InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lingering Ghosts ❯ Prologue

Pre-Story Blatherings: Hello, and welcome to my first attempt at a chaptered Inuyasha fanfic. Needless to say, I'm insanely nervous about posting this. But anyway, this story is an extension of the one-shot that I wrote not too long ago, Hope, which centers on Miroku's father. I liked what I'd written of his parents' relationship, and I wanted to find a way to expand on it, but I also didn't want to write something exclusively about them. So I thought it might be interesting to write a story where Miroku learns more about his parents and even meets his mother's family. And that's where this idea came from. Most of what you'll see here about Miroku's parents (with the exception of the Kazaana issue, of course) is pure speculation on my part. Names, personalities, and situations are all my creations.

 

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe

Pairings: Miroku/Sango, with some Inuyasha/Kagome on the side

Summary: Life after Naraku's defeat should have been easy. But between dealing with an unstable marriage and uncovering the truth behind his parents' relationship, Miroku finds that his trials are far from over.

 

Lingering Ghosts

 

Prologue

 

Yasuo was pulled from the darkness by the humming of a cheerful tune and the press of a wet cloth on his forehead. He opened his eyes to the blurry world and was greeted by a face he couldn't clearly see.

 

“Oh, you're awake.” Yasuo blinked several times, and the face of a girl, looking no older than eleven, gradually came into focus. “We were all pretty worried for a while there. We weren't sure if you could be saved when those farmers brought you in.”

 

He opened his mouth to speak, but found that his throat was too dry to do more than croak out, “Where--?”

 

“The Furugawa castle. Our farmers were the ones who found you out in the forest.” The girl handed him a cup. “Here, you should—”

 

Yasuo's eyes snapped wide open. “Naraku!”

 

“Huh?” The girl glanced about the room, wondering if this Naraku person had wandered in without her knowing. Bemused, she looked back at the monk to find him staring at her with an earnest expression.

 

“Tell me - when I was found, was there anyone else? Was there a youkai nearby?”

 

She raised her eyebrows. “Uh… not that I know of.”

 

Yasuo closed his eyes, looking for a moment to be in deep concentration until finally a smirk appeared on his face. “So he ran off, did he? I must have gotten in more damage than I thought.”

 

The girl's eyebrows disappeared beneath her bangs. “Ohh, I get it now!” she exclaimed with a grin. “You were exterminating a youkai, weren't you? I knew you were a monk, with your robes and all, but I didn't think you were an exorcist, too!”

 

Yasuo looked away, pensive once again. “Heh. I suppose you could say that.”

 

“You don't look old enough. How old are you?”

 

“Fifteen.”

 

“That's still pretty young, though. Shouldn't you be traveling with your master?”

 

A heavy pause, then, “He's dead.”

 

The girl's excitement faded. “Oh. I'm sorry.”

 

Yasuo blinked, bringing his gaze back to the young girl. He gave her a small smile. “No need to apologize.”

 

She returned the smile. “So do I get to hear your name? Or are you just going to make me call you `houshi-dono' or something?”

 

“My name is Yasuo. And may I ask yours?”

 

The girl closed her eyes and raised her chin in what would have looked to be a regal pose had she not been so young. “I am Furugawa Chiyo, youngest princess of the Furugawa clan.” Before Yasuo could consider being confused, she went on, “I know, I know - you're wondering why a lovely princess like myself is here treating a vagabond monk. Well, I'll tell you: It's because the rest of our household is busy with the lavish preparations for my eldest sister's wedding - which, by the way, my family does so hope you will be attending, should you recover in time.”

 

Yasuo regarded her thoughtfully. “You must have been terribly bored to have spent all this time thinking up such an introduction.”

 

Chiyo scowled, ruining her attempt at a noble bearing. “Yeah, well, it's not my fault you took forever to wake up. Oh, before I forget—” She once again handed him the cup. “The physician said that you needed to drink this. It's medicinal.”

 

“Thank you,” he said, taking the cup. When he had finished the drink and returned the cup to her, Chiyo took hold of his hand - that same hand on which he wore a sealing gauntlet.

 

“This is a funny-looking glove,” she remarked, examining the purple fabric and the blue rosary wrapped around it. “What are you wearing it for?”

 

He made no reply but to jerk his hand out of her grasp. He clenched it against his chest, a pained expression marring his handsome young face.

 

“I'm sorry,” he whispered into the awkward silence that followed. “Know only that it's nothing I would want to involve you in.”

 

 

-

 

Forty years later

 

 

Furugawa Takara knelt beside the futon where her son lay, drenched in sweat, fighting for each breath. He was Takara's youngest son, the only son she had left, and the last son that she would have to outlive.

 

Without taking her eyes off the boy, she spoke to the girl beside her. “Kumiko.”

 

“Yes, Mother?”

 

Only weariness could be found in Takara's voice, that weariness that had nestled inside her many years before. “We must find your cousin.”

 

Kumiko frowned at this enigmatic statement. “But none of my cousins are alive, Mother.”

 

“You speak only of the cousins that you have been told of. One other remains.” Before her daughter could question her further, Takara continued in the same tired tone, “Tell our messengers to seek out the monk Yasuo. It is time for us to discover what has become of Houshi-dono.”

 

- - -

 

-

 

Translation Stuff

 

Houshi-dono: In case there's anyone reading this who doesn't watch the show in Japanese - “houshi” is the term for a low-ranking Buddhist monk, often known to have combat training. Miroku is a houshi, as were his father and grandfather. The suffix “-dono” is a term of respect, usually reserved for someone of a higher rank. I've used it here for Yasuo mainly because “-sama” didn't seem appropriate and because “-san” just didn't sound right. “-Dono” seemed like a nice middle ground. Of course, I'm no expert in honorifics, so if anyone wants to refute this, feel free.

 

Right, enough of that. The first chapter is just about finished, I only need to read over it some more and see what I want to tweak here and there. Normally, I wouldn't want to post the beginning of a story like this one if I haven't written more of it; but I'm thinking of this as a trial run, to see if anyone is even interested. If no one wants to read it, I know I can take things at a leisurely pace. ^.^

 

Feedback is much appreciated. Thanks for reading!