Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. The only thing I do own is my fanfic, an dmy original character...And the alarm clock...

Back to the Beginning
Prologue: Worst Fear Nightmare
By: Sweet Raptured Light

"Sesshy! I said I'm sorry! Please! You don't understand!" a young girl shouted as her and her boyfriend were arguing. They were on a secret cliff in a park, which was the girl's favorite spot that she showed him when they first went out. It was their secret spot.

"What is there to understand? He's your fucking brother! What the hell were you thinking?" he yelled back at her. He was seeing red, as his eyes were turning crimson. He turned his back on her and crossed his arms. Just the site of her was pissing him off. He knew she was right that he didn't understand, because he didn't give her a chance to explain, but he wasn't going to admit it. No, his pride wouldn't have it.

"Sesshy, I don't know what I was thinking, I'm so sorry. I never meant to-" she said, trying to hug him from behind but he cut her off as he jerked her off of him.

'The nerve! Trying to turn me into a softy! Whatever, I'll just leave now,' he thought as he moved to leave.

"Sesshoumaru..." the girl whispered as she walked to the edge of the cliff. She sat down and let her legs swing, "I really, truly do love you. I'm sorry. Goodbye Sesshy, I'll do you a favor and never come back," she cried as she leaned forward and started to fall.

Sesshoumaru had turned around when she whispered his full name. She usually called him Sesshy, or Fluffy, unless she was serious about something. He saw her sitting on the edge of the cliff. He didn't really hear much of what she said as he was immobilized by the fear flowing within his blood. The next thing he knew she was falling forward. With his youkai speed he reached her and grabbed her wrist before she fell out of his reach and to her death.

The sudden stop of her momentum made her legs jerk and fly in different directions like a little girl swinging around a rag doll. She looked up and through the tears in her eyes and she saw her Sesshy pull her up and into his lap.

His crimson eyes were now back to two beautiful deep golden ones. He cradled his girlfriend like a child who had a bad dream. He wrapped one around her waist to pull her closer and her other arm around her shoulders. He dropped his concealment spell and all his youkai features were visible. His tail wrapped around her shoulders also and stroked her hair.

"I don't want you dead. You're one of the only girls in school who is herself and not fake like the rest. You are the only one who loved me for me and not my looks or wealth status. Without you, I would be alone in this world. What is going on in that head of yours?" he asked, his once indifferent demeanor now actually showing emotion.

When he didn't get an answer, he looked at her face. She was staring straight ahead like she didn't even acknowledge him holding her.

"Great, you're catatonic," he said, picking her up and bringing her home.

Annika shot up in her bed as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was about the age of 18 and she had blood-red hair with jet-black streaks, and silver-blue eyes. She had tear strained cheeks, indicating she cried in her sleep, and then she looked at her clock. It was 2:30 AM. Good thing it was a Saturday, because she would probably sleep in.

It had been almost a week since the encounter with her and her boyfriend, and every night since then, she had the same nightmare over and over again. Every time she would wake up in a cold sweat with tear stains down her cheeks. Each time, she would slit her wrists. It wasn't so much as to try to die, but moreover to numb the pain in her heart.

It was true to her that Sesshoumaru didn't break up with her, they were still together. Now, more than ever, he was always looking out for her. Every time she would cut, she would either wear a long sleeve shirt the next day or a t-shirt with her wristbands on. Friday she had forgotten her wristbands and Sesshoumaru found out.

--Flashback--
She felt guilt wash over her whole being when she saw the hurt in his eyes when he saw the 12 shallow cuts; six on each wrist.
His eyes pleaded with hers, asking her 'why?' but his mouth spoke differently.

"I'm sleeping over to make sure you don't do this again. You know I'm a youkai, and with an enhanced sense of smell, I'll smell your blood if you do it again," he said, ice lacing the words, but his eyes gave away his true feelings.
--End Flashback--

Tonight was different. She couldn't cut herself, so she would do something else. She took a sharp safety pin and ran it over her arm, spelling out a series of words. She was careful not to draw blood. The scratches would last at least a day. On the last letter she scratched too hard and some blood came out.

She quickly put the needle on her bedside table and pulled her knees up, hugging them close. She stared out the window that was a little above her bed. Her bed was against the wall with the window, so it was easy for her to just lean against the wall and stare outside, or just zone out and stare into nothingness.

She heard a knock at her door and when she didn't answer, it opened slightly and closed quietly. She didn't take her gaze from the window, but felt the weight of the mattress shift behind her and felt strong arms pull her into a bare chest. She looked up at him, but she already knew. Guilt washed over her as his eyes held hurt and confusion in them once again.

"I didn't do it, if that's what you're worried about," she said dryly. She yawned and leaned back into his chest. He laid down with his arms still around her and she snuggled into him.

"But why Annika? You know how much you mean to me. Why can't you tell me why?" he asked her, looking deep in her eyes.

"Don't worry yourself over that," she smiled. She brought her hand to his cheek then kissed him lightly. She snuggled closer to him and drifted off to sleep.

Sesshoumaru's once hidden features were now visible again and his tail wrapped around Annika protectively. When he was sure she was sound asleep, he moved to get up, but she tightened the hold she had on his tail. He didn't even realize she had grabbed his tail, but she did, and she almost tore out some fur when she pulled him back. He decided to give in and sleep there for the night.

'Oh yeah, almost forgot,' he thought as he turned her arm and looked at her wrist.

'Still only six cuts, but what's this?' he saw the words she had scratched into her arm earlier. 'I love you Sesshy' was what was written on her arm. He looked down at her.

She never used to be so quiet and depressed, and she also never gave into self-mutilation. He let sleep over take him as he remembered back to the beginning before anything like this happened. Before he found his future Lady of the Western Lands. A year before everything started.

A/N: Hello! Yay! This new story has a prologue! Well, weird thing is: the prologue is a year before the actual story. The whole story is actually a Flashback, but then it leads up to the parts in the prologue and continues AFTER it too.
Sorry if Sesshy seems a little OOC, but this was after the ice around his heart melted. And the actual story goes through how the ice gets melted and such.
Now I just want to point out one thing:
The cliff isn't really a cliff. I drew a picture like a year ago, and it was a little clearing that sorta just stopped, and had a veiw of the city, but had a lake at the bottom. It does seem like a cliff, but it isn't. I'll upload the picture sometime, but I don't have a scanner, so you'll have to wait. Seriously, it's not a cliff. It does appear again in the story, and I'll explain it better than in the prologue.
Amd the thing with the window, picture this: a wall with a window in the middle, and the bed in the corner of that wall, but the long side against the wall with the window. And the window is low enough for you to just be propped up by your elbows and looking out it, but instead she is sitting down, and leaning against the window molding. When I was typing up the story, I realized that when I wrote it, it seemed hard to understand, so I wanted to explain it here, just incase it would help.
Hope I didn't take up too much of your time.

If I get at least 5 reviews, then I'll update sooner, but if not, I'll update either every week, or every other week.