Desert Rose
All right, first off this came to me in a dream . . . kinda like my other crappy fanfic . . . which I have abandoned. Second: I am a huge Sess/Kag pairing fan . . . damn Single Spark. So know that the pairing is eminent . . . uh..I will be using some Japanese terms. Ill try to put a glossary at the bottom or something. I don't really expect reviews, but they would be nice. I really don't even expect many reads till later chapters when my story is something to read. Hell, I don't even read stories less than 40,000 words, but Im trying to break that habit. Anyway, enjoy this first chapter, may even put in a little skit or something at the bottom.
Disclaimer: As much as I wish I could, I don't, so no pestering me saying I think I do.
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Chapter One:
A wandering desert
Mounds of tiny coarse grains of sand rose up to meet the blazing desert sun. A rough wind silently blows past disturbing these mounds which could be easily mistaken for mountains. The sun's heat radiating off the ground in waves like water as the barren land seemed to scream for the very substance it emanated. Off in the distance of the harsh haze, a simple square figure surrounded by several tall rectangular figures made their way through the heat stricken land.
The rectangular figures came into focus to reveal that it was a caravan surrounded by wandering nomads who seemed to protect whatever lay inside the cart. The first on the right was a tall yet shapely figure. Cloth clung to its every curve depicting the shape of a woman. She was wound up tight in cloths that were slightly a dusty brown which protected her from the blazing sun, and the harsh scraping of the sand. Not an inch of her tanned skin was showing except that which encompassed a pair of sapphire blue orbs, and her fingertips that were sticking out of a pair of fingerless gloves. To her back was strapped a leather quiver, and in it, many feather adorned shafts of wood protruded from the entrance. The topmost part of a bow made itself known from the top of the quiver as well, with a string tightly strung to either of its ends.
To her left, it seemed she was accompanied by another female dressed similarly in what she wore, except from her back was strung a huge boomerang that looked to big for her petite frame to carry. A set of brown eyes peered out from her hole in her headdress that allowed her to see. They were set on a fire-neko, who seemed rather happy with the hot weather, with content as it towed the cart.
On the other side of the cart strode two men, like the women, dressed in the same fashion as to where only their eyes and fingertips were left exposed. The dress was more suited to their build though, and not so clingy. The first man seemed to have a body more like the women's, but was a bit taller than they were. To his back was strapped a purplish sheath that curved, and from the top was where the handle of this strange weapon could be seen.
Next to him was a man a bit taller and a bit more muscular then the first. On his back he carried nothing, but on his shoulder was slung an enormous bundle of cloth, and a handle was jutting out from the end where his hand rested on it to keep it balanced on his shoulder. At first glance, you could easily see the cloth cling to the edges of the item which defined the shape of it to be a sword. This sword itself looked much heavier than the boomerang, but both owners seemed to carry their weapons as if they were feathers.
Amid laughter could be heard throughout the group as they traveled along the invisible path to some unknown distant land as far as one could tell. The female with the sapphire eyes remained quiet, submersed in her own musings. She was quickly brought out of them when one of her male companions called out.
"Hey Kags, mind not zoning out on us, or do you just like to act as the sand does?" Said the male of a stronger build.
"Yeah, I was just thinking, you know. Something that I very well think you don't do very often Bankotsu." Replied Kagome in kind.
"Aw, that was harsh Kagome. Well at least I don't zone out like the desert has fried my brain." Mocked Bankotsu, who was eager to get into an arguing match with Kagome.
"Well one would think you would need a brain to fry if yours were to." Kagome smirked.
Her comment was a very low blow to Bankotsu's pride, but she didn't notice the scowl behind the cloth covering his mouth. After quickly regaining his lost composure, Bankotsu retorted.
"Geeze Kags, one would think you were the desert sun itself."
"How so?"
"Like the saying goes 'Every morning, when the sun rises, it kisses the land', but here in the desert it bites the land."
"So you're saying I bite, is that it? I rather not bite you, might catch your stupidity." Kagome smirked again.
Just then her other female companion bursted out laughing at the last comment saying "Kagome, you really are too smart for your own good."
"Thanks Sango for sticking up for me." Remarked Bankotsu in a sarcastic voice while rolling his visible eyes.
Slowly Kagome drifted back into her thoughts, thinking about how the day went earlier on the side of the desert that their backs were now to.
Flashback
They were in the desert city of Ghama, and they were on their routine trade route between this Southern Kingdom and the Western Kingdom. Here in the south, the lands were ruled by a spider-youkai named Soisho. He was always interested in what the small trading group had to offer from the Western Lord, Lord Sesshoumaru, whose lands were always prosperous in the dry desert.
