A/N: I know many people don't read author's notes...I don't so very often, myself *sheepish grin* but I DO, occasionally, and I would appreciate it if you did as well. ^_^ Just a small favor to ask. ^_^ Believe me, if I don't read your notes, it's only because I ABSOLUTELY ADORE YOUR STORY!!!! And there WILL be a few occassions where I adore your work yet still read the notes. ^_^ Depends on my mood. Well! *cough* On to business...
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.
Sesshoumaru
Chapter Four
Inuyasha scowled at the girl called Kagome, his hand straying towards her as she lay motionless against the trunk of a large tree, called the God Tree by many. An electric shock ran up his arm, causing him to retrieve his hand in contempt. Rubbing his shocked hand, he glared at the unknowing girl.
"Stupid wench," he muttered, leaping into the branches of a nearby tree.
Really, he didn't know why he bothered to keep such a streadfast vigil over her. It wasn't as if anything could harm her. Obviously, no human could get through the barrier, or hanyou for that fact. And to add to that, the male full youkai that COULD go through had to have no purposes for the Shikon no Tama. Sighing, he shook his head in pity for the dumb girl who had so easily thrown him against the trunk of a tree.
Hopping down, he looked more closely at the human girl. The Shikon no Tama hanging around her neck cloned that of Kikyou's. Amazingly, the wench also bore an astonishing resemblance to the un-dead miko. If one did not know either of the girls well, he or she probably would not be able to set them apart. He, however, loved Kikyou more than anything in the whole damned world; it would be very sad, or rather pitiful, on his part if he could not tell the two females apart. Kagome's hair looked a lot like Kikyou's, except for the fact that it didn't have that heavy silk look, more like soft, thin, flowing silk. Her eyes, though closed in peaceful sleep, seemed bright with life all the time, whereas Kikyou's seemed always to be in mourning, deep depression and lonliness clawing away at her once caring soul. Inuyasha frowned, once again taking refuge in the shadowed branches of the tall trees. Kikyou had changed. She was more vengeful and malevolent. It was as if her death had awaken something hateful inside of her, and it had consumed her whole being. Now, she seemed not to be the caring, quiet, gently-loving Kikyou he had once known and loved, but a stone barrier that now covered the miko. Inuyasha wasn't even sure if he loved her anymore...'Of course I love her! Love never dies!' Even as he assured himself in his thoughts, doubts rose like the smoke of a cackling fire. Pushing his thoughts aside, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, ready for a nice, long nap.
Below, Kikyou stared up through the foliage of the boughs. Her eyes, shining with a deep longing and lonliness, were ice blue. She looked to the girl next to her, examining her a little more closely. 'Yes, I'm positive this is my reincarnate. No one else could possess the Shikon.' Looking down to her own jewel, she noticed it glowed an eerie gray color. Startled, she pulled it off her neck and held it in front of her. The glow seemed to increase in brightness, yet also dull. A low hiss seemed to originate from the jewel, directed toward her. She stared at it a moment before replacing it on her neck. The Shikon was acting strangely, as if it had a life of its own. Kikyou snorted. 'A life of its own. Nonsense.' Throwing a look of contempt at the peacefully slumbering girl, Kikyou glided off to the nearby spring to bathe.
Kagome's eyes snapped open, her vision taking in as much as it could. Something was here. 'Impossible...nothing can penetrate the walls of the Shikon.' Her eyes darted around the black void, trying to pick up the familiar presence of Seisho. Disappointed, she found she couldn't locate him; his earilier position holding her was abandoned, leaving her to lean on the invisible wall. Somewhere, she sensed movement, yet not physical movement. It was as if the air was stirring, trying to hold thoughts together into a physical being. Maybe Seisho was coming?
"Seisho?" Kagome called uncertainly, narrowing her eyes to a stranger beginning to solidify in front of her.
"No," the female voice replied, a body slowly beginning to take shape.
