InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sunlight and Shadow ❯ Prologue ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

A/N: I was aiming for something short, intense and suspenseful. I don't know how well I succeeded, so please feel free to make suggestions and criticisms.
Standard Disclaimers Apply

Sunlight and Shadow: An Alternative Beginning

Inuyasha walked through the village. He made no secret of it, taking the main path that ended at the shrine. Not that it mattered. Had anyone bothered to glance out their window, they would only see another human like themselves. They would wonder briefly in pity if he was a traveler. One who was alone in a strange place at night, who was heading to the shrine for shelter and safety.

If they thought that, they were wrong.

It was unlikely that he'd be seen anyway. The night was dark for no moon hung in the sky and the light of the stars was cold and distant. The villagers were all in bed anyway, enjoying what remained of their rest. It would only be another hour before dawn tinted the sky with red and called them yet again to another day of work.

It was a day Inuyasha had been looking forward too for a long time. He would have the Shikon no Tama and never again would he have to worry about this stupid, embarrassing human transformation. But until that time came, his greatest weakness would serve him well.

How ironic.

He neared the shrine, a dark silhouette against the infinitely dark backdrop of the night. Already he could see the light of the sacred fire, left burning to drive away the shadows.

Nice try, but it wouldn't work on THIS shadow.

As he climbed the temple steps, he saw it--the Shikon no Tama. It was lying on the altar, sparkling in the light of the flames. It wouldn't be long now...

Eerie silence echoed through the building broken only by his muffled footsteps. The jewel's guardian priestess Kikyo was sleeping in one of the inner rooms. Having put her trust in the spells and demon wards around the building, she allowed herself a few hours rest, a reprieve from her endless battle with thieving youkai.

Stupid wench.

Inuyasha paused in the doorway, feeling a sense of transgression. It was only natural, he assumed, considering what he was about to do. Shrugging it off along with other feelings of guilt and regret, he stepped across the threshold. The seals failed to react to his presence. Why should they after all? He was human, if only temporarily, needing protection from the evils that lurked in the darkness.

What a crock.

He picked up the Shikon no Tama. Now that he held in his hand it seemed such a small and insignificant thing, dangling from its necklace of shells and beads. Hard to believe that it held so much power. He had wanted this for so long and now it was finally his. He absently turned the tiny pearl over in his hands, admiring the glitter of its surface, reveling in the fact that it was HIS.

Kikyo was such a fool. To think he actually respected her at one point. Suspicious of demons, it probably never crossed her mind that a human would dare to steal the Jewel of Four Souls. Of course most humans had no need for it but there were many who were as evil as any demon. Despite the perfect priestess's convictions, humans were no better. Most of the death and destruction was caused by the human's war and nothing at all to do with demons. But did that stop the humans from placing blame?

No.

Bitterly he remembered that it hadn't been demons who killed his mother. The people of her own village let her die. She was sick and could have been saved but they refused to even try because of who she chose to share her bed with.

It won't be long now, he thought as he hid the jewel in the folds of his clothing and turned back the way he came. Already the sky had gone grey, anticipating dawn. Time was of the essence. The Shikon no Tama drew demons like iron to a lodestone. It wouldn't do to be attacked now in his moment of weakness. Not that he had to worry long. The sun's light would return him to his true form and with the power of the Shikon no Tama, he never be weak again.

Laughing to himself, he disappeared into what remained of the night.

~*~

Her eyes snapped open in the half-light. Something wasn't right. In the cold grey light before dawn, all she could sense was an emptiness.

Grabbing the bow and arrows that were always close at hand --even when sleeping-- Kikyo ran to the main room of the temple to investigate. Once there, her worst fears were confirmed. The Shikon no Tama was missing. After all this time, someone or something had finally found the stealth, the skill and the power to steal it.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated her senses, trying to locate the jewel. It wasn't difficult. Her soul was bound to the cursed thing, freed only with its destruction. How she longed for its destruction... to be free of her duty, but unfortunately that was a luxury she couldn't afford.

The jewel was still present. Its aura blazed like fire on the edge of her awareness telling her it was in the forest somewhere outside the village. Strangely enough, although she could sense the jewel, she couldn't detect the presence of any demons in the vicinity. That was odd. The tama was an attractive force, luring youkai with its false promises but now the forest seemed empty.

