InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yellow Brick Road ❯ And So It Begins ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: And so it Begins

It had been two days since the start of the journey north. The group consisted of an inu tai-youkai, three fire elementals, two other inu youkai, and finally a human miko. Well she was not really a human, but miko was still an accurate term.

It had taken Sesshoumaru just over a half a day to secure his domain. Inuyasha was to remain behind as regent, Jaken his advisor.

Mother had woken shortly after the incident on the training grounds demanding the miko’s head. When she tried to obtain her own justice, the shadows made their presence known. The problem was that more than the soldiers were in witness of this event. Mother rapidly was gaining the sway she needed to justify her early attack.

*Flash back*

Things were rapidly spiraling out of control. She was ranting about how the kuro miko, the dark priestess, would bring them all to ruin. Sesshoumaru was limited in how he could respond because the one leveling the charges was his mother. Damn societal rules, and damn his father for not killing the bitch when he had a chance.

Surprisingly it was Inuyasha who had stomped out the flames. He had reappeared when he understood the reasons behind Kagome’s words. She was still trying to protect him from the flaws of Kikyou. Kagome had always understood his need to place Kikyou on a pedestal.

“You dare, bitch, to question your alpha? You dare to call for harm of one that your alpha has stated is to be protected? Do you wish to find yourself outside of your alpha’s protection?”

Sesshoumaru watched as his mother bristled at the words coming from the talking reminder of her own failure. He could see her trudge forward in her righteous fury. “I am the mother of the Lord.”

“Feh. You are the breeder of the previous lord, AND you were cast off when he found another he desired as mate. You are nothing.”

“And what are you, hanyou?”

Sesshoumaru was done; he had things that needed to be taken care of. With a loud snarl that brought the attention of all, Sesshoumaru decreed. “He is the second son of the Great Inu no Taisho. He is Regent to this domain. You would do well heed the advice of not angering your betters, mother.” Sesshoumaru turned to enter the complex. “Inuyasha, come. Miko, follow.”

All three entered the complex, the two sons of Inu no Taisho side by side, and the miko three steps behind.

*End Flashback*

Inuyasha had been reluctant to stay behind, but finally understood that both he and Sesshoumaru could not go. Since the traveling party would have to travel into another lord’s domain, it made more sense for Sesshoumaru to go being the more diplomatic of the two.

The fire elementals had been chosen as precautionary measure, should Kagome lose control of the shadows; at least there was a chance to contain them. While all three had been loyal to the west since the beginning of his father’s reign, none accepted their duty without hesitation. They could not deny their lord’s summons, but no sane youkai would be thrilled about the idea of accompanying the shadows back to the forbidden island. To make matters worse, they were to look after a powerful miko. No, this situation screamed disaster.

The two inu youkai soldiers were there because they had volunteered. Kuro saw this as an excellent opportunity to prove himself in the eyes of his lord. He was an ambitious young soldier that did not want to wait for his advancement. If there was a mission to volunteer for, he was always at the front requesting the honor. He was not greedy; he just had no other option. His father had loved many females, siring many offspring. Kuro was determined to rise above his parentage.

Tadashi volunteered because of the miko herself. He had been behind the leader of the rebels when she released the wave of purification. As the burn started to engulf him, he believed himself dead. His only thought was of regret for not being able to make amends with his brother. Suddenly the burning ceased, and as the though the miko herself recognized him, she was there telling him to close out his mind. Curiosity got the better of him, so he did not follow the direction completely, the pain and anguish that he felt coming from the little miko made his heart ache for her. He wondered why she was exposing the enemy to this torture, and then he understood that it was only way for her draw the shadow within her light. He swore then, that he would find a way to become her personal guard. He had never met one in more need of finding forgiveness.

Sesshoumaru headed the traveling party, the miko walked in the middle, the three elementals taking up positions to enclose her in the center of them, and the inu guards following up in the rear of the group.

