A/N:
Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, my readers, and welcome new ones! I hope you are all doing well despite these difficult times. Please stay safe and healthy as much as possible, and may this chapter bring you a small, momentary ease to battle the strain.
Sending my love and best wishes to all of you!
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Silence pervaded the air between them, heavy and dense as neither the daiyoukai, the priestess or the old swordsmith spared another word, even the birds and various animals which made their presence known with no issue before now as if scattered in fear, away from the conflicting energies coming from the specific clearing the three of them were currently occupying. The early morning sun steadily climbed through the sky above their heads, with the ancient tall trees securing the area rattling gently above, filtering its thin rays into arbitrary patches of light as those marked the grassy earth all around them.
Much to Totosai's surprise, however, Sesshomaru only slightly lowered his head and frowned in response to the sudden information.
"Totosai, this had better not be your idea of a joke." He cautioned.
Watching him for a moment, the old youkai's shoulders soon slumped to his obvious doubt, and a deep, loud sigh escaped him into the early morning air. Although he could understand his friend's son's possible scepticism on the matter, Totosai would still not have made it all this way simply to jest him.
"Oho! believe me, I have better things to do." He shook his bald head, "I am here because Tenseiga has reacted to a certain change in you, Sesshomaru."
Hearing that, subtle surprise crossed the expressions of both Sesshomaru and Kikyo.
"Change?" Golden eyes narrowed, still doubtful.
And watching him closely for another moment, the swordsmith simply raised his bearded chin with interest.
"You have felt both sorrow and great anger for the sake of another." Totosai informed, his wide eyes shifting down to the blade at Sesshomaru's side, "I don't know what happened precisely, but Tenseiga has sensed that part which was lacking in your heart, until now."
Following to her companion's silence, Kikyo's gaze soon fixed on him as well, studying his silver frame.
'So, that really did strike a nerve, back then...' She mused, recalling Sesshomaru's sudden burst of power during their fight against Moryomaru, how he launched himself forward in response to the wretched being's vicious words regarding Kagura dying a miserable death, as well as how that certain fit of rage had also cost him his blade, Tokijin.
Then, her memory reeled even further back, reminding the priestess of the same night in which Sesshomaru returned from granting Kagura with companionship during her final moments, how troubled he seemed by the emotions which he couldn't even name, how those weighed on him. That night, she could only temporarily mend the unrecognized disappointment he had with himself... yet evidently, that was hardly enough to soothe his mind from the harsh experience.
Still processing the information, the daiyoukai silently reached for his sole blade, pulling Tenseiga from the yellow-colored obi securing it tightly in its place to diagonally hold it before himself as his gaze fell down to trace his father's heirloom.
And once done, he turned his head halfway over his shoulder to lock his gold with Kikyo's mahogany brown, watching her for a long moment in which neither of them said anything.
"I dare say you should consider the possibility of true strength lying beyond just a flashy blade and a fancy title, Sesshomaru."
Her words surfaced easily to echo in his mind, an old theory of potentially finding power through the vulnerability of emotions which she was able to toss so freely and passionately before him in the past now proved as fact despite it all, and against all odds.
Even when he, himself, had already deemed the idea of the sword serving as anything more than a passive tool to him nothing but foolish, naïve and unlikely.
And just like that, a feeling that he hadn't allowed himself in so long and especially in relation to this heavy and troublesome subject that haunted him without rest, now conquered him with so much ease it was almost alarming; excitement, light and fresh, blooming effortlessly in his chest as interest filled him to the brim regarding what this new upgrade for his blade could possibly be...
Regarding what his late father's plan truly was for him, all along.
Kikyo blinked, immediately noticing that unique look in his eyes, the way the sunlight caught in his pools of clear gold, accessing to their deepest shades as if he wore his thoughts like a veil of honesty before her.
Then, she only smiled softly and nodded once in response, observing as his attention shifted back to Totosai, who still waited patiently in his spot.
However, as much as she wished to celebrate this moment with her important companion, share it with genuine intent and especially in this perfect timing after all that had happened to them... the priestess couldn't help but realize something simply did not sit well with her about it.
She was correct with her theory that Sesshomaru's father had bequeathed the healing sword to his eldest in order for him to expand his mind and learn the importance of selfless emotions...
