Sadness
Hopping off the miniature inuyoukai, Kagome sighed, rubbing her head. Innocence had run for what must've been miles, spooked by the continuous growls rolling out beyond the hills behind them. They'd ventured into mountain terrain, disturbing small grey stones on the ground. Mists clung around the edges of the path, getting thicker the further in they walked.
Kagome stopped and squinted further down the path, a cliff face towering high next to them. "Maybe we should head back. I don't like not knowing where I'm going when there's...ya know, sheer drops and cliffs around."
"You wish to go back toward the squabbling demons?" Her companion uttered, having transformed back. Brushing some lint off his shoulder, the boy eyed her sceptically.
"Well, you did kind of head in a straight line away from the danger…"
Innocence bristled like an angered pomeranian. "Perhaps if you had carried this one, as it should be and not the other way around, we would not be in this location you so detest."
Kagome's hackles rose in a similar fashion, brow twitching. "I was about to say that we could just go in another direction. I'm not ungrateful-"
"You sounded it," he sniffed, crossing small arms.
Taking a breath, Kagome turned on her heel. She knelt down before the little lord, looking him in the eye. "I'm very grateful you saved me. It's just...I'm a little on edge right now. I'm sorry."
Thin lips pursed as he glanced away, uncomfortable. "Apology accepted," the words came slowly. "Your worry is not unfounded. This one does not usually venture here."
The two glanced around, seeing nothing but grey cliffs and stone. Silence lingered, thick and eerie, much like the gathering mists.
Kagome straightened, hugging her arms. "And…where is 'here', exactly?"
"This is where things are put to be forgotten about. It does not usually work. It is more like…Repression's domain. Only it was not originally his, I do not think…" he struggled to explain, frowning at the ground. "It is like…this place was repression, but then he also became like myself and Lust."
"You mean he looks like Sesshoumaru, but was originally just a place in his head? I wonder what that means." Kagome pondered. "Maybe repression became a stronger emotion and that's why he gained his image. Weird- ah!" Her eyes widened, fixed on the highest point on a cliff.
She grabbed Innocence close and ducked against the stone wall, ignoring the muffled 'mnf!' as his face smooshed against her stomach.
Blue eyes remained on the figure. Another Sesshoumaru clone. She squinted. At least…she thought so? He looked very similar, but now that she was paying attention, the markings weren't quite the same. The eyebrows were bushier, hair tied back, jaw harder and chiselled than regal and stern.
"Father…"
The miko's attention flew down to the boy in her arms. He stared up at the Dog General with something akin to wary awe, while his sire looked out at the landscape with an inscrutable expression. Heavy armour adorned his chest and shoulders, silks as fine and beautiful as Sesshoumaru's. And yet…there were certain things about his face that reminded her of Inuyasha.
"Why is he here?" Kagome whispered.
Small shoulders rose and fell in a tiny shrug. "We have a complicated relationship with him."
"Right," she thought for a moment, watching the demon turn and pad away out of sight. "You mentioned before that this is Repression's domain. Do you think he'd have a mansion like Intelligence's?"
"Hn."
Kagome brushed some bangs out from his eyes and grinned when he petulantly batted her hand away. "I guess since we're already here we can head a little further in to see if we can find it. Let's uh...keep out of sight from your Dad though. I don't want this to get even more complicated than it already is."
Innocence nodded curtly, taking her hand as though he didn't trust her not to walk off the edge of a cliff without his guidance. Kagome smiled and dutifully followed him. It was a valid concern.
The downpour had come unexpectedly, dry one moment and then thundering the next. Quickly hurrying along the path, they'd ducked into a random cave, catching their breaths. Kagome felt thankful for the shelter, happy they'd avoided getting completely soaked. Seemed like Sesshoumaru's mind was conspiring against her remaining nice and dry.
Innocence shook himself, peering into the darkness of the cave and sniffing.
"What's up?" Kagome shivered, feeling Lust's silks plaster against her body. She pried it away with slight annoyance, trying not to remember his hands and how good they'd felt.
"Do you hear that?" He frowned.
"The rain? Yeah, it sucks," she giggled, quieting when he remained silent. Gingerly moving further in so that the rain became a quiet patter behind her, Kagome strained her hearing.
A far off, faint noise could just barely be made out. Like a deep inhale- pause- and long dusty exhale.
"Another Sesshoumaru?" The question came out in a hushed tone.
"Hn."
She could barely see a foot in front of her, so gratitude plumed in her chest when a small hand grasped hers, guiding her in. "Do not be afraid. I cannot sense who it is but I wish to go see."
A nervous noise escaped her. "See' being the operative word."
His hand squeezed her clammy fingers. Kagome returned it.
Their footsteps sounded too loud in the grim, silent space, and Kagome lifted her free-hand out, blindly groping before them. She sincerely hoped there were no pitfalls around. Only pure trust kept her hand in Innocence's and it struck Kagome that not for the first time she was leaving her safety up to Sesshoumaru. He'd saved her a few times in the feudal era.
