InuYashastory

   The Story Of Inu-Yasha . . . Otherwise known as the beginning~

      The setting here is during the Warring Ages of Japan; around the 1500s and is known as Sengoku Jidai.Given the name Inu-Yasha, many would usually check the meaning behind it first after they hear it.That's what they usually do in Japan; it's just from out of habit that they do such things. "Inu" is the first part, and in Japanese, the words literally translates to dog or of the canine species. "Yasha" is an altered form of "youkai," a word meaning specter, ghost---almost like monster in a demon sort of way. So in a way, you can say "inu-youkai" like you're saying dog-demon, and that's just what he is; half of it at least. Born from a full blooded demon father and a full human, or "ningen" mother, Inu-Yasha is a "hanyou" or half-demon. He has often been made fun of when he was just a child, and often resents humans for how they treat him, for they think he's not normal. Every new moon of the month, something specacular happens to him.
      What it is called is Shingetsu, the first new moon. Inu-Yasha turns fully human, taking on the appearance of a long, black haired man with darkened eyes, but he is still himself save for his ears have disappeared and his claws are gone, having been replaced by normal human fingernails and human ears at the sides of his head. Inu-Yasha thought no one would ever except him, and often no one did at one time; until he met Kikyo, a priestess that had taken charge of the Shikon no Tama, or the Jewel of Four Souls. They soon had gotten close to one another despite Inu-Yasha's gruffness and antisocial life, but
the priestess had somehow changed his mind---he had been lonely since his mother mysteriously died, and so never admits that he has been in search of someone to be with and care for and be cared by. He has never really actually experienced love; now the time came and the opportunity was with the somewhat mute, but beautiful and powerful Priestess Lady Kikyo. But as everything seemed like it was going to turn out well, a specter by the name of Onigumo had shown up in Kikyo's life; she'd treated him in a cave offsetting the village she protected in Musashi's Domain (Japan, supposedly), and this Onigumo had a life of a thief, although he had been badly burned and had fallen off a cliff (?), he was to be treated by the priestess, but he had very little chance of a full recovery, and he knew that somewhere deep inside.
     During while he was being treated, wrapped in bandages from head to toe, he seemed to have foul thoughts, unbidden, almost perverted like as he stared off and dreamed of having Kikyo for his own. She was powerful, yes, but also she was the one who had the most access to the jewel. All the reason why he would want her, for he himself would grow stronger and leave his crippled carcass behind. His evil heart grew even darker as he hears of Inu-Yasha, the one who had supposedly turned Kikyo to be "weaker" than she already is, and for falling for immoral standards as a mortal would. He would often picture her to be perfect, above all the nonsense that he would think that was behind Inu-Yasha. And so growing angry and boiling with jealousy, he had not the chance to fulfill what he had most sought out to do, for a candle was left inside the cave which he was kept, and accidentally lit afire everything, including him.
      What everyone did not know, however, what he had turned out to be become after the event that he permanently died. Numerous, uncountable demons came to haunt his body beforehand, and had posessed his body and came together, known as a being called Naraku, the evil of all evil. During this, Kikyo and Inu-Yasha had discussed about using the jewel to make him full-human and so he could come and live peacefully with her, and so everyone would accept him. It would also let her go of her duties to protect the jewel day and night with her powers and skills of the bow and arrow.The day came that they decided to meet at an open area for her to bring the jewel to Inu-Yasha, and she came completely unarmed, unsuspecting. In the story, what had happened was that Onigumo, now Naraku, came to her that day instead of Inu-Yasha, and had posed as him and fatally attacked her from behind with razor sharp claws. Telling her crude things that would make her think "Inu-Yasha" really didn't want her, that the plan of his becoming full human for her was just a trick to get a chance to steal the jewel, he stole the Shikon no Tama after severely lacerating Kikyo on the shoulder. Of course, not knowing it was actually Naraku, she immediately felt betrayal and hurt for what he'd done, and promised to herself that it would not go on any further.(Click for picture of Inu-Yasha looking at Kikyo while he's sitting up in a tree.)
     Before this, though, the real Inu-Yasha was delayed from coming to meet her because he had been attacked by Naraku/Kikyo, who had taken form of the priestess and shot arrows at him, meaning threats. Thinking HE was the one tricked, he grew raged and went hurriedly to the village thinking it all a lie, ransacking the village and killing many people in his wake, he steals the jewel, which was planted back into a holy structure where it was kept in the village by Naraku (Maybe as Kikyo so he could easily get past any suspecting people), and planned to go and take it for himself now that everything was falling apart.
     Unknown to him, a bleeding Kikyo struggles to find and catch up with Inu-Yasha whom she believes had harmed her, and seeing him flying away from the village with the gleaming Shikon Jewel as evidence in his hand, she aims and shoots an arrow at him, catching him at the heart and impaling him to the nearest tree behind him, which now stands as Goshinboku, or Sacred God Tree. The jewel flies out of his grasp to thud on the ground before him. He shouts, "Bitch---! How dare . . ." Not being able to finish his sentence, Inu-Yasha's eyes close, seeming to have been put under a heavily sealed sleeping spell by the enchanting arrow shot by Kikyo's very hands. Later, Kikyo carefully instructs Kaede, her little sister, to burn it with her remains as she did know she would not survive much longer; indeed, she perishes under the extreme injuries she suffered, not knowing why Inu-Yasha would do such a thing to turn against her and thinking it was her own inexperience that brought her the detriment she received the same day she sealed Inu-Yasha and the same day of her death.
     Now to the present day of Japan, about 500 years later: Kagome Higurashi, a junior-high school girl about to enter high school. (Different kinds of educational years in Japan) She finds out what a "Shikon no Tama"is from her Granddad or Jii-chan, hearing the legend of the Goshinboku and her family's "lineage" and background history of the Higurashi Shrine. Kagome is a happy, caring, kind young woman, although before she meets Inu-Yasha, all she was worried about was passing her entrance exams. Being sucked into the scary Bone-Eater's Well, or Hone Kui no Ido, she meets a demon for the very first time and travels back in time to the Warring Ages, and 50 years had supposedly passed, but so comes Mistress Centipede. Meeting Kaede and finding out that she looked like her sister, the evidence is later been used for testimony for her being the reincarnation of Kikyo-sama. The jewel is ripped from inside her body by the Centipede when she tried to run away. Seeing Inu-Yasha (Not knowing what he was, stuck to the tree ), she sets him free after he wakes, thinking he might save them all from the demon, but he turns out to be even worse! Lady Kaede warns Kagome of the people and demons who search out, looking for the Shikon Jewel, and so, she must take on the position to guard it, just like Priestess Kikyo had. But protecting it from Inu-Yasha can be a little difficult since he threatens to kill her . . .
      Later, when Inu-Yasha learns that trying to pry off the beaded necklace around his neck, the one Kaede bestowed upon him was going to stay for eternity and the one that Kagome can make him do her bidding by uttering "SIT" as a binding spell and him falling to the ground at her feet in one instant, he decides that he might as well get it over with, the part where he and Kagome have to join an "alliance" in which they have to search for all the shards that Kagome made happen---by shooting an arrow accidentally at the jewel which was inside a flying bird-demon that had captured it. Friendship slowly grows between the two, but it takes more sweat, blood, tears, and words that can be more than accounted for.