Blood Beauty

*~ Disclaimer ~* I do not own any of the characters, plots, or locations from Inuyasha. Some company holds all rights to Inuyasha and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.

A/N: Eh, gads. What a week… -_- Sorry it took so long to update, but I’ve been overloaded with a ridiculous amount of work. *sigh* No rest for the student. Anyway, I’m still having trouble deciding what exactly I’ll be doing with this fanfic, so I’m very open to any suggestions anyone might make. I was pleased to hear that a few people did like the beginning and I will try to keep it going, it’s selfish, but I do so love responses, it gives me the warm fuzzies! ^_^ Well, here’s the next chapter then, Enjoy.


Wafts of steam rose above the hot spring that Sesshomaru was approaching, with the miko in his arm yet again. He placed the miko on the grass and contemplated the easiest manner of cleaning her wounds. The spring grew deep fairly quickly, so he would not be able to simply lay her in the water. Sesshomaru did not want to go through the trouble of bringing the water to her either. They would both have to go into the spring to have this done as quickly as possible. Without much care, Sesshomaru stripped, making sure to leave his swords close to the spring, should anything unexpected come along. Looking at Kagome’s tattered rags, Sesshomaru simply cut them off. They would serve no use to her anyway. Finding a pair of undergarments, the demon lord did not smell any blood in either area and allowed them to remain. Without any ceremony or hesitation, Sesshomaru scooped up the woman and carried her into the water.

Carefully, Sesshomaru held the miko’s body against a boulder and kept her propped up by holding a knee under her thighs. This kept his hand free to run the water over the injured skin and cleanse it. Gently prodding her waist, he made sure that the warm water had not caused the skin to become too tender and bleed freely again. The growing scab held firm, however, though some of the minor ones on her arms had softened. Making sure to spread the water over her arms and torso, Sesshomaru rubbed off all of the dried blood and was somewhat pleased to find several areas of unmarred skin underneath the layer of dirt and blood. Turning slightly from the woman, Sesshomaru ran his hand beneath the water over her legs and feet as well, thoroughly checking for swollen areas with his deft fingers. Finding only one by her ankle, he pressed his side into her to raise her leg above the water and check on the damage.

The wound looked uglier than the damage it actually caused, Sesshomaru suspected. It was a cut on the inside of her ankle only a few inches long, but the sides of it had swelled up, apparently in danger of infection. There was not much to be done about it now, but the old woman would have to be informed to treat it. Turning back towards the miko’s face, Sesshomaru took a pause. He had not had a chance to inspect her features closely before, as he had considered it unwise to move her too much and her head seemed to hang limp and directed away from his view. Now, Sesshomaru tilted her chin back to have a good look at her. Her facial structure was smooth, with a gentle curve lined by her hair. She had a dainty nose and heavy lashes that would hide her eyes if lowered, he was sure. A cut had split her bottom lip, something he had not noticed before and he moved to run the hot water over it. Frowning inwardly, Sesshomaru felt an urge to see her eyes. The incomplete feeling was intensified knowing that he could not see them lit until she was revived.

Sesshomaru categorized the feeling in his mind, knowing that as soon as he understood this feeling, he would be able to be rid of it and the cause. In his pause to do this, he noticed that her hair was still in clumps of blood. The demon smoothly rearranged her so that her back lay over his thigh as he propped it up against the boulder, lowering her head far enough to drift her hair through the water. Noting the bloody water, Sesshomaru shifted a little to the side to soak her in clean water once again. Running his fingers through her hair, he brushed out the mess and untangled some of the locks that became smoother as they were cleansed. Inspecting her critically, he found her cleaned to his satisfaction when he felt a small presence coming in his direction. Unconcerned with the weak threat, Sesshomaru simply awaited the creature’s arrival in the water, straightening and pressing the miko to his side with his arm.

The kitsune cub that he had seen at the battle ground sprung forth from the trees, looking around frantically. Spotting Sesshomaru and the miko, the cub yelped, but continued closer to the edge of the spring to cry out, “Mama?” Watching the little fox nervously twitch about, Sesshomaru saw his eyes widen when he spotted the blood in the water around them. Suddenly the cub gave an expression of defiance and rage that almost perfectly mimicked the one that Inuyasha had shown earlier.

“What have you done to Kagome?” the kitsune demanded of Sesshomaru, poised to jump to Kagome at a moment’s notice.

