Hey guys! This is my newest story! I hope you like it. If you liked The Bet, you might like this one. It's a totally different story with some of the same Kikyo torture! Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to R&R! Thanks!
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Focus On REAL Life
Chapter One: I Have To What?
By: Candy2323
The village grounds were peaceful. Birds chirped and animals roamed. The Shikon Precinct started to wake with the rising of the sun's first rays. It was a large region located on the ocean, the King's castle on a summit of a cliff overlooking the ocean. The district itself was encompassed by a tall stone wall creating an air of unity around it. It was however, not in the least.
The higher class lived by the ocean and surrounded the castle, middle class surrounding them and lower class were beside the wall itself. Should Shikon Precinct become engaged in a battle with foreigners, the poor class would be the first to become homeless, yet that mattered not to the wealthier people. The shops and trading huts were located in the center of the town. Some made for only the wealthy to enter, others only for the middle, some for the poor. As you can see, everything was arranged by rank, stature, and class. But isn't that how everything was done? People wonder why children run whenever the talk of life, marriage, and class must come into view. And to most people in this day and age, the talks of marriage seemed to be looming around every corner so to speak. That is, of course, no exception for Prince Inuyasha who at this very moment must have the disgruntled talk with his mother as well.
"I HAVE TO WHAT?"
"Yes Inuyasha, you heard me correctly."
"But mother, why must I be the one," Inuyasha grunted. He scorned at the fact that he must wed. Wasn't it the older of the siblings that must wed first? Oh yeah, he thought, Sesshoumaru died a year ago in battle. Damn him for leaving me this responsibility."
"Inuyasha, dear," his mother said reaching out to envelope him into a hug, "You must be married for the good of the kingdom. With your brother dead, you are the last living heir to the family throne. You must wed her. I'm sure that you will, in time, learn to love her."
"Mother how can you put this on my conscience? I believe that it was you who said to follow ones heart. The only way to find true happiness was to live to your fullest emotions. Was that only a contemptuous remark about your life with father?"
"No my son, it was not! It is true, I despised your father when I first met him, but I grew to love him. It takes time my child, it takes time."
"I will not give into a false pretense affection, mother. I will not wed her mother, I will not."
"But my child if you'll-."
"Leave me, mother. I must contemplate this."
"Yes child, but think carefully. Do not make a mistake that you will regret in later years." With those last words, she turned and left the prince to his thoughts. He stood there meditating all possible ways to get out of the permanent engagement, yet all would fail. To summarize his predicament, he was doomed. Signing, Inuyasha left his dank training room and headed outside. Today was the beginnings of a beautiful bright day. And he had a good five hours before he would be called to his father's chambers.
Walking out of the castle, Inuyasha headed for the only place he knew of where he would be safe to express his thoughts, to the open fields of the castle grounds. He climbed into the God Tree, as he liked to call it. It was the tallest tree in the entire castle grounds as well as the entire district. Settling himself comfortably onto one of the higher branches, Inuyasha looked out at the ocean and docks just as the sun came up from it's long slumber. This caused the entire port to look magnificent bathed in light oranges and yellows behind the sun's light blue sky. The small fishing ships and galleys that were in port also enveloped in the colors. It was truly an exquisite site. Staring a few minutes longer, Inuyasha turn his thought to more important matters, like how to escape a prearranged marriage.
He thought until his head pounded. There was just no way to run. No way to hide. Looking back at the dock, he noticed the small fishing boats gathering supplies to stow away for later use. If only I could be free like them instead of being bound to the kingdom. But, things like that never can happen, or can they? Crawling out of the tree, Inuyasha headed towards the castle. Once inside, he heard the reverberating sound of his father's voice calling him. If only.
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The inside of his father's room could only be described at majestic. The tall windows were shunned with deep red velvet curtains emitting small rays of light around the room. The four-poster bed was encompassed in the red velvet as well, small openings at the end and both sides of the bed where Inuyasha's father sat waiting for him.
Walking toward him, Inuyasha stared at his father's pale flushed cheeks, and his glassy eyes. His condition seemed to be worsening every day.
"Come here boy, we need to talk," his father rasped out before going into a fit of choking coughs. Inuyasha ran to his side and started patting him on his back, trying to make him stop. When he finally did, he motioned for Inuyasha to sit beside him.
"What did you need to talk to me about, father?"
"I'm sure that your mother has told you about the arrangement, has she not?"
"Yes father, she has."
"I felt that I needed to explain why we decided to engage you without your knowledge of it."
"Yes father, I'm listening."
"As you can tell, I don not have much longer, son. Sesshoumaru is dead. You are the only heir that I have left. I wanted to make sure that you would find a decent girl before I left this world."
'Father you mustn't worry about me. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"You say that, but have you never been on a date before?"
"Father, it was my choice to learn fighting rather than dating. I would much rather learn how to protect myself rather than have some girl fawn over me."
"You have much to learn son. You're mother and I have kept you too cooped up in this little house that you don't understand the real world. You don't understand how life works."
"What do you mean father?"
"This girl that you are to wed, do you know her name?"
"No father, nor do I care what her name is."
"Her name, my son, is Kikyo Techiugi."
"Kikyo Techiugi?"
"Yes, from the Gromen Providence."
"I've heard of her father, she is said to be cruel and cold-hearted."
"Yes my son, I've heard those rumors, too. But they are not true. You will find out for yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"She is coming here tomorrow, to meet you."
"WHAT!"
"Now son, listen to me-."
"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU INVITE HER OVER HERE WITHOUT EVEN CONSULTING ME!"
"Listen to me-,"
"No father, I've done enough listening. How dare you bring her here to invade my space. I won't marry her."
"YOU WILL DO AS I SAY."
"I'LL DO NO SUCH THING." Inuyasha said turning away from his father and heading toward the door.
"DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME SON!"
"I'm not your son. You have no son you bastard!" Inuyasha ran out of the castle, not turning around nor looking back. He just ran. When he reached the castle wall shielding the castle from the rest of the providence. He started to climb it, using every ounce of strength he had to get away from everything, his father, his house, his responsibility. Falling onto the ground on the other side of the wall, Inuyasha ran toward the village, never once turning around to look back.
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Well, what did you think? Did you like it. I know that this is totally deferent from "The Bet", but it's an idea I've had for quite a while. I hope you enjoyed it. In the next chapter, we meet Kagome. Don't forget to R&R! Thanks! Bye!
Love
Candy2323
