A1969: updating again, what else is new?
Inuyasha: this update, duh.
A1969: shut up! Anyway, thanks to those who read and reviewed! Sorry about the late update, guys.
Inuyasha: wait a minute, where's Kagome?
A1969: I think she went with Houjo earlier...
Inuyasha: what the hell?! I'm gonna kill that little punk! –leaves-
A1969: Inuyasha, wait!
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-Chapter Twenty-eight-
The Story Untold
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.:Clara:.
This cannot be happening.
What is Takeshi doing?
I could think of nothing else as his lips moved insistently against mine. I was frozen, not able to move from the shock. Takeshi...there had been many signs, but...I had been blind to them all. And now...I didn't know what to do. That is, until my brain clicked several moments later.
Firmly but gently, I pulled away from him, and met his gaze. He looked disappointed..and sad. "I'm...sorry," I muttered, blushing.
He regarded me for a moment, the look of pain returning to his eyes again. "Midoriko, I—" He suddenly stopped, and glanced to the far end of the clearing, towards the trees, where a lone figure glared at the two of us, his amber eyes filled with nothing but ice.
Sesshoumaru?!
I could feel my eyes widening as shock coursed through me. Had he...had he been standing there the whole time?
"Sesshoumaru," I said, feeling dread settle in. What was he doing here? He didn't he tell me to 'go away'?
"Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru," Takeshi said, the pained look vanishing from his eyes. He smiled pleasantly at Sesshoumaru, as though nothing had happened. "Have you come looking for my Midoriko?" I threw a look at him. The patronizing tone in his voice bothered me, I'll admit.
"You're Midoriko?" Sesshoumaru asked as he stepped out of the shadows, his hard glare fixed on Takeshi. "Are you blind, fool? She is not Midoriko." Point very well taken. I had to remember to thank him for the clarification...
"And," Sesshoumaru went on as he stopped in front of us. "She does not belong to you." I felt myself blush.
"By all means, Lord Sesshoumaru, she is very much mine," Takeshi said, still smiling pleasantly. "After all—it is because of me that she has been reborn into this world."
What?!
"Meaning," he continued, stepping in front of me, blocking me from Sesshoumaru's gaze. "She is mine."
"Is that so?"
I couldn't see Takeshi's reaction, but it he must have been smiling, because Sesshoumaru's glare only hardened. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru," Takeshi said. I could hear the faint tinge of triumph in his voice. "Because of me. That also means she comes with me."
"What?!" I snapped. He glanced at me from over his shoulder, a reassuring smile on his face.
"It seems she has no desire to go with you." Sesshoumaru placed a hand on his Bakusaiga. Crap! I hated it when they fought.
"Really, now? And how would you know?" I didn't miss the mocking tone in his voice.
"He just knows," I said. Takeshi spun around to face me, an incredulous expression on his face. "He knows that I won't go with you—not now, not ever!" I didn't want to be so harsh, but the way he taunted Sesshoumaru—it just made me mad.
Once again, the pained look returned in his eyes, and I instantly regretted my words. For a moment, we both looked at each other's eyes. And then I looked down at the ground. I couldn't bear the expression in his eyes—pained and betrayed.
He was silent for a second, and then he let out a long sigh. "My error, my consequence," he muttered again. He tilted my chin towards him, sending a jolt of surprise throughout me. "No, if I forced you to come with me, you would hate me for it, wouldn't you?" I didn't answer. I tried not to look in his eyes, but it was difficult. "Yes, you really would," he went on as he released my chin. He glanced over his shoulder, at the silent and glaring Sesshoumaru. "And if I killed him, you would never forgive me for it."
He took several steps back from me, and smiled. "And so—I shall come back for you. Soon." And then, he leaned in to kiss me. I quickly turned away, and his lips brushed against my cheek. I could hear him chuckling as he walked off into the darkness of the forest. I was incredulous. As with all bizarre events, strange questions started popping in my head, each demanding an answer. And then, I heard the soft sigh of a sword being sheathed.
I quickly looked up to see Sesshoumaru leaving. "Hey, wait!" I called as I caught up with him.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Ow!" I gasped as I ran headfirst into his back. Yeesh—he was like a brick wall. I staggered backward and at the same time, he spun around, his glare directed at me.
He was mad, wasn't he?
"You should have left with him," he said, his tone cold.
I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? I don't want to go with him." I probably sounded like a child, but I couldn't help it.
"I don't need treacherous vermin." He turned his back on me.
Huh? "What?" I asked. He didn't answer as he walked away. That was...one of the most...insulting things that...
"Wait!" I ran up to him again and, before I could stop myself, I clutched his left sleeve. "What do you mean treacherous?!"
He tugged his sleeve away from my grasp. He turned towards me, the coldness in his glare not receding. "Leave."
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "What?"
