InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Misleadings of a Broken Vision ❯ First Vision ( Chapter 1 )

Misleadings of a Broken Vision

First Vision

Shi's world, only connected by a few, dangerous gates. Unstable lands, violent inhabitants, it wasn't the ideal place to live.

Harsh lives, cruel families.

Maybe it was a tad too much behind the idea of love to ever support it.

But in spite of all this-it was a gray planet to live on. Lives could be carried out peacefully, and although rare, love could be found and acted upon. It was usually hard, as the soul mate could be far away, but there were things to help our people out on their way.

Such as a vision, sent by the gods and ancestors.

~*8*~

"Finally. Get out of my way." growled a young woman, shoving the guard aside with one hand. He staggered, but she didn't stay to help her victim back up., instead striding forward with a stormy expression on her face. He had just given her permission to enter the building, and stood up, rolling his eyes. The girl wasn't well-liked by some, and he belonged to the group that despised all associated with the abnormal.

She burst into the room, flinging open the flimsy wooden framed door. It quivered dangerously before settling in its slightly skewed position. She then carefully, almost mockingly closed it graciously. She wasn't too happy, and it showed.

"Grandma, you are kidding me. You can't make me wait for hours just to hear you read my scroll, show me my future in that blasted bowl of yours, and basically everything that's supposed to happen at the turn of my life." She growled, still seeming to sound respectful on one knee.

The stately old demon in front of her cocked an eyebrow, fanning herself slowly with her wide fan. The speed of her motions defeated the purpose of the fan. Then again, the weight of the ornate thing may have accounted for it, if it were not for the fact that she hurled it at the kneeling demon's head. She quickly dodged it, and grabbed it as it came spinning back, and offered it wryly back to its owner. The sharp reminder tempered her impatience, and she settled, cross-legged, on the bamboo lined floor. The incense smoke penetrated her senses, overpowering all else.

"Granddaughter, some propriety is required for matters of such importance. I may be your relation, but you must address me as the Seer today." Admonished the settled demon, reclining on her elbow, tracing the steel on the fan.

"And you call that being proper? Let's get going already, will ya? I want to find my name." she said good-humoredly, with the hint of a darker mood foreshadowing her tone.

"You are aware that the searching of a name or even your future mate may bring its burdens along with it? Ayame, I know you don't want to get settled so soon. I am the Seer, and if I and your ancestors Nori and Junko read your life now, it will happen as it is currently written." The Seer started to warn, but was cut off almost rudely by Ayame.

"I know, I know, and if I wait longer the chances may be more favorable. I can't wait for ever. Look, I even went through that whole dumb procedure to be ready, so that whatever spirits find me good enough to bless and all that." She said, rolling her eyes and pulling at the neck of her kimono.

Ayame had put her red hair up in a high ponytail, ringed with a band embroidered with many stories. Upon a closer look, it was made up of tiny braids, each the exact size of the next. Some dull yellow plant life had also been woven in, moving slightly on its own. Her eyes had been briefly made up with light green, to complement her darker eyes. Her face wasn't painted the way most women in her clan had theirs, but a tint of red enhanced her lips. It was apparent that she wasn't comfortable in her dress; it clung tightly to her curves and tied up stiffly at the neck, hence her irritation.

The entire outfit was a slivery gray, so light that it appeared to be white. Very thin black lines ran over certain areas, presenting an aesthetic balance. Her feet were tied in black straps that somehow protected them.

The entire Shades clan of wolves was known for some characteristic or the other. The men were fast, stealthy, and excellent assassins. The women were a perfect balance of feminine attributes and physical superiority.

But there were always exceptions, and Ayame was one of them. They were rare, but they managed to help the clan, nonetheless. The boys, two that were Ayame's age, were incapable of stealth. Masking their aura was also difficult. However, their almost juggernaut strengths made up for the other lesser talents. As a result, though, they could only be used as bodyguards for the various clients that hired the Shades.

Ayame, on the other hand, possessed none of the deadly innocence that the women all could summon at will. Sweet seductive beauties, they could collapse and require manly attention all while palming a knife, or, even better, readying their claws. They were rarely caught without meaning to be, and usually only to commit seppuku.

Ayame could only attract with her bare beauty, or her bluntness, as she had been told many times by her truthful relatives. She disliked using her wiles to get men into a favorable position, and liked wearing armor all the time instead of the more fancy dresses. Both allowed freedom of movement and protection, but Ayame preferred the less feminine style.

When she shifted between her wolf form and her human one, the dress always ended up hopelessly messy. The armor could be settled with only a few changes. She had never been able to master the smooth change, turning in an instant as so many others had. You could see every step as she evolved.

"Yes, granddaughter, you have. If you are sure…"

"Yes Seer. We will begin now if you wouldn't mind." She answered pleasantly, moving to the bowed crouch that she had to begin with. Every member of the wolf clan had been taught the procedure that would be gone through with either the Seer or the Peerless Demon. The Seer sighed, and stood up, beginning the dance that would summon their ancestors.

The nimble demon leapt in a complex jump, kicking out her feet and thrusting with the fan. She was getting old, but she would hold her position until she could find her successor.

