning, a few were broken. As I continued forward the damage became worse. I slowed my pace and tried to catch my breath. In the distance the band of demons were moving away. I could feel them now, they were a clan of some sort, and their powers so similar it was difficult to pick them out, I still couldn’t count how many there were.

I stopped running and looked down at the first body. It was the size of a large bear. The dead creature was on its back, its large mouth open as if it dies screaming. Rows of razor sharp teeth glistened with blood. The creature seemed to be covered in fur.

There were a few more on the ground just past the first. I was right they were all the same type of demon. I scanned the broken area of the forest, felled trees formed a disheveled clearing, bodies were everywhere, over twenty that I could make out.

Slowly I picked my way through the battlefield, notching my arrow I moved past corpses, their bellies ripped open, blood and other things, things that smelled like meat were lying all over the ground. The air was thick with the copper scent of blood and meat. But under that it smelled like an outhouse and death. I forced myself to take in shallow breaths.

It was always like this after so much carnage and you had a choice of two evils. Breathe through your noise and smell the stomach turning stench or breathe through your mouth and taste it. I did not need this taste in my mouth. It was one thing I was looking forward to. My safe future it was a time without battles and blood and death.

Something brushed against my aura. I jumped and turned toward the source. It flickered at the edge of the field. I scanned the field, it was almost a new moon and the sliver of light was barely enough to see anything in the distance. I picked my way over the bodies, fallen trees and gouges in the earth.

He was kneeling in a pool of blood, bodies of his enemies almost piled around him. His silver hair was almost black with blood and hung in a thick heavy curtain covering his face and his front. I would have missed him in my search if it wasn’t for his faint aura, flickering like a flame fighting the wind. He was covered in blood from head to toe it seemed. The pool of blood around him seemed deep.

A drop of blood trembled on the tip of one claw as his hand remained limp around Tenseiga, which was buried into the ground in front of him. The drop fell, like a crimson tear, into the blood. It sent small ripples outward. My bow and arrow slipped from my fingers as I ran toward him. The earth was soft under my feet, splattering blood and dirt onto my clothes but I didn’t care.

‘Don’t die,’ Tenseiga pulsed as I knelt down into the pool of warm blood. My stomach rolled as I sank into the puddle and my jeans soaked up the blood almost as if it were greedy for it. I pushed the thought away and took off my back pack, my trusty yellow backpack was about to be ruined. I placed it beside us close enough that the first aid kit was at hand. I didn’t think a simple first aid kit was going to save him, but it had to.

His hair blocked my view of him; all I could see was his limp hand. I was so pale underneath all that blood. Slowly I reached out to the curtain of hair; it was so heavy with blood. I moved part of it away from his face and gasped.

Claws had raked down the left side of his face leaving it a red ruin from his forehead to chin. His left eye was gone, a gory hole in his face where blood and other fluids flowed. His crescent moon was cut in half. I forced myself to look lower for other wounds. His armor seemed to be missing except the shoulder piece of spikes. They had shredded his haori and the flesh it had protected. His chest looked as if someone had tried to tear out his heart. Bone glistened in the light and though the image would haunt me forever I was relieved that his ribcage was intact.

I looked lower. His pants were torn in several places, soaked in blood. I could tell if the blood was from the wounds above or if there were more wounds. Had they cut the femoral artery? I quickly pushed his bloody hair over his should and search his thighs for wounds. There wasn’t time to waste on dignity, I pulled my scissors from the outside pouch and cut the pants at the thighs so that I could see the wounds.

Lacerations covered his legs; they had tried to cripple him. I put the scissors on the top of the bag and searched the sides of his thighs for any deep wound. His skin was soft and warm under my hands as I moved them along his muscled flesh. My hands brushed a few shallow wounds. They either didn’t know what the artery was or couldn’t reach it.

I moved my hand up to his neck and searched for a pulse, his aura was so faint I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t a remnant of him clinging to his blade; the sword was the sword of life. He pulse was unsteady under my fingers but it was there. Sighing in relief I stood and tried my best to ignore the feeling of my jeans clinging to my skin.