"I don't repeat myself." If anything, his glare only became colder. For the first time since I'd travelled with him, I felt...scared. His aura was...menacing.
But I wasn't willing to be scared. "We both know I'm not treacherous!" I returned his glare earnestly.
"Conspiring with your lover," he said, sounding disgusted.
"What?!" I half-shouted. "Is that what you think? Takeshi is not my lover!" He raised an eyebrow at me. "And if..." I blushed. "And if...you're assuming that he is, because of what you...saw, then...you would know that..." Urgh...why was explaining these kind of things always hard? "You would know that he forced that kiss on me!" I could feel my face go a spectacular shade of red.
He stared at me, not the least bit moved. "And?"
Instead of feeling panicked about him being mad at me, I started to feel annoyed. Yeesh...what was with this guy today? "And?" I echoed, arching an eyebrow at him.
He glared. "Leave."
"I don't get you!" I snapped. "Why would you want me to go? I told you once, didn't I? He isn't my lover, and..." It was suddenly one of those rare instances when—under pressure or maybe due to inexplicable reasons—you felt like...telling someone how much he meant to you. But I stopped myself. No, I couldn't tell him that—he'd only send me away with greater alacrity.
He turned his back on me. "Sesshoumaru!" I said.
"If you have nothing more to say, go." He didn't even look back at me. He just kept walking.
I wanted to run after him, I really did; but I felt that, maybe, he just needed a little time to cool down. Some guys were like that, right? I sighed again. Maybe it was better if I waited here?
In any case, Sesshoumaru was acting a little weird today.
-.-Sesshoumaru-.-
Incomprehensible.
I could think of nothing else as I left. Aggravation was the primary emotion that I felt—why? It had something to do with that blasted girl, I was certain.
Heh...For as long as I had lived, I had never felt aggravated about something so trivial as treachery, the reason being that I usually took care of any treacherous vermin who had the audacity to double-cross me. However, Clara was not so easily dealt with.
I returned to the camp and repositioned myself underneath the tree, waiting for her come through the trees and reason out with me. I waited for several minutes, and still she did not come. Perhaps she'd gotten lost? I may only hope.
I could feel my aggravation shifting to something else as time slowly passed by and she still had not returned. Had she left? Perhaps. Had Naraku found her? It was a possibility—a possibility that did not please me.
Where was that blasted girl?
.:Clara:.
I sighed as I leaned my elbow against my knees and looked up at the sky. I was sitting underneath a tree, waiting for Sesshoumaru's unpredictable temper to subside. I closed my eyes for a moment as I leaned against the tree's trunk. I have to admit—being here, alone, frightened me. Who knew what kinds of demons lurked out here at night? But then again, I'd rather face those demons than Sesshoumaru. I closed my eyes.
Urgh...
Why was he so angry at me? Because he thought I was...conspiring with Takeshi? Yeesh! For someone so confidently arrogant, he was being...well, in short, he was being a jerk. Besides...didn't I tell him before that I could never betray him? Or maybe he'd forgotten? Most likely since—admittedly—my words hold little or no value to him...
I sighed again. I had to get over him, I knew. Takeshi was right...demons priestesses could never...
But then I stopped myself. I really didn't believe that demons and priestesses could never get along. I mean, look at Kagome and Inuyasha! But still...I let out a sigh, wondering why this was so hard!
I suddenly felt something.
I quickly opened my eyes. I could feel someone watching me, making the hairs on my nape stand on end. Quickly, I stood up and glanced around the abandoned clearing. Surely, it wasn't Sesshoumaru, and Takeshi had just left...My pulse quickened as one word whispered through my mind.
Naraku.
It had been ages since I had last seen sign of him. Could he be here? But I couldn't sense a Sacred Jewel shard...One of his nasty underlings? I glanced around me, at the trees. Why do these things keep happening to me?
"Midoriko."
"Eeek!" I spun to my right, and sure enough, someone was watching me, someone with an amused expression on his face. I felt disbelief course through me. "Takeshi?!"
He smiled easily as he stepped through the shadow of the trees. "Hello again."
I blinked at him. It hadn't even been thirty or so minutes since he'd left earlier. "Why are you here?" I asked.
He took several steps towards me until he came right in front of me. "To claim you, of course."
I blushed. A guy never told me that before. For a second, I found myself wishing that it was...someone else who would say those words. But then the full meaning of his words hit me. "What?" I asked, taking a reflexive step back.
He smiled reassuringly at me. "Don't you see, Midoriko? I finally figured out what went wrong with my spell—I can make you remember everything now."
I felt boggled. "Remember...?"
"Us," he clarified.
Us?!
I took several steps back from him. "What do you mean, 'us'? There is no 'us'!"
He looked both saddened and determined. "Only because you don't remember—which is entirely my fault. But I can fix it." He took several steps towards me. "All you have to do is come with me."
"I..." I took a deep breath. "I...I don't love you!"
