Chapter 1- Memories
The night air smelled sweet with the evening wind carrying the scent of cherry blossoms through the Dark Lands and into the forest that lay in its center like an island in a ghostly sea. The half-moon hung high in the night sky as its eerie white glow filtered into the once peaceful and pure forest. The light seeping through the treetops cast the forest in a strangely silent twilight that never seemed to dim nor brighten at any hour of the day, the myst that hung low against the forest floor glowing a soft silver as it engulfed the forest floor and spilled around the trees like a silver sea. The myst swirled gently as if it were dancing to some unheard orchestra as it spilled from the forest and swallowed the land like a shadowy plague. The myst itself seemed alive with a shadowed presence as it swirled playfully dancing along the lands as it swallowed them in its gray curse. Surprisingly though it may seem queer there was a sole spot upon this darkened tapestry that stood untainted by the darkness that swallowed all else in its gaping maw. In the center of this foreboding land, deep within the dark forest almost glowing stood a great tree. The moonlight shining through the soft rustling leaves as the sweet cherry breeze blew through the forest gently kissing the tree's leaves and bark in the sweet scent of cherry blossoms. The tree stood proudly in the forest as the myst danced a good distance around it, the tree stood as a sign that even in this dark desolate land a lotus of purity can still bloom. The tree's trunk was thick and round and on one side in the center of the trunk a path of bark was missing and near the upper right corner there was a small hole from an arrow in the patch. The missing bark was where a half demon was pinned to the tree with a sacred arrow plunging him into a deep slumber until he was awakened fifty years later. Now the almost five years after that patch of bark in its center held an almost completed Shikon No Tama, the jewel of four souls that could grant one wish and empower a hanyou to become a full youkai. The jewel had been shattered into hundreds of pieces five years ago and here it rested embedded in the tree missing only a small sliver. Surrounding the jewel in a beautiful starburst pattern were bone like shard that were embedded into the tree, yet the tree of ages stood proudly a testament to days gone past.
The shadows flickered some as the leaves stirred upon a branch of the great tree, the shadows hiding his form until he had seemingly woken from his slumber. His dull silver eyes peered over the forest as dark whispers reached his dull steel colored canine ears as they twitched some. His handsome face was hidden behind a dark steel slayer's mask commonly worn by the taijiya of the era, his mask covered his face from his nose down to his chin in a dark steel that bore four slits arranged like the upper and lower fangs of a wolf. His long dull silver-gray hair fell past his waist and was tied in a loose pony tail at the end with a black sash as his bangs hid his face in shadows as his eyes glinting softly in the moonlight. He wore a traditional black robe like kimono; it was trimmed with crimson red at the hem of the sleeved and along the back. Underneath the kimono he wore faded red hakama pants commonly worn by the warriors, and a faded red haori made of fire rat cloth just like the pants. He simply kneeled on the branch as his gaze slowly swept to the very tree he knelt upon as his gaze became fixed upon the Shikon No Tama, his voice was cold but calm as it floated from his lips, "so many memories both cherished and pained due to my selfish desires for the power this worthless jewel holds." He sighed heavily something he rarely did these days as he leaned against the tree and thought to himself, when will my nightmare end and my eyes see her again? "Inuyasha must you continue to torture yourself over a pitiful human…she is unworthy of you that is simply the truth." a dark whispery voice echoed in his mind, "so nice of you to join me Shadow Bane…" he growled some and then sighed some. "No, it is I who was…is unworthy of her love and care, after all I am the monster." he said in his calm voice, his reply came in a thousand eerie whispers that filled his head and grew into a deafening roar as they screamed "Monster!" He broke out into a cold sweat and shook his head violently. "you need to feed my Lord Inuyasha…" the voice echoed some in his mind as the roar of voices faded away into a soft whisper, "no I want to remember…" he leaned against the tree as his form faded away into the shadows and his dull silver eyes closed letting himself fall away into the deep reaches of his mind.
