Vanilla, Cherry Blossoms and Moonlight

Chapter One

A Heart's Mournful Cry

(Thoughts are in Italics)

Somewhere deep in the forest, a tree made its crashing descent to the cold earth that had giving it life so long ago and was now taking that most precious gift back. A lone soul was around to hear the mournful cry the tree made as it lay dying on the forest floor.

His hair swayed behind him, almost a cape of watery moonlight trapped in the night, his stature could be read in just a glace. He was regal, master of what he considered his domain, but, most of all he was cold, utterly so. In a glace he could make the blood in your veins all but freeze. His eyes reminded the looker of molten gold, always shifting and changing with an intensity that any rarely saw, due to the lack of brave souls that dared look the Demon Lord of the West in the eyes.

As the Lord wondered the deer paths of his forest home, he caught the scent of violets in the air. Violets, it was her scent, Izayoi. The Lord could never forget her. Her face burned into his very soul. She was the human hime that his honorable father had fallen in love with after his Okaa-san had been murdered by a human wizard. Izayoi was a lovely creature, demure, fragile, and loving. It was no wonder his father had fallen for her.

Traveling down those secret paths in the forest brought back a wealth of memories for the Western Lord. He could almost hear her sweet voice calling out to Inuyasha as he played among the cherry blossom trees in his gardens. He had found her cradling the new born hanyou while she pushed sliver hair away from the face of her beloved as the rain washed away the blood on her hands. He would never forget the words she uttered then,

"You still hold the only gift I was able to give you….my heart…..but you gave me a greater one….a way for you to live on…..through your sons…."

With that she kissed his lips, weeping silent tears all the while. He had approached her then, trying to comfort her in best way he knew how he said,

"Come, I will take you to the Palace of the West, you will be safe there."

She nodded and cradled the baby closer as they made their way west.

His nostalgia was interrupted by yet another scent floating through the trees. Vanilla and cherry blossoms with pure power as a sweet undercurrent to it. This scent was more recent, it was his brother's miko. If Izayoi was demure, this human was spirited and fiery. She had managed to break his armor twice and convince him to work with his brother to end the threat that Sounga had brought to the land. She captured his attention when she had protected Rin before herself. Her selflessness was as frustrating as it was endearing. He had no idea how Inuyasha could not see what was right in front of his noise. She was more then that wench of a miko, Kikyou, could ever hope to be.

The Western Lord was brought out of his musings by a sound in the distance. It sounded as if someone had just fallen out of a very high tree. This piped the Lord's curiosity. He made his way toward the sound only to discover Inuyasha in a foot deep carter, with him mumbling something about damnable women and there prying into his affairs. Then he looked around the small camp to see what the trouble is. Both mikos are in the same camp. He could smell the miko Kikyou, that of grave soil and ashes. The other miko, he could not remember her name, smelled of the vanilla, cherry blossoms and power, she was currently being told by Kikyou that she was no longer needed to hunt the shards with Inuyasha that it was her job as protector of the Shikon no Tama to collect the shards and restore the jewel. It seemed all the fight left the girl as Kikyou continued to list her many mistakes but one stuck her harder then any.

"Kagome, Inuyasha does not love you. He can never love you. You are but a shadow of me. I am his true love."

Kikyou's words seemed to strangle the seemingly helpless girl. Tears made salty paths down her cheeks and without a word she turned and fled into the forest. He watched a few more moments as Inuyasha pulled himself out of his carter and his ears hanging low as he walked over to Kikyou and took her by the hand.

Sesshomaru had seen enough, and as he stepped into the clearing, he made his opinion known.

"I thought I taught you to treat women better and I would have thought your taste in them would be better as well, little brother. But I can clearly see that I have overestimated you."

Inuyasha had tetsusaiga out in a single breath.

"It is none of your business, Sesshomaru. She still belongs to me."

Sesshomaru was tempted to laugh in his brother's face, but none of that showed on his cold face.

"As usual little brother, you are wrong. You already have an alpha female, therefore, I claim under Inu Law that as the elder brother and Lord of the Western Lands, that she is under my protection now and as such, no longer tied to your pathetic pack."

With that Sesshomaru turned to leave, but something pulled on his pants leg. He looked down and there was a small kitsune looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"Please, Sesshomaru-sama, can I come with you. I don't want to leave my Okaa-san. She is all I have left…."

