InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ New Moon Love ❯ Prologue: Before the New Moon ( Prologue )

Disclaimer:

Kagura615: To everyone wanted an original plot, your search has come to an end! Kukukuku…

Turtlequeen2: *cough* Um…ok…you can stop now…

Kagura615: Uh…what? *sweat drop*

Turtlequeen2: *sigh* Ok, well we’re going to take a shot here.

Turtlequeen2 & Kagura615: We do not own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does and we thank her for such a wonderful series!

Note: Translations are at the bottom of this post.

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Prologue

Before the New Moon

The girl walked around the shrine grounds in a calm fear. She had just returned from her parents’ graves. Well, correction, the whole villages’ graves.

She was a frail young woman with chocolate brown eyes and soft coal-black hair, pulled back behind her by a pink ribbon. The yukata she wore was mid-thigh. The garment was dark green with pink flowers sewn in around the shoulders. Around her legs, bore matching green wrappings. On her feet were very plain zouri.

She was very fearful of youkai since she witnessed her father getting killed by a Spider-Head demon. The beasts were known for stealing their victims’ heads and weaving nests within their bodies.

“Nazuna, be that you, child,” an old man’s voice called out from inside the shrine.

“Hai, Master,” she called back, a small smile breaking on her face. She appeared before her caretaker, who was inside, awaiting her arrival. His arms were crossed and a caring smile was across his face.

“Be it, that ye have visited thy graves of those passed on,” he inquired.

She gave a small nod at him, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears. The man’s eyes softened at the sight of her approaching tears. He knew that she still missed her parents and the villagers greatly. He placed a welcoming smile in place and said, “Thy memories of the villagers and thy parents upset ye, yes? Never forget thy mother’s wish for ye to overcome even the harshest of times.” The girl nodded and attempted to keep the tears from falling by blinking a few times.

“Master, shall I prepare a meal,” she asked, quietly. The old monk nodded in agreement.

She went off to fetch a pot and some rice left in a sack. And she went to a spring out behind the grounds to get the water needed. After returning inside, she started a fire in the pit that was in the middle of the room.

She got the water boiling and cooked the rice. As she was about to get the tea prepared, she suddenly went stiff. A look of pure horror overcame her face as she remembered the tragic day.

  *FLASHBACK*  

The day was a warm one and all the villagers were busily walking throughout the village, occasionally chatting to each other and making friendly conversation. She smiled as her father was occupied in a discussion with one of the market owners. Everyone was oblivious to the doom that would soon advance upon them.

In a matter of minutes, a scream was heard. Then, more shouts and crying came from one of the houses. Many turned in confusion at the ruckus, and soon found themselves in shock at the sight before them.

A dark cloud gathered above the village. The sky turned a dark haze of violet and the demons rushed towards them. Them all being Spider youkai of some kind. The village head yelled for all the men to defend their village. But hopelessly, most ran away out of cowardice. Many women gathered their children and ran screaming from the beasts.

Fires started gathering, burning down many of the huts around her. In stunned horror, she stood stiff at the sites happening around her. She wished that she could help out the villagers, but she was only but a weak and defenseless girl. The screams and cries of the people were to forever be seared in her mind.

Blood of humans started spreading like wildfire. Bodies piled up around her. Of her friends and family members. Of the people she saw everyday. She had seen their lifeless eyes staring at her. Mocking her. Jeering at her for being a weak and useless woman. She was pulled out of her reverie by a yank on her arm. She turned to see that it was only her father.

“Come Nazuna, we must get to safety,” he commanded, pulling on her again. She nodded dumbly and ran with her father. She ran and ran, not daring to look back. She heard the thundering cracks of heads being ripped off of their shoulders.

‘No! This can’t be happening! The village,’ she cried in her mind. Tears built up in her eyes. They flew down her face and whipped into the breeze, caused by her speed of dashing fast. Her breathing became labored as she began to get tired. She began to slow down, but she heard the yell of her father.

“Nazuna you must not slow down! They are still after us! If you stop, you’ll die,” her father cried. She choked back a scream.

Keeping her eyes forward on her father, they kept running through the forest. That is, until he tripped over a deracinated tree root. He stumbled and fell over. She stopped yards in front of the fallen man and looked back in fear. There were piercing red eyes coming from the shadows around her. They were coming closer.

“Leave me! Go,” he pleaded.

“Father!”

“GO!”

