A/N:
I'm late with this one, but life happens and apartments get leaks from the rainy season(No snow for me!), meaning less time for hobbies and more for solving these problems :( Nevertheless, I wish a Merry Christmas for whoever celebrates it! Please accept this new chapter as a gift of apology from myself to you!
Chapter Eleven
With the first soft rays of the winter morning sun caressing her features, Kikyo's eyes fluttered open as she gradually came to her senses, her arms shifted slightly in their position, wrapped around her body while her back leaned against the same familiar tree she had involuntary gotten to know so well from the night before. Lowering her gaze down, she set it on the arrow quiver and large bow rested on her bent legs, the tall grass on top of which she was sitting almost enveloping her body as if it was camouflaging her away from any possible lurking danger. She silently raised her head upwards, squinting against the bright light above and observing the pale blue colors quickly overcoming the darkness of the night sky, the sunlight flickering through the tops of the trees and displaying utmost calming serenity that clued her in on how she ended up in her current, carefree position.
Breathing the coldness in the air to further awaken herself, the priestess eased her shoulders, lowering her mahogany eyes to the steady river, which was now almost completely hidden beneath a thin layer of chilly, morning mist.
'I have fallen asleep here, huh.' She concluded, allowing herself to enjoy the unprocessed naturality of the secluded and peaceful location she had found for a little longer.
Then, she turned to her now clean and still hanging priestess outfit, which, judging by the high levels of moisture in the air, was undeniably far from being freed of the liquid absorbed in it only a few hours prior.
Exhaling, Kikyo stared at the draped red and white grabs for another moment in an attempt to settle her thoughts, but her mind only inevitably recalled her talk with a certain inu daiyoukai, making her lean her head back against the bark behind her in continued silence as the memory resurfaced along with an unwanted addition of a deep troubling feeling soon spreading in her chest.
As if by instinct, her right hand once again sent to rub her wrist in the exact spot where Sesshomaru had restrained her actions and movement, the firm yet precise pressure his large palm had inflicted on her false flesh somehow engraved into her memory, followed by the way his tall frame pressed against her body, his close proximity and intense golden eyes all presenting her with the same powerful and almost suffocating warmth she had tried so hard to ignore, lately.
Narrowing her eyes, however, the priestess forced herself to once again toss these unnamed emotions aside, focusing on a much more important part of their conversation;
"Respect my condition regarding Inuyasha and I shall respect yours." Sesshomaru's low voice soon followed, ringing in her ears.
A fair suggestion that she would gladly accept... and yet the lack of satisfaction from his refusal before that still somehow outweighed the fact that they did manage to successfully reach this certain understanding between them.
Even after a few hours of respite for her thoughts, the sensation remained just as vivid within her, and she now knew she couldn't blame this feeling on merely the freshness of the exchange, anymore;
She was undoubtedly disappointed with Sesshomaru refraining from sharing his personal reasons with her.
Tilting her head slightly, her eyes once again searched for the tranquil sight of the gentle mist hovering over the stable water surface to her side, lingering on it for the longest time.
'What was I expecting, exactly?'
She had let herself get carried away by the convenient concept of their mutual need for an alliance, falsely reassuring herself that Sesshomaru and her were on equal terms.
She now realized her mistake, and yet... why did she feel as if this notion was something that she secretly couldn't help yearning for, still?
"Kikyo-sama!" A familiar high voice suddenly called, making her turn her head to the source of it, coming from behind her, "Kikyo-sama! Are you there?"
Grabbing her weapon, the priestess rose to her feet with a smooth motion, entering the child's field of vision.
"Ah! Kikyo-sama!" Rin smiled with relief, approaching closer as she used her small hands to push through the tall, dewy grass, eventually reaching where she stood, "Sesshomaru-sama has sent Rin to call for you, we're leaving!"
Kikyo nodded at her words, stepping to her outfit still hanging on the improvised tree branch.
She reached one hand out to touch the fabric, verifying that indeed, the material was far from being dry.
'I guess I would have to postpone wearing it.' She decided.
