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SessKik Weekend Day 1: Regal
In which Kikyo has to calm her demon doggo boyfriend down from mauling whoeverās pissing them off at that moment.
@sesskik-weekend
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I couldnāt resist the day 3 prompt for sesskik weekend and had to draw them watching over their kids ātrainingā
Sesskik Weekend - Day 3: Family/Protectors of children
And here's my final entry, by far my favorite of the three days, both story-wise and art-wise. Hope you enjoy!
Read on FF.net//AO3
The whistling tune of the Soul Piper's call enveloped Kohaku when he regained some manner of corporeality and consciousness. He opened his eyes slowly, knowing all too well what its presence meant, prepared, deep in his heart, to obey that call, no matter if he was full of regrets, no matter if over the past months he had found himself truly wishing to live out his life as best as possible, in a world at peace, with those he treasuredā¦
But he wasn't alone in that dark, spiritual space where the Piper's music echoed beautifully.
Kohaku gasped: Sesshomaru seemed to glow underneath ethereal spiritual lights with Tenseiga, the sword he seldom wielded, clasped firmly in his sole hand.
"You will not claim the boy's soul," his voice echoed firmly: Kohaku gasped again, raising a hand towards his stalwart protector.
"Lord Sesshomaruā¦!" he gasped.
"Stay back, Kohaku," Sesshomaru said: the words were harsh, but the tone of his voice was not unkind. Kohaku froze where he hovered, in the midst of that vast darkness.
The sword in Sesshomaru's hold seemed to shine: Kohaku frowned, identifying the source of that glow asā¦ spiritual powers? How was that possible, in the hands of a demon lord like himā¦?
It wasn't just any spiritual power: it was the very same power that had purified the shard that no longer resided in the nape of Kohaku's neck. Lady Kikyoā¦ what had she done?
Tenseiga continued to glow threateningly, and Sesshomaru raised the weapon towards the Soul Piper. It continued to play its flute, its eyes opening slowlyā¦ until they didn't.
The tune drifted into nothingness, and the spiritual energy pulsating from Tenseiga seemed to demand for Sesshomaru to take action in a new way, even as the Soul Piper drifted back into nothingness. Kohaku blinked, utterly perplexed by Sesshomaru's interventionā¦ by whatever the demon lord's choice would mean, going forward.
"Lord Sesshomaruā¦" Kohaku said, shivering. "I didn't mean to burden you, or Lady Kikyo. Iā¦"
Sesshomaru frowned as he drifted closer to Kohaku: he raised Tenseiga in Kohaku's direction and Kohaku briefly thought he had lost his patience, and that he'd chosen to cut Kohaku down himself.
The blade swung down upon him.
Kohaku awoke suddenly, in the very same cabin Sesshomaru and Kikyo had brought him to a few days ago, in order to remove the Jewel's shard for good.
"Kohaku!" Rin's voice broke the silence, and Kikyo's hand touched his cheek delicately.
"You've returned to us," she said, kindly. "It seems he was successful."
"W-whatā¦ what happened?" Kohaku asked, pushing himself up nervously: his hand moved towards his neckā¦ where an unwanted, unsettling presence had once dwelled. He had noticed its absence when his soul had dwelled in that odd, spiritual plane: the shard was no longer there. "Lord Sesshomaru came to me, heā¦ he scared the Soul Piper away! Lady Kikyoā¦!"
"That man is full of surprises," Kikyo smiled fondly at Kohaku as he sat up properly. "Over the past weeks we devised a way to preserve your life. As for the shardā¦"
She raised it: it was pristine, so much it almost seemed white rather than pink. Kohaku let out a soft laugh, a nervous one, as his eyes shifted towards the beaming, joyful Rin.
"Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kikyo saved you!" she exclaimed, rushing in to hug Kohaku: for once, the boy didn't seem to hesitate to hug her back. "You're safe, Kohaku! You are!"
"T-thank you. Thank youā¦" Kohaku said, gazing at Kikyo with helpless, tearful eyes. She smiled fondly at him, nodding her head in his direction.
"If even I have found this life of mine may be worth living, after allā¦ your soul, as well, deserved to be saved from a fate that was forced upon you," Kikyo said, earnestly. "The purity of preserving a life is far greater than the one in sacrificing it for the alleged right reasons, Kohaku."
"Iā¦ I don't know if I understand, butā¦" Kohaku admitted, hugging Rin still. "Thank you, Lady Kikyo. And Lordā¦ Lord Sesshomaru?"
The demon lord was not present in the room just yet, and only then did Kohaku realize he had returned to this plane of existence far faster than Sesshomaru had. Kikyo smiled, shaking her head reassuringly.
"Tenseiga led him on a mysterious path to find you, but he will return to us whenā¦"
It had only been five minutes since the shard's removal, if even that. Yet, in that moment, Sesshomaru's protection had faded from the world of the living while he traveled across lands of the dead to save Kohaku's soul. Kikyo had poured some of her spiritual powers into Tenseiga, and Sesshomaru had found greater potential in the weapon than ever before: no longer was it relegated to saving souls moments after their demiseā¦ but he could contest the souls that would be claimed by spirits, both wicked and good-natured alike: Kohaku, being a child, had been sought by the Soul Piper, and Sesshomaru, wielder of the sword of the Netherworld, had the power to ensure Kohaku's soul would be spared.
At the very beginning of their efforts to save Kohaku, the purified shard had been removed from the boy's neck. It rested in Kikyo's hand nowā¦ and as pure as it was, as distant from dark, evil thoughts as it might be, it still served as an unintentional beacon for the rest of the Jewel, in Naraku's possession.
The small hut suddenly was overcome by a suffocating miasma, its source unsurprising and utterly predictable. Kohaku fished for his face mask in his pocket, intending to offer it to Rinā¦ only for the miasma to stop short of reaching them, once Kikyo rose to her feet.
"L-lady Kikyo! Lady Kikyo!" Jaken screeched and coughed, yanking the door of the hut open and sneaking inside it. "Outside, it'sā¦!"
"He has come for the final shard," Kikyo said, serene and stern, her brow furrowed: the powers she wielded seemed revitalized somehow, Kohaku realized, for she kept the miasma at bay while betraying absolutely no effort to do so. "I had hoped Sesshomaru would have returned before this momentā¦ but I may need to confront Naraku myself."
"Lady Kikyoā¦!" Kohaku gasped. Jaken winced, too.
"D-do not be reckless! Lord Sesshomaru will be cross if you jump into dangerā¦!" Jaken squeaked. Despite herself, Kikyo smiled at the imp.
"You needn't worry for my safety, Jaken. Not today," Kikyo stated, closing her eyes:
She could feel the bond between them as Sesshomaru's sword guided him through the pathways beyond this world. He would return soonā¦ but even if he didn't, he carried a part of her with him, the power she had infused his sword with. Just so, she carried him with her, in the emotions he had woken within her very soul, in the purpose he had granted her, in the strength she had found in his companionship.
He was with her, and she was with him. Together, they were everything Naraku had hoped to be and never would. Together, their power far outdid that of a Sacred Jewel.
Together, they would protect these childrenā¦ their family.
Thus, she stepped forward, powering her barrier further and chasing away the dark energies Naraku had unleashed upon the small cabin.
She pushed the door open anew, finding Naraku's typical army of lesser demons waiting in the large plains before them, ready to attack. His newest creation, Byakuya, hovered near the very source of the festering demonic corruption, Naraku himself. The smug smirk that ever decorated his face was a most unpleasant sightā¦ but Kikyo certainly hoped it would be the last time she would ever glimpse it.