The pain in his eyes increased tenfold. "I know you don't," he murmured gently. "Which is why I intend to fix my error. Don't you see, Midoriko? The first time I saw you in the Present Era, I was more than shocked that you didn't remember me. I was more shocked—nearly despondent—to learn that you'd...fallen in love with the most unlikely of persons." He shook his head, as though determined to forget that fact. "But it's alright—it isn't your fault. I blame Lady Kikyou. Now...come with me." He took another step towards me. I took one back from him, and felt my back come into contact with the hard trunk of a tree.
"I...don't love you," I said again, feeling panicked as he got closer. If I screamed, would Sesshoumaru come?
His eyes suddenly hardened. "What is that you see in Lord Sesshoumaru?" he suddenly demanded. There was no mistaking that hint of jealousy in his voice. "Midoriko, to be frank, he could care less about you—you could die, and he would only look away."
I looked down. I didn't want him to see how his words pierced me.
"So what is that you see in him? As for me...I see nothing but ice."
I looked up at him, shocked to see that he was suddenly in front of me, his eyes looking intently down at me. He suddenly cupped my cheek with his hand. "Come with me...and I can make you forget him. Everything he's done to you—it could all be gone."
To my surprise, I slapped his hand away. "No!" I snapped. "I don't want to go with you! I don't want to remember anything! Not about you, not about...Midoriko...nothing!"
To my surprise, his eyes hardened, something I'd never seen when he looked at me. "The only reason why you are acting this way is because you know nothing...but that will change."
And before I could scream, everything went black.
-.-Sesshoumaru-.-
Restraint was impossible.
I inwardly growled as I walked through the trees, wondering why I was even bothering myself. That blasted girl could be dead by now, for all she was worth. After all, demons were bound to have found her by now. Why was I even bothering myself?
I decided to cease the unproductive flow of questions. Her scent was getting stronger. I made my way through the trees, scent and aura hidden. The moonlight cast long shadows in my path and the trees rustled with the wind as Clara's scent grew stronger. She was through the bushes.
I made my way with ease through the bushes and stopped, feeling slightly surprised to find that she was not in the clearing...
Her scent led here.
She was not here.
I could feel my anger surfacing as I became aware of another scent—Takeshi's. Hn, so they had run off together?
I turned my back on the clearing. They had run off...together.
It was none of my concern.
.:Clara:.
Ow...
How many times had I ended up unconscious, only to have those two letters as the first thing that popped into my head? But it can't be helped. My head was pounding like mad, as though someone had knocked me on the head with a mallet...
What happened?
I kept my eyes closed as I struggled to remember. Takeshi, Sesshoumaru, Takeshi...
Crap.
As I slowly returned to consciousness, I could feel my back pressed down against something hard—a rocky floor, I realized as I felt tiny bumps of stone pressing against my shoulders. What...was I doing on the ground? What had happened? Where was I?
Feeling trepidation creep in, I slowly opened my eyes.
And I found myself staring up at darkness.
I quickly sat up, blinking. Where was I? It was dark, and the only source of light was moonlight that slanted into the cave came from a hole in the center of the rocky ceiling, pale moonlight that fell on a massive crystallized tableau...
No way.
My knees were trembling as I stood up. I glanced around me. Nothing had changed since the last time I'd been here with Sesshoumaru. Not even the deep grooves left over from his Dragon Strike had changed...
What was I doing in Midoriko's grave?
"I see you're awake," an all too familiar voice said softly.
I spun around. Takeshi was standing at the far end of the cave, leaning against the rocky wall, arms folded across his chest. He was partly hidden in shadow, partly revealed in moonlight. Even though the upper half of his face was obscured by shadow, I could feel his intent gaze on me.
"Where am I?" I demanded.
He stepped out of the shadows and into the pool of moonlight. There was an easy smile on his face, but his eyes were hard. "This is where it all began, dearest," he murmured quietly, taking several steps towards me.
I stared at him, my eyebrow twitching. "Don't call me that!"
The smile vanished, and he sighed. "Truly, you have forgotten everything." He was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the far side of the room, towards the crystallized forms of Midoriko and the demon she had battled. "Even the pain of your...death. This place...this is the place where it all began. This was the place where you died, and where the Sacred Jewel was born."
He took more steps towards me, and I took several back. "Don't come near me," I warned.
He regarded me cautiously. "I am your friend," he reassured. "Or perhaps you've forgotten?"
"Friends don't kidnap other friends!" I pointed out. "And give them headaches." My head was still throbbing and I had a sneaking suspicion that his fist was the culprit.
"You'll have to forgive me," he apologized, grinning. "How else was I going to bring you here?" To my surprise, he was suddenly in front of me, his hand gently probing my head. I couldn't move. "Very sorry." His hand slipped to my cheek, and then to my chin. He tilted my head towards him, and he smiled. "Very, very sorry," he murmured again as he leaned in towards me.
