A/N
I am slightly late, but still here! Please forgive me for the delay and I hope you enjoy this very juicy chapter!
Chapter Eight
"Have you ever been obsessed, Sesshomaru?"
The unexpected question was still fresh in his mind, her clear voice ringing in his ears and her attentive, large mahogany eyes embedded before him every time he closed his own. Overwhelmed by her sudden and bold inquiry, Sesshomaru couldn't help but overcome with the urge to depart and find somewhere quiet in order to sort out his thoughts, a pitiful reoccurring habit he noticed his conversations with the priestess had awaken in him, resulting in him currently standing on the edge of a remote cliff, staring into the distance with a deep scowl, only the distant, steady buzzing of camouflaged crickets escorting his deep contemplation as he blinked at the realization;
Although he knew exactly why the priestess chose to test and ask him that, he felt as if the real answer was something that he was unable to release before her, and he quickly resorted to come up with an alternative explanation, something that would at least not make him appear foolishly speechless.
The daiyoukai breathed deep as the chilly wind softly blew through his area, in his long silvery hair and against his face, prompting him to take in the scent of the rich, fresh nature all around him.
'That woman is far more driven than I had first thought.' He silently admitted.
To still be true to her duty, to follow with her belief and ideals with such purity, to roam this earth with that much mental force guiding her to her objective after everything she had been through...
Even when sharing that story with him, her face remained unruffled, but her deep, brown eyes that were lit only by the fire's steady flames exposed so much sadness and hurt, emotions which he had only noticed in her when she lightly told him of her motives in her talk with him that night by the river.
Emotions that she was constantly suppressing, battling herself from remembering.
Her anguish was this grave... and yet she managed to always stand so perfectly composed before him, balanced and elegant, clearing her mind and setting it on her target without letting any of those notions interrupt her coherent thinking.
Her silent strength was truly remarkable.
However, he couldn't help but also still find her actions incredibly obstinate; reality had her where she currently was only because she unnecessarily insisted on helping those in need, after all – desperate low lives who clung to her, basking in the chance of being treated by someone like her, with one of them eventually even going as far as to pathetically sell his own existence to youkai.
Sesshomaru didn't want to spare the being in question the luxury of his own time and thoughts, but unfortunately for him, that certain part of her explanation venomously lingered within him, causing him to narrow his golden gaze as he lifted his calm face to the starry sky, letting out a silent, annoyed breath.
That worm, Naraku...
The mere thought of the pathetic vermin's sickening desires made him wretch.
And yet, this information was regrettably understandable to him.
Sesshomaru clenched his jaw, displeasure crossing his features.
Yes, the true answer to her question was that he, in fact, understood exactly the type of obsession that vile Naraku possessed for her. But not because he had experienced the same kind himself, no...
It was because he acknowledged that a woman like her would undeniably spark such strong emotions within a man – emotions which could not be ignored and could not be forgotten by a feeble mind, pushing it to its last resort, which was eliminating the source at all cost.
Right now, the miko was most likely Naraku's biggest threat.
Assessing this, Sesshomaru's expression turned stern, once again.
However, his mind had no intention of resting and giving him peace just yet, making another bit of her words replay in his head, forcing him into another spiral of relentless analysis, this time, on a rather infuriating subject;
Her connection with Inuyasha.
The priestess unnecessarily refrained from mentioning his younger brother's name before him, most certainly to not ignite his anger, but the mere fact that she knew of his disdain for the useless half-breed only cemented the fact that indeed, he was the one involved with her fifty years ago, the one who was foolish enough to fall for Naraku's pitiful tricks and the one who turned against her.
He remembered hearing that his half-brother had destroyed an entire human village in pursuit of the Shikon jewel before he was sealed, no doubt that was the priestess' village, his idiotic acts eventually resulting in her having to perform that powerful spell on him.
Sesshomaru clenched his fist as he recalled the way Kikyo averted her gaze to the fire when she reached this part in her story, the ripples of light reflecting in it allowing him a rare glimpse of the deepest shades of mahogany in her eyes; of sadness and longing, loneliness and attachment, the same emotions which she showed him for a single moment back in their first exchange, when he threw Inuyasha's name to the air, attempting to make her talk, forcing the same unsuited expression on her face and her spiritual aura to undeniably weaken and wilt.
