* Author: blue
* Email: blueweber@hotmail.com
* Genre: Drama/Angst/Romance
* Summary: Born in a war torn era in Japan, a young girl witness the death of her family and
clan to the hands of hatred, greed and power. Taken in by a mountain shrine, she becomes a
miko of healing. That is, until a wondering and disillusioned assassin breaks through her
peaceful world. Wounded and seeking revenge, he unwittingly finds himself depending on the
aid of the priestess to help heal him from his wounds. There an adventure begins and a
story that echoes through time with magick and mystery. (Sesshoumaru/Kagome)
* Rated: PG-13 (for violence and other contents)
The Kimono She Wore
******************
.blue.
The mountain streams flows,
Breaking through the ice.
The strength of fluid steel
Carries the scent of winter
through the lands.
.Part V.
(The World Outside, the Face of Forgiveness)
"kioku no hako wo
ima sugu akete
setsunai kako wo
towa ni keshitai"
("I want to open the box of memory
right now
and erase the painful past
for eternity.")
-- Kanae Anisu
("Kibou no Sora e"/"To the Sky of Hope"
Evangelion)
Sesshoumaru brushed back his damp bangs beneath the umbrella-like straw hat, the
bindings of the damned thing was irritating his skin and making him wish he had his kantana
so he could slice the ugly piece of protection to bits. The straw cloak around his
shoulders was too short for his height, allowing the rain to soak whatever part of him that
was left uncovered and exposed to the elements. His hakama was drenched, not to mention
that from below his knees, mud coated over the fabric, as well as his skin, his feet, and
his sandals.
This journey was making Sesshoumaru highly uncomfortable in the grime with each
passing step, and he almost regretted having insisted on accompanying the priests and
priestesses on this journey. Then again, the inhabitants of the shrine were no warriors and
it would be foolish for them to leave the safety of the mountains without a protector during
these times of civil unrest. Especially since their only protector was the Chiisai Kawa who
would not be able to handle close-range, hand-to-hand combat with her bow and arrows no
matter how skilled she may be with her weapons. In front of him he could see the Chiisai
Kawa leading everyone on, and was slightly comforted by the thought that everyone else was
just as dirty as himself, though he was not pleased about him being as dirty as everyone
else.
At first the summer rain had been a refreshing change to the constant heat, but it
had made their travel difficult. A constant fog had settled over their side of the
mountain, making it easy to lose any member that has fallen behind and so the Chiisai Kawa
made use of one of the rough ropes they had taken with them and tied everyone together into
a long line. Of course this slowed down progress, but it would not have been as bad if mud
and newly sprung springs and rivers had not also got in the way of the path that those of
the Mountain Stream seemed to be used to taking.
Several times, they had to either skirt around flooding waters or wait a few hours
for the raging river to mellow enough to cross. This added an extra five days to the
journey that might have only taken a little bit less than a week of travel otherwise. By
the time the weary group had tumbled onto the outskirts of the village, they were all
exhausted.
"Go rest," the Chiisai Kawa ordered them all in her quiet and commanding voice. "We
will all need it in the morning," and without another word, she disappeared into the
village.
"Where is she going?" Sesshoumaru asked a nearby miko. The girl looked startled at
his question for this was the first time he had spoken to anyone other than the Chiisai Kawa
herself.
Blushing, the girl took a moment to compose herself before him and looked to the
village with worry creasing her brows. "Chiisai Kawa-sama has gone to announce our arrival,
she will not be back before nightfall."
"She is going to heal those most in need," came an older and much more dignified
voice.
They turned to see an old woman, probably in her forties or fifties. Black hair
streaked with silver and a towering stature that had an aura of authority. "Yohiko-sama,"
bowed the girl next to Sesshoumaru and he inclined his head politely at the woman.
She chuckled at his reluctance to show submission in her presence, amused more than
insulted. "You may leave us, Hyashi-san." The girl bowed again and turned, leaving them to
privacy. "So you do have a voice after all," the old woman noted with a small grin once
they were alone. "If I had not heard you speak after such a long and droughty silence, I
would have thought you were a mute." Annoyed, he glared at her silently. "Aa," the old
woman named Yohiko grinned, "As eloquent as ever, are we?"
Sesshoumaru turned to leave but Yohiko's words stopped him in his tracks. "You are
concerned about our Kagome-chan, aren't you?" Narrowing his eyes, he stubbornly took
another step away, "That child pushes herself too hard, I agree, but she would not listen to
my complaints. Had fate been kinder to her, I would not have chosen you to be the one to
heal her, either." A great sigh and when the silence was broken again, the woman behind him
sounded older. "But here you are, I just hope you do not live up to your namesake with
her."
Nothing could've frozen him more than those last words spoken, "She told you my
name?" Bitter distrust made the venom in his voice harsher than it would have been. For
some reason he felt betrayed.
"No, she did not tell me your name," Yohiko said with a mysterious smile that he
could not see from where he stood. "You had already done that." In that moment,
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as a flare of energy passed through him, and he experienced the
rare feeling of surprise that frequented his life so sparsely until he had found himself at
the Mountain Stream.
"What are you?" He spun around and faced the old woman behind him. Soon, he found
himself staring into liquid eyes of the deepest brown. Reflective pools of the soul looked
into his, searching for the truth that he was unwilling to reveal to anyone, including
himself.
The mist and the rain obscured the old face but those great eyes bore into his in
search of truth beyond the mask that all people wore in the daylight, "I am the miko,
Yohiko. They call me truth speaker and sometimes, I am even known as a soul healer."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and turned away, veiling his heart from his gaze as he
looked to the village. "Then go heal her soul," he scowled.
"I cannot," Yohiko sounded wistful as she continued to look at him with those
knowledgeable eyes. "Her powers block mine, as do yours. People like you and her are not
as easy to read."
"Not very effective, are you?" Sesshoumaru asked, acidly.
Yohiko only smiled with the same wistfulness in her voice, "Not when it counts to
me." Obviously his words had no effect on the woman whatsoever, "But you just might do the
trick, for though the truth may not set her completely free, those in search of it might
bring her out of her shell so that she may face it on her own."
"What if I don't want to help?" Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth in irritation at the
noisy woman.
"Then she will not be able to heal you, either." That soothing voice drifted
between them and then disappeared.
"I don't need to be healed," he barked and found himself alone in the gathering
mists. Swearing angrily beneath his breath, he trudged in what he thought was the direction
of the village.
The rain continued to fall and mud continued to coat his hakama as Sesshoumaru
passed the entrance of the village without noticing that he had now reached the rural area.
Somewhere he heard children laughing in the distance, their voices drifting in the mists
like phantom voices calling to the past.
He paused, breathing in the smell of the earth and the rain. In the isolation of
the dense fog, he felt safe and relaxed and strangely, at home. His muscles stopped tensing
and his anger left him, as he looked out through the gauzy white, remembering the lost
moments in childhood as he was engulfed within the earthly clouds of memories, memories of a
wonderer's home.
* * *
Outside the paper windows, opened to let in the fresh air, Sesshoumaru sat. Hands
supported his chin as half-lidded eyes of gold watched with a lazy grin to the damp, dark
world outside his window.
"Sesshoumaru," a loving voice caressed him like the hand in his hair as a woman with
dark-hair and brown eyes rested next to him by the windowsill, "What are you looking at?"
"The rain, it's glittering from the fire-light." He smiled as he turned to the
woman next to him, "Isn't it pretty, okaa-san?"
She laughed, "You like the rain, Sesshoumaru?" His mother asked as she leaned
against him and pulled the little boy onto her lap. He nodded, distracted by the dark night
outside, watching with interest as shadows and lanterns swayed in the breeze outside. "What
a melancholy child I've born," his mother teased. "Just like your father, you are."
Sesshoumaru blinked and then turned to his mother with wide, hopeful eyes. "Really,
okaa-san?"
"Yes," she answered with a faraway and distant voice. Sesshoumaru looked to his
mother worriedly, for she seemed sadder and lonelier in that moment of silence more than she
had ever been before.
"Okaa-san?" He tugged at her hair, that flowed freely from its usual knot, let down
since she had been resting before she had come to visit him.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru?"
Brown eyes turned to him questioningly as he cupped his hand against her cheek and
petted the smooth skin awkwardly. "Feel better," he commanded gruffly though he was much
smaller and younger than her.
Laughing, she embraced him closely and somehow along the way of her amusement,
Sesshoumaru felt the cloth on his shoulder becoming wet. Was okaa-san... crying?
Sesshoumaru wondered, surprise flashing in his wide and golden eyes, father's eyes.
