Forbidden part 19 (A Sesshoumaru Story) An Eye for an Eye; Poison for Poison

Nanami was torn in half about what she would do. [Should I spare him with the antidote now and be forced to kill him later... or stop wasting time and get it over with now?] She had a strong feeling that if she spared Sesshoumaru, he would hunt her down and kill her first. But if she kills him now, Rin would be left heartbroken and all alone. Something else tore at Nanami's heart. She would not be able to forgive herself for taking the life of a man who could have taken hers in an instant, but refused to: technically, he had never even wronged her so as to deserve death. And yet, in mere minutes, he would be gone from this world... Sesshoumaru's voice repeaed "Veter dognat' " in her mind. Nanami walked over to Sesshoumaru, but immediatly looked up at Inuyasha and his group.
"Leave. Please." The woman asked, but they all just stood there and stared at her. "NOW." She demanded loudly and sternly, pulling out her sword, enshrouded in a white flame. Inuyasha refused to budge, but Kagome grabbed his arm and pleaded him to leave. Finally, they departed. Nanami stuck the sword into the ground to illuminate the area.
"Rin. On Teyn's saddle there is a silver flask of water and near it is a small bag. Can you please bring it to me?" Rin complied and ran over to get the supplies, sniffling and stiffling a few cries. Nanami picked up Sesshoumaru's left fore arm and gently pulled up the sleeve with her hand. She lowered his arm down slowly and felt his pulse. It was very shallow and slow, but at least he was still alive... for now. She grabbed the sheath of the poison dagger and pulled out a small glass vile fom the small compartment hidden on the sheath's underside. She stared at it for a few seconds, as if double checking if she wanted to do this. She put it down on the ground next to the man's shoulder. She looked at Sesshoumaru's face and placed her slender hand on his forehead. He was burning up. She brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. [Terrible time to notice how attractive you are.] Nanami blushed to herself and then was about to slap herself for thinking such thoughts of her enemy. [I don't even get along with him, or like him for that matter... then why am I saving him?] Nanami shook her head before she changed her mind about the antidote.
Rin brought her the flask and the bag. Nanami took out a cloth she had used as a towel and soaked it in the remaining water.
"Lord Sesshoumaru!! What happened, m'lord?!" Jaken squealed right after he woke up from passing out when Inuyasha trampled him while Nanami and Sesshoumaru were fighting.
"Jaken, bring me some cold water from the stream. Hurry." Nanami shoved the empty flask into the green demon's hands. Jaken scrambled out of sight toward the river. Nanami opened the vile and and moved closer to Sesshoumaru's head. She slid an arm under his shoulders, but realized she could not lift him up with just one hand. The demon handed Rin the antidote, asking her to hold it. She put her other arm under his right shoulder and pulled him up so that he was lying in her lap. Nanami took the antidote from the girl and placed her left hand on his jaw and opened his mouth. She slowly and carefully poured anbout one fourth of the antidote and closed the vile. Nanami took the wet cloth and wiped blood and dirt from his forearm.
"Why are you not giving Lord Sesshoumaru all the medicine?" Rin wondered.
"An overdose of the antidote would kill him even faster than the poison. He has to drink one fourth of it every six hours until this time tomorrow." Nanami answered and put Sesshoumaru back down on the ground. She cleansed his wound thouroghly and bandaged it tightly. Jaken finally arrived with the water. Nanami soaked the rag with the cold water and softly dabbed Sesshoumaru's face before placing the folded cloth on his forehead. He began to shiver slightly. Nanami stood up and retrieved a dark cloak she wore during the cold weather. She threw the spread out cloak over Sesshoumaru and wrapped it around his broad shoulders. She quickly gathered some wood, thinking about how Sesshoumaru knew about those words, those secret words she brought over from her homeland. She did not sing or even utter the words of that song for over 200 years now. [Is it possible that he knows me? If so, then why do I not remember him?] When Nanami returned, Rin was sitting near Sesshoumaru, wrapped in the furpelt hanging off his armor. Nanami lit a camp fire and sat down, leaning against the trunk of a tree.
"Will Lord Sesshoumaru be alright?" Rin asked innocently while scooching closer to Nanami. "Yes." The woman replied. [Maybe... if his body can resist the poison.]
