A Fairy Tale of Sesshomaru

Chapter One

A young woman struggled under the weight of her pack as her chocolate colored hair fell in her face as she slowly approached the village down the road. The village of Amaya* was the first step in a long journey to the Mountain of Crystal. The monks of the Temple of Azumi** had given her the job to check over the remains of the slave girl in the old legends surrounding the mountain. Once she did that duty she could return and continue her studies in the healing art. She checked her bow and arrows were in reachable distance should she need them and the Shikon shard was under her kimono. She knew that demons would sense it, but she had sealed the tie it was on so that if one touched any part of the necklace and it wasn't her their body would start to disintegrate.

"Young lady, ye wouldn't be going to the Mountain of Crystal?" a seemingly elderly lady stopped her with her hand from the side of the road.

"Aye, Obaa-san***. I mus for my temple's traditions," she replied, pulling a loaf of bread from her pack and handed it to the woman who smiled graciously.

"Arigatoo gozaimasu****. Yound Amaterasu*****, ye must skip yer journey to the Mountain of Crystal to journey to Edo, Nihon****** to find the reincarnation of Kikyo and her travel companions. They shall lead ye to end the curse on yonder woman within the mountain. At the border of the West head North, there ye shall run into the Inuyasha forest. Find the God's tree and head east. There ye shall found them. Good luck," the elderly woman cracked. Amaterasu looked in the direction the woman pointed and heaved a sigh.

"Arigatoo gozaimasu, Obaa-san. Wait! How do you know-" She turned back to face the woman to find that she had disappeared. She heaved another sigh as she noticed the loaf of bread on the ground. She arranged some rocks into a little shrine and left the bread as an offering to the kami*******. She turned with a suspicious heart and continued her voyage.

She reached Amaya as the sun set. She headed straight for the nearest and cheapest inn and got a room. She meditated on the message of the kami all night.

Kagome pulled herself out of the old Bone Eater's Well with her giant pack and smiled at the half-demon standing a few feet away, tapping his foot impatiently. She walked over and just said a simple hello.

"It took you damn long enough. I don't see why you go back to that damn skool ever damn day," he growled. She smiled softly, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the village.

"Oh Inuyasha," she giggled as they walked. She wondered when he was going to notice how she felt about him. She glanced back at him to catch a silly grin. He fixed his face into a scowl quickly.

They continued onto the village where Miroku was once again flirting with the village women. An angry Sango was behind him in seconds and another second later he was unconscious. The woman giggled and walked off.

"You never learn do ya, ya damn monk," Inuyasha said, stepping over him easily. Kagome checked his pulse quickly before walking into Kaede's hut. Sango giggled to herself at Inuyasha's expression as he picked his friend up and carried him into the hut.

Shippo sat by Kirara eating rabit stew while Kaede cleaned when Kagome came in. Everyone sat down with the exception on Miroku who was just thrown into a corner where he'd wake up in a few hours. Kaede greeted Kagome happily and joined everyone around the fire.

"There is a rumor ye shall be interested in going around," Kaede stated, dishing out stew to those who did not have any food.

"What is it, Old Hag?" Inuyasha asked, eating greedily.

"Inuyasha, Ouswari********!" Kagome growled, sending Inuyasha into his bowl of stew. Kaede chuckled before telling them of the rumor. The time of awakening for a woman in Crystal Mountain was supposibly upon them. The purest priestess would be able to save the woman from the crystal.

"Wait, Crystal Mountain," Inuyasha said. Every eye turned on him. He explained that the myth surrounding the mountain involved his family. That led to a discussion where Inuyasha explains that he doesn't know much. He just knew what was going on.

"So this Pure Priestess can set this woman free," Kagome confirmed. Kaede nodded before telling of the beauty of the woman. Miroku "woke up" at that moment and began professing that he would do anything to help the woman in the mountain. He went on and on until Sango once again knocked him out with her fists. Everyone laughed heartily.

Kaede suggested that they go to sleep for she sensed the approach of a powerful priestess. She said that the Kamis were pushing the young lady to them so they could help her with her quest.

Japanese-English Dictionary of Doom

*Amaya—A Japanese female name meaning "night rain."

**Azumi—A Japanese female name meaning "safe residence."

***Obaa-san—A Japanese with a polite suffix meaning "grandmother" with a very formal tone.

****Arigatoo gozaimasu—A Japanese phrase meaning "thank you" politely.

*****Amaterasu—A Japanese female name meaning "Shining over heaven" and is the name for the sun goddess.

******Nihon—Japanese for Japan, literal meaning is "country of the rising sun."

*******Kami—the Japanese term for God or Goddess

********Ouswari—the Japanese word for sit.

Many thanks go out to my multiple reviewers and my beta-reader, Golden Eyed Girl. I hope you enjoyed the rewrite and I will put up another installment soon, I hope.

Thank you,

Black Winter Rose Thorn