An image formed in his mind of a beautiful woman with a tall slender body and a soft yet serious face sitting beside him in a field, her long black hair fell around her as did her baggy priestess clothes. Her voice was strong but sweet as she spoke, "Inuyasha… the Shikon Jewel can not only make a hanyou into a youkai but also make a hanyou into a human if he or she truly desired it." His mind searched for who this woman was and why she seemed so familiar and his reply came as a swift stabbing pain in his chest as he suddenly felt saw Kykiou fire the sacred arrow at him imprisoning him to the tree for fifty years. He remembered seeing a human in front of him, his body paralyzed as he arrogantly shot to the strangely dressed girl, "Come to finish the job eh Kykiou?" for she did look so much like Kykiou back then. "My name is Kagome! Ka…Go…Me!" the young girl yelled to him, he felt a sudden pang in his heart as he heard the name echo some in the deep reaches of his mind. His mind flashed to a memory of Kagome saying "sit boy" and that damn rosary slamming him into the floor, the rosary…his mind echoed as he reached inside his kimono and pulled out the worn rosary out. A few beads were missing an its colors wee faded as well as a fang or two and a few beads were missing or chipped and cracked, but sure enough it was the very same rosary he had kept since he met Kagome and even after she left him. He put the rosary away and pushed that thought from his mind as he returned to his memories, his memory of Sango, Miroku, and even that twerp Shippou flooded back to him as he remembered first meeting them and the many journeys and adventures they had shared together. Miroku the skilled monk who couldn't help but flirt with every woman he met, Sango the demon slayer with a tortured past, and Shippou, an orphaned fox demon who was still a child. They has all been his friends united under a common enemy but bound together by friendship, yet here he remained alone and lost after Naraku's death had been secured. His mind suddenly swallowed him and threw him back into his past… to the day he defeated Naraku, or at least he had thought so.
His amber eyes slowly flickered open as the scent of a burning flame and the crackling of wood burning awoke him, slowly he sat up and stretched yawning loudly Miroku said in a cynical tone, "Well it seems sleeping beauty has finally arisen from her slumber." He grumbled some and sleepily growled to Miroku, "Can it lecher…" making the monk laugh some as Sango spoke up in her sisterly manner, "Inuyasha keep it down Kagome is still sleeping." He scoffed some and then shot a small remark that earned him a dirty glare from her and then she said, "Go make yourself useful and get some firewood it's a cold foggy morning." Indeed she was right, the mountains they were in often were covered by a heavy fog and the days were often cold in these lands. Grumbling some he got up secured his haori and after he made sure the little gold heart shaped pendant that Kagome had given him was fine he set of into the woods in search of firewood. "Damn Sango making me collect stupid firewood to keep their asses warm." He grumbled some and then sighed a little and started laughing to himself as he thought, oh who am I trying to kid? I love Kagome that's the only reason I am getting the firewood is to keep her warm. He walked to a recently felled tree its truck thicker than his neck, smirking some he flashed his claws, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" he yelled as he slashed the tree into small logs and he collected them. "This should be enough" he said with a smile on his face as he walked back towards the camp. "Inuyasha!" the scream tore through the woods reaching his canine ears, Kagome's in danger! His mind suddenly burst as he ran to the camp dropping the wood he was carrying to save his loved one once more.
As he reached the camp he saw Sango unconscious with her boomerang in her lap as she sat slumped unconscious against a tree, Miroku laid passed out next to her as Naraku stood by the fire holding Kagome by her throat. "Inuyasha, so you've finally decided to join us, I had begun to think you had become wise and abandoned the pitiful humans" his voice was sinister and condescending, "let her go Naraku!" he growled as he unsheathed the Tetsusiaga. The sword made from the fang of his father looked like a rusty old katana as he unsheathed it and then it became a great sword almost as large as himself. Naraku dropped Kagome turning to him as he spoke again, "very well I will bring you to your knees and have you watch as I slowly squeeze the life from her body you pathetic half breed." Inuyasha growled as he charged toward Naraku as the Tetsusiaga began to glow a blood red tearing through Naraku's demonic barrier and slammed into Naraku sending him into a tree. "Its over Naraku…you won't hurt anyone any longer." He said in a low growl as h brought the blade around, ready to strike him down. "It seems I will have to kill you now Inuyasha instead of make you suffer…" Naraku spat as a spider leg burst from his back and impaled the Tetsusiaga the blade began to crack and then shattered into many shards, "Goodbye Inuyasha" Naraku spat as another spider leg caught him in the side, the impact breaking a few ribs as he was sent flying to the edge of a chasm that lay near the camp. Naraku smiled and then kicked him over the edge as Kagome regained her strength and saw Inuyasha slip over the edge her ragged scream of despair cut through the heavy fog.
