InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feudal Tales ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1

Slowly I felt myself coming to, 'Ah, what a dream,' I moaned to myself, 'I dreamed I'd fallen through the floor in a storage shed into the feudal era on the InuYasha anime and met Rin and a demon. Then, of course! I died protecting her. What a way to go.'

"Is she going to be alright now Lord Sesshomaru?" questioned Rin.

"Step back, give her some air," ordered the familiar voice of the demon lord.

'I must of forgot to turn the TV off,' I sighed, opening my eyes and looking straight up right into the concerned face of my fictional crush. He was leaning down, holding me with his one arm, like he'd done the first time he'd bought Rin back to life. I blushed bright red and felt my stomach tighten up at being held by him, "And apparently I'm STILL dreaming."

"No, I'm afraid you're not," Sesshomaru told me. I pinched myself and realizing it hurt I realized I wasn't dreaming. I was in fact inside the fictional world of InuYasha, in the feudal era, 'Wow! He looks a lot more handsome than on TV.'

"You're safe now," Sesshomaru pulled me to my feet as he got up himself.

"Did you save me from that creature?" I asked him, deciding it best to act like I didn't know who he was. I figured he'd freak out if I told him that in my world he's a fictional character on TV.

"You died shielding me from that demon and Lord Sesshomaru jumped in and killed it. Then he bought you back to life with the Tenseiga," Rin explained, "My name's Rin by the way. And this is Jaken and that's Ah-Un. What's your name?"

Feeling very healthy like I was reborn and had tons of energy I smiled at the child, "Stephanie, Stephanie Shockley." Then still faking, pretending like I didn't know anything I questioned, "Tenseiga? What's a Tenseiga?"

"That's Lord Sesshomaru's sword. It was entrusted to him by his late father. However, it can't cut anything alive. It can only revive the dead. What my lord killed the demon with was a sword forged for him called Tokijin, which can shoot out lightning and only accepts milord as its master," Jaken explained.

"He's a demon too right?" I asked.

"Hold your tongue girl! Before you stands the lord of the western lands. He is the great dog demon Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken told me.

"You look like another human I know with the way you're dressed. Tell me, are you from the future?" Sesshomaru asked me. I nodded my head. Making up his mind Sesshomaru decided, "You saved Rin, so I will help you get back to your own time. Come, we'll find Kagome and ask her how to get you back."

'The well won't allow me to return I'm afraid. I'm not from your future I'm from a different universe,' I thought to myself. But I figured this an excuse to travel with Sesshomaru. There was no way I'd let this chance pass me by. Me an Rin followed after Sesshomaru as he started walking away. Ah-Un was right behind us, followed by Jaken who was complaining about having to have another human tagging around.

I thought this would be fun, but as we walked on and on my feet started hurting badly, "My feet hurt," I sighed.

"Quit complaining girl! Slow us down and we'll leave you behind," stated Jaken.

"I have a name you know. It's Stephanie, not girl. How would you like it if I called you toad?" I told him. He glared at me when I said that. However, he then went quiet, backing away when Sesshomaru gave him a serious look.

"You can rest for a bit on Ah-Un, Stephanie. He's friendly. He won't mind," Rin suggested. Taking her up on her offer I slid onto the large beast's back. Rin climbed onto him with me. Then our group continued on, looking for Inuyasha's group I suspected.

As we went on thoughts appeared in my head. I had remembered a few things that had happened when my spirit was in limbo. I had seen this figure encased in light talking to me in some type of echoed voice telling me I had been bought to this world for a reason. Though what the reason was I had no idea. I hoped this didn't mean that after I did what I was sent here for I'd be sent back to my own world. I shook the thought out of my head. As an online friend had once told me, 'Don't worry about it until it happens.'

Rin suddenly spoke up, "Lord Sesshomaru can we stop to get something to eat?" Just as she'd said that my stomach growled a bit making me realize just then how hungry I am.

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks. He turned to me, "Do you know how to hunt?"

Being an animal lover the idea of killing an animal and eating it disgusted me, "What? No!" I stated, feeling cold chills run up my body at the thought of it.

The demon lord sighed with his eyes closed, "Wait here." He then left the camp. Rin, suspecting what he was doing went and built a campfire.

"Is he really..."

"Yup!" Rin grinned at my answer. Picturing the demon lord killing an innocent animal and bringing it back here made me feel a bit sick to my stomach. But the thought vanished right away as I realized there wasn't really anything wrong about killing to eat. I figured I'd just try to use every bit of the animal that I could and pray for the poor creature afterwards. Rin sat up some sticks over the fire and took a cooking pot off Ah-Un, hanging it over the fire.

