Auruyasha: grumbles, still trying to defeat Nightmare
Bankotsu: laughs nervously and holds up a sign Auruyasha doesn't own Inuyasha, but owns Angie and Alex Warr. And don't disturb her while she's trying to defeat Nightmare on Devil May Cry!
Chapter 3: Bloody Angel
The trip to Sesshoumaru's castle after the incident at the hot spring was quite boring, at least for Rin and Sesshoumaru. Jaken kept squawking about 'too many humans' traveling with Sesshoumaru, but I didn't really care at that moment. It just got irritating when he started tripping me on purpose and trying to get me to yell at Rin, just so Sesshoumaru could kill me right then. If it hadn't been for my dealings with my twin for my life time, I'd probably have snapped by then, but I'd kept my face in the normal stoic expression Sesshoumaru wore, but I smiled whenever Rin was around, but only at her. I wouldn't have guessed it then, but I was making his lordship uneasy by the way I took to being a servant so easily.
Just wait until he finds out just how I really am deep down.
But, the most interesting—or should I say most annoying—incident on the return was the fact that we ran into somebody I'd never expected to appear here in my favorite anime no less.
"Angie!" I heard a familiar screeching shriek in the direction we had just come, and I stopped dead in my tracks as I realized that this was not a dream. Somehow the Fates love messing with my boring life. I spun around just in time to be tackled by my mirror image, which was wearing her normal sluttish pink outfit. She rubbed her face against my neck, obviously glad to have me back. She would only do that just when she got out of jail or something that had separated us for an amount of time. "Angie! Dear sister, I missed you so!"
My hands twitching, I pushed her off me and stood up fast, my normal stoic mask set in place, though I was way blushing inside. If I had a chance for Sesshoumaru actually liking me at least a little bit, then Alex had just destroyed it. "Damnit Alex!" I glared, folding my arms. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"
She blinked at me, completely confused, but I noticed the first instant when she set her gaze on my lord and master. I could tell by just her expression alone that she was already thinking of lying with him, and for some unknown reason a vein in my temple throbbed in irritation and some other emotion I couldn't explain or recognize. "Angie! Who's the hottie with you?" She practically purred while doing her annoying little swish of the hips she probably thought would entice him.
I took a quick glance at Sesshoumaru and noticed his eyes giving off a faint sign of carnal hunger, and I nearly threw up. Well, gagged more like it as I started a coughing/choking fit. I gasped for breath as my eyes widened with sickening realization. God! What had made me think that Sesshoumaru was a cold fish?!
Sighing, I sat on the ground and waited for someone to break the silence. For a moment, I wished that I could just go and shoot something. Unfortunately, it was automatically buried in the recesses of my mind, with all the other vicious thoughts. I just hoped that whoever unleashed them and caused me to go berserk kept me out of reach of anything remotely resembling anything. They'd have to lock me up in a padded cell to keep me from killing people, as I'd read enough to know that I could use anything as a weapon. Hell, I could use a stuffed animal as a lethal weapon if I got my hands on it!
Whoa, back to the matter at hand.
"Angie-sama?" Rin sidled over to me, dutifully averting her eyes from the obviously attracted couple.
I glanced at her and smiled, thinking idly that if Alex were to have any children she'd probably foist them on me, as I was great with kids, but not people my own age or above. Weird, I know. "Yes, Rin? What is it?"
She smiled and sat by me, sliding her small hand into mine. "Why does that lady look like Angie-sama? Are you both the same person?"
I laughed contentedly, ignoring the jealousy coursing through my veins. I now knew what that weird emotion was, but I didn't like it. It was weird and made me think of killing my own twin . . . "She is my twin, Rin. We are sisters, but we look alike," I told her, patting her small head.
We kept smiling at each other until a dull shock pulled sluggishly through my senses, drawing my attention to a darkened area of the forest on the right side of the road that we were traveling west on. I blinked and gaped as a giant lumbering ugly ogre youkai stepped out of the forest, his crimson eyes looking bloodthirsty. I looked around and scratched my head when I noticed that my sister already had Sesshoumaru in the bushes, and I saw a lot of clothes scattered already, with more on the way. I sighed, thinking that even Jaken wouldn't even help, because I'd noticed that he'd run away as soon as my sister had appeared.
Taking a defensive stance and pushing Rin behind me, I waited for the ogre to come and get me. Sesshoumaru had appointed me as Rin's guardian, and so shall I remain until further notice.
I gasped as I heard its voice inside my head, pleading with me. "Help me, strange human! I can tell you have great powers! Help me, as Naraku has placed a curse upon me with a shard of the shikon no tama . . . help me!"
