InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Book One of The Angel Chronicles:Blood Of Innocents ❯ First Cut ( Chapter 5 )

AN:

This is a double chappie it was originally intended to be chapter's 5 & 6 But five was just to short and instead of posting a short chapter after the long delay in updating I have decided to post one rather large one instead. ^-^

Esra

`First Cut'

"Jena."

A voice was calling me. `Annoying, really.' I felt the soft caress of fur on my cheek. Opening my eyes, I saw a wave of silver.

"InuTaisho?"

"No. Jena, it's me, calm down."

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes, Jena, you have been out for three days."

"Really?"

"Yes. Jena, my father came to visit you?"

His voice apprehensive.

"Yes, he did. We talked for a while, but I don't remember what we talked about."

"That's fine, Jena, it doesn't matter. Listen; there is something I need you to do for me."

"What, Sesshie?"

"Must you use that infernal name?!"

"Yes." I heard him grow and I smiled brightly. He was far too kawaii when he was mad.

"Jena, I find myself in need of an escort to the Festival. . ."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru, I would love to!"

"Y . . . You would?" he asked, confused.

"Uh huh. Oh! But I don't have anything to wear!"

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Oh, and stay away from the North Tower." he said as he left the room.

`Oh, great!' I thought as he left the room, calling out that he would be gone for a while and that I only had two days to prepare. I got out of bed, throwing on the nightgown that was on the side of the bed. I ran off in search of Sesshie. `I want to know how in hell he expects me to get ready for a ball without a dress, and only two days.'

Unfortunately, I was so intent on finding Sesshie so that I could politely wring his neck that I didn't see the toad until I flew over him, landing none too graciously on my ass.

"Milady is awake."

"Jaken." I said, as I turned around to see his face staring back at me.

"Yes, milady? Did you feel the need to run over poor Jaken today?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"Stuff it, toad!"

"Milady, such foul language!"

"Jaken shut up already and tell me where the hell is Sesshoumaru!"

"W . . . why, milady?"

"Because I want to wring that damn dog's neck, that's why!"

"I . . . Jaken is sorry, milady, but Jaken cannot tell you!"

"Grrrrrrrr! Why are you males so damn infuriating!"

"Milady, why not tell Jaken what troubles you? Maybe I can help."

"Kay! I'm going to be escorting Sesshoumaru to the festival and I don't even have a dress!"

His face instantly fell. "Hoo boy, you are in a mess!"

"Thanks, Jaken."

"But Jaken knows someone who can help."

"Who?"

"The castle seamstress, Arachnie! She will be able to make you a dress in no time!"

"That's great, Jaken. I don't have any of your money, though."

"Milady doesn't need any. You are Lord Sesshoumaru's guest and InuTaisho's ally, so you needn't any, milady."

"Really?"

"He nodded firmly and I walked back to my room, happier than I had been in months.

*This is so cool!*

I thought as I shut the door and sank into the warm water of the hot spring.

Jaken watched as the door closed, keenly aware of his master's presence down the hall.

"Master Sesshoumaru, everything is going as planned."

"Very well, Jaken. Get her ready…above all other priorities," Sesshoumaru said in a voice that warned of a rather painful death should he fail.

"Master, Jaken was wondering, sir, doesn't Mistress Jena seem odd?"

"What are you babbling about now, Jaken?" Sesshoumaru asked, rather annoyed.

"Milord, she seems lighter…happier…and she has the faintest scent of your father, sir."

* Not again.* Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he remembered the last time his father paid a visit to one of his prospective mates. * What the Fuck! I don't think of her like that!?…. She's just a stupid human girl!* He knew he was only lying to himself…but for some reason his heart was not truly ready to accept this turn of events, and if his father was there he could damn well bet that there was some type of magick a foot….and he would not go threw that type of pain again!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Flash Back^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sesshoumaru was racing towards the gardens where he knew his young Sorceress friend was. Today was his nineteenth birthday he was going to honor her with his decision to have her as his mate. He came upon her still form hunched over a rather large rock. He smelled the salt of her tears upon the breeze.

"Colette you can't cry now…this Sesshoumaru has something important to tell you."

"What the hell do you want?!"

Sesshoumaru was shocked. *How dare she speak to me in such a manner!*

"What the hell is wrong with you!"

"Your father! That's what the fuck is wrong!"

"What in the seven hell's does my father have to do with anything!"

"Do you take me for a fool Sesshoumaru?"

"Colette, I don't understand."

