Until The Day I Die

 

Chapter One: Memories

By: Sci-Fi Raptor

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters.

~

The Valley was usually peaceful at this time. After the harvest, and the celebration that followed it, the villagers had relatively peaceful lives just enjoying their break from the backbreaking farm work. In a fairly small plot of land that was one of the feudal lord’s summer retreats, two youngsters were playing hide-and-seek.

“3…2…1… ready or not, here I come!” yelled the little girl, opening her eyes after the countdown. She had black hair and eyes, and was wearing a royal kimono. She ran along the yard, looking behind every tree, rock and haystack. She searched the house, barn and henhouse, but still she couldn’t find her playmate. After fifteen minutes of fruitless searching, she finally gave up. “I give up!” she proclaimed.

“Aww… I thought you would have found me for sure this time,” the boy said, crawling from under the henhouse. He was in a coverall made of red fur, dirty from the mud under the house. He had a necklace made of teeth around his neck. The wind blew his black, but dirty hair, as he looked at the girl with his glittering black eyes.

“That’s no fair!” she pouted. “We said no hiding under things,” she said, on the verge of tears. “Sit boy!” she suddenly said. The boy’s necklace suddenly glowed and his face was buried in the dirt.

“Hey, what was that for,” the boy said, spitting out a worm.

“You said if you cheated again I could do that,” she said apologetically.

“I’m sorry…” the boy said sincerely, the way little kids do when they really are. “I know, how about we go to the lake!” he said excitedly.

“But your ma said we have to be in the house before the sun sets,” the girl said hesitantly.

“Don’t worry about it, she always says that,” he said, holding her wrist. The two ran to the lake. By the time they reached there, they chanced to see a beautiful sunset, and sat in their secret spot. The girl put her head on the boy’s shoulder.

“I heard this legend once,” the girl said shyly.

“Oh yeah? What was it about?”

“I heard that if a couple get married in the Temple of Kings, they will live happily together forever.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” the girl said, this time more firmly.

“Lets make a promise,” he said, holding her hand. “When we grow up, we’ll get married there.”

“Really?” she said.

“I promise,” he said, holding out his pinky.

“So do I!” she said excitedly, and wrapped her pinky around his.

“Kagome! Princess Kagome! Where are you two?”

“We’re here Nanny!” Kagome said loudly as the two left their secret spot.

“There you are Kagome!” the woman said exasperated. Your parents are here Kagome, and you have to leave very soon,” the woman said, forcing her to go back to the house.

“But its not even sunset yet.” Kagome protested.

“Child, considering the things that I go through for you, leaving a little early shouldn’t be that hard.”

“Alright…” Kagome said in defeat.

“See you later Kagome,” the boy said.

“Remember our promise!” Kagome said, trying to keep up with the boy’s mother.

Kagome… Wake up Kagome…

            “Huh?” Kagome said, slowly rising. She opened her eyes to see one of her mistresses with their oh-too-happy smiles on her face. “What now?”

            “Another suitor has come to see you today,” the mistress reported.

            “Again?” Kagome said annoyed. “Might as well get started then,” she said, slowly getting out of bed. For the past few weeks, suitor after suitor came from faraway lands to try to get Kagome’s hand in marriage. But they were all rejected. Most just seemed too arrogant, others evil. The ones that she did seem to like, her mother rejected because their kingdom was too small or insignificant. Or maybe it was because of the promise. Those memories came back to her in her dreams so much since…

            “Are you alright lady Kagome?” the mistress asked when she noticed the tear.

            “I’m okay,” Kagome said, regaining her composure. She had to be strong. What she had done then was over and it would probably never happen again.

            She met the suitor in the throne room. He was a prince from a bordering kingdom. His name was Naraku.

~

“Inuyasha, I heard that there’s gonna be a really big haul sometime this week,” a flea named Myoga said to his master’s ear.

“Really?” he said indifferently. At that moment, a big haul didn’t seem nearly as interesting as the bug that was making its way across the bar table.

“What kind of haul is it?” someone seated next to him asked.

“I heard that they were gonna send the Shikon Jewel to the Temple of Kings,” the flea said.

“What was that?” Inuyasha said, his interest peaked.

“I said, the Shikon Jewel will be transported to the Temple of Kings”

“Say what?”

“I said-”

“I heard you dammit,” Inuyasha said annoyed.

“You mean the jewel that can give its possessor extraordinary powers?” the brute nearby asked.

“Yes, those are the ones I am talking about,” the flea said. The brute suddenly stood up and grabbed Myoga with his fingernails, tapping Inuyasha lightly.

