InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Afraid to Love ❯ Unforgettable Past ( Chapter 22 )

Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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22: Unforgettable Past

Onigumo pulled his straw hat lower to shield his eyes from the blazing sun. In his arms, he held a basket full of silk that he had traded gold for. Yes, Shome would be delighted. His mood instantly lightened at the thought of his wife. Ever since he was a young boy, he had been enchanted by Shome's beauty. She had black eyes that were mysterious yet twinkled with joy. Her silky black hair flowed to her thighs. His daughters looked almost exactly like his wife. Kikyo, the eldest, would be turning four this year. Kaede, the younger, had been born only a month ago.

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"Speaking of Onigumo, where is he?" asked Fuchi. Shome smiled happily. "My husband has gone to another village to trade. He should be back in a little while." Fuchi glared playfully. "My, how I envy you. If my husband would step a foot out of the house I'd be surprised." Shome chuckled. "Well, you know Onigumo. He's always the hard worker. We're hoping to train Kikyo as a miko. Onigumo claims that he saw Kikyo purify an imp." Fuchi groaned as she messed up her side of the quilt once more. "At least your children have futures. Mine are fifteen and sixteen but all they do is sit around. I must say, Kikyo has the same determination as Onigumo."

"Okaasan! Kaede pulled my hair again!" an adorable voice screamed. "Kikyo, Kaede's still a baby. She doesn't know what she's doing. Just ignore her." Then, screams began outside and flames could be heard crackling. The women instantly dropped their handiwork and ran to the children. Each woman held a child close as they trembled in a dark corner of the room. They sat in complete silence, but screams rang throughout the village. Soon, all the screams died down and all they could hear were their heartbeats and rapid breaths.

The gentle tapping of cloth shoes were heard coming up to the doorway. A clawed handed pulled aside the cloth and stepped in. The demon had long silver-white hair and cold golden eyes. A navy crescent moon was on his forehead. He was the Lord of the Western Lands. "Do not think of hiding. It is preposterous to think that I, a demon, cannot sense you from your spot in the corner," the lord growled. "Show yourselves before I reintroduce you to your maker." Still, the women would not budge. The lord threw a sword in their direction and the sword went through Shome's left calf. She winced and handed the child in her arms to Fuchi.

Fuchi knew what to do from the look in Shome's eyes. Shome struggled over to the lord and closed her eyes. `Kami, help me,' she thought. She screamed as loud as she could and opened her arms. A bright red light burst from her body and hit the lord and his servants. Fuchi ran as fast as she could out of the door and to the next village. The lord was unconscious.

When the lord awoke, he ripped Shome to pieces. His servants awoke but before they departed, he melted into a puddle of flesh before transforming into a female youkai. "Hmm, I'm quite disappointed that the Shikon no Tama was not here. Still, being a shape-shifter makes this so much simpler." She pulled a shiny, blue stone from her robe. She dropped it on the ground and left with her servants following her.

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Onigumo couldn't wait to return home since he knew that his loving wife and adorable daughters would be waiting. He gave a content sigh, but as he neared the village…he saw that everything was destroyed. Onigumo walked over to where his hut was. He went inside and saw blood everywhere and a small scrap of his wife's kimono. His basket of silk fell to the ground as he fell to his knees. His Shome…his Shome was dead. "Kikyo…Kaede…" he called, hoping that his daughters were alive and well. He searched the rooms and found nothing. He felt anger and his spirit draining out of him.

While walking out of his hut, he saw a glittering blue object on the ground. He knelt down and picked it up. It was a sapphire cut into the shape of a crescent moon, the sign of the Lord of the Western Lands. "Sesshomaru…" he seethed. He ran from the village, away from all he knew, away from the past that he wanted to forget yet wanted to remain.

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Fuchi gasped as she reached the village. She was directed to the hut of the village miko, Tennin. "My dear, what is wrong?" "The children…need…a home….please…please." The miko agreed to take in the children and keep their original names. The children grew up in Tennin's home, never knowing of their real parents, but Kikyo became the village miko after Tennin and fell in love with a hanyou…a hanyou named Inuyasha.

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Onigumo deserved more than this. He worked so hard for everything…and he lost it all. He trod down the trail, unwilling to believe that his family was gone. A man passed by carrying a basket of silver. Onigumo whirled around and strangled the man and stole the silver. Soon, a cycle began. Nothing was ever enough, though. All he truly wanted were his wife and daughters, but he would never see them again.

One day, Onigumo was severely hurt. He was completely paralyzed, but a priestess cared for him…Kikyo. The name made him think more about his family. The priestess had a little sister named Kaede. What a coincidence. Kikyo reminded him so much of his dear Shome that he soon developed lustful feelings for her. Kikyo was in love with Inuyasha, though. He surrendered his body to demons hoping to gain the Shikon Jewel and Kikyo's heart.

When Naraku was born, feelings for Kikyo disappeared. The only feeling that remained was greed, but he could never make up for what he lost: his Shome, his Kikyo, and his Kaede. Sesshomaru would pay. Sesshomaru would lose his life or his loves.

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