Full Summary:
Someone has been stealing gold for the poor and the people of the feudal era are naming this unknown hero the Obsidian Butterfly. One who flutters through the fingers of one's pursuers like a butterfly and protects those in danger with a sword that flashes obsidian in the moonlight. The Taiyoukai of the West is not pleased that his father's sword, Tenseiga, has been stolen by this so-called Obsidian Butterfly and will stop at nothing to retrieve his rightful possession and yet, why do all the clues to finding this Obsidian Butterfly lead the his half-brother's wench? Just who is really underneath that meek and gentle face of hers?
Disclaimer:
I do not own Inu Yasha so stop throwing those lawyers at me; however, I do own this story and I hope you enjoy it to your heart's content.
Warning:
I have rated this fanfic T because there is quite a lot of blood from battle scenes. Therefore, if you are weak hearted, please proceed at your own risk.
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And now, with all that said and done, let us begin. I would like to welcome you to this new story called Obsidian Butterfly. Enjoy!
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Obsidian Butterfly
One
Proudly brought to you by Kei Taiho Productions
She flipped into the air and landed without a sound behind a tall woman. Silky hair streaming about her like a black cloud she lunged to the side, just barely avoiding a sword slash meant to wound her right arm.
Crouching slightly, she slapped the back of the woman's sword hand with her knuckles. Maintaining her momentum, the girl glided towards her and seized both of her hands in a tight grip, raised her arms over her head and twisted them to the side. Smiling, she stepped behind the woman's right leg, forcing her to stumble as she applied knee pressure to her elbow to free the sword from her grasp.
In just less than a minute, the tide of the fight had changed current and the raven-haired girl had the sword in her hand with the tip pressed to her opponent's neck with just enough pressure to make her freeze in her place.
"I got you, sensei."
"Alright then. You clearly showed how well you can disarm an armed opponent. Demo…" Her sensei gently pushed the sword away from her throat and stood up. "Let's see how well you can handle a sword."
Unsheathing another sword, the woman lunged forward and brought her sword in an arc to meet the student's sword with a clang as she brought her sword up in defence. Taking on the offensive, the student shifted her position to dance around the sensei in a complex sword dance.
The woman met her attacks fluently and as she raised her blade to block a strike aimed at her neck—that was never to come—, the raven-haired girl took advantage of her sensei's distraction and quickly switched her sword to her other hand to sweep it towards the woman's knees.
Caught by surprise, the sensei stumbled in her attempt to leap away from the oncoming blade and landed on the ground with a thump and a grunt. Grinning with victory, the student swept the fallen sensei's sword out of the way and once again, placed the tip of her sword at the woman's neck.
"I believe I have you floored, Mitsuki-sama."
Mitsuki stood and smiled wanly at her student. "I'm proud to say that you have graduated from this academy of sword fighting as the top swordsman! Congratulations!"
The said girl smiled. "Honto?"
The woman nodded. "My dear, you have reached a level beyond comprehension. Your speed seems inhuman and your technique with the sword is something I have never encountered before. I have never seen such accuracy and lethal swordsmanship, Kagome!"
"Arigato gozaimasu," Kagome sheathed her practice sword and bowed deeply in gratitude.
ooo0ooo
Kagome flung a shampoo container into her large yellow bag and glanced around her room.
She tapped her chin and then nodded in satisfaction. "Yup, I think that's it."
"How did the test go today?" She turned around to see her mother standing at her open doorway with clean fluffy white bathroom towels.
"Great! I've graduated as the top swordsman!" Kagome exclaimed happily.
Her mother smiled proudly. "Congrats, dear! But—oh! Are you leaving already?"
"Hai, okaa-san," she replied and picked up the heavy bulging yellow bag from her bed with ease. "I'll try to come back in time for Souta's birthday so save me a piece of cake, ne?"
Souta, her little brother, stuck his head into the room and stuck out his tongue at his sister. "Iie! I'll eat it all up before you get back, onaa-chan!"
Kagome growled playfully at him. "You do that and you're dead meat."
He dove behind their amused mother and peered around their mother's apron. "You're cruel, onaa-chan." He pouted and glowered at his grinning sister.
Kagome winked. "But would you love me if I wasn't?"
"Humph."
She laughed and then turned to their mother. "I'm going now, okaa-san," she said and kissed her on the cheek. "Ja ne."
"Be careful, hun!"
