There Must Be More to Life Than This Chapter 1: Prologue, an inuyasha fanfic

There Must Be More to Life Than This

By Rhinoa Lunar

I have to say I do not own Inuyasha or any of the pre-chapter song lyrics…I'd be FAR away from Florida if I did.

(The Full Summary : In the modern day, as we all know too well, there are no demons to be found save for a few calm ones such as the guide for deceased children. The lack of demons is greatly brought into question to Miroku and Sango as they are talking with Inuyasha. Are they in hiding? Did they kill each other off? Did their blood thin out through marrying humans? Were they sealed away? Are they sleeping until a time comes that they can once again reign supreme? Or did they simply leave this plane of existence altogether? Rin's reincarnation has felt a flow of power from deep within as far back as she can remember. Orphaned at four-years-old in a house fire, Rinji (extraordinary) was raised in an orphanage. Because of her strange powers, her peers in the orphanage teased and tormented her relentlessly. Growing up she clung to the powers she had and spent all her free time mastering them. Now as an ostracized classmate of Kagome, she is still searching for the one who she believes has all the answers she is trying to find. Desiring power and mastery over the elements, Rinji uses her telepathy on those around her and studies relentlessly day and night all things supernatural that could increase her powers, yet never fails a class or test despite her studies not being related to her schoolwork. People fear her and she has closed herself off from all emotions. How can she find the one she is forever following in her dreams? That one who moves with angelic grace and has the long silver hair...Finally remembering that he was a man...No, not a man...No, HE is something more...What will she do when she finds him? Moreover, what will he do? What starts out as an attempt to gain information on why the girl Kagome is always thinking of the hanyo she has read about in her studies, Rinji does become somewhat attached and almost like a friend...Almost. Her dog Shingi, likes the fact that his companion can speak to his mind but what is the albino retriever with the golden eyes hiding? And why does Rinji bear a strange birthmark on her right hand? Main pairing is Rinji/Sesshomeru with the following others...Kagome/Inuyasha, Sango/Miroku, and possibly some Kagome/Kouga, though it would be one-sided fantasy on Kouga's part. T_T Poor Kouga! (I really love Kouga!!!) Takes place near the end of the manga and after the manga. Kind of confusing there but I wanted the time while Kagome was in high school to be covered as well as watch the longing in both Inuyasha and Kouga. Spoilers are of course an issue to those who have not read the manga but fear not, I have altered one big thing... T_T It is not a happy thing, but I'm not telling you here! And it is vital to the story so I'm sorry in advance. Some surprises are quite shocking...OK the ones regarding Sesshomeru are anyway. I am not too worried about the spoilers since most of the Inuyasha fics I have read seem to taper off the end of the series and go in completely different directions than the end of the manga. So for most readers it can be regarded simply as a story. Now see why you had to come here for the summary?)

Goshinboku – the Sacred Tree

Osuwari – the Japanese phrase to command a dog to sit…the closest thing to "sit boy" used in the English dub

Shikon No Tama – Jewel of Four Souls

Hanyo – half demon

Yokai – demon

Inu – dog

Miko - priestess

"…" – telepathic speaking

'…' – thoughts

'…' – written in a book or elsewhere as it is read

Inutaisho I believe is what Inuyasha and Sesshoumeru's father's name was. If I am mistaken please let me know. It means dog lord or dog leader.

Bakusaiga – the sword that shot out from Sesshomeru's left shoulder as his arm grew back while he fought with Magatsuhi and thus finally surpassed his father in power

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"Its only forever. Its not long at all." Down In the Underground by David Bowie