Sesshomaru then reappeared a few minutes later, a huge boar sung over his shoulder. He sat it down next to me and Rin. I sat there for a few minutes praying for the dead animal before helping Rin cut it up into pieces. I went to the river and filled a small pot with water before heading back to camp and pouring it into the bigger pot over the fire. We then started boiling the meat in the pot.

Rin grabbed some wild vegetables she'd picked up while walking and threw them into the pot. Looked like we were having strew. After everything was ready we ate out of wooden bowls using wooden spoons and drunk water out of wooden cups. For what it was I actually found the food to be quite tasty. Much better than anything back home. As we ate I failed to notice a Saimiyosho watching us. Well, it was really just watching me.

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As Naraku watched the group he seemed very interested in the girl with long dark brown hair who seemed to be dressed in odd clothing. It reminded him of Kagome. The girl who traveled with Inuyasha. He knew the girl was from another time. He figured this girl must of came from another time as well. But what intrigued Naraku most was the powerful spiritual aura the woman gave off. It was almost godly, "Kagura!"

Said woman appeared in the room with him as soon as she heard herself being summoned by the man, "Yes Naraku? You called?" She hated serving him, but she had no choice in the matter, seeing as how he held her heart. If Kagura didn't obey him he'd crush it and kill her.

"Bring me that girl traveling with Sesshomaru. The one with strange clothing," he ordered. He knew the woman was powerful, even if she didn't know it. He could sense her power. He figured maybe he could put her abilities to use for himself.

"Why do you want her for?" Kagura questioned. She was able to see through the Saimiyosho just like Naraku, only when he allowed her to of course. She could see the woman and Rin sitting next to a big cooking pot over a fire, eating. Though the viewpoint just showed their backs Kagura could still tell who it was Naraku was asking for. Even though the woman's long hair covered up most of her back as she sat there.

"It's none of your concern. Just do as I ask. Or shall I give you a little reminder of what defying me means?" Naraku pulled a round object from his pocket and squeezed it. Kagura limped over in pain realizing it was her heart.

"N… no Master Naraku," Kagura gulped out painfully, holding her chest, "I will do as you request right away." The man grinned as he put her heart back into his pocket. Kagura then got up off the floor and left the room to get ready to go out on her mission. She felt bad for the poor woman thinking Naraku was meaning to do something awful to her. But there wasn't really anything she could do about it while the man held her heart. She had no choice but to obey his every order or he'd kill her. She'd once tried to get rid of Naraku herself but that had backfired. That was when she'd learned about the power he has over her.

Kanna met her in the hallway, "Where are you going?" She had no emotion in her voice at all as she asked that. Which was the way Naraku had made her. Kanna was basically a soulless puppet that only knew how to obey Naraku's every order. And she always carried that hand mirror with her everywhere she went. It had the power to steal a person's soul and trap it within the mirror.

"Naraku wants me to bring back some woman who's traveling with Sesshomaru. I don't know why he wants her. He refused to tell me," answered Kagura. She went into her room to collect her things before she headed to the door to leave.

"Good luck," Kanna told her, still no emotion on her face or in her words. Kagura went outside and pulled a white feather out of her hair. As she threw it down onto the ground it got bigger, until it was big enough for her to ride on it. She then jumped onto the feather and using her wind powers made it lift into the air. Then she was off to fulfill the order given to her by her master. Whether she wanted to or not.

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"Boy am I stuffed," I sighed as I laid on my back on top of Ah-Un. I had never eaten this much before I died. I would of gotten a stomach ache if I had. I was so full I didn't think I'd be able to move for days. I just laid there on my back watching the clouds pass me by as Ah-Un walked, keeping up with the others as we continued our journey. Rin wasn't on the beast with me this time. Instead, she was walking next to Sesshomaru, holding his hand, grinning at him. And he was actually allowing her to hold his hand, not even batting an eyelash. He wasn't even holding hers back, just letting it hang limp as Rin held it.

However he suddenly jerked his hand away from her, reaching for Tokijin, "You two! Stay completely still!" He ordered. He of course was referring to me and Rin.

"Uhhhh….." I moaned, still feeling a bit full, "I don't have much choice in the matter. I couldn't move right now even if I wanted to."

"It's no use Lord Sesshomaru. I can see them both. Sadly, I've only come for the older woman. Naraku has some business with her," said Kagura, flying in on her feather.

"What does he want with her?" Questioned Sesshomaru.

"You know… I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. But orders are orders. Now are you going to hand her over or do I have to get rough?" Kagura warned. Sesshomaru reached for his sword and Kagura was getting ready to use her signature move, Dance of Blades.

