...Heart of the Blessed...

The Village in the Mountains

...

"Propensities and principles must be reconciled by some means."

― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

...

TW: Gore.

Rin woke up abruptly, her gaze fixed on the roof of the hut she and the old priestess shared. It was dark, yet dawn wasn't far away, and in her bones she could feel the world turn- uncaring, relentless. In the fierce darkness of pre- dawn, Rin sat up and gazed at the horizon, where the golden light of sunrise waited, barely beginning to creep up along the sides of distant mountains.

Turning her head slightly, she gazed at the old priestess, snoring softly in her futon, her face a tapestry of wrinkles, her body plump and sagged, bent beneath the weight of years upon years of hard, unforgiving life.

Thirteen, she thought to herself. Rin gently touched the skin of her cheeks, smooth and warm under her fingertips, and thought that if she could have one wish, just one, she would wish for time.

Time- she had precious little of it. Rin gazed upon the golden glow of the sun brightening the distant hills, watched the darkness slowly blossom into the peaches and purples of dawn.

"Sesshomaru- sama", she murmured into the coldness, "Come back to me soon…"


Sachiko woke up smiling, thinking back to the dream she had. She was pretty sure it had begun as a nightmare, one which involved a giant shadowy figure strangling the life out of her, and when she was moments away from waking up screaming bloody murder Haruo had made an appearance and dragged her away. To cheer her up he had taken her to some strange yet wonderful places and even cracked a couple of jokes that made her breathless with laughter which…she couldn't really remember now that she had woken up.

Huh, she thought, a small smile adorning her lips as her hand slipped into the bundle of herbs by her bedside. So maybe he cares a little bit. Sitting up, she bit down on a stalk, feeling the heavy pall of fatigue slowly ebb away from her body.

At the edge of a cliff that overlooked the valley shrouded in mist stood Sesshomaru, his grey mane rumpled by a chilly wind. Sachiko supposed gazing broodily over cliffs was his thing. Well, he did look pretty good while he was brooding, not that he didn't look good the other times…Her gaze travelled beyond him, and there it was, the shadow of the northern mountains, looming frightfully near. Sachiko gazed at the ominous haze of purple that hung over the apices like fog. Miasma, her brain offered, charting it to be the same swirling aura that she had seen around the hakutaku's horns. She hadn't realized she was so close to the end of her journey: it was almost as if the mountains had crept upon her, catching her unaware.

She gazed at Sesshomaru, who was now looking back at her. She valiantly fought back a blush. "Good morning!" She offered cheerfully.

"Hn", the daiyoukai said with hardly any amount of cheer, and Sachiko remembered his uncharacteristic outburst from the previous day. "Get moving", he commanded.

Is he still in a bad mood, she wondered, biting her lip, an unwelcome clump of anxiety swirling in the pit of her stomach. "Erm, where did you run off to, yesterday night?" She ventured warily.

"None of your business", came the clipped reply.

"I- I think we left things hanging", she pushed on, "There must have been some misunderstanding that-"

"There is no such thing", Sesshomaru interrupted sharply, "Now stop wasting time and get ready."

Sachiko grit her teeth and tried to keep her thoughts from grabbing Sesshomaru by the collar and shaking him, whilst screeching 'why are you like thisss?!' in a banshee-like voice. Truly, she could only be so forbearing. It really hurt when he pushed her away like that, and it was even worse to realize he didn't care even a little for her wounded emotions. Mood darkening, she stalked towards her backpack.

"Where are Jaken and Ah- Un at?" She asked sullenly, "Or am I not allowed to know that as well?"

"I have send them on an errand", spoke Sesshomaru, no doubt irritated at her less than respectful tone.

"Alright, so we are waiting for them to come back, then", she grabbed her pouch of toiletries.

"No", Sesshomaru said, "they won't be joining us for the rest of the journey."

Speechless with disbelief, Sachiko stared hard at the pouch on her hand. "What do you mean?"

Sesshomaru looked away.

A lump formed in her throat. Sachiko thought about the nights she spent curled up against the welcoming coolness of Ah-Un's body, and the many times Jaken had come to her aid, albeit being a grouch about it.

"So they're gone? Just like that?!"

The daiyoukai said nothing, only gave her a look that clearly implied she was losing her sanity.

"I wanted to say goodbye", she asserted, another flare of anger consuming her heart at how unperturbed he was, how he never understood. "Why didn't you tell me they were leaving?"

