Celestia [Sesshomaru fanfiction]

19

The first time I saw a sapphire was when I was seven.

Dad and I were walking along the boutique stores until the shiny gem, showcased by the window caught our attention. 

"What is that, Papa?"

 "Why. They're sapphires, sweetheart," he answered. "A special kind of gem. They glow so brightly, you wouldn't think they could be as shiny as gold! The deepest that would make even the ocean jealous, holding secrets and treasures far greater than its own. And you know what?" He picked me up so that I could get a better look at the heart-shaped necklace. "It reminds me of your beautiful eyes." I would have given anything to see them glow like sapphires. Now, all I wanted was to rip them off.

It must have been a few hours since I ran away, but the glow hadn't stopped. I tried everything – splashing myself with water, scratching my eyes till it hurt – but nothing stopped the glow. I slammed my hand into the pond. Crying was no use, either. I wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't go home like this; not unless I knew I was safe to be around anyone.

"Yuna!"

Kaede's voice echoed strongly through the forest. I was almost shocked by the sheer clarity of it. For an old lady, she had the lungs of an opera singer. I tried to sneak away, but the second I moved, her head snapped straight towards me.

"Yuna!"

"Don't come any closer!" I told her. Seeing her close to death at the demon's clutch was still fresh in my mind. Maybe that's why my eyes couldn't go back to normal. I was still afraid even though he was gone. "I don't want to hurt you..."

"Oh, sweet child..." Kaede lowered her voice to a soft tone — the kind my grandmother used to calm me down. "You don't have to worry about hurting me, Yuna. Or anyone, for that matter."

I shook my head and retreated deeper into the bush when Kaede tried to reach out. "You don't know that," I said. I didn't even know I could kill a daiyokai, let alone incinerate one.

"My eyes," I tried holding down the tremor in my lips. "They won't stop glowing."

"You are in shock, Yuna," Kaede calmly replied. "But it's alright. The threat is no more; you saved us! You saved me."

That still wasn't enough to convince me to get out.

"You saw their faces." The sheer look they gave when they saw me kill Mr. Centipede. Windows of fear opened wide for me to see. And the look on Kaede's face was enough to confirm it. She couldn't deny that what I had done, though incredible and powerful, terrified her people. Was she scared too?

"Please, just leave me alone."

"No." She looked at me with strong eyes, unbent by my persistence. "I promised your sister that I would look after you, And I gave you my word to teach you how to harness your powers." She took another step closer. "You must not fear them."

Easy for her to say, I thought. She was a Miko – destined to harness her gifts for good. She had a sister to look up to — a mentor who understood the walk of a priestess.

"Why do you insist on helping me?" The question slipped through my tongue. It was a stupid question to ask, but I may as well continue. "You hardly know me." I didn't even know I was anymore.

Silence swept through the forest. Kaede's eyes softened, her lips forming a thin line. "Because I see myself in you, Yuna." The old lady planted her knees on the ground and folded her arms together.

"I was never meant to be the Miko of my village. That duty belonged to Kikyo's. As the second-born, I had no strings attached to myself. I was free to be whoever I wished to be." Kaede avoided my eyes then, swallowing hard before continuing her story.