*pokes her head out from behind her desk smiling sheepishly* Hi. First off, I'd like to say how horribly sorry I am for taking so long. My dad has a cancer and things have been really hectic around the house, what with that, and school and work. I've been working a lot lately (super duper major bummer) my dad goes back to the doctor soon to see if there's been a change for the worst in his health. Let's keep our fingers crossed shall we? Ok. On to better topics, we can't dwell on the bad stuff! So! How has everyone's New Year been? Oh well that's enough of my ramblings, I bet you can't wait to read the story huh!? Heehee.
Oh and sorry if it's kinda crappy, I'm trying to get back into my groove!
Purest Hearts, Tainted Souls
Chapter 10
She was with him again, they were together again after what seemed like an eternity, she should have felt calm, at peace, but she felt something was very wrong. It hurt in her chest and stomach, a strong feeling of wrongness, of something bad to come, it was upsetting and at times she almost couldn't think. Voices seemed to swarm in her mind, voices that weren't hers, voices that she thought she should have known. They told her of death and suffering, of a whole race that would soon vanish, and be no more, they told her to go back, to return. What she couldn't understand, what she couldn't figure out, was where they wanted her to go back to.
It seemed that as each day went by, she was forgetting more and more about who she was, and things that had taken place before she met the white haired lord on the edge of the meadow. And even as she lay there on the forest floor, tangled in fur with the small dark haired child clinging to her, the voices haunted her, crawling across her mind like spiders in the darkness.
And, sometimes, as quick as they'd come, they'd go, with a sigh of relief, she looked down to the child they'd all come to know as Rin. Her small dirt caked hand was clenched around the fabric of Usagi's kimono, as though to let go would mean death, or perhaps the curse of being all alone once again. So much the small child had been through, and still she remained happy and care free.
She then cast her eyes to the toad-like Jaken, who was leaning against a small bush and clutching the Staff of Skulls in his sleep. He tried so hard to act as if he didn't like her or the child, but she could tell it was all a façade, he was most likely just unsure of what other demons, for instance, Sesshoumaru, would think if he acted other wise.
A sigh from Rin drew her attention back to the small child; she smiled down at the sleeping girl. Brushing a stray strand of soft black hair behind the girl's ear, she noticed the dried mud smeared across her cheek and more on her lips, she had obviously found a mud hole. They'd have to bathe in the morning.
The Crystals…
Usagi's breath caught in her throat, they were there again, no matter how many times they came and went, it was always startling to hear someone else's voice in her head.
The Crystals…
They'll Come For Them…
What Will You Do When They're Gone?
She silently lifted a hand to touch the jewel shards in her chest, 'when they're gone, I'll-'
"You haven't slept." Usagi jumped as the calm, deep voice of Sesshoumaru knocked her off the train called thought.
~*~
Sesshoumaru leaned back against the large trunk of a tall pine tree, the once raging fire was now reduced to just glowing embers. Normally Jaken and him wouldn't need a fire, but, he let his eyes wonder to Usagi and the child, humans were such fragile creatures, and Pixies, well, they were a mystery altogether. His eyes lingered on Usagi as she tucked a strand of hair behind the child's ear, it was odd to see how she acted toward the young girl, always offering to carry her, even if she herself was exhausted, playing with her at every open chance, and even letting the child sleep with her. He could see that Usagi tried very hard to make sure she was happy and had fun. It almost reminded him of how a mother should act. It was clear that she would make a good mother one day.
"You haven't slept." His voice somewhat surprised him as it left his mouth, and by the way Usagi jumped and whipped her head around to look at him, it would seem it had the same effect on her.
"No, I couldn't really sleep," she propped herself up on one elbow and continued to look at him. She was beautiful, her hair lay all around her in a glowing slivery pool under the moonlight, the kimono she wore was loose and on the verge of falling from one shoulder, showing off a fare amount of pail skin, and the symbol on her forehead shone bright as ever in the dark of the night. "I guess I wasn't too tired."
Her eyes told otherwise.
When They're Gone… What Will You Do...
When They're Gone…
Come Home… I'll- We'll Protect You…
Usagi leaned back and looked to the small sparkling stars of the sky as the voices sneaked their way back into her mind. A thin pail hand reached up to touch the three shards once again, 'I'll get strong, I will protect myself, I won't be like the weak humans Sesshoumaru-sama speaks of.' With a new spark of determination in her spirit, she closed her heavy eye lids, and let sleep take her.
Sesshoumaru watched the young pixie until her breathing became slow and steady indicating sleep, before lifting his eyes to the stars.
~*~
Usagi walked through a wide meadow following the tall lord, followed by the short Jaken, and watching the small child run happily from flower to flower, gathering an already large bunch of multi-colored wild flowers. She smiled and looked to her hands, today she would somehow learn to use some of her powers… she would try all day and night if she had to.