It roared aloud as the weak voice in my head screeched, and I acted purely on instinct as I pushed Rin away, getting swiped into a tree fifty feet away as the ogre grinned maliciously at me. I struggled to sit up and somehow my mind was numbed when Sesshoumaru didn't get out of those damn bushes to help his charge, or his new servant. For all he cared, we were both going to die.
Something clicked inside my head at that last thought. I felt a mental dam break free in my mind, flooding it with new but familiar energy. I'd felt this before, when I was a small baby being held by my mother . . .
With unnatural, I jumped up and away as the ogre slashed down again, thanking the Gods that my sneakers were made of rubber and not any of that expensive crap my twin liked. I flipped in the air, landing with speed and grabbing Rin up off the ground where she'd fallen and ran to a safe spot, depositing her after giving her orders to stay there until either I, Sesshoumaru, or Jaken came to get her.
I ran off and faced the ogre again and I nearly fell on my face when the bushes Sesshoumaru and Alex were currently behind began moving and making funny noises. I'll never understand the act of sex.
I focused quickly and pushed my newfound energy between my palms, willing it to take shape. Instantaneously, a sword formed, glowing with an ethereal light. I flicked my gaze at my opponent, my eyes radiating my willingness to help the creature. I wouldn't let it die, but I wouldn't let it reek terror and destruction upon unsuspecting humans. I rushed forward, just in time to see it ready an arm to slash at the bushes. I ran even faster and harder, moving like a blur as tears streamed out behind me. "Cleansing Sword!" I screamed on reflex, slicing the poor creature across the chest. A moment later the body fizzled away to nothing and a shard was retrieved by one of Naraku's stupid bee-things. I slumped to my knees, staring at the blood that was covering my hands. I'd never killed anything before . . .
"Thank you, human from a distant land," a voice whispered on the winds, swirling about me soothingly. "Do not hate yourself for rescuing my soul . . . in return, I grant you this." It faded away to nothing as the winds swirled faster in my hands, brightening in a shape that I vaguely recognized as a circlet, fit for my head. As the winds and light died, I stared at the simple circlet. It was made of pure steel, which was odd, and the only decoration was a bright peridot, my birthstone, in the form of a tear in the center. I clutched it to my chest and whispered my thanks to the departed soul. I knew what it was for, and I cried a little more.
"I shall protect this treasure," I told the winds, looking heavenwards as I slipped the circlet over my forehead. It fit perfectly, as if it was made for me, and I stood up, revitalized.
"Angie," my stupid sister called, spoiling the moment. "Where's that kid you were with? Sesshou-chan and I need to get back to his castle soon!" She called out, retrieving her clothing, not even caring that she and my lord were nude.
Just like that last time in the car. I rolled my eyes and went off in search of Rin, hoping she was okay, and kind of hoping that Sesshoumaru would just get tired of my sister and be rid of either her or me. Rather, me, and use my sister as the next nurse for Rin. Wait. She wouldn't take care of the child . . . Damn it all to hell and back, I'm so confused!
I walked away from them to retrieve Rin, not even caring or noticing that the tears were streaming down my face was the color of blood.
†
"Bored, bored, bored!" I chanted slowly, staring out the window at the lovely day while I was stuck here in the room full of youkai maids. I should've expected 'lord' Sesshoumaru to put me with the other household servants, but he'd practically thrown me to the dogs! If it hadn't been for my circlet that signaled something I didn't know, I'd be his kibble for breakfast in the mornings. I believe now that his hatred for anything remotely having any human blood to be crap had poisoned the household, but they soon accepted me as a quiet and unapproachable person, once they saw that sluttish sister of mine following around the master everywhere, always hanging on his arm. God, how I was so tired of hearing the stupid gossip about them having sex. It made me sick, the way they went at it like that. I sighed noticeably. If I hadn't done blood tests on my family and myself to confirm I was human and their child, I would've thought that I wasn't human.
Fact is, I've never felt human, much less a real relative to my family. The only time I felt human and wanted as a daughter was before my mother died . . .
I heard a commotion at the edge of the maids' hall, and I turned to see what was wrong. It was just my luck that I found out, because it gave the perfect opportunity to test my skills in a particular area and get rid of my boredom.
"The belly-dancer from across the sea broke her leg! She can't perform with the rest of us tonight for Lord Sesshoumaru-sama!" A rather young looking neko youkai I'd come to know as Chiyo exclaimed, swinging her tail in distraught. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and she was panting from running so far; the castle really was big. "What are we going to do?" She cried as the rest of the maids tried to calm her.
