Pride & Power

Chapter 10: Repressed

Around her, cicadas chirped incessantly, plaguing the forest and Kagome's ears. If they weren't irritating enough, then the apathetic, unfeeling, stone-faced, despondent, arrogant youkai she so unfortunately found herself miserably following was. Kagome's mounting frustration in her inability to devise a plan to take the jewel gnawed at her like the infernal insects did the trees above.

If she were a more skilled woman, Kagome mused she could've attempted to lure Sesshomaru close using feminine wiles. Since Kagome didn't possess wiles of any sort, that option was best left alone. The idea of distracting him with lips, hips and hand slips was laughable, if dark humor was your thing.

Kagome mulled around the idea of faking an injury– more than once Inuyasha carried her when she wasn't fit to walk herself. With her arms around his neck it'd be easy to take hold of the jewel. However, Sesshomaru was not her beloved hanyou and she highly doubted he'd soil himself to carry a lowly human like herself.

A well aimed arrow would be enough to tear the string holding the jewel, but she'd be a goner before she'd have the chance to even grab the thing. In the past, Sesshomaru continuously proved that he had no qualms in killing her and realistically, dead women couldn't time travel. At that point, whatever horrors her mother probably presumed would become an actuality.

At the thought of her mother and the idea of her grief, Kagome's heart took on a dull ache. No mother should have to bury their child and while technically Kagome wasn't dead, it would only be a literal matter of time until she was.

Sniffing the air, Sesshomaru slowed his step. "I will return." he announced briefly before disappearing in a blur.

Blinking, Kagome's mind stalled at his sudden action, curiosity troubling her brow. Then with a light shrug, concern was discarded from her mind like the bag on her shoulder was discarded to the ground. "Great." she muttered. Hearing a bubbling brook, Kagome sighed inwardly. "Guess I'll fish then." she announced to the insects above.

The time away from him was much needed. It gave her time to think and focus in peace without the burden of his insufferable presence. On the subject of her jewel heist, Kagome thought, and thought, and thought, but few solutions to her problem rose. Sesshomaru was virtually untouchable, as was the jewel that hung around his neck. In every sense, he was a faithful guard dog and Kagome had no wish to test his bark or bite.

The only way she'd be able to get the jewel from Sesshomaru was if he was somehow incapacitated and Kagome could bet money that there wasn't a youkai or human alive who could inflict that much damage to the indestructible Prince of Dogs. The last person who could was his brother and dishearteningly, Inuyasha was no more.

Swearing beneath her breath, Kagome took aim at a tree rather than the water, firing several arrows in succession with hearty 'thwacks' sounding as stone pierced bark.

Sesshomaru couldn't be killed.

"Thwack!"

Sesshomaru couldn't be tempted.

"Thwack!"

Sesshomaru couldn't be punished.

"Thwack!"

Sesshomaru would never be brought to justice.

"Thwack!"

Everyone died for nothing and there wasn't a single thing she could do about it. A fish flopped in the water, Kagome took aim at the ripple, and with a rush of wind and a splash, the fish was dead. At the very least, Kagome would have a decent dinner for the day. A small comfort, but nowadays she took what little happiness she could find.

The Shikon Jewel pulsed behind her just as Kagome lit a fire to cook her meal. "You're back." she noted as she added more twigs to the flame. Clearing her throat, Kagome did her best to mask her frustration with honeyed cheer. If she drove him off with a foul attitude, then the jewel and her family would be lost.

"You were gone awhile. Is everything okay?" she asked, her tone a smidge brighter. Sesshomaru's feet padded softly atop the forest floor as he drew closer. Startled, Kagome turned her cheek in time to see a folded knapsack plop down at her side.

After a quick flinch, Kagome looked to him in curiosity but Sesshomaru had gone to sit against a nearby tree, his attention to the setting sun. Looking to the parcel, Kagome carefully unfolded it and upon seeing its contents, her breathing halted.

Within the silk kerchief, five oranges freshly plucked from a grove rested within it. Overwhelmed, Kagome was brought to tears; frustrated, grateful, hurt and everything in between. "Thanks." she whispered bitterly, wiping her face. "You shouldn't have done this."

And he shouldn't have. Clothes and oranges wouldn't replace the death of loved ones and wouldn't reunite her to the ones who still lived. His gifts proved more insulting than appreciative and if not for the fear of him abandoning her, Kagome would've shouted her indignation at him until her throat was raw. As it was, the best she could do was to grit her teeth and clench her palms.

Sesshomaru spared her a sidelong glance, his expression guarded and stoic. "I do as I please." he informed proudly, returning his attention to the sky.

"I'm sure you do." she agreed. Looking to the fruit beside her. Half of her wanted to throw it at his apathetic face in fury; the other half wanted to just throw it into the fire to prove a point. Neither action would foster a pleasant exchange so rather than insult him, Kagome took an orange in hand and peeled it.

The citrus misted her cheeks as she unwrapped it to take a wedge into her mouth. The pulp was sweet and with its flavor came equally saccharine memories of her mother, Souta, and grandfather. Often for dessert, the Higurashi family would sit outside eating oranges talking for hours about nothing and everything.

Droplets rolled down Kagome's cheeks like rain against glass; tears turned to sobs and sobs into wails muffled by her knees hugged against her chest. Her shoulders shook, her stomach cramped and all of her ached deeply for her family. No gift could ever console the sickness of her heart, nothing save the jewel itself.