This is my first fanfiction ever :-)So plssssss review!I'm a really big fan of the Inuyasha series, and especially of Sesshoumaru. So this will be a story more about him, but the other characters will have their share to. By the way, English isn't my mother language, and even though I really worked hard on correcting the errors, some of them might have escaped my attention... Sorry about that. Hope you'll like it!

CHAPTER I

The New-Moon Night

The stars were lighting everything so much that night, that their light was almost tangible. The water was shivering, gently touched by the wind. The cherry trees were in full bloom, and petals were being carried here and there into the warm spring air.

It was the perfect evening to love and be loved, and yet the shadow that was passing over the waves of the small creek wasn't accompanied by another one. Who ever it was, the person was alone.

But there's no surprise in that. Sesshoumaru-sama, Lord of the Western Lands, was always alone. Even surrounded by his trusty companions, he felt lonely. His heart was cold, and so were his eyes. But there was something more to those golden eyes than coldness. It was solitude, sadness. The powerful Lord's lips never broke into a smile, for he had no reasons to smile.

That night, he decided to go far away from Rin or Jaken. Rin's laughter only reminded him that a smile was forbidden to him, and Jaken... well, Jaken didn't remind him of nothing; he was just annoying.

Sesshoumaru send them away, so he could be alone with himself. He could still hear Rin's cry and he could still see her disappointed face. But that night, he didn't give in to her cries. He was merciless when he told her she should leave with Jaken.

Sesshoumaru stopped and looked at his image, mirrored in the streaming fluid silver of the brook. His long beautiful hair was shimmering in the light of the stars. He looked at himself as if he had never seen his face before. His lips moved, and a whisper was lost to the wind:

"Who... are you, demon?"

For a moment, his eyes looked almost... warm, but then he regained his usual cold glaze. He puffed with despise and thought he was beginning to sound like his little, annoying, half-brother.

Sesshoumaru's fist closed, and he was holding it so tightly closed, that his sharp claws claimed his own blood.

The youkai opened his fist and stared at the small punctured wounds. Instantly, they began to heal, but a blood-drip still remained on his palm. He suddenly got a wild look, a desire for more blood was to be seen in those honey-gold eyes; desire for another's ruby-red life-liquid. He filled his chest with air, breathing deeply in, and knew he had to kill that night. Then maybe all the thoughts would go away, leaving him with the usual after-kill satisfaction. He closed his eyes, remembering the face of his last victim. He didn't usually kill for pleasure; the last prey had been a demon who had scared Rin.

'Again these stupid thoughts!' he thought, angry. 'Why am I still protecting that child? You... you did this to me!'. He was looking at Tenseiga, filled with hate towards the sword and his father. "Inu-Yasha!" he said. "Tonight, I will end this."

Kagome was sleeping under a lime tree. Next to her, Inuyasha was watching the stars. His long hair was dark. It was THAT night of the month. Inuyasha looked at the Tetsussaiga. It was inutile for the moment.

'Feh! Again, this night. I'm a mere human... a useless human with a useless sword. I'm open to any demon attack. And the guys are off to investigate that village. Idiot Kagome! She didn't want to go with them. She said she'll stay with me, in case anything happens. Baka! If anything were to happen, I couldn't protect you!' he thought, with his fists tightened together.

He was angry with her, because she had stayed behind with him. He tried to convince her to go with the others, but she just threw him an "OSUWARI" and that was the end of the discussion. And then the sun set. Inuyasha was worried. He was powerless that night, and he feared being attacked. He couldn't care less if anything were to happen to him, but if Kagome was hurt... he wouldn't ever forgive himself for not being able to protect her. He had already lost Kikyou, 50 years earlier. 'I couldn't stand losing you too, Kagome...' he thought, touching softly her cheek.

"Now isn't this a sight for sore eyes?"

Inuyasha turned quickly. It was worse than he could have imagined. Sesshoumaru was standing right there, and he had a strange look in his eyes.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked aggressively.

"Nothing much. The usual. Kill you." Sesshoumaru answered, staring at the blade of Tokijin, witch he had just pulled out.

"But apparently," the youkai added, "I caught you in a bad moment."

"If you wanna fight, come on! We'll fight!"

Sesshoumaru almost laughed in his face. I'm not talking about a laughter of happiness, but the bitter laughter of the youkai Lord. Sesshoumaru made laughter look like a cry.

"You? Fight me? Like this?" Sesshoumaru said. "Look at you. You couldn't even defeat that Jaken, hafling. And, above all, you are not a worthy opponent. Not in your hanyou form, and certainly not in this one. I won't even bother to kill you tonight. You're not worth it. But I just can't believe how a halfling human-lover like you could ever cut my arm off."

Inuyasha grinned:

"Next time, I'll cut you whole to pieces."

In that moment, Kagome woke up.

"What's with all this noise?" she said, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Kyaaa!" she screamed, when she saw Sesshoumaru. "Wh-wh-what is he doing here?"

"Don't worry, little wench. I'm not after you... tonight."

Kagome felt his frozen stare and trembled.

