Ichigoichie by MontiK

Chapter 1

Disclaimer:The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz Media. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

For my Obakemono challenge http:// dokuga . Com/ forum?func=view&catid=29&id=23727
summary: Once in a lifetime... Week one of the Obakemono challenges. Prompt: Ko-dama (Tree Spirit)

Ichigoichie (Once in a lifetime)

Nestled in the boughs of a barren sakura tree, the cold, crisp, salty wind from the see billowing across his form, young Sesshoumaru lay. The young daiyoukai was nearly asleep coddled in the tree's embrace and soaking in the peaceful atmosphere of his surroundings. He often came here to escape the the bustle of his mother's palace and no one ever seemed to notice so he was able to slip away quite often. His father was absent most of the time, away planning some attack or another, fighting another war. Such was his duty as his mother's general. 

Despite his mother's feigned apathy towards him he still loved her very much. She was there, watching with cold silvery-grey eyes at each of his lessons. He'd learned quickly to take in the slightest change in her expression. When she was there, sitting regally on the side lines while he practiced kata is made him strive all the harder to see that tiny glimpse of warmth in her eyes, to feel the pride in her aura billow against his own uncertain one was his heaven. 

His mother had indirectly inspired the relationship he now had with the tree he sat in. Since he could walk and learned his mother's birthday he always wanted to bring her the most beautiful, rarest of gifts. He'd searched far and wide as far as he was able to go from the castle without escort. On his search he found a human village. They raved on about an enchanted tree there. This tree used to blossom with the most beautiful of blossoms, and aplenty for all the village women to adorn their hair with. But one year as the tree bloomed a young lord had come and demanded he be allowed to cut a branch from the tree so he could have it for his own garden, and the villagers had happily let him when the gold he offered them glinted at winked at them in the sunlight. 

Almost immediately calamity befell them. The waves crashed up from the ocean and washed their crops and homes away, leaving only the tree standing. They tried to rebuild but each time history would only repeat itself. The tree had stopped blooming for them and now appeared barren and cold, so they packed and left. That was a hundred years ago by Sesshoumaru's guess, the space where the village was now showed almost no signs of ever being inhabited. 

The foolish humans never knew it was a ko-dama spirit that made the tree so rare, but with his youkai eyes Sesshoumaru had seen it for what it was right away. From his own hair he'd made the shimenawa rope that now guarded it and held the creature in the tree. They had a mutual agreement, as friends of sorts. Sesshoumaru would bring the ko-dama the freshest spring water he could find each morning, and once a year the little ko-dama youkai would bloom the most beautiful blossom for him to bring his mother. 

As the years went by Sesshoumaru took solace in the ko-dama's silent company and started his ritualistic sneaking away to relax in it's curved branches, listening to the echos on the waves, wasting the day away. 

It was another of those lazy days. Just was the distant call of a sea gull reached his ears Sesshoumaru heard the normally quiet tree emit a croaking echo. 

"Kagome," is called, sounding as if it were a mother calling a wayward child. 

There was no response, but obviously the tree knew something was there. 
"Kagome," it called again. 

Sesshoumaru sat up now, leaning forward staring eagerly into the tree line of the forest. He often enjoyed his tree-friend's mischevious streak and sometimes even joined in the fun. 

"Okaa-san!" Came the answering, frightened cry from the forest.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in surprise. It sounded just like a little girl, scared, and undoubtedly lost in the woods. 

"Kagome, come here." The tree returned. 

"I can't Okaa-san," the young girl sobbed, "I'm stuck," it was doubtful any other than Sesshoumaru's inner ears heard her that point as despair quieted her voice. "Help... please." He couldn't smell the scent of her tears over the sea but he was sure she was crying now. 

Peeking down at the ko-dama he could see the face in the tree, it's expression oddly speculative. The tree too realized there would be no more fun with this human as her situation was far from comical. Leaping down Sesshoumaru ran off into the forest where he could hear her struggles. 

When he came upon her found a small girl. Maybe eight summers old as at most but small for her age. She wore a deep green yukata with a brown obi, neither were incredibly impressive as she was obviously just a villager. Her bare ankle was caught in the gnarled roots of an old tree and he could see where her struggles against the rough bark had broken the skin, leaving red, raw marks. 