"I see you have finally removed the shard from Kohaku's neck, Kikyo," Naraku said. "Yet his soul has not been claimed. Saving his life was a valiant effortā¦ but one that is ultimately meaningless. I will take that shard today."
"You certainly shall," Kikyo declared, raising her bow and nocking an arrow to threaten Naraku away from her protegees.
"You cannot hope to maintain that barrier forever," Naraku declared. "Even one as powerful as you, Kikyo, would lose their strength over time. Is it you hope to recreate the past? The great priestess Midoriko and the demon that hunted her certainly created something beautiful. Is that what you hope to achieve by standing your ground against me today?"
"Trapping myself, and you, in an endless struggle of evil and purity?" Kikyo asked: a slight smirk tugged at the side of her mouth. "What a revolting notion."
Naraku let out a devious chuckle as he hovered closer. Kikyo's arrow gleamed with spiritual power: the fragment in her hand seemed to have a will of its own, wanting its power to infuse the arrow with which she would destroy Narakuā¦ and yet she didn't loosen the arrow. The barrier around them remained as sturdy as ever.
"This is the fate you choose, however. Revolting as you may claim it is, we shall be entwined for eternity if your plan is what I've understood it to be," Naraku said. "A purified shard, is it? You trust the purity will cleanse away the corruption I have poured into the Sacred Jewel? Your arrogance knows no boundaries, Kikyo."
"No one is quite as boastful as you are. Do not pretend to lecture me about my shortcomings when you're smitten with your own," Kikyo snapped. Naraku laughed anew.
"Harsh words won't change the inevitableā¦"
"Kikyo! Kikyo!"
The familiar voice caused Kikyo's eyebrow to twitch: even so, the barrier didn't shift, although Naraku's attention shifted briefly.
"Ah. I see you've arrived, Inuyasha," Naraku said, smirking down at the half-demon and his entourage.
The half-demon and all his friends rushed into the scene at haste, and it was no surprise that the demon slayer would cry out in anguish upon realizing her younger brother was in danger. Only Kikyo stood between him and Naraku's reachā¦ she didn't realize her brother was alive once again, by his own power, until Kagome gasped, revealing her realization in loudly:
"Kohaku's shardā¦! Kikyo is holding it!" she exclaimed. Sango, on Kirara's back, paled upon hearing those words. "Sango, Kohaku is still alive!"
"E-ehā¦?" Sango's lips parted: yes, her brother was thereā¦ she could see him, plain and clear, hugging Rin within that cabin. He wasn't deadā¦ the shard was gone. Somehow, Kikyo and Sesshomaru had preserved his life.
At least, he was alive for the time being: Naraku certainly appeared determined to kill everyone here and now, going by the strength of his miasma, as well as the army of demons he commanded callously.
"Kikyo! We'll distract him: get away!" Inuyasha bellowed, drawing his sword and leaping towards Naraku and his minions.
Even so, Kikyo didn't move an inch.
Inuyasha, as ever, battled fiercely against Naraku: his friends took to doing the same thing, but their efforts were futile. Where one monster was slain, three would take its place. Naraku seemed amused, no doubt marveling over the sheer power the Sacred Jewel already granted himā¦ the power he hoped would increase further once he had completed the Jewel. It was only a matter of timeā¦
"Kikyo! Kikyo!" The demon slayer rode towards the barrier, and Kikyo gritted her teeth as she allowed it to weaken slightly, just so the woman could cross its boundaries. Sango leapt off Kirara's back as soon as she could do so, running towards the cabin at haste. "Kagome saysā¦! Kohaku!"
"Sister!" Kohaku exclaimed, rushing up to hug the woman once she reached them. "Lady Kikyo and Lord Sesshomaruā¦ they saved me. They took the shard and I lived anywayā¦!"
"Theyā¦ t-they truly saved you?" Sango dropped to her knees, tears of relief pouring from her eyes.
Still hugging her brother, she turned towards Kikyo, whose position didn't change in the slightest so far. The barrier was back to its full power, now protecting Sango and Kirara as well.
"Thank you for what you've done. I can't imagine I could ever repay you for it, butā¦ both Rin and Kohaku should be taken to safety," Sango said. Kikyo's brow furrowed as Jaken protested Sango's words, whether over outrage of her apparent dismissal of Kikyo's ability to protect themā¦ or over believing he, too, should have been part of the group that deserved protection. "I can take them toā¦"
"It would be of no use. Keeping them in the battlefield is as irresponsible as removing them from our protection," Kikyo stated. "Perhaps the latter is even more so."
"Butā¦! You can't fight as easily if you're protecting them, can you?" Sango said. "You would be of great help, Naraku isā¦!"
"I will fight him. His final moments are at hand. But firstā¦ I must wait."
"W-wait?" Sango repeated, blinking blankly.
Kikyo breathed deeply before a smile graced her smooth features.
"He's coming."
Sango didn't understand what Kikyo's words meant. She knelt where she did, still embracing Kohakuā¦
She gasped when the blade of a sword slashed across the air, within their barrier.
Slowly, a portal was crafted by that blade. It was similar to the Meido Zangetsuha technique, and yetā¦ it evoked a different sensation. It connected to something else, something beyond most their understandingā¦
And out of that portal stepped Sesshomaru, his brow lightly furrowed as he sheathed Tenseiga once more.
Kikyo lowered her bow, at last. Her eyes softened as she gazed into those of the demon lord, who raised his sole hand to cup her cheek.
"It is time," Sesshomaru said. Kikyo nodded.
"Naraku has made his appearance. This is the moment to strike," she said. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes before pulling his hand back.
He clasped Tenseiga by the sheath. Kikyo frowned as he placed the blade upon her hands, and the pulsating spiritual energies she had poured into the weapon before engulfed them both.
"Sesshomaruā¦" Kikyo called him.
"Wield this blade. I will provide the opening you seek," Sesshomaru declared.
He trusted her wholly, fully, as he stepped away and towards the enemy. Jaken, Kohaku and Rin called for him, but no words reached his ears as he dashed forward, into the fray where Inuyasha, Kagome and Miroku battled fiercely so farā¦
Before their eyes, Sesshomaru's body began to change. Clothes were replaced by fur, the stoic stern demeanor shifted into a wild snarlā¦ and he grew in size abruptly, vastly, outdoing the largest of Naraku's demons, if not Naraku himself.
"Is thatā¦?!" Sango gasped.
"Lord Sesshomaru's beautiful true form! He will not allow that vermin Naraku to get away with this!" Jaken roared fiercely, gazing at Sesshomaru with undeterred reverence.
Kikyo's brow furrowed: this was the final battle, and it would happen on their terms, not Naraku's. Sesshomaru rammed Naraku with his body, knocking him down, poisoning him with another kind of venom, different from Naraku's miasma. The battle between them was fierce and no less chaotic when the other three continued to fight as well, with Miroku reducing the crowd of demons with his wind tunnel, Kagome attacking Byakuya relentlessly, and Inuyasha with his wild, massive attacks with Tessaiga, aimed towards Narakuā¦
"I cannot take action from here. Iā¦ I must reach Naraku," Kikyo frowned, glancing at Sango. "Your nekomataā¦"
"You need us to get you closer?" Sango asked. Kikyo nodded firmly. Sango swallowed hard. "Can youā¦ keep the children safe?"
It was an easy request to fulfill: she erected a new, static barrier upon the three under her and Sesshomaru's protection before joining Sango on the back of Kirara.
"Lady Kikyoā¦! Sister!" Kohaku shouted from within the barrier, gritting his teeth. "Go! Defeat Naraku!"
