Original Priestess by mythicamagic

Chapter 1

AN: Another old Halloween tumblr prompt bc if it's posted here it's not lost on my blog x This is the last one, ily guys for putting up with my random oneshots.

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Kagome wandered down the street with Souta, smiling as her younger brother jabbered on about the number of candies he'd gotten. It felt nice, spending time with him. He was around that age where he'd become reluctant about trick or treating with his sister, conscious of his 'image' but at least this year they'd had a great time, staying out until the sun had long since set on the horizon, the skies dark and cloudy.

She'd felt a degree of guilt for spending so long in the Feudal Era, missing out on all his studies. At least some good had come from the well closing despite her subsequent misery.

Glancing up, she inexplicably caught the eye of a man stood on a street corner. The artificial light above cast dark hair in a luminous glow, his unnaturally still figure unsettling the miko. A thrill of warning raced down her spine.

Adjusting her costume, Kagome frowned as they walked by. Hadn't she seen him earlier? She was sure of it. Down the street. And again by the bus stop.

A cold prick of sweat broke out on the back of her neck. Creep.

Were they being followed?

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Souta blinked up at her.

She quickly shook her head, not wanting to scare him. "It's nothing."

Luckily the shrine steps could be seen ahead and swat him lightly on the back. "Race you to the top?"

Souta rolled his eyes, before breaking into a sprint with an impish grin. Gasping, Kagome laughed and hurried after him. "Cheater! I didn't say start!"

Her brother bolted up the seemingly endless stairs, while she hesitated on the 10th step, choosing to stop. Catching her breath, Kagome turned, finding the man stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up at her.

It was only then that she clicked, exhaling in a rush, heart pounding loudly in her ears. "S-sesshoumaru?"

The hair, eyes, ears and clothes were different, changed by centuries into something more befitting a demon posing as a human. Nonetheless, he still possessed the same regal tilt of his chin, that direct haughty stare.

He inclined his head, dark eyes bleeding into molten gold and roving down her outfit.

"W-what are you doing here?" She squeaked, reeling. What had been two years for her must have been at least five hundred for him. "I mean I'm glad you are, it's great that you survived! But why didn't you just come up and say hello earlier?"

Instead of following us like a stalker, she didn't add, too overwhelmed. She didn't think it was normal to feel so elated about seeing the murderous demon again but the joy couldn't be suppressed.

Sesshoumaru merely observed her, tilting his head. "This one was trying to remember where I had seen that outfit before. Now it is obvious; you are dressed as the priestess Midoriko."

Kagome felt her cheeks blaze red, fiddling with the secures of her make-shift armour. "You…knew her?"

"No, merely seen paintings."

"Ah, well I found her kind of inspiring. You're the first person to know who she is, everyone else thought I was cosplaying a character from a game," she smiled sadly, padding down a few steps to him. It felt surreal, seeing him again after years apart. She wondered what it was like for him and if she even mattered. If he'd thought of her at all over those long years.

Sesshoumaru stayed still, rooted on the spot. "Why are you dressed like her?"

Kagome blinked, wondering why he seemed to care so much. There was so much more to talk about than her silly costume. "It's Halloween. I'm pretending to be an amazing priestess with incredible power who fought off hoards of demons. She inspired so many with her skill and sacrifice, of course I'd want to be her."

Golden eyes flashed, thin, cruel lips pressing into a grim line. "Foolish."

"H-huh?"

He tossed his head, sneering at her in an achingly nostalgic way. "You do not need to pretend to be her in order to possess those traits. They are yours. Forgetting such a thing is weak and beneath you."

Kagome's breath halted, her world off-kilter suddenly. He was…complimenting her? What the hell had happened to him in those centuries apart? And why was her heart racing?

"That's…I mean I-" she trailed off, feeling too alive and awake suddenly. Like he'd knocked the dust off her memories dulled by present day life. That's right. That was who she'd been.

"Hey, KAGOME!"

She jolted, turning on her heel to look up the vast stretch of white stairs to see Souta waving at her from the top, probably wondering what she was doing. Waving back, she glanced at the demon lord, before boldly stepping closer and grabbing his hand. "Come on, silly. It's been years since we've seen each other and you're talking about outfits. We've got catching up to do."

Tugging, Kagome gave him no choice but to follow her. She didn't really have cause to touch him so freely, after all, he'd been an ally, not a friend. But their shared experiences and memories wouldn't allow for shyness.

"Perhaps you have not forgotten," his quiet silky voice floated into her hearing. "It seems your audacity has not changed, foolish miko."

She smiled to herself, wondering at the softness of his tone as they walked up the shrine steps together.

End