DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO © Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan Yomiuri TV Sunrise 2000.
The crescent moon blankets the body of a silver haired maiden. Her sheets damp from the fog the ocean breeze swept through her window. The sounds of crickets deep within the forest is muffled by a sudden clashing of blades, silence resides.
The maiden’s young servant awoke; the sound indicated one thing to her mind “Bandits”. She raced to her mistress’s room, her feet patting against the tatami mats. Kneeling she shook her mistress and whispered “Mistress awaken we must flee someone has enter our home.”
The Maiden’s necklace the Meido Seki made of pearls and a recessed stone rippled across her throat. “Yumi, hush you silly girl I can hear them,” her mistress scolds. Her ocean blue eyes reflecting moonlight stares down at her sheets. A pale hand removes the blankets from her body. Gracefully leaving the bed she looks around the room. “Fetch me my boots and sword and be quick about it. These rats shall be dealt with accordingly.”
Proceeding to do her bidding Yumi brings the requested items to her. Kneeling down to dress her, she places half boots about her feet then hands Tinasia the twin sister of Tenseiga to her.
“Go hide with the other servants Yumi, this is no place for you. Attend to the wounded and stay out of site if you can,” The maiden calls out to Yumi as she leaves the room. Shouts are heard and the clanging of swords vibrates through the air. Leaving the room, she approaches the inner courtyard where all the noise appeared to be from. The courtyard was drenched in the blood of the fallen, as men and women battled. Scanning the court yard for the leader, she readies her weapon as she senses the approach of the enemy.
“Are you looking for me?” calls out a graveled voice from behind her.
Glancing over her shoulder a figure looms in the shadows. “Only if you are the leader of these miserable dogs,” She growls turning to face the enemy.
The bandit grins, his skinned fur armor wavering in the wind. He licks the blood from his dirk and steps towards the maiden. “Dogs are we?” Another step and he throws out his arm without a second hesitance. The blade slices through the kimono of the maiden piercing her fair skin.
The maiden shocked at his amazing speed jumps back drawing Tinasia from its sheath. “You’re life will be cursed and you’re body sickly, Tinasia will see to that.” She glared.
“That wakizashi? I’ve seen more brilliant blades held by peasants.” He came at her once more this time Tinasia met his dirk firmly.
“First, your skin will boil, your flesh will rot, and your mind will part.” A black mist twisted up Tinasia to the tip of the dirk.
The bandit tore his blade from hers shocked from the mist. “What the?” The mist tied itself to both weapons and continued creeping up the dirk. Dropping the dirk the bandit pulled a bow and arrow from leather ties at his back and fired.
She clipped the arrow with Tinasia’s flat surface and rushed the peasant.
Throwing his bow the bandit knelt dodging Tinasia, a gust of wind pushed from his body against the rocky floor. Her shoulder with her arm thrusting forward slid above his own. In a moment a reserve blade in his skin boot pierced her chest and lung. He held the blade firmly with both hands.
“You…dog…” Blood rolled out from her teeth staining her kimono. Tinasia fell from her grip as the bandit ripped the dirk from her chest.
Bloodied and near the verge of collapsing, the maiden gasps for air as her body struggles to survive. Down upon her knees she struggles to stand to face her opponent once again. Alas her body too close to death fails her, she falls to the ground. “This may be the end of my life, but you shall regret attacking the west,” she whispers hoarsely.
Laughing cruelly at the sight before him the leader of the bandits says “The East has already taken this coast, soon the West will belong to my Lord Oberon once more.”
Blood spills from her mouth her limp body a slave to the bandit’s aggression. The Bandit tears the Meido Seki necklace from her neck, and in that motion ends her life. Gripping the necklace in his palm he smirks and turns to his ruffians, “Burn the place.”
Smoke fills the midnight sky drawing the attention of a masculine warrior flying among the sky. Ears listen to the sounds of pain filled screams that render in the air. “My lord, what is that awful sound.” Rin, the ward of the western lord asks.
“Just a battle, ignore it Rin,” he answered with indifference. As they fly closer to the battle the screams intensify and become more distinguished to the demons ears. Shivers run down the spin of his ward. “My lord, please help them, it’s just like when my village and I were attacked by the wolves,” Rin pleads.
Annoyance crosses his face at her request. Yet she had never asked anything of him before. Deciding to honor her request, he swoops down upon the burning building. Acid drips from deadly claws as he releases his poisonous whip. Stepping to the ground, his features displayed disgust at the scene before him. Flames crackle as it engulfs the mansion and all those within.
Sniffing the air to see if anyone one was left alive, he detects a familiar scent, yet lost to his memories. Jasmine and lily permit the air before the smoke greedily eats the scent away. Stepping towards the scent it leads him to the inner courtyard. Entering the courtyard he sees the Bandit ripping the Meido Seki from the Maiden. Approaching the bandit from behind his claws rake down his back leaving a mangled mess of flesh and blood.
The Bandit screaming in pain he drops the heirloom to the ground. Swinging his sword wildly at his attacker, he notices the moon crescent on Sesshomaru’s head. “Well, look at what we have here, the whelp returns to save his mother,” he snarls.
Sesshomaru arches his brow raising his pale hand once more as the bandit charges at him with his dirk. Sesshomaru flicks his wrist severing the man’s head from his body. Moving towards the maiden to pick up the necklace a sense of déjà vu enters his mind. Kneeling to pick up the piece of jewelry, he looks at the woman carefully. Once shimmering white hair was doused in blood and faded ocean blue eyes stared blankly at him. A small part in her bangs revealed the cresset moon of the western royal family.
Dazed to see his mother after centuries of absents only to have her lifeless body lay at his feet. Grabbing her body close to him her scent is reaffirmed in his memory. Emotions crash through his frozen heart, as he feels her last heart beat. “Mother…”