Chapter 1 - Micheal The Archangel

Sesshomaru's Heart

Chapter 1

Michael The Archangel



A storm was coming. Sesshomaru looked up to see grey clouds gathering from the east. He and his usual company of Jaken his servant , Rin, the small girl who had attached herself to him and his two headed dragon Ah and Un had been walking towards the coast and had only just entered the forest. Sesshomaru knew this area well there were many streams and small caves. It was a good place for shelter from the storm. The wind began to pick up and a few fat drops of rain fell.

“There is a storm coming,” he said over the increasing wind, “you need to take shelter.”

He led his party to a small cave then he mounted his dragon and took off into the storm. Rin and Jaken huddled together in the small cave.

“Master Jaken,” said Rin , “why does Lord Sesshomaru always ride into storms?”

“I don't know,” replied Jaken, I'm just glad he never asks me to come along.”

Sesshomaru rode into the storm seeking where it was most violent. The storm grew fiercer as he reached the ocean the wind whipped around him and his mount.. The waves rose and crashed with increasing force, lightning flashed. Sesshomaru rode, his face up into the wind and rain, he felt exhilaration. In his own way, he felt happy.

As he rode over the ocean he saw a ship in serious trouble. It was a foreign ship of a design he was not familiar with. He descended a little closer keeping high enough to be hidden by the clouds but close enough to watch what was happening. There was chaos on deck. At the wheel a bearded middle age man was barking orders and trying to steer the ship through the ever increasing waves. At his side was a young woman trying to hold her cloak around her.

“I should never have brought you Catherine,” said the bearded man, “ I fear we will come to grief this night.”

“No father, I am better off here with you in this storm than I would be alone in England,” said Catherine, “You know that”.

Just then, there was a loud cracking sound. The main mast crashed down breaking through the deck. The men frantically began to untie the life boats.

Sesshomaru watched this scene passively. “The fools,” he thought, “those boats are too flimsy to sustain them in this storm!”

The Captain began to lead his daughter to the life boats. “I must as Captain stay with the ship but you, daughter may have a chance!”

They were stopped abruptly by the angry men, ”It is because you brought a woman on this voyage that we have come to such misfortune. Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphegenia to save his men. Will you not do the same for us?”

We are not barbarians, we are Christian men!” said the Captain, “I will not perform such a savage act!”

“Then she will not pass,” said the sailor. “We leave her in God and your hands. She will have no passage on a life boat.”

“May God have mercy on your souls,” said the Captain. He and Catherine watched helplessly as the lifeboats left the ship.

“The storm is yet worse, I fear even they will not survive!” said the Captain.

“I am not afraid Father, I am with you and soon we will both be with the Lord.”

They held on to each other as a mighty wave crashed across the deck breaking the ship in two. They were separated and thrown into the churning sea.

Catherine's lungs began to painfully fill with water. She fought to surface and take a breath but it seemed every breath filled her chest with water. Suddenly it seemed the pain was gone. She opened her eyes one last time to see a shining man in white coming towards her.

“An Angel” she thought as blackness overtook her.

Sesshomaru grabbed Catherine's arm with his one hand and pulled her up to the Dragon mount. Together they flew towards the shore to a grassy rise overlooking the sea. The storm was subsiding and the sun was just beginning to rise as they reached the land. Sesshomaru laid Catherine down on the grass, in the dim light he could see she was already dead. He took out his Tetseiga the healing sword. He watched as the soul stealing demons came and with two strokes vanquished them and healed Catherine.

Catherine opened her eyes to again see a shining man in white looking down at her. He had long white silver hair and a gleaming sword in his hand. He wore a piece of body armor over his robe.

“He must be Michael the Archangel.” She thought. She sat up and realized that she felt fine. She remembered drowning but there was no taste of salt in her mouth, no pain in her lungs, she was fine. She sat up and looked around. The sun was rising over an ocean bluer than anything she had ever seen. The sky was painted in vivid pastels. She was sitting on a grassy rise at the edge of a green forest filled with colorful exotic flowers. “I must be in Heaven” Catherine thought. “I must be dead and this is heaven!” She looked at the “Angel” who had been standing calmly regarding her all this while.

“Are you going to take me to my father?”

Sesshomaru knew she was speaking but did not understand a word. “She is a foreigner,” he thought. “you will come with me,” he said.

Catherine did not understand .

“This must be the celestial speech of angels” she thought.

Sesshomaru turned and looked back to her

“Michael, do you want me to follow you?”

Sesshomaru motioned with his head and walked into the woods, Catherine followed him.

They walked in silence for a long time. Catherine didn't mind, all around were wonders; fragrant flowers she had never seen , birds and animals all unfamiliar. Finally they came to a clearing. “Michael” motioned her to sit.