"Why!? Did you think I was funny to watch me fall for you as if my entire existence revolved around you! Or when I proclaimed my undying love for you?….I suppose it provided you and your father with a good laugh, huh!"

"Colette….please…don't….what ever spell is causing you to act this way, I will find a cure for it! And the caster will suffer a most painful death for ever daring to touch you! But please don't speak any more….what your saying hurts… too much!"

"Ironic…You chose that excuse to cover your tracks! No, Sesshoumaru, no spell clouds my thoughts! In fact, for the first time ever I can see clearly, with out the hindrance of your fathers magick!"

"You lie! You…you disgusting bitch!" He slapped her as hard as his shocked body would allow.

"I hate you! I never want to see you again for as long as I live!"

^^^^Flash Forward 9 months later^^^^

Inuyasha was returning home once again with his father, after some training that Sesshoumaru was neither privy to nor cared about. He watched as his younger half brother smiled up at his father, his face shining with barely contained pride, as he told his son that it was fine with him if he start to see the ladies! *I hope he does the same thing to his woman as father did with Colette!* But he would have to wait and see if his silent prayer would be answered. Inuyasha had been relentless in his teasing of his older brother! And it appeared as of today would be no different. For as soon as his father retired to his study the hanyou started in on him once again.

"Oi, Fluffy! What happened to that wench that used to fallow you all around?"

"Inuyasha, I am in no mood for this!"

"Oh, what's the matter, did she finally get tired of you?" Sesshoumaru growled and stormed out of the hall, determined to bring the bitch back so he could dump her in front of the insolent whelp and finally have some peace. But things were not to work out that way, for when he came upon Colette in the clearing; he found her in the throes of passion with nothing less than a filthy village peasant.

"Who would have thought that you would sink low enough to get your kicks with some lowly peasant?"

"Colette, who is this?" the man asked rather confused.

"Her lover." Sesshoumaru replied stoically.

"Ex-lover!"

"You can't possibly prefer that peasant scum over one such as me?!" He watched as her ki flared around her, all his scenes were screaming at him to leave before something rather undesirable occurred.

"Sesshoumaru, I can see that I will have no peace in this world if you are allowed to roam free. So know that you give me no choice in this matter…I'm sorry…but you shouldn't have come."

"What the hell was that suppose to mean?"

But she never again spoke to him, instead she began to chant while pulling her diary from her make shift satchel… his prison…supposedly for the rest of time.

^^^^^^^^^^^^End Flash back^^^^^^^^^^^

It still mystified him as to how Jena had been able to free him in the first place. And the fact that she did it with out any prior training was astounding, for he had always been taught that time was a cruel and fickle master….or was that master a mistress?

Shaking his head slightly, he saw the toad in front of him, obviously wanting an answer that he was neither ready nor willing to give. So he settled for the next best solution.

"Jaken, what goes on in her life is none of your concern! Just do as you're told, got that?" he yelled loudly at the frightened toad. And with nothing left to be said, Sesshoumaru turned and left, as Jaken went to see the one person that he needed to see fast, before Jena got out of her bath. Arachnie was the castle seamstress. However, she was known to only make gowns for a few select people, and was always very finicky about her work. But she was the only one Jaken knew of that could help them on such short notice. He could only hope that she would be willing to help…

Walking into the east wing of the castle, he made his way down the main corridor to a tiny room that Inutaisho insisted that Arachnie have, knocking lightly on the door. A voice that sounded like delicate silver bells answered.

"Who is it?"

"Madame Arachnie, it's Jaken…I need a favor from you, quick!"

"Come in, Jaken." said the voice, sounding much like that of Sesshoumaru when he was annoyed. Not needing any further prodding, Jaken opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit room.

"Now Jaken, what is it that is so urgent that you threaten to break down my door?"

"Master Sesshoumaru had found a person to escort to the Festival…"

"Has he now. And this includes me, how?"

"Well, you know that mystery girl that Inutaisho's got put up in the guest room in the western wing?"

"Yes; Jaken, if you have a point to make, I suggest you do so quickly."

"Well, her name is Jena…she's very shy…but for now rather plain…and I've got two days to make her look like a princess.

"Jaken I really can't be bothered now!"

Jaken hated to do this….but it was either risk a beating from Arachnie or Sesshoumaru, and if those where his only two choices than he damn well knew who he would chose.

"Or else Sesshoumaru could escort Naraku's daughter, Princess Kagura of the South! I'm sure that she would be more than willing to escort the young lord in Jena's stead."

