A/N: Well, I am at it again!!! Another Inu Yasha fanfic!!! For all of you adoring people out there who have been faithfully reading and reviewing my other fics, THANKIES!!! ^_^ Now, before I get into this new story, I have some explaining to do! First off, THIS IS NOT A MARYSUE!!! The character of Aile Anna was created a very long time ago BEFORE my dear friend Yashira talked me into doing fanfic. So this is not a self-insertion fic!!! Secondly, If you want to know more about the character of Aile Anna, just e-mail me and I would love to tell you all about her!
This is a rated R fic… it will have strong language and all the perversity of Miroku. There will also be major spoilers…this story takes place AFTER the final battle with Naraku and the Shikon no Tama has been completed! A new villain, one more powerful than Naraku, has arrived in feudal Japan. On a quest to stop the enemy she was born to defeat, a Celtic priestess has followed him to Japan, where she must protect as well as depend on the Inu Yasha gang.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inu Yasha characters...All others are mine --- But if Rumiko-sama would be willing to part with a certain inu hanyou and his brother for a while, I'd be glad to take them!!!
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Prologue: The Immortal Priestess and the Dark LordLoch Iolar, The Dark Forest, Scottish Highlands 15th Century
The night winds blew gently as they swept across the land. Whispering with soft caresses it swirled about the lone figure standing silently at the hilltop. As the winds encircled the priestess, mist formed, grew thicker, denser, until two silver figures emerged to stand obediently at her side. With eyes of piercing blue, the wind wolves watched and waited for their mistress's commands.
Just as the full moon reached its zenith, the woman flicked her wrist. In a burst of speed born of their ethereal nature, the two creatures took off, their eyes bearing down on their pray in the distance. As they closed in for the kill, their pray stopped. Looking at the silver spirits, it froze, knowing death was imminent. Black eyes hazed with shadow met ice blue before a scream rent the air. Filling the stillness of the night, the horrid cry was not that of human or beast. As the corpse fell to the dampened earth, a dark mist rose from its gaping mouth then dissipated into nothingness.
Aile Anna watched from her place on the hill. The shadow beast had escaped, but its victim could now rest in peace. With a mental approval from her two companions, she slowly approached the fallen body. As its facial features came into view, a gasp escaped her before she threw herself upon the still form of the boy. Tears sprang free from her green eyes as sobs wracked her body.
"Duncan…" She wept, caressing the child's expressionless face. Her heart sank and shattered. She cradled the young boy to her breast, pulling him up against her as she rose to her feet. With a scream that reached far across the lands she declared to the celestial beings that watched, "Damn you, Dorraghey! I will kill you for this!"
As she lumbered across the moors, the limp, lifeless child in her arms, another figure approached. Tall and lean, the man rushed to her side, his breath gasping as he struggled for air. He had run a long way to reach his mistress. "Mi' lady! It's gone! The drákwn anim, it's gone!"
Aile Anna cursed herself for being so stupid. The missing child, the chaos in the village, it had been a ruse so the Dark Lord could get his hands on the gem. She suddenly felt sick, nausea crept from her stomach to her throat and she swallowed hard to rid herself of the foul bile. She had fallen for the demon's trick, and now the jewel was gone. She passed the dead boy lovingly to the man before hiking up her full skirts and rushing toward the stone tower near the edge of the loch. She would hunt down the bastard, and God help him when she found him, for this time she would kill.
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Musashi's Domain, Sengoku Jidai
Kagome sat down by the cooling water's of the stream. As she watched a pair of birds soar over the surface of the sparkling water, she cradled the glowing pink orb in her palms. Slipping the chain around her neck, she sighed deeply. Naraku was dead, the Shikon no Tama was complete, and now she didn't know what to do. She had once wondered what would happen when their quest to complete the shattered jewel was finished. Now it was here, and it seemed nothing had really changed. After Naraku's death, demons had crawled out from all their hiding places, many in search for the jewel. Even in her own time, Kagome and Inu Yasha had discovered that the lure of the Shikon no Tama was great. Youkai had suddenly sprung forth from every corner of the modern world to gain its power. So Inu Yasha still protected her, keeping watch over her until the orb was purified.
