Author: Nefertili
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG13
Pairing(s): Sesshoumaru/Kikyou, Sesshoumaru/OC
Genre(s): Romance, Angst, Adventure, AU
Warning(s): Battle scenes, betrayal, over-anger (if there is such a word), fluff... What more can I say?
Disclaimer: None of the characters, except perhaps some, are mine. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
Summary: Kikyou, being saved from peril by Sesshoumaru, joins him in a quest against Naraku and one of his allies, who happened to share a past one-sided relationship with the Demon Lord. SesshKik!
A/N: Drumroll Finally, in enters our wonderful couple! And also perhaps some spoilers about what happened in Episode 47 (I altered it to my satisfaction, hehe). Once more, I am reminding you guys that this story is AU, so please don't go telling me what should be and what should not be. I had to read lots and lots of episode summaries to somehow spark up a muse, and this is the result of it. Please be considerate with my wandering thoughts.
...o0o...
The lake is still, and the light of the pale moon is reflected in its mirror-like surface. Out of a sudden, a swarm of hellish insects resembling bees break out from the nearby bushes and began to hover above the immense body of water as though attempting to catch a glimpse of its murky bottom.
As though awakened by the actions of Naraku's Saimyoushou, from the depths of the lake erupted bubbles and disturbed its peaceful slumber. It did not take long for the dark surface to break and reveal a crimson demon that exceeded the height of the trees in length.
After one careful glance at its surroundings, and the gigantic Shinidamachuu, that is, Soul-snatching Demon, rose higher and higher from its haven and began to soar in the night air to search for the human souls that were its sustenance.
...o0o...
In the little Shinto temple where the Undead Priestess had her abode, panic began to fill the air. A huge cloud had abruptly shut the moon from view, and it was flanked by floating lights, so like fireflies.
Kikyou, in her usual miko outfit, went outside upon hearing the commotion of the guards. Not only that, she felt as though someone was challenging her. Her dark eyes immediately widened upon seeing the cloud, the little white lights slowly being taken in as though being sucked by a strong wind. The beautiful priestess immediately understood that the points of light were actually souls being devoured by the dark cloud, for she herself has to live off on the souls of the newly departed to carry on living in her inanimate body of clay and bones, and in living kill those that had made her life miserable.
'Naraku's doing, I can see,' she thought to herself. She immediately sprang into action to collect her weapons. Throwing her quiver of arrows on her back and getting hold of her archer's bow, she approached one of the guards that had a horse tethered to a tree.
"I will borrow your horse now, if I may," Kikyou told the young soldier.
"Anytime, Priestess Kikyou," the guard replied, bowing to her and untied the horse from the tree.
At once, Kikyou mounted the steed in one graceful bound and sent it towards the cloud in a gallop. From nowhere, white and miniature Shinidamachuu, her pet demons that collect souls for her to use, appeared and followed her in her lead. As they neared the offending cloud, Kikyou gets a better view of the demon, which is actually a much larger, and redder, version of her Shinidamachuu. Her own Soul-snatching Demons rose as though to challenge the enemy, but they just disappeared in wisps of smoke when they approached the larger demon.
Undaunted by the state of her own pets, Kikyou continued and pulled the horse to a stop as the cliff comes into view, and there she could get an unobscured view of the Shinidamachuu and easily fire her purity arrows at it to end its existence.
Getting down from her mount, she drew an arrow from her quiver and fitted it to her bow. The crimson demon was passing by in a leisurely manner, and she fired. Kikyou's aim was rather poor, and the arrow simply flew past the demon, missing it.
Alarmed by the arrow, the large Shinidamachuu turned to face the priestess. As though by a call, the stolen souls trapped in Kikyou's body began to break free and slowly drift towards the demon.
'You aren't an easy thing to tackle, are you?' Kikyou thought to herself, trying her best not to go to pieces as she launched another arrow. Deprived of souls, her inanimate body would lose the ability to be mobile and she would pass away once more into the Netherworld. It must be her fear, but no matter what, her arrow misses once more and the huge demon began to pursue her, attracted to the souls she carries.
Wasting no time with the souls left intact to her, she quickly mounted the horse and set off in another gallop. The Shinidamachuu then began to give chase and flew in her direction.
Kikyou grasped the horse's reins in a death grip as she looked over her shoulder. The demon was gaining on her.
...o0o...
Deep within the same woods, a more powerful Demon Lord walked along with his charges, a human girl mounted on a two-headed dragon and a little toad-like demon bearing a staff with two heads. His keen nose smelling trouble brewing in the air, Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks and looked around, his amber eyes narrowing.
Jaken, noticing his master's sudden halt, asked of him, "What's the matter, Lord Sesshoumaru?"
Sesshoumaru stole one more glance around before approaching the little girl on his dragon. "Wait here with Ah-Un, Rin. I sense a disturbed aura, and Jaken and I must find out what's going on."
Rin eagerly nodded and he gently stroked her raven hair with his one hand before he motioned Jaken to come with him. In time, the glow of his platinum locks disappeared among the trees and left Rin to her own thoughts, having no one but Ah-Un to talk to.
