Chapter 03: Short Vacation
“We have to go,” Kagome muttered, not hearing their question. Then without wasting another breath, she clambered to her feet and began to search the crystal dust. Spying the metal rod of her flashlight, she hurried over and picked it up, her trembling hand steadying once she gripped it.
“What’s going on, Kagome?” Mama asked, watching her scramble.
“We have to go,” she repeated.
“Why? Who is he?”
“We have to go.”
Reaching out with a gentle hand, she took her daughter by the arm. “Who is he?”
Her blank look of shock startled Mama, leaving her to feel like she should already know the answer to her question and that she should fear it.
“He’s Sesshoumaru.”
Mama shook her head, perplexed. “But who is that? I don’t know who Sesshoumaru is.”
Kagome blinked, jarred back into the moment. Swallowing, she tried to think of an explanation, but instead crafted perhaps one of the biggest understatements of her life. “He’s Inuyasha’s half-brother.”
“Oh,” Mama said, her sigh of relief finishing with a smile, “That doesn’t sound bad. Inuyasha was a nice boy.”
“He’s his full-demon half-brother, mama,” she explained. “He’s not a hanyou and he’s definitely not nice. We have to go.” Tugging at her hand, Kagome tried to pull her mother away, her attention firmly on the tunnel leading to the surface. Mama though held fast.
“If he’s Inuyasha’s brother then he’s family. We can’t leave him like this.”
“You don’t understand. Sesshoumaru is dangerous and he’s probably been sealed here for a reason.”
“Wasn’t Inuyasha sealed to Goshinboku for a reason too?”
“That was different-”
“Look at him,” Mama softly interrupted. “Really look at him.”
“But…” Kagome began, her argument dying to a murmur. Prey to a reassuring smile, she finally relented, letting her sight rise to the pinned demon lord. Pale like fine marble, again he reminded her of a statue. Hard lines of sinewy muscle carved his masculine frame with a seamless perfection that would make any sculptor weep. As she stared, she felt an unmistakable force draw her in. Stripped of his armor and clothing and exposed to the elements, a strange sensation of vulnerability struck her, a quality she wouldn’t have ever associated with him. He was powerless.
The schoolgirl relaxed and her mother’s hand fell away. At the center of his chest was the scar of a spider, its body stabbed through like his. Lured to it, Kagome stepped back onto the platform. Again her hands began to shake, but she didn’t take any notice as she reached out to touch him with a hesitant finger. Tracing it lightly, the spider had a rough feel, reminding her of a brand. Then with wills of their own, her hands slipped through his hair to seek his face. Finding his jaw, she cradled it on either side and lifted. Silvery strands fell away, slowly revealing the face that had ushered thousands, humans, demons and otherwise to their deaths.
Then the terror that tightened in her chest melted away into nothingness as she stared at his face, its familiar features weathered by time. His markings, striking and exotic in her memories, had faded from sight, leaving him plain. Sunken and empty, this wasn’t the face of a ruthless lord, but of a man broken deep down to his soul.
“We have to get him down,” she said, looking back.
Mama nodded.
Taking a small step back, she began to scan his body, searching for an easy means to free him, but it soon became clear that there was only one way. Her eyes settled on the sword mottled with rust.
“The sword’s the only thing holding him in place. I think if we pull it out, he’ll be free.”
Met with agreeing nods, Kagome let Sesshoumaru’s head droop back down. Moving to the side, she reached up and grasped the sword’s hilt. The ancient threads of silk woven around it turned to powder in her hands, but her grip remained solid. With a deep breath, she summoned every ounce of her strength as she readied herself. Then when her mental countdown reached zero, she pulled. Straining as if she were moving a mountain, Kagome struggled to pull out the anchored sword. Frustrated by the poor angle, curses spilled from her.
“Kagome, do you need some help?” Mama asked, taking a step forward.
“I got it,” she ground out and then sputtered a laugh of relief, “I can feel it moving!”