The demon lord quirked an eyebrow at the impetuous child and chose to remain silent. He slowly moved out of the water, bringing the miko with him. The cub tensed, but made no move to stop Sesshomaru quite yet. Only after the Taiyouki set the miko down to put his clothes back on, did the kitsune rush to the motionless woman. He sniffed her anxiously and keened softly when he saw the harsh wound on the miko’s waist. Crouching next to her, he gently licked around the wound and pressed himself into her side as tightly as he could, whimpering slightly now and then.

Having completed dressing, Sesshomaru was intrigued to notice that no sign of the barrier came to attention. He wondered whether it was something in her powers that chose who could penetrate her defenses or if it was an unconscious decision of her mind. Shaking his thoughts clear, Sesshomaru strode over to stand above the woman and the kit.

“It is time to return, kit,” he coolly stated, making the little cub twitch apprehensively. Looking nervously at the looming demon lord, the young kitsune clung tightly to the miko and nodded. Lifting both the woman and the child, Sesshomaru wrapped his tail around the miko to keep her from becoming cold and left the spring behind them. Hearing little sobs, the Taiyouki gave the cub a short glare and he quieted quickly.

As they approached Kaede’s hut once more, they found the demon exterminator outside and looking out for their return. Giving a sharp call, the houshi and the hanyou quickly exited the hut and looked at the returning demon lord and their friends.

Inuyasha was growling before Sesshomaru had even come close to the gate. “Where are all her clothes?” Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshomaru merely gave a look at the hanyou that suggested the stupidity behind his question and began to enter the hut. As he passed the group, they were forced back by crackling pink energy, indicating that the barrier had not let up at the spring, as Sesshomaru had wondered when the kit had clung to the miko. Ignoring their presence, he resumed his task of placing the miko on the mat where she had rested before. The stench of human had seemed to become worse on his second entry into the hut and it was beginning to irritate the demon lord beyond his patience. He would have to leave, quickly. Finding the old woman in the hut as well, Sesshomaru addressed her.

“There is a swelling on the woman’s ankle, otherwise all damage has been dealt with,” the demon lord said stoically, as the kitsune once again curled into the miko’s side.

Kaede bowed low, “I am grateful to you, Sesshomaru-sama.” Simple, but effective, and Sesshomaru could almost appreciate that he only had to remain in the hut for a short time… almost. With a short, restrained glance at the still miko, Sesshomaru turned and forced his legs out of the hut, even as his senses screamed that his task was not yet complete. Ignoring this, he brushed past the group lingering outside of the hut in discussion and began his journey back to his lands. He still had duties to finish there, in any case.

***

Sesshomaru inwardly grinned as he licked the blood off of some of his claws. He had been pleased to find that the group of wolf youkai had remained on the outskirts of his land from this morning, as they had been a pleasant outlet for the frustration that was building in his senses. Satisfying a part of his bloodlust eased his nagging senses somewhat and he felt calmer than he had when he first forced himself away from the miko. Though he had not killed any of the mangy wolves, they would not forget the strength of the lord of these lands.

Now, however, the pleasure of the short hunt was already beginning to fade and he was torn between which course to take. Ordinarily, Sesshomaru would return to his castle and take care of the political affairs as well as check on his small charge. However, now that he had accomplished defense of his lands, the urge to return to the strange miko was becoming increasingly strong. He knew that the political matters could very well wait another day and that Rin was in… acceptable care. At least his retainer understood what would happen to him should any harm come to the child. This only made the decision sway towards the return to the miko. It was only his distaste of the human village and of his filthy half-brother that was keeping him away at this point.

A little thought nagged at the edges of his consciousness, it asked if the great demon lord Sesshomaru was too weak to withstand the stench of humans in order to satisfy his curiosity? Enraged at his own mind’s question, Sesshomaru made his decision. Forming his cloud beneath his feet, he turned towards the human village once again, intent of discovering the source of his fascination with the miko before the day was out.

***

Approaching the old woman’s hut once more, Sesshomaru made sure to take a deep breath before entering the enclosed space. Surprisingly, no one had been outside to either greet him or try to chase him away, in the hanyou’s case. Upon opening the door, Sesshomaru could see why. Inuyasha was pressed flat against the floor and glaring directly at the demon lord in fury. The taijiya, the monk, and the old woman were sitting on mats, simply watching the scene take place. The most interesting part of the event, however, would be the formerly broken miko, sitting with her back to the wall and the small kit in her arms, looking at the Taiyouki with a mixture of curiosity, gratitude, and slight nervousness.