He now finally understood the meaning of it, but the sudden discovery sent his insides churning once again at the most likely conclusion, his chest filling with an unmistakable yet unnamed heaviness, causing his brows to frown with aversion.
Not wishing to delve any further into this subject, Sesshomaru forcibly cut his own thought process all at once in an attempt to shake the unwanted feeling off.
He only silently lowered his golden eyes to his hand, finally easing up his fingers and releasing his tight fist, noticing his hand was red from the pressure he had inflicted on it.
What in the world is coming over him, to have his thoughts in a turmoil like this?
Collecting himself, the daiyoukai breathed in deep once again, raising his sharp gaze to the endless dark sky. He only managed to find solace in the serene, steady sounds of the wilderness all around him for a moment before his senses unexpectedly flared up in him, making him turn swiftly on his heel to the way which he came from, his long hair flying against the wind after the rapid movement and his expression somber.
'What is this sudden foreboding feeling...?' He wondered, immediately leaving the spot and flying back to the camp's area.
Stepping through the foggy and rocky path, Kikyo narrowed her eyes as she forced her vision to focus through the thick haze before her. The air was cold, the icy wind clashing almost violently against her back and ruffling through her long, dark hair, as if it was pushing her forward, higher and closer to the cursed mountain injected with Naraku's demonic energy.
Stopping in her tracks to rest for a moment, she raised her head to observe the mountain's large form in silence.
'The youki is swirling around inside Mt. Hakurei...' She noted.
The feeling was of so much force, so much destructive ability, all of it somehow contained inside that structure and constantly colliding viciously against its rocky walls, like a beast desperately trying to escape its cage. The purple-like heavy mist that surrounded its middle area had spread out and now covered the entire top of the mountain, looming over the land with terrible, unparalleled animosity.
Just what was he really doing inside this mountain, to have granted him with so much power?
But before she managed to even finish that thought, her surroundings suddenly went completely quiet, the wind stopped as if it was erased by demand, the sounds of nature went suspiciously still and a terrible feeling lurked in her chest, the alarm bells in her head causing her to scowl and immediately lower her bow from her shoulder to grip tightly in her hand.
The ground below her feet soon started to shake, and she breathed deep at the sudden occurrence before her as she watched the mountain crumble down with an almost roaring cry.
'Mt. Hakurei is collapsing...!'
Kikyo balanced herself against the rocky surface viciously breaking and tearing beneath her, noticing the putrid smell which quickly surfaced from the cracks was undoubtedly Naraku's miasma. She only lowered her head as the half-youkai in question soon appeared before her very eyes, landing violently on the rocky ground as his unmatchable demonic energy soon infested the entire area, compressing against her own holy spiritual waves in a brutal, silent battle.
"Naraku..." His name left her lips like a spit of pure venom.
He only sneered in response, his condescending laugh disgustingly echoing all around her.
"Kikyo... It's been a while, hasn't it?" He replied, his cold eyes boring into her figure, "I have been waiting for you."
She studied his new appearance in silence as neither of them spoke for the longest time, only the sounds of the wind picking up once again around them dominated the air as they coldly whistled against the rocky surface.
"What's with that form...?" Kikyo asked, narrowing her gaze.
Pleased, he only proudly straightened up before her.
"Can't you tell by looking?" He replied sarcastically, his voice calm and yet filled with poisonous intent, "This is my new body."
"Don't make me laugh." She retorted almost immediately, annoyance clear in her tone, "My eyes are not just for show."
Hearing this, he only lowered her head at her direction, his stare turning serious as she continued;
"Dressed in such finery, but it's only a vacant, flashy appearance." She pinned him down with a sharp look, "You escaped to Mt. Hakurei and even put up a sacred barrier... just what were you up to?"
"Oh?" He mocked, "How very astute of you, Kikyo."
