PROLOGUE: 500 Years Ago…
Hi Everyone! Okay so heres the low down on this Prologue: THIS IS NOT, I MEAN NOT A KIKYOxINUYASHA STORY!! This part of the story is only to show the relationship of Inuyasha and Kikyo before Kagome was alive and the story behind the Shikon no Tama. It will prove to be very important later in depth with the plot, so please..bear in mind before you turn away from this story because you read about Inuyasha and Kikyo first…THIS IS A KAGOME AND INUYASHA LOVE STORY NOT KIKYO AND INUYASHA. Thank you. Please READ AND REVIEW…Thank you again :)
"I want it…I have to have it…" He said as he ran through the forest at full speed dodging thick tree trunks with ease. I need it…no longer would I be an unworthy half-breed unable to avenge my mother's death caused by those dispicable mortal relatives of hers. I will become a powerful fully fledged Youkai and then I will show all those who have doubted me… Inuyasha thought angrily, coming across a direct path of a familiar temple. Stealthily he jumped upon the rooftop and sat patiently until the sun slept and the first star blinked awake in the inky black sky.
That's when he saw her. The young Miko who guarded his most prized possession day and night without a single fear of those who were much more fierce than even he. Stupid girl, unaware of those around her… Inuyasha remarked when the young girl stayed on her path towards the temple with out even looking around alert. He positioned himself in a jump ready pose, his toes tickling in anticipation at the thought of leaping from the rooftop on top of her.
"No need, Hanyou. I know you are there." Called out her soft voice.
Inuyasha bared his teeth and leapt anyway. Though landing on top of her and fleeing instantly with his possession was the original plan, the outlook came out completely different. He landed in front her and instead of grabbing what he wanted, his face came inches from being one with her sharp arrow, aimed at him by her bow. He growled quietly when her soft brown eye's peirced his wild gold ones with an amused glint.
"Why have you been following me, Hanyou?" Kikyo asked, never taking the aim away from the middle of his forehead. Inuyasha bared his teeth again but stayed silent. This caused Kikyo to raise her eyebrow and pull back the bow string a little farther, the creak of the strain a little song of oncoming death in Inuyasha's ears. "Dare to deny, half-breed?"
At that poisonous word, Inuyasha jumped away from the young Miko in a speed she was not ready for and disappeared into the forest. Kikyo released the hold on the bow and arrow and sighed. I'm sorry, Hanyou. The sacred jewel of the Shikon no Tama cannot be yours to keep…
Inuyasha secretly watched from a high treetop Kikyo return to the safe haven of her temple and took a deep breath. "Next time…that jewel is mine." He sat back against the tree and rested his eyes as his ears listened for any sound unfamiliar to the usual chirping of birds and bugs and whistleing of the wind in the forest he called his own.
Many weeks passed and every attack Inuyasha attempted at the Miko he was always thwarted. He came to realize that she perhaps was a lot smarter than she looked. Inuyasha watched her pick berries at the opening of his forest by her temple home and rolled his eyes. Stupid girl…how can anyone so dumb looking protect a powerful sphere so smartly? He thought irritably. Inuyasha let his back rest against the cool trunk of his favorite tree and let his eyes space out through the green leaves towards the blue sky. So dumb looking…her dumb brown eyes that always laugh at me… her dumb pink lips that always smirk arrogantly at me…her dumb pale skin that seems to glow magnificently in the moonlight. No matter how much Inuyasha could say that the girl below him was dumb he couldn't deny the fact that everything about her was beautiful to him. His mind was admiring the softness of how her hair looked when the scent of blood reached his nose.
Inuyasha subconsciously jumped from the tree and grabbed Kikyo's wrist pulling her fingers away from her mouth. Kikyo gasped at Inuyasha's sudden appearance and her breath caught in her throat when his wet tongue licked away the blood from her pricked finger. She watched him in a slight trance, her breathing slow and uneven. The throbbing pain her finger had once been producing was now fading.