Her eyes dragged his gaze deep into her, as though the miko was sucking his soul into her body. Their midnight blue depths tugged at both his mind and body, and he realized that he had moved towards the woman without a second thought. Composing himself, Sesshomaru inwardly shrugged off the lure of the miko’s eyes and made himself look over her body instead.

The wounds were healing nicely, apparently. They had dressed her in a loose, tan kimono to give her back some of her decency, he supposed. From the marks he could see, the skin was already healing over nicely, even compared to a few hours earlier. As she sat, the miko showed no signs of flinching or pain, so Sesshomaru could assume that her nastier wounds were not causing her too much discomfort. This soothed his senses and Sesshomaru found himself completely calming since first detecting her blood this morning. He noticed the miko still looking at him curiously and becoming impatient, and the small kitsune watched him intently as well.

Finally, it seemed as though the woman could no longer bear the silence that had fallen on the hut, other than the soft growls emanating from the still-prone Inuyasha. “Sesshomaru-sama,” the miko murmured softly. Sesshomaru was surprised to hear the gentleness of her voice, he would never have expected a human capable of sounding so pleasant. He wondered how he had not noticed in their battles before. She continued, “I heard of all that you did for me while I was unconscious. Thank you very much, Sesshomaru-sama,” and she bowed her head low to him, a slight wince crossed her face until her features were hidden behind a curtain of her dark hair.

A flash of that raven hair, curling over smooth skin, the plump lips that lay below… Sesshomaru nearly started at being reminded of his haunting dream by this woman. A twinge of what may have been concern overpowered his startled sensation and he leaned forward to try to capture her gaze once again. Feeling the demon lord so near, the miko snapped her head back up to look at him and a flash of surprise and pain moved across her familiar features.

Sesshomaru coolly stated in a low tone, “You are still injured.” He pointed towards the spot where he knew the large gash ran along her waist, “Right there. You will not move to disturb the wound.”

The spark of pain rapidly turned into anger and the woman snapped, “I am grateful, Sesshomaru-sama, but you cannot just order me around as though you were in charge of me.” The fire in her eyes incited the demon that lingered in Sesshomaru’s mind and his own eyes lit with the spark of challenge.

The demon lord smoothly reached out a hand and grasped the woman’s jaw firmly, causing both the anger and the nervousness in her scent to spike sharply. Watching her glare defiantly at him, Sesshomaru purred dangerously, “You will not presume to tell this Sesshomaru what he can or cannot do.”

The miko clutched the kit tightly to her, almost unconsciously, as her whole body stiffened. “These are not your lands, Sesshomaru-sama,” the annoyed woman retorted, “One would think that a demon lord would recognize where his territories ended and another’s began.”

Sesshomaru nearly allowed himself to let his anger spark, but he was all too aware how injured the woman truly was and he did not wish to perturb his senses again, the demon lord quelled his irritation. It had been a long time, however, since a simple ningen had sparked such anger in him. A strange occurrence. Obviously, there was more to this miko than what there appeared to be. Sesshomaru moved back slightly and locked his gaze on hers once more, “What is your name, miko?”

Startled, the woman’s eyes widened. Shaking herself gently, her tone became calm once more. “Higurashi Kagome,” she stated, clearly surprised at the turn of events.

“Kagome,” Sesshomaru tested out the name, it rolled off of his lips quite easily. Focusing again, he gave a slight nod, “This Sesshomaru will remember that name.”

A growl sounded loudly behind the demon lord and caught the attention of both the Taiyouki and Kagome. Sesshomaru slowly retreated from the woman and Kagome peered around him to look at Inuyasha, who it seemed had risen to his feet once more. A little dazed, it appeared as though Kagome had not noticed any of her surroundings other than Sesshomaru when he had first appeared, and she was somewhat sheepish to realize that her friends had been watching the entire time.

Clutching the hilt of Tetsusaiga firmly, Inuyasha took a fighting stance and gave Sesshomaru a hated look. “There won’t be a need for you to remember her name once you are gone,” the hanyou growled, eyes flickering.

Giving the half-breed a careless look, the demon lord gave a swift motion towards the door, having endured the reek for a good amount of time when the monk addressed him.

“Will you be returning, Sesshomaru-sama?” The houshi’s tone implied his uncertainty of whether the demon lord’s presence would be welcome further on. Though Sesshomaru was satisfied for the moment, having witnessed the miko awake and clearheaded, he wasn’t about to leave entirely. However, he only spared the monk a short look that stated that he had no intention of responding before sweeping out the door and settling down to wait a while near the outskirts of the village, where the stench was less intense.

***