Chapter Twenty-Nine
'The scent in the air had already changed, huh.' Sesshomaru noted, stern gaze fixed forward on his destination as he silently picked up his speed, soaring above the valley and many provinces occupying its grounds. Face solemn, he soon reached the far mountains and entered through their foggy territory, flying through the condensed, chilly layers of mist now surrounding him from every direction and which even the sun above couldn't penetrate.
But his sense of smell was strong enough to not let that mere fact impede him, and the daiyoukai only narrowed his golden eyes to the reading of his now static target located just beyond his current, elevated spot, in the widely stretched outskirts of the forest;
A presence that was slowly dissolving into the air, indicated by the stench of familiar blood and Naraku's putrid miasma, possessing only moments left to spare until finally succumbing to its ultimate demise.
Unlike many others before it however, this time, Sesshomaru felt somewhat obliged to try and prevent it, partly because he wanted to foil Naraku's plans, and partly for another reason entirely.
The look of understanding in Kikyo's eyes just as she figured his silent thoughts on the subject soon flashed before him, featuring itself as if to grant him with the specific motives which he was attempting to form in his head.
But he knew that was not all there was to it.
This obligation to seek out Kagura in her final moments of passing stemmed from something else other than his will to impress the priestess by letting her know of his awareness to their enemy's obvious and pitiful trap.
There was a certain will in him, something of his own, that affected him enough to follow with it. Somewhat of a new broader perspective regarding Kagura's actions, regarding her choice of ways to operate and express herself before him, insolent occasions which only irritated him before whenever he recalled them, now proved not that senseless, anymore. Even when he still stood firmly by his own iron belief that it is nothing but foolish to seek out revenge alone unless one deems themselves strong enough to carry it, Sesshomaru also found himself a little more open to the concept of others not always being completely aware of the gravity of the situation they were in.
"Under desperate circumstances, people may act in a foolish manner." Kikyo's calm voice suddenly flowed through his conscious, concluding his thoughts and further illustrating his resolve;
The wind sorceress acted unwisely, yet she still fought the best way she possibly could in her attempt to break from Naraku's chains of control, even if her existence was merely a toy for him to effortlessly play with during all of this time.
And that, Sesshomaru noted, at the very least, was worthy of his own acknowledgement.
Just then, the thick clouds of mist cleared once he existed the mountain's secluded territory, and the vast, greenery of earth spread before him like a map, allowing the daiyoukai to distinguish the exact area consisting of the woman's presence, sitting by herself and surrounded by a field of flowers, blood tainting her being and the ground below her as the smoke of miasma hurriedly ate through her body.
Sesshomaru narrowed his golden eyes and immediately began lowering himself down at her direction, fingers clenched into a tight fist at the severity of the wound which the woman carried and the infuriating conclusion attached to it.
Naraku went out of his way to specifically ensure that even a blade like Tenseiga would be rendered useless in this situation.
"Kikyo-sama, are you alright?"
Rin's light voice broke her from her deep contemplation, causing the priestess to lower her gaze from the far distance of the endless sky to the child resting beside her and against A-Un.
Concealed among the thickness of the forest far off the trail which they previously occupied, the group was now sitting combined under the safety of Kikyo's wide spiritual barrier, held together by the silent Kocho and Asuka and surrounding their large spot from every angle, carefully protecting their presences and scents from their enemy's knowledge and his occasional patrolling demonic bees sent to locate their position.
"Worry not." Kikyo answered, easing herself for a moment as a hint of a reassuring smile crossed her features, "I am simply interested in Sesshomaru's progress, that is all."
"The crystal of youki did not react, yet the scent which carried in the air was no doubt Kagura's blood, huh." Jaken stated through a tired voice, mouth forming a thin line to the thought, "To think that Sesshomaru-sama would even concern himself with going after something like that..."
Kikyo's gaze lowered to the imp-demon and his heartless words, but before she could voice her opinion on the matter, Rin soon leaned forward in her seat, small hands raised up to ball into tiny fists.
"Jaken-sama, that's mean!" She reprimanded, large brown eyes judging into him, "You shouldn't say things like that!"
Jaken flinched with surprise to Rin's sudden outburst and quickly turned in her direction.
"Be quiet!" He croaked, green brows forming an irritated frown, "This is most likely another one of Naraku's schemes and I'm simply worried for Sesshomaru-sama's safety!"
