InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Faded Memories ❯ Prologue

The first few Autumn leaves blew through the silent park. This was his favorite time of year, the very end of summer, but just before the official start of Fall. The temperature drops to perfect degree, the trees just begin to change their colors and the light winds bring the smells of firewood, dried leaves, and home cooking. After eight years of life, Inuyasha had seen his share of the changing seasons, and he could say with all the confidence and arrogance that his age afforded him, that this was the best time of year.

Perky dog ears twitched from atop the mass of silver hair flowing down his back as bright golden eyes scanned the desolate park searching for signs of life. Empty. Just like he liked it. No screaming kids, no nagging mothers, no concealing spell. Here he could let his natural appearance show without having to worry if someone would see him. Not that he was afraid or anything. No one ever really came to this park, so he claimed it for his own. Rippa Kage Park was his territory and his alone. His brother might rule their home, but this park was all his.

Glancing around once more, Inuyasha leapt into his favorite tree, the tallest in the park, settling into a high branch, giving a quick check to make sure there were no holes in his simple pair of jeans and t-shirt. He really didn't care if his clothing was ruined in any way, but his brother, Sesshomaru, had a tendency to lecture him endlessly about taking responsibility for his belongings or some such nonsense like that, and Inuyasha didn't really feel like sitting through one of his brother's excessively long speeches today.

Heaving a hearty sigh, Inuyasha closed his eyes and let his head fall against the tree. Three more weeks until the start of school. He always hated school, and most likely always would. Not only was he trapped in a cage like room, but all those other kids would laugh and tease him about his silver hair and golden eyes.

“Keh, stupid humans,” he mumbled whilst shaking his head to free himself from such wayward thoughts. The next three weeks belonged to him. Sesshomaru was going on a some business trip to God only knows where tomorrow, and that stupid flea couldn't stop him from doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Although all he wanted right now was some piece and quiet. With Sesshomaru leaving tomorrow that stupid little toad Jaken was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, screeching at the top of his lungs. Not matter how many times Inuyasha beat him over the head, it never seemed to do any good. So here he was in his park, where the sounds of the city couldn't reach his sensitive ears and his could finally stop pounding.

He had almost drifted off to sleep when a wail pierced the silent afternoon sky, causing him to jump and almost lose his precious balance on the tree limb. Jumping silently down to one of the lowest branches on the tree, Inuyasha cautiously peaked from between the leaves to try to find what made that god awful sound. He didn't have to wait long. Not thirty seconds later a small, dirt-covered figure came running out of the surrounding bushes chased by three boys who looked about twelve years old.

“Oh, is little baby scared?” one of the boys said to the figure huddled near the base of Inuyasha's tree.

“What? Don't you want to run home to Mommy?” another said.

“This is what you get for tattling,” the leader said as he approached the tiny figure.

The child stood up defiantly, and Inuyasha finally got a good look at her. A tiny girl, around the age of six or seven with dirty hair and play-worn clothing, nothing he hadn't seen a hundred times before on the playground or around the city. What really made him take notice of the tiny girl were her eyes. Even though she was afraid, her deep blue eyes sparkled with passion and independence rare in people three times her age.

“You put mud in that girls hair, and you pushded those others in the sand!” she yelled out in an unwavering voice, and Inuyasha could tell she was very proud of that fact.

“Don't matter. You shouldn't have told,” the leader spoke, taking a step forward. The girl took an involuntary step back, pressing herself against the tree.

Catching herself, she spoke again. “I didn't tell nobody. That girl's mommy asked me if I sawed it. I say yes caused I did. I didn't tattle. I told the truth. Mommy says to always tell the truth.”

“Still gots us in trouble,” said one of the lackeys. The three boys started to approach the girl and she threw up her hands to cover her head. Inuyasha had seen more than enough. It was obvious these boys were playground bullies, and there were few things he hated more than bullies, especially ones that picked on helpless girls. He didn't have time to put up his cloaking spell to hide is demon features, and to be truthful he didn't even think about it as he dropped to the ground between the huddled girl and the three boys. Luckily his ears were flattened against his head, but the boys were focused more on his gleaming fangs and razor sharp claws as he fell into a battle stance, growling viciously.

“Why don't you pick on someone your own size,” Inuyasha bit out. An evil smirk appeared on his face as the boys huddled together, shaking as they slowly backed away.

“What…how…are you?” the frightened leader stuttered out.

“Your worst nightmare.” Inuyasha rose to his full height and slowly strode forward causing the boys to squeak and back away more. “Get out of my park, and if I ever hear that you've been picking on people, I'll hunt you down.”

They stood in frozen fear, staring at Inuyasha. Getting tired of their staring, he menacingly flexed his claws and took another step. The boys screamed shrilly and ran away, never once looking back.