"Okaa-san?" He wrapped his arms around her hesitantly realizing that he was too small to
hold onto her entirely. Glaring down at his hands, he wished that one day he would grow as
tall and as strong as father so he could protect mother from the tears that she wept in
silence. "Are you alright, okaa-san?"
Nodding silently against him, his mother never let go that night, not even when
Sesshoumaru had fallen asleep, holding onto his mother while trying to give her as much
comfort as he could. "Just like his father," he heard her whisper in the dark as he drifted
tiredly into dreamland.
Sesshoumaru did not understand her tears until years later, when he grasped the true
meaning of those painful and lonely words. The words from a woman abandoned in a marriage
that had gone from bliss to jealousy and pain. All because of one woman... But with the
candles snuffed out in that dark room, long ago, with his mother's arms securely around him,
his youthful self could not keep awake with the sound of the soothing rain falling outside.
The house was as silent as ever before, still except for the cool breeze that whispered
through the room and the pitter-patter of dewy liquid drops that fell from the sorrowful
skies above.
The gentle lull drifted through the damp air, while outside, the melancholy rain
continued to fall. The slices of water droplets obstructed the light of the golden lanterns
in the courtyard that lined the pathways to his memories, calling to him from the corners of
his mind.
Always, they beckoned him homeward to the solemn, silent days of peace and blissful
ignorance.
* * *
Laughter lifted the veil before his eyes and before him he watched as the children
tugged on her robes and she tiredly followed them. There was joy in the eyes of the Chiisai
Kawa and she laughed freely with them as she watched them play, her hair wet and her
clothing clinging to her body. He could tell she was weary, and probably cold, but it was
her laughter that captivated him, for until then, he had never heard her laugh so freely
before.
It was like the discovery of a morning bud that blossomed into a flower, spraying
invisible fragrance into the air as it opened its arms to the world. The sky still rumbled
slightly off but the golden rays of the setting sun began to peek through the grey, and
colored the grounds as the water puddles in the muddied streets glimmered. Young children
were bringing the Chiisai Kawa flowers and she smiled kindly at them all while the mists
began to part from around the town.
There was great relief in the village at the sight of the Chiisai Kawa's coming and
the joyous gathering in the streets soon ended as they ushered the wet and weary head-miko
into the house of the sickest man. Sesshoumaru could tell from the weary bend of her back
and the way her hands were limp as she held the basket of herbs on her arm that she should
have been resting like she had ordered the rest of them, but if she chose to push herself so
forcefully, who was he to complain?
"Shamon-san," a young voice piped up as he glanced down to see a smiling face
looking up to him. "Here!" Chubby fingers gripped a flower and he touched the petals, his
face composed and his eyes confused. When his fingers gripped the stem more firmly, the
child withdrew and giggled as she ran off after her friends, leaving Sesshoumaru standing in
the streets of the dirty, run-down village.
Cradling the flower in his hand, he frowned down at its beauty before death. It
reminded him of innocence lost too soon and lives too swiftly extinguished. Dropping the
weed in the puddle near his feet, he turned and left, determined once more about the mission
he left behind before he was betrayed.
Soon, he would leave to the West. To restore peace from the chaos, to build a better
place to call home, and most importantly, take responsibilities for what he had been running
away from all his life. The lanterns of his memories beckoned and he turned away, choosing
the outside world. Changes must be brought about, innocence must be protected and
sacrifices must be made for a better future for them all, his people.
The dying lights of the sun began to fade as the Chiisai Kawa stepped out of the
last house of a critical patient. She wiped at her weary and sweaty brow, pausing startled
to see a vibrant, pale flower lying in the streets, dirtied by muddy waters. Stooping, she
picked it up gently and carefully wiped away the mud that marred its beauty. Adding the
discarded flower to her basket full of offered gifts from the village's children, a small
smile formed upon her lips.
Slowly, she trudged back towards the camp outside where the others were waiting for
her return. It would be a long way home, she thought as she looked to the mountains. Not
just because of the travel, but it may take awhile in the village before they could leave
for the mountains again. There were still many people to tend to, but the weary smile did
not leave her lips as she entered into the small camp they erected outside the town. The
campfire was already roaring and stew was boiling over smaller fires around the large one at
the center that was used to dry wet clothing and give off the comforting warmth needed.
"Why can't we stay in the village?" a younger miko whined, having never gone on a
journey before.
Someone hushed her, "We can't since the people cannot afford to feed us and give us
a roof over our heads when they can barely do so for their own families."
"Are you just going to try to take advantage of people in need?" Another joined in
the scolding of the youth.
Huffing, the inexperienced miko sniffled in the sharp, cool air of the calm summer
night. The chill wouldn't last, that much Kagome was sure of as she approached the fire.
Yohiko calmly handed her a dry yukata. "Thank you," she sighed calmly and bowed.
"Go change before you catch a fever," the woman instructed with a frown on her face.
The older miko noticed the creases that belied Kagome's obvious exhaustion beneath her
peaceful composer.
"Of course, Yohiko-san. But I think I will be fine once I have a bit of your stew
later," the smile was strained as the young Chiisai Kawa fought to not show the depth of her
weariness before turning to go to her tent to change.
When she emerged again, dry and much more refreshed, she smiled at the offered bowl.
"Where is our guest?" Kagome asked, glancing around anxiously.
"Worried about me?" An amused and slightly mocking voice interrupted the two.
Yohiko sighed, obviously annoyed, and walked away, leaving the two of them alone to each
other's company.
Too exhausted to even bother to reply, Kagome only glanced at Sesshoumaru with
sleepy eyes that did not reflect the slight irritation she was feeling at the moment. "You
can take care of yourself, I'm sure." The younger miko did not even attempt to temper down
the sarcastic lilt in her voice as she rubbed her temples with her freehand, gripping her
soup bowl in the other.
"You push yourself too harshly," he told her, ignoring her earlier comment.
Surprised, she looked over to him to witness the calm, indifference in his voice
reflecting on his face, as well. The firelight bounced off of his golden skin and amber
eyes, his brilliant white-hair was now tinted with the glow of the flames as he pointedly
ignored her wide-eyed gaze. "Thank you," she said softly before she turned her gaze to the
hypnotizing flames, "for caring." Drinking her herbed soup, the two sat in a comforting
silence as warmth spread throughout Kagome.
Her eyelids drooped as she continued to watches the flames through heavy lashes,
dozing in front of the snug heat. She never felt Sesshoumaru watching her from the shadows,
never felt his firm and coarse hands picking her up and carrying her to her futon. Drifting
into a blissful, dreamless sleep, she only remembered the scent of forest and rain, the
scent of home.
Sesshoumaru watched her for but a moment longer, memorizing the face of innocence as
he kindly brushed away the strands of her hair that clung to her cheek before rising and
leaving. Outside, he looked down at his hands, flesh that was once unmarred and soft like
the hands of a prince and now, after years of training, fighting and killing, he was now
looking down at the hands of a warrior, a peasant even. Flexing his fingers, he raised his
head to the heavens and watched overhead as the stars began to peer through the parting
clouds.
The heavenly candles of forgotten things flickered in the sky, lit in the night for
remembrances long past and the promise of an uncertain future.
* * *
They had been at the village for three days and news traveled that the Chiisai Kawa
had come from the mountains again to heal those in need. Soon, travelers came from all
over, seeking her aid. Some brought with them sores and everyday illness that were easily
cured, others brought festering wounds and deadly viruses. Had the Chiisai Kawa not had the
healing touch and had they not been stalked up in herbs and medicine, they might have all
been dead by the second day.
Sesshoumaru watched and listened as he sat in the corner of the suddenly bustling
inn, hearing tales and rumors of things he had missed out on since his stay at the Mountain
Stream. There were common news and uncertain whispers, but one thing was for certain to
Sesshoumaru, the climax of the battles might be approaching sooner than they all would have
anticipated. One particular group interested him more than all the others. Weary
ex-samurais who had ran away when their old division when the others had been slaughtered
was camping near the village when they heard of the Chiisai Kawa. Two of their fellows had
been wounded gravely and the many of the others had minor injuries. They were grateful thus
not at all troublesome, though Sesshoumaru had no respect for them whatsoever for abandoning
their duties.
"I've heard that Tatsu Naraku-sama is planning another attack by mid-fall," one of
them was saying as he drank down his sake.
"Not just that, the ruthless-prince had gotten rid of competition from what I've
heard. All those opposing him had died," another agreed.
"How convenient, huh?" The third piped in drunkenly, "I heard the ruthless one even
killed his own betrothed when he discovered that she had been dallying with the enemy," A
hiccup caused the drunken ex-samurais to laugh.