"But you're the one who always says Sesshomaru-sama is so powerful he can't possibly be beaten, Jaken-sama." Rin countered, crossing her arms before him and causing his yellow orbs to widen.
"That is enough, you two." Kikyo steadily cut into their loud squabble, her expression softening as she breathed deep and simply raised her attention to the sky, once again, "I trust that Sesshomaru would be back unharmed, however until then, it is best to refrain from either moving or making too much noise."
Halting their argument, both the imp-demon and Rin soon resumed back into silence.
And the child leaned her back against A-Un once again in comfort, closer to the priestess as her innocent wide brown eyes stared up at the woman's refined profile for a long moment.
"Kikyo-sama, you seem troubled." She whispered up to her, a small hand rising to shield her words from their green companion.
Hearing that, Kikyo released an amused breath, shortly lowering her gaze back to Rin.
"Is that so?" She softly asked, lifting her left arm up and around Rin's small frame to allow the child more space in response, inviting her to curl up closer and rest herself against the side of her body.
Rin only nodded, accepting the gesture and then bringing her knees upwards before her.
"I have no doubt in Sesshomaru's power or skill." Kikyo answered, charging her voice with sincerity to immediately terminate any form of uncertainty that she, herself, may have accidentally seeded, eventually lifting her gaze to the depths of the woods and their condensed growth ahead.
But even attempting to ease her own thinking by the notion, the priestess found that she couldn't help but still secretly wonder over a completely different aspect relating to the inu daiyoukai's current quest, one which had little to do with physical strength or flashy attacks.
'That look in his eyes...' She recalled the way Sesshomaru had confirmed her own deduction before her, showing full awareness of the fact that this is, indeed, another one of Naraku's cruel traps, as their prey already attempted to make use of her companion's absence and locate their current new whereabouts.
Yet, the unexpected understanding and quiet promise which followed to it and flashed behind his golden orbs, both impressed her greatly and also struck her with a rather troublesome pondering.
Does Sesshomaru truly grasp the full weight of the current task at his hand?
Of granting one with the luxury of companionship during their final moments... and of the specific silence that comes after death?
Wearing an impassive expression, Sesshomaru slowly landed before Kagura, the soles of his shoes meeting with the countless growth of pale flowers beneath them as he stood idly in his spot, observing her being sitting before him, her head dropped heavy with despair before herself and the blood continuing to pour out of her being, staining both of her grabs and the earth all around her.
He only watched her in silence, golden eyes narrowing to the severity of the spreading wound up close and the disgusting amount of toxic miasma Naraku had deliberately injected into his own creation in order to make sure that she would never see the light of the next day.
Suddenly, she raised her head before him, crimson eyes going wide once she noticed his presence standing before her, the look of both surprise and confusion in her features prompting him to strengthen his expression and quickly explain himself.
"I came following the scent of Naraku's miasma." He stated on instinct.
Hearing that, the wind sorceress' colored lips broke into a tired, sarcastic smile, and her head dropped once more as a mocking breath escaped her mouth.
"Did I disappoint you? That I wasn't Naraku?" She asked him with the faintest of voices.
But the question did not miss his keen hearing, and the moment the words had settled within, was the moment a sensation of true, firm displeasure found him, causing his sharp eyebrows to lower down into a frown.
Even in her final moments, this woman cared more about his impression of her than anything else.
"I knew it was you." Was all he answered.
And that small confirmation was enough for her to lift her head slowly up to him once more, and for a look of honest emotion to cross her features, as if simply knowing that fact was enough to momentarily rid her mind from the harsh reality of her current condition. Keeping her silence, Kagura only lowered her attention once more to the ground, then, eased her shoulders and exhaled deeply.
"I... see..." He heard her breathe to herself, content avid in the way the words left her mouth.
However, Sesshomaru found that the displeasure within him only grew, sourcing from somewhere unknown and slowly proving heavier and heavier in his mind.
Why was it, that he suddenly felt so pitifully helpless in this situation?
As though he, himself, had somehow failed, even?
Be it the selfish will to ease his own thinking, or the sudden need to grant the woman before him with more appropriate words to take with her to the next life, but in that moment, the daiyoukai simply lifted his chin, clenching his jaw as a new resolve formed in his mind, pushing him to act in a way he did not predict;
"Your death shall not be in vain." He said through a low, but firm voice.
And Kagura silently processed his unlikely words, shortly releasing another bitterly amused breath.
