InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ On a Wing & a Prayer ❯ Realizations ( Chapter 18 )

A/N: Okay, the review crisis of 2004 is over! YES! That means you don't have to send them to me any more via e-mail. Well, I hope you enjoy this chappie, too!]

On a Wing & a Prayer

Part XVIII:

Gina stormed down the hallway as fast as she could, still sobbing. She didn't even care that she was disheveled and looked more like a prostitute than an exalted princess. She just wanted get as far away from Sesshomaru as fast as she could and get back to her family and old life. As she headed forward, she caught the attention of Kyoko.

The kitsune quickly caught up with her, stopping the young woman. "Gina…what happened?" she asked, her voice full of concern. Gina simply tried to continue onward, but Kyoko grabbed onto her. "Tell me what's wrong, Gina!" she yelled. Gina wiped a few tears away. "Why don't you ask that bastard Sesshomaru!" she yelled back. Kyoko raised an eyebrow. What did he do now?

As soon as she thought this, the demon lord himself caught up to her, looking quite disheveled himself. He grabbed onto Gina's shoulder, but she forced him off. "Please, Gina…let me explain myself," he said. Gina cocked her head at him, glaring furiously. "I hope you rot and I hope it hurts," she growled. Kyoko gaped slightly when she said such a hurtful thing. What had her lord done to hurt her so badly?

Sesshomaru tried to make a plea to her again, but she pulled away, burying herself farther into Kyoko's shoulder. "Milord…what exactly happened in there?" she asked bluntly. He looked down for a moment, looking as if he were trying to find the best way to explain. However, Gina beat him to it.

"I was about to give myself to this lying, cheating, sneaky, cretin of a man when he moaned another woman's name!" she shouted briskly. Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise, but she knew the exact scenario. Gina was a dead ringer for Sesshomaru's first and last love, Chidori, and even though she had broken his heart, she knew that he still had some kind of feelings for her. But Kyoko had also realized that he cared deeply for Gina…he loved her, even. Kyoko hugged Gina tighter, trying her best to comfort the poor girl.

Gina pulled away a little, glaring daggers back at Sesshomaru. "Oh," she started cynically, "And so you know, I'm going back to my fiancee to marry him and then make love to him just to spite you!!" With that, she tore away form the kitsune's grip, charging down the hall. Kyoko stood silent, watching Sesshomaru's face. She could actually pinpoint the moment that his heart ripped in half. He bit his lip for a moment, then followed after her.

"Gina! Please, I beg of you…let me explain!" he said. She stopped moving and spun on a heel, looking as though, if she could have, she would have set him ablaze. "Let you explain…ha! I'll let you explain as soon as you can purify that piece of coal you have for a heart!" she yelled in response. Sesshomaru gave her an intense stare, as if his heart had broken again with seeing how much he had hurt her without even meaning to.

Gina let out another stifled cry of anger, and then turned again, storming down the hall. Kyoko started following, but Sesshomaru stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Don't bother," he said coldly, "She'll be better off with the man she's to marry. All I've done is break that poor girl's heart. She'd be happier."

The young princess ran down the hall, trying her best to hide her tears. As she did, she encountered little Rin. She stopped before the small child, who was looking up at her in concern. "Gina-chan…what's wrong?" Rin asked. A small smile crossed Gina's face as she wiped a few tears away. She knelt down next to her, watching as Rin bit her lip.

"It's just because of something Sesshomaru said to me…and it really hurt," she cried. Rin simply gave her a big smile, wrapping her arms around her in a big hug. Gina forced a laugh, but it was hopeless. She looked at the little girl, and planted a small kiss on her forehead. "You're…too little to understand, Rin," she said. Gina then stood, Rin still holding her hand.

"Where are you going, Gina-chan?" she asked gently. A small smile crossed Gina's face, but she seemed quite sad. "I'm…leaving, my little Rin. And I'm not coming back," she sobbed silently. Rin's eyes widened and began to fill with tears. "Why Gina-chan?! I'm sure Sesshomaru-sama is sorry!" she exclaimed. A small, saddened smirk crossed her face. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, little Rin. Saying sorry won't heal what he did to me."

Gina then pulled her hand away from Rin's, crying. "I'm so sorry to leave…I'm so sorry," she said. With that, she turned, and continued through the maze of a castle, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from Sesshomaru as she could. After a few more minutes of running, she reached the castle's main door, bursting through into the cold night air.

She ran until she reached the forest, where, tiered and grief-stricken, slowed down to a walk. She did not know that Sesshomaru was following her at a distance, planning to protect her from any demons or thieves need be. He simply wished to savor her sight and scent for the last time that he would see her, knowing that soon she would belong to another man.

That was the way it had always been with him. He'd fall in love, and another man would have her. He looked around, smelling a demon. He gave a slight growl, loud enough only for a demon to pick up, and quickly, the scent was gone.

He followed Gina for a few hours, listening to her sobbing and cursing his name. How could I have done this to her? How could I have let my thoughts stray to that whore?! He could feel his claws digging into his own palm, but he didn't really care. He would rather suffer the pain of losing his arm again than that of losing Gina. He stopped, shutting his eyes, and a few actual tears rolled down his cheeks, reflecting the silvery moonlight. "Oh my Gina…how can I loose you?" he whispered to himself, "I won't loose you!"

He took another few steps, quickening his pace, when he heard the clatter of a war band and picked up the scent of horses and men. No…