InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inuyasha: A Krynnish Fairy Tale ❯ Prologue ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"Time to go to sleep, little one." a gentle-looking man of middle-age said to his child, before pulling a blanket over top of the young one and giving him a tender kiss on the top of the head, "We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Aww, but I'm not tired, daddy!" the young boy began to protest, with a frown on his face. Almost instantly, however, his lips turned back upward into a smile and he looked up into his father's face curiously, before opening his mouth to make a request, "Can you tell me the story of Kikyo and the Shikon Jewel again, please! I promise I'll go to sleep after." he asked, his voice pleading. The man's smile widening, he gave his son a pat on the head and nodded in agreement.

"That sounds fair, boy, listen up." He began, his gaze turning upward as if trying to recall the details of the story to be told, the boy staring up at him eagerly.

"Long ago, in this very village, just before the time of the cataclysm when the gods abandoned our world, there was a dedicated Cleric of Mishakal by the name of Kikyo. The great goddess Mishakal, before leaving, rewarded Kikyo's faith by entrusting her with the sacred jewel to protect, for it was unsafe for Mishakal herself to keep hold of any longer. If this ancient and powerful jewel were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used to allow the Dark Queen Takhisis entry into our world. Kikyo, from then on devoted her entire life to protecting the jewel from those who would take it. Those who were selfish, and evil of heart could use the jewel to bring themselves unmatched power, but those who were truly evil sought after the jewel for one purpose: To bring Takhisis back from the Abyss, and to rule all of Krynn, in service to their Queen..."

Up until this point, the man had had a smile on his face, but then he had stopped talking, adopting a deep frown of unbearable grief. A long moment later, he simply shook his head and continued on with his story.

"Then one day, the jewel fell into possession of a demon whom Kikyo had begun to trust deeply until he betrayed her, only to be sealed by the powerful Cleric's blessed arrow. Although she had retrieved the Jewel, she had then begun to worry that it was not safe with her any longer. She demanded to be burnt to death with the jewel, for the jewel could only be destroyed along with the life of one pure of heart, thus keeping it from the forces of evil. So, the villagers obliged, and Kikyo was killed, with the sacred Jewel being removed from the face of Krynn along with the Priestess herself."

"And that, my son," The man stated, his smile back, "concludes the story of a cleric who gave her own life for the good of us all." Looking back down upon the child, the man chuckled quietly to himself, "heh, he'd fallen asleep, I must have been talking to myself for quite some time." He had realized. Giving the boy another kiss, this time on the cheek, he retreated to his own bed, his spirit augmented with joy.