Forever in Love

1542 Japan in the early 40's

The air held the heavy stillness of August, warning of a late summer storm. The kind of storm that leaves a simmering dampness over the land. Weather like that reminded Inuyasha of battlefields wet with blood, and sweat.
A small slanted scar on his left cheek was another reminder. Along with the nightmares that still stole his sleep, and kept his Colt never far from his grip.
As the sun melted away, Inuyasha rolled his shoulders along the rough wooded hut. His lean form straightened from the shadows of the alley, and took a step toward the street. Without crossing into the lamplight, he watched in darkness while the good folks of Tokyo, Japan filed into the church across the road. The A-frame building looked peaceful amid a town, and state primed to explode.
But tonight, Inuyasha wasn't concerned about the town, or the state. The explosion would erupt between him, and a woman he hadn't seen in two months. Priestess Kikyo. She'd promised to marry him after a few moonlight kisses, though neither had spoken of love. He no longer believed in love anyway. He guessed she thought the marriage as a bargain, just as he did. Inuyasha wanted a family, and she wanted a man as wealthy as her father.
He'd had no chance to tell her about his loss of funds, or how he was going to rebuild. The news of his poverty reached her before he could, and now the Kikyo gates were closed to him. He needed to explain how he would be back on his feet in a matter of weeks. She wouldn't see him, but he knew he wouldn't have long to wait, for Kikyo was predictable. She would attend church tonight. This time she'd talk to him. There would be no family or servants there barring the door. If she had ended their plans of marriage, after hearing of his sudden loss, she could tell him to his face. He deserved that, at least, if her belief in him was so shallow. He'd never tell her of the map, and the fortune of gold waiting for him if she refused to stand beside him now.
Kiade, and her older sister, Kikyo, a traveling preacher—though tonight's bill seemed to belong more in a circus than in a revival. Some circuit from a mansion in Yokohama, planned to exhibit a wild woman who lived with the Demon Wolfs so long, he claimed even her soul was savage. Inuyasha had no doubt the benediction would ask for prayers, and money to save her. As he waited, a buggy rattled to a stop in the alley just behind him. Rough boards framed a cage in the wagon bed. A tiny figure could be seen between the slats' shadows. She was almost too small to be a full- grown woman, huddling in the center with her hands chained to a ring. She wore a filthy, ragged dress several sizes to big. Her dark black hair was almost invisible from the cage. Inuyasha could hardly tell dirt on her face from mud in her hair. He saw along her bare arms, were bruises or dirt. He wasn't sure, but he wanted to know.
"Get back!" The crusty driver yelled. "You'll see her at the service." Inuyasha ignored the warning, and leaned toward the cage. There had been hundreds of accounts of kidnapping villagers, and their children. Most of the Men and Women didn't survive, but every few months' children would be ransomed in trade or brought back by a friendly tribe. Inuyasha had seen more than once, over the three years he'd been in Japan, who'd grown up Demon, and saw their rescue as a kidnapping from their tribe.
The female demon atop the wagon waved a smooth hand, and shouted again, "She's crazy wild, and she'll kill you without blinking if she gets the chance." The female demon also known a Kagura lowered her voice when she saw that Inuyasha didn't cower away. "So step back Inuyasha." Her tone grew more conversational. "I was told to wait here by the alley until time for the meeting to start. Nobody's s'posed to notice her till then." Inuyasha folded his arms, and widened his stance as he glanced toward the street. No one looked in that direction of the alley. Most hurried to the church. Kagura climbed down and tide the dragons to the same railing Inuyasha had to make his mount. She pulled a bottle of red Sake, and took a long draw as she eyed the street to see if anyone besides Inuyasha witnessed.
The evening shadows hid her actions from any passerby, but Kagura nodded toward Inuyasha before leaning over, and taking another drink. In that glance Inuyasha met his stare in the moonlight, and what he saw chilled the air. The man's eyes were tombstone gray, void of all kindness. Inuyasha had seen men in the war with hate-fevered eyes, and a few with a lust to kill reflected in their stare. But Inuyasha would bet his last 1000- dollar yen, that this man also known, as Naraku didn't hate, just didn't care about anything or anyone in life. Inuyasha didn't take his stare off the girl in the cage as he asked Kagura, "You the preacher talking about her tonight?" "Naw." Kagura rested with her fragile arms against the wagon. "I'm just ordered by Naraku to take her here, and there. The woman who turned her over to Naraku now works for him as a personal slave, and no family would claim this wild wench, so Naraku decided he would use her as a pawn to get money out of stupid people, disguised as a preacher. Can't say I blame him though--- anyone found living in the wolf demon tribes is better off dead." She took another drink. "She fights us like a wildcat, and we don't let her out, because last time she made a bow, and an arrow, and attack Naraku when he was beating her badly hurting him this wild one here. There just ain't no help 'in her." Kagura hit the slats of the wagon as if to keep back a wild animal. "She's a lot of trouble. I liked it better when he did his sorcery, and we got to kill demons, and humans. You can't believe how much fun it was to have some excitement, now I'm an alcoholic, because if I don't drink I'll leave my post, and not return till late at night." Kagura finished off, as she drank some more of the alcoholic beverage. "Course it don't pay like preaching does." Kagura drank the last of her Sake, and lifted the empty bottle, as she moved onto the boardwalk. "Get near her at your own risk. I'll be right back."
Inuyasha glanced at the woman huddled like a wounded animal. She was probably insane, or acting in some sort of scam. Either way she'd fill the offering baskets. An open carriage, flanked by well-armed guards pulled in between Inuyasha, and the lamppost. In sharp contrast to the chained creature in the alley's shadows, a young woman dressed in white stepped from the carriage. She was tall, and walked like a queen. Her every movement spoke of breeding, and wealth. For a moment Inuyasha could only stare. Kikyo was a woman who expected the world to stop, and notice her entrance. Individually, none of her feature was outstanding but combined; they created an air about her. He hardly noticed her younger sister, and mother step out and flank her like twin generals. "Evening Kikyo." Inuyasha crossed in front of her, guessing she would be angry with him. But his pride wouldn't allow him to start with an apology. "I was hoping I'd find you here. We need to talk." One gloved hand pushed back a wayward strand of velvet black hair. Inuyasha had thought that she'd be upset about his sudden poverty, but he never thought she'd lose faith in him. All his promises to her would still some true; they'd just take a little longer. But she wouldn't look in his direction. She obviously thought that her denial of attention would be a punishment. Her younger sister Kiade was the only one who looked at him. "She doesn't wish to speak to you Inuyasha, so step aside. You no longer exist in her world." Inuyasha glanced at Kiade, and Kikyo's mother. "I need to talk to Kikyo alone for a moment." He tried to keep anger from his voice, as he turned back to Kikyo. "I need to explain." He thought to himself of how it would work even though he had barely enough to make it through the winter, he knew that they would make it if she would accept him for him, and not because he had money. "Nothing's changed." Kiade took a step forward. "You are wrong Lord Inuyasha. Everything has changed." "But we___"

