~Hey everyone, thank you so much for the reviews, I love you all!!! ^^; I'm really sorry about the long wait, I feel really bad, but I promise that the next chapter will be out sooner. Uhh there isn't really any Sesshoumaru in this chapter, but he'll play a big part in the next one.
Purest Hearts, Tainted Souls
Chapter Eight: Flowers and Blood
Usagi sat quietly on her knees, watching the black haired man that appeared to be sleeping. He hadn't given her his name yet, though she heard the other men around calling him 'My Lord'. He must be a very important man, but why would he want her? Perhaps it was him who would train her. She got a strange feeling from him, one that sent chills up her spine, but he seemed kind hearted, perhaps it was just her imagination getting the best of her, as always. Where had the strange man hidden beneath the hide of a baboon gone? He had taken her with him to this place, then left, telling her she would get her training soon enough.
The young silver haired pixie remembered back to three days before, when she'd made the deal with the mysterious stranger. She had given him her word, and he had done the same. Her stomach churned, she was starting to regret making that deal, almost wanting to take everything she agreed on back. But she couldn't she'd given her word; she would not go back on it!
You gave Sesshoumaru-sama your word too, remember?
………Sesshoumaru………
You wouldn't betray him would you?
Usagi's eyes widened, betray Sesshoumaru?
A calm familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, "what are you staring at girl?"
Realizing she'd still been staring at the young black haired lord, she quickly cast her eyes to the wooden floor on which she sat. It was the first time he had spoken to her since she'd arrived three days before. He seemed to sleep a lot, as if he were wounded, the times when he was awake, he didn't speak to her at all………
"I know your not mute girl." Usagi quickly lifted her eyes back to the dark haired man, his piercing eyes studying her every move. She tried to keep as still as possible. His voice sounded much like the strange man that brought her to the odd place that seemed to be a land of eternal darkness, could it be that they were the same person?
"I was brought here by a man, hidden beneath some sort of white fur," she paused for a moment, wondering whether she should tell the black haired man about the deal she made. "He-he told me that he would teach me how to properly control my powers."
"I already know of this, your training will start soon enough,"
So then it was him, it had to be, the other man said that same thing………
Naraku looked over the petite girl; she was wearing the kimono he'd ordered one of the guards to get for her. It was colored a deep black, and its light blue trimmings brought out the rare silvery-blue coloring of her eyes. Her long silvery hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and held there with a thick light blue piece of cloth, and her inherited marking that tattooed her forehead shined bright in the dark room, trying to take in every bit of light it could to give its master the energy that was need to sustain life.
He looked away from the silver haired pixie. Such odd creatures Pixies were, very similar to pitiful flowers actually; if left in darkness for too long, they would eventually grow ill and die. It was almost a pity that the same fate would fall upon the silver haired girl, but in a world such as this, anywhere outside of the Illusionary Pixie Forest guaranteed death for such creatures.
Naraku cast his eyes back upon the only other being that occupied the room; she was rubbing her right shoulder, as if remembering some sort of wound that had once caused her grief.
And yet, this one had managed to stay alive. What was so different about her that kept her alive when all the others that had managed to leave to Illusionary Forest died within 48 hours of their leave? Perhaps it was the shards she carried in her chest? They had been proven worthy of sustaining life, but somehow it just didn't seem right. It didn't seem likely that the Jewel shards where what kept her alive in such a world filled with darkness, it had to be something else………
A soft almost hesitant voice brought him out of his thoughts. "You do not look well, If I may ask, are you sick?"
Naraku's eyes slightly narrowed at the petite silvery-eyed pixie, "mind your own business girl."
"Please," she paused, slowly reaching her hand out towards him, "if you are, I might be able to help."
Light suddenly lit up the room, startling Usagi, and making her quickly draw her hand back. Looking to the direction the light came from, she saw the beautiful dark haired priestess she had earlier befriended. She was staring down to the young black haired lord with a look of shock plastered upon her face.
'Kikyo!'
'He has no life in him,' the dark eyed priestess thought to herself, 'it is as though he is dead from the neck down."
"Lady Kikyo!" a smile came upon Usagi's features as she remembered the kind priestess who took her in, not caring that she wasn't human. Two guards then caught her attention as they ran up behind the priestess and kneeled.
"We have failed My Lord, forgive us," one of them called out, "she's come despite your orders."
