A/N:
It took long, I'm aware. But I'm very excited to bring you this chapter.
Please enjoy, my lovely readers, and share your thoughts in the reviews!
Chapter Twenty-Five
Misty clouds hurried to glide and gather before the early morning sun above, casting a haze of unplanned darkness upon the land and allowing chilly wind to roam freely between the two half-brothers as they stood in stillness, the distance between them filled to the brim by the unspoken tense atmosphere which only got stronger the more they kept their quiet, feeding off their gradually building impatience.
"S-Sesshomaru-sama...?" Jaken uttered with hesitation, his large yellow eyes darting between his master and Inuyasha as he helplessly cowered into himself, feeling the confusion effortlessly overcome him.
Receiving no answer, he turned his head back to stare into the distance of the abandoned village, noticing that not one of Inuyasha's group members was now present in the area, his expression crossing with shock to the realization that this exchange between his master and the half-breed was most likely a planned one.
'What insolence!' The imp-demon fumed, anger cursing through him as he clenched his Nintojo firmly, 'To detain Sesshomaru-sama like this... have they no shame?'
"Jaken." Sesshomaru called firmly, his golden eyes never leaving the half-demon in front of him, "Return without me."
Stricken with immediate fear, Jaken stepped back with alert to the definite hint of growing anger in Sesshomaru's low voice, and he only swallowed his silent protest of having to walk all the way back to where A-Un and Rin were left at before obeying the orders he was given, and he quickly fled into the outskirts of the human village, camouflaging himself well into the nearest forest.
Now finally left alone, both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru maintained their fierce eye-contact, neither of them saying anything to break the labored silence which once again reigned over their current area, the early hour and stormy weather as if hindering the awakening of all living creatures around, making it deathly quiet.
"I think you already know what we're gonna talk about, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha eventually spoke, narrowing his gaze, "So let's just cut straight to it."
Raising his chin, Sesshomaru's kept his eerily calm exterior, but the more his half-brother talked, the more he felt his own anger grow within him.
"Do not be mistaken, Inuyasha." He answered, sharp eyebrows forming an irritated frown, "I bear no interest in hearing your pointless drivel. I am merely still here because this is a good time for you to prove your worthlessness before me." With this, Sesshomaru lifted his sole claw up, his knuckles cracking with intent, "Come, and try your very best to amuse me."
He expected his taunts to pierce through his simple half-brother and have him mindlessly charge forward as he always did, prompt him to rush to his own death by acting in the heat of passion and present him with a good way to vent his current displeasure that managed to unsettle his thinking so much.
But Inuyasha only straightened before him, surprisingly ignoring his vicious provocation.
"Yeah, I can see you're in a shitty mood." He smirked, his expression quickly shifting into a more serious one before the next speculation left his mouth, "I bet it's 'cause Kikyo's not with you, huh."
Hearing this unexpected reply, Sesshomaru halted, and his golden eyes immediately studied his brother's battered form for a long moment in which none of them said anything.
His momentarily stiffness, however, did not escape his half-brother's attention.
"How about you tell me what the fuck's going on, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha demanded harshly, anger now clear in his features, "What's your relationship with Kikyo, asshole?"
The daiyoukai clenched his jaw, forcing himself back into a composed state, yet with avid difficulty.
'This again...' He silently exhaled, understanding everything regarding the reason his loathsome brother demanded for this pitiful exchange, now.
"How fitting for the likes of yourself to also accuse me of harboring feelings for that human miko, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said, balling his hand into a tight fist against his own will, "Truly, you are too much of a fool to recall my stance on the matter –"
"Quit the bullshit, will ya?" Inuyasha cut into his words, stepping forward in his direction, "You can lie to everyone around you but you can't lie to me, jerk."
And once he reached close enough to examine Sesshomaru's expression better, he stopped in his place, his angered golden gaze narrowing at the full-fledged youkai standing before him.
"I saw the way you look at her, Sesshomaru." He determined, his words as sharp as a blade, "You've never looked at any woman like that in your entire goddamn life."
