*DISCLAIMER: INUYASHA IS THE PROPERTY OF RUMIKO TAKAHASHI. I JUST WRITE FAN FICS*
The young man darted through the woods, his long silver hair flying behind him as he dashed between the trees. In his left hand he held a small amulet of silver woven into an intricate knot and inlaid with ancient text. He clutched it tightly to his chest and smiled, relishing the antiquated power that pulsed like a heartbeat from within. He ran into a clearing dominated by a large tree, but stopped when his sensitive ears picked up a soft buzzing sound.
"Inuyasha!"
Less than a foot in front of him, a thin green arrow thudded into the trunk of the tree. Inuyasha turned in the direction of the voice and saw the young druidess of the village standing a few yards away with another arrow notched in her bow. He growled softly and clutched the amulet tighter as the druidess loosed her arrow and...
The old woman trailed off, looking down with her one good eye at the enraptured children gathered around her. She grinned slyly as she spoke to them.
"That's enough of that, I think...after all, I wouldn't want to frighten any of ye."
"No, Elder Kaede! This is my favorite part," protested a young brown-eyed girl from the center of the circle. The other children joined in, expressing their desire to hear the ending of the story they had all heard dozens of times before.
Kaede laughed. "Very well, children, very well. Now, where was I? Ah yes..."
He growled softly and clutched the amulet tighter as the druidess loosed her arrow and yelled, "Die, Inuyasha!" The arrow struck the young boy squarely in the shoulder, pinning him to the great tree behind him and forcing him to drop the amulet. He looked down and saw the sprig of mistletoe, the sacred tree, lodged firmly in his flesh. As his consciousness faded, he reached out to the druidess. His eyes gently misted over with tears of sadness and rage, and his voice was little more than a whisper.
"K-kikiyo...why?"
Kaede closed her eye, then took a deep breath and scanned the gathered group of children. "It's been almost 40 years since my elder sister gave her life to bind the Changeling Inuyasha in the great forest, and to this day it is forbidden to tread there. The Fae run wild in those woods, and they like nothing more than to feast on little children!" As she spoke the last part, she threw her arms in the air and the children screamed and laughed, running off to rejoin their parents. All except the little girl who had protested earlier, who stood and walked over to the old druidess.
"Elder Kaede, did your sister really bind Inuyasha to a tree in that forest?"
"Yes, Kagome, she did," said Kaede, smiling at the enthusiastic young girl. "But it was a long time ago, and he is probably dead and gone by now."
"How did your sister die? Your story never says."
"No one knows. She was seriously injured when we reached her in the forest, and collapsed as soon as we got to her. Her body, along with the amulet, was burned and her ashes scattered, according to her instructions."
"When I grow up, I wanna be strong just like Kikiyo," the little girl said, then ran out of Kaede's small tent. As she ran, Kaede smiled after her. No matter how many times she saw that girl, it astounded her how much she looked like her elder sister.
-10 years later-
Kagome walked out of the small wooden hut, brushing her long black hair out of her face and putting up her hand to block the harsh orange rays of the rising sun from her eyes. She wore a long white robe with green trim and a brown shoulder bag, the standard attire of a druid's apprentice. She let out an exasperated sigh as she made her way to Elder Kaede's small dwelling. As much as she relished her training in the arts of healing and the duties of a druidess, she wished the hours were a little more reasonable. Often she would rise before the sun to gather herbs or prepare the ritual sacrifices for the daily rites and wouldn't finish her duties until late into the night. She had been an apprentice for almost 5 years now, and it wasn't long until she would be inducted into the long standing order of druids and given her second name. For now, however, she would have to be content with gathering whatever herbs or other ingredients Kaede required.
Kagome stretched and looked around the small village. It was situated in a meadow that bordered a large, dark forest. A great deal of land was set aside for farming, and the rest was dominated by a loose compaction of wooden huts. Each hut had an animal skin or straw roof with a chimney hole at the top, and an animal skin hanging over the door. Around the length of the village was a huge wall made of sharpened logs, each one enchanted to ward off any unwelcome guests. Not even spirits could pass through the strong wooden gate, as it had been designed to keep invaders both human and Fae out.