Placing the string of her arrow quiver on her right elbow, Kikyo lowered the longbow to rest against the tree, then reached inside the pocket of the burgundy-colored Kosode she was wearing, pulling out her white hair binding. With a smooth and efficient motion, she sent her hands back to collect all of her straight, long and dark locks in her palms, beginning to perform the traditional tie.
"Kikyo-sama... did you and Sesshomaru-sama have a fight?" Rin's sudden and unexpected question made her pause her actions for a moment, only to quickly resume them, her mahogany eyes still set on the priestess outfit in front of her.
"A small disagreement, Rin." She answered calmly, finishing tying her hair in the elegant traditional method, leaving two loose, silky strands falling over her shoulders on each side and connecting at the back with the rest, "Nothing that you should worry about."
The child stayed quiet to her words, lifting her small hands closer to her chest.
"It doesn't seem like a small disagreement, Kikyo-sama..." She answered with piercing honesty, her hesitant voice clear with worry.
Turning to Rin, Kikyo stared down at her troubled expression in silence.
"Do you mean the state of Sesshomaru's armor and clothes?" She guessed, recalling how she had lost her temper, unleashing her powers on the daiyoukai and successfully damaging his attire. She had warned him several times, however now, after she had managed to calm down, the course of actions she had chosen seemed nothing short of stupid and unnecessary in her eyes.
Sesshomaru was her ally; sabotaging him meant indirectly sabotaging herself.
But Rin only shook her head, surprising her.
"Sesshomaru-sama seems sad."
Kikyo blinked at her unlikely words, lifting her head slightly in response.
Then, she simply turned to her hanged garbs once again, reaching her hands to lower them down from their high position.
"I doubt Sesshomaru would feel something like sadness over the likes of myself, Rin." She admitted with a low voice, her expression as impassive as ever.
But the child's features suddenly crossed with determination.
"You shouldn't, Kikyo-sama." She steadily insisted, the previous hesitation in her voice as if never existed, yet her tone still plagued with worry, "Rin has never seen Sesshomaru-sama act this way, before..."
Draping both parts of her damp outfit over her left arm, Kikyo once again silently turned to lock her gaze with Rin's as she studied her form with an unreadable expression.
The child's unexpected reciprocal input sparked the same familiar, yet unrecognized feelings she tried to suppress, easily coursing through her mind, yet again. However, Kikyo knew that the situation was anything but so simple, allowing her to read better into it, this time;
It was only Sesshomaru's hurt pride that Rin naively mistook for sadness, that is all.
Breaking eye-contact, the priestess lowered herself down slightly, grabbing her large bow.
"Let's return." She only responded with this much, beginning to step in the direction of the camp and causing sad displeasure to overcome the child's features as she realized Kikyo wasn't successfully persuaded by her.
"Jaken-sama..." Rin whispered to the imp demon walking beside her as she tilted her head slightly down at his direction, "Have you managed to discover anything new, yet?"
Both of them were walking slowly through the new path their master had chosen for them in their endless pursuit of Naraku, observing as the daiyoukai in question strode far ahead from where they were positioned, with Kikyo maintaining just as much of a large interval from either them or him, neither powerful beings saying anything, leaving only Jaken, Rin and A-Un behind as they helplessly watched the piercing heavy and deadly silent treatment unfold before them.
Shaking his head, Jaken only sighed deeply.
"Nothing..." He whispered back with exhaustion, "I have tried inquiring Sesshomaru-sama about what happened in his exchange with the miko after you left, however, the only thing I received in response were a death glare and a promise to end my life if I dare dwell any further on the subject."
Rin stared down at him for a moment in silence.
"I hope they make up soon." She breathed with a troubled expression, her palms clenching on A-Un's straps.
"If only it were that simple, child." Jaken raised a brow at her direction, "Currently, neither seem to want to communicate with each other and it has consistently been this way for the past few hours, already."
Observing both Kikyo and Sesshomaru walking far ahead, Rin blinked with silent realization.
"They really are very similar, aren't they, Jaken-sama?" She noted as quietly as she could, allowing no one but her green companion to hear.
But the imp demon only flinched at her obscure deduction.
