Hey everyone! I know it hasn't really been a while since I last updated this one but I finally got this chapter done and I thought that it was high time that I got it posted even though I just updates something three days ago… Anyway, thank you all to those who have read and reviewed this so far. It makes me happy to know that you enjoy it. :3 Enjoy!
- - - - means lyrics
Always
He returned to his chamber and removed his hoari. He had cuts across his cheeks and arms. Only a few deeper ones had been bleeding. Training with his father was difficult, but it was what he needed. Cuts or gashes would heal in a short time anyway; for him at least.
He proceeded to his chamber to wait for a servant to prepare a bath for him. He couldn't walk around with blood on his face. He didn't wish to look more terrifying to the already frightened servants.
"Master Sesshoumaru, would you wish for me to run your bath water?" a woman not too much older than him asked with a bow.
"Please do," he stated with a nod.
"As you wish young master."
His golden orbs watched as she ran off to prepare his bath. He didn't enjoy depending on other people, but he preferred to wait in his chamber for his bath rather than in the bathing room. It was just about the only thing he used the servants for.
- - - -
(When this began)
I had nothing to say
And I get lost in the nothingness inside of me
(I was confused)
And I let it all out to find
That I'm not the only person with these things in mind
- - - -
As he waited, his golden orbs fell onto the window and the blue sky beyond it. He found himself wondering what his little half bred friend was doing. Why had she been chasing chickens the day previous? Was she stealing them? Was it all in good fun? Was it their only food? The questions wouldn't leave his mind. That little girl… she was new. She was something to touch and to get to know. Why would anyone push such an opportunity away?
His thoughts were interrupted by the female's voice at his doorway.
"Your bath water is ready master Sesshoumaru," she said pleasantly.
She sounded pleased; almost like she had accomplished something.
"You may attend to your other duties now," he told her rather emotionlessly.
"Yes master Sesshoumaru," she replied before leaving down the hallway.
He rose to his feet and left his chamber. He didn't need an escort like his mother and father had. They were more like guards than escorts. If he got attacked then he would deal with it on his own. He could protect himself.
The bathing room door was the first thing he noticed after leaving his chamber. He hadn't slept very well during the night and training had been vigorous. He even had his father sweating. He was worn out to tiredness. Sleep was what was needed and he could not get it.
The water was warm and soothing as he walked into it. This was traditional after training. He sat back against the side of the wooden tub and closed his golden orbs. His body relaxed and welcomed the silence. Maybe he could catch a good rest after all.
The third day seemed to come all too slowly for him. He had been anticipating on seeing the half bred little girl again. He almost hoped that she hadn't forgotten. Children had a tendency to do that.
He walked down the hallway to see his mother. She needed to be informed on his location incase she ever needed him. With all the servants and his father around, he doubted that she would ever need him.
"Good morning mother," he greeted as he knocked on her door.
She hardly left her room. Moving around for her wore her out. Her illness seemed to take much of the strength that she used to have.
"Come in Sesshoumaru," she called, her voice polite and pleasant.
He opened the door and his golden orbs fell onto her favorite pink silk kimono.
"You look glorious as always, mother," he said with a bow towards her.
"You look quite handsome yourself, my son," she said with a smile on her face, "It seemed like not too long ago you were just becoming a boy."
"Thank you, mother."
His mother's light brown eyes looked at him, the smile on her face only on her lips.
"Are you leaving again?" she asked with curiosity.
She had no reason to ask. It was only natural that she knew.
"Yes, I have plans to tour the area a little," he told her, his golden orbs locked with hers.
He was sure not to mention his half bred friend. His mother would never have allowed it.
"Then please have fun, my son," she said, smiling pleasantly at him.
"I will return later in the day," he assured her, bowing again before turning to leave.
- - - -
(Inside of me)
But all the vacancy the words revealed
Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel
(Nothing to lose)
Just stuck/ hollow and alone
And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own
- - - -
He was out the door and on his way down the hall when he was greeted by his father.
"Are you leaving, my son?" his father asked with a cocked brow.
"Yes father," he nodded, "Mother is in a cold mood today. She may throw a few words at you."
His father chuckled before patting his shoulder.
"Have fun Sesshoumaru."
He nodded before continuing on his way. He had full intentions on having an enjoyable day.
The guards didn't hesitate upon letting him go through the gates this time. He had grown rather impatient this morning. Even through his impatience, he couldn't help the smile that came to his face when he saw her. The little half breed was sitting on a log, kicking her feet as she looked around. Such a curious child.
