Celestia [Sesshomaru fanfiction]

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How did I end up stranded in the middle of a forest? 

I scanned the area in search of the culprit well that brought me to God knows where, but all I saw were the silhouettes of nature all cramped together. Once my headache subsided, I slowly pulled myself back up on my feet. I knew nothing about the wilderness, or how to survive in one, but to stand under an eerie, withered tree was definitely not an option I ought to consider. The grounding croaks of ravens hanging on the branches were clear indicators of that. As much as I wanted to convince myself that it could all be a dream, the cold gust of wind prickling my skin assured me that I wasn't. 

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Sesshomaru frowned as the air grew richer, putting him on the edge. A floral fragrance with dewy honey slathered his nostrils. It enticed him, leading the great demon south to the dense forest that made Sesshomaru glad to have left his crew behind.

'The Oni's Den,' he realized. A mating ground for wild ogres to come together in a deathly match to win the heart of a single ogress on heat; an unlikely place for a charming scent to linger around. 

The strong, pungent odor of ogres soon started to conceal the sweet fragrance, making it harder for Sesshomaru to follow it. Their ghastly scent already revolted him and their decomposed prey littering around the area, but he persisted into the forest. Whoever carried the scent Sesshomaru desperately held onto was certainly not of their world, and whether or not it posed a threat, he would be the judge of that.

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Numerous things ran through my mind as I found myself entering deeper into the forest, rather than out of it. Most of them were me cursing at my own misfortune of falling into the woods with a parched throat, muddy sneakers, and dirt all over my clothes. I could easily blame Buyo for startling me and made fall into this mess, but if I had only listened to Gramps, I probably wouldn't be in this situation, to begin with. Karma really is a bitch. And on top of that, the temperature was dropping down, fast. If wild animals didn't get to me first, starvation and hypothermia surely would. The ache in my head transferred to my legs; the thought of resting my back against a tree never felt so tempting, but so was the desperation to leave the forest. It wasn't until I heard the pleasant sound of water did hope spark back into my eyes. 

I sprinted to the small stream and scooped a handful of the clear water, drinking to my heart's content. Fresh and cool, I slowly felt my throat smoothen as I let out ahhs and oohs to regain my voice. Hydration was what I needed to cure my dreadful migraine, and perhaps, it was this pain that made me fail to realize the beauty that stared above me. 

Stars, billions of them, gleamed against the dark canvas like crystals in a dull gown. I had never seen so many of them in my life. How generous the heavens were to grace me with a sliver of its beauty in a treacherous time. Constellations patched through spontaneous areas of the sky, reminiscing fond memories of my childhood with Kaguya and our old telescope. The thought of resting against the tree behind me didn't seem like such a bad idea, now. And I could have if it weren't for an unmistakable growl hidden amongst the trees. 

Every muscle in my body froze, frightful to make the slightest movement. Was it a panther? A bear? A crocodile?! Tiny pebbles around me began to shake, as did the ripples on the stream, ruptured by the vibration that escalated to a sudden stop. I could barely see my surroundings. My heartbeat could very well expose my whereabouts hearing how loud it was. The only source of light came from the balls of gas burning leagues away. It was, however, enough to illuminate the shadow that hovered over mine. Something icky and liquid blotched the top of my head. I knew I shouldn't, but I did and looked up. Ghostly-blind eyeballs stared right back at my pale-drained eyes. At the sound of its roar, I bolted. 

My body moved on its own, charging back into the narrow woods. Every muscle screamed, pulsing blood, oxygen, and everything else to keep my legs running. I didn't dare to look back, even though the sound of the giant's roar and stomps rattled my skull. I kept running - sprinting - veering through different directions in hopes I would lose the giant. But in the absence of sanity and rationality, I lost my footing. Pain did not come immediately but that could only be the adrenaline numbing it. It didn't change the fact that I could no longer run. The monster's silhouette drew closer and closer. 

'Shit!' 

A tree, not far from where I fell, had a hollowed trunk large enough for me to squeeze in and hide. I bit down the slow sting that began to wrap my ankle and limped my way towards it. Exhaustion and greater pain settled in as soon as I reached the tree. I quietened my breathing when a tree suddenly crashed close to mine. I slapped my hands to my mouth before a scream could reveal where I was to the monster. 

I prayed desperately to whichever God reigned above her and into the world she had stumbled into. Monsters didn't exist, creepy wells that send people to alternate universes did not exist. None of this was real, I told myself. None of this should be real. But if that were true - if all this was only a figment of my imagination, a world I concocted in my own head, how could I be feeling tired and in pain? 

Moments had passed; nothing happened. Silence fell for some time and the monster's shadow disappeared. Then, the tree's roof was ripped wide open, split from the rest of its bark. 

"Found you." 

The monster bore his fangs at me as he licked his lips in anticipation. As he reached down to grab hold of my quivering body, I did what any human being would do, and screamed.