Good advice not taken by Hairann [One-shot # 47]
Title: Good advice not taken
Author: Hairann
Theme: Powder
Genre: Drama, Action
AU/CU: Cannon
Rating: High T
Warnings: Violence, disturbing imagery.
Word Count: 2358
Summary: There once was a priestess who found binding a demon to be the hardest thing she ever had to do. 50 years later another priestess found releasing him to be the easiest. History repeats itself, only this time binding the demon was easy, it was releasing him that proved to be difficult.
Prompt Summary: Another final battle.
AN: Part 21 of Voluntary Obligation.
Early the next morning, the season's first snow had begun to powder the ground in the soft, white flakes, the brisk winter air biting at Kagome's nose as she trailed along behind Sesshoumaru, her pace slowed by the cold. Seemingly unaffected by the drastic change in temperature, he continued on as though the snow was not pelting against him as well. As Kagome snuggled deeper into her winter coat, she found herself wondering if it really didn't affect him or if he was simply good at hiding it.
An hour later and she had given up caring and was about to turn her attention to warmer thoughts when she realized she recognized the landscape around them. While she was completely certain they had been traveling in a different direction the night before, they were now currently heading toward the well. “Sesshoumaru, is it just my imagination or are we heading back toward the village?” she inquired as she quicken her pace, as best she could through the snow that was now passed her ankles, to catch up to him.
“It is merely your imagination, we are not headed to the village,” he informed her before falling into silence and Kagome, figuring the conversation was over, began to warm her fingers by blowing hot air onto them. So focused on what she was doing, she was startled when he began to speak again, “We are heading to the well. You wish to return home, do you not?” he inquired and fighting the urge to explain how it was the 'same difference', Kagome simply nodded her head before smiling up at him.
“If you wish to spend the night there, very well, but if not, you need to return just after your midday meal,” he instructed and too cold and happy to respond, she simply nodded her head once again. “If you are not there, I shall return the next day at sunrise. Whichever you choose, is entirely up to you,” he assured her before they fell into silence once again, this time lasting until they had reached the well. Nodding to her goodbye, Sesshoumaru watched until the blue magic had disappeared from the depth of the well, sure she wasn't going to return, before turning to face the clearing's newest occupant.
“You should have heeded her warning. She may be forgiving, but this Sesshoumaru is not. Though it does not matter, you have simply saved me the time it would take to track you down,” he informed her, giving the bow wielding priestess a once over, unconcerned with her readied weapon. “Do you really believe that you can harm this Sesshoumaru? Last time, you merely managed to get the shot off because I was protecting another.
“This time, there is nothing, no one to save you,” he mocked smiling, though he knew the fight would not last long, merely the time it took him to cross the clearing, but more than the thrill of the battle, he was looking forward to watching as the life drained from her hate filled eyes. She had dared to bind him and no doubt would have killed him while he was unable to protect himself if the other priestess had not been there.
She had been dead since that moment, he simply had yet to kill her, but he would rectify that now. As she released her arrow, Sesshoumaru shot toward her, effortlessly side stepping the incoming projectile, and closing in on his prey. The moment he was within range, he plunged his hand into her chest, grabbing a hold of her heart and crushing it. Soundlessly the bow dropped from her fingers as she stared up at him in shock even as she crumbled upon herself.
Wrenching his hand back out, Sesshoumaru watched as her lifeless body fell to the ground, no longer having anything to keep it remaining upright. Glancing down at his blood stained hand, he breathed in the metallic smell that filled the air around him before bringing to his lips and taking an experimental lick. Scrunching his nose at the taste, he waved his hand, flinging the drops of blood into the grass. Glancing toward the well to make sure she had not returned, Sesshoumaru set to work cleaning up the mess.
***
“I know you're there, would it kill you to help me up?” Kagome called from the inside of the well as she slowly climbed her way toward the top, annoyed by Sesshoumaru's lack of common curtsey. As though he were debating the idea, a few moments passed before he finally reached in and pulled her out by the back of her shirt. “You could grab my arm instead you know. I swear you're going to end up ripping my clothes one of these days.”
Instead of replying, Sesshoumaru turned his attention to the clothing she was now wearing. The kimono he had given her had been replaced by a pair of jeans and a sweater, over which her winter coat remained unzipped. Seeing he had more interest in her fashion sense rather than what she was saying, she grumbled, “And don't even think about complaining about my clothes. Do you have any idea how cold it is walking around in a kimono? Unless you want a Kagome flavored Popsicle, I needed warmed clothes.”
Not bothering to inquire as to what a Popsicle was, Sesshoumaru gently placed her on the ground before checking to make sure she had everything and turned to head out of the clearing only to be stopped by her voice. “You missed a spot, you know,” she informed him, watching as he turned back with a raised eyebrow in question. Instead of answering, Kagome gestured to the stain of red on his pant leg, knowing, without having to ask, what it was.
Glancing down at it, Sesshoumaru released a small amount of his poison onto the stain, watching as it ate through the blood before dropping to the ground, sizzling the grass as it ate through it as well. As he turned and began out of the clearing once again, Kagome hurried to catch up as she questioned, “Your poison removes blood stains? Does that work on all clothing or is yours special? Cause if it does, that would be great. I can't tell you how much clothing I've had to throw away because the blood was to set in to remove in the washer.”