"Lady Kaede," she said, suppressing a yawn as she brushed aside the deerskin flap that served as the entrance to Kaede's tent, "I'm here."
"Ah, good morning Kagome," Kaede said, smiling at her young apprentice. In her lap she held a smooth stone bowl, the contents of which she was grinding together with an old carved bone. "Sit down, I was preparing a poultice for Hojo."
Kagome nodded her head and sat down across from her. It was an ill-kept secret that Hojo, a young warrior of the village, had very strong feelings for Kagome. He would always present her with spoils of his hunts or trinkets of other clans that had been conquered in battle. A few days ago, however, Hojo had returned from a hunt with a nasty scratch that no herbs seemed capable of healing. Hojo couldn't recall any of the events leading up to the wound, and upon further inspection, Kaede had said it was caused by the Corrigan, a dangerous Fae said to inhabit the nearby stream. She had tried multiple times to cure his wound, but nothing had worked so far.
Kaede ground the contents of her bowl into a thick paste, sprinkling in a mixture of purified earth and ground crystal. She scraped the paste out of the bowl and onto a large leaf, then set it aside to ferment. While they waited, Kaede prepared a simple breakfast of porridge and bread for herself and Kagome. After they had finished eating, she folded the leaf into a small packet and handed it to Kagome.
"Deliver this to Hojo's father, then return to me at once."
Kagome nodded. "Yes, Elder," she said, standing and walking out of Kaede's tent. She walked quickly through the camp, hoping to get this particular task over with as quickly as possible. As she made her way to Hojo's family dwelling, she could hear the other village girls giggling and talking amongst themselves. Though she was the apprentice of a druid, a high position among her people, she was first and foremost a village girl, and as such rumors about her and Hojo spread like wildfire. She lowered her head and quickened her pace, hoping that the delivery of the poultice wouldn't create more silly rumors.
"Hey Kagooooooooooooooooome!"
Oh no, thought Kagome, turning and forcing a smile as the trio ran up to her, mischief clear in the their eyes. Yuka, the one who had called out to her, was the first to reach her. She resembled Kagome a great deal in looks, but she kept her hair cut very short. She was flanked by Eri and Ayumi, two of the other village girls. Eri had her shoulder length hair tied up as usual, and Ayumi had let her tightly curled hair hang loose to just below her shoulder blades. The three girls had grown up with Kagome, but she hadn't had much time to see them since she had started training with Kaede. They were always gossiping and had been nagging Kagome about Hojo since they were old enough to talk.
"Hey guys," Kagome said, hoping to keep the conversation short, "what's up?"
"So are you going to see Hojo with that medicine Kagome," Yuka asked. "I'll bet you are. Have you finally decided to admit that you like him?"
Not even close, thought Kagome, irritation glinting behind her false smile. "The medicine is for Hojo, yes, and speaking of that, I need to get it to him. See ya!"
Before the girls could stop her, Kagome turned and quickly marched off. She couldn't stand any more of their useless chatter. After all, she said to herself, I haven't got time for boys right now. Kaede keeps me far too busy. However, this didn't stop the trio from spreading the news that she was going to see Hojo. The rumors they were likely spreading would take a lifetime to live down.
Before long, she arrived at Hojo's dwelling and gently knocked on the wooden wall. Hojo's father, a tall, muscular man with light brown hair, stepped out, smiling at the young girl.
"Well now, if it isn't Kagome. Won't you come inside? I'm sure Hojo would love to see you."
"Sorry sir," Kagome said quickly, offering the poultice and bowing her head. "Elder Kaede requires me back immediately. I was charged to deliver this poultice and return as soon as possible." Kagome was secretly thankful for this order. She would hate to give the locals any more ammunition or spawn any more stupid rumors. Unfortunately, before she could turn to leave, Hojo's father wrapped one of his massive arms around her shoulders.
"Nonsense," he said, ushering her into the hut. "Let the old lady wait a while. It will do Hojo more good to see you than this medicine she made."
