InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hanyou no kokoro no naka de; Within the Heart of the Half-Demon ❯ Childhood Forgotten ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha rox…unfortunately I do not own it or anything associated with it. I write this story out of pure fandom and love this great anime and my hero, Rumiko Takahashi. ;P

 

A/N: Thanx to everyone who has patiently waited for this story to be posted. I'm in the process of moving, and so writing stories is not my top priority right now. But without further adue, I shall begin:

 

Update: Fixing of grammar mistakes. Content added. Working on rewriting every chapter.

 

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åŠã‚ˆã† 㮠心ã®ä¸­ã§; Within the Heart of the Half-Demon

 

Chapter 1

 

Childhood Forgotten

 

 

--It was your fault…--

 

I didn't do anything.

 

--It was your doing…--

 

How could it have been me?

 

--You killed all those people…--

 

No! No, I didn't!

 

--You make the people around you suffer.—

 

It wasn't me!

 

--You, Kagome-sama, are the source of their pain.—

 

Please stop! Leave me alone! It's not my fault!

 

--It's because of you that all of them…--

 

No…

 

--All the people dearest to you…--

 

No!

 

--It's because of you that they can't forget.—

 

Stop!

 

--They can never truly forget those horrible memories…--

 

I didn't

…

--Memories that only exist…--

 

…do anything to them!

 

--Because of you.—

 

NO!

 

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“And you'll be careful.”

 

“Yes, Father,” the young Kagome replied lethargically.

 

“Okay, go ahead. You be back home before dark.”

 

“I will, Father.”

 

“Go on, then,” her father sighed, shooing her, indicated for her to run along.

 

Kagome smiled in excitement and ran toward her friend and her brother, Kohaku, who were waiting for her by the door the castle.

 

“Come on, Sango-chan!” she exclaimed, grabbing her hand as she ran out the door. In one hand, Sango held a small baby kitsune youkai, no older than 10 months. It was Sango's job to baby-sit him, and with the help of Kagome, they could manage him and have fun just the same.

 

As the four of them exited the castle, they were met by a boy a little older than they were.

 

“Hello Sango, Kohaku-kun, Kagome-sama,” he bowed politely.

 

“Konnichiwa, Miroku-kun,” Kagome said with a smile.

 

Sango bowed, “Miroku. Oi, where's Inu…”

 

“Hey!” came the voice of a small boy leaping down from the tree above them. He was dressed in a red haori, with silver hair and pointy dog-ears atop his head.

 

“Hello, Inuyasha,” Kagome said as he landed among them.

 

Inuyasha smiled back at her. Without a word, the six of them walked down into the village that surrounded the castle.

 

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Kagome was the daughter of King Higurashi, a stringent, potent ruler over the lands of the Shikon Kingdom. He ruled with an iron fist, finding it the best way to keep is kingdom comprised of human and youkai under control. He was unyielding, but generally just and impartial. Kagome was the eight year old princess, only child of the king and queen, but enjoyed spending most of her time outside the castle walls and in the small village with her closest friends: Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kohaku, and Shippo. The closest to her of all of them was Inuyasha.

 

Inuyasha was a ten-year-old hanyou who lived alone with his human mother in the Shikon Kingdom. His father had been a powerful inu youkai, ruler of the western lands, but had been slain in a violent battle. His father did, however leave him an heirloom: the Tetsusaiga, a phantom sword that had the power to slay one hundred demons in a single stroke. Inuyasha, since he was only a child, had yet to learn how to effectively use this sword, but had been strictly ordered to keep it with him at all times. He had no complaints about it for the most part, many of the village kids envied his sword, and though they treated Inuyasha like an outsider, everyone really liked his awesome sword.

 

Miroku lived in the gates of the castle under the training of his master Mushin to become a monk. He was still quite young, only about twelve, and he also spent more time with his friends than his master. Even as an “innocent” twelve year old, he had began to pick up his master's dirty, lecherous habits of scouting out and picking up women, or girls, in his case.

 

Sango was the young nine-year-old daughter of the leader of a team of demon-slayers. They aided in protecting the village from harmful youkai outside the kingdom. She had a powerful weapon called Hiraikotsu. Although she was only nine years old, she was becoming quite skilled in wielding her large weapon. Her brother, Kohaku, was only about four years old, but idolized his older sister, and in doing so, spent most of his time with Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha. Sango also had a companion name Kirara, a fire neko youkai, who aided the demons-slayers in their work.

