I walked the road, my kimono dirty at the ends as my eyes stared forward, blank and empty. I couldn't count how long I had been walking. All I knew was that I was told to keep walking down this road until I found the village that housed the sacred jewel. My father was supposed to live there, and it was there I was told I would be safe.
My face was covered in dirt, clean skin peeking through the tear stains under my eyes. my hair was short, crude cut in an attempt to hide me from my mother's tribe. But you could cut my hair all you wanted. My bright red eyes and stark white hair were hard to miss.
But the tribe was so satisfied in the death of my mother that they overlooked even killing me. There was no way a child so young could fend for herself right? Well, I had managed to walk for days, keep myself fed with what little I could find, and sleep safely enough that I was still alive. But my will was fading the longer I walked, remembering my mother's dead gaze staring back up at me.
"My god child! You look like that of the undead!" A voice rang into my ears, startling me into a jump. Panic filled my once empty gaze as my head darted around, looking for the source. A woman just ahead of me, with long black hair and very soft eyes looked at me with worry, running to me as fast as she could.
"What happen to you? Where is your mother?" She stopped just in front of me kneeling cupping my face in her hands. I didn't answer as I stared in amazement of the treatment I was receiving. This woman had to clearly see I was just a half demon, something even most humans looked down upon.
"Why…" I stuttered as I stared at the woman.
"How about your father, do you know where he is?" She continued, ignoring the my confused look.
"But, why do you care?" The woman looked at her, puzzled and almost taken aback by what I had asked. "I'm just a half breed."
The woman sighed and pulled me into a hug, running her slender hands over my head and rocking me gently.
"If I held any ill will towards any sort of demon, I wouldn't love my son nearly as much as I do." I looked up to find a boy a few years older than me clinging to his mother's legs, too curious to look afraid. Long silver hair covering the shoulders of a red kimono, two dog like ears perked and alert.
"Mother, is she just like me?" The woman nodded and smiled.
"Indeed she is, now child, what is your name?" I blinked and rubbed my eyes, wiping more tears away before they could fall, smearing the dirt about my face.
"Akane…" I whispered through a sob induced hiccup. The woman smiled and gently removed her from the hug.
"Well Akane, my name is Rumiko and this is my son, Inuyasha." I looked back over to the boy who still was partially hidden behind his mother's kimono, trying hard to hide his curiosity. I smiled at him, though small, it was the first smile that I had given to anyone in days. Peeking out further, he smiled back as he found his bravery.
"C'mon, we can take you to our village." He offered his small hand to me. I took it, and was led back to their village, which happened to be the village I was looking for.
This was the day I would never forget, the day I met Inuyasha.
And in a blink of an eye it felt like I had lost him. As I grew to know him and him to me we soon realized we weren't that much different at all. And we both promised to protect each other no matter what. We kept that promise for years, guarding each other from the cruel words others threw at us.
As I grew older it was clear that I didn't just have the powers of a demon, but the abilities of a priestess. When I had first arrived back at the village I had learned my father was a priest who protected and aided the village. He was also the Keeper of the Sacred Jewel. Rumiko expected him to disown me, and was ready to take me under her wing as her own. But to her surprise he cried with joy to hear I was still alive.
You see, it was forbidden for priests and priestess alike to take a family, as it could interfere with their duties to protect the pure from the demonic. He had, in their words, stooped lower than most and fell for a demon. I was to be his student to the public eye to avoid either of us getting harmed. I was okay with this. He trained me to use the powers I had. Though, he felt that I may never be able to be Keeper the Jewel. My demon blood would taint it.
My dreams shattered, he brought in a new student, a girl by the name of Kikyo. She was pretty with her long black hair and pitch black eyes. She had a younger sister who stayed with us as well. Both had been orphaned after raiders destroyed their village. Something deep down bothered me, but my father just said it was my demon blood reacting to a priestess.
But my feeling was confirmed the day my father died when Kikyo had rigged a ceremony that sealed my priestess powers within her body. Stating that a demon let alone a half demon shouldn't hold such powers. I couldn't tell a soul about it either, Kikyo was now in charge of the shrine, I risked losing my home. But I had managed to be just as cunning as her. A blood oath that swore she would return them to me before her death or risk her soul never resting in peace.
And we made it work for awhile, until one day.
I had woken to the commotion of the shrine being attacked. I couldn't find Kikyo anywhere so did my best what the guards but this demon was too strong, and stubborn. Inuyasha had gone off the deep end since the death of his mother and swore he would take the Jewel and make a proper demon out of himself. This was his chance.
I chased him, being the only one who could keep up.
"Just drop it wolf pup I'm not giving it back!" He hissed with a laugh. I didn't respond, I just drew more speed and flew myself in front of him, grabbing him by arm. As he tried to pass me he was flung down to the ground with the sudden stop.
"I'm going to give you one chance, give me the Jewel and I'll let you leave without harm." He rolled his eyes, calming down greatly but still he was on edge. The wound from losing him mother was still so fresh I could read it in his eyes.
"Just meet me down at the lake. We'll talk about this once I calm everyone down. Here at least take this." I helped him to his feet before I cupped his hands and focused the little sacred power I had left into him. He raised an eyebrow clearly confused.
"You should be immune to any sutras they try to use on you now. To help you get out safely okay?"
"Fine, what ever." He gruffed, raising his hand to give me the Jewel. But just then, in the blink of an eye he pushed me out of the way as an arrow sunk deep into his shoulder and into the tree behind him.
"No...no no no!" I swung my head to see a bleeding Kikyo bow at the ready.
"Why?! He was going to give me the Jewel! He didn't deserve this!" I cried as I tried to pull the arrow from his shoulder. But I couldn't touch it. It reacted and realized that saving him from the simple sutras had doomed him. I couldn't touch Kikyo's sacred arrows any longer.
I heard Kikyo cough and fall to her knees, Kiade running to her side, me close behind.
"Kikyo...I need you to keep your oath. You need to give me my powers. Please…" She ignored me, commanded that the jewel be burnt with her body before she fell limp to the ground.
My mind went blank there. I relive all of this over and over. With it fading to black right at that moment. I can't escape the loop, nor am I able to change the outcome. Just a helpless bystander unable to scream or yell. I feel like just a spirit floating. I don't know whether I am dead or trapped in the after life, never to rest in peace. But I pray for it to end every day, if days even exist still.