InuYasha Fan Fiction / Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ A Demon By Any Other Name... ❯ Introductions ( Chapter 1 )

June 23, 2004

A/N: Well, well, well. Here I am, on the Slayer's side of things- Wow, what a fantastic view. I've been over in the Inuyasha crowd for so long, I had forgotten what it was like to be over here. Ok, so it's not totally a Slayer's story, though I promise that one of these days I'll get there, but hey, baby steps, right? Ok, it's a cross over with Inuyasha, so if anyone hasn't seen or isn't familiar with the series and the characters, I'll do my best to lay it all out as I go or you can ask- I can pretty much lay it all out for ya. I'm also not quite as good with the Slayers kids yet, so if I spell things wrong or use the wrong terminology, please feel free to correct me- makes the story better if I fix it rather than every time you see one or two misspelled words, you wish you could reach over and hit me. Ok, well, here goes…

A Demon By Any Other Name…

By: Mybyrdy

Chapter 1:

Two groups, both alike in dignity, in the era of feudal Japan, traveled unknowingly down opposite ends of the same road. On the outskirts of the western lands, a crowd of 6 lay in the shade of a tall sakura tree, letting the branches shield them from the burning and relentless sun. Two females sat close together, chatting about silks they had seen in the last town they had passed through, as well as the cute boys who worked the shops, while the others lay sleeping or longing on the cool grass.

`Kagome, what's a `hunk'?" The younger girl blushed and motioned for her companion to lean in, whispering in her ear. The two erupted in giggles, drawing the attention of the four males near by.

"From where I was sitting, your conversation seems much more interesting than Inuyasha's and my own. Care to fill me in on what you two lovely ladies were discussing?" The monk plopped down beside Sango, mere inches separating his hand from her bottom.

"Yea Kagome, what were you guys talking about?" A small head appeared over Miroku's shoulder, followed by a swishing tail as Shippou climbed over the man and headed for his adopted mother's lap. Once there, he wound his fingers into the fabric of her shirt and snuggled in with a big yawn to finish his nap. Both girls giggled again.

"We were just discussing the boys, I mean Men we met in the last town. It was so refreshing to be around such gentlemen…"

"Feh, what the hell are you saying? That me and Miroku aren't gentlemen?" Yelled Inuyasha from across the camp. "I can see with the monk, but I've always been a fucking gentleman… didn't you once call me `you're knight in shining armor'?"

"Yes, you're everything a girl could want in a hero," Inuyasha's grin spread from ear to ear at Kagome's confession; she shook her head, a smirk forming in the corners of her mouth. "You're strong and great with a sword, stubborn, crass, rude, selfish, irritating, loud, moody, can't admit when you're wrong…" she continued nonchalantly.

"Ah, Kagome, always one to remember the best of your companions. I shudder to think what you say about me." Miroku scratched the back of his head and sighed, knowing a battle was about to ensue. The timeless struggle between miko and youkai would begin again… any moment…

"Damnit Kagome! It's your neck I always have to save! I've been traveling around for 2 years cleaning up your mess…" As soon as the words hit his lips he regretted them. He watched the temperature gage on the miko's face rise from annoyed to pissed off, to uncontrollable anger; he braced himself for impact.

"Inuyasha," she said in a soft, feminine voice that sent shivers up and down the others' spines, "I can't believe you blame all this on me! That was so long ago and it was an accident! AN ACCIDENT! And it only happened after you tried to kill me. You don't even think before you say things, do you?" He could hear the waiver in her voice and knew the tears were coming; just barely dammed up behind her long lashes, and his heart began to ache. He didn't mean to hurt her all the time, and she was right; she was always right, he didn't think before he said such things, he was stubborn, crass and rude, and he could never admit when he was wrong.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Kagome stood with Shippou still curled in her arms, and turned her back on her companions. "I'm going to the next town. I'm sure I can make it before nightfall and I'll be getting my own room. I'll see you all tomorrow," she said, handing the sleeping kitsune to her best friend. She turned one last time, meeting each person's gaze except for the hanyou, before heading off down the dirt path.

Sango shook her head, having witnessed the pain in her good friend's eyes. She whistled in a high-pitched call for her friend and guardian. Kirara, who had been stalking a rabbit nearby, stopped immediately and headed for her master. She appeared at the taijiya's feet and purred as she was picked up and cuddled gently. "Kirara, follow Kagome. Make sure she doesn't get into trouble."

