Finding Humanity by Alunna

Chapter 1

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Orange and red hues splashed across the horizon as the darkness of night began to take over the sky. Standing tall, the Lord of the Western Lands gazed at the dying light. Across the field where he was his pointed ear twitched at a sound. Turning his body around the youkai lord observed the form of the village miko shakingly make her way onto her feet. Holding a hand to her chest, a usually pristine white haori seeped red, the pressure of the hand barely keeping bay to the precious life's blood wanting to pour fourth.

Hundreds lay dead between them, blood staining the green earth beneath their cooling bodies. The dying miko being the last of the lot of humans that recently took up residence in the beautiful lands of the west. They had only heard of the beauty and possibility for better, more prosperous times from a passerby before packing up what little they had left from their decimated town in the bandit and evil-youkai infested Southernlands. Once the healer of over a thousand people, Ruu looked over the remains of her people and felt her very soul cripple, gasping in agony she fell onto her knees, hand still clutching her chest.

She felt her head spin and eyes fading in and out of focus, not knowing if it was from the blood loss or the loss of her people. It mattered not, her time was short and she knew it. Lazily blinking, she became aware of a pair of black shoes stop before her. The murderer was back to finish her off but she would go down with honor she vowed, defiantly ignoring her failing body she glared up. The sword he used to slay countless of her innocent brethren was pointed at her, his face lacking emotion as her glare matched his own cold golden eyes.

"You make me sick, youkai," She spat.

"You were warned ningen filth, vacate my lands and you would have been spared, even if this Sesshoumaru believes your existence as a curse on all lands." Frigidly, he stared down at her in unwavering distaste.

Recognizing the name, Ruu's face contorted in deep confusion, "Lord Sesshoumaru, the hero of the lands? I don't believe it... I heard of the valiant hero Lord Sesshoumaru, who finally stopped the evil hanyou Naraku with the Miko of the Shikon, you cannot possibly be him! How dare you sully such a pure soul, the wielder of the life sword, imposter! Only someone pure could have achieved such with the help of the Shikon Miko!" Finding new strength, Ruu felt herself surge with raw emotion and power.

Scoffing slightly, Sesshoumaru glared down at the poorly informed being, "You bore me human as this Sesshoumaru is the one and only, a contributor to the destruction of the vile hanyou and the destructor of you and your village and any more filthy humans that come." He sneered, lowering the sword in his hand down then gesturing to the sword on his hip "and if you need further proof, here resides Tensaiga, the sword of Heaven." Taking sick satisfaction, Sesshoumaru watched as recognition then the crestfallen look pass on the dying humans face, now silent in acknowledgement.

Breaking the silence, "Where is your heart youkai? Compassion for those weaker than you? Doesn't your very soul cry out in torment?" Ruu looked back up in his detached eyes, feeling her living body fail her but surprised that her spiritual quantity grow and expand. She felt like she was on the verge of falling, her powers about to carry her to the Otherside she assumed, with only the conversation keeping her here on the living plane.

Noticing the incoming night even more, just a few wisps of light on the edge of the horizon left Sesshoumaru decided to finally just kill the Miko just when she spoke. Indulging her, "A true youkai has not a heart but strength, the heart is weakness, this Sesshoumaru feels nothing for you and your races plight, this Sesshoumaru is superior to you every way, ruled by emotions and physically weak, look where you and your race are because of it. Pathetic."

Breaking away eye contact Ruu looked down, "How can you be so cruel? Youkai have hearts, they have souls- They love... just like us humans. There are bad people on both ends, but it's a choice..." She whimpered, a painful spasm rippling throughout her body, "Where did you go wrong?"

"This Sesshoumaru is never wrong." Raising his demonic sword back towards her, "There is nothing about this Sesshoumaru that is akin to a human, I would sooner slay myself then be anything like such." Intent on ending the conversation Sesshoumaru raised his sword about to bring it down to slay the human like the rest of her village when he suddenly became stiff and frozen in place as the miko released her bleeding chest and grabbed his legs.

Her whole body began to glow and she peered up locking gazes, Sesshoumaru stared in hollow blinding blue-white holy eyes. Sensing the danger, he tried to retreat but was still frozen in place. 'How is it possible? A mere human miko being able to bind this Sesshoumaru.' He thought.

Otherworldly voices exited her mouth in rushed chanting, the glow to her body becoming more and more bright that soon Sesshoumaru was blinded by it. As the voices growing louder and faster, a painful stabbing sensation ran through his body. He was feeling weaker by the second until he couldn't feel anything at all, numbness everywhere, and as soon as it came it passed and he fell to the ground, finally freed.

Swiftly standing to regain himself, Sesshoumaru glared down at the now slumped figure of the miko laying on the grass before him, her brown eyes looking back widened. At her laugh he felt a sudden rush anger, the intensity getting the better of him, "What is so funny human?" To this, she gave another short labored laugh. She reached out to him, her hand enclosing something. Trying to use his senses to detect what is was, Sesshoumaru paused. What was going on, he couldn't smell anything? He looked around and everything was, skewed in a sort, he brought up his arm, dull nails staring back at him.

Eyes widening in horror, pure unrefined emotion racked though his body and he couldn't help but feel panic overwhelm his changed body, "WOMAN WHAT DID YOU DO TO THIS SESSHOUMARU!"

Arm shaking, her very soul being drained into the palm of her hand. Taking in her final breaths, she opened her palm, "You need to be stronger Sesshoumaru, only true strength will save you now." With that, she dropped her arm, a shiny glowing ball rolled out of her palm through the grass until hitting Sesshoumaru's boot.

Looking down, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he gazed into the swirling depths of the jewel by his foot, hoping and praying to every Kami he ever had heard of that it wasn't what he thought it was. The Shikon no Tama, only, instead of some unknown miko and nameless demons souls trapped in it, it was his own.

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A/N

Hope you guys liked it, please review as I love to read what you guys think of it and guess what I have coming :)

~Alunna <3