Chapter 3-
Inuyasha woke up and blinked twice. His dream. He had had such a strange dream last night. In his dream, Father was outside the shelter, but Inuyasha couldn't see his face. He was talking to someone. The words were muffled, and the only words he recalled were half-breed. Inuyasha was excited about something, but he couldn't recollect what. Then he sat up with a start. Mama was going to the village today! He looked around. There was no one in sight. Hastily, he slipped on his kimono and jumped up. He immediately regretted it. The cold morning chill stung at his face. He peeked outside and saw snow covering the ground and still falling. He stared at it in wonder, then remembered his mother. Inuyasha tentatively stepped out into the snow. It was cold even through his shoes. He sniffed for his mother's smell and ran in that direction. His nose lead him down the mountain and a while later, he came to a bridge. His mother had given him instructions on how to reach her, and she said the bridge might seem strange, and it was. It was brightly painted red, green, blue, purple, yellow. In the middle of the bridge was his mother. He walked onto the bridge and was shocked by the feeling of the ground. It was hard, like rock, but smooth. His mother saw him and called to him.
"Inuyasha, how did you find me?"
"I smelled you, I think. I don't know." He answered. She hugged him tightly.
"What am I supposed to do with you, anyway? I'm going to the village today to do some things." Inuyasha wriggled out of her arms and asked quietly,
"Mama, can I come, too?" Kaeyo crossed her arms.
"Oh fine, fine. I hate it when you make that face. I just have to give in." Kaeyo smiled and stared at the space next to
Inuyasha's ear. Her eyes held a forgotten and sad expression. Inuyasha tugged her shirt. She shook her head slowly and took
Inuyasha's hand. She led him across the lonely bridge and after some time, the edge of a village began to appear. It was called a
village, but it seemed like the whole world to Inuyasha. Even though the tops of the buildings were covered and the color didn't show
on the tops of the structures, there was no snow on the ground. Instead, there were many food and gift stands, where old men sold their
goods to the local children. From far away, Inuyasha could see the bright red banners advertising the shops. He heard music and
smelled the various foods.
"Mama…there are so many things!" he exclaimed. Kaeyo took out a red piece of cloth and wrapped it around his head and
ears.
"Listen up, ok?" she said after she wrapped his head. "This hat is very important, Inuyasha. Don't ever let anyone touch it
and never take it off until we're out of the village. Are you listening, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha, whose eyes were on the village, nodded
automatically. Kaeyo hesitated to bring him to the village, not sure whether to be satisfied with his careless answer or not. Kaeyo sighed deeply and decided that she was just a worried mother. Only later would she find out how wrong she was.
"Mama, what's this?" Kaeyo had only brought Inuyasha into the village for a few hours now and already she was exhausted.
"It's a sweet candy that the children in the village especially love." An idea popped into Kaeyo's head. She quickly bought one for Inuyasha and handed it to him. She pointed to a group of children playing.
"Why don't you go play over with them while I go get the things we need, ok, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha took a lick of the candy and said,
"Ok, Mama." As she walked away, she said,
"I'll come find you in a couple of hours, then." When Inuyasha could no longer see his mother anymore, he approached the children shyly. They all looked about his age and a taller boy saw him. (By this time, Inuyasha had finished off his piece of food)
"Hey, look at the boy with the funny hat!" The boy pointed him out, and some of the children laughed. Inuyasha cocked his head sideways, confused.
"My Mama gave it to me. Don't laugh." The boy came to him. He sneered.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Is that all your mama can give you? A piece of cloth for a hat?" He walked around Inuyasha, examining him. Finally, he stood back and looked at Inuyasha scornfully.
"By the looks of you, little monster, I'd say you live with a rather poor family." The children laughed again, louder this time. Eager for more attention, the boy continued.
"So, monster, what's under the hat that you have to hide?" Inuyasha took a step back. The mean boy turned to the other children.
"What do you guys think it is? A rat? Or a wrinkled head?" Some called out rat, some wrinkled head, and some called out candy.
"Well, let's find out, shall we?" he said. He made a snatch at the hat. Inuyasha ducked away. This time, the boy grabbed Inuyasha and pulled the hat off. Inuyasha's two ears stuck out. Horrified, the boy ran back to the group and shouted,
"The kid is a half-breed!! Get away! Get away! My mother's told me of these things. Pure evil, she says. Down to the bone! Run!!!!" They ran. Inuyasha ran. The other way. Into a small alley between two tiny huts in which the poorer villagers were. The alley was dark and filled with snow. There was a spot where the snow had melted into a pool of water and Inuyasha looked at his reflection there. He saw two ears sticking off the top of his head. Tears filled up in this eyes and slowly, a tear fell into the pool of water. Plop! The sound echoed loudly, mocking him. Another face appeared in his reflection.
"Don't cry." She said. Her reflection wavered from his teardrop. Inuyasha closed his eyes and shut the reflections out of his mind. His reflection was different from hers. Even the water ridiculed him. A steady stream of tears flowed down his cheek.
"Go away, go away, go away." He whispered, not talking to anyone in particular. He could still feel her presence hanging there so he knew she hadn't left.
"Are you really a half-demon?" she asked boldly. Inuyasha sucked in his breath through his teeth, making his chest rattle. He clenched his fists tightly and slammed a hand down on the puddle. Water droplets splattered everywhere. The girl still did not leave. Inuyasha stood up and was in a slight crouch. He looked up from the ground and at the girl's face. Defiant.
"Go away." He seethed. She glared at him.
"Just LEAVE!!!!" he yelled. "You're a HUMAN, okay? Who cares what I am?! All you stupid HUMANS need to know is that I'm NOT! Get it? I'm not HUMAN!!!! I CAN HARM YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE HEADS!!!!" Inuyasha breathed hard and the girl kept on staring. Inuyasha had never let out his anger that way before and this experience gave him a strange feeling of control and frustration. And the girl took a step forward.
"You know something? I pity you. You're just like any other human but you don't realize that, do you?" Inuyasha choked on his sobs and coughed and more tears ran down. The girl handed him a handkerchief. No, it was the red cloth.
'Take it. Your mother wouldn't want you losing it." Inuyasha wiped his face on his sleeve and let out a breath of air.
"Thank you, eh….."
"Kikyo." She said with a smile. "And your name?"
"Inuyasha." Her face became serious.
"Then remember, Inuyasha, the half-demon, you are also half -human. You decide which side to take." Inuyasha sighed.
"I have to go. Mama will be looking for me." He started running down the small alley.
"Hey!" He stopped. Kikyo stood there smiling as she waved.
"Maybe we'll see each other again some day!" He nodded and waved back. And ran back to the market place.
Kaeyo knelt by the shrine at the town square and watched the water drip slowly off the fountains side. She pictured Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Tarasha in the water. Laughing together, as a family. A family. The thought echoed through her head. I'm so sorry, Tarasha. Sesshomaru….Inuyasha….I'm so sorry. A family was impossible and that was a fact. Yes, that'll be the best for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Decision made, she left the shrine.