"Lady Kikyo!" Rin shouted too, hoping to encourage her along with Kohaku.
The priestess smiled kindly at the children before focusing on the battle anew: Sesshomaru had taken wounds, but he brushed them off carelessly. Her brow furrowed as they flew closer to the core of the conflict, finding that Inuyasha wasn't holding back his attacksā¦ and neither was Sesshomaru, something that could result in both brothers injuring each other rather than their foe. Kikyo breathed deeply, watching as Kagome shot holy arrows in quick succession at Byakuya, who had taken some damage even if he had dodged most of the projectiles. She had to be pondering the weaknesses of Naraku and his incarnation, wanting to find anything her arrows could destroy that wouldn't regenerate immediately afterwardsā¦
But Kikyo knew that Naraku, as he was now, had no greater weakness than the Sacred Jewel, corrupted and festering, in his grasp.
"And here comes the holy priestessā¦!" Naraku declared, upon glimpsing Kikyo on the back of Kirara. "The shardā¦ it will be mine!"
"Not for an instantā¦" Kikyo whispered, drawing an arrow anew and aiming it towards Naraku. "Your rotting, festering evil will not strengthen any further, Naraku!"
"Your powers are no match against mine!" Naraku roared, but Kikyo released the arrow regardless of the monster's boast:
The holy light of her arrow gleamed brightly as it broke past multiple barriers of the demon's defenses. The glowing arrow tore into the corruption and reduced Naraku's strength with that sudden, surprising blast.
"That isā¦!" Kagome gasped, from the ground: she could sense that Kikyo's arrow had uncovered the Jewel's location if just briefly, and she aimed her next arrow in that direction as well.
Sesshomaru attacked him anew, attempting to tear at the rotting, reforming flesh that once again attempted to cover the weak spot in which the almost-complete Jewel nestled: twisted appendixes of the great demon conjunction continued to swirl around that weakness, and some of them rushed out towards Kikyo.
"You have done well," Kikyo told Sango, who had been steering Kirara away from the many threats that attempted to attack them.
"Hang onā¦!" Sango exclaimed, tossing her hiraikotsu to destroy the tendrils of evil that reached towards them.
A flash of yellow power cut across Naraku's body, next. The rotting chunks of corrupt beings were sucked away, into a voidā¦ and then, a burst of purity struck the area of the Jewel once more. All those attacks at once ensured that the regeneration of Naraku's shields and protections over the Jewel could not be achieved as fast as before. Sesshomaru's large demon form continued to tear and rip into every chunk of demon Naraku's body was comprised by, with no regard towards the miasma or the corruption, immobilizing his foe as best as possible.
"There!" Kagome shouted. "Kikyo, the Jewelā¦!"
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha roared as well. "Shoot now!"
They spoke with full trust in her abilities while not understanding, not truly, what she intended to do. But Kikyo had no time to explain, not anymore. She leapt off Kirara's back, to Sango's utter astonishment, diving fast, head-first, towards the now cleared spot in Naraku's wretched body, where the corrupted Jewel sought its final shardā¦
Her eyes closed as her hair came loose in the wind. Her hand, instead of reaching for a holy arrow, clasped the hilt of the beautiful sword Sesshomaru had entrusted to her.
In her control, Tenseiga gleamed brightly. In her grasp, the spirituality inherent to the demon's weapon seemed to burst into life.
It was everything the Sacred Jewel could never be. A perfect balance between demonic forces and spiritual ones.
Its power had been dormant for as long as Sesshomaru had failed to understand what he did now: he had granted Tenseiga to Kikyo willingly, trusting her as his equal, as the partner he had accepted by his side. The enemy he now fought against was no longer vermin to exterminate for the sake of remediating his slighted prideā¦
Now, Sesshomaru fought to protect those he had grown to care for, from the depths of his demon's heart.
Just so, Kikyo's quest for revenge against the monster responsible for her lifetime's tragedies had lost much of its former importance: she would protect this world, as well as the valuable lives of those she had met in her journey.
Together, they embodied an ideal union of spiritual and demonic. They were true balance, for that was what they had wanted to be. The trust between them bridged their souls togetherā¦ and through that union, the birth of a new world would be within their reach.
Kikyo dropped the shard: it spun on its way down, drawn towards the Jewel that longed to be complete.
That single shard fell into place, and the pulse of spiritual energy shook Naraku: it would take his every effort to fight back against that purity, to corrupt it before it could purge the Jewel from his influenceā¦
The tip of Tenseiga swung down, connecting with the Jewel on the very spot upon which the pure shard had fallen.
A blast of energies, demonic and pure alike, shot across the land, the oceans, the sky.
Most of those near Naraku were flung off with the power of that blastā¦ most, save for Sesshomaru, whose claws tore across the crumbling body of the wretched being who could no longer sustain his own powerā¦ not without the Jewel, a crutch through which he had ensured his survival, constantly, for almost a full year.
He was but the weak, craven, dishonest Naraku once more. A blend of corrupt demons and a human soul even more corrupt than the fiends it had drawn to itselfā¦
The power of Sesshomaru's unyielding fangs and talons, and the spiritual blade Kikyo stabbed into the spot where Onigumo's heart once beat, destroyed every remnant of the demon aberration that was once known as Naraku.
The overwhelming light surrounding her served to help her focus on her own shape, her own soul, once more. Slowly, she seemed to grow aware of the strange, spiritual space in which she driftedā¦ a space that didn't appear all that unfamiliar. She couldn't seem to process what had happened just yetā¦ but when the figure before her formed into a recognizable shape and presence, it became much easier to remember the events that had brought her into this plane of existence.
Before her stood a regal, beautiful priestess clad in armor, wielding a sword much like the one Kikyo had held earlier, in what had felt like moments ago but might have been a lifetime, instead. The priestess's serenity didn't hide the gratitude she felt, and she bowed her head towards Kikyo in a gesture of true respect.
It wasn't only gratitude for having saved the last remnants of her soul after so many years, she knew: it was gratitude for breaking the cycle of relentless violence between humans and demons. She had refused to prolong Midoriko's legacy any further, and Midoriko herself now thanked her for it: Kikyo had found a way to stop Naraku, to break apart his desire to lock himself with her in another endless battle, one where Kikyo's longing for a life of her own would never matter in the least. Their endless battle would have only been about himā¦ his selfishness, his greed, his desperation for her acknowledgement through any means: if that acknowledgement came in the form of utmost hatred, he would welcome it gladly so long as she spared a glance in his direction.
Even now, adrift in that spiritual space, the concept sickened her. That her life could have become nothing but a single speck of goodness battling a sea of corruption, all be it because of that demon's wretched desiresā¦
But she had been freed from such a fate. Another demon, to be precise, had offered her the means to attain actual freedom from those designs.
And in doing so, she had grown to feel something quite unexpected towards that very demon. Something she had never anticipated she would experience at all, not towards one of his kindā¦ and yet the tears that surged in her eyes now could not have any other explanation.
She didn't want to follow Midoriko into ascendence and peace. She had failed to follow her example: she had crafted her own pathā¦ a path that had brought Kikyo closer to humanity than any priestess was supposed to be. Just so, the man who had accompanied her on this journey had, as well, drifted closer towards the barrier that was supposed to separate them as entirely different beings. A barrier that was knocked down and destroyed with ease by the blade they shared, by the children they had protected togetherā¦
She didn't want to goā¦ not just yet. She knew she was supposed to, she knew her natural lifespan was well and truly spentā¦ but she didn't wish to do so. Being a normal woman had been her dream, her deepmost, muffled wishā¦ and he had told her she was extraordinary by nature. He couldn't understand that she had never felt more like a normal woman, with needs, desires and careless, innocent wishes, than she had while in his arms.
