InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tales from Sengoku Jidai ❯ Prolouge ( Prologue )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

InuYasha Continued
By: Kitsune-chan

Prolouge



"Onigumo!" Kyoko stood at the entrance of the dark cave which
supposdly held a decaying bandit. "Answer me you bastard!" She demanded,
her voice echoing off the walls made of stone. She was of average
height with a slim body hidden by a white hamaka and blue haori over
her white yukata. A sliver necklace strung across her neck appeared to
be spaced beads, a pair of fang earrings hung on her delicate ears and
her long, black hair was pulled into a high pony tail. Two thick
strands hung in front of her stern, hard face and cold, unemotional
cobalt blue eyes glared down into the darkness of the cave.

"Now, Kyoko-san. Is there any need for yelling?" His voice was smooth
and mocking.

"I'm not going to allow you to carry out your plans, you bastard!" She
yelled, her face feirce and angry. She pulled out an old japanese
style sword from the sheath in her sash.

"What exactly am I planning to do, Kyoko-san?"

Before see could answer, the man she had thought was Onigumo appeared. His
skin wasn't burned, he was indeed in perfect condition and he was Youkai. His
long dark flowing air fell around him like a dark shadow; he was naked
before her eyes, his hair sheilding nothing. HIs eyes were red and appeared
to see straight into her soul.

At first her eyes gazed down, but she soon corrected herself and glared up
at his face.

"Where's Onigumo?!" She demanded, "What have you done with him, Youkai?!"

His hand brushed her cheek; she flinched at it's cold touch, "Are you so
eager to see him, Kyoko-san?"

"Get your hands off of me!" She jerked back, her sword swinging out. THe hand
came off, but didnt' go very far as the skin and muscle from his bloody
stump pulled it back in like clay. "What the?! WHo are yoU!?"

He grabbed her sword from her hands and tossed it into the cave. She didn't
even hear it hit the ground. HIs hand lashed out and caught her by the arms
pulling her closer. "You look so much like Kikyo-san. You know that, don't
you?" He laughed, mocking her.

"Let go of me?!" She struggled fercily, refusing to give into such a
worthless pile of demon shit.

"You're so fragil without that sword, yet you're the only one who can use
it. How ironic that the fate of such a weapon relies on such a frail
human." He pressed closer to her; his body was cold and sent shivers of fear
down her spine.

"WHO ARE YOU!?" She demanded again, her futile struggle weakening. HIs grip
was strong and bruises were already forming on her arms.

HIs face came closer to her own, lips almost touching hers, "I will be known
as Naraku; the one who destroyed and tore away the innocence of the
famous Youkai Hunter. I am the most powerful Youkai in the entire world, born
from Onigumo's lust and hatred. Are you scared, Kyoko-san?"

Her scowled at him, "I will never be afraid of something as worthless as you.
You are NOTHING to me! You may boust about being powerful and about
destroying this body, but you can never kill what I really am!"

He laughed, throwing his head back, "You are as arrogant as I though you
would be; my beautiful Youkai Hunter."

She spit at him, "I'm not 'yours' anything!" She summonded up the energy in
her body, a light glowing eminated from her being. "AND I"M NOT FRAIL!"
With a feral scream, he was thrown back from her body by an intense blast of
hot, powerful energy. His feet skidded on the ground, dust and smoke rising
from the rifts he'd created.

"You're even more beautiful when angry; I wonder if Kikyo looks that
beautiful?" He smiled, standing straight.

"Ursei! You have no right to speak of Kikyo!" She shouted, holding her
bruised arm. With a loud yell, she launched herself at him. Her feet
didn't touch the gound when she stopped mid-air. Her face was twisted
in shock and disbelief. In the youkai's hand was her sword, and now the
sword, HER SWORD was embedded deeply in her stomache. Blood dripped from
it's tip and onto the floor of the cave. Naraku jerked it out and in a
single motion licked the blood away.

"You're very tastey," He smiled brushed his hand on her cheek. In pain, the
girl fell the ground, holding her bleeding mid-section with one hand and
holding herself up on her knees with other.

'Did he have my sword hidden in his arm the whole time?!' Her mind raged.
Sweat poured dow her forehead as her loss of blood quickly depleated her
energy.

"Heh! For the infamous Youkai Hunter, you weren't much compitition, but
I suppose you lack experiance." He chuckled. His voice sounded familiar
to her ears. Inuyasha? She glanced up instantly and saw the white haired,
dog eared demon.

"Inu . . . yasha?!"

"Yes, this disguise is perfect! It even fooled the Great Youkai Hunter!" His
clawed hand cupped her chin. "And I won't be needing this piece of scrap
metal, but I promise I'll find the Youkai Slayer, so don't worry about it
in the after life."

She coughed up blood, her head jerking from his hand. A smile grew on her
lips as she looked at it and felt the hot liquid stream from her mouth.
"Naraku." She swiftly grabbed the back of his head and kissed him, she fell
to the ground as he jumped away from her. Faintly, the silver beads on her
necklace glowed.

"You bitch!" He cursed, spitting her blood from his mouth.

She lay on the floor cave, "Do as you will, but you will never succeed."

He laughed, "That's your opinion." In a cloud of purple fumes he vanished.
The fumes lingured and burst into flames as it reached the fire in the
cave.