But in this case, Sesshomaru was rewarded for nothing but his own suffering, of all things.
Quiet, she kept her studying eyes on both the daiyoukai and the old swordsmith, observing as Sesshomaru eventually complied and handed the sword to its original forger, the latter seeming entirely unfazed by the concept as if nothing rang oddly in his ear about it.
Then, she only released an inaudible breath.
Despite her own musings, Sesshomaru was genuinely elevated and relieved by this development.
She couldn't possibly ruin this moment for him with something as baseless as a fleeting worry, and especially not after he had waited so long for it. She wanted nothing but to support his achievement. She wanted him to know that she, as well, was proud of his accomplishment.
'Perhaps I am making too much of a fuss over this?' Kikyo pondered.
And the more her mind searched, the more it found the likely explanation;
Youkai operated in a way different than humans and their standards of both parenthood and emotional connections, after all, and the great Inu no Taisho's methods had already proven especially strict. Knowing that, was it truly that much of a stretch to assume that this was simply how the late general resolved to further guide his eldest after his death?
Arriving at that conclusion, her thoughts somewhat settled.
But the troubled feeling which was still roaming beneath the surface of her conscious proved oddly persistent, still.
"Well now, it sure has been a while, Kikyo." Totosai suddenly addressed her, breaking her from her deep thinking as their eyes met.
And easing her stern expression before him, Kikyo only bowed lightly in response.
"Indeed." She said, raising her head up with elegance, "I trust you have been well, Totosai-sama."
Eyeing her for a moment in silence, Totosai lifted his free hand to his chin, withered, clawed fingers sent to twist his pale beard as he hummed loudly to himself.
"Same goes for you." He replied, inching forward in his seat on the three-eyed ox, "You look well. Very well, if I do say so myself... the softness in which your eyes reflect the light all around them is quite striking."
Sesshomaru glared down at him, his vision narrowing with annoyance.
"You have overstayed your welcome, Totosai." He hissed.
But his irritation strangely did not deter the old youkai at all.
"Tell me, Kikyo." Totosai ignored his late friend's eldest and continued with his investigation, his wide orbs fixed on her, "Have you, yourself, been feeling any sort of change, as of late?"
The priestess' expression crossed with mild confusion to the odd inquiry.
Then, her gaze immediately sharpened.
"Is there something you wish to say?" She urged him to his own point through a measured tone.
Her words were left to hover in the air for a moment, somewhat charged enough to fill the space between the three of them, causing Totosai to eventually move back in his seat and finally close his wide eyes shut, arms crossing over his partially-exposed chest.
"Simply to ask you one thing." He finally answered, large orbs reopening to survey the woman before him, "How long has it been... since you have last required to rely on dead souls for your private maintenance?"
Taking in his words, realization soon inevitably flashed behind her eyes;
When, indeed, was the last time she had felt weak and brittle enough to require dead souls in order to maintain her clay body?
She couldn't even remember the exact occasion, now...
But, what did all of this even mean?
"Think of it." Totosai nodded once, breaking from her intense gaze as he raised a single long finger up into the air, signalling for his trusty ox to turn around, a mass of dark clouds shortly gathering above their heads, "I shall be back in three days' time."
And as fast he appeared before them, the swordsmith was gone in a loud crackle of both lightning and thunder, his presence carrying along with the storm.
Silence settled upon the clearing once again and the breeze soon followed to it, stirring their long, loose hair and robes as the daiyoukai and the priestess were now left alone. Maintaining their prolong quiet, their gazes found each other with little effort, and they only watched the other in stillness and through calm expressions.
However, recalling the events which transpired prior to the old swordsmith's unexpected and perhaps much needed arrival, Kikyo softly cleared her throat and broke from his being to cast her vision downwards, scanning the earth before her. Wordlessly, she lowered herself down and collected a small, flat-faced rock into her fair palm, rising back to her feet and then immediately starting to methodically crush the forgotten ingredients in the wooden bowl, meshing them all into each other.
Silent, Sesshomaru observed her actions for a long moment, her focused features aimed down at her current task and the calculated, sure movements of her hand, a sight that he hadn't witnessed for quite a long time.
And once finished, her eyes rose to meet with his, the look in them somehow appearing more restrained than usual as she stretched out her arm to present him with the bowl, now filled with the familiar scented paste.