Prologue

The rocks were no longer hurting Rinji as her fellow orphans pelted her with them relentlessly. She had learned to control the pain. Not even the adults would have the satisfaction of her tears. They were afraid of her too…The adults. Everyone was afraid of her. She could feel the rage building up from deep within. The rocks ceased to hit her and fell as they hit an invisible barrier in front of her. She watched with mild amusement only seen for a moment in her chocolate eyes as one by one each of her tormentors mysteriously tripped only to become covered with bruises and scrapes as they hit the ground. Once her flash of contentment had ended, Rinji climbed onto the swing she had been walking toward when the barrage had begun. She could hear them all. They were not speaking, but their minds were calling and she heard them just the same. Their fear sickened her. A few of the older ones were calling her some choice names that she did not quite understand the meaning of yet, but she knew they were not kind. From the far side of the playground Rinji could hear the adults debating what they should do with her. Where she was or what they did, was of no consequence. Her resolve was to live in search of the one from her dreams. If she ever saw a face she could not remember. All she remembered was the silver hair. She must follow the one with the silver hair. Nothing was going to get in her way.

Since it had only been the other children to have done any obvious wrong, Rinji once again escaped punishment. She fully understood that was one reason the other children resented her. She loved and hated to see them quiver in fear as she entered their minds and spoke to them directly. In truth the responses always sickened her. Instead of embracing the abilities she could see within them, they feared and rejected them. No, it was more than fear and rejection. They loathed the gifts and viewed them as unnatural and freakish. This fact alone shaped a hatred of humanity in general in the young girl. How could people ignore such gifts? Who in their right mind would not want to master their talents and become more powerful?

The Christmas when Rinji was ten years old came about with a donation from a young couple who had no children. They were moving to a new apartment and could not keep their inu. They figured the orphans might like a pet to play with and take care of. He was a beautiful albino retriever, but he was not used to children. Being surrounded by so many at once, he greeted them by backing into a corner bearing his fangs as he growled before they had even given the young animal a proper name. Rinji was drawn to the inu. She stepped toward him without hesitation or fear.

"Child, why do you approach me so," the inu asked within her mind. "Are you not scared as the others are?"

"No," Rinji answered back into the inu's mind. "If you were going to attack me you would have made your move by now."

"Fair enough. How is it that you can know my mind? I've never met a human like you before. Even the ones who could do so would not. Not the breeder and his family, nor the couple who first adopted me ever spoke to me like this."

"Unlike other humans, I take pride in and embrace such gifts. I want to be strong."

"Why?"

Rinji knelt down and began to pet the inu gently on his head. "I have to find the only person that matters to me anymore. I don't really know this person though. It could be a man or a woman. I never remember the face when I wake up. I only remember forever following the silver hair."

"I see. Your name, child…You never told me your name."

"Rinji, what's yours?"

"The couple called me…"

"I don't care what THEY called you. What is your name?"

The dog nuzzled into Rinji as the others in the room watched in shock and awe. As they stared at Rinji their thoughts flooded her mind. Freak was dominant among the names they called out.

"Maybe she'll avoid the other children and we won't have any more unexplainable incidents if we let her keep him," the headmistress whispered to her assistant. With a slight nod of their heads the matter was decided. The girl would have the inu. Anything to end the bizarre behavior would be a welcomed gift from the Kami.

"The name my mother gave me was Shingi. It is a great honor in my lineage to receive this name because it bears a heavy burden."

"What kind of burden?"

"I cannot tell you. I may never be able to tell you. I hope I can some day though. The day I the carrier can tell their companion is the day the duty is fulfilled."

"Please let me keep Shingi." This was not a question from Rinji, but more of a statement. Everyone knew she had heard the decision. She just enjoyed toying with them over things like this.

"Of course, you may keep him," the headmistress said. "You must take good care of him and not allow him to harm the other children or else we'll have to give him up."

"I understand," Rinji said as she led the inu to her room. The rooms were all designed for two children to share but since none would bunk with her, Rinji had the luxury of her own room. There was plenty of room for her new friend to stay.

'That was six years ago,' Rinji thought as she unlocked the door to her apartment. The orphanage had given her an exemplary reference for her apartment. They could not wait to have her out of their hair. The landlord was kind and even allowed Rinji to keep her dog.

