InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hope for a Better Future ❯ Meeting New Friends and Foes (Pt.1) ( Chapter 11 )

Sorry Seiya for keeping u waiting on the story… will I will post 2 chapters up for now kies… thanks for your review… I'm working on the new chapter on Virgin Virtue… I'll try to post it as soon as possible… me having exam next week… so busy with studying and revising… just hate that… don't u…

Chapter 11: Meeting New Friends and Foes (Pt.1)

Sakura woke up late in the night to hear whimpering sounds coming from Rin's room. Getting off her bed quickly she ran over to see what was wrong. Rin was trashing around on her bed whimpering and crying. Sakura quickly sank down next to her and hold her in her arms.

"Rin, wake up!" Sakura whispered shaking the girl slightly.

Rin stopped trashing then and opened her eyes slowly. It took her sometime to get her focus back. When she did she flung her arms around Sakura immediately and started to cry all over again.

"Sakura-neechan, I saw those bandits… and how they kill my family." Rin sobbed. "I saw so much blood… then wolfs… they were chasing me… Sakura-neechan I was so scared."

"Hush, now Rin, it was only a nightmare…" Sakura whispered stroking the girl's hair gently. "I'm here now, nobody will harm you. I promise…"

"You won't leave me too right neechan…" Rin said releasing Sakura to look at her eyes. "You will stay with me forever right…"

Sakura became speechless.

"You are planning to leave me too…" Rin whispered as tears began to appear from her eyes again.

"No, it's not that…" Sakura quickly said hugging Rin to her. "It's just that…"

"I heard what you told Sesshoumaru-sama, that night under the tree…" Rin said. "Even though I didn't hear the whole conversation but I was awake for a moment to hear that you wanted to go home…"

"…." Sakura remained silent. Home? She thought. Yes, I used to have a home, but now I stay in another's…

"You want to go home to your family…" Rin sobbed. "That would mean that you will be leaving… I always hope that you would think Sesshoumaru-sama, Jaken-sama and Rin are your family…"

Sakura frowned slightly. "I don't have a family just like you Rin…"

Rin stopped crying and turned to look up at Sakura.

Sakura's face was void from all emotions as she stared straight ahead into nothingness.

"Sakura-neechan…" Rin whispered slightly frightened to see Sakura like that.

Sakura sighed then and cuddled Rin closer to her putting her on her lap as she lay back on the wall.

"Let me tell you something Rin…" Sakura smiled softly at the little girl in her arms. She wiped the tears away from her face with her hands gently and looked up staring at the wall in front of her again. "Remember you asked me where my little sister is? And how much you wanted to meet her…"

Rin nodded softly.

"My little sister is dead, Rin…" Sakura whispered her smile wilting from her face. Rin gasped softly but remained quiet. "So are my father and my mother…"

"What happened?" Rin asked softly.

"I was away in school far away from home…" Sakura begin her story. "I don't often go home because it is not easy to travel long hours a day… I will stay in school with my friends."

"Do you like it there?"

"Yes," Sakura smiled at her own childhood. "I like it there, I have friends, and everyone is very kind towards me." She paused for a moment.

"Neechan?"

Taking a deep breath she continued. "Well, just recently, I had moved to stay with my aunt… because of my family's death… Before that I used stay in a Shrine back in my home town, my mother was a priestess and my father was a very good fighter. My little sister was always very sweet and nice. However our home was burned down one day when I was away in school, and nobody escaped."

Rin's breath was caught in her throat.

"So you see, I am as alone as you are." Sakura smiled bitterly. "My aunt may appear to accept me in her home, but still I am an orphan… just like you Rin…"

She looked down at the little girl who was staring back at her wide eyed.

"My aunt will be very worried about me…" Sakura continued. "I had only been in their house for two days and now I am lost in this realm… I have to go back…"

Rin's eyes welled up in tears again.

"Now, Rin don't cry…" Sakura said as she hugged her closer. "I will always come back to see you…"

"You promise?"

"Hai, I promise with all my heart." Sakura said putting a hand on her chest. "So you have to be brave and not to cry."