"Hai!" Kagome waved over her shoulder and ran down the stairs and out the front door. Sliding the wooden doors open, she stepped into the well house and leapt down the set of wooden stairs that greeted her.
With a smile, she jumped into the well and disappeared in a flash of bright blue light. Landing lightly on her feet, Kagome inhaled the sweet fresh air of the feudal world, 500 years in the past of her modern world. She sighed and began to climb out of the Bone-Eater's Well.
With a small 'hup', she flipped herself over the rim of the well and adjusted the straps of her backpack. Suddenly, she stiffened before relaxing as a small orange blur whipped towards her. With a laugh, she swept her adopted son into her arms.
"Okaa-san! You're back!" Shippou exclaimed and giggled as his surrogate mother tickled his stomach.
"Hai, my little one."
"It's about time too, wench. What took you so long?" growled a gruff voice.
Kagome turned to face a grumpy looking hanyou and frowned. "Inu Yasha," she said in a warning tone, "what did you just call me?"
The hanyou, being the stupid Inu Yasha he was, snapped back, "Shut up, wench and get a move on!"
"Osuwari."
!Bam! Kagome turned with a contempt smirk and walked past the cursing hanyou. After a couple of steps, she paused and decided, just for the heck of it, to say it again. "Osuwari."
!BAM!
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The next morning, the group of shard hunters were on the move again and had just stopped for some food at a village near the borders of the Western Lands.
"Ne, Inu Yasha, what's with that big crowd?" Kagome asked and pointed at the large gathering located at the village square.
"Feh, who cares?"
Miroku spoke up, "Let's take a look, shall we?" And led the group—excluding an irritated Inu Yasha—towards the crowd of villagers.
"Excuse me, but what could all this fuss be about?" the houshi inquired the closet villager.
The man turned around and gave him wide eyes. "Have you not heard? The Obsidian Butterfly has struck again!"
Miroku frowned. "The Obsidian Butterfly…?"
Another villager turned around. "Hai! He's our hero!"
"Why 'Obsidian Butterfly'?" Sango asked.
"Eh? You don't know?" the two villagers chorused at the same time.
"Would she be asking you if she did, bakas?" Inu Yasha grumbled and folded his arms across his chest.
"Osuwari!" A loud thund accompanied this innocent word as the hanyou's face became acquainted with the unmerciful dirt ground.
Kagome smiled apologetically. "Gomen, he's just a little grumpy today."
The villager waved the apology off and spoke, his voice taking on a storyteller's tone, "Someone has been stealing gold for the poor and people are naming this unknown hero the Obsidian Butterfly. One who flutters through the fingers of one's pursuers like a butterfly and protects those in danger with a sword that flashes obsidian in the moonlight and thus, the name 'Obsidian Butterfly'."
As the group of shard hunters left the celebrating village, Sango turned to Kagome. "This Obsidian Butterfly is something, ne?"
Kagome nodded and forced herself to smile. "Hai."
Later that night, stormy blue eyes sprang open and Kagome surveyed the surroundings around the campfire. Her sharp eyes took in the sleeping Sango curled beside a purring Kirara, the snoozing Miroku leaning against the trunk of a tree and the snoring Inu Yasha perched up on a tall thick branch above her head.
Stealthily, she slipped out of her warm sleeping bag, careful in avoiding jostling Shippou and risking him to wake. With a silent incantation and a muffled dim burst of pink light, Kagome stood, grabbed a bundle from her yellow bag, and quietly left the campsite.
Slipping from shadow to shadow, the raven-haired miko dodged overhanging branches with practiced ease. She slowed as she reached the edge of a clearing deep inside the woods and closed her eyes. A pinkish glow surrounded her as she opened her senses to her environs.
After a while, she opened her eyes and smiled. Nothing dangerous was near her and no one had followed her trek through the woods. Alas, it was time to answer the call of the moon.
A smile still upon her face, she reached up and unhooked the golden necklace set around her throat. Instantaneously, a gust of warm wind swirled around her lithe body.
Her eyes closed once more and the golden necklace held in her hands began to glow. Black hair lengthened to stream about her like a mysterious mist, soft as silk and as dark as midnight. Her attire changed from her school uniform to long loose black robes with delicate complex gold embroidery. Nails grew to claws and with a shimmer, three purple raindrops surrounding a dark-blue upturned crescent moon etched itself upon her forehead.
Lastly, her eyes slowly opened to reveal startling emerald eyes. Kagome smiled as she experimentally flexed her claws.
