The Day Kagome Met Her Demon

-I-

Summer

Queen Ise sat in silence on her raised couch overlooking the large, open room. A light smile played on her lips, and her hands lay folded on her lap, soft and light, capable just as equally to grab a sword as to caress her child. She wore her hair braided, a length of ebony that swung down past her waist to curve around her folded legs. The sunlight filtered into the room through the open doorway, giving the scene an air of peace and tranquility.

A light cough sounded from the door's entrance, and Ise turned to see a bowed servant on the floor in the hall, his short head of brown hair bent low. She recognized the lad as one of her son's personal demon servants. He was a sparrow demon, with pointed ears and wide black eyes. He was a gentle and nervous thing, so much so that she could sense his apprehension from across the room.

"Ginta," she called out, her voice a tone of laughter in it. "Stand up, my boy. What is it you need?"

The young boy stood quickly, his cheeks flushed from the intimate tone of his queen. His servant's robes of black and gold made his plain skin and hair shine brighter, but the harsh colors reminded other viewers of their place in the palace.

Ginta swallowed before speaking to the serene woman before him.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid that Lady Kagome has not returned from her archery lesson with her instructor, and the guards have not seen her anywhere in the palace. We worry something has happened, that she has been hurt, or—

The child halted mid-sentence as Ise held up her hand in a silent command to stop.

"My daughter," she spoke with a smile, "has no doubt gone into the village. This would not be the first time."

Ginta took a step forward. "But, Your Highness, she has no escort."

Ise shook her head with laughter dancing in her eyes. "No, she never has. She would hate it."

Ginta seemed to slouch at this bit of news, his brow furrowed in confusion. "But, will Lady Kagome be safe? What should we do about it?"

At this, Ise stood, letting the long folds of her kimono lengthen and pool at her feet in shades of green and jade and creamy white. Ginta watched her stand with the grace of a swan, and felt his knees pulling him to the floor in another bow. His queen's nickname, Graceful One, was not a misnomer by any means.

"Lift your head and listen well." Ise spoke calmly, without force, but the boy looked up quickly, his full attention focused on her.

Queen Ise looked down at the servant boy, finding it hard to explain her daughter to this little child. How could she say that her daughter was as willful and spirited as the wind? That she was kind and gentle like a child, with an innocent curiosity to match. And in spite of all this, she carried a temper and mood to match even the most stubborn mule. She was the strangest of qualities all in one person. She sighed as she thought of Kagome, the young and beautiful woman she had become, and how much she had in front of her.

"Your Highness?" Ginta's voice brought the Queen back from her reverie, and she shook her head to clear her mind.

"Do not worry about the Lady Kagome. She will return when she is ready, and when she does, I will speak to her then. Now go to the guards, and tell them to halt their search for my daughter, as I am sure they have been looking for her the past few hours to no avail." Ginta's blush proved her words. She went on. "Go now, and thank you for worrying so about my daughter. I am honored by your concern."

Ginta almost couldn't form a sentence; the queen's words had touched him so. But at length, he managed to squeak out a, "Yes, Your Highness" before backing out of the room and turning to dash down the hall, his sandaled feet slapping the wood before fading away into the palace.

Ise turned her attention to the open door leading out into the garden and walked toward it, feeling the summer breeze wafting in slowly from the valley. The trees swayed lightly in the wind, and the lowering sun gave a rich golden light to the scene before her. She couldn't help but envy her daughter. She had so much beauty, so much life. Ise did not regret her path as Queen of the Northern Lands, but never had she been as energetic and fiery as Kagome was.

"Oh, my daughter," she whispered, "What a queen you will make."

-I-

Kagome stood at the edge of the forest near the entrance to the village. She was shielded from view by a giant tree root, big enough to hide three of her. At her feet was a folded sack that carried her luxurious robes of crimson and cream. She had traded her royal clothing for a plain brown shirt that she had bought from one of the servants in the kitchen, and a pair of large green pants that were worn and frayed at the edges. Her hair, normally long and flowing down her back, was tied at the base of her neck with a simple leather cord.

