InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Soul Exodus ❯ Chapter 1: =Leaving Home= ( Chapter 1 )

Written by: Zelix

A/N: Okay, most of you probably wonder just why is Arc going back to the past, why he isn't angry or sad at the moment… well, I will tell all those as the story progresses, piece by piece, just to tease you and give you all a chance to figure things out on your own before I reveal the truths, so just keep reading my chapters as they come and you'll find out! Oh yes, short reviews still won't cut it, if you review make at least 2 comments on something, like characters, plot etc. that's all, now read!

Disclaimer: Still don't own nothing and never will… except my fabulous OC :)

"Talking"

`Thinking'

[Check the bottom for details]

*Flashback*

=Used when mentioning a technique, attack or something important=

If this was a TV series:

Opening: Chihiro Yonekura - Butterfly Kiss

Ending: Hikaru no Go - Bokura no Boken

Time Soul Exodus

Chapter 1: =Leaving home=

The morning sun had risen… Arc was sitting on his bed in a meditating position, trying to calm his nerves, today… today he would leave, perhaps for good… it was a scary thought, leaving and probably never come back, yet, the thought of NOT going and staying here was even more scarier…

His ears picked up the activity in the house, it seems like both mom and dad are up and from all the scent that emitted from the kitchen they were making a special breakfast… well, considering this was his last morning here, it wasn't very surprising. Arc looked around his room as he began to put on his clothing he would be wearing back at the feudal era, the clothing had been the first thing his dad gave him after his 4 month survival training was over: He gave his fire rat coat to him but with a small change in it, both his mom and dad had seen the painting Kagura had done (Check the last chapter of "Loneliness of the Free Wind" for details) and thus had made some changes into it, instead of red it was now black with white outlines and the two Kanji's were in it too, on the spot where Arcs heart was located was now the Kanji `Engetsu' (Crescent Moon) and on the right was `Fuyubi' (Winter Sun), he felt pride in his chest every time he looked at it… this kimono had been one of the most important things that helped him survive to this day and the fact that he gave it to him was in a dog Youkai sense a sign that his father saw him now as a fully grown adult member of the pack…

Then, last night he had given one more of his most precious items to him, his sword, Tetsusaiga… during the 4 months he had practiced with it but so far he couldn't even make it transform, it was still a rusty old blade but the scabbard itself could work like a barrier if needed… it wasn't much but better than nothing, it was at least better than Toukiji, he couldn't unsheathe it and the scabbard itself didn't act like a barrier at all… but, he could use it as a club at least if needed, the scabbard that it came with was harder than diamond so hitting someone with it would hurt like hell. So in short, one sword could act like a shield while the other acted as a sledgehammer, not exactly they're original purposes but… what can you do? He the glanced at his palms, human arms… well, he closed his eyes for a second concentrated, then after less than a second his palms changed, unlike his dad whose claws grew a bit, his entire hands changed, his fingers lengthened slightly and the skin became slightly covered in scales and the nails grew into silver coloured, razor sharp claws, he smirked as he watched them, he briefly wondered how his mate react if he touched her with these claws? He had noticed how her mother reacted when his dad touched her with his claws… then he frowned, his mate wasn't here and there was no telling if he could even find her…

`No… I mustn't think like that! She is there, somewhere… i'll find her, no matter what and then and when I find out who the bastard was who took her, he better cut his own throat open and pray that he'll be safe in hell and that I get sent into heaven… damn, (puts his palm onto his face) I am becoming more violent day by day… from what I know, because my mate isn't here my Youkai blood won't settle down, it wants revenge or at least someway to release the pent up stress that has gathered from being separated from my mate... damn, I've been using my Youkai abilities for a year and trained them for 4 months and yet I don't know even half of anything that there is about them… but, I will find out I guess, since I am going back to the era were Youkai were common thing… though this time, no one can predict what it looks like over there since it has been a little over 20 years since any of use went there, even with that, I am the only one who can go…' Arc thought with a grim expression…

With that, he put on the rest of his clothes, both his swords onto his back and checked the small green backpack he would be wearing, he could have taken the large yellow one his mom had used all those years ago but it would attract too much attention and it would get in the way too much… in his backpack he had a map of the feudal era which his parents had made during the years they were in the past, some medical supplies, some dry food since regular food would spoil too quickly, there were also books about certain plants and such and lastly he was carrying a tent, just in case of anything… not to mention, if he ran into anyone they knew of, there were some presents too.

