InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Fire ❯ The Unforgotten ( Prologue )

Title: “Into the Fire”

Rating: R for future lemon, rape, and violence.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Inuyasha characters…

 

Into the Fire

 

Prologue: The Unforgotten

 

It was a warm summer evening, just a few minutes before the sun sets. The air was filled with the scent of fresh grass, cool summer breeze blew through a group of trees just outside a palace in the western land.

A young, silver-haired inuyoukai glanced downward from the tree branch where he was sitting on. Down below, his little sister wailed at him, begging to join him up there.

“Sesshoumaru nii-sama…Help me get up there too, please…”

Sesshoumaru let out a mocking chuckle.

“What? You're not even strong enough to jump up here yourself?”

His little sister started pouting and whining again. He rolled his eyes and chose to ignore the crybaby just before he heard their mother's voice calling them.

“…Sesshoumaru…! Shouri…!”

Sesshoumaru popped his head to see their mother, Isha-sama, walked towards them. Shouri ran into her embrace and bury her face in the warmth of her belly as she started weeping.

“…Nii-sama refused to help me get up on the tree…Mother, tell him to help me… Please…” she pleaded. And just like what he did before, Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.

Here we go again… he thought. Why does she have to be such a tattle tale?

Isha-sama looked up towards his son. A gentle smile graced her beautiful face. It warms her heart to see how much her son resembles his father, Inu Taisho-sama, especially when he put on his stubborn face like that.

“You'd help your sister jump up there, wouldn't you, dearest?” she started to coax him. “She is still too young to go up there on her own.”

“But Mother…! She's always bothering me. Why can't I have just one moment of peace without her bugging me all the time?”

Once again, his mother gave him that smile, the smile that Sesshoumaru knows can make anyone, including his father, submit to do anything that she asks.

“Shouri only wants to be with her brother, dearest… She adores you so much.”

With a low grunt, Sesshoumaru turned his head away, acting even more stubborn. But from the corner of his eye, he watched Shouri who is still in their mother's embrace, looking up to him.

She gazed at him with those big, innocent puppy eyes… How could he refuse?

“Oh, alright!” He finally gave in, and extended his arm towards her. A wide smile spread across Shouri's soft, cherry lips. While Sesshoumaru inherited his strikingly handsome features from their father, no one could doubt that Shouri has their mother's rare beauty.

“There you go, little one…” Isha whispered to her daughter lovingly as she hoisted the young female youkai up so that she could reach her brother's hand.

Sesshoumaru pulled her up with no effort whatsoever, and sat her next to him. He could not help but smile when he saw her jumping up and down so excitedly.

“By Gods, you're such a weakling.” He started to tease her. “Don't tell me I will have to take care of you all the time when we grow up just because you're so weak.”

Shouri proceeded with her whining. “I'm not weak! And I'm gonna be a strong inu taiyoukai just like Father and Mother!”

Sesshoumaru continued mocking her. “Yeah, right… you're just a meek puppy!”

“…Am not!”

Isha let out a soft chuckle and watched her children just a few seconds longer before reminding them that the sun was setting and it was almost supper time.

“Your father will be home any moment now. You two should go back home in a few minutes, alright?”

Sesshoumaru nodded and watched his mother walked back to the palace. Wind blowing through the beautiful bluish, silver strands of her hair. He turned his attention to his sister when he felt a soft tug at the sleeve of his kimono. Softly, she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

“It's so peaceful up here.” She whispered as they both watched the sun setting.

Sesshoumaru wrapped his right arm around her shoulder, pulling her small body closer to his own. He nodded in silent agreement.

“…Can it be like this always, brother? Can we always be together like this?” her question left Sesshoumaru startled. He frowned and thought,

What a weird question to ask....

“Of course we can!” He answered immediately. “And we will! It will always be you, me, Father, and Mother. You'll see.”

Shouri lifted her golden eyes to meet her brother's. Her lips formed a sweet smile and she nodded.

