InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unlikely Outcomes: A Change of Heart. ❯ Beginning ( Chapter 1 )

 DISCLAIMER: Yeah, yeah, I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in the anime. Don't have to rub it in. ..*Sniff*

A/N- this is my first fanfic on mediaminer and I'm curious to any thoughts that readers might have concerning it. Though I have a basic plotline, I'm open to suggestions and ideas. And, for those who are accustomed to reading Inu/Kag or Mir/San fics might find this story a breath of fresh air. And some others might be a bit more negative and not as open-minded, and I'm cool with that. Whatever the case, I'm eager to get some reviews. Who isn't?

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A thick layer of mephitic miasma blanketed the once translucent sky. Various remains of disfigured demons and debris of Naraku's formerly existing fort littered the bloodstained field. A small group of what seemed to be five huddled closely together, each of which had yearned for this moment for a long time. Not far off, sitting in the rubble of his former castle and demon minions resided Naraku. A most vile creature, random members and appendages orbited his inferior human-like build. His extensive black hair draped over his red eyes and a low malicious cackle erupted from his twisted lips-- only making his impatient rivals crave his blood ever the more.

“Naraku…!” a familiar half demon hissed. “I'm gonna kill you!” Inuyasha shouted as his Tetsusaiga made a wild threatening gesture.

Naraku replied, his voice serene and syrupy with malevolence, “Ho, now. Is that so?”
A resulting sneer quickly wound its way on the eager Inuyasha's face as he nodded to confirm his malicious thoughts.

Inuyasha took a few steps forward; his trusted sword clenched tightly between his hands as he replied, “Yeah, and I am going to enjoy it, too.”

“Wait a moment, Inuyasha…”, an apprehensive hand hastened to grab his shoulder just as the impatient half-demon readied himself for a leap. “T-This isn't right…” Kagome said, her voice a pleading whimper.

“This all seems a wee bit too easy, if you ask me.” Sango agreed, her eyes had been fixed on Naraku in a fixed glare of pure refined loathe.

“It almost seems like he wants us to attack.” Miroku added, his gaze had also been fixed on the smug Naraku coldly. A slight whimper was heard, the sound seemingly emitting from Miroku. Four heads turned to the monk, who in turn looked back at them with an expression of bewilderment. “Well, it wasn`t me if that`s what you are assuming!” he replied innocently and reached back to pluck a thoroughly frightened fox child from his back.

Having redeemed himself, Miroku and everyone else's attention rested on their original source once again. “So what? We can't just stand here and allow him to insult us! We have to do something!” growled Inuyasha, his usually thin patience obviously diminishing by the second.

“I have an idea!” Kagome immediately proposed and without waiting for Inuyasha, or anyone other's input, Kagome snatched an arrow out of the quiver that had been slung over her shoulder and strung it on her bow swiftly. Kagome, after taking a deep breath, brought the bow up to eye level and withdrew the arrow.

“What are you --” started Inuyasha.

“--Just watch…” Kagome interrupted in a mutter; her eyes locked onto Naraku with a look of set determination. Kagome released the arrow, and almost immediately, the point ignited and a brilliant pink flare progressed to envelope the whole shaft. The enchanted arrow whizzed through the air, leaving a streak of purified light behind it. The arrow hit what seemed to be an invisible wall of some sort; t seemed to almost melt the translucent force field as it struggled to bypass the obstacle. Alas, it wasn't strong enough and the arrow dispersed into an array of light, leaving only faded scarlet sparks as proof of its previous existence. All eyes fixed on the now reluctant Inuyasha with resentment.

“…Uh… I-I new that was there!” retorted Inuyasha to defend himself against their burning gazes.

“Lucky Kagome was here or that would have been a most unfortunate fate for you, Inuyasha…” replied Sango, a slight hint of sarcasm in her tone.

“Whatever…” Inuyasha scowled, his head visibly sinking into his shoulders. “I can easily break the barrier with my Tetsusaiga!” he quickly changed the subject, “Watch and learn!” Inuyasha quickly broke into a run, his Tetsusaiga, which had been heaved over his shoulder, began to glow a brilliant scarlet color.

“Heh. Fool.” Naraku commented malevolently as he watched the predictable half demon advance towards him recklessly.

“What was that Naraku?!” snarled Inuyasha as he took a mighty leap into the air. “Hrrrgh!” Inuyasha thrust his glowing sword into the barrier, the undulant obstruct rippled in lucid pulses, with each fleeting second, the barrier issued powerful surges of rebellious waves. Before the rash dog-demon could react, the barrier forced him headlong into the ground a good fifteen feet away from it, his sword was flung into the ground next to him.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome squealed before running to the ground bounded half demon, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo only arriving moments after.

“My Tetsusaiga didn't work…?” Inuyasha stated dumbly as he lay on his back, his eyes fixed onto the smoking blade sticking out of the ground, of which, had managed to alter itself back to it's former useless stage.

“Poor Inuyasha… Can't break through my barrier?” Naraku taunted with an unbearable ridicule. Inuyasha scowled with pure loathing.

“Not even red Tetsusaiga…” Miroku said, his tone sounding stunned.

