Once Upon a Winter by A Blue Midnight Witch

Chapter One - A Discovery or Two

Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim any and all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this story. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her lovely creations.

This story is meant for a mature audience only.  Story may contain strong language, violence, and adult situations.

- No YIM’s, please.

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                                           Once Upon a Winter                                            

Chapter One – A Discovery or Two

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All he wanted was to find a nice maiden with warm delicious blood. It was terribly cold out, with such strong winds and heavy snow fall, he didn’t ask for much but a nice warm place to rest and eat for the night. And as the fates had it, he smelled a familiar scent that he remembered drinking from before. Oh, this was good news to him because though the maiden would be upset with his quick meal, she was not one to be so cruel to him.

But as he finally made it near the area he sensed another’s presence that wasn’t the hanyō or anyone from the maiden’s usual group. He detected this scent to be familiar too, but this one was not someone he liked to be in the company of because of their own lack of patience with the flea yōkai.

He hopped as fast as his old body would allow, his curiosity at why the two would be together alone in the dark woods. A strong blush covered his cheeks, a naughty smirk on his face. So, maybe the maiden wasn’t so maidenly after all. Yet, as far as he knew the Daiyōkai was not interested in this particular maiden, or any human maidens. And the maiden was rather loyal to his Inu hanyō lord. He shook his head of any not-so-innocent thoughts.

As he made it to the area, the poor flea was in shock. There in the snow covered ground laid the two in a heap of clothing. There was no camp fire, no signs of anyone else but the two unconscious individuals whose exposed faces started to look so pale.

Jumping near the two, he clearly noticed that both the Daiyōkai and the maiden miko were changed. What could have happened?! Who could have done this to them?!

Hopping from one to the other, he drank a drop of blood from each, he was a tired and hungry flea after all, and still they did not stir. Their flesh felt warm and he knew that with their new condition and the snow they wouldn’t last long.

The flea sighed.

“Lord Sesshōmaru!” He shouted. “Lady Kagome! Oh, please wake!”

Try as he might they did not stir.

Myōga panicked. This was not good. He couldn’t just leave them here in the vulnerable state, any one, human or yōkai could do them harm.

Were the kamis testing him?

He couldn’t go out and find Inuyasha; he really had no clue where he was.

Where was Jaken? Didn’t that kappa follow his Daiyōkai lord like a worshipper?

He looked at the two small unconscious youngsters; their clothing was ill-fitting, too big for their little bodies. Though he did not care much for the Daiyōkai he was still his former Lord’s heir, the flea would always be loyal to the Great Inu Taisho, and that meant he would help his first born in any way he could to survive this predicament.

And the maiden miko was a kind person, forgiving her little bouts of anger and strangeness. He didn’t wish her harm and knew his Inu hanyō lord cared for the girl though he wouldn’t admit it aloud.

“Lord Sesshōmaru please wake!” The flea yelled beside the sleeping Daiyōkai’s ear. Though he feared the repercussion of doing such a thing, no harm came to him since he did not wake. He repeated the action a few times, and tried the same with the miko – there was no movement.

“Inu Taisho if you can hear me from the other side, please send help so that your son and the little miko shall not perish.”  Myōga closed his eyes and said a prayer.

He shivered from the cold and stayed settled by the little maiden miko’s ear lest he should be carried off by the wind. There had to be something he could do, but he did not have a way to communicate with anyone unless he left the two in search for help and that would take some time with this snowfall. It would be a big risk. Yet, it was better to take a big risk instead of watching as the snow started to pile up on the unconscious duo.

“I will be back, I promise you both that.” Myōga said with such convection. 

And as the flea yōkai was about to leave he heard a shrill voice scream.

“Lord Sesshōmaru! Lord Sesshōmaru! Please forgive this lowly vassal for falling behind!”

“Oh, you are cruel for the help you do send me. But it is help none the less.” Myōga said exasperatedly, sure that he former Lord did hear his plea for help and answered by sending one who would grate his nerves.

“Jaken over here! Jaken listen to me!” Myōga shouted but he was not sure if his own small voice could reach the kappa yōkai with this cold wind. “Jaken you idiot over here!”

“Lord Sesshōmaru where are you?! Oh please Lord Sesshōmaru forgive me!” The kappa would not shut up, though he did sound closer.

“JAKEN!” Myōga used all his energy to draw the Daiyōkai retainer’s attention to him.

“Who is that?!” Jaken called out, stumbling unto the area where the three were. “Wha-what is this?! What happened to my Lord?!”

Jaken stumbled forward and almost landed on the small Daiyōkai.

“Lord Sesshōmaru! What have they done to you?!” The kappa wailed.

“Jaken! Listen to me! Jaken over here!” Myōga shouted.

“What have you done to my Lord?! This was the work of the filthy hanyō wasn’t it! Oh you and your lord will pay!” Jaken yelled with tears in his eyes.

“No you pompous idiot!” The flea felt his tiny body shake with anger from the kappa’s sheer idiocy. “Listen right now. Lord Sesshōmaru and Lady Kagome need shelter!”

“You filthy liar, you and that hanyō probably planned this!” Jaken moved his staff of two head to strike the flea.

“Don’t you dare! I am trying to help your Lord Sesshōmaru. I found him and Lady Kagome here. We need to find a way to move them to safety now!”

“I will save my Lord Sesshōmaru! “ Jaken sneered and then looked at the other figure not more than a foot away from his said lord. He was surprised to see who it was, but he didn’t care to help her. “You can help that human yourself!”

Myōga was losing his patience. “You will save both or so help me I will speak with his Lady Mother about your failure as a retainer.

“We don’t know what happened, and if you leave the miko behind when she is also affected by this strange change of whatever this is, you risk your own Lord’s life if it be a curse that requires her to be alive and present to reverse it!”

The kappa glared at him. He knew he had him now. The flea knew not if what he spoke was true, he just knew he had to help both the small Daiyōkai and the little maiden miko.

“Hmphh.” Jaken replied.

“Now where is that dragon that travels with you?” Myōga asked. “Neither you or I can carry the young ones even when they are this small.”

Jaken looked agitated and for a moment seemed like he was going to protest.

“AH-UN!!!” The Kappa called out loudly.

Oh, the kamis were testing him alright. And Inu Taisho was probably having his own laugh at his expense even if the old flea was trying to save his first born.

This night was not going as he initially planned.

What game did fate play that he would find the Great Lord Sesshōmaru and the miko Kagome as small children on such a cold wintery night?

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Authors Note: New idea, new story. This is my attempt in getting back into writing again. Let me know what you think.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays everyone.