Devotion and Sacrifice
By Danyealle
(fanfiction/angst)
Chapter 4
About a week later both Kagome and Sesshomaru kept sensing Inuyasha’s presence. By that point Kagome was sure it wasn’t her imagination or wishful thinking that some part of him was still there. How it was possible she wasn’t sure but his presence was indeed there.
A couple days after her return they had stopped earlier than normal, before nightfall. The next day Rin and Jaken were suppose to meet up with them and the campsite was the assigned place.
While the others were starting the evening meal Sesshomaru led the miko away from the camp to a small clearing a short ways away. He decided because they had the extra time he would start working with her on wielding tetsusaiga. Because she had no experience at all with swordsmanship, he had to start with the very basics. All he really planned to work on that night was how to correctly hold a sword.
Despite what most would have thought, Sesshomaru was a very good teacher. Because he was aware that she was no warrior in training and was learning more for self defense than to use a sword in battle there was no reason for her to learn certain things. After patiently explaining the basics he had her draw the fang. He was a bit surprised and startled to see the old, battered katana immediately transform its self into the long, gleaming fang it was. A bit more surprising was that she was able to easily bear the weight of the heavy sword. He had wondered if she would be able to wield the heavy katana when it transformed. After all, Inuyasha had problems with it after it had been repaired but she picked it up as though it weighed nothing.
Standing behind the woman, the taiyoukai gently instructed her on how to properly place her hands on the pommel. When she gripped it correctly she almost immediately dropped it, clapping both hands over her mouth, eyes so big they looked like they would fall out of their sockets. She backed away from the katana, which had transformed back to its rusty, battered form, until she bumped into him.
Fear and anxiety were coming off of her in waves so he pulled her against him, feeling her body shake. “Kagome? What happened?” he asked gently, not wanting to cause her any more apprehension.
“S-s-s-something wrapped its hands over mine!” she stammered out. Then she put her hands over her eyes and started to cry softly. “I swear I’m going crazy!” she choked out between sobs.
Having a good idea what she was referring to, he put an arm around her and held her to his chest. No, he wasn’t good with emotional things nor did he really know how to comfort someone who was upset but he had learned just his touch worked with Rin so he felt that might work with her as well.
It did. His touch combined with his calm aura soothed her and the waterworks ended quickly. When she calmed down she had to sheath tetsusaiga then sit down with him. Sensing what the problem was, he had her set the sword aside so it wasn’t touching her in any way then had her tell him about everything she had been experiencing.
Hitching a deep sigh, she ordered her thoughts then told him everything she had been feeling, heard or had perceived since she had started wearing the katana. When she was done talking she felt a bit better having unburdened herself. Then she looked over at him, “You’ve felt or sensed it too haven’t you? It looked like you had from time to time.”
Quiet for several minutes, sorting through what she had said, he looked up, his eyes having a far away look in them, “Yes, I have has well. Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku have also mentioned some things to me. Though they haven’t said anything I’ve seen looks from the others that tell they too are experiencing odd things,” he said quietly.
Sighing in relief, she relaxed a bit, “Thank Kami! I thought I was losing my mind!” After that she was quiet for a couple minutes then asked, “Is it Inuyasha? That’s who I sense it to be from the smell and other things. If it is then how is it happening?”
Exhaling, he looked at her, “That’s my sense as well. As for how, I’m not sure but I can make a couple educated guesses.”
“Both tetsusaiga and tensiega are still controlled slightly by father’s spirit. That’s why tetsusaiga wouldn’t initially transform for Inuyasha. It wasn’t until he made the conscious decision to defend you that it transformed. Because Inuyasha’s fang was used to repair it part of his spirit is also etched into it as well. He had vowed to you and your mother that he would protect you then he made sure that you received the sword so it would stand to reason that what part of his spirit that is in it will protect you. Inuyasha is dead, of that there is no doubt, but a small part of him resides in the sword,” he explained. “I may be wrong in that deduction but it’s the best explanation that I can come up with for what’s happening.”
