The Wrath and Beauty of a Garden

I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter 1: Anemone

It was a beautiful day, the sight brining Kagome near to tears. The sun rose lazily along the horizon, gracing her with the tender warmth of its rays. She took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp coolness of the spring air. She loved how it filled her lungs, giving her a cleanly feeling. The forestry that surrounded her and the hill she stood on swayed gently in the fresh breeze, causing some leaves to break off and drift away. Kagome wondered where they would travel once free, the constraints of the tree that held them in place no longer attaching them. Her eyes took in every little feature of the morning being born. The field of anemone cast its scent into the air and drifted peacefully in the breeze. The morning dew kissed their soft petals sincerely, then slid down into the recesses of the grass blades. Kagome knelt by one of the flowers hiding next to her feet, her dirt stained fingers caressing the velvety skin of the petal. She felt the pang of guilt as she watched the dirt from her fingers stain the white beauty .

"I still have your sincere love anemone flower, despite your soiled petal? I feel so guilty for ruining something so beautiful." Kagome lowered her head, the ears slowly pooling in her eyes and running down her cheeks. She quickly took in all her pain and held it inside her, refusing to let anymore escape. She rose, and walked away. It was the only moment in her life where she had the pleasure to taste the sweetness of freedom, despite it being trifle as it was. Only a bitter-sweet taste now lingered upon her tongue, the pain deeply masked in her heart.

~*~

The palace was amok with chaos. Servants scattered though every hall, windows were flung open to rush in the breeze, white dust-filled sheets were removed from the furniture that had been covered through winter, pots and pans clashed against stoves, and nook and cranny was scoured from the dust that had hidden there. One could hardly hear himself/herself thing through the entire ordeal of setting up residence.

The Lord of the manner had taken his senses and fled towards the comfort of a hunt while his wife was left to mandate the running of the household. The Lord and Lady of the now occupied palace were no ordinary people. The two were a pair of demons, whose forms held the gracefulness only humans dreamed of. The both had a complexion that implied the appearance of never venturing in the sunlight, while their red eyes shone like burning coals. Both where long limbed and quick creatures that held a harsh law of obedience toward their servants. It was widely rumored that the pair of youkai were an excelling breed of "Tsuchigumo" or "Spider", although no human had lived to tell the tale of seeing them in their true form. They had made it quite clear they were never to be confused with the lower breed of spider youkai that roamed the land when one of the serving boys commented about it with his audacity. Their appearance seemed entirely human, save for their superior abilities, few markings, pointed ears, long elegant hands adorned with sharp nails, and the eye color.

Through it all, what perplexed the servants and any other human alike was the girl that resided with them, honored with the title of "daughter". No one knew for sure if she was truly human or not, but most liked to think she wasn't due to the entire nature of the situation. For two youkai to have a human daughter… the idea seemed entirely ridiculous. The girl's name was Kikyo.

~*~

His hand clenched in a fist, his nails digging into the rough flesh of his palm, drawing tiny droplets of blood. He watched as they fell unto the dirt beneath his feet, staining the earth. His face remained as impassive as usual, sparing not the slightest sense of emotion. He could hear the words, but refused to fully process them, knowing they would only infuriate him more. Besides that, why take in something you already knew the nature of? It was pointless to listen when he knew what his father was saying.

"…I expect you to fulfill your duty, Sesshomaru."

The last words his father said hit him hard, no matter how adamant he was in attempting to ignore them. The old man was glaring at him with an intensity that refused to waver. He

"And you will take your brother with you."

Sesshomaru turned away, not saying a word. He owed no one anything, especially his father. The man had betrayed his kind and lineage with his sorry excuse for love. Love was a nonexistent factor in his world, and he intended to keep it that way. He didn't believe in the fickle emotions of humans. Only the low and hopeless harbored such emotions, thus it was far, far beneath him. His father even addressing the topic was audacious. There was only duty, power, and challenge in the world. His entire life was a conquest to challenge those worthy to be challenge, surpass the eternally great, and rise to new heights of supreme power. He would do his duty to his lineage by uniting with a woman and siring a child, and thus he would continue on his path. All emotion and trifle mannerisms excluded. His eyes gazed toward the swords at his father's side. Those swords were promised to him upon the completion of their agreement, and he intended to yield them.