"I believe it would be best that you apply it yourself, this time." She determined, watching him closely through an expression that did not surrender any of her thoughts to him.
But the reason carefully weaved behind her words did not escape him.
Lifting his chin before her, Sesshomaru complied and reached his sole clawed hand upwards to take the bowl from her grip using a smooth motion, his keen eyes never leaving her being for even a second.
"I have warned you before that my self-control has its limits." He steadily countered, his voice low.
Inhaling sharply to his blunt answer, Kikyo tensed for a moment before quickly composing herself once more.
Then, she only tore her gaze away from his intense staring and quietly sent it to the depths of the forest, yet the subtle spark of embarrassment in her features was far from lost on him, vivid even from under her straight-cut, dark bangs.
"I was entirely consumed by my concern." The priestess admitted simply, swallowing under the burn of his gold, "It was hardly my intention to test those limits of yours."
And as soon as the end of her sentence left her lips, Kikyo moved, her gaze finding his for a swift moment before shifting to the direction in which she came from and the same one that would lead her back to the campsite. Stepping with poise, she began steadily distancing herself from the inu-daiyoukai still watching her from his stilled position.
However, once she reached the dense treeline, the priestess halted in her tracks, her head turning halfway over her shoulder as calm mahogany collided with sharp gold for the final time.
"We shall wait for you until you are finished." She simply said.
Leaving that promise behind her, Kikyo resumed her steps into the forest, her form soon blurred beyond the mossy trees and thickness of bushes.
His eyes lingered on that empty spot for another moment, eventually lowering to the bowl held in his clawed hand, staring down at the already familiar scented mixture that combined dry lavender cuttings and the extract of aloe leaves; a healing remedy that had proven worthy of his time once before...
Back then when the woman had charred him with her spiritual attack, branding his hand with intense wounds that took a few days to heal.
Exhaling deeply, Sesshomaru sat himself down on the same rock he had occupied before, trying to ignore how odd the absence of swords felt as he rested the wooden bowl down on the hardened, cool surface beside him.
There was no actual need for him to apply this over himself this time, he noted.
These wounds were many, but hardly as intense, as well as inflicted by another.
And yet, somehow, the daiyoukai sensed there was something more to Kikyo's initial desire to seek out his presence and treat his injuries using this herbal mixture that she prepared for him.
Golden eyes lowered to the grassy earth before him, and he watched as the patches of sunlight danced upon the green turf of the clearing in silence, inevitably focusing on the plants that were now bended from the weight of her form.
Then, Sesshomaru breathed in as a quiet understanding found him;
Among Kikyo's will to ease the irritating stinging of his wounds, she was also seeking out his forgiveness for her neglect. For breaking her word to him.
'Fool.' He thought, and his jaw tightened to the untameable warmth which never failed to spark in his chest and quicken his heartbeat.
It certainly did not help that her scent still lingered strongly on his garbs, in his hair, in his lungs...
Sage plant, jasmine, and earth after rain. She was everywhere, still.
Two days had passed, peacefully and with neither disturbances or new readings of any kind, not from their cowardly enemy or any of his offspring, not even from Inuyasha or his group members. The weather had also gotten warmer for the season, with the afternoon sun ruling the sky above a very thin layer of clouds allowing its rays to caress the land and lure the wildlife out of their long wintery slumber.
But even under such great conditions, somehow, remaining idle while waiting even for three meagre days proved more nerve-wrecking than they had initially expected, causing both Sesshomaru and Kikyo to resolve to keep in motion as they proceeded in their endless journey, traveling the land in order to grant them all with a minor distraction from the current lack in their means of battle.
"Oh! what's this nice smell?" Rin straightened in her seat on top of A-Un's saddle, closing her eyes and raising her head to examine the scent carried with the breeze through the density of the forest.
Doing the same, Kohaku lifted his chin as well, inhaling deeply.
"Smells like the sea." He determined through an even tone.
"That makes sense." Jaken shortly added with indifference, keeping his head forward to the continuation of the path ahead, "This side of the mountain is located at the outer skirts of the land, after all."
Unlike him, however, Rin's interest only grew to the information.
"The sea!" She called with excitement, her gaze attempting to detect any trace through the thickness of wildlife, yet with little success, "Rin always wanted to visit it!"
