Sunlight flickered in and out of the dense treetops around them reflecting off the morning dew, gold dancing among the green leaves. Sahara inhaled the sweet smell of the morning forest deeply as she followed the silver haired demon in front of her. The pair had been walking for a good couple of hours now in the direction they had left InuYasha and his group of friends. She had trailed back behind him her head pounding from the closeness of the tainted violet shard he still held in his hand. She wondered if the demon lord was planning to return to his half-brother to give him the cursed thing that seemed to be draining her of all her energy. She tilted her head to the side wondering if she had really flown this far away from them during her emotional outburst just hours before.
"Lord Sesshomaru, where are we going?" He didn't answer her or acknowledge that she had spoken. She let out a heavy sigh and turned her head just in time to see a blue butterfly dart through the trees to her left.
This was how it had been since she started following him after the worm-like demon tried to eat her by the lake. Sesshomaru seemed to be lost in his own world, ignoring the girl, and walking on as if she wasn't there. He must always be like this. She thought sighing for the millionth time that morning. No wonder he doesn't have very many friends.
The only good thing about his silent treatment was that she was able to think about the things she needed to do. Finding her older half-sister made more sense in being her first priority since finding a way to get to the future would most likely prove to be the more difficult of the two tasks. But where could she even start searching? Or, the more pressing question, when? She narrowed her blue eyes at the silver armor at the demon lord's back, about a foot in front of her, falling on the fluff that trailed behind him over his shoulder. Asking Sesshomaru for his permission would get her nowhere since it was guaranteed he would say no to the idea of her traveling around to find a sister she knew nothing about. Perhaps there were records or documentation that told about the butterfly demon heiress who had bore a half demon child? She tilted her head to the other side pondering the idea. Sesshomaru's study was large and filled with scrolls and books. There was a possibility she could find something.
The faint smell of campfire smoke reached her nose and she moved to the right side to peer around the demon lord to see the small group amongst the trees a few yards in front of them. They seemed to be heading out when the half-dog demon stopped and blinked his gold eyes slightly confused towards his older half-brother.
"Did you come here to return the girl, Sesshomaru?"
The demon lord stopped, narrowing his golden hues at Inuyasha before flinging the shard in his hand at his brother, "I thought you might want this."
Inuyasha caught it easily then proceeded to examine it, his eyes widening, "This isn't a piece of the jewel, idiot." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes further at him, "It looks like a matching piece of the crystal Sahara had in her chest." He turned handing it to Kagome who immediately purified the shard the instant she touched it.
Once the darkness evaporated from the tainted shard Sahara noticed her strength suddenly began to return to her and her slight headache had vanished. Her blue eyes stared curiously at the girl who still held the shard when she was suddenly engulfed by a strong hug from Touya.
"Sahara, I'm so sorry. I've been so selfish." He pulled away looking into her surprised blue eyes with his concerned green ones, "I wasn't thinking about the position you are in and how hard this transition must really be for you." He lowered his eyes shamefully, "I just wanted things to go back to the way they were."
Sahara smiled at him touching the side of his face gently with her right hand, "I know. I'm sorry too. Thank you, Touya."
Sesshomaru carefully watched the pair emotionlessly as Touya grabbed Sahara's hand leading her over to the others, "You should meet everyone." He dragged her over to the monk, demon slayer, the young fox demon, and the small twin-tailed cat demon. "Sahara, this is Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kilala."
Sahara bowed respectively, "It's nice to meet you."
"As it is to finally formally meet you." Miroku's dark blue eyes smiled at her kindly.
"You aren't going to ask her to bear your child?" Shippo gave the monk a look from atop his shoulder. Sahara blinked confused as Sango narrowed her brown eyes shifting them to the monk beside her.
"Now why would I do that, Shippo?" Miroku chuckled nervously under the glares of the demon slayer and demon lord scratching the back of his head.
"Um.. I don't know. Maybe because it's one of your bad habits around women?" The young kit stared into the nervous monk's face disbelieving.