"As if!" Jaken dismissed, quickly lowering his voice as he masked his outburst through a nervous cough, "Do not dare compare Sesshomaru-sama to that unexpected and dangerous miko, Rin."
Shaking his head once again, he sighed deeply with contempt.
'What is Sesshomaru-sama even thinking, still keeping that ominous miko around after she insolently attacked him like that?!' He wondered with silent anger, focusing his gaze on Kikyo calmly walking far in front of him, 'And to think her powers were enough to damage his appearance like this...'
Turning his yellow eyes to stare at his master stepping far ahead, he only let out another deep breath.
Then, he lowered his gaze to the ground with silent despair.
'Sesshomaru-sama's armor and garbs will mend themselves using his youki, but the state of his pride is what truly worries me the most...'
"Ah, Jaken-sama." Rin suddenly said, grabbing his attention.
Lifting his head, Jaken noticed his master has stopped in his tracks, followed shortly by Kikyo doing the same, both of them turning their heads in the same upward direction to their left, silently picking up and focusing on something beyond the impossibly tall trees and far into the distance, both of their expressions composed with cold perfection.
"Huh?" The imp demon expressed his confusion, both him and Rin watching as Sesshomaru suddenly jumped into the air with unparalleled precision and speed, using the nearest tree to leverage his momentum, disappearing far above the wildlife without even sparing as much as a word regarding whatever it was that he suddenly discovered nor the location he was heading to.
"S-Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken croaked pathetically as he extended his arm after his master in pure desperation, slumping his shoulders while realizing that once again, he was easily abandoned without any form of explanation whatsoever.
Silently keeping her sharp gaze on the direction in which the daiyoukai had vanished into, Kikyo's eyes narrowed.
'A strange demonic presence and the scent of blood not very far from here, yet nothing of actual worth looking into...' She noted to herself in stillness, 'Why did he feel the need to go after something like that?'
She could still sense the daiyoukai's aura as he quickly maneuvered through the land, stopping at a nearby hill just outside the forest, close to a human village.
Letting out a soft breath, Kikyo once again felt the burdensome disappointed sensation spreading in her chest, his odd actions verifying her theory regarding Sesshomaru's understandable, yet unfortunate view of her own existence.
The issue, however, was that since yesterday's exchange between them, his will to communicate has somehow decreased even more, resulting in neither of them speaking with each other since their departure of the previous location they had all spent the night in.
This current troublesome mental distance between them was far from an ideal partnership and the priestess found herself inevitably wondering just what on earth was going through Sesshomaru's mind to have him cease speaking with her altogether? Was this really what he took from their lengthy talk yesterday?
Could he not understand the exploitable weakness in such a broken way of operating?
Lowering her studying gaze to stare through the dense forest outlining the path, Kikyo only maintained her silence as she felt herself weighted with mild frustration.
Then, she straightened up as a quiet new solution crossed her mind, turning back gracefully to Rin and Jaken, who were still standing behind her, patiently waiting for her response.
"Find a safe place for camp." Kikyo instructed firmly with an eerily calm face, making Jaken flinch as her sharp gaze landed on him, successfully purging any kind of potential resistance he planned on voicing out.
"Kikyo-sama?" Rin inquired as she watched the priestess summon her Shinidamachu, but her innocent voice was left with no answer to follow it as Kikyo's serpent-like demons whistled through the air, curling around her legs in their familiar fashion and soon lifting her in the same direction of the inu daiyoukai.
Watching the occurrence with large eyes, both Jaken and Rin could only exchange confused looks with each other.
"See what I mean, Jaken-sama?" The child said, shrugging.
Concealing her presence to a near non-existent level, Kikyo carefully measured the direction of the wind, landing in a spot that would allow her both a clear view and a guaranteed way to carry her scent in the opposite direction from the inu daiyoukai's position. Her sandaled feet elegantly came in contact with the grass below her as she reached for the nearby tree on her right in order to balance her movement, positioning herself right at the outline of the forest from its opposite side and successfully detecting Sesshomaru in the distance.