"Don't you cry neechan?"

"No," Sakura replied shortly. My father hated it when I cry… she thought to herself.

Rin nodded then wiping her tears away quickly and Sakura smiled.

"Now, go back to sleep…"

"I'm scared…"

"I'll be here…" Sakura said and lay down next to her.

"Can you sing me a song?"

"Eh?"

Rin smiled softly. "My mother used to sing me songs to go to sleep after a nightmare."

"Oh," Sakura quirked her eyebrows and took a deep breath. "Well, there is a song my little sister and I used to sing together you may like it."

"Will, you teach me too." Rin asked hopefully.

"Of course," Sakura brushed Rin's fridge aside. "Now, sleep…"

Sakura then begin to sing her song as Rin closed her eyes…

"Under the moon, I became a chrysalis, kissed upon a glass sea of love

Your rhythm is like a wave, embraced by the words of its song

Live- to feel me

My past- disappears on the water's surface

Everything I believed in, I found with you, so...

You're wings on my heart

This wish- a distant dream that melts in a desolate isle

Nothing else, just with you in a drifting country, bluebird please leads me...

Toward the small sky that weeps

The transparent rain, the warmth of a drying hand, is nothing to be afraid of right?

Scattering clouds, a voice left unheard, painfully screams, "I'm right here!"

Lips- to feel you,

My spell- comes to its fruition

In the final morning, like ash, I will disappear, but even so...

You're wings on my heart, this feeling, a distant dream that sways between the waves

Unchanging, just you to a loving country, bluebird please leads me...

Toward the small rainbow that weeps

Bathing in amber-colored drops, the sorrowful knot has unravelled."

(Song title: Amber sang by Chihiro Yonekura; above translated into English version)

After finishing the song she had not sang for a long time, Sakura sighed and lay down next to Rin who had already fallen asleep and she closed her eyes, not knowing that someone stood by the door watching her through a small gap of the door.

Sesshoumaru, leaned on the wall his hands crossed as he watched Sakura soothed Rin back to sleep. He had accounted Rin and her nightmares before, but he had always told Jaken to wake her up. He never knew what to do with her and he never liked to see the little girl cry.

As usual he was awakened by Rin's whimpering and decided that this time; he will wake Rin by himself. When he reached Rin's room, he found someone else had beaten him to it. Curious at how Sakura was going to put Rin back to sleep because Jaken always had a hard time, he stood and watched. Not knowing he would be spellbound by her singing voice.

Sesshoumaru, made sure that Sakura had already fallen asleep before he slide the door opened and walked inside. He watched her angelic face sleeping soundly next to Rin and knelt down. He had a huge urge just to hold her close to him, when he heard her pain stricken voice as she told Rin about her family's death.

So this is the pain and suffering she is having… Sesshoumaru thought, not understanding what it meant. Humans are so difficult to understand sometimes…

He had lost both parents though never felt as heart broken as this girl now lying before him. On impulse, he reached out and caressed her cheek. She moved slightly, and he quickly eased his action. He watched her intently and saw that she was still soundly asleep.

He then, lowered down his face to the side of her neck, burying his face in her hair and neck; drawing in deeply her pleasant and desirable scent planting a kiss on her collarbone before he stood up and leave the room quickly when the urge of wanting more than just a kiss besieged him. He stood outside the door taking in a deep breath to calm himself and walked back to his room cursing under his breath.

What the hell is happening to me? He questioned himself.

The next morning, Rin woke happy and bright as usual, however, Sakura who had a strange dream of Sesshoumaru kissing her neck was still in her mind. She shook her head slightly to get the drossiness and image out of her head.

Of all things to dream of… she thought angrily.

"Sakura-neechan, Rin is going to play with Jaken-sama today…" Rin said as she jumped off the bed to get dress. "Do you want to come with me?"

"OK, there is nothing else to do here anyway." Sakura shrugged.

"There you are," Reisha greeted coming into Rin's room through the adjoining doors. "I was surprised, to see you not in bed and thought you have gone off early this morning."

