Author's Note: For those of you who remembered this fanfic from 3 years ago and was taken directly here from ffnet's update alert, please refer to the previous chapter for my notes on the status of this fic, as well as, a new and short prelude that was added. The following is an edited version of my original chapter 1, with some necessary changes made and details added. I wonder how many of you will remember what edits I've made! Truth be told, I'm rather nervous about starting up this story again and I can only hope that I can still manage to regenerate some of the old interest that you guys had given this fic in the past. The remaining 5 chapters is also in the process of revision, and I'll try to update with them soon so that I can finally bring this story back to life.
Cycles of Destiny
by Téa
Chapter 1: The Mark of Time
Just when you believe the story has ended, then it truly begins.
Juro knelt at his father's hidden, massive grave with his head bowed low. Coming tomorrow, he would be setting out on his journey to meet the woman that he had missed all these years. He was going to go see his mother. Juro gazed down at the shining pink jewel fragment on his hand before enclosing his fist tightly around it. The Shikon no Tama. His mother had given it to him before she passed on to the spiritual realm. She had told him that it was the key to the cycle, but he did not completely understand what she had meant at the time. That was, not until recently.
Times were changing rapidly now. He could feel it in the air and sense it all around him. The past was catching up and he was beginning to see signs of it overlapping with the present. And soon, the future would be completely altered to the point at which he would cease to exist. He needed to find his mother soon, before it was too late. Lifting his head up, Juro looked towards the crescent moon that graced the sky...the very same shape that adorned his own forehead. It was a symbol of his heritage, the proud mark of his birthright.
Glancing back down, Juro allowed his eyes to peer intently at his arm. Lately, he sometimes saw the flicker of invisibility strike his body. The cycle of time was churning, and it was catching up. He only hoped that he would be able to accomplish what his mother, in unspoken words, had set out for him to do when she gave him this jewel shard.
Turning to kneel at his father's grave once more, Juro bid his silent good-bye. Then picking up his swords, he got up and left the enchanted grounds where his father's bones rested.
...............
"Bye, Kagome! See you tomorrow!"
Higurashi Kagome cheerfully waved back at her friends and watched as they disappeared around the corner, leaving behind them only echoes of their laughter trailing away. She stood there a moment longer, staring at the empty street as her smile faltered and faded altogether. Then with a soft sigh, Kagome finally turned around to walk the familiar path she took everyday to get home.
As with so many nights, she found her gaze straying over to the vibrant moon that illuminated the dark sky. It was a night of the full moon, when he would be at his strongest. But before she could dwell on it further, she shook the thought free and silently willed herself to look away. It was stupid, she knew. Even after all these years, when it no longer mattered, Kagome continued to pay attention to the cycles of the moon. It was like a force of habit that refused to break, and she wondered if the moon would always remind her of him for the rest of her life.
Softly, almost as though she was experimenting with its pronunciation, Kagome whispered, "Inu...yasha."
It was strange, how foreign the name sounded to her ears, and yet it was a name that had played in her mind so often throughout the years. Almost four years ago, to be exact...ever since she was pushed into the well by Inuyasha as he snatched the Shikon no Tama shards from her neck. Even now, she could still remember so clearly, the shock she felt as her body materialized on to the present world.
For one short moment, he had embraced her fiercely. Then before she could even fully comprehend the meaning of his sudden gesture, he had already sent her hurling backwards down the well as she stared at him in panic. Her initial reaction upon arriving in the present had been annoyance and confusion, but what ultimately surprised her the most was the realization that she was no longer able to use the well as a time portal to the Feudal Era. She had climbed up and dropped back in, clawed at the dirt until her fingers started to bleed...and still, the well refused to let her through. It was her grandfather who eventually found her curled up at the bottom of the well, sobbing into her bloody hands, that carried her home.
At first, she became increasingly angry at Inuyasha for stealing the Shikon shards from her, believing that he had tricked her. And then she had felt the tormenting hurt as she was forced to admit that he wasn't coming back for her this time. It made her bitter that he came and went as he pleased, yelling at her for needing to go home every so often...and then when she had finally settled into her journey in the Feudal Era, he had shoved her away without an explanation. Without even a mere good-bye. Did she mean that little to him? But no matter how many times she wanted to hate him for what he did, a part of her deep down inside knew that he had only done what he did for her own good. He wanted her to be safe, and she wanted to hate him for not giving her a choice.
Still, it was many months later, before it finally sunk in that she would never be able to go back again. She knew it wasn't possible without the Shikon shards, yet her heart wouldn't allow her to let it go. Countless times, she had leapt into the well while telling herself that it would be the last time. That this time, it would work...but the only thing her determined attempts had ever gained her was tears and more pain. It got to the point where she couldn't even look at her family in the face for the fear of seeing the pity that was so evident in their eyes. They had never come right out and said anything to her, but she saw it in the way they looked at her when they thought she wasn't paying attention. They thought she was wasting her time, and she didn't blame them for believing so.
