Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Inuyasha nor do I own the song making its appearance here. Plus bonus points to whomever can guess what movie the two songs I've shamelessly used for this story come from and tell me who wrote/redid them.
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Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
Many Many Many Many Many Moons ago.
Higurashi Haruko cursed as he pricked his hand on a piece of cotton he quickly put his hand up to his mouth and sucked away the blood. He then removed his hand, wiped the sweat off of his brow, and ripped off a piece of his pants he then proceeded to wrap it around his finger.
"Haruko! Haruko!" a boy yelled running up to him.
"What Hojou?" Haruko asked.
"The master's daughter is coming home!" he said grinning widely.
"And I care why Akitoki?" he turned back to his task "So the lady and note I stress the lady part is coming home, some empty-headed wench is coming home to arrange flowers, and be married off to the highest bidder. Oh Joy."
"Come now Haruko, don't you remember we used to play with Lady Maeko as children, don't you?" Hojou asked his smile becoming fainter and fainter.
"Oh yes I remember being a play thing to the little Mistress I also remember how easy it was for her to cast us aside," he said picking more vigorously at the plants.
"Suit yourself her carriage has just arrived I'm going for a closer look!" he said. With that the fairer-haired-boy left the shrewd man in the South field. Haruko grunted and then picking cotton.
"DAMMIT!" he yelled as he pricked his finger again, he then picked pulled his sack up over his head and punted it across the field his little fit lasted until he smashed his foot on a rock.
'I need a break,' he thought after discovering his canteen was out of water, 'Oh well I suppose that looking at the wench wouldn't hurt,' with that thought in mind he left the South Field and headed toward the West side of the manor.
(-)
"Why now Kaede?" Maeko asked looking out of the carriage window.
"Why what child?" the middle-aged nurse asked.
"Why has my father decided that just now he has a daughter, and why is it now he want's to know me? He made it abundantly clear when he sent me off to school that he could care less whether I lived or died," she said sighing trying to figure out the enigma that was her father.
"Child, why are ye bothering yourself with all of this adult nonsense, ye are not yet four-teen?" her Nanny asked.
"I fear that when we arrive home dear Kaede, that I will no longer be a child," Maeko said.
"I fear you're right child, I fear ye be right," Kaede said.
(-)
"Haruko you old dog you did show up!" Akitoki said slapping his old friend on the back.
"Might as well see what all the excitement is about," he said with a shrug.
"She's here!" an excited child yelled in the crowd.
Haruko watched as the girl stepped out of the carriage, girl or no that still didn't stop his heart stopping in his chest. She was pale delicate, her heart shaped face stood out, but out of all of her it was her eyes that stood out the most. Those wide luminescent eyes scanned the crowd and soon met up with his own dark gaze. Haruko froze when she looked at him, all the pain, all the anger, he'd felt during his life melted away when she looked at him.
(-)
That night after all of the Manor had gone asleep Haruko left his barrack and went for a walk.
(-)
The moon was wide and bright that night. Maeko noticed it the moment she left her room, slipping quietly out of her window; she reached over onto a tree branch and then proceeded to climb down the tree. She walked down the road aimlessly as she looked up in the sky she started spinning and laughing; a wide free child like laugh.
(-)
Haruko sat up on the river bank looking around for the source of the laugh. He stood up and walked to the road; as he looked out of the bushes he saw her, his little nymph, and up close she looked even more beautiful.
He stepped out of the bushes to get closer to his little nymph, but as he moved his foot stepped on a twig and Maeko stopped spinning.
"Who are you?" she said taking a couple of steps back.
"Don't you remember me little Mistress?" Haruko asked slowly walking toward her.
"No I don't and a-nd s-st-stay back or I-I'll scream!" she said.
"Sh-shush Little Nymph don't be afraid I won't hurt you," Haruko said advancing closely.
"I don't trust you and I'm not your Little Nymph so please go away," Maeko said.
"Naughty Little Nymph I'm not going to leave you alone in the big bad world," he said getting right up by her face.
"I told you I'm not your Nymph now go away!" she said.
"No," Haruko said grabbing onto her sides.
"LET ME GO!" she said wrenching herself away from him and running.
(-)
"She ran away," Haruko said walking back to the river.
"You do know why she's returned don't you?" a deep male voice asked from behind him.
"Who?" Haruko asked.
"Your little Nymph," the voice said again "he father's sent for her to be married. Off to some rich lord if I'm not mistaken," the voice said again
"Married? B-ut but she can't be over fourteen!" Haruko said.
"And yet you lust for her," the voice said again
"No, no I love her," he said.
"But you can't have her, your just a farm boy," the voice said.