Lastly, Arc put two things into the sleeve of his Kimono, two photographs: One was he and Kagura alone, the second one was everyone in the same picture: Kouga, Shippo, Katou, Ako, Ayame, mom, dad, himself and Kagura… it was taken two months before her disappearance, they had all been gone to travel all around Japan… it had been the one of the best times in his life… that was also were picture of the two of them alone was taken, it had been Shippo who took while hiding from them… in the picture he and Kagura were kissing once again, it made him warm thinking about it… the scenery, the atmosphere and the air around was just… since they had been hiking in the mountains at that time everything around them was so natural it had made they're Youkai bloods feel at ease… it was hard to explain, it had just been so natural there… of course, after seeing the photograph, he had nearly strangled Shippo for spying on them like that.

He sighed and put the photos into his sleeve, after leaving, these two pictures might be the last thing he'll have that links him to this era, to his home… he shook his head and thought: `No… I can't call this place home anymore… my home is where my mate is, without her, this place brings me nothing but pain… but, even if this isn't my home ANYMORE, it will always be the place where i was born and raised, nothing will change that…' With that, he picked up his backpack and walked downstairs, everyone was there, Shippo, Katou, dad, mom, Kouga, Ayame and even Ako, since she knew by now what was going on here… well, it's not like she could rat out on them right? After seeing all of them, he could feel his heart being filled with both warmth and coldness, from a dog demons point of view it looked like the whole pack had gathered to say farewell and good luck to him… but he felt cold because his human side also knew that this was most probably the final time he'll see them ever again…

That morning felt like forever… time seemed to stretch on and on, every second felt like hours to them… they all said how proud they were of him and how much they would all miss him, his dad trying to keep a cool front by saying things like `he isn't a weak human, of course he'll survive' and `he's my son after all… if he was that wimpy wolfs I wouldn't bet on it…' that of course broke into a fight between Kouga and Inuyasha and ended with Kagome saying `Osuwari'… which made everyone laugh while Katou and Arc just rolled they're eyes… but Arc knew that beneath all that tough talk his dad was worried about him, who would blame him? It isn't often your son has to go to a place of unknown to face the unknown in order to bring back a mate…

His mother, she though tried be cheery for him but Arc could see through it, it was going to be her mother who would be most worried about him… for a reason too, a mother is always more protective of they're children, especially since she was a Inu hanyous mate so her instincts as a mother were even higher than normal… he felt bad for making her mother worry but this was something only he could do now and if he didn't do it, he would most likely go insane from being separated from his mate.

When it was time to go, they all gathered at the well house, where Arc now stood in front of the `bone eaters well' which had taken his mom into the past and had led his dad countless times into the future… the thought still made him think, how could a crappy old wooden well like this one take someone 500 years into the past? He glanced back at his entire family, or `pack' once again, or in this case… perhaps for the last time… he could see his father holding his mothers hand to try and reassure her that they're son would be okay, her mother looked at him with a small smile but he could see her eyes being slowly filled with tears, they're son was leaving home… it was like for the first time she realised just how much they're son had grown, if his eyes were golden and his hair long and silver coloured he would be the exact replica of his father… there he stood, at the edge of the well with both Sesshoumarus and Inuyashas swords strapped onto his back, the kimono that had belonged to his father and the necklace he wore made him look like a true warrior… a warrior with a steel hard mind but with a soft, warm and gentle heart… if they saw him again, then he would no longer have that innocence in his eyes anymore, they would be battle hardened and his hands that had never hurt a fly would be stained with blood… sure his hands were stained with blood during the survival training with his parents but next time it would be because he had taken a life to protect either himself or someone…

Arc looked at all of them and said with a smile, though his eyes were slightly quivering with sadness: "Everyone, I am sorry about all this… I know I have been a pain in the ass for the last few moths but… I just want to say thanks for being there, I would surely have lost my mind if you all hadn't been there to support me, thank you for everything… I promise though, this is not a good-bye, just a `see you later everyone'… it might take a long time but I will come back… with my mate. Mom, dad, I love you both… (Voice cracks a bit) thank you for everything… I promise I'll live, no matter what I'll live…" With that he turned around to face the well, his thoughts quickly wondered back to the reason why he was the only one who could go…

*Flashback, notice, this will be voices only conversation*

Inuyasha: "Son, you're sure she's over there? In the past?"

Arc: "No, I'm not sure at all… it's just that… I don't know, all I know is that she HAS to be there, my mind keeps screaming me about that…"

Inuyasha: "… Son, that's your bond to her, I don't know why you didn't feel it earlier, since you are soul mates you should be able to feel her presence almost right away if you're separated…"

Arc: "So… I can FEEL where she is? Nice… but dad, this feeling is strange… I know I don't know much about Youkai instincts yet but… even with the little I know I can feel that something is wrong…"

Inuyasha: "Don't worry son, no matter what it is, I'll be there with you through it all…"

Kagome: "Inuyasha, don't give promises you won't be able to keep."

Inuyasha and Arc: "What!?"

Kagome: "We have a problem… the well… we can't go through, there's a barrier blocking it."

