InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Solitude ❯ A New Beginning ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Hey! You can call me Haunt ^__^ This is the first fan fic I've written so I would really appreciate it if you could review. Please do not leave any flames - constructive criticism is okay. Thanks

 

Please keep in mind that Solitude has a rating for teens ages 15+ There is swearing, sexual references and mature content in here and the rating may go up in later chapters. If you do fit the criteria, that is, if you're a mature reader, then all I can say is enjoy!

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor do I claim to. Inuyasha belongs to the one and only Rumiko Takahashi

 

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“speech”
[thoughts]

 

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A New Beginning

 

 

A pastel of warm colours painted the morning sky in brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. Fluffy white clouds, closely resembling fairy floss, accented the darker colours whilst cherry blossom petals floated around in the gentle breeze. Caught on the leaves of plants, the morning dew seemed to sparkle with subtle flashes of silver - indeed it was truly a breathtaking scene to behold. Further out into the distance, one could see the beginnings of a small town and even farther out, stood a shrine, a single solitary dark silhouette amongst the bright scenery. This shrine was the only surviving monument of the Feudal ages and was known from miles around as the infamous Higarashi Shrine.

 

 

BEEP! Stormy blue eyes flew open in surprise then were closed again, almost as quickly as they were opened, as the glaring intensity of the sun pierced through the pupils. With a tired groan, the owner of the eyes slowly sat up, hissing at the sound of cracking bones that accompanied the sound of shifting bed sheets. Cautiously, the blue eyes reopened again, widening as it slowly adjusted to the intense light of the morning. Face hidden under a curtain of long matted curls, the girl yawned quietly before climbing off her bed. Folding the blankets with quick and elegant movements, the girl stood to her full height and stretched, arms high in the air. She was taller than the average 17 year old with pale skin and long black hair which, at the moment was obscuring her facial features, giving her almost `wild' look. Her name was Kagome Higarashi, granddaughter to the keeper of the legendary Higarashi Shrine.

 

 

Kagome sighed tiredly before grabbing her clothes with long fingers and headed towards the wooden door that connected her small, empty room to the even smaller bathroom. With graceful movements, she quickly slipt out of her pyjamas, wincing as she accidentally bumped one of many bruises covering her otherwise unblemished skin. Hesitantly, she brought her head up to look in the mirror, almost coiling back at the sight of herself. Painful bruises, covered her almost head to toe, some a light blue, others a darker purple. Half healed scabs, in the shape of whip lines, criss crossed along what would have been a flawless back. Whimpering, she tentatively brought a shaking finger to touch a rather large bruise on her cheek, clenching her other hand into a fist as it brought tears to her eyes, threatening to fall at any second. Angrily, she wiped the tears away. It was over now. She was away from him. She could have a new life. But something was still nagging at the back of her head, her conscience still warning her to be cautious. Not to trust anyone. Shaking her head to dispel any thoughts creeping back into her mind, memories that she thought she had left behind her when she moved to the Shrine, she opened the tap to the bath, almost squealing with joy as clean, fresh water came rushing out. How long had it been since she last had a proper bath? How long had it been since she could sleep peacefully, without worrying about him coming home?

 

 

[Why? Why must my memories keep haunting me?] Realising that the bath was almost full, Kagome rushed to close the taps, sighing in relief as she just made it in time before it overflowed. Restraining herself from jumping into the water, she slowly slipped a leg in, cringing from the stinging sensation as the hot water seeped into her half healed wounds. Biting her lip, Kagome forced herself to slip her other leg in. Now fully in the water, she reached behind her to grab the soap and began scrubbing hard. Years of dirt and other filth separated from her body, dirtying the water almost instantly. Oh how she wished the water would recirculate as she again, refilled the bath yet a third time. Now it was not only dirt that contaminated the water, blood flowed freely from the half healed cuts that she had reopened from her rough scrubbing yet she paid no heed to it. Squeezing out a generous amount of shampoo, Kagome concentrated on her hair this time, attacking it with an almost hungry need. A need to get clean. A need to remove all traces from her past.

