Kagome was in pain. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move and couldn't think. No, scratch that, she can think. But thinking made her feel stupid but she did not, could not and will not, regret her decision. She can hear another lengthy lecture from Sesshoumaru about recklessness. No, rather, she could feel his displeasure inside her. Wait...inside her?
She instinctually focused inside and saw what could only be Sesshoumaru's energy mingling gently with hers, nudging and tugging at hers with a patience and urgency. She suddenly realized that she has too much of it, too much that it's breaking her inside. She could die...
She could die...
Sesshoumaru's energy began to push instead of nudge and pull instead of tugging. Kagome shook off the cold realization of dying and quickly guide her energy to follow Sesshoumaru. Like her, her internal energy was stubborn to a fault. Scowling mentally, she poked and prodded at the mass of power until it began to move. Sluggishly at first, then the pace picked up and suddenly they were flying through.
They go faster and faster until the storm inside can no longer be stopped...
Sesshoumaru breathed easier once he could feel that the excess energy being properly regulated independently by Kagome. The Great Fairy Fountains had helped with purifying the impurities within her, allowing slow access to her power that she then clumsily pulls to use against the numerous enemies across Hyrule. But the burst of purifying power was like poking a needle point hole and then pushing the large mass inside out. The first burst was always the most powerful but then it began to slow to blocky trickle.
The potency of Kagome's power was high that if other priest's power was water, hers would be akin to sludge. Thus making her control even worse than those with lesser power. The only reason she was able to use her ability so far was part instinct, part luck. The rest was pure force and desperation, which also made her unable to depend on her power.
But when she adsorbed most of the attack aimed for Link, her internal energy was agitated. Calm spring that was suddenly flooded and breaking past the barriers that contain them. He had seen the aftermath of those who had too much too suddenly. It never ended well for them. Even great masters had been rendered useless and crippled when handling power beyond their capabilities.
...and Kagome was no master of her own...
As explosion rocked the air, he opened his eyes to find Link managing to subdue the beast long enough that it had to stop and allow him aboard. Pride swelled in him for the boy's merit, but a sting of irritation grated at him for being unable to best the inorganic beast. He shoved that aside, knowing that this was the moment to move so he turned his gaze to the young Chief.
She looked relieved but tense. Warriors blood runs through her vein, pumped by her little heart and he knew the siren call of battle that her people answered to were hard to ignore. Especially if that battle meant the protection and wellbeing of her people. But she knew her limit, the importance of her presence with her people and her own capability. She cannot face the beast.
She noticed him standing, holding up the slumbering exasperating but precious Priestess, and she knew what he wanted as she called out to her personal Sand Seal and they began to move just as the conquered beast started once more.
Sesshoumaru laid Kagome down on the bed within the stone building of the lookout post. The young Chief has decided to watch over Link within the Divine Beast of her ancestor above, even if duty prevented her from being by his side. The Gerudo guard stood at her position by the window, eyes ever watching but he knew that she's aware of him and Kagome behind her.
Link appeared right outside the door by night fall, crashing through the door of the stone building with shaking muscles as the amount of electricity he had endured inside Vah Naboris wrecked through his body. The Voe Set helped took off the worse of it, but extended exposure accumulated over time and Link had to come back. He coughed and Riju appeared behind him, enquiring after his wellbeing and once Link settled down, questioned about Vah Naboris.
Link looked at Kagome as he settled at the foot of the bed. Sesshoumaru still kept his hand on her shoulder, continuing to guide her until her body become used to the movement of the internal energy. Riju assured Link that she's doing much better, "I don't know what your friend did, but her complexion has regained its vitality. She also breathed easier...but she has yet to wake up,"
Link knew what she was worried about and waved his hand, "It's alright. I am still unfamiliar with the physics of Sand Seal shield surfing. Should have kept in mind that such a sharp turn would throw me out of bound. You have done your best at keeping us all safe,"
Riju bit her lip, "If I'm older...maybe I could make the shield larger..."
Before Link could say a word, Sesshoumaru's baritone took over the conversation, "For your age, the perimeter and size of the shield are impressive. However, if you continue to put yourself down for this once incident, then it might impede on your future progress,"
Link nodded, "What he said,"
Sesshoumaru, having taken on the teacher mode, continued, "Thus, use this experience and this failure to grow. You have the technique down as well as the skill to use it, all that is left is growth and experience," He looked at her with his gold and silver gaze, "Take today's failure as a lesson for tomorrow's success,"
Link nodded, "He's right. Don't put yourself down too much,"
Riju studied the two Voe warriors before her before realizing the wisdom in their views. What had happened wasn't just because of her age or lack of power, but because of certain things beyond her control. And if she hung on too much on what happened today, she might never move forward. Moving forward was a scary choice but a necessary growth.
Link then began to take out a roll of papers and a bottle of ink along with a battered but still serviceable quill. He turned on the Sheikah relic and what appeared to be a very precise drawing of Vah Naboris structure appeared. He ignored her curious study as he focused on something regarding the drawn Vah Naboris, four lit up sections taking up his concentration.
