III: The Encounter in the Forest

Author: Nefertili

Fandom: Inuyasha

Rating: PG13

Pairing(s): Sesshoumaru/Kikyou

Genre(s): Romance, Angst, AU, Action

Warning(s): More battle scenes, some violence, fluff... What more can I say?

Disclaimer: None of the characters, except perhaps some, are mine. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

Summary: Two years after IMotC, Sess is challenged to surpass an enemy in recovering a mysterious relic left behind by his mother. But can he protect Kikyou, who now carries his child, at the same time?

A/N: Finally, I got to update! I am really, really sorry for the long lengths of time between updating, but the fates seem to be against me. Not only do we have tons of work, but also we have no internet connection in my home for several weeks now. Heck, when will they return the landline? I am already suffering from 'internet withdrawal syndrome!'

Also, I still am thinking if Inuyasha ought to be included somewhere in this fic. I originally did not intend to involve him in the story, but if you give me a good suggestion, I might consider it. ;)

...o0o...

Kikyou watched Rin whilst keeping an eye on their surroundings in case an impertinent youkai dared to attack her and the young girl. Her senses had been sharpened the past months, as though the tiny breath of life in her belly also lent her its share of gifts. It seemed most appropriate, as not all demons in the Western Lands were tolerant of her, especially considering her spiritual power that vanquished many of their powerful kin.

"Kikyou-sama!" Rin called out to her softly from behind a lichen-studded tree. The former Priestess quietly complied to the young girl's call, and came beside her in an instant. "Look over there! She is so pretty, isn't she?"

The maiden's gaze followed Rin's finger, and she saw a deer, a doe no doubt, sniffing at the deep green grass a good many feet from them. Kikyou knew by sight and by instinct that the animal was no youkai, as it radiated no strange aura as some demons in the guise of animals do.

They watched the silent animal as it surveyed the ground with its nose, careful not to make any sound lest they frighten it away.

Out of the blue, a smaller deer, its coat still dappled with spots of white and cream on its back, leaped out of the bushes nearby and began to play at its mother's heels. The young fawn looked so innocent, and its mother could only gaze at it seriously before chewing at the grass again.

The fawn continued playing near the doe's feet before it leaped in Kikyou's and Rin's direction. The youthful spirit stopped and inclined its head curiously upon seeing the two females. Rin held out one of her hands to encourage the little deer to come nearer.

At first, nothing seemed to happen, but the fawn cautiously began to trot towards them. Finally, its little nose quivered as it curiously sniffed at Rin's hand. Rin gave out a little gasp of joy.

Unfortunately, the mother deer heard the sound, and seeing her child with near the two women, she made a sound with her front hooves to alert her little one. The fawn obeyed at once, and went back to its mother, who led the young soul away whilst keeping her dark eyes on Kikyou and Rin.

Once the deer were out of sight, something caused Kikyou to be distracted from within. Her own baby stirred and kicked within her; she could almost feel its tiny hands hugging at her womb. She smiled and patted the small bulge on her stomach.

"He's moving again, Kikyou-sama?" Rin queried, gently placing her small hands on Kikyou's belly. She giggled to feel a slight movement beneath her fingers.

"He seems to be a lot more energetic these days," Kikyou said, grinning. She affectionately caressed the little girl's hair as Rin pressed an ear against her foster mother's belly. She could almost swear that she could hear a little heart beating within. "Are you really certain he's a boy, Rin-chan?"

"Rin would love him no less even if he turns out to be a girl, Kikyou-sama!" Rin replied happily. She patted Kikyou's stomach once more before looking up at the former priestess with impatience in her chocolate brown eyes. "How many more days will it take before he comes out?"

Kikyou laughed merrily at Rin's impatience. She knelt down to meet the little girl in the eye and she gently patted her cheek with on hand.

"He has been in my belly for only four months," Kikyou explained with a twinkle in the eye. "It will take another five before you can play with him."

"Aw, that's a big lot of time," Rin said, disappointed.

Kikyou let go of Rin, who began to scamper among the grass chasing a multicolored butterfly. She sighed to herself as her facial expression turned solemn. Her hand once more strayed over her womb. The child within rolled once and became still for a moment, as though appreciating her touch. If Rin only knew, she was as enthusiastic with the birth as she was, though a little scared, too, as it was her first time.

'I love you, little one,' she said in her mind. She recalled the doe and the fawn they had seen earlier; all the while she thought of Sesshoumaru's child, and strangely, of a youkai Princess whose true form was a deer, not to mention who was nearly as powerful as her husband. 'If Kikumo only lived...'

Why does the memory of her, Sesshoumaru's first love, still haunt her? Many a moment, he and Kikyou talked about Kikumo as though she were still living. In the brief time that Kikumo reconciled with them after they defeated Naraku and before she died, Kikyou knew that she would have made good friends with the demoness, and never mind if she shared a past relationship with Sesshoumaru. She really lived up to her name, as it was believed that chrysanthemums promote longevity. She continued living even beyond her death, even if it was only Sesshoumaru and his companions who remember her.