Kiade's anger snapped, sharpening her arguing stare, and the cruel glance that Kikyo had been giving him.
"You are no longer engaged to my sister. So as a former Shogunate I
assume you have enough manners to never bother my sister again." Inuyasha advanced.
"I'll hear that from Her!" He was so pissed off that he didn't notice the soul collectors coming towards him with a few demons also as guards. Inuyasha suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot from his rib, to his stomach. He could feel the blood on his skin as it ran down the side of his waist. He had been stabbed in his right side rib.
"We have nothing else to say to you tonight--- or ever."

Inuyasha fell on his knees as he saw Kikyo leave. That bitch. I swear that one day someone will kill her for that attitude, and I hope she burns in hell. If I were her I would watch my back, because even with these guards someone I am close to could try, and kill me. Who needs her anyway. Love is for the weak. It's stupid, and I don't need it. Feh. I've had it with love. I don't want it, and I don't need it. To be nice, and to show to everyone else she was not a coldhearted bitch like her sister she waited until her mother, and sister were inside to return to Inuyasha and say, "My sister says that when you were rich that scar added character, but now that your poor it makes her sick to look at it even though it was to protect her. But to tell you the truth I think you still look handsome." She then made a snobby motion for them to hurry, and get him out of site before people became suspicious.
The demons without permission started to beat him up while the service with the woman in the cage was about to begin! If he were to call out for help it would just be a waste of energy, and breath for no one would help him, heck most would help beat him up. He had to stop this. He couldn't let that poor innocent woman or child be taken through a crowd, and be known as a devil child. No not tonight.

"You worthless piece of shit." One demon called kicking him in the ribs.

"You little bitch. That's right get mad. You little baby." Another spoke.

"How pathetic. Go ahead. Make my day just try to get up." The third demon said tempting Inuyasha to punch him.

"Scream like a little girl you mother fucking, son of a bitch, want to be prostitute, bastard, and fucking son of a gun. I hope you burn in hell for the way you talked to lady Kiade."

Then the demon spit on Inuyasha as they started beating him up with wood, metal, anything that they could find.

The girl in the cage, going to be known as Kagome started to yell for them to stop through the bars. Kagura came back, and saw them beating up Inuyasha, so to see what Kagome could do she handed her the Sake bottle.

