Chapter 36 - Clinging

Sesshomaru glared at the now unconscious miko. “Please Inuhidoi…your family.” It was the last thing she said until her human body gave out to the intense heat. Sesshomaru had been felling his skin begin to burn slightly. He wasn’t going to last much longer in this ring of fire.

Holding the unconscious miko in his arm, he flew up into the air. Her weight was barley a factor; she weighed nothing to the Youkai Lord. The sky was much clearer up here, and Sesshomaru found it easier to breathe in the stale air, then the scouring flames of Hell.

The miko whimpered in his arm, her breathing was slow and jagged. Sesshomaru could smell her burning flesh from miles away, but since she was so close, it made him wrinkle his nose. Humans had no effect on him, why was he reacting to her injuries in a way?

Sesshomaru flew over, his search was now intended for Rin, but her cent had been lost. Sesshomaru felt his anger rise, where was Rin?

“Rin!” Sesshomaru shouted over the scorched earth. Despite his powerful nose, he couldn’t pick up anyone’s scent but his own and the miko’s. “Otouto, damn it!” Sesshomaru never felt such anger run through him since the time Naraku had attempted to absorb him.

The miko suddenly began shivering in his arm, almost making him drop her of her sudden movement. Sesshomaru growled he had to put her down before he did drop her, if only he had his other arm.

Sesshomaru shook that thought from his head, and began to drift further away from the youki fire, even though he was also moving away from Rin. Sesshomaru would know if Rin had been killed, he just had that feeling Rin was being protected by one of InuYasha’s companions. They may despise him because of the fights InuYasha and he made, but they were still human, they had feelings for Rin.

Sesshomaru found a nice piece of earth that contained soft grass. He laid the miko’s form on the ground. She flinched when her body touched the soft grass.

“Miko?”

She didn’t respond, her eyes seemed to be moving behind her eyelids rapidly, like she was trying to fight the unnerving pain that was corrupting her body. Sesshomaru took hold of Tensegia, but her breathing did not stop, so he stood back up, his eyes scanning the terrain.

“Miko?”

There was still no response. Sesshomaru looked away, annoyed. He knew human bodies were weak and did not heal quickly, but still he needed her alive. More really, InuYasha needed her. Sesshomaru had seen the connection between the two, more then anything he didn’t truly understand why his otouto was attracted to human women in a way, but Sesshomaru was staring to doubt his own feelings. He had revised Rin, and had taken her in under his protection.

“Miko!”

Sesshomaru took her by the shoulder and shook her slightly. She screamed causing him to pull back and cover one ear.

“Please…don’t kill me.”

Sesshomaru frowned, she thought he was Inuhidoi?

“Miko, this Sesshomaru is no half-Kami.”

The miko blinked a few times, and winched in pain. “Sesshomaru…?”

Sesshomaru growled in approval. He would give her no reinsurance, but he could at least tell her he was not going to kill her. The miko tried to sit up, but fell back her injuries were too severe for her to move around much.

“Sesshomaru…what happened to InuYasha?”

“This Sesshomaru does not know.” Sesshomaru glared through the trees. The fire glowed in-between their barks, like glowing coal from a burning fire. Sesshomaru looked around to see if anyone else was close by, but there was no one in his sight of scent range.

“Kouga…”

Sesshomaru turned to see the miko holding her knees, her eyes tightly shut, apparently she was in great pain.

“What does the wolf have to do with anything?”

“He…was right in front of him.” The miko whimpered. Sesshomaru flinched; the wolf could not have possibly survived if that had been the case. Sesshomaru decided best not to respond to the miko’s worries of the wolf. Rin was more important to him.

“Miko, are you able to walk?”

“I don’t know.”

“This Sesshomaru will not carry those who can not support themselves.” The miko tried to stand, but feel do to her burned legs. She whimpered and held her right knee.

“Just go…I’ll be fine.” She answered him.

