Chapter 1 - Enter Kyoko

Kyoko took in the warm brilliance of the morning sun, alone, as she had been for these four years. [ So, is this really what my life has become? I let one person come so dear to my heart that once they had left me I couldn't bear to stay in my own home? But, what is my home? My father and mother are dead, that is how they have been for the last twenty-three years, since my half-dead mother brought me, her only daughter, to be raised by humans. She had no other choice; she died soon after she arrived. But… life wasn't so bad. After all, the humans who raised me took me in as one of their own, even though I am an Inu yokai. Mother, she was fortunate to have been able to speak some of the language in this place, and I have come to only know this language. What I knew of my native language has been long forgotten… I have been taught in the same ways as a human monk, but that doesn't help me much. The humans who raised me seemed hypocritical when telling me how I should behave, not drink and to be 'holy' as they put it. They weren't bad people; in fact, I loved my human 'father' and my human brother. I wonder if my brother is still living, or perhaps he has died as well… He did have a pretty impossible task that he set in front of himself, trying to lift some curse that had been placed upon his family two generation's prior, the same curse that killed his father… But, maybe I'll see my brother once again…]

Kyoko gently felt the necklace that was hidden from sight, just under her kimono, the necklace that her brother had given to her as a gift. She hesitated as she felt the wind change direction. She caught the scent of blood in the air, some miles away.

[Interesting… I think… I'll go see what happened]. Kyoko turned to the direction that the scent seemed strongest. She leapt from the tree that she had used for a bed for that night to another tree, and so on, in the direction of the scent; she glided through the trees with years of practiced speed and efficiency.

When she finally reached the source of the scent, she was awestruck by the beauty the man possessed, despite the fact that he was severely injured and covered in his own blood. Kyoko hesitated to approach him, not sure if he was strong enough to attack or not. She needed not the answer when she saw how many other yokai there were sitting in the surrounding area, waiting to eat the man alive. [I… I think I'll help him. ] Kyoko leapt from the tree to the ground in front of the man. She pointed her right hand toward a bush a few feet away from them. Her hand soon glowed with a violet tone and a flash of light shot from her hand and into the bush, burning the bush and piercing through the beast hiding in it. As she flexed her right hand, she heard the other yokai scurry away. She smiled back at the man who lay nearly helpless, his left arm severed and his kimono covered in his own blood. She examined his looks for the first time. If he were standing, he would have been rather tall, his hair long and silver, his eyes a piercing amber, and finally, there were markings on his face, two lavender stripes on each cheek and a violet crescent moon upon his forehead.

"What do you want?" The man inquired with a snarl in his tone.

Kyoko, momentarily shocked by this man's rudeness, was tempted to slap him for his tone. She shook her anger and tore a strip of material from her kimono. "Who are you?"

The man growled out a name, but Kyoko couldn't understand what he had said.

"Perhaps you could say it more clearly."

The man growled yet again, but cleared his throat and answered her initial question. "I said, 'Sesshoumaru'. Understand now?"

Kyoko nodded. "Let me see you arm there, I'll bandage it so that the bleeding will stop."

Reluctantly, Sesshoumaru pulled the sleeve of his kimono away from his body, exposing part of his chest and what was left of his left arm. He watched her in contempt as she wrapped the cloth around his bleeding stump of an arm. [Who does she think she is, dropping in on me, taking pity upon me like this? I need no one's sympathy, especially not that of a woman's. Her rudeness dumbfounds me-she expects to know my name, but am I not to know hers?]

The woman reached into a sack that she had been carrying and withdrew an herb, which she applied to his arm. "Kyoko."

"What?"

"My name is Kyoko. You seemed as though you were pondering my name."

"Why would I care? Your name is of no consequence to me."

"Keh. With that attitude, your health is of absolutely no consequence to me, or anyone else for that matter, I'm sure."

Sesshoumaru turned away from Kyoko, not sure how to respond. Kyoko grinned, but said nothing. Finally, Kyoko tenderly patted Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "There, I'm done." Kyoko smiled as she awaited his answer. Several minutes passed and she still received no reply. Frustrated, Kyoko walked around to the other side of Sesshoumaru in order to look him directly in the face. However, she understood why it was that he hadn't replied-he was asleep. Kyoko smiled at the sleeping figure before her. [Sesshoumaru, huh? I like that name…It's sounds-]

"What have you done to Sesshoumaru-sama???"

