InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reflected Past ❯ An Encounter With the Devil ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter Three - An Encounter With the Devil


Midoriko's first few encounters with attacking youkai did not go as well as she would have liked; in fact, they were more embarrassing than anything and illustrated her complete lack of control over her gifted weapon.

The centipede demon had been the first to arrive after her initial lesson with Sesshoumaru. The exterminators had been more than a little reluctant to add a girl who had had no previous formal training to their ranks, and their concerns had been validated only moments into her first joint effort with them. Her arrival had done little but agitate the youkai, enough so that it smashed through two homes in an attempt to reach her and her sword before it was taken down by the more experienced slayers. The incident had prompted an agitated Shijin to request that she return the weapon to Inutaisho-sama, but Midoriko had balked at that, was unprepared to give up so easily.

Even so, the experience had been embarrassing enough for Midoriko to track down Sesshoumaru on her own in order to have another try at mastering the obstinate weapon. She had stalked through the forests near the site where she had first seen him fighting the tiger youkai, all the while clueless as to how a human could possibly find a being like him. Screaming his name had had no effect, nor had her attempts to rile him out to meet her by calling him every horrible obscenity she had ever heard her brother utter. Finally, when she had exhaled her frustration, tossed the sword onto the ground, and seated herself rather defiantly on the grass to wait, he had appeared, striding out from amongst the trees, looking as though she had just barged into his home without knocking.

Her anger and humiliation had been enough to spur her on to fight him with a ferocity that had only amused him at first, infuriating her enough that she was finally able to unleash the sword's power with sufficient force to knock him flat on his back. Her mood had improved considerably from there on. His deteriorated drastically. She had returned to her home that night, bruised and bloody from the retaliation of an ill-tempered demon, and happier than a lark. The next youkai attack would go much differently.

And so it had. Over the next year, Midoriko slowly assumed a place amongst her town's demon slayers, earning their respect and admiration as she worked tirelessly to improve her skills enough to take on whatever threat presented itself. Every time she watched a menacing youkai wither in front of her eyes from a swing of that precious sword, Midoriko could not help but breathe a quiet thank you to Inutaisho-sama.

She had even grown fond of his obnoxious, yet generally tolerable son. Midoriko knew she was still no match for Sesshoumaru and likely never would be, but she had halted their sessions out of concern that she might actually harm him. Even if he was too strong for her to purify at the moment, one day she just might summon enough of that bizarre inner strength to do it, and it made her afraid. After all, hadn't she promised Inutaisho-sama that she would not purify him? That was enough to justify her feelings of unease. And, in any case, Sesshoumaru had far better things to do than to continue as a test subject for a human girl and her magical sword....




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Sunlight cast itself overhead as she knelt in her garden, expertly pulling the rapidly encroaching weeds from around her carefully tended vegetable plants, and she recognized this as some sort of battle of the plant variety. The same concept, protect what was good, destroy what was evil. The comparison faintly amused her, which was probably why Midoriko was late in sensing movement behind her. She whirled around at the feeling, her hand instinctively falling to rest on the hilt of the sword that had been resting next to her in the dirt.

Sesshoumaru stood before her, watching her with his usual inscrutable expression. Midoriko was surprised at how her heartbeat instantly perked up at the sight of him, happy in its instant recognition. Without the training sessions as an excuse, she had not seen the young dog demon in several months and had almost forgotten how noble he always looked, as though he had never known a moment's uncertainty in his entire, long-lived existence.

"Sesshoumaru," she greeted him, a smile crossing her lips as she stood quickly, trying to rub some of the dirt from her hands. "It's good to see you. It's been a while."

His eyebrows rose at that statement. "You humans have such a strangely skewed sense of time," he commented.

"Maybe it's because we don't have lives that span hundreds of years," she replied, still grinning widely at him. Had she missed him so much? She had been too busy to really consider it, but, yes, she supposed she had. He was an arrogant jerk, but there was still something inherently likeable about him. She had long since decided that his bark was worse than his bite...well, mostly. "Is there something you wanted to see me about? I don't suppose this is just a social call," she teased.

