The Curse of a Wicked Man

Chapter One

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The rhythm came in continuous beats of four as each finger cascaded down onto the table. Pinky, ring, middle, pointer. Again and again. Each pattern of tapping making the men around him shift into uneasiness.

The Boss of the Western Clan was growing bored. And when Sesshōmaru Nishimura was bored, things didn't go well for those around him.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Then, abruptly, they stopped.

"That's it?" His voice was even, unnerving to those around him. There was no emotion and yet it was able to convey to utter disapproval that weighed on him. "Hn. How pathetic."

Bang.

The Youkai are resilient. A bullet wasn't dangerous enough to be life-threatening to one like Sesshōmaru. And yet, when he took a bullet to his chest it deflated his lung enough to cause the leader to fall into unconsciousness. With staggered uneasy breaths, oxygen could not make it in his brain. As a result, the actions that took place in that altercation weren't in the memories that Sesshōmaru kept. He does, however, remember the dream that consumed his mind as he inched towards death.

His eyes opened. Before him, there was a forest. The trees climbed up high above him as if they were attempting to reach the heavens. Despite the canopy their branches and limbs created overhead, snow fell around him. And while he exhaled and his breath turned to a white cloud of condensation before him, he felt a crisp coldness in the air. He took a step, only to realize he hadn't moved from his spot.

He heard her laughter first, the sound chiming off like bells around him, echoing through the forest. The laugh layered over itself, haunting him from all around. "Sesshōmaru!" She sang, calling him towards her. His body moved, rushing through the forest with incomprehensible speed without even moving his feet.

The Youkai was brought to the clearing. Snow and blossoms fell around the trees, never landing on the ground. His eyes came to a woman. Her face was… well beautiful in every sort of way. Her skin was tanned from the sun, her hair floated around her with the blossoms and the snow. The Junihitoe she wore was ancient, practically decaying away from her body.

"My dearest monster. My wicked, fruitless child."

Her voice was filled with malice and bittered with hate that seemed directed at him. He knew the tone, the malicious sound that echoed in the voice of someone who knew he killed their beloved. If not for the circumstance, he would have smirked.

"You have a brave tongue to speak to me in such a manner." He told her, his eyes watching her for a threat. She only smirked at him. At his words a man appeared behind him, leaning on the tree closest to where she set. "Foolish woman." The man vanished and Sesshōmaru felt a face near his own. Glancing to his side, he saw the man peering at him with dead gray eyes. "I would move if I were you." When the man didn't, Sesshōmaru reached for him with his claws ready; yet the man to vanished.

"Now, now. Do you truly believe I would allow you to hurt my beloved?" She said doting on the man as he sat near her. "Not that you can harm us… You, Sesshōmaru, are far too powerless for that."

Rage filled him.

"Fuck!" A voice echoed in his ears. "Sesshōmaru? Quick, get Higurashi!"

The world around him spun as disorientation consumed him. "What is this? Who are you?"

When everything stopped spinning, the woman stood before him while the man disappeared from his sight. "This is… Heaven. Paradise. The Summerland. The Evergreen… Shangri La... Call it whatever you may. It is the home of spirits in utter contentment." Ghostly orbs danced into existence. Moving around her in what Sesshōmaru could only describe as bliss. They brought warmth with them, his breath no longer whitening from the cold. "This is where a soul finds true peace after it has learned all it can."

"No…" He said, her eyes drifting from the bouncing spirits to him. "There is no such thing. Speak the truth."

She hummed. "Do you know who this is children? This is Sesshōmaru." With that the spirits fled, disappearing from around them and taking the warmth with them. "See that? Your name… Your name is the name of fear itself." She paused, grabbing his jaw roughly. "You're smirking." Sesshōmaru found himself on his knees under her grip. She released him, her eyes looking harshly at him. "You disgust me." She told him.

He growled dangerously, his hand glowing as he prepared to attack. "And who do you think you are?"

"One of two creators. I am Life itself. Behind you is my husband… Death. Together we are God." She hummed. "You see, I give life and my dearest takes it away. Why do you think you are before us?"

"He needs to be in a hospital! Not on my kitchen table!' He heard a familiar voice scream. "He needs a doctor! God, a surgeon! Not a nursing student!"

"That's Ms. Higarushi. The girl your Clan is blackmailing." She told him. "She's trying to save your life. You were shot after all."

"A bullet isn't enough to kill me." He told her the voices in his head growing fainter. He felts wetness soaking at his shirt; touching the spot and then looking at his hand showed it as blood. "I've survived worst."

"It was blessed by a slayer, it's as simple as that. But you are right, you will live." She smirked at him. "It is not your time to die. Rather, it is time you receive a message."

He didn't speak, instead, he listened for her to elaborate.

