InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tainted Heart ❯ chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

DISCLAIMER: don't own inu yasha...but I do own the characters you've never heard of and I own the plot to this story.

~*~*~ denotes a change in perspective.

* * * denotes a certain amount of time has passed

"I can't believe we finally graduated," Rin sighed as she looked around the dorm room for the last time. "It feels so weird to be leaving this place, knowing that we'll never return to it as students." Sango nodded as she stood next to her best friend.

"Are you looking forward to starting your life as an exterminator?" Sango asked, looking at her. Rin took in a deep breath, blushing.

"Yeah...but I won't ever be as goog as you, Sango," she replied. "I can't believe you're not going to be an exterminator with me and Kagura. You're the best this school has seen!"

"All the more reason for me to teach," Sango laughed. "If I can teach some one to be a better demon killer than I, its all for the greater good." Rin smiled. Then she sighed.

"I don't know how long Kagura will be an exterminator...she and that boyfriend of hers are getting pretty serious...but I just don't know if I trust him." Sango smiled.

"I'm sure it'll be all right," she assured her friend.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Sango," Rin stated, her eyes watering. Sango could feel her own eyes doing the same.

"Don't worry, Rin, we'll keep in touch. Besides, we still have our duty to guard the shards; that binds you and me and Kagura together. That will never change as long as we all live." Rin smiled again.

"You're right. We'll still be best friends forever."

"Right! Now...lets go find that sister of yours!" With that, Sango and Rin walked out of the dorm room they shared and closed the door.

* * *(Nine years later) ~*~*~

"Rei, you have to move quieter!" Inu Yasha hissed. Rei stuck her tongue out at him as she walked behind him.

"You move quieter," she muttered. Inu Yasha rounded on her and glared at her.

"Rei, if we get caught, we'll be in a lot of trouble and they'll probably take us away from each other and never let us see each other again," Inu Yasha explained to his five year old little sister in a voice so quiet that only she would hear with her Hanyou hearing. Her dog like ears twitched as she thought about being separated from her big brother. Big tears came to her eyes.

"Nii-chan...I want to leave...this place doesn't smell right," she whispered. The seven year old Inu Yasha could smell her fear. He reached out and took her small hand in his.

"Rei...if we can pull this off...then Naraku will make us full demons and no one will hurt us anymore `cause we'll have the power to hurt them back even worser. But you have to be brave...and quiet. Okay?" Rei sniffled and nodded, letting her brother, who was her only family and took care of her, lead her through the darkened house. The owner was asleep and Naraku had told Inu Yasha where they kept the object that they were sent to steal. It was in a safe in the office room. How Naraku knew things like that, no one knew. No one really wanted to know how Naraku gained his knowledge. Inu Yasha and Rei crept silently down the dark hallway. They were able to see perfectly in the dark with their hanyou eye sight.

~*~*~

Sango opened her eyes. Had she dreamt it? No...no, she could still feel it...the two auras blazing like an inferno, practically raging with erratic and untrained power. And they were in her house! She slowly sat up in bed, sliding her feet into her fuzzy slippers as her feet swung over the edge. She didn't bother to grab her robe; she just walked silently out of her room and into the hall. As she peered into the darkened hallway she could see two small, dark shapes moving toward the office. She even thought she heard sniffling.

Sango drew in a deep breath and called all her powers to her. She could feel her aura start to gather energy and readied herself for a coming battle. Who ever had decided to break into her home had chosen the wrong house. After all, it was never a good idea to cross a Mage as powerful as she was. As she drew in another breath she prepared her self for what ever was about to happen next.

~*~*~

Rei and Inu Yasha froze instantly as they felt the brush of energy around them begin to change. Rei tightened her grip on her brother's hand. She felt him suddenly pull her in a new direction, urging her to keep up with him as they ran for a window. Just then, she heard a voice yell a word she couldn't understand and Rei felt her whole world spin into darkness. She couldn't feel her brother's hand any more, couldn't see his face. All she could feel was the sensation that she was falling...falling...and her brother was not coming with her.

~*~*~

Inu Yasha opened his eyes and found himself immersed in a bush. He sat up quickly, searching for Rei, hoping that the fall hadn't hurt her too much. But Rei was nowhere in sight. Inu Yasha couldn't even smell her. He began to panic. He quickly extracted himself from the shrubbery and looked up at the window from which he had jumped, assuming that his little sister was right behind him. He strained his ears but could only hear a muffled voice that didn't belong to Rei. Inu Yasha cursed and pulled at his long, sliver hair. He had gotten out but Rei had not. He could only barely feel her aura. He wasn't powerful enough to rush in and take her...he would have to get some help.