 

 

Washing her hair a second time, Kagome smiled contently, satisfied that she was now clean. Or as clean as she could possibly get. Almost reluctantly, she stood and stepped out of the bath, shivering as the cold air surrounded her. Grabbing a towel from the rack, she quickly wiped herself down and turned to unplug the bath, watching grimly as the dirty water slowly disappeared. [My past is behind me. Or so I hope] Sighing, she turned to the mirror, cringing inwardly as she picked up the hair brush on the table beside the sink. [This is gonna hurt]

 

 

Groaning, Kagome spent a good ten minutes in the bathroom, yanking hard at the stubborn knots and curls which refused to untangle themselves. “Ow!” [I should have figured. I haven't brushed it since he came] Panting slightly, she shut her eyes as she pulled at a rather big knot. Finally, the obstinate knot loosened and she sighed in relief. [I am so not going through that again] Straightening her clothes, she looked up into the mirror. It was as if she underwent a transformation. Gone was the matted hair and dirt smudges. Long black curls fell down in thick waves, stopping at her waist. A bit self aware, she placed a hand on her hair, smiling as she felt a smooth, silky texture instead of the rough, coarse feeling she was so used to. [Wow. It's a lot longer than I thought it'd be]

 

 

Tying her hair back into a low ponytail, Kagome whipped her head around in fear when she heard a pounding at her door. [What if it's him?] Heart racing, threatening to jump out, she almost cried out in relief when she heard her grandpa's croaky voice from behind the door. “Kagome? Are you up yet?” Rushing to the door, she opened it and smiled softly. Her grandpa, almost a full head shorter than her, smiled back. “Good morning Kagome” “Good morning grandpa” said Kagome, in her soft, almost inaudible voice she had adapted to using. Suddenly her smile faded. “Um...How is mother?” Kagome asked, eyes cast down in fear for the answer. Her grandpa sighed sadly. “Still the same I'm afraid” “..oh..” Kagome's grandpa looked up at his granddaughter in sympathy. Oh how he cursed the drunken driver responsible for the horrific car accident two years ago which had left his son, Kagome's father dead and Kagome's mother in a coma. She had still not awakened, the trauma had left her in a weakened state and she was now residing in the intense care of the hospital.

 

 

As if reading her grandpa's mind, Kagome found herself blinking back tears as she thought of the accident which had happened two years ago which had changed her life forever. Gone was her smiling father. Gone was her mother. Gone was the happy family she was once a part of. At the time, her brother Souta had been too young to understand what was going on. Kagome and Souta, had left the tragic scene with a few cuts but the accident had cost her father his life and left her mother in her current state. Kagome clenched her fist as she remembered the drunken face of the driver who had destroyed her life. [One day, I'll have my revenge]

 

 

“Kagome? Kagome?” Kagome felt herself coming back to reality as she heard her grandpa's worried voice. “I…” she started but then stopped when she saw the look in her grandpa's eyes. It was a look of understanding. A look of compassion. That was all she needed. There was no need for words. He had lost his only son, his daughter-in-law. She had lost her father, her mother. There was unspeakable loss for the both of them. “KAGOM-EEEE!!! GRANDP-AAAA!!!”, came a voice down the hall. Kagome and her grandpa looked at each other and smiled. That was all in the past. Right now, they had to think about the present and future. For Souta's sake.

 

 

“Good morning Souta” said Kagome, smiling as she looked down at her brother. “Morning sis!” Souta was 7 years her junior, with the same raven black hair but unlike her, he had the chocolate brown eyes of their father. “Morning there little fella” said their grandpa, ruffling Souta's hair. Souta pouted. “Hey!” Kagome smiled, maybe her new life might not be so bad after all

 

 

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A/N: -_-“ Whoah! That certainly didn't turn out the way I was expecting it to T_T Anyway, please review. Thanks!

 

~Haunt