The Path of Forgiveness

Disclaimer: Not mine, honestly. The O.C. are though.

Sesshomaru was momentarily stunned by Takara’s bold action. He was aware of Rin’s giggles and not entirely sure how to react in a way that wouldn’t upset his young ward. Yet Takara had to be put in her place. ‘Not that she would stay there,’ he mused to himself. Strangely, he wasn’t angry at her. He reached out and captured two slender wrists in his large, strong hand. His long, tapered fingers easily wrapped around the offending appendages. His tail dropped from her hands, the mirthful gleam never leaving her eyes.

Kagome realized she had stopped breathing. She had just met Takara and she had to go and upset Sesshomaru. ‘Doesn’t she realize how dangerous he is? I haven’t even gotten to learn anything yet.’ With those thoughts echoing in her head, she looked down at Rin, who was giggling. An idea formed in her head. She leaned over to whisper in Rin’s ear.

Sesshomaru noticed the miko lean over and whisper something in Rin’s ear. His ward nodded enthusiastically. The two females got up; almost identical mischievous looks on their faces as they approached him.

“Oh, no…” Takara started squirming in Sesshomaru’s iron grip as some sort of silent communication passed between her and the other two girls.

Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed as the two females approached, wondering what they were up to. He pulled Takara in front of him, her arms above her head, to use as a shield in case he was their target. The position they were in on the floor would be difficult for her to get out of. Her back was against his chest and his bent leg kept her from moving to the side. With her hands captured and being held above her head, she was trapped. Sesshomaru smugly smiled inwardly. He had managed to subdue her.

His victory was short lived as Kagome split off and moved to his left while Rin remained headed almost straight at him. With his back against the stone wall and Takara practically sitting in his lap, he was trapped himself. Unless he let go of the demoness, but that may be what they wanted and this was all a ruse to get him to free…

He didn’t get to finish the thought before the two females lunged at him. Well, more like over him. Apparently Takara was their intended target; they started tickling the trapped girl mercilessly.

Kagome was lying across his left leg and Rin was between the two women. Sesshomaru was trapped. At least he had taken his armor off and removed his swords before this all started. Takara was struggling even harder now, she would have hurt herself on the spikes. He would have been covered in blood as well as three giggling females and not amused.

Jaken watched the entire scene unfold in slow motion, panic bubbling up inside him. He knew that some how this would become entirely his fault.

Sesshomaru knew he should put a stop to this behavior, but it was so rare that Rin had a chance to act her age. He knew it would tear her up if she thought she had disappointed him. That was not acceptable. With that decided, he remained silent, holding the demoness for the other two to torture. Besides, this seemed a more fitting punishment than what he could come up with at the moment.

Soon the giggling trio collapsed, exhausted, against the demon lord. He released her wrists, letting his hand rest on his knee. Takara wiped the tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. Rin was still giggling between gasps for air and Kagome was trying to catch her breath while she tried to figure out why Sesshomaru hadn’t killed them all.

The Taiyoukai looked down at the three females heaped in his lap, a feeling of contentment washed over him. Their three distinctive scents mingled together, tickling his sensitive nose and a feeling of protectiveness mixed with the contentment. He could almost hear his father chuckling at him.


*************

Sango, Miroku and Shippo sat on the floor of Kaede’s hut watching Inuyasha pace a rut into the dirt floor of the small room. The inu hanyou was not taking Kagome’s decision well.

Sango had decided several minutes ago that if he didn’t stop soon, she was going to make him; the pacing was getting out of hand. She didn’t care if he did it outside, as long as she didn’t have to watch him any longer.

“Inuyasha, would you please stop it, or at least take it outside,” Sango pleaded, trying to keep her temper in check.

“This is all your fault, you know,” Inuyasha snapped at the demon slayer.

“My fault?” Sango questioned, feeling her ire raise. She was really wishing that she could use the subjugation beads right about now.

Miroku placed a calming hand on Sango’s shoulder. “Now Inuyasha, how can something be her fault when there is nothing wrong?”

“Come to think of it, monk, it’s your fault too.” Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed at his friend. “If you hadn’t encouraged her and Sango had trained her, she would be here now!”

Miroku and Sango exchanged looks. Inuyasha’s ears twitched apprehensively, he knew what those looks meant.

The monk and slayer both looked at Inuyasha, the same expression on their faces, a perfect imitation of Kagome’s.

