Chapter One

Collision

Kagome breathed in the damp, crisp air deeply, listening to the soft chirps of birds around her. It was cold on the elevated shrine, but the warm cup of jasmine tea fought off the chilly morning. It was her hour of reflection, the hour the sun chased away the night.

When she had first arrived to the shrine, she had found it in a sorry state; moss covered the roofs, and entry steps, the walls were splintered and peeled, and cobwebs covered nearly every inch within. It took nearly two years for her to restore it completely. In the time that she had finished, she had found a massive array of weapons and sutras. She frequently used her favorite, the long bow, and a small dagger that she kept in her sash at all times.

Over the past five years, Kagome had grown stronger with not only her abilities as a miko, but as an archer. She was even learning how to infuse her powers into her weapons through the old scrolls her grandfather had left in his study. A small grin caught her face as she remembered her blue flare of holy energy, nearly causing the entire shrine to burn down . She was thankful no one was around to see that. Her mother would have scolded her and laughed, telling her how proud she was for attempting to improve her skills. Her smile faded away, and her heart twinged. She missed her mother dearly.

While Kagome had given up hope that her mother would ever come find her, and even accepted her death, she still felt there was a hidden purpose within her. She was a gentle soul, but she knew Naraku must be destroyed. She heard many tales, from the injured travelers she tended, how much worse the city had gotten. Many died every day from the lack of water and food in the region, including small children. Animals had been over poached, rivers sucked dry, the once great eastern lands were now desolate. She wanted to do everything she could to help the people of the city. Especially since she had made it out alive, and continued to thrive.

Kagome took another deep inhale, hoping to clear her mind a bit more before the sun rose. She would need to hunt for some food today. Luckily, the poisonous miasma of the east did not reach the forest surrounding her shrine. Everything the miasma touched, either died, or became severely mutated. On her journey to the shrine, she saw boars with several eyes, doe with split heads, and even spiders with glowing teeth. Why the miasma didn't effect her, she did not know.

Her skin began to warm through her shrine maiden robes, and she opened her eyes to view the magnificent sun that bled through the mountains, painting the sky with bright oranges, and reds. Kagome smiled. It was time to start the day. She finished the rest of her tea, and began the preparation for the day's hunt. Strapping her bow and quiver to her back, and patting the hard dagger in her sash, she began making her way down the shrine's many steps.

-S-

His fangs ached with need for a fresh kill; too many moons had he gone without feasting. The massive load of paperwork and strategic planning went along with being a war lord left little time for such trivial matters. Everyday, he was informed of refugees from the eastern lands, and everyday, he needed to make sure the proper steps were taken to insure they were not spies. If it were without risk, he would have ripped that pathetic eastern hanyou's throat out already. Alas, it would cause massive injury to his soldiers and commoners to barge in without a plan. He still had to figure out how to get his soldiers through the miasma without their flesh falling off.

"Hn." He forced politics from his mind, and focused on the forest. He was far from the castle, and far from the everyday responsibilities. No one knew he came here for his hunts, and he intended to keep it that way. His closest adviser, Jaken, was nearly enough to drive the most level-headed demon insane. The miserable toad never knew when to keep his mouth shut.

He enjoyed the sodden air of the forest, it was much better than the pollution filled city that mildly clogged his senses. The small demons in this forest, ate the untainted animals, and in turn, were generally much better tasting than the meat sold in the city. He was one of the few demon lords who still hunted their own meals, a tradition seemingly lost over the centuries. He almost rolled his eyes at the weak excuses of nobility in his castle, relying on others to bring them their food. Pathetic.

A large spike of energy caught his attention; it sizzled against his aura and caused his inner beast to roar to life. The beast had been quiet, other than the occasional whine for food, but now It was telling him to find the source of this power. Sesshomaru was not fond of listening to his beast, for he was more refined than a lesser demon who blindly allowed it's beast free roam, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. This source of power might provide him with some entertainment tonight.

He sped through the trees with grace, a blur to most humans, but pretty average for demons. No where near the fastest he could run. Soon he came across the residual sparks of the energy blast he had felt. He looked out into a large clearing, spotted with tall grass, various wildflowers and small stream. On one side of the stream, was a woman in miko garb, on her knees cleaning a large boar with an arrow jutting out of it's heart. This didn't make sense.

How could such a small girl, a human, cause such an immense blast of energy? He continued to watch her curiously. She didn't seem powerful, especially with how small she was. She was barely tall enough to reach his chest. She was also rather thin, as if she had been starved. As he studied her more, and he became more relaxed, he noticed her soft humming, mingled with the ripping flesh of her kill. An odd, but somewhat pleasing combination. He sniffed the air subtly, and his inner beast growled with pleasure. Jasmine, lilies, citrus, and sweet grass. Yet another peculiar feature of the girl.

Most humans did not smell so... tantalizing. It was familiar in a way he could not quite remember. The girl began to turn, looking for her bag behind her. Her face made his eyes widen. She... She looked nearly identical to Rin.

A rush of memories washed over him, including the scent he swore he would not forget, mint, citrus, and sweet grass. His eyes bled red, and his beast howled loudly. This was impossible. Rin had died long, long ago. That monstrosity of a demon had murdered her and absorbed her into his flesh! He let out a hiss, glaring at the girl. Who was she? And why did she resemble his young ward so much?

-K-

"Yes! I gotcha!" Kagome exclaimed excitedly. The boar's heart was instantly disintegrated by her power filled arrow, causing it minimal pain. She felt mildly guilty, but her stomach reminded her why it was necessary with a angry gurgle. She nearly skipped over to the bristly beast, and dragged him closer to the small stream in the ambient clearing. She took a brief breather, studying her surroundings.

This was one her favorite places. The meadow had some of her favorite flowers, daisies, lupine, and purple cress; all spotted throughout the tall lush grass that created the perfect lounging spot. Sometimes, she would bring a few scrolls and books here to soak in the summer sun, and dip her feet in the icy waters. She began humming softly at the thought of the nostalgic memory, an old tune her mother sang when she would untangle her hair.

She took out her dagger and began to rip away the beast's skin, careful not to puncture the organs. This massive creature would last her a few weeks, maybe a month if she were lucky enough. Tonight she would have a delicious flank steak, with rice and pickled persimmons. She nearly squealed with delight. The past few days had been nothing but left over raccoon stew. Definitely not her favorite. Ah, the liver is out!

She turned to reach for her bag, holding the delicate, slippery organ. She wasn't fond of liver, but it provided a lot of nutrients, and she hated being wasteful. About ready to place the liver within, she heard a loud hiss behind her. Quickly turning, she dropped the liver and reached for her bow, notching an arrow.

"Who's there?! Come out, or I'll shoot!" She narrowed her eyes to scan the treeline, but saw nothing. Sometimes she envied demon eyesight.

A white figure walked through the trees, and she finally picked up on his aura. It was powerful, more powerful than she had ever felt, even more than Naraku. She shivered, but maintained her composure. She knew that weakness would only make the demon more interested in chasing her. Like a petrified rabbit and a wolf.

"Who are you?" She didn't yell, for she didn't need to. This powerful daiyoukai could hear her just fine with how much strength he possessed. She wouldn't be surprised if he had heard her from miles away. Before she could blink, he was mere feet away from her, towering above her place in the grass. His golden eyes narrowed in an angry stare, colliding with her own look of vigor.

"I am Lord Sesshomaru of the western lands. The question is, who are you?"

AN: Well, I am exhausted! I will continue this story another time. Enjoy! :3