Sesshoumaru grimaced with distaste but his eyes were cold when he heard the news.
Naraku was planning his last attack having gotten rid of competitors had he? Sesshoumaru
smiled darkly at this, amber eyes glowing in the shadows as he contemplated this event. And
I thought I had to create a diversion to get near the bastard, another grim smile came upon
his lips at the thought.
"From what I've heard, the Lady Kikyo-sama died by his very hands." The first had
spoken sadly, "She had been a kind soul, too innocent for the ruthless-one."
"Not to mention, the one she was dallying with was a pretty big general from
Naraku's enemies' division." Someone agreed.
Sipping the sake, the leader of the ex-samurai was grave and thoughtful when he
finally spoke, "I have heard that when the general heard this, he was getting ready to
launch a grandiose attack."
"Revenge," the man next to the leader muttered, rubbing his stump where his left arm
should've been. "Foolish youths."
"Not yet," the leader shook his head, apparently he was one of the few that were
still sober. "Someone stopped him, that is why we might have hard battles to come in
autumn," the leader sighed as he rubbed his temples. "If all goes wrong, innocent people
will starve throughout the winter in both the North and the West."
"Are we heading in one of those directions then, boss?" Someone asked in the crowd.
"To protect the people, that is our job," the man answered and Sesshoumaru blinked.
Perhaps, he had judged these people wrongly. "We shall head for the northwest so we are at
the borders, that is where the main battles will take place, after all." A resourceful man
as he was misleading, this leader seemed to be. Sesshoumaru almost smiled at this newfound
respect for the gritty ex-general before him and pitied Naraku slightly for being foolish
enough to lose such intelligence in his own armies.
Sesshoumaru rose from his place in the corner and approached the ex-samurais' table
through the throng of noisy patrons. "I have heard you talking of Naraku," all heads turned
to him. He had not only spoken the name of the most feared general-prince of Japan, but he
had said it without any suffix to acknowledge rank. In truth, Sesshoumaru was referring to
one whom many in Japan thought of as either a god or a demon as if the other were only an
equal to himself. "Is he traveling personally to the Northwest borders, or is he staging his
best generals there and staying in the East?"
The man next to the leader blinked, "Are you a fool to run after that monster?" He
laughed incredulously at even the idea of such a suicidal task.
Amber eyes regarded the soldier who spoke coldly and the table fell silent as the
leader studied him closely, "Not all the rivals has died after all," he heard the man
muttered.
"Do you have the information?" Sesshoumaru demanded.
"My brothers in the army of Naraku-sama were filled with lust and greed," the leader
nodded sadly. "And for awhile, we dishonored our heritage and our old masters by following
the path of self-destruction," one steady hand reached out to him as dark eyes met his own,
"I am Kouga, do not mind my friend there, he had lost his arm to war for the likes of a
selfish-dream."
"Kouga?" Sesshoumaru raised a brow, "General Ookami, then."
A weary smile darkened those intelligent brown eyes, "Aa, don't call this foolish
man by such a name, the one who used to bear it died on the battlefield with his comrades
and friends when he saw the truth. I am simply Kouga, an old samurai who shall follow the
path."
"Not so old, oath breaker," Sesshoumaru replied and though his voice never changed
his words were harsh.
A few of the drunken underlings rose sharply at that, growling as the readied to
attack the man who dared to insult their leader. Raising one hand to still them, Kouga
faced him unblinking, "Aa, but I have done what was right at last," he nodded as he stood.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, I presume."
"Who are you?" Sesshoumaru tensed.
"I was with the General Inuyasha-sama who had lost his woman to Naraku's hands."
Kouga shrugged, "But I have long known of your family, true Prince of the Western Lands."
"So is Naraku traveling to the Northwestern borders?" Sesshoumaru asked again, not
wanting to continue the conversation as several gasps were heard.
"No," Kouga smiled, and looked Sesshoumaru directly in the eyes. Some might have
called the man brave for facing him so boldly, but in those shrewd-brown eyes, Sesshoumaru
saw wisdom and strength that foolhardy courage never had. "He's actually traveling to the
borders of the West more than the North," Sesshoumaru raised a brow at this, refusing to
show his unrest. "To visit your usurper, in fact, and to make sure his conquest over your
lands is still kept as much a secret as possible so that it be tucked safely under his belt,
win or lose."
Sesshoumaru's smile was unnatural and brought fear to many of those facing him.
Kouga though, did not flinch, "All the better," he said as he turned away.
"You," Kouga muttered and Sesshoumaru paused at the tone of voice the other used on
him, almost a command and a breath of disappointment. "Another foolish warrior for the road
of self-destruction."
"No," Sesshoumaru replied calmly to him, never turning back. "I am fulfilling my
duties to my office," white-hair glimmered under the pale lights in the inn. "I am no
oath-breaker."
Kouga smiled wearily at this as he rose and his comrades watched their boss with
uncertainty. "Friends," he said. "I'll be back before nightfall."
Somber nods came as their leader disappeared out of the inn.
"Boss," the man with the stump shook his head, "I hope you know what the hell you're
doing with that boy." But the ruckus in the room drowned out the other's mutterings as the
sake flowed and nobody heard the warning.
* * *
Kagome returned to the village with her arms overflowing with flower wreath. She
smiled at them before turning to the busier part of camp where patience were still streaming
in and laid the flowers before men, women and children, smiling as she went. Her gentle
touches soothed aches and pains, sometimes softly instructing younger apprentices on what
herbs were needed for the diseased and the sick.
Wherever she journeyed the pain was lifted and those under her care breathed a
little easier.
"The Chiisai Kawa-sama is a miracle, indeed," an old gentleman sighed as he clasped
to the flowers around his neck, his aching joints no longer throbbing and his body finally
relaxing under the afternoon sun.
"Yes, she's very good," the gruff looking man next to him agreed with a friendly
smile. "Know anything about her?" He inquired.
"A traveler, are you?" The old man smiled when he saw the other nod. "Our Chiisai
Kawa-sama is a priestess of the mountains. Every few months she comes when the request of
her aid is sent out. Every time she leaves with orphans who have no families to support
them and they become apprentices in her mission to help those in need around the mountain."
"A secret shrine?" The man beside him asked surprised.
"Aa," the old man smiled. "Only those in need and deemed worthy can find their way
to the shrine."
A white-haired man came upon them, "Kouga, did you follow me here?"
"Maa," the man named Kouga made a face, "You could work on your manners a little and
be more polite."
The other raised a brow at this, "You are beneath me," turning the white-haired man
left.
"He's such a rude, push-over," Kouga sighed and smiled at the old man. "Feel better
old-timer!"
"Speak for yourself," the old man replied grouchily. "You should have respect for
your elders."
"Oh, sorry!" Kouga answered sheepishly before turning and wondering off after the
other man.
"Chiisai Kawa," Kouga saw Sesshoumaru calling to the healer in his commanding voice.
"Push over," Kouga muttered as he jogged after the man, lengthening his strides.
After all, he was also curious to meet the woman who had been behind the healing of his own
men.
Approaching from behind, he saw only Sesshoumaru's back before he sidestepped and
his eyes widened. Whistling in slow appreciation, two pairs of eyes turned to him and one
of them were of icy disdain. "Is that your friend?" The woman asked.
"No," Sesshoumaru looked thoroughly annoyed.
"You're no fun, Sesshoumaru-sama," the woman gasped and blinked at him wide-eyed,
making Kouga wonder if he had said something terribly wrong.
Those grey-blue eyes looked over to Sesshoumaru questioningly, "I didn't tell him."
The white-haired man shrugged, irritation marring his delicate features with one single
frown.
Puzzled but knowing that neither would probably answer his questions, Kouga bowed to
the woman, "The Chiisai Kawa-sama, I presume," the calm composer came over her face
immediately at the name. "I didn't think you would be so young or so pretty," he said
honestly, adding a flirtatious smile onto his lips as the words rolled out easily. If fact,
he had presumed the Chiisai Kawa to be some ugly old hag, but he wasn't about to be that
truthful, and it wasn't like he didn't appreciate the surprise. Almost, almost he wished
that he was slightly injured himself if she was the one taking care of him.
Not quite sure what to make of him, the Chiisai Kawa bowed politely, an embarrassed
flush on her cheeks. "Thank you," she straightened and when their eyes met again, and in
that moment, Kouga was sure they were the perfect eyes to drown in. "Do you need assistance
with something..." she trailed off with uncertain worry before glancing over to Sesshoumaru
for help in understanding Kouga's presence.