Deciding to ponder this mystery later, Kikyo took off running. There would be plenty of time for thought later once the jewel was safely back at the temple. Making sure her weapons were secure, she followed her sixth sense to where it guided her. She didn't trust that empty silent feeling.

~*~

Oblivious to the problems its presence would cause, the sun crept slowly above the horizon. Dimming the light of the stars, dawn's rosy glow trickled through the foliage of the trees and reflected off the roofs in the village. Blissfully unaware of the events that were soon to unfold, the sun continued to shine. For good or for evil, this day had begun.

~*~

The jewel's presence intensified as she ran. Crashing through the forest careless of the noise she made, Kikyo slowed only as the trees gave way to a clearing. She recognized this place having come here many times before. The old dry well stood here and she still used it on occasion to destroy the bodies of evil demons. Looking around, she noticed that she wasn't alone. A person was sitting on the edge of the well, watching her approach.

"Inuyasha."

Kikyo's expression softened slightly. It was only the hanyou. She had met with him often on the outskirts of the village. After many battles both verbal and physical, she came to realize that although he was youkai, she could sympathize with him, even though such feelings ran against the grain of her priestess training. He only threatened her to hide pain of having to face rejection, degradation and scorn on a daily basis because of what he was. In truth, he was lonely like she was. She couldn't feel hate, only a heart wrenching pity.

But the one thing Inuyasha couldn't stand was pity.

"Morning Kikyo. You're awake pretty early." As it was, the sun had barely made it above the horizon. Most of the village wouldn't be awake for another hour at least. "What's the matter?" He continued on, watching the expression on her face. If it hadn't been for the discipline ingrained into her from years of training, that expression would have been nearer to panic or desperation. "Did you lose something?"

Did a gleam of triumph flicker in his eye or was it a reflection of the sunlight?

The seemingly innocent question disturbed her. How could he know? How could he even suspect? He never went anywhere near the temple so he would be unaware of the theft. Unless...

Unless...

"Looking for this?" The Shikon no Tama rested in his hand. Both stared at it momentarily transfixed. Its power radiated and sparkled in the light of the new day.

At last able to speak Kikyo began. "How could you?" Her voice shook. "You shouldn't have been able to break the wards!"

Inuyasha smirked, watching as her discipline finally broke. Raw emotions, that as a priestess she strove to deny, began to seep in and take control.

"You're such a fool. It's a wonder you even became a priestess."

The emotions still churned within her-indignation, betrayal, anger, fear.

"You should know that last night was the dark moon."

"So?" her voice was cold.

"Demon power wanes with the moon. As a hanyou, my power weakened to the point where I became human. It was simple to slip inside the wards. I was among those they were designed to protect."

Although smug, reveling in his victory, he seemed reluctant to admit this and she realized why.

"You know that you have told me your greatest weakness?"

"I know."

"Why?"

"Because now that I have this I never have to worry about it again."

Getting to his feet, Inuyasha easily broke the jewel off its slender chain. The beads and shells that had decorated it flashed briefly in the sun's light and then scattered across the grass at his feet. Without any further hesitation, Inuyasha put the jewel in his mouth and swallowed it.

Kikyo watched with horrible fascination as the jewel's aura was absorbed by his own. It was granting his wish, granting him power. His teeth and claws began to lengthen and sharpen. Eyes, once an ethereal gold color, were now a bloody red and purple gashes marked his cheeks.

Kikyo shook herself out of her stupor. The transformation would only last a moment. She'd never get another chance. Quickly grabbing an arrow, she drew the bowstring taunt to her cheek. Concentrating for only a second on the purifying spell, she let the arrow fly.

As always, it flew straight to its mark, hitting him squarely in the chest. The momentum caused him to stumble backward and fall into the well's dark interior.

She never heard his body hit the ground.

Kikyo paused a moment to consider the past --the grudging respect, the loneliness, the pity, and finally, all the lies spoken to deny the harshness of an unforgiving reality. He had betrayed her, broken their tentative trust to get what he wanted. And he had gotten what he wanted. He was a demon now. The Shikon no Tama had granted his wish and at last he had power, for all the good it would do him. And herself? Inuyasha, with that one fell gesture, had unknowingly granted her wish as well. The Shikon no Tama was gone and eventually the youkai would dissipate. She was free of her duty. The more Kikyo reflected, the more she realized it was a win/win situation for both of them.