`And I pray that she comes soon. I don't know how many more summons I can handle, and that batch of kids will be coming soon.' The Seer thought forlornly as she twirled.

The room dimmed, despite it being noon, and the windows only being covered by thin paper. It signaled the arrival. The Seer released her treasure, and it spread and grew. The individual carvings on the wood stood out, and became animate.

"Another one already? Hikari, our tribe must be breeding like rats." Commented one elder in a dry voice, examining the charge. The Seer just shook her head, suppressing a smile.

"Be serious, Nori. This one's special, isn't she. Not the youngest to come, not the oldest, but still special." The woman paused. When Ayame didn't take the opening she provoked, "And obviously a silent one. Maybe we should take the choice that will give her to someone that will perk her up."

Ayame bristled, trying to keep her annoyance in check. She had always been known for her short temper, but to lose it with these people was to ask for damnation.

"You sure she's normal enough to enjoy that?" the old man responded lightly, stepping out from the woodwork.

Ayame leapt up easily, and forced a smile. She bowed, her fangs dropping over her lip in a bared grimace.

"Why are you jesting with my honor?" she asked politely, keeping herself under control.

The figurines grew to life size and moved closer, tipping her chin up with two fingers.

"To make you speak, of course. A mute descendent can be counted on the keep their mouth shut, but not necessarily to speak when necessary. But I don't think you're one of those smart, silent types. In fact," he continued, staring into her green eyes, "I think you'll be a danger to our tribe with your big mouth."

Ayame flared, twisting her face out of his grasp. She resisted pushing him back, and stepping back herself would imply the start of a surrender, so she stayed still, right up against Nori.

"I don't think you're here just to poke fun at me, or to foretell how my vices will endanger us." She knew her last comment wasn't entirely true, but she plowed ahead anyhow.

"Just tell me what I'm supposed to do, what's gonna happen, exactly what you were called for!" she hissed, moving back and taking a defensive stance. They paused, and then laughed harshly.

"No need to thank us for trying to delay the inevitable." Said the woman, who became known as Junko by the characters on her kimono. Both spirits looked young, no older than Ayame, but had streaks of white in their hair, symbolizing their eternal connection with nature and the white wolves that they were forever entwined with.

Ayame scowled, and tapped her foot daringly. They sighed, knowing that they couldn't keep the child from her fate.

"Look into the bowl. Do not break off the vision before it is ready, or you will misread it." They commanded sadly, and melted into the sides of the said object. The Seer bent forward, and knelt in front of her, the bowl upraised. It was a fine blue china one, with the history of the Shades carved and painted. Ayame made the cut with her sharp nails, and let the blood drip and fill the bowl. Willing it to go faster, she made two more.

The Seer frowned, but it went unnoticed. Her wounds closed up once the bowl had filled to the level, and they both sat and peered into the red mess. Ayame brought the bowl up to her face as the Seer began speaking in a low, almost monotonous voice. Her eyes were wide open and boring into Ayame's, who weren't looking back, concentrating on the coppery redness.

"Leave the clan and find your own

You don't belong, you never will

Love's divine, Love's pure

Hidden loves will be your cure

The only one, hidden beyond your mind

Although not caring, not too kind

Pull him out, before it's too late

When the Spider takes him, preserve him from his fate

One and all shall perish

In your life there will be no life

Unless you recognize him right."

After her slightly nutty chant was over, she blinked her dry eyes before closing them. Holding her hands over the blood, Ayame's vision began.

A clear, mountain plain with two men on them. A white haired dog one, a black-haired brown wolf. They stood ready to battle, the dog with a giant sword. In the distance she could see a exterminator, a monk, and a girl dressed in a hideous uniform, the fur ball in her arms lifted its head, and she saw that it was a kitsune.

The two began clashing, the inu swinging his big sword a bit roughly. The wolf nimbly dodged all his attempts, and she could see the glint of light on two places in his legs. They drew close to one another, the sword left in favor of hand-to-hand combat.

A voice whispered, "The One for you," as she drew closer to the fighting pair. Her body drew back; she knew something was going to happen.

The white haired dog spun around and looked directly into her eyes. They widened, and then she could distinctly feel the blue ones turning to where the amber ones focused. She found herself confronted with both pairs of eyes looking past, and yet somehow seeing her. She felt another pair of eyes, and knew that the miko had also sensed her. A bow was readied.

The wolf walked closer and swiped at where her body would be. The dog quickly distracted him once again though, saving her from the discovery of whether she would be wounded or not. She would never know if he had done it on purpose or not…or would she?

Ayame knew that the defining point of the vision would be coming up soon, but in spite of her resolve-

-she broke it off, unsettled by the coldness she felt. She fell back onto her hands, and breathed, her eyes closed forcefully. The bowl let out a ringing discordant sound, and fell a few inches onto the floor, clattering softly.

`No…no, it's not right. How can Nibori not be part of my future? He's my destiny, I can't let him go…no, not now…no, NEVER. I can't, I can't, why? I thought it was obvious, he was mine from the start, why? Did I fight for nothing? Will she end up with him after all? I should've waited…'

Darkness brought peace to her bewildered mind.

~*8*~