To everyone who follows me, I know I have three other stories to work on but this one just would not leave me alone. Please bear with me.
To everyone else I hope you enjoy this story. The beginning of this story is not set in Japan, so that is why the names are different. We will get there.
Also I do not own anything belonging to Inuyasha. I only own my OCs. Please review to let me know how I did. I love constructive critism.
Prologue
The Heart has been protected by my family for the last ten generations. The true story as to how my ancestors came into possession of it has long been lost to history. Most believe that it was gifted to them by the Creator as a reward for their unselfish, noble, and self-sacrificing spirit. This is the most popular story, as it is further borne out by my family's good reputation among our peers. However, there are others, ones who typically have a grievance, however insignificant, against my family, who believe that my ancestors stole the Heart as part of the conquest of our home, the Emerald Isle.
What we do know about the Heart is that it is very powerful, has a consciousness and will all its own, and, most importantly, must be protected. The protection of the Heart falls to the Keeper and the Key. The Heart dictates who can be its protectors and chooses them from each generation. The Keeper must be one of my family line or mated to one, while the Key can be anyone selected by the Heart that shows the same characteristics that my ancestors showed, though the Heart prefers the Keeper and Key to be a mated pair, as the bond strengthens the protections.
The Keeper is usually a son of the line, though not necessarily the first born, as was the case of my father who was the second born son, but chosen to be Keeper by the Heart, and is the one ultimately charged with the protection of the Heart and the judicious wielding of its power. Whereas the Key is usually his mate, as was the case with my mother, is responsible for maintaining the purity of the Heart's sanctuary and the barrier surrounding it. Each checks the other, neither having complete power over the Heart. The Keeper can wield the power of the Heart; but cannot enter the sanctuary nor have contact with the Heart without the Key. On the other hand, the Key controls access to the Heart but cannot wield any of its power without the Keeper.
So the responsibility of Keeper has been passed down from father to son for ten generations coming finally to my father. Some people have called the responsibility a blessing and others a curse, but Father has called it a little of both because, as with any object of power, many battles have been fought over the years trying to wrest the control of the Heart from my family. Sadly many of the battles have been waged from within, brought by family members who believed they should have been the new Keeper and coveted the power of the Heart. Such was the case with my uncle, Father's older brother.
When they were presented to the Heart for the trials, it chose Father causing a rift between the two. My uncle's arrogance could border on cruelty according to many, so it was great blow to his pride, so sure was he that he would be chosen as the next Keeper over his quieter brother, but while Grandfather was alive he would not dare to challenge the choosing. So for the better part of a thousand years his anger festered into bitterness and near insanity over his jealousy of Father's seeming charmed life. Finally, Grandfather could no longer bear the subtle undermining of Father by my uncle, that he gave him an ultimatum: Either support his brother or leave, as Father would be Keeper when Grandfather stepped down. This ultimatum seemed to be the last straw for my uncle's pride and he left the Emerald Isle with threats that he would return for what was rightfully his.
Five hundred years passed and everyone forgot about my uncle's threats, chalking it up to his hurt pride and assumed he would come back to the family fold eventually. Over the years things just seemed to get better for my father. Mother, who he had been betrothed to since before the choosing and had mated shortly afterward, gave birth my older brother, me, and my younger brother. Both of my brothers were rare dragon demons like Father, however I took after Mother, a more common shape shifter. Demons from far and wide came to meet Grandfather and his heir, and to observe the lush paradise that was Grandfathers lands thanks to the power of the Heart.
Little did we know that these good times would not last long. First Grandfather became ill and it became clear that he was nearing the end of his long life, having just passed ten thousand years old, passing his own father by one hundred years as the oldest living member of our family. He passed the responsibility of Keeper to Father but did not last long after. With the passing of Grandfather, Grandmother passed the responsibility of Key to Mother, knowing that her mating bond with Father would keep the protections for the Heart strong, and retired to peacefully enjoy her twilight years, being eight thousand years old herself.
However, peaceful was not what the next few years would hold. Evil was on the horizon and tragedy was about to tear our idyllic lives apart .
Chapter 1
The Emerald Isle
***Mary POV***
I awoke to the sound of a loud roar and the walls shaking under the assault of heavy objects. I sat straight up in bed, peering into the darkness, unsure as to what was going on, thinking it was an earthquake. A moment later my handmaid came bursting through my door without knocking and that was when I know something was terribly wrong.
"Lady Mary," the handmaid, a tall, thin, crane demon, exclaimed, "You must get up! Quickly now!"
"Cara," I gasped, swinging my legs over the side of the bed as she ran to my dressing room, "What is going on?"