There was something in that moment, something in the unfiltered, honest stupidity of his half-brother's words that managed to strike precisely at an unnamed yet lethal place deep within him, breaking the chains of something that he no longer had any control over; a dangerous acceptance that he attempted to smother before, which perhaps somehow survived to simmer at the back of his mind for too long, feeding off his hidden musings as it now proved stronger than ever, aiming to consume him altogether.
But Sesshomaru only mentally shook himself from the unwanted sensation, his clawed hand swiftly reaching for the hilt of Tokijin as his calm expression cracked with the hint of rare emotion.
"Choose your words carefully before me, Inuyasha." He growled, his shoulders tense and his youki spiking with menacing waves of energy, "Unlike you, I, Sesshomaru, did not inherit our father's useless attraction to human women, nothing but an irresponsible urge, a foolish desire to devote his life to the protection of the inferior, which eventually led to his untimely demise."
'I will not accept it.' He vehemently denied, battling against the cursed warmth which gradually spread through his body once again and accelerated his heart rate, finally alerting him of its dangerous source and meaning, 'I shall never accept such a preposterous concept... what weight will my words carry if I did?'
Inuyasha held his ground, lowering his head yet maintaining his brother's intense glare.
"You're a bigger idiot than I thought you were." He called.
And with that, the thin line of Sesshomaru's patience was successfully crossed.
"I have had enough of your foolishness." The daiyoukai hissed and charged forward, using his unparalleled speed as he appeared next to his half-brother, launching his poisoned claw forward to stab through his body, only for his attack to pulverize through the empty ground before him.
"I know exactly what it feels like, you damn bastard!" Inuyasha yelled from above, quickly drawing Tessaiga out with a swift movement as he eventually landed at a safe enough distance, "That's why you can't bullshit me!"
Unsheathing his Tokijin as well, Sesshomaru refrained from answering, swinging his sword once at his opponent's direction and sending his powerful attack towards his half-brother, who once again managed to jump away from the path of the strike.
"That is because tainted blood courses through your veins, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru retorted, his arm raised as he pointed the tip of his blade towards him, "It is simply in your nature to harbor such strong emotions towards mere mortals."
"You still don't get it, huh?!" Inuyasha shouted, lifting his sword to once again send another attack at his half-brother's direction, only to have it entirely deflected, crashing into the nearest, empty wooden hut, "I'm saying that I know exactly what you love about Kikyo!"
"Shut up." Sesshomaru snapped, launching himself once again to land a point black attack on his target, clashing their blades against each other with a force that sent a shock wave of power through the rocky ground beneath their feet.
But Inuyasha did not let that deter his actions nor words.
"You wanna wipe that sad expression off her face!" He began through gritted teeth, straining against him, "You can't help bein' impressed with what that woman can achieve and how fuckin' smart she is, you don't know what the hell she's thinkin' but you still want to find out anyway –"
"I told you to shut up!" Sesshomaru cut into his explanation before the words managed to cut him deeper than any blade, channeling more force into his actions as he altered the direction of his sword, using one swift motion to fling Tessaiga out of Inuyasha's hands with fearsome precision and before the half-breed even managed to grasp what had just happened before him.
Now with no weapon to block his attacks, Sesshomaru quickly shifted in his place, ramming his shoulder into Inuyasha's being and sending him violently crashing through the broken ground.
However, his golden gaze soon fell to his firm grip on Tokijin as he caught the unmistakable indication of uncertainty in the uncommitted way his fingers clasped around the hilt, causing his scowl to deepen at the bitter realization of how truly pliable his mind proved at that moment.
'All because of such an unthinkable notion.' He reprimanded himself, clenching his jaw with frustration, 'What a tasteless joke.'
But the daiyoukai's musings were soon interrupted by the sound of Inuyasha's unexpected laugh, echoing through their space as it easily overcame the silence all around them, prompting him to fix his angered attention back up, observing as his half-brother propped himself on his elbows, his features displaying dark amusement by the entire situation.
"I've been there, Sesshomaru." He called from his sprawled position, coughing for breath, "Never thought I'd say that to you in all my life, but everything you're feelin' about her is stuff that I've felt too... I know all of it... and I'm still there to some damn extent."
Narrowing his golden eyes down at the forlorn sight before him, Sesshomaru sheathed back Tokijin at his side in an attempt to conceal his aggravation and force his own mind back into order.
