Sesshoumaru's Reunion

Returning Memories

Exploring the Western Lands, the demon lord Sesshoumaru walked over his domain. For the past two days he'd caught a familiar scent, and had been tracking it down ever since. It agitated him because he could not place the scent, nor could he seem to find the source of it. Sesshoumaru had no clue just why it was so familiar, but because it was he was drawn to search it out.
Sesshoumaru had left Rin behind for now, keeping Jaken in charge of watching over her and Ah-Un. He knew Jaken would at least keep them alive, after all he had threatened the imp's life if he got them in any danger. He knew not what risk this unusual smell might provide, and he was not willing to take Rin along and get her in danger.
Stopping at the edge of the large forest in his land, he took a silent sniff of the air. There…the scent was stronger here. He started to walk again, moving slowly and following the scent, as it was gradually getting stronger. Once Sesshoumaru could figure out whatever this peculiar scent was he could return home, back to searching for Inu-Yasha.
Once more Sesshoumaru stopped and looked on. This time it was not to just follow the smell, but he saw someone. He was only about 20 feet away and he could sense the demonic aura coming off the figure. Approaching more, he stopped about five feet away now. The figure was a woman, who was curled up against a tree, apparently sleeping. He didn't get any closer there, taking a good look at her from there.
Sesshoumaru didn't recognize her, but that familiar scent he had smelled earlier was definitely coming from her. He looked at her oddly. She looked human at first glance, though her demon aura told otherwise. Her hair was shoulder length and blood red in color, looking like a pool of red as she lay there.

She was fair skinned, her complexion smooth like porcelain. She wore a golden kimono with a red phoenix on the back of it. Her kimono was short, stopping just above her knees. It was tied closed with a red silk sash that was tied in a large bow in the back. Her hands were delicately clawed as he could tell even from there. There was a fan sticking from half of her sash, apparently some sort of weapon.

Sesshoumaru blinked as he saw her stir, rolling onto her back and opening her eyes. They were orange in color, blazing like a live fire. She sat up quickly, staring at Sesshoumaru, and he took one step back, his hand on the hilt of Toukijin as he glared at the demoness. She rose to her feet, staring at him oddly. She didn't speak as she got up, brushing her kimono off lightly, and then looking at the demon lord.
"Who are you?" Sesshoumaru broke the thick silence, his tone sharp and demanding an answer from her. The woman stared blankly, then sighed a little.
"So…you don't remember me then." She murmured. "Then again, it was so long ago. Over 900 years ago. I'm hardly surprised. My name is Fiori." She told him, bowing a little bit in respect, already seeming to know his position as the Dog Demon Lord of the Western Lands.
"Fiori…and what exactly is your purpose for being here in the West? And what did you mean that I don't remember?" He sounded a little confused, but would never show great emotion. Not if it risked making him look compassionate. He kept himself to himself, as many said about him.
"It's quite a long story." She told him. "I do hope you have a lot of time on your hands." She said. Sesshoumaru stared suspiciously, then nodded. "I do." He said, sitting down and watching as she started to pace and exhaled sharply.
"Well…you see, it sort of started when I was three years old. I'm a fire demon, and when I was three I lost control of my anger. My fire powers went out of control. Supposedly they were strong enough to burn the East flat to the ground. The East was, and is, my home. But back then I had instantly been hated by the survivors. They chased me, and so I ran. I ran for a while…all the way to the Western lands. I didn't know where I was, but I felt I was safe enough to stop running for the time." Fiori started her story, walking back and forth, looking at the ground in her thought on the very old memory that was still burned fresh in her mind as though it was something that had only happened a day ago.
"When I was in the West, I met a dog demon. It turned out he was the Lord of the West at the time. Explaining my dilemma to him, he allowed me to stay in his castle for some time. There I would earn my own keep by helping out in any way a three year old could, and so on. While I was there, I learned of the Lord's son, who turned out to be my age. I met him, and befriended the boy. We played together often, as I had nobody else." She went on, her true position hardly changing.
"By the time the Demon Lord's son and I were five years old we had become good friends. Almost every day in the summer we would play outside. Running in the grass, watching the clouds, swimming, anything you can think of. We had a lot of fun together. Indeed, those were the better days of my life." Fiori sighed, a faint smile showing on her lips at the ghost memory.
"But I had known it would not always last. When I reached the age of 8, people began coming after me. The demon lord offered some protection, but I had been taught at a young age not to burden others with my problems. I had to leave. But before I actually did, I had to say goodbye to my only friend. Back then I wore four blue ribbons in my hair with little bells on each of them. I took one out, and gave it to him, to remember me by. I told him 'I'll come back whenever I can get away without burdening anyone else. It might be a long time, but I promise to come.' And then…I left." Fiori slumped against one tree, her form limp. "It has been a long, long time…but I did come back to see my old friend." She smiled and looked at Sesshoumaru, who had been watching her with the same placid expression while she spoke.