Quickly, he dashed off into the night, hoping that Naraku was feeling generous. As he thought about his little sister, alone in that house with no one to protect her, tears welled up in his eyes and a whine escaped his throat.

~*~*~

Rei struggled to open her eyes. Some one was speaking...a soft voice was saying something.

"Nii-chan," Rei croaked as her eyes opened fully, slowly coming into focus. As she looked around her she could not see Inu Yasha. She only saw the pretty woman who was sitting next to her. Rei suddenly realized that she was laying on something incredibly soft.

"Are you alright?" The woman asked in a worried voice. Rei tried to sit up but any little movement made her head spin.

"Where's my brother?" Rei cried out in a wavery voice. "Inu Yasha!"

"Shh, lie still...your brother ran away before I could stop him," the woman replied, placing something cool on Rei's forehead. "I'm sorry about hitting you with such a strong blast but from the feel of your auras I wasn't expecting you to be mere children." Rei looked up at her in mistrust.

"Why are you being so nice?" She asked point blank. From all appearances, the woman did not seem blind. So if she could see Rei with her sharp little fangs and her black ears, that stood high in her silver hair which turned black a few inches from the ends and her small fingers that bore her small claws, why was she speaking and acting as though she didn't see them? No one was ever nice to half breeds. The woman smiled.

"What is your name?" Rei hesitated before answering.

"I'm Rei."

"Well, Rei, my name is Sango...what were you doing in my house tonight?" Despite her mistrust, Rei found herself willing to answer all of Sango's questions.

"My brother and me were supposed to steal from you and bring some thing important back to Naraku so that he will turn us into full demons. Inu Yasha says that when we're full demons no one can hurt us any more." Rei took in a deep breath and slowly sat up. "I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?"

"That depends," Sango told her, smiling. "If you want, I can call the police and have them take care of you...or...you could agree to stay with me."

"What do I have to do if I stay with you?"

"Well, you'll stay with me over the summer, but when the school year starts you'll come with me to the school I teach at and you'll learn to be a mage."

"What's a mage?"

"Some one who learns how to use powerful magic and uses their abilities to help people," Sango told her. Rei's eyes lit up.

"Power? You learn to be more powerful?"

"Sort of," Sango told her.

"If I become more powerful, then people can't hurt me...and I can teach Nii-chan how to be powerful too!"

"Whoa! Calm down...it takes a long while to learn to be powerful," Sango said, trying to calm the child. "I take it you've made your descision?" Rei froze and looked up at Sango fearfully.

"When my brother comes back for me...can he stay too?" Sango stared down at the little hanyou. If she and her brother were truly working for that fiend, Naraku...and he learns that they failed to get what they came for...there's little chance the boy will survive long after he returns to Naraku. Not if he's anything like he used to be when I knew him, Sango considered. But she couldn't tell that to the girl.

"Sure," she agreed. Sango couldn't help but smile when the skinny, dirty street urchin flashed a winning smile, her tiny little fangs making her look like an imp. Sango could almost feel her aura bubbling with happiness. It still amazed her at how strongly the girl's aura surged and pulsated with power. It would be interesting to teach young Rei. Interesting indeed.

* * *(a few months later)

"Go on, Rei," Sango urged, pushing Rei gently. "Go meet some of your classmates." Rei turned her frightened amethyst eyes to Sango.

"I don't want to," she insisted, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "What if they don't like me? What if they tease me? Or pull my ears?!" Rei's hands went up to cover her ears. She could remember many a time when some cruel child had tugged painfully at her ears, laughing and barking at her. Sango pulled her hands away from her ears.

"If you are nice towards them, then they won't want to tease you or hurt you," Sango said gently. "Now, go." With that Rei felt a light electrical shock flow from Sango's hands into Rei, making her yelp in surprise and jump back. She immediately collided with some one and as one they fell over.

"Ow!" some one cried out. Rei immediately began to apologize and helped the person up. She was close to tears when the girl she had run into finally looked up at her. "It's okay," the girl said, smiling brightly. "I fall all the time any way. I'm Kagome. What's your name?"

"Rei," Rei replied shyly.

"That's a pretty name. Is this your first year here?" Rei nodded. "Cool! Me too. How old are you?"

"I'm five," Rei stated, gaining more confidence.

