A/N:
*peeks from around the corner* Hello once again, my lovely readers! And Happy Holidays to you all!
First and foremost, allow me to apologize for a very late update ^_^;; (and please feel free to skip this long explanation straight to the story if you wish.) Truthfully, a lot has occurred in my personal life; between having to move and discovering a new hobby, journaling, (which is quite the rabbit hole if I do say so myself, but definitely one which I've found as a wonderful outlet for my countless ramping ideas) I'm thrilled to share with you all that I have also finally began planning my first, very own original novel, which I am quite excited about. :D
What would this mean regarding the The Rift Between Auras, however? I cant really say. Perhaps it will be put on the backburner for the time being, perhaps not. Planning my own novel is quite a lot of work, but I find it unfair to entirely discard this one in order to work on the former, even if temporarily. I do predict future updates to still be slow, but never completely halted... we will have to see about that. As you already know, this story is very dear to me, therefore I can't bring myself to work on it half-heartedly; when I'll have the proper time, inspiration and love to grant it as both you, my readers, and it deserves, is when you will see a notification pop in your emails.
Until then, I will enjoy reading your wonderful reviews and your overall experience reading this tale. Thank you so much for your marvellous support! I simply can't put into words how much you guys warm my heart. (And I also can't believe that this story has celebrated its 3rd Birthday already, not to mention passed the 600 reviews mark, as well!) And, of course, expect a small 'thank you' note from me in your PMs if you do choose to leave your impressions and feedback on this, although I'll apologize once more in advance, those would probably also be quite late, hehe. Regardless, please feel free to reach out to me for anything, questions, theories or even simply to chat. ^_^
Now, with all of that out of the way, please enjoy.
Chapter Forty-Six
The coldness of early morning blew softly against his skin and in his long, silver locks as Sesshomaru silently flew through the crisp air, steadily soaring way above the high trees back in the direction of his campsite located at the high side of the mountain, with only the echoing sounds of birds chirping from below marking the start of the new day for company. Outwardly poised, he adorned his humanoid appearance once more in order to lessen the unwanted attention he had already possibly attracted due to his previous display of grandeur; a harmless attempt to tease his lover and one which he had found, was quite successful...
The rare sight of Kikyo's stunned expression as she basked in the impressive presence of his true form, her keen brown eyes transfixed, reflecting him in all of his glory, as well as the entire night which preceded it, were events that he would gladly never ever forget.
However and as much as he hated to admit, a different fact weighted on the daiyoukai's mind ever since he had parted from that certain priestess, one which caused his blood to pump in his veins and heat to endlessly emanate from his handsome face... a certain brazen proposal which still tasted fresh on his tongue, something he proclaimed in the heat of the moment, empty handed, denying the woman of any reasonable time to answer, even.
Now that he was finally calmer, Sesshomaru cleared his throat at the daunting possibility;
Overwhelmed by all of these new and unbecoming emotions that seized him... perhaps he had handled the matter a tad too recklessly.
'She will accept the offer.' Sesshomaru reassured himself in an attempt to silence the loudness in his mind.
But the longer he permitted these thoughts to run rampant in his head, was the further the reality of the situation in its full capacity dawned upon him;
Marriage.
With a human woman and a divine priestess, no less...
Features composed still, the daiyoukai raised his chin, sharp golden eyes narrowing slightly at a subject which he had not thought of in quite some time now.
Was he truly about to follow precisely in his late father's footsteps? A path which he himself had scorned and looked down upon, one that eventually led the honorable Inu no Taisho, a legend among his demonic peers, to his premature demise?
Marrying a human woman and a high priestess at that, was an act that until a few months ago, the likes of himself would have never thought to ever be feasible.
And yet, now, after all that he had been through... Sesshomaru had to admit that the thought of life without that same priestess seemed far more irrational if he wished to maintain his own balanced sanity...
Blinking, a familiar guidance soon rolled smoothly into his conscious, prompting him to breathe in the cold air deeply.
"Live for as long as your father did, then you will understand."
Exhaling to his mother's once cryptic words, he merely lowered his head with newfound understanding;
Kikyo was not like the fragile Izayoi, or any other human woman for that matter.
