*Kaede - Pronounced Kah-yay-day
*Kagome - Prounounced Kah-goh-may
*Kikyou - Pronounced Keek-yoh
*Osuwari(Oh-sue-are-ree), in Japanese, means "Sit"
*Hanyou, in Japanese means "Half Youkai" or "Halfling"
*Kami is what they call "God" in Japan
*Shikon no Tama(shee-koh(n)-no-tah-mah) - A very powerful jewel also
known as the "Shikon Jewel" or "The Jewel of Four Souls"
Inu-Yasha:
Destiny of Sorrow
Prologue
She tried to be patient, really she did; but *Inu-Yasha was just out of control. For one, he had a bad attitude, he was a smart-alleck, and he just couldn't seem to keep out of trouble. This was just ridiculous; she was too old for this kind of childish behavior. Hadn't the young lad any manners whatsoever? Another loud crash came from inside of the hut. It was her set of ceramic pots she'd made years ago. Guess he hadn't any then; what a delinquent.
"*Kagome, get him under control!" The old woman, *Kaede nagged. He was the typical *Hanyou. Poor Inu-Yasha; he'd so much to learn, especially since he'd been pinned to a tree for fifty years under a very dormant sleep. And it was just great, her long lost sister had to have come back from the dead to revive him. The boy was barely even seventeen when he was put to rest; and when he awakened, he hadn't changed one bit. Not any sign of aging on his face; not a sign of maturing; nothing.
Later on Kaede had learned that the young girl she'd mistaken for her sister was actually from the future, and was drug into their world by the centepede youkai. Only *Kami would be the one to work in such mysterious ways. It was to a great surprise when the demon had actually ripped the *shikon no tama out of the girl's side. What a sight that was, but it was even more suprising when it actually ate the jewel.
Inu-Yasha, having talked Kagome into releasing him, wouldn't stand to see the shikon no tama in another youkai's hands; so he defeated the disgusting creature, but it had only been regenerating. Soon they learned that in order to get rid of the centepede, was the get rid of the jewel inside; and they did so.
Ye are the reincarnation
of my sister," Kaede explained to her, "and only ye the power that miko
possessed to subdue Inu-Yasha."
"You subdue ME?!"
He glared at Kagome, with surprise in his eyes though. She was so
confused, what could she possibly do to control that ravaging, and immature
beast? Thoughts raced through her head--she had to act quickly though.
"Uh, Uh.." she barely thought, "*Osuwari!"
The necklace that was
bound around his neck slightly glowed, as it heaved his hanyou body towards
the ground. His face made a direct hit against the Earth, as his
arms and legs were sprawled out. They twitched in pain, and he mumbled
with a mouthful of dirt.
Following Kagome
back into the village with Kaede and some other villagers, Inu-Yasha noticed
the citizens praising Kagome, for being the reincarnation of the great
miko Kikyou--the one who originally protected the shikon no tama.
Later a Crow
youkai had stolen the jewel, and was shot with a single arrow by Kagome.
The demon shattered into many pieces, as well as the shikon no tama.
Kagome only had one sliver of it though, and she was the only one who could
sense the power radiating from the shards.
Afterward, the
three found themselves in Kaede's home, discussing the whereabouts of the
slivers, and how to find them. This was going to be hard to get those
two to work together, and Kaede knew it.
"If ye want
that jewel so badly, Inu-Yasha," Kaede warned, "Then you two will have
to work together to find it."
At this, Inu-Yasha
scowled, and held his claws up high in a threatening manner. There
was no way in the seven hells he was going to degrade himself as into working
with a pathetic human!
"I can find
it myself," he said coldly, "I have no use for this human wench!"
"Then I'm going
to just find a way to get myself home." Kagome commented, interrupting
the little tantrum Inu-Yasha was having. It felt like one of those
strange Technicolor movies to her; like as though she'd been zapped into
a movie, like "The Wizard of Oz." And yes, there was certainly 'no place
like home'. She pushed her body up from the soil, and stood up infront
of them both. All she needed to do now is find a way to get back to Kansas;
Home.
Being drug back
into an era where they hadn't even heard of an arcade wasn't exactly her
idea of an after-school fieldtrip. She needed to get home--and soon.
Whatever happened to Grampa Ji-Ji; Souta; Mom? Had the centepede
youkai killed them? Were they all right? Were they worried about
her?
Both Inu-Yasha
and Kaede watched Kagome walk out of the hut alone. The night air
gently brushed against her skin, and blew around the jet black hair that
was glowing from the half moon above. After not even taking a few
steps away from the hut, Inu-Yasha stood firmly behind her.
"I'm getting the shikon no tama," he hissed in her ear, "and there's no way you or anybody is going to stop me."
She could feel
a shiver running up her spine, as she turned around to look at him.
