Chapter 1
"Ohhhhh...My poor head..." I groaned as I sat up rubbing my poor abused head. Slowly I open my eyes and wince. The sun is bright and hurts my poor eyes. "Where am I?" I ask the empty clearing as my eyes adjust to the brightness. ' The last thing that I remember is erasing one of my fanfics. Where am I?' I think as I continue to massage my head looking around remembering that I had been on my first day off in almost two years. "Alright I'm not in Kansas any more." I said as I slowly stood. I quickly do a physical check of myself. Two legs. Check. Two arms. Check. Two sore eyeballs. Check. One flat stomach. Check...Wait...flat? I slowly run my hands across my stomach in shock. My once chubby self was no more. I acne filled face smooth. I pat my black cargo pants pockets and find one of my small hand held mirrors. I quickly hold it up to my face. It's true. My tan complexion is gone and my skin is now a pale ivory color. My dark brown eyes actually glitter in life for the first time in a long time. My face is slim and the bags beneath my eyes are gone. I look down at myself. My long sleeve black shirt that had always been too tight for me was loose and baggy now. My pants seemed to have changed with my appearance. The waist has shrunk so that they still stay on my now much thinner hips. "What has happened to me?" I ask myself as I restore my mirror back to it's pocket. I feel the hilt of my medium double blade, switch blade and feel slightly safer. I reach into another pocket and pull out the only white thing that I own. A sheer white ribbon. Still looking around I tie my shoulder blade length brown hair away from my face. This was one of those times that I wished my hair would do what I wanted it to and stay out of my face. Well can't wish for the impossible. My mask, was missing, and that had me slightly worried. How had the spell faded? It never faded.
'Arashi you sure have gotten yourself into a mess.' I think as I started to walk. But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to get scared. The air was clean and clear. Unlike the polluted and stuffy air of my home. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in. I feel the earth's energy flow through me reassuring me. Comforting me. I slowly let my already sharp senses spread taking in as much as I can. Suddenly someone speaks behind me.
"What do you think you are doing here wench?" I jump and spin around facing the person with the ice cold voice. The man I see before me almost makes me faint. His long white hair flows gently in the breeze. His armor and swords shout 'DANGER DO NOT APPROACH!' The stripes on his cheeks and crescent moon on his forehead stand out against his pale skin, but his eyes are what holds my attention. Those cold amber gold eyes that look like they could cut through diamond if they wanted stared blankly at me. I take a step back only for something to poke me in the back. I look over my shoulder to see what looks like some toad thing with a two headed staff standing behind me. "I will not repeat myself wench." the white haired man said so icily that I flinch.
"I-I wa-was just passing through" I said the best that I could. I couldn't keep my eyes from those swords. Or the one hand that I could see, trying to see if and when he would draw and use them on me. I was rarely afraid, but I didn't know where I was, this was his turf and I had no idea how my powers would work here. I glanced up at his face again to see his eyes narrow slightly.
"Who are you wench and what business do you have in my lands?" he asks his face never moving from that emotionless place that it was at.
"My name is Arashi not wench. By the way, who are you?" I ask feeling my temper boil at being called wench.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO MY LORD IN SUCH MANNER! YOU SHOULD KNOW EXCATLY WHO HE IS AND WHAT HIS POSITION IS!" the little green thing shouted jumping up and down waving his staff. Something off to the right giggled and I look up to see a little girl about the age of seven hiding in the trees. I smile gently at her.
"Touch her and your life is mine." the man said coldly. Now I was really insulted.
"HEY! GET THIS STRAIGHT! I WOULD NEVER HURT A KID. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?" I shouted glaring at the man I had my principles. All this man did was narrow his eyes even more at me.
"YOU UNGRATFUL WENCH! YOU SHOULD BE BOWING DOWN BEFORE SESSHO-MARU-SAMA THANKING HIM FOR LETTING YOU LIVE THIS LONG!" the little toad shouted.
'Wait! Sessho-maru-sama! Oh god that means that I'm in...Oh I am so dead, if now was the time, I would love to have my guns.' I thought as I put two and two together and got one dead human. "Y-You're Sess-Sessho-maru-sama? Oh god I didn't know." I said now really fearing my life.
"Hn. You will not forget now." he said in a cold voice. Then he drew the sword. Oh god I was dead. I knew that my magic and powers weren't strong enough to do anything here, I thought. Then he lunged at me. I could barely see him as he moved towards me. I did the first I could. I flung both my hands up in front of me in fear. Suddenly to my surprise and slight fear three tornadoes appeared and instantly surrounded Sessho-maru. That was new. A second later he was thrown free and with some loud crashes, into the forest. He hadn't even landed when I started running after him in fear. Somehow I reached him while he was still in mid air. My fear grew when I saw where his body was headed. The jagged rocks of the mountain side surely would kill him. Without thinking I wave my hand again. I see the air become a cushion behind him halting his progress. He falls to the ground and doesn't move. Looks like I've gotten stronger, cool. Who needs guns with this?