Narrowing her eyes as she observed him in silence, she watched him stand on a clear, grassy hill, with the large and seemingly headless youkai sprawled at his feet. The evening wind only got stronger as the winter night hurried to overcome the day, resulting in chilly temperatures once again descending upon the entire land, with even the moon itself being hidden behind arbitrarily passing clouds. The lack of proper illumination, however, was only acting to her advantage in this case.
Kikyo leaned her back against the tree as she settled into her private spot, her studying gaze never leaving his face.
But Sesshomaru only maintained his relaxed position in complete silence, his attention dedicated to the headless body below him.
'That youkai... it's already too late for it...' She noted, focusing her eyes on the creature in question, as well. The large youkai was already at his final moments of passing, most likely venturing through the lands using the remaining of his youki and no doubt attacked by any human village it was unfortunate enough to come across, judging by the numerous weapons impaling its back.
To think that this withering presence would cause him to hurriedly leave like that...
'There has to be more than meets the eye, here.' She quietly concluded.
Just then, her senses flared up in her and she caught something else approaching the clearing with an alarming pace. A familiar presence that caused her to swallow hard and breath deep as she turned her eyes to bright red attire and long silver hair, passionate golden eyes and a solemn expression.
'Inuyasha...' Her mind inevitably grasped onto his name like air for breathing.
But as soon as she noticed Kagome carried so closely on his back, the pit of her stomach filled with a heavy feeling, something that she dreaded more than the most fearsome of youkai... a sensation that she knew could break through any of her walls and strike all the way to her very core;
Envy.
Letting out a small breath, Kikyo attempted to shake at least some of the unwanted feeling away, enough to allow her to focus on the exchange between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.
She observed in silence as two small youkai carried a large bundle towards the headless body, unveiling a severed head that no doubt belonged to the creature. With a desperate attempt to connect the life back to his escaping existence, they both shoved the head into its place, only for it to slump away, verifying their sad failure and causing one of them to burst into a heart-wrenching sob.
Turning her gaze back to Sesshomaru, Kikyo noticed he simply kept his position for a moment more, his expression never revealing his emotions or thoughts.
Then, he turned on his heel, preparing to leave.
"Hey, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha suddenly called, making him cease his actions for a moment, "Why're you here? I doubt you were just passing by, even with that odd beaten up appearance of yours."
Hearing the last fragment of Inuyasha's remark, Kikyo once again filled with guilt.
Although in a significantly better condition than the night before, Sesshomaru's garbs still haven't managed to mend themselves to perfection yet, the concept of him standing before Inuyasha like that when she was the one who caused it suddenly sparking a deep feeling of regret inside of her;
While she didn't understand his hatred for the half-demon, Kikyo was still fully aware of his appearance being a highly valued mirror for his pride, especially before someone he dislikes.
"I have nothing to tell the likes of you." Sesshomaru's harsh and expected response soon came.
But before he managed to stray any further, Kagome stepped forward, attempting to communicate, as well.
"Your sword... Tenseiga is the sword that brings back life... please use it to bring his father back." She pleaded, joining her hands together with a worried expression.
But the daiyoukai didn't even bother turning in her direction.
"It has nothing to do with me." He answered dryly.
Kikyo let out a deep breath.
The last part of Kagome's request however, was not overlooked, causing her to tilt her head slightly as she processed the information;
'A sword that brings back life... the Tenseiga?' She echoed, focusing her gaze on the second weapon placed at Sesshomaru's waist, one which she had not witnessed him use, yet. 'How unexpected.'
But before she could dwell further on the subject, one of the small youkai hurried before Sesshomaru, blocking his path and making her eyebrows join in slight confusion at his obscure actions.
"U-Um... C-Could you save him please...?" He stuttered before him, visibly shaking with fear, "If Kanta's dad dies... he'll be all alone..."
"Move." Sesshomaru ordered with icy golden eyes, dismissing his request.
"Please!" The tiny kitsune demon begged repeatedly, dropping to his knees in pure desperation before him, prompting Kagome to step in and stop his useless pleading, lowering herself to his eye level as well.
Raising her head slightly, Kikyo watched her in continued silence.