"Oi, Kagome! What the hell are you doing out here by yourself? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Inu Yasha growled at the young miko in annoyance.
"Hello, Inu Yasha." She did not look at him, only focused her gaze out across the slow moving water.
Sniffing the air, the hanyou sat down beside her, his eyes following hers across the stream's surface. "What's wrong, Kagome? Why are you so depressed?" His keen senses picked up on her sad mood immediately. Curiosity, worry, and something more tugged at his heart.
"I don't know. Just…thinking about it all I guess." She replied, side glancing at him. How much she loved this hanyou who protected her, yet, she still was unsure of their future together. Kikyou still walked amongst the land of the living, though the dead miko seemed to have changed since she was first brought back to life in a clay and burial ash body. She had disappeared after the final battle, allowing her soul stealers to carry her away.
"It's done with. Stop thinking about it!" he turned to her, his golden orbs burning into her. "Naraku is dead, the jewel is complete, and you can still travel from your time to this one. That's all that matters."
"Is it Inu Yasha? What about…Kikyou? What about us?" Hot tears burned her eyes, and she fought to hold them back.
Inu Yasha sat in silence. He loved her, but until the issue with Kikyou was resolved, he could not and would not allow them to be more than friends. Smelling her tears, Inu Yasha wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. "Kagome…I know how you feel, but…we just can't right now. You know this. We've talked about this and I thought you understood." He sighed, trying to fight his own heartache at the situation.
Kagome pulled from his embrace and stood. "I do understand, but it doesn't mean it hurts any less. She's been gone for over two months, Inu Yasha. What if she never comes back?" Before the hanyou could respond, the young miko ran off, leaving Inu Yasha to stare after her.
Kagome ran to the well, hoping Inu Yasha would not follow. She reached out with her miko powers, ensuring that he and no others were near. Finally satisfied that she could safely be alone, the future girl plopped down leaning her back against the side of the Bone-Eater's Well. Swiping at the tears that refused to go away, she prayed that Kikyou would find rest so Kagome could finally be with the one she loved. "It's not fair!" She cried out to the wind. "Why can't I just be happy!" Twisting her body, she folded her arms across the lip of the sacred well, lay her head down, and released all the sorrow her heart felt until her sob wracked body finally fell asleep. A pair of amber gold eyes watched from the canopy of a tree, trying hard not to shed his own tears as he watched protectively over the now slumbering miko.
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He watched the woman with the child through black eyes that glistened like wet onyx. After years of searching, he had finally found his mate and stolen child. With interested eyes, he watched the young girl sit at the edge of the pond as her mother did the week's laundry. Long ebony hair flew about the tiny girl's waist, framing her alabaster face. She reminded him of a doll of fine china, so smooth and sculpted were her features. Suddenly the child looked up, as if sensing her sire's presence. Eyes like his stared toward him, and the Dark Lord wondered if she could sense him through her mother's barrier.
The woman glanced up at her daughter, wondering what had gained the child's attention. Following her ebon eyes, fear filled her dark brown eyes. 'No!' She screamed inwardly as the familiar feeling of her mate shuddered through her. Quickly grabbing her daughter, the woman fled to her small hut. "Stay here, Haku-su!" She commanded as she rushed back outside, grabbing a clay pot from a shelf as she left. The oni began chanting fervently as she threw the contents of the pot along the sides of her self-made barrier. The magic powder crackled and she relaxed as she felt the shield strengthen. But she knew it would not be enough. The barrier would only hold for as long as she had the magic dust. When the ancient spell powder was gone, so was her protection from the creature she had once loved.
"What is it, Mother?" Haku-su asked as her mother returned, her small voice hollow and empty of any emotion.
"Nothing, just me being silly." She did not want to alert the girl to the threat that lurked outside. She knew what her mate had planned for her daughter, and it frightened her. Looking at the silent child, she wondered not for the first time how much of her father's black heart she had inherited.