With a bright ring, the sword snapped off at the hilt. Caught by surprise, Kagome stumbled a few steps to the side before regaining her balance. Her chest heaving and her cheeks flush, she looked down, staring at the hilt in her hands in disbelief. Jagged where it broke, she fingered the end of the blade, flaking off crumbs of the brittle steel. “Damn it.”
“Kagome?”
“Yeah, mama.”
“Rather than pulling it out, maybe if we break off the sword closer to him. Then we can just lift him off of it.”
Kagome paused, considering her point. “That might work.”
Mama let her backpack drop onto the ground and she stepped up onto the platform to stand beside her daughter.
“Be careful. The edges are still sharp.”
The older woman nodded, opening her hands and placing her palms against the flat side of the blade. Kagome did the same and together they began to push. Their efforts were slow and steady as they tried to keep from making the wound bigger. Soon the sword started to bend and then with another sharp ring, it snapped again. Clattering as it struck the platform, the blade bounced away to land in the dust.
Smiles on their lips, the two women looked at each other and then at Sesshoumaru. Leaning in next, Mama peered into his wound before prodding it with her finger.
“I can feel where it broke off,” she said, finding something hard just below the flesh.
“It’s not that far. We could just slide him off.”
They exchanged agreeing looks and then they each took a side, sliding their shoulders under his armpits for support.
“Are you ready?” Mama asked.
“Yeah.”
“Lift.”
Bracing themselves under him, they began to slide the daiyoukai forward. Heavier than they thought, they grunted in amazement when they finally freed him, the weight of his body buckling their knees. As gently as possible, they let him fall to the ground. Letting him go, the women straightened up and looked at each other, grinning over their achievement.
“You both know that he’s lying on his face, right?” Souta spoke up after they congratulated each other. “How’s he supposed to breathe?”
Dread flashing over their faces, they knelt down in hurry and turned him over onto his back. Pale and lifeless where he lay, the youkai lord looked no different than he did on the pillar.
“I hope he isn’t dead,” Mama said as she rubbed his cold cheek with her hand, hoping for some warmth. “Was Inuyasha like this when you unsealed him?”
“No,” Kagome replied, shaking her head, “He woke up right away and grouchy too.”
Moving in close, the schoolgirl bent over Sesshoumaru until her ear hovered just above his mouth and nose. Her sight fell to his chest and in the deafening silence of the cave, she listened and watched. Time seemed to unravel as she waited with every passing second lasting longer than the last. Then she laughed, letting out her held breath as she saw the faint motion of his chest rise and fall.
“He’s breathing!” she announced, but her smile sobered when she noticed tiny bumps of gooseflesh spreading across his skin. “He’s cold. We have to warm him up.”
Slinging it from his shoulders, Souta set his backpack on the ground. He unzipped it and began to rummage through it until his searching hand felt something soft. Big and plush, he pulled out a blanket.
Mama looked at the deflated backpack and laughed. “I wondered why your bag was so big.”
Souta shrugged as he walked towards them. “I thought we were going to have a picnic.”
“Wait,” Kagome told him and then looked at her mother. “Do you have a coat in you backpack?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Souta, go get the coat, please.”
“Why?”
“We need to save the blanket for the stretcher.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Mama said. “He can’t walk on his own.”
Digging it out fast, Souta brought his sister the wool coat.
“I need both of you to go out and find two long sticks that we can use as poles to carry him,” Kagome asked. “They have to be straight, smooth and without any little branches on them. I’ll stay back and watch him.”
“All right. We’ll be back as soon as we can. You’ll be fine until then?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
Flicking their flashlights on, Mama and Souta hurried toward the tunnel. Still sitting on her knees, Kagome watched them vanish into the darkness. Alone now, her attention fell to the daiyoukai and she unfolded the heavy coat. Familiar with what it took to care for wounded comrades, she pulled him onto his right side and slipped the sleeve over his arm. Making sure it was tight against his shoulder; she tucked the rest under his back. Then she pushed him away, rolling him onto his other side so that she could slip his left arm into its sleeve.
