The Point of the Journey
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha
In the middle of the white landscape something caught Sesshoumaru's eyes; strands of thick black hair lay spread like a fawn veiling her face.
Sesshoumaru would have walked by ignoring the human had he not caught her scent. He looked closely at her. One of his retainers nudged the girl with his foot, but suddenly he stopped in motion hearing a loud warning growl coming out of Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru picked the girl gently from the ground and wiped her wet hairs away from her face. Her features almost stopped his breath; this was not the girl he met one and a half year before. Her beauty was not fully developed when he first met her, and now this face of a sleeping angel stirred his heart gently; a bizarre urge for tenderness clouded his instinct.
Sesshoumaru checked her pulse; he could naturally hear it, but something inside him craved to touch her and feel her skin. The pulse was weak but not critical. She had fainted, he realized, not from the cold but from exhaustion; it seemed that the white baboon pelt that she wore had given her enough warmth to survive through the raw coldness.
He held her in his arms for a moment, savoring the feel of her against him, until he heard a loud cough behind him. His retainer, Ogiwara Myouga, offered to carry her, but Sesshoumaru dismissed him and carried the girl bridal style to his castle.
Somewhere along the way Kagome opened her eyes. She gazed sleepily to his face; her finger brushed over the stripes on his cheek. "When did you get those?" She murmured against his chest. Sesshoumaru was for a while puzzled over her question and her audacity to touch him; in a baffled voice he answered her anyway. "I always had them as long as I could remember."
Kagome smiled softly; she closed her eyes as she uttered the next word. "Liar…" Sesshoumaru blinked, but Kagome seemed to be in trance as she continued drowsily; this time she pointed at his red eyelids. "But it's beautiful. I didn't know that you're so vain." And she fell into a slumber once again; his gentle movements lulled her senses, and her last thought was that Inuyasha had lost his dog ears.
:OoOoOoO:
:OoO:The Dream:OoO:
Someone was calling out to her. She kept running in one direction until the path was separated into two different directions. The path on the right appeared to be mud-covered and on the left was dry. She tried to step into the left path but something was holding her back; a voice was telling her to return.
"But there are two paths to choose; why should I return?" She asked the diminishing voice.
The voice, weak and forlorn, answered her. "You're wrong, there are three directions."
"Go back." It said.
:OoO:end of the dream:OoO:
:OoOoOoO:
Kagome woke up in an empty room. She surveyed her surroundings sleepily, and then the foreignness of the place caught on her. Her senses were suddenly alert. Abruptly she made her way out the warmth of the silk padded material of the futon. The room was immense, too immense for her taste. She searched for her belongings and was relieved to find them safely placed in the corner of the room; her katana and wakizashi were set on the sword rack.
Kagome was about to reach for her swords when someone announced her appearance behind the shoji door; the attendant made her entrance and offered Kagome her assistance. Kagome was about to refuse her offer when she heard the name of Lord Uesugi Sesshoumaru was being mentioned.
She was in Echigo, she realized. She had made it through to the point of her journey. She accepted the offer of using the furo as she needed to cleanse herself properly.
After the bath she looked around to search for her clothing, but the lady in attendance had given her a new winter kosode; it was made out of padded ice blue crepe silk with Chrysanthemum pattern. She fastened the light gold obi made from satin over the kosode.
After she was dressed and her hair was brushed, she was ushered to a hall where she was told that the daimyo was waiting for her.
She waited behind the shoji door; a vassal informed Sesshoumaru of her presence, and she stepped inside the manor.
As she made her appearance, Sesshoumaru was suddenly basked in her scent; he had almost forgotten the delicacy and the purity of it.
A constant nightmare had plagued him many nights before; it played over and over again the incident which he was taken captive, subdued and helpless, but then he was freed from his imprisonment by her. As he looked up at her in gratitude; something inside his heart quivered painfully. She stroked his cheek softly; her finger traced the curve of his nose and lips as he kissed it in return, and then he felt the drops of her tears. He had expected this as he tasted its saltiness, and as her small hands wrapped around his neck, he could then distinctly hear the sudden snap. And then he woke up.
In his dreams she had killed him.
And that was why he took caution as it dawned on him how beautiful she was. Standing before him in her youth, she slowly raised her head to meet his gaze; had she meant the gesture as a seductive one she would've definitely succeeded, but it was not meant as such, and that was another reason why he should indeed be cautious.
But for a moment he let his guard down to drink in her presence. His eyes gazed over her with hidden appreciation; the way her unbounded soft and silky hair fell down her back, reaching the back of her upper thighs, the way her long eyelashes swept over beautiful smoky blue eyes, her thin and cute nose, the full pouty sweet lips that glistened rosily, the soft and creamy complexion of her skin, and the shape of her face, petite and endearing. All these combined together resulted a beauty and sweetness that only a rare human could possess; demons possessed untouchable beauties, but the beauty of humans was so desirable, yet vulnerable that one ached to touch.
He motioned her to take her seat, and she obliged taking the spot not far from him. Her small and slender body swayed gracefully. Her elegant agility was not lost on Sesshoumaru; he realized she must be a greatly skilled warrior.
