Chapter One: My Remedy

Years passed since her death, years that were left hallow and without meaning. He had nowhere to turn, no one to teach him the way of life. But then again there was no way of life for a hanyou. Ever since his mother had passed, no one cared for him. The only thing he had was a father who left him, a brother who hated him and his meek human side. Everyday his soul turned darker, his need for power growing in his breast. The once golden eyes that shined now showed him as an animal caged up and taunted. His claws that he once shaved down now grew wildly and razor sharp without care. His only thoughts now were of gaining more power and obtaining the one thing that would grant it. The shikon-no-tama, what a jewel to behold.

She stared at me from the waterside; every now and then it splashed and nearly hit her, but never did. I hid in the tree, waiting for her to turn away for a second and make my move. The nape of her neck, there lay the shikon-no-tama, if I cut her throat I could get it while her blood cleansed it. She looked away and that's when I made my move, jumping from the tree and my hand held out. I felt the snare of the arrow ripping part of my skin as I hit the tree; she had hid that short bow under the folds of her cloths. She never had a short bow with her…

That hanyou was waiting to attack me again, like always. This time I would really hurt his pride by hiding a short bow and then striking him when he thought he had won. Stupid hanyou, no demon could hurt me much less a half demon as he. I didn't even need to stand to pin him.

I thought I heard a laugh from her, the bitch. Another arrow followed when she stood and now I hung on the tree like a doll. "You dumb little…" I muttered, I should have known better. I should have taken more time in checking my enemy before launching a melee attack. But nonetheless, how could this damn Miko even pin me?

I loaded my bow again, ready to end this stupid game of cat and mouse. Energy flowed down my arm, to my fingertips and the arrowhead and just as I was ready to let go, I stopped suddenly. My body relaxed like after letting an arrow go, but tensed up as I caught and stop myself from doing so. I put the arrow in my quiver and began to turn away. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you too stupid to kill me or something?" He bellowed, obvious annoyance and frustration in his voice. I turned ever so slightly, pointlessly almost as none of my face could be seen, "Hanyou, come no more for the jewel. I'll kill you next time, this time is a warning," I said flatly and left him there, he could find his own way off the tree.

If that was true, what the hell were all the other time she had let me go?

--

I didn't want to be the near the village or anyone for that matter. So instead I took the jewel with me and walked the open fields around the village. He was following me while hiding in the bushes many feet away. I sat down by a bush I knew he was near and put my long bow beside me, my hand never straying far from it.

She wandered away from the village for the first time since I had followed her. Her skin actually bounced back some of the sunlight making it appear as if she was glowing white. With all the time she spent outside, strolling and protecting the village from demons like me, her skin never tanned. She sat down and pulled out a brush and began to detangle her hair.

I untied my hair and flipped it back as I began to brush it. My hair was something I took much pride in, the one thing I had that connected me to a real woman. I combed it and always got it cut straight if it should ever become uneven. I loved it so much; whenever it became tangled I would pull out my brush and set all the strands back to perfection. But when I knew he was watching, something boiled in my gut and warmed my blood… but what was it?

I saw her eyes flicker from the ground to me then in a flash back to the ground. She knew where I was all along, that was a stab to my pride a little. I stood up and showed myself fully, my eyes glaring at her when she didn't move in the slightest to my sudden presence.

Why did he show himself? I froze for a second and was about to look up when I thought better of it. I was about to make a grab for my bow, but not until he attacked would I do that. "Hanyou… what is your business?" I said with no emotion in my voice. He sniffed and crossed his arms with distrust.

"Do not call me that," I barked, and with that she finally looked up. Her eyes didn't meet mine but like woman do they just barely met the chin. She stirred and asked "Then your name, what is it?" I thought about that question, weather or not I should give my real one and not. "Inuyasha" I finally said.