No!
"Don't touch me!" I recoiled from him, taking several steps back away from him. His kiss in the forest was still too vivid, still too fresh. I knew that I might have been overreacting, but...it was just more than shocking to learn that someone whom you trusted to be a friend, whom you could always turn to during despondent times, was a liar.
And then, I saw a different kind of sadness in his eyes, an ancient sadness that, for a moment, made him look older and gaunter. For a brief instant, I wanted to reach out and touch him, just to make that sadness go away...
But then he spoke. "Look at you," he said, his gaze fixed on the crystallized form of Midoriko. The crystal glimmered softly in the moonlight. "So beautiful." He walked past me and right up to Midoriko. He looked up at her face, his eyes filled with nothing but longing and sadness.
"I'm not her," I muttered. "And neither will I be her!"
He ignored me, eyes still studying Midoriko. He suddenly turned to me, a determined look in his eyes. "You've forgotten everything," he suddenly said, as though it was the first time he'd said it. "I guess your memory needs refreshing, ne? Then listen carefully, dearest—you will hear...and you will remember..."
- - - - - - - - -
Eons ago, Midoriko, there was a war waged between the demons of the North and the demons of the south. I was once the Lord of the Northern lands—powerful, venerable, and merciless. It was I who waged war upon the South, the reasons for which are far too insignificant to be discussed. My name before was not Takeshi—it was Kaijin.
"Tomorrow, I myself will personally lead our troops into the final battle," I announced to my generals. I glanced around the silent room, daring anyone to speak out of turn. No one did. "Tomorrow, we will crush Lord Shintaro and the Southern army for good! Victory is assuredly mine."
"Nothing can defeat Lord Kaijin!" Makoto, my most trusted general, boomed, banging his fist on the table.
I smiled at them. "Ah, let us not be too arrogant," I said. "After all, we all know that I am winning only because the Western Lord, Saitoru, refused to aid Lord Shintaro."
"That is a fallacy, my Lord!" one of my retainers dissented. "Lord Saitoru only wishes to keep that blasted brat of his, Inutaisho, out of harm's way, old fool that he is!"
"Hear, hear!" Makoto agreed. "Saitoru's son needs a war!"
I smiled at them. I knew that even with the aid of the Western Lord, Lord Shintaro's end was near. Nothing could oppose me.
"Rest easy, men," I said, turning my back on them. "Tomorrow we go to victory!"
Admittedly, Midoriko, I was quite arrogant—in fact, I would have made Lord Sesshoumaru seem humble. And, as they say, the proud fall easily. Well, dearest, my fall came the very next day.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Makoto shrieked as we stopped at the edge of the battlefield. The noon sun rose high above the sky, its light reflecting off the armor my men wore. I could feel my blood charged with anticipation at the upcoming battle. A battle that seemed to have turned in Lord Shintaro's favor, for there, across the battlefield, standing beside the dark-haired lord, was none other than the silvr-haired Lord Saitoru of the Western Lands. His armor glinted majestically in the sunlight. But he wasn't the one who caught my attention—it was a young man standing next to him, his long hair tied in a ponytail, golden eyes narrowed at us.
"Heh, I see he brought his son along," I said. I turned to face the apprehensive men behind me. "Men, today we fight and win!"
A cheer rose from them, though it was somewhat half-hearted. I turned back to face the Western Lord. Nothing could oppose me—nothing.
I thought nothing, then, Midoriko, for I was young and naive. Heh, well it turned out that Lord Inutaisho was an excellent swordsman...and it was by his blade that I met my downfall.
I could feel nothing but blood and dirt as I lay on the ground, my blade a few feet away from me, shattered. All around me, I could hear the screams of the men as they fought. But it wasn't their screams that preoccupied me, no—it was the immeasurable anger that seeped throughout me, drowning me. How could this have happened?
A pair of boots suddenly blocked my vision. "I should kill you." It was that brat, Inutaisho. Heh, if I was not so incapacitated, I would have lashed out at him. "However, death would only be mercy. I shall let you live—with your shame and your defeat."
Murderous thoughts seeped throughout me as that brat turned and walked away, barking out instructions to the men to spare my life. I would avenge myself.
It was nothing short of a miracle, dearest, that I managed to escape that battlefield. I flew away, until exhaustion overcame me, and I crashed, cursing, to a forest. There, I rested until one fateful day...a day that I consider to be the epitome of my entire existence.
"That brat shall die," I hissed to myself as I cringed from injuries. Damn it all—I had been resting underneath this tree for three days now! I will kill Inutaisho, and take the west! But first, I had to recuperate...
"Through here, Mariko, it was through here!" I perked up, my gaze drifting to the trees that surrounded me. Children. Human children. Making their way towards where I was...
Pests—away with them.
Shaking, I got to my, flexing my claws. It felt good.