“You will rest now,” he said and moved his hand in front of her. She was aware of a slight mist and the faint odor of gardenia, her eyes became heavy. Before she sank into sleep she looked deeply into his face and was surprised to see he had yellow eyes like a cat.

Sesshomaru straightened up he was sure she would sleep for several hours. His poisoned claws could be lethal but just a light touch skillfully applied would merely put a human to sleep for a while. He had things to do.

Catherine dreamed of the blue ocean. The waves were high but there was no storm and she was bobbing up and down between blue sky and blue waves. “Michael” came to her on huge shining white wings his hair streaming out behind him.

A voice, was it his? said, “now begins your new life,” as he pulled her from the warm water.

Catherine opened her eyes to see the shadows had grown long. How long had she been asleep? Her heart skipped a beat when she realized “Michael” was not there. Almost instantly he stepped from the trees. He was carrying a package wrapped in blue silk and secured with a silver pin that looked like a dragonfly.

“You need to wash the salt from your hair and body,” he said quietly.

Catherine did not understand but became aware of the fact that her cloths were in tatters, her hair was a tangled mass caked with salt and seaweed and she was barefoot. She was suddenly embarrassed to be in such a state before this tall elegant creature.

Again he turned and looked back at her. She knew to follow him. They came to a small steaming pool cleft in rocks surrounded by trees.

“A hot spring,” thought Catherine, “my father told me of such things in Iceland.”

The thought of her father made emotion well up in her. Why had she not seen him yet? He was a good man, wouldn't he be here? “Michael” knelt, put the package down and motioned her down. He undid the pin and unwound the blue silk which she could see was a long wide band, deep blue with a woven pattern. In the package was a white cotton robe and a long robe of white silk printed with big blue flowers and an over all geometric design. Catherine had never seen anything like it. There was a blue silk bag out of which “Michael” took several articles, a comb that looked like it was made of tortoise shell, a curved hair ornament that looked like it was made of mother of pearl a small glass bottle which he picked up.

“Most foreigners I have come across are dirty and smell, you need to bath.” Happily Catherine did not understand a word. He pantomimed using the contents of the bottle and washing. Catherine understood that, she took the bottle, took out the cork and sniffed. When she looked up “Michael' was already gone.

“Well, at least he's giving me privacy,” she thought.

When she was sure he was gone, Catherine removed her ruined cloths and stepped slowly into the spring. The water was warm, no hot , which shocked her, but it was not uncomfortable. She settled down in the water and worked the oil into her hair. She ran her fingers through and washed all the salt and seaweed muck out of her hair. Sitting in the hot pool she began to think of all she had seen thus far. Was this heaven? Surely it was not what she would have expected and what about “Michael.” He was not exactly what she expected. One thing in particular bothered her about him. Was he missing his left arm? He only used his right arm and hand. Was his other sleeve empty? Michael was a Warrior Angel, that was what she had been taught. Perhaps he lost his arm in battle with Satan and his demons. Wouldn't God in his mercy have restored the arm of one of his celestial beings? She roused herself. She didn't want Michael to return to find her naked. That might have been more of what she would expect in heaven but the thought bothered her. She rose from the spring and squeezed the water from her hair. She found a sunny spot and combed her hair drying it quickly in the warm air. She put on the cotton robe first, it was easy enough. One tie inside at the side seam, one across in the front. She was glad to see the front was modest. She put on the over robe, it was wrapped around a pair of sandals, very simple and elegant like everything else. The robe was a little long.

“I'll be tripping over on this,” she thought.

She looked up to see “Michael” standing in front of her at the edge of the trees. He seemed to just materialized like a white ghost. He came toward her and for the first time she was frightened. He picked up the silk bag and from it drew a blue ribbon. He then secured it around her waist. Next he seemed to just pull the robe up and around the ribbon until the hem reached her ankle just above her foot. Then he took the wide band of blue silk and wrapped it around her waist. He tied and rolled it in the back and secured it with the silver dragonfly pin. He picked up the comb and the little corked bottle of oil and slipped them into the blue silk bag. He showed her a pocket which had been sewn into her sleeve and put the bag in there.

“A foreigner,” he thought, “She doesn't speak the language, she can't even dress herself properly.”

Still there was something unusual about her. He turned towards her. She was shaped like most human women he had seen but her hair. Her hair was light brown with a gold tint, now that it was clean and combed. It seemed to curve into waves and curls especially around her face. He watched her smooth her hair back and secure it with the mother of pearl clasp. She seemed to know how to use that. Her eyes were strange too, wide and round and green like molten jade. All in all she was quite lovely, like an exotic bird.

