Divine Law by sugar0o who lurks

Pride

An: sorry for the long wait... :3

Chapter 5: Superbia

The spider’s trick had opened his eyes to some degree on what he was to do about his situation with his pack female, the miko. Though, she was oddly cooperating with his standoffish, and stoic treatment a bit too much for his own liking. Since the incident when he had insisted that she accept his way of apology and her pointed refusal of his method, things had deteriorated to a low that Sesshomaru was not at all able to deal with. And it was only by some sort of miracle that he was able to even save face.

Things had gone from curt, and civil to just quiet, and dark. He refused to apologize to the onna, it did not matter to him that she had saved him from some fate at Naraku’s hands, as she had in the process defied her alpha and when he tried in his own way to apologize for it, like any male in this time, she refused it all, wanted more. Did she think he would willingly lower himself to say the words? He could not even say aloud that he did not wish to kill his sibling because he was the only male left in the Taishou line. Even thought he hated him!

He was just not that type of male. But now, now things were getting even worse then before. She was right when she’d said that she wasn’t worthy. No matter what he saw, no matter his opinion, his life was not his own, it belonged to the West, to his house, his people, to his lands. No matter if he wanted her, she could never be more then a passing fancy, a whim to last as long as her human life might allow. Yet he knew even then if they were aloud even that, her life would still be miserable. She was not the type of female that could lead a life happen as second, she had proven that fact dealing with Inuyasha, and the best she could ever hope to be in his world no matter her power, simply because of her race, was concubine, …mistress, …second.

Nothing more.

As such, and knowing this, hearing talk of servants and anyone that would speak their minds, having living through all that she had, the little miko had gone from talking to him politely to not talking unless she was forced to. She’d gone from sweet and innocent, to jilted and upset. Spending any time away from his forced presence and that of Rin to training for all she was worth. And she was worth so much, but she was not for him to be able to have, to look upon, to be with. Doing so had cost his father, and Sesshomaru did not have the luxury to afford such a feat in life, one mistake was all the West would ever allow. He sighed as he watched her. Her shoulders back, her muscles glistening, her face set in a mask like his own, as she fought with one of his generals that was willing to teach her anything.

She was such a proud being, but so was he. She would not accept him as a half, only as a whole, as she should only accept any male. He was someone in which she could never have, and so in rejection, she seemed to have pushed herself into why she was here in the first place, not in his life, or palace, or his pack, but because of the jewel.

The spider’s infiltration of his home and palace was a slap to his ability to protect what was his, and he had fortified everything since that time. He often wondered how easy it could have been, would have been for the spider to take different action, instead of targeting him, and instead taking the lives of Kagome or Rin. He did not wish to think about that so he did not. But looking at her as she fought his general and was doing a good job of it, he conceited at least in thought that pride was a blasphemies thing. And if he could only have his way, forget the royal blood that flowed in his veins, forget everything and oh, but for once in his long life, live for himself he would ask her forgiveness, and take her as his own. Never to let her go, and always to cherish as she deserved.

But that could not be.

He was daiyoukai, lord of the Western realm, prince of all inu’s, and she was a maiden brought through time to fix errors made long before her birth, her destiny was not his to write, or to claim. He was proud of her then in that moment that if nothing else she seemed to be able to push it all away, and work towards her ultimate goal, even if that goal might and probably would take her away from him. Even if in the end they were nothing more then souls that greeted and acknowledged one another never to be one as they both so obviously felt, or at least had felt, it would be as it was meant to.

He sighed.

Perhaps it was better that she distance herself from him, and he did the same, soon the end of these days of shards, and spiders would come, and where would that leave them. He would still be daiyoukai, lord of the Western realm, prince of all inu’s, and she would still be the maiden brought through time. They were not meant for one another in the here and now. He could never give her his all, ever, and one day he would be forced to take a mate, would it be in her lifetime, would he be forced to make her second before he was even ready or willing to do so? No, it was best that this had happened that he could not and would not do such things to her.

If he did, he would be no better then his brother, and that was a dishonor he could never afford.

.

Kagome threw herself into everything to make it so that no one would have to protect her, she did not want to be weak, did not want to be a burden. She was worthy, …she wanted to cry. Thinking, saying and doing were all so very different, and by pushing him away, and taking her chance that she should haven taken when she first fell down the well she was forcing herself to grow up, to look past her selfish wants in life and do what was best for them all. She had not been brought to play house with an unruly hanyou or his uppity daiyoukai brother. Whatever the kami had brought her back to the past for, her priority was the jewel.

She had shirked her responsibilities for too long, and was now taking steps to see that it finally be reclaimed and put to rest. When it was all over, she’d look around then, and see what was left to do. For now, she would make herself as strong as she could so that when people one day looked at her, they would not see a weak girl but the Shikon no Miko. Powerful, strong, independent.

Unbreakable.

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Pride - (Latin, superbia), or hubris, is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and indeed the ultimate source from which the others arise. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self.

AS PER WIKI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins#Pride

Word count ~ 1200

EndAN: So at this point i'm not sure if that one hit the nail on the head,b ut the idea is that they are both too pridful to bow or bend to oneanother. Kagome cant and wont allow herself to be second and he cannot bend to follow his heart. at least thats what i was going for. again un-beta'd. ~ r0o