Okay, I know I haven't been around in a while, but I've been stewing over this story until I got the plot down just right to where it's at least somewhat believable for the Inuyasha world (hey, it's not a stretch, but there are some far-out things I've seen, even for THIS series). Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, would I be THIS antsy to watch the new episodes that are –supposed- to be coming? I didn't think so.
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This was wrong.
This was so very, very wrong.
He should be happy, should be joining his friends in the celebration of Naraku's death, the completion of their quest, the saving of the world. He, a lowly half-breed, one of the saviors of the world that had done nothing but shun him for what he was…he mentally scoffed; what irony!
But rather than rejoice with the others back at the village, he was drawn to a growing disturbance within the trees surrounding the village. Well, it wasn't exactly a disturbance yet per say, but there was something in the pit of the teenage hanyou's stomach that drew him into one of the few unknown places of his forest, toward, what he sensed was a…
Could it be considered a youkai? Granted, there was no scent to suggest that something foul was afoot; just the scent of trees, lightly dewed grass, and the coming rain. But there was a faint demonic aura coming from just ahead of him. Despite how weak it was, something pulled the hanyou to it- quite unusual for him; with a youki this weak, he would have normally just let the poor thing be. But something was telling him, urging him to investigate the matter. And so Inuyasha was left with no choice but to heed it.
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The shape shifter's lips curled into a dark grin as he sensed the half-breed's aura approaching. There was no mistaking it- this was the one. This was the vile beast that killed Naraku, his one true master. Granted, the time that Naraku controlled him was short; only when the other demons in the area flocked to the dark hanyou did the shape shifter follow, but in those few hours he was shown a wicked being with awesome powers. Seeing such strength, he felt moved, and watched in horror as his 'master' collapsed just before reaching the village, his seemingly limitless strength completely spent warding off the effects of those combined attacks from those who dared to defy the 'new order' Naraku had envisioned.
But now was not the time to get angry, he reminded himself as he picked through the hanyou's memories for ones he had long forgotten, or those he kept privy for himself when he was alone. The shape shifter's wicked smile widened as he came across a few particular fond memories. Oh, was this going to be fun.
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Inuyasha stepped hesitantly toward the faint glowing light just beyond the trees, their leaves catching the glow's purple iridescent hue as it hung lazily in the air, almost as if it were a deep mist. Lost in a trance he didn't realize he had fallen into, he walked into the clearing, only to be met with the faint, almost warm glow spread throughout the trees. Somehow it…comforted him…he froze as he saw a figure emerge from the brush ahead of him. Instinctively, his hand snapped to Tetsusaiga's hilt at his hip, but oddly enough couldn't find it within himself to draw forth the Steel Cleaving Fang, for reasons beyond him. That is, until the figure before him revealed itself.
The woman stood just slightly shorter than he did, just to his nose, her long straight black hair flowing down past her knees, veiling the many layers of kimono that hung heavily on her otherwise trim body. Her ivory skin offset her hair almost as beautifully as his intended mate's did, Inuyasha thought idly as he forced his voice into working by croaking out, "Mother…?" He croaked in disbelief. He expected her to smile at him warmly, as she had always done when he was a child, and pat the top of his head, or scratch his ear, or hold him to shield him from the evils of the world like she did so many years ago, but was met with a cold stare, mimicking Kikyo's almost down to the last detail.
There was a small part of the hanyou that had not yet been lulled into the trance of the light that surrounded him, that continued to attempt to rationalize with the rest of him, tell him that his mother was dead, and this clearly was a fake; his mother was never cold to him; not one memory of her was one of bitterness, or cold. He stood there, unsure of what to say, confused as to why she was here, and why she stared at him as though she was disgusted by him.
"How dare you," she spat, her lips twitching into a ghost of a smile when the hanyou visibly paled. "You have no right to call me that. Not after what you did to me, you sickening half-breed," she hissed as her eyes darkened over in hatred. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he began to decipher what she was implying. "If it weren't for you, if you hadn't been born, I wouldn't have been killed like I was. It was you, monster…you killed me."
"No…" Inuyasha shook his head meekly, but his bewitched mind was already agreeing with his 'mother.' Even the miniscule, rational part of him left had to admit that she had a point- if he had not been brought into this world, his mother would have been free to live as a happy woman, a cherished priestess, and a beloved princess to all across the land. But because of him, she died the death of a common criminal, as if she were some sort of beastly creature that needed to be slaughtered.
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Really, the shape shifter thought, he was making this too easy.
Bewitching Inuyasha's mind was almost too easy, what with him being so preoccupied with other matters he had deemed more important to think about than to follow a weak demonic aura in his forest. Once the hanyou was ensnared in his trap, making him believe that he was the half-breed's mother was a cinch. Crushing his spirit was even easier, as he was discovering.
But he had little time left in this world; using up so much of what little power he possessed, and maintaining it at this level was draining him of his life. He would die, but this hanyou would never truly be alive again. That, he concluded, was more than enough reason to complete his charm.
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This was not happening.
This was not real.
His rationality was slipping through his fingers like dust in the wind. The tender parts of his heart he had long since locked away, memories of his loving mother were being eviscerated before his very eyes. The one sane voice in his head was fading, drowned out by his 'mother's' harsh words.
"You are nothing more than an abomination, a mistake I ended up paying dearly for," she lunged forward and grabbed the front of the hanyou's haori as she continued. "And now look at me! I'm dead, Inuyasha! I'm DEAD!!" As she spoke, her skin began to rot, her once beautiful face now deformed, its flesh crumbling off of her bones. Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut as his body began to tremble under the weight of the cold hard truth.
"No…No! Be quiet!" He desperately demanded, though any conviction he might have had, had long since left him. He clamped his clawed hands over his dog ears and bowed his head in an attempt to block out the 'reality' of the situation.
"Why do you think that girl left? She left you! She is disgusted by you! She hates you! Don't you see?!" She shook him fervently as she raised her head close enough to his that he could smell the decaying flesh that peeled off her face as though he was snorting the stuff. As her body crumbled, she whispered, "You should have never been born." Her last words sent his spine ramrod in shock and horror as what was left of her was simply reduced to ashes and crumpled, rotted old clothes on the ground.
But even after his mind was freed of the shape shifter's charm, and his sanity tried assuring him that none of it was real, he had to face the fact that what that thing said was morbidly true. If he had never been born, his mother would have lived long and well, Kikyo would have lived to be a wonderful priestess for her village well until she was at least as old as Kaede, his father would not have died protecting him, Kagome wouldn't have been dragged to this godforsaken era or had innumerable near-death encounters, or been heartbroken Kamis knew how many times…
"You should have never been born."
With a dry, strangled sob he sunk to his knees with a heavy 'thud' before the remains of the shape shifter. He knew, now that he was free of that damn spell, that this was certainly not his mother, but what it said had a point.
He did not deserve the air he breathed.
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Eh heh heh heh…sorry if seemed like a bit of a stretch, but I promise I'll have another chapter up soon. Please review with your honest opinion (however harsh it may be). I look forward to hearing everyone's takes on this!