"How did you find your way to Echigo?"
Kagome lifted her head; his first question was unexpected. Did he remember her at all? But she answered him anyway, biting her lip over her little attempt of lightening the situation. "I was following the swarm of the wild geese, and when I saw them fell down from the sky, that's when I knew I was entering Echigo."
Sesshoumaru mentally smiled, so the girl was no longer infatuated with him; he felt a bit disappointed at the thought. He decided to prod on her further.
"Is this Sesshoumaru less powerful in your eyes now? No longer made out of steel or seven feet tall?"
Kagome dropped her head in submissive gesture. "The great lord of Sesshoumaru is remarkable for his domestic and combat skills, and none of the folktales could ever describe his real power."
The girl was smart and diplomatic, he had to admit; she had at once won his respect. Kagome reached down into the sleeve of her kimono and drew out the submissive beads he had once given her. She lay the beads down on the tatami mat and pushed it gently to his direction; all the while she still held her gaze down.
Sesshoumaru took the beads in his hand and studied it again. He dissolved the beads with his toxic drips and nodded to the girl. "What can this Sesshoumaru do for you?"
Kagome raised her gaze to meet his and answered him directly; putting every ounce of courage she had in her voice. "I would like to offer the daimyo of Echigo my service as a samurai. Please accept me as one of milord's retainer."
And all the demon warriors in the room were taken aback. A weak ningen had offered their lord her service. At that time the profession of a samurai was also performed by women; it was common to find women as warriors in a daimyo's army, but Sesshoumaru's army was known for their intolerance against mortal humans. This was the fact that Kagome had overheard; she hadn't known the impact of her request.
Sesshoumaru inhaled sharply; his eyes glittered dangerously. Never was he so infuriated before. The girl had put him in an impossible position; if he took her offer, he would be betraying the principle of his army. And if he refused that would mean that he had broken his promise to her; it was below him to do such a thing.
Kagome was confused; didn't they take women as warriors in their army? Had she insulted them with her request?
"Fine." Sesshoumaru answered her. "I accept your offer, but before," a pause, his usual stoic face contorted into a cruel smile, "you have to prove your strength. If you should win against one of my retainer, I would position you as a first rank samurai."
Sesshoumaru was satisfied with his decision; he had no doubt that she would lose immediately and would probably die in process. It was because of her own foolishness that led to such result. He quenched down any remorse he felt at that moment; although he doubted if he would let her actually die.
Kagome's face lit itself. She hadn't a fight for quite a long time; she would prove them that she was indeed a skilled fighter.
On the other side of the shoji door, a shadow was waiting for the daimyo's consent for its entrance; the paper door slowly slid open to reveal the most beautiful female demon Kagome had ever seen. The female inuyoukai was tall and slender in her movement and gesture; she swayed her way elegantly in and gracefully bowed at Sesshoumaru. He briefly nodded back and dismissed her.
The female demon sat down in the gestured place near the daimyo. After she took her place, she gazed curiously at Kagome, and Kagome could only stare back in awe. The demon's hair caught her attention the most; it was silvery white with a hue of soft blue, and the way it fell softly down her back in its length made her want to catch the tresses and feel the silkiness between her fingers. As if the demon could read her mental wish, long slender clawed fingers smoothed the shiny hair, and she smiled seductively at Kagome.
Kagome blushed immediately, but she couldn't seem to tear her gaze away from her. Everything about the demon was fascinating to her; the beautiful pair of emerald eyes, the regal nose, perfectly curved thin lips, and her beautiful light and shiny complexion. The female demon laughed lightly over Kagome's open admiration, which only deepened Kagome's blush.
They were both startled back to reality by Sesshoumaru's light growl. Kagome dropped her head again in submissive gesture and missed the frown that marred Sesshoumaru's beautiful face, but the youkai next to him had caught the fleeting expression; she hid her smile immediately behind a fan.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, would you be as kind as to introduce this charming young woman to me?"
It was then that Sesshoumaru realized that he didn't know her name. All of a sudden something inside him yearned terribly for this little information. Was her name as sweet as she?
"Kagome, my name is Higurashi Kagome."
It was.
:OoOoOoO:
Kagome felt a little guilty that she had to defy her father's name, but she wanted to start a new life, and if she was to reveal herself as the daughter of the daimyo of Owari, the matter would be more complicated. She could be accused as an infiltrator; this she could not risk. So she took the name that she always held dear, the name of his father's most loyal retainer who was lost four years ago not long after the death of her mother.
:OoOoOoO:
The fight was to take place in an open field in front of the fortress. But before, Kagome asked Sesshoumaru for a private audience. He nodded in agreement, and they stepped into a small room beside the manor.
Once sat, Kagome opened her bundle and drew out the sword Tetsusaiga. She held the sheathed sword with both hands and offered it to him.
Sesshoumaru continued to look at her coldly, but there was a change in his eyes; there was desire as well as repugnance. As she continued to present him the sword, he spoke in a remote tone. "What is the meaning of this?"