"You've really changed... since that woman had entered your group, huh..." She chuckled with exhaustion.
Never breaking his gaze away from her, Sesshomaru kept his silence to that claim.
And with that, the wind sorceress lifted herself before him one last time, a sad smile embedded in her features, yet her crimson orbs shone against the sun with a look of true happiness, if only for a moment;
A look of deep gratitude for him coming there.
Falling backwards as the miasma managed to spread enough through her being until her body could not carry any longer, Kagura dissolved completely into the air, a single feather left behind her to hover above where she sat as the wind suddenly picked up through the spot and carried it far away into the endless sky.
And before Sesshomaru even noticed, Inuyasha's entire group had managed to slip under his senses and quickly appear behind him, landing harshly on the flowery field and stepping closer to where he stood. Silence fell on all souls present as neither one of them said anything for a stretched moment, the wind howling through their shared location sending countless white petals to glide in the air above their heads and further tense the unspoken atmosphere.
And his guess was educated enough to know that the longer he stayed, the more likely he would find himself caught in a foolish and unnecessary exchange. Therefore, he aimed his attention forward, beginning to stride away from the place, uninterested in any form of interaction with his younger, half-brother, especially considering the circumstances of their last meeting and all that followed to it.
However, Inuyasha already predicted his actions, taking one firm step behind him in order to seize his attention and force him into a conversation, regardless.
"Wait a minute, Sesshomaru!" The familiar demand violently tore through the labored silence, and Inuyasha did not wait for his older, half-brother to even stop in his tracks this time, "Was Kagura... suffering...?"
Hearing the unexpected theme of his worries, Sesshomaru halted his own movement, turning his head over his shoulder to carefully study his being for a moment.
There was something in Inuyasha's golden eyes which he couldn't quite recognize. Something that was both honest and sad, an unfiltered pain that as if weighted on his next answer, a look that was burdened with vulnerability and yet somehow unapologetically so, all of it combined together and hurled at him so casually.
Assessing that staining gaze, the daiyoukai said nothing for another moment.
Then, he simply moved his head away to the endless sky.
"She was smiling."
However, the vague answer seemed to only ignite another fierce need in the half-breed, and Inuyasha soon took a few additional steps forward, closing the distance and coming into a sharp stop right behind where he stood.
Ignoring his presence, the daiyoukai fixed his gaze before himself once more, away from the being which so impatiently approached him.
But the next words which Inuyasha spoke somehow managed to effortlessly breach through his already mended armored back and resonate inside him against his will, ringing far too loudly in his ear;
"Make sure we don't have to meet like this again, ya hear me...?"
Sesshomaru's gaze sharpened into a fierce glare, yet he simply kept his silence and extended his sash far below his feet, not even sparing the half-breed with another word or even a swift look, flying away and disconnecting from the intensity of the encounter in order to grant himself with some much-needed peace of mind, instead.
Evening hurried to fight for dominance once the sun had begun its slow process of setting beyond the far mountains, solidifying their silhouette dark and painting the sky with a soft shade of orange while depriving the group's concealed location of both light and warmth. The hours managed to pass safely without another sign of Naraku's Saimyosho patrolling through their area as she had expected to witness or sense, but the unfortunate scent in the air was enough to alert her of her enemy's partial ploy indeed occurring as he had planned, causing her to exhale a deep breath to the regretful information.
No one deserved death by Naraku's vile hands.
Not even his own incarnations.
Taking another moment to regain her composure, Kikyo lowered her calm gaze to the still resting Rin at her left side, tucked under her arm and leaned softly against her body as she played with a long strand of grass which she had picked from somewhere around her spot, then utilized as means to keep herself entertained against the boredom of waiting.
Eventually, the priestess' eyes shifted to the imp-demon, studying his sprawled position on the soft earth before her, noticing he had already fallen into a light slumber while hugging his Nintojo tightly.
"Jaken-sama sure sleeps a lot after he said he was so worried." Rin said through pouted lips once she noticed the line of Kikyo's vision, causing the latter to once again find her being.
"He must be tired." She answered the child, setting her eyes down at the interesting method in which Rin weaved the piece of grass into itself, "Even for a youkai, I assume having to constantly guess his master's actions in this manner can be quite a stressful and exhausting way of life."
Hearing that, Rin halted on her current doings for a moment, raising her curious gaze to meet with Kikyo's calm one.