“You’re gonna tell me everything you know about that loot, pipsqueak,” the hulk demanded. He was answered by a sudden blow to the face by Inuyasha. Myoga quickly climbed up to Inuyasha’s shoulder and thanked him. “Thank you so much for saving Inuya-” but was cut off by Inuyasha.

“Don’t you EVER touch me without my consent!” Inuyasha said enraged. The hulk was quickly surrounded by his cronies, who helped him back to his feet.

“No one makes a fool out of Ryoko!” the hulk said, and threw a punch. Inuyasha easily dodged, and responded by a swift jab to the ribs. A crowd quickly formed around the two, and started going into a frenzy as the two tore each other apart. Myoga quickly jumped to a safer place to watch…

“This is getting very boring,” Inuyasha said, actually stopping Ryoko’s fist in his hand in the middle of a punch. Ryoko tried to push through with the punch, but Inuyasha started squishing his fist. The two just stood there, Ryoko using all his might to finish his punch, and Inuyasha grinding his hand. Finally the hulk gave up and drew his hand back. He moaned and screamed and the crowd dissipated, unhappy about the sure win that didn’t happen.

“Lets get going,” Inuyasha said, walking out the bar. “Wait for meeee!!!” Myoga said, desperately trying to catch up to him. As the door closed behind him, an ominous wind blew it closed, showing a picture of Inuyasha’s face and a really large reward under it.

~

            “Lady Kagome,” Naraku said, bowing.

            “Good day,” Kagome said, bowing also. “I assume that you, too, have come to seek my hand in marriage,” she said indifferently.

            “Men would forfeit their lives just to see your beauty,” he said with a cold smile. He went up to her and kissed the back of her hand.

            “You flatter me,” she said, taking her hand back and trying not to betray her disgust at his lips’ touch.

            “But no, I have not come for your hand. I will only escort you and your train through my kingdom,” he said, his face betraying nothing.

            “What?” Kagome said in surprise.

            “Naraku! Welcome!” the Queen boomed as she entered the throne room.

            “Good day, Queen Higurashi,” Naraku said coolly. They shook hands by their wrists as a symbol for their new alliance and the Queen sat on her throne.

            “What is this I hear about ‘escorting’?” Kagome asked her mother, far too tactfully.

            “Ah, yes. I was going to tell you about that,” she started. “Farleigh!!!” she bellowed. Almost immediately, a scrawny but tall man came lumbering into the room with a box in his hands. Kagome suddenly felt a presence.

            “Here it is, you highness,” Farleigh said in a squeaky voice.

            “Show them the Jewel,” the Queen ordered.

            “As you command,” he said. He went up to the two and slowly opened the box. Kagome looked at Naraku and saw his eyes glitter. But that didn’t matter because the presence suddenly increased many fold and consumed the room. She looked into the box and saw a peach colored pearl with a weird feeling coming from the center of it.

            “What is it?” Kagome said in awe.

            “This is known as the Shikon Jewel. It is said that the Jewel holds great power within it,” the Queen said, then darkly “…among other things. It is one of our kingdom’s biggest secrets and is never taken out except for certain days.”

            “But what does that have to do with me?” Kagome asked.

            “In two weeks,” the Queen continued, “all the planets and our moon will be aligned. ‘If the jewel is not in its mount within the Temple of Kings, great misfortune will befall our land,’” the Queen said ominously, as if quoting a prophet.

            “So?” Kagome said.

            “As you know by now,” Queen started, “you have the power to sense the Jewel. It is a power that all the daughters of the King traditionally have had. It is also tradition for the daughter to accompany the Jewel on its way to the mount.”

            “So I have to go to the Temple?” Kagome said, masking her anger.

            “But your highness. The parliament insists that Princess Kagome become married soon,” Farleigh said, irked.

            “Well in that case, I’d love to go,” Kagome said, walking to the door.

            “I will be waiting for you,” Naraku said to her as she left. He turned to the Queen, said his goodbyes and left. Farleigh finally spoke up.

            “Your highness, Kagome is your only heir. If something were to happen to her…”

            “You may not understand now, but there are certain forces at play during this critical stage; Kagome must go. Beside, Kagome would never marry anyone, no matter who told her to,” the Queen said.

            “You could at least arrange a marriage,” Farleigh pleaded. “The parliament is very concerned about the continuation of your line. They have been constantly telling me to press the issue to you, but until now, I saw no need to tell you to do what you were already doing.

            “Actually, Farleigh, those suitors were all for show to appease parliament into thinking that she will marry soon. But a marriage has already been arranged,” the Queen said.

            “Really!” Farleigh said excitedly. “Who is the suitor?”

