InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Castle ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One

~*~

Kagome whirled around in alarm to see a youkai. A tall and cruel youkai whose face was hidden from view by an all-consuming mask. She swallowed hard and felt fear rise up in her chest as she stumbled backwards a bit, tripping over the first step on the staircase. This did not serve her well in any manner at all, for she slipped on that one innocent stair and landed right smack on her buttocks. The sound echoed throughout the long, dark corridors, wringing a cringe from the young woman and a flinch on Sango's part.

Kagome's gaze went to the floor in embarrassment as she scratched nervously at her arm for lack of anything to occupy her at the present moment. Oh KAMI-SAMA! There is a scary monster standing in front of me who is insisting that I definitely am staying at his castle and then I just made a HUGE spectacle of myself by slipping on the steps! He must think I'm such a fool! What if he wants to eat me? Or WORSE! What if-

"Get up," The youkai barked down to her, startling her from her thoughts. "Are you stupid or something?" he added, his voice lined in irritation and arrogance. Kagome bunched her hands into fists as she swallowed down the anger that was slowly growing in her chest.

"Well," she managed to get out, despite the fear that was clamoring around all around her insides, her voice ornery as she tried not to loose her temper with this supercilious youkai. Even though he was a few heads taller than she was… with a body that looked muscular enough to pull a tree from the ground, she would not let him be rude to her. "You could be a gentleman and help me to my feet," she replied, not looking up at all for fear that she would loose her nerve. "Good sir," she added in mock courtesy, her gaze going to see Sango's face. She looked horrified.

Suddenly, to her absolute embarrassment and her own horror, she heard laughter. Laughter. Looking up, she saw that the youkai was clearly amused by her! Kagome's visage filled with confusion and anger and she leapt up to her feet, her eyes suddenly becoming distracted by two twitching ears atop his head. Oh Kami-sama… Ears like that?

She was brought out of her thoughts again when the youkai who was laughing at her swept her off of her feet and slung her over his shoulder like a five-pound sack of potatoes.

"Hey!" Kagome shouted, banging with righteous indignation on his back, pulling his hair and doing other obnoxious things to make him put her down. This was most definitely not dignified.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Sango asked in exasperation as he leapt up onto the balcony railing and walked up it slowly with a screaming Kagome beating at his back the entire time.

"I'm being a gentleman and escorting the lady-" He growled, tightening his hold on the young woman he was holding until she squealed, complaining that she was suffocating, "to her room!" he finished, letting out a cry of pain when Kagome bit one of his ears. He nearly dropped her from the amount of torment it caused him and he raced up the stairs, kicked open the door to the room he decided she would stay in and threw her down rather roughly onto the bed.

Kagome screamed when someone who was much larger than she was, bounded onto the bed and pinned her arms above her head and straddled her hips. He glared down at her, his entire face hidden by a mask… all save for his eyes… The beautiful amber eyes that she had seen downstairs much earlier… "Get your hands OFF OF ME!" she insisted louder than she needed to into one of the fluffy ears that she had clamped her teeth into earlier, watching with satisfaction when the so called `Inuyasha' flew back, cupping his ringing ear.

Suddenly, an eerie chill came about the air and a purely animalistic growl escaped from the youkai whose hearing she had impaired in one ear for the time being. Kagome gulped and clutched the soft blankets of the bed beneath her fingers when Inuyasha turned to face her, his hair floating behind him in a non-existent wind. Fear washed over the young woman when his eyes fixed on her. His blood red eyes…

"Kami-sama…" she whispered when he took a step closer to her, baring elongated fangs that were dripping saliva. "What… What happened to you?" she asked softly, her mouth went dry as she got off the bed and tried to head for the door only to have her way of escaped blocked by the youkai who was now on all fours, growling at her, his malicious red eyes flaming towards her in anger. He then ripped off his mask, revealing his true and horrible identity…

**

"Sango!" Miroku shouted catching the young woman's attention in the library, his face white with fear. He grabbed for her hand, pulling her to her feet. He then proceeded in rushing out of the library until the young woman who he was dragging unceremoniously dug the heels of her flimsy sandals into the ground, stopping all movement on her part.

"What is it?" She asked him in bewilderment, attempting to pull away from the vice grip that he had on her hand. Miroku whirled around, his eyes wide as he swallowed.