She wanted to be with him. Deep down, she wanted him and their small, odd, perhaps mismatched, family. Rin, Kohaku, Jaken, A-Unā¦ she longed to see all of them again. If just the one more time, if just to say goodbyeā¦
She wanted to go back. She wanted to go back. She wanted toā¦
"ā¦ she's waking up! She is!"
Warmth. A strong, comforting presenceā¦ and warmth, powerful, swirling warmth holding her tightly against something softā¦
"Lady Kikyo!"
She had been in those arms before. She had heard those voices before.
"Lady Kikyo!"
She drew in a sharp breath, well before opening her eyes.
Her chest rose and fell. She shivered, and the embrace around her tightened further.
"She'sā¦ she's breathing!"
"I told you, she's different! Her scent is likeā¦ like the old Kikyo!"
That loud voice, terribly familiar, could only have belonged to one person. His words seemed to bounce back and forth within her mind as she struggled to come to terms with reality: she was breathing. She was breathing. She wasā¦
Her heart was beating.
She had a heart, to begin with.
Her eyes opened gradually, taking in the sunlight she was shrouded from under the shade of an old tree. The breeze brushed against her face, the scent of spring drifted byā¦ her stomach churned with hunger. Her joints ached from effort, it seemed. Her breaths kept coming and going, one after the other, in flowing successionā¦
And once her eyes focused, she found an intense golden stare upon her.
Sesshomaru held her. His stoic expression was unreadable for most, but not for her: he was concerned over her wellbeing. He held her tightly, unconcerned with whoever might see her in his arms. He had nothing to hide, nothing to feel shame forā¦ not when his heart flooded him with emotions he finally had recognized as a source of strength rather than weakness. He held her so tightlyā¦
Kikyo gasped: he held her with both arms.
"S-Sesshomaruā¦" she said. His eyes softened upon hearing his name from her lips.
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha exclaimed: she knew he was nearby, but she seemed entranced in Sesshomaru's hold, unable and unwilling to tear her eyes away from him.
"You have awoken," Sesshomaru said. How she had grown to recognize the subtleties in his voice, the small sprinkle of happiness that nobody else would be able to sense in his toneā¦
But she could, for she knew his heart just as well as he knew her newly beating own. She understood him and he understood her: that very mutual understanding had brought them to walk a path together, knowing not where it would lead them, but not needing to know, either: as long as they walked side by side, nothing would deter them, nothing would stand in their wayā¦
Not even Naraku.
"Is heā¦?" Kikyo blurted out, struggling to regain his bearings. "Naraku, is heā¦"
"He is no more," Sesshomaru answered. Kikyo might have smiled upon hearing the news, but the shock of her circumstances prevented her from doing as much.
"Kikyoā¦" Kagome's voice reached her, and Kikyo gritted her teeth as she glanced to the side at last: Inuyasha's most faithful companion knelt beside her, eyes wide with amazement. "You purified him out of existence, somehow. When the light from Tenseiga fadedā¦ we only found you and Sesshomaru in the wreckage. The Sacred Jewel isā¦ it's gone."
"Destroyed," Kikyo said, blinking weakly. Kagome nodded.
"And you were human, once more," she said.
Kikyo trembled upon hearing those words. Kagome offered her a tearful smile and a nod as Kikyo glanced at Sesshomaru next. His hands pulled her closer as she shivered, confused, grateful, astonishedā¦ the emotions she felt seemed to swell and threaten to burst at the same time. He pressed his brow to hers in a reassuring gesture, and Kikyo closed her eyes as her hand reached outā¦ to touch his left. What hadn't been there, beforeā¦
"What happened?" she asked. "Sesshomaru, your armā¦"
"When I returned to this formā¦" Sesshomaru said. Kikyo gazed at him in utmost confusion. "It was part of me once more."
Kikyo let her gaze drift down towards his hipā¦ where a new sword sat, one she had never seen before. Sesshomaru nodded slowly at her perplexity.
"Bakusaiga. A weapon of my own," he explained.
Kikyo smiled slowly, her hand reaching up to his face. Her fingertips ever traced the lines across his cheeks until she cupped his face, in a gesture so intimate she could sense Kagome pulling back ever so slightly, no doubt feeling out of place upon witnessing their exchange. A choked gasp from Inuyasha followed, no matter if he had been aware, not only of the alliance between Sesshomaru and Kikyo for some time now, but of what the nature of their bond had become ever since they had begun searching for the method to save Kohaku's life.
"Iā¦ I wanted to return," she admitted. Sesshomaru frowned. "To Kohaku, to Rinā¦ to you. I asked to returnā¦"
She couldn't explain any further before his lips caught hers. Her hand slipped towards the back of his head, fingers sliding across his silver hair, and the passionately beating heart in her chest flooded her with every delightful, blissful emotion that assured her of her humanity, of the success in her strange, mysterious rebirth. She couldn't know what had happened, or howā¦ but his warm breath, his smooth scent, the touch of his hands, the soft friction of their lips, all of it came together to remind her that she was aliveā¦ alive, free to live on by his side.
Tears spilled down her cheeks when they parted, as soft laughter left her lips. She pressed her brow to his, delighted to be held closely by his strong embrace: it seemed as though he was as unwilling to let go as she was to pull awayā¦
The land upon which they'd fought against Naraku had been corrupted by his presence, then purified by Kikyo's actions. The beauty in their world suddenly seemed more real than ever before as she gazed around herself, as though seeing everything for what it was, for the very first timeā¦
Rin, Kohaku and Jaken's smiles greeted her as she let her gaze travel across the three of them, sitting right beside them as she languished in Sesshomaru's arms. Both their group and Inuyasha's own had converged at this large tree, underneath which Sesshomaru held her so tightly. Inuyasha and Kagome were the ones standing closest to the tree, while the monk and the demon slayer stood further away, watching over the scene with small smiles: the monk remarked something Kikyo couldn't understand fully, and his companion laughed softly at his words just as the child fox leapt on his shoulderā¦
Everyone had survived? The Jewel and Naraku were gone. No trace of either of their presences had been left behindā¦ and the world was infinitely better, far more beautiful, for it.
"Lady Kikyo!" Rin exclaimed: she and Kohaku crawled closer towards her once her kiss with Sesshomaru ended.
Even as she turned her head towards the children, Sesshomaru pressed his face to her neck: he breathed her in, so fully focused on her that he seemed not to know or care that he had taken injuries of his own while battling against Naraku. His broken breastplate, the damage upon his tunicā¦ none of it meant anything, for Kikyo lived. It was a new opportunity at lifeā¦ one where she would finally live for herself rather than to fulfill everyone else's demands and expectations. A life of freedom unlike any she had known beforeā¦ a life unburdened with the Sacred Jewel's protection, or with Naraku's wretchedness.
"You're aliveā¦" Kohaku smiled between tears, reaching for her hand as Kikyo raised it towards him. "You're alive, Lady Kikyo, Iā¦ t-thank you. Thank you. Iā¦ I wanted you to live on, and I wanted you to live, tooā¦"
"Kohakuā¦" Kikyo smiled warmly, squeezing his fingers gently before her gaze drifted towards Rin. Her hand let go of Kohaku so she could caress the child's face delicately. Rin gasped happily upon feeling her warmth, clasping Kikyo's hand with her own.
"You're warm, Lady Kikyo," Rin said, closing her eyes. "Lord Sesshomaruā¦ Lady Kikyo is warm!"