            “I can’t tell you. Kagome made the promise with him when she was young.”

            “Such a marriage has been arranged and princess Kagome hasn’t even made it public who she intends to marry yet? Does she not even think of all the anxiety that she is causing the government?”

            “There is a perfectly logical explanation for that,” the Queen said chuckling.

            “And what may that be?”

            “She doesn’t know his name,” he said, chuckling a little more.

            “She could at least bring him to court.”

            “Well, there’s another problem to that. She hasn’t heard of him in one and a half years…” the Queen said quietly. Farleigh almost had a stroke.

~

            “And I will receive payment once I deliver the package?” Inuyasha asked once more.

            “Yes,” said a hooded figure, “we will exchange the sword for the package.”

            “Give my thanks to the master,” Inuyasha said, bowing.

            “Naraku will be pleased,” the hooded one said. Then it turned to dust, blowing away with the wind.

            “So damn creepy, Naraku’s minions,” Inuyasha thought aloud.

            “Yes, but we…” Myoga started, but corrected himself when he saw Inuyasha’s face, “… you are getting quite a deal. Tokygin is one of the most powerful swords ever created.”

            “Well, anything is better then this pile of rust,” Inuyasha said, eying the sword at his waist.

            “Why would your father give you a defective sword like that?” asked Myoga. “And why do you keep it?” He retracted when Inuyasha gave him a flash of anger.

            “That is not your concern,” he said coldly.

            “Sorry master,” Myoga said and squirmed into the recesses of the robe of the Fire Rat’s fur. Inuyasha left the meeting site and went back to the forest trail that would lead to the main road and the ambush site.

            “Iron reaver, soul stealer!” Inuyasha suddenly burst out.

            “Ah! What’s going on?” Myoga cried as he frantically tried to leave his safe hiding place to see what was going on.

            Before him, he could a freshly made path diverging into the forest. Charred tree trunks were being showered with burning splinters, covering the forest floor with thousands of burning embers, threatening to start a forest fire. Within the dark billows of smoke, a purple dust danced in the bright night air as a virgin wind breezed it through the forest.

            Since when was Inuyasha-sama this powerful? Myoga thought in awe.

            “I see Naraku is still keeping tabs on me,” Inuyasha said, picking up remnants of a broken doll. He sneered at it and threw it back into the burning forest floor and went on his way.

~

[Day One, 13 Days Until Planetary Alignment]

            For some reason, Naraku suddenly winced. And for some even weirder reason, Kagome asked about it.

            “Are you okay?”

            “… I’m fine,” Naraku said, regaining his composure. He helped Kagome mount her horse and then mounted his own. He gave his men some orders and the train started its long and perilous journey. I wonder why father didn’t send anyone from the royal guard on this trip. He seems unusually trusting with this person. Naraku trotted up next to her.

            “Are you comfortable, Lady Kagome?” Naraku said politely.

            “Yes I am,” Kagome said as dryly as she could. She didn’t really feel like talking to anyone, especially someone like Naraku. She had these weird feelings about him. Fortunately, he backed off and appeared to be in deep thought. She went into her own thoughts, but suddenly realized they were all about him (about how untrustworthy he was). But she realized that all she thought about was he and blushed.

            I have been too lax with Inuyasha, Naraku thought. He must be taught that no one can undermine my instruments or me. When he gives my minion the package, I will make sure that he learns his lesson. He felt someone staring at him, and saw Kagome suddenly look away. He made a cold smile of satisfaction and went up to her once again.

            “The sky is so beautiful today, is it not?” he said.

            “Yes it seems,” Kagome said, watching two hummingbirds chase one another. She saw a butterfly land on a branch and flex its wings; then it came to a dead stop.

            “In all its greatness and beauty, nature is very fragile,” Naraku stated.

            “Aye,” Kagome responded. She felt someone staring at her, and saw that it was Naraku who was riding a few inches away from her. He held her hand up.

            “Like I said before, Lady Kagome, men would forfeit their lives for a chance to see your beauty. I feel blessed that I am one of those who have been graced by your presence,” he said, kissing her hand. Kagome blushed.

            Maybe he’s not that bad after all, Kagome thought.

 

            “Halt, you have to pay the-” a soldier started as a man dressed in all white made his way across the bridge.

            “Out of my way,” the man said, whipping him with a green whip; the soldier was sliced into to. The man continued to walk across the bridge, undisturbed as everyone on it made a path for him. Then they crowded around the foolish soldier who tried to stop him, his lower half spasming as his upper half passed out.

            An evil wind blew, and the man in white stopped. He stood as if listening to the howling of the air. Then a blue light surrounded him, and he flew off to some other direction.

