A/N: I'm here with the seventh chapter!

Disclaimer: I'm still in school and I'm not filthy rich; what are the chances of me owning InuYasha?


Unexpected Encounter

Chapter Seven


Kikyou and Kaede were in the forest practicing their archery when they were attacked by a demon who wanted to steal the jewel from Kikyou. The demon resembled a green giant ogre with luminous red eyes.

"The jewel… Give it to me!" The giant ogre roared.

"Kikyou!" Kaede gasped. She was horrified by the hideous demon.

"Don't worry, Kaede. This demon is weak." Kikyou consoled her. Kaede looked up at Kikyou. Kaede admired Kikyou's equanimity. Kikyou then aimed an arrow at the demon. She released her arrow and then it was enveloped in light. The arrow eviscerated the demon completely; it had disintegrated into nothing. Kaede smiled happily, but Kikyou remained blasé about it; purifying demons was a mundane thing for her.

"You did it onee-sama!" Kaede said happily. Kikyou smiled at her younger sister.

"Let's continue to work on your archery." Kikyou suggested.

"Okay!" Kaede replied happily.


Kikyou and Kaede were done practicing their archery and they were now heading back to their village.

"Your aiming is getting better. One day you will be able to fight alongside me." Kikyou told Kaede.

"You think so!" Kaede said excitedly. Kikyou smiled at Kaede.

"Yes." Kikyou said gently. Kaede smiled a wide smile, showing all her teeth. Kikyou could tell she was happy. They were getting nearer to the village and they could now see it.

"Onee-sama… could I ask you a question?" Kaede asked. Kikyou turned her head to face Kaede.

"Of course."

"Whatever happened to that demon?"

"What demon?" Kikyou asked curiously.

"That demon that who had a human appearance. He had long silver hair." Kaede described. Kikyou then knew what demon Kaede was talking about.

"I saw him yesterday night." Kikyou replied bluntly. After hearing that, Kaede's eyes widened considerably.

"You did! Is that why you came late yesterday!" Kaede said; astonished.

"Yes."

"What happened? Did he try to attack you?" Kaede said worriedly.

"Yes, but I used my sacred arrow." Kikyou replied in a blasé sort of way.

'Does that mean she purified him?' Kaede mused.

"No, I did not purify him, if that's what you're thinking. He caught my arrow with ease, but it burned him by doing so." Kikyou said as if she knew what Kaede was thinking.

"Is he that strong?" Kaede asked amazed.

"Apparently, yes."

"Do you know what his name is?" Kaede asked. Kikyou then realized that she didn't even know his name.

"No, why?"

"I was just wondering." Kaede responded. By the time they finished their conversation they were already at the village. They were greeted by the villagers and they immediately started tending to the villager's sicknesses and wounds.


The sun was setting and it was getting darker by the second. Kikyou was coming out of the shrine and was about to head home. The sky was covered by dark clouds and Kikyou knew it was going to rain any day. She didn't know when, but she knew it was going to happen. She was walking in her usual slow strides that made her appear elegant and exquisite. Kikyou then remembered something she had not done.

'I forgot to go and tend to Onigumo's wounds. How foolish of me. I should go.' Kikyou thought. She walked out of the village and out into the forest. She was headed for the cave Onigumo resided in. She was headed this way until she saw a group of villagers coming to her en masse.

"Kikyou-sama! There is tons of demon's coming this way!" Called out one of the villagers.

"I see…" Kikyou said simply before her slow pace turned into a much faster one. She knew if those demons got close enough to the village that would cause trouble.

"What would we do if we didn't have Kikyou-sama around?" One of the villagers said.

"We would be damned." Another one replied.

Kikyou then felt many demonic auras and saw that there were dozens of demons heading her way. She held her bow defensively in front of her and got an arrow from her quiver. She ran until she saw the demons in front of her. Kikyou couldn't believe her eyes; she had never seen so many demons before in her life. They were all lesser demons, but so many demons were bad news.

"Damn…" She cursed. She then started shooting arrows at all the demons that were close by.


Sesshoumaru was walking until he suddenly stopped causing Jaken to run into him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, is there something wrong?" Jaken asked. Sesshoumaru did not respond.

'I smell the scent of many demons.' Sesshoumaru mused.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" But Sesshoumaru did not respond; instead he continued walking, following the scent of the demons. Jaken just watched Sesshoumaru walk until Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Are you coming or not?" Sesshoumaru said dryly. He could really care less if Jaken accompanied him or not.

"Y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken replied, scurrying after him.


Kikyou had managed to get rid of most of the demons, but there was still a few more left. She was exhausted from using her purifying powers, but she did not back down. She put an arrow on her bow and aimed it at one of the demons and released it. It hit the demon right on target, but it did not disintegrate completely; it only disintegrated its arm.

"My energy is running out; I must finish this quickly." Kikyou said to herself. She then tried shooting it again, and this time, Kikyou had killed it. She then shot one by one until there was only one demon left. 'Just one more…' She thought. She then shot her last arrow at the demon; killing it instantly. "It's over." She panted from exhaustion. She then noticed a very strong demonic aura. 'I know that demonic aura.' "You." She called out. Sesshoumaru then appeared out of nowhere.