Finished, Kagome returned him to his back and pursed her lips with dissatisfaction. Barely covering his chest, her mother’s coat was a snug fit, but he needed something more. She climbed to her feet and sought her old, yellow backpack. Finding it at the bottom of the largest pocket, she pulled out her jacket and returned to Sesshoumaru’s side. Over his hips, she laid it, rolling him like before so that she could tie the sleeves around his waist.
Pleased, Kagome sat back onto her bottom and sighed. She felt better now that he was covered. It didn’t seem right for a lord to be exposed like that, for him to be so defenseless. Her sight drifted to his placid expression and a knot of fear tightened in her chest. He wouldn’t be this peaceful forever. The demon would wake up eventually, leaving her to wonder what he will do when he does. Will he be dangerous? Will he kill people? Will she have to purify him?
The schoolgirl tucked her knees up to her chest and rested her arms over them. The future weighed on her mind as she imagined the worst and what she might have to do to stop it. Perhaps she should have left him pinned to the pillar, spending an eternity in slumber.
“Kagome!” Mama called out cheerfully, a long pole of wood balanced on her shoulder. “We’re back!” Behind her, Souta trudged along, dragging his through the crystal dust.
Looking somber, Kagome stood up to greet them.
“Did something happen? Is he worse?”
“No, he’s fine,” she assured, smiling meekly. “At least, he’s the same as he was.”
“Oh. Well, we found some straight branches. Do you think they’ll work?”
“I hope so.” Kagome stepped down from the platform and picked up the blanket. With a shake, it unfolded and she laid it out on the ground, thankful that Souta brought such a big one. “Lay the poles parallel to each other on the blanket.”
Once they set them down how she asked, the schoolgirl moved them almost to the end of the blanket and adjusted the distance between them so that they were just a bit wider than Sesshoumaru’s shoulders. With the pole ends sticking out just beyond the edges of the blanket, Kagome was pleased enough to begin. Taking the excess she had left on one side, she laid it across the poles until it barely reached beyond the furthest one and then tucked it under. Careful not to disturb them, she grabbed the rest of the blanket and folded it over in the other direction. Catching on, Mama picked up the furthest corner and helped keep it straight.
“What’s next?” she asked.
“Umm,” Kagome hummed, casting about until she spied her little brother, “Come here. We’re going to need your help.” Then she looked back at her mother. “Mama, you’re going to have to pick up that end while I pick up this side. When we do, Souta, you’ll have to pull the extra blanket under the stretcher so that we can keep wrapping it around.”
“All right,” Souta agreed.
“Ready, mama?”
“Yes.”
Together, the women picked up the stretcher, wary not to dislodge the placement of the poles or the folds. Crouching low, Souta slipped under the stretcher and gathered up the excess fabric. Next, he pulled it across; making sure it was even and tight before he stood up again.
“Good job. Now layer it over the top again and keep going around until there’s no more blanket left.”
“Got it,” he said and laughed. “It’s sort of like folding a letter.”
“It is,” Mama added. “Where did you learn how to make a stretcher? Was it from your friends from the past?”
Kagome shook her head. “I read it in one of the survival books you got me.”
The warmth of pride filled Mama and she smiled.
“Sesshoumaru’s weight ought to keep it together while we carry him, but we have to be careful not to let it come apart beforehand and to take it slow when he’s in it.”
Kagome leading the way, they carried it to the platform and set it down beside the daiyoukai, making sure it was aligned with his body.
“I’ll take the shoulders,” Mama said as she crouched down by his head, “You take the feet.”
Her daughter nodded and grabbed him just above the ankles. “Now?”
“Now.”
Grunting, they both lifted and then sidestepped. When they were certain that he was centered, they finally set him down onto the stretcher.
“It’s our moment of truth,” the schoolgirl said, taking her two pole ends into her hands with her mother following suit.
After a deep breath and a ready word, they hoisted him up. Heavy, but sturdy, the stretcher held and the women stepped down from the platform, slowly walking toward the tunnel.
“Souta, please carry our bags, would you?”