Two days of traveling at the human’s pace. This journey was going to take forever and Sesshoumaru had not found a good source to take his boredom out on. He had never thought he would miss arduous task of maintaining the paperwork of his domain. Forward he walked into the slowly changing scenery of the countryside.

The miko was singing again, and again she was insisting on doing it in a language he had never heard. He was amazed that she was using a language he had never heard of before. By the way she struggled with some of the words it was obviously not her native tongue. He was listening more closely now. A language seemed to be a combination of several different ones he had encountered in his travels of youth.

This was really becoming tiresome. The miko harbored more secrets than the whole of Japan. He had never been clear on her origins. When the matter was pressed, Inuyasha just replied that she could no longer return to her home; neither could anyone else ever travel to it. He was beginning to question why he agreed to the protection of this miko when he knew so little about her personally. Well if he was to be honest with himself, he did not care about the details. She was beneath him. At the time, he was willing to offer his protection for the remaining thirty to forty remaining years of her life in order to secure his domain. He really should have pressed Inuyasha for more answers.

Her voice was pleasant; well actually, it was very soothing. However, the tune she was singing seemed to be rather dark. The song annoyed him more than anything did. The melody depressed him, and he was worried if it was, having this kind affect on him then what was it doing to the others. Focusing on the others of the traveling group, he noticed the elementals were extremely edgy. One guard, Kuro he believed, was tense and nervous, and as his swept over the other guard, Sesshoumaru’s step almost faltered. Why was this guard exuding signs of curiousness and fascination?

Tadashi had been studying the miko the entire journey. One of the first things he noticed was that she did not smell right for a human. Apparently, this miko had figured out a way to avoid death. It was probably not easily accomplished. The more he watched her and the little interaction she was allowed with the group, he was confused as to why a miko would seek out immortality. Her soul was so obviously tortured by life.

Then he was trying to understand how this little slip of a girl managed to control the shadow. Never had anyone been able to stay in direct contact with them and not fall prey. That is why so many from the West were lost during the great banishment so many millennia ago. He serious doubted that all miko could accomplish this feat.

Tadashi had not encountered very many humans in his life. Those that he had seen promptly ran screaming in the other direction, or stood frozen in place while they defecated on themselves. He had not been very impressed with the species as a whole. They were weak, brittle, died from far too many things, and seemed incredibly stupid. Intellectually he knew that at least some of them had to have some intelligence for their current way of living. It was the humans, not youkai that began cultivating the earth. It made sense; they were far too vulnerable to be roaming the constantly the land constantly searching for food.

As annoying as humans were, there was still the fact that they occupied the lower youkai’s attention. That was a pleasant side effect of their existence. Their ordor was not, but at least this one smelled very nice. She was also powerful enough that it was laced into her scent. Even most youkai never reached that level of power.

The more he watched her, the more he realized that she did not want the power; she did not accept it. It seemed as if it had been forced upon her and she could barely contain it within her small body. Instinct told him to run from this pile of fireworks left carelessly too close to the fire. He trusted his instincts, but he also knew that as long as he was not provoked he was not a slave to them. His breeding did not allow him absolute control over his instincts, but his mind and beast both recognized that this little miko would not take those around her down. She would fight with everything she had to ensure her companions’ safety.

It finally struck him that this miko knew nothing of instinct, for if she did then she surely would not be willing to sacrifice herself for those she had just met. The main drive of instincts was to ensure survival. No, she did not seem to care for own survival. The second factor was procreation. As far as Tadashi could determine the miko had never taken steps towards those ends.
He smelled no male mixed with her scent. It was not a fool proof method of determining if a female had ever lain with a male, but the male’s scent would stay mixed with the female’s scent for years. That was true for youkai, however he did not know if it would be for a human.

Yet, there were still other signs to point to innocence. The first night she had a pleasant dream that caused her scent to spike with arousal, it was to the point where even the elementals were made aware of it. Their lord was aware of the attention she was drawing to herself. Displaying his displeasure with the other males, he snarled loud enough to wake the cause of the problem. Once she had oriented herself, her eyes fell on the lord. She instantly knew that all in the group were very aware of what she had dreamed. Immediately she whimpered in embarrassment, tucking further in on herself. The smell of her arousal was replaced with the smell of her embarrassment and fear. Tadashi had been around enough to realize her reaction was common for a female that had very limited experience with males.