"Inuyasha-kun… very well" I said and stood up to leave, my alone time now cut short. I saw him glaring at me but he didn't see my eyes meeting his for less then half a second. "Your name!" He barked annoyingly, ready to strike. I nearly smiled, I knew that was coming.

When she didn't reply I just yelled "Fine, the hell with you". Still she walked away, the long bow gripped steadily in her hand. She never once showed any feeling to anything, unless slight anger towards a demon or me to be told to stay away. She didn't have to tell me, a high priestess as she couldn't go nameless.

--

"Kikyou" I said with a tone of victory. She turned around quickly, that little sister of hers clutched her sleeve. Her eyes narrowed but didn't seem angry, almost amused. "Keade" She said and the little girl nodded and dropped the quiver of arrows by her sister's side and hid behind a tree.

"So, you've found out my name" I breathed, part of me happy that he did. He grunted and looked the other way, half embarrassed. I turned to Keade and shrugged my head towards the village. Both of us watched as she slowly tipped toed out from behind the tree and ran towards the village as soon as she was out in the opening. I was moderately surprised he didn't make a dive for her.

"Inuyasha-kun, this is the first time we will talk, no?" She asked and my eyes zoomed back to her. I was about to say 'I know it is' but my mouth remained shut.

"Inuyasha-kun" I said softly and stepped closer and watched as his body became tense, "do you know why I haven't killed you yet?" His eyes finally met mine, and neither of us dared to look away, but part of me begged myself too.

Those eyes, they spoke of themselves. Her eyes were always so sad, and never have I seen her really smile. I didn't want to ask why, so instead I raised my eyebrow a little and grunted. "Because, Inuyasha-kun, we are alike". I was shocked, me like and her, a miko? "How?"

I was startled by my ability to get the words out, now was time fore the follow up. I slipped my long bow onto my torso so I didn't need to hold it and took yet another bold step forward. "Inuyasha-kun, we are alike. The villagers" I said, my eyes finally breaking the contact they had with his and turning to the village, "they see me as a protector. They have respect for me yet fear also. Never has one talked to me as human, only a miko meant that keeps the demons away. And you" I was about to talk of his human side, but I stopped.

I saw the first glimpse of emotion from her since I had began to pursue her. But part of my gut sunk when her eyes rolled across the village, explaining her pain. She spoke no lies, why was she opening up so much? I waited for her to connect her pain with my life, but she hesitated and looked to the ground. "We… are both outcasts" she finally said and looked to see if my gaze had moved but was shocked to see it hadn't.

I waited for him to say something, but when he didn't my thoughts turned to the jewel. I could feel it becoming colder on my neck; it had never done that before. I bowed and began to leave "Till next time Inuyasha-kun".

She walked away slowly enough to prolong the moment, however I didn't think it was intentionally. I turned around and jumped into the tree. Then I thought about something I hadn't the entire time, the shikon-no-tama. My eyes turned towards her, and I watched her walk away. Lately I hadn't thought of the jewel, only of her. Kikyou. Something about that thought made my eyes turn downward. She had told me something so personal, why? I'm a hanyou, and I pose nothing but a threat to her, so then why open up even a little to me?

--

"Inuyasha-kun" She said suddenly as she sat alone on a hill over looked the village. I walked from behind the tree with arm crossed, still not liking the idea that even if I knew she could tell where I was if I was near her I could stop following her. "What?" I snapped. "Come, sit with me. Dwell not in the shadows" She spoke softly, and she seemed to always pick her words carefully to sound heavenly, or maybe she just was.

He sat a few feet beside me, but not as close at I would have hoped. I didn't want for us to pretend that we didn't see each other as we were not far away from being right beside each other. I was sick of it almost. Also with him, he seemed like someone I could talk to, pour out my thoughts. A dairy I was not allowed to keep, feelings forbidden, showing emotions... trained not to. If not for him, where was I to turn?