"Have you been waiting long?" he asked with a slightly cocked brow; walking up to her.
She grinned when she looked back to see him standing there.
"Yay!" she said happily as she jumped to her feet.
"Are you ready Nina?" he asked, smiling pleasantly at her.
His father had told him her name the day before. He had heard a few stories about the war that occurred when he was a child.
Nina's brows seemed to furrow slightly for a moment.
"Question?" he asked, cocking his own brow.
"What's your name?" she asked with confusion.
"Sesshoumaru," he told her.
"Sesshoumaru!" she beamed; still grinning, "Yes."
"Good," he nodded, holding a hand out to her.
She seemed to take it eagerly; her grin was still wide on her face. He was planning on taking her on a tour around the forest. It would be new to both of them he assumed. He had never seen it… not the whole thing.
He lad the way, pulling Nina behind him. It was silent between them and he was rather surprised. She was a child – only seven – and she didn't seem to feel the need to constantly hold up a constant conversation. She was very unique in his golden orbs. Maybe he was the only one who thought of her that way.
His thoughts were cut off as a rat demon came out of the trees with blood red eyes. He couldn't stop his instinctive movement to stand in front of her. His hand held hers tightly as he glared coldly at the large rodent.
"Don't move," he ordered her quietly.
"Small children," the rat hissed, its claws digging into the soft soil on the ground.
"One of us is not so small," he stated coldly, releasing Nina's smaller hand.
When his sentence was over, his golden orbs caught sight of his little half bred friend lunging at the large rat demon.
"Nina!" he called after her; worry hitting him.
His golden orbs watched as she dug her claws into the rodent's ribs. Then her fangs dug deeply into the fur on its back. He couldn't believe the growl that escaped the small girl's throat as the rat demon beat its back off a tree trunk. He wanted to kill it before it killed her. His feet wouldn't move.
"Nina, let go," he demanded with furrowed brows.
He couldn't help her with her still clinging to the rat's back.
Nina's claws seemed to tighten when he told her to let the rat go. Her claws dug deeper; reaching for something. Then she started to pull and he heard two loud snapping sounds. The rat demon slammed its back against the tree again, causing her to fall off. In her hands were two broken off ribs.
- - - -
I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real
I wanna find something I've wanted all along
Somewhere I belong
- - - -
The scent of blood was in the air at the wounds in the large rodent. It was lying motionless on the ground, and his gold orbs landed on the half breed's claws. They were covered in blood. He watched as she threw the ribs aside and wiped the blood from her mouth.
"Are you out of your mind?" he asked with a stern expression as he went over to her.
"A-apparently," she coughed before wincing.
Her back must have been in pain. His eyes became concerned with that thought.
"Remind me to not let go of you next time," he stated, patting her head with a small smile on his face.
"Yeah," she laughed rather nervously, "Bad idea."
He sat down beside her and chuckled slightly. She realized it after she had attacked and won. He had realized then… that maybe she was more grown up than she seemed to be. Or more childish. Either one was possible.
They sat together with some silence when her nervous laughs ceased. He couldn't help but silently wonder where she had learned to protect herself like she had. Had her father taught her? Did she need to learn incase she was attacked? Or… had the instincts been thrust upon her? Had someone or something attacked her one day?
"You okay?" her voice broke him out of thought.
He cocked a brow at her words. Shouldn't he be asking her that?
"You're just staring and your eyebrows make you look angry," she stated, making a face to imitate his.
The corners of his mouth seemed to twitch upward. She made that light feeling come back again… He wanted to smile.
Nina's blue eyes lit up with laughter. Even she couldn't help but be amused with herself.
"I'm fine," he assured her, "Just wondering where that all came from…"
"Oh," she laughed quietly; her gaze staring forward, "Remember how people don't like me very much?"
He nodded his head.
"One time a while ago, a man from the village got mad because I tripped and landed on some of his herbs. Father wasn't home, so he pulled out a metal stick thing… I didn't know what to do.
"I got beat up a bit before something happened. I knew what to do… and I did it," she explained, her blue eyes becoming rather solemn.
She didn't need to finish the story for him to know the ending. She ended up killing the man on the instinct for survival.
His brows furrowed slightly with sympathy. She was only a child… that must have been a burden.
