Beauty meets Beast
Disclaimer: Ok, this is the ONLY disclaimer you’re getting so listen up! The only characters I own are the ones I personally created. None of the Inuyasha character’s are mine, nor is the setting. Nor do I own the plot to Beauty and the Beast or any of its characters or settings.
A.N. Sesshoumaru has BOTH arms in this story. XD
Chapter One: Foxfire!
The final battle was over. They’d emerged victorious after one of the bloodiest battles they’d ever encountered, but the jewel had barely been completed before it was shattered once again. Kagome had been forced to shoot it with an arrow to prevent the vile hanyou, Naraku, from using it. When everything was all over, they had gone back to Kaede’s village in a trance, unable to truly believe that it was finished. After the shock had worn off though, it hadn’t surprised anyone when Miroku proposed to Sango a few days later. They’d held a small ceremony for them at the shrine and afterwards, the villagers had gifted the couple with a small house within the village as thanks for helping protect them throughout the years. So, when word came that a nearby village was having problems with a youkai killing their livestock, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou offered to take care of it while Miroku and Sango stayed in the village to enjoy being newlyweds and get settled into their new house.
The youkai had been relatively easy to take care of, so now the group was ready to head home and take a much needed break. They traveled slowly so that Miroku and Sango could have more time to themselves before they got back. When they stopped for the night in a small clearing near a small hot spring, Inuyasha went to hunt for their dinner while Kagome went for firewood and water. Taking advantage of his time alone, Shippou walked to the edge of the clearing to practice his foxfire on the trees there.
“Foxfire!” Shippou yelled as he threw the fire at a nearby tree. Dang, he thought when the fire barely singed the tree. I have to get this down before we have our next battle! Kagome might need me! He tried again, but the same thing happened. His foxfire merely singed the wood before it dissipated. Sighing in frustration, Shippou let loose yet another blast of foxfire, but something went wrong. This time, the foxfire missed the tree and went flying through the forest. He didn’t have to see where it went to know where it landed as a vicious snarl rang through his ears. Shrieking in fear, he quickly hid as whatever he’d hit came tearing through the trees at breakneck speeds. Peeking out from his hiding spot, he cried out when he saw who it was.
“You DARE hit this Sesshoumaru with your pathetic attack!” Crying out again, Shippou turned and ran, but Sesshoumaru was in front of him in an instant, blocking his path. “Now you die!” he said, raising his claws to end the pitiful kitsune pup before him, but as he did he watched as his brother’s wench came running through the trees and wrapped her petite body around the kit to protect him.
“Please Lord Sesshoumaru,” she begged, “take me instead! I’ll do anything that you want! Just please, don’t hurt Shippou!”
Sesshoumaru slowly lowered his claws and thought for a moment. On one hand, he didn’t need another human following him, but on the other hand he did have that little thing to take care of. And Rin was beginning to ask about human women, a subject he was less than informed about. “You give your life to this Sesshoumaru?” he asked her coldly, watching as she lifted her head to look at him for a moment before looking back down.
“Yes,” she said softly, still clutching Shippou to her chest.
“Very well,” he snarled icily, “this Sesshoumaru accepts your offer.” He picked her up and unceremoniously threw her over his shoulder, ignoring the kit’s pleas for him to reconsider. Taking off in the direction of his forest, he ignored her tears and continued to speed her away from everything and everyone she knew and loved. What am I going to do with her? Sesshoumaru asked himself as he flew over the forest towards his fortress. I can’t just throw her into the dungeon, it would upset Rin. No, she will have to have her own room. He turned towards the sun and sighed. It’s almost sundown. He sighed again and sped up, not wanting to risk getting home after sunset. When they got to the fortress, Sesshoumaru unceremoniously dropped her onto the floor. “Jaken will show you to your room,” he said icily, before jumping up to a balcony high above Kagome’s head.
As she waited for Jaken, Kagome took in her surroundings. She in was a beautiful courtyard. Sakura trees were everywhere, as well as Japanese Maples and Dogwoods. Various flowers covered most of the elegant courtyard, giving it a warm, welcoming feeling that clashed with the cold, intimidating aura of the fortress itself. On one side of the courtyard there was a pond with several benches surrounding it as well as a little bridge that went across the pond. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw two youkai children playing under the eaves of a particularly large Sakura tree. But her attention was soon brought back to the front door where the lumpy green toad known as Jaken stood, clearly annoyed with his master for making him do this.