~~0.o~~

Heading east, another group of 6 companions trudged towards their destination for the night. They had been traveling from the far west, following rumors of power and sorcery through the lands towards the east; each for their own reason, but traveling together in friendship and a common destination. The group was lead by a cloaked, mysterious figure, face covered with fabric and feelings masked with a hard stare in his stony eyes. Beside him, a young woman, the epitome of innocence and youth, skipped and hummed merrily to herself. On her cape, a royal crest of a kingdom far away. Her short, raven hair caught in the breeze as she moved in stride with the enigmatic man. A woman walked alone in the middle, lost in a deep thought, as it seemed, carrying a small leather bag that hung at her side. She idly ran her hand over the travel- softened sack as she wandered. In the rear were two figures, as opposite as could be imagined; one small, thin and hunched over, dragging her feet. The second, a large, muscular man with golden hair and a sword at his side, marching along and talking animatedly to the crimson haired woman. The sixth member of the party was present, watching, but not seen.

"Goury, if you don't shut up, I'm gonna Ragna Blade you all the way back to Seyroon!" The blonde man stopped in his tracks, obviously not expecting the harsh outburst from his companion. She groaned and bent over lower as she willed herself to keep moving. "I can't go on much further without food. I'm starving; I'm wasting away." The small woman, with hair like flames, collapsed into the dirt rather ungracefully.

"Cheer up, Lina, it's only been about 6 hours since we last ate. Besides, I think I see the village up ahead, we'll be there before dusk." The tall man bent low, coming face to face with the fallen sorceress and offering her a hand. Lina grumbled and took his offered hand, standing and brushing the dust off her knees and stomach with a scowl on her face.

"Com'on Lina, that's the third time you've sat down today. At this rate, we'll never make it to the village," the masked figure remarked, turning briefly to address her.

"Yes, Miss Lina, then we might miss dinner!" On that note, the fiery redhead perked up, eyes flashing and will power renewed, striding to the front of the group, she looked back, "What are you guys waiting for, didn't you hear Amelia? Chop chop."

They walked for a few more hours with hardly any complaints from their leader until they reached the outskirts of the town. Lina came to a halt, causing Amelia to run into her, and Goury to run into her. Zelgadis came up along side the sorceress, his frame rigid and ears perked and listening. All was quiet. Finally, not able to take the unnerving silence, Filia tugged lightly on Zel's sleeve, leaning in and whispering in his ear.

"What is it? What do you feel?" The chimera's eyes remained focused but he turned his head slightly to reply.

"Something big, a demon of some sort with great power." Across the plaza from the group stood a women, alone, eyes focused just as their's were. Lina took a few steps towards her and the woman did the same. A light breeze blew through the square, bringing the silken black locks of the woman's hair up into the whirlwind, as well as the blood red strands of the sorceress; hair dancing, as if in challenge, in time with the others. Suddenly a flash of white drew everyone's attention to the sky as a figure cloaked in a baboon pelt appeared from the nothingness of the air between them.

"Ku ku ku, I see I'm just in time. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to make it easier for me." He remained floating, eyes fixed on the lone woman and oblivious to the group of weary travelers behind him.

"Naraku! Have you finally come to face me, or have you sent another puppet to annoy me. Either way, I'm in no mood for your games." The young lady centered herself into a battle stance, her hands glowing with pink energy. Lina watched in fascination; she had never felt an energy as strong as that which poured off this human girl- it may even have matched her own. She did notice, however, that the enemy between them gave off a stronger magical force than either of them.

"Temper, temper, miko. I only wished to have a word with the hanyou, but it seems he has finally left you. Don't worry though, I know he'll be much happier with Kikyo anyway." Kagome's eyes began to burn again with unshed tears. She hung her head for a moment, taking her eyes away from the demon momentarily. That was all the time he needed; he sent a tentacle racing towards her petite form, wrapping it tightly around her and pulling her up into the air, mere inches from his own face. She stared into the magenta eyes, hating him with all her being.

"You look so much like her, the dead miko I mean. I can see her in your eyes and I'll bet I could taste her in your lips…" He pulled her closer, her body thrashing against the immense force that held her still, and placed his hungry mouth over hers. Kagome let out a whimper in horror, closing her eyes and trying to loose herself in the pain of her crushed limbs rather than the feeling of him pressed against her.

A few seconds into the kiss, Naraku pulled away sharply, crying out as the miko fell through the air towards the ground. Kagome screamed as she fell through the air, shutting her eyes and waiting for impact. It never came, however, and she felt strong arms wrap tightly around her waist. "Inuyasha," she said as she snuggled into the warmth of his robes, bringing her own arms up and around his neck. She was met with bare skin, and silky mane of hair tickling the tops of her arms, as it hung in a short bob. Gasping, she pulled away, only now noticing the yellow shirt in which her face had been buried. She heard shouts behind her, magical energy filling the area, the smell of burning plants and scorched pavement assaulted her nostrils, yet all she could think of was the smell of this man holding her, how very different it was from Inuyasha's, and how much she was beginning to like it.

