InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ For Him ❯ Stories to the Scars ( Chapter 2 )

~*~2~*~

The group sat around a campfire, watching Inu Yasha and Kimendenshin's kills cook. The youkai geisha was gripping one of her swords with a white knuckled hand as she stared at the moon above.

"So you grew up with Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked and Kimendenshin's unhidden eye turned to her.

"Yes, from birth we were inseparable," she whispered and there was a slight crack in the mask of the geisha.

"Why haven't we seen you before then?" Inu Yasha asked and she looked at him before nodding.

"I will tell you a story then, young Lord," she whispered as she looked at the fire with that beautiful eye.

~*~*~

I stood beside Kiba, my dragon steed, while Sesshoumaru received the report from one of the scouting teams. My clawed hand gently stroking the scaly neck beside me.

"It is clear a great force is heading for the dragon clan's territories," one scout whispered while glaring at me. Sesshoumaru followed his gaze before smirking at me and offering me his hand.

"Lady Kimendenshin, what do you think of this?" he asked as I took his hand and stood next to him in my geisha outfit.

"My Lord Sesshoumaru, it is a distraction, the Foul Traitoress is not with that force, I would assume she is with a smaller group," I stated as I looked at the worm of a youkai who was no longer glaring at me but reeking of fear.

"I thought so as well, what is your advice on attack," he stated and I looked at the map before him with the plots for the locations of our forced and the Traitoress'. I moved a legion of his strongest warriors to her manor.

"Take her home completely, leave her nowhere to fall back to," I stated before moving his prime legion towards the smaller group we had know about. "You destroy the Traitoress." I moved my legion to the massive force. "Allow me to destroy these fools, stupid enough to follow a traitor." Sesshoumaru smirked, we had always done it this way, he got to kill his enemy, I took out the main forces, and his troops were allowed to ransack and pillage the manors and homes of our enemies.

"I will take your advice, prepare for battle, I expect to see you on your way before sunset," he ordered and I smirked, allowing a pearly fang to show.

"Thank you, my Lord," I said as I led Kiba to my tent.

~*~*~

"But we had been wrong," Kimendenshin whispered as she stared at the fire, she was clearly reliving the past. "We hadn't rationalized that she might actually have studied our technique, knowing I would be sent to take care of the massive force she was sending to the dragons."

"She?" Miroku asked and Kimendenshin's face smoothed over and the anger she held suddenly swirled around her in the form of her youkai. Her eye was glowing bright blue as her lip curling slightly over her fangs.

"Xaing Tsu, the half sister of my Lord's mother, a bastard to his grandfather from one of his courtesans. She had a hunger for power, but due to the fact she was born from a hanyou concubine and not a wife, she was always left hanging on her name alone. When she and my Lord's mother were summoned as possible mates for my Lord's father, she was greatly disappointed when she was cast aside for her sister," the blue aura surrounding the youkai was humming. "She vowed revenge on her sister. It wasn't until my Lord and I were small children did that traitor attack. She poisoned my Lord's mother, inducing the Inu Fever, which she was immune to due to her human blood. She would allow my Lord's mother to survive if she was given the Western Lands. My Lord's father wanted to give in, but my Lord's mother denied him that, stating she rather die than allow him to give anything of power to that monster."

"Didn't my father do anything?" Inu Yasha asked and Kimendenshin's face darkened more as her snarl became something terrifying.

"My Lord's father didn't have the opportunity, the traitor married one of my Lord's father's allies, situating herself in a seat of safety due to politics. It wouldn't be till after my Lord's father had been slain that she would kill her husband and take over his lands," she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. "It would be a few months before my young Lord vanished in search of the Shikon no Tama that we headed out to destroy that loose end. We were so cocky and confident, we never saw the trap. Thankfully, she thought I was nothing more than my Lord's toy, which we had spent years setting up.

"I dress and act as a geisha in the company of my Lord's allies and enemies, however, I have always been his right hand, his eyes and ears in the areas of the field he cannot be in. Xaing Tsu did not know I was his second in command, she thought I was a simple figurehead. Her mistake was the only reason I stand here today," her hand moved to the hair covering her right eye. "Had I not seen the trap before we struck, I would have failed my Lord and died like a stupid, weak geisha!"