“SIT!” They both yelled at him simultaneously.

Inuyasha’s furry white ears flattened against his skull in response. Automatically, he braced himself for the painful meeting with the floor he associated with that word. When it didn’t happen he opened his eyes and realized that he was sitting on the floor and his two friends were trying not to laugh.

Shippo snickered. “Looks like we don’t need the beads.”

“Shut up, brat!” Inuyasha growled, storming out of the hut, leaving behind the laughing trio.

******************

A deep red maple leaf somersaulted across the damp ground, the first indication of the changing season. A long ghost-like serpentine creature skimmed along just above the tumbling leaf. Clutched in its six appendages was a white glowing sphere. Another one gracefully flew through the air above that one. A third one danced through the tree limbs, its path indicating that it wanted to be seen.

Kikyo stood under Goshinboku. She had sent her soul stealers out to be seen by Inuyasha. She closed her eyes as the souls were absorbed into her earthen body. She held her hand out as one of the snake-like creatures flew under it, brushing up against her palm.

It didn’t take long for Inuyasha to arrive. She looked at her past love indifferently as always. She couldn’t understand why, with a flesh and blood reincarnation so close, that he still came after her. But that wasn’t why she wanted to talk with him.

“Inuyasha,” she greeted calmly.

“Kikyo,” he replied, starting to reach out for her and stopping.

The dead Miko looked out longingly at something only she could see. “It is time for me to leave this world.”

Inuyasha swallowed nervously, remembering his promise. “But Naraku, we haven’t found him yet and the sacred jewel…”

Kikyo smiled thinly, it never reaching her dark eyes. “Naraku is dead and the jewel is no longer my responsibility. That passed onto another.”

Inuyasha didn’t hear the last part of her statement. “How do you know he’s dead? Miroku said that when his wind tunnel disappeared it felt like the energy was being pulled back and we found husks of two of his incarnations.”

One of the soul stealers landed on her out stretched hand. With her free hand she started to pet it. “I too found the husk of an incarnation, Kana. Naraku and I were inexplicably connected through Onigumo’s soul. When Naraku died it freed Onigumo. My soul is now at peace.”

“But what about the sacred jewel? Can’t you stay until it’s found?” he pleaded.

Kikyo looked at him with as much sadness as she could muster. “I feel nothing but cold, the cold of the grave. I can not feel anything, the summer breeze or the cold spring rains. This is nothing but a shell, Inuyasha, a shell that never should have been. And now, I have a chance to be free. Would you curse me to this unfeeling existence?”

Inuyasha fought the tumult of emotions that threatened to erupt. He desperately wanted to beg her to wait until they had the jewel, then she could be wished back to life. They deserved that much from this hellish adventure didn’t they? Then that part of his brain that sounded oh-so-much like Kagome told him that it would be a selfish wish.

Kikyo watched the emotions play across his features, and waited.

“But I can’t go with you to Hell right now; I promised Kagome we would find the sacred jewel.”

Yes, that was the reasoning she was waiting for. His way of asking her to stay without admitting any emotional connection. One thing she had learned on this most unexpected return to the living was that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both had issues with emotional situations. “And it is for Kagome that I am releasing you from your promise. She risked her own life to save me when she could have just as easily let me die. I can not begrudge her your help.”

Inuyasha knew his jaw was hanging open and the only way to close it was to speak. “You…you release me?”

Kikyo nodded slightly, her eyes glazed over with a far away look. “The hatred in my soul is now quiet, I can finally rest.”

Inuyasha suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around the priestess. “I will always love you.”

Her soul stealers slowly vanished one at a time “It is time for me to leave, Inuyasha.”

He released her, hurt by her lack of response. As she walked off and slowly disappeared into nothingness he knew that there would never be another woman he would love as much as Kikyo.

**********************

Sango had decided to practice some with her katana. She barely used it and was becoming rusty. She had Shippo create several illusions she could practice on. They had just stepped out of the hut when she spotted Kikyo’s soul stealers. Not long after she spotted a figure in red headed off after them.

She was angry. She knew of the ‘just friends’ agreement between Kagome and Inuyasha, but that didn’t mean Kagome didn’t have feelings for the hanyou. The slayer knew that her friend had agreed to it because she was afraid that once the jewel was found and destroyed she would be trapped back in her own time. Inuyasha, however, was ignorant of her reasoning.