"Indeed she is, Rin," Sesshomaru responded, breathing in one more time as he sat upright, ensuring Kikyo's head would rest comfortably upon his chest.
"The children were safe, Lady Kikyo!" Jaken declared next: he stood between Kohaku and Rin, waving his staff proudly. "Your barrier stood around us until you fell, and by then, I, Jakenā¦!"
"He screamed and hid behind a rock," Rin giggled. Kikyo's smile warmed as Jaken squeaked, mortified by the girl's declaration.
"W-why you! Don't just spout such nonsense, Rin! I was right there, with you and Kohakuā¦!"
Kikyo laughed softly, pressing her face against Sesshomaru's collarbone. Their small family had survived the ordeal of Naraku's final battleā¦ they were still here, together, smiling at each other as Jaken reacted explosively to Rin's childish teasing: they lived, and they would continue to do so for many more years, in a peaceful world unlike any they had known before.
Movement to her side revealed that Kohaku was raising something in their directionā¦ Kikyo's eyes focused upon it to find it was Tenseiga, in its proper sheath.
"Your weaponā¦ I picked it up before you woke," Kohaku explained, gazing at Sesshomaru.
Kikyo smiled fondly as Sesshomaru tightened his right arm around her body, using the left to take the weapon wordlessly. Kohaku smiled and bowed his head at Sesshomaruā¦ as the demon lord brought the weapon to rest upon Kikyo's chest.
"Sesshomaruā¦?" she said, perplexed. He gazed at her as intensely as ever.
"Tenseigaā¦ is our weapon," he said, simply.
Her smile warmed anew, and her hand came to rest upon his own, interlocked upon the blade they had shared. A blade that connected their energies, swirling within it as the ideal balance of spiritual and demonic power that had saved their world.
Kagome let out a happy sigh at the sight of the pair sitting underneath the tree, even if Inuyasha, beside her, twitched with discomfort.
"Inuyashaā¦" she raised an eyebrow, and he winced, scratching the back of his head.
"I know, I know, I've had time to wrap my head around it, Kagome," he said, grimacing. "But it's still hard to believe that bastard could be with her sometimes, y'know?"
"I'm not sure the Sesshomaru we used to know isā¦ well, the one who's with her right now, if that makes any sense," Kagome said, with a weak smile. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "When you first severed his arm, he wanted to seize one of your father's swords against his designs. He wanted to use Tessaiga to destroy, while you chose to use it to protect a human life. Is it really that unreasonable that Tenseiga's potential only unlocked fully when Sesshomaru finally wanted to protect humans from the depths of his heart, rather than over prideful reasons?"
"You meanā¦ he protected those two before to show everyone how powerful he was?" Inuyasha grimaced. "But ever since he met Kikyoā¦"
"There's a new purity to his heart thatā¦ to be frank, I didn't think was possible in someone like him," Kagome giggled, smiling at Inuyasha. "Soā¦ maybe this is for the best, isn't it?"
"Wellā¦ Naraku is finally gone," Inuyasha said, smiling much more earnestly. "And Kikyo was the one who did it. The one he wronged the mostā¦ I guess it's only fair, eh? Even Sesshomaru believed so."
"And now they get to live on together," Kagome smiled brightly. "She's reclaimed her human lifeā¦ and their future will be even more beautiful now that Naraku is gone."
"All our futures, I think," Inuyasha said, smiling at Kagome as well. She grinned brightly.
"Yes! I always meant to help defeat Naraku, I did, but I have so many things I wanted to do still, likeā¦!" she exclaimedā¦ before her face's emotions froze over suddenly. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.
"Kagome? What is it?" he asked. She blinked blankly once, then twiceā¦
"I-Inuyashaā¦" she said, eyeing him warily. "The Jewel isā¦ gone."
"It is."
"Andā¦ we can't get it back, can we?"
"Why would you want it back at all?" Inuyasha said, grimacing. "After all the trouble it causedā¦! I don't even want to be a full demon anymore, so why would you want toā¦?"
"Inuyasha, I can't go back to my time without the Sacred Jewel!"
It was his turn to freeze, much as everyone else froze when Kagome's so-far placid demeanor changed into her common, temperamental state. Inuyasha's jaw dropped, as Sango, Miroku and Shippo eyed them warily.
"Soā¦ does that mean Kagome gets to stay forever?" Shippo asked. Miroku shrugged.
"Oh, goodnessā¦" Sango sighed, smiling weakly as Kagome and Inuyasha seemed moments away from losing their minds to panic.
"W-we have toā¦! There has to be a way!" Inuyasha squeaked, eyes shifting towards Sesshomaru and Kikyo. He leapt towards them, landing right behind Kohaku: "Kikyo! Sesshomaru! Use Tenseiga to help Kagome return to her time!"
"M-my high school dreamsā¦ I was finally about to start high schoolā¦!" Kagome whimpered, dropping on her knees as she stared hopelessly at the sky. Inuyasha winced upon hearing her words, gesturing at her again.
"Come on, Sesshomaruā¦!"
"Be quiet," Sesshomaru responded, curtly, his eyebrows twitching with plain annoyance.
"I can't be quiet! You have a sword that can do anything! K-Kikyo! Pleaseā¦!"
"Do not speak to her so crudely. She is no servant you can command so callously," Sesshomaru growled: Kikyo, in his arms, couldn't hold back a soft laugh over her lover's harsh response and defense of her against his younger brother.
"Sesshomaru, youā¦!" Inuyasha growled, raising a fist in the demon lord's direction.
The others seemed to laugh at the silly exchange between the two siblings. Kagome continued to mourn her high school years, even after Kikyo intervened in the argument to promise to look into what Inuyasha was asking of themā¦
"It's hard to believe that Sesshomaru ever could becomeā¦ such a family man, I suppose," Miroku said, smiling as he rubbed his palm gently: the disappearance of the wind tunnel still felt like a dream come true, one he wasn't sure he could give full credit to just yet.
"I suppose they do seem to be quite a big familyā¦ including Inuyasha and Kagome?" Sango remarked, laughing softly: Miroku and Shippo joined her laughter as Inuyasha rushed towards the disheartened Kagome, urging her to join him in begging Sesshomaru and Kikyo for their aid to resolve her predicament.
In the midst of all the strange rejoicing over Naraku's demise, a small, childish voice spoke to Jaken with undeniable mischief:
"Lord Jakenā¦ do you think Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kikyo will have more children?"
Jaken winced, and Rin grinned brightly at him. He cleared his throat, flustered visibly as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Thatā¦ may be within the realm of possibility, but how should I know?! Pesky Rin, Lord Sesshomaru's plans are his, and his aloneā¦!"
"Indeed they are, Jaken," Sesshomaru stated, and Jaken winced: of course he had heard his answerā¦
Rin giggled again, amused by the imp's flustered reaction. Once more, their small family shared a laugh, even if Sesshomaru hardly seemed amused, as opposed to the others. Kikyo, however, offered him a tender smile that echoed a sentiment he felt, deep in his heart: profound gratitude over the day their paths crossed, and over the peaceful future they had fought for and preserved, for their family's sake.
SessKik Weekend, Day 2: Equals
Art by mights_illust on instagram, posted with permission here as well ā„ļø
Sesskik Weekend Day 1: Regal
Happy Sesskik Weekend everyone! Iāve made edits for this lovely event so I hope you all enjoy! Iām super excited to see what everyone has planned!
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SessKik Weekend Day 2: Equals
Obligatory badass SessKik for this one because Their sheer power is simply unmatched šš¼āØ And yes we were robbed of them joining forces and fighting together.