'A truly empathetic girl.' She had to admit this much to herself, at least.
"It's pointless, Shippou." Inuyasha's angered remark soon caught her attention, causing her eyes to turn to him, "You have my sympathies, but Sesshomaru is not the kind-hearted guy that would go around saving just anyone, and besides..."
Slight annoyance crossed Sesshomaru's features at Inuyasha's following words;
"That sword is not something Sesshomaru can use, anyway."
Noting Inuyasha's subtle attempt of provocation, Kikyo's gaze switched to the daiyoukai, but although he seemed to notice it as well, he unexpectedly chose to ignore it, continuing stepping forward.
"Precisely." He calmly answered.
But before he managed to take a mere two steps ahead, Sesshomaru suddenly stopped as his golden gaze dropped to the sword in question placed on his waist, clear surprise overcoming his features.
Kikyo observed as he then turned back around without sparing a word to either Inuyasha or his companions, stopping before the headless youkai on the ground, drawing the blade with a smooth motion.
"Move." He instructed.
The crying youkai soon fled to the side, allowing Sesshomaru a clear path for his actions.
Kikyo watched as he narrowed his gaze, focusing it down while scanning the sprawled, large body, his fierce eyes settling on none other than the messengers of the underworld as he lifted his arm, cutting through their beings with perfect precision and causing their bodies to fade into the air, eventually bringing back the youkai's soul and successfully maintaining his existence.
She blinked with realization.
"...Then, one day, the village was attacked, and Sesshomaru-sama came and saved Rin." The child's words suddenly surfaced in her mind.
And she let out an amused breath.
Kikyo further studied the daiyoukai's reaction as the small youkai ran for his now saved father, crying with pure happiness this time. The large youkai expressed his relief and gratitude, soon sharing the experience he had in the next world, telling of a strange world shrouded in white mist, with enormous skeletons of some sort hidden well beneath it, one of them clad with an especially magnificent armor.
As the last part of his description departed from his mouth, Kikyo noticed a certain change in Sesshomaru's expression. Although very slight, she could tell this piece of information perhaps held greater importance to him than the rest of the youkai's story.
Just then, as if telepathically picking up on her silent and intense staring, Sesshomaru's gaze suddenly fixed on her, all the way from where he was positioned, causing her mahogany eyes to slightly widen in response of him unexpectedly discovering her presence. Turning fully in her direction, the daiyoukai began striding towards where she was located, silently departing with the group without any of them even noticing.
Kikyo watched with composed stillness as Sesshomaru extended his sash below him to cross a nearby river, flying through the air with poise and eventually landing right in front of her.
Staring at each other in silence, neither of them said anything for the longest time, only the sounds of crickets and leaves rattling in the wind far above them compensating for their lengthy silence.
"Eavesdropping?" He eventually asked, his expression unreadable, yet his tone hinted with tease.
Lifting her head before him, Kikyo gave him a calm, yet slightly embarrassed look, which she quickly concealed behind a mental reminder of the true reason she was there in the first place.
"Just interested." She replied simply, tilting her head as she kept her studying gaze on him, "For you to help that youkai, that's quite an unexpected occurrence."
Observing the priestess in silence, Sesshomaru suddenly felt as if a heavy screen of doubt had been lifted off his mind, instead spreading a certain sensation of unparalleled freshness and clarity at the realization that the woman was hardly as angry as he had expected her to be after yesterday's exchange. Not only that, but she had also actively shown fascination through following after his actions while maintaining a respectful, fair distance from his cursed half-breed of a brother.
Composing himself, he only processed her words for another moment.
"This sword, Tenseiga, is the one who insisted upon me saving him." He remarked, watching her.
Now at closer proximity, Kikyo's mahogany eyes fell onto the weapon at his side, quietly inspecting it.
"A youkai sword with the ability to link life, huh?" She said, lifting her gaze back to meet with his, her expression hinted with amusement at the contrast between the sword and its wielder.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes down at her.
"An unnecessary blade." he corrected.
"I wonder about that." She said, staring up at him, "Is this sword not how you managed to maintain Rin's existence, as well?"