The white-haired man was frowning at Kouga though, and the ex-samurai had a distinct
feeling he was treading on the other's toes for some reason. Could it be that this woman
was... Sesshoumaru's? She was pretty enough but the two just seemed to be the total
opposite of one another to even be considered a match. She was so calm, composed and nice!
And Sesshoumaru, well, the other wasn't someone Kouga would want to deal with on a normal
basis. "It's Kouga," he supplied with a grin, thinking that she would better communicate
with him if she knew his name at the very least.
"Kouga-san, do you need assistance?" She asked again, demonstrating a patience he
knew Sesshoumaru probably lacked. Her arms, he noted, were filled with flowers as well as a
basket of herbs. The woman just didn't seem like Sesshoumaru's type! She was almost too
nice, too beautiful, and too patient for the man glaring at him at this very moment. She
was a goddess and Sesshoumaru was, well, more like a very scary demon at the time, Kouga
shivered inwardly, feeling the deadly gaze the younger man was shooting his way.
"No, I'm just here to find out about the woman who's been nursing my men back into
health!" Grinning made him look younger, that much he did know.
Eyes turning into deep blue blinked at him in confusion, "Your men?" Then a spark
of recognition came over her, "You must be 'the boss'."
Blushing at the nickname he nodded shyly, "Yeah, that's me." Why is this woman
making me so nervous? He questioned, I'm acting like a callow youth in front of her!
"I'm leaving," Sesshoumaru suddenly cut in as he turned away.
"Excuse me," the Chiisai Kawa bowed and began to follow the white-haired man.
"Damn," Kouga muttered. "This feels like a very bad drama that imouto-chan's always
reading about."
"Hey, hey boss! You came to visit us?" Loud voices interrupted him before he could
follow the couple that left.
Sighing disappointedly, he straightened and plastered a boyish grin on his face,
"You guys didn't think I'd leave you to die now did you?" Laughing, he glanced one last
time in the direction that the Chiisai Kawa and Sesshoumaru had disappeared in and saw
nothing but milling patience and visitors walking to and fro. Well, it wasn't like it was
his business anyway.
With that Kouga turned, though he had a nagging feeling he had seen the girl
somewhere else before. But his soldiers needed him and he let the thought drift away,
tucked into the corner of his mind for inspection, some other time.
* * *
"Sesshoumaru," a gentle hand rested on his arm and he stiffened at the touch.
"Don't," he muttered.
She immediately withdrew, uncertain of what to do. "I've been wanting to talk to
you," she said at last.
"I'm leaving for the West," he cut in.
Sesshoumaru turned to her then and they faced each other on the edge of the woods,
her hands, laden with flowers and herbs. "I know," her head was bowed and her eyes turned
from him so he could not read the expression within those expressive orbs.
For some reason, Sesshoumaru wanted to apologize but he remained silent, uncertain
of himself and his own feelings. When Kouga had followed him and started to flirt
indecently with her, he had been angry, though he wasn't sure why other than the fact he did
not condone the other's actions. "What did you want to tell me?" he asked at last, not
knowing what else he could say.
"I-" she paused as if she wasn't sure herself what it was she needed to tell him.
"If you go," she said at last, "you should go to that place where you can live in peace."
Blue eyes lifted to him, lacking the grey sadness that had been so constant a part of her
gaze. There was hope there... for him?
"I can't," he said at last. "I have duties I have to fulfill, promises that I must
keep."
"Even if it means your own death?" Her voice rose in anger slightly but she got
ahold of her emotions quickly and looked away again.
"Yes," for some reason, Sesshoumaru wasn't annoyed at her for asking. Had it been
anyone else, he would not have even stayed to listen to their reasons. "I have my honor,
Kagome, I cannot let that go."
Smiling up at him, those blue eyes met his in a gaze he never could recall receiving
from her before, it was a gaze filled with that unnamed emotion that he had been running
from all his life. "I know," her voice was slightly cracked as if she were holding back
tears. "I know I can't stop you from leaving and that I cannot stop you from making that
decision on which road you choose to take to your own destiny, but promise me, Sesshoumaru,"
blue, blue eyes staring intently into his. "Promise me that for honor's sake that you will
not choose the road of self-destruction, not that road that vengeance usually takes."
"It is not for vengeance that I must leave," he answered with a smile she had never
seen grace his lips before. "It is for honor and for my father."
Kagome bowed to him then and slowly rose, "When are you leaving?" She asked, her
voice bearing the respect and the dignity that he had so admired her for.
"Tonight," he answered.
"So soon," she bit her lips at those words and a weary smile came over her. "Good
luck then, Sesshoumaru. I'll see you in camp and tell the others to get some medicine and
bandages for you before you leave. Is there food supplies you need?"
"You don't have to do this for me, Kagome," he began, not wanting her to go into all
that trouble just for him.
"That's the second time you said me name," she whispered absent-mindedly instead and
he was left speechless as her gaze turned from him. "When you are ready to leave," she
paused again before shaking her head as if to clear it. "Come get me before you leave," she
finished and then walked away, back into the camp, without ever looking back at him.
Sesshoumaru stood by the edge of the forest while the noonday sun cast shadows onto
the ground, watching her back disappear from sight with that same unnamed emotion in his
amber gaze.
to be continued...
********************************************************************************************
Poem. Beginning. Mine. (Is this getting as old for me as for you?)
* Aa - Yes
* Hakama - okay, think of this as pants. This is what men mostly wore way back when in
ancient Japan. ^-^v
* Gi - this is sort of like a jacket that men wore as well. I certainly can't say
Sesshoumaru is wearing a kimono *burst out into giggles* though the idea of him in one is
hilarious! Oh, he'd be so pissed if he had to dress like a girl since he's pretty enough to
be one already ;) *chuckles at endless mental images*
* Imouto-chan - Little sister
* Maa - Used to calm others, thing of it as "there, there" or "Alright now" or "Settle down"
* Oi - Alone the lines of a "hey!", usually used to get attention from others
* Okaa-san - mother (it's a formal form but it shows respect), so mother instead of mama or
whatever. Come on, can you REALLY imagine even chibi-Sesshoumaru being informal?
Kami-sama, that man is like a walking rule-book, I swear! LOL! I know I know, at least
he's a cute one, ne? ;)
* Shamon - wandering Buddhist monk ( *snickers* the idea of Sesshoumaru being a monk... what
a stupid kid. )
How was that? ^-^v I really liked this chapter that got a lot longer and a lot more out of
hand than any previous chapters before :) Don't you like it though? And as bit by bit, the
past is revealed, the plan for this story is slowly changing... but what is an author to do?
At the beginning I didn't know my characters as well, ne? And now I do ;) Okay so what if
the characters are slightly OOC... this IS an AU O:) I have an excuse at least. And wow!
The length! It WAS actually half this length and oi, oi, I'm not exactly sure HOW Kouga
showed up but he did... just little unexpected things like these that makes an author's day
worthwhile, ne? Oh, and yes, Kouga is older than Sesshoumaru in this fic (and they are ALL
human beings... a few with interesting attributes, i.e. Sesshoumaru with his super-natural
healing, etc. but lots of references and names similar to the anime just as little teasers
with the familiar, also, think of this as sort of a what-if... umm... like what if there
were never demons just human beings doing what they had to do in a war-torn country, you get
the idea) Yes, Kouga is WAY older than Inuyasha AND he WAS an ex-general under Naraku
*gasp* plus since he's more mature... he's a lot more SEXY too (when he isn't pretending to
be an immature ass, that is) :D Muwhahahahahahahaha! Oh, but he's still arrogant, and he
treats Inuyasha like the kid that the cute, white-doggy-earless *sniffles regretfully in the
background* boy that Inuyasha is, whom, of course, Kouga looks down on whenever he can (all
the things we love him for, ne?) ;) Why did the author choose to keep the hair color of both
Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's silver-white? I can understand the necessity of eliminating the
super-kawaii doggy ears (though the act had been a painful one) but NOT the hair or those super-
sexy, dreamy, amber eyes! No way in hell! *giggles in delight* More of this will be coming
your way, but a little slowly since I'm finishing this HUGE epic of mine for Sailor Moon that I
have been working on for about two years now, yup yup yup, some of us are really slow... so this
will be put on temporary hold until I finish the last two chapters of Sheep, but I will update it
as soon as I get spare time to write the next part inbetween the projects, I am really starting to
get into this story anyway, so don't worry, the next update will be sometime in the next few weeks
and I promise it will be an action packed one... I think this story is seriously leaning towards
Fantasy/Action Adventure as I write more and more of it... anywho, I must depart and thank you all
for your encouragements and for reading ^-^v Ja!