@sesskik-weekend
SessKik Weekend Day 3: Family / Guardians of Children
For the last one I wanted to give them some chill domestic family days + tired babysitter Jaken š¤ , with a cute little kiddo too! Heās a boy and his name is Hayataro, and there was a team effort of the discord members to decide on what heād look like and his name, and this is more or less what we figured! Personally, I think any child of SessKik would be so darn beautiful they might look kinda androgynous, until they hit puberty and then itās a bit more clear. But yeah, theyāre gonna be ridiculously pretty either way.
@sesskik-weekend
Sesskik Weekend - Day 2: Equals
Here goes my entry for today! Once more, fic chapter under the cut!
Read on FF.net//AO3
Sesshomaru had never felt respect for those who lacked the power to defeat their own enemies and sought others' assistance. His disdain for that kind of weakness had only bolstered his spite towards his half-brother: even upon being granted the strongest sword crafted for their father, Tessaiga, Inuyasha had sought allies with variably ludicrous skills in order to make his stand against Naraku. A demon slayer, a monk with a wind tunnel curse, an inexperienced priestess, a child fox, a forked cat demonā¦ they were weak, not unlike Jaken or Rin. Yet Inuyasha didn't travel with them to protect them, the way Sesshomaru traveled with his own companions: he relied on them. He needed their aid, even if, as unworthy as he may be, the half-demon was, by all nature and logic, far stronger than any of his allies.
He had never understood Inuyasha's choices, and he had never meant to understand them, to begin with. His father's bestowing of Tessaiga unto Inuyasha was, in the end, a sign of pointless compassion towards someone too weak to be worthy of such a boon. One who required further aid in order to defeat a foe like Naraku while bearing that extraordinary blade could never hope to be worthy of respect.
The same was true for countless other fools, namely those who sought the Sacred Jewel: Inuyasha, of course, was one of them. But that wolf demon, as wellā¦ and the wind sorceress, attempting to gain his assistance through the pitiful offer of shards from the broken relic. Requiring that wretched object to bolster your own strength was, evidently, a sign of weakness: Naraku was the weakest of them all, chasing down those shards and collecting them to find power he had not earned, power he had never proven worthy ofā¦ it was repulsive. At times, the creature's very existence could be affront enough for Sesshomaru to set aside his pride and personal resentment towards Naraku, only to wish to slay him on principle alone. A weak entity such as Naraku did not deserve its own existence, and Sesshomaru would be glad to delete it for good by casting him into the Netherworld through Meido Zangetsuhaā¦
Thus, perhaps, it would seem odd that one with such convictions would have found his beliefs easily brushed aside when a certain priestess with deep, mahogany eyes spoke words he had never believed would leave her lips:
"Sesshomaru: I need your help."
Similar words had never meant anything to him. Anyone who begged for his assistance had immediately appeared inferior in his eyes from that moment onwards. Anyone who wanted to shield themselves behind Sesshomaru's strength was, inherently, admitting to their own weaknesses. And yetā¦
And yet he knew the priestess was not weak. He knew Kikyo's strength personally, for they had traveled together after a chance encounter in the forest. Theirs was no alliance between the weak-willed: their paths had converged, simple as that, and they had respected each other's needs across their association of months now. When she had wanted to spend time in that village, protecting children while that wretched, two-faced man awaited the chance to let his true self come to the fore of his mind, Sesshomaru had relented. When the purity of Mount Hakurei had prevented him from saving Rin, Kikyo's own arrow had slain the very man she had grown acquainted with during her period in that village. Just so, when Naraku meant to strike her down, he had hesitated upon finding Sesshomaru standing by her side: they had fought the wretched, strengthened demon together and he had fled in the end, swearing he would destroy Kikyo now that he had successfully discarded his weak, human heart. An ironic claim coming from an entity that was all weakness, of course.
Throughout this journey, Kikyo had never expressed to needing Sesshomaru's aid at any point in time. He hadn't done so, either. They had respected each other's boundaries, unspoken as they had been, unless the situation called for intervention: now, however, something had changed. Something related to the boy who had sought to travel with Kikyo merely a few weeks ago, Sesshomaru suspected.
They sat outside a small hut they had taken temporary residence at, speaking quietly now that the children and Jaken were safely asleep indoors, once the mantle of night had fallen. Sesshomaru watched her with intent, waiting for the priestess to explain herself after surprising him with her latest statement.
"You wish to slay Naraku," Kikyo finally started. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "He has earned no end of animosity from countless people, and he has done as much intentionally. He must be slain, and I trust that we will succeed at accomplishing that taskā¦ but only once the corrupt Sacred Jewel is complete once more."
"I have no interest in that trinket," Sesshomaru stated. Kikyo nodded.
"Your strength is your own. There's an honesty to your stubbornness that can be commendable, for certain," she said. "But Naraku is most unlike you. His power does not come from the Jewel alone, but it has certainly bolstered his strength greatly: I intend to turn the Jewel's power against him."
"He can be defeated whether that Jewel is complete or not," Sesshomaru said, but Kikyo shook her head.
"You have already slain him in the past, from my understanding, and he reconverged into a single, twisted entity in Mount Hakurei afterwards: for as long as he holds onto the Jewel, it will be impossible to cut him down for good. I know you understand this. A demon of his power was never going to prove strong enough to overcome your own power, Sesshomaruā¦ but the Jewel ensured otherwise."
"In order to attain our revenge, you believe the Jewel must be fully restored," Sesshomaru stated. "I've said it makes no matter whether it's complete or not, for my power would not be overcome by his blend of inferior demon powers, stolen from countless others. You appear convinced of the opposite: explain yourself, Kikyo."
"A purified shard, merged with the rest of the Jewel, may have the power to overcome the darkness he has been infusing into the rest of the Jewel while it has been in his grasp," Kikyo said. Sesshomaru frowned. "You have witnessed the power of purification against demons. You know a strong enough burst of spiritual powers can purify miasma, renew a rotting forest into a flourishing glade: it is no different to what true purity can achieve if it's given proper form within a shard of the Sacred Jewel. Once merged into a single object, the dark energies will fail to stand against the pure ones: the Jewel will be purified once more, and Naraku's influence upon it will be broken. Just so, the Jewel's bolstering of his power will cease at once. At that point, no amount of regenerative abilities will suffice: if we strike him then, he will be defeated."
"This is what you seek?" Sesshomaru asked. "To request my aid in your scheme to defeat this scum?"
"Yesā¦ and no," Kikyo said, lowering her gaze. "The truth isā¦ you may understand why this choice, my one plan to defeat Naraku, troubles me. That final shardā¦ I have ensured to purify it constantly. In doing so, I have severed Naraku's control over Kohaku. His heart belongs to himself once more. But Kohakuā¦ by all means, the boy would not survive at all were it not for the shard embedded in his neck."
Sesshomaru frowned. The concept of fighting against Naraku side by side with the priestess was rather agreeable, for she was as strong as Sesshomaru himself was, and he didn't doubt such a battle would result in their victory. But that wasn't the sole reason why the priestess had sought him out tonight. Now, upon confessing her inner conflict about this hurdle, Sesshomaru's heart should not have pounded with a hint of compassion or empathyā¦ and yet it did.
Kohaku was a fighter. He was a boy, but one trained to slay demons, even if lesser demons. Kohaku, then, was a child, and one that Kikyo often protected by defeating their foes before he could so much as raise his sickle. He was Kikyo's ward, just as Rin or Jaken were Sesshomaru's. She had successfully protected him thus farā¦ therefore, she was not merely pleading with Sesshomaru so he would help her protect him. Noā¦ whatever she wanted, it was not as simple as that.