"She claims she can heal you My Lord."
Usagi looked to the young lord, he was staring wide eyed at Kikyo as if in disbelief, his eyes narrowed as the two guards spoke. "Be quiet!" he demanded irritation was apparent in his tone of voice, "leave me," he quickly glanced to Usagi, "and take this girl with you!"
"Yes My Lord."
~~*~~
"Can I get you anything my lady, you do not look well."
Usagi looked up to the man that stood over her. The guards had taken her to a room to the opposite side of the castle of the young dark haired lord. She looked around the room, studying each of the guards that occupied it. Why had each of them called her 'My Lady'?
"My Lady?" the closest guard asked looking quite concerned. Usagi smiled up kindly to him.
"Please, just call me Usagi, I am of no higher rank than anyone of you." Each of the men in the room looked around to one another, a look of confusion plastered on each of their faces.
Another guard stepped forward and kneeled before her, "forgive us, we were all under the impression that you and…" he paused what he was saying, a deep crimson color now stained his cheeks.
Usagi watched the guard in confusion, she didn't quite understand what the man was trying to say, "Please, like I said," she placed a small hand on the kneeling mans shoulder, "I am of no higher importance, there is no need to kneel." The man hesitantly stood.
Another guard studied the silvery haired woman, her movements were shaky, and she was very pail.
"May I go outside?" Usagi looked up to the closest guard, hope shining in her eyes, it had been hours since she'd left the young lord and Kikyo, and she was desperately wanting to do something other than sit all day long, "near some flowers perhaps?"
The three guards looked to one another before one finally spoke up, "flowers no longer grow in these lands."
~~*~~
Naraku quietly watched the petite pixie talk with the guards of the castle. His eyes narrowed as he watched her reach out a shaky hand to the kneeling man. It was happening to fast, only three days and she was already becoming ill? His plan would surely fail. He also took note of her extremely pail skin, yes something needed to be done quickly, she needed to leave.
Where would she go?
With Kikyo? No, she had yet to return from retrieving Inu-Yasha's jewel shards.
He would have to send her out with one of the guards.
~~*~~
Usagi smiled as she weaved the small multi colored flowers together to make a small reef. She was feeling much better now that she was out side, all her energy seemed to just flow back into her. She had decided to ignore her feelings of unease about the young lord, the more that she thought about it, the more she realized that in all truth, he was very kind to her. Allowing her to stay with him, taking time to eventually train her, and he even gave her permission to go in search of flowers all day, as long as she was back by nightfall.
She looked to the guard that stood a few feet away. His hand rest on the hilt of his sword as he scanned the area for danger. Looking back down to the small reef in her hands, she noticed it was almost identical to the one she'd given Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru-sama……… why was she-
"Is some thing wrong Lady Usagi?" the young guards voice brought her back to reality.
"No, nothing," Usagi held up the small object in her hands, "wont you come help me, its very easy, I can teach you if you'd like."
~~*~~
"Tell me one thing before I go Naraku," Kikyo's voice was full of disgust, "why is it that you have her here?"
"The pixie?" at Kikyo's blank stare he continued, "she'll be of much use to me, she has extraordinary power."
The priestess' dark eyes narrowed, "and you plan on manipulating her into thinking that she's fighting for the right cause?"
"I won't need to do that, she'll do it of her own free will."
Kikyo turned her back toward the dark haired half demon, "Naraku, a flower cannot survive where there is no light!"
"I care nothing for her life, the jewel shards in her chest are all that interest me."
"Then tell me one last thing," her eyes filled with hate as she finished, "do you plan on using her against Inu-Yasha?"
"Against all who stand in my way," his lips slightly pulled upward in amusement, "including the Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru."
~~*~~
Usagi giggled at the man that sat next to her as he tried to weave the flowers together, unintentionally breaking off the small petals in the process. He placed the small flower in the grass and rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly, "I guess I'm not the flower type."
"You just need more practice that's all, but," she pointed a finger toward the sky, "the sun is starting to fall, so we should head back, wouldn't want you to get punished for being late right?"
The man's eyes widened in realization, and he quickly stood, smiled, and offered a hand towards the young beauty. She returned the smile and lifted her hand to meet his. The sound of an object flying through the air at a high speed caught her ear, quickly followed by a cry of pain from the young man next to her.