~*~*~

I stopped Kiba, my samurai armor shielding me from enemy scouts realizing who I was.

"Commander Kim, what are Lady Kimendenshin's orders?" my second in command asked, loud enough for the scouts we knew were hiding nearby to hear.

"I will take the main force and attack from the front while you take the select forces and attack from behind, remember, Lady Xaing Tsu is to be brought back to our Lord alive," I ordered. I waited for my forces to divide in normal formation before scenting, the scouts were gone and I smirked.

"Commander, when do we attack?" my third in command asked and I looked at the mountains surrounding the area.

"The bottleneck, it will be easier. Take half the remaining troops and go to the right side. Do not allow yourself to be spotted. I will lead the remaining troops and take the left side, drawing their attention," I said as I looked at him. He nodded before heading out.

~*~*~

"I scented the trap, that is why I divided my forces, keeping myself out in the open," she said as she ran a clawed hand over the hair hiding her face. "We had spread the rumor that I was a pair of twins, Commander Kim and Lady Kimendenshin."

"What?!" Sango hissed. "The terrible, Ghost Commander Kim, Inu Youkai of the West was you?!" Kimendenshin looked at her and smirked.

"Yes and no, I was Commander Kim of the Western Lands, you probably heard of the fool that went around calling himself Commander Kim after Xaing Tsu's death, you have noticed I'm not an Inu Youkai," Kimendenshin whispered as she looked up at the moon again.

~*~*~

"Lady Xaing Tsu, I, Commander Kim of the Western Lands Army, demand you surrender. I swear that you will come to no harm with us if you give up now. We will take you to a quick, honorable death," I called out as my force blocked the bottleneck. Kiba rocked beneath me and I growled as I realized the trap was ready to go off.

"I don't believe I will, Commander Kim," a woman's voice called and I watched as the force before me parted and I growled as I realized the truth. I leapt off Kiba, slapping his flank. Kiba was trained to return to Lord Sesshoumaru if something was not going according to plan. Lord Sesshoumaru would come if he saw Kiba without me.

"You do not have a choice in the matter, Lady Xaing Tsu," I stated as I placed a hand on my sword, my troops behind me preparing for a battle. "You will come with us or you will die."

"I have heard many things about you Kim, I do not fear a man who allows his twin sister to order him around," the silver haired inu bitch in front of me stated and I raised an eyebrow.

"Such a sharp tongue, no wonder you were passed over for your sister," I stated with a smirk and she glared at me before pointing one clawed hand at me.

"I want his head," she stated and I smiled outright.

"Come and get it then," I retorted and the forces before me lunged for me and I unsheathed my sword and did the signal for my forces behind them to attack, we attacked from the front and the back. Of course Xaing Tsu's forces were expecting that, not that I was worried.

I slew the first five warriors slowly before I realized that these warriors were too much for my limited forced and I did not want to call in my last wave unless necessary. I quickly began to slice them down left and right.

"Express your loyalty to the Western Lands!" I cried, it was a new code for the release of my more powerful whip attack. My soldiers closest to me dropped to the ground the second before my whip began to tear the enemy soldiers to pieces, their blood filled the air, not a drop touched me, but plenty hit Xaing Tsu and her remaining forces.

"You fool," she growled before leaping into the air and coming at me.

"Now, now, do we need to resort to name calling, my Lady?" I asked, the sarcasm thick in my voice. She glared at me before she began to transform and I swore, there was no way I could fight her in that form. I waved my sword in the manner to summon my back up. I watched as they arrived and I began to transform as well. I roared to the sky as I quickly took my true form and she took a step back, I took the opportunity to attack.

~*~*~

"Her shock and surprise saved my life," the geisha samurai whispered, her eye haunted. "I have no doubt that had my demonic aura not been female and a cat-dog, she would have killed me before I had finished the transformation."

"Wait, you mean she couldn't smell you were female before?" Inu Yasha asked and Kimendenshin shook her head.

"I would use sutras to hide my scent inside of my armor, when I summoned my troops I allowed my aura to dissolve the seals, my scent and power took her by shock and my true form is quite impressive too," she stated. "One such as me has the bulk and strength of a wolf with the speed and intellect of a kitsune, it is no wonder we are killed as pups."

