InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As A Courtesan ❯ Where it all begins ( Chapter 1 )

MS- New Story!

(MS has edited the first chapter because she feels as if the first two chapters stunk.)

.

Before anyone else gets confused, I am 100% aware the Japanese Currency is YEN. For the sake of not having the future aguement again, I will say now,

I will be using the money currency as YAN, not YEN. Don't worry too much about it, it Only comes up several times in the story.

.

Characters are going to be OOC!!! Be Warned! (Sometimes)

.

Setting: Mainly Japanese with Renaissance twist on certain parts of culture, infrastructure, and speech.

(and the role of courtesans vs. japanese high court ladies... in the middle of the story)

Summary-

Kagome must sacrifice her innocence for the sake of her family, her father and younger brother. Who knew sleeping with the Ice Prince will lead to a series of cruel and unexpected events? Join Kagome in her struggle to discover who she really is after being lied to by her Father for a decade.

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha, not me! Mature only!

As a Courtesan
MiserablySweet

Chapter 1- Where it all begins…

"It's been 10 years, mama. I miss you so much," a lone tear slipped down a young woman's face as she fingered the rough texture of a sakura tree bark. The tiny girl who once visited the grave under the sakura tree has blossomed into a beautiful young lady. The breeze ruffled her ragged kimono, and the sakura petals floated gently from the limbs of the tree. She took several steps away from the nicely kept grave, and glanced back, "I'll take good care of them, I promise."

The luster of the young woman's hair under the sun's ray was of a deep blue color, almost as if the color of the midnight sky. Her skin as flawless as it is creamy peeked out under from her ragged kimono. She pressed her lips together and hummed a soft melody that was well known to her. She closed her eyes and inhaled the heavenly aroma of mildew and a nearby patch of Jasmine flowers. She smiled and opened her cerulean depths, two pools of gems swirled with unknown emotion, "I wish... my family will have a better life," she whispered with a hint of depression. Her trance was broken with shouts of her name from a man,

"Kagome!" the man stumbled on his feet and fell on the soft soil of the garden. Kagome smiled softly at her middle aged father and rushed over to help him up.

"Papa? You look so excited, what happened?" The man laughed heartily and shoved his hands in his pockets and withdrew several stacks of yellow paper.

"Money Kagome! We finally have some money!" He dragged Kagome by the arm into their shaggy old hut, "We can now afford a new home!" He handed the stacks of money to Kagome as he sat on the wooden floor to catch his breath.

Kagome fingered the stacks of money warily, "Where did you get all this money from, Papa?" She counted the stack of money carefully and her eyes widen when the total amount came out to 2000 yan. "2000 yan, Papa where did you get all this money from?" she asked with a serious tone. Small beads of sweat donned his forehead and his eyes darted around the room nervously.

"Why does it matter, my dear girl! We can buy a new home and we'll be one step closer to living the life we had before your mother passed away!" Kagome shook her head, "Where did it come from, Papa?"

Ken sighed, "The owners of the Red Lantern Brothel..." Kagome gasped and clutched her hand to her beating heart and leaned on the wall for support as her knees grew weak, "please tell me you didn't do that." Ken scrambled over to his daughter, "Kagome, we can use the money to buy a larger plot of land for crops. We'll be able to pay off the interest and the loan!"

Kagome shook her head, "No. Papa, we both know the usurers will kill us if we don't pay the loan with interest earlier than the due date!" Ken laughed with his confidence spilling over his head, "Kagome, my dear girl.

"I will leave to the brothel tomorrow and use some of the loan to win us more money!" Ken threw his arms up in exaggeration at the amouts of money he can win by gambling. Kagome sighed with disappointment, "You're gambling instincts are poorer than we are right now Papa. Please, for the sake of your two children, please return the money. Your gambling has cursed us to the point we are now, please, return the money," she begged.

Ken bowed his head in shame, "Yes my daughter, I will go return the money," he said in defeat. Kagome patted his shoulder, "Thank you, Papa." Ken shook his head, "No Kagome, Thank You."