The woman had long, silky, black hair, held in a low ponytail by a ribbon of fine silk. Her features seeemed a bit familiar; she had dark lashes lining her emerald green eyes. 'Yes, in fact she looks like Seisho...' Kagome, though comforted somewhat by her familiar appearance, regarded her warily. Her clothes were that of royalty, with the best embroidery and texture. A sad smile penetrated her features, casting somewhat of a warm atmosphere around the two females.
"Are you the other spirit of the Shikon?" Kagome asked curiously.
"Soul," the woman corrected, bowing slightly, "I am the other soul called Naora."
Kagome glanced at her strangely before rising and returning the curt bow. Trust no one, after all. At seeing the short bow, Naora laughed good-naturedly. Kagome again looked at the woman strangely, her curiosity rising as she looked the woman up and down. Really, her resemblance to Seisho was astonishing. Their eyes shown with a caressing love, yet radiated something more...like sadness...loss...lonliness. As she wondered about their relation, Naora interrupted.
"I can sense your distrust, Chosen One," she said matter-of-factly, smiling warmly at Kagome.
The girl looked to Naora in surprise, a wave of comfort slowly washing over her. 'I can trust her.' Hesitantly, she smiled back, bowing her head.
"I apologize," she said sincerely.
"There is no need, daughter," Naora reassured. "As you assume, I do have a relation to Seisho."
Kagome's mouth gaped open. "I..."
"There is no need to explain," the woman said, smiling warmly. "Can you trust me now?"
"Yes," Kagome answered, shaking her head in disbelief.
Naora nodded before continuing. "You have yet to learn of this Sacred Jewel, daughter. And yet, there is little I can tell you, now."
Kagome, too, nodded, confirming that she understood.
"Your time here runs short," Naora admonished, gesturing to the black void around her.
Kagome nodded, thinking about leaving Seisho. For some odd reason, the thought depressed her to no ends. 'It's not possible to love an entity inside of a jewel.' She pondered on that for a moment. 'What is love?' Her thoughts were thrown aside by Naora's commanding, yet gentle, voice.
"You must know this," Naora said carefully, "There are four entities of the Shikon, as the name suggests. They were created from the light of a sad heart. You must bring them together in the real world; find those entities, those other two, as the Chosen One."
"Why was I chosen?" Kagome asked, a bit dazed by her task.
"Because you are of pure heart, of innocence and compassion, the strong will to cure and love," Naora answered, smiling.
"Oh," Kagome answered simply. 'Two more souls I must find...' "How will I know who the souls are?"
"You will know," Naora assured, smiling sadly, "You are the Chosen One, gifted with your unique abilities."
"Where are they?" Kagome asked desperately, as Naora's figure became less solid.
"That is for you to find out," she whispered, mysteriously disappearing into the air.
Kagome was once again alone and sleep took hold of her. 'I must find them...and I must find Seisho.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sesshoumaru sighed as he leaned against the trunk of a large tree, sitting on one of the central branches. The breeze played softly through the whispering leaves, casting nature's warm breath across his face. Since he was at home, he adorned a blue kimono, in the style of Inuyasha's. None of the usual armor was visable, nor were the swords he constantly held at his waist. Below, he kept a sharp vigil over Rin, scurrying around in the field of wildflowers. Had the garden been their location, it would have been a total wreck by now. He sighed again, shaking his head sadly as he watched the energetic girl pluck everything 'pretty' from the forsaken field. 'Two more days...' In two days, he would visit Inuyasha. Shaking the thoughts of his half-brother away, he pulled at the far reaches of his memory for something long lost to him.
Parts of a picture were scattered across his mind. Black, raven black, hair flowed like his. Everything seemed like him, except for the fact that this was a human, a human who possessed emerald green eyes with warmth and sadness. His garb was that of royalty. The boy like him reached out, crying desperately, and then, the image disappeared altogether, replaced by that of a woman. Her eyes reflected the emotions of the boy like him, though her lips were turned in a sad smile. She was standing at his bedside as a young pup. Leaning down, she kissed him lightly on the forehead, yet he lay there in deep sleep, completely unaware.
