A Oneshot connected to the actual series where Saeka pulls out some memories while trying to sleep.
Saeka stared into the dying fire in Kaede's hut, her eyes glazed with pain she hadn't felt in a long time. Beside her, Sesshomaru was fast asleep and his quiet breathing in her ear was soothing. But even with him so close, she still felt the pain from her past sneaking up on her, the pain and anguish she'd banished the night she knew Miharu was to be born. She had known that to have pain such as that would mess up her child's life, even though she had no way of knowing beforehand she'd never see Miharu grow up.
She squeezed her eyes shut as the voice of Kisho returned to her. She whimpered slightly as the memory flooded back in a tsunami, drowning her in the pain she'd tried to hide.
" No! Leave me be!" Saeka cried as she ran through the grasses, struggling to escape her pursuers.
" Return that bread, demon!" Kisho yelled furiously. He slashed at the back of her head with a wooden rod, knocking her to the ground. Saeka moaned and sat up, screaming and covering her face with her hands as he struck her continuously, until finally, he seized her by the collar of her faded gray kimono and shook her until her skull ached.
" You ever steal from Lady Mirai again, and you'll die for it!" he bellowed.
" It was only a tiny slice of bread. I'm starving!" Saeka protested. He shook her again and threw her back down. " Doesn't matter. Demons like you, even half-demons have no right to be around humans. You're a disgrace to us."
He stalked off, the fragment of bread in his hand. Saeka watched him disappear into the trees and buried her head in her arms, crying softly.
Saeka breathed rapidly and moaned in her sleep.
Saeka stood outside the ring of children playing a game with a red ball in the middle. She meekly made her way forward. " Um, can I play?" she asked. They all turned and glared at her. Kisho grinned wickedly. " Sure, Saeka, you can play." He said. Saeka chanced a small smile, but didn't move. He bounced the ball in his hand. " We're just starting a new game, though. It's called, Bear Hunt. Still want to play?"
" Yes."
" Okay. Now, since you're the youngest, you're the bear. It's our job to catch you and you have to get away. All you do is run. Okay?"
" Um-hmm."
" All right. Now, close your eyes so we can get into our positions."
Saeka did so.
Suddenly, she felt a horrible sting on her face and she found her nose had become numb. She became horrified as what felt and tasted like blood appeared in her mouth and she opened her eyes. She gasped. There was blood on the ground below her; she'd fallen down. Kisho was laughing hysterically, as were the other children. Saeka turned away and looked at her reflection in the water barrel beside Mirai's home. She gasped again. Her nose and mouth were coated in bright red blood. She cupped her face in her hands and hurried away toward the lake. Kisho stopped laughing immediately. " Hey! Demon, don't go near our lake bleeding like that! You'll poison our water with your filthy blood!" he yelled after her.
" Come on!" he called to the others. They gave chase after Saeka who was still heading to the lake. She heard the whiz as rocks and other things flew by her. But she kept going. When one struck her on the back of the head, she cried out and collapsed onto the ground. She heard Kisho and the others laugh and turn away.
She came to several hours later. No one had even bothered to come and help her. She sat up stiffly. It was dark out. She continued toward the lake and looked into the water. Her eyes widened. The entire lower half of her face and all down her kimono and even in her hair was caked in dried blood. Even from looking, she could tell her nose was broken. She started to cry as she struggled to wash the blood off, but it was glued to her face and she couldn't wash it from her mouth and nose because it hurt so much. Eventually, she took a deep breath and plunged her head into the water. Gradually, the blood flaked off and dissolved, but her face still ached.
She sat on the bank hugging her knees and crying.
Saeka whined in her sleep and turned her head this way and that.
" No…No…." she kept murmuring.
The soldiers were attacking. Mirai got everyone to safety and Saeka, considerably older than before prepared to battle them. Midori was by her with a black sword while Saeka used the pre-powerful Kassenah, before she knew how to unlock its power. She faced the attacking force and charged with a cry of fury.