Yellow orbs narrowed almost immediately in response.
"Sesshomaru-sama and I have crossed near it hundreds of times in the past, there is truly nothing unique about it." The imp-demon scoffed loudly with disdain, "This path should soon enough rid from trees and connect with the ground, then you shall see for yourself, child."
But the girl quickly filled with impatience, turning her head down to the boy walking next to her and granting him with a wide smile of pure happiness.
Then, her head moved back, large eyes finding both the daiyoukai and the priestess, walking a bit further behind their group.
And reading her quiet plea clearly written all over her face, Kikyo only released an amused breath.
"Should we make a temporary stop?" She consulted, glancing up to the inu-daiyoukai stepping beside her.
Meeting her gaze, Sesshomaru held it for a moment before aiming his unreadable attention once more to the path up ahead.
Yet, although she could already discern his wordless agreement, the priestess couldn't help but still sense a certain uneasiness about her companion, causing her gaze to linger over his handsome features.
"It truly bothers you, doesn't it?" She steadily asked, voice low enough for no one else but him. While the priestess knew that the answer to her question was already obvious, something prompted her to at the very least allow him the knowledge that she, herself, was aware of his current turmoil;
Of how bare he must be feeling at this moment, without the essence of his worth as a fighter.
Hearing that, the daiyoukai found her presence from the corner of his eye.
And knowing too well of what the woman was referring to, he held it for a long moment in which neither of them spoke.
"That old bastard better stand by his word." He eventually said through a long breath that dragged far after the words had left his lips, settling his gaze once more at the distance and sparing no more than that into the air between them.
Steady and calm, they continued on their way as the thickness of the forest gradually lessened, until the high trees blocking the view soon reduced enough for the vast horizon to open before them, exposing the grand sea and the late afternoon sun hovering not far above it, shining the wisps of pale clouds partially obscuring its warm rays with a colour of deep orange.
Coming into a graduate stop at the point where the soft sand had blended itself into their rocky path, they all stood before the sight.
And much to her own surprise, Kikyo suddenly found herself completely enchanted.
"Woah...!" Rin gasped, her small hands balled into fists charged with unparalleled want, large dark brown eyes begging for her companions' approval, "Sesshomaru-sama! Kikyo-sama! Can Rin go and play a bit?"
And after a moment of thought, Sesshomaru simply nodded once, causing the largest of smiles to spread on the girl's face as she quickly hopped down from the two-headed dragon, reaching for the surprised Kohaku's hand and pulling him after her into a light run towards the beach.
"Good grief..." Jaken sighed with exhaustion, shaking his head as he reluctantly took A-Un's reigns in his hands, following closer after them.
Eyes set on the distance as she watched the scene before her, Kikyo listened to the static sounds of tide, the movement of the translucent waves as those softly doused the smooth shore, the particles of its soothing scent flowing with the damp wind to sway in her unbound hair and trickle against her face... if she were still alive she would have most likely also tasted the salt in the air, as the rumours told.
Unknown to her, however, she was being carefully watched.
And suddenly conscious of her momentary daze, she turned to Sesshomaru, colliding with his studying eyes.
"It seems that Rin is not the only one to have witnessed this for the first time." He voiced his theory into the air, a hint of tease laced carefully into his baritone voice.
Blinking, Kikyo's lips parted for a moment, then closed again.
And she only broke from his clever gaze to set her vision back to the calm scenery before her, her shoulders easing along with the heavy breath that she soon released.
"I have never set much foot outside of my village due to my duty as both a priestess and keeper of the Shikon Jewel." She explained, composing herself as she raised her chin ever so slightly, "Therefore, sights as distant as these were only presented as stories to someone like myself..."
His eyes remained fixed on her profile as he said nothing, listening to her every word;
"...However, words cannot possibly match the experience in person, I must admit." Kikyo determined, "It is truly breathtaking."
Sesshomaru kept his placid silence as his gaze ultimately left the woman beside him to settle onto the colourful horizon as well, following to the cheerful voices of both Rin and Kohaku as they played in the shallow end of the water, where the waves gently reached over the cool sand, only to draw back once more in a repeating, infinite motion.