A loud crackling sound filled the air, and the woman jumped. Grabbing her daughter, she huddled in the corner, fear gripping her heart. In the darkness of the hut, she could feel his cold anger as he approached. A lone tear slid down her cheek as she realized her own magic, even with the enforcement of the spell powder, was not enough to protect them from him. When the dark visage of a man broke through the doorway, she pressed the child behind her, a feeble attempt she knew, but it was all she could do.
"Hello, Hinotama. It's been a long while, my love." His eyes bore into her as she stood shakily.
"Dorraghey! How did you find me?" Hinotama demanded as she pressed Haku-su further into the corner behind her.
Laughing maliciously, "It was not difficult. Where else would you go but your precious homeland?" The Dark Lord slowly approached his mate, arms rested at his sides in a non-threatening manner.
"Why did you come here? Why now?" Hinotama demanded, cringing inwardly as he approached.
"I let you play mother for a while, now it is time to give up what is mine. Give me the child!" He hissed through clenched teeth.
"NO! She will not become one of your minions! I won't allow you to use her like that, Dorraghey! She is but a child, and needs love and understanding, not death and destruction. Onegai, my love, don't take her from me." She bowed her head in supplication, praying he would leave them be.
"Come child, come to your father." He ordered, his cold voice causing shivers down Hinotama's spine. As the girl crept out from behind her mother, Hinotama cried out, grabbing Haku-su's arm. It was the last thing she did. With swift movement, Dorraghey slashed out at her with elongated claws, the woman he once called mate lay in a seeping pool of her own blood, her heart wrenched from her chest.
The child, Haku-su, watched her mother's death with wide eyes. She drank in the sight of blood never before seen. Feeling the evil aura of her sire, she felt empowered, strengthened, and alive. A wicked smile curved the girl's thin lips as she embraced all these new sensations. Grabbing her father's hand, she looked up at him, black eyes meeting black eyes. "Arigato, Otousan." Were her only words as she stepped over the mother who had loved her to depart with the father who never knew her.
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Kagome awoke with a start. She felt as if she were on fire, her body burning from a heat she could not bare. Gasping for breath, she tried to rise but couldn't.
"Kagome!" Inu Yasha leaped from the tree and raced over to the young miko. "What's wrong, Kagome?" He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.
"Youki…strong youki. Like, a power…just waking up." She gasped out before slipping into unconsciousness.
Inu Yasha scooped her up bridal style and rushed toward the village. Kaede-baaba would help his Kagome. The old priestess would know what to do. Before he could reach his destination, the form of the houshi appeared in his path. Miroku's face was a show of concern as he watched the inu hanyou carry the still form of the miko. Changing his direction, the monk quickly followed suit, worried about his friend.
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A/N: Well, there it is!!! The prologue! I hope you liked it. This is an edited version of this story cleaned up for FF.net, but the unedited version containing later lemon chapters will be available at my website listed on my bio page.
Now for some FYI on everyone and everything…
Loch Iolar (pronounced U-lar) is Gaelic for Eagle Lake and is the fictional place Aile Anna is from. She is Celtic/Gaelic, is a very powerful sorceress and priestess. She takes her duties very seriously. If you want to know more on Aile Anna, then e-mail me and I will be glad to fill you in!
The Dark Lord Dorraghey- also a Gaelic/Celtic figure. Dorraghey is Celtic for Dark. He is a VERY evil demon and Aile Anna's mortal enemy.
drákwn anim – literally means dragon's soul. There is a story behind this that will be revealed later in the fic, but it is also the basis for Aile Anna's tale.
Haku-su- I took this name from Japanese mythology. Haku-su was a young woman who died from love of her betrothed. She became a ghost and possessed her sister. The sister married Haku-su's lover, thus finally enabling her to be with her true love.
Hinotama- literally means falling star.
I am currently working with a friend of mine to put Aile Anna's story (as of yet still untitled) into a manga. I am hoping to have a web page for it soon, so anyone who is interested in original manga can see some of it.
Please READ and REVIEW!!! It really encourages the next chapters!