Hearing this, Kikyo's face crossed with undeniable anger, and she quickly readied her bow at his direction, one arrow aimed at his head with perfect precision.
"Tell me!" She demanded, her voice firm, "What is your true objective?"
Keeping completely silent, Naraku only wore a sly smirk.
"Do you really wish to know, Kikyo?" He asked, his expression unreadable, yet his dark eyes fixed on her in the most uncomfortable of ways.
Then, he slowly raised his arm in the air, his armor shifting and growing one large spike, dripping with his lethal misama.
Kikyo eyed his actions quietly.
"Trying that again?" She inquired, her deadly arrow still pointed in his direction, "We are both aware you cannot kill me, Naraku."
But instead of following after her words in his usual defensive matter, something about the confident look in his eyes set a deep, uneasy feeling inside of her.
And just before she attempted to further try and reveal his true motives, an unexpected object caught her attention, making her turn her mahogany eyes upward to a single levitating feather, flying far above them and into the vast horizon behind Naraku.
It was no doubt Naraku's offspring, Kagura, carrying something in her hands as she smiled down at the occurrence below her, swiftly disappearing into the dark, night sky.
As if she was answering instead of her master.
Kikyo's eyes widened as chills ran through her clay body, her lips parted in disbelief as her mind quickly put all of the pieces together.
'No... It can't be...'
She swallowed hard, turning her gaze back to Naraku and baring her teeth in his direction, which only caused him to burst into a loud, mocking laughter, his obnoxious voice as if adding to his vicious youki threatening to crush her completely.
"Good, Kikyo, this alarmed expression suits you!" He taunted with glee, only for his expression to unnervingly turn serious all at once, "And It seems you have finally understood."
Barely even finishing his sentence, he sent his spike at her direction with chilling precision and speed, and before she even managed to react, he tore through her weapon, through her clothes and through her being, wounding her shoulder in the same place he did fifty years ago, his miasma quickly setting place and her souls escaping her, leaving her now both exposed and also completely defenseless before him. Falling to her knees, Kikyo desperately held onto the collar of her ripped haori as her other hand supported her weight against the cold, hard ground, glaring mahogany eyes never leaving his soulless, dark ones.
"You were careless, Kikyo." Is all he calmly said, his voice low and poisonous.
Landing back in the camp area, Sesshomaru quickly stepped forward, closer to his companions, his sudden appearance causing Jaken to let out an alarmed, relieved scream as the three of them turned their attention away from watching Mt. Hakurei's crumbling form in the distance.
"S-Sesshomaru-sama!" His vassal cried out, hastily running towards him, but Sesshomaru focused his gaze on Rin's distressed expression behind the imp demon, which was enough to alert him that something other than the mountain's sudden collapse was wrong.
Quickly scanning the entire surface before him, his keen sense of smell swiftly located Kikyo's existence engulfed inside the mist, deep in the mountain's damned territory and accompanied by, although pitifully concealed, Naraku's demonic energy, no doubt.
'Vain woman!' Sesshomaru's golden eyes widened, passing the three of them and moving towards the edge of the rocky cliff in a hurry.
The foreboding feeling only increased as he now could confirm the priestess' whereabouts, causing his breathing to involuntary quicken and adrenaline to shoot through his entire body.
There was no time to waste.
"Jaken." He firmly addressed the imp demon standing behind him, his sharp gaze fixed on the disintegrating, cursed structure, "Do not move from this spot."
Before he even heard his vassal's affirmation, Sesshomaru morphed himself into a ball of light, the sudden brightness of the act causing both Rin and Jaken to shield their eyes away as they stepped back with surprise.
And just like that, Sesshomaru was gone in a flash.
With each passing moment, Kikyo felt more of her power silently escaping her, the souls draining out of her body through the new wound Naraku had forged in her right shoulder, parts of her being essentially dissolving into the cold air. 'How ironic...' she bitterly humored at the most inappropriate of times; was this his subconscious that caused him to inflict the same wound on her, or was this just a sick joke? Perhaps an unavoidable trace still remaining in him, after all?