Usagi quickly kneeled by the fallen man's side; a wooden arrow was lodged deep within his chest. She quickly scanned the area, in hopes of finding the source of the arrow, but there was nothing, it was as if the arrow appeared out of thin air.
"Hurry lady Usagi…" the young guard coughed out, "you must… run." A small trail of blood now ran down his chin.
"I can't just leave you here!" another arrow landed in the ground right next to her.
"You must… make haste back to… the castle…" and with one last breath, the young guard that was just barely old enough to be called a man, stopped moving, stopped breathing, and looked with unseeing eyes towards the darkening sky.
Another arrow came sailing by and grazed her neck.
Fear overwhelmed her and she shook the lifeless man's arm, "please, which way? How do I get there!?"
A fourth arrow flew by, missing her cheek by just inches. Fearing for her life she quickly stood, cast one last glance down to the lifeless guard that was so kind to her, and ran off through the open field, in hopes that she was going the correct way to the castle.
But……… we usually never get what we hope for………
********Uhh… if you haven't noticed, I'm not good at death scenes. -_-;; Sorry if it seems like I'm not getting anywhere with this, but really I am!!!!! Sorry it was kinda a boring chapter…
SilverQuick: Hmm a girl said that huh……… uh-oh she's got a hankerin' for you Silver hehehe. *Ahem* Thank you so much!!!! I'm really pleased to know that you're enjoying it!!!
starfury3000: Sorry it took me so long to update……… thanks for the review
MarsMoonStar: Good, Good, Good, I'm so glad you like it!!!
Crystal Rain Drop: Hahaha thanks, it's really cool, that you think it's really cool. ~_^
Firehedgehog: Is it now?? Hehehe thanks for the review!!
Dee-Chan: *Peeks out from under the covers timidly* Must you talk about the exorcist? Man, I keep picturing that little girl running down the stairs upside down!!! Hehehe, what a wild mind I have, can't even control it!!! Hmm creative ending, but not how it will happen……… Bwahahaha *ahem* Anyways, as always, thanks so much for the review!!!
solarmistress17: Yay!!! I'm so happy you liked chapter seven, sorry it took me so long to update!!!
BlueFrost: See that's the thing, consciously he doesn't want her, or is struggling not to, but back in his unconscious, he does……… make sense? Sometimes its kinda confusing, if ya don't understand, read a psychology book Thanks so much to the review, and I'm so glad you liked chapter seven, I hope you like this one as well……… oh and try to steer clear of the giant rocks huh?
LunaPrincess: Awe……… that's so sweet!!! I'm so so so so very happy knowing that you like it!!! Hope ya liked this chapter too!!!
LaLa: Oh No!!! I hope you didn't fall off the edge with how long it took me to update, if you don't review, I'll think you did and feel really guilty……… ~_^ Hehehe. I'm so glad you love it. *Sniffle* I feel really proud of mehself now!!! Hehehe………
Kage-Shadow-of-Darkness: Yeah, Kouga and Kagome are the best together. Oh you don't know who Kagura is either!?!! I love her!!! Meh fave female right there!! You probably don't know who Juuroumaru is either then do ya?? Anyways, thanks so much for the review, I really appreciate it, and I hope you liked this chapter as well!!!
CleScout: Wow Sango and Inu……… that's very odd, I'd have never even thought about that one……… hmm I don't know how I feel about it. Anyways, thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to like this story.
Cheska: Oh Jeez, don't feel bad; I don't expect you guys to review every chapter. I'm honestly surprised that people do!!! I'm glad you liked chapters six and seven!!! Yeah, I like Naraku and Kagome pairings too, but no, they don't have many of them written, not that I've found anyway……… anyways, thanks so much for the review!!!
WritingHorsegurl717: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you've taken a liking to my story!!!!
Tina: I'm very glad you like my story, and I hope you liked this chapter as well!! Thanks for the review!!!
death04: Yes, of course, always more to come, I'm pleased to know you've taken an interest in my story!! Thanks for taking the time to review.
********Again, sorry if anyone's names or anything else is wrong, I didn't do it intentionally.
Again, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for the reviews, I just love getting them, and hey, lets face it, the more reviews I get the faster I'm gonna update!!!
**(Chapter Question)**
Uhh…… lets see, this chapters question will be……… uhh… er… hmm… oh ok; who do you think is the most attractive male/female villain in Sailor Moon?