So Frickin' Dang Important Author's Note- This shall be my attempt to write chapter four! I HAVE UPDATED. -fails arms wildly-
Moo, people. Moo, if you're happy...
And, sadly, this will be the last time I update this particular story for a while. I know I kept re-posting and re-posting and it probably annoyed a lot of you, but I'm new to learning how the internet truly works. I've gone through a lot this year and the previous, and it's been traumatizing me.
This is important: This chapter shall be short...I think. AND THE RATING WENT UP BECAUSE OF INUYASHA'S POTTY MOUTH IN FRONT OF SHIMA WHEN SHE WAS NINE.
Etsudoku Yukai! -bows at the waist-
Disclaimer- You know the drill.
Chapter IV
She was dizzy, and the pain in her head was the only thing she noticed as soon as her mind drifted back into the conscious realm. She felt a small hand on her shoulder and slowly opened her eyes, looking up into the face of her young ward. Shima... "Why are you awake and out of bed, Shima?" She asked groggily.
"Miss Kagome, you were hurt. I had to help..." The little ukiyo demon looked guiltily away and sighed quietly.
"..No.. Shima, you didn't. Please.. Oh, gosh," Kagome rasped out, tears pooling under her eyelids in her barely hidden frustration and guilt. She sat up and winced when a pain shot through her skull.
"Miss Kagome! Lay back down...
"You fainted and Lord Sesshoumaru caught you,"Shima said eagerly. "I think he likes you. He radiates it!"
Before the young priestess could reply, said demon lord walked into the hut of the elder priestess. He glanced coldly at the young strawberry-blonde haired demon before looking at the girl sitting on the futon. "You are awake. Go back to sleep. Come with me, young one," he motioned to the life demon while Kagome was left sitting up with the blankets meshed at her waist, mouth gaping like a fish freshly caught.
Insufferable... She thought laying back down while pouting. No use voicing her opinions to an otherwise empty hut, right? The emptiness suddenly reminded her that she hadn't gone home to visit her family in two months. But I did send InuYasha to tell my mom I was fine three weeks ago... It's fine.
She sighed dejectedly; why was she supposed to go back to sleep? There was no point if she wasn't injured and Shima had- Oh my gosh! Shima had used some of her strength to heal her. She had done nothing that needed healing by what she could see but Shima had said she healed her- Maybe something that requires her power but can't be seen? I'll train with her later.
While she was so deep in thought, she didn't notice the tall looming figure next to her. When the body of the person crouched low next to her bedding, she jumped from shock and swivelled her head, nearly giving herself whiplash. Oh, great.. A crick in the neck... She mentally spewed out sarcastically.
"You are not asleep. Go to sleep now, girl," the monotone voice reached her ears. This time she rolled her eyes.
"I thought I got on your good terms, Lord Sesshoumaru, back in the clearing yesterday," Kagome bit out. Now he was referring to her as girl, again? I thought he'd remember my name for at least two days... She sighed under her breath, but the demon lord noticed with his heightened senses.
"That was your imagination. My ward cares for you as a daughter would a mother, so you are under my protection. Everyone shall know this. Do not think so highly of yourself though," Sesshoumaru lightly sneered down at her slumped figure.
"I'm so honoured, milord."
"Go to sleep. I must talk with the ukiyo." Without another word he walked out, making Kagome doubt all those thoughts she had from the previous day.
Out by the rice fields, on a ridge overlooking the sections of watery plots, the small life demon, Shima sat quietly watching the workers. This village had become her home, and after three years, she still couldn't believe the whole village readily accepted her into its confines. She had become orphaned and after two years of surviving on her own, some drunken men had come across her as she walked on the outskirts of a village. The nomiya had been packed that late night, and those...men... had tried to hurt her and she had been deathly afraid.
But Miss Kagome had saved her; her and her friends. My friends too...She sighed contentedly. Kagome and Mister Inu- chan had woken up at the sounds of her screaming and come to save her- InuYasha screaming out, "Back the fuck away from the girl and I'll rip your guts out in a peaceful manner!" She giggled when she remembered that. Miss Kagome had told InuYasha that he 'couldn't say bad words in front of the little girl', and he had only told her that it was his mouth and that he could say whatever he wanted.
Shima was interrupted in her memories by the tall demon lord, Lord Sesshoumaru, coming to stand directly in front of her and her view of the rice fields. She wanted to grumble that he was blocking her pretty view, but she had heard the vicious rumours of his dark power. That made her want to cower now that he was looking at her, paying utmost attention to her every movement.
"Speak. Why do you, an immortal, reside in this filthy human village?"