“It works on all clothing that is not made from animals, though it would not be wise for you to be wearing them at the time. If there is a further supply of blood, it will continue until it reaches it. Though I may regret asking this, why is it you are not questioning what had happened? Usually you would have countless questions,” he pointed out as he glanced down at her and for a moment she simply shrugged her shoulders until she realized he was still seeking more.
“Why bother? I already know what happened. I may be human, but contrary to popular belief, that does not automatically make me stupid. I have felt her following us, no doubt, since she first woke up from her impromptu nap. I warned her twice to stay away, she obviously did not listen. And while I may hate that a human life has been taken, I do not mourn her death. If she had not already taken a child's life simply because it was a demon, it was only a matter of time.
“I can forgive almost anything, but never that,” she insisted, picking up her pace, hoping he would drop the subject. Much to her relief he did and the silence rained down on them for a long while as they traveled across the land, hoping to get some distance between them and the well before it was time to stop for the night. The hours passed unnoticed by either of them until it was too dark for Kagome to see even with the light of the moon to guide her steps.
Deciding to make camp where they were, Sesshoumaru ordered her to wait there before disappearing into the forest. Already used to his behavior, Kagome simply shrugged her shoulders as she began searching for wood to build herself a fire. Though there were only a few still dry enough for her purpose, eventually she had enough and soon had it going. As she took a seat beside it, leaning over to warm her hands, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced toward the cause.
“No,” she insisted before turning away from the apparition she knew to be no more than her imagination. “You will not haunt me, I am not responsible for your death. I warned you twice to get as far away as you could, but you would not listen to me. It is your own fault,” she told the form of the once living priestess, keeping her umber eyes fixed on the dancing flames before her. “I know what you are trying to do, but it will not work.
“You are my conscience picking at the back of my mind, wanting me to feel bad for happened, but I will not. Your death is not on my head, my hands are clean. I will not let you haunt me. I was not there to stop it and even if I could, I would not have turned my weapon on him to stop him. You attacked him and myself unprovoked, you followed after us, hunting him down. Hunting myself. You are responsible for your own death.
“Your own actions resulted in your demise. And even if this wasn't true, and I could have some how prevented it, I still would not have. I gave you two chances and that is two more than I ever give any other murderer. It is what you were as I doubt he was the first demon you attacked for no reason. And if you had been so lucky that he forgot about you or felt you were beneath him, not worth taking revenge on, you simply would have repeated your mistakes.
“Innocents would have died. You want me to believe that you are one, but you aren't. How many lives have you taken that didn't deserve to die? How many innocent demons have you slaughtered because of their blood? Were there any others like me? Humans you felt you had the right to kill because they associated with demons. Children? Did you slaughter any babies in the name of what is pure and good? They are the innocent, you are the villain in this story.
“I do not regret what happened, your death means nothing to me. I will not shred a tear over you, because nothing you did in life deserved them. I will not lose one moment of sleep tossing and turning over you. Though it may not seem so at this moment, my conscience is clear,” she insisted before turning toward where the figure had been, finding it had already disappeared with her words. “And stay gone,” she demanded, turning her attention back to the glowing flames.
“Do you speak to yourself often?” an amused voice inquired as its owner arrived back at the clearing just in time to overhear her final words. Glancing over at Sesshoumaru, Kagome simply shrugged her shoulders before noticing the bundle he carried in his hands. Seeing the question in her eyes, he tossed it to her explaining, “They are warmer clothing than a kimono. And far more appropriate than those tight enough to be a second skin.”
“Thank you,” she replied, ignoring his barb about her jeans as she quickly removed her modern day clothing and put on those he had given her. As she was putting on her jacket once more, she noticed the inquiring glance he was giving her and realized he wasn't going to let the matter drop. Sighing, Kagome took her seat as she explained, “My conscience was trying to haunt me, I was refusing to let it. It is simply my personality, I feel guilty about things that I had no hand in. But this time, I will not let myself feel that way.”
Understanding what she meant, even if he couldn't relate, Sesshoumaru simply nodded his head before taking a seat beside her, sitting much closer to the fire than he usually did. Knowing what she would ask without having to wait for her to voice it, he explained, “To give you the extra body heat. The temperature will continue to drop over night and you will freeze before morning if I do not.” Giving him a slight nod, she began to pull her sleeping bag out and unrolled it.
As she went to sit upon it and cover herself up, she found herself lifted into his arms as he took her seat, draping the blanket across her. Confused by him allowing the contact, let alone initiating it, Kagome simply stared up at him in silence. “You will be warmer this way. If you mention it to anyone, I will simply deny it,” he informed her, a slightly joking tone to his voice. Giggling softly to herself, Kagome curled up in his lap, laying her head against his chest.
“Like anyone would believe me anyways,” she joked back as she closed her eyes, allowing a soft smile to spread across her face. She could feel the stir of feelings deep within her, awoken by the softer side of him that no one else, besides perhaps Rin, seemed to know about. Already having felt these feelings once before, she knew what they would eventually lead to, but paid them little mind. There was no way for her to stop them from developing even if she wanted to and at the very least, falling in love with Sesshoumaru would at least give her something to do during the long, cold winter.