Disclaimer:
I do not own Inuyasha!The Frozen Kingdom
Prologue:
A child's Fair TaleKari's mother tucked her into bed, giving her a kiss on the forehead, before turning to leave. "Mommy, tell me a story." Kari requested with a yawn. Her mother smiled and sat beside her, smoothing over her hair gently.
"Dear child, what is it you wish to hear?" Her mother asked, before smiling in a knowing way. "Ah I bet you wish to hear the tale of the frozen kingdom." Her mother suggested.
Kari nodded her head vigorously. "That would be great mother, it is my favorite." She exclaimed happily.
"I know Kari, that is why I shall tell it." Her mother closed her eyes trying to recall every detail the best that she can. "It is an old fairy tale said to have taking place a couple hundred years ago…"
~*~
The music stopped abruptly, and all heads turned to the head of the room. There stood a man in black, with long black hair and red eyes. He glared menacingly at the king and queen, though that was nothing compared to the glare scent the youngest son. A glare like that could have frozen the hottest pit of hell over. Inuyasha shivered involuntarily.
King Inutashio stood and watched the intruder warily as he spoke. "Is there something we can help you with?" The king asked.
The man laughed sadistically. "No there is nothing you can help me with, but your mutt over there can."
Inutashio and his mate Saiako glared, while Inuyasha stood up angrily, clenching his fist. "Who are you calling a mutt." He asked through clenched teeth. "Feh, go get help somewhere else, I sure as hell ain't gonna give it!" He declared crossing his arms over his chest, trying to resist the urge to run the intruder through with his claws. He was human, it wouldn't be right to kill him with his superior strength.
The intruder took a few steps forward. "Yes, I thought that would be your answer Inuyasha." He gave him a knowing smile. "You do recall a young woman by the name of Kikyou, do you not?" He asked, Inuyasha turned away from the stranger, his bangs covering his eyes from the rest in the room. "I thought so." He remarked. "Yes, you fell in love with her, didn't you? Then you told Kikyou, and she explained to you that she could never be with a worthless little hanyou like yourself, did she not?" Inuyasha clenched his, taking a shuttering breath to calm his anger.
"What is the point in all of this?" Inutashio asked. "If you only intend to bring pain to my son then leave, or I shall be forced to make you leave, understand?"
The stranger nodded. "Right I guess I should get to the point then, well I plan on cursing this whole kingdom." He explained, and grinned at the many gasps that echoed through out the entire room. "And I think it will go something like this: During the day the kingdom shall sleep, at night it shall come alive. Inuyasha will remain during the day invisible and visible when the night comes along. So shall this curse remain until Inuyasha can find one not of this kingdom to fall in love with him, and until then every one within this kingdom shall remain ageless." He finished.
"So how do you plan to cast this curse when you're only human?" Inuyasha scoffed.
"What make you think I am human?" He smiled maliciously. "Oh, right, I hid my demonic powers from you, how could I forget?" He asked himself.
"Then I guess that changes everything." Inuyasha remarked as he placed his clawed hand to the hilt of Tetsusaiga.
"If you wanted to fight me, you should have said something a long time ago." He commented. "I have already finished this curse, you should all prepare, the night should be ending soon." With that said the stranger disappeared from sight.
~*~
"… So you see that kingdom is still hear today, untouched, waiting for a fair maiden to fall in love with their Hanyou prince." Kari's mother explained. "Well dear sweet daughter of mine, it is time for you to sleep." Her mother kissed her forehead before leaving her to rest.
The Frozen Kingdom
Do I have too?
The sun sat high in the sky, casting shadows wide over the village of Kaido. The farmers were busy harvesting their crops, while the children played in the streets causing passerby's to tread carefully to their destinations. While in one hut one girl of sixteen ran around packing for a trip to the western lands with her kid brother.
"Souta did you pack the snacks I made?" Kagome hollered from her room. Folding another kimono, she placed it neatly in her bag, along with some red and blue hakamas and a few of her favorite yukatas. On top of all that, she placed her journal, a pen, and her favorite music box her mother gave her for her birthday. She didn't plan on returning. "Souta did you hear me?" She called after awhile of no answer.
"Yeah sis, I heard you, and I got em packed just now." He answered her back.
Kagome smiled to herself, this is going to be a fun trip she and her brother are going to make. They have never really belonged in this place; they were different. In a sense that she didn't share the same goals as the women in this village had for their lives, nor did her brother with men in this village. All Kagome wanted to do is run her mother and father's business of selling odufas, charms, and other such mystical things that she learned to make from her grandfather. The funny thing was whenever her grandfather made them they never seemed to work, but when she herself made them, they work rather well.