I walked around to his unprotected back. They had tried for his heart from behind as well. And again they were stopped, his rib cage was intact. Why? It didn’t matter at the moment, there was a black spot the size of a fist on his right lower side. Once again I knelt in the pool and pulled back the remnants of his haori. An acrid stench wafted up from the large hole in his right side; someone had punch through his side. A sob tried to spill from my lips. I swallowed the traitorous sound, if I cried I wouldn’t be able to help him.

Just above the waist of his hakamas his tail was soaked in the blood running down ih back. The long appendage was curled around him soaked in so much blood it was almost lost in the darkness. How many things had bled out around him to make so much blood? How much of it was his?

Through all of my examination, Sesshomaru was so still under my touch. They could’ve killed him. If they went this far they should’ve killed him. Why didn’t they finish the job? Their auras were leaving the edge of my range, why had they retreated? It didn’t matter right now I had to focus on the wounds. This hole seemed to be the worst of the injuries so I would start here.

I had to close my eyes so I couldn’t see the mess of they had made of him in order to concentrate enough to call forth my healing powers. The warmth was easy to find now it slid down into my hands quickly. Unlike my purification powers I always wanted this ability and therefore once I was able to find it was like second nature to use them. Still, I wouldn’t be able to heal all of this damage.

I opened my eyes and moved my hands over the wound; it took both of my hands to cover it entirely. The light blue glow was already building in my hands, it lit his entire back up in the soft lit. My eyes burned with unshed tears, there wasn’t a part of his back that wasn’t untouched where claws and blades hadn’t hacked at him there were blisters and blackened skin.

The tears fell in hot trails down my cheeks. I pushed the blue light into the hole and kept pushing more in until it filled the void. The energy played against the edges of the wound I could feel every laceration. Many organs were torn apart so I focused on them first. The energy built inside him pulling together the torn flesh and knitting it together.

Tenseiga pulsed; its energy brushed against my own and helped me reform the missing parts. I felt a small organ form from nothing inside of him. They had removed something from his side, an organ humans didn’t possess. Tenseiga was helping me, guiding my power to heal him. In that moment it didn’t matter that he was a demon and I was a miko. Healing energy was made to heal it didn’t have prejudices against race.
Muscles and skin formed in the blue light around the healed organs until the skin under my hands was smooth to the touch. The light spread out from my hands to cover his back and quickly began to rebuild his body, the charred flesh turned pink and muscles flowed over his exposed bone. I watched the skin cover the wounds and pulled back the energy into myself.

I wouldn’t be able to heal everything it took to much from me to rebuild his body and I wanted to save the energy for his face, his beautiful face. I closed my eyes I didn’t want to go back and look at the ruin of his face, the whole where his golden eye should be.

I looked around us again. There was no other life in the clearing there was so much carnage. Why? Why had they attacked him? Why didn’t they kill him but only maim him and leave him for death? I didn’t recognize the kind of demon they were. Perhaps they were from the continent. Did the follow Celeste across the sea? Was this a consequence of my tampering or was I tampering with time now?

I was stalling and it was right of me. There was dry earth not far behind us; I could move him out of this pool of blood before I began to work. I stood up and bit my lip. Moving him was a good idea but, how? His back was healed if I link my arms under his shoulders I could drag him, or I could fail and make us both fall. No he was better off where he was until he could move by himself.

Slowly I walked back around to his front; even kneeling with his head hung low he came up to my shoulders. Reluctantly I knelt in the pool to blood again. It was beginning to cool and I wanted to be out of here before it was cold. The stench of death was beginning to overpower the sweet copper tang of the blood. I pushed the hair away from his face again. It took both hands to drape the heavy curtain of hair over his shoulder so it wouldn’t get in my way.

The blood had dried in patches on his face but his ravaged socket was still raw and leaking fluids. The blue glow rushed to my hands almost immediately as I reach out toward his face. The glow illuminated his features casting shadows across the mounds of torn flesh and making the bone of his skull reflect the light. Bone shouldn’t reflect light, it was porous.

Could it be that his bone structure was different? Perhaps it was too strong, too dense for the demons to harm. Maybe that was what saved his life. I didn’t touch the tender wounds on his face my hand hovered over his eye socket and I let the energy flow into the wound like I had on his back. It filled the hole and continued to pack itself in the torn flesh forming the missing eye, the ligaments and nerves needed for sight. The blue light washed over his face for a moment before coming back into my hand revealing his face whole and perfect again.

