Wrath and Beauty of a Garden

Chapter 7: Panji

Colors, vivid and fascinating colors graced the morning sky with a subtle tranquility. The morning drew kissed her skin as she walked into the field. The grass and flowers were soft beneath her feet, tickling the skin that wasn't covered by her the navy kimono she changed into and neither by her wooden shoes. Trees were lined up far off in the distance, seemingly reaching into the sky with their extreme heights. It made her wonder if climbing up one would take her to heaven. Looking back down and bringing her eyes and thoughts to where she actually was, she peered into the woodland ahead. Not too far off and situated casually against the tallest tree was Sesshomaru-sama. Slowly, she moved closer. The closer she became, the better she could make out his perfect features. His eyes were closed, his head slightly titled back against the bark, giving the impression that he was asleep.

"I didn't know yokai sleep" she said to herself, thoughtfully admiring him. Her eyes reverted to his surroundings. At the edge of the tree grew violet panji flowers, their petals resembling royal velvet and their centers glowing like tiny yellow suns that burst into those lovely petals. She almost suppressed a giggle at how they complemented him. Royal violet seemed to suit him.

Treading carefully, she moved her hand toward the edge of the tree and picked the flower, glancing at him to make sure he was still asleep.

"Oops…" she said, noticing a very annoyed and frosty pair of eyes bearing eyes into her person.

"Good morning Sesshomaru-sama!" she piqued, trying to ease the expression plastered on his face.

"What are you doing? You bother this Sesshomaru." He said, turning away and closing his eyes once more as he leaned his head against the bark.

"Picking Panji flowers, they are so beautiful." She said, admiring the flower as she twirled it in her hand.

"Hn. How insignificant" he said, not even opening his eyes again.

"It isn't insignificant if it brings you warm feelings." She retorted, putting a bunch of the tiny flowers in her pocket. They smelled to sweet to put back. "If you go back to Kikyo-sama, would you let her know I'm still trying to bring her the mirror?"

"I sent word already." Sesshomaru said. He had not really wanted to go back to the North. He had told the North that he would get the mirror with their slave-girl. It was either that, or go back. He chose the latter. The old maid in the shrine had done as he requested. Simply send word of her knowledge.

"You did."

"Are you deaf, wrench?"

"No…thank you Sesshomaru-sama."

"Don't."

"Ok…well I'm off. I still hope Inuyasha is ok over there."

He didn't answer, but kept sitting there, the sun shining her rays upon his face, giving impression that he was glowing.

Kagome looked forward and began to walk, wishing she would hear his footsteps behind her.

"Kikyo-sama! Kikyo-sama!" a loud and high pitch voice resounded through the hall outside of her chamber. It had been days since she left her chamber, and she could already feel the dark and stifle room seep into her skin. It made her angry.

"What is it?" she said carelessly. There couldn't be anything important enough for her to hear. She had already become furious enough when she heard that Sesshomaru-sama had gone to pursue his stupid half brother after being told that the mutt went to the North, after her servant girl. Kikyo smiled bitterly, slightly jealous that the girl would have anyone to go after her.

"There is news from Sesshomaru-sama…" the servant said, vastly intimidated by her.

Kikyo quickly turned her eyes upon him, and stalked toward him, grabbing the fickle scroll he held up to her as he bowed.

A demon lord and a servant girl have business in the area. The girl is looking for a mirror.

I deduce that they shall return within a week.

-Old maid from a Shinto shrine

Kikyo narrowed her eyes, reading and rereading the letter.

"Sesshomaru-sama had no even taken the time to write the damn thing!" she fumed, kicking anything she could find at her feet at the servant that stood a mere feet from her, his head hanging low.

"You bring this to anger me?" she sneered at him.

"No…Kikyo-sama. I would never want to anger you."

"Indeed, you wouldn't. Get out my face!" she screeched, throwing something hard at him.

She threw the note into the fire and sunk herself unto her futon, the cushion enveloping her.

"At least they'll have the mirror. Once that little bitch returns, I'll kill her for making me so damn angry. She'll be the first I'll test my new powers upon."

Sesshomaru opened his eyes; only after he had heard her footsteps disappear into the distance. He was conflicted, unsure if he should go and help her or just lay amid the nature. He looked down and noticed she had dropped a flower next to his person. The petals looked so soft and delicate. Something soft and delicate could easily be destroyed. He wondered why the Kami's had put such things on the planet.