"It's nice to be in my true form again," she spoke aloud to herself. Even her voice had changed to a soft musical lilt. She tied her hair back in a high ponytail before leaning down and unwinding the bundle she had brought with her to reveal a sword encased in a black scabbard and a black silk scarf. She tied the scarf around her face but left her eyes unmasked. Straightening, she secured the sword to the side of her waist and smiled, fangs glinting under the moonlight.
"I think I'll have a go with the Taiyoukai of the West this time," the Obsidian Butterfly mused and sprang into the air. She smiled again as her long ponytail whipped behind her like a black tail.
'Being a youkai certainly has its advantages,' she thought, trees flashing past her in a blur as she sped past them. 'Not only that,' —she sniffed the air— 'these heightened senses are extremely welcome to ward off dangerous and unwanted attentions.'
Kagome abruptly came to a halt and crouched wearily behind a tall tree. Speak of the devil, there were three youkai up ahead and—wait—was that human blood she smelled? Curse it! Why can't demons leave humans alone? Just what is so fun about torturing humans and killing them? She growled and sprang into action.
Stepping out from the shadows of the trees, Kagome came upon a sight that made her usually calm blood boil with fury. Two young children were cowering behind their young mother who was clutching her bleeding arm. They were surrounded by three large snake youkai who were advancing upon them with sinister leers.
"Ne, what do you think we should do with the 'kaa-san?" one of them hissed.
Another slithered out his tongue before replying, "Kami, their fear tastes so good…"
The last, who seemed to be the leader, hissed, "We'll deal with the kids first. Their meat will give us the energy to ravish their okaa-san…"
One of the children sprang from behind their injured mother to stand protectively in front of her and angrily shouted, "Don't you dare touch her, you monsters!"
"Kukukuku," the first youkai sneered.
The second giggled in a sickening way. "Oh, feisty now, are we?"
The leader smiled, his long poisonous fangs dripping with venom. "Yes, little boy," he said. "Monsters we are."
Kagome decided that was enough and spoke in a harsh voice, "Ones that will perish if they do not depart at once."
The three demons turned around and laughed. "What can a little-wee thing like you do to us?"
"This is your last warning. Leave."
The leader glanced at his two comrades before turning to hiss at Kagome. "I suppose we will have to eat this one here too, wouldn't we?"
The other two youkai nodded. "Twould be a pleasure to shut this one up."
The leader turned back to face her. "And that would be our answer to you."
The Obsidian Butterfly narrowed her emerald eyes that glinted lethally as she ripped her blade out of its sheath. "Then you shall have a taste of my sword."
She sprang into the air and with an elegant twirl swung her sword in a crescent arc to be greeted with a scream as one of the snakes was unseamed from head to scaly tail. She smiled, emerald eyes gleaming as she leapt lightly to the side and parried a blow directed at her stomach.
Rushing forward, she flipped into the air and somersaulted to land behind the second hissing youkai. Crossing her blade in front of her, she crouched as a scaly tail whipped by above her head and then stood in a blur to behead her second opponent.
Shadowed sword dripping with the dark green life-blood of the two slain youkai, Kagome turned her sharp brilliant eyes upon the remaining threat, the leader.
The youkai hissed angrily and grabbed the wounded young mother. He held her in front of him as a human shield and sneered. "Nani?" he taunted, ignoring the feeble punches from the female in his grasp. "I have the okaa-san. What will you do now?"
The dark shape standing in front of him did not reply and lowered the bloody sword to point the tip at the ground.
"How pathetic," he smirked. "You would risk your life to save this human wench?"
Unexpectedly, a furious gust of wind whipped around him and the masked figure crouched and raised the shimmering blade that glowed obsidian in the moonlight.
"You!" the snake hissed and dropped the struggling woman from his arms. He slowly began to back away in terror. "You're the Obsidian Butterfly!"
The cloaked figure did not respond and stalked towards him with deadly intent clearly visible in those narrowed emerald eyes.
"Who are you?!" he spat. "You smell neither demon nor human! In fact, I can't smell you at all!"
"You should have taken that into consideration when I warned you to leave," the black figure answered. "Now it's too late for you to run." The Obsidian Butterfly swung her sword and slashed the quivering youkai in two. The light in the demon's yellow eyes dimmed and winked out of existence as he slumped over to sprawl in a bloody heap on the forest floor.
