Chapter 12 - Water Beings

Water Beings After everyone was happily reunited they spent the rest of the day waiting on the depressed Yoshiko. Now that there were several other people there Sesshomaru didn’t have to hold her or touch her even if he wanted to. Everyone wanted to comfort her, but now she just wanted to be alone. She would sit in the corner of her hut and not say a word even if someone was talking to her. She didn’t eat anything for a long time. Weeks passed. Everyday she would sense where Naraku was and went to the lake for the night and stayed there until sunrise. After a month of this Kagome and Sango decided to get everyone to come to a picnic to cheer up Yoshi. Rin and Shippo were really excited. Especially since Kagome was bringing candy from her time for them. Kohaku, Miroku, and InuYasha were glad to help out. Sesshomaru was slightly reluctant, but would do it for Yoshiko. The next day Kagome brought Shippo and Rin with her to get Yoshiko long before dark and her daily walk to the lake. “Good afternoon, Yoshiko.” Kagome greeted her as she was exiting her hut. “Hi, Kagome. Hello Rin, Shippo.” she greeted the two young ones with a fake smile. “Yoshiko everyone is going to be at the bone eaters well today for a picnic. We would love it if you came.” Kagome said sweetly. “Please come, Yoshiko.” Shippo begged. “We haven’t all been together in a long time. Please, Yoshi.” Rin said using her nickname to try and make her happy. It only back fired though. ‘InuTaisho used to call me that. Its all my fault.’ Yoshiko thought grimly. Her fake smile completely faded away. “I’ll be there in a moment. I just need to go fix my hut up a bit. You can wait if you want. I’ll only be a moment.” she said kindly exercising her acting skills. As she turned toward her hut Kagome notice tears gathering in her eyes. “Um… We’ll be here when you come out. Take your time.” Kagome said resting her hand on Yoshiko’s shoulder. It only helped Yoshiko feel a little better. ‘Maybe this will be good for me.’ Yoshiko thought before entering her hut to dry her eyes and magically take away the evidence.**Hours Later** The picnic had been going great. Now Yoshiko was no longer faking her smile or her slight giggles. They all sat in a circle. Kagome sat in InuYasha’s lap beside Miroku who was quite close to Sango. He had spoiled his recorded of nine weeks without groping Sango in two seconds. She had let it slid, but whispered something to him. He had gone pale and no one wanted to guess what she had said. Kohaku was beside his sister with Rin on the other side. They had become fast friends in the past few weeks. Sesshomaru sat between his adoptive daughter and the guest of honor, Yoshiko. They weren’t to close though. Sesshomaru still thought he should listen to her and fight his urge to be with her like his brother and Kagome were together. Kilala and Shippo were playing behind Kagome and InuYasha. By the looks it was tag and Kilala was winning. Everyone was happy. Yoshiko was in a good mood and wasn’t thinking about her problems. Then InuYasha slapped his neck. A speck of something fell to the ground. “It is so good to taste you master.” the flea Myoga said from beside Yoshiko. “Myoga, is that you?” Yoshiko asked joyfully surprised. ‘I haven’t seen him since… since InuTaisho died.’ she thought becoming depressed again. “Yoshiko! I haven’t seen you in decades. What are you doing here?” he asked. “I ran into InuYasha and Sesshomaru a while ago and where have you been? Staying away from the battles?” she teased with what little pleasure she had left. “Well… I… That doesn’t matter. Where is the bracelet? The one with InuTaisho’s soul.” he asked abruptly. Yoshiko’s head was immediately lowered. She tried to say something, but couldn’t. Tears where gracing the rims of her eyes. ‘I’ve let everyone down. He’s gone and its my fault again. Sesshomaru, InuYasha, and even Myoga have lost what little they had left of him. I never even got a chance to show them InuTaisho’s soul in the water. I was selfish and talked to him by myself.’ Yoshiko thought wrapping herself in guilt. Sesshomaru noticed her sad and guilty look. “Its gone. I’m sorry Myoga, but we lost it about a month and a half ago it was destroyed.” Sesshomaru said for her and put his hand on hers letting her know he was there for her. “That is too bad.” he said quietly. Yoshiko looked around at everyone. They were in a sad mood now because of her. She felt so bad, like she just wanted to disappear off the face of the planet. “I think I’ll go to my hut now. Its getting late.” Yoshiko said looking at the colorful sunset. “Do you want someone to come with you?” Sango asked kindly. “No thank you. We’re not that far from the village. I’ll be fine.” she answered trying to hurry up and get away. No one else asked her questions as she left. Once she was out of sight she sensed to see if any of them were following her. ‘I guess they don’t care if I get home ok.’ Yoshiko thought upset. Instead of going to her hut she went to the lake as she always did. She walked steadily there not noticing that after she had sensed the group Sesshomaru had left to find her. He was following her scent about twenty yards behind her. Once she reached the lake she stopped at the edge of the water. She remembered when she had spoken with InuTaisho and let a few tears slip from her eyes. She gracefully stepped onto the water. She stayed above the surface, but still made ripples. ‘What is she doing?’ Sesshomaru wondered from the edge of the woods. He made sure he stayed out of sight though. He watched as she come to a stop at the center of the lake. Yoshiko stood there breathing silently. ‘Who stood I call on?’ she pondered for a moment then called on the person she talked to almost every night. She started to sing quietly. Water raised all around her. She was inside a column of rushing water. Sesshomaru couldn’t see her for a few minutes and then the water started to fall away. What was left surprised him more than anything. Yoshiko stood in the same place, but was now wrapped in a man’s arms. He was blue like the water. His face was hidden from Sesshomaru’s sight. He was about to run out there and do something he knew he would regret. Suddenly when the man lifted his head Sesshomaru saw the man’s face. It was his own. “My dear Yoshiko what is wrong?” he asked wiping away a stray tear from her face. “I… I just needed to be with you.” she said burying her face in his shirt. He simply clung tighter to her and stroked her hair comforting her. “Yoshi you need to understand that it wasn’t your fault. We all make mistakes. Please don’t dwell on this one. Naraku destroyed him not you. You have a lot to worry about. You need to get over this to help the others. You know they’ll need you soon.” “I know. Thank you. I needed this tonight.” she said lifting her face to stare into the water blue eyes. “What you need is Sesshomaru. You should tell him. He loves you and would do anything for you. I should know. He is just confused and mesmerized by you. Why don’t you tell him you…” she silenced him with a finger. She looked serious. ‘Why doesn’t she tell me WHAT?!?!’ Sesshomaru wondered desperately from the shore where he had slowly and quietly advanced to during their conversation. “He is here. I should send you back.” she said disappointed. Swiftly kissing his cheek she passed her hand over his eyes and he sank back into the lake. Then she turned to the really Sesshomaru on shore. “Why did you follow me?” “What was that?” he asked as she approached him. Once she was on land she walked up to stand only a couple of feet away. “Well?!” “It was a water being. I create them from the water. They are real people I create from the water.” she explained. “Why are you creating those things?” he demanded stepping closer and waving his hand toward the lake. This was all too much for her. She let tears start to fall from her eyes. “Because I feel like I can’t talk to any of you anymore. I feel like a disappointment and a burden. I have hurt you and InuYasha and I…” she couldn’t finish through the sobs. She just looked into his eyes terrified of being hurt or hurting her friends. She didn’t see anything in those eyes. With a new found disappointment she turned to run away. He grabbed her roughly by the wrist. “You what?” he asked his voice dangerously cold. She swallowed hard trying to gain the courage to tell him that she had summon his father with out telling him. All she could do was shake. She was afraid of what he would do. He let out an unhappy sigh. He loosened his grip on her wrist to pull her into a loving embrace. “It is alright, Yoshi. I’m not mad I just wish you could come to me with your worries rather than have to create someone else. I love you Yoshiko. No matter what I will always love you.” he told her holding her the same way the water being of him had. They stayed that way for a long time before Sesshomaru leaned back to look at her face. “Now will you tell me what you were going to say?” he asked caressing her cheek lovingly. She swallowed hard and took a deep breathe before beginning. “The bracelet… I could use it to make a smaller water being of him with it. It would be him not just a creation from my memory or my imagination. I had talked to him the night before Naraku broke the bead. I can…I could only bring him back once a year for an hour. I… I told him I was going to talk to him in a year and now…” she couldn’t finish. Sesshomaru just pulled her into his arms. He stroked her hair trying to calm her with the new tears flowing from her eyes. “Shh. It is ok. Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.” he said hurriedly. He stepped back to look straight into her eyes kneeling so he was at the same level. “Let’s go back to the village. I’m staying with you tonight though. I don’t want you coming back here. I want you to come to me when you need to talk to someone, ok?” She nodded with her eyes closed releasing the last of her tears. “Good. If you want I can carry you.” he suggested trying to lighten the mood. She giggled and smiled for a brief moment. ‘Now I remember why I love him so much.’ She nodded ‘yes’ to his offer. He grinned happily sweeping her off her feet. It didn’t take long to reach Yoshiko’s hut to both their disappointments. He gently set her on her feet. For a moment they looked into each others eyes. It seemed like an eternity when it was only for a second. He saw the need in her eyes. The need for a love to hold her and comfort her. ‘I don’t care if she doesn’t love me. I love her and I will be here for her whether she likes it or not.’ he thought cupping her face in his hand. ‘I love him, but I don’t want to hurt again. I don’t want to lose him if I let myself have him.’ she thought leaning her cheek into his hand. ‘I can’t hold back tonight though.’ she decided stepping closer. “Sesshomaru, I…” she was cut off by his lips being pressed firmly to hers. It was passionate, loving and simply perfect for the both of them. He picked her up a few inches off the ground and carried her to the corner. He gently pressed her back against the wall having never broken the kiss. He reluctantly pulled away enough for them to talk. “Sesshomaru why did you do that?” Yoshi asked shocked and privately overjoyed. “I love you and I can tell you need someone right now. Please Yoshi. Please let me be here for you. Let me in. Tell me why your so scared.” He told her leaning his face close to hers and at times burying it in her neck taking in all her wonderful scents. The whole time she had thought she was going to faint. His breath had warmed her face and made her nervous and thrilled at the same time. “Sesshomaru, I… I just want to be friends.” she said, but seeing the discontent and disbelief on his face made her correct herself. “… but you are right. I’m scared of… something and I do need someone right now. I love for it to be you.” she said only making him frown. “I need to know what we are going to be then. Do just want to be friends? Or lovers? What? What do you really want Yoshi?” he asked loosening her from his hold. “I want to just be friends, but… but not tonight. Tonight I need you to be more to me. I don’t want to make love though. That is something I’m not ready to do even with someone I do love. Do you understand?” she asked hoping beyond hope that he could. He looked at her with the strangest look. She had to look into his mind to tell what he was thinking. ‘Tell me what you’re scared of. Tell me you love me. I need you why can’t you need me too.’ she heard him think. In a moment of weakness she quickly brought her lips to his. She moved her lips over his lovingly trying to let him know she did love him. When they parted they both were out of breath. “Tonight whatever we want to be and then just friends in the morning?” he asked making sure. She quietly nodded. He swiftly kissed her putting all the love, passion, and tenderness he could put into it. “You do realize no more kisses after tonight then. No more loving touches. No more holding each other. I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I wont be teased Yoshi. If you don’t love me than you’ve got to help me move on by staying away. Do you understand?” he asked caressing her cheek. She as shaking. ‘Can I really go without him? Can I stand not to touch or hold him? I have to. Or I could…’ she looked into his eyes looking for the future. She saw exactly what she hoped she wouldn’t. She saw her death. Herself being cradled in his arms. It seemed different some how, but she didn’t continue looking to see what had changed. ‘I can’t tell him. This will help him get ready to lose me.’ she decided. “I know.” she whispered with her head down. She was letting out a tear of frustration. Her face was lifted by Sesshomaru. She kept her eyes closed afraid to see his beautifully perfect face unhappy. He put his lips to the tear kissing it away. “Why are you crying my sweet?” he probed tenderly. “You probably shouldn’t call me ‘sweet’ and it is nothing. Just hold me for now.” she pleaded pulling him into a tight embrace. He hugged her back wanting her to just be happy. After a little while he gently turned her around and pulled her to his chest. He gradually sat down leaning his back to the wall letting her sit comfortably in his lap. She rested the back of her head on his shoulder while he leaned forward letting his lips lightly rest on her shoulder with his arms tightly wrapped around her waist. “I love you” he whispered as sleep over took him. She sighed and turned into him more. ‘I love you more’ she thought placing her lips on his before drifting off to sleep with him.

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