Touya turned to Sahara capturing her attention again, "You have to meet Kagome!" He explained excitedly, "She is a priestess who came here from 500 years in the future!"
Sahara's eyes widened, "The future?" Perhaps finding a way to time travel wouldn't be so hard after all.
"Kagome, meet my sister."
The dark haired woman turned to the blonde demoness with a smile as she bowed, "It's nice to meet you, Sahara."
"It's nice to meet you too, Kagome." Sahara bowed slightly looking the girl she recognized seeing by the river the day she had been abducted. Kagome still wore the same odd outfit that showed off the majority of her legs and seemed to be two separate pieces of clothing. "Is it true you come from the future?"
"Yeah." She laughed nervously under Sesshomaru's stare, "A centipede demon named, Mistress Centipede, dragged me down our Shrine's well and brought me here trying to obtain the Shikon jewel." Kagome tilted her head to the side curiously, "Why? You look as if something is troubling you."
"I just... um... well..." Sahara's eyes shifted over to the demon lord suddenly aware he had stopped talking to Inuyasha and was watching her. He was bound to find out sooner or later, might as well get this over with now, "My mother's clan was said to have gone to the future and I was wondering if you knew of a way I could reach them?"
"What would you want to do that for?" Inuyasha crossed his arms fully turning to the pair of women.
Sahara glanced over to the half-demon, "I don't know much about my heritage or about what I am. I thought maybe they could help me."
"Even if you did manage to get there," Kagome tapped a finger to her chin looking up at the sky, "Japan is so big and there are so many people. I don't know if you would have an easy time finding them."
"Oh." She lowered her blue eyes slightly crestfallen.
Touya placed a hand on her shoulder, the touch surprising her, "Aren't you forgetting something kind of important anyway?" He motioned over to Sesshomaru who still watched the butterfly demon.
Her blue eyes met his gold ones, but only briefly before they lowered to the ground again, "No, I hadn't forgotten. I just wanted to know if it were possible."
Kagome's brown eyes softened and she took each of Sahara's hands in her own giving her a warm smile, "Well, there isn't any guarantee that you will be able to cross the well like Inuyasha and I can anyway. But if you can at least manage that I'm sure it will be worth the try, right?"
The corners of Sahara's mouth twitched upwards at the priestess's optimism and she nodded happily, "Yes."
Inuyasha gave the pair a wary look before glancing back at his older brother taking quick note of the annoyed look on his face. "Perhaps you shouldn't get the girl's hopes up, Kagome."
Three pairs of eyes turned to Sesshomaru who turned his back to them beginning to walk away, "We're leaving."
Sahara let out a heavy sigh before confidently smiling at Kagome, "Thank you."
Kagome nodded before remembering something. "Sahara?"
"Yes?"
"Here." Kagome placed two violet crystal shards in the palm of Sahara's hand, "One of them was the one that you had in your chest before Sesshomaru took it from you. The other is the one you recently found, but I was able to purify it. I think it's better if you kept them."
"Oh." Sahara scanned the small fragments with her eyes for a moment before smiling again, "Thank you." She turned to the rest of the group bowing hurriedly as she said her quick goodbye, giving Touya a quick hug before running after the demon lord.
A few hours later...
"Lord Sesshomaru!" The eight-year-old girl bounded up to the pair her brown locks trailing behind her in the wind, "You've returned!"
Sahara glanced up from staring at the two shards in her hands at the sound of Rin's voice. The imp demon, Jaken, who she recognized from the day he had come to their home was running towards them behind the girl struggling to carry the two headed staff along with him.
"Where have you been, My lord?" Jaken asked having finally made it to them standing next to Rin.
"Oh, Lady Sahara, you left too?" Rin cocked her head to the side seeing the blonde trailing behind the demon lord.
"I had to take care of a few things." Sahara responded.
"Jaken," Sesshomaru's voice was cold as he began to ascend the wooden steps to enter the castle, "Have Rei-Lin in my study at once."