Rinji had just finished her last year of junior high. The people there were much like the orphans. Instead of rocks they threw insults. They were still the same pathetic types who refused to use or even acknowledge the power within themselves. She continued her search for others like her, but her hope was running out and her patience wore thin. She even took a job at a small new age shop to pay for her apartment in the hopes that someone would at least be interested if not gifted. Though her search remained in vain, she did learn a good deal about tea leaf reading, palmistry, and Tarot. She could now also fashion charms, oils, and teas for certain illnesses and to transcend to a meditative state briefly. Her latest studies of interest were past life regression, dream reading, and local demonology lore. Though the combination seemed odd to her, Rinji was always one to follow her instincts since they rarely led her wrong. The shopkeeper, Setsuna, allowed Rinji to borrow books. She knew the girl was giving readings and working for her to pay for her apartment while going to school. Rinji always returned the books in perfect condition and would occasionally buy them if they had proved useful to her. This shopkeeper was the closest Rinji had ever found who came even into the spectrum of the type of person she searched for. Even so, Setsuna held back and refused to unleash everything out of fear. She did not have Rinji's drive or resolve. Thus Rinji's faith in humanity decreased even more.

Sitting alone on her futon, save the company of Shingi, Rinji closed her eyes and in the darkened room she allowed the heat to flow throughout her body. The moment her eyes were opened, every candle in the small studio apartment was lit. Giving a satisfied smile, she pulled her newest borrowed book out of her backpack and began to read. She paused only a moment to allow Shingi to nuzzle his head into her lap. She pet him softly as she read. This was her third book on local demon lore and she was getting frustrated with the whole thing. The nagging feeling that this lore held the key to something she needed to know had yet to be found in any of the books she had read so far. Most of them contained legends that were told as bedtime stories to young children, about monks and mikos who fought and sealed demons, and about the kitsune…She hoped this one would be different. It had pulled her to it strongly. Another thing giving her hope that this book would somehow be different was the way Shingi was behaving. He seemed excited about something, though this was one of the occasions when he had closed his mind to her. If an inu could purr in someone's lap, he was doing so.

'Strange,' Rinji thought. 'Why is he so excited about this?'

'Have we finally found HER?' Shingi mused.

As Rinji began to read, she noticed that there was a lot of interest focused on a local shrine and an object called the Shikon No Tama. Many knew the legend of the Shikon No Tama but no book had linked it to the shrine before. There was mention of the Goshinboku and something called the Bone Eaters' Well. The area was once known only as the Western Lands, and legend had it that it had been under the rule of powerful Inu yokai for centuries.

"Is this why you're so happy, Shingi? Some secret passed on by inu to remember this?"

'The inu yokai's finest hour was under the rule of the great Inutaisho. This great yokai held control over a vast empire and was well-respected and feared by opposing yokai from all around. He fathered two sons. The eldest was a yokai named Sesshoumeru, while the other was a hanyo called Inuyasha. The hanyo never knew his father because he died shortly after the child's birth to protect his son and his mother. He had been injured in a great yokai battle just moments before rushing to see his newborn. It is said that his last act was naming his son. Not much else is known of the brothers except that they were constantly at odds with one another.'

Rinji dropped the book. 'The shrine…That girl from class Kagome lives there. Everyone says she's sickly but I know better. She hides most of her thoughts quite well…She does let a name slip often though…Inuyasha is constantly on her mind. Somehow though, the older brother's name sounds so familiar.' "Sesshomeru…" The name flowed from her lips like a song.

Shingi stretched and jumped off his friend as she spoke the name out loud and headed toward the kitchen.

"Oh Shingi, you must be starving!" Rinji sprang up from the futon and gathered food and water for her beloved and only friend. Once Shingi was making good work of his food, Rinji felt her own stomach growling. She searched the kitchen for something satisfying but was disappointed and had to settle for some instant noodles (Yes ramen, you knew it would be in the story somewhere.) from her pantry. "I need to buy some groceries so I can have a real dinner tomorrow.