“This most be a really tough barrier if neither Kagome's or Inuyasha's weapon can break it…” Sango commented, she also sounded astounded.

Inuyasha glowered, his face showing every sign of harassment. He couldn't stand that that bastard mocked him and out of harm's way none-the-less, while he and his friends were as good as useless listening to his annoying babbling! He couldn't stand that that bastard found a way to resist his ever trusty Tetsusaiga; the one and only blade that had been so dependable in the past had been labeled virtually inept! And to what? A barrier! The same sort of barrier that red Tetsusaiga should be able to destroy with one simple blow! The coward had found another way to elude them with his scheming tricks and Inuyasha couldn't do anything about it! These thoughts raced through Inuyasha's head, each thought adding fuel to the fire that burned inside of him with a lust for Naraku's blood. With the gentle help of Kagome, Inuyasha allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. She was still clinging to help concernedly when he said, “Lets give it another try, Kagome.”

“O-okay.” Kagome responded, her face equally as confuzzled as her surrounding companion's-- save Inuyasha. Taking another arrow from her quiver and stringing it on her bow gingerly, she chanced a questioning glance at Inuyasha whose attention was on purely on Naraku. His gaze was unusually focused.

Inuyasha stared at Naraku with a new sense of determination, and spoke with a gruff, calm, and cold tone that sent chills down everyone's spines, “Aim your arrow at the barrier.”

Kagome did what she was bid, and aimed her weapon expertly in the direction of Naraku. Her eyes squinted to allow an utmost accurate aspect, and her index and middle fingers trembling slightly as they secured the taught string.

“Ready?” Inuyasha asked, his Tetsusaiga beginning to turn a familiar red again; transparent waves began circling it as it had once done before.

“Yeah.” Kagome said with a slight nod. She waited on Inuyasha's command. Once more, Inuyasha started towards the barrier, his Tetsusaiga again thrown over his shoulder.

“Having another try, are you, Inuyasha?” Naraku chuckled amusedly as the half-demon approached. Attempting to ignore Naraku's insult, Inuyasha instead bellowed, “Now, Kagome!”

“Got it!” Kagome released the arrow and as it had done once before, was engulfed into a bright pink flame. The purification arrow collided into the barrier again, and just as it had done so, Inuyasha plunged into the same place with his red Tetsusaiga with his famous battle scream. Just barely, the tip of his blade managed to puncture the barrier.

“Rrrrgghh!”

“That wont be enough!” exclaimed Sango before grabbing her giant boomerang by it's strap. Sango ran towards Inuyasha, her weapon dragging on the ground as she shouted, “Inuyasha! Move!”

“Huh?” Inuyasha looked back and had barely moved in time to see the boomerang drive into the barrier right next to the Tetsusaiga--where he had just been moments before! The force of the direct blow created violent surges of a mixture of scarlet and saffron, and soon after the wall exploded into an array of bright chrome sparks.

“We broke it!” Kagome gasped in awe as she, Shippo, and Miroku all approached Sango and Inuyasha.

“Are you that weak, Inuyasha, that you need the assistance of two mortal girls, no less?” Naraku commented idly with a sneer, as though he had expected them to break through the barrier sooner. “I was beginning to fall asleep.”

“Well, I guess I'll have to wake you up!” snapped Inuyasha. Without further delay, Inuyasha broke into run towards Naraku, his sword brought upright and was situated in a batting position.

“Reckless as usual!” Miroku commented with a sigh. With that, he chased after Inuyasha, the rings on the head of his staff jingling almost comically with each step.

Sango was next to pursue them, and as she ran, she scooped up her giant boomerang with a delicate, yet bold grace. Kagome, now holding Shippo in her arms, tried to keep in step with the demon slayer, but was easily left in the dust. Luckily, Kirara was nearby and saw their pathetic lagging. Rapidly descending, the demon cat allowed Kagome and Shippo to mount her, before taking to the skies with a mighty leap.

Quite a distance ahead of the group, Inuyasha plowed through demon carcasses and debris with ease. The hanyou's one-tracked mind was clouded with only one source of motivation-- revenge! It was Naraku's fault that Inuyasha was never able to live a happy life with his beloved Kikyo! It was Naraku's fault that she pinned him to a tree for fifty years! And it was Naraku's fault that Kikyo died thinking that Inuyasha had backstabbed her! He would never betray her! This single train of thought sent the half-demon in a sort of frenzy. Inuyasha rapidly closed in on Naraku, of whom merely watched, a menacing smirk plastering his lips.

Of course Inuyasha was oblivious to the smug feature, and just as he reached what couldn't have been fifty meters away from his target, several things seemed to happen within the same moment. Inuyasha was hurled into the air by some unspecified force. Kirara, whom happened to be hovering not far off, shot out to catch him but was cut short when numerous root-like appendages snatched her into an agonizing hold.