~*~

Kikyo stood before the mirror, her image staring right back at her. Dark, straight hair was brushed neatly and sparkled against the paleness of her skin. Her eyes had a oak brown color to them, adorned with long lashes. From what was said, she had beautiful features, and was ever the gracious lady of the court. Her stained red lips turned up in a smug smile, as she admired herself. The days were flying by, disappearing into ghosts that only were condemned to the memory. In a few weeks time, she would be married to one of the greatest youkai of all time, thanks to her privileged parentage. She had never come to know the story of her birth, or how she came to have such parents, yet it didn't matter to her very much anyway. There were those who had taken her for a demon with a human form, guessing her true form was hidden deeply within her body, too powerful to come out. While others had taken up the notion she wasn't a youkai at all, but a human. Kikyo squinted her eyes in annoyance, dispelling the thought from her memory. Why should she care when she didn't even know the answer? The minutes were ticking by and she was becoming frustrated. Her serving ladies were scurrying somewhere else in the vast palace, attending to matters her Lady Mother had instructed to be of utter importance. Kikyo spotted movement from the corner of her eye and quickly twirled in that direction, her red and black kimono gracefully moving with her body.

"You!" Kikyo screeched, her voice hard and tinged with annoyance.

"Hime" the girl answered, bowing lowly, her eyes downcast.

Kikyo walked toward her, her body stiff and regal.

"Stand."

The girl stood with slight hesitation, but said nothing.

Kikyo cocked her head slightly to the side in curiosity. "Strange…this girl looks so familiar. Hmm… those eyes… then looked different." Kikyo's long, red elegantly lacquered nails grasped the girls face and lifted it to face hers. She could almost feel herself step back in a second as she registered the girl's face before her. She was met with eyes the color of periwinkle blue, which was a cross between grey, blue, and violet. It was a stunning color, which only enhanced her beauty. Kikyo was taken aback with a pang of jealousy, the emotion covering her heart like a incoming storm. She felt her hands squeeze the girl's face painfully, causing the girl to wince slightly, but say nothing. Kikyo's face remained emotionless, save for the fire brewing in her eyes. She flung the girl away, not bothering where the girl's body landed or the pain that would be involved when she collided with the floor, or possibly the corner of a piece of furniture.

"Fetch me some sake and rice, then wash down the chamber, rendering it spotless so that I may return with a more uplifted mood, understood?" Kikyo said, not bothering to even care if the girl answered or not. She knew the girl would do as instructed for she was a servant, thus having no choice in the matter. Kikyo glanced at the girl through her peripheral vision, devising thoughts in her head. It just so happened she had been quite bored with the passing weeks, and this girl, like a bird, had foolishly landed in her path, now rendering her open to a entire world of possible torture. Kikyo shrugged, it was the girl's fault for crossing her path and looking the way she did.

~*~

Kagome scurried off, her knees throbbing in pain. The thin fabric of her kimono did little to protect her body from the harshness of her mistress. She had been told to attend to the Lady's daughter naught a few days prior, and it was only today that she had begun her duties. It sent a jolt through her heart as she look in the look of Kikyo Hime. Her eyes bore imaginary daggers into her skin. Despite them being imaginary, she couldn't help but wrap her arms around her body as she thought of it. It truly felt she was being stabbed with the Hime's eyes. She patiently stood as her Hime ate then left, but not without casting the food unto the floor for Kagome to pick up. The tiny grains of rice scattered about the room. It would take her hours to pick them up. Kagome sighed patiently and knelt, beginning the daunting task of picking every single grain off the floor.

"Anemone, Anemone… I love you sincerely." Kagome sang, her voice drifting into the foreboding silence of the impeding evening.

~*~

A/N: I really wish I could keep writing, but this chapter is already long and it's the first chapter. This is another story I had the desire to write after reading a few fanfics with Kagome as the maid. I decided to try a hand at writing the same type of fanfic, yet keep substantial and noticeable differences. Like my other story, its not going to be a fun journey. I hope you enjoy and please R and R! I'll post the next chapter up sooner if people let me know how this one was! And this does not mean I'm discontinuing my other fanfic… I'll just be juggling two at the same time.

And if you haven't noticed, Anemone is a flower whose symbolic meaning in Japanese culture is "sincerity."

I'm sure you'll see the trend in the following chapters!

Love, Gabrielle