"Oh", Sesshomaru said silkily, "I wasn't aware I had to run my decisions by you before execution. Next time, your valuable counsel would surely be sought."

Sachiko felt her vision go blank, and the next second the pouch in her hands was sailing through the air, hitting a patch of grass two feet away from the demon lord, discharging its contents in the dirt.

The demon lord gazed at the assortment of strange objects that littered the earth beside his feet. Smoldering rage filled his chest, flaring up as he lifted his stern gaze towards her.

Sachiko was breathing heavily, as if the effort it had taken her to throw the object had already drained her out. "Why do you keep doing this?" She thundered, her voice echoing against the side of the mountains, "Do you ever think of anybody else but yourself? What if I never see them again? Couldn't you spare a little bit of concern?"

The daiyoukai's gaze grew steely. "Concern you say", he scoffed, "Had you not been busy wallowing in despair, Sachiko- sama, you would probably have realized they were having a difficult time being in such close proximity to your self-proclaimed nemesis- the fallen god."

As if a switch had been pressed, her brain began piecing random observations together, like how Jaken had been complaining of nausea and Ah-Un's restless whinnies through the night. Then she remembered the hakutaku, grown corrupt by the influence of the fallen god. Shame crept up her heart upon the realization and she slumped into herself, cradling her head in her hands. Why was she so stupid? Why did she never think before blurting out whatever was in her mind?

"Sorry", she mumbled. "But you still should have told me. They were my friends too, you know. I cared a lot about them."

"That doesn't mean you can question me on what I ask of my vassals", The daiyoukai pointed out haughtily, watching her hang her head in abashment. "We will depart once you have got over yourself", he added in a gentler tone.

It is for the best, she tried to console herself, I would never have been able to forgive myself if Jaken and Ah- Un ended up like the hakutaku…

Sighing, Sachiko thought about how she had been awake for less than fifteen minutes but her general disposition had been swinging like a crazed monkey from tranquility to anger and sadness to shame and guilt. That was way too many sentiments to feel in such a short amount of time, she concluded, gazing at the culprit who was wreaking havoc to her emotional health.

Her liking him, it really made no sense. The red flags could be spotted from miles away, but the green flags-

The green flags…

They really are worth the trouble, a treacherous voice sighed dreamily within her. Sachiko scowled at the dirt, although the irritation was mostly directed at her own self. This won't do, the rational part of her brain tutted, she couldn't just act like a little girl and let her stupid feelings get in her way, let his every whim dictate her emotions…Really, she thought to herself, did she even have feelings for him, or was the fluttery feeling in her stomach merely the after-effect of an illusion that probably didn't even mean anything? She had always been unlucky in love, endlessly pining for one unattainable guy after another, and maybe the illusion- plant just latched onto that and showed her a world in which she had the most unattainable guy, erm, demon?

"Sachiko", his stern voice made her gasp, tearing her attention away from her musings.

"Yes?"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "You haven't moved from that spot in a while."

"Ah, yeah, okay." Growing a little pink, she hastily grabbed the spilled toiletries and stuffed them in her bag.

This won't do, the logical part of her brain reminded again, she really needed to focus. What chance did she have against the fallen god anyway? She needed herself to be completely present, not doing something useless like dismantling daisies chanting he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not…

Sachiko shrunk into herself, dwarfed by the mountains ahead that marked the end of an exhausting, eventful journey. Closing her eyes, she tried to gather her thoughts.

Okay, you can do this, she tried to hype herself up, it'll be like ripping a band-aid off. Quick, and possibly painful, but…

This is for the best.

"Um, Sesshomaru?" She called, a wistful note in her voice.

The demon inclined his beautiful head towards her, indicating she had his attention, and Sachiko could already hear cracks forming on the surface of her fragile, delicate heart.

"I was thinking", she forced a smile, "Maybe this is far enough."

"I mean", she spoke as Sesshomaru waited for her to elaborate, gesturing towards the distant snowy peaks glowing golden in the sun, "We are here, right? I can already see the mountain range, looks like it'll only take me a day or so to get there…"

"So I thought", her gaze grew weary, "I thought I could go by myself from this point…"

Her mood took a sharp downward plunge as Sesshomaru seemed to be considering this option thoroughly. Resolutely she shook herself. This is what I want, she told herself over and over- she couldn't afford to lose her focus over something so trivial as a crush.