...o0o...
Sessoumaru raised an eyebrow to see numerous small and white Shinidamachuu among the trees. They were all restless, but they wouldn't dare approach him because of his powerful demon energy.
"What is causing this disquiet?" he asked of Jaken as he ran his hand over the creamy-colored fur that was slung over his right shoulder.
His retainer thought for a while before replying with uncertainty, "It probably concerns the Undead Miko, my Lord. These little insects strongly resemble her Soul-snatching pets."
Letting out a low snort, Sesshoumaru carried on with Jaken at his heels. 'No doubt I somehow feel a trace of her aura,' he thought. He barely spared a moment to think about the old love of his half-brother, Inuyasha. He hated the hanyou more than he hated Naraku, and he did not wish to become involved in any of his affairs, except perhaps in spoiling them. Kikyou shared a past connection with Inuyasha, and for that Sesshoumaru cared not about her.
But things were to change.
The white Shinidamachuu shrank from the Demon Lord as he passed by them, but he minded them not when they began to follow at a safe distance behind.
...o0o...
Kikyou had clung on to her mount with all her strength, but one powerful energy burst from the red Shinidamachuu was enough to throw her off the saddle, her body being deprived of souls. She was riding along the cliffside, and there was not enough footing or ground for her to land on. Alas, she had fallen down the rough crag and into the deep forest below.
Kikyou then summoned up her miko powers with the little energy she had left to cushion her landing on the mossy ground of the forest floor. One soul after another was leaving her body, and if she did not overcome the pestering demon, her body would become immobile, and sooner or later she would become no more than bony and muddy remains.
She tried to run her way through the forest, but the crimson Shinidamachuu refused to give up the chase, and continued to summon the souls out of her body. Another soul left her through her back, and Kikyou collapsed down the damp ground, struggling to stay awake. The demon was directly above her, ready to devour the souls her body housed. She tried to cast a spell in the form of a bright light at the Soul-snatching demon, but it proved futile, as it swatted it away with a mere flick of its claws.
The Shinidamachuu continued to hover above the hapless priestess, and the pupils of its red eyes seemed to dilate as it gave a command unheard to human ears. Kikyou convulsed violently, her own mahogany eyes widening as the demon began to suck the souls in the form of round lights out of her. Her mouth opened wide, but no scream erupted from her throat. Who would hear her pleas for help, anyway? No one could help her, and no one will.
Rapidly, a light, brighter than the souls being taken out of her hapless body, reached her vision and Kikyou instinctively closed her eyes against the blinding miasma. She was severely weakened; even breathing cost much. She heard an earsplitting cry, and in her dazed state, it hardly registered in her mind that it came from the red demon that was pursuing her.
Gradually, the bright light faded and the silence of the forest night replaced it. Kikyou struggled to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt like lead. Before totally passing out, she stole a rapid glance around her. The red Shinidamachuu was nowhere to be seen, and she only saw the blurred outlines of the slender forms of her little Shinidamachuu gathering up the escaped souls for her. Her hazy vision made out another blurred image among her pets, of a tall standing figure that was robed in white and red, and had silver hair that rivaled the glow of the moon. He was clutching a sword that still glowed brightly from the attack. She, though delirious, recognized who he was.
Unconsciously, she smiled. "You saved me," she whispered in a weak voice, hoping that her savior, knowing who he was, could hear. Her eyes closed, and she drifted into unconsciousness.
...o0o...
"That was a wonderful blow, Lord Sesshoumaru," Jaken said in admiration, seeing the Demon Lord divide the gigantic Shinidamachuu in two with one swipe from the Toukijin.
They had come across the struggling form of Kikyou after Sesshoumaru felt her aura close by. His Lord had remained motionless for a while, as though watching the scene between the priestess and the red demon with intent. But when the miko began to convulse as the souls were being forcefully driven out of her body, Sesshoumaru had, to Jaken's surprise, whipped out the Toukijin and dispatched of the demon.
Sesshoumaru gave a low snort as a reply to Jaken's compliment. He, seeing that Kikyou would completely recover in the midst of her Shinidamachuu, turned and said to his retainer, "Our business here is finished, Jaken. Let us go back to Rin and Ah-Un."
His retainer nodded and they went away from the scene, where the little demons were dutifully collecting the souls for the body of their mistress and depositing them to her motionless form. Sesshoumaru knew that sooner or later she will reawaken, her powers recovered.
The taiyoukai stole one last glance over his shoulder to the unconscious miko, her hair lying strewn on the ground. Yes, he had heard her words before she slipped into unconsciousness, and secretly, he pondered about it.
'I saved her; I saved my hanyou brother's old sweetheart... How ever, why ever, did I do that?'
Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed for one moment.
'Hence, the sooner you rid yourself of all communication from that Undead Priestess, the better.'
...o0o...
Ha, one chapter up! So, how was that? Please review! I am off school, and I have almost all the time to listen to your feedback!