InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waterfall's Reflection ❯ Found But Still Lost ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: This is still the story Misplaced Memories, but after a month of trying to sort out my ideas I've decided to change it. The mojo just wasn't workin' for me. Now that I have sorted my ideas though, I can actually make this story something other than just a collection of random Inuyasha thoughts that swim through my head. This is my first fic, if you can't tell, so if you are so kind as to review be honest. Flames are cool if you don't like the fic, or if you're angry at the world. Thanks for reading, please enjoy and review.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape or form own Inuyasha, it's characters or anything else related to the show. (A/N: I actually think it's better this way, because if I owned Inuyasha, what would I watch?)

Misplaced Memories

Chapter One: Found But Still Lost

The monk Hideaki looked on the red heap the villager lead him to. To say the least whatever it was looked terrible.

"What is it? It's not human. Look at the white hair."

"Yes, I think it is a youkai, you were right to bring me here," the monk said looking up. "Go back to your business; I'll be able to handle it from here."

"Are you sure?"

The monk just went back to inspecting the limp body before him. "I might have needed help if it was alive, but now it's harmless. Thank you anyways."

"Hai, good day." the short village man said before wandering back to his field.

"Well my friend," Hideaki said speaking to the lump on the ground. "It seems you meet an unfortunate end. Let's get you in the ground so that you can move on."

Inuyasha awakened by a sharp stab of pain and the sensation of being pulled by his feet. His thoughts were a jumble as he tired to sit up to gain his bearings. Before he even made a movement; however, another burning sensation shot across his chest as it hit a rock.

"Mmgugh!"

The noise seemed to stop whatever it was that had been dragging him and Inuyasha rolled off the rock on to his back.

"You're still alive?" a voice came through the haze in his ears.

"Huh?" Inuyasha breathed.

"Incredible," the voice said. "With the wounds you have you should have been dead long before I got here."

The numb sensation that Inuyasha had been experiencing upon first waking up was slowly dying and pain started to radiate outward from his chest and cover his body. Every fiber of Inuyasha's body burst aflame with pain unimaginable.

"Are you okay?" the voice asked almost surprised.

Inuyasha was only able to get out a few hoarse grunts.

"Oh, of course not, let me get you back to my home so I can tend to your wounds better."

Hands gripped Inuyasha's shoulders and back causing him to cry out from the touch on his open wounds as he was hoisted into the air.

"It's okay," the voice grunted with the exertion. "I don't live far from here."

Inuyasha didn't even bother to acknowledge the voice as he moved to try and get away. Whatever the voice said, it was obvious he was better off on the ground.

The hands gripped tighter as he tried to move. The voice didn't say anything this time as Inuyasha slumped back into submission with his entire body smarting as if there were no tomorrow.

'Damn.' was all that permeated his scrambled thoughts as he tried to open his eyes. It didn't seem to matter whether they were open or not, everything was black and he couldn't see who or what it was that had him. His ears were filled with white noise and the only discernable sound was his captor's heavy breaths and grunts. Copper taste filled his mouth and Inuyasha's nose seemed to have shut down as he couldn't smell anything.

"Houshi-sama, do you need help?" inquired a young female voice.

"No ma'am, but if you would be so kind as to fetch some water." the now revealed monk said while continuing on their journey.

"We are almost there friend," the monks said in the most reassuring tone he could muster.

'Must be a village.' Inuyasha deduced as he tried to occupy himself with something other than the searing pain that appeared to only be increasing with every bump and sway.

The sound of a door flap met Inuyasha's ears and the air suddenly became cooler before he felt himself being placed as slowly and carefully as possible on a hard, even floor.

"I'm going to boil the water that Maya-chan and her friends were generous enough to bring here, I will not leave."

Inuyasha could only revel in the cool air on his burning skin. The pain was starting to subside and his head didn't feel as heavy and cluttered as before. Actually, the cool air was starting to make everything feel better.

"I'm starting to feel better," Inuyasha tried to tell the monk while sitting up.

"What are you doing?" the monk said excitedly. "Lie back down, and don't try to speak. I can't understand a word you're saying and I think the blood loss is starting to affect you."

Inuyasha tried to protest only to be laid back down and have his haori and inner kimono removed. The monk then pressed something scalding hot against his side which made him writhe.

"It's okay, it will be better in a minute."

The monk continued to press the cloth against his side while placing something light and scaly feeling on his chest wound. The monk fidgeted with whatever he was dropping on there for minute before moving Inuyasha's hand to the rag, indicating that he needed him to hold it on there before getting up, and walking to where the presumably the fire was.

Upon returning his caretaker pressed the cup to his mouth and said simply, "Drink."

The liquid was gently warm and soothing as he took in its taste and smell. In his discombobulated state Inuyasha didn't even question what was in it, he only drank as he was told and the tranquilizing ingredients had an instant effect. The darkness that filled his vision became blacker, and the white noise in his ears started to become less and less prominent.

Hideaki watched closely as his patient began to stir. The only indication that his patient had been alive had been the times when he had started mutter and even yell in his sleep. The times when the young youkai had yelled and screamed had been fine with him; the truly disconcerting times had been when the inu had been silent, dead silent. During those times the boy didn't stir, didn't mutter, he even breathed so silently that he may very well have given up on his chance at life.

"Are you awake?"

"Yeah," the boy said opening his eyes all the way. "I'm hungry."

"That's good, you should be."