"The well is…" Kagome stared with disbelief and agony on her tear stricken face. "NO! I want to see you, Inuyasha! It can't end like this! I never even got to say goodbye! I want to see you, Inuyasha!" Kagome pounded at the dirt in the base of the dried up old well before finally slumping down in a silence that was more disturbing than the cries that had drawn her family to her side. Kagome barely noticed the hand on her shoulder.

"Come on dear," her mother said. "I'll make you some tea and draw you a warm bath. I'm here if you need to talk."

Souta could not bring himself to look at his sister…Not in this state. He wanted to ask her if he would ever see Inuyasha again, but he knew by Kagome's state of being what the answer was. He would never see the hanyo who felt like an older brother to him…Not ever again…Never…

It was summer holidays so Kagome did not even have her studies to occupy her time. Most days she spent listlessly staring out her bedroom window at the Goshinboku, or worse, going to the well and clutching at the soil that lay at the bottom. The only things she had as physical proof that Inuyasha was real were his baseball cap, the bandanna he wore while helping out at the shrine, and a few sets of dirty hand and foot prints on the mats in her room. She refused to clean the spots up. She preferred to look at them. They were proof that HE had been there...That she really knew HIM. She took to wearing the hat even if it did not match whatever she threw on that day if she bothered changing from her pajamas at all. The bandanna was safely tucked away in her favorite pillow case. 'I wonder if he's this miserable? Of course he is. How could I even think he wouldn't be? At least he has my back pack. There's more to remind him of me in there than I have of him here.' Kagome curled up in her bed and cried herself to sleep. Her last thought was that she vowed to become a miko and never marry. What would be the point if she couldn't be with the one she loved more than life itself?

Defeated by fate, Inuyasha finally began to trudge back to the village. The well was sealed. When he reached the Goshinboku he muttered curses under his breath. No one was around so he jumped up to the most inviting branch and allowed himself to cry since nobody would know. He pulled out the gold locket that SHE had given him. Those ridiculous pictures from the photobooth in HER time were imbedded there. He at least had her picture. 'Why? Why would the well close like that? Why would the Shikon No Tama's final act take MY Kagome from me like that?'

Inuyasha's misery was interrupted by a familiar scent approaching. Quickly he dried his eyes, but he knew it was too late. The scent of his tears was too strong to hide. 'What the hell does Sesshomeru want now? Maybe I should just let him finish me off. With Kagome gone…There's just no point to it anymore.'

"Ahh, there you are, little brother," Sesshomeru said in his melodic and ever calm voice. He had neither of his swords drawn and Jaken was leading AhUn who carried a sleeping Rin. She had been through so much it was expected that she'd be tired.

"Come to finish me off now that Naraku's gone have you, Sesshomeru?" Inuyasha jumped down to the ground and stood open without drawing the Tetsaiga.

"Are you that eager to die?"

Inuyasha lowered his head waiting for his brother to take his shot. No fear or anger was in his eyes. No, Inuyasha's eyes were empty.

"I see," Sesshomeru said.

'Was that a touch of sympathy in his voice just now?' Inuyasha looked up to see his brother studying him as he usually did with everyone he met.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"You? You have a favor to ask of me?"

Even Jaken appeared shocked by this.

"Would you take Rin to that village you spend so much time at. She needs to learn to live among humans before she decides that the world of the yokai is really right for her."

"Yeah I guess I could do that," Inuyasha answered.

Sesshomeru gathered the sleeping Rin in his arms. He'd never admit it, but he had been quite relieved when his arm grew back. It was that moment that he had received the sword that could surpass the Tetsaiga. Hidden within his body the Bakusaiga had proven that he had surpassed his father in power. What Sesshomeru did next was not something expected by anyone and left both Inuyasha and Jaken speechless. He kissed Rin gently on her forehead as he handed her to Inuyasha. "I will be checking on her from time to time so you had better see to it that no harm comes to her." This was most definitely a threat with grave repercussions.

