A/N: I've had this story in my head for a really really long time. When I read this book about a boy and he was the son of a low samurai. Then his father's lord lost and their village was destroyed. And then a lord came and took him in as a servant. He eventually became a samurai, and he had many sort of "fathers". He didn't remember his name so his lord gave him one. An older samurai grew close to him and protected him. He died in the same battle as his best friend since forever. He falls in love with this girl whose father likes him, but then will not let him have her. His lord and her father both die in battle while he is away. He thinks his love is dead, but his servant, who is very kind, finds her and they get married. And, it's sooo sad at the end! Basically EVERYBODY dies! But, it is a very good story. If only I could just remember the name at the moment….
I got drunk off of that story and RK (and a few Cowboy Bebop songs) and that's how we came up with this fic. So, it seemed most liked the prologue, so I guess I'll continue. The ending, might be angst or happy. I'm debating it. Ah well, we have a while till we get there, so on with the show!
animegurl—Ahh. Someone thinks I'm great. That makes me soo happy!
AZTECDRAGON DEMON—I'm so glad so many people are saying to continue. I am soo happy you think it is good. It makes my day a little brighter. ^_^
Jodie-chan—How can you diagnose me so well? Yes, I have a hangover with RK at the moment. As for happy ending, it may or may not. Maybe I should make an angst and then a happy ending?
ime—At least someone thinks it's interesting.
dstrbd child—'Wow' I don't get many of those. Unique. I like. I like.
The Weird One—I am thinking of making an angst ending and a happy ending. So, as for Inuyasha dying, not too sure yet. Hitokiri is a hired assassin. Umm, if you've ever seen Rurouni Kenshin, Kenshin is a hitokiri.
The Black BridgeChapter 1- In Blood We Are All Born
"I don't feel a thing
and I stopped remembering
The days are just like moments turned to hours
Mother used to say
if you want, you'll find a way
Bet mother never danced through fire shower
Walk in the rain, in the rain, in the rain
I walk in the rain, in the rain
Is it right or is it wrong
and is it here that I belong"
"Have you heard the news?"
"What?"
"Dear, how long have you been away?"
"6 months."
"My dear, it's the Kurobashi."
"The, Kurobashi?"
"That's what he calls himself. Kurobashi."
"As a surname? Ha, very funny."
"Just take care as you travel. Onegai?"
"Alright mother. For you I will."
"Arigatou, Kouga."
Toyowara Kouga walked out and closed the shoji screen tightly. His mother was always so worried about him when he came home. But, now he had to get back to his adopted father. Lord Toyowara Kensaku. The lord had taken him in when he was young. He needed to get back to helping him prepare for battle with Nakamoto.
~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~~
"There is so much blood."
"No one could have survived."
Two samurai stood on the hill, surveying the village. No one was left alive. That was evident. It seemed horrible, but it was happening to so many other villages around Japan, could they all be caused by Kurobashi?
"He must be stopped!" The elder of the samurai said.
"Hai. This much killing. It would make even the stoic of men turn his head." Said the younger. "What has Yoshiaki said about all the killing?"
"Nothing to my knowledge." The elder kept staring at the blood stained village.
"There have been rumors that Takeda has something to do with this." The young samurai said.
"They who started it are stupid. Takeda has more sense than that." The elder samurai snapped his attention away from the ruins.
"Alert Lord Oda." The elder, shooing off the samurai.
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"Mother? Is it true that there has been much killing lately?" A young woman asked her mother, Lady Kayura.
"Hai, Kagome-chan." The mother held up the silk to her daughter's face. "Does this one or the black with sakura look better?"
"I think the black. At least, that's the way it looks in the mirror." Kagome pushed back a lock of hair and handed back the black silk. "How has father been?"
"He is still sick." A worried look crossed her mother's face. "It is not good news to spread among the people that Lord Higurashi is sick."
"I know. We have to hope he will be better." Kagome smiled and walked out of the room. "I'm going up to visit Lady Kaede up the mountain, Mother. I should be back before supper."
"Stay away from strangers, my Kagome-chan." Kayura yelled after her daughter.
"You never know who you will meet on the road." She whispered to herself, and then went back to taking the silk to the seamstress.
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A man dressed in all black walked through the woods of the mountain. He liked to distance himself after a kill. He hadn't killed the whole village this time. Only an old priest who had seen him stealing food from the shrine. He was always sad when all the people of the village saw him. Then he had to kill them all. Even the little children. He wished that no one would see him.
He then crouched down. A humming girl walked by. She didn't look regal in a regular kimono, but he could tell she was. The way she carried herself, the pattern of the kimono, he could tell she wore silk.
And then she tripped.
He looked through the cracks of the bushes at the girl. She had tear tracks down her face and she was whimpering. He had a soft spot for crying ever since he saw the midwife cry at the death of her husband. The midwife had been a sort of mother to him. She was at least kind, unlike the other people he had met in his life.
