Justification

Sesshy's Mistress

Summary: Sesshomaru did not always hate humans. There is a reason for his hate—a well-kept secret that no one save him knows.

Note: I'm sick and my hands are shaking. Excuse the typos.

…

He had been exploring the outskirts of the land surrounding his father's home. InuTaisho was gone and not expected to return for the next couple of weeks. The Lady of the West had accompanied him as it was a diplomatic meeting to be held among all leaders of the lands. Sesshomaru, still just a young pup by demon standards, was left behind in the care of InuTaisho's servants.

Born of high stock, he had always been an intelligent pup with a quickly growing analytical mindset. His curiosity was not that of a normal child but that of one who seeks an understanding of the workings of the world, knowledge not found in many of his age, demon or human alike. Maybe this is what cast him apart from other demon children. That and he found their seemingly childish ways unamusing with no true purpose.

Standing before Sesshomaru was a dense forest, one that nearly encircled his father's entire estate. Many times he had set to explore these woods, but too often he was called elsewhere. As heir of the West, it was not deemed safe for him to explore unattended in such times. A war was on the horizon and demons took extreme pleasure from the torture of their enemies, even through the means of a child.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed in frustration. No one was here to deter him and he sensed no other demons nearby. He was a strong child, one who trained hard though he looked only to be the equivalent of a human child of seven or eight. His ambition was to become a strong and fearsome leader like his father, only better. With a slight huff, Sesshomaru walked into the forest.

It was midday, but the thickness of the trees and surrounding foliage blocked most of the light from the forest floor. With eyes like his, such little light was sufficient. A gentle breeze also blew towards him allowing him to scent any danger that may lie waiting ahead. He had the advantage. Barely ten minutes into his travels did Sesshomaru come to a stop. Carried along the wind was a strange scent. It smelled neither demonic nor human. He could not place the scent and could only compare it to something floral that his mother was fond of growing in her private gardens. Yet there was another underlying scent, something so pure it seemed too impossible to be real.

Intrigued, Sesshomaru moved forward and towards the scent. It did not take long to find the owner of the scent, and when his golden eyes lay upon her, they widened ever so slightly. Sitting by a river's bank was a woman, with skin pale as moonlight with hair to match. She wore a strange dress that hugged her chest and flowed down to her feet. The hem of the dress lay over her knees, allowing dainty feet to dip into the cool stream of the water. Upon her brow was a golden upturned crescent moon. She seemed to glow like moonlight as she sat by the river's edge, soaking in the sun and basking in her surroundings.

Sesshomaru stayed in the shadows and out of sight as he watched her closely. She looked human save for the mark on her brow. Only demons of high blood and standing were gifted with such markings representing their house. He felt his ears twitch as the woman began to hum a soft and melodious tune while her feet swept playfully through the water.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there watching her at first, not until she suddenly stood and turned to look to the sky. Only then did he follow her gaze to see that the moon had risen and had nearly reached the highest point of the sky. His gaze was brought back to the woman as she gasped and spoke hurriedly in an unknown language. As she spoke, her body began to glow and sparkles of light surrounded her, lifting her off the ground before her form disappeared completely in a flash of light.

Only after a few minutes had passed did Sesshomaru step forward to inspect the area she had inhabited all throughout the day. Many questions rang through his mind and as he pondered her purpose, his eyes caught the shine of some jewelry unknowingly left behind. Jumping over the river and to the object, he recognized it to be some sort of bracelet made of fine pearls. He had noticed similar garnishes in her hair and on her wrists.

His mind flashed back to her as she let her feet dangle in the water. It was probably a bracelet for her ankle removed beforehand so not to get them wet. Pocketing the object, Sesshomaru turned to return home. The servants would surely be looking for him and perhaps the being would return for her lost jewelry.

…

The next day found it extremely troublesome for Sesshomaru. His long absence had not gone unnoticed, and as such, the servants were paying him closer attention. While not a particularly cruel Lord, InuTaisho would not take kindly to any kind of harm to come to his heir. This challenge was met and overcome after a short amount of time. Sesshomaru merely considered it another test of skill in stealth.

