"Sojiro."
"Yes, Lord Shishio?"
"That demon. Sesshoumaru. What do you know of him?" Shishio asked. They were in a lovely looking manner, decorated with all the wealth available. Shishio had found himself a high-backed throne, lounging upon it. A woman lay curled up on his lap. An oiran is what she was, a high powered courtesan with a lot of political ties. She was beautifully dressed, and genuinely looked peaceful as she snoozed on Shishio's lap.
"Hmm! Well, he's definitely really strong. And when I reached out to your demon contacts, they seemed really afraid. Some of them even suggested not fighting him! Apparently he's the son of the former Lord of the Western Lands. I think they called him Inu no Taisho. Strongest demon in the world during his time. Sesshoumaru is said to be strong." Sojiro explained, gently rubbing his chin.
"Is that so? He will make excellent food for me, then." he said, his hand lightly stroking the oiran's hair. "I only require one more demon to feast from until the spell is complete, Sojiro. Have you found one of suitable strength?"
"Yes, Lord Shishio! I have! It turns out, he's Lord Sesshoumaru's younger brother…"
The battle between Hiko and Sesshoumaru was raging. Hiko's skill with a sword was unmatched, and his strength and speed far surpassed what a human should have been capable of. Bakusaiga was taking a beating during this fight, and Sesshoumaru was being pushed to the absolute limit of his sword fighting capabilities.
Hiko held his sword so deftly that each movement was as easy as breathing to him. Each strike was held with pinpoint accuracy that Sesshoumaru was lucky to avoid. Not that he would ever admit it, but Sesshoumaru was finding that the human was better than him. Of course, with a little burst of his yoki he could dissolve him into nothingness. Make no mistake– Sesshoumaru was the most powerful being in these lands. But these day she was finding that his opponents were a bit more skilled than he in the way of the sword, and it was made very evident by Hiko Seijuro being a God of the sword.
Hiko, meanwhile, was enjoying this. Sesshoumaru's strength was quite good, and his skill with a sword still put him in the higher echelon of samurais. Bakusaiga was an incredible blade. If it were anything other than a demon made weapon it would be cracked and destroyed. Fuyutsuki was of remarkable make as well, forged in a long distant past by a goddess of the moon. It held up against the demon sword and showed absolutely no signs of wear.
Yet, each strike of their swords and Hiko was learning about the demon. The Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu was all about reading emotion through battle, and he was quickly learning that Sesshoumaru carried his emotion in his eyes. He saw a certain question flick through his eyes. One where he was questioning his own heart. Hiko grinned, and kicked on the jets.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu; Ryutsui…"
Hiko bellowed launching himself upwards, crashing the blade of the sword against Bakusaiga. However, given that this was coming from Hiko, it staggered him.
"Shousen!" He called, and flipped the blade to the spine crashed into Sesshoumaru's chin. It sent the dog stumbling on his legs, and Hiko followed.
"Ryukansen Kogarashi!" Hiko yelled, pivoting himself around to slam the spine against his neck. He then followed: "Tsumuji!" Which involved spinned himself vertically, striking Sesshoumaru in his mid section. "Arashi!" He pivoted himself, slamming the spine of his sword into the top of Sesshoumaru's cranium. Sesshoumaru was definitely rattled now and light on his feet, stumbling backwards, blood trickling out of his nose.
"And now, Sesshoumaru… I end this! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu; Kuzuryusen!" And one second Hiko was standing in front of the dazed Sesshoumaru, and the next he was behind him, sword held at his side. A second passed, and then Sesshoumaur reacted to being hit nine times. He hit his knees, stabbing Bakusaiga into the ground and catching his breath. There were no visible cuts or gashes. In fact, given the ferocity at which Hiko struck him, he SHOULD be dead.
But no, Hiko sheathed his sword and turned to face Sesshoumaru, watching his reactions. In fact, the wounds he just inflicted to the demon were not physical. Every strike he landed on him was mental. One of the prime tenets for the Hiten Mitsurugi was the clarity of emotion. Be honest with your heart, and it would be honest to you.
Have you someone… to protect?
The words flooded Sesshoumaru's mind, along with the voice of his father. Then the images of Rin and Jaken came to him. Rin with her smiling face, Jaken with his unyielding loyalty. The panic he felt when Rin was taken from him, only to be revived by his mother. He loved Rin, he had made that very much clear to himself. She was young. He would wait, and he would not persuade her. He would let her back the decision to follow him, to take his demonic heart.