She was interesting. She was old for a human not to have been chased after by males. Maybe she had not been because she was a miko. He did not understand the social rules of the humans, whatever the reason, he was very sure she was still pure.

Kagome changed to another song, pulling Tadashi out of his quest to discover her sexual activity history. Again, it was a tune filled with anguish and pain, and again it was not in a language any recognized. Kagome was something of a savant when it came to music. She only had to hear it once to be able to duplicate it. It was a talent that her mother did not notice, not until just after her father died. Kagome was glad because her ability was not exploited. It just developed naturally.

The singing was to help her control the shadows. There were so many of them and they were so hungry. She had promised that they would have all they needed as soon as their home was reached. Trust, however, was not a concept that the shadows had any understanding of, especially since she had admitted to her role in their current situation. Her admission was best. There was no way she would have been able to hide it. There were just so many of them. Moreover, damn, they enjoyed talking to one outside of their kind.

She needed the silence so bad. She needed to maintain her center in order to ensure she did not corrupt herself further. She needed so many things that she would never get. The longing was building again. She needed to be stronger. She needed to focus on something other than her own selfish desires.

Fate, apparently, decided not to be a bitch today. Kagome stopped walking, a true smile gracing her features. Sending her gratitude towards the Kami and fate, although she still wanted to have a throw down with fate, she was now finding hope again.

She focused on the tai youkai standing in front of her. “My lord, I have a purpose beyond that hill.”

“Hn.”

“Please, my lord,” her smiling face began to falter.

“Miko, your duty is the banished.”

“Yes, my lord. However, at this rate, that duty is doomed to fail. Beyond that hill is a means to success.”

Sesshoumaru focused his sense in the direction she indicated. There was a minor skirmish going on between a family of fox youkai and spider youkai. It was rare for spiders to cooperate with each other, but it occurred their opponents stood little chance. The foxes were all but wiped out. The one remaining was a kit, though he was putting up a valiant effort, he would lose. Dawning occurred in Sesshoumaru’s mind as he realized why she would want to get involved.

“That kit is not him. The one you remember is long since dead.”

She recoiled from his words, “I know my own failures my lord. I also know I cannot walk away. I am asking my alpha to allow me to be whom and what I am.”

Sesshoumaru gathered by her stance that there was something she was not telling him. Her needing to hide things from him was truly aggravating. “This Sesshoumaru knows you are a miko. A miko does not interfere in between youkai and their affairs. If the kit is meant to survive then it will on its own strength.”

Her anger was rising. The arrogant dog in front of her would deny her the right to serve her purpose. “This wench is not a miko by any meaning that is known today. She has a purpose beyond that hill. If she fails in doing said purpose then she will fail in her current journey.” He was not taking her words or attitude well. She knew she would have to be the one to bend, averting her eyes to the forest floor, baring her neck in submission. “Please, my lord. The shadows need to eat. There are too many for me to control the feeding off myself. Besides, banded spiders are a threat to all.”

“Hn.” Sesshoumaru began walking in the direction he knew the battle was occurring.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

It did not take long to come to where the spiders were circling around the scared kit. Sesshoumaru was wondering when he had become so soft as to allow an annoying miko to dictate where he would go. While he was still deep within this contemplation, the miko moved past him.

The kit was fighting for all of his worth, but it was obvious he was about to collapse from exhaustion. Kagome stood in the shaded area right before her companions. Luck was on her side: all she traveled with as well as the kit were standing in light.

Dropping the barrier that she was using to ensure that the shadows stayed with her, she allowed all of them to rush at the unsuspecting prey. Those behind her knew the importance of staying within the light; it was the kit’s possible reaction that worried her. He was too young to understand that what was now on the battlefield was only held at bay by the light.