"They didn't like me much then… Now they definitely hate me," she murmured, pulling her knees to her chest.
He couldn't help but notice the slight wince at the action.
"I told you before, Nina," he started, his golden orbs on her, "They're just scared."
"Of a monster," she whispered.
At those words, his eyes widened slightly. She was a small child with small claws and fangs. There was no monster behind those light blue eyes.
He wanted to make that go away. She was no monster.
"Nina," he started, "There are full demons in this world far more frightening and monstrous than you."
He wanted her to believe him… for her to understand. Friends cared didn't they? They belonged together in a way…
"Do they kill people?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"More than people," he told her, "Entire villages, animals, other demons."
She looked up at him with slightly wide eyes.
"Demons kill each other?" she asked with confusion.
He nodded his head, "Humans kill each other as well."
She was almost bewildered with the idea of that. He had been as well when his father told him about the human wars happening. It was such a foolish thing to him.
Nina moves after a few moments; getting to her feet. She stretched and he heard her back crack slightly.
"Come on," she said grinning, "I know this one place and it's so pretty."
With those words, he assumed that she believed his words. She was excited to be with him… to do things with him.
- - - -
And I've got nothing to say
I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face
(I was confused)
Looking everywhere only to find
That it's not the way I had imagined it all in my mind
(So what am I)
What do I have but negativity
'Cause I can't justify the way, everyone is looking at me
(Nothing to lose)
Nothing to gain/ hollow and alone
And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own
- - - -
He finally made an actual friend; found somewhere he belonged. If he accepted what she had done, then maybe she would accept his dream of being a supreme demon lord like his father.
He sat in the bathing room; resting up in the warm water. There were cuts across his cheeks, arms, and sides. His father had pushed him today and when that happened, he wondered if that was how his father got his aggravation out. Physical exercise was a good emotional medium.
"Mother must be even more cold than usual," he murmured, closing his eyes as he leaned back.
He didn't have much time to rest. He had a friend that would soon be waiting for him.
It had been three days since the rat demon incident. He assumed that his father was catching on to where he was going now. He knew is mother did not know… and he hoped that she wouldn't any time soon. She was strict on his behavior; which mean that she would not wish for him to be playing with something as 'filthy' as a peasant half breed. She would try to forbid it if she knew.
He sighed as he opened his eyes to the semi dark bathing room. He couldn't see the problem with what she was.
"Time to get out," he whispered to himself before stretching slightly.
One day he would not need to bathe after training. One day he would be a powerful demon; one upon which that could slay demons with ease. He would be able to protect her then. She wouldn't need to get hurt anymore.
As he got out of the warm water, his silver hair stuck to his back. The water dripped from him as he dried himself off. Then he was dressed before being in the hallway. He decided that he would no longer ask his father for permission to leave. His mother need not get suspicious either. He would leave as he so chose. Decisions were his to make, no one else's.
No servants looked at him as he passed, though he could feel their eyes on his back. They were curious. Why would the lord's son need to leave the palace grounds?
The gates were opened when he made it outside. The guard not asking questions anymore. His legs broke out into a run as he made it to the forest border. He may have only known his half bred friend for seven days, but she seemed to understand many things. She knew killing without a reason was wrong. She knew what bothered people. Though… he had never heard her ask for anything. He couldn't help but wonder why.
A slight humming caught his ears and he felt himself slow to listen. It was a calm tune, and he smiled slightly at the sound. Nina was humming a non-existent song in her head. He walked up behind her silently as she sat on a dead log. His hands covered her eyes and he couldn't force away the smile on his face. He didn't understand how she made him this way.
"Guess who," he told her, smirking slightly.
She crossed her arms as she actually thought about it.
"Um… father?" she asked with confusion.
Did he play this with her too?
"No, guess again," he chuckled slightly.
"Sesshoumaru!" she said happily; he could hear the grin on her face.
His hands dropped from her eyes as he let her see for herself.
She was smiling happily before she had her arms wrapped around the top of his legs. At the action, he couldn't hide his surprise. Was she hugging him? Should he hug her back?
"I knew you'd get it," he mused, still smiling slightly.
She made him feel so light on the inside. Nina made him feel like nothing could possibly go wrong, even though they did.
"Do you know it's going to rain?" she asked him, letting go of his legs and looking up at him.
He shook his head with a slightly cocked brow.
"Yeah," she grinned, "Mother gets sore in her head when it's going to rain. I think it's really funny except it gets really bad some times."
