Chapter 25: The Apple

ALL RIGHTS TO ROSIE B ON FANFICTION.NET Rosie B [https://www.fanfiction.net/u/38149/RosieB]

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Chapter 25: The Apple

A/N: Thank you to everyone that has been waiting patiently as I went through exams. While I was fretting and sweating, two readers posted some gorgeous work on Deviant Art inspired by this story. They're both so wonderful and I'm so flattered and amazed that anyone would create such beautiful pictures for my story and my other readers! Go check them out here (remove the spaces or the links won't work):

"Taiyoukai of Mine" by Youkai Yume – youkaiyume. deviantart art/ SessKag-Taiyoukai-of-Mine-77895562

"Caught Between Times" by LazyJenny – lazyjenny. deviantart art/ Caught-between-times-78424891

Thanks so much, you two. :D

The Once and Future Taiyoukai

Chapter 25: The Apple

When they reached Sesshoumaru's camp – after a dangerously rapid and frigid run through the snow – they found nothing but a pleased child, a fawning imp and implacable dragon. Kagome slid off of the taiyoukai's back and let out a sigh of relief.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Kagome-san!" Rin greeted them, jumping to her feet.

"Hello, Rin-chan," replied the miko. "How are you?"

"Wonderful, Kagome-san. I'm so pleased to see you again. How is Shippo? And everyone else? I didn't get to speak to any of them when we saw you last week."

Kagome let out a breath – it had felt like far more than a week had passed since their last meeting. "Shippo is great. He's growing up fast, just like you. Look at how tall you've become!" Kagome gushed. "You're almost as tall as me already."

"Jaken-sama says I'm too tall," Rin said, still smiling but the joyous light in her eyes dimming a bit. Kagome saw that she had hit upon a sore spot and cursed mentally. The tall girls in the class were always picked on at her school.

The miko shot the imp a dangerous glance and looked back at the young girl. "No, you're not too tall. You're going to be beautiful, Rin-chan. All the boys will line up to see you."

"Sesshoumaru-sama won't like that much," giggled the pre-teen.

Kagome smiled. "No, I bet he won't," she agreed. She watched as the taiyoukai began to stalk around the perimeter of the camp with his nose quivering like a bloodhound. "Rin, have you seen or heard anything unusual this morning?"

"She certainly has not," Jaken huffed, irritated at being ignored by two human females. "And I would thank you, foolish human, to keep silent and allow my lord to ask the questions!"

"The priestess arrived with me, Jaken," snapped the taiyoukai, breaking away from his intense study of the clearing for just a moment. "She may ask whatever she wishes and address whomever she wishes."

Jaken swallowed. "Of course, my lord," he stammered, eyeing the way Kagome wore his lord's furs draped over her shoulders. "But, with no disrespect intended, was there something that you – and the miko – were looking for, my lord?"

The taiyoukai frowned. "Naraku is moving against us." He sniffed the air delicately and the frown deepened.

"Surely he would not dare to fight you once again, Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken chirped. "Not when he has had such crippling losses in the past!"

"I do not expect prudence from one such as him," replied the dog demon.

"But nothing's coming now," Kagome said. "And even if something was, we should still leave, just like you ordered Koga to do. Inuyasha needs us all."

Sesshoumaru took a breath, his golden eyes sweeping over the clearing again. "We leave immediately. Jaken, you will attend to Rin's safety. If she is harmed, this Sesshoumaru will not be lenient," he growled. The imp began to scuttle about, collecting their belongings at an impressive speed. "Immediately, Jaken. Leave everything."

Rin and the servant froze for just a moment. Their Lord Sesshoumaru was not materialistic, but he also abhorred waste. The seriousness of his expression hit them and they moved, scrambling onto Ah-Un's back.

"You as well," Sesshoumaru said, urging Kagome forward. "I can move faster alone."

"Alright." The miko ran to the dragon, clambering on behind Rin as Ah-Un rose to its feet. "Come on!" she called to the stationary taiyoukai.

