Disclaimer: Um...disclaimers are annoying...I'm not gonna make one! Um... Aaaaaaaaiyeee!! *runs like hell when she notices the horde of evil lawyers behind her* Ok, ok!!!!! I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA!!!! There, happy now??? No sue, no sue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A.N: Hawo, everyone! It's me, the insane fanfic writer again! XD Some of you may already know me as the rabid Sess/Kik fan of ff.net, so it was about time I came up with my own fic, huh? And to think this started as a challenge fic...lol^^; Anyways, enough with the chat and on with the fanfic! Mwah!^^

Unraveling Melody

by Ruby Moon

Chapter 01: Twisted Beginning

The winter sun sheds its remaining rays of light over lavender skies as the cold hands of a starry night embrace the firmament, announcing the end of another meaningless day for that whose eyes filled with loneliness have been watching that magnificent display of colors that nature has so nicely provided.

Loneliness.

As that cheerless gaze reflects the glitter of a fully lit moon, the heartrending female ponders about the meaning of that word…such a simple utterance, and yet so complex when it comes to the heart of that lonesome lady. Loneliness is all she has ever had in her whole life. Loneliness has been her worst enemy, and her only companion at the same time, along with pain and regret. It didn't matter how hard she struggled against it, for it had already tainted her spirit and become part of her being. Even farther than that…

Loneliness had become her legacy.

Sunset arrives and the overcast character slowly turns away and stops for a while, her mind being assaulted by undying thoughts. She had so many times tried to get rid of them that she had even lost track of it. It was just a useless and hopeless fight, for those thoughts would always pursue her uneasy heart and take her life to the depths of misery. That was one battle she could not win, and she was aware of that.

The mysterious figure follows her course through the winding trail. Her long, raven hair is easily mistaken with the dark shades that surround the place, and the shivering breeze that cuts through her skin would be enough to terrify one's soul - that is, if she still had one.

She stops for a while before the menacing castle that stands in front of her and stares firmly at the building, walking toward the entrance gates right after that. She only had to take some more steps and soon she'd be face to face with the silver-haired youkai, lord of the Western Lands.

'Why am I doing this?' -she asks herself. - 'After living a life of hunting and killing demons, having my heart broken by a half-youkai and killed by another, I should've learned by now that they're not to be trusted. Most of them despise humans and just want to put an end to their miserable lives…Yes, I am aware of that…then why am I about to answer to the summoning of one of them?'

She keeps asking that question to herself until she crosses the castle's gates. However, she does know the answer to that query: she's been revenge thirsty since the day she was brought back from the dead. That has been her only reason for staying alive in this clay body and she knows she won't rest until she makes her assassin pay.

"Stop, woman!" - a small green youkai stands before her. - "You're not allowed to cross from this point on!"

She, however, doesn't listen to the tiny creature and keeps walking forward. The youkai, feeling quite mad that he's been ignored, takes a few fast steps and stands in front of her again:

"I said stop, woman! You can't just…ouch!" - he cries as she steps on him and moves on.

"This is such an insult! I've never been this humiliated by a mere human…"- he says, dusting his clothes. - "Now you're going to have a taste of my staff's po…"

"Jakken!" - a threatening male voice speaks. - "Let her in."

"B-but lord Sesshoumaru, she's a human!"

"Let her in!" - he says, his eyes facing away from the two other beings.

"Yes, lord Sesshoumaru…"

"Ah!! Miko-sama is here!!!" -exclaims a cheerful black haired girl, as she runs toward her.
Kikyou half smiles as the enthusiastic little girl hugs her. Even though hate was supposedly the only feeling she was able to have in her clay body, young children appear to actually get to her soft spot.

"Rin! What have I told you?"

"Oh? Sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama…" -Rin replies, letting go of Kikyou.

"May I ask the reason why I was summoned here?"

"I have heard that you're the miko that used to guard the shikon no tama fifty years ago." - Sesshoumaru asks, still looking away from her, since the mere sight of humans disgusted him. - "The same one that was killed by the youkai known as Naraku back then. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Then I assume you're also the same miko whom my stupid little hanyou brother had an affair with, aren't you? The one they call Kikyou. Would that be correct?"

"That is indeed my name." -she replies, coldly. - "As for my past with Inuyasha… it's also true, but as I said, it was in the past. Those feelings are no longer."

"Is that so?" -he narrows his eyes at the miko, searching her face for any sign of doubt or confusion.

"It is." -she looks almost as emotionless as the demon prince himself.

She knows she is lying. She knows there are still some lingering feelings hiding inside her, and they are a mix of love and hate for the hanyou. However, she also knows that revealing those feelings to Sesshoumaru would be mighty inconvenient, for he would probably take the rest of life that still exists in her. It's clear that he'd kill anyone who had feelings for the younger brother he hates so much.

"Are you sure that is the same miko that saved your life, Rin?" - he asks to the little girl who is clinging to his clothes.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama! Miko-sama saved Rin from that evil Suikotsu!"