"He hasn't taken it!" The young man informed her, his eyes haunted. Sango pondered this a moment before her realization and common sense smacked her upside the head like Miroku was grabbing where he shouldn't have been. She let out a terrified gasp as she raced down the hall to the kitchen where there was a special wooden box covered in gold lining. She opened it quickly and reached inside, pulling out a full vile, clutching it when she saw that it was full to the top. "I told you so!" Miroku added, his voice hoarse and out of breath.

"Miroku, he's taken the girl Kagome upstairs! What if he lost his temper-" The young woman started to say but was jolted to a run when Miroku grasped her arm, pulling her along behind him as they raced up the stairs.

They stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the growl of a horrible wretched beast emitting from the room dead across from the head of the stairs. Sango swallowed and clutched the vile to her chest as she pressed forward, diverting the drooling hanyou Inuyasha's attention. Miroku whispered words of assurance into her ear and nudged her forward a bit, grinning sheepishly at her when she gave him an irritated glare.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief when the monster's bloody gaze was averted from pining her down in the corner she was situated in. She heard Sango's voice except it sounded tremulous and fearful as she straightened her position, listening hard to what the young woman was saying. Be careful Sango-sama…

"I-Inuyasha, y-you didn't take your serum," The young woman stuttered, holding out the vile to the transformed hanyou, taking a step forward so that the small bottle was within his reach. Inuyasha, with his crimson eyes and enlarged fangs let out a menacing, mutated sounding laugh that came from deep within his throat.

"I don't want it," he spat in reply, his enhanced deepened voice sounding like hell itself. He laughed again but then paused when he heard movement behind him. His head whipped around to see Kagome, frozen under his gaze yet again, her dark eyes frightened and confused. "What are you staring at?" he growled, his amusement now channeled anger.

The young woman swallowed and attempted to find her voice. There was something going on here that she didn't know about. Suddenly, she realized why the name `Lord Inuyasha' rang such a huge bell in her head. Father had told me a story once of a prince who lived in his lands alone. One night he had… Oh Kami-sama, my memory is awful! I don't even remember what happened at that part of the story even though my father must have told it to me hundreds of times! She berated herself inwardly screaming when the transformed Inuyasha leapt towards her to pin her down again.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku roared, leaping forward, grasping the raging hanyou around the waist to distract him. To his luck, the diversion seemed to aggravate and annoy the beast to the point where he lost all interest in Kagome again. "Just what do you think you're doing? Take your serum! You aren't supposed to be this way!" The young man shouted as Inuyasha attempted to pry his vice grip off of himself and resume what he was going to do.

"I'm going to get rid of her! She shouldn't be here! No strangers! No trespassers! NO ONE!" The beastly creature roared, shaking the floors of the castle and rattling the glass in all of the windows. Kagome's breath was coming out short as she observed this frightening scene, her hands shaking from her own anxiety of the danger of the situation that they were all in.

"Inuyasha, you're not in your right mind! Take the elixir! You have to! If you want to keep your soul!" Sango roared, silencing his raging behavior, making him freeze in place. His blood colored eyes focused on her, as his mind seemed to be torn in two places.

Kami-sama… It's as if he's having an inward battle with himself… What is happening here? I thought he wanted me to stay… that is how all of this was started… but now he wants me gone? And why do Miroku and Sango want him to take the liquid that's in that vile? Why did he change in the first place! AAH! I'm working myself into a headache! Kagome cried in her mind, holding the sides of her head to keep her cranium from exploding. Her dark eyes shot up when she heard the sound of a cork popping and then glass shattering.

"Be careful or you'll shatter the bottle," Sango inquired quietly, going to help the transformed hanyou feed himself the elixir in the vile but he would have none of it. He drew his arm back and slapped her away, watching her with greedy intellect as her body crashed against the wall with a redundant smack.

"Sango!" Miroku cried, rushing past Inuyasha who was now taking the serum and fell down on his knees beside her, gathering her crumpled, slender body in his arms, his violet eyes worried and concerned. His gaze drifted upward when he heard gagging sounds come from the hanyou who was now clutching his throat with a vengeance.

"Kami-sama…" Inuyasha hissed, some of his regular mentality returning. His half-red, half-amber eyes gazed around him, taking in the scene. A half broken vile, Miroku hovering over a broken looking Sango in the corner… The girl shuddering in the room that he had dragged her to… He had done all of this and worst of all, his curse was no longer a secret… Oh Kami-sama… She's seen me! GODS! She's seen me! He thought in horror as he leapt over the balcony and scurried down the dark long corridor that Kagome had ventured down earlier on her exploration.