Hoped you enjoyed the piece!
blue ^-^
* Email: blueweber@hotmail.com
* Genre: Drama/Angst/Romance
* Summary: Born in a war torn era in Japan, a young girl witness the death of her family and
clan to the hands of hatred, greed and power. Taken in by a mountain shrine, she becomes a
miko of healing. That is, until a wondering and disillusioned assassin breaks through her
peaceful world. Wounded and seeking revenge, he unwittingly finds himself depending on the
aid of the priestess to help heal him from his wounds. There an adventure begins and a
story that echoes through time with magick and mystery. (Sesshoumaru/Kagome)
* Rated: PG-13 (for violence and other contents)
The Kimono She Wore
******************
.blue.
The mountain streams flows,
Breaking through the ice.
The strength of fluid steel
Carries the scent of winter
through the lands.
.Part V.
(The World Outside, the Face of Forgiveness)
"kioku no hako wo
ima sugu akete
setsunai kako wo
towa ni keshitai"
("I want to open the box of memory
right now
and erase the painful past
for eternity.")
-- Kanae Anisu
("Kibou no Sora e"/"To the Sky of Hope"
Evangelion)
Sesshoumaru brushed back his damp bangs beneath the umbrella-like straw hat, the
bindings of the damned thing was irritating his skin and making him wish he had his kantana
so he could slice the ugly piece of protection to bits. The straw cloak around his
shoulders was too short for his height, allowing the rain to soak whatever part of him that
was left uncovered and exposed to the elements. His hakama was drenched, not to mention
that from below his knees, mud coated over the fabric, as well as his skin, his feet, and
his sandals.
This journey was making Sesshoumaru highly uncomfortable in the grime with each
passing step, and he almost regretted having insisted on accompanying the priests and
priestesses on this journey. Then again, the inhabitants of the shrine were no warriors and
it would be foolish for them to leave the safety of the mountains without a protector during
these times of civil unrest. Especially since their only protector was the Chiisai Kawa who
would not be able to handle close-range, hand-to-hand combat with her bow and arrows no
matter how skilled she may be with her weapons. In front of him he could see the Chiisai
Kawa leading everyone on, and was slightly comforted by the thought that everyone else was
just as dirty as himself, though he was not pleased about him being as dirty as everyone
else.
At first the summer rain had been a refreshing change to the constant heat, but it
had made their travel difficult. A constant fog had settled over their side of the
mountain, making it easy to lose any member that has fallen behind and so the Chiisai Kawa
made use of one of the rough ropes they had taken with them and tied everyone together into
a long line. Of course this slowed down progress, but it would not have been as bad if mud
and newly sprung springs and rivers had not also got in the way of the path that those of
the Mountain Stream seemed to be used to taking.
Several times, they had to either skirt around flooding waters or wait a few hours
for the raging river to mellow enough to cross. This added an extra five days to the
journey that might have only taken a little bit less than a week of travel otherwise. By
the time the weary group had tumbled onto the outskirts of the village, they were all
exhausted.
"Go rest," the Chiisai Kawa ordered them all in her quiet and commanding voice. "We
will all need it in the morning," and without another word, she disappeared into the
village.
"Where is she going?" Sesshoumaru asked a nearby miko. The girl looked startled at
his question for this was the first time he had spoken to anyone other than the Chiisai Kawa
herself.
Blushing, the girl took a moment to compose herself before him and looked to the
village with worry creasing her brows. "Chiisai Kawa-sama has gone to announce our arrival,
she will not be back before nightfall."
"She is going to heal those most in need," came an older and much more dignified
voice.
They turned to see an old woman, probably in her forties or fifties. Black hair
streaked with silver and a towering stature that had an aura of authority. "Yohiko-sama,"
bowed the girl next to Sesshoumaru and he inclined his head politely at the woman.
She chuckled at his reluctance to show submission in her presence, amused more than
insulted. "You may leave us, Hyashi-san." The girl bowed again and turned, leaving them to
privacy. "So you do have a voice after all," the old woman noted with a small grin once
they were alone. "If I had not heard you speak after such a long and droughty silence, I
would have thought you were a mute." Annoyed, he glared at her silently. "Aa," the old
woman named Yohiko grinned, "As eloquent as ever, are we?"
Sesshoumaru turned to leave but Yohiko's words stopped him in his tracks. "You are
concerned about our Kagome-chan, aren't you?" Narrowing his eyes, he stubbornly took
another step away, "That child pushes herself too hard, I agree, but she would not listen to
my complaints. Had fate been kinder to her, I would not have chosen you to be the one to
heal her, either." A great sigh and when the silence was broken again, the woman behind him
sounded older. "But here you are, I just hope you do not live up to your namesake with
her."
Nothing could've frozen him more than those last words spoken, "She told you my
name?" Bitter distrust made the venom in his voice harsher than it would have been. For
some reason he felt betrayed.
"No, she did not tell me your name," Yohiko said with a mysterious smile that he
could not see from where he stood. "You had already done that." In that moment,
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as a flare of energy passed through him, and he experienced the
rare feeling of surprise that frequented his life so sparsely until he had found himself at
the Mountain Stream.
"What are you?" He spun around and faced the old woman behind him. Soon, he found
himself staring into liquid eyes of the deepest brown. Reflective pools of the soul looked
into his, searching for the truth that he was unwilling to reveal to anyone, including
himself.
The mist and the rain obscured the old face but those great eyes bore into his in
search of truth beyond the mask that all people wore in the daylight, "I am the miko,
Yohiko. They call me truth speaker and sometimes, I am even known as a soul healer."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and turned away, veiling his heart from his gaze as he
looked to the village. "Then go heal her soul," he scowled.
"I cannot," Yohiko sounded wistful as she continued to look at him with those
knowledgeable eyes. "Her powers block mine, as do yours. People like you and her are not
as easy to read."
"Not very effective, are you?" Sesshoumaru asked, acidly.
Yohiko only smiled with the same wistfulness in her voice, "Not when it counts to
me." Obviously his words had no effect on the woman whatsoever, "But you just might do the
trick, for though the truth may not set her completely free, those in search of it might
bring her out of her shell so that she may face it on her own."
"What if I don't want to help?" Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth in irritation at the
noisy woman.
"Then she will not be able to heal you, either." That soothing voice drifted
between them and then disappeared.
"I don't need to be healed," he barked and found himself alone in the gathering
mists. Swearing angrily beneath his breath, he trudged in what he thought was the direction
of the village.
The rain continued to fall and mud continued to coat his hakama as Sesshoumaru
passed the entrance of the village without noticing that he had now reached the rural area.
Somewhere he heard children laughing in the distance, their voices drifting in the mists
like phantom voices calling to the past.
He paused, breathing in the smell of the earth and the rain. In the isolation of
the dense fog, he felt safe and relaxed and strangely, at home. His muscles stopped tensing
and his anger left him, as he looked out through the gauzy white, remembering the lost
moments in childhood as he was engulfed within the earthly clouds of memories, memories of a
wonderer's home.
* * *
Outside the paper windows, opened to let in the fresh air, Sesshoumaru sat. Hands
supported his chin as half-lidded eyes of gold watched with a lazy grin to the damp, dark
world outside his window.
"Sesshoumaru," a loving voice caressed him like the hand in his hair as a woman with
dark-hair and brown eyes rested next to him by the windowsill, "What are you looking at?"
"The rain, it's glittering from the fire-light." He smiled as he turned to the
woman next to him, "Isn't it pretty, okaa-san?"
She laughed, "You like the rain, Sesshoumaru?" His mother asked as she leaned
against him and pulled the little boy onto her lap. He nodded, distracted by the dark night
outside, watching with interest as shadows and lanterns swayed in the breeze outside. "What
a melancholy child I've born," his mother teased. "Just like your father, you are."
Sesshoumaru blinked and then turned to his mother with wide, hopeful eyes. "Really,
okaa-san?"
"Yes," she answered with a faraway and distant voice. Sesshoumaru looked to his
mother worriedly, for she seemed sadder and lonelier in that moment of silence more than she
had ever been before.
"Okaa-san?" He tugged at her hair, that flowed freely from its usual knot, let down
since she had been resting before she had come to visit him.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru?"
Brown eyes turned to him questioningly as he cupped his hand against her cheek and
petted the smooth skin awkwardly. "Feel better," he commanded gruffly though he was much
smaller and younger than her.
Laughing, she embraced him closely and somehow along the way of her amusement,
Sesshoumaru felt the cloth on his shoulder becoming wet. Was okaa-san... crying?
Sesshoumaru wondered, surprise flashing in his wide and golden eyes, father's eyes.