What would he do, were he faced with a similar conundrum? If Rin's life were a necessary sacrifice to slay Narakuā¦ he would refuse to accept it. The girl was his to protect. Her life, her safety, had set Sesshomaru on this hunt: Naraku had attempted to lure him into becoming part of his wretched conjunction of demons by holding Rin hostage. The arrogance of that lesser creature, the despicable Naraku, could never be forgiven. True strength was not simply found in defeating the enemy one had set his sights onā¦ but in doing so on one's own terms, rather than allowing the foe to choose the manner of their defeat. Sacrificesā¦ they were only for the weak to make. One who called himself truly strong would not be burdened by the need to make any manner of sacrificesā¦
"What would you ask of me?" Sesshomaru asked. Kikyo, heavily silent now, turned her head towards him. Their eyes metā¦ and he identified a spark of emotion in her gaze. He endeavored to ignore the unnecessary, irrational acceleration of his heartbeats at that sight.
"Your sword, Tenseiga," Kikyo said. Sesshomaru frowned. "I cannot presume to fully understand how it works, even after what you have achieved with it. I suspect you can use it to cut down the pallbearers from the Underworldā¦"
"You can see them?" Sesshomaru asked, brow furrowing slightly. Kikyo nodded. He wouldn't remark on it any furtherā¦ but meeting someone who had the skill to see the pallbearers without Tenseiga, or any other means to identify them, certainly was impressive.
"Unfortunately, I do not know if seeing them, and being able to dismiss them, would suffice in the case of Kohaku," Kikyo confessed. "If Tenseiga's sole power is related to cutting them downā¦ I fear Kohaku may be beyond our help."
"Naraku won't take him," Sesshomaru declared. Kikyo hummed softly.
"Even if he fails at that endeavor, I fear this battle will drag on for many years if you're correct," she said. "Until the Jewel is complete, Naraku will continue to command corrupt powers he has not earned, concoct webs of evil and spread his cruelty as far and wide as he dares go. I haven't the faintest hope that he might ease up in the futureā¦ he is always scheming and plotting against us all."
"Vermin," Sesshomaru stated, curtly. Kikyo raised her eyebrows.
"Do you believe there is any chance that your powers through your weapon, Tenseiga, might be able to bring Kohaku back to life, permanently?" she asked. Sesshomaru frowned. "He is a child. His life was cut short too soon, and he was but a pawn for Naraku for all this time. The cruelty he has seen and facedā¦ no one should have had to endure it, to feel their own body and mind slipping out of their control, forcing them to commit the cruelest of acts on behalf of someone hellbent on tormenting them. He could not forgive himself for crimes that are not his own. He came to us ready to sacrifice himself to ensure Naraku is killed. By now, he has found belonging among us, a kinship with Rin, and he respects you deeply. I have askedā¦ and he has said that, were he to find a chance to live on, he would like to take it. Even so, he believes and trusts that I will make use of his shard when the time is rightā¦ and I intend to. But doing so at the cost of his lifeā¦ my resolve to do so has crumbled, pitiful as you may find it. Ensuring his protection has become as important to me as slaying Naraku is."
"Vermin such as Naraku should never force you to sacrifice one you intend to protect," Sesshomaru said. Kikyo frowned slightly.
"He has already stolen countless livesā¦"
"He should have stolen none. Least of all yours."
His words, ever blunt and harsh, stopped Kikyo on her tracks. A soft silence settled between them, as a familiar and yet utterly foreign sensation seemed to resonate painfully in Kikyo's hollow, bone-and-clay body. A sensation she had experienced long ago over another silver-haired man with golden eyesā¦ one whose boisterous, aggressive behavior had hidden unexpected depths and heartfelt need for belonging that she had found to be common ground between them both. Then there was Sesshomaruā¦ and his coldness hid something else. Was it a need for companionship he had never acknowledged, not even to himself? An eternal quest, perhaps, for one to regard as his equalā¦?
An impulsive, foolish thought that perhaps she could be that person dared blossom in her mind briefly, only for Kikyo to quell it all over again, immediately.
"You ask this for Kohaku's sake," Sesshomaru said. "What of you, Kikyo? Do you refuse to seek a new life for yourself?"
"I have long outlived my natural lifespan," Kikyo said, shaking her head. "The sole purpose of my resurrection is to live long enough to see Naraku defeated."
"You did not return to this world on your terms," Sesshomaru remarked. Kikyo frowned. "Others had designs that you discarded and set aside. They were weakā¦ you were strong."
Kikyo eyed Sesshomaru warily: he was guarded once more, that sharp determination peering through his narrow eyes.
"You have chosen this purpose for yourself. You could have easily chosen another," he declared. Kikyo let out a soft huff.
"To what end?" she asked. "This life I was given, even the previous oneā¦ the power I wield entails responsibilities I cannot shirk away. Otherwiseā¦ the powers themselves would be corrupted. I would becomeā¦ an ordinary woman."
Sesshomaru's brow furrowed. Kikyo's hands trembled lightly upon her lap as she raised her gaze at the moon shining above them: her pale complexion seemed to glow underneath that light.
"One such as yourselfā¦ could never be an ordinary woman."
His words shook her, perhaps more than the wind that rushed through the night, across rustling tree branches and blades of grass before their eyes. She raised her gaze at Sesshomaru, and he met her eyes with his own, as defiantly as ever.
"That is a rather bold thing of you to say, Sesshomaru."
He didn't respond to her bashful wordsā¦ he didn't remark on the fact that she was smiling, ever so slightly, upon speaking them.
"Perhaps there is a purity to accepting the impure after all," she said, closing her eyes. "That being saidā¦ my circumstances are far more dire than those of Kohaku. He retains his body whereas mine is a vessel, as you know. Without the souls of the dead, I would have long lost the ability to walk this land. I do not ask that you resort to impossible means to provide a true body for myselfā¦ I only ask that you assist me in finding a true method to liberate Kohaku from the chains of death, should they attempt to claim him as soon as his shard is removed. Whatever light I may be able to provide to him might prove insufficient, lest I offer him my remaining lifeforce altogetherā¦"
"It will not come to that," Sesshomaru stated. Kikyo lowered her gaze.
"If it didā¦ I would ask of you to ensure that the opportunity to slay Naraku doesn't go to waste," she said. "The purified shardā¦ it might suffice, but there is a chance that it wouldn't. Not in vain were the Priestess Midoriko and her own demons trapped in the Sacred Jewel: her purity could not vanquish them completely."
"Demonic and spiritual powers, merged into one," Sesshomaru said. Kikyo nodded.
"Counterintuitive, isn't it?" she said, with a sad smile. "Demons have sought to slay me all my life. I have, in turn, slain them. I believed we were poised to be enemies for however long I might have to liveā¦ and yet now I sit by a great demon lord, hoping for his aid in saving the life of one boy. Perhaps there is, indeed, a balance to be found between both our powers, Sesshomaruā¦ a balance where both of us are closer to each other's essences than is apparent at first sight."
"There is nothing demonic about you," Sesshomaru stated. Kikyo laughed softly.
"Odd that you would say so with such conviction, considering the nature of my resurrection in this body. Truthfully, I do not know if you've said this as an insult or a compliment. You are a curious man," she said. Sesshomaru frowned.
"You claim to be impure, but your circumstances have not dampened your powers in the least," he said. Kikyo raised her eyebrows. "Were you any lesser than beforeā¦ a body of clay and bone would not wield the powers you do. Your spiritual strength remains true. Any choices, thoughts or wishes you may have, for your personal benefit, would be unlikely change that."