"Your desperate attempts of persuading me are futile." He said, extending his hand once again to his side as his index finger soon formed a whip of light made of concentrated youki, instead, "You and I are not and shall never be equals, Inuyasha, therefore your logic is fundamentally flawed."
Lifting himself to a sitting position, Inuyasha shook his head from the debris and dust, strands of long and frizzy silver hair falling over his shoulders as he soon climbed back to his feet with his weight supported by one hand positioned at his knee.
"Yeah, I'm definitely not the one you see as your equal." He answered, lifting his head up as gold once again collided with gold.
But the obvious hint behind his statement somehow made Sesshomaru hold back on his next attack for a single moment in which his traitorous mind was left occupied analyzing the meaning behind it, enough for Inuyasha to take advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction and leap forward one last time, using his bare claws to land a single quick strike, successfully breaking through most of Sesshomaru's armor and forcing him to send one foot backwards to brace his sudden shock.
With gritted teeth and regained awareness, the daiyoukai simply cancelled his attack, balling his fist instead and sending the hit to connect with Inuyasha's face, punching him hard as the half-breed was once again sent flying backwards, crashing against the harsh surface beneath him.
Sesshomaru silently watched as the pieces of armor fell to scatter on the ground before his feet, his irritated gaze darting up to glare at his battered half-brother, who barely even managed to prop himself up this time.
Turning his head to the side in order to spit out a generous amount of blood, Inuyasha lifted his crimson and tattered sleeve to wipe the side of his face.
However, the pleased expression plastered on his features was enough to tell of his awareness to the fact that his words and their meaning have finally managed to sink deep enough into his elder brother's conscious.
"Heh... you finally get it, huh." He chuckled.
Lingering in his spot for another moment in silence, Sesshomaru simply narrowed his golden eyes down at him, eventually turning on his heel and facing away from the source of his irritation entirely.
Contrary to the result of the battle which just took place... at that moment, he felt as if he had somewhat lost.
"I have grown tired of this dull conversation." He sighed, the deep scowl still residing in his features as the fur sash draped far below him, engulfing his feet and effortlessly carrying his form into the air above, granting him with a much-needed quiet respite. Ignoring the sounds of Inuyasha's vulgar yelling about their exchange being left unfinished, Sesshomaru kept his gaze forward, setting on an unknown destination;
An unthwarted location high into the foggy mountains; someplace he could think, alone.
And with that new decision formed in his mind, the daiyoukai ascended to fly away from the valley and into the layered high atmosphere, his form soon disappearing into the misty clouds which enclosed the colossal, grassy elevations of the earth, entering their territory and passing above lush, hidden forests on his seemingly endless mental journey.
"Yeah, I'm definitely not the one you see as your equal."
His nose wrinkled with disgust as Inuyasha's unpleasant voice found its way through his memory, causing him to exhale deeply to the unimaginable idea of his younger, half-brother of all people, managing to make sense out of his own wondering and assisting him in understanding the troubled state he was in.
And once he finished that thought, his mind immediately settled on a certain human priestess, his memory suddenly flooded with her existence as if the overflowing compartment which involuntary accumulated countless recollections of her could no longer contain them now, flashing before him the endless sights of keen mahogany eyes and long, silky dark hair, of so much destructive power residing in such a dignified and composed existence, of an educated, confident experience in the field of battle, and of a formidable, mysterious mind that he had yet to fully decipher...
And the more he thought of her, the more Sesshomaru felt his body react in the same exact ways which previously bewildered him, only cementing this revelation that he now could not ignore any longer;
Nothing about the miko was either ordinary or weak, and precisely because of that, she of all other individuals... was the one he deemed as his equal.
Accepting the truth at long last, Sesshomaru swallowed harshly, clenching his fist as he felt the warmth climb its way to his face, smothering his being and threatening to increase his body temperature to a dangerous level. Battling against it, he took a quick and sharp breath, inhaling the coldness in the high air in a desperate attempt to force himself back into a composed enough state.
However, his attention shifted for the least preferable reason as another one of Inuyasha's irritating remarks eventually replayed in his head, causing his eyebrows to once again frown with displeasure;
"I'm saying that I know exactly what you love about Kikyo!"
