Memories

Disclaimer: sigh how many times must we do this? I do not own Inuyasha. sigh

Inuyasha's thoughts

I still remember where we got Shippo from, how could I ever forget? Some people say I'm a cold arrogant bastard, just like my brother, and yeah, I guess I am; only difference is that kid is more important to me than almost anyone. I remember just like I know Miroku does. We remember and we'll never forget.

It was a warm day several years ago and me and Miroku were just going for a walk—well, no, we were patrolling for trespassers on our territory when we saw him. There was a pitifully skinny and small boy chained to a wall by a short, heavy chain. He was dirty and beaten with bruises on every part of him and he was also stark naked. We stared in disgust as an old man came out of the house that bounded him and started to yell at us. "What the hell are ya looking at? Piss off you little bastards!"

I spoke first if I remember correctly. "What the hell are ya doin' with that kid?" The old fart scowled and yelled back, "None of your business, ya rats!" Miroku and I shared a look of anger. "It is our business old man, unless you wanna have some problems," he said carelessly. The man scoffed, "What are you going to do?" We smiled and it was then that the man realized he was in trouble. I looked down at the little boy and noted the youkai ears and that the kid was still not moving.

We started forward towards the old man and he dashed for the house. We laughed harshly and chased after him. When we caught him it wasn't pretty and he didn't survive. I went over the kid and broke the chain easily then dropped to my knees to look him in the face. "Hey kid, we're gonna help you, okay? So first I need to know your name then we'll get you some clothes, alright?" The kid looked up with empty green eyes and whispered, "Shippo." Miroku stepped in and handed the kid some fresh clothes he had found in the house. The kid looked at them dully and asked quietly, "What are you gonna do with me?"

I admit that shouldn't have surprised me but it did. "Nothing, we just thought you shouldn't be chained to a wall as a slave for who knows what. Ya got any objections?" He looked up with watery eyes and hastily dressed. I smelt his tears and didn't know what to do. I thought my girlfriend, Kikyo, would. I picked him up and said softly, "Shippo, we'll take care of you. I'm Inuyasha, he's Miroku. Right now I'm taking you to my girlfriend Kikyo. I think she'll know what do to help you." Shippo nodded and rested tiredly against my shoulder.

To this day I can't believe some of the shit I'd seen. Kikyo told me to just feed the kid, make sure he was dressed, with shelter and clean. We did that as much as we could having limited money to spend, stealing helped the most. I broke up with Kikyo shortly after we gained Shippo. She had been cheating on me with Naraku, a rival gang member. So I ditched her and spent years in solitude with only Miroku and Shippo as friends and of course the rest of our gang.

I was used though, a lot. I remember I was abandoned at a very young age and soon after it I was used as a mule. I carried the shikon shards to potential buyers for the leader. Then I met Miroku at a brawl and he saved me from getting chivvied. That started our friendship and to this day we're loyal friends. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met Kagome or Miroku hadn't met Sango.

End of Inuyasha's thoughts

Kagome leaned against the Goshinboku tree with deep weariness. Inuyasha—she knew—was some where in the masses of dark foliage and probably still mad. She couldn't even remember what she had done to trigger his anger, but she suspected Kouga hadn't helped.

Inuyasha could smell Kagome's sadness and it cut him deeply. He wasn't mad at Kagome he was mad at himself. Because he had been showing her off now an old gang rival wanted to take her as his whore and it was causing a lot of trouble for him. Kagome didn't understand these things—she'd lived a clean life, protected and loved by a loyal family. How could she? She didn't properly understand the poverty in which even now he still lived.

With a sigh of regret Inuyasha smelt her tears and dropped out of the tree to comfort her. He was always startled to see her because she was so...so pure, so loyal and loving and beautiful. He couldn't understand why she stayed with him, but he was grateful nonetheless.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and smiled—and just doing that wrenched his heart painfully. "Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Are you still mad at me? Because you know I'm sorry, and I don't really understand what I—" He silenced her with a soft, gentle, electrifying kiss and stroked her hair. When he pulled away he licked her tears away and told her, "Kagome, I'm not mad at you I'm mad at me, I did some really stupid shit and now we have a little problem." He looked up arrogantly, "Course, it's nothing I can't handle."

Kagome giggled and pulled him down to sit with her. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Look Inuyasha, I'm not worried. You always protect me and Shippo, and I know you won't let anything happen to us. I—I love you..." Inuyasha reeled back as though stung or slapped and his eyes widened dramatically. Kagome lowered her head and blushed furiously. She hadn't mean tot say that, now it would scare him off.

Inuyasha quickly pulled his emotions back and pulled Kagome into a warm embrace. In a sultry voice he whispered in her ear, "I love you too Kagome. I just had to wait until you realized it too." Then he shared with her his love under the swaying branches of the Goshinboku and the stars danced and twinkled merrily while the wind caressed their burning, passionate bodies.

Shippo grew up with love even if it was in a deeply poverty stricken land and Miroku married Sango and managed to keep his hands glued firmly to only her backside, and Inuyasha and Kagome? They did have their happily ever after, you can just ask me. I'm their daughter and I hope that you too understand that just because you're poor doesn't mean you aren't important and cared for. Goodbye and good luck...

A/N: Hello everyone. I decided to make this one-shot fic for all of you who have ever felt belittled because of your status, your looks or your attitude. We are who we are and nothing will ever change that. I don't have a lot of money, I'm not the prettiest person alive, I act like an idiot sometimes, but I never forget who I am and how much I love those around me. In this fic I wanted to cast Inuyasha as kind of a badboy who lived a harsh life, but I don't think I really succeeded. However, the plot about the little boy shackled to a house by a chain around his throat is completely real. It happened in Colombia and the man who did that was killed. Remember to be fair to those around you because we don't always know their life stories. Thank you. Ciao.