Her fingers met the cool surface of the solid cave wall and she dragged her palm over it as they walked through the tunnel, seeing an outline of something in the distance. Light was shining behind it, perhaps another exit- and from the shape and hairs catching the gleam she could tell it was an emotion in inuyokai form. What alarmed her, however, was that the dog demon lay enclosed in a large silver cage of some sort, spanning the length of the ceiling to the floor. Kagome and Innocence walked around the outside, glimpsing the inuyoukai within. She'd first thought him asleep he lay so still, but a large eyelid slid open, red-eye tiredly fixing on her. His body sucked in a startled breath, lungs deflating in time with a faint whine, head resting on his paws.
"Who is this guy?" She frowned, sympathy clawing at her heart.
"This one is not sure, but if I had to guess it would be…"
"Sadness," she wasn't sure why but the name came to her, watching the palpable misery apparent on his worn features. Innocence quietly nodded. Straightening her spine, Kagome let go of his hand and padded forward.
He rose a brow, "what, pray tell, are you doing?"
Kagome stopped at the bars and pressed herself against one, shimmying between two to ease herself into the cage. It wasn't too difficult, considering the large size of the bars and spaces in between them.
"Miko!" Innocence hissed, striding forward as if to stop her.
"It's alright," with a wave of her hand, Kagome squeezed herself in and cautiously stepped up to the dog demon's side. "Hey there…" she said gently.
He exhaled through his nostrils, causing the large puff of warm air to rock her back on her heels. Kagome smiled and rounded his side. His head was about the size of a double-decker bus, making the miko feel tiny in comparison. Carefully, she reached out and touched his muzzle, feeling the muscle underneath her palm tense.
"It's okay," she soothed, watching his eyes carefully. His lids remained drooped, crimson gaze forlorn. Another faint noise, like that of a deep, weary pain, escaped him. Gasping, Kagome felt his muzzle suddenly bump heavily into her hand, burying itself closer to her body and nuzzling. The sheer weight dropped her back to land on her ass. "Ah- um...that's...this is fine," she laughed weakly, petting the fur and feeling the heavy warmth press against her chest and stomach. "You're a little needy, huh? I can understand that."
Sadness let out a long, dusty sigh. Tired eyes slid shut, calmed by the continuous stroke of her fingers over the plains of his face. Innocence blinked and squeezed into the cage as well, sitting nearby and pouting a little as though slightly jealous.
Kagome didn't notice, too occupied with the amount of tension she could feel beneath her palms. "Good boy," she murmured, catching herself and blushing slightly. She hadn't meant to talk to him like that. "You don't...deserve to be locked away in here," Kagome tried again. "I get where he's coming from. You're not always an easy emotion to deal with or accept, but you're natural. You're needed. Necessary, even," she murmured, reaching up and rubbing the spot between his eyes.
"I'll try to sort this out."
Kagome started when the great dog demon's head shifted and lulled, pressing into her touch with such force that it tipped her over onto her back. He remained pressed close to her, making a low, crooning noise. Seems like he's a little touch starved…
"How are you going to 'sort this out?'" Innocence asked quietly, looking down at her sprawled, awkward position on the floor.
Raising her head, dark brows drew together. It was a tricky situation. Sadness wasn't even her responsibility. Getting out should've been her main priority, but…
There was a soft noise, like boots touching down. "Yes, that's exactly what I'd like to know."
The two whipped their heads in the direction of the entrance of the cage, locked shut. Repression stood, hair soaked and plastered to his skin, the light from the mouth of the cave pouring around him. He caught her eye, and Kagome's breath caught when realizing how devastatingly pretty they were, as though blazing with an inner light. Like bright, glimmering wells of molten gold.
She shook herself, geeze girl. Get a grip. Just because he looks like an avenging angel or something there's no reason to get dumb. Oh God, I just compared Sesshoumaru to an angel, kill me.
He seemed impatient with her lack of verbal response. "You're in over your head, miko. Get out."
Kagome's eyes narrowed, and she gestured to the sleeping dog demon, heaving herself up into a sitting position. "Why is he locked up like this?"
"It has nothing to do with you," the apathy lacing his voice deepened into a velvety, cold frost. "There are some things you'd do well to leave alone."
Pale fingers curled into the silver strands. It was true, Sesshoumaru's mind wasn't any of her business. She'd already seen a bunch of private things that she had no real right to judge. Kagome's eyes strayed to the massive size of Sadness, how the bars strained out from where they struggled to contain his mass, large body cramped. No room to stand.
"I know," she admitted. "But there has to be a better way. Can't you let him out in short bursts? M-maybe he'll get smaller?"
A low noise rumbled through the cave, building into a quiet snarl. Repression didn't move, nothing in his expression twitched. But his eyes sought to devour.
Innocence stood and placed himself between them, small fists shaking at his sides. "Leave the miko be," he uttered in clear tones.
"Whelp-"
"No, this one does not see how a great and terrible warrior such as us can hide such emotions like they are a burden. Do we not like to believe ourselves free of weaknesses?"
Kagome lost track of their biting words upon feeling the weight against her shift. Red steam leaked out of Sadnesses fur, curling around his form until a regular-sized inhuman Sesshoumaru lay, head pillowed on her lap. Dark brows pulled together as she stroked silver hair back from his brow. The crest of his house was a powder blue. "Sadness?"