"You killed all those demons." Sesshoumaru stated.

"Who else could have done it?" Kikyou said harshly.

"You are exhausted." Sesshoumaru said; taking notice of her panting. Kikyou felt like her legs couldn't support her anymore. She then fell down; landing on her knees.

"Getting rid of demons is a tiring task." Kikyou replied. Sesshoumaru looked down at her and said nothing more. There was an awkward silence. Both of them just stayed glued to their spot staring at each other. After some time, Kikyou broke the silence. "What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"I was merely walking when I caught the scent of many demons." He responded simply.

"I see." There was another long period of silence. Neither of them said a word after that. The only thing heard was the wind making the leaves rustle. "I should get going. I am fine now." She announced. Sesshoumaru did not move; he merely looked at her as she stood up, turned andpassed right by him.

"May I know your name?" Kikyou asked before leaving him.

"Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru…" She repeated and continued her walk, but before Sesshoumaru was out of earshot she said, "Farewell, Sesshoumaru." She said it so quietly that no mortal could ever hear, but Sesshoumaru had heard because he was a demon. When her voice reached his ear, it was like a soft whisper. He just watched her as she left him. After a while, Jaken came out.

'Sesshoumaru didn't try to kill the woman?' Jaken thought.

"We are going Jaken." Sesshoumaru told Jaken before turning around and starting to walking the opposite direction Kikyou went. Jaken trailed behind Sesshoumaru.


Kikyou walked along the dark forest. She was heading towards the cave in which Onigumo lay. She had intended to get their earlier, but the demons caused a delay and now it was late at night. While Kikyou walked, she thought about her earlier encounter with the demon known as Sesshoumaru.

'I've heard that name somewhere before… But where?' Kikyou asked herself. She had heard that name elsewhere, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint where she had heard it before. After a while of trying to remember, she decided not to dwell on it too long; it wasn't significant, anyway. At least that's what she told herself.

When she snapped out of her musings, she found herself right in front of the cave. "I guess I was too wrapped into my thoughts that I failed to realize I was already here." She said out loud to no one in particular. She then went inside to find an injured man on a futon. It was Onigumo. When he saw her, his uninterested look was replaced with a lust filled gaze.

"Kikyou, you have come." Onigumo said.

"Yes."

"Why are you so late? You usually come here earlier." He asked in his usual in his gruff voice.

"There was a short delay." She responded. She then started to get some gruel that was already in the cave.

"Can't you be more specific?" He said. But Kikyou did not respond, she merely began to feed him. He stared up at her and smirked at the look in her face. 'What an arrogant woman. Yet, I desire her. I wish for her soul to be corrupted. I want her like I've never wanted anything before.' Onigumo thought as Kikyou fed him.

After she was finished feeding him, she began to tend to his wounds. 'If only I wasn't burned so badly and I wasn't paralyzed, then I could leave this hole and take Kikyou with me. And then I could claim the Shikon no Tama and my beloved Kikyou as mine. It would be like killing two birds with one stone, but I can't move.' Onigumo thought bitterly. He was badly burned and he was paralyzed. The fire that had burned him also mutilated his face. The former bandit did not appear human anymore. He hated that. He loathed that he could never be what he used to be. He wished to become what he was back when he was not burned. He now felt weak and vulnerable, and he detested that.

When Kikyou finished tending Onigumo's wounds she stood up from her spot and began walking out of the cave. "Leaving so soon?" Onigumo called out after her. She turned to glance at him before she answered him.

"Yes." Kikyou said before she left.

"Heh. Can't she be less blunt?" He said to himself.


Kikyou was soon back at the village. It was night and she was walking to the hut she and Kaede lived in. She noticed that there were dense clouds blocking the moon and the stars from view. She knew it was going to rain soon. She then arrived at her home and went into the hut. When she stepped in through the entrance she saw Kaede sitting on the floor.

"Kaede." Kikyou said softly.

"Kikyou-sama! What took you so long?" Kaede asked Kikyou when she saw her.

"I ran into some demons." Kikyou answered her.

"Kikyou, you look tired." Kaede stated.

"Yes, killing that many demons is exhausting. By the way,I found out the answer to your question that you asked earlier today." Kikyou said.

"What question?"

"That demon's name, I know what it is now."

"Really? What is it?" Kaede asked curiously.

"Sesshoumaru." She said simply.

"Hmmmm… I feel like I've heard that name before."

"Yes, I've also heard it before. I don't remember, though." Kikyou agreed. "I think it is time we rest." Kikyou suggested. Kaede nodded and laid down on her futon.


A/N: Woohoo! I'm done with the seventh chapter! You know, listening to the wind while writing sort of gives me inspiration… that was sort of random. Well anyway, I hope you liked it. I guess you know why the story is called "Unexpected Encounters" now, huh? ; Oh, and don't think that Kikyou likes Sesshoumaru, yet just because she said "Farewell". She just doesn't hate him… Well, see you next chapter. Adios!