Author: Nefertili
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG13
Pairing(s): Sesshoumaru/Kikyou, Sesshoumaru/OC
Genre(s): Romance, Angst, Adventure, AU
Warning(s): Battle scenes, betrayal, over-anger (if there is such a word), fluff... What more can I say?
Disclaimer: None of the characters, except perhaps some, are mine. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
Summary: Kikyou, being saved from peril by Sesshoumaru, joins him in a quest against Naraku and one of his allies, who happened to share a past one-sided relationship with the Demon Lord. SesshKik!
A/N: WOW, I just went for a three-day vacation after I posted the last chapter only to find out that my reviews had BOOMED! O.O Thank you all, guys! You made me enthusiastic again, considering that I have gone so far now...I never managed to finish up a fic with more than seven chapters before...
And, for hipkid727, I did not draw Sesshy and Kiky for the wallpaper (I am not that good...u.u). I searched the net for pics of Kikyou and Sesshoumaru that dovetailed for a kiss and manipulated them in Microsoft PhotoDraw. I haven't Adobe Photoshop, so I use that program anyways.
...o0o...
A light breeze began to waft among the trees, sending the branches and leaves shivering in their cold. The sun had fully risen from the horizon, driving away the mist that once enveloped the forms of Kikyou and Sesshoumaru. Both of them cursed the sun in their minds for depriving them of the barrier that shielded them from others' eyes.
Breaking away from the kiss, Kikyou wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru possessively, burying her face within the hollow of his neck against his soft pelt. The taiyoukai himself wrapped his single arm around the Priestess and rested his head against hers, breathing in the scent of her fragrant hair and invigorating his senses. For long they stood there embraced and breathing in the scent of each another, oblivious to whatsoever happenings are taking place in the world around them. For that time, their only world was one another.
"Kikyou..." The miko felt his throat rumble as Sesshoumaru whispered her name. She noted the intense emotions lacing his voice: love, joy, hope, contentment, passion, sadness...all mixed up in a single name.
"Sesshoumaru..." she replied in the same intense yet whispery tone. Kikyou raised her head slightly and met the amber eyes of her beloved. Inside their hearts, much still remains that they want to express to one another, emotions that in the poverty of language still has no words. But all that they needed was gaze into the other's eyes to know what lies within.
Kikyou's lips curved up into a smile as Sesshoumaru kissed her forehead with utter gentleness. His clawed hand, which could put an end to an enemy's existence with a mere slash or with a single spray of poison, worked tenderly to caress the crown of her head, his fingers running along the smooth raven strands of her hair.
"Now I understand why I really wished to offer my allegiance to you," Kikyou said, moving a pale hand up his face to soothingly touch his smooth forehead, her fingers lingering for a long time on the Prussian blue crescent in a loving gesture.
Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding. He was smiling softly as he said, "Now I know the reason why I found myself saving your life for numerous times."
"We have loved each other all along," Kikyou agreed. Her mahogany eyes then stared at the bright star of day that had begun its journey across the sky as it had countless morns in the past. "Do you intend to keep this a secret, Sesshoumaru?"
The Demon Prince sighed forlornly. He cupped his beloved's cheek in his one hand, hoping that she will comprehend. "Inasmuch as I wish to love you openly, my Kikyou, these times are dark. It will break both our hearts if the enemy uses our own emotions against us. If our fiends find out that we do love each other, they will seek to plant hate into our hearts and destroy our bond."
Kikyou closed her eyes to hide her distress, but she nodded, for she understood what he was trying to say. Both of them had experienced the wicked ways of their enemy that causes division be it among the masses or even between one and one's own soul.
"I hate it to pretend that I don't love you," Kikyou answered. She took his hand and clasped it tightly. "But we must realize by now that only when Naraku is vanquished and all his evil influences driven from these lands can we truly be together." Her mahogany eyes opened and looked up at Sesshoumaru once more.
"Then let us not waste time," Sesshoumaru said after a moment of silence. Giving Kikyou's hand an affectionate squeeze, he breathed in deeply the cold winter air and his eyes flashed in determination. "We shall pursue Naraku and defeat him along with his minions." His voice, previously fierce, became mellow and mild as he continued on the next string of words. "Are you with me, Kikyou?"
"I am, my Sesshoumaru," Kikyou replied, sparing his cheek a quick yet tender kiss. "I am, and will always be."
No further words were needed.
Quietly, the two lovers made their way back to their other companions. As they walked around the bend of trees, they looked into each other's eyes in a gesture of encouragement and grasped one another's hand hopefully before they parted for the time being.
...o0o...