Once at the forest's edge, he retrieved the anklet and held it in his open palm. Inspecting it for several seconds, Sesshomaru returned it to his pocket and headed back to the river's edge. For the first time ever, Sesshomaru was experiencing a true childlike curiosity that did serve his analytical purposes and mindset.

He ignored how his pace was slightly faster and how his ears twitched at the slightest sound, as if trying to catch a hint of her reappearance. It wasn't until he almost reached his destination that he caught the sound of that strange but melodious language. It sounded like the soft chiming of bells that flowed like that of a gentle stream. Sesshomaru stopped as soon as he heard her voice and moved to conceal himself amongst the foliage of the forest floor.

He witnessed as she searched the river's edge, kneeling to move aside rocks in search of what could only be the object in his pocket. His hand slid into his kimono and grasped the anklet as he watched her. Several minutes would pass before the child-like woman seemingly gave up and took a seat at the water's edge in what appeared to be slight frustration.

Sesshomaru retrieved the anklet and stared at it for several seconds before retuning his stare to her. Perhaps the way to receive his answers was to return this to her? Before moving, he gave his surroundings a quick inspection. No strange scents, sounds, or sights greeted him. Still, he hesitated to approach this strange being. The thought brought a strange feeling to the pit of his stomach. Upon mentally analyzing this feeling, he came upon the surprising conclusion that he was nervous. His eyes narrowed. Who was this person to do this? Straightening himself, Sesshomaru moved so that his appearance would be obvious.

The woman jerked to a stand upon hearing the slight rustle across the river bank. Yet, as her eyes found the source of the sound, her startled look softened as she took notice of the young child. The two seemed to exam each other for several seconds before the woman blushed and spoke in that strange language of hers. When Sesshomaru did not respond, he watched as she titled her head and tapped her chin in thought. Several more attempts were made, all of which were strange sounding.

The woman gave a sigh and placed her hands on her hips before a smile spread over her features. Holding a hand to her throat, she whispered in her original tongue and a light surrounded her hand. Sesshomaru felt at that same time a warmth surround him. Looking at himself, he was surprised to notice his form glowing too. His mind immediately went to work to figure out what she was doing and how to escape what could be a possible attack on his person.

"Is this right?" Her voice spoke in his language and brought him from his troubling thoughts.

Gold eyes snapped to meet her deep blues. She was able to speak his language but how?

"How did you do that?" His eyes narrowed in distrust. A blush filled her cheeks as she replied with the simple answer of magic.

"It is difficult to communicate with someone when you do not speak the same language, no?" Her smile was meant to be reassuring, but Sesshomaru found himself suddenly unsure. Such talk of magic, especially magic so easily summoned, was spoke of only in hushed whispers. People of magic during these times could be quite dangerous.

"Who are you?" Sesshoamru demanded next and watched as she blinked in surprise at his interrogation.

"I believe Earth customs are for an introduction to be given before one is received?" When he failed to humor her, the woman gave a curtsy.

"I am known to my friends as Serenity," She supplied while standing. "May I have the pleasure of knowing who I am speaking with this day?"

For several minutes, Sesshomaru merely stared her down, silently weighing his options and all possible outcomes. "Sesshomaru."

"It is nice to meet you, Sesshomaru," She smiled again.

"Why were you here?"

"I'm looking for my lost anklet," Serenity began but at the shake of his head, she went silent.

"Why were you here?" He repeated his question. "Yesterday."

"Oh," She seemed caught off guard at his knowing she had been there the previous day. "I simply came to witness earth's beauty first hand."

His eyes narrowed in confusion. What did she mean by such a statement?

"You see," She continued upon noticing his confused look. "My home is not here, I live far away from here in a place similar to this, but not. My home is a world of white and silver that overlooks your world and protects it."

"What place do you speak of, woman?" His tone was so serious for one so young, that the response from the woman named Serenity was a soft giggle. He gave a growl in warning and while it was not taken as the threat it was meant to be, she became aware of his discomfort from her humor in his situation.

"The moon," she tapped her forehead.

"Impossible!" He denied.

"What reason would I have to deceive you?" She took a seat at her spot from the day before and once more allowed her feet to dangle in the water.

"You are trespassing on my father's land," He stated matter-of-factly.