Tears welled up in the kitsune's eyes. Sesshomaru had no idea why he was being so compassionate today, but was never one to question his instincts and they were all but yelling at him to protect this girl form any further abuse from his insensitive hanyou brother and if the kit called her okaa-san then that must mean that she viewed him as a son and he was sure that she would be most unhappy if he were to leave the kit with such untrustworthy people. Without another word he held his only hand out to the kit. The kit hesitantly took his hand. Sesshomaru then lifted him onto his shoulder, but not without a parting word from the annoying hanyou.

"Shippo where the fuck do you think you are going!"

Shippo said nothing as Sesshomaru kept walking away into the forest. They could hear the hanyou still bellowing his displeasure to the silent woods.

Sesshomaru was following the scent of tears, and then he noticed the metallic scent of blood. She was injured, bleeding fairly badly. He did not notice any sticks on the way that could have done that much damage even to soft human skin. He increased his speed.

He found her propped against a tree, her wrist cut nearly to the bone, her life's blood flowing into the greedy earth as she softly whispered to someone and no one all,

"I guess I really am useless. He has Kikyou now, and I have no one……how funny fate is…"

Sesshomaru put the kit on the ground next to him and said softly,

"Do not worry, I will save her. But I do not think that she would want you to see her like this. Stay here and do not make a sound."

Somewhere deep in his soul he knew that he could not let her die, even if he brought her back with tensaiga, he knew in his soul that it would tear him apart to watch the light go out in those beautiful blue eyes. He walked over to her and kneeled down quietly. He took her pulse at the neck. It was weak but still there. He then picked up her wrist and began to lick the blood away; at this point he was very glad of the inu-yokai healing ability in their saliva, her blood was like nectar to his yokaoi senses it was pure and very powerful but he decided to think on that later . It was not long before her wrist was healed with only a tiny red scar that would soon fade. It was then that he noticed the dagger lying innocently in her hand with blood dripping off the edge of the blade. The Western Lord sighed and started to pick Kagome off the ground when she stirred a little, he bent down to hear the whispered words,

"Am I really….just a shadow?"

Sesshomaru was at a loose for any comforting words. But his hand had the strange urge to stoke her cheek, so he gently stoked her cheek with the pads of his fingers. Her eyes fluttered open giving him a blessed view of those lovely blue eyes; they looked so lost to him.

"Miko."

He hoped his voice would bring her round a little more. He was right her gaze snapped to his. She breathed his name,

"Sesshomaru…."

He stared into her eyes, the question there was unmistakable.

"Why would you spill your blood over a hanyou that would choose a dead miko over someone with a beating heart?"

Kagome looked away, his eyes were to instance for her. She felt like he was accusing her of giving up, but wasn't that what she did? Giving up on life just because someone didn't love her back?

"I thought he loved me……but I should have known that Kikyou was the only he could ever love."

Kagome then turned her eyes back to Sesshomaru's golden depths. Kagome's eyes started to close again, but this time with exhaustion. Sesshomaru sighed and slipped his only arm under her legs, and brought his tail around her small frame.

"Miko, I will take you to the Palace of the West. The hanyou will not bother you there, and your son will stay as well."

His only reply was the sound of the miko's soft breathing. Shippo then bounded onto his shoulder and touched his okaa-san face with his hand.

"Will she be alright, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru was hesitant to answer the kit's question.

"I do not know. She has lost her will to live. But I do believe that with a little encouragement she will see that she has much to live for."

Shippo nodded and touched his mother's cheek one more time.

"Don't leave me Okaa-san……I still need you…."

Sesshomaru formed his cloud and took into the air with memories of his own troubled childhood flirting around his normally clam mind.

Flashback (I want to give as much background on fluffy-sama as possible. Most of the fanfics I read are all about present and future and a little past. I want to give reasons as to why fluffy-sama acts the way he does)

"Okaa-san, Okaa-san! Look! I found this flower growing in the gardens. It looks just like your eyes Okaa-san."

A five year old Sesshomaru held up a most unusual flower, it was the color of the sunset, all oranges, pinks and purples. Just like his mother's eyes. Her hair was silver like his father's; she was beautiful here among the flowers of the gardens and just as frail. But her eyes still held a fierce glow to them as if she held back death with a glare.

"Sessho, what a lovely flower, let us make it grow here forever. It shall be our little secret."