This is impossible… She won't understand at all… He thought brokenly as he brought his clawed hands to his face, feeling the awfulness of the curse in the blemishes that were forever scarring his face. They started to burn with a malicious ferocity as the serum was digested into his system, his nerves and feelings now neutral as he let out a dragging sigh. No one will ever understand… It is as the coward of the spirit who cursed me said… Even though I am surrounded by those who will do me service, if I do not have their friendship, it will not matter… I will still be doomed to be alone… Forever…

**

"Is she going to be all right?" Kagome whispered as she helped Miroku to arrange Sango's bed as they went to lay her down on it. The young man placed her down delicately and Kagome drew the covers up to her.

"She should be fine. This is now the first time it's happened, Lady Kagome," Miroku told her softly in response, his voice thick with emotion, his eyes flickering his concern and feelings for the young woman who was lying on the bed, unconscious.

The two lapsed into silence filled with tension as they watched Sango rest, completely oblivious to all that was happening. Kagome brushed a stray lock of her tangled raven hair behind her ear and chewed on her lower lip, wanting some answers, hoping it would not be too bold to ask for an explanation. She was brought out of her concerns when a feminine moan was heard from the bed, accompanied by the rustling of blankets.

"Sango," Miroku breathed, kneeling down next to the bed, taking Sango's hand within his own. Kagome smiled at the two as the young woman in the bed's cheeks flushed red from the simple contact.

"Sango, how are you feeling?" She asked gently, noticing that Miroku and the other young woman were actually ostracizing her somewhat. Sango was brought back to life at the question and smiled weakly up at Kagome.

"Yes, I will be fine in a few hours. I am rather tired though and my neck hurts," She replied, sighing a bit before releasing a huge yawn. Miroku's eyes were wide from such a large yawn but he chuckled warmly, patting the hand that he held in his own.

"I believe that is your cue to leave," Miroku told Kagome, his violet eyes flashing in mischief. Sango let out an exasperated sound and pulled her hand out of his grasp, shoving him away from her entirely. Kagome let out a giggle and pulled Miroku, who was unwilling, to his feet.

"I believe that you were just pushed off," Kagome whispered to Miroku, mirroring the tell-tale smirk that he had had on his lips only moments before. "Come along, Miroku. Let's leave the injured lady to her rest," she finished, pulling the young man who was reaching towards the bed ridden young woman, apologizing and spluttering complaints about how he did not wish to leave her presence and that he was worried about her `condition.'

"I think my condition will only become worse if you stay with me alone," Sango told him in response, her voice completely full of irritation. "Kagome, please escort him out of here," she added, turning over slowly on her side so that her back was facing the two of them.

"You heard the girl. Out out out!" Kagome ushered, shoving him roughly out of the room, closing the door behind her. "You really are a lech, Miroku-sama," she said to him as they walked side by side down the stairs. He did not reply nor did he react at all to her statement. He merely continued to stare at the ground with the most melancholy of looks on his young and handsome face. "Miroku-sama?"

"He hasn't forgotten to take his serum for months," The young man told her randomly, his violet eyes emotionless as he sped his walking pace and leapt down the last stair. He entered the library and plopped down in the closest chair, assuming a brooding position. Kagome made entrance to the library as well, parking herself in the chair beside him, watching him as he thought.

"How-" She began to say but trailed off, her gaze going to the floor. Her eyes traveled back up his features again to see him staring intently at her.

"Was there something you wanted to ask, Lady Kagome?" He questioned her, his voice enriched in interest. The young woman pondered this over again, biting on the tip of her thumb.

"How did… Lord Inuyasha come to be…" Kagome ended her sentence again, unsure if she should continue or not. She flicked her eyes in all directions around the room, checking to see if the hanyou prince was anywhere in sight.

"He's not here," Miroku supplied to her, startling her from her brief search.

"Well, yes but-"

"He's fled down one of his dark corridors," He elaborated, shifting his position on the chair he was sitting in. "Please continue, Lady Kagome. You have all ready seen the curse that has been bestowed upon the Lord of this castle. You must have questions concerning what you saw upstairs," Miroku added, resting his chin on his hand, regarding her with lazy intellect.

"Yes, yes I do," Kagome replied, letting out the deep breath she did not know she had been holding. "What exactly is the curse and… how did he get those… hideous marks on his face?"

"Are you prepared for this story, Lady Kagome?" Miroku asked, his voice harboring constricted emotion.

(A/N: CLIFF HANGER! BWA HA HA! Just kidding! The next update should be up soon!)