"I wasn't aware this land was claimed or that my being here would be disruptive," Her tone was sincere and apologetic, he could tell that much. Her scent gave off no sign of deception, either. Yet, for some reason, Sesshomaru continued to look for a reason, any at all, to justify this need to rid her of here.

"In all honesty, Sesshomaru," She folded her hands across her lap. "I normally do not visit the same place twice, but, you see, I lost something very precious to me during my visit yesterday. It is ann anklet made of peals given to me by my father before his passing."

"I'm aware of your carelessness," Sesshomaru stated while showing her the object in his clenched hand.

"You found it!" She quickly stood and moved to cross the river. Sesshomaru took a step back and narrowed his eyes upon her in warning. "Will you not return it?" She asked as she stopped halfway through the river. "It is precious to me."

"Then why did you so carelessly forget it?"

"It was an accident," Serenity sighed but bowed her head in shame. "People from my world-" she turned her head to the sky-" are forbidden to come to your world." Her eyes turned back to them, and in them he saw a hidden sadness. "We are to only look, never touch." As she said this, she lifted her dress and stared at her feet in the clear water.

Sesshomaru raised a brow in suspicion, "Surely there are rivers where you are from?"

"My world is a cold replica of yours," She dropped her skirt. "The wind, waters, and even the flowers are empty of color. A world of white in the vastness of space, forever to watch over the world of endless blues and greens from above with only pictures in books to satisfy any and all curiosity."

"Is that not enough?" His head tilted slightly to the side as he continued to watch her closely. She did not seem like a threat, but looks could be deceiving.

"It's selfish, I know," She sighed as she knelt to retrieve a rock from the river. She held it in her hands, rubbing her fingers over its smooth surface. "I thought once would be enough to satisfy my curiosity, but it only made it worse. So, I sneak away when the opportunity allow. I want to continue to and explore more areas, to learn more than any book could ever teach me!"

Sesshomaru nodded as this was something he could understand and respect. Moving forward, he stretched his hand out and offered her back her jewelry. He watched as she gave a watery smile before reaching out. Her fingers brushed over his palm as she gathered the anklet into her own hands. That small touch sent a shock through his system. It was a new sensation previously unknown to him, but this one he could not place properly. Instead, he stored it for later investigation.

"Thank you," She moved forward, startling him from his thoughts and making him retreat as she exited the river on his side. It was an unconscious move, not one meant to intimidate him as she merely wished to replace the anklet. "I am in your debt for returning it."

"My debt?" Sesshomaru's mind began to work quickly. He still had many questions he wanted answered.

"Yes," She nodded and smiled softly towards him. "This is most precious to me as it is one of the few things I have left to remind me of my father. Had you not found it, it may have been lost to me forever. If there is any way I can repay you, please let me know."

"Very well," Sesshomaru nodded upon his decision. "You will return here again and speak with me of this world you claim to exist." He tilted his chin upward and settled a challenging gaze in her direction.

Her response was a soft smile followed by a barely concealed giggle. "For one so young, you seem well beyond your years, but I will honor your request and return. Maybe you will share some of the secrets of your world with me as well?"

"Hn," Was his only response. He would make no such promises to such a strange and possibly deluded woman.

"I'll take that as a maybe," She hid a smile behind her hand while reaching the other to one of the pearls in her hair. "Here," She handed him the clip. "Take this and when you wish to speak with me again, I will do my best to return that night you summon me!"

"How will jewelry summon you?" He seemed doubtful of her sanity.

"Speak my name and leave the pearls where you found my anklet," She pointed in the direction. "I will return here and meet you when you are ready."

"Very well," Sesshomaru pocketed the clip and crossed his arms over his chest. "You may leave now."

This time she could hardly restrain her laughter before disappearing in a similar fashion from the day before. "Goodbye, Sesshomaru…" As her form faded away, she waved goodbye to him and he caught himself from returning the gesture.

"Strange female…." He turned once more and returned home with thoughts of her words from that day floating through his mind. That night, he dreamed of a world of white in the skies above his home.

…

So this will be a very short story. I'm on winter break but I have the flu and I have the urge to write something new and, very possibly, heartbreaking!

You're welcome!

RxR

Sesshy's Mistress