Inupunzel

Disclaimer: I don't own any Inuyasha characters.

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Chapter 1: The Couple

Once upon a time, many years ago, there lived a maiden named Izayoi. Izayoi's family was well-to-do, and all her life she had everything her young heart could desire. Eventually, however, there came a day when she thought to desire something her parents could not buy for her. "I want to fall in love with the most handsome man in all the world!" she proclaimed.

Her parents made every effort to introduce her to all the handsome young men of the country, but she was not satisfied with any of them. This one was too plain, and that one had funny ears, and the guy from yesterday didn't have the right sense of humor. And more than a few eventually demonstrated, to Izayoi's maidenly discontent, that they also lacked an appropriate appreciation for her beautiful self. "I can't believe that boy said such horrid things to me, just because I told him his nose looked like a pig snout!" she stormed to her mother.

The parents consternation grew as their daughter's displeasure mounted. "I think, dear husband, we have raised a monster," the concerned mother whispered as they watched another wealthy family's most eligible son storm out. "Yes, quite," replied the father. "We should not have spoiled her so much. I'm afraid only a monster would have her, now."

"A monster, you say?"

The startled father realized too late that their daughter could overhear his conversation. "Ah, my dear, I didn't mean..." he began to appease.

"Humph," interrupted the daughter. "Well, maybe you're on to something. None of these stupid human boys is good enough. I've heard tales that demons men posses beauty far beyond a normal human's. Perhaps I've been looking in the wrong place." Izayoi nodded firmly to herself. Her surprised parents couldn't manage a word as they watched her leave the room.

When she returned a few minutes later in her walking dress, with a small bundle tied across her back, her father was somewhat recovered. "Where are you going, princess?" he asked her .

"I'm going into the woods in search of my one true demon love!" proclaimed Izayoi grandly.

"Y-you can't be serious," stuttered the father.

"Of course I am," replied Izayoi. "I'm always serious about love."

"But, my dear, my princess," her father said pleadingly, "you know it's forbidden for humans and demons to have relationships with each other."

"That's a stupid law," Izayoi dismissed, "and I have no intention of letting it get in the way of finding my one true love."

With that Izayoi strode out the door, leaving her stunned parents unable to stop her.

After a while, the mother let out a long worried sigh.

"Look on the bright side, dear," comforted her husband. "Perhaps the monsters won't want her either."

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Izayoi entered the woods confidently. She didn't take the well-used and somewhat dusty path, which she knew would eventually lead her to the next town. Instead, she struck off through the trees in a spot that looked particularly undisturbed by humans. She hummed cheerfully to herself as she walked along, keeping a careful eye out for any handsome demon men.

She didn't find any the first day. After a bit of thought, she decided she was satisfied with this – after all, it wouldn't be nearly so romantic if she found her true love quite so soon. Tomorrow would be better timing. She settled herself down for a romantic night under the stars, eating a romantically spartan dinner of bread and cheese.

The next morning she decided that sleeping under the stars was not really as wonderful as she had imagined. She'd much rather have had her bed to sleep in, or at least a tent and blankets. The rocks that had decided to creep up and poke her in the back while she slept were decidedly un-romantic. Rather than the wonderful quester, she was beginning to feel the damsel in distress. "Yes," she told herself, "now would definitely be the time for a romantic meeting with a heroic demon prince. I'll definitely be rescued any moment now."

Showing a shocking lack romantic timing, all the handsome demon men declined to appear the second day as well. Feeling decidedly ill-abused at her lack of rescue, Izayoi spent another night exposed to the elements. She was decidedly grumpy when she awoke the next morning. Still, she decided to continue on. She had a stubborn streak, and her pride would be wounded if she turned back now. So, with as much determination, but far less cheer, she walked on for a third day.

Or limped on, rather. Her shoes, as much used to indoors as she was, had decided they liked outdoor life so little that they were giving up. She encountered further problems with her hair. Normally it fell in long, beautiful silky tresses. Two nights of tossing and turning in the dirt, and two mornings without a proper brush to comb it, had left Izayoi's hair knotted and snarled. Where before it would slip smoothly past leaf and brush, it now caught at every opportunity. Izayoi constantly had to stop and untangle herself, and so was making far worse time than before.

Late in the afternoon Izayoi's hair decided it was done with small tangles, and went for an epic one, instead. Around the same time, the blisters developing on her feet decided to stop sort of hurting and start really hurting. Izayoi miserably balanced on first one foot, and then the other, and she tried to free her hair from the bush it had caught in. The bush was thorny, and her hands were soon scratched and bleeding from the effort. Her hair wouldn't come loose. It was too much. Izayoi sank down to her knees (her caught hair wouldn't let her go further) and settled in for a good cry.

