InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Roses and Wind Chimes ❯ Butterflies ( Chapter 1 )

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Chapter One

 

Butterflies

 

 

 

(FYI—Thank Hellfyrre and V3lvetnight for their excellent beta jobs. Sesshoumaru's arm has regenerated. This may appear to be a Mary Sue, but you will learn that it is not. The female character is not what she seems.)

 

 

 

 

 

She had first spotted him while perched high in a fir tree, safely hidden from view by the thick dressing of pine needles. Even before the youkai came into view, she could sense the power radiating from him. Perhaps he was the one that would save her.

 

Oh, his beauty was unmatched! In all of her millennia, she had never seen such a stunning creature. There was no mistake. The sign of fertility was plain for all to see. His silver hair which flowed around him, full and flowing to his knees, marked him as such. The strength of his body and mind was obvious in his perfect stance and placid demeanor. The power of his spirit swirled around his form and wandered out into the surrounding area. That was no surprise considering that he carried the marks of the ancients. The blue crescent moon on his forehead, the maroon stripes slashing across his cheeks and wrapped around his wrists, were a testament to his status.

 

Yes, he was the one. He could save her. The only requirement was the desire to do so. She hoped beyond hope that she could convince him.

 

 

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It had been trailing him for weeks now. Had it been an ordinary butterfly, the thing should have been dead, if not because of a normal butterfly's life span, then for the fact that it was well past the first frost. However, Sesshoumaru's curiosity got the better of him.

 

The thing, whatever it was, had not attacked. His worry over possible harm to his teenage, human ward, Rin, had eased. It was possible that the powerful scent of roses and the strange sound that it emitted were soothing him to the point of carelessness. The soft sound of chimes drifted through the air on many occasions, too high pitched for anyone without his sensitive hearing to notice. It seemed to call to him. Yet, he ignored it. Who was this creature to request his presence, his cooperation? It didn't even have the courage to show its true form.

 

Strawberry shaded, blonde wings fluttered in the breeze behind his little group. As with Rin, Jakken, his toad servant, was completely oblivious. Sesshoumaru had noticed his faithful steed, the two-headed dragon, Ah Uhn, glancing back. Perhaps it was a being known to the dragon realm because Ah Uhn didn't seem to be concerned about their tiny stalker.

 

He had tested the false butterfly, transforming into his ball of energy and speeding away, only to find that it was still behind him when he returned to his bipedal form. He hadn't failed to observe the almost imperceptible trail of powder that the creature had left behind. The color of the substance mimicked that of the creature's wings. It also smelled of tea roses. His tests and observations left him with only one conclusion. This being was not what it seemed, and it wanted him, for what purpose, he knew not.

 

The growing chill in the air prompted Sesshoumaru to find an area warmed by the steam of a hot spring. It would not do to cause the child that he had adopted to become ill due to his negligence. He had put her in harm's way and nearly lost her many times until he understood that he truly cared for her and that his heart would not allow any harm to come to her again.

 

Rin was no longer allowed to leave the group in order to search for food. Providing sustenance, safety, shelter of a sort, and appropriate clothing had become his responsibility. After gaining the knowledge that he would no longer be able to revive her with his sword, Tenseiga, should she die again, he was very circumspect in his care of her, even to the point of mentally logging the various locations of human healers.

 

To his dismay, he also learned that his sword would only obey his attacks when he actually felt concern for the loss of a marauder's life. His life of disrespect for every living creature was over. Now he was chained and weakened by these despicable emotions. There was no choice in the matter. If he were to be strong enough to wield Tenseiga's power in order to protect Rin, he had to sacrifice who he once was. He had to bow down to something that he could not control. And it left a sour taste in his mouth.

 

Now, this thing…this creature called out to him on a daily basis. There were no words, but he could hear the pleading in the simple chimes. It wanted his help, wanted him to care…wanted to lure him into another trap that would weaken the walls around his heart even further. It was beginning to grate on his nerves. Perhaps he should just kill it and be done. However, he knew that Tenseiga would not allow it. In fact, when the entity fluttered within less than ten feet of the group, the sword took to pulsing, as though prompting him to follow that accursed being. The agitation it caused was unacceptable and he would soon find out what this thing wanted from him and be rid of the annoying intrusion.

 

Who would have thought that after dispatching his most powerful enemy, the evil that was Naraku, he would be assaulted just as heavily by a creature that was just as annoying simply by the charm of its soothing scent and the pleasing sound of its melodious intonations?

 

He was cursed. That's all there was to it.

 

Rin huddled close to Sesshoumaru's feet in front of a newly built fire and curled up into her blanket while Jakken began to snooze under a nearby tree. The dragon lay some few feet away. All was quiet, even the chimes had ceased. The relief and mesmerizing flames soon lulled Sesshoumaru into a relaxed state of inner calm.

 

Many hours into the night, his peace was disturbed by the soft calling of wind chimes. This time, he would heed the call. He would find this creature and wring its neck until it bled its secrets. With this in mind, he followed the sound and scent, now accompanied by a small light, dancing through the air a few yards in front of him. Its effect on him was disquieting and disturbing. It made him feel…warm.

 

The closer he came to the light, the harder his heart beat against his chest. Anticipation had him speeding up his normally casual footsteps. It didn't help that Tenseiga had begun to pulse. Anger brewed in the back of his mind, anger at his loss of control. This thing was affecting him in ways in which his dormant side reveled. This could not be allowed to continue.

 

Sesshoumaru hastened his pace, anxious to overcome this obstacle so that he could return to his normal routine. Finally, he was only steps away from this creature and the increasing intensity of its song. Coming out of the shadows of the trees, he stepped into a very small meadow. In its center, tiny wings, lit to a shimmering incandescence by the rays of the moon, fluttered frantically, as though time were running out. It danced and sang, pleading. But for what, Sesshoumaru had no idea. The only way to find out was to approach. And he did so, with exceeding caution. He never underestimated the unknown and would not start now.

 

The creature did not change its position, level with his eyes, when he halted a mere two feet away. He could feel no animosity emanating from it. Attempting intimidation, he tested it by glaring until it dropped and had the audacity to tickle his right hand with its wings. Wanting to be done with this charade and believing that he understood, he stretched out his right arm and raised his hand, opening his palm. It settled on the tip of his middle finger and began to ignite with a luminescence that momentarily blinded him to the point that he had to close his eyes. Once the light diminished, he opened his eyes as he wondered what he was about to see.

 

Standing before him was the most divine, exquisite, and alluring female he had ever seen.

 

 

 

 

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TBC

Thank you for reading and reviewing

 

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*Disclaimer*

 

Inuyasha and all associated characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I make no profit from this story, nor do I intend to. My only goal is to occupy my demented mind with delusions of actually owning a life-sized, anatomically correct Sesshoumaru.