Kagome sighed sadly to herself. The reason they had to leave was the government was forcing her to marry in order to keep the shop and her little hut, and she did not want to marry. Especially if there were no love in the picture, she would be able to survive living that way, and Souta was still way too young to put off marrying waiting for him to come of age to take things over. He was only eight, and if he were to become head of the household he would need to be at lest the same age as her. So her only other option was leaving Kaido for good, or at lest until Souta got older.
"Hey Souta go take some copper from the pot and by some seeds from the farmers, if were going to the western lands then were going to need grown food to survive." She told him mater-of-fact. "Hurry Souta, we've got to get going before the sun sets."
"Kagome!" He whined. "Why can't you go?" She heard his voice ask from his own room.
"I have to watch over the shop, now hurry." Kagome tied the string to her bag, hefted it over her shoulder, and walked out into the common room. "Get corn, tomatoes, carrots, rice and wheat, you think you can remember all of that."
Souta sat still for a moment in thought, and then nodded. "Yeah I can remember it." He sighed as he left the hut.
"Remember to hurry, we need to leave before night fall." Kagome called after him, and then propped her bag against the wall near Souta's. Turning into the shop she began to tidy the place up a bit, rearranging things on the shelves, as well as looking for charms and odufas that might help them along the way. They would need one that kept demons away, and maybe a charm to make one of them invisible from a demons sight, preferably her brother. If she were to protect them from harm, she would need her brother to be safe so she needn't worry about him during the battle.
"Higurashi, it's nice to see you again." Kagome jumped from the sound of the voice, she was so engrossed in her activities she didn't notice anyone enter.
Upon turning, she regretted it immensely, one she got a little dizzy, and two she saw Houjo standing before her. "Oh, Houjo, it nice to see you too." She greeted nervously.
He smiled and continued on, oblivious to the fact that she does not want to see him right now. "Well, I, um, heard about, your problem and I thought that, maybe if, we, um, got married it might, um, fix it." Kagome nearly choked on the air she was breathing when he suggested they marry. Is he for real! She wondered, staring at him as if he had fangs and spouted another head. He didn't even seem to notice.
"I'll have to think about it." She answered slowly, and then a wonderful idea popped into her head. "Hojou could you do me a favor and watch the shop while my brother and I are gone?" She asked, batting her eyelashes at him. Normally she would not do something this degrading to herself, but she needed someone who would give the shop back to her if she decided to return. Houjo is the only one that she knew of that would give her back ownership although she was only female.
"Sure, but where are you two heading?" He asked, scratching the side of his head as if he had lice. It wouldn't surprise her considering his choice profession.
She didn't like to lie, but this was the only way she could get him to do it for her. "Well Souta and I are going to Anrui to deliver some odufas and love charms to a priest there that had requested a few hundred a couple months ago. I just finally finished the last one two nights ago; the last two days were spent preparing for the journey. Though the only thing I had to take care of was finding someone to watch the shop for me." She explained. "So, will you do me the favor?"
Houjo smiled and nodded. Does he ever not have a smile planted on that face of his? She wondered curiously as she watched his face for it to fade or lessen, it never did. "Sure, but would you like me to have my mother make up a first aid kit for your travels, I'm sure it would come in handy." He offered.
Kagome shook her head. "Oh no, that's alright, I already saw your mom about one." She laughed nervously. More like I still have the six kits, you've given us over the last couple of weeks. "Anyway I think I should finish packing for the journey, don't forget to check up on the shop alright." Houjo nodded and surprisingly left without saying another word, poor guy must have been to preoccupied with thoughts of when to come and check up on the shop. Kagome sighed; maybe she should have found someone else who didn't have so much to do.
"Kagome, what was Houjo doing here." Souta asked, carried four small bags of seeds in his hands.
She smiled and ruffled her little brother's hair. "Hey squirt, its nice to see you too." She laughed when he scrunched up his face moving out of the way of the hand that carried out assault on his hair. "He came here to see if we needed another first aid kit."
Souta shook his head in disbelief. "Does he think were prone to accidents, or something? I mean in the last couple of weeks he has given us six, and they have all remained unused. Not to mention all of those cures he has given us, for illness I've never had and most I haven't even heard of."
"I know." And to think, he wants me to marry him. I wouldn't be able to survive! His idea of conversation is what's the best way to heal corns, or the best cream for boils. Kagome shuttered at her own thoughts. "Come on Souta, let's get going the suns beginning to go down."
