InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Angel of Mercy ❯ Angel Arrives ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: This is before the series…maybe even before InuYasha is born; I'm not sure about that yet….possibly…most likely. Sesshoumaru is still very young and not yet hardened, though he still exercises a lot of control over himself.

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She couldn't take it anymore. She had to leave tonight, after they'd gone to bed. They would not accept her or her powers because she couldn't control them and they couldn't control her. That night, she had thrown a man across the inn with only her mind when he had groped her. She had never been beaten so badly before. She trembled in pain, her entire body aching and sore. After dark, she would leave, even if it killed her. Being dead was better than being here. She struggled to control her sobbing and trembling. She had to get up soon. Takako would beat her again if she didn't return to serving the guests. She struggled to her feet, holding onto the wall until the world stopped spinning around her. She could make it through the night and it would be the last. That thought gave her strength to continue.

"Nanashi, get out here, you lazy slut!" the inn-keeper's wife called.

She grit her teeth, "Coming, Takako-obasan!" One more night, she thought to herself and pushed her way out of the back rooms. She kept that thought in her mind as she served the guests their food and drink. None who had seen commented on what had happened and those that were not there only noticed that their waitress winced occasionally. Takako was careful to never leave a mark where it could be seen.

She had made it almost a month without loosing control of her powers. Granted that the man touching her was one of the foulest creatures she'd ever seen, but why did she loose control tonight? Takako almost seemed glad for an excuse to truly beat her, though. She was beat at least daily as a reminder to not use her powers, but those were nothing compared to the beatings when her control slipped.

She had been born at the inn fifteen years ago, her mother dieing in childbirth. The inn-keeper kept her for some reason that he would share with no one, not even his wife. Takako resented the girl and called her Nanashi, the nameless one, and reminded her daily, at least, that she was a charity case. No one knew anything about her father. When she began to show powers, however, the beatings began. Though the inn-keeper would not allow his wife to turn the girl out, he did nothing to stop her from beating the girl. Nanashi tried to control her powers, but failed, sometimes miserably. She didn't know how she caused the things that happened. She didn't really even think about them, they just sort of happened. On a rare occasion when she'd been happy, she made all the dishes in the dining room dance around. When Takako grabbed her, all the dishes crashed to the floor, making that beating particularly bad. Maybe, when she left, she would find someone who could help her learn control. Or maybe, she would die and end her suffering.

The guests had all gone off to their rooms, leaving the dining room empty. Soon, she would be able to leave. Her heart lightened, briefly.

"Clean this mess, Nanashi, and wash the dishes. And do it properly." Takako glared at her

Nanashi bowed deeply, as was expected of her, "Yes, obasan." She listened as Takako left the room, going to the private suits she shared with her husband.

Nanashi glared at the door. Properly, huh, she thought, I'll give you properly! She looked around the dining room and tried to get all the dishes to get themselves into the kitchen. Slowly, reluctantly, pieces began floating awkwardly through the room. Why was this so easy when she didn't mean to do it and so hard when she did? She sighed and continued to concentrate on getting all the dishes into the kitchen quietly. Finally, they all were there. She felt weak from the effort, but was glad she'd tried and succeeded.

Her room was off the kitchen, a small room that used to be a pantry. She went into it for the last time and gathered what few things she could call hers. A small reed pipe a guest had given her when she was little, a bright red ribbon she'd found in a tree one day, and her mother's obi were all she owned. Takako was furious that her husband had insisted that the girl have that. It was a lovely band of silk, deep violet in color with sakura blossoms and silver crescent moons embroidered along its length.

Hugging her few possessions to her chest, she left through the kitchen door, carefully closing it behind her. The night was cool, but not yet cold. That would come soon, though. Winter was on its way and nothing could stop it. She looked up at the crisp autumnal sky, trying to gain courage and strength from the cold, distant stars. Sighing, she began walking away from the only home she'd ever known.

Little did she know that, in the shadows, someone was watching her. Sesshoumaru had been sent to find her after her show of power that night, but he wasn't entirely sure he had the right place until she did her little trick with the dishes. He knew she was the one he was looking for, the one he'd been sent to find. The wind shifted slightly and he could smell her. She smelled of tears and pain and power…a lot of power. Why was there pain? Damn, why wasn't he told more about her? Damn that old witch for sending him out here for a girl. He watched her as she walked, keeping close enough to see her but not revealing himself yet.

There were others watching as well, but these did not have any concern for her safety, only concern for their physical needs and her ability to be used. They had been drinking but were not drunk enough to be loud, yet. She wasn't paying attention to what was around her so that when they grabbed her, she was taken by surprise. Two of them grabbed her arms, causing her to drop her precious things and one grabbed her mouth with his filthy hand from behind, growling at her to keep silent. Without a thought, power gathered itself in her body, making her glow faintly. Her captors became aware of pain shooting up their arms when they were suddenly thrown violently off of their prey. Nanashi continued to glow as each man struggled to their feet. They thought better of their plans with this girl and ran off into the forest, one running just inches away from where Sesshoumaru was hidden. Nanashi turned toward him, "I know you're there. Show yourself." He stood up slowly, surprised that she sensed him, but not letting it show. "What are your intentions?" she asked, still glowing with power.

"I have come to take you to Lady Subaru. She wishes to meet with you and train you." His voice was level and calm, but he was anxious for this girl. He could not get the smell of pain out of his nose, it was almost as strong as the power she had, though her power was fading.

She lost control of her power and it left her. Someone had sought her out to train. Thank all the gods, she thought as she fell to the ground, exhausted. She panted as she sat on the ground, trying to get her pain back under control, but not having any success. The white man walked up to her and knelt by her side. She looked up at him and couldn't help but stare. He was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. He had a crescent moon on his forehead and two stripes on each cheek. Tentatively, she reached out as if to touch his face but remembered herself before she made contact and blushed deeply, "I'm sorry, I've never seen anyone like you before. Please, where is Lady Subaru? I want to learn, I need to leave here. I can't go back, please." She began to tremble and tears seeped out of her eyes.

He wondered why she was afraid. It must have something to do with why she was in pain. "Lady Subaru asked me to take you to her. I don't think she'll send you back here if you are willing to learn from her." It almost hurt him to see the emotions in her eyes, hope and fear fighting each other, and, underneath them, pain, not just physical. "Come, I will carry you, if you will let me."

"Who are you?" she asked, blushing at her directness, dropping her eyes to find her things.

"Sesshoumaru. And you are?" he left off his title, not wanting to frighten the girl any more.

"Nanashi," she answered. She found her flute, grateful it had not broken, her ribbon and obi. Gathering them again to her chest, she tried to stand up, but was too weak to make it past her knees. "I think I will need help," she admitted, blushing again.

He frowned slightly, worried about how weak this girl was. She had just been glowing with power and now she could not stand. He stood and took her hands, pulling her to her feet. She wavered on her feet and he caught her around her waist. She gasped in pain and he felt anger building inside him. She looked at his face, her eyes clouded with pain, "Are you my tenshi?" Her eyes rolled back in her head as she lost consciousness.