I had an amazing idea so I'm going to be hopping between HFA, TGE, and this. Hope you like!

Kagome:

A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?"
Pointless really.

Do the stars gaze back?

Now that's a question-
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Our story really begins here, 500 years ago, at the Royal Academy of Science in London, England, where a letter arrived, containing a very strange inquiry.
It had come from a country boy and the scientist who read it thought it might be a practical joke of some kind. But he duly wrote a reply politely explaining that the query was nonsense, and posted it to the boy who lived in a village called Wall, so named, the boy had said, for the wall that ran alongside it.

A wall that, according to local folklore, hid an extraordinary secret...

"See anything you like?" The woman in blue asked with a voice that teased his nerve-endings. He was grateful she did not try to peer at his face. Perhaps she did not care. Perhaps she was being polite.

Deft fingers slipped through the silks on the table and paused on a caramel cloth embroidered with gold. He could sense the magical properties on them all. "What do you recommend?"

"Not the one you're holding." Her smile was infectious for a human. Perhaps the woman who had gone to the Slaughtered Prince for a pint was not the one to have imbued these items with spells.

Forearms lifted to guide a cloth from a drawer. She handed over the material and no doubt noticed his claws. Eyelashes flitted away politely. "I would request a seamstress to make this into a coat. I can do it myself if you like."

"What properties does it hold?"

She feigned offense, bringing a smirk to his lips. "Why it brings good fortune."

He didn't care what it did at this point. His voice gave nothing away, "And what does it cost?"

A cunning smile curved her cheeks. "A kiss."

"It's an enchanted beaded chain." He heard her say.

"I wandered here from the other side of the wall as a child. I have been enslaved by this witch, Urasue, ever since."
"I cannot free you?" The pale prince whispered beneath his hood, his kind eyes glowing beneath his shadowed expression. A clawed hand retreated back within his cloak. He did not believe in slavery, and that was something he would fix when he was King.
"I can only be liberated by her death." She shrugged, apparently used to the notion.

He also did not care for murder though he had committed the atrocity himself a hundred times over.

"If you must live as a servant, how may I serve you just once?" A delicate finger enticed him forward into the carriage in answer.

The old witch sat at a table in the corner. Wiry gray hair framed bulging eyes and pursed red lips. She gulped down some strong alcohol and he watched her wrinkled, bony throat as she downed the last of it.

That would be where he would watch the life drain out of her. Back against the wall across the room, he sipped his beer and watched, waited.

Eventually, she wandered her way out and down the alley. Though he could tell she was far from sober, caution is what assured his chance of keeping his head. A witch was not to be trifled with if one wanted to live. This one smelled old. Old and powerful.

The witch had no chance.

Later that night, the stars would witness him carry the beautiful woman, Izayoi, through the forest he knew so well, and place her beyond the stones that cut off his future domain, wrapped in fire silk for luck, a part of the beaded chain that he'd cut off in her pocket. He knew his dream of running away to live an ordinary life and to raise a family that didn't wish to kill one another was impossible. His sons would shed blood if they caught wind of his scent on her.

So the scientist was wrong. The wall had successfully done its job of hiding the magical kingdom of Stormhold. The woman Izayoi was grateful to be able to live a normal life, able to forget the years she'd spent as a slave.

But soon the signs began to appear. For carried safely between worlds in her womb was an unborn half-child.

A letter had been left at the wall not long after she'd taken a husband in hopes of help in raising this child. The guardian of the wall said it was to be given to her child who had been named by his father.

Inuyasha

He stepped out, flowers in hand, and shut the door behind him.

The baby Inuyasha had grown up, outliving his mother and adoptive father, knowing nothing of his peculiar heritage other than its physical traits that had him considered an outsider for his differences and long life.

But nevermind about how the infant became a boy. This is the story about how Inuyasha becomes a man, a much greater challenge altogether. For to achieve it, he must win the heart of his one true love.

He picked up a pebble and threw it. He froze in anticipation when the window made a clang in response.

The girls within all looked at each other, filled with sudden excitement. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi all looked to their friend with sparkles in their eyes. They all practically flew to the window in giggles.

The black haired young lass unhooked the latch and called out instinctively, "Onigumo?" Only to be disappointed.

Why is she expecting that asshole? "Uh no. It's Inuyasha."

"Oh." She replied. Though she saw the flowers in his hand, she asked, "Did I leave something at the shop?"

"Uh no I just thought to bring some-"

He smelled the disgusting, familiar cologne and narrowly dodged the swipe of a fencing sword, only to have the flowers smushed to the ground beneath Onigumo's foot.

"Mutt. Shop-boy by day, peeping tom by night. If anyone found you lurking outside an unmarried woman's window, you'd lose the only job you can have."

Before a growl could escape him, she stopped them both, "Onigumo! There's no need to be like that!"

The asshole with perfectly-groomed brown locks retreated at her fiery ire. She despised violence. And they both knew that. Inuyasha's ears drooped at her expression.

He made a face at the nauseating smell of roses in Onigumo's hands. The rich bastard was also trying to woo the lovely maiden. Feh. Like he knew a thing.

He'd watched Kikyo grow up, knew every little thing, every quirk about her. Then this asshole comes along from out of town thinking to marry her.

"Please don't start anything Inuyasha."

He hadn't realized he'd been glaring hard at the man, slowly advancing and cracking his knuckles.

She also knew him so well, was the only one to call him by name other than his mother, whose voice he hadn't heard in decades. The last time was as he'd watched over her helplessly at her deathbed, holding her hand between his own.