Once the spiders erupted into eerie screams, the kit stood dumbfounded for a moment. As he realized that the spiders were no longer a threat, he began to register the presence of high-level youkai nearby. He was not strong enough to defend himself from this kind of enemy. Run.

Run. The miko bolted towards the kit when she knew that he was going to try to flee the area. Barely reaching him before he crossed to the shadows, she pulled him back by his clothes, instantly regretting the choice of harboring him close to her body. Tiny claws and fangs tore into the skin of her chest and throat.

“They will no longer hurt you, little one. You are safe.”

Her powers were on the rise to heal her own wounds. The proximity that the kit was to her allowed her healing powers to wash over him as well. The warmth that wrapped around the orphaned kit made him nuzzle in closer to its source. Kagome knew that he would listen to her warning.

“Kit, you must not go to the shadows. Right now a fate awaits there that would serve no justice for one so young.”

She moved to set the kit down, but his whimpers gave her pause. She smiled at his small face. No, he was not the one she had lost.

“I unleashed those in the dark now. I only go to undo what I have done. All will be fine.”

No, he was not the one she had lost, had failed to protect. No, he was not hers to claim. No, she could not guarantee his safety if she offered him a place. No, it would not be smart to add a small kit amongst so many strong predators. Yet above all, there was one thing. NO, she could not walk away from one so desperately in need.

Sesshoumaru wanted to roll his eyes as she took off to save the kit. He felt the urge to laugh when he saw the kit attack her; needed to groan when the kit snuggled into the miko, thereby showing he accepted her as his new protector. He itched to destroy something with her promise of the kit’s safety, and almost snarled his denial when he saw the determination in her eyes. Finally, he gained a newfound respect for his brother for not killing the wench years ago, when he realized that kit was following their traveling party.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Two hours later found the group near the northern border making camp for the evening. Kagome had just disappeared into the brush to catch her dinner. When she had finished setting up camp so that she would be comfortable for the night, she began her dinner. The first night Kagome had offered to share what she had prepared with all, but the only one to accept any hospitality was Tadashi.

Turning to the brush, the miko was seen emerging with three rabbits. Humming softly, she sat down next to the fire and began to prepare the animals. One was put over the fire, one placed in front of Tadashi, and the other was placed on the edge of the camp closest to where the kit’s aura could be felt.

Sesshoumaru had watched all her movements like a hawk, feeling the urge to throttle the girl since she should not be meddling in things she did not understand. An orphaned kit should seek out other fox youkai with the hopes that they would offer shelter and guidance.

“Miko, you will cease your encouragement of the kit.”

“My lord, I can no more ignore one in need then I can re-grow an arm.”

“DO NOT TRY MY PATIENCE.”

“My lord this is not about you.”

Towering over her, he said, “The kit is either strong enough to survive or not.”

“Rin was not, my lord.”

Growling, he replied, “Rin was worthy.”

“My lord, the kit has already proven his worth. When there was no chance of winning, he still fought. He follow this group, all of which could deliver his death, even though he may be in danger. The kit is worthy. The kit is strong, though young. But most of all the kit is not the one I failed.”

Sesshoumaru hated this girl for being right. The kit would not be a problem; he had already proven his ability to keep up, his ability to fight, and his ability of knowing when to hold fast. Damn her for being right. No, he would not turn the kit away. The miko, however, needed to be corrected for going against her superior.

What to do to her that would not be demeaning to his person, yet still prove his power over her? “The kit may stay, however no longer may you disappear from the sight of this Sesshoumaru or the guards. In addition, the kit is your responsibility. This Sesshoumaru wishes not to hear your voice for the next two days.”

She bared her neck, after nodding her head to his request. He moved back to his place by the tree. She resumed her work by the fire. The kit emerged next to the rabbit; and he looked around at all the beings before him. Kagome made eye contact with the little one, reassuring him that it was safe to proceed.

That night Kagome slept by herself, having made a separate bed for the kit to lie in. She was not going to repeat past mistakes. There would be no coddling of this little one; this one would learn to depend on only his strength.

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