InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Red Lantern ❯ New Life ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or Red Lantern, the movie, so YIPPY for me! *sob* But you know… since it's my birthday, you can steal them for me!

Red Lantern

Chapter 1: New Life

Author's Note:

I'm back! With a new story! I was watching the movie, "Red Lantern" a couple nights ago when I got sudden inspiration! Now, the movie "Red Lantern" is in Chinese, but it is dubbed in English, so you people who don't understand Chinese can understand it. It's a pretty good historical movie based in China in the late 1800's and early 1900's (I think). Okay this is must read note: Men at that time could have more than one wife, and in my story, this man has four wives. However, they were not as brutal as the people in my story! This is based just on a movie! I will also change the ending, as it was horrible (in my opinion). Okay? Okay. Now, on with the story! Don't forget to review

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Chinese Glossary ~

N/A: I'm Chinese myself, but I'm not 100% sure on the spelling of these words/phrases. If anyone knows for sure, tell me! They are in order they appear in the story.

Cheongsam: Chinese, traditional dress.

Shi Ma: "Yes?" or "what?"

Er Jie: "Second sister."

Bu: "No."

Mah Jong: Chinese game of strategy, played with dozens of tiles.

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Author's POV~

We see a young woman with hair, wavy and black, grown to about the middle of her back. Her eyes were a clear, bright blue. She wore a cheongsam. (A/N: It's the Chinese dress that rich women often wore. If anyone knows for sure what these things are called, please tell me! I just copied it out of a Chinese book, and I'm not too sure.) It was red with a pattern of bronze suns.

She climbs the roof of a house. Her destination seemed to be a small hut on top of one of the houses. She walks with small steps, as if she is afraid of something.

Finally, she reaches the hut. She finds that it is locked. Her expression became disappointed. Not to have climbed for nothing, the woman pushes the door, as if it would open.

It did, just slightly. Peeking at the insides, she sees a thick rope, tied in a hang-mans loop. Horrified, she starts climbing down. She walks into her house.

"Oh Lady Kagome!" a woman's voice called.

The young woman of about 20 flipped around to where the voice's origin came from. "Sha ma?" she asked.

Another woman, maybe five years older than her, ran out of the courtyard and into her home. She had longer hair that was also black, but hers was straight. Her eyes were the color of the Atlantic Ocean, mysterious and gray. She carried in her arms a package wrapped in oiled paper.

"Oh, Lady Kagome! I have a gift for you!" she said happily.

Kagome smiled, but it was a strained one. "Oh, it's you Lady Kikyo! Come in, please!"

Kikyo walked into her house. She sat down at a couch and opened the package. In it was a beautiful piece of silk, the color of the ocean, with silver moons and stars on them.

Kagome gasped. "Oh, wow! Lady Kikyo, I can't possibly accept such a gift! This is too much! It must have cost… a huge sum of money!"

Kikyo smiled sweetly. "You must! This is a gift from the heart! I saw this and I knew that you must have it! Please, as a gift from sister to sister!" She pressed the silk to Kagome.

"Thank you so much!" Kagome said, smiling. Her smile was still strained, but it was more relaxed than before.

"It was nothing! As the Master's new wife, you deserve something nice!"

"Thank you, Er Jie!"

(A/N: The wives of one man consider themselves 'sisters'. In this case, Kikyo was the second woman the Master married, so she is called "Second Sister".)

Kagome's face faulted. "Lady Kikyo, I have a question. The hut, on top of that house, what is it for?"

Kikyo's expression darkened. "That's the hang-mans' hut. Many people have died there. If I were you, I wouldn't ask anyone about it. The people of this household don't like to talk about it."

Kagome nodded. "Thank you for that information."

Walking out of the house, Kagome sees Kikyo back to her own house, which was just across the courtyard.

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Author's POV~

We see a hut with large, red lanterns hung all over it. Voices are heard from the inside.

"So tonight's house is to be the fourth house?" a girlish voice asks.

"Yes." An older woman is heard.

"Did the Master marry again?"

"Yes."

"Poor girl…"

"Shush. Just do what the Master orders us to do and don't back talk!

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Author's POV~

Four women sit at a table, preparing to eat what looks like lunch. Two of them are Kikyo and Kagome.

A short, squat man walks out, his head bowed in respect. "Ladies, the Master is not feeling well, so he will not be coming down to eat. He has told me to inform you wives to enjoy the meal."

With him gone, Kagome started talking. "Why are there so many dishes of poultry? Where are the vegetables?"

Another one of the wives, one was had black hair up in a bun and black eyes, scoffed. "Humph! I think that there aren't enjoy dishes with meat. You, maid, go tell them to cook some meat for me to eat!"

Kagome glared. Suddenly, she rises up and stomps away.

"Lady Kagura, try to mind your manners!" the oldest wife said. Her hair was already graying.

Kagura tossed her hair. "That Kagome! Ever since the Master married her, she thinks she's the queen of the world!"

Kikyo smiles kindly. "Oh, Third Sister, don't be angry! Or are you jealous that she gets more attention from the Master than you?"

"Not at all… not at all."

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Author's POV~

Later that day, Kagura walks into Kagome's room. "Lady Kagome! Lady Kagome! Oh, there you are! Can you do me a big favor and come play Mah Jong with us?"

Kagome glares. "Bu."

"Oh, please! You're not mad at what happened during lunch today, are you?"

"Humph! That I wouldn't care less about!" Kagome says, looking annoyed.

"Oh, then come play with us! We're short of one player!"

"I don't care about playing Mah Jong!"

"Oh, come on! I'll even let you win!" Kagura pleads with a bright smile plastered on her face.

Kagome scoffs. "Well, when you put it that way… I couldn't refuse! But be careful… I may win when you least expect it!"

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Author's POV~

In Kagura's dimly lit rooms, we see many Chinese opera masks hanging on the wall. There are gaudy scarves hanging about them. In the center of the room is a nice size table with dozens of Mah Jong pieces on it.

"Lady Kagome, I would like to introduce you to Doctor Kouga and Mr. Sesshoumaru. Doctor Kouga is the one who treats all of this family's illnesses and wounds. Mr. Sesshoumaru is his close friend. Doctor Kouga, Mr. Sesshoumaru, this is Lady Kagome, the fourth wife of the Master." Kagura introduced everyone. "Let's begin playing!"

In the middle of playing, Kagome drops a Mah Jong piece. Bending down under the table, she suddenly sees Kagura's foot rubbing Doctor Kouga's leg. Rising back up, she notes that Kagura wore an innocent expression while Kouga smiled like a fool.

Doctor Kouga gets up and goes to an old phonograph. Putting on a disk, he starts the player.

We hear an opera voice, singing high and clear.

Looking at Kagome, he explains, "Lady Kagura was a dancer and singer before she married the Master. We met then."

Kagome nodded.

"I hear you were an university student, Lady Kagome?"

"Yes, I was."

"Why didn't you continue on your education?" Kouga asked.

"I would have, but the Master said that I would have no time, so I quit."

"Hmm… Yes. That's interesting."

Kagome looked around. 'Why didn't I continue my education? Why did Father make me marry? Why aren't I free? Where's my true life?'

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Okay peoples! Was it okay? Any editing mistakes? Sorry about everyone being so OOC, but the people in the movie were like this, so I had to change the Inu Yasha characters' personality! Please review as a little birthday gift to me! Flames will be used to barbecue some food! Next chapter, "The Sword"!