A/N: Hello I know I have been absent for a long time and I have two other stories but I couldn't help but place this first chapter up. . I am addicted to writing. Sadly my home computer is having trouble so this will come slower than ever. but please enjoy what I have and review I'm in desperate need of support. ^-^ enjoy please.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the InuYasha characters that will appear in this story but I do own my original ones.
Chapter One
Her eyes opened slowly, their dark grey depths graced with the sight of the forest across the field. Her brow furrowed only slightly in confusion. The last thing that she remembered was ascending the stairs to her room, prepared to study. She must have fallen asleep. 'A dream, that is what this is.' she thought wistfully, her gaze sweeping the clearing in contentment. Then her gaze fell to herself. She was dressed in her most comfortable clothing, not what she had been wearing. Her dark blue flowing skirt used for her concerts and her black flowing shirt, also used for concerts. She could feel that her ebony hair was loose, trailing in the grass. How long had it been since her hair had been down? She couldn't remember the last time she had let it loose besides to wash. By her side was her side pack. Her gaze lingered on it. She had not seen that pack in years, she knew her mother had burned it. But there it sat. Curiosity got the better of her and she reached for it, pulling it into her lap and opening it, wondering what was in it. Her art tablet was there with her small box of drawing utensils. She shifted them, continuing to look. A stack of her sheet music was there, music that she had written, and shared with no one. Then her eyes landed on the last item, a first aid kit box.
She was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of a child's scream of fear and pain. She sat there for a moment before slowly rising. Her skin was almost deathly pale, even with her days in the sun. She worried not of burning, she never had. With measure steps she followed the sound. 'A peculiar dream indeed.' she thought as she entered the forest. She could hear voices now. Three men, adults, and the whimpers of a scared child. This enraged her, though she betrayed none of it. Children were the last innocence in the world, no one should ever hurt them. Then she was upon them. She came from behind the child. The men didn't see her, until she spoke, her voice devoid of all emotion, detached from that a human's voice should be. "What, do you think you are doing?"
The girl straightened and looked over her shoulder at her. Her voice sounded like her lord's, but not as deep. The woman was a sight to behold. The sun was setting, casting the sky afire and there was a gentle breeze slipping through the trees, the perfect spring evening. The winter had been hard and it showed on the men's faces as they looked at her in awe, but none of said harshness appeared on the child's face. Her empty grey eyes continued to stare at them, as if she was studying them. But there were a pair of eyes, studying her with much more interest than she was showing the men. The girl's dark eyes stared up at her in wonder and awe.
The image that she presented to the men, was a frightful one. Her skin was flawless and her hair twisted gently in the wind. Her pale face was as blank as a stone as she looked at them with blank grey eyes that reminded them of sky when the rains came. "I asked you a question." she said, her voice even, not making a move to come at them. "Gomen ne sai Kami-sama, but the child is disgrace to ningens." the apparent leader said as he bowed to her. 'Kami-sama am I?' she thought to herself in slight amusement. Her gaze flickered down to the child at her feet. The small thing looked up at her with large brown eyes that seemed to hold so much life to them. She raised her eyes to the bowing men. "What could she have done that has disgraced her to your kind?" she said. If it was a Kami they thought of her, then why not give them a Kami? "She has defiled herself by associating with youkai." the man said with an angry glare to the small child who winced, but glared back at him.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, the only show of anger that came from her as she stared at them for a moment. "Her choice of traveling companions is none of your business. You are the ones who are defiled. You dared to harm a child. One of the few innocence that is left in this world." She said, an edge creeping into her voice. The men looked up at her fearfully, taking a step back. "Leave." she said her blank voice echoing in the darkening forest. Her image had changed to them. The image that had once shown such beauty now held them in horror. The sun had lowered such that it cast a dark shadow across her face, but her eyes glowed eerily. "Gomen ne sai!" they cried as they scrambled away. The young woman and child remained there in silence until the woman kneeled.