"Then I don't want to live," Haruko said.
"Come now, surly a lowly wench can't be worth all of this," the voice said again
"FIEND! DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HER!" Haruko yelled standing up.
"Now, now I didn't mean it like that, besides I'm here to help," the voice said soothingly in Haruko ear.
"How? How can you help?" Haruko asked.
"I can make you rich, and I can make her love you," the voice said.
"Why would you do this?" he asked.
"Why wouldn't I do this?" the voice said "Look into the river."
Haruko walked over to the river and peered into it.
"What do you see?" the voice asked.
"I see Maeko and me we're h-h-happy," he said.
"And now?" the voice asked.
"I see a mirror," Haruko said.
"Break it and pull out a shard," the voice said.
Haruko did so without thinking, pulling back his fist he forced into the water. He broke the glass, as he gripped the shards, his hand began to bleed. Tears slipped down his face as the river water washed away the blood.
"The next morning when you see her father shove that shard into his eye, now look again into the river and tell me what you see," the voice pressed urgently.
"I see an apple," Haruko said.
"Take it!" the voice said.
Again Haruko did so with out thinking, as he pulled the green apple out of the river the blood from his hand ran down onto it turning it red.
"Thank you Haruko, for giving me a body," the voice said again causing Haruko to turn.
"Make sure your Little Nymph eats that before you two are wed," the man said.
Haruko studied the man, from his long dark hair and deep red eyes to well formed chest (seeing as how he doesn't have a shirt on).
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am called many things but you may call me Naraku," the man said "Now remember what I told you about the shard and the apple, and remember I will return for payment."
"Payment? What Payment?" Haruko asked looking from the apple to Naraku.
"Does it matter? I'm giving you your nymph all I ask in return is payment now go back to you room and don't forget what I have told you," Naraku said walking away.
"Yes, yes I will thank you!" Haruko said running back to the men's barracks.
"Stupid human," Naraku said disappearing into the night.
(-)
"NO! I WON'T BE MARRIED! I WILL NOT BE MARRIED!" Maeko yelled.
"You will marry Lord Higurashi and that is final," said the cracked old voice of her father.
"Why father? I'm not even fourteen yet," she said.
"Child I am old, and have done many things I regret, by winter I will be dead, I'm just making sure that you'll be taken care of," he said taking his daughters hand.
"But father I can take care of myself, without the aid of a man, I-I've got Kaede don't I?" she said.
"Child you are wise beyond your years, but in this world you won't get far as an unmarried girl, think of my enemies when I die they're going to come after you," he paused to draw in a breath "and if I leave you unmarried they'll take the land; not just that but your life as well, so please give Lord Higurashi a chance. Won't you?"
Maeko looked around, she felt her father squeeze her hand and she sighed.
"Yes Father," she said with tears slipping down her face.
(-)
Outside of the room, Haruko stood listening to the private conversation.
"Don't worry Little Nymph," he said looking down at the apple and turned it in his hand "You'll learn to love me soon enough."
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turn my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
Many Many Many Moons Ago
"Oh Haruko isn't she beautiful?" Maeko said bending over the cradle to look at her infant daughter, she stood back up and smiled at her husband. Haruko Higurashi looked at his wife he felt so happy, just like he saw in the river those two-years-ago.
"Yes, she gets it from her mother," he said pulling Maeko closer.
"Haruko?" Maeko asked looking up at her husband.
"What?" he asked not taking his eyes off of his daughter.
"What are we going to name her?" Maeko asked with her large luminous eyes looking up into those of her husband.
He looked down into the crib, and watched his daughter yawn and open up her tiny fists, he couldn't help the wide smile that broke out onto his face.
'Kagome, Kagome, Kagome, Kagome,' a deep familiar male voice whispered into his ear.
"Kagome," he said looking down at his daughter.
"I like it," his wife said.
A knock came at the door, causing the happy couple to slip out of the room; at the door stood a red-haired green-eyed fox demon.
"Sir," he said upon seeing his lord.
"What do you want?" he asked upon seeing one of his guards.
"There's someone outside of the main gates asking for you," he said.
(-)
After sending his wife off to bed, Haruko walked outside the main gates.
"You look well Haruko," a voice came from behind him.
"Naraku, surely it's not time for payment yet," he asked turning to look at the demon.
"You're very perceptive Haruko, but no I come with another gift," he said extending his hand toward Haruko. Haruko in turn reach out and placed his hand under Naraku's. Naraku smiled and dropped the glass shards into his hand. Haruko looked down at the shards and wondered.
"Aren't these-?" he started to ask.
"The shards from the mirror you broke in the river those two years ago," Naraku finished for him.