Instead, Inuyasha was seized by his ankle, but it wasn't Kirara who caught him! But, rather numerous root tentacles. Inuyasha clove his was through the bark-like substance that tightly wrapped around his ankle, only to drop for naught but a second and be caught by even more! The roots spread as quickly as he cut them, and it seemed the more he severed, the more there were! After a few moments of chopping and slashing, Inuyasha was so engrossed in them that he couldn't move any more. Tetsusaiga merely waggled in his grasp as he struggled to move his blade. The things intertwined around him quickly, squeezing the very air out of his lungs until his breath was ragged fits of gasping.

The same thing was happening to Kirara and her riders nearby. Kirara growled as she bit savagely into the material that held her. Thrashing, scratching, and biting the roots, each aggressive action stimulated a muffled snarl. As vicious as the demon cat was, her efforts were hopeless as the roots came to entangle her in a suffocating hold. The poor feline came to be in a similar situation as Inuyasha. She could only writhe and yowl in anguish as she was constricted in the death hold.

Shippo yelled as the air was sucked simply out of him. He wiggled futilely as he was squished against Kagome and Kirara. He managed to throw a few fox fire attacks every now and then when he could muster up the strength, but that energy was diminishing by the second and the attempts were in vain. He might as well had blew his breath, had he any, as that's what the blue fire was as good as.

Kagome's story was unfortunately the same. She struggled, thrashed and kicked, often bursts of her miko powers would erupt from her hands, but, as effective as they were, when a suffocating root dematerialized, it was immediately replaced by two-score more.

Suddenly, after it seemed that there was nothing to be done, Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, and Kirara all found themselves all tumbling to the ground. It seemed that Sango's boomerang had just sliced through the roots with one mighty blow. The boomerang, like a loyal pet, returned to it's master, who caught it expertly. Miroku, whom was presently at the demon slayer's side, clenched his void burdened hand, as he was ever so tempted to just suck up the most of the vexing roots!

Sango caught the monk's eye and said frowned. “No Miroku! Don't even consider using the kazaana! If you even tried, the saimyoshou would certainly fly into your hand and poison you!” She made a half-hearted head gesture towards the sky. Of course, the air was heavily plagued with expectant poisonous insects. They hovered around the area, always with a keen eye on Miroku.

Miroku grimaced, “I know but--”

Sango turned to face him. “I beg you, Miroku! Please, don't do it!”

There was nothing to be done. The monk heaved a sigh and nodded. He could never refuse a pleading woman! It was just that he hated feeling so useless. His wind tunnel was all he had to offer them and the fact that he couldn't use it made him feel pathetically vulnerable…

After making sure Miroku wasn't going to use his wind tunnel, the demon slayer quickly rushed over to the nearest of her friends, who happened to be Inuyasha, and immediately began relieving him of the root pieces that pinned him to the ground, of which were already beginning to regenerate.

Miroku found himself tending to the others a fair distance off, of whom weren't as much work as it seemed by the time he reached them, Kirara had already took the liberty to scramble back to her paws, and while she did so, alleviating her companions of the worst of the roots.

Sango heaved the squirming bits off of Inuyasha rapidly, and with each root she removed, more of the struggling hanyou was depicted.

“Hold on, Inuyasha!” Sango called as she was in the midst of uncovering him. “You'll be out in a second!”

“Guh… I knew this was too easy to be true!” Inuyasha hissed as he too began lifting things off of himself.

Sango, whilst plucking one particular root from Inuyasha's lower abdomen region simply brushed against his crotch in the process. She hadn't realized what she'd done as she went about taking other things off of him, but somebody did! Inuyasha's face turned a bright red as a result, and it almost matched his kimono.
Finally, after he was able to move decently, he practically flew out of the pile. And not a moment to soon as it seemed right after he did so, the roots remerged back together. Inuyasha had been eager to get out of the situation for most of two reasons. The first, was obvious, he wanted to hurry out of the pile to continue his assault on Naraku. But the second, and possibly the particular most uncomfortable purpose, was that he felt himself get a wee bit 'excited'. This embarrassed Inuyasha ever the more and thus he did he best to avoid eye contact with the oblivious demon slayer.

“Is…” Inuyasha almost squeaked, but he quickly coughed to clear his throat, “Is anyone hurt?”

“Kagome has a scrape on her thigh, but I'll tend to it now.” Miroku responded nobly. Only two knew the true intention behind the offer, Miroku himself, and Sango whom was all too familiar with his antics, and which of course resulted in Sango sending a glare in the corrupted monk's direction.

“I think I'd better--” Sango started, making her way over to the pair. The next events seemed to happen in slow motion. Sango was storming off towards Miroku, and upon feeling a cool shadow fall over her; she looked up to see a massive root appendage erect itself over her. Stunned, she stared in shock as the colossal root plummeted to the ground.

 

 

A/N- Yeah, yeah. It's a cliffhanger! Doesn't it suck when you read cliffhangers? You're like: “Oh no! What's going to happen? Aaaah! Damn you, author!” And then, the author's like: “Muahaha! -Pokes with pitchfork and watches readers squirm-” I mean, I love typing cliffhangers, but I absolutely HATE having to read them. It's torture, I know, but personally this amuses me. I should have the next chapter up in a few days… Maybe. Schools starting in a couple of days and you know how that can be.

 

Thanks DOI for helping me edit!