"OH god! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to do that." I said as I hurry to his side. He has a sharp piece of wood coming out of his abdomen, shoulder and thigh. Slowly he sits up looking extremely dazed. I don't dwell on that much and return to looking his wounds. "I am so sorry. Um...Alright...hold still and I'll get these things out." I said as I look at the one in his thigh.
"This Sessho-maru does not take help from ningens." he all but growled. I ignore it having being called and treated worse by kids my age.
"Yea, well this Arashi has to try to do something to make up for what I just did. I can not believe that I just did that." I moan to myself as I continued to check his leg. Suddenly I find myself on my back with his hand at my throat and him glaring down at me. He must not realize what position he put himself in because I could easily get him off me. I mean what's any man's weakness? Gotta love being a woman.
"What are you wench?" he said. Ok now I'm sure that he growled at me.
"I-I am a witch. And my name is not wench. It's Arashi." I said having to think fast, glaring at him the best I could which was pretty good. His glare hardened. "Uh...could you like. Get off of me." I ask shifting my shoulders slightly. I feel the chunk of wood in his thigh pressing against my own leg.
Carefully he got off of me but left his hand at my throat. "You are a witch you say?" he said still having a firm grip on my throat. "Y-Yes." I said. It was getting harder to breathe.
"I-I c-a-n'-t b-r-e-a-t-h-e." I choked out as my hands found his wrist and tug at it in vain. He doesn't remove his hand. I suddenly remember being able to do something even where I was from that had always been extremely strong in doing so. I use a simple thought and the energy around me and in me come to my fingers. Another thought and it erupts from my finger tips in the form of 3" nails. He growls as they pierce his skin drawing blood. He drops me quickly. I gasp for breath as I fall to the ground clutching my throat. "I...told you that I couldn't breath." I gasp glaring up at him. He narrows his eyes at me but says nothing. Then he brings his wrist up to his mouth and licks the wound clean. I watch in awe as his wound heals. Suddenly he moved and I found both my feet and hands bound in silk rope. "HEY!" I shouted as I look down at my hands which were bound in front of me.
"You are not to leave." he said. Then I watched in horror as he yanked the pieces of wood out of himself.
"Are you alright?" I ask nervously as I watch the blood seep from his leg and stain his pants crimson red. He glared at me. "Look I didn't mean to do that. I didn't even know that I could do something like that alright." I snap getting really tired with his mistrust. He raised an eyebrow in question.
"Explain wench." he said as started to take his armor off.
"Well you see, where I come from. I can't do that. My magic deals with the air and weather. Where I'm from the most that shows in my powers in that the weather will change with my emotion or when I really concentrate." I said exasperated and turning slightly pink with embarrassment. He raises an eyebrow at me as he finishes taking his armor off and sits propped against the rocks.
"Where are you from wench?" he asks icily as he examines his armor.
"I'm getting pretty tired of you calling me wench. My name is Arashi. Ara-shi. I am pretty sure that you are not uneducated." I said glaring at him. He returns the glare full force.
"Answer me." he said.
"No, I'm not from around here." I said. He looks at me for a moment before standing. "HEY! PUT ME DOWN!" I shouted as he tosses me over his shoulder and begins to walk back.
I can not believe this! I am some prisoner of some tight-ass demon. All I do is glare over at where he's sitting. Can't do much else. Especially with the kid here. "What is your name?" she asks getting up into my face. She surprises me and I almost fall back trying to get my face out of hers. I never was a people person.
"My name is Arashi." I said scooting backwards. Sessho-maru shot me glare that said 'Be nice to her and your life may last longer.'
"I'm Rin. I'm seven. How old are you?" she asked as she sat before me with a pile of little white flowers.
"I'm seventeen." I said looking down at her in wonder.
"Does Arashi-chan like to sing?" she asked looking up at me hopefully. I see Sessho-maru flinch at something. I get the feeling that Rin has one of those child like voices. Out of tune and off key. I smile.
"Yes. I really love to sing." I said as I made myself as comfortable as I could.
"Oh would Arashi-chan sing a song for Rin-chan?" Rin said bouncing up down.
"Sure. I see no harm." I said as I glance at her keeper again. He looks like he is set for pain. I frown and then look up at the sky. The sun is setting staining the sky with reds, oranges, purples and blues. Rin opens her mouth to speak again, probably to ask me to sing again, but I open my own mouth and let my voice free.
Grey Quite Horse.
Where's the rains of dawn.
And nobody knows.
What mountain...he's from.
In his mouth he carries.
A golden key.
And nobody sees him.
But Gabriel and me.
Gabriel and me.
Sometimes in the morning.
We'll forget to rise.
Call it destiny.
Call it fate.
We'll rise in the morning.
And call to the tress.
For we love to fly with you.
Gabriel and me.
Gabriel and me.
Forever to the sea.