Two human brats suddenly burst through the trees, their ringing laughter filling the glen. They suddenly stopped the moment they caught sight of me, their laughter dying down as they looked at me.
It felt wonderful to see the fear in their eyes, to hear the fast beating of their hearts—hearts that would bleed.
"Ma—mariko," a little girl said, clutching on to the sleeve of her companion. Her companion didn't respond. She was an older girl, a young woman probably fourteen summers. Her hair was raven silk, her eyes black velvet. Her skin was alabaster...
She was you, Midoriko.
"Run, Yumi," the girl Mariko encouraged.
"And leave you?"
"Run!" her tone surprised me—it was a command, a command with a strength that I wouldn't have thought she could possess. The little girl, Yumi, complied and ran, leaving her with me.
"Very brave of you," I sneered, taking a step towards her.
"Don't come near me!" she warned. I could sense spiritual energy from her—a priestess in training? Now that I looked closely at her, she was wearing the garb of a miko, a miko whose spiritual energy made the hairs on my nape stand on end. Who knew this woman-child could be so powerful?
But she was no match for me.
Our eyes locked, and I suddenly didn't want to kill her—what a waste of my time and precious energy. "Go," I said, turning my back on her. I wanted to rest.
"You're not going to kill me?"
"I only wish to rest—bother me again, you will die." So saying I lay underneath the tree, my eyes closed.
She was silent for a moment—and then she knelt beside me. I opened my eyes and glared at her. "Those wounds...they hurt, I suppose?" she asked.
"No."
She was silent again. She surprised me when she drew from the sleeves of her kimono, a single rice ball, wrapped in fresh leaves. She held it out to me.
I stared at her. "Eat it," she ordered. "Mama always says one must eat when one is ill."
"I am not ill."
"You're close to ill," she pointed out, still holding out the parcel to me. "Here."
That was the first time I met you, Midoriko. You...nursed me back to health, despite my reluctance. Several days later, when I'd fully recovered, I left that forest—only to run into the little girl, Yumi, who informed me that Mariko had left the village to train as a priestess. Heh...it seems that my presence triggered her desire to become a priestess. So, unwittingly, it was because of me that the Sacred jewel was born, couldn't you agree?
But I digress. So, after I'd learnt that the little Mariko had left, I cared less. After all, what was she to me? I no longer gave her a thought as I left and returned to my lands, where it took five years for my people to get over the calamity that the bastards Shintaro and Saitoru dealt. I mustered my army again after five years, but it was difficult—they wouldn't trust me, at first—however, I managed...and, once again, it was the eve before battle...
"Lord Kaijin!" I glanced up from the map I read as one of my foot soldiers rushed into my tent.
"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, glaring at the demon.
He panted as he fell prostrate on the ground, his forehead touching the dusty earth. "The... tenth regiment led... by Lord Ishiro..." he panted.
"Out with it!"
He cringed. "It has been annihilated!"
Silence filled the tent as his words slowly registered in my mind. Impossible—the tenth regiment led by the renowned Ishiro was supposed to be my strongest offense...
It took all my restraint not to kill the fool.
"Who?" I hissed, flexing my claws. "Lord Saitoru?" The bastard dog lord—how dare he fight dirty?!
"No!" the demon said, looking up at me. He suddenly looked...mortified? And enraged? "My lord...it was a woman...a human woman."
I glared. "Do you mean to say that an entire regiment of strong demons led by a renowned warlord...was slaughtered by a human woman! What asinine nonsense!" I roared.
The man blanched. Did he fear for his life? He should. If he lied, he would die. "My lord, it was no ordinary woman!" he said quickly. "It was...a priestess!"
A priestess...
She was going to die.
"Who?!" I bellowed. "Tell me her damn name!"
"Midoriko, my lord."
Yes...I wanted to kill you, dearest, I really did. The next day, I set out to do just that. My foot soldier had been with the regiment when you destroyed it, and he had managed to escape with his life intact, and his honor shattered. He told me where to find the 'dread priestess' as you were known then. He cautioned me against going alone, that you were very powerful. I scoffed, pushed his words aside and left, leaving the army to one of my generals, Lord Tegu.
I flew for a quarter of the day until I reached your village. It was afternoon, then. However, you were not in the village shrine—you were somewhere else.
Where was that blasted woman?!
The woman named Midoriko!!! She was going to pay—I would kill her slowly, make her suffer, let her see her own blood dripping from her serrated flesh...
I stood in the forest that surrounded the village. There was no Midoriko there...
I turned and left—I would search for her elsewhere. I ran through the trees, feeling my rage seeping throughout me. How could one mere human woman destroy an entire regiment of demon fighters? The idea was ludicrous and implausible.
I suddenly stopped in my tracks as my ears pricked up. Several kilometres from where I was, I could hear the loud rush of a waterfall...