Kagome picked up her own bag and the bag with their supplies, while Souta carried his own bag. Together they walked out to the front of their hut where their already saddled up horses are tied up. Kagome laden down her horse with the supplies and her own bag, and sure that they were tied on securely, doing the same for Souta. "Need help getting on squirt?" Kagome asked.
Souta shook his head. "No, I can do it myself, I'm not a little kid anymore." He assured. "Besides your not strong enough to lift me." Her brother commented as he mounted his ride.
"You had better hope that I'm strong enough, Souta, otherwise who's going to be saving your behind from the ruthless demons that live in the forest of the western land?" Kagome asked as she placed the already strung bow diagonally across her chest, making sure her arrow quiver was secure at her side. Once that was done she used both her hands and upper arm strength to support her weight as she swung her leg over the saddle. Sitting up right, she gripped the reigns in her hands. "Well?"
Reigns still in his hands he crossed his arms over his chest and gave a snort. "Fine, your strong enough, can we get going now?" Souta pleaded.
Kagome nodded kicking her horse in to a light trot, Souta doing the same. They rode side by side, for a few moment before Kagome spoke again. "Souta I don't plan on stopping for a long time, if you get tired let me know." She commented absently as she took a left turn a fork in the path. Souta followed her lead with a scowl on his young face. "What?" Kagome asked.
"I'm not weak you know!" He grumbled. "I can take anything you can take."
Kagome smiled warmly at her little brother. "I never said you were weak Souta." She replied softly. "I just didn't think it was fair to you to give up your rest because we must hurry to the western lands before were eaten up by demons." She remarked affectionately, wishing that she were a bit closer to him so that she may ruffle his hair a bit. Kagome knew he hated when she did it, but she loved to anyway, it always brought a dopey grin to his face that she just loved.
Souta shook his head in mock disappointment. "You know you're the one who's suppose to assure me we won't be eaten, besides I'm wide a wake, I ate some of Aunt May's cakes." He laughed. "I think I have enough energy to last for days and not feel a bit tired." Aunt May was the old woman who lived at the end of the village with her husband that was one of her grandfather's closest friends, anyway she is loved by all of the village children. Though she wouldn't have gotten that way if it were for her famous sugar infested cakes. They held so much sugar in them children would be literally bouncing of the walls, and the children loved her for it while the parents despised her. Though in truth no one really despised her, who could she was the sweetest little old lady in all the world. She was like a second grandmother to Kagome, and she loved her dearly, and she would most likely never see her again. That thought made her feel a bit depressed, they were leaving so much behind.
Kagome forced herself to smile for Souta's sake, she didn't want to worry him over a little home sickness that managed to worm her its way into her heart. "Souta you really shouldn't eat so many of her cakes, so much sugar isn't good for you, you know." She explained to him.
"Yeah sure sis." He replied sarcastically. Normally he would have said, 'sure whatever mother', but that would have caused Kagome to become very sad. Souta didn't want that. Whenever anyone mentioned anything about their mother, Kagome would get a very distant look in her eyes, same went when their father was mentioned. Kagome witnessed their murder.
Kagome laughed at that, and it made Souta smile as well. He loved to make his sister happy. "By the way, I'm positive we won't get eaten." She nodded to herself. "Well almost positive, I mean we are traveling to the capital of demons after all."
Souta's grip tightened on his reigns, and sent his sister a dead pan look. "Thanks, you made me feel so much better about this." He replied sarcastically, and then sniffed. "But I guess I shouldn't expect you of all people to be comforting in a situation like this." He scoffed.
Kagome reached over and patted his forearm. "I'm sorry Souta, I was only joking around." She smiled at him, which caused him to smile in turn. Dang it, why did her smiles have to be so infectious? He wondered absently as he returned the smile. "Trust me I am more then capable of protecting us, besides if you wear this concealing charm then you won't be seen by the demons if they attack us alright." He nodded as she handed him the necklace. "All though if we come across human bandits…" She trailed off.
Souta snorted at that. "Kagome, I not that weak, I've helped you take you lower youkai so I'm sure I could help take out some pesky human bandits." He whined.
Kagome smiled and nodded, leading Souta down another path that would get them to there destination a lot quicker.
~*~
Souta yawned sleepily into his hand as his head began to droop to his chest. So far they have been ridding for at lest a day and a half, and he was dead tired, but he refused to sleep if his sister wasn't going to. Kagome cast a sideways glance and his direction, in a few more moments he would fall of his mount in exhaustion. That thought in mind helped her decision. "Souta I nearly dead, how bout he rest for awhile?" She asked. "You wouldn't deny your only sister some sleep would you?" She tried to make her voice sound hopeful, but in truth she wasn't tired at all. She could days without sleep, though the next time she took a nap she might sleep for nearly a day.
