Kon'ichi's Story
By Melinda-chan
Note: First of all, I recommend that you read "A Place To Belong" on my profile page before you read this as it would have the same theme.
Extra Note: This fic is rated PG-13 though it wouldn't contain anything that goes beyond what an uncut episode of Inu-Yasha contains. Still for younger readers, reader discretion is advised.
If this doesn't concern you, enjoy reading!
He was just an ordinary farmer but Hatoshi was going to experience a very extraordinary event.
The sun was setting in the west and the farmer was walking through his rice paddy one last time before the day ended. It was then when he saw her. She had long red hair and dazzling green eyes. Her red kimono was covered with flowers of all kinds. Hatoshi stood there stunned by the beauty of this creature.
'What kind of woman is this? She has red hair and green eyes. And is it me or is the grass moving away where she walks?' Hatoshi thought. Then it dawned on him. 'She must be an earth spirit!' He then bowed low to the ground. He then spoke out loud. "I feel unworthy to be at your presence! I request the reason for you being with me."
The woman walked toward the man. She then touched him on his forehead. He felt a calm feeling come over him as she looked down at him with a gentle expression on her face. There was no doubt in the man's mind now-she was an earth spirit and a beautiful one at that.
She then went down and hold him close to her. He could smell her scent as she brought him to her breasts. It was the most delightful smells he had ever smelled. It was a mixture of cherry blossoms, persimmons and fresh grass. He felt that the spirit had come from heaven and brought herself before him. He smiled as he got the message she silently gave him.
"I already have a wife," Hatoshi told her. The gentle expression on the woman's face did not change but she took her hand inside his hand. "May I ask what are you and your name?"
The woman said nothing but hold him close like before. Hatoshi went into a trance where he saw her true form- a red nine-tailed fox. Flowers of all kinds surrounded her as vines covered her body, including her private parts. Hatoshi stood there amazed. She then uttered a sound.
He immediately understood her.
"You're a kitsune and your name is Nari" the man said. The fox spirit nodded. "It is a beautiful name". The woman then returned to her human form, this time she had red fox ears and her nine tails were evident. The man realized that up to that moment everything was just an illusion. He then had a change of mind and heart.
"Let us go to the forest. No one is there right now. Would you come here again?" Hatoshi asked her. The woman simply took his hand and led him to the forest.
"Let me guess. You're going to say there is an ominous evil cloud over the village" Inu-Yasha said to Miroku. Kagome, Shippo, Sango and Kirara were with them walking on the path to the next village.
"This is a serious mission, Inu-Yasha. I heard from the innkeeper that a demon had attacked a nearby village and killed a number of people. It then attacked other villages. I think we should investigate," Miroku told him.
"What type of demon was it, houshi-sama?" Sango questioned.
Miroku seemed to hesitate. "He said it was a kitsune."
"That can't be!" Shippo exclaimed. "Most kitsunes don't attack villages or kill people like that! It's not normal for us to do that!"
"It may have a shard of the Shikon Jewel embedded in it. That would explain its unusual behaviour", Miroku suggested. "Or it could be a ruse made by Naraku. I want to find out in any case." Inu-Yasha turned to Kagome.
"Do you sense a jewel shard anywhere?" he asked her. Kagome shook her head.
"I hope that the kitsune is being controlled by a jewel shard because I really don't want to fight against it" Shippo said. "I don't think I could bear fighting it."
"What happens if it attacked one of us, let's say Kagome?" Inu-Yasha asked him. Shippo looked uncomfortable.
"I guess I would have to fight the kitsune but I would not like doing it" Shippo answered.
"Don't worry Shippo" Kagome told him. "I am sure we can defeat the kitsune peacefully." Inu-Yasha grumbled his disapproval but Kagome ignored it.
"Get out of here demon!" a man's voice caused them to look up ahead. They then saw a couple of men threw what appeared to be a human with red hair and red fox ears onto the ground. He wore a dirty-looking brown kimono. He had cuts and bruises on his face. The boy snarled at the men.