'This could turn out very bad!' I thought. If Kagura used her wind attack Rin could be caught up in the middle of it and sent flying. However, I also knew if Kagura didn't return with me Naraku would squeeze her heart and kill her. However, I couldn't open my mouth about Kagura's heart. It would be hard to explain how I knew about this. Plus, I knew about Naraku's true intentions, so I knew he wouldn't hurt me, unless I refused to listen to what he had to say. So, using Rin as an excuse I jumped down from Ah-Un, "Wait! Don't hurt anyone! I'll go with you."

Kagura grinned, putting her fan away, "Good girl."

"No! Don't go!" Rin cried out.

"I must. I don't want you or anyone getting hurt for me. Though, would it be okay if we walked? I'm kinda scared to be up that high?" I questioned Kagura.

"Sorry, no. If we walked it'll take days to get there. I'll go easy and we'll land if you need a break," she told me. I walked over to Kagura.

Sesshomaru grabbed me by the arm as I went to pass by him, shaking his head. I knew what he was trying to tell me. He didn't wish me to go to Naraku, "I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru, I must. Don't worry, I'll be fine." He sighed and let go of my arm after I said that. I then left with Kagura on her fan, heading towards Naraku's place.

'Don't look down! Just don't look down!' I kept telling myself. I held onto Kagura a bit too tight as we flew on her feather through the sky. I was a bit scared being this high up in the air. As we got near to Naraku's castle I just happened to look down by mistake as I sneezed, "Oh my god!" I cried at what I saw down below. There was tons of dark smoke below. That must be the miasma. Though it didn't look friendly and colorful like what I'd seen on TV before. No, this looked like a lot of smoke mixed in with fog, like you've see on a foggy day.

I was so nervous at what I saw that I lost my grip on Kagura and fell right into the miasma, "Oh no! Naraku's going to kill me!" I heard Kagura gasp. She started flying down towards me. At the last second before she could grab me I spotted a large figure fly in very fast and grab me before I could fall too far into the miasma. I spotted long black wavy hair right before I blacked out.

Naraku ripped his clothes a bit and tied the cloth around the woman's nose and mouth, preventing her from breathing in anymore miasma. Though she did cough some while unconscious. After getting back he'd need to extract the poison from her body, "Kagura! What were you thinking!? I've told you before that miasma is poisonous to humans!"

"I'm sorry Master Naraku. I forgot," said Kagura.

"I'll deal with you later," Naraku told her. He flew off in the direction of his castle, the sickly woman in his arms, bridal style.

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I woke up, finding myself in a soft bed. I felt like my head was pounding and I was going to throw up. I also felt a wet cloth on my forehead, "So, I see you're awake."

I turned my head towards the voice and saw Naraku sitting next to me on the floor, seeing as I was on a traditional Japanese mat. Which is what most Japanese people slept on. My head was on a pillow and I had a few sheets wrapped around me. Next to him was a bucket of water and a few washcloths. I wondered if this was the real him or a puppet. I also thought to myself, 'Wow! You're a lot hotter than you look on TV as well. And quit looking at me with those bedroom eyes! Though I guess you can't help it.'

"Sorry about that. You fell into my miasma. I am Naraku. You are?" He questioned.

"I'm Stephanie, Stephanie Shockley," I told him. I then leaned over and threw up on the floor. Naraku smoothly rubbed my back, helping me get it all out. I knew he was just trying to trick me, to get on my good side, like he does with everyone. However I decided to thank him anyway, "Thank you," I coughed out.

"You're welcome. Stephanie was it? What a beautiful name," he told me, still trying to make an impression on me just to get what he wants. He snapped his fingers and a servant came into the room and cleaned up the throw up off the floor.

"Okay, what exactly is it that you want from me Naraku? I get the feeling you're not who you claim to be. Well, I know you're Naraku but I know you're just trying to butter me up. It's alright, whatever it is I'll help you. No need to fake nice to me," I coughed. I knew the man wasn't really the evil demon, well half demon that everyone thought he was and that he was just really after Kikyo's love. And I felt so bad for him that he never got his chance with the woman that I just wanted to help him.

"We'll go over that later. Let's get you better first." Naraku pulled a small tube from his pocket, "This is the cure for miasma poisoning. Drink it and you'll be cured in no time." Naraku held the back of my head upwards and helped me drink the potion. He then laid me back down onto the pillow to let me rest. Seemed to me already that Naraku was nothing like what the author had wrote him as. Then again, it was Inuyasha he had a grudge against, not me. I just decided to just get some rest. My head was still spinning with my fever after all.