He looked back at her, an inscrutable expression settling on his face. Kagome's heart began to beat unevenly. "What are you waiting for, Sesshoumaru?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"That's Lord Sesshoumaru to you!" snapped Jaken.

They all ignored the imp. Sesshoumaru could only meet Kagome's eyes before he drew Tokijin. "Take Kagome to my brother," he ordered the dragon. "You will all help him."

Ah-Un began to move, lightening crackling around its feet. Kagome reached out, realizing what was happening. "No! Come with us!" she shouted, a mere second before Naraku's incarnation burst through the trees.

They were rising in the air, and the taiyoukai's white form receded. Naraku's incarnation – green, scaled and hooded head with ruby eyes – hissed and sprang forward. Its jaws opened, displaying the curved fangs of a snake. Kagome cried out as Sesshoumaru fended off the first blow.

"A cobra!" breathed Jaken and, despite his repeated faith in his lord, worry crept into his gaze.

Kagome turned to the dragon. "Take me back!" she yelled. "He can't fight it alone!"

"Lord Sesshoumaru will easily win against such a foe," the imp said tremulously.

"No, he won't," cried Kagome, grabbing at her own collarbone and trying to rub away the sudden pain in her heart. "He's in pain without me! It hurts so badly!" Whatever bonded her to the taiyoukai was growing stronger. She should have seen it, she realized. Sesshoumaru had reacted so intensely when she had stormed away earlier that morning. He had been taken by surprise by it too.

She was crying now, as was Rin. "Take me back!" Kagome yelled again.

Ah-Un snorted sadly. Jaken shook his head. "The dragon has its orders from Lord Sesshoumaru. It'll follow them no matter what."

Kagome took a breath and looked down. They were skimming just above the treetops. "Fine," she murmured, shrugging off Sesshoumaru's pelt from her shoulders. "Remember what he said about protecting Rin!"

"Wh-what?" Jaken stuttered, turning around just as Kagome jumped. "You stupid girl!" he yelled after her.

Kagome fell for far longer than she thought she would – but the impact was worse. She was winded immediately as she crashed through the canopy, scratched by the small branches and bouncing roughly against the larger ones. Her momentum slowed and she managed to catch hold of sturdy limb, groaning as her joints protested the sudden stop. "Maybe not such a good idea," she whined.

She was already close to the ground – a testament to how far she had fallen – and climbing down was quickly accomplished. Her body was bruised and bleeding, but Kagome couldn't find any breaks. It was a small miracle and a smaller comfort – she had already traveled far from the clearing and her body rebelled against the further torture of running.

And yet, run she did. Far as she was, Sesshoumaru made every battle epic and the sounds carried through the trees. Kagome clutched at the stitch in her side and prayed to any kami that would listen.

The miko arrived faster than she thought, given her sore body. Sesshoumaru was bleeding and – to her discerning eyes – exhausted, but he was still fighting the cobra demon. He couldn't have heard her over the noise of the combat, but he straightened when she arrived. "Kagome!" he snapped. "Leave!"

"No way, you jerk!"

"And what," he growled, swinging and forcing the snake demon to duck, "do you intend to do here?"

"Well," she yelled back, "I thought I'd let you not suffer from blinding pain!"

She thought she saw him roll his eyes at her. "Foolish girl! You'll get us both killed!"

Kagome reached back into the folds of her obi and drew out her tanto, the short dagger that Sango had given her after her successful fight against the bird youkai. It was puny compared to Tokijin or the snake's fangs, which snapped so dangerously, but it was sharp and she could use it if necessary. She felt better just being here and Sesshoumaru did too – his fighting was fluid and practiced again, like the taiyoukai she always had seen. She didn't feel the painful tug on her heartstrings anymore.

Sesshoumaru and the snake grappled with one another, the larger snake youkai pushing the dog demon backwards and into a tree trunk. Leaves rained down on them. Tokijin was shaken loose and Sesshoumaru swung with an empty hand, golden scars appearing in the air. The snake leapt back again, but did not give the dog a chance to retrieve his sword. Sesshoumaru jumped up, his hair flying, to avoid the incarnation's fangs. He did a neat somersault and landed across the clearing from Tokijin, forcing the snake to turn its back on it.

