Title: Falling Stars
Author: Celyia (ladycelyia@aol.com)
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi still owns all. :-)
Dedication: To all those who enjoy the journey.
Note: Oh, dammit! Well, the corrupted file pretty much cut into the speed I was planning to get these puppies out. I had hoped to have finished Part 2 by tonight, but unfortunately, it looks like we are only going to get midway through. Dammit. Anyway, that means I'll have to leave things off here until I can work again on this baby next weekend. Sorry about that!
Ooops. Between this and my recent "Lost In A Moment", I appear to be pissing people off. All I can say is that while it's disappointing to the extreme to know that some of you may dislike, if not downright hate my stories, you just got to take them as they are. Think of me of a tour guide, not a taxi driver. I'll show you a little around my world, but if you don't like it, you can always choose to get off the next stop. Sorry about not being able to be more accommodating, but there's only so much I can do. :-)
-Cel.
Chapter 11
Kikyou, he mused idly as he watched the girl stir slowly from her unnatural sleep.
His hand pressed silently against his injury, only to wince as the pain wracked through his body. With a sigh, Sesshoumaru looked down at his stomach, frowning as the blood began to mar the expensive white silk of his kimono.
He raised his head as he heard the girl's confused moans as she slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position.
Kikyou.
Sesshoumaru frowned, his claws pinching together the sides of the wound as he watched the way the girl's dark hair fell in tangled streams down her thin shoulders.
The name didn't sound quite right, he decided even as he allowed himself to sit upon the dirty ground. Grimacing in disgust as he watched a stream of ants parade past his foot, Sesshoumaru slowly leaned his head against the mottled grass, his eyes shutting closed of their own accord as he tried to restrain his reaction to the pain.
Kikyou, indeed. He had heard the name before, of that he was certain. It was not a disagreeable name, Sesshoumaru thought as he turned his head in time to watch the hanyou help the girl to his feet, but it lacked the strength the girl possessed.
His eyebrow cocked curiously as he watched the scene unfold- his brother standing so close to the girl, his hand going to touch her several times only to be pulled back suddenly at the last moment. Then, the way this Kikyou's gentle blue eyes (perhaps they were a tiny bit attractive) gazed around the field, the compassion and grief evident as she noticed the scores of bodies strewn messily across the blood-soaked ground.
Biting back the laughter that would pain his slashed stomach, Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as the hanyou's ears swiveled to attention.
Inexperienced warriors. You always did neglect your defense, little brother.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!"
He lifted his head curiously, frowning as the toad youkai interrupted his thoughts. Suddenly angry with himself for forgetting his retainer and ward's presence, Sesshoumaru slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position.
Suddenly, he frowned.
"Jaken," Sesshoumaru called, forcing his voice to sound solid and firm even as he watched the white figure hover threateningly behind the pair, "return with Rin at once to the fortress."
The toad looked surprised, his hand seemingly glued to the child's eyes. For an edgy moment, Sesshoumaru was certain the meddlesome retainer would argue, but, for once, the tiny youkai just nodded, his hand falling only to tug at the child's wrist.
The girl blinked, her dilated eyes focusing on the horror as she gazed around the impromptu battlefield.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" the girl whispered, her face pale as she slowly was pulled away from the scene of the massacre. Intelligent brown eyes widened in horror as they focused on the scarlet liquid flowing freely above his sash.
"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!" Rin screamed, ripping out of the retainer's startled grip with a strength the youkai lord would have never guessed a human child could possess.
"Rin. Stop right there!" he barked, his throat tightening as he watched the albino fur move slowly towards the child.
Still, the damnable child ran on, her knotted hair flying carelessly with her speed.
Gritting his teeth as he forced himself to his feet, Sesshoumaru loosened his grip upon his stomach, ignoring the way his internal organs pressed precariously against the incised tissue as his arms reached out to scoop the fleeing child into the safety of his embrace.
He fell suddenly upon his haunches, blinded by anger as a shadow of silver obscured his view.
"Move!" Sesshoumaru commanded, his lips pulled back in a fierce snarl as he tried to climb back up to his rebelling feet.
His brother looked down upon his, all emotion erased from his normally expressive face as he shielded the child's small body with his own.
The woman screamed, the sound piercing Sesshoumaru's awareness with its startling clarity, as a huge ball of energy slammed into Inuyasha's back, causing the hanyou to grunt harshly in pain.
The dog demon collapsed to the ground, his body trembling with pain even as he held the child protectively to his chest. Golden eyes met golden eyes for one speaking moment, before one pair rolled up as the hanyou fell unconscious.
"No," the woman whispered as she watched as traces of white fur ran in and out from behind the trees.
Sesshoumaru frowned as he turned helplessly to the toad youkai that lay, stunned, by his younger brother.