And now, almost four years had passed by in a blur. The days continued to roll onwards, and her life had gone on without waiting for her. Somehow, she had managed to graduate from high school and complete her first year at the local university. She had long since buried the memories so deep inside her that she could barely recall those months with much clarity anymore. Yet the pain remained, and the emotions she had felt still clung to her so vividly. She could still feel the constant despair and utter loneliness creeping under her skin, just waiting to consume her. She was leading a life that didn't feel like hers, and the gaping hole in her heart just kept expanding. Perhaps in this surreal pretense at living, it seemed almost natural that Kagome had made the decision to leave Japan.
Kagome had stood in front of a bulletin board at the university, the slip of paper that offered her a way out staring back at her. For something done so quickly and without thought, making the decision to sign up for the student-exchange program was one of the most difficult choices she had ever made. By leaving Japan and the shrine, she knew she was indirectly giving up all hope of ever going back to the past. But she needed to get away from the haunting of possibilities and what ifs. She wanted to forget. She wanted her time at the Feudal Era to become tales and legends that had never happened.
...............
Kagome could see the shrine come into view as she slowly climbed up the steps that led to her house, her chest tightening faintly as it so often did at its sight. Involuntarily, her gaze gravitated towards the God Tree and she momentarily thought about how odd it was that Inuyasha was sealed on that very same tree 500 years ago. It made her wonder what would've happened if she hadn't been dragged in through the well by that centipede demon and ended up releasing him from Kikyou's seal. Briefly, Kagome entertained the idea of Inuyasha still pinned to the tree till this day and stifled a snort at the mental image she conjured up in her head. Tourists from all over the world would travel to the Higurashi Shrine just to pet the ears of the residential slumbering human-dog. She could almost picture Inuyasha's annoyed expression, and the thought made the corner of her lips lift up in a melancholic smile.
Shaking her head slightly at her own silly musings, Kagome prodded her feet along the path towards her home. She could see the light shining through the front window and was vaguely wondering if her mom had saved her leftovers from dinner when she thought she saw a blur of white out among the trees. Whipping her head around, Kagome peered into the darkness for any signs of what she could've possibly seen just now. She stood completely still, every muscle in her body tensing up and all her senses narrowing down at the heavy air that suddenly surrounded the area. The hairs at the nape of her neck prickled nervously, and her breath caught so abruptly she almost chocked in panic. No...it can't be.
With eyes wide and frantic, Kagome slowly edged towards the God Tree against the warning bells going off in her head. It just wasn't possible, she told herself, but the distinctive presence of the Shikon no Tama shard was palpable. Swallowing hard, she carefully called out, "Hello..? Is anyone out there?"
When no answer came, she almost wondered if she had finally gone crazy from desperation. Then she froze in her steps altogether as the dark silhouette of a figure came into view, and her mind exploded. Kagome could almost taste the fear in her mouth as she stood there trembling and rooted to the ground. This person possessed a Shikon shard, she was positive of it, though every part of her screamed at her that it was impossible for the Shikon no Tama to materialize in her world again. Somewhere at the back of her mind, Kagome tried to get her feet to move far far away from this insanity.
As though the person had sensed her fear and train of thoughts, he moved forward slowly and said in a gentle, deep voice, "Please don't be afraid. There's no way I could hurt you."
There was a moment of stunned silence as the young man stepped out from behind the shadows, and then Kagome gasped. Piercing golden eyes met her blue ones, and she stumbled backwards clumsily from the forceful impact of recognition. But it wasn't him. It wasn't Inuyasha, and the mixture of disappointment, relief, and fear was so potent that the world seemed to almost shift before her eyes. The resemblance was so apparent that she was abruptly assaulted with memories of the hanyou, and she couldn't do anything but wait...for what, she didn't know.
The man had the same familiar long, beautiful silver-white hair flowing gently down his back and his eyes were of the same shade as Inuyasha's. Yet now, as Kagome paid closer attention, she saw that his eyes were narrower with hints of sorrow as opposed to the rebellious and innocent quality of Inuyasha's rounder orbs. Disturbed by how similar and different the two were, she slowly took in the rest of his appearance and immediately noticed that though he was not dressed like the typical youth on the streets of Tokyo these days, the pieces of his clothing were still unmistakably modern. He was in an all-white ensemble, with his wide drawstring pants and a simple long-sleeved shirt fitting him loosely. He also sported two swords on his hip, and Kagome suddenly had the ridiculous notion that they were none other than the Tessaiga and the Tenseiga. Shaking her head firmly, she reminded herself that the two legendary swords were now exactly just that...a legend. It had belonged to two bickering brothers, an old story of the past that was of no importance to her life. Kagome reminded herself that the well was sealed, and she was going to leave it all behind by studying abroad.
Raising her head in steely boldness, she met the eyes of the stranger once more and quietly asked, "Who are you, and why do you have a Shikon no Tama shard?"
A pregnant pause filled the air, and then all at once, the young man knelt down on one knee. With his head bowed low in deep respect, he seemed to hesitate before he finally replied so softly that she almost didn't catch it.
"The Shikon shard that I, Juro, have in my possession was given to me by you, My Lady."
Revision completed on June 24, 2006. Reviews and thoughts are always greatly loved. It's because of them that I find myself starting this up again, so thank you all for giving me that spurt of motivation. :) Also, if anyone wants to talk to me about the fic and you have an LJ account, then please feel free to stop by my writing community at inkcanvas.