"Do you feel that way too sometimes, Kikyo-sama?" She asked with interest, a hint of worry residing in her voice.
processing her honest inquiry, Kikyo blinked down at the child, yet contrary to what she would expect, her question at that moment somehow sparked a rather light and positive feeling within her.
"The more I've gotten to know Sesshomaru, the more I found myself able to trust him, completely." She eventually replied, setting her gaze upwards at the dusk conquering through the endless horizon, "Therefore, no, I cannot say that I feel lost due to his actions, at all."
Pleased and relieved by her words, Rin simply giggled and shortly resumed her task.
And their shared silence only welcomed the priestess into a certain quiet musing, further examining the meaning behind her own statement just now.
Even this particular moment, in which she knew Sesshomaru had gone to Kagura, a notion that sent a selfish, but nevertheless avid sensation of jealousy to course inside of her before and one she had only recently managed to recognize and admit to herself, Kikyo still felt as if there was no doubt of the daiyoukai's safe return, a belief that was based on nothing but her knowledge of who he was a person, and one which, on paper, was nothing short of a mere hope-induced wish.
Yet, she somehow knew she had nothing to worry about in that specific regard.
And this type of wordless reassurance was one which she had never experienced before in her life.
"Kikyo-sama, can you reach for Rin's water, please?" Rin's soft voice soon reached her once again, and the priestess raised her free hand to the bundle located at her right side, her palm diving between the various necessities inside and shortly distinguishing the child's wooden compartment.
Giving it a light shake, however, Kikyo's expression turned stern.
She pulled it closer and held it before herself, staring down at the object for a moment, then, she raised her attention to their current surroundings, mahogany eyes scanning the surface before her.
And failing to pick up on anything suspicious regarding Naraku or his underlings, Kikyo eventually lowered her attention to the child with a new decision formed in her mind.
"Remain inside the barrier just in case, Rin." She instructed down at her, calling back on her arm which comfortably engulfed her small frame, then, smoothly rose to her feet, "There is a small river nearby."
Rin simply nodded with understanding, watching as the priestess quickly armed herself with both her arrow quiver and her long bow in silence, stepping out from the barrier's territory and into the depths of the forest surrounding them from every direction, her form shortly disappearing into the lush greenery ahead.
Following after the familiar scent of his companions, Sesshomaru maintained his steady speed as he hovered above earth and under the now gradually darkening sky, flying through the same path in which he came from, between tall mountains and across the human provinces which scattered through the land beneath him.
His mind, however, was still occupied by most recent events, by the sights, words and emotions that still dwelt within him, whether he wished for them or not. And the more the cold wind clashed against his face and swayed through his long, silver hair, the more he felt the same heavy sensations from before still present in his chest and in his head, only them remaining with no answers for their origin, at all.
Once he neared the reading of his strategically hidden campsite, however, Sesshomaru soon picked up on another familiar presence, one whom he knew should not wander on her own, even if her carefully weakened spiritual aura was something that only his keen senses could identify and locate.
And shifting the direction of his flying, Sesshomaru soon concealed his own presence completely, lowering himself down towards the secluded area which Kikyo was currently occupying.
He carefully landed between the condescend tree tops, the soles of his shoes meeting with the grassy ground beneath them in a silent press as one foot elegantly followed the other, his fur sash quickly returning to its natural size and calculatedly hovering the moist earth. Silent, he approached further between bushes and trees, his strides long and inaudible as he neared his companion's spot, eventually coming into a stop once he was close enough for his own liking.
And right there on the edge of the riverside, surrounded by lush greenery and under the curtain of purple Wisteria flowers veiling down from above her, his golden eyes immediately deciphered Kikyo's isolated presence, lowered on one knee and busy with the mundane task of filling Rin's wooden water compartment with fresh liquid from the steam.
In stillness, he watched her in that position, his gaze noting her weapon resting against the nearest tree to her right as the faint breeze picked up through her silky hair, her body orbited by the lights of gliding fireflies as those projected their pulsating signals onto her being, almost as if granting the woman with visual assistance through the darkness of falling dusk.
Eventually, Sesshomaru resumed his movement in her direction, calmly stepping from between the trees and into the small, grass-surfaced clearing before him.
"I expected to meet with you back at the campsite." He heard Kikyo say upon himself nearing her spot, her attention still focused down on the errand she was busy with.
Coming to a smooth halt not that far behind her, the daiyoukai kept his quiet for another moment.
