Chapter one:
Acquaintances
Inuyasha sat on the fence post, watching Kaede gather herbs once again. Every since Kagome left he stayed in the village of Edo, hoping one day she would return.
"Inuyasha, am I to believe that out of everyone, ye has taken a liken to me?" Kaede never glanced up from the garden when talking to Inuysha, he always heard, even if he didn't answer.
Inuyasha leaned back, hands behind his head, looking over the field.
"No, it's to crowded at Miroku's and Sango's." They had just had their third child, and the older twins liked to pull on his ears.
"Are ye still waiting for her? It has been four years now."
"No..I gave up on that. I just hope that she's happy." Kagome had gone through the bone eater's well four years ago, and ever since then it was closed off. Not working from either side.
They sat, in silence for a little longer, the breeze giving some relief.
"Kaede-baba!" They looked, ever the hill to see a small figure waving. "Kaede-baba!" The figure broke into a light jog, still waving.
"Oh my!" Kaede stood, knocking the dirt off of her before walking forward. Inuyasha at this point decided to join, and then the scent hit him. Unknowingly, he reached for Tessaiga.
'Half-breed. Somewhere. Demon blood.' He looked around, unable to find the source. But the scent kept getting closer. He walked with Kaede, just in case. He could now make out the jogging figure, a girl, in her early twenties, her hair up in a bun. It's odd Grey color shining in the sun. She wore a simple blue kimono, with white swirls stitched in it. He couldn't make out her face to much, as it was guarded by a straw hat. She had a wrap made of fur, going from her should to her hip.
"Kaede-baba!" The figure ran to Kaede, wrapping her arms around the old woman.
"Oh, be careful child! Ye know I am an old woman!" Though Kaede was scolding, you could her how happy she was to see this woman.
"It has been so long Kaede! Almost eight years!" Inuyasha stood back while these two caught up, the smell of a half breed in the air.
"Um mm..." Inuyasha cleared his throat. After ten minutes of talking, the women had yet to say anything to him.
"Oh, Inuyasha, this be Yuna. I raised her, during the time you were pinned to the tree. She is like a daughter to me!"
Inuyasha stepped forward, eying the woman.
"You smell." He grunted, finally releazing what the scent was.
"As do you, Inuyasha-kun. However, I was raised with manners and don't draw attention to such."
Inuyasha stood back, alarmed by this young woman.
"Are you..."
"Yes," She did a little bow, more in manners, then wanting to, "I'm a half-breed. As are you, Inu? A great white dog." She looked him up and down, and now he got a look at her eyes. Grey. Grey with specks of silver, shining straight through him.
Inuyasha just shook his head, finally taking his hand off his sword.
"Come Yuna, let us start lunch, and we will talk!" Kaede bent down to pick up her basket, but Yuna scooped it up and placed it atop her head with perfect balance before Kaede could argue.
"Kaede-baba, I brought some of those sweet lemon cakes, from two towns over. I know you love those, maybe we can share them with tea while we wait on lunch?" Yuna smiled, a smile that immediately brought more sunlight to the area. "Inuyasha-kun, would you care to join us? I have plenty! For every one that my Obasaan eats, I eat four!"
Inuyasha shook his head yes, following behind the ladies as they walked and chatted.
'I've never even seen another half-breed. Naraku, but he doesn't count...' Inuyasha was stunned, but curious to see how this woman ended up in Kaede's life.
"Ah, Sango, Miroku, please join us for tea!" Kaede waved at the two, who had their children around them. "Yuna is going to tell us all about her travels!"
Yuna once again bowed, showing a grace unknown to them.
"Sango-chan, Miroku-sun, please, I have brought sweets that your children will love!" Yuna turned once again, following Kaede into her hut.
Miroku turned to Inuyasha, who still stood stunned."
"Is she..."
"Yeah..She's a half breed, like me..." Inuyasha started moving again, waiting for the couple and their kids to go into the hut first.
Yuna had already put the kettle over the fire, and pulled out the cushions for everyone. She moved throughout the hut, remembering where everything was. No one spoke until everyone had tea and sweets.
"Well Yuna-chan, this is my wife, Sango, and our latest born, Ichi. The girls are our twins, Ayia and Mai."
"How good to meet you all! And such beautiful little girls! They say girls are made from the sweetest stuff on earth, and that the gods their selves will always favor females. Do you know what I think that means little Ayai and Mai?" The twins just shook their heads no, grins on their face waiting for the rest of the story. "I think that that means that we were made with extra sugar, and can eat as many sweet things as we want!" Yuna dished a whole lemon cake to each little girl, grinning as they giggled.
"So Yuna," Sango spoke, gently bringing up the subject," How do you know Kaede?"