"Goodbye, my dear Sesshoumaru," she whispered, tears flowing from her emerald green eyes.
'Mother...' Sesshoumaru fell out of his reverie. This time, he had gotten so much more than he usually did. The pictures fell together, and he had recognize his mother...but who was the other boy...so much like him, yet a human?
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin called cheerily through the branches of the great tree.
Sighing yet again, he jumped down next to the little girl. "Yes, Rin?"
"When is Sesshoumaru-sama going to live in a castle and be a king?" she asked innocently.
"Soon, very soon, Rin," he answered in a melancholy tone, "Why do you ask?"
"Because...Rin wants to live in a castle!" she said desperately, trying to hide something.
"Why, Rin, do you wish to know?" he asked again, disbelieving of her desire to live in a castle.
"Because," the little girl paused, as if deciding whether to tell her father figure or not, "because kings always have queens, and they love each other, and Rin will have a mother and a family again!"
Sesshoumaru was a bit shocked by the little girl's ambitious response. "Rin..." he paused, not sure what to say. She was a human. He couldn't just say 'Love does not exist for youkai.' Finally, he decided on giving her a look and commanding her inside. The toddler cheerily agreed and left into the confines of the home. 'Love...what is love?' Deep inside, he knew he had sometime experienced the emotion. Someone had loved him when he was young...very young...and then...they had...left? Died? He couldn't remember, but sometime, he knew, he would have to try to dig deeper into his memory, to finally solve the mystery to his past.
A/N: Hey, I know. I was extremely cruel to go for 100 reviews, but you know, had to have time to think and it worked! I have more inspirations and the plot is more refined. ^.~ Love the support! By the way, note to all readers:
Please review. Not only does it show your support to the author, but it encourages them. I, myself, love to recieve reviews. Though I cannot promise chapters at a certain number of reviews, it encourages me to write. It's really a nice feeling to know that people actually bother to read your stories and compliment or critique. It makes you feel more than just a person out of the billions of people on Earth. So, please, whenever you have the time, review. It really pushes up self-esteem and urges the writer to keep on writing. ^_^ I know I'm not very convincing, but if you have spare time, review; it really helps authors.
~*~*~Dark Star~*~*~
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.
Sesshoumaru
Chapter Four
Inuyasha scowled at the girl called Kagome, his hand straying towards her as she lay motionless against the trunk of a large tree, called the God Tree by many. An electric shock ran up his arm, causing him to retrieve his hand in contempt. Rubbing his shocked hand, he glared at the unknowing girl.
"Stupid wench," he muttered, leaping into the branches of a nearby tree.
Really, he didn't know why he bothered to keep such a streadfast vigil over her. It wasn't as if anything could harm her. Obviously, no human could get through the barrier, or hanyou for that fact. And to add to that, the male full youkai that COULD go through had to have no purposes for the Shikon no Tama. Sighing, he shook his head in pity for the dumb girl who had so easily thrown him against the trunk of a tree.
Hopping down, he looked more closely at the human girl. The Shikon no Tama hanging around her neck cloned that of Kikyou's. Amazingly, the wench also bore an astonishing resemblance to the un-dead miko. If one did not know either of the girls well, he or she probably would not be able to set them apart. He, however, loved Kikyou more than anything in the whole damned world; it would be very sad, or rather pitiful, on his part if he could not tell the two females apart. Kagome's hair looked a lot like Kikyou's, except for the fact that it didn't have that heavy silk look, more like soft, thin, flowing silk. Her eyes, though closed in peaceful sleep, seemed bright with life all the time, whereas Kikyou's seemed always to be in mourning, deep depression and lonliness clawing away at her once caring soul. Inuyasha frowned, once again taking refuge in the shadowed branches of the tall trees. Kikyou had changed. She was more vengeful and malevolent. It was as if her death had awaken something hateful inside of her, and it had consumed her whole being. Now, she seemed not to be the caring, quiet, gently-loving Kikyou he had once known and loved, but a stone barrier that now covered the miko. Inuyasha wasn't even sure if he loved her anymore...'Of course I love her! Love never dies!' Even as he assured himself in his thoughts, doubts rose like the smoke of a cackling fire. Pushing his thoughts aside, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, ready for a nice, long nap.
