Disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The Alien characters and movies are not mine either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

This story (and an infinity of variations on the same theme) has been with me for years now, first in my head, then when I took all the storage space available inside it I put it on paper. This story is me; it is mine, except for all the characters and scenes that belong to the genius mind of Rumiko Takahashi and the Alien saga. Without them you and me wouldn't be here, reading or writing all this fantasy work, but the original characters and situations described here are my own. Especially the dark-skinned one…

This story is some sort of a crossover, since I used many parts of the Alien movies to build the main original character as well as some of the events. However, the action happens in the Inuyasha realm, just about the end of the anime, and it kinda follows the storyline of the manga. So be warned if you haven't read the manga, there will be spoilers. There will be love, there will be lemons, probably highly unexpected ones, but I like to take my time both in life and in my fantasies lol

All reviews are very highly welcome, even polite negative ones. This story is already tightly woven and half way done with hundreds of thousands of words so if there are needs for changes I need to know it right away to make the corrections... So here it comes, I hope you enjoy it!

Angelus

Under the morning sun an unusual scene was unravelling. A dog taiyoukai known by the name of Sesshomaru was flying toward the south on a cloud of youki, a small kappa stuck to his long fur pelt like his life depended on it. In fact it did, for they were flying high and fast, and the small water youkai sported no wings. A two-headed dragon steed was following them closely, his saddle empty. The strangest element of the scene was the presence of a young, seven or eight years old human girl, curled in the sole arm of the said youkai, shivering, sweating and breathing with great difficulties.

Sesshomaru was angry, and worried. Angry to be worried by this human child. Angry against himself for not being able to detect the first signs of her disease. Doubly angry against himself in fact for not being able to alleviate her discomfort once he noticed the problem. And angry against his half sibling's miko, who could do nothing for the child.

He lowered himself to speak to her two days earlier, after knocking his half-brother out of consciousness. The hanyou, brash as always, attacked the taiyoukai before asking for the reason of his presence. Kill first, ask questions later was his philosophy. He was unlucky that day though, as Sesshomaru was not in the mood for a long mock-fight, but things turned out for the better when Kagome "sat" him just before he got hit square on the head by his older brother's fist, lessening the impact on his thick skull and rendering him unconscious instead of… dead.

The young miko recognized the signs of sickness upon Rin's exhausted face, unstable posture on her steed's saddle, coughing and very laboured breathing and went directly to her, not waiting for explanations or demands from the taiyoukai who brought the child. For that, he was grateful, as asking for help was not something he was used to. Instead he found himself under a blitz of questions: for how long was it going on? Was she in a fever at times? Did she loose weight? Did she spit out blood when she coughed?

Indeed she spit out blood when she coughed, that was the first sign that made him worry, the first time that the stench of internal illness reached his nose. He had seen humans coughing out blood, he had smelled this foul odour before, and it was never a good sign. For the last weeks the child had also been progressively loosing weight, despite her being very proficient at finding her own food. He went so low as to hunt for her and make Jaken cook her meat when she became even weaker, but it never made her any better. She now looked like a tiny skeleton, much the same way she looked two years ago when she started following him. And shivering of fever she did, mostly at night, but now it also happened in daytime.

Kagome seemed shocked by his revelations, and instead of giving him instructions and maybe handing him some herbs or remedies, she started to spout strange words. "Tuberculosis" she said, "hospitalization", "fluid therapy", "sanatorium", "intensive care unit" and something like "antibiotics". The more words she said, the more defeated she sounded. He understood way before she said the words "incurable" and "fatal disease" that his ward's days were numbered. For good. He was gone before the miko realized it, the child in his embrace.

So there he was, angry and worried, attempting something he never thought he would have to do. Maybe he should let nature take its course, after all he always had Tenseiga at his side if the worse happened. But then, the sword had a mind of its own, deciding who would be revived and who would not despite his own desires, and he would not let a sword decide about the life or death of his ward. He descended slowly, as the child in his arm was growing weaker every minute that passed, and landed in the mountains in front of an old, worn-out shrine. A group of monks was waiting for his arrival, having sensed him moments before, but when they saw the child their animosity and fear lessened, replaced by genuine concern.

Without uttering a word they led Sesshomaru through the shrine to a cave descending deep into the mountains. As they started their descent, memories of his younger days came back to his mind.

Hundreds of years ago, when he was but a mere pup just starting to have control over his youkai heritage, his father brought him here, in this very same cave. The monks were absent though, as was the shrine and the steps, but the cave that led to the heart of the mountain was there, slippery, with a very low ceiling and difficult to navigate but present nonetheless. Accompanying them was a terrible snake bandit who plagued the western lands with his crimes for years before being caught and poisoned by the Dog General. The creature, carried within one of his Father's pelts, was on the verge of dying but he could hear its rasped breathing and the erratic beating of its heart.