Undoubtedly, Jaken had tried to rescue the child, only to be hit by the same blast of energy that had taken down Inuyasha.
"Take her," Sesshoumaru said suddenly, more surprised by his words than the woman he spoke them to. "I, Sesshoumaru, shall distract…"
The infuriatingly creature just huffed, impatiently blowing a stream of air out of her pretty mouth.
She turned away (the insolent wench is ignoring me!), her startling blue eyes intent on the hanyou whose maddened laughter echoed in his ears.
Slowly, each subtle movement screaming of determination, the girl walked back to the spot she had fallen previously. Her mouth set firmly in a frown, she picked up the ancient bow and quarrel full of arrows that usually accompanied her lithe form everywhere.
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he listened to the ignoble laughter jar through the air, twisting and pushing the sound waves until his sensitive ears ached. Yet, a single glance towards the woman convinced him that she not only had her fears under control, but, in fact, honed them with intent until they could be used against her adversary.
Her pink lips pulled into a slight smile as she nocked the dull-tipped arrow, her arms seeming to guide themselves to the target.
His eyes transfixed to the beautiful spectacle, as she stood alone upon the field of death and decay- a startling vision risen up out of destruction.
Slightly smiling in admiration at her show of courage, Sesshoumaru inclined his head graciously towards the woman, who gave no sign of seeing his silent admission. It was regrettable that the situation had degraded so far, but a part of him was strangely pleased to know that if his existence must end, it would do so beside this proud lioness with the lightning eyes and wild, black hair.
Shaking out of his stupour by the graceless footfalls of the enemy, Sesshoumaru raised his gaze to fall upon the gloating hanyou.
Anger burned inside his very soul as he watched the baboon skull tremble and quake with amusement. With laughter.
Sesshoumaru scowled as he fought his way to his feet, his teeth clenched together as he pressed a shaking hand against his shredded stomach.
The woman stepped forward, her eyes alighting on his form for merely a second before her attention returned to her prey.
The youkai lord turned a surprised look towards the hanyou, his lips twisted with pleasure as he watched Naraku continue to taunt the girl with that decidedly inane cackling.
Somewhere along the line, Sesshoumaru decided as he watched her coolly aim the arrow directly at Naraku's heart, the prey had shrugged off her bonds and become the predator.
And as long as the hanyou took his superiority for granted, this lioness… this Kikyou … just might win.
Perhaps he stared too long at the woman, or maybe the hanyou's survival instinct kicked in, but even as Sesshoumaru wondered if their chances of survival had increased, a huge ball of pulsating energy erupted from the hanyou's pale, soft hands, its trajectory aimed directly for the woman.
His lips curled in disgust as he tried to move but found his traitorous body unable to carry him from the spot. Growling with anger, Sesshoumaru forced himself to watch the girl's imminent destruction, his heart thudding rapidly in his chest even as he noticed the indifferent look in the woman's eyes.
Indifferent?
Time seemed to stop for the young lord as he watched the woman take a slow step forward, her attention directed solely at the aggressor's slender chest. Bright blue energy gathered and swirled around her, leaping off her skin like iced lightning even as the miasma slammed towards her, only to split in two right before his eyes. As the miasma dissipated into a smoky oblivion, she released her hand and the wooden arrow with it, her brilliant eyes shining with determination as the shaft flew, perfect and straight, towards the hanyou's evil heart.
Naraku turned, his fur-clad body thrown to the side as the wooden shaft embedded itself deep within his chest. Crying out as the pain engulfed him, the hanyou made a strange, sudden movement, only to disappear a moment later behind a veil of fog and smoke.
"Coward," Sesshoumaru growled even as his strength gave out. He fell to his knees, his hands both holding his internal organs in as he turned his attention to the child who lay stunned within his brother's arms.
The woman was suddenly beside him, her soft arms helping him to the ground even as her intriguing scent invaded his senses.
Shaking his head, he looked up into her eyes, only to feel slightly startled by the slight, tired smile she graced him with.
She left his side, only to return a moment later with an incredible happiness in her eyes that belied the exhaustion that caused her small hands to tremble.
"They're all alive," the woman breathed excitedly, her sweet breath tickling his nose. "Inuyasha. The little girl. Even Jaken. They are all alive."
Sesshoumaru nodded dumbly, mesmerized by the look of joy the woman gifted him with.
Maybe, he thought even as he began to lose consciousness, her eyes are pleasing after all.
Response to reviews:
None for last chapter!
Author: Celyia (ladycelyia@aol.com)
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi still owns all. :-)
Dedication: To all those who enjoy the journey.
Note: Oh, dammit! Well, the corrupted file pretty much cut into the speed I was planning to get these puppies out. I had hoped to have finished Part 2 by tonight, but unfortunately, it looks like we are only going to get midway through. Dammit. Anyway, that means I'll have to leave things off here until I can work again on this baby next weekend. Sorry about that!