She only turned on her heel, beginning to step in the direction of the camp as her theory left to hover in the air behind her, with Sesshomaru's gaze never leaving her frame.
"You seem to accept this complex concept rather easily, miko. However, it is not the same method by which you were brought back to life, I assure you." He countered in response, throwing his own theory regarding her quick understanding of the situation.
Keeping her gaze forward, Kikyo stopped in her tracks.
"The messengers of the underworld." She suddenly said, then turned halfway in his direction, deep mahogany once again clashing with brilliant gold, "I am aware of them, myself."
Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly at her words.
'A miko capable of witnessing creatures which can only be seen by someone who wields this blade...?' His mind went over the unbelievable information, 'Just what are the limits to her powers?'
"Was your reason of saving Rin the same?" Kikyo suddenly questioned, turning her gaze back forward as she resumed her steps.
Keeping his piercing gaze on her back, Sesshomaru said nothing, sill lost in his own endless theories regarding the female walking in front of him as he kept a safe distance from her being.
"That's right, you are under no obligations of sharing your reasons with me, after all." Her following deduction to his continued silence soon flowed through his conscious, breaking him out of his intense brainstorming.
Quietly studying her figure, Sesshomaru blinked with realization.
He did not foresee this priestess to share this special ability with him, an ability which he was certain he was the only one capable of possessing due to his father's sword, the revelation suddenly sparking an unnamed urge in him, causing him to pick up his pace until he matched with hers, walking beside her.
"Why do you care to know about such trivial matters?" He inquired.
Kikyo simply lifted her gaze up at him, interlocking with his golden orbs once more.
This time, however, she noted there was an undeniable trace of curiosity in them.
"To shed light on whom I'm fighting alongside with." She replied calmly, "That is all."
"Hmph." He scoffed, "I am merely acting according to this sword's selfish desires, going around and saving souls was never my intention and it hardly reflects my character."
Kikyo stopped to think his words over for a moment.
'Why even fulfill the sword's wishes so obediently in the first place?' She couldn't help but wonder.
"This sword, Tenseiga... does it possess special value to you?"
He shifted his gaze away, refraining from answering for the longest time.
"It was previously wielded by my father and inherited to me by his wishes before his death."
Processing this information, Kikyo kept her gaze on him.
Why would their father choose to bequeath Inuyasha with a powerful sword that takes life, the Tessaiga, while Sesshomaru of all people, inherited a sword that gives life, the Tenseiga, instead?
She only watched him in silence, beginning to finally understand this daiyoukai walking next to her.
"Are you uncertain about his decision?" She voiced out her following theory.
Hearing this, Sesshomaru stepped before Kikyo, blocking her path and making her stop right before him as he pinned her with a sharp look.
"There is nothing that I, Sesshomaru, am uncertain about." He stated down at her, slight irritation apparent in his expression.
But Kikyo only met his gaze with calm confidence and an unruffled expression, her eyes studying him in silence, successfully seeing through his mask.
Realizing that Sesshomaru obviously disagreed with his current situation and yet still chose to respectfully listen to his father's sword on multiple occasions instead of ignoring it, the priestess filled with a certain sadness combined with a surprising sense of understanding. For someone of his position and rank to not even know the reason for his own father's choices after his death... must truly be a very lonely reality to live in.
And yet, he still revived Rin, a small, helpless human girl who served no benefit to either himself or his cause, allowing her to accompany him in his journey while making sure to protect her existence.
Realizing all of that, she could now begin to piece the facts together regarding his specific hatred for Inuyasha. She never expected it to be something so simple, and yet she could fully comprehend it from the daiyoukai's complex perspective.
A part of her detained on a silent will to inquire about his relationship with his father, but Kikyo decided to not pry any further than that, for now.
Still staring up at him, her expression softened, mahogany eyes still locked with golden ones.
"There is wisdom behind the trials you are facing, Sesshomaru." She said simply, allowing compassion to reside in her tone, "Right now, I believe you are heading in the right path."
For a second, Kikyo noticed an unmistakable hint of vulnerability reflect in those pools of gold. So slight and momentarily, almost non-existent, however she allowed herself to believe it was as she caught it.