"I am only half demon!" the boy protested. One of the men whacked his staff on the boy. Kagome and the rest of the group looked horrified. Shippo went behind Kagome. Inu-Yasha stared at the men coldly.
"Silence, you demon! Why should you speak when you should have never been born? Go to your mother, demon, if you wish but do not think of coming to this village ever again!" the man that hit him told him. "We used to honour your mother with gifts but look how she treated us!"
"My mother would never attack this village or any of the other villages! She is a gentle demon! She would never kill anyone!" the hanyou retorted. His eyes then turned a light red. Kagome became alarmed. She knew from being with Inu-Yasha that when pushed too far a hanyou could allow his demon side to control him. This could turn into serious trouble.
"We saw her kill with our own eyes! Your own father saw his wife and his children, your half-siblings, slaughtered before his own eyes thanks to her! Maybe a bastard child like yourself could never understand-"
"My mother would never-" the hanyou was silenced by another whack of the stick by the man.
"If you would not shut up and leave, we should make you do so!" the man declared. He and his companion then simultaneously started to beat the young hanyou.
"They're beating him up!" Shippo said, still behind Kagome but looking on. He looked very frightened.
"Someone should stop them!" Kagome exclaimed. Sango had her hands over her mouth, too horrified to speak. Miroku decided to run toward the men.
"Excuse me!" Miroku shouted, hoping to get their attention. It worked. "How can you beat this defenseless young child and call yourselves men? You may believe that his mother is a murderer but that is no excuse to hurt her child or are you pass any moral sense yourselves?" Miroku sounded very angry. Indeed his staff was shaking in his right hand.
"Who are you and why are you concerned about this demon brat? Or do you wish to resolve this on your own?" one of the men asked him suspiciously.
"I am Miroku and as a houshi I cannot stand and watch you beat up a helpless child regardless whether it has demon blood or not" Miroku told them. He sounded calmer but there was still an edge to his voice.
The men looked at each other in amazement. The boy tried to get up. The men then laughed.
"It is a strange thing for someone of your position to try to help someone like this" of the men said. He then kicked the child, causing the boy to fall down again. "If you care so much about this thing so much, then you can have him. He is not a part of the village anymore." With that the two men walked away. Miroku clutched the rosary beads in his right hand as if he was planning to suck the men up. However he did not remove them. Instead he turned his attention to the red-haired half demon that was still on the ground facing away from the houshi. He was trembling.
"Do not fear me. I will not hurt you. Did they hurt you badly?" Miroku asked the child.
"Is he okay?" Kagome asked, running. The rest of the group followed her.
"Did they beat him badly houshi-sama?" Sango questioned.
"I imagine that they caused some bruises" Miroku answered. He leaned closer to the red-haired hanyou. "Maybe if I can just-" He then touched the back of the boy's collar. This caused the boy to react. All of a sudden he turned around and slashed Miroku's face. The houshi's eyes went wide and he fell down.
"Houshi-sama!" Sango cried out. She and Kirara went to his side and propped him on his knees. A long red line soon formed on Miroku's right cheek. Sango turned to the red-haired hanyou. "Why did you do that? He was only concerned for you!" His voice was bitter.
"He was only trying to help you!" Shippo exclaimed. "I know that you're mad but you shouldn't take your anger on an innocent person!"
The red-haired hanyou sprang up, snarling and baring his nails at the little kitsune. Shippo got scared and went behind Kagome. Inu-Yasha stepped forward, grabbing Tetsusaiga by the hilt. The boy saw this and sulked.
"Just as I thought" Inu-Yasha said with a little disgust. "It was really an act."
The red-haired boy didn't like that.
With blinding speed, he attacked Inu-Yasha. He tried to dig his nails into the white-haired hanyou's face but Inu-Yasha was quick enough to turn away and dodge his attack. This did not deter the boy who grabbed Inu-Yasha's long white hair. The dog hanyou tried to shake him off but it didn't work. The red-haired hanyou held onto Inu-Yasha's hair as the other hanyou thrashed side to side. The boy then grabbed onto the back of Inu-Yasha's red kimono. Inu-Yasha was hopping now, swearing under his breath. It was starting to amuse the rest of the group. Even Miroku tried hard not to laugh.