Kikyou's mahogany eyes roamed back to where Rin was tirelessly chasing after the butterfly, and she wondered if the little girl missed the company of their own kin. She did not find fault in their solitude among the mountains of his domain, or of their solitary way of life; after all, she had spent much of her past life alone as the keeper of the Shikon Jewel. Rin, herself, found her home in Sesshoumaru and Jaken after he rescued her from her miserable life in her village. What could be more perfect than spending the rest of her life with the one she loved, unhindered and undisturbed?

The young raven-haired maiden gently touched the trunk of a nearby tree, whose dark natural color was dotted here and there by patches of white lichen and downy moss. Yes, she knew what she just missed, what nagged at her from the corners of this rustic paradise. Though she could not live without the company of Sesshoumaru or his affections, she longed for a friend, a confidante. Rin was like a daughter to her, but there are many things that a child couldn't understand. If only Kikumo had lived...

Out of a sudden, a feeling of dread and alarm spread throughout Kikyou's mind, driving her abruptly from her musings. She felt something, something terribly evil and frightening, coming their way. What was this? She hadn't felt it before; she couldn't understand it...

"Rin, we have to get back to Sesshoumaru..."

...o0o...

Sesshoumaru impatiently gazed up at the sun. It was nearing noontime now. He trusted Kikyou, yes, but there seems to be something else in his woods; he was unsure if he knew it, or if he could trust it to stay away from Kikyou and Rin. The amber-eyed demon had studied Isamu's aura enough to recognize it anywhere; the other demon lord was obviously gone from the West and back to his Clan in the Borderlands.

With a swish of his silver-sheen hair, he stood up from the verandah, catching his retainer off-guard. Jaken shot his master a questioning stare.

"Where are you going, Lord Sesshoumaru?" The toad-like demon stood up to follow the taiyoukai as he strode down the steps with deadly grace, but Sesshoumaru had other plans.

"Stay here, Jaken. I do not permit you to go anywhere until Rin and Kikyou are back in the fortress..."

...o0o...

Kikyou's command had barely left her lips when the trees around them began to sway violently, and a small tremor began to rock the ground where they stood. Rin and Kikyou fell to the ground as it heaved and fell like an animal yawning after a long sleep.

"Rin!" she called out to the little girl. Rin fought to get up and reach the former priestess, but it was rather impossible to do so. She resorted to crawling on all fours, but no sooner had she scuttled several feet when a nearby tree fell on her path.

A single cry of concern left Kikyou's lips as she stood up, forgetting her other fears for the moment. She fell painfully to her knees as the ground beneath her rolled as though it had turned into ocean waves. Fearing that it would cause her unborn child unnecessary damage, Kikyou half-crawled to where the tree had come between her and the little girl, calling out the other girl's name as she did so.

"Rin's all right, Kikyou-sama!" Rin managed to raise herself from her crouched position. Kikyou sighed in relief; Rin didn't get crushed under the tree as she had previously thought. The younger girl unsteadily made her way over the felled tree trunk to be gathered in a tight embrace by Kikyou.

"Vengeance...vengeance shall be attained, oh my Master..." A mind-splitting voice suddenly exploded from inside their brains, nearly sending Kikyou and Rin into a swoon. A strong wind rapidly flapped all over them, and Kikyou looked behind them to see that the wind by caused by a flapping of great wings. Rin screamed as she beheld the terrible sight.

It was a dragon, nearly as tall as the majestic trees that surrounded them, covered in an intricate network of spines that could easily snag flesh into bloody ribbons. Although its entire body was a deadly deep blue-green, its eyes shone maliciously red, and its long slender limbs ended in claws as large as butchers' knives. Its thrashing tail brought down another tree as though it were but a stick.

The monster's dreadful eyes then caught sight of the two humans, puny-looking and seemingly insignificant, cowering near its feet. However, it felt that the older of the two was a great threat, and it was not fooled with her ostensibly weak facade. It opened its gaping mouth in a snarl, exposing knife edge fangs and a long forked tongue resembling that of a snake's.

Kikyou had barely led Rin behind a tree when the dragon's piercing claws came crashing on where they sat earlier, but having given away their location, the gigantic youkai began to pursue them. Rin gave another scream as a whip like tail split the tree trunk in half, barely missing them.

As Kikyou guided Rin with difficulty over the fallen trees to escape yet another swipe from the monster, her mind sought to think of what path to take. The raven-haired maiden was torn between protecting Rin and the child in her womb. Her mobility was limited; she couldn't do much fighting lest it would cost her firstborn's life.

"Miko...you are a threat to my Master..."

The voice of the dragon once more reverberated in their minds. By now they understood that the monster communicates via telepathy, as they could hear his treacherous words even if it did not appear to come from his mouth.

'If it's me that you want, then you shall have it!' Kikyou thought determinedly as she hastily pushed Rin away from the scene.

"Run as fast as you can!" Kikyou whispered to her, but Rin stubbornly shook her head.

