Life's Surprises by FluffyFox

Prologue

Life's Surprises

A/N- Yo peeps! This is my newest story and I hope that this is up to par to everyone's expectations.

Disclaimer- InuYasha is not mine, nor will it ever be. I have come to accept this, but make no mistake, the storyline itself is all mine!!

Ahem, I hope that you all enjoy this...I am going to begin this in a rather unconventional way, but it will make sence later in the story, so just bare with me.

'Thoughts'

Just for those of you who don't know this already...My pen name on A Single Spark, was FluffyFox, but I was forced to change it when everything was put over here...all my stories were lost...so I have to start re-posting them...

So please bare with me on this...

Enjoy the fic though!

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Prologue:

In the annals of Japan's history, there was once a thing called warrior Miko's, but they have long sence passed into legend.

At least they had, until a Miko by the name of Midoriko appeared. She was born several hundred years after the last of her kind died out, making her the one and only.

She was one of the greatest and kindest Miko's to ever walk the earth, her skill was unmatched and no one could take her on. She was a thing of legend.

At least until the day she met a man named Ryou.

The men of a neighboring village, one that absolutely loathed youkai's, had harmed him. Even though he had saved them more than once, he was still not an exception to the rule.

Ryou was a rogue youkai, a water Kitsune Youkai without a home. He wandered from village to village, helping and assisting as much as he could, or as much as they would let him. Most of his youth was spent trying to fit into a world where it was clear that he was not accepted, because of this he had decided to only help and not make himself comfortable in any one place.

After all, one such as him was not welcome.

But then that fateful day, he'd been trying to help fix a broken cart for some travelers when the villagers had finally found him. He didn't even raise a finger as they proceeded to beat him into a bloody pulp, leaving his broken and vulnerable body behind in the forest.

That was how she had found him, near death and unconscious.

Unlike her predecessors, Midoriko cared for all beings, youkai, human, or otherwise. All were precious to her because they each were living breathing creatures, that alone was enough for her.

So when she had seen him lying there, she had been unable to leave him.

After building a fire and dressing all of his wounds, she began preparing for a healing spell. Being a warrior miko she was gifted with many abilities that most would consider, unnatural. Being able to heal any wound was one of them, but it came at a price, one that she was willing to accept.

Even if it meant that she would be vulnerable as well.

And so she began, chanting low at first and slowly increasing the volume and pitch of her words and voice, until the entire clearing practically shook with the force it caused.

She continued this way for several minutes and had even drawn the attention of several youkai within the area, most turned tail and ran when they felt her power, but she could still feel a few braver one's that were slowly but surely making their way towards her.

Reaching the final verse of her healing spell, Midoriko prepared for the drain that accompanied it, she wouldn't be able to move on her own for at least an hour.

Taking a deep breath, she lowered her voice to almost complete silence and whispered the last verse. A resounding boom of power echoed throughout the forest as her powers dissipated, causing her to collapse in a heap upon the ground, her eyes swimming.

And that was how he first saw her, disheveled and weakened.

Ryou blinked his eyes as he slowly sat up, every muscle in his body protesting the movement. But his attention was on the fact that not only was he still alive but as he looked down at himself, not one scar, cut, scrape, or bruise was left.

He couldn't understand what had happened and had begun to look about the clearing in which he sat when his eyes landed upon a crumpled form not two feet from him.

Instantly concerned, he reached over to touch this person, asking if they were all right when he recognized the garb that the human wore. Priestess robe's, or at least, a type of Priestess robes.

Forcing down the sudden lump of fear that had formed in his throat he gently turned the Priestess onto her back, his eyes widening as he took her soft and rather beautiful features in.

Licking his suddenly dry lips, he reached out and shook her gently, attempting to wake her.

Finally, after trying repeatedly for more than a few minutes, her eyes slowly drifted open, remaining unfocused as she gazed up at him. But Ryou didn't notice that, he was enthralled by the color and look of her eyes.

They were an endless sea of stormy blue, filled with concern and relief as they roamed over his body, giving him a thorough once over.

The very thing that caused his heart to speed up, but then she spoke, making it all that more worse.

"You're alright...I'm glad."

Those were the kindest words that Ryou had ever had directed at him and he couldn't help but feel obligated to do something about it, but first he had to know if she was the one that had healed him.

So he asked her and was floored once again when she confirmed his suspicions, she had indeed been the one to heal him. But as he gazed down at her, he wondered why a Miko of all things would heal him, let alone even care.

Before he was able to speak to her about it, he felt the presence of several youkai just within the treeline, from what he'd seen of the Miko there was no way that she could fight, let alone move very much.

Not one to abandon other's especially now that he owed this woman his life, Ryou stood and readied himself. He was loath to fight but he had no choice, there was no other path but that of fighting the approaching youkai off.