She was an admirable and tenacious woman, an existence which he initially treated as merely a potential tool to use which would come handy in time due to her exploitable connection to Naraku, and slowly but surely proved so similar to his own, so complex and also familiar, filling the twisted, barren corridors of his mind with her wisdom, her distinct scent and cleansing essence, effortlessly accessing places that he made sure to keep firmly locked away from the rest of the world, all until eventually becoming more important to him than he could have ever imagined, more than any possible win he could achieve in any battle, more than any flashy title nor a powerful blade...
An existence like that, Sesshomaru found, was one which was more than suitable enough to be his partner in this life, someone who could honorably carry themselves and fight beside him, uneclipsed by his shadow, a woman who could shine just as bright as he did, who could protect herself and his pack if required and who would fill in precisely where he lacked... as well as assist in completing that same forgotten challenge that his father initially took upon him, hundreds of years ago.
His true legacy.
As if in perfect timing to his deep musings about her, golden eyes suddenly darted to a foreign piece laced into his mokomoko and glistening brilliantly like deep obsidian under the morning sun. Silent, Sesshomaru simply lifted his sole hand at its direction as his clawed fingers extracted the single, dark and long hair, then brought it before himself for further inspection.
Even after shifting to his true form and back, somehow it still managed to linger upon him.
"Hmph." He scoffed down at its impudent existence, eyeing the silky strand for a long moment as it gracefully swayed in the wind.
Stubborn and resilient, just as she is.
But his lips shortly met in a hard line in response to the emotions which easily managed to stir inside him from such a simple and mundane occurrence;
The way an insignificant thing as a single, forgotten hair from Kikyo, possessed such a strong effect on him, how utterly ridiculous... had he truly become so pitifully sentimental? A true reluctant novelty for the likes of himself.
However and despite his own wordless protests, instead of merely casting it away as he would have normally done with any other unplanned fragments that somehow found their way entangled in his pristine being, Sesshomaru only silently collected the hair, swiftly twirling its length around his index and middle fingers, proceeding to tuck it neatly into his kimono, right above where the iron met the fabric.
No one shall know of this, he decided.
Suddenly ripping through his peaceful moment, however, a putrid and regretfully familiar smell engulfed him right as he neared the foggy mountain's side, a loathsome existence that attempted to conceal itself to a near non-existent level, yet hardly something that could possibly escape the daiyoukai's keen senses.
Anger and revulsion immediately crossed over his expression as Sesshomaru's dark eyebrows lowered with intent, and with no time to waste, his form quickly shifted into a ball of pure light, rushing to his camp area with a flash.
"Show yourself, Naraku!" Kohaku demanded, waking Jaken up with a start as the imp-demon sprung to his feet, frantically screaming at the sudden clear reading of Naraku in the area and the dangerous situation as a whole. Holding his Nintojo firmly, he quickly ran across the garden in an attempt to reach where Kohaku and Rin were positioned, only for miasma to immediately shoot through the space left between them, burning the air and preventing him from stepping any closer to their spot.
"Jaken-sama!" Both children called as the dark screen of toxicants blocked the view of their small companion.
Bearing his teeth, the boy's grip on his drawn weapon tightened while he stood rigid, carefully placing himself before the frightened Rin, his legs and arms spread and form ready for any possible attack directed at them, this time.
But his enemy merely chuckled darkly in response.
"Well, well, Kohaku..." The voice teased from somewhere undeciphered above, "How brave of you to try calling me out in this fearless manner."
Kohaku's freckled features filled with anger.
"You do not frighten me!" He answered firmly, not a trace of hesitation in his voice, "I'm no longer your puppet, Naraku!"
"Hoo? Is that so? How admirable of you."
Before Naraku could even finish his sarcastic remark, two long, dark-colored tentacles already sent in the direction of Kohaku and Rin, piercing through the air with their impossible speed.
And noticing the upcoming attack in time, Kohaku raised his weapon and managed to cut through the first one, with A-Un biting the other as well, causing both demonic parts to recoil and vanish back into the obscured thickness of the dark fog from which they came.
"I see you have sharpened your skills, Kohaku." Their enemy said, concealed still, "However, is it truly a good idea, considering what those same abilities have done in the past, I wonder...?"
Hearing that, Kohaku swallowed harshly, maintaining his silence to Naraku's relentless, tormenting barbs.
"You have killed nearly all of your fellow slayers, your own family, after all... who knows what else are you capable of in the future? What other loved ones you may hurt..."