Sesshomaru nodded as he stuck his thumb in his mouth. He loved to watch his mother use her powers. He watched as she whispers words of encouragement to the flower. He marveled at how the flower started to grow roots. Then her sunset orbs turned to him,

"Please dig me a place for the flower, Sessho."

Sesshomaru did as he mother asked him. How he loved to feel the cool earth in his hands. He had inherited his mother's ability to use acids and make things grow. Through she had told him to never tell his father of his ability to grow things. She had said his honorable father would find that talent weak in a male. So he never told anyone and only used his secret power in front of his mother or when he was alone.

He watched as his mother set the flower in the earth and covered the roots gently as one would cover a new born child. Then he was amazed as many more of the flowers started to grow around the cherry blossom tree she had been sitting under. She smiled as her work took hold in the earth and then she held her arms out for her son. Sesshomaru jumped into his mother's waiting arms. He felt her stork his hair as she whispered softly.

"This is our secret, Sessho. But, I want you to only give these flowers to the women you love, because if you give them to any other women they will all wither and die."

Sesshomaru nodded against his mother's shoulder.

"Okay, Okaa-san."

Sesshomaru's mother then smiled and held her son out from her and begins to spin around. That was the last time he had seen his mother alive. That night she was murdered by a human wizard that had fallen madly in love with her. His final words were,

"If I can not have her no one will."

Sesshomaru had been so enraged that he himself had taken the man's head. His father was never the same after that. He became cold and hid all his emotions behind an indifferent mask. His father pushed him ruthlessly to become stronger. He made him study everything form tactics of war to dancing. By the time he was 13 he could play four different instruments and he had defeated five grand masters in the art of the sword. He was trained never to show any weakness. He was to be the Taiyokai if his father was ever to die. He was to carry on his honorable father's great legacy. Sesshomaru never knew the joys of being a child after his mother died. He was but an heir to the lordship, which is until Izayoi had gained his father's attention.

He was grateful to her, she was the reason that at least for a few moments his father saw him as more then just an heir, he saw him as his son. But the damage had already been done. Years of neglect had taken there toll on the once carefree boy. He had been forced to grow up to soon. His emotions locked away in an icy heart. His father's last words to him echoed in his ears.

"Do you have something to protect?"

End Flashback (I know, a little overboard but what can I say, I love to think fluffy had something really terrible happen to him as a kid. Just seems to be a damn good reason for him to act like he does)

At that time he had scuffed at his father. But now he was not so sure as he looked at the miko in his arm. Then Rin invaded his thoughts. She was like a daughter to him, through he would never admit that. He would never let harm come to her. Even if she did insist that he let her braid flowers into his hair when he would take her to play in his private garden.

With those thoughts in mind he landed in said garden. He did not need his nosey court knowing about the miko just yet, the scandalous rumors would rage around the land and he did not need some power hungry manic to come parading up to gate demanding that he hand over the rule of the western lands to him. Though the idea of ripping said power hungry manic to pieces was a tempting idea.

He walked into his private chamber and then through another door to the left of main doors. Theses are his private hot springs. Shippo jumped off his shoulder as he entered the bathing area.

"Do you want me to help you Sesshomaru-sama? I can wash her hair while you go get her some fresh clothing…."

Shippo looked at the ground for a moment.

"That is a wise idea, Shippo wasn't it?"

Shippo nodded and bowed.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru nodded and begin the task of undressing the unconscious miko. Her strange grab proved to be stained beyond hope so with the help of his acid he quickly disposed of the offensive clothing. He then proceeded to the next step in taking care of the injured miko, washing her. He was loathing doing it, but he had no alternative. If he handed the task over to one of the female servants the gossip would spread like wildfire. So with a small sigh he took off his horai and placed himself and the miko in the warm water. The Lord of the West was surprised to find that the miko had a few scars; the one on her side was special interest to him. He had heard rumors that she had carried the Shikon-no-tama in her body before it was forcefully removed.

'I wonder if it is true. The shape and size of this scar is almost the same.'

He continued to wash her and discover more scars. Like crescent shaped scars on her shoulders and some near her ribs. Though the most interesting by far were the ones under her hairline on the back of her neck.

'Did I leave these? I remember slamming her into a tree and the smell of blood after, but I never thought I injured her that greatly.'