Midoriko had followed the youkai before her with her eyes, curious as to what he was doing when she saw him extend his claws and growl threateningly. And then it all fell into place.

This youkai had chosen to protect and defend her in her weakened state, a fact that had her heart reaching out to the Kitsune. For all other's that she had met and helped, not one even spared her a second glance, except to try killing her.

Ryou took a deep breath as the first of the youkai entered the clearing, in which they sat, tensing his leg muscles he watched the Oni before him closely. It took one look at him before setting its sights upon the fallen Miko behind him, it bared its fangs in a challenge before leaping forewords.

It had all happened so fast, before he even knew what he was doing, Ryou had darted in the Oni's path before slashing its throat, instantly killing it

He was panting at the effort that had taken him even as he stared disbelieving at the Oni's corpse, which lie at his feet. He had really done it, he had killed someone.

Feeling his legs quake and his stomach turn, Ryou was about to collapse when two more youkai appeared. They were apparently twins from their looks and the fact that both were Hebi youkai.

They hissed in triumph at seeing the Miko before them unable to move, both turned to regard Ryou with narrowed eyes, as they demanded, "dooesssss theeeessss protectssss thisssss Mikossss?"

Stilling his pounding heart and his trembling limbs, Ryou narrowed his eyes at the youkai before him in return as he growled deeply, feeling his tightly restrained anger beginning to surface. "And what if I do?"

"Thensss youssss shallssss diessssss!"

The two Hebi's charged forwards, one taking Ryou's left while the other took his right, they were trying to confuse him so that they could gain an opening.

Ryou held his ground as he waited until they both were within striking distance before he filled his claws with pure salt water, using his internal body heat to bring the water to a boil. He crossed both his arms before him and then, just as the youkai were about to strike, he unleashed his attack.

Uncrossing his arms with great speed, he slashed both his claws downward upon the youkai. Their screams of pain filled the clearing as the super heated salt water first burned their skin and then began melting into their bodies, until all that was left were two heaps of sizzling flesh.

Panting at the energy and effort that had taken him, Ryou used his nose to scent the surrounding forest to see if anyone else would attack them. Finding a couple that had turned tail and run, and no other's approaching them, he collapsed to his knees.

Letting his head fall to the ground between his legs, Ryou tried to keep what was in his stomach, in it. He had killed and for a human no less, what had he done?

Seeing the turmoil that the Kitsune seemed to be in, Midoriko tested her limbs to see if she could move now and finding that she had a little mobility, she shifted slowly and began to crawl/drag herself to the youkai's side.

Upon reaching him, she reached out and gripped his left hand, sliding her fingers into his and gaining his attention in the process.

As his eyes met hers, she smiled gently, "thank you for protecting me."

And it was with those words that Ryou made up his mind, this human Miko did not hate him and she clearly saw him as an equal. So he tightened his hand about hers and gave her a serious look, "I swear to you, I will always protect you, I swear it."

If there was one thing that she hadn't expected of this youkai, well...this was it. "But...you don't know me, why would you do that?" Her heart had started to speed up at the thought of traveling with this youkai, of getting to know him, of just being with him.

Cupping the Miko's cheek, Ryou locked their eyes as he sighed, "you have saved my life and have treated me like I am your equal. I wish to protect you because I want too, is that so hard to understand Miko?"

Shivering at the youkai's touch, Midoriko gave a nod of her head in understanding, "no it is not. I am honored that you wish to protect me, but if we are going to travel together then I must introduce myself."

Gritting her teeth, Midoriko forced her body to move and shifted until she was on her knees before the Kitsune. "My name is Midoriko."

Having retracted his hand when the Miko had started to move again, Ryou watched her kneel before him and utter her name. Committing it to memory, Ryou inclined his head, "I am called Ryou, I am at your service Midoriko-sama."

Shaking her head, Midoriko lifted Ryou's head and chuckled softly at him, "there is no need to act like that Ryou, we are equals just as you said." Ryou felt a blush of embarrassment cross his cheeks as he just nodded his head in understanding.

Midoriko could only smile as she wondered where this odd turn of events would take her, would take them.

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A/N- And that's the Prologue...

Sigh, I didn't mean for it to turn out as long as it did, but heck...what can I say? I got carried away...

But to make a long story short, in the actual story there will be flashbacks every once in a while to these two...so keep an eye out if you liked this a lot. Other than that, the rest will be in the present.

All right then, here's our Jap terms for this chapt-

Youkai- Demon

Miko- A priestess/a holy woman with powers to purify evil

Kitsune- Fox

Oni- Ogre/Devil

Hebi- Snake

And that's it for this chapt!

Anyway, I am working on the next chapt as of now, but I'm not sure when it will be done...but I am trying!

Comments, criticism and questions are always welcome, so press that review button if you wish...

Whelp, until next time then!

Ja Ne!