In the small village of Edo a seemingly normal human girl searched for her friend. "Malu! Malu!" the child called out to her friend. "Reiha!" Malu said as she ran to greet the young girl. "Have you seen Inuyasha? Chiyo asked me to find him." Reiha spoke as she caught her breath. "Oh yeah! I just saw him when I was looking for you! I wonder what he has done this time!" Malu said accusingly. Inuyasha was the only demon allowed in the village, not because he didn't harm human, but because he himself was half human. He was only a few years older than the two girls, but everything that went wrong was blamed on him. "I don't think he did anything. Chiyo wanted to train me, and she told me to come and get him." Reiha explained as Malu lead her to where she had last seen the half demon.
Inuyasha was sitting a tree branch staring to the forest just outside the village. Reiha walked close the tree and stood just under his branch. "Inuyasha!" he didn't look down to her. "Inuyasha!" she called to him again. Still no reply. She called his name a third time, this time startling him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" the boy yelled as he jumped out of the tree, landing in front of Reiha. She merely smiled and said: "Lady Chiyo is looking for you." Inuyasha sighed, "What did I do this time?" his young golden eyes full of sorrow. Reiha walked closer to him, she looked into his eyes. "Nothing, she wants you to help train me." she smiled again. "Really?" the boys voice full of excitement. Reiha nodded, she turned and ran past Malu. Inuyasha followed close behind.
"Inuyasha! Come down here! I need you to help me!" an older Reiha yelled to the stubborn half demon who sat perched in his tree. He looked at her through the corner of his eye, and smiled. She would be the only human in this village to stand under a demon and yell. "Please!" she begged. He turned to look at her. "If I help you I may end up purified!" he yelled before turning to stare into the forest again. Reiha almost laughed. "You of all people know I can't purify anything…" she finished under her breath: "I don't even think I'm a real priestess…" she hoped he hadn't heard that. Inuyasha let out the breath he'd been holding. "Fine." he said jumping out of the tree away to Chiyos' hut. Reiha half smiled and began to walk back the way she had come.
"My lady! My lady priestess!" Reiha stopped in her tracks. A village woman ran up to her, panic filled her eyes and voice. "My son! Please help my son!" Reiha looked in the direction of Chiyos' hut and back to the woman. She thought for just a moment. Looking at the woman she said "Take me to him."
"Inuyasha where is Reiha?" the old priestess asked. "I don't know! I left her where she was annoying me." he said not bothering to look at the old woman. The hut was silent when Kikiyos' voice rang like a bell through the thin door. "Lady priestess, the village boys, they are dead." the words came slow out of her mouth. The elder woman and the young demon both jumped into movement, hurrying their way out of the hut.
Reiha followed the woman to her hut. "He is in the back." the woman stopped walking. Reiha looked at her, than continued to walk around the hut. Once she had reached the back she saw the young man laying face down in the grass, unmoving. The young priestess could feel the demonic presence surrounding the hut. She slowly walked forward to the man, the scent of copper filled her nose and became stronger with ever step closer she took. She looked to the grass, it had been stained the rusty color of blood. Her breath caught in her throat and she glanced to the man. He would not be alive. Reiha finally reached him, she saw he was her age, barely old enough to take a wife. She knelt to the ground in the blood and the mud, and gently took his shoulders, she turned him to face her. She tried to keep from gasping, but the sight caused her breath to catch in her throat.
The boys mother was watching the priestess and began to run toward her and her son. "Stop! Do not come near here!" Reiha yelled to the frantic woman. The priestess looked back to the young mans face. The entire right side had been torn form his skull. The scratches from the claws were forever embedded in the bones of this man. She stopped her voice from shaking. "I need you to get Lady Chiyo, she needs to see this." Reiha said as she closed the mans only eye, and stood up. The village woman turned and ran to find the eldest priestess.
"Reiha!" a voice she knew all too well. "Inuyasha! I'm back here!" He leapt over the hut with ease and found her standing next to the man. "What are you doing here?" she asked as he landed in front of her. "Kikyo came to the old ladies hut and said that the village boys were all dead. Chiyo figured you been called to help. She and Kikyo left to help all the women." Reiha stood silent looking up into his golden eyes. She finally looked away slowly into the chaos forming on the dirt streets. Horror filled her eyes and she looked to him again, "What did this?" she whispered. Inuyasha took her wrist and began to follow Chiyos' scent, "We will talk to Chiyo."
They found the woman in the center of the village with the priestess Kikyo. "Hey! I found her!" Inuyasha said loudly drawing all attention away from the two priestess's, to himself and Reiha. The elder priestess quickly walked to Reiha and Inuyasha, a look of urgency in her eyes. "You both must leave this village. You both need to find the demon responsible for this." She spoke quickly and quietly, she walked incredibly fast for a woman of her age towards the edge of the village. The two followed her hesitantly. "Come!" she said turning quickly. They almost ran to her. "You must go now." Reiha and the half demon hadn't even noticed Kikyo until she spoke. She held out a bow to Reiha. "thank you." Reiha said taking the bow and bowing. The woman nodded to the forest. "Go! The demon will not stop! Go now!" Kikyos' voice was raised. Inuyasha took Reiha's wrist again and pulled her into the dense forest.
