InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Angel of Mercy ❯ Are you my tenshi? ( Chapter 2 )

"Are you my tenshi?" Her eyes rolled back in her head as she lost consciousness.

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She thought him an angel? This puzzled him as he gathered her as gently as he could to carry her to Subaru. There was little more than bones to her and he hissed inwardly every time she flinched from his touch. He hoped that Subaru would be able to help this girl. No one should have such pain in their eyes. He would do what he could, as well, to heal her. He leapt to the sky with his burden and flew to Subaru's mansion.

"What have you brought, Sesshoumaru? This pitiful creature cannot be the one I sent you for," Subaru greeted him on his landing.

Sesshoumaru gently placed Nanashi on a couch before turning and bowing, "Subaru-sensei, this is indeed the one you sent me for. I saw her use power to fight off attackers. I felt her use power before I saw her. She has been abused. After I saw her fight off the attackers, the power left her drained and weakened." He decided not to tell her about being called an angel at that moment. "Her name is Nanashi," he said, backing away from her so that Subaru could examine the girl.

Subaru tried to remove the bundle from the girl's hands. The girl muttered "no" and Subaru was surprised by the static of power where her fingers were in contact. "Humph, maybe you were correct," she muttered to Sesshoumaru. "Nanashi, you will have your things again, we only wish to make sure you are well," she spoke to the girl, reaching again for the bundle. This time there was no shock and she allowed her things to be taken from her. Subaru stared at the obi, thinking it familiar, but couldn't place it. Frowning, she set the girl's things on a low table.

Mindful of the last time she touched the girl, Subaru spoke gently, "We're going to untie your kimono, Nanashi, so that we can tend to your wounds." The girl began to struggle against the stupor that held her, her arms moving weakly to cover her body. Subaru placed her fingertips on the girl's forehead, eyes dark with concern, "Sleep, Nanashi, sleep." Nanashi quieted and relaxed.

Carefully and gently, Subaru untied the girl's threadbare and dirty kimono. She heard a sharp intake behind her and felt the growl coming from Sesshoumaru's chest. Nanashi's body was livid with bruises, not an inch of skin that was covered was its normal color. There were marks from fists and canes, some brilliant violet, some a fading greenish color. The girl was also painfully thin. It would take a great deal of imagination to make looking at her lecherous. Her ribs stood out against the hollow of her belly, she had not even developed anything that could seriously be called breasts. She looked like a child of eight or ten at the most. Her skin, where it was not bruised, was sallow and dirty; her hair was dull and lank. Subaru moved to pick her up, only to pull back from the girl suddenly.

"Even in sleep, she protects herself," Sesshoumaru heard Subaru mutter under her breath. "Maybe she will allow me to pick her up, Subaru-sensei," he offered. This earned him a searching glance as Subaru stepped aside. With exquisite care, he slid his hands under her neck and knees, lifting her off the couch. She brought her hand up to his chest, clutching his kimono, and muttered "tenshi" into his chest.

Subaru heard this and chuckled, "Angel, are we? What did you do to the girl to make her think that?"

Sesshoumaru fought the blush creeping up his cheeks, "She called me that before she passed out. She was delirious with pain."

Subaru's eyes darkened with thought at this. "Come," she ordered and strode off in the direction of the bathing room. This child at least needs to be cleansed and tended to, she thought. Why does that obi look familiar? She is too young to be…no, that's no possible. Subaru frowned deeply at the door to the bathroom, as if it should have an answer for her. Sighing, she opened the door and stepped into the warm moist space.

A natural pool, heated from deep within the earth, dominated the space. To one side, a bench stood, ready for cleansing the body. On this, Sesshoumaru gently placed Nanashi. She whimpered slightly and tightened her grip on his kimono. "Nanashi, it's okay.

We're going to bathe you. I will not leave." With this reassurance, she relaxed her grip.

Subaru gathered buckets of water from the pool, adding herbs that would help the girl heal. Mindful of the girl's reaction to her touch, she handed the wet rag to Sesshoumaru. At his puzzled glance, she explained, "She trusts you, for whatever reason, and is too weak to keep fending me off. She needs to be cleansed and she needs rest." With that, he took the rag and with a feather light touch, began to remove the grime from the girl. Every so often, she would flinch from his touch, but never shocked him. He berated himself every time she twitched away from him. Gradually, the herbs began to take the pain away and Nanashi flinched less.

"Hold her head up," Subaru ordered, lifting a bucked of clean water. Slowly, she poured the water over the girl's head. "Run your fingers through her hair to help get it clean." As gently as he could, Sesshoumaru worked the tangles out of Nanshi's hair as Subaru continued to pour water through her hair. Nanashi sighed as Sesshoumaru's fingers reached her scalp. He almost smiled and his eyes softened at this. He was relieved to know that he could do something to help her relax and ease her suffering.

Subaru handed him a towel, "Wrap her in this; I'm going to prepare a room. I have a feeling you are going to have to stay with her while she sleeps."

Carefully, he wrapped the girl in the length of linen, picking her up off the bench as Subaru returned and gestured for him to follow. She led him to his own room, now with an added futon, on which he laid Nanashi down. Caressing her hair, he whispered, "Sleep, little one, rest, no harm will come to you. I will watch over you." She sighed and turned onto her side, curling up into a tight ball. Subaru left, still puzzled and concerned over the girl.