InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Keeper of my Heart ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Keeper of my Heart

By Cyfris

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha and co. ::sniffle::

This is an AU. The Shikon no Tama never existed and Kagome is a priestess in training. I know this idea has been used before, but I can guarantee you, this is NOT like other fics. Oh, and this is a Sesshoumaru/Kagome romance. Not sure what the rating will be.

* * *

Relax.

The string was taught with tension. The target looked so far away.

Focus.

She squinted, blinking sweat out of her eyes. Energy hummed around the arrow.

Now!

The arrow whistled through the still night air. It hit the target with bone shattering force, going clean through and embedding itself deep in the tree behind it. Kagome breathed deeply and went to retrieve the arrow. Behind her, her sensei, Kikyou, praised her.

"Well done, Kagome-chan. Shall we call it an evening and return to the village?"

"Iie, sensei. I want to stay out and practice some more, if I may. I'll head back in a little bit."

Kikyou laughed. "Kagome-chan, how many times have I told you to call me Kikyou? I'm only two years older then you."

Kagome's eyes danced with laughter. "But you also told me not to call you aneue. You said it made you feel to much older."

She had started to walk away. "Yes, well sensei makes me feel far too much older. So just Kikyou from now on, got it?"

Kagome grinned. "Hai, sensei!"

"Kikyou, you little youkai!"

"Just so long as you don't exterminate me!" Kagome called back.

Kikyou's laughter faded away, leaving Kagome alone in the darkness. Kagome wasn't scared though. She could sense any youkai posing a threat in time to do something about it, and her miko powers were always there to aid. Ever since her aneue had discovered that she had a deadly illness, she had started to train her younger sister, to become the next miko. Her illness had make her very weak, and caused her a constant pain, sometimes very little, sometimes so much that she wouldn't be able to move for several hours. Nobody knew how she had gotten it, as it wasn't contagious, though her husband had died of the same cause. Kikyou feared most for her unborn child. She was near due to have a birth, and it was obvious that the child was alive, but everyone was wondering the same thing; would their beloved miko, weakened so by the illness, live through the process?

Kagome's senses flared to life as the bushes near her rustled. She whipped around, bow at the ready, her arrow humming with energy once again. Quickly she assessed what kind of youkai it was, and was shocked to find out it was a human, a little girl, who, moments later, came skipping out into the clearing. Kagome almost dropped her bow in surprise as the girl came up to her, not noticing the bow at all, and simply handed her a bunch of flowers.

"My name is Rin. How come you wanted to shoot Rin?" she stuck out her lip, looking the picture of remorse. "Did Rin do something bad?"

Kagome smiled, letting down her bow, and took the offered flowers. Rin was one of those girls it was hard not to like instantly. "I'm sorry Rin, I thought you were a youkai. I would never want to shoot a sweat little girl like you. Why are you out here at this time of night, all alone?"

Rin giggled at the praise and answered. "Rin's not alone. Sesshoumaru-sama is out getting dinner and Rin just got away from Jaken." She wrinkled her nose cutely. "Rin wanted to go hunting with Sesshoumaru-sama, but Rin got lost. Will you help me find him?"

Kagome paused. Who ever this `Sesshoumaru-sama', he had obviously done something to earns this young girls respect. Whether this had been a good or bad thing, Kagome didn't know, but an innocent girl like Rin wouldn't take to someone who was bad. Still, Kagome couldn't help but feel that she had heard his name before. Once again smiling, she took Rin's hand. "Ok, Rin-chan, lets go find Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Yay!!" Rin skipped off, dragging Kagome behind her.

* * *

"Rin-chan! Are you sure this is the way?" Kagome called.

The girl, who had dashed ahead, said, "Rin is sure, Kagome onee-chan. See, the flower patch is right next to camp. Rin can see the fire."

Thank goodness. Aneue will be so mad that I'm coming home this late. I hope I can find my way back.

Kagome suddenly stopped dead and fell to her knees, pain spreading throughout her body. Darkness clouded her vision. The pain was consuming her! She was bordering the edge of unconsciousness, when it stopped, so abruptly she felt dizzy and fell on all fours. Panting, feeling as though she had run for miles, she heard Rin asking, as though from far away, if she was all right. Kagome pulled herself from the darkness, answering Rin by saying she was fine, and that she had tripped. Shaking her head, she stood and stumbled toward the light from the fire, hoping they wouldn't mind if she rested a bit.

Plopping herself down next to the fire, it was a moment before she realized she was being watched by someone other than Rin. She looked around, and her eyes fell on a hideous toad like youkai, staring at her with disbelief.

" "YOU!!!" " They yelled/croaked in unison.

Kagome's arrow was ready in a flash, while the toad pointed the staff of Heads at her.

"Jaken," Kagome hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?! You were banished from these lands years ago! You and your master!" she finished scornfully.