Lowering his head, the boy's shoulders slowly dropped.
"Be quiet." He warned with a shaky voice, his eyes obscured by messy brown bangs, "Don't you dare speak about them."
"Kohaku-kun..." Rin tried to reach him, grabbing onto the back of his outfit.
However, Kohaku refrained from answering to her plea, brown eyes darkened by the shadow of his hair and his face now positioned away from his companions, withholding information regarding whatever was currently going through his head.
Naraku's mocking laugh once again rolled through the tense space, injecting further poison into the exchange.
"That's right, Kohaku, you are aware of it yourself already, are you not?" He continued, his voice slithering all around them like snakes, each word a sharp fang filled with venom, "You may have deluded yourself through a bit of training that you have made some progress, that you could possibly avenge the deaths of your loved ones now by getting stronger... however pulling the curtain back, it is merely smoke and mirrors."
Wincing to the cruelty spoken, Rin could only move closer to the boy, small hands fisting into the green belt of his outfit.
Yet still, Kohaku remained frozen in his spot, unresponsive.
"There is no point in lying to yourself any longer... simply hand over the Shikon Jewel fragment embedded at the back of your neck."
Swallowing harshly, Rin lifted her troubled gaze to her silent companion, desperately attempting to figure him out for the very last time... but an unfortunate possibly already lurked in her mind regarding his state of being, as well as the increased danger that she would now have to face as a result...
"Yes, I was the one who killed them... if not for my mental weakness, for harboring so much doubt in myself at that time, none of it would have ever happened..." Came Kohaku's eventual answer, making Rin's heart drop in her chest.
However, right before the girl had managed to lose her hope completely...
"But you're wrong, Naraku." He objected at long last, raising his head high with dignity, brown eyes strong and surprisingly clear from any doubt whatsoever this time, making Rin smile widely behind him with utmost relief, "I will now make sure to live every single day to the fullest in order to make up for that weakness, by proving just how strong I really am."
With all of his attempts at corruption now failed, Naraku sent wind to rattle violently through the tops of the trees above while the loud, dark humming of his saimyosho swallowed any other possible sound, the blue mid-morning skies covering with black miasma and forming a poisonous cage with nowhere else to run. And the children could only watch as their enemy eventually materialized before them, standing tall in his newest form and levitating above the ground from inside his round, purplish barrier.
"So... you have found a way to break from the serpent's gaze after all, huh." Naraku sneered despite his obvious displeasure, raising his hand before himself, "No matter, as your newfound resolve will be of little importance once I extract that jewel shard, myself."
Preventing them from the ability to even react, three more tentacles extended from their enemy's back and already shot right towards them, this time managing to successfully entrap both Kohaku and Rin in their deadly grip, as well as A-Un.
"Rin!" Unable to move, Kohaku struggled in its tight grasp, watching as the child gasped for air beside him.
Naraku laughed loudly at the pitiful sight, quickly ordering his extension to reach for the boy's nape.
"Goodbye, Kohaku." He said with darkened glee, crimson red orbs narrowing.
Yet, as soon as the demonic arm made contact with the fragment embedded at the back of his neck, bright and pure light burst forth from the jewel shard, forcing Naraku to shield his eyes from the blinding sight while his tentacles shortly disintegrated to mere ash, successfully releasing Kohaku, Rin and A-Un from their clutches.
Coughing, Kohaku moved closer to Rin and raised his stare upwards, watching as the lethal spiritual attack spread through Naraku's limbs until eventually reaching the source itself, burning through his shield and his being with little effort as if it was specifically designed to harm the likes of him.
"What?!" Their enemy called while utter shock ripped through his previously unbothered face, his body which suffered massive damage was now left in pieces, floating scarcely before them.
And Kohaku released a mocking breath at his opponent, climbing back to his feet, weapon in hand.
"It looks like you've miscalculated, Naraku." He informed through a smirk, wiping the sweat off his temple.
Now visibly angry, Naraku gritted his teeth, attempting to regenerate as quickly as he could despite his temporary immobilization.
However, before he managed to recover much, a bright orb of light appeared in the sky above them all, the toxic miasma giving way to its formidable demonic energy as it scattered and cleared, allowing the being to lower itself and land suddenly in the middle of the battlefield, grabbing everyone's attention and effortlessly changing the currents of power in the area.