"Fire ball!" The blazing orb left Lina's hands at an astonishing rate, racing towards the fallen youkai. Amelia and Zelgadis stood at her side, both crouched and ready to send attacks of their own. They watched intently as the figure in the baboon pelt vanished, leaving a small wooden figurine in its place, lightly scorched and broken in half. Filia emerged from where she was hiding, meeting the annoyed glare of the three fighters. She giggled and scratched the back of her head.

"Nice going, Filia. Way to help us out!"

"He he he, you guys looked like you had it under control. Besides, no need to endanger little Val, ne?" She patted the bag that hung at her side. She joined her companions in examining the remains of the demon, until, like lightening, Lina spun, looking around frantically.

"Where's the girl, the one the monster was holding? What happened to her?"

The sound of someone clearing their throat rang out in the now silent square and all turned to see a figure emerging from the smoke. Filia's breath caught as the silhouette became clear. Through the dissipating smoke came Xellos, the high priest and most trusted servant of the Beast Master, the mazoku who had single handedly wiped out almost her entire race. In his arms, he held the small form of a woman, unconscious and limp in his grasp. Goury rushed over to the newly arrived acquaintance, stopping short to examine the sleeping girl.

"Hi Xellos, long time no see," the swordsman said, extending a hand to the priest.

"Um, my hands are a little full at the moment, Goury. Hi there Lina, Zel, girls." The rest of the group now formed a circle around him, all curiously looking over the beautiful woman in his arms. "I hate to be rude, but do you think we could make our way to an inn so I might put her down, she's heavier than she looks." The trademark smile never disappeared from his face as they made their way to the closest lodge and secured 3 rooms. With Xellos' hands full, Lina had little objection paying for the rooms and evening meals out of the mazoku's change purse, though he did smirk and slide his hip over against her rummaging hand in his pocket.

Once upstairs, Xellos finally deposited Kagome onto the large bed. Amelia leaned in and placed an open palm on her chest, casting a recovery spell and healing the minor wounds she had found on her arms and waist. Kagome stirred, lulling her head too and fro on the pillow.

"No, no, no. INUYASHA!" She sat up straight in the bed; causing the other 6 people to jump back, Lina's hand glowing slightly, ready to attack. Getting her breath under control, Kagome gazed around the room, looking confused and frightened. "Who are you? What do you want from me? Where is Inuyasha?" Her body shook slightly and she began to sob. Filia pushed her way through the crowd and sat down on the edge of the bed. She placed her hand on Kagome's knee, rubbing comforting circles on her cold skin.

"Shhhh," she said quietly, "we aren't here to hurt you. We are travelers; I am Filia, this is Lina and Amelia. Over there are Goury and Zelgadis," she said, pointing out each person as she introduced them, "And him… well, that's Xellos."

"Hmph, fine introduction for the one who saved her life." The priest sauntered over to the bed, pushing Filia out of the way and receiving a growl from the dragon as her butt hit the floor. "How do you do? I am Xellos; trickster priest, mazoku, and hero extraordinaire." He took her hand and kissed the top.

"Oh, great, another hentai priest…" she was cut off by the resounding laughter that filled the room. Xellos raised one eyebrow, the edges of his mouth turning up in a smirk. He knew he was going to like this new girl.

"She's fiery, like you Lina. I like her already." The tension in the room was gone and everyone seemed to relax. Lina sat down cross-legged at the foot of the bed as Filia picked her self back up and pulled a chair over. Amelia tugged on Zelgadis' sleeve, motioning for him to sit next to her on the bed. He looked as if he would refuse until her eyes sparkled and a small pout formed on her lips. Sighing, he gave in and plopped down, shaking the whole bed as he did so.

"Like a rock," Lina mumbled, causing both the princess and the dragon to giggle. Kagome cocked her head, not understanding the joke. The sorceress laughed out right, turning to their new friend. "He's a chimera; part demon, part human, and part rock golem." The miko smiled, touched that someone she barely knew had the courtesy to let her in on the joke. Then it dawned on her; she hadn't introduced herself to them yet.

"My name's Kagome. I'm a miko, well, a miko in training anyway. Thank you for saving me." She turned to Xellos, who still sat beside her and added, "sorry about the `hentai' thing. I am also a traveler and one of the members of my group is a Buddhist priest… with wandering hands." Xellos' smile widened and he touched a finger to his chin.