He patted her little head with a small smile. So like her to care about her mother that way.
"How about we go look for a cave to look around in?" he asked, "That way we can stay dry and you won't get sick."
"Maybe there will be treasure!" she exclaimed; excited at the idea, "I know one close by."
"Lead the way."
- - - -
I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real
I wanna find something I've wanted all along
Somewhere I belong
I will never know myself until I do this on my own
And I will never feel anything else, until my wounds are healed
I will never be anything till I break away from me
I will break away, I'll find myself today
- - - -
She ran on ahead and he followed silently. He guessed that she had time to wander around the forest to do nothing. She knew more about the piece of land than he did.
They arrived shortly after and she held her arms up proudly.
"Tada," she beamed, grinning at being able to find it.
From what his golden orbs could see, it was a rather deep cave. He had pictured it to be something more like a den of a demon or anime. This… this was actually a cave that went somewhere.
"You found this on your own?" he asked with a cocked brow.
"No," she laughed slightly, blue eyes bright, "Father showed it to me. He said a demon made it a long time ago to go from one place to another without being caught."
His golden orbs watched her curiously. A demon made this cave?
"I've never been in it though," she admitted, scratching the back of her head, "Always kind of scared to go on my own."
"Why not ask your father?" he questioned.
His father would go with him, so why not her?
"Father's not around much. He leaves for a few days," she explained, still smiling slightly.
Before he could ask anything else, she jumped into the cave with a grin. She started looking around the entrance.
"Are you coming?" she asked with a cocked brow.
He followed in after her silently. He wondered why she would end the conversation like that. Did it hurt to think about her father? Did he abandon them? Or was she just too curious for her own good? He hoped that it was the latter.
His golden orbs scanned the cave. There wasn't anything else in here except them. He couldn't hear any noise from further within the cave either. The rain picked up as they went deeper into the dark, musty smelling tunnel.
"Do you think there's any treasures?" Nina asked him, blue eyes curious and delighted.
She really was just a child.
"It's possible," he told her; not wanting to crush any dreams.
It was always fun to imagine such things. It was even better when those things turned out to be real.
There was a thud from beside him and he was surprised to see his friend lying on the ground.
"Nina?" he questioned.
"I tripped," she told him, pushing herself to her feet.
Even in the dark cave, he could see the dirt on her face and light green kimono. It was a simple village hand-me-down kimono. It was nothing like the ones his mother donned – all made of silks. There were even tatters to prove its age.
"Sorry," she laughed before pointing ahead, "Onward!"
He shook his head at her before they continued.
Silence had fallen over them for a while before Nina's light blue eyes started to glance up at him and then look away. She continued to do it and make small faces as if she had something on her mind.
"You can ask anything you wish Nina," he assured her; golden orbs locking with blue ones.
"Um… I was wondering if… if you had any dreams for your future," she murmured quietly, her eyes looking away.
He laughed slightly at her question. It was exactly the thing that he was looking to say… to see if she would accept it.
"I wish to be a powerful demon lord like my father," he told her, looking forward as well, "To be able to defeat him one day."
- - - -
I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real
I wanna find something I've wanted all along
Somewhere I belong
- - - -
Nina looked up at him with slightly wide eyes. It must have sounded strange to her… to defeat one's father.
"Is that where you got all those cuts from?" she asked with a slightly cocked brow.
So she had seen them at their small size. He was a fast healer like any other demon. Minor cuts were gone within hours.
"Yes," he nodded his head, "training with my father."
She seemed to smile then. Why he did not know.
"I bet you can do it Sesshoumaru," she grinned, "I bet you can do anything you put your mind to."
- - - -
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong
Somewhere I belong
- - - -
He couldn't help the small smile that found its way to his face. He was… grateful. She had accepted his dream, just like he had accepted her actions. He was glad that he was finding a place that he belonged.
End of Chapter 2
So… how was it? Was it alright? Did the song fit at all? I hope it did. I wasn't sure if the song fit so I'm kind of iffy. I'm running out of songs to choose from so it makes me have to think about it a bit more than I had to in Silver Sliver. Lol. Oh well, what can you do right?
The song was Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park. I hope it fits… -- runs from angry fans – Anyway, thank you so much for reading, I hope this chapter has fit all your standards. Please R&R and I hope that you all come back for the next chapter. :3 If there's any spelling mistakes… my bad.