School

[yukatado]

Disclaimer:
All characters of "Inuyasha: Sengoku Otogi Zoushi" a.k.a. "Inu-Yasha: a Feudal Fairytale" are the 1998 property and copyright of Rumiko Takahashi; Shogakukan Inc.; Kitty; Fuji TV; and, Viz Communications. No copyright infringement is intended.

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School

Chapter 01 - Go to School

A fanfiction by Yukatado

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To whit, I don't really know when this shrine was built. Back then they weren't terribly concerned with building permits, especially not within tiny, one-horse towns, assuming the government at the time even knew or cared about the town's existence. I was born in that place, which, at present has long been swallowed up by bustling urban area. Fortunately, this shrine has been around since before recorded memory, and has remained in tact, even through the war in the pacific. It was that war's firebombing that actually cleared away much of the old-fashioned structures that surrounded my shrine, leading to the build up of the horridly ugly modern monstrosities that replaced the beautiful traditional homes.

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Kikyou had been there for nearly every one of those years, minus a fifty-some-odd year period of . . . absence. Within fifty more years after settling there, Tokugawa's government had brought an end to the terrible war raging across the country in a climactic battle down in south-eastern Japan. With the lack of war and famine, she settled and had little to do but simply tend the shrine.

Within two-hundred years, she watched as what was once a back-water fishing village, Edo, steadily grew, as Japan's capital city, into the largest city in Japan. She stood on the steps of the shrine as in the Western year, 1868; the Emperor himself was paraded down her street on his way through Edo towards the palace. After a brief war that seemed as nothing compared to the horrible on-going war and destruction that tore Japan some two-hundred years previous. Still, after two-hundred years of peace and stability, even that seemed like an earthquake that destroyed a building's foundations, and indeed it hat. She had a premonition when out of curiosity; she had traveled to Yokohama to see the mysterious black ships in 1853.

It was with much surprise and irony that, in 1922, authorities approached her with a most curious accusation: truancy! "Since when had the government cared whether a simple woman, a shrine-maiden, had an education or not?" she had thought at the time. Not wishing to arouse suspicions, or rock any boats, she merely complied, and for the first time in four-hundred years, Kikyou woke up one morning and donned not her white hakui, tabi-socks, her geta-sandals and red hakama, but an arrow-pattern-striped kimono with a fashionable red bow in her hair and a purple hakama. She picked up her leather bag, and headed off to school.

"Heh heh heh, what is that you're wearing, silly girl?" the wind whispered, caressing her ears like sandpaper. "You look like one of those silly bitches in heat that come traipsing in here giggling and foolishly asking for nice boy to marry . . ."

A chill went up her spine and Kikyou closed her eyes, the muscles in her brow scrunching tightly as she gritted her teeth. "It's been a while since the high and might Onigumo has chosen to speak and with nothing useful or constructive to say, as any other time . . ." She paused and turned towards the shrine. "Live it up, Onigumo. You have been for four-hundred years. I've told you many times now, or must I remind you once again, you can walk right out of there when you deserve to get out."

"I hate you, you stupid wench, I wonder what I ever saw in you, and I want you dead. I'll get out of here and I will destroy you."

"And you wonder why you'll never get out? Bah, if you want me dead so badly, I'll be happy to let you kill me. You're counter-part was so much more powerful than you'll ever be and yet he failed miserably, concentrating all his efforts on destroying me. What do you hope to accomplish. In fact, I would be happy if someone could destroy me, I've lived long enough . . . but, as it stands Onigumo, I have a school to attend. Bye bye.

"Don't get too cocky, Kikyou," the heart of Naraku spat from within his confines, "your time will come." Kikyou merely walked down the steps of the shrine and disappeared into the crowd of girls headed to school.

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To be continued . . .

Author's Notes:

Well, I just had to get this out of my head and onto paper, so to speak, lest I be unable to concentrate on my reports. I know it's short, sorry about that. I would like to work on this further, and I will when I find the time.

For those of you unfamiliar with the terms, a miko's outfit consists of a white, robe-like garment called a Hakui, around which is tied the red pleated skirt or pants called a Hakama. The socks with a built in big-toe are called Tabi and the wooden sandals are called Geta. As for Kikyou's school-girl uniform, that is the traditional Taisho Era (1912-1926) school-girl's uniform.

[Dracos]

Looking through here, "PROOFREAD".

"Fortunately, this shrine has been around since before recorded memory, and has remained in tact"

intact is one word here.

"even that seemed like an earthquake that destroyed a building's foundations, and indeed it hat"

it had I believe.

Writing style could use a lot of work.  The story just doesn't feel alive at all.  There's no soul to it.  It's just kind of 'there'.  Stuff happens, more stuff happens, oh look, yet more stuff happens.  Nothing is ever done to draw the reader in.  Nothing is ever done to bring out the personality of Kikyo.  Even the Naraku scene is short and weak.

Since you are going for the historical accuracy bit, 1922 and women's education?  Are you sure on that?  It seems still far too early along those lines for the government to give two shits.

Either way...  I'd say to rewrite this, working with the general theme to have it flow outward instead of lie flat on the page.

Dracos

[yukatado]

Actually, since posting it here, I had to go back and change it to 1932 for the purposes of my plan. However, the women's issue isn't part of that.

For the record, in the 1870s and 80s, education was made complusory by the government for all Japanese, men and women. At first, they were segragated by sex, but that changed a little later on.

Thank you, by the way, for the corrections.