"Well, I never said I wasn't a hentai, or that I didn't have wandering hands… but you are forgiven." Goury approached and took a seat on the bed between Lina and the priest. He smiled at Kagome, though she could see the strained look he shot the man next to her.

"So, what is it you all do as you travel around?" Kagome looked over the group, taking in each person's appearance and feeling out their energy. She was astonished by the power she found spilling off the mazoku; it was vast and dark, which she attributed to his confession at being a monster. A similar energy came from the redhead, though it was some how different and subdued. They each seemed to have a great deal of power, a group not to be messed with.

"Well, I am a legendary dark sorceress and bandit killer, Goury over here is my self proclaimed protector and an excellent swordsman," he sat a little straighter and held his head a little higher at her words. "The stony guy is an earthen sorcerer and a mystical swordsman as well. Amelia is the princess of Seyroon and their royal ambassador, as well as a white magician. Filia is one of the last remaining golden dragons, a priestess of the Dragon temple, and Xellos… well, I guess you already know what he is. We came here from the far west on a mission. We are seeking a stone of power…"

"The Shikon no Tama…?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Why yes, how ever did you know that?" asked the priest, a look of mischief crossing over his face.

"What do you want with the jewel?" There was a dangerous edge in Kagome's voice that was slightly unnerving to the party.

"We have heard that it grants the holder's wishes and has great power. Zelgadis has been searching for a cure to his, let's say, lineage. And I am never one to pass up a chance to gain more power." Lina smiled, trying to relieve the building tension. With her answer, Kagome let out a breath she had been holding. These people were not a threat, though she knew Inuyasha wouldn't be happy about contending with more jewel collectors. There was a shift on the bed as Xellos moved in closer to her, meeting her gaze with piercing violet eyes, slitted in a way that reminded her of Buyou, her cat.

"You're… familiar with the jewel I take it," his hand rising up to her chest. Kagome gasped and moved back just as his quick fingers closed around the necklace hanging just inside her shirt. It came off in his hand and he held it up for everyone to see. "The Jewel of Four Souls is…" His voice trailed off as he took in the appearance of the object in his hand. The stone glowed lightly purple, radiating energy, however, it seemed to be only half complete. His eyes widened in horror. "Broken?! What happened to the Jewel?"

"It was broken," Kagome started, hanging her head low, "a long time ago. My friends and I have been trying to gather the shards and put it back together for some time. You see," she paused, unsure if she should tell them the whole story. Amelia leaned forward and patted her knee, smiling.

"It's ok, you can tell us." Kagome smiled and continued.

"You see, the jewel disappeared over fifty years ago, vanishing with the miko, Kikyo, who was chosen to protect it. As it turned out, I am the reincarnation of that woman, carrying the Shikon inside me until it was discovered by a demon who came for it and ripped it from my body. Inuyasha killed the youkai, and then came after me, thinking I was the other priestess. Another woman saved me, Kaede, the sister of the dead miko actually, and cast a subduing spell on Inuyasha that I now control. Kaede told me I was to be the protector of the jewel now that her sister had passed, but I wasn't prepared for such an important task, having just learned that I was a miko and had powers. The jewel was taken again and in my efforts to get it back, I shot an arrow which pierced the stone, shattering it and scattering the shards all over the lands." She took a deep breath, panting lightly from talking so quickly. Everyone sat unmoving, staring at her and she began to feel sheepish for having blurted out the whole story so easily and quickly.

"The stone was shattered," Zelgadis mumbled. His eyes looked crestfallen and Kagome began to feel the old guilt creeping back into her.

"I never meant to break it… it… it was an accident." Her previous argument with Inuyasha came rushing back and soon she was shaking, glistening tears streaming down her soft cheeks. Everyone's heart went out to her, knowing she carried quite a burden being responsible for the destruction of the sacred jewel.

"Miss Kagome, we are soldiers of truth and justice. Your heart is pure and this tragedy was not your fault. We will fight the evils of darkness and with the power of love and friendship, we will put the Jewel of Four Souls back together again and justice will be served," Amelia declared, flashing a victory sign to the astonished priestess. Kagome had to admit that the speech did make her feel a little better and she smiled, making eye contact with each person to let them know how much she appreciated their support.

"Well, now that that's settled, I believe we have a table waiting for us downstairs." Lina stood and stretched, brushing lightly against Goury as she did so. Kagome couldn't help but notice his blush, nor Xellos' scowl. He giggled to herself, `the old dog vs. wolf routine, huh?' She followed the others out the door, closing it gently behind her.

~~0.o~~