 

On this day, it had been warm and clear, but as the evening approached, thunderheads built up around the northern edge of the kingdom, threatening rain at any time. Even so, Kagome had left the castle with her friends to play in the woods in the village. The kingdom was marked with four distinct boarders. To the south was the ocean, to the west was dry desert lands, to the east was a cliff, and to the north and north-west was a large river surrounded by the woods in which the children spent most of their free time.

 

“Hey Kagome!” Inuyasha exclaimed from inside the woods, “Come on! Come here and look at this.”

 

Kagome walked down a small path until she spotted the bright red haori through the trees. Sango, Kohaku, Miroku, and Kirara, who had joined them on their venture to the woods, followed close behind her.

 

“What is it, Inuyasha?” Her voice was so cheerful and full of pure innocence.

 

He proudly stood next to a large tree, bigger around than his tiny arm span. The tree had some mysterious aura surrounding it; something about it seemed to compel Inuyasha's youkai instincts toward it. He looked up, way up, and the monstrous limbs.

 

“It's a big tree…I'm gonna see if I can climb it.”

 

“It's really high, you're a dog, not a cat, remember,” Kagome joked.

 

Inuyasha grunted as he sunk his claws into the bark. Kirara gracefully leaped up the side of the tree up into the green of its leaves. Sango chuckled at the cat showing off her skills to the puppy. Inuyasha leaped up as he tried to get a grip on the smooth surface of the old tree, falling to his back on the ground as the Tetsusaiga got in the way. He stood up and pulled the sword off from around his waist.

 

He handed it to Kagome. “Here, hold this for a second.”

 

“No, Inuyasha,” she shook her head, handing back, “You're supposed to keep it, your mom said. You can climb with it on, besides, I don't much like holding such a big sword.”

 

He pushed it back at her, “Just hold it for a minute. I want to get up to where Kirara is.”

 

“No, I don't want to!” she raised her voice, shoving it back to him.

 

“Come on, Kagome, just for a second!”

 

She never had been one for arguing. She gave in, taking the sword from his hands. “Fine. Hurry up.” She took the Tetsusaiga into her hands and backed away, giving Inuyasha room to climb.

 

He took a running start, flying halfway up the side of the tree. He grabbed into the trunk with his claws and made his was up. The higher Inuyasha got, however, the more worried his friends became. Kohaku thought it was funny, and he himself tried to climb it, but being only four and a human, he didn't get very far. Inuyasha began to struggle a bit, and got a little nervous after looking down and seeing how high he had gotten. Suddenly, rocks were flying from out of the woods at Inuyasha. He yipped and pressed himself against the tree as the rocks flew all around him, a few hitting him. He closed his eyes tight, trying not to fall. A few kids emerged from the trees laughing, picking up and throwing more rocks.

 

“Hey, hanyou! Puppies shouldn't climb trees!”

 

“Yeah, we wouldn't want you to fall or something!”

 

Kagome turned toward the kids and yelled, “Get lost! Leave him alone!”

 

Sango handed the tiny Shippo to Miroku.

 

“What are you doing…?”

 

“Just watch,” Sango replied quietly. She smiled mischievously and ran toward the kids, picking up bigger rocks and chunking them at the bullies. They laughed at first, but after one got hit in the head and knocked unconscious, they thought maybe she wasn't kidding. Leaving the kid where he was lying, they took off back into the trees.

 

After they had disappeared, Kagome looked up at the frightened hanyou.

 

“You okay, Inu-chan?”

 

“Hai!” he squeaked.

 

“You can do it!” she exclaimed.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You can reach Kirara! Go, Inuyasha! You won't fall!” She smiled whole-heartedly at him as he looked down at her. Somehow her smile and faith in him filled him with courage, making him believe that he could do it…as long as she believed in him.

 

With a re-boosted self-esteem, Inuyasha kept climbing until he was able to reach the lowest limb. He pulled himself up and sat on it, trying to catch his breath. Kirara jumped on his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek, letting out a congratulating “mew!”

 

Inuyasha smiled and looked down at Kagome, smiling at her. “Yeah, see! I told you I could climb it!” he boasted.

 

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku laughed.

 

After enjoying the view, Inuyasha took Kirara in his arms and leaped down from the tree. Just then, from out of the surrounding trees, somewhere between ten and fifteen kids ran out and ambushed Inuyasha. Kagome gasped as Inuyasha was taken to the ground. Sango and Miroku ran and tried to pull the kids off of him, finding only to be drawn into the dog-pile (no pun intended) as well.

