Her Light to His Darkness
Disclaimer: I am simply borrowing characters of Inuyasha for a while. (Although I would gladly give an arm and leg to own Sesshoumaru-sama)
Summary: Could a young human girl melt the heart of a cold demon lord who has been through so much pain? Revenge may be sweet, but will it lead to more lies, or a way back into love?
Note: This story is based on a book I had read a long long time ago. Have you ever read a book that was so touching that it made you weep both joy and sorrow? Have you ever felt compelled to read a book over and over again without ever getting bored of it? Well… This book had. My regret is that my copy was thrown away and I can't remember the name of the book anymore. But I remember everything about this story and Sesshoumaru and Kagome fit the main characters perfectly. I hope I am able to bring my readers a story that they (hopefully) will never forget, just like I did before. I got the title from a great story written by Alcestis, Crossroads, Fushigi Yugi fans should go and check out her trilogy.
Prologue: Taboo
The young youkai slipped into the bower without a sound. His steps faltered as the ethereal scent of rosemary raked like tender claws down his spine. He closed his eyes briefly, letting the scent envelop him as it had the night before when his stepmother had curtsied to him in the dance. Her raven curls had brushed his cheek, unmanning him with their softness as she taught him each step of the carol with the sweetest of patience. He opened his eyes; lashes fringing their bleak depths.
He should not have come here. Writing music could be learned at his father's desk. Courtesy, in the great hall. What skill might he learn in his stepmother's chamber? His father would be home from battle within the fortnight. He only wanted to see her— to offer his thanks for her kindness and attention in his father's absence.
Swords clashed outside the open window, followed by a roar of laughter. The courtyard below where the children played at tilting seemed a world away. Before him, sunlight bathed the empty chamber. Disappointment and relief gripped him as he slipped forward with a grace beyond his fourteen human years.
Damask curtains the same deep, rich blue of her eyes were drawn back from the rumpled bed. He ducked under the carved canopy, his hand shaking as he touched the hollowed cave in the feather pillow where her head had rested.
A tiny sound came from the alcove behind him. He rapped his head on the canopy and swung around, wide-eyed with guilt. His smooth brow furrowed with annoyance.
He had forgotten the baby. His stepsister stood in the oaken cradle, the tangled remnants of her swaddling hanging from her tiny paws like a shroud. Sunlight kissed the raven curls poking out of her silken coif. Her lower lip trembled and her round, blue eyes welled with tears, but she did not cry. Her forbearance seemed to be such that she would have stood there forever, waiting for someone to happen by and pick her up. He supposed he should see to her before she tumbled out of the cradle and cracked her silly head.
As he approached the cradle, she held out her chubby, little arms and smiled through her tears. What if her napkins were wet? He looked around to make sure no one was watching before gingerly lifting her. She was solid, as heavy as a baby piglet in his arms. It was impossible to imagine his stepmother's lithe, dark grace giving birth to such a clumsy creature. He held her awkwardly over one arm as if she might bite him. What should he do with her now?
She knew what to do with him. Cooing softly, she laid her head against his chest. Her fist curled around a strand of his silver hair, tugging as if to remind him of her presence.
Without warning, tears stung his eyes. He had not cried for as long as he could remember, not even when his mother died. He buried his face in the child's sweet-smelling curls as the knot in his throat choked him. She was so fresh and untainted, so free of the guilty stain of his feelings for her mother. For a human stepmother who replaced his youkai mother in his father's court no less. It made him feel twisted and ugly to hold such innocence in his arms.
The door swung open. His stepmother swept in, her eyes darkening unaccountably at the sight of the dark head next to the silver one.
She snatched the child from his arms. "Is the silly baby troubling you? Forgive me. I don't know how she manages to wiggle out of her swaddling."
He watched, his arms empty, as she stuffed the plump limbs back into the binding linen. The child's lips trembled, but she did not cry. Her eyes were not on her mother. They were on him. "Is she not old enough to toddle about?" he said faintly.
"Toddle into mischief! What do boys know of babies? The swaddling will help her limbs grow straight and strong." His stepmother flashed a vivacious dimple. "And contribute to the sweet demeanour that every man prizes in a wife." She took his hand, her soft, ivory-coloured fingers playing over his knuckles. "Come. Forget the child. You've much to learn before your father returns. I've yet to see you make a proper kneel."
She drew him away from the cradle. "Now, pretend I am your queen."
He was not pretending as he cleared his throat awkwardly and dropped to one knee. He reached for her outstretched hand. Her middle finger bore the rubies and emeralds of his father's betrothal ring. His head dropped. He could not touch her. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He hardly dared breathe as she touched him, her fingernails gently tracing the shapes of his ears beneath his thick, silver hair.
"My youkai," she crooned. "My sweet, young youkai. I've so much to teach you."
He closed his eyes as she drew his face into the jasmine-scented velvet of her chest. But as he buried his face in her softness, it was not darkness he saw but the reproach in round, blue eyes the colour of the spring sky.
A/N: I'm so sorry for disappearing for such a long time and with no news at all. It has been a hard time for me for the past 2 years, I had to face up to reality that education was the most important and I could not waste time on things other than my studies. It would be so nice if I could spend my days writing/reading fanfiction. During my long hiatus, I find myself simply unable to finish Unknown Desire as I totally lost my muse for it. It may be finished sometime in the future, but for now, it will have to be a reminder to myself to never leave things half done. For now, I hope my readers are still around and continue to support me for this fic and I promise that this story would not end up like Unknown Desire. Thank You.
PS. The prologue is about a young Sesshoumaru, hoped that no one got confused. And I'll give a prize to the 1st person who can guess who the stepmother is. XD
PPS. I'll give you cookies if you review… Hehe… Peanut butter, chocolate chip, caramel… you just have to review XD Same as before, don't show mercy while reviewing!