'Why give life to the weak if they can't survive alone?' he thought. But his thoughts fleeted as soon as he heard a scream in the distance. Quickly rising he took off in the direction that the cry came from. In moments, he felt the surge of energy vibrating through the surrounding area and even pulsating through him.

He stopped as soon as he saw the scene before him. To the left was the human wrench her hands raised up defensively, a hazy purple barrier erected steadily around her. He raised an eyebrow.

The massive creature edged closer to her. It was a mass of darkness, with two red glowing eyes and thick sharp horns protruding from its head.

Sesshomaru jumped quickly and sliced his word through its body, splitting the creature in half. He turned slightly and looked at the girl behind him, still sitting on the ground, her knees folded under her.

"Wrench."

"It's Kagome." She said, slightly flustered.

His already icy look began to bear daggers into her.

"You are a miko."

She looked down as she got up of the ground, and brushed the grass an dirt from her kimono. Reaching to her neck, she pulled out a spherical object that had hung on her neck, hidden by her cloth.

"I keep the Shikon no Tama" she said, her voice barley a whisper.

"Interesting." He merely said, walking forward. The girl was indeed an oddity among her race.

Kagome looked at him as he walked ahead. After waking herself from her daze and figuring that he had saved her, she ran toward him.

"Wait"

He didn't stop.

"Thank you."

"Hn." He too didn't know why he bothered; but no matter. What was done was done.

"Where are we going."

"The mirror" he simply said looking ahead. It would taken them no time to reach the castle. The mutt would likely be there still, laying a pool of his own blood. It would not be good for his father to hear of it.

"I thought you didn't help humans." She said, her voice a little accusatory.

"I don't"

"Then why are you getting the mirror"

"To help myself"

"Yourself?"

"I don't need to explain my actions to you."

Kagome nodded, and followed him. But what troubled her most was the odd sensation that began to entwine itself around her heart. She was unaware of what to call it, but once she found herself in his company, within his multiple recues of her, and with just the thought of him, she couldn't help but feel something.

Inuyasha woke at the sound footsteps. He recognized those scents.

"Sesshomaru and the wrench?" he whispered to himself as he got up. His eyes focused to see the girl sitting on her knees, draping a cold towel over his head while his brother stood there, stoic as usual.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, wiping the remaining blood away and getting up.

"Keh! I'm fine." He said, but inside he had kept wondering what had exactly happened. That bastard was dead in the corner, but he clearly wasn't killed by him. The wounds were obviously of Sesshomaru's doing.

The girl looked up and watched Sesshomaru walk out of the chamber, into the rest of the castle. "We should follow him" she said, getting up.

Inuyasha grabbed her wrist, and she turned back to face him. "You'll only slow him down. I'll go."

Her eyes gazed into his, first going from a puzzled look to that of a determined person.

"I can help. This was my problem first." She said.

"Whatever, don't just wail to me if you're about to die."

The girl nodded, and followed him. He could smell Sesshomaru not far off.

'Why is she even bothering with Sesshomaru? He doesn't need her help.' Inuyasha thought to himself as he made effort to follow his brother's scent. It had also baffled him that she had cleared his wounds, ones that were already healing well. She was a strange girl.

The halls were dim, and the air around felt damp and hazy. She didn't know how large the castle was, but by the sheer amount of walking they had done, she reasoned that it was quite large. Rooms adored every hall, none of which they walked into because both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru would be able to smell if there was someone or something in it.

"We've been walking forever!" Inuyasha complained, becoming exasperated.

Kagome stopped for a second, and looked behind them, only to see the corridor enveloped in darkness. But she sensed something. Judging by the way both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha also stopped, she figured they felt it too.

"There is something here…" Kagome said, stepping back and allowing the both the brothers to walk ahead of her. Sesshomaru jumped in front of Inuyasha and drew out his sword, the blade hissing against the sheath as he slid it out.

"Stand back." Sesshomaru said, his voice indicating nothing more than a clear command.

"Like hell I will!" Inuyasha assaulted, pushing by Sesshomaru and gliding his fists through the air.

"Useless half-breed, it's a yokai spirit." Sesshomaru said, as a matter-of-factly.

"Wh—" Inuyasha began, but was instantly cut off when Sesshomaru darted in the previous direction they had walked in, following the dark mass.

Kagome winced as she felt a sizzling sharpness on her skin as it glided past her.