"Well", she ventured, trying not to dwell in her melancholy thoughts, missing him even as he stood a few feet away from her, "I guess that's it then", she extended her hand automatically, briefly wondering if he even understood the significance of the gesture.

The daiyoukai considered the offered hand suspiciously, then looked back to her face. "No", he announces regally.

Sachiko drew back her awkwardly placed hand with a half- sigh. "Yeah, I know, there's no point in drawing this out any longe-" Sachiko stopped her tirade short. Something didn't click.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said no", the youkai said simply, blithely ignorant of the tug-of-war of emotions he had unleashed within her.

"B-but why?" She wondered out loud. It didn't make any sense- he was always telling her not to waste his time and yet, when she told him he could leave, he insisted on staying?

"I have wasted much of my time on you and your foolish quest", the daiyoukai said regally, drawing himself to his full height, "and now, this Sesshomaru will witness for himself how your story ends."

In the ensuing silence, Sachiko felt her mouth drop open.

Huh?

Huuuhhh?!

"Hold on, let me get this straight", she ventured, trying to gather her bearings "you wasted a lot of time on me... so now you want to waste even more time on me?" Sachiko wondered if that sounded as crazy to him as it did to her. Wow, she thought. Bokusenou did say he was jobless, but she didn't think he was that jobless...

Really, she didn't get how his brain worked sometimes- well, most of times.

"You may draw your own conclusions", his stern voice asserted, "But the decision remains mine."

Sachiko, still perplexed, stared blankly. "But I- this makes no sense!" She articulated when words finally found her.

Sesshomaru turned back and started walking. "I suspect most things don't, to you."

Sachiko drew an affronted gasp. "Hey now, there's no need for insults here. You are the one who keeps throwing curveballs at me." Looping her arms through the straps of her backpack she stood up. "I mean; do I even get a say in this?"

Sesshomaru slanted a gaze towards her. "No", he assured.

"Of course", Sachiko threw her head back and gazed up at the universe, ending her words with a long-suffering sigh. "Of course", she repeated to herself in a whisper, shaking her head, her feet falling back into the familiar rhythm of following the daiyoukai.


Sesshomaru, the famed daiyoukai prince of the West, the ruthless, cold-hearted demon, found himself, yet again, at the edge of his tether.

"What brought about this decision though, I wonder?" The woman was speaking, "I mean, do you really have so much of spare time that you can afford to do things like this on a whim?"

"My decisions are my own", The daiyoukai countered cryptically.

"But still, did you really think it through? I mean, you are the one who is always going on about time being wasted", she insisted, taking another bite of the herb.

"Your concern is misplaced; I rarely do anything without considering all possibilities", the daiyoukai threw her a slanted glance, "Unlike some who wouldn't hesitate to jump off a cliff if a suspicious entity vaguely wants them to."

Sachiko paled. "Ehehe", she said, trying to cover up her apprehension. Too late for second thoughts, she reminded herself. All she could do was to trust Haruo and hope he had good intentions for her.

"But what would you even do? See for myself how your story ends, what does that even mean?"

"Just what I said."

"Wait, you don't think my story is really gonna end, do you?"

And then Sesshomaru stopped abruptly in his tracks, causing Sachiko to collide into his well- armored back. She staggered back, seeing stars, blinking from the brightness of an eyeful of silver hair.

"Hey", she said crossly, rubbing her offended nose, "I know you want to appear mysterious and all, but give a warning next time, please?"

Sesshomaru ignored her. "There are humans coming this way", the daiyoukai informed, casting an appraising eye over her form. "It would be in your best interests to not stand out." Sachiko blinked and he was gone, and for the tiniest moment, she felt a pang of sadness.

Snap out of it, she chided herself, he wouldn't leave just like that... She looked down at her denim- clad form. But what did he mean by not stand out?

About twenty minutes later, as Sachiko found herself before a group of overwrought humans, smiling benevolently in her miko garb, trying not to flinch as her eyes swept over the amount of weapons they carried with themselves.

"Please miko-sama", the distraught mother begged as she sank down on her knees before her, "please take a look."