"The castle is under attack, My Lady!" she yelled as she came running out with my dressing gown in hand, "Your father is holding them off, but you must get to a safe place."
Her words froze me in place for a moment, causing her to sigh in exasperation before coming over and pushing the dressing gown around my shoulders.
"My Lady," Cara exclaimed in a firm voice, the very same one I remember from when she was my nursemaid during my first century, "Come on!"
Cara grabbed my arm, shaking me out of my shock, and we started running for the door. Unfortunately, we only made it halfway before a bright, golden colored, light flashed through the curtained window on the other side of the room and blinded us. Suddenly there was a loud sound, somewhere between a scream and a roar, and the widow exploded inward, throwing rocks and glass all over us.
As the dust began to settle, I turned to see a huge, black, scaly, dragon's head where my bed used to be. Had it not been black I would have thought it was my father in his true demon form. Then Cara began to struggle frantically to force the door open that had been pinned by the large stones of the wrecked wall as the black dragon began to growl and struggle to get free. Finally, Cara got the door open a little bit just as the dragon opened its bright, red, eyes. As its gaze fixed on me, I froze in fear until I felt Cara grab me by the back of my dressing gown.
"Lady Mary," she yelled and pushed me through the small distance that she had managed to force the wedged door open just as the dragon lunged at us, "RUN!"
Just after I squeezed through the small crack the door slammed shut and Cara's yell was cut off abruptly.
"Cara!" I screamed and pounded on the door, "NO!"
But the door did not open again and Cara was gone.
I slid down to my knees in shock with tears running down my face, unable to understand how I could have been peacefully sleeping less than five minutes ago and now a demoness that had cared for me my entire life was most likely dead on the other side of that door. So great was my shock that I did not hear the footsteps approaching until someone grabbed me by my shoulders. Fueled by fear and shock, I jumped to my feet and swung around on them with my claws unsheathed.
"Mary," a familiar voice yelled, "Stop!"
"Patrick!" I exclaimed, recognizing my older brother.
Patrick was a hundred and fifty years older than me, having just passed his three hundredth year, was tall with light brown hair, bright, blue eyes and had emerald green scales running down both sides of his face marking him as a dragon.
"Come on," he said placing his arm around my shoulders and led me away.
It was in that moment that I realized that he was surrounded by five other guards. Seeing them, I felt my fear ratchet up even higher as the castle shook mightily sending us stumbling into the wall. Patrick quickly pulled me back upright and as we continued to run down the hallway I told him what had happened to Cara.
"I'm sorry, Mary," he responded heavily as we paused at a corner, "I know she was your friend."
I turned to look at him, about to ask him why this was happening, when in that moment two guards came flying around the corner.
"Not that way!" one exclaimed, out of breath, "Intruders have breached the castle! Take them another way!"
"That bloody traitor must have told them about the secure passages!" the other growled.
We turned and ran farther into the bowels of the castle. Through twisting and turning servants passages were I had never been before. Then, suddenly, we were attacked by a group of warriors in all black armor. Patrick pushed me down and released thin slices of fire from his claws, raking them across one attackers face. The warrior backed off clutching his face as Patrick grabbed me by the arm and we both turned and ran toward the end of the hall.
We swung around the corner to find a room with a heavy wooden door. We ran in, shut the door and pinned it closed with a heavy wooden table.
"What's going on?" I asked my brother frantically, "Why is this happening?"
"I don't know," Patrick answered, "Something about our uncle."
"Uncle Ciaran?" I asked. I knew the story, everyone knew the story.
I started to tremble as I thought about the black dragon, Uncle Ciaran was supposed to be a black dragon. The first one born in over ten generations, since our first ancestor who originally was bequeathed the Heart.
"Where are we? I thought looking around the small room, taking in the large, steel tubs and washboards hanging on the walls.
"This is a laundry room," I said answering my own question.
Patrick turned in a complete circle, taking in the room.
"What do we do now?" I asked fearfully listening to the sounds of the battle just beyond the door.
"I don't…" he began, sounding just as scared I was, before being stopped by a loud thump on the other side of the door.
"Wait…" Patrick said running to the back wall while I stood staring at the door as the pounding continued and the door began to shake on its hinges under the assault.
"Mary," Patrick called and I turned to see him prying an iron grate off of a vent midway up the wall that allowed fresh air into the room, "Can you fit in there?"
"If I shift I can," I replied rushing over to him seeing a problem immediately, "But you can't."
"I'll be alright," Patrick said, urgently pushing me toward the wall as the door began to give way, "You just get in there and try to find Father and Mother, then they will come and find me."
"But…" I tried.
"For once don't argue with me!" Patrick exclaimed, fear evident in his voice and it was then I knew the truth, I could see it in his eyes, he wasn't expecting to get out of here.