Soon after they entered the shade of the tall forest trees they came to a halt, Jaken seated himself upon a stump while Rin continued to play with her flowers, Sesshoumaru had wondered off somewhere, and Usagi decided this was the best time to start her 'training.'
Wondering a bit away from the other two, she came to a small clearing of the trees, and looked for a good target, soon finding a very small rock near one of the trees. Taking a step towards the tiny object, she narrowed her eyes while using her right hand to point at it, "rock," she threw her whole arm out to the side forcefully, "go!'
The rock didn't move one inch.
"Rock…… Go!" she yelled again throwing her arm once more. She repeated this process a few times and then tried it with the left hand, all the while getting no where. She let out a large sigh; she wouldn't give up so easily, this rock wouldn't get the best of her! If only she had someone to teach her.
It comes and goes with the strong need to protect yourself, and those around u… What you're trying to do is learn to use it whenever you please, for whatever purpose you please…
The young pixie's eyes went wide and she quickly looked around finding no one. This was the first time one of the voices had actually talked to her, and not just told her of things to come.
What you must do is, tap into your unconscious mind, find where the ability is resting, and bring it out…
"Who are you?" The voice sounded male and female at the same time, as if a woman and man were speaking in perfect unison.
Close your eyes… she did as she was told. Now focus on what you're trying to achieve… dig deep within yourself to find it… locked away within a small box…
Usagi could almost imagine herself walking down long halls made of ivy and roses, lit brightly with small jars filled with small glowing crystals. Towards the end of the hall she found a small wooden box covered with morning glory vines, the small closed blue flowers seemed to open as she approached them.
Good… now all you have to do is open the box… and that will be as far as I can help you…
Mentally nodding, Usagi reached for the box, but was surprised to find that her hand passed right through it. 'Right, mind power.' Carefully concentrating on the small object and trying to get the lid off the top. Slowly but surly, the lid slid to the side, and although the box seemed to be empty, she felt more weight in her mind, like there was something new there, something that was never there before.
It's always been there, just locked away, only opened for emergency reasons…
Opening her eyes, she looked to the tiny rock, while positioning her hand out in front of her, palm facing up. Concentrating on the rock and where she wanted it to go she slowly started lifting her hand to the sky, surprised to find that her hand felt heavy, almost too heavy. She struggled to lift it upward, and watched as the rock shifted and wiggled slightly to and fro before lifting about five inches from the ground, she dropped her hand and the rock fell as fast as gravity would pull it to the ground. Looking to the rock she frowned, "it is only a tiny rock, a mere pebble, and yet it was so heavy."
Think of it this way my child, when you first started flying, how far did you fly? Not very far… it's the same with this… You must start from the very bottom and work your way to the top… it will get easier…
'So… who are you, and why do I continue to hear voices in my mind?'
I am only an observer, there are those that wish to lead you astray and those that wish to help you… you must decide for yourself which path is the correct to follow.
And with that the voice was gone along with its presence in her mind.
~*~
A few days had passed, and Usagi practiced her new found talent secretly at every chance she got, and was finding there were several things she could do with it. She stood in tall green grass in a meadow with Sesshoumaru while Jaken went to fetch Rin. Sesshoumaru was strong, she'd seen him fight before and knew that for a fact, maybe he could help her develop her powers quicker if she used them on him…
"Sesshoumaru-sama," Usagi started, taking a few steps towards him, in doing so, catching his attention, "I've been working on a few things I've discovered about my powers lately, and I was wondering if you could… maybe come at me, as if you meant to attack, and I'll try to protect myself."
The white haired lord looked over the girl. Powers? He'd noticed she'd been spending more time alone and away from the other three of them, and thought it best to just leave her be. He liked the fact that she was working on some sort of defense, so he just nodded at her, of course this brought a large smile to her face.
"Alright!" she cheered bring both her hands out before her, positioned about two feet apart, she'd start off with her personal favorite, one she liked to call, the binding. She narrowed her eyes in concentration while bringing her hands closer together, she got about three inches in when it started getting harder, pushing harder, she concentrated on crushing the invisible force between her hands all the while focused on Sesshoumaru.
He felt pressure coming in from both sides, and his arms (remember he still has the human one =P ) felt pinned to his sides. He easily overcame the weak binding and raced toward the silver haired girl, who was frantically trying to think of what to do next. Quickly throwing her hands out to either side, a barrier went up around her, sending out small silvery sparks here and there. Sesshoumaru's clawed demon hand easily broke through the thin shield, and went quickly to grab her by the throat.
"You may be able to stop a human, but against a demon, you would have no chance." He looked down at her with narrowed gold eyes, while she looked up at him with wide silvery blue ones. It wouldn't be a lie to say that he was captivated by her, her eyes, her hair, her kindness, her lips, by everything that was her. He gently let go of her neck and ran his thumb along her jaw line, and he watched her eyes slightly widen as he leaned towards her. He yearned to feel her lips against his, to, if only just once see if they were as soft as they looked.
And you would taint something so beautiful and pure?
