InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ Eternal Sleep ( Chapter 16 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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Everyone was standing around still in shock - all except Rin, Shippo, and surprisingly, Jaken. Those three were kneeling in the dirt at the side of the road, heedless of their clothing, tears running down their faces, and grief pouring from their auras.

The focus of their pain?

Kagome.

She lay where she had fallen, an arrow through her heart. It seemed that Kikyou had wanted Kagome's soul more than anyone had realized - and now Kagome lay dead, and Kikyou stood before them, once again alive.

In that frozen moment, each person in the group had at least one epiphany - but none more profound than what came to Sesshoumaru himself.

In that moment of time, he realized that what she had told him at Mushin's temple was indeed correct, and as he watched Rin move into the fields of flowers near where Kagome had fallen and pick a flower to lay on Kagome's chest, he took the knowledge that had been granted to him, and decided to use it...

And this time, he didn't even bother with the excuse that he was just 'testing Tensaiga'. He was doing it this time because he wanted to - because he didn't want the miko dead.

Simple as that.

With a deadly glare pinned to the older priestess, he moved suddenly to stand before her, startling everyone out of their shocked states, causing chaos to erupt. The taijiya and the monk both cried out, shock, horror, and pain openly in their voices... and to Sesshoumaru's disgust, Inuyasha's voice rang out in defense of the female who'd just slain an innocent and pure-hearted young woman for spite and greed.

"Silence, half-breed!" he hissed, anger erupting within at the thought that such a fool carried the blood of his noble father - their sire himself would be horrified to see his youngest son's disgraceful and dishonorable behavior.

"You - woman. Do not gloat - you have just killed yourself with that action."

Turning his back to her, he drew Tensaiga, swiping it across Kagome's body, and all once again fell silent for a moment as they watched the single bloom Rin had laid on her chest roll off her and into the dust with the swift breeze of Tensaiga's passage.

Kikyou laughed harshly. "That sword cannot help her, since the creatures of the underworld have nothing to take - I have her soul now!"

Sesshoumaru sheathed Tensaiga and continued staring at Kagome, a cruel smile twisting his lips when he finally looked up at her pained gasp.

"You are the fool, dead one," he said quietly, as he reached down and yanked the arrow from Kagome's chest, tossing it away. "When you took her soul, you made yourself susceptible to Tensaiga - now, you will die, and the entirety of her soul will return to her - where it belongs."

They all watched breathlessly as Kagome's blood dried up, and the hole in her chest closed - and then, ignoring Inuyasha's screamed denial, looked up and watched as Kikyou began to glow brighter and brighter, until they could not look at her anymore, and all hid their eyes.

When they looked again, the elder woman was gone - and all that remained was Kagome... still laying in the dust of the road, but once again whole and unmarred - and breathing.

Inuyasha stared, horror-struck, at the place Kikyou had just been, then drew Tessaiga and swung at his brother murderously, looking on in stunned anger as it was stopped by hiraikotsu, and an enraged Sango.

"If you try it again, Inuyasha, I'll kill you. Don't you even think of fighting with him over bringing Kagome back."

Inuyasha stepped back in shock, then sheathed his sword and took off into the trees, shame, shock, grief and anger all trying to gain a foothold in his expression.

He wouldn't be back for a while - and they all knew it.

Sesshoumaru nodded at the taijiya in thanks, then leaned down and picked Kagome up, holding her closely to him, he led the way deep into the field of poppy flowers and towards the furthest edge of the meadow towards the small stream that flowed through, then directed that a camp be set up.

He carefully laid her down in an area of soft grasses so that the taijiya could tend to her, and turned, eyeing the still shocked and numb faces of the children - and Jaken.

"Tell me, Rin - why did you give the miko one of those flowers?" he asked, hoping that getting her to talk about something she loved so much and that she shared with Kagome might help break her out of it.

"I-its a poppy and it stands for eternal sleep, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin just thought that Kagome-sama would like to have a flower with her even when she was asleep," she sniffled, trying to wipe the tears from her face as Shippo nodded.

"My lord - will the miko be alright?" Jaken asked, and Sesshoumaru considered him, brow cocked.

"She will be fine, Jaken. She will likely awaken soon - there will be no 'eternal sleep' for her... not on this day," he finished slowly.

So, little miko... even Jaken's tiny little toad heart has been warmed by you.

"We, all of us, thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama, for returning Kagome's life to her - and her to us," Miroku said, with a deep bow of respect. The rest of the group just nodded. He frowned thoughtfully then. "I am curious, however," he said, choosing his words carefully, "why you did so. It is known that you do not care much for ningens."

Sesshoumaru merely stared down at Kagome for several long moments, not even looking up as he answered. "I did it because I wanted to - and because I could."

Everyone gathered in the clearing stared at the intimidating figure of the daiyoukai in stunned surprise.

He had saved Kagome...

Because he wanted to.

Behind him, a small smile crossed the face of the little girl named Rin.

He was learning.

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A/N: Bye bye Kikyou! For those Kikyou lovers out there, I don't hate her, in this fic she dies, in others that I am writing she's one of the good guys, so don't get all bent out of shape. Otherwise... Enjoy!

Amber