"Reisha, is there anything else to do in this palace?" Sakura asked in a bored voice. "I mean beside that garden to sit in and rot everyday, are there anything else I can do here?"

"What do you do?"

"I don't mind scrubbing the floors, to tell you the truth, it's boring here!" Sakura said getting off the bed.

"I can't let you do that!" Reisha shrieked. "Sesshoumaru-sama will kill me!"

"Well, it is just a thought." Sakura walked over to her room to get dress. "Besides there is no where else I can practice my judo steps…"

"There is a Dojo in the palace…" Reisha said softly. "But…"

"There is!!!!!" Sakura cried happily. "Great can you bring me there?"

"I have something to do for Sesshoumaru-sama today," Reisha whispered softly. "So I don't think I can…"

"Don't worry about it…" Sakura waved her hand absently at her. "Just give me the directions and I'll find it myself."

"Well, ok if you insist." Reisha shrugged.

"But, I can't wear this to practice judo…" Sakura said showing her the kimono.

Reisha laughed then. "Well, there is haori that belongs to Sesshoumaru-sama's mother…"

"Won't he mind me wearing his mother's clothes?" Sakura frowned slightly.

"No, it was Sesshoumaru-sama's command that we dressed you appropriately though we don't have new kimono so Sesshoumaru-sama told us to use Queen of Inu's clothes."

"…" Sakura stared at the hoari speechless as Reisha pulled it out of the trunk.

Well, there isn't much choice is there… Sakura shrugged and got change.

After telling Rin, she won't be following her; she followed Reisha's direction to look for the dojo. The palace was huge and she had no luck in finding it at all. After turning a few corridors and into unfamiliar rooms, she crossed her arm impatiently.

It would take the whole day to just look for a stupid dojo… she thought and turned around the corner and bumped into someone, she fell back immediately and landed on her butt painfully though the person stood rigid. Sakura rubbed her forehead with her palm softly to find a swell there and looked up. She then saw another Youkai, with silver hair, a crescent moon on his forehead though his was red and the eyes that looked like Sesshoumaru's she blinked. He was wearing a metal amour and she touched her forehead again, no wonder there was a lump. The Youkai's stern face broke into a friendly smile then which took her by surprise.

"You must be Sakura-sama I heard so much about." He leaned down and pulled her up to her feet effortlessly. "I never thought I will see you at this part of the palace."

"What do you mean these parts?" Sakura asked still rubbing her forehead. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm the leader of the war troop, Rukawa. Sesshoumaru-sama's cousin." He smiled charmingly. "These area are the troops training area, we never had a female around for a long time since, Queen of Inu, passed away."

"Oh?" Sakura dropped her hands to her side. "So I'm near the Dojo?"

"Hai, you are looking for the Dojo?"

"Well, I was thinking to do some training, after all I hadn't been practicing for a long time and I'm sure I'm pretty rusty now."

"It will be my pleasure to bring you there." Rukawa said leading her off.

"Arigatou…" Sakura smiled in returned.

He is sooo charming, though Sesshoumaru is better looking but he is so different. So much nicer of course… Sakura thought as she studied him. He had that crescent moon like Sesshoumaru though it's red, same pair of beautiful golden eyes. The only difference is that he doesn't have the markings on his cheeks and hands. His silver hair is not as long Sesshoumaru's and his was tied up in a high ponytail.

Rukawa watched the girl silently thinking, no wonder my dear cousin brought this girl back to the palace. She is beautiful with a pleasant smell that will drive anyone crazy... look like my cousin who hate humans couldn't resists this temptation too…. He smirked to himself.

"Here you are," Rukawa said bowing showing her the room.

Sakura stepped into the Dojo shocked at the size and also at the weapons kept inside, all sort of swords, daggers, spears, halberd and ect… (You name it) was kept neatly in rows at the side of the room. She blinked as she moved to the weapons slowly. She was studying one of the halberds curiously. It was delicately made, with smooth wooden dark red wood, and the blade shine from the light coming through the window. There was a carved demon dog symbol on the both side of the blade. She blinked.

"That used to be Queen of Inu's weapon." Rukawa whispered.