“Yes, mama.”
Soon they were surrounded by darkness with Souta and his flashlight leading the way. Though it was hard going, neither Mama or Kagome felt the need to complain. After all, heroes never complain about what had to be done. After a while, dim sunlight filtered into the black, guiding them to where they had crawled in. Through the hole, they dragged Sesshoumaru, patiently rewrapping the stretcher once they were out.
Beyond the tattered treetops, the sun retreated to the horizon, dyeing the sky in rich hues as the day faded into night. Having to take frequent breaks to rest and drink, their hike down the mountain was slow and they soon gave up any hope of reaching the hotel before it was too dark. As he had done in the cave, Souta led the way with his flashlight. Behind him, the exhausted women dragged their feet, their eyes bleary, bodies sore and arms numb. Then at long last, the amber glow of streetlamps peeked through the trees.
“We’re almost there,” Kagome blurted out, stumbling as she tried to walk faster.
“I want a hot shower,” Mama murmured next.
“So do I,” Souta agreed, “But I’ll let you go first when we get back to the room.”
“That’s why you’re my favorite son.”
“I’m your only son.”
“Wait,” Kagome spoke up.
“What?”
“We can’t go back to the hotel.”
“What? Why?”
“We can’t take him there. We have to go home right away.”
Reaching the embankment beside the road, the others stopped where they were, shocked and confused.
“What do you mean we can’t go back to the room?” Souta whimpered. “You don’t make any sense. We can’t go back to our house right now. We rode a bus to get here.”
“Then we have to rent a car. They’re still open.”
“Just explain to us why, Kagome,” Mama asked.
“Humans and youkai don’t get along. There were quite a few times we were chased out of a village just over Inuyasha’s ears let alone over Shippou or Kirara.”
“But that was the past.”
“Exactly and now it’s the present and who knows how people might react. It could be worse than dirty looks and a few curse words.”
Her mother conceded. “You’re right. Souta and I will go check out of the hotel and get the car. We should have just enough. We’ll be back soon.”
Satisfied with their plan, the women set the stretcher down in the grass. Then with a drooping Souta in tow, Mama crossed the street, heading toward the hotel. Alone again, Kagome sat beside Sesshoumaru. Every so often, she reached over, letting the back of her fingers graze his cheek. He felt warm and she smiled. Once she let her hand glide to his neck where his heartbeat thrummed and then she was sure that he was alive.
Headlights flashed over the road, soon followed by the pebbly sound of tires rolling slowly over asphalt. The car veered close, pulling up onto the shoulder before coming to a stop. Opening their doors, Mama and Souta got out.
“Open up the back doors,” she told her son as she walked down the embankment and then she looked at Kagome. “Are we ready?”
“Yeah.”
Each taking a side, they picked up the stretcher and hauled it up to the car, the long rest in between making their efforts harder than before. Over the bench seat, they dragged him, bending his legs to make him fit in the cramped sedan.
“Should we save the poles?” Kagome asked as she pulled them out.
“There’s nowhere to put them and we have plenty of brooms at home.”
Nodding, Kagome tossed them away.
“Souta, go sit up front,” Mama ordered and then she addressed Kagome. “You’ll have to sit in the back with him. It’s a long drive and you’ll have to make sure he makes it all right.”
“Okay,” she replied and climbed in. Leaning over the back of the front seat, Souta watched as she lifted up Sesshoumaru’s head and slid her lap underneath. He had so much hair and Kagome gathered up as much as she could to keep from sitting on it.
Finishing her walk around the car to make sure the doors were shut and nothing was forgotten, Mama finally got in. “Souta, sit down and put on your seatbelt please.” Once she heard the click of the belt, she shifted the car into gear and they slowly began to accelerate down the road.
Whizzing by, light from the streetlamps filled the car, offering Kagome glimpses of the sleeping face in her lap. With each flash, an unsettling feeling sunk deeper into the pit of her stomach, constituting of a mix of fear and uncertainty over what the next few days would bring.
One by ladybattousai