Pulling her hair gently from her face, Kikyou got hold of her white ribbon and tied her hair once more in a loose ponytail. It was midday, and they had totally descended the monolithic rock formation into the evergreen forest below. Rin, though she didn't say it out loud, was hungry again, and Kikyou once more set out to hunt with the child by her side. The Priestess could not help but remember the days of her past life when her little sister Kaede always followed her on her heels and thus learned how to use the archer's bow as well.
Agilely, Kikyou wove in and out of the trees with an ordinary arrow on her bow, searching for an edible fowl or some other animal that Rin could eat. At least she had something to occupy herself; inasmuch as she longed to be beside her beloved, Sesshoumaru had made it clear that they ought to keep their relationship a secret for the time being. She wondered how he could stand such a torture. Suddenly, Rin began tugging at her sleeve urgently, pointing to a certain place in the forest.
"Look, there's a deer over there, Kikyou-sama!" the little girl said.
The miko immediately drew the arrow to the fullest and assumed her fighting stance. A deer? Since they had encountered Kikumo, a deer youkai, Kikyou had looked upon the elusive and generally peaceful animals of the woods differently, for they unconsciously reminded her of Sesshoumaru's old lover who betrayed them to Naraku. Is this Kikumo in her deer form?
Thankfully, the doe that met Kikyou's eyes was an ordinary deer. The silent animal lacked the ring of yellow ochre fur wrapped around its neck and upper front shanks or the two sharp black arcs above the eyes that marked the Demoness' deer form. Furthermore, its eyes were of a soft brown, and not Kikumo's dark green. The doe gracefully turned its head in their direction before running away into the forest.
Rin sighed happily. "She's such a pretty deer, Kikyou-sama!"
Kikyou's body lost its tenseness and she lowered her bow once more. She had expected the worst. "Indeed, Rin," the Priestess replied. "The doe was certainly pretty, and a lot gentler than a certain enemy of ours who could take on their form."
"Who is this enemy, Priestess Kikyou?" Rin asked, looking up at Kikyou with an inquisitive look in her chocolate brown eyes.
"Someone you don't have to know, my child," Kikyou replied. She certainly didn't want Rin to experience what she had gone through in the hands of the deer Demoness. Her eyes became alert once more as a sudden movement among some bushes in the forest floor revealed the position of a little squirrel. The little animal began to climb up a tall pine, but Kikyou had at once let go of her arrow and cleanly killed it.
"Poor squirrel," Rin found herself saying as Kikyou made her way to the little bush where the carcass of the furry mammal had fallen.
Kikyou sighed. She herself didn't approve of too much hunting, as her nature of a Priestess had taught her to help preserve life, but sometimes sacrifices do have to be made. Kikyou made a little rustling noise as she gently parted the snowy branches of the little bush to retrieve the squirrel. But what her eyes greeted her was more than she expected.
Rin looked expectantly at Kikyou, wondering why she had stopped. The little girl noticed that a look of shock and disbelief had fallen over the miko's features.
"What's the matter, Kikyou-sama?"
Kikyou just stooped there unable to speak for a few moments. Rin tried to look over the Priestess' shoulders to see what troubled her so much, but Kikyou would not allow her to.
"Rin, go and get Sesshoumaru. This is an urgent matter."
Noting the exigency in Kikyou's voice, the little girl nodded and at once turned back, running in her full speed to their other companions.
...o0o...
Sesshoumaru's ears perked up to hear the quick footfalls of Rin reverberating in the forest. He was sitting on the roots of a tall spruce, but he stood up, noticing that he could not smell Kikyou's scent along with Rin. Soon enough, the little figure of Rin emerged from the trees and nearly collapsed at the Demon Lord's feet.
The taiyoukai's amber orbs slightly narrowed in growing concern when he noticed the child's hurried running. So quickly, did she dash, that puffs of her breath emerged from her mouth. And where was Kikyou? It was extremely difficult for the Demon Prince to spend the day pretending that nothing had happened between him and the Priestess at the touch of sunrise; even the mere act of letting her hunt with Rin nearly cost him his self-discipline. If something happened to his beloved, he would personally kill her foe with his bare hand.
"What's with the rush, Rin?" Jaken asked from his position on Ah-Un's back.
"Priestess Kikyou told Rin to get Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said between quick breaths, looking up at her Lord and pointing to where she had gone. "She says it's urgent."
"What's so urgent?" Jaken countered, hardly believing what Rin was saying. "That woman might only be wasting Lord Sesshoumaru's time."
"Enough," Sesshoumaru said to his retainer in a half-irritated, half-authorative voice. He then turned to the little girl, who was still breathing deeply to catch her lost breath. "Lead the way, Rin."
The lesser toady demon did not expect their master to give in to the child, but he immediately jumped off Ah-Un's back and obediently followed Sesshoumaru and Rin deeper into the woods.
...o0o...