Sachiko gazed at the bundle she cradled protectively to her chest and nodded, lowering herself to the ground and tucking her knees underneath her. Gingerly, she unwrapped the bundle to unveil the pitiful face of the infant within. Sachiko gasped. The baby was barely moving, bony limbs laying limp on a distended stomach, vacant, sunken eyes half- closed. The only indication she was even alive was the rapid, shallow breaths she was taking.

"How did this happen?" Sachiko mouthed in shock.

"Nobody knows", one of the men said, his rough voice cynical, "Many children have passed on in our village due to this ailment ever since the evil spirit in the mountains decided to make its presence known. They refuse to eat and drink, lie bound to their beds all day, and then we find them dead. Healers and holy men were summoned from everywhere yet nobody could vanquish the spectre, much less cure the ones affected by it."

Evil spirit? Sachiko gazed into the crowd. Five families, she surmised, seeing a couple of children clinging to their parents, with tinier ones on their hips.

"I know some healing magic", Sachiko gently informed the mother, "Will you please let me try healing her?"

The mother shook her head in a helpless gesture, then nodded tearfully, a whimper escaping her. Sachiko closed her eyes and concentrated. There was no doubt about it- the dark wisps of energy that hung about the child was the tainted essence of the fallen god. She took a deep breath and held her hand over the child, focusing on clearing the dark aura.

The villagers gasped in surprise as the emaciated baby slowly opened its eyes and emitted a low keen.

"Feed her well", said Sachiko once the excited chatter died down, "Start with fluids and then move on to foods like porridge once she can stomach it. "And a couple of days after that she should be able to eat regular meals." The mother, tears of relief streaming down her face, nodded with wordless gratitude and sprang up, then ran to her provisions to feed her baby.

"But how?" An old man gasped. "None of the other priestesses could-"

"I was trained especially in healing magic", Sachiko lied easily, "It was but the grace of gods that led me here and chanced to meet you all." The villagers nodded and murmured amongst each other in assent.

"Gods", the man who had spoken earlier spat, "What kind of god would let this happen to innocent children? If there are gods, they have surely abandoned us to ruin."

Standing up, Sachiko casted a careful glance at the one that had spoken, then dusted down her hakama, and finally gazed up at the rest of the villagers. "Are you perhaps fleeing from your village, if you don't mind me asking?"

The villagers looked at each other, the expression on their faces ranging from abashment to torment to helplessness. "Yes, miko- sama", the old man who had spoken previously said. "You have indeed assessed correctly."

"Surely she must know that", another man said suspiciously, "She must have been summoned to the village as well."

"I was told there was an evil spirit that was creating problems", Sachiko lied again, "I- uh, wasn't given any specifics..."

"Keh", the gruff man said, "A mere healer cannot possibly be of any use against the great evil that pollutes the mountains."

Sachiko smiled tightly, feeling cracks beginning to form in her beatific miko- persona. Perhaps her expression of tranquility had morphed into one that screamed bloody murder, because the old man quickly spoke up.

"Ah, forgive us, miko-sama. We are merely worried about you. Many experienced priests and mikos just like yourself had failed over the past months. Some even went mad and took their own lives…Someone as kind and talented as you are- perhaps you must consider…not answering the call."

"What about the people remaining there?" Sachiko found herself asking, "What would they do?"

"Everyone's had enough. Most have already left the villages. The ones that remain will start leaving soon as well. There really is no hope for the ones who cannot help but remain there", one of the woman said gently.

"I see", Sachiko said pensively. "Thank you for your concern. However, I cannot turn my back to those who called for my aid."

"Spoken like a true priestess", the man who had spoken so roughly earlier, heaved a defeated sigh. "In that case, lady miko", he spoke in a much kinder tone, "allow us to part with some of our provisions in gratitude for your services, so that you may have an easier time in the mountains."

"No, I cannot possibly accept anything from you all", she smiled awkwardly, "Rather than your provisions, I would like it if you could provide me with information." The villagers regarded her with baffled stares, muttering amongst themselves.

"Now then", she said kindly, "Tell me what you know about this evil spirit that haunts your village."


Sachiko looked down at the notepad for the umpteenth time, although by now she knew the contents by heart. Frequent demon attacks, it said, old people and very young children going into a catatonia- like state and refusing to eat or drink, then finally dying. Horrifying beasts appearing, warning people not to step into the mountains, strange illnesses, previously healthy plants dying for no reason, poor yield…

Troubled, she looked ahead at Sesshomaru's shining silver locks swaying hypnotically in the cool breeze. But even such a lovely, usually calming sight couldn't ease the tight knot of anxiety quivering in her chest.