From there on, everything was a blur: The battle, Midori's capture, Mirai's screaming and the village being torched. The part that would always stick in Saeka's mind was what happened next. She saw Midori screaming from the back of the horse she was tied to. The soldier nearest her approached menacingly with a flame torch. Saeka, bound to a wooden post by the hut, tried in vain to squirm from his reach. He bent down and pulled her arms free while another soldier held her down. He lowered the flame to her skin and she watched in terror as the flame began to eat away at her living flesh. She screamed once and the soldier holding her covered her mouth. She struggled furiously to pull away as the skin on her arm started to peel off in flakes. The soldier started on her other arm and it began all over again, especially since her burned arm had been going numb as nerves within it were deadened. She screamed with all her might as the flames licked her bare skin and as her rage deepened, her demon blood arose. Her eyes suddenly reddened and the soldier, who was then raising the torch to her face and away from her bloodied arms, cried out in alarm. Saeka snarled furiously and slashed behind her, tearing the throat from the soldier. She jumped up and attacked the one who had burned her, ignoring the blood streaming from her charred arms. She tore at his chest, directly through his iron armor, killing him by ripping his heart out. She then whirled to the other soldiers. Mercilessly, she slashed at them, left and right, and one by one, they fell. Finally, when the ground was littered with the bodies of her victims, Saeka stood up, her burned arms still flaking and bleeding heavily. She turned cold, red eyes on the villagers, who shrunk away in fear. In her haste and thirst for revenge, she'd committed a crime too terrible for them to bear.
She had not only killed the soldier who had been attempting to flee with Midori, but she had slaughtered Midori as well.
Mirai looked on with disgust and hatred. " Be gone." She whispered. Saeka slowly began to return to normal and clutched her at ruined arms painfully. Mirai suddenly charged forward, a leather strap in her hand. She swung it back and struck Saeka across the eyes, sending her flying back and covering her eyes, crying out in pain and agony. Mirai was huffing hard. " My granddaughter is dead because of you, you filthy, evil demon!" she shrieked. She came at her again, bringing the strap down on Saeka's shoulder, sending a painful sting coursing through her body. Saeka anticipated the next blow and jumped out of the way. She ran, literally blind for the moment as Mirai and the rest of the male villagers chased her from the valley. She managed to ditch them in the forest and transform from there. But before she flew off, she frightened Mirai into a semi heart attack with her dragon form. She then vanished in the sky.
Saeka landed at a clear pool, in her human form once more. Crying, she dipped her arms into the crystal waters. They stung and burned and she yelled and bit her lip, struggling not to cry anymore. Then, she dabbed water at her ruined eyes, tying leaves over them to protect them. She then lay down on the ground and fell into a painful sleep.
Saeka bolted up crying out and feeling the tears fall from her eyes at the same time. Her eyes that had been healed by Sesshomaru and Tenseiga for which she was eternally grateful. Sesshomaru awakened as well and turned her to face him. " Saeka, what's wrong?" he asked. Saeka was sobbing uncontrollably and clung to him desperately. Sesshomaru, deeply concerned, embraced her and held her close, unsure of what had happened to her, but positive that it had caused her much grief.
" Saeka, Shh, settle down. It's okay." He murmured. " It's all right, I'm with you, settle down. Settle down."
" My arms…" she said shakily. " They hurt so much!"
He carefully took hold of her arms and rolled her sleeves up a bit. Her scars were bright red and appeared as though freshly made. He placed his hand on one of them and she hissed in pain. It was burning hot to the touch and he felt his hand stick to the dead flesh that should have been healed by now. His eyes narrowed dangerously. " Come on." He said gently. He helped her and up and led her to the door. He opened it and they stepped outside, into the cold night air.
He guided her through the darkness to the lake. There, he made her sit down beside the water. She was shaking and sobbing dryly.
Sesshomaru dipped his hand into the water and brought out a handful of it, carefully letting it flow onto her scars. At first, she whimpered from the pain of it, but gradually, she settled down and closed her eyes. She was still breathing in quick, ragged gasps. He kept pouring cold water onto her scars until her breathing slowed and she stopped crying. Then he pulled her close and whispered, " It's okay, Saeka. You're safe, I'll protect you."
" I love you, Sesshomaru." She murmured.
" I won't ever let anything like that happen to you again. I promise, Saeka." He said.
He simply held her, reassuring her that what he said was the truth. He knew that the darkness from what had happened to her would never be erased. He loved her and that was all that mattered.
" I'll always protect you."
A/N: I wanted to do a oneshot about Saeka's past and this was my chance. It's been approved by Kinkatia and I have confidence in it. Now, I want you all who read this to remember this story. There are a lot of key points in it that have stuff to do with the next one and there are events coming up that lead to the eventual and inevitable climax. Blech!!!!! I don't wanna end the series!!!! La dee dah, la dee dee! Enjoy the chapter!