It was not so funny a moment later when Inu-Yasha used his sword to separate himself from the other hanyou. The red-haired boy landed on the ground with some of Inu-Yasha's white hair in his fingers. The dog hanyou walked menacingly as he looked at him with vehement eyes. The other hanyou cowered. Kagome had enough.
"Sit!" she commanded. Immediately Inu-Yasha fell flat on his face. The red-haired hanyou was puzzled. He came to the white-haired hanyou and sniffed him.
"He's not dead you know" Kagome told him. Shippo went toward the boy.
"I can tell you're a kitsune half-blood. I am a kitsune too. My name is Shippo" the little kitsune said. The kitsune hanyou looked at him with his ears perked up. He looked really surprised. He then looked at the humans then at the white-haired beast (as he saw him) still lying on the ground. He backed away unsure of their intentions.
"Don't be afraid of us," Kagome said, trying to soothe him. "My name is Kagome. I am sorry about those men that tried to beat you up. Let us help you. Please let us help you". The red-haired hanyou looked nervously at her but said nothing. Kagome opened her hands at him, hoping that he would see that she meant no harm.
"Hey brat!" Inu-Yasha yelled, getting up. The kitsune hanyou snarled at him. "Are you going to speak? We know you have a tongue. So say something!" The red-haired boy hissed in reply. Inu-Yasha snorted. "You're too weak for me! Why don't you tell us who you are? It's not like you can do anything else!"
"Inu-Yasha! That's enough!" Kagome yelled. She then turned to the kitsune hanyou. "Inu-Yasha may seem bad but he wouldn't hurt you if you don't hurt us. We tried to help you by stopping those men. You can at least tell us your name." There was no response from the boy.
"Let's forget about him. We're trying to find the demon that is attacking the villages. This demon- and I hope it better be- may have one of the jewel shards. If we can get it-" Inu-Yasha was suddenly interrupted by the boy.
"Kon'ichi" he spoke.
"What?" the other hanyou asked, confused.
"My name is Kon'ichi and that demon is my mother", the boy replied. "You're not going to hurt her. I'll hurt you before you even have the chance."
"Like you tried to do before?" Inu-Yasha sneered. The kitsune hanyou bared his teeth and nails.
"I am warning you now! Stay away from her!" Kon'ichi warned. His eyes went a little red. Kagome saw he was getting mad again.
"That is enough!" Kagome yelled. She looked at Kon'ichi and then at Inu-Yasha. "I know that Inu-Yasha tried to attack you, but you did attack one of us so I think you should apologize." She pointed to Miroku. The slash on his right cheek had stopped bleeding. "Or at least apologize to Miroku-sama!" The kitsune hanyou lowered his head in shame. (Note: Line error.)
"I thought he was going to hurt me" Kon'ichi said in a low voice. Kagome sighed.
I see that you have been hurt before so it's not surprising that you reacted that way. But we are not going to hurt you. Can you let us help you?" Kagome asked. Kon'ichi stared at her vehemently. He then lowered his head again. It was then that she noticed that he was crying. She wrapped her arms around her. He seemed to calm down after she did that. Inu-Yasha's face softened.
"Kagome-chan, we need a bandage for Houshi-sama" Sango told her.
"Oh right. Shippo, talk to Kon'ichi-kun while I tend to Miroku-sama", Kagome told him. "Maybe you can get him to talk more." Kon'ichi looked away angrily from the little kitsune.
"I don't want to talk to you. You want to hurt my mother," the kitsune hanyou said, glancing darkly at Inu-Yasha. The dog hanyou ignored him. This irritated Kon'ichi even more.
"We want to help your mother not hurt her" Shippo explained. "We heard that a kitsune had been attacking villages. We know that's unusual so we want to know the reason and how we can return things to normal. Were those men that hurt you were right? Was it your mother that did it?"
Kon'ichi did not reply. Instead he put his head between the long brown sleeves of his brown kimono. Kagome glanced back at him as she opened the first-aid kit. Miroku sat close to her on the ground.