"Stop that," Sesshoumaru hissed as he reached her side. She jumped, startled at his presence before relaxing since he seemed to be willing to help. Without a word he used his claw to tear off one of the roots freeing her foot. 

Wide blue eyes stared at him in wonder, taking in his markings, his hair, and the way he stood like he was weightless. This boy was most assuredly not human as was her first assumption. Her suspicions were cemented when she saw his claws and he flicked back his short mane of silver hair revealing a pointed ear. 

"You're youkai?" She blurted out. 

Sesshoumaru scoffed, he'd never seen a human before but he'd heard plenty about them from his mother. Apparently all of them really were the same, soon the little girl would probably run screaming the other way. He turned to leave, her still laying on the ground, and without bothering to answer such a foolish question. 

Realizing she'd offended him the young girl jumped to remedy her foible. "Wait!" She shouted as she tried to get up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." She stumbled to her feet and limped awkwardlly after him. "I haven't thanked you for helping me! Don't go!" She was still lost and seeing someone, anyone in this vast forest brought her spirits up a bit. She sincerely did want to thank him but she also didn't want to be alone again. 

He stopped at her plea and waited where he stood, making no move to help her as she fumbled along the forest floor. He walked slowly enough for her to keep up until they reached the ko-dama tree and she plopped gratefully at it's base.

She groaned in pain at the sight of her swollen, scratched ankle and tried to rub away some of the ache, getting blood on her hands in the process. Without water to wash them her hands were dirty as well from laying on the forest floor. 

Careful of his claws Sesshoumaru took her hands away from the wound and issued a stern order, "Wait here." Despite his young age, appearing no older than a human ten year old, his voice still had presence and she obeyed. 

With the vase he kept to bring water to the tree Sesshoumaru went to gather water from the sea. He leapt gracefully over the buffs and back up to the tree with his package before kneeling beside her. He poured the salty water over her outstretched hands and her wounded ankle to clean them. She hissed at the contact on the open scratches. 

"Ouch," she whimpered and tried to cover it with her hands again. 

"Don't," he ordered more gently this time. "The salt is good for the wound, it is only a momentary pain." He was right, as the sharp sting abated to a dull ache, her ankle felt much better for the cool touch. "Your name. It's Kagome, yes?" Sesshoumaru ventured trying to take her mind off of her injury. 

She nodded, "And.. yours?" She asked quietly. 

"Sesshoumaru."

After that she smiled and they sat in companionable silence for a while, with only sporadic conversation. He learned she was from the village that had moved away from the very tree he'd befriended (though he surmised she didn't realise the signifiance of the tree then leaned against). He told her he was youkai nobility and her awe of him increased, unnecessarily boosting his ego. 

In the end her walked her back to her village, allowing her to hold his elbow when she needed help standing. That day he made a new friend. 

Months later...

The day had come, his mother's birth day. The tree would blossom just for him. The clear spring water sparkled in the plain porcelain vase he carried it in. Sesshoumaru reached the base of the tree, and with a bow he stated his inquiry. 

"Ko-dama, I must ask a favor of you this year." Many years they had known one another and the ko-dama was intrigued by this request. The face hidden in the knots of the trunk showed it's surprise but the spirit coaxed him to continue. 

Kagome had come to mean much to Sesshoumaru. She was his only friend aside from the tree as he never much liked being with the other palace children, and often they feared him because of his status. She never feared him, except for that on uncertain moment at their first meeting when she was scared and alone in the forest. He'd sat with her under the branches of the ko-dama many a time since their meeting and he knew the tree enjoyed her presence as well. 

He sought to return her kindness to him in one of the few ways he knew how. 

"This year, I must ask that you gift me with two blossoms, old friend." 

The gnarled shapes twisted into a smile and there next to the first blossom designated for his honorable mother a second perfect, pink flower grew. This one was for Kagome.

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If anyone tried to read this when it was a wall of text I'm sorry >.< somewhere between recopying and pasting after I realized I forgot to double check for typos it wigged out on me. Again I apologize! It should be all fixed now so hope you enjoyed reading.