Kikyo snatched her hand away from Inuyasha's and choked out, "What do you think you are doing, Hanyou?"
Inuyasha, not completely sure why he had even jumped from the tree to help her especially when it was over just a little pricked finger, jumped back out of purifying range. "I-I'm not…sure?" He said with his brows furrowed, completely aware of how lame he sounded.
"Why do you keep following me?" Kikyo asked yet again, taking steps back towards her bow that lay against a small rock.
"I think you know." Inuyasha said and a smirk graced his lips instantly when he saw that she was yards away from her friendly bow.
"Do I?" Kikyo said to keep him talking, hoping that he hadn't figured out that she was completely helpless without her bow.
"Mmhmm," He licked his lips and Kikyo saw a faint glimmer of predator in his wild golden eyes.
"I want the Shikon no Tama!" Inuyasha jumped at her but she leapt to the side and when she landed her fingers were just inches away from her bow.
Inuyasha got back up and was about to pounce on the Miko again when he heard a male's voice call out. "Lady Kikyo? Are you home?"
Both Kikyo and Inuyasha looked in the direction of the voice in surprise.
"Onigumo, stay back!" Kikyo cried out. Onigumo, a tall man with short dark black hair and large almond shaped eyes that could pass as dangerous looking to any foe, stood shocked at the scene before him. There the young Miko was with a Hanyou just yards away from her in a predotar like stance, no doubt in the hunt for the precious Shikon no Tama.
"Lady Kikyo, I will save you!" Onigumo yelled and ran full speed at Inuyasha. Inuyasha however was to quick for the mortal and leapt at Kikyo. Instead of grabbing the jewel that he sensed in small hidden pocket beneath her Kimono above her breast, he whispered in her ear softly.
"I'll be back."
Onigumo tried again to run at Inuyasha but when he reached Kikyo, Inuyasha had already disappeared into the forest. Instead he helped the Miko up off the ground and watched carefully as she dusted herself off and thanked him.
"What do I owe the pleasure, Onigumo?" She asked.
"I just wanted to have a friendly talk with the village's beautiful young Miko." Onigumo bowed gentleman like and tried to play off his what some might call "too-friendly" remark as nothing more than a compliment.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes as Kikyo ate up the compliment instead of sending the harrasser home. His claws sank into the branch that held him when she led the way into the temple. Stupid girl…go ahead, a dumb mortal and an even dumber, dim-witted mortal should love each other because no one else would… He thought, unaware of the jealous tone he was using. But what he was aware of was the stare that Onigumo guy was giving Kikyo behind her back, almost mischievious like. It was as if he knew about the sacred Shikon no Tama. But a dense mortal like him wouldn't try to steal the jewel…would he?
A couple months passed since the whole licking Kikyo's injured finger incident and slowly but surely, no matter how many times Inuyasha attempted but was stopped at getting that blasted jewel, both of them couldn't deny that love was in the air. Kikyo was allowing Inuyasha a closer grasp at the Shikon no Tama and Inuyasha was starting to actually stay a little longer with the Miko after she shut him down.
Inuyasha sat and watched Kikyo from a tall tree as she sat on the river's dock, dipping her feet in the cool water that contrasted with the heat of the spring air. She was reading a small book
that she bought in the village and every so often took a nibble at a berry from the small basket at her side.
"Feh." Inuyasha huffed. So lazy.
"Inuyasha, would you like to sit with me?" Kikyo called out as she shut her book but not once turned to look up at the tree behind her to see if Inuyasha was indeed there. Inuyasha rolled his eyes but smirked and jumped down. Smart girl…knew I was there the whole time.
"What do you want?" He mumbled and sat down, sinking his bare feet into the cool water as well.
Kikyo smiled nicely and offered her hand out at the berries. "Would you like some?"
"Keh, no."
"Okay."
Silence.
