InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Secret Soul ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

*Disclaimer* I do not own Inuyasha. The world of Inuyasha was created by Rumiko Takahashi. Neither do I own the plot/storyline of Jane Eyre, which was written by Charlotte Bronte, and is the plot and setting I am using as the alternate universe for Inuyasha. The way I write it, and the liberties I take, are my own, as are any OC's that grace the pages. THANK YOU!

 

~Author's Note~

This story is an Alternate Universe, and I should also state that the story is, for the most part, a Kagome/Inuyasha story. There aren't but a few main characters, so most other characters are in supporting/minor roles, and only make somewhat brief appearances. Please enjoy!

 

 

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Secret Soul

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

 

Kagome stood quietly by the window, staring out into the rain. It pounded the ground, creating little puddles in the flowerbed she normally tended. The sight of the broken petals of the flowers tore at her heart. It seemed that every small piece of happiness she had would one day be taken away. She closed her eyes and sighed. There may be a way to save them if the rain stopped soon.

 

Thunder crashed and Kagome jumped in fright. Her nerves never handled thunder well, especially under this roof. She had learned to fear it indeed. She wasn't of their kind, her aunt and her cousin. They were demons. She was human, and at the tender age of ten, Kagome knew her place in this home, if she could call it that. She was a burden, nothing more than a pathetic human weakling that always stank, no matter how many baths she took, and could do nothing right, no matter how much she strived to do good.

 

The thunder crashed again, and this time, Kagome shook long after the sound vanished. He was coming. She didn't know how, but her body tingled with fear and dread whenever he was searching for her. Kagome looked around the small room for somewhere to hide. Where had she hid in here before? Her body shook with tremors; he was close now. With panic taking over her senses, Kagome threw open the cabinet of a small end table and curled inside, shutting the door behind her. It was cramped, but in her heart she knew it wouldn't be for long. Hiten always found her. With a crash, the door to the small parlor flew open, and Kagome tried to hold her breath.

 

“Oh little Kagome?” he called in a sing-song voice. Kagome cringed. This meant he was in an especially bad mood. “I know you're in here…” She heard him breathe in deeply. “I can smell your stench from across the house.” There were a few footsteps as she felt his presence come closer, then she heard him sit down in one of the chairs.

 

“Kagome, I know you're in the cabinet. Don't make me drag you out by your hair…it would be far too troublesome.” Kagome swallowed as multiple memories of Hiten doing just that filled her scalp with indescribable pain. She pushed the door of the cabinet open and tumbled out, landing face first on the floor. Hiten laughed.

 

“Ugly, weak and clumsy…” Kagome scrambled to her feet, and faced him, taking care to keep her head down. Hopefully, if she cooperated, it would be over soon. “Look at me!” he ordered, as thunder again crashed outside. Kagome obeyed, taking in the sight of her older cousin. He was about fifteen years old, and very powerful. He often bragged about being more powerful than his mother. His long dark hair was tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck, and he wore his usual deep blue hakama and haori, which seemed to make his red eyes stand out all the more. Kagome took a deep breath and waited.

 

“What were you doing in here?” he asked with a calm that belied the horror within him. “I thought I told you the last time that this room was now off limits to you.” He waited, and Kagome bit her bottom lip. “Speak!” he commanded.

 

“I…I…I wanted to see if my flowers were all right,” she said trembling. She knew he could smell a lie, yet she wished, the next moment, that she had lied. Lightening sparked through the sky and the thunder was so loud, Kagome covered her ears.

 

“What flowers?” he asked. Kagome didn't need to look to know that whatever chance her flowers might have had if the rain had eased was completely gone. This was hardly the first time he had destroyed something belonging to her merely because he felt like it. Yet, being only a child, it still hurt, and she fought to hold back the tears.

 

“Do I smell tears?” he asked, the anger edging in his voice. Oh no. “What right do you have to cry?! They were my flowers to do with what I wished, for I own the seeds and ground they are planted on.”

 

“Your mother-” and immediately Kagome knew she had made a dreadful mistake.

 

“My mother? My mother is an old hag that will one day soon be made to hand everything over to me! You dare to try and tell me what is mine and what is not!?” In a flash of blue, he was hovering above her, his hand grasping a fist full of her hair. Kagome gasped in pain.

 

“Do I need to show you, yet again, who is in charge of this house!?” He lifted her off the ground by her hair until she was eye level to him. She was mere inches from his face and could feel his hot breath on her nose. His pupils seemed to dilate, and a new energy filled the room. Kagome's heart stopped as she realized that somehow, this was different than all the other times. His hand released her and she fell into a heap on the ground. Looking up at him from her knees, he looked down at her, lip curled to one side.

 

“Run.”

 

Kagome didn't need to be told twice. She stood and ran for the door, but he was in front of her, blocking it.

 

“Boo!” She pivoted on her feet and darted for the second entrance, leading to the kitchen, but he was there again. This time, as she turned, he tackled her. She was thrown to the ground. Her head hit the floor hard, making black circles appear before her eyes. She felt claws tearing through the back of her kimono and into her skin and she screamed in pain. He was sitting on top of her, holding her down, and she felt him lean down to her back. Something wet slid across the skin of her back and into the wound, making it sting like fire.