Not that any of that mattered now. She was left with these useless inquires in the deafening silence.
And eventually, her thoughts inevitably trailed off to a certain inu daiyoukai, and how much his theory was correct.
How utterly foolish she felt...
Sesshomaru was right, and she didn't heed his warning.
"You came without worry..." Naraku determined, as if reading her thoughts, "Thinking that I wouldn't be able to kill you." Raising his chin, his eyes remained cold and emotionless, only a proud smirk crossing his features, "Even now, I don't feel anything, crushing you like this."
She kept quiet to his stinging words, helplessly weakening by the minute.
And before she even managed to think of anything else, the ground below her feet shook once more, opening and parting not far behind where she was positioned, revealing another fissure with the same terrible miasma flowing through its bottom. Kikyo only eyed the scorching liquid in silence.
"Kikyo..." He grabbed her attention, making her turn around back to face him, her expression solemn, "You coming here to die was of no coincidence."
"What are you talking about, bastard?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes at him.
Chuckling with mockery, Naraku smiled down at her direction.
"You humans call it 'Fate' or 'Destiny'... however, it was nothing but my plan to lure you here." He explained with ease, "Putting Kensuke in your path and filling his mind with the will to perish in this holy mountain, was all effortlessly premeditated by me."
Her brown orbs went wide at his sudden words.
"You..." She hissed.
"The weak follow their designated path... while the strong create a new one for themselves to follow." He concluded before her, his armored hand once again shifting into a large, sharp claw, his eyes widening with a murderous intent, "Kikyo, this is your grave." His claws stretched and grew far above him, making her breathe deep, "You shall die here knowing the choice was never truly yours and that you have only followed my plan all along."
And with that, he released his final attack at her direction, sending his sharp armor to pierce her delicate body one last time, his claws cutting through the air with impossible speed.
But before he managed to make contact, his strike suddenly clashed violently against the blade of a large sword, wielded by none other than the inu daiyoukai, who successfully positioned himself between Kikyo and the attack, blocking his killing intent and saving the priestess. His expression was composed, yet his golden eyes glared at his opponent with pure rage, causing shock and confusion to cross Naraku's features for a moment.
Kikyo's breath hitched in her throat as she watched the sudden occurrence before her with wide eyes.
"Sesshomaru..." A whisper of his name escaped her lips, but audible enough for his advanced hearing to catch it.
Slightly Lowering his Tokijin, Sesshomaru silently kept his sharp glare on the creature before him.
"Oh?" Naraku called back on his extended claw, "Saving? How unusual for you, Sesshomaru."
But the daiyoukai kept his silence for a few more moments, his death stare threatening to destroy Naraku by itself.
"Must be exhausting, to now know you've made all this pathetic preparation for nothing." He replied with a calm voice.
Naraku's eyes narrowed at his insolent words.
"Heh..." He smirked, "I see you two have spent some time together." He deducted, lowering his head, yet maintaining his eye-contact, "What is your connection to that woman, Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru only lifted his sword in a swift motion as a response, releasing Tokijin's most powerful attack at his direction, the light from the strike illuminating the entire area as it successfully ripped through Naraku's body and left him in arbitrary parts, floating pitifully in the air, surrounded by his notorious barrier.
"Pathetic." Sesshomaru said.
But Naraku only chuckled with amusement.
"Sesshomaru... the power of your sword, I shall return the same to you."
Suddenly, an attack similar to the one the daiyoukai had just released was shot right back at his direction, causing him to frown as he quickly raised Tokijin to block it. However, the force of the strike was grave, and Sesshomaru's strength was met with an equal, pushing him further and further back on his feet, closer to the priestess positioned on the ground behind him. Having enough of Naraku's nonesense, Sesshomaru deflected the attack to the side and quickly jumped in his enemy's direction, aiming for his head and cutting him in two, his distorted face still maintaining its mocking expression and his condescending smile never leaving him for a moment.
"Futile." He remarked at the daiyoukai's wasted efforts, levitating himself to the air and once again fleeing the scene, "I won't die..." His voice echoed behind him far after his figure disappeared from sight.
