Chapter One: Thy name is Usagi!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, however Midori and any other character not in the Inuyasha series is indeed mine.
The world seemed to fade around her as Midori concentrated on taking deep even breaths. She knew she had to concentrate, closing her eyes, she bent over her palms placed flatly against her knees.
"Concentrate Midori, I believe in you!" Her best friend, and only friend Yuri cried out as Midori nodded and readied herself taking one last deep breath. This was it; what she had been practicing for. She could do this, she just had to. She ran with all her power and jumped, launching herself into the air as the world seemed to slow in motion. Her coal eyes became focused on everything around her out of mere instinct: The sound of the air moving around her, her heart beat, birds chipping in the distance. It was incredible and all to unreal. She had practiced for this moment, and she was going to beat the record.
She flipped over the pole in an backwards motion and landed on her feet, much to her surprise, she had did it!
"Holy cow Midori!" Yuri called out. "You did it! You really, really did it! I mean holy cow!" Yuri was unaware that they were being watched, but Midori could sense it. Just a few yards away, Midori detected an massive aura that poured out raw masculine power. The man that hid behind the shrubbery stared at Midori with satisfaction although it was quite strange, he thought, all though she had the form of an human he knew it was being hidden by a strong seal that she was unaware of. She was different from the women who had accompanied him many years. Still, looks could be deceiving...
"And that flip was just sweet," Yuri praised, lacing their fingers together as she laid her head softly on Midori's tiny stomach. "I wish I could do that."
Midori only hn'd in response.
…
More soon after Midori beat the world's record, the girls were eating their under their favorite blooming tree.
"I'm not hungry," Midori sighed, poking her chopsticks into her baked potato. She shoved it aside annoyed and glanced at Yuri who was openly gawking at her.
"What?" Midori asked, her eyes narrowing.
"You know Midori, you have to stop being so paranoid. You'd have a lot more friends."
"Hmm..." Midori pondered. "Perhaps, but I'm not interested in friendship...aside from ours that is."
"Give me a break, Midori. You're amazing. And besides..."
"What is it?" Midori asked confused at the sudden grey color outlining Yuri's aura which meant something was making her depressed.
"You're beautiful, and well I'm not. So why me as a friend?"
Midori didn't say anything because she really didn't know.
"Sorry, I know you don't like talking about 'emotional' things," Yuri joked. She wrapped her arms around Midori's in a playful hug and the two girls fell over, both giggling.
"Yuri!"
"Midori!"
Their bonding was interrupted by something in the shape of a ball quickly flying by. They watched with amazement as it passed directly over them.
"Strange," Midori whispered, it didn't reek of the normal flying objects.
"I think it's something from America!"
"America?"
"Yeah, America is so secretive. I wonder what other cool things they have over there."
"Hn." Midori stood up, and faced Yuri who still sat on the ground.
"Sometimes, whenever I hear the planes at night I squeeze my eyes shut tightly. Ever since the bombing of Hiroshima I'm scared, but you know, I shouldn't be. Right?" Yuri pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest resembling an frightened child.
"I won't allow anything to happen to you, Yuri." Midori said as she watched the ball fade into the distance.
"I know..but ah Midori! Do you remember anything beyond the past year yet?"
"Iie, but that ball..." Midori murmured never taking her eyes away from where the ball vanished. "Somehow...it looks very familiar. I know it."
"Midori!" Her older brother, Kashi called, bringing her out of her trance-like-thinking.
"It's time to go to the clinic," Kashi waved her bike helmet in his hand.
"Be right there!" Midori called back.
"You're so lucky Midori, I wish I and every other girl could ride with Kashi," Yuri cooed. Midori held back a scowl.
"C'mon Midori! You have too admit, he's so cool and hot! Every popular girl in school is after him." Yuri spoke the truth, unlike her Kashi was quite popular, especially with the girls and gangs. He was beyond beautiful, rode a bad-ass motorcycle, let's face it a God paled in comparison to him.
"If only he didn't fight so much, Yuri...he's always coming home bloody especially since I've arrived. I think I ruined his life," Midori softly said afraid an approaching Kashi would hear.