"Oh, of course!" Yuna smiled, and once again her smile put everyone at ease. "I use to live about five villages over with both of my parents. My father protected the village, and no one was surprised when they fell in love. One day, when I was three, a demon attacked the village, killing my father, wounding my mother, and taking out everyone else. I made it away safe, hiding in a pile of straw in the stables. Kaede came to help heal whoever made it. I went, in search of my parents. I found my father, gone, the only thing left was his staff. My mother was dying. I held her head, and cried. Kaede, hearing, came over. All she could do was make sure my mother felt no pain." Yuna stopped at this point, the whole hut sitting in silence, tears looking like they were going to fall from her eyes. "But Kaede took me in! Gave me a second home. A couple of years ago I decided to go out, and see if there was any more of my father's tribe out in the world. But they are all gone. I'm the last." Yuna let a small smile escape, her pain hidden.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Yuna-chan!" Sango reached out to the woman, her mother instincts making her want to hold this girl close to her.
"So what are you?" Everyone turned to Inuyasha, who had remained silent and unmoving the whole time. "You smell like wolf..and not"
"Well Inuyasha-kun, all I have to go on is what my mother and father told me. I am from a clan of wolf that lives high in the mountains, in the snow. We live in the cold, and actually come far from Japan."
'That explains her scent. Snow, fresh fallen.' Inuyasha took his tea, glancing at her over his cup.
"Wow Yuna-chan! How far did your travels take you?" Miroku had started bouncing Ichi on his leg.
"Oh, Miroku-san, far! I made it all the way to the snowy mountains, and found where the tribe used to live. But they were gone."
Sango spoke up next, while Kaede tended to lunch. "But you would never know you had demon blood in you! If not for your hair!"
"Oh, my sorry! It is safer to travel this way." She took her hat off, and you could see them, ears. White. On the top off her head. She unwrapped the fur from her torso, revealing that it wasn't a wrap, but a tail. White once again.
She let a little grin show, "In this village is the only place I can be myself."
Inuyasha stared. He had never seen anyone so...captivating. Her ears and tail, as white as snow, and her scent. Clean, fresh fallen snow. She had the scent of the mountains mixed in.
"Come now, lunch is served!" Kaede beamed, glad that everyone had met her Yuna.
Night fell on the village, and Inuyasha rested in his tree. Slowly, the lights in the village went off. He sighed, taking in everything from today.
'I have never met another half-breed before. And she was so...graceful? No...'He couldn't place it, but her scent, he wanted to smell it. He wanted to be covered in it. Closing his eyes, he imagined her, coming to him, Kimono slowly falling from her-
WHAM! He looked around, laying on the ground. Something had knocked him out of the tree. Looking, he saw it, peaches. Someone had thrown peaches at him. Angrily he looked up, then stopped. She was there. Her laughter sounded like rain hitting wind chimes, her hair swirling around her.
"Sorry Inuyasha-kun, but you weren't paying attention. I thought it might be pay back, for you being so rude before." Yuna giggled, her basket full of peaches on her head. One arm reaching up to it, her other hand swung at her side, peaches in it. Her claws were long, but elegant, her hair now loose around her, swinging past her knees.
"I-uh." Inuyasha stood, peaches in hand. "Here" He threw them back, Yuna catching everyone.
"It is ok Inuyasha-kun, I have never met another half-breed either." Yuna walked over, sitting beside where he had fallen. Inuyasha sat beside her, taking the peach she offered. "I would probably have done the same, if Kaede-baba had not raised me with better manners." She cut her eyes at him over her peach. "Tell me Inuyasha-kun-"
"No, just Inuyasha."
"OK, Just Inuyasha. Tell me, how where you raised?" She watched him, juice from her peach dripping down her mouth before she licked it away.
"Um, in my mother's house. My father died defending her when she was pregnant with me. Her family hid me away. After she died I ran. I had to take care of myself."
"Until Lady Kikyo?"
Inuyasha stared, dumbstruck.
"Kaede was her sister, she told me all about you. When I was younger, I would sit underneath you. You were pinned to the tree. I never believed that you could have done that to someone you loved. I tried countless times to pull the arrow from your shoulder. But it wouldn't budge. I settled with talking to you. Though you never answered back." Yuna stared off, into the night sky. Inuyasha just stared at her, amazed by her yet again.
"Yuna- I... I didn't. We were tricked. And now shes gone."
"As is the Lady Kagome?"
"Yeah...she went home three years ago, and hasn't come back."
"Well...you just don't have a way with the ladies do you?" She grinned at him playfully knocking him in the shoulder.
"Yeah, I guess not." He smiled back at her. "Actually it's usually Miroku who has luck with the ladies."
"I would say he still does, three children!"
They laughed and sat in silence, watching the moon move in the sky.
"Well I am going back. I want to have breakfast going to Kaede before she wakes." Yuna gathered her basket, turning to leave. Inuyasha took her hand.
"Yuna..." His words were getting stuck in his throat.
"...Yes?"
"I'm just, I'm just happy I met another person like me...that's all." He took his hand back before he wanted to embrace her.
"Why Inuyasha, a gentleman after all!" Grinning, Yuna walked back to the village, the sun rising over the hill, giving her a heavenly glow.