Jaken sneered. "Put away that bow, little girl, you might hurt yourself. You are not fit to be called a miko, your so called powers are so weak, you couldn't even sense me when I was feet away from you."

"As it is, I can only sense threats. Obviously that is why I couldn't sense you." She smirked when she saw the toad steaming in anger.

"You…bitch! I knew we should have killed you when we murdered your father and that whore! (a/n whoa, Jaken is really OOC.) I don't understand why master let you live! I-"

He was cut off as two arrows buried them self's in his feet, pining them to the ground. He made a strange gurgling sound as a third struck him through the hand, making him drop the staff. He looked up and whimpered, the look in Kagome's eyes hard as steel, a fire burning deep within them.

"Don't you dare insult my parents." She said, her voice harder than her eyes. "One more sound out of you, and I swear I will make you silent for good." The campsite stilled, shadows flickering from the dieing fire and the light from the miko's arrows. When satisfied that the toad wouldn't talk or move, Kagome took up the Staff of Heads and stuck it next to the fire where Jaken couldn't reach it.

She was making to leave when Rin came up to her, squealing "Kagome-nee-chan so awesome! Nee-chan is like Sesshoumaru-sama, both very powerful. Protects Rin. Punishes Jaken."

You mean," Kagome said. "That you travel with this thing and…then that must mean Sesshoumaru is the Taiyoukai Lord of the Western lands?!"

"Iie." Came a voice from behind her. "Lord Eimai is my father. I am Sesshoumaru, elder son of the Lord of the Western lands. And whom, little girl, might you be?"

Kagome whirled around to see a tall, unearthly demon looking at her. Long, flowing hair framed his feminine face, his gold eyes a stark contrast to the silver framing them. Every thing about him was graceful, yet powerful. Kagome took a step backwards. The power emanating from him was incredible!

Rin ran up to the demon and hugged him around the leg. "Sesshoumaru-sama's back! Rin tried to find Sesshoumaru-sama but got lost. Kagome nee-chan found Rin and took Rin back. Then nee-chan punished Jaken for in-insu- bad mouthing nee-chan's parents." She stuck out her lip. "Jaken was very bad, can Sesshoumaru-sama tell Jaken to stop, please?"

Sesshoumaru had not taken his eyes from Kagome. He placed a slender hand on Rin's head. "Rin, go play in the clearing. Jaken, get those things out of your feet and watch her."

Jaken whimpered and gingerly pulled the arrows out, limped over to his staff, and laboriously followed the child into the clearing, leaving Kagome alone with the demon.

"You," she said icily. "You said that you are the son of the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, Eimai. Is this true?"

"It is."

Her grip on her bow tightened. "Twelve years ago, your father came to these lands and destroyed my village, killing everyone except the miko, her two children, and ten others. My parents were among those killed. Since then, I have been trained as a miko, adopted as one of the miko's children, so that I can protect my village against creatures like you." She smirked coldly. "Tell your father that I have not forgotten, and if he ever wants to see his son or any other of his followers, he is not to disturb these lands again. Good night." Without even a bow, she walked by Sesshoumaru, intent on going home at last, when the demons voice stopped her.

"You need not return to you village. I have just completed what my father hade intended to do twelve years ago. There is nothing left but a pile of rubble." He smirked inwardly at the sound of her dropping to her knees. "I have taken pity on you, human. You are aloud to stay at our camp until morning. But come daylight, I don't want to see any sign of you, human."

"My name is Kagome," she growled out. She paused. "And I will travel with you to see your father."

"I wont have a human travel with me."

"Then I will follow. It doesn't matter to me, just so long as I speak to your father." She paused. "If you don't like to have humans travel with you, why do you care for Rin? Isn't she a human?"

"It is not your concern with whom I travel. Just be glad that I don't kill you now and be done with it."

He could smell her crying, no sobs, no hiccupping, just crying. Silent, as though she had lost everything in the world. Which she had, he reminded himself. He had seen to that. He scoffed, humans are so weak, to let something as important as a few lives bother them so. Unbidden, Rin's face rose to the front of his mind. For a moment, he pondered on what he would do should she die, but then he pushed the though from his mind.

He glanced at the human, and surprise flitted across his face. She was still crying, rivulets of tears streaming down her face, which housed an expression so full of hatred, that a lesser youkai would be running away with its tail between its legs

When she spoke, her every word dripped with hatred, "D-do you r-really think I'd care now if you killed me?"

* * *

End chapter 1

I'm sorry if Sesshoumaru's Fathers' name is wrong, but I don't remember if they mention it anywhere in the anime or manga. Eimai means `Great Wisdom'. And if any of you out there think I'm crazy, there is a very good reason why he's named that. Also, if any of you could tell me what Sesshoumaru's name means, I would greatly appreciate it. Arigato! Don't forget to review!