This seems kinda out of my league, she thought, worried, taking an unwittingly large bite of the tsukushi herb that now always occupied the corner of her mouth like a strange- looking cigarette. She looked ahead at Sesshomaru.

"Nice weather we are having, right? All things considered", she spoke, shivering as she registered a sudden swell in the distant malevolent aura. The daiyoukai pretended not to hear. Sachiko scowled. "Oh, so you're just gonna ignore me till my story", she made air-quotes with her fingers, "ends."

The daiyoukai sniffed indolently. Sachiko had the very distinct impression that he was smirking. "Any fool can see that you are trying to hide your trepidation with senseless chatter."

Sachiko felt the corners of her mouth droop into a grimace. "Real kind of you to point that out by the way", she remarked, finding no reply yet again. Absorbed in her portentous thoughts, Sachiko walked in silence, when Sesshomaru spoke unexpectedly.

"Why are you still wearing that?"

"Huh?" Sachiko looked down on her white and red- clad form, surprised that he actually acknowledged her existence without needing to be prompted. "You mean the miko outfit? Well, it's getting colder for one thing, and we'll be visiting those villages in the mountains for another. Best not to stand-out in my normal clothes, just like you said… Why, don't you like it?"

There was a moment of silence in which Sachiko thought her thoughtless question would hang like an awkward bubble between them. And then Sesshomaru spoke.

"You make for a poor miko."

Sachiko gasped audibly, feeling quite insulted. Hadn't every human who came across her wearing the outfit spoken to her deferentially, calling her miko-sama, expressing suitable awe at her powers?

"Well, every human that I met-"

"Were simply fooled by your powers, led to think what you want them to think."

"Oh, it is you who I must convince then? I could be the miko-est miko to walk the earth, but I am sure you'd still find me lacking, Sesshomaru- sama", she said sweetly.

Something wasn't sitting right- the tiny, almost imperceptible slump of his shoulders, the way his steps were slowed that she didn't need to power-walk to catch up to him, the strange inflection in his voice…

"Um, Sesshomaru ", she ventured, "is being near the fallen god…I mean, are you okay?"

Sesshomaru scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous ", he chided regally, "I am not so weak as to be affected by such a trivial thing."

He's lying, Sachiko realized. Worry knotted in her throat but she swallowed the apprehension, instead putting on a smile.

"Of course. My bad", she mumbled. It wasn't like she held any kind of sway over him that mere words would be enough to convince him to stop…

What would it be like, she found herself wondering, to be the one that held his heart? The one that could make him stop in his tracks with a single glance? The one that he would want to return to, over and over again? The one that he desired, loved, cherished?

A sigh of longing escaped her lips before she could catch herself. "This is so stupid", she muttered to herself in a voice so low that she might as well have thought it to herself.

"Indeed", Sesshomaru said, casually misinterpreting her words, "but I am certain it will be most entertaining."

Sachiko shot a flat stare at his back. "I will try not to disappoint, Sesshomaru-sama."


The village looked like any other village in Japan, tiny and full of dirt. Sesshomaru watched, from the distant trees, as Sachiko, in her little miko- disguise, spoke to who appeared to be the headman of the village.

There weren't many people around, and the ones that remained spared the most cursory of glances towards the strange non-miko among them before keeping their heads down and turning back to go on their ways. Every single one of them looked haggard, worn- out, caged animals desperate for escape.

And spreading above the doomed village and its unfortunate occupants…

Malevolence. Despair. Rage.

It soaked into the air, slid along the cracks in the wooden slats, seeped into the soil. The air was thick and heavy with the stench of it, the evil of it, and the villagers were freely breathing it in, slowly filling their lungs and hearts and stomachs with the pollution…

Beyond the village was the graveyard- numerous, freshly dug graves, most of them tiny, and in a rundown hut even beyond that were the sick, sequestered away from the rest of the village.

Sesshomaru looked away from the unsightly visions of devastation, then gazed at the woman before him, dressed in white and red, nodding at the village headman. Who was, as if the misfortunes that befell the place weren't devastating enough, a stand-in for the actual headman, the fiend who had eloped with not only his family, but also many valuables of the village the moment he caught wind of calamity.