What had he wanted this, 'shikon no tama' so badly for? Certainly
Kaede was right about many youkai--and even men--after the jewel for their
own selfish and corrupt purposes. That was why she, Kagome, the reincarnation
of the miko *Kikyou, had to protect it. But who was this Kikyou person,
really; and why did Inu-Yasha give off bad vibes whenever he heard her
name? What did she do to him to cause him to have such a grudge against
her so?
Inu-Yasha didn't bother her, she was a big
girl; she could take care of herself. Rolling her eyes, she turned
from Inu-Yasha to walk back to the well, alone of course. Even with
all the youkai out in the forest, she'd rather be alone to face them, then
be alone with that smelly, immature, stupid hanyou they called "Inu-Yasha."
Out of the hut
behind him, came Kaede, watching the young girl leave. It was too
dangerous for that child to be out alone in the forest--she could get killed.
"Kagome," Kaede
stopped Kagome dead in her tracks, "ye shouldn't go outside the village
alone. There are many youkai, and bandits in the dark forests. Do
stay, Kagome; but if ye wishes to leave, atleast take Inu-Yasha.
For thy own sake."
Kagome gave
out an inner sigh of frustration; she didn't want that hanyou following
her around; but then again, she didn't want Kaede to worry about her so.
If it were for Kaede, then she'd gladly do it. That elderly woman
was the only one who was willing to be kind to her, when the men had found
her in the forest by Inu-Yasha's sleeping place.
With a nod,
both of their eyes set on Inu-Yasha. He didn't want to go, so he
just leaned against the hut and put his hands in their opposite sleeve
and looked away. Being stubborn was something he was very good at.
Kagome only smiled, and looked up, lifting part of her foot from the ground;
allowing only her heel to make contact.
"Oh, Inu-Yasha,"
she sang, "Osuwari!"
He then slammed face first into the ground. Sitting there a moment he grumbled then finally agreed to lead Kagome through the forest.
After a while
they finally made it to the bone eater's well. Kagome supposed she
should listen to her grandfather's old tales, and legends more often after
this trip. She'd never complain about getting an icky present for
her birthday again--she'd be grateful to get it! Certainly because
it was once in feudal Japan, and she isn't anymore! The thought of glee
made her smile inside.
Looking over
the well, she went blue in the face. The corpse and bones of the
centepede youkai were put inside the well! Couldn't they had just
buried them instead of using this thing as a waste basket? Turning
around, she sweat dropped, and laughed a little bit. She did seem
nervous.
Seeing the stupid girl scared, he walked over to the well to see what her fears were. Just a bunch of rusty old bones of that youkai they'd fought earlier in the day. No big deal. What was she afraid of? It was dead afterall.
"Oh come on Kagome," he rolled his eyes, "it's just a bunch of bones!"
"But you don't know if that thing might *come back to life* or not!" Kagome cried, "I mean, in this era a lot of strange things have happened since I've been here, and--"
"Just shut up
and go home! It'd be nice if you break your neck at the bottom of this
well, then I'd never have to see your face again." Inu-Yasha snarled, as
he took a firm grasp of cloth on Kagome's back. In doing this, he
heaved her down into the well, and she bounced up off the bones, and lied
on her back staring up at Inu-Yasha. He wouldn't be one bit surprised
if nothing had happened. Stupid humans these days, they're so gullible.
They'd believe anything you feed them.
To Inu-Yasha's
surprise, the jewel fragment under Kagome's hand began to glow, as her
image began to fade. She was crossing time through the well.
He couldn't believe his eyes--the legend was true?
Everything around
her started fading into black, and small, clear pearl orbs floated about
her in chains. The bones were coming with her? They surrounded
her, and made her feel as though she were in a cage of some sort.
Gently, she floated back down, and the well reappeared around her--along
with the bones. So this was it; she was home? Was she really home?
Looking
up, there was no sign of Inu-Yasha--thank Kami. She quickly got up,
and started climbing back up the brick wall of the well, holding the jewel
shard in her sweaty palms. An arm swung over the top of the well,
just before she flinged the rest of her body over it, landing on the wooden
floor of the shed. She turned over, and looked up out the door.
Sunlight? When she went through the well it was nighttime.
Had she accidentally hit her head, and Inu-Yasha abandoned her there?
No, this place gave her a different feeling.
She sniffed
the air, and found a scent she never thought she'd be thankful for--gasoline.
A car honked its horn outside. Yup, she was home alright. Stumbling
up to her feet, she ran towards the door, and pushed it completely open.
With a large smile, she stood there out in the warm sunlight. It
took a while for her eyes to adjust to the lighting change, but when her
eyes were focused, she was the happiest girl in the world.
Home!
She was home!
With her arms outstretched she tilted her head back to take in a deep breath
through her nose. The scent of her era was amazing; she'd never noticed
how much she would miss the smell of pollution, candy, soda, McDonald's,
her teacher's very bad hair spray, and Souta's gym socks--just few of the
many things of her time. Never would she have to worry about walking
on the soil of feudal Japan. And never again would she ever worry
about seeing that slime ball, Inu-Yasha.