"It's not filthy, Lord Sesshoumaru." So the little girl has respect and attitude... "And I live here because of Miss Kagome. She's like my new mother. She protects and cares for me just like Shippou."
"The kit. He is... energetic. He is a good playmate for Rin; a good protector as well," he mused out loud.
"Yup! That's Shippou for ya," she trailed off. She looked around the demon lord to see one of the young men waving merrily at her while he stood to wipe his brow free of sweat. She waved back and grinned, but was blocked further when Sesshoumaru shifted to block her view of her friend.
She turned her face down and avoided looking up as the fierce demon. She sunk back into her memories of when she had come to reside in the village. The young man who had waved to her, Rihatsu, had been one of the very first humans to be nice to her. They had gotten to know each other quite well and she had pronounced him her 'big brother'. Shima smiled slightly; He's the same age as Miss Kagome.. And he is really nice to her. Maybe I should help them like each other...
A slight cough made her look up and blush in embarrassment. The ukiyo looked up, unknowingly slapping on one of the most innocent and cheesy smiles in existence. Sesshoumaru was glaring at the little girl. Why couldn't she pay attention? He was a Lord. One of the four lords of the four lands. He deserved high respect!
"You would do well to pay attention. Why do you not live among your kind- your parents?"
Her eyes got slightly watery, he noticed, and he realized why from the words she spoke next. "My parents were slaughtered. They- along with the rest of our tribe- were slaughtered at one of our annual festivals. It was a pack of coyote demons who had been plotting to kill off the leaders, but they decided to get rid of all of us. I-"
"You are still alive. Tell my why."
She huffed slightly. Did this man- demon- really like Miss Kagome! He had been so protective earlier, cradling her adoptive mother to his chest like she was his lifeline. "I escaped while the elders distracted them. See.. the thing is... I'm the youngest of my tribe. The newest born of ukiyo demon. The only other considered a youth like me was my friend Kai. He always took care of me, and... the human I was waving to- they look almost identical."
"I do not care for a human's likeness to an ukiyo. Your only importance as an ukiyo- giver is to supply what the four lords deem important. Why could you not seek out counsel from one of us who may have served better protection than a rag-tag group of friends?" He asked in a quiet snarl. He could not understand why she did not think to seek a lord out. It was not difficult.
"Because...?" Shima looked up guiltily again, a worried look in her eyes. "You won't take me away from Miss Kagome, will you?"
Sesshoumaru only 'hn'ed in response, turning his head away in what appeared as disdain for her concerns. He shifted away from the spot blocking her view of the rice fields and she jumped up suddenly. Standing behind the Lord was Rihatsu, her male human friend. His green eyes sparkled happily when she bounced the three or four steps to hug him. Was her friend the reason why Lord Sesshoumaru had not responded, but moved away instead?
"Rihatsu-oniichan!" The young girl squealed when she latched onto his waist. His only response for a minute was a deep and rich laugh. And while they embraced, the demon lord watched on silently, trying to understand how this young demon knew nothing of the hidden nature of humans. He mentally berated himself. Why was he to care for the last ukiyo of her tribe?
Because she was the last ukiyo demon of her tribe.
A tribe held in the highest of esteem.
A tribe of eternity-honoured life-giving demons.
"Chibi- Shima!" The young man's voice floated through the air. She giggled as she released her grip on Rihatsu's work clothes. "It's good to see you, and who's this?" Rihatsu turned and looked up at the tall demon, and seeing the prominent colourings on his face, recognized him as one of the four great lords of the four realms. "Lord Sesshoumaru," he said in reverence when he saw the crescent moon.
The demon lord turned his head slightly away. He was a commoner; one who worked in the fields and toiled all day. Why would this Lord Sesshoumaru have to acknowledge one of them? Just to appease- wait, he didn't have to appease anyone but himself. He turned back to the male human, and watched in suppressed disgust, as the human was still bowing.
"Leave."
Rihatsu looked up startled and took a small step back. "What?"
Sesshoumaru glared at the stupid human before him. He had more important things to do than deal with lowly life forms. "I said leave. I have important matters to discuss with the ukiyo."
"But," he paused to look at Shima, "what would you need to talk to little Shima about? She's just a kid..." Before he could continue, Rihatsu found himself lacking of air and his feet dangling three feet off the ground. He gasped as a small portion of oxygen found its way to his lungs.
Shima looked worriedly up at her 'oniichan' and whimpered. She didn't want to get on the lord's bad side, but she desperately wanted Rihatsu-oniichan to live. He was her brother...