"Why aren't you sticking your damn bow in my face, huh?" Inuyasha said roughly. Splashing the water out with his feet, disturbing the calm current.
"Would you like me to stick the arrow in your face, Inuyasha?" Kikyo chuckled.
He rolled his eyes.
"I just thought it might be nice to sit here with you civily for once instead of fighting over the jewel." She said thoughtfully. Inuyasha watched as she closed her eyes and let her head fall back to sigh at the sky. "It feels nice, right?"
He didn't say anything but he didn't have to because Kikyo knew his answer already and smiled.
Another month passed and Inuyasha and Kikyo were getting closer and closer. No longer was Inuyasha attempting to steal the Shikon no Tama everday, he reduced it to every other day. Even then, the thrill of chase was starting to get playful for the Hanyou and Miko. Onigumo was starting to witness the bond between the two and felt uneasy about it.
Beyond the safe village of where Lady Kikyo resided in, a blood-bath war had been broken out for a few years now all in search for the protector of the Shikon no Tama. Demons, Hanyous and power thirsty Mortals were all in battle over who would get the sacred power of the Jewel. Word had finally got out that the village where the young Miko, Lady Kikyo, lived was where the jewel was being guarded.
Many demons and mortal's travelled there and fought for it but Kikyo protected not only the jewel but her village as well. One day, Onigumo requested Kikyo's healing abilities to another
village where a little boy was very sick and while she was out, three fierce demon's made their way into her village.
When Kikyo arrived back what she saw almost made her faint. Homes and their rooftops where scattered around, barns and most of their animals lay tattered around like waste and many men, woman and children were seriously injured, some even dead. Kikyo swallowed the anger and sadness in her throat and excused herself from the village after helping what she could and went back to her own temple home.
"Inuyasha?" She whispered out by her front door.
"Kikyo?" He answered back and she felt his presense beside her, though she could not see him clearly in the dark.
"I can't do this anymore." She sniffed.
Inuyasha's brows furrowed together in worry and he placed both hands on her shoulders. "Kikyo, what can't you do anymore?"
"This sphere," She choked back a sob. "is the cause of this war. I have been foolish to think that by keeping it guarded in such a small and hardly known village that bloodshed would not follow me." Inuyasha smelt the salty tears welling up in her eyes. "The Shikon no Tama, destroyed my village, endangered my people and killed my loved ones."
The first drop of tear that blemished her clear pale skin caused Inuyasha to wrap both arms around her and pull her in close as she cried into his chest. The feeling of her so weak in his arms after knowing fully well how strong she really is made him feel helpless. He wanted to help her in anyway he could but could only think of whispering into her ear that everything was going to be okay and stroking her long silky hair.
"Inuyasha, would you take the jewel?" Kikyo asked softly after a few minutes of crying. The question sent a shock through his body and he stopped stroking her hair.
"Huh? You want me to use the power of the Shikon no Tama?" He asked to clarify, hoping his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.
Kikyo looked up at him and Inuyasha saw the seriousness in her eyes. "Would you?"
"I-are you sure, Kikyo? Do you trust a Hanyou like me?" Inuyasha asked.
Kikyo sniffed again and nodded. "I have grown to trust you. But I have only one request of you if I allow you the sacred power of the jewel."
"Anything." Inuyasha replied. Excitement was starting to build up in chest, finally he could be a full demon! "Anything at all, ask away."
"I want you to stay pure. Don't use this power to do evil. I have learned to know that the Inuyasha, who started out stalking me, attempting to steal the jewel, who liked to yell about how dumb I was and who is now here hugging me, is a good person…er, demon." Kikyo said. "I also want you to know that the only reason I'm giving you this chance is because I want the bloodshed to stop. Will you help me and rid the world of this ridiculous war?"
Inuyasha stood there staring at the woman before him in shock. How many times did he try to steal that sphere away from her, how many times did he follow her, how many times did he curse her…and now here she was practically begging him to take the jewel that was the cause of the bloody war between man and demon. "I will." He said. "I promise I will use the power for good and I swear I will help you end the war."