"This is going to sting Miroku-sama" Kagome warned him. She dabbed something from a small bottle onto a cotton ball. She then put it on Miroku's cut. He jerked back.
"Ow! That burns!" Miroku exclaimed.
"I told you it was going to sting!" Kagome told him.
"You told me that it was going to sting, not burn!" Miroku said. Kagome got red in her cheeks.
"Sorry about that," Kagome apologized. "I'll try not to put too much on you." She went back to treating Miroku.
"So are you going to tell us what really happened?" Shippo decided to ask again to the kitsune hanyou. "We all like to know." The red-haired boy took his head out of his brown sleeves.
"You are going to believe me?" Kon'ichi asked in a soft voice.
"Of course we will. You know your mother more than we do. I am sure that your mother is innocent," Shippo said.
"My mother would never kill anyone. She is a very gentle demon, perhaps the most in the land. There is no way she could have done what people said she did," Kon'ichi said. Everybody now looked at him. Miroku now had a bandage on his right cheek.
"We know something horribly wrong happened. We heard the men accusing your mother of attacking the village. It is apparent that they saw what happened. They also claimed that she killed your father and his family. I know it does not justify what they did to you but we want to solve this before something worse happens," Kagome said. Kon'ichi sighed.
"My mother told me that she met my father outside the village one day. My father said she was very beautiful," the kitsune hanyou's cheeks then reddened. "His wife was a bit upset but that would be normal."
"Your mother must have been very beautiful if your father would forsake his wife for an hour of bliss with her," Miroku said with a lecherous expression on his face. Everybody but Kon'ichi and Shippo got irked.
"Ignore him. You'll understand when you get older," Kagome said to Kon'ichi.
"I think I do understand" Kon'ichi explained. "I know that my birth was not proper. However, when I was introduced to my siblings when I was three, they took into me right away. They even called Aka-chan because of my red hair. (Note: "Aka" means "red" in Japanese.)
"What about the grown-ups?" Inu-Yasha asked.
"Some thought I was a freak but I know they never saw someone with red hair or green eyes before" Kon'ichi said. "They respected my mother so they treated me well." His face then turned sad. "That is, until they accuse my mother of attacking the village and killing some of the villagers, including my father's wife and children." He then lowered his head. "My mother tried to rectify things with the remaining villagers but something horrible must have happened. I don't know what exactly happened but many more villagers died, including my father." Tears dropped from his eyes and onto the ground. "My mother managed to escape but she has been acting unusual since then. She went off, leaving me behind. And since the villagers couldn't get at my mother, they wrecked her shrine." He then put his head into his brown sleeves, trying to stifle his cries.
Kagome could not help but feel sorry for him. He was only a child and yet had experienced so much pain and suffering. 'This is not fair' she thought. She knew that he deserved better than this, even if her father had an affair with a demon. But he was so innocent. He definitely deserved better than this.
"Kon'ichi-kun, it's okay. Things have been bad for you. We know this isn't fair. You shouldn't suffer so much when you're so young," Kagome said to him. She then went down with him and wrapped her arms around him. He tried to move away so she scratched the back of his left ear. She felt him relax in her arms. This made her happy. Everybody else except for Kirara, who couldn't express much, had a sullen look on their faces. Inu-Yasha tried to hide his expression but one could tell he was thinking. Miroku was also thinking.
"Kon'ichi, you said that your mother had a shrine. Is it still standing?" Miroku asked. The kitsune hanyou looked up at him.
"Yes but it is badly damaged. I don't think you can fix it" Kon'ichi responded.
"May I at least see it?" Miroku asked.
"I don't see why not," the brown-clothed boy said. He got away from Kagome's embrace and went into the forest. Everybody followed him. When he finally stopped, everybody was in for a shock.
There were stones and splintered wood everywhere. There were bits of rice on the ground. There were broken small vases and trampled flowers. The kitsune hanyou looked like he was about to cry again. He picked up a broken piece of a vase.