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When I woke up it was the next morning and I felt all better. What Naraku had given me last night sure had done the trick awfully fast. But as much as I felt bad for Naraku I really wanted to get back to Sesshomaru. I was already starting to miss him. I then heard mumbling coming from the room next to mine, 'Is that Naraku?' I got up from the futon on the floor and exited the room. I peeked around the corner and saw Naraku. He was mumbling to himself about Kikyo, wishing she were his. I grinned, knowing that he wanted the woman in his life.

He then turned around and saw me standing there, "Stephanie, I see you're feeling better. However, you shouldn't go wondering around without permission."

"I'm sorry. Since I was feeling better I was just looking for you. Then I heard what you said about Kikyo. You're really in love with her aren't you," as I said that Naraku turned away from me. Seemed I had found him out and he didn't want to admit it.

"Nevermind. Look, I know you have a powerful aura. I would like you to find the pieces of the Shikon Jewel for me, before my enemy Inuyasha finds them," Naraku explained. He then explained to me all about the jewel and about Inuyasha, kinda lying about the parts where he was a bad guy who killed Kikyo and caused Inuyasha to be pinned to a tree for 50 years. Even though he didn't mention that part I knew all about it.

"Okay, I understand where you're coming from Naraku. I'll help you," I told him while thinking to myself, 'And this time you will NOT die just because you fell in love with Kikyo. Which reminds me. I have to make sure Naraku doesn't kill her, otherwise he'll never get to be with her.' We talked some more about his feelings for Kikyo, Naraku knowing that since I overheard him talking to himself there was no reason to pretend with me.

"Now here, take this. It's made from my hair. It will allow you to stay in contact with me," he told me, slipping something onto my wrist. It was an ancient looking charm with his hair knitted into it. I nodded and Naraku called Kagura into the room, ordering her to take me back to Sesshomaru. I didn't know how I'd get a hold of the shards but I figured I'd find a way. However, Naraku did set me up with a bow and some arrows so I figured maybe I was supposed to fight with those.

As I was leaving Naraku handed me a mask, "Do NOT remove this until you are safely out of my miasma."

"Thank you," I took the mask and put it on. It covered my mouth and my nose. He then warned Kagura if she dropped me again he'd kill her. The woman gulped in fear of that and nodded before leading me outside.

'Ah crap! I forgot to find Kagura's heart!' I cursed myself.

"What's the matter? You forget something?" Kagura asked me, seeing me staring at the castle in wonder.

"Ah, no. It's nothing," I sighed, 'I'll have to get it some other time. I think it's still a long ways away before he kills her.' Kagura then took the same feather out of her hair, making it bigger and we both climbed onto it. This time I made sure to keep a firm grip on her as we took to the air and left Naraku's castle.

After about 30 minutes of flying, Naraku's castle was far away now. I even had already removed the mask. But it was still hanging from my neck. I figured I might need it again some other time. Suddenly we landed in a wooded area, "I can smell Sesshomaru very close by. This is as far as I can take you. Just wait right here and he should be here to get you very soon," Kagura told me.

"Yes, that's okay. I'll be seeing you some other time maybe Kagura," I told her. She just nodded to me before taking off, leaving me there. I laid back against a tree waiting for Sesshomaru. I knew by now he probably already got my scent and was heading right towards me. Sure enough, five minutes later I saw him running over towards me.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Sesshomaru questioned, looking me over.

"I'm fine. He let me go actually. After I told him no I wasn't helping him, he just let me go," I explained.

"Well, that's very strange. He'd never give in before," Sesshomaru wondered.

"Yes, I know. I'm as clueless as you are," I continued lying. I figured it would look bad on my part if Sesshomaru knew I'd agreed to help Naraku.

"Come, let's head back. Rin is worried about you. Here, I'll carry you back. It'll be faster," Sesshomaru ordered. I wondered how he'd manage that with only one arm but he leaned down, having me grab onto his back.

'So much for being romantic,' I sighed, then mentally slapped myself for trying to act like a crazed fan girl.

"Stephanie!" Rin cried out running over to me as we got back to camp. I got off Sesshomaru's back and gave the child a hug. She then gave me some of the food she'd cooked that morning. At least this time I didn't need to help skin whatever poor creature was killed this time.

Right after I was through eating though Sesshomaru suddenly made an announcement to everyone, "Let's go."

"Where milord?" Jaken asked him.

"Home," Sesshomaru simply said before starting to walk away. Me and Rin were walking on either side of him. Ah-Un behind us and Jaken running to catch up to us.

"But I thought we were looking for Kagome," I wondered.

"We are. But we're running short on supplies and haven't been home in awhile. Don't worry, Lord Sesshomaru will keep his word," Rin grinned at me. I smiled as well as we continued on our way heading west, where Sesshomaru's castle was. I couldn't wait to see it.