And the moment the beaming light turned and shifted, revealing none other than Sesshomaru, his weapon already drawn and readied, was when relief could finally wash over his companions.
"Sesshomaru-sama!" Kohaku and Rin cried out together, smiling.
"Hoo... Sesshomaru, coming for the rescue as usual, I see..." Naraku teased in a desperate endeavor to earn himself some time, "And parting from Kikyo, no less... that woman had deliberately erased her spiritual signature in a futile attempt to hide, truly... as it is only a matter of time before I, Naraku, will locate her whereabouts, a fact which she is most likely already aware of, herself—"
"Do not flatter yourself, scum." Sesshomaru calmly cut into his threats, unfazed by his vacant words, "That woman is now far too satisfied to bother herself with thinking about the desperate likes of you."
Hearing that particular string of words, Naraku spat with disdain, his fury too potent to conceal.
Unfortunately for him, the daiyoukai had enough with the meaningless exchange, and he silently raised Tenseiga into the air, releasing his Meido Zangetsuha straight at his enemy, locking onto most of his floating body parts and successfully casting them all into the next world.
But his enemy managed to dodge one part away from the course of the deadly strike at the very last second; all but a single, pitiful eye.
Speechless, Naraku quickly released miasma at the direction of Sesshomaru, Kohaku, Rin and A-Un, forcing the daiyoukai to shift his attention and negate the upcoming wave of suffocating substance, granting his enemy with just enough time to ascend and flee the battlefield before he was sent to the next world completely.
"You cannot change the laws of Fate, Sesshomaru..." His poisonous voice rumbled from above, the eerily calmness attempting to cloak the undeniable soreness of his loss, "Therefore, I shall not die so easily..."
And just like that, his presence dissipated like smoke in the wind.
Sesshomaru scoffed loudly with anger. It was now silent once again, but the quiet was labored, heavy with the following comprehension that the scum had obviously waited for him to leave his campsite, to be occupied with Kikyo in order to execute this attack, causing his blood to boil. Tensing his jaw, dark eyebrows were still lowered, his mouth drawn in a straight line and his mokomoko bristling with both uneasiness and contempt...
Yet, despite that, he forced himself to exhale deeply and calm down.
After all, was he not the one who stated it himself already before Kikyo?
Naraku was not worth it.
Not their time nor their thoughts.
Collecting himself once again to cold perfection, he eventually sheathed back his sword into its customary place located at his hip, then turned around to face the rest of his companions, who were all watching him closely. Golden eyes silently travelled among them, assuring their safety and eventually noticing the absence of one, particular member.
And wordlessly like that, he turned his head to the not so far whereabouts of the imp-demon, observing as Jaken grunted and coughed, shaking his head from the aftermath of the fight and the attack that seized him, then slowly climbing back to his feet.
"Ohh... Sesshomaru-sama!" He croaked, tears welling up in his eyes while he carefully made his way closer to where they all stood, "Thank heavens you're back, my lord—!"
But the imp-demon immediately choked on his own words once he properly neared his master, noticing the avid scent of the priestess now enveloping his entire being, hanging from every part of Sesshomaru's existence and causing his green face to contort with both shock and dismay altogether to the obvious meaning behind it.
Halting, he could only profusely shake his head from the inevitable mental image, fighting against the urge to repeatedly bash his own forehead into the nearest tree.
"Jaken-sama, are you alright?" Rin asked, the question pulling him back to reality.
"I'm fine!" He spat, then crossed his arms with a scoff.
Kohaku, however, found himself far more bothered by Sesshomaru returning alone to their campsite.
"Sesshomaru-sama..." He started, confusion clear on his face, "Where is Kikyo-sama?"
Staring at the boy for a long moment in which only the sounds of the early noon wind swaying through the lush tops of the trees in the garden could be heard, Sesshomaru eventually raised his chin before them all, ridding his impassive features from any of his personal thoughts on the matter.
"Kikyo shall no longer travel with us." He informed simply, his voice low, "Until Naraku's confirmed demise, she will be residing in a nearby human village."
And as they processed the sudden information, the faces of his small companions all gradually crossed with shock.