His golden gaze narrowed at the senseless claim, leaving a bitter trail of anger behind it.
What the hell did Inuyasha know of how he, himself, felt about the miko?
How dare that fool even think that he can comprehend the extent of his feelings regarding her existence?
Inuyasha hardly knew of what lies beneath the surface of that woman's initial exterior; of the true reason behind that sad expression, of the heavy burden which led her to desperately seek a way out of her suffocating lifestyle, of her surprising mental capacity for understanding a full-fledged youkai such as himself, of her stubborn yet admirable sense of duty, along with her iron-clad beliefs, managing to transcend even death.
Those were all hidden sides to the woman which only he deserved to see.
Sesshomaru felt his anger elevate the further he proved his own point to himself, his mouth forming a straight line at the sheer audacity of his cursed younger, half-brother. And he simply exhaled deeply, aware that these vexing thoughts would do him no favors as he had no one to direct them towards.
So, he flew endlessly with steady speed, feeling the wind get colder and colder against his face the higher he climbed, ruffling his short bangs and swaying through his long rivers of silver. Once he deemed it enough, Sesshomaru eventually singled out a grassy cliff, amidst thick greenery and away from any sort of wildlife or demonic presences alike, allowing him to silently lower himself to gracefully land on top of it, the soles of his shoes meeting with the ground below them as he turned his head halfway back to stare down the long trail of his unplanned roaming, and of his quiet mental journey.
The clouds which shrouded his way up now significantly lessened, and he could see nearly all the way down to the valley from which he came, his golden gaze extending all over the once distorted land as far as his vision would allow him.
Eventually, Sesshomaru once again released a deep, silent breath.
'Those same emotions were also what led me to decide upon forging a new path in this world for her, huh.' He acknowledged, his sole hand instinctively reaching out to hold onto the hilt of Tenseiga as he was now able to finally connect and find true sense behind his recent actions.
Kikyo was indeed a human woman.
But she was different, an anomaly among her species, unique both in spirit and power... and therefore, a remarkable existence that managed to captivate him so effortlessly, in a way like no one has ever before.
Finishing washing her hands from the leftovers of dirt and herbal ointments, Kikyo raised her gaze to the now partly clouded sky above, noticing the warm sun was already high on its path across the horizon, indicating of a late noon hour.
Quietly, she sent her wet palms to tap against her scarlet red priestess outfit, lowering her attention back to the field of still recovering villagers, who now already appeared in a much better condition than the day she arrived. Her composed gaze traveled across the large space, confirming that the several men had enough water and nutrients to accompany their rest, then, she only released a deep, content breath.
"Miko-sama, the items you have requested are now all gathered and prepared."
She turned to the source of the sudden voice, coming face to face with a young man, a person she had yet to encounter during her stay in the village. Eyeing him for another moment in silence, Kikyo eventually performed a light bow before him, her mahogany eyes lowering to study the straw-weaved box hanging from his shoulder and the completely full quiver of arrows placed on top of it, eventually rising back to meet with his dark-colored orbs, noticing a certain kind familiarity in them.
"I believe you have met my father, two days ago." He said, his lips curving up to a genuine, respectful smile before her, "He has sent me to assist you in carrying your items."
'His son, huh.' She mused, recalling the elderly man who had thanked her before.
"Thank you, however, something like that will not be necessary." She politely declined, knowing well of her own preferred, yet highly unconventional way for transportation. And although a selfish lie, Kikyo would much rather her image in the eyes of these villagers remained as pure as she chose to present herself before them.
But the young man only tilted his head to the side, parts of his smooth, brown hair cascading on his cheek as he let out an amused chuckle.
"How can I let such a beautiful miko carry all of this by herself?" He insisted, placing his free hand on his hip, "Especially after you were so kind to treat our wounded soldiers... please, allow me to at least carry these up to the mountain's path for you."
Kikyo breathed deep, assessing his offer as her gaze once again dropped to the items rested next to his hip.
The amount was not severe at all, certainly less than she had already managed to carry when she led Suikotsu's children to the nearest village all that time ago. However, Kikyo had a feeling that this man in front of her would not rest until she let him fulfill his act of gratitude, and she only exhaled softly, allowing a hint of a smile to cross her features.