"Sesshōmaru. A long ago, I gave you a heart, a soul. You had every power in the world to be beautiful. To find the knowledge you were lacking and be here, eternally." She cupped his cheek, looking into his eyes like a disappointed parent. "However, you have taken this gift and turned your heart to ice while damning your soul in the process… You have hardened yourself from the world. You have fully destroyed your ability to love with all the blood that your own hands have spilled. You truly disgrace us."

The goddess words were harsh, but to Sesshōmaru, they were like an annoying drone. So, he snickered and said, "I will not apologize for any of the things I have done."

"I never expected you to." An almost evil grin formed on her beautiful face making her fearsome to behold. "I have come to offer you an opportunity. I have connected your soul to that of another's. You will crave her, need her even. From this day on, Sesshōmaru, no other woman will be able to satisfy your needs. No matter how she touches you, no matter how your body reacts; it will be nothing. The only person that will matter is your mate. I made her specifically for you and she is absolute. Oh, Sesshōmaru, She's beautiful."

He saw a flash, a young girl running into the forest behind the manifestation of Life. Her laugh sent a ping through his heart. Instantly his body moved, there was no control over him. Sesshōmaru followed the scent of fresh lotus and rose oil. No matter how slow she moved, he could not gain on her. When she stopped, so did he.

Life went to the girl, her arms wrapping around her to embrace her. "She will be your punishment." The woman told him, the younger, looking as if she was about to turn, sending his heart pounding in his chest. A look was all he needed. Then she vanished, and the spell over him broke.

"Punishment?" He attempted to sound calm though his breath was staggered from the bewitchment Life poured onto him. "That does not sound like a very good punishment to me, Goddess." he mocked her.

"Now, now puppy. I wasn't finished." She moved closer to him. Her eyes burning into his soul. "Your heart will yearn for her. In five years time, if you do not find her all the world's anguish will be delivered upon your own soul. All the hurt that you have caused others will be felt throughout your body. You will feel pain to the point that you will beg to die. Though, you will never experience death.

"If you ignore your calling towards her or she does not accept you for the monster you are, you will suffer the same fate. If you find her and you take her life with own hands or allow another do the same then your punishment will be ten times over. If she accepts and loves you with everything she is and you refuse to love her back, then she can take your punishment from you. However, if she takes it I will strip you of your Youkai blood, and you will be fully human."

She watched his eyes narrow which caused a grin to form on her face.

"Oh, but don't worry puppy. There are some good things that go along with this enchantment. If you full-heartedly admit that you love her, I will forgive you of your sins and allow you to live a peaceful life in her arms. If you sacrifice your own self for her life, then that soul of yours will make it to heaven. Though, she must love you in return for either one of those things to happen."

He stared her down, "Hn, you are wasting my valuable time."

Life walked away, turning her back from him. Death came before him, His expressionless face and dead eyes looking at Sesshōmaru intently. Life peered over her shoulder, "Show him, my love." A sinister smile stretching from ear to ear took over his expression. Death reached for Sesshōmaru's face before he bent and pressed his lips to Sesshōmaru's own. Instantly, his body was consumed with pain. His soul was shattering into tiny piece while each atom of his being was torn apart. Every square inch of him was in complete and utter agony. His flesh felt as if it was being ripped from his bones and burned at the same time. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. All he could do was feel this anguish.

"This, Sesshōmaru, is only a small fraction of the pain you will experience if you do not succeed." Life told him while death released his hold on him.

He panted as his body shook from the pain. Sesshōmaru was no fool, he knew that pain was something he never wanted to experience again. "How do I find her?" he asked, reluctant but nearly broken.

"Her hair is as dark as the malice in your heart. Her lips as red as the blood you have spilled. Her eyes are as beautiful as the children you have orphaned. Her skin is as pale as the death you leave wherever you go..." Life told him while Death took a step away from him. "She is, by all means, perfect. A perfect punishment for an evil man."

He took in a deep breath, as he listened to every word she said.

"When you see her, you will know it is her. Believe in that." They began to fade away in front of his eyes. "But, remember one thing Sesshōmaru. I will do everything in my power to make sure you fail. I will make sure that this light that I have brought into your life doesn't melt the ice in your heart."

He felt his face scrunch up, a dull pain in his chest aching as he came to consciousness. His hand moved up, pressing over the wound. His memories piecing together slowly. The forest. Life and Death. His punishment...

Sesshōmaru opened his eyes half expecting to see the forest. Instead, he was looking at a normal middle-class ceiling. It was a dream after all. It was all a dream his mind created to process the pain of being shot. Clearly.

The door opened, drawing his attention from his thoughts and causing him to sit up. He glanced to see his men speaking intently on the Slayers while the tv behind them spoke of a body found on the beach. "Five years…" Sesshōmaru noticed her then. Life… She stood before him in the doorway with a smirk on her lips. "Five years before you belong to me."

-A note from Roz-

Thanks for reading, this story is a remastered version of 'The Curse of a Wicked Man,' a story I did not finish. Components may be changed from the prior story to better the plot. Updates will be bi-weekly.

With love,

Roz