"So she retreated?" Miroku asked and Kimendenshin closed her eye and shook her head.

"No, she saw she was losing and decided that if she were to lose she was not going to see Sesshoumaru alive, she tried to take me down with her though," Kimendenshin whispered. "She fought and she fought well, I found myself in a kill or be killed situation. I ripped her throat out, bathing myself in my opponent's blood, but she did not die easily and she made sure to leave me a reminder." With that Kimendenshin moved her hand over the hair covering the right side of her face.

"An illusion?" Shippo asked and Kimendenshin shook her hair.

"Kitsune magic, it holds the hair in place," she whispered as she moved the hair to expose that the right side of her face was horribly scarred, the blue eye still beautiful, but the scars were four black slashes across her cheek, two dangerously close to each side of her eye. "I was fortunate not to lose the eye, but she marred me with her poison, I sliced the skin away only to find that the poison scars will be mine to wear for the remainder of my days." She ran her hand over the four marring scars.

"Why do you hide them?" Sango asked, most youkai didn't seem to care about their scar, many wearing scars as signs of pride. Kimendenshin turned her head away before standing up and walked to the edge of the clearing.

"The man I love told me once, when we were both filled with sake, that I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen," she whispered before vanishing into the night. The group sat in silence.

"Isn't it romantic?" Kagome sighed and the others stared.

"What are you talking about?" Inu Yasha asked and Kagome wondered how they all could be so dense.

"Kimendenshin is in love with Sesshoumaru," Kagome explained smiling slightly.

"She said the man she loves told her she was beautiful, not Sesshoumaru," Sango pointed out and Kagome giggled and shook her head.

"She has this look to her eyes whenever she goes `my Lord Sesshoumaru', when she said `man I love' it was the same look in her eyes," Kagome sighed and the three sat there.

"Well, why hasn't she mated with him yet then?" Inu Yasha pointed out. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Women don't approach men, baka, besides, Kimendenshin sees herself as his companion only, she's a half-breed that most youkai and humans would kill. I don't think she thinks she's worthy enough for him. She thinks too highly of him to ever consider that he loves her as much as she loves him," Kagome whispered. The group fell silent before falling asleep.

~*~*~

I stood by the side of the lake, kneeling before it and staring at the four marring scars. My fingers gently tracing the scars before slicing through the water. I looked up at the moon and listened as one of the wolves of my father's clan sang. I found a stone to sit on before looking up at the moon and creating a song of my own to mourn my beauty.

Sesshoumaru's voice came to me as I sang to the moon, the words he said when he saw me come to him with the head of his aunt and my body drenched in blood.

"Truly the beauty of a warrior woman bathed in the blood of her enemy is wasted on those who lack proper education, Kimendenshin," his voice echoed in my ears as well as his drunken voice. "Kimen, you are truly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in all my life."

"You sound sad," a voice said behind me and I didn't both to look at the cub.

"It is none of your concern," I stated as I cast the spell hiding my scars.

"You always do that when you see me," he stated, his foot pawing the ground. "Why?"

"Because, I am a Lady and a lady must have her mysteries," I stated as I stared at the moon and watched as the cub cautiously approached me. "Are you going to entertain another foolish attempt to get to know me?"

"Are you going to attack me again?" he asked and I kept my eyes locked on the moon.

"I don't know, are you your father's son?" I stated, letting the bite in my words replace the one I was tempted to do with my true mouth.

"I don't know, are you his daughter?" he snapped and I raised an eyebrow before looking at the young wolf cub.

"I see someone is in a fighting mood tonight. Why have you come then, little brother?" I asked, holding my head high as I gazed at my young half sibling nearly two human lifetimes younger than me. He looked at me a moment with confidence before looking at the lake.

"I want to know why you hate me so," he demanded, acting like the prince we knew he was. I moved towards him slowly, he kept his eyes on the lake, but his attention was on me. I stood beside him, taller than him and his superior in strength and speed.

"Oh no, little brother, I do not hate you, I have never hated you," I whispered as I stood so I was right next to him, my nose almost touching his cheek. "It is our mutual parent that I hate. It is because you reek of him as well as look just like him that I act the way I do." I ran a claw over his cheek and he managed not to flinch.