Kagome tilted her head in confusion, "For what?" Ken reached over and pulled Kagome into a fatherly hug, "Thank you for taking care of Souta and me when your mother passed away. I know she's very proud of you" he said softly. Kagome sighed and smiled sadly, heavens knew her father missed his wife greatly. Kagome pulled back, "Go return the money. We'll somehow save up some more money for a new home, I promise."

Ken nodded, "Alright. I'll be back before dusk." He stuffed the stacks of money into his pockets and slipped out into town.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A lavishly decorated room filled with shelves of books was occupied by a very silent creature. He values the silence of his study, he groaned when a familiar scent filled the room.

"Oi, Fluff-san!" a loud and seemingly obnoxious voice disrupted the peace of the Western Prince's chambers and personal study. The prince rolled his eyes at the intruder, "Hn... What is it Jyunchi?" The prince continued with the scrolls and parchment on his desk, "Has not this Sesshoumaru repeatedly said not to call us by that foul name?"

Jyunchi rolled his eyes at his long time familiar friend, "Whatever Fluffy," he snaked his arm around Sesshoumaru's shoulder blade, "Come to the Red Lantern Brothel with me and a few of the guys, just for a short while!" The prince sighed,

“No.”

“Come on Flu-” Jyunchi was cut short with a book flat in the face.

“No.”

“Stupid son of a b-” Jyunchi received another book, twice as heavy across his chest.

“No.”

“Prince… what's with the books?! Sick b-”

“If you finish that sentence this Sesshoumaru will make sure you're unable to use your toy for a long time” he snickered as he finished his sentence. Jyunchi groaned in frustration and slowly helped himself up.

"Come on Sesshoumaru, just for a short while. Your independence will be short lived now that you're going to be wed to the East," Jyunchi nudged Sesshoumaru's elbow hoping he would accept. He sighed as Sesshoumaru ignored him.

"Come on Sesshoumaru! Once you're mated to the Eastern Lord's daughter you will have to be with her day... after day... after day... and night!" he drawled out. Sesshoumaru looked up from his work and stared at the large portrait of his mother and father smiling happily holding him as a pup, "The East..."

Jyunchi nodded, "They're nekos Sesshoumaru," he sighed, "Bunch of prissies in my view."

Sesshoumaru snorted, "Prissies? If you meant self-absorbed cowardly nekos, then we can't agree with you more." Jyunchi's jaw dropped open at Sesshoumaru's speech, "WHOA HO HO! SESHO- Ma- RO. When did the high and mighty Ice Prince come out from his shell?"

“High and Mighty Ice Prince neh?” Sesshoumaru smirked “This Sesshoumaru likes..”

“HAH!” Jyunchi let out hearty laugh “So Sessh, coming?”

“Must you trouble me Jyun?” Sesshoumaru gently massaged his temples.

“Yes, think of it as a bachelor party. In six moons you will be wed to the cat. This is the chance to enjoy yourself!” Jyunchi patted Sesshoumaru's shoulder for good luck, 'You'll need it' he thought sympathetically.

“…Hai. I'll go but keep your whores off my being," Sesshoumaru began to stack the scrolls together neatly.

“No problem Fluff-san. We're taking the carriage there so don't be late.” Jyunchi gently shut the door. `My old friend, you are too predictable.'

Sesshoumaru smiled, “…Hai…”

-0-0-0-0-0-

Kagome sighed happily as she clutched onto the basket filled with an assortment of vegetables, "They will sell quite nicely" she concluded. She brought the basket in and set it down on the corner of the shabby two roomed hut. Kagome ruffled her little brother's hair and sat next to him under the candlelight,

"Souta, do you need help?" The boy with jet black hair and chocolate brown eyes stared at her.

"Nope, I'm good" Souta smiled and returned to his work, Kagome smiled and stood up and walked out into the gardens. A dark shadow hovered over her mother's grave. Kagome tentatively walked over and called out softly, "Hello?" She froze when she heard the shadow sob.