Sighing, Kagome walked to the bed at the back of the hut where Hojo lay resting. He was handsome, and had his father's brown hair, but he wasn't as heavily muscled and his eyes were blue like his mother. He turned towards the door as the pair entered and smiled weakly. The venom in the wound had taken a great deal of his strength.
"Oh hey Kagome, you came to see me. That's very kind of you," he said. He tried to sit up a little, but Kagome put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down.
"Don't try to move," she said, "it will make the venom spread. I brought some medicine from Kaede." She gently unfolded the leaf and removed the bandage on Hojo's leg. The wound was an deep, but the cuts were black, as if he had been cut by pieces of charcoal. She pressed the bandage to the wound, and it hissed loudly, black smoke rising from around the leaf. Hojo squinted his eyes in pain, but he quickly hid it behind one of his charming smiles.
"Thank you, Kagome. When we're married, I promise to take care of you day and night so you never have to work again."
Kagome didn't say anything, but gently patted his shoulder. "You just concentrate on getting better, Hojo," she said, smiling. "Whatever happens after is up to the Fates." With that, she bowed to Hojo's father and made her way out of the hut and back to Kaede. By the time she got there, the old druidess was already setting out a pack and tools for her. She opened her mouth to explain why she was late, but Kaede held up a hand to silence her.
"It doesn't matter," she said, handing Kagome a folded piece of parchment. "Take this pack and gather the following plants for me from the forest. I need to gather some water from the spring."
"But Elder, what about the Fae in the forest," Kagome asked, her voice shaking a little. She wasn't really afraid, but she would prefer not to meet a wild Fae unprepared.
"That's what this is for," said Kaede softly, showing Kagome a small stone dagger. "It's enchanted so that it can harm the Fae. You shouldn't need it, but it's a precaution."
Kagome nodded and slung the small pack over her shoulder, looking over the list of plants she would need to gather. This is going to take forever, she thought, sighing and heading through the gate and into the deep woods.
Meanwhile, Kaede retrieved a water skin and her bow and quiver from inside and set off to the river. She really is a good girl, she thought, looking after Kagome as she hurried off. She didn't need all of the herbs that were on the list she'd given to Kagome, but she wanted her to be busy for a while. Her real errand at the river was to find and slay the Corrigan that had attacked Hojo. Such a dangerous Fae that close to the village was a significant problem, especially if it had taken residence in the local water source. Corrigans were Fae spirits born from the souls of drowned maidens, and they were extremely evil, dragging anyone who caught their gaze down to a watery grave. Hojo was lucky to escape with just a scratch, Kaede thought to herself as she made her way out of the village. She walked slowly, using her bow to support her like a cane. Anyone looking on would think that she was just a regular old woman, quite incapable of defending herself. The truth, of course, was quite the opposite, as her aim with the bow was deadly accurate. Even so, she was old, and age had started to wear heavily on her body, so that it took her quite some time to reach the river.
When she finally reached her destination, she sat down on the bank of the river to rest, washing her hands and face in the cool, clear water. She brought a few handfuls to her mouth before dipping the water skin just below the surface. As the skin began to slowly fill with water, she took a look around for anything suspicious. Corrigans had been known to shape shift into any number of strange forms to hunt, and she didn't want to be caught off guard. A long time passed, but nothing stirred but a few ravens cawing in the trees and some croaking frogs. She had filled her skin, and by the time she got back to the village, Kagome would have returned. She stood and sealed the water skin, gathering her quiver and preparing to leave.
Just as she turned to go back to the village, all of the sounds of the forest suddenly stopped, save for a soft bubbling sound in the river. Kaede slowly turned, notching an arrow in her bow and scanning the area. "Come out, spirit," she said softly, "and speak your desire. If ye be phantom, let us say the rights to help ye pass over."
The bubbling stopped for a moment, then suddenly something burst from the stream towards Kaede. Kaede tried to fire her bow at the creature, but it knocked her bow arm aside before she could fire and threw her to the ground, grabbing her wrists and pinning her down. The creature resembled a woman with long white hair wearing a long white dress. However, the dress turned to mist below the creatures waist, its face was bloated and gray like a drowned person, and its long fingers ended in sharp claws encrusted in mud and grime. It screamed into Kaede's face, and she could see that it's teeth were like needles.