"No, little brother, you are not our father, I highly doubt you would command the death of your first born cub," I stated as I turned toward the lake. "You are too weak to do that, but you are not weak in the sense of our father. You do not flinch at the touch of my claws, nor do you fear me to the point you cannot look away. No, Kouga, I do not hate you, but you remind me of him in ways I wish to forget." With that I used my aura to float into the sky and leave my half brother looking at the lake.

I floated over the camp, watching the aura of my brother return to his mountains. I landed, watching the humans sleep as the half brother of my Lord sat in a tree above them.

"So, you love him," Inu Yasha stated. My Lord was right, the boy lacked tact, but in some cases tact was pointless.

"Love? I do not know, but he is my world, he has always been with me, the thought of life without him makes me want to lie down and stop breathing," I stated as I looked at the halfling brother of my Lord. "Why do you care, young Lord?" He stared at me.

"I don't, it just makes sense that you love him. I have a question, what will you do when he finally finds an inu youkai bitch to make his mate and create an heir with?" I didn't move as that question wrapped itself over my mind. I closed my eyes, how many times had I wondered that?

"I will do as I did before I was made into the substitute Lady of the Western Lands, I will patrol the lands of our birth, protecting my Lord, his Lady, and any of his heirs," I stated as I looked at the moon, my hand tightening around my sword's, Nekotsume's, hilt. "I took an oath to my Lord, I would serve him till our dying breath. My last breath will belong to him and I will not stand by to witness his. That is all, young Lord, we need rest." With that, the conversation ended and we `slept'.

~*~*~

The group crossed the Western Lands in record time, Kimendenshin forcing them faster and further than Inu Yasha ever had. Her cold eye motivating them more than any amount of swearing and shouting ever had.

The group was quiet around her, even though she had sworn their safety, Shippo didn't even question her when she demanded he take a bath. She was a good matriarch, one disapproving look and any of the group was suddenly five years old and ashamed of whatever crime they had committed.

Still, they came to the Fortress of the Lord of the Western Lands and there was a change in Kimendenshin as she entered the field before the fortress.

"Home," she stated before striding across the field, a brisk pace for the humans, but Inu Yasha was in awe, he had only been a child when he had been here last, he didn't even remember it. The fortress was surrounded by a large wall of white stone, it looked like a monstrous boulder had been emptied to make the wall, only the entrance marred the perfect whiteness. The huge red door opened as Kimendenshin approached, a strange melody was played on a flute as she entered and a small child ran out of the entrance and raced to the youkai geisha.

"Lady Kimen! Lady Kimen!" the child called and the youkai lifted the child into her arms and gently moved the hair out of the little eyes.

"Yes, child, what is it?" Kimendenshin asked, her eye softening as she tucked hair behind the child's ear.

"Rin could not find Lord Sesshoumaru! Rin looked everywhere, but Rin could not find him!" the child sniffled and the she-youkai did something that shocked the group behind her. Kimendenshin hugged the child gently, cooing softly before patting the girl's head.

"Now, now, Rin, I told you before I left that our Lord would be unable to play with you before I returned," the she-youkai whispered, gently wiping away a few of the child's tears. "I must get our Lord ready with these guests first, why don't you tell us of your adventures here while I was away?"

The group watched as the little girl began regaling the youkai with stories about playing with Jaken, picking flowers, playing, and various other day-to-day activities, which the youkai patiently listened to as she lead them into the fortress' walls, allowing them to see the gigantic manor that was safe inside. A tall inu youkai guard approached Kimendenshin and she stopped to look at him.

"My Lady, we have seen nothing of our Lord's enemies. The fortress has been safe in your absence," he stated and Kimendenshin nodded before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Good work, I want triple the security on the wall, rider squads should patrol four times a day until our Lord is back," she ordered and the guard bowed before heading out.

"Lady Kimen, will Rin see Lord Sesshoumaru soon?" the child asked as they entered the manor and Kimendenshin placed the child down.

"We will see Rin, go play with Shippo in the garden, I must speak with Lord Sesshoumaru's guests," she said and the child looked at the group. "He is the child." With that Shippo was being dragged away by the girl. Kimendenshin said nothing else, instead leading them through lovely halls to a room.

