Sesshomaru sat on the back of his dragon horse, absolutely humiliated. He'd given her such a precious peptalk and he still had to adhere to the guidelines from earlier.
InuYasha hadn't stopped mocking him and Sesshomaru was one more stupid comment away from suplexing the mongrel.
Then something caught his attention. The only sound came from their boots in the snow. Which, to the humans around him, was completely normal. Winter was a difficult time for all life. The birds headed towards warmer weather and the animals hibernated, but Sesshomaru was used to hearing the creek miles away.
There were no deer, no scattering rabbits, there was only the sound of crunching snow. It was as if he had gone deaf.
He took a breath. The only smell? Snow. No burning wood for fire or roasted meat of dinners past. He couldn't smell ash or humans or anything at all.
"Wait." He hopped soundlessly from A-Un's back, floating up above the trees. Without his senses it was as if they'd been suspended in a vacuum, trapped in an endless cycle of trees and snow.
It didn't help that there was a village just up ahead, yet he could not hear nor smell any sign of life. Miroku flew up to his side, Kirara aiding him, "what's the problem?"
Sesshomaru didn't answer. He didn't have an answer. Quick as lightning he headed for the neat row of houses, hoping that his senses would return as he grew closer.
Sango followed after him, leaping over fallen logs and sliding down snowy patches with the kind of grace and reflexes that only came from inherent skill. He was speeding, a shooting star against a dreary grey backdrop.
When she skidded to a halt, slamming into his back and she sucking in air, she realized why he'd reacted so strangely. The town was frozen in time.
Children balanced precariously on the tips of their toes, chasing one another through the village center. Mothers watched in amusement from the stairs of their homes, their knitting still mid-loop.
Like a photograph.
Sango moved forward, cautious of the clumps of snow that hung in the air.
Whatever had happened here hadn't happened too long ago. So she pushed forwards, investigating the portrait town, careful of touching anything.
There, hidden beyond the huts, was a spike. It was embedded deep within the ground and Sango bet that if she pulled it free, she would be able to free the village. She didn't consider the repercussions. The village seemed to be innocent, smaller than Kaedae's own. There was no way she could leave them trapped in time.
Without another thought, Sango wrapped both her hands around the thick, freezing metal. She was cramping something fierce and the exertion was only making it worse, but whoever had done this, whatever being thought it deserved to terrorize innocent beings, fueled her strength.
"Sango, wait-," light exploded from the ground and memories that belonged to someone else flashed behind her eyes. It was dark, too dark for her human eyes, but she could see the seal being peeled from his soul. Blood then darkness then rebirth.
He stood before her, feral and snarling and whole.
Then she blinked and the images had gone. She was holding the spear, the world seemed to fall back into balance and she stared, bewildered at Sesshomaru.
"What was that?"
He tried to question her, to coax the words from her tight lips, but she simply shook her head, heading back to their group without another word about it.
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Sesshomaru lie motionless on the floor of her hut. His golden eyes stared without seeing, blood spilled down his cheek. Raspberry syrup on shaved ice.
She put her hands on his frozen chest, pumping, screaming, beating life back into him. The dagger that he'd shoved into his own heart again and again now lay bloody on the floor. His kimono was stained and she was unsure how she'd ever get him clean.
"You should have never trusted her." The voice was so familiar, it burned in her ears, demanding and vicious, but she couldn't stop pounding on his chest, breaking his ribs and begging and crumpling and-
Those eyes were staring down at her, alive, intelligent, worried.
"What kind of dream are you having?" He pulled her closer, wrapping her in his fur, but she would not answer him. Instead, she buried herself deeper into his chest, shaking and finding comfort in his thumping heartbeat.
"It was a stupid nightmare."
But he would not be tricked. He whispered into her hair, careful of their sleeping comrades, "you saw something when you pulled that spike out. You will tell me what it is."
She would not. The last thing she needed was him to stab himself in search of his demonic power. Dying could not be the only way to break the seal, she would not trust the visions, could not trust that he would miraculously rise.
They'd find the glowing cave and go from there.
"Sango." His voice was stern, "tell me what happened to you." She shook her head, refusing outright, "how can I protect you if you won't talk to me? Why won't you trust me?"
He sounded hurt, genuinely, "I can only trust so much before I fear that it's not about my protection."
"What else would it be about?"
He rolled onto his back, pulling her into his side. Stars twinkled in a cloudless night and he focused on one specific cluster, "you not trusting me." He cringed at the words as they left his mouth, but he was supposed to be honest. He could lie to the world, brush off the distrust and hatred of the worthless beings that surrounded him, but not to Sango. Not when she fit so perfectly beside him. Not when she cupped his cheeks as if he were more precious than gold.
"I don't trust you with this information. If you thought you could get your power back you'd do anything, hurt anyone, and I can't trust that I'm not being led astray." She watched him watch the stars, "something is taking over my mind. It makes me angrier and intolerant and I can't risk you."
"I'd never do anything to hurt you."
"Your death would kill me."
He held her hand in his, pulling it to his cheek, "crazy how I have no intentions of dying. Leave you to fall into the arms of that pervert monk? I think not."
She chuckled a bit, "so you're telling me that you'll stay alive just so I don't remarry?" His chest rumbled beneath her head.
"The power of spite runs in the family."
She leaned on her arm, kissing his cheek, "you're so pretty."
His golden eyes landed on her, shimmering silver in the moonlight, "oh? Talk is cheap, if you're going to compliment me, do it properly." She flushed.
"It's freezing out here."
"I have fur."
"You can't be serious."
He raised his eyebrow at her, smirking at her as if he were starving and she was the main course. She began to stammer in the face of his persistence, "Sesshomaru, wait, wait," he'd lifted her off of her mat, "I'm still bleeding. We cannot do this!"
"I've never minded being bathed in your scent before, can't imagine why it would change now."
She slumped against his shoulder, a starlit smile crossing her face, "you're depraved."
XxXxXxXxXx
A.N./ DID YALL WATCH YASHAHIME ?!