Though he knew he might regret this, he walked towards her. "Fiori, how do you remember that all if it was over 900 years ago?" Sesshoumaru asked, staring down at her. The playful fire demon smiled a little. "I promised to come back, so I had to remember it all." She shrugged. "Don't you remember it? When I promised you that I would come back to see you and we would be able to play together once more?" She asked, smirking.
Sesshoumaru got wide eyed. She might have told her tale, but it was only now that it all came rushing back. The familiar summer sounds and smells from the two of them running around all the time, laughing. The noise the bells in her hair that jingled every time she moved, preventing her from sneaking up on anyone as she often tried. Even the day she had left, possibly the only time she'd even shown that she did own the ability to show sorrowful emotions. He looked at Fiori now, able to remember her eight-year-old image and seeing she hadn't truly changed too much. She still held a very childish look in her features, and seemed as fidgety as ever.

How could he have not recognized that scent? Or that the curled up sleeping woman was the same little girl who used to curl herself up in the grass and make up all sorts of storied with him? How could Sesshoumaru have forgotten the little girl who had suddenly shown up one day, immediately stating her name, where she was from, and then offering instantly to go play a game. But then he remembered why he'd forgotten. Because all this had happened over 900 years ago, and he'd been too distracted with chasing his hanyou half brother around.
"I remember it." He said dully, looking at Fiori. Fiori laughed. "I was afraid you might have gone dead…you were staring off." She said and smiling, her head tilting a little. She showed once more her old self inside this new face she had. "I was remembering." He told her. "I remember it all now. From the day you came to when you left." He said. Fiori grinned. "I know." She said, though she hadn't at first. "Sesshoumaru, do you still have the ribbon?" She asked. Sesshoumaru looked at his arm, then pushed his sleeve up. Tied around his bicep where it couldn't be found easily was slightly faded blue ribbon. "I had to remove the bells so that-" He had started to explain when Fiori held up her hand.
"I understand. You're a demon lord. Wearing a ribbon with some bells would be foolish. I'm just glad you still have the ribbon alone." She said softly. "Did you want it back?" He asked. Fiori shook her head. "No. Not at all." She smiled. "I want you to keep it as long as possible. And if you ever lose it for some reason, I still have the other ones." She told him. And right after that she did something that really threw the demon lord off guard, something that few people could manage to do. And, had any other person done this they might have been killed on the spot.
Fiori walked forward and wrapped her arms around him, putting her head down on his shoulder and closing her eyes. She hugged him firmly, holding him as if she were never going to get the chance to do so again. As if she were never going to speak to him again in her life. This definitely took Sesshoumaru off guard, and for a minute he just sort of stood there idly, confused. Then he sighed a little, putting one arm around her, closing his eyes and letting every childhood memory of the two of them come back to him more clearly then.

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Fiori is my copyrighted character. Nobody is to use her in any story, fan fiction, etc. without my consent. Thank you! –Ravenwolf Naginata.