Tempest

Pairing: Kagome and Jiraiya
Genre: Romance x Fantasy
Rating: T
Summary: Beneath the surface, where men dare not glance exists a timeless; soulless race. They are not human and they will take anyone they can get. Yet, she saved him.

Please enjoy

…Beneath the Deep…

What makes a soul?

The waters were calm; much calmer than her turbulent mind. The explosion of lights above her was distorted by the liquid, but she could still make out the hues of blue and the blurring of figures. It was the sight of something orange that caused the surface to steam and made her worry. She had never witnessed water turn to steam; it could be mist, but that idea was dismissed the moment she heard something sizzle. The sound muffled by her watery world, but still recognizable.

She sighed; a few bubbles escaped her mouth as she waded below the crystal blue deep. Her head tilted and her black hair fanned out; floating weightlessly behind her. Her eyes narrowed as she watched something impact the surface. The blue concaved inward as the weight pressed downward.

Uplander.

It's limbs were spread out, floating above its body. The form wasn't struggling as it simply sunk downward; descending into darkness. It's white hair was floating around the uplander with no restraint.

She had heard rumors of such beings, but she had never seen one before. They were elusive creatures that tended to stick the land; they feared the ocean with good reasons. When uplanders went into the oceans; they tended to never come back. If the currents didn't take them her brethren would surely nab them.

With a great push; she moved from her idle position toward the sinking uplander. She reached out and gently swiped her arms backwards softly propelling herself toward the sinking uplander. The thought of using her fin was out of the question; the muscle would only move her past what she recognized as male. Gently she reached out and then hesitated; his eyes were shut and there was smile upon his lips.

Could he be sleeping?

Could uplanders survive under the water?

Both answers were no; she had seen many enough be claimed by the darkness of the sea to know that they couldn't survive in her domain. She finished reaching out and gently ran the tips of her fingers along the contours of the male's face.

Soft.

It was when she approached that she noticed something odd; ribbons of crimson floated out from his body and twisted toward the surface. This Uplander was dying; that much was certain. His heartbeat was weak, but the vibrations carried in the currents. She floated above him, deciding what was best to do when she finally reached out and placed her palms upon his face; her fingers thread through his white mane. His body sunk downward, but now she was holding him so he wouldn't continue his descent. Tilting her head to the side; she wondered if such a feat was possible. So many times she had witnessed her brethren steal countless lives.

Was it possible to give?

It was possible to try.

Tenderly; she admired his features. The crimson lines traced downward from his eyes. The wild white mane to the smooth skin that was shaded like the sand, but smooth like the inside of an oyster. She cradled the back of his neck and easily lifted him so her lips rested above his mouth. Wrapping an arm around his chest and cradling his neck she made a decision. Exhaling; more bubbles escaped upward and she pressed her lips to his. The sea churned around them in a fashion she had witnessed happened to her sisters. She wanted to save him and she let the thought push out from her; begging whatever power there be to let it take form. With a powerful thrust and she shot upward toward the surface. If it was possible to save this being she wasn't going to let him drown. They breached the surface and her eyes widened as she pulled back.

He sharply inhaled the air in a rasp of breathe.

The fit of coughing that racked his form caused her distress. Her eyes searched above the surface and she spotted a flat surface of stone. Quickly, she pulled him toward the surface. Her hands touched the stone warmed by the sun and she pulled him onto the surface. Clumsily, she slightly slipped, but would not be deterred by such an accident.

In her hands; rested a life.

The quivering of his beating heart pounded like a wave against the surface underneath her hand. When he was pushed onto the surface and she was sure that he wouldn't roll into the water; she waited in silence.

He looked different in this world than her own. His skin had a healthy glow that wasn't distorted by the hues of blues. His hair was soggy from the water and as his skin dried she noticed crystals from the salt littering his skin. She reached out and brushed away such pests and gasped when a large and rough hand grasped her frail wrist.

Confusion. Fear. Excitement.

She had never felt such things and to have it well upon within her chest in a matter of moments overwhelmed her mind. That she was trying to understand how a hand could be so rough despite soft skin upon the face. His eyes fluttered and she took note that there was no transparent membrane to protect against water; which explained why uplanders couldn't see underwater.

Quietly, she slipped from his grasp and dove back into the water.

The feel of water droplets brought him back into consciousness. All he saw was the glittering of silver disappearing in the water. The sensation of having something petite, wet, and slick in his hands made him wonder what he had grabbed.?He slowly blinked black eyes and stared at the rippling surface of the water in front of him.

How was he alive?

Notes

Quick Notes:

This is set in an AU Naruto-verse cause I love that verse

Jiraiya is alive and well; which will be explained

The Ninja War is over and it's happily ever or something like that

Inuyasha cast is obviously AU, but not OOC

This isn't your average fairytale retelling. I plan for it to be a bit dark.

No, POTC didn't inspire this( I didn't much care for the 4th installment!)

Please leave a review after this message; any and all comments will be welcomed and loved.!