Souta grinned. "Well I don't know…" He trailed of looking thoughtful for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. "When you put it that way, how could I?" It was more of a statement of fact then a question. In truth Souta was nearly dead tired, and he knew that his sister was only trying to help him out by acting so herself. He was grateful for it.
Kagome made a show of it by sighing in relief. "Oh good, you know if I went on any longer and we were attacked by demons, I doubt I would have been much help." She explained, as she jumped from her horse followed by her little brother.
Souta nodded. "Yeah but if we did get attacked all the demons would be so busy munching on you, I could get a clean break." He announced, and giggled from the strange look his sister gave him.
"You would really leave me, your only family, to demons and run?" She asked, her voice sounded both hurt and very saddened.
Souta gulped, he didn't mean to make his sister sad. "No, I was only joking Kagome, I would die before I let any smelly demons eat you!." He declared, puffing out his chest.
Kagome laughed. "Well, lets just hope it never comes to that." She took out a blanket and laid it out on the ground. "This will have to do, did you bring yourself a blanket Souta?" She asked, raising a brow expectantly.
Souta blushed a bit. "I forgot."
Kagome sighed in exasperation. "You know, your just lucky you're my favorite little brother, otherwise I leave you to freeze to death." She threatened as she got under her blankets.
Souta rolled his eyes. "I'm your only brother."
Kagome shook her head. "That doesn't mean anything, if you weren't my favorite, I could careless." She announced as she held her blankets up. "Now get your little butt under here before I change my mind." Souta squeaked and jumped in beside her.
"Kagome, how long do we have before we reach the western lands?"
"A day at the lest, Souta."
~*~
Kagome woke early in the morning to find Souta curled up next her, huddled close for more warmth. She smiled warmly at him, he looked like an angle when he slept, and the devil himself when he was awake. Kagome shook her head, he wasn't that bad, more like the devils lackey. Her smile slide right off her face as she felt the presence just beyond their camp.
Kagome quietly nudged Souta's shoulders, his eyes opened slowly to stare up at her questioningly. He would have just asked, but she had specifically told him not to say a word if she was to wake him while he slept. Kagome leaned down slowly so that her lips were to his ear and whispered as quietly as she could, but have him still hear her. "We're being watched, by youkai I think." She announced
Souta nodded dumbly and slide his concealing charm around his neck, causing him to disappear from a demon's sights. "Souta get to your horse, but don't touch the reigns, and don't move around and make noise." Her little brother did as told, as quickly as possible.
Kagome stood from her place of rest, and began to fold the blankets neatly and placed the back with in her saddlebags. Once that was finished she grabbed the reigns of her brothers brown mare and tied them to the horn of her saddle. The demon was following them; she could feel its aura moving in time with them. It wasn't a very strong aura, but she knew the demon could offer her a fair amount of trouble if it did decide to attack.
Turning to face the horse next to her, making sure to keep her eyes on the horse and not her brother she whispered. "Ginger, keep moving like that and your sure to attract trouble." Instantly her brother became as still as he possible could be, controlling his breathing. "Don't worry, about a mile or so and were there." She looked at her brother out of the corners of her eyes, making she he heard her and understood. He nodded his head slightly, holding onto the horn of the saddle so that he wouldn't lose his balance. Then opened his eyes wide and pointed fiercely in front of him.
Kagome turned just in time to find herself face to face with a gigantic purple demon. In a split second the demon raked his claws along her middle unseating her from her horse. Souta had to reframe from screaming out his sisters name, it would only make things worse on her if the demon found his position.
Quickly making sure her bow was intact, Kagome found and unbroken arrow and aimed it for the demons heart. The purple demon looked down on her with its red rimed eyes, smirking. "Do you think your puny human arrows can defeat me, the almighty Grunch." The purple demon scoffed.
Kagome smiled and released the arrow, it flew towards it's target enveloped in a pink light. Once it hit it's intended target, it forced the demon to disappear into thin air. It was as if it never existed. "This is no ordinary human arrow." She replied to the wind. Taking the bow back over her shoulders, Kagome quickly retrieved the pack that fell off with her, holding it against her wounds. She was bleeding profusely, and did not want to worry Souta. Taking a deep breath, Kagome forced back the pain a she remounted her horse, and turned back down the path. Souta followed close after her, it never ceased to amaze him how strong and brave his sister was. He wanted to be exactly like her when he was her age, maybe she would allow him to fight by her side when there was more then just lower level demons around.