'Naraku had barely managed to escape, huh...' Kikyo noted, her gaze raised high and fixed at the far distance, closely following after the events of her campsite from the safety of the human village she was now occupying. Calm, she only lowered her head and then closed her eyes, sighing deeply. It was not long after Sesshomaru's departure that she had undeniably picked up on their enemy's presence lurking in the same area as the rest of her companions, most likely making use of hers and Sesshomaru's absence to finally show himself, pressing others for their weaknesses and trying to seize the last Shikon Jewel shard placed at the back of Kohaku's neck... the same one which was keeping him alive, still.
Unfortunately for Naraku, it seems that his carefully-mended-plan backfired, granting them all with at least some quiet from their enemy considering the mangled state he was left in.
"This was the reason for his continuous silence, lately..." The priestess acknowledged through a low voice, long eyelashes opening once more, "What a devious bastard."
The early noon breeze blew through the high treetops surrounding her hut, drifting the curling mist along their greenery and sending their steady hum to overcome the silence of the clearing, flapping the now dried fabrics which hanged next to Kikyo against one another, as if adding to the weight of her secret pondering... to the inability of providing protection.
However, as much as she regretted not being present at the spot as well, allowing her to fight alongside her lover and against the scum, Kikyo knew that she must still remember the promise she had made to Sesshomaru... the same one which would now demand for her to stand by and leave the rest in his capable hands;
To fully trust him.
And inevitably, the moment she let go of her rampant worries and permitted herself to further recall the audacious circumstances of the inu daiyoukai's departure and all that occurred before it, was when her cheeks flushed and her heartbeat effortlessly quickened in her chest.
Truly, how on earth was she supposed to properly compose herself now with all of these indecent memories already well-soaked into both her mind and heart, threatening to easily throw her off balance?
The sight of his intense golden eyes fixed down on her, his masculine scent and the feel of his hands roaming her skin along with his sturdy body pressed closely against hers...
"...I shall have you stand beside me as my life partner." His baritone voice replayed.
Clearing her throat into her fair hand, Kikyo forced herself to relax and repress every single one of these most troublesome thoughts.
But a certain, longing feeling remained despite her best efforts, persistent and bold, just as he is...
Somehow, the priestess noted, it was as if Sesshomaru had left somewhat of his strong presence amidst the air, on her robes, deep into the locks of her hair... something undeciphered and warm that cannot be traced by normal senses nor given a name, a reminiscent of his energy, of his essence, almost, dancing like small bolts of lighting across her skin, reminding her of him at any given moment. In the past, Kikyo marked a similar sensation as merely a direct result of him being near her, a logical way in which her body reacted to his, taking their opposing powers into consideration... however and unlike anything before, she noticed the feeling still lingered vivid even far after he was gone... as well as now resonated in perfect, unequivocal harmony with her existence.
Silent, mahogany eyes lowered to her hand, inspecting as she opened her palm under her own gaze.
What was this new sensation, exactly?
Just then and before she could dwell on the subject for long, her keen senses picked up on yet another known presence entering the limits of her attention, one which she had not seen for quite some time now, along with all of his trusty group members, moving slowly but surely closer in the direction of the foggy valley;
A name which she could now think of openly, fondly, and without any residual feelings of malice nor guilt.
'Inuyasha...' Kikyo smiled, exhaling her warm breath into the cold air.
"S-Sesshomaru-sama...?" Jaken gulped, his green face overcome by pure confusion.
Maintaining his cryptic silence for another long moment, golden eyes scanned his companions once more, eventually stopping on the small Rin.
"Had I not 'interfered', as you call it, what would have been the fate of that little girl, I wonder?"
Kikyo's calm voice flashed through his mind, an old inquiry that she had struck him with long ago, in a time when he did not even pay these useless themes much thought, still under the illusion that Tenseiga bore no limits to its healing powers. Now, however, every syllable sounded different to his ear as if time itself had carved them into different shapes entirely, granting him with an idea as to why those harsh words of hers managed to pierce through his defenses that easily, even then;
The priestess saw from the very beginning... the selfishness which he could now finally see, himself.
And the command which was next released, effortlessly added to the already uncomfortable atmosphere of the camp.
"You are to stay with her, Rin." Was all Sesshomaru elaborated, the unexpected statement like a chill from the coldest of winds, sudden and freezing.
Hearing that, Rin's shocked expression mixed with sadness.
"Why, Sesshomaru-sama?!" She raised her voice, her small hands balling into fists, "Why must Kikyo-sama and Rin part at all?!"