He made a derisive sound, all imperial and dignified, as though he was deigning to have to be there at all, near this shack of a house and its grubby human occupant. "Hardly. My father asked me to retrieve you. The man responsible for growing the herbs your village requested is at our home and willing to discuss the matter of supplying them to you."

"Inutaisho-sama remembered!" Midoriko exclaimed, clapping her dirty hands together with overt joy. It had been several months since she had first spoken to the youkai lord about her village chief's request and she had worried that perhaps he had forgotten his promise to see to it, his attention being so diverted by the growing problems with the tiger youkai. But, just as he had repeatedly proved, Inutaisho-sama always fulfilled his promises, something his son saw fit to impress.

"Of course he remembered," Sesshoumaru answered. "The western lord's word is always good."

Fully aware of how truly filthy she was, Midoriko hurried over to the swiftly-flowing stream that ran near the back of her house. The flow was higher than normal after the large downpours of rain they had recently received; clear, foaming waters churned around the rocks impatiently, trying to move along the way. She bent to splash water onto her hands and forearms, clearing off the dirt and grime that clung to her skin.

"I don't suppose I have time to bathe, do I?" she asked regretfully as Sesshoumaru moved beside her to study the water. She watched as his face was reflected back from within the depths: narrowed golden eyes that expressed impatience, pointed ears, crescent moon marking, magenta stripes creasing the sides of his face, and so ridiculously serious, as though he expected an enemy to charge him at any moment.

"Does it matter?" he murmured absently. "The only way you'll ever rid yourself of that human stink is to peel the skin off of your body...and even that might not help."

She glared at his rippling reflection, his own eyes roving to watch hers in a similar fashion and she thought she could detect the faint beginnings of a smirk. Gods, she had forgotten how rude he could be.

"Ashrem, the herb supplier, seems to have heard of you, surprisingly enough," he informed her as his attention turned to follow the progress of a moss-covered twig's progress down the stream.

"Really?"

"Yes. You're beginning to attract too much attention with that sword. It's amazing what swatting down a few pathetic youkai can do for one's fame. You had better take care of that blade because if something should happen to it, demons will line up at the chance to destroy you."

Midoriko nodded, recognizing the truth in his words. She had certainly become rather unpopular among much of the youkai population in the area as of late. "I'm very careful with it, don't worry."

"Then why is it lying over there in the dirt, baka?" he asked pointedly, sweeping a clawed hand in the direction of the garden where the weapon had been left behind, forgotten.

Embarrassed to see that she had indeed left it lying around like a common gardening tool, Midoriko replied to Sesshoumaru, trying to sound haughty and confident, "You think I can't defend myself at all without that sword, demon?"

"I know you can't," he sneered disdainfully.

Sitting very still, Midoriko concentrated on a single point in the stream, a well-worn rock that was slowly being eaten away by the water's constant pounding. Silence descended around the girl and the demon as she summoned up her power, seizing onto it with practiced ease. No longer did she need to be angry or afraid to lash out at an enemy; it came to her almost as easily as breath now. But pompous Sesshoumaru did not know that...

…which was why he was taken completely by surprise when a shimmering wave of purple energy swirled into place around Midoriko, expanding instantly to knock him into the frothing waters. He picked himself up with such speed that one would have thought he had been tossed into a vat of boiling lava, water dripping from the ends of his claws, his impeccable clothing, his long, silver-white hair. Looking distinctly undignified, and rather soaked, Sesshoumaru gaped at her with such a mixture of rage and astonishment that she could not help laughing at the thoroughly offended demon.

"I forgot to tell you...," she began, but gave up speaking as she was consumed by a fit of giggles.

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The heavy door was flung roughly open, banging resoundingly against the stone wall behind it with the sound of wood that was dangerously close to splintering. Surprised by the outburst, Inutaisho turned to see a drenched Sesshoumaru enter the house, hauling Midoriko mercilessly behind him as he crossed the threshhold into the house. The young demon shoved her toward his father, releasing his death grip on her arm, eyes blazing.