Kagome darted forward and grabbed the blade by its hilt. It sparked angrily against her skin and she almost cried out. But she bit her tongue and drew back again. Tokijin was just as malevolent as it had been when Kaijinbo forged it. She could not hold it for long or she would become possessed by its demonic aura.

But the snake had finally decided to acknowledge her presence. "Little miko," it hissed, "how kind of you to approach me, instead of doing me the discourtesy of having to hunt you down."

"Well, anything to make things easier for Naraku," she snipped.

"Kagome!" called Sesshoumaru in warning, a millisecond before the snake struck.

The miko jumped back, swinging with Tokijin and catching the snake on his arm. Green blood oozed out as the surprised demon drew away. "You bitch!"

"Been called a lot worse," Kagome replied, darting towards the taiyoukai. But the snake demon would not tolerate their reunion, intercepting the miko and attacking again. Kagome ducked and ran to the trees. Sesshoumaru came up from behind the snake and left three long gouges in his back. The demon wailed loudly and rolled away from the seething taiyoukai.

"This is our fight," he growled.

"Your little whore got herself into it," replied the snake. "She's in it until the end."

"Which will come very quickly!" Sesshoumaru snarled, launching himself forward.

The cobra drew his head back, but did not move away. At the last second, Sesshoumaru deviated from his path and just in time – the ground hissed where the poison landed.

"A spitting cobra," muttered Kagome. "Great. Just fabulous."

The demon turned to look at the miko. "It gets better, little miko," he hissed. His flesh pulsated twice as he stood there, his ruby eyes flashing.

Sesshoumaru immediately came to Kagome side. "You should not hold that for so long," he said slowly, taking Tokijin away. It stuck to her skin, leaving her hand stiff and sore. It felt like it had been burned, but there was no visible damage when she looked at her palm. She let her arm drop.

"What's happening?" she murmured. "Why aren't you attacking him?"

"You have seen my transformation on a number of occasions," he replied. "A strong demonic aura protects him now."

"He's already a snake. What is he transforming into?" Kagome cried.

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow. "A bigger snake, I would imagine."

The wind whipped around them and the snake began to change. What it lacked in comparison to Sesshoumaru's grandeur, it made it up with sheer terror. The snake's limbs disappeared and long coils stretched out into the trees. The cobra's hood expanded and the fangs grew, dripping its poison. Kagome buried her face into her hands. "I've stepped intoAladdin," she groaned.

"What?" asked the taiyoukai offhandedly.

"Nothing," she muttered. "This is just beginning to look very, very bad. Why didn't you run? You told Koga to run if he encountered Naraku's incarnation!"

"This Sesshoumaru does not run."

She blinked. "Yes, you do! You ran from Inuyasha when he transformed that one time. Oh, and when you lost your arm. And when he finally used the Wind Scar on you. And..."

"Be quiet, woman!" he snapped. "This is not the time to outline my failings."

"I haven't evenstarted with that list," she muttered under her breath.

He glared at her. "I will not trouble myself to save an insolent female!"

"Who said I needed saving? I came back for you and you haven't even acknowledged that my presence is helping you!"

"Next time yourpresence sooths the agony that I feel because of you, I will be sure to ask my foe to pause in his attacks so that I may do so, then," he growled.

"You just won't admit that a female helped the high and mighty Sesshoumaru! Especially a human female!"

He growled again, his body quivering with frustration. But instead of replying, he put his clawed hand on her shoulder and shoved – hard.

"Ow!" she cried out, landing some dozen feet away. She sat up to see the fully transformed snake's fangs chomping down where she had just stood. Sesshoumaru was descending from his great leap, Tokijin aimed at the center of the cobra's hood.

Kagome scrambled for her tanto, lying a few feet away, as Sesshoumaru come to the ground in his unsuccessful bid for the snake's demise. This thing was fast – faster than those other two detachments she had met so many years ago – Juromaru and Kageromaru. And it had that poison, which was dripping everywhere. Even Sesshoumaru was avoiding the puddles of acid, despite his own venomous abilities.