They descended for what seemed like hours in his young mind, using their highly trained senses to distinguish their way. Soon a luminescent moss started to bring life to the damp, cold place and a terrible scent of rotting carcasses and unnamed things came to their sensible nose, making the young Sesshomaru falter in his steps. Steadied by his strong father's grip on his shoulder, the youkai child fought against his instincts to flee and continued forward.

Moments later they came at a stop before a most intriguing sight. They ended up in a large oval room, surrounded by stone pillars in between which many secondary, smaller tunnels were departing, going even deeper into the earth. Lying on a large stone pedestal in the center of the room was a small cocoon, about 5 feet long and 3 large, made of a leather like, dark grey substance with pink accents. Slow and deep pulsations came from the cocoon every once in a while, as if it were alive or longing to be alive. Large black tendrils spurted out of the cocoon base, attaching it firmly to the stone, and a pattern similar to a ribcage was visible all along the surface of the cocoon. A deep greenish fog covered the floor of the cave up to knee height, his father's knees, almost hiding the view of the forms scattered across the place. Surrounding the pedestal, clawing at the multiple stone columns as if they wanted to go away from the cocoon with all their might, were cadavers. About twelve of them, humans and youkai, a few in a relatively early stage of decaying, covered in disgusting fluids, moss and insects larvae, and most others reduced to dusty skeletons. In this ghastly place his father spoke to him.

"Son, here lays a secret that you might need to use in your future years, although I sincerely hope you do not have to. This cocoon has the property to heal any living being it comes in contact with. If someday, someone you protect falls victim to an illness or great battle injuries, bring him here and lay him on the stone against the cocoon. If its heart is pure, this person will be healed."

Centuries later the pup had come back, now a taiyoukai, fullfilling the prophecy of his father. Under his eyes the mossy walls glittered under the monk's blowtorches, as they finally reached the final chamber. The decaying corpses were no more, replaced by golden ornaments, burning incense and holy sutras that adorned the stone columns. Their scent though lingered heavily in the room and the green fog, the cocoon and the claw marks on the columns were still there, announcing the presence of a much darker mystery than what the religious decorations implied.

Before stepping in the chamber, Sesshomaru came to a stop. The monk who walked directly in front of him turned to face him, his years showing through his wrinkled face and hunched posture. He was afraid of him, but not as much as his companions; maybe really old creatures came to welcome death as a liberation rather than something to be terrified of. As he was going to circle the monk and deposit his ward on the pedestal, the raucous voice of the old man reached his ears and made him pause.

"Youkai-sama, this humble monk wants to make sure that in your great wisdom, you are aware of the terrible punishment inflicted on the impure hearts by the cocoon. Rare are the ones granted health and life by it, be they human or youkai, child or adult. This monk does not wish to be impertinent or to provoke your ire, but this child's pain is nothing compared to what she would be subjected to if the cocoon happened to reject her. There are worse ways to die than what she is going through, and maybe she should be allowed to go in peace."

Sesshomaru's first reflex was to behead the insulting monk, but strangely he did not. Instead he remembered the sight that frightened him to his very core when he was a pup, the tortured bodies that were scattered around the room, as far as possible from the cocoon. He remembered when his father unravelled the bandit's body from his furs and put him on the pedestal beside the cocoon, taking utmost care not to touch the weird object. His memories flooded his mind and clouded his sight now, and the exact moment when the hand of the bandit came into contact with the cocoon came alive before him, superimposed on reality. At this moment the speed and strenght of the pulsation coming from the cocoon grew tenfold and fine black tendrils spurted out of the object, piercing the youkai's skin over his neck and penetrating deep into the muscles. The terrible scream of the snake still echoed in his mind, the way he awakened suddenly to life and stumbled hastily down the pedestal, the tendrils still attached to him. He remembered vividly the terrified face of the bandit as this wretched youkai dared to cling to his pants, life being quickly sucked out of his veins with each pulsation of the cocoon, his scaled skin turning a sickly greenish grey, bodily fluids flowing out of his bowels and bladder as his body convulsed on the floor, his eyes showing nothing but terror, pain and agony. He recalled how terrified he himself was, when his mighty father had to pry the hand of the now dead youkai from the pants of his pup, finger by finger, breaking the small bones in the process. His mind replayed the pensive and sad look his father gave him before speaking once again

"If his heart is pure, this person will be healed. Only if his heart is pure, my son."