My feet seemed to move of their own volition, guiding me through the shrubbery and the trees, until I reached the waterfall. It was hidden from view by a thick wall of bushes. I could hear someone bathing on the other side of the wall...and singing.
I already knew it was her.
I quickly sealed my scent and aura, and made my way through the bushes, taking care not to make the least bit of noise, lest she heard me. How I knew that it was her, I had no idea...I just knew. I parted the last bush, and stepped through.
The first thing I noticed was a large pool of blue water into which a small waterfall fell. The second thing I noticed was a silvery, ethereal voice singing a soft melody, which was muffled by the rush of the water. The third thing I noticed was her.
She was standing underneath the waterfall, waist deep in the water. Her back was turned to me. Her black, silken hair fell behind her, molding perfectly to the curves of her back. She was singing softly, her song almost drowned against the roar of the water.
Her voice was familiar.
She suddenly stopped singing, and glanced over her shoulder, her dark eyes piercing. "You," she said.
"You," I hissed, my hand going to my sword. Her voice was familiar, as were her ebony eyes—but I could care less, at that moment. The only thing I cared about was retribution.
"You intend to kill me," she said, looking away again. Foolish woman—never turn you back on an enemy. But something stopped me—familiarity. She looked so familiar, yet so unknown. I could not put my finger on it. "Am I disturbing your rest, then?" There was a funny tone in her voice.
"What are you talking about?" I gripped my blade tighter.
To my surprise, she turned around. Her hair fell over her breasts, her eyes were narrowed in a thin line. Hn...
"You are the priestess Midoriko," I hissed. "The witch who slaughtered my regiment of demons!"
Her eyes were cold. "So, you are their master?" I could feel a shift in her aura. It was not like any other holy aura I'd felt before—it was strong, her pure aura. In fact, so strong, I started to see how and why she could have defeated a regiment of my demon army. "You are the master of the demons that slaughtered countless villages?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I pointed my sword at her heart. But something bothered me. It was that sense of not knowing why she was so familiar. "Midoriko," I hissed, anger taking control. "Today, you shall die!"
She smiled crookedly. "We shall see."
I didn't even bother to take into consideration that she was in a state of complete dishabille. I charged towards her, intent on leaping into the pool and running my sword through her heart. But then, before I could even take several steps towards her, everything went black.
You were that strong, dearest. You managed to incapacitate me without my knowing! In any case, when I awoke, I was lying by the pool, covered in deep wounds, wounds reminiscent of your holy power. You, of course, were long gone, and night had fallen. As I lay there in pain, I could think of nothing else but my intense hatred for you. I wanted you dead, and I wanted you to die by my hand. If I hadn't been so preoccupied with such murderous thoughts, I would have wondered why you left me alive...
It was several days later, after I had recovered, when I had begun hunting you again that I realized why...
I could hear her.
I was hiding in the shadow of a tree, scent and aura concealed. I was careful not to make any noise lest she became aware of my presence. She was probably a mile or so away, and she was not alone. I could hear the faint laughter of the children with her...
It had been three days since I had last encountered that witch at the waterfall, three days since she had managed to incapacitate me. Three days since absolute disgrace. Today, I would get my revenge.
I let out a breath as I waited patiently for them to come my way. The wind rustled quietly in the treetops, bringing with it the scent of a hundred flowers from the field beyond. I could hear sparrows twittering melodiously somewhere in the trees, their song intertwined the faint laughter of the approaching children. Laughter that grew more pronounced with each passing moment...
They were coming.
"Through here, Lady Midoriko!" a high-pitched voice shrieked somewhere in the distance.
I smirked, stepped away from the shadows and onto the meadow of flowers. The momentarily blinded me, making me blink. I opened my eyes and looked around. It was a pleasing meadow, with aromatic flowers. White butterflies flitted between white and red petals, some intertwining, some flying alone.
I tore my gaze away from the beauty of the meadow, and towards the far end of the field, at the row of trees as a familiar holy aura filled the air. A second later, she stepped through the trees, laughing. Two children held on to each of her hands, laughing as they dragged her forward. Behind them, several more children followed, their laughter echoing in the air.
Midoriko's laughter echoed the loudest of them all...laughter that abruptly subsided the moment she caught wind of my aura.
"Lady Midoriko," the children behind her said, the moment they saw me.
I smirked at her. "Get behind me," Midoriko ordered to the children, who all immediately fell behind her. She turned her attention back to me. "So, it's you again...Kaijin, if I recall?" I did not remember giving her my name, and, for a moment, I wondered how she learned it—but I ignored it.
I drew out my sword. "Lady Midoriko!" the children chorused.
"I came back to finish my business with you," I hissed, taking a step towards her.
"Business..." she said, her voice trailing off. "Indeed." To my surprise, she smiled wanly at me.
"Draw your sword!" I shouted. That smile unnerved me.