I studied his face for a moment, on his left temple there was a mark. Resting just above his magenta stripes there was a small image of a butterfly. I gently turned his face to the light of the moon. It was black with a deep blue painted on its wings.

Gold eyes opened and stared down at me. Slowly I drew back my hand watching his eyes follow the movement. ‘I came to help,’ I whispered.

Red flashed across his eyes for a moment and my heart began to race. ‘I saw your Dragon Strike and I thought I could help. By the time I arrived it was too late they were gone.’

His eyes narrowed, ‘you healed me?’ His deep voice was soft; perhaps it still hurt too much to breathe.

‘I’m not sure I can heal your chest wound and your legs I’ve used a lot of energy all ready but I still have enough for one.’ I glanced at the butterfly tattoo on his temple, did I do that?

‘What are you looking at?’ His voice was still soft but I heard the demand. His hand tensed around Tenseiga’s hilt.

‘There is a mark on your temple. I’ve never seen it before.’ I glanced at his hand for a moment and he adjusted his grip. ‘It’s none of my business of course. Which wound hurts you the most?’

‘There is no mark there,’ Sesshomaru said.

I looked back up at his temple, ‘yes there is. It’s a butterfly, black and blue wings of a butterfly. It’s-’ A growl rumbled through his chest and killed the words in my throat.

Red was seeping into his eyes and the stripes on his cheeks were growing wider, the butterfly remained untouched as the magenta markings moved underneath it. ‘Leave.’

‘But you’re hurt.’

‘Leave,’ his voice was a deep growl.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose. I tried to back away while still crouched down the ground slid out underneath me. I fell into the cool thick blood which splattered everywhere. Tears fell down my cheeks as I scrambled backwards away from him.

My yellow backpack was still on the side; I grabbed the closest strap and dragged it toward me. My bow was lost in the darkness. I looked up at Sesshomaru, his reddening eyes glared down at me. I didn’t understand why he was so angry, I just wanted to help.

He growled and the red light filled his eyes. The bow was lost for good. I got to my feet and swung the backpack onto my shoulders. My sweater and jeans clung to my skin but I didn’t care at the moment. The look in his eyes said he meant my death.

I turned away from him and ran back the way I came; I only glanced over my shoulder once. He stayed in the pool of blood his red eyes trained on me; the glow from his eyes filled his face. I turned and ran.

Unarmed I raced through the forest back toward the village but my clothes were thick and heavy with blood and energy was all but spent from healing him. I had to slow down as my feet stumbled over more and more roots. I continued through the trees as fast as I dared and let my lungs breathe in greedy gulps of air. The scent of blood clung to me but I couldn’t do anything about it now.

A thunderous roar reverberated through the air. I stopped and looked behind me. He was still in the field I could feel his aura rebuilding and growing. Was he gathering more strength before he came after me? It wasn’t like he didn’t know where to find me. Ungrateful son of a bitch! I healed him. I was the reason he was still alive and he was angry with me. ‘WHY?’ I screamed back at him even though there was a good mile between us now.

I turned away from his aura and pushed onward there was a river up ahead. I could clean up before continuing ahead to the village. All this blood was going to do was attract demons and my bow was back in that field of death.

I couldn’t wait to leave this place for good. As much as I loved my friends it was moments like this that reminded me how different I was. Inuyasha would’ve left him to die, I don’t think anyone else would have run out into the night to try and help him. It seemed like demons just didn’t know how to accept help. I had to sit Inuyasha to make him stay still long enough to treat his wounds and did he thank me? Hell no! His brother was exactly the same. Those two deserved each other.

The sound of water running over rocks was music to my ears and I forced my legs to move quicker toward that blissful sound with the promise of getting clean.

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By the time I was clean and in dry close the sky was beginning to brighten, my eyes felt heavy and my legs ached from travelling so far. Sleep was most welcome. Except I could still feel Sesshomaru; he hadn’t moved at all since I left him. His aura was now steadily brushing against my own aura, he didn’t feel angry anymore. I couldn’t feel anything but the brush of his energy against mine.

I shook my head and push to my feet. My yellow bag was stained with blood, only the flap managed to stay untouched. I pulled my quiver on before I took the backpack and slid in onto my shoulders. The bag was scratchy through the thin t-shirt. It was the only shirt I had that I didn’t mind if it got ruined. Unlike the blue sweater I had been wearing.