Idly, I got up from my place by the window and walked towards them, gaining whispers from the youkai that noticed me. I stopped in front of Chiyo and kneeled down next to her. "Will you permit me to take her place?" I asked politely, as the maids around us blinked. They had never heard my deep voice before, and I'm sure they were so surprised it was so rich.
She looked up at me, her green eyes dancing with hope. "You would do that for us, Angela?" She asked, her long sinuous tail rose in the air happily.
I nodded, but kept my stoic face. "Of course. I am not of any use here for now," I told her, and it was the truth; Rin had caught a little cold and I was not allowed to take care of her.
She smiled brightly, grabbed my hand and I was suddenly flying down the hallway towards the one where the entertainers usually practiced. She stopped in front of an Asian woman that was sitting among some cushions, sipping a small drink as her mangled leg was propped up on an extra set of pillows. "Xiang-san!" Chiyo cried, nearly bouncing up and down with her exuberance. "We found a replacement for you for tonight's show for his lordship!"
I gulped and watched as the stern woman's gaze swept down my body, obviously wondering how a person my size could possibly dance. She sighed, closing her eyes as she set the drink down. "Tell me why you think you can belly-dance for his lordship when you are not skinny," she demanded, her sharp cat eyes piercing mine, but I didn't let her see it effect me.
"I used to practice it when I was a little girl," I said, ignoring her raised eyebrow. "Let me prove myself right now, and I'll take your place so his lordship will not hurt anyone." I pleaded, my façade falling faster then my sister's panties could ever do so.
She smiled at me suddenly. "I see now that it is indeed in your blood; I can see it in your eyes." Her face grew sterner here. "But we need cover up your face so that his lordship will not confuse you with that sluttish twin of yours."
I was lost in a sudden crowd of people stripping my clothes and forcing another set on me; putting earrings in my ears that were long and dangling; fitting my a little bigger than normal foot into dancing slippers; painting a henna tattoo on my arm; and finally tying a veil about my face as they painted my eyes to look more Asian.
I looked at myself in a distant mirror and smiled, realizing that one part of myself that I'd thought I'd lost was back, raring to show the world just what Angie Warr could do. I glanced back Xiang and saw her smile, holding out a pair of zils to me. "Good luck, human," she smiled, her eyes warm, just like my mother's had been the first time I'd showed her all that I'd learned.
I guess it was time, as the other dancers were filing out to perform. While they filed out slowly, Chiyo instructed me on what I was to do, and said that I didn't have to do any synchronized dancing with the others, as I was the main attraction and that I only had to go out there for the last twenty minutes or so to complete the dance.
It came to be my turn too soon, but I went out anyway and heard the music played louder, for my benefit. I quickly glanced at Sesshoumaru and my nose burned as I saw my sister being coddled on his lap. Damn that bitch of a sister.
No time for thought, I began to flow with the music, releasing all my frustrations and anger into my movements, but I knew that was wrong. I soon realized what I was doing and forced good thoughts into my head and began to dance smoother then before, and I noticed then that my body movements had become more fluid in motion as my body had matured; Xiang was right: I did have this in my blood. It came naturally to me.
Figuring it was time to alter my motions, I kicked my leg high into the air and flipped around, and bent over backwards and did a back flip, giving the audience a momentary view of wrapped privates. I closed my eyes and moved with the music, as the musicians took my cue to play a faster paced tune. I felt like working off a little more energy, so I slipped my hands into my pocket momentarily and grasped the zils, slipping them over my fingers and immediately clapping them along with the music, drawing the audience's attention away from their dinners as they wondered who that mysterious belly-dancer was. Wouldn't it just anger my lord and Alex to discover it was me who was drawing all the attention.
Suddenly, the music slowed to a stop as I stopped in mid-motion, pausing with one leg raised in the air as I looked upside down at the audience. They clapped furiously, and some even whistled. I couldn't help but think it was the whole dance, but later Chiyo said it was all because of me.
I quickly left through the curtains and changed in a daze, wiping the make- up off and the henna, glad that I could remove it this early and it wouldn't stain my skin. I didn't want anyone else knowing that was I out there.
As I finished changing, my lord stepped through the curtains without Alex in tow, which was quite an oddity because I was so used to seeing them together. His eyes scanned over the people in the room, but he skipped over me. "Where is that belly-dancer that was just out there?" He demanded, a little vestige of emotion leaking through his voice. "I wish to know who she was; she was like an angel fallen among us demons and mortals."
Shit! I made Sesshoumaru wax poetry with just a simple dance? Man, I needed to do this more often.
End Chapter 3: Bloody Angel