I nodded my head with tears in my eyes and shifted into one of the first forms I had learned: a small, black, cat. Patrick then lifted me up and I crawled into the vent.
"Go!" Patrick yelled as the door finally gave way.
I ran through the vents as fast as I could while keeping my head low, the sounds of the fight and Patrick's battle cry fading behind me. The vents twisted and turned, sloped up and down, until I was completely lost. Using my nose, I scented the air and tried to find my way out. Finally, a stream of fresh air filtered through the dank, stale, air, carrying with it a familiar scent.
"Father," I thought in relief and followed the scent until I came to another grated vent.
Looking out I could see that this vent was over the east side gardens. I could see a large gathering of people down below, while not the huge army I was expecting it still scared me.
Looking around, I could see people from the castle and town nearby scattering, running to get away from the large group. However, I did not see Father and this confused me as I knew I had followed his scent. So I crept closer to the grate, thankful for the black fur of this form that hid me in the darkness, and pressed my face against the grate, trying to see further down. Then, suddenly, a blur of black and gold flew by with an ear splitting roar. I stumbled back with a loud hiss, my heart beating out of my chest, before realizing what it was. Two dragons, one gold and the other black, in a brutal fight in the skies above the castle.
Recognizing the golden dragon as my Father in his true form, I crept closer to the grate, growling lowly in my throat, and watched in horrified fascination. They flew at each other with snapping teeth, unsheathed claws, and large spouts of fire. The black dragon tried to side swipe Father, but he swung around and caught it by the crook of its wing. However, before Father could do any lasting damage, the black dragon closed its jaws on Father's left hind leg. Father let loose of the black dragon's wing with a mighty roar before swinging his tail and catching the black dragon in the chest and getting his leg free. The black dragon tumbled through the air briefly before righting itself.
The black dragon flew at Father again, causing him to swing around and try to slam him with his tail again. However, the black dragon swooped down before twisting around underneath Father, coming up behind him. The black dragon clamped his jaws on the back of Father's neck, next to the shoulders. Father gave another mighty roar before there was a blinding flash of golden light; I knew then that Father had used the power of the Heart, causing the black dragon to throw Father away from him with a scream pain. The castle shook heavily as Father hit it and disappeared inside.
"FATHER!" I screamed in my head, but, considering the form I was in, it only came out in a long, loud, yowl catching the attention of the black dragon, causing him to head straight toward me.
I stumbled back and started to run back down the vent as the black dragon reached the outside of the vent, tore the grate off, and spat fire down after me. I ran off as fast as I could, turning and twisting, trying to outrun the fire I could feel singeing the fur off the backs of my legs and tail. As the fire began to eat up the air in the vent and it got harder to breathe, I was sure that I was going to die here. At that moment, by some miracle, I stumbled out of the vents through a broken grate. I stumbled away, gasping and coughing for breath, before collapsing down next to the wall for a moment. I stayed there for a moment, trying to catch my breath, before pushing myself up, the urgency to find the rest of my family pushing me onward.
Staying in my cat form, I trotted through the halls searching the castle for my family. Finally, I caught Mother's scent near one of the fortified guardrooms and, spotting a couple of guards in the shadows; I shifted back into my humanoid form and ran for the door.
"Mother!" I yelled, causing the guards to jump from the shadows.
Upon recognizing me, they rushed me into the room before securing it once more.
"I'm sorry, My Lady," I heard a voice softly say.
"No," came the reply softly on a sob and I turned toward the voices. At first all I saw was Mother and the castle physician.
"Mother?" I said softly causing her and the physician to turn toward me.
Upon seeing me Mother started to get up only to fall back down, clutching her side.
That was when I saw past her and lying there, completely still, was my younger brother Colin.
"Colin!" I exclaimed and ran to kneel by his side, taking in his pale features that caused his blue scales to painfully stand out.
"He's not…" I began but could not finish after I saw the horrible, open, wound to his chest and the sorrowful look on Mother's face.
"I'm so sorry, Colin," I sobbed, leaning down to place my head on his shoulder, memories of the day he was born fifty years ago flashed through my mind; I had been so proud to be an older sister. I had made him a promise that day to protect him and now I was swamped with guilt that I had not been there.
"I'm so sorry," I sobbed again.
"It's not your fault," I heard Mother say as she placed a hand on the back of my head and something in her voice caused me to look up.
What I saw stopped my heart, she was clutching her side and I could see blood slowing seeping through her fingers.
"Mother!" I exclaimed, my whole being shaking, sure I could not take losing anyone else, "You're hurt!"
"Yes," Mother replied, her voice soft and calm, "I am not long for this world."