Thinking about the old memories, he failed to notice that he was sliding back, and a twig cracked beneath him as he fell back.
"…Who's there?!" The girl gasped and peered into the branches. She hoped it was not a wolf. Or a ninja. Both scared her.
"Come out!" She gained her voice and tried to stand up. She found out she had twisted her ankle. "If you're human, could you at least help me up the mountain!" She then twisted and writhed from the pain of trying to stand.
"Stop. You will just damage it more." The man stepped out of the shadows. He walked over the trembling girl.
"Who…who are you?" Kagome stuttered. He was handsome. She could tell that. His eyes were a magnificent purple and his face was beautiful. His hair was kept back in a ponytail. It was long and black. Even longer than her own.
"You do not need to know. It does not matter." The man in black said as he picked the girl up.
"Well, you like a ninja." She pointed at his clothing.
"I'm not. You can call me…Kuro." He said, giving it a little thought.
"Black? So, you dress all in black, carry two swords and give me your name as 'Kuro.' Yet, you say you're not a ninja. Well, what are you then?" Kagome asked.
"Before we get into me, how about yourself? Your name?" Kuro asked.
"Oh! My name is Kagome. Higurashi Kagome." She said proudly.
"Daughter of Lord Higurashi?" Kuro interrogated.
"Hai. Now, what are you?" Kagome said, switching the subject again.
"I'm not sure. Some call me a hitokiri, others, a demon. I work for no one. I am not evil, like a demon. I guess in my own way I am evil." Kuro answered, his eyes glazed in memory.
"Everyone has a bit of evil in them I think. Except Lord Buddha." Kagome nodded her head at the statement.
Kuro smiled lightly. Kagome liked the way he smiled. It made him look sweet and innocent.
"Oh no! I was supposed to visit Lady Kaede today!" She sat up in his arms and almost hit him hard.
"Nani?" Kuro looked down on her.
"Kuro, Kaede was my nurse for a long while. Till I was 10. Then, she went back to being a miko. She is teaching me a little. For I have a little miko blood. Though, I'm no where near full-blooded like her. Mother was just half. Making me I guess, fourth?" The girl pondered.
"You come from a high class samurai family. You aren't as stuck up as much of them are." Kuro looked up at the trees. It was fall. Aki was here and had for a long while. Soon the snows would come. The air already hinted at it. And the girl certainly felt it, as she shivered lightly at every breeze. Though a few were zephyrs.
"I don't know. I don't see many people other than my family and the people at the shrine. But, your family. What are they like?" Kagome knew she had instantly gone too far as he stopped walking down the mountain. His eyes held pain, sadness and a need for revenge. She was sorry she had asked.
"Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to stir up bad memories." Kagome watched as his eyes turned back to mirrors.
"It is not your fault. You have every right to ask a person who is carrying you down a mountain. You don't know if they are criminal or god." Kagome was amazed by this man. He seemed so wise.
"It was still rude to pry." Kagome said, bowing her head.
"I won't kill you over it." Kuro said, leaning his face into her hair. It smelled good. Like irises after rain in the summer.
He wondered to himself why he hadn't killed her. Why he couldn't have simply sneaked away. Anyone who even saw him, he killed. Yet, he hadn't with her. Instead, he was helping her.
What has become of me? He thought to himself.~_~__~_~__~_~__~_~__~_~
The first memory of her. My one and only. The beauty who stole my heart. I wasn't sure at first why I let her go. Why I spared her. But, I learned. And when she left me, I remembered. And I shall forever after.
A/N: This chapter was WAY longer than most of my chapters usually are. But, this fic will be long chapters I think. If the characters seem OOC, sorry. Inuyasha will be in character sometimes, but others, yes he will be out. And, for those who still haven't gotten it, Kuro is Inuyasha.
For why Kouga laughs at the name 'Kurobashi' you must understand what it means. Literally means, 'black bridge', hence the name of this fic. Kuro-black, bashi-bridge. I've never met someone with the surname Kurobashi, though somewhere there might be. But, just pretend there isn't. Just to make it seem strange to have the surname.
To help with a little Japanese history, surname meaning, name meanings, word meanings and blah, here's a nice little list. ^_^
Kurobashi—Black Bridge
Toyowara—Plentiful(abundant) Field(plain)
Nakamoto—Middle Base(origin)
Yoshiaki—Shogun placed by Oda
Oda (Nobunaga)—Rival and enemy of Takeda, known for his mercilous cruelty
Takeda (Shingen)—Rival and enemy of Oda, ruthless warlord who wishes to conquer and rule Japan
Kuro—Black
Anyways, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
Please review! It helps a lot and I love hearing from you!
~~~Y.L.S.
These two, M.S. or A.R.A., won't write this.