DISCLAIMER I do not own Inuyasha nor any of the characters therein.

In a deep, dark cave, two hundred years before the Bone-Eater's Well brought Kagome to the Feudal Era, the last full-blooded dragon taiyoukai was born. His eyes were the striking color of blue flame and his hair was as black as the thickest of smoke. To look at him, he looked no different than an ordinary human child, but his youki was extremely powerful. For this, his parents were especially proud. They knew he would be the most powerful dragon demon to live in over ten thousand years. Soon after his birth, his father took him in his arms and named him Kyoudai, meaning powerful.

Their lives were happy ones, until one day just after Kyoudai's fifth birthday. His parents went out in search of food for the small family when they were confronted by taijiyas. Since dragon demons are very powerful and dangerous, the human village nearby their cave feared the youkai family. Especially since their resident miko sensed the fearsome power in their newly born son. So Kyoudai's parents were killed even though they had no intentions of ever attacking the village.

Back at the cave, Kyoudai realized his parents hadn't come home and it was dusk. He grew frightened and curled up in a little ball in the back of the cave. When the taijiyas came for him, the cave was too dark for them to find him, so they gave up and left. They figured that the young youkai would not be able to survive on his own since he was so young. They decided to allow nature to take its natural course. Kyoudai, more frightened than ever at the arrival of the strangers, watched them leave and cried himself to sleep.

The next morning, when his parents still had not returned, Kyoudai decided to go looking for them. Still not completely steady on his feet, he climbed out of the protection of the cave into the bright sunlight.

"Mother? Father? Are you there?" He called in a feeble voice as he walked through the forest around the cave. He had gone out with his mother often so he knew the area. He came to the edge of the forest and looked down on the small village below him. His mother had told him to never go there so he knew his parents wouldn't be there. Also the scary humans from last night would be there and he didn't want to run into them. So he turned and followed along the edge of the forest calling for his lost loved ones.

He walked for a long time. The longest he had ever walked. He grew tired and his stomach screamed at him for food. He entered the forest in search of anything that he could eat to calm his roaring hunger. He walked a little into the trees and found a bush covered in berries. He picked a few and popped them in his mouth. They tasted awful to him so he spit them out. I need meat he thought as he continued to walk further into the woods.

After awhile, Kyoudai found a raccoon digging for roots. Using his instincts, he crept silently up to it. Then he pounced on it! But because he didn't have any hunting experience, it wriggled out of his grasp and disappeared into the trees. Defeated, Kyoudai hung his head and continued on.

Dusk came and Kyoudai felt very weak. It had been more than a day since he had eaten last. He walked very slow, calling into the unfamiliar forest he had wandered into. He wanted to go back to his cave but didn't know how to get back. I'm lost! He thought. How will Mother and Father ever find me if I don't return to the cave?

Just then, he walked into a clearing. He looked around and there in the middle of the clearing was a well. His eyes widened as he realized just how thirsty he was. He ran for the well at full force. At least I won't die from thirst! He reached the well and climbed up onto it. Looking down into its dark depths he thought, but how will I retrieve the water? He bent down and noticed strong vines growing on the sides of the well and decided to climb down. As he did so he lost his footing and began to fall. Unable to catch himself, he braced himself for impact. When it didn't come, he looked around. The bottom of the well opened up and he was floating gently downward.

Eventually the well materialized again and he landed gently on the bottom of it. It's dry! He complained. Dejected he curled up at the bottom of the well knowing that the shelter of it would be better than sleeping under the open sky.

The next morning, birds were singing merrily but that wasn't what woke him up. The gnawing, stabbing pain of hunger is what tore Kyoudai out of a peaceful sleep. Frightened, he looked around franticly, not remembering where he was. As his memory returned to him, he looked up.

"I guess I ought to climb up and look for some food," He said to himself, grabbing onto the vines that lined the well walls. He climbed up but when he reached the top he saw something that wasn't there the night before. The well was housed inside a small shack. Confused he climbed out of the well and walked to the door and slid it open a crack.

Sunlight came pouring through the opening in the door and he looked out of the little building. He saw what looked like a human shrine. When did this get here? He opened the door enough so he could slip through and closed it behind him.

"Hey, you! What are you doing over there!? That well house is off limits, little boy!" Someone shouted.

Kyoudai spun around to see a girl about his age. She had very short, black, wavy hair and kind, soft brown eyes. "I'm sorry!" He said frantically bowing in apology.

The girl giggled at his reaction. "It's alright, you didn't know. I've never seen you around before. What's your name?"

He straightened back up and looked right in her eyes, causing her to gasp at their intense blue color. "My name is Kyoudai" He said proudly.

"Oh, well, nice to meet you Kyou-kun. I'm Emi." Just then Kyoudai's stomach made a loud growl and he blushed. "Oh! Are you hungry?" He nodded. "Then come on, I'll get you some food." She took his hand and led him into the house.

Higurashi Emi, fifteen years old, was on her way to school. A sixteen-year-old Kyoudai was walking beside her. The Higurashi family had brought him in when he was five because he was an orphan and didn't have anywhere to go. He adapted wonderfully to modern Japan and was very protective over Emi. He remembered almost nothing of the world he was born into and believed himself to be human. As they walked, Emi reached out and took his hand. He looked down at her and she just smiled brightly at him. He smiled back. He loved her with all his heart but he never knew how to tell her, though she already knew. She felt the same towards him, ever since the first time she looked into his eyes. Neither of them ever acted on their feelings for the other but everyone around them knew of their mutual love. They were inseparable.

They arrived at school and went to their separate classes, reluctant to leave the other's side. They met up at lunch and shared the bento that Mrs. Higurashi packed for them. After lunch they had a free period together which they spent in the soccer field with a few friends kicking a ball around and having fun. Then the two of them needed to part ways again. In Kyoudai's last class, a friend of Emi's passed him a note. It read:

You're clueless you know that? Emi is in love with you
& I know you love her too. So why aren't you together?

Kyou stared at the note wide eyed. Emi returned his affections? Why didn't he know this before? So he wrote her back.

I didn't know she loved me in return. What should I do?
Will you help me?

Two seconds after she got the note she was passing it back.

OF COURSE I'LL HELP! Why do you think I brought it up?
Emi is going over a friend's after school to study, so meet
me after the last bell. We'll figure something out then.

He turned and looked at her and nodded his head to let her know he accepted her proposal. He turned back to the sensei but couldn't focus on what he was saying. He was too excited at finding out that Emi loved him too. The last twenty minutes of class seemed like an eternity for Kyoudai.