Midnight Rhapsody by Peaceful_Melody
Chapter 1: Her Fate
Author's Notes: Hi everyone, I am a new writer here, but I have known this site for very long time. I have always been a reader through this entire. Please bare with my writing style and grammar mistakes since English is not my first language. Reviews will be greatly appreciated. This story is AU and rated MA. You have been warned !
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Inuyasha and this is piece of work has no commercial purposes.
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Chapter 1: Her Fate
Her tiny legs struck in the thick heavy snowy grounds, making her every step as heavy as a thousand pounds. Her limbs were wounded by the sharp tree branches when she ran past them. However, no matter how severe the pain afflicted her flesh, she did not cease her pace. She continued to speed because she truly understood once she stopped her fate would be completely altered; negatively.
Fragments of memories played through her when she continued to run. She remembered how she was brought to this hell she attempted to escape, and how her family was separated from her, leaving her all alone. Her father, mother, and siblings were swallowed up by the tornado, created by the wind demon. She did not know whether they survive or not. All she wanted was to die along with them if they were really dead, but fate was cruel to her. Even a chance to escape, to protect herself, to die, was taken away from her. She was desperate, desperately wanted to end everything. To end her life. But she failed, failed miserably to reach the gate of death. Then she rid of herself the desire to die.
She wandered the lands alone without companions, until she reached a small village, where she envisioned a new beginning, a new hope, and a new life. It was only an ephemeral yet perfect illusion that granted hopes and then gradually shattered them one by one. She thought fate was being kind to her, finally giving her a chance to live like a normal person. No, she was wrong. Completely wrong and ignorant of what fate had planned for her. Then, the beautiful illusion vanished and left behind agony.
The village burned down a month after her arrival, killing no one but destroyed almost all homes and fields. People blamed her for their misfortunes. They believed her arrival brought calamity. They avoided her except for one old miko that treated her like her own granddaughter.
Another short-lived illusion that carried delusional hopes. Soon, it would too fade.
The old miko soon passed away after one year, leaving the helpless girl in her forlorn world. The memory of the miko’s last minutes was still fresh within her mind. She remembered every word she said.
“Kagome, poor child!” The old miko breathed, “be strong my child, don’t let fate fear you, but accept it and conquer it.”
Kagome stayed silent as tears blurred her visions. Silence and a nod were her only response. She lost her voice over the grief that bounded her heart. Her only friend was going to leave her soon.
“Kagome, don’t let others’ prejudice troubles you, be happy and live on.” She finished her last words as one last breath released and her eyes slowly drifted closed. Tears streamed down from Kagome’s face as she witnessed the death of the old miko, who she considered as her only kin. A few days later, she built a little burial and did all the required rituals. She went back to her little hut and lived a life that the old miko had expected her to. Even though she pretended life would be fine if she fill it with positive outlooks. No, this pretense could never alleviate her afflictions. Indeed, nothing could. Rumors about her become more negative and hostile. The death of the miko further confirmed their prejudice against her. Their displays become more open and bolder against her. Even young children were instructed to avoid her.
Kagome successfully pushed those memories out of her mind as she wiped her tear-staining face with her dirt-covered fingers. ‘This is not the time to be sulking over my pathetic life.’ She titled her head back to search for any sign of her suitors. A sigh of relief was released when she realized that they had lost her. She ceased her movement and leaned against one of the trees in the dense forest.
Another scene of her past life flashed across her mind again. This time she remembered her only pet and perhaps the only friend she had after the death of her family and the old miko. It was a wild dog she adopted. It was three weeks after the death of the miko, that she met the creature. It was a mere incident brought by fate.
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Wandering all alone in the forest looking for woods Kagome suddenly came upon a wounded dog lying on a pile of fresh blood with its eyes tightly closed. ‘The poor thing, he must be in pain.’ She thought as she slowly approached the animal. A vicious growl was heard in the forest. She looked around to find the source of sound. However, the darkness surrounding the area blurred her vision and she could not detect anything but shadows and the dog.