Why then was she left with an overwhelming feeling of loss?

Putting down her bow and arrows, Kikyo took up a sheaf of sacred scrolls and began to seal the well. Later, she would return with a few of the village men and finish the job. It was only an extra precaution. There was nothing to fear. The well would eat his bones as it had with all the others and she'd never have to worry about Inuyasha or the Shikon no Tama again.

Rising gracefully to her feet, her soul began to shake off the remorse as a new revelation sank in. She was finally free --free of her burden, free to live her life as a normal woman however that may be.

~*~

Five hundred years later, the same sun shone on the same shrine. Time however, had left its mark. There were fewer trees and smellier air, sounds of the morning rush hour traffic could be heard from the nearby highway and skyscrapers lined the horizon. It also accounted for the neat little two-story house tucked away in one corner of the grounds and the fifteen year old schoolgirl standing on the front step.

"Souta!" Kagome called out to her ten-year-old brother. "Let grandpa worry about the cat! If we don't hurry, we'll be late for school!"

After waiting a moment for her brother to join her, Kagome set out to begin a day of gossiping, note taking and math tests.

Joy.

Passing the old well shrine, the two paused as they heard a rumbling crash from within the building. Seconds later, their fat cat Buyo shot through the partially open door and disappeared into the bushes. What could compel such a lazy animal to move with that speed, one could only guess.

"Come on, Souta!" Kagome grabbed her brother's arm and pulled him closer to the mini-shrine. "Let's go check it out."

"But Sis!" Souta struggled in her grasp, putting up a resistance. "The well's in there! It's old and creepy and grandpa said that demons live-".

"Nonsense!" Kagome cut off his childish prattle. "You know grandpa just makes those stories up to scare visitors. Buyo's probably just knocked over a few boxes. Grandpa will wanna know. We can tell him after school."

For someone raised at a Shinto shrine, Kagome was remarkably skeptical. Souta just sighed in defeat and allowed himself to be dragged. His sister was awfully stubborn when she wanted to be, and what was the harm in taking a quick look around and then running off when her back was turned?

A glance inside revealed that the crates and boxes in the corner were intact, remaining untouched as they had for years. It was then that Kagome turned her inspection towards the well. Sealed by a nameless ancestor for a reason long forgotten, it dominated the center of the shrine. The holy scrolls that decorated it appeared to have flaked off and the boards that covered the top had rotted through and fallen inward after God knows how many years.

Peering over the lip of the well, Kagome watched the dim shafts of light from the doorway penetrate the swirling dust motes in the air. She gasped in shock as they revealed a person lying motionless on the floor.

"Souta." Kagome's shaky voice caught Souta's attention just as he was about to sneak away. "Go get grandpa and mama. I think someone fell."

Souta didn't wait to be told twice. Hearing him run off, Kagome tried desperately to assess the situation.

"Excuse me, Sir?" She called out, hazarding a guess at the person's gender. "Are you alright?"

There was no answer. Not that she actually expected one.

Seeing a ladder attached to an interior wall of the well, Kagome carefully lowered herself over the edge. Always mindful of rotted boards, she made her way down as quickly as possible. Once there, she fell to her knees beside the stranger.

Her initial assumption that this was a man was proven correct but his unusual appearance and old-fashioned clothing didn't interest her at all. In fact, she hardly noticed them. All her attention was drawn to the arrow lodged in his chest, right were his heart should be.

"Oh God..." Kagome whispered as she searched for a sign of life, not questioning how such an injury came to be. To her surprise, his skin felt warm and he was breathing, although it was frightfully slow and shallow. How was it possible? A wound like that should be fatal but she couldn't even find a trace of blood.

"Mama! Grandpa!" she called out as she heard the door slide open. "I think you should call an ambulance!"

A low moan and a shuffling sound caused Kagome to redirect her attention to the stranger. To her immense surprise, his eyes were open and he was struggling to sit up against the wall. Having made it, he then used his hands to wrench the arrow loose and tossed it disdainfully to the floor.

It was then Kagome saw what she had previously overlooked. The eyes were cold, red and completely inhuman set in a face twisted with hate and marked with purple gashes. The animal ears, fangs and razor sharp claws that completed the picture were anything but comforting.

A demon.

Kagome watched with the calm detachment that only mind numbing fear can inspire as the demon raised those lethal claws in front of her...

...

She screamed.