The redhead– the Battousai. She was different. There was a tenderness in those violet eyes, masking a pain that he could never hope to understand. Yet the way she held her pain to her heart, and the way she held her sword as an extension of herself. He felt nothing but admiration after they had fought to the death. He was certain that Tenseiga was responding to the calls of his heart, and made the choice for him to revive the Battousai. Her scent was pleasant. The feel of her hands on his stirred something within.. They had not known each other very long, but…
Sesshoumaru found himself standing in a void, nothing but the crescent moon overhead and standing in a pool of water. Barely an inch of it covered the ground. He looked around for a moment, his face impassive. Then something came into view before him. He was standing on a river, looking across at Kenshin and an unknown woman sitting on a bench.
"You are what you have been made. You can either choose to be a soulless Hitokiri for the rest of your days, or you can be something more. This… man. This Sesshoumaru. He gives you the chance for that, does he not? To be more than a simple assassin who kills men just to eat? You may not have realized it, but your heart beats in rhythm with his. You love him, and I would say he is feeling the same about you. The red string of fate ties you." She said. And yet her eyes lifted from Kenshin, and drifted over to Sesshoumaru.
He could see the tears staining her face, the absolute heartache that was wearing on her soul. He wanted to reach out. To touch her. To make her understand that she was being ridiculous. But before he could, the scene changed again, and he watched as Kenshin fought off assassins, and drove his sword into the spine of the woman in white. That woman. That was Tomoe. The one she named her sword after. Kenshin had expressed to him that she had killed her wife. Yet she was vague on the details. But now he watched as Kenshin held her, sobbing, and then Tomoe completed the cross-shaped scar.
The scene changed again, and Sesshoumaru found himself staring at the back of his father. He seemed so distant, the moon casting his silhouette. "Tell me, Sesshoumaru, have you someone… to protect?"
The words rang home. He had thought it made sense then. But now… now it was clear.
"I, Sesshoumaru, have someone to protect!"
Sesshoumaru came to. The fogginess clearing from his eyes and the first thing he saw was Hiko Seijuro standing in front of him some distance away.
"Do you see now, Sesshoumaru? You are her answer. The pain she feels, the pain you feel, she is your answer, and you are hers. Making you see that… well… that's a special gift of mine. Now go to her."
Sesshoumaru turned his back and began to walk away, and then paused. He thought about saying something to Hiko, instead… he flew away.
Some time later, Sesshoumaru settled down in front of Kaede's hut. Inuyasha stood at the door way, while Jaken snoozed quietly next to him. Inuyasha unfolded his arms and stepped forward.
"What did you found out, eh?"
"Out of the way, Inuyasha." he said, and stepped past him. Inuyasha barked in surprise. When entered, Kaede and Kagome rose to their feet. "Out." he said, and they shared a glance before they exited the hut. Sesshoumaru moved and knelt down next to Kenshin. As if sensing his presence, Kenshin's violet eyes opened. She looked… terrible. Sesshoumaru could see the pain in her eyes. He could see that her face was sticky with sweat, and that the heavy bags under her eyes meant that she wasn't resting.
"Kenshin."
"Oro?" she asked. It was silly– so very silly. "You are back, Lord Sesshoumaru."
"I am," he said, reaching out to gently touch her cheek. "Don't worry, Kenshin. I will protect you." he reached out, lifting her into the air and stepping out from the hut.
"You cannot move her, Sesshoumaru!" Kaede protested. Inuyasha stepped in front of him, looking angry.
"Put her back, Sesshoumaru. I won't hesitate to kick her ass."
"No… thank you… it is okay." Kenshin said quietly, and everyone turned to look at her. "This one trusts… Lord Sesshoumaru… that she does."
"Kenshin, are you sure? Your wounds haven't healed!" Kagome said.
"Listen here, stupid girl! How DARE you question Lord Sesshoumaru's motives?!" Jaken shrieked.
"Silence! Let's go, Jaken." Sesshoumaru said, and he began to lift into the air. Jaken clung to the mokomoko as they rose into the air.
They were high into the sky, his arms wrapped protectively around the wounded Battousai.
"I, Sesshoumaru, will protect you." He said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear.
"This one knows."
At last, Sesshoumaru had truly found someone to protect. One that answered the call to his heart.