As soon as she saw him, he turned and went back into the house. Kagome followed close behind him as he led her down many exquisite hallways before he finally came to a stop in front of a door, which to Kagome looked exactly like every other door they had passed. “This is your room human,” he said without turning to look at her. “You are to stay here until someone comes to get you.” With that said, he turned and scurried off down the hall. Sighing softly to herself, Kagome entered the room to find that Sesshoumaru had put her in one of the fanciest rooms she had ever seen, at least in this time period. She had figured that he would have put her in the dungeon or something, anywhere but what where she actually was.
The room was absolutely amazing. A large futon sat in the far left corner of the room, with a small bedside table next to it for storage. Opposite from the bed on the right side of the room were a set of double doors, with blue drapes to keep out the sun that had been opened up to reveal a small balcony. On the far wall next to the balcony, there was a comfy looking chair that also had a small table next to it. Two shelves hung on the wall on either side of the door she had just entered, displaying various artifacts and swords. The walls were a deep red and were covered with intricate tapestries and paintings. The floor was made of a deep cherry maple wood and had been polished so that there was a sort of glow to it.
Walking over to the futon, Kagome was surprised to find that the dark blue comforter and sheets were made of pure silk. Stripping down to her bra and underwear, Kagome slid slowly into the soft bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
”INUYASHA!!!!!!!!!!” Shippou screamed as he ran through the woods in search of the hanyou that was now his only hope of once again seeing Kagome.
“What runt,” Inuyasha said, growling when the kitsune slammed into him.
“HE TOOK KAGOME!” he shrieked, grabbing onto Inuyasha’s haori and sobbing loudly.
“Who took Kagome?” Inuyasha said, trying to contain his anger so he wouldn’t scare the pup even more.
“Sesshoumaru!”
“WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?” Inuyasha snarled, taking back off towards the camp to see if Shippou was indeed telling the truth.
“Jaken,”
“Yes milord?” Jaken replied, walking slowly into his master’s office.
“Go and inform the wench that she is to join me in an hour for dinner.” Sesshoumaru replied, without looking up from the papers in front of him. Jaken nodded and moved to leave but Sesshoumaru’s voice stopped him. “And make sure she is appropriately dressed.”
“Yes milord,” said Jaken, “I’ll send Aerin to take care of it.” The only reply Jaken got was a simple ‘hnnn’ so he quickly left the room and walked across the castle grounds to Aerin’s room. “Aerin!” he squawked, banging loudly on the door to get her attention. “Aerin get out here!”
The door soon opened and a young inuyoukai leaned against the doorframe and yawned. “What do you want Jaken? Hurry up and spit it out so I can go back to sleep.”
Jaken huffed and puffed out his chest in an attempt to look important. “Lord Sesshoumaru ordered me to appoint someone to make sure the wench acts and dresses appropriately. And I chose you.” He didn’t wait for her response, turning and walking back down the hall towards Kagome’s room.
What is going on here? Aerin thought to herself as she reluctantly trailed down the hall after Jaken. And who is Jaken talking about? There’s no one staying at the castle that needs to be told how to dress and act…what did I miss during my nap? She paused as a strange scent caught her nose. A human, and it’s not Rin. Why is there another human in the castle? Deciding that it couldn’t hurt to ask the annoying imp what was going on, she sighed. “Jaken, what is going on? Who are you talking about?” When the imp remained silent, Aerin growled. “I swear, if you don’t tell me what is going on right now, I am going to rip that pathetic head from your pathetic body.”
Jaken visibly stiffened and turned to look at her. “About half an hour ago, the Lord came home with a human. I don’t know why she is here. I was just told to find someone to ensure she behaves.”
“I guess that will do for now,” Aerin huffed. She continued to grumble to herself as she followed Jaken to who knows where.
“This is her room,” Jaken said suddenly. “You are to get her ready to eat supper with Lord Sesshoumaru in an hour.”