The clearing was significantly larger now that the cobra had transformed. Kagome ran back, over the flattened trees, to get to cover. She was rattled and had to regain some composure before venturing out again, she decided.

"Kagome!"

She turned to see the snake's tail sweeping towards her, curling around to cut off her escape routes. It was as thick as a redwood and she knew she couldn't jump over it to get to Sesshoumaru on the other side. The taiyoukai was locked with the snake's fangs, trying to dodge the drops of venom.

Kagome waited until the coils came close and then tried to scramble over the scales, but just as her hand hit the dorsal ridge, the tail wrapped around her and squeezed. She cried out in pain and drew her tanto with her shaking fingers, stabbing downwards.

The coils flinched as the snake drew back, letting Sesshoumaru drop to the ground. "The blood is poisonous!" he yelled. "Do not touch it, Kagome!"

But it was already sliding down the scales towards her, hissing as it hit her kimono. It burned away the fabric slowly but steadily as she tried to wriggle away. "Sesshoumaru!"

Tokijin glowed as Sesshoumaru struck out against the snake, but the detachment was just too powerful. Its aura was strong enough to withstand Tokijin's attacks and it laughed as Sesshoumaru continued to make superficial marks in its scales. "You will tire of this long before I do," it hissed. "Although long after I have squeezed her to death!"

Kagome screamed as the pressure increased. She continued to stab at the scales on the side away from her so that she was not drenched in the acidic blood, but her strokes were weakening. She was weakening. Even her breath, which should have been heavy and labored from her exertion, was shallow and halting.

Sesshoumaru flew across the clearing, his hand wrapped tightly around Tokijin.

"Don't be a fool, Sesshoumaru!" hissed the snake.

But the taiyoukai dove, shoving the blade deep into the scales and releasing a spurt of the poisonous blood. The coils loosened and dropped Kagome, who rushed away with her bloody tanto in hand. She looked back to see the snake wincing and writhing in pain, its head drooping.

But Sesshoumaru was nowhere in sight. Kagome could see Tokijin, still stuck into the snake's flesh, but there was no sign of its master.

"Sesshoumaru!" she called, running around the tip of the cobra's tail, which twitched spastically. The taiyoukai had hit the nerve, she realized – the snake was paralyzed from that point down to its tail. "Sesshoumaru!"

Then she saw him. He was moving, thank Kami, but in a similar way to the cobra. She sprang forward, trying to avoid the pools of poison.

His hakama was drenched and the acid was eating away at the silk. She wrapped her kimono sleeves around her hands and tore away the top layer of his uniform, throwing it aside. "Sesshoumaru! Look at me!" she cried, large tears dripping down her face. His hair, singed and crispy in places, was covering his face and he had not moved to see her. "Please!"

He turned and she bit the inside of her mouth to keep from sobbing. The poison had sprayed across his face and into his eyes. She wiped away what remained with her sleeve and he hissed in pain. "Oh, no..."

"I have been blinded," he said tonelessly.

She nodded. "I know," she murmured, looking at the faded gold. His skin was speckled with angry red splotches and open sores where the venom had hit, but his eyes had received the brunt of it. Blood leaked from beneath his eyelids. "But it will get better. You heal real well."

He let out a soft breath and said nothing.

Kagome bit her lip. "Sesshoumaru..."

"This is still a battle and the snake still lives. We will talk of injuries later," he said, getting to his feet. The thrashing was slowing down behind them. "He is adjusting to his own loss. Get Tokijin."

Kagome ran to the sword and pulled it out of the scaly flesh, her fingers burning as the blade protested this second violation of her touch. She handed it over quickly. "You can't..."

"I can hear and smell and feel," he interrupted. "That is all I need."

The snake was rearing up, looking winded still but in better shape than the taiyoukai. His ruby eyes narrowed. "What? You still intend to fight?" he breathed. "This is no challenge, to fight a blind, three-legged dog!"