"Same here! That means we'll be taking a lot of the same classes. I hope we get them together, `cause they split each grade into groups," Kagome chattered happily as she and Rei stood in the middle of a large room that was packed full of kids of all ages.

"So, where do you live?" Kagome asked.

"I...I live with Sango-san...she takes care of me."

"Really? I like Sango, she's really nice and she's a really good teacher. I live with my gramma and my cousin. My gramma is Kaede-baba. She's the headmistress here. She's really old."

"Well, I'm glad you think so, Kagome," a voice chuckled. Both girls turned around to face the old woman.

"Oops...sorry, gramma," Kagome giggled nervously. Lady Kaede smiled and shook her head.

"Have you seen your cousin, Kikyo?" She asked. Rei watched as Kagome's carefree countenance sobered at the mention of her cousin.

"No," Kagome told her grandmother. Kaede nodded and walked away. Kagome turned to Rei and said quietly "My cousin, Kikyo, is really pretty. She's seven and she already knows more magic spells than every one in her grade...but she's really mean. No one believes it but me." Rei's eyes widened at her tone. She could feel from Kagome's gentle aura and scent that she was telling the truth.

"I believe you," Rei told her. Kagome smiled. "I can tell when some one's lying. Their scent changes."

"What's a...scent?"

"Its....um...," Rei searched for a way to explain what was innate instinct to her. "A smell! That's it...its the way a person smells."

"How can you smell that?" Kagome asked her. Rei smiled proudly.

"Because I'm an Inu Hanyou," she announced. Then she pointed to her ears and twitched them. "See?"

"Wow! I didn't notice those until now!" Kagome said in wonder as she drew closer to Rei. Rei suddenly began to get nervous. "Can I touch them?" Kagome requested. Rei could feel her fear suddenly spike and she opened her mouth to answer but no sound came out. "Please? I'll be gentle." Rei found herself nodding. She watched in trepidation as Kagome's hands drew closer to her ears. She closed her eyes and braced her self for the pain of a sharp tug. A sharp tug that never came.

When Kagome's hands came in contact with Rei's ears she began to rub them, like she would a puppy. It sent shivers up and down Rei's spine. She barely stopped her self from growling in pleasure. Humans were bad at deciphering different growls and she didn't want to scare off the first child to be nice to her.

"Hey! Look at that girl!" A little boy suddenly crowed. "She's got ears like a dog! What are you, a freak?" Rei opened her eyes as Kagome let go of her ears. She turned to face the boy, anger and hurt flasing through her eyes.

"I'm not a freak! I'm half Inu Youkai," Rei shouted. The boy laughed.

"You're part dog?! You are a freak! Can you bark? Do you eat dog food? If I throw a stick, will you fetch it?"

"Shut up, Hojo! You leave my friend alone!" Kagome yelled at him, pushing him down. Rei stared at her in shock. "The next time you say anything like that about Rei, you'll be sorry!" Rei couldn't blink she was so surprised. Kagome noticed when she turned around. "Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

"You called me your...your friend," Rei stuttered. Kagome smiled.

"Well, duh! Of course you're my friend. Why are you so surprised?" Rei swallowed thickly, a sad smile touching her lips.

"I've never had a friend before," she admitted. "Besides my brother...but he's gone...Kagome...why are you so nice to me?" Kagome placed her small hand on Rei's shoulder.

"Why did you believe what I said about Kikyo?" She countered.

"I told you. It's `cause I can tell when people are lying."

"Exactly. And I can tell when some body is a good person. And I know you and I will be good friends," Kagome told her confidently. Finally, Rei allowed her self to smile.

~*~*~

Sango smiled as she watched Rei and Kagome from across the room. That was a friendship of fate, for sure.

"So, Sango...that is your prodigy?" Kaede asked as she walked up next to Sango. Sango nodded. "She is quite powerful. I suppose we have the demon in her to thank for that. Are you sure she will not use the knowledge we teach for ill?"

"She is a child...an innocent. I sense goodness in her. And, Kagome has trusted her. That is proof enough for me."

"Aye, you make a good point," Kaede conceded. "That friendship is destined for great things. By the way, have you met our new teacher?" Sango tore her gaze away from the two girls to look at Kaede.

"We have a new teacher?" Sango asked in surprize. Kaede nodded.

"Two, actually. One is-"

"You may call me Miroku," a male voice interrupted, startling Sango. She spun around to see who was talking and found her self staring into a pair of fathomless deep blue eyes...that were staring unabashedly at her body. She recognized that lecherous stare!