Ooops. Between this and my recent "Lost In A Moment", I appear to be pissing people off. All I can say is that while it's disappointing to the extreme to know that some of you may dislike, if not downright hate my stories, you just got to take them as they are. Think of me of a tour guide, not a taxi driver. I'll show you a little around my world, but if you don't like it, you can always choose to get off the next stop. Sorry about not being able to be more accommodating, but there's only so much I can do. :-)
-Cel.
Chapter 11
Kikyou, he mused idly as he watched the girl stir slowly from her unnatural sleep.
His hand pressed silently against his injury, only to wince as the pain wracked through his body. With a sigh, Sesshoumaru looked down at his stomach, frowning as the blood began to mar the expensive white silk of his kimono.
He raised his head as he heard the girl's confused moans as she slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position.
Kikyou.
Sesshoumaru frowned, his claws pinching together the sides of the wound as he watched the way the girl's dark hair fell in tangled streams down her thin shoulders.
The name didn't sound quite right, he decided even as he allowed himself to sit upon the dirty ground. Grimacing in disgust as he watched a stream of ants parade past his foot, Sesshoumaru slowly leaned his head against the mottled grass, his eyes shutting closed of their own accord as he tried to restrain his reaction to the pain.
Kikyou, indeed. He had heard the name before, of that he was certain. It was not a disagreeable name, Sesshoumaru thought as he turned his head in time to watch the hanyou help the girl to his feet, but it lacked the strength the girl possessed.
His eyebrow cocked curiously as he watched the scene unfold- his brother standing so close to the girl, his hand going to touch her several times only to be pulled back suddenly at the last moment. Then, the way this Kikyou's gentle blue eyes (perhaps they were a tiny bit attractive) gazed around the field, the compassion and grief evident as she noticed the scores of bodies strewn messily across the blood-soaked ground.
Biting back the laughter that would pain his slashed stomach, Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as the hanyou's ears swiveled to attention.
Inexperienced warriors. You always did neglect your defense, little brother.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!"
He lifted his head curiously, frowning as the toad youkai interrupted his thoughts. Suddenly angry with himself for forgetting his retainer and ward's presence, Sesshoumaru slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position.
Suddenly, he frowned.
"Jaken," Sesshoumaru called, forcing his voice to sound solid and firm even as he watched the white figure hover threateningly behind the pair, "return with Rin at once to the fortress."
The toad looked surprised, his hand seemingly glued to the child's eyes. For an edgy moment, Sesshoumaru was certain the meddlesome retainer would argue, but, for once, the tiny youkai just nodded, his hand falling only to tug at the child's wrist.
The girl blinked, her dilated eyes focusing on the horror as she gazed around the impromptu battlefield.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" the girl whispered, her face pale as she slowly was pulled away from the scene of the massacre. Intelligent brown eyes widened in horror as they focused on the scarlet liquid flowing freely above his sash.
"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!" Rin screamed, ripping out of the retainer's startled grip with a strength the youkai lord would have never guessed a human child could possess.
"Rin. Stop right there!" he barked, his throat tightening as he watched the albino fur move slowly towards the child.
Still, the damnable child ran on, her knotted hair flying carelessly with her speed.
Gritting his teeth as he forced himself to his feet, Sesshoumaru loosened his grip upon his stomach, ignoring the way his internal organs pressed precariously against the incised tissue as his arms reached out to scoop the fleeing child into the safety of his embrace.
He fell suddenly upon his haunches, blinded by anger as a shadow of silver obscured his view.
"Move!" Sesshoumaru commanded, his lips pulled back in a fierce snarl as he tried to climb back up to his rebelling feet.
His brother looked down upon his, all emotion erased from his normally expressive face as he shielded the child's small body with his own.
The woman screamed, the sound piercing Sesshoumaru's awareness with its startling clarity, as a huge ball of energy slammed into Inuyasha's back, causing the hanyou to grunt harshly in pain.
The dog demon collapsed to the ground, his body trembling with pain even as he held the child protectively to his chest. Golden eyes met golden eyes for one speaking moment, before one pair rolled up as the hanyou fell unconscious.
"No," the woman whispered as she watched as traces of white fur ran in and out from behind the trees.
Sesshoumaru frowned as he turned helplessly to the toad youkai that lay, stunned, by his younger brother.
Undoubtedly, Jaken had tried to rescue the child, only to be hit by the same blast of energy that had taken down Inuyasha.
"Take her," Sesshoumaru said suddenly, more surprised by his words than the woman he spoke them to. "I, Sesshoumaru, shall distract…"
The infuriatingly creature just huffed, impatiently blowing a stream of air out of her pretty mouth.
She turned away (the insolent wench is ignoring me!), her startling blue eyes intent on the hanyou whose maddened laughter echoed in his ears.