I was too tired to jog back to the village. I still had another mile or so to go before I reached the village and the soft futon in my hut. It was nice to have your own village. I had a small hut to myself and though it lacked the niceties of modern appliances it was a place of refuge. When I got home I was going to miss the freedom of my own sanctuary. I didn’t have to worry about disturbing anyone’s rest when I couldn’t sleep. I provided my own food, kept the place the way I liked it.

The hut wasn’t much bigger than my bedroom back home and the futon would never compare to the soft mattress at home. Could I really do this? My chest tightened, I don’t want to lose them. Sango and Miroku were going to be married soon. I was supposed to officiate the wedding and bless their life together. Kaede could do it but that wasn’t the point I wanted to see them rewarded for all the strife they had endured. Naraku had caused them so much pain. Sango lost her brother over the jewel.

The jewel that I brought back here for him to find.

‘Kagome!’

I turned to find Inuyasha bounding through the trees toward me with Shippo on his shoulder hanging on for dear life. My hand felt heavy as I raised it and waived at them.

Inuyasha landed in front of me his arms crossed in front of him as he looked me over. ‘What the hell happened to you? I thought you were going home.’

‘I am but I forgot something back at the village,’ I replied.

His nostrils flared, ‘I smell blood.’

‘Are you hurt Kagome?’ Shippo asked from Inuyasha’s shoulder.

I shook my head, ‘not me Shippo.’

Inuyasha growled, ‘You smell like Sesshomaru. I told you to stay away from him Kagome he isn’t our ally anymore. He’s dangerous.’

‘I know Inuyasha can we please go to the village it has been a long night and I just want to sleep.’ I turned to continue walking through the woods and cringed when I heard them gasp.

‘That’s a lot of blood,’ Shippo said.

‘It’s not mine Shippo,’ I said and began walking. ‘Where are Sango and Miroku?’

‘We left the lovebirds alone. They’re going to meet us at the village.’ Inuyasha walked up beside me. ‘Why is Sesshomaru’s blood all over your bag?’

I closed my eyes for a moment before I began telling him about what happened when I saw Sesshomaru’s attack. I left out everything about Celeste and returning home for good, I would tell them all when we were back at the village. ‘I don’t know why he was so angry. Inuyasha have you ever seen that mark on him before?’

‘Feh, I told you he was dangerous. I can’t leave you alone for one whole day without you getting into trouble.’

‘Just answer my question Inuyasha.’

He glared at me, ‘I don’t understand your fascination with him Kagome.’

‘I am not fascinated with Sesshomaru, I wanted to thank him for helping us since I didn’t get the chance after the battle and every time we cross paths with him you two have to start fighting. Now answer the damn question already.’

‘No he has never had a stupid butterfly on his face.’ Inuyasha grumbled.

‘Crap,’ I whispered. ‘I’ve never left a mark from healing someone before.’

‘Yeah well now you’ve but a pretty butterfly on his oh so perfect face. You’re lucky he just told you to leave and didn’t try to kill you.’

My shoulders slumped; I watched my feet drag across the ground. The trees were thinning out slightly which meant we would be home soon. ‘I couldn’t let him die.’

‘Oh course you couldn’t,’ Inuyasha said. I looked up at him in surprise. ‘What I know you Kagome I’m surprised you didn’t try to heal Naraku. You’re too kind for your own good, look at you. You’re exhausted, you reek of his blood and where is your bow?’

‘Back in the field,’ I was too tired for his glare to affect me. ‘I didn’t have time to find it when I was running for my life.’

‘See you even admit it, he’s dangerous.’

‘I know Sesshomaru is dangerous it doesn’t mean I was going to leave him maimed and dying.’ I yawned and stumbled over a root. I probably would’ve landed on my face if Inuyasha hadn’t caught me.

He picked me up in his arms and held me close to his chest without breaking stride. His chest vibrated against my cheek as he grumbled something about stupid girls. I should’ve sat him but darkness crept in and I was asleep before the word could leave my lips.

TBC

Reviews and critiques are appreciated. This was an interesting chapter to right because there wasn’t a lot of dialogue. We were stuck in her head which is always hard to keep linear. Hope you enjoyed it the next chapter she tells everyone she has to leave.
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Ripples in Time