"Why are you giving these to me?" he asked warily.
"All will become clear two-years from now," Naraku said mysteriously and without anymore than a nod he left.
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
Many Many Moons Ago
"Oh come now Haruko, you surely didn't think that payment would be a simple pound of gold? Or an act of kindness did you?" Naraku asked.
"But, when I made that deal I di-I didn't think that you could possibly mean this!" Haruko said.
"What you thought, or for better word what you didn't think, doesn't matter the deal is still set in stone, and I've come to collect my dues," Naraku said.
"But, s-she just a child!" Haruko said.
"Yes but she's only here because of what I made happen, and I can still revoke all that hard work, I'm sure you don't want to lose your precious Maeko, or your youngest, Souta I do believe that's his name," Naraku said tapping his finger to his chin.
"You wouldn't?" Haruko said desperately.
Naraku laughed a deep chilling laugh, and got close to Haruko.
"I would," he whispered into his ear "I want the job done within the week I'd like to start work soon; I've got a lot of work to do," and with that he faded into the night again.
"Fools," said I, "you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence
Many Moons Ago
"Da," little Kagome said looking up at the hard face of Haruko.
Haruko looked down at his first-born child; tear's leaked out of his eyes. He looked into her eye's, her big beautiful bright eyes just like her mothers; the eyes he was about to rob of their sight.
"Forgive me Kagome," he said taking out the glass shards and shoving them into her right eye.
"DADDY!" Kagome yelled trying to pull away from her father.
"Be still Kagome! Be still!" he yelled taking another shard and shoved it into her other eye.
"DADDY STOP! IT HURTS!" she yelled pulling away and running.
"KAGOME!" he yelled picking up a rock and throwing it at her. The rock flew through the meadow and struck her right at the base of the neck she fell tumbling down, she fell and didn't get back up.
Haruko cried as he walked up to the body of his daughter, he took turned her body over and looked into her eyes, her dark clouded over eyes, that would never see the world again. He looked for a blood trail and just as before as he found with Maeko's father he saw no damage except for the clouding of her pupil. He turned her back over, he couldn't bare to look at her face as he finished the job. He took the last remaining two shards and placed them by her ears, he took a deep breath, and prepared himself to finish the job.
"Forgive me Kagome," he said forcing the shards deep into her ears. He watched as her little body raised up into the sky a thick black miasma covering her body robbing her of her sight and sound.
He watch as her body floated back down to the earth, Haruko heard Kaede yelling for her charge; he took off, running for the river, he had to be alone, he felt like throwing up.
As he reached the river he threw himself on the ground and proceeded to expel the contents of his stomach.
"I'm proud of you Haruko, I thought you wouldn't be able to do it," Naraku said from the other side of the river.
"Don't talk to me," Haruko said.
"Now, when do I need to start work?" Naraku asked jumping over the river.
"I'll tell you soon, now leave me be," Haruko said.
"Have it your way," Naraku said vanishing once more.
(-)
"I want all demons removed form the staff, they can no longer be trusted, same for all Ninja's," Haruko said.
"But Haruko, dear, what about the protection of the gates and what about the Kitsune family? From what I understand they've just had a kit we can't kick them out," Maeko said.
"Maeko I am the Lord of this Manor and I can't offered to let demon's run around when my children's life may be in peril. For now human's will suffice, our head cook was once a General I do believe put him on command," Haruko said tiredly.
"But who will be our head cook?" Maeko asked.
"Kaede," Haruko said.
"Haruko she's our nanny who's going to look after Kagome and Souta?" Maeko asked worriedly.
"I've sent for a specialist, he's the best in the country," Haruko said, "His name is Naraku he's one of the best.
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sound of silence
Present
'K-A-G-O-M-E' Kagome spelled out to Sandalwood with her hands.
"K-A-G-O-M-E" Naruto said the letter's as she spelled them out.
"What you babbling on about now Naruto?" said Sakura.
"She's teaching me her name," Naruto replied happily he then proceeded to remake the signs that the girl had just taught him.
"Kagome," he said as he signed her name and started laughing when she nodded her head vigorously.
"So, her name's Kagome," Kakashi said.
"Wow, that's great Naruto how'd you manage to figure that out?" Sakura asked.
"She taught me the Alphabet first, and I figured it out after a while," he said blushing.
"That's great Naruto have you taught her your name yet?" Kakashi asked.
"No, but that's what I'm going to work on next!" the fox-boy said happily.
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My mother just told that Santa is real but Anime isn't tears oh and that Peter Pan isn't real too. w00t ten pages of typing! I'd better get a lot of reviews for this!