It was so impossibly peaceful, so distant from the danger they had both known only a couple of nights prior, that somehow, the proud inu-daiyoukai had found himself stilled as well, if only for a moment.
After a while, Kikyo released a deep breath, breaking their mutual silence.
"Strange, is it not?" She voiced her musings into the soft wind.
Responding with a smooth motion, Sesshomaru glanced down at her, making his curiosity clear as he awaited the woman to proceed with her words.
"You and I... we both walk the twisted path of carnage; trained to kill without a second thought if required, numb by the sights of battle and death... and despite all of that we can still prove so purely taken by a view as undisturbed such as this." She told him, amused by the irony of the situation.
Observing her, the daiyoukai maintained his quiet.
And eventually, Kikyo raised her calm gaze up to lock with his.
"Simple moments like these... I am happy to share them with you, Sesshomaru." She smiled. One of her content, honest smiles that she rarely ever showed him, was now directed up at him just as the sun set into the endless edge of the sea before them, casting its reddish glow onto her aesthetic features and rendering him unable to tear away from her magnetic presence.
And captured like that, Sesshomaru could only stare down at her; at how undeniably alive she looked, how beautiful and entrancing and so genuinely glad to stand there along with him.
A hard-earned validation that always managed to fill his chest with unquestionable pride.
Kikyo beside him this way, the laughing sounds of Rin and Kohaku echoing in the air... even amidst all of the turbulent chaos which still loomed heavily behind them, Sesshomaru somehow found himself wanting to engrave this temporary simplicity into his mind, unscathed and untouched by whatever the future may hold.
Nothing but a mere moment of short-term escapism, a way to briefly avoid his impatient thoughts, as well as the harsh absence at his hip, he was well-aware of that.
And even so, he had to admit if only to himself... that he had never felt so grounded, so whole.
Time had continued to pass evenly, and soon came the third day since Totosai's visit, bringing with it the bubbling anticipation which rose through all members of the camp regarding what the new upgrade for Tenseiga would possibly look like, the colourful theories of Kohaku, Rin and Jaken ranging from powerful and flashy to subtle and quiet, but always deadly and fierce, no matter the guess.
Listening to their lively chatter from her seated position on a elevated root of a nearby tree, Kikyo simply released an amused breath, resting the back of her head against the bark behind her as she lifted her calm gaze to the starry night above.
And then, just as they did many times since his appearance before her, Totosai's words found their way into her mind yet again, making her draw in a deep breath.
"How long has it been... since you have last required to rely on dead souls for your private maintenance?"
The priestess paused for a moment, then simply raised a single fair arm into the air, her fingers curling with an inviting gesture.
And soon enough, a single shinidamachu glided down from between the high treetops, its haunting whisper filling the air as the silvery serpent reached her position to rest its front legs gently on both her index and middle finger. Staring at it for a long moment, her eyes studied the youkai; one of her private army of helpers that assisted her whenever she was in need, before...
Whenever her clay body proved too unbalanced to even move.
And yet now, and for whatever reason, she no longer felt the type of weariness that so easily claimed her as fiercely, limiting both her existence and her powers alike.
Almost as if...
"Ohhh! I cannot take this wait any longer!" Jaken suddenly screeched with irritation, jumping to his feet as he quickly trotted out of the camp's boundaries and towards his silent master, who occupied a spot closer to the riverside, "Sesshomaru-sama, it has already been three days! No doubt that although he claimed he would reforge it, Totosai just ran away with Tens –!"
Unable to finish his own sentence as he was unexpectedly crushed by the sturdy front leg of an ox, Jaken could only let out a startled cry of sheer pain.
And soon enough, every surprised set of eyes darted to none other than Totosai, who kept his promise and appeared precisely when he said he would, despite it all.
Immediately leaving the tree root she was resting upon, Kikyo's fair features turned stern as she stepped forward, closer to the sudden occurrence. Quiet, she reached their spot and stared at the old swordsmith as he lifted his arm in the air, holding Tenseiga before Sesshomaru as if dangling a bait on a string.
"Draw the sword, Sesshomaru." He dared him, watching intently, "I wonder, can you master it?"
Taking his father's heirloom out of the old youkai's hand, Sesshomaru released a mocking breath and did as told.