"Don't say that, don't ever say that again!" Yuri growled impressively at Midori because she knew most of the fights Kashi engaged in was because someone had did something to Midori who seemed not to care.
Midori shrugged and took a few steps back towards an impatient Kashi who was holding her helmet over his shoulder.
"Thanks"
"No problem, but I wonder why he doesn't play baseball anymore," Yuri wondered aloud, still thinking about Kashi.
"Hm?"
"That's right, you don't know, he used to be the star pitcher of our school team."
"I had no idea." Midori sighed, this only proved her point that she had ruined Kashi's life by moving in.
"Midori! Bring your ass on!" Kashi yelled, unable to contain his impatience any longer.
"I'm coming!" Midori waved towards her friend and practically glided towards where Kashi was waiting.
…
"Thanks Kashi." Midori mumbled in Kashi's ear since the loud engine of Kashi motorcycle wouldn't reach his weak senses.
"You're my sister, no need to thank me." He said softly knowing Midori would hear him, his eyes remained focused on the road as his long black hair poured out of his helmet mixing with her mind-back length dyed blonde hair
"Tell Dad I'm taking the bus home, okay?" she said, not wanting to bother him any more today.
"Aight," he responded. She watched in awe at how beautiful the clouds were. The whole word still felt new to her, she was like an infant seeing this strange world for the first time.
"Did you quit because of me...baseball I mean," Midori without thinking asked, as they approached a red light.
"So, you wanna take the highway or the 'beautiful' route?" He asked already knowing the answer; but wanting to avoid the subject.
Midori only sighed.
"Again, another victim body is recovered from what appears to be from the same serial killer, according to the local police, the female victim was attacked and killed by having an unknown murder weapon thrust threw her heart. Police speculate that the victim used a-"
"How do you feel Midori? Any visions...flash-backs?"
"Iie."
"I understand, just relax and lie still until the I.V's done."
…
Something unusual happened to Midori as she was walking back from the doctors office. She was feeling quite down, as an entire year had passed and she couldn't remember anything, not even her real name or birthday. And being questioned so much on whether she remembered anything daily, was getting to her. Across the street, she heard the faint sound of music. A large crowd was gathered, as she got closer, she could hear the music better. It was a flute. Curious, she tried hard to see who was playing. It was a man. He wore a long dark coat covering his clothing. His black hair was pulled into a top knot, and bits of it hung over his expressionless face.
Midori stopped and listened to him play. One of his arms was hidden into his sleeves, and the other hand with strange tribal tattoos held the flute gently, his mouth was skilled. There was something about this strange man and his music.
Midori closed her eyes. Images began to appear in her mind. A thick forest that reeked of blood and decay.
Midori was wearing an breast plate and warrior like clothing holding a sword stained with blood weakly by her side. She was covered in blood, her own blood. Across from her a man with silver hair and elven shaped ears was holding onto his sword that was covered in her blood. Their gazes locked, her bitter ones with his empty ones.
Midori let loose an angered cry and clumsily rushed towards the demon, who easily dodged her attack and then their was so much pain...
"How could you!" She yelled out loud, falling face first into the bushes. The crowd turned and looked at her, whispering amongst themselves. She briefly made eye contact with the strange man, and stood up quickly, turning red from embarrassment and as quickly as she could she made her way down the sidewalk. The man watched knowingly, it was time.
"So Midori," Her father Ken began. "How was practice today?"
"Perfect," Midori said, setting her bag on the modern sofa in their living room. "I even landed on my feet today."
"It's because you're my daughter," Ken laughed. "Only my daughter is so awesome."
"Keh." Midori scoffed unzipping her bag and dug through it, but couldn't find her diamond necklace that was the only thing she had left of her past.
"This isn't possible! It was just there!"
"What are you looking for?" Her younger brother Yuki teased.
"My diamond necklace, I have to go get it now," Midori said, and ran towards the door.
"What? But it's dark outside Midori!"
"I'll be right back!" She declared, her hand already on the doorknob. She pushed the door open, running into her fathers friend.