"Get on my back!" Inuyasha said, stooping down after hearing her try to catch up with them.

Kagome complied, and they took off into the glittering blue light that the spirit emitted through the hallway.

To say that the chamber was massive was an understatement. The yokai spirit had stopped in the middle of the chamber, its light bouncing of the extremely tall ceilings and wide walls. Kagome watched from behind as Sesshomaru gripped his sword more tightly, his knuckles turning white. She could feel the energy all around them, almost fighting for dominance.

"Show yourself" Sesshomaru called out, his voice demanding.

"Ah, Sesshomaru-sama…I have heard great tales of you."

"Keh! Like there would be anything interesting about that bastard" Inuyasha said, looking away.

"Inuyasha…the half breed, I assume? Bitter are we?"

"Whatever, bitch. You're just too fearful to show your true form."

"Heh, it is you who asked for it." The silky voice oozed.

The bright light gathered itself into the center of the room from where the voice had first spoken. It gathered around and began to whirl together, much like a small twister. In moments, in place of where the white light stood a very human like creature. She stood tall, and her skin was the color of cream. Long, straight her pooled around her body and dark black eyes stared back at them. Her eyes were lidded with a blue shadow that matched the color of her layered kimono. In her hands, she held a mirror. But the thing that differentiated her from being mistaken for a human were the pair of ears and tiny fangs that shone like pears from her blood colored lips. They were much like that of a fox.

"I must say, this is very comfortable." She said, still looking at them.

"The mirror" Sesshomaru said, raising his sword and pointing it toward her.

"Hah, Sesshomaru-sama… do you not wish to see what my mirror tell of you?" she said, turning it to face her.

"I have no wish to see your low yokai tricks."

"Do you not?" she said, after muttering a few words and turning it back to face him.

Within the mirror whiled a torrent of dark clouds, swirling together.

"Hmm…looks like you are a bit conflicted. You don't know what you want exactly"

"Enough" Sesshomaru said, but she pushed past him and walked in front of Inuyasha.

"Must I show you what you want? I could answer that by merely looking at you." She said, pity in her voice.

Lastly, she reached the girl that was standing far behind them.

"Ah, a beautiful girl…" she said, her hand cupping Kagome's face softly. "What is it that you seek, child?"

She took the mirror and faced it toward Kagome.

"The maiden of the Shikon no Tama desires this." She said

Kagome felt her face turn white. She was suddenly very grateful that she was the only one able to see into the mirror. Sesshomaru, lying on the grass against the tree, just had he had done this morning was captured in the depths of the glass.

"That…and freedom." She whispered in Kagome's ear.

"I probably shouldn't do this… and I reason it will bring you many problems, but take it." The yokai spirit said, thrusting the mirror into Kagome's hands and disappearing. A wind blew through the chamber, leaving nothing but the three of them standing there.

"What the hell…" Inuyasha said.

"We better go…" Kagome said quietly, her heart hurting. It hurt because she knew what she saw in the mirror was so, so out of reach.

"I'm going ahead." Inuyasha called out, running into the distance.

Kagome looked down and followed Sesshomaru through the forest, the mirror still in her hands.

She knew they weren't far from Kikyo-sama. Her mind ran with too many thoughts.

She felt herself choke a sob, confused as to how she reached the state she was in.

Sesshomaru stopped and turned glanced back at her, wondering why she smelled like salty water. But his wondering thought was soon answered as he saw the tears falling down her face.

"You don't need to fear Kikyo. Seize this useless emotion." Sesshomaru said flatly.

Kagome looked up at him, unable to answer. It wasn't because of Kikyo she was crying…but besides that, he was telling her not to fear her?

'He is being thoughtful... and somewhat caring' Kagome thought to herself as she reached toward the flowers in her Kimono.

"Panji flowers." Kagome said out loud, wiping the tears from her face. Sesshomaru simply looked and the flowers and turned his head toward the top of the trees. They were almost back.

A/N: Well, that is the end to chapter 7. The "Panji" is Japanese for Pansy. It means thoughtful and caring, which was the theme of this chapter. Sesshomaru seems to have begun to be thoughtful and slightly caring toward Kagome. I'm trying my best to keep in him character too. It's a start to something…

Let me know what you think! And sorry I haven't updated this story as much as I should have, I was focusing on another story I'm writing. But I'll do my best to more attentive to this one too. Thanks!

-Gabrielle