"May I?" Sakura, who didn't hear what he said, asked not knowing why she was drawn to this weapon. She was skilled in halberd when she was back home, but she was never drawn to it like she was now towards this particular weapon.

"No body was able to lift that weapon up after…" Rukawa began but stopped when he saw Sakura grabbed hold of the wood with both hands and pulled it up from its stand easily. His mouth dropped opened. "How did you… that can't be possible…"

Sakura studied the weapon in awe as Rukawa watched her slightly shocked.

"What did you say just now Rukawa-kun?" Sakura turned to him then with a smile.

"You didn't hear a single word I say?" Rukawa asked still stunned. "I said no one was able to…"

"Do you want to practice with me?" Sakura asked then cutting him off. She wanted to try this halberd immediately though she doesn't know why.

"Wha... what?" Rukawa raised his eyebrows.

"I say do you want to practice with me?"

Rukawa remained silent.

"Well, its ok if you don't want to…" Sakura said her smile fading as she turned away.

"I would love to." Rukawa replied. He doesn't want to see her smile gone. In fact he always wanted to see her beautiful smile. "I used the sword in the battle field so we will see who is much better; the halberd or the sword."

Sakura turned back smiling again then. "OK."

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Sesshoumaru went to check on Rin thinking Sakura would be there but she wasn't, slightly disappointed he sent out to look for Reisha and thought she may have followed Reisha to do her chores instead but Reisha was alone.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, is there anything I can help you with?" Reisha asked when she saw him approaching.

"Where is Sakura?"

"She went to the Dojo, Sesshoumaru-sama. She said she wanted to practice."

"Dojo?" Sesshoumaru whispered turning away.

"She went there this morning; I hope she found the place all right." Reisha said as she continued with her task and looked up to see Sesshoumaru gone. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

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Rukawa dodge away from Sakura's attack and smiled inwardly.

She is good, he thought. Really good for a human being, but unfortunately she is after all human, I'm still much faster than her.

Sakura barely got away from Rukawa when he made a stab at her. They were two feet away from each as Sakura was breathing heavily but Rukawa still looked unravel and his charming features looking back at her mischievously. She hadn't had such intensive training for a long time. She smiled and straightened herself getting ready in another fighting stand.

She has stamina, Rukawa thought with an impish thought. I'll wait until she charges…

True enough Sakura made the charge; Rukawa using his demonic speed moved away suddenly and grabbed her waist then.

Taken by surprised Sakura froze on the spot. She turned to Rukawa wondering what was in his mind; her eyes widened with alarm when he saw her looking at her intently. She swallowed and tried to get away from his hold but he tightened his arm around her waist.

"Rukawa-kun… what… please… let go…."

Rukawa leaned down towards her then when suddenly a blink of an eye a flash of white appeared and Rukawa was lifted up into the air as he dropped Sakura to the floor.

"Do. Not. Touch. Her."

Sakura looked up and saw Sesshoumaru and gaped. He had Rukawa up in the air his hand around his neck crushing it. She had never seen him so angry before, perhaps that night at dinner but this time Sesshoumaru's eyes… his eyes were blood red. Sakura put her hand up over her mouth.

"Sesshoumaru… what are you doing?" Rukawa choked.

"Never again you will go near Sakura!" Sesshoumaru said dropping him down as he calm down and his eyes turned back to normal.

Rukawa frowned slightly but nodded walked towards the door in a dignified manner; at the door he turned back slightly to look at Sakura, his face softened before he turned to leave.

Sesshoumaru reached the dojo to see how well Sakura hold herself in her fighting tactics. When he saw the halberd she was using he nearly stumbled. It was the halberd that no one was able to pull out of its sheath for almost three hundred years after his mother's death. He watched her stunned until Rukawa decided to play one his flirting tactics.

When he saw how Rukawa hold her close to him and when he was leaning to gain a kiss from the squirming girl in his hold. He completely lost it, in a flash without his consciousness he was holding Rukawa's neck lifting him up in the air. When he realized what he had just done he quickly drop Rukawa.