"You!?" Sango turned back to Kaede. "Lady Kaede, you can't be serious! Miroku was thrown out of this school when he was younger. Don't you remember?"

"Actually, I was never really thrown out," Miroku corrected, still smiling. "I left on my own accord."

"Yeah, when the school board told you to or else the expulsion would go on your record and you'd never be able to get into a decent Mage's Academy," Sango snorted.

"And I was afraid you wouldn't remember me, sweet Sango," Miroku chuckled. Sango felt her face heat up as she remembered their last encounter. She had just finished with one of her defense exams and was washing the dirt and blood from her body in the shower room, when Miroku suddenly burst into the shower room, slamming the door behind him and leaning against it, trying to catch his breath. When he opened his eyes he suddenly realized where he had dashed into. He and Sango had stood there staring in shock at each other for a few seconds before Miroku smiled and Sango began screaming at him to get out before she did him great bodily harm. "I always wondered what it was you were going to do to me that day in the girl's shower room," he continued. "Considering your state of undress, that is. Ah, but we can not dwell on the past, now can we?"

"Indeed," Sango growled through clenched teeth.

"Although," Kaede interjected. "I do seem to remember that Miroku was not thrown out due to lack of knowledge or talent, merely because of his behavior."

"Boys will be boys," Miroku agreed smiling.

"Miroku was quite talented while he was here at our school and according to his records he did very well at his other school. I'm sure he'll make a fine instructor. Which brings me to our second new instructor...I'm not sure where he-"

"I was wondering when you'd get to me, old woman," a smooth voice interrupted. Sango turned to see the new speaker and froze in shock when she saw him.

"Ah...and this is Sesshomaru," Kaede introduced. Sesshomaru bowed gracefully, his pearl white hair shimmering. Sango swallowed hard. He is...very nice looking...but he was...well...Wait! Did Kaede say his name was Sesshomaru? Wasn't that the name of Rin's-

"Sesshomaru...I look forward to teaching along side a demon," Miroku said congenially, breaking through Sango's thoughts, reaching out and grasping Sesshomaru's hand and shaking it.

"Indeed, I've heard quite a lot about you, Miroku," Sesshomaru returned. "You're known as a powerful exorcist among my kind."

"Sango," Kaede said in a low voice, nudging the young woman. "You're unusually silent."

"Yes," agreed Miroku. "Why grace us with that rare gift during a time when you're expected to talk?" Sango ignored Miroku's teasing.

"I believe I've met you some where before," Sango uttered, staring hard at Sesshomaru. "I believe you were acquainted with a woman named Rin?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"Yes, we were very close at one point," Sesshomaru responded. Sango nodded. He was the same demon that her best friend had fallen in love with. But there had been a complication between them and Kagura though Sango had never gotten the full story.

"It might interest you to know that that little girl over there, talking with the hanyou, is Rin's daughter, Kagome," Sango said, pointing to where Kagome stood laughing with Rei. Sango watched as Sesshomaru turned and looked at Kagome. Upon seeing the child, his stoic features softened and became wistful.

"She looks...just like her mother," he said haltingly. Kaede nodded.

"And so Kikyo looks like Kagura," Kaede added. Sesshomaru's features changed to an unreadable expression before quickly smoothing out to his former stoic countenance.

"I look forward to teaching your granddaughters, lady Kaede," he murmured. Sango was about to say something else but was silenced when Miroku pinched her hindquarters, making her yelp instead. Sesshomaru turned to look at her strangely.

"Sesshomaru...what will you be teaching?" Miroku inquired.

"I will be teaching the children the skills they need to focus their energy and how to find and exploit their strengths."

"Ah...that sounds much more exciting that teaching the history and origins of extermination and exorcism," Miroku sighed. Sango's eyes flashed.

"Hey!" she cried, smacking him upside his head. "That's what I teach!" Miroku laughed, rubbing his head.

"You two act as though you are still in school," Kaede grumbled. She looked up at Sesshomaru. "I trust you will not give me nearly half as much grief as these two?" Sesshomaru nodded. "Good." She looked back at Sango and Miroku, who were arguing. It was exactly the way it had been when they were younger, attending the school, rather than teaching at it. They only elements missing were Rin and Kagura. Rin, Sango, and Kagura had been close friends while they were growing up. And Miroku had been their biggest admirer...and pest. And then, to have her youngest daughter's greatest love working for her as well...This would be an interesting year.