Looking at the small shivering girl in his arm, he decided that this fate would not be brought upon her, for she had the purest heart. He advanced to the pedestal and settled her on the stone plate. Holding his breath without realizing it, he took her little hand and put it in contact with the cocoon.

Nothing happened.

Behind him, the group of monks silently dispersed around the room, sitting with their backs to the columns, and started praying to the Kamis, celebrating their glory and mercy. He couldn't detach his attention from the child until the eldest of the monks called to him, announcing that the girl should be left healing in peace, that the process could take as much as days before being completed. He made no sign that he heard him, and stayed standing firm, his sight never wavering from the immobile scene before him, his face never giving away what thought was occuring in his mind. Resigned, the eldest sat down with the others, letting him stay with Rin and listen to the chants and incantations that resonated through the room.

Before his unblinking eyes, small changes were making their way on his ward's face. As hours passed, then days, her skin lost the color of death and slowly regained a more lively pinkish tone. The shivers became less frequent, then stopped. The sweating also receded, and her harsh breathing became less labored, more healthy. As the third day passed, she began to sleep soundly, recovering from her illness under the chants of the monks. When her hand fell from the cocoon on the morning of the fourth day, he came by her side and saw her eyes opening slowly, meeting with his own golden orbs.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" she said softly, a smile adorning her young face.

He nodded and helped her to her feet, upon which she stood firmly. His ward was healed. The monks, in pure bliss, increased the strength of their vocalizations to celebrate the glory of the Kamis who created the cocoon. Their celebration would last for hours.

As they started to climb the stairs together, a movement behind a pillar caught his eyes. The sound of a chain reached his ears and as he turned around, a sickle made of whitish bone embedded itself into the cocoon, tearing it apart in a flow of pink liquid. A sense of immense danger chilled the taiyoukai to the bone, as a hiss was heard coming from the cocoon, quickly morphing into a full-blown scream. Obeying his instincts, Sesshomaru leapt forward as fast as he could with his ward under his arm, reaching the surface in mere seconds. Behind him, he felt a powerful heat wave that was engulfing itself in the staircase, as if racing to reach him. The scream from the cocoon did not falter, and soon was joined by the tortured voices of the agonizing monks.

At the shrine atop the stairs, Ah-Un was poised in a battle stance, his muzzles removed and Jaken sitted on his back, his Staff of Two Heads ready to serve. Sesshomaru was hesitating between staying and leaving; no one would force him to flee when it was not what he wanted. But a look at the young Rin's healthy face helped him to take his decision.

Just as he was getting ready to take flight with his ward in his embrace, Sesshomaru felt his sword Tenseiga pulse strongly against his hip. He decided not to care about it as no sword would rule over his decisions, but each step he took further from the cave increased the strength of the sword's pulsations, until he could no longer ignore its call. Sighing mentally, he reached for Ah-Un and put Rin in the saddle with his retainer. The young girl, apparently more lively than ever despite her weakened muscles, took hold of the reins and gripped the saddle between her small thighs, used to this transportation mode.

"Jaken. You will find a safe haven where this Sesshomaru will join you later. Protect her with your life."

The small kappa froze, his beak wide open, and started to blabber objections when a rock hit him square in the chest, almost making him fall from the steed's saddle. Steadying himself, he lost no more time wondering at his master's behavior. The taiyoukai had always been a mystery, and no little kappa such as him could ever dream of understanding his motivations. He would do his best not to receive any other stray rock, and would rant endlessly about the whole situation later on, when his master couldn't hear him…

Sesshomaru reluctantly began his descent into the cave, following the lead of the Tenseiga, livelier than ever. As each step drew him closer to the source of his uneasiness, his mind processed what happened. Hidden from his senses by the pungent smells of the cave, the sickle user had crept from one of the multiple secondary entrances leading to the cave and his attack opened up the cocoon, for what purpose Sesshomaru couldn't fathom.

When he reached the cocoon room, Sesshomaru put his hand on the Tenseiga's hilt, trying to still the strong pulses that went through his healing blade. The monks and decorations were reduced to mere ashes, the stone pillars blackened by the strength of the fire that engulfed the room, and the green fog was gone. A single glance at the cadavers was sufficient to confirm that the monks were not the ones Tenseiga was interested in; no pall bearers of the afterlife appeared when he looked at them.

He stepped forward and his booted feet came into contact with a small puddle of pink liquid that oozed from the cocoon. His gaze studied the now opened structure and he saw that a different liquid, thicker and yellowish, was slowly mixing with the pink one. Where it touched the stone pedestal it burned it, leaving behind an acrid smoke and a hole that ate its way through the stone. His eyes caught the whole scene in a flash, and the next moment he was standing next to the opened cocoon, peering into it. His sword calmed down and returned to its dormant stage as he was studying what had laid hidden in the cocoon for so many centuries.