"I trust you have made sure of its safety." He replied simply.
Hearing that, Kikyo lifted the wooden compartment above water surface, shortly adjusting the lid of the object back on its head. Then, she gracefully rose to her feet, turning on her heel to face his being completely, her form outlined by the residue of dimly lightened sky reflecting on the river behind her as her impassive gaze collided with his solemn one, clever eyes that never lose their brightness anymore somehow striking into him more effectively than normal.
And neither said anything more, the low flowing noises of the gentle river spreading through their shared space and filling the fresh air all around them.
Silent, Kikyo allowed herself a moment to observe and take in his presence, eventually stepping forward, closer to his being until she reached a respectful enough distance before him.
Aside from his unexpected appearance at this secluded area instead of their regular meeting point, something in the tone of his voice also managed to ring strangely in her ear, alerting her of a certain difference regarding the inu daiyoukai's current state of mind.
And the more she studied him, the more Kikyo noticed the hint of inner turmoil evidently present in the way his sharp eyebrows lowered into a scowl much deeper than usual, his golden eyes concealing the unpleasant aftermath of his final moments with Kagura, yet not well enough for her to miss, allowing the most obvious conclusion to be drawn as a result;
Sesshomaru was undeniably unsettled by the experience.
And the priestess only released a deep breath, further evaluating his being before her.
"I had a feeling you'd react more or less this way." She calmly admitted up at him, tilting her head slightly to the side, "Having this look on your face."
Hearing that, Sesshomaru raised a single eyebrow, his eyes carefully studying her.
"And what is this look that I possess, exactly?" He tested.
Kikyo maintained her companion's fierce gaze, eventually placing her attention down at the ground as straight bangs lowered over mahogany eyes, a sad hint of a smile soon crossing her features.
"The night of our first encounter..." She started, her voice carrying subtle sadness in it as her breath dragged far after the words left her lips, "There was a man named Suikotsu, whom I had gotten to know for about a week before then."
Watching her through a stern expression, Sesshomaru only narrowed his gaze.
"The man who nearly killed Rin." He confirmed.
Kikyo nodded, inhaling deeply.
"He was a troubled man who suffered greatly, constantly battling against the evil within himself." She explained, opening her eyes as mahogany once again met with intense gold, "Do you recall what he asked of me, in his final moments?"
Releasing a low, mocking breath, Sesshomaru's frown deepened to the memory.
"He wished for you to end his pitiful life," He answered harshly, "Yet, you hesitated."
Kikyo eased her shoulders to his keen deduction, exhaling silently.
"Indeed." She steadily confirmed, casting her gaze once again to the ground, "I wanted his soul to achieve peace, but I found myself suddenly unsure of whether or not I should really be the one to grant it, given my cursed state of being... however, now, whenever I look back to that night, I realize that my personal feelings truly did not matter."
Silent, Sesshomaru kept his attention fixed down on her, listening closely to her every word.
"What mattered most was his last wish, his will to find peace by my hands, which I did not fulfill." She stated, rising back to meet his eyes, "Now, only the notion of guilt remains."
The daiyoukai quietly assessed her words for another moment.
"Even after he smiled and claimed it was fine, your thoughts still travel back to it?" He investigated.
Kikyo held his eye-contact, shortly breaking away from his being with a smooth motion as she sent her gaze aside to the far depths of the woods, lit only by the subtle hint of intermittent fireflies.
"Sometimes, I cannot help but think that perhaps I could have done more." She confessed, lifting her chin, "It is as if every soul that we encounter along the way, every death that we witness before us, manages to leave something behind it... something of the spirit which still persists. Hidden in the earth, the wind, the trees or the sky. Somehow, it still lingers, whether we wished for it to do so or not."
The soft breeze soon found her features as it gently flowed through her long and straight hair, granting her with freshness that momentarily eased her thinking and concluded her point;
"Sending someone off can often prove more difficult than we expect."
And with that, they both sunk into silence, once more.
Processing her words for the longest time, Sesshomaru simply kept his stilled position, his stern gaze fixed down and unable to tear away from this impressive woman before him, one who never failed to weave sense into the exact, smothering sentiments which so violently invaded his mind, even when he, himself, could not name them just yet.
And before he even noticed, a certain need to foster this familiar relieving feeling which he was already associated with hurriedly started building inside him, an urge unique and different from anything he had ever sensed before, but still just as greedy and demanding.