Her eyes seemed puzzled and conflicted as she stared at the village, making sure no demons were in the air. She sighed a little and turned to me, and when she did I looked away. She made me feel nervous, but not in a way to make me think she would attack. I looked around her to see no bow with her, and her sleeves were blowing in the sudden wind so no short bow was with her. I shifted a bit towards her, my eyes on the shikon-no-tama, but then I thought about how she would feel. I didn't want her to be hurt by my selfishness, and I looked at her and not the jewel.

"Inuyasha-kun… I am no woman," I whispered and he froze. "What the hell, yes you are human!" He snapped, not even trying too read between the lines. I smiled on the inside when he said that, a sad smile. "Human, yes, but never a woman" I spoke, trying to maintain emotionless even if the words themselves were full of it.

Was she stupid? Why would she say such a thing? She was a woman clearly, and a human!

"I can never act like a woman, feel like a woman. Mikos… we are forbidden from many, many things Inuyasha-kun. Do… do you Inuyasha view me as a woman?" I dared to ask, praying that someone did.

I thought for a moment, I always saw her as a woman. But the way she described being one, I couldn't say. I did see how the villagers treated her; they only talked to her when they needed something, only the children played with her. Aside from then she bathed alone, walked alone, ate alone minus the few times with her sister. "Feh" I snapped and stood up, not wanting to answer her too serious question, "shut up! Nobody has the perfect life! Why should yours be any different?"

I stared into his eyes when he couldn't help but stop walking and turn to see my reaction. I broke my first rule, I boldly smiled at him. "Inuyasha-kun, you speak the truth. Thank you" I said and the wind picked up making his hair blow in his eyes so I couldn't read them.

I felt cruel for saying what I did, and for a while all I could do is stand there and look at her. The wind made her flawless hair spin around her body when it switched directions. Her smile was heart breaking; I couldn't help but feel as if I'd stomped on her feelings. How could I take back what I said without sounding weak? "Kikyou-dono… uh, there is no need for thanks… just stop by here tomorrow, same time. If you're late I'm leaving" I said and darted off.

I stood up and stopped smiling, ready to start up my duty of High Miko. When I felt he was nowhere near me, I pulled out the small knife that had been poking me side since I had waited for Inuyasha. He was demon still, but at least now I knew he would make no more attempts to gain the jewel.

--

I sat on the rock of the water off, my jacket off and sitting on a rock getting cleaned by the rough current. My white shirt I still had on and I sat on a large rock in the middle of the waterfall on the edge. I wanted to look clean for Kikyou tomorrow. The water splashed on me and got my cloths wet which would cool me off for most of the day, summers were much to hot. My gazed moved about until it fell on a woman near the pool of water dunking her head and pouring water on her. I was about to look away; I could care less about some random woman bathing, until I saw that it was Kikyou. My eyes shot back to her and I leaned closer to the edge to get a better view. I had never seen so much of a woman's body before; her scent was carried by the water back to me. It was different, smelt of something completely pure with hints of smoky firewood. The jewel hung from her neck but I thought it glowed because of her beauty. My eyes peered at her, why did she make me stop and look? When I thought she was any other woman I didn't care, but when I saw it was Kikyou… I had to watch. Suddenly I caught myself and looked away, she was a miko, I a hanyou, I shouldn't gawk. Once in a while my eyes would flicker back towards there, but never again did I stare.

He watched me and I allowed it, his eyes hung for long moments, but not where a normal man would look. He seemed to stare at my mouth, my eyes and hair. I brought my knee to my chest and hid much of my exposed body, but still his looking held a wild flare I had never felt before. I was proud of myself for not once looking his way, I let him think I didn't know he was near me, just this once. I stood up then, my white robe clinging and hiding nothing. I let my hair fall over my face and with the spaces between the strands I looked over towards him without him knowing I was. He wasn't look, painfully trying not to look because as I put of a dry over robe to conceal myself, his eyes would look back for only a few seconds. I lay on the grass and waited for my hair to dry, I nearly fell asleep but stopped myself, I wanted too but I didn't trust him enough yet.