Kagome broke the bottle into little fragments of glass, and found one she thought might pick the lock. She put her soft thin arm through the bar, and picks the lock, by hitting the lock over, and over again. When she finally opened her cage Kagura sits at the top of the wagon, carriage, or buggy. She jumped out carrying a piece of glass, and found that Kagura had some rope. Kagura was so drunk that she didn't care what Kagome did, so Kagome was given the rope, and she used the glass to cut the rope, and as she did the glass cut her fingers deeply. Kagome made arrows using the rope, glass, and some sticks she found at the nearby boardwalk. She quietly walked over to each demon, and took an arrow as she stabbed each one in the back. Inuyasha gratefully took her hand as Kagura jumped down from the carriage. She went up to Inuyasha and whispered in his ear, "I knew it. Some demons like you get a taste of wild, and need it every once in a while. She'll give you a fight or two for what you take, but don't let anyone see her out of her cage or Naraku will have my head, and think I'm help `in the bitch. Her name is Kagome if you wanted to know." Kagome had slipped back into the cave for protection while they were whispering.
I have no idea why I helped him. He seemed to be in love with Kikyo just like Lord Naraku. I hate how the tribe leader sold me. Koga had promised to take care of me, and they killed him for it, when he tried to stop them from taking me away. I really miss him. Kagura laughed as she called out, "Kagome. We have a heavy bidder. Come on... here kitty, kitty. Now, now don't tell me your thinking of that Koga demon again are you?" Kagome wiped away little shards of glass looking for another big piece to make the rest of her final arrow to shoot from her bow. Kagura opened the cage door; using sorcery she made Kagome lie down with her legs sort of open sort of closed for Inuyasha. "There you go my friend. Fuck her while you can, because this little bitch must want to be fucked, cause she helped you didn't she?" Kagura saw that Lord Naraku was coming. Hurry hide or I'll get in even bigger trouble.
"Now my lovely Kikyo I ask you to help me kill this wild woman. She must be saved." Naraku sensed they were near his claimed woman, he told them it was time to go save that so- called wild woman. "Stop him! He has my property." Inuyasha took Kagome's fragile body in his arms, and ran with his Kimono top over Kagome like a blanket of warmth. Beyond the thin line of trees in the forest, in the deeper more maze like his brother waited for him at the mansion that he had. Sesshomaru hadn't wanted to fall in love again after Sonya, his first wife. He felt that you love only once in life, why bother falling in love again. Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree testing out his demon ability's. "Uh... do you think you could let me go Lord Inuyasha?" Inuyasha stopped at a tree almost loosing balance making her scream. "How in hell did you know my fucking name, are you a fucking demon, or just raised by them, and now how to be one." By the looks of her just raised probably not able to even cook. Unlike our servant Kaoru, and Tsubame. His stare was cold as ice that it was, and her brown eyes stared at him with an utter hatred, yet thank you. The blood from the gash in his right stomach had blood dripping from it. Kagome gasped with shock at how badly his wound bleeding. "Your injured, but I guess that wouldn't be a surprise seeing as you used to be a former Shogunate." She sarcastically remarked. With his wound Inuyasha knew he would have to camp out in the forest tonight, but he wasn't sure if he'd live with this arrogant woman with him. She would probably kill in his sleep.
"I was told your name Kagome. Well Kagome I know that it's a bad injury that's why I'm looking for that Ooyama village where my brother Miroku is a doctor." Kagome's heart sunk. "You mean that perve of a bastard... oh I swear I used to dread having to go, and see him. He would always feel me up like some bitch of his. I hope you die if your blood related."
Inuyasha shook his head. Good thing I'm not really related to him. Or else she might actually kill me. The demon wolf tribe raised her so she's one to keep her word. He freefell down from the top of the tree to see Kagome had speed. She may not of been a demon wolf but it was possible that she could keep up. Her running was graceful as if she were jogging. Perhaps she was. Inuyasha's gash once again bothered him except this time with pain. He hadn't realized how much blood he'd lost. He had to get to his brother, and fast. Kagome returned to see Inuyasha unconscious, but full of a good calm sleep. Her lover's wolves had been looking for days for their other master. As long as they had one they were tamed. Kagome knew Ooyama village. That was the last place she saw her mother, or wolf mother before they were massacred.
Kagome fought down her fear through every mile to Ooyama village. In the darkness before the stars appeared she was in Ooyama village. Of coarse she knew where his brother was. He was the only demon, or human doctor in a good weeks travel. She looked at the window in which she saw Sango, and Miroku fighting again. She threw a chair, a plate, and even some silverware. "Yep your home Inuyasha." Quickly Sango stopped yelling, and brushed her hair, as Miroku seemed to hide under his desk where his papers lay in a shuffled bunch. Kagome knocked on the door to see that Sango and Miroku acted like what Kagome had just seen through the window never happened. A happy couple that could be the worst of enemy's. She was invited in to wait, to see Inuyasha standing once again...