I end and the first thing I see is that both the guys were looking at me funny. Then Rin falls forward, sound asleep. I blink in surprise. Never had that effect on someone before. I roll her over the best I could so that she was not buried face first in my lap.
(POVC Sessho-maru)
I look over a this strange girl. First she manages to injure me and then tries to help. She is a queer one at that. I cringed when Rin asked her to sing. Rin's voice, while still developing, is high pitched and out of tune and off key. I had yet to hear a human who could compare to the youkai singers of the councils. She looked over at me and must have caught on that I was dreading what she was about to do because she glares at me and then looks up at the sky. Rin opens her mouth to ask again or sing herself when she opened her own mouth. The words flowed smoothly through the air. The song was strange and I do not recognize the words. When she finishes she looks at Jaken and myself. Suddenly Rin falls face first into her lap sound asleep. She blinks in surprise then carefully turns her over. She looks down at my young ward in wonder. Then she smirks up at me. "Looks like someone here likes me." she said. I narrow my eyes. She is going to be quite a pain. I sigh and look down at Rin. Looks I can't kill her now that Rin's taken a liking to her. My eyes snap back to her when I feel the same aura from before when she used those nails. She's looking at her hand in wonder as she extracts and retracts them. They are a dark blue color and glow slightly
(POVC Arashi)
I decide to explore this new found ability to use my claws. Wow. I look up when I felt eyes on me. Sessho-maru is glaring at me with a definite look that says 'harm her and your life ends, painfully.' "What is your problem. I'm not going to hurt her." I snap glaring at him. All he does is narrow his eyes at me. I sigh and go about exploring my new toys. Well this is fun. Jaken soon falls asleep next to the fire. Sessho-maru stands up and walks off into the forest. Guess they think that I'm not a threat. Big ego booster guys. I look down at the sleeping girl in my lap and sigh. "What did you get yourself into Arashi?" I ask myself. Careful not to cut myself I slice the ropes from my wrists. Slowly I slid Rin off of me and next to the large two headed dragon. "Hello, what's your name?" I whisper to it as I pet one of it's heads.
"My name is Nantasu. But my lord calls me Au-Un." he whispers into my mind. I blink in surprise and smile. If I could speak with Nantasu then I could speak with...
"Thank you Nantasu. But would you prefer for me to call you Au-Un?" I asked. The dragon's eyes smiled and nodded. I smile before slicing the ropes around my ankles and standing.
(APOV)
Sessho-maru walked back into camp and the first thing that he saw were the tattered remains of the silk ropes. He smirked. He had hoped that she would run. He did not want or need another human traveling with him. The wind seemed to shift suddenly. He raised his head slightly scenting the wind. The strong scent of magic is braided within the wind. Narrowing his eyes he followed the scent. Just stepping out of the forest his eyes narrowed to mere slits. "I thought you would have ran." he said dangerously. Standing on a slight rise and looking up at the full moon was the wench. 'More like hoped.' she thought turning to him.
"Got no where to run." she said shrugging.
"To bad I can't kill you since Rin has taken a liking to you." he muttered. Arashi laughed and he glared at her.
"It's not that you can't kill me Sessho-maru-sama. I'm sure that you could take my head off in an instant. It's that you won't. You won't kill me because of Rin, but let me guess, you hope that I will run on my own. But here's the problem Sessho-maru-sama, I have no where to run and no one to turn to." she said looking at him. Sessho-maru looked at her in surprise. She was completely and totally right. He could kill her where she stood, but he wouldn't for Rin's sake.
"If you are to stay with us, then you are to take care of Rin. It will do her good to learn from a human female." he said stiffly. He raised an eyebrow when she looked at him nervously.
"Um...you see where I'm from, females, human and demon alike are treated with the same respect and hold the same positions as a male. If I was to have any influence on her upbringing, that is what she would learn from me. That and magic." she said eying him wearily for his reaction. Sessho-maru looked at her in wonder. The males and females? Equal? He himself had never really thought down of females, but to hear that somewhere a female held a male type status. Amazing. He saw no problem with Rin learning to be independent and maybe someday holding an important position. But how could she learn magic when she had none?
"What do you mean by teaching her magic? She has none." he said. At this she smiled.
"Everyone and everything has magic. It's just whether or not that they learn to use it. Most don't. Sad isn't it." she said. She was extremely happy that he did not seem to mind Rin one day holding a position of importance in this world of men. Sessho-maru regarded her for a moment more before turning back to the camp.
"You will return to the camp before sunrise." he said icily.
ArPOV
I smile at his retreating back glad that he wasn't going to try to tie me down and that he would allow me to teach Rin how to be powerful. I look back up at the moon that is full. Sighing I fall back onto the grassy hill. "What have you gotten yourself into Arashi." I muttered to myself.
"You will also re-frame from referring to yourself in third person." I hear Sessho-maru call to me from across the clearing and from the forest. I sigh again.
"Good night Sessho-maru-sama!" I called back annoyed. I look back up at the sky and smile softly. I was free.