Sesshoumaru slowly pulled away from the silver haired girl, and turned to face the opposite direction, "perhaps it would be best if you tried out your abilities on Jaken from now on."
Soon the child and the toad-like demon caught up with the other two and the four of them continued on to their destination, two of them troubled, and lost deep in thought.
'Could I taint something so beautiful and pure?'
~~**~~
Hmm… that was long enough eh? I think so, again sorry for any mistakes with anything… it's not on purpose heh heh. Oh and these are the umm… responses to your reviews on chapter 9.
Yami Nocturna : Yay five points for you! Ummm ehh… uhhh.. I guess it could be a threesome…. Hey! That sounds kinda interesting…
Ahknee/Kitteen : Hi little one… man why does everyone like Sesshoumaru better!? I mean come on Naraku is darn sexy!! Guess you should pay more attention in class eh? Anyhow, thanks for the review!
Kagona : Haha, you're a crack up hun… you and Vegeta and all… hey are u two still getting married? With how long it's been, who knows what might have happened to all your relationships ^^; I'm glad you liked that chapter, and thanks!
Golden Fire Phoenix : They are pretty darn cute together huh… come to think of it… they almost look like they could be related…. Eww never mind I didn't say that. But that does put some ideas in my head for a new fic…
Kage-Shadow-of-Darkness : Congrats, five points for you too! I am so incredibly glad that you like how this is coming along. Sorry it took so long to get this one out… the next one will be out sooner than this one was… thanks for taking the time to review.
Dee-Chan : Yes, yes, you get five points… man that question was just to easy, gotta think of a hard one this time… but knowing my brain… its not gonna happen. Ahh sorry it took so long!!! It wasn't supposed to ya know… heh but I'm glad that you liked it, and that game sounds mega fun! *sigh* yet another Sesshoumaru lover… don't worry Naraku my love makes up for all of theirs! Well I hope you liked this chapter too, thanks for reviewing!
Duos_Bunny : Wow!!! You called me Authoress-sama! Hey thanks! Heh heh that's a first I think… and I'm sooo glad you think it's so good. Don't worry hun, I very much do plan to finish it.
BlueFrost : Man! Sesshoumaru again!?!?!? I can't believe this, I just don't believe this… well I guess I do, the guys hot for five hells sake… sexy hair too. Yeah that would be nice if there were real guys like Sesshou, not that I would ever have the slightest chance with a guy like him, but hey! A girl can dream. I'll update sooner this time I promise!!!!
LunaPrincess : Hahahah!!!! Thanks! You're a real ego booster ya know that? Heh heh… oh and hey! Look at that you get five points too! Thanks so much for the review, and sorry this chapter took so long to come out.
CleScout : Thanks, yeah I couldn't leave my dearest love Kouga out, I would feel guilty… heh anywayz… a Sango/Inu fic? Well I don't know how well I would portray their characters… um but maybe somewhere down the road… anyways thanks again!
starhime13 : Hey! I'm glad you like it and think its interesting, thanks for the review!
OtAkU : Sorry it took so long!!! I'm mega glad to know u like this story, makes me happy inside haha. Thanks!
g : Haha… yeah Sesshoumaru does rule.
Cheska : Hey!!! Nooooooo, Sesshoumaru's good looks have taken you as well!! Oh what is the world coming too!? Anyhow, thanks for the review hun, and sorry this chapter took so long.
Sailor Fantasy : *raises an eyebrow at Leirbag* L-lord and M-m-master?! Whawhawhat!? Heh heh heh, you need to keep that… thing under control Fantasy-chan… hehehe anyways! Thanks for the review!!!
Ishtar : Haha well I'm glad you seem to like it so much, sorry this chapter took so long. Didn't mean to! Just kinda happens.
lovestar5 : Wow you seem really hyper… heh it's good that you liked it so much! Thanks for taking the time to review.
SilverQuick : Sil!! Long time no hear from eh? Heh… and hey lucky you, you get five points too… sorry it took sooo very long!!!
Ok. Sorry if I got anyone's name wrong, it was not intentional. Also we have to do something with the points… I guess who ever gets the most points at the end… will uhh… get something…. Uhmmm really… good! Yeah! Something really good! And it's a secret too! So I can't tell!! Anyways, on to other topics, I also wanted to say sorry if this chapter was kinda sloppily thrown together… it was darn hard to write! And um, on to the chapter question…
~*Specialty Stuff*~
Ok and for the chapter question, what was the first anime each of you can ever remember watching?
And for the points question… alright for 10 points, this one will be harder I hope, What is the title of the Anime the has the character named Sosuke Sagara in it, and what is his mission?
And no looking it up on the net, cuz that's cheating!!
Next chapter will be out sooner!! And thanks for taking the time to read it!
Oh and one last thing, I also wanted to say, thank you to everyone for their kind words, and to thank the last few people who sent me e-mails, you know who you are, demanding that I update and all that good stuff, believe it or not, it really got me motivated.