"Okaa-san?" He wrapped his arms around her hesitantly realizing that he was too small to
hold onto her entirely. Glaring down at his hands, he wished that one day he would grow as
tall and as strong as father so he could protect mother from the tears that she wept in
silence. "Are you alright, okaa-san?"
Nodding silently against him, his mother never let go that night, not even when
Sesshoumaru had fallen asleep, holding onto his mother while trying to give her as much
comfort as he could. "Just like his father," he heard her whisper in the dark as he drifted
tiredly into dreamland.
Sesshoumaru did not understand her tears until years later, when he grasped the true
meaning of those painful and lonely words. The words from a woman abandoned in a marriage
that had gone from bliss to jealousy and pain. All because of one woman... But with the
candles snuffed out in that dark room, long ago, with his mother's arms securely around him,
his youthful self could not keep awake with the sound of the soothing rain falling outside.
The house was as silent as ever before, still except for the cool breeze that whispered
through the room and the pitter-patter of dewy liquid drops that fell from the sorrowful
skies above.
The gentle lull drifted through the damp air, while outside, the melancholy rain
continued to fall. The slices of water droplets obstructed the light of the golden lanterns
in the courtyard that lined the pathways to his memories, calling to him from the corners of
his mind.
Always, they beckoned him homeward to the solemn, silent days of peace and blissful
ignorance.
* * *
Laughter lifted the veil before his eyes and before him he watched as the children
tugged on her robes and she tiredly followed them. There was joy in the eyes of the Chiisai
Kawa and she laughed freely with them as she watched them play, her hair wet and her
clothing clinging to her body. He could tell she was weary, and probably cold, but it was
her laughter that captivated him, for until then, he had never heard her laugh so freely
before.
It was like the discovery of a morning bud that blossomed into a flower, spraying
invisible fragrance into the air as it opened its arms to the world. The sky still rumbled
slightly off but the golden rays of the setting sun began to peek through the grey, and
colored the grounds as the water puddles in the muddied streets glimmered. Young children
were bringing the Chiisai Kawa flowers and she smiled kindly at them all while the mists
began to part from around the town.
There was great relief in the village at the sight of the Chiisai Kawa's coming and
the joyous gathering in the streets soon ended as they ushered the wet and weary head-miko
into the house of the sickest man. Sesshoumaru could tell from the weary bend of her back
and the way her hands were limp as she held the basket of herbs on her arm that she should
have been resting like she had ordered the rest of them, but if she chose to push herself so
forcefully, who was he to complain?
"Shamon-san," a young voice piped up as he glanced down to see a smiling face
looking up to him. "Here!" Chubby fingers gripped a flower and he touched the petals, his
face composed and his eyes confused. When his fingers gripped the stem more firmly, the
child withdrew and giggled as she ran off after her friends, leaving Sesshoumaru standing in
the streets of the dirty, run-down village.
Cradling the flower in his hand, he frowned down at its beauty before death. It
reminded him of innocence lost too soon and lives too swiftly extinguished. Dropping the
weed in the puddle near his feet, he turned and left, determined once more about the mission
he left behind before he was betrayed.
Soon, he would leave to the West. To restore peace from the chaos, to build a better
place to call home, and most importantly, take responsibilities for what he had been running
away from all his life. The lanterns of his memories beckoned and he turned away, choosing
the outside world. Changes must be brought about, innocence must be protected and
sacrifices must be made for a better future for them all, his people.
The dying lights of the sun began to fade as the Chiisai Kawa stepped out of the
last house of a critical patient. She wiped at her weary and sweaty brow, pausing startled
to see a vibrant, pale flower lying in the streets, dirtied by muddy waters. Stooping, she
picked it up gently and carefully wiped away the mud that marred its beauty. Adding the
discarded flower to her basket full of offered gifts from the village's children, a small
smile formed upon her lips.
Slowly, she trudged back towards the camp outside where the others were waiting for
her return. It would be a long way home, she thought as she looked to the mountains. Not
just because of the travel, but it may take awhile in the village before they could leave
for the mountains again. There were still many people to tend to, but the weary smile did
not leave her lips as she entered into the small camp they erected outside the town. The
campfire was already roaring and stew was boiling over smaller fires around the large one at
the center that was used to dry wet clothing and give off the comforting warmth needed.
"Why can't we stay in the village?" a younger miko whined, having never gone on a
journey before.
Someone hushed her, "We can't since the people cannot afford to feed us and give us
a roof over our heads when they can barely do so for their own families."
"Are you just going to try to take advantage of people in need?" Another joined in
the scolding of the youth.
Huffing, the inexperienced miko sniffled in the sharp, cool air of the calm summer
night. The chill wouldn't last, that much Kagome was sure of as she approached the fire.
Yohiko calmly handed her a dry yukata. "Thank you," she sighed calmly and bowed.
"Go change before you catch a fever," the woman instructed with a frown on her face.
The older miko noticed the creases that belied Kagome's obvious exhaustion beneath her
peaceful composer.
"Of course, Yohiko-san. But I think I will be fine once I have a bit of your stew
later," the smile was strained as the young Chiisai Kawa fought to not show the depth of her
weariness before turning to go to her tent to change.
When she emerged again, dry and much more refreshed, she smiled at the offered bowl.
"Where is our guest?" Kagome asked, glancing around anxiously.
"Worried about me?" An amused and slightly mocking voice interrupted the two.
Yohiko sighed, obviously annoyed, and walked away, leaving the two of them alone to each
other's company.
Too exhausted to even bother to reply, Kagome only glanced at Sesshoumaru with
sleepy eyes that did not reflect the slight irritation she was feeling at the moment. "You
can take care of yourself, I'm sure." The younger miko did not even attempt to temper down
the sarcastic lilt in her voice as she rubbed her temples with her freehand, gripping her
soup bowl in the other.
"You push yourself too harshly," he told her, ignoring her earlier comment.
Surprised, she looked over to him to witness the calm, indifference in his voice
reflecting on his face, as well. The firelight bounced off of his golden skin and amber
eyes, his brilliant white-hair was now tinted with the glow of the flames as he pointedly
ignored her wide-eyed gaze. "Thank you," she said softly before she turned her gaze to the
hypnotizing flames, "for caring." Drinking her herbed soup, the two sat in a comforting
silence as warmth spread throughout Kagome.
Her eyelids drooped as she continued to watches the flames through heavy lashes,
dozing in front of the snug heat. She never felt Sesshoumaru watching her from the shadows,
never felt his firm and coarse hands picking her up and carrying her to her futon. Drifting
into a blissful, dreamless sleep, she only remembered the scent of forest and rain, the
scent of home.
Sesshoumaru watched her for but a moment longer, memorizing the face of innocence as
he kindly brushed away the strands of her hair that clung to her cheek before rising and
leaving. Outside, he looked down at his hands, flesh that was once unmarred and soft like
the hands of a prince and now, after years of training, fighting and killing, he was now
looking down at the hands of a warrior, a peasant even. Flexing his fingers, he raised his
head to the heavens and watched overhead as the stars began to peer through the parting
clouds.
The heavenly candles of forgotten things flickered in the sky, lit in the night for
remembrances long past and the promise of an uncertain future.
* * *
They had been at the village for three days and news traveled that the Chiisai Kawa
had come from the mountains again to heal those in need. Soon, travelers came from all
over, seeking her aid. Some brought with them sores and everyday illness that were easily
cured, others brought festering wounds and deadly viruses. Had the Chiisai Kawa not had the
healing touch and had they not been stalked up in herbs and medicine, they might have all
been dead by the second day.
Sesshoumaru watched and listened as he sat in the corner of the suddenly bustling
inn, hearing tales and rumors of things he had missed out on since his stay at the Mountain
Stream. There were common news and uncertain whispers, but one thing was for certain to
Sesshoumaru, the climax of the battles might be approaching sooner than they all would have
anticipated. One particular group interested him more than all the others. Weary
ex-samurais who had ran away when their old division when the others had been slaughtered
was camping near the village when they heard of the Chiisai Kawa. Two of their fellows had
been wounded gravely and the many of the others had minor injuries. They were grateful thus
not at all troublesome, though Sesshoumaru had no respect for them whatsoever for abandoning
their duties.
"I've heard that Tatsu Naraku-sama is planning another attack by mid-fall," one of
them was saying as he drank down his sake.
"Not just that, the ruthless-prince had gotten rid of competition from what I've
heard. All those opposing him had died," another agreed.
"How convenient, huh?" The third piped in drunkenly, "I heard the ruthless one even
killed his own betrothed when he discovered that she had been dallying with the enemy," A
hiccup caused the drunken ex-samurais to laugh.