"I have passed through the mountains that connected our lands." Her head was held down. "Fighting the bitter north wind, I have only one hope to survive my journey. I sought for you, milord… You are now the righteous owner of this legacy. The last holder of the sword, Inuyasha, is dead; I believed it was his wish for you to have this sword." The words flowed out of her lips inexorably. She feared when once she stopped, she would have to choke out the words, but when she heard her tone of voice, she wondered how lifeless it seemed.
She awaited his response in anxiety; when he finally spoke, she let out the breath that she didn't know she was holding.
"Human, I hope you are as talented in the battle field as in prosing. You've wasted enough of my time." Sesshoumaru stood up and was about to exit the room when he heard a strangled cry.
Kagome, still holding the sword, was taken aback; she still couldn't believe how cold he had reacted over the news of his brother's death.
"But he is dead! Inuyasha is dead!"
Sesshoumaru answered her in a bored voice. "Yes, you mentioned it before."
"Your brother…" She mumbled half in confusion and half in astonishment. "He is your brother…"
"Correction; he was my half brother."
"I would've thought- the sword…"
"Cease your indecipherable talk, wench! I have no use for the sword, nor had the death of that useless hanyou meant anything to me. Now stand up and prove me your worthiness!" Sesshoumaru roared out his warning, but Kagome was still on the ground unmoving.
Suddenly she slumped forward dropping the sword. Her hands clenched the ground underneath her. In a soft heartbroken voice she uttered her words. "And who should mourn for him now? On the day I buried him, there was no sutra chanted to convoy his journey to the unseen world. The world would never know the loss of one of its child; they would never know how precious he was to me…"
Her voice grew stronger. "Lord Sesshoumaru, please… I have to know… you have defied his death. Had you defied his existence as well?"
Sesshoumaru responded calmly but coldly. "One ought to exist in order to be defied. I held neither love nor hate against him; he was simply nothing to me."
Kagome stood up abruptly and gripped the neckbands of his kimono. "You shared the same blood! The same man had fathered you! How could he mean nothing to you?"
Sesshoumaru pried her hands away from him ruthlessly; the force of it threw Kagome falling on her back. "He had fathered him! Only him! Refrain yourself from mentioning him! You know nothing!" He snarled out his words to her; his eyes crimsoned instantly.
Kagome looked up in shock. She started to say something, but a lump choked her words in her throat, and she began to cry. "Your brother- is dead- don't you understand? Even though you never- recognized him as your brother, but he had- as pitiful as it was, why can't you just mourn for him? He is dead-" And she cried miserably.
An unknown force clenched over Sesshoumaru's heart as he watched her cry, but his heart was moved for the wrong reason; whereas the situation demanded sympathy, he felt only petty jealousy.
So he ignored her heart-wrenching sobs viciously as he spat out his order. "Once you're finish with your weeping, woman, I would like to remind you of the test." With that he walked away.
:OoOoOoO:
As Kagome stood in the middle of the open field, she tried to empty her mind for the forthcoming fight. She took a step forward with her left foot, bending her knees a little. As she took the open position for a stance, her katana was held point down, lightly touching the ground.
She breathed slowly in, the energy around her started to whirl in the merge of her spirit and the mind-void, -and then his words jabbed into her heart 'he was simply nothing to me'
She bellowed briefly in frustration and began to charge her attack against her opponent. Moving in an unnatural speed, she swung her katana in one quick motion straight down into the skull, but her opponent managed to block her strike, yet she continued to strike relentlessly, and each slash was readily blocked.
The youkai retainer was indeed strong and fast, but she had managed to keep up with his speed. One could actually say that she was almost faster than him. But something bothered her a great deal; every time their swords clashed against each other, a barrier seemed to hold her sword in distance. The metals never met physically.
If her sword failed to break a barrier then how could she land a hit? She concentrated more on her ki; the ki was suddenly reaching deeper, and she felt how a raw energy emerged from her inside, unfurling from her abdomen.
Kagome began to pace slowly in circle as her opponent did the same. She stalked the movement of her opponent with her alert senses; her katana was once again held point down, and then she began to charge, slashing her katana aiming for his stomach, but it was blocked; only this time the metal had clashed together, and she could hear how the katana of her opponent immediately cracked from the effect.
Wasting no times, she maneuvered her cleaving to aim for the subclavian artery of the shoulder, but in a distant of mere millimeters she stopped her attack.
And the rest of the retainers were astonished. They couldn't believe that a mere human girl had defeated a powerful youkai. Her skilled swordsmanship in display had bested theirs.
Myouga made his way toward Sesshoumaru. "Milord, I don't think it would be wise to take her as your retainer."
"You have seen it too, the way she broke the barrier of the youki?"
Myouga nodded. "Yes, milord, it seemed that the girl possessed an unusual power, but still it is new and unrefined, and the danger is we wouldn't know if her power would develop as a dark power or a pure one."
:end of chapter:
Kosode: kimono
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AN: don't forget to review, kay? Thanks.
One more thing; I owe you readers perhaps a big apology. Sorry I killed Inuyasha! I'm sad too to bring such plot to this story, but his fate was done the moment I decided on the pairing. (Perhaps I should've warned you first, but where'll be the thrill of the twist then?) And Mysty (yes, you) I'm upset when you're upset, so please don't be?