The sight that caught his eyes was not what he was expecting, if he expected something at all. Curled in foetal position was a singular creature, female by her attributes, but what species of youkai he could not determine. Maybe some sort of scorpion, but something was off.

Her whole body was a velvety black, with a very long, skeletal tail curled around her lithe form and four curved scythe-like structures erupting from her back, two along each shoulder plate. Her head, devoid of any hairs, was a more shiny black than the rest of her body and her skull was elongated, almost cylindrical, ending a good twelve inches away from her nape; high cheekbones and a voluntary nose and chin adorned her feminine face. Her suffering was very obvious on her features though, and he saw that a large wound was opened on her right flank, where the blade of the chain sickle caught her flesh. The yellow acidic liquid that was eating at the stone pedestal was oozing from her wound and the steady flow was now slowing as it reached exhaustion.

As he came closer, the creature opened her eyes. She had singular eyes with a black sclera, slitted black pupils and yellow irises. When she looked at him, surprise overcame the pain in her features.

"Angelus" she whispered. "Kill… me…" she added before passing out.

Sesshomaru would have been pleased to obey her plea, but as he reached for his Tokijin, Tenseiga stopped him with a very strong pulse; the sword was clearly rebelling against the slaughter of the creature. Irritated even though it did not show on his calm features, the taiyoukai tried to ignore the sword's plea but as his hand gripped the hilt of his battle blade, another pulse stopped his movement, almost paralysing him on the spot. He silently cursed against his father's strenght, a strenght that he did not hesitate to transfer into the swords that were forged from his fangs, and he turned once again toward the girl in the cocoon, his killing intent gone and replaced by supreme irritation.

During his short fight against Tenseiga, the healing of the wound on her flank had made clear progress, as was expected of a youkai; it was now reduced to a superficial gap in her skin where yellowish flesh finished to mend itself. He decided to extract her body from the cocoon and see what would happen. Doing this without being burned by the acid was a feat in itself, but adding the lack of an arm in the equation complicated the act to no end. Almost sighing, he directed his youki through his fur pelt and plunged it in the pungent pink liquid, enveloping the female in it; he carefully left her closing wound exposed so the acid could flow away from him if it opened again.

He carefully climbed the tunnel once again, much slower than the first time, but as he walked to the surface he kept an eye rained on the cut. No more acid was produced, and only the traces that lingered on her skin were a problem. At the shrine, he paused for an instant, smelling the air to find traces of his retainer and ward scent, when another, much unwanted scent hit his nose.

"Yo. Long time no see"

He didn't answer back, looking at the newcomer only from the corner of an eye. The wind witch was seated on a feather, flying at least thirty feet up in the air, surrounded by a group of hell bees. A young human boy, his eyes bland pools of nothingness, was sitting cross-legged before her.

"I see you are as talkative as ever, "my Lord"" Kagura said with an arrogant tone.

"What is your business here?"

"Oh, and as always the perfect gentleman. I am merely taking back Naraku's possessions", she said, pointing toward Kohaku. "And that would include the dirty thing you are now carrying around, Sesshomaru-sama. Naraku wants her alive, so I came to free you from her disgusting presence".

Sesshomaru looked at her dispassionately, as if what she said did not concern him in the slightest. As she made a move to come down to him, he answered:

"Alive?" Although his face did not show it, his voice carried a trace of sarcasm. The witch looked at Kohaku with a frown on her face.

"Well, you see, someone here seems to have miscalculated his own strength."

"The cocoon was frail, but it seemed very solid", the boy answered in a chilling voice.

The taiyoukai weighted his options. Giving away the girl was very tempting, and he would have been glad to get rid of her. On the other hand, whatever Naraku wanted to do with her it was sure to result in some unpleasant consequence. Thwarting his enemy's plan would be interesting, and would maybe force the wretched hanyou out in the open to claim what he wanted; the taiyoukai longed to fight him and destroy him once and for all.

"The girl is under This Sesshomaru's responsibility for now. Until she heals, I expect not to see you again, or you will suffer the consequences of your mingling."

Having said that, he formed his youki cloud and flew away in a dignified and indifferent way, thus challenging the witch to dare follow after him. She did not, however, and he quickly left her behind as he travelled through the steep valleys and passes of the mountains. Moments later, he came down to a small cave encased in a shallow gorge a the foot of the mountain. The sulphuric emanations and vapours from a nearby hot spring covered the scent of the campfire and hid almost entirely the smoke that exited the cave. His dragon steed was vigilantly surveying the area, hidden amongst large rocks; his retainer had done well.