Title: Whispers on the Wind - Ch. 1 - Youkai
Author: CrystalTokyoPrincess
Chapter Rating: G
Summary: In an era of daimyo and youkai, strife and torture, elegance and
intolerance begins a story of love and sacrifice. This is a tale of romance, courage, and
strife, a story of the love between Inuyasha's parents!
Author's Notes:
This fiction contains mild, mild spoilers for those who have not gotten far into either
the manga or show. Particularly, it contains spoilers about a more pinpointed time-period.
Inuyasha's "current" setting is sometime after 1542 when firearms were first introduced into Japan by Portuguese traders. However, it is before before 1568 when Oda Nabunaga's capture of Kyoto made him famous. From that, we can conjecture that the setting is somewhere between 1542 and 1568, but probably sometime in the 1550s since it would have taken time for firearms to diffuse through the island. Needless to say, the setting is the late Muromachi period.
This story is set approximately 70 years prior, given that Inuyasha is 20 at most when Kikyou seals him upon the God Tree. So, I'm saying the story is set circa 1480 A.D., probably a few years after.
Okay, now that we have the setting down, it's time for a few brief notes. Inuyasha's mother and father currently have no names in my story. I floundered over possible names, since none are supplied in the actual series. Thus, I've left them unnamed until such a time as I can name them properly! Also, due to Inuyasha's mother's attire during the flashbacks, I've made the assumption that she is a noblewoman. Her kimono style was too ornate for the time period for her to be anything but upperclass!
You'll find that Japanese words are in italics! Glossary notes, if needed despite context clues and direct definition in the story, can be found at the bottom of the page!
This chapter is abnormally short, by the way. I suppose it's more like a prologue. But I'll leave it Chapter 1.
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A stately young woman in a patterned, ornate kimono -- a uchikake, a typical noblewoman's attire -- walked across a bridge, her head lifted to the stars as the breeze rustled the ebony-silk strands of her long hair. Although her expression was bland and unreadable, there was undoubtedly something pensive and thoughtful about her.
She paused a moment, gazed down at the calm pond below the bridge, and then continued on to the bank where she sat beside the flowers lining the pond. She ran a hand through her hair, then placed both hands in her lap and gazed upwards. For many moments she sat in peaceful reverie.
"Himesama! Himesama!"
The woman sighed, bowed her head for a moment and then glanced towards the bridge. A servant girl was running towards it, towards her. The woman stood and walked towards and across the bridge, effecting detached elegance as she met the girl halfway across. The panting girl bowed deeply.
"Hime, there is a badly wounded youkai in the house, wounded staving off youkai from the outskirts of your father's lands! Your father sends for you, at the main house."
"A youkai?"
"Hai, Lady, a youkai."
"And to be wounded so badly..." the woman mused as she quickened her pace in the direction of the main house, "...that he must seek treatment from us...Tell me, he does look human?"
"I-I suppose so. I don't know. I couldn't see."
"Lurking in the shadows as usual," the woman said, lips twinging with the mildest touch of amusement.
"Hai, Lady," the young girl said softly.
"Well, I suppose I shall see for myself."
"Hai, Lady."
The woman looked at the girl, an eyebrow raising slightly. "Go fetch more doctors, if my father hasn't already sent for them all."
"Hai, Lady," said the girl before scurrying across the bridge in the direction the woman had come from.
Without a second thought, the woman continued on, her pace dignified but brisk as she entered the house and strode through the crowd which readily parted for her, revealing a bloodied, silvery-haired man on a stretcher on the floor. She bowed her head towards an elderly but firm man standing beside it, "Father...So this is the youkai who put himself at risk for our lands?"
"Hai, daughter."
"He must have taken quite a beating," the lady said as she knelt beside the youkai and reached for a pale, bloodied hand. She noted the claws with a frown, but still gave the hand a firm squeeze. "Thank you, Youkai-ue, for protecting our people."
The youkai flinched twice in his unconscious state before his eyelids flickered slowly open to reveal eyes of warm ambery gold.
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Well, that's all for now! If you've the thought to review, please
go ahead and do so! Glossary below!
CrystalTokyoPrincess
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Glossary
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uchikake: (pronounced: oo-chee-kah-keh) An ornate kimono worn by women during the latter part of Japan's Feudal Era, this clothing item came to common usage during the Edo Period. However, in the Muromachi period it was most often worn by the rich and upperclass.
himesama: (pronounced: hee-may-sah-mah) This is a term for a nobleman's daughter.
hime: (pronounced: hee-may) This can either be the title for a princess or a highborn woman. In this case, it is the respectful title of a highborn woman.
youkai: (prounced: yoh-kye) Though this term has several meanings -- ghost, demon, monster, ghoul -- the one meant here and throughout the Inuyasha series is that of demon.
-ue: (pronounced: oo-eh) A suffix for denoting one's respect, means "Lord" or someone you are subordinate to when tacked onto a name.
hai: (pronounced: high or eye) Yes.