"There are kimonos in this room, Lady Sango and Lady Kagome will reside here for the time being, Lord Miroku, and young Lord Inu Yasha will have the adjoining room," she said as she opened a door to the next room. "I will have Rin bring Shippo back here after they are done playing. Now please excuse me, I must check on my Lord."

With that Kimendenshin was gone and the group looked at each other, Inu Yasha staring around the room as if he expected Sesshoumaru to appear and attack him at any second.

"I say we trust her," Kagome stated as she looked around the room.

"I agree, Kimendenshin has been very open and I have a feeling she will protect us," Sango stated and Miroku nodded slowly.

"I think her purpose is pure, I highly doubt she will allow any harm to come to us while assuring Sesshoumaru's health is restored. I think she's going to keep her word, also, I think it will be safe to assume Inu Yasha's debt to her will be paid back," Miroku stated. "Inu Yasha, what are you feelings on this?" The hanyou turned his head away from them.

"Keh," he stated before going into the next room to explore.

~*~*~

I walked slowly through the halls, making sure that none of Inu Yasha's friends were following me. As soon as I was certain I headed towards my Lord's rooms…then I caught wind of my Lord's fear scent, something that I had not scented since we were both pups. I raced through the barriers, barely unlocking and relocking them in time with my movements. Once in my Lord's bedchambers I threw Beru out and crouched beside my beloved Lord.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" I hissed and once again I was wrapped in his strong arms.

"Kimen, my beautiful, beloved Kimen, I didn't know what happened to you!" he sobbed, his head buried beneath my own, his hot breath on my neck, his delicious scent filling my nose. I wished it wasn't because of the Inu Fever. "No one would tell me where you were or what had happened to you!"

"I am back my Lord, I was on a very important mission," I whispered, my hands stroking his sides as he continued to sob. I blushed at what I was about to do, something I had not done since I was a child with my Lord, something that marked me different from all other canines, I began to purr.

Lord Sesshoumaru immediately began to relax into my arms, letting his head slide down my neck to rest over my heart. I purred louder, freeing one arm so I could stroke his hair, purring louder as I nuzzled the top of his head with my cheek.

When we were both pups, my Lord had suffered from terrible nightmares while his mother was sick, I had tried to comfort him countless times. Each time he had thrown me to the ground until I began to cry. When my mother appeared and began to stroke me much as I was stroking him at that moment, did I begin to purr in the safety and love of my mother. My Lord climbed into my mother's lap and held me tightly, my mother kept stroking me and my Lord listened to my purr until he fell asleep. He would come to me and ask me to purr for several years, until his father taught him the dangers of having a weakness, Lord Sesshoumaru viewed sleeping in my arms while I purred as a weakness. Part of me had greatly missed this.

"Kimendenshin, what do you think you are doing?" his sharp voice told me of his displeasure and I sighed before letting him go.

"I am calming the upset child the fever reduced you to, my Lord," I whispered as I pulled back, keeping my head down, trying to mask the content scent I had been emitting.

"Are you back from your mission, or were you just placating me before leaving?" he demanded and I looked up at him and fought the urge to smile.

"My Lord, I have succeeded in bringing your brother, however his companions demanded to follow, it saves me a trip to get humans to chant," I stated as I mindlessly put his hair back into place. He watched me silently before I realized what I was doing and quickly pulled back and looked at my hands.

"I assume I was bad if you were purring," he stated and I nodded, feeling my cheeks heat up against my will.

"I…I did not know what else to do, you were….very frightened," I stated, my voice seemed unable to speak clearly.

"I see," was the response. "You reek of the hanyou and his human companions, bathe." I nodded and quickly left, allowing Beru to enter and take care of our Lord in my absence.

I entered the bathing room and sighed as I removed my kimono and under clothing. I allowed my hair to fall free from its forced style, sighing as the ends tickled the backs of my calves. I rubbed my scalp, purring in pleasure before walking behind a screen where there were four buckets of heated water.

I doused myself and began soaping my body up, my fingers tracing the markings of my clan. My fingers found the strips on my cheeks, on my shoulders, on my ribs, hips, wrists, and legs. I rinsed my body and began to wash my hair, picking out the snarls with care before cleaning it completely. I used two buckets to rinse my hair before I allowed myself to enter the bathing pool. I smiled as I rested in the water while leaning against the wall. My claws played with the surface of the water, memories came without command, sending me back nearly a century, back when my Lord and I were still pups.