"Inuyasha. Please just leave." Though he hated to, he would do anything she asked.

He turned his back, but watched the man's shadow cross the road to her door from the lamplight. He heard the window shut above and could feel rapid feet pounding down the stairs within. A male voice, her father, answered to Onigumo's knock.

But Inuyasha was already far down the dark street towards his empty home, hidden from view to all but the stars.

He was the first to arrive through the back door, per usual. Dawn had yet to come. He always worked the longest shift, since he didn't ever look or seem very tired after a normal shift. He didn't think of complaining as this is all he's ever known after his mother died, and their money had been used up paying for doctors to travel down to their little village.

Mother had refused to leave. He got the hint it had something to do with the wall. After all, she took strolls down its length every morning until her bones grew too weak. She had some sort of attachment to it, like it held a precious memory that she cherished.

He shoved thoughts of his mother away and decided to think of something else as he stocked the shelves behind the counter, pulling multiple sacks at a time from the back room. There wasn't much to think about other than what he'd might make for supper. And even that brought his mind back to the one who taught him how to cook.

Instead he thought of Kikyo. The one positive thing in this hellhole of a village. Only to him of course, because of his unknown heritage that he knew nothing about. His mother's last words told him to go up in the attic to find his inheritance.

Once he'd set all of her items up there, he locked it away. He didn't have the heart to just toss out her things, or to be reminded of her and her scent if he left it laying around the house untouched.

A click perked his ears. The manager walked in the back and soon the store would be open again like any other day. He wished he could take Kikyo and just sail away, journey the world.

"Inuyasha." He immediately rushed to the counter, thinking his ears had deceived him. And there she was. Shock filled him that she'd come to see him. The last time had been when she was still little. When she played out in the field, picking flowers. He'd be lying in his favorite tree, oblivious to the world until she started coming to play there. He'd climbed down after the first few times. He heard her gasp when she'd noticed him the first time but then resumed her play. He'd inch over every day, wary that she may run in fear.

She never did. At first he just thought she was stupid, too stupid to run from the weirdo. The next day she'd come to him, asking why he was always here. He'd told her it was his quiet place to think. Her hum and small smile had melted him. She said this was her secret spot for the best flowers.

The same place he'd picked flowers for her last night. She stood there in expensive lilac lace, a symbol of her status.

That was the other thing that blocked his path. She was above him. Her family would disown her if she ever wanted to be his.

He could feel his manager's glare from across the way. When they were open, he was not allowed to emerge from the back room. Her red lips curved at his presence.

"K-Kikyo-"

"Pound of sugar please."

She could take anything from him. He'd give it all. He grabbed the nearest package of sugar and placed it on the counter.

"Let's see a bag of flour, a dozen eggs- Oh look, I'm sorry about last night. Onigumo was very rude."

He shrugged it off. There were gasps from the crowd as he swiped the items from her list onto the counter faster than any of the cashiers ever have, gracefully yet swiftly placing the eggs on the counter so as not to crack them.

"I also need a sack of potatoes and some chocolate please."

He flew through the crowd to the chocolate section, expertly placed for the children to spot and pull their mother's skirt for attention. After all, he's been at this job a long time.

He didn't need much. Just some coins for food and occasional new socks when needed. The rest of his pay was saved in a pouch by his bed.

In the spur of the moment, he blurted, "May I perhaps see you tonight?!"

Her pause gave him hope that she could be considering. "No, but you may walk me home."

"Of course." He said without a second thought. He piled her things on one shoulder and held out his arm anxiously, looking away at the wall.

A fringe-clad arm slid around his and his heart sped up annoyingly.

It's just a walk dammit.

There went his job. He looked at the reflection of a stupid boy who was now jobless. A knock at his door had him whip around and knock his head on the pan he'd been staring at hanging on the wall. He sped over, hoping the girl of his dreams had changed her mind.

"Kaede." He looked down to the short young sister to Kikyo. He didn't mind the girl, but she was a wary child, unlike her sister.

"You wanna come in?"

Kaede peeked around him at his home. Was she expecting something to be odd about the way he lived?

"Sure."

He led her in and gestured a seat at his table, pulling the tea kettle from the flames.

"Do you still like Kikyo?"

He nearly dropped the cup he'd been reaching for from the shelf. Turning to face her, he was silent as he felt his face heat. Was it that obvious?

"Feh. What's it to you?"

She giggled, "Well it's my sister we're talking about."

A sigh left him. "I'm deluding myself, kid. My manager was right. I'm not good enough for Kikyo."

"That's poppycock!"

"Watch your mouth." He said a bit sternly, "And I'm wasting my time. I'm not like Onigumo or any other bachelor around here. You're blind if that's not obvious to you." He poured her a cup and pushed it across the surface to her as he took a seat. She flinched at the sight of his claws. Remembering her purpose, she recovered quickly. Her expression was all business.

"So you stand out from the crowd. I may be young but there are many generations in this village to observe. All the men here will live unremarkable lives. They'll marry. They'll work. They'll watch their children grow up as they grow old. Then they get taken care of till they die. You have so much more open to you."

"I lost my job."

It didn't faze her. "Get another one. The farmers down south could always use an extra hand."

"What does it matter? I don't have anything to offer her but this old place." He glanced around and closed his eyes at the memories that attacked him. He'd rather find a new home if he could afford it.

His pained face told her everything. She sipped her tea in thought. "What about some of your parents' things? Surely you have some inheritance somewhere that you could put to use."

The idea brought him pain and hope.

But he would go through any hardship for Kikyo.

R&R and love Inuyasha!