Tears fell from her eyes as she nervously shook from where she was standing. She wanted to reach for her father, but she was afraid at what might become of her if she did. Suddenly, there was a bluish barrier surrounding her. Startled, she turned around quickly.

A monk looked at her warmly for a second, but turned his gaze back at the helpless man, faced by a terrible fate.

Looking back at her father, her eyes widened and she could no longer stop the flow of tears that fell. She blinked to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Anything but this! When she opened her eyes and found that no matter how many times she tried to blink the scene away, it was real.

“NNNNNOOOOO! FATHER!” she wailed. But it was too late; he could no longer hear her.

The youkai, spider-heads they appeared to be, had stabbed him with one of their eight long legs and were dragging him to their cave. Blood was splattered everywhere and the girl felt slightly nauseous at the amount. One of the youkai peered at them hungrily, but soon noticed the barrier and decided to leave. Dragging her father’s body to get ready to wrap him up in their web, they scurried off to prepare their latest victim.

And she didn’t even get to say goodbye...

  *END FLASHBACK*    

Wiping the tears that had just fallen from her eyes during the flashback, Nazuna continued to prepare the tea. She really hated when that memory replayed itself in her mind, and it always seemed so fresh as if it had happened just the day before, but she knew that it was all in the past. That’s what the monk told her gently every time he caught her reminiscing over the lost villagers and loved ones.

The monk returned to the room to see her wiping her tears yet again. His eyes grew sad for her. “Nazuna…” he sighed.

“M…Master,” she exclaimed in surprise. She stood up immediately, her dark eyes staring silently back at him.

“Nazuna, dost thou continue to relive the past,” he asked solemnly.

She didn’t want to answer, for fear of crying even more. Her fists , clenched at her sides, shook in anger and hatred for the demons. “I hate them! Those demons,” she shouted.

“Be at ease child. You could not do anything and you know such.”

“I hate feeling weak…” she murmured.

“Ye were not trained in such aspects of slaying demons,” he reminded her. Not wanting to talk about it anymore, she got back down on her knees and continued preparing the meal. There was silence for the rest of the day.

******The Next Day******

Nazuna stopped in the garden by the outside of the shrine. She was doing her usual round of visiting the villagers’ graves. She gathered the plants into her hands and stood up to walk to the gravesite.

‘Why did it have to happen like this,’ she asked herself for the umpteenth time.

After the youkai dissipated, they spent that next day, gathering the bodies and burying them. The monk risked his life, using all of his spiritual powers to lay their souls at rest, so they wouldn’t come back as vengeful spirits. And afterwards, he took her in, to help care for her since she was all alone. For that, she was grateful.

As she thought of that a small smile graced her face. “Master cares about me,” she murmured. She continued towards the graves and seen it come into view.

A strong breeze blew by her, making her stiffen up instantly. She shakily turned around to see red eyes peer at her from the sudden shadows forming. The sky darkened above her and she stood frozen as the youkai came closer. She heard it growl at her. As she heard the crunching of grass under its feet, something inside her snapped and she took off running. She didn’t dare look back as she ran farther away from the safety of the sacred barriers that surrounded her master’s shrine.

She let out a horrified scream, still clutching the flowers for dear life. “You won’t take me,” she shrieked at it.

She abruptly stopped as she reached the edge of a cliff. Small rocks crumbled down from where she stepped. She only saw a rushing river below her and she wasn’t much of a swimmer. She then turned to see the spider head.

Its skinny limbs looked much human except of their heads, which were of a spider’s. She glared at it defiantly.

******With Inu-Tachi******

“Wow!” gasped Kagome as her eyes brightened at the view. She, Inuyasha, and Shippou were currently riding in a boat down a river. ‘Tokyo isn’t as pretty as this,’ she thought as she looked out at the sparkling clear water and the thriving trees on the other side of the river. “Look, a fish!”

“Keh,” Inuyasha scoffed. “This ain’t a pleasure cruise. We’ll never find the jewel shards if you guys keep this up!” He tucked his arms in his red haori to emphasize his stubbornness.

Kagome really didn’t want to argue, so instead, she raised her hand in a salute and replied, “Aye, aye, Mont-cappy-tain! On the look out for Shikon-no-Kakkera of the Shikon-no-Tama.”

Meanwhile, Shippou’s eyes were circling around as he moaned, “Uuuuuurg...”

Inuyasha looked at the seasick kitsune and taunted, “Whoever heard of a seasick youkai?”

“Uuuurg…I feel terrible,” was the only reply.