We used to bathe together in this pool before the death of his mother. She would sit to the side watching while my mother cleaned us and made sure we didn't play too rough. He would always want to wrestle, a canine male tendency with other pups to ensure dominance. I would only fight back in the pool because I did not wish to be dunked.

I smirked as I rested, allowing myself to submerge before climbing out and using my aura to dry off. A few of my shadow youkai approached me and began to dress me, pull up my hair, and tend my wound. Once finished I returned to my Lord's chambers and knelt by his side.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" I asked quietly and suddenly was I pulled onto his futon and a heavy body covered me. I growled on instinct before sharp teeth were at my throat and I froze. I could feel my Lord's overheated body pressing me into his futon, his hot chest against mine, his hands holding down my wrists, and his sharp fangs against my throat. I scented the air and I could smell his youkai rage. I whimpered and his fangs retreated before his tongue began to sooth the small nicks he had created. I tried to move only to have the fangs return. I whimpered again and they were replaced by the soothing tongue.

The Lady in me knew this was a form of dominance, my Lord was letting me know he was dominant and in charge, however, the canine in me recognized the potential for making a claim, marking one as another's property. I was a proud female, no male would dare mark me without my consent, even if he were my Lord.

Slowly I forced myself to go limp and my Lord made a noise of approval before taking some weight off of me, but only enough to move so his face was over mine. I looked into his red eyes, feeling the urge to growl and state my obvious anger at him in the ways of the canine, but my control and knowledge kept me from making a mistake that could result in my death at the hands of my Lord.

"Mine," he growled as he looked down at me, his eyes peering into mine, his hot breath washed over my face in a not too unpleasant manner.

"My Lord…" I started only to find his mouth against my own, his tongue pressing against my own. I was uncertain what to do, so I did what I felt was the right impulse. I bit down.

My Lord roared above me and I whimpered and closed my eyes, I had hoped the pain would wake him from the rage but he seemed lost to me. He slammed down harder on me, his eyes locked on mine and I decided I had to end this, I snarled back at him and he smirked in a way that caused my own rage to come out. I could feel the burning of my eyes indicating the rage's approach as he smirked above me.

"No!" I roared back, my youki flaring and he dared to laugh at me before nipping at the crook of my neck. I didn't even make a coherent argument at his mocking the sacred spot of a mating bite, instead I found a large lock of his hair in my hand and I pulled, causing him to fall over. I moved quickly, bucking my hips and causing him to fall off of me.

He smirked again as he grabbed me by the neck, by the Gods, where did he find this strength, before I left I could have defeated him easily, where was this coming from? I grabbed his wrist and snarled again before finding myself beneath him as he stroked my face while choking me lightly.

"My bitch, my pretty, pretty bitch," he snarled and I snapped at his nose as he lowered his face towards mine. He chuckled before nuzzling my neck, his teeth over the spot where a mate would mark me. I would not accept this behavior from my Lord.

"Sesshou stop it, this game is not fun!" I cried and slowly the tongue and teeth that had shredded the shoulder of my kimono to caress my flesh stopped. "Please Sesshou, do not hurt me like this." I forced myself to whimper and suddenly he stopped, his whole body tensed.

"Kimendenshin?" his voice was strained and hoarse. I looked into his golden eyes and nearly sobbed.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, thank the spirits," I hissed as he fell off of me and I quickly returned to the side of his bed. "I am going to prepare for the ceremony."

"The full moon isn't for weeks," he stated, his eyes, for once, not locked on me. He must have truly been embarrassed.

"No, my Lord, it is tonight, I had been worried that I would not make it in time, but I did," I took the water clothe and placed it on his forehead. "Tonight you will be returned to your true self, no more of this madness. I shall go and prepare now." I started to leave.

"Kimendenshin…" he started and I turned to look at him. My ruined kimono exposing my shoulder completely barely preserving the modesty of my breast as I stood there. "…I am sorry." I fought the urge to smirk before losing my control for a moment and chuckling.

"If anything, my Lord, I'm not so afraid of your chances of survival now," I said with a bit of a smirk. "After all, you managed to pin me to the bed and I am in perfect health." With that I exited and quickly made the arrangements.