Kikyo smiled at him and did something Inuyasha definitely wasn't expecting. She kissed his cheek lightly. "I have yet another request of you, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha placed his hand gently on the spot where she kissed and said mindlessly, "Hmm?"
"After you turn full demon, would you stay by my side forever?" She whispered.
That snapped Inuyasha out of his trance and he looked at her, deep into her gentle brown eyes. "I will." Why wouldn't he? He was coming to realize that even if she was merely a mortal, Kikyo was his first love.
They embraced.
Onigumo glared at them deviously from behind a tree a few yards away and sneered, "Think you can give away the jewel that easily, huh, my dear Kikyo?" He walked away from the hugging couple and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
Inuyasha ran through the forest, hurrying to Kikyo's temple. He had promised her that he would leave for a few days while she had time to purify the Shikon no Tama so that he could use the power as a mortal, only because if he used the purified jewel as a demon, it would purify him into a human and kill his demon half forever. So now it was time for him to turn himself into a fully fledged demon. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have someone like Kikyo in his life even though he was currently only a lowly Hanyou. She will be the most loved mate of a Youkai there has ever been… Inuyasha thought contentedly.
Kikyo was finishing up the preparations for the three wishes the jewel allowed and was carefully placing it in it's rightful place on the purified shrine in side the temple when she heard footsteps behind her. She smiled as she set the Shikon no Tama securely in it's place and called out. "Oh, Inuyasha, you are right on time."
No reply.
"I've taken all the correct arrangements for today's ceremony and all you have to do is wish whatever it is you wish and remember to keep your heart," Kikyo turned around to face the love of her life but gasped when she saw not Inuyasha, but Onigumo. "pure…"
Onigumo smiled almost in a wicked way.
"Onigumo," Kikyo said light and breathlessly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in the village helping out with the repairs?"
"Oh I was," He said nonchalontly. "But then I thought, why don't I check on our beloved Lady Kikyo and see what she's up to."
"Oh," She laughed softly. "I see."
"Yes, I do too." He raised his eyebrow's at the gleaming pink sphere behind her. "Planning on giving your little dirty half-breed doggie boyfriend a treat tonight?" Onigumo chuckled and started pacing around the temple as if the interior decorations were satisfying to him.
Kikyo glared at him but stood protectively by the Shikon no Tama.
"You've even got plenty of candles lit for such a special occasion, how sweet." He mocked.
"I think it would be best if you leave, Onigumo." Kikyo said seriously. She watched as he slid his gaze away from the silken drapes that covered the temple's large windows and jumped when he tore them away and they glided across the floor and into the burning candles. "What are you doing!" She screached.
Onigumo tore down more things and kicked over the candle oil until it spread all around. "You think you have the right to give the sacred Shikon no Tama to anyone? Especially to that dirty half-blood? He's not special enough to even be a disgusting demon and he's definitely not worthy enough to be a human! What gives you the right to give the power to him!" He kicked over a few candles and they went rolling around the floor, burning whatever came in their way.
"Kikyo?" They heard human Inuyasha from outside the temple.
"Go on, call him over…the runt is only mortal now, just like you and me. Maybe you two can burn together." Onigumo let out a harsh laugh. Kikyo was seething with anger. Painful flashes of the damaged village, the injured villagers and even the dead men, women, children and animals swirled through her mind.
"It was you that day! That day you took me away, you knew that those demon's were going to ruin the village!" Kikyo said enraged.
"My dear girl, it was I who set those demon's on the village." Onigumo said truthfully.
"Kikyo, are you in there?" Inuyasha's voice came again. Onigumo grinned and Kikyo glared at him.
"If you want the jewel so bad, why didn't you just let those demon's kill me?" Kikyo snapped, fully aware that Onigumo was now circling her and the sacred jewel.