“That is not an option miko.” Sesshomaru glared at her.

“Just go!” Kagome yelled.

Sesshomaru felt a tight growl come up his throat, but kept it silent. He would not show his irritation to the likes of mortals. Only Rin was the exception. He stood there, his back to the miko, if he was going to have to wait, he would.

“This Sesshomaru does not have all day.”

“I don’t heal…like you do!” the miko snapped.

“If you want to see…” Sesshomaru started when he felt her presence behind him. He turned to see her standing up, her face right at his armor. She had a scowl on her face.

“Don’t you tell me what I want to see!” Kagome slammed her fist into his armor, and burst into tears and slumped to his feet towards the ground. Sesshomaru was caught off guard by her sudden express of emotion. He said nothing and let her cry.

Somehow she pulled her tears under control and just sat there. They stood there for only a moment when Sesshomaru turned his back once more. “Do not express sympathy for this Sesshomaru.”

“I was doing it for InuYasha.” The miko whimpered.

“This Sesshomaru would rather prefer not be shed at his feet.”

“Then stop lecturing me.” Kagome turned away. “Do what you want, I’m not walking.”

“A miko who hits a taiyoukai with such force is able to walk, get up.” Sesshomaru glared. The miko looked up at him, and blinked in surprise.

“I…hit you?”

“If you think you successfully inflicted pain on this Sesshomaru you are mistaken.”

“I’m sorry, I was…just angry.”

“Then we move on.” Sesshomaru said. He started walking, curious to see if the miko would follow. Despite her near identical stubbornness to InuYasha, she knew when she was beat. She stood up on shaky legs, and limping, she slowly followed.

Sesshomaru stopped and sniffed, just to make sure Inuhidoi was no where nearby. He started walking when he suddenly felt a tug on his shoulder. He looked down to find the miko clinging to his tail, she had lost conciseness again.

Sesshomaru growled, of all the places to faint.

“Miko, get up.”

No response, Sesshomaru looked down, she was still alive, but her life was clinging to the small part it had left. The wounds on her arms and legs were severed burns; they had blackened her pale skin. Her face was only slightly burnt, but the long scared burn from Inuhidoi’s blood still remained. One of her fingers looked broken, and her eyes had long, dark semi-circles that lay just under her eyelids.

Sesshomaru stood up and started walking, how did she suddenly get so heavy? When he flew into the air, she was nothing more then a feather. The tail was not meant for this, Sesshomaru thought.

Rin, where are you? Sesshomaru put his hand on a bark of a tree, feeling it’s warm wood. The wood seemed to have absorbed the heat from Inuhidoi’s blast. What was that blast? Sesshomaru had never seen youki used in such a way before.

Otouto, Sesshomaru thought, now that you know, what will you do? Knowing that your human mother was killed by your own claws, and sent to the after life, because of our otou’s love for her?

Sesshomaru suddenly felt intense pain come up his right leg. He bit his lip and ignored it. Pain was nothing more then mental, in most cases for youkai, Sesshomaru knew when not to express such physical inflictions affect his mental action.

Humans had no choice. There minds make it to hard to ignore such pain, some give up and let fate take them. Others, like his otouto, were so stubborn they fought until the last dying breath.

In spite, Sesshomaru realized the only difference between a human and a youkai was their physical capacity. Youkai were stronger, able to use power in intensive ways, while humans have to use the land and resource to supply their own resources. This thought bugged Sesshomaru, how come he never realized until now? Was it Rin who had opened his eyes to the human world? Humans could be greed, evil and selfish, just like many youkai were. Both thought the other was more evil then the other.

The war between humans and youkai seemed to never end through Sesshomaru’s eyes. But it would only take a small step, like his otou did, to love and cherish a human and make the world put in its place.

For now though, Sesshomaru had his own war, to defend his otouto from breaking, the miko from dying, and more important to protect his warmed heart, Rin.

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