Why does this always happen to me? Aerin thought as Jaken marched back down the hall and she knocked on the door. She waited a few minutes and when there was no answer, she opened it and went it. Well, she thought as she made her way over to where the girl slept. Let’s get this over with. She reached out and gently shook her arm. “Girl, wake up.”
Kagome slowly opened her eyes and looked around before backing away from her. “Who are you?” The youkai before her had long black hair that had a slight red tint to it and the darkest blue eyes Kagome had ever seen. Her elfin ears were pierced twice at the bottom and once at the top but she didn’t seem have any demonic marking as far as she could tell. The simple dark green robe she wore amplifying the colors in her hair.
“Don’t worry I won’t hurt you,” Aerin said, smiling to enforce her point. “My name is Aerin and I’ve been given orders to…what was it Jaken said? Oh yes, I remember now. I am to make sure you ‘act and dress properly.’” She smiled again and held her hand out to help Kagome up. “So, what’s your name?”
“Kagome,” she whispered.
“Well Kagome,” she said, sighing when Kagome merely looked at her. “I assure you I won’t hurt you. I have no problem with humans. You do have to get up though. Lord Sesshoumaru said you were to eat dinner with him and it would not be wise to anger him.”
Kagome hesitantly took Aerin’s hand and let her pull her upright. “I don’t want to see him. I just want to go home.”
“I know how you feel,” Aerin said as she walked across the room to a door Kagome hadn’t noticed before. “I was brought here as a small child and all I wanted to do from the moment I got here was go home. But the fortress grows on you. The people here are nice for the most part and you don’t have to worry about the ones that aren’t nice.” She laughed when she saw the ‘yeah right’ look on Kagome’s face, “I’m serious! Don’t worry. They won’t say anything to you for fear of what Lord Sesshoumaru will do to them if they do.”
Aerin continued to talk about this and that as she looked through what Kagome now knew was the closet. She would periodically hold a kimono up to Kagome before shrugging, shaking her head, or nodding. Then she would put it back and pull another one out until Kagome was sure they had gone through every kimono ever created. “I think this one will do,” she said finally, pulling out a red strapless kimono with a sheer black outer robe.
“I can’t wear that!” Kagome said shocked. “And besides, I already told you I’m not going.”
“Yes you can and you will! I don’t even want to think about what Lord Sesshoumaru would do if you don’t go! Now, come here so we can get this on you!”
Kagome sighed and solemnly approached the youkai. “Why did I have to come here?”
“I have been wondering that myself.”
She sighed again as Aerin slipped the elegant kimono around her shoulders and began to tie this and tug that. “I did it to save a friend of mine.” Aerin looked and her and motioned for her to continue. “He’s a little kitsune kid. He was practicing his foxfire after our group had set up camp for the night. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I think he accidentally hit Sesshoumaru. So I made a deal with him that if he would let Shippou go, I would do anything he wanted.”
“Why all that for a kitsune?”
“I think of him as a son.”
“Oh,” Aerin said, helping Kagome tie the obi. “I see.” She smoothed out the silk, smiling at how wonderful it looked. “Well, I think that will about do it. Now we just need to fix your hair.”
“Do I really have to do this?” Kagome whined as they walked down yet another hall towards the dining room.
“Yes, you do and stop asking me. You really are making too big a deal out of this. If Lord Sesshoumaru had any intentions to hurt you, he would have already done it. So you have nothing to worry about.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re a youkai. Not to mention I’m a friend of Inuyasha’s and I have assisted in attempts to kill Sesshoumaru on more than one occasion.”
Aerin sighed and stopped in front of two large sliding doors that Kagome assumed led to the dining room. “That may be, but you are still not in any danger, unless you upset the Lord that is.”
“How comforting,” Kagome mumbled.
“Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. Now go!” Aerin said as she pushed Kagome into the dining room.
A.N. I hope you liked the first chapter. I am basing this fic off of Beauty and the Beast, because it is my favorite of all the Disney movies, but it won't be exactly the same. I only intend to have a few similarities and then the rest will be different.
to see Kagome's kimono go to this site http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a108/InuKaglover815/f422_1.jpg?t=1184405244