*End flashback*

Arc thought as he reached his arm towards the well, as soon as his arm was near enough he saw the space around it vibrate and ripple like a water surface that was hit with a stone… he didn't feel anything, just a weird `hand in cold water' like feeling, he thought to himself: `This barrier… it let's only pass it for some reason… I remember my dad trying to go through, it shocked him like a stun gun… I remember him trying to break it with his claws, even with his sword… it didn't do anything, not even my mom could open it, the magic it was made with… is too strong for her. When I touched this barrier out of curiosity, this is what happened, my arm just slipped right through it… or… to be more precise, this barrier went AROUND my arm, as if not wanting to touch it at all… of course I tried to pass through right away had my dad not stopped me… that was the first time I actually fought with my dad physically, my instincts as a mate wanted to go but my dad reasoned that even if I went there what would I do? I wouldn't be able to survive even one day in there… it's sad to admit but he was right, so, while trying to calm the raging anger inside me I started my 4 months of survival training, we would have trained longer but time was against us, each day that passed made my chances of finding Kagura smaller and smaller… but today, at this moment, this is it… mother, father… good-bye…' He couldn't turn around to watch his parents again, he couldn't, he felt like if did, his determination would waver… so without thinking or hesitating, he jumped into the well, right through the barrier… and the last thing that all of them saw about Arc was one shining tear that fell from his eye…

(For back round music, I would put "Kanna Ueda - Over the Fantasy")

Arc dropped into what seemed like a ocean of blue light, it took his breath away… so this is what his mom and dad saw all those times they travelled between the two eras… this was the passage that connected the two timelines together, where it all began… Arc could feel his body weighting almost nothing, even with the backpack and the swords he felt light like a feather… yet, he knew that on the other end of this heavenly beautiful there was no telling what dangers and hardships awaited him… not to mention there was no telling if the well would allow him to return, he could feel the magic around him, the time passage was barely holding itself together, as if it was pushing it's limits to get him through, like he was the last hope it had or something.

He could feel something inside him… something small, warm and yet powerful was moving in him, it was reacting to the time passage somehow, as if… whatever it was it was giving the time passage the power it needed to let him pass… something really didn't want anyone to use this time passage for some reason, why? Who would go through so much trouble like this? This didn't make any sense, first someone takes his mate away from him, then his bond to her doesn't react until recently and someone making that barrier around the well… what was going on in the past? Who would do things like these and why? This was going to be one dangerous trip, he could feel it…

Then his feet hit the bottom, he slowly, almost hesitantly raised his head to look up… a blue sky… no roof… no scent of the city or civilisation… just the scent of pure forest air… so this was the feudal era? His mind kept racing with thoughts as he jumped out of the well, he landed on soft grass that he could feel under his all terrain shoes (I suck at names, use your imagination please) and the scents only intensified further and further… they were so pure, the smell of the forest and animals was so calming and it made his Youkai blood simply howl with the feeling of this wilderness, pure, untamed wilderness around them…

All this though, lasted but a few seconds until he heard a loud scream not too far away…

*back at the present*

Kagome couldn't hold it in anymore, she began to cry against Inuyasha, she had been holding the cry all this time and couldn't hold it anymore… Inuyasha also wanted to howl out from his own pain, it had hurt more than he thought, to see they're own son leave like that… but he had to stay strong now, his mate needed support now, more than ever right now… Ayame wasn't fairing much better either, Arc was such a sweet young man and seeing him leave like that without hesitation to go after his mate was just like out of romance novel… so she cried too, against her mate, Kouga who too wanted to howl, Arc may not be his pup but that dog breaths but even still, his actions were memorable, the first real step of being a true mate is to follow your mate no matter where he/she is, no matter how dangerous it is…

Shippo, Katou and Ako weren't faring much better either, they're friend had left them… Shippo knew that Kagome and Inuyasha would both be going through tough times now, so he needed to be with them now, Katou was thinking along those lines as well, times would be tough on all of them now…

*Outside the well house, at the Goshin-Boku*

While everyone was at the well house, crying over Arc who had departed, no one could sense the figure that was hiding in the shadows of the great tree, it was thinking: `It has began… I just hope that things will end differently now, I've done all I can to help for now, soon though… i wonder how everyone will react when I reveal myself to them, this is a dangerous gamble I'm taking now but… if it can change the outcome of everything… I just hope that my interference won't change it to the worst…' The figure then raised it's right arm to look at it, there was a bracelet on it, not just any bracelet either… he said to himself as he looked at it with teary eyes: "I failed… at that time… I'm sorry…" The bracelet he was holding was:

{[=Bracelet of the Eternal Bond=]}

To be continued…

A/N: Well, sorry for the wait, my net has been going crazy and my connection is barely working, the next update will take a while but I hope this chapter didn't suck too much, I just wrote it, though my mood has been down… oh well.

- Zelix, See ya next time!