She smiled at her handiwork and couldn't help but wonder if this time she would be caught. Despite her many escapades into the village disguised as a simple servant on an errand, she always had the fear in her mind of someone recognizing her. But even though her beauty was no less diminished by her appearance, she did not act like a princess at all when she went away from the palace. She was a good at mimicking the ways of a servant, how they walked, how they spoke. The fear of being caught was there, but truthfully, it only made her more excited when she did venture out.

She shouldered the sack over her shoulder and stepped out from behind the tree. She walked slowly into the village, encountering people here and there. She marveled at how easily they spoke to one another. If a woman walked past her, she might call out a hello to Kagome, smiling. Still others might see her looking and scowl, saying, "What are you looking at?" Either way, they were much more vocal than the members of the court. She loved walking among them, listening to them call out to one another, selling things, having conversations. It blended together and made Kagome feel instantly at home.

"Young miss!" a vendor shouted to her as she walked past. "A trinket for your master or mistress? So lovely it is; they would surely find it to their liking, neh?"

Kagome bowed low to the older man, and silently declined by walking swiftly away. Many more men and women called out to her, trying to sell her their jewels or their food. Some of it was tempting, but she did not have any money to spend. Still, she was plenty happy to look at the objects and pieces around her, admiring someone's painting of a winter scene, or someone's clay cooking pot. So much talent the villagers had!

She walked around this way for quite some time, but the sun's steady decline in the sky reminded her that she had to return to the palace soon. She came to the edge of the village and looked back one more time to watch the people slowly collect their things and move into their homes. Smoke gradually came out of the huts and structures, signaling the preparation of dinner. Her stomach growled at the thought, and she was spurred on to hurry home.

She went through the woods, walking on the trail she had made over years and years of traversing it. Something stopped her in her tracks, a feeling that suddenly struck her. Why did she always walk this path home? She'd never really ventured away from it, and who knows what she could be missing. What if there was a beautiful waterfall nearby? An open clearing where she could sit and watch the stars? Her feet seemed to make the decision for her, as she stepped off of the dirt trail and walked through the tall grass, disappearing into the brush.

The brambles and twigs stuck and pulled at her shirt and shorts.

"Good thing I didn't change into my palace clothes. How would I explain my appearance?" she said to herself, trying to break the silence that seemed to cover the area like a blanket.

She began to hum lightly, trying to make light of the steadily increasing darkness that snuck up on her. A bird call just overhead made her cry out lightly in surprise. Crickets started to sing all around her, and the clouds parted to let the nearly full moon shine down on her, illuminating her view, making her heartbeat slow significantly.

She looked up and smiled, relieved. "Thank you, Moon."

She walked further with more confidence, seeing an opening beginning to form just ahead. She could also see the faint glow of a fire, and her pace increased. Were they travelers? If so, they would no doubt help her find her way back to the palace. She could simply say she was lost in the woods and was returning from an errand. Yes, she thought resolutely, I can do this.

But once she emerged from the shrubs and bushes into the open space, the only thing she met was a small fire crackling in the night air, and a patch of dirt that looked worn from a person's sleeping form.

She was wary to see the camp sight without the camper, but still, the fire was inviting, and she didn't want to go any further without knowing where she was. She dropped her sack on the ground and used it as a cushion to sit near the flames, holding her arms out for warmth. The fire shifted the wood twigs and logs, and the crackling noise was soothing. She didn't realize how tired she was until she felt her eyes begin to drop, entranced by the bobbing flames.

She was so weary she didn't even flinch at the sound of a twig snapping just at the edge of the clearing. It was only when a voice called out that she whipped her head around to look.

"Oi!" the voice was gruff and deep, like the growl of a dog.

Kagome turned sharply, stiffening from the shock of seeing someone come up behind her without her knowing.