Sakura was still on the floor when Sesshoumaru turned to her angrily and pull her up to her feet harshly.

"Aw… you are hurting me…" Sakura said trying to pull her hand away from him.

"Why have you got to do that?" Sesshoumaru snarled as he tightened his hands around her delicate one not caring at the moment it would hurt her. "Going around alone with another male?"

"I bump into him when I was lost and he helped me look for the dojo!" Sakura protested trying to pull her hand away from his grip. "Let, go… it hurts…"

"From now on, you will not go around alone with another male!"

"Who do you think you are to demand me not to do or what to do?!" Sakura yelled finally pulling her arm away from his bruised gripped. "All you ever think is that we human scum are pathetic, weak and brainless!"

With that she ran out of the dojo, she didn't care where she was going as long as she didn't have to look at the most heartless being she had ever seen.

Sesshoumaru cursed under his breath to treat her so brutally. Should he go after her? He decided he shouldn't until she calm down. Sighing inwardly, he decided he should retreat to his quarters then. Wondering why did he care anyway.

Sakura ran for a long time until she found herself standing at the front entrance of the palace; that was when she realized that she was still holding the halberd. She looked around then; the guards were all walking around scouting the place and taking care of the grand entrance. She looked around at them though they took no heed to her. She walked out slowly gripping the halberd in her hand tightly and aimlessly came across Ah Aun. She smiled softly to see the two headed dragon eating grass by the lawn. With a sigh she went over to him.

"Hello, Ah Aun," She greeted it patting one of its head. "How are you?"

Ah Aun gave a soft growl.

She just needed to get away from the place; still patting Ah Aun absent mindedly as she looked up the sky and her smile brightened.

"Ah Aun, mind if you do me a favour?" Sakura asked. "I want you to fly me out of the palace."

Ah Aun growl back an answer.

"Good," Sakura said and striped the halberd on Ah Aun's saddle; still smiling as she climbed up to Ah Aun's back and they took off into the sky.

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"Hey, hurry up back there!" A youkai with dark long hair pulled back into a high ponytail, wearing a brown furry outfit, and furry boots looking back at his troops panting running to catch up. "We will take a million years to find Naraku and that Kagura if we hold up this pace." (I wonder who always would say that?)

"Kouga! Wait up! We can't run that fast!"

"Feh!" Kouga turned away rudely and started running again. "Can't wait all day for you guys!"

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Sakura wasn't sure how long they were flying in the air, but she could see Ah Aun slowing down as if he was tired. Seeing the look of the sun going to set she sigh; looks like she had gone out of bounds again and gone even further away then she had intended.

"Ah Aun, do you know how to go back?" Sakura asked and the two headed dragon shook one of its head. "I guess just land here so you can rest." She said with a sigh again.

Ah Aun flew down then they were near a clearing of a forest, Sakura blinked. She walked over to the clearing and realized that it was a small village, and it was not the village near Sesshoumaru's lands. She cursed inwardly. She did go further than she wanted to.

"What are you doing here?" A cold female voice asked.

Sakura turned around surprised to see Kagome in weird old fashion priestess outfit; white top and red pants pointing an aiming her bow and arrow at her. She frowned, Kagome? No, she is not Kagome… but she looked like Kagome.

"I'm sorry but I'm lost…" Sakura said as she backed away towards Ah Aun.

The lady put down her bow then and her face softened somewhat. "Who are you?"

"Sakura," Sakura replied softly. "And you are?"

"Kikyo," The lady replied.

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"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Reisha yelled bursting into his room breathlessly. "I'm sorry but Sakura is gone!"

"What do you mean?" He snarled towering over her as she shrank back.

"I mean she is no longer in the palace! She took Ah Aun and flew off."

Sesshoumaru growled and left his room quickly. What the hell that girl is thinking about? Going outside all alone, it could be dangerous.

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"How did you get lost, Sakura-san?" Kikyo asked passing her a bowl of hot soup.

"Arigatou," Sakura said taking it. "I went for a ride on Ah Aun; I mean with my pet and didn't know where I was going. You see I am not from around here. So I got lost."