Their caravan was one of the few that always made it with their supplies intact. Most of the wandering carts were lost in the desert storms, or lost merchandise to random robbers who decided that trader's cart would become their own.
Kagome was in the Southern Palace in her usual attire when she wasn't traveling. A simple pair of lavender pants that clung to her ankles and hips tightly while the pant legs flared out and back into the ankles. Barely any of her midriff was showing as her shirt loosely hung over her frame, hugging her curves here and there. The sleeves were see-through, but the top itself was not as it showed off her delicate tanned arms. A few silver earrings adorned her ears, and a golden necklace with a ruby set in the center rested gently on her neck. The whole outfit was stunning, and set off her sapphire blue eyes.
She had noticed as she traced the halls of the Palace that the Taiyoukai was nowhere to be found. Before she realized it, she was lost amongst the vast hallways. Whilst trying to find a way out, she stumbled on a cracked door with voices just above a whisper coming out. She stood up against a wall with her back to it, and used her miko powers to mask her scent. While listening, she thanked the Kamis over and over again for blessing her with these powers.
"What do you mean send him a cursed item through trade?" Said the first voice in a hushed whisper.
"You know exactly what I mean. If we don't remove Lord Sesshoumaru soon, we may never get the chance to get the lands which he so fiercely protects. You know it's in the pact formed among the four cardinal lands, if any of the presiding lords die without an heir, then the Southern Lands will be the first to receive the lordless lands. Knowing how heartless that ice prince is, he will never produce an heir in time if someone gets to him now." Came the second voice that sounded very familiar to Kagome when she heard it.
She nearly made her presence known when she gave an audible gasp. 'That's the Southern Lord, I recognize that voice anywhere, but why would he plan such a thing!' Kagome screamed in her mind as she made her way out of the castle with great haste when she heard the two cease in their conversation.
'I have to warn him before this plan becomes real!' Her thoughts raced on as she made her way back to the caravan to try to get out of this now dangerous land before the Taiyoukai decided to make his presence known.
Kagome came bustling back to the caravan amongst the market and made it known to the band of traders that their leave would come sooner than expected.
Wordlessly the caravan gave into her pleas and left the market without question, and started their retreat back to the Western Lands.
End flashback
So here she was, day two of traveling back after a few trades with the local market. They left without question, for fear they might draw the ear of a spy or two. A small sense of worry hung over them as they left since they did not acquire what their lord had requested them to bring.
With a few things sold, the quickly left the city, not wanting to stay longer than needed. Not to mention the Southern Lands were a bit of a slum in the inner city away from the Palace, and the stench of rotting flesh and human waste was unbearable, even for the nose of a ningen.
During their hasty retreat, they failed to see a cloaked elderly woman come up behind the cart and slip in a pendant that shone with dark malice, and swirled with corrupt black waves.
Bankotsu was now talking to the smaller man, Jakotsu, who was talking about all the recent battles they had faced on other trades out here. Kagome herself thought of the previous battles, but soon was brought out of her musings when Sango told them it would be dark soon and that they needed to set up camp.
They were about a days travel from the Western Lands, and about a half a day to get to the main city, Isala. Wether she liked the lord or not, her worried expression drove them to leave and allow Kagome to relay what disturbing information she had.
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A set of molten golden eyes scanned the pile of scrolls that nested in front of him on his mahogany desk. The pile itself was larger than the desk, and the man behind them couldn't help but wonder how in the seven regions of hell did the desk hold its own.
An inaudible sigh escaped his lips as he made a grab for the topmost scroll in the pile. Eyes quickly darting back and forth and finally reaching the end of the 2ft scroll. Slight scoffing came from him as he used his sharp nails as a shredder and sliced up the treaty that seemed more like a takeover ploy when it came down to the fine print.
The only thing he looked forward to was his traders returning with something better than his two prized swords: The Toukijin, and the Tensaiga. By preference, Toukijin was his favorite because of all the power it held, and he never could pay his merchants enough in his mind for finding this lost little treasure.
His other sword, the Tensaiga, was a mere heirloom from his late father. He didn't really care for the dull katana, but it had brought a little desert urchin into his life after he brought her back to life. He considered her his daughter, but no heiress to the Western lands.
He was abruptly brought out of his thoughts the second that said urchin, who now looked more like the little hime Sesshoumaru had spoiled her to be, broke in shouting.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama! Jaken-sama beat me over the head with his staff calling Rin an insolent whelp and other . . . " She lowered her voice to a hushed whisper with a tint of disgust in her tone "Bad names."
His sensitive elfin-like ears picked up the screeching of his retainer soon after Rin had burst in. As if on cue, Jaken bursted in through the door way in the study shouting in his whiny high-pitched voice "Rin! You insolent little whelp, who said you could disturb Lord Sesshoumaru!"