Below, Kikyou stared up through the foliage of the boughs. Her eyes, shining with a deep longing and lonliness, were ice blue. She looked to the girl next to her, examining her a little more closely. 'Yes, I'm positive this is my reincarnate. No one else could possess the Shikon.' Looking down to her own jewel, she noticed it glowed an eerie gray color. Startled, she pulled it off her neck and held it in front of her. The glow seemed to increase in brightness, yet also dull. A low hiss seemed to originate from the jewel, directed toward her. She stared at it a moment before replacing it on her neck. The Shikon was acting strangely, as if it had a life of its own. Kikyou snorted. 'A life of its own. Nonsense.' Throwing a look of contempt at the peacefully slumbering girl, Kikyou glided off to the nearby spring to bathe.
Kagome's eyes snapped open, her vision taking in as much as it could. Something was here. 'Impossible...nothing can penetrate the walls of the Shikon.' Her eyes darted around the black void, trying to pick up the familiar presence of Seisho. Disappointed, she found she couldn't locate him; his earilier position holding her was abandoned, leaving her to lean on the invisible wall. Somewhere, she sensed movement, yet not physical movement. It was as if the air was stirring, trying to hold thoughts together into a physical being. Maybe Seisho was coming?
"Seisho?" Kagome called uncertainly, narrowing her eyes to a stranger beginning to solidify in front of her.
"No," the female voice replied, a body slowly beginning to take shape.
The woman had long, silky, black hair, held in a low ponytail by a ribbon of fine silk. Her features seeemed a bit familiar; she had dark lashes lining her emerald green eyes. 'Yes, in fact she looks like Seisho...' Kagome, though comforted somewhat by her familiar appearance, regarded her warily. Her clothes were that of royalty, with the best embroidery and texture. A sad smile penetrated her features, casting somewhat of a warm atmosphere around the two females.
"Are you the other spirit of the Shikon?" Kagome asked curiously.
"Soul," the woman corrected, bowing slightly, "I am the other soul called Naora."
Kagome glanced at her strangely before rising and returning the curt bow. Trust no one, after all. At seeing the short bow, Naora laughed good-naturedly. Kagome again looked at the woman strangely, her curiosity rising as she looked the woman up and down. Really, her resemblance to Seisho was astonishing. Their eyes shown with a caressing love, yet radiated something more...like sadness...loss...lonliness. As she wondered about their relation, Naora interrupted.
"I can sense your distrust, Chosen One," she said matter-of-factly, smiling warmly at Kagome.
The girl looked to Naora in surprise, a wave of comfort slowly washing over her. 'I can trust her.' Hesitantly, she smiled back, bowing her head.
"I apologize," she said sincerely.
"There is no need, daughter," Naora reassured. "As you assume, I do have a relation to Seisho."
Kagome's mouth gaped open. "I..."
"There is no need to explain," the woman said, smiling warmly. "Can you trust me now?"
"Yes," Kagome answered, shaking her head in disbelief.
Naora nodded before continuing. "You have yet to learn of this Sacred Jewel, daughter. And yet, there is little I can tell you, now."
Kagome, too, nodded, confirming that she understood.
"Your time here runs short," Naora admonished, gesturing to the black void around her.
Kagome nodded, thinking about leaving Seisho. For some odd reason, the thought depressed her to no ends. 'It's not possible to love an entity inside of a jewel.' She pondered on that for a moment. 'What is love?' Her thoughts were thrown aside by Naora's commanding, yet gentle, voice.
"You must know this," Naora said carefully, "There are four entities of the Shikon, as the name suggests. They were created from the light of a sad heart. You must bring them together in the real world; find those entities, those other two, as the Chosen One."
"Why was I chosen?" Kagome asked, a bit dazed by her task.
