Meant To Be

By Onira

Chapter Eight : "Like We Used To"

Ishiru ran, lost in thought. She was undeniably nervous about what she was going to do. She ran through uncountable possible scenarios that could happen. Before she knew it, she was exhausted. She had done more than her share of running that day.

Ishiru stopped at a river, standing at the bank. She dipped her feet into the cool water, sighing softly. It was a serene, peaceful place. Trees hung low over the water, the tips of the branches trailing into the water. The river was wide, and deep in the middle. The riverbank was peppered with boulders. They had been there for quite some time, worn smooth by both water and the ages.

She slowly slid from the water's edge, stepping deeper into the river. The water flowed about her thighs, gently soothing her sore muscles. She trailed her fingertips on the water, watching the ripples that spread out from the delicate digits. She walked back to the shore, climbing up onto a large boulder. After a moment of work, she had loosed and shed her obi, discarding her yukata and folding them both on the smooth rock.

"Tonight, I'll just relax. I've worked enough for now. That bastard never gives me any time off." She murmured, unraveling the bindings from around her arms, legs and torso. Once finished, she slid off the boulder and into the cool water.

For a while, she just swam about, enjoying the one chance she'd had to relax in a long time. Naraku wasn't the easiest of people to be indebted to. After she had her fill, she began to play with the water, shaping and moving it about using her youki. She made a sloppy orb then brought it up into the air to hover at her eye level.

Her ear twitched as the sound of branches moving reached her ears. Acting as if she hadn't heard, she brought the orb up into the air, raising her hand as though pulling it along. She jerked her hand to the right, sending the blob flying into the underbrush.

oOo

Sesshoumaru was, yet again, out late at night. He hadn't been able to sleep. . . Again. He hadn't had this problem since he was a pup. Yet, here he was, walking through the edge of his lands, in the middle of the night, for no reason. His thoughts wandered, touching on item after item and never lingering. But then one thought stayed. Ishiru. He had seen her the day before last, and Naraku. . . Naraku took her away. Did that mean that she was working for Naraku now? Would she eventually come after him? She had severed all ties with him when she left. She had no reason to remain loyal to him. Or was Naraku controlling her? No. Those were her emotions he had seen. That was her who had backed away from him. In fear? Not quite, there was something else in her eyes. What it was, Sesshoumaru did not know.

Whilst he thought, Sesshoumaru kept walking, his feet leading him places unknown. Sesshoumaru was snapped out of his thoughts when a scent hit his nose. He tuned his hearing and picked up a soft heartbeat. Sesshoumaru froze, his tracks stopping dead when he sensed a familiar youki. He followed his senses, withdrawing both his aura and scent. He stepped silently, the soothing scent of water, mist and greenery leading him to the river. He stopped dead when he saw Ishiru discard her yukata and bindings.

"Tonight, I'll just relax. I've worked enough for now. That bastard never gives me any time off." Sesshoumaru heard her murmur as she folded her clothes on the boulder beside her.

'So,' He thought. 'She doesn't not like Naraku, even if she is serving him. No doubt she let go of her concealing spells when she decided she would rest.' He watched, well hidden, as she slid into the water and swam about.

He monitored her ever movement as Ishiru played in the river waters. After a time, he found he didn't really want to leave. That surprised him. Why should he want to stay and watch her? The wench had no hold on him! Just to prove it, he straightened and turned to leave.

His sleeve caught on a bush and tugged.

Sesshoumaru froze, hoping Ishiru hadn't heard. He looked back to her in time to see her ear twitch, then nothing else. She had heard him. Sesshoumaru knew it. He himself had taught her not to act like she knew anything in such situations. But, he was almost certain that she did not know it was him. With no scent or aura to go on, she couldn't possibly know.

He watched as she lifted the ball of water into the air. He tensed, waiting to have to dodge the thing. When she shot it off to the side, he was slightly confused. Then he thought. 'She is probably compensating for where I would have moved in that time.'

He relaxed slightly, and waited, hoping for an opportunity to leave without her noticing.