"I'm not after any of you, weaklings, tonight." Sesshoumaru added, and turned his back to them.

"Stupid humans..." he murmured, as he was walking away.

"I heard that, you know!" screamed Inuyasha, jumping to his feet. "I'll get you for this, Sesshoumaru! Don't you leave like this, you idiot!"

The last thing the Lord heard as he was leaving the two of them was a loud "OSUWARI!" – the power of habit; the SIT command had no effect on human Inuyasha…

Sesshoumaru continued his night-time journey towards a forest. All his anger against his half-brother had melted into despise. He detested Inuyasha so much, that he didn't even wanted to dirty his sword anymore with that tainted hanyou blood.

'But next time you'll cross my path, Inuyasha... maybe I will destroy you, and your little gang.' Sesshoumaru thought, entering the darkness of the forest.

The light faded, because of the many trees. But Sesshoumaru felt better in those shadows. They were closer to his heart, if he had one, than any light of the stars. He did, though, enjoy watching them. And that is what he was doing, while he was walking under the ancient trees.

In the silence of the night, Sesshoumaru could hear the whispers of the tree-spirits. The little kamis had come out and were revering the stars, mumbling their prayers.

Sesshoumaru passed them by, not even looking at them. His tall figure was that one of a god, and the little spirits stood quiet for a second, watching him. It was as if a deity had chosen to walk the earth among the humble believers.

But Sesshoumaru had no idea what feelings he could awake, so he just went on, thinking.

'The lust for blood hasn't vanished... it hasn't been satisfied yet...'.

His lips bended into a blood-lusty grin, and his fangs shone white. Now, he didn't look like a god anymore, but like the Fallen Angel, Lucifiel. The small tree-spirits vanished with a cry, afraid of the cruelty of their new-revealed god.

Sesshoumaru stopped suddenly. He felt something coming towards him. A demon.

He could see it already, through the trees. It was a white little shadow, like that of a child. It was Kanna, one of Naraku's sprouts.

"Sesshoumaru-sama..." she said when she was right in front of him. Her voice was as silent and as empty as her eyes.

"What do you want? Did Naraku send you?"

"No."

"Then get out of my way. You're bothering me."

Sesshoumaru passed her by, but when he had already left Kanna behind, he heard her voice asking:

"What is your deepest wish, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"My deepest wish?" Sesshoumaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can grant it, Youkai Lord. I can fulfill your wish."

"You... you can't fulfill any of my wishes!" Sesshoumaru said, turning threatening around.

Kanna was there, looking at him with her eyes which never blinked, and with the mirror in her hands.

"You stupid little demon!" Sesshoumaru said, angry. His eyes turned red as his claws attacked her.

But his attack was in vain; the mirror absorbed it. Kanna lowered her forehead and looked at it. Sesshoumaru's claw-attack sprang out of the glass, directly to him. But he avoided the attack without difficulty.

"You would grant me my wish and then what? You would claim my soul in return?" he asked.

"Everything has a price", Kanna whispered.

"Well, then you wouldn't have anything to take away from me. I do not have a soul."

With these words, he turned his back to her and slowly melted into the darkness.

Sesshoumaru walked further, out of the forest, and into the Lakes Region.

The Lakes Region, like its name says, had many lakes. Another thing that Sesshoumaru liked was the water, in its every form. Lakes, creeks, the ocean... he liked watching its ever-changing surface.

A fine mist came down over the lakes; it was almost morning. Sesshoumaru walked amongst the many lakes, letting his spirit enjoy the beautiful view. Thin rays of light were ripping the mist apart, like a dagger shredding a veil.

And there, lying on the ground, on the shore of a larger lake, with her eyes half open, was Kikyou, the tragic miko figure. Sesshoumaru walked to her, looking at her. Her shinidamachus started to agitate, alerted by the demon.

"Lord Sesshoumaru", she murmured. "What brings you here, on the shores of the Lake of the Lost Ones?"

"Kikyou... the human priestess, guardian of the Shikon no Tama. You didn't do your duty all to good, did you?"

"Who are you to judge me?" she asked furious, standing up and looking at him.

Sesshoumaru didn't answer. He turned his head to the lake, and approached the water. He kneeled down and his hand gently touched the water, creating small circles. When he took his hand out, drops of precious liquid fell from his claws, and glittered in the morning sun.

He watched the dripping water for a while, and then stood up. Without saying a word, he turned into a white ball of energy and lifted into the air, floating away from Kikyou. As he was vanishing into the vastness of the sky, Kikyou took her bow and arrows, and left with her shinidamachus. The shore of the Lake of the Lost Ones looked deserted, but soon the sun would fill the land with light, and even the darkest of all corners would shine a divine glow.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is back! Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Rin jumped to her feet, smiling.

"I'm so glad, Seshoumaru-sama!"

"Rin, stop jumping around."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

She stopped right in front of the youkai, stared at him for a second, and then started to laugh - a happy, pure, child's laugh. And for the first time, a smile shyly blossomed on Sesshoumaru's lips.