She stood like a beacon of purity amidst the suffocating aura that suffused the village- it was as if the miasma skittered away from her, hesitant to touch her. The new headman was leading her somewhere, and for a moment before she walked away, she pivoted on her heel and turned, bright in the darkness that surrounded her, gazing up in his direction. The troubled expression that had been occupying her features gave way for a small, apologetic smile as she looked at him. I'll be back soon, it seemed to say.

Sesshomaru merely raised his eyebrows. Foolish girl, he thought. What kind of priestess would smile at a youkai like that? She would be captured and executed in the blink of an eye, had any of the already frazzled villagers chanced to notice this suspicious behavior and intended to investigate.

Just as he suspected, she was being led to the rundown huts at the edge of the village, where the indisposed lay, awaiting death. He watched as the headman spoke to one of the people attending to the sick- a man wearing a straw hat, donning the brown and orange robes of a monk. A piece of cloth covered his nose and mouth. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. His arm… Why did the miasma feel stronger about him?

The monk did not even look up, yet Sesshomaru knew that the man could sense him, his intense scrutiny. Who was this monk? He was no ordinary mortal, that much was certain…

One of the aides swept aside the flap that covered the entrance of the hut. The stench of human sweat and excrement was overpowering to his sensitive nose, even from the distance. To her credit, Sachiko held her ground, neither gagging nor flinching as she entered the hut to what undoubtedly was the most pitiable of sights, mercifully hidden from him by the flap at the entrance. The monk and the aide followed her. Shortly after, the calming scent of herbs that signaled her healing energy suffused the air.

Such great power, he marveled, listening to the patients inside stirring from their lethargic states one by one.

Useless in actual combat.

"Unfortunate", he spoke to himself. He remembered his own astonishment when she had folded her hands and prayed in front of the slain bull- demon, how she still kept agonizing over its death…

I should have tried to save him, she would say at inopportune moments, which annoyed him, the taker of countless lives, to no end. When he made it clear that he didn't care for her useless guilt over the death of what was, in reality, nothing more than an insignificant animal, she had given him a disappointed look and shook her head sadly.

You of all people shouldn't say that, she had said, especially when you carry that.

'That', of course meant the Tenseiga, which had shot his mounting aggravation towards uncharted heights. What did she know about the legacy of the phantom beast who ruled the West, the daiyoukai who made the strongest demons tremble with fear? He had told her sharply to shut up about things she didn't know about and she had sulked the whole afternoon, only to cheer up at the prospect of a bath when they had stopped by a hot-spring that evening.

Too naïve, too gentle, too weak. She would never stand a chance in actual battle. Even if she were to muster her wits and push through, she would only falter at the critical moment, endangering herself… She will not be able to take a life when it matters the most.

They were coming out of the hut now- Sachiko and the monk, and Sesshomaru watched carefully as the man bowed deep and low to her in gratitude, not moving from his position in the ground even after she had moved past him towards the village headman.

Then he rose and stared directly at the hidden demon lord, and although only his eyes were visible through the gap between the straw- hat and the mask, Sesshomaru didn't, even for a moment, mistake the deep animosity that darkened them.


Dusk fell over the village, painting the sky a flat blue. Sachiko sat on the porch, overlooking the backyard of the house she was ushered to in the most deferential manner. It had belonged to the previous headman, the one that had fled first from the village, and the gracious Asai-san, the stand-in for that 'rat bastard'- his words- told her to feel free to use it as she desired. Sachiko had happily obliged, which was probably not very priestess-like, but nobody had bothered to question her, which was lucky for her. Thus she had proceeded to take a nice bath with the water that remained in the bathroom, rummaging in the kitchen and finding some pickled plums tucked away in the farthest cupboard. With that and the rice and boiled vegetables the villagers bought her, she finally ate a full meal after god knew how long.

"Ah", Sachiko sighed contentedly, "after all those days foraging in the woods...Looks like we hit the jackpot for once, huh?" She asked Hotarou as he floated in sluggish loops around her, a sharp contrast to his usual brisk flight. Sachiko cupped her palms around the bright firefly-like point that was her familiar.

"I guess being near the fallen god is difficult for you as well". Surely Haruo must have known that he would be affected so... then why did he send him with her? Ironically enough, the only one who seemed to be immune to the fallen god's presence was she herself. However, she was more than disadvantaged by the aftereffects of the divine power her body had absorbed, barely staved off by indulging on Taiga-san's herbs...