"I will pray for him anyway." Rin said happily and did as she said. [What have I done?] Nanami sighed. [Rin practically worships Sesshoumaru, and yet I take his life and crush it in my hands. What kind ofmonster am I?]
"I'm sorry Rin... I am sorry this happened. But if it wasn't for you, I would have killed him. You saved him, Rin."
"Lord Sesshoumaru should not have been so hasty. It was not your fault." Rin crawled over to Nanami and wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. Nanami hugged Rin and took one last look at Sesshoumarubefore closing her eyes. [He will snap my spine in half when he comes to... if he does that is.]
An entire, uneventful day and two nights have passed. It was sunrise and Rin was fidgeding around in her sleep and suddenly let out a shreik. Nanami jolted up right, her eyes still half closed. "Sorry. Bad dream." Rin giggled nervously. Nanami smiled and cocked an eyebrow. A rustle and a quiet, pained groan sounded behind Rin. Nanami stood up and saw Sesshoumaru frowning in his sleep. She walked over to him and sat down next to his left arm. Nanami pulled up the sleeve and looked at his bandages; they needed to be changed. She began to untie the knot when she heard a threatening low growl. She glanced at the demon, who was awake now an glaring at her with those cold eyes, and ignored him. His right hand grabbed Nanami's wrist tightly.
"What do you think you're doing?" He spoke in a voice cold enough to freeze water. Nanami tried to pry her wrist out of his grasp because it was getting really painful.
"Let go of me..." Nanami finally murmured. Sesshoumaru stood, showing no pain, bringing Nanami up with him. Her hand was starting to get a tingling feeling and turned purple. she could feel his claws dig into her skin and draw blood. On top of it, the poison from his claws was burning her skin.
"Stop, Sesshoumaru!" She growled. The man's eyes turned red again and he slammed the woman against a tree.
"Give me a reason. You wanted to kill me. You should have done so, because I will not be so merciful." Rin stared in horror at Sesshoumaru. It wasn't like him to act this way. The little girl wanted to stop him from hurting Nanami, but she was afraid that she might get herself into trouble. Nanami couldn't hold the pain any longer. She could not feel her fingers and palm, her wrists were trickling blood and her skin burning inside out with the poison. Nanami shut her eyes, bit her lip and whimpered. "I was only trying to heal you!" Another growl came from Sesshoumaru and he grabbed her neck, starting to do the same thing he was doing with her wrist. She could feel her skin burn and her breath shorten. Tears welled up in Nanami's eyes and her right hand grabbed his arm. Then all of a sudden, she started to whisper, the first few words muffled by tears. "...tol'ko tiy krilya mne ne oblamai, v prpost' upast' s viysoty, proshu mne ne dai..." (only don't break my wings, and i beg you, don't let me fall into abyss...from "Catch the Wind")
Sesshoumaru's eyes stopped glowing and turned back to normal, the menacing expression replaced by one of shock. He seemed to not be aware of what he just did. Nanami's tears slid down her cheeks and onto his fingers. He looked at his hands, covered in blood, one scortching the young woman's wrist, another her neck. Sesshoumaru loosened his grip and pulled his hands away. He seemed digusted with what he had done to the girl. The skin around her wrist where his fingers were was almost completely gone, raw flesh exposed. Nanami let out a pained cry and collapsed to the ground on her knees, sobbing and clutching her arm. Her neck was burned as well, but not to such extent. Sesshoumaru felt pity toward the woman, she didn't deserve it afterall. Sesshoumaru turned and walked toward his sword, lying next to Rin. The little girl, scared out of her wits by what she just saw, scrambled backwards away from Sesshoumaru and hid behind a tree. He felt shame and remorse build up inside of him and grabbed his tensaiga. The man walked back to Nanami and stopped in front of her, listening to her quiet sobs. She was already in shock, trembling and feeling weaker by the minute. She started to lean, to her right side, ready to fall, but Sesshoumaru crouched down and caught her with his left arm. Now Nanami fell forward, resting on Sesshoumaru's chest. As much as she didn't want to be even near this man, Nanami's body gave up on her. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and jaw tightened. He allowed himself, just this one time, to pull her in closer, and try to stop her from trembling, from crying, from falling into the abyss. [I remember you, Nanami]