Sesshoumaru's hand was constantly on the handle of the Toukijin so as to ready himself for any possible attack or combat, but he was relieved to see that Kikyou was all in one piece, stooping calmly in front of a little bush at the base of a large yew tree, her bow and arrows slung over her back.
Hearing the arrival of her other companions, Kikyou turned and stood up. Her mahogany orbs locked themselves in a serious gaze with Sesshoumaru's amber-golden ones, and he knew at once that something troubled her.
"What is the matter, Kikyou?" he asked calmly. Only an extremely good listener will notice the concerned edge in his tone.
Wordlessly, Kikyou stepped aside and waved one of her hands to the bush. Sesshoumaru stepped forward for a closer look at the parted branches of the barren plant, and he knew at once why Kikyou called him.
Beside the body of a squirrel that had an arrow, no doubt Kikyou's, embedded on its back was a chrysanthemum, perfectly formed and so white that snow looked gray by comparison. Ordinary blooms of its kind could not flower in the deep of winter.
By this time, Jaken and Rin had also craned their heads to look at the unusual blossom. Rin at once commented that it was extremely similar to the chrysanthemum they have seen the night when Kikyou first joined them, when the forest was filled with the haunting sound of koto strings.
"Kikumo's chrysanthemums..." Kikyou muttered under her breath. "She was here."
"She had not gone for long," Sesshoumaru replied. "Her scent still abides among the trees, but her aura is not in this region."
"She must have gone in a haste, Lord Sesshoumaru," Jaken remarked, "and used her clan's extraordinary ability of speed to do so."
"Can she still be tracked down?" Kikyou asked Sesshoumaru.
"We shall see," was his reply. The Demoness' scent was weak even to his sharp nose, and it was difficult to trace where its trail had gone. He was about to follow Kikumo's scent when his ears caught a rumbling sound emanating from Rin's stomach.
Even Kikyou with her human ears could hear the little girl's stomach grinding. She mentally berated herself for delaying the child's meal. Quickly yet carefully, the miko reached into the bush and lifted out the dead squirrel's carcass and handed it to Rin.
"Have Jaken help you skin this," she instructed the little girl. "Sesshoumaru-sama and I will just try to find out where Kikumo had gone."
"Why, I should be the one who will follow Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken said furiously. "You skin that silly squirrel!"
Kikyou opened her mouth to argue, but Sesshoumaru countered Jaken for her.
"You heard what she said," he ordered. "Go back with Rin to the camp and help her prepare her food. We shall be back as soon as possible."
Suppressing a whoop of triumph, Kikyou at once turned and followed Sesshoumaru, leaving an extremely disgruntled Jaken with Rin.
...o0o...
For a long time, miko and taiyoukai walked beneath the thick shade of evergreens in an attempt to pursue the Demoness, but her scent soon died down after a good distance. Sesshoumaru and Kikyou were rather disappointed, but once they realized that they can no longer trace Kikumo, they turned back and made for their camp.
"It's a shame we lost her," Sesshoumaru said softly. Kikyou was there, walking beside him.
"You seem so eager to find Kikumo once more," Kikyou replied. He can tell that there was a little bit of jealousy in her tone.
"Why, are you jealous, Kikyou?" he found himself saying. His tone was too even to be considered truly teasing, but she did not seem to find it too funny.
"Why should I be jealous of that Demoness?" Kikyou retorted, trying to sound confident. But deep inside, she was actually doubtful. Sesshoumaru loved her, she knew. But there is a chance that Kikumo will once more rival her for his heart.
Sesshoumaru knew what she was thinking of. To assure her, he said, "I am simply making sure that she won't come near enough to hurt you once again, Kikyou."
Kikyou, however, looked at him with narrowed eyes and said testily, "Are you lying to me now, Sesshoumaru?"
At this, he realized that she was actually taking things seriously, and he took hold of her hand and pulled her to a stop. He raised her head to face his, and though her expression wasn't exactly unpleasant, it wasn't exactly at ease either.
"Do you think I am lying, Kikyou?" Sesshoumaru whispered, his finger gently tracing her chin line up to her ear.
Kikyou was silent for a couple of minutes. But her previous expression brightened into a smile and she cupped his cheeks tenderly with her hands as she said with a laugh, "No, I know you could never lie to me."
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly, but his eyes remained serious. "I promised myself I won't let Kikumo lay her hands on you again. Since I saw you pinned to that tree after you dueled with her, I cannot bear to see you so hurt. Anyone, anything that dares to harm you shall pay dearly."
Kikyou found herself looking deeply into his mesmerizing amber orbs, and they realized that they were alone once more, together, and just the two of them. Feeling rather guilty at this belated discovery, Sesshoumaru resumed walking and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close to him. Kikyou let him, and she held on to his remaining hand as she tilted her head to rest against his neck.
They could not stay long in that position, however, as they were near their camp and their masks once more slipped into place.