Stepping before his upset companion, Jaken swallowed harshly as he attempted to calm the child himself, while Kohaku stood still, inhaling the chilled air deeply and still processing the information.
"Now, now Rin..." The imp-demon tried to explain, "There is most likely a reason for this! Do not question Sesshomaru-sama..."
But the child shook her head, small tears beginning to form in the corners of her wide eyes to the idea of the comfort she was used to for nearly a year now, the only home she had known after the death of her family, her cheerful daily life and her trusty companions, possibly being no more.
"Sesshomaru-sama..." She pleaded, voice shaking, "Why...? Why can't you take Rin with you, anymore...?"
However, the daiyoukai stood firm and undeterred still, features blank from any possible hint of what was currently going through his mind.
Glancing up to his master as well, Kohaku attempted to read into his reasons, yet with little success. After all, the only one who could truly understand the daiyoukai, see beyond his stoic mask and comprehend his actions without the use of words, was not present at this crucial moment and explaining himself was never something that Sesshomaru preferred doing... so, how on earth were they to make sense out of this unfortunate situation? And was Kikyo, herself, even aware of this decision to begin with?
Blinking as the last part of that thought crossed his mind, Kohaku found himself suddenly granted with a possible explanation, despite it all.
And just before the strong emotions took over Rin entirely, prompting her to burst into a loud and uncontrollable sob, the boy turned in her direction and stepped closer to the girl, grabbing the attention of all souls present while wearing a kind smile on his face.
"Rin." He softly called her name as her teary eyes lifted to him, "Say... do you remember our talk by the river? Back when I first joined the group?"
The girl sniffled, then only quietly nodded.
"I was confused then, too... my mind was all over the place..." Kohaku admitted, lowering his gaze to his feet, "But talking to you made me feel better, just like it did many times after that... in every conversation we've had, I felt like I had someone who finally understood me. Who could rearrange the mess of my thoughts."
Rin only watched him wordlessly, raising her yellow sleeve to dry her eyes into.
"Do you remember..." The boy continued, brown gaze finding hers once again, "...how I acted after we've visited Sesshomaru-sama's mother in her palace?"
"Yes..." She answered, curiosity slowly overcoming her sadness.
And noticing that, Kohaku chuckled.
"I was distant... because I felt as if I failed in protecting you like I promised." He explained, "And you know... I'm sure that I wasn't the only one who felt that way."
Staring up at him, Rin processed the memory, her mind reeling back to the honest talk they had shared while hunting for mushrooms along with Jaken in the depths of the forest.
And a certain sentence soon flowed into her conscious, shedding further light upon the true meaning behind the boy's words;
"You're just a regular human, after all."
A fact that she had heard many times before already during her lengthy journey, a reminder of where she truly belonged as someone who could not contribute in battle, who could only watch from the side-lines and who may even prove as a potential liability to the rest of her companions... a truth which she had perhaps attempted to avoid, until now.
Lowering her gaze to the ground, Rin pondered in silence for a long moment as no one else spoke another word into the air, allowing the calm sounds of the garden to settle all around them, the trickling of the pond hidden between the mossy rocks and the tranquil melody of windchimes carrying like soothing music to their quiet spot.
Eventually, the girl nodded once, lifting her attention back to her master, who was closely observing the exchange between the two children.
"Rin understands, Sesshomaru-sama..." She finally said at long last, sniffling one last time, "Rin knows that this is something everyone had decided for Rin's sake... for her safety."
And a relieved smile effortlessly spread on Kohaku's face to her comprehension of the situation, allowing him to turn in his master's direction too.
Pleased as well, Sesshomaru simply nodded once.
"Your nightmares." He concluded, perhaps to ease the initial harshness of his words, "You will not suffer from them any longer."
With that, the heaviness of air between them all gradually cleared as if a screen of smoke had suddenly been lifted.
Clearing his throat, Kohaku straightened in his spot, dark-clad shoulders tense with a certain need.
"Sesshomaru-sama." The boy addressed firmly, "May I escort Rin?"
Staring at him for a stretched moment, the daiyoukai only lowered his head, maintaining his fierce gaze on him... and it was not long before he discerned a certain hidden intent emanating from the boy's brown eyes; a will of some sorts, something that he had likely been contemplating for quite some time now.
Despite his own curiosity on the matter, however, Sesshomaru did not press for an explanation.