"Inuyasha!" the scream echoed in his head as he fell down what seemed to be an endless fall into the earth, his body felt weak as he plummeted towards the bottom. His ego was bruised some as he thought how easily he had been defeated by Naraku. He noticed that after a few seconds he began to see a rocky and uneven ground rushing towards him as he suddenly smacked into the chasm floor with a loud wet resounding crack. Had he any unbroken bones left in his body before the landing then they were surely broken now. A faint scream reached down the endless abyss he was condemned to; the desperate cry for him was suddenly cut off as his consciousness slowly faded away.
"Her death will be upon your hands if you lay down and die here, mutt…" the dark voice echoed in his mind, soft whispers following behind it. "Who are…you?" he forced the words as his body screamed in pain wanting him to fall into the bliss that was unconsciousness. I am your salvation and her only hope… the thought simply appeared in his mind obviously as he strained to speak once more, "what do…you" he was cut off by another foreign thought that had creeped into his mind, to help you.. he thought that was an odd thing to think. Then he had an idea and made a loud thought in his mind, how can you help me? The voice formed in his head as he smiled some at the success of his mental voice, "by giving you power you've only dreamed of…" the voice spoke in a dark tempting tone. What do you want…? "Nothing much demon, just your soul and body is all I ask for and In return strength you need to defeat him and save her life." The voice replied plainly. Why my soul and body? Who are you? He thought to himself, his response was as swift as his questions, "look in front of you and you shall see me…pay my price and you her life may be saved." He opened his eyes slowly and then saw the thick shadowy myst part to reveal a long bladed katana with an ebony black blade embedded into the ground the handle wrapped in black leather, the myst swirled softly along the blade as he slowly reached for the blade and said in a strained but confident voice, "I can't let my love die" a dark chuckle emerged deep within his mind as he gripped the blade's handle. He suddenly felt a strange presence in his mind as his body began to well with strength, a strength he had never felt before. He didn't notice the dark wire like tendrils that swarmed over his wounds intertwining to reform the damaged flesh and cloth, mending his bones and sinew as a voice echoed in his mind, "now we are one, demon" he nodded as he heard the voice in his head, what do I call you? "I am…Shadow Bane, legendary blade of darkness once wielded by Kage" the voice replied. Very well Shadow bane and with that he leaped toward the edge of the chasm to where Naraku had thrown him off.
When he reached the top he saw Kagome battered and bleeding some, standing weakly holding her bow as she say him she smiled weakly and softly said, "Inuyasha you're.." she then collapsed unconscious from her wounds as Naraku chuckled some. "Why won't you die boy?" he said in a sinister tone as he turned to face him. "Goodbye Naraku and may you burn in hell!" he roared as he lunged at him with the Shadow Bane. He struck an invisible wall a few feet from Naraku and then slashed at it again as the Shadow Bane dug into the demonic barrier, "ahh… what power, how utterly delectable" the blade sang in a cheery voice that echoed in his mind as the shield began to weaken. "What Impossible my barrier…its draining my strength from me" Naraku sputtered surprised as he stepped back and the barrier collapsed, "Now Naraku I will see you die!" He swung the blade at Naraku as his head rolled to the floor and the blade spoke in a hurried voice, "Impale the demon through his human heart and end his body's binding" Inuyasha smiled and gladly shoved the sword through Naraku's heart watching Naraku scream in pain and then fall limp to the floor and his body begin to bubble and melt away into a pile of putrid flesh. He quickly ran to Kagome and scooped her up in his arms holding her against him as he kisses her forehead, "wake up please…don't die on me Kagome…I need you with me…" he said his eye began to feel like they were on fire as he wanted to cry. "Inu…yasha you're okay…" she said softly as she softly as she regained her consciousness almost on the verge of tears as well. He smiled and held her tightly as he cried some, "Kagome, promise me that you'll never leave me… Please I never want to lose you again" he said as he buried his face into her shoulder as he sobbed some. Surprised, she blushed some and then held him tightly, "I promise I won't ever lave your side Inuyasha" he smiled and laid her down and then went over to her back pack and began to tend to her wounds and then went to Miroku and Sango to see how they were doing, unaware of the large spider that emerged from the pile of rotten flesh and skittered off into the shadows of the woods.