"Spiritual powers are different from demonic ones," Kikyo said, softly. "Thoughts, emotionā¦ they cloud a priestess's mind easily. Wanting something beyond what is meant to be yoursā¦ it is a sign of humanity I cannot succumb to. Were I to pursue my wishes blindly, selfishlyā¦ I would be no better than the likes of Tsubaki."
"Nonsense," Sesshomaru said. Kikyo smiled weakly.
"You would defend my honor from my own words, Sesshomaru?"
"You wish to end Naraku. If wanting anything is sufficient excuse to dampen your powers, you would not be as powerful as you are now," Sesshomaru said, firmly. Kikyo's fingers clutched at her hakama. "If balance is what it takesā¦ perhaps it is not the balance of purity embodied in you, and demonic strength in me. Perhapsā¦"
"It takes both kinds of energy, in each of us?" Kikyo asked, softly. Sesshomaru frowned. "Your healing weapon and my kinship with the dead. My need to save this boy's lifeā¦"
"It is not a need. It is a want," Sesshomaru stated. Kikyo pursed her lips. "A priestess without purpose beyond liberating this world from Naraku's thrall would not doubt to cut down this boy. You are all the stronger for hesitating."
Kikyo gazed at him, and this time it was his turn to find a conflicting depth in her soul: she couldn't fathom the selfishness that characterized her kind. Humans stood in the perfect intersection between demons and priestesses... and where Sesshomaru had looked down upon them, Kikyo had, possibly, envied them in silence instead. They were not burdened by pursuits of power unless they chose to be, unlike demons. They were not burdened with the restraints of existing for others, unlike priestesses. They had a choice. A choice neither she nor Sesshomaru ever had in their own livesā¦ a choice they might have ignored regardless, even if it had existed. He had wanted, sought powerā¦ she had wanted power of her own, for wholly different purposes. Little by little, however, his own need to protect those under his wing had grown inside himā¦ the very need that had guided Kikyo from the first moment. But in all her rationalizing and interpreting the nature of demonic and spiritual powers, it seemed she had gaps in knowledgeā¦ namely, knowledge that would have resulted from looking inwards and understanding herself better than she did thus far.
"If Kohaku can be brought to life with our joined powersā¦" Sesshomaru said. "There is a chance we may yet do the same with you."
"Do not give me such hopes," Kikyo whispered, lowering her head. Sesshomaru frowned. "I don'tā¦ what would I do with a new life, were I granted one? Myā¦ my time has passed. My time is over, Iā¦"
"You could stand beside meā¦ as my equal."
His words brought a frown to her face, even if they rippled through her body with such impact it almost felt, almost, like she was alive again. She shot him a keen stare, one he responded with his own.
"Is thatā¦ your sole purpose in bringing me back, fully?" Kikyo asked. Sesshomaru's brow furrowed. "Answer me, Sesshomaru."
"My sole purpose in bringing you back is to grant you what your first life did not," Sesshomaru said: "A choice."
Kikyo's eyes widened. Again, the breeze blew through the night, bringing strange sensations with it, too. His sincerity could not be doubtedā¦ he was not one to lie, or to masquerade his purposes behind half-truths. He wanted her to choose for herself what to make of a new lifeā¦ and as selfish as it might be, he still hoped that, in the freedom she might attain if this venture succeeded, she would still choose him.
A light smile spread over her lips as she rose to her feet slowly. Sesshomaru frowned but said nothing. He had no reason to be ashamed of what he'd said, no reason to feel ridiculedā¦ and yet that fear surged inside him until he realized her footsteps had carried her closer to him: she knelt right next to him now.
His heart picked up speed once more. He had grown accustomed to her soothing presence, to their long, nighttime conversations regarding their upcoming plans. There had been friction too, whenever Kikyo had been upset by Sesshomaru's dismissiveness of Inuyasha, but even in those regards, their discussions had reached a certain level of respect and understanding of each other's priorities and needs. She had never wanted or cared to share her past with Inuyasha with Sesshomaru, whose prideful nature did not care, either, to hear such tales. Deep down, he could not help but wish it had been him who had met the priestess in life, rather than his brotherā¦
Her eyes seemed more alive to him than those of countless other beings he had crossed paths with, the depth of her emotions more tangible and real than that of anyone who counted themselves amongst the living. Someone like her deserved more than a cursed existence, both in life and in death. He would set her free from those restraintsā¦
But he knew she would be the one who would choose to do so for herself.
"This choice you offerā¦" she asked, softly. "It can only come about once our quest has been successful. Kohaku must be saved. By thenā¦ I shall make that choice."
"Is that so?" Sesshomaru asked: his pounding heart raged with an unnatural emotion he had no recollection of experiencing before as his eyes lost themselves in her beautiful features. He felt the urge to say she had already appeared to have made her choiceā¦ but the words, as it often happened when he spoke with her, didn't find their way to his lips.
"Is this agreeable with you?" Kikyo asked.
"It is your choice," he said, finally.
Kikyo smiled, lowering her gaze. Focused as he remained on her, he watched carefully as she raised a small hand, hardened over the years of work as a priestess, of combat and archeryā¦ and she placed it carefully atop his own.
"The balance we spoke ofā¦ I fear I do not understand its nature just yet," she whispered. "A lifetime of effort might not suffice in helping me unravel it. But perhapsā¦ it isn't with our minds that we must understand it, but with our hearts. Something unthinkable for me as I amā¦ for I do not have a heart."
"You remind yourself of it too often for that to be the truth," Sesshomaru said. Kikyo glanced at him in confusion. "Your soul remains yours, whether in a body of clay or a body of flesh, it makes no matter. Do you feel nothing, Kikyo?"
She shivered as he frowned, angling his body towards hers. His hand clasped hers, and she could feel his warmth even if her body couldn't translate it properlyā¦ a sad huff left her lips as she shook her head.
"I feel echoes. Ripples of long-lost and suddenly reclaimed emotions I never believed I'd experience again. But were this a real bodyā¦"
"It will be, in time. What you have experienced in this one is no less real for it."
Kikyo didn't know how he found ways to dispense wisdom in this way, taking her by surprise with his insight into her soul and her inner struggles. But the more he saw through her, the more he seemed to understand her, the more she understood him. Where there had been distance in the past, now their very souls seemed to be bridged perfectly. That balance she couldn't quite unravel, the perfect collision of their conflicting energies, seemed to lead them to cancel each other outā¦ and once they did, their eyesight would be cleansed from the fogs that had long burdened them. One, with the beliefs of humanity's inferiority. The other, with beliefs of demons' uncontrollable brutality. Suddenly, they found in each other everything they had believed their kind lackedā¦
And in the union of their lips, they understood the true connection that existed between beings of natures quite as different, and just so, quite as similar to each other's.
The innocent spark in Kikyo's soul upon kissing him took the form of a wild fire inside him. His sole arm surrounded her waist, reeling her closer, deepening their exchange beyond what was appropriate, for suddenly no barriers, no boundaries, seemed to exist between two souls as perfectly matched as theirsā¦
Her thumbs caressed the stripes over his cheeks gently once their kiss ended. Her brow pressed to his, his nose brushing hersā¦
Tenseiga, at his hip, pulsated with surges of energy unlike any Sesshomaru had sensed before. And yet he wanted to ignore it if just for one more moment of this, one more moment of herā¦
A simple request for his aid and assistance in one complicated quest to save a boy's life had changed gradually, bestowing upon them not only the power to preserve Kohaku's existence, but to genuinely resurrect Kikyoā¦ and in doing so, affording her the choice to finally experience a life lived freely, for the very first time.