The group said nothing more as Link seemed to mumble, turning the drawing around and around. Riju decided to ignore the finer process of the Sheikah Slate as she knew nothing about Sheikah technology beyond the history of how Lady Urbosa becoming the pilot of Vah Naboris and her subsequent demise within it during The Fall. Slowly, after watching Link fiddle around with picture for a while, her eyes grew heavy.
She felt herself floating and saw Sesshoumaru putting her beside Kagome, Link telling Sudrey that she doesn't have to leave her position. Once she recognized Kagome's scent beside her and the warmth of her body, she snuggled close. Although Buliara's a great guardian and a greater bodyguard, she's incapable of being affectionate due to her awareness of her position and duty towards Riju.
Everyone's too aware of her status as Chief yet at the same time could not see her as more than their beloved mascot. When she was younger and her mother's alive, Riju did not mind being coddled and fawned over. But being a Chief was hard when everyone wanted to treat you as a child because it simply meant that they could not take her seriously. So Riju started to put on an image of the perfect leader, keeping everyone and her peers especially at an arm's length.
So when she heard about Kagome, she was curious. Being a Vai born outside Gerudo meant that she's unfamiliar with their customs or their fond view of Riju. But she never had a chance to satisfy that curiosity until she heard news of Kagome leaving Gerudo with her recently awakened friend. Then she came back...and Riju found in her a kindred spirit unlike any before...
Link smiled at the sight of the two snuggling together, "She's really fond of Kagome...and vice versa,"
"Hn,"
Link knew better than to continue talking once Sesshoumaru fall back to his grunt, it will never end and only Kagome was stubborn enough to poke and prod at him until he properly speak to answer her. So he returned to his new puzzle named Vah Naboris. After a moment, he grunted. On the rolled out paper, he had drawn as much as he can remember of each section inside Vah Naboris as he can. The structure of Vah Naboris was by far the most complex and confusing of the Divine Beasts.
With Vah Ruta, it took him awhile solving because he was unfamiliar with many of the contraption and the way to read the map of the three dimensional structure as well as manipulating the Divine Beast to help him solve the Terminals. After that it was easier for him, although for Vah Rudania he almost fall right into the lava of Death Mountain due to the positioning of the Terminals. With Vah Medoh, he had better grip on the way of solving the inside of the giant puzzle called Divine Beast, so solving and getting to the Terminals was faster and easier.
But Link was confused by Vah Naboris. What was down can be up and what was once up can suddenly be down. He thought he had learned to read the structure of a Divine Beast but Vah Naboris left him stumped and scratching his head.
"What ails you?"
Surprised by Sesshoumaru's sudden enquiry, Link looked at him and sighed, "I'm completely stumped," He started explaining which then turned into ranting as he pointed at Vah Naboris and how its inside moves.
Sesshoumaru have studied the inside mapping of Divine Beasts before and was befuddled by the extensive complexity. He had once showed interest in puppetry, a passing phase in his younger years where he dismantled as many puppets as he can get his hands on. But what he understood was each component was necessary and has its own purpose. His Sire had only indulged in his curiosity because it will help him see the army as one mechanism with many components. What at a glance may appear unnecessary might have a greater purpose in the whole system.
But try as he might, he could not see why some part within the Divine Beast is necessary for any use other than to get in the way of Link reaching the necessary Terminals...
He finally suggested something that he had never did, "Perhaps two pairs of eyes would be better than one,"
Link blinked, "You think so?"
Sure, Sesshoumaru and Kagome had been a large part of this journey. They came forward when Link on his own couldn't. From the Vah Ruta to Vah Medoh, both Kagome and Sesshoumaru had been the one to pave the way for him to board the Divine Beast. When Link had been too sick, Kagome had helped with Vah Ruta out of the goodness of her heart. With Vah Rudania, due to concern the usually indifferent Sesshoumaru had chanced the proximity of something so tainted by Ganon despite his ill compatibility before it could reach Goron City. Then with Vah Medoh, Sesshoumaru had stepped forward once more, lending Link his unorthodox flying skills so he could reach the sky where the bird shaped Divine Beast reigned.
Now both his friends stood beside him and he almost get himself killed had it not been for Kagome reckless protection of him. However none of them ever made it aboard. Kagome being too tired for Vah Ruta, Sesshoumaru too affected by Death Mountain with Vah Rudania and then helping an injured Teba with Vah Medoh.
Link considered his suggestion. In a way, this will be the last leg of their journey before facing Ganon and helping Zelda. After this, he assumed that Sesshoumaru will work all of them to the bone before rushing Hyrule Castle. Even now, he often listen to Sesshoumaru talking strategy, especially after he heard that Link had managed to sneak into the castle as well as unearthing a Sheikah Shrine by the castle's dock.
Link had already been scolded by both Kagome and Sesshoumaru for that stunt. But when they were apart, he was...lost...and so utterly alone that he tried anything to ignore the loneliness gnawing his inside. Twilight helped alleviate some of that pain but it was nothing like true companion. For some reason, Link often felt that Twilight would leave one day.
Shaking heavy thoughts away, he smiled, "Sure. Maybe this will help you and Kagome," Because she would come after them should they leave her behind, "to gauge out Ganon. This is just 1/5 of him, as we all know,"