"That is hardly something a mere human could understand." He responded, composing himself once more.
But Kikyo only smiled sadly up at him, letting out a silent breath which was not missed by his keen senses.
"I was never a mere human." She admitted, her expression showing hints of distant longing, "Living the type of life that I did made me understand a few basic facts about the nature of your kind, Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru stared down at her in silence, listening closely.
"While for humans obtaining power might serve as a secondary purpose in life, for youkai, it reflects the worth in your entire existence, the need to achieve the highest of rankings and concur the most ground while proving your superiority over lesser beings."
The daiyoukai kept his quiet for a few more moments, never once breaking her eye-contact.
"A life dedicated to guarding the Shikon Jewel taught you that?" He investigated.
"Among many other things." The priestess answered, stepping to his side as she continued forward on her way with Sesshomaru's gaze still following after her, "I have fought against any youkai who sought the jewel's powers. That kind of daily occurrence leaves no other choice but to broaden one's perception."
Narrowing his eyes at the last part of her sentence, he only watched her in stillness.
"Your words sound as if you were forced into that duty." He concluded, studying her reaction.
Kikyo's shoulders tensed up a bit at his sharp remark, enough for him to notice the telling gesture before she let out a silent breath, straightening up with calm poise, once again.
"Such is life." She answered him simply, not wishing to delve any further into the subject, "We don't always get to choose our path."
He observed as she resumed her walk towards the camp area.
And he now understood another reason of her cherishing this second chance which she received.
Although through unholy methods, this priestess still stubbornly decided to make use of what she gained, cleverly allowing herself a way to live as she pleases, as well as carry her revenge against that filth.
And he suddenly felt the same unruly urge from yesterday stirring up inside of him;
The familiar kind of unnamed pressure that always pushed him into seeking her existence, settle his thoughts regarding all kinds of different matters about her, the unspoken need to keep her close and prevent anyone from possibly turning her against him, especially his cursed half-breed of a brother.
This time, however, the daiyoukai knew he had to make an effort to express himself properly before her.
"Stay with I, Sesshomaru, and I guarantee you will see your plan through." He called after her with a firm voice, witnessing as the priestess stopped in her place once again, keeping her silence for the longest time while the chilly night wind blew through her silky, long dark hair, swaying it back and forth as she stood with perfect posture, facing away from him.
"A surprising declaration, coming from you." She steadily answered, finally turning back in his direction.
But the look in his eyes was far from anything she had seen before as he began making his way towards her, striding through the narrow path in the dense forest until he completely closed the large distance between them, stopping in front of her with his intense golden orbs shining beneath the moonlight in the most unexpected of ways, his silver bangs and long hair dancing to the rhythm of the breeze.
"I shall not repeat it, miko." He insisted with a low voice, his expression serious and his demonic aura colliding against her spiritual energy in a much less violent fashion than usual.
She swallowed hard at his sudden and close presence, her eyes widening slightly as she caught the determination crossing his features, all of it centered on her, the deepest shades of his gold displaying nothing but a silent desire for her, who she is, to continue fighting alongside him in their mutual battle against Naraku.
Kikyo felt hotness spread in her cheeks at this unexpected, honest development, a nostalgic sensation that she never thought she would ever feel again, however she knew it was nothing but a reminiscent of her human body, whereas this one could not show it. Which at that moment, she couldn't have been more grateful for.
Controlling her emotions and quickly forcing herself to relax and maintain her composure before him, the priestess only lifted her head slightly.
"You have my word, Sesshomaru." She confirmed, not giving him any indication of the feelings which were coursing through her being.
The same, unnamed spreading warmth which she was not so sure she could suppress so easily, anymore.
A/N:
Fun fact, both Kikyo and Sesshomaru being able to see the messengers of the underworld is the reason I started shipping them. I remember seeing that Kikyo could also bring back people to life(With a flick of her finger, no less) And I just found that incredibly cool, and an awesome little parallel that they somehow accidentally shared between them.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for your positive feedback on this story! please continue sharing your thoughts with me in the reviews!