And not long after Tenseiga was drawn, its strong youki successfully lured a nearby ogre into the clearing before them all, his menacing height allowing him to make his way through the trees with barely any use of force at all, bending and breaking the trunks like mere twigs in his claws. Once he located his target, the creature launched forward, lifting his clawed hands in the air with the intention of tearing through all beings present, youkai or human alike.
However, Sesshomaru merely jumped before him in response, slashing his blade across the beast's large body and then landing gracefully aside of his opponent, who stopped completely still in his tracks.
Narrowing her eyes, Kikyo focused on an odd source of energy coming from above the frozen ogre, her eyebrows lowering into a confused frown at the sight;
A quarter moon, opening itself up to reveal a dark place that seemed fairly similar to the next world, the land of the dead.
"Oho." Totosai uttered, raising his withered hand to stroke his white beard, "Bigger than I expected... you sure have made some personal progress since the last time I've seen you, Sesshomaru."
Just then, the gash in the air appeared on the ogre's body, drawing the shape of itself out of his limbs and sucking the matter into the void, never to be seen again. Now in two separate pieces, the deceased beast fell to the earth with a loud thud, dead and entirely defeated.
Silence settled on all beings present to the unbelievable sight, the amazed faces of both Rin and Kohaku fixed on the sprawled, divided body of the ogre as it now lay still on the grassy ground.
Then, they raised their gaze above once more, only for clear, night sky to greet them back.
"It vanished..." Rin breathed.
"W-What was that...?" Jaken swallowed harshly, standing behind Kikyo as his large yellow orbs bulged out of his skull with both fear and amazement altogether.
"You saw it yourself just now, did you not?" Totosai answered, unfazed, "Part of the body was taken to the next world. Although, right now, the shape of the attack is still incomplete, it shall become a full circle once its wielder gathers enough strength, and then the opponent's entire body will be sent through the portal."
"An ability that cuts open a path of darkness, huh..." Sesshomaru concluded, sheathing his blade back at his side using a smooth motion.
Nodding once, Totosai's round eyes never left his being.
"Tenseiga began as a sword that connects this world to the next, after all." He reminded, "Its wielder is the one who can see the pall-bearers of the underworld, and therefore is able to slay them and bring the dead back to the world of the living."
Then, his wide gaze turned to none other than the calm priestess.
"If I'm not mistaken with my assumption, Kikyo, at your impressive level of spiritual power, you should be able to witness those troublesome creatures as well, is that correct?"
Kikyo observed him for a moment in silence, then only nodded in return.
"Yes." She confirmed simply, prompting the surprised looks of her short companions to shift to her, now.
And with that, the old swordsmith only hummed and glanced back to the inu-daiyoukai, standing before him.
"In contrast to that previous ability, the blade is now capable of cutting a path of darkness, and through it sending the enemy into the world of the dead," He further explained, "That is Tenseiga's fighting method; the Meido Zangetsuha."
Processing the information in silence, Sesshomaru's eyes sharpened.
Then, a certain memory inevitably surfaced in his mind, the sight of a pained expression that somehow also filled with deep gratitude for his presence before her, the thick, horrible scent of deadly miasma in the air, sticking to the inside of his lungs like tar and the sensation of failure heavy on his shoulders.
"The same shall eventually happen to everyone around you." He recalled the cursed words from none other than the wretched Moryomaru, every syllable dripping with venom, designed to specifically disturb him.
And before he even noticed himself, his gaze left the swordsmith to scan his companions instead, calm gold hovering over the imp-demon, the taijiya, Rin, and finally Kikyo, who only watched him quietly through a composed expression, her keen eyes as if reading through his mind and assisting him with further certainty behind his private musings, as well as his final resolve.
'I will make that vermin choke on his own blood for his insolence.' He decided on his ultimate answer, line of vision darting back to wrinkled features.
And eventually, Sesshomaru only raised his chin before his late father's friend.
"Totosai." He addressed firmly, "The fighting Tenseiga, I will certainly take it."
As soon as the words had left his mouth, the sudden gust of wind found their area from the depths of the forest, carrying freshness through the clearing as it flowed through the tall meadow, against their faces, and in their long hair and grabs.
A/N:
Hints and more hints. Totosai is a man of many secrets. ;)
Until next time, please continue to share your feedback with me in the reviews!