"Did I disturb your rest this time?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
I stared at her. Her words triggered something, something distant, yet near—something familiar, yet unknown.
"What are you talking about?" I snarled.
To my surprise, she took several steps towards me, making the children behind her gasp with surprise and caution. She surprised me, too. Her steps were assured. There was neither fear nor reluctance in her eyes, as though she knew that I would not harm her.
Was that what she thought? How stupid of her. Though I thought this, there was something at the back of my mind, nagging at me. Why was this priestess so familiar? Her scent, her eyes—even the very color of her flesh triggered something!
Midoriko was suddenly a few feet away from me. She reached into her sleeve and, to my surprise, drew out a parcel.
She held it out to me.
I stared at it. The familiar scent of rice emanated from the parcel.
Rice. No, a rice ball.
This woman...Midoriko...was the girl...
Mariko.
Despite my early resolution, I could not kill you, Midoriko. Then and there, I left. But...I do not know why, but something drew me to you. I followed you—and you knew this, but you did not mind. I followed you around for a year, always wondering why I was wasting my time. I had even abandoned my army just to watch you!
"Do you...?"
I glanced at Midoriko. She and I were sitting together in a field, both staring at the sky. Her unexpected question made no sense. I stared at her. "Do I what?"
For once, the normally calm Midoriko seemed unsure. "It does not matter," she said, her gaze never leaving the sky. I kept my gaze on her. I had been with her for a year now—why? I was not quite sure, as of yet. But I did know one thing—I was not capable of being away from her.
"Lady Midoriko!" Midoriko and I glanced behind us. A little boy was running towards us. The children were so used to my presence by now, that they seldom seemed afraid of me.
"What is it, Shin?" Midoriko asked, immediately standing.
"Soldiers from Kuto castle are here!" the little boy said, huffing.
Midoriko's eyebrows met in the middle. "Kuto castle?" she muttered. "Why on earth would they be here?"
During that time, the castle was ravaged by demons that attacked in the night. You went to exterminate the demons, and I went with you. We both should have known that Kuto castle would be where it would all start...all our misfortunes...
"I do not understand why you are acting this way."
I stared at Midoriko. We were in our field again. Instead of sitting on the warm grass, we were both staring daggers at each other.
"You know why," I said flatly.
During the months since we had been at Kuto castle, the lord of the castle, Lord Fujiwara, had taken to coming to Midoriko's village...why, it was not so hard to guess. And it made my blood boil.
To my surprise, Midoriko let out a whimsical laugh, something I'd never heard from her before. "Lord Fujiwara..." she said, her voice trailing off. "I suppose you already know?"
I growled. "Know what?"
She smiled. "Of his courtship?"
I froze. I stared at her. In that one instant, only one resolve seemed appropriate...
I was going to kill Fujiwara.
She tilted her head at me. "Is anything wrong?" she asked. I surprised myself when I growled, and turned my back to her. These...feelings...they were so new, so strong, so...compelling.
"His courtship...you, I presume?" I closed my eyes. Admittedly, ever since I had met this woman, it seemed that there were times when my temper got out of hand.
Midoriko was silent. "Yes," she said at last. I could not see her expression, and her voice was flat. Was she hiding what she felt? And what did she feel? Elation?
"And you are...happy?"
She was silent again. I could feel her dark eyes on my back. It seemed as though an eternity had passed before her voice resounded once again.
"No." I felt surprised, but I did not dare to look at her. "Any maiden would be happy," she continued. "To have such a suitor as Lord Fujiwara. After all, is he not dignified, opulent, influential, and pleasing to the eye?" I could have growled at her, but she continued. "But no...I am no ordinary woman...and I am not happy that he has set his eyes on someone unworthy as I..." For the first time since I had met her, her voice was trembling...with emotion. "After all...he is not the one I want."
This time, I did glance at her from over my shoulder. Her eyes were filled with nothing but emotion. "Not the one you want?" I echoed, as I turned to face her.
She smiled, and it seemed that the wind blew between us, scattering a few petals around us. "No," she whispered. "The one I want...stands in front of me, unaware of my feelings for him."
My arms, my feet...they moved of their own volition towards her. I reached out and drew her to me. "No," I murmured, my face in her hair as her subtle yet delicate scent filled me. "He is not unaware...not anymore."
That was the happiest moment of my life, did you know? But, then again, dearest, we should have known that the gods would not permit such joy. For, several months afterward, the bastard Fujiwara rode into the village and demanded to take you with him. I fought him off, and deprived him of his leg. Served him right. In any case...you and I planned to be together...to marry...it was not something that was meant to be.
Dammit!!!
Why now, of all times?!
I growled angrily at the general who stood in front of me. "Lord Inutaisho," I growled. "Are you sure of your information?"
"Yes, my lord," Lord Surano said. "He plans to take our lands for his own...you must muster you army and push him back."