"Your guest, Father," he snarled before storming down the hallway that led to his own room, trailing puddles of water across the wood floors with each infuriated step.

Inutaisho turned wordlessly to regard Midoriko who walked hesitantly forward, looking as though she was trying desperately to bite back a smile. "Gomen nasai," she apologized, bowing slightly toward the demon lord and his guest. "I wouldn't ask him about it. He's rather sensitive...," she warned as seriously as she could manage, gesturing helplessly toward the hallway down which Sesshoumaru had disappeared.

Nodding his understanding of Sesshoumaru's easily-summoned temper, Inutaisho gestured toward the thin, darkly-clothed man beside him and provided the introduction. Ashrem was rather nondescript-looking and obviously human, shaggy dark hair, intelligent black eyes, robes of deep blue pulled together with a black sash. Midoriko's eyes fell to his hands, one of which was encased in a black glove. Almost immediately, she found there was something about him that she didn't like, but couldn't place the unfounded feeling of mistrust as she listened to his voice, smooth and calm, soothing, but there was something...

He took a step toward her, onyx eyes dropping from her face to the sword hanging snugly against her hip. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Midoriko. I have heard of your abilities and felt compelled to meet the girl who was entrusted with so fine a weapon. Lord Inutaisho's trust in you must be great."

"Inutaisho-sama has been very kind to me and to my village," Midoriko diplomatically replied, somehow not wanting to say any more than she had to. What is this feeling? she wondered. It was unprovoked and, determined to squash it before the man was able to catch onto it, she plastered a polite smile across her lips. "It is because of him...and your medicine...that my brother and several other villagers are alive today." She cast a grateful look at the youkai lord, who ushered them outside to the railed platform that surrounded the entirety of the vast house. Midoriko had been shocked by the sheer size and scale of the place in comparison to her own home. It sprawled across the forest clearing as though making a statement of its own dominion, meticulously cared for, ancient and comprised of wooden beams and stone construction. At first she had tried to imagine dozens of generations of little youkai pups being raised within its walls and she could not help but wonder how the house, impressive as it was, had survived such an onslaught.

"And your village chief would like to see the herbs grown on your lands?" Ashrem repeated what he had been told by Inutaisho, jarring Midoriko's attention back to him as he folded his arms across the railing, gazing out at the fields and wild forests that encapsulated the compound, blanketing it from the sight and knowledge of anyone who did not already know it was there.

"Yes, sir. It would be far more convenient than having to bother Inutaisho-sama. We would, of course, be willing to pay whatever..."

"Nonsense. I am more than happy to aid your village. The slayers do fine work, protecting the towns around them as they do. It is they who should be rewarded."

Midoriko was surprised by this, for Ashrem had struck her as the type of man who knew how to make a business arrangement to his advantage. She glanced at Inutaisho, who was standing off to the side and looking out over his grounds, allowing his guests to handle the conversation between themselves. She knew, though, that he was listening with that scary, demonic sense of hearing he had, and she wondered what he was thinking....

She turned her attention back to Ashrem again, voicing polite protest at his offer. "That's very kind of you, but I'm certain my village would insist on compensating you for your help." He said nothing to that for several moments and she watched as he absently rubbed his gloved hand, wondering if he covered it because of disfigurement or injury.

"I will leave that matter for your people to decide, Midoriko," he finally replied with measured calm, sounding unconcerned. "It will take me a short amount of time to gather everything, but I shall bring all that you'll need as soon as I am able."

She nodded at that and expressed her gratitude, trying to quell her rising doubts about his character. How much kinder could he be than to offer his help with no strings attached? In any case, he appeared to be a friend of Inutaisho-sama's and that, she decided, would be enough for her to trust him as well.

As Ashrem again struck up a conversation with Inutaisho, Midoriko gazed out at the sinking sun, enjoying the last golden rays of warmth as it began to sink behind the treescape, beautiful to the point of mesmerizing. This place radiated such tranquility that it was wonderful just to watch it fade into twilight. Leaning against one of the wooden beams supporting the roof, listening to a mixture of chirping insects, low male voices, and trickling water from the nearby pond, Midoriko's thoughts circled within her head, comfortably absorbing the serene atmosphere.