“Foolishness!” he frowned and turned to leave as he looked back over his shoulder to see if she was following. He saw she was routing in what remained of her old cloths. He turned and she looked up quickly, she held up a gold filigree cross on a chain, said something and fastened it around her neck. Sesshomaru turned and began walking.

As he turned Catherine quickly picked up the artifact she had been searching for. She was surprised it was here and wondered why and if she should have it. She took it anyway and slipped it into her sleeve pocket. After all. You never know.

As she followed “Michael” she began to wonder other things about him. Why would an Angel be dressed in fur. It was beautiful white fur that fell over one shoulder.

When he turned she could see his ears were a bit long and pointed and then there were the markings on his face. He was beginning to resemble another type of being with which she was acquainted. He was certainly beautiful enough to be an angel. He was tall and straight and his hair. She had never seen hair like it. Long, thick and heavy but completely straight. It was white, no white silver, not like an old person but a vibrant

Shade, glossy in the sun.

They came to a clearing where there was a small cave and a camp fire. There was a little girl no older than six or seven who brightened to see them and a strange little frog like creature dressed in a robe and hat with a large staff with two carved human heads. They were cooking fish at the fire on sticks and the smell made Catherine realize how hungry she was.

The little toad was jabbering excitedly to “Michael.” “Lord Sesshomaru! Inuyasha and his party are coming this way! I saw them this morning early!”

“Where?” answered Sesshomaru quietly.

“Over that hill there, on the road we were following.” Jaken suddenly noticed Catherine. “Who is this? A human? Another human? Why have you brought her? Wait, is she human? She doesn't look quite right.”

“She is a foreigner,” answered Sesshomaru, “I pulled her from the storm.
Was Kagome with them?”

“Yes my Lord,” answered Jaken.

“Give the foreigner something to eat. She will not understand your speech.”

Seshomaru turned and walked away in the direction Jaken had pointed out.

“Oh he always leaves me with the dirty work!” mumbled Jaken as he turned to see Rin smiling and offering the foreigner some fish layed out on a big leaf. “Well that's one thing I don't have to do.” He thought.

Sesshomaru followed the road past the hill and immediately saw the little band of friends sitting, resting at the side of the road. No one noticed him approach, being a full Demon had it's advantages. It was Kagome who noticed him first. She looked up and, startled made a little squeak. Inuyasha jumped to his feet immediately putting his hand on the hilt of the Tetsusaiga.

“Whadda you want!?” he snarled.

“Kagome, I need her to come with me.” Said Sesshomaru quietly.

“She's not going anywhere with you!” snarled Inuyasha.

“My younger brother has quite a temper,” thought Sesshomaru. It actually amused him to get Inuyasha worked up.

“Wait!” said Kagome, “Why do you want me come with you?”

“The girl at least has some sense,” thought Sesshomaru. “I pulled a foreign woman from the sea, she does not speak our language. You, Kagome, are from another world. Perhaps you can help.”

“She's not helping you!”

“Inuyasha!” cried Kagome, “I may be able if she speaks English. It's my best subject in school, in fact I spent two summers with my Aunt in Hawaii and learned to speak English pretty well.” Kagome stopped suddenly. Memory came back unbidden. She had been with her aunt in Hawaii twice. First time when her father had gotten sick second time when he died. She fought back the emotion. “Is she European?”

Sesshomaru looked at her puzzled, Kagome realized he may not have heard of Europe.

“What does she look like?” asked Kagome.

“She has light brown hair and green eyes.” He said.

“Well then she must be European, let's hope she is English.” Said Kagome beginning to follow Sesshomaru.

“Well if she's going I'm going too.” Growled Inuyasha.

“We'll all go,” said Miroku quietly.

“Please yourselves,” said Sesshomaru leading the way.

When they reached the camp Kagome was a little surprised to see a pretty young European type woman in a blue and white silk kimono. She was older than her and even Sango maybe in her early twenties.

“Well here goes,” thought Kagome hoping with all her might the woman spoke English. “Hello,” she began, “do you speak English?”

Catherine perked up as she heard familiar words, “yes, I am English.”

“What is your name?” Kagome continued slowly.

“My name is Catherine Faraday.”

“Where do you come from? How did you get here?” Kagome began to feel more comfortable, she had not spoken English for awhile.

“I am from Yorkshire, in England.” Catherine said slowly, “I was on an expedition along the coast of Asia with my father. We were blown off course and my father's ship was destroyed in a storm. I think, I'm sure I drowned and Michael took me from the ocean and brought me here.”

Kagome looked puzzled, “Michael, who's Michael?”

“Michael the Archangel,” said Catherine indicating Sesshomaru. “Is this not Heaven? Am I not dead?”