Slowly, each subtle movement screaming of determination, the girl walked back to the spot she had fallen previously. Her mouth set firmly in a frown, she picked up the ancient bow and quarrel full of arrows that usually accompanied her lithe form everywhere.
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he listened to the ignoble laughter jar through the air, twisting and pushing the sound waves until his sensitive ears ached. Yet, a single glance towards the woman convinced him that she not only had her fears under control, but, in fact, honed them with intent until they could be used against her adversary.
Her pink lips pulled into a slight smile as she nocked the dull-tipped arrow, her arms seeming to guide themselves to the target.
His eyes transfixed to the beautiful spectacle, as she stood alone upon the field of death and decay- a startling vision risen up out of destruction.
Slightly smiling in admiration at her show of courage, Sesshoumaru inclined his head graciously towards the woman, who gave no sign of seeing his silent admission. It was regrettable that the situation had degraded so far, but a part of him was strangely pleased to know that if his existence must end, it would do so beside this proud lioness with the lightning eyes and wild, black hair.
Shaking out of his stupour by the graceless footfalls of the enemy, Sesshoumaru raised his gaze to fall upon the gloating hanyou.
Anger burned inside his very soul as he watched the baboon skull tremble and quake with amusement. With laughter.
Sesshoumaru scowled as he fought his way to his feet, his teeth clenched together as he pressed a shaking hand against his shredded stomach.
The woman stepped forward, her eyes alighting on his form for merely a second before her attention returned to her prey.
The youkai lord turned a surprised look towards the hanyou, his lips twisted with pleasure as he watched Naraku continue to taunt the girl with that decidedly inane cackling.
Somewhere along the line, Sesshoumaru decided as he watched her coolly aim the arrow directly at Naraku's heart, the prey had shrugged off her bonds and become the predator.
And as long as the hanyou took his superiority for granted, this lioness… this Kikyou … just might win.
Perhaps he stared too long at the woman, or maybe the hanyou's survival instinct kicked in, but even as Sesshoumaru wondered if their chances of survival had increased, a huge ball of pulsating energy erupted from the hanyou's pale, soft hands, its trajectory aimed directly for the woman.
His lips curled in disgust as he tried to move but found his traitorous body unable to carry him from the spot. Growling with anger, Sesshoumaru forced himself to watch the girl's imminent destruction, his heart thudding rapidly in his chest even as he noticed the indifferent look in the woman's eyes.
Indifferent?
Time seemed to stop for the young lord as he watched the woman take a slow step forward, her attention directed solely at the aggressor's slender chest. Bright blue energy gathered and swirled around her, leaping off her skin like iced lightning even as the miasma slammed towards her, only to split in two right before his eyes. As the miasma dissipated into a smoky oblivion, she released her hand and the wooden arrow with it, her brilliant eyes shining with determination as the shaft flew, perfect and straight, towards the hanyou's evil heart.
Naraku turned, his fur-clad body thrown to the side as the wooden shaft embedded itself deep within his chest. Crying out as the pain engulfed him, the hanyou made a strange, sudden movement, only to disappear a moment later behind a veil of fog and smoke.
"Coward," Sesshoumaru growled even as his strength gave out. He fell to his knees, his hands both holding his internal organs in as he turned his attention to the child who lay stunned within his brother's arms.
The woman was suddenly beside him, her soft arms helping him to the ground even as her intriguing scent invaded his senses.
Shaking his head, he looked up into her eyes, only to feel slightly startled by the slight, tired smile she graced him with.
She left his side, only to return a moment later with an incredible happiness in her eyes that belied the exhaustion that caused her small hands to tremble.
"They're all alive," the woman breathed excitedly, her sweet breath tickling his nose. "Inuyasha. The little girl. Even Jaken. They are all alive."
Sesshoumaru nodded dumbly, mesmerized by the look of joy the woman gifted him with.
Maybe, he thought even as he began to lose consciousness, her eyes are pleasing after all.
Response to reviews:
None for last chapter!
Author's Note: Thank god for reviews. :-) Okay, let me clarify that Kikyou has no actual place in this story. I'm using a perspective third-person, meaning that you are getting the sometimes flawed point of view of different characters. Sesshoumaru, thanks to Inuyasha's whisper in the previous chapter, is now under the impression Kagome's name is Kikyou.
*grin* Oh, the tangled webs we weave when we *ahem* don't bother learning someone's name in the first place. ;-) By the bye, as of this time, I have no intention of bringing in Kikyou. As it is, even Naraku is only making a cameo appearance.
If the story is still leaving you confused, let me sum it up now: poor, brutally
injured Sesshoumaru may be developing an itty bitty crush on Our Heroine. Tune
in next week to read Part 2 of As The Tail Turns. ;-)