Silence now fell all around them as both Sesshomaru and Kikyo refrained from speaking.
Still keeping his back to her, he shook his sword once from the appalling thought of Naraku's disgusting reminiscent still lurking on it, sheathing it back at his side with a smooth motion. He could sense Kikyo slowly rise to her feet behind him, but her continuous silence and the way she staggered with the last bit of strength in her sparked annoyance deep within him, causing him to keep his gaze forward, away from her for a few more moments.
"Do you still require more proof, miko?" He eventually asked, his rhetorical and sharp question breaking through the stillness.
Kikyo kept quiet to his words, which only further annoyed him, eventually making him turn in her direction.
Focusing his eyes on her, Sesshomaru quietly studied her now injured figure from afar; she was standing, although barely, her left hand grabbing onto her tattered haori and keeping it from falling off as if attempting to somehow shield the wound in her right shoulder and prevent the souls from escaping her. Her spiritual aura and her expression, however, held the same tranquility he had known her for, even at her current condition.
He clenched his jaw, beginning to step in her direction.
Kikyo watched him in silence as he made his way towards her, her expression not giving away any of her thoughts as she observed him striding calmly, closer and closer, until he finally reached where she stood, stopping right before her.
The wind picked up through the area as they both stared at each other in silence, the cold blow somehow managing to clear the air a bit from Naraku's poisonous miasma and sooth their current environment.
Maintaining their silence, they kept each other's eye contact.
Staring down into her mahogany eyes, Sesshomaru noticed the foreboding feeling from before had vanished almost completely, making him release a quiet breath, although he couldn't help but overcome with a certain displeasing notion;
This miko did not trust his word enough to prevent herself from coming here.
He wanted to reprimand her, remind her that everything occurred exactly as he foresaw it, open her arrogant eyes to the possibility of another being understanding more than her regarding certain subjects, but before he could even voice out his thoughts to her;
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha's loud voice tore into their silent moment, making them both swiftly turn in his direction.
The half-breed stood in his place, his expression pure confusion as his golden eyes widened at the unexpected occurrence before him.
"Sesshomaru... you...!" He begun, baring his teeth, "What the hell are you doing here...!"
Glaring at his battered form, Sesshomaru's features only crossed with silent disgust as his annoyance elevated to anger when a sudden realization hit him;
Even at a crucial time like this, his younger, half-brother was too incompetent to reach her in time. Had it not been for himself, this miko would have already been dead.
For some reason, he found himself immensely irritated by his sudden appearance.
However, turning back to Kikyo, Sesshomaru's gaze narrowed as he caught another rare glimpse of a certain emotion in her shades of brown.
The way she was looking at his pathetic half-brother... her longing expression and her mahogany eyes large, how Inuyasha's figure reflected in them was something he did not expect, and it suddenly sparked the same heavy feeling deep inside of his chest, the same way his insides churned at the unsuited notion of these two together, all of it fueled by his displeasure with Inuyasha arriving this late to save someone who had already been protected.
But he said nothing, bottling his unnamed emotions within and letting the scene play out before him.
Eyeing her shoulder from where he stood, Inuyasha's expression turned to pure anger.
"That wound...!" He shouted, clenching his fists, "That damn Naraku was the one who caused it, didn't he?!"
Kikyo kept silent to his loud questions for the longest time.
"Inuyasha..." His name left her lips in a soft, caressing whisper, however, before she managed to answer any of his inquiries, she suddenly felt the rest of her strength escaping her, causing her to lose balance as her vision blurred.
"Kikyo!" inuaysha called in panic, running towards her.
But he stopped his actions all at once as his golden eyes widened with disbelief, watching as his elder brother beat him to the act he was attempting to complete, catching her form as he wrapped his right arm around her waist, letting her rest her weight against his chest and her head on his mokomoko.
Still conscious, Kikyo flinched at his sudden touch, lifting her perplexed face to him.
"Hold on, lest you desire to fall." He instructed her with a low voice, his gaze set on the distance as his sache extended far below him, effortlessly elevating both of them into the air.