"Yes, My lord!" Jaken hurriedly ran off inside the castle in search for Rei-Lin.
Sahara continued to follow Sesshomaru watching him carefully, why would he want to see Rei-Lin? She became nervous hoping she hadn't gotten the older woman in trouble for leaving.
Rin looked up at Sahara, "What's that in your hand?"
She showed the younger girl the two pieces of the crystal she had obtained from Kagome, "I'm not really sure." Sahara confessed, "Kagome gave them to me."
"You've seen Kagome? And Lord Sesshomaru's bother, Inuyasha?"
Sahara nodded, but was interrupted by Sesshomaru as they finally reached his study and he opened the door, "Rin, go find Akime."
"Okay!" She obliged happily skipping back down the hall in the opposite direction.
Sahara turned back to Sesshomaru once the girl had turned around the corner and entered the room closing the door behind her. Sesshomaru walked over to his usual place behind the low table grabbing a letter that had been sitting there to read it. Sahara entered further into the room observing the shelves of books and scrolls around the room. Her blue eyes shifted to him briefly before she walked up to a nearby shelf and pulled out a book with a blue spine that had the word Demon written on it.
"If you are looking for information on your heritage that isn't the book you need." Sesshomaru's cold voice reached her ears causing her to suddenly jolt and place the book back.
She turned to him just as a knock sounded on the door and Rei-Lin entered the room, "You called for me, My lord?"
"Sahara, give the crystal fragments to Rei-Lin." Sesshomaru ordered.
Rei-Lin turned her orange eyes to the younger demoness giving her a warm smile, "I'm glad you are safe. I was so worried when I found you had gone."
Sahara walked over to her and carefully handed her the shards, "I'm sorry." She repied, "I had planned to return sooner."
"It's alright." Rei-Lin turned back to Sesshomaru, "These crystal shards...?" She examined them carefully.
"One of them was suppressing Sahara's demonic powers and the other we found inside of a demon." His golden eyes left the letter and stared at Rei-Lin whose brow furrowed at one of the fragments, "I want you to find any information you can on the crystal and it's attachment to the butterfly demon clans."
"Very well, Lord Sesshomaru, I shall be in the library if you need me." She bowed to the pair and left the room.
Sahara blinked after her, "You think the jewel is linked to the butterfly demons?" She asked turning to Sesshomaru.
"It would explain why a fragment of it had been in your mother's possession prior to being given to you." His golden eyes bore into her.
Her blue eyes snapped away from his, "So, there is a library in this place?"
"Akime." Sesshomaru's voice called out suddenly causing Sahara to jump slightly in surprise.
The door opened and the blue haired demoness entered the room with Rin following closely behind. She wore a deep crimson kimono and bowed deeply to her lord, "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Take Sahara to the library and help her find a book with the butterfly demon history." He ordered turning back to his reading.
Akime's brown eyes turned on Sahara who tensed at her gaze feeling a familiar shiver run through her body. "Follow me." The woman said turning past Rin towards another hallway.
Sahara uncertainly glanced at Seeshomaru before following behind Rin and Akime, making sure to shut the door behind her. Rin began talking about all the things she had done earlier that day causing Sahara to smile at the happy little girl. But the smile was short lived when Akime turned her head towards the blonde haired demoness cutting Rin's story off mid-sentence.
"I'm surprised you are still alive." Her voice sounded normal, but her expression seemed slightly annoyed.
"Why is that?" Sahara asked becoming defensive as Rin's expression turned quickly wary of the servant woman, who had interrupted her.
Akime stopped to turn to the pair, a menacing smile crossing her lips, "Because anyone who tries to escape Lord Sesshomaru would and should be killed."
Sahara narrowed her eyes at this, "I wasn't trying to escape."
"Then, please, do tell what you were doing?"
Sahara didn't have to hesitate as her blue eyes narrowed, "That's none of your business."