"Can this not wait for one more week?" Midoriko and I were to be wed. Damn Inutaisho!!!
"My lord," Surano went on carefully. "His army is right at our borders! It cannot wait!" He paused. "Besides...if you defeat him now, you will obliterate his line forever."
I raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"
"His only son and heir is to battle alongside him," Surano said. "Inutaisho must be a fool—his son is nothing more than a child!"
I was silent. Midoriko...
She would understand, I was sure.
Now do you see why I hate your precious Lord Sesshoumaru? Because of him and his father, I was deprived of Midoriko! The battle lasted for nearly a month—and, once again, those bastard dogs crushed me and my army. But Inutaisho was merciful—he spared my life. Before I could even fully heal from my injuries, I raced to Midoriko...only to find that I was too late.
"WHAT?!" I stared at the young woman in front of me. She was dressed in white robes of mourning, as were all the villagers. They knew me, and were no longer afraid—they knew what Midoriko and I planned. So why were they pulling this shameless act on me?!
"You lie!!!" I shrieked.
The villagers cowered. "No, Lord Kaijin!" the young woman said, sobbing. "It is no lie...our Lady Midoriko is dead!"
It was pain beyond reasoning. It appears that, during my battle with Inutaisho, Lord Fujiwara, driven by his intense lust for you, summoned demons that consumed his filthy body, and these demons became one great demon. The villagers told me how you battled the demon for seven days and nights, until you strength was finally spent. In one last desperate move, you extracted your soul along with the demon's, thus the Shikon jewel was born...
She was still beautiful.
I stared at my dearest's crystallized remains. I could feel nothing...nothing except pain. Midoriko's face looked serene, even as her body was halfway into the demon's mouth. Still beautiful...
I let out a loud scream that resounded throughout the cave.
Curse them all! Curse Fujiwara for lusting after my beloved! Curse Inutaisho and his son Sesshoumaru for delaying me!
CURSE THEM ALL!!!
In that instant, Midoriko, I decided that we would still be together. I summoned magical forces. I pulled a part of your soul from the Sacred Jewel so that it would be reincarnated. Once that was done, I took my own life, for I knew that my magic would allow us to be together in another life...
Hence, I was reborn into this body. The moment I turned eighteen summers, my powers resurfaced, as did my immortality and memories. I left my parents and ventured far and wide just to find you...but you were nowhere to be found. I searched the entire country for fifty years, and then I journeyed to the mainland, and spent two hundred years there, hunting you...but you were nowhere to be found.
Had something gone wrong with my spell? It was impossible. I waited for another five hundred years, before coming across the Bone Eater's Well...I had heard legends about the well. The moment I approached it, I knew I had found you, for I could feel your very presence on the other side...I leapt into the well...and you can imagine what happened next.
I stared at Takeshi, my eyes wide with shock.
Midoriko and Takeshi...
Admittedly, I had been paying rapt attention to his story, when I should have been thinking of some way to escape. I couldn't help it—it was just...tragic, a real love story. Romeo and Juliet had nothing on this...
What was more shocking was that I was reincarnated to one of the characters.
I was snapped out of my rapt stupor when Takeshi took a step towards me. "Do you understand now?" he murmured gently. "You and I belong together..."
"We don't," I said. I was pressed against the wall, and he was right in front of me. There was nowhere for me to run. "Can't you see? I am no Midoriko! We're too different...and even if it was because of you that I was born...that does not give you the right to own me!"
"This is because of Lord Sesshoumaru, isn't it?" he said coldly. "Midoriko..." He suddenly tilted my chin upwards. "I can make you forget him with one, simple, easy spell...allow me to do so...?" He suddenly leaned in towards me...
"Let go of me!" I shrieked. With all the strength I had, I shoved him away. But it wasn't necessary, because a second later, he leapt away from me, spinning gracefully in the air so he faced the entrance to the cave, where a long figure stood casually, his cold eyes fixed on Takeshi.
"It's you!" I said. I could feel nothing but euphoria taking hold of me as Sesshoumaru strode casually into the cave, his golden eyes fixed on Takeshi.
"How touching," he said mockingly, his cold voice laced with disdain. "And how pathetic, forcing a girl to be yours, despite it being against her wishes."
"And why not?" Takeshi snarled. "It was because of me that she was born, hence she is mine!"
Sesshoumaru's gaze became colder and blank. "No," he said. "She belongs with me."
A1969: took me eons! Sorry, sorry!!! I am just so swamped with homework, and schoolwork!
Inuyasha: believe it. She's getting only four hours of sleep each day.
Kagome: O.O
Inuyasha: where have you been?!
Kagome: with Houjo...why?
Inuyasha: what the hell?!
Kagome: wait, let me explain!
A1969: anyway...Once again, I am so sorry for the late update! Oh, and on the plus side—I found a song this fic. It's called the Last Night by Skillet! Oh, and don't forget to review please!