"Gather all that you need from the human village and return before the sun sets." He simply instructed in return.
"Yes." Kohaku confirmed.
With that final agreement set between them, Sesshomaru and Jaken stood idly by and watched as both children climbed on top of A-Un's back, positioning themselves upon the wide, black saddle. The sun was already high in the middle of the sky above, its rays warming the land and shining through the misty atmosphere, forming visible, soft beams of light throughout the garden.
And a moment before they signalled the two-headed dragon to leap into the air and carry them away...
"Thank you for everything, Sesshomaru-sama! Jaken-sama! Rin had lots of fun." The girl chirped, raising her attention to her companions for the last time and granting them both with the widest of her smiles, "Good luck in your battle! And please don't forget to come visit Rin, okay!"
Sesshomaru nodded once while Jaken raised his hand in the air, waving.
"G-Goodbye, you irritating child!" The imp-demon choked, trying his hardest to clear his voice from the wave of emotions which flushed over him, "Make sure to behave, you hear?!"
A-Un ascended into the air as Rin giggled in response, her laughter soft and warm, remaining even after her departure like sunlight after rain. Now quiet, they both observed as the beast's figure gradually disappeared high and far beyond the tops of maple leaves, in the direction which would lead them towards Kikyo's current human village.
Heaving a deep sigh, Jaken's shoulders fell.
"Well, it would surely be much quieter now..." He remarked, unsure whether he truly favored the fact, or not.
Yet, a certain daunting musing soon crept into his thought process, a foreboding feeling regarding his master's state of mind, coaxing him to lift his yellow eyes to Sesshomaru, who only stood beside him in undeciphered silence, his head raised to the endless sky and his senses all currently dedicated to monitoring the progress of A-Un, Rin and Kohaku.
'Removing Rin from potential danger is a logical decision to make... however, what on earth is going through Sesshomaru-sama's mind to also part from Kikyo...?' Jaken couldn't help but secretly wonder, sweat already running down his green temple to the next realization brewing in his mind;
Granted, the priestess' departure was also just until they can guarantee Naraku's much overdue demise... yet and as much as Jaken hated to admit, going by experience already, the longer Sesshomaru had to operate without her by his side, was the easier to aggravate he became...
And who knows when they will finally slay their evasive enemy for good?
The afternoon sun concealed behind thin clouds, crowning their soft edges bright and draping the land with a warm orange glow as Kohaku and Rin soared on top of A-Un's back, gradually approaching the human village obscured by the mist which poured down from the high mountains surrounding it, all until eventually locating Kikyo's whereabouts below, reaching the outskirts of the human settlement, the lush forest's clearing right beside the priestess' hut.
Poised and silent, Kikyo monitored their progress while she awaited their arrival, standing outside of the wooden structure as she watched them slowly descend from above.
And once the two-headed dragon's talons met with the grassy earth beneath them, the two children climbed down from their companion's back, then waved from their location, beginning to walk towards where she stood.
"Kikyo-sama!" Rin called, her hurried steps quickly turning into a light run, spreading her short arms wide and locking them around the priestess' legs in a tight embrace, "Rin has missed you."
Surprised by the honest gesture for a moment, Kikyo soon breathed out with amusement, then lowered herself down on one knee to the child's eye-level, drawing her into a proper, enveloping hug.
"I apologize for making you needlessly worry, Rin." She responded, squeezing the girl into her, "I've disappeared rather abruptly, have I not?"
Rin simply nodded in her hold.
"But Rin is happy that she could stay with you now, Kikyo-sama." The child said.
Approaching their location as well, Kohaku's freckled features were warm, a relaxed smile decorating his face.
"Kikyo-sama." He greeted.
Releasing from their embrace, Kikyo and Rin moved away from each other, allowing the priestess to once again rise to her feet using a smooth motion.
And silent, her keen eyes studied the boy before her for a moment.
"Naraku had failed in taking your Shikon Jewel fragment, huh." She said.
Kohaku nodded once, confirming her words.
"Was it the trap that you set for him, Kikyo-sama?" He asked, interest now clear in his expression.
Kikyo allowed a soft smile onto her aesthetic features.
"Indeed." She answered, watching him closely, "However, it would have not been possible if not for yourself as well, Kohaku. Do not sell yourself short."