She watched as the demon lord slowly squeezed harder but loosen his iron grip for a few seconds to speak. "Do not question my authority, human. You are a commoner and of no importance to this world's function." The only thing Rihatsu could do was clench his jaw, trying to suck in excess air. Whenyoung mandidn't attempt to speak, Sesshoumaru continued to slowly squeeze the life out of him. Noticing her brother's aura slowly fading, she moved to stop the lord, but a loud and irritated, and vastly feminine voice rang throughout the village.
"Sesshou-" Kagome's voice started.
"Lord Sesshoumaru..." A little voice spoke up. Kagome looked down at the little girl, whose hand she was holding, and nodded before starting again.
"Lord Sesshoumaru! Drop him, now!" She shouted more earnestly.
The demon lord's head slowly turned to face the shrine maiden he had come across earlier the previous day- InuYasha's wench. He glared resolutely, barely noticeably sliding his shoulder blades back to form a pose of indignation. Kagome noticed it immediately; it was the one InuYasha still used when she didn't give him ramen. After all these years of maturing, every time a cup of ramen was the issue, he would morph into a little boy again.
"Do not presume to order me around, girl. This Sesshoumaru does not take orders from a human." He couldn't speak anymore, because Kagome had interrupted him.
"Stop calling me 'girl', Lord Sesshoumaru. And I can purify your butt all the way to heaven, to hell and then back again three times! Don't mess with me, and drop him, now!"
She is a firm woman, who does not dare to be disobeyed. She is insolent, but admirably so. She is either brave or stupid, but as the wise once said: 'Bravery and stupidity go hand in hand'...Without a word, the demon lord released his hand so quickly that Rihatsu felt like he broke his neck.
Shima crouched down next to the human and put her hands on his chest, below his collar bone and a look of deep concentration settled onto her young face. Everyone watched silently as the harshly-breathing Rihatsu began to glow in an eerie silver-grey light. Kagome knew what this was; she had seen it before.
It was Shima using her healing powers.
It was Shima using her power as an immortal ukiyo demon.
It was Shima draining her life force away.
Really Stupid and Not So Important But Yet Extremely Important Author's Note- I love stupid titles. This chapter dug into Shima's past; I think I made a good OC, don't you? A well-rounded and bloomed-to-life character. Now, seriously, people; 'moo' if you're happy that I posted this.
Moo, people. Moo, if you're happy.
nomiya- bar/ tavern/ saloon
Rihatsu- wisdom
Ukiyo- life
Kai- worth
Shima- duuuuude, I can't remember...
Um, I'm trying to write out one more chapter for each of my stories before I put all of my stories on hold. Now, I hope that doesn't upset any of you because if you were in my position, you'd understand. I typed this for you all as a present for you liking this story in the first place. Let's hold up those wine glasses and cheer people!
I am truly thankful to all of my reviewers, especially Inu-chan's luver, Kagamoesiun, and AKA Hummer for reading practically all of my stories. It's much appreciated. Thank you all.
If you have any questions about this chapter, which I'm sure there are -considering I have questions myself-, then there is a list of contacts on where to find me, as well as mp3s and media player streaming links. That's a free bee since I love music so much. Speaking of music, this is important:
If it weren't for music, this chapter wouldn't have been posted as well as Bridge of Sighs, or the second chapter of Cat and Mouse. So we will acknowledge all bands who inspired me. Here we go!
Amber Pacific- the song 'Gone So Young' for making me hyped up on music
MxPx- all songs, because they're my favorite.
Hawthorne Heights- all songs and the gosh-dang-hot-shit-on-a-plate-fine Casey.
The Latin instrumental music playing band Benise- the leader has a very stunning pair of blue eyes. And all girls who fall for guys with blue eyes go- "Woah, baby."
Good Charlotte- because their music means so much more to the world than what this simple world can comprehend.
Gym Class Heroes- for the funniest song I've ever listened to: 'Taxi Driver'
Staind- because they kick arse
Halifax- because they're just dandy in my book
Armor For Sleep- because the song 'Car Underwater' kept making me want to sing along
Hidden In Plain View- just because I love music
...and lastly, but not necessarily more important...
Martina McBride- her music video and song 'God's Will' touched my heart and made me cry. Go watch it on Yahoo launch people. It's a miracle.. It is...
-and if you say you hate music I'll find a way to burn a hole through your skull...
Not really, but it sounded like a good threat, right? Anyways, people, thank the LORD that Warped Tour 2005 exists, otherwise I would have just stopped writing all together.
-:-
Review if you wish. But seriously, I hope you read all of BOTH of my author's notes.
Now the Faerie of Rabdimville is saying 'good-bye' to all of the fans of this story. Hearts mah peeps!