Golden eyes blinked open, shifting to meet her.
It was perhaps the single most unsettling thing she'd seen since arriving in the Daiyoukai's mind. She could fathom carnal attraction, instinct and other things...but a broken and tired looking Sesshoumaru was so strange, so alien. He looked haggard and worn, lines etched under his eyes, lips slightly chapped. "Does he...ever let you out?" Kagome said thinly.
"Do not be foolish, of course. He was briefly let out a few years ago," Repression's voice cut into her murky thoughts.
She swung her gaze to him, aghast. "A few years ago!"
He fiddled with the lock on the cage, "indeed, he had to be. Rin died a second time. Very briefly we allowed him free reign."
Something stung Kagome's eyes, her own sadness bubbling to mix with anger. She glanced at the demon in her arms, "that true?"
His mouth opened, moving to try and articulate words, before he winced and clicked it shut. But it was enough. A terrible, unbridled rage shot through her veins like a kick of adrenaline, pricking the hairs at the back of her neck. From the angle, she'd seen all she needed to.
Kagome gently shifted him off her lap and stood. "Repression…" her voice sounded calm and steady. She wasn't sure how.
"Hn?" He gave a courtesy glance, clicking the lock open.
Taking a breath, Kagome trembled, sparks of reiki snapping around shaking fingers that curled into her palms. "Why doesn't he have a tongue?"
Sesshoumaru had found them. The valley concealed an outcrop of rocky terrain that gave way to their domain, a lair of sharp rocks and cliff faces pressed close. His instincts had guided him well, sending him sailing straight into the den of three oni sorceresses and other low-level demons. Any that flew straight at him were sliced in two with a twist of his hand, sending a whip of green light through their chests.
He killed, both out of necessity and out of the consuming, burning irritation of being slighted. One of their own had stolen the miko, and logic did not always dictate his claws.
In between dodging a blast of youki, a familiar scent reached his nose. "Inuyasha."
The hanyou dropped down on his left, swinging Tetsusaiga at a demon. "Bastard- you could have damn SAID you were the last person to see Kagome! Where the hell is she?"
Ah, how annoying. He'd wanted to solve the issue as quietly as possible. Alone. Sesshoumaru tilted his chin up, scoffing. "How do you know this one was the last?"
Inuyasha growled, kicking away a rat youkai. "Because Kaede damn said Kagome ran off into the forest and then a few minutes later you came out, seeming like you were looking for somethin'! What happened!"
"I am attempting to find out," he uttered curtly, turning to bend low and snap his hand up. Cutting off a scream mid-cry by grabbing her throat, the oni sorceresses eyes flew wide, staring into his own cold ones. Sesshoumaru urged her back into a wall, eyes narrow. "Where is the miko?"
"You speak riddles!" She hissed, struggling and watching as her fellow sisters and pets fled.
Inuyasha joined them, growling at the woman. "One of your kind attacked my village! Now my friend is missing! So where the fuck did she go?"
"Fools!"
Sesshoumaru's grip tightened and he jerked his wrist to slam her head back against the rock, dark satisfaction pooling in his stomach at the noise she made.
"Oi..." Inuyasha had the audacity to put a hand on his shoulder. "Quit that, we won't know if ya kill her."
"Mind your own business," he rumbled, raising his voice a touch to address the oni. "Your kin managed to hit this one with a blast of youki. After that, the miko made physical contact with me and disappeared a moment later."
The struggling demon stilled, a dawning look of awareness passing over gaunt features. She hissed out a breath, splinter thin teeth chattering, "that woman is now trapped in your mind, Western Lord."
"Hah?" Inuyasha blinked, ears twitching. After a moment, he grit his teeth, getting in her face, "what the hell? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You can't put a person inside someone's brain!"
For once Sesshoumaru felt inclined to agree with the whelp. The idea was preposterous, ludicrous. And yet...oddly he could not smell any deceit coming from the oni sorceress. What reason would she have to lie?
No. He shook his head. The thought of the miko running around in his head did not bear thinking about.
Tightening his grip, the Daiyoukai opened his mouth to demand the truth- before Inuyasha let out a bizarre noise. It was somewhat like Jaken's squeak combined with the sound a man makes when his windpipe is crushed. Strangled and high. Golden eyes flicked in his direction before realising they were stinging.
Bringing a free hand up, Sesshoumaru touched his lashes.
Only to find them wet.
In fact, large amounts of water seemed to be leaking from his eyes, sliding down striped cheeks to fall from his chin.
Inuyasha took in a sharp breath, voice thin. "You gotta be shitting me. Are you...crying?"
A tidal wave of gruesome, raw feelings swept through his chest and Sesshoumaru viciously fought not to let it crack his calm demeanour. Hissing out a breath and hearing quiet laughter, he noticed the oni demon grinning at him.
Perhaps there was some truth to her words about the miko after all. But, if that was the case...
An entirely different emotion blazed bright and terrible within his chest, sinking low like an uncomfortably heavy stone.
How much does she know already?