Kyoko glanced down at the vile being that had disrupted her thoughts. It was some type of toad yokai and ugly as hell. It soon angered at her disgusted expression and waved a staff that was almost as ugly as the toad yokai in Kyoko's face. "What magic have you done to Sesshoumaru-sama???"

"I have bandaged his wound. He fell asleep on his own."

"What do you want of my master-and why do you smell so much like human??"

Anger rose into Kyoko's face. "WORM!!! You know not to whom you speak!"

"You-You aren't a hanyou, are you?"

Kyoko kicked the beast out of frustration. "NO! I am full blooded Inu yokai." Kyoko considered killing the small beast for a few moments, but soon realized that such an action would not ride well with Sesshoumaru. "Tell me, slug, why did you not stay with your master in his weakened condition?"

"I was retrieving-"

"Insolent beast! When I arrived, Sesshoumaru was surrounded by other yokai; they were ready to devour him in his weakened state." Kyoko mentally cursed herself for having bought her kimono from a human village. What would she do if this toad were to tell Sesshoumaru that he caught wind of the human scent that her clothing reeked of? What's more, when Sesshoumaru is to awaken, what would he think if he caught wind of that vile smell? It was likely that Sesshoumaru would disapprove of a yokai smelling like human. It would not seem proper to him, just as was the case with other yokai. "Toad, can you be trusted to watch over your master while I am away?"

"And how long shall that be, wench?"

Kyoko knelt down upon her knees, indicating with her gestures that she was going to tell the toad her plan. Instead, she gifted him with a strike on the top of his head, via her fist. "I'll be back before sunset. If you are not here when it is that I return, then your life shall be the forfeit." Saying no more, Kyoko walked away. Shortly, she reached a river. [It's too rough here; I'll go further upstream. ] Kyoko placed her satchel underneath a tree near the water's edge. Then, she removed her kimono and thrust it into the river to clean it. Within moments, all scent was removed from the cloth and she secured it on the branch of a nearby tree. She then proceeded to submerge herself in the water. [I can't go back there smelling like a human.] Kyoko shivered as she leaned against a boulder to gather her thoughts. [What am I doing? How did I get myself in the middle of this? For all I know, he could be in the middle of an all-out war, with the way he was injured, and I don't even know him! Yet, if all goes well…] Kyoko smiled to herself. [... Perhaps all of my trouble will lead me to know him better… but… if he does hate humans as most other yokai do, what of my human family? Would I act so ashamed to see them as I have with the scent on my kimono?] Kyoko shook her head, determined not to allow herself to over-think things. [But, after what happened before, will I really let myself ever get so close to someone again?]

Kyoko finished bathing herself, determined not to allow her mind to wander again. She stepped out of the water and squeezed the moisture from her hair. She leapt to a cluster of boulders that sat somewhat higher than the rest and lay down atop them, allowing her nude figure to be dried by the sun. After she had dried, Kyoko pulled her hair into a tie and then redressed herself. She picked up her satchel and began to head back towards where she had left Sesshoumaru. She stopped when she was about halfway to her destination to hunt. She had caught the scent of a wild boar not too far from herself, so she leapt into the trees to reach it faster. She found it, and within moments, the beast was slain. She threw the creature over her back, and continued to her destination point. She threw the boar down when she returned and looked upon Sesshoumaru's sleeping form. [He looks so sweet and innocent like that… like a little child, almost.] "Toad, has Sesshoumaru awoken while I was gone?"

"No, M'lady."

Kyoko chuckled. "So you've decided to respect me after all, eh?"

The small yokai answered her question with a dirty look.

"Oh well. He should awaken at any moment now, fetch some firewood so that we are able to cook our food and not eat as beasts do."