"How meaningless..." Kikyo heard his fairly predicted scoff, but the statement carried like a faint, strangled whisper with little force behind it, so unlike him and yet still so undeniably his, prompting her to face him as their gazes once again locked together.
Then, without sparing the priestess another word, Sesshomaru raised his hand up, reaching towards her high waist area and quickly tucking his index finger between the layers of her secured cream mo-bakama and burgundy kosode underneath it, applying just enough calculated strength to firmly pull the woman forward by her garbs, one step closer before him.
Kikyo stiffened to his sudden actions, her appraising mahogany eyes blinking up with slight surprise to the bold contact.
But the unrecognized look embedded in his set, golden gaze somehow managed to paralyze her, a flash of a specific, honest wish reflecting so clearly in them, causing neither to speak another word for a long moment in which only the deep sounds of the forest settled all around them.
Eventually, the daiyoukai breathed deep and began lowering himself down to her being.
And Kikyo could only observe him closely as she quietly stood in her place, shoulders tense and expression as composed as she could possibly manage, confused yet ready for what most likely was about to occur.
However, against her most fitting assumption, Sesshomaru's movement soon came into a graduate stop, and only the sensation of his forehead pressed down against her own registered next in her mind as their contradicting auras clashed in a familiar, subdued battle for dominance, his silver bangs falling to mingle with her dark hair and softly brush against her cheeks.
Easing herself, Kikyo shifted in her spot under the weight of his tall form, wrapping her conscious around the unexpected tender gesture as she delved into his close stare for answers, feeling his half-lidded golden eyes boring into her being and once again managing to effortlessly elicit this impossible warmth within her, sourcing from the top of her head and prickling down to spread through her face, her neck and her chest, filling her up with both comfort and excitement altogether.
She considered respectfully inquiring for the reason behind this sudden shared closeness, but the more she allowed herself to patiently relax in the moment, the more Kikyo found that the answer seemed to somehow seep through their contact and willfully present itself on its own, the heaviness as if slowly being transferred and gradually allowing her to understand this peculiar inu daiyoukai before her completely;
Sesshomaru was not only unsettled by the circumstances... he was also somewhat displeased with himself.
And analyzing this fact, the priestess simply released a soft breath.
'To think that he could prove this critical of his own actions...' She mused.
As if interlaced with the sudden understanding, Kikyo soon felt herself being tugged after the now already known and understandable consuming impulse followed by the same hasty instinct she experienced once before already, materializing deep within her and soon taking control over her actions, entirely.
A need to soothe the troubled mind of this man before her.
Silent, the priestess slowly raised her free, right hand upwards, curled fingers soon meeting with his jaw and gently sliding over his skin until her palm cupped the side of his face, thumb resting over his two stripes of magenta markings and her index finger supporting under his pointy ear, causing Sesshomaru to clench his jaw to her soothing touch on his skin and inhale sharply, shortly closing his eyes.
Fascinated by his wordless response, Kikyo allowed herself another moment to study his close features, eventually following in his example and fluttering her eyelids shut as well.
They had both promised to make an effort to refrain from engaging in any sort of physical contact between them, she did not forget... However, this unexpected occurrence somehow felt different than the ones prior to it, the honest peacefulness of the act carrying no trace of dangerous hunger to it at all and only significantly decreasing the amount of burden which flowed through them both.
And Kikyo simply adjusted slightly against him, the tips of their noses brushing from the brief movement as their steady breathing filled the air, eventually aligning together and overcome by the sounds of the stream reaching them once more, acting as a form of anchor to reality as to not let them get too lost in the moment.
United and hushed, they both remained that way for a little longer, curious in further testing the efficiency in this strange, unusual form of harmless intimacy.
A/N:
Kagura's death scene, while inevitable (As Kagura was a creation made from Naraku's flesh and thus would've most likely died whenever he did) and tragically beautiful, still felt somewhat incomplete to me. I remember wishing for Sesshomaru to at least say something to her instead of idly standing there, to, at the very least, let her know that her efforts were not taken for granted, even if her feelings for him were indeed one-sided.
And since I personally find both Suikotsu and Kagura's respective stories to be yet another interesting parallel between our main couple that holds similar weight in the way Kikyo and Sesshomaru dealt with their deaths, I wanted to utilize it for this purpose while also make them bond a little over this shared theme.
Once again, thank you so much for your support, and as always, I'm interested to know what you thought of this chapter.