Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA … ALL I OWN IS THE PLOT and a few characters that I made. SHOCKING?
Darkness, darkness, all around. I searched for a familiar face, a familiar touch, a familiar feeling; but found nothing but the eerie darkness and silence all around.
Then there was the most terrifying scream of all and I found it to be my own along with the excruciating pain in my chest. As I thought I would never see daylight again, something slashed through the dark blanket of evil and as it was torn down to shreds, a shimmering of light hit my face. I found myself falling into someone's arms. The hold was strong and yet they were careful of my wounds.
I wanted to see the face of my savior, but my vision was clouded and I was slowly drifting into a permanent sleep.
"Forgive me. I failed you." Was all I heard.
The voice seemed to be sad and I tried to open my eyes to see him, but couldn't master enough strength to do so. Before I knew it, I was pulled back into a never ending world of time however, it was different from the darkness that I faced earlier. This was more intense and seemed to engulf me in its bloody jaws.
I found my self falling even deeper into this hole and was startled by sudden a blast of heat. I couldn't find its source and the more i tried to climb out of this hell, the more hotter the surroundings got, until it was completely unbearable.
After what seemed like years of struggling and pulling, i heard a bone-chilling voice that send shivers down my spine; "You are condemned to live here forever, you are in my servitude and you will always be. No-one will save you Kagura. Because, whoever tries they will face the same fate as you did. You tried to run away from your own creator and tried to assassinate him …did you think you'd get away with it that easily? …now rot in here for eternity."
With that, the cold voice had gone and I knew one thing for sure. He wasn't lying.
As soon as the voice had stopped threatening me, I was thrown into a school full of vengeful souls, who were waiting for revenge and they sure found it amusing to toss and turn , whatever remained of my charred body, the way they pleased.
My cries of agony meant nothing to anyone here not only because no-one cared but also because, it was drowned by a much louder rummage of voices all saying the same old thing over and over again:
"You killed my son
You killed my wife
You deceived our master
And left a burning hole in our life.
The wind that blew fearless of anyone,
Was bended by your blades of dragon.
But the storm that you brew in our hearts,
Will now be your undoing;
It will now be forced upon your worthless soul
And the wind will blow in its eternal glory again,
Because the fallen wind sorceress will rise no-more
No-more no-more no-more…."
I awoke with a start, groaning at the harsh rays of sunlight that crept in to my room.
My heart was still racing from that recurring dream, I had for the fifth time this week.
What is weirder that it FELT like I have lived through all that before and that it was just a bad memory and not a terrifying nightmare … like my memory was resting, but it never let go of the pains of the past. which, is of-course stupid. Because, my past had been anything but that horrific. I shook my head, trying to clear my head from wandering and sat on my bed focusing my eyes in the haze of the morning light.
# # # # # # (scene change)
It was a beautiful day in the month of October. Sun rays were filtering through the brief canopy of willow trees that kept the great Inoue's mansion hidden under its shade. As the sullen sunlight hit the coned red surface of the five towers and slid down through the half open windows, a small groan escaped from the occupant of the room, in the top most floor of the third tower.
Zooming in, we find a 17 year old teenager sitting up on her bed. She was visibly 'enjoying' her slumber inside the cocoon of the plush green silky blanket, before the damn sunlight had caused her to stir. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her palm she moaned softly at the open window as her long black hair fell casually all over her and covered her in an uncomfortable way. Inoue Kiseki, brushed the stray strands of hair away from her face and slowly opened her blood red but stunning eyes ready to face her world.
The girl reluctantly stood up and stifled a yawn as she strolled down the twisted stairways and made her way to the main compound, pulling her royal robe even closer to her body, as the thin white cotton nightdress; didn't provide any protection from the rather chilly morning air.
Once having reached her actual residing place, through the outer lotus gardens ; Kiseki leaned on the frame of the decorated oak door and debated whether she should go straight ahead for breakfast or meet up with her aunt first. She stayed in the same pose for about a minute before she felt a soft tap on her shoulders .
Looking up at the owner of the hand, Kiseki smiled at the old Panna, who instantly returned it with an added sense of love.
"Will you be joining your parents for breakfast miss Kiseki?" bowed the butler, who had served in the Inoue's residence for more than half of his lifetime, so much so that he was looked upon as a member of the family itself .Kiseki always had disliked it when he acted like he was in her servitude; yet the butler refused to adhere to a casual way of treating his master's daughter.
"What are they doing here?"
ignoring the butler, the girl asked in a bored though, she was actually kind of shocked to find her parents home and for the first time they were having a breakfast in the same room without breaking anything…
"I am none the wiser miss."
Panna knew exactly what Kiseki meant by the question and he too was expecting their mansion to go up in flames, like it always did when "those-two" were together.
"Well, do you know where Aya is...? I'll have breakfast with her." Kiseki waited for the man to reply.
"The princess is on the terrace miss, should I send the food there?"
"No leave it in her room." saying so, the girl simply moved towards the long passageway beside the servant's quarters and started climbing the all too familiar stairs to meet her aunt; Hanamo Aya.
She casually opened the black metal door that was barring her entrance from the terrace and walked in to find Hanamo sipping her tea.