"Because you are of pure heart, of innocence and compassion, the strong will to cure and love," Naora answered, smiling.
"Oh," Kagome answered simply. 'Two more souls I must find...' "How will I know who the souls are?"
"You will know," Naora assured, smiling sadly, "You are the Chosen One, gifted with your unique abilities."
"Where are they?" Kagome asked desperately, as Naora's figure became less solid.
"That is for you to find out," she whispered, mysteriously disappearing into the air.
Kagome was once again alone and sleep took hold of her. 'I must find them...and I must find Seisho.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sesshoumaru sighed as he leaned against the trunk of a large tree, sitting on one of the central branches. The breeze played softly through the whispering leaves, casting nature's warm breath across his face. Since he was at home, he adorned a blue kimono, in the style of Inuyasha's. None of the usual armor was visable, nor were the swords he constantly held at his waist. Below, he kept a sharp vigil over Rin, scurrying around in the field of wildflowers. Had the garden been their location, it would have been a total wreck by now. He sighed again, shaking his head sadly as he watched the energetic girl pluck everything 'pretty' from the forsaken field. 'Two more days...' In two days, he would visit Inuyasha. Shaking the thoughts of his half-brother away, he pulled at the far reaches of his memory for something long lost to him.
Parts of a picture were scattered across his mind. Black, raven black, hair flowed like his. Everything seemed like him, except for the fact that this was a human, a human who possessed emerald green eyes with warmth and sadness. His garb was that of royalty. The boy like him reached out, crying desperately, and then, the image disappeared altogether, replaced by that of a woman. Her eyes reflected the emotions of the boy like him, though her lips were turned in a sad smile. She was standing at his bedside as a young pup. Leaning down, she kissed him lightly on the forehead, yet he lay there in deep sleep, completely unaware.
"Goodbye, my dear Sesshoumaru," she whispered, tears flowing from her emerald green eyes.
'Mother...' Sesshoumaru fell out of his reverie. This time, he had gotten so much more than he usually did. The pictures fell together, and he had recognize his mother...but who was the other boy...so much like him, yet a human?
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin called cheerily through the branches of the great tree.
Sighing yet again, he jumped down next to the little girl. "Yes, Rin?"
"When is Sesshoumaru-sama going to live in a castle and be a king?" she asked innocently.
"Soon, very soon, Rin," he answered in a melancholy tone, "Why do you ask?"
"Because...Rin wants to live in a castle!" she said desperately, trying to hide something.
"Why, Rin, do you wish to know?" he asked again, disbelieving of her desire to live in a castle.
"Because," the little girl paused, as if deciding whether to tell her father figure or not, "because kings always have queens, and they love each other, and Rin will have a mother and a family again!"
Sesshoumaru was a bit shocked by the little girl's ambitious response. "Rin..." he paused, not sure what to say. She was a human. He couldn't just say 'Love does not exist for youkai.' Finally, he decided on giving her a look and commanding her inside. The toddler cheerily agreed and left into the confines of the home. 'Love...what is love?' Deep inside, he knew he had sometime experienced the emotion. Someone had loved him when he was young...very young...and then...they had...left? Died? He couldn't remember, but sometime, he knew, he would have to try to dig deeper into his memory, to finally solve the mystery to his past.
A/N: Hey, I know. I was extremely cruel to go for 100 reviews, but you know, had to have time to think and it worked! I have more inspirations and the plot is more refined. ^.~ Love the support! By the way, note to all readers:
Please review. Not only does it show your support to the author, but it encourages them. I, myself, love to recieve reviews. Though I cannot promise chapters at a certain number of reviews, it encourages me to write. It's really a nice feeling to know that people actually bother to read your stories and compliment or critique. It makes you feel more than just a person out of the billions of people on Earth. So, please, whenever you have the time, review. It really pushes up self-esteem and urges the writer to keep on writing. ^_^ I know I'm not very convincing, but if you have spare time, review; it really helps authors.
~*~*~Dark Star~*~*~