Her thoughts fell to Sesshoumaru then, wishing that he was there to see what she was seeing instead of off sulking somewhere inside that house. How proud he must be, to be the heir to such a place as this, as well as all the land that extended for miles and miles beyond what she would ever see in her lifetime. If not ownership in its strictest sense, then possession rooted in ancient history, an old pact between factions of demons, the resulting position brought on by the responsibility that came with being descended from among the strongest of those youkai. He and Inutaisho-sama were renowned, respected, and feared by youkai and human alike, for they had proven themselves entirely capable of annihilating any threat that posed itself to the west. For Inutaisho-sama, protecting his lands extended to even the humans who resided within his boundaries, something that Sesshoumaru claimed to disagree with. Still, Midoriko felt certain that Sesshoumaru, too, would defend the humans in his territory if forced to do so, if for no other reason than to remind an invading force who was boss.

She smiled faintly, hearing his voice, which always rang with such unapologetic confidence and conceit. He was so complicated, so complex, and yet he tried to present himself in the simplest terms possible: cold, ruthless, emotionless Sesshoumaru. Midoriko was certain he had far more depth than that, which would no doubt irritate the hell out of him, but his actions spoke far louder than his supposed indifference. She remembered all of the effort he had put into ensuring that she learned to use the sword correctly, going above and beyond his father's orders. He despised humans, yet the unprovoked death of one at his hands had never reached her ears. Sesshoumaru was indeed vastly different from his father, but Midoriko did not fear for the safety of those around her when he ascended to Inutaisho-sama's position. In fact, it would be comforting to know that everything would fall into his hands.

Surprised at the sudden warm thoughts her mind was expounding about the young demon, Midoriko feared that perhaps she was beginning to like him a little too much. He was exactly what she would never want and yet she could not deny how happy she felt when she would suddenly hear his voice out of nowhere, how proud she always was to show him her new accomplishments. He often claimed that she was an annoying brat, a complete waste of skin, but over the past year, the bite in his tone had slowly dissipated. Midoriko did not fool herself in the least in thinking that he harbored any romantic notions toward her, but she hoped that he at least considered them to be on friendly terms...if grudgingly.

She decided that it would probably be best for her to apologize to him for the earlier dunking in the stream, but before that thought even finished itself, a sudden flash of warning shot through her brain, making her blink in surprise. Her head swiveled automatically toward the south, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Inutaisho-sama was tensed and still, as though deciphering his own senses.

Tiger youkai, Midoriko guessed, feeling a rush of movement behind her as Sesshoumaru joined them, dry-clothed once more and all-business as he peered out into the dimming skies.

"How many do you think?" she asked, automatically reaching down to feel for the hilt of her sword. Strange how something she had not wanted in the beginning had become such an instrument of comfort.

"A couple dozen, probably," Inutaisho answered calmly, eyes sliding through the dark to rest on Sesshoumaru's face.

"And they've brought their damned pets," Sesshoumaru added, flexing his claws, and Midoriko decided he looked nearly gleeful, possessed by some restless anticipation.

She looked upward into the distant sky and found that she was just able to make out a group of several somethings rushing across the heavens, headed directly for their position, a wave of orange flames trailing in their wake. "Shouldn't we...call your army or something?" she awkwardly questioned Sesshoumaru.

"We are the army, brat. And what is this 'we'? Stay here and mind your own business," he snapped the order and, without waiting for a reply from her, vaulted the railing right behind Inutaisho. Both demons evaporated into the dark wall of the surrounding forest, clearly intent on meeting the invaders in a place that would not put their home at risk.

Uncertainty over what she should do warred within her for several moments, but then Midoriko's less rational side won out, prompting her to pause long enough to warn a rather bewildered-looking Ashrem. "Perhaps you should stay here. It'll be safer." And then, purposefully defying Sesshoumaru, she set off after her hosts.