The toad continued glaring at Kyoko, but did as he was told, fearing that if she were to strike him again, he would not live to tell the tale. When he returned, he saw that Sesshoumaru had awoken and was, much to his distaste, conversing with Kyoko. She smiled at him when she spoke and seemed as though she'd never quiet her rambling about her life's history. The toad growled lowly to himself and dropped a handful of firewood between the two, as though to separate them. He stepped back, facing Kyoko, and lit the fire with his staff. The flames licked at Kyoko's face as though to beckon her into their heat. Kyoko pulled herself away from the fire and retrieved the boar she had killed for the purpose to be their dinner.

Kyoko sliced the beast's belly open with her claws and pulled out the entrails, throwing them some distance into the forest. She then skinned the animal and set it over the fire to cook. When the meat had been thoroughly cooked, she withdrew it from the fire and, using her claws once more, cut the meat into three portions: The head and neck-bones, then the rest was split down the spine in half. Kyoko threw the head to the toad, and handed Sesshoumaru one of the halves.

Sesshoumaru did not hesitate to take the food; he had not eaten for the past two days. As he was nearly done with his dinner, so graciously given to him, he began to question Kyoko's character. [Who is she? What does she want? Why did she save me? What hidden reasons has she got? Though… she does seem worthwhile to have about… And she-no-I won't be tricked by the likes of a woman ever again. I won't make the same type of mistake my brother made. He was struck down by a woman whom he claimed to love. I warned him when I saw the path his life would likely take; he didn't listen. But, does all 'love' end in sorrow?] Sesshoumaru shifted his gaze towards Kyoko. It was some several minutes later that their eyes met and both quickly looked away from one another. Sesshoumaru cursed himself when he realized that he was blushing like a young child. [What is it about this woman? Granted, she is beautiful, but beauty is typically only skin deep… isn't it?]

Kyoko turned completely around; her face flushed red. [The last time I felt like this… was when I met Satoru… I… I…No… It can't be right. I vowed to myself that I'd never love another. But, what if Sesshoumaru-sama is different from Satoru-san?] Kyoko quickly finished her food and turned back toward Sesshoumaru. "So… are you, eh, feeling any better?"

Sesshoumaru looked at Kyoko blankly for a moment, then realized that she was inquiring about his arm. "Yes. My arm seems to be recovering quite well."

Kyoko smiled. "Yukata. Now the next obstacle you should have to overcome will be learning to maneuver without that arm. If you would like, I could help you by letting you spar with me tomorrow."

Sesshoumaru looked Kyoko directly in the eyes. "I need no one."

Kyoko felt herself anger with Sesshoumaru slightly. "If you needed no one, then how the hell did you get into this situation???"

"I did not ask of your help."

Kyoko could not longer hold in her anger. "You lying BASTARD!!!"

"I-Keh, never mind, woman. I have not the patience for your insolence."

Kyoko clenched her fist. "MY INSOLENCE??? If I had pleased, I could have left you there for the wild beasts to eat! All I have gotten so far is your rudeness! The least you could have done by now is to say 'Thank You'!"

Sesshoumaru looked away from Kyoko's angry eyes. [Why should I feel guilty? She came to me of her own reasoning. Why do I care if she becomes angry with me? Stupid bitch wouldn't understand the way I am even if she were to stay with me for a year…]

Kyoko crossed her arms, knowing that she would not receive a reply. "I'm going to sleep now." Kyoko leapt to a tree some several feet away from Sesshoumaru with a forked branch that made for a convenient bed.

Sesshoumaru watched Kyoko as she prepared herself to sleep. He examined her looks for the first time; She was about 5'6", had long, bluish hair, and soft blue eyes. What perplexed Sesshoumaru most was her facial markings, two stripes that extended from the bottom of her jaw to the center of her cheeks, and a blood-red diamond-shaped marking on the center of her forehead, unlike any markings he had seen in all of the country. The kimono she was wearing was a simple white material, with an embroidered black rose on the left side of her chest. The kimono itself was rather tattered; it had seen many battles, but few tailors. Sesshoumaru smiled, in spite of himself, at her now sleeping form. He was grateful that she had helped him as she had, but he was unwilling to admit it. If he were to admit it, she would take him as a fool after the act he had put on minutes before. Sesshoumaru sighed and leaned back upon the base of the tree he had sat in front of for most of the day, hiding in the forest. He relaxed himself so that he would also be able to sleep; his body needed the rest to recover from his injuries.