Which I should be rationing by the way, she thought, unwrapping the bundle. She still had enough, which, by her calculations, should last her for just more than another two weeks.

It was deathly quiet. Many of the villagers had evacuated now that their previously ill family members could be transported without fear of death. Four of them were already dead when I saw them, Sachiko remembered. And what pitiful state had they been in- it was the stuff of nightmares.

Somewhere beyond the large shadow of the mountain before her the dark aura was at its densest, was the place where the fallen god roamed. She frowned. The fallen god was so close, yet why hadn't they done anything to make their presence known outright?

She sensed him before she saw him. "Sesshomaru", she greeted with a smile as the daiyoukai regally landed on the backyard. "Where were you? Did you eat?"

His hand moved and something small and furry was tossed into her lap. "Eep!" She squeaked, her body tensing for a moment, before looking down and seeing a rabbit- a live rabbit- trembling on her lap.

"B-but I've already eaten", she said, her hands soothing the frightened animal.

"Save the meat for the journey then", he instructed placidly.

Sachiko blinked up at him. "Is this a test?" She wondered out loud. And to think I was in a good mood too, she lamented internally. There was a wetness in her hand and Sachiko realized that the rabbit was bleeding. "Oh no, the poor thing is injured."

"Well?" Sesshomaru gazed at her. He seemed to be waiting for god-knows-what.

Sachiko stood up, rabbit in hand, mouth set. With a single step she closed the distance between herself and the youkai lord. Green eyes gazed into amber, fixing him with a frosty stare. "You are playing at something, aren't you?" The scent of herbs filled the air. She was healing the goddamn rabbit, much to his annoyance. "And so you injured a perfectly good rabbit to prove some convoluted point-"

Sesshomaru scowled. "I found it like this."

Sachiko blinked, then shook her head. "Oh", she said, "What do you want me to do again?"

"Whatever you choose", he said silkily.

"Alright then...", Sachiko said suspiciously, lifting the animal towards him. "Here, kill it so that I can prepare the meat."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Why must I do it?"

"Because you're good at it", she insisted, "and the rabbit will feel no pain if it's you."

"Ah, but what of your moralities, Sachiko-sama?"

She looked genuinely confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The daiyoukai narrowed his eyes. "Your principles regarding how you cannot kill?"

"I thought you'll be killing it?"

"Even so, the blame will be yours, since it is you who wish it be killed."

"Erm, but I am not killing on a whim, I am killing because I need it to survive." The rabbit began scrabbling for escape. "Now hurry up, will you? All this talk about killing is upsetting the rabbit. There, there", She gently petted it, rubbing soothing circles in its back. Don't get emotionally attached to tomorrow's lunch...

Sesshomaru regarded with a stony gaze. "Interesting", the daiyoukai said dryly. He took the struggling rabbit from her, and in one quick motion, snapped its neck, all the while maintaining eye-contact with her. Sachiko forced herself to watch.

"Thanks", she said tightly, swallowing a lump in her throat as he handed the carcass back to her. Sachiko let out the breath she had been involuntarily holding in in a whoosh. "You can wait here in the patio, if you like."

Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose. "This place reeks of human", he said.

"Suit yourself then", she said nonchalantly, stepping into the house with the carcass. Half an hour later, she was washing up cut pieces of rabbit in an old bowl she had found in the house and placing them in her tupperware container. Her long sleeves were tied back at her shoulders. "Ugh, so much blood", she said, wiping her washed hands on the yellow apron she was wearing. The daiyoukai, sitting gracefully on what appeared to be a very uncomfortable boulder and looking elsewhere, made no comment.

The moon had risen, its faint light casting a silvery glow on the mountain mist that looked eerily beautiful. Sachiko looked at him.

"So what was that about, earlier with the rabbit?"

The daiyoukai turned his head towards her. "An experiment."

"Experiment? What were you looking for?"

He gazed back at the skies. "Whether you would be able to kill something by your own hands, if the need arose."

Sachiko rolled her eyes as she washed her hands again with soap. "You went a bit too far; don't you think?" Standing up, she untied the apron and untied the ribbons that held back her sleeves. "You know- normal people would just ask."

"This way seemed...more reliable."