"Jaken." Said the lord in a manner so cold it could cool off the desert on one of its hottest days.
"Hai milord?" Asked Jaken shakily.
"I, for one, am not in the mind to deal with your nonsense. Leave now before I decide on which sword I should and shouldn't use on you." He answered in the same cold and distant voice.
Taking the hint, Jaken left with such speed, he merely looked like a little green ball dashing about. Sesshoumaru then set his attention on his giggling charge.
"Rin"
"Hai milord" Said Rin in a singsong voice.
"Please find something else to do rather than torturing Jaken."
"Hai milord!" Said Rin in the same singsong voice as she skipped out of Sesshoumaru's study.
'That girl will be the death of me' Mussed the stoic lord as he went back to his paper work.
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A small fire now crackled in the midst of a small group around it. On small sticks leaning in toward the fire, four lizards sizzled and popped now and then while their aroma filled the air with their enticing scent.
"Kagome" Sango broke what seemed to be a silence despite the noises of the fire-neko and the fire itself.
"Hm?" Came her terse reply.
"Just what were you doing in the Southern Palace, when you were supposed to be helping us down in the market?" Inquired Sango.
Visibly flinching, Kagome let out a heavy sigh. 'I knew this was coming.' "Ah . . . well . . . you see, Sesshoumaru-sama requested that I . . . 'pick' something up from Soisho." Said Kagome while choosing her words carefully.
"Ah, so you mean steal." Jakotsu piped in.
Kagome shot him an evil glare before returning her attention back to the lizards. They were finished, so she picked one up and started eating. The others followed suit soon after.
Just as she was about to take the first bite, Sango decided to open her mouth again. Ignoring the first part of her sentence, she took a bite, but then her attention snapped back to Sango when she asked another question Kagome knew was coming.
"...just why were we in such a big hurry to leave Ghama anyway, Kagome?" Kagome choked a bit on the piece of lizard meat before she could answer.
"Um . . . yeah . . . well about that . . . " She started recalling her trek to the Palace, and how the guards thought she was another concubine for the lord which allowed her easy access into the Palace. Then she told them how easily lost she became in the corridors. A slight snicker interrupted her story, but she shook it off and continued.
"You see, I heard the Southern Lord discussing plans on taking down Sesshoumaru-sama by giving us a cursed item to give him." Kagome heavily sighed "Not only in my haste after hearing the news, I completely forgot about getting the sword from Soisho's collection, but I think he caught onto my presence even though I had it masked."
With a tone of finality, Bankotsu stated "Well I guess that means we have to double our pace tomorrow, right Kagome? After all, just because we don't like Sesshoumaru, doesn't mean we shouldn't let someone else have all the fun in killing him." Joking a bit in the end.
"All right then, lets get some sleep, so we can head out tomorrow. Sorry Kirara in advance, but you're going to have to put in double the work as well." Stated Kagome, and Kirara meowed in response.
After putting the fire out and covering themselves heavily with blankets, sleep soon claimed the small tachi, and the cold steadily nipped at their exposed heads as the night went on.
Little did they know, a dark purple orb continued to swirl with malice as they all settled in for the night.
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SS: All right, finally,first chapter done, GO ME!
Sesshoumaru: About time pathetic human
SS:evil glare: Shove it fluffy.
Sesshoumaru: You will do well in remembering how to address this Sesshoumaru.
SS: Fine, fine...Hai Fluffy-sama
Sesshoumaru:evil cold death glare:
SS: Doesn't work -.-;
Inuyasha: When do I get to appear?
SS: Chill dog boy, it's only the first chapter, and I don't know how many people will read this thing. But if all goes well...maybe next chapter.
Sesshoumaru: I highly doubt that these people will read this piece of trash.
SS: Grr...I've had enough of Mr. Stick-up-my-ass over there...KAGOME!
Kagome: Hmm?
SS:whispers a few things:
Sesshoumaru: What are you scheming you vile wench?
SS: You'll find out next post Frosty.
Sesshoumaru:grumbles:
Kagome:laughing her head off: This is too good!
SS: Till next time peeps, and thanks for reading. Any tips? Sharing is caring. xD. Anyhoo, I realize I used a few name that might hint something. I don't own Zelda. Yes I see the irony in naming the Southern Land's main city that, and making their leader a Spider Demon...pfft. Here is the glossary, and Im out.
Hai- yes
Taiyoukai- Demon Lord (or so from what I understand)
Neko- Cat
Tachi- group (Not sticking with the original inu-tachi, I prefer to be a bit more unorthodox.)
Ningen- Human
Ugh, if you want to correct some spelling, or give me a few more terms (I know more than I let on) then do so, but not harshly. People, we all make mistakes.
Later