"What have we here?" a smoothly menacing voice interrupted her sniffles.

Izayoi froze. Although the voice was strange and alien, she recognized the confident tone of voice being used, and the malice in it made a shiver run down her spine. She suddenly remembered every nursery story she'd ever been told about demons having humans for dinner. She knew with gut-clenching certainty that she had fallen into the power of a creature that could and would do her serious harm.

"Well?" the demon demanded, impatient.

Izayoi turned her tear-streaked visage to the demon. She lifted her eyes to meet his, intending to plead for her life, but her breath caught and the words died on her tongue. It happened that fast. She fell in love.

He was beautiful. Not the sort of beautiful she'd imagined, back in her home as she packed for her adventure. She'd imagined a type of beauty that she would drag around town and show off, so she could listen to everyone comment what a handsome couple they were together and how she'd found the only man worthy of her. No, this man did not posses the humble beauty she'd imagined. His was a beauty that made her feel small and grubby and plain. She knew she would never be worthy of him. And that she'd give everything trying to be.

In the back of her mind, she still knew that this creature was probably going to kill her. The significance of the idea had changed, however. She had so little time, she must memorize his features as quickly as possible. She drank in his long white hair, his golden eyes, the stripes marking his cheeks, his regal bearing. She would take the memory of them to her grave.

She was so busy preparing for her eminent demise that it took her some time to realize that it wasn't actually happening. He hadn't made any aggressive move towards her since she'd turned around. In fact, he seemed to be staring at her as intently as she was staring at him. Perhaps he was horrified into momentary immobility by her ugliness? She had never before considered herself ugly, but to such a creature she surely must appear so. But his expression didn't appear to be horrified. In fact, as he continued looking at her, his gaze appeared to be softening. "What could it mean?" she wondered in confusion.

At last the demon took a step forward. Izayoi braced herself, but he merely knelt down next to her. "You seem to be having some difficulties," he said, and his voice was gentle. He began deftly to loosen her hair from the bush's entanglement. Izayoi twisted around so she could watch him work, and continued silently staring. She wanted to stop him, to tell him not to lower himself like that, but no words would come.

Finally he finished, pulling the last strands of her hair free of the bush. He held them draped over his hand for a moment, staring at them. He dropped the tress, and instead looked at Izayoi's face, studying her expression. His eyes stayed locked with hers as he slowly lifted a hand and ran it through the length of her hair. She shivered slightly, but didn't otherwise move. He seemed to gain confidence, and he ran both his hands through her hair several times, in a combing motion. Then he sat back, a small smile on his lips. "There," he said.

Izayoi tentatively touched her hair, and found it lying silky smooth, like it had before her camping adventures. "Th-thank you," she stammered.

The demon's smile widened a little. He took her hand as she was lowering it, and stood up, drawing her up too. She gasped involuntarily as her feet took the weight – she'd forgotten her blisters. The demon's smile dimmed, and he made a small noise of displeasure. "Your feet need tending," he stated. He glanced down at the thorn-pricked hand he held. "So do your hands. Come."

He gathered her up in his arms, and then they were flying through the forest at dizzying speed. In less time than Izayoi could have imagined, the scenery had completely changed. The demon deposited her in a small dry cave at the base of a mountain she didn't know, and told her to wait there. She did as she was told, anxiously awaiting his return. She didn't have long to wait, and soon, much to her embarrassment, she found herself being gently tended to by the demon.

For a week she stayed in the little cave. Her hands and feet were medicated by the demon until they grew well again. She had water from a nearby lake, and every day ate the food brought to her by the demon. He rarely left her, and she always eagerly anticipated his return. Though her awe of him continued, she learned to overcome her timidity, and the two spent long hours conversing. To her wonder and joy, she found that the demon seemed to be as much in love with her as she was with him.

Then came the day when the demon, returning again to the cave with food for her, had a worried expression instead of a gentle one. "The forest has caught wind of us," he told her. "I cannot continue to keep you here. I must return you to your people." Izayoi tried to protest, but the demon simply picked her up, as he had before. A brief run later, he was depositing her at the edge of her village. "I shall visit you as often as I can," he told her, and he kissed her gently. Then he was gone.

Izayoi knew it was hopeless to try to follow him. In despair she sat down where she was, and cried. And that's how the villagers found her. The whole village rejoiced to have her back, or at least pretended to, and her parents rejoiced in earnest. They kept careful watch over her from then on, and although she went to the forest's edge every day, she was not allowed to enter it again.

Three months passed, and Izayoi's demon did not come again. With each passing day she felt her hope of seeing him again dimming. She would have fallen into total despair, except for one fact. Her demon had disappeared, but he had not left her without reminder of himself: she was pregnant.

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Next chapter: The Priestess. I hope you'll look forward to it!