"Are you harmed?" she asked her voice blank again. "I-ie, are you really a Kami-sama?" she asked in awe. The woman's eyes seemed to warm only slightly, but her face remained neutral. "Iie, I am as human as you are." she said, her voice slightly softer as her hand reached out to lightly touch her cheek. The child smiled. "I'm Rin, who are you?" the child asked cheerfully. "I am Namida. Come, you'll be safe." she said standing and holding her hand out to her. "I really should find my sama." the child said looking over her shoulder. "Come with me Rin-kun, if he is youkai as those men said, he will find you. It will be safer for you to stay in one place." she explained calmly. Rin looked down at her hands with a thoughtful expression and Namida watched her in slight amusement. "Alright." she said as she stood and took her hand. She looked down at the child for a moment before bending and scooping her into her arms. "You are bleeding." she said softly, lightly touching Rin's knee as she began to walk back to the clearing. Rin looked down at her torn kimono. "I just fell." she said with a small shrug of her thin shoulders. "Does it hurt?" Namida asked as they entered the clearing. "Hai, but I've felt worse." she said simply. A muscle twitched in her face, but she said nothing as she lowered herself to her seat again. "May I apply some medicine to it?" she asked gently as she turned Rin so that she was sitting sideways in her lap. "Hai." the girl said with a smile.
Reaching into her bag Namida pulled her first aid kit our and opened it. She paused for a moment, examining each object within. Then she pulled the anti-bacterial spray out and a small roll of bandages. "This will sting." she warned. Rin just smiled at her and held her knee out. The small child bit her bottom lip when the spray hit her bloody knee. "Ow." she whimpered. "Gomen ne sai." Namida said, her blank voice softer as she lightly touched the side of the child's head. Rin smiled at her. "I'm alright Namida-sama." she said brightly. She nodded her head before carefully wrapping the child's knee.
Sessho-maru looked icily down at the cowering ningen at his feet. He knew he should have never left Rin here, but he had, had no choice. "I will not repeat myself ningen." he growled, his voice so frozen and hard that it could have cut the man himself. "I told you, the Kami-sama came and took her." the man whimpered as he covered his head. A small growl was pulled from the back of his throat. He was getting really angry. "Sessho-maru-sama, please. That is the direction that she was chased!" His gaze rose to the elderly woman. She was the only reason that he had been able to bring himself to leave her there. He knew the woman, but not well. Her father had caused her family to be banished during his own father's rule. She had been only a child, but he had heard her speaking of her old home highly and of wishing to return. She had to qualms of his presence as her lord. "The onna has saved your lives. Jaken!" he called. "Hai m'lord." the imp squawked as he hurried forward and bowed to him. "Call Hinata and have the onna treated. Then, she may return to her home land with her family." he said as he turned on his heel. He heard the woman give a joyful sob as she fell to her knees. "Arigato Sessho-maru-sama." she cried into her hands. He glanced back at her to see her two daughters, both unwed, kneeling beside her. She had been beaten horribly by the men, and he was in simple terms pissed.
He walked into the dark forest. Night had fallen and he had promised to return to the small ningen child when the last rays of light were gone. Even though the sun was completely gone and the moon was no where in sight he was far blind. His irises expanded slightly, drawing in the light from the stars above. The forest was empty of ningen life. Slowly he scanned the area, searching. The scents of the forest greeted his nose. The rich earth to the light scent of dew that was forming on the surrounding plants. Then the scent of ningen's reached him. The men from the village and then Rin's. The men's scents were that of old dirt and sweat, but Rin's scent of that of wild flowers. He never understood why her scent was different from the other ningens, but it. He followed it and then the scent of her blood slashed through her gentle scent. He looked down sharply to see a little bit of blood on a root. As he surveyed the ground he knew that she was still alive. 'Her knee.' he thought before continuing, his stride slightly quicker than before.
Then he found himself in a clearing. It was empty except for a single fire and two ningens, one was the one that he was searching for. The woman before the fire had her knees pulled up and a stack of parchment bound in metal propped on her knees. Her head was bowed and her ebony hair pooled on the ground at her feet. But what caught him off guard was not the celestial appearance that she gave off, but the amount of reiyouki that he could see shimmering under her skin. He took a slow step into the clearing, but she didn't do anything. He watched her closely as he slowly came closer. He was no where near the fire when she finally looked up, her eyes meeting his. She stared at him with a blank look on her face. "Sessho-maru-sama I presume." she said, her voice soft as she looked up at him, the fire's light playing on her face. He took a step into the ring of light. "Hai, and who are you miko?" he almost growled. Surprise flashed through her eyes, but it was gone again. "My name is Namida, I am not a miko."