The glare from Akime's dark brown eyes sent an intensified version of the usual shiver that overcame Sahara's body. A sudden realization struck her like a bolt of lightning out of no where, Akime had to be jealous! That would explain why she shot her dirty looks every time her brown eyes saw Sahara and why, on the first day Sahara had arrived, she had wished her to leave.
"You have feelings for Lord Sesshomaru, don't you?" Sahara found herself saying before she could stop it, "You're jealous of me."
Akime's face contorted with rage and she took a step towards the two, "You don't know anything! Lord Sesshomaru will get tired of you before long and will ask me to return to him."
Sahara shook her head in disbelief moving Rin behind her,"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, don't play stupid with me! You're pretty much a little girl, naive, and inexperienced." Akime sneered running a clawed hand through her long blue hair placing her opposite hand on her hip, "He'll tire of you. It's only a matter of time."
Something stirred in the pit of Sahara's stomach, a sudden anger overwhelmed her senses as Akime's words sunk in. Was she a concubine? And Lord Sesshomaru... did things with her? She felt sick. Horribly, unfathomably sick. Akime must think that I'm a new prostitute for him, but he said...
"I think you're the one who is naive." Sahara tried to keep her voice steady, but felt that it was almost impossible. She glanced at Rin who looked between the two women slightly confused before continuing carefully, "I'm not here for the same reason you clearly are."
The disgust in her tone was not lost on Akime who took another step towards her, glaring menacingly, "Is that so? Then why are you here and why hasn't he killed you?" Her voice was rising with every syllable.
"It's none of your business."
Akime cried out as she lunged for Sahara's throat with her clawed hands. Sahara barely had time to lift her hands up to protect herself, closing her eyes in the process. Akime's scream of pain engulfed the hallway causing Sahara to open her eyes to find Akime on her knees examining hideous red blisters erupting on the palms of her hands. Rin let out a small gasp.
"What did you do?!" Akime screeched her eyes wide with terror and pain.
"I-what?" She blinked her blue eyes confused looking down at her hands to find them looking normal enough, "I didn't do anything."
"My, my, my." A male voice from further down the hallway behind Akime reached their ears causing the three females to look towards it to find a tall, handsome male, with long violet hair and bright hazel eyes, "A fire wielding butterfly demon. I'm impressed."
The girls gapped at him unable to speak.
"Your silence," He motioned at Sahara still making his way towards them, "tells me you don't know you possess this power, am I right?"
Before she could respond a familiar cold voice behind her spoke instead.
"Lord Takeshi, it's been some time." Sesshomaru came to stand in between Sahara and Rin.
"Ah, Lord Sesshomaru! There you are!" The demon called Takashi's face lit up. "Indeed it has." He gave him a toothy smile, exposing his pearly fangs, his hazel eyes beaming at Sesshomaru, "I had heard rumors you had taken in a young butterfly demon woman. I hadn't expected her to possess such great power. Were you aware of it? Being able to control fire at will is quite rare."
Sahara blinked in response to the light hearted smile Lord Takeshi gave her, but was distracted by Akime who suddenly stood up, balling her hands in fists at her sides. Sesshomaru seemed to have noticed this as well and spoke to her without looking at her.
"Take Rin to Jaken, he will look after her while you tend to your burns."
Akime didn't reply and made sure not to look at either Sesshomaru or Sahara. She did as she was told and led Rin away from them down another hall where the pair disappeared from view.
Takeshi approached so that he stood before Sahara and Sesshomaru, "A feisty pair of women you have, Sesshomaru. I could almost hear their conversation on the other side of the castle." He smiled teasingly running a hand through his long, thick hair.
"I can assure you, Takeshi, none of my servants are nearly as lively." Sesshomaru replied glancing at Sahara briefly, causing her to blush, averting her eyes.
She suddenly jumped as her right hand had suddenly been taken from it's place at her side forcing her to blink up into Takeshi's face that was now mere inches from hers. "My lady, I require to know your name as you now know mine and if I shall not hear it from your lovely lips," He paused, his expression withered dramatically as if he were experiencing great pain, "I think I may perish."