...o0o...
The moon illuminated the figures of the youkai Prince and the beautiful Priestess as they sat beneath the shadows of a large evergreen. After making sure that their other companions were deep in sleep for the night, Sesshoumaru had taken Kikyou's hand and they left their camp for another place that granted them the seclusion they wished.
"The more I think of the past weeks, the more I am amazed that we actually found each other," Kikyou said, her fingers intertwined with Sesshoumaru's longer clawed ones on her lap. Her shinidamachuu were floating lazily around them, but he did not appear to be particularly bothered by the white demons.
"Under the light of one rising sun, we had gone so far," Sesshoumaru replied, nuzzling her hair with his cheek. "Was it destiny that brought us together?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Kikyou whispered. "But no matter, I am glad that I am here with you."
"So am I."
A single shinidamachuu went across the moon, blotting out its light for a brief moment. Sesshoumaru could not help but think about how his life had unraveled the way it had. He never knew that he would actually spend his time with a human, let alone be in love with one. She was the one of the most unlikely persons that he would give his heart to, but she had chosen to let go of her past feelings for his half-brother because she loved him.
Love. Such emotion was once a stranger to him, but Kikyou had taught him otherwise. Deception, betrayal, lies...there is more to the world than darkness, and the Priestess had opened for him a new world that flickered with a new light. She had succeeded where Kikumo had failed.
"If your brother finds out..." Kikyou's voice drove him from his musings.
"Let him trouble himself with your reincarnation," Sesshoumaru replied coldly, clutching on tighter to Kikyou's hand. "If he dares to come between us, I will deal with him on my own."
Kikyou could not help but shiver slightly at the cold of his voice, but he changed the topic and let his voice take a mellower tone to make up for his previous words. "I don't know how long I will last without you by my side. I longed for nothing more today than to be with you, to feel your hands holding mine, to hold you close...but alas, we have to hide beneath a mask of neutrality to protect ourselves, and our love."
"Maybe we do not have to wait for long," Kikyou assured him. "A voice inside me is telling me that Naraku's end is coming soon, and a new hope shall rise for us."
Silence came between them. For a long time, they just sat there looking up at the unobscured moonlight and the frosty heavens. But out of a sudden, Sesshoumaru pulled Kikyou up from her sitting position. Gently, he pushed her against the trunk of the tree, his amber eyes not leaving her face for a second. His eyes blazed with a suppressed passion, and he let his hand cup Kikyou's cheek as he assaulted her lips.
Mahogany eyes glanced with confusion at his face before his lips locked themselves once more with hers. Feeling his tongue voraciously exploring the cavern of her mouth, Kikyou flung her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Sesshoumaru smirked to feel her own slick muscle colliding with his warm tongue, and he teasingly pulled his muscle from her mouth to suck on her upper lip with thirst.
A small moan erupted from Kikyou's throat, and he licked at her lower lip before he broke their lip-lock, letting his eyes linger on Kikyou's mahogany pools before he spared her smooth cheek a kiss. It was a lot gentler than his previous smoldering tactics, as though to make up for the voracity he displayed earlier.
"I love you, Kikyou," he whispered into her ear.
"I love you too, Sesshoumaru," she replied, letting her finger run over his cheek and his lips. She let out a soft yawn as sleep threatened to overwhelm her senses.
Sesshoumaru smiled and he let Kikyou pull him down into a sitting position once more. She cuddled up to him, her head nuzzling his neck as her raven hair tumbled over his chest. He shifted his furry pelt to wrap around the two of them as he laid himself down. Kikyou's arms went around his torso before her eyes closed in a comforting sleep. Sesshoumaru spared her fragrant hair a tender kiss and his amber eyes closed as he slept for the first time after a long while.
There they slept in the dark of the night, under the light of a waning moon and warm in one another's embrace, with the pearly white shinidamachuu floating about them as though to watch over the two lovers in their deep slumber.
...o0o...
Naraku steadily regarded the silent figure of Kikumo as she sat close by. Her kimono was pulled back from her wounded shoulder and the Tenseiga was on her waist, but words had yet to come out from her mouth.
"Well? You ought to have vanquished the Priestess by now. How come I still feel her aura?"
"I would have killed her," she replied softly. "But someone aided her."
The evil hanyou shook his head to express his disappointment. "You are not performing as well as you claim you do."
"There is a proper time for everything. This isn't mine. I will gladly fulfill my part of our truce, but at a pace that I am favorable of." Having said so, the Deer demon stood up and left the room without further explaining what she had gone through.
Naraku observed her departing figure and he smiled evilly.
'You are becoming prey to your own hate, my dear.'
...o0o...
Tensions are running high, eh? What's Kikumo going to do? And will Sesshy and Kiky have the chance to live together?