He lifted her hair and smelt her skin where the claw makes where. He could smell the slight leavings of his poisons in the marks. It was his way of being sure he had the right couplet. It would never wash away or fade and is only detectable to him.

'She must hate me for theses and because of my half brother, there is no telling what he has told her.'

He gently laded her beside the pool of warm water and made his way over to the door.

"Shippo, I will return with clothing for the Miko and yourself."

Shippo nodded and went to sit beside his adopted mother. He pushed stands of hair away from her face whispering

"Please be okay mommy….I need you…"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as memories of his mother surfaced. He shook the thoughts away as he went into a long forgotten part of the palace, the Mistress of the Western Lands quarters. He could almost smell his mother's scent; it was the scent of rain on the wind and roses. He went over to the closet and picked up a box with a crescent moon with cherry blossom petals floating across the top. He lifted the lid and found a silver and black kimono with cherry blossom petals floating from the right shoulder all the way down to the bottom.

'This will look enchanting on her. Mother would like that I let someone of such power wear her clothing. She always loved collecting them.'

He picked up the box and went into his own room and collected another box, one of his kimonos from when he was just a pup. Then he made his way back to the hot springs.

The scene he found in the hot springs was truly endearing. The little kitsune brushing his mother's hair so it fanned out behind her. Sesshoumaru walked over to the kitsune and knelt down.

"Here, Shippo. These are cloths from when I was a pup. They should fit you."

Shippo nodded and proceeded to make his way into the hot springs. Sesshoumaru then picked up the naked miko and began putting the kimono on her. She was lovely. The black brought out her pale skin and he was sure the sliver would bring her eyes out. Her long black hair was silk in his hand. How he wished for the other one back so he could touch her skin as well. The Western Lord let a small sigh escape his lips.

'Rin is making me soft. But I would not change it.'

He then picked the sleeping miko up and made his way to the room nearest his. That being his excuse to himself as so he could keep an eye on her, but he was truly loath to letting her out of his sight. He did not want a repeat performance of tonight.

He pulled the covers down and laid the sleeping miko on the bed. He brushed a few stray hairs from her face. Then made his way back to the hot spring so he could inform the kit of where his mother was.

"Shippo your mother is in the room next to mine. I would like if you would stay with her and inform me the moment she awakens. I would like to speak to her of my daughter Rin and the arrangements for you both."

Shippo nodded as he tried to tie the obi. A small chuckle could be heard from the western lord. Shippo looked around and so no else so it must have been Sesshoumaru.

"What? Kagome always helped me get dressed."

Sesshoumaru nodded and bent to one knee in front of the kit. As he reached his clawed hand out to the kit, he saw him flinch slightly and smelt the fear on him.

"Do not be frightened, little one. Why would I go though the trouble of helping your mother, if I intended to harm you?"

Shippo thought on this a moment and blushed slightly when it dawned him.

"I did not mean to dishonor you Sesshoumaru-sama; it is just that Inuyasha would always smack me on the head or tells me I was stupid…."

Sesshoumaru nodded and reached once again to help the kit with his obi.

"My brother lacks discipline and manners. He is nothing more then mutt and half breed, though he has much potential he fails to realize he needs training to reach his maximum in battle and life."

Shippo was at a loose for words. Sesshoumaru had just almost complimented his brother who everyone knew he hated. He then noticed that his obi was tied perfectly without his knowing it. There was a hint of a smile on the Western Lord's face as he watched the surprised face the kit made.

"I may only have one arm but I will never let it stop me from doing things for myself."

Shippo nodded and looked into Sesshoumaru's eyes and asked a question he was dying to know the answer to.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, what ever happened to the little girl that used to follow you around?"

Sesshoumaru chuckled at this.

"You mean my ward, Rin. She is still here, I do not allow her to accompany me anymore, and I would be very displeased if anything were to happen to her."

Shippo smiled.

"Could I play with her tomorrow?"

Sesshoumaru nodded and began to lead the kit to where his mother was sleeping peacefully. Shippo curled up beside his mother and was asleep within a few moments.

Sesshoumaru let a ghost of a smile slip onto his face. Then he went to his own room to find, Rin curled up among the pillows of his bed. He shifted her to one side and took off his horai and slipped into bed as well. He could smell the miko's scent. He wondered at the combination of the three scents. But soon the sweet scent scattered all thoughts from his weary mind and he was asleep within moments as well.