"Sorry!" She stood back out of respect and invited the tall, dark haired man in. He met her gaze, his eyes narrowing and face serious. For a moment, Midori found herself glaring back at him until her father broke the silence.
"Yuki go upstairs and watch television or something, and you run along Midori," he said casually despite his distressed aura. "Hurry before it gets even darker."
"Hn." Ken watched as she left and a mumbling Yuki trailed upstairs. He hadn't seen his friend in quite a while. This couldn't possibly be good. Midori pressed her back against the door for a minute deciding on whether to eavesdrop, but decided her diamond was much more important then their conversation. If she had stayed a while longer, she would have heard startling news, and if she had been paying attention, she would have seen the strange man playing the flute earlier, standing in the park across the street.
…
"It's been almost a year since we've looked into Midori's case, and theirs nothing that showed she even existed." The man told Ken. "We're tired of this game of hers."
"Just keep looking, please." Ken begged him. "I can't let you just take her away, she's my daughter."
"Your real daughter's dead, and so is your wife," The man reminded him coldly, causing Ken to hold his head down. The man laid a simple envelope on the sofa, on top of Midori's scattered belongings.
"This should help you re-consider things." He turned and left, leaving Ken to stare angrily at the envelope and what he said. Ken frowned and began putting back Midori's things into her book-bag ignoring the envelope completely. What did that bastard know about anything anyway?
The moon was shining even brighter, if Midori wasn't so...well her, she would have been exhausted from running all the way to the school. All she could think of was finding her diamond necklace and getting home as quickly as possible. The gates to the school were closed and locked, Midori sighed she could get in trouble for this. But the diamond mattered most, and so she with no ease jumped over the gates.
She took off towards the tree she and Yuri had hung out earlier that day. She stopped, startled to see the flute-player from earlier standing in front of her. He began to walk towards her, taking long elegant strides. His face still held no expression.
"Usagi," he practically growled in a deep voice. "It's time to return."
"Y-You have the wrong person." She breathed out together as he held up a familiar sword, which glinted in the moonlight. Midori's mouth gaped open in fear and turned around and quickly ran off, the radio broadcast she'd heard earlier that day about the serial killer in her area. She ran face first into her American English teacher, Mr. Willians. She gasped loudly, frightening the man further. "Fuck!" He screeched in his native tongue.
…
"He was just their!" Midori said in a slight-panicked voice as her teacher shone his flashlight around the school yard.
"Are you sure you weren't...seeing things," he asked, walking around a tree.
"We should just leave and get help!" she insisted. Suddenly, a large tentacle looking thing reached down from the tree, grabbing the man by his neck and pulling him into the darkness. She heard a blood curling scream and a sick crunching sound.
"Mr. Willians?" Her voice shook slightly as she nervous looked up into the tree's dark branches. "Mr. Willians"? Are you there?" Her teacher's now lifeless, bloody body dropped to the ground in front of her, the shock made her eyes widen and freeze. She couldn't believe what was happening. Horrified she looked up and saw blood running down the tree. A man in a bamboo costume came down, crawling towards her. It jumped to the ground and stood, towering almost a good six feet although he slouched.
Gasping, Midori stood up and ran as fast as she could to the school. As she did, that thing, the bamboo let out the most bone shivering laugh she had ever heard.
…
Back at home, the envelope still lay unopened on the sofa. Ken sat near it, depressed and unsure what to make of the day, and worried that Midori still hadn't come home. What if something was wrong? Why did he let her go outside this late with a maniac on the loose?
The door opened, revealing a familiar face.
"Hi Dad!"
"Hello Yuri," he stood, greeting Midori's best friend. "Midori's not here at the moment, but you're welcome to stay."
Yuri shook her head and held up a single glowing diamond.
"Midori left it at school." She handed the diamond to Ken.
"Ah, and she just went back to get it..."
….
In a dark warehouse filled with boxes and graffiti, an annoying beeping was heard - Kashi's cellphone.
"Yeh dad?" Kashi asked, annoyed. "I'm kind of occupied." He folded a hand on his hip out of pure habit staring at the unconscious forms of several guys who's asses he had kicked because they insulted Midori. "Aiight, gotcha." He hung up. Midori was such a bother, always doing stupid shit.
