Prompt: Discord Drabble Nights March 2022 - Create

Inspiration: "One Voice" by Billy Gilman

Summary: Sometimes, the person who understands you best is the one who changes you the most.

Passion

He would never admit it to anyone, but Sesshoumaru found the dealings of the youkai court a bore.

The other lords lacked passion and creativity, merely using the meetings to swing their swords around and boast about battles long since passed.

Which was why he was currently walking through Inuyasha's forest.

Rin was expecting him to visit, so he'd used that as an excuse to escape the four walls of obligation he'd been forced into since the fall of Naraku.

Soft laughter and the scent of citrus gave him pause, and he turned his face towards the old well, words of praise wafting by on a wayward breeze.

Error

It appeared Rin had accompanied the miko to Jinenji's farm, their baskets loaded down with fresh and dry herbs. Mild annoyance that the hanyou hadn't escorted them back to the village creased his brow, but he relented due to the miko having completed her training with the slayer.

Her protection was enough.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is a great warrior!" Rin exclaimed, her basket swaying from her exuberance. "No one can beat him!"

"I disagree."

Golden eyes narrowed, and he kept himself hidden, waiting for the wench to expand on her error. Whom did she dare put above him? Certainly not his brother.

"Sesshoumaru is a saviour."

Learn

"What's the difference?"

The miko's lips tilted up into a secret smile, and Sesshoumaru bristled.

What knowledge was the miko privy to?

"I met him when he was a warrior, Rin-chan. He started fights just to prove he was stronger." She tucked a raven lock behind her ear. "And ones he already knew he could win."

Their pace never slowed, the miko's steps as calm and confident as her words. "But he learned that there's more to it than that."

"Like protecting me? And Kohaku-kun?"

Her smile brightened. "Exactly! He earned Bakusaiga when he refused to let Magatsuhi hurt you."

Share

Sesshoumaru's lips thinned. The miko's perception of how he was able to surpass his father was skewed.

He'd simply wished for more power.

That he'd been able to dispatch all threats towards the humans had nothing to do with it.

"Besides—" The miko leaned in, "I think Sesshoumaru sparkles when he's saving someone."

Rin dissolved into a fit of giggles, the teen almost dropping her basket. Blue eyes gleamed, and Sesshoumaru wondered how much of the fabrication she truly believed.

Noting that the two women were close enough to the village to secure aid if necessary, the daiyoukai turned on his heel.

He'd heard enough today.

Repeat

The droning had become so bad that Sesshoumaru felt a headache forming.

How had his father survived this?

Remembering his mother's tales of how often Touga had left the Shiro, Sesshoumaru was beginning to think the general had used it as an avoidance tactic.

"How do we keep the invasions under control?" The Southern Lord repeated. "The humans who border my lands are constantly whining about needing more time to fish for the coming winter."

The miko's label of 'saviour' echoed in his mind, and Sesshoumaru found himself interrupting their latest tirade.

"Perhaps you should let them."

Design

The design was so simple that it took a solid hour, and much screeching from Jaken, before the other lords took him seriously.

Trade agreements.

Peace treaties.

Youkai and humans working with as opposed to against each other.

Sesshoumaru could scarcely believe it himself. Would his father congratulate or scorn him? Thoughts of their interaction were interrupted by sapphire eyes and a soft smile.

She would be proud.

But why did he care?

Lips pursed as he rose from the floor, the other shaving retired for the night. He could—should—rest, but something nagged at the back of his mind.

What else did the miko see him capable of?

Form

His true form touched down in the middle of the clearing next to the well, muscles rippling as shoulders rolled.

It was more efficient to use pure youki, compressing himself into a ball of light, but his visits to Rin weren't the only things the events at the Shiro had forced him to put off.

He was tempted to howl but knew it would only bring the villagers, and his brother, running, so he allowed himself to stretch instead. No matter how long it was between transformations, Sesshoumaru always forgot how much he enjoyed this form.

"You really do sparkle."

Produce

He huffed, then shifted, producing enough wind to tousle the miko's hair.

"I thought This One only sparkled when he saved someone."

Dark brows raised under darker bangs before the miko crossed her arms over her chest. "And I thought it was rude to eavesdrop."

"It is not my fault you speak loud enough for the neighbouring village to hear."

Her mouth dropped open, and it took a moment to collect herself. "If you were here then, why are you back now?"

An intriguing question, indeed.

"You called This One a saviour."

"I did," she said, her tone skeptical.

"Why?"

"Because you are one."

Inspire

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, willing her to elaborate.

Sighing wistfully, the miko looked up at the moonlit sky. "You're so different from before. The fact that you're willing to talk to me and listen says a lot."

"You have proven yourself worthy enough of This One's time."

Her features finally relaxed, and she gifted him with a soft smile.

Why did the expression always put him at ease?

He told her about his plans with the neighbouring lords, watching intently as her eyes widened in disbelief before quickly shifting to something else.

Something warm.

This time her smile was a beacon in the night.

"You inspire me to be better."

Dismantle

Of all the things he had strived for as a pup, inspiration had not been one of them.

It was one thing when he realized his aspirations had changed. It was another to have someone else see them more clearly than himself.

It was freeing.

It was humbling.

His perception of the miko was dismantled, and he turned to her as if seeing her for the first time.

"Do you always ignore obvious faults in order to see the best in people?"

Her shrug was nonchalant, but her expression was telling. "It takes a lot to walk away from the path that's been paved for you since birth."

Build

"And it's what I like best about you."

Sesshoumaru preened. "Are there other things you like about This One?" He wasn't sure if he'd read her correctly, but the implications were clear when a blush stained her cheeks.

The air between them became thick, the tension building until it weighed down on his shoulders.

"Why do you want to know?" She'd meant to be defensive, but the question came out as a whisper.

He stepped closer, inhaling deeply, her scent settling deep in his lungs as the wind shifted. "Because it is you."

That seemed to appease her, and she smirked. "How much time do you have?"