Sesshoumaru's irises turned red – with the blood already seeping from his eyes, it looked like someone had gouged out the beautiful golden orbs Kagome already missed so much. She tried not to weep as Sesshoumaru threw her a blind glance. "Take Tenseiga as I finish this creature. It will protect you."

"You need that protection!" protested Kagome.

"I have little left to protect other than you," he replied. "Take Tenseiga."

She stared at him for just a moment before drawing the healing sword from his waist. "Sesshoumaru," she began.

"Leave."

Anything she said would sound like goodbye, she realized. So instead of telling him how much she loved him, instead of kissing him and instead of crying, she ran away.

He attacked first, as soon as Kagome had harbored herself in the shade of the trees. The snake was practically anchored into place by its deadened tail, but it still could strike as fast as lightening. And it could still see its opponent. Kagome couldn't help but feel every attack was Sesshoumaru's last.

But he survived. He wasn't landing as many blows as he would of, had he his sight, but the taiyoukai was doing remarkably well with his sense of hearing alone. Kagome watched as he carefully tilted his head to find the snake and to calculate how fast it approached. The cobra was not attacking so often now, contemplating its moves – it was clearly unnerved by Sesshoumaru's ability to 'see' where it was going and had decided that perhaps this wasn't going to be so easy after all.

Kagome crept through the shadows, gripping Tenseiga in one hand and her tanto in the other. She wasn't certain what she planned to do, but she could not let this continue. Soon, one or the other would grow tired of the constant back and forth attacks and dodges. As much as she trusted the taiyoukai, she would not forgive herself if she had stood by and done nothing while it was him that fell.

Sesshoumaru was on the defensive when Kagome drew close – he winced as he jumped back and landed in a puddle of acid. Smoke was rising off of him in places where the venom had hit his clothing, but he was conjuring his own poison too, allowing it to mix with Tokijin's aura.

Now that she was close, she could see how he trembled. His body was giving out on him. Even Sesshoumaru could take only so much damage before he was exhausted. He would fall before the snake if she did not act.

The miko let Tenseiga's sheath fall to the ground and the dull blade came free. Sesshoumaru heard the scabbard hit the leaves – he turned his head ever so slightly towards her. He paused and took a breath.

She took a breath in the same moment and something sparked within her. The youkai and miko looked at one another and although she knew he was blind, she felt that he could still see her. Her heart beat slowly within her chest and she felt another beating alongside of it. It was stronger, yet comforting. She could not help but smile.

Kagome stepped out of the shadows. She knew what she was supposed to do now. She wasn't in pain anymore. Strength coursed through her, erasing old and new wounds. And another power flowed through her as well, a power that was far more familiar to the miko.

Something washappening.

Tenseiga glowed softly, growing light in her grip. "Sesshoumaru."

The taiyoukai crouched and sprang immediately, his sightless eyes fixed upon the cobra's dangerous head. It turned and met Kagome, brandishing Tenseiga – suddenly looking as deadly as its brother sword – and a gleaming tanto. The miko was ablaze with power and the cobra drew back from where it came to avoid touching her aura.

And it drew right back to where Sesshoumaru wanted it.

Tokijin sliced through the thin membrane covering the snake's skull and drove home into its brain. The cobra screamed and both youkai fell to the ground, one dead and one triumphant. Sesshoumaru turned immediately and cut off its head, ducking the spray of acid blood.

The taiyoukai looked back over his shoulder. "Kagome? Where are you?"

The light from Tenseiga had already died. "Here," she said. "I'm right here. I'm fine."

Sesshoumaru carefully jumped down from the cobra's head, avoiding the pooling blood and the fangs – for everyone knows that a snake can still bite after its head has been chopped off. He shoved Tokijin into the earth to clean the blade and found Kagome. "What did you do?" he asked.

"I-I don't know," she replied. "It was... amazing. I felt like... I'm not sure."

"As if I could see through your eyes," he finished.

"Like you were giving me your strength," she added, nodding vigorously. "And more than that. I almost – well, I think I felt my powers return. Just for a second."

"Yes, I felt that as well."

She stared at him. "And now?"