"May I ask where are you from?"

"Somewhere far away," Sakura mumbled taking a sip of the hot soup.

Kikyo remained silent watching her, wondering whether Sakura could be trusted or not. She could feel a certain sort of spiritual forces from her though weak. She was sure she wasn't part of this land so the part she said she was from a place far away should be the truth. Besides she doesn't look like she is lying and she didn't bring any harm.

"Do you want to stay here for the night?" Kikyo finally asked.

"Hai, if I may…" Sakura said hopefully. Camping out in the forest alone doesn't seem like a good idea to her even though Ah Aun is around. Kikyo smiled and nodded. "Arigatou," Sakura smiled then.

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"Hmph," Kagura said under her breath watching Kouga not far from her. "So what do you think you are trying to do wolf boy?" She scorned at him.

"To kill you," Kouga said furiously. "What else. I finally track you down I am not going to lose this time."

"I would love to see you try." Kagura smirked opening her fan.

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Early the next morning, Sakura woke up to find herself sleeping alone in the hut; she looked around and saw that Kikyo wasn't around. She got up and left the hut to see her helping the villages with their wounds.

"Ah nor…" Sakura approached her.

"These are men from wars and got wounded." Kikyo said without looking up at her as she put herbs on a man's bleeding feet. "I had always stayed here to help them."

"You're really kind…" Sakura said softly.

"You do not know me…" Kikyo said coldly. "Are you going to continue staying here?"

"No, I have to find a way back." Sakura said and looked up. She remembered tying Ah Aun and the edge of this village. "Thank you for your help Kikyo-san."

"You're welcome." Kikyo said and looked up to see Sakura walking away towards her two headed dragon.

Sakura untied Ah Aun and leapt up to his back gracefully wondering if she could be able to find her way back. They took off into the clouds again. When they reached vast empty clearing, Sakura told Ah Aun to slow down as she narrowed her eyes to see something moving below. The person seemed to be limping.

"Ah Aun fly lower," Sakura said.

When they came close enough to see a youkai, hurt very badly as he limp his way blood trailing the ground. Sakura gasped, as the youkai collapsed to the ground then.

"Ah Aun, let's land over here." Sakura said then.

When they reached the ground Sakura leapt down the dragon and ran towards the youkai and knelt down.

"Daijebu?" She asked pulling him up into her arms.

"I'll get that Kagura no matter what." The youkai snarled.

"Eh?" Sakura nearly back away from him.

The youkai looked up at Sakura then and thought he saw an angel. "Who are you?" He asked. "You smell like flowers…"

Sakura smiled slightly. "I'm Sakura, you're hurt, let me help you."

The youkai smiled. "I just need a place to rest."

Sakura nodded then and helped him to get up putting his arm around her shoulders and she helped him to Ah Aun and got up behind him. She scans the place quickly and saw a small cave not far off on top of a cliff.

"Ah Aun, take us to the cave above that hill."

The dragon growled and flew off. He dropped them at the cave like he had instructed and Sakura helped the wounded Youkai down and half carry half dragging him to the walls of the cave and put him down. He leaned back with a deep sigh.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked again.

"Hai,"

"Who are you?" Sakura asked.

"Kouga," He replied. "I'm Kouga the Prince of Wolf."

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OK, I'm splitting the chapter now… the next chapter, `Meeting New Friends and Foes, pt.2' I will post it up soon.

Hmmm… I wonder how Sesshoumaru will be like when he finds Sakura? It will be also in the next chapter… check it out.

If anyone is curious about the lyrics of the song, I didn't compose it. It is a song I had taken from Chihiro Yonekura. Title of the song, `Amber' (Kohaku no Yurikago); it is actually an ending theme of an anime, `Rave the Groove Adventure'. I like the song very much; very meaningful. She sang another song for the opening, `Butterfly Kisses' it is also a very nice song.

Sorry mina no laugh section in this chapter. Until I finished the rest of `Meeting New Friends and Foes' first. It is a very long chapter (Sweat drop)

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Thanks for your reviews!