Jakotsu

Hello, once again! Antoni, here, with yet another fanfic starring Inuyasha and Ayame. I will be taking a look at The Promise, which was written by darling krash, published on August 14, 2006, and last updated on September 30 of that same year. It’s rated M. It’s in English. It has eight chapters. It’s Romance/Drama, and aside from Inuyasha and Ayame as the main couple and main protagonists, we also have in this story Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Jakotsu, Kouga, an OC by the name of Doctor Kameko, and a whole bunch of villagers.   As I read this fanfic, I cannot tell you how I excited I am to talk about it. So, without further ado, let’s get cracking.   Jakotsu from the Band of Seven is attacking some villagers and marauding the overall peace. Inuyasha steps in to stop this pillage caused by the last of the Band of Seven or the Shichinintai, but little does he know, Ayame comes to aid him, as Jakotsu also murdered some members of her tribe. Together they finish Jakotsu off but at a price, Inuyasha’s palm is injured. Once Kagome brings in the bandages and disinfectants, Ayame willingly tends to Inuyasha’s wound. Meanwhile, Ayame’s den has been attacked by none other than Naraku, who has also taken her grandfather’s life. Inuyasha, sensing peril, rushes to go save her. Seeing Ayame injured, after her ordeal with Naraku, he rushes her to the village doctor, who tends to her wounds, feeds her well, and gives her lovely dresses. Whilst all of this is happening, Inuyasha and Ayame start becoming a lot closer than they think and this could be love, even though her grandfather’s dying words are for her to marry a warrior from Kouga’s tribe. What sells this story for me is the growing relationship between Inuyasha and Ayame. It is clear as night and day that even though Ayame is tied to her grandfather’s promise and Inuyasha tied to the past with Kikyo and the present with Kagome, these two are clearly meant for each other. For eight chapters, I definitely felt a lot of emotions surging through me and it kind of helped that there was a song in the form of I’ll Stay with You originally sung by Beth Hart in the fourth chapter, as Inuyasha sings a fragment of this to soothe Ayame. On a tangential note, as I heard the song on YouTube, I did imagine Richard Ian Cox singing the English version and Kappei Yamaguchi the Japanese version, which I thought was kind of cute. Sure, I would’ve loved the story to have gone longer, and develop how Kagome was going to further react to this, as well as how Kouga is going to take it. Probably, he would’ve decided that now that Ayame belongs to Inuyasha, he can very well be by Kagome’s side, though certain relationship issues will not stop Miroku, Kouga, Inuyasha, Sango, Kagome, and Ayame from destroying Naraku. Speaking of which, we could’ve had an epic battle involving these six and Naraku. However, as it is, the fanfic has been left abandoned for eleven to twelve years. To give it the benefit of the doubt, how it ended in the eighth chapter was at least satisfying knowing that Inuyasha and Ayame are an item, slight spoilers there. By and large, even though I would’ve loved to have more in this story, it is still a solid package full of heart.   Inuyasha and Ayame, as always, steal the show in this fanfic. While Inuyasha maintains his brash, strong-minded, and defensive nature, it’s balanced out by a sensitive side. I, as the reader, can witness his vulnerability, when it comes to his past, as his human mother Izayoi was the only one who ever gave him any type of love and without her, he felt like no one else mattered, and his genuine, pure, steadfast love for Ayame. He will do everything in his power to not only protect Ayame from all harm but to also give her the love, affection, and time she truly deserves.   Ayame maintains her steadfastness, loyalty, and sense of familial pride to her clan. She will do everything in her power to ensure that her grandfather, who was killed by Naraku, will be avenged, along with the rest of her tribe. She still has feelings for Kouga. However, as she met Inuyasha, he was very much the one who gave her his true love and protection. Even though she sees Kouga as her solution to unite their tribes, it is clear that her heart and her being belong to Inuyasha.   I know I am going to sound like a broken record, but this is the fanfic which made me root for them as a couple. Not only do they present themselves as strong capable fighters who are intrepid enough to go physical, but they also have admiration and respect for each other. Thus emitting empathy from both of these characters. Not to mention, their chemistry is absolutely amazing, especially when they consider that they don’t have this type of emotional depth with their respective “partners”, Inuyasha with Kikyo then Kagome and Ayame with Kouga. As mentioned before, they knew they were destined for each other, even though they have to work it out if they truly are.   It would be easy to make Kagome the jealous and clingy girl. However, she is someone who at first was befuddled, as to why Inuyasha would go out of his way to protect Ayame, but now she does get the hint, that these two have more genuine feelings for each other than Inuyasha has for Kagome and Kikyo combined.   Sango ends up being rather emphatic in this story, as she not only understands Inuyasha’s vulnerability but Ayame’s growing feelings for him. She knows fully well that Inuyasha truly loves Ayame.   Miroku is still his chivalrous pervert self, as he even suggests to Inuyasha that he should grope…