Upon hearing the creak of the door, Hanamo glanced at her niece and welcomed her with a smile.
"Good morning Kiseki, come take a seat." Aya gestured to her right, patting the soft,black,leather settee.
"Morning Aya, do you know that my parents are down together in the hall?"Kiseki questioned while comfortibly placing herself on the cushion.
"I suppose…and they dint break anything, did they?" Hanamo grinned sheepishly at her niece.
"No…not yet anyway, but hey do you know what they are doing here?' she questioned...
Hanamo didn't reply for sometime and then turned to her niece with a serious face, before answering in a monotone.
"I'm afraid I DO."
"well? Why are the-"
Kiseki was cut off by sharp question thrown at her
"Kiseki my dear, do you want to hear a story...the ending will not be pleasant though."
Kiseki arched an eyebrow at her aunt but decided that she'd go along the lines that hanamo was playing on …
"Well, only if you answer my question first."
"I AM doing just that." Hanamo answered in a more serious tone now.
Kiseki shrugged and gave in... "Well ,okay go on then …lets here this story of yours".
# # # # # # (scene change)
Lord Inoue Takiashi and Lady Inoue Hama were strolling through the soft grass that surrounded the Darosai Lake, the twosome were quite enjoying their second honeymoon when they heard a faint child's cry from the distant.
Rushing to the spot, they searched for the source of noise but only heard the crickets and the soft humming of the birds.
"I told you, it was just your imagination Hama, there is no-one here." The husband said a little disappointed with himself for following his wife blindly into the wilderness.
"shh- look there. " Hama cried out in a whisper as she pointed out to a bundle of clothes that was hanging from a slightly bended branch of a cherry blossom tree. Moving closer they bought down the hanging bundle and placed it gently on the muddy ground.
"Well, are you going to look into it , Or should I do it for you?" Takiashi scowled at his wife as she was taking far too long in gazing at the small ball of flesh in her hands.
"She's beautiful Taki, I was wondering …" Hama said still half mesmerized with the sleeping child in her arms.
"What?"
"Could we keep her?" Hama asked almost suddenly as if struck by the thought right at the moment.
"Wha-what?!" exclaimed the husband dumbfounded as he tried to tell himself that his ears weren't playing cruel jokes on him! so after a brief pause he continued …
"Are you crazy?...who knows, maybe she was left in the tree by someone for safe keeping. If that someone returns to find their child missing we will be in charge for kidnappi-"
He was cut off when he saw Hama retracing her footsteps towards the lake with the child held in her arms.
"HAMA ! Come back here! Listen to ME!" Takiashi ran after his foolish wife and tried to stop her when suddenly she stopped in her tracks and whipped around to face her frantic husband.
"No. you listen to me, dear husband. No-one in their right mind would leave a new born stuck up a tree and that too in the wilderness, I know for certain that she is an orphan or abandoned. Again... we have been together for more than seven years and still can't bare any children and going by what the doctors say, I can't bare any in the future too. So if you don't want to leave your father's humongous fortune to the world, which in no way will be related to us nor will they ever truly appreciate our donation; I therefore suggest you let me take care of this child as our own." Hama finished in a huff and left her husband in a deep predicament.
She was right, after all and all her words were true to the bone... yet, how could he? How could he make an unknown child, his own?
and even if he would have agreed , they had to keep it a secret from his parents as the old copule longed for a real heir and well… that part could be managed since Hama was the best-off actors that Taki had known.
So after he had contemplated all the odds and cons of the situation, Takiashi decided that he would take fates gift and use it to his advantage.
After all, fate had really been cruel to the young-couple, in the past few years. First Hama was diagnosed with cervical cancer that left her in no state to conceive and then their first born child was cruelly snatched from them in an unfortunate car crash.
Thus the couples with their mutual consent, waited for nine-months before calling the great lord Inoue Oran, to their residence and celebrate the great joy of having soft-tiny feet, grace the marble floors of the royal family.
"SO, What do we name my grand-daughter!...considering that she's a miracle child and a gift for the entire Inoue's family ?!" chirped the happy old man, who had surprisingly overlooked the fact that his "grand-daughter" had blood red eyes and thick black hair; something that dint come from either of her parents .
"Kiseki"
All eyes turned questioningly at the approaching figure. Her presence had gone unnoticed as she had turned up without being invited and also because she was lurking around in the shadows of the room awaiting the right time to startle the little party in front of her.
"Hanamo, my dear! Why that's quite a unique name!" The old man addressed his eldest daughter in the most welcoming tone, however the other two present in the room were quite annoyed at the party crasher.
"Not really father, Kiseki only means miracle in other words." The tall, graceful figure bowed to the lord and ladies before her, even though she was one of them.
This new-comer however, possessed the sharp eyes of an eagle and the Witt off the most greatest of men in the world.
Hanamo quickly noted the startling difference in the features of the baby and her parents. It dint take her long to realize that her old man was being tricked. But being the noble creature that she is, Aya let the matter go, and also because she couldn't ignore the pleading gaze of her sister in law.