"Me?" The boy further investigated.
Chuckling, her expression softened and mahogany eyes reflected nothing but pride.
"Your strength of heart and purity of spirit." Kikyo explained, voice even, "The jewel shard would have not been able to carry such pure energy from my powers alone had it been corrupted by either fear or doubt. You should be very proud of your achievement, Kohaku."
Smiling widely, Rin brought up two excited fists to her chest.
"Amazing, Kohaku-kun!" She beamed up at him, happiness pouring out of her.
And hearing that, Kohaku's eyes widened.
"I see..." He nearly whispered, barely managing to release the words into the air among the many emotions which stirred inside him at that moment.
Wordlessly, Kikyo could only observe him, basking in the pleasing fact that the boy was now able to confirm this accomplishment for himself for the first time... an undeniable progress in his path of healing; one that he could've only achieved through searching deep within and unearthing his true potential, the endless reservoir of life which anyone could draw upon in certain times of need, summon in one's darkest hour...
Yet and much to her surprise, Kohaku quickly pulled himself together, composing the wildness of his emotions with a single deep inhale before the next words left his mouth;
"Kikyo-sama." He said, voice firm and intent clear in his brown eyes, "I have something to ask of you."
The priestess patiently maintained her lengthy silence to his sudden statement, while Rin blinked with curiosity beside them.
"After a lot of thinking..." Kohaku began, his gaze never breaking from the woman before him, "I think that I'm now ready... that I'm finally able to rely on my own abilities in the fight against Naraku..."
He paused as the sun began to set above, now coloring the forest behind him with a deep, reddened shade, the light spilling through the tops of the high trees creating arbitrary, dancing patches of brightness in the rich grass all around them, inviting the scent of spring to rise from the rich earth.
Eventually, the boy swallowed hard, straightening himself as if bracing for impact.
"I want you to remove the Shikon Jewel shard embedded at the back of my neck, then bring me back to life using your powers just as you did with Rin, before."
Processing his request, Kikyo quietly evaluated his being for a moment, fair features shifting back to their unreadable qualities as the easy wind found their location, swaying gracefully through her long and smooth locks of silky hair behind her.
"Living will carry a heavy responsibility with it, Kohaku." She replied at long last, lifting her chin, "Are you prepared for that?"
But the boy was unfazed by the weight of her words, his brown eyes projecting nothing but fierce and practiced determination in them.
"I want to live, Kikyo-sama." Kohaku answered, his voice clear and direct without a trace of hesitance in it, "I feel that I'm confident enough in my strength, now... I finally believe... that I can do it."
With that final confirmation, the priestess only smiled kindly before him.
Once a beaten and insecure boy, mentally weak and ready to foolishly cast his own life away for revenge, in order to regain his lost pride as a fighter, was now standing before her as if a new fire had been rekindled in him, strong and fresh, free from the heavy shackles of grief which he dragged behind him, as if he finally acquired all of the necessary tools that he was lacking before, the weapons which assisted him in winning against his inner battles way before he even tried approaching any of his surface level ones.
'Taking one's life is a final solution to a temporary problem, after all.' The priestess quietly recalled.
"I would be honored to." Kikyo concluded.
Eyeing him for another moment, however, the woman noticed a hint of a different type of resolve in him, something that merely glinted in the depths of his brown orbs, yet was still impossible for someone like her to miss.
Then, as if answering to her silent musings, Kohaku glanced down to the small Rin standing by her side.
"You can also say... that I have found my reason to fight." He confessed.
A/N:
Quite similarly to Inuyasha, I believe that Kohaku also required time to grieve and properly process his emotions in order to deal with his loss. Unfortunately, in the series, Kohaku brushes off his immense guilt by listening to what others tell him about how he needs to continue living, along with how Kikyo purifying his jewel shard also purified his soul enough to make him happier. And while I can recognize the intention behind it, I can't help but find this concept as quite a misguided way to portray taking in, processing and truly coming to terms with one's heavy loss. I've always appreciated Kohaku and his struggle, I found it very realistic, and I wish he was able to properly and truly find his own inner strength, one that didn't rely on anyone else's, in order to truly move forward as he deserved. And, going by the rules of canon, theoretically, there is no reason that Kikyo wouldn't also be able to revive Kohaku by slaying the messengers from the underworld, granting him with the opportunity to test that certain resolve.