 

“Well, at least something about you is good,” he said, his voice unusually thick and raspy. “It seems I like the taste of your blood…it's…sweet…” Her arms were then pinned above her head. She closed her eyes tightly as her inner soul cried out.

 

God, help me!!!

 

She felt everything inside of her go numb and still. Her eyes opened, a flash of brilliant purple erupted before her and she screamed in fear. Suddenly, it was as if something inside of her exploded. There was a distant scream, then darkness.

 

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Karan felt the surge of power to her very core. It was incredible. Quickly, she leapt from her seat by the fireplace and lunged down the stairs. Where was Hiten? Where was her son? Though it was lessening, she could still feel the incredible power. It was in the secondary parlor, and to her horror, she realized this was a favorite haunt of the human. She opened the door.

 

Karan froze at the sight in front of her. Her son lay on the floor, smoke rising from him. The wall he had evidently crashed into was slightly blackened with an imprint of his body. And there, unconscious on the floor, was the child. Maids flooded the room behind her, exclamations of shock and questions all flooded her mind, but she tuned them out as she made her way slowly to the…it couldn't be! The human was…glowing, but the aura was slowly fading. She had seen this somewhere before, and realizing what it was, she made sure that the others hadn't seen it. Once the dangerous energy was gone, Karan took in the child's appearance. Her clothes were torn, and her back had deep gashes made by claws. There was also bruising on her back and wrists, and a trickle of blood crossed her forehead.

 

Karan also didn't fail to notice the faint scent of arousal in the room. Her son was a complete idiot. Did he not realize the consequences of his actions? What would people say about her? Her son, attracted by a worthless human child…this could not continue. Hearing the groan behind her brought Karan back to her senses. She ordered two of the maids to help Hiten to his room, and the other two to carry the child back to hers.

 

“My lady, how could she have done this to master Hiten? She's only a human!” one of the maids asked her.

 

“Do not ask me questions!” Karan said sharply. “Call a doctor for my son immediately. He must be looked after. If you, or anyone here, questions or comments to anyone else what has happened here today, you will wish for Hell itself to rescue you from your torment.” With that, Karan went into her study and resumed her chair by the fireplace.

 

Imagine…a priestess! A priestess in MY house! she thought to herself. Yet there was no denying the power behind it. It was not only that strange mystical power that some humans possessed. There was more to it than that, though she was loathe to admit it. The child had been nothing but trouble since she had arrived as an infant. Oh the whining! How dare her late husband force this impossible burden upon her!

 

Had she known of her husbands human connections she would never have married him. Even as she thought this, she felt a slight pang in her heart, but she quickly buried it. He never mentioned to her that he had a hanyou sister. How could he not!? Not only did he possess such an abomination as a relative, but she had been a favorite of his as well. And what did the hanyou go and do? It married a human! How could he have allowed it?

 

Of course, both human and hanyou would be attacked and killed, leaving her husband's grieving heart to find solace in taking in their human offspring. When it arrived, anyone could tell the child was completely human. Some had questioned it, considering the mother was…well…it didn't matter. It had never mattered to her! He had even tried to make her beloved son become friendly with it.

 

Well, I put a stop to that the moment he died, she thought with a sad smile. A split second later, anger graced her features. Then he had forced her, on his deathbed, in the presence of witnesses no less, to promise to keep it! It was too much for her to accept. How could he possibly expect it of her!? It had been impossible. The thing was a nuisance. And Hiten…

 

She had just wanted Hiten to leave it alone, to ignore it, but no. He would do as he pleased with the thing, and it lived in fear of him. Yes, she knew all about it. Her son was cruel, yes, but it was only a human. Had he behaved to another youkai child in such a way she would have corrected it immediately. But Hiten's lust for power grew every time he overpowered the human. Why should he care? Even Karan could admit his strength was almost equal with her own…only to herself of course. Why should his power over a human bring him such…pleasure?

 

In any case, it had gone too far now. She was resolute in her decision. The thing must leave her house at once. How could she explain it if the child ended up pregnant? Of course it must be dealt with…but she was political. There were those in her circle that knew of the human she kept and there were more still who, for some reason, liked humans. She couldn't just banish the thing to die on her land with no food, water or living. But what demon, in their right mind would take a priestess off her hands?

 

This called for drastic measures.

 

“My lady,” a small voice called from outside her study.

 

“Yes, come in!” she replied, annoyed.

 

“What shall we do for the human? She is hurt very badly, and seems to have lost a lot of blood. Shall the doctor see her as well?”

 

“Of course not!” Karan said angrily. Part of her wished the child would die, then the problem would go away. The other part harkened to its earlier musings about the human-sympathetic youkai. The would know something was wrong with the situation immediately, then she would be held responsible.

 

“Then what shall we do?” the maid asked again. Karan shifted her eyes in the maid's direction and glared. But then an idea came to her.

 

“I've heard of a monk that was traveling near here. Do you remember anything about it?”

 

“Yes, we were speaking of him only today! It seems he is speaking to the elders on the behalf of the human village some miles off.” Karan's plan was beginning to take shape.

 

“Bring me paper and ink. Be quick about it!” she yelled. The maid bowed before quickly turning to leave. Karan smiled. This could work out quite nicely.

 

 

End of Chapter

 

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~secondary note~ If this seems familiar, it's because I wrote a different version of this before, but deleted it. I am now rewriting it, and will actually complete it this time.