~

            “This is taking quite a while now…” Myoga complained in his warm and comfy position with the red fire rat’s fur. Inuyasha was hiding in a bush, positioned so that he could see outside, but not be seen himself.

            “Shuddup,” Inuyasha said annoyed, “I think I see them.”

            From what he could see, it was a train of ten horses, seven of which were Naraku’s. There were also two carriages, pulled by two horses each in the rear. Naraku and the princess were in the third row, chatting about something. He had never seen Naraku, this was the first time he ever had a chance. He made a whistle at a frequency that the humans couldn’t hear, and Naraku knew of his presence. All Naraku had to do was get the princess to expose the box, and he would make his move. The train got dangerously close, but at the last second the princess showed the box.

            Now all I have to do is grab the box and run. Inuyasha thought.

 

            “Yes, it does feel stronger when I open it. I wonder why?” Kagome said, as she opened the Jewel’s box. Naraku was testing a theory about the Jewel and Kagome’s connection to it. Suddenly, a red blur dropped from the trees and took the jewel.

            “Oh my lord!” Kagome said, realizing what just happened.

            “Follow it, you idiots!” Naraku yelled at his men. The men sluggishly started chasing after it. When they apparently realized what just happened, they sped up and started shooting at it. But the thief had too much of a lead and got away.

            “What am I gonna do?” Kagome said, trembling from the sudden encounter.

            “First you must calm down,” Naraku said too calmly. “Then we can think things through.”

            “Yes, you’re right,” she said, and rested on Naraku’s shoulder. Suddenly she felt the presence of the shard come toward her, and pain shoot from her shoulder.

 

            A red blur fell from the trees and stole the jewel.

            “That’s exactly what I’m gonna do,” Inuyasha said to himself as he saw the blur running away. “Wait a sec… if I’m here, who’s that?”

            “Run!” Myoga said urgently.

            “Crap!” Inuyasha said in anger. He quickly caught up with the blur and attacked where he thought it was holding the jewel. He seemed to be in luck, as he saw the jewel’s light brighten the path. But it became very intense and exploded. Five pieces flew into five different directions, one of which was towards the train. He chased after it in a heartbeat. He saw the princess fall off of her horse, with blood in her shoulder. He saw light coming from the wound and quickly hitched her on his shoulders. Before the guards could do anything, he already was in the trees. He didn’t get a chance to see Naraku’s face, but knew how angry it probably looked. Oh well, I still got part of that damn jewel.

            A few moments later, he was waiting in the cabin where he was supposed to drop off the jewel. He took the jewel shard out of the princess and dressed her wound. Then he shackled her to the wall.

            One of Naraku’s minions opened the door. Inuyasha could tell that this wasn’t the regular type of minion. This was probably one of the minions that Naraku would speak through directly to him.

            “That was very sloppy Inuyasha. You may have ruined all of my plans,” the minion said in cold rage.

            “How was I supposed to know that there was another Demon there, master Na-” he stopped short when the creature gestured him to be silent. He listened and heard the human wake up. Obviously, he still wanted the princess to marry him, and her finding out that what just happened was Naraku’s doing would make it impossible.

            “Still, you should not have destroyed the jewel like that.”

            “Well, I just basically blindly-” Inuyasha started, but was cut off.

            “I don’t care. Now you have to use the princess to find the rest of the shards. When you do, I will “rescue” her from you and be the hero,” he said, saying the last word in disgust.

            “How will I get her to cooperate?”

            “That’s your problem. Just get it done quickly.” Inuyasha was about to ask something else, but the minion fell to the floor into a heap of dust. This was followed by the princess’ scream.

            “Dammit! Shut your trap!” Inuyasha said, clamping his hand over her mouth. When it looked like she would stop, he slowly took his hand off. He quickly put it back on as she let out another blood curling scream. “Listen real carefully, cause I’m only gonna say this once. You have to find out where the shards are. Once I get them all, I will let you go, understood?”

            “Uh huh,” she nodded under his hand. He slowly retracted it, but put it back on when he saw her about to scream again. He looked around the area and noticed Naraku’s eyes watching him.

            “You saw that guy that turned to dust back there?” he asked, she acknowledged. “That’s gonna be you if you don’t do exactly what I say,” he said. He took his hand off, but thankfully, she didn’t scream. “You will find the last four remaining Jewel shards, and then I will let you go once I get them all. Understand?”

            “Yes,” Kagome said. She knew better then to argue with this brute now, with or without the power to turn people to dust. Inuyasha took the shackles off the wall, but kept them on her.

            “Lead the way, your highness,” Inuyasha said sarcastically.