"Sure thing, Sesshomeru," Inuyasha said still staring at his brother in disbelief.

Sesshomeru turned to leave. When he was almost out of earshot he whispered, "For what its worth, you proved yourself useful in battle against Naraku." Just as suddenly as he had appeared, Sesshomeru was gone.

Kaede was met by a bewildered Inuyasha on the creaky bridge that crossed the small stream into the village. Inuyasha either refused to, or could not speak. He merely handed the sleeping child to the elderly miko and walked over to a spot where he and Kagome had often sat under the stars talking when they had the luxury of being in the village. He curled his knees into his chest and stared blankly at the sky as the clouds drifted. 'Yokai don't live forever…Hanos don't live as long as yokai…I'll be dead before she's even born…Kagome…'

Shippo looked on and almost went to try and comfort his friend, but Sango's hand firmly grasped his shoulder indicating that this would be a very bad idea. Instead, Miroku picked up the yellow back pack that had been left in the village and approached Inuyasha. "I know she would want you to have this." Inuyasha merely nodded in response as the monk set the object down and walked away.

Once night had fallen and he was certain everyone was asleep, Inuyasha grabbed the bag and made his way back to the Goshinboku. He leaped up to a comfortable branch that he could sleep in away from prying eyes. Carefully he opened the bag and amongst some leftover "ninja" food and some drawings Shippo had made, he found Kagome's pink pajamas. He took in her scent and a moment of comfort washed over him. 'Damn, I even miss hearing her say 'osuwari.' Never thought I'd miss that…Then Again, I never thought she'd be truly gone.' A sudden realization came upon Inuyasha. He had to put it to the test. 'If she's really gone, then I should be able to take the necklace off.' Once more Inuyasha allowed the tears to flow as he removed the beaded necklace with ease. He willingly slid them back onto his neck and clutched Kagome's bag. 'Kagome, I'll never take them off…NEVER. I promise you, Kagome.' That night Inuyasha slept beneath the canopy of the forest in the tree where he had met HER…HIS Kagome.

AN : I know I should be working on "Have a Little Faith" (the sequel to my SM fanfic "Sometimes You Just Need to Believe") but if you have checked my profile page you will find that I am having a major block with that story. I promise to finish it as soon as I can be satisfied with what I write. You know me, I can't post something unless I'm satisfied with it.

So the stage is now set for this fic. This one is screaming to be written like "Sometimes You Just Need to Believe" did. In chapter one, Rinji will make her first move toward her goal that may land her somewhere. Rin will get a visit from Sesshomeru-sama, Miroku and Sango will have some developments (shh, I'm not turning this into a lemon next chapter so get your minds out of Miroku's…His mind is beyond the gutter. =P ), Kouga will find out Kagome is gone and can't come back, and much more! I plan on the chapters being quite long as you can see based simply on the length of this prologue. If I'm making them too long let me know. I'll try and shorten them. I know everyone has other things they need to do. ^_^ Since the chapters will be longer, I may not update as often as I did with "Sometimes You Just Need to Believe" which at times was once a day. I hope to at least have a new chapter up each week, two if I can manage it. If I get more, hey I'll be doing better than I thought.

Please review but don't flame. This is my first attempt at an eventual lemon. I know there was nothing calling for the M rating in the prologue, but with how dark some of Rinji's powers are, and some language, as well as the eventual lemon, I don't want to list it as anything less. The swearing will only be in character. Inuyasha and Kouga tend to swear a lot in the Japanese version so they will be doing most of it. I don't like throwing in unnecessary swearing just to mouth off. It sets a lower standard than I can accept from myself.

One last note : While I am using some real Wiccan practices like the charms and teas and such, Rinji in NO WAY represents my faith and we can't really do the things she can. That's why this is under the supernatural category. The shopkeeper, Setsuna on the other hand, will be much closer to a Wiccan. ^_^