A/N

Please excuse my poor Japanese.

Ja Ne

Wounded

SesshoMaru walked silently through the forest, searching for a hot spring. He desperately wanted to bathe. Earlier that day, he and Karappo had battled a large battalion of Naraku's demons. It was a genuine blood bath. He was soaked from head to toe in blood, so was Karappo. He had to admit she was a very skilled fighter, for a woman. He also had to admit that she was beautiful when covered in crimson. The color matched her pale skin and black eyes elegantly. She, herself, was very elegant. She held a certain grace. When she fought, her movements flowed together like her ebony hair. She held a determination like no other. As far as he was concerned, she was his match. But he could never have her and for that, he hated himself.

Soon, SesshoMaru came across a hot spring. He was about to enter, the clearing where it sat, when he saw something move. He looked on to see Karappo enter and walked over to the water. She had apparently wished to wash away the blood as well. He would let her bathe first, being that he was a gentleman, only if you got to know him though. He watched as she bent down and placed her right hand in the water, testing the temperature. She stood when she found the water to be at her liking. She walked over to a boulder and removed all of her weapons. She placed her katana's, daggers, arrows and bow upon the rock.

SesshoMaru desperately wanted to turn and walk away but his youkai wouldn't let him. It forced him to keep his eyes upon her. He watched as she removed her trench coat and placed it upon the boulder. She did the same with her shirt and fishnet top. She then removed her boots, allowing her pants to fall their full length. She then turned to him and walked to the water. She was more beautiful than anything his imagination could come up with. His dream version of her didn't compare with the real deal. She placed her hair into a French braid that went over her shoulder. It was then that he got his first close up look at her tattoo. He could actually read what it said.

"Ake ame dearou arehateru hittakuru arerano imawa honemi. Deddo bai mai uepon hando. Hinote anoyo naraku kukonosu arerano boukon. Buehikomu chuuten kokubyou ariuru kakaru gekitsuu kotonunaru choujoutaru hinanawoabiseru heihou. Inuyasha."

'Bloody rain will fall from their dying flesh. Dead by my weapons hand. Flames of hell devour their soul. Cast into damnation. To suffer the pain it has placed upon me. Inuyasha.'

SesshoMaru was shocked to say the least. She had placed a Juso upon Inuyasha's soul. She really was determined. He smiled at that thought. She would make a fine mate and lady of the west if only she cared about him. He wouldn't take her against her will. That would only put her in a deeper depression. That would also break what little trust she had placed upon him. He would rather live without her by his side than live without her trust.

SesshoMaru watched her with a distant eye. He watched her swim through the water with more grace than the mermaids of legend. She truly was a sight to behold. He thought that the gods must envy her and her beauty. He could see the great gods trying to decide whether to kill her or admire her. He wondered if he was the only one who saw her beauty. He had noticed that others just saw her as a "monstrosity". A demon from earlier had called her that. He had immediately killed it for insulting her. He did not see what would prone such an insult. She was no monstrosity, no monster, no nothing but a dark angel, sent form heaven to make other envy her power and beauty. He came out of his thoughts when he heard her speak.

"Why must I live in such a meaningless existence? Why must I stay in purgatory? Never to see the light of day. Never to feel the warmth it provides. Never to feel anything but emptiness. Why must Kami play cruel tricks upon me? Why must it make me fall in love with someone I may never have? Why must it torture me so? I wish to feel love and to be loved in return. I want to feel the warm embrace lovers give each other. I want to feel the tenderness of loves kiss. But I know I never will. The one I love is cold and heartless. He is only after the death of his two most hated people. He could care less about my feelings. I will forever be alone. Even in death, I will be alone."

SesshoMaru listened carefully. 'The one I love is cold and heartless. He is only after the death of his two most hated people.' She wasn't talking about Inuyasha for two reasons. One, she is trying to kill him. Two, he isn't cold and heartless. Sure he's arrogant but not cold and heartless. Who was she describing? It couldn't be Koga. It couldn't be the monk. There was no possible way it could be Naraku. There was only one person left, him. Was she talking about him? She was, her description fit him perfectly from her perspective. A smile appeared upon his face. He felt complete knowing that she cared about him but he would have to find a way to show her he felt the same way.

SesshoMaru walked away from the hot spring and back to the clearing where they had set camp. The entire walk, he thought about what she had said. He felt confident that he could show her his feelings and convince her to be his mate. Only then would he be truly complete. Once he had the woman of his dreams by his side, nothing could go wrong. His life would be perfect from then on. There was one problem though, he was an Inu and she was a Neko. The only thought he had on that was, what would the pups look like? He wouldn't worry about that now. He had too much on his plate as it was, he didn't need to add more. He sat against a tree, drifting to a peaceful sleep. He dreamt about his future mate and family. About the happiness he would finally achieve. Little did he know, some one was about to destroy that future he dreamt about.

A maniacal laugh resonated through the poisoned palace. Naraku watched in wonder as the one now known as Karappo bathed. His lust for her intensified. Sure, he had always found Kagome attractive but that was because she resembled Kikyo. The woman Karappo looked nothing like Kikyo. No, she was far more beautiful than the dead clay priestess. In fact, Karappo had killed Kikyo with a cursed arrow, that was original. As he watched her in the water, he devised a plan to make her his. He wanted her and no one else would stop him form having her, not even her. He would take her against her will if he had to. She would be his no matter what.

"Such a lovely woman, I will enjoy taking her innocence, breaking her, forcing her into my bed. It will bring me the greatest pleasure."