He drew in a long breath and shook his head. "I cannot see." He frowned and pressed a clawed finger to the corner of his eye, feeling the blood still running. "I may never see again."

"But you heal so fast."

"Not everything returns," he murmured, turning his head to his missing arm.

"Oh." She stepped close and brushed her fingers over his face. The skin was healing already – he would not have scars – but his eyes were looking worse. The gold was fading fast, as if the poison was sucking all of their usefulness away. "Can't we stop it?"

"There is little to be done," he said. "We still need to assist my brother."

She frowned. "You can't go like this!"

He arched an eyebrow and despite the damage, it was comfortingly familiar to her. "We just defeated a cobra, woman."

She felt a sharp stab of annoyance. "It wouldn't matter if you'd just lost all your limbs, would it? You would still show up and try to defeat Naraku."

"Don't be ridiculous," he replied. "There is no trying – I would and will defeat him."

"Sesshoumaru," she said, ready to admonish him for his suicidal mission. And then, suddenly, she began to cry instead. It came upon her so quickly, that she didn't have the chance to stifle it. It was just too much – too much for her to handle without crying. It felt like she had an ocean behind her eyes.

He stepped back. "Stop that immediately."

She was quickly turning into a soggy mess. "I can't help it," she whimpered through her tears. "You're blind and you want to run off and get yourself into another battle."

The taiyoukai frowned. "I do not understand your fears. I am perfectly capable of fighting."

"And if you're not?" she hiccupped. "You'll die."

"And so will you." His brow furrowed. "Is this why you fear for my life? Because if I die, you will die?"

She sniffed and drew herself up to her full height. "That is not the reason and you know it!" she snapped. "If that was the reason, I would have begged for my life this morning. But I didn't. I'm afraid, Sesshoumaru – for your life and your life only."

The dog demon was silent for a few moments. "What do you expect me to do?" he asked quietly. "I gave my word to the wolf that we would follow. This Sesshoumaru does not break his promises."

Kagome sucked in a breath through her teeth and Sesshoumaru had the grace to turn his head away. They were both thinking of the promise he had made to her and had subsequently broken. She dried her eyes after a moment. "It doesn't matter anyway," she said flatly. "We have no way to get there. I can't imagine that you could fly very reliably without your sight and walking would take too long. It might already be over. Inuyasha might already be dead."

"Fortunately for you," Sesshoumaru said, "loyalty outweighs obedience."

"I don't..."

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Kagome-san!" came a shout, interrupting Kagome.

The miko looked up to see Ah-Un rapidly descending from the sky. Rin bounced off the dragon's back as soon as its claws touched ground. "You're alright!" she cried happily.

"Jaken, you have disobeyed my orders," the taiyoukai said.

"It wasn't me, my lord! It was that wretched girl!" the imp argued, falling to the ground. "I tried to stop her!" He glanced furiously at Kagome. "She disobeyed first!" he added. Only a soft growl of warning was required to send the imp back to bowing with his face in the dirt.

The taiyoukai turned to the girl and Kagome noticed that he was doing a remarkable job of covering up his blindness – the blood had been wiped away and he had focused what was left of his golden eyes to the place where Rin was standing. Most people would never see his injury. "Well, Rin?"

But Rin was not most people and her own eyes widened immediately. "Lord Sesshoumaru, what is wrong with your eyes?" she asked tremulously.

"Explain your disobedience," the taiyoukai said instead.

Rin folded her hands. "Forgive me, my lord," she said haltingly, "but you ordered Ah-Un to take Kagome-san to your brother. Once Kagome-san jumped off, Ah-Un couldn't possibly follow your command. It did take some convincing on my part, Sesshoumaru-sama, and I am sorry for disobeying your intentions – which I fully understood – if not your actual words."

"Clever," muttered Kagome, watching the girl twist her fingers together. The miko leaned close to the dog demon. "And she knows already. Just tell her."

"We have no time for such things," he replied brusquely. He walked with surprising steadiness towards the two-headed dragon. "Whatever injuries I have sustained, Rin, you will not disobey me again. I will be lenient this time. I have little luxury for doling out punishments to willful children. All of you, get on."