Arachnie cringed; she hated that demon bitch! She was a spoiled, stuck-up brat, that had been relentlessly flirting with him for weeks and being the self-centered person she was, she would be more than willing to force herself upon the young lord if the opportunity where to present it's self…. and if she were ever to be mated to one of Inutaisho's two sons, the Western Lands would be war-torn for sure.

"Boy, Jaken, you are in a mess! Very well, I shall help you; provided she is nothing like that bitch of Naraku's!"

"She is hardly that bold."

"What do you mean, Jaken?"

"Since when is a princess…nothing more than a whining self absorbed baka?"

"Well, she's not really a princess, but a child from the distant future. From what I've been able to gather from the castle gossips, she has been treated like a slave for so long that it nearly crushed her soul! However, it hasn't died yet and she treats everyone with great respect, even more so than she does herself. Hell, she even treats me with great respect!"

*This I have to see.* Arachnie thought.

"Jaken, if what you say is true and not boasting, then I would be honored to spin for her."

"Thank you, Arachnie!"

"Yea, well, bring her by here as soon as you can, the dress will take at least a day to and her hair and accessories will take another day. Go, Jaken, and hurry!"

Jaken was at Jena's door as fast as his little legs could carry him, but not before stopping at a linen closet to get her something to wear.

"Jena," Jaken called from the doorway, "Jena, where are you, Arachnie has agreed to spin a dress for you but you must hurry or we are going to be late, Arachnie hates it if we're late!"

"Coming, Jaken." Jena said as she wrapped a towel around her bare form.

Jaken turned a color akin to that usually found on ripe tomatoes before roughly shoving the garments he held at her.

"Dress!"

"Yes, Jaken…" Jena said as she headed off to the spring room to dress herself. Within moments, Jena was done, marveling at how good the brown pants and tunic looked on her. As she finally exited the spring room, she told the toad that it was safe to look now. Satisfied that everything was appropriately covered, he quite literally dragged her off, not precisely to Arachnie's chambers, but rather to a lush and beautiful garden.

"So strange…"

"What is, Jena?" Jaken asked…and while he hated to admit it, he was strangely fond of this human child from the future. She was kind where others would have been either cruel or callous, and she had a fragile, yet gentle nature about her, one that would take only the littlest blow to break.

"It's day time…and I'm outside. The garden is cool, and it's daytime…"

"Why is that strange? Isn't it like this everywhere?"

"No, where I come from it's suicide to be outside during the day,"

Jena said, shaking her head and looking very much like an innocent child.

Jaken looked completely confused, but then again, figuring that it was a human weakness, he asked sarcastically, "How hot does it get, Jena?"

"An average of about 110o. Why?"

At the mention of a temperature that high, Jaken fell flat on his face, before pulling himself up to ask a question that he knew he'd be better off not knowing the answer to.

"You said `on average', what was the hottest it has ever gotten?"

Jena thought for a moment, trying to recall the hottest day she could remember.

"…I think it was 120o, but I could be short a few degrees."

"Gahh! Jena, how does anything manage to survive?!"

"The same way I do; adapt." she said, as she noticed the toad begin to run off.

"Jaken…where are you going?"

"To get something to drink! Just listening to you makes me hot. Stay put, and Arachnie will come for you." he said, as his form disappeared behind the archway.

So, Jena sat on a tiny bench and waited. She would have just gone the rest of the way without the toad, but she had to admit that she'd get lost rather quickly without him, when an angry voice drew her from her thoughts. Once again she saw a waterfall of silver hair and…dog-ears? This wasn't Sesshie….could it be…Inuyasha?

"Oi, wench, haven't you been listening to a single word I said!"

"No, I'm sorry, I have not."

"Figures, you lazy human wench. Why Father keeps you around is beyond me."

*God, he's annoying* Jena thought, *I sure could use that rosary about now* No sooner had she thought this, than a white light glowed around the oblivious hanyou's neck for a brief moment.

*Oh, my gosh! The rosary! It's around his neck…that's strange…I hope this works!*

Jena thought, knowing she was about to do something monumentally stupid,and that she'd probably live to regret but she was tiered of the insults…tiered of just standing there while others felt free to take pot shot's at her soul.

"Inuyasha, just about everything is beyond you, so why should this be any different?"

Jena asked coolly allowing just enough of her long pent up emotions out that it made her rather intimidating…

"Why you bitch! It's not bad enough that you are a servant and you insult me, but you are a woman! How dare you! I should kill you right now!"

