The old priestess grunted as she hobbled her way up the path towards the main gates of the castle. Her old bones ached and her joints creaked in the cold winter air. She hoped that this castle would better receive her than the previous which was currently at maximum capacity due to the hard freeze moving in from the east. She strained her eyes as she drew nearer, examining the heavy guard and string of villagers huddled in a circle just outside the gates of the European style castle. Perhaps her welcome would be the same here.
No matter.
She approached the gates and called to the guards. "Why ever are all these poor villagers being left to freeze in this harsh weather?"
One armored guard eyed her warily before replying in a booming voice. "Young Lord InuYasha has forbidden any entry at this point in time."
The priestess could sense that the castle was full of demon-kind and the villagers surrounding her were naught but humans. Perhaps it was for the better: demons are not the gentlest creatures, especially when it comes to humans. But it plagued her mind none the less for she had never known demons to be so totally inhospitable when there were bargains to be made.
"Would you not permit them at least into the gates to escape the winds?"
The guard sighed heavily. "I truly wish I could, madam priestess, were it not for fear of the wrath of the young lord." This guard was human, she could sense it.
"Is this young lord truly so terrifying?"
His fear radiated off of him in waves as he shifted from foot to foot.
She sighed. There was indeed work to be done here.
"I demand to be admitted audience with this InuYasha." She pounded her walking stick on the ground and the guards jumped to attention. The gate doors creaked open and she was greeted by the guard she had been speaking to. He bowed deeply.
"Might I have your name to make the introduction?" He offered the old priestess his arm.
She chuckled and placed her withered arm on his strong arm. "You may call me Kikyo, young lad."
. : Inside the castle: .
"Milord InuYasha, I present the priestess Kikyo, for an audience with your lordship."
There was a sound of something glass shattering against stone.
"Hojo, did I not command that no one be permitted entrance into the castle?!"
Kikyo winced at the voice she could hear clearly through the heavy throne room doors. Obviously this would be a difficult task indeed. She steeled herself and pushed through the doors.
The guard, Hojo, was crouched by the door, covering his head with his arms. There were pieces of what used to be a wine glass scattered on the floor mere inches from where his head had been, wine staining the stone wall. Kikyo shook her head inwardly and entered the throne room.
She bowed deeply.
The lord scoffed. "Raise your head, priestess."
Kikyo obeyed and struggled to raise her head. The lord was quite the sight to behold: long silver hair, golden eyes, and one of the most handsome faces she had glanced upon in her long lifetime.
He crossed his arms huffily and leaned back into his golden throne.
"It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Lord InuYasha."
He frowned tucked a leg under himself. "Just get to the point you old hag, I don't have time to waste on the likes of you.
"I have come seeking refuge from the cold winds of winter."
InuYasha flipped his hair, obviously losing patience.
"Of course I do not ask for such a heavy burden without thought of compensation."
His silver brow twitched in interest.
Kikyo's hand disappeared inside her haori sleeve, reappearing with a lavender colored jewel clutched between and her thumb and forefinger. "This is no ordinary jewel, it is the Shikon no Tama. It is a powerful stone which bears the power to grant whosoever possesses it their hearts deepest desire."
InuYasha smirked. "In case you haven't noticed, hag, I already have everything my heart desires."
He gestured around the room. "So why don't you leave of your own volition before I have a more competent guard throw you out."
She glanced around the throne room, taking in all the material possessions he gestured to. The room was indeed filled with many treasures. She also took the chance to look at the faces of all the anxious castle folk tending to their master's needs.
Kikyo's grey brows drew together over her eyes. "I would suggest you think again before refusing my offer, honored Dog Lord."
InuYasha shot to his feet. "Do not make me repeat myself! Guards, remove this ugly old priestess from my sight immediately!"
Kikyo raised her staff and slammed it down on the stone floor, a blinding light emitting from its head and consuming the entire room. Kikyo felt the weariness leave her body and her skin tightened and condensed across her forming muscles.
When the light receded at last, Kikyo was no longer an old priestess; she was a beautiful young shrine maiden with flowing raven hair. "You shall live to regret this day, Dog Lord." She moved towards the young man.
InuYasha lowered his arms and took in her new countenance with shock written across his face.
"Your face! You were hiding your true face!" He fell to the ground.
"You have no love in your heart, InuYasha, not for anyone but yourself. You have proven to be selfish and spoiled. I shall not abide this any longer." Kikyo stood directly in front of the demon now. "I curse you, InuYasha, to feel the suffering of those around you. You, too, shall know what it is like to be unloved and unwanted."
"Please, don't do this!" InuYasha pleaded, grabbing a hold of Kikyo's red hakama. "I'm sorry, if I had known you were so beautiful-"
"Bite your tongue, demon!" Kikyo could no longer hold back her frustration with the young lord.
"True beauty comes from within, and until you learn to see this, you shall become the being which you despise the most: a half demon."
InuYasha released her clothing and clasped his hands in front of himself. "I'm begging you anything but that!" His voice clearly showed his desperation.
"It's too late, demon, you have shown your dark heart and I intend to heal it. Not once in my eons of life have I ever met a more self-righteous, pig headed demon." She let her staff pound into the ground once again, sending ripples of light towards the demon. He shrank back, trying to escape, but it was in vain; the light grabbed hold of his foot and swirled about him, completely engulfing him. The rays of light left the demon, streaking back into the butt of the staff, revealing the changed InuYasha. The castle folk gasped in unison.
He stood in the middle of the room, hands grasping his upper arms. His eyes slowly opened.
Kikyo frowned at the young man, unhappy that her work had not made him more unattractive. All the curse had done was give him two white dog ears, and remove his tail and the demonic markings that adorned his still accursed high cheek bones.
"But your selfishness affects not only you." Once again her staff met the ground with a loud thump and the rays of light once again emerged. "Your servants and vassals are cursed to stay in this castle with you, ever alive and unchanging, and protected from any harm you would do them." The lights raced towards the castle folk and under the doors engulfing everyone as they had engulfed the lord.
"I shall leave a parting gift with you, half demon." She held out the jewel which had brought about InuYasha's tragic fate and dropped it into his shaking hand. "Until you can learn to truly love and understand another person, and have this person return these feelings, you and your castle are cursed to remain as you are. But do not despair, for if you do find this emotion you are so incapable of having, the curse will be broken and you shall return to your former glory." Probably, she added in her head.
"This jewel shall shed a shard every year for the next fifty years. If you have not succeeded in fulfilling my demands at the end of the fiftieth year, you shall remain as you are now: a beast."
The lights returned to her staff with a loud pop and she disappeared into thin air. Kikyo watched the room from above, invisible to those below, and shook her head in disappointment. She truly doubted that anyone would ever be able to unlock InuYasha's broken, defiled heart.
A young monk raced over to the kneeling lord, who was now frozen in place, hands hovering over his new ears. "Master InuYasha!"
The voice brought InuYasha back to his senses and he flung out his arm, only to have it rebound before connecting with the human man and smacked himself across the face. He hissed in pain. "Leave me alone, Miroku!"
Kikyo watched as the now half demon rose to his feet and ran from the room, throwing the purple jewel to the ground. She once again doubted his fate before leaving the castle behind.