…
Midori ran into the school.
"Help me! Anyone!" She called out. "Please, please!" The door closed behind her and she locked it, letting out a small sigh of relief. The bamboo with a single hand shoved open the door, pushing back Midori into the shattered pieces of glass causing a surface cut on her leg to seep a pool of blood instantly. She felt something warm run down her cheek and knew it was blood as she watched the bamboo stalk towards her. She limped as fast as she could, trying in vain to open a locked classroom door. She limped further down the hallway, only to be met with the flute-playing once again. He held out a single finger a glowing yellow whip coming forth and made contact with the monsters face. With one swipe of its tentacle, it knocked Midori into a classroom window, hitting her head so hard on a desk she nearly became unconscious.
…
Outside the school, Kashi jumped over the gate. He was beginning to become concerned for her safety, not many people liked his little sister.
"Midori!" He called.
…
The monster dodged one of the whips, launching at the flute player.
…
Outside, Kashi discovered the English teacher's body splayed across the ground, bloody.
"The fuck?" He picked up the flashlight that was dropped on the ground, and made his way into the school building.
…
Midori watched with blurry vision as the monster tried to attack the flute player, breaking multiple objects in the process. All the while, it laughed and growled. Who was this man, and why was he protecting her now after trying to kill her? Was he doing this so he could take some sort of sick satisfaction in killing her? In one swift motion, he swept her up into his arms and practically flew up the stairs - he was so fast. He took her into her Environmental science class room. They were safe for now, he had to remove the seal on her before the monster came back. He had to act fast if Midori was going to defeat it, sure he could, but this wasn't his battle.
"What was that thing?" Midori asked. He sat her on-top of a counter and stood before her.
"Naraku," he said dryly as if their life wasn't on the line.
"Naraku?" Midori said slowly, not liking the sound of his name. The flute player unsheathed something from his side, the sword in her mind from earlier.
"A vile hanyou that desires destruction," he explained.
"Hanyou?" The flute player held up an ancient looking seal, offering her it. She scooted away.
"What are you doing? Stop it!" She exclaimed, trying in vain to escape him. Now he had her cornered. Her back was against the wall. The seal in his hand glowed in color.
Just then Naraku burst through the door, its eyes shining in mischief. The man began to murmur something ignoring a frightened Midori.
Naraku leaped at Midori, but the man quickly pulled her away. They were on the ground now, this was his chance.
…
Kashi followed the droops of blood down the hall, using the flashlight from outside to guide his way. Something wasn't right, he could only pray Midori was safe...
…
"Please, you have the wrong girl." Midori begged, trying to crawl away. The man grabbed her. she was powerless against his iron grip. She who could beat up the strongest assholes in Japan was weak to this man. He laid her on the ground, and gripped her face with his one hand. His eyes narrowed into hers.
"Mine."
He embraced her then pressing his mouth against hers, all the while pressing the seal against her forehead.
Kashi arrived at the door, and was stunned by what he saw. Their his sister and a strange man kissing her had a bright blue light surrounding them as they began to change.
"Midori!" he called, shining his light on the pair.
"Midori?" he said again, as the now silver haired man pulled away. He was startled by the angry roar of a monster across the room.
"What the hell?"
The man gently pulled the seal away from Midori's forehead.
"Usagi, return to my side and fight," he said. With that, Usagi's eyes, turned into a bright purple color Battle images appeared in her mind. And then the man who she had loved most, had killed her.
Her wounds healed.
She was snarling, as her now silver and purple hair lengthened till it spilled several inches from her body.
A floofy silver and purple tail like the man beside her rested over her shoulder, and her elven ears decorated with several jewels lengthened.
In her memory, she saw the man, dressed in old fashioned clothing.
The clearing again. The swords. The feeling of complete hatred.
Tears of anger stung in her eyes as she locked eyes with the man beside her. "Why?"
The man merely continued gazing at her, emotion returning to his eyes.
A strange power filled her. She wanted to kill.
Finished3