Kagome glared but took the girl by the shoulders and helped her back onto Ah-Un. Sesshoumaru sat in front with Rin between him and Kagome. Jaken was in the last place. The beast groaned slightly at the added weight of a full-grown taiyoukai, but it once again climbed into the sky.

Rin began to weep and the miko gathered her close. "Everything will be alright, Rin-chan," she murmured. She knew that the wind was not hiding her whispers from the sharp ears of the taiyoukai, but she pretended at giving some privacy to the distraught girl.

"Lord Sesshoumaru has been blinded!" Rin whimpered.

"Oh, be quiet, Rin!" Jaken said, leaning around Kagome to glower at the girl. "Lord Sesshoumaru will heal shortly!"

The miko shot him a withering stare and the imp blanched. He didn't speak again. Kagome turned back to her charge. "Rin, do you trust Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked gently.

The girl nodded vigorously. "Lord Sesshoumaru has always taken care of me, even when I have become a burden," she said. "I have not lost trust in Sesshoumaru-sama."

"I know. Neither have I. But sometimes, we should remind ourselves how much we trust him. Did you see that huge snake back in the clearing?" she asked and Rin nodded. "Sesshoumaru-sama killed that youkai even when he couldn't see. We need to trust that he is just as strong as he was before. Different, but still Lord Sesshoumaru. He will still take care of you."

Rin wasn't eight anymore – she was a precocious twelve year old who had studied for four years how demons and human alike avoided telling the entire truth to Lord Sesshoumaru. The taiyoukai always knew when someone was holding out on him and his ward had picked up that skill. She drew away from Kagome just a bit. "You didn't help?" she asked.

"Well, a little," the miko admitted. "Hardly anything to speak about – Sesshoumaru did all the work and saved my life. And help is nothing to sneer at. He will always have us, after all."

Rin nodded somberly. "I will try not to worry anymore," she said, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"We can worry," the miko said with a gentle smile. She glanced at the tense posture of the taiyoukai who could hear every word. "Quietly," she added.

The girl and the young woman exchanged a knowing look and a smirk. Sesshoumaru was not appreciative of tears and they both deeply suspected that crying women actually made him nervous.

The miko decided to take pity and alleviate the taiyoukai's discomfort. "Are we almost there?" she asked, using her normal tones again.

"Yes."

There was a pause.

"Will we get there in time?"

"I do not know."

"Where will Jaken and I go?" Rin asked.

"You will stay far enough to escape any possible danger, but close enough so that we can reach you if the impossible occurs," he replied.

Kagome bit her lip. "We?" she echoed.

His shoulders stiffened slightly and there was another pause, longer this time. Finally, he turned his head slightly so that she could see one clouded eye. "You will stay at my side during the battle," the taiyoukai said. "You will serve as my eyes. For the rare instances that I will need such service."

The priestess smiled softly. "Of course."

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A/N: Sorry for the rollercoaster of emotions at the end there. It was difficult dealing with both Sesshoumaru's sudden disability and the urgency of their situation. Whew – it was kind of a work out.

If you're wondering about the chapter title, "The Apple", there are actually two meanings. The obvious one is Biblical – the snake tempted Eve to take the apple and Eve in turn tempted Adam, which led to the Fall and the expulsion of humans from Eden. (The forbidden fruit isn't actually identified in the Bible, but it's popularly referred to as an apple.) Sesshoumaru is obviously the one tempted here, by Kagome. He obviously had far more noble intentions when he suffered his injury though than Adam did when he ate the fruit.

That someone is "the apple of your eye" is a common saying. The other reference is more specifically to my favorite book in the world, Jane Eyre. In it, Mr. Rochester is blinded at the end and refers to Jane as "literally, the apple of his eye" because she guides him in his blindness. She's the only one that he happily allows to do so.

Well, I hope you liked it. Make sure you check out the fantastic fanart Youkai Yume and lazyjenny did for this story on Deviant Art (links at the top of the chapter)! Please review!