Sesshoumaru tighten his arms around her. The thought of losing Shouri, or any member of his family, sent a sharp pang to his heart. Just then, he heard the faded sound of horns from the gate of the palace.

“Father is home…” He said. “C'mon… we should go back to the palace.” He was about to wrap his hands around her waist to help her to the ground when she lifted her right pinky finger up to him.

“You promise?” her golden orbs bore into his. Sesshoumaru shook his head in annoyance. What is the matter with Shouri today?

“C'mon, Shouri…! Don't be so foolish!” he shoved her hands away. With one swift movement he scooped her up and jumped to the ground.

“You're such a silly girl…” Sesshoumaru ran his fingers through the top of Shouri's head before he turned away and started running towards the palace.

“Let's go! I'll race you back home!”

Shouri wailed as Sesshoumaru ran away from her. A naughty grin spread across his lips as he stole a few minutes of earlier start.

“Hey…! That's cheating!” Then she too, started running. Her smaller body tried to catch up with her brother's speed. “Wait, brother…!! That was low, you know…!”

 

 

200 years later…

 

Wait… Wait…, brother…

 

The smell of dawn aroused him from the deep slumber. The air was heavy with moisture. As he opened his eyes, he could see the faded orange color of morning sky through the thin shoji. Still lying on his back, he covered his eyes with the palm of his hand, the dream he just had still clung freshly in his mind.

I have not had that one dream in a long time… Is it because today is the day…

He pulled himself out of bed, and started to get dressed. He opened his door and saw that the corridor outside his bed chamber was still empty, even though his sensitive hearing could catch the sound of activities in the servants' quarter. Immediately he walked towards the chamber next to his own to check on Rin, his young ward. He tilted his head close to her door, listening carefully to the little girl's steady heartbeat and regular breathing. After making sure that she was safe and sound, he walked away towards the courtyard, and out of the palace. The grass felt wet and mushy under his boots, the air was filled with morning haze. He kept walking until he came to a big tree not so far from his palace, the same tree he used to play on. Looking up to it, he could almost see himself sitting on one of the lower branch. A smaller and younger version of himself, to be exact…

He extended his hand until his elegant, clawed fingers touched the bark of the tree as unforgettable childhood memories came rushing back. The tree is old, very old. As the other trees surrounding his palace have come and gone, this is the only one he never allowed to be cut down. He closed his eyes and let his forehead rested against its rough bark.

Shouri… he whispered inwardly. You've been dead for almost 200 years now, but it seems that my inner conscience refuse to erase you from my memory…

A sad smile appeared on his lips when he thought,

Little did I know that was the last time we played together, dearest sister…

His pointy ears twitched as he heard a set of footsteps, and he immediately straightened himself up. He could smell Rin's scent as the human child approached him.

“Sesshoumaru-sama…?” her sweet, high-pitched voice called out to him.

The youkai lord said nothing and waited for her to proceed.

“…Jyaken-sama said that today is the day your mother and younger sister died, so he told me that you might be here…”

That blasted toad… He thought as a thin, sardonic smile spread across his lips. I should rip his big mouth apart whenever I have the chance…And what he told her is not even completely true…

No, today is not the day they died. Today is the day they were taken from him. They did not die until…

“Um… Sesshoumaru-sama…?” Rin's voice woke him from the deep realm of his thought. She looked up to her master. The morning breeze blew through his long, smooth silver locks. From down below, she could admire his strong jaw, his chiseled features, and his tall, well-toned body. Her lord still had his eyes glued to the tree.

“…May Rin ask how they died, my lord…?”

Sesshoumaru did not say anything for a few moments. Then, he dropped his golden eyes to look at the young girl. A pair of big brown eyes met his gaze, hoping that he would reveal the story behind the death of two females most precious to him.

“Rin,” he said in a flat tone. His eyes cold when he uttered the only answer he was willing to give. “That is none of your business.”

He turned around and started to walk away.

“Come, Rin.” He commanded. “We will leave after you finish your breakfast.”

“Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama” She ran to catch up with him, and together they walked back to the palace.