"You were too strong for those demons. I just needed you too feel guilty for holding the jewel in such a rural and peaceful village, to feel guilty for endangering their lives like that." He said.
Kikyo glowered at him, her brown eyes flashing with fierceness. "I did! I do! I feel horrible! That's why I'm allowing Inuyasha to use the Shikon no Tama to rid the war!"
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. No, no, no. I did want you to feel guilty enough to let someone use the jewel to rid the war, but I never expected you to use the filthy Hanyou." Onigumo picked a spot on his chin. "I was hoping,"
"That I would choose you? Ha!" Kikyo said engraged, staring defiently at him. "You were wrong."
"Clearly." He said noncholantly. "No matter, I will just take the Shikon no Tama for MYSELF!" With that, Onigumo leapt at her, knocking down even more candles which caused a sudden burst of flame around them from the spilt candle oil. Kikyo was too quick because she snatched the sphere from the shrine and jumped through the flaming ring of fire before it got big enough to burn her.
"Kikyo?" Inuyasha called again, reaching the temple. Blasted human senses…can't even tell if she's inside…can't smell or hear a thing…He thought bitterly. "Kikyo, are you in there? Can I come in?"
Kikyo heard him but didn't reply. She grabbed more candle oil and spread it all around causing the fire to make a trail along it, burning up the temple from within and trapping Onigumo who was groaning in pain.
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha yelled out. "Why aren't you answering me?"
"Go away, Inuyasha." Kikyo appeared outside the temple after she tucked the sacred jewel inside the breast pocket of her kimono. "Leave and never come back."
"Huh?" Inuyasha said clearly confused. "What are you talking about?" He took a step closer.
"Don't come any farther!" She screamed, holding out her hand.
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha barked. "What is your problem? Don't you remember what we are supposed to do today? What you and I promised?"
Kikyo choked back a sob. I'm sorry Inuyasha…I really am. But this is the only way the war will be stopped so no one will ever be hurt again… "Promises are meant to be broken, half-blood!"
Inuyasha growled low. "What?"
"Leave my sight, you filthy half-breed! Don't come back here again! Leave I said!" Kikyo shouted, feeling the heat of the flame lick at her feet, unaware by Inuyasha.
"What the hell are you talking about, Kikyo! What is wrong with you! Have you forgotton everything we promised each other? Have you forgotton that we love each other, damn it!?" Inuyasha was starting to breath really hard and his anger was flashing in and out of his wild golden eyes.
"Who ever said I loved you? Would I love a mere Hanyou? I don't think I am foolish enough to do so! I have decided to give the jewel to another mortal like myself! Onigumo will be a powerful immortal tomorrow and there's nothing you can do about it! So leave, you filth of a Hanyou! Leave my sight and never come back!" Kikyo picked up clay flower pot and chucked it at the human Inuyasha. "I said get out! You are a sight to sore eyes! Get away you filthy dog! Go away! I would never love you!"
Inuyasha dodged the pot and stood furious but defeated. He pointed a finger at her. "Fine, I'll leave, but you remember this, Miko! Next time I come back, it will be to steal the Shikon no Tama! I regret ever leaving my heart in your hands, wench!"
"Goodbye, Inuyasha…" Kikyo whispered as a tear ran down her cheek when he disappeared into the forest. She entered the temple and nearly choked to death from the smoke and fumes emitting from the smoldering fire. She made her way to where Onigumo had once been trapped and found that he was no where in site.
Instead of escaping the collapsing temple that was being eaten away by flames, she decided that it was best to stay there with the sacred Shikon no Tama. Let the painful memories and guilt be melted away by the fire, let her flesh be burned away along with the Shikon no Tama so no man nor demon could ever possess the power of 1000 souls.
May her sacrifice end the blood-bath war and may her soul reincarnate into a happy, loving and guilt-free body…
REVIEW PLEASE. :)