"No, Mother!" I exclaimed, feeling like my entire world was breaking apart, and launched myself into her arms, "Please, no."
"Oh, sweetheart, there is nothing you or I can do about it when the Creator decides to call us home," she replied sadly, "But now I need to ask you to take on a responsibility that was never supposed to be yours."
I looked up at her and could see her strength failing as she started to sag down next to Colin.
"Mary, the Heart must always be protected and you must get out," Mother said, looking at me, trying to convey the urgency of her message, "There is a secret passage out of the castle in the Heart's sanctuary, the door in under the alter."
"I want you to come with me," I sobbed.
"It may be time for me to join your brother," she replied with a look over at Colin's still body, "But I will never truly leave you."
I nodded with tears streaming down my face. Mother then took off the gold necklace she wore and placed the intricately woven knot pendant with its inlaid emerald in my hand and placed hers over it.
"Mary of the Emerald Isle, Daughter of the Line, do you swear to protect the Heart?" Mother said firmly.
"I do," I sobbed, realizing that she was passing the Key to me.
"Do you swear to assist the Keeper and keep the sanctuary pure?" she continued.
"I do," I answered and then felt a strange power rush through me as a weight simultaneously descended onto my shoulders.
I opened my eyes to find Mother lying on the floor next to Colin and not breathing.
"Mother, NO!" I screamed and fell down on her sobbing.
At that moment the door opened and I swung around to find Father standing there.
"Father!" I exclaimed, throwing myself into his arms.
I pulled back and looked at Father, noticing that he was looking over my head toward Mother and Colin, looking older than his years despite his thick blond hair and golden scales on the sides of his face.
"Father, what do we do?" I asked.
"You stay here," his voice was full of anger, "I am ending this."
He then turned to leave and I felt fear grip my heart. Was I going to lose him like everyone else this night? Suddenly the captain of the guard stepped in front of Father. He was a tall panther demon named Liam and had been friends with Father since they were younglings.
"I can't let you do this, Thomas," Liam said.
"Get out of my way, Liam;" Father said in a scarily calm voice, "I am ending this."
"I am not letting you do this," Liam replied, crossing his arms.
"He killed my mate and sons," Father raged at him, "What do you expect me to do?"
"You have your daughter to protect," Liam responded, "You go out there you will die and leave her orphaned."
Father looked over at me and a weariness came over his features as he sagged against the wall.
"Your brother has aligned himself with hunters from the north," Liam continued, driving his point home, "Those men are savages, you go out there again it would not be a fair fight."
"Father," I pleaded and he reached out placing his arm around my shoulders.
"What do we do now?" I asked and Liam looked at me sadly looking at the necklace in my hand.
"Our duty," he replied, "Your duty is to protect the Heart and my duty is to protect you."
Father nodded sadly, looking again toward Mother and Colin.
"We will go out by the passage in the sanctuary, it's the only one he does not know about," Father said before the guards led us out.
We ducked in and out of passages I did not even know were there, sometimes coming upon small pockets of intruders. Finally, we reached the sanctuary and a familiar power washed over me. It was like Mother was standing there with us, telling me exactly what to do. In that moment it was like I could hear her voice telling me one more time: I will never truly leave you.
"Thank you," I heard Father say as he grasped Liam's arm.
"Good luck, my friend," Liam responded.
Finally, Father stepped up next to me and I placed Mother's necklace around my neck, then followed her presence. With a lifted hand Mother's barrier opened and we went inside. I had never been in the sanctuary; it was a large, round, room, covered in white marble. The heart sat in a white and gold marble shrine atop a white, marble altar. It looked like a large, uncut, emerald that glowed with a golden light. Father picked up a small, ivory box with a hinged, locking, lid and put the Heart inside. Then he opened a heavy door under the altar that I had not seen. Just then I felt the castle shake again, but Mother's barrier held and I sent a prayer of thanks to the Creator for allowing her protection to last long enough for us to get away. Father and I then climbed through the door and into a dark tunnel.
Father lit a fireball in his hand and I followed him down the tunnel. Finally after what seemed like the longest, tensest, hours of my life we emerged through another door in a small shack. Stepping outside I could see that we were at least ten miles from the castle, which was burning bright in the night. We stood there watching our home burn for a while before I turned to Father.
"Where do we go now?" I asked, trying to come to grips with this new reality of my life.
"The Heart will lead us," Father answered, placing an arm around my shoulders and turning me away from the sight of our burning home.
"Will we ever get to come back?" I asked as he led me away.
"I don't know," he replied sadly.
He then transformed into his true form and knelt down. I climbed on his back and held on tight as he flew away. I looked back one last time just in time to see the last turret crumble.