"Until we reach the nearest path, then." She stately confirmed, nodding once.
The man's pleased smile widened at her eventual approval, and he simply straightened up in his place with pride for his own excellent persuasion skills.
"Well then, I am ready when you are." He said.
And with that, Kikyo set on her shortly accompanied journey, bidding farewell to the village and its people as she finally stepped out of its province, away from civilization and deeper into the forest, which wordlessly specified the end of the safe human domains and the start of the mountain's unexpected territory. Silent, they both slowly climbed their way up the trail that would connect them to the point in which they agreed to separate, listening to the sounds of calm nature as those settled all around them, granting them with a momentarily feeling of tranquility.
'It has been a day and a half since Sesshomaru came to witness my actions.' She mused, recalling her silent exchange with the inu daiyoukai, causing her mind to dwell back into that particular night, and the fact that Sesshomaru managed to comprehend and respect her silent calling without herself even needing to explain anything before him.
The surprise that gripped her at that moment was still so fresh in her mind, so strong and potent, enough to still linger in such a stubborn way that the priestess was not so sure it would ever fade, sparking the same gentle warmth deep within her chest, a sensation she had already gotten used to when it came to her unpredictable companion.
Her eyebrows formed a slightly confused frown as she momentarily detained on the end of that thought.
What was the exact point in which Sesshomaru's actions have ceased proving as predictable as they once did before her?
And at that moment, Kikyo found that she couldn't answer her own private inquiry, however, and much to her private surprise, she also found that the specific information held no importance, any longer;
What mattered and impressed her the most... was that their mutual understanding seemingly had no clear bounds to it, and she could only let herself now be lured along her secret curiosity regarding the full extent of that bond.
"Say, Miko-sama."
The man's sudden voice broke her from her deep musings, and she quickly swept her head clear from any diversions, composing herself to cold perfection, once again.
Then, she turned to her current companion, mahogany once again meeting with dark brown.
"If you don't mind me prying... I was wondering what a miko such as yourself is after, traveling all by herself like this?" He asked.
Kikyo maintained her steady walking rhythm, soon placing her attention back forward.
A small talk such as this was to be expected, after all.
"I am not traveling by myself." She calmly answered, the words leaving a peculiar taste in her mouth, "My companions have merely proceeded without me while I stayed in your village, and I am to reunite with them, soon."
"Ahhh..." He quickly sighed with disappointment, surprising her with his sudden outburst, "There is a man in your life after all, huh."
Kikyo blinked with mild confusion to the brazen assumption, soon finding his gaze once again.
She knew better than to encourage this pointless conversation, yet something inside of her shifted, managing to ignite a certain interest, and she deemed it as merely a method for herself to study more of the way others perceived her existence.
"What makes you so sure of that?" She responded, observing him closely.
But her words somehow struck the man with avid shock.
"It is rather obvious." He determined through a confident smile, his brown eyes going large, reminding her somewhat of Rin's childlike innocence, "The glow of a woman in love is impossible to miss, after all."
Kikyo's eyebrows rose to his absurd assertion, and she couldn't help but succumb to the honest emotions which overcame her in that moment as she quickly lifted the back of her hand to shield her lips, letting out a light chuckle of both amusement and bitterness.
"I am afraid you are mistaken." She only responded with this much, unable to fully explain to this man walking beside her that she is, in fact, no longer part of the living, and therefore unable to emit the same type of naïve glow which he was so enthusiastically referring to. Eventually, she deemed the exchange as enough, and once again set her gaze forward, already noticing the connection to the main path in the not so far distance, ahead.
"Are you sure of it?" He pressed with attentiveness, his brown eyes never leaving her profile for a moment.
Kikyo, however, remained silent to his addition, keeping her unreadable face forward.
'The glow of a woman in love, huh.' She echoed.
The concept was not new to her, no;
Supposedly a state in which happiness is manifested through the human body regardless of the individual's wishes, allowing their environment a clear vision of their most hidden emotions.
Kaede had once told her the same thing...
But those words had reached her ears way back then, all those years ago when she was still alive, and during her shared relationship with Inuyasha.