Sachiko smiled sardonically. "Yeah, I'll bet." You mean jerk, she added internally as she stepped into the backyard. Circling around him, she stood directly before the demon lord, glaring at him accusingly. Sesshomaru retaliated with his own impassive stare.

Sachiko crossed her hands, watching his expression. "You don't think I have what it takes, do you?"

"I wonder what brought about such a revelation", he remarked dryly.

"Oh many, many things- most recent being your weird-ass experiment", she said sarcastically. "Also, the reason you are even with me on this journey is because you want to fight against the fallen god, isn't it?

"After your eventual failure, yes", he said, keeping his face carefully neutral. She is more perceptive than I give her credit for, the daiyoukai realized with some surprise.

Her lips were set in a thin line that showed her disapproval. "You know", she began, "if the fallen god were an enemy that could be killed by a sword, I don't think Haruo would have taken all the trouble to drag me of all people, whose experience with weapons is just two years of kyuudo back in highschool, here from another world. There must be some other reason, some bigger picture that we cannot see- that is going on here."

Sesshomaru drew himself to his full height, looking down on her. "Are you insinuating that I am weak, or are you telling me that you are so possessive of your enemy that you do not wish anybody else to fight him?"

Sachiko stared at him in wordless disbelief. "I'm telling you to be careful", she insisted.

His cold gaze bored into hers. "And here I was under the impression that you trusted this god of yours with unconditional devotion."

"I do trust him", she said, "He's not evil, but he's after something, and I have a feeling that he doesn't mind the-", she paused to compose herself, "- collateral damage". She breathed over the sinking feeling in her heart. Which would be me, she thought.

A mocking smile played on his lips. "In case you haven't noticed, Sachiko- sama, if this web of lies you speak of is indeed real, then you have effectively trapped me in it as well."

Is he trying to guilt me? Sachiko glowered. "You could leave", she muttered, "you could leave anytime-" Sachiko thought she heard a faint chiming.

Before she could blink, she found herself being swept behind Sesshomaru, who had Bakusaiga at the ready. Head swimming from the sudden motion she staggered, balancing herself on his armor the last minute. What? Why?

She didn't think she had ever seen him drawing the Bakusaiga since she had begun travelling with him... What threat had caused him to act this way? Cautiously she peered from behind him, heart in her throat. Sachiko gasped.

"Tenjin-sama?" she mouthed. The monk who had been caring for the sick before she healed them...But I thought he had evacuated with the villagers. What was he doing here?

" A false-miko with a youkai- how interesting ", the monk said mockingly, his straw hat pulled low over his eyes, his voice low and smooth despite the piece of cloth covering his nose and mouth, " I knew you weren't what you claimed you were, the moment I set my eyes on you."

"Eavesdropping", Sesshomaru sneered, "how shameful." Inwardly he cursed. How did this creature manage to sneak upon him?

The monk was speaking again. "Should have known the evil-spirit story wouldn't last long. It appears that you are aware of the existence of the fallen god." The rings in his staff jingled as he took a step towards them. The monk was gazing directly at her, and Sachiko resisted the urge to duck behind Sesshomaru.

"So, Sachiko-sama", he said quietly, "you've come to stop me?"

Her blood ran cold. Stepping out from behind Sesshomaru, she willed her body to not tremble as she levelled her gaze upon him.

"Who are you?" She demanded, her voice remarkably steady.

The monk laughed. His fingers grabbed a fistful of the fabric of his robes and pulled. The clothes unfurled and there stood a man, tall and large and imposing, except not quite a man- his face looked almost simian, wearing white clothing. The whole of his muscled left arm was wound with multiple chains of prayer beads. Balancing the staff on his left, he stood with an easy insolence found only in those that had nothing to fear.

"You're in luck, Sachiko-sama", the creature sneered. Smirking, he flexed his arm and the chains broke, and Sachiko could feel the sharp ascend in the intensity of the darkness surrounding her, rolling out in great, dark waves from him, making her hair stand on end. "For it is me that you have been seeking all this time!"

Her breaths came in short, sharp, pants. Beside her, she saw Sesshomaru's body tense in preparation for battle.

"Behold!" the monkey-man gestured to himself, a crazed look in his eyes, "It is I, the fallen god!"


Long story short: fulltime work, hectic schedule, sick, yadda yadda. I hope at least some of you still have the heart to read on.

Please R&R, so that I can feel good about myself. Also helps faster updates:D

Also, finally...amirit?