"I remember a time when people from the nearby villages would come and bring flowers and rice to the shrine. The shrine looked pretty then. My mother and I would eat the rice. During the winter, it is what kept us alive," Kon'ichi told them. "Now with my mother gone and the shrine destroyed, I don't know how I'll survive the winter."
"People can surely change," Sango said. Kon'ichi went to her.
"You must believe me. My mother couldn't attack the village at least the first time. She loves humans and made sure that the ground was fertile at the right time so people can grow their crops. The people in turn gave her rice and flowers in appreciation," Kon'ichi raised his brown sleeves. "She is a good mother. She made this from dried grass. She has other great skills too. She can make the soil fertile simply by walking on it." The humans marvelled at this.
"Wait a minute! What is your mother's name?" Shippo asked.
"Her name is Nari" the young half-demon replied. He then saw the astonishment on Shippo's face. "Have you heard of her before?"
"I can't believe that Nari is your Okaa!" Shippo exclaimed. He then went to Kagome. "Nari is a very powerful kitsune. She has great power over the earth and the things that grow out of it. Demons and humans alike respect her. Most of them at least. The only way she could kill anyone is in self-defense."
"Kon'ichi, do you know if your mother had an enemy that could be a demon that could assume her form?" the houshi asked him.
"My mother is respected by all the demon lords and the kitsune clans," the kitsune hanyou replied. "I don't recall any demon that personally is an enemy of my mother but my mother did say that some demons are getting more powerful. Do you know any demon that would want to hurt my mother's reputation?"
An awkward silence ensued.
"We are hunting a demon that is capable of taking any form. It has in the past assumed a person's form and tried to deceive others through it. Of course we have no proof that it is the culprit but your case is typical of its tricks," Miroku told him.
"He likes to toy with people's feelings too" Sango told the kitsune hanyou. "This is something that he would do, that's for sure."
"What is his name?" Kon'ichi asked.
"Naraku" Sango replied coldly.
"I have never heard of it" Kon'ichi said.
"You will if he's behind this" Sango said. Kon'ichi looked down. Nobody said a word for a few seconds. Miroku then poked at a stone with his staff.
"We need to clean this mess up. There is no need for anyone to see this disgrace" Miroku said. Everybody nodded. Kagome and Shippo started to help him.
"You're cleaning this mess? Do you really want to help me?" Kon'ichi asked, surprised.
"We believe that your mother initially did not attack the village. Of all the demons we fought, none was a kitsune" Kagome told him, picking up broken bits of wood.
"Your Okaa is not a bad demon. I am a kitsune as well and I'll never hurt anyone unless it was in self-defense or trying to protect someone. I am sure your mother didn't do anything bad" Shippo told Kon'ichi.
"One of the worst ways to dishonour a god or a goddess-," Miroku said as he picked up a broken kitsune statue,"-is to destroy her shrine." The priest in him showed up in the disgust of his voice. "And it looks they went all the way too." Sango also picked up a broken statue. Kirara picked up a broken piece of vase and gave it to Sango. Inu-Yasha's ears suddenly twitched.
"Inu-Yasha, what is it?" Kagome asked. She noticed him looking at the trees. "What's wrong?" This caught the attention of everyone else.
"Someone is here," Inu-Yasha said. Kon'ichi sniffed the air.
"Mama?" Kon'ichi shouted. He then ran into the trees. Everyone put their stuff down and went after him.
They saw Kon'ichi stand next to a small pile of fruits and nuts. He looked a little sad as he picked up a pear. Kagome saw that the fruits and nuts were on a brown sheet that looked similar to his kimono.
"Did your mother do this?" Kagome asked.
"No" the kitsune hanyou replied. "My mother made the cloth but I do not smell her in the air. She probably got one of the forest sprites to do it. I must have smelled the cloth." He then touched it. "For the last two weeks I have found a pile of food on this cloth nearby. It has sustained me for now but I am worried that winter might come and I am not sure if Mother's leaf sprites could help me then."
"Kon'ichi-kun, we are going to help you find your mother and resolve this problem" Kagome said.
"Would you really do that?" Kon'ichi asked. Kagome looked at her friends. Miroku, Sango and Shippo nodded. Inu-Yasha stared at her sharply and then turned his head away.