Kagome was not sure what to do first, she wanted to laugh but she didn't want to hurt Catherine's feelings or scare her. She looked over at Sesshomaru who was watching them, no, Catherine, intently. “Hmmm,” she thought, what to do.

“You're not dead Catherine,” said Kagome carefully, “You're in the country of Japan. Mich-al's real name is Sesshomaru and he's no angel.”

“My father told me of Japan, off the coast of Asia it is an island like Great Britain. My father said it was closed to foreigners. Sesshomaru, is that right? Sesshomaru, what a beautiful name. What does it mean?

Again Kagome was at a loss, how was she going to tell this European woman, probably a Christian, that her “Angel” was a full Demon and that his “beautiful” name

meant “ perfect killer”.

“One thing I must ask,” said Catherine, “ I know I drowned , water filled my lungs, it was very painful then everything went black. When I awoke I was fine, no pain, no sign at all of what happened. How could that be?”

“Well…..' started Kagome, “Sesshomaru has a sword called Tetseiga, it is a healing sword that restores life. He must have used it on you.”

“I see,” said Catherine, looking over at Sesshomaru, “Tell me, if Sesshomaru is not an Angel what manner of being is he, he is not human I think/”

“Careful,” thought Kagome, she knew what Westerners thought of Demons especially during this time period. “He is a magical being,” said Kagome finally.

“Is he a Faerie?” Asked Catherine.

“Oh, no, well I don't.” stuttered Kagome, “Okay, he's a Demon.”

Catherine regarded her for a moment, “He does not seem like a Demon, as I understand them. Perhaps here Demon means something different then in my world. The realm of Faerie encompasses many magical beings like the Selkies and the Tuatha de Danaan. He seems like a Noble of the Tuatha de Danaan, I am well acquainted with them.

Again Kagome was at a loss, she had never heard of the Tuatha de Danaan then again Catherine knew nothing of the magical realm of Japan. “Perhaps,” she said finally, “They are similar to what we call Demons.” She saw Catherine relax and prayed that she was right about that.

Catherine smiled at her, “Tell me girl, what is your name?”

“I am Kagome,”

“ Tell me Kagome, the young man in red, is he also a Demon?”

Kagome turned to see Inuyasha and her friends sitting close by. “That's Inuyasha, he is a half Demon, his mother was human. He and Sesshomaru are half brothers.

“They do not seem particularly warm to each other,” said Catherine.

“That's an understatement” laughed Kagome. “Let's see, the young man in the blue robes is Miroku, he is a Buddist Monk and a bit of a lady's man, so watch him. The girl next to him is Sango, she is a…ah..Warrior. The little guy is Shippo, he is a fox Demon.” Suddenly to her surprise Kilala walked over, jumped onto Catherine's lap and began to purr loudly. “That is Kilala, she seems to like you. I have never seen her act that way with a stranger.”

“I have always been found of cats. Said Catherine scratching Kilala behind the ears, and they have always been fond of me.”

“You are taking too long!” growled Sesshomaru, “Who is she? Where does she come from?”

“His Lordship seems impatient,” said Catherine causing Kagome to snort a little laughter.

“Her name is Catherine Faraday, she is from England,” said Kagome.

“Eng-land where is that?” asked Sesshomaru.

“Hmmm,” said Kagome how to tell him where England was. “How far west have you been?” She asked.

“I have been across China to the tall mountains, the Himalayas.” He said.

“Well, go farther west and you will find more tall mountains, continue and you will reach a fertile plain. Keep going and you will reach more mountains and then land where there are many humans like Catherine. Go further and you will reach another Ocean and there right off the coast you will find a large Island very much like ours in some ways I suppose. This is Great Britain, England is there.”

Sesshomaru's eyes grew wide, “She is from the far side of the World?” he said.

“Yes,” said Kagome, “she is. You know, I have a feeling that you could use the Tetseiga to help her understand our language. It's just a hunch. but perhaps you should try.”

Kagome left a speechless Sesshomaru and walked calmly back to her friends who regarded her with something like disbelief. When they had gotten out of earshot Sango turned to her.

“I can't believe you were talking like that to Sesshomaru what is going on.”

“Oh , he's alright,” said Kagome, “He doesn't fly off the handle for no reason. I guess he just needs to put on a show occasionally.” She was aware that Inuyasha was staring at her. Sometimes her ways as a modern woman puzzled Inuyasha, he was of course of this time. Maybe he would never change. “Catherine, that's her name will give Sesshomaru a challenge that's for sure. If she begins to speak our language, well, that should be interesting.”

For one who doesn't like humans, he seems to be collecting them” said Miroku.

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