Beauty and the Wolf
Chapter 1
Once upon a time in a faraway land, a beautiful young prince lived in a glorious castle. Though he had everything he could have ever wanted, he was selfish and cruel. He taxed his people into poverty, and filled his home with the most luxurious of things. While his people scavenged for their needs, he threw elegant parties, and bathed in his own glory and strength. Upon one of these nights of music and drink, a stranger arrived seeking shelter from the storm. An old woman dressed in rags greeted the man at the door, offering only a cherry blossom sapling in return. Repulsed by the woman's haggard appearance turned her away, but the woman warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.
When he dismissed her again, the old woman's wasted appearance melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness, but it was too late; for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment she transformed him into a hideous beast, a reflection of the monster that lived inside of his heart; the castle and its inhabitants cursed alongside him.
As days would bleed into years, and years into decades, the inhabitants of the castle would remain in these forms; for the sapling the woman had offered was truly an enchanted one. If the prince could learn to love another, and earn their love in return by the time the enchanted tree grew, and its last petal fell – the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. Despite this chance for redemption, the prince fell into a great despair.
For who could ever learn to love a beast?
Or so the story goes.
Though, most people in the small provincial town of Edo they had no time for such foolish tales of whimsy; these were dangerous and busy times after all. The land was filled with demons, creatures that would have no problem tearing wandering travellers to pieces for the sake of their own amusement. It had been this way for centuries, the town having no lord or prince to defend them from the outside world; was destitute and living in fear of the monsters that haunted their very lives.
That was, until an old priest arrived with his three grandchildren. The old man placed wards around the town, keeping them safe from those who you use them for their next meal. They rebuilt as they could, and over time became a lovely and quiet place to live. It was busy, but peaceful; far too peaceful for the youngest grandchild of the old priest.
She woke as she did every day, as the sun rose over the mountains, beams of light creeping through the window and across her face. Brown eyes flittered open, a dark look cast out the open window and unto the morning itself.
"You are positively prime evil." Kagome grumbled, sitting up and kicking her blankets clear off of herself. Though the young priestess wanted nothing more than to roll over in her bed and gain a few more hours of sleep, there was much to do. There was always much to do. Her grandfather was not getting any younger, and the shrine needed tending, chores needed to be done, and the day couldn't be wasted away in her bed.
The raven haired miko brushed through her hair with an old bone comb, and pulled on her garb of simple red and white. The material was long since needed replacing, but much like the rest of her life she kept it as well as she could. Once upon a time, the shrine their little family called home was well kept and beautiful, but as she got older, and the residents of the town relied on others to aid them, they had to make do with what they had. Though her sisters coveted beautiful things, the youngest of the three much preferred the tattered scrolls she borrowed from the scribe. Perhaps one day she could leave the confines of the wards, but for now her mind would have to wander without her.
Hair tied back in a simple ribbon, the small box of scrolls tucked under arm, she decided to start the day, and the sooner one began, the sooner they could end it.
It seemed that her sisters once again disagreed. She passed their rooms, hearing the soft snoring emanating from them.
"Good morning, grandfather." She said softly, giving the old man a bow of her head. He was already in the kitchen, a pot boiling on the stove, remnants of the previous day's stew, reheating for breakfast. Never one to sit idle, the young miko busied herself with emptying a bucket of water from the table out the nearest door and returning it to its place just in time. With only the sound of the crackling fire in their small abode, the audible plunk of the previous night's rain falling into the bucket almost echoed.
"When I come back from the market, we'll have enough to fix the roof. I'm sure there's some strapping young man to do the job."
"It's some pieces of wood and metal. It can't be hard to fix, I'll do it myself."
"Don't be stupid. You'll throw your back out. Then who will help me out around here, hn?"
"Kikyo and Kaede are more than capable." This only earned a grunt in response. They were, certainly, it was more a matter of IF they would, which was highly doubtful. They were accomplished miko, and well thought of in the village, they were not as eager and hardworking as his youngest. The old man sighed heavily, thrumming his fingers on the old wooden table, eyes locked on the box not inches from his reach.
"Finished another one have you?"
"Gramps it was wonderful, a woman that travels through time, a group of friends who work together to do some good in the world against unspeakable evil!" It was far different than her simple life on the shrine; full of grandeur and adventure, along with a distinct lack of chores. "Don't worry; I made sure everything was done first."
Kagome had reached the pot, stirring the bubbling stew, knowing that when it seared to the bottom, she'd be the one to scrub it free. She had no need to reassure her grandfather about the state of her tasks, but it was an unspoken comfort between them. It was rare that he spoke of their troubles, but in the quiet of the morning he would once in a while confide in her. Once again he grunted in response, this time lifting himself from his seat at the table and taking the ladle from his youngest daughter.
"Go into town today, get yourself a new scroll."
"Not a chance, gramps. If I take the time to relax, I'll have a list a mile long by sunset, and working in the dark is near impossible. You know they won't help, so you can just forget about it." Kagome reached for the ladle, but the old man still had some spring in his step, pulling it away, at the same time sloshing it across the floor.
"Now look what you've done. Stop arguing and go. You've gotten a real attitude lately." He moved to get the cloth, but Kagome had reached it first, sopping up the mess and tossing the rag aside.
"Forget it. I'm too busy." Stubborn little brat. Caring, kind, and absolutely bullheaded. Alright, if she wouldn't play kemari, he would just have to persuade her. Gramps lifted the pot from the coals, before letting the most dramatic cry he could muster, the pot slamming down on the flames. Its contents splashing out. "Now who is the one throwing out their back!" snapped Kagome, rushing to his side and leading him to the seat he had just vacated.
"Well that is most unfortunate. I was planning on going into town to get more parchment."
"I see what you're doing, and it won't work. You've had your things packed for two days."
"I guess I'll just have to go myself." He motioned to stand again, crying out, and holding his back.
"Alright! Just sit back down and rest, old man before you can't go anywhere tomorrow." Kagome shook her head, holding out her hand. The old man dropped the remaining coins in his pocket into her hand, smiling at his own cleverness.
"There's a good girl. Now, don't forget your things." He gestured to the box on the table as Kagome passed it, earning a glare from her as she retrieved it.
"Stubborn old man." She grumbled as she left, sliding the door shut rather harshly as she left the old building, passing through the torii gates and down the steps.