“Well, it sounds good to me,” she told him.
Looking at her, he said, “I understand that what we are all feeling is odd and most certainly, especially in your case, a bit frightening but I don’t think what is happening is anything that is harmful or malevolent. If it is Inuyasha that is responsible then it would appear it’s meant to keep you safe. Though it’s disconcerting I feel it’s something you may just have to get use to. Do you think you can?” he asked.
Sighing, she was quiet then replied, “Yes, I can. It’s just going to take a while to get used to all the freaky stuff and learn to live with it is all.
“That’s understandable,” he said, nodding. “I would guess that in a few months time you won’t notice it any more,” he told her bracingly. “But to minimize the effects until then, when we aren’t traveling or in times you need it keep it by you but not touching you. That may help,” he suggested.
“Thanks Sesshomaru. I’ll try that,” she said, nodding.
~~~~~~~~~~@@@@@@~~~~~~~~~~
When they went back to camp that night she felt a lot better and more relaxed. Taking his advice, she didn’t wear the sword at all times but it was within reaching distance from her in case she needed it. That act did put an end to most of the odd things. Though she could still ‘feel’ his presence a lot of the stuff that had freaked her out had stopped. Though they said nothing, others in the pack seemed to relax as well, telling her that they had been feeling the same things she had.
By the time Rin and Jaken arrived the next morning, everyone was relaxed and there was no tension evident. Of course, because of her sunny disposition and personality, Rin made everyone better.
Rin had been deliriously happy to see Kagome again, someone she thought of as a combination of best friend and mother figure. She walked by Kagome most of the morning, telling the woman about her ‘adventures’ when Kagome had been away. After that the child drifted towards the back of the pack to play with Shippo while they walked under the watchful eyes of Kouga.
Despite her fear of wolves, the sunny child adored the ookami. As it turned out, the feeling was mutual. Kouga, as a rule, adored children. The sunny, happy child was love at first sight for the wolf prince. He was horrified when he learned from Ginta and Hakkaku that it was his pack that had killed the child before she had started traveling with Sesshomaru. Much to Sesshomaru’s surprise, and pleasure, Kouga went to him and confessed responsibility when he found out. Though the taiyoukai had known all along it was a pleasant revelation to find out there were others out there that had honor and took responsibility for the actions of their pack and themselves. After that Kouga was even more fiercely protective of the child.
It seemed that the girl liked spending time with him. He would carry her on his shoulder and tell her stories as they walked. It also seemed that he took it upon himself to make sure she was safe and treated right. He wasn’t above giving Jaken a good whack if he talked to her in a way he shouldn’t. The annoying little kappa found out that complaining about Kouga to Lord Sesshomaru did no good either. If he did he was most likely to get a good kick from him as well.
Life had become quite rough for Jaken actually, since Lord Sesshomaru had taken over Inuyasha’s pack. If Kouga wasn’t bad enough to deal with there was also Sango. Her occupation was slaying his kind and she made it very clear that if he hurt Rin or annoyed her too much that Sesshomaru would need to find a new retainer. The monk had never threatened him but wasn’t much better. If he spoke to the child in a way he found disrespectful or was too infuriating, especially when he made comments about weak humans, he would find himself being whacked a good one by the monk’s staff. Even Jaken had to admit that the houshi was good at it, he never saw it coming and it always looked as though it was an accident. Now the miko was back. Though he wouldn’t admit it, even under the pain or torture, she actually frightened him more than Lord Sesshomaru did! As everyone well knew, her powers could be chaotic at times and he had feared accidental purification on many occasions. But when she was angry it was even worse! She had threatened to purify him to the lowest levels of hell on more than one occasion and he was pretty sure she would indeed do it if sufficiently provoked.
As they left that day the kappa spent an inordinate amount of time bemoaning how the fates must hate him because they were making his life miserable. Well he did until Sesshomaru got tired of listening to him and give him a swift kick. He did continue on but silently after that.