"I'd better get of this cave," She chuckled, "I don't want to die in
a place like this." Using the wall as a brace, she picked herself up,
and trudged out of the cave. She didn't know how far she walked, but she
knew every time she triped and fell to the ground her life was draining.
She fell and tumbled most of the way down the mountain, gathering cuts,
more bruises and scraps along with way. She finally found herself on the
trail back to the village.

Kyoko fell to her knees and the to the ground. She rolled over and looked
up at the checkered sun. The spots of various sized lights danced around
as the wind blew gently. Visions of her Kikyo-chan, Kaede-chan, all of
the people from the village swam before her eyes. One face lingered longer
then the others; InuYasha's face remaind in her mind.

"Inu . . . yasha," Her lips whispered gently, "I'm sorry that I never got
the chance to tell you the truth. Mother can you ever forgive your
daughter for being so weak?" Her voice was small like a childs and tears
rolled down her cheeks. "I should ahve warned Kikyo instead of coming
here. It's all my fault if she- NO! She's strong, I know that Kikyo-chan
wont' die." She broke off, blood spilling from her mouth as she coughed.

She pulled herself up and crawled over to a tree trunk. She sighed and let
the wind tickle her skin.

"Kyoko-san! Kyoko-san!"

"Kaede-chan?" Her head slowly turned sideways. The small girl was running
down the trail in a panic. Her eye was covered in a bandage and her long
black hair trialing behind her.

"Oh no! Kyoko-san, who did this?!" Kaede demanded.

"It's not important," Kyoko said gently, "I need you to do something for me,
Kaede-chan. I need you to find Kikyo-chan and warn her. . . InuYasha . . ."

Kaede held her cousin as she coughed. Her body was freezing cold and shook
with violent chills. Kaede could sense the power of death over whelming
Kyoko and she was scared. "Kyoko-san! Please don't die, Kyoko-san!"

"Ah, little-one." Kyoko stroked the girls head with her bloodied hand, "It's
my time, I would not die if it wasn't my time. We all die eventually, and
it's not something to fear. Rather it's a new journey, a new adventure. Do
not be sad, I will see you again little-one."

Kaede hugged her, "I'll miss you," She sniffled.

"I'll always be here, just look toward the wind on a clear sunset. At
least that's what my mother said when she died." She smiled and closed
her eyes.

Kaede felt her cousin's shoulders slump and the air leave her chest for
the last time. "Kyoko-san . . . "

And the story of InuYasha and Kikyo continued with no interruption and
no changes, for the one person who could have changed it died.

* * * * *
Present day Tokyo

"Mom, I'm home!" Kagome called, slipping her shoes off at the door. Her
nose was tickled by the smell of lemoney fresh cleaness that filled the
house. Her mother had been cleaning, more so then usual. She took off her
coat and put it on the coat hanger along with her bag.

"welcome home, honey!" Mrs. Higurashi smiled. She stepped into the living
room and gave her daughter a peck on the cheek. She was dressed in an
apron and had two oven muffs on her hand; one shaped like a fish, the other
like a regular muff with pink flowers.

"Hey Mom," She greeted, "What's with the overly clean house?"

"Well, I have a surprise for you, Kagome!" Her mother chuckled. "You'll
love it! Belive me!"

"I will? What is it?" Kagome asked as her mother led her into the kitchen.
She could smell the rice boiling and the fresh scent of snow coming in through
a small window above the stove. This window kept the kitchen cool during
the winter an summer by allowing outside air in. The cuitting counter had a
family photo album laying open on it and a chair was pulled out. Otherwise
the kitchen was empty and normal, nothing looked surprising.

"Oh, she's gone." Mrs. Higurashi looked around, "I guess she went outside,
she said that she was a bit hot."

"Who?"

Mrs Higurashi sighed, "This is so unfair! I was hoping to surprise you! But,
I guess there's no helping it. Kagome, your cousin flew in from Kyoto
today."

"K-Kaname?!" Kagome smiled, "She's here! Wow, I haven't seen her since
third grade."

"I just wish I knew where she went," Mrs. Higurashi sighed, "We had a
wonderful afternoon talking about the old times. She even showed me a new
way to make rice balls! Kagome?"

Kagome had already ran out of the kitchen. Her slippers clicked against the
shrine steps as she ran through it. She saw her grandpa just ahead sweeping
the steps leading up to the small shrine enclosing the Bone Eater's
Well.

"Grandpa!" Kagome stopped in front of him.

"Hello Kagome! How was school?" He asked smiling.

"Did Kaname come by here?!"

"Yes, she did. She went that way!" He pointed towards the woods. She ran
off in the direction he pointed, "Or was it that way?"

The forest was bleak and grey in winter weather. A cold wind blew through
trees, making the bare branches creak quietly. No birds sang and the grey
clouds hung low. Kagome knew where her cousin would be, it was the same
place they'd always met when Kaname came over. They never met each other
in the house, Kaname would run and hide in the woods until Kagome went
and found her. Then they would play hide and go seek throught the trees
all day until dinner.

She stopped in front of the giant god-tree. Kaname was a few centimeters
taller then Kagome but the two shared body types. Both had long legs, slim
hips and a good amount of cleavage but not too much. They were both
atheletic, although Kaname more then Kagome. Kaname's black hair hung past
her rear and the top half of it was pulled back with purple ribbon. She
had cobalt blue eyes framed by delicate eyebrows and perfectly cut bangs.
She leaned against the tree, her hands behind her back.

"Hey, Kagome-chan." She greeted, smiling. "It took you long enough!"