Kagome stepped back from the corpse and automatically wiped her blade clean on its clothes. She turned and with a single fluid movement, sheathed the obsidian sword. She walked over to the three trembling humans and knelt slowly in front of the young mother.
"How fares your wound?" she inquired, keeping her voice low in order to deceive them into thinking she was a man. Being known among those human and youkai alike, it was safer to pretend being a male and since the Obsidian Butterfly only appears after the sun sets, it was safe to say, with her loose black robes and the night to cloak her, that it was unlikely her true gender would be discovered. That was, if she did not get in close contact with anyone in this form.
The woman shivered in fear and responded in a quivering voice, "I-I'm f-fine."
The two children placed their hands on their mother's shoulder and glared defiantly at Kagome. "What are you going to do? Kill us too?"
The Obsidian Butterfly turned bright emerald eyes upon the children and said softly, "Iie, little ones. I am one who only kills to protect those in need. I would never lay hands on children and on the injured. Rest assured."
The young mother glanced up at the end of her sentence to look hopefully at her. "Arigato," she murmured before hunching over her bleeding arm in pain.
Kagome reached out and gently placed a gloved hand on the wound. A soft pink glow appeared under her palm and seeped into the injury. A few moments later, she removed her hand to reveal a perfectly healed arm without so much of a scar.
The woman stared at her arm, dumbfounded. "Arigato gozaimasu!" she whispered in awe. "I did not know the Obsidian Butterfly had the power to heal!" She gazed at the cloaked form kneeling in front of her and shyly asked, "Are you a priest?"
The figure stood and turned to leave. "You could say that."
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The Taiyoukai of the Western Lands flipped his wet silver hair over his shoulder and scrubbed the grime off his body. He had just returned from another tiresome trip from surveying the borders of his lands and was currently rinsing the road off of himself. He dunked himself one last time under the steaming water and came up hot and clean.
Sesshoumaru stepped out of his bath, wrapped a towel over his lower half of his gleaming body, and bended slightly over to let his long hair fall over his shoulders. He wrapped his pale long clawed hands around his hair and twisted to squeeze the water out of it. Abruptly, he stiffened and sped to the sliding doors leading to his private chambers.
He flung open the doors and growled at the sight that greeted his amber eyes. Standing there, beside his bed, was a cloaked figure bending over his swords. Brilliant emerald eyes stared into his as the figure smoothly straightened with one of his swords in hand.
The taiyoukai was a silver blur as he sped towards the intruder and whirled around in barely concealed surprise when his outstretched hand gripped empty air. His golden eyes narrowed dangerously as his lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs in a snarl as he caught sight of the dark figure who stood crouched on the railings of his balcony and to his fury, gave a small salute before disappearing into the night.
Sesshoumaru was just about to lunge after the audacious thief when he paused to look down at himself. Growling, he silently admitted defeat for the moment when he discovered that he was clothed in naught but a small towel around his lower regions and even if he was to dress properly now, the thief would be long gone.
He stalked over to the side of his bed and his golden eyes began to tint with red when he realized that the sword stolen was none other than his father's sword, the Tenseiga. Furious, he slammed his fist against the wall, uncaring that he had created a small crater in the process.
Sesshoumaru growled and began to pace around his chamber. How did that little thief escape his grasp when none other could match his speed?! Who was he?! And how come he had not sensed him before it was too late?! And that scent…it seemed so familiar…He caught something from the corners of his eyes and stopped to bend down to hold up a long black strand of hair.
He brought it to his nose and carefully took a whiff. Jasmine and vanilla…now he knows for certain that he had smelled this scent before. The problem was he could not recall whom this scent belonged to.
Going over to his wardrobe, he dropped his towel and donned a white kimono with red patterns and a golden sash. He tied his armour securely around his chest before he turned to bellow in a ringing voice. "Jaken!"
A little green toad youkai scrambled into his master's chamber and prostrated himself at his lord's feet. "What do you seek of me, milord?"
Sesshoumaru snarled. "How did a thief get past the guards set around the perimeters of the castle?"
Jaken looked up, his large bulging eyes widened in shock. "Mi-milord?"
His master glared icily down at him. "Tenseiga was taken while I was bathing."
He gasped in disbelief. "That can't be true, milord! Did milord not sense the insolent thief?!"
The taiyoukai growled in warning. "It was too late by the time I sensed the intruder. This one had concealed himself well."