"I've answered your question, Sesshoumaru. Now answer mine." - she demands.

The demon lord feels insulted, though he doesn't show any sign of it. How dare a mere human like this Kikyou person call him that way, without any respect for his highness, like they were equals!

"For a useless human, your behavior is very audacious." - he says, in a superior tone of voice.

"If I am that useless, then I might as well leave."

"Who do you think you're talking to? Don't you have any love for your own pathetic life? -he speaks in a threatening way.

"And who are you, a heartless youkai, to talk to me about love?" - she replies, unaffected by Sesshoumaru's tone of voice.

"That's enough, woman!" - Jakken raises his staff.- "Lord Sesshoumaru, let me take care of this petulant human!"

"That won't be necessary." - he finally turns around to face the miko for the first time. - "This miko will be very useful to my plans."

"And what would those be?" - she asks with an enigmatic smirk on her lips.

"As you have just confirmed, you were killed by Naraku, therefore I have assumed you wanted him to pay for that." - he pauses for a while and smiles coldly.- "I also want revenge against him."

"Then why don't you go and kill him yourself? If you're really so mighty, then that'd be really easy for you, wouldn't it?"

"It would, indeed. But those shikon shards he has make him stronger than I thought. That's where I'm going to need some help."

"What do you need my help for?"

"From what I've heard, the Shikon no Tama's real power can only be used if the jewel is corrupted by evil…and you were the miko who used to keep it pure."

"I see. You want me to purify those shards Naraku has so that you can finally kill him."

"So that I can kill him on a fair fight." - he emphasizes the last two words. He takes the priestess's words as a personal insult, for they sounded like he wasn't strong enough to kill another youkai.

"Isn't that ironical?" - she smirks. - "You despise humans, yet you can't destroy your enemy without the help of one of them."

"I do despise humans, but I despise that coward Naraku even more. He tricked me into one of his plans once, but I'll make sure that'll never happen again. And I need your help for that."

Kikyou remains silent for a moment, returning Sesshoumaru's narrow glare. His unusual offer has caught her off guard and she's still not sure that she can trust a youkai. She needs a little more time to reflect upon this, so in order to gain some time, she asks:

"Why did you choose me to help you?"

"Mostly because of your purifying powers and also for the extra pleasure that it'll give me to see Inuyasha being tortured by the sight of his former lover helping his hated older brother." - Sesshoumaru smiles evilly.

"You could've used…that other girl." - Kikyou's voice sounds a little bitter. - "She is the one he loves now and she can also purify the shards."

"Perhaps. But she would never agree to have a deal with me, since I have tried to kill her and all of Inuyasha's little friends before. Besides, I had to make sure that any of my temporary allies wouldn't hurt Rin, and she seems to trust you."

Kikyou looks at the black haired girl who is hiding behind Sesshoumaru and smiles. It feels good to know that there's still someone that actually trusts her and that doesn't see her just as a piece of clay that should never have been brought back to life. Rin also looks at her and returns the smile.
"So, what do you say?" - he asks. - "This can only be very advantageous for both of us."

Joining forces with Sesshoumaru is something Kikyou had never really thought about before. Now that she has, however, she realizes that getting Naraku killed isn't something that one can do by him or herself, and since even the great prince of the Western Lands has admitted that he alone can't beat the shape shifter, she'd also have to acknowledge that and accept the deal of mutual help that he is offering her. It was enough that she couldn't win the fight against those thoughts that have been torturing her since her rebirth, but maybe if she accepted Sesshoumaru's help, she could send Naraku to hell and finally find some peace.

That was one battle she had the chance to win.

"Then I think we have a deal." - she takes a moment before replying.

"Good. We shall leave this place tomorrow morning and begin searching for Naraku. You can stay here until then if it pleases you, woman."

"Aah!! Is miko-sama staying here with Rin?" - the girl asks, hopefully.

"If Rin wants me to stay." - Kikyou kindly replies, smiling. - "And, please, call me Kikyou."

"Ok! Can Rin play with Kikyou-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama?" - she looks up at her 'adoptive father'.

"Do as you wish."

"Yay!" - Rin runs to Kikyou and pulls her by her hand. - "Come, Kikyou-sama, let's play with the butterflies near the river!!"

Rin reaches out her hand to hold Kikyou's and soon they get out of Sesshoumaru's sight. After that, he keeps staring at the direction they went with his narrow golden eyes and says:

"Jakken!"

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"We'd better keep an eye on that miko. She is not just any human…and she can represent a threat to my plans if she decides to change her mind…"

'After all… she's the only one Naraku actually sees as a strong opponent...He must have his reasons for doing so.' - he thinks, as he turns and walks away.

~**~ End of Chapter ~**~

A.N: So, how do you like it so far? I'm doing my best to keep characters as much in character as I can, but I'm not very good at this...^^; Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter, and stay tuned for the next one, "Never to be Trusted". Please, R&R! Mwah!^^