InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Puppet Without Strings ❯ Prologue ( Chapter 1 )

Puppet Without Strings

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Pairings: InuKag for now. Spoilers if the rest are revealed.

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- Prologue -

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It was chilly for a summer morning. Unseen sky, veiled-over by ominous gray clouds, sprinkled crystal tears upon the dark streets of Sengoku below. Such bleakness of atmosphere served to place further emphasis on the city's desolate mood.

In the rain, a silent crowd gathered. Their dark attire blending in soundly with monotonous surroundings, creating a sea of grays and blacks, overshadowed by an aura of sadness. This ocean of people, parted down the middle, had its many eyes fixed upon the dark vehicle traveling with depressing slowness down the empty road before them.

The funeral procession followed.

Central City's Grand Cathedral had a light-colouring that was unbefitting and out-of-place at a time like this. It loomed, taunting, overhead as the funeral car pulled up before its steps.

And yet it was into this building that officers from the city's top military units carried the obsidian casket. Two solemn figures, heads-bowed and expressions blank, trailed the marble steps after them.

Later on, an emotionally loaded eulogy would be delivered as was tradition and the grounds would be opened up to the public to pay their respects as was tradition.

But through it all, the eyes of one Higurashi Kagome stayed dry and blank.

The newscaster on screen recited her prepared story in the steady, singsong tone that was unique to newscasters.

`Today, men and women, young and old alike, paid their individual farewells to President Eiji Higurashi. Beloved leader, and involuntary father to many who were gathered. This man who guided us through a time of war and destitution and led our people into brighter days, can never and will never be replaced.'

Pale fingers drummed on dark mahogany to an unheard rhythm as their owner sat in silent contemplation.

`Weeks, perhaps days prior to this moment, not a soul in this very crowd would have believed that our own Higurashi Eiji, survivor and ex-patriot of the great war that had robbed so many others of their lives, would meet his untimely end with something so seemingly petty as a heart disease….'

The figure let out a scoff.

"Hn. A heart disease. I'd have expected better of them…'

A creaking of the door's rusty hinges signaled the entrance another.

`Sir. She's returned--`

`Foolish humans.'

The figure at the desk gave the screen a small sneer before turning to offer his subordinate a slight nod of acknowledgement.

`Right. Send her into storage.'

`Yes sir.'

Silence befell the room before the figure at the desk posed a question.

`Now tell me, what went wrong?'

The standing demon's voice took on an edge of nervousness.

`Sir. It seems we- miscalculated…...'

An unnerving pause.

`How so?'

The reply was slow. Words had to be chosen carefully.

`There were more demons in Higurashi's guard unit than we'd predicted.'

This delivered; the young demon studied his master's face, trying in vain to gauge his reaction.

`I trust she took care of them then.'

A nod.

`Good. Traitors like those deserve to have their blood spilt. I sense a `but' coming..'

`W-well…`

The voice of his master changed. It became laden with ice and threat and was whispered so softly that the weaker demon had to strain his ears to perceive the next word.

`-But?'

Fresh sweat formed itself on the lesser demon's forehead. It glistened in the moonlight. His master's disconcerting gaze lingered on him, stemmed from intense, cruel eyes that could peer into the depths of one's very soul.

For a while he could do naught but stand frozen. Locked in place by the obsidian orbs, they stared him down until he could take no more and had to look away. The next part of the report was still to be delivered.

`S-she… she was injured. One of the demon bodyguards took a slice at her. The b-bastard's claws went clean through her suit-…'

`And so she bled. She's left a means by which they can track her by…Funny. I distinctly remember you saying that the suit could withstand any blow of any sort.'

`She was supposed to have avoided the hit! T-there was a lot of blood spilt that night! You shouldn't be concerned. It would be almost impossible to identify just one individual's out of so many-'

`Unless of course the humans acquire the services of ones from the demon-race. Let's say… dog demons for instance. Their sense of smell would be able to identify her a mile away. Now they would indeed be of most use in such a situation. Wouldn't you say?'

The demon leader started to rise from his seat with frightening grace that belied a great control over immense power. The young subordinate took a step back in fear, eyes darting round frantically for a means of escape.

`I assure you sir that it won't happen again. I won't fail a second time--`

The advancing figure ignored his words.

`And who that we know of are currently… willingly offering their services to those human scum?' The voice questioned with false patience, sounding as though he were talking to a child.

`I-Inu...'

The frightened demon backed up some more.

`…Indeed.'

He held up two fingers, counting each one off as he spoke.

`Sesshoumaru Taisho, heir to the dog demon lordship and leader, might I add, to Sengoku Military's Demon faction which consists of an elite division under the charge of a miko…'

The sheer impassiveness of the stronger demon's face served merely to accentuate the manic glint in his obsidian eyes.

`…and then there's also his scruffy little half-blood brother who, last time I checked was part of said elite division.. Both of whom, if I've gotten my facts right, were sired by the late Inu Taisho. And both of whom, could potentially cause quite a bit of unnecessary trouble for one such as myself.'

Having run out of room to back into, the young demon stood, petrified. Wide eyes steadily losing focus with the sheer amount of terror their owner was experiencing.

`Which part of that am I not supposed to be concerned about?'

His demon master stood over him now. The young subordinate trembled.

`Now tell me. How…'

Slender hands reached out to clasp the younger demon's head between them.

`…do you suppose…'

Dark head hovered in near his ear.

`…that you not screwing up a second time…'

Tendrils of ebony hair broke free from their constricted braid and fell forward past slim, yukata-clad shoulders.

`…is going to solve a problem like that?'

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The petite figure standing just outside the room offered not one flinch as the sound of a choked whimper followed by the sickening crushing of bone reached her ears.

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