"WHERE IS IT," the Corrigan shrieked, staring down at Kaede with lidless, glowing red eyes. "WHERE IS MIDORIKO'S KNOT?"
Before Kaede could respond, however, the creature jerked its head up, then quickly looked towards the forest. Its cracked lips twisted into a grotesque smile, and it cackled with a sound like gurgling water.
"I CAN SENSE IT! I CAN SENSE THE AMULET'S POWER! IT CALLS TO ME!"
The creature flew off of Kaede and into the woods, repeating, "THE AMULET, THE AMULET!" Kaede sat up as quickly as she could, grabbing up her bow and running after the creature. Kagome, she thought, notching another arrow as she ran, please stay safe. Stay safe until I reach ye.
While this had been going on, Kagome had made her way into the woods and begun to gather up the various plants that Kaede had required of her. She had collected almost all of them, but had somehow lost track of the path back to her village. She had been wandering around the forest for some time now, but she couldn't seem to get her bearings. Something seemed to be pulling her deeper into the forest, like a soft tug on her heart. After what seemed like ages of wandering around, she stumbled into a clearing with a massive tree in the middle. As she looked up at the tree, her breath caught in her throat.
A young man, who looked not much older than Kagome herself, hung from the tree by an arrow piercing his shoulder. He wore simple clothes, and his eyes were closed as though he was sleeping. Thick sprigs of mistletoe had grown around him, holding him firmly in place. He had long silver hair that hung down to his waist and a woven leather necklace around his neck. However, the thing that really drew Kagome's eye was the young man's ears. The were pointed like a dogs and stuck out of his hair on top of his head. They look so...cute, Kagome thought, reaching her hand up towards him. She gently grasped both of his ears and gave them a quick rub.
Yup, they're real, she said to herself. So that would mean...this is Inuyasha the Changeling who Kikiyo sealed all those years ago. Her eyes moved down to the arrow that held him fast to the tree. She knew from her training that it was made of mistletoe like the branches that held him. Mistletoe was one of the most sacred trees of her order, and it was often used by druids to drive off Fae. That would explain why it sealed him, she thought to herself. She reached over and, almost without meaning to, grasped the sacred arrow.
As soon as she touched the shaft, a blinding flash of green light lit the area and Kagome fell back, still holding on to the arrow. She sat up and shook off the initial shock as the light faded, then looked down at the arrow in her hand. It still glowed the same bright green, and it looked as though it was almost...growing. Kagome watched in wonder as the arrow grew and bent in her hand. When the light faded, the arrow had transformed into a bow made of strong, pliable mistletoe. She was so amazed that she almost forgot about Inuyasha until she heard the soft growl.
Inuyasha had opened his eyes, which were bright gold in color, and was glaring at Kagome and growling. The branches that held him in place were slowly receding, until at last he fell gently to the ground, free from the spell. He took a step towards Kagome, clenching his hands into claws and brandishing his sharp nails.
"Bitch," he said, slowly approaching Kagome, "why did you betray me?"
"Betray you? I just met you," exclaimed Kagome, backing away slowly.
"Don't give me that, Kikiyo," growled Inuyasha. He had stopped coming towards her, but he was still glaring at her and looked like he would leap on her any second.
"Kikiyo? But I'm not-"
"Stop playing dumb, Kikiyo! Just give me the amulet and maybe I won't kill you!"
"What? Amulet? What in the world are you talking about? And stop calling me Kikiyo, it's not my name!"
"Oh sure it isn't! Well then if you aren't Kikiyo, who the hell are you?"
"My name's Kagome. Ka-Go-Me! I live in the village outside the forest."
Inuyasha looked as if he was about to retort, but a deafening shriek split the air, and both he and Kagome turned towards the river. A few seconds later, a phantom woman burst through the trees, flying at Kagome with it's dagger-like nails aimed towards her.
"GIVE ME THE KNOT! GIVE ME MIDORIKO'S KNOT!"