"I am not capable of emitting the emotions which you speak of." She replied though an unruffled expression, letting out a soft breath, "Therefore, I am sure."
Silence fell between both parties for a long moment as they proceeded on their angled trail, approaching closer and closer to their agreed point of separation. The sun was already beginning to set behind the valley, stretching the shadows of the trees long before them as those cast on the pale earth from one side of the forest to the other, creating a strong and vivid contrast between darkness and light.
And once they finally climbed to the intersected main path that followed the mountain's large side, Kikyo halted, then turned to her unplanned company, granting him with a slight, respectful bow.
"Thank you very much for assisting me with carrying the supplies." She said, observing as the man only lowered the straw box from his shoulder and carefully placed it on the ground, next to the nearest tree to his right. With a relaxed smile, he returned her gesture, bowing before her as well and soon rising back to once again meet with her gaze, seizing his last chance of studying her features for a moment in which none of them spoke.
"You know..." He began, placing both of his hands on his now unoccupied sides, "'Glow' might have been a bad term for it, on second thought."
"Is that so?" Kikyo breathed with tired amusement, lowering herself down to reach for the full quiver of arrows as she began gradually moving its contents into the nearly empty one positioned on her back.
"It is more about the softness in which your eyes reflect the light all around them." He said, nodding once.
Pausing her task for a moment, Kikyo simply raised her head to once again meet with his being, soon resuming her actions in complete silence as she closed her eyes and sighed. And once her hint resonated successfully, the man bid her farewell and turned on his heel to descend the trail they had just completed, his sandals grazing against the ground with each quick step he took, sending the loud sounds to clash against the tranquility of the forest behind him. Yet, Kikyo's gaze lingered on his back as she watched his form eventually disappear further into the depths of the forest and away from any danger, back to his peaceful life at the valley.
Now left alone, her eyes lowered once more to the full quiver of arrows in her hands, noticing that from all of the arrows she had prepared back at Onigumo's cave, now only two remained.
However, before she could manage to even halt on the thought;
"Kikyo... it sure has been a while."
Her loathsome enemy's voice soon echoed all above her, the poisonous condescending laugh slithering through the tops of the trees as if compressing her space and caging her inside her current location.
With no time to waste, Kikyo reached for one of the remaining tampered arrows in her possession, drawing her bow with impeccable speed as her expression turned stern, her senses alert as she scanned the surface before her, mahogany eyes studying every direction in the small clearing in an attempt to figure his elusive spot.
"Enough, show yourself." She demanded, fed up with her prey's endless games.
But only the sound of his detestable chuckling answered to her threatening call.
"I am not here to fight, Kikyo..." Naraku said, the more he talked the more she felt his youki spread and surround her, "I am only here to deliver you an important piece of information, you see..."
Keeping silent, Kikyo's mahogany eyes darted from one side to the other, attempting to detect a condescend enough reading that would alert her of where Naraku was currently hiding. Shoulders tense and her body rigid as her attack was locked and ready to fire, the priestess stood her ground, waiting for him to slip and accidentally hint her of his whereabouts.
But his strong youki was evenly settled all around, his actual existence well concealed beyond many layers of illusions and nearly impossible to decipher.
"Something to do with your trusty companion, Sesshomaru." He added.
Kikyo's eyes narrowed to his unexpected words, and her mind already began producing countless possible continuations for his sentence.
The revelation that actually followed, however... was something far from any prediction she carried.
"Oh! Welcome back, Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin happily called from within the vast dome of protective spiritual energy, rocking her feet back and forth as she sat on top of the sleeping A-Un, watching her master land on the grassy ground before her.
Jaken, however, was more preoccupied with the shattered state of the daiyoukai's armor, which was almost entirely broken now, exposing his pale kimono beneath it. His expression immediately shifted to pure shock as his yellow eyes bugged out of their skull to the unbelievable sight, and his mind effortlessly conjured countless curses directed at a certain despicable half-breed.
Ignoring his presence and his unnecessary reaction, Sesshomaru stepped passed his being and stepped closer to Rin, his gaze immediately scanning the surface before him for any lurking danger, confirming that the area was still as safe as he had left it, before.