He wasn't expecting the sharp splash of water that hit the back of his head.

oOo

Ishiru opened her eyes and whirled to face where she had heard the orb connect with its target. She couldn't see just what she had hit, but she was now on her guard. She withdrew her scent and aura, just as a precaution, and drifted through the water towards her clothes.

Sesshoumaru on the other hand, was stunned. She had masked the youki needed to propel the orb with her overall aura, and fooled him into thinking that he was safe for the time being. Had he grown so slack in his skills? He shook his head, ridding it of most of the water. When he looked up again, Ishiru had her yukata back on and had moved from the boulders to the rugged yet grassy terrain beyond the rocks, facing him.

"Come out. I know you're there." She growled. She did not have any idea who it was. But she knew that they were both a demon, and powerful. Only demons of great power could hide their scent, and Ishiru smelt nothing but the river and greenery around her.

Sesshoumaru gave a mental sigh of "defeat" and stepped from the foliage, locking his eyes with hers.

Ishiru nearly faltered in her stance when she saw him emerge from the greenery. But she held firm, bringing up her mental "defenses" in hopes that she would avoid an incident like the last. She was a goner as soon as his eyes met hers.

Sesshoumaru saw her tense. 'So, she is still unsteady around me' He thought. A mischievous thought came to his mind.

Ishiru took a step back when Sesshoumaru took one towards her. He took another. So did she. This continued until she was backed up against a boulder. Sesshoumaru kept walking until he was less than an arm's reach from her. He lifted a hand, his claws slightly extended, moving a little closer. He moved his hand so his claws glinted in the moonlight.

"Your skills have become rusty." He whispered. "I could kill you right now and you'd be helpless to stop me." As he spoke, he gently touched his claws to her cheek, then throat.

Ishiru snapped out of her little daze when his claw touched her neck. 'So, he wants to play?' She thought. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn't bring herself to believe that he would actually kill her. 'I can play too.' Ishiru thought, grinning mentally. No pretenses, no tricks, nothing different from before. Just a spar, like they used to do. 'Let's forget. If only for a moment.'

"I will admit that they have." She said. "I have not had a challenging opponent in the longest of times. So it is only natural that my skills would deteriorate." In a flash of movement, Ishiru knocked his hand away, leaping up and over him, away from the boulders. "Let's test them, shall we?"

Sesshoumaru grinned mentally. 'So, not quite so unsteady.' He thought before darting towards her. His motions were blurred as he grabbed hold of her wrist, pulling her arm away from the side it was guarding. Ishiru, rather than be vulnerable, kept her arm in place and was pulled to the side. She then ducked, and slid under his arm, forcing him to release her. She snatched the instant he took to turn and slashed her claws through his armor, shattering his breastplate. She then leapt back, barely avoiding an agile strike of Sesshoumaru's claws, and loosing a bit of her sleeve to the attack.

oOo

Naraku summoned Kanna to his chambers. The child arrived within minutes and knelt before her master.

"Show me Ishiru." He commanded. Kanna didn't move as the mirror began to glimmer. After a moment, Ishiru appeared in the glass. Naraku's eyes narrowed as he saw what she was doing. Sesshoumaru moved in to attack her, his claws slicing through the air just beside Ishiru's face. She countered, a strike of her claws taking out some of his sleeve and the remaining fragments of his armor.

Naraku grinned in satisfaction. So, she still held a grudge against the demon lord. It had been Naraku's intent to check on her, and make sure she was chasing the shards as her note had said. Her actions over the few days before had made him slightly wary of her. But this. . . This somewhat eased his worries. A few more displays like this and he might start sending her on more important chores.

Though he knew that Ishiru could not defeat the demon lord, Naraku was confident that she could hold her own, and flee should she begin to loose. Satisfied, he sent Kanna away.

oOo

'Her attacks are light and fast, faster than I remember. It seems that that is all she has been training though. If I can get a good hold on her. . .' Sesshoumaru thought. He moved to the side, avoiding a quick strike.