Confused by his sudden actions, Kikyo's eyebrows met with puzzlement as she raised her right hand to grab onto the collar of his kimono, tugging on it in fear of her accidentally falling.
She could only faintly hear Inuyasha's screaming far below her as the daiyoukai continued distancing them both from where they previously stood.
And silence fell between them both once again.
She wanted to voice out her confusion, ask him what on earth was he thinking, but instead she found herself strangely focusing on his firm grip at her waist and his large palm supporting her side, the wind flowing through her hair and her head resting against his fur sache on his right shoulder. Lost in the haziness of her mind, Kikyo somehow picked up his heartbeat as it steadily drummed against her hand placed near his chest, grabbing onto the collar of his kimono, with his body warmth projected onto her due to the close proximity involuntary making her sleepy. This odd closeness suddenly granted her with so much ease, that she was wondering if her mind was going awry due to her current powerless state, preventing her from thinking coherently;
Sesshomaru was a youkai, how could she feel so... undeniably safe, like this?
Forcing herself to shake the peculiar feeling off, Kikyo's eyes fluttered open once more as she fought her sudden mental fogginess.
"A river..." She faintly whispered to him, tightening her hold onto his collar, "To purify this wound..."
Hearing her words, Sesshomaru kept his gaze forward, quietly detecting the scent of a nearby stream not very far from the spot where he had left Jaken and Rin at. He changed his destination and started flying towards it, eventually reaching a nearby small forest, located a bit lower than their high camp spot with a humble, yet efficient river passing right through its grassy grounds.
Landing between a thick mass of trees near the edge of the water, Sesshomaru's shoes came in contact with the greenery below him. He released his grip on the priestess' waist, followed by her letting go of the collar of his kimono as her sandals met with the ground below her as well. He watched her balance herself enough to a nearby tree, supporting her back against it as she faced him in silence, her left hand still keeping her torn haori in place.
Staring up at the daiyoukai, Kikyo could tell there was something on his mind, something that he wanted to say. She thought about prompting him to voice it out, but she resolved to wait.
Standing in his place, he only lifted his head slightly, maintaining her gaze.
"How do you plan on treating that wound?" He demanded, his expression impassive.
Judging by his tone of voice, Kikyo could tell he was annoyed, but her barely functioning existence prevented her from converting any of her remaining energy to further analyze the current situation.
She only left the tree she was leaning against, using her remaining force to step to the edge of the riverside, turning her back to him and lowering herself to sit on the soft grass with her legs to one side, supporting her own weight with her free hand.
"I must purify the miasma in it first, then use my powers combined with fresh water in order to close the gash." She explained calmly.
Sesshomaru silently processed her words, his golden gaze still set on her.
Noticing the hint did not resonate with him, Kikyo let out a soft breath. Then, she silently lowered the right sleeve of her torn haori all the way down to her elbow as she swept her long, dark hair to rest on top of the left side of her chest, exposing her entire damaged shoulder and a bit of her lower back to him.
Ignoring his eyes on her, Kikyo continued with her task as she placed her left hand on top of her wound, wincing as purifying light left her palm and clashed against the leftovers of Naraku's miasma attempting to overcome her. Actual physical pain wasn't something that she could feel, but this was different; his small amount of misama was not eating at her flesh, it was eating at the essence of her entire being. Luckily for her, however, the amount of energy she had was just enough to purify it completely, but the act nearly drained her, resulting in Kikyo sending her hands to the ground as she supported her own weight, breathing deep.
Collecting herself once more, she straightened up as she frowned with exhaustion, taking in a deep breath.
Then, she lowered both of her hands to the stream next to her, dipping them wet and joining them together, closing her eyes as she focused the last bits of energy she had, placing them both on top of the gash in her shoulder with a smooth movement. Bright spiritual energy soon formed below her palms, the fresh liquid combining with her clay body and successfully closing up the wound.
Feeling as if she was about to lose consciousness at any moment now, Kikyo hurriedly called on her Shinidamachu, the long, serpent-like creatures arriving at her spot and circling around her figure, releasing the souls down in her direction and letting them absorb within her.