Sango looked over to where Miroku was sitting under a tree watching her and her anger dissipated a bit. When she had thought him dead, she was certain that she would never love another in this life time. Maybe it did take forever for a heart to mend.

Inuyasha wasn’t gone overly long, and when he returned he had a very sullen look on his face. His ears were also drooping a bit.

Sango destroyed the last of Shippo’s illusions and put the katana back in its scabbard. “What’s wrong?” She asked jogging up to the dejected hanyou.

“Kikyo’s gone,” he answered softly.

“Gone as in went to collect more souls or as in permanently gone?” Sango inquired.

“Gone permanently,” he answered.

Miroku walked up, hearing the conversation, his eyebrows drawn in concern. “Why would she leave with Naraku still on the loose?”

“The bastard is dead. She didn’t say how, only that she felt it through some strange connection she had with Onigumo.”

“What happened to the sacred jewel then?” Sango looked slightly alarmed. “If something was strong enough to take out Naraku and take the jewel, we may have a bigger problem on our hands than we thought.”

“We need to get Kagome and start looking for it then,” Inuyasha ordered.

Miroku shook his head in disagreement. “No, she will need her training now more than ever. With Naraku gone we may lose Sesshomaru as an ally. His only reason for the uneasy truce was revenge on Naraku.”

Inuyasha growled. “We don’t need him any way.”

“Miroku has a point, Inuyasha. Everything is quiet right now. It won’t hurt to let her stay until Sesshomaru sends for us,” Sango suggested.

Inuyasha shoved his hands up the arms of his fire rat haori. “Feh.” He hated it when they ganged up on him like that.

Sango’s expression softened a bit. “I’m sorry about Kikyo.”

Inuyasha smiled a bit. “I’m glad she’s gone. At least now I know she’s at peace.” He looked over Miroku, who was uncharacteristically fidgeting. “What’s wrong, Monk?”

“Nothing, I just need to go meditate and…um…say some prayers for Kikyo’s departed soul,” He hurried away from the others, mumbling to himself.

“That was weird,” Inuyasha commented.

Sango said nothing as she watched Miroku walk off.

Kakunou hissed mentally as he walked away from the others. This would not do.

Miroku laughed at the possessing entity’s dilemma. It was his turn to gloat, and he wasn’t about to let it pass.


*************
Two swords clashed together with force enough to shower both combatants in sparks. The smell of ozone hung in the air as Sesshomaru and Takara stood toe to toe.

“You have improved somewhat,” the demon lord commented.

“Wow, a complement, I’m impressed,” Takara huffed out. She always hated how composed he was in combat.

“No, merely an observation.” Sesshomaru used his greater strength to force her away from him and followed it up with a flurry lightning quick strikes.

Takara winced as the flat of his blade hit her squarely in the side. That was going to leave a mark.

“Your defense is still lacking, however. You are dead.”

“If you find me so lacking, then why did you hire me to train your Miko?” She slapped his sword away, taking a ready stance for their next bout.

“She is not ‘my’ Miko,” Sesshomaru corrected, watching her posture for an opening. “Your skills with a sword are adequate to train a human. Some of your hand to hand techniques would be useful to her as well.”

“Then why didn’t you punish us for touching you last night?” Takara asked innocently, closing in on him. If she could only get close enough…

“I did not wish to upset Rin.”

A triumphant grin spread across Takara’s face. “So you do care about the young human girl! I knew it.”

Sesshomaru did not reply. He knew anything he said at this point would only make things worse. Takara had managed to snare him in one of her verbal webs. He glared ice daggers at her. Switching the angle of his sword, he disarmed the infuriating woman in one graceful move. Her new sword landed, point in the ground, several feet away from her. He leveled the tip of Tokijin at her neck. “Do not speak as if you know this Sesshomaru’s motives. Next time I will kill you.”

Takara raised a dark arched eyebrow. “And then who will train your Miko?”

Sesshomaru ignored the bait this time. After sheathing Tokijin, he tossed a large bag of coins at her. “Take Rin and the Miko into town. I am sure there are things you will need to begin her training. Rin also needs a few new kimonos. Get what ever it is the three of you will require for an extended stay here. Take Ah-Un as well.” His orders given, he turned on his heel and headed back to the decrepit castle.

“Yes, my Lord…” Takara acknowledged catching the coins. ‘Great, now I’m the errand girl,’ she sighed inwardly.


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