It wasn't long before they entered a village, and not too far into the village was the castle of the western lands. It was amazing, even from the is far away it could be seen clearly, Souta briefly wondered how tall it would be close up. He took a second to see his sisters reaction to the place, maybe he could convince her to live there.
Kagome's eyes widened at the sight before her. The castle was huge, or a lest she assumed it to be considering how far they were from it, and how well they could see it. From what she could see, it looked as if stone gargoyles guarded the ledges of the castle walls, and it seem as if some of the gargoyles spouted water from their mouths into the lake that traveled nearly all the way around the castle and through the village.
Souta tugged on the sleeve of his sisters white kimono, grabbing her attention. "Do you think we can stay in the castle?" He asked his voice hopeful.
Kagome thought a moment, and then shrugged. "I don't see why not, it's not as if anyone is living there."
She smiled as her brother threw his hand up in the air and cheered. "You're the greatest Kagome! Wait until my friends at the village hear about me living in a castle, they'll all be so jealous." He then turned to Kagome. "Oi, sis, do you think I can take off this charm now?"
"Hai, Souta, you can take it off now." Souta smiled and removed the charm, placing it within the folds of his own kimono. The only noise that disturbed the silence the now reigned between the two, was the cry of a hawk that flew above the castle walls.
~*~
Inuyasha sat in his own room and stared at the ceiling above him, six more hours until the sun rested and let night take over, only six more. Clenching his fist, he sent it colliding into the wall next to him, and then let his form fall to his bed. Why did it always seem to take so long, why did the day seem longer then the night? He was trapped during the day, unable to leave the confines of the castle, on top of being invisible to all but Miroku.
How long has he been like this, two, three centuries at most. Will anyone have the heart to help them? Inuyasha placed the hope from his heart, no one would help a hanyou, possibly a demon or a human, but not a hanyou. He was considered the lowest form of life in this world, and it didn't seem to matter that he is a prince. Inuyasha sighed dejectedly as he sat up once again, maybe there was still some ramen left in the kitchens. It was worth a try to look, and get his mind of these stupid depressing thoughts.
Right when he reached the door, Miroku landed on his shoulder, the lecherous hawk ruffling his wings as he settled in after the long flight. "What is it monk?" He questioned, as he continued with his walk toward the kitchens.
"You would never believe it, Inuyasha, but there is the most beautiful woman, ah and a little boy on their way to the castle." He informed, as he took in the frown upon his friends face. "What is it, I thought you would be happy."
"I'm ecstatic." He mumbled sarcastically. "I don't know why I ever let you talk me into telling that stupid lie to the first traveler that stopped at this castle." He growled, as he placed his hands within his hoari sleeves.
"Come now, Inuyasha, it got a lot of pretty girls' attentions." He explained. "Besides it wasn't a complete lie, just not the whole truth."
"And explain to me, monk, how that makes it any better." He glanced sideways at the bird perched upon his left shoulder.
The monk-turned-hawk ruffled his feathers a bit, and shuffled his footing on his friend's shoulder. "Well it did get a lot of girls to come her right?" He asked.
"Not the right type of girl, if there is such a one." He mumbled. "All any of them wanted was a prince, they refused to do what needed to be done to breath this damned curse." He growled.
The hawk considered this a moment, and would have been snapping fingers or clapping his hands if he still had them. "let me make a proposal, if you be nice to her and make her fall in love with you, unlike how you handled the other ones and she still refuses…. I'll do anything you want for the remainder of the years we spend in this castle." The monk offered.
Inuyasha grinned evilly, making the monk-turned-hawk regret even making such an offer, but to late to turn back now. Besides he had confidence he might be right this time. "Fine, you have a deal, but I only start till after the sun sets, I think my being invisible would scare her off." He explained.
"Oh, what I wouldn't give to have been turned invisible instead of a hawk." Miroku sighed wistfully. "I could practice my charms on women without having to be seen, instead of having to wait until night comes around because of my lack in hands."
"Stupid hentai monk." He growled under his breath. "Go watch her until she enters the castle, and then come inform me of her arrival… I'm going to be in the kitchens eating ramen." With that he shooed the hawk from his shoulder and continued his trek towards the kitchens, to appease his empty stomach. "Don't even think about practicing your charms on her monk." He called over his shoulders as an after thought.
At first the monk was depressed, he couldn't have any fun when Inuyasha was around, and then he was happy about it. He was actually taking this serious! The monk smiled to himself, as much as he possibly could with his hawk features. Inuyasha would definitely take this even more serious once he saw the girl. It would be love at first sight, just like him and his lovely Sango. Miroku sighed dreamily, now if he could only get her to stop slapping him all the time…
~*~
A/N:
