Summary: InuYasha and Gang do their best to thwart yet another of Naraku's plots and that's where things go wrong. "How dangerous can a blank scroll be?"
The Colors of Life
- Authors Note: Hello. This is my first fanfic. I've been reading them for over a month and decided to try my hand at it. I love InuYasha (I've watched up to #145 and the first two movies in the original Japanese with subtitles) and really wanted to make a story that could easily slip into the real episodes almost anywhere, without copying anything that has already been done. A friend came up with a plot, and my niece was my sounding board for the story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. -
Info: InuYasha often uses a 'claw' attack and yells "Sankontessou!" (spelling iffy) and I much prefer the original translation of "Soul Shattering Iron Claw" in the subbed Japanese eps to the dubbed version's "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer"
Disclaimer – I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters. They are the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. This story is an individual creation that I hope is up to the quality of the real series.
Chapter 1: The Lonely Shrine
Deep in the forest lay a small shrine watched over by an elderly monk. He goes about his daily tasks with a serene orderliness, the music of birds competing with chimes hanging from the roof. Charms, old and new, that surround the clearing all around the building, flutter in the gentle breeze. He stops sweeping steps to breathe deeply, closing his eyes in the warm sun. Smiling to himself, he opens his eyes and begins to sweep again.
Something, a shadow moving at the corner of his clouding vision stops his motion as the birds suddenly go silent...
A dark-clad figure stood in the darkness under the trees surrounded by things that cluster around him eagerly. The figure raises an arm and makes a forward motion, the creatures snarl and rush toward the clearing around a small building where an old monk stands staring before dropping his broom and running inside.
The first of the swarming youkai pass the outermost row of charms, and are suddenly repelled by a bright flash of light; some disintegrate, as others lie writhing on the ground. Yet more youkai, growling and slobbering, slam into the barrier and are likewise defeated. Larger more cunning demons circle around, testing here and there, looking for a weak spot, their frustration growing with every stinging flash.
The old monk with a determined look on his wizened face and prayers on his lips, strode out briskly to face them, holding a gold-capped staff. The youkai looked at him hungrily, their movements growing more frenzied.
One of the charms burst into flames and the demons pushed through the opening in the barrier, only to be stopped by a second row of protection. Their howls rang throughout the forest as more of their numbers were destroyed. The dark figure under the trees continued to watch as the circling began again...
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A young girl, wearing a green and white school uniform and pushing a bicycle down the dusty path, rolled her eyes and glanced back at two of her companions walking behind to share her amusement.
One was a good looking Monk, wearing robes and carrying a tall staff that chimed as he walked, a string of beads wrapped noticeably around his right hand. The other was a demure looking young woman carrying a twin-tailed cat and a rather large boomerang strapped across her back; the only visible mark of her demon-exterminating skills.
The two shared a look and smiled back at Kagome as they all listened to the argument between the kitsune and the hanyou that had been going on since breakfast earlier that morning.
"...You did too! I heard you!" said Shippo, a small fox-demon with blondish hair and a fluffy tail, riding in the basket on the front of the bicycle.
"Keh! You're too noisy!" InuYasha barked at him. "Don't you ever shut up?" The silver-haired half-demon disdained to look at his irritant, his dog- like ears twitching with impatience and arms folded within his bright red garments as he walked barefooted alongside.
Shippo stood up in the basket and leaned towards InuYasha and shouted, "You did! You did! Last night I heard you!"
InuYasha glanced balefully at the excited kitsune and growled, "Shut. Up. I do not talk in my sleep!"
Shippo stuck his tongue out at him and turned to Kagome. "Kagome, I heard him! I did! He clearly said –"
BONK!!!
"Ouch! Waaah! Kagome! InuYasha's picking on me!!!" Shippo cried, looking for sympathy and rubbing the bump on his head.
"....InuYasha...." Kagome said firmly, with a disgusted look on her face. InuYasha stopped, almost cringing as he looked over at her.
She raised her finger and pointed at him and his furry ears went back, "OSUWARI!"
The beaded rosary around InuYasha's neck gleamed for a second as it forcibly SLAMMED his face into the ground.
Kagome ignored the prone figure as she pushed her bike past him and muttered, "...He knows better...picking on Shippo...he's so young and little..."
Shippo stuck out his tongue again and delivered a juicy raspberry toward the prostrate hanyou as he listened to Kagome listing InuYasha's faults under her breath.
Miroku and Sango passed on either side of the chastised hanyou as they followed Kagome.
Stepping closer to the Monk, Sango said, "You would think he would have learned by now, don't you Houshi-sama?"
Switching his staff to his right hand, he leaned left towards her. "Ah, my dear Sango. Learning implies intelligence, and our hot-tempered friend's skills obviously lie in another direction." He murmured drolly.
Humor lit up her eyes and her hand flew up to hide the smirk on her lips at the Monk's words. Suddenly she gasped, her eyes opened wide and she blushed bright red as she turned and slapped him directly in the face. She stomped forward to join Kagome in their shared disgust at their male companions, the two of them muttering things that made Shippo's eyes grow big.
Miroku stood staring after them, flexing his offensive hand and a bemused smile on his face. With a sigh, he turned back to InuYasha to prod him with his toe. "Are you coming?" He asked.
InuYasha lifted his face out of the dirt to glare at the perverted Monk. Miroku shrugged and said, "Suit yourself," and turned to follow the two women down the path; his right hand holding the jingling staff, his left rubbing the red handprint on his cheek.
InuYasha picked himself out of the dirt, brushing off his clothes as he stood, snarling things under his breath that were best not said out loud and followed.
A few minutes later Kagome stopped, a frown on her face as she looked around. Sango stopped as well and looked over at her. "Kagome-chan?" She looked up at Sango and replied, "I sense a shard..."
Sango looked back at the lagging Monk and hanyou and waved at them to hurry. "Kagome says there is a Shard nearby!"
InuYasha was there in two leaps, Miroku a few steps behind. InuYasha faced her directly and asked, "Where?! Which way?" Kagome closed her eyes to concentrate then pointed off into the forest to the east, "There, over there."
Sango tossed the small cat into the air and shouted, "Kirara!" The cat, in a flaming transformation, turned into a huge fanged cat-demon. Kirara roared and landed on the ground for Sango to hop on her back. Kagome climbed upon InuYasha's back as he picked up her bike to sling it over his shoulder, with Shippo still in the basket before he leapt forward. Followed by Sango on Kirara and with Miroku running along, the group entered the forest heading east.
With Kagome as their compass, they draw closer to their goal. Soon, sounds of howling and shouts could be heard from ahead. InuYasha stopped momentarily to set Kagome and her bicycle down, then rushed forward; ready for anything. Kagome unstrapped her bow and arrows from the pack on the back of the bike and headed in the same direction, notching an arrow as she ran.
"Oi!! Kagomeee!! Wait for me!!" cried Shippo, as he bounded after her.
The last of the protections around the small shrine failed and the youkai swarmed over the valiant old monk just as InuYasha and the others entered the clearing. The companions immediately leapt into action; InuYasha slashing with his claws, Miroku swinging his staff and flinging charms, and Sango, "Hiraikotsu!!" flinging the deadly boomerang.
As the demons turned at this new threat, Kagome rushed to the fallen monk's side and stood over him with her bow ready. Shippo took one look at all the youkai, squeaked and ducked behind a tree.
Sango caught the boomerang upon it's return and prepared to fling it once more when Kirara suddenly stopped and whined, turning to look pleadingly at Sango. Sango paused her throw and looked at the cat-youkai, "What is it, Kirara?" Kirara turned to search through all the confusion then became tense and stared hard at the shrine.
Sango followed her gaze and saw a dark form dash from the doorway of the shrine to disappear into the trees. "...What –" She gasped and grabbed tightly to Kirara's ruff, "Go! Kirara!!" she commanded. The pair left the battle and entered the trees at the same place, giving chase.
"Sankontessou!" InuYasha yelled as he slashed the last remaining youkai, the pieces falling upon the ground.
Kagome set down her bow as she knelt by the old man. His breath was raspy and he was covered in blood. It wasn't hard to see he was dying. She reached down and took hold of his hand and he opened glazed eyes and looked at her. "Who --?" he gasped.
She bent over him and said, "The demons are dead. Your safe..." She thought, 'How do you say your sorry you didn't come sooner?' as she stared at the blood covering him and the broken staff still clutched in his other hand. Tears came to her eyes and rolled silently down her cheeks.
Miroku approached them as InuYasha scanned the clearing looking for any stragglers. "Kagome-sama? How...?" He fell silent as he saw the old monk's condition. He had seen death too often to not recognize it now. He knelt down next to Kagome and bowed his head, praying for the old man's safe journey into the afterlife.
Shippo dashed out of the trees and stopped by Kagome. Moved by her sadness, he crawled into her lap and leaned against her in sympathy.
The dying monk choked and wheezed, blood on his lips and in great pain. "...The Scroll... it --"he gasped, "—must not –!"
Miroku and Kagome looked at him in question. "The Scroll...?" Miroku asked. They both leaned closer to hear.
The old man closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath, the rattling in his lungs audibly loud. "It...must not...gasp...fall into...gag..." His hand gripped Kagome's tightly as he choked on his own blood, desperate to tell them the danger. "...gasp...the hands...of...gasp..." His hand loosed his grip and the tension left his face as with his last breath he said, "...Evil."
Miroku stands, bows his head in respect then turns and walks towards the lonely shrine, his staff jingling with each step. Kagome, with her arms wrapped around Shippo, rises to meet the approaching InuYasha. "InuYasha...we...he's..." she closes her eyes and hugs the kitsune tighter.
The hanyou glances at the blood-covered body and looks the distraught girl over, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know..." 'I can smell his death all around' "Are you alright?" He peered closely at her.
She wiped at her eyes, and gave him a small smile. "Yes. I'm fine."
Miroku appeared in the door of the shrine holding a smashed scroll case. "Kagome-sama! If this is where the scroll was, it's been taken already!"
InuYasha looked at him and the case in his hands. "What scroll?" He sniffed the air again. '...Something else...what..?'
Miroku dropped the shattered box, and strolled back to them, dusting off his hands. "Apparently, there was a scroll being protected in this shrine." He gestured to the slain monk, "He told us that it must be kept out of evil's hands, just before he died."
He sighed as his gaze wandered over the body-littered clearing. "We were too late to help the old man and the scroll." He continued to look around, a frown forming on his face. "Where is Sango?"
'Something familiar...that faint smell...' InuYasha eyes narrowed. 'Sango missing...'
His ears pricked up and he looked hard at Kagome. "Kagome...the shard, where is it?!"
She concentrated, pointed off into the forest opposite of where they had entered and said in surprise, "That way, and it's moving fast!"
InuYasha turned to Miroku, "You stay here with Kagome, I'll find Sango." With that, InuYasha spun around and sprinted into the forest. 'Damnit...'
Miroku sighed with understanding and looked at Kagome, "Why don't you look for a good place for a grave Kagome-sama," He started to unravel the beads around his right hand, "...while I clean up the rest."
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Sango ducked another tree branch as she and Kirara sped through the forest, following the elusive glimpses of that other; leaping from limb to limb or dashing between bushes and tree trunks.'Why?' She ducked again, narrowly missing a face full of leaves. 'Why can't he do his own dirty work and let you go?' She lay low on Kirara's back, leaving the cat-youkai to chase the fleeting figure without distraction. '...Kohaku!!'