"Rin won't leave you!" Rin exclaimed, clinging on harder to the former priestess' blue robes.

"I will be all right," Kikyou muttered, trying her best to be calm and reassuring. She once more gave the little girl a push to spare her from a worse fate. "Rin, you have to run"

The dragon's tail went down with a roar on the forest ground, sending out yet another tremor.

"Rin, run!"

This time, Rin obeyed. After giving Kikyou a last hug, she turned and ran as fast as she could over the shaking soil; tumbling for many times before she was finally out of sight.

'Yes, go and save yourself...' was the thought that flew in Kikyou's mind before she became occupied in defending herself from the violent youkai which now concentrated all its attention on her. She put one arm over her belly as she dodged a fling of its tail. She ran behind another tree, only to have her hiding place brought down by the mere swing of the monster's claw.

Kikyou cursed herself for not bringing her bow and purity arrows with her. Since she had settled with Sesshoumaru in the Western Lands, her miko weapons were most of the time in the corner of their room, gathering dust from neglect. No demon would dare to attack her, considering who her mate was, and that she had more powers aside from bow and arrows. She instantly knew that this youkai either did not acknowledge Sesshoumaru in any way, or it knew not of her relations with him.

"You can't hide from the powers of the Master. Miko, you have nowhere to run..."

"What do you want from me?" Kikyou demanded, facing her adversary with a gaze that spoke of her power and authority.

The monster's mouth seemed to twist in a rough grin as the ground temporarily stopped shaking. Its fiery red eyes seemed to whirl out of focus as a new set of words formed in Kikyou's mind. Its statements seemed to be as twisted as its serpentine body.

"Revenge...Master, we all shall have our share of revenge. To see her bloodline fail would be our satisfaction..."

"I said what do you want from me?" Kikyou said in an evenly measured tone. What was the dragon talking about? She didn't wish to let out her powers yet. Not before she gets out the purposes of this demon.

The dragon's eyes stopped whirling as it fixed its deadly glare upon Kikyou, who did not even flinch.

"I cannot comprehend why you, Priestess, are here in the Western Lands, or even who you are; but if you came here to spoil our cause, the Master shall put you in line."

The youkai's words further increased Kikyou's confusion. Can't this insolent monster see that she knew nothing of the cause he was talking about? All the while, she thought that it was her bloodline that the maleficent demon was talking about, but now it's apparent that the dragon didn't even know who she was, or that she was Lord Sesshoumaru's mate, for that matter.

The dragon's eyes once more began to whirl. "Her blood shall die from this earth..."

"Whose blood?" Kikyou interrogated, bravely walking nearer to the dazed-looking demon.

An angry hiss left the dragon's mouth. "Lady of the Tsukisawa...you dared to defy the Master...your bloodline shall pay dearly..."

Lady of the Tsukisawa? Tsukisawa...Marsh of the Moon...Kikyou had never heard of such a name before.

"You have sealed the Master before your death, but the Master had now awakened, and in a sevenday shall break your seal. The blood of your one descendant shall be spilled and your doom shall be absolute..."

"Who's the 'one descendant'?" Kikyou found herself asking. Though she had no idea on who the Lady of the Tsukisawa was, she certainly didn't want her descendant to fall victim to the deeds of the Master (whoever he may be) and his minions.

The dragon's bared his fangs and arched his neck upwards.

"...Prince of the West, you carry her blood in your veins, and with your death her doom is fulfilled..."

Something snapped inside Kikyou at the mention of the Prince of the West. It could only be Sesshoumaru.

"A shard of the moon
O'er mist coming and going..."

She had to get back to him.

"...A jewel of doom,
O'er water still, unmoving..."

He has to know this...

"...O'er depths endless, a-waiting..."

The chanting of the monster was barely comprehensible to Kikyou, and she was almost caught off guard as the dragon's eyes focused again and his wide mouth with all its fangs came crashing her way, threatening to swallow her in one gulp.

Instinctively, Kikyou held out her two hands as a blinding flash came out from her outstretched fingers.

"I summon you to Hell!"

The evil youkai let out a wild shriek as Kikyou's attack served its purpose. Numerous chains leaped out from fissures on the ground and the cold shackles closed around the dragon's feet as fire engulfed the entity. Soon, nothing was left of the monster but the damage it had done to the forest.

Unsteadily, Kikyou dragged her feet like a sleepwalker around the fallen trees. She was suddenly weary, and she felt as though her vision was beginning to spin.

'I have to get back to Sesshoumaru...'

But her body betrayed her wishes. In her extreme weariness, she hardly saw her path as it took her to a slope, and as she stepped on a loose rock that slipped from beneath her feet, she slid down to a place she hardly knew. All that her conscious self could comprehend was that she landed on something soft, a pile of dewy grass perhaps, before she lost consciousness.

'He has to know this...'

...o0o...

Kinda creepy, huh? Who's the 'Lady of the Tsukisawa'? And who is she in relation to Sesshoumaru? ;)