Sahara's heartbeat quickened and she felt her face grow intensely hot. She gaped at him as he held her hand close to his face as if he was waiting to place a gentle kiss on it. For a moment, she lost sight of everything around her and felt her knees begin to tremble. She felt she could swim in his large hazel eyes and be lost for eternity. However, just as she was about to answer his question with her name, Sesshomaru's stern voice filled her ears, snapping her out of her trance.
"Enough, her name isn't a matter of imprtance."
Takeshi's face fell in an instant. Releasing Sahara's hand, which fell limply back to her side, he pouted at Sesshomaru who stared emotionless back.
"Come now, Sesshomaru. Must you always ruin my fun?"
Sahara had turned her head just in time to a catch a glimpse of a small smile grace Sesshomaru's already handsome face as he replied in a slightly warmer, possibly even playful tone. "Why, Takeshi, you must've known by now that ruining your 'fun' is very amusing." His smile vanished though and he turned on his heel, "I'm sure you didn't come al this way to simply tease a simple woman. We can discuss whatever you like in my study."
Takeshi gave a hefty sigh, "Fine. Fine. Be that way." Sahara watched as he began to follow Sesshomaru back towards the study before he suddenly stopped and turned back to her offering his arm politely to her, "Please, accompany me, won't you? I'm afraid only your company can make the aura of any room occupied by Sesshomaru brighter."
His hazel eyes were enveloping her once again. They were so inviting that she almost couldn't help except oblige to do as he asked. But she didn't miss Sesshomaru's golden eyes which had turned back to the two, seeming to be irritated at this, before continuing on as if he hadn't seen it. Her body suddenly tensed wondering what she could have done to upset him now.
Takeshi began babbling to her about his history with wars and how he single-handedly managed to overcome them. She managed to politely act as if she was absorbing every word that came out of his mouth, making sure she didn't look him directly in his beautiful hazel eyes, afraid she might be lost to him again. Her mind was focused on other things, however; whatever happened to Akime's hands had to have been Sahara's doing, but she wasn't sure how she had done it. Takeshi had mentioned something about using fire at will, whatever that meant. And had Akime really been Sesshomaru's...? Well, she didn't really want to dwell on that subject. It still made her nauseas.
Sahara's blue eyes strayed away from Takeshi's cheerful face to observe Sesshomaru, whose back remained turned to her as they grew closer to the door. Somehow a deep rooted longing to be near him throbbed inside her and she began to wish it was his arm she was holding on to and not Takeshi's.
Akime wandered the dimly lit servants hall dazedly. Her small steps had no real destination as their sounds echoed off the walls of the empty hallway. The demon woman just knew she had to keep moving to keep herself from doing absolutely nothing having lost the one job her Lord left for her to take care of in his absence. The human girl, Rin, was in the care of Jaken who accompanied the girl in making bouquets for Lord Sesshomaru.
She closed her dark brown eyes letting out a heavy sigh as her body slumped against the stone wall of the underground hallway. Her plan to keep herself from thinking of the handsome demon lord with whom she had grown up with was futile. He filled her mind constantly. Akime covered her face with her soft, slender fingers that had been completely healed of the burns Sahara had inflicted upon her minutes before. The very same fingers that reached out for Sesshomaru when she had been afraid of thunderstorms. Her eyes reopened to stare at her fingertips remembering the brief moments he had held her bearing his honey colored eyes into her brown ones. "You have feelings for Lord Sesshomaru, don't you", Sahara's words still echoed in her mind and her heart beat heavily at the realization. Her fingers curled up inside her palms tightly and an ugly scowl crept across the pretty features of her face.
"She took him from me." She ground out through clenched teeth, her temper rising at the thought. "I will make her wish she had never laid eyes on him!" With that she gracefully stormed down the hall towards the stairs that led up to the main floor where she quietly exited the castle, heading into the surrounding forest.