Inuyasha observed the man before him. Sitting on the ground Inuyasha could only guess his companion was of about equal or lesser height, and in his mid 20's with very short black hair and brown eyes. "How long was I asleep?"

"About four days," the man said handing Inuyasha a bowl and chuckling at the surprised reaction the boy gave. "It's not surprising, your body needed time to heal and your youkai healing seems to be doing very well. Some of the more minor injuries are gone without a trace."

Inuyasha gulped down some of his meal before with a half full mouth. "This is good."

"Not really, it's just meal and water. My name is Hideaki, I'm a monk, obviously. I service the village in the name of Buddha and I try new ways of healing that I come across."

"Gomen, My name is Inuyasha..." Inuyasha paused a second before continuing. "... I'm a hanyou."

"A hanyou? Is that why you ended up like that? Did youkai attack you? Or humans? I have heard stories of people who are cruel to anything that could possibly be demon in these parts and I know that youkai are ruthless."

"Actually... I'm not sure what happened."

"What were you doing before you were attacked?"

"I don't know," the inu hanyou said shaking his head after a moment of thinking.

"Can you remember where you were going, anything you were doing?"

A haze covered Inuyasha's thoughts as he tried to draw up recollections from the past few days. "No, gomen."

"Is there anyone important that I could try to send word to? I am sure someone must be worried."

A full company of emotions passed over Inuyasha's face as he thought for a minute. Apprehension built on his face as the minutes passed, ultimately ending in Inuyasha's fist nearly splintering the floor. "Dammit, I can't remember anything."

"Calm down, its okay. You are welcome here as long as you need, I'm sure something will trigger your memory."

"No, it's not okay, what if I was supposed to be doing something important? What if someone is counting on me for something?"

Hideaki thought carefully before answering, not sure as to what the hanyou would take the news, "You know, from what I have heard, hanyous are loners mostly."

A flicker of change came over Inuyasha's features before he reverted back into a scowl, "Maybe..."

"As I said before though, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need."

"Thank you. Where are you going?" Inuyasha said as the monk to up a small pack.

"Before you awoke, one of the women from the village called for me, her husband has been hurt."

Standing up Inuyasha stated, "I'll go with you, there might be something I can do to help."

"Are you sure, I mean, you've healed incredibly but-"

"I'm fine and after four days, I think some fresh air will do me good."

Hideaki could only watch in amazement as Inuyasha stood up and began to pull on his upper coverings. He had heard that youkai could heal much faster and much better than humans, but this kid had recovered from near death to a condition in which he could walk in four days. Many of the lacerations were gone, not even a scar marked where they had been.

Hideaki shudder as he thought, 'It makes me ill to think why a kid like him would need to heal so quickly. Maybe it would be better for him if he stayed here even if he does regain his memory.'

"All right let's go." Inuyasha said stretching out his arms. "I'm fine."

"All right, it's not far, just a short walk."

The sun shine felt good on Inuyasha's face. He might have been unconscious for the four days he was in the monk's home, but it felt like he hadn't seen the light of day since the beginning of time. It was beyond nice being able to hear birds and other things. Inuyasha felt happier outside, everything was alive, and it made him feel that way too.

"It's warm today isn't it?" the monk asked.

"Hai, but it's nice. Not too hot, but warm enough to want a swim."

"True, true, I wish it would stay like this longer but we're heading into summer and it's going to get much warmer."

"That's okay," replied Inuyasha closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'll enjoy it while I can."

The village itself was not very large, only an inn and a small collection of sellers pawning their goods surrounded by homes and farms. The farmers waved when the saw Hideaki and gave a surprised look when they saw the hanyou they heard the priest had taken in near death up and about after only four days. Inuyasha just smiled and waved back when he saw someone, nothing could ruin the good day he was having.

"We're here," Hideaki said stopping in front of the flap of a humble hut.

"Oh, good, my husband is in much pain," a stout woman said peeking her head out, "come in."

"I will do my best ma'am," he said bowing. "This is Inuyasha; he has kindly offered to help."

The woman looked the hanyou over carefully, starting at the feet. He wore no footwear, his clothes were profoundly ripped, and he had claws, but when the woman looked into Inuyasha's eyes she bowed to him and gave him a grateful, "Arigato."

"It is the least I can do in return for the help Hideaki has given me." Inuyasha said before bending down next to the monk. "How is he?"

"In much better shape than you were, but his arm has been broken for some time now."

"He has a fever too." Inuyasha said.

"He's been fine since we brought him in from the field," the wife said. "He forehead hasn't been warm or cold either, at least not that I could tell."

"It's not much of a fever now, but I can still smell that it's there."

"He's right ma'am," Hideaki said looking up. "It's nothing to worry about, but I will need the pouch I keep on the wall by the door. If you would be as kind as to-"

"I'll get them," Inuyasha called as he liquefied into a red streak and raced out the door.

Within the span of three minutes Inuyasha was back. "I wasn't sure which on to get, so I brought both that were by the door."

"Thank you," Hideaki said calmly without remark as to the speed at which Inuyasha had made the trip.

The sun was hanging in the middle of the sky when the pair stepped out onto the path back to the monk's dwelling.

"Thank you for your help Inuyasha," Hideaki said holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun.

"I didn't do much," Inuyasha replied nonchalantly.

"I was unable to detect that man's fever until you pointed it out."

"I was just saying what I smelled."

"Well you just keep doing that. That is if you're willing to help me again in the future."

"Sure." Inuyasha said turning to look into the trees surrounding the farms.