"Feh. Do as you wish. As long as Naraku or a jewel shard is involved," he said. Kagome smiled and looked back at the kitsune hanyou.
"I see" Kon'ichi said. He seemed to be very quiet. He then bowed down. "I think you for helping me. I hope I won't be a bother."
"Don't worry, Kon'ichi" Kagome said. The kitsune hanyou picked up a red plum and gave it to her.
"You can have this. I don't need to eat everything," he told her. Kagome looked touched.
'He is such a sweet boy after what he has been through,' Kagome thought. 'I wonder if things would be better for him in the future.'
In the meantime, Inu-Yasha looked at Kon'ichi with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"This fruit is very good," Kagome said a few minutes later. She had unwrapped all the food packs and everybody was eating from them and the Kon'ichi's food pile. Inu-Yasha, Shippo, Kirara and Kon'ichi were cracking the nuts in their mouths and eating the meats while the full-blooded humans concentrated on the softer fruits.
"I think we should set up camp here," Miroku said. "It's not like the villagers are going to help us after what happened." Kon'ichi put his ears down.
"This is all my fault," he said. Shippo went to him.
"Of course not" the full-blooded kitsune told him. "Those men were just being mean. You know that."
"Besides it's not like we have camped out before" Sango said.
"Don't worry Kon'ichi-kun. With Inu-Yasha here, I am sure nothing is going to happen to us" Kagome tried to assure the kitsune hanyou.
"The earth sprites have protected me when I rested and on the night when I lost my demonic powers" Kon'ichi explained.
"You mean the new moon?" Kagome asked. The kitsune hanyou looked surprised.
"How did you know that?" he asked her.
"That's when Inu-Yasha loses his demonic powers" Kagome explained. This caused a look of astonishment on Kon'ichi's face. He went to the dog hanyou, who looked a little peeved.
"Are you really a hanyou?" Kon'ichi asked him.
"You didn't know?" Inu-Yasha replied. The kitsune hanyou took a few sniffs of his red kimono.
"So the human scent on you is from your blood?" Kon'ichi questioned.
"Where else did you think it was coming from?" Inu-Yasha responded.
"I am so happy! I never met another hanyou before!" Kon'ichi exclaimed.
"Well, yeah, we're a rare breed" Inu-Yasha said dismissively. Kon'ichi apparently ignored the tone of Inu-Yasha's voice.
"Is there other hanyous like us?" the kitsune hanyou inquired curiously.
"Yes but-" Inu-Yasha paused, thinking about Jinenji. "People don't treat us very well."
"Why not?" Kon'ichi asked in total innocence. Inu-Yasha seemed a bit stunned by this.
"Why don't you think those men were beating you for?" the dog hanyou asked him. Kon'ichi looked at him questioningly.
"Inu-Yasha! That's enough!" Kagome yelled. She then looked at Kon'ichi. "I know if they hated you because of what you are, they would have not accepted you in the first place. I believe that as soon as we find the source of this mess, they would accept you and your mother again." Inu-Yasha snorted and turned away.
"Besides we have a more pressing issue at hand, like why did his mother abandoned him," Miroku said.
"Do you suppose that she knows she is in danger?" Shippo asked him.
"Maybe she wants to search for the culprit and thinks that Kon'ichi might be threatened if he stays with her?" Sango suggested.
"But that doesn't make sense" Kagome joined in the discussion. "If she wants him to be secure, why did she let him loose like this? He could be hurt by wild animals, demons or-" Kagome then thought about the men that beaten Kon'ichi earlier that day. "-Or evil men."
"Mother did take me to the mountains and told me to stay there until she comes back. The mountain sprites provided me with food so I did not starve. Still when she did not come back in seven days I went back to the village. The people there accused my mother if being a murderer. Of course I tried to defend her," Kon'ichi explained. Everybody, including Inu-Yasha, listened attentively though the dog hanyou still had his back toward them.
"So that's when we saw those men beating you" Kagome said.