It was dark in the forest, the trees almost blocked out the sun completely. The wind began to pick up, a storm was coming. "Stay close, I can smell demons." Inuyasha whispered keeping Reiha behind him. He could hear her breathing, shallow and quick. She was afraid, he could smell her fear. "Hey, everything is going to be okay. I can handle these weak demons." he spoke in a calm voice, in an attempt to calm Reiha. It didn't work. He looked at her, her eyes darted right to left than right again. Damn, she can sense the demons… Inuyasha thought. He took her shoulders and she looked deep into his eyes. For what seemed like an eternity, he didn't move, he didn't breathe. Her eyes were the color of ocean water, and as deep as the deepest trench. He has almost let himself get lost in the depth of her eyes, until she suddenly looked past him. As if she was seeing right through him. Inuyasha took a breath, and was overwhelmed by the stench of human blood. He turned to face the demon, it was like nothing he had ever seen. It towered over the two of them. Its' skin was grey and it's limbs were abnormally long. The claws on it's hands were covered in blood, and it reeked of death. Its' bulging eyes were as red as the blood covering it's hands. "So, you two must be from the weak village I just visited." the demon spoke with a toothy crooked grin on his pale face. Reiha held her breath, she could feel his demonic aura filling the space around her. She could feel it curling it's self into her hair and looping around her limbs. Her stomach sank. Inuyasha took a step backwards closer to her. She could almost see him thinking. His hand at his side held his claws ready to strike. "Don't." One almost inaudible word slipped from her lips. She waited for him to relax his hands. "Inuyasha." she spoke louder. "Quiet." his raspy voice was now a hiss. Again he smelled her fear and for a moment he thought he could smell his own.
"Ha! You both are weak. Not worth my time!" he disappeared into miasma. "Oh! Kill them." His voice echoed through the trees, and he was gone. Demon after demon poured from the trees, each ones eyes as red as the monsters' who called them there. "Reiha! Run!" Inuyasha yelled pushing her away from the onslaught of demons. He turned and used his claws to rip the flesh from the closest demon. He ran through the forest, claws, kimono and hair soon were soaked with the blood of his enemies. He killed countless demons, but it seemed they were never ending. For every one he killed it seemed more took its' place. He had all but cleared himself a path. One demon stood in his way, a wolf demon, fangs bared, claws reaching yearning to tear through the half demons flesh, to feel his warm blood covering his hands. Inuyasha bared his own fangs back at the wolf, a low growl shook through his chest. He crouched low, ready to spring at his opponent at the slightest muscle movement. They stared at each other waiting for the other to make the first strike. Finally one moved. He leapt through the air. The wolf stepped back quick to avoid Inuyashas' claws. "Damn!" the half demon cussed, as his feet touched the ground again. The wolf ran forward claws out stretched in front of him. If Inuyasha wanted to survive he would have to outsmart this demon, blocking his path. He jumped over his attacker.
Inuyasha turned around and the wolf demon was still trying to stop his forward momentum. Inuyasha took advantage of the demons turned back, he ran close and jumped forward flying over the demon. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" The wolf turned just in time for Inuyasha to sink his claws into his cheek and drag them down his body. The demon was dead in a matter of minutes.
Inuyasha franticly searched the air for Reihas' scent. At first all he could smell was blood and demons. He concentrated and finally sought out her scent. He ran.
She had run to the bridge connecting Edo to the other island. She stood in the middle surrounded by demons. Demons had taken her bow in the forest, she was now defenseless and Inuyasha was no where in sight. She looked to her right than to her left, nothing but the open air. In front of her stood a wall of demons, behind her the same. The demons auras surrounded her and made her sick. Than as if they had been given a secret sign she had not seen, they ran at her. Blood red eyes focused on their only target, Reiha. She tried to scream but it caught in her lungs. She closed her eyes tight and brought her arms up in an attempt to protect herself, and she waited. She could hear her heart beating, and the blood pumping though out her body. She waited. Waited for the blood to drain from her. She waited. Her heart never stopped, her blood kept flowing in her veins. Her lungs still filled and emptied with air. She slowly opened her eyes, her enemies were gone. No where to be seen.
"That was clever girl." an unfamiliar voice called from across the bridge. One last demon, eyes redder than them all, blocking her way off the bridge. "Playing weak worked on the weak and crazed demons. But I could feel your power, demon. And I will not fall into your trap." this demon was different, smarter than the rest. His appearance too. He had no claws or fangs and his ears were round and human. If his eyes had not been the color of blood she would have thought him human. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not…" she hesitated. "I'm not a demon." she finished her voice soft but strong. Her fear almost vanished. She watched the demon, he reached for the sword at his hip, than paused, only for a moment.
"We're no longer alone." he said with a smirk, than continued to unsheathe his sword. Reiha realized at once who was coming and what this demon was planning on doing. She turned her back to the demon. "Inuyasha!" she yelled to him before she could see him. When he ran into her vision, she yelled to him again. "Inuyasha! Don't come onto the bridge!" but it was too late, he could not hear her over his own pounding heartbeat in his ears. He had almost reached her when Reiha turned around to see the demon raise his sword. She ran. When he cut the first rope the bridge buckled under the weight of the two people running to save themselves. They both stumbled than kept running. They had almost made it, when he cut the second rope. The bridge disappeared from under Reihas' feet. She felt claws scratch through her kimono, onto her waste. The hands were familiar, rough and warm on her skin. Thunder rumbled loud across the sky. Inuyashas' hands slid away from her as she crashed onto the cold ground. The landing caused her to lose her breath. She caught it quickly, and looked for the man who had saved her. Reihas' eyes filled with tears when the half demon was not on the cliff side. Lightning lit the sky and rain began to fall as quickly as the bridge had fallen under her feet. Reiha crawled to the end of the land, but could not bring herself to look over the steep edge. She knew Inuyasha had fallen with the bridge, when he threw her to the ground. Thunder bellowed through the dark sky again. Her tears fell like the rain. She screamed his name, it echoed off the cliffs, through the rain and across the sky.