Jaken was speechless. A thief had stolen a possession of the great Lord Sesshoumaru? Oh Kami-sama! The world must be coming to an end!
"Jaken!" Sesshoumaru frostily said and held out a black strand of hair. "Take this and have Yui decipher some clues to which it might belong to."
"Milord?"
Sesshoumaru glared at his servant. "I will not say it again. Now go!"
The little green toad scrambled to his feet and bowed. "Right away, milord!"
The Taiyoukai of the West turned as the doors to his private chamber closed behind Jaken, his golden eyes intent on the starry night sky. "Be warned," he said quietly under his breath, "Those who take what is rightfully mine will eventually die by my hands." He turned around and walked out to have a 'heart-to-heart chat' with the guards that were on duty tonight about letting a little thief slip through their defences...
ooo0ooo
Kagome gave a shuddering sigh of relief as she touched her clone on the forehead to release the spell. After a few seconds, the duplicate shimmered softly and faded from sight. Crawling in, she settled herself down comfortably and softly zipped up the side of her sleeping bag.
Shippou snuggled unconsciously closer to her and wrapped a small hand tightly around her finger. Kagome smiled gently and cradled her son against her chest. She closed her eyes and thought back of what had happened a few hours ago.
The miko felt herself flush as the image of a half-naked Sesshoumaru appeared in her mind. That smooth skin, the muscular chest and arms and those dangerous golden eyes…She shivered, burrowed deeper into her sleeping bag and blushed. Kami-sama, he was hot!
Kagome glanced at her yellow bag sitting innocently beside her and wondered if the taiyoukai would be coming after her prize hidden in that bag. She stifled an unlady-like snort and rolled her eyes. Of course he would! This was Tenseiga she had stolen from him!
She closed her eyes and struggled vainly against the blush that threatened to resurface again. Damn it! Why can't she get that sexy body out of her head?! The miko enjoined her mind with slight difficulty from that particular path and thought of the three snake youkai she had killed instead.
If she had wanted to banish the thought of Sesshoumaru and his hot body out of her mind, she couldn't have picked a better choice of thoughts than she did. Just thinking about those three snakes was enough to make her blood boil with rage again. Kagome resisted the urge to growl and her brows furrowed in concentration.
Those children she had saved would probably have nightmares for a long time after seeing those baka demons slain in front of them. Not only that, there was definitely going to be talk about the Obsidian Butterfly tomorrow. She sighed lightly. It was already tough enough sneaking night after night to help those in need but it was getting difficult to hide the truth from her friends.
Kagome sighed again. She wanted to tell them, but knowing Inu Yasha, who she will quietly admit, even after four years have past and she was now nineteen, she still had a crush on him. She mentally shook her head. It was impossible for the hanyou to return her feelings since he mated with the clay-pot Kikyou two years ago. Even with that knowledge made clearly to her, she was still finding it hard to let him go. On the outside, she may seem accepting of his choice and even wishing him happiness with that hateful woman, internally, she was weeping at the betrayal she felt.
However, ever since she discovered that she was a demon of a rare race when she turned eighteen, she had been letting all her pent-up feelings out by protecting those who needed help. Although she knew she could trust both Miroku and Sango, she also knew that they were extremely bad actors. Knowing them, they would be doing the shifty eyes and the constant knowing glancing directed at her and even baka Inu Yasha would sense something was amiss.
Shippou, she could not tell since as a young child, it was likely that it would slip accidentally out of his mouth and the truth would be revealed.
Why didn't she want Inu Yasha to know the truth? Kagome sighed. That was pretty easy to answer. One, he would be angry that she kept it from him in the first place and would be sulking about it for over a month. Two, he would undoubtly report it to Kikyou since she was his mate and knowing Kikyou, her number of times she subtly tries to murder her reincarnation would sky-rocket. Three, he would freak out and would be jealous of her full youkai blood. Four, he would freak out. Five, he would freak out. Six, he would…The point seemed to be clearly made.
Kagome sighed. She seemed to be doing a lot of that tonight. Ah well. What's done is done. All that was left was to ignore the feeling that something significant would happen tomorrow. She frowned and pushed that uncomfortable feeling aside. Cuddling closer to her softly snoring son, the miko slipped gently into the world of dreams.
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And here is the end of the very first chapter of my new Sess/Kag fanfic. I hope you liked it and mayhap you could advise me of how to continue the story by reviewing, ne?
Ta ta for now!