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome cried, now holding the tiny Shippo in her free arm, “Leave him alone, you jerks!” But her cries were drowned out by the yelling of the boys. One of them got up off the pile and walked toward her. She backed away a little in a small amount of fear. The older boy chuckled.

 

“What's wrong, Princess? You want us to stop beating on your half-breed friend?”

 

“Get off of him! Just leave him alone!” she yelled again, her eyes watering.

 

The boy laughed in a mocking sort of way, then reached out and grabbed the Tetsusaiga from her hands.

 

“No!” she cried as he ran away. “Give it back!!”

 

He yelled at the other guys and waved the sword in the air. Some of them got up and ran to look at it. The kid unsheathed it, but saw nothing but a rusty, damaged blade.

 

“What the heck kinda sword is this, hanyou! Some piece of crap your father left for you when he died. Sucks to have a father like that, huh?”

 

Inuyasha burned with anger. He fought off some of the boys, standing up and returning the violence.

 

“Get outta here with Shippo and Kohaku, Kagome!” Inuyasha ordered, “Go on! Get out of--”

 

“But the sword!”

 

“Just go!” he yelled, pushing some kids away, running after the ones who stole his sword.

 

Sango ran to Kagome and the two girls ran from the woods. The didn't leave very far, but dodged behind a tree and watched as Inuyasha got chased deeper inside. Miroku ran to the girls.

 

“I'm going to get help. You guys don't go back in.”

 

“Take Kohaku with you, Miroku-kun,” Sango ordered. “Inuyasha may need my help. If I can slay demons, a bunch of snot-nosed kids shouldn't be a problem.”

 

He nodded and grabbed Kohaku's hand. Kohaku was crying for his mom, running his eye with his free fist. As they ran into the village, Kagome, Shippo, and Sango turned and ran back into the woods, following the yells of the boys inside. Before they had gotten very far, all the boys came running back, this time not in fun, but in fear. They rushed past Kagome and Sango, screaming as if they'd seen a monster. Kagome and Sango ran further into the trees. Suddenly, they were met by the face of a large, disgusting demon. It was half dead, covered with long scratch marks on the bottom made by none other than Inuyasha's Sankontessou. They rushed to find Inuyasha struggling weakly under a horde of terrifying demons.

 

“Inuyasha!” they screamed.

 

“If only I had my Hiraikotsu…of all times to leave it at home,” Sango said sadly.

 

“It's okay, “Kagome began, “It's not your faul…” She stopped and looked over to see the Tetsusaiga lying on the ground beside the fight. No doubt the boy dropped it when the demons attacked and ran away. She handed Shippo to Sango and ran over and picked it up.

 

“Here, Inuyasha!” she cried, “Take the Tetsusaiga and use it!”

 

She ran closer to him and tried to hand him the sword, yelling for him. But as she neared the fight, the tail of a huge lizard demon swatted her harshly and she flew backwards on the ground. The huge group of demons had completely surrounded Inuyasha's small body.

 

“Inuyasha!” she cried desperately.

 

Suddenly, she felt a strong youkai energy coming from the center of the mass. From within, Inuyasha's body pulsed. The Tetsusaiga pulsed in Kagome's hands. She gasped. Sango noticed and backed away. The forest quickly fell silent. Kagome and Sango exchanged quick glances.

 

“What's going on…” Kagome whimpered.

 

Suddenly a bright yellow flashed from the pile of demons and half a second later, they all disintegrated into thin air, and the form of the small Inuyasha became visible through the bright energy. His hair blew in the sudden wind, and one of his small hands was raised, dripping with the blood of the youkai.

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome exclaimed in happiness, “You're okay!” She began to run to him, but stopped as the energy around him disappeared, leaving behind complete stranger. The top of the red haori was ripped to shreds on the ground, and his eyes glowed a malevolent red, set in the center were two bright blue pupils, and jagged purple stripes lined the side of his face. His once small puppy claws had grown into knifes on the end of each finger. His fangs, so large now, hung over his bottom lip, dripping with saliva.

 

Kagome and Sango both screamed at this beast that was once Inuyasha. He glared at them, as if ready to attack.

 

“Inu…ya…sha, wha—what happened to you…you…” Kagome stuttered.

 

“He's a, a full youkai…” Sango said.

 

Inuyasha took a step toward them before running. Kagome and Sango turned and began running the other direction.

 

It's no use! There's no way we'll out run him!

 

Sango held tight to Shippo with one arm, grabbing Kagome's with the other and pulling her along as she ran as quick as she could toward the village. Kagome stumbled after the older girl who ran quite a bit faster than she, trying her best to keep up with tears of fear streaming down her small cheeks. They were unable to get very far before they heard a rough, angry voice behind them yell:

 

“Sankontessou!”