Sesshoumaru grimaced with distaste but his eyes were cold when he heard the news.
Naraku was planning his last attack having gotten rid of competitors had he? Sesshoumaru
smiled darkly at this, amber eyes glowing in the shadows as he contemplated this event. And
I thought I had to create a diversion to get near the bastard, another grim smile came upon
his lips at the thought.
"From what I've heard, the Lady Kikyo-sama died by his very hands." The first had
spoken sadly, "She had been a kind soul, too innocent for the ruthless-one."
"Not to mention, the one she was dallying with was a pretty big general from
Naraku's enemies' division." Someone agreed.
Sipping the sake, the leader of the ex-samurai was grave and thoughtful when he
finally spoke, "I have heard that when the general heard this, he was getting ready to
launch a grandiose attack."
"Revenge," the man next to the leader muttered, rubbing his stump where his left arm
should've been. "Foolish youths."
"Not yet," the leader shook his head, apparently he was one of the few that were
still sober. "Someone stopped him, that is why we might have hard battles to come in
autumn," the leader sighed as he rubbed his temples. "If all goes wrong, innocent people
will starve throughout the winter in both the North and the West."
"Are we heading in one of those directions then, boss?" Someone asked in the crowd.
"To protect the people, that is our job," the man answered and Sesshoumaru blinked.
Perhaps, he had judged these people wrongly. "We shall head for the northwest so we are at
the borders, that is where the main battles will take place, after all." A resourceful man
as he was misleading, this leader seemed to be. Sesshoumaru almost smiled at this newfound
respect for the gritty ex-general before him and pitied Naraku slightly for being foolish
enough to lose such intelligence in his own armies.
Sesshoumaru rose from his place in the corner and approached the ex-samurais' table
through the throng of noisy patrons. "I have heard you talking of Naraku," all heads turned
to him. He had not only spoken the name of the most feared general-prince of Japan, but he
had said it without any suffix to acknowledge rank. In truth, Sesshoumaru was referring to
one whom many in Japan thought of as either a god or a demon as if the other were only an
equal to himself. "Is he traveling personally to the Northwest borders, or is he staging his
best generals there and staying in the East?"
The man next to the leader blinked, "Are you a fool to run after that monster?" He
laughed incredulously at even the idea of such a suicidal task.
Amber eyes regarded the soldier who spoke coldly and the table fell silent as the
leader studied him closely, "Not all the rivals has died after all," he heard the man
muttered.
"Do you have the information?" Sesshoumaru demanded.
"My brothers in the army of Naraku-sama were filled with lust and greed," the leader
nodded sadly. "And for awhile, we dishonored our heritage and our old masters by following
the path of self-destruction," one steady hand reached out to him as dark eyes met his own,
"I am Kouga, do not mind my friend there, he had lost his arm to war for the likes of a
selfish-dream."
"Kouga?" Sesshoumaru raised a brow, "General Ookami, then."
A weary smile darkened those intelligent brown eyes, "Aa, don't call this foolish
man by such a name, the one who used to bear it died on the battlefield with his comrades
and friends when he saw the truth. I am simply Kouga, an old samurai who shall follow the
path."
"Not so old, oath breaker," Sesshoumaru replied and though his voice never changed
his words were harsh.
A few of the drunken underlings rose sharply at that, growling as the readied to
attack the man who dared to insult their leader. Raising one hand to still them, Kouga
faced him unblinking, "Aa, but I have done what was right at last," he nodded as he stood.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, I presume."
"Who are you?" Sesshoumaru tensed.
"I was with the General Inuyasha-sama who had lost his woman to Naraku's hands."
Kouga shrugged, "But I have long known of your family, true Prince of the Western Lands."
"So is Naraku traveling to the Northwestern borders?" Sesshoumaru asked again, not
wanting to continue the conversation as several gasps were heard.
"No," Kouga smiled, and looked Sesshoumaru directly in the eyes. Some might have
called the man brave for facing him so boldly, but in those shrewd-brown eyes, Sesshoumaru
saw wisdom and strength that foolhardy courage never had. "He's actually traveling to the
borders of the West more than the North," Sesshoumaru raised a brow at this, refusing to
show his unrest. "To visit your usurper, in fact, and to make sure his conquest over your
lands is still kept as much a secret as possible so that it be tucked safely under his belt,
win or lose."
Sesshoumaru's smile was unnatural and brought fear to many of those facing him.
Kouga though, did not flinch, "All the better," he said as he turned away.
"You," Kouga muttered and Sesshoumaru paused at the tone of voice the other used on
him, almost a command and a breath of disappointment. "Another foolish warrior for the road
of self-destruction."
"No," Sesshoumaru replied calmly to him, never turning back. "I am fulfilling my
duties to my office," white-hair glimmered under the pale lights in the inn. "I am no
oath-breaker."
Kouga smiled wearily at this as he rose and his comrades watched their boss with
uncertainty. "Friends," he said. "I'll be back before nightfall."
Somber nods came as their leader disappeared out of the inn.
"Boss," the man with the stump shook his head, "I hope you know what the hell you're
doing with that boy." But the ruckus in the room drowned out the other's mutterings as the
sake flowed and nobody heard the warning.
* * *
Kagome returned to the village with her arms overflowing with flower wreath. She
smiled at them before turning to the busier part of camp where patience were still streaming
in and laid the flowers before men, women and children, smiling as she went. Her gentle
touches soothed aches and pains, sometimes softly instructing younger apprentices on what
herbs were needed for the diseased and the sick.
Wherever she journeyed the pain was lifted and those under her care breathed a
little easier.
"The Chiisai Kawa-sama is a miracle, indeed," an old gentleman sighed as he clasped
to the flowers around his neck, his aching joints no longer throbbing and his body finally
relaxing under the afternoon sun.
"Yes, she's very good," the gruff looking man next to him agreed with a friendly
smile. "Know anything about her?" He inquired.
"A traveler, are you?" The old man smiled when he saw the other nod. "Our Chiisai
Kawa-sama is a priestess of the mountains. Every few months she comes when the request of
her aid is sent out. Every time she leaves with orphans who have no families to support
them and they become apprentices in her mission to help those in need around the mountain."
"A secret shrine?" The man beside him asked surprised.
"Aa," the old man smiled. "Only those in need and deemed worthy can find their way
to the shrine."
A white-haired man came upon them, "Kouga, did you follow me here?"
"Maa," the man named Kouga made a face, "You could work on your manners a little and
be more polite."
The other raised a brow at this, "You are beneath me," turning the white-haired man
left.
"He's such a rude, push-over," Kouga sighed and smiled at the old man. "Feel better
old-timer!"
"Speak for yourself," the old man replied grouchily. "You should have respect for
your elders."
"Oh, sorry!" Kouga answered sheepishly before turning and wondering off after the
other man.
"Chiisai Kawa," Kouga saw Sesshoumaru calling to the healer in his commanding voice.
"Push over," Kouga muttered as he jogged after the man, lengthening his strides.
After all, he was also curious to meet the woman who had been behind the healing of his own
men.
Approaching from behind, he saw only Sesshoumaru's back before he sidestepped and
his eyes widened. Whistling in slow appreciation, two pairs of eyes turned to him and one
of them were of icy disdain. "Is that your friend?" The woman asked.
"No," Sesshoumaru looked thoroughly annoyed.
"You're no fun, Sesshoumaru-sama," the woman gasped and blinked at him wide-eyed,
making Kouga wonder if he had said something terribly wrong.
Those grey-blue eyes looked over to Sesshoumaru questioningly, "I didn't tell him."
The white-haired man shrugged, irritation marring his delicate features with one single
frown.
Puzzled but knowing that neither would probably answer his questions, Kouga bowed to
the woman, "The Chiisai Kawa-sama, I presume," the calm composer came over her face
immediately at the name. "I didn't think you would be so young or so pretty," he said
honestly, adding a flirtatious smile onto his lips as the words rolled out easily. If fact,
he had presumed the Chiisai Kawa to be some ugly old hag, but he wasn't about to be that
truthful, and it wasn't like he didn't appreciate the surprise. Almost, almost he wished
that he was slightly injured himself if she was the one taking care of him.
Not quite sure what to make of him, the Chiisai Kawa bowed politely, an embarrassed
flush on her cheeks. "Thank you," she straightened and when their eyes met again, and in
that moment, Kouga was sure they were the perfect eyes to drown in. "Do you need assistance
with something..." she trailed off with uncertain worry before glancing over to Sesshoumaru
for help in understanding Kouga's presence.