"NOO!" the shadow cried in a loud, deep voice. Kagome recognized this voice, "Papa? Is that you?" She crept closer to the shadow, and indeed it was her father, hunched over his wife's grave sobbing heavily. Kagome raced over, "What's wrong Papa?"

“Kagome… OH KAGOME!” Ken curled into a fetus position with his back touching the grave. Adrenaline pumped in her veins as she grew nervous from her father's display of emotion, “Papa? What happened?”

“Kagome… I have failed you. I failed you as a father… a provider… a human being!” Ken sobbed and gripped her wrists.

“Papa I don't understand. What are you talking about?” Kagome gently shook her father and soothingly patted his back.

“… it's gone Kagome.. It's all GONE!” Ken sobbed heavily into Kagome's shoulders. “My dear girl it's all gone…”

“What is gone? Papa you just came from the brothel to return the money… Papa. Where is the money?” Kagome's fears began to build up it slowly came to her.

“Gone…” he sobbed into his hands.

“GONE?! Papa where has the money gone? It doesn't have legs so it can't run or crawl. Papa. Where. Is. The. Money?” Kagome's ragged breath made Ken very nervous. He shook slightly,

“I- I went to the brothel… I was feeling a bit lucky and I gambled a little… only 200 yan. But since I won.. I gambled another 200.. when I won again… I put it all Kagome! ALL…” Sobs racked his body as he recalls the horrible experience. Kagome sighed, 'I'm very disappointed in you...' she mentally scolded her father. Kagome continue to pat on her father's back.

“Papa… it's okay. We can pay it off. I can work another job. Papa you can help too!” she reassured.

“No. Kagome you don't understand. Yuko, she made a deal with me before I put on the bet. She saw the lucky streak I had… She made a deal… if I win, I get twice the amount I bet.. if I lose, I have to give the brothel twice the amount I lost in a moon's time… Kagome.. I have failed you..” he groaned loudly and banged his head against the stone grave. Kagome felt tears stream down her face as the rush of reality hit her in the guts.

“oh papa..” Kagome embraced her father gently as possible. “how can we ever solve this mess?" Ken continued to sob uncontrollably. Kagome felt her heart grow soft, "Papa.. you've gone through so much. Please, go rest. I'll think of something. I always do.” Kagome ushered her father into bed. `What to do… Papa why have you put us in the same position that has taken my mother's life?' Kagome sighed and leaned against the sakura tree.

`What can I do? Souta can't work, Papa is getting old… I am left.' the spots of stars began to emerge in the sky as the sun's bright rays died down behind the horizon. Kagome continued to wonder what she can do to help her father.

`what can I do?! Papa said some one called Yuko.. Is she the one who lent him the money? The brothel. Yuko owns the Red Lantern Brothel. What can I do? I can cook… clean… maybe deliver? But her pay is only 100 yan a week for those kind of jobs.' Kagome huffed and began to head to town.

`What else can I do in a brothel? A brothel…' The red lanterns giving the brothel's name shown brightly in the long distance.

Kagome stopped in front of the brothel. Courtesans waved their naperies on the edge of the balcony. Their kimonos were layered in color fabrics and barely covered their over-sized breasts. Kagome stood in front of the brothel wondering if she should really go in or not. Several courtesans banded together and chattered noisily.

“Did you hear Yuko? The prince is coming here! Along with Jyunii-chan.”

“Hai. The prince will not bed us Courtesans… he only bed… virgins….” Kagome gasped softly, "Maybe..." Kagome took another step closer to the brothel's front doors, "Maybe..." Kagome gulped nervously as she reached the front doors; she was only a step away from entering the brothel.

`I will carry the responsibility… Papa… My innocence for the sake of my father's life and my brother's life… My innocence is… not valuable…”

.

.

.

MS- Done!

Again, this is an edited chapter... I wrote chp. 1 of AAC several months before I wrote the 2nd or 3rd chapter.

I changed it a little bit, added more details.

Read and review!

Chapter 13 will be up in a few days!