"Rin misses you." He said. Ishiru froze, thrown completely off guard. Sesshoumaru acted quickly, his movements nearly invisible. He took hold of the striking wrist and pulled her across his front, taking hold of her other wrist moving her arm to cross her belly. He then pulled her tight against him, immobilizing her. Ishiru struggled for a moment, then relaxed.

"You cheated."

oOo

Sesshoumaru, to his credit, listened patiently while Ishiru told him what had happened. He and Ishiru had found a flatter area near the river to sit. Well, Sesshoumaru was sitting. Ishiru was too tired to remain fully upright and was leaning, half lying down, against a boulder.

Sesshoumaru watched her as she spoke to him. She was tired, that he could easily see. But what surprised him most of all, was how relaxed she was. Did she trust him that much? Her position was so, comfortable. He had not seen anyone like that around him, save for Rin. But Rin was a child and did not understand most dangers. Ishiru was fully aware of his strength, yet she held no fear of him. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Ishiru's posture became slightly tense.

"Did. . . Does Rin really miss me? Or did you just say that to throw me off?" Ishiru asked, looking at the ground. Sesshoumaru didn't answer for a moment.

"Yes she does." He said. Ishiru bit her lower lip in guilt. Sesshoumaru saw this. "And Jaken misses having someone to distract her." He said. Ishiru grinned, a soft laugh spilling from her lips. Then, she stopped and looked up at him, her surprise evident.

Where the hell did that come from? Sesshoumaru had no idea just why he had said it. It wasn't important at all, nor did it have anything to do with her question. But, he did enjoy her laughter. Wait, what? 'This Sesshoumaru does not care whether she is happy or not.' But. . . He had felt some need to erase her guilt. 'No I didn't.' Sesshoumaru thought vehemently.

'Why did he say that?' She thought. 'I didn't ask about Jaken at all. Did he want to cheer me up? . . . No, that's not like him. So why did he say it?' Ishiru watched as faint ghosts of emotions flickered one by one in his eyes, nowhere on his face but his eyes. Anyone else would have missed them. But Ishiru knew how to look. She was about to voice her question when Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Why were you afraid?" He asked, looking pointedly away from her. Ishiru thought for a moment. How did she want to answer him?

"I. . . I don't know." She said finally, her eyes trained on the ground. It was the truth. She really didn't know why. Sesshoumaru seemed to accept her answer, then changed the subject again.

"We will meet here again." He said. "Your training has become slack in your absence. In exchange for my help in defeating Naraku, you and I will spar each night at this place." Ishiru looked up at him. At the beginning of all this, she hadn't expected him to want anything to do with her. Now, not only was he going to help her, but he would start training with her again. Wait. . . That didn't really seem like much of an exchange. Ishiru thought it better not to say anything about that though.

Sesshoumaru stood and Ishiru followed suit. She bowed to him. "Arigatou gosaimashita, Sesshoumaru-sama." She said, using the formal behaviors he had taught her. Sesshoumaru looked at her for a moment.

"It is a deal. You need not thank me." He said. Ishiru straightened.

"I know." She said, a small smile on her lips. After a moment, she spoke again. "I had best be going. If Naraku checks on me and I'm with you, he'll suspect. Goodnight Sesshoumaru." Ishiru turned to go.

"Wait." Sesshoumaru's voice was commanding, but not harsh. Ishiru stopped automatically, then turned to face him. He pulled something from his robes, an item wrapped in cloth, and handed it to her.

"You forgot this." He said, then left, almost vanishing.

Ishiru looked at the little bundle in her hands, then carefully unwrapped it, fold by fold. The cloth fell away and Ishiru stared at the item in her hands. The silver wings fluttered softly, the tiny gem drops twinkling in the moonlight. Ishiru smiled a truly radiant smile and hugged it to her chest. She wrapped it back in the cloth and tucked the little parcel into her obi.

Ishiru settled down in a thicker patch of grass to sleep for the night. Just as she was about to drift off, something occurred to her.

'Neither of us were expecting to meet tonight, but he still had it with him.'