 

Kagome leaped and hit the ground, trying to avoid what was coming at her. She screamed as she felt the edge of the attack scrape across her back, landing hard on the ground, rocks and sticks scraping up her hands and face. She didn't feel like she could ever move again. Blood began seeping from the cuts on her back onto her ripped kimono.

 

“Kagome!” Sango cried, stopping to turn back after her. She ran back to here, but in her panic, tripped and fell, landing right next to Kagome.

 

Inuyasha stood above them, as though ready to slay them both. Sango and Kagome huddled together with the baby Shippo between them.

 

“Inu…yasha,” Kagome said softly, “Why are you…”

 

Suddenly there were yells coming from the distance. Inuyasha took his eyes off of Kagome and Sango and looked in the direction of the sound.

 

“It's the people that…the ones that Miroku sent after for help,” Sango thought aloud.

 

“Oh no! Inuyasha will—” Kagome winced as she tried to sit up. “He'll kill them!”

 

Inuyasha took off toward the village. Sango stood and helped the injured Kagome to her feet.

 

“Can you run alright?” Sango asked, “Do you need me to carry you or anything?”

 

“No, I'll be alright. We have to stop—Inuyasha. Hurry before it's too late.”

 

From in the distance that heard his terrifying voice shout “Sankontessou!” followed by screams of people, and the occasional “Grah!!” of a man being slaughtered.

 

Kagome and Sango stood in shock for a moment before gathering their bearings, and running back toward the village where they knew a horrible scene awaited them. They gasped in horror as people lay dead and dying around them. Kagome gripped the Tetsusaiga close to her chest, afraid of losing it. Sango held her hand over the head of the wailing Shippo.

 

Before they had even reached the village, the many huts of the villagers were lit in flames, some already collapsing to the ground, leaving only piles of burning ashes. People ran around in panic, trying to find safety. Children had been separated from their parents and parents from their children. In the crowds, Sango spotted Miroku and Kohaku, her poor younger brother wailing as loud as the baby Shippo. She grabbed Kagome's hand and ran to them.

 

“What's going on!” Miroku exclaimed.

 

The crying Kohaku ran to his sister and embraced her, stuffing his face into her dirty clothes.

 

“It's Inuyasha!” Kagome cried, “He's—he's…”

 

Suddenly, they heard Inuyasha's name being called. They all turned to see a beautiful lady running through the crowded streets, calling for him.

 

“It's Izayoi-san!” Sango cried.

 

From the air, the youkai Inuyasha landed in the middle of the street. Big men came though the crowds with ropes and weapons, prepared to bring him down. Sango saw her father and other demon slayers ready to help bring down this monster who, only minutes ago, had been a dear friend. Kagome burst into tears as the scene progressed. They all watched, as in slow motion, as their families fought the beastly Inuyasha. Inuyasha slashed many of the ropes into pieces. He refused to give in, until his small body was struck with a weapon; Sango's Hiraikotsu. He fell to the ground and weakly fought as nets were used to hold him fast to the street. Sango gasped, looking up in the direction her weapon had flown from. Her father made eye contact with her, pain in his own eyes. He had been the one who had thrown it. Sango's face hardened at his gaze, her eyes burning with sorrow and child-like anger. Father…how could you?

 

Kagome could not stand the pain she felt Inuyasha was going through. She pushed her way to the front of the gathering crowd.

 

“Don't hurt him!” she cried.

 

At the sound of her voice, Izayoi looked up at her. Then she gasped, already choking on tears, “Wha—”

Inuyasha lay struggling on the ground, Izayoi suddenly paying him no attention, her flooding eyes glued on the princess.

 

Kagome looked at his mother in pain.

 

The men around stopped their actions, looking at the princess too. Both Izayoi and Kagome's eyes said the same thing to each other. Pain. Bitterness. And a lack of understanding.

 

“What are you—doing with that?” Izayoi choked.

 

Everyone's eyes went to the Tetsusaiga.

 

“I…” Kagome stuttered, suddenly scared that it had been her fault somehow.

 

“What are doing with his sword!” Izayoi cried louder. “WHY DID YOU TAKE IT FROM HIM?!!”

 

Kagome didn't understand. She backed away as large men approached. They roughly took the sword from her hands, and Kagome and Sango were taken by some castle guards back from the scene. The old priestess Kaede came down from the shrine, saying a charm over the unconscious Inuyasha, changing him back to a hanyou. Kagome screamed and ordered the guards to let her go. She kicked the one escorting her in the shin and her and Sango turned and ran back to Inuyasha. Sango grabbed onto Miroku and cried into his shoulder. Kagome ran straight through the crowd to where Inuyasha lay.