Anything she would have said in return to encountering the maker of the camp site died on her lips as she looked at the young man standing before her.

He was tall, taller than most of the men in the village. He had striking features that only seemed enhanced in the fire light. His hair was like silver silk, long and thick swinging by his knees. His eyes glowed dangerous yellow, warning her to keep her distance. They were eyes that had seen death. His skin was smooth and darker than hers. But his hair and eyes were not what shocked her. His ears were not like a demons, pointed and small, nor like a humans, curved and soft. They were triangular and grey, dog ears. And his hands, though much like a human, had long claws for nails. His face was set in deep frown; his dark brows bent low over his smoldering eyes. His bright red outfit seemed to billow around his lean form, and she just caught a glimpse of his sheathed sword at his hip. Overall, he was a dominating sight, and it was all she could do not to run away with fright.

In the end, her curiosity beat her fear, and she straightened her back to face this man…whatever he was.

"Who are you?" she asked him, locking eyes with him, showing him she would not be afraid.

He didn't move his eyes, but his hands clenched up, and a sneer seemed to form on his lips, revealing a sharp incisor fit for a wolf.

"What are doing in the forest?" His voice was gruff, but it had a tone that made her stomach squirm with some unknown feeling.

She stuck out her chin. "I got lost." She decided not to lie to this man about being a servant, if he was a man. She just knew that if she did try to lie, he would know.

He looked at her for what seemed like an eternity. She was sitting so near to the fire, her cheeks felt enflamed, but that was probably more due to his penetrating gaze that seemed to see into her soul. She didn't look away though. She held his eyes, trying her best to fight off the fatigue that was weighing her eyelids.

"Where are you from?" He spoke with harshness, but the curiosity she heard made her heart lighten.

"The palace." This wasn't a lie, though not the whole truth.

At this, he made a short, sharp noise, much like "Keh!"

He moved and went to sit across from her, the fire sparking between them. "The palace, huh?" He seemed to say to himself. "Bunch of stuck-up bastards living the good life."

Kagome bit back an angry reprimand for his words. How dare he? She was not stuck-up, and certainly not a bastard!

"What do you have against the royals?" Kagome spoke sweetly, trying to calm both him and herself down.

His gaze darted over to her quickly, then away, striking her heart much like one of her trained arrows. His eyes had held so much pain and anger. Whatever it was that he disliked about the royalty in the palace, it was a deep wound, one that she immediately regretted bringing up.

"I'm sorry." She spoke softly, her eyes sad at the pain she saw in his. "I didn't mean to pry. Please, forgive my rudeness."

He gave her a look of suspicion and something else, a wariness that almost resembled hope. He folded his arms and stared into the flames, replying with an equal softness, saying, "No problem."

A silence fell over them both. Kagome kept watching him brood, his eyes watching the dying fire with such a deep concentration, she felt like she was watching a beautiful statue. The planes and hollows of his cheeks and chin lent to a truly handsome face. He didn't seem to mind her staring, and she couldn't help but look at him. His appearance was so different from anything she had seen, even in the palace where demons of all kinds lived and worked. He reminded her of a complex kimono that she had to wear for grand ceremonies. There were so many layers to the outfit, each one different from the other, exotic and unique.

"Inuyasha." His voice made her eyes jerk up to meet his own golden orbs. He was looking right at her, a strange expression on his face. All too soon, she realized she had been staring, and he had caught her.

"What?" she managed to say, feeling her cheeks grow pink at how pathetic she managed to sound.

Then he did something that almost made her heart melt. He gave her the softest of smiles, the tiniest of tweaks that made his face look even more handsome than before.

"My name," he said, humor underlying his words, "is Inuyasha."

AN: Okay! New story! I'm so excited to start a new one. Really, I look forward to writing this. I'll try my best to keep up with the chapters so you don't have to wait long for the next installment. For now, please read and review! Thank you so much for reading! Love—

&Niiroke&