After a few months that Kiseki was christened, the news of the great lord Oran falling prey to his old-age reached the ears of many other great lords. As Hanamo had refused to walk in her father steps, the only other option left was her younger brother. SO, great lords and ladies came in from distant lands and countries to witness the official handover of power in the Inoue household to Lord Takiashi.
"Lord Takiashi?" A shaky voice approached the newly christened lord and his group of friends.
"Yes, what is it, priest?"
The priest began in even more shakier voice…
"Well, you see sir; Lord Oran was a great believer in Un (luck, omens) and I'm afraid that his death was due to the Zannen (bad luck) that has befallen your household …." The priest paused, unsure whether he should continue.
"…and how does that concern me?" asked an impatient Takiashi.
"Oh! It concerns you to a great extent sire, the zannen that has befallen this family will likely last until its core is removed. And I'm also afraid that the zannen is in the form a new family member –"
"Enough!" Takiashi bellowed and the old priest jumped in his stance.
"I've had enough of this nonsense. Frankly, old man I Do Not Believe in Bad luck whatsoever. And I will not have you throwing false accusations at my little innocent daughter. For god's sake, she is just a baby!"
The measly old priest had taken a run after he was paid, as he didn't want to stay with an angry lord for more than it was required .
Takiashi wasn't angry at the priest so much as he was angry with himself for believing what the priest had so feebly mentioned. Every-time he looked at the baby in his arms, something in the pit of his stomach told him that he was wrong, he was so wrong in giving into his wife's foolish desires.
And rightly so, on Kiseki's second birthday, Takiashi was hit with the downfall of his business and he was doing terribly at the stalk markets too.
Takiashi had been torn down to almost nothingness in just a few years and a part of him; "How?" he knew not but irrationally, he came to believe that the new addition to his family, had a hand in this. Of-course, he would deny it and try to think of a rational explanation for all his misfortunes but something kept nagging at the back of his mind.
Finally one-night, after much deliberation, Takiashi had come home to give an ultimatum to his wife.
This was triggered, when one of Taki's drinking and business partners, had cursed Taki for making his life miserable and had unintentionally pointed out that maybe they should have all listened to the priest on that 'fateful' day.
though all this was said when the man had lost his mind completely to his poison , it was enough to Make sense to a drunk-yard.(Taki)
The Inoue lord, banged opened the door of their bedroom and barged in, not caring that it was the middle of the night and that the occupants were in a deep slumber.
He roughly shook his wife up and bellowed with frustration.
"WAKE Up wench, and listen to me"
Hama was a little take aback by this intrusion but she soon realized that her husband was drunk. Though, this wasn't the first time he had been such a loudmouthed pig; the stiff-cold and serious tone in her her husband's voice scared her.
"Go to bed Taki, you are drunk and completely out of your mind" she tried to calm him in a reassuring tone but that just irked the drunkie, even more. Thus, in a fit of rage Taki pulled his wife up holding her by her hair and dragged her into the hall…
"Let me go Taki YOU Are HURTING ME!" it was Hama's turn to yell now.
"Shut up and listen, tomorrow when I wake up I don't want to see that red-eyed brat in our house. Is that clear?" he stared right into her green orbs that were at the verge of tears.
"You mean kiseki?... How can you speak about your own child in such a manner?" Hama stammered not knowing what had brought Taki to act in such a manner.
"She's NO child of mine and neither is she your's. SHE is the REASON why we have been reduced to such a PATHETIC state and I want her OUT OF THIS HOUSE! …if it bothers you so-much then send her to my sister and she will take care of that MEASLY creature!"
With this , Taki left the weeping woman and slumped down on the couch himself, drifting into an uncomfortable sleep.
And that is how Inoue Kiseki came to stay under her aunt's guardianship.
That unfortunate night, had not only seen the heiress of the Inoue family get kicked out by her own father but also the separation of most loving couple, that the world had ever come across.
# # # # # (scene change)
"SO I AM AN ORPHAN?" Kiseki hissed through her teeth as her aunt finished narrating.
"NO you have me." Hanamo sighed and forced herself to look into her niece's eyes, to show that she really meant it but for some reason she couldn't hold Kiseki's gaze for long. As those blood- red eyes now burnt with overwhelming pain and hatred.
After what seemed like ages ... the silence was broken by a very calm voice that would have fooled anyone. But, having lived with her niece for fer entire life , Hanamo saw through the facade.
"But why are you telling me this now? And also that does not answer my earlier question."
I know, cliff-hangers are not good for the first chapter but hey! What to do. I've been itching to write this story for a long ,long time now and found the time to do so only today. Also I just created an account in fanfiction a few days ago … it took me hell of a time to figure out that you needed another email-id to sign up. I'm such a dope. But hey please tell me if this sucked or you guys would love to read more or even if you just want me to clarify certain parts in the chapter. This is my very first Fanfic so please tell me how I am for a beginner and maybe I'll give you few cookies at the end :D oh! The next chapters won't be this boring! I promise! Next she'll be on her way to the BOARDING school where OUR FAVOURITE INUYASHA GANG STUDY :D YAY!... I CANT WAIT TO WRITE THAT CHAPTER! .. I'll upload them in a few days but until then please review! And let me know!