Sesshomaru only observed her actions in stillness, watching as she eventually rose to her feet, lifting her torn sleeve up once more and fixing her outfit as much as she could.
Then, she turned around to face him.
With the newly earthly stains on her outfit and face, she still lifted her head at his direction with dignity, stepping towards him with calm poise and an unreadable expression, her long hair which was almost completely loose due to the weakened binding confining it hanged partially on the left side of her chest and mostly behind her as she moved closer towards him, her entire figure illuminated by the souls and the silvery youkai surrounding her.
Stopping right before him, the daiyoukai eyed her in silence as neither of them spoke for the longest time, her youkai helpers circling them both with slow movements.
"I warned you to stay away from that vermin." Sesshomaru eventually said, harshly reminding her that although she managed to deal with her current issue, he was still the one who foresaw this occurrence before it even happened, bringing it to her attention in order to prevent it.
Kikyo quietly stared up at him, then, tilted her head slightly, letting out a small breath.
"Thank you, Sesshomaru." She said simply, her mahogany orbs filled with genuine intent.
And with that, he felt all of his previous annoyance with her suddenly fade, replaced by an odd warmth deep inside his chest, causing him to narrow his golden eyes down at her.
Silent, he only took another step forward as he moved even closer to the priestess, feeling her spiritual aura flushing him with steady waves, lightly compressing against his own demonic energy.
"I do not require your gratitude, miko." He retorted, his gaze locked with hers.
Kikyo only straightened up before him, lifting her chin up slightly in response.
Sesshomaru let out a silent breath, his golden eyes trailing off to her shoulder, smooth, alabaster skin now perfectly intact without a fault in it, not hidden well enough by the ripped pale fabric of her haori, held by her delicate fingers.
Studying his lingering stare, she only observed his expression for a few moments, noticing a hint of a rare emotion crossing his features.
"This clay body does not bleed, Sesshomaru." She reassured, testing him.
But her words only sparked his annoyance once more, making him raise his gaze back to meet with hers.
"Stubborn woman, your body is fragile and weak." He stated, his voice firm, "Do not forget that and rely so blindly on your powers, alone."
Hearing this, Kikyo narrowed her eyes up at him.
Why was he telling her this?
Was it so he could assure her acting as a caretaker for Rin, once again?
"This second chance at life is a luxury for me." She said with utmost truth behind her words, "I will use it to its full extent if it means eliminating Naraku. I am not so weak minded to let the option of me dying again to scare me from achieving it."
"Fool," He almost cut into her words, irritated by her missing his point, "Follow your own advice."
Confusion crossed her features as she kept her silence, her gaze prompting him to further explain his words.
Staring at each other in stillness, only the soft sounds of the nature around them filled the fresh air, the river flowing in the background and the steady ruffle of tree tops in the wind above granted their environment with a certain serene, rare quality that only the small hours of the nights could offer.
"Fight alongside I, Sesshomaru." He commanded.
Surprised by his sudden offer, Kikyo processed his words, the memory of their first encounter soon flashing through her mind; the one in which she herself berated him for denying assistance and entering his own battles without proper aid.
And she finally understood.
Seeing the realization cross her features at last, Sesshomaru tilted his head slightly down at her direction, standing there patiently and waiting for her answer.
She only slightly raised her eyebrows up at him as she caught the hint of satisfaction in his golden orbs.
Then, Kikyo's expression turned calm, once again.
"If you insist." She replied simply.
A/N
Kagura's heart reveal scene was something that I wanted to write for a long time, I always thought the way she appeared before Kikyo could have been a lot more interesting if it were delayed a bit until Kikyo's meeting with Naraku to achieve that extra impact.
I hope you enjoyed this one, a lot went down and I'm curious to know what you think, so please dont shy away from leaving me a review! (Even in spanish! I don't understand a word, but I use google translate so let's hope it's accurate enough! lol)
I also would like to thank Western White Tiger for recommending this story! It goes without saying that you should all also check their marvelous and superbly written SessKik content as well!