She assumed it was only her imagination and continued to approach the injured one. The growl became louder as the sound wave vibrated the entire forest. Kagome stopped her approach immediately as she realized the loud growl came from the dog with only an average size.
“How could that dog produce such a loud noise?” She murmured as she eyed it suspiciously.
She strolled closer and closer….
Then, she jerked back and wounded her bare feet with the rocks embedded on the grassland. They seemed nonexistent to her until she felt a sharp pain beneath her feet. Her sudden reaction was caused by a pair of glowing, vicious eyes with blood red color. It belonged to the dog, a normal looking dog…perhaps. She decided that was not entirely normal if its eyes could glow like that. Was it a new breed? No, she decided to run away because that “thing” totally freaked her out. Yes, this was final. No, she hesitated. This was so not her. She would never let the wounded uncared. Think…think…Alright, she had reached a solution.
‘I would approach it again and tend its wounds, if he decides that he is hungry and wants a bite of me, and then I will run away.’ She mentally said.
The growl softened. Not because it began to appreciate her presence, but it was too tired even to breath left alone growling loudly at a stranger. Kagome could no longer detect any sound coming from the dog and was more encouraged to aid the poor thing. However, the red color within its still viciously flamed.
“It’s alright doggy, I am not going to hurt you,” She spoke softly “I merely wish to tend your wound.”
It seemed to understand her words. Its red eyes disappeared, replacing with a pool of molten golden staring at her. Then its head shifted to the other side, as if it was too ashamed to look at her. She dejectedly wondered as she that hideous that even animals refused to look at her. She brushed that negative thought away and concentrated on the current task.
She bent down next to the dog and grasped at the terrible wounds it bared. Its white fur was stained with blood and dirt. Unconsciously, her fingers stroke the soft fur and she removed her hand immediately when its body trembled beneath her skin as warning growl was heard.
“It must be really painful to endure all these wounds, isn’t it?” She asked as if it would answer her question.
She tore the cloth of her yukata and held one of its paws in her palm. Immediately, it turned its attention to her as it eyes grew red once again. However, instead of drawing away, Kagome’s anger raged.
“Stop that will you! I told you I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to tend your wounds,” She hollered, never releasing the pawn, “you will die with these serious injuries.”
Too exhausted to argue; indeed it did not the ability to convince the girl. Therefore, it complied and stayed stilled as she had wished.
“All done!” She exclaimed proudly at her finished product. She had securely wrapped the cloth of her tattered yukata around the wounded pawn. After the wound on its pawn, she moved on to treat the other damages she could find on its body. After all the injuries had been taken care, her yukata was an inch shorter and one of her sleeves was gone.
“Wait here, I’ll go get you some food! You must be starving.” She beamed and within a blink of an eye, she vanished within the shadows of the trees.
Several minutes later, she returned with some fish and a bowl of water on her hands. She placed the items in front of dog and attempted to stroke its fur, but it drew back before she could make any contact to it. She frowned. The dog seemed to be very displeased about her presence. It avoided her as if she carried contagious disease.
“Alright, be as you wish.” She stood up and brushed away the dried leaves on her dress and she spoke one last time before returning to her hut, “I’ll be back sometimes to check on your recovery and I will bring you some food next time.”
She mumbled softly as she walked away, “Why does everyone avoid me, even ‘him’ does not like me. Maybe I should disappear for good.”
“No, not like that, I can’t submit to my fate, no, I must live and live a happy life. Yes that is what I have always wanted.” She smiled bitterly as she walked back to her “home”.
Her every despondent word was heard clearly by the sensitive ears of the dog that she had just tended. She could smell the bitterness within her heart as she uttered every word and detected a sense of hope when she convinced herself to live on. It observed the wounded pawn and saw that girl had managed to cover the wound nicely. It stared at the food for awhile, but made no attempt to eat it. It slowly closed its eyes and rested its head on the pawns and allowed sleep to consume it.
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