 

Inuyasha's amber eyes opened, looking straight into Kagome's. He felt the overwhelming pain all over his body, the pain he saw in Kagome's eyes, however, hurt him worst of all.

 

“Ka…gome…what happened?”

 

Before she could say another word, angry people began yelling from all around.

 

“He's awake!”

 

“He'll kill us all!”

 

“That hanyou's a true monster!”

 

“Kill him!”

 

“And that witch of a mother too! She's the one who's brought him into this world!”

 

They angry cries rose into the air and Kagome tried to rebuke the pressing crowd. “No! It's not his fault leave him alone!” But her attempts were in vain. The crowd quickly became an angry mob.

 

Inuyasha saw the slashes across Kagome's back. I…I did that…to her…I… The echo of “Sankontessou!” filled his mind.

 

Suddenly, the mob began throwing things at Inuyasha, yelling for him to leave, for him to exiled, yelling for him to die. One rock hit Kagome's wounded back and she screamed from the pain. The castle guard picked up the small girl and carried her back through the crowd. She looked back, seeing Inuyasha ducking and trying to escape the torture.

 

“NO!” she cried back. “Inuyasha!”

 

She hated them…those horrible people. It wasn't his fault! It wasn't! But no matter how much she forgave him…she still couldn't erase that demonic face from her mind. Those red eyes…

 

The angry mob. Tens of people dead. They didn't forgive the hanyou. They beat him, yet unable to kill him, they soon ended the life of his innocent human mother, Izayoi.

 

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“Kagome…” came the voice of her mother through the door of her bedroom.

 

She didn't answer.

 

“Kagome-sama, please, we want to help you,” said some attendants.

 

She, Sango, and Kohaku sat on her canopy bed, still in tears. Unable to speak or eat for a near week now, they sat there. The people outside were refused help by them. The young Miroku suffered the same way, sitting alone in the left wing monastery speaking to no one. The pain the children had suffered was eating them away inside.

 

Inuyasha spent five days on the outskirts of the kingdom, afraid to enter for being beaten. Already suffering physical pain and wounds, the pain he felt inside was greater than any physical ailment could be. He had lost his mother, hurt his friends, and killed so many people, and most of all, hurt Kagome. There was no healing in this world for him.

 

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“I think that—considering the circumstances, sire—that this would be the best option. The children cannot be asked to go on living like this. They have been hurt too much.”

 

“Is it dangerous?” the king asked solemnly. “Will it hurt them?”

 

“It will not, your highness. But nothing, sire, could hurt them more than they are hurting now.”

 

“Hai. As my advisor, I take your word for everything. Can I trust you to do this?”

 

“You may, sire. Do not worry, within a few hours, this whole thing shall be taken care of.”

 

“I only want what is best for my daughter. Will the hanyou be treated then, as well?”

 

“If we do not want him returning to wreak havoc, sire, I suggest then that we do. He will be put through enough pain as it is. It is best that he forget just like the others.”

 

“Hai, Naraku-san. Go then.”

 

The king's advisor bowed and exited the room.

 

Kagome, Sango and Kohaku were taken limply from the bedroom and escorted to a room in the tower of the castle. There, the king's advisor waited. Inuyasha and Miroku were fetched. When Inuyasha entered the room, Kohaku burst loudly into tears at the sight of him. Kagome and Sango didn't lift their eyes. They were sat in a circle around the advisor.

 

For a long time, there was a near complete silence, only the sound of small crying coming from the children. Then Naraku broke the silence.

 

“I know these things have hurt you.” He raised his arms into the air. “But I do not want you to worry any longer. These awful occurrences will soon be erased from your memory. To make things less complicated, the King has ordered that your memories of each other be completely erased. You will no longer have to deal with the pain that you have caused each other. For soon, even you, Inuyasha, will no longer remember that any of you ever met. Don't worry. The pain will be over soon.”

 

From Naraku's hands, a blast of light filled the room. The five children opened their eyes wide as the energy entered them. They fell back unconscious and empty to the floor, and the light disappeared.

 

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A/N: Wow, that's a lot longer than I thought it would be, and a lot more depressing. Oh well. Hope you liked it! Please R&R! Till next time!

And for any of you that do not know what Sankontessou is, it's Inuyasha's Iron Reaver Soul Stealer attack.