The white-haired man was frowning at Kouga though, and the ex-samurai had a distinct
feeling he was treading on the other's toes for some reason. Could it be that this woman
was... Sesshoumaru's? She was pretty enough but the two just seemed to be the total
opposite of one another to even be considered a match. She was so calm, composed and nice!
And Sesshoumaru, well, the other wasn't someone Kouga would want to deal with on a normal
basis. "It's Kouga," he supplied with a grin, thinking that she would better communicate
with him if she knew his name at the very least.
"Kouga-san, do you need assistance?" She asked again, demonstrating a patience he
knew Sesshoumaru probably lacked. Her arms, he noted, were filled with flowers as well as a
basket of herbs. The woman just didn't seem like Sesshoumaru's type! She was almost too
nice, too beautiful, and too patient for the man glaring at him at this very moment. She
was a goddess and Sesshoumaru was, well, more like a very scary demon at the time, Kouga
shivered inwardly, feeling the deadly gaze the younger man was shooting his way.
"No, I'm just here to find out about the woman who's been nursing my men back into
health!" Grinning made him look younger, that much he did know.
Eyes turning into deep blue blinked at him in confusion, "Your men?" Then a spark
of recognition came over her, "You must be 'the boss'."
Blushing at the nickname he nodded shyly, "Yeah, that's me." Why is this woman
making me so nervous? He questioned, I'm acting like a callow youth in front of her!
"I'm leaving," Sesshoumaru suddenly cut in as he turned away.
"Excuse me," the Chiisai Kawa bowed and began to follow the white-haired man.
"Damn," Kouga muttered. "This feels like a very bad drama that imouto-chan's always
reading about."
"Hey, hey boss! You came to visit us?" Loud voices interrupted him before he could
follow the couple that left.
Sighing disappointedly, he straightened and plastered a boyish grin on his face,
"You guys didn't think I'd leave you to die now did you?" Laughing, he glanced one last
time in the direction that the Chiisai Kawa and Sesshoumaru had disappeared in and saw
nothing but milling patience and visitors walking to and fro. Well, it wasn't like it was
his business anyway.
With that Kouga turned, though he had a nagging feeling he had seen the girl
somewhere else before. But his soldiers needed him and he let the thought drift away,
tucked into the corner of his mind for inspection, some other time.
* * *
"Sesshoumaru," a gentle hand rested on his arm and he stiffened at the touch.
"Don't," he muttered.
She immediately withdrew, uncertain of what to do. "I've been wanting to talk to
you," she said at last.
"I'm leaving for the West," he cut in.
Sesshoumaru turned to her then and they faced each other on the edge of the woods,
her hands, laden with flowers and herbs. "I know," her head was bowed and her eyes turned
from him so he could not read the expression within those expressive orbs.
For some reason, Sesshoumaru wanted to apologize but he remained silent, uncertain
of himself and his own feelings. When Kouga had followed him and started to flirt
indecently with her, he had been angry, though he wasn't sure why other than the fact he did
not condone the other's actions. "What did you want to tell me?" he asked at last, not
knowing what else he could say.
"I-" she paused as if she wasn't sure herself what it was she needed to tell him.
"If you go," she said at last, "you should go to that place where you can live in peace."
Blue eyes lifted to him, lacking the grey sadness that had been so constant a part of her
gaze. There was hope there... for him?
"I can't," he said at last. "I have duties I have to fulfill, promises that I must
keep."
"Even if it means your own death?" Her voice rose in anger slightly but she got
ahold of her emotions quickly and looked away again.
"Yes," for some reason, Sesshoumaru wasn't annoyed at her for asking. Had it been
anyone else, he would not have even stayed to listen to their reasons. "I have my honor,
Kagome, I cannot let that go."
Smiling up at him, those blue eyes met his in a gaze he never could recall receiving
from her before, it was a gaze filled with that unnamed emotion that he had been running
from all his life. "I know," her voice was slightly cracked as if she were holding back
tears. "I know I can't stop you from leaving and that I cannot stop you from making that
decision on which road you choose to take to your own destiny, but promise me, Sesshoumaru,"
blue, blue eyes staring intently into his. "Promise me that for honor's sake that you will
not choose the road of self-destruction, not that road that vengeance usually takes."
"It is not for vengeance that I must leave," he answered with a smile she had never
seen grace his lips before. "It is for honor and for my father."
Kagome bowed to him then and slowly rose, "When are you leaving?" She asked, her
voice bearing the respect and the dignity that he had so admired her for.
"Tonight," he answered.
"So soon," she bit her lips at those words and a weary smile came over her. "Good
luck then, Sesshoumaru. I'll see you in camp and tell the others to get some medicine and
bandages for you before you leave. Is there food supplies you need?"
"You don't have to do this for me, Kagome," he began, not wanting her to go into all
that trouble just for him.
"That's the second time you said me name," she whispered absent-mindedly instead and
he was left speechless as her gaze turned from him. "When you are ready to leave," she
paused again before shaking her head as if to clear it. "Come get me before you leave," she
finished and then walked away, back into the camp, without ever looking back at him.
Sesshoumaru stood by the edge of the forest while the noonday sun cast shadows onto
the ground, watching her back disappear from sight with that same unnamed emotion in his
amber gaze.
to be continued...
********************************************************************************************
Poem. Beginning. Mine. (Is this getting as old for me as for you?)
* Aa - Yes
* Hakama - okay, think of this as pants. This is what men mostly wore way back when in
ancient Japan. ^-^v
* Gi - this is sort of like a jacket that men wore as well. I certainly can't say
Sesshoumaru is wearing a kimono *burst out into giggles* though the idea of him in one is
hilarious! Oh, he'd be so pissed if he had to dress like a girl since he's pretty enough to
be one already ;) *chuckles at endless mental images*
* Imouto-chan - Little sister
* Maa - Used to calm others, thing of it as "there, there" or "Alright now" or "Settle down"
* Oi - Alone the lines of a "hey!", usually used to get attention from others
* Okaa-san - mother (it's a formal form but it shows respect), so mother instead of mama or
whatever. Come on, can you REALLY imagine even chibi-Sesshoumaru being informal?
Kami-sama, that man is like a walking rule-book, I swear! LOL! I know I know, at least
he's a cute one, ne? ;)
* Shamon - wandering Buddhist monk ( *snickers* the idea of Sesshoumaru being a monk... what
a stupid kid. )
How was that? ^-^v I really liked this chapter that got a lot longer and a lot more out of
hand than any previous chapters before :) Don't you like it though? And as bit by bit, the
past is revealed, the plan for this story is slowly changing... but what is an author to do?
At the beginning I didn't know my characters as well, ne? And now I do ;) Okay so what if
the characters are slightly OOC... this IS an AU O:) I have an excuse at least. And wow!
The length! It WAS actually half this length and oi, oi, I'm not exactly sure HOW Kouga
showed up but he did... just little unexpected things like these that makes an author's day
worthwhile, ne? Oh, and yes, Kouga is older than Sesshoumaru in this fic (and they are ALL
human beings... a few with interesting attributes, i.e. Sesshoumaru with his super-natural
healing, etc. but lots of references and names similar to the anime just as little teasers
with the familiar, also, think of this as sort of a what-if... umm... like what if there
were never demons just human beings doing what they had to do in a war-torn country, you get
the idea) Yes, Kouga is WAY older than Inuyasha AND he WAS an ex-general under Naraku
*gasp* plus since he's more mature... he's a lot more SEXY too (when he isn't pretending to
be an immature ass, that is) :D Muwhahahahahahahaha! Oh, but he's still arrogant, and he
treats Inuyasha like the kid that the cute, white-doggy-earless *sniffles regretfully in the
background* boy that Inuyasha is, whom, of course, Kouga looks down on whenever he can (all
the things we love him for, ne?) ;) Why did the author choose to keep the hair color of both
Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's silver-white? I can understand the necessity of eliminating the
super-kawaii doggy ears (though the act had been a painful one) but NOT the hair or those super-
sexy, dreamy, amber eyes! No way in hell! *giggles in delight* More of this will be coming
your way, but a little slowly since I'm finishing this HUGE epic of mine for Sailor Moon that I
have been working on for about two years now, yup yup yup, some of us are really slow... so this
will be put on temporary hold until I finish the last two chapters of Sheep, but I will update it
as soon as I get spare time to write the next part inbetween the projects, I am really starting to
get into this story anyway, so don't worry, the next update will be sometime in the next few weeks
and I promise it will be an action packed one... I think this story is seriously leaning towards
Fantasy/Action Adventure as I write more and more of it... anywho, I must depart and thank you all
for your encouragements and for reading ^-^v Ja!
Hoped you enjoyed the piece!
blue ^-^