Inuyasha's nose twitched as the smell of salt drifted towards him. Turning he saw the girl hadn't moved or made sound during the whole exchange. Moving towards her and reaching out a hand, he remembered his demonic features. Not wanting to frighten her more than she obviously already was, he quickly muttered the incantation his brother had taught him. The puppy ears melted into humans ones on the side of his head, his fangs shrunk slightly, and his claws retracted. Feeling the transformation complete, he slowly walked to the girl and crouched in front of her.

“Hey,” he said softly, placing his hand on her shaking shoulder. “Hey girl. Stop crying. They're gone.” His words were not harsh, but they weren't overtly comforting either.

Things happened quickly after that, so you couldn't really blame Inuyasha for taking longer than he normally would to process the change in position that he found himself in. Blinking a few times, he looked down at the girl now clutched to his chest from his reclining position on the ground. Slowly, Inuyasha began to make out the girl's mumbled words.

"Baka Boy! They could have really hurt you. I can't believe you would do that. Baka, baka." the rest of her words trailed off to mere sniffles.

Sitting up, Inuyasha firmly took the girl by her forearms, forcing her to look him in the eye. When her sniffles finally ceased and she lifted startled blue eyes to his face, he began to speak.

"Fist of all, no more crying, it hurts my nose. Second, those stupid boys couldn't hurt me. Third, don't call me baka, wench."

"Don't you call me wench, you baka, and I can cry if I want to," she said.

"Keh. Wench." Crossing his arms, Inuyasha turned his head away, but the whole effect was slightly ruined with the girl still perched on his lap. She couldn't help it, she tried, really she did. The situation was just to odd. She began to giggle softly, but it grew to a full fledged laugh when he snorted and tried to turn further away from her.

"Fine," she said with a smile. "You can call me wench, but I get to call you baka."

"Keh."

Leaning around, trying to fully see his face, the girl saw the corner of his mouth begin to twitch.

"Come on," she said while lightly poking him. "You know you want to smile." Continuing to poke him, the girl found a ticklish spot and Inuyasha finally cracked. Both were laughing hysterically, rolling around on the ground, covering themselves in dirt and leaves. When the giggles finally receded both lay on their backs staring up into the trees as they both caught their breath.

“You're a silly boy,” the girl said with a genuine smile.

“Yeah, well.....you.......keh!” A flustered Inuyasha crossed his arms and turned his head away from the enigma laying next to him. One minute she's crying and yelling at him, then she's laughing, and now, well now she's doing weird things to his insides.

Inuyasha was lost in his contemplation of the strange girl and was unaware of her frowning face. She never did like for people to be unhappy, and for some reason the thought that she had upset her new friend, the person who had saved her life, weighed heavily on her young heart. Jumping over his prone figure in one spring, with the type of energy that only little kids can have, she knelled next to him, giggling slightly at his shocked expression.

“What does that mean?” she asked. Inuyasha sat up Indian style to face her.

“What are you talking about?” he said gruffly, once again crossing his arms. The girl copied his movements before speaking.

“Keh.”

“....” Confusion was clearly written across his face.

“What does keh mean?” she asked again, more earnestly this time. Letting her arms drop to rest in her lap, she cocked her head to the side waiting for his answer.

“Keh,....uh...I mean...it means.....it just means keh. Nothing else,” stuttered Inuyasha.

“Okay.” Once more a bright smile lit her face as she accepted his pitiful answer. Inuyasha tried very hard to retain a stoic expression, like the one his brother had mastered, but his lips twitched involuntarily and a small smile valiantly shown through. Seeing his answering smile caused the girl's to get even wider, if that were possible. Just then a shout was heard through the trees.

“Kagome!”

“That's my mommy. I gotta go!” She spoke hurriedly while jumping up and trying to brush the dirt off of her clothing and pull twigs from her hair. Inuyasha continued to sit in the same position only now his smile was gone. The girl, Kagome, began to move towards where the voice was continued to shout her name, while Inuyasha continued to stare straight ahead of him. He heard her pause after passing him and then there were arms around his neck, soft wet lips pressed against his cheek, and a small voice whispered in his ear.

“Thank you.” And then she was gone. He heard her reach her mother and heard her mother gently scolding her for running off, their voices growing softer as they drifted away. Slowly a hand reached up to touch his face, and a small gentle smile crossed it, the type of smile no one had seen on the boy's face since the death of his mother.

At that time in his life, Inuyasha was unaware of the full power of the demon instincts inside of him, but he knew he would find that girl again, that he had to find that girl again.

Not long afterwards, a small urban legend began to spread through the lower elementary students of Japan. No one should ever go to Rippa Kage Park unless they wanted to be eaten by the monster that lived in the trees. While few actually believed the ludicrous story, people would walk a little quicker past the entrance of that park at night, some going so far as avoiding it completely. There are always exceptions to every rule, and Kagome Higurashi was the exception to this quirk of human nature. She would forever feel a connection with that park long after the memory of that day faded in her mind. Like all horror stories told behind the monkey bars of the playground, the tale eventually faded to nothing more than a passing joke told amongst teenagers, but for two souls, the memory may be faded, but the feeling of that something big was going to happen never did.