"Oh no," Kon'ichi responded. "That wasn't the first time they beat me." At this Inu-Yasha turned around, looking very much surprised. "I am trying to get them to understand that my mother would never do such a thing. But they wouldn't listen to me."
"Do you mean you keep going to the village and they keep throwing you out? I have to hand it to you for being persistent" Kagome told him.
"It sounds like being stupid to me," Inu-Yasha said out loud. He then went to Kon'ichi who looked up to him. "You heard what those men said. They never accepted you. They probably only tolerated you because they feared your mother's wrath if they did otherwise."
"That's enough Inu-Yasha!" Kagome exclaimed in horror. Still she wondered whether he was right.
"But they-they did not try to kill me. If they wanted to, they would have done it. My mother would not know the truth. It is my father's village and I know the people there," Kon'ichi said. Inu-Yasha did not say anything in reply but the look on his face showed he was not convinced. Kagome didn't know what to say to him.
"In any case, the sun is going down. We should make a fire and prepare for the night" Miroku said. It was at this moment that Kirara yawned.
"Houshi-sama, you'll put out the fire before you fall asleep, right? The earth sprites have been kind to me and I do not want their home destroyed or my food source" Kon'ichi told him.
'He's so gentle and kind' Kagome thought. 'His mother raised him up very well.'
"Of course we will," Miroku said.
"Inu-Yasha will keep guard," Kagome told him. "He'll watch over us when we are asleep."
"May I keep watch too?" Kon'ichi asked. "Mother and I used to watch over the village. Of course Mother refused to do it anymore when the people turned against her."
"You can help Inu-Yasha if you want. I promise that we will try to restore things but I cannot give you any guarantee" Kagome said. Kon'ichi nodded.
"I understand" the kitsune hanyou said. He then smiled. "I don't care about being thrown out more than I care about not having my mother around. She is the only family I have left."
Kagome sighed and embraced him. There was no more words left she could say to reassure him. She only hoped that this would not last a long time. Kon'ichi would not grow up to be like Inu-Yasha, Kagome thought. He was a sweet little boy. She did not want him to change at all.
Everybody was now sleeping. Kagome was in her sleeping bag with Shippo. Sango was sleeping next to them with Kirara. Miroku was sleeping next to a tree with his staff in his right hand. Inu-Yasha was up on a tree watching in the direction of the village. He could not forget the men that hurt Kon'ichi or the words they uttered. He heard similar words directed at him in his lifetime. He knew that once the village rejected Kon'ichi, he would never be able to go back. He would have to learn that not everybody would accept as a person. He would be viewed as evil by every superstitious person, which would be almost everybody in a typical village. He would need to distrust people and to be strong so at least he could protect himself. Maybe he should tell him that.
In the meantime, Kon'ichi stared out into the sky. His kitsune-sharp eyes and ears did not notice any danger. He knew that wild animals were in the forest and demons were out as well. His mother's presence alone would have deterred any smart animal or demon from coming close to her or the villages that she protected. But she was no longer here and no animal or demon was afraid of him. He looked at the fire site. There was no fire- the humans had kept their word and put it out before they slept. He thought of Inu-Yasha. It was thrilling to learn that he was also a hanyou. Kon'ichi was not alone. Yet his words made him think. Was Inu-Yasha right? Was his mother the only reason why the village tolerated him? Did they hate him from the start? Kon'ichi held the sheet closer to him. It still had his mother's scent. He decided not to dwell on it. Still he could not forget the hatred in the men's eyes as they beat him. He tried not to let it upset him but he sometimes felt anger building inside him, waiting to erupt. He knew he could easily kill them but he would not allow his demon self to control him. But what would happen if they truly want to kill him?
Kon'ichi dozed off still holding the cloth. The half-moon shone on the ground. A shadow formed over the kitsune hanyou. Outstretched claws then reached for him.
End of Chapter One
I hope everyone enjoys this first chapter. I like to thank Inu-Inu for nominating my poem "A Place To Belong" in the Best Songfic/Poem category by the Inuyasha Fan Guild. I hope to do well. Inu-Yasha was created by Rumiko Takahashi. Please do not forget to review!