"Inuyasha…here is a preview of things to come if you ever decide to treat modern women like second class citizens."

"Oh, I'm so scared! A big, mean woman like yourself is going to teach poor lil old me a `lesson'."

"Inuyasha, you really don't want to do this…can't you just go away and leave me alone?"

"Hell, Father won't miss one servant as obstinate as you!"

Jena sighed, she had no one to blame but herself. She did egg him on, but he deserved this and she was going to enjoy it.

"Inuyasha…" she said, looking up at him and smiling sweetly,

"SIT, boy!"

A flash of white light was visible around the hanyou's neck before he was thrown violently to the earth, creating a rather large crater.

*Holy shit! I hadn't meant to hurt him that badly, damn it!* I thought as I stared at the bleeding pup, and before I knew it I was kneeling before the crater, begging the still form to be okay and apologizing at the same time. Out of nowhere, his hand collided with my face hard enough for me to see stars and lose my sense of balance. I fell hard on my ass, only to watch him stand up, eyes brimming with unshed tears. Pulling my body up as fast as my newfound vertigo would allow, I looked at the angered hanyou, my eyes locked with his, only to see a hurt that was so very…very familiar.

*Oh dear God, no! He's never been physically disciplined before…this…this was his `First Cut'!* I felt sick, like if I stayed much longer, I'd vomit any minute! "I'm sorry…" I said as I ran off, my tears trailing behind me till I literally ran into a door.

*Ouch!* I thought, as I once again found myself on my ass. *Boy, this day is full of surprises!*

"Jena, is that you?" a voice asked from behind the door.

Sniffling, I replied as best I could. "Y..yes."

"Well, come in, then." The voice said as the door swung open of its own accord to reveal a dimly lit room and the shadowy figure of woman with eight arms.

"Well, do you plan on coming in, or are you sit there and gawk all day?"

"C..coming, m..ma'am." I said, as I picked myself off of the ground. As I walked in, the door closed behind me, plunging the room into darkness. *Oh, shit!* Jena thought, as she realized that she was as good as blind here. *What have I gotten myself into?*

"Don't fret, child, your eyes will adjust soon enough. So, you must be this Jena-child that the whole castle is talking about."

"Yes, I am, Ma'am, but I am truly sorry…I've caused so much trouble."

"Hai, child, but your presence has intrigued most of us. Anyway, did you have fun playing with that hanyou?"

"No."

"Oh? Why not?"

"I hurt him."

"You…hurt Inuyasha? I find that hard to believe."

"I..I'm sorry…I just couldn't take any more condescension…I..really hurt him." Collapsing into a heap on the floor, Jena sobbed loudly at the atrocity of the deed she had committed.

*I'm no better than those that….than…Galladrail…or Reyouku.*

Arachnie was shocked. *My gods, this child is pure! To punish Inuyasha *brat!* it hurt her this much. Jaken was mistaken, she is more than even she knows.* Walking over to the heap on the floor, Arachnie managed to grab hold of the weeping bundle, lifting her in her arms as the child continued to sob her eyes out. "Child, why do you weep for someone who could never appreciate your tears?"

"His eyes…the…the look in his eyes…it's the look I see every time…every time…"

"Hush…Jena, don't cry…you'll drive yourself to the brink of illness."

"First…first cut…I committed I had no right to commit…. that against Inuyasha…"

Arachnie was shocked as she gently pushed Jena away to stare into her ice-blue eyes. "Y..ye know of the first cut?!?!"

Jena nodded.

"Jena, I want you to listen to me, and listen well! First cut is a crime, yes…but more so a crime against trust…and innocents…and you child seem hardly capable of committing such atrocities against anyone! I know, I watched the whole thing from my mirror. A true crime of `First Cut' is a betrayal of trust and a crime forged in hate, not self-defense!"

"But…I saw…"

"Child, you are young still. What you saw was merely shock and wounded pride. Nothing more!"

*How could I be sure…I wanted desperately to trust…her but…the prison cell was growing cold and the wardens restless…they hungered for my blood…for the time when I simply had nothing left to give…and they took there finally satisfactions from my hide.*

"Th...thank you, ma'am. Please, can you tell me your name?"

"Certainly, my name is Arachnie…and I would be honored to spin your dress, if you'll have me." she said, bowing showfully.

"Thank you."

I breathed, as my mind sarcastically quipped.

*Enjoy these moments while they last…but remember it's along way down in the end… and do you think your really strong enough to survive the fall?*