Then, his keen gaze fell to both of the silent children composed by spiritual light, studying their mute presence for a long moment in which none of them said anything.
Eventually, the daiyoukai turned his head halfway back to set his golden eyes on his vassal, standing not that far behind him.
"Jaken." He called with a low voice, causing the imp-demon to immediately jump with alert, "Has anything been heard from the miko?"
Jaken timidly shook his head as a response, averting his gaze to one of the blank-faced young girls standing not that far ahead.
"The woman has not passed once through this area nor gave any new sign, my lord." He explained.
Hearing this, Sesshomaru raised his chin, centering his attention to the sky above, observing as they now shone with a deep warm color, marking the end of the day.
'Two days have nearly passed, now.' He noted to himself, narrowing his golden gaze as the chilly wind found its way to their location, flowing slowly above the earth and grazing the fallen leaves across its surface.
But a faint yet certain, unmistakable scent soon carried with the sudden breeze, prompting his attention to dart to its far source as his expression turned stern and his body immediately tensed, and he only turned on his heel with a sharp movement, surprising both of his companions.
"Remain here." Sesshomaru commanded harshly, his form swiftly morphing into a ball of light as it hurriedly shot to the sky above, the strong brightness from the act causing both Rin and Jaken to once again send their arms to shield away from the sudden blinding aura, confused by what their master had just sensed.
Kikyo breathed deep, feeling the chilly wind brushing against her face as it swept through her straight bangs and garbs, almost in a subtle attempt to calm her down from her mental turmoil, yet with little success. She held her ground still, fingers clenching her ceremonial bow as her arrow stubbornly aimed forward to an unclear spot, somewhere in the depths of her enemy's undefined existence which only seemed to slowly close in on her.
And the more she involuntary weighted Naraku's words, the more she felt her strength escape her, leaving her to silently battle the thoughts swirling inside her mind as those threatened to effortlessly overcome her completely, exposing her like an open nerve for his next attack, whatever that may be.
But at that moment and after everything she had just heard... Kikyo found it impossible to alert her companion of her current troubled situation.
"Are you really that surprised, Kikyo?" Naraku's mocking voice came like a lethal addition of poison to her already plagued thought process, "You should have seen it coming."
Before he managed to curse her any more than that, however, a wave of strong youki suddenly veiled the entire area, battling against her enemy's existence as both beings violently fought for dominance. Composing herself, Kikyo turned her head to the source of the familiar sensation, observing as the daiyoukai landed beside her and immediately unsheathed Tokijin, golden eyes emitting a fierce and vicious glare.
But Naraku's laugh only increased with the sudden occurrence, ringing through the high space above their heads, the sound swerving between the trees as if to ensure them both that this was all happening according to his vile plan.
"I shall leave you two to discuss it yourselves, now."
And with that, his youki gave out under Sesshomaru's trampling demonic energy, vanishing as if he was never even there in the first place.
Lowering her weapon, Kikyo eased her shoulders at long last.
But her mind was still rampant with endless musings and inquiries, making her release a deep breath in an attempt to relieve herself from some of the unbearable pressure, yet with little effect. Mahogany eyes focused onto the far distance, into the depths of the forest as she lifted her chin, swallowing hard.
"Is it true, Sesshomaru?"
Kikyo knew of her enemy's goal.
She knew that more than simply killing her, Naraku's preferable way of annihilating her existence was to primarily break her spirit, to shatter her will to fight in one way or another.
She knew that no doubt, his current objective was to isolate her from Sesshomaru, to force her into solitude once again, an easy way for him to guarantee her demise with no powerful allies to stand in his way.
She was aware of it all.
And yet, she found herself helpless against the burning need to clarify his accusation, to receive a straight answer to a poisonous topic which somehow managed to dwell beneath the surface of her conscious, the concept gradually taking shape as if it had a will of its own, regrettably making more and more sense to her by the second.
The priestess inhaled deeply, then, finally turned to face the daiyoukai standing quietly behind her, deep mahogany colliding with his unreadable, intense gold as she sought his existence for answers, her burning gaze studying his being as his features bathed in the setting sun's reddish glow, with his expression not surrendering any of his thoughts to her.
"Have you been hiding your decision of returning me to a body of flesh and blood?"