“No one’s taking this seriously,” Inuyasha grunted. He then sees something up ahead of them. “Huh,” he let out in confusion.

Kagome asked,” What?” Inuyasha and Kagome looked up to see many strands of spider webs.

“What the hell? Spider webs,” came Inuyasha’s surprised gasp. He reached up a swept a few stands in his hands. Bundles of the web stuck to his hand and angrily swiped it away. He stared strangely at the remaining strands, looking worried.

Myouga, the small flea-youkai, jumped up and down on Inuyasha’s shoulder. “What’s wrong, Inuyasha-sama?”

“Nothing,” the hanyou answered.

“Look! A girl,” Kagome shouted, pointing upwards.

They all looked upwards to see a young woman backing away from a strange creature on the edge of a cliff. “Don’t come any closer,” she shouted at the shadowy beast. She walked backwards and the creature’s head stretched and knocked her backwards. While trying to dodge the attack, she fell back, off of the cliff. She screamed, shutting her eyes tight and falling. She waited for the inevitable.

Since she was falling above them, Inuyasha quickly made use of catching her before she fell into the river. He landed on rocks on the shore, still holding her in his arms.

Kagome looked on, smiling and snapping her fingers. “Nice catch,” she commented. Inuyasha looked back up to see the black thing disappear back into the forest.

“Um…thank you for…” the girl trailed off, meekly opening her eyes.

As she spotted triangular shapes on the top of his head, she realized they were dog ears! He was a dreaded youkai! Flailing her arms, she screamed, “Unhand me, youkai!” With her arms thrashing in the air, it made Inuyasha lose his balance.

And down they tumbled into the water…

A few minutes later, Shippou and Kagome were on the shore with a furious hanyou and the girl.

Inuyasha angrily wringed out his wet clothes. “Of all the nerve,” he growled out in fury.

Kagome sprayed some anesthetic on the girl’s injuries saying, “Think of this as preserved herbs for illness.” Thinking back to the creature that caused to her fall off the cliff, the miko decided to ask,” So, what was that thing?”

“That thing was a Spider-Head. They came to the mountains in the spring. They’ve attacked many villages already. They trap humans in their webs and devour them. They’re horrid creatures,” the girl exclaimed.

After Kagome was finished caring for the girl’s scrapes, she replied,” I see…” She then turned to Inuyasha, who was still glaring in the direction in front of him. “Let’s help her out,” she suggested to the hanyou.

“Any sign of Jewel Shards,” he asked.

“I didn’t sense anything from the Spider-Head just now,” Kagome answered.

Inuyasha, then stood up, turning to the rest of the group. “Then let’s go. We have to get out of these mountains by nightfall.”

“But there’s demons! How can we just pass them by,” she demanded.

He growled in irritation. “Keh! I’m not gonna slay demons for some goodwill towards mankind!”

“I know, but…” she trailed off. ’Strange. Usually, he’d at least want to check it out…’ she thought in her mind.

Suddenly, the girl got up quickly and brushed herself off. “Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t want any help from demons.”

“Hey! You shouldn’t talk to us like that! We saved your life! You little ingrate,” Shippou shouted.

“Shut up! I hate all demons,” she exclaimed, glaring at the kitsune in defiance. Grabbing hold of a vine on the edge of a cliff, she started to pull herself up, but struggled with climbing. Then, to everyone’s embarrassment, the vine snaps because of her weight, sending her into a bush beneath her!

Kagome clasped her hands together in awkwardness, suggesting,” Let’s at least take her home.”

It took them until evening to climb up the cliff. The woman was riding on Inuyasha’s back, but both of them were huffing, refusing to face each other.

Kagome looked up to see shrine gates and pointed up the steps. “It’s that temple, right?”

The girl nodded, silently, and the group ascended up the long steps. At the top, they see an old monk shuffling out slowly.

The priest stared at the group strangely, then asked,” Nazuna, who be these folk?”

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To be continued…

This was a little different, considering that we added in Nazuna’s memories before she met the Inu-Tachi. We are going to run through the whole episode of 13, but it’ll be different, when we add in Nazuna’s thoughts. Trust us, we will have an original plot soon enough, but this is needed since we have to show how they meet her.

We will update every Sunday!

Translations:

Zouri - bamboo sandals

Hai - Yes

Hanyou - Half-demon

Youkai - Demon

Shikon-no-Kakkera - Shikon Jewel shards

Miko - Priestess

Kitsune - fox

Please review!

Ja ne!